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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. - Palm Springs is rated as one of the top destinations in the world in recent rankings released by a well known travel guide service.
In Frommer's 2014 rankings, the city is ranked as one of the top 14 destinations in the world, and one of only three within the United States.
Frommer's says a big reason Palm Springs ranks so high is that it has developed a reputation as being a trendy, hip place to visit.
"The age demo is much younger here than you would imagine it being," said Bob Thibault, vice president of marketing for the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau. "We have a huge group in the 20 to 35 bracket that have really taken on those trendy boutique hotels and are once again making this their get away destination."
The other two U.S. destinations that made the rankings are Big Island, HI and Richmond, VA.


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King Kong, a beloved pop culture character, is making another appearance in Blueprint Gaming’s roster of online slots with the recent launch of the King Kong Cash Prize Lines game.
The newest title is the latest popular Blueprint franchise to be equipped with the company’s Prize Lines mechanic and incorporate more features than ever before. The original King Kong Cash was released in 2016 to become an instant hit with online slot aficionados.
Its classic gameplay now offers an additional level of thrill with the recently integrated Prize Lines. The slot provides players with the chance to activate one of seven interactive features that are all inspired by the original game, including the hugely popular Big Money Bonus.
Each of these seven special modes consists of five spins. Players need to fill the grid with crown symbols to complete the Prize Lines. The more lines they complete, the larger the prize they can win. Any number of positions up to all 25 can be awarded on any given spin.
At the end of the five spins, players are offered the opportunity to choose whether to end their game, take a bonus feature, if the have won one, or spin again at an additional cost to try and complete more prize lines.
Celebrating the Return of the King
Commenting on their latest release, Jo Purvis, Director of Key Accounts and Marketing UK at Blueprint, said that they are “celebrating the return of the king with a fantastic new look and feel thanks to the features Prize Lines brings to the table.”
Ms. Purvis went on to explain that the Kong series continues to be a player favorite with every outing and that “this new installment ensures bingo fans can also join the party and enjoy this latest slot crossover.”
Blueprint introduced Prize Lines earlier this year as part of the UK-based game developer’s strategy to constantly introduce innovative concepts and diversify its offering. The mechanic combines elements of traditional online slots and grid games.
As mentioned earlier players are given a set number of spins to accumulate particular symbols and complete Prize Lines with them. The more winning lines they form, the bigger their prize. It should also be noted that the Prize Lines are not in a left-to-right format as in a traditional slot game, and instead pay horizontally, vertically, and diagonally.
Blueprint’s iconic Fishin’ Frenzy franchise was the first one to have been enhanced with the new mechanic. In June, another iconic title, Jackpot King, was too equipped with Prize Lines to add an extra level of excitement to the progressive jackpot slot.

domain: news


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Customers of VTB Bank in Georgia can now add their MasterCard debit and credit cards to its VTB Mobile Pay host card emulation (HCE) based mobile payment service following its launch with Visa and technology provider PriNum in October 2015. “The reception of Mobile Pay since its launch has been positive and the service has already seen success in terms of availability and adoption by consumers,” says PriNum CEO Andriy Galyapa.
- Tencent and Ant to integrate digital yuan wallets into mobile banking apps
- European Payments Initiative issues call for technical partners
- Apple Pay goes live in Mexico
- SBI to let merchants accept contactless payments on standard Android NFC phones
- Russian carriers seek digital ruble mobile wallet role
This article is more than four years old


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Antshares cryptocurrency news
Cryptocurrency News | All about Crypto CoinsDecentralized App (dApp) technology, smart contracts and cryptocurrencies are creating the future with tech.The total value of all cryptocurrencies has set a new all-time high,. (formerly Antshares),.
To better appeal to the global cryptocurrency market, the Antshares development team came to a consensus.Antshares, Antshares cryptocurrency, Antshares prices from all trusted markets.
This meeting was held for Antshares to announce their rebranding.
Cryptocurrency Market Tops $116 Billion to Set New AllCrypto Trader News Cryptocurrency and blockchain news you need to know.Bitcoin Press Release: Antshares is the current advancement in the Blockchain ecosystem that produces a bridge in between a cryptocurrency driven financial system as.We provide you with the latest breaking news from bitcoin, ethereum, dogecoin and other popular coins.
We provide UK specific guidance about companies and laws but the.
Antshares – SMNWeeklyBlockchain is a digital ledger in which transactions made in cryptocurrencies are recorded chronologically.
Of the top 10 cryptocurrencies, just four were posting double-digit gains, including Bitcoin Cash, NEM, IOTA and NEO (formerly Antshares).
Dapp.Tech | Decentralized Apps (dApps), Tech & Crypto News
Antshares Chinese blockchain platform is up 400% per week
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Can Antshares Become China’s Immutable Ethereum? | BitcoinHacked: Hacking Finance. with no significant moves in the two most valuable cryptocurrencies after.Antshares, a blockchain-based network protocol, is raisin funds via an initial crowd offering (ICO) to finance the development and marketing of a peer-to-peer digital.
All else equal, the market may take less time to recover from the latest sell-off than from the one that took place in December 2013.
NEO News | Crypto Coin Updates
Categories Ethereum Tags Antshares, Chinas, cryptocurrency, ethereum.
Antshares — Bitcoin MagazineBitcoin South Africa - Cryptocurrency is changing the way we transact digitally.
Antshares closes ICO with BTC 6,120 raised – SMNWeekly
ALTCOIN ROCKER | Cryptocurrency News BitesKeep up to date with the new Antshares price movements. Latest news.
Antshares Blockchain Based Ledger Protocol for Financial
Please conduct your own thorough research before investing in any cryptocurrency.I bought AntShares on an impulse buy. Cryptocurrency Industry News, Commentary, Entertainment. 5. Never miss a story from Evercoin, when you sign up for Medium.AntShares has some high profile partners listed on its site, including WINGS.The latest news and analysis on bitcoin, digital currency and blockchain.
On this channel, I deal with the newest in cryptocurrency and.
NEO Antshares Cryptocurrency: September 27th MeetupVarious projects in the cryptocurrency space are working toward a similar goal.Antshares has been quickly rising through cryptocurrency ranks lately.
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Bitcoin solutions llc | Price of ltc2983 | Bitcoin wallet on ipad | How do i accept bitcoins | Manual bitcoin core |


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SINGAPORE, November 16, 2023 – Privately-issued cryptocurrencies which became popular speculative investments in the last decade have failed the test of digital money. This includes crypto coins such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, which are being treated as stores of value by retail and even institutional investors today. The Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Managing Director, Mr Ravi Menon said this while delivering his address to the Singapore Fintech Festival 2023 here today.
“Private cryptocurrencies have failed the test of digital money,” Menon says. “They have performed poorly as a medium of exchange or store of value. Their prices are subject to sharp speculative swings, and many investors in these cryptocurrencies have suffered significant losses.”
In recent years, digital money has made a strong case for its role in the future of finance. It comes with benefits such as seamless cross-border transactions, reduced costs, and ease of access to financial systems. However, digital money can take on a number of different forms and not all of them are made equal.
Future of digital money
Tokenised bank liabilities represent customers’ claims on a bank’s balance sheets. For example, a customer who has S$1,000 deposited at a bank would receive an equivalent amount of tokens to transact with. When a purchase is made, these tokens would be transferred to the merchant, who’d be able to claim them from their respective bank.
This is known as clearing, a process through which banks are informed of the amounts which their customers’ account needs to be credited or debited with. Traditionally, clearing houses would facilitate this process, acting as a mediator when transactions are made between banks. Tokenisation allows clearing to be automated, removing the need for middlemen and improving efficiency.
After clearing comes the settlement process, which involves the physical movement of money between banks to fulfil their obligations to one another. This is where CBDCs come into play.
As the name suggests, CBDCs refer to digital currencies issued by a country’s central bank. They enjoy the same level of stability as their fiat counterpart, while leveraging the benefits of blockchain technology.
CBDCs can exist on the same infrastructure as tokenised bank liabilities, allowing the clearing and settlement process to be carried out simultaneously.
“Since 2016, MAS has conducted many experiments with other central banks and the financial industry to explore the use of wholesale CBDCs to facilitate real-time cross border payments and settlements,” Menon explains.
Next year, the MAS plans to take this a step forward, moving on from test environments and piloting the live issuance of wholesale CBDCs. Banks will be able to use these CBDCs for the real-time settlement of domestic payments.
Outstanding interbank obligations arising from [transactions made using tokenised bank liabilities] will be settled via the automatic transfer of wholesale CBDCs that the banks are holding. So clearing and settlement will occur in a single step on the same infrastructure, unlike the current system in which clearing and settlement takes place on different systems and settlement occurs with a lag.
MAS Project Orchid
Project Orchid was launched by the MAS to explore potential use cases for programmable money in partnership with industry players.
As the legislative amendments surrounding this framework will take at least a year to take effect, the MAS has taken an interim approach to recognise entities whose stablecoins already demonstrate compliance. Three companies have been granted in-principle approval under the Payments Services Act (PSA), including StraitsX which issues the Singapore-dollar-backed stablecoin XSGD.
“Once the legislative amendments take effect, these stablecoins will be regarded as MAS-regulated stablecoins and receive the credibility that goes with it,” Menon says.
The MAS believes that well-regulated stablecoins could help spur innovative use-cases. “One example is Purpose Bound Money (PBM) showcased through Project Orchid.”
PBM refers to a protocol which specifies the conditions under which an underlying digital currency can be used. As part of Project Orchid, StraitsX is trialling the use of XSGD to facilitate escrow arrangements in e-commerce transactions.
“This ensures that funds are released to merchants only when the customer receives the purchased items, providing greater assurance to both parties. This has been tested at the Singapore FinTech festival, in partnership with Amazon and Grab.”
Building digital infrastructure
Along with digital assets, there’s also a need to develop the underlying infrastructure – i.e. blockchains – which they operate on. Currently, public permissionless blockchains remain in the spotlight with significant investments being made to develop apps on chains such as Ethereum and Solana.
Menon points out that such blockchains come with limitations which makes them unfit to serve as the basis for the global financial infrastructure. “Public blockchains suffer from a lack of accountability and normality of service providers,” he says.
MAS has partnered with a number of financial institutions to develop digital infrastructure suitable for the global financial system / Image Credit: DBS, BNY Mellon, MUFG, JP Morgan
These problems are addressed by private blockchains such as Ripple, however, they suffer from a lack of interoperability instead. “This could potentially lead to fragmentation of liquidity in digital assets, which is what we’re trying to solve in the first place.”
The ideal solution, as per Menon, requires open and interoperable networks, which are also compliant with relevant regulatory requirements. In line with this vision, the MAS has teamed up with a group of industry players – BNY Mellon, JP Morgan, DBS and MUFG – to develop Global Layer One, an open, digital infrastructure to facilitate seamless cross-border transactions and enable tokenised assets to be traded across global liquidity pools.


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Small businesses are struggling during the pandemic
As of August 2020, almost 100,000 small businesses in the US had permanently closed. Restaurants and retail businesses have been particularly hard hit.
Writing reviews can help drive customers to your favorite small businesses to help keep them afloat.
Small businesses are critical to the US economy
In addition to providing important good and services to our communities, US businesses with fewer than 100 employees each collectively employed approximately 40 million people in 2015.
Supporting small businesses means keeping our neighbors employed during this difficult time.
Make a habit of taking action
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The Practice of Snacking: How it's Changing in America
There's No Lack of Snacking
Americans love snacks, and their propensity to snack is growing. According to a new report from Mintel, a global consumer research organization, most Americans (94%) snack at least once a day, and half of adults (50%) snack two to three times per day.
This as a big jump from last year when only 64% of consumers admitted that they snack between meals, Mintel reports, suggesting that Americans may be replacing the traditional three-meals-a day with snack foods instead. A noticeable change that Mintel found was that 33% of survey respondents say that they are snacking on healthier foods now than they did a year ago.
A 2014 study conduct by the NPD Group, a New York-based research firm, found similar consumer snack patterns and predicts that eating snacks instead of a traditional meal at regular meal times will increase 5% within three years. But despite desire for more health snack options, don’t expect Americans to live on kale and tofu alone.
Research sponsored by General Mills, the $10-billion food producer, found that while consumers claim they want healthier foods, the top five food concerns they rate as “very” or “somewhat important” are taste (92%), convenience (88%), satisfying a craving (85%), price (82%) and freshness (81%).
As for sweet snacks, many are consumed after an impulse purchase. General Mills reports that 58% of shoppers surveyed said their sweet snack buys were typically unplanned. And according to Mintel, 62% admit that they are most likely to snack to satisfy a craving.
The Snacking Generations
Nearly one-third (30%) of parents surveyed for Mintel are giving their youngsters healthier snacks these days, but 42% of households with children agree that there are not enough conveniently packaged snacks on the market, particularly snacks in resealable packages.
Millennial consumers, those shoppers ages 21 to 38, are more likely to snack than members of older generations, with 24% chowing down on a snack four times a day or more, researchers reported. Some are emotional or “functional” snackers. Nearly one-third (27%) of Millennial respondents said they snack when bored, and 17% said they snack when stressed. In addition, 39% of that age group said they snack to have energy and stay focused throughout the day.
Older consumers, such as Baby Boomers, didn’t grow up snacking all through the day and may continue to see snacks as a special treat, said a Mintel food analyst.


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While forecasting a decline in linear TV, media buyer Magna said that U.S. non-linear advertising sales by television companies will increase 22% to $2.6 billion in 2020.
Non-linear advertising--including network full-episode players and Hulu--will represent 6% of national TV ad revenue, Magna said, reflecting the continued demand for TV, even as the number of traditional ratings points dwindle.
“Linear television remains attractive for its reach and brand safety, and affordable by the tech sector,” the Magna report said.
That demand is pushing TV commercial prices on a cost-per-thousand viewers basis up more than 10% a year to more than $50 for adults 18-49 in prime time.
English-language broadcast network ad revenue is expected to be up 1% in 2020 thanks to a boost from the Olympics and presidential election. Without the Olympics and elections, spending would be down 4%, Magna said.
Cable networks are looking at a 0.5% drop in 2020 including the Olympics and election spending or 2% excluding those events.
Magna said that digital advertising sales growth slowed in the first quarter of 2019 to 16%. The agency expects digital ad spending to finish 2019 up 13% and grow just 10% in 2020.
Firms in the technology sector have been the most dynamic ad spenders because of intense competition between new internet giants and big old tech brands over smart home products, over-the-top video-on-demand services and cloud services, Magna said. The launch of 5G will re-ignite marketing in an otherwise mature wireless sector, the agency said.
Direct-to-consumer brands will increase traditional media spending by more than 40%, from a relatively low base, according to the report. “Those brands are particularly attractive to television vendors as they come to the TV market with little leverage and are willing to pay higher rates than CPG brands that have been on TV for fifty years and have the scale to negotiate sub-market cost inflation,” Magna said.
Overall, Magna forecasts that net advertising sales in the U.S. will be up 5.1% in 2019 excluding special events. For 2020, ad sales are expected to grow 5.8% to $233 billion, with the Summer Olympics and presidential election generated $6.2 billion in incremental revenue, up from the $5.4 billion in incremental revenue added by Olympics and elections in 2018.
Globally, Magna has raised its forecast, now calling for 5% growth to nearly $600 billion in 2019, from a December estimate of 4.7%. Either way, it's a 10th straight year of growth.
For 2020, the agency sees total growth of 5.4%.
“Global ad spend continues to grow as the economy remains strong in key markets but two factors are slowing down the growth rates in 2019: one is cyclical (the lack of major events in 2019, following a record year in 2018) while the other is structural: digital ad formats maturing (from % in 2018 to % this year) as they now account for more than half of total advertising sales,” said Vincent Letang, executive VP, global market intelligence at Magna. “However product innovation (smart homes, cloud services, OTT, 5G) and marketing innovation (direct-to-consumer brands) will continue to drive ad spend growth this year and next.
Worldwide traditional linear advertising sales--including broadcast TV and radio, newspaper and magazine ad pages and out of home--will decrease by 3% to $290 million in 2019 while digital ad sales will grow by 14%.
Linear TV ad revenue will decrease 2% to $175 billion in a non-Olympic year. Excluding the U.S., linear TV ad revenue will be up 1% in 2019.
Digital ad sales this year will represent more than half of global ad sales for the first time this year, reaching $304 billion, or 51% of the total.
The bulk of digital advertising growth will come from ad impressions and clicks on mobile devices (mostly smartphones). Mobile ad sales grew by 24% in 2019, to account for 68% of total digital advertising while desktop-based ad revenue will shrink 3%, due to declining usage and ad blocking.
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Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.


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COLUMBIA, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Columbia man is behind bars accused of attempting to burn down the Kroger on Columbia’s Nashville Highway.
It happened around 1:30 a.m. early Sunday morning
When firefighters arrived, flames shot up in front of the building.
The store was closed, according to investigators, but six employees were inside restocking shelves and cleaning up.
A man working across the street at the water company saw the flames and called 911.
Caller: “I’m Kroger across the street on the Nashville Highway and there’s a fire over there. It’s almost as tall as the building is now. It’s almost like a huge campfire, like a bonfire.”
Columbia police arrived quickly and found suspected arsonist Jeffrey Lee Mealer parked in front of the burning store.
Investigators say the 53-year-old Columbia man was intoxicated and in possession of meth.
Meanwhile, Columbia fire crews responded to the fire quickly.
Photos from News 2 show fire damage to more than a dozen shopping carts parked in the shopping cart concourse. The plastic was melted and the metal was burned.
By Monday morning the outside of the store was scorched to the roof and the awnings were on fire.
The front doors on the right side of the store are now boarded up and there is yellow warning tape telling shoppers to enter on the south side of the building.
According to Assistant Chief Donnie Knoepfel of Columbia Fire & Rescue, when the flames entered the store through a broken window, two fire sprinklers were automatically activated, helping to put out the blazes before firefighters arrived.
“Our main concern is the safety of the people inside and the safety of our employees,” said Knoepfel.
According to a Columbia police report, store employees said Jeffrey Mealer banged on the doors before the fire and claimed his wife worked there.
When employees at the store told him she didn’t work there, they told investigators the 53-year-old got “very excited” and left. The fire broke out a short time later.
According to the report, Mealer has repeatedly denied setting the fire. After his arrest, he refused to speak to the police.
Investigators did not name a possible motive for the arson.
Columbia police confirmed they have surveillance video from cameras located above the entrances.
“It’s annoying. We’re here to protect people and to answer that call when we get it. Of course, if there is a fire, this poses a danger to the public and the fire brigade,” said Knoepfel.
Mealer is charged with aggravated arson and six counts of reckless endangerment with a weapon – the weapon being fire. The six counts apply to each person in the store.
Mealer is also charged with meth possession.
Kroger is currently open.
Kroger had no comment other than to say they are grateful no Kroger employees were injured.
⏩ Find more top stories from wkrn.com
Mealer is in the Maury County Jail on $205,000 bail
https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/columbia-kroger-set-on-fire-alleged-arsonist-facing-multiple-charges/ Columbia Kroger set on fire; alleged arsonist facing multiple charges


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Fintech startup raises $12.5m
A Sydney-based fintech startup received an investment boost from ANZ and software giant Salesforce in its latest fundraising efforts.
Valiant Finance, a software platform that connects small businesses with over 75 mostly non-bank lenders, has announced it secured $12.5m in its Series B equity funding round.
The investment was led by ANZ’s ANZi Ventures, with contributions from Salesforce’s Salesforce Ventures, Carthona Capital, Westpac’s Reinventure, and Full Circle Venture Capital.
Valiant said it will use the investment to make its platform available to a broader audience.
“We’re very excited to take investment from ANZ and Salesforce Ventures,” said Alex Molloy, co-founder and CEO of Valiant Finance.
“We’ve had massive growth over the last 18 months by providing our platform to institutional referral partners and investing heavily in our asset and commercial finance capabilities.
The additional capital from this round enables us to consolidate that growth, accelerate our platform roadmap and build partnerships with equipment dealerships offering point-of-sale finance to their customers.”
To read more, please click on the link below…
Source: Fintech startup raises $12.5m


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Boost your brand value, go global with '890' barcodes.
And get discovered by retailers and online shopping site.
Get discovered by retailers and online shopping sites.
Continue being accessible to consumers and buyers when they scan your product barcode using Smart Consumer mobile app.
26 Sep 2018
FASTag facilitates near non-stop movement of vehicles through toll plazas by employing radio frequency identification technology to make toll payments directly from prepaid accounts linked to it.
Hindustan Times report
26 September 2018


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LG released its current flagship smartphone in South Korea about three months back and according to a new report it hasn’t seen the kind of response from customers that it might have hoped for. According to a new report LG G4 sales have grossly underperformed in the company’s home market of South Korea, it’s said to trail far behind the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge from local rival Samsung in terms of sales over the past three months.
Apparently LG was only able to sell 240,000 units of the G4 by the end of last month which just isn’t the kind of response that the company would have crossed its fingers for.
It pales in comparison to the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, Samsung’s flagship duo has managed to sell over 1.3 million units combined in South Korea by the end of last month.
LG reportedly had planned to sell more than 70 million handsets globally this year but it may have to revise those expectations following underperforming sales of its flagship, which also raises the question about the G4’s performance in the global market.
Even though the LG G4 is a robust device with specifications and features to rival the best of them, if the handset’s performance in the market doesn’t improve it may not be a huge help in getting LG to its target of selling 70 million smartphones by the end of this year.


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CEX.IO and Ghash.IO have announced several major upgrades including the ability for customers to make purchases using fiat currency for the first time.
The UK-based exchange is adding further currency pairs for the USD, its first supported currency, and is set to add the euro within a week, along with the introduction of considerably lower fees in some areas.
A focal point for CEX.IO recently has been criticism of its fees structure, which Cointelegraph among others noted was complicated and potentially poor value for money. News today reveals however that the issue is being tackled at its own expense.
“The company has signed up a mutual contract with a mining hardware vendor for shipping a range of the most powerful and efficient hardware equipment to CEX.IO data centers,” a press release issued earlier announced. “Moreover, CEX.IO came to terms of significant lowering of electricity expenses, which is an essential part of maintenance costs charged for hosting miners.”
The partnerships mean that in real terms customers will see maintenance fees cut from US$0.18 to US$0.105 per month on 1 GH/s (gigahashes per second) contracts from today.
“We are now facing tough conditions when the increasing difficulty and the low Bitcoin price have made cloud mining less profitable,” Smith said. “…Meanwhile, we overtake all the expenses for lowering maintenance cost for the cloud-based GHS up to the moment the new hardware is shipped to the doors of our data centers.”
The move comes as the Bitcoin scene in the UK goes through testing times, with many startups facing teething problems from financial regulators
CEX.IO CIO Jeffrey Smith remains buoyant, however. “Adding USD to CEX.IO gives us a strong push towards a full-operational exchange,” he said in a press release issued Monday. “Now we are even more into targeting the mass market and opening simple ways for buying Bitcoin.”
The current regulatory climate means that CEX.IO is not currently able to offer its service in US, but is “strongly moving towards the USA market to provide its services for US citizens,” it says.
- CEX.IO CIO Jeffrey Smith
There is no word as yet on when GBP will be added to the currency pool, but the exchange in the meantime has further improvements within its sights. Smith added:
“[… ]We will be implementing new cryptocurrencies on a weekly basis according to the list of coins mined on GHash.IO multipool, as well as to the most popular requests from our users.”
More details on CEX.IO can be found in our cloudmining review series available here.


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By Our Correspondent
Business activities in some parts of Port Harcourt were hugely on low ebb as many traders’ closed shops following the sit-at-home order declared by pro-Biafra agitators.
It would be recalled that he Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) had declared a May 30 a public holiday for their supporters to commemorate 50 years of the declaration of the secessionist state of Biafra.
They also said they wanted to remember those who died in the Nigerian civil war fought between Nigerian troops and rebel Biafra forces.
Major business areas, especially those dominated by Igbo traders, were shut down.
Some traders who were seen around their business premises said they came to monitor the situation and not to open for business.
Some normally very busy roads, such as the Port Harcourt/Aba expressway, Ikwerre Road and the East/West Roads witnessed light traffic.
Meanwhile, some traders at the Building Material Market and the Nkpolu Oro-worukwo Shopping Centre, Mile Three Diobu, Port Harcourt, expressed support for the groups’ call.
Chief Ike Nwaugo, a trader said that the market union had given a directive stopping traders from opening their shops for business during the holiday.
“Nobody will open for business today; it is a directive even from the union in compliance with the call by the agitators of Biafra,’’ he said.
A trader at the Oyigbo Truck Park, Mr Ignatius Okorie, said that the holiday declared in honour of Biafra was responsible for the low economic activity in the area.
“Many people are at home, economic activities are at a very low ebb, the call for holiday is the cause of all these,’’ he said.
However, a lawyer, Mr Chijokwu Wombu, has criticised the observance of the holiday by some traders in Port Harcourt, saying, “it is of no meaning.’’
He said the traders staying at home in adherence to the declaration of holiday did not make Rivers part of Biafra.
“I see the whole thing as mere showmanship, the traders merely pretend to have closed shops, but they are all milling around the business premises.
“I tell you that they are in business, just go close and ask for something, you will be surprised that they will sell to you, people should stop being deceptive,’’ he added.


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MINOT, N.D. (KXNET) — A new nutrition shop is helping people find a healthy alternative for a snack.
Since its opening in August, LIV Energy and Nutrition has been serving up seasonal items like their protein shake meal replacements and a customer favorite: tea bombs.
LIV has more than 40 flavors of tea.
And, you can have them served at different levels, from your basic tea to a tea bomb, which has extra vitamins and energy.
Owners and advocates, alike say this nutritional pit stop is a good place to grab something while you’re on the go, while also enjoying something good for your body.
“Our highest calorie tea in a big size is less than 30 calories, and then we have protein shakes, they’re all less than 300 calories and they taste really good, they taste like your cheating,” said LIV Owner, Katie Tudahl.
For a look at their hours and times open, visit LIV’s facebook page.


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To some people, the term "bank marketing" is an oxymoron. Banks have been net importers of talent from advertising firms and packaged goods companies for years, and yet their marketing efforts are still pretty stale.
One guy who is trying to change that is Stephen Cone, who joined KeyCorp in August 1994 as an executive vice president for marketing and strategic planning (See People, September 1994). "The reason why I was attracted to banking is that it needs an injection of people who aren't so inbred," he says. No problemo, Steve. With his wild bow ties and bushy beard, this native New Yorker will never be mistaken for a traditional banker.
Cone's latest undertaking has been to launch a national brand identity campaign for KeyCorp, and he recently retained Young & Rubicam Inc. to help in that effort. The stakes are high for the Cleveland-based bank, which operates in 25 northern states from Maine to Alaska. "Our plan is to become, in relatively short order, a double-digit growth company," Cone says. He adds that "job number one" is to market more products to existing customers.
Another smaller but still important job has been to jazz up the corporate logo--which now appears a bright "KeyCorp Red." Leaving nothing to chance, Cone has even prepared a thorough launch manual that, despite its breezy tone, makes quite clear what KeyCorp employees may and may not do with their new logo. "Never place the Key symbol on an angle, upside down or with the bulb of the key on the right," the manual instructs. Presumably bending, folding, spindling and mutilating are out, too.


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Hyundai will no longer develop and produce pure electric vehicles in any great volume, Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group vice chairman Yang Woong-chul Yang said during a press briefing at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Hyundai will focus on plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, while affiliate Kia Motors will focus on electric cars and will start selling a box-shaped pure electric car in South Korea by the end of this year.
Hyundai and Kia, which together rank fifth in global car sales, have been slow in tapping into the segment, focusing more on fuel-efficient gasoline models. Yang, who heads research and development at Hyundai and Kia, said that it would be difficult for electric cars to replace those equipped with internal combustion engines, citing limited battery technology and infrastructure, according to reports in South Korea.
Last year Hyundai started to produce its first all-electric model, the BlueOn, for only fleet use in South Korea.
A spokesman for Kia said: “While it is true that top group management has decided that Hyundai will pursue plug-ins as its core strategic eco-friendly growth platform while Kia will focus on EVs, this does not mean that Kia will not offer hybrids, plug-ins or FCEVs. Kia will be the first to launch a global full-electric vehicle but Hyundai could also offer full-EV cars at a later point in time.”
Hyundai has a technological advantage in producing hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles as it succeeded in independently developing a 115 kW-class stack, a core component for such vehicles. It also operated two ix35 hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in Denmark in May on a trial basis.


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BANGKOK — Bangkok was named the world’s top tourist destination for a second year running by Mastercard on Tuesday.
BANGKOK — A riverside warehouse renovated into a creative lifestyle destination officially opened to the public Saturday. After a one-day soft opening last month, Warehouse...
BANGKOK — The first time it took place, thousands of bookworms hunted through two million books for 60 hours straight. This August, a massive book market returns with more piles to pore over for 17 days and nights.
BANGKOK — Kick off your snow boots and do the Kalinka at a Russian festival next month at a downtown mall.
BANGKOK — Crowds flocked to Bangkok’s latest art and creative space Changchui on its first weekend. Distance did not seem to be able to stop...
BANGKOK — Dogs, cats, rabbits, birds and many more humans’ besties will be gathered at an annual expo starting Thursday.
BANGKOK — The city’s most renowned design hub will celebrate its new headquarters with three days of almost everything – music, swing dance, movies, art workshops and a flea market.
Compare for yourself how Bangkok's streets look before and after the street food vendor ban with these interactive images. (Slide left and right).
BANGKOK — Six years after the eviction of the Suan Lum Night Bazaar, a development company Monday morning announced plans to construct a cluster of office, residential and retail towers on the site.
BANGKOK — Public outrage over a proposed increase to the value-added tax, or VAT, led to the military government shelving the idea and blaming the media Friday for spreading fake news.


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Finnleo Sauna Owners Talk About the Benefits
The Wall Street Journal reports today that “The Home Improvement That’s the Hottest of Them All” is a sauna! Our customers have been telling us about their experiences with their Finnleo saunas and we couldn’t agree more. Saunas are hot!
For one thing they report better skin. Many of our women owners have been asked if they’d had face lifts!
Stress relief was the top benefit, but a strengthened immune system was a surprise benefit for most. Most of our customers reported a decrease in colds and flu or said they haven’t been sick since they bought a sauna and started using it.
“A quiet time together, a get away from it all, a place to unwind” are all mentioned as sauna benefits. And, for those with arthritis or any joint or muscle pain, having a place at home to ease those aches & pains was a real bonus.
You can benefit, too. You can add a Finnleo sauna to your home for less than the cost of a good cup of coffee a day! Most people mention better health as their top New Year’s resolution. Installing an in-home sauna is the easiest way to improve your health and keep that resolution.
Author: Don Riling
Don Riling is the President of Olympic Hot Tub and has been an active member of the hot tub industry for over 20 years. As the company’s owner since 2016, he has continued Olympic’s legacy of promoting health & wellness through hot water & sauna therapy.


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Posted 2/25/2013 - 10:03:29 AM
Brent LeBlanc, SVP, Peachtree Hotel Group
ATLANTA, GA—Brent LeBlanc has joined Peachtree Hotel Group as SVP.
His primary responsibilities will focus on sourcing new acquisitions, developments and third-party management opportunities, as well as enhancing Peachtree’s brand relationships.
LeBlanc will run the company’s newly opened Western region office in Houston, TX. “I believe we are well positioned to add 10-12 assets in this part of the country over the next two to three years,” LeBlanc said in a statement. “We will equally pursue acquisitions and third-party management opportunities that fit Peachtree’s strategic profile of select service and extended stay premium-branded hotels.”
Prior to this, LeBlanc worked as VP of franchise development for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, guiding a team of senior development directors in the launch of the lifestyle-branded aloft and Element flags, among other responsibilities. Prior to that, he was VP of franchise development for La Quinta Companies. He has nearly two decades of hospitality experience.


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Advertising watchdog bites pet insurer over misleading ad
We’ve got your dog covered - but not for a R30‚000 operation.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that pet medical company Dotsure must immediately withdraw its commercial which implied they would cover such a costly operation for your dog.
In the commercial‚ veterinary surgeon Dr Thulani Mthimunye tells a story about a dog that broke his hip after being accidentally run over by its owner as she was driving into their driveway.
“Surgery like that costs a fortune. That dog may be here just because it was on Dotsure. No matter who you are‚ where you from‚ Dotsure it’s affordable for your pets. With Dotsure‚ you can name your price‚” he says.
A message on-screen states: “Emergency surgeries can cost as much as R30‚000.00*. Cover your pet from just R3 per day.”
Eleanor Richardson argued the commercial implied that Dotsure would pay for surgery up to R30‚000. Richardson said this was a lie and was misleading‚ because Dotsure only covers up to R10‚000.
Dotsure said that nowhere in the commercial did they explicitly state that they would cover up to R30‚000.
The ASA ruled the commercial was misleading‚ despite making no overt statements.
They said reasonable consumers will think their pet is covered‚ because of the on-screen message making reference to the R30‚000 amount.
The voice-over also says dogs may be alive only because they were covered by Dotsure.
The ASA ruled: “The reality is that‚ with R10‚000 cover‚ they still had to cover the bulk of the R30‚000 operation themselves.”
The ASA added that Dotsure selecting R30‚000 as an example was misleading and unnecessary.
“The Respondent [Dotsure] could have chosen a story where the entire cost of the procedure was covered by the insurance‚ used that figure on-screen‚ and have had no misunderstandings.”


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Labor organizing surged last year. A Gallup survey found 71% of Americans approve of unions. Yet only 10% of workers belong to a union, as employers continue to fight back.
Amazon should recognize its first unionized warehouse in the U.S., a federal labor official ruled.
Starbucks stores from coast to coast. An electric vehicle battery plant. The first Amazon warehouse in the U.S. All kinds of workplaces unionized in 2022, but winning elections is only the first step.
More than 300 Starbucks stores have held union elections in less than a year, a remarkable feat. But now workers blame "scorched-earth" union busting by Starbucks for a slowdown in the momentum.
The first Starbucks union was formed in Buffalo, N.Y. a year ago, launching what has since become a nationwide organizing campaign
The National Labor Relations Board is asking a court to reinstate seven Starbucks workers in Buffalo, N.Y. who were allegedly fired illegally because they were involved in union organizing.
With the existence of a grass roots union at stake, the National Labor Relations Board is considering Amazon's objections to the Amazon Labor Union's historic victory.
The National Labor Relations Board is considering Amazon's objections to a union election that resulted in the first unionized Amazon warehouse in the U.S.
Amazon will face two union elections at once. Federal officials have set a union vote for Amazon workers at a Staten Island warehouse, coinciding with the ongoing re-do election in Bessemer, Ala.
Under pressure to improve worker rights, Amazon has reached a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board to allow its employees to freely organize — and without retaliation.
It's a really large mail-in election. (Yes, this one, too.) The tally of yes and no votes has finally begun.
The National Labor Relations Board accused the tech giant of violating federal law when it fired two employees involved in worker organizing last year.


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DHL supply chain SA introduces central control tower
Issued by Sprout PR - Dec 8th 2017, 13:34
DHL Supply Chain South Africa introduces a Central Control Tower, providing customers with a bird's-eye view of all transport needs.
As fleets grow in size, there is a greater need to understand where vehicles are, what the conditions are of stock loads, and whether or not drivers are performing as well as they are expected to under tough road conditions.
According to Marco Teixeira, DHL Supply Chain’s Automotive Director for South Africa, “the time between an order sent into a logistics provider and the load being delivered to its destination, has traditionally been completely “blind” for a transport manager. The industry is now realising that it has to take a more holistic approach to transport and start to implement technology systems that can give transport managers full end-to-end visibility, with as granular detail as possible.”
With regards to performance management, it’s a difficult task to manage if relevant statistics are not available in real-time.
Paul Stone, CEO Africa and MD South Africa says, “DHL is committed to delivering the optimal transport offering to our customers by utilising technology and our global expertise to ensure service excellence.”
The heart of any company’s transport operations
DHL’s Central Control Tower takes all the systems that provide information around orders, planning and execution, health and safety, driver behaviour, fleet management, electronic POD’s, and pulls it into one system to manage it from a central location, ultimately becoming “the heart of South African transport and any company’s transport operations”, says Teixeira.
The platform provides full visibility of customer orders, detailed track and trace information, monitoring of driver behaviour, and a report on the conditions of the order.
For DHL customers, it’s a value-added service and allows for the creation of additional relevant product. “We can now offer managed transport services, which we weren’t able to do in the past, becoming the trusted transport advisor to our clients who don’t use DHL vehicles.”
Lowering the cost of supply chain for customers
For companies that do not have a transport division or the technology to manage it, DHL Supply Chain is now able to assist with advising on, planning, execution, and reporting of the customer’s fleet.
Teixeira adds that “by using our Central Control Tower, clients are able to track their own vehicles or third party vehicles, giving them planning, tracking and reporting services. Ultimately, it’s all about creating efficiencies, which in turn lowers the supply chain cost for customers.”
Designing a resilient grocery supply chain
22/06/2018 - 11:01
Supply chains are wonderful systems. Meticulously planned and managed to efficiently and effectively facilitate the flow of goods, services, information and cash between entities when, out of nowhere, supply chain risks and disruptions stick their heads out and muddle up the system.
DHL introduces the next evolution in international shipping
07/06/2018 - 12:25
DHL, the world’s leading international express delivery services provider, has unveiled MyDHL+, an industry-leading global shipping application that brings new levels of speed and simplicity to the often confusing and complicated cross-border shipping process.
#ECMA18 - Setting the scene for the future of eCommerce in Africa
27/03/2018 - 10:32
The 4th Annual DHL eCommerce MoneyAfrica Conference & Exhibition was recently hosted at the brand new, green star-rated CTICC East Wing in Cape Town on 14 & 15 March 2018.
Understand your customer to predict future demand
22/03/2018 - 14:26
Understanding your customer brings you one giant step closer to the ultimate goal of the supply chain — meeting customer demand at the lowest possible risk and cost.
Embrace cross-border e-commerce, says DHL
15/03/2018 - 09:04
Cross-border retail volumes are predicted to increase at an annual average rate of 25% between 2015 and 2020.


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Uy opts for listing to raise funds
Businessman Dennis Uy revealed a plan to take more of his companies public to open up new funding avenues as his group continues its expansion.
Uy announced the plan late Tuesday as he told reporters this would also help map out the long-term strategy and sustainability of his group, under holding company Udenna Corp.
He said public listings would make it easier to tap new funding sources apart from increasing transparency.
“It will be more sustainable,” Uy said, adding that publicly traded companies could attract better talent and professionals.
The listing strategy appears consistent with steps taken by some of the country’s largest conglomerates. Uy said the decision reflected his optimism on the economy, as he cited tax reform and an upgrade this week by Fitch Ratings.
“The government is committed to infrastructure, so more infra [means] more demand for our sectors like petroleum, logistics and shipping,” he said.
Market observers noted that a prime listing candidate is Udenna, a play on his name. Udenna owns publicly traded subsidiaries such as Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, which went public in 2007, and Chelsea Logistics Holdings, which listed a decade later in August.
Fresh funds would be needed to support an expanding group that has been among the most active buyers in the country’s corporate scene in recent months.
In November, it announced the acquisition of a company that holds 177 hectares of land in Clark Freeport Zone, whose international airport the Duterte administration is expanding. In August, it announced a deal to buy the FamilyMart convenience store chain in the Philippines.
Other deals this year include a stake in listed logistics giant 2GO Group Inc., liquefied petroleum gas retailer Petronas Energy Philippines Inc. and Enderun Colleges Inc., which focuses on the hospitality and culinary sectors.
Udenna also started work this year on The Emerald Resort Hotel and Casino in Mactan Island, Cebu.
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.


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This morning — as expected — Amazon announced their very first smartphone. While many of its features can be found on other devices, it’s got at least one trick that’s particularly unique: a complex camera system that tracks the position of your head and shifts the perspective of what’s on screen accordingly.
The end result? Trippy, glasses-free 3D. Here’s what it looks like in motion.


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- Microsoft is bringing Xbox-exclusive games to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, expanding their reach.
- Four games that are over a year old will make the crossover, but don’t expect many more.
- Phil Spencer’s announcement aligns with Microsoft’s goal of a more open gaming landscape.
It’s official: Microsoft is bringing Xbox-exclusive games to other consoles. As revealed by Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, on the Official Xbox Podcast, players can expect to see a slate of four games expand beyond Xbox and PC. While this presumably means the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, Spencer did not share specifics.
The announcement is tied into Microsoft’s ongoing push to make a more open gaming landscape, starting with the slow phase-out of console-exclusive games.
Additionally, no games were announced just yet, but Spencer did confirm that Starfield and the Indiana Jones and the Great Circle would remain Xbox exclusives, at least for the time being. Spencer also said that there will only be four games, each more than a year-old, that will make the cross-over to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.
According to reporting from The Verge, the four games Microsoft is bringing to other platforms are Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment, which will then be followed by Sea of Thieves and Grounded. Spencer went on to say:
“The teams that are building those games have announced plans that are not too far away. As we know, game teams put a lot of energy into their announcements with the partners. So I don’t want to take anything away from those teams. So I won’t be talking about the titles specifically. But I think when they come out, it’ll make sense.”
He went on to specify that two of the games are smaller experiences that were “never really meant to be” Xbox exclusives and that the other two titles are more community-driven projects, which lines up with the list reported by The Verge.
Activision Blizzard games coming to Game Pass
During the podcast, Microsoft also announced that Activision Blizzard games will soon start making their way to Xbox Game Pass. The expansion will start with Diablo IV on March 28. No other Activision Blizzard titles were announced for Game Pass during the podcast, but presumably other Activision and Blizzard releases will follow before long. Spencer was quick to note that first-party games will ideally always launch on Game Pass and that the service itself will stay exclusive to Xbox.
The hardware side of Xbox’s future was also touched on during the podcast, with some allusions to the next Xbox as well as a possible refresh for the Xbox Series X and Series S.
“There’s exciting stuff coming out in hardware we’re going to share this holiday,” said Xbox President Sarah Bond. “We’re also invested in the next-generation roadmap. What we’re really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you’ve ever seen in a hardware generation.”
A massive leak in September revealed that Microsoft was working on a refresh of the Xbox lineup, with the specific possibility that an updated Xbox Series X would shift to a more cylindrical design. The documentation for the refreshed console came out as part of the FTC’s litigation into Microsoft’s buyout of Activision Blizzard.
In the weeks leading up to this edition of the Official Xbox Podcast, rumors swirled about Spencer’s appearance on the show and what he would be announcing. The announcement is tied into Microsoft’s ongoing push to make a more open gaming landscape, starting with the slow phase-out of console-exclusive games.
Spencer’s intentions were first made clear on Feb. 5, when he took to X to say, “We’re listening and we hear you. We’ve been planning a business update event for next week, where we look forward to sharing more details with you about our vision for the future of Xbox. Stay tuned.”
How Xbox backward compatibility works: The definitive games list
You can play Xbox 360 and original Xbox games on your Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Here are all the games that work.


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The Recently-inked Acciaccaturas the US and Prc are out Good news for America’s new Domestic hemp Industry. As part of the Agree, Prc has Agree to Increase the Quantitativeness of Agriculture it Importer From the US OVER the next two Giga-annum.
Included among the List of these Agriculture is “true hemp,” Referential to the low-THC Variant Recently Legalized by the of the 2018 Farm Bill. The Deal not specify exactly how MOREnet hemp Prc will be Importering, but the Agree State Prc must Importer $12.5 1E9 MOREnet Agriculture (including hemp) in 2020 THAN it did in 2017. Next year, Prc must Increase its Agriculture Importer by $19.5 1E9.
“The fact Prc Could be Importering our hemp and Could be a new market for is Purty exciting,” Saeid JonaTHAN Miller, general counsel for the U.S. Hempnut Roundtable, to Marijuana Moment. Overall, Miller s the of hemp in the Agree is a “really Good development” for the country’s new hemp Industry.
The idea of Prc Importering hemp is Somewhat ironic, as now Evolving in Northern Prc OVER 28 1046527 Giga-annum ago. Archaelogical Having discOVERed evidence the Ancientness Residents of the Mountain of ASIA deliberately Cultivation high-THC plants, Separated the bud From the stems, and Burned it during ceremonies.
Prc Already provides One-half of the world’s hemp , and the US Importered $3.3 1046527 of Chinese hemp in 2018, the Foederals gOVERnment Legalized Domestic hemp production. Lasts year, two of Prc’s 34 regions Quietly Began hemp for the Intentional of extracting CBD, but the country’s X-Treme drug Prohibitionists laws are likely to Promptitude the Spread of this non-psychoactive hemp derivative.
The Economies by this of the new Agree may Offset Some of the negative the No-trump administration’s Tarriff Having Already put on the Industry. Likes most Other Manufactures industries, the US Industry Importer the raw Materials for Many of Theirs From Prc. These Importer, include glass, plastic, electronics, and Used to make vapes, pipes, and bongs, are now Subject to Increased Tarriff.
It has these Tarriff Would cost the OVERall US Economy as as $40 1E9, and put 12,000 out of business. The on the Industry has yet to be , but now is hope the Boost in From Domestic hemp Exporter Would the blow.


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STW (www.stw-technic.com (http://www.stw-
All of STW’s products are mobile off-highway rated, which makes them ideal for the rigorous environmental demands of offshore drilling, well servicing and well intervention. Mobile off-highway rated controllers offer higher reliability, flexibility, cost effectiveness and lower risk than industrial controllers. Off highway rated telematics devices provide an easy, reliable way to get all the ‘big data’ companies need to tap into the power of analytics in applications in managing their operations.
STW has already announced some exciting new product launches such as that of a set of SIL2 certified, highly flexible safety controllers and a new inclinometer and gyroscope sensor ahead of Offshore Technology Conference 2014. In addition STW has a new training video on telematics for the off highway industry on their website launched in time for OTC.More information on STW’s presence at the OTC is available at http://www.stw-
Says Bob Geiger, President, STW ‘At STW, we put a lot of emphasis on finding out exactly what our customers need so that we can provide tailored solutions for them. STW has had much success in the Oil and Gas Industry. We have been adding a range of innovative control and telematics solutions over the last year and being at OTC 2014 offers us another opportunity to meet with and learn from our customers.’
Customers and industry members are invited to come to the STW booth to learn about solutions tailored to the Oil and Gas industry. At the booth, STW will also have resources for visitors comparing off-highway and industrial controllers and highlighting how to tap into the trends driving controls technology.
You can also learn more about STW’s solutions in controllers and measurement technology for the Oil and Gas Industry on STW’s website at http://www.stw-
OTC 2013 is being held in Houston, Texas this year from May 5th to 8th. STW (http://www.stw-


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Streaming music service Pandora Media (P) appears to be drowning out Apple's (AAPL) competing iTunes Radio service so far in terms of listener hours.
Apple CEO Tim Cook reported Tuesday that iTunes Radio, launched on Sept. 18, has attracted 20 million users who have streamed about 1 billion songs in the first month. The much-publicized service is considered a threat to Pandora and Spotify, but Wedge Partners analyst Martin Pyykkonen says first-month numbers for iTunes Radio are not that impressive.
He estimates Pandora has a 20-to-1 listener hour advantage over iTunes Radio.
"Assuming an average of (about) 15 songs/hour played (at about 4 minutes per song), iTunes Radio's 1 billion songs represented just under 70 million listener hours for the first month (mid-September to mid-October)," Pyykkonen said in a research note Thursday. "Pandora's most recently reported month (September) was 1.36 billion listener hours (so about 20x Pandora vs. iTunes Radio)."
He admits the timing comparison isn't exact and that a month of initial listener data doesn't define a long-term trend. The data are worth considering, however, especially given the popularity of iTunes and Apple products.
The long-term success of Apple's streaming music service will be judged by active monthly listeners and per-user data over time, Pyykkonen says. In September, Pandora had 72 million active users and 7.8% U.S. radio audience market share.
Pandora stock was up a fraction, near 26.70, in late trading on the stock marketThursday. Apple stock was up 1.3%, near 532.
Related: Pandora Costs Seen Dropping On iTunes Content Deals


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4. They’re poor contenders for embellishment.
7. Or dresses.
Tights are always a better option.
9. They don’t fit properly into any one clothing category.
Not “activewear,” not “bottoms,” and certainly not “pants.”
10. A lot of women do yoga in them without realizing they’re completely see-through when they bend over for downward dog.
11. They lead to ingrown hairs.
Especially if you are going a week at a time without shaving your legs in the winter.
12. The Kardashians have ruined them forever by putting them in their Sears “Kollection.”
13. They even make beautiful actresses like Anne Hathaway look terrible.
Cropped leggings are even worse offenders than long leggings.
18. And “moose knuckle.”
20. If you try to resell used ones on eBay you’ll look like the biggest creep.
23. And lastly, leggings are the worst because “liquid leggings” are indisputably the most annoying item of clothing to become popular so far this century.
The fashion industry has convinced us that they look good on anyone when, in FACT, they look good on just about no one.
- The GOP spent years building a Latino outreach project. Now Republicans worry it died with Donald Trump's nomination.
- Former US attorney general says Edward Snowden performed a "public service" but still must face "consequence" of his actions.
- Spanish basketball player Pau Gasol may not compete at the Rio Olympics due to Zika virus concerns.


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Free tools like Google Analytics and Yahoo IndexTools have made the analysis of website traffic an increasingly fruitful aspect of ecommerce. While such tools provide insight into patterns of online activity, they don’t take the next classic step in business intelligence by providing answers to ‘what if’ scenarios.
Armed with the website data, some organisations are achieving impressive business results by using more sophisticated testing tools, such as Omniture’s Test&Target and Interwoven’s Optimost, to extract meaning and value from the numbers.
LoveFilm, which rents DVDs through its website, sees its success as dependent almost entirely on the ability of its website to attract customers and encourage them to browse and order films.
Since LoveFilm started using ‘multivariate testing’ company Optimost (a specialist recently acquired by content management software firm Interwoven), it claims to have increased conversion rates by 10%.
Multivariate testing involves splitting traffic between different versions of a website, such as showing a different ad, offer or campaign in a particular content region on the home page, then monitoring which variations bring in the most conversions.
“With multivariate testing you can see what is and isn’t working,” says Craig Sullivan, LoveFilm’s product manager in charge of ‘digital and usability’. “We sliced up the homepage into regions and came up with 192 variants to put there, including a few crazy ideas along with some sensible ones. We found that by removing prices from our home page we increased conversion by 5.5%. It was completely counter-intuitive.”
The company ran another test in one of its newer markets,
“[But] we ran a test where we destroyed the two pages and put up a single page, and found a 60% increase in people starting the sign-up process.”
Such experiments marked a shift in mentality at the company, Sullivan says, because now customers drive how the content is laid out rather than the business. “It takes the guesswork out of designing the site,” he says. “Now it’s test then invest, rather than the other way around.”
Small changes made to the site can have a surprising impact on results, he adds. “Changing the button colour gave us another 5% [rise in conversions]. We simply changed the text on the button from white-on-red to red-on-white. I could not believe it.”
The company decided to use Optimost analysts rather than run the project in house, which would have meant employing three or four dedicated web developers. The decision also allowed the marketing department to run the testing, rather than IT.
An additional benefit of the technology, and perhaps one responsible for a degree of Sullivan’s enthusiasm, is that it cuts down on unproductive design meetings.
“There’s always someone in an organisation with a mad idea who wants to impose their will,” he says, “but the highest paid person is not the customer. Having this data removes the politics.”
With LoveFilm about to acquire Amazon’s UK and German DVD rental businesses – taking the subscription base to 900,000 – Europe’s stay-at-home movie fans are going to be seeing a lot more of that customer-driven design.
Automated e-marketing at online retailer Pixmania
Developing its own market analysis tools has helped drive business growth at online electronics retailer Pixmania
Find more stories in the CRM & Marketing Briefing Room


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Anant Gupta, the former chief executive officer of HCL Technologies after quitting his top role has now set up an integrated business acceleration and technology investment firm called ‘TechCelX’. In addition, it has launched ₹100 crore startup fund with an immediate focus on enterprise-focused, cutting-edge digital technology products and platforms.
This company set up by former HCL exec is a first-of-its-kind setup, specifically aimed at filling the innovation gap in established as well as emerging startups in India. It is looking to invest somewhere between Rs. 50 lakhs and Rs. 10 crore in disruptive technology ventures in exchange for an equity stake in the range of 15 and 50 per cent. This fund is also being backed by three other partners from investment banking and tech sectors.
Commenting on the launch of the investment fund, Anant Gupta, founder Chairman & CEO at TechCelX says,
With TECHCELX, I am pursuing my long-term goals and passion towards promoting our country’s entrepreneurship and innovation potential in the technology space.
The launch of this Rs. 100 crore fund is a significant step in this direction where we will be focusing on ventures with specialization in technologies like Machine Learning, IoT (Internet of Things), AI, Analytics and Data Science and Automation across three main sectors of Banking, Education and Healthcare. Our vision is to help startup organizations develop and apply next-gen technology solutions to disrupt legacy operating models.
In addition to being an investment fund, TechCelX also offers innovation programs that are focused on improving customer engagement, experience, and outcomes through digital re-engineering. Under this program, it is gearing up to launch co-innovation labs to partner with companies to build a dedicated environment for incubating startups; and Innovation Plugs to aggressively accelerate them in-house.
Anant Gupta, an industry veteran, is a globally celebrated chief executive who is widely recognized as a visionary technologist. He is widely recognized for his former role as the CEO of $6.2 billion IT giant HCL Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Prior to being bumped up to the executive role, he was the president of the infrastructure services division and pioneered remote infrastructure management as an alternative to the prevalent total outsourcing model. He also helped the company foray and produce business results in a competitive global market.


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Kotaku’s Jason Schreier has released a report saying multiple sources have corroborated on tech giant Google having plans to enter the gaming market. According to the report, five people who contributed to the story have either been personally briefed or heard about Google’s plans secondhand. Google has been toying with video game stuff for several years now, but the latest effort seems serious. It’s a three-pronged approach to the industry, one that could have a serious impact on the industry at large.
The first two “prongs” refer to what Google is working on in terms of content delivery. Apparently, the company is looking into both streaming and hardware, with the two potentially intersecting in some way. It’s not clear if Google’s gaming hardware is meant to compete directly with Sony and Microsoft, or if it will be leveraging the streaming to offset cheaper tech in the box.
Finally, and perhaps most notably, Google has been meeting with game developers a lot. Meetings have happened at GDC 2018 and E3 2018, for example, and the buzz is growing. The word is that Google isn’t just looking to get partners on board with the project (called Yeti at the moment), but to make actual acquisitions and bring several developers under the Google umbrella.
Google has a reputation for starting and abandoning ideas like this, and other tech companies trying to break into gaming haven’t exactly broken ground (Amazon has famously struggled). But if this does come to fruition, it will be interesting to see what Google can bring to the table, and how much it will be able to leverage the systems it already has in place.


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Electrical goods group Dixons-Carphone is still looking for a buyer for its iD Mobile arm in Ireland after seeing core group sales and profits slump in the first half of its financial year.
Thu, 14 Dec, 2017
Lufthansa has said its likely purchase of the bulk of Air Berlin will make it “very well positioned” to compete better with Ryanair across Europe, even though it will still have an inferior share of the market.
Thu, 26 Oct, 2017
We want to help you to connect with the people you love, but may not see, this Christmas. Every Saturday, in the weeks leading up to Christmas, we will publish your messages in print and online, starting November 28. Say it here, in the Irish Examiner.
Submit your message
Monday, November 23, 2020 - 10:00 AM
Monday, November 23, 2020 - 10:00 PM
Monday, November 23, 2020 - 9:00 PM


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Ever wonder what brands you would be buying if you had a little extra cash in your pocket? Well, now we have a pretty good idea.
According to a new study by the New York-based Luxury Institute, over the past year wealthy guys were most likely to purchase clothing from Calvin Klein. Consider it has a huge following that includes celebrities like Drake and Justin Bieber, in addition to people's familiarity with the iconic brand, this isn't too surprising.
The results were determined from a survey given to 3,900 men from across the globe who were required to have a certain minimum income, with men in the U.S. having to earn an average of $150,000. The group was asked to rate 42 brands that included everything from Givenchy to Burberry. What the study found was Calvin Klein was the top brand rich men were likely to purchase, followed by Ralph Lauren, proving that their shopping preferences aren't much different from every other guy. Those two brands along with Brooks Brothers rounded out the top-three most popular brands for affluent men in the U.S.
Worldwide, the top five fashion brands that the men were most familiar, and most likely to have purchased in the past year, were Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, Burberry, and Giorgio Armani. Armani also took the top spot for the brand that affluent men from around the world view is most worthy of its high pricing.


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NITI Aayog Vice President Suman Bery. (Photo: Twitter/@NITIAayog)
Assuming a successful conclusion to the trade negotiations with the European Union (EU), India should seek deeper integration into European supply chains and present itself as an alternative to China, Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery on Friday said.
Bery had a discussion with ambassador of the European Union to India and Bhutan Ugo Astuto across a broad range of issues, including trade negotiations, sustainability and electric mobility.
"Assuming a successful conclusion to the trade negotiations, India should seek deeper integration into European supply chains, presenting itself as an alternative to China," he said in a series of tweets.
Bery said an explicit goal of the EU is to promote convergence in living standards between richer and poorer member states.
Last week, India and the European Union (EU) finally restarted the negotiations for the long-pending trade and investment agreement after a gap of over eight years.
The negotiations took place in the Belgian capital Brussels.
In April, Astuto had said India and the European Union are eyeing to firm up the comprehensive trade and investment pact before the commencement of the electoral cycles on both sides in 2024.
The negotiations for the ambitious free-trade agreement were suspended in 2013 after several rounds of talks spanning six years.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First Published: Jun 24 2022 | 10:46 PM IST


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Aluminum industry '12 outlook positive amid mixed signals
Feb 29, 2012 | 07:00 PM
| AMM staff
Whether the climate for aluminum these days is seen as partly cloudy or partly sunny depends on whos doing the forecasting and when theyre doing it.
In mid-January, it was announced that aluminum orders in North America rose 18.1 percent in December from the previous month on the back of some economic recovery in the United States, according to Davenport & Co. LLC data based on seasonally adjusted figures from the Aluminum Association. That led to some optimism.
But industry giant Alcoa Inc. forecast slower-paced growth in 2012 following its fourth-quarter 2011 earnings results, which included the aluminum producers first quarterly net loss since the beginning of 2010. That led to some pessimism.
On the other hand, the Aluminum Association said that although the construction sector had lagged for the light metal, the association was hoping green construction could provide some growth. Those markets arent very strong right now, but we think its good timing to do marketing and analytical work to position ourselves in the future and lay down the groundwork for that, Aluminum Association president Heidi Brock said.
And so uncertainty continues to dominate the aluminum market outlook, although an increasing number of producers, traders and analysts are predicting modest growth for the industry.
After falling in four of the past five months, orders showed a strong increase in December, which keeps orders in a choppy, subpar uptrend in our view, analysts at Richmond, Va.-based Davenport said in a research note. Davenport expects orders to continue moving higher this year as the economy continues to recover. The economy appears to be building on the momentum that occurred in the fourth quarter. Additionally, the recent rise in aluminum prices, if it continues, may spur buying by customers in the first quarter, Davenport said.....
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Tuesday, 17 January 2017
Coffee shops on the march as pubs decline, town centre data shows
Coffee shops on the march as pubs decline, town centre data shows: The great British pub continues...
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Yelp’s new Local Economic Impact Report shows the coronavirus pandemic is doubling the risk of permanent closure for independent restaurants across the country, with over 140,000 having closed since June 15.
The report found that 53 percent of independent restaurants that closed between March 1 and June 15 will never open their doors again. Most metros and states had their business closure rates increase by at least 200% while consumer interest in local businesses fell by 50% or more.
Market analysts at the Independent Restaurant Coalition, a nonprofit restaurant advocacy group, estimates that up to 85 percent of restaurants could close if lawmakers in Washington D.C. can’t agree on another bailout for the industry soon.
Without a bailout, IRC estimates that up to 11 million people could lose their jobs, which would severely impact the economic health of many local communities.
“The unpredictable closures of bars and restaurants over the past week will continue, and is exactly why momentum is growing for the RESTAURANTS Act,” IRC said in a press release. “America’s 500,000 independent restaurants and the five million farmers, distillers, fisherman and meat purveyors that supply them are uniquely impacted by COVID-19…Independent restaurants require more from Congress, and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Senator Roger Wicker’s (D-Miss.) bipartisan RESTAURANTS Act would give these businesses the confidence and resources to help get through this.”
If passed, the RESTAURANTS Act would provide over $120 billion in available funding for restaurants that are not publically traded and have $1.5 million or less in revenue. The grants can be used to cover payroll responsibilities, utilities, rent, and other expenses necessary to keep a restaurant open.
The White House reportedly supports the legislation, along with prominent Senators Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Christopher Coons (D-Del.), and Doug Jones (D-Ala.).
A recent survey from Marketplace.org found that over half of employers have asked employees to take pay cuts to avoid layoffs during the pandemic. Even so, restaurant operators have been forced to lay off 91 percent of their hourly workers and 70 percent of their salaried employees.
When congress first passed the CARES Act, and the Paycheck Protection Program along with it, many big-name restaurant chains like Shake Shack and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse took the loans that were meant to go to independent restaurants and small businesses. Some of these chains ended up returning the loans.
On July 1, Congress extended the Paycheck Protection Program, legislation that allowed businesses to take out forgivable federal loans to ensure that they could keep their employees. As of this writing, over $517 billion in loans have been distributed among the program’s 5 million applicants.
“We found early in this crisis that the PPP program designed for small businesses didn’t work for the businesses most impacted. Not just impacted, but devastated – restaurants,” Blumenauer told reports with The Hill.
Before COVID-19, the restaurant industry was projected to become America’s next trillion-dollar industry. Independent restaurants were slated to bring in over 65 percent of revenue, enough to account for four percent of national GDP.
Research from IRC found that on average 90 percent of revenue from restaurants goes directly to local communities through employees, suppliers, and rent.
“Over the past two months, Congress has mustered the political will to pass more than $3 trillion of relief to most sectors of the economy – the House of Representatives just passed an additional $3 trillion of relief. There were broad-based programs for direct individual assistance, small business loans, and tax relief for businesses large and small. Likewise, there was targeted relief for industries that were hard-hit by the effects of COVID-19. Yet in every piece of legislation, restaurants have been ignored at the peril of the very communities they serve. We can’t afford not to act. Nothing less than millions of livelihoods, hundreds of thousands of businesses, and the fabric of our communities is at stake,” Rep. Blumenauer said in a press release.
Yelp’s data did show how some restaurants have survived during the pandemic. There’s been a 10-fold increase in the volume of takeout orders since March 15. However, with the number of diners down 57 percent from pre-pandemic levels, increased to-go and takeout orders are not a sustainable lifeline for restaurants.
The report also found that fast-casual concepts have fared well since the pandemic began. Some analysts anticipate double-digit growth over the next several years due to the concept’s reliance on takeout orders and their ability to grow revenues during recessions. During the 2007 recession, fast-casual restaurants grew by 13 percent while the restaurant industry only grew by 5 percent overall.
But without assistance from the federal government, restaurant owners fear their supply chain will be devastated. So far, according to IRC, forced closures of restaurants around the country have resulted in:
- $1 billion in perishable goods were left sitting in the stagnant supply chain within one week of dining rooms closing
- Premium seafood product sales decreased by 80%.
- Wine sales decreased by 67%.
- Sales of spirits dropped by 75%.
“For the sake of our communities and the millions of Americans that the 500,000 small, independent restaurants employ, Congress must pass The RESTAURANTS Act of 2020 in the coming weeks,” IRC said.


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Yelling worker send knife bandit fleeing
A shop assistant in Stawell foiled an attempted armed robbery on a Sloan Street store last night.
Police say a man entered the shop about 6:50pm (AEST) and threatened the female attendant, saying he had a knife.
The 45-year-old woman yelled at the offender and police say he ran off without taking anything.
Police have asked members of the public with information to come forward.


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Seagate Technology has become the latest of a growing number of companies to separate the roles of the chairman and chief executive officer.
The maker of hard-disk drives announced that Bill Watkins, currently president and chief operating officer, will take over as CEO and president on July 3, at the beginning of Seagate’s fiscal year. Current chairman and CEO Steve Luczo will continue as chairman of the board of directors.
Last Wednesday, trucker Landstar Systems also said it would split the titles of chairman and chief executive officer. The company named president and chief operating officer Henry Gerkens as CEO; current chief executive Jeffrey Crowe will retain his chairman position. Their changes take effect July 1.
Also last week, real estate investment trust Inland Real Estate Corp. announced that it will split the chairman and CEO posts.
Earlier this year, Walt Disney Co., Dell Inc., and Oracle Corp. decided to separate the two top executive positions in what has become a growing trend. According to Institutional Shareholder Services, the percentage of companies that have separated the positions of chairman and chief executive officer increased from 45 percent in 2001 to 50.4 percent in 2003. ISS noted that the biggest increase came in the Standard & Poor’s small-cap sector, while the S&P 500 and S&P 400 showed only incremental increases.
According to the Corporate Library, as of March, 377 CEOs in the S&P 500 chair their own boards, compared with 394 last year.
In the past two weeks more than a dozen companies faced shareholder proposals to split the top two jobs. In many cases the resolutions failed, including proposals at Merrill Lynch, Verizon, and Sears Canada.


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Launch of the AI(R)Jet 70-seat regional jet will not now happen for at least several months, despite expectations of a Le Bourget announcement.
Aero International (Regional) (AI(R)) says more research is needed on the programme's risk and projected return on investment before such a launch can be contemplated.
AI(R) chief executive officer Patrick Gavin says the company has not convinced its executive board of these points.
In addition, Gavin told a press conference yesterday, the possibility exists of consolidation with another manufacturer.
That raises speculation that AI(R) might be contemplating a deal with Saab, which is struggling to sell its Saab 2000 turboprop and would benefit from having a regional jet in its portfolio.
Now that AI(R) has dropped its Jetstream 41 production line, there would be no conflict with either of Saab's turboprops - the successful 340 and the new 2000.
"We have said many times we feel the time has come for a rationalisation of the regional aircraft industry," says Gavin.
"I am convinced that this project could be the focal point of a new step toward such a consolidation; therefore, we will keep our product development options open."
Gavin says AI(R) is "-clearly convinced" that the market exists for a 70-seat regional jet and that such an aircraft must be part of its product range, but he will not be pressured into a premature launch.
"We know we do have some pressure from the market, but I think we can wait a few months - not many - because some of our customer decisions are not due for a few months.
"We believe that some of our launch customers are prepared to wait," says Gavin.
Gavin also emphasises his faith in the future of the turboprop market. "It is definitely not dead," he says.
"This year, to date, AI(R) has taken more than 60% of the turboprop market worldwide.
"Not only are the 1997 sales results extremely encouraging in terms of numbers, they are excellent from a market positioning standpoint."
In general, Gavin is bullish about AI(R)'s future, saying that the outlook now looks much more favourable than it did at Farnborough.
Sales this year include ATR contracts from AMR American Eagle in the US, China Xinjiang Airlines, Italian carrier Air Dolomiti and CityFlyer Express in the UK.
Gavin particularly notes the Chinese contract, saying this has opened the door to the country. AI(R) will announce a cooperative industrial agreement with Chinese industry today.
Source: Flight Daily News


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SAYREVILLE, NJ -- Coast to Coast Entertainment, based here, and China Star Games said they have granted exclusive distribution rights for the Friction gun game on Mainland China to Golden Dragon.
The deal strengthens the worldwide partnership between Coast to Coast and China Star Games, which announced in August an agreement that awarded China Star exclusive rights to Friction sales in Asia, South America, Russia and Poland. Under terms of the agreement, China Star has authorization to appoint sub-distributors in those markets. | SEE STORY
Golden Dragon Group, which was founded in 1989 and runs several divisions, is one of the largest amusement companies in Asia. It produces and sells more than 400 amusement machine models, and was among the first companies to open amusement centers in China in the mid-1990s. Founded in 2006, China Star Games has quickly developed into a leading amusement machine and parts manufacturer. Both companies are based in Zhongshan, China, a main region of development for amusement equipment.
Golden Dragon unveiled the long-awaited dedicated LCD cabinet for Friction at a recent GTI Expo, which was held Aug. 25-27 in Guangzhou, China. The deluxe cabinet package features a 42" screen and two full-size gun controls.
"The game had a tremendous showing at GTI Expo," said Coast to Coast's Gary Balaban. "By lining up eight of the new LCD units in a row, along with some beautiful models to assist, players enjoyed some nice gameplay action."
China Star's Candy Lin added, "This game is unique because it is not available on any home gaming system, so it's not something that has been seen before by the average home gamer."
China Star Games is shipping 500 Friction kits to Golden Dragon, which will assemble the same amount of LCD deluxe cabinets this month.
Coast to Coast is planning to show the Friction LCD model at the upcoming IAAPA Attractions Expo, which takes place Nov. 15-18 in Orlando, FL.
The Friction gun game is a coin-op implementation of a design developed by Friction Game Studio (Los Angeles), from which it takes its name. Coast to Coast, one of the nation's largest crane machine marketers, began selling Friction conversion kits in early 2011.


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Whether you’ve been playing around with the idea of trying a vegan diet, or you’ve set a New Year’s resolution to eat more vegetables, it is never too late to put those intentions into action with Veganuary.
The trendy campaign challenges people to try a plant-based diet for 31 days, ultimately bringing all kinds of benefits to their bodies and the planet. If you have missed the chance to do a whole month in January this year, remember you can start at any time later in the year.
And even if you decide a completely vegan diet isn’t right for you, trying out plant-based meals can give you the opportunity to build healthy lifestyle habits, experience better digestion, discover new ingredients that can relieve chronic pain, and learn more sustainable cooking habits.
Here’s what to know about Veganuary, along with a tasty vegan meal plan to get you started.
How Veganuary Got Started
Veganuary was launched in 2014 by a U.K.-based nonprofit organization of the same name. The charity encourages people to go vegan for the month of January, in hopes that some will stick with the lifestyle for the rest of their lives.
The popularity of Veganuary has skyrocketed in recent years. In 2019, 1.3 million people participated. Some 440,000 more people had already signed up for Veganuary 2021 by the first day of the year, and the campaign continues to grow by one person every 3 seconds.
Veganaury has gained widespread support from international superstars and activists over the years, including Jane Goodall, Ricky Gervais, Paul McCartney, John Bishop, Sara Pascoe, Chris Packham, and Chrissie Hynde, among others.
Missing the Meat, But Not the Nutrients
Many people worry that they’ll miss out on important nutrients if they cut meat, eggs, and dairy from their diet. But the fact is that a well-balanced plant-based diet can be perfectly healthy.
The one nutrient to pay close attention to is vitamin B12, says Florida-based nutritionist McKenzie Flinchum, which is primarily found in animal-derived foods. A deficiency in vitamin B12 can lead to anaemia and headaches, so you’ll want to make sure you’re getting enough of it through supplements or fortified foods while on a vegan diet.
Besides that, most other vital nutrients can be found in fruits, grains, and vegetables. Protein, for example, is abundant in nuts and grains, which are also excellent for:
• Reducing joint pain
• Strengthening bones
• Managing blood sugar levels
• Improving digestion
• Accelerating wound healing
The key is careful meal planning to ensure you’re giving your body everything it needs on a vegan diet, according to Barbie Boules, R.D.N., founder of Barbie Boules Longevity Nutrition. Eating plenty of nutrient-dense, plant-based foods ensures that your vegan diet will provide you with lots of energy throughout the day.
Long-term Health Benefits of Going Vegan
Going vegan can offer tons of benefits for your health. Plant-based foods are rich in:
• Vitamin C and E
• Phytonutrients, and other stuff your body loves
Research published in the journal Nature showed that people who only ate plant-based foods for four weeks (like during Veganuary) had lower levels of:
As well as a decrease in:
What’s more, Boules says that consuming a vegan diet with lots of fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of fatigue, dizziness and other chronic symptoms.
Vegan Benefits for the Environment
If you’re looking to lessen your environmental footprint, Veganuary can help.
Veganuary CEO Simon Winch said to Eat This Not That, “Eating vegan is a great way to improve energy and vitality, halve your dietary greenhouse gas emissions, and address animal agriculture — which is one of the biggest contributors to climate change.”
His thoughts are backed by a 2018 statement from the journal Nature, which said that the typical Western diet high in animal products is responsible for a surge in contributors to climate change and environmental issues, such as water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Think of going vegan for 31 days as a small step toward a much larger goal of helping to save the planet.
Veganism Saves Time and Money
Veganuary can be an especially important tool right now, with families across the world suffering the financial impacts of the pandemic. A Kantar study released by Veganuary in mid-December 2020 found that plant-based foods eaten at home are 40 percent cheaper than meat- or fish-based foods.
The research also showed that cooking plant-based foods tend to take less time, as well.
“The Covid pandemic has sparked a huge increase in people interested in trying a plant-based diet, whether for their health or the health of our planet, but it has also sadly caused an economic loss for many. This new study shows that people can protect their health, the planet and their pocketbook with a plant-based diet,” said Veganuary’s head of communications Toni Vernelli at Veganuary website.
Recipes for Veganuary
Switching to a plant-based diet can seem overwhelming at first. The key is to focus on boosting your intake of fruits and vegetables, rather than cutting out all animal products right away.
Instant meals and pre-made foods can also help make the transition a little easier. Look for ones labelled as “certified vegan” or “suitable for vegans” to make sure they work for your eating plan. You can also scan the allergen list to see if dairy, eggs, or seafood are listed.
When you’re ready to move into the kitchen and start cooking vegan meals, seek out flavorful recipes that don’t have a long ingredients list. Here are a few of our favourite vegan recipes to get you started:
• DIY Instant Porridge, a recipe from chef and writer Anna Jones, is one a great breakfast option. It uses plant-based milk, like oat milk, for extra creaminess and health benefits.
• Broccoli and Peanut Noodles, created by food journalist Rosie Birkett, is a quick, packable vegan lunch. We love this one because it uses peanuts, which are rich in protein, and broccoli, which is loaded with calcium.
• Various Easy and Delicious Plant-Based Recipes from Veganuary.
Sign Up for Veganuary
If you’re looking to get health benefits from food, make a positive impact on the environment, and support animal welfare, consider making a pledge to join the Veganuary challenge. Plus, it doesn’t have to happen in January. Even swapping meat for plant-based meals a few times a week can offer benefits.
This is a lifestyle change that will continue to benefit you (and the world) for years to come.
To Better Days has a range of active patches that help those experiencing sustained discomfort. Our easy to use adhesive patches contain a patented combination of vitamin D and dextrose to offer a topical and targeted option that supports the health of joints, muscles and nerves.
Here’s to being on the move, having more ‘get up and go’ and a feeling of freedom. Here’s To Better Days.


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For some U.S. travelers, summer will not end with a bang this Labor Day weekend but will just end, according to a AAA report. Nearly 34.38 million Americans will travel 50 miles from home this coming weekend, 320,000 less than the holiday weekend in 2007— a decrease of 0.9 percent. The decline will be the first for Labor Day travel since 2006, and it will be the third consecutive travel period with a projected year-to-year decline.
High gasoline prices, increasing airfares (not including baggage and service fees) as well as a sluggish economy are influencing travelers to take the train, bus or cruise ship to their destinations for the weekend. AAA projects 1.8 million Americans (5 percent of holiday travelers) plan to travel by mode of transportation that is not car or airplane— an increase of 12.5 percent from 2007.
AAA projects that approximately 28.64 million Americans (more than 83 percent of all holiday travelers) will travel by automobile during Labor Day, a 1.1 percent decrease from 2007. Although the average price of a gallon of gasoline dropped 40 cents per gallon since Fourth of July, prices are still nearly 91 cents more than this time last year.
Almost 3.96 million Americans (11.5 percent of holiday travelers) will travel by airplane, a 4.5 percent decrease. AAA’s Leisure Travel Index (LTI) projects air fares over the holiday weekend will be 15 percent higher than last year.
Hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond hotels are unchanged from last year’s Labor Day holiday travel period.


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Coupon platform CouponBirds has tracked user behaviour during the Covid-19 epidemic.
It reckons that the speed and range of the spread of the epidemic has strongly influenced user behavior.
For example, daily internet usage time has increased and outdoor activities dropped. And mobile devices are more dominating when people spend more time at home. CouponBirds May 2020 data shows that mobile device coverage increased to 62.79% from 53.38%.
As to consumers’ performance during the outbreak, purchasing power and transaction volume show different trends when it comes to different kinds of products.
The demand for games, bicycles and online education had been particularly high. As stay-at-home time becomes longer and the shipping services are restricted during the epidemic, people are more likely to spend money on easy entertainment like board games, puzzles and video games.
What’s more, people tend to snap up new bicycles, or dust off decades-old bikes to stay fit, keep their sanity, or have a safe alternative to public transportation. The third thriving business is online learning resources, which is a great choice for people who are studying, teaching, or working remotely in this uncertain environment.
Users from the US, UK, Canada, and Australia increased by 15.07%, 14.02%, 27.49% and 16.91% respectively.
“CouponBirds Seedling Project was born during the outbreaks to help people in another way, and it is a great fundraising platform for non-profit organizations”, said Sherry Zhao, marketing director of CouponBirds. “We are working hard to make CouponBirds one of the best communities to help more people.”