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Dont get surprised if your PC just upgraded to Windows 10, Microsoft ‘force update’ making last ditch effort to forcibly move you to its latest operating system
Dont be surprised when you see the Windows update manager in your Windows 7/8.1 powered PC/laptop suddenly starts upgrading to Windows 10 without even asking you. News is that Microsoft is making last ditch attempt to make Windows 7/8.1 users upgrade to Windows 10.
It looks like with the July, 29 date for free Windows 10 update for Windows 7/8.1 users approaching fast and Microsoft is not finding any new takers for its latest OS iteration. Therefore the head honchos at Redmond have decided to launch one last aggressive push aimed at getting as many folks to update to Windows 10 as it possibly can, before the expiration of its free upgrade offer.
The ‘force update’ news was first reported by Computerworld, which found out that Microsoft has switched the offered Windows 10 download to a “Recommended” upgrade that will automatically install itself unless the user intervenes.
“As we shared in October, Windows 10 will be offered as a ‘Recommended’ update for Windows 7 and 8.1 customers whose Windows Update settings are configured to accept ‘Recommended’ updates,” said a spokesperson for Microsoft in an email to Computerworld.
Another tech website, CNET also found similar ‘force upgrade’ happening. CNET reported that for some users of Windows 7 and 8, Windows is auto-scheduling a date and time to upgrade to Windows 10. It’s much like how Windows forces regular updates on users, only in this case, you’re not getting some security patches — you’re being forcibly upgraded to an entirely new operating system.
As you can see from the above image, Microsoft has not given any option to users to cancel the upgrade. Even if you click the (X) on the message, Microsoft will take it as a approval and start downloading Windows 10 against your wishes. “If you click on OK or on the red ‘X’, you’re all set for the upgrade and there is nothing further to do,” Microsoft states in a support document for the GSX app.
For those users who see the new upgrade schedule notice, the only way to reject the Windows 10 download is to click the link where it says “Click here to change the upgrade schedule or cancel schedule upgrade”, then alter your upgrade settings so that nothing is automatically installed.
Also read: Here is how to stop your Windows 7/8.1 PC from automatically upgrading to Windows 10


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Esco Technologies said Monday it is selling Aclara Technologies to an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners Inc. for $130 million.
The deal, which is expected to close later this month, will be worth approximately $150 million when Sun Capital pays $20 million in cash related to specific Aclara receivables retained by Esco.
In August 2013, Esco said it would sell Aclara, a move the company said would help it pay down debt and provide liquidity for future acquisitions.
Aclara provides global device networking, data-value management and customer communications to water, gas and electric utilities.
Sun Capital Partners is an investment firm based in Boca Raton, Fla.
“After closing, and essentially debt free, Esco will be a more strategically focused, higher margin business with a much steadier and predictable growth profile,” Esco Chairman and CEO Vic Richey said in a statement. “This divestiture presents an improved outlook of our future and further enhances our ability to increase shareholder value.”
Stephens Inc. acted as financial advisor to Esco during the transaction, and Bryan Cave served as the company’s legal advisor.
St. Louis-based Esco Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ESE) supplies solutions for electric, gas and water utilities, including automated meter-reading products. For fiscal 2012 ended Sept. 30, Esco reported net earnings of $46.9 million on net sales of $688.4 million.
Esco Technologies’ first-quarter profit climbed to $11.2 million, up from $246,000 in the prior-year quarter, as its margins increased on higher sales volume and a favorable sales mix.

domain: news


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Isle of Man Sees Major Online Gambling Growth
16 September 2015
The Isle of Man is known for being one of the most reputable jurisdictions for online gambling in the world. It's where some of the biggest names have been based in the entire industry, and it's well-respected by everyone involved in the industry in any way. A recent report has shown that they have been growing quite a bit in this industry over the past year, and they generate a ton of revenues and jobs from it.
Competition With Insurance
The biggest competition for online gambling in terms of the number of jobs being created and the total contribution to the economy is insurance. Since last year, they were able to beat out insurance for the first time by moving up to 16.7 percent of the total economy. Insurance is at 14.6 percent, for comparison. This happened because of a huge 30 percent growth, and to put it in perspective, if things would have stayed at the same level as last year, that 16.7 percent would be about 13 percent instead.
So why did it grow so much? The technology industry was the only industry to out-perform the growth that their online gambling businesses saw with a whooping 58 percent year-on-year. A lot of people are stumped when it comes to figuring out why they're able to see so much growth in this industry when many companies are floundering. The answer is that they're floundering because the competition in places like the Isle of Man is just so good. Even with major tax changes in places like the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as other parts of the world, the Isle of Man is able to continue trucking along.
Why is the Isle of Man So Attractive
The Isle of Man has put a lot of work into making themselves attractive for eGaming businesses. The way they do this is by providing a lot of incentives, attractive tax rates and an attractive place to live for industry professionals. One of the easiest ways to build up a sector of the economy is by adding financial incentives, and this has worked extremely well as we can see with the whooping 30 percent growth that happened since last year.
01 February 2017US Attorney General Pick Sessions May "Revisit" Online Gambling
One of the most important pieces of legalese that has come down in the United States for online gambling in the United States was a 2011 opinion about the Wire Act of 1961. The Wire Act was previously used as evidence that online gambling is illegal in the United States (and is the other major US law affecting online gambling from the UIGEA).Read full article
15 January 2017Bingo Billy Offering $15,000 Jackpot Party
Bingo Billy is looking to help players start off the year on the right foot, and they're doing this with a big game this weekend. A $15,000 jackpot game is up for grabs in the Jackpot Party Room on Sunday, and it'll run from 8 pm through 12 at midnight. There's a jackpot every hour during this time period, and you'll see Everybody Wins games during this four-hour period as well. Overall, it's a pretty serious promotion and a chance to get in on the action with some online bingo. The Final GameRead full article
10 January 2017Virtual Reality Online Casinos in 2017
If you go back a couple of years, Microgaming was the first company to present a virtual reality casino game that included current technology. It was a roulette game shown at industry trade shows, and it got a tremendous reception. A lot of players thought that smartwatch apps were going to be the next big thing for the online casino industry, but instead, it's virtual reality, or VR for short. How VR Online Casinos Work There are two main components of a virtual reality casino.Read full article


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NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell today announced Asia's newest long-haul budget airline, Scoot, had chosen Sydney for its first international route- injecting about $150 million a year to the NSW economy.1 December 2011
“This is a great win for Sydney and travellers in the Asia-Pacific region, opening up Australia’s largest city to more international routes and lower-cost carriers,” Mr O’Farrell said.
“Scoot’s decision to fly its first service between Sydney and Singapore from mid-2012 will inject a further AU$146 million annually to the NSW economy.
“This is a significant step towards our goal of doubling overnight tourism expenditure by 2020, placing Sydney front and centre of the boom in budget travel in emerging markets like Singapore, China and India.
“It’s also confirmation that Sydney remains Australia’s only true global city - a position the NSW Government is determined to maintain.”
NSW Minister for Tourism George Souris said Scoot chose Sydney ahead of strong competition from Victoria and Queensland.
“Singapore is one of Australia’s fastest growing tourism markets so we are delighted with Scoot’s decision to choose Sydney as its first port of call,” Mr Souris said.
“Scoot’s arrival gives tourists from the growing markets of China and India more choice on how to get here and enjoy the many attractions and major events we have on offer in Sydney and NSW.”
Scoot CEO, Campbell Wilson, said he was delighted that Sydney, one of the world’s great cities, would be Scoot’s inaugural international destination.
“As the first true no-frills airline operating between Sydney and Asia, we can’t wait to bring a whole new way to travel, even better airfares to shake up the industry. Sydney, here we come,” Mr Wilson said.
Destination NSW CEO, Sandra Chipchase, said there would be a two-year marketing partnership to promote the new service.
“Destination NSW in conjunction with Sydney Airport, Tourism Australia and Scoot will be investing in a two-year marketing and promotion plan for the airline’s new Sydney route,” Ms Chipchase said.
“We are delighted to have this opportunity to work with our partners to develop a number of innovative marketing campaigns to promote Sydney and NSW to increase visitation from some of our key international markets and help achieve our 2020 target of doubling overnight visitor expenditure.”
Sydney Airport CEO, Kerrie Mather, said Sydney Airport, together with Destination NSW, were determined to attract Scoot to Sydney.
“Scoot’s arrival will be a catalyst for growth of both inbound and outbound travel as low-cost airlines drive cheaper fares and deliver more choice.
“More and more people from China, India and South-East Asia have the desire and means to travel overseas. With its beaches, shopping and great places to eat, Sydney is a prime destination for Asian tourists and Scoot is perfectly positioned to capitalise on this market.
“Scoot is an exciting new product, it will service a growing market, and we are confident of its long-term success,” Ms Mather said.
Scoot will be the first airline to come to Sydney under a partnership agreement between Destination NSW and Sydney Airport to promote Sydney actively to new airlines and compete for new routes.
Tourism Australia Managing Director, Andrew McEvoy, said Scoot’s decision delivers on the strategic approach taken to foster new international flights from key source markets in Asia that help achieve Australian tourism’s 2020 growth goals.
“With Singapore now representing Australia’s sixth largest international tourism market, the decision by Scoot to choose Australia as its first port of call is a tremendous result,” Mr McEvoy said.
“Tourism Australia, with our state tourism and airport partners, has taken a ‘team Australia’ approach to ensure Scoot has made Australia its start-up priority.”
Premier - Brad Burden or Cameron Hamilton 9228 5239
Minister - Norm Lipson 0467 734 679
Scoot - Audrey Tan, +65 6506 8823 / +65 9675 9395
Destination NSW - Alan Valvasori, +61 02 9931 1569
Sydney Airport - Tracy Ong, +61 02 9667 6470 or +61(0)437 033 479
Tourism Australia - Simon Westaway +61 401 994 627
Download a PDF version of this media release (PDF - 24.1 KB)


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Strategic Meetings Summit London, 26 September,
September 29 2022, Kimpton Fitzroy London
Friday 30 September 2022, JW Marriott Grosvenor
Further declines in revenue expected
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has reported a sharp drop in pre-tax earnings in the first quarter 2009.
Adjusted pre-tax earnings fell 34.5% to $167m compared to $255m in the same period last year.
The up-market hotel group blamed a steep worldwide drop in revenues per available room (revPAR) across its managed, franchise and owned properties.
RevPAR for managed and franchised hotels fell 23.5% across all regions year-on-year.
RevPAR for Starwood-owned hotels declined 31.6%.
Starwood's ceo Frits van Paasschen said pre-emptive cost-cutting had resulted in a better result than expected, despite falling revPAR.
"The current environment has pushed us to be aggressive in cutting costs and judicious in our capital allocation," Mr Paasschen said.
"Looking past this economic crisis, we remain committed to our long-term growth strategy to create substantial value for our shareholders."
Starwood said plans to open more properties were still on track, despite a system-wide fall in occupancy to 57.3% from 64.7%.
Mr Paasschen added: "By the end of this year, our system of hotels will cross the 1,000th hotel milestone, including 250 new openings and 350 renovated hotels since 2007, making us well-positioned to own the upswing as the global economy stabilises."
The Group signed 18 hotel management and franchise contracts in the first quarter, including 17 new builds and one renovation.
While 16 new properties were added in the three months to March, 11 were removed.
Starwood's luxury brands include Sheraton, Westin, W Hotels and St Regis.


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Something new in the fight to boost fertility, and this you can find at the grocery store, walnuts. A new study out of UCLA looked at more than a hundred men who followed a normal diet. Half were told to eat 75 grams of walnuts a day. The other half were told to stay away from walnuts. After twelve weeks, those who had been eating walnuts had healthier sperm with fewer abnormalities. True....the money for this study came from a donation from the California Walnut Commission. But researchers at UCLA plan to continue the study. That will help determine if that confirms that men who eat walnuts can boost the quality of their sperm and improve their chance of fathering a child.
Copyright 2012 KCBD. All rights reserved.


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Inkville Gang Fortnite – The brand new Fortnite Inkville Gang pack has been launched in-game after being beforehand leaked. The newest Fortnite assortment consists of classic cartoon cosmetics and gamers are enthusiastic about it.
It was simply launched at the moment and is available in shops now. The article particulars the brand new Fortnite Inkville Gang Pack within the Fortnite Merchandise Store.
Inkville Gang Fortnite
The Inkville Gang set consists of classic cartoon cosmetics first seen in Kablammo! Splash and bend Toon MeoSscles as “Toona Fude” within the Information tab. Skins might be obtained through V-Bucks from the merchandise store as normal. It’s a beauty.
The place Is Fort Crumpet In Fortnite? Discover Coloration Bottles Of Knightly Crimson In Fort Crumpet
Fortnite has at all times been very beneficiant with each replace, including cool new skins, cosmetics, and gameplay parts. The package deal consists of the next gadgets:
Toona Fish is an epic outfit in Fortnite that may be obtained from 9 battles, spent on web page 1 of chapter 2, article 1. He’s a part of the Inkville Gang set.
The Fortnite Merchandise Store is a web based retailer that often provides new gadgets in Fortnite Battle Royale and the place yow will discover beauty gadgets that can be utilized within the recreation. The gadgets provided within the retailer are ornamental and don’t supply any further advantages throughout gameplay.
Shireen, a B.Tech, enjoys content material and inventive writing as a pastime. A reader and author, he’s skilled in FPS video games like Valorant, Fortnite and in addition performs cellular video games continuously. If he is not enjoying Valorant as a Sage (dropping and being cursed), he is normally craving ice cream and journey, unhealthy and you realize, common!
How To Get The Toona Fish Pores and skin In Fortnite
“We all know what we now have to do,” Manchester United’s Erik Ten Hag issued a stern warning to Arsenal forward of the Premier League conflict.
On the prime of the listing, actually and within the hearts of many avid gamers, is the return of Toon Meowscles. The Golden Age-inspired cartoon model of everybody’s favourite weightlifting cat was an enormous hit when it debuted over the summer season, and now it is again with a full roster of cosmetics, together with an unique Fortnite hip-hop tune for the character. All this and extra is included within the Toon Meowscles beauty pack for two,200 V-Bucks. The Inkville Gang set consists of:
If all of that is not sufficient animated hijinks, you will get the Chugga Chugga emote individually for 600 V-Bucks, each of that are synchronized emotes, that means different gamers can be a part of you in doing it, in addition to a traversal emote, so you’ll be able to have your complete squad, even the foyer – You’ll be able to journey by prepare utilizing the cardboard.
Inkville Gang Pack
Elsewhere within the retailer, there are extra favorites like fan-made Isabelle, anthropomorphic scorching canine “Brother” and League of Legends crossover star Jinx, whereas the grinning Batman is now gone after two weeks of labor. store.
For a fast overview of every thing within the merchandise retailer, this is a daily iFireMonkey tweet with a helpful image of it.
🛒 #Fortnite Merchandise Store ⏰ Tuesday, November 9, 2021 💚 Use code “FireMonkey” to assist me! #EpicPartner pic.twitter.com/ooiKlBazJX — iFireMonkey (@iFireMonkey) November 9, 2021
The merchandise mentioned right here have been independently chosen by our editors. If you happen to purchase one thing featured on our website, you could earn a portion of the income. Welcome to the Wiki! Be happy to discover and contribute to the wiki with hyperlinks, articles, classes, templates, and exquisite photographs! Observe our guidelines and pointers! Try the group web page!
Amazon.com: Hallmark Fortnite Toon Meowscles Christmas Decoration (0003hcm0867)
The Inkville Gang Pack is an Epic Store Bundle: Battle Royale that may be bought from the Merchandise Store for two,300 V-bucks. Bush outfits and their cosmetics from the Inkville Gang set.
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Published on March 25th, 2014 | by Zachary Shahan1
Electric Cars On Front Page Of Country’s Largest Newspaper!
March 25th, 2014 by Zachary Shahan
… Norway’s largest newspaper, that is.
We’ll know that electric cars are mainstream in our own countries when our “top” newspapers are putting comparisons of electric cars as feature articles. In the meantime, we’ve got CleanTechnica, EV Obsession, Gas2, other similar sites… and Norway.
Here’s a tweet a reader sent me last week:
— Siri Hall Arnøy (@siriha) March 18, 2014
Buy a cool T-shirt or mug in the CleanTechnica store!
Keep up to date with all the hottest cleantech news by subscribing to our (free) cleantech daily newsletter or weekly newsletter, or keep an eye on sector-specific news by getting our (also free) solar energy newsletter, electric vehicle newsletter, or wind energy newsletter.


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The sneaker, which features an American flag detail on the back, cost $399.
A Russian businessman, based in Philadelphia, won an autographed pair of Donald Trump's new golden sneakers after making a bid of $9,000 (Rs 7,47,256), the New York Post reported. Notably, the former US President launched his sneaker brand called 'Trump Sneakers' at the 'Sneaker Con' event in Philadelphia on Saturday.
At the event, Roman Sharf, the founder, and CEO of luxury watch dealer, Luxury Bazaar, walked away with an autographed pair of Trump's golden “Never Surrender high-tops'' after placing the winning bid. Videos have surfaced on social media showing Mr Sharf proudly flaunting the golden sneakers after outbidding other bidders.
''We are going to have a winning celebration come this November, and I'll be wearing these one-of-one Donald Trump-signed sneakers—the only president I recognized the last four years,'' he said.
Watch the video here:
Mr Sharf, who is a Trump supporter, later shared on social media he plans to eventually pass the shoes down to his children. "But for now will display in the office," he wrote on X.
The sneaker, which features an American flag detail on the back, cost $399.The shoes, which were limited to only 1000 pairs, reportedly sold out in less than two hours after they were released.
Notably, Mr. Sharf immigrated as a teenager from the Soviet Union. He now lives in Philadelphia, and describes himself as ''one of the world's biggest grey market watch dealers''– which trades luxury watches ''without being authorised by the brand to do so on their behalf''.
He told WatchPro that his company has hired around 30 people and earns approximately $130 million in sales each year. He also has a YouTube channel that has 4,36,000 subscribers and his most popular videos have been viewed over one million times.


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$AAPL (1:01 PM EDT June 14): $192.46 (-0.87%) // More info
1. Apple CEO Tim Cook met with President Trump at the White House on Thursday as trade tensions with China continue to smolder. The meeting was revealed by Trump, not Cook. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on $300 billion worth of imports from China, which would include Apple devices, unless an exemption can be worked out. Cook has, thus far, been successful at personally representing Apple’s interests in talks with the administration. — POLITICO
2. Apple requires Comcast and Charter to sell discounted Apple devices — and eat the costs — in order to include the iPhone in their newly launched mobile plans. The cable companies decided it was worth the heavy price because they couldn’t fathom launching mobile plans without the iPhone. The plans are part of a joint mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) agreement reselling Verizon’s network capacity to their cable subscribers. As an example of Apple’s strength in this deal, Comcast sells the 32GB standard iPad for $422.99, while its list price is $459, and Comcast has to eat that $36 discount. — CNBC
3. #FollowFriday: @Coll_eenn
Colleen Novielli is a product manager at Apple responsible for the biggest and most beautiful parts of the Mac line. Many Apple enthusiasts were introduced to her on epsiode 237 of Upgrade in March, when she joined Myke Hurley and Jason Snell to talk about this spring’s updated iMacs. The rest of the world met Colleen on stage at WWDC on June 3, when she showed off the radiant glory of the new 6K Pro Display XDR.
Apple is clearly turning over a new leaf by putting all these exciting young people on stage and letting them go on podcasts and such. But it’s not just Apple PR doing its job; Colleen is clearly a rising star at Apple, and it’s exciting that one of Apple’s rising stars is a champion for the Mac. Anybody who thought the Mac was going by the wayside in recent years need only spend a minute listening to Colleen to know the Mac’s best days are still ahead.
4. Huawei will delay its Mate X foldable phone until September. The original plan was to launch in June, but after Samsung’s foldable phone launch failed disastrously, Huawei decided to do some more testing. It’s a good time for Huawei to be cautious; U.S./China trade disputes are forcing the company to build its own OS from scratch, which will further compound the risks of launching new hardware. — CNBC
5. Apple has updated Logic Pro X, its professional audio editing software, to take full advantage of the power of the upcoming Mac Pro. Logic now supports up to 56 simultaneous processing threads, 1,000 channel strips, 1,000 external MIDI tracks, and 12 sends per channel. The new Mac Pro can handle five times more real-time plugins than the 2013 model could. Apple used this launch opportunity to include some quotes from renowned producers that underline its renewed commitment to pro users. — MACRUMORS
6. If you’re wondering if you’re in the market for a new Mac Pro, you probably aren’t. This machine is for the most demanding Mac users out there. AppleInsider has interviewed prospective Mac Pro buyers about why they need a machine this powerful, and if you don’t know what they’re talking about, an iMac Pro is probably enough computer for you. These folks don’t all fit Apple’s PR mold of music producers and movie editors, either; some of them work for the U.S. Department of Defense and spoke to AppleInsider on a condition of anonymity. — APPLEINSIDER
Under-the-Radar Apps of the Month: On the second Friday of each month, we’ll show you some new or newly updates apps you might not know about. What do you think of this month’s apps? Got an app you’d like featured here? Reply and let us know!
7. Krikey for iOS
Jhanvi and Ketaki Shriram
If you’ve been interested in the new augmented reality stuff Apple’s been shipping, check out Krikey, a combination AR game and social app made by two sisters that lets you create and play with virtual objects and characters and share the videos with your friends.
8. Alfred for Mac
Andrew and Vero Pepperrell
For Mac power users who don’t like to take their hands off their keyboards even for a second, Alfred has long been a favored launcher of apps, searches, and more complex workflows. Version 4 has just arrived, adding more powerful automation tools and visual customizations. Check out The Sweet Setup’s review to learn more.
9. Soulver 3 for Mac
Soulver is a unique app for working with numbers that’s something between a notepad, a spreadsheet, and a calculator. Its text-based input method lets you write out thoughts that are actually math problems, and it intelligently calculates the math parts for you and shows you the reults. See the MacStories review to get a sense of how simple and awesome the new version is. Soulver is also on iOS, but it’s not on version 3 yet, so you might want to hold off for that.
10. Twitterrific 6 for iOS
Twitter did not figure out that its mascot should be a bird. No, that work was done by Twitterrific, one of the longest standing (and still standing) third-party iOS apps for Twitter. Even after all these years of Twitter squashing down its ecosystem to standardize how Twitter looks and works, Twitterrific manages to find new ways to enhance the Twitter experience for those dissatisfied with the official client. Check out the MacStories review for more.
Jon Mitchell has been a tech journalist since 2010. He covered Apple, Google, and the societal effects of social media for the storied blog ReadWriteWeb (now ReadWrite). He co-hosts Internet Friends, a podcast about life online with occasional lengthy digressions into Apple news. He’s the author of In Real Life: Searching for Connection in High-Tech Times from Parallax Press. He has recently, reticently returned to Twitter at @ablaze.
Editing team: Kim Lyons (Pittsburgh-based journalist and managing editor at Inside), David Stegon (senior editor at Inside, whose reporting experience includes cryptocurrency and technology), and Bobby Cherry (senior editor at Inside, who’s always on social media).


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The forthcoming Beatles-centric Rock Band game will include previously unreleased material, according to George Harrison's son.??
Dhani Harrison, who has been involved with the game since its inception, told Billboard that Rock Band: The Beatles will feature ‘stuff that has never been heard, never been released’ - although he wasn't at liberty to get specific.
??Harrison says that the game, due to launch on 9th September this year, has already been in development for two years, that it will be ‘totally historically accurate’, and that he has been used as a model for some of the games characters.
As long as it comes with Sgt. Pepper moustaches and an optional sitar for the Revolver era, we’re there.


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After seven years on the market, the PlayStation Vita could be seeing its last game release next year.
The upcoming piece of DLC for Catherine: Full Body makes Persona 5's Joker look as cool as ever.
Ahead of the announcement of Persona 5 R, Atlus wants to know if you want Persona 6 on Nintendo Switch (or other consoles).
Catherine: Full Body voice actress Brianna Knickerbocker comes to defense of Atlus, asking critics to wait until the games' release.
A ResetEra thread summarized interpretations of the Catherine: Full Body ending, with perceived transphobic scenarios causing an uproar.
Hip-hop artist Soulja Boy has come back with an all-new unoriginal console after a suspected Nintendo lawsuit - The SouljaGame Handheld. (It's a PlayStation Vita knock-off.)
DualShockers presents their Game of the Year Awards for 2018, with God of War taking the top spot for both readers' and staff members' picks.
Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight is a short and sweet rhythm game that gives fans of Persona 5 a little more from The Phantom Thieves
The PlayStation Network Online ID change preview program is currently being sent to select members and includes some caution as to the change's effects.
Developer Lunar Ray Games has announced that Timespinner will be bringing its 2D Metroidvania platforming to PS4 and Vita September 25.
After seven years on the market, Sony appears to be ramping down on the production of new physical games for its handheld, the PS Vita.
It’s time for some new affiliate links. This time we’re keeping it fairly simple. Apparently, we're celebrating Earth Week with some hot Amazon Warehouse deals.
Ahead of the Minecraft console-bundle release date, both Minecraft-theme wireless controllers are now available for Windows 10 and Xbox One for $74.99 each.
Undetale will be hitting the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita on August 15th, 2017.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is the best seller about all LEGO games according to the head of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
Tomorrow, DotEmu's Japanese action RPG, Ys Origin, releases onto PS4. And to celebrate the developer/publisher has released the game's launch trailer.
Power Rangers Inspired Chroma Squad Launches for PS4 and Xbox One in May; PlayStation Vita Version Cancelled
Today, publisher Bandai Namco and Brazil-based developer Behold Studios announced that tactical RPG Chroma Squad, which is inspired by Saban’s Power Rangers, is set to finally release for PS4 and Xbox One sometime in May.
The 7th week of the 2017 UK Sales Charts are in, and unlike the 6th week, Rockstar's GTA V is no longer sitting at the top, with Ubisoft's new IP For Honor now holding that honor.


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Plus great gaming deals including the Nintendo Switch and an Xbox One NBA bundle.
After giving the Amazon Echo the invitation-only treatment, the part-wireless speaker, part smart-home gadget is available for anyone to buy.
A new concept appliance from Freescale Semiconductor uses modern technology to heat meals quickly without sacrificing taste.
Nest is refreshing its entire line of smart-home products, including a new smoke detector and thermostat as well as a redesigned and rebranded Dropcam.
Google announced a new smart home platform called Brillo on stage at its annual Google I/O developers conference on Thursday.
Chinese manufacturer Huawei is the latest tech company to jump on the Internet of Things bandwagon, debuting a new operating system of its own.
iRobot thinks it can bring low cost mapping and vision systems into the home to solve a world of smart home gadget woes.


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Chinese app WeChat bans all accounts that provide services or content related to cryptocurrency.
The policy also covers “accounts that provide services or content related to the secondary transaction of digital collections shall also be dealt with.”
If such negligence is found, WeChat said that “it will order the violating official account to deal within a time limit and restrict some of the functions of the account until it permanently banned according to the severity of the negligence.” (1)
The targeted accounts involve those facilitating “Transaction and exchange between virtual and real currency, provide services to the secondary transaction of digital collections.”
The sector has been seeing a large amount of official action against it since last year, including crackdowns on ecommerce firms, online financial services, social media platforms, gaming companies, cloud computing providers, ride-hailing apps and cryptocurrency miners, and exchange (2)
While the thoughts around cryptocurrencies have died down in China, banned on NFTs and cryptocurrencies will affect the position of WeChat as of world’s largest messaging application.


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Panasonic has announced the first shoulder-mounted AVCHD camcorder to hit the market. The Panasonic AG-HMC70 will record 1440 x 1080 resolution footage to SD/SDHC cards. Video will be stored using the increasingly popular AVCHD codec. Though editing applications are lagging on support for this codec, this latest offering from Panasonic will hopefully help instill software manufacturers with a sense of urgency to fully support AVCHD as prosumers and professionals become more and more interested in camcorders supporting the codec.
The Panasonic AG-HMC70 sports three, 1/4 CCDs, optical image stabilization, and a 12x optical zoom. A 3-inch widescreen LCD monitor will aid in ever-important focusing tasks. Panasonic has also included a nice array of audio capabilities including two XLR Mic/Line switchable inputs with attenuation, +48V Phantom Power, and both Auto & Manual level with Rec level dials.
One unfortunate feature, or lack thereof, is the fact that the highest bitrate the Panasonic AG-HMC70 can record at is 13Mbps, well short of the max 24Mbps the AVCHD codec is capable of. The world is still waiting for an AVCHD camcorder that can compete with good olf HDV.


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Entertaining, if sloppy, writeup: Will BlackBerry go out of season?
The fight cuts to the heart of the battle over intellectual property rights in an information economy. With rising competition at home and abroad, companies are desperately trying to stay current by offering new, innovative goods such as hand-helds, downloadable music, and satellite radio, all at sonic speeds of production. But the obsession with novelty is risky business when it is often unclear whether someone else may already own the idea.
[…] In the meantime, Karl Marx would be amused to watch RIM and NTP tear each other apart. Now that capital (like communication) is increasingly virtual, those who think they own the means of production may need to double-check their capitalist credentials. It turns out that it’s no longer enough to invent a product, build a factory and dominate the market as RIM did. A clever investor such as NTP, a company whose sole purpose is to hold patents, may turn out to be your boss.
The internecine ownership arguments are having some concrete trickle-down effects. While Mommy and Daddy fight over patent rights, the BlackBerry-toting spawn are terrified at the possibility of mobile e-mail deprivation. Ontario-based RIM has been so dominant in convincing American overachievers to buy BlackBerrys that the “South Park” creators should think about adding it to their song, “Blame Canada.” If BlackBerrys go dark, so will the mood of much of Wall Street. While this may delight the pen-and-ink crowd, it will likely (if temporarily) cost millions in lost time, reduced efficiency, and therapy bills.
It will also be a significant victory for intellectual property rights. BlackBerry’s classic market success will have been brought to heel by a small U.S. holding company that doesn’t produce a thing, speculating on products that may never exist. In other words, BlackBerry will have been defeated by an idea. Marx would have been proud.
There is a giddy schadenfreude that pervades the rest of the cellphone industry. “Wireless e-mail was ushered in by BlackBerry,” says Rip Gerber, chief marketing officer at Intellisync, which bills itself as the second-largest provider of wireless e-mail after BlackBerry. “It was a great first act, but the show goes on. The audience has matured and wants much, much more. Thank you BlackBerry, the market will take it from here.” Others who stand to benefit include Palm Inc., whose line of Treo smart phones is a popular alternative to BlackBerry, and new offerings from Nokia and Motorola.
Soap opera intrigue aside, legal experts say RIM simply has too much invested to let service stop; One way or another, they say, BlackBerrys will remain. (Internet gambling site Youwager.com is giving 2-1 odds that BlackBerry will be shut down in the next three months.) But there is something intriguing about the possibility of technology reversing its forward march. We have never held technology in our hands and loved it and hated it and watched it disappear. There should really be some sort of gizmo to help us weather these feelings we’re having. RIM? Anyone? Anyone?!


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Display equipment maker Shindo ENG Lab, which listed on KOSDAQ last month, saw its sales for the first half of 2020 drop a steep 58% from a year prior.
The company posted operating loss of 4 billion won and sales of 15.7 billion won in the first half of 2020, it said in its filings to local financial authorities.
The company has posted 8 billion won in profit in the same time period a year ago.
Sales from equipment handover was 11.7 billion won in the time period __ a 66% drop from last year’s 34.8 billion won.
The drop in earnings was caused by delays in Chinese display company’s investment schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shindo relies on BOE, Tianma, CSOT and Visionox for 90% of its sales. Its earnings are tied to the four companies’ OLED investment plans.
The South Korean company’s main good is 3D laminator used in OLED panel production.
It is used near and end of a production where it is used to combine the OLED panel with cover window, films and polarizers.
A company spokesperson said it had to consider demand from both display-making clients and set makers and its performance in the second half of 2020 remains to be seen due to this.
Clients like BOE will use Shindo’s equipment to complete their OLED panel, which is in turn shipped to companies such as Huawei, Xiaomi, Lenovo, TCL and Oppo for their smartphones.
Shindo stressed that it was the only one providing 3D laminators to the Chinese market. There were local companies producing the equipment but none of them have succeeded in winning an order.
The company said though it relied heavily on China for its sales, it will attempt to diversify its revenue stream as COVID-19 pandemic becomes more prolonged.
Shindo had a remaining order of 20 billion won. The company has had new orders in July and August as well.
South Korean analysts expected the company posted 20 billion won in operating profits and 98 billion won in sales for the full year of 2020. Last year, it posted 16.9 billion won in operating profits and 84.8 billion won in sales.


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2022: Technology Trends To Watch
December 29, 2021
This year was a good one for technology. We saw advances in both accessibility and performance driven by the changing shape of our post-pandemic world. The most obvious and journalistically observed of these advances encompasses tech which focussed on making the transition to working from home, either permanently or semi-permanently, more enjoyable and productive. But we also saw things like Apple’s new in-house silicon evolving, new devices from Amazon, Meta and Google for staying connected with loved ones and Samsung’s Galaxy-Z Flip folding-screen smartphone. What trends should we expect in 2022 however? Will we all be spending next Christmas in the metaverse?
It’s notoriously tricky to try and predict what might emerge in the field of technology. There are however some safe bets which, without too many exceptions, reliably deliver every year. We’ll almost certainly see new offerings across both Apple and Samsung’s line of portable devices. A new MacBook Air is rumored, as well as updates across the iPad range. For those in the Android camp, we’ll absolutely see new phones and tablets from Samsung, LG and Motorola. These are all set to be evolutions of current products rather than totally revolutionary devices, but that’s to be expected at this point in time. Speaking personally, I’m hopeful we see a replacement for the current iMac 27”, as Apple is yet to offer anything larger than their 24” with the new Apple’s-own processors inside.
Security will be another avenue which sees significant progress in 2022. The cost of cybercrime in 2021 is set to hit six trillion dollars by the end of the year. That’s double that of just as recent as 2015. AI and blockchain both allow developers to get smarter when it comes to authentication and encryption, the former for detecting patterns and containing outbreaks, while the latter allowing the leverage which a distributed ledger provides. Without centralized password stores, an attacker has a much more difficult time obtaining user credentials in any number, while distributed multi factor authentication makes it useless for them to even try.
Sustainability in technology is huge news at the moment. On whichever side of the climate change argument you find yourself, companies are being driven by new legislation to clean up their act when it comes to the environmental impact of the things they sell. One great outcome of this however is right to repair, which (in a nutshell) says that companies must make repairing and maintaining your current device easier. Fewer broken phones resulting in the need to buy a replacement is a great thing for everyone. An increase in the use of recycled materials should eventually result in falling costs, which means greater accessibility for things like laptops for schools and entry level smart devices.
While newer and shinier versions of our current tech will undoubtedly feature, one technology to watch which is still finding its feet is augmented reality, VR and the metaverse. Facebook’s rebranding is a pretty good sign that big things are to come from this next-generation iteration of the internet, although perhaps not as soon as next year. What we will see however is fresh hardware to pave the road toward the beginnings of how that might look. Gamers have been consumers of VR for years, it will be interesting to see how other uses of the technology unfold for 2022.
The thing to remember is none of these new advancements should be looked at as anything other than exciting. Next year will not be the one where we’re picking out chips to install in our brains and, honestly, if it turns out I’m wrong: I’m looking forward to choosing a different accent for my internal monologue.
Richard Noble is the founder of Want For Tech, an IT company based in Glasgow.


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It’s the trend and prediction season, and there’s one overarching theme which ties together the main three technology trends I believe will break into the mainstream in 2012. Over the past decade we’ve seen a huge amount of disruption triggered by increased internet access – both in terms of speed and availability. The access to information and entertainment has had a massive effect on media and entertainment industries, whether through legitimate ways to access content or piracy. And we’ve also seen new tools and changes in collaboration, business practices, marketing, freelancing, crowdsourcing and much more.
But the majority of these changes have all been concerned with the fact you can transmit information and content effortlessly around the world. The key change for 2012 is that three major trends and breakthroughs will have a far bigger impact than ever before on the physical world. All three have been discussed and reported in technology circles for months, years, and in one case, decades, but all of them are reaching that tipping point where ‘normal’ non-geeks are interested and getting to the stage where they will start to invest with their cash.
Trends for 2012 #1: 3D Printing:
Having previously predicted that 2012 will be the year of 3D printing, I have to lead with it. Since writing that post in August (which was one of my most popular), the profile and interest in 3D Printing has only risen. We’re still at the stage where people can find new ways to utilise it every week, whether that’s criminals using it to produce credit card skimmers, the highly debatable use of creating gun parts, or the potentially life enhancing application of 3D printing to create new bones. One of the reasons I love 3D printing so much is that it’s still at the stage where it’s advanced enough to be indistinguishable from magic, but sadly I suspect that era will be over soon, and we’ll see more companies probably publicly demonstrating how they’ve been using it in-house for rapid prototyping etc.
- In addition to the BBC link above, it’s being featured by the likes of The Economist, highlighting celebrity 3D printer Jay Leno. We’re already entering the cool celebrity endorsement stage.
- DIY 3D Printers are coming down in price – e.g. $500. OK, so we’re still at the stage where you need to assemble your own kit, but when the existing companies build enough demand and scale, or when you get someone like Samsung or Toshiba in the market, the ability to source parts in massive bulk and package them in something that’s consumer friendly will rapidly change. How long before a bright pink or blue 3D printer covered in cartoon characters is on the shelves of Toys R Us for example?
- Having seen Makerbot gain funding and more media attention, now Shapeways has raised $5.1 million for the alternative approach of remotely producing whatever designs are sent to them.
- The tech, the stories and applications are a dream for anyone in marketing – if any 3D Printing company wants to chat to me about the possibilities, I’d definitely be interested. I can’t think of many technologies that have so many simple yet magical ways to entice consumers
- And there are a number of startups now building their businesses on the platform of 3D printing, for instance, building personalised robot figurines to order, which leads me nicely onto the second trend…
Trends for 2012 #2: Robots in the workplace and your home:
Robots have been around for a long time in both science fiction, and in the workplace. As ideas and mechanical automatons, they’ve been around for hundreds of years, and in an industrial setting, they began work in the 1960s. More recently, their military use has skyrocketed – for a detailed look I highly recommend Wired for War by PW Singer, and their use in warehousing and distribution has been documented in various places. So why am I tipping something so old and obvious as a trend for 2012?
- For one thing – use in the home, and the drop in prices. A basic Roomba robot vacuum cleaner costs £239.99 on Amazon, comparitive to a number of Dysons, for example. Sadly robot lawnmowers are still equivalent to the highest end of the human directed version, but I’d put money on that changing in the near future. And when that happens and you send one out, all your neighbours will suddenly get a prime view of it.
- And the other is the increased sophistication of their role in the workplace. Korea is trialling robot prison guards, Toyota has unveiled 4 robot health assistants due on the market around 2013, and they’ve already got competition from the Riba healthcare robot due to 2015, amongst others. President Obama has already announced the U.S will fund the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, which is part of the many efforts to enable robots to interact with humans in their work, rather than simply isolated on a production line doing a very simple task.
- Again, cost is an issue with a current personal robot costing $400,00. A bit much for personal use, but costs will decrease rapidly – in 1973 the first personal computer cost around $200,000. And in the workplace, more specific requirements and designs lower the cost to the point where investing is a case of direct comparison with a human equivalent. Whether or not you support or use immigration or cheap labour for repetitive tasks, there are still costs involved and potential problems which robots could answer. And given we’re on the cusp of self-replicating robots and machines, 2012 probably won’t see a personal robot butler in every home, but will see more businesses investing in them, and more widespread use of the single-task robot in your personal life.
- And one element which might help that spread and help the adjustment is the rise of home working and telecommuting, as there has been work and research which leads to the use of robot ‘stand-ins’ for workers away from the office for meetings etc (The same thing still continues in virtual worlds, despite the perception of business ‘failure’ in places such as Second Life – and the use of more traditionally framed virtual collaboration tools could well lead to a resurgence in the future, particularly with more senior executives of an age where virtual worlds in video games are second nature)
Trends for 2012 #3: ‘The Internet of Things’
Possibly the clunkiest name for any trend, but fairly self-explanatory when you realise this refers to connected devices. Again, this isn’t a radically new idea, and comes accompanied with references to the internet fridges we all failed to rush out and buy. But that was before the iPad started to replace a recipe book on the kitchen counter, next to the internet-connected radio and the smart phone.
And the key development is that the infrastructure is now available in ever-growing areas – ever-faster broadband, wifi, power lines etc.
- Consider that the EU has already seen fit to sign a framework for privacy for RFID applications, which power the connectivity.
- Businesses are already there – remember the warehouse robots from our last trend? RFID. Want to be able to connect all your vehicle assets? RFID. Want to be able to track all your inventory, no matter where it is in the supply chain, down to a single box? RFID.
- Increasingly we’re controlling more of our lives from a small group of devices – smartphone, tablet, laptop, Kinect etc.
- There are already a huge number of applications and businesses utilising existing technology, such as Arduino, to allow your plants to message you when they need more water, or your doorbell to text you when someone rings it.
- And remember the Internet Fridge back in 1999? Well, it’s back and wifi enabled. And given that the likes of Tesco have started using augmented reality to allow you to snap a picture of your groceries on the wall of the underground station while you are waiting to come home, suddenly being able to access what’s in your fridge and what you need to buy when you’re out and about suddenly doesn’t seem quite so daft…
- If that all seems a bit too far – consider the amount of self-diagnosis being utilised in cars. And imagine the time and frustration saving when your rubbish washing machine is internet connected? This isn’t about using your tumbledryer to surf the web – it’s about saving time and effort when it breaks by contacting the engineers directly to let them order a part and come and fix it, rather than trying to arrange an appointment via a call centre for someone to come and look at it, go away again, and then come back with the right bit to fix it.
The implications of 2012’s Physical Disruption
The one outside element which might have an effect on the timescales is the perception of the global economy. I don’t think that will slow 3D printing particularly, as tough economic times tend to see a rise in DIY and self-repair, plus investments in items which are very much about longterm quality and value.
It may be harder for robots to be accepted into the family – they inherently seem more frivolous, even with the argument that the time-saving means more productive work can be done to show a decent return. In the workplace the cost savings are more immediately apparent and the future looks less accessible for anyone in an unskilled manual labour role. Much as the longterm prospects for call centres might start to decline this year, which I don’t think anyone except employees will mourn (Sorry for the few good call centre people I’ve dealt with).
Put simply, 2012 is the tipping point, I believe, for small business of crafted products. I remember watching a presentation video, which I believe was JP Rangaswami (Annoyingly absent in every history and bookmarking tool I use, so I’ll continue to try to locate it), in which he talked about a return to a pre-Industrial Revolution business world, and 2012 seems to be the point where that becomes an increasing reality. Big brands will continue to exist, but already they’re moving to a world in which they retain their size by the interests they own and the backroom elements they can provide more than leading the storefronts and businesses with their brands.
That has positives – at the point were you can save money by printing your own products rather than paying to import them from outsourced manufacturer in Asia. Optimistically, saving on the more menial healthcare tasks may allow for more training and specialisation in more complexity, assuming the NHS isn’t completely destroyed. And a connected house should mean more time to be productive or relaxed.
But it also has scary implications for employment – the easy reassurance is that when the economy improves, everyone will be back in work and everything will be OK. But the effect of digital disruption has been that it creates money, and employment, but in sheer numbers the workforce will always be much smaller than what was replaced, as we increasingly use algorithms instead of humans. Extend that further out into unskilled and semi-skilled professions and we need to rapidly reconsider the education system and the industries which the UK and the world will be pursuing in the future, and how that maps out against the world’s population.
So that’s something to look forward to next year.


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GoodNews: Warmly congratulations on Jinbali to get Pakistan's price commitment!
We were recently informed by the relevant departments that Jinbali successfully won The Price Under taking the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, with this great news the Ceramics products exported by Jinbali Company can successfully sidestep Pakistan’s ant-dumping and enterthe market smoothly.
It is understand able that from February 2016 onwards, the investigation authorities in Pakistanissued an anti-dumping investigation on China’sTiles, in order to maintain and sustain development export of our Tiles to Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and keep up a good export order. The Jinbali Ceramics joined China Chamber of Commerce of Metals, Minerals and other large domestic trade groups, on behalf of the Chinese Ceramics Tiles and theIslamic Republic of Pakistan an investigation agency were conducted as Price Under taking negations and in October 2016 the Islamic Republic of Pakistan announced officially.
Toin light the export situation of China’s Ceramics Tiles manufactures and themarket demand of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan after a long discussion the Jinbali Ceramics finally got the approval for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,This agreement will lasts for 5 years so that Jinbali’s Ceramics will be exportedto Pakistan and to carry out a normal and compliant trade exchange。
Price under taking agreement is to take the form of a minimum price, participating enterprises to Pakistan for the export of various sizes of wall tiles and floor tiles.Prices shall not be lower than the following minimum price:
Jinbali ceramics will obey the provisions of the agreement on price promise and abide by therelevant measures of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine China Chamber of Commerce of Metals, Minerals, andearnestly implement the measures that enterprises should implement so that theproducts of the Jinbali ceramics will be sustainable in the Islamic Republic ofPakistan in the future, and a gentle development will continue in the country'smarket. at the same time, Jinbali Ceramics will be the price commitment as anew starting point, the company’s international trade with more countries topromote and further expand Jinbali’s international business map!


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Great news for those following along at home: Apple is streaming video of today’s event live. And it gets better. As Peter Cohen points out, you can watch the live stream via a new channel on your Apple TV:
If you’re near a newer Apple TV, though, you may be able to watch the event yourself. Apple recently added a new “Apple Events” channel to the device, and that channel now lists “Apple Special Event — LIVE.” If you’re using a black Apple TV, make sure it’s running the latest software update to see the new channel and the content therein (software update 5.0.2 or later is needed).
If you can’t watch live, or if the stream gets bogged down, then Ryan Block’s liveblog coverage on gdgt is the second-best thing.


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LAWTON, OK (TNN) - A Lawton luxury car dealership is one of a handful around the country to be honored as an outstanding local business. Billingsley Lincoln of Lawton recently received recognition at a meeting that was held in Nashville.
The Select Dealer Meeting is held once a year to discuss new products, recognize those that are doing a good job representing the Lincoln brand, and talk about sales, marketing, and customer service ideas. National Sales and Service Manager for Lincoln, Greg Wood, said Billingsley Lincoln of Lawton was recognized for their facility, Lincoln website, and performance.
“Over 25 percent of all luxury registrations in Lawton go to Lincoln, and that’s not just because of the product we have," said Wood. "It’s really driven based on their team being the face of Lincoln and providing that local luxury to the community there.”
Owner of the dealership, Craig Billingsley, is excited by the national recognition. He said customer service is everything.
“Our team works very, very hard and does an extremely great job," said Billingsley. "We couldn’t be more proud of them, and taking the Lincoln luxury to that next level is one of the things that Billingsley Lincoln of Lawton was recognized for. We’re very proud of that.”
Wood said for anyone to succeed in their business, no matter the field, they must listen to their customers and be engaged in the community.
“So many of our network dealers do that exceptionally well," said Wood. "Craig’s at the top of his class with their store and their team, and it’s not just one person. It’s the collective makeup of all the employees that wake up everyday and say how can I support the community and do what’s right for our clients.”
“Well, the focus is one on one personal touch," said Billingsley. "Always focused on the customer and on your team delivering that unique personal customer experience that leads to the results.”


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This year's MWC may have been lacking in high-end smartphone launches. But the "W" stands for "world," and lower-cost models shown this week are needed to open up the mobile-phone market to more people globally.
Huawei Technologies has expanded its device portfolio with the LTE-equipped Ascend P2 as the company hopes to climb upwards in the smartphone market.
Broadcom claims that it has come up with the industry's smallest 4G LTE-Advanced modem for smartphones and tablets, dubbed the BCM21892.
Mobile engineers have successfully demonstrated the handoff of a voice call from LTE to 3G, a capability that may prove critical in carriers' plans to put voice on their new, fast data networks.
We name the people, companies and products that took positive steps forward in 2012.
Sprint Nextel's proposed buyout of network partner Clearwire may be inevitable, and it could help Sprint keep its signature unlimited mobile data plans alive.
In the annual rankings of major U.S. cellphone carriers, Verizon Wireless retained the top spot while AT&T once again brought up the rear. But AT&T can at least note that its 4G LTE network was the top-ranked among carriers.


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The Bank’s Market Outlook Survey expects inflation to reach 36.9% in 2020.
The survey indicated that prices are expected to jump 3% in September.
The poll showed that “during the third quarter of 2020, the gross domestic product will increase by 9.8% compared to the second quarter of 2020, which indicates that the period of the greatest impact of the Corona pandemic has ended.”
These were the details of the news Egypt – the Argentine Central Bank expects the GDP to shrink... for this day. We hope that we have succeeded by giving you the full details and information. To follow all our news, you can subscribe to the alerts system or to one of our different systems to provide you with all that is new.
It is also worth noting that the original news has been published and is available at saudi24news and the editorial team at AlKhaleej Today has confirmed it and it has been modified, and it may have been completely transferred or quoted from it and you can read and follow this news from its main source.


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A few weeks ago, Apple announced a new subscription service for their mobile devices. Dubbed Apple Arcade, the service aimed to cultivate, provide, and promote paid software that tends to disappear within the avalanche of software on the app store. During the reveal event, Apple suggested they would be investing into the service with their own money, which appears to be something to the tune of $500 million.
The number comes from the Financial Times, which cites sources close to Apple and familiar with the matter, saying Apple is spreading that amount over multiple games in the Arcade program. Developers that agree to full timed exclusivity, which means only on Apple’s devices, are reportedly receiving “several million dollars” in development resources for those games.
That number does vary by developer, though. Hironobu Sakaguchi’s Mistwalker can probably demand that kind of fee for their game, but most developers are likely getting substantially less. There have been games like Shantae 5 which have been announced for Apple Arcade, but don’t appear to be exclusive to Apple devices, as they’re also on traditional gaming consoles, as well.
Apple Arcade launches this Fall, but Apple has yet to confirm a price for the monthly service which lets you download games to your device similar to Microsoft’s Game Pass. The announcement showed that Konami, PlatinumGames, Mistwalker, Sega, and more have already signed on.
Source: Read Full Article


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Hong Kong’s Yardbird is a massively popular destination for meat skewers grilled over charcoal, for drinks, and tons of other snacks, and now it’s coming to Los Angeles in a big way. Co-owners Lindsay Jang and Matt Abergel previously told Eater about their plans to jump to the West Coast, but now the team has an official address they’re willing to share: 510 South Broadway. That puts them inside the renovated Pettebone Building in the Historic Core, steps from the Spring Arcade, The Last Bookstore, and the Pershing Square Metro stop.
Jang tells Eater that this location of Hong Kong’s Yardbird will keep much of the same look and feel as the Hong Kong mainstay, including most likely not taking reservations. There will be cool, modern touches to go along with the lively atmosphere and smoky food, and hopefully late night hours for the post-shift dining set. It will not, however, be keeping the name Yardbird, owing to the existence of Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, a chain of American restaurants with a new location that opened earlier this year inside the Beverly Center.
As for competition, Los Angeles is in the throes of an outright yakitori explosion. There are a ton of classic places still doing great work, but with the new Inko Nito in the Arts District, Hatch Yakitori in Downtown, and the recent flip of Chaya in Venice, now is a great time to be loving on smoked meat skewers. Also note that despite the exact same name, there’s no relation between Yardbird Hong Kong and the Miami-based Southern restaurant Yardbird that opened a few months ago at The Beverly Center.
Yardbird Hong Kong
510 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA


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The Ministry of Marine and Fisheries continues to boost tilapia production in Indonesia to meet the high global demand for the commodity.
At the launching of Quarantine Quality Month on Sunday, Minister of Marine and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono noted that the international demand for tilapia is huge, with the market in 2023 alone valued at US$13.9 billion.
“We will bolster our capacity in this aspect by improving its cultivation,” he said.
The minister said he seeks to develop tilapia cultivation centers along Central Java’s north coast to replace shrimp commodities.
“The northern coast’s commodity in the past was dominated by shrimp, but we will shift it as I believe the area is no longer suitable, and we will revitalize it for tilapia,” Trenggono stated.
He added that the fish export market remains stable and is not affected by the global recession, while the global demand for protein from fish continues to increase.
“We acknowledge that there are some declines, such as the slight decline in shrimp production in the United States, but the consumption and demand for protein are also increasing,” he emphasized.
He also mentioned that Indonesia’s main fishery export commodities include shrimp, tuna, skipjack, cuttlefish, octopus, and crabs, as they have been in recent years.
Trenggono said he is keen to grab a share in the market of five main fishery commodities at the global level, including shrimp, lobster, crab, tilapia, and seaweed, in competition with major fish-producing countries.
“The United States, Japan, and China are the countries with the largest fish export. Some regions in Europe have also been known for their high quality,” he remarked.
Source from Antara News
Original News HERE


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— Lidl win best overall, Tesco win best location and CastleCourt get best shopping centre.
A survey of bicycle parking at supermarkets and shopping centres in Belfast has found that 45% of stores still have no parking facilities at all.
“A customer is a customer no matter how they arrive at a shop. The Shop By Bike Belfast survey shows that too many customers feel undervalued at their local supermarket by the unnecessary barrier of nowhere to safely park a bicycle,” said Jonathan Hobbs, editor of Bikefast.org and coordinator of the Shop By Bike Belfast survey.
He said: “Investing in good quality bicycle parking — as many supermarkets around the city have done — is a simple, cheap and cost effective way of attracting shoppers and developing customer loyalty. We want to make Belfast the best cycling city in these islands, and part of that aim requires supermarket store and brand management to aim to make Belfast’s supermarkets a great place for anyone to cycle to.”
The survey was conducted by 20 volunteer supermarket customers during various dates towards the end of last year and the start of this year.
The shops were ranked with a scoring criteria including extra points for the volume of racks, quality, shelter, CCTV, and proximity to store entrances.
Hobbs pointed out that the Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure found that “no secure facilities to park bike at destination” is a barrier to short cycling journeys.
“The Shop By Bike 2018-19 survey of 74 supermarkets across Belfast has shown that while there are a total of 171 bicycle racks provided, a disappointing 45% of stores (33) have no bicycle parking facilities at all,” said Hobbs.
But according to the survey, there’s some improvement since the last survey in 2015.
Lidl, which is the 2018-19 winner of “Best overall brand” has improved its Shop By Bike Belfast rank from 6th place to 1st place. The retailer increased bicycle parking its 7 stores in Belfast by almost 300% since 2015.
Tesco Newtownbreda with 15 racks won “Best store location”, while CastleCourt with 19 racks split across 2 areas won “Best shopping centre” for 2018-19.
Overall there has been an 18% increase in bicycle parking at supermarkets since the last survey.
The survey found that there are a total of 171 racks, which can hold 296 bicycles at a time, at the 74 surveyed supermarkets in Belfast.
It also found that 33 or 45% of supermarkets in Belfast have no bicycle parking facilities at all and only 13 of the 74 surveyed stores have bicycle parking under shelter.
Bikefast.org said that ahead of the next survey in 2020 that they are calling action from supermarkets, including that every supermarket in Belfast to have at least one good quality bike rack and that supermarkets should work towards cycle parking levels of 10% of car parking.
It was also said that supermarkets should provide secure bicycle storage areas for staff and the largest ones should review safe routes for cycling across their car parks.
Conor Boyle, Regional Director for Lidl Northern Ireland, said: “As Northern Ireland’s fastest growing retailer we are always keen to ensure we not only offer customers the best prices in the market, but that we offer the best facilities also. With a growing number of shoppers who choose to shop with us availing of bike parking facilities, we have invested significantly since 2013 in this area.”
He added: “We’ve ensured all new property projects carry bike parking as standard and we have upgraded our portfolio right across Northern Ireland to meet this growing demand. We are delighted to have this commitment to excellent bike parking facilities recognised and we pledge to continue offering our growing customer base this high level of service.”
Nora Armour, manager at Tesco Newtownbreda, said: “At all our stores we work hard to make sure that facilities meet the needs of our customers and give them the best possible experience. That’s why it’s so rewarding to receive this award. We’re incredibly proud and hope that the effort we make to accommodate cyclists encourages more people to get on their bikes and have a positive impact on the environment.”
Paul McMahon, manager of CastleCourt Centre, said: “We actively encourage and promote our customers to use sustainable transport to visit the centre and for the fast-growing numbers of cyclists coming in to the city centre, we’re acutely aware of the need to provide appropriate, safe and secure facilities to ensure that this continues. From the positive feedback we’ve received, we’re delighted to be playing our part in encouraging more people to cycle which has benefits shared by everyone. A key part of a healthy lifestyle, pollution is reduced and there is less pressure on car parking.”
Chris Lyttle MLA, the chairperson of the All Party Assembly Group on Cycling said: “Liveable cities and sustainable shops must move people in smart, accessible and healthy ways. Providing people with the infrastructure, facilities and confidence to cycle is central to achieving this aim.”
He said: “As 1.8 million of the 6.7 million trips by bike in Belfast in the past year were made for shopping and other purposeful trips, it is not only socially responsible but sound business for shop owners to play their part in making it easier for people to access their shops and our city by bike.”
The Shop By Bike Belfast 2018-19 report can be downloaded in PDF format from Bikefast.org.
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The rising cost of college has left many families looking for creative ways to avoid massive college debt. According to a new report from Consumer Reports, more and more college scholarships are now offered.
“I cried. I cried so hard,” Marilu Duque told Consumer Reports after receiving her scholarship. “I was like, this is everything I ever wanted.”
Consumer Reports offers some tips to those prospective college students that need help paying for college.
For starters, Consumer Reports says start with the college you’d like to attend. Colleges, according to the report, are among the top providers of grants and scholarships.
Next, take advantage of websites such as Cappex, The College Board, Fastweb, or Scholarship.com which will help you craft your pitch to colleges and other scholarship providers.
And, says Consumer Reports, don’t narrow your search too much. Apply to national and state scholarships.
“National scholarships offer more money, but your odds of snagging a local one may be better because you’re likely to be competing against fewer students, says Consumer Reports Money Editor Donna Rosato.
Also, don’t wait until the last moment, or even until after you graduate. Start early just in case.
“I started in the 8th grade, most people don’t start in 8th grade,” adds Duque.


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Germany offers immense business opportunities for software and SaaS providers looking to expand into new global markets. Germany’s software market, valued at $27.3 billion in 2021, is Europe’s second-largest software market and has an expected CAGR of 10.1% through the next two years.
However, entering Germany’s software market isn’t easy. German software buyers’ preferences for well-known brands present challenges to positioning new offerings. Despite the initial effort required to build brand presence in the region, the return is likely worth the investment. SaaS and software marketers should take the time to understand the top concerns and business priorities in order to maximize their ROI in Germany.
In this post, we share insights about software buyers in Germany and how to best engage and convert them with a strong international marketing strategy.


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According to Rosstat, in August 2016, the real incomes of Russians decreased by 8.3%. We mean the income after deduction of compulsory payments and adjusted for the consumer price index. It turns out that the rate of fall of people’s incomes reached record levels, because the comparison was taken August of 2015.
Rosstat also called and the amount of the average salary in the last month – 34 095 rubles. In August last year, the average salary was less than 5.8%. Thus wages are also not keeping up with inflation. So if we talk about real terms, wages have not risen, but fell by 1%.


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You might enjoy mobile gaming on your iPad and iPhone, but perhaps you long for something a bit…meatier. Online gaming service OnLive wants to feed that need, and it’s doing so by launching versions of its client software for tablets and smartphones.
If you’re not familiar with OnLive, it works like this: Instead of loading games onto your computer to play, the titles are run on a remote server and streamed to OnLive’s client software, which runs on your computer, OnLive micro-console, and now, your tablet or smartphone. (For more, check out our early look at the OnLive service from last year.)
The games are no slouches either. OnLive touts the availability of recent high-profile titles like Batman: Arkham City, Assassins Creed: Revelations, and L.A. Noire. The latter is even one of 25 titles that OnLive says has been reworked to take advantage of the touch controls of mobile platforms.
Of course, not all games adapt well to touchscreen controls. That’s why OnLive is also offering its $50 Universal OnLive Wireless Controller, which works with PCs and Macs via its included USB wireless adapter or Bluetooth, and works via many tablets and smartphones wirelessly. (OnLive director of communications Brian Jaquet would not confirm in an email whether the controller works with iOS devices, but writing in Time, Harry McCracken says that it works with the iPad via Bluetooth.) According to OnLive, the controller works with almost all of the games the service offers.
None of this comes free, but OnLive currently offers several ways to get access to games. You can pay for some titles, which runs close to what you would pay for them from other sources; other games are available to rent for three or five days apiece; or you can opt for the company’s $10 per month PlayPack Bundle, which gives unlimited access to more than 100 titles along with a 30-percent discount on rentals and purchases.
While OnLive’s client for Android devices is available now, Jaquet told Macworld that the company “can’t predict when the OnLive iPad app will be officially released.” And just for downloading the OnLive app, you’ll snag yourself a free copy of Lego Batman: The Videogame. According to OnLive’s website, the company’s universal wireless controller will be available beginning on December 9.


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What goes on behind the scenes at Summer Delights in Takoma Park is not an exact science, ice creamer Greg Moorin said.
Yet, there is intense analysis.
“No computers, no timers. It’s all done by taste, aroma and feel of the product,” said Moorin, the owner who has served the sweet tooths of “Takomanites” for years with a bantering personality and a deadpan sense of humor.
Since it first inhabited its Laurel Avenue spot in 1999 — where Moorin and his treats have become community staples — the shop is using up the last of its gourmet ice cream, breakfast and lunch foods before its doors close late this month to make way for a new restaurant.
But it will be back.
Moorin, who essentially runs the shop solo, said he plans to return to Takoma Park, in a new location, within the year with a similar name, although the exact when and where are shrouded in good-natured mystery.
After his break of sorts from the business, Moorin said, he will open a “more upscale” shop and “come back with some death-defying acts by scoop.”
Moorin said he hopes to attend a week-long immersion class at an undisclosed East Coast school — he has not yet been officially accepted — where he would learn how to make authentic Italian desserts, including gelato.
It won’t be the first time he has gone to dessert school: He also attended a weekend class in 2004 at Penn State to hone his ice cream-making skills.
As Moorin continues to develop and add to his list of ice cream and other desserts, he continues to build on a business born of a simple, delicious idea.
The shop began in 1983 as a small, seasonal ice cream operation in a former office of his family’s dry-cleaning business in Takoma Park.
“Our family’s been self-employed since the ’20s, and dry-cleaning and food service has been synonymous with my father, my grandfather and myself,” Moorin said.
The business — at which the not-yet-handmade ice cream scoops were handed out at the office window — would move to the Old Takoma location in 1999, which was once decorated with Elvis and other 1950s and 1960s memorabilia and now features the art and other design touches of Moorin’s daughter.
Moorin’s dad, Bernard, ran the paperwork side of the business — and chipped in as a taste tester — and Moorin was in charge of the food and customer service.
“When I moved here, I had no idea the direction I was gonna go in,” Moorin said.
Yet he already was accustomed to hard work after his time in the dry-cleaning business, he said. He quickly learned the ropes of running the shop, where he also serves as a short-order cook who can dish up breakfast and lunch.
Although he has made his own ice cream for years, Moorin said the experimentation continues.
“I’m never satisfied, and I think that’s probably why the Takomanites enjoy [the ice cream], because I’m always pushing and trying to tweak my recipes,” he said.
Moorin’s roughly 100 ice cream recipes are stored in only one place.
“I have none of them written down, so Alzheimer’s is out of the question for me as long as I want to be in the business,” he said.
For Moorin, every flavor has the potential to be exciting — especially one.
“It’s hard to make a good vanilla,” he said.
Moorin’s version is based on what he will tell you is the best there is: vanilla from Madagascar.
And Moorin has not made just one type of chocolate ice cream. He has made 10. His signature flavor is bittersweet chocolate.
Such in-depth knowledge of his ice cream’s composition is a result of years of research, including time at professional shows and with other cooks.
Customers also fuel development of the flavors, he said.
“I think it’s a marriage between the customer and myself, because the whole idea of being in the ice cream business is you’re affecting the neighborhood or an area that enjoys ice cream,” he said. “I think you have to be sensitive to their needs.”
With the breakfast and lunch rushes finished on a recent January evening, Moorin had time to relax a bit as visitors came in the shop, some to grab a scoop and some just to talk.
James Bryson of Takoma Park said he used to meet the elder Moorin, who died recently, for breakfast each week for about a year.
“This is like a little meeting place for people,” Bryson said, where people can “chew the fat” and talk about their “aches and pains.”
He and other regulars will “readapt” to the new location, he said.
“I’m gonna be there, that’s for sure,” Bryson said.
Newma Castillo of Takoma Park recently popped by the shop after a run to grab a cup of coffee and lend a hand by sweeping the floor.
Castillo described Moorin as a foundation of the community whom she has known “forever.”
“He’s like your cup of coffee in the morning,” Castillo said. “If I want real ice cream, I know where to come.”
Visiting from a few doors down the road, Magic Carpet antiques shop owner Deniz Kanter said as she stood with Moorin and other regulars that she’s glad Moorin, his sense of humor and espresso ice cream will return to Takoma Park.
“You feel like you’re coming to a friend’s shop more than anything,” she said.
For all his hard work, Moorin said, he would not be where he is today without his family — especially his father.
“My dad and I, to coin a phrase, were tighter than two ticks on a bull’s [behind],” he said.
Moorin described his dad as a “very tough taskmaster” who told him the truth and helped him learn to hone his skills and be careful with his friends and finances.
“I had a father that would teach, spread whatever he knew, for those who would listen,” Moorin said.


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Showing posts tagged 'stmicroelectronics'
10 November 2021
Global silicon chip shortage will last until at least 2023
How long will the global silicon chip shortage last? If you were to ask ten CEO's of leading technology companies, you'd probably get ten different answers.
However, there's one timeframe most CEO's quote…
2023 is the date CEO's are optimistic about
Intel's CEO, Pat Gelsinger, has given us a realistic timeframe for the chip shortage to end - he says the chip shortage won't end until 2023.
"We're in the worst of it now; every quarter next year, we'll get incrementally better, but we're not going to have supply-demand balance until 2023," Gelsinger told CNBC.
Gelsinger's thoughts echo those of Glenn O'Donnell, a vice president research director at advisory firm Forrester, who says the chip shortage will last until 2022.
"Because demand will remain high and supply will remain constrained, we expect this shortage to last through 2022 and into 2023," O'Donnell wrote in a blog in March.
Daimler chairman Ola Källenius also believes the chip shortage could last until 2023.
"Several chip suppliers have been referring to structural problems with demand," Källenius told reporters during a roundtable event ahead of the Munich IAA car show. "This could influence 2022 and (the situation) may be more relaxed in 2023."
What will chip demand look like in 2022-2023?
In July, the CEO of STMicroelectronics provided insight into what we can expect in 2022-2023, "Things will improve in 2022 gradually, but we will return to a normal situation ... not before the first half of 2023," he said in an interview.
The global silicon chip shortage has led to car plants shutting down, paused manufacturing lines and delayed product launches. It isn't a short-term problem, and no one knows for sure when supply will start catching up with demand.
All industries and companies that use chips have been affected by the shortage - even Samsung, the world's biggest computer-chip manufacturer, has been affected by it, delaying the launch of several Galaxy and Note smartphones.
Most experts agree that 2022 will echo 2021, with moderate-extreme shortages of integrated circuits and chips, as well as certain active and passive components. Prices are also expected to rise in line with raw material costs.
2023 may be the year that supply starts meeting demand, but it will require the mass opening of foundries and factories. Investment in new plants and manufacturing lines is ongoing, with new fabs set to open in the next two years.
In 2023, we hope to see regular chip inventory levels and average delays of about three months to replenish components. At the moment, some components have delays over a year, and inventory supplies for chips are running low.
Keeping supply chains moving
The best way to keep supply chains moving is to partner with an electronic components distributor like us. We can source chips from around the world, tapping into stockpiles and inventory that isn’t available to the average company.
If you are experiencing an electronic component shortage, we can help. Email us if you have any questions or call us on 01904 415 415 to chat with our team.
17 July 2015
A number of European semiconductor firms are working on an ambitious project called NewP@ss which aims to develop next generation e-passports in the EU.
NXP, Infineon and STMicroelectronics are working together on the project creating advanced microelectronics, embedded software and secure platforms for the project.
This is more than just creating a new online passport – it’s a whole system of next generation travel documents. More and more people are checking in online when going abroad or using their smartphones for e-tickets etc. The NewP@ss system is looking at integrating all of this together in one place.
As well as the usual information found on a passport now, the system would also have the ID holder’s biometric data, travel documents such as visas and also arrival and departure stamps. The system would also be easier to update and make changes to rather than reissuing an entirely new passport for name changes or address changes.
There are multiple challenges facing the team from security and safety to convenience and ease of use. Of course security is a huge concern where passports are concerned and this is the number one priority for the companies involved. They are working on highly advanced embedded software platforms and secure 32 bit microcontrollers to run it all.
This is a huge task which will hopefully make travelling around Europe much easier and more secure for us all. The new systems will be introduced gradually, starting this year and running until 2020 and beyond.
Source: NewP@ss Project
Enter Electronic Component part number below.


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The Management of University of lagos has announced the date for the GST second semester examination.
The GST second semester examination is scheduled to start on August 28 and end 30 of August.
Below are the list of GST courses which have been scheduled to start on August 28-30.
GST 102, GST 105, GST 201 AND GST 307
This is to inform final year and extra year students, who have any of the above-mentioned GST courses as outstanding needed to graduate, to write a letter through their Heads of Department to the Director, Centre for General Studies (GST), indicating the GST course(s) they will be writing during the examinations.
Also, they can come to the GST office under the Main Library, opposite UBA Bank, to write their names and the GST course(s) they would write during the examinations.
Deadline: Monday, August 14, 2017.
GST examinations have been scheduled for August 28 – 30, 2017