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In an exciting but certainly trend-setting development, the GAME Bundesverband, the leading association of the German computer games industry, has founded a collecting society for providers and developers of computer games. This decision marks an important step in the recognition and appreciation of the creative and economic contributions of the computer games industry. It is a clear signal that the industry is ready to face the challenges of the digital age and protect the rights of its members.
The founding of the collecting society is a milestone in the history of the German games industry. It shows that the industry is not only capable of developing innovative and entertaining games, but also that it is ready to face the complex issues of copyright. With the foundation of the collecting society, the GAME Bundesverband sends a strong signal for the future of the industry and underlines the importance of game development as a cultural and economic force.
This development is not only important for the members of the GAME Bundesverband, but for the entire industry. It sends a clear message to developers, publishers, and players alike: Game developers’ rights are important and deserve protection. It’s a move that will strengthen the industry and help it compete in an increasingly digital world.
What is a collecting society?
Collecting societies play a crucial role in the copyright system. They obtain copyrights to their works from their members, who are usually artists, authors, and other creative professionals. This can include a variety of media, from movies and music to computer games.
The main task of a collecting society is to collect copyright royalties. These levies apply to the purchase of devices such as computers, smartphones and storage media that can be used to make private copies. The basic idea here is that these devices and media are often used to make copies of copyrighted works without the copyright owner receiving any compensation.
To redress this imbalance, the collected levies are then distributed to the members of the collecting society. This ensures that authors are compensated for the use of their works, even if this use takes the form of private copying.
It is important to emphasize that the work of collecting societies benefits not only authors, but also consumers. By ensuring that creators are compensated for the use of their works, collecting societies help ensure that creative content can continue to be produced and made available to the public.
In Germany, there are several collecting societies that cover different areas of creative work. These include GEMA, which represents the rights of music authors and publishers, VG Wort, which is responsible for authors and publishers of text works, and VG Bild-Kunst, which represents the interests of visual artists. With the establishment of the collecting society for computer games by the GAME Bundesverband, the computer games industry is now also represented in this important area of copyright law.
Overall, collecting societies make a significant contribution to promoting creativity and maintaining a fair and balanced copyright system.
The collecting society for computer games
By founding the collecting society for computer games, the GAME Bundesverband wants to ensure that games companies receive remuneration for private copies of their protected game content. Only games companies that own ancillary copyrights can be members of the collecting society.
Membership in the collecting society is limited to games companies that own ancillary copyrights in video games. These are usually companies that develop or publish games. Membership is not limited to companies based in Germany. International companies can also become members, provided they own ancillary copyrights to games published in Germany.
Membership in the collecting society is voluntary. Companies that become members transfer to the collecting society the right to collect copyright royalties on their behalf for private copies of their games. In return, members receive compensation from the collected levies.
It is important to emphasize that the creation of the collecting society does not mean that game companies can no longer make their games freely available. The collecting society only collects levies for private copies, i.e. copies made by individuals for personal use. Game companies can still decide whether and how to make their games available to the public.
The establishment of the collecting society is an important step in recognizing the economic and creative contributions of the games industry. It ensures that game companies are compensated for the use of their games and helps ensure that the industry can continue to produce innovative and entertaining games.
Impact on Let’s Players and Streamers
The creation of the collecting society raises questions about the costs for Let’s Players and streamers. Until now, if the producer did not explicitly allow the use, Let’s Players and streamers often committed copyright infringement. However, this use was often accepted for marketing reasons and because it is free advertising.
The good news for private users is that they do not have to pay directly for private copies of games. The private copying remuneration is paid by the manufacturers of devices and storage media such as PCs and hard drives, smartphones or tablets. The amount of the remuneration is generally based on the benefits and the corresponding damage.
It is important to note that the private copying exception covers only copies for private, i.e. non-commercial, purposes. Reproductions made for a commercial purpose, e.g. by commercially acting YouTubers or Twitch streamers, are not covered by private copying. A profit-making purpose already exists if remuneration is sought; advertising funding is also such remuneration.
The collecting society for the producers of games wants remuneration for private copies on privately used PCs and hard disks. In many of the actions typical of games culture, legally permitted private copies are made – sometimes unknowingly. Examples include video recordings, roleplay servers, highlight recordings, duplications during editing, forums, social media, support requests, recordings for personal use (digital video recorder) and reaction videos, esports and screenshots.
Let’s players are of course only one possible exploiter, who so far do not actually pay any levy, although they sometimes should or, if one is honest, perhaps “should”. It is important that we find a fair and balanced solution that takes into account both the rights of game developers and the interests of Let’s Players and streamers. The establishment of the collecting society is an important step in this direction.
Of course, I cannot yet accurately assess who may be or will be called upon in the future. However, the creation of the collecting society and the explicit mention in GAME’s FAQ and press releases are reminiscent of the many discussions with clients in the influencer and streamer space on the topic of copyright.
It’s a topic that has been causing debate in the industry for some time. The question of how copyright should be handled in the digital world, especially in the context of Let’s Play and streaming, is complex and requires careful consideration of the interests of all parties involved.
The foundation of the collecting society by the GAME Bundesverband is an important step in this direction. It shows that the industry is ready to face these issues and seek solutions that take into account both the rights of game developers and the interests of Let’s Players and streamers.
The foundation of the collecting society by the GAME Bundesverband is a significant step for the computer games industry in Germany. It recognizes the creative and economic contributions of game developers and ensures that they are compensated for private copies of their games. For Let’s Players and streamers, little will change for the time being as long as they continue their activities in the private, non-commercial sphere.
This move underscores the relevance and growth of the computer games industry, not only as an entertainment medium, but also as a major industry and cultural asset. It shows that the industry is ready to face the challenges of the digital age and protect the rights of its members.
It is also a sign of the increasing professionalization of the industry. With the establishment of the collecting society, the games industry is taking an active role in shaping the legal framework for its activities. It champions the interests of its members and helps to ensure that the industry can remain innovative and creative in the future.
For Let’s Players and streamers, this means they can continue to focus on their passion while respecting the rights of game developers. As long as they continue their activities in the private, non-commercial sector, little will change for them for the time being. However, it is important that they are aware of and respect the legal framework.
Overall, the establishment of the collecting society is an important step in the right direction. It helps to create a balanced and fair copyright system that takes into account the interests of all stakeholders. It remains to be seen how the situation will evolve in the coming years, but it’s clear that the industry is ready to face the challenges and find solutions that suit both game developers and Let’s Players and streamers.


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Maryland’s Best Expo Scheduled for January 9, 2024
Opportunity for Maryland Farmers, Seafood Producers,
and Processors to Connect with Buyers
The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) will host the Maryland’s Best Expo on Tuesday, January 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. Returning for its 20th year the Maryland’s Best Expo provides an opportunity for Maryland farmers, seafood producers, and processors to connect with buyers from grocery retailers, restaurants, schools, food distributors, and other venues.
Over the past two decades, MDA’s Marketing Program, Maryland’s Best, has promoted our state’s agricultural and seafood products, and expanded markets for our farmers and producers.
The 2023 Maryland’s Best Expo attracted more than 400 attendees. Participants included farmers, producers, watermen, aquaculturists, processors, grocery store retailers, restaurants, schools, institutions, distributors, economic development officials, University of Maryland Extension (UME) agents, and regional agricultural marketing officials.
Due to popular demand, this year’s event will again take place at the Akerson Tower located at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, 550 Taylor Avenue, Annapolis. Registration is required. The deadline to be included in the expo directory has been extended to December 20, 2023, and the last day to sign up is January 6, 2024. There is a $50 fee for a table display space, with early bird savings available. There is no fee for buyers, but registration is required.
Registration now open!
You should attend this event if you are:
- A Maryland grower, watermen, seafood company, or processor interested in finding new markets for your products;
- A buyer from a grocery store, restaurant, hospital, school, or other venue looking to purchase Maryland grown or produced products
- A service provider in agriculture or local food.
The types of local products that buyers will typically find are:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Dairy products
- Craft Beverages
- Specialty products (sauces, baked goods, chocolate, soups, flour)

domain: news


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The CEO and President of the Japanese auto giant, which employs 6,000 people at its Wearside site, announced that base production will continue at the factory during a presentation of its latest financial statements, broadcast live on the Web.
President and CEO Makoto Uchida said Nissan also intends to improve site efficiency – but the company’s sister plant in Barcelona would close, resulting in around 3,000 job cuts.
The plans are part of his “Nissan Next” transformation plan for 2020 to 2023, which will see him focus on key vehicles, such as electric and sports models, in his key markets, introducing new technologies into his future vehicles for respond to customer requests.
Uchida pointed out how Nissan had suffered from the coronovirus pandemic which had worsened the stagnation of world markets. He said that for the future, the company should “learn from its mistakes.”
Uchida said: “We will maintain basic manufacturing at Sunderland and also improve efficiency. We have considered various measures in Barcelona and although this is a very difficult decision, we intend to close the factory. “
The news came as Nissan revealed huge losses in its 2019 fiscal year – and predicted a further decline. Last year, the company saw its global volumes drop 6.9%, with Europe being the hardest hit in its global markets, down 19.1%.
Net sales decreased from 11,574.2 billion yen to 9,878.9 billion yen – a decrease of 14.6% – and operating income of 318.2 billion yen from last year dropped to a loss of 40.5 billion yen.
Ordinary profit fell 91.9% from 546.5 billion yen to 44 billion yen.
Nissan and Renault have been allies since 1999, but this partnership has been strained since the arrest – and the ensuing escape – of former President Carlos Ghosn. Mistibushi joined the alliance in 2016.
Reports have suggested that the Sunderland plant could benefit from the closure of the Barcelona plant, which is expected to have the Northeast take over production of the Renault Kadjar and Captur models, which are similar to the Nissan models produced on Wearside. The reports were described as “speculative” by Nissan at the time.
The Sunderland plant has received huge investments in recent years, but has unused capacity after the cancellation of two models in 2019.


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Pebble is launching a new dedicated fitness app called Pebble Health across all of its Time wearable smartwatches, including the Pebble Time, Pebble Time Steel and Pebble Time Round.
The free app update, created by the company in partnership with researchers at Stanford University, automatically monitors a user’s step count and sleep activity on a daily basis. Timeline pins will show up every morning indicating how restful the wearer’s sleep was the night before, as well as a summary of the activity they performed over the course of the prior evening. The new app can also sync automatically with Google Health.
Last week, Pebble launched a beta version of its Timeline software on the original Pebble. Pebble users can apply to be part of the beta through Pebble’s Google+ page.
Currently only available on Android, the company plans to bring the full version of Timeline to Android and iOS Pebbles by the end of December.
Related reading: Pebble Time review


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Greater than 200 million individuals in India transact cash digitally, however fewer than 30 million put money into mutual funds and shares.
An Indian startup that’s trying to vary this determine by courting millennials introduced a brand new financing spherical on Wednesday and was the latest unicorn on this planet’s second largest web market.
Bangalore-based Groww has raised $83 million in its Collection D financing spherical, which valued the Indian startup at greater than $1 billion, up from $250 million in $30 million Series C in September last year.
Tiger International led the brand new spherical, and present traders Sequoia Capital India, Ribbit Capital, YC Continuity and Propel Enterprise Companions participated in it, the five-year-old Indian startup stated, which has raised $142 million thus far.
On a aspect observe, Groww is the eighth Indian startup to realize the unicorn standing this 12 months — and fourth this week. Social commerce Meesho turned a unicorn on Monday, fintech agency CRED on Tuesday, and earlier right this moment epharmacy agency PharmEasy introduced a brand new financing spherical that valued the agency at about $1.5 billion.
Groww permits customers to put money into mutual funds, together with systematic funding planning (SIP) and equity-linked financial savings, gold, in addition to shares, together with these listed at U.S. exchanges. The app gives each fund that’s at the moment out there in India.
The startup has amassed over 8 million registered customers, two-thirds of whom are first-time traders, Lalit Keshre, co-founder and chief govt of Groww, advised TechCrunch in an interview.
Keshre stated the startup will deploy the contemporary funds to speed up its progress, and rent extra expertise. “We now have gasoline for longer-term pondering and sooner progress,” he stated.
Greater than 60% of Groww customers come from smaller cities and cities of India and 60% of those have by no means made such investments earlier than, stated Keshre. The startup stated it has performed workshops in a number of small cities to teach individuals concerning the funding world. The coronavirus pandemic has additionally accelerated the startup’s progress as kids discover new hobbies.


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Sania Mirza & Shoaib Malik Net worth 2022 amid separation reports
WRITTEN BY Aditi Shrivastava
Sania Mirza & Shoaib Malik separation reports
Indian Tennis star Sania Mirza and Pakistani cricketer Sohaib Malik’s marriage is reportedly facing a rock bottom, amid this take a look at the couple’s net worth and assets 2022.
Net worth of Sania Mirza
Sania who is a big name in the world of sports and specializes in the field of Tennis has a net worth of around $25 Million as of 2022.
Sania Mirza’s source of income
Sania earns her money through Tennis as well as several brand endorsements. She has endorsed brands such as Adidas, Bournvita, Tata Tea, TVs scooty etc.
Shoaib Malik net worth
The former skipper of Pakistan cricket team Sohaib Malik has a net worth of around $25 Million as well. He recently charged around $70000 for PSL.
Shoaib Malik source of income
Malik has endorsed multiple brands including Gillete, Pepsi, PSL, Pakistan Telecom service, PUBG Pakistan etc.
Sania Mirza & Shoaib Malik popularity
Sania and Shoaib both are the big name in the world of sports, the couple also served as the brand ambassador for Pakistan for a long time
Sania Mirza & Shoaib Malik car collection
Sania Mirza & Shoaib Malik has some great collection of cars including Range Rover, Mercedes Benz, Audi and BMW, Mercedes SL, Nissan 350 Z etc
Sania Mirza & Shoaib Malik properties
Shoaib Malik is the owner of a lavishly equipped home in Sialkot. Sania Mirza owns a home in Dubai and a mansion in Hyderabad.
Top 10 sexiest man Alive 2022 by People


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Cody from the Twitch channel DSKoopa recently shared his Christmas present of a giant Lego Mario statue that he received from this mother.
Recently, a group of Nintendo fans have started a petition on website change.org to ask Nintendo and Square Enix to bring back the characters Geno and Mallow!
Reddit user Bork1138 has shared something very heartwarming on /r/gaming regarding Mario Kart 64!
Recently Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story for 3DS has released early in Japan and today Gamexplain has uploaded the first 20 minutes of the new Bowser Jr’s Journey included with the remake on YouTube!
Recently Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story for 3DS has released early in Japan and today Gamexplain has uploaded the first 10 minutes of the remake on YouTube!
Today 4J Studios has revealed some sad news. Minecraft Wii U Edition has received its very last update from 4J Studios today.
Today, Nintendo has made preloading now available for New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe on the Nintendo EShop in Japan!
Today, Bandai Namaco Amusement have announced some new content being added to Mario Kart Arcade GP DX!
These definitely aren’t your typical Christmas decorations on public display.
Today, Nintendo has released some new screenshots for their upcoming Switch game New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe!


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Collision in New Child Abuse Detection Algorithm ‘Not a Concern’ Says Apple
A new collision discovered by researchers in Apple’s newly announced CSAM detection system has raised new concerns about the integrity of the system. However, the iPhone maker believes the finding is not a concern, The Verge is reporting.
Highlighted by a GitHub user named Asuhariet Ygvar, the flaw affects the hashing algorithm, called NeuralHash, which allows Apple to check for exact matches of known child-abuse imagery without possessing any of the images or gleaning any information about non-matching pictures.
Ygvar has posted a code for a reconstructed Python version of NeuralHash, which he claims to have reverse-engineered from previous versions of iOS. The resulting algorithm is a generic version of NeuralHash rather than the specific algorithm that will be used once the proposed CSAM system is deployed.
“Early tests show that it can tolerate image resizing and compression, but not cropping or rotations,” Ygvar wrote on Reddit, sharing the new code.
Shortly afterward, a user called Cory Cornelius produced a collision in the algorithm: two images that generate the same hash. It’s a significant finding, although Apple says additional protections in its CSAM system will prevent it from being exploited.
In response, Apple has said that if an image that produced a NeuralHash collision were flagged by the system, it would be checked against the secondary system and identified as an error before reaching human moderators.


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Posted Fri Jan 15, 2010 at 08:00 AM PST by Tom Landy
The quirky comedy from Jared Hess ('Napoleon Dynamite') is planned for a high-definition release this March.
20th Century Fox will be releasing 'Gentlemen Broncos' starring Michael Angarano, Jennifer Coolidge, and Mike White on Blu-ray on March 2.
Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.99.
You can find the latest specs for 'Gentlemen Broncos' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 2.
The latest news on all things 4K Ultra HD, blu-ray and Gear.


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The Boot Hill Distillery, located in Dodge City, Kansas, is said to be unique in its region for being one of the only local distilleries to have “complete control over the entire distilling process; from the moment seeds are planted, to bottles being filled.” This is because, in part, one of its owners grows the grains they use to distill spirits with on his own farms. It is this grain to glass philosophy that’s now being reflected in the release of their first ever bourbon.
The new Boot Hill Distillery Bourbon, according to those behind it, has been aging in new 53 gallon American White Oak barrels since January of 2017. In a little over 2 years, it is said, “Kansas’s hot, dry, windy climate and wild temperature swings have been particularly beneficial to the aging process.” The bourbon’s mash bill consists of 51% corn and 49% hard red winter wheat, reportedly giving “a certain softness and sweetness to the finish of the bourbon.”
As it stands now plans call for this 90 proof bourbon to be available at the distillery now, and more widely available come the fall. Boot Hill currently distributes its other spirits, which include vodka, gin, two younger whiskies, and an amaro, across eight states. An experimental series also was introduced only in the distillery’s tasting room, which included a very small batch bourbon, a wheat whiskey, and a barrel aged gin.
Boot Hill Bourbon (image via Boot Hill Distillery)
Those trying to find this bourbon on store shelves will want to be on the lookout for a label that “elicits images of the old west, including a silhouette of cowboys driving steers and the image of a statue of Wyatt Earp, Dodge City’s most famous lawman, both historical landmarks in Dodge City.” The distillery itself, for the curious, is housed in a historic city municipal building that held city services beginning in 1929. Prior to this, in the 1870s, the site was the original location of Boot Hill Cemetery, where outlaws and unknowns were buried.
Nino Kilgore-Marchetti is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Whiskey Wash, an award winning whiskey lifestyle website dedicated to informing and entertaining consumers about whisk(e)y on a global level. As a whisk(e)y journalist, expert and judge he has written about the subject extensively, been interviewed in various media outlets and...


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By Reed Alexander
Can retail therapy heal a broken heart? Moneyish asked relationship Susan Winter for her take on excessive spending after a breakup.
Many of us nurse our broken hearts by going out, buying new clothes, and spending it up in ways we otherwise would avoid. Break-ups don’t just break your heart — they can break the bank, too.
The average relationship now only lasts about two years and nine months, according to one survey — and many people are compelled to revive themselves with a […]


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30 November 2020
Positive Coronavirus Test Results & Endorsement
of Symphony d2p Gloves & Facemask
Symphony Environmental Technologies Plc (AIM: SYM), a global specialist in technologies to enhance the properties of plastic and some non-plastic products, is pleased to announce that it has received further successful test reports from the Laboratory of Virology at the University of Campinas, Brazil (“Unicamp”) on the Company’s anti-viral nitrile gloves and polypropylene fabric facemasks, made with Symphony’s d2pAM (antimicrobial) technology.
The gloves and facemasks were tested in accordance with ISO 21702-2019, the international standard for the measurement of anti-viral activity on plastics and other non-porous surfaces, against the Coronavirus strain MHV, genus Betacoronavirus (the same genus and family as SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2/COVID19 and MERS). The test reports concluded that “we recommend using d2pAM as a potential virucidal agent for the Coronavirus group and helps in controlling COVID-19.”
The d2pAM glove showed a 99.99% virus-reduction after only one hour of contact. The d2pAM facemask showed a 99% virus-reduction after one hour of contact with the facemask, and 99.9% after two hours.
The same tests were performed on a glove and a facemask which did not contain d2pAM, and concluded that no virucidal effect was detected.
Symphony’s CEO, Michael Laurier, said “These test results are a significant step forward in our global marketing campaign to promote the importance of using our d2p technology in these everyday essential products. We believe this is a major breakthrough in the fight against COVID. These masks and gloves will provide essential additional protection for everyone, especially for staff, patients, and visitors in a hospital or care-home environment.
The masks are already available in commercial volumes and, subject to securing manufacturing space, we hope to be able to supply the gloves during the second quarter of 2021 and will market both products through our global distribution network.
We are extremely pleased with this latest scientific validation of our d2pAM technology, but it is currently too early to estimate the level of demand for these products.”
This announcement follows Symphony’s d2p anti-bacterial bread bags being approved by the FDA in the US in February 2020, and after Eurofins Laboratories in August 2020 and Unicamp in September 2020 proving anti-viral efficacy on polyethylene film made with Symphony’s d2pAM technology.
About d2p technology
Symphony has developed a range of additives, concentrates and master-batches marketed under its d2p® (“designed to protect”) trademark, which can be incorporated in a wide variety of plastic and non-plastic products so as to provide protection against many different types of microbes, viruses and insects and rodents, and against fire. d2p products also include odour, moisture and ethylene adsorbers as well as other types of food-preserving technologies.
Symphony has also launched d2p anti-microbial household gloves and toothbrushes and is developing a range of other d2p finished products for retail sale.


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What’s the low down on this year’s list?
This year’s Naughty or Nice list asks brands to commit to completing a wage gap analysis in their supply chain by October 2023. A wage gap analysis involves calculating the difference between current worker wages and the living wage – it is a key step in an evidenced-based plan to improve wages. We all know if you want to fix a problem you need to know exactly what it is and how big it is, that’s why the wage gap analysis is such an important step on the journey to pay a living wage.
For Oxfam, this represents the first step in making a plan on our company tracker. Once brands know what the gap is we expect them to make plans to bridge it and ensure all workers in their supply chain are paid a living wage.
This year Jeans West and Zara are the naughtiest brands, both falling behind in their living wage journey. And both failed to become transparent and publish their factory list.
There are a big group of brands that are naughty.
Some of the naughty brands have become transparent, but have resisted the call to complete a wage gap analysis. This list includes Best & Less, H&M, Big W, Kmart, Target, and the newly added Uniqlo.
Modibodi, also on the naughty list, has fallen short of committing to conduct a wage gap analysis and is yet to publish their factory lists but is due to release these locations next year.
Just Group which includes brands like Jay Jays, Dotti, Just Jeans, and Peter Alexander has made some big steps forward this year including committing to conduct a wage gap analysis but remain on the naughty list because they haven’t published their factory lists.
Nice brands are up-to-date on previous commitments and have made the commitment to complete a wage gap analysis in their supply chain. We are excited to announce that –
- City Chic
- Cotton On
- Country Road Group including – Country Road, Trenery, Witchery and Politix
- David Jones,
- Factory X including – Dangerfield, Gorman and Princess Hway
- Forever New
- Mosaic brands including Katies, Rivers, Millers and Noni B among others
Are all nice
One brand, Lorna Jane, has been called out as the nicest this year. Lorna Jane has already completed a wage gap analysis and published their results.
What is a wage gap analysis and why is it important?
A wage gap analysis involves collecting data on how much the employees in the factory are paid and then comparing the wages of the lowest paid workers to the living wage benchmark relevant to that factory. Once the data has been collected for all suppliers, brands can use the results and create specific time bound targets and milestones to bridge the gap between the lowest paid employees and a living wage.
This call is just the latest step in the What She Makes campaign which has now been running for 5 years. But we aren’t the only ones calling on fashon to be more ethical this great Conversation piece lists many placed consumers are turning to be more informed.
What She Makes campaign is growing and going global!
More recently we have joined forces with others from the Oxfam confederation advocating together to big brands to ensure the women who make our clothes are paid a living wage. From across the Pacific Ocean, we welcome Oxfam Aotearoa (New Zealand), and from further afield Oxfam Canada to the What She Makes crew!
Our colleagues from Oxfam Aotearoa have recently launched their own What She Makes campaign. It includes many popular brands that you can find in your own local shopping centers such as Kathmandu, Glassons, Lululemon, H&M and Hallenstein Bros.
Oxfam Canada’s campaign includes Lululemon and others such as Joe Fresh, Herschel, Aritzia & Roots. The team in Canada put together some short films to support their campaign.
Over the past 5 years, the What She Makes campaign has been working tirelessly to push big brands along their living wage journey. Many major brands have become transparent, creating an industry shift towards factory lists being public. Many major brands are steadily progressing with implementing separated labour costs and some are already finished.
Now that the What She Makes campaign is in other markets, our potential for impact has grown. With a wider support base, we can demand brands commit to a living wage from across the world. Brands can’t hide from the truth much longer, the time to ensure the women who make our clothes are paid a living wage is now.
History of What She Makes
Over the past 5 years, we have released numerous reports investigating poor purchasing practices, speaking to women with firsthand experience in the industry and equipping ourselves with the knowledge necessary to take on big brands to demand they pay the women who make our clothes a living wage.
Together with the help of our passionate supporters and activists we have campaigned for living wages. From in-store to on the streets and via letter writing, and online through pledges, social media tactics and petitions.
Who will be naughty or nice in the future? Watch this space.
This year many brands have made the commitment to conduct a wage gap analysis in their supply chain. The results from these wage gap analyses will be used within evidenced based plans to actually start paying the women who make our clothes a living wage. But years of poor purchasing practices, exploitation and broken trust cannot be fixed with any short-term solutions.
Oxfam is committed to working with allies, brands, industry experts and communities to ensure living wages for the women who make our clothes for the long term.
The What She Makes team would like to extend a big thankyou to all our passionate supporters who have embraced the campaign, shared the stories of the women who make our clothes, and demanded Naughty brands keep up with the living wage journey.


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Tod’s: Tod’s is taking the podium by launching a new project with that name, where lace-clasps and rubber tread soles, usually seen in technical footwear, are used for urban shoes. To further underscore its Made in Italy production, two artisans were on hand to demonstrate how luxurious hides are dyed with a manual process. To complete the collection, Tod’s presented the Double Stripe bag — each a unique model, as colorful strips of leather are hand-stitched onto shopping and travel bags.
Bally: Bally is on a mountain high as it marks the 60th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary’s ascent of Mount Everest with a collection that integrates performance details into everyday accessories. Creative directors Graeme Fidler and Michael Herz swiped bits of nonslip rubber sole from the underside of hiking boots and planted them on snazzy brogues in shades of brown or blue, and even replicated the boots that Bally made for Hillary’s sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, giving them a luxe spin, made from shaved reindeer fur and lined in cashmere. The lace-up boots are “as technical as a luxury brand can get. But these are more suited to Saint Moritz,” said Fidler.
Other pieces on offer included water-repellent suede jackets with cashmere linings — some inspired by the blouson style that Hillary wore for his ascent, hand-knit cashmere sweaters and leather mittens and hats covered or trimmed with shaggy marmot fur. The designers have also created a Bally Stripe capsule collection of unconstructed bags, with the brand’s signature stripe also made from leather.
Jimmy Choo: A happy hybrid of eye-popping color and classic shapes, the fall lineup ranged from loafers daubed with neon colors, inspired by Andy Warhol’s Shadow paintings, to duck boots lined in rabbit fur. The brand’s signature Sloane Slipper came in versions ranging from neon jacquard inspired by the signs outside an L.A. strip club, to black cavalry twill with a giant scorpion on each vamp made from bullion embroidery.
Valextra: Valextra chairman and chief executive officer Emanuele Carminati Molina wanted to convey a note of optimism, urging customers to “dream of desirable and precious objects.” Accordingly, the Italian luxury leather goods firm reinterpreted briefcases, totes and shopping bags in a new and soft suede leather in rich hues of ebony, caramel and loden. RELATED STORY: Overcoats Rule the Runways at Milan >>
Church’s and Car Shoe: Church’s, owned by the Prada group, is ready for winter with classic derby shoes and brogues in grain calf leather and heavy soles.
Sister brand Car Shoe introduced a new slipper with pegged soles in a range of colors and materials, including soft camouflage pony. The toe features a logo with two racing flags, which underscores Car Shoe’s connection with the world of automobiles.
Hogan: Casual business was the leitmotif at Hogan, as president Andrea Della Valle said this was “a nonconventional formal collection for a man at ease with himself,” where innovation and technology contribute to achieve feather-light lace-up shoes, pumps and sneakers in brushed and coated leathers in ink-blue, moss-green, charcoal and black.
Bruno Magli: Creative director Max Kibardin injected an eccentric touch into his Gregory Peck-inspired sophisticated collection, expanding it with a lineup of smalld leather goods. Classic bicolor polished leather loafers with a rubber sole were juxtaposed with more eccentric, but not over-the top, styles, such as soft calfskin Chelsea boots with a metallic, shiny effect, along with glossy crocodile derby shoes.
Fratelli Rossetti: While loyal to its classic and elegant tradition, the company raised the contemporary element with six hammered leather styles, including a new boot with double buckles and laces.
Antonio Marras + Piquadro: Antonio Marras chose the 18th-century Palazzo Clerici to present the capsule collection he designed for Italian luggage and accessories company Piquadro. The Sardinian designer used his arty touch to inject a new spin into high-tech, functional pieces, including a checkered carry-on, which can be used as a backpack, and a soft leather weekend bag with a camouflage pattern.
Santoni: Classic yet not conservative, Santoni’s designs for fall blended inspirations from theTwenties with more contemporary and urban rounded shapes and a dandy elegance. Santoni added a twist to its signature double buckle pump with a colorful palette that includes blue, green, burgundy and various shades of brown.For evening, the style wentprecious, with luxury materials such as crocodile, or velvet and patent in total black.
For fall, the Italian luxury footwear firm introduced Santoni Escape, a new sneaker concept consisting of a hand-stitched Chelsea boot with a sporty and technical sole in feather- light and flexible rubber.
Harrods plans to remove the famous statue of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed from the bottom of the Egyptian escalators and hand it back to Mohamed Al-Fayed. “We are very proud to have played our role in celebrating the lives of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed at Harrods and to have welcomed people from around the world to visit the memorial for the past 20 years,” said Michael Ward, Harrods managing director. “With the announcement of the new official memorial statue to Diana, Princess of Wales at Kensington Palace, we feel that the time is right to return this memorial to Mr. Al Fayed and for the public to be invited to pay their respects at the palace.” More on the news, with reporting by @loreleimarfil, at WWD.com. #wwdnews
@prada is introducing a new project at its men’s fall 2018 show this Sunday: “Prada Invites.” The fashion house invited four celebrated creative minds – @ronanaerwanbouroullec, Konstantin Grcic, @herzogdemeuron and @rem.koolhaas – to each create a unique item with its iconic nylon material. The designs will be unveiled on the runway show, which will take place at the company’s warehouse in Viale Ortles 25. #wwdfashion #mfwm (📷: @martinocarrera)
@kering_official is spinning off its stake in puma in an effort to focus on its luxury brands, the brand operator announced yesterday. “We are proud to have supported the turnaround of Puma, which now has unrivaled capabilities to take full advantage of the specific dynamics of its global markets and is poised to achieve substantial growth,” said François-Henri Pinault, Kering’s chief executive officer and chairman. Artémis will become a “long-term strategic shareholder” of Puma with a 29 percent stake. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @jilliansollazzo)
The fashion world mourns for celebrated street style photographer, Nabile Quenum, who died at age 32 in Paris.
Quenum, creator of the fashion blog “J’ai Perdu Ma Veste,” was a fashion week fixture, and regularly shot for New York magazine’s The Cut, among other outlets, and brands such as Louis Vuitton, Moncler and Adidas. He was also actively involved in the #NoFreePhotos initiative, which kicked off in the fall. Read more about Quenum in @kbsmoke's story on WWD.com. #wwdnews
@verwanggang and @maisonladuree have teamed up on a dessert collab called Vera Wang Pour Ladurée. The collection, which launched this week, features a specialty macaroon, as well as a wedding cake inspired by one of the designer’s gowns. “I could not imagine a more delicate or sophisticated creation to grace any couple’s celebration,” said Wang. #wwdfashion


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- Language Tips
If you live on a mountain, you live off the mountain; if you live by the water, you live off the water.
So goes a Chinese saying to describe the importance of geographic resources.
For Li Jiheng, governor of Southwest China's Yunnan province, the best resource his province boasts is its geographic proximity and South Asia and Southeast Asia.
"Yunnan is a gateway to the region," Li said. "Promoting trade and business relations with our southern neighbors has proven, and will continue, to be a major driver of the province's growth."
Yunnan borders Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, and is the Chinese province closest to the Indian Ocean.
Its trade stood at $21 billion last year, an increase of 31 percent from the previous year. Trade with regional countries, partly through border transactions, contributed greatly to its total foreign trade, Li said, without giving specific figures.
A closer economic relationship with its southern neighbors will help Yunnan achieve a series of economic goals, Li said.
The province aims to double its GDP, compared with the 2012 level, to more than $2 trillion by the end of 2017, and it wants to double people's incomes and reduce the poor population by at least 5 million by then. The province has the second-largest number of poor people among all China's provinces, 10.14 million at the end of 2011.
"To achieve these goals, we must accelerate economic growth by reaching out to neighboring countries," Li said.
The first China-South Asia Expo will be held in the provincial capital, Kunming, from June 6 to 10, and that will be a golden opportunity for businesses to link up, the governor said.
Eight countries — India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan and the Maldives — have signed up for the event.
Pakistan's acting ambassador to China, Zahoor Ahmed, said the expo offers a chance for Pakistani companies to display their products.
"Kunming is China's gateway to South Asia, and can play an important role in promoting regional trade for mutual benefit", he said.
Kunming intends to make the expo an annual event.
Contact the writers at email@example.com and firstname.lastname@example.org


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Published on : Friday, October 26, 2018
The airport’s retail revenue was £520 million recording +5.7 per cent rise from the last year for the corresponding period. This revenue includes duty-free, speciality shops, food & beverage, car parking and other services. Total revenue increased by +2.3 per cent to £2,211 million in the nine months.
Heathrow managed a record 60.5 million passengers in the first nine months of 2018. It is a +2.5 per cent rise in the corresponding period in 2017. As per Heathrow, they are achieving record passenger numbers from 23 consecutive months. The growth has been led by Latin America (+4.6 per cent) and Africa (+4.4 per cent) followed by North America (+3.7 per cent), the Asia Pacific at (+2.6 per cent) and Europe at (+2.2per cent).
As per John Holland-Kaye, chief executive of Heathrow, strong businesses like Heathrow will support Britain’s economy and global trade for decades to come.
Heathrow has 30-day payment terms for their suppliers who constitute the small and medium businesses of Britain.
According to the airport, retail revenue was boosted by retail concessions, catering, and other services. Measures like Call to gate initiative, digital services and enhanced utilisation of spaces helped to increase the revenues. Refurbishments in Terminals 3 and 5, and ‘Grab & Go’ offerings for passengers allowing them to take food on flights helped push the catering revenues.
Increased revenues will help the airport to invest further.


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Fantasy Gifts NJ Owner Dee Bertino was recently invited to attend the CalExotics VIP event in Ontario, California. This event was hosted by industry legend and CalExotics founder, Susan Colvin and co-hosted by East Coast News. Twenty store owners were flown to California to meet Susan and her team and tour the CalExotics office and warehouse. They were also treated to a steak dinner and a night of bowling at the iconic Big Al’s.
“Getting to meet Susan and her team was amazing,” said Bertino. “Susan is a trailblazer in this industry. CalExotics was the first company owned by a woman, they were the first to offer vibrators in different colors, the first to offer a year warranty, the first to make sex toys water submersible and the first to offer rechargeable toys. Almost every major innovation was developed by CalExotics. As a woman and a business owner, she is truly inspiring.”
CalExotics hopes to host the event annually and Fantasy Gifts NJ hopes to continue to attend!


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Reduced manufacturing volumes push lumber prices up: Madison’s
February 21, 2023 By Madison’s Lumber Reporter
Despite somewhat soft demand, as many customers weren’t sure where prices were going so waited to buy, lumber prices popped up again in mid-February. This due mostly to ongoing capacity restrictions, especially in the important timber supply basket of British Columbia. As the spring building season fast approaches, end-users will not be able to wait much longer to order the wood necessary for upcoming building projects. Especially given that delivery times remain quite extended — currently a minimum of six weeks. Inventories in the field are tight, as secondary suppliers also held off buying to see if prices might drop. Or flatten. At the current level, the benchmark commodity item, Western S-P-F 2×4, price is hovering at just below the recognized average cost-of-production of US$500 mfbm.
In the week ending February 10, the price of benchmark softwood lumber item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2×4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$476 mfbm, which is up by $16 or 3.0 per cent, from the previous week when it was US$360 mfbm. This is up by $104, or 28 per cent, from one month ago when it was $373.
Supply levels remained tight due to the significant reduction in production volume caused by the aforementioned mill changes.
“Prices of panels appeared to find a bottom, while the recent climb in lumber and stud prices tapered off to stable-but-firm levels.” — Madison’s Lumber ReporterAdvertisement
The Western S-P-F market in the United States experienced balance after a period of solid business activity generated by Western producer curtailment and closure announcements. Sawmill order files extended into late-February or early-March, reflecting producers’ cautiously optimistic confidence. On the other hand, buyers took a step back after shoring up their inventories in January, waiting for the market to show a clear direction.
Demand for Western S-P-F in Canada slowed down to a more stable pace with commodity prices settling at or slightly above the previous week’s levels. In reaction to the myriad curtailment and closure announcements over the past five weeks, most buyers had already extended their coverage, choosing to digest their positions for the time being. Availability of prompt supply was limited, even as the odd load popped up before quickly getting snatched. Two- to four-week order files were most common as producers solidified their positions for the balance of February.
“The U.S. Northeast witnessed unseasonable weather conditions, leading Eastern wholesalers to speculate that the spring season may not be as favourable as anticipated. This resulted in a decline in sales and a reluctance among buyers to build up their inventory for the upcoming building season. Additionally, inventory holders were cautious about paying more for carloads, given the lengthy transportation time of approximately six weeks.” — Madison’s Lumber Reporter
Compared to the same week last year, when it was US$1,220 mfbm, the price of Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2×4 #2&Btr KD (RL) for the week ending February 10, 2023 this price was down by $744, or 61 per cent. Compared to two years ago when it was $960, that week’s price is down by $484, or 50 per cent.
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Google is making a play to capture the family market. Today it announced its new Family Link app, which lets parents create a Google account for their kids. This account is completely controlled by parents, so that means they can manage the apps their kids use, monitor how long they’re staring at their device, and set a designated “bedtime” for the screen. They can remotely lock it, too.
To create this account, parents just have to get their kids a device that runs Android Nougat, download Family Link, and then create an account through the app. Family Link is now available through an early-access program. Yes, you’ll have to request an invite and your kids also have to be under 13 years old. It isn’t clear how freely Google is giving out these invites.
The new app certainly seems like an obvious attempt to steal some of Amazon’s share of the tablet market. Amazon offers great kid controls on the Kindle. The company even released a kids-only Fire tablet that provides child-friendly content and lets parents implement both screen time limits and educational goals. What’s nice about Google’s app solution is that it applies to any updated Android device; you don’t have to buy your kids a whole new tablet or phone. Just give them your old Nexus. Meanwhile, Apple is completely nonexistent when it comes to kid controls. It doesn’t allow for account separation, except in educational settings.
While I’m all about giving parents more control over what their kids consume online, I’m slightly wary of building a Google data profile of a young child. That concern might be unwarranted, but I don’t create accounts willy-nilly. Choice exists, though, and parents can weigh the benefits for themselves.


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For months now, we've been hearing rumors about Apple's next-gen MacBooks. Could the systems finally be on the verge of hitting stores? Yes, says AppleInsider, pointing to the dwindling supply of existing 15" MacBook Pro as evidence.
According to AppleInsider, resellers including J&R and Best Buy have limited to non-existent stock of certain 15" MacBook Pro models. Reportedly, the 2.2GHz version of the notebook is out of stock at J&R, and Best Buy has stopped taking home delivery orders for the 2.4GHz model. AppleInsider points out that shortages of current-gen Apple products often forebode the release of next-generation models; perhaps that's what's happening here.
The site expects Apple to begin its 2012 MacBook Pro overhaul with a 15", MacBook Air-like model, which will allegedly not feature an optical drive. Considering how seldom I've used the optical drive on my own MacBook these past few years, that wouldn't shock me.
Also, while there's no mention of display density in this latest story, the rumor mill has been hinting that next-gen MacBooks will feature high-DPI displays in the same vein as the new iPad. There's been talk of systems with 2880x1800 panels, which would have four times the pixel count of the 1440x900 screens on the existing 13" MacBook Air and 15" MacBook Pro.
|SanDisk's Ultra II SSD combines TLC NAND with clever caching||9|
|Tuesday Night Shortbread||10|
|Asus has a smartwatch up its sleeve, plans Sep. 3 unveilng||10|
|New Corsair contraption controls fans, temps, LEDs||11|
|Enermax's new card readers are perfect for empty external bays||30|
|A quick look at AMD's Radeon R7 SSD||63|
|Rumor: AMD to shake up FX series on Labor Day||81|
|Curved IPS panel powers ultra-wide LG monitor||59|
|New Star Citizen trailers show beautiful racing, FPS footage||53|


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Earlier this month the persistent rumors had been confirmed true: Huawei offered off its Honor model to a consortium of Chinese language firms. The sale was extensively believed to have been triggered by the varied bans that Huawei has been subjected to by the US authorities.
As we speak Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei admitted at an organization worker discussion board that the sale was crucial due to the smartphone unit being “beneath great strain as a consequence of a persistent unavailability of technical parts wanted”.
He added that Huawei may overcome the difficulties, however determined to promote Honor in order that the individuals it employs, in addition to its distributors, would not lose their jobs if gross sales channels dried up.
Ren continued: “Wave after wave of extreme US sanctions in opposition to Huawei has led us to lastly perceive sure American politicians wish to kill us, not simply appropriate us”.
He needs Honor to turn into Huawei’s largest competitor after their “divorce”, and says Honor’s staff needs to be motivated by eager to topple its former mum or dad firm. That is a good distance from being achievable, a minimum of for now, as Honor smartphone gross sales made up solely about 26% of Huawei’s whole in Q3.
GSMArena.com – Newest articles Source link


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The Duchess of Cambridge’s, née Kate Middleton’s, choice of an Alexander McQueen wedding gown (and post-wedding dress and maid of honor dress for sister Pippa) has delivered what the Wall Street Journal calls “a coup” for the fashion house and its designer Sarah Burton. (Sadly, Alexander McQueen committed suicide last year.)
Alistair O’Neill, a senior research fellow at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London told the paper, “For the bride to be wearing McQueen at this moment in time—obviously with the passing of the designer last year, but also with the Savage Beauty show being opening in New York—will set the McQueen name in much greater international terms in last 20th and early 21st century fashion history.”
In addition to providing some exposure for the label, its designer, and the upcoming exhibit at the Met, The Telegraph says it incorporated “‘best of British’ materials,” speaking to British culture, history, and style.
“The dress epitomises timeless British craftsmanship by drawing together talented and skilled workmanship from across the United Kingdom,” the Royal Wedding blog reads.


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|Day Low/High||1,650.00 / 1,650.00|
|52 Wk Low/High||1,249.00 / 1,610.00|
This new version of Dell is very different from the old Dell, and that's a good thing.
Seven names that have technical characteristics of either bullish or bearish reversal patterns.
The stock's a buy for the long-term, a truly amazing feat that would be inconceivable a very short time ago.
Each company's shares are likely to pop if some good M&A-related news arrives. And if it doesn't, the downside might be limited.
As the flash memory industry begins to see signs of price pressure, boom times continue for the DRAM industry.
These names are showing technical characteristics of either bullish or bearish reversal patterns.
PC sales slumped last quarter as manufacturers passed on higher DRAM and flash memory prices to their customers.
The software giant has followed up on its layoffs by making changes to how key products and services are sold.
As tech bargains become harder to find, enterprise hardware and software firms are a good place to look.
The latest research shows that Amazon, Microsoft and Google remain ahead of the pack in cloud infrastructure. But Alibaba, IBM and others are finding ways to stand out.
Memory pricing has held up well during the weakest part of the year. The iPhone 8 and new Intel server chips could provide an extra boost during seasonally stronger months.
Dell Technologies, rejuvenated following its 2016 merger with EMC, has joined the likes of Amazon and Microsoft in causing headaches for several enterprise server firms.
Chinese tech company Huawei announced that it will begin selling PC's
These former tech stars have ridden rocky waves to come out on top, rewarding patient investors along the way.
We want to trade DVMT from the long side on a dip or pullback into the $55 to $54 area.


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GST Council meet may turn stormy over states' cess; Rs 50k-cr dues pending
The compensation cess payment issue is not part of the official agenda circulated for the GST Council meeting on December 18, and that precisely is setting the stage for a stormy show.
Sources in the know said finance ministers of non-BJP-ruled states were likely to discuss on Monday their strategy for the Council meet. Read more
Lenders step up repossession of commercial vehicles on payment defaults
Stockyards in logistics and transport hubs in various parts of the country are overflowing with repossessed commercial vehicles, as the rising incidence of defaults is forcing financiers to step up the seizure of these vehicles. Read more
Budget 2020: Centre may announce sops for states for pollution control
Every autumn and winter, the states of North India blame one another and the Centre as smoke from crop-burning mixes with vehicular and industrial pollution, the air quality deteriorates, and Indian cities dominate the ‘world’s most polluted’ charts.
Now, states that control air, water, and noise pollution better than others can hope for additional funds if the Fifteenth Finance Commission’s (15th FC’s) recommendations on performance-based incentives to states are accepted by the central government. Read more
Airlines oppose Rs 8000-crore Tata Group-GIC stake in GMR Airports
Three major Indian airlines have opposed the proposed Rs 8,000-crore investment by a consortium of Tata Group and Singapore’s sovereign fund GIC in GMR Airports. The GMR Group has, however, dismissed the arguments put forward by the airlines. Read more
With YES Bank approval on cards, Coffee Day-Blackstone deal almost sealed
In a major relief to Coffee Day Enterprises (CDEL), YES Bank is learnt to have softened its stance and decided to render the ‘no objection’ to the Bengaluru-based firm’s decision to sell its Global Village Technology Park to Blackstone. Read more
Retail, telecom help RIL beat Indian Oil to be number one player by revenue
Reliance Industries has emerged as the number one company in terms of revenue in the Fortune India 500 list for 2019, pipping Indian Oil Corporation. RIL revenues crossed Rs 5.81 trillion in FY19 against IOC’s Rs 5.36 trillion. Read more
Centre likely to pare stake in BEML to 26% via strategic disinvestment
The Centre is likely to sell 28 per cent of its stake in BEML Ltd through strategic disinvestment and retain 26 per cent after the dilution of its shareholding in the public sector undertaking, a senior company official said. Read more
Govt mulls new duty on imports
Border adjustment tax (BAT) may soon be levied on imported goods to offset the impact of levies such as electricity duty, clean energy cess, levies on fuel and royalty that are not part of GST. The commerce department has asked finance ministry to do so, reports Times of India.
Zomato all set to acquire UberEats' India business
Zomato is in advanced talks to acquire UberEats' India business, multiple media reports said.
The deal currently values UberEats’ India business at around $400 million. Uber may invest between $150 to $200 million in Zomato and get a sizable stake in the 11-year-old Indian firm, according to reports.
Rs 26k-crore order for building Tejas Mark 1A to open door for Mark 2
After months of negotiations, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) have fixed the price of the Tejas Mark 1A light combat aircraft (LCA) at about Rs 310 crore per fighter, say Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources involved in the negotiations. Read more


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A vast majority of adults are motivated to get healthier since the pandemic hit in 2020. A recent survey of over 7,500 people from six countries found that 79% of people deemed wellness to be important, and the industry now boasts a whopping worth of over $1.5 trillion.
A bevy of industries are inspiring themselves on trends from the wellness sector. The vaping industry, for instance, is embracing similar flavor, technological, and holistic health trends, as those that are making some of the biggest waves in health and wellness. Read on to discover what they are.
Research has shown that organically grown produce truly is healthier, as it contains a higher degree of antioxidants and lower levels of some heavy metals. Vape juice and blends are often derived from a host of ingredients such as mandarin, cassia, lemon, peppermint, lime, wild berry, and so many more food-grade ingredients.
Health buffs are naturally drawn to products that are fully organic and made without fillers, sugars, and other ingredients they wish to avoid.
Vitamin infusion companies are popping up across the globe, owing to the demand for quick “fixes” of ingredients like Vitamin B12 (which boosts nerve health), L-Theanine (which relaxes the mind naturally, promotes better sleep, and increases levels of feel-good brain chemicals like dopamine), and L-Carvone (which has anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetics, anti-cancer and other positive effects). Savvy companies are now creating vape blends that contain these and other components.
Enjoying a Caffeine Fix
Coffee is no longer the taboo beverage it once was. Recent research has shown that caffeine can help you live longer, help you process glucose better, reduce the likelihood of heart failure and Parkinson’s disease, and promote stronger DNA. Coffee is also well-loved for its earthy flavor and aroma, which is considered unbeatable during the morning and at key moments of the day for coffee drinkers.
Vaping companies have long tapped into the flavor of coffee, but now, they are upping the health factor by developing blends that combine caffeine (which boosts alertness) with vitamins and antioxidants that promote relaxation. As such, vapers can enjoy the familiar flavor of caffeine without feeling more nervous or anxious.
A Natural Way to Quell Anxiety
The World Health Organization reports that around 264 million people worldwide are battling anxiety. Study after study has pointed to holistic activities such as yoga, mindfulness meditation, and pranayamic or controlled breathing as means of battling both anxiety and depression.
Vape pens and oils are playing a role in the move to fight anxiety through completely natural means, thanks to products like CBD. Often, this product is used to deal with various additional problems, including pain and inflammation.
The vaping world has joined the health and wellness wave. Many of the latest trends in the sector reveal similarities to those in health-related sectors. Ingredients containing vitamins, antioxidants, and CBD are one example of this shift. So, too, is the use of caffeine, which has been the subject of many recent studies that have indicated its health benefits.


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Behind the scenes, the Bitcoin network is sharing a massive public ledger called the "block chain". This ledger contains every transaction ever processed which enables a user's computer to verify the validity of each transaction. The authenticity of each transaction is protected by digital signatures corresponding to the sending addresses therefore allowing all users to have full control over sending bitcoins.
Bloomberg reported that the largest 17 crypto merchant-processing services handled $69 million in June 2018, down from $411 million in September 2017. Bitcoin is "not actually usable" for retail transactions because of high costs and the inability to process chargebacks, according to Nicholas Weaver, a researcher quoted by Bloomberg. High price volatility and transaction fees make paying for small retail purchases with bitcoin impractical, according to economist Kim Grauer. However, bitcoin continues to be used for large-item purchases on sites such as Overstock.com, and for cross-border payments to freelancers and other vendors.
Bitcoin's origin story sounds like something out of science fiction: It was launched in 2008 on the heels of a white paper published by the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto, whose real identity – and country of origin – are unknown. Nakamoto conceived of Bitcoin as a currency that was 1) encrypted; 2) decentralized, i.e. it was ungoverned and did not belong to any nation; and 3) a digital "distributed ledger," such that everyone can verify online the legitimacy of transactions.
For years, few residents really grasped how appealing their region was to miners, who mainly did their esoteric calculations quietly tucked away in warehouses and basements. But those days are gone. Over the past two years, and especially during 2017, when the price of a single bitcoin jumped from $1,000 to more than $19,000, the region has taken on the vibe of a boomtown. Across the three rural counties of the Mid-Columbia Basin—Chelan, Douglas and Grant—orchards and farm fields now share the rolling landscape with mines of every size, from industrial-scale facilities to repurposed warehouses to cargo containers and even backyard sheds. Outsiders are so eager to turn the basin’s power into cryptocurrency that this winter, several would-be miners from Asia flew their private jet into the local airport, took a rental car to one of the local dams, and, according to a utility official, politely informed staff at the dam visitors center, “We want to see the dam master because we want to buy some electricity.”
Mobile wallets overcome the handicap of desktop wallets, as the latter are fixed in one place. These take the form of paid apps on youOnce you run the app on your smartphone, the wallet can carry out the same functions as a desktop wallet, and help you pay directly from your mobile from anywhere. Thus a mobile wallet facilitates in making payments in physical stores by using "touch-to-pay" via NFC scanning a QR code. Bitcoin Wallet, Hive Android and Mycelium Bitcoin Wallet are few of the mobile wallets. Bitcoin wallets do not generally work on both iOS and Android systems. It's advisable to research your preferred mobile Bitcoin wallet as several malware softwares posing as Bitcoin wallets can be
Cryptojacking and legitimate mining, however, are sensitive to cryptocurrency prices, which have declined sharply since their highs in late 2017 and early 2018. According to a McAfee September 2018 threats report, cryptojacking instances “remain very active,” but a decline in the value of cryptocurrencies could lead to a plunge in coin mining malware, just as fast as it emerged.
There are no physical bitcoins, only balances kept on a public ledger in the cloud, that – along with all Bitcoin transactions – is verified by a massive amount of computing power. Bitcoins are not issued or backed by any banks or governments, nor are individual bitcoins valuable as a commodity. Despite its not being legal tender, Bitcoin charts high on popularity, and has triggered the launch of other virtual currencies collectively referred to as Altcoins.
The software delivers the work to the miners and receives the completed work from the miners and relays that information back to the blockchain. The best Bitcoin mining software can run on almost any desktop operating systems, such as OSX, Windows, Linux, and has even been ported to work on a Raspberry Pi with some modifications for drivers depending on the platform.
According to the Internet Watch Foundation, a UK-based charity, bitcoin is used to purchase child pornography, and almost 200 such websites accept it as payment. Bitcoin isn't the sole way to purchase child pornography online, as Troels Oertling, head of the cybercrime unit at Europol, states, "Ukash and paysafecard... have [also] been used to pay for such material." However, the Internet Watch Foundation lists around 30 sites that exclusively accept bitcoins. Some of these sites have shut down, such as a deep web crowdfunding website that aimed to fund the creation of new child porn.[better source needed] Furthermore, hyperlinks to child porn websites have been added to the blockchain as arbitrary data can be included when a transaction is made.
The U.S. federal investigation was prompted by concerns of possible manipulation during futures settlement dates. The final settlement price of CME bitcoin futures is determined by prices on four exchanges, Bitstamp, Coinbase, itBit and Kraken. Following the first delivery date in January 2018, the CME requested extensive detailed trading information but several of the exchanges refused to provide it and later provided only limited data. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission then subpoenaed the data from the exchanges.
Competing ASIC maker BitFury has also started seeking profit from nonmining industries. “While we began as just a mining company back in 2011, our company has significantly expanded its reach since then,” says CEO Vavilov. Among other things, BitFury is now providing its immersion cooling technology to high-performance data centers that are not involved in Bitcoin.
As specified by the Bitcoin protocol, each miner is rewarded by each block mined. Currently, that reward is 12.5 new Bitcoins for each block mined. The Bitcoin block mining reward halves every 210,000 blocks, when the coin reward will decrease from 12.5 to 6.25 coins. Currently, the total number of Bitcoins left to be mined amounts to 4,293,388. This means that 16,706,613 Bitcoins are in circulation, and that the total number of blocks available until mining reward is halved is 133,471 blocks till 11:58:04 12th Jun, 2020 When the mining reward will be halved.
Though it is tempting to believe the media's spin that Satoshi Nakamoto is a lone, quixotic genius who created Bitcoin out of thin air, such innovations do not happen in a vacuum. All major scientific discoveries, no matter how original-seeming, were built on previously existing research. There are precursors to Bitcoin: Adam Back’s Hashcash, invented in 1997, and subsequently Wei Dai’s b-money, Nick Szabo’s bit-gold and Hal Finney’s Reusable Proof of Work. The Bitcoin white paper itself cites Hashcash and b-money, as well as various other works spanning several research fields.
Bitcoin may react differently to inflation/deflation: Bitcoin differs significantly from fiat currencies, due to the fact that there is a limited number of bitcoins to be mined. Paper money, on the other hand, can be created at will out of thin air by central banks. Due to its limited supply, Bitcoin may potentially hold its value better than paper money, which can technically have an unlimited supply.
A bitcoin is defined by a sequence of digitally signed transactions that began with the bitcoin's creation, as a block reward. The owner of a bitcoin transfers it by digitally signing it over to the next owner using a bitcoin transaction, much like endorsing a traditional bank check. A payee can examine each previous transaction to verify the chain of ownership. Unlike traditional check endorsements, bitcoin transactions are irreversible, which eliminates risk of chargeback fraud.
Keeping your Bitcoin wallet safe is essential as Bitcoin wallets represent high-value targets for hackers. Some safeguards include: encrypting the wallet with a strong password, and choosing the cold storage option i.e. storing it offline. It's also advisable to frequently back up your desktop and mobile wallets, as problems with the wallet software on your computer or mobile device could erase your holdings.
As noted in Nakamoto's whitepaper, it is possible to verify bitcoin payments without running a full network node (simplified payment verification, SPV). A user only needs a copy of the block headers of the longest chain, which are available by querying network nodes until it is apparent that the longest chain has been obtained. Then, get the Merkle branch linking the transaction to its block. Linking the transaction to a place in the chain demonstrates that a network node has accepted it, and blocks added after it further establish the confirmation.
Bitcoin mining is a lot like a giant lottery where you compete with your mining hardware with everyone on the network to earn bitcoins. Faster Bitcoin mining hardware is able to attempt more tries per second to win this lottery while the Bitcoin network itself adjusts roughly every two weeks to keep the rate of finding a winning block hash to every ten minutes. In the big picture, Bitcoin mining secures transactions that are recorded in Bitcon's public ledger, the block chain. By conducting a random lottery where electricity and specialized equipment are the price of admission, the cost to disrupt the Bitcoin network scales with the amount of hashing power that is being spent by all mining participants.
As more and more miners competed for the limited supply of blocks, individuals found that they were working for months without finding a block and receiving any reward for their mining efforts. This made mining something of a gamble. To address the variance in their income miners started organizing themselves into pools so that they could share rewards more evenly. See Pooled mining and Comparison of mining pools.
You’ll need a Bitcoin wallet in which to keep your mined Bitcoins. Once you have a wallet, make sure to get your wallet address. It will be a long sequence of letters and numbers. Each wallet has a different way to get the public Bitcoin address, but most wallets are pretty straightforward about it. Notice that you’ll need your PUBLIC Bitcoin address and not your private key (which is like the secret password for your wallet).
Bitcoin is pseudonymous, meaning that funds are not tied to real-world entities but rather bitcoin addresses. Owners of bitcoin addresses are not explicitly identified, but all transactions on the blockchain are public. In addition, transactions can be linked to individuals and companies through "idioms of use" (e.g., transactions that spend coins from multiple inputs indicate that the inputs may have a common owner) and corroborating public transaction data with known information on owners of certain addresses. Additionally, bitcoin exchanges, where bitcoins are traded for traditional currencies, may be required by law to collect personal information.
No one knows. Not conclusively, at any rate. Satoshi Nakamoto is the name associated with the person or group of people who released the original Bitcoin white paper in 2008 and worked on the original Bitcoin software that was released in 2009. The Bitcoin protocol requires users to enter a birthday upon signup, and we know that an individual named Satoshi Nakamoto registered and put down April 5 as a birth date. And that's about it.
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency and worldwide payment system. It is the first decentralized digital currency, as the system works without a central bank or single administrator. The network is peer-to-peer and transactions take place between users directly, without an intermediary. These transactions are verified by network nodes through the use of cryptography and recorded in a public distributed ledger called a blockchain. Bitcoin was invented by an unknown person or group of people under the name Satoshi Nakamoto and released as open-source software in 2009.
Full clients verify transactions directly by downloading a full copy of the blockchain (over 150 GB As of January 2018). They are the most secure and reliable way of using the network, as trust in external parties is not required. Full clients check the validity of mined blocks, preventing them from transacting on a chain that breaks or alters network rules. Because of its size and complexity, downloading and verifying the entire blockchain is not suitable for all computing devices.


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Last week, the Thomson Dream cruise ship berthed in Havana carrying 1,500 passengers, resurrecting a new era for Cuba as a popular venue for cruising. At least that’s the hope of the Cuban government, which rolled out the red carpet with salsa bands and a youthful cabaret show to welcome passengers as they stepped onto the cobbled streets of Habana Vieja.
The ship, chartered by England’s Thomson Cruises, is the largest cruise ship to dock in Havana in years. And in November 2010, Spanish start-up cruise line Happy Cruises, brought its 800-passenger cruise ship Gemini to Havana, where it will home port for eight-day trips around the Caribbean, calling at Cozumel and Grand Cayman. At the welcoming ceremony, Cuban officials said that they hope the Gemini represents a reversal of the decline in Cuba’s cruise business.
Cuba’s cruise industry has been a laggard while tourism to the island has boomed during the past two decades, notwithstanding Cuba’s long history as a cruising destination.
Executives from most (if not all) major U.S. cruise companies have already had talks in Havana, although none has publicly acknowledged this or talked of specific plans to begin cruises to Cuba.Before World War II, Havana evolved as a major port for ships of the Cunard Line and Ward Line (Cunard’s Caronia, for example, sailed every Saturday from New York to Havana.) The P&O (Peninsular & Occidental Steamship Co) offered daily overnight cruises from Key West and Tampa, and the Clyde Line had departures from Miami nightly. (Comedy couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez famously met when she took a cruise to Cuba in 1940, as regaled in a 1957 “I Love Lucy” program titled “Luci Takes a Cruise to Havana.”)
The Cuban Revolution (and President Kennedy’s U.S. embargo) put an end to the lucrative traffic. In September 1962, the City of Havana ferry was the last passenger vessel to sail between Havana and the United States. Since then, no cruise ship has sailed to Cuba from any U.S. port.
Under long-standing U.S. law, U.S. registered or owned aircraft and ships are expressively prohibited from berthing in Cuba. And foreign cruise companies have been hesitant to include Cuba-related itineraries, since U.S. law prevents vessels that have berthed in Cuban waters from visiting U.S. ports for six months, regardless of the ship’s registry. (Thus, in October 2006 Pullmantur had to withdraw its Holiday Dream from Cuban waters after being bought by Miami-based Royal Caribbean. And Italy’s Costa, which had plans to invest in a $62 million terminal expansion in Havana, had to pull its ships after it became part of the Carnival Group.)
Nonetheless, several foreign cruise companies have featured Cuba on their itineraries. However, none has lasted more than one or two seasons. The hassles of operating in Cuba have apparently been too much. (In fact, although Thompson Cruises launched three Cuba itineraries with the Thompson Dream, the company has already announced that its Cuba programs will be axed next year.)
In 2005 Fidel Castro belittled the cruise industry and complained that cruise ships were “floating hotels, floating restaurants, floating theaters, floating diversions” that “visit countries to leave their trash, their empty cans and papers for a few miserable cents.” He said cruise passengers were no longer welcome, apparently because they didn’t spend enough while ashore. He even canceled a contract with the Italian firm that operated the island’s cruise terminals.
Thus, cruise arrivals plummeted from 122 port calls and delivering 102,440 passengers in 2005 (generating $15 million) to 23 port calls and 11,000 passengers in 2007, primarily due to the withdrawal of Pullman.
Now, Raúl Castro’s cash-strapped government appears to be taking a rosier view than Fidel.
Existing cruise companies
- In 2009, Spain’s Visión Crucero initiated week-long “Treasures of Mexico and Cuba” cruises aboard the 629-passenger Vision Star.
- England’s Fred Olsen Cruise Lines features a two-day Havana stopover on its 15-day Caribbean cruises from Bridgetown, Barbados, aboard the Braemar.
- This winter, Compagnie du Ponant’s 90-guest megayacht Le Levant will depart Fort de France, Martinique for Havana, Cienfuegos, Santiago de Cuba, and Cayo Largo, with additional stops at St. Barts, Virgin Gorda, the Dominican Republic, Cozumel, and Belize.
- Germany’s Aida Cruises occasionally features Havana on its peak-season programs.
- Tropicana Cruises (registered in Belize) recently announced that it will begin seven-night/eight-day Cuba cruises with the Adriana, with Havana as home-port. It will make calls at Cayo Saetia, Santiago de Cuba, Trinidad (Cuba), plus Ocho Rios (Jamaica), where it plans to embark U.S. passengers. It’s target market is Russia and Europe.
- Cuba also says two other cruise lines, one British and the other Russian, are planning to initiate operations next year.
An entirely new destination will open to cruise ship companies once U.S. relaxes existing restrictions. Executives from most (if not all) major U.S. cruise companies have already had talks in Havana, although none has publicly acknowledged this or talked of specific plans to begin cruises to Cuba. There is no sign, or possibility, that U.S. cruise companies will be able to initiate cruises to Cuba any time soon. And any U.S. citizen thinking of hopping a foreign cruise ship to Cuba should be aware that a prohibition for U.S. citizens regarding “all transactions relating to travel-related tourist transactions in Cuba” applies.


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As a condition of the approval, Charter has agreed to build out Internet services throughout New York and to support download speeds in the state of at least 60 Mbps.
The news isn't a huge surprise, but it does lend the company additional momentum as it awaits approval from regulators at the Federal Communications Commission, who must still agree to the deal before it can move ahead. Most analysts predict that Charter's merger will be blessed by the government, although some say the company has underestimated the Justice Department, which also has to sign off.
Opponents of the deal, such as Dish Network and various consumer groups, say it could harm nascent Internet streaming services such as its own SlingTV application. The FCC, in explaining why it rejected Comcast's attempt to buy Time Warner Cable, invoked a similar theory. But it's unclear now whether it believes Charter poses the same risk as Comcast.


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Britain’s competition watchdog is investigating whether Facebook is abusing its dominance of the digital advertising market, which could mean huge fines for the company.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will decide if Facebook has gained an unfair advantage over rivals in online classified adverts and dating space through its advertising data.
The watchdog says it wants to determine if Facebook has prevented smaller rival businesses from succeeding and has reduced customer choice. A similar inquiry has been launched by the European Commission, with the two planning to work closely together.
The CMA’s investigation will examine if Facebook abused its position by using the huge amounts of data it gathers on users from its advertising service to build extra features that could overtake competitors. Such


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EA Sports FC 24’s Super Heroes Announced!
Electronic Arts announced the superheroes joining the new football game EA Sports FC 24. Here are the details!
EA, which comes to mind first when it comes to football games, started to release the first updates of FC 24. In the update released today, the company announced the superheroes and included important names in the list.
Each of the heroes was chosen among the people who were once identified with the football league they once played in. Gamers will be able to play with these heroes in the Ultimate Team mode that we are used to from FIFA.
Alex Scott in the hero set made history as the first female hero to appear in an EA football game. All players in the set were presented with graphics designed in collaboration with Marvel Entertainment.
Another notable name on the list is the recently deceased Italian footballer Gianluca Vialli. “Vialli was a beacon of both character and quality, a striker who cheered up everyone who had the chance to watch him play,” EA said about him.
Here Are The Names On That Hero Set
- Wesley Sneijder (Serie A)
- Alex Scott (İngiltere WSL)
- Carlos Tevez (Premier Lig)
- Gianluca Vialli (Seri A)
- Bixente Lizarazu (Bundesliga)
- Nwankwo Kanu (Eredivisie)
- Tomáš Rosický (Bundesliga)
- John Arne Riise (Premier League)
- Nadine Keßler (Germany Frauen Bundesliga)
- Ludovic Giuly (La Liga)
EA Sports FC 24’s Super Heroes Announced! What do you think about the hero set announced by Electronic Arts? You can share your opinions with us in the comments section below.


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Journalists from the world’s most influential publications will gather next June with the people and companies redefining e-commerce & retail tech. Will you be one of them?
Apply for your media accreditation and join us in Istanbul for WORLDEF 2024.
Spread your story across the globe
WORLDEF stands as the largest international media congregation in the world. Our events have seen participation from broadcasters and journalists representing major global media outlets, including Bloomberg, Reuters, CNN, the New York Times, Bloomberg, Business Insider, Reuters, Al Jazeera, the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, BBC, the Financial Times, and the Intercept, among others.


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Volkswagen is upping its electric vehicle game in a big way—and not with a car. It says it’s bringing into production a prototype of a charging robot that it debuted back in 2019, and it liked the original design so much that the company is sticking with it.
Basically, this friendly-looking robot is to provide “fully autonomous charging of vehicles in restricted parking areas, like underground garages,” Volkswagen notes in its press release. Here’s more about how it’s supposed to work:
It independently steers to the vehicle to be charged and communicates with it: from opening the charging socket flap to connecting the plug and decoupling it. The entire charging process takes place without any human involvement whatsoever. To charge several vehicles at the same time, the mobile robot moves a mobile energy storage unit to the vehicle, connects it, and then uses this energy storage unit to charge the vehicle and repeats the process to charge other vehicles. Once the vehicle is fully charged, the robot independently collects the mobile energy storage unit and takes it back to the central charging station.
There are, admittedly, some flaws in the plan. For the robot to work autonomously, EVs will have to be connected to a larger charging network in order to alert the robot to its presence—which isn’t something we’ve been able to pull off yet. Different automakers are still resistant to joining forces with others to create an overarching EV infrastructure, and many governments have been behind the curve when it comes to developing that infrastructure independently.
The robot is said to be able to dodge traffic and pedestrians while also managing the battery levels of all cars in its care—and that will require a lot of different technologies to adequately pull off.
And then there’s the fact that most people would rather do their charging at home, not out in public. The latter option is done more on the basis of absolute need or convenience, while the former just makes more sense for a lot of people. VW is pouring a lot of resources into a technology that isn’t really going to be super applicable to tons of situations.
There is a great bonus to this idea, though. Last weekend, we talked about the fact that EV charging ports aren’t always accessible to people with disabilities for a plethora of reasons: a lack of ramps, heavy chargers, etc. A friendly little robot designed to handle all those tasks will be a great help to the people who need it most.