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Somehow we are at the end of 2020 already. This year has felt like 100 years and also two days all in one, and we're all more than a little glad to kiss it goodbye...or more appropriately, give it the finger goodbye.
In 2021, many food trends we've seen start this year will likely carry over, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic continues and people continue to cook at home, order take-out, and get more things than ever delivered. Below we've forecasted just a few things we think you'll be seeing more of in 2021.
Plant-based items continue to be a trend into 2021, as 28 percent of people said that they have been eating more protein from plant sources during the pandemic, according to IFIC. More people will be flirting with veganism, but others will just be eating things that taste good and happen to be vegan. Expect the usual suspects to be rolling out even more innovations, especially at fast-food restaurants, but some forecasters predict newer things like plant-based "fish" are also going to be big on the horizon.
More From Delish
As we all continue to spend more time at home (are you tired of hearing that phrase yet??), many of us actually have time to think about breakfast. Seriously, even cereal saw a huge bump this year. Next year, instead of eating a cold granola bar on your commute, expect to see more Instagrams about meal prepping breakfast sandwiches, new fast food breakfast items being released, and maybe even the resurgence of overnight oats. Oh, and on that note...
We literally started playing with our food in 2020, and will see that to continue into 2021. From the seeds of whipped coffee (and strawberry milk...and peanut butter milk...etc) and pancake cereal will come the next wave of Instagrammable food that will probably take you hours to make and seconds to eat...but who's judging?
This is a kind of 2020 trend that will only get more popular into next year...maybe because this year, we literally ran out of mason jars lids as so many people were trying out canning. Expect people showing off their gardens in the spring as well as how they will turn their harvests into jars of pickled cucumbers, red onions, radishes, and more.
Virtual Cooking Classes
Looking for a fun and safe date night idea? Tired of playing trivia with friends over Zoom for the millionth time? Expect to get more invites to virtual classes that you can do with your fam in your home or even more elaborate ones that you can follow along with friends on Zoom. Everybody from famous chefs to your favorite restaurants have these on the docket, and we think more people will be taking advantage of them next year. (Psst, we're already doing some, too!).
Sourdough is so 2020. We're heading into our first full winter during the pandemic and comfort food will be the name of the game, which to us is always carbs. In 2021, your feed will be full of people taking the time to make and cut delicious gnocchi from scratch, hanging their homemade bucatini all over their kitchen, and even laboring over a big pot of Sunday Gravy. Even if you resisted the urge to get in on trends like banana bread and Dalgona coffee, it's going to be hard not to Google pasta attachments for your KitchenAid next year. Is this the year we finally love gluten again???
After seeing a huge increase in demand (the Coresight Research U.S. Online Grocery Survey 2020 expected demand for online grocery services to grow by 40 percent this year), it seems like grocery services finally have a handle on this new world of increased delivery. But why stop there? Everything from meal kits to alcohol can be delivered now and people will be trying it out (we personally hope to-go cocktails are here to stay!!). Remember to tip generously!!
This might seem particularly unlikely given all the single-use packaging we've been seeing amid the pandemic, but that's exactly why we're expecting to see more eco-friendly packaging in 2021. For instance, the company Verterra made to-go containers this year that are made from balsa from tree stumps and other innovations include compostable cardboard liners for takeout boxes that combat leaks. If you're an eco-conscious consumer, you should be able to breathe easier soon!
Expanding Your Cultural Horizons
While social media can be objectively terrible, platforms like TikTok have allowed creators from all over the world to share what they're cooking up in the kitchen during the pandemic. In 2021, we expect people will be going further than throwing these videos a simple "like" and will seek out food from cultures they may not have previously been familiar with. Then, they'll either be making the dishes at home with some help from the experts themselves (more on that in a minute!) or Googling to find the nearest take-out spot near them that serves up that cuisine.
Gone are the days when we ate birthday cake that someone else just spit all over. In 2021, it'll be all about individual desserts and snacks as people find ways to safely celebrate all of life's milestones. Yes, that means cupcakes might be making a comeback, but also things like foil pack meals, canned cocktails, and mason jar salads. Yes, it really will be 2013 all over again!
Reasonably Priced Premium Alcohol
Best. News. EVER. We're seeing a shift from people turning up their noses at anything under three dollar signs amidst the realization that you can get quality alcohol on a budget. Because people have more time to look for the good stuff (and will be spending less time taking well shots of vodka at bars), the good stuff will be way more in demand...even if it doesn't cost much more than that well shot.
Now that people are bartending at home, we could see homemade bitters, maraschino cherries, flavored alcohols, and simple syrups becoming increasingly popular. Don't be surprised if you have the urge to fill up your bar cart in the coming months.
Boards Of All Kinds
More like quar-cuterie, am I right?? We've already seen pancake boards, hot cocoa boards, "jarcuterie" boards, and french fry boards, just to name a few this year (even though we presumably were not having anyone over...?), so expect these to keep taking over your feed as we all look for new things to Instagram. Can we submit pizza boards to the cannon? Or is that just a pizza on a board?
As many people will likely still be staying home a majority of the time, restaurants will continue to innovate by selling take-and-bake kits. These have already included things like assembled but not cooked pizzas, bread, and other meals. You can even get steaks and deli meat at some of your favorite places! The perfect marriage between cooking and takeout.
As we've mentioned, comfort food has become key in the pandemic, so it's no surprise that popular fast food joints have seen huge lines for pick-up. This makes total sense because they're affordable, accessible, convenient, yes, but also they just remind us, as our Senior Food Producer June Xie put it, "of more carefree days dipping french fries of varying degrees of limpness into industrially developed mystery sauces that always taste, somehow, so right but so wrong." Expect these lines to continue and to meet your friends for a socially distant burger date in the future.


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M&C Saatchi, the UK-based advertising group recently held their first biannual worldwide meeting in Malaysia. Operating under M&C Saatchi (M) Sdn Bhd in Malaysia, its Kuala Lumpur branch has been one that has been performing well among others in the group in recent months where M&C Saatchi remains as one of the main players of the advertising industry.
Hence, M&C Saatchi Malaysia is looking forward to better times ahead and another great year despite the fact that there has been a slow down in the total industry advertising expenditure in the first 9 months of this year. Datin Lara Hussein, the Managing Director of the company said that M&C Saatchi managed to do the right thing at the right time which led them to retain many of their key anchor clients.
Apart from clients like Celcom, Tourism Malaysia, Volkswagen and Petronas Lubricants, M&C Saatchi also managed to win some new projects like Sime Darby Property, Pemandu, 1Malaysia.com.my, the SOTA online travel business platform as well as Hello Cambodia which is part of the Axiata Group also one of their key accounts.
Datin Lara said that they are looking at a 10% revenue growth for 2012 which although is lower than 2011 the profit is better. The agency will be celebrating its 10th Anniversary next year and she hopes that the momentum will continue then.
Moray MacLenna, the CEO of M&C Saatchi worldwide said that although the global advertising sector seemed to be slowing down, it does not mean that the company cannot register a steady progress.

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Millbrook off-plans sales resurgence shows demand of quality
21 December 2012
Millbrook off-plans sales resurgence reflects demand for quality
Millbrook has been bucking the development recession trend, seeing a good resurgence in sales as it prepares to release its latest development to the public.
The multi-award-winning luxury lifestyle resort near Queenstown has recorded close to $9m worth of sales in the first quarter of its financial year for its own new developments, with re-sales for third parties on top of that.
Millbrook Property and Development Manager Ben O’Malley said the result was “hugely significant” as it equaled total new sales (not including re-sales) for the entire previous financial year.
That sales total was made up of seven sales -- including the show home at its popular McEntyre’s Tarn development, a house sale off the plans at Taramea Square, the last Mill Green site and four sites off the plans at its new Mica Ridge development (Stage 3A).
“We’re extremely pleased with the results, especially considering that five of those sales were made ‘off the plans’, something that was common several years ago at the height of the boom, but not something we’ve seen for some time,” he said.
“The four sales at Mica Ridge were all to existing members who were once again given an exclusive period in which to make offers, in advance of them being made available to the public. It demonstrates a real resurgence in investor confidence for what is a mature and reputable brand.”
Mica Ridge consists of 20 lots, and the nine ‘land-only’ sites were released sooner than intended to meet increasing demand for land, and following the sell-out of sites at Mill Green.
Mr O’Malley said that initially Millbrook intended to complete extensive subdivision works before releasing the sites for sale, but had buyers wanting to move earlier than that.
“For that reason we brought the release date forward, and clearly this was the right decision.”
Mr O’Malley said Millbrook Realty Ltd had brokered a combined total of $26m worth of new sales and re-sales in its last financial year to the end of September 2012, consistent with the previous year.
“After almost 20 years, Millbrook’s enduring quality, established brand and strong member focus continues to enhance the appeal of owning or investing in our five-star lifestyle properties,” he said.
“Our strategy of not flooding the market, instead releasing smaller developments as demand requires, has also been critical to sustained success.”
Mica Ridge will ultimately incorporate 20 freehold sites, including the nine in the initial release.
Located to the south of the 4th fairway of the Coronet Nine, the remaining sites range in size from 1303sqm to 1772sqm and sit in an elevated position.
“It’s an absolutely beautiful piece of land,” said Mr O’Malley.
“It’s North-sloping, set over three elevated ridges running North to South and with low gullies in-between being kept as open green spaces. All the elements that make Millbrook so special – water, golf, established trees, stone walls and wide panoramic views -- feature in this development.”
A new pond within the heart of this development will connect to Mill Stream.
Mr O’Malley said the sales were a vote of confidence as the resort prepared for 20th anniversary celebrations next year.
“This will be an opportunity to take stock of our successes and celebrate being the first luxury golf resort in the Queenstown and Arrowtown region, one that has endured and has never compromised its stamp of quality.”
Over the past four years, Millbrook has developed successful neighbourhoods including Coronet Square, McEntyre’s Tarn, Taramea Square and Mill Green, as well as a number of land-only sites, all clustered around the Coronet Nine golf course.
It recently reclaimed the title of Leading Golf Resort in Australasia at the 2012 World Travel Awards.


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WATSONVILLE — Mel and Carol LaRussa grew up amid orchards, Mel in the Santa Clara Valley, Carol in the Midwest.
Life took the Los Gatos couple elsewhere. Mel went into real estate, Carol into interior design. But neither forgot their roots.
In 1996, they bought eight acres on Trabing Road to start a farm. Since then, they”ve planted some 2,000 apple trees — Fuji, Cameo, Pink Lady, Gala, Honeycrisp and Gravenstein — at Clearview Orchards.
But while their orchard has grown, their bank account has not.
“We”ve yet to turn a profit,” admitted Mel LaRussa.
The LaRussas started the orchard as a “retirement project,” Mel said, “a hobby.” But they”ve made a significant investment, and would like at least to break even. So they”ve turned their farm into a u-pick operation, selling the chance to stroll and picnic under the trees with family and friends along with certified organic apples at $1.50 a pound.
It”s apple season in the Pajaro Valley and LaRussa said his early variety Fujis are among the first to ripen.
Once, apples brought prosperity to the valley. In the early 1900s, a million trees blossomed on 14,000 acres, and packing sheds sprouted from Watsonville to Aptos to ready the fruit for shipment to national and international markets. But competition, foreign and domestic, as well as the rise of the berry, have forced most apple orchards off the county map. In 2012, apples grew on 2,050 acres, down by almost half from 20 years ago, according to the 2012 Santa Cruz County crop report. Former orchards now host hoop houses filled with raspberries and blackberries.
The calculation is clear. On average, apples grossed $6,069 per acre in 2012, according to the crop report. Raspberries grossed nearly $55,000 an acre. Making apples pay in an area where land values are high is a challenge.
The LaRussas tried marketing their apples to specialty grocery stores in Silicon Valley, but couldn”t earn enough to make it worthwhile to hire harvesters and truck the fruit to market. They also sell fruit to S. Martinelli & Co. But that”s still not enough. Two years ago, they decided to go the u-pick route.
Other growers also have found selling apples by the ton doesn”t pay the bills. At Gizdich Ranch, Nita Gizdich famously branched into pie-making, as well as offering pick-it-yourself apples and ollalieberries. The Prevedelli family sells the more than two dozen varieties of apples they grow near Corralitos, as well as the jams made from the farm”s berries, at Santa Clara Valley farmers markets.
Prevedelli Farms ranch manager Sam Lathrop said finding a niche is the only way to make a go of it, and even that”s tough. The farmers market arena is small and crowded, he said. He wouldn”t recommend planting apples to a newbie farmer.
“Berries are a lot more lucrative,” he said.
Still, Lathrop gave up a more financially rewarding career as a steel fabricator to work on the farm that”s been in his in-law”s family for more than 60 years.
“It”s not about the money,” Lathrop said. “I do like it. If you don”t have a passion for it, you”re not going to make it.”
”In our blood”
The LaRussas have the passion, as well as pride in what they”ve created on the hillside farm. Mel recalled picking plums and apricots on his grandfather”s farm on Stevens Creek Boulevard in San Jose. Carol”s earliest memories are from her grandmother”s farm in Kentucky.
“She raised chickens and grew apples and grapes and made wine and called it adult grape juice,” Carol said. “This is in our blood. We love it.”
As a u-pick, the LaRussas seem to have found their niche, at least enough to satisfy their passion.
The couple guided visitors around the farm on a recent afternoon, urging them to taste just ripened apples, crisp and juicy. They pointed out a row of bacon avocado trees, which were on the farm when they arrived and survived the 2006 Trabing Fire. There are bee hives that provide pollinators and honey for sale, and a 130-pound African spurred tortoise named Jethro, a rescue from a suburban backyard.
The LaRussas built a red barn to showcase their products. They planted lavender to sell in bunches, and a pumpkin patch for holiday sales. They added tire swings, picnic tables and a vintage see-saw. They planted grass beneath the trees to attract the blankets of picnickers. They said 7,000 people visited the farm during their first season, and even more came in 2012.
The LaRussas find themselves spending less time in Los Gatos and more time in the one-bedroom cottage they built above the orchard to replace the original house that burned in the 2006 wildfire. They”ve made it a family venture, bringing in their children and grandchildren to help greet visitors, weigh fruit, and sell their Fuji apple cider and ice pops.
Tending an orchard is a lot of work, Mel said.
“But when all the people come with their kids, you really get a lot of pleasure out of that,” he said.
Follow Sentinel reporter Donna Jones at Twitter.com/DonnaJonesscs
IF YOU GO
WHAT: U-pick organic apples and picnicking
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 7 to Nov. 3
WHERE: 646 Trabing Road, Watsonville
DETAILS: 408-472-1958 or www.clearvieworchards.com


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BMW has high hopes for the new generation of its X5 off-roader
German car giant BMW has high hopes for the new generation of its X5 off-roader.
The luxury 4×4, which BMW dubs a sports activity vehicle, broke cover this week. It goes on sale here in November.
BMW, which sponsored the PGA championship at Wentworth last month, hopes this one will drive as well as the professional golfers who graced the course.
A BMW spokesman said: ‘The new X5 range delivers major advances in design, luxury and comfort.’
There will be five TwinPower turbo engines – four diesel and one petrol – a standard eightspeed automatic transmission and the option of two or four-wheel drive. In Britain, it will be offered in SE or M Sport specifications.
German car giant BMW has high hopes for the new generation of its X5 off-roader
Prices start at £42,500 for the new four-cylinder two-wheeldrive X5 sDrive 25d SE diesel which promises 50mpg. A fourwheel-drive version is also available with the engine.
By contrast, the top-of-therange, 4.4 litre X5 xDrive 50i 449 bhp version costs £63,920, but accelerates from rest to 62mph in five seconds with a top speed restricted electronically to 155mph. But expect it to return only around 27mpg.
All of this comes as bad timing for BMW’s rival Jeep, as it prepared to launch its new £40,000 Grand Cherokee model in Sicily. Older models of the popular offroad 4×4 favoured by thousands of British school-run families are said to be at risk of a fuel tank fire in the event of a rear-end collision. U.S. officials blamed the ‘defect’ for more than 40 deaths.
But parent company Chrysler, and its Italian owner Fiat have refused U.S. government demands to recall nearly three million of the 4x4s over the ‘deadly problems’. U.S. safety chiefs say the position of the tank poses an ‘unreasonable risk to safety’.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has sent Chrysler a letter asking the company to recall voluntarily all Jeep Grand Cherokees, the model also sold in Britain between 1993 and 2004.
It’s calculated 23,511 from this period are still on the road in Britain, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and traders.
NHTSA found at least 32 rearimpact crashes and fires in Grand Cherokees, which caused 44 deaths.
‘Why not let the green man flash as a warning for the crossing pedestrians only, but keep the lights on red until switching to full amber?’
It’s great that police are being given powers from next month to crack down on middle-lane hogs with a £100 fine and three penalty points. Surrey police and the Met will make a mint on the A3 alone which seems to be middle-lane hog heaven.
Let’s hope it doesn’t become the next revenue-raising cash cow and that only the worst offenders are targeted.
Next on the Government’s agenda should be a move to end the flashing amber at traffic lights. It’s a waste of time, I believe, and potentially lethal.
Most drivers just seem to treat the flashing amber as their signal to move – regardless of whether there’s anyone on the crossing or not. And I speak from experience as a pedestrian.
Why not let the green man flash as a warning for the crossing pedestrians only, but keep the lights on red until switching to full amber?
Aruna, 30, is launching the women’s driving shoe with pay-as-you-drive car club Zipcar
Rising star shoe designer Aruna Seth has launched women’s footwear specifically made for driving.
The elegant slipper-inspired design is made from the softest suede with a cashmere inner sock and has a sensible 10mm heel, following months of research to find the perfect heel height.
Just 2mm more affects pedal control, while 2 mm less gave testers cramp, her research has revealed.
The shoes, hand-made in Italy using traditional methods, are not cheap – a pair will cost you a princely £485.
Aruna, 30, is launching the shoe with pay-as-you-drive car club Zipcar, which she uses for her business to transport shoes to business events and meetings.
The former investment banker’s designs are stocked in top stores worldwide, including Harrods.
Among her high-profile clients are Pippa Middleton, who wore a pair of her shoes at the Royal Wedding in 2011.
‘So many women tell me they keep a spare pair of old shoes in the car to drive in, that it got me thinking. Why should we put the brakes on style when we get behind the wheel?’ says Aruna.


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Dow Electronic Materials, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Co., has broken ground on its new eastern China manufacturing facility. The new facility is located at the company’s Zhangjiagang site in JiangSu province, approximately 98 km from Shanghai. It will meet the growing demand for materials for printed circuit board (PCB), electronic and industrial finishing, and photovoltaic (PV) markets in Asia. Startup is planned for late 2011.
“Asia has become the growth engine for electronic and solar cell markets,” said Helen Zhang, global general manager of Interconnect Technologies for Dow Electronic Materials. “As customers continue to look for advanced technologies, adding infrastructure in Eastern China is critical to provide them with the most technically advanced materials, processes and service, in as time-efficient manner as possible. The new facility is well-positioned to manufacture and supply materials to serve electronic and solar cell markets, and provide customer service and technical support locally. We look forward to growing with customers through close collaboration.”
“Greater China represents great opportunities for growth in the electronic materials business,” said Peter Sykes, president of Dow Greater China. “The new facility in eastern China demonstrates our commitment to this important region, and is part of our ongoing growth strategy in this market.”
For additional details, visitwww.dow.com.


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Only 3 in 10 firms plan to give annual bonusesOnly three out of 10 Korean companies are planning to give employees annual performance bonuses this year.
Out of 503 companies surveyed by online recruitment company Saramin, 62.6 percent said they were not planning to reward year-end performance-based bonuses this year.
According to a report released Thursday, some 40.6 percent of respondents said it was due to their companies’ “poor financial standing.” Another 37.5 percent chose an “absence of relevant company policies” and 29.5 percent selected the companies’ “failure to meet performance goals set for the year.” Multiple answers were allowed.
Among the 188 companies that said they were planning to give out performance-based bonuses, 15.4 percent said they planned to hand out between 800,000 won ($706) and 1 million won per employee. Some 11.2 percent said they were planning to give 2 million won to 2.2 million won, while 10.6 percent answered that bonuses would be less than 400,000 won.
Conglomerates that said they would give out performance-based bonuses reported that they would reward an average 2.73 million won per employee, or 1.5 times more than the 1.76 million won average reported by small and medium-sized businesses. The average size of planned bonuses across all companies was 1.9 million won per employee, which is 21 percent less compared to last year.
When asked whether they were planning other perks to boost morale, 69.4 percent of all respondents answered that they would. Some 37.5 percent of respondents said they were planning an end-of-year party and 35.8 percent said they were planning company restaurant outings. Other perks included a raise in the upcoming year, gift sets, vouchers and extra holidays. Multiple answers were allowed.
BY KIM EUN-JIN [email@example.com]


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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – SK Group, the multi-national manufacturing and service conglomerate company based in South Korea with a market capitalization of U$177b, has announced its commitment to further invest in Malaysia, following its recent investment in the country of over US$700m in 2021.
According to SK Group, in January 2021, SK Nexilis announced a capital expenditure of US$553m (RM2.3b) to set up a copper foil manufacturing facility in Sabah, which will be part of SK Group’s Electric Vehicle (EV) value chain. Meanwhile, SK Group’s car-sharing subsidiary SoCar Malaysia has recently raised more than US$55m from EastBridge Partners and local conglomerate Sime Darby to fuel its expansion and build an EV platform in Malaysia, with plans to deploy hundreds of EVs in the next five years.
Furthermore, SK Group has announced a strategic investment of up to US$100m into Malaysia’s fintech BigPay in August 2021, which is a testament to the ability of Malaysian fintech companies to grow not just domestically, but also regionally and become a major player in SEA. The fintech has plans to catalyze intra-regional trade between Malaysian SMEs and the region, by initially leveraging the connectivity and network of AirAsia, combined with its logistics arm, Teleport. SK Group has also announced that it will be joining the BigPay consortium to apply for the upcoming digital banking license in Malaysia.
Jung Kyu Kim, SK Group’s chief representative for Malaysia, said, “We are confident that SK’s experience in financial tech services will contribute to the successful digital bank ecosystem in Malaysia and further growth into the ASEAN region.”
SK Group said that as it expands rapidly into new industries globally especially in sectors benefiting the environment and human health, SK Group is looking forward to more investment opportunities in Malaysia. In particular, SK Group is keen to explore with like-minded partners in the growing sectors of EV, digitalization, and environment.


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USB 3.0 is just around the corner, with us having reported about more and more compatible devices in the last few months. And now Taiwan-based PC accessory maker VIA has readied the so-called VIA VL810 SuperSpeed Hub Controller, the world’s first USB 3.0 hub controller. It supports data transfer speeds of up to 5Gb/s and features one upstream and four downstream ports.
The controller is backwards compatible with USB 2.0, but data transfer rates are up to ten times slower in that case. The five ports support Hi-Speed (480Mbps), Full-Speed (12Mbps) and Low-Speed (1.5Mbps) data traffic. VIA says the controller is ideal for those users who, for example, need to backup HDDs or quickly move HD video files from one device to the other.
The company plans to demo the controller at the CES later this week.


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Pokémon Go was released more than three years ago, but the title remains a fan-favorite among the world as many people continue to collect Pokémon each day. A steady stream of updates has contributed significantly to the success of the title as Niantic, the developers of the game, strive to keep players engaged by adding fresh content and fun activities.
From October 17, fans will enjoy a batch of new content as a Halloween event will be available for players for everyone. The event will last until November 1, which means that there is enough time to collect all the rewards at your own pace.
Players will have a higher chance of encountering Shadow-type Pokémon if they visit PokéStops, which have been infiltrated by Team GO Rocket. Among them we can count Beedril, Cacnea, Duskull, Electabuzz, Kakuna, Magmar, Mareep, Nuzleasf, Sableye, Seedot, and Trapinch.
Shiny Pokémon, new costumes, and a scary raid Boss will offer players new goals. New avatar items include a Zubat Bag, Pikachu Onesie, a Cubone cap, and much more. Lucky players will have a chance to encounter a Shiny Yamask.
As expected, some Pokémon will also wear thematic costumes in the wild as they celebrate Halloween too! For example Bulbasaur will sport a Shedinja costume, Charmander will look like Cubone, and Squirtle will wear a Yamask suit during raids. In the wild, players will have a chance to spot Pikachu with Mimikyu costumes, and shiny variants may appear from time to time.
Players who enjoy Raids will have a chance to test their might against Darkrai, which will be featured in the case of five-star raids. Those who enjoy Field Research will love an assortment of new missions that will be available for a limited time. Completing all the tasks which are offered may net a Forbidden Pokémon.
The rates for the catch, hatch, and transfer candies will be doubled during the event.


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June 07, 2013
TiVo wins almost half a billion bucks in settlements
From Variety: Google and Cisco Systems will pay TiVo an upfront sum of $490 million to settle the DVR company’s patent litigation — much less than Wall Street anticipated — and TiVo also announced that it has resolved its lawsuit against Time Warner Cable. The payments from Google and Cisco bring the total from awards and settlements related to the use of TiVo’s patents to roughly $1.6 billion, including previous deals with Dish Network, AT&T and Verizon, according to TiVo. In conjunction with approving the terms of the settlement, TiVo’s board approved a major expansion of the company’s stock repurchase program. However, investors and analysts had expected TiVo’s payout from Cisco, Google (which acquired Motorola Mobility) and TWC to be higher — with some estimates around $1 billion for Motorola alone. TiVo itself had said in court filings that it could be entitled to “billions of dollars” in royalty fees from Motorola Mobility based on the number of Motorola DVRs deployed by Time Warner Cable.


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Customer retention is important as ever, and both retailers and brands are figuring out new ways to develop shopper loyalty.
At Groceryshop 2022, held Sept. 19-22 in Las Vegas, NV, Ken Fenyo, president of Research & Advisory at Coresight Research, detailed the state of the grocery loyalty program, and spoke about which programs are succeeding and why. Fenyo also hosted a panel on building consumer loyalty that featured Michael McGowan, SVP of insights & loyalty at 84.51°, who spoke about Kroger’s new Boost program.
“Based on our research about 15% of people say they increase their spend when they join a loyalty program, and only a much smaller percentage say they decrease it,” said Fenyo. “Paid programs are exploding in popularity. Within the grocery, food, mass and drug space, half of the top 10 programs are paid programs: Amazon Prime, Costco membership, Sam’s Club… Walmart+ and Kroger Boost are also on the list. But that’s a big change. Many of these programs didn’t exist a few years ago.”
When it comes to tactics, Fenyo pointed out a few techniques that retailers are using to attract customers through their loyalty programs. He cited retailers like Walmart, Albertsons and CVS as having programs that offer experimental benefits like streaming service benefits, personalizable free items and earning points by doing healthy activities, respectively.
Fenyo added that overcoming the ‘personalization gap’ is a key challenge for retailers with loyalty programs going forward. He cited Family Dollar as an example of a retailer using technology to better target shoppers with more relevant deals.
“About 34% [of surveyed consumers] said that retailers excelled at personalization. When we asked retailers if they excelled at personalization, pretty much all of them said ‘yeah, we’re great at this,” Fenyo said. “We think there’s a lot of room to improve personalization, and there’s a lot of things you can do. Family Dollar… the idea is not just an offer that’s relevant to you, but it also detects where you are. If I’m in the checkout ad for example, I’m going to get a Snickers ad because I’m by the Snickers. If I’m somewhere else in the store, I’m going to get a different offer. Thinking about not just the offer personalization, but the context, is important.”
Sofia Laurell, co-founder & co-CEO of Tiny Organics, Cheryl Munce, SVP of retail media and e-commerce sales strategy at Smarty Pants Vitamins, Michael McGowan, SVP of commercial insights & loyalty at 84.51
When it comes to Kroger’s Boost membership program, McGowan said giving high value to customers through the program is the top priority. The annual membership provides customers unlimited free grocery delivery on orders of $35 or more, fuel discounts of up to $1 per gallon and additional savings on private label products.
“We see eight to 10 times more engagement from our loyal shoppers than we do from our non-loyal shoppers, which is an incredible stat,” he said. “It puts more emphasis on the need to be really personal and intentional about how we cultivate that relationship. Flexibility is now key. Shoppers can engage in new ways, on their own terms, on their own time. Boost is the next generation that we think offers a delivery benefit to our customers, enhances our fuel program, and also offers exclusive offers, whether that’s through our private brand businesses or national brands. We are going to continue to be flexible and offer new benefits for our customers."


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Class Action Lawsuit Against Barkworks Pet Store Chain for Selling Sick “Puppy Mill” Puppies Will ProceedPosted on March 28, 2016
Judge Denied Barkworks’ Attempt to Dismiss Lawsuit Accusing it of Consumer Deception
For Immediate Release
SANTA ANA, CA — On Friday, March 25, 2016, the Orange County Superior Court ruled that a class action lawsuit filed by the nonprofit Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), the nation’s leading legal advocacy organization for animals, against Barkworks pet stores for selling sick “puppy mill” puppies, could not be dismissed as a matter of law.
After hearing extensive oral arguments from both sides Friday (March 25), the court found Barkworks’ claims invalid, ruling that the class action lawsuit against the Southern California pet store chain with locations in Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, and Riverside counties will go forward. One of Barkworks’ denied claims was that the numerous aggrieved puppy purchasers represented in the lawsuit had untimely claims since they purchased the animals in 2011.The court stated that the plaintiffs “acted in good faith and reasonably” in the timing of the lawsuit.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund first filed the complaint against Barkworks in 2014 alleging that the company systematically violated California consumer protection law by tricking consumers into buying sick “puppy mill” dogs. In October 2015 ALDF amended the complaint to add class action allegations after uncovering documents detailing the widespread nature of Barkworks’ deception and hearing story after story of heartbroken purchasers who had to rush their new puppy to the vet just days or even hours after bringing them home.
The lawsuit alleges Barkworks’ illegal business practices include misrepresenting puppy mills as “reputable” breeders, providing inaccurate breeder license numbers and addresses, fabricating breeding certificates, and lying about providing veterinary care to the fragile animals.
“No dog lover should have to go through what Barkworks’ misled customers had to endure,” says Stephen Wells, executive director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund. “The court’s decision will allow those affected purchasers to continue to seek justice for their beloved pets and prevent others from having to go through the same ordeal because of Barkworks’ irresponsible practices.”


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Dardust And His “Sturm I – Fear” Featured In The New IPhone 12 Pro Presentation
AND HIS “STURM I – FEAR”
THE NEW iPHONE 12 PRO PRESENTATION
STURM I – FEAR was featured by the computer giant Apple Inc. in this year’s Apple new product launch keynote address.
“Hi, Speed”, one of the most eagerly anticipated events of 2020, was live streamed from the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California.
Apple CEO Tim Cook’s words of introduction gave way to the sound of Dardust’s music, which accompanied the presentation visuals for the iPhone 12 Pro.
Dardust now joins a glamorous, select band of artists that Apple has highlighted over the last twenty years, including Feist, Ludovico Einaudi, and Billie Eilish.
Starting out from the historic Renaissance city of Ascoli Piceno, Dardust’s journey has taken him all the way to Cupertino, the capital of the modern Renaissance.
“The thing that gives me most pleasure”, says Dardust, “is that they chose the most daring piece on the album. The one that marks the biggest break with the neoclassical genre, and because of the new balances that you have to strike, the most complicated piece on the disc to realize. So I’m doubly happy, because my vision, which is to exaggerate everything one way or another, was picked up and shared by a giant like Apple.”
“Sturm I – Fear” can be heard on “S.A.D. STORM AND DRUGS” the album by Dardust released in January 2020 by SONY MUSIC MASTERWORKS & ARTIST FIRST (https://dardust.lnk.to/S_A_D)
“Sturm I – Fear” tells the story of a storm within, and the fear of facing it. Electronically, Dardust has gone a step further in his use of synth and reverb effects that burst out to take centre stage along with piano arpeggios on alternate hands.
Discover “Sturm I – Fear” on the playlist Dardust Essential by Apple Music: https://apple.co/3j168Vp
Dardust has one of the biggest followings in the world among Italian pianists, with over 35M plays to his credit. Known both in Italy and abroad for his unique, unmistakable sound and for writing the music to accompany international events like the Super Bowl and the NBA All Star Game, he has now provided the soundtrack for another important international launch campaign.


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A hearty, warm bowl of chili hits the spot for many this time of year. If you're looking to grab a bite, with around 5,000 other chili and beer fans, you won't want to miss this year's Ada Beer and Chili Festival. Not only will you get fed, but you'll be helping out a worthy cause!
The Ada Chili and Beer Festival will take place on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The festival will take place at 7239 Thornapple River Dr. after the Santa Parade.
There's no cost to get in, but there will be tickets available to purchase for beer and chili tastings.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Community Church of Ada and the Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan.
For more information, visit their Facebook page.


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Topic: Nokia N8
Just a year after Nokia and Microsoft announced their partnership, Nokia is shipping more Windows Phone 7 handsets than any other manufacturer.
Cyber Monday was Amazon's peak sales day last year. Amazon will want to lure shoppers again this year with great Cyber Monday deals.
11/27/2011 12:13 am
Nokia N8 is set for a late September launch, Nokia said recently. But don't be surprised if you don't get your N8 handset until October.
09/22/2010 05:56 pm
Today the Finnish phonemaker took the wraps off the Symbian-powered Nokia N8, which it touted as a 'revolutionary' smart phone.
04/27/2010 03:25 pm


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Streamdoor, a company offering hosted IP contact centre services, has launched in the UK.
The company will offer hosted services on demand, allowing customers to lower their outlay on equipment, as well as avoid spending money on upgrading applications.
The company has also appointed Alan Barr as its managing director. He is responsible for partner sales and marketing. Barr was previously managing director of Genesys Communications in the UK and Eire.
Streamdoor has linked up with Cisco and signed Dimension Data as a reseller of its services.
Mike Cleugh, director of customer interactive solutions at Dimension Data, said: "The two biggest drivers for people with contact centres are improving customer satisfaction and reducing costs.
"This will also reduce costs. Five years ago, people were looking at building a call centre for between £15,000 and £20,000 per seat."
Jon Keattch, chairman of Streamdoor, said: "Cisco's contact centre technology has been sold for a number of years to large enterprises. If you are going to get network centric technology, you have to have it at the heart of your network.
"If you're too small, you have to connect to someone else's network. What we are doing is bringing Cisco IP routing technology as a service to that area of the market."
Tim Stone, voice marketing manager EMEA at Cisco, said: "[Using Streamdoor and Cisco], clients can up- or down-scale on a month-by-month basis.
"We have built adaptors for leading CRM vendors, such as Siebel Systems and Peoplesoft. We don't see the whole market moving to built or managed systems. There will be a mix of solutions."
Security firm set to become part of acquisitive Shearwater Group
Distributor merges three northern sites into one new hub in Warrington
Activist investor puts forward five director candidates as turmoil continues at security giant
Nima Green asks what is driving public cloud uptake in Germany


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The CW has officially released photos from the next exciting episode of Batwoman, and it looks like a masquerade is going down for our heroes! Marquis Jet is throwing an extravagant ball, and is happily embracing the life of a maniacal supervillain. As seen in the gallery below, Ryan, Luke, and Sophie are seen investigating the suspicious shindig in flamboyant masks as Marquis is gleefully showing his guests that putting on a show for all to see isn’t always a good thing. Check out the whole gallery for "Trust Destiny" below, and prepare yourselves for one exuberantly explosive episode!
Warner Brothers and ViacomCBS are shopping around the idea of selling The CW. What this means for all the DCTV properties is uncertain.


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Whats new with Google this week?
Image Search Has Changed
This week Google changed the way we view and save images by removing the 'View Image' button as well as the 'Search by Image' feature. This means that a user can no longer view an image on a stand alone page, and must visit the source from which the image is pulled from.
According to Search Engine Land earlier this month Google entered a multi-year global licensing partnership with Getty Images, which would make sense in terms of helping reduce copyright infringement through the popular search engine.
Goodbye Meta News Keyword Tag
In the same way that Google ignores the normal Keyword Tag, Google has been quietly ignoring the Meta News Keyword Tag for months. This tag was used by publications, news sites and bloggers to clearly help Google understand the content on each of the news pages.
John Mueller a Google Webmaster Trends Analyst tweeted earlier this week that 'We dropped support for this around the time when we removed it from the help centre. Keeping it on pages is fine, we just don't use it for Google News anymore.'
You Can Now Search Inside Shopping Centres
Ever fancied an after-work shopping trip to your local shopping center but want to check the Zara is big enough to make the trip worth while? Well now you can. Google Maps now has a 'directory' feature that allows users to glance inside a shopping center and even search by type of store, so you can plan your visit before you even leave the office.
Travel Planning Just Got Easier
New features are being rolled out this week aiming to make travel planning easier within Google's listings. This includes price-filtering options, easy-to-find amenity information and the ability to book a hotel stay directly on Google.
“In the next few days, you’ll see that if you search for a flight in Google Flights, you can click right in to ‘Hotels’ at the top of the page,” writes Google’s director of travel product management, Eric Zimmerman, “This lets you easily click over to check hotel availability and prices in your destination city for the dates you’ve already selected.”


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Airport Ads has launched two new Visionet screens in Cape Town Airport. These expand the existing Visionet network to deliver a combined 1.18 million monthly impacts, reaching a primed, targeted audience – just as air travel is on the rise. Visionet is South Africa’s only iconic, large format digital Airport network, and comprises seven screens […]
Golf Ads implements campaign for Garmin Approach S60
Golf Ads™ recently implemented a campaign for the launch of the new Garmin golf watch – the Approach S60 – making innovative use of the traditional clocks on the golf course. The creative was adapted to include the golf clock face into the design and engaged with golfers in a non-intrusive fashion every time they approached the medium.
Taking frequency of play and high dwell-time into account, the campaign targeted an affluent market directly interested in golf accessories and wearable technology. Creatively, it illustrated the virtue of tailoring creative to fit seamlessly and relevantly with a consumer touchpoint; driving engagement and recall, and creating desire for the product.
Johan Scholtz, spokesperson for Golf Ads™ says: “The golf course offers an environment that is free of advertising clutter, making it ideal for brands that want to launch a new product without having to compete for attention. Furthermore, brands are not restricted in terms of which formats to use, in fact the environment is ideal for multiplatform campaigns that reach both golfers and non-golfers alike.”
Golf Ads™ platforms include Golf.TV™, golfball washers, mini billboards as well as activations. For more information on how Golf Ads™ can take your brand directly to an affluent, discerning audience call Johan Scholtz on 0861 776 826 or go to www.golf-ads.co.za
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Airport Ads® has recently implemented a campaign for multi-national company EY in order to showcase their Building a Better Working World messaging and creative. A strategically located Airport Ads® site at OR Tambo International Airport has been branded to ensure that their messaging is delivered to key business influencers from across the globe. The 80-metre […]
Provantage, a leader in integrated marketing solutions, has launched Provantage Sport, significantly expanding its reach into the expansive South African sports sponsorship and media arena, which is estimated to generate around R40-45 billion in annual revenue through activations, sponsorship, media rights, ticketing and hospitality locally. Heading up Provantage Sport as managing director is Xhanti-Lomzi Nesi, […]


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Internet dating in the news Free sexs life on life cam
But the fear that online dating is changing us, collectively, that it's creating unhealthy habits and preferences that aren't in our best interests, is being driven more by paranoia than it is by actual facts."There are a lot of theories out there about how online dating is bad for us," Michael Rosenfeld, a sociologist at Stanford who has been conducting a long-running study of online dating, told me the other day.We see this in consumer goods — if there are too many flavors of jam at the store, for instance, you might feel that it’s just too complicated to consider the jam aisle, you might end up skipping it all together, you might decide it's not worth settling down with one jam. I don’t think that that theory, even if it’s true for something like jam, applies to dating.I actually don’t see in my data any negative repercussions for people who meet partners online.
Part of what you have uncovered during your research is how drastic the rise of online dating has been.People used to marry in their early 20s, which meant that most dating that was done, or most courting that was done, was done with the intention of settling down right away.And that’s not the life that young people lead anymore.There are online sites that cater to hookups, sure, but there are also online sites that cater to people looking for long-term relationships.What’s more, many people who meet in the online sites that cater to hookups end up in long-term relationships.


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PICK A SIDE: January results
Throughout January, battle lines have been drawn, opinions have been voiced, and sides have been picked.
We’ve asked for your opinions on several controversial topics; these are the results.
Our first pick a side of 2020 had to do with holiday gifts; we asked if it was okay to regift somone’s present to you. According to the results, 85.29 per cent of people said it was a good way to make sure someone enjoyed the gift, while 14.71 per cent said it was rude and lazy.
When it came to public proposals, 56.1 per cent of people said they were tacky and cliche, while 43.9 per cent of people said they were nice to witness.
Finally, when it came to what per cent was an appropriate tip, only 5.61 per cent of people said they don’t tip, 20.62 per cent said they tip 18 per cent, 21.68 said they tip 20 per cent, and 52.09 per cent said they tip 15 per cent.
- PICK A SIDE: Results - what people miss most about pre-quarantine life
- PICK A SIDE: Results Roundup
- 36 per cent of Canadians went over budget this past holiday season: survey
- PICK A SIDE: Results – many in favour of making masks mandatory
- More than 80 per cent of businesses impacted by pandemic: study


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Beginning At midnight on Tuesday, mask wearing inside of buildings like the Civic Center in Evansville will no longer be required.
On Tuesday, the executive order requiring masks in city facilities will expire, after over 6 months of being in place, so places like the Civic Center, the C.K. Newsome Center, and Swonder Ice Arena will no longer require the wearing of face coverings or mandate social distancing
“If you go back and look at the data on a daily basis, the prevalence of the virus in the community, the number of cases, and the number of people getting vaccinated, it just didn’t seem like continuing an executive order was sustainable," said Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke.
Along with no required face coverings, social distancing guidelines like stickers asking you to stay 6 feet apart and the closure of water fountains will done with as well.
And with mask wearing slowly becoming less and less prominent around the nation, some businesses who are still requiring mask wearing are seeing less and less people complying in their buildings.
“I noticed in the past couple of weeks, more people coming in with no masks, and we have masks to give to them," said David Tang, General Manager of Comfort.
Tang told 44News he is considering dropping the mask mandate at the end of the month, but workers will continue to wear masks.
Deaconess Hospital will also continue to require mask wearing at all of their facilities.
And Large retailers like CVS & Home Depot are continuing their mask mandates, but Target, Walmart & Costco are dropping the requirement for fully vaccinated individuals.
And Winnecke said he’s excited to see his city getting one step closer to normal.
“I can’t wait to see a lot of maskless, smiling faces on Tuesday morning, and that’s what I look forward to.”
The only city entity that will not change their mask policy is the METS city buses. That policy will stay in affect until at least September.


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Consumers should beware of special offers involving cosmetic surgery and non-surgical cosmetic procedures, experts have warned.
Research presented at the annual scientific meeting of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps) suggests that ill-advised marketing tactics are not uncommon in the UK.
In fact, researchers found that 26 per cent of British clinics offer financial incentives for cosmetic surgery, such as prize draws, 'buy-one-get-one-free' deals, discounts for multiple procedures and rewards.
This compares with just 12 per cent of cosmetic surgery clinics in the US.
Baaps president Fazel Fatah claimed: 'It has become common to bundle together the practice of aesthetic plastic surgery such as facelifts and breast augmentation alongside beauty treatments such as facials, lasers and injectable fillers under the term 'cosmetic industry'.
'This blurring of lines has encouraged blatantly unethical marketing tactics which trivialise serious surgery.'
Baaps also expressed concern over a recent segment on ITV's This Morning programme, which featured an unproven stem cell breast augmentation procedure.
Mr Fatah said the programme's 'unchallenged' portrayal of the procedure 'could put the millions of women who watched it in danger'.


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VW's controlling clan to discuss whether to block dividend, report saysTue, 14, Jun 2016
Porsche SE, which controls Volkswagen Group, will hold a board meeting on Monday to discuss its strategy for VW's annual meeting and may decide to block its plans to pay a dividend, Reuters reported.
Porsche ends ad campaign featuring Muhammad AliSat, 11, Jun 2016
Porsche’s 911 TV spot featuring the computerized likeness of Muhammad Ali has been pulled from airwaves following the boxing great’s death as a show of respect.
'The timing was perfect' for VW store investmentMon, 06, Jun 2016
Dealer Steve Germain committed millions to building a new Volkswagen dealership before the company's sales tanked amid a diesel-emissions scandal. The store opened in March. Germain, disagreeing with the naysayers, says the timing was “perfect.”


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German dairy cooperative DMK Group said it is responding to changing consumer needs with updates to its Milram brand as more consumers are paying attention to a health-conscious diet and are increasingly turning to products with as little sugar as possible.
Norway’s Borregaard is a technology leader in biorefineries, producing biochemical and biomaterials that replace oil-based products. A recent innovation from the group is a wood-based dietary fibre that works as a fat-replacer.
Spain’s National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) has warned regulators that a mandatory requirement to label the origin of milk in dairy products could “compartmentalise” the Spanish market and hinder competition.
Why will cellular agriculture succeed? “Because people don’t want to stop eating meat, they just have an issue with the process beforehand,” says the founder and president of the Cellular Agriculture Society (CAS).
The flavour of a food product cannot be copyrighted, the European Court of Justice was advised last week. Two intellectual property and food law experts weigh in on the opinion and suggest what companies can do to protect their products.
Understanding the role of specific nutrients in food, such as sugar and saturated fat, is important but not enough to fully understand how diets impact risk of obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), says one scientist.
Can on-trend oils such as coconut compete with olive oil? Is butter really back? And as sales fall in its biggest markets, does margarine have a future in Europe? We take a look at the different oils on offer and their perceived healthiness.
The healthy fat profile of flax oil, high in omega-3 fatty acids, means manufacturers have traditionally focused on this. But the seeds also contain protein, fibre and lignin, all of which are interesting 'stealth health' ingredients, the company...


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Springfield resident Natasha Clark has seen a spike in readership since her monthly digital magazine launched a website in April that provides daily content aimed at female entrepreneurs.
Now, she's hoping to raise $10,000 on an Indiegogo campaign by Aug. 1. To date, the campaign has only raised $1,690 from about 30 backers, but Clark is undeterred.
"I believe in what we're doing, and the more women who read it seem to love it," Clark said.
Lioness Magazine is geared toward female entrepreneurs and features content aiming to help women start a business or scale their existing enterprise. Clark said it fills a gap in mainstream entrepreneur magazines, which are often geared toward men.
Since the monthly digital magazine launched a daily content website in April, Clark has seen an average of 2,200 unique readers monthly, up from about 500 readers before April.
The magazine has featured interviews with and stories about national celebrities including singer and actress Queen Latifah, novelist Tess Gerritsen and reality TV star Gretchen Rossi. It also provides news on the latest trends in marketing, tech and finance.
Lioness Magazine, founded 2011, in makes money through advertising revenue, and Clark's biggest revenue generator to date has been the Springfield office of Northwestern Mutual. The company also makes money by hosting events featuring inspirational and advice-giving female entrepreneurs.
In the future, she plans to seek revenue from businesses who have products or services that are female-specific.
"There's a lot of things I want to do that I can't right now, like travel to cover more pieces," said Clark, formerly a public relations professional.
Clark's startup is currently backed by personal investments of more than $20,000. She plans to quit her job at a nonprofit organization in Springfield to focus on Lioness Magazine full-time and perhaps seek a fundraising round of $200,000 for an editor-in-chief and business development executive.
"I'm finally at the stage where I'm interested in growing and open to the opportunities of investors," she said.
Lioness Magazine is run by Clark, and 11 different writers contribute to the magazine.


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Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference (better referred to as ‘WWDC’) just ended at Moscone West in San Francisco. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, assisted by senior VPs, Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi, launched the new versions of iOS, OS X, and watchOS.
First up on the ledger was OS X. Last summer, Apple launched Mac OS X Yosemite. Today, Apple announced that Yosemite will give way to a new operating system named Mac OS X “El Capitan.” Over the course of the OS X presentation, I remember at least three of the presenters pronouncing this new name differently. Hopefully, the operating system itself will be much easier to use than to pronounce. If so, then it will be a true upgrade to a generally well-faring Yosemite.
The demo for ‘El Capitan’ revealed some intriguing UX-related changes to Apple Mail and Spotlight. However, for the most part, it seems to be a “faster, stronger, lighter” upgrade to Yosemite.
Moving on, Federighi also announced the progress of Apple’s iOS ecosystem. According to Apple’s data, iOS 8 has been dowloaded by 83% of users (meaning only 17% of Apple products users still use iOS 7 and below). This is great news for developers in particular because it means they can integrate the latest core technologies and updates of iOS 8 (and now the newly minted iOS 9) without having to worry about not reaching a large user base.
Apple Maps improves transportation
Perhaps the most interesting portion of the iOS presentation was in regards to Apple’s development of its Maps app. Now, the Apple Maps app will feature detailed information about subway routes in some of the world’s busiest and largest cities.
Federighi announced that the detailed public transit routes will feature in six American cities: Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Our neighbors to the north — Toronto — and the south — Mexico City — will also partake in this public transit mapping. Worldwide, London, Berlin, and some cities in China will also feature.
Apple’s dynamic, versatile programming language Swift will also feature some updates. Swift 2.0 will bring new paradigms that assist in the testing, developing, and distribution of apps. When Apple announced Swift last year at WWDC 2014, it was received with much enthusiasm and acclaim. Now, that a full year has passed, developers are still gushing over the innovative language and, as a result, Swift 2.0 will bring small timely and iterative changes.
Finally, Federighi announced with unbridled joy that Swift will now be open source, which garnered much applause and fanfare from the audience.
Apple Watch and watchOS
Apple Watch, released just over six weeks ago, will feature some key updates to the current offering. Namely, watchOS 2 will feature new watch backgrounds. The time lapse background, featuring cities like New York and London, seemed especially noteworthy of all the additions to the watch faces.
One More Thing…Apple Music!
The highlight of the event was the arrival of Apple’s digital streaming service, Apple Music. This portion of the presentation took around thirty to forty minutes and even Eddy Cue’s samba talents couldn’t save it from slowly (and sometimes painfully) dragging onwards.
Cue, with the help of the rapper, Drake, who made a brief appearance to exalt about his music career, highlighted and demoed the new app. Personally, I don’t know if Apple has made enough strides to convince Spotify or Pandora users to make the shift to Apple Music.
The “Connect” feature in the app will allow users to follow their favorite musicians as they reveal bits and pieces of their creation process. However, if Apple Music wants to be a truly integrative and holistic arena for music to thrive, then it seems as if its work is cut out. For instance, I don’t anticipate superstars like Jay-Z or Beyonce leaving their new offering, Tidal, to help the “Connect” section of Apple Music prosper. Without these big-name talents, I can’t fathom how the “Connect” section can thrive.
So, while the theatrical entrance of Apple Music at WWDC 2015 may seem to cast it as the “next big thing,” it may simply have to take a backseat to the giants of the field (like Spotify) for now.
Overall, the keynote was worth watching; however, the most important and impactful updates are generally occurring at the smaller aspects of the Apple ecosystem. Apple Maps and its new public transportation feature can produce some valuable experiences for its users. Swift 2.0 can enable developers to produce even greater apps.
And, Apple Music, the project Tim Cook professed he was “most excited to reveal” to the audience, may have been one of the least exciting reveals at WWDC 15.


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But his claim that Liz Truss has secured ground-breaking free trade agreements with our partners across the world is hard to justify.
Most of the agreements reached by Ms Truss were nothing more than 'roll-over' agreements, replacing the agreements we had with countries through our membership of the EU and which had lapsed when we left.
The House of Commons Library reports only three genuinely new agreements have been negotiated. Two of these are those with Australia and New Zealand, both of which caused concern over the threats they pose British farmers. The third is a digital trade deal with Singapore.
Shocking CCTV footage shows moment man smashes glass into another man's face in Buxton pub
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'World’s best sweet shop’ contents up for auction as Peak District owner sells everything to start new adventure
Derbyshire water provider leaks 446 million litres of water every day – amid record high temperatures and dwindling reservoirs
Photos: Talented readers show off our area at its finest
Ms Truss ceased to be Secretary of State for International Trade in September 2021 and these deals were actually signed by Anne-Marie Trevelyan.
No doubt Ms Truss would claim credit for preparatory work but the record of only three genuinely new deals since the UK voted six years ago to leave the EU seems decidedly thin to support Mr Largan’s ringing endorsement.
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Following in the wake of Netflix’s success with original programming, sources within Apple have been reported to be reaching out to studio executives in regards to creating television shows and movies exclusively distributed by the Cupertino-based company.
Detailed by Variety earlier today, Apple wants to start hiring a development team before the end of the year and begin production as soon as early 2016. With more than $200 billion in cash reserves, Apple could also just purchase a production studio with a proven track record that would develop original content.
According to sources, the development team would report directly to Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. Of course, this isn’t Apple’s first venture into original content. Apple was reported to have made an offer to former Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond to develop a show for American audiences; a deal that was eventually made by Amazon. Apple is also a significant player in the distribution of independent films.
At this time, the structure of how Apple’s original content would be offered to the public is still unclear. Apple doesn’t have a subscription-based streaming model at the moment like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon. All content is sold at a premium cost through iTunes rather than a pay-per-month deal for access to a large library of licensed content.
Hypothetically, Apple could make original content exclusively available on iTunes for no cost, assuming someone owns an Apple device to access it. If limited to the Apple TV platform, that would certainly be a selling feature for the rumored $200 hardware, assuming the quality of the original television shows and movies is excellent.
Alternatively, Apple Music may serve as the future business model to distribute Apple’s original video programming. Of course, consumers will likely have to wait a significant length of time to check out the first original television shows or movies produced by Apple. More details may be announced at Apple’s press event on September 9, 2015.
- Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series: Everything we know so far
- What is HBO Max?
- How to watch Game of Thrones online
- Peacock: Everything we know about NBCUniversal’s streaming video service
- The best Amazon Original series available now


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“Future Publishing is launching a Linux Magazine in the UK soon
(expect a press release on that any day now), however the web site
team are interested in receiving products for review…”
The new magazine, which is currently ‘between names’ will be
accompanied by a website which will carry material that is unique
to our online audience.


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A New England supermarket chain that has been in turmoil for weeks over a workers’ revolt and customer boycott has announced that the former CEO is buying the company from rival relatives.Today 4:23 am
PARIS – Christine Lagarde, the chief of the International Monetary Fund, was put under official investigation for negligence in a French corruption probe that dates back to her days as France’sToday 3:00 am
Last updated: February 15, 2013 8:17 a.m.
Changing of the guard
Samuel Hoffman | The Journal Gazette
John Woods, left, and Pete Beber of Creative Sign Resources hang the Carmike Jefferson Pointe sign Thursday. Carmike bought Rave locations in six states in November.


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Bid rumours may be a constant presence around Arm Holdings, but yesterday the talk was that the chip designer could become the predator and not the prey.
The Cambridge-based group has been linked with numerous potential aggressors, including companies that use its technology, such as Apple. Yet Benchmark's Gary Mobley warned that this was unlikely, quashing the takeover hopes of investors by claiming there were "no natural buyers".
"Arm's business model is based on neutrality," said the scribbler. "Therefore, it does not make sense for one of Arm's licensees to buy the company."
Instead Mr Mobley suggested its impressive cash generation meant the group could be on the lookout for its own acquisition to fill gaps in its offerings, putting forward the private groups Coresonic and Tensilica as two possible targets.
The analyst also raised Arm's rating to "buy", saying its "presence is increasingly being felt in new end markets" such as tablet computers. Although he noted the chip sector is enduring a "short and shallow" period of inventory correction, he went on to add that he "would use any weakness this causes in Arm's share price as a buying opportunity", prompting the group to be driven up 22.5p to 619p.
Investors disappointed at Arm's bid chances being played down had plenty of other tales among the global technology companies to get their teeth into. In Germany, the LED equipment maker Aixtron was helped by takeover speculation, while there were also rumours the beleaguered Finnish mobile phone giant Nokia could be about to receive an offer, with vague suggestions Google may be mulling over an approach.
Although volumes were low ahead of today's eagerly awaited statement from the US Federal Open Market Committee, the FTSE 100 still managed to almost completely wipe out Monday's losses of more than 2 per cent. A strong start, as the City ignored S&P's downgrade of Italy's credit rating, seemed to lose its momentum after the International Monetary Fund cut its forecast for the UK economy, but a surge at the end of trading meant by the bell the benchmark index had climbed 104.15 points to 5,363.71.
Taking the wooden spoon was International Airlines Group (IAG), with the British Airways-owner plummeting 4p to 150.2p, thanks to a profit warning from Lufthansa. The German airline revealed its operating profit for 2011 would not see a year-on-year increase following poor sales figures in August from its passenger operations.
Investors were clearly preferring to travel by boat, as Carnival sailed ahead 132p to 2,145p. The world's largest cruise company released its third-quarter results mid-session, which impressed despite an increase in fuel prices leading it to trim its full-year earnings expectations.
Burberry, a favourite of the gossips, moved 50p ahead to 1,500p following impressive results on Monday from its peer Prada. As well as some still claiming it could become a bid target, traders suggested the luxury retailer may also have been helped by London Fashion Week, with its show earlier in the week seen as a success.
Barratt Developments closed near the top of the FTSE 250, rising 4.45p to 82.2p after Citigroup gave the housebuilder the thumbs-up. Raising their recommendation to "buy", analysts from the broker said the company's discount to its net asset value was far too high, making the "risk-reward balance... attractive".
The scribblers also cast their eyes over the rest of the sector, noting that, despite the dire economic situation, recent results "have indicated that activity has been satisfactory".
They still cut their price targets for a number of companies, yet Persimmon managed to increase 21.8p to 462p while Taylor Wimpey ticked up 0.39p to 33.51p. Elsewhere, Hansen Transmissions was lifted 3.3p to 65.3p in the wake of the German engineer ZF Friedrichshafen's offer to the gearbox manufacturer's shareholders being extended to 5 October, after the two agreed a takeover deal in July worth 66p a pop.
Down on the Alternative Investment Market, Pendragon crept back 0.04p to 9.95p despite the return of vague bid rumours around the car dealer.
Gossips said the group could be in line for an approach from either private equity or the veteran investor Jack Petchey, who had an attempt for Pendragon's peer Lookers rebuffed earlier in the year, although traders played down the speculation.
Coolabi, which owns the rights to both Bagpuss, The Clangers and Purple Ronnie, lost nearly a quarter of its share price, shifting 2.25p to 7p after revealing an increase in its half-year losses.
Elsewhere, there was better news for Aukett Fitzroy Robinson, with the architect shooting up 2.25p to 3.88p – a huge move of nearly 140 per cent – thanks to a bullish trading statement from the tiddler.Reuse content


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SINGAPORE - More than 60 people believed to be involved in 187 cases of cheating were arrested this week, police said.
Police also warned that cheating cases involving online marketplaces have increased.
In a three-day operation between Oct 17 and 19, 67 persons were rounded up for their suspected involvement in various scams.
The 28 men and 39 women, aged from 15 to 65, may be involved in scams involving more than $630,000.
Most of the suspects are believed to have collected payment for items advertised online, which were not delivered to the buyers.
Other suspects were involved as "money mules", who helped the criminal syndicates to receive illegal funds in their local bank accounts.
From January to June this year, a total of 1,145 cases of cheating via e-commerce were reported.
There has been an increase of 13 per cent compared to the same period last year.
Approximately seven out of 10 of the victims had used online community marketplaces including Carousell, Gumtree and Facebook for their online purchases.
Many of the reports lodged involved the sale of admission tickets to local attractions, concerts or events and new models of mobile phones, police said.
A person convicted of cheating can be jailed up to 10 years and fined. Those convicted of money laundering can be jailed up to 10 years and fined up to $500,000.
Money found from illegal sources will be frozen for the purpose of investigations.
Police cautioned members of the public to be vigilant when they shop online nearing the festive season.
They can take the following precautions:
- Buy from authorised dealers for a safer transaction or choose shopping platforms that have arrangements to only release payment upon confirmation of receipt of the item.
- Choose to pay on delivery. When you use community marketplaces, remember that the other party is a stranger and be careful if you are asked to pay or provide personal or bank information.
- Reject requests to use your bank account or handphone lines, as you are accountable for the transactions in your accounts.


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Puerto Rico Minority Supplier Dev. Council sponsors ‘Opportunity Fair’
The Puerto Rico Minority Supplier Development Council Inc. will be sponsoring its “Opportunity Fair” next month to help local certified suppliers match and sell their products and services to representatives from multinational corporations.
The event — specifically directed to suppliers committed to providing added value propositions to multinational corporate organizations established in the island and willing to partner with certified suppliers companies to serve markets in the U.S. and abroad — will take place Mar. 1 at the Puerto Rico Convention Center, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., organizers said Tuesday.
The event will also serve to show participants the details of the PRMSDC’s proposal to create jobs through the multiplier effect that purchasing has in reviving the economy.
“We can not underestimate the Puerto Rican industry’s impact on job creation. Data for fiscal year 2011 shows that more than 400 suppliers certified by the Council generated sales of about $2.5 billion,” said PRMSDC President Jaqueline Marie Matos. “They were also responsible for maintaining more than 37,000 direct jobs in Puerto Rico. This, however, would not be possible without the support of our local partners.”
The upcoming fair will provide a great opportunity for suppliers to know where to find contract opportunities, to promote their businesses and identify and meet potential business partners to expand their customer base, she said.
The event will kick off with an exhibit and wrap up with a business networking session during which local and international company representatives can mingle and discuss opportunities. For more info: www.prmsdc.org.


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By Micah Maidenberg
Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. (ARCO) said revenue weakened in the first quarter, as the franchisor and operator of McDonald's restaurants across Latin America and the Caribbean struggled with falling currencies in key markets.
The Montevideo, Uruguay-based company said revenue fell to $727.9 million in the quarter, down 9% from the year earlier. Arcos attributed the weakness to the depreciation of the Argentine peso and the Brazilian real.
Adjusting for currency movements, the company said revenue grew 12%.
Arcos reported net income of $12.2 million, or 6 cents a share, up from $518,000 a year earlier.
Lower costs helped earnings. Its biggest expense, food and paper, dropped 13%.
Arcos said that visits to its stores in Mexico grew in the first quarter, boosting sales in that country, and said it is remodeling stores in Chile, where the economy is stronger than in other countries in the southern part of Latin America.
Write to Micah Maidenberg at email@example.com


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- Supplies Guide
Mattress Firm Holding Corp., parent of the Houston-based sleep shop chain, recently announced an initial public offering of approximately 5.5 million shares of common stock priced at $19 per share. The stock began trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on Nov. 18 under the ticker symbol “MFRM,” where, by day’s end, it rose to about $22 per share. It closed at $22.37 on Dec. 9, just before BedTimes went to press.
The retailer has some 800 storefronts in 25 states.
Just prior to its IPO, Mattress Firm acquired 54 stores in Georgia, Missouri, Illinois and Minnesota from rival retail chain Mattress Giant.
Mattress Firm Chief Executive Officer Steve Stagner told the Houston Chronicle that much of the net proceeds from the stock offering—estimated to be about $95 million—will be used to pay down debt and improve the company’s balance sheet.


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Tommy Carlile: Ready to study to see if it's time for a new iPhone
If you have been reading my columns over the years you likely know that I am a big iPhone fan.
I got my first iPhone, the iPhone 3G (second one they released), back in 2008. I skipped the next year and have gotten every other new phone each year when it was released. I pass my phones down the line to my wife and kids, so we all have recent phones.
In case you missed it, Apple last week announced new iPhones. The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are already available for pre-order, and will be launched Oct. 23. The iPhone 12 Pro Max and Mini go on preorder starting Nov. 6 and will launch Nov. 13.
I have always gone for the larger and highest-end models. I have not pre-ordered one of the new ones yet. I would be looking at the iPhone 12 Pro Max if I go ahead.
The truth is, though, I am not sure I am going to upgrade this year. Don’t get me wrong, these are the best phones Apple has created. They look beautiful and offer some nice upgrades. But they didn’t get me excited like in years past. For someone who has last years flagship iPhone, I am not sure there is enough there to warrant the purchase.
Because I do pass phones down, it makes me think a little more about the upgrade so my youngest daughter’s phone doesn’t get too old and she can’t do what she needs.
I think I could skip this one and be alright. I just have to think about what I want to do.
I won't go into specifics about the new features, but will highlight a few of the bigger upgrades.
Perhaps the biggest upgrade is that all of the new phones support 5g cellular networks. While this is a nice feature, and one that will be necessary in the future, it is not something needed right now because the availability of 5g is limited.
Only a few cities nationwide have true 5g right now, and there are some “lesser” 5g networks out that really aren’t much faster than 4g. I feel I could wait another year for 5g.
All of the phones are faster, with better cameras. They also have a new technology that makes these phones the most durable Apple has ever made, which is always a great thing.
The last think you want to do is to drop your $1,000 phone and break it.
For people looking for a smaller phone with lots of the top features, you can opt for the iPhone Mini, which starts at $699. If you want a phone in the middle in terms of size and features, you can opt for the iPhone 12, which starts at $799.
The iPhone 12 Pro contains the pro features at just a smaller factor than the Pro Max and starts at $999. Of course, the iPhone 12 Pro Max has all the bells and whistles, and the highest cost, as it starts at $1,099.
I have a couple of weeks to decide what I want to do. Until then, I will continue to read reviews online. If your phone is multiple years old and you are looking to upgrade, the upgrade is definitely worth it. If you have last year's model, you will just need to decide if the upgrade is worth it.


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Nearly a year after it was announced at E3, Fallout Shelter has joined the list of games Tesla owners can play on their in-car infotainment systems. After initially launching on smartphones five years ago, the free-to-play spin-off has come to additi... https://www.engadget.com/fallout-shelter-tesla-230607712.html" target="_blank">Read More . . .
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03:48 PM - March 1, 2007 by Steve_OS
Music from all EA games – past and present – now available on the iTunes store via ea.com
Exclusive Remix of ‘Riders on the Storm’ Now Available for the First Time Ever
Los Angeles, Calif., March 1, 2007 – The best in videogame music is now global, mobile and portable. Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced that starting today the chart-busting music from its best-selling games will be available for purchase from the iTunes Store via ea.com. Game players and music lovers worldwide can visit www.ea.com/eatrax/ and jump directly to an iMix of the music from their favorite EA™ game on iTunes. From Madden NFL to Burnout™ to Need for Speed™, every song that can be heard in the game can now be purchased on iTunes including exclusive mixes, non-album cuts and previously unavailable international tracks. Today marks the world debut of the unforgettable version of The Doors’ Riders on the Storm that Snoop Dogg remixed exclusively for Need for Speed Underground. The songs are live in North America today and will be available soon throughout Europe.
EA will continue to add songs, scores, themes, beats and ringtones from EA game franchises past and present including NBA LIVE, FIFA Soccer, Command & Conquer™, Medal of Honor™, NASCAR®, SSX™, Battlefield and more.
With over 6M page views per month, EA.com is a powerhouse entertainment destination online. Gamers and music fans from all over the world can visit EA.com/eatrax to find exclusive announcements of new game soundtracks and link to buy the music, mp3s, ringtones and more.
“As our culture goes increasingly mobile, music fans have demanded to take our game music with them. They have been looking for a singular destination that houses all of EA’s music – and this is it,” says Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing at EA. “Our game soundtracks have now officially transcended their consoles. All songs, all mixes and all exclusives from all nations: if it’s in the game, it’s now available for fans to own. We consider this to be the next major step in evolving the music discovery experience.”
Since 2001, EA™ Trax has set the industry standard for music in games and has helped define the sound of current and upcoming pop culture. EA had helped break emerging bands on a worldwide level and has brought established superstars to new international audiences. Its track record speaks for itself. EA games are have helped launch the careers of such artists as Good Charlotte, Jet, Franz Ferdinand, Scissor Sisters, Arctic Monkeys and Fabolous just to name a few.
Need for Speed Carbon redefines the sound of street racing with an international soundtrack of 30 diverse cuts that reflect the game’s three distinct car classes - Tuner, Muscle and Exotic. The much-anticipated game’s soundtrack includes the riff-heavy power of such bands as Kyuss, Eagles Of Death Metal, UK’s Metro Riots and Australia’s Wolfmother, ‘Electro’ acts Ladytron and Goldfrapp, Australia’s The Presets, Canada’s Tiga, and urban ‘Grime’ featuring Pharrell, UK’s Lady Sovereign, Roots Manuva and Sway, Japan’s melody, and Philadelphia’s Spank Rock.
Since its debut in 2002, EA’s Burnout franchise has set the ferocious new standard for racing games, renowned for both its pulse-pounding carnage and explosive modern rock soundtracks The series, which includes the top-selling Burnout 3: Takedown™, Burnout Revenge and Burnout Legends, has featured tracks by artists that include Fall Out Boy, All American Rejects, Franz Ferdinand, The Ramones, Jimmy Eat World and Yellowcard.
This season’s edition of Madden NFL – which remains the premier videogame franchise for breaking new music and new artists – features tracks from an unprecedented mix of hip-hop and modern rock acts including Bishop Lamont, 30 Seconds To Mars, Audioslave, Panic Channel, Lupe Fiasco, AFI, Dashboard Confessional, Taking Back Sunday and Rise Against, as well as exclusive remixes of nearly a dozen original NFL Films themes by production team Da Riffs. The August release of Madden NFL 07 grossed more than $100 million in its first week of sales, the biggest launch in the franchise’s 17-year history.
To see the full song lists and purchase the music from the soundtracks, please visit www.ea.com/eatrax/.
To hear more music from Snoop Dogg, check out Tha Blue Carpet Treatment available now.


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Starbucks Fires Employee on Food Stamps for Eating a Sandwich from the Garbage
Posted by Anna Minard on Tue, Aug 27, 2013 at 1:33 PM
Good Jobs Seattle
Last Monday, 21-year-old barista Coulson Loptmann says he was fired from a downtown Seattle Starbucks where he’d worked for more than a year. The reason? He ate a sandwich that had been thrown away. Really. Like most cafes, the coffee giant gets rid of food that has expired; they donate what they can and toss the more perishable items.
Loptmann, who says he couldn’t get enough hours to pay his bills and survives partly on his food stamps, explains, “I hadn’t eaten all day and I was on a seven-hour shift.” A coworker had just marked some breakfast sandwiches out of stock, and he figured no one would mind if he grabbed one of the plastic-wrapped sausage sandwiches out of the trash can.
But Starbucks did mind. According to Loptmann, his manager sat him down a week later and told him she’d found out about the sandwich and contacted HR, “and they consider it stealing, and it’s against policy. So I’m sorry, but I have to terminate you.” She fired him on the spot.
The incident comes up just as fast-food workers prepare for another strike this Thursday—and this time, they're asking baristas to join them. Seattle's fast-food walkouts this spring were extraordinarily successful, shutting down multiple restaurants, and this week, organizers for Good Jobs Seattle are encouraging low-wage workers in coffee


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The company, which makes freight and logistics software under the CargoWise brand, has long been a target of venture capital players, attracted by its strong revenue growth and profitability.
Founder and chief executive
The company has been around since the mid-1990s, but Mr White said global growth had been sharp since 2008 when it introduced software as a service model, which meant customers could be served via cloud computing.
The impending listing will pique the interest of investors wowed by the tearaway success of the IPO of New Zealand-based accounting software firm
WiseTech has all the revenue growth appeal of Xero, but unlike Xero it has been profitable for five years. Revenue for the 2014 financial year has not yet been officially lodged with ASIC, but looks like being up 35 per cent year on year to $60 million, with a profit margin the company described as “attractive and rising".
In 2013 it posted a profit of $4.7 million, up 55.6 per cent on 2012, when it made $3 million. This was on revenue of $44.8 million, which was a 31.6 per cent increase on $34 million in 2012.
One expert said while valuations could be eye-popping in the tech sector, it would be fair to assume WiseTech will start life as a listed entity with a market capitalisation of at least $1 billion, given the appetite for cloud-related specialist tech stocks.
Since listing on the ASX in late 2012 with a share price of $4.50, Xero has risen to $42.96 and currently sits at $23.59.
Investors were more cautious last week at the largest tech float of the year for education software provider
Mr White said one driver of the IPO was to crystallise value for the 70 staff shareholders, who represent about a quarter of all full-time employees. “When you have a very high-growth, successful company with 70 staff shareholders, you end up with almost a moral obligation to give people a way of crystallising that value," Mr White said.
“I think of myself as a CEO with an obligation to the rest of the shareholders and I think that an IPO is a way of doing right by them."
He said WiseTech had regularly batted away sale approaches, as he believed too much in the future growth potential in the business to see it broken up.
“My view is that this is a very long-term plan and an IPO is a dot point on the map, an intermediate objective on a greater plan to become a truly powerful and major global player in many of the adjacencies in the supply chain that we see," Mr White said.
He said funds from the IPO would be used for acquisitions in what he described as “close adjacencies". The company has acquired 13 businesses in the past decade, and Mr White said the company needed to have enough room on its balance sheet to be able to move quickly if necessary.
Already a dominant player in the Australian market, the CargoWise product is respected globally, with customers in 105 countries. The company derives almost 75 per cent of its revenue from outside Australia, with 32 per cent of its global licences held by Chinese operators.
“Ten per cent of our growth comes from customers rolling out across the world without a salesperson involved. Because of our move to an on-demand world and the cloud, the customer can just do that themselves," Mr White said.
Keeping it local
News of the WiseTech listing will be welcomed by executives at the ASX, who have previously expressed a desire to become a regional hub for the booming tech sector.
Speaking to the Financial Review after last week’s 3P Learning IPO, ASX chief executive
“I think a lot of the ingredients we need to have are already in place. We are a very large capital market worth about $1.5 trillion, we are a very flexible market to list on and we are starting to build a real track record now in listing tech companies," Mr Funke Kupper said. “About 12 out of 107 listings last year were tech listings – some very successful ones like
Mr White said it made sense for WiseTech to list on the ASX, rather than follow the lead of other leading local tech players such as
He said he understood why Atlassian’s United States-based backers were keen for it to list in the US, but felt he had a duty to demonstrate the ability of global tech companies to reside in Australia.
WiseTech’s choice to list in Australia had been made out of both patriotism and pragmatism, he said.
“We are not going to twist ourselves into a pretzel in order to list on the Nasdaq. It would put pressures on us in a way that would be bad for business if we were to try and turn ourselves into a Nasdaq listing," Mr White said. “I am very much of the view that ultimately, markets are transparent and that a good company is a good company anywhere. I think there are people that need to stand up and be counted in Australia, and to actually do something to show that Australian companies can be world leaders."
Confident in its credentials
While many tech listings around the world have led to speculation that company founder CEOs will struggle with the extra scrutiny of the market, Mr White says WiseTech has been run like a public company for years.
It has been audited for 14 years, has had a formal board with monthly meetings since 2007 and has all the committees and governance rules in place.
“I think we are in a position where a public listing would be [the least strain] it could possibly be, and my goal is to continue to work hard as the CEO of the company and to have others to help me with the listing," Mr White said.
He said while he was confident in his company’s credentials, he was not reading anything into the extravagant success of companies like Xero and Freelancer in relation to WiseTech.
“Freelancer’s IPO was nothing short of extraordinary, it was a wonderful thing to see. We don’t take any lessons from that. I rejoice in their success but don’t think it says anything about how we would list," Mr White said.
“Xero is an amazing story and I don’t think anybody can understand the numbers, so it probably doesn’t give us too many direct lessons either. However, it has informed us about how markets perceive software companies, and they have broken ground in a way that will allow us to communicate with investors in a more coherent way."
The Australian Financial Review


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Save on bandwidth while offering multiscreen viewers a premium experience: That’s the promise of Telestream ABR Optimize.
By Troy Dreier
While London’s BVE expo is still a week away, Telestream announced it will use the show to debut adaptive bitrate optimization, now a part of its Vantage media processing platform.
The ABR Optimize module will work with Vantage Multiscreen to manage the delivery of adaptive bitrate video. Content creators and service providers will be able to set a guaranteed quality level for their encoded adaptive bitrate video to ensure viewers get a premium experience.
Telestream notes that adaptive bitrate optimization can reduce bandwidth needs by 25 to 40 percent, translating to cost savings for the publisher. It also reduces viewer buffering, so the audience is more likely to stick around.
“In today’s competitive viewing environment, broadcasters and service providers live or die according to their ability to provide the best looking content on the broadest range of devices,” says Paul Turner, vice president of enterprise product management at Telestream. “There is an entirely different business model which sees OTT distribution increase in line with audience size. Vantage ABR Optimize provides users with a real competitive advantage—significant CDN savings reinforced by the best moving image quality, all the time, on every device.”
Those who want a closer look at ABR Optimize’s results should go to booth K06 at BVE.
Read More on streamingmedia.com


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Mobvoi’s TicWatch Pro 3 with LTE lands in France and Spain
Mobvoi’s TicWatch Pro 3 LTE is regarded as one of the best Wear OS-powered smartwatches out there. It was originally launched in September last year and subsequently arrived in India and select European markets a few months later. Now, the Chinese wearable maker is bringing its critically acclaimed smartwatch to two more markets.
Mobvoi has just launched the TicWatch Pro 3 LTE in France and Spain. Being an LTE model, the smartwatch supports SIM connectivity and will work on Orange’s LTE network. The smartwatch is already on sale in France and Spain and can be purchased from Amazon or Mobvoi’s online store at a starting price of €359.99.
For starters, the TicWatch Pro 3 LTE is a flagship smartwatch from Mobvoi. It features a 1.4-inch AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 3 in a body made out of stainless steel and plastic. It’s powered by Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon Wear 4100 platform along with 1GB of RAM and 8GB onboard storage. In terms of fitness tracking features, the watch can monitor your heart rate, stress level, blood oxygen level, sleep quality, etc. It can also record various sports and exercise activities. The TicWatch Pro 3 LTE also has a built-in GPS for precise navigation and an IP68 rating for water and dust protection. The battery life is rated for up to 72 hours on a single charge and can be extended to 45 days using Essential Mode.
Mobvoi recently rolled out a new software update to the TicWatch Pro 3 LTE, which brings several new improvements to the watch, including Google Assitant support, NFC payments, improved performance, a new suite of fitness tracking apps, battery optimizations, and more. Moreover, the smartwatch is also scheduled to receive the major Wear OS H-MR2 update next month, which is set to add even more features and improvements.