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- 5 taken to hospital from Apple data center Updated: Jun-02-15 4:31 am
MAIDEN, North Carolina - Officials say five people were taken to a hospital after a chemical leak at the Apple data center in Maiden.
- Intel buys into chips powering cloud computing, smarter cars Updated: Jun-01-15 3:47 pm
NEW YORK - Intel is buying chip designer Altera for about $16.7 billion in cash to expand its reach into new chip markets that are powering the wireless revolution, smarter cars and more.
- Woman tosses Apple computer that turns out to be worth $200K Updated: May-30-15 10:49 pm
MILPITAS, California - Her electronic waste is someone else's treasure.
- Hildreth man builds aquariums out of old Apple iMacs Updated: May-30-15 10:41 am
HILDRETH, Nebraska - Jake Harms might not be repairing old Apple computers in his basement workshop in Hildreth, but he's giving them new life all the same.
- Amazon ups Ohio jobs to 1,000, begins collecting sales taxes Updated: May-29-15 7:16 pm
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Amazon has selected Ohio as a major Midwest hub for its cloud computing operations, a decision the governor hailed Friday as a victory for the high-tech future of a state whose legacy was built on heavy manufacturing.
- The top 10 highest-paid female CEOs Updated: May-29-15 6:22 am
NEW YORK - Female CEOs are outpacing their male colleagues in pay, although they remain vastly outnumbered in the top echelons of American companies.
- Apple buys a maker of futuristic augmented-reality software Updated: May-28-15 6:20 pm
SAN FRANCISCO - Apple has bought a company that makes augmented-reality software, which adds information or images to real-world scenes when viewed through a special headset or even a smartphone camera.
- After security scandal, a tech firm says it's changing focus Updated: May-28-15 5:29 pm
SAN FRANCISCO - A Silicon Valley startup says it's shutting down operations and shifting to a new business model after it was blamed earlier this year for turning unwitting computer users into targets for annoying web ads - and hackers.
- Avago looks to grow with $37B deal for chipmaker Broadcom Updated: May-28-15 5:15 pm
NEW YORK - Avago Technologies is buying rival chipmaker Broadcom in a cash and stock deal worth about $37 billion, vastly expanding its lineup of products for the rapidly growing wireless device market at a time when sales growth has otherwise been tough to come by for smaller chipmakers.
- Pakistan judge orders CEO held for faked diploma allegations Updated: May-27-15 9:01 am
KARACHI, Pakistan - A Pakistani judge ordered police Wednesday to hold and question the embattled CEO of a software company for a week on allegations he oversaw a global diploma mill, as broadcasters aired images of blank degrees stacked in his firm's offices.
- Slice of Silicon Valley: Strictly Business Computer Systems Updated: May-25-15 9:59 am
HUNTINGTON, West Virginia - It was a Wednesday at 1 p.m., and there was tension in the offices at Strictly Business Computer Systems in Huntington.
- HP's 2Q earnings slip, but still top analyst views Updated: May-21-15 5:53 pm
PALO ALTO, California - Hewlett-Packard Co.'s earnings slipped in the latest quarter as the long-slumping technology company struggled to boosts its sales while preparing to split up its operations.
- Hewlett-Packard sells stake in Chinese unit for $2.3B Updated: May-21-15 4:37 pm
NEW YORK - Hewlett-Packard is selling a controlling stake in its China server and storage unit, a move that comes as the Chinese government, apparently worried about U.S. cyberspying, has encouraged the use of local companies.
- Apple updates MacBook Pro, cuts price on high-end iMac Updated: May-19-15 10:26 am
NEW YORK - Apple is introducing an updated MacBook Pro and iMac and lowering the price for its top-end iMac.
- West Haven man to turn troubled nightclub into restaurant Updated: May-17-15 3:05 am
WEST HAVEN, Connecticut - The former Central Pub across Campbell Avenue from City Hall is closed. A new owner plans to open up a new restaurant and bar, Stevie B's, that he says will "provide a safe, fun, clean atmosphere"- and far less trouble.
- Prying parents: Phone monitoring apps flourish in S. Korea Updated: May-15-15 4:46 am
SEOUL, South Korea - Lee Chang-june can be miles from his 12-year-old son but still know when he plays a smartphone game. With the press of an app he can see his son's phone activity, disable apps or totally shut down the smartphone.
- Cisco tops Street 3Q forecasts Updated: May-13-15 4:31 pm
SAN JOSE, California - Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) on Wednesday reported fiscal third-quarter profit of $2.44 billion.
- Romania turns hacking crisis into advantage, helping Ukraine Updated: May-13-15 3:34 am
BUCHAREST, Romania - Ukraine is turning to an unlikely partner in its struggle to defend itself against Russian cyber warfare: Romania.
- Samsung announces new push into Internet-connected gadgets Updated: May-12-15 3:43 pm
SAN FRANCISCO - Samsung wants to sell the digital brains that will go into billions of "smart" home appliances, industrial sensors and other Internet-connected gadgets - even if the gadgets aren't made by Samsung.
- Verizon buys AOL for $4.4 billion in mobile video bet Updated: May-12-15 2:59 pm
NEW YORK - After selling millions of Americans their mobile phones, Verizon now wants to capture their eyeballs, too.
- Connecticut based company says 'smart homes' on the rise Updated: May-09-15 3:06 am
STAMFORD, Connecticut - Phil de Terlizzi likens today's rapid proliferation of smartphone apps to the widespread use of remote controls for TVs and cable boxes that still clutter many coffee tables more than 65 years after the first ones hit the market.
- ACT to expand computer-based testing Updated: May-08-15 9:31 am
WASHINGTON - ACT test takers take note: The No. 2 pencil is losing its cachet. Greater numbers of high school students will be able to take the college entrance exam on a computer next year.
- In Tech: Mobile app, mobile phone, online TV Updated: May-08-15 4:11 am
NEW YORK - The iconic designer behind the simulation video games "Sim City" and "The Sims" wants people to tell stories visually on their mobile phones.
- Study: Top tech firms bypassing Asian workers for exec jobs Updated: May-06-15 3:38 pm
SAN FRANCISCO - Google, Yahoo and other major technology companies are far more inclined to hire Asians as computer programmers than to promote them to become managers or executives, according to a study released Wednesday.
- Feds: 6 sweepstakes companies agree to quit North Carolina Updated: May-06-15 2:20 pm
RALEIGH, North Carolina - Federal prosecutors announced Wednesday that they have reached an agreement with six large video sweepstakes companies that requires them to stop providing equipment and software to hundreds of Internet cafes in North Carolina.


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Beef and mushrooms are a winning combination. Served on a good steak, sautéed mushrooms add a complexity of flavor and savoriness. Mushrooms (often joined by Swiss cheese) make a great burger topping, too. It makes sense that adding ground mushrooms straight into a burger patty could create a tasty blended burger.
Sonic Drive-In is putting mushrooms right into their burger patties. This new menu item, the Sonic Slinger, will roll out in August in several test markets for 60 days, according to Fast Company. Made from 25 to 30 percent mushrooms, the blended burger will have less fat and fewer calories than an all-beef burger, along with a smaller carbon footprint.
The blended burger is not a new idea in the restaurant world. The James Beard Foundation began the Blended Burger Project in 2015, challenging chefs to create a better burger with at least 25 percent fresh, cultivated mushrooms, ground up and added to other burger ingredients. The project's aim is to get more burgers on menus that are healthier and less beef-heavy, add nutrients like vitamin D, potassium and B vitamins to burgers via mushrooms, and encourage sustainability.
The project is currently in its third year. This year's competition began Memorial Day and will run through July 31, with restaurants like Rye & Thyme in Massachusetts making their own blends and getting creative with the topping combinations.
Sonic, however, is the first major fast-food chain to sell a burger made of combined beef and mushrooms. The Slinger will come on a brioche bun with either mayo, onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles and cheese, or bacon, mayo and American cheese.
Mushroom for improvement
I'm curious about the Slinger. If the company tests the blended burger at a store near me, I'll probably go check it out and see if they've been able to create something delicious. Some people in the focus groups who have already tasted the burger say it's better than the all-beef version. If this goes well, and other fast-food and fast-casual restaurants create their own versions, it could make a significant dent in the amount of beef consumed.
With about 25 percent less beef in the patty, plus a filler that's tasty and nutritious, burgers like these are a promising way to curb beef production and consumption. A burger that's one-quarter mushroom can make a big difference environmentally. Producing a pound of mushrooms requires about 0.7 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, according to a recent study, while the carbon footprint for a pound of beef is 12.3 pounds, making beef one of the most carbon-intensive foods we eat.
If you don't want to wait for Sonic to roll out its blended burgers, some of the participating restaurants in the Blended Burger Project may have their burgers on the menu right now. Call ahead to confirm.

domain: news


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Plans to move Tesco’s Hibel Road store to a derelict mill nearby could create hundreds of new jobs in the town.
The supermarket chain, which employs 296 people at its store, wants to build a much bigger Tesco Extra over the way at Black Road – with an additional 200 jobs. It would be on the site of Barracks Mill, which was destroyed by a fire in 2004.
Tesco’s current premises would then be converted into warehouse units for other retailers, potentially creating a further 100 jobs.
Matthew Magee, Tesco’s corporate affairs manager, said: “These are exciting times for Macclesfield and we want to be part of the wider investment in the town.
“Our plans for Barracks Mill will help to regenerate an important site that has stood derelict for seven years. Now we are bringing forward the chance to bring the site back to life, improving our supermarket offering, creating new jobs and pro-actively targeting long-term unemployed, including young people and deliver a new retail scheme.”
He added that plans include working with local groups to look at improving links to the town centre, improving the Middlewood Way and ensuring sufficient car parking.
Tesco’s Metro store on Exchange Street is also set for a multi-million pound facelift.
Macclesfield MP David Rutley said improved town centre links would be particularly welcome.
He said: “I’m pleased that Tesco is showing a real vote of confidence in Macclesfield. I’ll be interested to see the plans in more detail but I think it’s critical that Tesco gets involved with future plans for the town centre should this scheme go forward.
“The regeneration is particularly important for Macclesfield and the regeneration of the town centre.”
Ward councillor Gill Boston is pushing for jobs to be targeted at local youngsters. She said: “It’s going to bring quite a few jobs and, for my ward in particular, that’s a good thing.
“As far as I’m aware they have agreed to ring-fence those jobs around local people which is brilliant. As we all know unemployment is a big issue at the moment, particularly for young people.”
She added: “A proper consultation needs to take place with people living in Macclesfield and other business so we don’t end up with a new Tesco that takes business away from the town centre.”
Tesco will submit plans following a public exhibition of proposals at the The Heritage Centre, Roe Street, on Monday, December 5, at 2-7pm, or Tesco on Hibel Road on Tuesday, December 6, at 10am-6pm.


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Modus Games has shared a new trailer and confirmed a release window for the studio’s upcoming role-playing game, Cris Tales.
We’ve been following the development of Cris Tales since its impressive reveal at E3 2019. It’s a striking JRPG tribute that features outstanding art direction, and an intriguing time-bending gameplay conceit.
Modus Games has been relatively quiet regarding the game’s progress, but the studio has now confirmed it will launch this July on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG and Stadia. Pre-orders are open now from the official Cris Tales website.
To accompany the announcement, Modus has unveiled a new trailer that showcases some more of the game’s locations and featues. A new blog post from the studio also takes a detailed look at its characters, combat, and gameplay mechanics.
Cris Tales – Overview Trailer
If you’re curious about Cris Tales, you don’t have to wait until July to sample the game. A free demo is still available from the Xbox Digital Games Store, PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop, Steam, and GOG.
Bookmark our dedicated new releases page for the latest Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch games. And follow Thumbsticks on Flipboard, Facebook, Google News, and Twitter for a regular delivery of gaming news.
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Thumbsticks has a couple of main aims. We want to write interesting articles and cover games that most outlets won't, and we want to give opportunities to new writers and new voices. And right now, with the current state of online publishing? It's tough! We hate to ask, but if you want us to continue writing what others won't, or to keep covering weird indie games, or to be able to give opportunities to new writers – and only if you can afford it – then please consider supporting us on Patreon.
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One of the biggest surprises at E3 2017 was that Psyonix was going to bring their popular title Rocket League to the Nintendo Switch. Since then, fans have been wondering what the version will have, and what it won’t have. Psyonix has said it will have ALL the features of the other games, but, it will also have exclusive things to the Nintendo Switch version. And, at Gamescom 2017, a new trailer for these special cars was shown, and they’re awesome. Basically, the cars are getting a new paint job of sorts, and will be stylized after Mario, Luigi, and Samus Aran. And though we shouldn’t do favorites…the Metroid car is awesome. Rocket League will arrive on Nintendo Switch this Holiday season.
In order to celebrate the two year anniversary of the release of Rocket League, developer Psyonix has teamed up with Adult Swim to release a collection of free Rick and Morty themed items. These free cosmetic items will launch on July 5 and be available to all players. The items will drop after completing matches, including in the singleplayer, meaning that they should be relatively easy to obtain. The DLC pack will include toppers of Rick, Morty, Mr. Meeseeks, Mr Poopy Butthole, and a Cromulon. A new rocket booster and a set os “Sanchez DC-137” wheels will also be added to the title.
There were some major surprises in terms of cross-platform play at E3 2017. Minecraft was revealed to be getting a free “unified edition” that would allow players on PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and all mobile platforms to play together. Then, Rocket League was announced for Nintendo Switch, and would also support Cross-play between Xbox One and PC. What you might have noticed is that PS4 is not listed on either of those titles. Turns out, Sony blocked cross-play between those games. Turns out, Sony didn’t want to hurt their current fan base, as SIE global sales and marketing head Jim Ryan said to Eurogamer, “We’ve got to be mindful of our responsibility to our install base.” He went on to specifically talk about Minecraft: “We have a contract with the people who go online with us, that we look after them and they are within the PlayStation curated universe,” he said. “Exposing what in many cases are children to external influences we have no ability to manage or look
When Nintendo Switch was first announced, it had a lot of big 3rd party support, some of which was shown off in a big way at E3. But fans wondered what the next big third party game would be. Well, at the Nintendo E3 Spotlight, Rocket League was officially announced to be coming from Psynonix. Apparently, fans have been asking this of Psyonix for a while, and they were all too happy to oblige. The game will be coming out in Holiday 2017, and will feature Cross-Platform play, meaning you can play with others on other consoles. It will also have exclusive items, exclusive cars, and every single mode and update that has come out since the games release. So that just shows that developers are listening to what you want.
The Nintendo Switch has been getting a lot of support from developers from all over, moreso, the fans of certain titles are wondering if certain big name titles could come to the Switch. Especially since the Switch is a mobile platform and can be played anywhere. The big one for sure is Rocket League from Psyonix, which has been on Xbox One and PS4 and PC, and even has Cross-Play. So, could it come to Switch? Well, Psyonix Studios’ Vice President Jeremy Dunham talked with IGN about this: “Just like all the other platforms, we are evaluating it. We’re looking to see what the technical requirements are,” Dunham said. “We’re looking to see what kind of true community demand there is. We’re looking to see how it would benefit the community as a whole. So we’re still in that evaluation phase. It’s definitely too early to say that it wouldn’t happen, but it’s also definitely too early to say that it would.” For them, this isn’t just about what they want,
Psyonix officially announced this week that Rocket League will be getting a new free gameplay mode next month. The new gameplay mode is called Rocket League Rumble. It’s described as an anarchic, chaotic game mode that launches in September. You can also check out a trailer for Rumble Mode below. The mode was revealed today at the finale of the Rocket League Championship series in Hollywood, California. Rumble will be a free new gameplay mode that allows players to take part in a battle royale with randomized power-ups. The power-ups include the Haymaker, which punches the ball, the Swapper, which changes your place with an opponent’s, and the Tornado. There are 11 new power-ups in total that bring an extra dimension to the gameplay. Rumble will be available in online playlists when it launches next month. It will also be available in Private and Exhibition matches. The complete power-up list includes: The Boot (Kick’s an opponent’s car) Disruptor (Forces the opponent to drive uncontrollably) Freezer (Freezes the ball in-place) Grappling Hook (Pulls
For Electronic Arts, though making money is important, making, and sometimes finding, great games is important too. That’s why they’re putting so much effort into their EA Originals initiative. Where they will seek out great indie games and bring them to consoles. Such as what happened with Rocket League. “Would I want to be the guy that found Rocket League?” asked Söderlund. “Yes. Would I want that to be an EA property? Of course I would like to. That’s [the idea behind EA Originals]. For us to be able to find these people and help understand what they’re building and help push it to market. For us to find something else. I was essentially a small indie developer myself,” Söderlund continued. “Battlefield 1942 was made by 14 people. It was, in today’s means, an indie game. Had I not had the proper support and funding for it, I wouldn’t be in this industry. So, for me it’s about finding not necessarily the next Battlefield, but finding the talent out there…
In a official reveal on their website, Psyonix has revealed a bunch of new content for their game Rocket League. Arguably the biggest is a new stadium called Neo Tokyo. “Neo Tokyo’s origin began as the popular Rocket Labs arena, Underpass. This was the first arena to have multiple levels and was inspired by feedback from top-level players. Now, it returns with a fantastic visual theme and streamlined gameplay improvements!” But also, two Neo Tokyo inspired vehicles will be coming out July 18th: “Two Neo Tokyo-inspired premium cars — Esper and Masamune — bring their distinctive anime style to Rocket League®’s ever-growing collection of playable vehicles!” Psyonix even went so far as to bring back some classic cars for a special Collector’s Edition of the game: “Back by popular demand from Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars, the jet-inspired Aftershock and monstrous Marauder will retain their original thematic style but also sport a new, more modern visual look. Available first as part of the Rocket League Collector’s Edition, both vehicles will go
Psyonix officially announced today that some classic vehicles are going to make a return in Rocket League as some upcoming premium DLC. The new DLC will see the return of two popular vehicles from the original Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket Powered Battle-Cars in Rocket League for the game on all platforms. You can check out the reveal trailer for the DLC below. The returning vehicles include the classic SARPBC cars, the Aftershock and Marauder. Both will have their original thematic styles but also have a new and more modern visual look. The vehicles will also have six decals that will be immediately unlocked. The Aftershock and Marauder cars will first become available as a timed exclusive DLC for the Rocket League Collector’s Edition. That version will have a retail release in Europe on June 24 and North America on July 5. The worldwide release will follow on July 18. Both cars will get get released as individual, purchasable DLC. They will be priced at $1.99 each or the regional equivalent. Psyonix’s
Psyonix has officially announced that Rocket League is now officially able to support cross-network play. In a pretty huge, momentous moment for online multiplayer gaming, Rocket League will now have cross-network play between players on Xbox One and Steam PC versions of the game. Rocket League marks the first-ever Xbox One game to feature cross-network support. The Rocket League community for Xbox One runs up to nearly two million players since it launched for the console last February. Now the Xbox One players will be able to play in a much bigger pool of gamers. Players can choose cross-network gameplay in both public and private matches, or they can opt not to include cross-network rivals. This is possible using an easy-to-find toggle check box in the game’s Options menu. Speaking on the occasion, Psyonix vice president Jeremy Dunham stated in a press release, “We’re really excited to bring Xbox One and PC players closer together. Cross-network play has been something that Xbox One gamers have been asking us for since the day
A new mode is coming to Rocket League next week, called the “Hoops Update”, it’ll add a new Basketball Mode to the game. One fully backed by the NBA. But that’s not all, a special Witcher Item is also coming via the free update. One that’ll allow you to put the Witcher Symbol on your car as an antenna topper. Below is the official update from the Rocket League site: “Your excitement for Rocket League Hoops has been infectious. As your anticipation has continued to rise over these last several weeks, so too has our eagerness to bring it to you. Luckily, we finally get to do so next week. If this is the first you’ve heard of “Hoops Mode,” though, then check out our official trailer below. It perfectly illustrates what our new game-type is all about — a dynamic basketball twist to our classic soccer-meets-driving gameplay. The “Hoops” patch will be coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC (via Steam). As the headline says, Rocket League Hoops will
Rocket League is about to get an interesting and exciting new gameplay mode inspired by NBA basketball. Psyonix officially announced today that Rocket League will receive a new gameplay mode called Hoops Mode. This new gameplay mode will be part of a regularly-scheduled game update on April 26. In addition, there will be a new NBA Flag Pack that will feature the logos of all 30 NBA teams represented as in-game flags. This will be available for sale as premium DLC. The new mode is coming due to the positive reaction from the Rocket League community for the Snow Day Hockey Mode. Hoops Mode features a new dynamic basketball mode that is similar to soccer-meets-driving. There will also be a free new arena called Dunk House. In Hoops Mode, the net can be used as a ramp for the ball. Aerials and wall-play will be key to victory in this mode. Rocket League’s Hoops mode is a free update for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC via Steam. There will


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So if you want to get 15 generally excellent tracks (we know; we've listened to it), then head on over and snag it now!
So if you want to get 15 generally excellent tracks (we know; we've listened to it), then head on over and snag it now!
Betas, Trailers, Video, Business Models, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Massively Meta, Trading Card Games, Consoles, MMOFPS, Events (Massively's Coverage), Miscellaneous, Not So Massively, World of Warships, MOBA, League of Legends, Crowdfunding, Destiny, Elite: Dangerous, Path of Exile, Hearthstone, E-sports, OARPG
This past weekend was PAX South 2015, the first PAX held in San Antonio, and our reporters covered not-so-massive online games in addition to MMORPGs, including Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous, Shroud of the Avatar, Gigantic, Moonrise and State of Decay, Pox Nora, and TUG. Here's what else the week brought not-so-massive fans.
- Jef took a look at sandbox Space Engineers for MMO Burnout.
- League of Legends' 2015 World Championship will be held in Europe.
- Marvel Heroes kicked off a cow-themed promotion and opened pre-orders for the Winter Soldier.
- DayZ has now sold over 3 million early access copies.
- Elite: Dangerous' February patch will focus on "new type of story-driven collaborative content."
- Heroes of Newerth is adding a new quest system and game mode.
- Path of Exile threatened cheaters with the banhammer.
- The Crew announced a new three-car DLC bundle.
- TUG implemented multiplayer.
- World of Warships now has aircraft carriers.
- Borderlands Online posted a trailer in time for its Chinese technical test.
- My.com released a new World of Speed trailer (it's after the cut).
- Heroes in the Sky is yet another WWII arcade battler.
- Shards of War introduced a new playable sentinel named Patches.
- League of Legends new Nemesis Draft mode is not going well.
- Destiny's getting a new PvP mode.
- Hearthstone's January 2015 ranked play season is drawing to a close.
- The "Wyrmius" minigame arrived in Warframe.
- Nosgoth landed in open beta.
- MOBA The Witcher: Battle Arena launched on mobile.
- A town in the Philippines banned Dota following a fatal stabbing over the game.
Betas, Trailers, Video, Business Models, Game Mechanics, PvP, News Items, Trading Card Games, Consoles, MMOFPS, MMORTS, World of Tanks, Miscellaneous, Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III, Crowdfunding, Destiny, Elite: Dangerous, Path of Exile, Buy-to-Play, Hearthstone, E-sports, OARPG
- Heroes of the Storm is now in closed beta. Blizz also previewed the Sky Temple map.
- Blizzard announced the 2015 Hearthstone World Championship.
- Riot announced League of Legends' mid-season invitational for May, pushed patch 5.1 live, and revealed Nemesis Draft, a new featured game mode. The game will also be celebrating Aussie players on Oceania servers later this month.
- Elite: Dangerous mapped out the beta schedule for its inbound updates and teased future expansions.
- Path of Exile completed PvP season one with its invitational tournament this weekend.
- Marvel Heroes pubbed its level 52 Hulk review.
- Diablo III patched 2.1.2 and ended season one.
- Borderlands Online revealed its four classes.
- World of Tanks introduced personal missions.
- MOBA Nosgoth's open beta is set to begin on January 21st.
- MMORTS Elvenar explained how to upgrade buildings.
- Square Enix publishe a dev blog for MOBA Lord of Vermilion.
- Infestation: Survivor Stories EP Sergey Titov admitted that the post-apoc game's original name, The War Z, was a "terrible choice."
- King of Wushu released videos for three new playable characters.
- Massively's Jukebox Heroes column reviewed Destiny's soundtrack. The game will launch the hardmode version of Crota's End this week.
- Dota 2 now boasts over 10 million players.
- Netmarble and Visual Toys announced they'll launch MOBA Pirates: Treasure Hunter next month.
- Former pro League of Legends team Vulcan leaped into fantasy e-sports.
- MOBA Summoner's Legion opens its first official server this coming Wednesday.
- Way, way too many devs think MOBAs are smart and sustainable for it to actually remain true. Ahem.
This week Kentucky's University of Pikeville followed suit when it publicized its offering of "at least 20 scholarships" to LoL players who will be treated like the school's other student-athletes. "There will be practice time and video time when they have to study other teams for upcoming competitions," said the university's new media director Bruce Parsons.
The firm explains why in a Q&A posted this week, and the short version is that your ISP is focused primarily on moving large amounts of data in seconds or minutes, which is fine for streaming video but not so fine for real-time gaming. To make matters worse, your internet connection "might bounce all over the country instead of running directly to where it needs to go," Riot says, "which can impact your network quality and ping whether the game server is across the country or right down the street."
The solution is a direct network for LoL traffic as well as some sort of partnership with US and Canadian ISPs to facilitate player access.
Betas, Super-hero, Trailers, Video, Business Models, Classes, Events (Real-World), Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, Launches, Patches, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Marvel Heroes, Mobile, Consoles, Crime, MMOFPS, Miscellaneous, Not So Massively, MechWarrior Online, MOBA, League of Legends, Crowdfunding, Destiny, Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous, Infinite Crisis, Hearthstone, E-sports, OARPG
- Jagex announced that it plans to shut down the Transformers Universe MOBA in January.
- Elite: Dangerous launched this week. We compared it to EVE Online and drooled over a ridiculously cool Elite-centered PC rig.
- SMITE explored Awilix in depth, kicked off Saturnalia, and announced a $2,000,000 prize pool for its World Championships. SMITECentral named it the 5th highest prize pool in e-sports history. [Thanks, Sorenthaz!]
- Star Citizen released Arena Commander 1.0.
- League of Legends issues a royal welcome to one and all to its Snowdown 2014 celebration.
- Hearthstone formally launched worldwide on Android devices.
- Marvel Heroes adds Venom and put almost everything in the game on sale for 50% off.
- MechWarrior Online patched in a 64-bit client.
- War Thunder's Steel Generals expansion beta is live.
- A Destiny player beat the expansion's new content solo.
- Riot Games tried to beat League of Legends hackers by hiring them.
- Undead Labs answered player questions about Moonrise.
- DayZ is adding a bunch of new themed items for the holidays. The team also posted an anniversary video.
- Infinite Crisis released playable Swamp Thing.
- MOBA Shards of War introduced new sentinel Bastion.
- After much delay, GTA Online will be getting heists next year.
Betas, Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Business Models, Expansions, Launches, MMO Industry, Patches, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Mobile, Consoles, MMOFPS, MMORTS, Post-Apocalyptic, Miscellaneous, Not So Massively, World of Warplanes, MOBA, League of Legends, Destiny, Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous, Infinite Crisis, Hearthstone
- Hearthstone's first expansion, Goblins vs. Gnomes, launched earlier today after major balance tweaks last week.
- Ubisoft's action-driving MMO The Crew launched, landing at #6 on the UK charts.
- Destiny previewed The Dark Below and again rejected raid matchmaking.
- Over 27 million people tuned in to watch League of Legends' world finals.
- Zombie MOBA Dead Island: Epidemic launched into open beta.
- That rumor about a Borderlands MMO was true, though it's coming only to China.
- Warface will sunset on the Xbox 360 in February.
- Path of Exile prepped for its 1.3 update and tournament season one.
- Heroes of the Storm teased model updates and master skins.
- Infinite Crisis dredged up a playable Swamp Thing.
- Star Citizen's Hornet was made available to all backers.
- Frontier teased the Elite: Dangerous trailer and gave away old-school Elite for Mac.
- World of Speed profiled the BMW Z4 roadster in a new video.
- World of Warplanes taught us how to do a canopy roll.
- Nerd Kingdom told backers it's hopeful about an investor for TUG.
- Elvenar's devs posted a video preview of the MMORTS.
You can soak up the rest of the numbers at Riot's official website.
Not So Massively: Elite's refund controversy, Civ Online's closed beta, and Ghost in the Shell's G-Star debut
Betas, Trailers, Video, Business Models, Game Mechanics, Launches, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Mobile, Consoles, MMOFPS, World of Tanks, Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Crowdfunding, Destiny, Hearthstone, E-sports
- Elite: Dangerous navigated the refund controversy over its canceled offline mode.
- OFPS Ghost in the Shell unveiled its debut trailer at G-Star.
- Civilization Online posted a sweet new closed beta trailer.
- Blizzard explained the spare parts mechanic in Hearthstone's upcoming Goblins vs. Gnomes expansion.
- The opening cinematic for Destiny's upcoming expansion DLC was leaked. A demo version of the game is also now available. Bungie is reportedly planning more accommodation for solo play.
- This is how you stop exploits: Riot's paying out cash money to players who find League of Legends bugs. The studio's also working hard to disincentivize leavers.
- Tencent, Riot's main stakeholder, saw its Beijing offices vandalized earlier today.
- SMITE revealed Ao Kuang, the Dragon King of the Eastern Seas.
- Star Citizen explained its death mechanics.
- NCsoft's MOBA, Master X Master, is coming to mobile devices.
- MOBA TOME: Immortal Arena landed on Steam.
- The Crew launches its console beta tomorrow.
- Warframe's Archwing update hits consoles.
- World of Speed uploaded a new teaser focused on Toyota's Supra Mk 4.
- Ingress turned two years old and published an infographic to celebrate.
- GTA Online's character transfers are busted for accounts dormant since 2013.
- World of Tanks' Xbox 360 edition rolled out the German Maus heavy tank.
- The Order and Chaos MOBA, Heroes of Chaos, is due for a large mobile update.
- A StarCraft II player was booted from a tournament after tweeting about raping his female opponent.
The studio has been testing out the program with a smaller group and has given $100,000 in rewards so far: "Currently in closed beta, the Riot bug bounty program is only available to a few security professionals who we've already identified. These professionals have helped us squish more than 75 bugs, vulnerabilities, and exploits, including client crash exploits, vision related exploits, and vulnerabilities that could potentially lead to player impersonation on forums."
Betas, Video, Business Models, Game Mechanics, Patches, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Mobile, Consoles, MMOFPS, Dev Diaries, Miscellaneous, Not So Massively, World of Warplanes, MOBA, League of Legends, Crowdfunding, Destiny, Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous, Infinite Crisis, Buy-to-Play, Hearthstone, E-sports, OARPG
- Smilegate announced Lost Ark, a gorgeous Korean OARPG.
- Destiny updated with a massive 2.44 gig patch. One in five copies, claims Superdata, was sold digitally.
- Blizzard won its lawsuit against Legend of Crouching Dragon, an overt Hearthstone clone. A new HS trailer was also posted.
- Elite: Dangerous canceled the offline gameplay mode it promised during its Kickstarter campaign.
- Jagex announced potential layoffs affecting the Transformers Universe team.
- Dota 2's new update teases the Oracle.
- Warframe attempted to set a Guinness world record for moustaches (results are still pending, but over $9000 was raised -- yes, over 9000).
- Star Citizen's crowdfunding total topped $61 million.
- Riot Games found a way to reward the 95% of League of Legends players who are jerks.
- World of Warplanes celebrated its first anniversary.
- Mobile MOBA Vainglory launches on iOS tomorrowday.
- Infinite Crisis plans to release Arcane Supergirl in November.
- The Crew hyped its season pass in a new trailer.
- SMITE previewed new god Ao Kuang.
- Moonrise's devs discussed the game's PvP meta.
The team posted a letter praising "positive behavior" in the community, saying that 95% of players have never received punishment. Furthermore, only 1% of the crowd have caused issues that resulted in lengthy bans or chat restrictions. Riot says that it is trying out new ideas to further combat bad behavior: "We've recently been focused on addressing extreme cases of verbal toxicity, and will soon be testing additional systems that address gameplay toxicity like leavers, AFKs, and intentional feeders."
To players who haven't received any punishments in the 2014 season, Riot will be granting four-win IP boosts next week.
Betas, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Super-hero, Trailers, Video, Business Models, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, Lore, New Titles, Patches, Previews, PvP, News Items, War, Free-to-Play, Mobile, Trading Card Games, Consoles, MMOFPS, Miscellaneous, Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III, Destiny, Elite: Dangerous, HEX, Hearthstone, The Division, OARPG, Overwatch
- Blizzard announced online team-shooter Overwatch at BlizzCon. Chris Metzen says Blizzard is trying to build a more representative game with less hypersexualization.
- Hearthstone is launching in December and getting a new expansion: Goblins vs. Gnomes.
- EA's MOBA Dawngate is shutting down in three months.
- League of Legends introduced Kalista, the Spear of Vengeance.
- MMOTCG HEX dropped its beta key requirement but denied that it is in open beta.
- Heroes of the Storm's closed beta starts January 13th. It's also getting a sweet Diablo III-themed map.
- Diablo III previewed its upcoming season. According to content designer Kevin Martens, Diablo was once considered for an MMO, but no longer.
- David Braben says Elite: Dangerous' December 16th launch date is "sensible."
- Star Citizen passed $60 million in fundraising.
- Quirky indie MMOFPS Hunternet boasts 700-player battles.
- World of Tanks' 9.4 patch added Stalingrad map and tweaked strongholds.
- The Crew hinted at a new "PvP mode" and season passes.
- MechWarrior Online's latest dev vlog covered inner sphere quirks and faction switching.
- Ubisoft said that The Division's PC experience won't suffer because of consoles.
- Some jerk swatted a Bungie/Destiny exec; the internet demands prison time for said jerk.
- The latest World of Speed vid features nearly four minutes of gameplay.
- Bigpoint's Shards of War introduced a new sentinel, Vox.
- Undead Labs discussed balance in Moonrise.
- Dota is now the subject of a course at Chongqing Energy College in China.
Kalista is a marksman who cooperates with her Soul-Bound to deal substantial sustained damage, access her full repertoire of abilities and wither her enemies under her relentless assault. Kalista’s potential is unlocked by solid communication and cooperation with allies rather than raw mechanical skill. While still capable in her own right, Kalista misses out on Soul-Marked's bonus damage and effective use of her ult without direct cooperation from her ally.Riot has a brief unembeddable spotlight clip on the official site; we've included a longer one from YouTuber SkinSpotlights below.
One such player is 22-year-old Wei Han-Dong, who "retired" from playing professionally in order to sign a contract to stream 90 hours of matches a month for $817,863 a year. He maintains that streaming is less stressful than entering in tournaments, in which he was part of a world championship team in 2012.
The lengthy article discusses how competitive and costly the world of professional esports and streaming has become, how managers are paying large chunks of money to sign players, and how the industry is rife with negativity and instability.
Posted on Jan 29th 2015 8:00PM
Posted on Jan 29th 2015 7:00PM
Posted on Jan 29th 2015 4:00PM


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The retail sector was strong throughout the holidays behind robust consumer spending. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reported Friday (Jan. 4) the sector added 37,600 jobs in December compared to a year ago. The retail gains, which exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants, came as the nation added 312,000 jobs overall, the Labor Department said.
“Today’s numbers indicate that labor demand remains strong and signal that the economy is more stable than what the financial markets suggest,” NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said in a news release. “The strong growth in employment confirms that the labor market is still expanding. And while the unemployment rate increased, it did so for the right reason — more individuals are seeking to enter the labor force since wages are growing and more attractive.”
December’s retail job numbers built on a revised increase of 31,100 jobs in November from October. The three-month moving average, which had been at a loss of 6,700 jobs as of November, rose to an increase of 15,200 jobs in December, the trade group noted.
Roughly half of the new retail jobs (15,000) were added at general merchandise stores, which include department stores and warehouse clubs. Roughly 4,000 jobs were added at food and beverage stores. There were losses of 1,100 jobs at online and other non-store retailers and 9,400 jobs at sporting goods and hobby stores.
The Labor Department reported hourly earnings in December rose 11 cents to $27.48, compared to November. Hourly earnings compared to a year ago rose 3.2%, or 84 cents. Unemployment was 3.9%, up from 3.7% in November.
Kleinhenz said retail job numbers reported by the Labor Department do not provide an accurate picture of the industry because they count only employees who work in stores while excluding retail workers in other parts of the business such as corporate headquarters, distribution centers, call centers and innovation labs.
NRF also reported retailers hired roughly 576,000 season employees in November and December. The tight labor market hindered the sector’s ability to hire the anticipated 585,000 jobs the Federation predicted.
“Retailers would have been happy to hire more seasonal workers if they could have found them,” Kleinhenz said. “Our industry continues to have more job openings than applicants even for full-time positions.”


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VANCOUVER - The train to Whistler snakes past turquoise rivers and towering, forest-clad mountains. On a clear day you can see glaciers cradled in among the high peaks. Given this kind of scenery, you'd think the ride would be one of British Columbia's top tourist draws. There is only one problem -- you can't buy a ticket.
Since BC Rail shut down its money-losing passenger service on the line last year the track is used solely for freight. Now a group of entrepreneurs is hoping to change that. Mike Drever, president of Whistler Rail Tours, is betting his company has the marketing clout to turn a profit on a passenger service where the provincial rail operator could not.
The founder and head of a chain of travel agencies, Mr. Drever said his group is planning to spend about $25-million on a new train designed to appeal to the high-end tourist trade. His target market is cruise ship passengers, a little over a million of whom passed through Vancouver last year. Most are on their way either to join a cruise up the coast to Alaska or heading home from one. According to Mr. Drever, less than 40% spend more than a single night in British Columbia.
"When you ask them why they didn't spend any time here, they say they weren't made aware of what there was to do," Mr. Drever said.
Whistler Rail Tours is still in negotiations with BC Rail for permission to use the track but hopes to have a deal in place within the next few months, Mr. Drever said, adding the company is also in talks with a rail car manufacturer in the United States.
But some observers are skeptical of the venture. BC Rail began its passenger service between Vancouver and Prince George, a lumber town in the central part of the province, in the early 1950s. But in recent years the route, which stops in Whistler, has been a money loser, said Alan Dever, a spokesman for the company, a Crown corporation.
The Cariboo Prospector, the main service, lost nearly $5-million in 2001, Mr. Dever said. A more expensive service catering specifically to tourists called Whistler Northwind, which only began operating in 2001, lost $2-million that year. BC Rail ended both services late last year after deciding the revenue they were bringing in did not justify the losses. According to Mr. Dever, regularly scheduled passenger trains anywhere in North America rarely make money.
Rocky Mountaineer Railtours, which operates between Vancouver and Calgary, is profitable but in the jargon of the industry it is not a regular passenger service. It serves almost exclusively tourists, making it a niche operator. The journey between Whistler and Vancouver "is incredibly scenic," said Graham Gilley, the company's vice-president of marketing and communications. "But you would have to be very creative to be successful. It would take an experienced operator."
The partners behind Whistler Rail Tours are of course mostly marketers and developers, rather than veteran train company executives.
But Mr. Drever isn't listening to his critics. He believes that with the right marketing strategy, many of the cruise passengers who stop off in Vancouver can be convinced to stretch their stay in the province with a train trip to Whistler. The key is his travel franchise, Cruiseship Centers, which specializes in cruise vacations.
Mr. Drever is betting he can persuade his franchisees to sell Whistler train tickets along with cruise vacations. That ability would benefit the franchisees by broadening their product offerings. And if successful, it could provide a major source of sales for Whistler Rail Tours.
Two of his partners are Dave Ehrhardt and John Haibeck, local Whistler real estate developers. The pair are planning a new train station and 80-room hotel to serve train passengers once they get to Whistler. According to Mr. Ehrhardt, financing for the $80-million development has already been arranged. "This is an incredible opportunity," he said.
Whistler Rail Tours hopes to launch its train service by the end of 2004.


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The typical consumer is expected to spend $173, or 21% of their budget, on gift cards this holiday season. Here are the most popular gift cards consumers are buying, as well as a few key surprises.
Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google have rocked in 2015, but the party's just getting started.
The world’s most beloved entertainment giant is launching a unique multimedia streaming product.
The real revolution in retail is happening elsewhere.
Two big shows are making their debuts on Friday, and they're both being introduced on the Internet.
The entertainment giant is prepared to launch a standalone streaming service in the UK -- here is what investors need to know.
Several factors combined to push the online travel company's stock higher during the month.
Is it possible to reach $25 billion while still flying under the radar?
The e-tailer's first physical location could serve as a blueprint for demolishing the competition
It looks like it's going to happen, but the streaming leader appears ready for it.


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An interview and photoshoot with US fashion magazine Vogue, published online on Monday, reveals another side to British Prime Minister Theresa May.
The shoot, by iconic celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz, took place last year at the PM’s country retreat in Chequers, and shows May wearing an L.K.Bennett coat and dress.
The images are set to grace the cover of the magazine’s April issue.
The interview between May and Vogue journalist Gaby Wood took place in the Prime Minister’s office at 10 Downing Street.
During the interview, the Prime Minister wore “a restrained navy skirt suit, a necklace of large cream-coloured beads, and black patent pumps with a red velvet bow and sparkly heels,” according to Wood.
Wood added: “Though much has been made of her ostentatious footwear (knee-high patent boots, brogues with a touch of diamanté, kitten heels in a range of animal prints), her dazzle is always in the undertow.”
While Margaret Thatcher appeared in British Vogue, May is the first prime minister to appear on the cover of the US edition of the fashion magazine, according to The Guardian.
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HONG KONG — Reliance MediaWorks, the film services arm of India’s Reliance ADA Group, is to combine forces with Prime Focus, another Indian post-production and tech services group with global ambitions.
RMW is to pay INR1.2 billion ($20.1 million) for a stake in Bombay Stock Exchange-listed Prime Focus. That sum will be matched by a similar cash injection from Prime Focus’s core owners. RMW’s stake in the enlarged group will be 30.2%, while Prime Focus’s core owners will hold 33.5%.
RMW will also merge its large, wide-ranging and currently loss-making film and media services activities into the group.
Proceeds of two cash injections will be used to fund the acquisition of Double Negative, announced last week by Prime Focus World, Prime Focus’s digital effects unit.
The enlarged Prime Focus group will include Hollywood brand names Lowry Digital (100% owned by RMW), RMW’s 30% stake in Digital Domain, PFW’s soon to be acquired Double Negative and Prime Focus’s own 2D to 3D conversion business.
Globally it will have 5,500 employees, operate from 20 locations and boast combined revenues of INR18 billion ($302 million).
Its range of services will span VFX, stereo 3D conversion, animation, digital media solutions for the film, TV and advertising industries and equipment rental and operation of sound stages in India.
Namit Malhotra will be the executive chairman and global CEO of Prime Focus Ltd.
“We are hugely excited about the transformational growth opportunity created by the powerful combination of the global film and media services business of Reliance MediaWorks and Prime Focus,” said Amitabh Jhunjhunwala, group MD, Reliance Group, in a prepared statement.
“This is a very exciting time in the life of Prime Focus,” said Namit Malhotra, founder of Prime Focus and executive chairman & group CEO, Prime Focus Group, in the same announcement. “From being able to partner the world’s finest visual effects provider Double Negative, to having the Reliance Group come on board, to help mobilize our strategy in building the bridge between the West and the East, I am very confident about the benefits this combination brings to all our customers, employees and stakeholders worldwide.”


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Optus customers will soon be able to suspend the product they are paying for, the telecommunications connection.
The phone company says that the features available in the My Optus app “will allow customers to enjoy their most important time.”
It is per device that turns off the connection, and there are periods when it is not connected.
“Optus is pioneering digital and customer innovation through a” one-click “solution that works with mobile and home WiFi connectivity. Use the latest Optus-provided modem with the same account for services connected to Optus and all devices connected via WiFi with the Optus NBN plan. “Home”. Clive Dickens, vice president of television, content and product development at Optus, said.
“We have listened to customers who have been asked to develop products that give them the right to disconnect.”
The telco said it would gradually roll out this feature to its customers.
Customers of certain supermarket brand MVNOs using the Optus network may feel that they already have a preview of this feature for years.
On Wednesday, Optus claimed to have reached a new 5G speed record at 10Gbps aggregated through live 5G sites.
Telstra argued that it reached 20 Gbps over the weekend.
“Congratulations to Optus, unfortunately this is not a new record,” a Telstra spokeswoman said.
Optus believes that telco customers want the disconnect feature
Source link Optus believes that telco customers want the disconnect feature


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Dec 01, 2021 12:32 PM IST
Happy currently has more than 6,000 clients including Dominos, PriceWaterhouse Coopers and Oyo and processes transactions worth over $3 billion annually
- Nov 19, 2021 08:02 AM IST
The two acquisition talks shed significant light on the strategy of CRED, one of India's hottest but least understood internet startups by many
- Nov 08, 2021 10:54 PM IST
This announcement comes after the Bengaluru-based startup announced the Accelerated Wealth Program in August as an additional avenue for employees to build wealth.
- Oct 26, 2021 12:01 PM IST
Masai School is aiming to expand to 20 smaller cities by March 2022 and expects to double its monthly revenue rate to $1 million by January
- Oct 19, 2021 11:28 AM IST
The fintech firm’s valuation has almost doubled in the last six months when it raised $215 million in Series D round in April at a valuation of $2.2 billion
- Sep 23, 2021 08:00 AM IST
The CRED founder is disrupting how entrepreneurs part with money. Kunal Shah often invests after receiving pitches on a WhatsApp message. He has an astonishing count of angel investments—200 and counting. The unconventional style has raised eyebrows, but tells you a lot about Shah. Moneycontrol profiles the man and brings out previously unreported details on his investing style
- Aug 18, 2021 06:40 PM IST
CRED founder Kunal Shah has transferred his flat to Grey House Construction, another company he owns. Entrepreneurs do this usually for tax efficiency.
- Aug 13, 2021 03:47 PM IST
The round also saw participation from angels such as Cred Founder Kunal Shah, BharatPe Co-Founder and Managing Director Ashneer Grover, among others
- Jun 07, 2021 02:52 PM IST
LinkedIn is flooded with thousands of aspirants seeking their big landing each day, but many with little success. So, Avkash’s creative take on the “CV” quickly gained attention on the site and had Cred founder CEO Kunal Shah taking note.
- Jun 04, 2021 08:37 PM IST
Within a couple of hours after he shared the post, Nithin Kamath's account was seen with the blue tick, as Twitter decided to verify his handle.
- Mar 31, 2021 08:00 AM IST
After social media app Koo and fintech firm Krazybee, Chinese investors in Kunal Shah-led Cred are selling their entire stake
- Jan 04, 2021 03:39 PM IST
Existing investors such as Sequoia Capital, Ribbit Capital, Tiger Global, General Catalyst also participated in the round. New investors include hedge fund Coatue Management and Satyan Gajwani, Vice Chairman of Times Internet.
- Dec 02, 2020 02:24 PM IST
Kunal Shah started Cred in 2018 with the promise of making credit card bill payments simple. Now, Cred also offers ecommerce, payments, lending and boasts of more than 30 lakh premium credit card users on the platform. Earlier this week it raised $80 million from existing investors at a valuation of $800 million. What clicked?
- Sep 04, 2020 02:05 PM IST
It is hard to monetise a business that caters to everyone, Kunal Shah says, adding Chinese are leagues ahead of Indians—per capita income of urban China is far higher. While 90% of the urban Chinese women work, in India, the number is just 10%.
- Dec 26, 2018 10:11 AM IST
Gold is one of the best insurance for wealth managers from now on because the downside is limited from here and there can be a huge upside if the global economy slows down sharply
- Sep 27, 2016 02:00 PM IST
Indonesia-based hyperlocal transport and logistics startup GO-JEK has acquired Bengaluru-based Pianta for an undisclosed amount. A marketplace for home healthcare services, Pianta, helps discover and book appointments with healthcare providers who provide home visits for physiotherapy, nursing and lab sample collection.
- Jun 17, 2016 10:24 PM IST
Investors may have become mighty choosy in backing the next big venture, but all it takes to secure funding even in this climate is that unique idea. CNBC-TV18's team dissects the action in the startup space on tonight's edition of the Young Turks startup deal tracker.
- May 25, 2016 08:48 AM IST
Co-founder and CEO Kunal Shah will now move to a new role as the Chairman at the digital payments company, FreeCharge said in a statement.
- Dec 21, 2015 06:13 PM IST
The 'TiECON Mumbai 2016', India's Leading Entrepreneurial Conclave, will be held at National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) on January 6-7
- Dec 07, 2015 08:06 PM IST
The new auto rickshaws purchased through this scheme will be registered with Jugnoo that will help the auto drivers to cut down on their down time, resulting in additional revenue.
- Oct 11, 2015 11:40 AM IST
Snapdeal-owned mobile transactions platform FreeCharge plans to spend Rs 1,000 crore in the next 10-12 months as the company aims to position its wallet services as a preferential mode of making payments.
- Feb 06, 2015 08:37 AM IST
The company, founded in 2010, enables users to recharge pre-paid and post-paid mobile phones online and get rewarded with discount shopping coupons for using its site.
- Nov 13, 2014 11:46 AM IST
The 32-year-old is among the 78 individuals to be promoted to this position, and is one of the five persons of Indian-origin to have made the cut in Goldman Sachs in 2014 class of Partners.
- Jun 11, 2014 05:30 PM IST
For bond markets it will be time of patience as structural corrections in policy mix can be painful in short-term but comes with larger long term benefits.


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TCD website hit by technical glitch
Motorists hoping to licence vehicles online have been left frustrated after the Transport Control Department's website was hit by a technical glitch
According to a Government spokesman, the service crashed after a cable was cut, resulting in the internet service being severed.
The mishap means that, although the site can be accessed, staff cannot process licensing transactions online as the system is web-based.
The spokesman added that TCD will remain open for non-licensing transactions and the public will be informed once service has resumed.


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Current and emerging trends
It’s an exciting time to be in the forestry industry.
We are adopting new technologies to develop products from a renewable resource, while ensuring future generations can enjoy the benefits of our forests.
A changing resource base and global market competition will continue to provide challenges, but there will also be new opportunities through innovation.
In the sandalwood and native forest sectors, we will work with industry and regional communities to develop new products that are based on lower-grade wood. This will be achieved with technologies that allow cost effective manufacturing of high-value products and increased utilisation of our forests.
The branding and marketing strategies we are working on with industry will highlight and add value to the unique properties of our timbers.
In the softwood sector, the industry will continue to benefit from changes in construction techniques and preferences for timber as a carbon friendly building product.
The ongoing development of engineered wood products, and the use of timber in pre-fabricated flooring, walls and roof systems, will provide new markets for plantation timbers.
A recent trial using drone technology shows the sky is now the limit when it comes to improving our harvest planning processes.
Globally, a broad range of new products and uses for wood fibre are being investigated. These include bio-energy, bio-based chemicals, and cellulosic fibres.
Of these new markets, the demand for renewable energy is expected to provide new markets for forest thinning and parts of the tree that are not suitable for high-value products. However, there are still a number of factors that affect the commercial viability of using wood for renewable energy, including collection and transport logistics, and the market price for energy.
Climate change is expected to continue to affect Western Australia. This will impact on the areas where we establish new plantations and influence stocking levels and management regimes.
The increased risk of bushfires in regional Western Australia will also continue to be a key risk. We will continue our commitment to work with the industry and other government departments to protect forest assets from fire.
Policies that recognise the value of carbon in plantation forests and in harvested wood products will support the future expansion of new plantations.


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Although Google has numerous hardware partners selling smartphones and tablets based on its Android operating system, the search giant is no stranger to adding its own devices to the competitive fray. Already, we've seen Google roll out a series of Nexus-branded smartphones with cooperation from HTC and Samsung. Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt has now revealed that the company is working on a tablet of its very own.
In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera, Schmidt doesn't mince words: "in the next six months we plan to market a tablet of the highest quality." The latter part of that statement suggests that Google intends to go head-to-head with premium tablets like the iPad rather than to compete with budget designs like Amazon's Kindle Fire. The third-generation iPad is expected to be released next year with a high-density display, so Google will certainly have its work cut out if it intends to offer a worthy rival.
Google's decision to compete with other device makers doesn't seem to have slowed Android's momentum in the smartphone space. Given the amount of fragmentation in the tablet market, it would be nice to have a sort of gold standard—Android as Google intended it—against which to compare other implementations that attempt to improve upon the OS with various widgets and UI treatments. Thanks to X-bit Labs for the tip.
|Monitors with AMD's FreeSync tech now available in select regions||48|
|Thursday Night Shortbread||18|
|We learned more about Vulkan at Valve's glNext presentation||58|
|Steam Controller gets November release, $50 price tag||20|
|Report: The Witcher 3 to be bundled with higher-end Maxwell cards||22|
|Nvidia's PhysX joins the free source party||85|
|Intel announces Achievement Unlocked dev relations program||9|
|Intel partners with Raptr to optimize game settings for Iris graphics||24|
|Socketed Intel desktop Broadwell coming mid-year||47|
|And Samsung makes new phone with no sd slot lol whaw whaw whaw||+58|


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Cole Hair has fast become the go-to hairdresser for the eastern suburbs crowd clamouring to have their locks tended to by husband and wife owners Tom Cole and Mariah Rota.
Society tastemaker Ellie Aitken, WAG Terry Biviano and artist Dina Broadhurst are but a few of the familiar faces who can be seen getting their weekly blowdry at the Double Bay salon.
While it's usually Cole's well-heeled clients who are the subject of gossip, more recently it has been salon owner Tom who sent the rumour mill into overdrive when he was spotted canoodling with a married female client.
Emerald City hears Rota was blindsided when salon regulars tipped her off that her husband had been seen leaving a nearby hotel with this certain well-known client on more than one occasion.
Sources close to the salon owners say a devastated Rota discovered text messages on her husband's phone that appeared to confirm the affair with the client who works a stone's throw from their business. Rota, who has a child from a previous relationship, proceeded to contact the client's husband to expose the secret fling.
Since then Cole hasn't been tending tresses at the Knox Street salon, with sources confirming he and Rota have called time on their marriage. The pair met while working at Joh Bailey's neighbouring salon before going out on their own after falling out with the celebrity stylist at their 2017 Bali wedding.
Everest millionaire bumps into Sydney for birthday
Merivale hospitality guru Justin Hemmes pulled out all the stops to celebrate MaxCap investment boss Brae Sokolski's 44th birthday.
Hemmes hosted a lavish dinner in the private dining room of his new mimi’s restaurant at the Coogee Pavilion on Thursday night, with a 'bump' of caviar to start and free-flowing alcohol throughout.
Guests included former Merivale staffer Jenn Black and model Madeline Holtznagel, who has been residing at Hemmes’ Hermitage Estate in Vaucluse.
On Saturday the birthday celebrations continued with Sokolski hosting a boys-only party aboard a superyacht.
Last year Sokolski won the biggest prize ever offered in Australian horse racing history when his co-owned racehorse Yes Yes Yes won $14 million at The Everest at Royal Randwick.
Nightclub king Tobias a bachelor no more
Once deemed one of Sydney’s most eligible bachelors, nightclub king Julian Tobias has officially given up his single status and landed himself a girlfriend. Emerald City hears the former GQ Man of the Year nominee and Cleo Bachelor of the Year finalist has been dating French IMG model Charlotte Coquelin since 2017.
The genetically-blessed couple have been lapping up time in isolation, practising jiu jitsu, cooking vegan food and making that ultimate act of commitment - becoming parents to a puppy named Miso. Coquelin, 24, splits her time between Europe and Sydney where she resides with the hospitality entrepreneur in the east.
Tobias, 42, has previously been linked to a number of high profile women including model Julianna Forge and Canadian actress Nina Dobrev.
The former model and real estate agent made his mark on Sydney’s party scene opening Kings Cross hotspot The Club, floating day club The Island, and Double Bay's Bedouin restaurant and lounge.
Fashion set ditch hype brand Sporty & Rich
In fashion, one day you're in, the next you're out, and that's certainly the case for cult brand Sporty and Rich. The 90s-inspired athleisure-wear label has fast become a wardrobe staple for Sydney’s trendsetters, with Phoebe Burgess, Caroline Tran, Kristin Fisher and Montarna Pitt all sporting the garb.
The exclusive brand sells a limited collection online each month with items made-to-order, stocking oversized jumpers, slouchy T-shirts, bike shorts and the highly-sought-after “Be Nice. Get Lots of Sleep. Drink Plenty of Water.” slogan tee.
The brand has become so popular that dozens of fashion-conscious Sydneysiders enlisted personal shopper Gab Waller to source the sold-out top.
However, last week Sporty & Rich founder Emily Oberg came under fire after accusations of fake sustainability, poor quality products and tone-deaf social media posts sparked outrage from customers.
Australian fashion influencers Jade Tuncdoruk, Brooke Hogan and Rozalia Russian announced they would no longer be supporting the brand. There is now a post doing the rounds on Instagram post showing side-by-side comparisons of designs the label has allegedly copied.


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The Oppo Find X6 series, the company’s next flagship smartphones, has officially confirmed its launch in China on March 21. The launch event for the flagship series of smartphones has been confirmed to be accompanied by the unveiling of Oppo Pad 2. another product that will be launched alongside – the Oppo Enco Free 3 truly wireless (TWS) headphones has been revealed. The company also released a series of teasers confirming the launch of the new Oppo Enco Free 3 headphones on March 21.
The upcoming Oppo Enco Free 3 TWS headphones have been officially teased by Oppo through a series of posts on Chinese microblogging website Weibo ahead of its official launch on March 21. The company has also shared some key specs that the TWS headphones are expected to feature.
According to the post, the Oppo Enco Free 3 TWS headphones will be equipped with active noise cancellation (ANC) that can cover frequencies up to 49 dB. The output of the Oppo Enco Free 3 TWS headphones will be delivered by a bamboo fiber diaphragm sound unit which the company claims makes them the first TWS headphones in the world to feature such a unit.
In any audio output system, it is the diaphragm that produces the sound. The diaphragm is a thin, semi-rigid diaphragm attached to the voice coil. The vibrations experienced by the diaphragm cause the air to move around the magnetic voice coil, ultimately producing sound.
Marketing images released by the company suggest that the upcoming TWS earbuds will sport a stem design, while sporting an “L” and “R” symbol to mark the left and right earbuds. The charging case sports an oval design with a translucent top panel. In terms of color options, a report from Gizmochina suggests that the TWS headphones could come in green and white.


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When you’re getting into 3-gun, building a rifle that’s up to the challenge doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.
The run so far has been on weapons that would be regulated under a new version of the Assault Weapons Ban in addition to magazines and ammunition for those firearms. Some customers are purchasing in bulk; speculators who hope to cash in on short supply and rising prices as we saw in earlier panics.
Pulling from the best in pistol training, high-end custom shops and top gun manufacturers, this new handgun maker is doing something different.
To be fast and accurate, that is the goal. That is what drives competition shooters to show up every weekend and give it all they have.
Unlike most big bore modern sporting rifles on the market today, the Anvil isn’t built on AR15. The rifle instead is built on a much stronger foundation: an AR10 – the normally .308-caliber big brother to America’s favorite black rifle.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation helps walk us through changes to the rules on transfers for suppressors and other NFA items for both trusts and individuals.


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Bastrop County Emergency Food Plan
Many of our neighbors face hunger every day in Bastrop County.
Bastrop County's safety net of Food Pantries expect to be hit hard around Feb 14th with people facing hunger. Please click here for a listing of all food pantries in Bastrop County!
Give what you can directly to the Pantry of your of your choice. A cash gift in lieu of food is preferred to ensure a balanced bag of groceries per family can be created.
If you would prefer, click on the "Donate Now!" button below and go to BCC's PayPal account and we will ensure your money is invested in food pantries wisely.
CBS News, January 29, 2019
As SNAP recipients are challenged with making their February benefits, issued in mid-January, last days or weeks longer than usual, food banks and pantries are gearing up for a surge of visits from people running low on their benefits. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), 90 percent of SNAP recipients must make their benefits last 40 days, and more than 4 million households face a SNAP gap of more than 50 days. The longer periods between SNAP payments could strain emergency food providers already experiencing pressure in many neighborhoods, said Dottie Rosenbaum, a SNAP expert at CBPP. (Source: Food Research and Action Center.)


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An operator that provides web services using Opera browser has signed a partnership with Ledger Capital, a firm that offers advisory and financial services regarding blockchain technology, to perform a deeper exploration of blockchain apps.
The information provided in the press release says about the work of 2 entities searching for blockchain apps and use cases in addition to the opportunities how Opera products technology can grow.
Opera has already had experience with blockchain technology as it performs a notable development of the crypto wallet built into its Android browser. The public became aware of this beta-stage project in summer. At the beginning of autumn, Opera users got an opportunity to use a feature that allows sending crypto collectibles too.
Another step to the development of the firm was made by Bitmain which is a BTC mining giant. The company invested a huge sum of money, as today it holds 3% stake in this industry already.
Ding’an Fei, a managing partner of Ledger Capital, commented this event in such a way. He said that Opera had taken leading positions among other browsers thanks to the creation of the cryptocurrency wallet and money invested by Bitmain. Now the company’s goal is to learn how Opera will cope with leveraging its great ecosystem and tech competencies to provide its user base with exponential value and make up a larger blockchain space.
Opera browser has been created in 1995 in Norway and in summer this year it managed to hold a successful IPO and was added to Nasdaq list with the ticker OPRA.
There are over 300 million people who use Opera all around the world and the creation of the wallet eliminated the barrier that stands on the way of the Internet of future as it is needed by third-party plug-ins or dapps.
Charles Hamel, who is leading the newly create wallet in Opera said that they managed to simplify the payment made with cryptocurrency and it guarantees a variety of possibilities for different web users.
A famous crypto exchange QuadrigaCX located in Canada has lost its CEO Gerald Cotten. He has written his will only...


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CO2 footprint to become ‘decisive competitive factor’ in travel – industry association
Climate action is set to play an increasingly important role in the travel industry, according to the German Travel Association (DRV). “I'm sure the CO₂ footprint will become a decisive competitive factor when it comes to travel,” the lobby group's president Norbert Fiebig told newspaper Welt. “There is no way around CO₂-neutral mobility in the future,” he added. Political action, however, is necessary to advance climate protection measures in the travel sector. “As a travel industry, we are ready for the green transformation and we take this challenge very seriously,” he continued. In the past, tour operators have emphasized their commitment to environmental and climate protection, but adopted retroactive measures such as climate certificates and CO₂ compensation. Yet Fiebig says much more needs to be done. “We need to reduce the environmental footprint across the entire travel supply chain. We have to also provide our customers with information about the ecological impact of the respective travel offers. That creates transparency. On this basis, we can then give travellers better advice and make them more aware of the need for climate protection.” The increased focus on climate protection is one of several challenges facing travel-happy Germans.
The travel industry is also grappling with the energy crisis, inflation and the effects of the ongoing war in Ukraine. The past year has shown that Germans’ demand for travel has clearly recovered to pre-pandemic levels. “So far this year we have seen that inflation and the high energy costs are not doing any harm to travel,” Fiebig added. “Travel is at the top of the consumer wish list for Germans." He said almost 85 percent of Germans were planning a holiday trip this year, according to a survey. "Our numbers back this up: since December, week after week, booking turnover has been higher than before corona. January was particularly busy: Compared to January 2022, sales have doubled.”


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It's likely you wanted Fallout: New Vegas before, but thanks to a recent reveal on behalf of the ESRB, it's become a game you simply can't pass up. Well, particularly if you've got a thing for robots.
Dark Souls 2 is all about going in, guns blazing, and hoping to God it works. Oh dear. Namco Bandai's PR chief recently shone a spectacular light on the broken mentality of "AAA" publishers, describing the promotion of ...more
Ghost of a Tale, the promising game starring a mouse with a LUTE AND A HAT, made its crowdfunding goal of 45.000€ last night. There shall be much rejoicing. The game caught attention through its incredible des...more
Mugen Souls is going digital on PlayStation Network this Tuesday, NIS America has announced. A role-playing game developed by Compile Heart, the story follows a goddess by the name of Chou-Chou in her quest to conquer the uni...more


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Office equipment market to exceed 80 million euros in 2008Publish date: 21-01-2008
The Romanian office equipment market will reach 370,000 units this year, 23 percent more than last year's 300,000 units. Officials of the Association of Information Technology and Communication Equipment Producers and Distributors (APTEDIC) are estimating that the market value will exceed 80 million euros.
'We are expecting this figure to rise by 25 percent in 2008, to some 121.5 million dollars (82.7 million euros), with this evolution linked closely to a rise in PC sales,' according to a statement for Business Standard by Valentin Negoita, Presiden tof APTEDIC.
The evolution in the real estate sector has led to greater demand for office equipment.
Demand for color office equipment is still low, but has a great potential for growth, doubling in 2007, even if the best sold equipment continues to be black and white.
'We are expecting a very good evolution for multifunctional laser equipment and increased sales of color equipment,' said Marius Persinaru, General Manager of Xerox Romania and Republic of Moldova.
Company representatives predict overall growth above the IT market average. 'We estimate that the turnover for the 2007-2008 fiscal year, ending on 31 March, will exceed 5.5 million euros, 25 percent more than last year,' said Radu Crahmaliuc, Country Manager of Brother Romania.
Xerox is expecting a major increase in the sale of color office equipment.
- Insurance market stagnated in 2013 while GDP chare dropped to 1.3%
- The Romanian Leasing Market as of December 31, 2013
- Millennium Bank reports best results since its launch, helped by stronger banking income and cost cuts
- BCR cheapens First Home loans and lowers interest loans for loans in lei
- Millennium Bank's new Salary account clients receive up to 600 lei bonus and their utility bills' payment
- GarantiBank and Seamless introduce SEQR in Romania: the newest mobile payment solution
- Bancpost telecom services, now provided exclusively by Romtelecom and COSMOTE Romania
- Millennium Bank cards offer discounts in Domo stores
- BCR Supervisory Board reshuffles Management Board
- NBR decide to lower the monetary policy rate to 4.25 percent per annum
- Common appointments in Romtelecom and COSMOTE Romania
- Up to 5.5% annual interest rate for Millennium Bank's promotional three-month lei deposit
- Eurozone in recovery mode but gap between North and South still widening
- UniCredit Tiriac Bank and RBS Romania announce the successful completion of the retail clients' migration
- Millennium Bank grants First House loans in lei


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Syracuse, NY -- This is a story you don’t make up: Amy DeFrancesco, of Cicero, started off as a seasonal worker with a Sephora store in a city far, far away — OK, in Florida — in 2006.
Today, DeFrancesco is back home, now riding high in the management ranks. She is the store director of the newest retail addition to Carousel Center mall: the Sephora beauty products store.
It was scheduled for a soft opening on Thursday night, with its grand opening scheduled for 10 a.m. today. VERY long lines were expected to start queuing up overnight, store and mall officials say. Sephora fans are passionate and loyal that way.
DeFrancesco knows. Her last gig was directing the Sephora store in Eastview Mall, near Rochester.
“We had many, many clients shop there from this market and say, ‘When are you going to open a Syracuse store?’” said DeFrancesco.
Here it is, and for DeFrancesco, “It’s nice to be back in the area.”
Upscale Sephora rolls out in an elegant new storefront on the mall’s second level, next to the new Gap stores. The Sephora store layout is blocked into sections, with store specialists waiting to assist customers. Shelves are low, and sightlines are easy on the eyes.
The Carousel location is Sephora’s 275th corporate store, the 27th in New York state and the first in Central New York. It carries 13,000 products from the beauty company’s 200 brands.
It also carries products from other beauty products manufacturers, including luxury lines, said DeFrancesco.
“It’s the ultimate beauty playground for women,” said DeFrancesco.
- Adam and Lisa Waterfield’s newly relocated Wild Birds Unlimited is also having a grand opening. It’s 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in the store’s new digs next to the L.L. Bean Outlet in Towne Center at Fayetteville. Door prizes, raffles and 15 percent discounts off all purchases will rule the day.
- Check out the new Basil Leaf Ristorante — formerly Basil Leaf Pizzeria — at 101 S. Main St. in North Syracuse. Owners Gary Salvatore and Rudy DiRubbo are watching as master chef Billy Stamboly creates traditional Italian dishes, pizza included. The restaurant new has a full-service dining room and bar. It opened Thursday.
- Canastota-based Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes has a replacement store on its way to Fayetteville. Matthew Paduano, vice president of category management, said the store on Route 5 should open around Thanksgiving. It will feature Nice N Easy’s signature Easy Street Eatery food items, along with fresh produce in the expanded grocery section. A walk-in beer cave will play home to an extensive line of craft beers, Paduano said.
- New to Northern Lights shopping center in Salina: Simply the Best, a fashion jewelry and accessories retailer. It’s owned by the Slottje family, of Skaneateles, with Spencer Slottje the operating manager. Simply features more than 1,000 jewelry and accessory pieces, as well as scarves, pashminas, watches, handbags and more. The family also has Simply the Best stores in The Shops at Ithaca Mall and in Mashpee, Mass.


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The American Concrete Institute (ACI) has announced its Fall Convention, which will take place Nov. 8-12, 2009 in New Orleans, La., at the New Orleans Marriott.
The convention is slated to feature more than 300 committee meetings and more than 30 technical sessions, along with a Forum on Sustainability
Convention attendees who register by Oct. 11, 2009 will receive reduced registration rates. In addition, the New Orleans Marriott is offering convention attendees a special rate for rooms reserved prior to Oct. 9. Room rates are based on availability.
For more information on the ACI Fall 2009 Convention, please call 248-848-3795 or go to www.aciconvention.org.
Reservations may be made a the New Orleans Marriott by calling 888-364-1200 (mention ACI to ensure discounted rate) or by booking a room online. Click here for online reservations.


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Microsoft is stepping up its efforts in the digital distribution market with a new deal that will bring titles from the likes of Capcom, Rockstar, THQ, Ubisoft and others to their Games on Demand for Windows platform "day-and-date" with their release in stores. This should give a much need boost to the service's games library, which is still fairly limited when compared to Valve's Steam and other online gaming venues.
Microsoft says that beginning today with the release of "Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands", new non-Live titles will launch on Games on Demand every week, with more than 100 new titles joining the portfolio by year's end. To celebrate their latest addition they are also offering Prince of Persia: Warrior Within and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, both for 75% off at just $2.49 each – or 200 Microsoft Points.
The company opened up its Games on Demand digital distribution feature late yesterday as part of its Games for Windows Live platform. As the name suggests, Games on Demand allows users to purchase titles (using a credit card or redeeming Microsoft Points) and download them directly to their PCs. Prices are comparable to other digital distribution services, ranging from $9.99 to $49.99. If you are new to Games for Windows Live you can download the client here.


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The success of China (Guangzhou) International Building Decoration Fair (CBD Fair) shed light on the resilience of China's economy as well as the country's strong demand for the construction solutions and products. On its journey to create an eco-system that facilitates construction professionals to establish partnerships and debut innovations, CBD Fair continues to transform and reshape China's construction sector with a new exhibition coming to Shenzhen in 2022.
CBD Fair (Guangzhou) is striving to establish a global destination that offers buyers access to high-quality supplies of building materials and decoration products by focusing on three key aspects: exhibitors, visitors and industry innovations. It aims to become a business-focused hub that attracts investments, and a global stage for new ideas and product developments to be showcased at their best in front of more than 200,000 international and domestic visitors. Meanwhile, the fair is also driving innovations by integrating its online and offline platforms, exploring new resources in its efforts to empower the entire industry.
Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years, the mega-size trade fair continued to serve as a dedicated international platform for more than thousands of brands and companies coming from all over the world, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year since 2019. CBD Fair (Guangzhou) 2021 covered over 400,000 square meters. The 4-day event showcased products from over 2,000 designers and companies to 172,783 visitors, along with 100 forums.
In 2022, The CBD Fair will be staged in Shenzhen from July 3-5 at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center. The coming fair will be showcasing the latest construction innovations and solutions centered on real-estate, public building & decoration, furnished apartments, infrastructure construction, with two complementary sections for smart home and interior design & decoration. In partnership with Big 5, a world-leading exhibition of construction industry, CBD Fair (Shenzhen) aims to connect visitors with manufacturers and distributors of construction products from around the world.


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According to a much buzzed-about article in Quartz, we can all stop hating Amazon for edging out independent bookstores. (Apparently, they’re not. But I hope that doesn’t mean Normal’s will end its “Kindles Are For Chuckleheads” weekly book sale.)
And it’s just in time, because the company that perfectly embodies the phrase “online retail giant” is opening up a fulfillment center in Southeast Baltimore that promises to bring 1,000 full-time jobs to the area.
The fulfillment center will occupy the old GM assembly plant site near the Port of Baltimore. Employees will “pick, pack and ship books, electronics and consumer goods” and — as Amazon touts in a press release — get paid 30 percent more, on average, than the typical retail worker.
Okay, but e-books are still annoying.


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DISNEY AND CUTTING EDGE BOOKING STRATEGIES!
LOS ANGELES, March 11- The Walt Disney Co more than doubled the number of households carrying its cable travel channel by bringing Comcast Cable Communications Inc on board for the second year of operations, Disney said on Tuesday.
Disney launched its Travel on Demand channel, which lets viewers contact Disney vacation planners via their TV remote controls, on 9 million Cablevision and Time Warner Cable households in May of 2007.
Disney said 23 percent of viewers who used the “Talk to Agent” feature ended up buying Disney vacations.
The company plans to add four new shows in the coming season, including “Disney’s What’s Cooking with Cat Cora,” and programming featuring Disney Channel stars from “Hannah Montana”, “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” and “High School Musical.”
As they watch, viewers can click their remote control to request an immedate telephone call from a Disney travel planner during extended business hours.


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Children’s Place makes a play for The Disney Store
After racking up a 19% sales increase in Q2 2004 over the same quarter in 2003, apparel retailer The Children’s Place is looking at spending some cash on The Disney Store. Last month, the company signed a non-binding letter of intent to acquire and operate Disney’s North American outlets under a long-term license arrangement. Besides its recent sales gains, The Children’s Place has been growing physically this year as well. The chain opened 16 new outlets in Q2 and three more in July, hitting a total of 715 stores across North America.
Disney put its North American and European stores on the block in May 2003, blaming a soft retail market in malls, where most of its outlets are located. Flagship Disney Stores on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, at the Disney theme parks, and on the Disney studio lot in Burbank California are not up for sale.
Penguin the latest disciple of manga mania
Penguin Group USA is jumping into the growing U.S. manga market, having just signed a three-year deal with L.A.-based Digital Manga to release popular Japanese titles State-side. The co-publishing venture will churn out eight to 10 new titles in its first year, with 15 to 20 following each year after that. Although the two companies were still solidifying their publishing gameplan at press time, the first books will roll out in late spring 2005, and all kids and young adult titles will be handled by Penguin Young Readers Group’s new teen imprint Razorbill.
Digital Manga licenses and imports Japanese anime, manga and licensed merchandise to the U.S. market, as well as co-publishing the best-selling series Trigun with Dark Horse Comics.


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Samsung Galaxy M53 5G renders have been leaked suggesting that the smartphone will come with a quad rear camera and a hole-punch display. The development comes a few days after the rumoured specifications of the Samsung handset were leaked. The phone is tipped to come with a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz, run One UI 4.1, and be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 900 5G SoC. Reports have also suggested that Samsung may price the phone starting from VND 10.5 million (roughly Rs. 35,000).
As per the render shared by ytechb, the Samsung Galaxy M53 5G will get a centrally-aligned hole-punch cutout, and a quad rear camera setup in square module with an LED flash situated just below the cameras. The volume buttons are said to be placed on the right spine along with the power button which also doubles up as a fingerprint sensor.
Samsung Galaxy M53 5G price (expected)
According to a report, Samsung Galaxy M53 5G price could be between VND 10.5 million to 11 million (roughly Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 36,800) for the 8GB + 128GB storage model in Vietnam.
Samsung Galaxy M53 5G specifications (expected)
Recently, a report claimed that the Samsung Galaxy M53 5G could sport a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It may run on Android 12 with One UI 4.1 on top. The Samsung phone is tipped to be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 900 5G SoC, which could be paired with 8GB RAM and up to 256GB of storage.
The Samsung Galaxy M53 5G could get a quad rear camera unit headlined by a 108-megapixel main sensor. Other cameras are said to include an 8-megapixel sensor with wide-angle lens, a 2-megapixel macro shooter, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. For selfies and video chats, the phone may pack a 32-megapixel camera. Samsung may pack a 5,000mAh battery with support for 25W fast charging.


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It's very difficult to predict what an entire demographic of broad level users will do in the upcoming year. It's like predicting whether or not you'll get hit by an engine falling from a plane while dressed as Hugh Jackman in drag.
However, some predictions may surprise you altogether. It has been a tough year of economic recovery and though the recession is widely over, the spending cuts from governmental budgets will hit the younger, spendthrifty consumer most.
Cases which have enveloped the media with disproportionate fines and court battles turns the defendants, arguably the victim in these cases, almost into a martyr for the cause. Surprisingly public sympathy becomes divided, with a feel of modern day 'stealing a loaf of bread' because they were hungry. I know it sounds odd, but copyright laws at the moment are as effective as the odds to winning the Euro lottery.
The technology already bought, ranging from mobile devices to laptops, either by parents or themselves during a time of economic downfall, will be safe. Yet with wages remaining the same, plus the hike in Value Added Tax (VAT) in the UK and similar taxes across the developed world, spending will significantly reduce.
I expect that those with higher incomes with little or no dependencies will have more expendable income. This may include some of the Generation Y, but not the iGeneration demographic as a whole.
Bandwidth nowadays acts like a currency; the bigger the pipe, the bigger the wallet, and the more you can fit in and the more to spend. New York University could be getting the first taste the fibre pie with Google's new office conveniently located above a hub of fibre activity.
From what I have seen and heard on my studenty-travels, the creative industry for university students has been on a downwards trend, as the recession recovers from 'non-vital' infrastructure and technical staffers. The creative industry bridges the technical world with the ordinary consumer, and at long last now that money has hit the economy like a wet fish, more money can be invested into areas which spur on the ordinary consumer.


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Thursday, March 4, 2010
Enigma Diagnostics Sets Up Shop In San Diego
Oxford, England-based Enigma Diagnostics, a molecular diagnostics firm, said today that it has opened up a new, regional headquarters in San Diego. Enigma said the new, 17,000 sq. ft. office is in the Sorrento Valley, where it will house sales and marketing, assay development, regulatory and manufacturing activity. As part of the new office, the firm said it has named Joel Centeno as its VP Regulatory & Quality. Centeno has previously served at Hologic. Enigma said it hopes to tap the "deep resource pool" in San Diego of in vitro diagnostics professionals.


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Zenescope Entertainment and Divine Statues have agreed to a multi statue licensing deal.
Under the Zenescope license agreement, Divine Statues will produce a line of 1/4 scale statues based on the comic book and graphic novel publisher’s extensive line of highly popular characters. The first statue in the series will be Zenescope’s iconic female archer, Robyn Hood, with a planned release in late 2023.
Future statues will include other major Zenescope characters such as Liesel Van Helsing, the legendary vampire hunter, and Zenescope’s Cinderella: Serial Killer Princess. Zenescope and Divine expect to produce a minimum of five statues over the next three years.
“We’re so excited to finally have our characters expressed in the one quarter scale, premium format.” said Joe Brusha, Zenescope’s President. “It’s something we’ve been looking to do for a long time and we have finally found the perfect partner to produce these products in Divine Statues.”
“It’s something we’ve been looking to do for a long time and we have finally found the perfect partner to produce these products in Divine Statues” – Zenescope President/CEO, Joe Brusha
“We are very honored and proud to have won Zenescope as a partner”. said Tobias Jansch, DIVINE CEO. “Zenescope has an unbelievably large pool of characters and together we will produce statues over the next few years that will make collectors’ hearts beat faster.”