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Ukraine’s Most Kino is installing CinemaNext’s Sphera premium cinema concept at its theatre in the Most Shopping Mall in Dnipro. Scheduled to open this summer, Sphera at Most Kino will boast a 26-meter-wide wall-to-wall screen, making it the largest screen ever built in Ukraine and the biggest Sphera auditorium designed to date.
Wallis Cinemas, Australia, has become the first exhibitor to embrace the Vista Cloud platform. “We’re excited about the whole system, and its impact on both our operations and sales channels,” said Wallis Cinemas COO Ben Huxtable. “Vista’s Digital Platform will power our digital channels and ensure uninterrupted ticket sales across all of our cinemas. And we’re also going to streamline the daily management of tasks for staff as they only have to log in to a single, intuitive web portal to access Vista’s entire capability suite. The time saving, and efficiencies will be massive.”
National CineMedia today announced a strategic partnership with Rad Technologies to leverage the power of recommendation and referral with machine learning to drive distribution of advertisers’ messages through targeted social influencer networks. Using Rad’s proprietary artificial intelligence technology, the product identifies the right influencers to connect the brand’s message to moviegoing audiences across the world.
Following a strong January, which recorded an estimated $1.9 billion in global box office, up 94 percent year-on-year, the Chinese New Year holiday, which began February 1, delivered strong box office results for exhibitors, according to the London-based analytics firm Gower Street. The holiday week is reported to have delivered just over $940 million at the box office in China, the world’s top global market. While this is down 21 percent on the record haul taken in the 2021 holiday week it is ahead of 2019’s pre-pandemic numbers.
Cinemark is introducing a new all-inclusive digital pass for cinema’s biggest fans during its annual Oscar Movie Week festival. In theatres from March 21 through March 27, the festival gives fans the chance to experience this year’s Best Picture and Best Short (Live Action and Animated) nominated films and have their own ballot ready in hand when the 94th Oscar’s air March 27 on ABC. In partnership with Focus Features’ Downton Abbey: A New Era, the festival is being held at more than 100 participating Cinemark theatres nationwide.
For decades, the Delphi Filmpalast theatre has been among the venues of the Berlin International Film Festival, or Berlinale, one of the largest public film festivals in the world. With a 673-seat capacity, the iconic cinema, located in a historic theater building just steps away from Berlin Zoologischer Garten railway station, in the heart of West Berlin, is considered Germany’s biggest independent screen and one of Berlin’s most important premiere venues.
Arts Alliance Media has announced a cooperation agreement with CGV, the largest multiplex cinema chain in South Korea.
Strong/MDI Screen Systems has produced and delivered the world’s tallest Imax screen to Royal Cinemas in Pooler, Georgia. The venue is set to open by the end of February.
The International Union of Cinemas (UNIC) today released preliminary 2021 box office and admissions estimates for the territories covered by the organization. While these figures are based on initial estimates, the overview provided by UNIC represents the first wide-ranging assessment of the performance of the European cinema sector in 2021. More detailed final data on the performance of each individual UNIC territory will be released later in spring 2022.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas has announced that it will be the anchor tenant for a company called Orchestra Partners as it redevelops the historic Powell Steam Plant in Birmingham, Alabama. The theater will take up about 50,000 square feet of the former steam plant, while the remaining 36,000 square feet are still available for retail and dining. Construction on Alamo Drafthouse will begin this summer with an anticipated opening in the fall of 2023.


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New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS) In a bid to digitally transform the Indian manufacturing industry, Microsoft on Monday showcased three Internet of Things (IoT) solutions here.
The three solutions that are powered by Microsoft Azure Cloud are offered by three startups -- Precimetrix, Teramatrix and Covacsis Technologies -- to help manufacturing
industries develop digital and predictive insights.
"Our complete suite of technology solutions including Azure Machine Learning, Cortana Intelligence Suite and IoT solutions suite as well as our partners are capable of supporting any manufacturer of any size transform digitally," Narendra Bhandari, General Manager (Developer Experience) Microsoft, told reporters here.
Covacsis helps build tailor-made customer experiences by harnessing data and draw actionable insights to achieve a segment of one.
"Our solution is agnostic to sectors and automation profile of manufacturers. Covacsis's Integrated Plant Framework (IPF) transforms a factory into digital factory in less than six weeks without any capital expenditure," said Tarun Mishra, CEO, Covacsis Technologies.
Precimetrix offers IoT and analytics to enable real-time process management and actionable analytics to improve productivity.
To enable companies to connect with their fixed or mobile infrastructure and analyse the data streams emanating from them, Teramatrix offers an IoT software platform.

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A leading glamping design consultancy has launched an academy offering free advice to people wishing to start up a similar business.
The move, from Edinburgh-based Glampitect, follows rising demand in the UK from people keen to know more about the process involved in designing such holiday sites.
Glampitect is currently involved in over 200 projects across Britain and recently launched a Middle East operation, Glampitect UAE, in Dubai.
Since the pandemic struck, the firm revealed that it has been ‘inundated’ with enquiries about its successful growth to a point where managing director, Calum MacLeod, has decided to launch the Glampitect Academy.
Officially launching on Wednesday, June 2, delegates will attend an online module each week for a month to learn more about Glampitect’s ‘conception to completion’ strategy.
“The pandemic has really focused minds on what folk want to do, hence the popularity of not only staycations and glamping but the designing of glamping sites,” said Mr MacLeod, who set up the business in the summer of 2019 with business partner Ali Young on the back of the success of their North Coast 500 Pods venture in Sutherland.
“The interest in what we do has been phenomenal and we set up the academy with a view to helping as many people as possible at the one time. A lot of people have been asking us for advice and it became a bit of a logistical challenge to answer all the calls. We therefore thought it best to set up an academy whereby we offer as much free help as we can.
“We are recognised experts and use that knowledge to create a package of information to help people.”
The modules will be split into two: one aimed at those who have land to develop and one designed for people keen to source land to build a site. Once restrictions ease further, it is planned to deliver them in person at Glampitect’s Edinburgh base.
“We will speak about our sites, how we did it, the planning, sometimes we will have a manufacturer or a finance person attending to pass on advice,” said Mr MacLeod. “We discuss websites and marketing and the feasibility of sites – will it get planning, is it going to make money?
“It’s great to be helping people start out on this road. A year from now I’d like to see 10 people having come through the academy to own their own glamping sites.
“It’s exciting how quickly the company is growing, and the academy is something which evolved as a result of that rapid growth. We always had the vision to do this but the academy is allowing us to help people on a much larger scale than we expected.”
The opening sessions are already at capacity, with 120 people scheduled to attend. Alongside the founders, helping deliver them will be Ed Calvert and Jack Liddell from Glampitect’s client relations team.


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Waterford — Just over eight months after Hurricane Ida hit Ashon Avent’s custom design and printing company with devastating flooding, his business has found a new name, a new focus and a new home.
Through perseverance and resilience, Avent’s T-shirt World had its grand opening on May 14 in the Crystal Mall.
Avent originally had opened the business in 2012 as Main Avent Athletics and Apparel. The Sept. 2, 2021, hurricane had left much of its stock and equipment under 4 feet of water at Foundry 66’s Sunlight Building on Franklin Street in Norwich. At the time, the business owner and professor at Eastern Connecticut State University estimated his losses at about $30,000.
On Monday, he said, “Thirty might have been a small number. I lost everything. All our inventory … We lost our repeat customer’s files, plus our machines got damaged so with that, there’s nothing I could really recoup.”
Insurance would not cover his losses, and he said Federal Emergency Management Agency relief would have come in the form of a loan that had to be amortized over 30 years, so he didn’t think that was a feasible option.
“I said, ‘I’ll find a way to get it done and I will,’” Avent said.
The business had its soft opening in the Waterford mall, 850 Hartford Turnpike, at the end of March.
“I don’t even know how I did it,” the 42-year-old said. “We had to rebrand a lot and find a way to bring in more ancillary services to people … That’s why we went from the Main Avent to T-shirt World — something a little more universal. I was thinking about the bigger picture then.”
Part of that included the creation of two personal brands, which Avent describes as fashion forward.
“It’s not just a normal T-shirt,” he said, holding a hockey-style laced, long-sleeved shirt with “BLK” written in puffy letters on the front. Another example hanging in the store has the logo in black and white rhinestones on a tailored hooded sweatshirt.
“BLK,” or “Bold Loyal and Kind,” was inspired by recent events.
“I thought it was fitting with the times with George Floyd and everyone talking about diversity, equity and inclusion,” Avent said, referring to Floyd, who was killed by police in Minneapolis in 2020, setting off Black Lives Matter demonstrations around the country. “I just figured that subtly we would just blend everything together and come up with a message that was positive.”
The second, “No Luck All Hustle,” is a nod to the obstacles Avent has had to overcome in his life, including the devastation of his business that he still gets emotional talking about. “That’s me: no luck, all hustle — that’s the definition of it,” he said.
When asked how he dealt with the loss and setbacks he faced, he explained, “coming from how I grew up in Hartford, you just find a way to get through it. You just find an alternative — to hold on, because you know that a better thing will come.”
He continued, “Everyone always talks about ‘peaks and valleys’ but no one really talks about the valleys. I think that’s how you get to the peak. You stand in the valley … When you’re in the valley, you become more creative; you work a little bit harder.”
In addition to his branded merchandise, his store sells pre-printed clothing, plain T-shirts and custom T-shirts which can be made on demand depending on his current order volume. T-shirt World also takes wholesale orders, custom orders for companies or fundraisers, offers screen printing, embroidery and sublimation printing, a process where ink is transferred directly onto fabric.
Additionally, it offers an online shop option for other entrepreneurs, such as an individual who currently does small-scale production or has an idea. “He might not have a website; he might not have all the resources, but he’s got a hunger … he just needs an opportunity, so we’ll give him an ecommerce platform,” Avent explained.
The customer gets a website but Avent controls the back end of it, taking care of production, order fulfillment and shipping.
As a graduate of Eastern Connecticut State University with a master’s degree in business administration from Albertus Magnus, Avent says his education has helped him with all the reinventing and innovation he has had to do, and he tries to pass on the knowledge he has gained to his students. He accepts ECSU students for internships, which he tailors to their goals.
“I call it ‘entrepreneur your own internship.’ I put them in the position to test out every theory they ever had in the classroom to bring it to life here, so if you like social media marketing, here’s our social media. Let’s see what you can do … They get real hands-on work experience,” he explained.
As Avent moves forward in his new venture, he is prepared to keep innovating and adapting.
“Nothing in life comes easy,” he said, “you’ve got to get out there and work for it.”


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Cargo Services Inc., a mobile marketplace headquartered in New York City, announced June 14 that it is expanding to Los Angeles. The company, which allows Uber and Lyft drivers to receive complimentary boxes stocked with retail items, has already bought a warehouse in Ontario, Calif.
Cargo’s expansion into L.A. was solidified by two key partnerships with local businesses, Venice-based Snap Inc. and Culver City’s Awesome Office Inc., better known by its brand name SnackNation.
Tech reporter Samson Amore can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org or (323) 556-8335. Follow him on Twitter @samsonamore.
For reprint and licensing requests for this article, CLICK HERE.
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- Wag Founders Raise $37 Million for Mobility Venture


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If you’ve purchased Grand Valley produce from local fruit stands or farmers markets, or at the farmers market in Craig or Glenwood Springs or a farm stand almost anywhere in the entire state in the past 50 years, the chances are good you’ve enjoyed vegetables grown by the DeVries family.
Bill and LeEyla DeVries, who are 80 and 79 respectively, bought their original East Orchard Mesa farm in 1966.
Shauna, the youngest of their three children, was a toddler at the time, and Bill worked full time as a lineworker for the power company and farmed on the side.
Most of the original DeVries acreage was planted in apples. The first year he bought his orchard, a freeze killed most of the buds, so he had no crop.
He rented nearby land and began growing vegetables. He bought adjoining acreage when he could, and after eight years, he tore out the apples on his original land and devoted himself to growing more vegetables.
About the same time, he quit working for the power company to farm full time.
“I’m not really content working a job,” Bill said.
The DeVries family started the Craig farmers market — Bill couldn’t recall exactly the year it began — and Bill and one of his children used to make the weekly trip to Craig to run the market.
At first, the market was a two-day event, so they’d spend one night at a motel.
“We’ve been the farmers market there (in Craig) for 50 years,” Bill said.
He and Shauna DeVries still make the drive to Craig, although the market is just a one-day event now.
The DeVries family also was a driving force to get the Glenwood Springs farmers market started about 35 years ago, and Bill and Shauna still attend that one, as well.
“I’m the truck driver in the family,” said Shauna, who has worked alongside her father all her life.
Her brother, Stacey, is the chile roaster and tractor driver.
In addition to going to the Glenwood Springs and Craig markets, Shauna drives a truck full of produce to Denver once a week during the growing season.
Over the years, the DeVries family has been involved in several of the various Grand Junction markets, as well as the one in Aspen.
For decades, DeVries Farm Market had a produce stand at the corner of 32 Road and C Road on East Orchard Mesa.
When the opportunity came to sell the site and make a nice profit that would enable the couple, who were then in their 60s, to retire, they decided to take it.
However, retirement didn’t sit too well with them, and they decided to build a new farm store on their farm at 3149 C Road.
In the spring and early summer, the farm store carries garlic, peas, beets and squash grown on their farm, as well as a few bedding plants, jams, jellies, honey and beans.
As summer progresses, the peas and cool-weather crops give way to tomatoes, peppers, melons, winter squash and other late-season crops.
In addition to going to farmers markets and selling at their farm store, the family sells wholesale to stores and other markets across the state.
Their store has a large loading dock in back, where it’s not uncommon to find a truck picking up produce or dropping off items that aren’t grown on their farm, such as pinto beans or syrup.
After decades building and maintaining ties and connections, the DeVries family continues to make sure Grand Valley produce gets in the hands and on the plates of those who want it.


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BJ's Wholesale Club Q1 Results Top Estimates - Quick Facts
(RTTNews) - BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings Inc. (BJ) announced Thursday that net income for the first quarter soared to $95.73 million or $0.69 per share from $35.80 million or $0.25 per share in the prior-year quarter.
Total revenues for the quarter increased 20.8 percent to $3.80 billion from $3.14 billion in the same quarter last year.
On average, analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report earnings of $0.34 per share on revenues of $3.31 billion for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.
Sales grew 21.1 percent to $3.72 billion as well as membership fee income increased 8.4 percent to $79.57 million from last year.
Comparable club sales for the first quarter increased 19.9 percent from last year. Comparable club sales, excluding the impact of gasoline sales, increased 27.0% compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2019.
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We're getting closer and closer to jetpacks becoming regularly used in daily life. Another company debuted their services with a jetpack, where Domino's did a pizza delivery over the weekend at the Glastonbury Festival!
This was all inspired by Elton John performing at the festival and Domino's wanted to show off their own "Rocket Man".
Domino's spokesman Sam Wilson said, "When we realized it would be impossible to serve pizza slices inside the festival, we drew inspiration from this year’s headliner to launch our own rapid delivery trial. it was a bit of a no brainer. Every year, we receive numerous random requests from festival-goers attempting to sneak pizza into the party. Therefore, this year, we aimed to take a gigantic leap forward and test our very own rocket man service, ensuring that hungry campers can experience sky-high satisfaction in the future.”
Watch the jetpack delivery from Domino's happen. Also, I hope those folks tipped him. The guy just flew through the air to bring them pizza, you have to give him a little something for the effort!


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- VPR Brands continues to invest in inventory and new products in an effort to keep up with increased demand and promote year-over-year gains
- The company recently updated its best-selling battery, ELF
- VPRB is expanding exposure to thousands of stores, increasing convenience and approachability for retailers
Innovative technology holding company VPR Brands LP (OTC: VPRB) is making a name for itself in the vaping market through product development and partnerships with top international brands. VPRB is focused on offering high-performance, high-quality products that bring value to partners, consumers and investors.
Through the leadership of its experienced management team, VPRB has pivoted toward cannabis products, a move that has increased sales and…
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to VPRB are available in the company’s newsroom at http://nnw.fm/VPRB
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The company also stated that revenue went up by 5.1% to ¥1.95 trillion (~$17.42 billion), highest than the market expectations of ¥1.87 trillion (~$16.71 billion).
Sony predicts that by end of March 2019 they will have shipped up to 96 million units, adding up around one million more units than previously predicted. (SON.L, SNE) reported that its first-quarter net income attributable to stockholders rose to 226.4 billion yen or $2.08 billion from last year's 80.9 billion yen.
PlayStation 4 is without a doubt the best console you can opt for at the moment with the likes of upcoming games like Spiderman PS4, you can't make a mistake of choosing something else.
Pope Francis: 'death penalty inadmissable'
It now says it is "inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person". Though the church's teachings have evolved, Francis' views on the subject have not.
Annual sales are now projected to rise slightly, with operating profit unchanged.
The strong results led to an increase in the company's full-year forecast.
Operating profit was ¥195-billion (US$1.75-billion) in the June quarter, the Tokyo-based company said Tuesday, compared to analysts' average projections for ¥145.4-billion.
Britain's May to meet Macron in France on Friday
Only once has such a move actually brought down a French government, that of Georges Pompidou in 1962. A parliamentary inquiry into Benalla's actions is ongoing.
Sony has revealed that the last quarter's PlayStation 4 hardware sales has brought the total units sold to 82.2 million.
In May, Sony unveiled a USD1.9-billion deal to buy industry titan EMI Music Publishing, which has the rights to songs by the likes of Queen and Pharrell Williams.
Separately, Nintendo Co yesterday said its quarterly net profit jumped 43.9 percent year-on-year to US$275 million, driven by the global popularity of its Switch console and game titles.
Apple officially becomes the first $1 trillion company
Other technology companies with high-flying, trendy stocks are expected to join Apple in the $1 trillion club before long. Shares of the world's most valuable public company briefly climbed above $207.04, making it worth $1 trillion overall.
Despite being the third game in the Mafia series, it's not necessary for you to have played the first two games because it features a different protagonist and story. This is a nice leap from the 79 million the system was at back in April, meaning that 3.2 million units sold throughout the late spring and early summer. The division is expected to report an annual loss around JPY 30 billion, worse than the 27.6 billion the previous year, and twice the loss forecast by Sony in April.


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Thanks to an Android app called AllCast, you don’t need an iPhone and Apple TV to show off your most heartwarming holiday videos.
AllCast lets you beam photos and videos from an Android phone to numerous smart TVs and set-top boxes. Supported devices include Roku, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Google TV, Apple TV, and smart TVs from Samsung and Panasonic.
AllCast was previously in beta and available only through sideloading, but now you can download AllCast straight from the Google Play Store. The free app has advertisements, a splash screen and a 60-second limit on videos. You can remove those restrictions with a $5 license.
In my initial testing, the app worked well on an HTC One in conjunction with an Xbox One, quickly recognizing the console and offering it as a playback option. There’s no need to even pick up an Xbox One controller, as AllCast opens the Xbox Video app automatically after you select a photo or video from the phone. (AllCast converts photos into video, allowing them to play through the Xbox Video app.)
It’s not a completely flawless experience. The app creates a notification on the phone while beaming a photo or video, but tapping the notification during photo playback failed to direct me back to the app. There was also no way to stop playback while viewing a photo, short of just closing the Xbox Video app. On one occasion, AllCast showed two instances of the Xbox One on the recognized device list, requiring a restart of the Android app. Overall, though, the ability to quickly send a photo or video to the television was impressive.
Developer Koushik Dutta promises support for music playback in the future. Support for Chromecast is also coming “when Google allows it.” Google infamously prevented the beta version of AllCast from working with the $35 TV dongle, and has yet to offer an alternative for sending photos and videos directly from an Android phone or tablet. Chromecast support may come with the launch of public software developer tools, which according to GigaOM, are coming some time next year.
This story, "AllCast for Android slickly sends photos, videos to TVs" was originally published by TechHive.


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Mattel is commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Matchbox brand.
To celebrate, a line of limited-edition vehicles are being introduced, paying tribute to Matchbox’s heritage of inventing detailed and realistic vehicles that have inspired generations of kids.
The celebratory line will include 70th anniversary die-cast vehicles, featured in seven different assortments across the Matchbox range, all honouring the anniversary with special platinum details. These selections are a combination of collector favourites and iconic vehicles spanning seven decades and regions around the world.
Individual 70th anniversary die-cast vehicles will be rolling into retail throughout the year and will be available throughout Matchbox’s 2023 die-cast product line.
Conceived in 1953 by English engineer Jack Odell, a vehicle mechanic for the British Army in World War II, Matchbox reinvented the toy vehicle category with a revolutionary scale, affordable price, and mass availability for consumers.
For more information on the Matchbox 70th Anniversary, click here.


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A three-day conference at the University of California, Berkeley bringing together leaders from the business industry, the non-profit sector, government and academia.
Conference panelists will address the legal, technological, and public policy concerns spurred by digital rights management systems – the technological codes built into music CDs, movies on DVD, home computers, digital televisions, stereo equipment and portable devices to protect copyrights, restrict use, or track consumer use of products. Panelists will discuss recent developments and debate the future of content protection, fair use policies and consumer privacy.
The conference is being hosted by several centers and programs at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall) and the campus’s School of Information Management & Systems All tickets to the event have been sold out, however reporters who register in advance of the event are welcome. Audio and video webcast of the conference will be available on the conference Web site, https://www.law.berkeley.edu/institutes/bclt/drm.
When: Thursday, Feb. 27 through Saturday, March 1.
Where: Various locations on and near the UC Berkeley campus.
Thursday, 1:00 pm. – 5:30 p.m.
Bancroft Hotel, 2680 Bancroft Way, near the intersection of College and Bancroft avenues.
Leading technologists from Microsoft and SRI International will explain the technology behind digital rights management and Prof. Pam Samuelson will review the current legal and public policy questions that are prompting debate.
Friday, 8:45 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Andersen Auditorium, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley
Panel discussions on how digital rights management systems are used to create new business opportunities; DRM’s impact on innovation, marketplace competition, and network security; the impact of DRM on the way information flows in the digital environment; and the impact of DRM technologies on consumers in terms of copying, privacy, etc.
Participants will include leaders from Hewlett Packard; Microsoft; the Recording Industry Association of America; Intel; IBM; Verizon; the Association of American Publishers; RealNetworks, Inc.; and academics from UC Berkeley, Stanford University, Princeton University, MIT, the University of Pennsylvania, and Boston College.
Saturday, 8:30 a.m. – noon.
Keynote address by U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-California), who introduced a bill last year that would revise the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to strengthen consumer usage rights.
Panel discussion on legal and policy issues including panelists from the Motion Picture Association of America; the Los Angeles Times, the Federal Trade Commission, the Computer and Communications Industry Association, Business Software Alliance; as well as academics from the University of Texas, the University of Amsterdam, and the University of Chicago.
Background: The conference is sponsored by the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology at Boalt Hall; UC Berkeley’s School of Information Management & Systems; the Berkeley Technology Law Journal at Boalt Hall; the Samuelson Law, Technology and Public Policy Clinic at Boalt Hall; the Center for Innovation Law at the University of Toronto; and Bell Labs at the University of Toronto.
This is the first conference of its kind bringing together leaders from a cross-disciplinary and cross-industry perspective. It is designed to educate professionals about these issues and facilitate communication. The conference is also designed to further understanding of the laws and policy issues that surround this topic. A full list of speakers is available at https://www.law.berkeley.edu/institutes/bclt/drm/speakers.html.
The conference has already generated a great deal of interest with a sell-out audience of more than 300 people, including Washington policy-makers, top executives, and leading scholars from around the world.
Particularly newsworthy participants include RealNetworks, which just launched a new streaming product that incorporates DRM ; Microsoft, which is preparing the next version of their operating system embedded with DRM; Panelist Cary Sherman, president of the RIAA, who will discuss in the future of the recording industry’s content protection efforts; Verizon, defendant in a lawsuit in which a judge ordered the release of the names of individual Internet users of the Verizon network who are accused of copyright infringement; Edward Felten, a computer science professor at Princeton who was threatened with a lawsuit under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) for presenting his cryptography research paper on the weaknesses in the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI), a proposal by the recording industry for a computer platform for music that would prevent copying and other potential uses.
A list of resources that will help reporters familiarize themselves with these issues is available at https://www.law.berkeley.edu/institutes/bclt/drm/resources.html.
Note to Reporters: News media wishing to cover the conference must register for a complimentary press pass at https://www.law.berkeley.edu/institutes/bclt/drm/press-reg.html. Reporters must have valid press credentials. Flash photography may not be used during the lecture. An interview room will be available throughout the conference.
For more information on media accommodations contact Erin Campbell at Boalt Hall, 510/643-8010. For additional information on the conference program contact Eddan Katz at the School of Information Management and Systems (510) 642-2231 or email@example.com.


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Cheap Monthly Car Rentals Uk
– The U.S. auto industry curtains 2018 in imitation of sales of 17.3 million extra vehicles, which beat expectations, but the approach for 2019 is uncertain. in the midst of the twists and turns on the road ahead are the fallout of a slowdown in China and in the U.S., the overhang of tariff wars, the impact of further technologies such as driverless vehicles, and the preferences of millennial and Gen Z consumers, which will steer complex demand. Cheap Monthly Car Rentals Uk
If the in imitation of year saying tree-plant closures and layoffs at companies such as General Motors, the industry heads into 2019 taking into consideration more investments, alliances and forays into electric vehicles and other newer technologies. while the industry began the year upon a tepid note as soon as an conventional sales fade away in January, it does not ambition auto companies wont ride out any bumps, according to experts at Wharton and elsewhere. Cheap Monthly Car Rentals Uk
Long and Winding Road
Pros and cons exist for each of the factors influencing the U.S. automobile industry, explanation Wharton government professor John Paul McDuffie, who is after that director of the Program on Vehicle and Mobility press forward at the schools Mack Institute for expansion Management.
For each one there could be a definite spin and positive angle upon it, and a negative spin and a negative angle on it, McDuffie said. He motto the industry facing a decent amount of uncertainty, and that he was neither optimistic nor pessimist just about the year ahead. We rouse in fascinating times, turbulent times.
cheap monthly ,
MacDuffie believes the auto industry is dealing in imitation of a broader range of issues than he has encountered in the many years he has studied the industry. He acid to technological changes, electric and autonomous vehicles, the current confess of trade and the threats of tariffs. on the tariffs front, the U.S. auto industry is bracing for well ahead duties upon steel and aluminum imports after April, in the manner of a 90-day recess of future tariffs by the U.S. on imports from China expires. The industry is afterward worried more or less the impact of tariffs that President Trump has threatened to impose on car imports from the European Union.
Concerns loom not quite the strength of various economies the U.S. and China in particular. As huge a issue as the tariff risk is the risk of Chinas economy slowing showing off down, said MacDuffie. The Chinese present has been the main engine for many of the global automakers, he added. I wonder what its similar to to be a senior dealing out in these auto companies and have to pact behind this amazing complexity and this incredible uncertainty.
Paul Eisenstein, publisher and editor of TheDetroitBureau.com, a message focused on the automobile industry, noted that though the consensus was that 2018 would be a year of halt in the U.S. push and China would grow slower than it had in once years, exactly the opposite happened. The U.S. actually gained, albeit by just a hairs breadth in 2018, and China posted its first grow less that weve seen previously the explosion of that push back on the perspective of the supplementary millennium, he said. Most people expect that China will rebound a tiny bit this [year] and the U.S. publicize will once again slow.
Above all, much depends upon President Trumps actions, said Eisenstein. He is continuing to chat practically ramping going on his trade wars, he noted. The industry is preparing for the repercussion of some key negotiations such as those along with the U.S. and the European Union, he added.
MacDuffie and Eisenstein shared their insights on the emerging terrain for U.S. auto industry for a series titled 2019: A see Ahead upon the [email protected] radio piece of legislation on Sirius XM. (Listen to the podcast at the top of this page.)
Tesla Plugs into China
One automaker that is bullish on China even as the country grapples taking into consideration an economic slowdown is Tesla, which is planning to build a factory there. Tesla is always out there at the risky edge of something, said MacDuffie, noting that it wants to build a extra factory in China even as its own finances are stretched. on the supplementary hand, he prickly out that Tesla is the first foreign company that China has allowed to build a tree-plant upon its own without a Chinese joint venture partner. That means less inadvertent of knowledge leakage and having to allowance information [with Chinese firms or the Chinese government]. But it then means the risk is not shared anymore.
Also encouraging for Tesla is the fact that the Chinese organization is pushing upon several fronts to be the biggest electric vehicle market in the world, MacDuffie said. They have a lot of levers at their run to make that happen, including instinctive clever to require that foreign automakers make a lot of electric vehicles to sell there. So, its not correspondingly risky for [Tesla founder] Elon Musk to figure that in building capability there, there will be request for electric vehicles. The $2 billion project could start selling its cars by as early as the second half of this year, according to a Quartz tally that cited Chinese government officials.
At the same time, many Chinese startups that have arrive in to try to compete at the high end of the electric vehicle publicize have struggled, MacDuffie said. He caustic to Faraday unconventional as one of those. It had seemed to be amply financed and had a lot of good talent, and theyve had nothing but trouble. So, its a dangerous bet to create that huge of an investment [as Tesla is planning in China]. But as a bet on a broadcast thats going to have electric vehicle demand, it is not suitably much [of a risk].
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Eisenstein noted that consensus is growing in the auto industry that electrification is the exaggeration of the future. even though global sales of all electric vehicles, including hybrids, plug-ins and fixed idea battery electric vehicles yet direct below the 5% mark, you look a positive and increasingly sharp upward curve that tells you that you avoid the electric publicize electrification at your own peril, he said. China is an attractive puff for electric vehicles, he added, noting that it has introduced rules that will require automakers to produce a minimum level of plug-in models that can piece of legislation in sure conditions in zero emissions mode. Cheap Monthly Car Rentals Uk
Similar regulations are as a consequence established in the U.S. in 2025 in the same way as supplementary fuel economy standards, although the Trump administration has said it would roll them back, said Eisenstein. He caustic to several actions by U.S. automakers to diversify into electric vehicles. One is Ford Motors billboard that it will launch an all-electric balance of its F series pickup, which Eisenstein said is the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. General Motors is then planning all-electric versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and the Sierra, he added, referencing his story upon the development.
U.S. Auto Investments: Divergent Trends
While some U.S. automakers are biting back up talent at plants that no longer bring in the desired revenues and profits, their foreign counterparts are making light investments. A suit in lessening is the decision General Motors made last November to close five nature in North America, lay off some 14,000 workers, and retire six of its 15 car models. The GM imitate wasnt a big admiration if you handily looked at how much the demand for the products made in those flora and fauna had slowed mannerism alongside higher than a period of a couple of years, and the general shift away from sedans to SUVs, said MacDuffie. The hard-won sharpness is that its improved to make these cuts in good period than wait for bad era and next you may have actually made them worse. He received such adjustment of employment to the make public demand to continue.
For the foreign auto companies, the U.S. is still the biggest market in the world, bordering to China, said MacDuffie. To arrive here, to build here, to construct brand here, and to build reputation here still makes sense. That logic explains Volkswagens upset to invest $800 million to create electric vehicles at its plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., and a joint venture amid Toyota and Mazda in an assembly plant in Huntsville, Ala., he added. Cheap Monthly Car Rentals Uk
Theyve got request for those vehicles here and its a pretentiousness to be protected adjacent to some of the risk of tariffs. Employment will go occurring and all along across plants, and across companies. Its the overall picture of enlargement for the industry in the world economy that probably these companies are in reality watching.
Alliances vs. Mergers
Another trend that Eisenstein highlights is alliances in the middle of automakers. He listed the Ford-VW partnership to create advertisement vans and pick-up trucks, the Honda-General Motors partnership for autonomous vehicles, and the Toyota-Mazda joint venture. However, youre not going to look many of these alliances become full times partnerships or marriages, he said. Others put in Toyotas partnership gone Panasonic to manufacture electric batteries, which furthermore happens to have aligned taking into account Tesla. These are limited, anti-monogamous ventures. A good example is Toyota. For most of its existence, it kept away from all tying it to another manufacturer. But just in the last couple years were seeing it tie occurring gone BMW, Mazda, Subaru and so on.
MacDuffie recalled that Sergio Marchionne, the former CEO of Fiat Chrysler who passed away last July, made a mighty act for consolidation in the auto industry. He was famous for predicting that the industry was inevitably going to have to consolidate to a small number of huge players because he felt [that considering] the economies of scale, it was incredibly wasteful of capital to have all these firms developing every those vehicles, he said. Cheap Monthly Car Rentals Uk
Even so, the industry has a long history of failed mergers, MacDuffie noted. The Nissan-Renault Alliance that eventually included Mitsubishi has been described as the most thriving long-term association that wasnt an outright merger, he said. However, the alliance is facing psychoanalysis become old after the recent arrest and the resignation of its chairman, Carlos Ghosn. Even so, it yet has some inherent strengths if they can figure [a habit out of the crisis], he added. The issues upon the table are supplementary governance mechanisms and the checking account of capability amongst France (Renault) and Japan (Nissan), he sharp out.
MacDuffie said he has never been optimistic about such consolidation attempts. Ive always thought that consolidation to a little number of companies was unlikely, that what was more likely would be a sum up lot of projects in which costs are shared, and where its advantageous for the partners. He cited a partnership amid Toyota and Peugeot in a diesel engine project in Europe, which worked competently for several years, but was disbanded as the technology changed. Incidentally, Peugeots parent Groupe PSA recently struck unorthodox partnership past Toyota. Similarly, Toyota and Volkswagen had linked to create pickups many years ago, and they moved in and out of that, he added.
You could look these as unsuccessful projects or you could look them as enormously pragmatic, often short-term calculations to settlement with cost pressures, needs for technology, needs for a product in the quick term, said MacDuffie. Its actually a healthy adaptation to all the volatility and uncertainty as opposed to the big bet in the manner of a Daimler-Chrysler merger, which eventually failed.
Used Cars Preferred
One industry trend to watch is increased car buyer preference for used, rather than new, vehicles, especially if the latter are of recent vintage gone the latest or near-latest safety and supplementary features.
Eisenstein said that prices [of other cars] have gone going on to close scrap book levels of amongst $35,000 and $40,000 each for a typical vehicle. He supplementary that even those who can afford new autos at those prices are actively afterward official pre-owned vehicles. Typically, [they are] off-lease, which means that buyers took good care of them because they would on the other hand be penalized on the return, he noted. They are a year or two archaic and often identical to the models that are in the showrooms as further vehicles. That is something the industry has created, and it has become a threat to its own additional car market.
From the standpoint of dealer margins, those trends seem to create sense. One of the relatively well-known secrets of dealer economics is that supplementary cars have humiliate margins than used cars, which have subjugate margins than repair, which have lower margins than aftermarket parts., MacDuffie said. To the extent that the dealers are the ones in the recognized pre-owned vehicle market, they probably attain well.
Ridesharing and Autonomous Vehicles
Eisenstein after that noted trends in the ridesharing and car-sharing markets. He said one significant evolve of the taking into consideration year came from Waymo, a spin-off from Googles parent Alphabet, next it announced the establishment of its robotaxi bolster Waymo One. He wondered whether it would be truly autonomous or have backup operators astern the wheel.
If theyre able to create this work, and if the drivers dont have to constantly intervene, they may acquire praise within the bordering year or two to start fielding very driverless vehicles, Eisenstein said. That changes the equation because if you put up with the driver out, the biggest cost of a ride sharing vehicle goes away. quickly you potentially create it possible for companies later than Waymo One, Uber, Lyft and some of the others that are coming to undercut the idea of owning a vehicle, particularly in urban markets that may get thousands or even millions of drivers to abandon the idea of personal vehicle ownership.
MacDuffie said 2018 was a year of a little bit of authenticity and retrenchment in the advancement of autonomous vehicles. He bitter to a fatality last March in Phoenix involving an Uber car as one of the big setbacks. Were going to look more and more experimentation, and more and more pilots [in 2019], he said. The pilots back up the companies learn and get better, augment their algorithms, and it lets the public see these other things, and be more feasible more or less what works and what doesnt. Its a slow occupation towards both momentum and public acceptance.
Millennials to the Rescue
MacDuffie pointed to other driver of the industrys fortunes: the emergence of millennials as sprightly car buyers. For a while, everybody said millennials dont care roughly cars anymore, they unaided care more or less their gadgets and thats a generational shift that will shake up the auto industry, he said. It now looks following as millennials get older, they get married, they concern out of the cities to the suburbs, they have kids, theyre buying cars and maybe their finances now allow them to get that too. Thats a nice of unexpected source of demand. Cheap Monthly Car Rentals Uk
The U.S. auto industry booked unassailable sales gains last year, beyond 17 million vehicles for the fourth year in a row. If we go from 17.2 million to 16.8, its actually not a tragedy for the industry, MacDuffie said. Its with reference to usual because weve had these surprises (such as the request from millennials) that it hasnt made that dip yet.
Millennials basically saved the industry from a second consecutive year of decline, said Eisenstein. Every analyst Ive talked to said that it was largely an increase in millennial sales that amazed them. We are likely to continue to see that as they get older, they acquire wealthier and they can begin buying extra vehicles. However, greater than get older he standard millennials (those born amongst 1981 and 1996) and the Gen Z population (those born with 1995 and the in front 2000s) to opt for used vehicles, either because they want to be smarter practically their money or tighter subsequent to their budget if they are saddled as soon as theoretical loans.
What vehicles those other buyers choose is other huge ask for automakers, Eisenstein said. Will they switch to electrified vehicles or tidy vehicles? Will they as well as continue the push into crossovers and pleasing sport support vehicles? [Some of the younger buyers] are wise saying I dont want what daddy had. So, theres a lot of uncertainty very nearly where the millennial generation and the next generation will go.
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Old Habits Die Hard
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Fear of the Unknown
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There's a good chance your phone will be receiving a major update in the near future.
Both Apple and Google are gearing up to launch the next versions of iOS and Android respectively. Google finally shipped Android Oreo (version 8.0) earlier this week, and Apple is putting the finishing touches on iOS 11 as we creep closer to iPhone launch in September.
Although neither update has rolled out to phones just yet, they've been in beta for months for developers to play with. Now that we've had enough time to test them test them, we're ready to put the two head-to-head to see how some of the most important features stack up. So, here are some of the key features you need to know about.
Multitasking and productivity
In iOS 11, Apple is finally making the iPad a top priority, and it shows. With new split-screen and app-switching features, plus a vastly improved dock, moving between apps has never been easier.
If, however, you're using an iPhone, you won't find many new productivity features. Sure, there's a new Files app, some nifty markup tools, and nice improvements to stock apps like Notes and Mail, but you still can't truly multitask on your phone the way you can on an iPad.
While Android Oreo doesn't bring much to the table in terms of multitasking, it doesn't really have to -- because it added a split-screen multitasking for all devices last year with the Nougat update.
Speaking of multitasking, Android Oreo opens up support for Picture-in-Picture to any app (previously the feature was limited to YouTube only for Android). Better yet, it works on phones as well as tablets.
Sure, Apple introduced picture-in-picture for iPads with iOS 9, but the feature still doesn't exist on iPhones, and it still only works with newer iPads. (Even if you have a fourth gen iPad that was eligible for iOS 9, it doesn't support PiP.)
If this were an older Android update, there wouldn't be any question about which platform had the better emoji. But with Oreo, Google is finally, finally redesigning its hideous yellow blob emoji (though they'll live on in at least once app).
Now, instead of the shapeless, indecipherable lumps, Android users will get actually get a set of emoji that look like they belong in this millennium. Not only that, but Android Oreo comes with 56 brand new characters.
Google is also taking steps to fix Android's broken emoji problem, so you won't have to worry about texting all those new emoji to friends who may be running an older version of Android (and, spoiler alert, there's a good chance that they are).
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All that said, Apple has also confirmed it will have a big emoji update coming later this year, as it will also be adopting the new Unicode 10.0 update. We don't know exactly when, but the emoji update is likely to go live with iOS 11 in the fall.
Both platforms are getting major updates to notifications, particularly Android. With Oreo, Google is adding a ton of new ways to customize and interact with notifications. For one, they're borrowing a bit from iOS with new notification indicators on app icons and new 3D Touch-like gestures that let you peek at a notification by long pressing on an app.
Aside from that, there are also notification channels, which lets you control many of the same types of notifications all at once and custom background colors for notifications.
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Apple also made a few other tweaks that will have a noticeable impact. Apple has removed its old "Notification Center" for good. Now, instead, when you swipe down from the top of the screen, it will bring up your lock screen, though you can still view your push notifications. While the whole interaction is a little awkward, it's nice to be rid of the hideous Notification Center.
Keyboard and Autofill
Google is adding a much-needed autofill feature, which makes it easier to sign into apps without typing your full password. It's another feature iOS has had for a few years, but anything that (securely!) makes passwords easier to manage is a win.
On the iOS side, Apple made a small but welcome improvement: the addition of one-handed keyboard layouts, so you can type with one hand without a mess of typos.
So while there are some major differences between the two updates (and yes, some people say we shouldn't compare them in the first place), in a lot of ways, the two updates are fairly evenly matched. There's also much more that's uniques to each one, so be sure to check out our deep dives on Android Oreo and iOS 11.


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The deal, which has been 18 months in the making, will take Oliver’s brands in to contract catering in the UK and Northern Europe in a bid to reach a younger audience.
The restaurants may be under existing concepts such as Jamie’s Italian or Jamie’s Deli, or “exclusive” new brands developed for Aramark clients.
Jon Knight, CEO of Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group, told BigHospitality the first site of the partnership was on-track to open this summer, with a number of others in the pipeline.
He said: “We’ve got a very aggressive plan for the next two years. Within 12-18 months I would like to think we would be in double figures.”
Speaking at an event to announce the partnership, Oliver said the move was part of his mission to “change the system” and deliver a “nutritional revolution” beyond the high street.
It follows a difficult few months for the chef’s restaurant group, which has closed 12 of its 37 Jamie’s Italian sites since January after posting £9.9m losses in the last financial year. It also shut its Barbecoa grill and barbecue restaurant in Piccadilly after it fell in to administration.
“Despite what you might have read this group of people and these businesses have had a fantastic year, and have never been happier or more creative,” said Oliver.
“Behind it is a company which is committed to really changing things in food in Britain and hopefully the world. We have some social values which are deep-seated in this business, and that’s to half childhood obesity in the next 12 years. It’s a big call.”
New chapter for restaurants
Knight told BigHospitality the deal was a chance for the restaurant group to take a new direction amid difficult trading conditions on the high street.
He said: “The market is incredibly tough so you’ve got to find new audiences.
“From a growth point of view we haven’t gone through what we have just come out of it and stand still. We’ve gone through it to re-base ourselves and grow again.”
He added that he was “very keen” to also look at expansion in to high-footfall travel hubs such as stations, but wouldn’t rule out opening further high street restaurants.
“I’ve got a right-sized estate at the moment, I need to make sure it works. What I don’t want to do is suddenly over expand. We’ve done what we needed to. If those opportunities on the high street come along and they are commercially viable then I would certainly consider it.”


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AMD on Monday welcomed Frank Azor, formerly of Dell and Alienware, as the new Chief Architect Gaming Solutions at the company.
Azor’s official title will be “Corporate VP, Chief Architect Gaming Solutions” reporting into Sandeep Chennakeshu, head of AMD’s computing and graphics group. According to AMD, Azor’s task is to build and expand AMD’s cross-platform (PC-console-cloud) presence across semi-custom, Ryzen CPU, Radeon and Instinct GPU and software products.
Azor has worked for Alienware where he served as an engineer and later held senior executive roles in sales and marketing before creating the Alienware Product Group organization in 2003, the high-performance Area-51m gaming notebook and the Predator desktops.
After Dell acquired Alienware in 2006, Azor held various executive roles inside Dell including running Alienware, Dell XPS, and the new Dell G-series businesses.


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Dell Inspiron Mini 9 confirmed!
Dell Senior Marketing Manager Karen Gonzales confirmed today the release of the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 in the Philippines. See specs and photos after the jump.
During the Philippine launch of Intel Atom this afternoon at the Manila Ocean Park, I approached an executive from Dell to confirm the release of the rumored Dell Inspiron Mini 9.
Specs include an Atom 1.6GHz, 1GB RAM and 16GB SSD. This lone model will run Windows XP Home with an 8.9-inch display screen (1024×600 pixel resolution). Ubuntu Linux-based Dell-customized interface will come later.
No suggested retail price has been given but they said it should fall somewhere between Php20,000 to Php25,000. (More photos as we update this story.)
The official launch in the Philippines will be on September 17, 2008 together with the Dell Studio series. It will be available in the market by October.
Update: Apparently, this was just announced in the US a couple hours ago. Dell PR has provided us with additional info and clearer pictures.
Models range from 4 to 16GB SSD, 512MB to 1GB, 1.3MP webcam, Wifi and Bluetooth.


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Oxo has introduced its Good Grips Quick Release apple corer. The company said the tool is designed with squeeze handles that grips onto the apple core and then releases it so consumers can throw it right into the trash.
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Kuhn Rikon is bringing two new fry pan collections to the market, dubbed the Silver Star and Black Star frying pan lines.
Sears Holdings has named a new chief financial officer as officials with the retailer provided an update on its plan to turn around the company’s ailing fiscal health.
Facing competitive headwinds from e-commerce and closeout retailers, Macy’s new CEO Jeff Gennette is focused on growing the company’s core business while also expanding the department store’s efforts in the digital space.
The Companion Group will feature a virtual reality experience in its booth at the National Hardware Show, held in Las Vegas next month, to help promote its new line of all-natural insect repellents, Not In My Backyard.


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Samsung is now allowing people to reserve 'the next Galaxy Smartphone' or 'the next Galaxy Tablet', not-so-subtle references to the upcoming Galaxy S22 and Galaxy Tab S8 series. As we discussed on Friday, Samsung is offering a US$50 credit towards other Galaxy products if you reserve a spot to pre-order either model. Please note that Samsung is only running this promotion in the US and not other markets.
So far, Samsung has confirmed it will host a Galaxy Unpacked event next month, albeit without announcing when it will do so. However, @TechInsiderBlog has discovered a date within the company's UNPACKED 2022 website. Also, Samsung has included calendar invites for Google, Outlook and Yahoo. None are viewable on the UNPACKED 2022 website, but the Google Calendar invite link is functional.
As the screenshot below shows, Samsung's 'Get Ready to Break the Rules' event will start at 15:00 UTC on February 9. Additionally, the invite states that this Galaxy Unpacked event will be a virtual one, which people can watch on Samsung's main website. Presumably, the event will be pre-recorded, as the last Apple Event was in September.
The @TechInsiderBlog adds that Samsung will release the Galaxy S22 series on February 25, with pre-reservation and pre-booking opportunities open between February 14-21 and February 21-24, respectively. It is unclear where @TechInsiderBlog has received this information from, but it could be elsewhere within the UNPACKED 2022 website. Separately, European prices and memory configurations for the Galaxy S22 series have leaked, courtesy of Roland Quandt.
Purchase the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE on AmazonWorking For NotebookcheckAre you a techie who knows how to write? Then join our Team!Wanted: German-English-Translator (English native speakers preferred)Details here
Samsung & Google Calendar via @TechInsiderBlog (1) (2), LetsGoDigital - Image creditSurveyJoin our Support Satisfaction Survey 2022: We want to hear about your experiences!Participate hereFirst Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra hands-on image shows the extent of the huge tablet's notch and how thin its bezels actually are02/07/2022Over 100 images of official Samsung Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+ and Galaxy S22 Ultra cases leak ahead of next week's Galaxy Unpacked event02/02/2022Leaked promotional materials for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, Galaxy Tab S8+ and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra confirm specifications, battery capacities and more02/02/2022Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ promotional materials leak, revealing key specifications and differences between the two flagships02/01/2022Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 prices, memory configurations and connectivity options leak, as do full specification sheets and Book Cover Keyboard case renders02/01/2022Official Samsung cases leak for the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+ and the Galaxy S22 Ultra02/01/2022Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ suffer late set back with only the Galaxy S22 Ultra now shipping in February01/31/2022Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series leaked presentation slides and promotional video reveal pen and camera improvements for upcoming flagship tablets01/30/2022Samsung could quicken the pace of future Android and One UI update rollouts01/27/2022The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, S22+, S22 may be priced the same as the Galaxy S21 series01/27/2022Samsung Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+ and Galaxy S22 Ultra full specifications leak, as do complete marketing product images01/26/2022Samsung Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+ and Galaxy S22 Ultra to launch in the US for higher than expected prices01/25/2022Samsung Galaxy Unpacked: 'The Epic Standard' promotional material leaks, as do complete Galaxy Tab S8 renders01/25/2022European prices and memory configurations revealed for the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+ and the Galaxy S22 Ultra01/23/2022Xclipse 920 vs Adreno 730: Coasting AMD RDNA 2-powered GPU for the Exynos 2200 thrashes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1's graphics processor in new benchmarks01/22/2022Full Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G phone, display, and camera specifications reveal how Samsung combined the Galaxy S with the Galaxy Note01/21/2022Regional Exynos 2200 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 configurations revealed for the Samsung Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+ and Galaxy S22 Ultra01/21/2022Samsung Galaxy S22 series reservations to go live today with a monetary bonus ahead of February Galaxy Unpacked event01/21/2022Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy Tab S8 series set for February 9 debut as Samsung hypes up "the most noteworthy S series device"01/21/2022European prices and release dates revealed for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra as whole Galaxy Tab S8 series is leaked by major retailer01/20/2022Samsung lets slip the design of the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra in support page blunder01/20/2022Samsung to ditch the power supply for the Galaxy Tab S8, Galaxy Tab S8+ and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra while retaining the S Pen01/17/2022Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, Galaxy Tab S8+ and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra official marketing renders leak as full specification sheets are also revealed01/14/2022
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Google Maps has a new update for iPhone and Android smartphone users that will make it safer to explore the outdoors this summer. When using the app on your phone you’ll now have the option to see your local area’s Air Quality Index, alongside guidance on what is safe (or isn’t safe) to do outside.
The data is collected from government agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency in the US and PurpleAir – a network of privately owned air-quality sensors, data from which is pooled to create a publicly available map of air quality on a more local level.
To access this new air quality info, all you have to do is open the Google Maps app, tap the layers icon (it’s the stack of squares under the search bar in the top-right corner) and select Air quality at the bottom-right.
Right now data is only available for parts of the US, Australia and India, but we expect support for other regions will be added over time. Those of you in the US will also be able to access local PurpleAir information on your Google Nest speakers and Google Nest hub displays.
Google Maps is heating up
Beyond air quality, Google will also be adding active wildfire data to its Maps services.
Right next to the Air Quality layer in Google Maps is the Wildfires layer. Turning this on will give you details about nearby active fires, using data from the National Interagency Fire Center in the US as well as agencies in other regions.
You can also use Google Search to look up 'wildfires near me' to see information about local fires, including air quality and current safety guidance. Google eventually hopes to add smoke data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to further improve its services in the US.
Much like the air quality feature, Google's wildfire data isn’t yet as comprehensive as it could be, so remember to take necessary precautions when exploring the outdoors, and follow the most up-to-date local guidance about avoiding certain areas.
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In an effort to up the hype over Diablo 3, Blizzard is planning to reveal 2 new pics per week via their Twitter page, while leading up to BlizzCon 2010. Each Tuesday and Thursday, Blizzard will be posting a new screenshot showing a sneak preview of some of the new gear sets that will be available in Diablo 3.
This week’s showcase is the Witch Doctor.
The set featured in this post is a mid-level set, so it’s not exactly representative of what end game gear will look like. Although these set pieces are not really short on detail, it’s expected that the higher level pieces will likely be much more elaborate.
Coming next…The Female Wizard!


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Wycombe Wanderers are thrilled to have teamed up with FETCH to offer fans at Adams Park the opportunity to order food, drink and merchandise via a brand-new app, hugely reducing queue times around the stadium.
Supporters will be able to place their order using the FETCH app – or scan a QR code to use AppClips (iOS) or Instant Apps (Android) – and receive a notification when it’s ready to collect from the pick-up points in each corner of the stadium, as well as the concourses in the Frank Adams Stand.
The partnership with FETCH is the latest innovation to be rolled out at Adams Park ahead of the return of fans for the 2021/22 season, alongside state-of-the-art in-bowl wifi, digital advertising screens and a new giant display screen.
Wanderers’ Chief Commercial Officer Neil Peters said: “We know there’s nothing more annoying than missing a goal or key moment while you’re queuing for your food at the kiosk, so we’re delighted to welcome FETCH into the Wycombe family and provide a fantastic solution.
“The new wifi installation makes it possible for any fan with a smartphone to place their order, continue to enjoy the game from their seat, and then just pop to the pick-up point when it’s ready to collect.
“This takes away cash transactions, reduces queue times, and also provides a far smoother process for our catering team to enable them to produce food to the highest standard. It also gives us the opportunity to sell merchandise during the game for the first time.
“I’d like to thank Alex Harman at FETCH for bringing this fantastic app to Wycombe Wanderers and we’re excited to see it in action for the first time next season.”
Alex Harman, the son of former Wanderers star Andrew, said: “Wycombe Wanderers have always played a special part in my family and the team at FETCH are delighted to be working with the club and its fans.
“We’ve enjoyed great success with FETCH at a number of restaurants and catering outlets, and look forward to helping Wycombe provide a better experience for its fans when it comes to enjoying their food and drink within the stadium.”
Stand-by for more instructions about how to use the app and make food orders ahead of the start of the new season.


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It’s getting more expensive at o2: Telefónica boss Markus Haas wants to raise the prices for mobile phone tariffs sharply. The price increase will also affect other Telefónica brands. However, Vodafone and Telekom customers will not be spared for long.
o2 boss: Prices will rise in spring 2023
Inflation is arriving on the German mobile communications market: Telefónica boss Markus Haas wants it Prices for mobile phone offers still significantly more expensive in spring 2023 do. We’re talking about Surcharges of up to 10 percent. For customers of o2 there should be an expensive awakening from the winter in a few weeks.
The price premium is not just limited to the o2 brand. Also with the popular discount brand Blue, at Ay Yildiz and ortel Telefónica informs that prices will soon rise as a result. Lebara is not affected by this. The company wants to communicate separately how the individual partner brands are doing. According to Haas, the reason for this is the rising costs, for example for network expansion or for electricity. The manager explains: “In contrast to the past, more performance at the same price is no longer possible” (source: Handelsblatt).
Haas doesn’t just want to introduce “flat markups”. Instead, inclusive offers should be improved. A first step is this all o2 tariffs automatically to the more powerful and faster 5G network are to be upgraded. However, this only helps customers who have a 5G-capable smartphone. If not, it just gets more expensive. For Haas, however, that’s no big deal.
The price increases are initially only planned for new customers anyway. If you are already an o2 customer, you already have one by law in the event of unilateral price adjustments special right of termination. Without an announcement, no one can be surprised by rising prices.
Even if the prices are not currently being raised, it is worth canceling cell phone contracts:
Telekom and Vodafone: Price increases only a matter of time
The step by Telefónica boss Haas is a bad sign in another respect, because o2 and the other brands of the company should not be left alone. Industry insiders expect that also at Vodafone and Telekom or their mobile phone brands price increases pending.
According to a Telekom spokesman, the German industry leader has security against high electricity prices with long-term contracts until 2024, according to the Handelsblatt. But the situation is the same for all providers: long-term stable prices for customers meet high costs for companies. Neither Telekom nor Vodafone have officially confirmed plans to the business newspaper, but the signs point to one thing: they are coming for consumers Expensive times for mobile communications yet.


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Popular vegan bakery Cinnaholic is readying for an opening of a new location in Las Vegas, NV this month, serving gourmet, customizable, vegan cinnamon rolls and other baked goods. Owned by husband-and-wife team Florian and Shannon Radke, the brand gained national attention after being featured on ABC’s Shark Tank, and currently has franchises in Berkeley, CA; Southlake, TX; and Atlanta, GA, with locations in Athens, GA; Brea, CA; Richardson, TX; and San Diego, CA coming soon. Las Vegans can choose from nearly 30 frostings (including vanilla, cream cheese, peanut butter, and root beer) and more than 20 different toppings (such as apples, bananas, cookie dough, and miniature marshmallows) to make an endless array of treats. An exact date for the grand opening will be announced soon.
Photo courtesy of @cinnaholic


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Published: 2021-02-11 16:21
Last Updated: 2021-07-23 20:17
Feb 12, former US President Barack Obama's shoes which were exclusively designed for him by Nike in 2009, are set to go on sale on Sotheby's new e-platform 'Buy Now' for $25,000.
The "President Obama Player Nike Exclusive Hyperdunks" will officially be available for purchase at 4:44 PM, in honor of Obama, who served as the 44th president of the United States.
Notably, this shoe is one of only a couple ever designed, and have never been worn by Obama before. Nike held onto this pair as it is the only official model in flawless condition.


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For the most part, Visham Babwah – president of the Trinidad and Tobago Automotive Dealers Association (TTADA) and owner of P&V Marketing on Mulchan Seuchan Road, Chaguanas, spends his days helping people decide what automobiles to buy that are comfortable, affordable and up to date. At his dealership, he would most likely be seen speaking and smiling with couples, young and old, looking for a car for their families, or to young people hoping to buy their very first car.
But Babwah is more than a car salesman. By most definitions, he could be considered a pioneer in the drive to reduce emissions from automobiles. The 57-year-old in an interview with Business Day said he has been a "car man" all his life. His love for cars and foresight led him to become a leading figure in the sales of hybrid and electric vehicles in TT.
Babwah: Cars are my life
Babwah grew up admiring his brother, who became a mechanic at a young age. He learnt about cars from him – the maintenance and repairs – and at about age 20, started his first company which imported and distributed car parts.
At 26, Babwah' family opened a separate business manufacturing and distributing car filters. But when the dollar was floated in the early 1990s the family business like many others folded.
“A lot of businesses had to fold because local businesses could not compete with vehicles coming in from China and so on. So we had to shut down,” he said.
But when former prime minister Basdeo Panday decided to open the foreign-used car market, thousands of businesses popped up almost overnight. Babwah and his family also got into the foreign-used car business.
“That is one of the best economic decisions taken by a prime minister of this country to date,” Babwah told Business Day. “Before that there was a monopoly on cars in the country and every other day when you went to buy a car from one of those franchise dealers you would face a raise in prices. You also had the assembly of cars here but it was very sub-standard. You would have a lot of leaks and issues with how the vehicles were put together.”
Babwah was also very conscious of emissions from cars and its effects on the environment. He said the foreign-used car industry revolutionised the range of cars that were on the roads.
He said before there was competition from foreign-used car dealers, franchises sold vehicles that were more than 10 years old. He added that although they are recognised as foreign-used car dealers, many of them can also get cars directly off the production line.
“When people hear foreign-used cars sometimes they associate it with a car they don’t use in whatever country. They associate it with an old banger in London or somewhere else. But that was not the case,” he said. “When I started importing foreign-used cars there were already emission regulators in those cars. These devices were all baby steps to reducing emissions.”
“First there was electronic ignition and then came catalytic converter which neutralises pollutants in the gas. We started importing those cars way before franchise dealers.”
The future will be electric
Babwah managed to get a glimpse into the future of the automobile industry in 1997 when the Toyota Prius was launched. He was in Japan that year and got a chance to test drive the Prius. It was then he knew that the future would be electric.
“I realised we were getting sub-standard products in the automotive industry in TT,” he said. “I decided to make a change. The hybrid and electric industry was there in the making in TT, but no one was taking up the challenge.”
In 2010, he formed the TTADA and he along with vice president Rhondall Feeles began lobbying for the import of six-year old vehicles and hybrids. At the time, the only commercial electric vehicle in circulation was the Nissan Leaf. But the hybrid technology had already been around for 13 years.
He said getting the technology into TT seemed easy at first. For the electric vehicles he brought in the Nissan Leaf. Brands like the Prius were brought for people considering a hybrid option as well.
But he hit the first hiccup when he realised that he was the only person bringing in the vehicles.
“No one wanted to get into it because there were no technicians and trainers available,” he said.
As a result, he and about 20 staff members went to the US and the UK for training in the repair and maintenance of cars with hybrid and fully-electric engines. They also learned about maintaining engines with hydrogen fuel cells as well.
“It cost me a lot of money for training – about US$150,000 (TT$1 million) to train technicians to be able to fix hybrid and electric cars. Not many foreign-used dealers were willing to do that. Actually, some dealers said the technology was dangerous and warned people against buying it. But when the cars started popping up and people began training for its repair, a lot of them went into it.”
Government wanted us to fail
A lack of support from his peers was not Babwah’s only challenge. The country had never seen anything like electric or hybrid cars before and to get people to buy into the technology, they had to be educated.
He added that despite his appeals to government, the industry was not supported in the way it should be. Instead, he said government put pressure on the industry through restrictive policies, which for the most part killed the first drive to electrification.
“It felt like government wanted foreign-used car dealers to fail. Every year there was a new restriction.”
In former finance minister Larry Howai’s 2015-2016 budget, under the People's Partnership, exempted motor vehicle tax and VAT on electric vehicles, but only for those with a motor capacity of less than 179 kilowatts.
The restrictions on capacity meant that the available electric vehicles had a very short range before needing to be recharged. That along with the fact that there was no infrastructure to support the recharging of electric vehicles while on the road. That caused the early drive for electric vehicles to fail.
Howai also gave concessions to hybrid vehicles not older than two years, which saw the import of a wide range which included the Toyota Prius, the Toyota Fielder, the Aqua and even high-end vehicles such as the BMW i3.
But in the 2017-2018 budget, the first term in the Rowley administration, Finance Minister Colm Imbert put a cap on the 2015 concessions, removing all incentives on hybrid vehicles with engines exceeding 1599cc.
Imbert also increased the vehicle tax and customs duty on private vehicles with engine sizes above 1599cc but not exceeding 1999cc.
To add to this, the policy which exempted vehicles from tax had a sunset clause which came into effect in 2020 and was not extended.
That severely limited the range of vehicles available for import, Babwah said.
“We had about 15 different models. Electric was still kind of new, so we only could have brought in the Nissan leaf and the Hyundai Ioniq, that is because of the limitation we had with the motor kilowatts, but we had the Prius the aqua, Axio, fielder, Prius, vessel, fit, grace (electric counterpart to the city), the Honda Freed, Toyota Sienta, Nissan X-Trail and other models.
“When government gave us the exemption they realised that some cars – Mercedes Benz and BMW X5 (hybrid) were coming in we were restricted. If there were less restrictions, there would be a lot more electric and hybrid vehicles on the road.” Babwah said to date, there are just over 100 electric vehicles and 40,000 hybrids on the nation’s roads.
Drive to energy-efficient cars
However, TT is still far behind in the race to transition from the use of fossil fuels to clean energy.
In the 2021-2022 budget read on October 4, Imbert proposed the removal of all customs duties, vehicle tax and VAT on the importation of battery-powered electric cars with an age limit of two years. While the move was welcomed by Babwah, he warned that the exemptions would only benefit a few people as the already expensive electric car will not have a depreciated price to make it affordable for more people.
“One of the biggest evolutions of the automotive industry is from gas to electric,” Babwah said. “But the cost of an electric car is about three times the cost of an internal combustion engine. Plus these are not normal times. We are still in a pandemic. So only a few people, less than ten per cent of the population will buy that.”
He said even the vehicles that he brought in – four-year old Nissan Leafs – can come in at about $275,000
“How many people can afford that? A public servant working for between $6,000 and 8,000 applies for a loan at the bank for that amount he would not get it; and people do not have that amount of savings to pull out to buy a car cash. So you can say that buying the car would save you money in the long run but the upfront payment and the monthly instalments people simply cannot afford,” he said.
He added that hybrid cars cannot be left out of the conversation as they also provide an affordable option to an automobile with reduced emissions.
A used four-year old Aqua sold for between $55,000 and $65,000, Babwah said. Brand-new, it was sold for $135,000 to $145,000.
“People bought into that because they could afford it. Now you can see an Aqua on any corner you go in TT. They were good cars and the sale of these cars contributed to the reduction of the carbon emissions. They wanted to buy the cars because they would be spending less money at the end of the day on gasoline, on servicing the car and everything else. With that being said, the availability of the car and the price is what will make people buy.”
Babwah said he is already looking at the next evolution in the automotive industry – hydrogen fuel cells which will turn fuel into water. He said no matter what the restrictions are, he will continue to find ways to bring affordable, futuristic cars to the people he serves.
“People thought hybrid and electrics were going to fail. But I told them it wouldn’t. I said when it becomes so big people would not be able to ignore it, then you would see everyone wanting to be part of it. The industry will have a change again and people would have to train again, and I intend to be ahead of that curve.”


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- September 17, 2012
Amazon started shipping the 7″ Kindle Fire HD in the middle of last week so it would get into the hands on the early adopters on Friday, a mere 8 days after it was unveiled to the world. But Amazon also started shipping the new Android tablets to some of their retail partners even earlier. Reports came in on Friday that both Staples and Best Buy were carrying the Kindle Fire HD in store.
The tablet isn’t available in all stores, with at least my local Staples not having it in stock. But if you want to see what Amazon has pulled off, it’s well worth a trip to find out.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.


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Tesla Motors is developing an automated metal ‘snake’ that would emerge from the wall and connect itself to the battery port on Tesla cars. Such an advancement would essentially create a hands-free car charging system for owners of the sleek electric vehicles.
CEO and chief product architect Elon Musk tweeted the announcement, promising a “solid metal snake” that automatically moves from the wall and connects to the car. He followed up with a second tweet to elaborate that the technology would be backwards compatible to work with existing models as well as those released in the future. It’s uncertain whether this automatic robot snake charger would be available only for supercharging stations or at home as well.
If it’s available for residential installation, the robotic charging snake would be a great benefit for Tesla owners. It eliminates the need to remember to plug your car’s battery in for charging, so electric car owners would never wake up to a dead battery. In the long line of technological advancements in motoring, this is just one more step toward a world where cars do everything for themselves.
Engineers have had their sights on robotic snakes for some time. OC Robotics has already developed a prototype robotic snake arm (pictured above). Carnegie Mellon University’s Biorobotics Lab has been working on a modular robotic snake as well. Neither of those teams has electric vehicle charging specifically on their agendas, and there is no indication at this time whether Tesla’s hands-free charging snake will rely on any of these previously developed technologies.


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Between declining gas prices and an improving economy, full-size pickup sales in the US are up 6.5 percent year to date and represent the best-selling vehicle line in two-thirds of US states, according to TrueCar. And the economy is a rising tide of sorts for most vehicle sectors, as gas-powered vehicle prices are up $770 during the past year.
Motor Trend has announced the results of its 2015 SUV of the Year competition, and from a field that included the new Porsche Macan, Cadillac Escalade, Subaru Outback, Chevrolet Suburban and BMW X5, the buff book has awarded the gold calipers to the 2015 Honda CR-V. If that result surprises you just a little, well, get to the back of the line.
Now you've done it, America. A new study by IHS Automotive has revealed that American motorists are turning to the high-riding style of crossovers and sport utility vehicles more than they are traditional sedans. Through May of 2014, IHS says that SUVs and CUVs account for 36.5 percent of new vehicle registrations. Sedans, meanwhile, cover just 35.4 percent. That represents a flip-flop from the same period five years ago, when the trusty four-door occupied 36.3 percent of registrations to the SU
You no longer have to go to Alaska to see Russia from your back yard; you can see Russia in your own driveway with the help of Larte Design. The Russian-based tuning firm specializing in SUVs has come to America, and the Mercedes GL-based Black Crystal no doubt revels in the role of first-assault vehicle.
SsangYong has designed some vehicles that were not exactly 100 percent pleasing to the eye. Powered by a mild-hybrid drivetrain, does the company's new concept vehicle put a little more beauty in the eyes of green-car-enthusiast beholders?