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An Activision Blizzard employee has confirmed that the new action RPG Diablo Immortal will not be released in Belgium and the Netherlands. The reason for this is the strict laws regarding loot boxes in both countries. The release on PC, iOS and Android is on June 2nd.
In many countries, not only in Europe, states are taking action against the exploitation of players in video games. Belgium and the Netherlands are pioneers in Europe and have enacted laws against loot boxes that are too violent.
The games are then considered “gambling” and are treated accordingly.
In order to circumvent the strict laws in the two countries, those responsible at Activision Blizzard have now decided to omit Belgium and the Netherlands completely. Diablo Immortal will not appear in either country.
Everything about the release of Diablo Immortal on June 2nd can be found in our info hub:
Everything you need to know about Diablo Immortal – release, cost, gameplay
“This is due to the current operating conditions”
Why doesn’t the game appear? The laws of the two EU countries are much stricter than the German ones when it comes to loot boxes. In Belgium, for example, you need a state license to gamble, similar to Germany.
Failure to do so may result in heavy fines (via kotaku.com).
A spokesman for Activision Blizzard told Dutch site tweakers: “This is due to the current operating conditions for games in these countries” (via tweakers.net).
A post by a game master from Blizzard is also circulating on reddit, who explicitly says it is about the loot boxes in the game. If the rules for gambling in the countries do not change, no release is expected in Belgium and the Netherlands (via reddit.com).
This also fits with the increased Pay2Win allegations of recent times:
Diablo Immortal: YouTuber reveals how “crass Pay2Win” Blizzard’s new game is
It is not yet entirely clear what the Diablo Immortal shop will look like when it is released on June 2nd. But at least for the time being, one would like to avoid risking a rating as “gambling”.
The MMORPG Lost Ark was even banned in both countries when it was released. At the time, we spoke to a lawyer about whether something like this could also happen in Germany:
Could the MMORPG Lost Ark also be banned in Germany? We asked a lawyer
We will probably only see after the release whether Activision Blizzard is just being careful here or whether the gambling mechanics are actually fully effective.
In an interview with MeinMMO, those responsible have already reacted to the Pay2Win criticism: Diablo Immortal bosses are reacting to Pay2Win allegations from the largest MMORPG YouTuber
We would also be happy to read your thoughts on Pay2Win in Diablo Immoratal. Please leave us a comment.


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Research in Motion’s BB10 launch scheduled for the first quarter of 2013 could be marred by what looks like a complicated strategy the company seems to have adopted with the simultaneous launch of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 (not Server).
Several conflicting reports about the BES 10 later, RIM clarified things with a company official shedding more light on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server upgrade roadmap late last month. From the looks of it, new BB10 devices will not be supported by the existing BlackBerry Enterprise Sever architecture. Instead, RIM plans to provide only one more update, the imminent BES 5.0.4, to the existing servers after which it is goodbye BES and welcome BDS. BDS, or BlackBerry Device Service, will be RIM’s new mobile device management server for managing all BB10 devices including the Playbook. To be sure, RIM will still support BES 5 for the foreseeable future but it is clearly counting on organisations upgrading all their existing BB devices to the new BB10 ones.
BES 10 Could Hasten Customer Migration
In addition to the BDS, RIM will also provide a Universal Device Service for non-BlackBerry devices such as iOS and Android – a service that is already being shipped with the Mobile Fusion product. In fact, BES 10 is a logical next step for Mobile Fusion where all the different devices are brought together under one umbrella. This however means that exiting BB devices, the new BB10 devices and the non-BB devices will require separate services. To RIM’s credit, it plans to release an upgrade for BES 10 in May that will merge UDS into BDS, reducing at least one hassle.
However, owing to their inherent architectural differences, BB10 and the existing crop of BB devices cannot be managed by the same server. This means that organizations that do not upgrade all of their devices to BB10 will need to run the existing BES server alongside BDS to support the older devices. RIM however plans to make IT management easier by providing a unified web-based console with BES 10.
Still, it is disappointing that the BB ecosystem will see this fragmentation between the current implementation of BES and the next-generation one. IT managers will now have a choice between upgrading to BB10 and migrating all of its users to other platforms such as Android or iOS, both of which would require the same effort seeing as many organizations already use third-party MDM tools to manage these devices. This puts all the more pressure on RIM to come up with a superior product in BB10, so that companies find it worthwhile to invest in a whole new architecture. A costlier and complicated installation process would not only result in fewer installations of the new servers but also cause a faster migration away from the BlackBerry platform.
With BlackBerry sales dropping off a cliff and RIM consequently becoming more dependent on its enterprises for its Push Email division, which constitutes 44% of our $12 price estimate for RIM, this could be a big blow to its turnaround plans.
Plummeting BlackBerry Sales
The struggling smartphone maker has seen its BlackBerry revenues fall year-over-year for the last four consecutive quarters. Last quarter saw RIM shipping only 7.8 million smartphones, a precipitous drop of 40% y-o-y and 30% sequentially. Consequently, RIM’s revenues from the BlackBerry smartphone division have declined by more than 50% y-o-y from around $3.8 billion to about $1.7 billion last quarter. The BB7 smartphones that were launched late last year aren’t doing well in developed markets, where more customers are switching to iPhones and Android-based smartphones. Meanwhile, emerging markets, where entry-level smartphones have sold relatively well, are subject to pricing pressures from competitors.
RIM is currently hoping that the launch of new BB10 devices early next year will help it stem market share losses and compete better with smartphone rivals Apple and Samsung. However, with the BB10 OS launch delayed by almost a year to Q1 2013, RIM will be subject to even greater competitive pressures as the iPhone 5 has been launched and a slew of Windows Phone 8 and improved Android smartphones will also be making their way out between now and then. Further, with RIM’s consumer appeal falling and the BYOD movement taking over, RIM cannot afford to jeopardize its relationship with enterprises, which have been one of its primary drivers of revenues from day one.
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Sony announced the wheres and whats of its annual PlayStation fan conference today.
PSX 2017 will be held in Anaheim, CA, on December 9-10, according to the official PlayStation Twitter account.
Ticket prices, and more info for the event, will be announced at a future date.
The first PlayStation Experience was held in 2014, and Sony has since used it to make big announcements, show off gameplay, and celebrate its many fans.
The Sony E3 conference is happening right now, so to check it out, and everything else from E3, make sure to visit our E3 2017 hub.


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New Canaan Library's winter book sale this weekend
New Canaan Library's winter book sale has been scheduled for the first weekend of December.
The event runs Friday and Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m.
On Sunday, the library will continue its tradition of the $5 bag of books.
The book sale team also will hold an eBay auction for special, collectible books, which allows pickup of books during the sale days. The library's eBay profile is at ebay.com/usr/newcanaanlibrary.
For more information, visit www.newcanaanlibrary.org or contact the information desk at 203-594-5003.


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Can coffee help fight skin cancer? . What they found is that people who drink coffee on a regular basis, four or more cups a day, had a 20% lower risk for developing the deadliest form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, than those who drank less coffee. The same did not hold true for decaffeinated coffee drinkers. Malignant melanoma is the 5th most common cancer in the United States and the leading cause of skin cancer deaths. Coffee has been the subject of medical research quite a bit. In the past, researchers have found associations between coffee and protection against Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, depression, and diabetes.
For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.


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IT’S ALL HAPPENING!
We’re super excited to announce we’re opening @Coinbase_NFT Beta up to everyone.
— Coinbase (@coinbase) May 4, 2022
However, the platform appears not to enjoy tons of patronage like Coinbase envisaged. According to a report from Bloomberg, the marketplace barely recorded up to 100 transactions after five hours.
The media house citing data from Dune Analytics revealed that its transaction volume during the said period was less than $60,000.
Coinbase’s NFT platform has a slow start to life
The data as of press time would reveal that the Coinbase NFT platform has recorded less than 2000 transactions within the last 24 hours with only 1,167 users. Cumulatively, their transaction volume is around $600,000.
While the differences can be expected because each of these platforms has more experience in the space, Coinbase’s poor start would, however, concern some within the space as it is reminiscent of its beta launch that had less than 900 transactions in its first week.
Considering the level of hype surrounding its NFT marketplace, as it had millions of signups on its waitlist, the poor performance will concern investors who expect that the firm would be able to diversify its income.
Speaking on the development, Acra’s portfolio manager, Sasha Fleyshman, noted that the team’s expectations were most likely raised higher by other people.
I’ve spoken with their team; they are very understanding that they are entering a new space, there are going to be iterations. But it’s going to be slow. OpenSea is going to be the leader for quite a long time.”
NFT market remains robust
Data from Dune Analytics and CryptoSlam shows that the top 5 NFT collections have cumulative sales of over $1 billion; in comparison, OpenSea had a sales volume in the range of over $500 million as of the beginning of this month.
This trend continues: BAYC, Azuki, CloneX, Doodles & now Moonbirds separating themselves from everyone else.
I’ve talked about large-caps outperforming, but it’s really the top-5 projects driving all the gains. pic.twitter.com/UsUlwHMJ9M
— NFTstatistics.eth (@punk9059) April 26, 2022
Available data also shows that Bored Ape NFT’s all-time sales have passed the $2 billion mark, making it one of the biggest.


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In March, Lost Ark should get the first update with new content here in the West. This includes story content around the character Kadan and the Abyss Raid “Argos.” what’s in the new patch.
Lost Ark hasn’t even been available in the West in a month. Amazon is already releasing a significant update to the game in March, which makes sense given that Smilegate’s title has quite a bit of content created for us now thanks to its previous releases in other regions. . “We will be working closely with Smilegate RPG to stream content on the western version at a steady rate, starting in March!” Amazon is in a new preview blog today. The update includes a new story episode called Kadan.
Come to the new storylines full of quests, pristine islands, and cinematic moments. After you learn more about the Sidereals and search for the legendary Kadan, the first Guardian assassin, this mission will include new and returning characters in the last Ark. After completing the Felton; players can return as a prerequisite for the new end-game questline: Yorn Lets Be Light, Whispering Island Start of Our Story, and Illusion Bamboo Island End of the Trials. For players of level 1100, Isteri and Illusion are recommended.
What does the new update bring? The focus is on two major innovations:
- New story content on the islands of Isteri and Illusion Bamboo Island
- The new Abyss Raid Argos
In addition, further innovations, balance changes, and bug fixes are planned, which will be explained in more detail in other blog posts and forum posts.
When will the update appear? So far, it is only known that the patch will appear in March. There is no exact release date.
However, the update will not appear this week. A weekly update is planned for Thursday that should bring some nerfs for T1 and T2 instances.
New story is aimed at players with a Gearscore of 1,100
What is this story? The new story revolves around the character Kadan, the first Guardian Slayer. You should also find the last ark to defy evil.
The story leads to the islands of Isteri and Illusion Bamboo. However, to be able to enter it, you must complete the story quests “Let There Be Light,” “The Beginning of Our Story,” and “Bamboo Island of Illusion – End of Trials.” The developers also recommend a Gearscore of 1,100 for the content.
Abyss Raid is said to be new and much harder
What kind of raid is this? So far, there have been the Abyss Dungeons, and the Guardian Raids in Lost Ark. Now comes to the first Abyss Raid, which according to the official blog post, is said to be much more complex than the Guardian Raids. They also describe it as a “completely new endgame activity.”
You fight a boss as usual, with only a limited time and a limited number of revives. Players must progress through three phases, encountering different mechanics and attack patterns.
Each stage already has its reward and can be completed once a week. The developers did not reveal exactly which Gearscore is required.
Next Abyss Raid will probably come in April, possibly with the next class
What’s next for Lost Ark? The next raid is scheduled for April. His name is Valtan.
In addition, the developers have already revealed that a new class should come to us every 2-3 months. There are currently 22 in Korea, while we only have access to 15. An official roadmap for new content will also be published in the “next months”.
As part of the patch, the studios also introduce Abyss Raids for endgame players, which are challenge-mode, the multi-phase group encounters weekly rewards.
Amazon says a roadmap is coming “in the near future” but promises there’s more reaching than just what’s been revealed; you can catch a glimpse of some of it in the new screenshots released today.


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The Australian share market has finished higher for the session and the week despite further evidence of the global economic hit from the coronavirus pandemic.
- China's economy shrank by 6.8 per cent in the first quarter, compared to a year ago
- The Australian share market rose, alongside markets across Asia
- In the US, 5.2 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week
China's economy has gone backwards for the first time since official records began in 1992, shrinking by 6.8 per cent from January to March compared to the same quarter last year.
The figures from China's National Statistics Bureau show that compared to the previous quarter, China's gross domestic product (GDP) declined by 9.8 per cent.
The historic slump comes after the country virtually shut down its economy to contain the spread of the virus.
The fall in GDP was more than expected by economists surveyed by Reuters.
The Australian dollar was little changed by the data and was buying around 63.4 US cents by 4:30pm (AEST).
The local share market rose, with the ASX 200 closing up by 1.3 per cent at 5,487 points, off its highs of the session.
The All Ordinaries index gained 1.4 per cent or 77 points to 5,544.
A rise in US stock market futures boosted stocks in Asian trade, including in Tokyo (+3.1pc), Seoul (+3.4pc) and Hong Kong (+2.2pc).
Decade of US job creation wiped out in a month
A decade of job creation in the United States has been wiped out in just a month because of the coronavirus pandemic.
About 5.2 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, according to the US Labor Department, bringing the total in the month since the virus outbreak hit the United States economy to 22 million, nearly 14 per cent of the workforce.
That compares with approximately 21.5 million jobs added during the expansion that began in mid-2009 after the global financial crisis.
Last week's claims for unemployment benefit dropped from the previous week, which came in at more than 6.6 million.
Not everyone who filed for benefits would be counted as unemployed because of the more than $US2 trillion rescue package which included employment aid for small business.
Other data showed manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region plunged to levels last seen in 1980, and homebuilding slumped by the most in 36 years in March.
Global economy in 'very deep recession'
CBA's head of international economics, Joseph Capurso, said a growing amount of economic data confirmed the global economy was in a very deep recession.
"No monetary or fiscal policy action has the power to revive the economy when the economy is in government-enforced shutdown," he said in an economic note.
The Trump administration has issued guidelines to state governors for a staged easing of social-distancing rules within four weeks.
The new guidelines are aimed at clearing the way for an easing of restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while keeping them in place for harder-hit locations.
New York has extended its shutdown of non-essential businesses until the middle of next month.
Stocks on Wall Street were volatile as concern over the economic impact of the country's shutdown tempered a rally in technology shares.
The Dow Jones index increased 0.14 per cent, or 33 points, to close at 23,538 after a late rally.
The S&P 500 put on 0.58 per cent, or 16 points, to 2,800.
It surged in futures trade on Mr Trump's plan to reopen the economy.
United Airlines says demand for travel 'essentially zero'
Major US bank Morgan Stanley saw quarterly profit plunge as its advisory and wealth-management businesses took a hit from the economic fallout of the pandemic.
United Airlines told the market demand for travel was "essentially zero" and showed no signs of improving in the near future.
Stocks like Amazon and Netflix jumped to record highs, with people staying home and shopping for essentials and watching online streaming services.
That saw the Nasdaq put on 1.7 per cent, or 139 points, to 8,532.
European stocks closed mainly higher as the coronavirus death tolls in Spain and Italy eased and some countries looked at easing restrictions.
But the UK extended its lockdown by at least three weeks.
The FTSE 100 index gained 0.5 per cent, 31 points, to 5,628.


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Senior management from Philips Electronics North America, together with Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick, announced Tuesday that Andover, Mass., will serve as the company's new North American headquarters, where Philips Healthcare currently is based.
As a result of the move, Philips said that Massachusetts now houses its largest presence in North America, with nearly 5,000 employees, six major worksites and manufacturing facilities.
The company estimated that its presence will inject more than $266 million dollars in payroll into the Massachusetts economy annually, when taking into account the various Philips facilities, including executive and administrative offices, R&D, warehousing and manufacturing.
During the last twelve months, Philips said it has grown from approximately 20,000 to more than 30,000 employees in the United States, with offices and operations at 50 major facilities in 22 states.


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TransGaming to Bring Ubisoft Titles to Mac
12:28 PM | Eddie Park | 26 comments
TransGaming officially announced today a partnership with Ubisoft to start porting and distributing Ubisoft titles to the Mac platform. Using their Cider technology to port games and their GameTree Online portal for digital distribution, TransGaming hopes to provide new content "quickly and efficiently" to the Mac gaming community.
"We are delighted to offer consumers Ubisoft's titles through our digital distribution portal, GameTree Online, and at traditional Mac retail locations over the next few years. Ubisoft has been creating award winning games for Windows-PC and I have no doubt that Mac consumers everywhere will be thrilled to have access to this great content," commented Vikas Gupta, CEO & President of TransGaming Technologies. "Leading publishers continue to recognize the value of TransGaming's Cider Engine to bring their high quality content quickly and efficiently to the growing Mac community. The addition of Ubisoft titles further broadens the Mac games market and provides further evidence that TransGaming is the partner of choice for Mac enablement."Confirmed titles include CSI: Hard Evidence and the Petz series of games. While these may not excite hardcore gamers, Ubisoft is currently one of the largest game publishers in the world, so there are plenty of potential titles waiting in the wings to be brought over.
Recent Mac Games News
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Search for other Mac games news stories or browse our Mac Games News Archive.


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Saturday 16 March 2019
US-based FLIR Systems Inc., a maker of sensor systems for threat detection, has announced the opening of regional service centers in Dubai and Frankfurt. The new office is expected to support customers that use its products that offer chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) threat detection.
The facility in Dubai is expected to provide maintenance and support for specific product families. Later in 2019, it will expand its service capabilities to more FLIR CBRNE products, and faster product service response times.
The new centers provide customers with the option to service its products in regions near them. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Oregon, USA, FLIR Systems is a maker of sensor systems that enhance perception and heighten awareness, helping to save lives, improve productivity, and protect the environment.
It leverages thermal imaging and adjacent technologies to provide solutions for security and surveillance, environmental and condition monitoring, outdoor recreation, machine vision, navigation, and advanced threat detection.


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Volkswagen AG (VLKAY) shares led German stocks higher Thursday after it posted stronger-than-expected first quarter revenues, and confirmed its full-year profit outlook, even as it cautioned on sales margins and set aside more cash to cover costs linked to its emissions cheating scandal.
Volkswagen said first quarter sales came in at €60.012 billion, rising 3.24% from last year and topping the consensus forecast of €58.2 billion, while operating profits were marked in-line with forecasts at €3.9 billion. The group set aside a further €1 billion to cover legal costs associated with its emissions cheating scandal, which was first revealed in 2012 and continues to cast a pall over the world's second-largest carmaker.
Volkswagen also said it expects a narrower return on sales, which it sees at the lower end of the previously estimated range of between 6.5% and 7.5%, as passenger car volumes fall thanks to weakness in key markets such as China and Western Europe.
"The Volkswagen Group is once again off to a good start this year," said CFO Frank Witter. "The sales revenue performance and earnings growth in the first three months of the current fiscal year are encouraging. But we have to continue to pick up the pace when it comes to our transformation."
Volkswagen shares were marked 3.24% higher in early Frankfurt trading, pacing gains for the DAX performance index and changing hands at €160.06 each.
The Stoxx 600 Automobiles and Parts index, the sector benchmark, was marked 0.4% lower at 530.42 points but has been held down over the past few months amid concern that the White House may opt to impose tariffs on European-made cars.
President Trump received a report from the Commerce Department in mid-February that assessed their risk to national security, and was given 90 days to review the report and make a decision on extra tariffs that could come in the next few weeks.
Earlier this year, CEO Herbert Diess said he would review the group's brand portfolio, which includes Bentley, Skoda, Porsche, Ducati and Lamborghini, with a view to shedding some non-core assets later this year.
He has also pledged to steer the iconic carmaker towards clean energy vehicle production as emissions standards and incentives drive changes in the global auto market, with an aim to product 22 million electric cars by 2028.
It also wants to accelerate its investments in China even after the biggest slump in annual sales in the world's biggest care market in three decades last year.


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The good news:
- Obama was born in the United States
- The DOW closed at its highest level since 1998
- Apple denies tracking where your smart phone is at
|Doesn't this just look nice?|
The bad news:
- Sony is sued over the PlayStation hacks
- The deadliest attack in nearly 6 years in Afghanistan killed 9 US soldiers today
- Apparently, Armadillos pass leprosy to humans. Texans, beware.
And for the wedding installment today:
Have a great evening!


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Jura Sketches Visual Taste
Scottish distiller Jura is teasing fans of its whisky with a new campaign showing an artist’s impression of people tasting a thirty-nine-and-three-quarter-year old whisky, ahead of its launch next year. The Visual Taste of 39 ¾s campaign had its beginnings at the Jura Whisky Festival, where attendees were given an exclusive chance to taste the special tipple. Artist Robbie’s Brown Shoes, of the Puck Collective, was on hand to capture the reactions of the tasters and his creations are now being shown on Jura’s Facebook page, as well as distributed via Twitter.
A video of the event is being shown online and tweeters of a legal drinking age are in with a chance to win a vial of The 39 ¾ by retweeting it.
The Visual Taste campaign was developed at Holler London.


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He’s a star, a great athlete, a great player. Everything he does is news. Thus spoke Donald Trump,though he might have been talking about himself
There is no indication that he is at the core of the key decision-making. He is more valuable than Van Gaal seems to know.
Calling wage inflation a lagging indicator, Bullard said he does not pay much attention to it to determine appropriate monetary policy.
Louis Vuitton Objets Nomades 2015 collection has delighted visitors to the Palazzo Bocconi at the ongoing Salon del Mobile at Milano Design Week.
Bundchen, the world's top-earning model, will take her final sashay down the catwalk at Sao Paulo Fashion Week (SPFW), the same event where she made her debut 20 years ago.
Marketing and merchandising professionals as well as e-commerce and technology experts are being hired to launch the venture at the earliest.
Modi will meet Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag and Premier Anerood Jugnauth in the Mauritian capital Port Louis later today.
The oil price plummet is distorting market-based inflation expectation measures, and that these measures should be set aside.


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MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. – A major development project is set to transform Westport Plaza in Maryland Heights for years to come.
Holiday lights are already up at Westport Plaza. There are lots of pieces to the massive project. From a famous baseball company relocating there to new restaurants and luxury apartments, this area is going to have a much different look and feel in the future.
One of the key parts of the project involves an iconic St. Louis company synonymous with baseball and Major League Baseball’s Gold Glove Awards. Rawlings, which has called St. Louis home since 1887, is moving its headquarters from Town and Country to Westport Plaza.
Organizers shared some renderings with FOX 2 of the planned Westport Plaza transformation and the Rawlings site.
Officials are hoping to put a large Gold Glove on top of the tower. Rawlings also wants to create a real baseball fan experience at its new campus.
“It’s centrally located, it’s close to the airport which is fantastic when we bring our partners like Major League Baseball, NCAA, pro players and the amenities,” said Eric Reinsfelder, the Vice President of Brand and Sports Marketing for Rawlings.
FOX 2 was told the coveted Rawlings Gold Glove Awards will be showcased in what will be called “The Glove Vault.” Commemorative baseballs marking MLB milestones will be on display. It was also shared that people will also be able to order custom gloves and bats.
“St. Louis is a baseball town, Rawlings is a baseball company. It’s an opportunity to come into our ‘Glove Vault,’ which is one of the concepts we’re developing out where you can design your own custom glove. You can look around and see all the Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners since 1957,” said Reinsfelder.
The massive project has other aspects as well. 360 West, an indoor and outdoor restaurant and bar similar to the original 360 Downtown, will open at the top of the iconic Gold Tower. 360 West will serve lunch and dinner with views of St. Louis County. That is set to open in December of next year.
Soda Fountain Express is coming there as well. The retro-style diner will serve traditional foods and shakes. The original Soda Fountain is at Union Station. The new location there will open next June.
Lastly, Westport’s first residential community is slated to open in January 2025. It’s called The Porter and will offer 255 one and two bedroom luxury apartment homes.
“Here it’s live, work and play. With the apartments, people are going to be living here that hasn’t happened before. Adding new retail with office workers, so if they’re in here they are going to utilize the rooftop bar, and it’s going to be great for us,” said Steve O’Loughlin, the President of LHM, the company which owns Westport Plaza.
The total cost of the project is being put somewhere between $142 and 145 million.


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THESE burly men got in touch with their feminine side as part of an event to promote awareness of male cancers.
Bearded Brian Woodmass and his colleague Harry Guttridge donned pigtails and cheerleaders uniforms as part of a health initiative at the Asda store, in Marina Way, Hartlepool.
Brian, a security guard at the supermarket, and Harry, who works in the store’s wines and spirits section, did not mind getting bewildered looks from stunned shoppers as it was all for a good cause.
Brian, from Billingham, and Harry, from Hartlepool, donned the girly get-ups to raise awareness of Everyman, the UK’s leading prostate and testicular cancer campaign.
Jordan Tate, who also works wines and spirits, dressed up as a bouncer for the “girls”, who entertained shoppers with dancing and cheerleading chants.
The store’s activities co-ordinator Joanne Tweddle joked: “They were absolutely gorgeous and are going to apply for the GB cheerleading team!”
She added: “We support the Tickled Pink breast cancer appeal with the ladies and Asda want Everyman to be just as high-profile because men tend to ignore health problems. “The three lads said they would volunteer to do something to get the men to realise they have got to do the same as women and examine themselves.”
Joanne added that a collection bucket that was passed round raised £178 for Everyman.
“The customers said they really deserved it for getting dressed up like that,” she added.
The lads’ stunt took place ahead of a series of other Everyman health awareness events to be held at the store, starting next month, which include nurses offering health advice, and further fundraising.
To find out more about Everyman, visit www.everyman-campaign.org


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You can't walk down the street without noticing at least one person wielding a smartphone, and in more busy areas such as airports or even on the bus, you're likely to spot bipeds bouncing their fingers on a tablet. Connected devices are everywhere, and according to data released by International Data Corporation (IDC), shipments of smart connected devices, including PCs, media tables, and smartphones, topped 916 million units with revenues of more than $489 billion in 2011. By 2016, IDC expects shipments to reach 1.84 billion units, along with a changing of the guard.
IDC says there will be a "dramatic shift" in platform dominance between 2011 and 2016, where the "once-dominant Windows on x86 platform" sees its market share drop from 35.9 percent to 25.1 percent, while Android-based devices running on ARM CPUs grows from 29.4 percent to a market-leading 31.1 percent.
"Android's growth is tied directly to the propagation of lower-priced devices," said Tom Mainelli , research director, Mobile Connected Devices. "So, while we expect dozens of hardware vendors to own some share in the Android market, many will find profitability difficult to sustain. Similarly, we expect a large percentage of application developers to continue to focus their efforts on iOS, despite the platform's smaller overall market share, because iOS end users have proven more willing to pay for high-quality apps."
iOS devices don't figure into the picture as prominently as Android or Windows-based PCs, with IDC predicting they'll grow from a 14.6 percent share in 2011 to 17.3 percent in 2016. But collectively, iOS and Android will account for nearly half of the connected devices market.


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A Sunset Woman is speaking out after being accused of using counterfeit money.
Shalana Boxie says it all began on Tuesday in Eunice when she used a $100 bill to pay for gas.
“She took her money marker. Checked my $100 bill and said my money was counterfeit.” Boxie recalled.
She was overcome with feelings of disbelief, confusion and embarrassment, but what the cashier did next absolutely shocked her
“The cashier is going to tell me that she is going to give me her name with her information so my bank can contact her and like I said who is she for my bank to contact. She didn’t even make the attempt to call any type of authority.” said Boxie
Eunice Police Chief Randy Fontenot said they came to investigate the complaint but unable to determine if the money was real, they took to their station to examine and a day later authorities determined that the bill was in fact real
“My thought process is that I’m to the point that I don’t even want to spend cash in the store anymore because you are telling me that my money was counterfeit.” said Boxie.
Jenn Love of the Better Business Bureau of Acadiana says that situation was strange but if someone were to counterfeit they can get around the money marker test
“So what scammers are taking money and bleaching it so all of these retailers have these pens that they use to see if the money is real well the money is real and they can’t tell if the money has been bleached or not.” Love explained.
To spot the difference between real and counterfeit, just hold your bill to the light to make sure the faces of the presidents match.
“There’s actually a line that has how much the amount is for.” Love added.
After that incident, Boxie believes she was being scammed and wants everyone to be careful.
“Just don’t get out of character. Just try to handle the situation accordingly.” said Boxie.


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By Adam Coleman
Industry groups are calling on further action from the Federal Government, following a survey of over 480 CEOs in the manufacturing, construction and services sectors revealed the financial crisis is ‘placing business expenditure on key growth drivers at risk’.
The survey by Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) and Deloitte, the National CEO Survey – Business prospects in 2009, discovered that while Australia has up until now fared much better than the rest of the world, it is starting to experience a significant slowdown.
Ai Group Chief Executive, Heather Ridout believes 2009 will be one of the toughest years in decades and said “policy-makers will need to take further action beyond that already taken”.
According to Mrs Ridout, the manufacturing and construction sectors are likely to see total sales and employment decline in 2009.
“While service income from sales and exports will continue to grow all three sectors are facing a very difficult and challenging year, in terms of maintaining sales, jobs and margins.”
She says interest rates should come down in February and called for further fiscal action to support jobs and business profitability.
“In regards to the latter, businesses have indicated an intention to make substantial cuts to discretionary spending, in areas such as training, R&D and investment in plant and machinery, and refocus their energy more directly on coping with the expected decline in sales and demand and managing their cash flow.
“Given these expected cuts to business discretionary spending, it is vital that the Federal Government introduce additional measures directed at reinforcing the investments in future performance which are currently under jeopardy. As well, the Reserve Bank must continue to lower the cash rate,” Mrs Ridout said.
To read what CEO’s were saying in the survey click here.
Comment below to have your say on this story.
If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at email@example.com.
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According to a media report, unauthorized persons tapped 150,000 surveillance cameras from a US company in hospitals, prisons, schools and police stations, among other places: The perpetrators want to have found the password of a super administrator access on the Internet. The operator of the cameras specifically advertises security features and face recognition. Companies such as the electric car manufacturer Tesla and the IT security company Cloudflare are affected.
The hack was made public by Bloomberg. Accordingly, the “hackers” presented images from the Tesla site in Shanghai. The Californian start-up Verkada, from which the cameras come, told Bloomberg in an initial reaction that they were investigating “the extent of the potential problem”.
It does happen again and again that pictures of inexpensive security cameras for the household are tapped – especially if the users do not change the preset standard passwords of the devices. However, it shouldn’t happen that a company with large customers is so easily vulnerable.
Hundreds of cameras in the Tesla factory
The intruders showed Bloomberg footage of video surveillance from a Massachusetts police station, an Alabama prison and a Florida hospital. In the prison they managed to tap 330 cameras. At Tesla there were 222 cameras. They would also have gained access to the Verkada customers’ video archive.
According to their own statements, the “hackers” found access video surveillance data for an administrator account with extensive access, publicly available on the Internet. With this “super administrator” they were able to tap into many cameras. The hackers lost access after Bloomberg contacted Verkada.


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Response to the Pandemic
With the forthcoming release of lockdown restrictions, operators in the hospitality industry will need to continue to adapt their premises to comply with social distancing measures and limitations imposed on the use of indoor spaces. This is leading operators to spread their operations beyond their original premises through the use of ad hoc outdoor seating areas in open spaces, highways and even car park areas.
Given that the risk of contracting Coronavirus is considerably lower outdoors, the availability of outdoor seating space has become an important feature for hospitality venues. Previously, an ‘outdoor seating licence’ was merely an ancillary document to a lease, but the shift in circumstances has meant that it has become a fundamental tool in maximising capacity to serve customers in a safe and effective manner. The right to operate in outdoor spaces will also have a key impact on the viability of many hospitality businesses, especially from 12th April 2021 when (under the current roadmap to lift lockdown measures) restaurants and pubs will only be permitted to serve food and alcohol to customers seated outdoors. Indoor seating at hospitality venues is due to resume from 17th May 2021. However, the need to rely on outdoor seating space will inevitably continue beyond this date.
Considering the Extent of a Premises
Tenants wishing to use outdoor space should carefully consider the extent of the premises demised to them under their existing lease and whether the relevant outdoor area forms part of it. Where the outdoor area is beyond the tenant’s demise, they will need to vary their lease or secure an outdoor seating licence by agreement with their Landlord. A licence is likely to be subject to a licence fee and contain restrictions such as designated hours of use and an obligation to manage customer queues and minimise the impact on neighbouring businesses. Landlords and tenants will also need to consider who will be liable for the repair and insurance (including third party liability) of any additional areas. If tenants intend to erect pods or shelters in the outdoor space, these rights will need to be expressly included in the deed or licence and rights to carry out any alterations that may be necessary.
Any planning permission affecting the outdoor space should also be reviewed to check whether the tenant’s proposed use is restricted or subject to conditions. Tenants should also be mindful of rules relating to any structures which they plan to erect on outdoor spaces. The latest regulations stipulate that any shelter must not be wholly or substantially enclosed, which means that it should not have any sides, including doors or windows (that can be open or shut), which enclose more than 50% of the shelter. Individual councils may interpret the regulations more flexibly than others; therefore, it is important to check local guidance as the shelter may be deemed to be indoor seating.
Where the outdoor space is owned by a third party such as the local council, tenants will need to negotiate directly with them. Tenants operating with a Premises Licence should also consider whether they are permitted to allow customers to consume alcohol outside of their premises.
Businesses which use premises for the sale of food or drink for consumption (on or off the premises) are also eligible to apply for a pavement licence, which permits them to use furniture placed on the highway to sell or serve food or drink and allow it to be used by people for consumption of food or drink supplied from, or in connection with the use of their premises. To support hospitality businesses during the pandemic, the Government introduced changes to their licencing procedure for properties in England in 2020, which created a quicker and simpler approach to obtaining pavement licences. Any pavement licences granted under these relaxed licencing provisions were originally due to expire on 30th September 2021; however, the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government has now extended this date by a further 12 months.
A substantial number of planning laws have also been relaxed to accommodate the hospitality industry, such as the automatic right to provide takeaways and make deliveries which the Government introduced at the start of the pandemic. This is set to continue, as well as the right for pubs to erect marquees without planning permission for up to two months.
Local authorities were also granted the right to use land to hold outdoor markets without applying for planning permission, which has now been extended to March 2022. Additionally, since last year, businesses have had greater flexibility to hold outdoor events such as summer fairs, car-boot sales, or motorsports on land without the need for a planning application. The Government has increased the number of days allowed for such temporary events from 28 to 56 days, and in November 2020, they extended this provision until 31st December 2021.
Overall, a determined effort has been made by the Government to support the hospitality industry’s response to the pandemic, and operators have keenly adopted the relaxed rules in respect of outdoor space. It is likely that such measures will continue to be relevant for the foreseeable future and may become a more permanent feature for hospitality venues.


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In the first half (H1) of this year, Futian District welcomed 50 brands’ debuts, ranking first among Shenzhen’s districts in terms of first stores, according to the city’s industry and information technology bureau.
Futian’s achievements in the first-store economy were bolstered by its measures to vigorously develop itself into a first-store district. It will offer rewards of up to 5 million yuan (US$739,142) to brands launching stores in Futian, which are their first in China, South China or Shenzhen. Futian’s shopping malls and other business entities that introduce first stores can gain a reward of up to 500,000 yuan.
Spurred on by preferential policies, overseas and domestic brands have increased investment in Futian’s consumer market this year. For instance, American brand Vera Wang Bride and Chinese multibrand retail space named hug launched their first South China stores in One Avenue mall. The city’s first Mandarin Oriental Hotel also chose its location at UpperHills in Futian.
The government’s efforts in the first-store economy have produced impressive results. Statistics of Winshang.com showed that the newly opened first shops in Futian account for nearly 40% of the city’s total debuts in H1. Among the 50 stores, 11 are first stores in China, 13 are first in South China and 26 are first in Shenzhen.
Futian is Guangdong Province’s first district (county) whose total consumer good retail sales exceed 200 billion yuan, ranking first in Shenzhen for 17 consecutive years.
In H1 of 2022, the district’s consumer good retail sales totaled 106 billion yuan, accounting for 23.6% of the city’s total, topping all districts and counties in the province.


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Tesla Will Open Purchase Sources
Author: Source: Datetime: 2018-11-23 10:19:39
According to the report, Matsushita Masahiro, at the end of October’s earnings report, stressed that the US battery plant, which is jointly operated with Tesla, stressed that “the production capacity will increase to 20% (equivalent to full-load production). Giva Time (GWh). At the same time, it said that in the future, "will keep pace with Tesla and discuss further investment in North America", which is full of enthusiasm.
The report pointed out that Panasonic is further strengthening its response to Tesla. In April 2019, the in-vehicle business company that deviated from Tesla's battery business will be transferred to the newly established US company in the same month. Mass production of Tesla's new model "Model 3" is on track, and in order to promote the next investment, Panasonic is accelerating the relationship.
Regarding Musk's suggestion, Matsushita's car business company president Ito Hiroshi said, "It is impossible to meet the huge demand for automotive batteries with just one company. Tesla will start consultations in the future, but envisage various options."
According to the report, in addition to supplying batteries to Tesla's pure electric vehicles, Panasonic also supplies batteries to electric vehicles such as hybrid vehicles (HVs). However, a related person revealed that "the car battery can fully guarantee the profitability only for the supply of Tesla." Tesla produces high-end cars, and each car uses a large battery capacity, making it easy for Panasonic to ensure profit margins. On the other hand, it is said that it is difficult to ensure battery profitability in the passenger vehicle field such as a hybrid vehicle.
According to the report, if Tesla changed the battery used in China to purchase from a number of companies, Panasonic may have price competition with other companies.
According to reports, in addition to Tesla, Panasonic is also rapidly strengthening cooperation with Toyota. The two sides have already cooperated in the field of hybrid vehicle batteries, and in December 2017, they announced the further cooperation with large-capacity batteries and new-generation batteries for pure electric vehicles.
However, battery supply for Tesla is one of the pillars of growth strategy for Panasonic. According to Tesla's movements, Panasonic may be greatly affected.
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Oh boy, here we go — John Hanke, CEO of Niantic Labs, just told the world that Pokémon Go is coming to the Apple Watch on stage at Apple’s iPhone 7 event.
The game has become one of the most successful game launches of all time (if not the most successful game launch of all time). Hinke said Pokémon Go has been downloaded more than 500 million times around the world since it launched. Trainers have walked more than 4.6 billion kilometers while playing the game.
Nintendo shares are going absolutely bonkers following the announcement, spiking immediately following the unveiling on stage. After the announcement, it looks like shares are up more than 20%. Since the launch of Pokémon Go, and now the unveiling of Super Mario Run, shares are up more than 65% in the past several months.
The new app is designed to blend the gameplay with a traditional walk or run. Normally, players have to keep the game open and be looking at their phones in order to detect nearby Pokéstops and Pokémon. These are many of the core mechanics of the game, but enable players to enjoy the experience as a more general walking experience without having to constantly look at your phone — and potentially walk into something hazardous.
During a walk, users can see how far they walked and how many calories they burned, and see what Pokémon are nearby, and then are alerted when a Pokémon appears nearby. At a Pokéstop, users get a tap on the wrist as well. They can also engage with Pokéstop to get items like Pokéballs and such, and see when eggs hatch.
The walk is one of the unique things that gives Pokémon Go a different way to engage with the game. Pokémon Go invites its users to explore the world around them, constantly offering new experiences with different kinds of Pokémon that may pop up — as well as potentially running into other trainers. So this is an interesting look at not only what focusing on that experience looks like, but also what a core gameplay mechanic might look like on the Apple Watch.
For sure, we’re going to see a lot of game companies jumping on this kind of an idea if it works. Pokémon Go pioneered a lot of new mechanics (well, Niantic did that previously with Ingress) that developers are surely taking notes on for their future games.
This app, along with the new Super Mario Run, signals an increasing intent for Nintendo not only to get its products on new mobile devices, but rethink how those kinds of brands would look on those devices. Pokémon Go represented Nintendo’s first moment in giving companies a new opportunity to come up with titles on mobile devices outside of the traditional 3DS.
The app will be shipping before the end of the year. Be sure to check out the rest of the event on our live blog.


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BNR – HSBC announced that it will cease facilitating commercial payments between business customers involving Russia and Belarus. Indeed, HSBC Bank is one of the world’s largest and most globally influential banks.
This decision reflects an expansion of restrictions beyond the sanctions initially imposed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The bank, with a significant presence across China, the United States, and Europe, has encountered mounting challenges.
This is due to the escalating sanctions and constraints placed on Russia and its ally Belarus by the international community.
An HSBC spokesperson stated that the sanctions enacted globally against Russia and Belarus have rendered our operations increasingly complex.
Furthermore, HSBC has told its business customers that it will no longer process commercial payments related to Russia and Belarus. Additionally, this policy is set to take effect globally starting this month.
Reportedly, customers in Hong Kong have been informed that the restrictions will be enforced from 27 October.
While HSBC had previously announced its intention to exit the Russian market, the sale of its Russian unit to local bank Expobank has faced delays and awaits final regulatory approval.
HSBC and Western Banks Navigate Complex Relations
This action by HSBC is part of a broader trend of Western institutions restricting financial interactions with Russia.
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, several Russian banks were denied access to the international SWIFT payments system.
In turn, this has forced entities like Sberbank and VTB to curtail their operations in many European countries.
Western governments also froze approximately $300 billion of the Russian central bank’s reserves.
Despite these measures, not all economic ties with Russia have been severed, and some trade activities, albeit reduced, persist.
Certain European banks, including UniCredit and Raiffeisen Bank International, maintain significant business operations in Russia.
The United States has advocated for more stringent actions against banks with ties to Russia. However, China has taken a contrasting approach by deepening its economic relationships with the country.


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Minneapolis, Mar 1 - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposed rule today to allow year-long E15 sales in several midwestern states following a petition by Midwestern governors for a reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver request for E15. The rule, however, will not take effect until 2024.
“We appreciate the leadership of Gov. Tim Walz and the group of Midwest Governors that helped push for this long-overdue regulatory solution to provide year-round access to savings at the pump from Minnesota grown and produced biofuels. While today’s proposed action to expand access to E15 in 2024 is much-needed, EPA’s delay in approving the Governor’s petition has created immediate uncertainty for the 425 retail stations in Minnesota that sold over 100 million gallons of E15 fuel last year. We will continue advocating for a short-term solution to ensure that the sale of lower-emission, lower-priced biofuels are not needlessly interrupted this summer,” said Brian Werner, executive director at the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association.
In April 2022, eight Midwestern governors, including Walz, asked the EPA to begin a rule making process to remove the 1-PSI RVP waiver for E10 blends, which would eliminate the current disparity between E10 and E15 and ensure E15 can be sold year-long.
In 2022, E15 sales in Minnesota breached the 100-million-gallon mark for the first time ever with 105.47 million gallons sold.


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As fast food giant McDonald's struggles to retain customers domestically and abroad, it reported its worst monthly comparable sales decreases in the U.S. and Europe since early 2003, according to a new note from Janney Montgomery Scott.
"Holy moley!" Janney analyst Mark Kalinowski said in a phone interview. "This one is certainly not going to be talked about for decades to come in a positive way."
During September, comps dived 4.1 percent in the U.S., 4.2 percent in Europe and 7.5 percent in the fast food company's Asia Pacific Middle East Africa unit.
In the third quarter, global comparable sales dived 3.3 percent.The fast food giant was expected to see its global same store sales shrink by 3 percent with U.S. sales falling by 2.9 percent and those in the Asian Pacific Middle East Africa unit dropping by 10.6 percent, according to a forecast from Consensus Metrix.
To spark a turnaround it its U.S. unit, McDonald's has been ramping up its transparency efforts and highlighting its food quality. Abroad, McDonald's sales have seen an impact after a scandal involving one of its suppliers in China, which it has since suspended.
McDonald's on Tuesday reported net income that dropped 30 percent and revenue that missed analysts' expectations as the Dow component battled declining traffic in all major segments.
After the earnings announcement, the company's shares were lower in late morning trading. (Click here to get the latest quotes for the fast food giant.)
Net income during the third quarter fell 30 percent to $1.07 billion or $1.09 per share from $1.52 billion or $1.52 a share in the year-earlier period.
Revenue fell to $6.99 billion from $7.32 billion a year ago.
"I think they're still losing share," said Telsey Advisory Group senior analyst Peter Saleh, adding that millennial diners are part of the problem for McDonald's.
"They're moving toward higher quality, naturally raised food, and McDonald's just isn't resonating with that younger crowd," Saleh added.
Analysts had expected McDonald's to deliver earnings of $1.37 per share on $7.18 billion in revenue, according to Thomson Reuters.
"McDonald's third quarter results reflect a significant decline versus a year ago, with our business and financial performance pressured by a variety of factors—from a higher effective tax rate, to unusual events in the operating environments in APMEA and Europe, to under-performance in the U.S., our largest geographic segment, " McDonald's President and Chief Executive Officer Don Thompson said in a statement.


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One word… neurotoxins.
These foods are not made or processed in a natural way. Pubmed published an article showing common brands of foods that contained high fructose corn syrup also contained mercury. Why you ask? Because one way to make high fructose corn syrup is through a mercury removal process, and mercury is a known neuro-toxin. Artificial sweeteners are thousands of times sweeter than even regular sugar and make your brain crave more sugar. So if you’re using these no calorie sugar free sweeteners to lose weight, or help with diabetes, you’re sabotaging yourself because you’re literally making your body crave more sugar! These sweeteners disrupt the production of hormones that literally tell you you’re full and help break down fat. Healthy people do not drink sugar free beverages, they drink water. Artificial coloring has actually been banned in some European countries, and as a result, they are finding that their rates off ADD have gone down, while ours still seem to be on the rise. Artificial coloring, like MSG and mercury are neurotoxins which can trigger migraine headaches, as well as other neurological disorders.
Health is my passion. Your health is our mission.
Dr. Olivia Joseph


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Dhat Island, a popular restaurant in Redlands for five years, is making a brief comeback as a pop-up from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. May 29. The temporary reprise of its Creole Caribbean cuisine will be at Carolyn’s Cafe at 1711 W. Lugonia Ave. in Redlands.
Dhat was forced to vacate its site at 509 N. Eureka St. this past November to make w
The Riverside Chili Cook-Off & Car/Cycle Show returns for its 13th year on Saturday, May 23.
The Arlington Business Partnership’s annual event happens on Magnolia Avenue between Van Buren Boulevard and Jackson Street, and will include live music, arts & crafts, a petting zoo, a beer garden and, of course, chili.
Culinary arts students at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire in San Bernardino submitted their favorite Memorial Day recipes, and while all look very tasty, we selected a couple worth noting for the weekend.
Nakesha Seaton crafted a recipe for berry yogurt soup as a refreshing note at a Memori
The rainbow wigs atop mannequins near the entrance of Sushi OK should have been a sign that dinner wasn’t going to be an average dining experience. Located at the former site of Masa’s Place in Riverside, across from the Sears on Arlington Avenue, most of the dining room had a sleek interior. A very friendly staff brought my h
White Park in Riverside will be Grand Central for a spicy day of fun this weekend.
The Inland Empire Salsa Festival takes over Downtown on Saturday, May 16. The event will be hosted by singer and “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks. The heart of the event is salsa tasting. The festival boasts that attendees will be able to t
After two years on the road, Fadi and Carina Ballout, both 30, have shifted gears to open a bakery in Moreno Valley. They’ve braked their business on wheels to launch the brick-and-mortar version at 14475 Moreno Beach Drive, Suite 102, called The Cupcake & Espresso Bar. Caught up in the food truck craze, the two former Starbucks
Gary Steele of Hemet finally made it inside the door of the 3-month-old LaMichoacana ice cream parlor.
His smile was a beaming sign of approval. Everyone seems to smile in the store, which is near the Stater Bros. market at Sanderson and Florida avenues in Hemet.
He had heard friends praise the Mexican-style blends of fruit and i
Burritos aren’t easy to draw. Neither are tacos.
That’s one of the reasons Miguel’s Jr. has a talking tortilla chip as its cartoon mascot.
That’s what Bruce Mayo, creator of Reynaldo the “spokeschip,” said in a phone interview.
Mayo is creative director with PlainJoe Studios, an adverti
A new Miguel's Jr. restaurant in Tustin will be a test kitchen for ideas. The Corona fast-food chain is opening its 14th store in an outdoor shopping center called The Market Place this week. It will be using the location to try out some marketing concepts that it plans to spread throughout the company. The family company, founded
Even though mom should be celebrated every single day of the year, Mother’s Day is a great reminder that people should go all out.
A good start is to plan a great meal and take all the work out of it. No one wants to spend all day preparing, cooking and then cleaning up. Fortunately, local area casinos are taking on that burden wit
Two years ago, when Nikki Wyrick bought the Pine Bakery at 6767 Brockton Ave. in Riverside, she knocked herself out kneading, making everything from cinnamon sticks to wedding cakes – hard work and not much profitable dough in it, she discovered.
“The cookies took over,” she said. “Eight out of 10 customers were b
Wine tasting, one of the Inland region’s notable activities, isn’t limited to the rolling and picturesque hills of the Temecula Valley Wine Country. For those who prefer a quieter, more scaled-down approach than the busy wineries’, there are a few tasting options in Old Town.
Yes, there may be plenty of people strolling
Deborah Schneider describes the sauces in her newest cookbook as having lots of personality and often, a spicy kick. The same words fit when describing Schneider, executive chef and partner at Sol Cocina in Newport Beach and Solita in Huntington Beach; other descriptors might include perfectionistic, energetic and highly productive – a foo
When you saddle up to dine out in Norco, right from the giddyup, thoughts of burgers, steaks and chains probably come to mind.
Let the record show that city has sunk some decidedly Asian roots. Last week, my husband and I trotted over to the Pho Amor Noodle & Grill, one of a couple Vietnamese restaurants in “Horsetown U.S.A.&rd
When approaching Third Street Smokehouse in Old Town Temecula, I realized it was a good sign that the zesty scents of barbecue on the breeze hit me before I spotted the restaurant.
Situated on a corner just off the beaten path of the bustling Old Town thoroughfare, a giant iron bull stands guard in front of the large patio, which was emp
For Andy Allen, there is something about barbecue cooking that really gets the juices flowing.
The competitive juices.
Last year, Allen estimates that he and his cooking crew racked up about 7,000 miles traveling the western U.S. on the competitive BBQ circuit.
This year, Allen anticipates that Rooftop Barbeque –the
What happens when boys meet grills? Meat packin’ heat and sometimes, meat pickin’ up big bucks. A sizzlin’ caterer and competitive team from Menifee hopes to smoke more than 20 posses next month at the Smokin’ in Mesquite BBQ Championship for a $40,000 purse and braggin’ rights.
Meet the five meat masters wh
“Around the World in 80 Days” has got nothing on Oven 450 in Riverside.
The flatbread restaurant located at the University Village, right next door to Calibasil, takes guests on a culinary adventure around the world. In the time it takes to cook a flatbread pizza, that is. Locations on a map of Oven 450’s inspirations i
Kochai Farhad was a late culinary bloomer in her native Afghanistan.
In the introduction to her first cookbook, “Simply Afghan,” she admits she didn’t find her way around a kitchen until her late 30s.
“This is a huge offense in the Afghan culture for women,” writes Farhad, 62. Raised in a large famil
Imagine six tasting courses from one of Los Angeles’ hottest chefs, served in an exclusive enclave where succulents sit as centerpieces on long white communal tables.
In the distance, you can hear the soulful sounds of Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires.
The scene isn’t an industry party in Hollywood, but rather
Correction: An earlier version of this story had the incorrect amount of food donated to area food banks. Wild Goose has donated 700,000 pounds of food since 2008 and donates one pound of food for every 10 pounds of coffee sold.
After nearly six years of selling wholesale coffee, a small Redlands business hopes to woo the
No one was more stunned than Vanessa Aguilar when she won the homemade contest at last year’s Riverside Tamale Festival.After all, the pediatric nurse, who lives in Riverside with her boyfriend and daughter, had competed as a lark at the urgings of friends and family who loved her creations. “I didn’t expect to win,
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has more than 160 artists playing six major stages across the Empire Polo Club over three days for two consecutive weekends.
Coachella's Craft Beer Barn features 90 different breweries with 250 different beers over the six days.
Both have thousands of fans, including performing artists
In 2014, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival started amping up its food and beverage program. Not only did the Craft Beer Barn make its debut, but there was more of an emphasis on offering attendees more than chicken fingers and the beloved Spicy Pie.
Last year, LA hotspots to created a booth-style desert outpost for two weekend
A big hand for her majesty. Here’s your chance to meet Queen Victoria at a four-course fundraiser for the Riverside Dickens Festival. Her royal highness, more commonly known as Janet Clark, will preside over The Queen’s Tea on May 3 at Evergreen Masonic Center, 5801 Chicago Ave. She’ll be joined by the great author Charl


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A major independent device manufacturer has placed a multi-system purchase order with RAVE for its ‘Rhazer’ haze removal systems for reticles. The orders were given after an extensive in-fab evaluation of the Rhazer haze removal technology, according to RAVE.
“Our Rhazer tools have been operating with great success for some time in world-class device foundries,” noted Barry Hopkins, CEO, RAVE LLC. “This collaborative effort continues to validate the significant cost and value contribution potential RAVE products bring to our customers.”
The first system has already been installed and accepted with additional systems scheduled for delivery over the next year.


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Shanda Games International Europe to Enter Mobile Games Market
Games Publisher Shanda Games International Europe is entering the Mobile Games Market. In May, the Germany-based company will launch its first Free-to-Play Mobile Game Happy Tribes for iOS and Android all over Europe. Since September 2013, Shanda Games International Europe has been operating Dragon Nest, one of the most popular massively multiplayer online role-playing games on the global market, in Europe. Shanda Games International Europe is part of the Shanda Games Group that also comprises Actoz and Eyedentity Games in Korea and Cherry Credits in Singapore. The parent company Shanda Games Limited is one of the leading Chinese developers and publishers of online and mobile games, offering users over 70 game products.
Coco Chen, managing director of Shanda Games International Europe, says: “In addition to operating the online game Dragon Nest Europe, we will now start serving the European mobile games market by publishing Happy Tribes. By founding a European subsidiary of Shanda Games in 2013, we created an important link between the Asian and the Western games market. Shanda Games International Europe’s goal for the next years is to continuously bring exciting online and mobile games from China and Korea to Europe, while at the same time helping western developers in gaining access to the Asian market.“
For more info on Happy Tribes, visit https://www.facebook.com/happytribes
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- The first thing I noticed when getting into the game, is that they followed the trends of the last generation of successful FPS games.


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It doesn’t mean that the Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) is over, helping the victims is also done. One of the companies who is still helping the victims is McDonald’s through Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) which has its own disaster and relief operations program, Bigay Tulong for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.
McDonald’s Philippines Chairman and Owner George T. Yang will donate Php 30 million and also, McDonald’s recently opened the RMHC Bigay Tulong Command Center which is “accepting donations and re-packing of beddings, blankets, clothes, rice, bottled water, canned goods, biscuits, toiletries, medicines and toys for the typhoon victims.” The relief goods will be distributed in Tacloban, Dulag, Guiuan, Ormoc, Iloilo and Roxas City.
McDonald’s President & CEO Kenneth Yang shares, “In the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda, we saw more than just one nation uniting, but a global community working towards one goal—aiding millions of Filipinos ravaged from the typhoon. From our own McDonald’s family, we have harnessed the McDonald’s global system who has generously donated financial aid enabling us to provide immediate relief and work towards helping rebuild affected areas. Truly no amount of help is too small or too big to make a difference.”
For more information on how you can help, visit the Mcdonald’s website.
Address: RMHC Bigay Tulong Command Center is located at 9590 Bagtikan Corner Kamagong Street, Makati City
Schedule: 8AM to 10PM


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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — On a cloudy Friday in May with temperatures barely in the 50s, the calendar says it’s pool season.
Of course, this is Michigan. Just wait a minute. It will warm up.
But when it comes to maintaining your pool this year, you may face a challenge. One of the most basic ingredients for keeping a pool clean, 3-inch chlorine tablets, are hard to come by.
“When our basic tablets … are gone, they are gone for the year,” Sherrie Miedema with Zagers Pool and Spa in metro Grand Rapids told News 8.
If you can’t find tablets, there are alternatives, like granulated chlorine.
“Some people use liquid chlorine. It has some disadvantages,” Miedema said.
Why the shortage? First, the pandemic caused a surge in new pool construction over the last year. More pools means more demand for chemicals and maintenance. Then a fire damaged a Louisiana plant that accounts for about 40% of chlorine tablet production for residential use.
Some stores are limiting the sale of the tablet buckets.
Zagers can determine how much you need by looking at your pool size and doing a water analysis.
“We’re trying to limit to that which the customer would reasonably use in a year,” Miedema said.
The bigger concern: Is chlorine becoming the next toilet paper in this pandemic?
“Hoarding is a bad idea. It will just bite all of us down the road because we do need chlorine to keep things in good shape,” Miedema said. “We do want to be careful that we pace ourselves so that everybody has a shot at keeping their pool clean this year.”
The surge in pool installations last year has put a major burden on the industry when it comes to maintenance.
If you haven’t opened your pool for the season yet, you may want to become a do-it-yourselfer.
“We are looking at the Fourth of July for pool openings,” Miedema said.
It’s the same when it comes to maintenance. Crews will still get to you when something major failures, like a pump. But when it comes to minor repairs and renovations, Miedema says you may have to wait.
“We’re working hard to keep up,” she said. “There’s a lot of demand. We need a lot of patience.”


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It's no secret that Samsung had a lot of bad press this year. Despite this, we've reported how, even with the massive negativity in the media, Samsung has been expected to have an excellent Q1. Not only have those expectations been confirmed today, but Samsung has announced they are also working on a new flagship smartphone. One that some say could be the Note 8.
On Thursday, Samsung released its first quarter results. The numbers are impressive, but not surprising to anyone following our previous coverage. Our last report found the earnings to be within a fraction of the results, with Samsung reporting $9.9 trillion won in profits, and revenue of $50.5 trillion won.
The numbers go to show, even if their phones explode, Samsung products maintain incredible popularity around the world.
But what might be bigger news is that Samsung confirmed they will be releasing a new flagship phone later this year.
The company will strive to maintain profitability through robust sales of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ and the launch of a new flagship smartphone in the second half.
Samsung offerd no other insight into what this phone may be. In fact, a spokesperson denied PC World's request for comment on the device. All anyone outside the company and its vendors know for sure is that Samsung is planning to release a new phone sometime this year. One they're bold enough to consider calling their "flagship."
The media is, of course, abuzz with speculation despite having little to go on. Many believe this flagship device will be the Note 8, which, presumably, Samsung will be doing all they can to prove to investors and consumers alike that this one won't blow up while you're using it. The Note 8 would be a logical step, however; Samsung usually releases its S-model phones in the first half of the year, then the Note models in the second half. Will they stick to this pattern going forward?
If so, it's also reasonable to think this phone would be a departure from the norm for Samsung and not follow their traditional schedule. The profitable company may want to improve relations between investors and customers, and rather than convince them all the next Note is not actually a bomb in disguise, maybe a new type of phone is required.
Whatever Samsung does release, it's competition will be the highly-anticipated 10th anniversary iPhone. As PC World explains,
The new flagship smartphone and the global rollout of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ are expected to help the division increase revenue and profit. But the company said that competition is expected to intensify in the second half as a result of the rollout of new smartphones by rivals, in what appears to be a reference to Apple's launch of a new version of the iPhone later this year.
Despite the admirable financials, Samsung's entire suite of phones will be up against what could be the biggest smartphone release in the last decade. No doubt Samsung is aware of the hype, and that's why this new release is going to attempt to hit the market first. If Samsung's new flagship can do something remarkable, like be foldable, it could steal some of Apple's thunder before they even have a chance to roll out their own new features.
Based on these fiscal results from the first quarter, it would be safe to assume that — even against the new iPhone — Samsung's next phone will do just fine. As long as it doesn't explode, that is.
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Sears Canada Doubles Pay of Executives, But Lays Off 2,000 Workers
By Vittorio Hernandez | March 21, 2014 10:29 AM EST
In yet another example of the continuous widening gap between executive pay and rank-and-file compensation, Sears Canada almost doubled the salaries of their top executives in 2013 while laying off about 2,000 employees.
People walk past the main Sears store in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia in this file photo taken February 23, 2011. Struggling department store chain Sears Canada Inc reported a larger quarterly loss as it took one-time charges related to restructuring and asset impairment. REUTERS/Andy Clark/Files
The Toronto Sun reports that the top five officials of Sears earned a combined pay of $4.8 million in 2013 from $2.4 million in 2012. The data were based on a circular released ahead of the retail chain shareholders' meeting on April 24 in Toronto.
It identified new CEO Douglas Campbell as a beneficiary of a 47 per cent pay hike that came with his promotion from COO, boosting his base salary to $654,000 and a $238,000 yearly bonus.
The two VPs, Klaudio Leshjani and Salim Maherali, were given 85% and 86%, pay hikes, respectively, increasing their salaries to $775,000 and $581,000 in 2013
For the same period, Sears' sales went down 8.2 per cent to $4 billion, but profits went up more than four times o $447 million.
Sears Canada axed in mid-January 1,600 jobs across the country due to the lower sales, hitting mostly call centre workers. However, at the end of the month, it also cut another 624 jobs that are store-based.
Commenting on the numbers, Toronto Sun reader Jr pointed out that "Corporate greed is killing the world," while Taebok wrote that "Corporate execs make politicians look like chump change."
Responding to Taebok's comment, roman dog said that the executive are responsible to themselves and no one else. "They have no obligation to society," whereas public officials are supposed to place people first, "yet they pocket our cash with no recourse."
He further asked, "How can you condemn a private entity who has no obligation to put 'the people first' when those who are tasked with that very job don't uphold that standard?"
The discussion got deeper in the comments page as different opinions and theories about the economy, job markets and similar topics were provided by the commenters.
To contact the editor, e-mail:
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Indonesia’s prominent corporate venture capital firms and conglomerates are seeking to tap into opportunistic bets in fintech, new retail, proptech and heathcare tech, according to panelists at the DEALSTREETASIA’s Indonesia PE-VC Summit 2019 summit held in January 2019.
Corporate venture capital, led by the region’s large conglomerate groups, is at the forefront of homegrown VC activity in Indonesia, partaking in some big-ticket funding rounds.
DEALSTREETASIA put together a panel – comprising Eddi Danusaputro, CEO, President Director, Mandiri Capital Indonesia; Roderick Purwana, Managing Partner, SMDV; Rudy Ramawy, Founding Partner & Managing Partner, Venturra Capital; Andya Daniswara, SVP, Business Development, Emtek; and, YC Ng, Founding Partner, Latitude Venture Partners (Moderator) – to delve into the various aspects governing this segment of venture funding.
It turns out that fintech is a sector that corporate venture capital firms are most bullish about given the opportunities that Indonesia’s financial service sector presents and the fact that areas like the banking, digital payments and remittance spaces are considered ripe for disruption.
“Everyone is bullish about fintech. The biggest is payment and the right time to focus on fintech,” said Andya Daniswara, SVP, business development of Emtek, the largest shareholder in online marketplace, Bukalapak a unicorn in Indonesia.
Indonesia has as many as 64 licenced peer to peer lenders and as many as 227 operating without a licence.
“I believe Indonesia will be in the forefront of P2P retail,” said Rudy Ramawy, founding & managing partner, Venturra Capital. He said the property market backed by technology is an area he trusts traction will increase.
The rise of fintech has forced traditional financial institutions like Bank Mandiri to invest in and collaborate with fintech startups.
“We have invested in 10 startups. For Mandiri to open one physical branch, it costs about 2 billion Rupiah. We can’t continue to do that. Every one is going to the mobile phone. We can scale up fast by developing mobile technology and even look to acquire these startups,” said Eddi Danusaputro, CEO of Mandiri Capital and president director of Mandiri Capital Indonesia.
How are CVCs different from other investors
Startups can face challenges like having a lack of independence or the perception of lack of independence as part of a CVC, SMDV’s managing partner, Roderick Purwana, observed.
Purwana said, while their growth fund is dedicated to take the startups to the next level, the fund provides an opportunity to at least offer the perception of independence. He said, partnership with firms like East Ventures enables them to do things they would not be able to do as SMDV alone.
Sinar Mas Digital Ventures (SMDV), the venture capital arm of Indonesia’s conglomerate Sinar Mas, has partnered with venture capital firm, East Ventures to form an independent growth fund to invest in growing digital companies in Indonesia.
For Venturra Capital, whose sponsor is Lippo Group and which has made investments in startups along side firms like Sequoia and UOB Venture, working with foreign partners has meant being subject to the same standard of openness and governance.
“As long as we view ourselves as venture investors first and strategic investors when needed, I think it should be fine,” said Ramawy.
On the other hand, technology startups also need support from CVCs to scale up faster.
“The most important thing a startup needs is customer acquisition. In Indonesia, 95 per cent is still using retail. While e-commerce and fintech is growing fast, to go beyond the share of 5 to 10 per cent, you really have to partner with offline companies,” said Ramawy.
“In the last three to four years, a lot of corporates are beginning to act like venture investors. Venture investors are also thinking along the strategic line as well,” said Ramawy.


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Microsoft has announced yet another expansion to Xbox Game Pass for PC. Building on last month’s announcement of Gris and three others, this month sees five more titles coming. This includes the fan-favorite action-adventure game Yakuza 0 and indie platformer Indivisible.
The other three games subscribers can look forward to are Two Point Hospital, Wasteland: Remastered, and Reigns: Game of Thrones. If you were to buys all these games separately on Steam it would cost you $114. Xbox Game Pass for PC costs $10 a month. This makes it a great way to test out any of the Game Passes’ soon to be 195 games without spending big.
Xbox Game Pass for PC
Yakuza 0’s reputation speaks for itself. Before its PC port released in 2018, it was nominated for PlayStation Game of the Year at the 2017 Golden Joystick Awards. It’s currently sitting at a very comfortable 86 on Metacritic, with PC Invasion ourselves giving it an impressive 9/10.
Indivisible isn’t as well known as Yakuza 0, but it might just be the most surprising inclusion of all. After all, Lab Zero Games’ action RPG platformer only released less than half a year ago and was widely well-received. Buying it on Steam today still costs $39.99. To get it in the Xbox Game Pass for PC so soon is an extraordinary deal.
The other titles are both good games too. Two Point Hospital, in particular, is still receiving regular updates. Meanwhile, Wasteland: Remastered shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s a remake of the 1988 RPG classic and isn’t even out until February 25.
Unfortunately, we do not have an official date for when these games are being added. All we know is that they are “coming soon,” Regardless, Microsoft deserves credit for how they’ve handled Xbox Game Pass for PC. It’s nice to see them treating the PC platform better after years of denying us Halo, Forza, and Gears of War.


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03 Mar 2020
Middle East & Africa Personal Computing Devices Market Suffers Slight Decline
Dubai – The Middle East and Africa (MEA) personal computing devices (PCD) market, which is made up of desktops, notebooks, workstations, and tablets, suffered a slight year-on-year decline in shipments during the final quarter of 2019, according to industry analysis conducted by International Data Corporation (IDC). The global technology research and consulting firm's latest Quarterly PCD Tracker shows that a total of 5.5 million units were shipped across the region in Q4 2019, down 0.9% on Q4 2018.
"The biggest decline was seen in South Africa, where the country's overall economic performance was slow," says Fouad Charakla, IDC's senior research manager for client devices in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa. "The business confidence index remained low, unemployment levels remained relatively high, and the rand's exchange rate against the U.S. dollar remained weak, altogether weakening PCD demand in the country and having a considerable negative impact on shipments.
"There was another huge decline in the UAE, where market sentiment remains on the weak side. This is having a negative impact on demand from both the commercial and consumer segments. And while the final quarter of the year saw shipments for the annual month-long 'Dubai Shopping Festival', which took place at the very start of 2020, demand continued to soften compared to the previous year."
A number of other countries suffered considerable declines in shipments, including Algeria, Pakistan, Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, and the Rest of Middle East sub-region (which incorporates Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Palestine).
"On the flip side, Turkey experienced an astounding increase in shipments year on year, as the country continued to recover from the slowdown it suffered a year ago," says Charakla. "The growth in Turkey was almost big enough to mitigate the impact of the declines in all the countries mentioned above, which is why the region experienced only a soft decline overall. A massive delivery of over 500,000 Samsung tablets into Egypt's education sector also helped buoy the market."
In the PC segment, HP continued to lead by a significant margin, despite losing some share after suffering a year-on-year decline in shipments. Lenovo experienced strong growth to capture greater market share, while Dell also experienced some unit growth but still suffered a loss of share.
Middle East & Africa PC Market Vendor Shares – Q4 2018 vs. Q4 2019
In the tablet space, Samsung remained in first place owing to the massive education deal the vendor delivered in Egypt. Apple and Lenovo ranked second and third, respectively.
Middle East & Africa Tablet Market Vendor Shares – Q4 2018 vs. Q4 2019
"Looking ahead, IDC expects PCD demand to continue declining slowly over the coming years," says Charakla. "Commercial demand will remain relatively stable; however, home users will continue to shift away from computers and tablets to other technologies. However, for both Q1 2020 and the year overall, IDC has revised its forecast further downwards due to the COVID-19 outbreak, which has caused the temporary closure of several factories and manufacturing plants in China. As a result, supplies of various goods, including computers and tablets, will also most likely suffer. The decline in shipments for 2021 onwards is expected to be much softer."
For more information, please contact Sheila Manek at firstname.lastname@example.org or on +971 4 446 3154.
International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC.
IDC in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa
For the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa region, IDC retains a coordinated network of offices in Riyadh, Nairobi, Lagos, Johannesburg, Cairo, and Istanbul, with a regional center in Dubai. Our coverage couples local insight with an international perspective to provide a comprehensive understanding of markets in these dynamic regions. Our market intelligence services are unparalleled in depth, consistency, scope, and accuracy. IDC Middle East, Africa, and Turkey currently fields over 130 analysts, consultants, and conference associates across the region. To learn more about IDC MEA, please visit www.idc.com/mea. You can follow IDC MEA on Twitter at @IDCMEA.
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Music Gear News
Lady Gaga's 'spiritual salvation' video
Lady Gaga's 'Alejandro' video represents "desire to take in the holy."
The director of Lady Gaga's new eight minute long video, Steven Klein has hit back at claims that his mini-movie is disrespectful to religion.
The video has been targeted after it showed the 'Poker Face' singer swallowing rosary beads whilst dressed as a nun.
The fashion photographer-turned-pop video director explained to MTV that his creation was "not meant to denote anything negative," and that particular scene "represents the desire to take in the holy."
He added: "It represents the character's battle between the dark forces of this world and the spiritual salvation of the soul. Thus at the end of the film, she chooses to be a nun, and the reason her mouth and eyes disappear is because she is withdrawing her senses from the world of evil and going inward towards prayer and contemplation."
Lady Gaga took to her twitter page earlier this week to blast her critics.
She said: "So many will try to destroy me. So many, over and over, coming in periods of greatness. But in this period, I cannot be broken: GAGAKLEIN (sic)"Posted on 11 Jun 2010 07:00 to category : Band / Celebrity News
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