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When you are looking to build a disruptive business, start from the premise of solving a “pain point” experienced by users of traditional players in that sector – so says Hong Kong-based entrepreneur David Rosa, co-founder of local financial services disruptor Neat, who did not have to look further than the banking sector.After discovering that start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the city are largely underserved by traditional banks, ex-Citi banker Mr Rosa and Hong Kong-based technology entrepreneur Igor Wos teamed up to create a solution that would fill that gap.Mr Rosa describes Neat – which cannot be called a bank because of regulatory requirements – as an alternative to a traditional bank account.“Neat is a purely digital solution where (approved) customers can easily and remotely open an account, with everything done online,” he said.Neat, established in 2015, says it has customers hailing from 100 countries. Mr Rosa did not disclose the numbers but said the company is “well on track to get to 10,000 business customers by [the first quarter of] 2019”. “Currently,” he said, “we are growing at a monthly rate of 30 to 50%”.The first offering was a consumer product but Neat soon noticed a greater need for “financial inclusion” in the start-up community.“It’s a space the banks have chosen not to play in, and we’re making a run for it,” Mr Rosa said.He explained how Neat addresses the “pain points” small-business customers may encounter in trying to open a bank account in Hong Kong.“Our digital-only solution provides SMEs with a current account accessed remotely to receive and pay money globally, as well as a debit MasterCard, through a very robust infrastructure,” Mr Rosa said. “The Hong Kong Government has given Neat two patents on our methods and payments, and we are the only financial institution compliant for KYC [know your customer] requirements for both individuals and companies.”Successful applicants did not need to pay fees to maintain a Neat account and there is no minimum balance, he said.
All payments are pushed and reconciled through Xero accounting software, which is a “huge time saver” in terms of SMEs’ bookkeeping. A new service for entrepreneurs, aimed at bringing more businesses to Hong Kong, bundles company incorporation with a Neat business account. “You only have to provide the information once and the whole process takes 10 minutes,” Mr Rosa said.The founders had applied for a virtual banking licence but have since withdrawn the application as they found the process prohibitively expensive. “The minimum capital requirement is HK$300 million [US$38 million], which raises the cost infrastructure of a virtual bank to the extent that it prices itself out of real financial inclusion,” Mr Rosa said. “In the European Union, you’d need only €5 million [US$5.7 million].”The company operates on investor funding and a “float” of customer deposits. Under the same licensing as the Octopus stored value system, the float is put into a trust account daily via Neat’s banking partner, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.In October 2018, Neat secured its second round of investor funding, bringing the year’s total to US$5 million. Linear Capital, a venture capital (VC) firm based out of Shanghai, led the latest US$3 million investment round, joining existing investors Dymon Asia Ventures, Portag3 Ventures and Hong Kong-based Sagamore Investments. “With this new investment, we’re ready to take on the [Mainland] Chinese market,” said Mr Rosa. “Today we are seeing more young enterprises from China venturing beyond their domestic market and we are excited to make our Neat Business product available to them.”He added that Hong Kong “is a logical choice for [Mainland] Chinese companies to set up and launch their international trading, and we believe we are well positioned to support these entrepreneurs in growing their international business”.“We will use the new capital injection to focus on accelerating the release of new product features, attracting further talent to the team and getting our product ready for the Chinese market,” Mr Rosa said. “Neat will also be leveraging Linear Capital’s expertise in data science to build a truly data-driven business, as well as tapping into the VC’s deep expertise and wide network in the China market.”Where to from here? “Growth, growth and more growth,” Mr Rosa responded. “We are in the process of opening a Shenzhen office now.” With 70% of Neat customers involved in e-commerce – purchasing goods made in the mainland to sell via the Internet – having a true foot in the mainland market would help, Mr Rosa said.The Hong Kong Trade Development Council will hold the Asian Financial Forum on 14 to 15 Jan. Finance and banking technology will be one of the key issues under discussion.


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Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Foot Locker, Deere, DoorDash and others
Check out the companies making headlines before the bell:
Foot Locker (FL) – The athletic footwear and apparel retailer reported an adjusted quarterly profit of $1.60 per share, 5 cents above estimates. Revenue was slightly below forecasts, and same-store sales fell by less than half of what was anticipated by analysts. Foot Locker shares added 1% in the premarket.
Deere (DE) – The heavy equipment maker’s stock fell 4.4% in premarket trading after quarterly revenue missed Street forecasts. Deere beat earnings estimates by 10 cents, reporting $6.81 per share, as a jump in worldwide crop prices helped spur demand. The company also raised its annual profit outlook.
DoorDash (DASH) – Door Dash announced the authorization of a $400 million stock buyback program. The food delivery company said the move will offset dilution stemming from its employee stock compensation program. The stock added 2.2% in premarket action.
VF Corp. (VFC) – VF shares added 2.6% in premarket trading despite slight misses on the top and bottom lines for the latest quarter. The company behind apparel brands, such as North Face, Vans and Timberland, raised its full-year earnings forecast, based on expectations that there will be no additional Covid-19 lockdowns that impact production and that inflation will not worsen.
Deckers Outdoor (DECK) – Deckers surged 13.8% in the premarket after the footwear company beat top and bottom-line estimates for its latest quarter. Deckers earned $2.51 per share, compared with a consensus estimate of $1.32, as net income more than doubled from a year earlier.
Boeing (BA) – Boeing rose 2% in premarket action following the successful launch of its Starliner aircraft, which is now heading toward the International Space Station. The uncrewed flight came after months of delays.
Ross Stores (ROST) – Ross Stores slumped 27.4% in the premarket after the discount retailer posted top and bottom-line misses for its latest quarter and gave a downbeat forecast. Ross Stores said inflationary pressures have been exacerbated by the Ukraine conflict and that it is issuing conservative guidance due to uncertain macroeconomic conditions.
Palo Alto Networks (PANW) – Palo Alto Networks rallied 12.1% in premarket trading after the cybersecurity company reported better-than-expected profit and revenue for its latest quarter. It also raised its full-year guidance for the third time.
Applied Materials (AMAT) – Shares of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment maker fell 1.2% in the premarket after missing top and bottom-line estimates for its latest quarter. The company also issued a weaker-than-expected forecast. Supply chain issues for Applied Materials have been amplified by the Covid-19 lockdowns in China.
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet (OLLI) – The discount retailer’s shares jumped 6.4% in premarket trading after Bank of America Securities double-upgraded the stock to “buy” from “underperform.” BofA based its recommendation on a meaningful improvement in the supply of closeout items, due to over-ordering by retailers and a drop-off in consumer spending on durable goods.
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Hero is testing the new Passion Pro motorcycle with the i3S iSmart technology from the Splendor while the newly developed 111cc engine could power the commuter offering.
Hero MotoCorp will soon introduce its iSmart technology on the Passion Pro commuter motorcycle if the latest set of spy shots emerged online are to be believed. The spy images reveal a new small-capacity motorcycle being tested under heavy camouflage and is equipped with a blue toggle switch for the iSmart feature on the right hand side switchgear, similar to the one seen on the Splendor iSmart. It is believed that the camouflaged mule is a new variant of the Passion Pro, Hero’s second best selling commuter motorcycle.
Hero introduced the iSmart i3S (idle stop and start system) on the Splendor back in 2013 which helps the motorcycle achieve higher fuel efficiency and lower emissions by switching off the engine at a stop and is automatically turned on when the clutch is depressed. Usually seen on cars, the Splendor was the first motorcycle globally to get the technology. Given the popularity of the Passion series, it only makes sense to offer the same on the motorcycle.
The spy shots show the Hero Passion iSmart test mule with 5-spoke alloy wheels wrapped in skinny tyres, split grab rails, drum brakes on the front and rear wheels and an exhaust muffler similar to the one seen on the Glamour 125. Mechanically, the biggest update is expected to be the new 111cc engine powering the commuter motorcycle that first made its debut on the Hero Duet and Maestro Edge scooters last month.
The 111cc air-cooled, single-cylinder engine has been completely developed by Hero and its partners and will be replacing the Honda sourced unit that has been powering the lineup for years. The motor is capable of producing 8.43 PS of power and 8.30 Nm of torque on the scooters and similar power figures can be expected on the new Passion Pro as well. With the model currently under heavy testing, Hero is likely to showcase the Passion Pro iSmart at the 2016 Auto Expo or at a special event prior to the expo with a host of updated offerings.
Spy Pictures Source – Gaadiwaadi.com


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2 Nov 2022
Uruguay has assumed commitments at the international level, which propose a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, specifically in meat production.
Gianni Motta, a technician of the National Meat Institute, recalled that Uruguay made a commitment in 2015 to lower its greenhouse gas emissions.
“Currently, there is news that there are shipments of carbon neutral meat being made, and that is where consumer demand lies,” noted Motta.
He explained that the requirement for carbon neutral beef initially came from Europe and Japan, which “are the consumers who are demanding to know where the meat comes from, what the environmental impact is.”
Motta said that to advance beef producers must know how to measure their emissions and environmental impact and nowadays, in Uruguay, that the emission data in the livestock sector are calculated by the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries. The data is published on the official website and so information exists at national level.
Motta noted that there were ways of reducing emissions such as adjusting animal feed to reduce gases. He also emphasised that taking care of natural pasture by grazing cattle would help sequester carbon.
“If carbon can also be found in the soil, there is an opportunity to lower the total emission of livestock,” stated Motta.
He recalled that “methane is biogenic and cycles naturally in the environment, so in reality, in the long term, we could expect our livestock, under certain conditions, to be climatically neutral.”


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Membership will allow GBT to collaborate with leading blockchain startups
Vancouver, Canada — December 5, 2017 — Global Blockchain Technologies Corp. (OTC: BLKCF) (TSX-V: BLOC), a company that provides investors with access to a basket of holdings within the blockchain space, has announced its membership with the Chamber of Digital Commerce (the “Chamber”), the world’s leading blockchain trade association. Its membership in the Chamber will offer Global Blockchain Technologies Corp. the opportunity to collaborate with global technology companies and financial institutions, as well as cutting-edge blockchain start-ups on critical issues impacting mass adoption, such as public policy, establishing industry best practices, and interoperability.
Shidan Gouran, President of Global Blockchain Technologies Corp., said: “We are excited to join the Chamber of Digital Commerce, alongside globally recognized innovators and operators in the blockchain ecosystem. The Chamber’s important work in educating governments and the public about the critical importance of blockchain technology will help us further our mission of promoting digital assets to a broader base of investors.”
Perianne Boring, Founder and President of the Chamber of Digital Commerce, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Global Technologies Corp. to the Chamber’s membership. Their elite group of investors and advisors will provide great value to the Chamber, and we look forward to leveraging their expertise.”
The Chamber of Digital Commerce is a not-for-profit advocacy organization that promotes the acceptance and use of digital assets and blockchain-based technologies, which includes bitcoin and other digital currencies. The Chamber provides an important platform for industry and policymakers to work together to build a pro-growth legal environment that fosters widespread adoption of blockchain technology.
About Global Blockchain Technologies Corp.
Global Blockchain Technologies Corp. is a company that provides investors access to a basket of holdings within the blockchain space, managed by a team of industry pioneers and early adopters of all major cryptocurrencies. GBT is focused on streamlining the current arduous, lengthy and complicated process that interested investors need to undergo in order to gain exposure to the cryptocurrency space with a view to becoming the first vertically integrated originator and manager of top tier blockchains and digital currencies. GBT is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and its common shares trade under the ticker symbol “BLOC”. Other information relating to GBT is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com as well as on the Company’s website at http://www.globalblockchain.io/.


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In Turkey, the national dairy company Sütaş dismissed 83 workers in 2013 after they joined the IUF-affiliated Tekgıda-İş union in 2 factories in Bursa-Karacabey and Istanbul-Aksaray. Many other workers were harassed and forced to resign their union membership through intimidatory tactics which included the company making contact with workers families. Other workers have been dismissed for posting comments critical of the company on social media.
Dismissed workers together with their families picketed at the factory gate. When the dismissed workers refused to disperse, the management poured 13 tons of liquid manure on the sit-in area. While this was intended to end the picket and disperse the protesters, it attracted flies onto the dairy plant and compromised food safety. Eventually management had to clean up the area and disinfect the surrounding villages.
The courts decided that workers were unfairly dismissed for union activities and ordered their reinstatement. Tekgıda-İş launched a campaign in support of this verdict calling on consumers to buy other than Sütaş products until all the dismissed workers are reinstated.
Sütaş filed a lawsuit against Tekgıda-İş claiming that the boycott call was causing unfair competition for the company.
The court determined that the language used in the campaign material was based on the concrete facts about the unfairly dismissed workers and therefore should be considered as freedom of expression not unfair competition.
For a country ranked 149 out in 180 countries in the 2015 World Press Freedom Index, this case will set a progressive precedent for future union activities in Turkey.


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- Galaxy Racer is keen to enter the PUBG Mobile competitive space with two new rosters
- The teams will cover the PUBG Mobile and Battlegrounds Mobile India competitive scene
- Galaxy Racer is keen on maintaining its presence in esports and is tapping into trusted players
PUBG Mobile and Battlegrounds Mobile India are back on Galaxy Racer’s priorities with two new rosters announced.
Galaxy Racer Enters PUBG Mobile and BGMI in Full Force
Galaxy Racer, a Dubai esports organization, has expanded into PUBG Mobile and Battlegrounds Mobile India, the two versions of the popular battleground royal game tailored for the global and Indian market, respectively. The PUBG Mobile roster will compete in the ME region, whereas the BGMI team will participate in the self-contained Indian ecosystem.
Instead of looking for players that are brand new to the game, Galaxy Racer has decided to tap the former Gunz Esports roster for its Middle East forays. The team ended as the runner-ups in the EMEA Championship and won the inaugural Pro League Arabia season. The five team members are:
- Raouf “RAOUF” Abdellah
- Maad Ali “HixYE” Ashkar
- Reshar “FREAK” Dawid
- Muslim Ahmed “Lord”
- Jawad Mohammed “Hamody” Qassim
In India, Galaxy Racer will compete with a proven set of players who are keen to prove their mettle. The five men joining the Indian Battlegrounds Fray include:
- Harshit “MJ” Mahajan
- Yogesh “RoXX” Yadav
- Hemanth “Ultron” Sethi
- Mohammed “Owais” Lakhani
- Akash “MaxKasH” Anandani
The BGMI team has already been competing under the Galaxy Racer’s banner and had to be temporarily moved to the United Arab Emirates in 2020 following the suspension of PUBG Mobile India. With the return of the customized version, however, Galaxy is welcoming the opportunity to be represented in India once again.
The team will compete in the $135,000 BGMI Series, which will be taking place later next week.


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The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has announced Colombia as this year’s official Portrait Country at World of Coffee Amsterdam (WOC).
Taking place this year at Rai Amsterdam from 21 to 23 June, WOC is Europe’s largest coffee trade show featuring the latest innovations and attracting thousands of professionals every year.
Each year, the SCA partners with a coffee producing country to highlight the work of its farmers and the unique characteristics of their coffees. This year, Colombia, represented by the brand Café de Colombia, the brand representing 550,000 Colombian coffee growing families, is the official Portrait Country.
Café de Colombia’s participation at WOC is a testament of the country’s impact on the specialty industry, which has seen the launch of several Colombian single original coffee editions in 2018, and a recognition of the quality, diversity, and sustainability of Colombian coffee.
Juan Valdez, a fictional character yet the iconic representative of Colombia’s coffee farmers, said, “To understand why Colombian coffee is among the best in the world, you must know that the lives of more than 550,000 families are all about coffee. For us, coffee is not only our work — coffee is our culture.”
Colombia is a leading coffee producing country and top washed Arabica producer will feature at World of Coffee.
In Colombia coffee is grown throughout its three mountain ranges, the Eastern, Central, and Western Andes, as well as in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. These factors as well as the rich and variant climate, topography, soil, and culture allow for a unique array of diverse, unique, and fresh coffees available all year round.
With a special program developed for this year’s event, Café de Colombia will showcase the country’s diverse offering of coffees throughout the show.
This year’s WOC festival will highlight innovation, entertainment, and knowledge. The event will host more than 250 international exhibitors on the show floor, and feature the 2018 World Barista Championship, SCA Lecture Series, Cupping Rooms, Brew and Espresso Bars, Sustainability Forum, Best New Product Awards, The Henk Langkemper collection of vintage espresso machines, Automating Excellence, a space where visitors can taste the finest Cup of Excellence coffees made by a selection of the most innovative, fully-automated machines, and more.
Entrance tickets are available online. For tickets and more information, visit www.worldofcoffee.org.


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Lumileds acquisition: stability but more questions, says IHS
With its intention to acquire 80.1 percent interest in Philips' Lumileds LED and Automotive lighting business, GO Scale Capital, an investment fund sponsored by GSR Ventures and Oak Investment Partners, will gain a rapidly growing company, according to the IHS LED Intelligence Service in its latest research note.
While the overall packaged LED revenue only grew by single digits from 2013 to 2014, Lumileds surged ahead, with an estimated growth of over 20 percent. Along with MLS, based in China, Lumileds was one of only two of the top 10 suppliers to record growth of more than 20 percent. Lumileds's market share increased from 5 percent in 2013 to 6 percent in 2014.
In 2013 Lumileds revenue was similar to that of LG Innotek, Seoul Semiconductor and Cree. In fact, Lumileds ranked fifth, behind Seoul Semiconductor; however, in 2014 the company clearly established itself as the fourth-largest packaged LED company, and joined only three other companies (i.e., Nichia, Samsung and Osram) with more than $1 billion in annual packaged-LED revenue. By the fourth quarter (Q4) last year, Lumileds had also overtaken Samsung, to place third in the quarterly rankings.
Lumileds 2014 performance resulted from growth in lighting, automotive, mobile camera flash and other key areas. Notably the company's smaller share in backlighting - a market that disappointed in 2014 - especially in the second half of the year. Lumileds's areas of growth helped the company gain against other competitors that have a larger share in backlighting, such as Nichia, Samsung, Seoul Semiconductor, LG Innotek, Lumens and Toyoda Gosei; however, the company's growth is also based on share gains at certain customers. It remains to be seen, if Lumileds can continue this strong performance, under its new owner.
Philips stated last year that, by spinning off Lumileds, the organisation would be better positioned to compete for new business from outside customers that regard Philips as a competitor.
The announcement today ends years of speculation about the future of Lumileds, during which Korean-, Taiwanese- and US-LED companies were variously rumored to be potential suitors; however, in recent weeks it became clearer that it would be a private-equity deal. Information began to leak out, and GSR Ventures already began to be quoted by some news sources, as a likely partner. Yesterday's timely announcement will finally bring Lumileds some stability and help its staff and partners move forward with more clarity.
As often happens, however, answers lead to more questions, says IHS. With GSR Ventures focus on China, and its existing investments in Lattice Power and other companies, might Lumileds consider moving some of its production to China in the future?
Is there any relationship between Lattice Power, GSR Ventures and the Nanchang regional government, which has been reported by certain Chinese media outlets? Is this a sign of increasing future Chinese involvement in the Packaged LED industry?
Sonny Wu, who will serve as interim Chairman of Lumileds following the completion of the transaction, is also the chairman of Lattice Power.
Along with Toshiba/Bridgelux and Plessey, Lattice Power is one of the few companies to produce LEDs on silicon, while almost all other LED companies, including Lumileds, produce LEDs on sapphire. As little as a week ago, Wu said he saw "tremendous opportunity for the GaN-on-silicon technology, which offers the ideal choice for next generation silicon chips." Will Lumileds consider any transition to GaN-on-silicon over time, or will it continue to use sapphire?


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A pair of statues from a British garden initially were believed to be 18th-century replicas of Egyptian artifacts, but fetched $265,510 at an auction after they were suspected to be thousands of years old.
Mander Auctioneers said a couple moving out of their Sudbury, England, home contacted the auction house to sell off items from the home they were vacating, and among them were a pair of sphinx statues that had spent 15 years in the couple’s garden.
The couple said the statues were purchased from another auction for a few hundred dollars and were believed to be 18th century replicas of ancient Egyptian artifacts.
Auctioneer James Mander said the auction house didn’t question the couple’s appraisal of the statues’ origins and expected them to sell for $410 to $680, but the auction started to skyrocket when prospective buyers suggested the statues could be actual Egyptian items dating thousands of years.
Mander said the statues sold for a final price of $265,510 to an international art gallery. He said the gallery owners’ examination of the statues determined they are indeed authentic Egyptian artifacts.
“As it turns out they’re thousands of years old and genuine. So it’s quite amazing really,” Mander told CNN.
Work is now being done to try to determine exactly when the items date from.
“I wonder where they’ve been for the last 5,000 years. It’s quite incredible, really,” Mander said.


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KUALA LUMPUR (April 26): Malaysian fintech firm MoneyMatch Sdn Bhd has signed on with enterprise blockchain solution provider Ripple to utilise the latter’s xVia solution to facilitate frictionless payments over its proprietary network, RippleNet.
In a statement, Ripple said it had roped in five new customers for its xVia solution, namely Fair FX, RationalFX and Exchange4Free from the UK, Georgia-based UniPay and MoneyMatch.
xVia is an application programming interface (API) solution enabling payment originators — those sending a payment on behalf of a customer — access to RippleNet for faster entry into new markets, lower operational costs, increased speed and end-to-end visibility of transactions.
“By tapping our global network with xVia, our customers now access new markets quicker and cost efficiently.
“All of these customers run into the same problem: building bespoke connections to banks and networks all over the world. It’s expensive and time consuming. xVia enables them to grow their overall market share by reaching new customers in new markets, easier than ever before,” said Ripple senior vice president of product Asheesh Birla.
With xVia, payment originators would only need to maintain one standard connection to RippleNet, therefore reducing the high failure rates commonly seen in traditional wire transfers and lowering manual reconciliation costs.
At press time, XRP, a digital asset, which exists independently of Ripple was trading at 79.77 US cent, giving it a market capitalisation of US$31.23 billion.


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Fitbit reigned as the top wearable in Apple’s App Store on Christmas. The leader of the wearables market boasted the No. 1 free app in the App Store on December 25, which seems to indicate a bevy of device activations.
The Fitbit app soared 20 spots to claim the No. 1 position in the Apple App Store’s top chart of free apps in the U.S. during Christmas afternoon, according to Quartz. Unsurprisingly, Fitbit has thrived in the fourth quarters of previous years. Last fourth quarter, the company sold about 5.3 million devices, more than the previous three quarters combined.
Fitbit has been the most downloaded health and fitness iOS app every day in December, according to data from mobile analytics firm App Annie cited by Quartz. Christmas Day was the first time its app was the top free Apple Store app. (Fitbit’s app was still the No. 1 free iOS app as of the publishing of this article.)
Earlier this month, the International Data Corporation (IDC) released a report forecasting 214.6 million worldwide shipments of wearable device units in 2019. In 2015, the firm expects 80 million shipments of wearables.
There has been plenty of talk about smartwatches killing off activity trackers like those manufactured by Fitbit, Jawbone, Garmin, and others. While those expectations are likely premature, IDC notes that smartwatches are and will remain the most popular category of wearable devices.
- Apple’s latest store opening is one of its most significant in years
- Apple’s WWDC is coming June 6, MacBook Air launch possible
- Apple’s iMac Pro could get an all-powerful 12-core chip
- Apple joins Google in allowing alternative app store payment systems in South Korea
- Apple’s mixed reality headset could be as powerful as the MacBook Pro


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A passenger who refused to wear her mask forced a London-bound American Airlines flight to return to Miami
Flight AAL38 returned back to Florida "due to a disruptive customer refusing to comply with the federal mask requirement," American Airlines said.
UK government will toughen regulation on ‘misleading’ crypto ads after a record number of campaigns flood London
The government said it would target "misleading" crypto advertising with tougher regulation in the UK after a record number of promotions in London.
Google will spend $1 billion on a new London campus in a big bet that employees will return to the office
Google's new $1 billion London office will be complete with campfire spaces, outdoor covered working areas, and quiet zones for employees.
This entrepreneur opened Grove Square Galleries as the pandemic started. He did $10 million in revenue last year and plans to double that number in 2022
Based in London, James Ryan made sure his gallery championed social causes by donating a portion of each exhibition to charity.
I've visited every official Harry Potter attraction in the world and saw how the franchise ballooned into an empire raking in billions
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has grown into a huge empire with stores, theme parks, and tons of merchandise.
GoCardless is set to double its valuation in a funding round in excess of $200 million, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The US is getting 7 new international routes in 2022, including St. Louis' first transatlantic service in nearly 2 decades — see the full list
Lufthansa's low-cost leisure brand Eurowings Discover is also starting transatlantic service to the US next summer with a new route to Las Vegas.
An exclusive concierge service only keeps 50 clients at a time and charges $40,000 a year. Here's what it's like catering to the elite's every need.
Knightsbridge Circle's membership gives clients access to services like personal passport deliveries while abroad and poolside "lounge minders."
Why London department store Harrods is partnering with software company SevenRooms to track whether diners are big spenders or late to bookings
Harrods is rolling out SevenRooms' software at 14 of its food and drinks outlets, which it says will help it customize diners' experiences.
Facebook says it's investigating why the #saltbae hashtag was blocked after a video showed the celebrity chef giving a golden steak to a Vietnamese communist party official
The #saltbae hashtag was blocked on Facebook days after a video emerged showing a Vietnamese minister being served a golden steak by Nusret Gökçe.
London's 'thinnest house' measures just 6-feet wide and is narrower than a bus. A 2-bedroom apartment inside is on sale for $1.1m.
Formerly an artist's studio, the 2-bedroom oddity in the prestigious South Kensington neighborhood has been on the market since September.
United is expanding its transatlantic network with additional daily flights and one new route to London in 2022
Beginning next year, the airline will operate 22 daily flights from the US to London, including five new daily flights from Boston.
I got COVID-19 shots in Nigeria and the UK, and the infuriatingly different experiences show the unfairness of how we're fighting the pandemic in the West vs Africa
The difference between the availability of the COVID19 vaccine in Nigeria and the UK, and what it's meant for the return to normal.
I flew JetBlue between New York and London and found the food in economy class to be surprisingly tastier than in business class
JetBlue is offering a culinary experience in both cabins but those paying more for a business class seat might want to request an economy class meal.
Cities are less packed with tourists meaning attractions are easy to get to and hotels are cheap. So it's time to head to London, New York, or Paris.
I went to an exclusive crypto conference in London where real-life llamas rubbed shoulders with bitcoin bros, and I was one of just a handful of women in the crowd. Here are 11 photos.
Even people whose work revolves around virtual assets are keen to start meeting up in the real world again, just as I did at Token2049 in London.
Popeyes is opening its first UK fried-chicken shop in London in November. It plans to open 350 restaurants over the next 10 years.
Popeyes is best known for its fried chicken, and it has been credited with starting the fast-food industry's chicken sandwich wars.
I ate at Nando's, the famed South African chain, for the first time and was unimpressed despite its appealing decor and heart-shaped chicken
The food was undeniably tasty and the restaurant had a great atmosphere. But I couldn't help thinking I would've done a similar job of cooking it at home.
A cleaner who helped organize a protest at a Facebook office over 'impossible' workloads has been suspended and could be fired, a report says
The building's owner said Guillermo Camacho should be suspended for failing to maintain a high standard of cleaning, per the Observer.
I took the Caledonian Sleeper luxury overnight train from London to Edinburgh. The cabin was cozy, the views were beautiful, and the bacon rolls were tasty.
I booked a Club Room on the Caledonian Sleeper overnight service from London to Edinburgh. Here's what the journey was like.


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Cisco has denounced the U.S. government’s interception of hardware delivered by the company to customers after a photo surfaced this week showing federal agents planting a tracking device in one of its routers.
But the photos released on Tuesday by journalist Glenn Greenwald of The Intercept offered the first visual evidence of the NSA’s secret operation in which it intercepts and opens packages, removes hardware and implants tracking bugs and beacons for purposes of surveillance and sabotage.
One photo shows four agents carefully removing packaging tape from a Cisco-branded box that contains computer hardware. Several other Cisco-branded boxes can be seen in the photo stashes throughout a room that appears to be part of a larger warehouse.
The agents are described as belonging to the elitist Tailored Access Operations unit, the so-called “hacking arm” of the NSA. The agents are tasked with “getting the ungettable” from targets the NSA deems worthy of surveillance.
Another photo released Tuesday shows just how TAO agents get such material. The photo depicts a “load station,” presumably at the same warehouse, where agents implant beacons and other spy gear into intercepted hardware before it is repackaged and shipped to the intended consumer.
According to documents released by Greenwald, the NSA says such interception is possible thanks to the “support of Intelligence Community partners.” If Cisco is one such partner, they have made a concerted effort to conceal as much.
Shortly after the photos were released on Tuesday, Cisco executive Mark Chandler wrote that the company complies with U.S. regulation with regards to the export of hardware to certain countries, but denounced the allegation that the government “took steps to compromise IT products enroute [sic] to customers.”
“We ought to be able to count on the government to…not interfere with the lawful delivery of our products in the form in which we have manufactured them,” Chandler wrote. “To do otherwise, and to violate legitimate privacy rights of individuals and institutions around the world, undermines confidence in our industry.”
But Chandler stopped short of saying Cisco was kept completely in the dark about the NSA’s interception of its packages, nor did the executive say whether Cisco was complicit in intercepting packages of certain customers under secret programs that the government says are legal.
The photos were published on Tuesday in tandem with Greenwald’s new book No Place to Hide, which details the journalist’s meeting with Edward Snowden, a former government contractor. Snowden is said to be Greenwald’s source for dozens of reports on secret government surveillance programs backed by thousands of classified documents that he collected during his employment at Dell Corporation and Booz Allen Hamilton.


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The UK is at risk of letting the “major industrial shift” posed by the take-up of electric vehicles pass it by as Brexit negotiations draw the government’s focus, according to the chair of the new All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on electric and autonomous vehicles.
Dame Cheryl Gillan MP, the former secretary of state for Wales, will lead the group to increase awareness of the benefits and opportunities of EVs amongst MPs.
Gillan said: “It is imperative that parliamentarians are aware of the rapid pace of change in the electric and automated vehicle sectors and that post-Brexit the UK is well positioned to benefit from these new technologies.
“Clearly at hand are new opportunities to expand our manufacturing base, create new exportable expertise, decarbonise our economy, improve safety, and increase productivity. We can’t let this major industrial shift pass us by while everybody is focused on EU negotiations. We will aim to keep MPs and Lords informed and help drive the agenda forwards.”
EV manufacturing has been earmarked as a key area of growth for the UK economy throughout the Brexit process and beyond. In July, business secretary Greg Clark has unveiled the first phase of a £246 million investment in battery technology for EVs with the launch of the Faraday Challenge to reflect the growing private investment by auto manufacturers in electrification.
The likes of Ford, VW, Jaguar Land Rover, and BMW all plan to invest billions of pounds globally into new battery and electric vehicle research while Nissan, which assembles its popular LEAF in Sunderland, plans to double sales of its new model in the next year.
Pressure for a “coordinated charging strategy”
The APPG will also discuss the roll out of charging infrastructure, as well as opportunities for new high-value manufacturing, international trade, emissions reduction, and road safety improvement.
Speaking at last week’s Energy Storage and Connected Systems, the Renewable Energy Association’s (REA) external affairs officer Daniel Brown said the APPG would mirror the content of the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill currently progressing through Parliament.
However, he added that the group would also seek to address the lack of a detailed strategy for rolling out charging infrastructure.
“The big piece that we see the APPG contributing is pressure for government to come up with some sort of coordinated charging strategy. We’ve challenged Treasury, Department for Transport, we’ve challenged various different quangos as you might call them and there’s no one co-ordinated body that’s thinking about this.
“There’s limited discussion across government of how we are going to operate if nobody’s thinking about what’s going to happen…There needs to be some sort of body that is thinking through things more clearly. So the APPG is going to be pushing for some sort of EV charging strategy.”
According to Matthew Trevaskis, head of EVs at the Renewable Energy Association, which will provide secretariat duties for the APPG, such efforts are also hoped to lower emissions across the country.
“This historic industrial shift is creating major new opportunities to decarbonise our transport sector, improve air quality, and reduce consumer bills. We are pleased to work with Dame Cheryl and Members from all parties to help drive this agenda forward in the UK,” he said.
The groups Vice-Chairs include former coalition government transport Minister Baroness Kramer (LibDem); Andrew Selous MP (Con), a member of the Health Select Committee; Anna McMorrin MP (Lab), a member of the Environmental Audit Committee.
Other members of the group include former energy secretary Sir Ed Davey (Lib Dem); Mark Pawsey MP (Con) a member of the Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy Committee; and Nigel Evans MP (Con), a member of the International Trade Committee.


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Here We Go Again. Peugeot and Fiat-Chrysler Get Hitched
Stop me if you've heard this nightmare before. Chrysler "merges" with another automaker. Terms like "marriage of equals" get thrown around like nickles and manhole covers. And then five years later, Chrysler is on the verge of extinction. "Cerberus," anyone? Let's not forget Daimler.
Here's the deal. The two automakers will combine to form the fourth biggest automotive manufacturer in the world. Think, the size of Honda. The French government earlier this year put the kibosh on a possible deal between Renault, but it has a stake in Peugeot, so that aspect is interesting.
The reason is scale, and the changes in the industry, shifting to electrification and driverless technology.
But if you've live in Michigan any length of time, you remember previous marriage and mergers involving Chrysler Motors; swallowing up American Motors, the Mercedes deal, and the investors from Cerberus.
A Fox News story says Chrysler gives the new company a major foothold in the North American market, with Jeep and Ram Trucks. Peugeot is the second largest automaker in Europe and this deal should make them a major competitor to Volkswagen. And there's also the Chinese market which is huge and a Chinese stakeholder will remain onboard for at least seven years.


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There are troubling hints that a replacement grocery store for the heavily subsidized and now-closed Shop ‘n Save in Pittsburgh’s Hill District might be in line for more public subsidies.
But a new analysis by a scholar at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy reiterates that subsidies for that store were dubious to begin with and subsidies for a new store would be just as inappropriate.
“If officials are bullish on the development of the (nearby) former (Civic Arena) site and the population and activity it will attract, an operator looking to sell groceries ought to jump at the chance without more public involvement,” says Eric Montarti, research director at the Pittsburgh think tank (in Policy Brief Vol. 19, No. 13).
The much-ballyhooed Shop ‘n Save opened in October 2013, the result of a push by government and neighborhood activists to end a decades-long, full-service-grocery-store “drought” in a neighborhood characterized as a “food desert.”
But the new store was a hard sell to prospective grocers. Until, that is, government and other subsidies were dangled. In fact, about half of the cost came from government sources. About $1.7 million came from philanthropic foundations.
Critically telling in the financing package, however, was that a mere $1 million came from the store owner. Such a dearth of private risk capital suggested the project organizers were “probably not concerned about any profits,” the Allegheny Institute noted a year before the store finally opened.
The store failed in less than six years. Why remains a point of debate. Did the nonprofit owner of the plaza hosting the Shop ‘n Save not maintain the property, as the owner who eventually stopped paying rent claimed? Or was there an insufficient customer base to begin with at the site, as another business owner claimed?
Be that as it may, the search has commenced for a new grocer. And while Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto has said many of the bricks-and-mortar costs have already been taken care of, he also said officials now must figure out the financials of having a new operator move in.
“On the operator’s side, the financials have to include what it would take to produce revenue to pay for keeping the store up and running and fully stocked,” says Montarti. “On the public policy side, it likely involves crafting some type of incentive or subsidy to attract and retain a store operator, which would be poor public policy.”
Compounding the challenges for any successor store is that the shopping complex hosting it is in arrears on its property taxes by nearly $200,000 dating to 2015, only two years after the Shop ‘n Save opened. Liens are outstanding. Penalties and interest have accumulated.
“Would any of the local taxing bodies entertain a subsidy for a new store operator to move into a space while being owed delinquent property taxes?” Montarti asks.
The short answer is that there should be no public subsidies for such endeavors. For as Montarti concludes, “There is something to be learned about the public involvement and what that meant for the viability of the undertaking.”
But whether that lesson has been learned remains the operative question.
Colin McNickle is communications and marketing director at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy ([email protected]).


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The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) decided, in its meeting Thursday, to maintain its basic interest rates at 11.25% for deposit, 12.25% for lending, and 11.75% for the credit and discount rate and the price of the main operation of CBE.
In its resolution accompanying this decision, the Committee said: “At the global level, global economic activity has seen a slowdown as a result of the continuing Russian-Ukrainian crisis.” The trade sanctions imposed on Russia and the resulting bottlenecks in the supply and supply chains have led to an increase in world prices of basic commodities, as well as prices, as central banks abroad continued to tighten monetary policies by raising interest rates and reducing asset purchase programs, to contain high inflation rates in their countries. Moreover, the recently imposed closure in China has raised concerns about the potential to exacerbate disruptions to global supply chains.
“Initial data indicate that domestic economic activity continued to recover during the first quarter of 2022, albeit at a slower pace, as real GDP recorded a growth rate of 5.4% compared to 8.3% during the fourth quarter of 2021. This slowdown is due to several factors, most notably the repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, in addition to the fading of the positive impact of the base period, which lasted during the past nine months,” said the MPC.
The committee expects economic activity to witness lower growth rates than previously expected, partly due to the negative repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.
With regard to the labour market, the committee indicated a decrease in the unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2022, recording 7.2%, attributing this decrease to the increase in employment rates, which in turn limited the increase in the labor force.
The committee pointed out that the annual rate of general urban inflation continued to rise, but at a slower pace, to record 13.5% in May 2022 from 13.1% in the previous month. It pointed out that the annual rate of core inflation, which does not include fresh vegetables and fruits, goods and services whose prices are set administratively have seen an increase at a slower pace for the second month in a row, and continued the upward trend to record 13.3% in May 2022 from 11.9% in the previous month.
The committee attributed the rise in the annual general inflation rate to the rise in the prices of non-food commodities, as the annual inflation of food commodities slowed for the first time since the beginning of the year, supported by the fading of the supply shock experienced in the previous months in some fresh vegetables.
It added that inflation developments in May 2022 continued to be affected by developments in the Egyptian pound exchange rate, as well as the repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis on commodity prices.
The MPC considers that the global developments resulting from the Russian and Ukrainian crises are primary supply shocks outside the scope of monetary policy action, although those shocks may lead to exceeding the previously announced inflation targets.
She emphasized that monetary policy tools are used to control inflation expectations, reduce inflationary pressures from the demand side and the secondary effects of supply shocks, which may lead to relatively higher inflation rates than the targeted inflation rates.
“Given the current initial supply shocks, inflation rates may deviate relatively from the central bank’s target inflation rate of 7% (±2%) on average during the fourth quarter of 2022, provided that it will gradually decline after that,” it said.
The committee confirmed that it will continue to assess the impact of its decisions on inflation expectations and macroeconomic developments in the medium term, taking into account the decisions during the previous two meetings to raise basic interest rates. It noted that achieving low and stable inflation rates in the medium term is a prerequisite to support the purchasing power of the Egyptian citizen and achieve high and sustainable growth rates.
The Committee also emphasizes that the current interest rates depend mainly on the expected inflation rates and not the prevailing rates, and that the Committee will closely follow all economic developments and will not hesitate to adjust its policy to achieve the goal of price stability in the medium term.
It is noteworthy that the MPC’s decision to fix the interest rate was widely expected, after the two consecutive rate increases in March of 1% and May of 2%.
Experts and bankers emphasized that the CBE was not obliged to change the interest rate this time because it took proactive steps to confront inflation, and succeeded in them and achieved positive results.
Tamer Youssef, head of the treasury sector at one of the foreign banks operating in the Egyptian market, said that the decision of MPC to fix the interest rate reaffirms the stability of economic conditions and the Egyptian pound’s preservation of its competitive position against foreign currencies, especially that the interest difference between it and foreign currencies is still in its favour.
He explained that the decision to fix the interest was expected. “What we are witnessing in terms of the rise in prices is a direct result of external reasons, so the successive increase in the interest rate will not have the effect of containing inflation rates, and that reducing the money supply in the market by raising interest rates could have negative effects on growth rates in light of the slowdown in the global economy.
Sahar El-Damaty, a banking expert, also confirmed that the CBE was not obliged to increase the interest rate again because it took proactive steps earlier. She noted that central banks in the Gulf tended to increase the interest rate after the change in the United States, due to the Gulf currencies being connected to the dollar, while the Egyptian pound is connected to several currencies.
She explained that the US Federal Reserve raised the interest rate by 1.5% over the past period, while the CBE took strong proactive steps by raising the interest rate by 3%.
She added that the difference between the interest on the Egyptian pound and the US dollar is very large, and therefore encourages investment in the Egyptian pound, which gives a kind of reassurance in the coming period.
She pointed out that Egyptian banks offered high returns on savings certificates, pointing out that the increase in interest leads to an economic slowdown, an increase in costs to industry, and an increase in food prices, and that raising the interest by 1% increases the budget deficit by about EGP 30bn.
She explained that the majority of the hot money represented in foreign investments in treasury bills have already exited, and therefore there is no need to raise interest, explaining that despite the 13.5% urban inflation rate, there are certificates with a return of 14% and 15% in the market, which excludes an increase in interest. El-Damaty stressed that these certificates are considered a safe way to attract savings of individuals and protect them from inflation.
She stressed that the return of dollarization is completely excluded with the high interest rate on the Egyptian pound and saving certificates in the local currency. She noted that MPC takes into account internal and external conditions and variables before issuing its decision on interest rates.
The decision to fix the interest rate on the CBE’s part also came in line with the expectations of HC Securities and Investment, which expected CBE to keep the interest rate unchanged at its meeting on Thursday.
“We believe that further rate increases will not prove effective in fighting inflation and could backfire by dampening production, leading to further supply shortfalls,” said Monette Doss, HC Securities’ senior macroeconomic and financial services analyst.
She added: “Inflation came in below our expectations at 14% on an annual basis and we expect average inflation at 14.4% over the remainder of the year, which is higher than the target by the CBE at 7% +/-2% for the fourth quarter of 2022. It is affected, to a large extent, by the foreign situation reflecting some shortages in products due to the lack of local manufacturing and low imports”.
She added that the Purchasing Managers’ Index in Egypt was at 47.0 in May, as data indicates a decline in consumer spending, a decline in the volumes of new supply orders at the fastest pace since 2020, and a decline in demand for production inputs as well as the rate of employment and employment.
Beltone Financial also expected interest rates to be fixed during the meeting.
The company’s research department said, in a research note, that it believes that the full impact of raising interest rates on inflation will take time to fully reflect, expecting CBE to keep interest rates unchanged during Thursday’s meeting, to control inflation rates, with the state of instability the world is currently witnessing.


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The internet will kill brick-and-mortar retail. That’s a prophecy that has proven at least partly true in 2017 as thousands of chains have closed stores, while others shut down for good, and quite a few remain at risk in 2018.
Retail has become increasingly digital, but most shopping still takes place in stores and digital retailers have discovered that, in many cases, there’s a benefit to having a brick-and-mortar presence.
In some cases, that can be simply to facilitate returns. That’s why Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) has a deal in place with Kohl’s. The chain allows customers to drop off items they want sent back to the digital retailer.
Amazon has also shown through its purchase of Whole Foods that having a physical presence can help expedite delivery. The roughly 400 grocery stores add to the digital leader’s warehouse network, giving it more points to stage orders from.
Most digital retailers, however, have much smaller ambitions. For companies specializing in a more narrow range of products, opening brick-and-mortar locations may make sense simply for the data it can gain from in-person customer interactions.
What is “brick mining?”
While it’s not yet a mainstream term, “brick mining” is the idea that an online retailer can learn about its customers from having a limited amount of physical stores. The term was used by sportswear subscription retailer Fabletic’s retail vice president, Ron Harries, to explain why his once pure-digital employer has begun opening stores.
“When you take the data that you collect from that customer in a retail location, you can get to know your members and guests much differently than you could online only,” he told Marketplace.
There’s a practical reason for customers to visit a physical Fabletics location that should help the company’s digital sales going forward. When a customer finds the right fit — something it’s not easy to do online — she can then order again (online)…


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Both Apple and Google have begun taking action on fake mischievous apps to fight new coronavirus-related misinformation on their app stores, according to a new report from CNBC.
Apple is removing all coronavirus-related apps submitted by iOS app developers who are not affiliated from recognized health organizations or the government.
Google Play, on the other hand, is blocking all searches for coronavirus, though it’s not clear if it’s completely blocking app approvals, as well.
Apple is manually evaluating new coronavirus-related apps, looking at both who the developers are and where they got their data from. Some independent developers that use public data from reliable sources like the World Health Organization (WHO) to create dashboards or live maps, data are being rejected because they’re not recognized health institutions.
Apple App Store show few apps related to the “COVID 19” is a “virus tracker” app from a developer called Healthlynked with WHO figures and maps charting where confirmed cases have been.
A search on Google Play, by contrast, shows “no results found for ‘coronavirus’.” It has published a website called “Coronavirus: Stay informed” with suggested apps, including software from the CDC, Red Cross, and Twitter.


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Sales of air purifiers have increased by 30â€“40% in the last 10â€“14 days compared to the same time last year. While the market remained stable in 2021, it shrunk in 2020. Businesses anticipate sales to surpass that of 2019, which was the previous best year for purifiers. Most of the market is in Mumbai and Delhi-NCR.
Due to weather patterns and stubble burning, the air quality in Delhi-NCR has already reached the "extremely poor" category and is expected to get worse this week. Other metros and cities are also seeing higher pollution levels.
Brands claimed that the Rs300 crore market in India was still seasonal, with sales beginning around Diwali and lasting for roughly a month. To clean up the air, the government has already prohibited development and demolition in Delhi and may do so again. Delhi-NCR and Mumbai, which together account for 70â€“75% of overall sales, are where the demand is most concentrated.
Due to the high levels of pollution in the metro areas and the deteriorating indoor air quality, brands have been attempting to raise consumer awareness that air purifiers are a year-round product.
However, these efforts have been rendered ineffective over the past two years due to Covid, as most people stayed indoors. Additionally, entry-level purifier costs have decreased from Rs 9,000 to approximately Rs 6,000.
For feedback and suggestions, write to us at firstname.lastname@example.org
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The US Federal committee's meeting will conclude on March 16, 2022.
No Record Found


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Grogu the Mandalorian is engaging in mischief in Google searches.
Fans of The Mandalorian will enjoy a delightful Easter egg that Google has produced. The search results page for “The Mandalorian,” “Mandalorian,” “baby Yoda,” or “Grogu” will display a miniature image of Grogu. You can click Grogu to begin tearing the search results page apart piece by piece using the Force.
Google has come up with a fun and original way to honour The Mandalorian. It’s also a fantastic method for viewers to engage with the programme in a fresh way. Check out this Easter egg if you’re a fan of The Mandalorian. It’s really enjoyable!
This, in my opinion, is a fantastic illustration of how Google constantly seeks for fresh approaches to improve the usability of their search engine. Also, it’s a fantastic approach for people to express their admiration for well-liked movies and TV shows. Keep a look out for more Easter eggs like this one that may be hiding in Google Search.
Sameer Samat of Google discusses ecosystems, rules, and competition
Sameer Samat, Google’s VP of Product Management, recently spoke with TechCrunch on the company’s approach to ecosystems, regulations, and competition. Building open ecosystems that enable developers and companies to innovate and produce value for customers was underlined by Samat.
Samat claims that Google is dedicated to establishing an even playing field for all participants in the ecosystem. He emphasised the company’s initiatives to guarantee that its goods and services are available to everyone, irrespective of their size or resources. To help out smaller developers, Google, for instance, has started programmes like the Google for Startups programme and the Google Play Independent Games Festival.
Samat agreed that technology businesses must make sure that their platforms are used properly and ethically while discussing legislation. He stated that Google is dedicated to abiding by all applicable rules and laws, particularly those pertaining to data protection and privacy.
Samat underlined the significance of giving consumers choice and value when discussing competition. He pointed out that although Google fiercely competes with other businesses in a variety of areas, it always aims to put the needs of the user first.
The interview with Sameer Samat demonstrates Google’s dedication to creating open ecosystems, abiding by rules, and fostering competition. It will be interesting to see how these concepts influence Google’s upcoming product and business plans as the technological landscape develops further.
Linguistic Barriers Are Broken by Google USM’s Multilingual Speech Recognition Model
The Universal Speech Model (USM), a new multilingual voice recognition model from Google that can comprehend and transcribe speech in many languages, has just been released. This model outperformed the previous top-of-the-line models in terms of recognition accuracy for a variety of languages and accents.
The USM was created to function with different languages and can simultaneously recognise speech in up to 5 languages. This model is more accurate than earlier models because it was trained on a significant amount of data from multiple languages. Also, it has linguistic and aural characteristics that aid in understanding the subtleties of other languages.
The approach has already been incorporated into Google products, such as YouTube, Google Translate, and Assistant, making these services more accessible to multilingual users. By enabling those with hearing or speech impairments to use technology to communicate more efficiently, the USM can also assist increase accessibility for them.
A significant development in speech recognition, the USM model has demonstrated outstanding results in its capacity to effectively understand speech in a variety of languages and accents. Language barriers could be eliminated with this technology, allowing for increased cross-cultural interaction and international cooperation.
Dearborn modernises its digital services and establishes a standard for American cities
A example for American communities, Dearborn, a city in Michigan, has revolutionised its digital services. In collaboration with Google Cloud, the city built a cutting-edge, effective, and secure digital infrastructure that has improved the quality of services it can offer to both citizens and companies.
An extensive analysis of the city’s current digital infrastructure revealed areas for improvement, which served as the foundation for the change. After that, Dearborn and Google Cloud collaborated to create a plan for the transformation process. As part of this, services had to be moved to the cloud, software development was done using a DevOps methodology, and cybersecurity precautions were strengthened.
Delivering services more swiftly and effectively has been one of the transformation’s primary advantages. For instance, residents may now request for permits online and get them in a matter of hours as opposed to days or weeks in the past. A new technology that gives real-time information on occurrences has also helped the city enhance its capacity for emergency response.
Dearborn has become more robust, flexible, and responsive to its inhabitants’ needs as a result of the transition. Other American communities have taken notice of it as well, hoping to transform their own digital services in a way that is similar to Dearborn’s success.


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Apple hasn't officially commented, but two possible reasons for the delay were posed by Gurman. One is that Apple simply wants to get in a little more design testing before consumers get the product in their hands. The second reason is that Apple is still working on the logistics of actually distributing the Vision Pro.
Gurman also noted that the headset would have a very carefully managed rollout. Certain Apple employees will be brought to Apple Park in California to train on the device, and those employees will then train others. Apple stores will have a special area for customers to test the device, sales will be by appointment only, and there won't be any third-party sales. This means you can only purchase straight from the company.
Given the wide range of accessories like headbands and lenses that will be available for the device, it makes sense the company wants to keep it in the hands of people who know it best.
It was just back in July that Apple had to dial back production forecasts because the headset's intricate design led to manufacturing delays. Less than 500,000 units are expected to be produced in 2024, and it will only launch in the US at first, with the UK, Canada, and other markets coming later in the year.
Apple is expected to launch new iPads in March, so there's a good chance we'll know more about the device then.


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Nvidia have just announced both the GTX 1050 Ti and the GTX 1050 mainstream Pascal graphics cards, with final pricing punishing Brexit Britain.
We’ve been investigating, speculating and rumour-mongering about the low-priced new Pascal cards for a while now, but it’s taken until just a week before their worldwide release for Nvidia to officially announce the two new cards.
Both the GTX 1050 Ti and the slightly weaker GTX 1050 will be launching on the same day, Tuesday October 25, 2016, and will offer us our first taste of how the Pascal graphics architecture fares at the lower end of the gaming spectrum. We’re expecting performance to be around GTX 960 levels, and sit somewhere between the competing Radeon RX 460 and RX 470 GPUs.
AMD must be pretty confident their RX 470 has the measure of the new GTX 1050 Ti because they’re reportedly dropping the price of their second tier Polaris GPU to try and cannibalise sales that would have otherwise gone green. They’re not, however, going to be able to get as low as the $139 and $109 dollar price points Nvidia have setfor the GTX 1050 Ti and GTX 1050 respectively, and at the time of writing RX 470 prices are still sky-high.
However, with UK pricing starting at £139 and £115 for the new GeForce cards, it’s clear the current economic and cultural issues in Britain are taking their toll on the cost of upgrading our machines and not just on our Football Manager 2017 careers. A straight dollar conversion of the GTX 1050’s $109 price would make it an £89 GPU in the UK, but that is clearly not going to happen.
Nvidia aren’t pulling any of their Founders Edition shenanigans with the GTX 1050 Ti and GTX 1050 cards though, which is good news on the price front. Unfortunately it means that funky-looking shroud in the pic at the top of the page is just a render and never likely to be seen in the flesh. Shame.
The new Nvidia GP107 GPUs used for both GTX 1050 Ti and GTX 1050 are both brand new chips using a slightly different manufacturing process than the previous Pascal silicon. The new GPUs, as we reported back in August, are built on Samsung’s 14nm FinFET process rather than the TSMC 16nm FinFET design used for the rest of the range. Whether that adds any more efficiency to the GPU is up for debate, as is whether the difference between the 14nm and 16nm lithography is anything other than marketing numbers.
Still, the Pascal architecture is super-efficient anyway, building on the promises made by the previous generation of Maxwell chips, and with both new cards rocking a 75W TDP neither of them have to operate with additional PCIe power connectors. Both GTX 1050 Ti and GTX 1050 are able to run simply by supping juice from the motherboard connection itself.
For me, this is the most important part of the equation for Nvidia’s new cards; it makes them as easy an upgrade as dropping in a new stick of memory. All you have to do is drop the card in a spare PCIe slot and you’re good to go for 60fps 1080p gaming at decent settings. It means any off-the-shelf PC can be almost-instantly turned into a gaming rig for a great price and as easy an upgrade as exists in PC gaming.
Unfortunately there will always be higher-priced, factory-overclcocked cards which will require additional power to aid their clockspeed boost and justify their price premium. The standard cards may still be pretty effective overclockers, but whether they can match the 2GHz clockspeeds Nvidia has touted for the OC versions is yet to be seen.
If anything, it’s these cards which are the real console killers. Right now Nvidia is estimating 52% of game developers list the PC as their lead platform – that’s around twice the number solely committing to either console. So, PC gaming is massive and growing and with relatively powerful hardware like this taking the cost and complexity issues out of the platform that trend can only continue.


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2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas Priced From $26,905
This spring Honda revealed its 2012 lineup for the Civic, except for the Natural Gas model, the one previously known as the Civic GX. Now they’ve offered all the juicy details about this model and as its name says, it runs on compressed natural gas and it is in fact the only natural-gas passenger car sold in the United States that is coming from a major automaker.
The base price for the 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas is $26,155 plus $750 for the destination fee, for a grand total of $26,905. If you want the model fitted with the satellite navigation system, prepare to pay $27,655 + the destination fee. This means that the price tag of the car is about $1,000 higher than the equivalent 2009 Honda GX model.
The car is motivated by a 1.8-liter engine that the Japanese engineers have modified in order to work on natural gas, and it is linked to a 5-speed automatic transmission. Approximately two-thirds of the trunk space is occupied by the cylindrical tank where the fuel is.
In California, the 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas qualifies for a special sticker that allows the vehicle to travel in High-Occupancy Vehicle lanes with only one occupant. This would have to be a privilege that recently ended for 85,000 owners of three different hybrid models, including here earlier versions of the Civic Hybrid.
EPA has certified the vehicle as being the cleanest 2012MY car that has an internal combustion engine. It is scheduled to go on sale at approximately 200 qualified dealers of the company from October 18th and it will be available in 38 states in the U.S.
Source: Honda via Green Car Reports
Post tags: Tags: Green, Honda, honda civic natural gas, honda-civic


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The yield problem was caused by ion implantation equipment, said the sources. Output from the affected production capacity may not be completely scrapped, but they definitely cannot be sold to PC OEMs due to quality concerns, the sources indicated.
Kingston has booked a capacity for about 20,000 wafers monthly at Powerchip's P3 12-inch wafer fab, the sources revealed. Powerchip uses 30nm process technology to manufacture DRAM chips for Kingston.
Yield problems with Powerchip's 30nm process will likely worsen the shortage of DRAM chips on the contract market, the sources noted.
Powerchip 30nm DRAM production suffering from low yields
Posted on Wednesday, October 02 2013 @ 12:56 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
DigiTimes writes a portion of Powerchip's 30nm DRAM production is suffering from low yield rates due to an issue with ion implantation equipment. The issue affects about 7,000 to 8,000 of the wafers that Kingston has booked and may lead to further increases in DRAM pricing.


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Microsoft has accidentally revealed it is preparing a new version of Windows 10 Pro for advanced users with high-performance workstations.
Microsoft's inadvertent release of an internal build to Windows Insiders last week has turned up more details about its plans for Windows 10 beyond new features for the Fall update.
Twitter user @AndItsTito discovered three new versions of Windows 10 in the leaked file, including Windows 10 Pro for Advanced PCs, Windows 10 Pro N for Advanced PCs, and Windows Server 2016 ServerRdsh.
As per the slide, Windows 10 Pro for Workstation or "Advanced" PCs is targeted at machines with up to four CPUs and six terabytes of memory.
The version will include four key capabilities in the initial release, including a workstation mode, the Resilient file system or ReFS, which succeeds Microsoft's NTFS file system, faster file sharing, and expanded hardware support.
Microsoft says the new version is the result of its analysis of Windows 10 Pro on high-end machines and questions about how it can benefit advanced PC users.
For Workstation mode, Microsoft says it is "identifying typical compute- and graphics-intensive workloads" and that it will "optimize the OS to provide peak performance and reliability in such cases when the Workstation mode is engaged by the users".
Microsoft introduced ReFS with Windows 8, but Microsoft notes that NTFS, or New Technology File System, has been its mainstay filesystem. Windows 10 still uses NTFS by default, but ReFS, which is better at supporting large data uses, does ship with the OS.
"We were overdue for a file system innovation, and our Windows Insiders also agreed," the slide notes. "ReFS is designed for fault-tolerance, optimized for handling large data volume, auto-correcting and much more at the same time backward compatible with NTFS".
Faster file sharing will offer better support for high-end workstations that process large data volumes across a network. "We are including the SMBDirect protocol-based file sharing in Windows 10 Pro for Workstation, which allows for high throughput, low latency and low CPU utilization when accessing network shares."
According to Microsoft's Windows Insiders, one of the main complaints about Windows was the "raw power of their machine", so Microsoft is offering expanded hardware support in Windows 10 Pro for Workstation.
"Users will now be able to run Windows 10 Pro for Workstation on machines with up to four CPUs -- today's limit of two -- and add memory up to 6TB."
Microsoft intends to build additional capabilities in the future to help its advanced users.
It's not clear when Microsoft intends to release this version of Windows.


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We’ve talked in the past about the advantages of diesel fuel. One of the biggies is that diesel (when properly handled to minimize emissions and environmental damage) is extremely fuel efficient. Now we have even more exciting news about the 2016 Chevy Colorado’s fuel efficiency!
2016 Chevy Colorado diesel fuel consumption
The two-wheel drive 2016 Chevy Colorado offers a fuel consumption rating of just 7.7 L/100km with the diesel engine when driving on the highway. It also offers 10.8 L/100km in city driving for an combined fuel consumption number of 9.4 L/100km.
New Colorado InventoryThe four-wheel drive 2016 Chevy Colorado diesel still offers an impressive 8.2 L/100km highway fuel consumption rating, with 12.0 L/100km and 10.3 L/100km for city and combined driving, respectively.
Read More: 2015 Chevy Colorado vs 2016 Chevy Colorado
2016 Chevy Colorado Duramax diesel release date
The new Colorado also offers top capabilities in categories other than fuel efficiency. It has a maximum trailering rating of 7,700 pounds (3,492 kg) with the two-wheel drive when properly equipped and up to 7,600 pounds (3,447 kg) for four wheel drive models with the available trailering package.
All of this this thanks in large part of the new Duramax 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine, which is rated for 181 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque. In a recent press release, Joe De Stefano, brand manager of Chevrolet Trucks in Canada said, “The Colorado Duramax diesel sets a new benchmark in the mid-size pickup segment in Canada. “Colorado gas models are extremely popular with our customers and the addition of the new diesel – which no other non-GM competitor offers on a midsize truck – gives customers even greater freedom to go where they want with fewer fill-ups.”
That sounds pretty excellent to us! Also keep an eye for this Duramax Diesel engine to be available on 2016 GMC Canyon this fall along with the 2016 Chevy Colorado.


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January 1, 2007
The Shaka process is an in-container sterilization process that reduces sterilization times by up to 95% compared with conventional static retorts, which can improve freshness, color and texture of food, says Allpax, the manufacturer. This is achieved by imparting high levels of agitation to containers as they are sterilized, generating rapid mixing and heat distribution in the food. The company has developed a new retort system specifically for this sterilization process.
Allpax; 985-893-9277; email: email@example.com


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Start up your day with our morning update, which will provide you with all the main information and events on the crypto markets for the previous day.
Crypto market update
Bitcoin managed to maintain yesterday its growth momentum and added almost 2 000 USD since yesterday, supported by Musk’s statement that Tesla could again accept bitcoins as payment. Most altcoins gained even more than the leader of the market and are in the green numbers.
Bitcoin (BTC) Bitcoin managed to add another 4% since yesterday and now is trading at 31,992 USD (all data from Coingecko.com).
Ethereum (ETH) is just below the level of 2,000 USD.
Total marketcap added also another 4% and is currently at 1.345 trillion USD.
Tip: You could be also interested in our article about inflation.
Bitcoin: Bitcoin’s price has rebounded more than 8% since Tuesday’s low. Meanwhile, the sentiment metric recorded by the Crypto Fear and Greed Index dropped to a low of 10 points, pointing to “extreme fear” in the market. The time is usually the best time to enter market. We have seen a growth since then and today the index reached 21 points.
Jack Dorsey: The ultimate goal of Bitcoin is world peace, Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey said today. The tech entrepreneur made the comments at the ‘The B Word’ online conference. “My hope is that it [Bitcoin] creates world peace or helps create world peace,” he said. “It may sound a bit ridiculous but you fix that foundational level and everything above it improves. It is in the long-term but my hope is definitely peace.”
Tesla: Tesla CEO Elon Musk said while Bitcoin mining is steadily becoming more environmentally friendly through the use of renewable energy, he is not yet sure that it’s enough for Tesla to resume accepting the cryptocurrency as payment for purchases. The electric car manufacturer stopped accepting Bitcoin as payment for its vehicles in May, citing environmental concerns over the crypto mining process. This move, along with continued crackdowns on mining in China, triggered a market crash and is considered to be one of the key drivers of the end of Bitcoin’s historic bull run it had experienced in the first half of 2021.
NFT: Steve Job’s handwritten job application from 1973 in physical form and an accompanying digital NFT of the same item will go head to head in simultaneous auctions set to last for six days.
SEC: Securities and Exchange Commissioner (SEC) Hester Peirce voiced continued support for the regulator to approve a bitcoin exchange traded fund (ETF) during an appearance at an online conference, “The B Word,” on Wednesday.


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Using a guided virtual viewing on properties resulted in a 19.4% higher conversion rate than those listings without one, according to new research by TwentyCi.
In one client’s trial of estate agent brands using guided virtual viewings, vendors also benefitted, as listings using these tours sold for an average 5.62% more than listings without
TwentyCi’s research discovered similar wins for the lettings sector, with nearly 70% of lets taking place after at least one guided virtual tour of a property; 66% of these tenants let without a physical viewing . Listings with guided virtual tours available had let rates which were 8.5% better than those without.
The data firm says this results in considerable benefits for agents, who saved 90% of the time they would have normally taken to show prospective tenants around properties. A greater number of viewers in the funnel triggers more interest, which in turn creates a price tension along with the higher likelihood of a sale.
Buyers use guided virtual viewings to narrow down the list of properties they visit and TwentyCi’s client reports that agents shows an average of two properties per guided virtual viewing session – and the anecdotal feedback is that this gets rid of the buyers who aren’t serious about proceeding.
CEO Ian Lancaster (pictured) says the results are staggering and represent a catalyst for a change in the industry. He adds: “The pandemic is responsible for escalating the need to do more virtually. Guided virtual viewings are, in our opinion, one of the prop-tech solutions that will win out.”


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By Sophie Quinton
Five years after Oregon legalized recreational marijuana, its lawmakers now are trying to rein in production, fearing the state’s big weed surplus will tempt some licensed businesses to sell their products out of state or on the illegal market.
Such diversions could invite a crackdown from the federal government and cast a pall over the legal pot industry. Last year, the U.S. attorney for the District of Oregon put the state on notice when he announced that curbing interstate trafficking was his top cannabis law enforcement priority.
Licensed growers have spent thousands of dollars on compliance and don’t want to risk their businesses by selling illegally, said Michael Getlin, founder of a 15,000-square-foot cannabis farm in Oregon City. “The flip side of that is, I get cold calls all the time from people out of state looking to go shopping,” he said — often offering two or three times market price in Oregon.
Oregon’s surplus, though legal, is something of a cautionary tale for other states as they try to manage marijuana supply and demand. Enough recreational cannabis sat on dispensary shelves, in warehouses and in processing plants this January to satisfy buyers for more than six years, according to a report from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, the state agency that regulates recreational marijuana.
Like California, Oregon has a long history of illegal grows. And while some states, such as Colorado and Washington, limit the production licenses people can hold and the number of plants businesses can grow, Oregon has made it easy for people to harvest a lot of weed.
“They underestimated the number of people that would be willing to convert to the legal market or would want to participate in the legal market,” said Beau Whitney, vice president and senior economist for New Frontier Data, a company based in Washington, D.C., that studies the cannabis industry.
To address the pot glut, Oregon this year enacted legislation that allows the regulators to stop issuing new production licenses when supply exceeds demand. The state also approved a measure that, with federal approval, would allow growers to sell their cannabis out of state.
Congressional bills that would legalize marijuana sales at the federal level have so far been unsuccessful. But two Democrats who represent Oregon in Congress, Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Earl Blumenauer, last month proposed legislation that would allow for interstate commerce between states with legal cannabis programs.
Oregon marijuana growers appear to have planted less cannabis this year and prices have ticked up, a sign that the market is correcting, said Adam Smith, founder and director of the Craft Cannabis Alliance, a nonprofit trade group based in Oregon.
Still, Smith said, “the fix is open markets.” His group pushed for the Oregon interstate commerce bill and plans to lobby for similar legislation in California and beyond.
The Oregon cannabis glut has raised eyebrows among experts who study marijuana markets. “The biggest policy lesson you can take from this is: understand the existing cannabis market,” said Adam Orens, co-founder of the Marijuana Policy Group, a consulting outfit based in Denver.
His group helps states create an initial estimate of marijuana demand by looking at federal drug use surveys and conducting new surveys of state residents. Once legal sales are up and running, he said, plant tracking systems can help regulators follow market dynamics.
Many states limited marijuana production from the get-go. Washington state, for instance, issued production licenses only during a 30-day period in 2013 and allowed producers to license no more than three businesses each.
Marijuana prices have been dropping in recent years in Washington. But people in the industry disagree over whether that means there’s an oversupply problem and how to address it, said Brian Smith, communications director for the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.
“We’re in a different boat than Oregon is,” he said. The regulatory agency hasn’t completed a supply and demand study yet, but it found in a recent report that most marijuana producers in Washington are planting in less than the total amount of space allowed under their licenses.
Colorado’s Department of Revenue issues production licenses in five tiers, from up to 1,800 plants to up to 13,800 plants. All cultivation licenses begin at the first tier. To move up a tier, growers must prove that they sold 85 percent of the crop they grew in the previous six months.
If cultivators can’t transfer enough product, officials may knock their license down to a lower tier, according to Shannon Gray, marijuana communications specialist for the Revenue Department.
In 2017, licensed growers in Colorado produced about 13 percent more marijuana than was sold that year, according to a report prepared for the Revenue Department by the Marijuana Policy Group and the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
The report shows supply and demand are “effectively in equilibrium,” Gray said in an email.
Statewide production limits help keep supply and demand aligned, Orens said, as do local cultivation and sale limits and Colorado’s initial requirement that each company control production, processing and sales. “It’s not one specific thing, it’s all these things together,” he said.
Whitney at New Frontier Data said the decline in the price of retail marijuana comes not from oversupply but competition among businesses.
‘The Emerald Region’
Oregon regulators’ efforts to create a legal marijuana industry have been complicated by the long history of illegal grows in the area.
The Craft Cannabis Alliance’s Smith calls Southern Oregon and Northern California “the emerald region,” where long, dry growing seasons and cool nights create a perfect climate for growing marijuana outdoors. Prior to legalization, some illegal pot grown in Oregon was trafficked out of state, he said.
After Oregonians voted to allow marijuana sales in 2014, policymakers focused on bringing illegal businesses into the legal system, which is constrained by state borders.
“When the system was getting set up in Oregon — it wasn’t really launching a brand new market, it was transitioning an underground, unregulated market into an above-ground, regulated one,” said TJ Sheehy, a data analyst for the Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s marijuana program.
To encourage illegal businesses to transition, Oregon policymakers at first didn’t set a cap on licenses. Fees are low — starting at $1,000 for a 2,500-square-foot outdoor grow or a 625-square-foot indoor grow — and since 2016, aspiring marijuana magnates haven’t needed to live in the state to get a business license.
“If you want a license of a certain size, you can have it,” Sheehy said. “So it’s up to you to decide what makes market sense.”
The Oregon commission has licensed 1,136 recreational growers.
Recreational growers aren’t the only suppliers in the state. Only about half the marijuana Oregon adults consume is bought from licensed recreational dispensaries, with the remainder supplied by medical growers, home growers and the illegal market, Sheehy said.
He said there’s no evidence that a lot of recreational legal marijuana is going out of state, though some businesses may be breaking the law to juice sales, such as by inflating their pot potency results.
A lot of the excess cannabis will be composted if producers can’t find buyers, Sheehy said.
The overproduction of marijuana in Oregon and illegal export of surplus product remains an important concern for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said Kevin Sonoff, its public affairs officer, in an email. Since last May, he added, the office has focused more on this issue — especially in Southern Oregon — and marijuana-related investigations, arrests and convictions have increased.
Prices for marijuana flower crashed in late 2017, sending many growers out of business. “At pretty much the drop of a hat, prices dropped by 50%,” said Michael Johnson, chief operating officer of Siskiyou Sungrown, an 80,000-square-foot outdoor grow in Southern Oregon. “We ended up extracting a lot of that inventory, rather than selling it as smokable flower.”
The emergency legislation that Democratic Gov. Kate Brown signed into law his year allows Oregon regulators to stop issuing producer licenses when supply exceeds demand.
The commission had paused processing of applications in 2018 because their workload exceeded staff capacity, said Mark Pettinger, the recreational marijuana spokesman for the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. The new legislation allowed the agency to extend its moratorium through 2021.
Legislators also laid the groundwork for interstate marijuana trade with a law allowing the governor to sign marijuana delivery agreements with other governors, once given the go-ahead from the federal government.
Oregon state Sen. Floyd Prozanski, a Democrat who sponsored the interstate commerce bill, floated similar legislation two years ago but it didn’t pass the Senate. This time around, he said concern about overproduction helped propel his bill to the governor’s desk.
Given Oregon’s climate and history of marijuana production, pot could be the state’s next signature export, Prozanski said. “I see cannabis to Oregon as Kentucky sees bourbon.”
People close to the marijuana industry say that Oregon’s oversupply problem may have peaked last year. “People went bankrupt,” said Don Morse, former chairman of the Oregon Cannabis Business Council, a trade group. “And the market settles itself out.”
“My farmer clients tell me that prices are going up, and same with my dispensary clients,” said Amy Margolis, a lawyer based in Portland who specializes in the cannabis industry.
Switching to Hemp
Now Oregon is experiencing a different cannabis gold rush: Morse said that many former marijuana business people — himself included — have gotten out of the saturated pot market and switched to growing hemp, a type of cannabis that is legal nationwide and cannot produce a high.
Two years ago, before Congress in 2018 legalized hemp production and commercial sales, officials at the Oregon Department of Agriculture gave 246 farmers permission to plant some 3,300 acres of hemp. This year, they gave eight times as many farmers permission to plant some 53,000 acres. Many growers aim to harvest hemp for cannabidiol, or CBD, a trendy extract with alleged health benefits.
The agency doesn’t track how many former marijuana growers are now growing hemp, according to Sunny Summers, the cannabis policy coordinator at the Department of Agriculture.
Hemp CBD is so new that analysts have yet to agree on its actual market size. But like many farmers, Morse is optimistic. His company next year will seed 1,100 acres of hemp in Oregon and California, after growing less than 10 acres this year.
“People say, ‘Well you’re going to experience an oversupply of hemp.’ And maybe, maybe not, because you can ship over state lines,” he said. “And you can compete in the national market.”
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LG has already confirmed it is ditching the modular design for the LG G6.
The LG G6 is expected to feature a 5.7-inch QHD+ LCD display with a resolution of 2880 x 1440. It will also likely retain a dual camera arrangement with a wide-angle lens complementing the primary shooter.
LG have now teased that it will be nearly all screen and less bezel meaning an overall smaller size. The phone will be waterproof too.
And LG are looking to release this a whole month before Samsung releases their new Galaxy S8.


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>> China has recently enhanced its digital renminbi payment services to improve the profile of its digital currency and provide a more user-friendly payment experience for foreigners. The introduction of the "recharge before use" feature on the e-CNY app allows foreigners to replenish their digital wallets using online services from global payment networks Visa and Mastercard.
>> Sands China, in collaboration with Kakao Pay and Macau Pass SA, has launched mobile payment services for South Korean tourists visiting its casino resorts in Macau. This partnership aims to attract more Korean visitors to Macau under the government's 'Tourism+' strategy.
>> China's leading B2B exclusive travel trade show ITB China has scheduled its 2024 edition to take place from May 27 to 29 next year in Shanghai. The ITB China 2023 this year boasts over 17,000 business engagements. The event saw the active participation of around 10,000 attendees in total, with more than 700 top-level Buyers, and 360 exhibitors representing nearly 60 countries, fostering a dynamic exchange of expertise and cultivating invaluable connections.
>> Thailand's Prime Minister, Mr. Srettha Thavisin, presided over a welcoming ceremony at Suvarnabhumi Airport to celebrate the arrival of the first groups of tourists from China and Kazakhstan. This event marked the implementation of a temporary tourist visa exemption scheme, aimed at invigorating the economy and achieving the 2023 tourism revenue target.
>> Phuket, a popular resort island in Thailand, is preparing for an influx of Chinese tourists as the country celebrates two holidays and the visa-free scheme for Chinese nationals takes effect. The Phuket Tourism Association (PTA) predicts that the number of Chinese tourists will reach 1.7 million this year, compared to the 900,000 visitors in 2021. The visa-free scheme, which started on Monday and will run until February 29, is expected to boost tourism and help Thailand achieve its target of welcoming 5 million Chinese tourists this year.
>> According to the September 2023 Chinese Traveler Sentiment Report by Dragon Trail, an unexpected destination has seen a surge in popularity: Iceland. The gain is attributed to viral photos and videos showcasing the country’s active volcanoes on various Chinese social media platforms. Iceland had never made it to the top 10 outbound destinations for Chinese travelers – now Chinese travelers represent the fourth largest group in Iceland.
>> Zimbabwe is looking to attract more Chinese tourists, particularly during the Spring Festival period, a Zimbabwean minister said Monday. "China is becoming an important source market for Zimbabwe, and we are expecting a huge jump (in tourists) as we go into the festive season," Barbara Rwodzi, Zimbabwe's minister of tourism and hospitality industry, said at a press conference here ahead of the World Tourism Day falling on Wednesday.
>> Flag carrier Air Tanzania has suspended services to China for an unspecified period as one of its Boeing 787-8s goes into heavy maintenance. Suspension of the three-times-weekly service to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) was announced in a notice on September 22, but no reason was given for the action. Speaking to AirInsight, Managing Director Ladislaus Matindi, who is currently on business in the United States, said the suspension had been occasioned by the need to take one of the pair of 787s for heavy maintenance.
>> As the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays approach, Southwest China's Chongqing announced more than 200 autumn cultural and tourism activities and over 70 initiatives for its residents and visitors to enjoy during the holidays on September 25th. The theme of Chinese culture takes center stage, with various districts and counties organizing events celebrating China's essence. These events highlight traditions, folk culture, and artistic expressions deeply rooted in the nation's history.