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Carbondale exploring going beyond ban on plastic bags
Glenwood Springs Post Independent
Two months after Carbondale leaders balked at banning plastic bags at every store, the town’s Environmental Board is back with a new proposal.
Or rather, several proposals, including developing a plan to reduce most kinds of plastics, from bottles to straws, joining other recycling advocacy groups and, yes, expanding the bag ban.
If the goal is a reduction in plastic use, expanding the bag ban to more Carbondale retailers won’t make a huge difference by itself, but it’s still an important step, said Frosty Merriott, former town trustee and member of the appointed Environmental Board.
“I think the proclamation to come up with an orderly reduction of all single-use plastic is more valuable, quite frankly, than the bag ban,” Merriott said. “But the bag ban has been successful, so I’d like to see us build on that and send that message, because it will help in the education of the general public.”
The E-board, as it’s known in Carbondale, would like the town to declare Tuesday “freedom from single-use plastic day,” and commit to having a strategic plan in place by the next Earth Day, April 22.
That doesn’t mean the group isn’t pushing for an expanded bag ban. At a May meeting, the town Board of Trustees declined to extend the bag ban town-wide, but Merriott thinks it’s still important to increase the number of stores that don’t provide plastic shopping bags.
“What we tried to do was reduce the scope of the expansion of the plastic bag ban so it didn’t just go town-wide for all establishments,” Merriott said.
The E-board recommended two options that would include five or six stores in the bag ban.
Currently, grocery stores of more than 3,500 square feet are not allowed to provide plastic bags to shoppers, and charge 20 cents for single-use paper bags.
The current ban only affects City Market, but the E-board would like to extend the ban to retailers, as well. That would affect Ace Hardware, the Roaring Fork Valley Co-op along Highway 133, Dollar Tree, Basalt Bike and Ski, Napa Auto Parts and Sopris Liquor and Wine.
The E-board also suggested raising the square footage limitation to 9,000 square feet, which would exempt Basalt Bike and Ski from the ban.
Merriott believes the board will at least agree to a proclamation, and the commitment to create a realistic plan by next year.
At the May meeting, Mayor Dan Richardson suggested doing something more comprehensive, rather than merely expanding the bag ban.
“We’re shooting too low with the message that we want to ban the remainder of bags in town,” Richardson said.
“How can we focus our efforts so that in 2020 we launched something that really is powerful, hopefully beyond what we’re talking about right now? I think there’s great potential there and I think there’s certainly the ability within our community to do something like that,” he said.
The bag ban “in and of itself isn’t going to make a big reduction in the plastic poisoning of our Earth,” Merriot said, but it is a step in the right direction.
“The greater issue is not just plastic bags, it’s single-use plastic drink bottles, what gets wrapped around packages at the grocery store, etc. The plastics pollution has kind of risen to a point where a lot of people are realizing how much it’s a harm to the environment,” Merriott said.
The E-board would like the trustees to use money collected from paper bag sales to fund a consultant to work on the issue.
“The E-board has spent a good bit of time on this issue, so we’d like to use some of the fees to get a part-time consultant to help the town of Carbondale figure out realistic goals to reduce plastic,” Merriott said.
The bag fund this year is currently seeing declining revenue for the first year since the ban went into effect in 2012.
“Revenues from bag sales had the first year of decreases,” according to a town report. From June 2018 through April 2019, the fund raised $18,457, nearly 10% less than the prior period.
The E-board would also like to join Recycle Colorado to lobby for plastic reduction at the state Legislature.
Mountain Mayhem: Tennis anyone?
Birthday girl Jodi Jacobsen hit the Smuggler Racquet Club tennis courts to ring in the start to her next decade with a party for friends and family on Sunday, May 21. Jodi’s mom, Ruth Jacobson, and sister, Jamie Cygeilman, came to town to help her celebrate and honor her dad who slipped away 30 years prior, and would have loved the tradition.


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FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — German automaker Volkswagen saw its profit drop by half in the July-September period due to expenses for fixing and buying back diesel cars in the United States, but otherwise had what it called a "strong third quarter" and raised its earnings outlook for the full year.
Profit after tax fell to 1.14 billion euros ($1.33 billion) from 2.33 billion in the same quarter a year earlier. Based in Wolfsburg, Volkswagen had announced Sept. 29 that it would take around 2.5 billion euros in additional charges for complying with a settlement with U.S. authorities over diesel cars it had rigged to cheat on emissions tests.
Sales revenues, however, rose 5.8 percent to 55.0 billion euros. The company said the operating margin before special items will be "moderately higher" this year than the original 6-7 percent.
Chief Financial Officer Frank Witter said that the diesel issue was nowhere near an end. Volkswagen admitted to equipping cars with software that turned diesel emission controls on during testing and off during everyday driving. Some 11 million cars worldwide were affected.
Witter said the company's performance over the first nine months of the year "makes us quite optimistic about the year as a whole." Despite cash outflows for the diesel scandal the company's automotive business still had an "adequate financial cushion" of 25 billion euros in cash.
Volkswagen will need its cash pile as it and other automakers sink billions into new technologies and approaches to getting from one place to another, including autonomous and electric vehicles and the practice of ordering transportation services through smartphone apps.

domain: news


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£680k study to tackle aquaculture disease
A new £680,000 project will use cutting-edge techniques to tackle antimicrobial resistance in Vietnamese catfish – a key challenge for the global aquaculture industry.
The University of Stirling will co-lead the multidisciplinary study, which will develop improved vaccines against two bacterial diseases that adversely affect the sector.
Vietnam is one of the largest producers of aquaculture in the world and, over the past 20 years, there has been an intensification of its freshwater catfish (Pangasius) sector – with the produce sold in 161 countries.
Display your AMR Technology, Product and Service
Suppliers and Users of Technologies, Products and Services benefit from CAPI.
CAPI (Continuous AMR Partnering Initiative) unites Suppliers and Users worldwide with the aim to add to the curbing of AMR.


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Want a Toyota hybrid but are unhappy that a purchase now will get you a much smaller tax break than buyers got a few months ago? You're not alone.
Toyota's North American president, Jim Press, says sales of its hybrids have plummeted since the full credit expired in October. The most popular vehicle, the Prius, began the year with a $3,150 tax credit. Because Toyota has already sold more than 60,000 of such vehicles (well more: 144,218 through the end of September), the credit dropped to $1,575 on Oct. 1. Under the legislation that created the tax break, Toyota hybrid tax savings will be reduced further on April 1.
"By encouraging consumer support for a promising new technology, our government is supporting innovation and investing in our nation's future," Press told the Electric Drive Transportation Association. "We'd like to see those tax incentives continue."
The other makers of tax-break eligible autos, Honda, Ford and GM, have not yet hit the sales mark that will lower their autos' credit. In fact, some companies are turning their lower sales into a sales pitch. Take a look at this Bloomberg report, which begins: "Honda Motor Co., the second-biggest seller of gasoline-electric autos, said buyers of its 2007 hybrid models still qualify for U.S. tax credits of as much as $2,100, more than consumers get for Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius."
More government participation urged: Toyota's Press also is calling for the federal government to walk the walk when it comes to energy efficient vehicles. Fleet purchases for military and government use, he says, would accelerate the development of alternative fuel vehicles.
Don't expect Toyota's suggestions to be considered in the coming lame duck session. Congress has a lot of other stuff on its agenda, including measures to keep 10 of 12 federal agencies running and a collection of other individual tax breaks that expired last year.
But come January keep an eye on Toyota's efforts. The company might just get some lobbying help from Dubya, who has previously voiced support for extending tax credits for hybrids and alternative vehicles.
Personally, I agree with Toyota on this. No, I don't
own any type of hybrid, am not planning on getting one (or any auto) in
the near future and I don't have a relative that sells the vehicles. It
just strikes me as wrong to penalize someone for doing the best job,
which apparently is what most hybrid buyers think Toyota is doing.
The credit phase-out is a blatant sop to companies (read Ford and GM) bringing up the rear in this technology area. I can see giving a company a break to help it get a firmer footing in a new area. But this isn't a new area. Hybrids have been around a while and domestic automakers opted instead to focus on gas guzzlers instead of fuel efficient autos. Live by the MPG, die by the MPG. Welcome to the free market system.


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Last year we have seen a new Smartphone OS from Firefox called Firefox OS. And later this year Samsung has also released their own developed OS called Tizen. Both of the OS are completely based on Web platform. Well the largest open source software foundation Ubuntu is ready to launch their latest OS which is completely build for smartphone’s.
Ubuntu was decided to launch the OS when Firefox announced their latest Firefox OS. After the announcement company launched the developer preview of the OS and received highest downloads from over the world. The developers started to port the OS for their Android powered devices and gained better critical response.
The first Ubuntu running smartphone will be launched by Britain based smartphone manufacturer’s BQ. And the Ubuntu phone will be called as “BQ Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition”. The company already has a smartphone called Aquaris E4.5 but the difference between the Ubuntu editions is that it comes with pre-loaded Ubuntu OS.
As far as the specs leaked from the various tech sites the Ubuntu edition of the Aquaris E4.5 will be having a 4.5 inch quality HD (qHD) screen which we can see in modern days Android phones. The other specs are same as the Aquaris E4.5. You have got an 8 MP rear and 5 MP front snapper camera which is really good in decent picture clarity. The phone is powered with 1.3 gHz Cortex A-7 quad core processor. For the phone’s performance there is an overall 1 GB of RAM. And the phone is a dual SIM capable one with 3G connectivity.
Other than this the phone has all the basic features that we can see in a typical Android smartphone. Moving on to the price it is heard that the phone will cost about 169 euros which is approximately around 12K INR. That seems to bit higher. Because as an entry to the market no one will risk their money to purchase BQ Aquaris E4.5 instead they are having a lot of other options in the market.
The phone seems to be decent considering all the features and latest OS but in terms of price it is a disappointing one.
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Ruth Finley, publisher of the a pink-and-red schedule that the industry finds indispensable was present at those early shows.
She has played a few movies like Paris can't Wait in 2016 and X in 2008.
Added that, Daine is also a spokesperson and brand ambassador for a cosmetic company.
A year later, the Spring 1994 collections were sent down the runway, and Fashion Week as we know it began.
She found it in journalism, first covering music at the Village Voice, and then politics and social justice elsewhere.
Eleanor was proud of her mother.


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Tata wants to go aggressive on beauty products. Execution would be the key.
“Beauty products will be a key focus for us from now on along with footwear and underwear”, Noel Tata, non-executive chairman of Trent said in an interview. Key points to note – Simone Tata, Noel Tata’s mother, had helped create Lakme in 1953 as the country’s first cosmetics brand. It was sold to Unilever’s Indian … Read more


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When technologists of the future look back in time, they'll remember 2009 as the year Google got serious about an internet operating system, speeding up the web, and indexing EVERYTHING in sight. Take a look at the year 2009 in Google.
Two of the three most significant Google releases of 2009 are not yet available to the public in a final release build, but all three are open source. In no particular order:
Chromium OS: In July, Google got Microsoft and Apple shaking in their boots when they announced they were building an operating system. The source code for Chrome OS (in its development phase it's called Chromium OS) became available in November; early adopters can run virtual machine images and bootable USB drive versions of the OS.
Google Wave: In May, Google demonstrated their new, real-time collaboration webapp, Google Wave, to a crowd of incredulous developers who couldn't stop applauding. In September, they invited 100,000 users to try the Wave Preview. By now, over one million users have joined the Wave Preview. We wrote a book about Wave; and you can give and get Wave invitations on our dedicated forum page.
Android 2.0/Droid: While Android-based handsets were already available when the year started, the Motorola Droid debuted in November running Android 2.0 (with turn-by-turn GPS capabilities) and took on the iPhone in its "Droid Does" ad campaign. Google also released a flurry of Android-only applications and updates to existing ones in 2009 to boost their mobile platform, including the Google Voice app (which Apple rejected on the iPhone), the amazing Google Goggles app, Google Maps enhancements, and Google Listen.
Search Engine Upgrades: Remember when Google was just a search engine? Googlers do, because they're still busy bees improving search results and rolling out new ways to get to them. This year saw the rollout of Google web search's Caffeine update, as well as music, social, and real-time search, along with several new Google Image search options, and updates to the Google Suggest drop-down.
Gmail: Thanks to Gmail Labs, our favorite web-based email client got a slew of new features for power users, from automatic translations to offline attachments to time zone notifiers to exportable mail filters. If you haven't recently, cruise through your Gmail account's Labs area to pick and choose from over 60 experimental features. Gmail's mobile web application for the iPhone and on Android also saw an overhaul and vast improvement this year.
Chrome web browser: Google's own browser, Chrome, saw a whole lot of movement in 2009, especially late in the year with the release of bookmark sync, official beta builds for Mac and Linux (finally!), and Chrome extensions.
If there's any one thing Google did this year, it was launch a concerted effort on all fronts to make the web faster. From developer tools (like Speed Tracer and the Google Web Toolkit) to consumer products (like Chrome and Google Public DNS), it's kind of astounding the sheer amount of stuff Google put out there this year under the speed umbrella. They're even going so far as attempt to reinvent the two pillar protocols of email and the web with Wave and SPDY (a faster replacement for HTTP).
2009 was also the year of a few legal skirmishes (like the Google Books settlement, the Cyanogen C&D, the Google Voice/FCC dust-up), a few acquisitions (like reCAPTCHA, Gizmo5, and AppJet), and data control initiatives (the Google Dashboard and the Data Liberation Front).
You could say it was a pretty busy year at the Googleplex.
Take a chronological ride through the last four seasons at Google in this list of 2009 product releases and updates, listed month by month.
- Google Profiles show up at the bottom of search results
- Updated mobile Gmail and Google Calendar webapps for iPhone and Android launch
- Google Maps mashup tracks swine flu
- GV Mobile makes Google Voice the default for your iPhone (later, Apple pulled this app from the iTunes Store for reasons that are still unclear)
- Engineers demo Google Wave at the Google I/O conference, give developers access to the Wave "sandbox"
- Google Apps Sync syncs Microsoft Outlook with Gmail, Google Contacts, and Calendars (updates with push Gmail in September)
- Google Squared puts your search results into a spreadsheet
- Gmail, Google Calendar, Docs, and Talk leave beta
- FeedDemon, NetNewsWire sync exclusively with Google Reader
- Google announces Chromium OS (but doesn't release any code, doctored screenshots and fan-made versions start popping up)
- Apple rejects all Google Voice applications from the iTunes Store
- Gmail Tasks graduates from Google Labs (where it first appeared in December of 2008)
- Gmail makes importing mail and contacts from old email accounts easy
- PubSubHubbub gets baked into Google Reader
- Google Wave Preview opens to 100,000 users
- GrandCentral closes its doors, transitions entirely to Google Voice
- Google Sidewiki launches
- Google offers voicemail storage and transcriptions for your existing phone number (part of Google Voice)
- Google Maps Navigation adds turn-by-turn GPS to Android
- Google Voice gives existing users invitations to send to their friends
- Chrome OS announced, Chromium build demo'ed and source code released (here's how you can try out a Chromium build yourself)
- Google Chrome adds bookmark sync
- Google releases Go, a new programming language
- Chrome browser hits Mac/Linux with extensions enabled (Chrome for Windows left beta in December of 2008)
- Google's new real-Time search includes Twitter streams
- Google Public DNS launches
- Google "lets the sun set" on Gears, moving to HTML5
- Google Goggles for Android searches the web by photo
- Google Favorite Places puts a barcode on restaurants and shops you can scan with your mobile phone
Now you tell us:
What was the best Google launch of the year? The biggest flop? The product that made the biggest difference in your daily life? Let us know in the comments.


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- The Diem Association will sell off its assets and IP to Silvergate for about $200M.
- Facebook originally launched the stablecoin project as Libra in 2019.
Decrypt’s Art, Fashion, and Entertainment Hub.
Editor's Note: The Diem Association confirmed its sale to Silvergate in a press release on January 31.
Facebook's stablecoin ambitions are dead.
Following Tuesday's report that the Diem Association was looking to sell off its assets and intellectual property, The Wall Street Journal reports today that Silvergate Capital will buy its assets and IP for $200 million.
According to the Journal, which cites an unnamed person familiar with the situation, the Diem Association will "wind down" its plans to launch a stablecoin following the sale to the crypto-focused, California-based bank. Silvergate was previously announced as an issuer of the stablecoin, but that plan never came to fruition.
If true, the report signals an unceremonious end to Facebook's (or Meta's) ambitions in the crypto space. Facebook initially launched the Libra Association in 2019 alongside a smattering of tech and financial allies, with plans to launch a crypto stablecoin backed by a basket of global currencies.
Pushback came swiftly as regulators questioned Facebook's ambitions and approach. Partners such as PayPal, Visa, eBay, Stripe, and Mastercard all bailed out in late 2019, but Facebook continued ahead. It rebranded Libra to Diem, and rebranded crypto wallet Calibra to Novi, and shifted the approach for Diem to that of a dollar-backed stablecoin.
But the status of the project became unclear in recent months as updates were fewer and fewer and top talent departed the Diem Association, including top exec David Marcus at the end of 2021.


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Survey: US Millennials “deeply concerned” about online privacy
July 31, 2019
The Internet Innovation Alliance (IIA) has released a survey showing that Millennial Americans – like older generations – are concerned about the privacy of their online personal information and whether online technology and social media companies are taking the appropriate steps to safeguard the personal information of consumers.
As revealed by the survey, three-quarters
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In a surprising turn it appears that the continued PSN outage has had absolutely no affect on the sales of PS3 consoles themselves.
In fact according to Vgchartz the PS3 is currently the top selling console on the planet and is outselling the Xbox 360 by around 20 000 units a week.
This entire advantage can be put down to Japan since the 360 is winning in America by around the same margin that the PS3 is outselling the 360 in Europe but since the Japanese appear to hate the 360 then the 20k extra units sold in Japan for the PS3 is keeping it ahead.
This either shows a huge amount of belief in Sony that they will resolve their PSN and data integrity issues or that the majority of people really don’t care about online access at all.
Are you surprised that Sony is keeping up it’s sales streak in the midst of this crisis?[Thanks to Freddie for the tip]
Last Updated: May 12, 2011


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A BASF spokesperson said, “all three are important” in the acquisition that is expected to cost about €200-250m in integration costs and added: “BASF is already in nutrition but it is mainly animal nutrition – we are not so much in human nutrition.”
German-based market analyst, Nobert Bath, from West LB, said that the importance of the human nutrition division to BASF, “should not be neglected” along with the natural sourcing of some of its raw materials and its sustainability initiatives.
“This deal makes a lot of sense strategically and Cognis’ functional ingredients portfolio matches BASF’s interest in going higher up the value chain. The high-end nutritional ingredients of Cognis such as omega-3 and plant sterols are exactly in this mould.”
Paraag Amin, Credit Suisse chemical specialist stated: “The move to broaden its foothold in human nutrition also serves to compliment the company’s position in animal nutrition, where it is already one of the leading players in the world.”
Functional ingredients powerhouse
Bath said the merged group would move it from sixth to third biggest functional nutrition company in the world. DSM is the biggest.
BASF and Cognis earned €2.6bn and €2.58bn in revenues last year – giving the new company combined sales of €5.18bn for the year.
Bath said the fact Cognis had sold off low-margin businesses like textile chemicals in 2008 before the financial crisis, and its relatively strong performance during the crisis itself increased its attractiveness to BASF since a similar buy-out was mooted in 2008.
BASF may need to deleverage, he said, to maintain its A credit rating given the deal involved buying €2.4bn of Cognis debt which added to its existing debt of about €13bn.
But he observed that the acquisitions policy that had gathered speed since Dr Jürgen Hambrecht became chairman in 2004 was unlikely to change very much, although another major acquisition was unlikely in the “next 1-2 years.”
In a statement Hambrecht said: “With the acquisition of Cognis, we are strengthening our portfolio with cyclically robust and profitable businesses and further expanding our position as the world’s leading chemical company.”
Cognis spokesperson Susanne Sengel said it may be some months before integration plans become clear.
The deal is subject to anti-trust approval, but analysts expect few issues to arise.
Bath added:“I think the recession has helped this deal because it has reduced the number of potential buyers. I thought €3bn was a fair price so €3.1bnis no surprise although many were speculating that the strong performance of Cognis during the recession would lead to BASF overpaying.”
In Q1this year, Cognis’nutrition and health division turned in an EBITDA profit of €19m on €88m in sales.


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With the announcement earlier than Sony seeks to produce 10 million PlayStation 5 units for this winter, Digi Times has now reported that a backend console supplier says that the material manufacturer thinks he will sell at least at least 120 million units of the console, after five years on the market.
Sources from the supplier’s point of sale are expecting Sony to reduce the life of the traditional five-year console, but also that Sony will aim for sale 120 to 170 million PS5 units within this period. If done, the new generation console will probably sell more than PlayStation 4, which has recently reached more than 110 million units sold, since its arrival in 2013.
Although 170 million units seem to be an incredibly difficult feat, it could mean that Sony plans to sell its next console at a more user-friendly price. Anyway, it is expected that the PlayStation 5 outclasses its competitor, the Xbox Series X, which Microsoft seeks to sell at least 60 million units during its life.
However, in June, Analyst firm Ampere Analysis had predicted that the new generation machines market would be much quieter than that of its predecessors, because it thinks that PlayStation 5 will continue to sell a disappointing number of 66 million units. By 2024. Although the company’s report indicates that the price will not play a major role in sales.
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The R53B series by Kemet are EMI suppression capacitors made of metallised polypropylene film which operate reliably even at high temperatures (up to 125 degrees C). They also meet UL 94 V-O specifications thanks to an envelope of self-extinguishing resin in the housing. They are available from distributor, Rutronik. Target applications include capacitive power supplies, […]
The post Rutronik adds Kemet’s film capacitors for harsh environments appeared first on Softei.com – Global Electronics Industry News.
Softei.com – Global Electronics Industry News


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Blackberry has officially rolled curtains on Smartphone manufacturing and now intends to focus on the software and service side of its business. This doesn’t come as a shock and has been on the cards since John Chen signed as COO. Moreover, the company reported disastrous $372million loss in Q2 of 2016 which must have eventually led to this conclusion.
However, this doesn’t mean that you won’t be seeing new BlackBerry smartphones in the market. The Canadian manufacturer has now outsourced manufacturing and designing process to it partners like TCL and Foxconn. The company recently did the same with its recently launched DTEK 50 smartphone which was design and developed by Alcatel.
“We are reaching an inflection point with our strategy. Our financial foundation is strong, and our pivot to software is taking hold,” Chen said in a statement today.
”Our new Mobility Solutions strategy is showing signs of momentum, including our first major device software licensing agreement with a telecom joint venture in Indonesia. Under this strategy, we are focusing on software development, including security and applications. The company plans to end all internal hardware development and will outsource that function to partners. This allows us to reduce capital requirements and enhance return on invested capital.”
Under this strategy, we are focusing on software development, including security and applications. The company plans to end all internal hardware development and will outsource that function to partners. This allows us to reduce capital requirements and enhance return on invested capital,” he added.
BlackBerry used to be among the market leaders in last decade with nearly 40 percent of the global smartphone market share, but with the arrival of Apple iOS and Google Android, it has continuously spiraled towards the bottom.
Later, BlackBerry tried to make amends by embracing Android, but there already were more mature Android ROMs and products available for the premium it asked. It must be noted that BlackBerry hasn’t been taking the failure lying down. The company has been constantly reinventing its products and software but still hasn’t managed to garner consumer attention. Relinquishing control over hardware isn’t the last page of BB story, but definitely marks the end of an era.


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A uniform tariff of 11.8% will be charged on all Chinese solar panels, effective immediately. For some 130 other Chinese companies that have cooperated in the EU investigation a preliminary duty will apply of 47.6%. Companies that did not cooperate in the EU inquiry will face import duties of 67.9%.
Europe is a key market for many Chinese Companies and this news is definitely not good for survival of many and may well jeopardise up to 25,000 jobs. In response China has commenced anti-dumping and countervailing investigations into European wine.


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At this point, Decibel are without a doubt the biggest metal magazine in America today. The rag has managed to avoid common missteps and rise to the top on the strength of their dedication to true metal alone. Now, with tours, festivals, and books under its belt, the company has taken another huge step forward with the announcement of their own label, Decibel Records.
Says Decibel Editor In Chief Albert Mudrian of the label:
“Decibel Records is our latest love letter to the completist metal fan. Documenting and immortalizing the special live sets from Decibel’s live events with equally unique limited releases is just the first step for Decibel Records. We won’t reveal our future plans just yet, but readers can expect more exclusive partnerships like this with the artists who have graced our pages and dominated our stages for decades.”
The first release on Decibel will be Deadguy‘s Buyer’s Remorse: Live From the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest, which is a recording of the band’s first set in 25 years at the September 2021 Metal and Beer Fest in Philly. The record will be limited to 1,000 copies across four variants, and offers a little insight into the kind of exclusive releases we might see from Decibel Records in the near future.
Says Deadguy drummer Dave Rosenberg:
“The Decibel team have always been super supportive of Deadguy, and it’s a huge honor to be on the maiden voyage of Decibel Records. The dedication to heavy music that Decibel is famous for is something we identify with completely, and the Philly festival was an incredible re-emergence from our 20-year hiatus.”
The album is available for preorder now via Decibel’s webstore, and you can check out “Pins and Needles” from the record via a video below. Let’s see what other stuff Decibel Records cooks up in the near future, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the last American Nuclear Assault show comes out soon!


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IBM announced this morning that it has acquired UrbanCode, a software delivery automation company based in Cleveland, Ohio.
The purchase price was not disclosed.
The acquisition ticks all the boxes for Big Blue: mobile, social, big data, cloud. But the biggest value of all is in the company's ability to target software development bottlenecks and accelerate time-to-market for businesses, "from months to minutes," the company proudly claims.
"Fail fast," as the talking heads in Silicon Valley often shout.
In this way, UrbanCode fits in nicely with IBM's DevOps offerings—but it also has possible benefit for IBM's own SmartCloud and MobileFirst products, for which it may be able to accelerate software delivery through the channel.
Because really, why not be a customer of your own technology?
In the larger company's own words:
For example, by combining UrbanCode software with the IBM MobileFirst Worklight technology, businesses can now author and deploy an application for any mobile device in hours, versus a previous multi-day timeline. The UrbanCode solution also works with traditional applications including middleware, databases and business intelligence.
IBM says it will continue to support UrbanCode's existing clients. It also has plans to upsell them on its broader portfolio.
IBM says that a majority of companies that see software development as a competitive advantage also outperform their peers in profitability. (This statistic is, of course, in IBM's own interest.) It's clear either way that as companies of all sizes increasingly look to technology -- cloud-based applications in particular -- to solve their problems, they need to stay a step ahead to see the benefits.
Because sometimes a company weighed down by outdated software may be worse off than if it hadn't deployed any at all.


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We’re not sure who would choose to dress their kid in an Israeli Army soldier costume for Halloween, but apparently Walmart thought it would be a good idea to sell one. Of course, outrage over the costume has since stirred social media outrage.
The costume, which is now on sale for $27.44, is complete with a toy gun. Because teaching children to glamorize violence is cool, right? The timing couldn’t be better, considering all of the increased violence going on in Israel right now. It feels awkward to us, because it doesn’t seem to be indicating support for Israeli soldiers, but parodying them instead.
Some Twitter users expressed their outrage with tweets like, “Boycott Walmart, protect innocence” and, “found something else to be mad about…@Walmart @amazon you are disgusting and should be ashamed of yourselves.” Meanwhile, many users on the Walmart Facebook page called for a boycott of the store.
Walmart has yet to respond. But that doesn’t mean you can’t, so what do you think?


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Charity shops in the United States temporarily stopped taking donations after being inundated following the success of the Netflix show starring the self professed tidying expert Marie Kondo.
Donations at thrift shops across the US have soared to record highs after the release of the series on Netflix.
At Goodwill, which holds the largest market share in the US, there has been a 24 per cent increase in donations year on year in the San Francisco Bay Area.
A number of Goodwill donation centers in Northern California closed on Sunday “due to the overwhelming number of donations”, said a spokesman.
Goodwill says it usually experiences an increase in New Year donations but this year has broken all records.
Housing Works, which has 14 charity shops in New York City, is experiencing a significant increase in donations, as is the Salvation Army.
Similarly, charity shops in the UK have also reported a considerable swell in donations. It is not yet known how much revenue will be raised from the influx, but its comes during a decline in the number of charity shops on the high street.
The Japanese organising guru that inspired a nation to declutter and tidy their homes already had an impressive following before the release of the Netflix show.
Ms Kondo’s books The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and the follow up Spark Joy, released in 2014 and 2016 respectively, are both New York Times best sellers. The books have sold over 5 million copies worldwide and been published in 41 regions and countries.
Netflix released its first season of ‘Tidying Up with Marie Kondo’ on January 1 in 180 countries. It would not give figures on how many people have watched it, but it has caused many people to embark on a thorough cleansing of their possessions.
Since the show was released searches for Marie Kondo has soared on Google. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world have posted images and videos on social media of their Kondo inspired efforts.
Others have posted their findings from other people’s clear outs. One man in Brooklyn, New York, claims he was able to stock an entire bookcase over the course of a weekend with books he found left outside of other people’s homes.
Charity shops are not the only ones benefiting from the success of the show. Professional organiser Natalie Ron, who owns the New York-based company Liberate Your Space, has seen a doubling in her business since the show went live.
In each half hour episode Ms Kondo visits a family, with her translator as she speaks little English, and teaches them how to declutter their homes using the ‘Konmari’ method.
She instructs each member of the family, including any children, to pull out every item they own to see if it ‘sparks joy’.


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LAKE ZURICH, Ill., January 19, 2015 – Fresenius Kabi, a global health care company that specializes in lifesaving medicines and technologies for infusion, transfusion and clinical nutrition, announced today it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market Neostigmine Methylsulfate Injection.
This is the first Fresenius Kabi drug approved by the FDA since the agency upgraded the status of the company’s pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Grand Island, N.Y., earlier this month. The company announced January 12 that the facility had achieved voluntary action indicated (VAI) status from the FDA. VAI classification permits FDA approval of new products to be manufactured at the plant.
Neostigmine Methylsulfate Injection, a cholinesterase inhibitor, is indicated for reversal of the effects of nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA) after surgery. Fresenius Kabi expects to begin offering Neostigmine Methylsulfate Injection later this year.
About Fresenius Kabi
Fresenius Kabi (www.fresenius-kabi.us) is a global health care company that specializes in lifesaving medicines and medical devices for infusion, transfusion and clinical nutrition. The company’s products and services are used to help care for critically and chronically ill patients. The company’s U.S. headquarters is in Lake Zurich, Illinois. The company’s global headquarters is in Bad Homburg, Germany. For more information about Fresenius Kabi worldwide, please visit www.fresenius-kabi.com.


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The Irish DPC (Data Protection Commission) has fined Facebook's parent company, Meta Platforms for failing to protect personal data. The decision came after an investigation into 12 notifications of data breaches from 2018.
The DPC considered Meta's usage of supporting papers during the investigation to be one of the best practices. However, the Commission concluded that, in the context of the 12 notifications, the bigh tech company lacked suitable 'technical and organizational measures'. That would allow it to demonstrate the security measures Meta implemented to protect personal data of its users.
This fine, according to Meta in an emailed statement, is for 'record-keeping methods from 2018', which the firm has subsequently corrected. Not for a failure to secure people's personal data.
This isn't the first time Facebook has been penalized for data privacy violations under the GDPR. Recently, the CNIL (Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés) has fined Google €150 million and Facebook €60 million. In summary, the tech giants made it difficult for users to opt out of their cookie policies.
Last updated: March 18, 2022


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Today’s selection includes:
A new article about the case of Andrew Nilland, the piercer recently jailed in Canada (first article here; an E-Bay auction set up to help him here);
Body modification in the context of the current crisis: ‘Inkonomics: the recession makes its mark on Chicago tattoo parlors.’
News from Portugal about a sociological research stating that ‘Majority of youngsters have tattoos as a fashion statement’ (not really surprising, actually).
Two other international touches from Indonesia (‘Hooked on piercing pain’ about a local free-lance piercer) and from Argentina (‘famous tattoos of the summer 2009’).
In more positive news: Kat Von D signing her book and causing almost a sort of hysteria in Omaha, NE; a British article about ‘friends with the same tattoos reuniting after 10 years’ (makes for quite nice and sentimental a story) , two articles from Utah (the state that does not appear that frequently in the context of the industry): ‘tattoo artists redesign Utah nightlife’ and an interview with a local tattoo artist, and, finally, an article from Germany about a guy who decided to auction the back of his scalp on E-Bay.


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The Rubber & Plastics News' annual Rubber Industry Executive of the Year award is to honor a person in the North American rubber product industry who has been instrumental in the success of his or her company, or helped further the industry. The winner will be announced in the Dec. 15 print edition and online in the Digital Edition the same day.
Coming December 15: Rubber Industry Executive of the Year winner
Rubber News wants to hear from its readers. If you want to express your opinion on a story or issue, email your letter to Editor Bruce Meyer at [email protected].


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Now that he's set the stage for Israel to embrace electric vehicles, former Silicon Valley entrepreneur Shai Agassi has his sights set on Japan. Globes reports that Agassi, who left SAP to launch Project Better Place, has spoken with Japanese business leaders about a joint venture similar to the deal he brokered with Renault and Nissan to bring EVs to Israel.
"The visit to Japan is part of the process of finding local partners who can participate in the project," Agassi told Globes, declining to say exactly who he spoke to. "There are talks with Japanese conglomerates on agreements."
Agassi wants to electrify transportation by selling EVs like cell phones. Renault and Nissan will mass-produce electric vehicles they'll begin selling in Israel in 2011. The cars (that's one of them in the pic) will use lithium-ion batteries and offer a range of 60 miles in the city and 100 miles on the highway. Project Better Place says it will install 500,000 charging stations throughout Israel, and Renault is developing battery packs that can be replaced at automated exchange depots.
According to Globes, Agassi says Japan is the perfect place for electric vehicles because it is "a transportation island" where large numbers of people living in dense urban areas drive short distances.


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A 2-year-old technology company that created a Web browser plug-in that allows people to better manage time spent online is gaining traction thanks to tutelage from TechTown.
The software, branded The Mentalspace Manager, disables a user's favorite news feeds, blogs and social media sites such as Facebook or YouTube if the user has determined that they reduce productivity or worsen his or her mood.
Users can block individual sites or create a "power hour" -- which blocks the entire Internet for an hour.
If the user tries to access the site while it's blocked, the software instead will show an uplifting quote, video or image. As an additional barrier, the user can select a person who -- if the user tries to unblock the site -- will get an automated message to allow or deny access.
"It's meant to be playful; we're not a clinical solution," said Mark Ostach, founder and CEO of Detroit-based MyMentalSpace LLC, who was one of Crain's 20 in their 20s in 2011. "It's meant for you to be more self-aware of how a site impacts your mood."
Ostach, who holds degrees in psychology and information systems, came up with the idea in 2009 after he began to see how technology modifies behavior.
"The Internet promotes the obsessive behavior to be influenced by what you see, hear and feel, whether reading about a murder that impacts the conversation you have at lunch or harassment that can be caused by things people post on social media blogs and wall posts," Ostach said.
Internet addiction expert Larry Rosen, author of iDisorder and a professor at California State University, Dominguez Hills, agrees Internet obsession and anxiety is a real problem.
"What we're seeing is that these technologies, particularly the smartphone, has become an object of obsession -- exactly the kind of obsession people suffer from when they have obsessive-compulsive disorder," Rosen said. "A brain scan of someone being obsessed by technology looks a whole lot like anxiety."
Although Rosen thinks technology can provide users around-the-clock empathy, kindness and social support, the problem is that many people experience anxiety when they can't check their texts, blog posts or other communication.
Rosen said 62 percent of all iGeneration (those born between 1990 and 1999) and 64 percent of Generation X'ers (those born between 1965 and 1979) check texts every 15 minutes or less.
"What we're carrying is an amazing device in our pocket 24/7, so it's no surprise (people are obsessed with it), and a lot of it is below the level of truly conscious thought," Rosen said. "Because these are such amazing distractions, we need to learn how to put it aside."
Ostach works full time at Digerati Inc. in Detroit, a small technology company that installs custom software to help organizations run more efficiently. He launched MyMentalSpace on the side.
Through word-of-mouth, Ostach recruited a team of software engineer consultants and graphic designers who also maintain other full-time jobs, working on this project evenings and weekends.
Ostach has self-funded the effort, investing slightly under $100,000 to date. He draws revenue from speaking to local companies and educational institutions in Michigan about managing Internet use.
The company has projected 2012 revenue of $30,000 and projected 2013 revenue of $150,000 based on a predicted uptick in sales of educational programs and DVDs.
Though Ostach has made the app free to build awareness and generate users, he soon plans to begin selling a premium model with additional features that will cost $1-$3 a month.
Ostach said the company will sell its application to schools, employers and parents. Pricing is based on total users, and bulk discounts are available.
The application, in development for two years, was launched last September. The website has just over 1,000 users, mainly college students, with plans to grow the base through a new marketing effort in the fall called the Facebook Challenge.
This challenge will encourage users to block Facebook -- the most requested site to be blocked through MyMentalSpace -- anywhere from one hour to one month. It also will monitor how the user feels when off Facebook and what the user does differently with his or her time.
MyMentalSpace collects data from its users voluntarily to aggregate information on how a particular website makes the user feel -- happy, sad, deprived, disgusted. There may be market value in the data for researchers, advertisers and search engine optimization analysts that would provide another revenue source.
In 2010, Ostach enrolled in what was then called TechTown's Smart Start, a one-year program that walked entrepreneurs through all parts of starting a business and provided one-on-one coaching.
TechTown helped align Ostach with pro bono service from an intellectual-property firm, nominated his company for local media awards and provided opportunities to pitch investors.
Ostach said his experience was fruitful, but that an entrepreneur's experience with the organization will depend on how well he or she can make the most of the resources.
"TechTown has a lot of energy and intelligent people working there that you just need to be able to navigate through," Ostach said. "Are you outgoing enough to make a pitch in an elevator? How deep can you dig?"
Ostach leases shared community space at TechTown monthly for his staff and interns and still meets bimonthly with his coach there, Michael O'Rourke, who has been working with Ostach primarily on his revenue model.
"What we look for are entrepreneurs who have a passion for their business," said O'Rourke, who is TechTown managing director of operations. "We like them to have some business knowledge in order to hit the ground running, a viable business idea and potentially be able to create jobs within the city and Southeast Michigan. Mark fits all of those."
Once a tech company has begun to sell its product, it becomes easier for the company to go after investment money for software development to enhance features, hire salespeople or develop a marketing plan, he said.
Key to success, though, is finding a niche that hits the market at the right time.
Ostach "has to convince people that they have a need for this product," O'Rourke said. "If that can catch on, this gives him a huge market. One thing investors look at is a large market as well as a strong team."
Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills is using the product and it brought Ostach in this past year to speak to its high school students about the proper use of the Internet.
"Teenagers are very social beings, and they don't want to miss out on anything or feel left out," Brown said. "They appreciate that (the tool) is not 'Big Brother' coming in but that they are monitoring their own behavior to be responsible. It's easy for us to come in and say, 'You can't do this,' but that's not a stance we want to take.
"Once we're gone, they go and use (technology) anyway, so we want to responsibly teach them how to use it."


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If you’re hungry for a cheap stock to put in your portfolio, you’re in luck. McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) shares have sat out of the market rally in the past year, barely rising since March 2023 compared to the 31% spike in the S&P 500. That performance is a bit surprising given that the fast-food titan was setting records around sales and earnings heading into early 2024.
There are some clouds on the horizon, to be sure. McDonald’s noticed weaker spending and sluggish customer traffic in the core U.S. market over the last few weeks, and competition is heating up for those more cost-conscious shoppers. Rivals like Chipotle are targeting McDonald’s industry lead in the drive-thru channel, and there are more pricing pressures now that inflation has slowed down.
Don’t let these worries keep you away from the stock. McDonald’s has all the ingredients necessary to generate solid returns from today’s discounted share price. Let’s look at some of the key reasons to love the stock right now.
If I had to pick a single metric to judge a stock against, then cash generation would rank near the top of the list. As the saying goes, “Cash flow is destiny.” This metric is even more important for a dividend stock like McDonald’s, because its payout is ultimately funded by cash production.
McDonald’s — and its dividend — has a bright future ahead. The chain generates more cash than rivals thanks to assets like its huge global sales footprint and massive brand power. McDonald’s produced $7 billion of free cash last year, up significantly from 2022 and translating into roughly 85% of earnings. The company’s highly franchised selling model means it has a light annual spending commitment as compared to a business like Chipotle, which owns most of its stores outright.
It’s no surprise, then, that McDonald’s can pay (and steadily increase) a quarterly dividend. The last raise was 10%, and its cash flow trends imply further big hikes ahead.
McDonald’s makes a lot of money by selling affordable fast food. In fact, its profit margin is approaching a record 50% of sales right now, far above Chipotle and other peers. A lot of that gap can be explained by its franchise-selling setup. McDonald’s generates much of its earnings through high-margin royalty, real estate, and rental fees, and these revenue streams are much more profitable than traditional markups on food sales.
The two main ingredients to awesome long-term returns are a high profit margin plus ample opportunities to generate good returns on those earnings. McDonald’s has no shortage of growth initiatives, which lately have included a push to boost customer satisfaction by reducing wait times and improving product quality. There’s also a big opportunity around online ordering and delivery.
The best news is that investors have a chance to supersize their investments in McDonald’s right now thanks to the pessimism surrounding the fast-food giant’s shares. The company said customer traffic dipped into negative territory at the start of 2024, raising fears that comparable-store sales gains will slow to a crawl this year. That spooked Wall Street, and now the stock is valued at 8 times sales, down from over 9 times sales at a few points in 2023.
Traffic is the metric to watch, then, as the most impactful factor influencing the shares in the short term. But patient investors can look past that noise and focus on McDonald’s excellent prospects for earnings growth over the next decade or more.
Should you invest $1,000 in McDonald’s right now?
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Bad news, folks. Despite last year’s promise and some early evidence it might happen, scrolling screenshots aren’t arriving with the final Android 11 release this year.
Following Google I/O last year, Dave Burke confirmed on Twitter that Google was preparing to finally deliver scrolling screenshots to native Android with the “R” release. Through some work in the background, we were even able to see evidence of the feature in early developer previews, too. However, the functionality was never working.
Apparently, that was for a reason. In an AMA today, Dan Sandler confirmed that Android 11’s final release won’t include support for scrolling screenshots.
Why not? It boils down to getting the feature right as well as the resources available for getting Android 11 finished. As far as perfecting the feature, Sandler explains that Google wanted to get scrolling screenshots working for Android as a whole. Not just for one app, not just for some devices. As a result, the feature couldn’t get finished in time, partially due to the simple fact that in the world affected by coronavirus, the Android 11 team had its resources limited a fair bit.
Luckily, Google is still working on bringing scrolling screenshots to Android in a future release, even though it won’t arrive in 11. Sandler says to expect the feature in “a future API bump.” That implies Android 12, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
We’re still working on it, but It didn’t make the cut for R.
Rather than cranking out a quick hack that works for one or two hand-picked apps on a particular device, our goal on the platform team is to build this in a way that *any* app can plug into, whether they’re using a bog-standard RecyclerView or have implemented their own OpenGL-accelerated scrolling engine. We investigated this throughout the R timeline, involving folks from the window manager and System UI teams; you’ll be able to see this scrolling capture framework start to take shape in the AOSP source.
In the end, as with every Android release (and especially in this unusual year), we had to make hard choices about where to focus our limited resources; while this is a cool feature that we’re still really excited about, we decided not to rush it. Look for it in a future API bump.
More on Android 11:
- Google’s work on speeding up Android updates is paying off, especially for Android 10
- Here’s everything new in Android 11 Beta 2 [Gallery]
- Google might have revealed Android 11’s public launch date
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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The minimum age to purchase tobacco products in Georgetown, Mass. is going up to 21-years-old as of May 1, as the town’s board of health approved the proposed increase at its most recent meeting.
In addition to the age increase, the board also banned the sale of all tobacco products and e-cigarettes at pharmacies within the town limits, as well as passed a complete ban on the sale of blunt wraps. The proposal also placed a ban on rolling machines that are used in retail settings.
It becomes the latest municipality in Massachusetts to pass such an age increase, joining more than 165 towns, cities and counties.
Georgetown is located in the northeastern corner of the state and is home to approximately 8,200 residents.


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FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Volkswagen Group on Thursday withdrew its outlook for 2020 amid uncertainty related to the coronavirus outbreak which caused operating profit to drop 81% in the first quarter.
Operating profit fell to 0.9 billion euros, which would be an 81% drop from 4.84 billion last year, and the group’s return on sales margin is expected to be around 1.6%, down from 8.1% in the first quarter of 2019.
The full year outlook “can no longer be achieved”, Volkswagen said.
VW said negative fair value impacts from commodity derivatives and currency effects hit the first quarter 2020 result by 1.3 billion euros.
Volkswagen now expects first quarter revenue of 55 billion euros ($59.83 billion), down 8% from 60.01 billion euros in the year-earlier period.
The company’s automotive net cash flow amounted to a negative 2.5 billion euros, due to negative effects in working capital from higher inventories and lower liabilities, VW said.
Volkswagen is due to publish full first quarter results on April 29, 2020.
Reporting by Tom Sims and Edward Taylor; Editing by Michelle Martin.


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Last month, I came across a short news article that featured a rumored Android smartphone with a 10,000mAh battery. The story caught my eye, because I'd just attended a press event for Verizon's latest DROIDs, the Turbo 2 and Maxx 2.
The new DROIDS were marketed as having some of the best battery life in the industry, or "up to 48 hours" of life, according to Motorola and Verizon Wireless. The DROID Turbo 2 has a 3,760mAh battery, and the MAXX 2 battery capacity is 3,630mAh.
The OUKITEL K10000, is the "world's largest capacity battery smartphone," according to its manufacturer, and it has a power pack that's 270 percent larger than the DROID Turbo 2.
I didn't think much of the article last month, because the gadget was little more than a rumor, and OUKITEL had recently released "leaked images" of its own phone, which is odd to say the least. Today, the K10000 is listed for sale for $239.99 on GearBest.com; apparently 194 people have already pre-ordered the gadget, which will ship "within 3 to 5 business days."
I won't dig too far into the tech specs, because this phone is all about the battery, but OUKITEL says it runs Android 5.1, has a 5.5-inch screen with a 720p display, and 13MP rear and 5MP front cameras. It can also reportedly "reverse charge" other devices, making it a power bank of sorts than can fully power up three dead iPhone 6s Plus smartphones, according to Gadgets.NDTV.com.
GearBest.com, the site that's selling the OUKITEL K10000, also has a number of images and a hands-on video, featuring the boxy battery behemoth and, best of all, one hell of hand model in fingerless cycling or weightlifting gloves. Yep.
It's worth noting that this new device isn't listed anywhere on OUKITEL's website, which should be a bit of a red flag. I also can't vouch for its quality, and the maxim, "you get what you pay for," holds particularly true for random Android devices. So keep that in mind if you're actually thinking of buying this thing.
That said, battery life is one of the biggest challenges in the mobile world today — this week Apple released an awkward battery case to boost iPhone 6 and 6s battery life — so the idea of a 10,000mAh battery is admittedly appealing.
The OUKITEL K10000 is to smartphones what Hummers are to SUVs — but something tells me that shiny new H3 may be more reliable.
Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.


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Cardlytics, the pioneer of Card-Linked Marketing, announced today that its Transaction-Driven™ Marketing solution received a Best-in-Class distinction in a CEB TowerGroup report after an evaluation of card loyalty technology vendors. The CEB TowerGroup analyst cited Cardlytics’ flexible interface, abundant security and control options, and robust operational metrics as key reasons for naming the provider a Best-in-Class offering in all four categories, including Customer Interface, Management & Operations, Security & Control and Enterprise Support.Through quantitative and qualitative analysis, CEB TowerGroup’s report provides a customer-driven, transparent and unbiased review of technology, designed to drive informed business decisions. The CEB TowerGroup analyst report identified vendors based on expert opinion, product maturity, size of installations and technological innovation.“Cardlytics’ recognition as a best-in-class technology provider further validates our product’s merits within the card loyalty industry,” said Scott Grimes, CEO of Cardlytics. “Large scale adoption of sophisticated marketing and analytics platforms based on bank transaction data is providing banks with a proven consumer engagement and retention tool as well as a new revenue channel. As more financial institutions look to card loyalty technology this report will be instrumental in helping them design thorough requirements criteria.”Financial institutions increase customer loyalty and activity through a simple program managed by Cardlytics that delivers significantly greater consumer engagement and advertiser return on investment than traditional online and off-line media.
- Increase card usage
- 4% increase in the average number of trips (transactions) from customers who have redeemed
- 4% increase in the average monthly spend from customers who have redeemed
- Increase in online banking usage 16% improvement in the total number of logins for customers who activated an offer
“As financial service executives evaluate new IT products to support their business needs, many are overwhelmed by the volume of technologies available,” said CEB TowerGroup executive director Aaron Kissel. “CEB TowerGroup analysts are uniquely qualified to evaluate such a broad range of financial services technology tools and to help financial institutions navigate the increasingly complex landscape.”


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Netflix has begun trialling video games in Poland on the country’s Play mobile network.
In a tweet, the company said: “Let’s talk about Netflix games. Starting today, users in Poland can try out two mobile games on Android: Stranger Things 1984 and Stranger Things 3. We are at an early stage and we still have a lot of work to do in the coming months, but this is our first step”.
The video games, which are in Polish, do not include any ads or paid extras and are offered free of charge to Netflix customers.
They will also become available on iOS in the next few months.


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Nike acquired NFT studio RTFKT.
RTFKT is a studio specializing in the creation of collectibles for the metaverse, which gained popularity after creating a digital collection of sports sneakers
RTFKT co-founder Chris Lee shared that Nike has “always been an inspiration” for the startup team.
Nike noted that it intends to develop an “innovative and creative community”, as well as expand the digital presence and capabilities of the firm.
CEO John Donahue said: “This acquisition is another step forward in accelerating Nike’s digital transformation and serving athletes and creators at the intersection of sports, creativity, games and culture.”


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Holiday World will be a lot different when it reopens next week
One of Indiana's biggest attractions is getting ready to reopen to the public for its 74th season.
Holiday World will be welcoming guests back inside the park on June 17.
New protocols are being put in place to help keep visitors safe from COVID-19.
President and CEO Matt Eckert said when guests enter the park, things are going to look different.
"When you come through the gates you're going to see plexiglass separating our guests and you're going to see all of our employees wearing masks," said Eckert.
Before you can enter the park, visitors are required to buy tickets online. This helps control social distancing and the 50% capacity cap.
Something else you'll see is a lot of sanitizing stations.
"We're going to have 90 hand sanitizer stations throughout the park, so before you get on a ride and before you go to eat you'll be able to sanitize your hands," said Eckert.
Visitors will even be able to wait in line for a ride virtually.
Using a new system, they can pull up all the park's attractions on their smart phone, choose a ride and they'll be notified when their ride time is coming up.
"Lets say you picked the raven and there's a 25 minute wait, we will text you 15 minutes before your ride time so you can report to that attraction," said Eckert.
Working closely with the state, CDC and local health department, Eckert said it's their priority to keep families safe.
"I have three kids of my own," said Eckert. "I wouldn't ask guests to come into a place where I wasn't comfortable bringing my children."
Guests are not required to wear masks but it is recommended.
Splashin' Safari is expected to open on July 4.
For more information on Holiday World's protocols, click here.


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In 2012, the FDA banned bisphenol-A or BPA from infant formula packaging. Bottled water companies soon followed suit to eliminate BPA in their products. Despite the ban and decrease in use, there’s still a high risk of chemicals found in plastic water bottles. People who want to reach their eight-glasses-of-water-a-day goal may be surprised by their healthy habit may actually make them ill depending on their water source.
After evaluating 18 bottled water products, one study found nearly 25,000 chemicals in bottled water. Among these were endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), like BPA, which adversely affect human health. Furthermore, the FDA has started regulating bottled water for E. coli, and studies have revealed bottle water samples also containing mold, benzene, microbes, and in some cases, arsenic.
- Symptoms of E. coli exposure include gastrointestinal problems, vomiting, diarrhea, as well as headaches and fatigue.
- Mold causes several health problems including coughing, throat and eye irritation, and allergic reactions that may affect the respiratory system, induce asthma and lead to other immune-related conditions.
- Benzene is categorized as a human carcinogen and carries a long-term effect on the blood. It can eventually cause a decrease in red blood cells, negatively affect the immune system, and at high levels, can cause vomiting, dizziness, and rapid heart rate.
The effects of plastic containers on health are a result of exposure to any mix of toxins and chemicals, and include a range of symptoms and conditions. Even trace amounts could impact the body and worsen over time. It is crucial to understand the different indicators of water quality to make sure your water is safe for you and your loved ones drinking it.
A recent study done by the State University of New York in Fredonia shows that there are excessive levels of microplastics in bottled water, especially in popular brands. Microplastics are small plastic debris pieces measuring 5 millimeters or smaller. Microplastic is found in over 93% of bottled water and while The World Health Organization says that there is no evidence consumption of microplastics affect your health, it is still an area of concern.


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Source: ET Bureau
As India Inc increasingly works from home to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, demand for WiFi equipment has more than doubled in the last two weeks leading to a supply crunch, with even the rental ecosystem for devices becoming a hit.
“The market dynamics has completely changed as we are unable to provide for the 60% surge in demand for new connections and devices,” said Neetu Chowdhary, Director of network solution provider Esprim Systems.
Wifi dongles are being sold at Rs 100-250 premium while requests for new home broadband connections have increased by 40%, a Delhi-based retailer said. “Stocks of popular wireless equipments such as JioFi 4G, Tenda, Asus and Netgear are nearing end and at this momentum, companies might hike prices soon,” he added.
Companies did not respond to ET’s query on price hikes. Telecom operators Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel said that they have not hiked prices of their dongles and 4G hotspots but offline retailers in smaller pockets might be selling at a premium at their own discretion. Not just that, innovative retailers are even renting out dongles. “Due to uncertainty around when employees will get back to work, people are inclining towards renting a dongle,” said Rashmi Mittal, a store owner in Delhi. “We are offering a JioFi 4G hotspot along with a SIM card and unlimited data at Rs 50 per day and Rs 1400 per month,” she added.
India has 19 million fixed line broadband users which include enterprises and offices and 17 million home fixed line broadband users. On the other hand, there are over 640 million mobile broadband users accessing it through a 4G smartphone/dongle and other such devices, according to data from research firm TechArc.
Consequently, there has been a sharp increase in SIM card requests which people are using for Wifi dongles, added retailers. A pan-India broadband provider who did not wish to be identified said that it will hike monthly bills of its high-speed plans for its existing users in tier-1 and tier-2 cities, depending on usage.


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Kakuzi Plc has announced a Ksh171. 1 million half-year pretax profit on the back of an increase in sales of avocado to China and Europe.
The firm enjoyed a more than double profit lift against its avocado export business, which posted Ksh 655 million growth, up from Ksh289 million posted last year.
The rise in earnings came amid a difficult trading period for the listed firm due to the prevailing macadamia glut in the global market.
Kakuzi managing director Chris Flowers said the firm’s bottom line had been impacted by a Ksh329 million sectoral loss from its macadamia business.
While the macadamia business slowed, Kakuzi’s avocado sales accelerated, with exports to Europe and China peaking with further growth expected in this year’s second half as exports to Malaysia and India following the opening up of new markets in India and Malaysia.
To mitigate further losses in the macadamia business, Kakuzi, he said, is currently pursuing a value-addition strategy that will see the firm market the produce locally.
“The global macadamia glut continues to affect all leading international exporters from Kenya, Australia and South Africa. To mitigate the losses, we have adopted a local marketing strategy geared at availing value added Macadamia products, including ready-to-eat nuts, macadamia flour and cold-pressed oil,” Mr Flowers said.
Kakuzi Chairman Nick Ng’ang’a said the firm is committed to a shared prosperity business model that prioritises all stakeholder needs.
Early this month, Kakuzi adopted a new corporate identity that underscores its commitments to agricultural development for the domestic and export markets.
The new Kakuzi brand is aligned with the national agricultural transformation agenda, with sustainability and climate-smart agriculture at its core.
The new Kakuzi identity, the firm’s first defined brand visual system and strategy in 95 years, also signifies a transition to the contemporary world of superfoods growing for both the domestic and export markets based on a strategic decision to prioritise the production of such foods.


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Disney+ Hotstar will begin streaming in Malaysia from the 1st of June 2021. Astro has been appointed as an official distributor and you can enjoy Disney+ Hotstar content with the Movies Pack subscription.
According to Astro, Movies Pack customers can stream world-class entertainment on Disney+ Hotstar for an additional RM5 per month. Non-Movies Pack customers will also enjoy Disney+ Hotstar through other attractive value bundles. The subscription will be charged in a single Astro bill.
This means all existing Movies Pack customers will be billed RM5/month extra from 1st June regardless if you’re interested to subscribe Disney+ Hotstar. According to the FAQ, they reserve the right to make price revisions to their packages and customers will be informed starting today. Customers who don’t wish to get Disney+ Hotstar may opt out from the Movies pack.
To enjoy Disney+ Hotstar without Astro, the streaming platform costs RM54.90 for 3 months, which is about RM18.30/month. It’s available for both Android and iOS devices as well as compatible Smart TVs.
Astro has added that they are working towards making Disney+ Hotstar available via the Ultra and Ulti connected boxes later this year which provides a one-stop entertainment convenience. That means Astro subscribers would currently need to use their mobile, tablet, computer, or a compatible Smart TV to watch their Disney+ Hotstar content.
Henry Tan, Group Chief Executive Officer of Astro, said, “We are delighted to be an official distributor of Disney+ Hotstar in Malaysia and to aggregate more world class content on our platform. Soon customers can enjoy the dazzling line-up from Disney+ Hotstar in addition to the much-loved Astro hits, local signatures, award-winning originals and unparalleled live sports, making us the undisputed entertainment destination for Malaysians.”
Commenting on the partnership, David Shin, General Manager, The Walt Disney Company Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, said, “We are excited to launch Disney+ Hotstar in Malaysia for the consumers and also collaborate closely with Astro to deliver powerful entertainment with heart. From iconic Disney classics, to brand-new Disney+ Original series, Malaysian hits from homegrown creators, filmmakers and talent and Asian series and films, there is something for everyone of all ages.”
Starting from today, customers can sign up for Movies Pack which will come with Disney+ Hotstar on 1st June 2021. If you’re interested, you can sign up online.
Editor’s Note: Post has been updated to reflect that all Astro Movies Pack customers will get Disney+ Hotstar bundled in automatically. Customers will have to pay RM5 per month extra from 1st June 2021.


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In Sunday’s segment on Sky News Australia (Weekend Edition with Tim Gilbert) we asked the question; where was the big drone show on New Year’s Eve? Drone swarms have been growing in popularity around the globe but Sydney wasn’t keen on using the technology to see in the new year. We loved the fireworks but why didn’t we see drones as well?
HOLLYWOOD EDITING SOFTWARE NOW AVAILABLE ON IPAD
If you just bought the new M2 iPad Pro, you now have the best tablet in the world. Because you can smoothly run Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve for free. It’s nothing short of amazing that this works on an iPad. Resolve can be used for home movies, social videos or Hollywood blockbusters. Apple’s new M1/M2 chips make it possible.
DaVinci Resolve Colour is an industry standard and although there’s a simple cut page included in the iPad version, there’s a simple hack that gives you access to all the pages you can use on the desktop version.
CES IS ALMOST HERE
CES starts in Las Vegas this week and it sets the tech schedule for the year. Cars, and lots of them, will be on show at CES 2023. Personal and public transport have become the big categories at CES over the last few years. Last year we had the BMW that changed its paint job on demand, the Avatar inspired Mercedes concept car and of course there’ll be the usual stuff – like TVs, drones, robots and food tech.
Tim started an off the cuff discussion about gaming after making use of an old PS4 I had sitting around doing nothing in storage. I was happy to see the console in a new home and even happier to see how well it had been received. Tim talks about how the PS4 transformed his lounge room over Christmas, as he and the kids enjoy the gaming experience. I went through some tips to make the gaming experience a happy and family friendly one. Happy to say that the Gilbert’s are on the right track.
Credit to Sony for making a long-lived machine. There’s a massive back catalogue of games and more are being made – potentially until 2025. The PS5 is a superior console but many people won’t know the difference because they’re not gaming side by side with the devices. The PS4 is cheaper and there’s a growing second-hand market as people upgrade to the PS5.


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FCA Recalls 210,000 Vehicles From Around the Globe Due to Brake Performance
Of the recalled vehicles, 154,000 are in the United States, and include Jeep SUVs, Dodge CUVs, and minivans.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles issued a recall for 210,000 vehicles across several markets due to brake performance issues. The autos in question reportedly need their brakes bled. An estimated 154,000 of the recalls are in the U.S. alone.
Affected models include 2018 Dodge Journey crossovers, 2018 and 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan minivans, 2018 and 2019 Jeep Compass SUVs, and 2019 Jeep Cherokee SUVs. An estimated 154,337 of these vehicles can be found in the United States, approximately a third of which are said to still be on dealer lots. Another 19,066 vehicles in Canada, 900 in Mexico, and 35,562 in other markets outside the NAFTA region are also subject to the recall.
According to FCA, affected vehicles use below-specification parts accidentally installed to vehicles in spring of this year. It claims that in new, low-mileage vehicles, bubbles may form within the brake system's hydraulic fluid, which will increase stopping distances but not prevent the brakes from functioning.
"We discovered [the] defect in consultation with [our] supplier," an FCA spokesperson told The Drive in an email. "But we are not naming [said] supplier because we don't discuss supplier relationships in this context."
FCA has issued at least 6.3 million recall notices in 2018. Approximately 5.9 million of these are split between a cruise control fault recall in May that affected 4.8 million, and a Ram tailgate locking issue that impacted 1.1 million vehicles. About 162,000 Chrysler Pacifica minivans were recalled in January for stalling problems, and nearly 50,000 Jeep Cherokees were recalled in May for fire risk. FCA's high recall rate also landed four of its products on a top-ten list of the most-recalled car models in May.
FCA claims there are no known complaints, accidents, or injuries as a result of this brake issue. The automaker urges owners of affected vehicles to visit a dealership or service center, or contact FCA U.S. Customer Care Center at 1-800-853-1403 to have the issue addressed.


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The government will have to be mindful of the movement in prices, and monitor it item by item to rein in prices, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.
“We will have to be mindful and watchful abhow the price movement is. I will keep monitoring item by item to rein in prices for anything that goes haywire. This pointed attack on inflation will need to continue,” Sitharaman said.
Data released Tuesday showed India’s retail inflation marginally easing in June to 7.01 per cent from 7.04 per cent in May, however the consumer price index-based inflation remained well above the Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC) medium-term target of 4 (+/-2) per cent for the sixth consecutive month.
Based on the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) assessment, inflation is seen gradually easing in the second half of 2022-23. This precludes the chances of inflation having a hard landing in India, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das had said last week.
“As the RBI has estimated, till the start of the second half of the year, both RBI and government will have to be mindful,” Sitharaman said Tuesday.
The rising inflation has prompted the Monetary Policy Committee to revise its inflation projection for 2022-23 in June to 6.7 per cent on the back of evolving geopolitical developments.
About three-fourths of the revision in June was due to geopolitical spillovers to food prices which led to the RBI increasing the policy repo rate by 40 bps and 50 bps in May and June, respectively.
In June inflation was partly contained as the centre announced cut in taxes on petrol and diesel, and imposed restrictions on food exports.
The finance minister also said that she sees monsoon being favourable for agriculture. The production is expected to be good and rural demand is seen remaining intact, Sitharaman said.


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The unique number of nonfungible token (NFT) buyers in February dipped below 800,000 for the first time since October, and search volume for nonfungibles also dropped significantly.
According to data from CryptoSlam, there were 796,009 NFT buyers on secondary markets in February (down 12% compared to January) that accounted for roughly $2.6 billion worth of sales (down 40% on the month before).
However, a caveat is that January was a massive month for NFTs, suggesting the decreases in February are simply part of a relatively healthy pullback. January saw a record number of unique secondary NFT buyers at 904,13, and OpenSea also posted record sales volume in January, totaling around $5 billion before pulling back to around $3 billion last month.
Looking at Google Trends, however, it appears that global keyword search volume for “NFTs” has also dropped significantly. Over the past week, interest has dropped roughly 60-70% from the heights of late January (Jan. 23- Jan.29).
The United States represents the most interest globally at the time of writing while Japan currently shows the lowest interest in NFTs out of 61 nations, despite local tech and telecommunications giant Rakuten launching an NFT marketplace late last month.
NFT proponent and managing partner of NFT investment fund Sfermion Andrew Steinwold likened the current pullback to the bull market and subsequent crash of 2017/2018, as he questioned whether interest would pick back up again anytime soon.
Worldwide NFT search volume fell off a cliff
Reminds me A LOT of the crypto 2017 bull market and subsequent 2018 bear market
How long will the disinterest last until it starts to pick back up? Or will it? pic.twitter.com/4iQxcpLuYP March 2, 2022
The Russian and Ukrainian conflict may have also shifted the focus to cryptocurrencies, as global attention appears to have shifted to use cases such as digital payments, fundraising and storing value amid uncertain times.
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), led by crypto-skeptical Chairman Gary Gensler, is reportedly investigating nonfungible token (NFT) creators and marketplaces for securities violations, according to a report from Bloomberg.
Anonymous sources in the report claimed that the SEC is investigating whether “certain nonfungible tokens […] are being utilized to raise money like traditional securities.”
Throughout the last few months, attorneys from the SEC’s enforcement unit have reportedly sent subpoenas demanding information on specific NFTs and other token offerings.
While crypto lending products have been the subject of great regulatory scrutiny over the past year, this report marks a major move into investigating the NFT sector. The inquiry shows that the SEC is taking a particular interest in how fractional NFTs are being used. That‘s where a more valuable NFT is tokenized into smaller pieces and onsold.
The warning signs have been clear for a while with Hester Peirce, also known as Crypto Mom, stating back in March 2021 that selling fractionalized NFTs could be breaking the law.
“You better be careful that you’re not creating something that’s an investment product — that is a security.”
This investigation is the latest in a wave of clampdowns that seek to govern the cryptocurrency market more firmly. Most recently, the SEC ordered that New Jersey-based crypto lending company BlockFi pay a record fine of $100 million for failing to list “high-yield” lending products as securities.
While Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) have been able to avoid scrutiny owing to the fact that they aren’t considered securities by the SEC — at least, not yet — other digital assets have not enjoyed the same reprieve. Unlike the case with Ripple Labs the parent company of Ripple (XRP), which has been embroiled in a legal case overselling “unregistered securities” since late 2020.
Chinese tech conglomerate Tencent has filed for a virtual concerts patent with the Chinese National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), according to business data-tracker Qichacha. The application comes as Chinese companies race to secure metaverse trademarks.
The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) took a strong stance against the Metaverse and nonfungible tokens (NFTs) in November, stating that it would track them with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) tools. However, according to the Chinese news outlet The Paper, more than a thousand Chinese companies have submitted over 16,000 metaverse-related trademark applications.
Despite the warnings, the Chinese multinational technology and video-game colossus Tencent has been leading China’s charge into the Metaverse.
According to the South China Morning Post, sources claim that Tencent sent out an internal letter to its employees in October last year, concerning the creation of a new “F1” studio under its subsidiary, TiMi Studios, that will involve employees from China, the United States, Canada and Singapore.
On December 31 of last year, Tencent held China’s first-ever virtual concert in the Metaverse, a New Years celebration called TMELAND which saw over 1.1 million fans join in over the duration of the festival. Tencent has also acquired Los Angeles-based animated concert company Wave, which uses motion-capture technology to create realistic virtual concerts.
This Daily Dose was brought to you by Cointelegraph.


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With more than 16 million cars on the streets in Indonesia per day, the automotive servicing industry in the country is now worth around US$16 billion. It is ripe for massive disruption, as auto repair and service shops across the nation are riddled with internal and customer experience problems.
These can range from car owners receiving fake spare parts to being greatly overcharged by service providers in general. Meanwhile, the repair service providers themselves (the vast majority of which are MSMEs) suffer from other pain points. They must routinely cope with inconsistent lead generation, a lack of organization and efficiency in their back office bookkeeping, and a misunderstanding of how to accurately forecast things like revenue and demand.
Today, we are excited to be joined by Martin Reyhan, co-founder and CEO of Otoklix. Otoklix is an O2O auto servicing platform that has helped thousands of independent workshops in Indonesia source customers and operate more effectively.


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Crocs CEO to retire as Blackstone takes $200 million stake
(c) 2013, Bloomberg News.
Crocs Chief Executive Officer John McCarvel will retire and Blackstone Group will invest $200 million in convertible preferred stock as the maker of colorful plastic clogs struggles to regain lost popularity.
The shoemaker will use the funds to increase stock repurchases to $350 million, Niwot, Colo.-based Crocs said in a statement. McCarvel will step down on or about April 30.
Crocs has been trying to revive its fortunes after consumers tired of its trademark clogs, knockoffs cut into sales and U.S. consumer spending slumped. The Blackstone investment comes after Crocs attempted to find a buyer for the whole company, people familiar with the situation said in November.
"We've been unable to repurchase stock while negotiating this transaction, but we now expect to do so beginning in the first quarter of 2014," Jeff Lasher, chief financial officer, said in the statement. The buybacks will reduce publicly traded common stock by about 30 percent, Lasher said.
Blackstone will be restricted from acquiring more than 25 percent of Crocs common shares until a time frame expires for appointing board directors, the shoe manufacturer said in a filing. Crocs will pay $2 million as a closing fee and reimburse as much as $4 million of Blackstone's transaction fees and expenses once the preferred-stock sale is concluded, it said.
McCarvel, who took the helm in March 2010, expanded the company's products to include other styles of footwear and opened new stores. The shares have declined 7.4 percent this year in New York trading, compared with a 29 percent gain in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.
The board has begun an outside search for McCarvel's replacement, according to the statement.
Calls to the offices of Crocs and Blackstone seeking comment weren't immediately returned outside U.S. business hours.
The preferred shares that Blackstone acquired have a 6 percent cash dividend rate and are convertible to common stock at $14.50 a share, Crocs said.
"We will focus on improving financial performance, particularly in the Americas and Japan, as well as enhancing our global retail execution," Thomas Smach, Croc's chairman, said in the statement. "We may moderate the pace of our investments in new retail stores."
Crocs said it expects fourth-quarter revenue to be at the low end of the previously provided guidance range of $220 million to $225 million. Diluted loss per share will probably be at the higher end of the 20 cents and 23 cents range projected, according to the statement. That compares with the 19 cents-a- share loss average of nine analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
The shoemaker also expects aggregate charges of $47 million to $52 million in the fourth quarter, or an additional loss per diluted share of $0.45 to $0.50, according to the statement. The charges take into account additional costs such as expenses related to the Blackstone transaction and asset impairments.
Further restructuring charges may be necessary in 2014, Crocs said.


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U.S. food industry feels effects of “Day without immigrants” protest – updated
By Canadian Packaging staffGeneral Day without immigrants protest global challeneges for food industry U.S. president Donald Trump
Some segments of food industry reported a disruption of business, others not so much.
The protest “day without immigrants” that encouraged immigrants in the U.S. to not go into work on Thursday, February 16, 2017 was felt throughout the food industry.
Whether it was fewer people working at a meat processing plant, food concession chains and grocery stores closing the door for the day at Taco Bell, Sbarro’s and Starbucks, longer lines and delays at coffee shops, or restaurants voluntarily closing down for the day in support for the call to “inaction”, the point was made to protest against newly-elected U.S. president Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
The point of the one-day protest was to show the impact of immigrants on the U.S, economy, as even the absenteeism of immigrant babysitters would effect the ability of some family members being able to go to work.
The protest does present a blurring of the lines as to what it is really about—protesting about immigrants being needed to supply labor in the U.S. or illegal immigrants supplying labor in the U.S.
Other similar one-day protests are reportedly in the works in the U.S., including a similar day without immigrants protest on May 1, and one involving all women sometime in March.
Canadian food processors also felt the affects of the “day without immigrants” protest, with costly delays at the U.S. – Canada border, as well as a lack of product being shipped to Canadian processors causing havok all the way through to the customer who can not present enough product to the consumer unable to purchase what they want.
Regardless of who media wants to spin the results of the American protest, its effects were felt in Canada, which means it definitely was felt in the United States of America.
Image purchased via www.thinkstock.com.


text: This one’s been expected and rumored for a long time. Now it’s official: Blockbuster has initiated “pre-arranged” chapter 11 proceedings. Under the plan, Blockbuster’s debt would be reduced from $1 billion to about $100 million when implemented. The press release states that Blockbuster is currently evaluating its US store portfolio as part of the recapitalization process. For the time being, all 3,000 stores will remain open. However, we’ve been told by a trusted tipster that up to 1,000 could be shed before things are said and done. Now make no mistake, Blockbuster is still open and wants you to know that it’s business as usual during the restructuring — the details of which you can read in the press release after the break.


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Crypto Crash welcome to our related content.
Crash Ftx, Crypto ftx. – The market is crashing and Bitcoin is plummeting.
Engcrypto Crash Today
Engcrypto Crash Today, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are crashing after reaching all-time highs. This is a huge problem for those who hold these digital goods, as the value of them has decreased significantly.
Crypto Live, Cryptocurrencies have been in a sort of free fall since 2017, with a number of projects and startups selling their assets for very low prices. The biggest crash came in August 2018, when Bitcoin went from $19,000 to $6,000 in just 24 hours.
Crypto Crash Coming
Crypto Crash Coming, Cryptocurrencies are facing a major crash, with some exchanges suspending trading and investors panicking. This could lead to a financial disaster for the industry.
Crypto Crash 2022
Crypto Crash 2022, Crypto 2022: Industry experts warn of the dangers of digital currencies
The global cryptocurrency market is facing a major crash in 2022, according to industry experts. This will cause widespread havoc in the industry, as investors lose all their money. The crash could also lead to new regulations being put into place, which could have a negative impact on the overall economy.
Crypto Crash Recovery
Crypto Crash Recovery, Crypto are a common occurrence, and the recovery process can be difficult. This article provides tips for recovering from a crypto.
Why Is Crypto And Will It Recover
Why Is And Will It Recover, Cryptocurrencies have been crashing recently, with some causing a global market and others recovering. The reason for the crashes is still unknown, but it is likely due to a combination of factors. Some experts believe that blockchain technology may be to blame for the crashes, as it is seen as too complex and risky for many investors. However, other experts believe that the crashes are simply due to over-speculation on cryptocurrencies and their potential future value.
We continue to produce content for you. You can search through the Google search engine.


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If you are a regular follower of Kickstarter, you’ll know that the website has just finished with funding for arguably one of the biggest projects of 2013. We too have been keeping a close eye on the site and you won’t need us to tell you about the game we are talking about – Mighty No.9.
The Mega Man inspired retro platformer has just finished with the month-long funding via Kickstarter and if you didn’t already know, the game has exceeded Comcast’s expectations and has smashed every stretch goal thrown at consumers.
For a small project that initially asked for $900,000 in return for a 2D PC platformer, it has now been officially confirmed that Mighty No.9 is on the way to current-gen home consoles, but more importantly – PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo 3DS and PS Vita as well.
It truly is fantastic news, since the game is looking amazing – even based on a 10 second test gameplay trial highlighting the recently announced Unreal Engine that will be used to build the game. Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune is naturally delighted with the way things have turned out, even gaining the support of many current and previous employees at Capcom – Inafune’s old place of work.
There’s no release date for the game yet, but it is very refreshing to think that we’ll now see Mighty No.9 on next-gen consoles as well as Vita and 3DS. Who knows, perhaps even some cross-platform gameplay between the PS4 and PS Vita versions? Asking for cross-buy on this game may seem a little cheeky during this early stage.
With development now sure to be pushing forward, let us know what your expectations of the game are. Are you fully convinced that Mighty No.9 can end up as one of the big hits of 2014? How many of you regret not funding the project now?
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