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There’s usually something at the cause of a shift in pattern, and looking past Black Friday’s whirlwind, there was a definite shift in consumer…
The question of how to get 3D technology into every living room and a tablet computer into every hand is set to dominate Asia’s largest IT fair which opens in Taiwan next week.
Around 1,800 exhibitors from across the world will descend on Taipei for the Computex fair, which runs from Tuesday to Sunday, hoping to generate an estimated $23 billion of sales from 36,000 buyers, organisers say.
Under the slogan “Shaping the future!” the fair will showcase a cascade of new products designed to stir the interest of tech-savvy consumers.
3D is expected to take centre stage, as the technology becomes cheaper and migrates from multiplex cinemas to ordinary homes.
“In the past, the resolution of the TV displays was low, and people could only watch 3D movies in the theatre, where they also had to wear goggles,” said Stephen Jeng, secretary-general of the 3D Interaction and Display Alliance.
“But now, equipped with Blu-ray 3D players, people can see movies at home on their own TVs.”
Most exhibitors are tight-lipped over what new gadgets they will unveil at the show, hoping the element of surprise will add to the impact among potential customers.
But among technologies confirmed to be on display is one developed by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), a semi-official research body in Taiwan, allowing 2D and 3D to be showed alongside each other on displays.
Another example of what’s in store is The HoloAD, a box-like device developed by Taiwan-based company Innovision, which allows a three-dimensional display for advertisements.
The development of 3D content remains slow due to high production costs, but forecasts for the sector are bullish.
In 2011 up to 12.9 million TV sets with built-in 3D may be sold worldwide, up from 3.5 million last year, according to a forecast from ITRI.
Last year’s global sales of 3D TV panels accounted for 2.1 percent of the total number of panels sold worldwide, according to the institute which expects the figure to treble this year before soaring to over 50 percent by 2015.
Technology giants such as Samsung of South Korea and Japan’s Sony have already released 3D televisions sets, and Taiwan players are expected to follow later this year.
Taiwanese manufacturers BenQ and Chimei both plan to launch 3D televisions in 2011.
Chimei Innolux Corp, a leading liquid crystal display panel maker, is one of the Taiwan high-tech companies now tying a major part of its revenue stream to the new format.
“Our 3D display sales in China, largely for use in desktop monitors and TV sets, will account for 20 percent of total shipments there,” said spokeswoman Loreta Chen.
The other hot new sector to be showcased at Computex is the tablet computer, which has seen a proliferation of brands hit the market since Apple’s groundbreaking iPad was released in April last year.
This trend is spawning whole new industries, such as a solar power-generating cover for iPad-type devices and e-books, developed by Portable Solar Power, based in the Taipei area.
“Since the iPad was put on the market, it has swept the world, and demand will be even stronger this year,” said Chang Li from the Taipei Computer Association which co-hosts the annual event.
“But Apple’s competitors are not likely to sit idle and let Apple keep dominating the market,” he said.
“They definitely will work together with manufacturers to vie for a big slice of the market share. We estimate that at least 50 models of tablets will be on display at the show.”
Competitors have rushed to cash in on soaring demand for tablets, a trend that has eaten into PC sales.
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab is the best-selling rival to the iPad and Research in Motion is the latest to join the fray, with the release in April of its Blackberry PlayBook. — AFP


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Please note: playing the audio version of this story in proximity to an Amazon smart speaker could trigger the device.
It remains to be seen whether smart speakers like those sold by Google and Amazon will have a transformative impact in our lives. But some 47 million people in the U.S. have already accepted Amazon’s Echo into their homes.
In addition to information on a vast array of topics, and the ability to manage your lights or thermostat, the speaker in your kitchen of bedroom also contains a powerful microphone. And though it’s supposed to remain asleep until we awaken it, a woman in Portland, Oregon recently discovered that her family’s Echo device had recorded a conversation between her and her husband, and sent it to someone in their contact list without their knowledge.
Murat Kantarcioglu is a professor of computer science at the University of Texas at Dallas. He says he doesn’t use smart speakers because of potential privacy threats.
“In this scenario, the company claims that there was a bug…and that it’s a very rare case,” Kantarcioglu says. “But in the future, hackers and others can try to hack into these devices, and they can try to record entire conversations.”
Kantarcioglu says a device with the ability to record your conversation could overhear a call with your bank or health care provider, obtaining sensitive personal and financial information you would not wish to share.
Recording of the Portland woman’s conversation by an Echo device probably was caused by a glitch in the device, rather than a function intentionally enabled by Amazon, Kantarcioglu says. Such a glitch is subject to exploitation by a hacker, who could, for example, bypass the need for the Echo owner to say “Alexa” before recording begins. Or, he says, a hack could simulate the trigger word, causing the device to start recording at a time of the hacker’s choosing.
To protect yourself from unintended recording by smart speakers, Kantarcioglu says the only sure method is to unplug smart speaker devices. If you want to continue using them, consider placing the speaker in a part of your home where you’re less likely to engage in conversations you don’t want recorded.
You can also reduce risks by limiting the speaker’s connectivity to the outside world: don’t enable making phone calls, and don’t share your contact list with the device.
Written by Shelly Brisbin.

domain: news


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In “Warped Kart Racers” you can climb into the small racing car with figures from Seth MacFarlane
Fallout shelter is a post-apocalyptic bunker simulator where you need to build various types of buildings
New strategy Fallout Shelter designed for mobile platforms and is a quality version of the game that “
More recently, Fallout fans have witnessed the release of a new version of it, just intended for mobile
In support of the 4 version of the Fallout game, Besthesda does not warn any media source, releases a
Fallout shelter – A video game that has been downloaded and experienced by a lot of people.
Fallout Shelter is a mobile game that has been released recently. But unlike other “jumped” from a computer
Fallout Shelter is the mobile version of the video game. It belongs to the Fallout strategy series and
Today there are a lot of games for mobile devices that have moved from the computer. Most of them are
For the first time, Fallout Shelter was discussed at the E 2015 conference. Its presentation was also
Relatively recently, the project became available to everyone. Of course, it falls short of a simulator
Fallout shelter – This is a version of the game for smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices.
Quite recently Fallout Shelter strategy was presented to the world. It happened quite unexpectedly.
The version of the game Fallout Shelter came out without much noise and grand advertisements.
Very unexpectedly for everyone at a press conference, Bethesda announced the release Fallout Shelter
Fallout shelter was released in June this year at the E 2015 conference by Bethesda. It is free and easily
In Fallout Shelter, lids are one of the most important resources. They allow you to revive the deceased
Fallout Shelter is a mobile game released by Bethesda. It was presented without too much promotion and


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On Wednesday Kenya Revenue Authority seized cannabis oil filled in 26 cartridges and hashish is five one gram sachets at JKIA Nairobi.
The drugs were declared as candy and sent via courier and hidden in a package of vitamin tablets.
Customs and border control commissioner Julius Musyoki said that the goods were taken through scanning and verification before the discovery.
“The drugs were seized by KRA Customs Enforcement Officers during a routine check by the K9 team at the Cargo Centre (KQ) Shed,” Said Musyoki. Samples of the shipment were later taken to the customs laboratory for further testing.
Also read:K24 presenter calls it quit
In addition to that, Mr. Musyoki also confirmed that they have increased customes and border control through addition K9 units and five more police dogs.
The additional re-enforcement is to cover baggage and cargo areas at the Mombasa Port, airports and Inland Container Deport in Embakassi.


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The winner of the 2020 Big Brother Naija reality TV show, Laycon has become a force to reckon with in the Nigeria’s entertainment sector. Since winning the reality show, Laycon have bagged several endorsement deals with reputable brands. The reality TV star is also under a political appointment with the Ogun state government as a youth Ambassador.
To the crux of the matter, Laycon bagged a deal with an international candy brand known as Mentos. The deal was announced via the official social media accounts of Laycon and Mentos Nigeria. Laycon is also the first African Ambassador for the brand.
It is worthy of note that Laycon bagged the deal with a brand that has Neymar and DJ. Khaled as their brand Ambassador. This really stirred up excitement amongst Laycon’s fans known as the Icons.
Laycon and Neymar:


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By now, publishers are used to Facebook’s endless pivots. Typically, they complain, and then adjust, and then wait for the next pivot to arrive, at which point the process starts over again. But adjusting to their latest pivot might prove to be a challenge. This time, Meta is effectively saying Facebook no longer needs publishers at all, and is cutting funding altogether for its news deals.
To quote Meta itself: “Most people do not come to Facebook for news, and as a business it doesn’t make sense to over-invest in areas that don’t align with user preferences.” So a spokesperson told Axios, in a piece about Facebook ending a program of paying publishers for News Tab content. This announcement comes in the context of a larger shift for Facebook, away from classic “social networking” towards algorithm-driven video content.
This is, of course, just the latest instance of Facebook’s ambivalence towards publishers. Yes, Meta is cutting the funding and pivoting to compete with TikTok, but is also likely in anticipation of a series of pieces of legislation across the globe, from Australia to the US, that will ultimately require payment for the news, anyways. But it sends a clear message: news is not a priority.
Publishers, then, are at a crossroads: they can continue to try and play Facebook’s game, with ever-diminishing returns—or they can light out on their own and start cultivating their own communities, away from Facebook’s influence.
Fill the void: Make your platform a social platform for news
Facebook pivoting away from news isn’t just a problem for publishers: it’s a problem for readers. Some users might prefer viral short-form clips, but there remains a massive audience for actual journalism––and that audience, under Facebook’s new regime, is going to be direly underserved. In that sense, Facebook’s pivot presents a real opportunity: with Facebook effectively abdicating the social news game, publishers can step in to fill the void.
Publishers, of course, have been trying to turn their sites into social destinations for at least a decade. But the big social platforms’ vise grip on discourse has made it difficult. Every publisher knows the frustration of investing resources into your content only to see Facebook reap the rewards in terms of on-site engagement and conversation. With the right tools, publishers now stand a much better chance of keeping that conversation on their own domain.
And it goes beyond conversation. The importance of dynamic, real-time social experiences isn’t news to publishers, but Meta’s latest pivot lends it newfound urgency. Live Blogs and AMAs, regular reader polls, dialogues between journalists and users––this kind of content keeps users coming back again and again, and gives publishers a way to survive without relying on social traffic.
Put all that reader data to use
The goal should be to shorten the distance between your readers and your content. Instead of detouring through Facebook, they come straight to you. Accordingly, you start to learn much more about them: their interests, their on-site habits, what gets them clicking and what sends them off the page. This is the kind of information that platforms like Facebook have always used to optimize engagement and boost revenue. The difference, now, is that you’re the one using that information, and earning the full value of the content you produce.
With past pivots, Facebook has at least paid lip service to the importance of journalism. They’re not even bothering with that anymore. Meta has made its intentions clear. It’s up to publishers to heed the call, and keep building a sustainable future on their own terms.


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A few years ago, the biggest names in tech were choosing global firms as their AORs. But Andrew Gordon finds that this year, the tech tide is turning toward smaller agencies
That thud heard in July was jaws dropping everywhere over the news that, after nearly a decade with global powerhouse Porter Novelli, EMC had selected OutCast Communications - a 30-person, one-office outfit - as its new US agency of record.
Information-storage company EMC was the latest key win for San Francisco-based OutCast, following TiVo's corporate account and Dell's enterprise business. Many wondered why an 800-pound gorilla like EMC would part ways with PN after a healthy, happy relationship to work with a much smaller firm.
And OutCast's situation is not isolated, as small or independent firms have won many hotly contested tech accounts this year.
They include EDS' regional account, Virgin Electronics, Siebel Systems, Applied Materials, RealNetworks, and many others.
What's going on here?
Picking smaller firms
Some say that small firms have made smart moves in terms of personnel. Others say those who sold their agencies to the major players during the tech boom are now running smaller shops that are giving them a run for their money. And still others say that, when it comes to servicing these tech clients, the big agencies still don't have it right.
Just a few years ago, tech's biggest names - Agilent Technologies, Hewlett-Packard, PeopleSoft, and Cisco Systems - were going with global PR firms. This year that seems to be changing, though that's not to say the well has dried up for global firms. Sony Electronics, LG Electronics, Maxtor, and Royal Philips Electronics have awarded accounts to global agencies.
Global firms argue that they can offer a breadth and depth across regions and practices that smaller firms can't touch. Mid-size and boutique firms counter that they aren't beholden to holding companies whose only interest is the bottom line, and that they can offer account teams with greater senior talent and insight than the larger firms.
But clearly the pendulum is starting to swing more in smaller firms' direction these days.
For EMC, choosing a smaller firm was almost accidental.
"We have a very strong and senior internal team here that allows us to make a choice that might not seem like the safest choice," says Marc Fredrickson, corporate communications VP at EMC. "But when we acquired [software maker] VMware, they raved about the work OutCast did [for them]. And we also heard from analysts and reporters about what an exceptional agency they are. It's not too common to hear analysts and reporters praise a PR firm."
Fredrickson adds, "Had they carried the business card of a larger firm, we'd have been just as impressed. But sometimes smaller firms have a more entrepreneurial spirit. This was an eye-opening experience for us."
For others, the selection of smaller firms is more systematic.
"It's cyclical," says Rich Moore, who recently left Edelman as its global tech-practice leader to seek other opportunities working with smaller tech companies. "We've seen this before. The big agencies often have relationships with big companies, and some new firms come along and win some business."
Moore, who was a cofounder of Copithorne & Bellows and had EMC as a client when that firm was acquired by PN, adds that he feels "the best smaller firms have made some pretty smart and savvy moves, whether that's hiring the right people or opening a new office. And now that business is percolating."
A changing environment
The tech-agency landscape is much different from just a few years ago. Wilson McHenry and Niehaus Ryan Wong are gone, and agencies like Copithorne & Bellows, Cunningham Communication, Blanc & Otus, and many others were sold to global firms just before and during the dot-com boom. But many of those that sold during the boom and led global tech practices have either moved on or have taken less involved roles.
Many of the biggest names in tech PR were absorbed into global firms over the last several years, leaving a void, points out Ted Schlein, general partner with venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. As new firms have filled that void, many companies are recognizing that it's ultimately about the people running the account, not the name on the shingle.
Many such firms have made a conscious effort to stay small in order to keep the quality of the people and work high, he adds.
Not that being a boutique firm is synonymous with high-quality work. But many point out that as a firm gets larger, there is more of a focus on the bottom line.
"It will be hard for the global PR companies to keep a culture of innovation that meets the needs of clients and account people," says Larry Weber, founder of The Weber Group and Weber Shandwick, who recently left the Interpublic Group to start his latest venture, the W2 Group.
"The big shops don't have the formula right yet," adds Sheri Benjamin, president of PRSA's Silicon Valley chapter. Benjamin left WS late last year as president of its US tech practice. She sold her firm to BSMG in 1999. "You need the right mix of talent, creative strategy, good solid tactical execution, and reasonable pricing," she says. "Many big tech companies went with big firms because the pricing was so attractive."
But some clients say they have no preference of sizes.
"We didn't enter the selection process with any predetermined sense of whether we wanted a large or small agency," says Eric Armstrong, director of public and analyst relations at Citrix Systems, which selected A&R Partners. "It seemed like the smaller agencies invested more in the RFIs and the presentations, and consequently, they appeared to have more interest in earning Citrix as a client."
Armstrong adds, "I think that is why smaller agencies are doing well. The client has access to all the top people in the agency, and the agency is quick to respond."
When Sony sought a firm to handle consumer electronics, size was not an issue either, says Gretchen Griswold, corporate communications director. Sony selected Ruder Finn because it presented a team that could handle the work and had the right chemistry, energy, and drive.
While RF's San Francisco office, Ruder Finn/Switzer, is made up mostly of staff from Switzer Communications, which the larger agency bought in February 2003, that acquisition hasn't negatively affected that office's drive, says Griswold.
When EMC first selected OutCast, Fredrickson said the agency had the entrepreneurial energy of a startup.
"I've never bought into the value proposition of the holding company," says Fredrickson. "I am not interested in presentation from the owners. I want it from the account team, who can stand up and tell us their ideas."
Fredrickson adds, "We would not pick an ad agency based on its affiliation with a PR agency.
Porter Novelli held our business based on the merits of the team working with us, not because they were part of Omnicom or had a broader array of services."
Key tech wins since January
EDS (regional account)
Virgin Electronics; Citrix Systems
Siebel Systems; Applied Materials
Blanc & Otus
Symantec (consumer account)
Cohn & Wolfe
Cubitt Jacobs & Prosek
Siemens Business Services
The Hoffman Agency
Phoenix Technologies; Royal Philips Electronics
Lois Paul & Partners
Royal Philips Electronics
O'Leary & Partners
Ogilvy PR Worldwide
EMC; TiVo (corporate account)
Kyocera Mita; Texas Instruments (business media relations)


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Davido announced the launching of his personal clothing line on Instagram a few days ago and shared with his fans pictures of customized T-shirts with his new logo, OBO Baddest pictured above, and a headwarmer with the OBO logo as well! The retail price for the black and white Tee shirt is $30 (approximately N6,000) on his website.
The 22 year old HKN boss who recently welcomed a baby girl – (click here if you missed it) – told his fans that more designs will be added to the online store’s product line soon and you can check it out on – www.HknGangWears.com. One of the customized shirts shared by Davido was captioned:
“My Official clothing line website is up an running! Make sure you check it out and get your O.B.O T-Shirts today www.HknGangWears.com more designs and clothes coming soon! Stay tuned follow @ricklinco_Hkn for updates.”


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CLINICAL RESEARCH SHOWS WHITE NOISE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES SLEEP QUALITY FOR INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN HIGH NOISE ENVIRONMENTS
Study by the Center for Sleep Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center Shows White Noise Significantly Improves Sleep Quality and Reduces Sleep Interruption – and it Improves Sleep Even After White Noise is Removed
N E W S R E L E A S E
For Immediate Release
Contact: Molly Szkotak
NEW YORK, NY JUNE 2021 – In a study titled “Effects of White Noise on Sleep Quality and Duration in Individuals Living in a High Noise Environment in New York City,” doctors from Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital determined that white noise significantly improved sleep based on subjective and objective measurements. The study was partially funded by Marpac LLC, the parent company of Yogasleep.
Led by investigators from Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Harvard Medical School, the study tested the hypothesis that white noise would improve sleep quality in New Yorkers complaining of sleep difficulty due to elevated sound levels. It included ten adults recruited from a New York City based sleep clinic who reported high levels of environmental noise in their sleep location. The treatment included the application of white noise from a Dohm Classic white noise machine using a three-week ABA design testing methodology. White noise was applied during the second week of treatment, using the first and third weeks of the test as baseline measurements of sleep quality.
The study concluded that white noise markedly improved sleep quality and that it may be an effective tool in helping to improve sleep in noisy environments. It also found that the effects of white noise exposure were sustained, even after the white noise machine was removed. “Our customers have been self-reporting that white noise helps them sleep better for decades,” said Daryl Millar, Chief Growth Officer of Yogasleep, “Having this backed up by science and data is exciting, and further proves the effectiveness of white noise to help the 25% of Americans who suffer from sleep disturbances from noise.”
The findings of the study were published in the June 18, 2021, issue of the journal Sleep Medicine. PubMed abstract can be found here.
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About Marpac, LLC and Yogasleep
Marpac, LLC sells its quality sleep products under its flagship brand Yogasleep®. Based in Wilmington, N.C., it was founded in 1962 with the creation of the original white noise machine now called the Dohm®. Over the decades it has grown by providing quality sleep and privacy products while providing the highest levels of customer service. Yogasleep sound machines include the Dohm family of natural, fan-based white noise machines, electronic multi-sound machines for home and travel and commercial devices. Yogasleep has expanded its natural sleep products to bedding and scent machines. Yogabed® mattresses and bedding accessories are currently sold directly to consumers at Yogasleep.com and wherever people shop for quality sleep products.
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Visa Inc. reported quarterly results Tuesday that topped Wall Street views, but its shares were headed lower in the extended session.
The payment-technology company also called for low-double-digit revenue growth on an adjusted constant-dollar basis for the new fiscal year, coming in ahead of what some had been fearing from Visa
coming into the report.
Still, analysts couldn’t agree on whether the forecast was a relief or a high hurdle for the future.
“Investors had been expressing concerns that Visa would guide to [high-single-digit constant-currency] growth, and we see this…guide as a clearing event,” Wolfe Research’s Darrin Peller wrote in a note to clients.
But Mizuho’s Dan Dolev worried that the company may have set the bar too high for itself. “While results were strong, we worry that top-line guidance of low-double-digit [constant-currency] growth may prove overly ambitious as FY24 continues,” he wrote, noting that inflation benefits from last fiscal year might not manifest in the same way.
“We expect a muted stock reaction, as strong results are met with guide’s high bar and decelerating US payment volumes in October,” he wrote. Visa shares were off about 1% in after-hours trading following the call.
Chief Financial Officer Chris Suh, for his part, called Visa’s outlook “balanced.” The fundamentals of Visa’s business, as reflected in payment volume and processed transactions, “remain healthy and quite stable,” he told MarketWatch.
Visa saw a 9% increase in payments volume for the September quarter, along with a 10% boost in processed transactions.
Visa disclosed that U.S. debit and credit volumes were each up 5% in the first three weeks of October, marking a sequential drop from September that Suh attributed to a “days-mix” impact in September and falling October gas prices.
“Excluding those two items, payments volume growth was relatively stable from September to October,” he shared on the earnings call.
From a consumer-spending standpoint, Suh told MarketWatch that Visa has seen “pretty consistent trends,” with continued strength in the purchase of services.
The company posted fiscal fourth-quarter net income of $4.7 billion, or $2.27 a share, compared with $3.9 billion, or $1.86 a share, in the year-earlier period. Visa logged adjusted earnings per share of $2.33, whereas analysts tracked by FactSet were expecting $2.25.
Visa’s revenue increased 11% to $8.61 billion, while analysts were modeling $8.56 billion.
Cross-border volume excluding intra-Europe transactions rose 18%, while the company recorded a 16% bump in overall cross-border volume, which occurs when cardholders make purchases from a merchant based in a country other than their cards were issued.


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Since 1996, the number of people using the Internet has increased About 40 million Humans are about 5 billion or 60 percent of the world’s population. Internet facilities are available in the city the slum The rice terraces of India, Vietnam and the favelas of Brazil.
That’s a huge change in 27 years-or mine complete lifetime
Venture capitalist Paul Graham recently posed the question on Twitter“What 36 million people Now use that will eventually be 5 billion?”
Here are my predictions for five technologies that could overtake the world by 2050, perhaps change the way we live as profoundly as the Internet, and solve our most vexing problems, almost always through creativity and innovation. no through regulation or government spending.
About 4.4 billion people live in big cities, myself included, and getting around isn’t easy or convenient. The pandemic has created budget problems for urban transit systems worse, brought about a steep decline in ridership. Meanwhile, the central government is providing huge New subsidy for urban rail system barely anyone There have even been pre-COVID uses, such as the proposed $2.5 billion streetcar in Atlanta.
Rail was a sophisticated technology – in the 19th century. I predict that the standard of urban mobility by 2050 will be electric mopeds and pedal-assisted bikes – distinct forms of street transit powered by apps.
The US electric scooter market is expected to double by 2030. And we are actually late adopters :TThroughout Asia, particularly India and China, mopeds are already common, competing with cars, rickshaws and low-end bicycles to provide point-to-point mobility, where rail falls short.
Some US cities have tried to ban e-scooter companies like Bird, Lime and Revell, but like Uber, these services are proving so popular that commuters won’t allow them to be outlawed.
Since Amazon founder Jeff Bezos unveiled plans for delivery drones a decade ago, progress has been slow.
There are only a few thousand delivery robots operating in the United States today But that’s about to change: In December, Prime Air Successfully completed commercial distribution in College Station, Texas and Lockford, California.
above other On the global side, there is Meituan and Alibaba only Begin rolling out this service to customers.
In the US, delivery drones have been hampered by the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval process, and it’s a similar regulatory story in China. But I predict that this will not be true for much longer as this service brings enormous benefits to the convenience of customers and reducing the traffic problems caused by delivery trucks clogging our roads.
By 2050, I’m sure the urban skyline will be buzzing with what a flock of pigeons will look like carrying books, spatulas, bottles of vinegar, or anything else you can order on Amazon—not to mention, heart and kidney hospitals.
Generative AI—a form of artificial intelligence that uses human prompts to create unique text and images—had a breakthrough year in 2022. From DALL-E to Lensa, people are using most of the image generators to roam the internet. But we’re entering the age of sophisticated text AI, which will revolutionize everything from customer service to poetry.
ChatGPT requires a prompt to generate large volumes of fairly sophisticated text. According to its developer OpenAI, it is capable of “answering follow-up questions, admitting its mistakes, challenging incorrect premises and rejecting inappropriate requests”.
Described as a “second brain”, ChatGPT will be free some people Time to allow, as technology always does, to do different things other To do the same work more productively.
Why spend hours researching the technologies described in this video when you can just ask ChatGPT to generate a personalized report? chatgpt One might write the first draft of a professor’s syllabus, suggest a story line for a TV show, craft part of a journalist’s article, or create website copy describing a product for sale. Language AI will change the way we do things much like search
When factory farming first began in the 1920s, it was designed to minimize costs while maximizing production—Animal welfare be damned. But now that scientists can grow meat in the lab, there are 50 billion chickens and 300 million cows we raise and kill for food every year.
I personally find plant-based options like Impossible Burgers and Beyond Burgers boring. But when we can scale up the process of growing meat in labs, it will be a game changer. That’s when the era of factory farming will end, rendering the US Department of Agriculture largely useless while reducing the industry’s environmental footprint. We’ll finally be able to enjoy foie gras without worrying about ducks being force-fed to fatten up their livers.
I bet there always will be something Real meat demands, Just like Central Park has elevator operators and tall buildings with horse and carriage rides. But in general meat lovers will prefer more ethical food because it is easier to make, cheaper and tastier.
When Fitbit trackers debuted in 2009, they were the first to allow people to track their movements with a simple black wristband. Sure, the pedometer concept is an old one—there was a big step-counting craze in Japan in the 1960s—but FitBit pioneered the modern trend of using wearables to learn about your own personal health data, whether it’s step counting, sleep tracking, and continuous glucose. observation. By 2050, I predict that wearables loaded with sensors will eliminate the already dubious annual physical and send most of our primary care doctors the way of switchboard operators.
Before the advent of continuous glucose monitoring, people with diabetes had to prick their fingers throughout the day to measure their blood sugar. Now these tiny electrode devices under the skin can do that continuously. I think by 2050, even nondiabetics will be using these tools to monitor their insulin response, getting data about how their Organizations interact with the things in them – a business idea that is already working
About 540 million adults live with diabetes worldwide, a number that is expected to rise to nearly 800 million by 2045. The global prevalence of obesity tripled between 1975 and 2016. On one level, this is a free market success story: Fewer people are dying of starvation than before. In fact, they are now suffering the consequences of gluttony and abundance.
But in the next 27 years, we should expect better drugs and devices to help people manage their weight and health, identifying problems earlier and more accurately than ever before.
When French artists envisioned the year 2000 in 1900, they were too conservative with their predictions, unable to envision a world that ditched clunky propellers, electric cables, and heavy machinery in favor of sleeker, more efficient tools for household chores. , transportation, and food production. Everyone thought the blimps would be a really big deal.
No one anticipated the huge changes that would come, especially due to the exponential growth in computing power. Perhaps these predictions are also limited by our imaginations.
The details are hard to know, but I’m sure that by 2050 technological creativity will make mundane jobs obsolete, free us from the constraints of biology, and break down distance and time in a way that makes the constraints of the physical world increasingly irrelevant.
Photo credit: Asun Diaz, CC3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; ARipstra (WMF), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Study authors: Dong-Hee Kang, Fiona Lui, Hao Liu, Hiroshi Shimoda, Yasutaka Nishiyama, Hajime Nozawa, Makoto Kakitani, Daisuke Takagi, Daijiro Kasa, Eiji Nagamori, Shinji Iri, Shiro Kitano, and Michiya Matsuvia, CC04. Wikimedia Commons; Bartz/Stockmar – Fleischatlas 2018, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Baldesteinmanuel326, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Bfyhdch, CC BY-SA 4., via Wikimedia Commons; Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons; Cefnamulch Home Farm Milking Carousel by Eric Jones, CC Journal 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Captain Raju, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Comyu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Consumer Reports, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Audiovisual production center. Office responsible for institutional photo archives., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Chris Talbot / Paignton – Internet Cafe; Cqholt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; David Revoy / Blender Foundation, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Daniel Oberhaus, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Dllu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Ed Gold, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; East Devon : Heathen Hill Farm and Milking Parlor by Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Envato material; CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons; Elvert Burns from Silver Spring, MD, USA; Ganges, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Gabriel S. Thin C., CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Hynek Moravec, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; IICD www.iicd.org/photos, CC BY 2., via Wikimedia Commons; Internet Archive; CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Kevin Nicol/World Pictures/Photoshot/Newscom; Kiran Jonalagadda from Bangalore, India via Wikimedia Commons; Larry D. Moore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Library of Congress; Marie, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Mike Winkelman, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Martin2035, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons; CC Mack Male from Edmonton, AB, Canada via Wikimedia Commons; CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Matthew T. Rader, https://matthewtrader.com; Mont Servais/Abaca/Newscom; Mliu92, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Michael Coghlan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Noah Wulf, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Narek75, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Nevit, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Ossewa, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons; CC Kei 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Philip Pacer, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons; Pavanaja, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Raman Patel, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Rhetos, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler/Grid Engine, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; Rob Croce / Anefo, via Wikimedia Commons; Secretary of Agriculture and Supply of the State of São Paulo Agriculture, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Subhashish Panigrahi, CC 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Tom Williams/Roll Call Photos/Newscom; CC 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; User:Vmenkov, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; User: (WT-shared) Shoemaking via WTS Wikivoyage, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons; Watershed Post, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Music Credits: “Stutter Island,” by Ros-E via Artlist; “Youth,” by ANBR, via Artlist; “Metaverse,” by Lux-Inspira via Artlist; “Polygon,” by Evgeny Bardiuzha via Artlist; “Lost” by Ramol via Artlist, “Still Need Syndrome” by Yarin Primack via Artlist.
Camera by Jim Epstein; Written by Liz Wolfe; Editing by Regan Taylor.


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2k factories fall silent in industrial heartlandNearly 2,000 factories in the country’s industrial heartland, the Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor, have been shut down due to lack of raw materials as shipments from India have stopped due to the Tarai unrest.
Nearly 2,000 factories in the country’s industrial heartland, the Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor, have been shut down due to lack of raw materials as shipments from India have stopped due to the Tarai unrest.
Only a handful of factories using locally available raw materials are presently in operation. The protests in the Tarai plains have lasted more than 100 days and there is no sign of an end.
Industrialists have complained that the government has not shown any seriousness in resolving the crisis. “Factories are bearing the brunt of the strike and the trade embargo imposed by India,” said a member of the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Industrial production has plunged. In addition, a fuel crisis has hit the transportation sector hard, preventing manufacturers from shipping their products to market. “We have been affected in multiple ways. Banks and financial institutions have been pressing us to repay loans and interest,” said Pradeep Kedia, president of the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “Many factories are on the verge of going bankrupt,” he said, adding that manufacturers were unable to repay their loans as business had fallen sharply.
Many industrialists have been urging the government to consider waiving interest for a certain period. “The government understands the plight of all the other sectors but not ours,” said a Birgunj-based industrialist.
Industrialists said that factories operating in the industrial corridor were incurring losses amounting to Rs600 million daily due to the strike. The total losses of the factories in the industrial corridor have swelled to Rs60 billion in the last three months.
The private sector said that the government and the protesters had not understood the sentiments of the business sector. Large amounts of goods have been piling up at the dry port as they cannot be removed for lack of fuel.
Himalayan Terminal, which manages the dry port, has announced waiving warehouse charges and container parking fees. However, there has been no announcement by the government of a much anticipated relief package for the private sector.
Meanwhile, a dozen cement factories have been shut down due to a shortage of raw materials.


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Houston area housing inventory has reached a 2.0-months supply, while sales have started to cool down. The Houston area hasn’t had a 2.0-months supply since November 2020. Housing inventory nationally is at a 2.6-months supply according to NAR. A 6.0-months supply is typically considered a balanced market.
Year over year, single-family home sales fell 8.6 percent. However, sales were slightly better than March to May of this year on a month-to-month basis. The days on market dropped to 28.
>>>Learn more about the Houston real estate market and home hacks.


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Police departments around the globe are beginning to introduce electric motorcycles to their fleets. California has the Zero and across the pond in Spain, Barcelona just added 30 BMW C Series electric maxi-scooters to their force. The proud force stands outside Barcelona City Hall in this photo to show citizens that the department is making a move to zero emissions while maintaining efficiency.
The BMW C evolution offers output of 11KW and a maximum output of 35 KW.
“The delivery of this fleet is a special achievement for the BMW Group for two main reasons: it is the first fleet of electric maxi scooters worldwide to be supplied and secondly the recipient is the city of Barcelona – a role model in Europe when it comes to two-wheel mobility. At the BMW Group we believe strongly that the future of urban mobility will be shaped in the next few years by cities with minimum emissions,” said Guenther Seemann, President of BMW Group Spain.
Well, if you have to ride a scooter at least its a Beemer!


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Vietnam’s iron and steel exports in March increased to 1.106mn mt, up by 74pc from February and up by 32pc from a year ago, while imports increased to 1.43mn mt, up by 40pc from February and up 8pc from a year ago driven by steady steel demand in Asian countries.
Robust steel demand in China boosted higher exports of billets and other semi-finished products from Vietnam and also leading to an increase in production by major domestic steelmakers. In March, China was the top destination for Vietnamese exporters with iron and steel exports to China nearly tripling from a year ago. Exports were up by 192pc at 270,790mt from the prior March and up by 177pc from February. Higher steel prices in China’s domestic market and shorter transit also allowed importers of steel to gain arbitrage opportunity.
Exports to neighbouring Cambodia increased to 150,233mt in March, up by 14pc from a year ago and up to 68pc from February, while exports to Indonesia and Philippines were 81,546mt and 76,957mt, respectively.
Billet prices from Asian suppliers have increased by $25-30 in a month as domestic billet prices in China rose to a 12.5 year high amid production cuts. A recent deal for billets concluded at $660/mt cfr China.
Higher billet price and opportunities in the export market boosted Vietnam’s ferrous scrap imports in March. Vietnam’s scrap imports increased to 649,328mt in March, which is more than double of February’s imports.
A pick up in the manufacturing sector, especially automobiles, spurred higher steel imports by Vietnamese companies. China was the leading iron and steel exporters to Vietnam in March. Imports from China rose to 795,529mt, up by 53pc from a year ago and 37pc from February, followed by Japan, Korea, Taiwan and India. Imports from Russia also increased significantly to 71,943mt compared to February.
|Vietnam’s iron and steel imports in March|
|Unit: mt||Mar-21||Feb-21||Change MoM||Mar-20||Change YoY|
In April, HRC offers to Vietnam spiked in line with higher HRC prices in the international market. Last week, a deal for Indian HRC was heard at $920-930 cfr Vietnam with offers expected to rise further.


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Not in Our Cafe: Starbucks Decaffeinates the Gun-Control Debate
Weary — and wary — of being in the crosshairs of “increasingly uncivil” confrontations between legally armed gunowners and gun-control...
Weary — and wary — of being in the crosshairs of “increasingly uncivil” confrontations between legally armed gunowners and gun-control activists over open carry laws, Starbucks has announced a new policy “respectfully requesting customers no longer bring firearms into our stores.”
Starbucks will ran ads in major newspapers nationwide on Sept. 19 featuring an open letter from company CEO Howard Schultz asking open carry demonstrators and anti-gun protestors to stop using its 7,000 cafes as “a staging ground for their own political position.”
Despite this request, technically, Starbucks is not changing its policy: Guns will not be banned in cafes in states where it is legal to carry and customers who come in with guns in holsters will continue to be served. There will be no signs asking customers not to carry.
“We are going to serve them as we would serve anyone else,” Schultz told the New York Times in a Sept. 18 article. “There are going to be people on both sides who will be disappointed or angry, but we’re making a decision we think is in the best interests of our customers, employees and the company.”
Starbucks’ policy defaults to local gun laws, including the 44 states that “allow” open carry. In the six states where open carry is not “allowed” — New York, California, South Carolina, Illinois, Florida and Texas — Starbucks bans firearms.
Since 2010, Starbucks has refused to buckle to pressure from the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence to disregard the Constitution. Credo Action, a group that uses mobile technology and social media to “push change,” garnered more than 40,000 signatures on a petition demanding the company ban guns.
In addition, many of its cafes have been targeted by anti-gun boycotts, including a “Skip Starbucks Sundays” campaign by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
Even Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau got into the fray, devoting six days of his comic strip in 2010 to mocking Starbucks, opening with a barista greeting a customer, “Welcome to Starbucks, sir, would you be openly carrying a weapon today?”
This, in turn, prompted gun rights activists to respond by openly wearing holstered handguns in cafes around the country in demonstrations of support for Starbuck’s adherence to the Constitution.
In August, gun-rights advocates orchestrated a national “Starbucks Appreciation Day” to thank the company for its stance. When gun rights supporters wearing camouflage were confronted by protestors at a Starbucks in Newtown, Conn., the company closed that cafe before the event began.
“We found ourselves in a position where advocates on both sides of the issue were using Starbucks as a staging ground for their own political position,” Schultz writes in his Sept. 19 open letter. “Pro-gun activists have used our stores as a political stage for media events misleadingly called ‘Starbucks Appreciation Days’ that disingenuously portray Starbucks as a champion of open carry. To be clear: we do not want these events in our stores.”
Gun-control zealots have also contributed to the unease, Schultz told the New York Times. “Anti-gun activists have also played a role in ratcheting up the rhetoric and friction,” at times soliciting and confronting employees and patrons, he said.
“I want to make it very clear that Starbucks is not a policy maker and, as a company, we are not pro- or anti-gun,” he told Reuters. “We believe that gun policy should be addressed by government and law enforcement — not by Starbucks and our store partners.”
Gun-control advocates applauded Starbuck’s announcement.
“It sounds like Howard Schultz is making a very good business decision,” Brian Malte, director of legislation and mobilization at the Brady Campaign, told the New York Times. “Lots of families with children, college students and young people are Starbucks customers, and they want to feel safe.”
However, most of the reaction on Starbucks’ Facebook page by noon on Sept. 18 was negative with many deploring the decision. A post by Mike Hobbs was typical of the comments.
“I happen to like Starbucks coffee but I like my Constitutional 2nd Amendment rights better and I will not succumb to a public company telling me I have to give up any one of my civil liberties if I want to do business with them,” Hobbs writes. “I can and will spend my hard earned money somewhere else. I will also openly and publicly speak out against Starbucks where in the past I have given much support.”
But since, technically, there’s no change in Starbucks’ policy, David Stout of Time magazine questioned what the fuss is all about: “Pistol-packing patrons hoping to quaff a caramel frappuccino will still be served — very politely, one assumes.”
For more, go to:
— An open letter from howard schultz


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The value proposition of online commerce is, above all else, convenience.
“Building a Better Online Checkout Experience: The Key Features That Matter to Customers” a PYMNTS and Checkout.com collaboration, surveyed 2,030 U.S. consumers and found that the biggest barrier preventing smooth, seamless checkout online is an overall frustrating process when shoppers get to the finish line.
The report highlighted 10 of the top checkout features that could help turn online shopper journeys around, and checkout friction-inspired frowns upside down.
To maximize sales, eCommerce merchants need to ensure that shoppers can easily and seamlessly complete checkout — no matter whether they shop on an app, via social media or on a traditional website. And smooth checkouts can help online businesses win, and retain, repeat customers.
Ninety-one percent said a satisfying checkout experience substantially impacts their willingness to shop with a merchant again.
Data revealed that consumers shopping via social media are by far the most likely to report encountering frictions of all kinds, from surprise shipping costs to excessive information asked, as well as payment or processing issues.
The top features that help smooth shopper pain points primarily relate to convenience and pricing. Payments power the online shopping journey, and providing fast and frictionless checkout experiences is critical to converting shoppers, as is providing shoppers with a wide variety of payment options at the point of sale.
Price matching, clear refund policies and non-automated coupons are also among the features that consumers want most, followed by easily navigable carts and real-time product inventory.
Failing to prepare for the modern online shoppers’ needs and wants is preparing to fail relative to peers and competitors that have already implemented those key features.


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The Government of Canada partners with provinces and territories to invest in Canada’s fish and seafood sector
Ottawa, ON — Canada’s high quality, sustainable fish and seafood products are known worldwide. Canada and the provinces and territories are expanding markets, building on Canada’s strong international brand and growing trade opportunities under the CUSMA, CETA, CPTPP trade agreements. Canada is now the only G7 country to have free trade agreements with all other G7 countries, and we have preferential access to almost two-thirds of the global economy.
And further, with the new 2018 Fall Economic Statement, we are taking the next step and launching an Export Diversification Strategy to increase Canada’s overseas exports by 50%.
Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, is joining provincial and territorial partners to announce the launch the Canadian Fish and Seafood Opportunities Fund, a new cost-shared fund (70% federal and 30% provincial/territorial) to promote market access and development for the fish and seafood industry. The fund will enable provinces and territories to support their industries’ priority projects and help Canadians working in the fish and seafood sector by creating jobs and developing more opportunities for Canadian products.
The $42.85 million program will support the fish and seafood sectors in all participating provinces and territories by encouraging industry collaboration to promote high quality products. The Government of Canada will continue to work with its provincial and territorial partners to develop industry partnerships, and will engage stakeholders to help shape the program and identify ongoing priority areas for investments in Canada over the life of the program.
The Fund is now open for business and is accepting Expressions of Interest from potential project proponents. Further details on the Canadian Fish and Seafood Opportunities Fund are available at: www.canadafisheriesfunds.ca
“There is little doubt that Canada is recognized the world over for our sustainably-sourced, high quality fish and seafood. The Canadian Fish and Seafood Opportunities Fund will foster increased industry collaboration and support further promotion of Canada’s fish and seafood sector as we continue to deliver on meeting the growing demand for our world-class products. This will boost our economy and increase employment opportunities for middle class Canadians across the country.”
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Fish and Seafood Opportunities Fund will have an agreed 70% federal, 30% provincial-territorial cost-sharing ratio for each project.
The value of Canada’s fish and seafood exports reached $6.9 billion in 2017.
Canada exported fish and seafood products to 137 countries last year.
Canada’s largest exports by value in 2017 were lobster, snow/queen crab, farmed Atlantic salmon, and shrimp.
Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans
and the Canadian Coast Guard
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
- Follow the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
- Follow the Canadian Coast Guard on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
- Subscribe to receive our news releases and more via RSS feeds. For more information or to subscribe, visit http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/rss-eng.htm.
- Date modified:


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Desktops no longer offer the most complete browsing experience thanks to innovations in display technology on mobile devices from the likes Apple’s Retina and Samsung’s Super AMOLED.
It has meant that pages on tablets are 11,000 pixels high on average, a dimension that is three times larger than desktop, according to the E-Commerce Content Barometer from conversion rate optimisation startup Content Square.
The pixel density of this new generation of affordable tablet screens has contributed to lengthier load times. Tablets now take an average of 10 seconds to load, which is almost twice as long as desktop’s six seconds.
Tablet fold height
French consumers have been found to digest much more content on website pages when viewing on tablets. On average a website fold height, the area visible on screen, is 775 pixels and the last line seen on a screen is 3357 pixels on average.
On tablets just 35% of tablet users only visit one page, while 50% reach at least one product page and 3.5% of users reach a shopping cart page. Only 1.2% visits convert into purchases, a stat that is 20% less than in-store purchase.
For more insights into the shopping behaviours of tablet users versus desktop, take a look at the infographic below.


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The auction of the Dod 175m IPv4 Florida Trump marks a major milestone in the global internet infrastructure. This sale is the first of its kind and represents a significant step forward for internet technology. The IPv4 address block, which was owned by DODAAC LLC and managed by ARIN, consists of over 2 million IP addresses that can be used to power websites and applications on the web. the dod 175m ipv4 florida trump
The recent purchase of over 175 million IPv4 addresses by the Trump Organization in Florida has been both a surprising and controversial move. The organization, owned by the family of US President Donald Trump, is said to have purchased this bulk amount of Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) numbers from a company called APNIC. This purchase has caused some stir as it marks the largest single acquisition of IPv4 numbers in US history. the dod 175m ipv4 florida trump
The recent surge of interest in the internet industry has created a market for digital assets like IPV4 addresses, and the Florida Trump organization is at the forefront of this trend. The company recently acquired 175 million IPv4 addresses – an unprecedented feat in the industry. This acquisition will have a significant impact on future developments in the industry, with its implications extending far beyond the state of Florida.


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Mexican farmers and food producers are now ready to take advantage of a new market in Mexico to open its first pork market. British exporters can enter this new market, which relies heavily on high-quality pork.
A.D. By 2020, the UK’s pork exports would have cost more than 1 421 million to our economy, reaching 75 export markets worldwide. According to the Board of Agriculture and Fruit Development, access to the Mexican market alone is estimated at ሚሊዮን 50 million for UK pig producers in the first five years of business.
Another success for the UK is food and beverage exports: British beef to the US, British poultry, beef and lamb to Japan, and pork to Taiwan.
Defraud Foreign Minister George Eustis said.
It is good to see another market opening its doors to high quality, high security UK products.
The arrival of the Mexican market, which is in high demand for high quality pork, is a welcome development for our pig farmers and producers.
This is a significant development, which will strengthen our global reputation for quality food and drink.
As a world leader in animal welfare, British pork is internationally recognized for its creativity, quality and monitoring. In the campaign in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British government aims to increase the international profile of food and beverage from all over the UK and to attract more food and beverage companies.
Today’s development follows more than four years of negotiations and inspections. Mexico’s National Health, Safety and Agriculture and Food Quality (Seneca) Department in February 2020 visited several locations throughout the UK and decided to approve four processing facilities and four related refrigeration stores in the UK and Wales. .
Dr. Richard Irvin, Deputy Chief Veterinarian of the United Kingdom.
The UK is proud of our high food safety standards and the quality of the food we produce.
Having access to British pork exports to Mexico still represents another milestone for the British industry and will continue to enhance the well-being of our world.
These inspections are led by the Defra and the UK Export Certification Partnership (UKECP) and are supported by the UK’s National and Charitable Government Departments and Agencies, including Dit Mexico and the Board of Agriculture and Fruit Development (AHDB).
The United Kingdom and Mexico have pledged to launch a new and more ambitious free trade agreement that is far greater than this year’s agreement. These negotiations will provide us with access to the Comprehensive Trade and Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a growing 11 dynamic economies from the Indo-Pacific region to the United States.
This is what Liz Truss, secretary of international trade, says.
This is a great victory for our farmers and food producers and I look forward to seeing you soon enjoy high quality British pork in Mexico.
British businesses can look forward to the benefits of a new and more ambitious trade deal with Mexico this year, and such victories are an important step towards entering the CPTPP as our global trade hits new heights.
Dr. Phil Hadley, Director of AHDB International Marketing Development:
Today’s announcement is a huge boost for the UK’s pork industry and will provide another export market for our red meat in a challenging year.
British pork is trusted and popular around the world for its unique quality, high safety and food safety standards. This new approval provides many opportunities for our exporters and is a testament to the hard work of industry and government to open up new markets in the future.
Pork joins the UK’s extensive animal breed that it has previously successfully exported to Mexico. Over the past five years, more than ,000 130,000 a year has been added to the market, which is expected to be achieved by 2020. As a result, our high-quality cattle breeding is helping to raise Mexican herds. In addition, we have a well-established Ovan Genetics Export Market in the United Kingdom, breeding Mexican-awarded rams and lambs.
Jonathan Nott, High Commissioner for Commerce of Latin America and the Caribbean
After four years of intense negotiations with the Mexican authorities, I am delighted that British pork has finally entered the Mexican market.
Once again, Mexican consumers can enjoy these quality British products – and British pork exporters can access this important and growing market. Another success in our campaign to reduce trade barriers between our countries.


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Snapchat's new algorithm: Everything you need to know
Typically when people hear that a favourite app of theirs is implementing an algorithm or doing a bit of a redesign as to which content gets noticed first, the reaction is not exactly positive.
To this day, people are still upset with Instagram's all-over-the-place nonsense of an algorithm, and even apps like Facebook have taken a bit of a verbal beating in regards to how and when you see certain content, posts, and pictures on your timeline.
But now Snapchat is throwing its hat (or ghost costume?) into the algorithm ring, and it might actually be a good thing.
Recently Snapchat has announced that the app is getting a redesign, meaning that it will now put all Stories and messages from friends to the left of the camera — the people you interact with most will be at the top — and if you swipe right, you'll see all of the Snapchat celebs, social media gurus, brands, etc. that you've subscribed to.
Will there still be Snapchat ads between Stories and Discover content? Absolutely, but with the new algorithm, you can bring your Snap back to the good ol' days when it was just you and your friends effortlessly sending each other dozens of ugly photos of yourselves and not Kylie Jenner swatching her bajillion lip-kits and lip-syncing to rap music in her Bentley.
What do you think?
What do you think about Snapchat's new algorithm? Are you a big fan of this new 'seperate social from media' thing, or do you like it the way it is already?
Let us know what your thoughts are in the comments below!
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Cella writes for iMore on social and photography. She's a true crime enthusiast, bestselling horror author, lipstick collector, buzzkill, and Sicilian. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @hellorousseau


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Are Australians still beach mad? How is the face of the average Aussie changing? In our 2014 / 2015 cultural snapshot of Australia, we demystify cultural myths, shed light on the country’s economic outlook, and explore the emerging and established trends across eleven sectors.
Australian women’s fashion retailer Sass & Bide launched its Spring 2014 campaign with the world’s first interactive, shoppable ‘3D’ advert, FREETOWN. But as digital and luxury continue to merge, will it dilute or magnify exclusivity?
In July 2011 Luna Park Sydney launched My Experience, a blended reality campaign which allows visitors to automatically update their Facebook statuses and compete for 'daredevil points' with a swipe of their entry wristbands.
In 2008, 22-year-old Australian Chris Raine decided to give up drinking for a year, and blogged his experience on a website, Hello Sunday Morning. His behaviour has influenced thousands of fellow Gen Y-ers to take their own abstinence pledge.
Dipak Nayar explores the shift from ‘old’ affections and traditions to an Australia redefined, where branding will increasingly need to reflect the nation’s shifting cultural demographics.
The Australia Council’s 'Arts in Daily Life' study has confirmed that Australia is a nation filled with creatives. Almost half of Australians (48%) are actively involved in making of art, one in five are musically active and 30% are involved in creative arts and crafts.
Beauty Mate is one of the favourite Australian men's skincare brands. But are Aussie men really that keen to be preened? And how does the modern shampooed, shaved and waxed type sit alongside the traditional view of the Aussie bloke?
Sneaker culture in Australia is thriving, and a new market is expanding at the intersection of streetwear and luxury. Innovative retail store Sneakerboy appeases both the thirst for digital retail experiences and the demand for great footwear.
Yatango mobile CEO Andy Taylor is attempting to crack the Australian telecoms market with a new approach. The company aims to challenge the conventional negative traits of the industry - and by creating a community around the brand, Taylor hopes to shake things up.


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SMC³ supply chain education live session to examine cross border trade, LTL operations
Authored by SMC³ on October 13, 2020
Starting Oct. 22, SMC³’s exclusive fall version of its LTL operations course details the nuts and bolts of LTL operations alongside live presentations from industry experts.
As part of an exclusive one-time offer, register for the supply chain education class before the first day of class to receive a 25-percent discount off registration.
SMC³ recently spoke with one of those industry experts to get a preview of what students will learn from his seminar. Kiko Zuniga, executive director of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America’s National Educational Institute, knows first hand about the importance of supply chain education. Part of his mandate is to make sure NCBFAA members stay abreast of constantly changing regulations for trade between Canada and Mexico.
During his live session for SMC³’s logistics education event, he will talk about the current state of cross-border trade, the impact of the pandemic, and what lies ahead. He recently sat down with us to explore those topics.
What are your experiences at the NCBFAA during the pandemic?
We’re an essential business for trade, so the majority of our members are still actually working, almost as if the pandemic wasn’t around. We’ve had to alter a lot of our office environment for social distancing. I know some of our members are working remotely. But almost all of our members are still staffing their offices and getting the work done that needs to get done.
Trade has continued to be strong. There’s been a slight dip in the amount of trade, but it’s still pretty strong. Everyone is extremely busy.
How has trade ebbed and flowed during the past year?
At the very onset, we probably had a one- to two-month lag in feeling the effects on the pandemic on trade simply because production was en route. Probably two and a half months into the pandemic is when we saw a little bit of a slowdown from our normal clientele, but we did see an uptick in people trying to satisfy the demands for personal protection items. That came with its own set of challenges because as with any situation during these very demanding times, people were trying to take advantage, and not all goods were legitimate goods. We had to be even more careful with screening people that were coming to us for custom clearing merchandise.
Is trade doing well in both directions?
I think right now, both directions are faring pretty well. We did have a slight dip in the volumes; it’s really more business specific. Where we had some businesses slow down – automotive obviously had a slowdown – other businesses that were providing more essential goods – foodstuffs, things of that nature – were increasing. It kind of balanced out.
How do you think trade will change going into next year?
I think trade in general will be the same. As far as processing of trade, like every other industry, we’re embracing a more remote type of work environment. We see a lot more use of technology allowing us more flex time with our employees. None of us want a situation where we have an outbreak. While I see the trade continuing, I do see a lot of our members in the service industry adopting more remote processes for conducting their business. I think that it’s going to be for the foreseeable future.
A lot of the preparation work for the clearances of goods can be done remotely for us. So I think a lot of that part of our business is going to adopt this new norm. But the challenge is the actual physical clearance of goods at the border. We’ll need to be hands on in that process.
Will the election have an impact on trade?
As a general note, NCBFAA is pro trade and anytime there’s an election, we’re concerned with the dynamics of the administration and overall trade.
We’re always concerned with trade in general and the administration’s view of trade and will it stymie the movement of trade. We live in an era, I think, in general, in the United States of being dependent on a global economy. And so if there’s a view in the presidential race that we should isolate ourselves into a finite region and be more proactive in trying to block international trade, that would impact our clients substantially. But I haven’t really heard anything from either party that would substantially change trade moving forward.
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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate today passed a bipartisan resolution authored by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.) designating the week of November 4 through 8, 2019 as National Veterans Small Business Week. This resolution recognizes the more than 2,500,000 veteran-owned small businesses across the United States that generate $1.1 trillion in business receipts every year.
“Veterans have a big impact on the American economy…. In Iowa, there are 26,119 veteran owned businesses that employ 51.801 people and bring in $10.9 million. Iowa is working hard to attract veterans and help them start and expand their businesses. I honor these hard working entrepreneurs who have served our country by joining my colleagues in recognizing the week of November 4th as National Veterans Small Business Week,”
The National Veterans Small Business Week joins the Small Business Administration in celebrating the millions of veterans and their spouses who benefit from the programs of the Small Business Administration. It also expresses appreciation for the continued service to the United States by veterans through small business ownership and entrepreneurship.
Additional Senate co-sponsors of the resolution include U.S. Sens. Alexander (R-Tenn.), Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Booker (D-N.J.), Boozman (R-Ark.), Braun (R-Ind.), Cantwell (D-Wash.), Cassidy (R-La.), Collins (R-Maine), Daines (R-Mont.), Ernst (R-Iowa), Feinstein (D-Calif.), Hirono (D-Hawaii), Inhofe (R-Okla.), Isakson (R-Ga.), Jones (D-Ala.), Kaine (D-Va.), Kennedy (R-La.), Lankford (R-Okla.), Moran (R-Kan.), Reed (D-R.I.), Risch (R-Idaho), Roberts (R-Kan.), Romney (R-Utah), Rosen (D-Nev.), Scott (R-Fla.), Scott (R-S.C.), Shaheen (D-N.H.), Sinema (D-Ariz.), and Young (R-Ind.).
Full text of the resolution can be found


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The monthly employment report that was published on March 7th by the Bureau of Labor Statistics detailed the employment stats for February 2014 and stated that the for-hire trucking industry did not add or lose any jobs in the month of February Employment rose in construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, mining, government, and utilities. There was a slight drop in retail jobs. 1.3895 million payroll jobs in February were from the for-hire trucking industry, showing a 1.1 percent increase from February 2013. "The BLS numbers for trucking reflect all payroll employment in for-hire trucking, but they don’t include trucking-related jobs in other industries, such as a truck driver for a private fleet." You can find out more by reading here.
* On approved credit


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The unforeseen events of the past few years have spoiled many ways. People all over the world avoid social gatherings and stay at home. The media industry also faces major problems, with many games and music programs, content production systems, and later versions canceled or postponed. “Even if the Olympics are not over yet, they have been postponed to next year”.
These are difficult times for the media industry. Omdia *, Informa Tech’s technology research division, expects an $ 11 billion loss to the film industry and a 15% reduction in TV commercials. For publishers and newspaper editors, there are two types of infectious diseases; advertising has dropped significantly and, at the same time, many global programs in the region have been canceled.
But advertising and events are a major source of income for publishers. There is a silver cord, however. During such memory programs, people spend more time watching videos, thereby increasing digital consumption, be it online videos, eSports or music promotions. This goes for online providers like Netflix and Disney +, which could see 12% growth according to Omdia.


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LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to move forward with a proposed emergency ordinance requiring large grocery and pharmacy retailers to pay employees an extra $5 per hour during the pandemic.
The City Attorney is now preparing the ordinance.
The President of the LA City Council, Nury Martinez, believes the hazard pay is necessary.
"These are our essential workers. They're risking their lives every single day by showing up to work. These are folks that don't have the luxury of getting on a Zoom call and working from home. They have to show up every single day to get to work," Martinez said.
"Some of these grocery stores have become the epicenter of some of these outbreaks that you've seen throughout the City of Los Angeles and I think it's fair to acknowledge that these folks have risked their lives to provide an essential service to the rest of us. Grocery chain markets are making record number of economic gains. There are losers and winners in this pandemic and unfortunately our workers, people of color, are the losers and we have to make sure we don't forget them," she adds.
Martinez said the City of LA is "expecting possible legal challenges" following the lawsuit the City of Long Beach faces from the California Grocers Association for a similar ordinance.
"I think that's always a threat. I think it's also part of a PR stunt or retaliation to some of these progressive ordinances that cities are looking at throughout the country," she said.
Nate Rose, the Senior Communications Director for the California Grocers Association, said they are against the ordinances.
"We see a number of issues with these types of ordinances that have been popping up across California. Number one, we see these ordinances as being illegal so we have issued a legal challenge to the City of Long Beach for example. We see this as something that will cause a big increase in grocery prices for everyday people. We see this as being very problematic for everyone," said Rose.
Rose said grocers will not be able to absorb the costs and there will be negative consequences.
"These ordinances come out to about 28 percent increase in labor costs so you start thinking of what levers can be pulled by a store that is operating on one to two percent profit margins and there's not a lot of ways to make up for that other than increasing grocery prices," he said.
Rose said the increase would amount to a $400 a year increase in grocery costs for a family of four.
"These stores are operating razor-thin margins. It's a very mature industry, very competitive, people compete very tightly on price so one to two percent profit margins, there's not a lot of places you can make up for a 28 percent surge in labor costs. That is something that will play out with the prices you're seeing for milk, eggs, bread and that sort of thing," he said.
Rose questioned why other essential workers outside of the grocery industry are not getting extra pay.
"This [the ordinances] are a violation of the National Labor Relations Act which governs collective bargaining agreements. The National Labor Relations act so that's something that governs collective bargaining agreements. Why only grocery store workers? There's a lot of other essential workers that are not covered under these types of ordinances. We see that as a violation of equal protection rights and that's a huge issue in terms of making this unconstitutional and illegal," said Rose.
Martinez said there's already a motion by Councilman Joe Buscaino and herself that would direct the Chief Legislative Analyst to report recommendations for an ordinance that would give hazard pay to workers within several other industries too.
"As a matter of fact, my colleague Joe Buscaino and I just entered a motion this morning to tackle just that, other essential workers like janitors, warehouse workers, other types of essential work throughout the City of Los Angeles. We want to take a look at other industries as well and figure out how we can also introduce a hero's pay for those industries as well. I think the Grocers Association makes an excellent point and we'll be absolutely tackling that next," she said.


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AlphaICs is a California-based start-up that capitalises on Artificial Intelligence advanced computing systems. Most recently, the start-up has announced to have raised USD 8 million in its latest Series B funding round led by Switzerland-based Emerald Technology Ventures and Hyderabad-based early-stage Venture Capital firm, Endiya Partners.
Founded back in 2016 by Vinod Dham, Nagendra Nagaraja and Prashant Trivedi, AlphaIcs deals with advance Artificial Intelligence computing with its patent technology which is called RAP or Real AI Processing. These high-tech AI-based computing systems have the capability to revolutionise the autonomous systems, according to the company’s official website.
When asked about the latest funding, the company mentions utilising the funds to develop their software stack and build Edge computing solutions for their target markets, as mentioned in a report by Live Mint. The start-up deals with Edge computing Artificial Intelligence Chips which deliver phenomenal high performance.
According to the company’s profile in CrunchBase, Existing investors including Bengaluru-based 3one4 Capital, Japan-based Venture Capital firm, Rebright Partners, Mumbai-based investment company, Whiteboard Capital, IREON Ventures, JSR Corporation, Aaruha Technology Fund and Canal Ventures also participated in AlphaICs latest Series B financing round.
According to several reports, it has been confirmed that with the current investment, Emerald Technology Venture’s Director, Michal Natora will join the AI-based AlphaICs’ board of directors.
Speaking about the funding, Pradeep Vijram, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, AlphaICs says that the company’s innovative architecture will enable system integrators to create Artificial Intelligence-based computing solutions within a short time to market. He further added that this will be possible while staying within thermal constraints and systems cost.
The company has also confirmed that it will be introducing AI-based co-processors in the market for developers to create vision-based applications. CEO Vajram also added to his statement that the company is working with strategic global partners to bring innovative solutions to different markets including surveillance markets, industrial markets and automotive markets.
As mentioned in the company profile on CrunchBase, AlphaICs has till date raised total funding worth USD 10.5 million in over three financing rounds. The company is currently backed by the likings of 11 global investors with Emerald Technology Ventures and JSR Corp. being the latest addition to the list.
Sateesh Andra, Managing Director, Endiya Partners mentioned in a statement that Edge computing Artificial Intelligence applications in the consumer market include wearables, smartphones, sensors, robots and cameras among other sectors. He further added that AlphaICs RAP technology accelerates learning task on device and inferencing, rather than in remote data centres. Thus, it benefits the market with low latency, data privacy, costs and security, according to a report by Live Mint.


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Founder of Bluegogo, Li Gang authored an open letter on November 16th stating that the Bluegogo has reached a strategic cooperation with Chengdu-based Green Bike-Transit (拜客出行). Green Bike-Transit will be fully authorized to operate the Bluegogo.
About the unpaid salary to Bluegogo employees, Li Gang also said, “Owing to everyone’s salary, I will try my best to solve it as soon as possible.”
Li Gang is not only the co-founder of Bluegogo but also the founder of SpeedX (野兽骑行). After Li Gang’s first smart performance bike SpeedX received RMB 150 million series B funding in November 2016, Gang established bike rental startup Bluegogo.
TechNode interviewed with Li Gang last year May when he was fully focused on SpeedX’s development. After setting the record for the most highly-funded bike on Kickstarter’s crowdfunding website, Gang was the first one to mention ‘bike innovation’ from China and was optimistic about Chinese bike’s global expansion. There was zero coverage about ofo and Mobike at that time, and after few months, China indeed made noise with its bike rental companies going global. However, the bike innovation story for Li Gang himself now stops here, as he admits his mistakes in managing the troubled bike company.
“I never denied my mistake. My heart is full of suffering and I am in trouble for months,” Li Gang said in the letter.
From June, Bluegogo has gone through a handful of problems, where Li Gang puts in his letter as “it seemed as if the Bluegogo was cursed.” Both Bluegogo and SpeedX had deteriorating financial positions, and the orders have been delayed. At present, Bluegogo has reportedly defaulted property costs up to RMB 200 million and owes nearly RMB 200 million from more than 70 suppliers. Most Bluegogo and SpeedX employees have left the company.
Bluegogo ranked 6th among the top 10 bike rental startup list by Cheetah big data and belonged to iResearch’s second tier bike rental company along with Hellobike and Youon, as they come in with an average Monthly Active Users number of more than 100 million.
In January this year, Bluegogo completed a RMB 400 million Series A, valued at RMB 1 billion. But since then, financing information has not been announced. The company is about to complete Series B in March, but did not get any sum of money in the end.
As Green Bike-Transit takes over Bluegogo’s operations, China’s bike rental market is witnessing consolidations. Previously, Hellobike and Youon bike merged to survive in the China’s bike rental red ocean. Wukong bike (悟空单车) and 3Vbike have halted its operation, while Machi-cho bike (町町单车) failed to refund the deposit.


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Gojek, Tokopedia complete merger to form GoTo
May 17, 2021
Indonesia, May 17, 2021 /TechCrunch/ -- Indonesian tech giants Gojek and Tokopedia have completed a long-awaited merger to form GoTo Group, a company specialising in e-commerce, on-demand services and financial services.
The deal is the largest-ever business combination in Indonesia and the largest between two Asia-based Internet media and services companies to date, GoTo said in a press release in May 2021. The combined entity contributes 2% to Indonesia's GDP via its various business lines including a powerful super-app, according to the company.
The combined entity is “a globally unique andhighly complementary ecosystem,” the two firms said as they look to better compete with heavily funded super app Grab and e-commerce platform Shopee. GoToexecutives claimed that the combined entity features:
1. Total Group Gross Transaction Value (GTV) of over $22 billion in 2020
2. Over 1.8 billion transactions in 2020
3. Total registered driver fleet of over two million as of December 2020
4. Over 11 million merchant partners as of December 2020
5. Over 100 million monthly active users (MAU)
GoTo will be headed by Gojek's co-chief executive Andre Soelistyo. Gojek's other co-CEO, Kevin Aluwi, will continue as chief executive of the ride-hailing service. Tokopedia president Patrick Cao will serve as GoTo's president, while William Tanuwijaya will remain chief executive of Tokopedia.
In the meantime, Grab has since announced plans to go public in the U.S. via SPAC, and is seeking a valuation of $40 billion, which if materializes at the current terms, would be the biggest-ever deal of its kind.


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Capital One announced last week that new Spark Cash Plus cardholders can earn up to $3,000 from the card's welcome bonus until March 14. Earn $500 for spending $5,000 in the first three months, and $2,500 for spending $50,000 within six months.
The welcome bonus is in addition to the $200 annual cash bonus cardholders can earn every year they spend $200,000 or more with the card. The Spark Cash Plus has a $150 annual fee and earns an unlimited 2% cash back for every purchase.
If cardholders spend $50,000 in the first six months, that would equate to $1,000 in rewards from the card's 2% cash back rate. Combined with the welcome bonus, the total cash rewards earned would be $4,000.
"It's a privilege to build products that celebrate the success and tenacity of business owners," said Aparna Sarin, managing vice president for small business cards at Capital One, in the press release.
Capital One is targeting small business owners who might have a lot of expenses and are in need of new equipment or extra savings. The bonus would also help cover the card's annual fee. Capital One did not indicate how long the welcome bonus would be obtainable for.


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It’s anticipated that someplace alongside the road, each events will give you an even bigger answer that can permit funds to retailers in fiat foreign money.
Crypto trade giants reminiscent of Binance have continued to exert their dominance regardless of the trade’s current droop. In response to a Twitter announcement, Binance has struck yet one more partnership cope with Ingenico for digital belongings cost options in France.
This partnership follows after the cryptocurrency alternate lately obtained regulatory approval within the area. For what it’s price, Binance is eager on increasing its tentacles throughout the globe. Therefore, the explanation for its current collaboration spree. Additionally, it goals to bolster the adoption of crypto with its new partnership.
In response to the announcement, Binance Pay will now be accessible at two main shops that use Ingenico’s cost terminals. They’re the Miss Opéra clothes retailer, and the Le Carlie bar.
Binance to Faucet into Ingenico’s Revolutionary Cost Answer
Talking concerning the partnership, the director of Binance Pay and Binance Card, Jonathan Lim, was stuffed with reward for Ingenico’s AXIUM cost terminals, which will probably be used to hold out funds. Lim claims that Ingenico’s cost answer provides Binance a mushy touchdown, decreasing the burden of getting to make new innovations. He mentioned partly:
“Their dominant place out there and their revolutionary cost options permit us to speed up our entry to customers, with out having to create our personal terminals or software program.”
Lim additionally added that the medium is created in a means that it’s going to settle for, at the least, 50 cryptocurrencies.
In the meantime, that is solely the preliminary section of the partnership, the place customers could now pay distributors with digital belongings. Which means Binance will now be built-in into Ingenico’s PaaS, its funds platform as a service. And retailers with the PPaaS, who additionally use the Binance crypto pockets, could swiftly settle for prospects’ in-store funds.
It’s anticipated that someplace alongside the road, each events will give you an even bigger answer that can permit funds to retailers in fiat foreign money. By their projection, this crypto-to-fiat cost answer needs to be in its testing section by Q2 2023.
The alternate additionally plans to increase the cost answer to the entire of Europe, thereby retaining its edge within the retail market.
Mayowa is a crypto fanatic/author whose conversational character is sort of evident in his fashion of writing. He strongly believes within the potential of digital belongings and takes each alternative to reiterate this.
He is a reader, a researcher, an astute speaker, and likewise a budding entrepreneur.
Away from crypto nonetheless, Mayowa’s fancied distractions embrace soccer or discussing world politics.


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Taco Bell can’t have enough Cheez, and neither can Twitter.
The Yum! YUM brands,
Tex-Mex has teamed up with Kellogg’s K,
Cheez-It for a new menu item they are trying in California: the Big Cheez-It Toast. Basically, the $ 2.49 dish piles up seasoned beef, low-fat sour cream, diced fresh tomatoes, crispy lettuce, and grated cheddar cheese on top of a large Cheez-It cookie.
Apparently, it’s 16 times larger than a normal Cheez-It cookie.
There’s also a $ 4.29 Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme, which includes seasoned veal, nacho cheese sauce, lettuce, low-fat sour cream, and layered tomatoes on a giant Cheez-It, and then s wraps inside an omelette and is grilled. .
Taco Bell food innovation director Liz Matthews said in a statement that Taco Bell’s collaboration with Cheez-It “offers our fans the opportunity to experience the real cheese and crunch they love from our brands in a whole new way “.
However, not everyone can put them in their hands yet, as they are currently only being tested at a Taco Bell location in Irvine, California. They will be available in the 2222 Barranca Pkwy’s restaurant. for two weeks, or until stocks run out.
On Wednesday, the news made Taco Bell and Cheez-It have a trend in real-time Google searches and Twitter TWTR.
The news leaves a lot to be desired for Cheez-It or Taco Bell to only sell large cookies as standalone products.
And fast food chains are launching many other marketing stunts for snacking in the summer.
Also on Wednesday, Arby’s and Procter & Gamble’s Old Spice announced a collaboration to prevent summer “meat sweats”. The $ 60 so-called “Meat Sweat Defense Kit” includes: two dry Old Spice sweat defense sprays with popular flavors; a pair of Arby limited edition “MeatSweats” sweatshirts and sweatpants; a gym towel and a sweat band to clean your sweat; in addition to an Arby gift card, “because it all starts with eating the meats.”
company Yum! The KFC brand is taking “finger licking” literally with its “Finger Sporks”. The hybrid of red plastic spoon and fork fits your finger to “bring out the fun at the family dinner,” according to a company press release. And there’s even an informational commercial inspired by the 90s to show you how to manage it. You can grab two free Finger Sporks by ordering a meal for KFC Sides lovers on the KFC mobile app, KFC.com, or at participating KFC locations through July 12, while supplies last.
Select Krispy Kreme DNUT,
the shops offer soft, smoothie-flavored ice creams. And the donut chain has been successful with such special menu items and collaborations. “Our global St. Patrick’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day campaigns and limited-time offerings, such as our Twix and Rolo donuts, resonated highly among consumers, highlighting award opportunities and the power to give away and brand sharing, ”said Mike Tattersfield, CEO of the company. May, after Krispy Kreme’s first-quarter earnings and revenue exceeded expectations.
has prepared a Chocolatey Pretzel McFlurry at participating restaurants across the country for an undisclosed “limited time”. Mix a soft serving of vanilla with chopped pretzel pieces covered in chocolate and caramel swirl. Or Wendy’s WEN,
has added a strawberry-flavored Frosty to its candy menu this summer, claiming it has been one of the most requested items by customers.
Less pleasant, though, is that these restaurant chains are struggling with record inflation like everyone else. The McDonald’s international president said the Golden Arches want to raise prices to manage inflation, although the company plans to take small steps rather than a big leap to not leave a bad taste in customers ’mouths. Wendy’s reported first-quarter earnings and revenue that were not expected in May.