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Young people from all over the UK will gather in Manchester this weekend for the country’s only National Youth Market.
Traders aged 16 to 30 will be pitching up in King Street and delivering over 30 stalls of street food, funky fashion and handmade arts and crafts.
Councillor Rosa Battle, Manchester City Council’s executive member for culture and leisure expressed her excitement about the event.
“The National Youth Market has proved immensely popular with both young traders and shoppers since it began two years ago,” she said.
“I’m sure this year’s market will be even more successful and I’d encourage anyone in the city centre to pop along and marvel at the dedication, energy and entrepreneurial spirit of all the young traders.”
Judged by the operators of the city’s markets, the traders will be running for the £500 prize as well as to be crowned as the Young Trader of the Year.
“I’m proud that we’re able host to this market right in the heart of the city centre and hopefully offer a stepping stone to fruitful careers for the young traders,” the 32-year-old councillor added.
Local trader Hannah Mort, 27, said: “I am really proud of how I have built up the business, and think it is looking really wonderful.
“I have grown and so has the stall, I have now learned what it takes to be a market trader.”
“My customers have helped me build my confidence so much,” says the clothing business owner.
Eddie Cope-Prior, 23, from Canewdon, Essex, said: “I have been on the market scene since I was 13 years old.
“For about a year now I have been self-employed, recently registering my own company. The National Youth Market will showcase my business up north – it’s a fantastic opportunity for my business to grow.”
The National Youth Market is open for business in King Street tomorrow from 11am to 5pm and on Saturday June 27 from 11am to 6pm.


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Paradox Interactive Teases Life By You, a Competitor to The Sims Paradox Interactive, the Swedish video game publisher behind titles like Crusader Kings III and Stellaris, has recently teased a new life simulation game called Life By You. The game is being developed by former EA executive and The Sims studio head, Rachel Franklin, and is being touted as a direct competitor to The Sims franchise. In the meantime, fans of life simulation games can look forward to new DLC for Crusader Kings III and Europa Universalis, two of Paradox Interactive's most popular games. The DLC is set to introduce new features and gameplay mechanics that will further enhance the already rich and complex gameplay of these titles.
Life By You is set to offer players a more realistic and authentic life simulation experience than any other game in the genre. According to Paradox Interactive, players will be able to create and control a character that can live out their entire life, from birth to old age. The game is also said to be highly customizable, allowing players to create their own unique homes, families, and communities.
One of the most exciting aspects of Life By You is its partnership with Microsoft. Paradox Interactive has announced that the game will be available on both Xbox and PC Game Pass, which means that it will be accessible to a much wider audience than other life simulation games on the market.
In addition to Life By You, Paradox Interactive has also announced a major partnership with Microsoft that will see the publisher develop new games exclusively for Xbox and PC Game Pass. This partnership is a huge win for both companies, as it will allow Paradox to tap into Microsoft's massive gaming audience and give Xbox and PC Game Pass subscribers access to a wider range of games.
Life By You has already generated a lot of buzz in the gaming community, with many people speculating about what the game will offer and how it will compare to The Sims. Some have even gone so far as to say that Life By You could be the first real alternative to The Sims franchise.
Despite the hype surrounding Life By You, Paradox Interactive has been tight-lipped about the game's release date and other details. However, given the publisher's track record of developing high-quality, immersive games, it's safe to say that Life By You will be worth the wait.
Overall, it's an exciting time for fans of Paradox Interactive and life simulation games in general. With the announcement of Life By You and the publisher's new partnership with Microsoft, it's clear that Paradox is committed to developing innovative and engaging games that push the boundaries of the genre.
That's it for this article.
Thanks for Visiting Us – fixyanet.com

domain: news


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By Chaymaa Benallouch
By Chaymaa Benallouch
Rabat – After the quasi-official failure of the 2020 Vision, the tourism sector seeks to change the situation for the better.
Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG) has announced the opening of two new hotel units in Saïdia coastal resort, the flagship project of Plan Azur.
The Group will launch and inaugurate the two new hotel units as well as an Aquaparc in this station, which will undoubtedly contribute to strengthening the tourist Animation of the whole region.
A large investor in the country, especially in the tourism sector, CDG has devoted major investments and its recognized expertise to strengthen the capacity of this sector, attract new attractive destinations, and promote upmarket growth.
The Group is responsible for the development of tourist resorts like the Saïdia stations, which are the central pillars of the 2020 Vision.
The first project is the Melia Garden & Golf Resort, which already opened its doors June 1. A statement by the company announced that this hotel was built on nearly 14,000 m² and offers a capacity of 150 rooms and suites.
The second hotel is the all-inclusive 5-star Melia Beach. It will open its doors in July 2017. Built on 33,000 m², the hotel has a capacity of 397 rooms and suites, offering a wide choice of restaurants of different specialties, a spa, a large conference and events center as well as several indoor and outdoor activity areas.
Built on a 7-hectare plot according to international standards, the Alpmare Saïdia Aquaparc will attract many with a thematic and a narrative thread based on the adventures on the high seas.
The Aquaparc, described as “the main leisure and entertainment component of the resort,” will open its doors in the summer of 2017, says CDG, which believes it has “fulfilled its commitments” and hopes to instill “a new dynamic at the tourist resort of Saïdia” through these openings.
In a statement released today, CDG says that “the development of quality touristic structures throughout the Kingdom are a strategic priority.[..] The Group is taking responsibility for the management and development of tourist resorts, which are the central pillars of the 2020 Vision, in particular the Saïdia and Taghazout stations.”
CDG took charge of Saïdia in 2012 and has constantly invested in trying to revive the stillborn project. More than MAD 1 billion have been invested in order to keep the station under drip. “CDG is investing heavily and has recognized expertise in strengthening the sector’s reception capacity, creating new attractive destinations and encouraging upmarket growth,” the group said.
These new projects demonstrates the Group’s commitment to the national tourism policy to help establish the sector as a true lever for territorial development and for the reduction of regional disparities.


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You can now buy Apple's new iPad Pro 10.5, which is exactly what the gadget experts at iFixit did so they could tear the sucker down. The damage was done to give us a clue as to what sets it apart from its closest ancestor, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro.
The physical changes start on the outside. Besides just being bigger, the new Pro puts its microphone hole in a new spot. The 9.7-inch Pro had it situated next to the rear-facing camera while the 10.5-inch Pro plopped it down next to the selfie camera. This move might be to favor FaceTime (whose camera got an upgrade with the new model).


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Restaurants can stay open, but they and other businesses could rack up fines pretty fast if their customers ignore Shelby County health directives.
Monday, Commissioners approved fining a business $50 per person, per violation.
Small businesses like restaurants and bars first opposed the ordinance when it was proposed, but with the ability to submit evidence in defense in court it seems the Memphis Restaurant Sssociation is now on board.
The $50 civil fine is an answer to large super spreader events like the controversial In Love Memphis nightclub party over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Shelby County Commissioner, Brandon Morrison says restaurants that have been obeying the rules won't be affect the fines.
"The point, in my view of the ordinance is to keep businesses open. So, as one business owner said to me we need stiffer penalties for the very, very few bad actors," said Morrision.
The new ordinance goes into effect on New Year's Eve.


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So you’re a fintech startup, buying a fintech company, or expanding the technical capabilities of your financial business. Or you’re a tech company that is getting into the payments space. Where do you start when it comes to figuring out what consumer protection laws apply to you? You should be aware that, for the past several years, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) have been actively enforcing consumer protection laws in the fintech space. For example, the FTC has recently brought cases involving an online lender that allegedly charged undisclosed fees, a mobile banking app that falsely promised high interest rates and 24/7 access to funds, promoters of cryptocurrency money-making schemes, and tech platforms offering in-app purchases. The CFPB most recently shuttered a VC-backed online lender for false advertising related to interest rates and loan amounts. Earlier last year, the CFPB had obtained refunds and a civil penalty against a fintech company for enabling merchants to obtain loans for consumers without their authorization.
Of late, one of the key concerns driving regulators’ interest in fintech companies is how these companies will use and protect consumers’ data. Here are some regulatory developments fintech companies should be watching:
- Increased regulatory scrutiny of privacy practices: Keep an eye on the FTC’s upcoming privacy rulemaking proceeding, which could apply to a range of economic sectors, including fintech. The CFPB has also launched some privacy inquiries into fintech:
- Tech platforms: In October, the CFPB ordered six major tech companies—Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Square, and PayPal—to turn over information about their P2P payment and mobile wallet apps like Venmo, Cash App, Apple Pay, Amazon Pay, and Google Pay. The CFPB also announced that it will study the practices of Chinese tech giants that offer payment services, such as WeChat Pay and Alipay. The CFPB is asking for information on whether these companies will combine the data they collect on consumers with their geolocation and browsing data to target ads to consumers.
- Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) companies: The CFPB also sent orders to Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna, PayPal, and Zip, companies that offer “buy now, pay later” credit, a type of deferred payment option. Among other things, the CFPB is concerned about “data harvesting” by BNPL lenders who have access to their customers’ payment histories, and is seeking to better understand practices around data collection, behavioral targeting, data monetization, and the risks these practices may create for consumers.
- Updates to GLBA Safeguards Rule regulating financial institutions’ security practices: The FTC amended its Safeguards Rule in October 2021, which requires non-bank financial institutions to implement information security safeguards. The amendments create prescriptive rules on issues such as encryption and multi-factor authentication. With fintech companies being an attractive target for cybercriminals, setting up a compliance program under GLBA is a must-do. See our alert here for more information on the key provisions of the updated Rule. Fintech companies are also subject to the GLBA Privacy Rule, which requires disclosures about privacy practices.
- Forthcoming rules on access to financial data: In its Fall 2021 Rulemaking Agenda, the CFPB highlighted as one of its key activities a rule to address consumer access to their own electronic financial account data. This rulemaking is particularly timely given the explosion of data aggregators that access consumers’ data from their financial accounts with their authorization and share it with other entities (e.g., by compiling consumers’ financial information for a mortgage application). In an earlier proposed rulemaking on this issue, the CFPB sought information on potential risks associated with such access, including risks related to security, privacy consumer control, and accountability for data errors and unauthorized access. These issues were also the subject of discussion at a recent House Financial Services Committee hearing.
- Potential application of the Fair Credit Reporting Act: Fintech companies should be familiar with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which applies not only to credit bureaus and background screening companies, but also anyone who: 1) assembles or evaluates consumer data and shares it for purposes of determining eligibility for credit, insurance, employment, housing, or other eligibility purposes; 2) buys credit reports, including credit scores; or 3) supplies consumer information to credit bureaus. Some examples of fintech companies that should consider application of the FCRA include:
- Lead generators: In its recent case against financial lead generator IT Media, the FTC alleged that the company obtained consumers’ credit scores from credit bureaus and used them for marketing purposes in violation of the FCRA. The FTC further alleged that IT Media was a “reseller” of consumer reports, and as such, violated its obligations to ensure that any end-users of those reports had a permissible purpose to obtain them.
- Data aggregators: If you assemble consumer-authorized financial data and share it for eligibility purposes (e.g., credit, insurance), the FCRA probably applies to you.
- Companies that buy or use algorithms: Certain sharing or uses of algorithms to deny credit, housing, employment, or other benefits to consumers could implicate the FCRA.
- Debt collectors: Of course, fintech startups in the debt-collection space must comply with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and new CFPB rules that became effective under that Act as of November 30, 2021. But many debt collectors also furnish information to the credit bureaus and are thus subject to FCRA obligations to maintain the accuracy of this information and to allow consumers to dispute inaccuracies. Indeed, just last week the CFPB released a bulletin warning companies that if they furnish information to credit bureaus about medical debt stemming from charges that exceed the amount permitted by federal legislation, the CFPB will take action.
- Special attention to algorithms: In addition to raising FCRA compliance issues, the FTC has warned that use of algorithms that discriminate against protected classes can be considered an unfair practice and can also trigger liability under statutes like the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. The CFPB has also gotten into the action: It just redesigned its whistleblower web page and shared a post from its Chief Technology Officer encouraging whistleblowers with knowledge of “potential discrimination or other misconduct within the CFPB’s authority to report it to us.” Companies should test their algorithms prior to launching them and proceed with caution when their practices could result in disparate treatment or have a demonstrable disparate impact based on protected characteristics.
- Interest in protection of small business: Think you’re out of the woods if you don’t market your products to consumers? Think again. The FTC and CFPB are thinking about consumer protection and privacy expansively, with keen interests in protecting not only consumers of products and services, but also workers and small businesses. For example, although the FCRA applies only to consumer credit, the FTC just announced a settlement challenging Dun & Bradstreet’s business credit reports under the FTC Act, alleging that they were inaccurate and did not give businesses a reasonable process to challenge these inaccuracies. The upshot? Consumer protection and privacy laws may apply even if you’re selling products and services to small businesses.
The bottom line for fintech companies: Think about why you collect personal data, how you collect, use, and store it, and whether and how you share or provide access to it. Do you use this data to facilitate decision-making about consumers? If so, consider application of the FCRA. In general, the less data you collect and share, the lower your regulatory exposure. If you need additional assistance with regulatory compliance regarding privacy, security, and consumer protection laws, contact Wilson Sonsini attorneys Laura Ahmed, Maneesha Mithal, or Libby Weingarten.


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Facebook and Google are separately considering a tie-up with Skype, according to anonymous sources.
Web video conferencing service Skype delayed its initial public offering after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg took part in internal discussions about buying Skype, one source told Reuters.
Facebook has reached out to Skype about forming a joint venture, while Google has done the same, according to a second source.
The discussions are in early stages and there is no indication yet which option the companies favour, both sources said.
A Skype deal could be valued at $3-$4 billion and experts expect Skype's IPO to raise about $1 billion.
Although an IPO is still in the cards for the second half of 2011, Skype remains in discussions with other companies, two of the sources said.
If it goes through, a Skype IPO would be one of the most hotly anticipated debuts by a US technology company this year.
A Skype - Facebook partnership would see the social network's user base expand and grow in international markets where the video conference service is popular, while encouraging its half-billion existing users to remain active and connected to the online community.
Facebook can also add another service onto its menu, which is seen as a crucial addition as many mobile devices like smartphones and tablets now come equipped with front-facing cameras.
"It puts Facebook two steps ahead of Google because of the number of Skype users," said Trip Chowdhry, an analyst with Global Equities Research.
"In your social network, you will now have another very compelling service - Skype," he added.
Analysts say that teaming up with Facebook would make more sense for Skype than choosing Google, which already has a similar service - Google Voice.
Skype had about 124 million connected users every month last year, including 8.1 million paying customers who used Skype to make calls to traditional phones at discounted rates.
Analysts have said that while Skype's growth has been impressive, investors would be cautious about its prospects for revenue growth due to the size of its base of nonpaying customers.
Skype, founded in 2003, filed a registration statement to go public last August and chief executive Tony Bates put the eagerly anticipated IPO on hold until the second half of 2011.
Rivals including Apple and Google have made forays into Skype's territory, undercutting its value.
Facebook and Skype would benefit from each other's large community of users but neither has proven revenue models, said a third source.
Skype and Google declined to comment, while Facebook was not immediately available to comment.


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connect new york
Although Amazon walked away from plans for a Long Island City campus, it still wants to grow its local presence substantially. Following reports that the e-commerce giant was considering Industry City in Brooklyn for a logistics hub, the New York Post reported that Amazon was in talks to rent the Lord & Taylor building in Midtown, which WeWork acquired in January.
Ahead of plans to go public, WeWork is scrambling to secure a commitment for at least part of the 800,000 square feet of office at Lord & Taylor’s former flagship on Fifth Avenue, the Post reported. “An empty, landmarked building on Fifth Avenue is not the signal they want to send to investors as they ready their IPO,” a source told the Post.. . . more


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Digital TV News: Safaricom
ShowMax launches mobile video in Kenya
Oct 5, 2016 – ShowMax has launched a two-tier service for watching TV and movies via the internet in Kenya. ShowMax Premium has a range of international and local content. ShowMax Select is a mobile-first product, paid for using M-PESA.
News categories: ShowMax, John Kotsaftis, Digital TV, Kenya, Mobile, OTT
Safaricom launches mobile broadband connected STB
May 8, 2015 – Safaricom (NSE: SCOM) has announced the launch of a hybrid set-top box that will enable subscribers to view TV content and share data connectivity. Known as ‘The BigBox’, the STB allows subscribers to use Safaricom's 3G and 4G data network to access content.
News categories: Safaricom, Bob Collymore, Broadband, Digital TV, Kenya, Mobile, Router, Set Top Box, Smart Home, Terrestrial
Kenya's Safaricom applies for digital broadcasting licence
Mar 5, 2015 – Kenyan telecoms operator, Safaricom, has applied for a digital broadcasting licence in order to be able to offer television along side its other broadband products. The company has also received approval to import set-top boxes for sale in the local market.
News categories: Safaricom, Digital TV, IPTV, Kenya, Regulation, Set Top Box
New initiative for mass market mobile TV devices
Dec 1, 2009 – Fifteen service providers and broadcast network operators have launched an initiative to unify their handset requirements in order to have DVB-H enabled devices available as soon as possible, preferably for the FIFA football world cup in Q2 2010.
News categories: bmcoforum, Digital TV, Mobile
DMTV enlarges commercial Mobile TV services in four African countries
Jun 23, 2009 – Nokia Siemens Networks is providing DMTV with a DVB-H solution in Ghana, Kenya, Namibia and Nigeria. The system will allow the operators to provide an enhanced TV viewing experience on multiple devices, including the latest Nokia phones.
News categories: Nokia Siemens Networks, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Ghana, Kenya, Mobile, Namibia, Nigeria
Safaricom, Nokia And DMTV Launch DVB-H in Kenya
Jun 15, 2009 – Following the signing of a partnership between Safaricom, Nokia (Helsinki:NOK1V; NYSE:NOK) and Digital Mobile TV (DMTV), Safaricom subscribers are able to enjoy 13 DStv Mobile channels on DVB-H capable Nokia phones.
News categories: Safaricom, Digital TV, Kenya, Mobile
Kenya - DStv Launches Mobile TV with Safaricom
Apr 29, 2008 – Safaricom and DSTV have announced the launch of the first Kenyan commercial Mobile TV service, available only on selected handsets.
News categories: DStv, Safaricom, Digital TV, Kenya, Mobile
- Pay TV revenues to plunge to $150 billion
- Sisvel announces first VP9 and AV1 patent licensees
- Comcast to bring HBO Max to Xfinity customers
- HBO Max launched in the U.S.
- Nordic households spending €149pm on media and access services
- SES unveils results of Philippines TV market reception survey
- Over half of U.S. adults watching more TV since the pandemic
- NEXTGEN TV begins broadcasting in Las Vegas
- Shifts in viewing behavior continue during COVID-19 pandemic
- SoftAtHome builds RDK-based video product for service providers
- Nordija integrates Yospace ad insertion technology
- iQIYI partners MediaTek for AV1-powered Ultra HD streaming
- Bitė to acquire Telecentras' IPTV business in Lithuania
- World's fastest internet speed from a single optical chip
- Disney+ attracts 2 million Australian viewers in 4 months
- Global TV shipments to fall 5.8% in 2020
- SpotX expands Measurement and Attribution Suite
- Nordic video markets riding high
- WarnerMedia announces further launch partners for HBO Max
- Tru Optik offers cross-device OTT measurement for free


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Satoshi Nakamoto is a woman – congresswoman Carolyn Maloney said at the Women on the Block conference in Brooklyn.
Maloney did not provide any proof. It is said that such statements are simply an attempt to attract women to the crypto industry. From January 2012 to January 2018, Quartz conducted a very serious study. It was attended by 400 venture and blockchain companies from around the world. The study showed that only 8% of women work in the blockchain sector. In the tech industry, the percentage of women is larger, but still small – 17.7%.


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- Emerging Technology Pavilions
- Market Technology Pavilions
- SPI’s Business of Plastics Pavilion
- International Technology Pavilions
- On-floor Technology Theater
- Plastics in Sports
- International Plastics Design Competition
Reshape the future of your business at NPE2012.
Industry outlook, Trump’s impact on trade, NPE 2018 progress update, the West region’s import on plastics and the association’s rebranding discussed.


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2016 Toyota HiLux leaked online?
An image, supposedly official, showing the 2016 Toyota HiLux has been leaked on a Facebook page in Thailand.
THE 2016 TOYOTA HiLux has been spied testing in Thailand and was even photographed in the factory earlier this year, but this is the first time an ‘official’ image has surfaced online at the Hilux Revo Facebook page. The image purportedly shows the 2016 Toyota HiLux and, based on the factory spy shots from earlier in the year (see below) it looks accurate.
There aren’t too many details about the new HiLux, but the image clearly shows a top-spec model with its chrome side mirrors, fog lights and projector headlights. It’s likely the new HiLux will stick with its current crop of petrol and diesel engines, albeit tweaked for performance and fuel efficiency, there are also rumours of a hybrid variant, but that’s totally unconfirmed…


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Fairview Pharmacy Services is using an Earth-friendly cooler to ship out all their medications, becoming the first health system in the world to ditch the standard Styrofoam cooler.
Now, their patients -- some of whom receive as many as three shipments a week -- are receiving a biodegradable substitute created from corn starch.
Pharmacy workers send out over 40,000 coolers each year, but few recyclers will take Styrofoam. In fact, most winds up in the garbage, and it's estimated that Styrofoam composes 30 percent of landfills.
Fairview isn't stopping there, though. They're also using a biodegradable bubble wrap.
Other shippers, like Omaha Steaks, work to give customers ideas on how to reuse their Styrofoam coolers in an effort to keep them out of landfills. Some options include:


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EmergingGrowth.com, a leading digital financial media company, Reports on Wet Seal, Inc. Discussion also includes Gap, Inc. (NYSE: GPS)
Feature your company on EmergingGrowth.com. Visit EmergingGrowth.com to find out how.
Holiday retail sales for 2012 were at their lowest levels since 2008. In fact, experts who crunch the numbers reported a dismal 0.7 percent rise year-over-year. It seems consumers were just not feeling the spirit keeping their wallets close to their pockets. The causes aren’t difficult to pinpoint. Unemployment is still at record levels, consumers were concerned over the uncertainty of the fiscal cliff, the incident in Newtown, Super-Storm Sandy and the list goes on. Whatever the reasons, sales were essentially flat.
Weak numbers are cause for concern for most specialty retailers but Wet Seal Inc. (NASDAQ: WTSLA) is really feeling the pinch. The company, a leading small-cap specialty retailer, caters to teenage girls and young women selling clothes and accessories. Going into the season they were having problems and now it seems those problems are still chasing the company. Execs admitted that “December sales were below our expectations, driven mainly by lower than expected transactions throughout the month.” Teen retail is a highly competitive niche. Wet Seal has worked hard to find the right product lineup to appeal to its young clients but has been less than successful.
Wet Seal’s troubles are nothing new. In July of 2012 the company’s CEO, Susan McGalla, was fired by the board. According to a statement issued by CFO Steven Benrubi her departure was attributed to the dismal financial performance that has plagued the company under her tenure. The Foothill Ranch, California based business is also contending litigation woes. A federal racial discrimination lawsuit was filed in July by three former employees stating that Wet Seal's management fired African-American employees because they didn't suit the retailer's "brand image." Wet Seal has of course, denied the allegations.
Wet Seal has a market cap of $ 245.53 million and is currently trading at $2.76 per share. Community sentiment is currently a hold on this stock. With the weak sales both online and in brick and mortar stores, pressure from shareholders and recent revolving door issues inthe CEO suite, you have to wonder what will happen next with this beleaguered firm.
The company announced this week that John D. Goodman will serve as its new Chief Executive Officer through January 30, 2016. Goodman is an apparel industry executive with over 25 years of experience honing his skills at companies such as Gap, Inc.(NYSE: GPS), Levi Strauss & Co., Mervyn's, and Bloomingdale's.
By offering 100% original and unmatched content by the best financial reporters, writers and bloggers in the business, EmergingGrowth.com is emerging as a leading digital financial media portal. Its services provide users, subscribers and advertisers with a variety of content and tools through a range of online, social media, mobile and other mobile outlets.
Since its inception, EmergingGrowth.com has distinguished itself from other financial media companies with its sly approach to reading between the lines in order to locate that needle in the haystack. Sign up today to see what EmergingGrowth.com has to offer.


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KOUENJI JOSHI SOCCER ARTICLES
April 17, 2006 - It was another slow week for releases in Japan. Big games included the latest Starfy game for DS and Guilty Gear XX Slash on PS2. The DS got its latest non-game as well, as Nintendo released a kanji dictionary. Kanji Sono Mama DS Rakubiki Jiten is the first Touch Generations game following the release of the DS Lite.
February 27, 2006 - Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus made it pretty clear that the Japanese won't be conquering the FPS genre any time soon. But there's one category of game that Japanese game developers like Princess Soft, Interchannel and Idea Factory rule: love simulations. And thus we have yet another new column about wacky Japanese games that will never make it out in America: This Week in Love. This new column replaces our older column, Fun With Japanese Game Names, as Japanese games with funny names tend to be love simulations anyway.


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Samsung will reportedly release four folding smartphone models next year. The devices will comprise two Z Fold models and two Z Flip models.
Samsung to Release 4 Models
The tech giant has been successful in the foldable smartphone market from the very beginning. Despite the lethargic demand, Samsung is still selling its Z and Fold smartphones, even in the current day.
Samsung is quite doubling down on its folding phone bet in 2021. According to South Korean sources, the tech company already greenlit two Galaxy Z Fold 3 models and another pair of next-in-lines to 2020's Galaxy Z Flip models, reported Sammobile.
There have been numerous rumors associated with Samsung's initiation of a foldable smartphone series next year. Previous news indicated Samsung is gearing up to launch three foldable smartphones, reported Gizchina.
All the smartphones in the series will be released in the second half of 2021.
Both variants will have support for 5G. It was suggested that Samsung is planning to commence the mass production process in August 2021, reported ETNews.
The series would include two "flip-type" smartphones that can be opened up and down and two "fold-type" smartphones that can be opened side to side.
This decision is attracting attention from the global smartphone industry as Samsung Electronics is altering its flagship smartphone technique following its launching of the Galaxy series and the Note series in the first and second half, respectively.
As we are mere weeks away from welcoming 2021, the series of smartphone reports being posted are revving up the news of expectations from some of 2021's smartphone players.
Galaxy Z Fold3 is the descendant of Galaxy Z Fold2 that opens side to side, and it will be a model that aims at the Chinese and global market.
Galaxy Z Flip2 will be available in upscale and general models.
The 5G connectivity is not a surprising feature considering that we are currently well into the 5G transition.
There has been no report of significant differences between the Fold devices, but ET News claimed the two Z Flip phones would have "different performance and features."
In the first half of 2021, the tech giant will release the flagship Galaxy S, with the expectation that Samsung will release the foldable smartphones in the second half. The Samsung Note series will effectively be superseded by the high-end Galaxy S21 accompanied by an S Pen support.
Possibly to be in agreement with the naming scheme of the Z "Fold3," Samsung could name the other models the "Z Flip3."
It is also reported that the tech giant will include the S Pen support for the more upscale Z Fold3, which many tech enthusiasts have been anticipating since the first Galaxy Fold.
The Galaxy Z Flip has already sold adequately to keep Samsung's hopes alive. This consideration has probably made the company expand the lineup.
Samsung is also reportedly creating a scroll phone, but it said this is not part of the company's 2021 business plan.
Details about the specifications of the foldable phones have yet to be divulged so we do not know how the models are different from one another.


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LUXURY car maker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is planning a £10bn investment drive over the next seven years to double production at its plants, including Halewood, in Knowsley.
The claim follows briefings to industry sources that revealed a new range of 16 models set to roll off production lines at Halewood and JLR’s two Midlands factories by 2020.
These include a soft-top version of the Range Rover Evoque – Halewood’s best-selling model – as well as an even smaller version of the vehicle which has ignited sales in overseas markets such as China and Russia since its launch last year.
JLR’s plans are said to include a £1.8bn investment in a car plant in China.
A “baby” Freelander is also on the drawing board which would increase production at Halewood where the current Land Rover Freelander2 is made.
The top-selling 4x4 is already dispatched from Halewood in knock-down form to Pune, India, where cars are then assembled for local showrooms.
Expansion in China and India are part of the ambitious seven-year plan which aims to double total vehicle sales to 600,000 and expand capacity at its UK plants, which last month signed a pay and conditions deal with Unite the Union based on assurances over production levels for at least a decade.


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Memorial Day- Office Closed
We want to honor the brave souls who fought for our freedom.
Our office will be closed today in observance of the holiday.
Posted on: Tuesday, May 23, 2023 - 8:35am
2023 SBDC Day Luncheon was a Resounding Success
A heartfelt congratulations to the well-deserved awardees who were recognized at the 2023 SBDC Day Luncheon on 3/15/23:
Fresno County Business of the Year - Full Circle Brewing Company, Fresno, CA
Posted on: Friday, March 24, 2023 - 2:28pm
How Your Small Business Can Prepare for a Recession
While it’s impossible to forecast what will happen with the U.S. economy, experts predict a 70% chance of a recession in 2023.
Posted on: Thursday, February 16, 2023 - 4:45pm
Capital Summit to provide small business funding options Oct. 7
Small businesses and entrepreneurs looking to grow or start their business will have access to dozens funding options at the FREE Eastern Sierra Capital Summit on Friday, October 7 from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.
Posted on: Saturday, October 1, 2022 - 6:31pm
Cal Poly’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will host six brilliant tech-driven startups from Central California in a pitch competition to win $100,000+ in equity-backed funding at the fifth annual AngelCon on Thursday, April 21st at 5 p.m...
Posted on: Wednesday, April 20, 2022 - 8:39am
SBA Fresno District Office To Honor Local Company During National Small Business Week
The SBA Fresno District office today announced three San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast companies as 2022’s outstanding small businesses. These companies will be honored next month during National Small Business Week.
Posted on: Tuesday, April 19, 2022 - 4:16pm
100 episodes and counting: CSUB business webinars 'rare and credible source of timely, easily understood information'
Posted on: Tuesday, February 15, 2022 - 7:03pm
$2,500 for Eligible Kern County Microbusinesses
Want to find out if your business is eligible for Kern County’s microbusiness relief grant program?
Posted on: Sunday, February 6, 2022 - 6:01pm
Microbusinesses targeted in latest round of pandemic aid
CSU Bakersfield SBDC director Kelly Bearden is in interviewed in the article, “Microbusinesses targeted in latest round of pandemic aid,” published in The Bakersfield Californian, 1/29/2022 ...
Posted on: Saturday, January 29, 2022 - 3:49pm
FREE WEBINAR: Boost Your Business
L O O K I N G F O R WAYS TO IMPROVE REVENUES AND PROFITS WITHOUT BREAKING YOUR BUDGET?
Posted on: Thursday, January 20, 2022 - 1:26pm


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Editorial: Gaming / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Instagram / News / Discord / Forums
This year will be the 25th anniversary of Space Jam, a film that united the stars of the Looney Tunes with Michael Jordan in one of the most remembered crossovers and that undoubtedly was a testament to the commercial union between the brand and the teams and players. most successful of the time. On the occasion of this anniversary, Space Jam: A New Legacy is in production to present a new adventure and Xbox has closely followed the filming and will even release a couple of video games inspired by the film that is expected to debut this year.
2 new games inspired by Space Jam: A New Legacy
Through a publication on its official Twitter account, Xbox announced the 2 winners of the Space Jam: A New Legacy contest, which consisted of proposing different ideas about a video game to make them come true. Well, according to what Xbox presented, the winner of the adult category was Narayan, a resident of India, and in the case of the underage category, the winner was a young man named Ricky, from the United States. United, whose movie-inspired arcade-style game design ideas will become real.
We imagine this feels similar to winning a game alongside the Tune Squad 🏀
Congratulations to Narayan of India and Ricky of the US, the big winners of our Space Jam: A New Legacy Arcade-Style Game Design contest! pic.twitter.com/nha2pgo7bo
– Xbox (@Xbox) February 28, 2021
As you can see in the award video, one of the Space Jam: A New Legacy games will be a Beat ’em up in the style of Final Fight and those greats of the time, while the other seems to be a role-playing game and combat by turns using cards.
Space Jam: A New Legacy will star LeBron James, current Los Angeles Lakers player and 4-time NBA champion. Although not many details are known about the film, it seems that the essence of the original film will remain, that is, a threat that puts the real world and the Looney Tunes in check and that, probably, will be decided with a basketball game betting all or nothing, marking the return of the Tune Squad.
LeBron James in the Tune Squad
Follow us at LEVEL UP.


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It seems that destroyed Lightning cables will be history very soon ... Apple prepares an unbreakable one!
We already know that Apple has been determined for years to avoid the standard USB Type-C connector in its iPhone, something that many of its users do not even understand and that even the European Commission is already studying in case it were possible force them to replace their cables and connectors Lightning, implementing at least in Europe the already standardized ones.
More frustrating, if possible, is having bought you a brand new Apple smartphone from more than 1,000 euros, and that your cable Lightning don't survive more than a few months fraying and ending up completely destroyed, and this without the need for fancy stuff and doing normal use with it, simply with the usual bending when connecting to the iPhone.
Apple knows that this is one of the most bitter complaints from its users, unwilling to pay the 25 euros that the Cupertino giant charges in its store for a cable replacement, so according to Apple Insider and Engadget they have gotten to work to develop a cable Lightning higher quality that will not break in a few months with normal use of the devices.
In fact, it is that the patent is already filed describing a cable that does not fray, and that it should replace the sleeves provided to improve stiffness cables, especially at their ends, where they fit into the connector, a contingency solution that adds thickness and according to Apple itself it does not relieve tension suffered by the cable itself.
According to the new design prepared in Cupertino, the idea is have different levels of stiffness in each of the longitudinal sections of the cable, offering a flexible section, another completely rigid and a third in a balance that should protect these frayed and ripped definitively.
Obviously a patent has been filed does not ensure that the product will arrive commercially, but that Apple is working on an improvement of its cables suggests that in Cupertino they are aware of the problem and they work to solve it one way or another.
Even more important now than they are saving the wall charger in the sales packages of their smartphones, including only these cables Lightning that do not leave such a good taste in the mouth like the pleasant experience of using any of the latest iPhone ... Good news, in any case, see this patent!


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Crypto’s For Main Street, Not Wall Streetbr>
Elon Musk was correct in his recent statement that “Paper money is going away, and crypto is a far better way to transfer value than pieces of paper…” This, from one of the world’s most innovative entrepreneurs, comes on the heels of one of the largest financial institutions in the world – JP Morgan – announcing that it would offer a stablecoin to be used on its proprietary platform, and Facebook and Telegram plan to issue digital coins as well, according to The New York Times recent report.
Clearly, after a volatile 2018 for cryptocurrency as fools rushed in on the idea that one could get rich quick buying coin, something has changed. A big pivot for stablecoin has just occurred and the titans of Wall Street are leading the charge.
Those who truly understand the underlying values of cryptocurrencies are not surprised by this turn of events.
We’re in agreement with Musk, crypto is a better way to transfer value than pieces of paper, but not just because it is faster, safer and more convenient. It also opens doors for people to leverage the power of their assets in new ways.
Creating new ways to open up new markets and thus, leveling the playing field, is one of the most meaningful facets of crypto. It’s this leveling of the playing field that precipitated the idea of our payment network and free stablecoin creation platform, Element Zero. We built Element Zero with the hope of making the world a better place for all by providing a new form of payment that is protected against long-term inflation and market volatility, protecting purchasing power for years to come. With our new next generation payment system, any company can create their own stablecoin, for free, which provides consumers the opportunity to benefit from a one-on-one relationship with a brand. No need for banks, credit card companies, no middleman. Just the brand and their stablecoin, with customized features and benefits to the coin holder using the suite of built-in features or, using the open-source SDK.
To ensure the future of Element Zero and keep it from any form of manipulation such as greedy third-parties, or even governments, Element Zero was incorporated as non-stock membership. This means it will not distribute any profits to shareholders (there are none) and keep 100% of the revenue in the organization’s reserve to support the liquidity of all Element Zero stablecoins. When the reserve is optimized; further profits will be redirected to non-profits as selected by the partners. The control over Element Zero will be shared with all stablecoin partners. That means every partner’s stablecoin that is based on Element Zero platform has a say, ensuring every essential decision will require agreement by consensus.
So, as the JPMorgans and Facebooks of the world begin to pave the way toward the mainstreaming of stablecoins, the next wave adopters – the early majority– will push the acceptability of this paperless method of currency to Main Street. The opportunities for people from all walks of life to benefit are boundless. As Musk said, “it’s free transmission of money, and that’s really important to opening up the world.”


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This Black-owned 'urban poutine' restaurant is opening its second location in Louisville
Just a few months after the first location opened, a second "urban poutine" concept is on the way.
Fry Daddy's, which opened at 1991 Brownsboro Road in March, is opening a second spot at 5905 Terry Road on June 5.
A grand opening celebration will be held on June 5 with music, door prizes and children's games, as well as free six-piece wings for the first few people in line.
The concept is the newest one from Six Forks Burger Co. owner Troy King, and serves french fries drenched in cheese and topped with protein and sauces.
More:Six Forks owner launches new concept to replace Pollo restaurant in Clifton
Protein options include chicken, vegan chicken, bacon, steak, shrimp, pork, snow crab and lobster. King said he specifically chose a ridged fry style called "clear-coated tin roof fries" from Simplot Foods because they stay warm and crispy for 40 minutes, making it ideal for takeout and delivery.
Prices for the urban poutine range from $8 for the chicken to $22 for lobster and snow crab toppings, King said. And there's a sauce for everyone's taste, from lemon garlic lobster to mango habanero steak and shrimp and chicken bacon ranch dishes. Fry Daddy's also sells chicken wings and tenders, fried shrimp and fried catfish.
King previously said his goal was to open four Fry Daddy's locations by the end of the year.
Fry Daddy's is open Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
More:You can eat your bourbon at this Louisville restaurant by Bourbon Barrel Foods founder
Dahlia Ghabour: firstname.lastname@example.org; Twitter: @dghabour.


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In recent months, we’ve seen the mighty, V8-powered 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R drag race all kinds of different types of vehicles, including the Toyota GR Supra, the Ram TRX, a C6 Corvette, the Cadillac Escalade-V, and the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, to name just a few. For the most part, the 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R has managed to hold its own and beat most of those vehicles in terms of straight-line acceleration, but now, the folks at Hoonigan have subjected the muscular pickup to perhaps its toughest test yet in the form of the GMC Hummer EV.
While the 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R is packing the supercharged 5.2L V8 Predator – which generates 700 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque in this guise – it’s actually at a bit of a disadvantage compared to the all-electric Hummer EV. That model is equipped with three electric motors that generate a total of 1,000 horsepower and 1,200 pound-feet of torque, which propel it from 0-60 in 3.3 seconds and down the quarter-mile in 11.9 seconds.
By comparison, the Ford F-150 Raptor R is capable of rocketing from 0-60 in 3.6 seconds and covering the quarter-mile in 12 seconds flat, even though it weighs far less than the Hummer EV – 6,077 pounds versus a whopping 9,640 pounds. Thus, this competition gets far closer in real-world conditions, and results can vary greatly depending on who’s behind the wheel, coupled with other factors like weather conditions and traction.
That much is quite clear in this showdown as the Raptor R wheel hops its way to an early lead, only to watch the Hummer fly by it. However, the EV ran out of juice at the top end and barely hung on to take the win. Thus, for the second try, the Raptor R gets a truck length start, though that isn’t enough, as it loses by an even larger margin this go-round. Just for the heck of it, the pair decide to try a third time – this time, a longer 1,500-foot race with a three-truck-length advantage for the Ford pickup – which is good enough to nab it a close win, proving yet again that even though we love ICE vehicles, EVs are astonishingly quick.


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Bryson DeChambeau keeps on changing the game. This time, he’s doing it off the course.
On Monday, the bulked-up bomber who has been on a unique quest for more distance became the first golfer to release his own limited-edition NFT trading cards.
According to our friends at USA Today, an NFT – non-fungible token – is a piece of data that verifies you own a digital item, anything from a piece of artwork to a clip of a golf tournament, in DeChambeau’s case. You may have heard of NBA Top Shot, one of the most-popular NFT’s in sports where a LeBron James highlight sold for $208,000.
There will be five different versions of DeChambeau’s cards, and each will have its own auction and will be sold to the highest bidder via OpenSea, one of the largest NFT marketplaces. The auction for the items begins Monday, March 22nd and ends Tuesday, March 23rd at 10 p.m. ET.
In addition to winning the Distance NFT, the highest bidder will also get the chance to meet DeChambeau at a tournament and receive an autographed U.S. Open flag, custom set of Cobra golf clubs, $1,000 Bose credit and six dozen Bridgestone golf balls.
You can check out his entire collection here.


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Aiming to make the most of emerging sales technology, Ford dealers will soon be experimenting with beacons to sell cars. This would mean that the same technology that's employed now to track inventory will now be put to work for sales.
The implementation of this smart sales technology is in response to the tech-savvy, informed consumer. In the past, people would often end up going to the dealer a few times before making a purchasing decision. Now, consumers are doing their research online and don't want to have to feel as if they're starting from scratch when they go to a physical car dealership.
This technology means that dealers would be able to attach a beacon to a featured model in the showroom. Any additional information on the car is available to a shopper through their smartphone.
Ford is Revving Up Its Retail Sales Technology with Beacons
Laura McQuarrie — July 2, 2015 — Autos
References: ibeaconsblog & wardsauto


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The family of the Morrisons cat have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love since her death with a plaque put on her favourite bench.
Dubbed the most famous cat in Banbury, Cleo was adored by many shoppers, who were equally heartbroken when she died on May 10.
Flowers and plants have been left at the store in memory of Cleo with heartfelt messages, as well as more than £160 raised for charity.
The plaque was designed in collaboration with her owners Sasha Chappell and Richard Mouat, who chose the picture and words.
Sasha said: “She was a much-loved cat but we didn’t realise just how loved she was until we saw the hundreds and hundreds of comments online.”
Mourning shoppers have even been retracing Cleo’s walk from her home on Lamb’s Close to Morrisons, Sasha said.
The family had planned to get a plaque made for Cleo so they were delighted when a Morrisons member of staff got in touch to organise it.
“It’s so nice and very kind, we think it’s nice for them to go to that length and organise it,” Sasha said.
The plaque has a picture of Cleo outside Morrisons, with the words: “In loving memory of Cleo the famous Morrisons Cat. Loved by all 2001-2018.”
Sasha said that sums up Cleo perfectly as that is exactly what she was.
A Morrisons spokesman said: ““Cleo was much loved by our colleagues and customers. She will be hugely missed.
“Our colleagues have helped create a plaque on his favourite bench at our store so that everyone can remember him.”


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Tag: Mobile Money & eCommerce
We can exclusively reveal that Telecel Zimbabwe, has just done a soft (and likely partner as well) launch of its mobile money service, Telecash. Those with access can now transact on the mobile money platform using the USSD access code *888#. We tried the code on our Telecel lines and got the screenshot below. So […]
Following closely developments in mobile services provision, I predicted EcoCash’s savings account before it was launched. I even proposed a Mobile phone directory for my wish list which Econet launched recently. I did not see Ecofarmer coming, nor EcoSchool although EcoCashCredit was kind of obvious after the savings account. All this leaves us with the […]
As you probably know, there was an incident last week where a cash in transit security vehicle lost almost half a million to robbers that pounced on it. The money was headed to pay plantation workers in Honde Valley. If for some reason you are wondering why they are paid cash, then let me just […]
So this has been a great year for Mahindra Comviva and EcoCash. The mobiquity platform that runs EcoCash, and more specifically, the EcoCash implementation of Mobiquity, has won Mahindra Comviva at least 2 other awards this year, including this latest one; a Meffys Award. Unlike the other two though, the Meffys award was under the […]
Econet Wireless today announced that subscribers to their Ecocash Save mobile banking service have now reached 900,000. 50,000 more than subscribers to typical brick and mortar banking services in Zimbabwe combined. The announcement was made in the same release announcing that Ecocash Save will start lending cash to subscriber in early 2014. The numbers are […]
Econet Wireless has just launched a new promotion to encourage its mobile money customers to save money using the recently launched EcoCash Save phone based savings account. The promotion dubbed “Waya Waya promo” is named after last year’s “EcoCash One Million Dollar, Waya-Waya Promotion“. Unlike last year’s promo though where the company basically gave out […]
So far Telecel has been unwilling to say much about their soon to launch Telecash mobile money service but we get bits to piece together every now and again from a few generous souls. Today was such a day and we got to learn a bit about the branding and messaging that will likely carry the […]
Mahindra Comviva, the company powering Econet’s mobile money solution, EcoCash, today won the “Best mobile money service” award at the AfricaCom Awards in South Africa. The awards are a big deal on the continent as they are part of the AfricaCom conference which is currently Africa’s largest conference for the telecoms and tech sector. More telecoms. The […]
Information we’ve just received confirms that NetOne is the company running teaser ads in the print press in preparation for a re-launch of their OneWallet mobile money service. The re-launch, a source tells us, comes with the introduction of transfers to other networks. So far, OneWallet subscribers could only transfer money to other NetOne subscribers. […]
Reliable information we have received from sources says Telecel will be using the Obopay platform for their Telecash mobile money service. This is contrary to market information that has been all along suggesting they’d be using the Mahindra Comviva platform that Econet uses. The reasoning so far was that Telecel was working to match Econet’s […]
Almost 3 months ago, Econet suddenly announced a suspension of EcoCash transfers to other mobile local mobile networks; Telecel and NetOne. We suspected ofcourse that this was a move to encourage people to ditch their Telecel and NetOne lines to access the mobile money service. Or at least a move to have sons and daughters […]
So yesterday when Telecel called a press briefing we were almost certain the company would announce their new mobile money service. It’s been known for a while now that Telecel is working on a product to compete head on in the market with fellow mobile operators Econet (their EcoCash product) and NetOne (OneWallet). They didn’t […]
Some very innovative people have sat down on this one. See, the relevancy of an app to the populace is not necessarily in the cutting edge technology (that’s for tech people), it’s also in the usability, the ability to accomplish the task in as simple a way as possible, as economic and just as secure. […]
A report in a Zimbabwean weekly, the Financial Gazette, said today that EcoCash has reached 3 million mobile money subscribers. The new subscription numbers come as the company celebrates the second anniversary of the service. The article unfortunately doesn’t mention however if the number represents active subscribers or just the total. We’re guessing it’s the […]
Whenever I’m in a foreign country in the region, I try to observe and ask questions about mobile stuff. Mobile money especially is a big interest and the one thing I have wanted to understand more is how mobile money hasn’t been as remarkably successful in these other countries in the region, as it has […]
A local startup has launched a desktop based mobile money management tool called Capu (short for Cash Application: Universal). Universal in that the tool can be used to manage transactions any mobile money service locally. The app, which is Windows based, so far allows users to manage their Textacash and EcoCash transactions more conveniently.
We are getting information that Econet will in a couple of days launch the new EcoCash service called EcoFarmer which has been talked about a bit locally in the past few months. Contrary to what we believed – that EcoFarmer is an attempt at creating something like eSoko – the information we are getting suggests […]
Econet just announced via a press release that they are upgrading the capacity of the EcoCash mobile money platform to 4 times its current size. The upgrade is a multi-million dollar project according to the announcement. Information of the upgrade was first released last week on Friday when the company notified subscribers via an SMS […]
At the company’s AGM recently Econet Wireless Zimbabwe explained to shareholders that the group is looking to services such as the mobile money service, EcoCash, for continued profitability and new value for shareholders. According to a report by local financial analysis email service, Financial Express, Econet Wireless Group Chief Operations Officer Tracy Mpofu said at […]
The article below is a statement issued by ZimSwitch on the state and progress made with the ZimSwitch Shared Services payments switching platform. The statement was issued to us as part of the research that we made over the past few weeks for the article Zimbabwe: Of banks, Mobile Money and EcoCash. It has been a busy year […]
Many like myself are probably wondering about the future of Mobile Money in Zimbabwe. On one side we have EcoCash bullishly rolling out merchant after merchant gathering enough momentum to fully implement a system perhaps even more speedily adopted than M-Pesa of Kenya. On the other hand we have the banks under the banner of […]
If you have worked or stayed in the Avondale area in Harare, you probably know of a popular food place at the flea market where lots of people religiously enjoy their lunch everyday. I visited the place with a friend today and we were quite intrigued to find they are now accepting Textacash mobile payments.
Econet Zimbabwe has finally announced that it will be launching a remittance service under EcoCash. The suggestions that they were working on a service to rival international remittance services using their mobile money infrastructure started as early as last year.
So the Gringo investors are yet to recoup their $50 000 because of piracy. Well, if they had stopped to consider all options before releasing their film perhaps they would have made a profit before production started.
The smooth convenience of using mobile money for transfers and payments is exceptional. The idea of being able to send money to anyone that has a mobile phone and them being able to pick it up immediately in any part of the country is something that a few years ago wasn’t imaginable. Anyone with a mobile phone!
Today we attended a (now former) TN Bank event where the company launched its new name Steward Bank. The rebranding comes a few months after the bank was acquired by Econet Wireless from its former owner Tawanda Nyambirai. It was made clear at the event by the bank CEO, Kwanele Ngwenya, that the bank’s services will be tightly integrated to its telecommunications parent Econet Wireless.
Last year, Telecel Zimbabwe pulled a ‘surprise of the year’ move on all of us; A mobile operator killed its mobile money service. No one knows (well, except them and probably ZimSwitch) when exactly Skwama was killed because it was done silently, only to be disclosed when we asked about the disappeared product in September last year.
A report in the state owned Herald newspaper today says that government has approved an increase in taxes for ‘mobile network charges’ and ‘mobile banking charges’ apparently to fund an upcoming general election. The revelation was made by Zim finance minister Tendai Biti yesterday as he addressed the media on the state of the economy. […]
We just got information that Econet and Paynet, a local payments & payments software company, have partnered to offer a new EcoCash service that will enable companies to pay salaries directly into their employees’ EcoCash wallets. The service will likely be announced in the coming days.
Mukuru.com has just announced the launch of a new cellphone based debit card in South Africa. It something like mobile banking services locally, except this is optimised for existing Mukuru services in addition to using the card for regular banking and point of sale. The new card is backed by Standard Bank.


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The report finds that sales of organic health and beauty products grew more than 20% in 2016, with the market now worth about £61.2m in the UK.
It also found that ingredients not certified as organic – and even linked to health problems – can be found in a range of cosmetics apparently claiming to be all-natural.
Indeed, several bands - including The Organic Pharmacy and Dr Organic - were called up in the report for using the word on packaging for shampoos and sunscreens that contain ‘potentially harmful’ ingredients.
As part of its ‘Campaign for Clarity’, The Soil Association surveyed consumers on the report’s findings, and 69% said they felt misleading labelling should be against the law, while 72% of people say they would lose trust in a brand that made misleading claims about being organic.
Across the industry, claims about sustainability, efficacy and provenance are being met with rising consumer demand for transparency and trust, and the latest report from Soil Association suggests organic beauty is one key area where this is being seen.
MuLondon: a case study
One UK brand, MuLondon (products pictured), has made strides recently to meet consumer demand for clear product packaging and labelling when it comes to organics.
The company prides itself on is ethical profile, and recently adopted three distinct certification symbols for its products in a bid to emphasise this:
The Soil Association, the UK’s leading organic certifier
1% For The Planet: MuLondon pledges to donate at least 1% of total sales to environmental non-profits.
Certified B Corporation: MuLondon is the first UK skin care company to be certified, and joins the ranks of many high-profile corporations, who all use business as a force for good, with a triple bottom line: people, planet and profit.
The new symbols form part of a complete rebrand for the company and its product range’s packaging, with which the brand is keen to project its ethical, organic ethos more clearly.
“The aim was to develop a new visual perception of MuLondon, based on its organic origin, respect for nature and expertise,” the company says.
“The understated look has been carefully chosen to reflect the company values: clean, simple, modern and honest.”


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With 8,834 sales recorded through the TorontoMLS system, April 2005 put in the second best performance for that month ever recorded, TREB President Ron Abraham announced today.
“April sales were up 12 per cent over the 7,904 recorded in March,” Mr. Abraham said. “Though down a little from the record pace of April 2004 (9,168 sales), the 8,834 figure still indicates a hot, hot market. In fact, had there been as many sales days this year as in April 2004, we might have set a new record.” Overall, prices resumed their upward trend in April, rising to 342,032, a three per cent increase over March and six per cent above the $321,131 recorded during April of 2004.
Breaking down the total, 3,330 sales were reported in TREB’s 28 West districts and averaged $316,446; 1,536 sales were reported in the 14 Central districts and averaged $455,153; 1,775 sales were reported in the 23 North districts and averaged $380,778; and 2,193 sales were reported in TREB’s 21 East districts and averaged $270,293.


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Jan. 6, 2006 -- By getting enough vitamin D while pregnant, women may strengthen their children's bones.
Scientists in the U.K. found that 9-year-old kids had higher bone mineral content, as reflected by bone mineral density (BMD) testing, if their mothers had gotten vitamin D supplements while pregnant.
Those kids may grow up with less risk of bone fractures from osteoporosis (thinning bones), note the researchers, who included Cyrus Cooper, FMedSci.
Cooper is a professor at the MRC Epidemiology Resource Center at England's University of Southampton.
The study appears in The Lancet.
Vitamin D's Role
Calcium often gets the spotlight for its role in bone health. But vitamin D and other nutrients are also important.
The researchers note that vitamin D deficiency can be commonly seen in healthy pregnant women and the elderly.
Falling Short on Vitamin D
Many people don't get enough vitamin D. Diet and sun exposure are part of the issue, along with age and skin color.
Making vitamin D is harder for people older than 50 and those without light-colored skin. Melanin in darker skin makes it more difficult to make vitamin D from sunlight.
Seasons and geography also matter. Short winter days mean less opportunity to make vitamin D, especially in northern areas.
Vitamin D Study
Cooper's study included 160 white women who had babies in the early 1990s.
Blood tests showed that nearly half of the women didn't have enough vitamin D, which was measured in late pregnancy. The shortfall was slight for 49 women (31%) and bigger for 28 others (18%), who had vitamin D deficiency.
None of the women was assigned to get more vitamin D from diet, supplements, or sun exposure.
Nine years later, the children the women had been carrying when the study started were evaluated with BMD tests.
The study showed lower bone mineral content for kids whose mothers hadn't gotten vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy.
Supplements for Moms?
The researchers are certain that many pregnant women got too little vitamin D.
If those women had taken vitamin D supplements, their kids might have built stronger bones that would be less likely to fracture later in life, the researchers write.
Of course, getting enough vitamin D wouldn't just help the kids' bones. The moms' bones might also benefit.


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Xiaomi has now become the world’s fastest smartphone company in the world after dethroning the likes of Samsung and Apple.
The smartphone manufacturer reached the milestone, according to a report by Counterpoint Research. The most surprising bit was that the company’s flagship phone i.e. the Mi 11 Ultra managed to capture 17.1 per cent of the global smartphone market.
The company managed to grow by 26 per cent despite the COVID-19 pandemic and was also the world’s number two smartphone brand for Q2 2021.
The company has now shipped over 800 million smartphones in the last decade. Xiaomi currently leads the global smartphone sales charts followed by Samsung at second place and Apple at third.
“Ever since the decline of Huawei commenced, Xiaomi has been making consistent and aggressive efforts to fill the gap created by this decline. The OEM has been expanding in Huawei’s and Honor’s legacy markets like China, Europe, Middle East and Africa. In June, Xiaomi was further helped by China, Europe and India’s recovery and Samsung’s decline due to supply constraints,” Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint, said in a press statement.
The company’s growth has been attributed to aggressive offline expansion in China and India, where products such as the Redmi 9, Redmi Note 9 and the Redmi K series have been most successful.
Samsung suffered the most due to supply constraints in Vietnam which helped Xiaomi dethrone the South Korean giant. In order for the South Korean tech giant to reclaim its top spot, Counterpoint Research says that the situation in Vietnam needs to improve.
Apple, on the other hand, has now slipped to the third position even though the company has enjoyed massive growth thanks to the iPhone 12 series.
It is worthy to point out that both Samsung and Apple are gearing to launch new smartphones in the coming days and months. Samsung is expected to announce two new foldable smartphones that will be the replacement of the Galaxy Note series.
Xiaomi has been a leader in the Indian smartphone market for a while and now the company is also the top smartphone company in Europe after a remarkable June quarter. Xiaomi is also expected to launch its latest smartphone i.e. the Mi Mix 4 a day before Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event.
Source: Counterpoint Research.


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Few may want to discuss it, but scientists estimate that 30 to 60 percent of athletes have experienced a sudden urge to go to the bathroom, during both training and competition. “Instead of sizing up the competition or envisioning my route to victory, I often spent my time on the starting line thinking about where and when I’d have to make a bathroom pit-stop,” recalls two-time Olympian Laura Bennett.
Now there’s research supporting prebiotic fiber’s ability to let you focus more on your performance and less on your digestive tract. A study published by the Journal of Functional Foods, reports that prebiotic guar fiber may help minimize athlete’s diarrhea by boosting levels of healthy probiotics in the gut.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of 47 healthy male athletes (mainly soccer players) found that consuming 6 grams of PHGG (Sunfiber) daily over a four-week period resulted in them having fewer negative GI symptoms. The study was published in the Journal of Functional Foods.
The researchers also noted that PHGG lowers abundance of harmful bacteria and increases energy recovery from gut contents in athletes. They further noted that the presence of Bifidobacterium, a probiotic known to flourish when fed by PHGG, was associated with these benefits.
While there is still more research to be done in this area, Sunfiber is already known to provide relief from occasional diarrhea as well occasional constipation. It may be a welcome dietary addition for any endurance athlete who wants to focus on something besides the location of the nearest bathroom.


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In the past 5 years, the company extensively invested in the development of infrastructure, human resources, and air and sea freight facilities
Lovitka Logistics Pvt Ltd, a Coop member in Colombo, Sri Lanka, has recently celebrated its 5th Anniversary. They celebrated this important milestone by organizing two Buddhist ceremonies and prayer and meditation at their office premises.
Moreover, their team also arranged an alms-giving for all the monks and children at a children’s home to mark their successful journey in the international logistics industry.
Since the company’s inception in 2016, they have identified the need for greater investment in the development of air and sea freight facilities, infrastructure, and the development of human resources.
As stated by Yasith G Punchihewa, the Director of Lovitka Logistics, “Joining the Coop has enabled us to cover 134 countries while catering to domestic, and international logistics needs of our customers in a timely manner. Today the relevant agencies around the world have recognized Lovikta Logistics as a responsible partner representing the industry.”
Amidst all the challenges in 2020, Lovikta ventured into the Central American Region thus taking their first step towards international expansion. Their main objective is to offer multi-modal solutions to a vast range of industries across the world.
“Since the pandemic, we are working towards maximizing benefits to all the stakeholders within the industry by exploiting the potential of Sri Lanka’s strategic geographical location. We take pride in carrying the local produce of Sri Lanka to the international market. Additionally, the immense potential and opportunities in the Sri Lankan economy, are complementing our company’s growth,” adds Mr. Punchihewa.
Congratulations to Lovitka Logistics and all the best for their future projects!


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WEST CHESTER, Pa. , August 17, 2009 — With $20 bills comprising 22 percent of all notes currently printed in the U.S. , it’s surprising that only a small percentage of vending machines are equipped to accept bills commonly carried by consumers. This drives many potential vending customers to satisfy their thirst or hunger at convenience stores and other outlets.
MEI’s new CASHFLOW® Series 2000 VNR Vending Recycler allows vending machines to reliably accept $20, $10, $5 and $1 bills. It uses cash recycling technology to dispense previously accepted bills ($1s or $5s) as change. With the VNR, customers can make purchases directly from a vending machine using larger denominations frequently received from ATM withdrawals and collect their change in bills and coins. During the past few months, beta tests revealed an average of 15 percent sales lift on machines equipped with the VNR.
The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Lehigh Valley, part of the ABARTA Beverage Group, has been using the VNR in its vending machines for about five months.
“Customers have told me firsthand how thrilled they are to receive bills as change instead of dollar coins,” said Mike Gallagher, service manager for the bottling company. “Sales on those machines have increased, and as far as dependability is concerned, the VNR delivers the same level of quality that I’ve always expected and trusted in MEI products.”
“Many leading vending operators are anxious to install the VNR because it gives them the opportunity to save $5, $10, and $20 bill transactions that they’ve been losing to convenience stores and other retail outlets,” said Chuck Reed, marketing director, MEI. “MEI’s cash recycling technology has proven in testing to perform with the same reliability and quality that the vending industry has come to expect from all of our payment systems.”
The MEI CASHFLOW VNR features a modular design and has the smallest cash recycler footprint available. An optional high-visibility bezel with bright, low-powered LEDs catches the attention of customers and easily informs them which denominations are being accepted. For operators looking to expand payment options even more, they can install the MEI 4-in-1 bezel, which allows the CASHFLOW VNR to accept cash, MEI coupons, credit card and contactless payments.
Key features and benefits of the VNR include:
- Accepts $20s, $10s, $5s and $1s with the ability to recycle a single denomination of bills ($1s or $5s), so customers aren’t limited to receiving coins as change
- Modular design makes it easy for an operator to add the VNR recycler module to a VN2700 bill validator at any time
- Easily installed across a wide range of makes and models of vending machines
- Compatible with all MDB coin changers/coin mechs
- Programmable recycler module holds up to 30 bills at a time, requiring less frequent replenishment for reduced service costs
- Proven performance of the Series 2000 bill validator technology, including the industry’s highest acceptance rates — more than 98 percent
MEI also introduced its VN2700 validator earlier this year. While the ability to accept $20, $10, $5 and $1 bills is standard with the VN2700, it also makes it simple for operators to enable cash recycling in the future. They can field retrofit the compact VNR recycling module at any time.
MEI will showcase the MEI CASHFLOW Series 2000 VNR at the 2009 NAMA National Expo, Booth 701, Sept. 23-25, at the Navy Pier in Chicago .
The National Automatic Merchandising Association is the national trade association of the food and refreshment vending, coffee service and foodservice management industries, including on-site, commissary, catering and mobile. Its membership comprises service companies, equipment manufacturers, and suppliers of products and services to operating service companies.
MEI, headquartered in West Chester , Pa. , holds the world’s largest installed base of unattended payment systems, handling over two billion transactions per week in more than 100 countries. The company developed the first electronic coin mechanism in the 1960s, followed by the first electronic non-contact bill acceptor, and more recently its credit card capability and vending management solution. Recently, MEI reached a milestone of selling more than four million bill acceptors and five million coin mechanisms worldwide. Its products are in widespread use in the vending, soft drink, gaming, amusement, transport, retail, and kiosk markets. For more information on MEI and its products, visit www.meigroup.com or call 800-345-8215.


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The St. Louis bar Open Concept has just opened for business, and its business model is getting a lot of attention. Rather than slinging drinks, they’re in the business of selling“time.” Here’s how it works: you pay $10 and get an hour of time in the bar where you can drink as much as you want. There’s also a $20 Saturday event that’ll feature a buffet and bottomless bellinis and mimosas.
Is there a catch? OF COURSE THERE’S A CATCH, but more on that in a sec. Michael Butler owns Open Concept and he says the idea came from his own fundraiser events when he was running for city recorder. He said the pre-sale tickets allowed the to mix batch drinks in advance and it all worked like a charm.
So here’s how it works: customers book their time online, in advance – and they get a confirmation code. That code is how bartenders keep track of drink orders. And here’s the catch: IDs are scanned and your height and weight is logged…so they know how much customer can drink and how fast they should be drinking. We can just see people clamoring to get in so they can tell the bartender how much they weigh.
As far as drinks, right now they have three beers on tap – all Budweiser products – and Franzia wines. For more discerning palettes, there’s also the “Top Shelf” hourly plan that’ll run you $20 for an hour.
photo: Getty Images


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Distribution centers to be opened in Mississippi, Minnesota, New York
The new distribution centers will operate within AmerisourceBergen’s current network and are expected to improve product access, boost efficiency in the health care and pharmaceutical supply chain and bolster customer service.
AmerisourceBergen added that the new centers are part of ongoing investments, totaling more than $1 billion over the last 10 years, to the company’s distribution network and IT systems, which handle almost 35% of all of the pharmaceuticals sold and distributed in the United States.
AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp. (ABDC), the company’s drug distribution unit and largest business, has a network of 25 distribution centers nationwide.
“Our goal is to help successfully execute the patient-focused strategies of the manufacturers, providers, pharmacists and retailers who we support,” Bob Mauch, executive vice president at AmerisourceBergen and president of ABDC, said in a statement. “Enhancements to our distribution network combined with AmerisourceBergen’s unsurpassed knowledge and reach positions us to increase efficiency and drive innovation in pharmaceutical distribution and the delivery of health care.”


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The UK national media has embraced the news that the world’s first ever garden camping website has launched – the founder’s initial press release got the ball rolling with coverage in Metro and on the websites of The Guardian and Red Magazine. Our launch PR campaign the following week kept the momentum going and has resulted in articles in The Sunday Times, The Independent on Sunday, Mail on Sunday, The Sun and Sunday Mirror, as well as the online versions and a number of other websites, reaching an audience of well over 8 million in the UK already.
We’ve also generated interest from BBC TV and ITV and founder, Victoria Webbon, has been interviewed by a number of local radio stations.
With plenty of press exposure still in the pipeline, this is an excellent start for CampInMyGarden.com – a unique business which lets home-owners earn a little extra cash by renting out their back gardens as temporary campsites for event-goers throughout the UK. What’s more, Victoria’s already seeing tangible results from LS Media’s PR campaign, with members on the increase and bookings being made between garden-owners and event-goers.
I’m as delighted as Victoria is with how this campaign’s panning out – it’s great to see the results in terms of both press coverage AND business enhancement.


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The Week in Gaming: Starfield, Metroid Dread, Halo, Zelda & more — a closer look at E3's biggest hits
Welcome to The Week in Gaming, the place where we pause each week to take a look at the video game news beats both big and small that you might be missing — while also taking a peek around the corner at what's ahead. Check in each Friday for news (and occasionally even views) on everything from sprawling RPGs to Metroidvania platformers to the latest in VR and free-to-play. We'll even throw in a good old-fashioned board game every now and then!
E3 2021 is in the books, and with it, a (somewhat) clearer picture of what to expect over the next year from Xbox, Nintendo, and the third-party studios that’ll be bringing new games to more than one console. That makes now the perfect moment to pause and take a closer peek at the biggest (and freshest) highlights, before E3 holdout Sony answers back sometime soon with its next State of Play showcase… and before we get too busy playing all this sweet new stuff we just learned about.
With no in-person stage show in Los Angeles, this year’s E3 may have felt comparatively muted as a live-wire event. From Ubisoft to Capcom to Square Enix and everything in between, it was all pre-recorded and delivered in a carefully curated online stream. But whether it was Microsoft’s marathon rundown of everything coming to Xbox, or Nintendo’s surprise reveal of a previously-unannounced Metroid, the games themselves were definitely well represented.
There’s a ton of ground to cover in the E3 aftermath, so let’s get straight to the highlights…if, that is, we can stop rewatching that amazing Metroid Dread trailer.
Microsoft: Starfield, Redfall, & Halo Infinite
The Elder Scrolls VI may still be as big a mystery as ever, but Bethesda used its first-ever joint showcase with new owner Microsoft to show off the very first proper footage from its long-in-development sci-fi RPG Starfield. “It’s like Skyrim in space,” Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard confided in a followup interview at The Washingotn Post, while Bethesda’s Ashley Cheng described it as “the Han Solo simulator. Get in a ship, explore the galaxy, do fun stuff.”
The cinematic trailer didn’t get into actual gameplay, but showed off a sci-fi aesthetic that’s at once futuristic and — perhaps in a nod to Bethesda’s Fallout DNA — just a little bit retro and tattered. It’s fun seeing console fixtures on a spaceship that look like A/C controls from a 1980s sedan, so it’s no wonder Starfield’s neat mixture of spacey escapism with lived-in human wear and tear proved a hit with director James Gunn, who asked fans if he could just put Guardians of the Galaxy 3 on hold long enough to play Starfield first:
Starfield is set to release on Nov. 11 of next year (and for what it’s worth, Guardians 3 should be in theaters six months later...just in time for that new Guardians-themed game from Square Enix). That Han Solo comparison is hopelessly stuck in our heads now, so we’re counting out the long days until launch wondering if Bethesda’s new space RPG — its first new original IP since The Elder Scrolls — will include a “Scoundrel” character build. Starfield is set to arrive on PC and as an Xbox console exclusive.
Like Starfield, we’ve touched on Redfall, the newly-announced vampire game from Dishonored developer Arkane Studios, in more detail here. But it’s worth pointing out that Redfall was on no one’s radar prior to E3 — at least, not in the version that Bethesda showed. Two years ago (via IGN), internet-scanning Elder Scrolls fans set about sleuthing and speculating that “Redfall” might be the name for Skyrim’s TESVI successor, after news got out that parent company Zenimax Media was trying to secure the term as a trademark. With Arkane’s E3 announcement now behind us, the “Redfall” part turned out to be real…but it was all in the service of a co-op (or single player; the choice is yours!) game about lab-created vampires gone haywire.
So much for last year’s low-res meme-ing of “Craig” the facially featureless brute. 343 Industries’ new look at Halo Infinite, both in gameplay and a gripping zero-gravity cinematic trailer, left little doubt that the studio has used the game’s year-long delay to add polish to what’s sure to be one of the most anticipated games of 2021.
The case of the missing Cortana lies at the heart of Infinite’s story, as Master Chief discovered after space-jumping his way through the trailer. “We are continuing the story of the Master Chief and Cortana from Halo 5, but also telling a story that’s welcoming for new players,” creative head Joseph Staten said in a followup blog post, adding that “Cortana’s fate is one of the Infinite campaign’s big mysteries.” Returning with a solo campaign and a multiplayer mode that’s sure to keep legions of Spartans on the edge of their seats for years, Halo Infinite is set to debut this holiday season.
We can’t let Microsoft’s E3 highlight reel flash past without pointing out one cool bit of news that came later in the week: Through the magic of its Xbox Cloud Gaming service, upcoming games developed for the new-gen Xbox Series X/S will be playable for owners of the older Xbox One console.
“For the millions of people who play on Xbox One consoles today, we are looking forward to sharing more about how we will bring many of these next-gen games, such as Microsoft Flight Simulator, to your console through Xbox Cloud Gaming, just like we do with mobile devices, tablets, and browsers,” Microsoft’s Wiill Tuttle teased in a blog post that was otherwise light on details. We don’t know whether the new functionality will apply to every next-gen Xbox game, but we’ve definitely got our antennae attuned for Microsoft’s next update.
Nintendo: Metroid Dread & Breath of the Wild sequel
Like everyone else, you’ve likely seen the trailer by now — so how about some atmospheric screenshots that Nintendo dropped in the wake of its planet-shaking announcement of an all-new Metroid game? Nintendo wanted to make this game years ago as the DS handheld’s direct successor to 2005’s Metroid Fusion. But, as producer Yoshio Sakamoto explained in a cool behind-the-scenes developer’s video, “we felt the technology back then just couldn’t properly bring the concept to life.”
Metroid Dread may be a throwback 2D side-scrolling adventure that harkens to Nintendo’s retro glory days, but one look at the trailer is all you need to understand where Sakamoto’s coming from here. The camera sweeps into 3D cinematic mode for story beats before diving back into platforming goodness, and there’s an overall sheen to the footage that seems like something of a straight-from-the-source answer to all the (admittedly outstanding) Metroidvania games that Nintendo’s NES-era classic inspired in the first place.
For longtime fans, Dread will be no less a must-play game than Metroid Prime 4, its upcoming 3D sibling. And for newer players raised on more recent Metroidvania games like Hollow Knight and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, it’s poised to serve as an old-school gaming masterclass from the studio that started it all. Metroid Dread releases for the Switch on Oct. 8 of this year.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask was the N64 successor to Ocarina of Time, a game many still regard as one of the greatest ever made. So it’s no surprise that fans have begun seeking parallels between the sequel to Breath of the Wild and the Switch game that preceded it…which also entered the best-ever discussion when it released in 2017.
But after fans got their first extended look at the game’s new trailer this week, Nintendo followed up to quiet those comparisons as best it could — even if the trailer made it appear they’re not entirely unfounded. “I understand people making that conclusion, but at the same time — and I don’t want to delve too much into it — but this is its own game,” Bill Trinen, of the company’s Nintendo Treehouse North American division, shared with IGN. “…I think as we start to show a bit more of the game over the coming months to the next year or so, it’ll probably start to be a bit more apparent where this game stands on its own and what makes it so unique."
Majora’s Mask unfolded on the fringes of Termina Field, the hub of a parallel world to Ocarina’s Hyrule. BOTW2 (or whatever we’ll end up calling it) heads back to the same Hyrule as its predecessor, but the trailer made it clear that this is a very different, and far darker, place. Link looks like he’s perhaps occupying two different time periods within it (he wears different clothing and has shaggier hair in one sequence), again cueing fans to invoke the idea that time travel might be involved — as it was in Majora’s Mask.
Leaving all the comparisons aside, the new game looks distinctive from its older sibling in other ways, including what looks like a hugely (and we mean hugely) expanded focus on sky travel, as well as some mysterious new ability that lets Link morph right through solid barriers. Link also wields fire at one point, while an earlier trailer moment shows his arm wrapped in a gooey red corruption summoned up by Ganondorf.
We’re admittedly just spitballing ideas like every other fan, and Nintendo said after the trailer debuted that it’ll share more info about the game well before its vaguely-indicated 2022 release. Until right before launch time, though, one of those things may not be the official name: Trinen told IGN that the game does already have a title, but that revealing it early might spoil the story.
We can wait. If the sequel manages to set itself apart the way Majora’s Mask did, we’ll patiently bide our time until Nintendo decides it's time to share more. We’re on record saying Ocarina of Time was surpassed by its successor, and nothing would make us feel the power of the Triforce all over again like playing a Breath of the Wild sequel that does the same.


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South Africa is not alone in using “buy local” campaigns to stimulate local production, create local jobs and revitalise economic growth. It is happening all over the world, as a reaction to the economic devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The government’s “buy local” campaign will include many locally made products, not just chicken. Poultry is one of 42 products that have been identified for a “buy local” priority.
In addition to encouraging South Africans to buy local chicken, the poultry master plan envisages an instruction to government departments and state owned enterprises to use local poultry for their catering. This instruction is still awaited.
Image: Screengrab from Game Time, a Proudly South African campaign: https://youtu.be/sdyj05fjtuQ.


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By now most people interested in fashion have heard of orange fibre, fungi fashion and grape leather. The teams behind these innovations were previous winners of the Global Change Award founded by the H&M Foundation.
Soon everyone will know about Kenyan nettle fibre. One of the 2019 winners of the Global Change Award, Green Nettle Textile uses a hardy plant, which grows naturally in difficult-to-access steep slopes, to produce a sustainable linen-like fibre. The by-product can be used as food, cosmetics, as a dye and to make paper. The Kenyan team was awarded Euros 150 000 of the total prize money to help create sustainable fashion and livelihoods.
One of the team members Jonah Mwangi says, “Through the success of our project we will offer job opportunities, offer the community with a sustainable cash crop, maximize land use, maximize food availability, promote conservation, and make a sustainable fabric from stinging nettle.” The other team members are Esther Muthoni, Sophia Mwai, and Susan Macharia.
In Stockholm the Kenyan team showcased a scarf made from undyed nettle fibre, spun and handwoven in Ziwani, a small town near the border with Tanzania. It felt softer than an average wool, but not as soft as a good mohair. Mwagni says the nettle is grown in the Mau and Aberdare water catchment areas. H&M Foundation believes this project could potentially provide job opportunities and nutrients for more than 200,000 small holder farmers across Kenya.
Chair of the Wangari Maathai Foundation and a 2019 judge, Wanjira Mathai says the Kenyan winners were especially inspiring because their solution seeks to complement rather than compete with food production. “They are using slopes that would otherwise not be suitable for food production. I look forward to following them as they develop their idea further.”
Mathai says, “It’s commendable that H&M is looking at how they can become more sustainable. The sector must innovate for sustainability.”
Fellow judge Tariq Fancy, founder and chairman at Rumie says the awards, “Focuses on some of the best minds from the industry on the critical challenge of building circular business models that can better prepare humanity for a sustainable future for the planet and generations to come.”
This year South Africa, along with Nigeria and Kenya, was in the list of top ten countries by number of entries. This year 6640 ideas from 182 countries were submitted. Technology-centric ideas were the most common type of idea, regardless of gender of the applicants.
The Global Change Award is an H&M Foundation project. The H&M Foundation is a non-profit global foundation headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden with a mission to drive, long-lasting change and improve living conditions by investing in people, communities and innovative ideas. It is focused on shifting away from linear ‘take-make-waste” production and consumption models to a circular “take-make-take-make” economy that eliminates waste.
Mathai says, “The fashion industry presents a potent example of how the circular economy can transform what we see today as waste, into treasure.” To support these innovators you can donate here. https://globalchangeaward.com/back-the-winners/
The other winners of Global Change Award are:
The Loop Scoop by circular.fashion €300,000
This digital system aims to close the loop on every garment from design to wear to recycling. It helps fashion designers be more sustainable, consumers to understand where their clothes come from and helps them to recycle the items once they have finished using them. Consumers can scan a tag for all the details of the clothes.
Sane Membrane by dimpora €250,000
A biodegradable and mineral-based membrane for outdoor wear. The micro-thin membrane does the job just as effectively as the harmful substances added to conventional outdoor wear. It shields against the elements in a sustainable way.
Clothes that Grow by Petit Pli €150,000
These are outfits that expand with the child, while reducing environmental impact. The garments are folded in a way that allows for tops and bottoms to expand and fit each child for years.
Lab Leather by Le Qara €150,000
This is a vegan biodegradable leather created from microorganisms. Derived from exotic Peruvian flowers and fruits, this innovation mimics virtually any desired leather texture, color, toughness or thickness. The material is 100 percent biodegradable and the remains from the recycling process can be used as a liquid compost. This invention is a zero-waste solution that saves money, energy, and lives.
- Image credits: Supplied


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Enlarge / Lyft passengers and drivers in a Lyft ride on February 3, 2016 in San Francisco, California. (credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Lyft)
Two Lyft drivers, one in Massachusetts and one in California, have recently filed another pair of proposed class-action lawsuits.
Like in previous similar cases, the plaintiffs accuse the ride-hailing company of inadequately paying them and misclassifying them as contractors rather than employees. By classifying the bulk of its workforce as contractors, Lyft and other companies like it are almost certainly saving millions of dollars per year in costs that they would otherwise have to pay, including drivers’ health insurance, retirement, unemployment, and other benefits that typically come with full-time employment.
The Massachusetts case, Wickberg v. Lyft, was brought earlier this month by Boston-based attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan, who has made a name for herself bringing similar labor lawsuits against gig economy startups in recent years.