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El Dorado County prepares for 4th of July amid pandemic
The annual 4th of July Family Blast in Placerville was canceled this year because of the novel coronavirus outbreak — but there will still be fun things to do during the holiday weekend.
El Dorado County is not among the 19 counties being forced to scale back reopenings due to a rise in COVID-19 cases. That means indoor dining and bars will be open for the Fourth of July holiday weekend and the county is offering some safe, relaxing options.
"It's so refreshing," said Amber Frere, general manager of Via Roman Vineyards. "You're driving on Highway 50, you see all these beautiful trees. You feel instantly at peace and at home."
Via Romano Vineyards in Placerville is offering a Fourth of July barbecue — Italian style.
"We're doing a seated tasting with a barbecue of spiedini," said owner Leanne Davis. "Spiedini is Italian for kabob and we're doing an Italian sausage with a Ciabatta bread.
The outdoor area comes with private cabanas and tables that are set up a safe distance apart.
"We're practicing safe six," Davis said. "So, we are six feet apart. At our entrance, we have dots that you can stand on, you're six feet apart. We require a mask until you're seated."
The Fourth of July barbecue runs from noon to 4 p.m. and it's $20 per person.
Up the road at Madrona Vineyards, owner Paul Bush said they're offering a special outdoor tasting all weekend nestled in the trees alongside the vineyards.
"You are in the vineyards and the smells and everything that's going on, it's a totally different experience and you get to take it at your own pace," Bush said.
Wine tasting fans will love the private outdoor picnic tables, where you can use the camera on your smartphone to scan a QR code to learn about each variety from the wine maker themselves.
They're offering two flights with six wines for just $15.
"We grow 29 different varieties, so the flights are a way of choosing a whole breadth of different wines," Bush said. "It's almost like a passport to travel through Europe."
Reservations are required at both Via Romano and Madrona Vineyards.
County health officials encourage everyone visiting El Dorado County to follow the recommended safety guidelines.


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An Indigenous beading store in Saskatoon has unveiled a new mural on the side of their building.
His Bead, Saskatoon’s first Indigenous beading store, celebrated the unveiling of their new mural on Wednesday morning.
The store is owned my Metis entrepreneur Dakota McLeod, who has roots in Buffalo Narrows.
The new mural on the windows of the storefront facing Avenue C in Saskatoon, tells the story of the generational teaching of bead work.
Artist Azby Whitecalf, of Sweetgrass First Nation, says she though this was an important story to tell.
“I feel like a lot of my generation didn’t grow up with many Indigenous art forms in the media around us,” said Whitecalf. “So I think it is important, with this being Saskatoon’s first Indigenous owned beading store, to keep the culture and to make sure future generations know our history, our art, and our stories.”
His Bead store opened two and a half years ago as the first beading store in Saskatoon and has since expanded their storefront.
(PHOTO – Azby Whitecalf provides touches to her mural at His Beads store in Saskatoon. Photo by Joel Willick.)

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Corsair today announced the launch of a new, highly overclocked, low voltage memory kit. This 4GB Dominator GT memory kit, implemented using a matched pair of 2GB DIMMs, is guaranteed to operate at 2133MHz, with latency settings of 9-11-9-27, and at a memory voltage of only 1.5V. The new CMT4GX3M2B2133C9 Dominator GT memory kit will be available within two weeks with an MSRP of $169.99 USD.
“We have seen an increasing number of requests from overclockers for memory that can achieve high clock speeds at lower voltages,” stated Thi La, Vice President of Memory Products at Corsair. “At 2133MHz, this 4GB memory is the world’s fastest commercially available memory at 1.5 volts.”


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Leading Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has launched an online accessory store in the United States and major European countries as it expands into lucrative Western markets.
Xiaomi launched mi.com in France, Britain and Germany on Tuesday, it said in a statement.
The store went online in the United States on Monday, it added.
Xiaomi, which was only founded in 2010 by entrepreneur Lei Jun, has excelled in China’s cut-throat smartphone market by delivering high-performance products at low prices.
In just five years, the Chinese firm has become the world’s number three smartphone vendor, behind only Apple and South Korea’s Samsung, with rapid growth in emerging countries.
Now the launch of mi.com marks the brand’s move into established Western markets.
A company spokeswoman told AFP on Tuesday that the site is restricted to accessories.
Products on offer include a $14.99 fitness band compared with $99.99 for the mid-range tracker from San Francisco-based Jawbone, $79.99 headphones and battery cells as cheap as $9.99, according to the website.
Shipments are currently limited to the four countries, the company said.
However, Xiaomi has signalled its intention to offer more products to consumers in the US and Europe.
It has enjoyed huge success in its home market of China, and in the first quarter of 2015 held a 13.7 percent market share — behind only US rival Apple.
Consumers have snapped up its products which often undercut foreign rivals. Xiaomi’s high-end Mi 4 with 64 GB of memory lists for $410, less than half the $998 Chinese retail price of a comparable Apple iPhone 6. Its Redmi 2 budget model is only $115.
It was the top smartphone company in China during 2014, claiming sales of more than 61 million smartphones, up 227 percent from 2013.
Xiaomi has launched products outside mainland China in Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as southeast Asia, but has yet to expand its footprint into developed countries.
Hugo Barra, vice president of Xiaomi Global, said in the statement he was “truly excited to bring a selection of our best-selling accessories” to consumers in the West.
He added: “We look forward to bringing more Mi products over time to the US and Europe.”


text: As has been the case for all recent cryptocurrency-related events, the Coinbase (COIN) initial public offering garnered significant investor attention. Coinbase’s platform facilitates cryptocurrency buying, selling, and storage. On listing, COIN stock surged to a high of $429. This has been followed by some profit taking, and the stock currently trades at around $300. It seems that Coinbase is attractive for long-term exposure considering the wider adoption of cryptocurrencies. Company specific fundamentals also point to the stock trending higher. Which Factors Make Coinbase A Stand-Out? A recent report by Crypto.com suggests that the total number of global crypto users has reached 106 million as of January 2021. Six months back, the number of crypto users was 74 million. As such, cryptocurrency adoption seems to be at an inflection point. Specific to Coinbase, the number of users has been steadily climbing. The company reported verified users of 32 million for FY2019. Last year, the number of verified users increased to 43 million. What’s more, for the first quarter of 2021, verified users have increased to 56 million. Of course, transacting users are more important from a revenue perspective than verified users. In December 2019, the company reported 1 million transacting users. As of March 2021, transacting users swelled to 6.1 million; in 15 months, the number of transacting users has increased sixfold. A vast base of verified users is likely to ensure that transacting user growth remains strong. These are all positive trends and are likely to translate to stock upside. (See Coinbase stock analysis on TipRanks) Strong Growth And Margins With an increase in transacting users, Coinbase has reported strong top-line growth. For FY2020, the company reported revenue growth of 139.3% to $1.3 billion. For the same period, the company reported EBITDA growth of a whopping 2,095.8% to $527 million. This implied a healthy EBITDA margin of 41.3%. For the current year, the company has guided for revenue of $1.8 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $1.1 billion. This would imply an EBITDA margin of 61.1%. Therefore, revenue growth is likely to be tied to significant expansion of key margins. Further, for FY2020, the company reported operating cash flow of $294 million (excluding impact of change in custodial funds due to customers). With strong top-line growth coupled with EBITDA margin expansion, OCF is likely to surge in the next few years. This would also imply healthy free cash flows. Coinbase reported cash and equivalents of $1 billion as of December 2020. With the IPO proceeds, the company has an ample financial buffer to accelerate sales and marketing efforts. This is likely to result in user growth and sustained top-line growth. On top of this, the company has witnessed a steady growth in market share. As of Q1 2021, the total assets on the company’s platform were $223 billion, representing 11.3% of the crypto asset market. In FY2018, the company’s crypto asset market share was 4.5%. From a growth perspective, it should be noted that in FY2019, Bitcoin and Ethereum accounted for 72% of the trading volume. In FY2020, the trading volume concentration for these two assets declined to 56%. With Coinbase supporting an increasing number of assets, its trading volume will correlate less with the price fluctuations of Bitcoin, and it is also likely to attract new users. Wall Street’s Take Turning to the analyst community, 5 Buys and 2 Holds have been assigned in the past three months. So, Coinbase is a Moderate Buy. At $447, the average analyst price target implies 50.18% upside potential. Concluding Views Coinbase currently has a market capitalization of $59 billion. Considering the FY2021 revenue guidance of $1.8 billion, COIN stock trades at 32 times forward revenue, which might seem expensive. However, it is worth noting that top-line and cash flow growth is likely to remain strong for the coming years. Even if top-line growth is around 30% to 40% over the next few years, with a healthy EBITDA margin, the business will deliver strong free cash flows. The stock, therefore, seems attractive, considering the long-term growth potential. If Bitcoin and cryptocurrency adoption continue to accelerate at the current pace, it might just be the beginning of the growth story for Coinbase. Disclosure: On the date of publication, Faisal Humayun did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. Disclaimer: The information contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this article should be taken as a solicitation to purchase or sell securities.


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Super Toy Cars will be launching on the Nintendo eShop on Thursday, July 24. This combat racing game will be available for $7.99 and features 16 cars, 12 tracks, five different events for each track, a career mode, multiplayer, and a track editor.
Dahku Creations, the developer of Chubbins
, will be bringing another game to the Wii U this year. This next game will be Soon Shine, a puzzle game that must be played on the Wii U GamePad.
Players must have great agility to destroy evil spirits before they reach the middle of the screen. Destroying these spirits is as easy as tapping them, though some can only be destroyed in sunlight, while others must be destroyed under the moon’s light. Players can also buy and use items to help them on their quest to a high score.
The game is currently being reviewed by Nintendo and Dahku Creations hopes to launch mid-August for $1.99.
Nintendo has revealed this year’s Club Nintendo Elite Status Rewards and, disappointingly, there are no physical rewards to choose between. This year, those whom have achieved Platinum or Gold Elite Status get to choose between a fairly large list of digital games for their Wii U or 3DS. Of course, those that have Platinum status get more choices, including some desirable Nintendo eShop and retail games. Here is the full list of games for elite Club Nintendo members:
RCMADIAX, a Wii U developer that seems to be picking up some major steam lately, plans to release Super Robo Mouse a little later this year. Super Robo Mouse challenges gamers to navigate a maze and its obstacles to find Titanium Cheese to unlock the level’s gate. RCMADIAX promises over 20 levels, which includes 3 boss battles, making Super Robo Mouse their largest adventure so far.
Players will have the option to control the game using the Wii U GamePad, Wii U Pro Controller, Wii Remote + Nunchuck, and the Wii Classic Controller. Of course, like many Wii U Games, Super Robo Mouse will support of-TV play on the Wii U GamePad.
RCMADIAX is looking to release Super Robo Mouse by the end of 2014 and for under $5.
Cubit: The Hardcore Platformer Robot, which received an average score in our review, will be receiving a remastered update that looks to fix some of the game’s flaws. This update will go live in Europe on Thursday of this week with North America to follow after it passes NOA Lot Check. This update will be free to download and will add/fix the following things:
- Controls have been reworked
- Worldwide online rankings have been added
- A new game mode with redesigned levels, different progression, and aesthetics.
- Player names can be 11 characters with upper/lower case and symbols as possibilities.
- Also, some minor bugs were found and fixed.
Lastly, Cubit: The Hardcore Platformer Robot will re-launch with a 33% discount in Europe on Thursday, July 17.
Source: PR E-mail
FreakZone Games announced on Twitter – and during SGC on Saturday morning – that AVGN Adventures will be coming to the Wii U very soon. Of course, the game will be coming to the Nintendo 3DS, as well, though it will release on the platform after the Wii U version launches.
Remember those awesome, so eighties it hurts, tips and tricks VHS tapes that gaming companies used to produce during the NES era? Well, looks like Shovel Knight mysteriously has one of its own.
Warning: spoilers galore in this video.
This tips and tricks video was
transferred by the Backloggery and posted to YouTube. I don’t know about you, but I miss the good old days.
Source via Joystiq


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Apple Corp iPod player and Nissan car navigation system on display in Tokyo last month. Nissan has started marketing a car navigation system that enables music fans to connect iPod players to the car's navigation system, for US$2,800.Aug 06, 2005FULL STORY
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Listing from 2015-07-24 to 2015-07-31
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1China ire as Myanmar jails scores of its illegal loggers
2Twilight of China-centric primacy
3EDITORIAL: Make no mistake: China is the enemy
4Chinese tour groups to pay medical insurance
5EDITORIAL: Freedom of press under fire


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Rice is harvested in Prairie County, Arkansas. Photo: Fred Miller, University of Arkansas
The 2022 forecast for global rice exports is expected to exceed 50 million metric tons for the second year in a row, down only slightly from the 2021 record. especially in Africa, including Nigeria and the Ivory Coast, and Asia, including China and Nepal.
The additional demand was mainly provided by India, which has doubled its exports since 2019. While shipments for the next major exporters, Vietnam and Thailand, are expected to increase by 2022, India continues to dominate global trade.
India has ample supplies, with record production and almost record harvested area, as well as abundant start-up stocks. Over the last decade, India has steadily increased its minimum price support (MSP) for most of the supported goods, including rice, leading to a larger production area.
In addition, record yields have led to record production. In addition, the overall demand for low-priced rice is currently strong, and Indian rice has remained well below the prices of other exporters for 2 years (see the rice price chart on page 10). Finally, India has invested heavily in its deep-sea ports, allowing it to deliver in bulk in addition to regular containers.
Even with slightly lower imports by 2022, demand from some major importers will support strong exports from India. The major Chinese importer purchased significant quantities of broken Indian rice to supplement feed rations. Ironically, Vietnam, a major exporter, also imported significant quantities of broken rice from India.
India’s ability to supply both pre-seasoned rice and regular white rice at competitive prices will also boost exports to sub-Saharan Africa, where imports are expected to increase. Indian fragrant basmati rice will continue to dominate the global market, especially in the Middle East.
Sri Lanka will import a large amount of rice, despite the attempt at self-sufficiency
Against the background of a smaller harvest and sharply rising prices, it is estimated that rice imports from Sri Lanka will be the highest in the last 5 years.
In recent years, Sri Lanka has implemented various policies to seek self-sufficiency in rice production. The government offers a guaranteed price for black rice and fertilizer subsidies. However, in April 2021, the Sri Lankan government announced a ban on inorganic fertilizers and other agrochemicals.
Producers did not have enough alternative inputs to support this sudden national shift to government-encouraged organic farming. The ban was later lifted in November, but a lack of fertilizer affected the Maha crop, which accounts for almost two-thirds of annual production. Due to the limited availability of inputs, yields have declined and the rice harvest in 2021/22 is estimated to be 14% lower than the previous year.
Sri Lanka’s economy has been significantly affected by COVID-related macroeconomic factors. In April 2020, the government announced restrictions on imports of goods, including rice. With lower production and restricted imports, Sri Lankan prices rose to USD 790 / tonne in January, up 52% from September. Consumers are facing high inflation for this essential staple food.
To reduce domestic prices, the government has reduced import duties to allow Sri Lanka State Trading Corporation to import. The country has begun negotiating government-to-government agreements to import rice. Some agreements have already been reached with India and Burma, two countries that have supplied Sri Lanka in the past. In addition, Sri Lanka has demanded 1 million tonnes of rice from China.
https://agfax.com/2022/02/12/global-markets-rice-global-exports-forecast-to-top-50mln-tons-led-by-india/ Rice – Global exports estimated at 50 million tonnes, led by India – AgFax


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CertiPur-US unveils new, searchable online directory
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. — The CertiPur-US foam certification program has launched a new online directory that allows consumers search for companies and brands offering CertiPur-US-certified foams, as well as products containing CertiPur-US-certified foam.
The new directory may be searched by company name, company type, brands, product category and location. The advanced function allows search by multiple criteria.
Michael Crowell, executive director of the CertiPur-US program, noted that companies in the previous directory are not automatically listed in the new one. “Even registered companies that were previously on our website are not included in the new directory unless they have submitted a directory listing update.”
He said listings in the directory will continue to be free, but a new program requirement calls for each company to update their directory listing information annually in order to continue to have permission to use the CertiPur-US trademarked name and logo.
“Companies are encouraged to list their business and every brand, collection or line that a consumer would search for because consumers do,” Crowell said.
Participating companies should check the directory and promptly notify email@example.com if anything needs to be added or corrected.
The new directory also includes listings of the more than 90 participating foam producers currently certifying flexible polyurethane foam. Foam producer listings include country of origin and a link to an individual page on the CertiPur-US website with the foam producer information camti’s confirmation , laboratory identification numbers and each foam family’s renewal date.
The CertiPur-US program is administered by a nonprofit organization. More information is available at www.certipur.us.


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The company has stated that its decision to review its policy on firearms purchases was made “in light of recent events” relating to the deadly Parkland, Florida shooting and the mass protests that followed.
Photo credit: Flickr
Walmart announced on Wednesday it is raising the minimum age for purchasing firearms to 21 in light of the deadly shooting in a Florida high school two weeks ago.
The company stated that it decided to review its policy on firearms purchases “in light of recent events,” referring to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, in which 17 people were killed by a teen gunman with an AR-15, and the mass protests that followed.
“Going forward, we are raising the age restriction for purchase of firearms and ammunition to 21 years of age. We will update our processes as quickly as possible to implement this change,” the company stated. “We are also removing items from our website resembling assault-style rifles, including nonlethal airsoft guns and toys.”
Last week, amid a wave of gun control demonstrations, several US companies announced they are cutting their ties with the National Rifle Association (NRA), including banks, airlines and car rental companies.


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In this month's round up of updates happening in the social media space, we have picked up on a multitude of changes taking place on Instagram, as well as a new video update from Pinterest and the controversial introduction of ten minute TikTok videos.
In an effort to make video content creation on the app as simple as possible, Instagram has announced that it will be getting rid of its stand-alone IGTV app. The IGTV app was launched in 2018 and presented as a direct competitor to YouTube. Within a year, IGTV content was being heavily promoted on the main Instagram app, citing the fact that the IGTV app did not catch on as successfully as intended.
This, however, does not mean that Instagram is not putting a heavy emphasis on its video content offering as we have seen Meta offer creators up to $35,000 bonuses to post Reels. So the change here is not due to the want for video on Instagram decreasing, but rather the platform aligning itself with new competitors.
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After adding an economic crisis to a financially unhealthy automaker, General Motors looked ready for collapse near the beginning of 2009. In response to the potential damage GM's collapse would have on the fragile American economy, the government sought to reorganize GM through the bankruptcy process. Today, a new GM is trading -- one with less debt, a better cost structure, and more right-sized operations. And with the government winding down its GM stake, it looks like an ideal time to examine this reorganized auto giant.
Once the majority owner of GM, the U.S. government has now reduced its stake to 7.3%. With the government expected to finish selling its common stock stake by early 2014, GM looks closer to being free of government ownership than ever.
And with the elimination of the government stake, additional market factors begin to come into play. Investors hesitant to buy shares of partially government-owned companies may take another look at GM possibly increasing buying pressure. But GM shares should also benefit from there no longer being a steady large seller flooding the market with stock. Once the government is finished selling, if demand for shares remains the same, then GM stock should begin to rise as buying pressure begins to overwhelm selling pressure.
Even though economic conditions are still not great, the economy is growing slowly and is much better than it was in the dark days when GM was being bailed out. GM has two major ways to benefit from a growing economy -- one from everyday people, and one from businesses.
Starting with the everyday consumer, these buyers still need to replace older cars held on to through the recession. This, combined with the normal flow of orders from people replacing vehicles at a regular pace, should drive GM's sales higher on the everyday consumer side.
But businesses also represent a major driving force for GM. Among the automaker's most profitable vehicles are pickup trucks that are used for various work purposes. With the construction industry on the rebound, demand for these trucks should grow as businesses need to expand their fleets or replace older vehicles.
Thanks to the bailout and subsequent reorganization, GM now has ways for investors to gain long-term leverage on a rising share price. Issued to creditors as partial payment for their claims, GM Class A warrants and GM Class B warrants expire in 2016 and 2019, respectively. With strike prices of $10 for the Class A warrant and $18.33 for the Class B warrant, both are well in the money. In addition, the market isn't adding a significant time premium to either warrant, giving investors added leverage for little additional cost.
For the very bullish GM investor, GM Class C warrants also trade with a strike price of $42.31 and an expiration date of Dec. 31, 2015. These warrants can provide around nine times leverage on GM shares but are currently out of the money. In many ways, they act as a LEAP on GM shares and represent a much more bullish bet on GM.
The collapse of General Motors and its subsequent government-funded reorganization has wiped out the old GM shareholders and led to the derisive nickname of Government Motors. But the government stake in GM has been reduced to less than 10% and is expected to be eliminated either late this year or early next year. As more buyers return to the market, selling pressure decreases, and the economy continues to grow demand for GM vehicles, the automaker should have some major tailwinds working for it. Investors bullish on the automotive industry may be wise to take another look at General Motors.
2 growing automakers without government ownership
There's good reason to believe that the most successful investors over the next few decades will be those with exposure to China's massive and growing population of domestic consumers. And there are few things that these consumers are likely to purchase with more enthusiasm than cars and trucks. In our brand-new free report, our analysts get out in front of this trend by identifying two automakers that are poised to surge along with China's middle class. If you want to be among the smart investors who get rich from this growing trend, then you'd be well advised to instantly download our free report on the topic by clicking here now.
The article Buying After the Bailout: General Motors originally appeared on Fool.com.
Alexander MacLennan has no position in any stocks mentioned. This article is not an endorsement to buy or sell any security and does not constitute professional investment advice. Always do your own due diligence before buying or selling any security. The Motley Fool recommends General Motors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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Pure Storage (NYSE:PSTG) received some positive commentary from Wall Street on Monday, as investment firm KeyBanc Capital Markets raised its price target on the flash data storage company, citing the company's ability to perform well in the hybrid cloud market.
Analyst Thomas Blakey, who rates Pure Storage (PSTG) overweight, raised his price target to $43 from $36, while also boosting earnings estimates. The analyst also noted the price target boost is due to increased service and support revenue, which are likely to become 50% of revenues by 2025.
"Storage as a service (STaaS) and services, such as ransomware, backup, analytics, spend management, data migration, K8s support, data unification, and more, should increase storage and data management vendors’ value [proposition] in the coming years, driving growth, in our view," Blakey wrote in a note to clients.
Pure Storage (PSTG) shares rose slightly more than 1% to $36.24 in premarket trading on Monday.
In addition, Blakey also raised estimates for product revenue, boosting his forecast to 10% growth, up from 3%, as continued "strong" storage trends for 2022 and 2023 and stable supply chains remain in place.
The analyst also said that Pure Storage (PSTG) is "well positioned" to capitalize on these hybrid cloud storage trends, as well as having more strategic relationships with customers to boost spending.
Earlier this month, Pure Storage (PSTG) delivered fourth-quarter earnings and revenue beats and issued guidance that surpassed Wall Street expectations.


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Gigabyte took VR experience to the next level at their exhibition floor with simulated VR and a lot more. There were GPUs, motherboards, live streams, VR and some pretty hot booth girls (who could game really well!). Check it out in the video below.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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Relationships that are built over time and develop into long-term partnerships, are unique in today’s fast-moving transport sector.
Barloworld Transport’s contract with Southern African market leader in the animal feed industry, Meadow Feeds, which started in 2002, is a noteworthy example for the industry. This relationship has grown into a pioneering example of a sustainable and collaborative industry partnership.
Barloworld take Logistics Achiever Award
“The current 10-year contract, which was signed between Barloworld Transport and Meadow Feeds in 2011, is unusual in the transport industry and a notable achievement that demonstrates how dynamic partnerships – built on the winning formula of collaboration, agility and trust – can achieve tremendous value,” says Neil Henderson, CEO of Barloworld Transport.
Innovative distribution orders and environmental improvements – both highly featured in this partnership – were given due recognition at the Logistics Achiever Awards in October 2016 where Barloworld Transport was the overall winner, as well as the recipient of the Enviro Award.
Since the contract commenced in 2011, there have been various environmental initiatives that have resulted in an overall 30% reduction in CO2 emissions, amounting to 110,971 trees saved. This was made possible by a 30% reduction in fuel usage, 23% less kilometres travelled and a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions.
“As a producer of specialised diets and custom feed mixes to the poultry, dairy, ostrich and swine industries, Meadow Feeds operates in a changing and unpredictable business environment as a supplier to animals within their different lifecycles. Therefore, the business strongly relies on a holistic feed solution with an innovative and lean supply chain model, linked to manufacturing, to ensure optimised delivery and cost-savings where possible,” explains Henderson.
The approach is aligned to Barloworld Transport’s business of evaluating clients and identifying how transportation and supply chain management can be constantly improved and optimised to drive efficiencies.
Henderson elaborates that throughout the partnership, Barloworld Transport has increased volumes by 25% and average payloads by 10% while managing to keep fleet volume growth at 4.5%. Overall, Barloworld Transport has managed to achieve savings of 14% for Meadow Feeds.
Barloworld Transport’s smart solutions are at the core of the sustained partnership. Examples of these include Drivesmart™, a driver performance change management system for use by commercial vehicle operators to reduce the risk of loss of life, injury to road-users and damage to vehicles and other property – thus ensuring drivers adhere to strict standards and that measures are in place to protect the client and company brands. All of these are integral to Barloworld Transport’s approach of placing its people at the heart of its business.
“When Meadow Feeds outsourced the non-core function of outbound logistics to Barloworld Transport, we knew that the ultimate success of the relationship would depend on the continuous improvement mindset that both companies share,” explains Andy Crocker, Managing Director of Meadow Feeds. “Every year, real costs have to be removed from the business in order to maintain the year-on-year benefits – and this has been achieved consistently over the past four years. We have had to challenge each other to glean these benefits and will need to continue to do so in the difficult environment that the feed industry, and its customers, now face.”


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GameStop’s business model might be unchanged in recent weeks, but it’s definitely not enough for them to become more valuable than it was at the start of 2021.
The company sells video games and Funko Pops and video games you’ve never wanted to play. However, the company’s stock price in recent days became very volatile. All thanks to day traders driving tons of money into the retailer on the market.
As a result, the move seen larger financial companies betting against these buyers in expectation of the stock failing. Clearly this crusade was not tied to whatever the actual company was doing. There was no big statement that enhanced or removed consumer confidence. Just a lot of people organizing online to buy stocks. When you see the development of the stock spread out over the course of years, it really is spectacular to see the exponential growth.
But by Monday afternoon, after the quick jump to $150 a share, the stock had crashed to half of that.
WallStreetBets from Reddit was responsible for the rocketing of sales, and some on there have made huge amount of money in the rise and fall of GameStop stock. And there’s a lot more involved than people simply buying a lot of stock of a company that’s fallen on tough times in recent years. Those in the subreddit had been eying GameStop for some time, and a number of market factors and more traditional economic players criticizing the moves eventually made those on WallStreetBets even more willing to buy into the stock to prove them wrong:
More and more users joined the movement as shares began their stable rise during the last four months of 2020. And as part of their welcome party they were recapped of the code of conduct: never sell, never surrender.
Or in WallStreetBets idiom, only buy if you have diamond hands.
That sense of unity, and rebellion against the people who have financial power, has worked in a big way. According to Business Insider, those who were betting in contradiction of GameStop have lost huge amounts of money in a short period of time.
Mark-to-market losses for GameStop shorts on a year-to-date basis reached $3.3 billion when trading closed on Friday, according to data from the financial-analytics firm S3 Partners. Losses totaled nearly $1.6 billion on Friday alone as shares rocketed 51% higher into the close.
It’s a trend that will sound very familiar to anyone who has actually bought and sold a game at GameStop:
Brandon Kochkodin’s piece on Bloomberg has a much more thorough breakdown of the subreddit’s campaign over the last year or so, including some screenshots of Redditors loosely organizing and showing off their big profits. But it’s fascinating to see real-world implications of some day traders banding together online, apparently in the hopes of sticking it to financial gurus who claim they know far more about the market. A market that, suddenly, they’re struggling to keep up with.


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Apple is expected to launch three new iPhones at its brand new Apple Park campus today. The widely anticipated Apple event, known to draw rock concert-like crowds, will be the first event held at Steve Jobs theater and is the first time the "Spaceship Campus" welcomes press and VIP outsiders.
Over 40 years after the late Steve Jobs co-founded Apple, he continues to be revered for his successful years of leading the company and the 2007 introduction of the iPhone, the company's most successful product.
But Jobs wasn't always so confident the world-changing item would be a wise investment to develop for the company.
In celebration of the iPhone's 10th anniversary this year, author and Motherboard senior editor Brian Merchant published, "The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone." There, Merchant uncovers the details of how the smartphone came into existence and how even one of the most intelligent, powerful executives needed smart people to help him land at the right decision.
"Jobs was a powerful source of inspiration, a fierce curator of good ideas and rejector of bad ones, and a savvy and potent negotiator," Merchant tells CNBC Make It. "But the iPhone began as an experimental project undertaken without his knowledge, became an official project at the prodding of his executive staff and was engineered into being by a team of brilliant, unfathomably hard-working programmers and hardware experts."
Jobs had faith in a wide variety of talent, "from new blood to veteran hands," Merchant says. He notes that Jobs gave Scott Forstall — who would go on to create the iPhone operating system (iOS) — the ability to recruit anyone from the existing Apple staff for the new phone project.


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Coors Brewing International launches its first TV advertising for Coors Light this week. Developed by Banks Hoggins O’Shea FCB, the ad features a snow lodge party in the Colorado Rockies. As the party gets wilder, the crowded lodge crashes off its foundations into the snow and begins to slide down the mountain, dodging snowmen, pensioners and even slowing for speed-watching cops. The ad is set to the music of dance circuit regulars Freddy Fresh and Fat Boy Slim and aims to pitch Coors Light as an alcoholic but energetic beer that keeps you going and going. It carries the tagline: ‘Keeps the Lights On.’ Media was bought by BJK&E.
Leading loyalty scheme Air Miles has relaunched its Website this week, in an attempt to transfer a large proportion of its customers onto the Internet. Air Miles acting managing director and group marketing director and head of strategy Judith Thorne says: “This is not another promotion aimed at data-mining, but is about developing an e-commerce […]
Advertising spend is down just 0.4 per cent compared with last year, allowing for inflation, says the Advertising Association. This equates to an overall rise of 181m and represents an increase of 1.7 per cent at current prices. AA director general Andrew Brown says: “There’s no evidence of any slowdown other than in recruitment advertising.” […]
Pernod-Ricard soft drink brand Orangina is to launch a range of clothing aimed at the teenage market. The sportswear clothing and accessories brand, called “Move by Orangina”, will be launched in France this winter before being rolled out across Europe, including the UK, next year. The initiative follows The Coca-Cola Company’s move to launch a […]
The latest IPA Bellwether data anticipates particularly strong growth in main media advertising over the coming year, suggesting marketers are plotting a return to brand building.
The property company’s CMO Gary Bramall wants to unlock the positivity of moving home with a brand refresh designed to reflect his vision of a “holistic Zoopla”.
CEO Ken Murphy is “optimistic” about the future of the business, highlighting value, loyalty and online as the three areas Tesco will be focusing on in the year ahead.
Even before the rise of ecommerce, customers could reserve stock in one store at the till of another. Now the key to retail success is making it easy to access the right channel at the right time – and having a product worth buying.


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- READ MORE: Ubisoft Singapore under investigation by fair employment watchdog over allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination
Announced via the game’s Twitter page, the team explained that they had decided to postpone the closed test, though they did not share reasons why Ubisoft had made the decision.
The statement read: “The development team is dedicated to creating the best experience possible.” It can be assumed the game is not yet in a state fit for public testing, and more development time is needed before this stage can be reached.
The team continued: “We’ll share details on the new date for the closed test as soon as we can.”
Developed by Ubisoft Bucharest, Ghost Recon Frontline is a 100 player plus PvP free-to-play team-based shooter. Like Apex Legends, players will team up into squads of three. They will then have to find intel scattered throughout the map and extract it before other teams can take it from them.
Unlike other battle royale games, Ghost Recon Frontline will not feature a converging circle. There are plans to launch regular seasonal updates to the game to keep players interested.
The game will feature three classes, the offensively-focused Assualt class, protection specialist Support class, and the sniping and reconnaissance Scout class. Players will be able to swap between these classes on the fly, which should keep fights dynamic.
No release date has been announced for the game.
In other news today, Lost Judgment‘s School Stories expansion pack launches early, indie co-op platformer It Takes Two has sold three million copies, and PlayStation VR has turned five.


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BMW just unveiled an ambitious plan to build Germany's first manufacturing plant capable of mass producing zero emissions electric cars. The effort is part of the company's plan to debut a new electric vehicle dubbed the Megacity in 2013. The project is expected to create 1,000 new jobs in Germany and the U.S.
In a press release, BMW said that it plans to upgrade an existing plant in Leipzig where the new vehicle will be manufactured, creating around 800 jobs in the process. Another 80 permanent jobs will be created right here in the United States, according to Auto Blog Green. SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers will manufacture carbon fibers used in the vehicles construction at a facilityÂ in Moses Lake, a small city located in Washington state.
All told, BMW and its partner SGL Group will invest around â‚¬530 million to build the Megacity. The production process will be as green as the vehicle itself, relying on 100 percent renewable energy.
Concept picture of the Megacity, BMW's electric car of the future


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SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Limited Brands Inc LTD.N posted sharply higher profit on Wednesday that beat Wall Street estimates, and said its February same-store sales would likely be far better than expected.
The company’s shares rose more than 3 percent in after-hours trading.
Results in the holiday quarter ended January 30 were boosted by improved sales and the absence of an impairment charge that cut into profit year earlier.
The owner of the Victoria’s Secret and Bath & BodyWorks chains said net profit in its fourth quarter rose to $356.1 million, or $1.08 per share, from $16.1 million, or 5 cents per share, a year earlier.
Excluding one-time items that included a $215 million impairment charge, earnings were $1.01 compared with 68 cents in the year-ago period.
Analysts, on average, had been expecting adjusted earnings of 98 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Limited said that it expects to report a February same-store sales increase in the high single digit to low double digit range, versus its previous estimate of roughly flat.
The company, which operates nearly 3,000 stores has been dogged by weak mall traffic in the downturn, and shoppers have cut back on what they consider discretionary purchases.
But analysts have cited recent improvements in merchandise that have spurred spending by shoppers, along with controlled inventory and costs.
Revenue rose 2.4 percent to $3.06 billion, while same-store sales, a key gauge of retail strength, rose 1 percent.
In the year-ago holiday period, revenue fell 7.3 percent and same-store sales declined 10 percent.
The company said it expects first-quarter earnings per share to range between 5 cents per share and 10 cents per share.
It said it expects full-year earnings per share between $1.40 and $1.60.
Wall Street, on average, has been expecting full-year earnings of $1.63 per share.
Shares rose 3.3 percent to $22.26 after closing on the New York Stock Exchange at $21.54, up 3.2 percent.
Reporting by Alexandria Sage; editing by Carol Bishopric


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HP's decision to amputate its webOS hardware line
and attempt to tourniquet the cash gush has left the platform's future in the air. The TouchPad and Pre lines may be dead in the water, but HP has made it clear that the company is "not walking away from webOS" but instead, according to developer relations VP for the platform Richard Kerris
, intends to "explore the best hardware partner for it." Who, though, might be in the market for a plucky platform yet to find a manufacturer who can match it with appealing hardware? With the mobile segment in its current flux, there are some big names out there who could well be interested.


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WASHINGTON—The cryptocurrency industry has significantly increased its political spending ahead of the midterm elections, betting that a friendlier Congress will help shield it from a regulatory crackdown.
Crypto firms and their employees have poured $73 million into the 2022 elections, up from $13 million in the 2020 cycle, according to research group OpenSecrets, which tracks political donations. The industry also spent $15 million on lobbying in the first nine months of this year, more than in the previous eight years combined.
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Curacao Changes Standards of Egaming Licenses
Not all online casino gaming licenses are created equal. For example, a license from Curacao is not viewed the same as ones from Malta or the UK Gambling Commission. In fact, there are some sites licensed by Curacao that are somewhat suspect.
However, that is about to change. The global pandemic has forced Curacao to get help from The Netherlands, and that help comes with a cost. Curacao must change some of their policies in how they conduct business, including how they regulate online casinos. In the end, it will actually improve the quality of licenses from the country.
Curacao to Change Licensing Procedures and Guidelines
The global pandemic has forced all of us to make hard choices and Curacao is no different. They have been forced to reach out to The Netherlands for financial assistance and that help comes at a cost. Curacao must now give in to certain demands on how they conduct business, and that includes how they issue and regulate online gambling licenses.
The first difference is the price. Curacao was one of the cheapest legitimate online casino licenses to acquire at around $35,000. Now, licenses will cost online casinos $134,000. That’s a significant increase which will probably drive away smaller casinos and those that are less than legitimate.
Next, some of the guidelines for licensing will toughen. Casinos must follow EU guidelines regarding privacy and customer protections. Also, if a company that holds s a license is purchased by another, the new company is responsible for following licensing procedures of the license will be immediately revoked.
Next, online casinos must stop the practice of player targeting. For example, casinos cannot go out of their way to target high rollers or other potentially vulnerable customers. Also, casinos must have tools in place to prevent customers from overspending, thus reducing problem gambling on the website.
Curacao Will Actually Act Like a Regulator
One reason that Curacao was a popular regulator was that the company was very hands-off. They didn’t do a lot of the things that you see major regulators do, such as inspections and testing of websites. That will change under the new guidelines.
Online casinos will now undergo regular testing and inspections by Curacao. Sites will also be subject to information requests like the UKGC and other primary regulators. Gone will be the days of Curacao issuing a license and the casino doing what they want until they show significant signs of fraud.
Casinos will also need to show they are financially stable and able to pay out winnings, especially prizes for progressive jackpot slots. Casinos will likely be required to prove they have segregated funds for players. Players that remember the Full Tilt Poker fiasco understand the importance of this.
What Will Happen as a Result of These Changes?
The most significant impact will be on online casinos that are taking a minimalist approach to online casino gambling. Those casinos will be forced to change their procedures to meet new guidelines or forced to give up their license.
For small casinos, we could see some go offline completely. Others may simply operate without a license. Those casinos should be avoided as you never knew when they will shut down and take your funds.
These changes will also impact new casinos. Legitimate online casinos will have to shell out more money to launch, and this may slow the growth of new legitimate casinos. Granted, scam casinos will continue to pop up, but they will be a bit easier to spot as they can’t just throw a little money at Curacao to get a license.
The biggest change will be in the quality of the Curacao license. Now, a license from Curacao will have more weight than in the past. It will be on par with licenses from Malta. The stigma of a Curacao license will be reduced, and in time a license from the Government of Curacao will actually be seen as a good thing rather than something to raise an eyebrow at.


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Faridabad (Haryana) [India], June 1 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Sterling Gtake E-Mobility’s revenue for Q4 FY22 stood at Rs 309 million, registering a monthly run rate of Rs 100 million.
Total revenue for the year ended March 31, 2022 stood at Rs 384 million, an incredible journey for a company that was only registered in Jan 2020 and that has operated in the shadow of the COVID pandemic for its entire existence.
In July 2021, it has bagged an order worth Rs 600 million from a leading electric two-wheeler maker for high-speed electric two-wheeler application and has also secured a follow-up order for Rs 1 billion from the same customer. It has also secured orders from 10 other EV OEMs. The order book as on date stands at Rs 1.75 billion, all of which will be executed in FY23.
SGEM’s product portfolio covers the entire spectrum of applications from 1 KW to 200 KW and 48V to 700V. SGEM is in advanced stages of discussions with an additional 30 automobile (EV) OEMs for their MCU requirements for different vehicle segments.
Currently, the company’s production supplies are to electric scooter manufacturers, in FY23 the company will however also start production supplies to Electric 3W, motorcycle and LCV customers.
Part of the product portfolio has been localized and these MCUs are either already compliant or in the process of being compliant with FAMEII requirements. Other products are slated for localization in FY23.
The company envisages a Capex of Rs 500 million over the next couple of years. Current capacity of 300,000 units is being further enhanced to cater to additional demand and an Engineering Centre has been established in Bangalore to accelerate domestic development of Motor Control Units.
Commenting on the Company’s performance, Anil Aggarwal, Chairman & MD of Sterling Group, said in a statement, “We are elated to with the performance of our EV venture – Sterling Gtake. From a standing start in the IIIQ of FY22, we have now achieved a run rate of ~Rs 150 million per month. And within months of starting production, we have gone from a CKD operation to localizing all possible components and processes. At a group level, Electronics and Electric Vehicle component revenues has gone from zero in FY21, to 10 per cent in FY22 and will hopefully go up to ~30 per cent in FY23. We have been able to achieve this growth due to the undeterred determination of our team and will continue to stay steadfast to our goals in the future. Being one of the pioneers in the Indian EV industry, we are well placed to provide to the rising demand in this sector. Looking forward, we aim to expand further and emerge as the largest domestic supplier of MCUs and other EV powertrain components on the back of our commitment to our core principles – customer-centricity, productivity, and sustainability.”
This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)


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Stylus-wielding Huawei Matebook apparently confirmed for MWC launch
Of all the high-profile Mobile World Congress exhibitors that confirmed their presence at the Barcelona trade fair lately, Huawei was probably the most secretive, supplying us with a date and merely teasing the global coming of a “new device.”
Okay, but what kind of new device? Smartphone? Smartwatch? Fitness tracker? Tablet? Convertible laptop? Virtual reality headset? Something with a business angle, it turns out, and capable of pen input, according to a preview image posted on Twitter by Huawei’s very own CEO.
The “product launch” will take place in Zone 6 of the Montjuic Exhibition Centre’s Italian Pavilion, starting at 2 pm local time (8 am EST) on February 21 (this Sunday), and although the tagline “The new style of business” remains decidedly cryptic, we think we can crack this puzzle wide open.
Let’s see, would it make sense for the P9 smartphone to pick up a stylus out of nowhere? Not exactly. But the so-called “Matebook” may very well target Microsoft’s increasingly successful Surface lineup and Apple’s iPad Pro.
With Windows 10 pre-installed, most likely, a 12.9-inch display, we’ve been hearing, detachable keyboard, obviously, and some sort of Intel processor powering the whole 2-in-1 affair. Hopefully, at least a Core i5 Skylake, not an m3 or, worse yet, an x5 or x7 Atom.
Of course, knowing Huawei, affordability should be a main focus, so it remains to be seen if the right balance between a low price and decent PC punch can be attained.


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Google has revealed its annual "Zeitgeist" wrap-up of the top searches of the year, bringing 2013 to a close with a run-down of the global trending searches that includes Nelson Mandela, the iPhone 5s, and the PlayStation 4. Continuing a summary tradition started back in 2001, Google Zeitgeist 2013 is also the broadest so-far, the search giant says: over 1,000 top ten lists, ranging from most-searched individuals, through TV shows, to gadgets.
What other phone made by Samsung has a similar back to the Galaxy S III? The elusive “Mandel” handset, supposedly hitting AT&T soon and adding to Ma Bell’s ever expanding lineup of Windows Phones. The Lumia 900 may still be the flagship Windows Phone device, but maybe Samsung have a little something up its sleeve that may make people think twice before plunking down their cash.
Google has today announced that the Nelson Mandela multimedia archive has gone live. The archive was part of a $1.25 million grant to the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory in order to bring photographs, recordings, and documents to the web. The Centre is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is dedicated to thoroughly documenting Mandela.
HTC and Samsung are preparing two LTE-equipped Windows Phone devices that are expected to launch in early 2012, says The Verge, citing sources familiar with Microsoft's plans. The sources also reveal that the two devices will be running an updated Mango version of Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system instead of the next-gen Tango platform.
Hammacher Schlemmer is a company that specializes in zapping germs using various products. In addition, they sell a hands-free dispenser for hand soap, and a nightlight that kills bedbugs. This website would probably be Howie Mandel's one-stop shop for germ-killing!
One of their products is the Handheld Germ-Eliminating Light, that get rids of more than 99% of germs. It utilizes a special light called UV-C, and it claims that there are no harmfull toxins or chemicals. The handset looks like a bulky flip cell phone, with a giant CAUTION sign slapped on the back.
With the device, swipe the places where you want to kill the itty-bitty creatures. This proccess takes about 10 seconds and must be held in a certain position in order to work. The bulb is measured to last for 5,000 hours, while two AAA batteries are used (two are included). The website says that you can carry the device in your pocket, but I certainly wouldn't want to lug around a germ-eliminating device.
You know the feeling you get when you walk past a Google executive and just casually say hello as you enter their social network for the first time? That's the feeling Bono-led U2 got this week as their presence on Google+ becomes news enough to cover in the ever-so-important cross-brand collaboration war between the social networks. Here U2 appears, and they appear official from the start.
Signs of water on five distant planets have been spotted using the Hubble Space Telescope, with scientists finessing their measurements so as to better differentiate which stand the best likelihood of potentially supporting life. Evidence of water had been initially spotted on several Jupiter-like exoplanets previously, but the team led by the University of Maryland in College Park was able to use infrared wavelength measurements to more specifically calculate the nature of the individual atmospheres.
In the automotive market, vehicles have tons of technology to help cars keep traction no matter the weather conditions. Automobiles use technology like traction control, ABS brakes, and lots more to help drivers be safer on the road. A lot of that technology isn't typically associated with motorcycles. Italian motorcycle maker Moto Guzzi has unveiled an all new motorcycle called the California 1400 that has some new and interesting technology.
Samsung was recently rumored to be preparing three new Windows Phone handsets this year, with two of them likely to run the Windows Phone 8 Apollo update. Now Samsung's Taiwan division has confirmed that the company plans to release at least one Windows Phone 8 handset as soon as October, the earliest that Microsoft might release the next-gen platform.
Microsoft and Nokia are both hoping that the Lumia 900 will pay off in the United States. The phone has managed to achieve an attractive price point for the features on offer, not to mention LTE connectivity. While the HTC Titan II also includes LTE connectivity, it seems to have been overshadowed by the Lumia 900 launch. What about Samsung? According to a new report, the company is due to ship three new Windows Phone this year.


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Google is committed to being environmentally friendly with their data centers. They've been reducing power usage, and now they are using treated waste water instead of fresh water. By using water and evaporative cooling, Google has already reduced their power usage by half, according to Google. Google quickly realized they didn't need to use fresh, drinkable water to cool their servers, so they worked out a deal with the local water district to syphon 30% of the treated waste water that would otherwise flow into the local river.
Now, some of the water leaves the cooling towers as water vapor, and the rest gets sent to an on-site treatment plant where it is filtered and released into that same local river "clean, clear, and safe." The water is treated before going to Google, used to cool the servers and then processed once more before being released. They claim the water is cleaner than if they had never taken the water.
Today may just be Kim Dotcom's lucky day. I'm sure most of us remember that fateful day 8 weeks ago when his mansion was raided by police. Well, apparently, his house was raided on a court order that should have never been granted. A judgment from Justice Judith Potter on Friday declared the restraining order "null and void" and having "no legal effect" which means that the government may be forced to return his assets and property back to him.
Justice Potter has said that after the police found the mistake, they sought to correct the mistake after the raid by applying for the proper order, retrospectively listing assets already seized. This order has been granted temporarily, but Potter has said that she will rule on whether this means Mr. Dotcom should get his property back. The raid left him without any money or means to fight the charges that he was running the biggest criminal copyright operation in history.
Court papers show Akel stating Dotcom's belongings and fortune "must be released" because it was "unlawfully seized and restrained under the order". All of this does not guarantee Mr. Dotcom's property back, however. The law allows for mistakes, and for him to get his property back, his lawyers will need to show a "lack of good faith."
At least something good regarding air travel is finally happening. The FAA has announced plans to re-evaluate the use of electronic devices during taxi, takeoff, and landing. This will be the first time that this has happened since 2006. The unfortunate part of this is that they are only considering devices other than cellphones. So while you may not be making phone calls during takeoff, you may be able to get a few more pages done on the latest thriller novel you happen to be reading on your tablet or e-reader.
Previously to this, testing was an expensive and arduous task. For a device to be approved, it had to be taken up on an empty flight, by itself, on every plane in an airline's fleet on every single airline that wanted to approve the device for use. Clearly, this is an expensive and time consuming process, so the airlines haven't been conducting the tests. The FAA has pledged to work with "manufacturers, consumer electronic associations, aircraft and avionics manufacturers, airlines, pilots, flight attendants and passengers" to solve the problem of gaining device approval.
Minority Report fans, check in, please. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has started up a new initiative, Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST), where it aims to use sensor technology to detect cues "indicative of mal-intent", as defined by the DHS, as intent or desire to cause real harm, "rapidly, reliably, and remotely". They would use it to, "fight terror".
What is the FAST system capable of? Well, it has the features to monitor physiological and behavioral cues without contact. This means it is capable of capturing data such as your heart rate and steadiness of gaze of passengers that are about to board a plane. With said cues, FAST can then run through algorithms in real-time to compute the probability than an individual is planning to commit a crime.
According to the science journal, Nature, the first round of field tests for the program was completed at an "undisclosed location" in the northeast several months ago, where in lab tests, FAST reported a 70-percent accuracy rate. Not too damn bad for what would be a first-gen attempt/device.
PayPal have had the thirst for business for quite sometime now, and aren't just content with staying online, and so they should be. The company revealed their latest PayPal service: PayPal Here.
With PayPal Here, the service includes a free card processing app, as well as a unique triangle-looking thingo that attaches to most Android and iOS-based devices. From here, you can swipe a credit card at literally any location in the world, as long as you have Internet access.
This isn't something new in itself, but PayPal's transaction fee is: just 2.7-percent with no monthly fees. The 2.7-percent is universal to boot, which means you could use any card you like, including American Express, and you'll be charged just 2.7-percent of the total. At the moment, mobile card processing pioneer, Square, charges a universal 2.75-percent transaction fee.
Apple have a very delicious kitty of nearly $100 billion in cash reserves right now, with $97.6 billion to be precise. Come 9AM Eastern on Monday, March 19, CEO Tim Cook as well as CFO Peter Oppenheimer will discuss the "outcome of the Company's discussions".
Apple will offer this discussion as a phone call and as a live stream with replays available for two weeks afterwards. Apple have actively been discussing what they should do with their cash reserves, where other companies would spend it, or acquire other smaller companies, or start-ups, Apple have just been saving, saving, saving.
Investment analysts have complained more than once that Apple should offer a dividend payout to shareholders despite the stock being the largest in the world, as well as one of the fastest growing, too. Apple have always been careful of its spending, which is at least attributed to the late Steve Jobs. Most believed that Jobs had recognized what happened to Apple previously in his absence from the company, and used it as a sign to build a cash reserve in the event of an unforeseen circumstance such as a sharp market drop, economic crisis, or something along those lines.
Here comes another blow to the search giant. Not only are they being investigated by both US and EU regulators, but they are now being sued. A lawsuit has been filed in California Superior Court that is seeking class-action status, damages, and attorneys' fees and costs. The lawsuit names California residents Dodd J. Harris and Stephen Sabatino. Harris is upset because he purchased the app "Learn Chinese Mandarin Pro" for $4.83 in December. He claims that the app did not work as advertised, but he was too late. It was already 20 minutes past his purchase. Google's return policy only allows 15 minutes.
Sabatino, on the other hand, bought "aBTC", a BitTorrent client for Android, for $4.99 in January. The product didn't work, however, he tried tinkering with it for an hour before attempting to unsuccessfully return it. In December 2010, Google lowered the return policy on apps from 24 hours to 15 minutes. They stated this was because "most users who request a refund do so within minutes of purchase."
In addition to the refund policy, the suit is challenging Google's app approval process, or lack there of. Google, unlike Apple, has previously allowed any app to be posted to the market. This has led to many apps on the market which contain malware. In response to this, Google last month added a new layer of security, dubbed Bouncer, which will attempt to scan apps for evidence of malware and bounce them.
US and EU regulators have launched an investigation into Google and the allegations that they bypassed the privacy settings of Safari users on both desktop and mobile iOS users. Google spokeswoman contends that these actions were unintended. She said, "It's important to remember that we didn't anticipate this would happen, and we have been removing these advertising cookies from Safari browsers." Let's try to understand what happened in a little more detail.
Google has discovered that when they created a temporary link between the user's Safari browser and Google's servers, it allowed other ad cookies to be placed on the browser. Google has since been removing these files, but the damage for Google has already been done. These investigations could have Google on the hook financially for quite a lot. If they are found to have broken a settlement agreement FTC, they could be fined $16,000 per violation, per day. In addition, state attorneys general can levy fines of up to $5,000 per violation. And all of this is only state side.
A lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas earlier this week by 13 individuals alleging that "the defendants -- several of the world's largest and most influential technology and social networking companies -- have unfortunately made, distributed and sold mobile software applications that, once installed on a wireless mobile device, surreptitiously harvest, upload and illegally steal the owner's address book data without the owner's knowledge or consent." The defendants in question are Facebook, Apple, Twitter, Yelp and 14 other companies.
This claim, if true, is pretty worrisome for users of the apps, such as myself. Last month, one of the companies named in the suit was pressured into issuing a public apology after a Singapore-based programmer uncovered the fact in a blog post. An article, Mobile Apps Take Data Without Permission by the New York Times, was cited several times in the 152-page complaint. This lawsuit comes at a time privacy concerns over mobile applications appears to be steadily rising.
According to our source:
Apple, Facebook, Yelp and Foursquare did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this week's lawsuit. A Twitter spokesman said the company did not comment on pending litigation.
AU Optronics, you naughty, naughty company. They've had their name thrown through courts before, where in a 2009 group suit they were targeted for LCD price fixing. But, it's not like LCD price fixing is anything new, but it seems that AUO will be getting slapped with the decision process in the US.
A US court found the Taiwanese company guilt in a case, where the fine could be as large as $1 billion. Quite a lot of green, if you ask me. The company was charged as part of an alleged price-fixing group, that operated for quite a while it seems, between 1999 and 2006 to be exact, where they were the only Asian LCD maker in that lot to plead not guilty.
This ruling comes after LG coughing up a $400 million fine in 2008, where Samsung talked themselves into an early deal to sidestep prosecution. A duo of AUO executives were also found guilty, but its former CEO, L.J. Chen, was not. AUO are expected to appeal, which could take a year, but that hasn't stopped their stock price from dropping in the meantime.


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Discount supermarket Aldi is to expand in Ireland, with 35 new stores planned.
The project, costing €350m, will see around 490 new jobs created in-store and around 160 at a second regional distribution centre, to be located in Mitchelstown, County Cork.
The announcement came after Aldi’s Irish business reported a 20% increase in sales since January 2008. According to the company, over 40% of its groceries are now sourced from Irish suppliers, including all of its cakes.
Work on the new distribution centre is due to start in March 2009. Aldi currently operates 61 stores in Ireland.


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Domestic cooking gas on August 18, the price of LPG was raised by 25 rupees per cylinder, marking the second month in a row that rates had risen.
According to an oil company pricing announcement, subsidised LPG now costs ₹ 859 for every 14.2-kg cylinder in Delhi. This is the second month in a row that prices have risen. On July 1, rates were raised by ₹ 2.50 per cylinder. Non-subsidised LPG rates were hiked by the same percentage on August 1, and now subsidised cooking gas prices have been raised.
The price difference between subsidised and non-subsidized cooking gas is negligible. According to industry insiders, the administration did not hike the subsidised LPG price on August 1 because Parliament was in session and the government may have been criticised by the opposition.
The new rise in the discounted LPG price brings the total rate increases since January 1 to 165 rupees per cylinder. The government abolished LPG subsidies by hiking rates on a monthly basis. Subsidies will be phased out by May 2020 as a result of these monthly increases.
Domestic cooking gas prices have more than quadrupled in the previous seven years. On March 1, 2014, the retail selling price of domestic gas was ₹410.5 per 14.2-kg cylinder.
A 14.2 kilogramme of LPG cylinder currently costs ₹859.5 in Mumbai and ₹886 rupees in Kolkata. An LPG cylinder in Chennai will now cost 875.50, up from ₹850.50.
Meanwhile, according to the price notice, diesel prices were reduced by 19 to 21 paise across the nation, while petrol prices remained constant. This is the first price adjustment in almost a month. In Delhi, the price of petrol remains constant at 101.84 rupees per litre.
Diesel prices, on the other hand, have been cut from ₹89.87 to ₹89.67 per litre. In Mumbai, a gallon of gasoline currently costs ₹97.24.


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We're all for safety here at Automotive.com, and many recalls are extremely serious.
Read This Article
Charging an electric vehicle will soon be easier.
The marketing war over towing claims for light-duty pickups between the Detroit Three--Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler--and Toyota will continue until 2015.
Toyota plans to export the new Corolla to Latin America and the Caribbean by mid 2014.


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NASCAR profits rise amid slow ticket sales
The 2008 season has provided a turnaround for NASCAR on the track and off. Competition with the new car has been balanced and predicting winners has been -- well, impossible for me so far. My last correct guess was Dale Earnhardt Jr. in one of the Duels at Daytona. I've whiffed every time ever since.
But the big news last week was the announced first quarter profits for the biggest corporations in the sport, International Speedway Corp.(controlled by NASCAR's founding France family and owners of Daytona, Michigan and other speedways), posted a modest $36.21 million net income, 1.1% higher than last year's first quarter figure. Meanwhile, earnings per share rose 6%.
So what does that mean in English for us regular people? In the first three months of this year NASCAR's business side generated almost $200 million. Admissions were up slightly to $56.11 million. Track side food, beverage and merchandise revenues increased more than 30 percent to $22.69 million.
Sales of Dale Earnhardt Jr. merchandise, that went into the tank last season after NASCAR's most popular driver announced he was leaving the team founded by his father, then that he also was leaving longtime sponsor Budweiser, have rebounded big time with fans buying merchandise with Earnhardt's new number and colors.
Motorsports Authentics -- the company that operates the big merchandise trailers at the race tracks -- made a profit for the first time since its founding in 2005. The company, owned 50/50 by International Speedway Corp. and Speedway Motorsports Corp (owners of Lowes, Bristol and other motor speedways), also made cuts this year, consolidating distribution centers and reducing its number of trailers from 51 to 27. Demand for Earnhardt's new gear accounted for half of all first quarter sales.
Not sounding much like a regular race fan, a written release from International Speedway Corp. President Lesa France Kennedy (the late Bill France Jr.'s daughter), tactfully pointed out the real problem on the horizon -- fans caught in the bad economy:
"We are closely monitoring the current macro-economic trends and their potential impact on consumer discretionary spending. Similar to what we experienced in other downturns, it appears consumers are making purchasing decisions closer to race day, which impacts advance ticket sales trends. During these challenging periods, it is important to reinvest in our events and facilities to ensure we offer fans a premium experience so that they will return year-after-year."
It's true that the company is spending millions on improvements at Michigan International Speedway during the off season, but the report also revealed NASCAR is guilty of the same tricks as other big corporations -- burying profits into expensive stock buy-backs. ISC has spent more than $130 million buying 2.8 million shares of it's own stock since last December. And the company has authorized spending another $119 million. The Detroit News


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Just a simple change on our homepage has improved the look drastically! What did we change? Made the image full-height Chose a spanky...
Video campaigns used to be secluded, given their own little tab, which was often hidden in the bottom-left corner of the AdWords screen, unl...
Thursday, 28 November 2013
Keep calm while we steal your data!?
Microsoft has launched a hate campaign against Google. Now they're selling anti Google merchandise on their online webstore. This beautiful mug is for sale for only 8 quid. They also sell hoodies, t-shirts and hats. In February Microsoft launched a campaign against Google claiming that the search giant violates their users' privacy:


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A thief with a penchant for lighters has taken more than $400 worth of them in two recent larcenies, Amherst police revealed Wednesday.
Shortly before 11 p.m. last Wednesday, a thief stole nearly $100 worth of BIC lighters from a Main Street gas/convenience store.
Then on Monday, someone who distracted a store clerk stole more than $300 worth from a similar-type store in Eggertsville.
Amherst police say they’re looking for a black male, about 6 foot 1 and 180 pounds, possibly with a tattoo of a woman’s name on his neck.
Anyone with information on either crime may call the Amherst Police Detective Bureau at 689-1385 or 689-1339.


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Disney plans to test toys for safety
Published: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, September 10, 2007 at 11:00 p.m.
LOS ANGELES | Following the recall of millions of toys by Mattel Inc., The Walt Disney Co. said Monday it will independently test toys featuring its characters.
The media and entertainment conglomerate will hire companies to randomly buy Disney-branded toys from store shelves and test for lead paint and other safety issues such as small parts that could come lose, Disney consumer products spokes-man Gary Foster said.
He said the ultimate responsibility for safety still lies with companies that license Disney characters for toys.
Disney’s move comes as retailer Toys 'R’ Us Inc. has stepped up its toy inspection efforts. Disney will also start requiring licensees such as Mattel to submit their own test results before allowing products to hit shelves.
OPEC studies boosting oil production quota
VIENNA | OPEC weighed a push by some members Monday to modestly boost its production quota amid stubbornly high oil prices and expectations of a spike later this year in the global demand for crude.
On the eve of today’s meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, at least seven members said the markets were amply supplied and suggested the official output quota of 25.8 million barrels a day should stand.
Strong sales boost computer chip maker
SAN JOSE | Intel Corp., the world’s largest semiconductor company, boosted its third-quarter sales forecast on Monday amid stronger-than-expected demand for its microprocessors.
Intel added $200 million to the top of its financial outlook, saying it now expects sales of $9.4 billion to $9.8 billion in the current quarter. That compares with the previous forecast of $9.0 billion to $9.6 billion.
Home Depot revises its financial outlook
ATLANTA | The Home Depot Inc., the world’s largest home improvement store chain, revised its financial outlook Monday, paring its expected decline in earnings per share from continuing operations thanks to a tender offer that will reduce the number of its outstanding shares.
The Atlanta-based company said it expects earnings per share from continuing operations to decline 7 percent to 9 percent for fiscal 2007.
It had previously forecast a decline of 12 percent to 15 percent for the year.
The revision follows Home Depot’s purchase of nearly 290 million shares of its stock at a price of $37 per share, for a total cost of $10.7 billion excluding fees and expenses related to the offer.
The shares represent/s14.6 percent of the shares outstanding on Aug. 31.
-- From wire reports
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A uniform swap shop in a village Co-op has helped families prepare for the new school term in East Lothian.
Rebecca Smith and her team set up the uniform exchange in their Gifford store to help families whose children attend Yester Primary School in the village to save money and extend the life of their old uniforms.
The exchange allows families whose children have outgrown uniforms to hand them in while accessing uniforms in larger sizes without having to buy new clothes.
The store stepped in after the annual summer fair which normally offered the exchange was cancelled due to Covid.
Ms Smith said: “Following my experience of buying my own children’s school uniform and being faced with the reality of how expensive it is, and just how quickly they grow each year, I set this up with the help of our team to give back to local families, increasing the life of uniforms.
“We usually hold an exchange at Yester Primary School’s annual summer fair, however this was cancelled due to the impact of Covid.
“We thought it would be beneficial for it to still go ahead and taking it in store has been a huge success.”
East Lothian Council said uniform exchanges had been introduced by a number of schools in the county and praised the Co-op for stepping in to assure the Yester Primary School community could continue their scheme.
A council spokesperson said: “Uniform exchanges are a great way for families to share resources, reducing costs and also providing an environmentally-friendly solution.
“When school buildings were closed during lockdowns last year, many local businesses offered schools space where families could collect essential materials such as stationery.
“It’s great to see this being expanded to school uniforms, allowing families to drop off and collect clothing in the heart of their community.
“We’re sure it will be appreciated by many people and are grateful to the Co-op team and to all businesses who support our schools in many different ways.”
Reporting by Local Democracy Reporter Marie Sharp


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Ever since Apple has revised its policy and decided to release new models of its products every year, the complaints of consumers and quality has seemingly downgraded. Not only are the buyers unable to keep up with new purchases but they are also stuck at making decisions if they are to buy the new release or the extended model of the said new release, with each announcement.
Although Apple has made MacBook very streamlined with an upgrade on its features and looks, it seems that the old-school Apple users are being left out of the equation.
Apple revamped the MacBook Pro 2018 with a nifty internal change as it now consists of 8th generation processors and faster SSDs, boosting its speed. The display is notably improved, granting it True Tone. However, not all the issues were fixed with the keyboard and it retains its battery level from the older tech.
The MacBook Pros with its new addition of 9th gen processor are now Apple’s most prized production. The cheapest of the line consists of a 2.3ghz 8-core 9th gen Intel Core i9 (with a turbo boost of up to 4.8 GHz approx) CPU with 16GB memory (RAM) , a Radeon Pro 560X graphics (GPU) and a 512GB SSD storage, cashing in at $2,799.
Most of the consumers have complaints regarding the stiff keyboard, the problematic touch bar and even the soldered RAM. There’s no official press release of changes made to these flawed areas and many fans are hoping that the new release is redesigned or modified to purge these flaws to a minimum at least. So far, Apple has only announced about a 9th gen change to its 15 inch model along with the 10nm Ice Lake chips at CES 2019.
Another notable problem with the models, is the Thunderbolt 3 being inconvenient and not enough ports to go with it. There are not enough ports and it also does not support many other devices and accessories, which kind of boils down to the fact that buying various offshoots of accessories just means Apple cashing in on our wallets.
Additionally, users will be happier to have a bigger screen as noted in the feedback, but Apple hasn’t paid attention to this, nor to the queries and complaints of customers concerned about the messy Touch bar. Another feature which lacks the MacBook, is the addition of 4k screen option, which is surprising as it is a laptop designed to edit 4k media.
It’s highly unlikely that Apple will provide us with a complete redesign in 2019, as it has already unveiled the new Mac Pro 2019 at the WWDC 2019 Keynote event. In addition, there has been no MacBook update last year. Though nowadays, companies are focused on what the users or consumers want. It affects their PR and sales drastically, so there might still be hope for a complete redesign before the official release. Or at least a design revamp by the year 2021, it’s all speculation at this point.


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The world land-speed record attempt car, Bloodhound SSC, will be one of the star performers at the Materials Testing Exhibition in Telford from 8 to 10 September.
Materials Testing 2015 will feature around 60 exhibitors – many of whom will be demonstrating products and equipment for the first time – along with a programme of seminars including talks ranging from NDT for 3D printing and using phased array ultrasound, to corrosion analysis in pipelines. There will also be a demonstration area, where manufacturers can bring along samples for testing and discuss their particular inspection problems.
There will also be a special free Bloodhound Networking Event on the evening of 8 September. The event is open to conference delegates and exhibitors and those who pre-register.
This will be a unique chance for people from the NDT sector to see and hear about the Bloodhound project, get up to date with the latest developments within the industry and to meet fellow industry colleagues. Please note that space for this event is limited and pre-registration is subject to availability via the link on the British Institute of NDT website.


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After overtaking Twitter, Snapchat and starting to make its way to surpass its owner proprietary social network, Facebook, Instagram will roll out its own YouTube alternative on June 20th, an Instagram videos platform The purpose is obvious, namely, to surpass the Google’s videos platforms as it hs already done with other social networks.
Last week it was rumored that the company founded by Kevin Systrom is preparing a new feature that will allow it to publish videos of up to an hour’s in duration with the idea of competing more strongly against YouTube.
The release of the Instagram videos platform will take place on Wednesday, next week, and the company has already started to send invitations.
Instagram videos platform will feature 4K resolution videos
According to some sources, the new feature of Instagram will base on three main pillars.
First, it will opt for a 4K resolution, regardless of whether it is vertical or horizontal, and will allow users to post videos longer than the actual 60-second limitation.
On the other hand, this new videos platform will have its own sections. However, the videos on the upcoming Instagram platform will get cataloged by content.
At the moment it is not clear if this will be integrated into the same application or will work in an external app.
In the first place, the launch of this new Instagram videos platform will focus on the social network’s stars who will be the first to get access to the Instagram’s new tool.
Thus, if the release arrives on June 20th, as scheduled, therefore, it is expected that there will already be videos uploaded by the content creators with millions of followers on Instagram.
In conclusion, after surpassing social networks such as Twitter, Snapchat, and going after Facebook, the upcoming Instagram videos platform is aiming to take over YouTube.


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Benin, Sept. 18, 2023: The Young CEO Initiative has called for creation of a ministry for young entrepreneurs to stimulate the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria.
Founder of the initiative, Mr Aigbe Omorege, made the call on Monday during a news conference in Benin, Edo.
Omorege, who was joined by other members of the initiative, said creating such a ministry had become necessary in order to relate directly to young entrepreneurs and drive the spirit of entrepreneurship for which the country was known.
According to him, young entrepreneurs employ the highest number of people, thereby generating the highest amount of revenue as far as Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) is concerned.
These efforts, he said, had helped to reduce unemployment to a significant level.
“Also, we want the president to instruct the CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria) to make public the currency swap agreements between the bank and Republic of China’s Central Bank so that our people can take advantage of this.
“Remember, few days ago, a human rights activist, Femi Falana, came up with the revelation that there was a currency swap agreement between the two countries that would help our people going to do business in China not to source for dollars, but to exchange naira for China currency.
“If we had known this early enough or it was made public, it could have helped to reduce the stress of sourcing for dollars,” he said.
Omorege, who is the Chief Executive Officer, Intercontinental Paint, urged President Bola Tinubu to, as a matter of urgency, create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, particularly in the areas of clearing.
“The situation at the clearing point or the entry point, as far as the clearing system is concerned, is frustrating to us.
“The high cost of clearing has also increased the cost of commodities in the market, especially for those of us in the manufacturing sector.
“You can source for dollars at a very high cost, clear your goods at a very high cost but it is the common man on the street who will suffer for it.
“We also ask that government subsidises dollars for young entrepreneurs who go into importation of raw materials for manufacturing.
“This will help to crash the cost of commodities in the market,” said the initiative’s founder.
The young entrepreneur expressed the regret that many enterprises belonging to members of the initiative had folded up in recent time due to the prevailing economic situation.
He called on governments at all levels to declare a state of emergency in the economies that were within their purviews so as to encourage the youngsters contributing to the nation’s economy.
Omorege, however, commended the president for the steps taken so far to cushion the adverse impacts of the present economic situation in the country.
While stating that the palliatives rolled out for SMEs were in order, he, nonetheless, called for the inclusion of Edo in the number of state to be considered.


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Apple recently received positive news from the European Union (EU). The European Commission announced the closure of its market investigation into four services: Apple’s iMessage, Microsoft’s Bing, Edge, and online advertising service. The investigation aimed to determine if these services should be classified as “gatekeeper services.”
EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Gatekeeper Services
The EU’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA) imposes strict rules on core platform services operating within the European Union. These rules are designed to promote competition and prevent “gatekeeper” companies from unfairly pushing out third parties in growing markets.
After a thorough assessment, the European Commission concluded that iMessage, Bing, Edge, and Microsoft Advertising do not meet the criteria to be declared as “gatekeeper services.” Therefore, these services will not be subject to the regulations that would have required Apple and Microsoft to open them up for third-party integrations and cross-platform interoperability.
Apple welcomed the decision from the Commission. However, the company is still considered a “gatekeeper” under the DMA, and its services will continue to be scrutinized for potential gatekeeper behaviors.
DMA’s Impact on Apple
The DMA has compelled Apple to make significant changes to its iPhone, iOS, Safari, and App Store ecosystems. These changes are intended to create more competition and provide consumers with more choices. For example, Apple must now allow alternative marketplaces to distribute iOS apps, giving developers the option to avoid Apple’s App Store content rules and revenue share model.
Criticism of Apple’s DMA-Inspired Policies
Apple’s new policies, inspired by the DMA, have drawn criticism from companies like Meta, Spotify, and Xbox. These companies argue that the policies make it more costly for developers and may limit consumer choice.
The European Commission’s decision to exempt iMessage from the gatekeeper regulations came as a surprise. The service is known for its interoperability issues, particularly between Apple and Android devices. Despite pressure from companies like Google and the introduction of messaging standards like Rich Communication Services (RCS), Apple has maintained its exclusive approach to iMessage.
Reason for Exemption
The primary reason for exempting iMessage is its limited popularity in the EU. Outside of the United States, WhatsApp is the preferred messaging app among users. In contrast, Meta’s WhatsApp has been designated as a core gatekeeper service by the EU.


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Anyone who responded with "They are all cruise ship godmothers" would be correct.
Wait a minute! Isn't Daniel Inouye a man?
He sure is, and he is slated to be the first-ever "godfather" of a contemporary cruise ship when he christens NCL America's Pride of Hawaii in Los Angeles on May 20, 2006 (Editor's Note: Inouye is following a family tradition in christening NCL ships. His wife, Margaret, who passed away last month, was godmother for NCL America's Pride of Aloha).
Why the break with tradition? According to a statement from NCL president and CEO Colin Veitch, "Senator Inouye is the father of this project and its most steadfast supporter, and the introduction of Pride of Hawaii is its crowning event. So there can be no one more fitting than he to name our newest U.S. flagship."
Traditionally, the role of a ship's "godmother" is to bestow blessings on the ship and "all who sail upon her." The act of breaking a bottle of Champagne across the hull to christen it is fairly modern: in ancient days, human sacrifice was the norm, and in 19th-century France, the ship was "baptized" by a priest.
So how unusual is it to have a godfather rather than a godmother?
"We don't have hard statistics," says Brian Major, spokesman for the Cruise Lines International Association, the industry's marketing arm. "It's certainly a first in modern cruise history, at least within the past century."
NCL is known for its cutting-edge innovations. It was the first cruise line to introduce dining at will with its Freestyle Cruising, and the first line to charge gratuities to shipboard accounts, moves that other cruise lines have since adopted. It has, under its NCL America division, built the first U.S.-flagged modern cruise ships -- Pride of America, launched in June 2005, and Pride of Hawaii, to be launched next month -- in over 50 years.
And there's another thing: While Inouye is indeed the first godfather, he's not the first man to be part of the godmothering team. That innovation goes to NCL as well; when the cruise line introduced Norwegian Sky (now, ironically enough, known as Pride of Aloha), it decided to honor its employees, men and women, by making them all godparents.