text:
Last week’s news about the debacle of Google’s cloud gaming service Stadia may come as a shock to some people, but no one could be more surprised than the game developers themselves. This is especially true considering that just months ago, Google denied rumors that it wanted to shut down Stadia. Now that the news is official that Google will end Stadia on January 18, 2023, some developers have been scratching their heads and wondering why they heard the news at the same time as the public.
On Twitter, many developers expressed their disappointment immediately after learning of Google’s abrupt decision last week. Indie developer Tom Vian from London-based studio SFB Games tweeted:Tangle Tower It was going to be released on Stadia in 2 days and this article was the first I heard that it was shut down,” while linking to the news published by The Verge.
Others, like No More Robots’ Mike Rose and Olde Skuul’s Rebecca Heineman, responded to the tweet with the same level of excitement, having planned to launch their games on Stadia in November. In a separate tweet, Mike also expressed his frustration at not receiving any notification sooner: “Hours later and still no email from Stadia, no clarity on what’s going on with our games, our promotions, nothing. Really It would have been nice if they had told partners or even contacted us by now.”
While most of the commotion on Twitter came from indie developers, some major established studios were also caught off guard. Sony-owned Bungie, the studio responsible for DESTINY franchise, also stated in the help section of its official community forum that it has not received any information from Google regarding the closure of Stadia. The statement was in response to a user asking about their portability Destiny 2 progress from Stadia to other platforms.
For most developers who had already signed on to publish their titles on Stadia, the disappointment is certainly real given that they have invested time and resources to make their games available for the cloud gaming service. Additionally, shutting down Stadia also means developers are losing a potential source of revenue, which one developer admitted was very viable compared to other streaming services. The stakes are even higher for studios publishing their titles exclusively on Stadia, such as Tequila Works, which has since announced that its horror adventure game GYLT coming to other platforms.
The death of Stadia is clearly not a good sign for the future of the cloud gaming landscape. However, it could also mean that Google is getting cloud gaming wrong, as rival services like Xbox Cloud Gaming seem to continue to gain traction. Not only that, lately the demand for cloud gaming also seems to be on the rise, keeping in mind that Logitech and Razer are both making a cloud-enabled portable gaming device.
MORE: The rise and fall of Google Stadia


text:
Amazon is planning to close down a test-prep and online course program based in India, as the business environment for education in the massive South Asian market continues to churn.
The U.S.-based online e-commerce giant said in a statement that it will discontinue Amazon Academy in phases beginning in August of next year, when students currently immersed in test prep have completed their modules.
Amazon Academy, which was officially launched last year, offers preparation for the Joint Entrance Examination, an test for those seeking admission to college engineering programs in India.
Its website offers preparation in physics, math, and chemistry, with mock tests, study tips, and live lessons.
Amazon continually evaluates “the progress and potential of our products and services to deliver customer value, and we regularly make adjustments based on those assessments,” the company said in a statement. “Following an assessment, we have made the decision to discontinue Amazon Academy. We are winding down this program in a phased manner to take care of current customers.”
Investors and entrepreneurs have flooded India’s ed-tech sector over the past decade, lured by its huge school-age population and the enormous appetite for online learning, including not just test-prep, but tutoring and job training.
But the market has shown signs of upheaval recently, with a number of education-focused companies announcing layoffs and India’s government regulators warning ed-tech providers against unfair trade practices and false advertising.
Amazon has greatly expanded its work with education in recent years. Many school districts in the U.S. have come to rely on it as a vehicle for making purchases, despite complaints that it squeezes smaller retailers out of the market.
In addition, Amazon Web Services is a widely used cloud-based storage system for districts.
The company has also shown a willingness to jettison educational products it didn’t believe were panning out. Such was the case with Amazon TenMarks, an online math and writing program, which the company announced it was shutting down in 2018.
Users of the online materials through Amazon Academy will continue to have access to those resources until October 2024, the company said. It will also refund the entire fee for those enrolled in the current program.
Image by Getty

domain: news


text:
Some time ago on the article “7 Ways to Unlock Innovation” I had already defended the idea that companies must go beyond simple product innovations: “over the last decade companies and managers have paid too much attention to product innovation. No wonder most people associate the word innovation with the introduction of a new, revolutionary, uber-technological device. Instead of focusing exclusively on product innovation companies should think how they can innovate their processes, their structure, their business model and even their market.”
BusinessWeek recently published an extensive article describing this very same idea. Throughout the article there are examples of many companies that were successful because they went beyond product innovation into the realms of business model innovation. Apple’s entrance into the online music industry and Dell’s innovative distribution system are two examples of business model innovation.
Quoting the article: “In an era when innovation is all the rage, many CEOs are discovering that product innovation alone isn’t enough to save sick companies or turbocharge healthy ones. For many, their core businesses are being disrupted by globalization, technology shifts, and new competitors. They must reinvent the company. Even at healthy companies, business model innovations are essential to retaining their competitive positions.”
The article also describes Kodak’s entrance into the digital era and what role its CEO Antonio Perez played on the whole transition. Make sure you check it out here.


text:
Gail’s Bakery has claimed a UK first with the upcoming launch of a sourdough loaf, a third of which is made from surplus bread.
Waste Bread (rsp £4.20) is made by turning leftover bread into a porridge, before adding it into dough. Gail’s said each loaf will have its own distinctive taste because of the varying nature of each batch of leftovers.
The bakery has acknowledged the impossibility of predicting how much surplus bread will be available each day, but said it bakes in small batches to ensure minimum waste.
The bread, which comes as part of Gail’s sustainability efforts and commitment to reduce food waste, will be available from 11 October at 10 of its bakeries, before being stocked at all 43 soon after. The first bakeries selling Waste Bread will be Barnes, Blackheath, Chiswick, Crouch End, Dulwich, Hampstead, Highgate, Parsons Green, Queens Park and Wanstead.
“We’re lucky to have passionate bakers creating exceptional food every day, and the Waste Bread is a great example of our expertise and passion further aligning with the values of our communities,” CEO and founder of Gail’s Bakery Tom Molnar said.


text:
posted by Thom Holwerda on Thu 5th Jan 2006 12:44 UTC
"After months of touting Vista's geekier side, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates on Wednesday highlighted features designed to convince the average consumer that they need the next version of Windows. During his keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show, Gates showed new photo-editing tools and a revamped media player designed to improve the way that Windows tackles the types of media files that are most used by consumers. Gates also showed the improved remote-control experience that will be part of the Media Center edition of Vista." Be sure to check the video on Windows Vista, it's a lot better than that crappy one I put up a few days ago.


text:
Let’s do the numbers
It’s kind of a slow day, so I’ve been digging around for nuggets. Here are what I’m calling the stats of the day. Let’s start with social media. Nielsen research says in the past year, time spent on Twitter soared 3712%. Only one problem — revenue is a bit smaller number. Zero.
Time spent on Facebook grew 699% since April of last year. MySpace saw a drop of 31%. LinkedIn’s minutes grew 69%.
Facebook is only expected to bring in about $500 million this year, which prompts 24/7 Wall Street to conclude… “social networks may end up being very large, commercially impaired businesses.”
How about this number? GM’s US sales fell by a smaller percentage than Toyota’s last month. We’re back to the old getting worse more slowly thing. GM sales dropped 30%, year over year. Toyota fell 41%. Ford had the “best” number – only a 24% drop. Chrysler’s was the worst at 47%.
Between April and May, car sales did tick up a bit, though.
OPEC, meanwhile, is confident that the price of oil will be $80-90 a barrel by early next year.
OPEC officials have been nudging up their price aspirations since Saudi Arabia’s oil minister said last week an oil price of around $75 could be achieved later this year and would not undermine a tentative global economic recovery…
“I don’t think the price will go down… By the end of the year we’ll see $75. $80-$85 is possible — not with the demand we see at this time, but if demand picks up month after month, then maybe we’ll see this price.”
On things going the other way, newspaper ad sales had their worst quarter. Ever. By a lot. Nationally, ad sales were down 26%.
And finally, the Dow ended the day 19 points higher at 8,740 (+.22%). The S and P 500 added 1.8 points to 944 (+.2%). The NASDAQ gained 8 to 1836 (+.44%).
Maybe it’s a good day for our new music:
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Sprint Nextel has no current plans to mirror AT&T pricing changes
Send this to a friend
- David Twiddy
- Staff Writer
Despite a competitor’s move, Sprint Nextel Corp. has no immediate plans to alter its current menu of “all-you-can-eat” wireless data packages.
“We are always evaluating pricing, but we have no changes to announce at this time,” Sprint spokeswoman Melinda Tiemeyer wrote in an e-mail Friday. “With our current pricing, Sprint offers savings (versus) competitors and makes it easy for customers to get the most out of their phones.”
She added that unlimited plans are easier on customers, who don’t have to keep track of their data use to avoid paying extra charges.
AT&T Wireless announced Wednesday that it is ending its unlimited data plans in favor of a tiered approach, with customers paying $15 a month for as much as 200 megabytes of data or $25 a month for as much as 2 gigabytes. Exceeding those limits requires paying for another $15 or $25 unit of data.
AT&T (NYSE: T) officials said a majority of customers use 200 megabytes or less a month. But the company’s network has struggled to handle the traffic created by increased use of data applications on smartphones, such as Apple Inc.’s iPhone.
Sprint is hoping to grab some of that traffic. It began selling the HTC EVO 4G on Friday. The EVO is the nation’s first mobile phone that works on the fourth-generation WiMAX wireless broadband network, which Sprint says delivers Internet speeds comparable to wired connections in the more than 40 U.S. markets where available. Get pricing details here.
Clearwire Corp. (Nasdaq: CLWR), a Kirland, Wash., company in which Sprint is the majority shareholder, is rolling out WiMAX and plans to cover 120 million people by the end of the year. It and Sprint began selling the 4G service in Kansas City on June 1.
firstname.lastname@example.org | 816-777-2204
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
- Most popular
- See Kansas City's Best of the Bar for 2014
- Which three Kansas Citians made Forbes' list of nation's richest?
- Woman sues 96.5 The Buzz for calling her a porn star
- First in Print: Cerner campus ripple effect
- Jax Fish House tests a new pond in Kansas City
- Royals, Cardinals sit on opposite ends of Hateability Index
- Quality Hill Apartments, a revitalization catalyst, get new owners
- Massive Jimmy John's data breach includes 5 KC-area stores
- Simmons of KISS: Rock & Brews' customers are the bosses
- Prolific apartment developer touts KC's advantages
Director of Finance Kansas Lottery | Topeka, KS
Customer Service – Interviewing Locally For Senior & Entry Level Positions Liberty National Life Insurance Company | Kansas City, MO
Mortgage Sales Managers and Mortgage Consultants Liberty Bank and Trust | Kansas City, MO
Front Desk Supervisor Crowne Plaza- Independently Owned & Operated | Kansas City, MO
Store Manager TitleMax | Kansas City, MO


text:
Claims of a potential security flaw in Samsung Pay’s tokenization technology, presented by researcher Salvador Mendoza at the Black Hat security conference and demonstrated in a video, have been dismissed. “Samsung Pay does not use the algorithm claimed in the Black Hat presentation to encrypt payment credentials or generate cryptograms,” Samsung says, adding that the possibility of completing a payment in this way is “extremely unlikely”.
- Amazon begins delivering parcels to consumers’ cars
- Copenhagen Business School lets students make payments with just their finger — no card or smartphone required
- Contactless payments are now used for half of all public transport journeys in London
- Samsung Pay to go live in South Africa in June
- Walmart files blockchain payments data storage patents


text:
I am excited to announce a Boston area domain investor meetup, and I am even more excited to announce that proceeds from the meet up are going to benefit One Fund Boston, a non-profit organization that is helping victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. The event is sponsored by NameJet and Afternic.
The domain investor meet up will be held on June 25 at Fenway Park as the Boston Red Sox play the Colorado Rockies at 7:10pm. NameJet is paying the full $30 ticket price for each attendee. Prior to the game, Afternic is sponsoring a happy hour with drinks and appetizers at a sports bar / restaurant right near Fenway at 5pm (place TBD soon). There are 50 tickets available for the event.
If you would like to attend the event, you … → Read More


text:
Tag: think of me
on 21 September 2017
Reduction in print runs is an actuality, highlights paper company exec
on 24 January 2023
Sales experts rabbit on about trade on their respective patches
on 12 April 2018
Kristan Miller, owner of Cadeaux & Co, Wells, Somerset, and Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire, reveals
on 26 January 2023
Sales experts reveal what trade has been like on their patches
on 5 July 2018
Helen Mitchell, owner of The Card Gallery, Exeter, reveals her store’s hot sellers.
on 10 February 2023
Greetings in the picture thanks to keen retailers, card wall – and striped boots!
on 18 February 2019
Experienced agent, Jo Bannister delivers her report from life on the front line.
on 16 February 2023
Agents Sally Burnal, Mike Rignall, Amanda Tremlett, Paul McGoogan and Kenny MacLeod reveal all
on 21 February 2019
15% Increase in Valentine’s sales for Utility, which readies to open in Manchester


text:
A new era is on the rise.
The world is changing, and a new era is emerging: The data era. For restaurants to be successful today,
it’s crucial to have access to insights about their guests and business to stay relevant and continuously
provide every guest with a personalised experience, making them come back and share the experience
with their friends and family. But collecting these insights is not easy, and it’s more challenging to run a
restaurant than ever before.
No way of connecting the dots.
For too long restaurants have been using multiple systems which cannot integrate to manage their daily
operations — leaving restaurants worldwide with a slow workflow and no way to access, collect and make
use of data about their guests and business. Without this data restaurants are forced to guess their way forward, leaving money on the table every day, struggling to optimise performance, upsell to guests and build repeat business.
Introducing Guest Experience Management.
Superb’s Guest Experience Management platform (GXM) gathers all the tools to run a restaurant — in one place.
GXM frees up time and provides restaurant teams worldwide with a convenient workflow while collecting data to take control of the business and give every guest a personalised experience, build relationships and increase
revenue — The key to a successful restaurant.
Leading restaurants in 100+ cities worldwide use Superb to free up time and work smarter by gathering all their tools in one platform while collecting insights to give every guest a personalised experience, build relationships and increase revenue.
Articles about Superb:
- December 27, 2022 10 European startups shaking up restaurants with tech
- September 23, 2022 All of the European startup funding rounds we tracked this week (September 19-23)
- September 19, 2022 Enabling culture-shifting conversations: Lisa Carter shares the vision behind Discussion Box
- September 1, 2022 London-based Thalamos secures €1 million to digitise the Mental Health Act
- May 18, 2022 Helsinki-based Bob W acquires Estonian competitor Estonishing Stay to expand its tech-driven holiday rental platform
- April 11, 2022 UK-Based startup Regulatory Genome picks up over €5.49 million to transform how we consume regulatory information
- February 8, 2022 Croatian-founded social media sports app Sportening raises over €6 million and officially launches
- July 6, 2021 Barcelona-based TravelPerk acquires corporate travel management company Click Travel
- June 11, 2021 Weekly VC Overview: All 100+ European startup funding rounds we tracked this week (June 7-11)
- May 14, 2021 Weekly VC Overview: All 80 European startup funding rounds we tracked this week (May 10-14)
- February 4, 2021 “Guest Experience Management is the new way of working for restaurants”: Interview with Superb’s founder, Zaedo Musa
- October 23, 2020 Zurich-based RaiseNow lands €5 million for its fundraising tools
- September 29, 2020 Meet Europe’s 15 most promising healthcare startups at the EIT Health InnoStars Awards on Sept. 30 (Sponsored)
- September 23, 2020 Join EIT Health InnoStars Awards and meet Europe’s 15 most promising healthcare startups in 2020 (Sponsored)
- September 15, 2020 Join the OTP Startup Partner Program to collaborate with an international banking group! (Sponsored)
- March 3, 2020 Amsterdam-based TerraPay is acquired and snaps up €8.3 million to simplify payments across emerging countries
- February 18, 2020 10 promising Portugal-based startups to watch in 2020
- July 30, 2019 London-based CyberSmart raises €1.4 million to help SMEs have greater control over their cybersecurity


text:
Intel has started national awareness programme for digital literacy across India. It aims to spread awareness about the importance of PCs and IT technologies among teachers and learners. National Digital Literacy Mission (NDLM) is monitoring the entire campaign.
Digital literacy mission was launched by the company in collaboration with NASSCOM in order to enhance digital literacy in India. The company wants to increase the relevance and demand of personal computing devices and drive domestic adoption of technology.
It will reach out to consumers in a targeted manner across ten states through a series of interventions in the form of advertisement. It plans to cover 1.8 million teachers, 2 million learners as well as higher education students and faculty members across India.
DigitalLEARNING, is an initiative of Elets Techomedia Pvt Ltd existing since 2003. Now, Elets' YouTube channel -- Elets tv, a treasure of premier innovation-oriented knowledge-conferences and awards, is also active.
To Subscribe Free, Click Here
Like us on Facebook, connect with us on LinkedIn and follow us on Twitter.


text:
New Delhi:Fintech startupQbera today said it has tied up with online automobile e-commerce platform Droom to offer financing options for purchase of pre-owned cars, bikes and new cars from the marketplace.
Customers can choose from over 50 lakh options on Droom and finance their vehicle with unsecured personal loans from Qbera, the company said in a statement.
Loans of up to Rs 7.5 lakh would be disbursed in 24 hours.
"We are offering a new-age auto financing option to make the loan disbursal process smoother, more affordable, and paperless," Droom Founder and CEO Sandeep Aggarwal said.
The pre-owned car market in the country has seen exponential growth over the years with approximate annual sales of 3.6 million cars.
Qbera Founder and CEO Aditya Kumar said: "Traditional lenders have exhaustive and strict criteria when it comes to funding auto loans for pre-owned vehicles."
Even as the company attracted very high-level talents from the industry yet the top deck remained very volatile. Since 2020 on average at least 31 senior executives quit the group while it appointed close to 40 senior officials in the same time period.


text:
A man has been banned from entering the BP forecourt and M&S Simply Food store in Southern Way, Harlow for a year and given a two-year community order after a court heard he stole from the shop 18 times in four months.
Ryan Kinggett was identified by town centre team officers from CCTV stills taken at the BP garage and M&S store.
Southend magistrates were told that Kinggett, who admitted 18 counts of theft from the shop, had stolen food and other items worth a total value of £1,926.70.
His most expensive haul was £276.35-worth of steak, burgers and chicken but Kinggett also stole sausages, sandwiches, drinks, baby milk formula and razors between May 12 and September 16, 2023.
The court heard he had handed himself into police when he became aware officers wanted to speak to him about breaching a previous court order.
Kinggett was given a 24-month community order comprising a six-month drug monitoring requirement. He must also complete a 40-day accredited programme and 30 days of rehabilitation activity.
The order also excludes him from the M&S shop in the BP garage in Southern Way, Harlow.
Kinggett was also ordered to pay £500 compensation to BP.
He also admitted possession of a knife in a public place. A conditional discharge was imposed and the court ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the weapon.
PC Aaron Bruin, of Harlow Local Policing Team, said: “Kinggett is a prolific thief who stole to fund his drug addiction. I hope he takes the opportunity the court has offered to him to attend a rehabilitation programme so he has no need to reoffend.
“Shoplifting is not a victimless crime and Kinggett’s actions will have distressed the shop staff and any customers in the store at the time of his crimes.
“Thanks to good CCTV images supplied by the store, officers were able to identify Kinggett and attempt to locate him.
“I would urge retail staff to report shop thefts or any abuse or harassment they get from shoplifters or other customers online at www.essex.police.uk/ro. If we don’t know about the crime, we can’t investigate it.”


text:
© 2022 - JobDikhao.
In response to a decline in sales, Wayfair eliminates 870 workers, including 400 in Boston.
Wayfair Cuts 870 Jobs: The company recently reported a quarterly deficit and attributed it on changes in customer spending.
Wayfair, an online retailer of home furnishings, is laying off 870 employees, including 400 in Boston, as it responds to sales reductions sparked in part by high inflation.
The job layoffs were disclosed in a memo sent on Friday morning to all 18,000 workers by CEO Niraj Shah. While those conversations had already started with staff in Europe and Asia, all North American workers were expected to be informed on Friday if their employment are endangered.
According to region, length of service, and job level, the corporation is providing severance. For instance, Wayfair is providing a minimum of 10 weeks of compensation and continuing employee equity vesting until October in the US.
Web Story: Click Here
About 5% of the company’s global staff and 10% of its corporate team will be laid go. The corporation anticipates spending $30 million to $40 million on the personnel reduction; the majority of this sum will go toward severance fees.
A similar-sized layoff occurred at Wayfair in February 2020, when 550 employees were let go globally, including 350 in Boston. For one of the state’s few consumer-focused digital companies, that was a turning point.
Disclaimer: This information is taken from internet. JobDikhao do not make any guarantees regarding the accuracy of this information. Before taking any decision based on this information, you should verify the information at your own risk


text:
Dubai International Chamber introduces International Partners Network
Enhancing cross-border dialogue
- Al Hashemi: Our goal is to empower the business councils and commercial offices to expand their efforts to promote cross-border business opportunities and boost trade and investment flows between Dubai and other markets.
- The International Partners Network is an initiative created by Dubai International Chamber to enhance cross-border dialogue and engage trade promotion agencies, commercial attaches as well as business councils involving them in its business advocacy agenda and strategic initiatives.
- The International Partners Network will be focused on updating stakeholders on the chamber’s attraction and expansion plans, growth plans for its international offices, as well as to capture intelligence from their international counterparts on areas of collaboration and synergy.
Dubai, UAE – Dubai International Chamber, one of the three chambers operating under Dubai Chambers, has launched the International Partners Network, a new platform to enhance cross-border dialogue.
The International Partners Network is an initiative launched by Dubai International Chamber to engage trade promotion agencies, commercial attaches and business councils through informative events and involve them in its business advocacy agenda and strategic initiatives.
The launch of the network came during an event organized by the Chamber at its headquarters which was attended by more than 100 representatives of business councils, commercial promotion offices and commercial attaches.
During the event a dialogue was held with Mohammad Ali Rashid Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, in addition to an open discussion with a number of officials from Dubai Chambers, for the delegates to acquaint themselves with the chamber’s efforts to support businesses as well as to enhance cooperation and partnership with foreign markets.
Commenting on the launch of the platform, Hassan Al Hashemi, Vice President- International Relations, Dubai Chambers explained, “We are in the process of reshaping and enhancing the role of country-specific business councils operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers. We are engaging with embassies and consulates in the UAE, as well as foreign trade and commercial offices that work with them, to establish several new business councils that will cover countries that are currently not represented by existing business councils.”
“Our goal is to empower these councils and commercial offices to expand their efforts to promote cross-border business opportunities and boost trade and investment flows between Dubai and other markets,” he added.
“The international partners network is an ideal and exceptional platform for exchanging visions, ideas and proposals, introducing cooperation opportunities, encouraging dialogue, engaging target groups in efforts to stimulate a business environment, launching strategic initiatives for the chambers, and opening new channels of interaction, communication and partnership to serve the private sector and business communities in Dubai and these countries,” Al Hashemi explained.
The International Partners Network will be focused on updating stakeholders on the chamber’s attraction and expansion plans, growth plans for its international offices, as well as to capture intelligence from their international counterparts on areas of collaboration and synergy. It supports Dubai International Chamber’s strategic objectives of attracting 100 SMEs, 30 MNCs and expand100 Dubai-based companies by the end of 2024.
Dubai International Chamber is focused on strengthening partnerships with global corporations, investors and entrepreneurs – working to boost Dubai’s status as a major global trading hub. The chamber supports Dubai’s vision to expand to new global markets, forge new economic partnerships and support local companies in achieving global success, while also attracting promising talent and investors from across the world.
Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah: “The establishment of the Costa Rican Business Council in Dubai represents another significant step in further enhancing the trade and investment relationship between the business communities in our respective markets.” The chamber welcomed the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica, the Ambassador of…Read more
Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah: “The chamber’s continuous engagement with Business Groups and Business Councils reflects our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of Dubai’s dynamic business ecosystem and achieving the wise leadership’s vision of consolidating the emirate’s position as a global capital for business, trade, and investment.” Participants in the…Read more
Abdul Aziz Abdulla Al Ghurair: “We are the voice of the business community in Dubai and remain committed to empowering our members to contribute towards achieving the emirate’s growth ambitions.” The number of new member companies achieved YoY growth of 42.9% between January and September, with 48,616 new members registered…Read more
The annual meeting examined a range of topics including how to overcome legislative obstacles faced by businesses, ways to unlock business growth for SMEs and startups, and measures to enhance dispute resolution procedures. H.E. Abdul Aziz Abdulla Al Ghurair: “As part of our commitment to ensuring a favourable business environment…Read more
Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah: “Today’s timely gathering represents another important step in uniting and supporting the private sector in our shared journey towards a sustainable future. We remain committed to strengthening collaboration between the public and private sectors, which will play a key role in advancing the wise leadership’s sustainability…Read more


text:
Fry's Grocery Store Coming To Downtown Phoenix
After years of trying, it looks like downtown will get its first full-service grocery store.
The new 55,000-square-foot Fry's store is expected to be built on a current parking lot between Washington and Jefferson streets, between CityScape and Collier Center.
In a news release, Fry's Food & Drug Stores and RED Development said the grocer would be housed in a proposed mixed-use development that could include residential and office spaces.
The store would be located between major light-rail access points and serve historic neighborhood districts like Garfield, Roosevelt, Eastlake Park and others. With the increase in downtown residential units and the expansion of ASU and UA campuses, a grocery store has been on many people's wish lists.
Fry's and RED Development expect to release more details in the coming months.
RED developed the 1.2 million-square-foot CityScape project on the former site of Heritage Park. The first phase of the restaurant, retail, entertainment and office project opened in 2010.
Fry’s is headquartered in Tolleson. The company says it employs more than 18,000 Arizona residents.


text:
In 2014, the global warehouse robotics industry generated over $2.7 billion in revenues. Likewise, over the next five years, the expected annual growth is projected to be 8.4 percent. As the demand for greater warehouse automation and efficiency grows, so does the interest in warehouse robotics. Therefore, it’s not surprising that a number of new startups are making headlines with new innovations in this sector. And one of the most intriguing companies to enter this burgeoning field is Exotec, a French startup based on Lille.
Of course, Exotec is not the only company in this sector. However, it has received attention lately because of its capacity to allow warehouses to scale to their expanding needs. Understanding that technology in this area is rapidly changing, adaptability is key. Warehouse automation systems that facilitate this need are among the ones likely to excel. And combined with major shifts in social behaviors, the potential for business success is tremendous.
“In logistics warehouses, they are supplementing their workforce with robots that sort and transport items to different areas of the warehouse. This helps alleviate worker density and follow social distancing guidelines. This not only helps with worker’s well-being but ultimately improves capacity to support the increased volume.” – Jeff Linnell, CEO of Formant
A Push for Warehouse Automation
The appeal of warehouse automation is not something that just appeared. For well over a decade, warehouses have sought to enhance their logistics and operational capacities. For example, Amazon has been utilizing its Kiva robotics system for roughly a decade. But since then, several other drivers are advancing the level of interest in warehouse robotics. There is a notable shortage of skilled labor, which makes warehouse robotics attractive. Likewise, new technological developments like AI, machine learning, and the Internet-of-Things (IoT) have similarly advanced the field.
Certainly, these developments are ample to increase the demand for warehouse automation. However, consumer shifts have been more powerful as of late. Consumer use of e-commerce has fueled tremendous demand for delivery systems. Also, consumer expectations of rapid delivery times from the time of order push warehouse systems to be highly efficient. And with COVID, these already present trends accelerated to an even greater degree. In essence, this has ushered in the “Come-to-Me Economy”. All of these drivers have created a perfect tsunami making warehouse robotics and automation extremely attractive.
“There is a global need for robotics solutions in warehouses, but logisticians are often concerned about investing in traditional fixed automation in this fast-changing world. We offer a new generation of warehouse robotics.” – Romain Moulin, Co-founder and CEO, Exotec
A Demand for Scalable and Safe Warehouse Robotics
While these drivers should encourage warehouses to invest heavily in robotics systems, there has been hesitation. A major drawback has been investing substantial funds into a robotic system that only meets present needs. Many such systems are poorly adaptable. Even Amazon, which has been an innovator in supply chain automation, struggles with scalability at times. It now employs over 100,000 robots. But when additional infrastructure and robots are required, this can take months to realize. This has been even more challenging for other warehouses and businesses.
That is where Exotec offers a notable advantage in warehouse robotics. Exotec’s small robots, called Skypods, operate in 3-dimentions while using laser scanner navigation. Their navigation is guided by logistics software that optimizes route efficiency. Skypods then travel up to 4 meters/second along tall racks of standardized bins where they collect orders. The bins are then taken to a packaging station where employees complete the order. And if expansion is needed, all is required is a quick addition of more racks, bins and robots.
Naturally, the major advantages of Exotec’s warehouse robotics is its efficiency and scalability. But it also offers other benefits. The Skypods operate in their own portion of the warehouse where employees do not work. This markedly improves worker safety in the process. Given that other warehouses like Amazon continue to struggle with robotics safety issue, this is a huge plus. This explains why Exotec has recently expanded operations throughout North America and Asia. It also explains why they recently received another $90 million in Series C funding.
“Brands and retailers are seeing tremendous surge in e-commerce, accelerated by the current pandemic. They must now transform their supply chain to gain competitive advantage.” – Rudi Lueg, Managing Director of North America, Exotec
The Warehouse of Tomorrow
Recent shifts in consumer behaviors are expected to continue toward e-commerce. This will continue to drive a need for greater warehouse automation to improve efficiencies in both operations and logistics. Warehouse robotics are well positioned to serve this need. However, one of the concerns continues to be human labor displacement in the process. With more robots performing various tasks, some suspect that the need for human labor will diminish. However, it appears this view is a bit shortsighted.
Most experts in warehouse automation actually anticipate the demand for human labor will increase not decrease. The specific skills required are likely to change in terms of these positions. However, the incredible growth in volume of warehouse operations supports the perspective that jobs will increase. This has been the case for Amazon, which had to hire large numbers of individuals when the pandemic struck. The large increase in fulfillment requests necessitated more human labor, not less. Therefore, it’s likely the warehouse of tomorrow may be much larger in size or number. But they probably won’t have fewer employees.
At the present time, most of the growing demand for warehouse robotics appears to be in North America and Asia. These regions have the geographic capacity for developing warehouse networks for global distribution networks. But in the future, these networks will likely expand into other continents. Developing a template of warehouse automation will make this expansion more practical. And scalable warehouse robotics that are easily integrated into distribution workflows will facilitate these efforts further. Exotec just happens to be one of the companies leading the way toward this rather intriguing future.
Looking for some inspiration in your goals? Notes From Ed has the answers! And don’t forget to check out PROJECT BOLD LIFE: The Proven Formula to Take on Challenges and Achieve Happiness and Success.


text:
Dungeon Fighter Live: Fall Of Hendon Myre (Xbox 360)
Battlefield 3 Tank Superiority Game Mode
During EA's Summer Showcase event yesterday the publisher showed off a small snippet of gameplay from Battlefield 3‘s new game mode Tank Superiority, which will be included in the game's next expansion Armored Kill. The game's lead designer spoke a little about past
New Trailer Teases GRID 2 Announcement
Codemasters has released a new teaser trailer for an upcoming game announcement, and it's a pretty safe bet that the game in question is GRID 2. While there's no official confirmation of what the game actually is the title of the teaser "The Race Returns" suggests a s
Sleeping Dogs Police Side Missions
Fast action, intense gunfights, car chases, that won't be all that will be awaiting you in the upcoming Sleeping Dogs. In a new video released by Square Enix, developer United Front Games takes a look at the deeper police investigation aspects of the adventures of Wei Sh
Mass Effect 3: Leviathan DLC Details
Not one to be left out the EA news cycle today, BioWare recently posted an update to their blog with more information about the Mass Effect 3 DLC updates ‘Leviathan' and ‘Firefall', the former of which will include new weapons and more hours of single-player gamepla
NHL 13 – Facial Scan Technology
Victor finds out how the makers of NHL 13 are bringing the faces of real hockey players into the game, and meets Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Devan Dubnyk of the Edmonton Oilers.
Persona 4 Arena – Game Overview
Jose discovers how the fighting and RPG genres are colliding in Persona 4 Arena.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier – Arctic Strike (Xbox 360/PS3)
Paul Dini Will Not Write the Next Arkham Game
One of the best elements from Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City won't be returning for the next Rocksteady game. Famed DC Comics writer Paul Dini recently confirmed on his Twitter feed that he's not working on the (rumored) upcoming Silver Age Batman title,
Assassin’s Creed III AnvilNext Engine Trailer
The team behind Assassin's Creed III is doing some pretty amazing things with the game, and part of what makes that possible is the technology it is being built upon. "At the heart of Assassin's Creed III, lies a radically redesigned game engine we call AnvilNext," sa
Page 201 of 454
Reviews on the Run
Copyright (c) 2014
EP Media Ltd.


text:
In this edition of Weekly Focus APAC: APAC Consumers Sharing Less Data Online; One-third of AU Grocery Shoppers Considering Online Channels; Singapore Airport Features Integrated QR & Marketing Functions; Shiseido Opens Hangzhou Office to Cater to Alibaba Customers; and HK Virtual Insurer Launches Online Platform.
APAC Consumers Sharing Less Data Online
Some 44% of consumers in Asia-Pacific said they shared less data online last year, while another 25% said they had installed ad-blocking software.
In addition, should a company misuse their data, 77% of consumers in the region would stop doing business with it. More of their peers in China, at 86%, would do likewise, according to Dentsu Aegis Network's study titled, 'The Digital Society Index 2019: Human Needs in a Digital World'. Conducted by Oxford Economics, the survey polled more than 43,000 respondents worldwide including Singapore, India, and Australia.
Across the globe, 27% installed ad-blocking tools while 78% would stop engaging with businesses that misused their data. And 45% expressed confidence that companies holding their personal data would safeguard their privacy.
The study found that Asia-Pacific consumers were increasing their use of digital products and services, at times more quickly than their peers in other regions. Some 55% were more likely to use an app to catch a taxi compared to last year, which was higher than the global average of 44%.
Another 81% of Asia-Pacific consumers were more likely to shop online than last year. In comparison, 76% worldwide said likewise.
The report noted: "Critically for businesses, those consumers most active in taking back control of their online data and time – in ways that will make it harder for brands to engage them – are also those with the highest propensity to use digital products and services, such as shop online, use an app to take a taxi, or stream music.
"This is creating a digital paradox for brands, as those most ready to embrace digital marketing and services are also the most likely to push away from them."
Dentsu Aegis Network's Asia-Pacific executive chairman Takaki Hibino said that while the study revealed optimism about the future of technology and its ability to solve the world's most pressing challenges, at the same time, people's trust in technology was waning and concerns about the pace of technological change were mounting.
Such sentiments carried implications for brands in terms of how they engaged through digital channels, the report added. With abuse of personal data the leading factor of distrust, organisations should compete and differentiate themselves based on openness and transparency around their use of data.
One-third of AU Grocery Shoppers Considering Online Channels
More than five million Australians, or 31% of grocery buyers, would consider buying online in the next year, up by more than 800,000 from a year ago.
Locals who shopped at the country's two largest supermarkets, Coles and Woolworths, were most keen on heading online for their grocery needs, according to Roy Morgan's research, which was carried out in December 2018.
Some 34% of customers each from both supermarkets were consider purchasing groceries online in the next year.
In comparison, 26% of Aldi and 23% from IGA would do likewise. These two were smaller supermarket chains operating in Australia.
Despite the apparent optimism, however, just 5% of Woolworths customers actually shopped for groceries online in an average month, while 4% of Coles shoppers did the same.
Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine noted that the online retail revolution had yet to make a dent in the Australian grocery market, but Amazon's arrival in 2017 and the impending market entrance of Kaufland were changing the market landscape.
Levine explained: "Despite the online revolution shaking up the face of retail in recent years, the grocery and fresh food market has stubbornly resisted the convenience and value-for-money proposition that online retailing has used to disrupt many other retail categories.
"The market is there for the taking; however, thus far, consumers haven't been convinced by the online grocery services on offer. […] Although the gap between interest in online grocery shopping and the follow-through remains significant, and has persisted for several years, there have been significant developments in the Australian grocery and food markets in recent months and there are more coming."
He noted that Amazon launched its online food delivery service Down Under in late-2018 and German supermarket giant Kaufland was set to begin opening new supermarkets in Australia later this year. He added that Kaufland offered online fresh food services in its other global markets and Amazon's marketing power and reach would be essential in driving the disruption.
Singapore Airport Features Integrated QR & Marketing Functions
Singapore's Changi Airport has rolled out an integrated QR payment and marketing platform for merchants, tapping Liquid Group's QR system.
The payment system features a unified point-of-sales terminal that supports local and international QR payment apps, as well as cross-border QR payment modes, including Singtel Dash, PayNow, WeChat Pay, UnionPay QR, and Alipay.
The platform also incorporates merchant discounts and promotions that can be customised for the respective apps, offering an automated marketing tool for merchants, said Liquid Group.
It added: "With a standardised merchant workflow, participating Changi Airport retailers can accept multiple QR payment apps without additional infrastructure, integration, or cashier training when Liquid Group and Changi Airport expand the network to include additional local, overseas, and card scheme QR payment apps."
The platform also allows Changi Airport to launch multiple marketing campaigns with participating payment apps, without the need for additional cashier training or verification during checkout, it said.
Liquid Group said the new system rollout would be done in phases, with the first scheduled to begin in the first half of this year.
Shiseido Opens Hangzhou Office to Cater to Alibaba Customers
Shiseido has set up an office in Hangzhou, China, which is established specifically to work with Alibaba Group and jointly create products customised for consumers in the country.
The Japanese cosmetics maker said it aimed to have 20 employees in the local outfit by 2020 and "tighten collaboration" with Alibaba's online marketplace Tmall. The objective here was to enable Shiseido to better cater to the Chinese market, said its China region CEO Kentaro Fujiwara.
The company said its sales in China climbed 32.3% last year and accounted for 17.4% of its total net sales. By 2020, it predicted, e-commerce would contribute 40% of its sales in the Chinese market.
Describing China as Shiseido's "biggest and most important market" outside of Japan, Fujiwara explained: "By combining Alibaba's strengths in digitisation and consumer engagement with Shiseido's world-class standards in research and development, we can create products that can precisely capture the appetite of the Chinese consumer."
HK Virtual Insurer Launches Online Platform
Touted as Hong Kong's first virtual insurer, Bowtie has launched its online insurance platform and Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme Standard Plan offering.
The launch followed the introduction of its health insurance plans and would further drive its aim to bring basic medical protection to every Hong Kong citizen, it said.
Bowtie's co-founder and co-CEO Michael Chan said: "Bowtie's fully online medical underwriting engine is a first of its kind in Hong Kong. It evaluates users' health conditions instantly and provides fairer and more transparent insurance pricing for Hong Kong citizens."
According to the company, all processes related to its health insurance plan could be done online via smartphones or personal computers. This included the initial application, online underwriting, and filing claims. It added that no medical examinations or paper forms were required, and the application process could be completed in as fast as 10 minutes.


text:
In the latest end of an age moment for Smash Bros. followers, Nintendo has actually announced a new upgrade for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is coming soon, and also it will be the last upgrade to consist of fighter changes.
The Version 13.0.1 update is coming quickly according to main Nintendo social networks accounts, while additionally stating that replay data from previous variations will certainly end up being inaccessible when the patch is launched. No official release date or time for the update has been revealed.
Version 13.0.1 will be the final upgrade to include adjustments to existing fighters, a process that started with the Version 1.2.0 update on December 13, 2018. The first personalities to obtain a patch were Donkey Kong, Link, Kirby, Luigi, Ice Climbers, Youthful Link, Oliver, Too Link, Villager, Regina, Pac-Man, Duck Search, and also Isabelle.
One of the most current update, Variation 13.0.0, was the spot that consisted of Kingdom Hearts' Sort, the final enhancement to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster. In our retrospective item on Smash Bros. Ultimate, Kingdom Hearts director Betsy Nora discussed Sort's inclusion, claiming, The follower response went beyond even what I'd visualized, so I was very pleased.
Post a Comment


text:
A man talks on his mobile phone as he walks past an ITC office building in Kolkata. Photo: Reuters
Country's biggest cigarette maker ITC Ltd reported almost 6% rise in net profit at Rs 2,640 cr for the September quarter as against Rs 2,500 crore in year-ago period, helped by lower costs.
Total income during the quarter under review was Rs 10,258.13 crore as against Rs 14,091.96 crore in the year-ago period.
The company said total income from operations during the quarter is not comparable with the previous periods due to introduction of GST from July 1.
Consequent on introduction of GST, central excise, VAT etc have been replaced by the one unified tax. In accordance with Indian accounting standards 18 and schedule III of the Companies
Act, 2013, GST, GST compensation cess and VAT etc are not included in the total income from operations, it added.
Total expenses during the period stood at Rs 6,313.84 crore compared to Rs 10,265.74 crore a year earlier.
Revenue from the total FMCG business, including cigarettes and others, during the quarter read Rs 7,358.32 crore as against Rs 11,200.13 crore a year before.
Hotel business contributed Rs 300.18 crore during the period compared to the earlier Rs 297.34 crore. Agri business revenue stood at Rs 1,967.98 crore as against Rs 1,880.06 crore in the same period last fiscal.
Paperboards, paper and packaging business revenue during the quarter was Rs 1,309.41 crore against Rs 1,331.41 crore in the year ago period.
The company, which also makes Sunfeast biscuits and Classmate stationery, said its expenses for the quarter fell about 39% to Rs 6,314 crore.


text:
The company also started the sale of beer brand Old Monk 10000 (American Malt Liquor) in August
With innovations such as the introduction of new variants and the launch of tetra packs, Mohan Meakin (MML) aims to achieve a record high sale of around 10 million units of Old Monk in 2022.
From almost 3 million units a few years ago, sales volume has rebounded substantially. “Today, we are over 8 million units and are targeting record sales of 10 million next year,” said Vinay Mohan, the director of Mohan Meakin (MML).
Mohan said the company had started giving franchisees in states where tetra packs have good sales. This is the second time that the company is trying its luck in the segment. “We had once done in Karnataka, now we have re-launched it.”
According to Mohan, the size of the rum market in India is above 50 million units. There were speculations that the brand was set to come out with a sachet pack, which he denied.
Though Old Monk was the market leader till the early 2000s, it lost to aggressive marketing by brands like McDowell’s No. 1 Celebration. Mohan expects Old Monk sales, which contributes around 70 per cent to the company’s topline, to grow 50-60 per cent in the next three years.
The company also started the sale of beer brand Old Monk 10000 (American Malt Liquor) in August. “It was never popular in the North. We have just launched it in the premium segment and got a very favourable response,” he said.
The company has a minimal ad spending of Rs 2 crore per year. “For a brand like Old Monk, advertisement is not required. It is still one of the largest brands exported out of the country,” said Rocky Mohan, a promoter family member.
The firm sells 0.5 million cases in the global market.
“Today in all the airports, we are the number one seller. We have our products available in all the countries,” he said.


text:
Today evening DGP Director General of Police Shivanand Jha made announcement of Lockdown in Gujarat till 31st March in a press conference. Lockdown comes into effect from midnight today. section-144 of Code of Criminal Procedure (
Lockdown in Gujarat announced by DGP Shivanand Jha
Posted by Gujarat Headline on Monday, 23 March 2020
ATM/Clearing House to remain open.
Courier/private security service to remain open. Print and electronic media is exempted.
Strict implementation of Lockdown in Gujarat from tonight.People will be permitted to buy essential commodities.
Ahmedabad police commissioner will take action of violation of section 144 in Khadia yesterday.


text:
CPI Engineering Services expanding in Midland
Lubricant maker CPI Engineering Services will more than double its space and create up to 10 new jobs with a $1,381,000 project at its Midland facility.
The company, a subsidiary of The Lubrizol Corp., makes synthetic compressor lubricants used in refrigerators, air conditioners and the oil industry.
The company’s president, Tom Rajewski, said CPI will connect its existing facility at 2300 James Savage Road to an adjacent building at 2200 James Savage, formerly home to Design Craftsman.
“Midland is our home and where we hope to see our growth happening in the future,” Rajewski told the Midland City Council on Monday night.
CPI was granted a 12-year, 50 percent Industrial Facilities Tax exemption on $1.25 million in real property that will be part of the investment. After the tax abatement, the city is still expected to gain an estimated $50,057 in tax revenue over 12 years, with taxes to all jurisdictions totaling $202,041.
“We believe this type of support from the city will allow us to remain competitive,” Rajewski said.
The company’s Texas site had been the primary target for growth because of ample space to grow at that site, but then the opportunity to expand in Midland came up, Rajewski said.
The company was founded in Midland in 1971. It now has more than $250 million in sales with 75 full-time and 15 part-time employees in Midland. It also has manufacturing sites in Texas and China as well as seven other office and lab locations around the world.
Rajewski said CPI might not be a household name, but chances are high that its products are in people’s homes if they purchased a refrigerator in the past five years or have an air conditioning unit. He said many of the company’s products are manufactured for other companies and sold under their names, but CPI is beginning to expand its own packaging business.
“We’re looking to do that here at the Midland site,” he said.
Three people have already been hired because of the expansion and the total is expected to rise to as high as 10 people. The jobs include roles in manufacturing, sales, laboratory work and administration.
Carol Miller, economic development manager for Midland Tomorrow, said tax incentives are vital in investment decisions for companies with a global footprint. She said CPI provides important solutions for products all people use.
“It’s a great story of a company that’s got a history in Midland, a global presence which is important and strong growth,” Miller said.
Midland City Council member Tom Adams said it is nice to see a company that started in Midland prospering in the global market. Adams voted along with the other council members to approve the tax abatement, stating that he hopes the investment will lead to more projects in Midland.


text:
We've got a sombrero full of hot-like-tamales shots from the upcoming PSP combo-clocking action shooter, Chili Con Carnage - hitthe Images tab above for alook at the whole spicy selection.
Following in the footsteps of the console and PC title, Total Overdose, Chili Con Carnage sees Ramiro 'Ram' Cruz come swaggering back through the saloon doors for more gun play in the Mexican border city of Los Toros.
Above: There's more than just desperados to mow down in Los Toros - even the bulls are legitimate gun fodder.
Rather than knocking out a handheld port of Total Overdose, developer Deadline assured us in a recent question and answer session that Chili Con Carnage would be a "reinvention" of the original, with reworked story, level elements and gameplay mechanics all squeezed in alongside three brand new modes.
Out early in 2007, if you're looking for frantic, fully portable shootouts, we suggest you keep an eye on Chili Con Carnage as it promises to be a tasty burrito blast of action.
November 16, 2006


text:
CX Forum to promote fashion tech in New Delhi this March
From March 23 to 24, CX Forum 2022 aims to spark innovation in fashion with talks and networking centring aroundinnovation in the business of fashion.
The business event is organised by Images Multimedia Private Limited and is a, “global show on tech-propelled fashion innovation”. The forum aims to bring together businesses from across the country to discuss and showcase agile design tools, in-store tech influencers, hyper-targeted social marketing, and dynamic science of fashion retail analytics among other tech innovations.
“Carefully selected fashion tech innovators, partners, speakers and attendees will ensure that only the finest in the business collaborate for this remarkable, exclusive convention,” event organisers Images Multimedia Private Limited said in a statement. The conference expects to up 100 delegates and will take place following Covid-19 health and safety regulations as per local guidelines.
Along with India’s e-commerce boom, the role of technology in the Indian fashion industry is becoming ever more important. New commerce feature such as live shopping, mobile apps, and more are becoming commonplace for many fashion retailers thus there is a growing need to understand and innovate related technologies.
Copyright © 2022 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


text:
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes surprised his wife with a very special Mother’s Day gift. Professional athletes have gone viral lately as they surprise their loved ones with cars and homes, with the quarterback being the latest to do the same for his wife.
On Mother’s Day, Mahomes posted a photo to his Instagram page showing him and his wife in front of a brand new Ferrari. He wished his wife a Happy Mother’s Day while also showing off her brand-new car.
The Ferrari, which appears to be burgundy in color, is typically sold for in the six-figure area, with some estimating that it could be worth over $300,000. While his contract affords him the opportunity to purchase the car, it is still an outstanding gift and definitely sets the bar high for future holidays.
This is his wife’s second year celebrating Mother’s Day, and next year, there will be a second child to celebrate with as they are expecting a baby boy this fall.
How much does QB Patrick Mahomes make?
In the summer of 2020, the Kansas City Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes agreed to a 10-year contract extension worth $477 million. With bonuses, the contract is worth over $500 million; with approximately $144 million guaranteed. This makes his annual salary around $45 million, putting him currently in the top five of highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL.
The Super Bowl-winning quarterback also has multiple endorsement deals that are assumed to be worth millions of dollars as well. However, official contract numbers haven’t been released. He has deals with Hunt’s brand of ketchup after announcing his love for the condiment. His endorsement deal with Adidas landed him his own signature line of shoes last summer.
His deal with Head and Shoulders has him paired with Hall of Fame safety and former Pittsburgh Steelers Troy Polamalu. And of course, he stars in commercials for State Farm, co-starring alongside Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
One of his most recent endorsement deals with Coors Light is said to make history as the beer company isn’t allowed to use NFL players in their commercials. Mahomes and Coors Light branded the commercial as an offer to purchase an actual Coors flashlight, making it NFL-approved.
Being one of the most popular and well-known faces of the National Football League, Mahomes could see even more endorsement deals in the future.


text:
The festive season has started in India. Meanwhile, e-commerce company Flipkart has announced that the Big Billion Days 2020 sale will begin on October 16. This sale Big Billion Days Sale will continue till October 21. During this, many deals and offers will be given to customers.
Flipkart has also partnered with State Bank of India. In such a situation, customers will get 10 percent instant discount on purchasing from SBI card. Also, let us tell you that Flipkart Plus customers will also get early access to deals and offers of Big Billion Days Sale on October 15.
Along with the SBI card instant discount, Flipkart shoppers will also get no-cost EMI options on Bajaj Finserv EMI cards and credit and debit cards of leading banks. Apart from this, cashback will also be given to customers paying with Paytm Wallet and Paytm UPI for their shopping.
During the Big Billion Days 2020 Sale, Flipkart will get deals and discounts on Mobiles, TV Models, Electronics, Accessories and other home appliances. There will also be some exclusive launches during the Big Billion Days Sale. The teaser of deals and offers are also being released on Flipkart.
Like Flipkart, Amazon is also going to organize its Great Indian Festival Sale. The company has not yet announced the date. The rest of the information, including the date of sale, will be given on Tuesday 6 October.


text:
Sky has just announced that its Buy and Keep service is now coming to boxsets.
Originally, the option to get a DVD in the post after buying it on Sky was only available on select movies, but that’s about to change.
Once a boxset is purchased from the Sky Store, customers will receive a physical copy in the post a few days later.
Boxsets that will be available from launch include House of Cards, Homeland, Breaking Bad and Blacklist.
And Sky is also including some movie franchises in the deal as well, these include Fast & Furious, Toy Story and Pitch Perfect.
“Sky Store Buy & Keep continues to be a huge hit”Kathryn Lacey, Director of Sky Store
TV Box Sets will start from £22.99 and Movies will cost around £13.99.
Speaking about the service Director of Sky Store Kathryn Lacey said: “Sky Store Buy & Keep continues to be a huge hit and as the UK’s regular number 1 digital retailer for new movie releases it is a natural next step for us to provide customers with the opportunity to own their favourite Box Sets.
“Buy & Keep Box Sets is the first of many exciting initiatives we have planned for Sky Store.”
Along with the new boxset binge there's more good news for Sky customers with the satellite firm announcing a host of new updates to its popular Sky+ service.
From next month Sky+ will be getting a range of features including a new Homepage design and automatic downloads.
Sky says its new look is being introduced to help customers discover more TV to watch with the introduction of editorial Top Picks to the Sky+ Homepage.
The new section gives millions of customers’ recommendations on the best new TV from entertainment channels such as Sky Atlantic and FOX.
The satellite TV firm has also just announced the launch of its Ultra HD service which will bring pin-sharp 4K content to living rooms across the UK.
Sky says it will broadcast movies, documentaries, entertainment and sport in this stunning format.
In fact, 124 live Premier League games will be shown in 4K as well as every Formula 1 race.


text:
After three decades of printmaking with Nashville's —the letterpress shop behind some iconic concert line-up posters, from Hank Williams to Elvis—master printer Jim Sherraden is retiring. Sherraden, who has created prints for Willie Nelson and Mumford & Sons, is credited with bringing one of the oldest letterpress shops in the country into the modern age, reigniting interest in the shop, which now prints out of the Country Music Hall of Fame. To celebrate his efforts, Hatch is putting on a public show of Sherraden's original work, including one-of-a-kind prints using existing hand-cut blocks from the shop's collection and his ultra-colorful paper quilts, which mix and match custom letterpress blocks. The show's on until September 30 at the print shop's Haley Gallery. (Stop by the shop on your way out for great souvenirs in the form of Hatch-printed postcards.)
Franklin is one of our favorite day trips from Nashville, thanks to its historic downtown and the local boozehounds keeping and in business. But September 22 and 23, the town buzzes thanks to the Pilgrimage music festival, now in its fourth year. Set on a 230-acre former horse farm, the festival features Jack White, Hozier, Chris Stapleton, Elle King, and more on four stages, along with a makers market, craft beer hall, and food truck park. You don't have to stay in Franklin to enjoy Pilgrimage—there are $35 round-trip shuttles to get you out of Nashville.
There's a lot of construction downtown, but one of the biggest projects is finally complete, adding a new 33-story glass icon to the skyline and 533 rooms to the city's hotel boom. Though the new JW Marriott, Nashville's tallest hotel, opened last month, its best feature doesn't debut until September 10, when Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak opens on the top floor, with a beef-heavy menu and a killer 40-seat roof-top bar.


text:
IMAX has announced an agreement with leading European exhibitor, ODEON & UCI Cinemas Group, to install the first pilot IMAX VR centre at its Printworks multiplex location in Manchester, England.
The centre, which is expected to open by the end of 2016, will deliver guests immersive, multi-dimensional VR experiences, including entertainment content and games.
The IMAX VR experience features a unique combination of premium technology that lets users see, feel, move and play in new worlds in a powerfully immersive and realistic way, similar to IMAX cinemas, which offers moviegoers a differentiated and best-in-class film experience.
The organisation is working with Acer and Starbreeze AB to incorporate next-generation headset-mounted display (HMD) technology that offers industry-leading resolution and an extra-wide peripheral field of view.
Richard L.Gelfond, CEO of IMAX said: “For nearly 50 years, IMAX’s mission has been to give audiences- of all ages and across generations- a reason to get off their couches and leave the comfort of home to go out to the cinema. The agreement with ODEON marks an important milestone in our continued effort to deliver differentiated entertainment experiences- now through location- based VR.”
IMAX will provide the centre an ongoing array of new, premium interactive content experiences that are expected to range between 5 and 15 minutes in length each. The company is in advanced stages with several content developers, including Hollywood studios and gaming publishers, to produce and distribute high-quality VR experiences to its centres.
It also plans to eventually incorporate premium content resulting from the cinema-grade virtual reality camera that is currently developing in partnership with Google.
The centre will employ a new modular design- proprietary to IMAX- that will consist of several “pods” to allow multiple players to enjoy interactive, exciting, moveable VR experiences.
Paul Donovan, CEO of ODEON & UCI Cinemas Group said: “We have a longstanding close relationship with IMAX which creates unforgettable experiences in many of our cinemas across Europe, so we are delighted to be alongside them again, at the cutting edge of innovation, to introduce and pilot awesome new technology which will delight our guests.”


text:
Ambient Mode lets you choose what your Google screens — Android TVs, Chromecasts, and smart displays — show when they're idle; it's basically a slideshow screensaver. Google's started taking the opportunity to do a little subtle advertising for its Pixel phones: a new Captured on Pixel photo category is rolling out as an Ambient Mode option.
Summer is here, which means kicking off your shoes, relaxing outdoors, and exploring new places... hopefully while still social distancing. If you want to take your entertainment with you on the go, a portable projector is a great all-in-one solution, but you need something that's bright, works well with a remote, supports apps, and has some decent sound. Those are all qualities I enjoyed about the Xgimi projectors when I reviewed them last year, and now three of the brands' models are discounted up to 25% as Amazon's deals of the day.
Smart TVs, set-top boxes, and streaming devices with Android TV already have access to millions of applications through the Google Play Store, but there are still some situations where you might want to sideload your own applications (APKs). Maybe you want the latest app updates quicker than the Play Store rolls them out, or you want to try an application that isn't officially available for your specific device.
Whatever your reason for doing it may be, we'll walk you through the easiest way to sideload APK files onto any Android TV device.
Ever since shadowy reports about Sabrina, Google's upcoming TV dongle, surfaced earlier this year, we've been waiting with bated breath to see what Google's new vision for living room entertainment is going to look like. A leaked firmware image gave us some possible specs, and a bunch of new details, including a video of the dongle and its remote, leaked a few weeks ago. Now with the release of the Android 11 preview for Android TV, we're getting yet another glimpse of Sabrina, helping to further clarify our expectations.
Google has already released several Developer Previews of Android 11 for smartphones, but there has been no news on the update for smart TVs and streaming boxes. That changes today, as the first Android 11 Developer Preview for Android TV is now available — but only for one device.
Last month an update to the built-in Chromecast app allowed some Android TV devices to be added to speaker groups before mysteriously disappearing a few days later. Well, after yet another update to this app, the feature is back once again.
As OnePlus often does before a new product launch, the company has been dropping various nuggets of information about its upcoming TV range. We already know it’s stepping into the budget segment after its debut range received a lukewarm response in India, the only launch market so far. The latest tidbit from OnePlus's CEO gives away a little more about the panel’s color accuracy and the support for Dolby’s premium HDR standard on the new series.
With more people staying at home and quarantining, streaming services have never been more popular. If you're like me and have subscribed to more services than you thought you did, you may be familiar with Reelgood. It's a guide that centralizes all of your streaming subscriptions so you can search and browse them in one place. What debuted as a web service, followed by apps on iOS and Android has led to the company's latest expansion, Android TV.
This story was originally published and last updated .
We've been anticipating an Android TV-powered dongle from Google since the beginning of the year, when details first broke about the company's plans. In the intervening time, the pace of rumors and leaks has picked up, and while there are still unanswered questions, today we know quite a lot about "Sabrina" — that's its hardware code-name. Let's review the facts.


text:
A decade ago, the first U.S. video marketplace report from Comcast-owned FreeWheel was released. Now, its 10th anniversary edition has been released, with a detailed look at viewership trends for an industry in transition.
FreeWheel’s key takeaway from its latest report? “As people’s consumption of media has fragmented across devices over the past 10 years, many have returned to the living room …”
But, are they watching your TV station?


text:
Troldtekt in panel discussion at Circular Shift 2020 summit
How do we achieve a circular future? This will be the focal point when the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute presents a series of virtual panel discussions in October. Troldtekt will be on the panel that will be discussing innovative collaborations and resilient supply chains.
The coming weeks offer plenty of inspiration and knowledge for those interested in sustainability and the circular economy. Circular Shift 2020 is the name of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute’s annual event whose agenda features a number of panel discussions – including Troldtekt’s participation.
Due to the COVID-19 situation, the originally planned event in Amsterdam has been converted into a virtual event this year. The organisers have used this as an opportunity to spread the inspiring discussions across several weeks. You can watch the live-streamed panel discussions free of charge every Thursday at 3PM CET between 8 and 29 October.
Troldtekt’s head of communications, Tina Kristensen, is participating in the panel on 22 October with the subject of innovative collaborations and resilient supply chains. The other two panellists are Timothy Glaz, Head of Corporate Affairs, Werner & Mertz, and Hugues Lefevre, Product Manager, AGC Glass Europe.
The raw materials are close to the production process
Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute manages the sustainable Cradle to Cradle design concept. Since 2012, Troldtekt acoustic panels have been Cradle to Cradle certified at silver level, and at the same time Troldtekt has based its business strategy on the circular principles of the design concept.
Partnerships and resilient supply chains, the subject of the panel discussion on 22 October, are an important focus area at Troldtekt. Only Danish raw materials – certified wood (PEFC™ and FSC®) and cement – are used in the production of Troldtekt acoustic panels.
The raw materials are sourced within a radius of approximately 150 kilometres from the Troldtekt factory. This means that Troldtekt has a secure supply line from supplier to factory as well as a low CO2 footprint when transporting the raw materials.


text:
Wellington seniors one day could play bridge and take dance lessons in the same place they used to buy their bread and vegetables.
Councilman Carmine Priore is floating the idea of converting an empty Winn-Dixie store into a senior center. He wants to compare the cost of the village renting the existing building for a senior center to acquiring land and constructing a new facility. He said the store's appeal includes its exiting parking lot and central location at Wellington Marketplace.
"It could answer a lot of our needs," he said. "With property and land costing what it does and the construction costs what they are, I want to look at every viable possibility."
Priore said he plans to propose the council consider a feasibility study and a cost analysis of renting vs. building. He said he plans to mention it at tonight's council meeting. Last week, he tossed out the idea to the village's senior task force.
Winn-Dixie closed the 46,000-square-foot store at the corner of Wellington Trace and Greenview Shores Boulevard in August. The shuttered store sits sandwiched between a Walgreens and a Goodwill Boutique. The grocery chain recently handed over the lease to FWI 16 LLC, the company that owns the teal-and-tan colored shopping center. Lenore Reynolds, the leasing agent for the property, said Monday she is in negotiations with a potential tenant whom she declined to name. At $20 a square foot, the rent is steep. "That's almost an impossible number for a government," Reynolds said. "Maybe if it was $3 to $4 a foot it would work for a senior center. But that's a very expensive market." But Priore said until a lease is signed, he plans to pursue the idea.
Mayor Tom Wenham, who campaigned on senior issues including the construction of a senior center, said he will support the Winn-Dixie location if it's what Wellington seniors want.
Sam Nebb, a member of the senior task force, said he likes the Winn-Dixie location, which he said is near many seniors' homes. Gil Mossman, publicist for the Wellington Seniors Club, said the group's 700 members need more space. "As long as we get a senior center, that's the bottom line," he said. "As far as location is concerned, I don't see it being a problem. It's a centralized area."
But Tony Fransetta, vice chairman of the task force, said he's concerned about the cost of renting and renovating the store as well as the traffic at Wellington Marketplace. Instead he wants a freestanding building, such as the Wellington Community Center, where the seniors club meets now.
"It raises too many red flags," he said. "I go in there quite often and the place is fairly full, and the Winn-Dixie is shut down now."
Stephanie Horvath can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org or 561-243-6643.


text:
Central Texas Beer Festival to Showcase Texas Independent Breweries on April 21st 2012 at the Austin Music Hall
Festival to feature local food vendors and live music
Austin, TX Oct 12th 2011 – Game Path today announced the first annual Central Texas Beer Festival to take place on April 21st 2012 at the Austin Music Hall. The Festival will be the ideal location for beer aficionados to connect with 20+ independent breweries from Texas and beyond.
In addition, the Festival will include local Austin vendors offering a wide variety of food – some specifically to be enjoyed with different beers. The growing number of brew pubs will also be represented. The event will benefit the Capital Area Food Bank ( www.austinfoodbank.org ) by collecting food and cash donations,
To ensure a fun, friendly atmosphere, the Festival will limit the number of tickets available to attendees. Tickets will be $20 in advance and $25 at the door.
“We want to celebrate the success and growth of independent brewers in Texas and the Festival will feature only independent brews,” said Steve Farrer, Festival Executive Director, “we have listened to some of the concerns raised by the brewers and think we have the right formula for a successful Festival.”
The Austin Music Hall is a premier special event and concert facility. The Festival stage will feature live music throughout the event.
The Festival will run from noon to 8PM and admittance will be strictly 21 and up only.
A limited number of exhibit and sponsorships are available. More information from Steve Farrer – contact details below.
The Central Texas Beer Festival is produced by Game Path LLC.
512 415 8300
The best beers we tasted this week
2 days ago


text:
An addictive Facebook puzzle game has landed a Northampton dad with a £414 bill after his son unwittingly racked up charges through its ‘in-app purchasing’.
Kingsthorpe father-of-three, Alastair Leith, issued a warning to others about the hefty prices associated with thousands of simple games available on the internet.
The plea comes after his five-year-old son Alexander, who has autism, racked up £414 of charges in only a few days by playing the game ‘Juice Jam’ through his Facebook account.
As Mr Leith uses the social networking site to advertise, his credit card details are stored as part of his Facebook log in details.
However it meant that whenever his son bought more ‘coins’ as part of the addictive puzzle game, the site did not prompt the five-year-old Delapre Primary School pupil to enter the card details again each time.
Mr Leith said: “What I’m annoyed about is that Facebook makes it so easy that children can make a payment in the first place,
“So many devices do not log off automatically.
“It makes it so easy for children to go on these things and run up substantial bills, - and in my view that cannot be ethical.”
Mr Leith feels more needs to be done by the app developers and Facebook to make it harder to pay for in-game apps.
In total Mr Leith was charged several payments of up to £63.78 for in-app purchases of coin packs.
But Mr Leith also believes the game developers need to bring the cost of the in-app purchases in line too.
“I wouldn’t even pay £63 for advertising, let alone some coins in a video game,” he said.
“But the thing is children want to reach the end of these games and they won’t understand that it costs lots of money.”
A spokeswoman for software developer, SGN, said: “SGN makes games based on the parameters set by the platforms it publishes on including Facebook, iOS, Google Play and Amazon. Juice Jam is a free-to-play game, with optional in-app purchases that are not required in order to finish the game. The company also handles all customer service inquiries within 24 hours and refunds accidental purchases or unintended transactions when appropriate. This particular inquiry from the UK was handled by customer service within 12 hours of receiving, where they were given refund information and advised to increase their Facebook security options. SGN is also fully compliant with the Children’s Online Protection Act (COPA).
Facebook has been contacted for comment.
Mr Leith said he had disputed the payments and was asking for his money back from Facebook.
He also plans to write to Northampton North MP Michael Ellis in a bid to see the matter raised in parliament.


text:
Last Thursday, Premier Doug Ford announced that a swath of businesses would soon be allowed to reopen their doors for the first time since he declared a state of emergency in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic on March 17.
Ford said the province will enter Stage 1 of his three-stage approach to reopening the province on Tuesday.
“During the last several weeks, the people of Ontario have been called on to make incredible sacrifices to help us stop the spread of COVID-19, including staying home from work, closing down businesses and going without a regular paycheque,” Ford said Thursday. “We are taking a cautious, balanced approach to our economic reopening, to protect the health and safety of everyone.”
With the Victoria Day weekend being the unofficial start to summer, a handful of recreational businesses were permitted to open their doors on Saturday but the majority will resume business on Tuesday.
What follows is a list of what you can and can’t do as the first of three stages of the Ford government’s plan gets underway.
What can I do in Ontario on May 19?
- Visit retail stores located outside of indoor shopping malls that have a separate street-front entrance. These stores will open with restrictions to enable physical distancing.
- Stop into a new or used car dealership without an appointment
- Play a round of golf or hit a few balls at a driving range although all amenities connected to these businesses remain closed.
- Use marina or yacht club services although certain amenities remain unavailable
- Play less-aggressive racquet sports like tennis, badminton, pickleball and ping pong.
- Race horses or play in individual sports such as track and field, gymnastics and figure skating.
- Head to a cycling track, rod and gun club or horse riding facility.
- Take animals to the groomer for a haircut, to the vet for a checkup or hire a dog walker or pet sitter.
- Hire maids, housekeepers, cooks and cleaners.
- You may bring in people to conduct non-emergency maintenance on your home.
- Non-diagnostic medical imaging is once again available.
- Seek in-person counselling for psychotherapy and other mental health and support services.
- Visit a library for pick-up or delivery.
- Hire a babysitter or use a home daycare to watch the kids.
- Visit a farmer’s market.
- Visit an outdoor flea market. (A government spokesperson told Global News that they can open but will need to be able to ensure similar guidelines as other businesses to allow for proper physical distancing.)
What can’t I do in Ontario on May 19?
- Wrestle or box, perform martial arts or play racquetball or squash.
- Go for a swim in a public pool.
- Visit a barbershop or hair salon to get your hair done.
- Pop into a restaurant, cafe or bar for sitdown service.
- Send the kids to schools or daycare centres. The government says daycare centres may open in the next phase of openings.
- Visit places of worship.
- Attend gatherings of more than five people.
- Attend a festival, sporting event or concert.
- Attend a movie theatre, theatre, pool, recreation centre, arena, spa, gym or nightclub.
For more information on the province’s relaunch strategy, you can visit the government of Ontario’s website.
While many businesses will return to active duty on Tuesday, the province is still advising residents to continue working from home if possible.
The provincial government did not provide any further specifics on when we would enter into the next phase or recovery.
“It will take as long as it takes to get the numbers down,” Ford said.
If Stage 1 is successful, the province will move to Stage 2, which means the possibility of the opening of more workplaces, community and outdoor spaces, allowing for larger group gatherings and “continuing to get back to full services with restrictions, such as more care services, courthouse and tribunal services.”
If Stage 2 is successful, Ontario will then move to the final stage — Stage 3. This stage could include the opening of all workplaces, “further relaxing the restrictions on recreational spaces and public gatherings and allowing full services to resume, such as fully opening libraries to the public and jury proceedings.”
Even then, we may not see concerts and major sporting events take place.
*With files from Global News’ Jess Patton and Melissa Gilligan
- 13 screen-free gift ideas to keep kids happy and entertained over the holidays
- ‘Heartbreaking’: A Canadian family’s fight to improve Alzheimer’s research for women
- Health minister slams nicotine pouches, tobacco company alleges defamation
- Grab your tissues: Canada’s flu season has officially begun, officials say


text:
Back in October, a Vivo phone with model number V2154A was spotted at the 3C certification site and it was expected to launch in the Chinese market with the iQOO Neo6 moniker. The same device has recently been spotted in the database listing of the Google Play Console.
The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 888 chipset coupled with 12 GB of RAM. According to the image, it comes with a punch-hole display on an AMOLED panel with an in-screen fingerprint scanner. The listing states that the device supports a Full HD+ resolution. Its 3C certification states that the device may ship with a 66 W fast-charging unit.
Some rumours suggested that it may feature a 6.56" display, a 16 MP selfie camera, a 48 MP main camera, dual speakers, and 256 GB of storage.


text:
Hayden Paddon writes about Hyundai NZ’s latest announcement…..
Today I am proud to announce along with Hyundai NZ an exciting new chapter for NZ rallying. Not only have we launched the new Hyundai i20 AP4 rally car and the newly formed Hyundai New Zealand Rally Team, but we have also opened the doors for more opportunities for others.
Firstly I’m excited that John and I will use this car for the upcoming Rally Otago and Whangarei – two of my favorite rally’s in the world. From the outside it may look like a WRC car (we have used all the body panels from the 2015 WRC car) but under the skin it has been built to new AP4 regulations – new rules that have been launched to try and encourage new car builds for regional rallying, with looser rules and lower budgets. While this i20 AP4 does not fully conform to all the regulations (the engine and aero being the biggest differences) the chassis and idea is 100% AP4. With the aging Group N cars on the way out, I feel this is a way forward for NZ and Australian rallying, with the chassis being able to be adapted to most small hot hatch cars. This means the possibility of more manufacturer involvement, cars that align to the modern WRC look and cars that will promote more exciting driving. In the long term this will be a win for everyone involved – in the meantime more development and work is needed.
Secondly, it has always been one of my personal objectives to help the sport that I love, and has helped me so much. Earlier this year we launched the new Paddon Foundation, which will be fully up and running in the first quarter of 2017 to directly help competitors and clubs financially and tutorially. This is a project I’m very passionate about. But combined with this new Hyundai project, and the existing Hyundai Pinnacle programme that helps young Kiwis in arts, sport, education or business, means we have a platform to help more than just competitors. The Pinnacle programme will introduce Wintec students at each of the NZ rally’s this year where they will be incorporated into our team to learn the ropes and get excited about rallying. Long term, we will look to have other driver and co-drivers behind the wheel of this Hyundai.
The man behind this car and two others that he has built, Andrew Hawkeswood and his team from Force Motorsport has been instrumental in helping put this car together. We are working closely with Andrew to develop the cars and help turn them into rally winning cars in the future. Its also exciting to have our old team back together on the NZ rally’s – team green is now team blue!
So despite the big gap between Mexico and Argentina we now have a busy couple of weeks before Otago with testing and final preparation. Otago has also attracted a huge entry this year – with over 100 entries including Marko Martin driving in the classic field. Rallying is on the up in NZ, and if we can continue this growth combined with some of the projects above, it only helps with the ultimate goal – to get Rally New Zealand back!
Look forward to seeing some of you at Rally Otago in 2 weeks time.


text:
BELLINGHAM Whatcom County moviegoers will have the chance to attend the opening day of The Hobbit in a brand new theater.
Regal Cinemas announced that the grand opening of its Barkley Village Stadium 16 theater will be Friday, Dec. 14, which is also the scheduled release date of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
The movie company also has announced three preview event days before the grand opening that will give residents a chance to check out the 16-screen, 68,000-square-foot theater.
The preview events are scheduled for Dec. 10-12. During each preview day, tickets, popcorn and soft drinks will be offered for $2 each, with the proceeds going to a local charity, said Rachel Lueras, Regal marketing manager.
Charities selected for the preview days are the Boys & Girls Club of Whatcom County (Monday, Dec. 10), Extend-a-Hand (Dec. 11) and Bellingham Food Bank (Dec. 12). Each of the preview days will have a theme: The theme Dec. 10 is family-friendly movies, Dec. 11 is inspirational films and Dec. 12 is holiday selections.
The preview days will be a great opportunity to see one of the movies you missed when it was in theaters, Lueras said in an email. At the same time it will support three wonderful charities in the Bellingham community.
The preview events wont be available through Fandango; customers will need to buy tickets at the theater, which is near the Barkley Haggen store.
Lueras was unsure when tickets for the Dec. 14 opening will be available, but Regal will provide updates through its Web page for the theater. Go to regmovies.com/theatres/grand-openings and then click on the link for Regal Barkley Village Stadium 16.
The new theater has 16 screens, including an IMAX theater that seats nearly 400 people. Regal also will have a large screen for its own 3D technology, called the Regal Premium Experience.
Two of Regals other Bellingham theaters Sunset Square and Sehome are expected to close sometime after the Barkley theater opens, but closing dates have not been announced. The Bellis Fair theater will remain open.
The Woods Coffee is the one officially announced tenants going into the new Barkley development and is planning for a Dec. 10 opening, said owner Wes Herman. Woods will occupy a portion of the building thats in front of the movie theater, and will feature a drive-thru window and a mezzanine level for seating.
Its been crazy busy, but we are on schedule, Herman said.
A restaurant called Zen Sushi and Bar has applied for a liquor license with the Washington State Liquor Control Board for a space in the property, at 3101 Cinema Place.
Reach DAVE GALLAGHER at email@example.com or call 715-2269.


text:
Right now, millions of mice, rats, rabbits, primates, cats, dogs, and other animals are locked inside cold, barren cages in laboratories across the country. They weaken in pain, ache with loneliness, and long to roam free and use their minds.
Instead, all they can do is sit and wait in fear of the next terrifying and painful procedure that will be performed on them. The stress, infertility and boredom causes some animals to develop anxious behaviours such constantly spinning in circles, rocking back and forth and even pulling out their own hair and biting their own skin. They shake and shrink in fear whenever someone walks past their cages and their blood pressure spikes radically. After enduring lives of pain, loneliness and terror, almost all of them will be killed.
Animal testing for cosmetics is the cause of this unjust crisis. Does the world honestly need another eyeliner, lipstick or foundation so badly that it should come at the expense of animals' lives?
The thought of dripping chemicals into a rabbit's eyes for the sake of a product like mascara or eye liner is awful. So it's not surprising that many people assume selling products tested this way would already be illegal in Australia. Sadly, that is not quite the case.
While strict state regulations in Australia mean that in effect animal testing of finished cosmetics does not happen here, there is still no federal law that clearly bans it and imported products or ingredients tested on animals can still be sold in Australia. Many everyday well-known brands and products sold in our department stores and supermarkets are still being tested on animals overseas.
Millions of animals every year suffer and die in painful cosmetics tests. Exact numbers aren't available because mice, rats, birds, and cold-blooded animals, who make up more than 95% of animals used in experiments, are not covered by the minimal protections of the Animal Welfare Act and therefore go uncounted. To test cosmetics, hundreds of thousands of animals are poisoned, blinded, and killed every year by cruel cosmetic companies. Many of these tests are not even required by law, and they often produce inaccurate results. Even if a product harms animals, it can still be marketed to consumers.
The federal government and many health charities waste precious dollars from taxpayers and generous donors on cruel and misleading animal experiments at private laboratories instead of spending them on promising clinical, in epidemiological studies that are actually relevant to humans.
Animal testing for cosmetics is not only expensive but is also simply wasteful. 92% of experimental products that are effective in animals fail in human clinical trials because they are too dangerous or don’t work. Animal experiments prolong the suffering of people waiting for effective products by misleading experimenters and wasted precious money, time and resources that could have been spent on human-relevant research.
There are already many alternatives to animals which have been developed. As hard as it is to believe, animal experiments for cosmetics continue even though non-animal tests are widely available. Instead of measuring how long it takes a chemical to burn away the cornea of a rabbit's eye, manufacturers can now drop that chemical onto cornea-like 3-D tissue structures produced from human