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Benjamin Godfrey is a blockchain enthusiast and journalists who relish writing about the real life applications of blockchain technology and innovations to drive general acceptance and worldwide integration of the emerging technology. His desires to educate people about cryptocurrencies inspires his contributions to renowned blockchain based media and sites. Benjamin Godfrey is a lover of sports and agriculture.
The partnership will also see Bakkt leverage Google’s cloud infrastructure to host a variety of its proposed market solutions.
Atlanta Georgia-based digital asset trading firm, Bakkt has inked a new partnership with Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOGL) to bring digital currency to more users around the world through Google Pay. As announced by the company, the partnership with Google will help extend the reach and usability of cryptocurrencies to meet rapidly evolving consumer demand and preferences.
The growth of the digital currency ecosystem is very visible today, as judged by the total market capitalization of $2.31 trillion. While the total number of investors, both retail and institutions that have an active investment in the nascent asset class is soaring by the day, those who are currently making plans to adopt Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are also on the rise.
With the growing adoption across the board, many investors, particularly the retail holders are demanding increasing utility from their assets. The partnership between Bakkt and Google will help bridge this gap in a remarkable way. Through the partnership, Bakkt users will be able to add their virtual Bakkt® Visa® Debit Card (“Bakkt Card”) into Google Pay to purchase everyday goods and services online, in-store, or wherever Google Pay is accepted.
“This partnership is a testament to Bakkt’s strong position in the digital asset marketplace, to empower consumers to enjoy their digital assets in a real-time, secure, reliable manner,” said Gavin Michael, Bakkt CEO. “Additionally, partnering with Google Cloud will enable us to continue to build a best-in-class, innovative platform that can undoubtedly scale to meet the needs of millions of users.”
According to the announcement, volatile digital assets like Bitcoin will be converted to fiat currency for these payments to occur. This will protect merchants from any losses that may arise from holding digital currencies.
Beyond Google Pay: Bakkt to Utilize Google’s Cloud Infrastructure
The partnership will also see Bakkt leverage Google’s cloud infrastructure to host a variety of its proposed market solutions. The trading platform is making additional plans to create new analytics along with artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and geolocation functionality on its platform to draw out deep, location-aware business insights leveraging Google Cloud’s industry-leading tools.
These plans will be beneficial to all the parties involved, as Bakkt’s clients will gain deep insights and expanded loyalty redemption options, while the exchange’s partners will gain access to usable consumer behavior patterns powered by Google Cloud infrastructure.
“Google Cloud has been at the forefront of accelerating digital commerce, powering many retailers and merchants,” said Kirsten Kliphouse, Google Cloud President of North America. “We are proud to help Bakkt accelerate and scale the availability of their innovative solutions, powered by our technologies.”
The Google and Bakkt partnership is a complementary development in the embrace of blockchain startups by big tech companies. Earlier in March, Coinspeaker reported that Ethereum is now hosted on Amazon Managed Blockchain, boosting the decentralized capabilities of the ETH network.


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UK: Greencore agrees pay deal, ends dispute
Greencore, which supplies cakes and desserts to supermarkets, said discussions with Unite had now ended
Convenience food group Greencore has agreed a pay deal with UK workers at its cake facility in Hull, putting an end to a long-running dispute at the site.
Unite the union said an offer had been "overwhelmingly accepted" yesterday (4 March), following a ballot of 500 workers at the site in the north of England.
The dispute was over Unite claims that Greencore withdrew premium rates for overtime, shift working and bank holidays. It had involved a long campaign of demonstrations against the company, culminating in a 24-hour strike at the end of January. A further 48-hour strike planned for last week, however, was suspended when management agreed to reinstate all premium rates and award a pay increase, the union said.
"I'm so proud of our members for the stand they took, because Unite refused to accept these attacks. Our membership at the site has grown by over 200, proving that workers want and need a union that gives strong leadership," said Unite site convenor Pete Ford. "We now hope we can move forward with a much more positive working relationship with management here in Hull."
Greencore, which supplies cakes and desserts to supermarkets, said discussions with Unite had now ended in an arrangement that is "mutually satisfactory for both the company and its employees".
"Greencore is pleased to be drawing a line under the process and it looks forward to continuing its good relationship with its colleagues at the facility," a spokesperson said.
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Music Gear News
Tony Iommi donates famous guitar for fundraiser
The Black Sabbath icon is showing support for his late bandmate Ronnie James Dio by providing a one-of-a-kind Gibson Iommi SG prototype left-handed axe, which is expected to go for thousands once put under the hammer.
Iommi, who is currently battling cancer himself, has given the legendary guitar to the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund for auction at its second annual awards gala which will take place on October 31st.
All proceeds generated from the sale of the axe will go into the charity's pot and Iommi has agreed to both sign the guitar and pose for a photo with the winning bidder, making it an ideal purchase for any Sabbath fan.
Iommi reunited with fellow Black Sabbath members Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler to perform a host of shows including a headline performance at this year's Download Festival as well as an intimate homecoming show at Birmingham's O2 Academy.
Posted by SR. Posted on 25 Oct 2012 13:50 to category : Music News
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PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds reveals a number of events and giveaways being hosted throughout March 2021 to celebrate its fourth anniversary.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) is a battle royale title that helped to popularize the genre which can now seemingly be found everywhere thanks to games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Call of Duty: Warzone. As a result, some may be surprised to find out PUBG is only now starting to approach its fourth anniversary, with the developer planning a number of events to celebrate.
The theme for the game’s fourth anniversary is “SQU4D UP,” according to an announcement post on PUBG‘s website Tuesday, based on the idea that it takes four players to make a complete squad. Its anniversary date is officially March 23, but events are being held throughout the month for fans to take part in.
The first major event, which began today and runs until March 31 at 11:59 p.m. UTC, is the “Hashtag G-Coin Giveaway.” Players can find one of the prior Graffiti Contest winning entries in-game, take a photo with it, and upload that to social media with the hashtag “#PUUBG4thAnniversary” and other region-specific additions to potentially win 1,000 G-Coins.
PUBG will also give away unique character and M416 skins to players who complete one of a number of missions between March 18 and 24, such as playing the game for four hours or accumulating four kills. After that, between March 25 and 31, completing the same set of missions can net players a victory dance emote – though players should avoid a recently discovered teleport glitch in PUBG in the process.
There are a lot of great PUBG 4th Anniversary events coming up, so we’ve put together a list of events to help you keep track! Get your plan together and hit the ground running! pic.twitter.com/5aSAUmrR3D
— PUBG (@PUBG) March 11, 2021
Tuesday’s announcement post details more in-game anniversary items will be made available via PUBG Partner giveaways, and there are a number of celebration videos being released to celebrate the community at large and PUBG esports. One video releasing March 27 will reflect on the game’s four-year history, though developers have asked PUBG fans what features they want to see as the game continues to evolve going forward.
PUBG Mobile is also celebrating its third anniversary this month with a packed Version 1.3 update. The main draw of the festivities in this mobile edition of the game is a new Hundred Rhythms mode on the Erangel map, which offers players one of three unique items to utilize as they battle around a DJ stage playing electronic music remixes of PUBG tracks.
While PUBG celebrates two anniversaries this month, the future of the franchise also became more clear thanks to a couple of announcements in February. Most notably, PUBG: New State is coming to mobile devices as a futuristic evolution of the main game, and it will be a separate title than the upcoming PUBG 2.
PUBG is available now for Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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When it comes to brokering real estate, Greg Sample knows there’s an app for that.
For Sample, CEO of real estate consulting firm The Paladin Co. in Franklin, the less paper, the better. Since first purchasing a first generation Apple Inc. iPad, Sample gradually has made the transition to cloud-based business. Now, 95 percent of his work is virtual.
“The iPad is for me now more efficient. It makes me focus more on what information I truly need to keep,” Sample said. “When you’re passing papers around, you tend to keep everything you get.”
As more applications — apps — are developed for the iPad and other competing tablets, more of those in the business world are turning to tablets for everyday business.
Within a year of the iPad’s introduction, 9 percent of business owners were using the Apple Inc. device, according to a survey completed by The Business Journals.
The iPad remains king when it comes to tablet market share, securing 66.6 percent of the global market in the third quarter, according to global research firm, Strategy Analytics. Tablets using Google Inc.’s Android operating system garnered 26.9 percent of the market while those with Microsoft Corp.’s Windows platform captured 2.4 percent of the market. Research In Motion’s PlayBook tablet only represented 1.2 percent of the market.
Adoption of the devices varies, with some companies outfitting all employees with tablets while others leave the decision to use a tablet in the hands of a designated employee.
At Burton Law LLC, a completely mobile Centerville-based law firm that launched in January, all lawyers use iPads and work from home or a rented office space, storing data on a password-protected Web server.
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What you need to know
- Apple is reportedly working on a fitness class subscription.
- It's said to be similar to services like Peloton.
- It'll likely be rolled into Apple One as well.
Apple is reportedly working on another new subscription service, this time one focussed on fitness. According to a new Bloomberg report, Apple has new fitness classes up its sleeve.
The fitness class subscription would reportedly work just like Peloton, something that will surely set the hares running at the fitness company's HQ. Apple will also likely roll the new subscription into the rumored Apple One as well.
Apple's upcoming launch of iOS 14 will already see its Activity app be renamed to Fitness, perhaps signaling that these new classes will live within that app on iPhone. Fitness would also need to be launched on iPad and, presumably, Apple TV as well.
The thought of Apple launching fitness classes that users can watch on their iPhones, iPads, and Apple TVs while having their Apple Watch track everything is one that makes tons of sense. It also gives Apple another service that adds additional value to a potential Apple One bundle.
Bloomberg says that Apple One will launch alongside iPhone 12. It isn't clear whether the fitness subscription is on the same timescale, however.
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Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.
Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.


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PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on PC is now free to play
The popular PC game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has now been announced as a free-to-play Battle Royal in 2022. Last year, Krafton announced that it would be rolling out its PUBG PC version, which will be available to all players for free in 2022, previously up to $ 49.00.
Surprisingly, Krafton has kept its word and made the game available for free on Steam, while it will appeal to more PC players as well.
The only thing better than a Chicken Dinner, is a FREE Chicken Dinner with your friend. From January 12th, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS embarks on a new journey; Free-to-play! Invite your friends and assemble your own squad! Pre-register now @ https://t.co/zupXYgnrwq pic.twitter.com/tx865jNMBK
— PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS (@PUBG) December 10, 2021


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VLC media player is something a lot of us are familiar with. It can play almost any video format and is available on a wide variety of platforms including Linux.
VLC’s creators, VideoLan are adding support for 360 degree videos in their upcoming update for the VLC media player. You can try the new feature right now on the technical preview of the media player that was released recently.
For now the technical preview is available on Windows and Mac only.
Coming in December (hopefully)
VLC managed to integrate support for 360 degree videos by working together with a camera maker Giroptic which specializes in 360-degree cameras. You will be able to use your mouse and keyboard to look around in the videos, controlling your point of view. This feature will be available on mobile devices as well with VLC using the accelerometer in the phones to control the point of view.
360 degree videos will become available officially with the release of VLC 3.0 which is coming on 30th November. The release of version 3.0 will most likely get delayed as most of the updates released earlier were also delayed, some of them coming 4 weeks late.
360 Degree Videos Already Available on YouTube App
You can actually check it out for yourself by watching a 360 degree video on YouTube on your phone. It looks like your phone is a window to another dimension when viewing this sort of video on it.
VideoLan has bigger plans for the future. They want to add support for VR headsets by 2017 including the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Google’s Daydream. They didn’t announce a release date for the VR update though. 360 degree audio support is also coming in the future with head tracking headphones. VideoLan didn’t mention a release date or time period for these either.
The 360 degree video support is a good step forward. VR support coming in the future will also push VLC ahead of its competitors as well.
You can download the Technical Preview here.


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As everyone already known that a Thai billionaire Dhanin Chearavanont of CP Group has declared the victory of acquiring the Tesco Lotus both stores in Thailand and Malaysia. The bidding winner spent about 330 billion baht to reconquer the beloved gold mine.
CP Group this time has changed the strategy by adjusting a new buying equation. CP Group settled a holding company, a Charoen Pokphand Holding Co., Ltd. to hold 40% of Tesco Lotus acquisition along with 40% holding by CP ALL Public Company Limited (CPALL) and Charoen Pokphand Food Public Company Limited (CPF) holds another 20%.
The financial reconstruction is aimed in accordance with a company fiscal liquidity…(to reduce a pressure on CPALL stocks that previously existed a worrisome as it would carry a big debt)
Moreover, the new adjustment helps to diminish the risk of having market monopoly or market dominance ingeniously.
Well… really have to thumb up to whoever behind this deal …!
Since this deal was worth a fortune of 330 billion baht, recording as a historical highest buyout or M&A in Thailand. (When CPALL was takeover Makro, the value of acquisition reported only 180 billion baht, MINT has acquired NH Hotel Group, S.A. (NHH) approx. 90 billion baht while GPSC acquired GLOW with the amount of 93 billion baht)
At same time, leading to be questioned that is this deal worth it …?
Okay … in the initial stage, there may not appear a business synergy between CPALL and Tesco Lotus because it needs to be restructured beforehand.
The highlight of this deal is that, CPF pays less, buy get more…!!!
Initially, CPF estimated to pump approximately 47 billion baht in proportion to its 20% stake. And what will be returned to CPF is a goods distribution channel of Tesco Lotus in Thailand with over 2,000 branches, including Tesco Lotus in Malaysia as well.
CPF currently distributes its sell through Tesco Lotus in Thailand for only 700 million baht per year, equivalent to 0.1% of CPF overall revenue. After this, the proportion of such revenue should be increase significantly.
In addition, CPF can also exercise Tesco Lotus logistics to transport fresh and frozen food which will lowering the cost.
As well as having the opportunity to expand more branches of CP Freshmart into Tesco Lotus stores. Currently, Tesco Lotus has a total rental area of approximately 1 million square meters through 191 branches with the tenants of food services just 10%.
It could says that the return from the enormous acquisition is truly worth it…!!!
Analysts are now encouraging to “Buy” CPF with the highest target price of 39 baht. But if anyone see differently then do not worry…
Whatever pleases you…


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Poco, the sub-brand of Xiaomi has already created its mark with the latest specs paired with an equally competitive price with its first smartphone Poco F1. The company conducted its first sale on August 29 and turns out the first sale was a hit! The sale was conducted on Flipkart and Mi.com and according to the company, the sale on Flipkart was the biggest and the fastest sale ever!
#POCOF1: thank you all for a fantastic response to the first sale!
We’re happy to announce that we generated ₹200+ cr in less than 5 minutes today, making this the BIGGEST & FASTEST flagship sale ever on @Flipkart!
Thank you, Masters Of Speed. Next sale is on 5th September! pic.twitter.com/cydGtGjlb6
— POCO India (@IndiaPOCO) August 29, 2018
The company revealed that the company has generated over Rs 200 crores in just five minutes, though POCO has not disclosed the number of units sold. But in order to meet the number, the company must have sold at least 68,000 devices of top variant or up to 1 lakh devices of the base variant. The next flash sale will be conducted on September 5. With the current number and the additional publicity, the company might break its own record.
With the recent launch of Poco F1, the flagship segment has been dwindling as the Poco F1 is the first phone with the cheapest phone with a Snapdragon 845 chip. The company did not stop here, they have also included liquid cooling and even an infrared camera to use face recognition in dark scenarios which is one of a kind feature.
The are three variants of the Poco F1 with varying storage and RAM. The base variant of Poco F1 comes is priced at Rs 20,999, it comes with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The second variant comes with 6GB of RAM and a storage of 128GB, and it is priced at Rs 23,999. The third variant which is priced at Rs 28,999 comes with 8GB RAM and 256 GB of storage. The fourth and special Armoured Edition has a similar configuration and a storage of 256GB. What sets it apart is the Kevlar-coated back. This model is priced at Rs 29,999.
For a new company, Poco has done exceptionally well with its first device creating a huge impact on the budget segment as well as flagship segment after its initial launch across the globe. While giving a tough competition to OnePlus which has always been touted as the flagship killer, Poco has the potential of overthrowing the OnePlus and taking its place as the new Flagship killer.
Comment down and let us know if you think Poco will be able to beat OnePlus.


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Thailand has been named as one of the world’s largest polluters of oceans because of the country’s heavy use of plastic, but an event in Bangkok this weekend is aimed at bringing more awareness and innovation to major plastic producers.
When it comes to using plastic, the numbers coming out of Thailand and its neighbors in Southeast Asia are staggering.
In 2017, ASEAN countries used more than 25 million tons of plastic. Broken down into per person per year, each person in the ASEAN region uses 40 kilograms of plastic. Seven billion plastic bags are used in Thailand alone each year.
Usage and environmental issues in the plastics industry were due to be discussed at length this weekend at an event in Bangkok named A-PLAS 2018 – ASEAN Community Plastic Exhibition, organized by the Thai Plastic Industries Association and Plastic Industry Club.
Praradorn Julachard, President of the Plastic Industry Club, said entrepreneurs were developing new innovations and now understood more about ways to cope with environmental issues caused by the plastic industry since becoming part of the ASEAN Economic Community.
More than 2,000 companies from the ASEAN region will be attending the gathering. Many plastic industry heavyweights such as PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited, SCG Plastics Company Limited and Toshiba Machine (Thailand) Company Limited have taken an interest in the event.
Meanwhile, environmentalists in Thailand have launched campaigns aimed at cutting back on the reliance on plastic in everyday life.


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You know how Nietzsche once wrote "if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee"? Well one Swedish coding artist seems to have created a very literal representation of the phrase. Using a combo of Apple's ARKit, iPhone X's face-tracking abilities, and the Unity gaming engine, Peter Norrby has created a crazy optical illusion that turns your smart phone into a surreal and strange portal to nowhere.
Norrby first posted about the illusion in a tweet earlier this week, eliciting what was pretty much a collective "whoa, dude" from the social media site:
He then followed it up with an explainer video, where he also announced the app that makes this wild mind-freak possible — Parallax View — is in review on the App Store, meaning it will soon be available for the general public to download for free. He also plans to publish the source code.
As Norrby explains in the video, the app uses the iPhone X's TrueDepth camera to track the head in 3D, figuring out the position of the eye. Then, it proceeds to render what the "hole" (or whatever other object is on the screen) would look like when viewed from that angle. He also states that for best viewing, you should close one eye.
Once Parallax View is officially added to the App Store, this piece will definitely be updated with a link. Until then, though, if you'd like to check out some other really cool apps that take advantage of ARKit's 3D capabilities, you can take a look at our full list of ARKit apps here.
What do you think of Norrby's creation? Are you excited to try Parallax view for yourself? Share in the comments!
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The pandemic has accelerated demand for retail healthcare, according to a new report from UPshow.
The reduction in staff is part of a strategy to cut and reduce overhead costs by $35 million annually.
Industrial leasing activity in the third quarter was just shy of the previous record in 2018.
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It could have been ten years since the videogame originally released on the PC, but action RPG Titan Quest is finally going to see a release on modern consoles next year, publisher THQ Nordic has announced.
This brand new, fully remastered version will package in both the videogame and its Immortal Throne expansion and will feature most of the features of its PC version, including 2-6 player online co-operative play. It’ll come in both a standard and a Collector’s Edition which will come bundled with a notepad and a 23cm replica helmet packed in a fancy ‘Premium Box’ as you can see in the image above.
THQ Nordic has done an excellent job in keeping the videogame relevant since it took the rights from the original THQ when that company went bust, updating the videogame on PC in an Anniversary Edition (which of course, this version will be based upon) and even going so far as to release a brand new expansion entitled Ragnarok on Steam earlier this year, though sadly this will not be a part of this package.
Read More »
Ubisoft has teased the arrival of famous movie hunter Predator in Ghost Recon Wildlands, in a special event for the videogame entitled The Hunt, according to a teaser trailer put out yesterday.
The video (posted below) stops short of showing us one of the ugly motherf***ers, but the unmistakable Predator clicking can be heard, as well as the slightly more obvious references in the symbols from the movie franchise that pop up before the date December 14 – presumably when the event is set to start – and, of course, the thermal imaging effect on the footage and the logo. We also see some flayed bodies hanging from trees, which is a signature Predator move.
The developer is being cagey on informations at the moment, but a blog post on the Ghost Recon: Wildlands website gives away that more is expected to be revealed in a special livestream at 6PM CET (5pm GMT) this evening with YouTuber Carbon Meister on Ubisoft’s Twitch channel.
Read More »
Upcoming colourful Level-5 RPG Ni no Kuni: II: Revenant Kingdom has been delayed, publisher Bandai Namco announced last night. The move means the videogame, originally scheduled for January, will currently release a couple of months later and will currently come out in March.
The president and CEO of Level-5 issued a statement on the reasons for the delay, saying that ‘with innovation and new ideas come the need to ensure everything works together in a fun and cohesive package. This means we’ll need a bit more time to make sure the entire Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom experience meets Level-5 and Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.’s high quality standards.’
It’s not the first delay the videogame has suffered, having originally being scheduled for November of this year, before being delayed back in July to January.
Read More »
The original Life is Strange could be a couple of years old currently, but interestingly despite the series’ huge popularity and a prequel trilogy already here, it’s never appeared on mobile devices, until currently.
Square Enix has today announced that Life is Strange will finally be portable as it releases on iPhone and iPad from Thursday December 14. The port’s being handled by Black Wing Foundation and will feature full touch controls thanks to an ‘enhanced user interface’ alongside social media features including, quite aptly, an all new photo mode.
No word if it’ll make its way to Android or elsewhere yet (it’ll be pretty awesome to have it on the Switch, surely?) but the videogame’s story heavy, action-light mechanics certainly make it an excellent fit for a mobile title. Although probably best you don’t play some of it in too obvious a place if you don’t like getting emotional in public.
Read More »
Continuing his look at some of the finest Christmas video videogames of all time, Colm plays Xmas Zombie Rampage, which has a fine Steam description and wonderful first-person shooting.
Strategy shooter spin-off of the popular Steamworld Dig series Steamworld Heist is set to make its way to the Nintendo Switch before the end of the year, developer Image & Form Games has announced today.
Rather than the platforming action of the main series, Steamworld Heist sees you take the role of robot pirate hero Piper Faraday looting and pillaging procedurally generated spaceships via tactical turn based action, with touch controls as well as all the previously released DLC from other platforms added to this Switch version.
Steamworld Heist Ultimate Edition is set to be available in the Nintendo eShop to download for the Switch from December 28.
Read More »
During its State of Destiny 2 address a couple of weeks ago, Bungie promised that it would be more transparent to its fans about development on the online shooter. It seems to be sticking to this with the release of Curse of Osiris 2 so far, as currently the developer has made a blog post outlining some changes it intends to make about to content access to those who don’t have the new DLC.
The latest developments have been centred around the fact that some players discovered that after the release of the Curse of Osiris pack, some content, including exotic weapons, that was previously available to all players currently required the DLC in order to unlock them. Writing on the Destiny blog, Bungie has admitted: ‘It’s clear that we’ve made some mistakes with how we have handled content access.’
The way the system was originally intended to work in Destiny 2, according to the developer, had come about after seeing what they considered some of their best content such as Vault of Glass in the first videogame became irrelevant as further expansions saw players increase in power level. As a result, they intended all Prestige difficulty content to always rise to the new level cap that would be available through expansions. However, this also had several side effects such as making Trials of the Nine out of reach, as well as the unintended side effect of disabling achievements in the videogame, which Bungie said ‘was an unacceptable lapse on our part, and we can understand the frustration it has created.’
Read More »
Survival horror The Forest has been announced for a PlayStation 4 release over the weekend via a new trailer unveiled at the PSX event.
The videogame, which has been on Steam Early Access since 2014, starts off as what appears to be a standard woodland survival sim, but before long zombies and other creepy monsters start showing up, and the island gets ever more dangerous.
The PlayStation 4 version brings along many of the updates from the PC versions development including co-operative multiplayer, letting you survive with a buddy. It doesn’t have a definite release date yet outside of a vague ‘2018’.
Read More »
Hot on the heels of Dreams’ trailer last week, developer Media Molecule has currently released a series of videos explaining exactly what Dreams is on a practical level, as well as explaining the videogame’s story mode and showing off how fast the tools can be used to create something amazing.
The first video explains the overall concept and idea of Dreams, a set of creation tools and suite not too dissimilar to the studio’s previous series Little Big Planet, but on a much grander and more ambitious scale. You’ll be ‘dream shaping’ levels and environments, and you don’t necessarily have to start from scratch; you can use other players creations and reform and remix them to include them in your own.
The second video goes into Dreams’ fully fledged Story mode, which will tell three stories of three different genres that actually intertwine and weave between each other. One will be a noir theme, the second with an action/sci-fi bent and the third a more traditional cutesy platformer, but all three are part of the same story. Crucially, everything in the story mode has been made by Media Molecule with the exact same tools that will be available to the players.
Read More »
You could remember last week’s news about Ryan Reynolds’ casting in the US version of the Detective Pikachu movie currently in production. As we mentioned there, the movie is based on an honest-to-goodness 3DS spin-off of the Pokemon videogames that, until currently, haven’t seen a release outside of its native Japan.
That seems like it’s set to change however, as in what is possibly to be more than coincidental timing, it seems the videogame’s been rated by PEGI, as spotted by Pokemon database website Serebii.net in a tweet posted yesterday. It comes with a ‘release date’ of December 31 2020, although that’s quite obviously only a placeholder for currently.
Still, this suggests that an English translation must be on the cards, which makes sense if they want to capitalise on the buzz from the movie. If and when we hear more informations on this, we’ll more than possibly let you kcurrently. Here’s the original Japanese trailer for the videogame, if you’re curious.
Read More »


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McVities now does UNICORN Gems and they're even more magical than Iced Gems
Tesco Bank stops giving mortgages and it wants to sell 23,000 customers' loans
Supermarkets pushing up price of petrol on a DAILY basis, RAC claims
Tesco’s doing six wine bottles for £3.50 each until next week
Ginsters now does a VEGAN pasty
Tesco is selling a hot tub for £265 and it's cheaper than Aldi and Lidl's
Cow & Gate urgently recalls baby food because it may contain pieces of RUBBER
Tesco to axe 8,000 items in bid to win back customers from Lidl and Aldi
Asda, Morrisons and Tesco are selling a big Cadbury chocolate trifle
Poundland's new £2 meal deal is 'better and cheaper than Boots and Tesco'
Tesco is selling Jack's items in stores as it cuts HUNDREDS of prices
Need a quick dash to Tesco this bank holiday Monday?
From Tesco to Aldi, here are the supermarket Bank Holiday opening times
Tesco is selling YOGURT Jammie Dodgers and RHUBARB Custard Creams
Tesco recalls Little Willies veggie sausages because they contain plastic
Dad has his last £700 stolen by fraudsters posing as taxman


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By the end of this year, Talaya Ayala will have worked in retail for two decades. She said nothing—not the training she received nor the thousands of hours she’s worked—prepared her for working on the frontlines of a global pandemic.
As a pharmacy technician, Ayala is one of the many workers across the city, state and nation whose services are deemed essential enough to keep them at work. But like many of her colleagues across the industry, Ayala said she’s afraid.
She worries the equipment and safety measures she’s currently afforded at work won’t be enough to protect her and her family from the deadly new coronavirus.
“Every day, myself as well as coworkers are in fear of catching COVID-19,” said the 37-year-old mother of two, who works at a Rite Aid location on the city’s east side. “We go to work with fear everyday.”
Ayala and her coworkers aren’t alone. Retail workers across the country have sounded the alarm over a lack of sick leave, protective gear and hazard pay.
Shoppers for the grocery delivery service Instacart, organized by the newly-founded Gig Workers Collective, went on a one-day strike Monday. Whole Worker, a collective of Whole Foods Markets employees, is calling for a global “Sick Out,” urging workers to stay at home on Tuesday to call attention to demands for free coronavirus testing, increased hazard pay and appropriate sanitation equipment.
“We need crowd control and we need free testing,” said Tiffany Driscoll, a 45-year-old single mother who works as a checker at a Vons in Long Beach.
Driscoll, who has worked in retail for 24 years, continues to come to work, day after day. “It’s been overwhelming and stressful and we do it over and over again, every single day. We need these protections.”
Both Driscoll and Ayala are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, Local 324, which is calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to join the governors of Minnesota, Michigan and Vermont in designating essential retail workers as emergency personnel.
If the union’s petition is successful, the emergency declaration would provide workers with certain protections, including access to personal protective equipment, breaks every 30 minutes to wash their hands and improved crowd control measures in stores.
“We are facing an unprecedented crisis. Essential retail store workers have stepped up to the plate to do their part to serve customers and help their communities,” UFCW Local 770 President John Grant said in a statement issued on behalf of all UFCW union presidents on Thursday.
“If we don’t take additional measures equally throughout California, customers and workers will get sick in greater numbers,” Grant added. “Now California must do everything in its power to keep people safe.”
Ayala, who lives with her 2-year-old toddler and 18-year-old daughter, is worried about the safety of her family and the families of her coworkers. “If we get infected, that means we’re going to go home and give it to our family, our loved ones,” she said. “It’s just going to be a continuous chain reaction.”
As a pharmacy worker, she is especially vulnerable to the virus, Ayala said. “We’re exposed to sick people every day,” she said. “God forbid one of them has it, comes to the pharmacy to pick up their medication, and we don’t have the necessary safety equipment to keep us safe.”
Workers at her location wear gloves and the store is sanitized every 30 minutes, but there are no protective masks for workers to wear, not even for purchase, and no plexiglass screens between pharmacy technicians or cashiers, and their customers. Cash registers and pharmacy counters are wiped down after every customer, but disinfectant is running low.
Ayala said she still had a stash of 20 protective masks from a few years ago in her apartment. She dons a new one every day before getting on the bus to go to work. She’s down to the last five.
After that, she worries she’ll be left defenseless even though patients depend on her and other pharmacy or grocery workers to provide them essential supplies.
“We’re just as important as the nurses and doctors,” Ayala said.


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If it feels like we’ve been talking about jerseys a lot lately, it’s because we have.
Just yesterday, we got a look of a few Thunder players rocking their “Statement” jerseys after shootaround. The team is going to officially unveil the uniforms on November 24 when they play host to the Pistons.
We don’t know when the team is going to unveil their fourth jersey from Nike—the ‘City’ jersey—but we might actually know what it looks like.
It appears that Conrad Burry of SportsLogos.net got his hands on some interesting intel. Earlier, on sportslogos.nets, Burry posted mock ups for 11 different teams’ City jerseys.
Some of them are pretty crumby, but we actually don’t hate the Thunder’s jerseys.
What do you think?


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If you have a Trade Secret you would like to share, e-mail Senior Editor Jonathan Sweet at email@example.com.
A lot of companies share financials with their employees, but Blue Canyon Construction decided a few years ago to have some fun with the concept.
The Seattle-based design/build firm hosts an annual retreat for its employees to review the past year, look toward the future and reward them for their work. The retreat is held at a remote resort location on a Friday and a Saturday.
"The idea is to get the employees feeling involved in the company," says the company's business consultant, Mary Kay Beeby. "We look at where all the money goes and how we can improve from the previous year."
Blue Canyon uses "The Great Game of Business" concept (www.greatgame.com), created by former business executive Jack Stack, which focuses on making open-book management more appealing to employees by engaging them in entertaining activities.
"It's a great team-building activity, and it's increased the loyalty of the employees," Beeby says. "We get really good ideas and action items out of the retreat every year."
One unique aspect of Blue Canyon's retreat is that spouses are invited along and encouraged to participate in many of the meetings.
"So much of our employees' time is spent at work, we just figured their spouses would be interested," Beeby says. "The feedback we've gotten is that they really appreciate being involved."
Beyond keeping the employees and spouses happy, it's also paid other dividends. With many of the spouses having backgrounds in fields such as banking, technology and government, they've been able to contribute to the discussions.
"They give us a different perspective," Beeby says. "One of the things we do is give them a problem to solve — a real problem we have — and they always come up with great ideas."
For many remodelers, working with their competition goes against their instincts.
But Sage Homebuilders in St. Louis decided that there was so much to learn about green construction that it made more sense to work with other builders and remodelers, a practice principal Jason Stone has dubbed "co-opetition."
Stone says he gets frequent questions about green practices because of his efforts to promote them through his Web site, blog and a monthly green newsletter. Sage, which builds custom homes as well as remodels, uses green practices in every project.
Stone says he'd rather be competing with other educated remodelers than those who might just try to do green without enough knowledge.
"Why not share the information if they ask?" he says. "The last thing we want in this industry is a bunch of people out there selling green and doing a lousy job."
There's plenty of business to go around in the green arena, and more companies promoting it can only help, Stone says.
"If it's really going to take off, we feel like we need to have a lot of builders doing it," he says. "If enough people build green, then the public will recognize it."
The practice has not only helped the Sage team learn more about green practices, it's also helped business by generating referrals from the companies they've shared information with. Despite the downturn in the market, Sage Homebuilders has doubled its sales in the last year.
For years, Feldco has put an emphasis on delighting its customers through employee training, quality-control metrics and a focus on ethics.
That approach has paid off for the Chicago exterior contractor, which has received the Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics from its local Better Business Bureau.
"We've always taken pride in our customer delight," says Director of Communications Patti Freko. "This is very important for us because it makes us even more credible to customers."
The award has been a big part of the company's ability to keep business strong in a down market, Freko says.
"People are very receptive to it," she says. "It's been the clincher for some sales, and we've made it an important part of our presentation."


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David Chaum is a crypto professional who has been investing in the sector since 1989, so long before Bitcoin. He is the CEO of Elixxir, a company that develops networks that prioritize user data privacy. Recently, he gave an exclusive interview in which he talked about a special central bank digital currency. Here is the project that David Chaum recently presented.
A digital currency that censorship could not influence
More and more governments are embarking on the development of CBDCs. But users find it difficult to trust due to lack of privacy. Cointelegraph said in a chirp : “Before Bitcoin, there was David Chaum. Risking his life in prison, the “godfather of cryptocurrencies” laid the foundations that would inspire the creation of the world’s first cryptocurrency“. It seems that Chaum wants to settle down a CBDC that prioritizes privacy. The new digital currency should be “inalienably private», with no possibility of being able to counterfeit it.
That said, under a project called “TourbillonChaum had demonstrated the effectiveness of a CBDC to ensure privacy. Indeed, he has implemented a cryptographic protocol which demonstrates that a CBDC can especially protect privacy. The digital currency could also resist censorship, be scalable and remain compatible with DeFi blockchains.
A CBDC that makes it difficult to withdraw large amounts
David Chaum thinks that electronic payment systems shouldn’t facilitate the withdrawal of large sums of money. He stated: “These systems are supposed to make it very difficult for someone to raise enough money and use it for nefarious purposes, such as hiring a hit man without being noticed.“.
“You can withdraw $500 every day with your ATM card, but you can’t go into a bank and withdraw $1,000,000 in cash, that’s people’s privacysaid David Chaum.
The CEO of Elixxir is thinking about a CBDC system where the user will demonstrate that they know their private key without revealing it. He explains that this would be possible with inalienable keys which constitute a new type of private key. David Chaum has indicated that inalienable keys will be of great use in several areas outside of finance. He stated: “They can represent that a user paid tuition this year or that users graduated with honors“.
Receive a round-up of the news in the world of cryptocurrencies by subscribing to our new servicedaily and weekly so you don’t miss any of the indispensable Cointribunes!
Far from dampening my enthusiasm, a failed investment in a cryptocurrency in 2017 only increased my enthusiasm. I therefore decided to study and understand the blockchain and its multiple uses and to convey information related to this ecosystem with my pen.


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London - British supermarket Sainsbury's continued to outperform the industry in the early weeks of 2016, industry data showed on Tuesday.
Market researcher Kantar Worldpanel said total sales at Sainsbury's rose 0.6 percent in the 12 weeks to January 31 year-on-year and its market share edged up 0.1 percentage points to 16.8 percent.
Market leader Tesco, Wal-Mart's Asda and Morrisons recorded sales falls of 1.6 percent, 3.8 percent and 2.2 percent respectively and all lost market share.
In contrast discounters Aldi and Lidl saw sales growth of 13.7 percent and 18.7 percent respectively.
Kantar Worldpanel said sales in the overall UK grocery market rose 0.2 percent, while deflation was 1.6 percent.


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BURBANK, Calif., Oct. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Today, The Walt Disney Company concluded the 2016 Disney Accelerator program, hosting its third annual Demo Day. At the event, the nine participating companies presented their businesses to investors, Disney executives and other industry leaders.
Demo Day follows the three-month immersive Disney Accelerator program, which gave participants from around the world unprecedented guidance, access and opportunities to work with all divisions of The Walt Disney Company. In addition, leaders from participating companies received mentorship from Disney executives, including Chairman and CEO Robert A. Iger, as well as leaders from The Walt Disney Company, including Disney|ABC Television Group, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (DCPI), ESPN, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and others.
“Technology and innovation are at the heart of every experience at The Walt Disney Company, and Disney Accelerator puts us on the ground floor with some of the most promising startups in the world through a program aimed at accelerating the future of media and entertainment,” said Kevin Mayer, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of The Walt Disney Company.
This year’s program builds on the success of past Disney Accelerator initiatives, which first launched in 2014. Past participants continue to work with Disney, including Sphero, which created the BB-8 droid toy, the number one Star Wars toy in 2015. Additionally, StatMuse , an AI-powered sports storytelling and knowledge platform, is currently providing ESPN with interactive statistical content, and Israel-based imperson launched The Muppets’ Miss Piggy and Disney’s Zootopia chat experiences on Facebook powered by the company’s artificial intelligence technology.
The Disney Accelerator 2016 companies and their announcements with The Walt Disney Company include:
Hanson Robotics – a leader in creating human-like robots with a full range of facial expressions. Through the Disney Accelerator, Hanson Robotics is conducting research and development with DCPI and Walt Disney Imagineering to explore bringing Disney characters to life as consumer products that could be sold at retail.


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PLAYe, a 3-in-1 online-mobile-offline (OMO) platform that will transform the way games and collectibles will be marketed, distributed and consumed in Singapore and the region was released this week.
The platform aims to combine and become one of the largest and most diverse collections of entertainment brands in Asia. Specially curated content is sought to engage fans across different platforms such as PC, mobile and tablets. Physical game stores will soon be transformed into experiential centres to satisfy the touch-and-feel demands of hardcore enthusiasts.
Among its many key features, PLAYe serves as a digital personal assistant to the consumer showing the latest range of collectibles and gadgets and offering information on the newest games and products at a push of a button. The app would allow users to engage with the community and have them experience toys or games before purchasing.
Aside from benefiting consumers, PLAYe offers game retailers a new business model for products to be created and distributed. Through an alliance with strategic retailers, traditional retail stores can sign up to expand their sales through the platform.
PLAYe would serve as an integrated chain that allows seamless transactions online, offline and on mobile. The app is currently available now in Singapore on iOS / Android and will be rolled out in Hong Kong and Taiwan by the end of 2016. It will be rolled out in phases across Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia shortly after.
PLAYe experiential centres are expected to be rolled out in the next six to twelve months. The first one, is located at Orchard Central, Singapore. Here are some photos from the launch event held on 28 July:
More information can be found via the official website.
Dirty8 can usually be found watching Criterion Collection blu-ray’s at most points of the day or playing Battlefield 1. Sometimes both at the same time. He has a psychotic love for first person shooters, alcohol and cats. Meow! The only RPG’s he likes are the ones in Battlefield. He won’t admit it, but he’s an trophy whore and secretly wanted to be a member of the Beastie Boys.


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Talking Small Biz: Frankford firm builds reputation with custom retail fixtures
From the Daily News on Friday, January 25th, Adam Kamens, the CEO of Amuneal Manufacturing Corp. in a Q and A on his Frankford Company:
Q: And still in Frankford?
A: Taxes are secondary to the benefits of being here. We need a certain amount of grit, which we won’t get in a suburban industrial park.
We certainly can’t argue with that. Read the entire story at this link. Say thanks to Amuneal for sticking with Frankford and our grit.


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Stanley Park Brewing Releases Canada Sevens Lager as Official Beer Partner of Sevens Rugby
Beer geeks and rugby fans, it’s official– your two worlds are about to collide! Stanley Park Brewing has been announced as the official beer partner for the HSBC Canada Sevens rugby tournaments.
By Clara Jaide on Feb. 12, 2020
Beer geeks and rugby fans, it’s official– your two worlds are about to collide! Stanley Park Brewing has been named the official beer partner for the 2020-2021 HSBC Canada Sevens rugby tournaments.
In honour of this new partnership, the Vancouver-based brewery (whose parent company is Labatt Breweries) is releasing the Canada Sevens Lager which will be the official beer of the Canada Sevens Rugby teams. This title was previously held by Postmark Brewing who also brewed a Canada Sevens Easy Lager.
Stanley Park Brewing Releases Canada Sevens Lager
Canada Sevens Lager
4% ABV| 15 IBU
According to Canadian Beer News, it looks like the Canada Sevens Lager will be light and easy-drinking lager with a 4% abv and 15 IBU. The beer is described as “a crisp and flavourful light lager brewed with barley, oats and sea-salt to produce a light to medium-bodied beer.” The Canada Sevens Lager will also be a low-calorie beer with less than 100 calories per can. (355ml)
Where to buy Stanley Park Brewing Canada Sevens Lager
If you’re a huge rugby fan and beer geek, then you don’t want to miss out on this limited-edition lager. Stanley Park Brewing’s Canada Sevens Lager will be available during the Canada Sevens Men’s tournament which will be held at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, BC on March 7th and 8th, 2020.
The Canada Sevens Lager will also be available during the Canada Sevens women’s tournament which will take place on May 2nd and 3rd, 2020 at the Westhills Stadium in Langford, BC.
Check out the Canada Sevens Official Website for more information, event details and how to score tickets to the Sevens Rugby Tournaments!
Looking for more beer news and content? Check out these articles you might like:
ReGrained Wants You To Start Eating Your Beer
San Francisco-based company called ReGrained is taking beer snacks to a whole new level by making sustainable granola bars out of beer.
Sleeman Breweries Purchases Calgary’s Wild Rose Brewery
Wild Rose Brewery is being purchased by the third-largest brewing company in Canada, Sleeman Breweries, and it’s the first time an Alberta craft brewery has been sold to a large multinational company. Continue reading to learn more about why Wild Rose went through with the deal and what we can expect from one of Calgary’s most beloved breweries; Wild Rose.
Who Won The 2017 YYC Beer Week Cask War at CRAFT Beer Market?
The final event of Calgary’s YYC Craft Beer Week was a Cask War hosted at CRAFT Beer Market. 8 Calgary breweries duked it out for the honour of attaining the “Golden Cask”.
How Local Breweries are Taking Initiatives to Prevent the Spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). Here is how breweries and beer lovers can do their part in preventing the spread of Coronavirus.


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© kritchanut dreamstime.com Business | May 30, 2018
Grammer signs agreement with strategic partner Ningbo Jifeng
Grammer AG concluded a comprehensive Business Combination Agreement with affiliated companies of Ningbo Jifeng Auto Parts Co. Ltd (Ningbo Jifeng), which is majority-owned and controlled by the Wang family.
As part of this agreement on intensified cooperation, the bidder (Jiye Auto Parts GmbH, a German entity also controlled by the Wang family) will launch a voluntary public takeover offer for all outstanding shares of Grammer AG. Accordingly, a cash consideration of 60.00 Euro per Grammer share will be offered to all Grammer shareholders. On top, Grammer shareholders will receive the expected dividend of 1.25 Euro per share for the fiscal year 2017, resulting in a total consideration of 61.25 Euro per share. The main objectives are to deepen the strategic partnership between Grammer AG and Ningbo Jifeng, which has existed since 2017, to further stabilize the shareholder structure by expanding the Ningbo Jifeng group’s existing stake in Grammer AG, and to optimize the global footprint and secure the global growth strategy, a press release states According to the agreement, the company's headquarters and its national and international locations shall be maintained and extensive commitments shall be made to all employees of the Grammer Group. The individual undertakings of the agreement have a term of up to 7.5 years and offer a corresponding security for customers, employees and suppliers. In addition, the bidder undertakes not to take any structural measures in the future, such as spin-off, domination agreement, delisting, squeeze-out or similar measures, unless the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board support such measure. The Business Combination Agreement also provides extensive protection for Grammer's trademark, patents and other proprietary rights. In connection with the takeover offer, the bidder also aims at appointing two members to the Supervisory Board of Grammer AG in the medium term. The bidder attaches great importance to the fact that the existing management remains with the company. The use of Grammer's technologies and know-how by the bidder to the detriment of Grammer is clearly excluded in the Business Combination Agreement, the statement continues. Voluntary public takeover offer The bidder has announced a voluntary public takeover offer for Grammer AG. In this regard, the bidder will offer all shareholders of Grammer a cash consideration of 60.00 Euro per share in addition to the expected dividend of 1. 25 Euro per share. Compared to the last XETRA closing price on 28 May 2018 (a day prior to today's announcement of the takeover offer), the total consideration of 61.25 Euro per share represents a premium of 19.4%. Compared to the average price targets of the analysts on 28 May 2018, this results in a premium of 11.7%. The completion of the public takeover offer is subject to regulatory approvals, a minimum acceptance rate of 50% plus one share, including the current shareholding of approx. 25%, which is held by a Ningbo Jifeng affiliate, and other customary offer conditions.
Digi-Key inks distribution partnership with Siglent Technologies Digi-Key Electronics has expanded its product portfolio by signing a North American distribution partnership with Siglent Technologies, providing its customers with electronic test and measurement solutions.
Jenoptik supplies infrared optics to Rheinmetall The photonics group Jenoptik will supply infrared optical components to Rheinmetall between 2020 and 2025.
Kyoto Semiconductor names new president and CEO As of April 1, 2020, the company has announced that a new management system will begin, with Tsuneo Takahashi set to become its new President and CEO.
Smoltek signs evaluation license agreement with capacitor manufacturer Swedish technology company, Smoltek, says that it has signed an evaluation agreement with an unnamed manufacturer of capacitors.
Pervasive Displays increasing manufacturing capacity e-paper display manufacturer, Pervasive Displays (PDi), says it has made a major advancements in product reliability and manufacturing capacity to improve the automated production of electronic paper displays (EPDs).
Analog Devices prioritises the medical field during pandemic Analog Devices, Inc. has taken a series of actions to support the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic by expediting production of its healthcare technologies that can help fight the outbreak.
Autec Power Systems & New Yorker Electronics inks agreement Autec Power Systems, a provider of custom power supplies, high-efficiency LED Drivers, switching power supplies and power management products, has signed accredited distributor New Yorker Electronics to a new distribution pact.
MagnaChip Semiconductor to sell its foundry business and Fab 4 MagnaChip Semiconductor says that certain of its wholly-owned subsidiaries have entered into a definitive agreement to sell the company's Foundry Services Group and the factory in Cheongju (Fab 4), the larger of the company's two 8" manufacturing facilities.
Singulus Technologies temporarily reduces business operation Against the backdrop of the current situation related to the spread of COVID-19 and the resulting restrictions in private and business lives, Singulus Technologies is implementing short-time work at two of its German sites.
Kyocera to acquire Japan-based Showa Optronics Kyocera Corporation has entered into a share transfer agreement with NEC Corporation on March 25, 2020 to acquire all of NEC’s shares in Showa Optronics Co., Ltd., an optical components manufacturer.
Analog Devices withdraws second quarter outlook The economic and social effects caused by COVID-19 are currently creating supply chain disruption and uncertainty around future demand.
Movement control order restricts production for Renesas in Malaysia Due to a Movement Control Order announced by the Malaysian government, Renesas three production sites located in the country temporarily halted productions from March 18, 2020.
TTI remains operational during COVID-19 pandemic TTI, Inc. says it remains open following the guidelines mandated by local and federal governments during the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, with precautions in place to safeguard employees’ health.
Nokia completes acquisition of Elenion Technologies Nokia says it has completed its acquisition of U.S.-based supplier of silicon photonics technology, Elenion Technologies.
Nexperia CEO Frans Scheper retiring On March 24, 2020, Nexperia announced that CEO Frans Scheper has decided to take early retirement and will step down as Nexperia CEO and Management Board Member per March 25, 2020.
Intellitronix seeing interest from Ford Ohio-based Intellitronix Corporation, a subsidiary of US Lighting Group, has been invited by the Ford Motor Company to submit a proposal to design and manufacture an automotive electronics component for one of the automaker’s upcoming vehicles.
NEXT Biometrics receives additional order from government program in India NEXT Biometrics has received an additional order for UIDAI and STQC certified fingerprint biometric readers in India valued at USD 360,000. The customer has provided a 20% upfront payment and the readers have been delivered to the customer.
Elmos is planning short-time work Because of the global corona pandemic, Elmos Semiconductor AG is planning to introduce short-time work of up to 50%.
paragon reacts to production stoppages by carmakers paragon is set to take immediate action in response to moves by automotive manufacturers closing down their plants. The company is now reducing production at its automotive manufacturing sites in Germany to a minimum for the time being.
STMicro to temporarily cut 50% of French production The semiconductor company has reportedly agreed to temporarily reduce its production in France by up to 50% as the company works to stymie the spread of COVID-19.
The Infineon site in Villach is growing Infineon’s investment in a new automated chip factory and a research building at its site in Villach is making progress.
Panasonic eyes multi-use potential for PanaCIM Panasonic, in their push more deeply into smart manufacturing solutions, has partnered with MiR and Inovaxe to develop a handy helper: the PanaCIM Solutions Ecosystem.Load more news


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With the movement toward sustainable, “green” food sources picking up speed, animal rights is obviously going to be part of the conversation. The public is growing dissatisfied and wary of large scale farming and have a greater interest in knowing where their food comes from, and Starbucks is leading the way.
Starbucks has recently introduced a new animal welfare policy that’s focusing on developing animal food sources in a healthy, sustainable and humane way. They support the responsible use of antibiotics but seek to eliminate the use of artificial growth hormones, gestation crates for pigs, and cages for chickens.
This kind of transparency and awareness will surely bode well for business. Utilizing farmers and suppliers who are committed to ethical and sustainable practices and passing that information onto the customer will strengthen brand loyalty and likely increase the quality of your products.
Read the full article here: Starbucks’ new animal welfare policy “most extensive of any restaurant chain”


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Jeff Ayers likes to tell people exactly where he was when the first "Star Wars" film hit movie theaters 30 years ago.
"I was still in mom the day 'Star Wars' came out," he jokes.
A manager at New York's world-famous comic book store Forbidden Planet where's he's worked for 12 years, the womb didn't stop Ayers from becoming a diehard fan of George Lucas' intergalactic opus ... after birth, of course.
Like any good fan, over the years Ayers has collected more than a few "Star Wars" knickknacks -- a Yoda hand puppet adorns the top of his TV set, a fact he proudly shares. He's made his modest contribution to the multibillion-dollar empire that the movies have spawned over the last three decades, but at the Planet, he's also been witness to the voracious appetite the public has for anything "Star Wars."
"They're rabid to the extent that people have to buy $1,000 glass cases just to house the stuff they buy," Ayers said.
From the series' iconic action figures and groundbreaking toy line, to clothes, video games, jewelry, books, comics, art, foodstuffs, lawn sprinklers and almost every other conceivable product, the power of the Force is nothing compared to the power of "Star Wars" merchandise to reel in the bucks.
When a Brand Is Born
Because Lucas Films is a privately held company, it doesn't disclose revenue figures, but estimates suggest that between all six films, they've generated roughly $4.5 billion at the box office alone.
But while the movies themselves represent the entirety of Lucas' epic, they represent only a sliver of the financial might of the "Star Wars" brand.
At the forefront of the sci-fi franchise's merchandise juggernaut is the series' pioneering toy line originally made by the now defunct Kenner Products, and now by Hasbro, which acquired Kenner in the early '90s.
"They were different than anything the industry had ever seen before because they encouraged kids to make their own plays and continue the story themselves," Bob Friedland, a spokesman for Toys' R' Us told ABC News. "It was one of the first movies that really broke out on toy shelves."
Though Friedland said Toys 'R' Us doesn't share sales figures on individual product lines, an analyst at the investment bank and institutional securities firm Piper Jaffray Co. estimated that since 1999, when Hasbro acquired the "Star Wars" license, retail sales have hit a whopping $2.4 billion.
Hasbro's take is a paltry $1.9 billion, according to the firm. That's a lot of Han Solo figures.
"I can't think of any other property that has done that well in sales," explained Anthony Gikas, a managing director and senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray.
Not bad considering the first "Star Wars" toys were just slips of paper.
"The very first 'Star Wars' toy that was put out on the shelf was an empty box with the promise you'd get a toy down the road," explained Derryl Depriest, senior director of marketing for boys toys at Hasbro.
Because Kenner wasn't able to get "Star Wars" toys into stores in time for the all-important Christmas shopping season following the first film's release in 1977, it issued "early bird kits," which amounted to an IOU promising four action figures -- Luke, Leia, Chewbacca and R2-D2 -- some time after the holiday.
"That just underscores how revolutionary not only the film was, but the demand for merchandise related to the movies," Depriest said. "When 'Star Wars' came out in 1977, it triggered a very sentimental response in a whole generation of kids, because it was not only unlike anything that had come before it, but the storytelling was so intrinsically linked to what it means to be a hero, rising up against an overwhelming foe, and just a great story of human will, that it touched people in a very significant way."
A Juggernaut's 'Je Ne Sais Quoi'
Since the release of "Star Wars" there have been numerous film and television franchises that have followed Lucas' lead in turning a work of art, into a work of cash.
Merchandising for the "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy and a slew of comic-book-inspired movies in recent years for example, mimics the product blitz surrounding "Star Wars." But it's a tough act to follow.
"'Star Wars' spawned a whole generation of sci-fi properties, but it is still the unassailable dominant property," said Depriest. "The best example we have for the continued demand for 'Star Wars' action figures is that to date we have produced somewhere around 25 different Luke Skywalker figures over the years."
The company continues to refine the process of making the toys by adding detail, plus new and old costumes.
But what is it about the "Star Wars" universe that keeps adults buying toys for themselves and has inspired a new generation of fans to collect, acquire and enjoy this merchandise?
"The million-dollar question," said Anita Frazier, industry analyst for toys and games with the NPD Group, via e-mail. "These questions are impossible for me to answer, because while you can identify elements that can lead to a successful toy line, there are plenty of examples of properties that have those elements yet don't achieve the same level of success."
Frazier continued: "I do think the nature of entertainment is elusive -- and if we could really pinpoint why it is that one succeeds where another one fails, I'd take those skills to Vegas and make myself rich!"
Beyond the Force of Film
While battery-powered light sabers and whirring plastic spaceships may bring back memories for those who've grown up with the "Star Wars" franchise, they're just the tip of the iceberg.
Aside from merchandise, the films' unparalleled success has spawned parodies like Mel Brooks' "Spaceballs" and fan favorite "Hardware Wars," not to mention hours worth of "Saturday Night Live" skits. Even George Lucas, who would be a very rich man from the movies alone, has seen his Skywalker Sound and Industrial Light and Magic businesses boom into multimillion-dollar companies since they were created to produce the first film.
And the saga has continued with book publisher Del Rey, a subsidiary of Random House, which has produced almost 250 "Star Wars" novels based on both the films' iconic main characters, as well as additional ones invented by the books' authors.
"We publish about five or six ['Star Wars' books] a year," explained Scott Shannon, vice president and deputy publisher for Del Rey. "It's a wonderful opportunity for us and it's tons of fun."
As if that weren't enough, Del Rey recently released what they're calling the definitive behind-the-scenes book on "Star Wars," titled "The Making of Star Wars."
Dark Horse Comics continues to produce comic books based on the movie, and George Lucas is hard at work on an animated "Star Wars" TV series and TV movie based on the universe.
"Looking forward, to the things that Lucas Films and Lucas Arts [Lucas' video game company] are doing to tell new 'Star Wars' stories to kids, the future for 'Star Wars' looks just as bright as it ever has," said Depriest. "'Star Wars' is forever."
For fans, it's hoped that's true. For consumers, it's almost a certainty.


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With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, chocolate sales will inevitably spike. Instead of hitting the drugstore and picking up a box of tired and artificially flavored candies, consumers should take note of the artisanal offerings crafted ethically right in town.
Moksha Chocolate, owned by husband-and-wife team Jennifer and Michael Caines, provides a rare bean-to-bar experience where flavor and fair practices meld into confectionery bliss.
“When we moved back to Boulder, from Sydney, Australia, we had no plans to run an artisanal chocolate company,” said Jennifer Caines, co-owner of Moksha. “The idea came about when my younger brother, Gordon South, suggested that we all buy a cacao farm in Peru, and my husband, a horticulturalist and chef in his early life, eagerly agreed.”
Since purchasing the farm in 2013 to starting production in the past two years, Moksha Chocolate has evolved into a notable plant-based, Front Range brand — showing up on the shelves of retailers JLounge Natural Nail Bar and Spa, Cured, Boulder Wine Merchant, Peppercorn, Beleza Coffee Bar, Moxie Bread Co. and others.
“Making chocolate is something that not many companies do — most buy their chocolate,” Jennifer Caines said. “By being farm-to-bar, we have control every step of the way. Also, being farm-to-bar allows us to have a completely unique heirloom supply of cacao that no other craft chocolate makers have. We are the only chocolate makers in the world that use the Criollo from our tiny village. We are glad to not just support, but help preserve the little corner of Amazon biodiversity in the region.”
Currently, each finely crafted small batch is made by Michael Caines at the company’s factory in Boulder. As business grows, he hopes to bring on additional employees this year.
“Selling IT hardware was more profitable than fine chocolate, but far less rewarding,” said Michael Caines, a self-described “maker” who recently dove into the art of cheesemaking and is in the process of building a sauna.
While he finds great pleasure in the culinary process, for him the real thrill comes from spending time, at the source, within an isolated valley on the Rio Mayo in South America.
“Although I enjoy the process of making craft chocolate, my real joy is sleeping in my tree tent in the jungle of Peru,” Michael Caines said. “I love working with the farmers and taking part in the harvest, fermentation and drying. I am passionate about educating people about the process of how cacao finds its way through the supply chain and comes to market.”
The duo, who makes sure their farmers are paid more than market value, have a virtuous vision that stretches far beyond their Peruvian farm.
“Although our signature Criollo bean is from Peru, this year we are also working with a co-op in Belize that works with the Maya Mopan tribe to get their fantastic cacao to the U.S. market,” Jennifer Caines said. “Ultimately, we’d love to foster direct-trade relationships with cacao farmers all over the world.”
Moksha chocolates are just as visually appealing as they are delicious. From the textured Dark Chocolate Raspberry bar that looks like abstract art, to pristine and smooth white squares, the thoughtfully made delicacies delight the eye and the taste buds.
Always nut-free, the items are also perfect for folks with food sensitivities.
“Our Peruvian criollo beans naturally have big red fruit notes, so I love to add inclusions that pair well, such as berries and coconut,” Michael Caines said. “In the last year, our white chocolate has also been a source of inspiration. We press our own cocoa butter, which very few chocolate makers do. I’ve been making a lot of white raspberry chocolate for Valentine’s Day. It’s beautiful and unique.”
While Moksha has an entire line of Valentine’s Day chocolate — including those white chocolate raspberry squares, with a distinct pink hue — the company has partnered with Longmont’s Dry Land Distillers and Boulder’s Bona Coffee to create gift boxes. These crates of fine indulgences will be available for purchase after the holiday as well.
“The dark chocolate has big fruit notes with earthy flavors and is incredibly intense,” Jennifer Caines said. “It’s like wine is for many, coffee for others. Supertaster types have a field day with it.”
Moksha also has a decadent CBD line that can be found in spas and luxury hotels throughout the U.S.
“We view CBD as an ingredient,” Jennifer Caines said. “The star is the chocolate and it tastes delicious. But, we really thought that it would just be a great combination. Cannabinoids and cacao really do have synergistic properties. Cacao contains many different naturally occurring chemicals. One of the more interesting neurotransmitters is called anandamide, also known as the ‘bliss’ molecule. The combination of full-spectrum hemp and dark chocolate boosts your anandamide uptake, giving you an extra lift.”
With naturally occurring antioxidants, theobromine and flavonoids in dark chocolate, the Caines view their offerings as wellness products, rather than just after-dinner treats.
“Our limited-edition flights are fan favorites,” Michael Caines said. “The Dark to Light Flight showcases different percentages of cacao, from our creamy white to our 72% dark and the White Flight showcases our white and vegan ‘milk’ products, such as Japanese matcha white.”
On Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Moksha will hold a local pre-Valentine’s Day curbside pickup for online orders, at the factory, at 2746 47th St. in Boulder.
In addition to purchasing Moksha directly from the company’s site, buyers can find the chocolates within other locally curated boxes.
“We love that they’re an up-and-coming bean-to-bar chocolatier, which means they’re processing raw cacao beans to create chocolate truly from scratch,” said Sarah Welle, owner of Colorado Crafted, an online Longmont-based gift basket company. “They’re also the only local chocolatier that we know of that is making white and dark chocolate from scratch. Their passion to create high-quality chocolate from fair-trade beans is so obvious, especially when you sit down to chat with them about their craft. We also think their chocolates are so beautiful. When we saw pictures of it, we knew we’d found something special.”
Colorado Crafted is offering a Valentine’s Day box that, in addition to Moksha Chocolate, features caramel sauce from Table Mountain Farm and Anellabees Honey Candies.
“We are proud to allow our customers to support small local businesses directly,” Welle said. “Every dollar spent in our shop stays in the Colorado community and goes back directly to the small businesses making our products. We even source our packaging, boxes and gift notes from local vendors.”


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Archive for the ‘FMX’ Category
Red Bull president and CEO Dietrich Mateschitz, a man who co-founded an energy drink company that would eventually become one of the world’s largest sports empires, has died, his company confirmed Saturday. He was 78.
Born in Austria in 1944, Mateschitz founded Red Bull GmbH alongside Thai businessman Chaleo Yoovidhya in 1984. The brand would become the top energy drink company in the world, with Mateschitz owning 49 percent of the company.
Long known for aggressive and innovative marketing … More
France’s Tom Pagès has become the first person on earth to BASE jump a motorcycle off a 135m (443-foot) cliff. To make the trick work, both he and his motorcycle needed a parachute.


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The lack of Android 2.1 (at least) on Sony Ericsson’s line of Xperia phones has been a sore point to many folks, and now there is a little piece of bad news for Xperia owners. While it was previously promised that the Android 2.1 update for Xperia devices would begin to roll-out in late Q3, the timer is nearly up and Sony Ericsson has announced that it will need a few more weeks before the update is rolled out, pushing the date to the end of October. Aside from that, it has also been confirmed that the update will be rolled-out at different times for different configurations, meaning that it could even drag on until November before you get the Android 2.1 update, depending on which device you’re using.
Verizon Announces Viva Movil Phone Retailer With Jennifer Lopez
Nokia Announces Partnership With Man Of Steel Movie
New Foursquare Apps Released With Improved Local Search
Cricket To Sell Samsung Galaxy S4 From 7th June


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Kanye-haters, eat your words.
Despite a slew of recent controversial publicity—the whole Beck debacle at the Grammy’s his polarizing NYFW debut, anything to do with his wife—Kanye West has been named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People and featured on one of the magazine’s covers.
For those who scoff, Kanye is—for better or worse—an innovator. With 21 Grammys, a Vogue cover, a major shoe line with Adidas, over 12 million twitter followers, and a penchant for saying exactly what he think without worrying about harming his image, West’s reach is indisputable and his influence is undeniable.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, wrote about Kanye for Time, saying that the rapper’s “belief in himself and his incredible tenacity—he performed his first single with his jaw wired shut—got him to where he is today.” Can’t argue with that: The guy’s had no shortage of media backlash and public criticism, but none of the negative publicity has ever stopped Kanye from doing Kanye—and getting us talking.
The “Most Influential” list this year featured a few other major names in fashion, including Diane von Furstenberg, and Alexander Wang. Other celebrities that made the cut include comedian Kevin Hart, Reese Witherspoon, transgender actress Laverne Cox, and Taylor Swift, just to name a few.
One celebrity we’re sure Kanye doesn’t mind sharing the spotlight with? His wife. Kim Kardashian was also named to the list in the same category as her husband: Titans, extremely large and important people. Love them or hate them, their influence cannot be ignored.
Head over to Time now to see the full list!


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Shares of Ambarella rose about 9.3 percent Friday on the heels of better-than-expected quarterly results.
The supplier of image processing chips posted Thursday adjusted fiscal first-quarter earnings of 34 cents a share on revenue of $57.2 million. Analysts polled by Reuters expected Ambarella to report adjusted earnings of 28 cents a share on revenue of $57 million.
Ambarella's board also announced the approval of a $75 million stock repurchase program, which will run for six months starting in fiscal second quarter of 2017.
"While near term headwinds continue in the wearable sports camera market, and we expect some adverse impact to our business caused by the disruption in supply of Sony image sensors to our customers as a result of the April 2016 Japanese earthquake, we remain confident of renewed revenue growth based on our technology leadership, product roadmap and the potential of our current and future markets, " CEO Fermi Wang said in a statement.
Despite Friday's gains, however, Ambarella's stock remained nearly 17 percent lower for the year and down 51 percent over the past 12 months.
AMBA 12-month chart


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Reports aboundthat Google has offered $5.3 billion for Groupon, in what could be the search giant's biggest ever acquisition if the deal gets done.
Wedbush Morgan analyst Lou Kerner and his team write of the prospective union:
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60% off running shoes and apparel at Nike


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As a volatile economic climate firmly grips both manufacturers and consumers of technology across the globe, the research firm believes that many will hold back from upgrading their mobile devices.
Gartner says that worldwide sales of mobile phones declined 2.3 percent in the second quarter of 2012, reaching a total of 419 million units. Out of this value, smartphone sales accounted for 36.7 per cent of total sales.
Overall sales of mobile units may have decreased, but the increasing popularity of smartphones has resulted in a growth increase of 42.7 percent in Q2.
Anshul Gupta, principal research analyst at Gartner, noted:
"Demand slowed further in the second quarter of 2012. The challenging economic environment and users postponing upgrades to take advantage of high-profile device launches and promotions available later in the year slowed demand across markets. Demand of feature phones continued to decline, significantly weakening the overall mobile phone market."
Smartphone sales remain strong for some firms. In Q2, Samsung's mobile phone sales were up 29.5 percent from the second quarter in 2011, and Gartner views the record sales of Galaxy smartphones as responsible for 2012's Q2 growth -- which has resulted in smartphones accounting for 50.4 percent of the technology giant's overall mobile device sales.
According to the research firm, consumer demand for Apple's iPhone weakened; sales dropping 12.6 percent from the previous quarter. However, the iPhone remains popular, as sales increased 47.4 per cent year-on-year.
Nokia's mobile phone sales suffered a blow of 14.8 percent in the second quarter of 2012.
"Samsung and Apple continued to dominate the smartphone market, together taking about half the market share, and widening the gap to other manufacturers. No other smartphone vendors had share close to 10 per cent.
In the race to be top smartphone manufacturer in 2012, Samsung has consistently increased its lead over Apple, and its open OS market share increased to one-and-a-half times that of Apple in the second quarter of 2012."
In 2012's Q2, the smartphone operating systems market saw Android increase 20.7 percentage points in market share. Although Apple's iOS has grown marginally year-on-year -- 0.6 percent -- according to Gartner's report, it declined 3.7 percentage points quarter-on-quarter.
Gartner sees the reason for this as the postponing of consumers in upgrading their smartphones ahead of the iPhone 5 launch. However, considering its latest disclosure and considerations in reducing the forecast for the overall sale of phones in 2012, a weakened outlook may be due not only to the anticipation of new models but economic instability.
"For 2012, the overall market is looking weaker than what I had actually forecast at the start of the year," said Gupta. Previously, the firm had expected mobile phone sales to reach approximately 1.9 billion units in 2012.
It remains to be seen whether Gartner's 2012 predictions ring true -- or whether it will simply become another of the research firm's greatest hits.


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The country's first 64MP quad camera phone is here.
The new lineup will feature a watch for every style.
Head to The SM Store and buy some shoes from World Balance.
The new α9 II has an upgraded processor, sturdier body, and improved connectivity.
Ever since the Eastwood Café+Bar (EC+B) opened at the Eastwood Richmonde Hotel last year, the restobar has been serving straightforward yet elegant dishes. And with Executive Chef Victor Barangan at the helm, expect the kitchen to serve up more unique


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More Awards Nominations for FAO27
The team are delighted to announce that they have been shortlisted for the Food and Drink Federation Awards 2014 in the Exporter of the Year category. The winner of each category will be announced at an exciting awards ceremony on Thursday 18th September in London.
And closer to home we’ve been shortlisted for the Export Award and the Food & Drink Business Growth 2014 Award in this year’s Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards. The winners will be announced at the Awards Dinner which takes place at the Kingsmills Hotel, Inverness on Friday 24th October 2014.


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Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.
Ultra-efficient autos blazed a trail this week as an electric audi shattered a world EV distance record by traveling 372 miles on a single charge. We also caught a glimpse of the future of green transportation as major auto manufacturers unveiled a set of incredible eco concept cars, and we caught wind of a plan to bring these insane traffic-straddling buses to the United States.
In other news, we learned that iPhones and other communication devices may have potentially deadly side effects for kids, and we showcased several innovative designs for safer cycling - an inflatable airbag collar that automatically pops up to prevent injuries and a crash helmet that makes a stink when it cracks.
Finally, to celebrate Halloween we rounded up a ghastly array of ghoulish green designs - from a skeletal x-ray lamp to a skin-crawling camera made from a human skull to a company that will press your mortal remains into a vinyl record. Happy Halloween!


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A Normal Lost Phone bothers me. As an adventure/puzzle game, it is experimental and intelligent. Players must learn more about a lost phone and its owner. But as the game begins to explore LGBTQ themes, it takes a turn for the uncomfortable.
Lots of Overwatch fans read the game’s proud, pink-haired Russian lady soldier Zarya as gay. While perhaps not a huge deal on its own, that interpretation conflicts with homophobic views widely held in Russia and backed by the state, forcing Russian Overwatch players to reconcile two clashing interpretations of a…
Operation Caucasus developer Dream Games has given out tons of early access keys for their shooter. But when this player asked for one, sporting a colorful avatar signaling support for LGBT rights, the developer responded with a simple message: “We’re not support lgbt. Please, just f**k you.”
Since The Sims 4 launched last week, some players have discovered that the game won't let them share Sims through its online "Gallery" system if they use words like "gay," "homosexual," or "queer" in the character's name or description. EA told Kotaku today that it's aware of this problem and is fixing it.
If you've frequented many gaming message boards, you've probably seen the term "GayStation" tossed around as a cheap slur. Seems it's about time LGBT activists tried to reclaim it.
A journalist says she was "completely dehumanised" on stage during an Xbox One Event at Eurogamer Expo 2013, by a comedian who made degrading jokes about her gender. Eurogamer Expo says it is investigating the matter.
Is it cool that Microsoft turned out for the Seattle Pride Parade? Sure, but some support of diversity is a basic expectation of such a major employer. Now, what is cool is the fact Microsoft rolled in the Seattle Pride Parade with a Warthog and Master Chief.
David Gil wants to make a documentary about the ever-growing community of LGBT gamers, and you're going to help him. Isn't that what Kickstarter is for?
Yesterday in New York City, Electronic Arts held a special event focused on queer issues in gaming. And it happened mostly because the company itself was willing to face its own stumbles in presenting gay characters in its video games.
While Electronic Arts certainly doesn't have the best reputation among hardcore gamers, they do have a good track record for supporting gay rights. And next week, the giant video game publisher is holding a conference to talk about all sorts of LGBT issues.
No sooner than did GaymerCon gather enough financial backing to organize its first ever meeting in 2013 did a trademark issue—something that pisses off gamers of any orientation—arise with the name. "Gaymer" has been trademarked by the guy who owns gaymer.org, and he even sent a cease-and-desist letter over to…
Gaymercon, a convention for everyone but with a focus on creating a safe space for gay gamers and tech fans to congregate, will be happening on August 3 and 4th of 2013, somewhere in San Francisco. The con is happening no matter what, but—wait for it—the organizers would love for you to donate to their Kickstarter…
When we get mired in arguing over whether or not games are harmful to impressionable young players, it's easy to forget that sometimes, they can be amazingly inspirational, or even helpful.
This morning, the ladies of ABC's The View were talking about a celebrity wedding. Happens all the time, right?
Going from the person most co-workers know as a man to one they will know as a woman is a challenge most people won't ever have to face. Doing it in the sports division of a video game company probably adds a ridiculous degree of difficulty.
Mass Effect 3 became the game in the sci-fi series where BioWare finally opened up the relationship possibilities for players wanting to romance a character of the same gender, with characters Esteban Cortez and Samantha Traynor only available for wooing if you played as a male or female Commander Shepard.


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The shocking warning comes from Lincolnshire Trading Standards after a recent raid of Eastgate Market in Ingoldmells uncovered a large quantity of counterfeit clothing and footwear.
Teaming up with Lincolnshire Police and members of the UK’s Anti-Counterfeiting Group, trading standards officers seized thousands of fake items, which could have been used to fund terrorism in the Middle East and elsewhere.
Although concrete evidence linking the two is limited, anecdotal evidence is mounting and experts are becoming increasingly concerned. Just last year it was revealed that one of the terrorists involved in the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris had been involved in the trading of counterfeit trainers and cigarettes.
Emma Beckett, senior trading standards officer at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Many people think that the trade of counterfeit goods is a victimless crime but that’s really not the case. We’ve always known that they risk human safety, negatively affect genuine businesses and the wider economy, but increasingly there are concerns over where the money generated by these goods goes.
“No honest person would willingly give money to fund organised crime, but from drugs and guns to people smuggling and terrorism, that’s exactly what you could be doing when you buy fakes – you just never know where your money will end up.”
Superintendent Mark Housley, county officer public protection, added: “You may think the idea that fake goods bought on a local market could be funding terrorism is far-fetched but more and more anecdotal evidence is pointing in this direction.
“People have to recognise that these are not just one-off stall holders in your local market. They are buying these goods from international traders who are organised in committing this crime and are usually involved in other types of crime as well.
“We may not be able to put a complete stop to organised crime and terrorism, but by saying no to counterfeit goods we can make sure we are not helping to support them.”
• If you have any suspicions or concerns about illegal or counterfeit items being sold in your community, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.