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Technology news for Australia's largest enterprises
Desktop PC stories
These search results are from across the Techday network of sites
Hands-on review: Twelve South’s Curve Riser
As an Apple fan, Twelve South is one of my favourite brands to look at when organising a desk space. This time, I got the chance to take a look at the Curve Riser.
Hands-on review: The 2020 iMac is as 'pro' as desktops can get
This year’s iMac is a beast. It ticks all boxes from design to display, internals, camera, mic and speakers. It even has the Apple T2 Security Chip for additional security.
Apple unveils major update to its 27-inch iMac
"The 27-inch iMac is loaded with new features. It is the ultimate desktop, to work, create, and communicate."
Dell announces XPS Desktop, S-series monitors
The new desktop offers the XPS design sensibility in a configurable desktop, and new monitors including a curved, 4K 32in UHD.
Lenovo launches newest ThinkCentre nano range
The range has taken the ‘nano’ approach to form factors, releasing a range of ultra-small products suited for the modern workplace.
HP announces new OMEN desktops, monitor
Launches new OMEN branding alongside the new 25L and 30L rigs and a 27” gaming-focused monitor.
Alienware gets an overhaul with updated range
New laptops from portable-first to heavy-duty gaming, a new pre-built desktop that includes liquid-cooled graphics, and a new monitor sneak-peek.
AMD announces 3rd Gen Ryzen processors
Also announces new B550 chipset to bring simultaneous multi-threading and PCIe 4.0 compatibility to mainstream desktops.
Hands-on review: The 2019 iMac marks 21 years of Apple's elegant desktops
The 2019 iMac has a slim design that makes it easy to fit into any setup.
Dell takes zero-footprint design to latest all-in-ones
Dell is all about the zero-footprint desktop design in the latest addition to the OptiPlex series.
Apple’s new Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR
Apple introduced the all-new Mac Pro, a redesigned workstation for pros.
Apple says its new iMacs are "pretty freaking powerful"
The company has chosen the tagline “Pretty. Freaking powerful” as the tagline – and it’s not too hard to see why.
Local traditional PC market up 8.8% in 2Q18
Traditional PC shipments have seen an unexpected rise in Oz, boosted by the commercial market.
Time to bin the traditional PC? IDC forecasts ongoing decline
Despite the bleak forecast, IDC assures there are actually several pockets of opportunities and growth like gaming & ultraslim notebooks.
IDC says there’s a silver lining behind ongoing PC decline
Despite the personal computing devices market posting another decline in 2017, IDC says there are a number of positive aspects to take advantage of.
HP winner in better than expected Q3 PC market
The traditional PC market has clocked a better than expected result Q3, with HP logging a ‘notable’ growth thanks to big wins in Asia Pacific.
Trello goes standalone for Windows and Mac
The company says a standalone desktop version of the application was the most requested feature from users.
Traditional PC market declines but fares better than expected
Worldwide shipments of traditional PCs declined in the first quarter of 2017, but surprisingly the figures are more positive than expected.
Hands-on review: Lenovo ThinkCentre M910q
Small and easy to set up, the ThinkCentre is perfect for cluttered spaces.
Cyber IT Solutions takes desktop security from prisons to the enterprise
A local IT company that previously developed cybersecurity solutions for prisons and correctional facilities has expanded to the wider market.
Hands-on review: HP Elite X3 - one device to replace them all
The HP Elite X3 is a truly outstanding productivity tool and a must-have for modern workers that are constantly on the go.
Dropbox unveils five new features for iOS to challenge the desktop
In a bid to make iPhones and iPads more productive, Dropbox are releasing an updated iOS app.
Pricing announced for HP's radical new mobility solution
Hewlett Packard's HP Elite x3, touted as "The one device that’s every device", is now available in the US for $799 - approximately $NZ1138 or $AU1064.
Hands-on review: Intel NUC NUC6i7KYK Mini PC - a little powerhouse
We just can't fault this very impressive device from Intel. It's small, very powerful, has heaps of connection options and it looks damn fine.


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The young woman’s retailer Wet Seal announced earlier this month that it will pay $7.5 million to settle a race discrimination and wrongful termination lawsuit . The allegations contained in the lawsuit were much more aggressive than what is typically seen in discrimination cases here in South Florida.
In this case, high-ranking Wet Seal executives were accused of carrying out a plan of removing black store managers in order to replace them with white employees. The goal of this plan was apparently to have the employees in the stores fit a certain brand image.
Back in December, in the culmination of a three-year investigation, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found that the company fired one manager from a Pennsylvania store in order to replace her with a white woman. The EEOC concluded that Wet Seal aimed to fill all of its stores with blonde-haired blue-eyed women.
Although the company has agreed to this settlement, with most of the money being paid to former and current black Wet Seal managers, it has not admitted fault.
Wet Seal has also agreed, however, to begin to promote diversity in hiring as well as better investigate any discrimination complaints that arise.
Although race discrimination has been outlawed since 1964, it does unfortunately still play a role in a number of workplaces. It is important that companies that practice illegal discrimination in hiring or in the treatment of employees in Florida are held accountable. Victims of workplace discrimination are often entitled to compensation for lost wages and other damages. Pursuing a discrimination or wrongful termination action is also an important way to bring such wrongdoing to light and help ensure a company puts a stop to such practices.
Source: Los Angeles Times, “Wet Seal to pay $7.5 million to settle race discrimination suit,” Tiffany Hsu, May 9, 2013

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It turns out that Blockbuster (BBI) franchises across the country are starting to bring back late fees. That’s right, after a huge advertising campaign boasting about no more late fees, many consumers will find them coming back. Why have store owners decided to bring them back? With the program in place, people just keep movies out for weeks at a time, and as a result there isn’t enough inventory in stock to satisfy new release demand.
In the long term, this will be a non-event. We’ll all have a library of thousands of movies at our fingertips via on-demand services at home. In the shorter term though, it will be interesting to see how Blockbuster’s financials are affected. Will the increase in high-margin fee income more than offset the loss of customers who came to Blockbuster because of the lack of late fees? Probably. However, even though franchise owners can choose whether or not to charge late fees, company-owned stores will continue without them, for now at least.


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You Can’t Do It! is set for release on 23 June.
Vine star Marcus Johns has announced he’s releasing a new motivational book, which will feature a host of short-stories and “unique, lighthearted insight” into what it took for him to become one of the most popular creators on the now defunct app, with 6.5 million followers.
Speaking about the book in its official trailer, Marcus said:
“The book mostly revolves around my start in the social media business and what it’s like to be a big time social media creator – a ‘famous’ guy – and then losing your way and not knowing what you want to do.
“I think a part of life is growing and maturing, but that’s kind of what the book talks about,” he continues. “It’s about growing up and proving to yourself that you can do things that are outside of what people expect you to be.”
You Can’t Do It! will feature Marcus discussing a host of topics, including:
- Knowing what it really means to “follow your gut”.
- Developing skills through embracing failure.
- Learning how to overcome self-doubt and move past it.
- Knowing who is and isn’t on your team.
- How to remain humble when sharing your success with those around you.
The book is set for release on 23 June, with pre-orders available now. Those who pre-order the book will be given a set of perks, including two digital phone wallpapers, access to chapters two and three of the book, and a jar filled with mood-boosting quotes.
Marcus has also uploaded a free chapter of the book to his website, for those interested in reading a sneak peek of it before its release.
So excited to finally share my book. Pre order has launched today! https://t.co/nxHLvimUUr
— Marcus Johns (@marcusjohns) April 28, 2020
Those wishing to pre-order You Can’t Do It! can do so via Amazon and other book retailers.
Elijah Daniel recently announced the upcoming release of his new album. Alternatively, you could read about Ashley Strong winning the first season of James Charles‘ reality competition, Instant Influencer.


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22.05.2012 01.Siwan. 5772 Rosch Chodesch; Tag 45 des Omer
Oz, Grossman, 270 others sign letter urging Culture Minister Limor Livnat to press passage of 'Book Bill'.
Over 270 writers, translators and editors signed a letter to Culture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat, urging her to continue pressing for protection of Israeli authors' royalties.
The letter was written as Livnat prepares to submit a bill that would bar retailers from discounting new books for the first 18 months after publication. It provides authors with an eight percent royalty on the first 6,000 copies sold, and 10 percent thereafter. Retailers would be allowed to lower prices for Hebrew Book Week and before holidays….


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China Suspends Tariff Concessions on Taiwanese Goods
China’s State Council Tariff Commission has decided to suspend tariff concessions for certain products under the “Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement” (ECFA) with Taiwan, effective from January 1, 2024. This response comes after Taiwan imposed unilateral trade restrictions on mainland Chinese exports, breaching ECFA terms. The affected items include 12 tariff lines, such as propylene and para-xylene, which are crucial in the plastics and synthetic fibers industries. It represents an initial countermeasure seeking equal treatment, though further escalation remains possible if grievances persist.
The ECFA is a preferential trade pact signed between mainland China and Taiwan in 2010 aiming to reduce trade barriers and promote economic ties across sectors like goods, services, investments, etc. It is often viewed as a mainland concession to foster unification with Taiwan. This move signals a significant shift in cross-strait economic relations.
Advanced Tech Aids China’s Earthquake Rescue Efforts
China urgently deployed various high-tech systems to bolster emergency response operations after a deadly 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked western Gansu Province on December 18th. State-of-the-art equipment like the domestically built Y-20 strategic airlifter, satellite imagery, and specialized drones rushed to the disaster zone, showcasing nationwide coordination.
Within hours after tremors severed infrastructure links, the hulking Y-20 took flight from an airbase hauling the Western Theater Command’s frontline coordinators along with 14 tons of vehicles and supplies. Its spacious hold and hefty capacity are well-suited for ferrying bulky relief goods here.
But hardware alone cannot survey the damage – timely eyes in the sky proved equally vital. Once the shaking subsided, Beijing marshaled an ensemble of civil observation satellites to snapshot post-quake conditions, prioritizing target areas’ automated systems flagged for their detail potential.
Stitching visual data from various commercial, military, and dual-use platforms enabled quicker routing of response units through treacherous terrain. Officials credited space assets for highlighting impassible roads plus displaced residents.
Specialized drones then filled blindspots across the mountains. An emergency variant of the medium-altitude long-endurance Wing Loong prototype directly flew from Sichuan to scout the epicenter. Its versatility in bridging communications could mean isolated villages’ communication is available first via the robot. They were not just for scouting but also served as aerial platforms, relaying high-definition videos of the affected areas to the command centers in real-time. This function was crucial for extending the reach of the rescue efforts, providing commanders with up-to-date visual information from regions that ground teams couldn’t immediately access.
Remarkably, vital infrastructure repairs were completed rapidly even as technology aids continued flooding in. Just a day after landslides obstructed roads and powerlines, state-run utilities announced traffic restoration and electricity revival for worst-hit counties. This initial progress enabled more conventional assistance to press deeper toward settlements cut off by debris.
Currently, the focus has shifted from urgent rescue to treatment and resettlement after teams scoured the wreckage for survivors. With transport re-established, mobile hospitals rotated through makeshift camps for the displaced. Officials also assessed dangerously cracked reservoirs to avert flooding amid aftershocks. As rehabilitation gathers momentum, they say the hi-tech edge improved response time and effectiveness despite the deadly disaster’s scale.
As of December 20, the earthquake has resulted in 22 deaths and 198 injuries in Qinghai’s Haidong city, with 12 missing. In Gansu, 113 deaths and 782 injuries have been reported. A 4.1 magnitude aftershock occurred on December 21 in Jishishan County.
Chinese Coffee Chain Faces US$ 286 Million Lawsuit in Thailand
On December 19, Thailand’s Royal 50R Group filed a lawsuit seeking 10 billion Thai Baht, or around US$ 286 million in compensation from China’s Luckin Coffee. The Royal 50R Group claims to have registered the “Luckin” trademark in Thailand in 2020 for operating coffee shops before Luckin expanded overseas. The court initially ruled in favor of Luckin, considering it a case of “malicious registration,” but the Royal 50R Group contested the ruling and ultimately won the case. Luckin now awaits verification of the details, in its statement announced on December 20.
Luckin Coffee’s overseas expansion reflects the rapid growth of China’s coffee industry in recent years. In a report released in early December, China now has the most chain coffee shops in the World with a 58% annual growth rate, surpassing the U.S. Among the emerging coffee chains, Luckin contributed significantly to the growth, opening over 5000 shops in a year. In August, Luckin announced its quarterly revenue of US$ 852 million, overtaking Starbucks’ US$ 822 million in China.
But Chinese coffee chains, including Luckin, face uphill battles from time to time in paving their way to the markets. Before the trademark lawsuit in Thailand, Luckin faced allegations of financial fraud in January 2020, only half a year after its Nasdaq listing. This led to an 85% drop in its US stock price, and its mobile app crashed temporarily due to overwhelming demand for coupon redemption. With changes in management and releases of new products, Luckin overcame the obstacles over the next few years, and now seeks to expand overseas. However, for the Chinese coffee chains, the trademark lawsuit only marks the beginning of the challenges they may encounter in entering new markets.


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Google is constantly making improvements to the Play Store to prevent Android apps from spying on users but a new report claims that the company’s own apps have been collecting and sending user data back to the search giant.
In a new research paper, computer science professor at Trinity College Dublin, Douglas Leith has revealed that both Google Messages and Google Dialer have been sending data about user communications to the Google Play Services Clearcut logger service and to Google’s Firebase Analytics service.
While the data sent by Google Messages includes a hash of the message text that makes it possible to link the sender and receiver in a text message, the data sent by Google Dialer includes the time and duration of phone calls as well as the phone numbers themselves.
We’re looking at how our readers use VPNs with different devices so we can improve our content and offer better advice. This survey shouldn’t take more than 60 seconds of your time, and entrants from the UK and US will have the chance to enter a draw for a £100 Amazon gift card (or equivalent in USD). Thank you for taking part.
What’s particularly troubling about this is the fact that there are currently over three billion Android smartphones in use today and devices from Huawei, Samsung, Xiaomi and other smartphone makers often ship with Google Messages and Google Dialer pre-installed.
No opt-out notice
As part of his research into the matter, Leith made a Google Takeout request for his Google Account data associated with both Google Messages and Google Dialer. While Google did send over this data, the telemetry data observed by Leith wasn’t included.
These days most apps collect some data on their users but they also give them a way to opt-out to remain in compliance with GDPR, CCPA and other data protection laws. With Google’s own apps that come pre-installed on many Android smartphones, there is currently no ability to opt-out of data collection.
At the same time, the pre-installed versions of both apps lack app-specific privacy policies which explain what data gets collected. Although Google requires app-specific privacy policies from third-party apps, it’s own apps don’t need to meet this same requirement.
While Google Play Services collects some data for security and fraud prevention purposes and to maintain Google Play Services APIs and Google’s core services, the company does not provide details or explain why it collects message content data or data on callers and call recipients.
After sharing his findings with Google back in November of last year, Leith has participated in several conversations with the company’s director of Google Messages about making changes to the company’s pre-installed messaging app. In an email to The Register, he provided details on the changes the company has planned and how they may not do much when it comes to data collected by the search giant, saying:
“In particular, they say they will introduce a toggle within the Messages app to allow users to opt out of data collection but that this opt out will not cover data that Google considers to be ‘essential’ i.e. they will continue to collect some data even when users opt out. In my tests I had already opted out of Google data collection by disabling the Google ‘Usage and diagnostics’ option in the handset Settings, and so the data I reported on was already judged to be somehow essential by Google. I think we’ll have to wait and see.”
Via The Register
Read the original article @ TechRadar – All the latest technology news


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VMware has acquired security startup Intrinsic as part of its refocus on public cloud. The term of the deal were not announced. "This acquisition brings us unique expertise and technology as we look...
O2 / Virgin Media combination would be serious competition for BT and Sky
Trusted Reviews complements Incisive Media’s existing technology brands Computing and Computer Reseller News (CRN)
BlueJeans doesn't offer a free video-conferencing service like Zoom and Skype
Merging the two companies would have brought long-term benefits for both, it insists
This is not the perfect time to discuss a deal with Xerox, HP argues


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Micro, small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of employment and economic growth in West Africa. How can short-term credit insurance help these businesses to grow and prosper?
The UAE-Israel Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which was signed on May 31, 2022, will come into effect on April 1, 2023. This means that tariffs will be removed or reduced… read more →
ITFC and SESRIC’s report focused on selected OIC countries, exploring the importance of creating regional value chains and support smart infrastructure investment projects to improve connectivity, the facilitation of investments… read more →
By eliminating unnecessary paperwork, Port Community Systems contribute to sustainable transport logistics and support the ambition of meeting global carbon reduction requirements.
In 2018 the world factoring industry volume continued its upward trend with a total reported figure of over 2,767 billion euro representing over 6% growth compared to the previous year.


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NYC Mayor Eric Adams today signed Executive Order 34, continuing his ongoing commitment to the Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Program.
Businesses from Harlem to Hollis certified as a Minority/Women-Owned (M/WBE) business are able to increase their visibility, capacity and contribute to the City’s economy through the bidding on public contracts.
The New York City Department of Design and Construction continues its effort to increase business opportunities for minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBE’s) this week as it hosts its third annual conference on contract opportunities for MWBE architecture, engineering, and construction firms.
Today, the NYC Small Business Resource Network (SBRN) announced that Wells Fargo has provided funding that will help 500 small businesses across NYC get online and grow their business.
Today, two Manhattan small businesses were honored by the Five Chamber Alliance and TD Bank at a ceremony recognizing outstanding Minority and Women Owned-Business Leaders.
The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Kevin D. Kim today announced a major expansion of the Contract Financing Loan Fund program.
The City and its agencies are still falling abysmally short of goals to contract with diverse businesses for goods and services from Harlem to Hollis.
NYC Health + Hospitals today announced that the health system spent more than $747 million with minority- and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs) in Fiscal Year 2022.
The New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce writes that the small business recovery grant program will provide funding to small and micro-businesses.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC Department of Small Business Services Commissioner Jonnel Doris (pictured) today announced three new mentorship programs.
The National Association of Minority Contractors, New York Tri-State Chapter, this week joined the chorus
Mayor Bill de Blasio today signed an Executive Order to immediately strengthen the City’s utilization of Minority and Women-Owned Businesses (M/WBEs).
To understand the frustration of people of color and women from Harlem to Hollis, consider the $3.4 billion in contracts the city recently awarded businesses in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jonnel Doris was appointed by Mayor de Blasio as the Commissioner for the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS).
By Stacy M. Brown Crystal Etienne is a businesswoman, wife, and mother of two children. She’s also the founder of Ruby Love, a $10 million personal care company that she built in just four years.


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University of Michigan researchers break down the corporate social responsibility efforts of public vs. private companies.
When companies make public declarations of social responsibility, it can be hard to tell whether they actually change practices or if they exaggerate the impact — a practice known as greenwashing.
Most of the attention has focused on company financial effects and stock price reaction of corporate social responsibility initiatives. But new research by professors Jun Li and Andrew Wu examine the social outcome of corporate social responsibility efforts.
They found a striking difference between public and private companies’ behavior after signing onto the United Nations Global Compact program. Their analysis shows private companies are significantly more likely to follow through on their promises than public companies.
“There do seem to be conflicts for public companies when it comes to corporate social responsibility,” says Li, professor of technology and operations. “They are constrained by shareholders and by law to maximize profits. If the CEO of Patagonia wants to buy organic cotton, he can make it happen even if it means lower margins. A public company has to justify that to shareholders.”
Li and Wu developed a novel method to find a common corporate social responsibility proxy and track the outcomes. They examined the 6,420 companies that signed onto the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) between 2007 and 2016. It covers a broad array of responsibility goals — such as labor standards, environmental, and corporate governance — and it’s a unified set of standards.
They then matched those companies with reports from RepRisk, a third-party firm that screens more than 80,000 media, regulatory and commercial documents in 15 languages each day for negative events regarding company-level environmental, social and governance events.
Li and Wu found that private companies that signed onto the UNGC reduced their negative impacts, as reported by RepRisk, by 6.3 percent per month. There was no change for public companies, though in some cases the negative impacts increased slightly.
“If you think about corporate social responsibility, it’s mostly a diversion of resources,” says Wu, professor of technology and operations and professor of finance. “Not only from company shareholders to other stakeholders, but also from short-term to long-term. But public company managers tend to focus more on the short term and are incentivized as such.”
The exceptions they found among public companies were ones that own customer-facing brands. In those cases the value of corporate social responsibility is aligned with shareholders, since consumers often punish companies for irresponsible behavior.


text: Eschenbach, the German eyewear manufacturer, won a total of four Red Dot 2021 design awards for frames under its BRENDEL Eyewear, TITANFLEX and the licensed MINI EYEWEAR brands, with the latter receiving two distinctions. MODO, the Italian eyewear company, was also among the Red Dot award winners this year for its R1000 + Titanium collection. On the equipment side, Zeiss Vision Care was rewarded with two Red Dot, one in the industrial design and one in the innovative product categories, for its Zeiss UV Clean, an eyeglass desinfection device that already received a CES Innovation award earlier this year. The Red Dot awards have been attributed since 1955. Around 1,500 products in 49 categories are rewarded each year for the quality of their design, from more than 18,000 submissions.


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U.S. short-term inflation expectations fell in early January to the lowest in nearly two years, providing a bigger-than-expected boost to consumer sentiment.
Respondents said they expect prices to advance 4% over the next year, the lowest since April 2021, the University of Michigan’s preliminary survey reading showed Friday.
The sentiment index rose to a nine-month high of 64.6 from 59.7 at the end of the year, beating all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists.
Consumers expect inflation to rise 3% over the next five to 10 years, a slight uptick from the prior month.
The Federal Reserve watches long-term views especially closely, as expectations can become self-fulfilling and lead to higher prices.
Data out Thursday showed that U.S. inflation continued its downward trend in December, adding to evidence price pressures have peaked and offering the Fed room to slow the pace of interest-rate hikes next month.
Combined with a strong labor market, Americans are feeling increasingly upbeat about the economy and their finances.
Prices at the pump have fallen sharply from summer highs, grocery inflation has slowed and unemployment has retreated to a five-decade low.
The university’s gauge of current personal finances rose to an eight-month high, while expectations climbed to the highest in a year.
A majority of respondents said they anticipate their incomes to rise at least as fast as prices in the year ahead, the most since October 2021.
The measures of current conditions and future expectations both advanced to the highest in nine months.
Buying conditions for large household goods also improved, though consumers noted higher borrowing costs.
Recession risks remain, however, and are one of the factors restraining consumer sentiment from rebounding to its pre-pandemic level.
Many economists expect the Fed’s interest rate hikes to tip the economy into a downturn at some point over the next year, pushing up unemployment.
The economic outlook for the year ahead worsened but improved over the next five years to the highest since April, the report said.
“Two-thirds of consumers expect an economic downturn in the year ahead, reflecting how low sentiment remains despite recent improvements,” Joanne Hsu, director of the survey, said in a statement.
“That said, given current historic lows in unemployment and strength in expected incomes, a gradual slowdown in spending appears more likely than a cliff-like drop,” she said.
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This one isn't for America, though. I'll explain.
Feast your eyes on the 2022 Honda HR-V. The Japanese automaker revealed the latest SUV on Thursday. It looks good, but this one actually isn't for the US. While the HR-V we've known for quite some time now is actually a 'Murcanized version of the Vezel crossover sold globally, Honda has a specific, new HR-V coming just for us Yanks. That's not to say the 2022 HR-V revealed today couldn't foreshadow what's to come, though. So, let's dig in.
The new HR-V gets a total redo from the inside out. Designers aimed for a coupe-like roofline that, in my opinion, looks a little funky here, at least in photos. The fascia ditches the large chrome plate up front in favor of something sort of EV-esque. Thin, horizontal lines create the grille this time around with a blue aura around the Honda badge -- the latter denotes the brand's latest e:HEV powertrain. More on that in a bit. Right above the grille is a thin chrome strip to provide just a bit of separation and link the headlights together. I get big Ford Edge and Mazda CX-9 vibes here, in particular.
From the side, the 2022 HR-V looks pretty lengthy, especially with the long hood that designers worked to emphasize. The sloping greenhouse is on full display before it leads us back to the rear. A light bar replaces the jagged taillights and it looks much better with a thin strip connecting them, just like the front fascia.
The cockpit seems to take the idea of the Honda E electric car and tries to work it into a more mainstream crossover with success. I love Honda's latest steering wheel design, and this interior might actually give us an idea of the 2022 Civic, too. The teaser sketch Honda released last year seems to mirror the tablet-style infotainment screen, three chunky knobs on the dashboard and a more stacked-looking dashboard design. Again, we're not getting this one, but it looks like a proper leap past the outgoing HR-V.
Under the hood, Europeans will receive the e:HEV powertrain, which we've seen in the CR-V and Jazz (Honda Fit) across the Atlantic. Specifically, it's a 1.5-liter inline-four engine married to two electric motors and lithium-ion battery. Honda didn't detail the performance specs specific to the new HR-V, but in the Jazz, the powertrain combo makes 107 horsepower.
Honda promised its entire lineup of vehicles in Europe will be totally electrified by next year, and the 2022 HR-V is a big part of said promise. Europeans will have the chance to take one home later this year. Meanwhile, we'll have to stay patient on what Honda has cooking for the US-specific HR-V.


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FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – A local coffee company has committed to leasing space inside the Electric Works campus.
Conjure Coffee, which opened its first shop on Columbia Avenue in 2016, will appear in two spots in the former General Electric Campus. A cafe will be featured in the Electric Works Innovation Center while a coffee bar and roastery will be featured in the campus’s food hall and public market.
In a statement shared with WANE 15, Conjure Coffee’s founder called the move an ‘exceptional and unique opportunity.’
“As a Fort Wayne native, I love the vision for Electric Works and what it represents,” Corey Waldron said. “I’ve also been inspired by my experiences with food halls and innovation spaces in my travels to other cities — and I’m thrilled about Electric Works bringing those experiences to our region.”
Earlier this month, Conjure Coffee announced an expansion into the Botanical Conservatory.
Among other companies or groups calling dibs on space in Electric Works: Parkview, Joseph Decuis, Three Rivers Music Theatre, Spherion Staffing, Rush Rock Gym, Fort Wayne Metals, Fort Wayne Community Schools, Indiana Tech and a high-tech greenhouse.


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Desktop Systems Guide
All Desktop Systems News
Wednesday, 13 Nov 2013
eScan announced the launch of its Total Security Suite with Cloud Security to address increasing cybercrime due to malware. The solution is designed for Windows-based computers.
Tuesday, 12 Nov 2013
ASUS Philippines has a series of campus roadshows happening from until the last week of November. The roadshows showcase the ASUS Desktop PC G10.
Thursday, 7 Nov 2013
ASUS Philippines redesigned and opened to the public its concept store in SM City Fairview. Showcased during the opening are the company's components and system products.
MSI-ECS is making Christmas earlier! The distributor's anticipated annual Warehouse Sale of MSI-ECS is scheduled to happen starting on November 16 with up to 80% discount offers.
Tuesday, 5 Nov 2013
WD Philippines has posted its response regarding the data loss issue that was encountered by some external hard drive users after updating their Apple computers to OS X Mavericks.
Tuesday, 29 Oct 2013
The ASUS Desktop PC G10 attempts to resolve the problem of data loss during power interruptions by having a built-in power battery and UPS.
Wednesday, 23 Oct 2013
Apple has just took the wraps off the new Mac Pro and new MacBook Pros with Retina display powered by the latest Intel fourth generation Core processors. Pricing and availability were also revealed.
Friday, 11 Oct 2013
Acer Philippines, in partnership with Asia Warranty Services, has launched its extended warranty program. The new program covers Acer-branded notebooks, desktop PCs, tablets, and projectors for its commercial segment.
Get a glimpse of what the future looks like through the Samsung Smart Lifestyle Solution at Anson’s The Link in Makati. This Samsung convergence area gives visitors the chance to experience what a smart home feels like via an interactive display using Samsung devices in a seamless techno-ecosystem.
Friday, 4 Oct 2013
Dell just unveiled its new Latitude Ultrabooks and notebooks and powerful workstations yesterday. Offering the latest innovations and technologies from Dell and its partners, these new devices offer top notch security and manageability in a sophisticated design.


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Caroline Flack's death has inspired change and astonishing acts of kindness.
Social media was awash with comments from fans and celebs alike vowing to be kind following this weekend's tragedy.
Caroline took her own life at aged 40 in her London flat on Saturday.
The tragedy sent waves through social media as people urged others to be kind.
Molly-Mae Hague led the reality stars when she carried out her own act of kindness and shared it with fans.
The former Love Island bombshell confirmed all profits from her latest PrettyLittleThing edit would be donated to mental health charity Mind.
Out of respect to the troubled presenter, Molly-Mae also cancelled her PrettyLittleThing launch party as she shared she wasn't in the mood to celebrate.
In a piece to camera, she told fans: "Hi guys. So Tommy [Fury] and I are at the airport so I thought I would come on here and give you a little update as I've been quiet on here over the past few days.
"Myself and PLT cancelled my launch which was meant to be in London to celebrate my new edit, which has just come out today. But due to what''s happened in the last few days, we did decide to cancel."
Also in the wake of Caroline's tragic death, In The Style have raised £100,000 for Samaritans with their Caroline Flack T-shirt.
The fashion brand designed a T-shirt which had the inspirational quote Caroline had posted on her Instagram page on December 5 last year.
The quote read: "In a world where you can be anything... Be kind."
The T-shirt has only been up for grabs for a few hours.
Each batch of the Be Kind T-shirts has been selling out fast online.
In The Style said the company wanted to use their fashion platform to raise awareness about mental health and its impact on people.
The fashion brand have been donating 100% of the profits made from the Be Kind T-shirts to the Samaritans charity.
On their website, a statement read: "Following on from the recent tragic events and the ongoing mental health battles faced by so many we feel it's so important as a brand to use our platform to raise further awareness to mental health and the impacts surrounding this.
"You honestly never know what goes on behind closed doors and being kind costs nothing. We have created a 'Be Kind' tee and will be donating 100% of the profits to Samaritans.
"They are a charity on hand 24/7 to support people who are suffering with mental health and suicidal thought."
They gushed they were "completely overwhelmed" with the support from everyone.
The next drop of T-shirts on the website will be available from 12pm.
"Sorry to anyone who hasn’t been able to support yet - the demand has been unprecedented! We will have more stock on by 12pm today for you."
Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at email@example.com


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A new generation of Apple TV is here and we go through Apple TV 4 Price, specs, release date, availability information.
Apple on September 9 event will launch a flurry of devices, among them includes iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, both running on iOS 9 and next generation Apple TV.
We have enough rumors about Apple TV 4 price, release date and availability information. According to sources, the 4th gen Apple TV will be priced below $200 and it will be available in October 2015. Apple top executives are yet to make a final call on Apple TV 4 price but maybe they will price it at $149 [Surprise announcement] to be competative in market.
The third generation of Apple TV was priced at $99 during its launch in 2012 and it was reduced to $69 in March 2015. So considering its predecessor models, TV 4 model will be priced higher, maybe we are expecting high-end specifications onboard – Siri support, new touchscreen remote control, an App Store wih Software Development kit for developers and new user interface are expected.
In terms of design, new Apple TV 4 will be definitely similar to current model but it will be slightly wider and thicker as claimed by sources.


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Uber CEO Travis Kalanick shared some revenue figures at a recent conference that indicate that ridesharing is more than replacing some of the taxi services. Kalanick stated that the taxi market in San Francisco is approximately $140 million per year and that Uber’s revenues in this city are running at $500 million per year. Is ride sharing resulting in lower vehicle ownership? Lower usage of transit and taxi services?
In the US, it appears that parents are increasingly using Uber, Lyft and other ridesharing services to provide transportation for their kids. Shuddle, a new ridesharing service launched late last year, is positioning itself as a “kid-friendly” ridesharing service.
Uber, UberX, UberPool, Uber delivery services and now UberCopter: a helicopter service for the wealthy.


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COO of 500 Global appreciates Pakistani Start-Ups
Pakistani technology start-ups took the spotlight as Courtney Powell, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner, 500 Global, a USD 1.8 billion international venture capital firm, visited the National Incubation Centre Lahore (NICL) at LUMS. The visit was facilitated by Paklaunch. Ms. Powell was accompanied by Board Member, Max Scheder-Bieschin, and hosted by Chairman NICL, Saleem Ahmad. The team was welcomed by the LUMS leadership including Rector, Shahid Hussain; Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Arshad Ahmad and members of the Board Trustees. COO of 500 Global appreciates Pakistani Start-Ups during their visit to NICL at LUMS.
During the day-long engagement, Ms. Powell and Mr. Scheder-Bieschin discussed the role of NICL in preparing the future generation of start-up founders. Mr. Ahmad presented NICL’s vision for venture incubation in high-impact sectors, its rigorous focus on skills development and its role as an innovation hub for industry, citing the example of electric mobility work that fits well with the organization’s cleantech initiative. The visit coincided with the launch of the USAID-sponsored electric vehicle market assessment report, chaired by the US Consul General, William Makaneole at NICL.
The guests were given a tour of the NICL facilities including the Makers Lab, a suite of state-of-the-art prototyping workshops; the Facebook Innovation Lab, where virtual and augmented reality solutions come to life and a co-working space, featuring a plug-and-play set-up. They exchanged insights with entrepreneurs from NICL’s graduated start-ups as well as those currently in incubation and participated in a roundtable discussion with the Foundation Council members including Qasif Shahid (Finja), Usman Javaid (Ricult) and Ahmed Hussain (SSC). COO of 500 Global appreciates Pakistani Start-Ups during their visit to NICL at LUMS.
“We’re truly impressed with the passion and potential we have seen so far,” said Ms. Powell of her visit. “At 500 Global, we believe that there is talent everywhere and fantastic founders in every market, and it’s just access to education capital and network that is needed to see their companies succeed. At NICL today, we’re inspired to meet some of these talented founders and trailblazing entrepreneurs firsthand. We’re excited to be on the ground here to learn and formulate what our dedicated Pakistan strategy should be.”
Speaking on Pakistan’s emergent start-up landscape, Mr. Ahmad said, “Pakistan’s nascent start-up ecosystem is inflecting with rising international investor interest on the back of talented founders. We at NICL are attempting to generate a manifold growth in entrepreneurially-minded, highly skilled human capital that accelerates this positive trajectory. Technological leapfrogging, be it through new venture creation or innovation of industry, is the only way to attain the kind of growth needed to satiate the influx of our youthful population.”
500 Global is a leading venture capital firm with more than USD 1.8 billion in assets and a growing focus on technology, innovation, and unlocking capital in emerging markets. The company has invested in more than 2,500 start-ups worldwide with a portfolio that includes 33 companies valued at over USD 1 billion and 120 companies valued at more than USD 100 million.
NICL is a springboard for venture incubation and corporate innovation through an intersection of applied research, industry and talent, to solve Pakistan’s biggest problems.


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IDG, Apple step back from "DefCon 4
Source: Insanely Great
MacCentral reports that Apple and IDG are trying to talk their differences vis-a-vis the 2004 change of venues for the East Coast iteration of Macworld. Apparently, "some of their issues" have been worked, but other sticking points remained unresolved.
- Wed, 2013-05-22 01:42
- Tue, 2013-05-21 00:18
- Sun, 2013-05-19 22:55


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Next time you board a plane, you might want to hand the pilot a chocolate bar, just in case.
That’s because a recent study found that dark chocolate might improve your ability to see in low-contrast situations, such as poor weather.
Not only that, this study adds to previous research that suggests eating chocolate can make your brain sharper. (Don’t you just love these chocolate-is-good-for-you studies? Sign me up.) You may have already heard that dark chocolate can lower your blood pressure and also appears to have a favorable effect on cholesterol levels, platelet function and insulin sensitivity.
The authors of the latest study, from England’s University of Reading, enrolled 30 men and women ages 18 to 25 and tested their vision and thinking skills a couple of hours after they ate a regular-sized chocolate bar.
They took the tests twice, once after eating a dark chocolate bar, and once after eating a white chocolate bar. The difference between the two chocolate bars was the amount of flavanols -- a natural compound in cocoa -- they contained. Of course, the dark chocolate bar contained loads of cocoa flavanols, the white chocolate bar only a trace.
Flavanols, found in high levels in grapes, green and black teas, red wine and apples as well as cocoa, have been getting a lot of good press lately as scientists study their health benefits. Ahh, a jug of red wine, a bar of dark chocolate and thou beside me.
To avoid skewing their results, the researchers fudged when they told their subjects the purpose of the study: If the volunteers knew the focus was on cocoa flavanols, they might do better after eating the dark chocolate because they figured they were supposed to. Instead, study participants thought the researchers were investigating the impact of different kinds of fats.
Turns out the study participants did perform better on the vision tests and on some of the brain function tests after eating the dark chocolate, the authors report in the June issue of Physiology & Behavior. They attribute their findings to cocoa flavanol’s known ability to increase blood flow to the brain, and they speculate that the stuff might also increase blood flow to the retina of the eye.
The good news is that other research suggests cocoa flavanol’s positive impact on blood flow is even greater in us folks over age 25. So the Reading researchers are conducting a similar study in older volunteers. This time they’ll add caffeine and theobromine to the white chocolate bars to make sure those stimulants from the cacao plant aren’t the real reason for dark chocolate’s brain and vision benefits.


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This year’s 100% digital Lengow Day is not only the biggest online e-commerce event of 2020, it also boasts an fully-packed, quality conference programme. In addition to our recently announced round tables, we’ve got several inspiring keynotes in store for you. E-commerce experts Rick Watson and Nikki Eijpen join our impressive line-up of speakers, along with speakers from innovative brands such as Snapchat and Pinterest!
There aren’t many chasms quite so gargantuan as the one Amazon has left on the e-commerce market. The e-commerce giant was built for the Covid-19 pandemic—and will likely emerge from it stronger than ever. Is there any hope for the newer marketplaces in the market such as Facebook, Shopify or Google?
Renowned e-commerce expert Rick Watson (RMW Consulting) will give you the answer!
Millennials and Gen Z together have over $1 trillion in direct spending power. How can retailers unlock this massive potential? We call these users the Snapchat Generation, and they are discovering products and shopping in brand new ways. In this session, Aissatou Diallo (Retail Lead, Snap. Inc) will share her insights into Snapchat’s Community’s shopping behaviors, and explore how you can engage them in new ways to drive sales, leveraging vertical video and augmented reality ad formats.
People are turning to Pinterest as a key shopping destination: a place to find inspiration and discover new ideas for almost every part of their life. As we adjust to unprecedented shifts in culture and consumer spending, there have been new challenges for all retailers and opportunities for some. We are getting close to the festive season, one that will undoubtedly be like no other, join Pinterest to learn how your brand can harness our insights to inspire people to go from “I need ideas” to “I discovered it” and finally “I bought it.”
Adrien Boyer (Regional General Manager, Pinterest) will lead this keynote.
Marketplaces are transforming their traditional model to adapt to the constant evolution of consumers’ buying behaviours. Click & Collect, retail media, D2C… discover how these new business models will contribute to the success of the new (e)commerce.
Marketplace expert Nikki Eijpen (Consultant Marketplaces EMEA, Wunderman Thompson) will give you the latest insights and show you how marketplaces can merge online and offline worlds.
Announced this February, Google Shopping is further enforcing its pricing policy. Changes took effect on April 6, 2021. The rule…
An opportunity has been spotted and a new breed of startup is emerging in the world of e-commerce. We take…
Sustainability and brand values are increasingly important to consumers and a key issue in retail for several years now. The…
Marketing channels & marketplaces
Lengow has teamed up with the e-commerce agency Feed Manager to create the ultimate guide for brands and retailers looking…
Features & updates
In order to boost sales outside Germany, Design Bestseller turned to Lengow to develop an online sales strategy on European…


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There are two types of blue check marks on Twitter right now. One is reserved for celebrities and reporters, which may be going away once the next month rolls around. The other signifies that an account owner is a paying Twitter Blue subscriber. This is often a way to get grief on the platform, especially when such an account posts a hot take on any given subject. Soon, it looks like subscribers will get the option to hide the check mark, therefore giving them one less way to have their opinions dismissed entirely based on that fact.
Mobile developer and reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi claims that the bird app is testing an option for subscribers to hide their Twitter Blue check mark on their profile pages. This won’t stop paying subscribers from using other premium features like longer tweets, but those who do would be outing themselves as paying to get access to said features.
#Twitter keeps working on the ability to control everything related to account verification and identity by adding the option to show or hide your blue checkmark on your profile 👀 pic.twitter.com/6uTjBON21N
— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) March 21, 2023
From the screenshots shard, this may still require you to provide an official ID of some sort to prove that you’re who you claim to be on the platform. Which seems redundant as you’d have already done that when subscribing in the first place.
Twitter is reportedly emailing businesses offering gold check mark verification for $1000 PER MONTH!
And affiliate account verification for $50 each per month pic.twitter.com/hohTPKLKdi
— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) February 3, 2023
For now, there’s no indication of when, or even if, this will actually get rolled out. For now, in comparison, it’s a lot more likely that Twitter will be removing legacy blue check marks. But when it does happen, it makes the purpose of the blue check marks even less clear. And at that point, the only check marks that would mean anything are the gold and grey ones. The former represents businesses, and rumours point to them paying a massive sum of money per month for the privilege. As for the latter, that is reportedly reserved for government bodies and officials.
(Source: Alessandro Paluzzi / Twitter)
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


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|Day Low/High||96.89 / 101.65|
|52 Wk Low/High||33.45 / 104.57|
Five More Charts: Baidu, Weibo, Zulily, Solar City and Shutterstock. While the Nasdaq has been pushing to new highs, not everything is perfect in search. I have concerns about Baidu (BIDU). The stock made a strong push post earnings, but now has sun...
Smaller software-as-a-service names are all suffering. But if they all collapsed, it would be a non-event.
Want a good example of painful revaluation? Take a good look at Shutterstock.
Getty announced it will free up some 35 million images for non-commercial use in a direct attack on competitor Shutterstock.
Shutterstock sales spiked 38% to $68 million in the fourth quarter as demand for images soared, but the next big things for the company will likely be video and its mobile apps.
Monetizing Instagram may be start of Facebook reaching for much more.
The earnings flood is slowing down, but we should still get plenty of useful data from this week's filers.
Jon Oringer, CEO of Shutterstock, says the company is poised to build on last year's sales and download surge by going global.
Shutterstock priced its new stock above the planned range. CEO Jon Oringer sees more growth from mobile app users needing images.
IPO Desktop President Francis Gaskins is concerned that Workday is competing with Oracle and Shutterstock may have trouble with its income.


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Jeff Soto (interviewed) just released a new giclée print through Pangeaseed entitled The Magic Message. Hand embellished and featuring deckled edges, the 18 x 18″ edition was produced in a run of 50, costs $100, and will come signed and numbered. The image highlights the Atlantic Goliath Grouper classified as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Soto further states – “My love and respect for nature was instilled in me at a young age. My parents enjoyed the outdoors and took us camping as often as they could. As […]
Amidst all of the street art during this year’s POW! WOW! Hawaii, one of the more unique elements of the event that could be observed were the portrait sessions with James Jean (interviewed). Featuring a diverse selection of subjects, the six chosen ones sat for a few hours with the gifted artist as he masterfully captured their visages in a series of loose yet detailed paintings. At the conclusion of the live session, the lucky subject was gifted the portrait – something they will treasure in their collections […]
Amala gallery in Tokyo will be opening this weekend a small showing by American artist Sean Norvet. High On Stress will be the first solo show outside the US for the LA-based artist for which he prepared three new paintings. Norvet has been spending the last several years creating works that primarily make him laugh, but also, comment on our modern, consumerist society. Using the classic portrait form as the base for his latest paintings, he composes his “characters” from different foods, drinks or vices. By patching up seemingly […]
On the 22nd of February, Urban Nation Museum for Urban Contemporary Art in Berlin hosted a Secret Dinner event for friends, supporters, contributors and artists participating in their ongoing programs. Around 100 guests from around the globe attended the event organized by the museum director Yasha Young and Berliner Leben, a non-profit foundation that initiated the UN project in 2013. The dinner was held in the future museum building, where construction was put on hold because of the event. Some of the permanent collection was on display and each […]
Paul Stolper Gallery in London recently announced a must-have release for all the Damien Hirst fans and collectors out there. Today, they released his Schizophrenogenesis book together with Other Criteria, available in both regular and limited edition. The book covers Hirst’s Schizophrenogenesis series which was shown with the gallery back in October of 2014. With this body of work, the British artist examines our faith in science and the pharmaceutical industry through a series of sculptures and prints based on the minimal aesthetic of the medicinal pill. […]
Recently on her webstore, Jen Stark released a small clothing line featuring here “drippy” imagery. For those interested, there are now a men’s t-shirt, women’s crop top, and leggings all featuring the psychedelic drip patterns often seen in her work with a price set at $45, $40, and $55 respectively. Those are bold enough to wear these will certainly drawing attention to their style and at the same time introducing the work of Stark to everyone who sees them. Discuss Jen Stark here.
Following up on the first phase of his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collaboration with Good Smile in 2014 (covered), James Jean (interviewed) will be releasing some of the villains from the cartoon series, films, and comic books. The Japanese manufacturer of hobby products is teaming up with Nickelodeon and Jean to design new collectible versions of Shredder, Bebop, Rocksteady and Krang. It looks like first up will be their archenemy Shredder (preorder here) and also an offer of a limited edition aluminum art print (seen below) for those that eventually order all four. Tipped off […]
More stories from the week that ended Feb 26 (click on bolded words for more information): RIP: Ren Hang, who passed away at the age of 29. (above: photograph by artist) RIP: Fritz Koenig, who passed away at the age of 92. RIP: Michael E. McPherson, who passed away at the age of 44. RIP: Seijun Suzuki, who passed away at the age of 93. RIP: Armin Medosch, who passed away at the age of 54. RIP: Tom Noble, who passed away in Taos. RIP: Max Angus, who passed […]
This Saturday (February 25th, 5-9pm), Luke Chueh (interviewed) will be releasing the OxyContin 20Mg variant of The Prisoner figure based on one of his paintings. The pink version features one of the Los Angeles-based artist’s signature sad bears sitting entrapped in a pill bottle (just like his Vicodin edition). Those attending can expect drinks, music, food, giveaways, as well as a associated print release. Discuss Luke Chueh here.
After a recent successful collaboration with KAWS, Uniqlo has teamed up with another artist and his iconic imagery for their UT line. The released images feature many of the renowned graffiti artist’s signature touches emblazoned on t-shirts like his atoms, pointmen, textured background, script. Expect these to be available sometime in March in all their stores worldwide. Via Highsnobiety. Discuss Futura here,


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Economic Survey 2023 News: A global slowdown is likely to hurt exports, so India on Tuesday predicted its economy will grow by 6% to 6.8% in FY24. However, down from the 7% projected for the current year. In its annual Economic Survey report, the government stated that its baseline scenario for growth for 2023–2024 was 6.5%. However, nominal growth which takes inflation into account predicted at 11%.
The government’s assessment of the state of the economy over the previous year is primarily contained in the survey. However, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the annual budget to parliament on Wednesday.
Here are the Key Highlights of the Economic Survey 2023
- India’s economy will expand by 6.5% in 2023–2024 compared to this fiscal year’s 7.5% and 2021–2022’s 8.7% growth.
- India will continue to have the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
- GDP will be 11% in nominal terms in the upcoming fiscal year.
- Real GDP growth is projected to range from 6 to 6.8% in the upcoming fiscal, depending on international economic and political developments.
- As a result of ingrained inflation, borrowing costs could continue to be “higher for longer.”
- The likelihood of additional interest rate increases by the US Fed presents a challenge to the rupee’s depreciation.
- PM KISAN and PM Garib Kalyan Yojana were two programs that made a significant difference in reducing poverty.
- Bank credit growth is anticipated to be rapid in FY24 due to low inflation and reasonable credit costs.
Also Read: Illuvium Game: A beginner’s Guide To The Trending Web 3 Game
How Will Cryptocurrencies Be Regulated?
One concern that people have as the Union Budget 2023 approaches is how the government will handle the problem of cryptocurrencies. All gains from cryptocurrency transactions will be subject to a flat 30% tax, according to the Budget 2022 announcement. The announcement of a 1% tax deducted at source (TDS) was also made. Following this, there have been rumors regarding the type of regulation the Indian government plans to implement for cryptocurrencies.
Tax advisory company Taxmann recommends that transactions involving cryptocurrencies that exceed the threshold limit fall under the TDS/TCS provisions. By doing this, the government may be able to track down cryptocurrency investors.
India is anticipated to take the lead in global crypto regulation as it holds the G20 summit presidency this year. Budget 2023 will include measures pertaining to cryptocurrencies as a preview of India’s position on cryptocurrencies internationally.
Also Read: Axie Infinity Vs Illuvium: Is Illuvium Better Than Axie Infinity


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All video video games that wish to be launched in China should be licensed. However the Chinese language regulator lately suspended the licensing indefinitely, in keeping with sources revealed after a gathering to remind sport publishers like Tencent or NetEase on Wednesday (September 8).
That is the newest transfer by Beijing after the nation’s authorities launched a rule limiting kids from enjoying video video games to simply three hours every week on holidays. Wednesday’s assembly was chaired by the Nationwide Press and Publication Administration of China (NPPA) to debate with sport publishers easy methods to restrict playtime, and remind them to follow Strictly implement the brand new laws.
Tencent and NetEase are the 2 largest sport publishers in China, holding a whole lot of in style video games.
The unnamed supply mentioned the choice to droop licensing was aimed toward limiting the variety of new video games and decreasing sport habit amongst kids in China. The supply additionally described that the assessment of recent video games within the first half of this yr was fairly tight.
A 3rd supply who attended the convening mentioned that the regulator didn’t immediately point out the suspension of the license however advised that the licensing course of for the sport could be delayed to make sure the success of the restricted marketing campaign. youngster sport habit in China.
The NPPA, the company answerable for sport licensing, didn’t publish a listing of licensed video games in August, breaking the follow practiced since Could 2019. This raises suspicions that China has stopped licensing sport releases since August.
Additionally on this convening session, Tencent and NetEase have been reminded to remove improper values akin to cash worship or same-sex love. Publishers are additionally required to not “suck” gamers and ensure kids do not get hooked on the sport.
Analysts say the transfer may kill free-to-play video games that promote digital objects, which exist by encouraging gamers to purchase power-ups within the sport. This induced Tencent to as soon as once more delay the discharge of League of Legends: Wild Rift in China.
The standing of youngsters enjoying video games is being paid shut consideration by Chinese language authorities.
|Based on statistics, the NPPA has licensed the discharge of 592 video games within the first half of this yr, lower than the variety of 850 licensed video games in the identical interval of 2019. This regulation is obligatory for each overseas video games and video games. on-line or offline sport. Within the first half of 2021, China licensed 76 imported video games, greater than 97 imported video games in the entire of 2020.|
China has stepped up scrutiny of the gaming trade after an article within the Financial Info newspaper printed in early August known as video games a “psychic opium” and singled out Tencent as a dangerous agent.
Earlier than that, within the 9 months of stopping issuing sport licenses in 2018, greater than 28,000 sport studios within the nation closed, in keeping with statistics of China Central Tv.


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India’s market for electric vehicles (EVs), as well as their charging infrastructure, is rapidly evolving and expanding. As per the dashboard of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India (FAME)-II scheme, around 0.8 million EVs have been sold in the country, as of January 2023. Charging infrastructure development is gaining momentum, driven by central government programmes, particularly the FAME scheme, as well as initiatives by public and private players, including oil marketing companies. Ongoing government tenders, clarity on EV charging regulations and delicensing of EV charging are expected to further increase public charging point density in India in the near future.
Rising fuel prices and the attractive total cost of ownership of EVs are resulting in a switch to EVs. The rise in awareness regarding tail pipe emissions is also making end users seek cleaner transportation alternatives. Moreover, supportive policies and regulations are driving the demand for EVs. The government has set a target of achieving 30 per cent EV sales penetration by 2030. To help meet this ambitious target, the Department of Heavy Industries launched the FAME India scheme in 2015.
Phase II of FAME has been under implementation since April 2019, with budgetary support of Rs 100 billion. It is meant to incentivise demand for EVs by providing upfront subsidies and creating EV charging infrastructure. One million electric two-wheelers, 500,000 electric three-wheelers, 55,000 electric cars and 7,090 electric buses are planned to be supported under FAME-II, through subsidies. An allocation of Rs 10 billion has also been made under FAME-II for the provision of EV charging stations. However, a large portion of the funds allocated for public charging infrastructure remains underutilised. Under the two phases of FAME, a total of 562 charging stations have been installed as of December 7, 2022 (479 under FAME-I and 83 under FAME-II). The Ministry of Heavy Industries had sanctioned 520 charging stations under Phase I, and 2,877 charging stations across 68 cities in Phase II.
State governments are also taking active steps to increase the EV charging network in their states by providing attractive incentives in the form of capital subsidies and 100 per cent reimbursement of the state goods and services tax. So far, 18 states – Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Assam, Goa, Meghalaya, West Bengal and Uttarakhand – have either approved, notified or formulated dedicated EV policies. States such as Haryana, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh provide attractive capital subsidies for deployment of fast and slow EV chargers. Meanwhile, Delhi and Maharashtra are favourable locations for installing of private charging due to the availability of additional state subsidies. Besides these incentives, some state electricity regulatory commissions have announced tariff for EV charging as a separate category in their tariff orders.
EV sales have grown considerably over the years – from 56,399 in 2016-17 to 428,213 in 2021-22, recording a compound annual growth rate of nearly 50 per cent. As per the FAME-II dashboard (accessed on January 13, 2023), the overall number of EVs sold in the country has reached 813,607. Meanwhile, the required EV charging infrastructure to support the EVs is still lacking. As of August 2022, there are a total of 2,826 operational public charging stations (PCSs) in the country. In terms of sales, 17,520 units of EV chargers were sold in the country, aggregating to a capacity of 201.5 MW, in 2021, as per data from Customized Energy Solutions. This includes chargers supplied by EV original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and procurement by public sector undertakings (PSUs), commercial fleet operators, bus operators and charging service providers.
Various modes are being used for charging EVs, such as private, public, captive and battery swapping. Private charging is typically carried out on residential premises, while public charging infrastructure is available at publicly accessible locations. Captive chargers are the ones installed at government offices, corporate houses, etc. and used by commercial fleets such as electric cars and buses. Finally, the battery swapping model, which involves replacing discharged electric batteries with charged ones, is expected to gain traction in the Indian market. Most of the battery swapping is currently taking place in the e-rickshaw segment, and it is becoming increasingly popular. India is the first country to publish an official battery swapping draft policy. Further, charging infrastructure can be classified into alternating current (AC)- and direct current (DC)-based chargers. AC chargers are further divided into light EV (LEV) charge points (for e-scooters and rickshaws), Level-1 AC chargers and Level-2 AC chargers. DC chargers, meanwhile, are classified into Bharat DC-001, CHAdeMO and Combined Charging System (CCS) Type 2 chargers. Of the total EV charger sales in 2021, the majority were accounted for by Level-2 AC chargers, which are typically supplied with passenger electric four-wheelers, and installed by PSUs and charging point operators (CPOs) at PCSs. Meanwhile, CCS chargers are mainly utilised for captive charging of electric buses and fast charging of PCSs.
In January 2022, the Ministry of Power (MoP) issued the revised consolidated guidelines and standards for charging infrastructure. According to these, the tariff for electricity supply to PCSs will be a single-part tariff and will not exceed the average cost of supply until March 31, 2025. There will be a separate metering arrangement for PCSs, so that consumption may be recorded and billed as per tariffs for EV charging stations. Discoms may leverage funding from the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme for the general upstream network augmentation necessitated by upcoming charging infrastructure in various areas. Further, discoms have been directed to provide electricity connections to PCSs in accordance with the timelines specified in the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020. As per these guidelines, land available with the government or public entities will be provided for the installation of charging stations on a revenue sharing basis at the fixed rate of Re 1 per kWh, initially for a period of 10 years. Recently, in November 2022, the MoP issued an amendment to these guidelines. The amendment envisages PCSs offering a prepaid feature for service charges, including time-of-day rates and solar hour discounts.
In April 2022, NITI Aayog drafted a battery swapping policy. As per the draft policy, battery swapping would fall under the battery-as-a-service model, whereby customers can pay a regular subscription fee at fixed intervals to service providers for battery services throughout a vehicle’s lifetime. Only batteries using advanced chemistry cells, with performance equivalent or superior to EV batteries supported under FAME-II, would be considered under the proposed policy. The policy will provide incentives for greater adoption of swappable batteries in EVs. The incentives available to EVs that come pre-equipped with fixed batteries will also be available to EVs with swappable batteries.
Initiatives being taken in the Indian market
Currently, Energy Efficiency Services Limited’s (EESL) subsidiary, Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), is supporting the roll-out of public charging infrastructure in India. In October 2022, CESL announced the list of selected agencies for the installation of 124 battery swapping stations, 352 standing chargers for electric two- and three-wheelers and 1,294 standing DC fast chargers for electric four-wheelers across eight cities. These will be built under a build-own-operate model valid for eight years. Under this tender, CPOs will be given the right to use the sites provided to them by CESL for setting up and operating the charging infrastructure in the area. This business model is a shift from the earlier mode of business where CESL was responsible for investing, owning and operating these stations. With this tender, CESL has 1,770 EV charging stations under implementation.
Apart from EESL, various other PSUs such as NTPC Limited, Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited have announced plans to implement EV charging stations on a massive scale across the country. Meanwhile, oil PSUs, which are seen to be in a strategic position to build charging infrastructure, especially on highways and expressways across the country, are allowing CPOs to set up charging stations at their retail outlets. Oil marketing companies such as Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited have pledged to use their outlets to cumulatively set up 22,000 EV charging centres by 2025. Discoms such as BSES, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited and Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited are proactively partnering with several market players to set up charging stations and battery swaping points in their areas of operation. Tata Power recently announced the K2K (Kashmir to Kanyakumari) Plan for nation-wide installation of around 25,000 EV charging points over the next five years. The National Highways Authority of India is also working closely with the government to build charging infrastructure on national highways. It plans to cover 35,000-40,000 km of national highways with charging stations by 2023.
Additionally, charging station network developers such as Fortum, Magenta Power, Volttic and TecSo Charge Zone have developed their own charging platforms for managing their EV charging networks. Further, vehicle OEMs are collaborating with CPOs for providing existing and upcoming buyers with assurance regarding public charging points. For instance, vehicle OEMs such as Hero Electric, BYD India and Ather Energy have tied up with CPOs such as Charge Zone and Magenta ChargeGrid.
Tariff design and policy support
The fixed or demand charge for an electricity connection is levied on the sanctioned load for the connection or the maximum power demand registered during the billing period, which must be paid irrespective of the actual power usage. Energy charges are the variable component of an electricity tariff applied on the total volume of energy/electricity consumed during the billing period. There is significant variation across states in terms of tariff design. A few states, including Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka and Maharashtra, have introduced demand charges while some states such as Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh have notified only energy charges. Each state sets its own rates for distinct consumer groups; therefore, the two sides of the tariff, energy and demand charges, differ from one another.
Issues and challenges
EV sales witnessed a year-on-year rise of 168 per cent in 2021. However, the number of PCSs set up by PSUs increased by only 39 per cent during the same period. Further, the current utilisation rate of PCSs in India is in the range of 10-15 per cent. This low utilisation rate has been deterring investors and CPOs from expanding their fleets. However, with the increased usage of EVs by commercial fleet operators and the increased adoption rate of EVs by the public, the utilisation rates are expected to increase. Further, EV drivers may find it challenging to charge their vehicles on different charging networks until the networks become interoperable. CPOs will need to join hands and remove this barrier to provide a seamless charging experience to drivers. As per Customized Energy Solutions, the electrification of transport will lead to a rise in demand for energy and thus grid capacity. In the business-as-usual scenario, with the current adoption rate of EVs, the deployment of around 28 GW of charger capacity will be required between 2022 and 2030. The current annual installed capacity, as of 2021, stands at 201.5 MW. The key challenge would be to contain the tariff rates within affordable limits amidst such grid investments.
Collaboration between EV OEMs and CPOs is providing assurance to existing and upcoming buyers with respect to the availability of public charging points, which will boost the purchase of EVs. According to India Ratings and Research, in the next decade, India might need 0.23 million charging stations, entailing a total investment of Rs 1.05 trillion by 2031-32 to cater to the growing demand for EVs and the resultant requirement of power. Of these, 63,000 charging stations, entailing an investment of Rs 269 billion, are expected over the next five years.
In terms of energy requirement for the charging infrastructure, as per studies being carried out by the Central Electricity Authority to estimate the demand in 2031-32, a provisional requirement of 69 billion units for EVs has been considered. Further, action plans for nine major cities have been prepared by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency for installation of PCSs. As per the initial estimates, a total of 46,397 PCSs are being targeted to be installed in these cities by 2030.
Going forward, the recent policy initiatives and steps taken by oil marketing companies, as well as private and public players, towards setting up EV chargers are expected to boost the country’s EV charging ecosystem significantly.


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Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that six more start-up technology
companies have received a financial boost through the Connecticut Small Business
Incubator Program. Governor Rell announced aid to eight such start-ups in
The Small Business Incubator Program (SBIP) was developed in 2007 to further the
work of small, technology-based firms. These start-ups have the potential to
create new jobs and new economic opportunity for the state.
"The focus on keeping and growing jobs - especially in high-growth sectors such
as high-technology businesses - is all the more critical because of the national
economic slump," Governor Rell said. "These are smart, targeted investments that
have the potential to pay off handsomely for the people of our state.
"We certainly understand the financial risk and responsibility involved when
trying to start a business from scratch," the Governor said. "This program
fosters innovation and accelerates the growth and success of Connecticut's
high-tech sectors. Our support for these companies shows just how committed we
are and how important high-tech entrepreneurial businesses are to the state."
The SBIP recognizes that incubator companies have a strong likelihood of
success. According to National Business Incubation Association, 87 percent of
incubator companies remain in business and 84 percent remain in the community.


text:
House Judiciary Chief Calls for Review of Copyright Law
April 25, 2013 10:26 AM
Big media wants bills for more punitive enforcement, new media, internet firms, and activists fight back
Many senior justices complain the
copyright system in the U.S. is "broken"
, with the law struggling to deal with a new digital reality in which information is more easily shared.
Software copyright is often used (or abused) to try to prevent customers from
modifying (jailbreaking) devices they legally own
-- actions that violate provisions of the controversial
Digital Millennium Copyright Act
(DMCA) [PDF], which modified
of the U.S. Code. Another topic of controversy is backup copies. Industry officials argue that the DMCA is explicit -- no backups are allowed -- and insist customers should
simply repurchase content if their physical media is damaged
. Copyright law has also been at time abused
to take down legitimate websites
, sometimes even as an anticompetitive tactic by rivals.
U.S. Copyright Office
"Congress to once again think big" and enact copyright reform, crafting "the next great copyright act."
Congress is taking up copyright reform -- but which way will its reforms go is the pressing question. [Image Source: U.S. Congress]
At a celebration of
World Intellectual Property Day
Library of Congress
U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte
(D-Virg.) called on his House colleagues to heed the call,
The Internet has enabled copyright owners to make available their works to consumers around the world, but has also enabled others to do so without any compensation for copyright owners. Efforts to digitize our history so that all have access to it face questions about copyright ownership by those who are hard, if not impossible, to locate. There are concerns about statutory license and damage mechanisms.
Federal judges are forced to make decisions using laws that are difficult to apply today. Even the Copyright Office itself faces challenges in meeting the growing needs of its customers - the American public. ... The goal of these hearings will be to determine whether the laws are still working in the digital age.
This may be a case of being careful what you wish for. Big media has paid a tremendous amount of campaign donations to members of Congress. For example, between 2005 and 2011 large media interests
paid members of the U.S. Senate $86M USD
-- roughly a tenth of all their campaign costs.
Big media is slipping Congress loads of cash in hopes of more punitive copyright policy.
[Image Source: i-Sight]
Thus any copyright reform may come in the direction of furthering big media's dream goals, such as instituting stiff penalties for customers who use software to crack digital rights management and burn backup copies. This is certainly one debate to watch closely in coming months.
As for Rep. Goodlatte, it's hard to tell where his interests lies. He's received large donations from Google Inc. (
) and Pandora Media Inc. (
) on one side of the fence, and from Comcast Corp. (
) on the other side of the fence [
]. Thus he may be about as close to an unbiased party as you get in Congress these days, given that the special interest payouts (may) have balanced each other out.
U.S. House Judiciary Committee
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July 26, 2010, 2:10 PM
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June 16, 2008, 10:30 AM
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text:
Apple Used the DMCA to Take Down a Tweet Containing an iPhone Encryption Key
Apple asked Twitter to take down a viral tweet posted by an independent iPhone security researcher. Then, the company backtracked and asked for the tweet to be re-posted.
Inside the Messy, Dark Side of Nintendo Switch Piracy
Doxing rivals, stealing each other’s files, and poking around Nintendo’s servers are all a normal part of the ballooning Nintendo Switch hacking and piracy scenes.
How a Low-Level Apple Employee Leaked Some of the iPhone's Most Sensitive Code
This is how a small group of friends lost control of the leaked iBoot source code. The story behind one of Apple's most embarrassing leaks.


text:
Vivo S18 series with two entries is confirmed to launch in China soon. Vivo has not announced the exact launch date, but it has posted a new teaser image on the Chinese microblogging platform suggesting the design and colour options of the upcoming handsets. The Vivo S18 series is confirmed to come in at least two finishes. It is seen with a triple rear camera unit with VCS branding. The Vivo S18 and Vivo S18 Pro are expected to succeed the Vivo S17 and Vivo S17 Pro that went official in May this year.
The teaser posted on Weibo by Vivo’s Vice President Ouyang Weifeng shows the Vivo S18 series handsets in Porcelain and Jade (translated from Chinese) shades with curved screens. The upcoming models look like the Vivo S17 smartphones that we’ve seen so far. It has a triple rear camera unit with Aura lighting around the camera module that is claimed to adjust brightness for better night portraits. It houses a squared-shaped LED flash as well. The camera unit has VCS branding and it is confirmed to offer optical image stabilisation (OIS).
Vivo recently confirmed the arrival of the Vivo S18 lineup in the country via a Weibo post. The company, however, didn’t disclose the exact launch date, or the key specifications of the handsets.
As per past leaks, the Vivo S18 will run on Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 SoC. The Vivo S18 Pro, on the other hand, is said to run on a MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ SoC. It might pack a 50-megapixel Sony IMX920 sensor as well. Both phones are expected to house a 5,000mAh battery with support for 80W wired fast charging support. They are said to come with AMOLED displays and offer Wi-Fi 7 connectivity.
The Vivo S17 series with Vivo S17, Vivo S17t, and Vivo S17 Pro models was launched in China in May, but there is no official word yet on their India launch. Price of the regular variants starts at CNY 2,499 (roughly Rs. 29,100), while the Vivo S17 Pro has an initial price tag of CNY 3,099 (roughly Rs. 36,100).
Netflix Games to Add Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – the Definitive Edition on Mobile Platforms Next Month
#Vivo #S18 #Series #Design #Colour #Options #Revealed #Shows #Triple #Rear #Cameras


text:
Following the increasing number of escrow companies on the market list who continue to adopt cryptocurrencies and the blockchain technology, Glen Oaks Escrow, another popular escrow company, has decided to join the crypto-wagon.
Glen Oaks is an independent escrow company in Southern California. The company has announced a new update in developments, conveying that it would now be accepting cryptocurrencies, specifically Bitcoin, in their daily transactions for interested clients.
Glen Oaks would be using Bitpay, the flagship of Bitcoin processors, in its subsequent transactions. The processor, BitPay has been integrated to convert the required cryptocurrency into fiat denominations, before wiring it into the designated escrow account.
Joe Curtis, the current COO of Glen Oaks Escrow sees cryptocurrencies and the blockchain fulfilling significant roles in the real estate business in the near future. He explained the reason behind the new development.
“Increasingly, blockchain and cryptocurrencies have the potential to become a bigger part of real estate transactions, and this is one step to be ahead of the curve and enable transactions to happen through this vehicle.”
While Glen Oaks might be ‘one step ahead’ of other companies, it admits that the increasing rate at which escrow homes on the market are accepting bitcoin as a payment option became a key factor in their decision. Curtis is not the only one who feels cryptocurrencies are important in the real estate industry. Piper Moretti, a licensed realtor at Christie’s International Luxury Real Estate, also commented about the added edge.
“Cryptocurrency transactions go much smoother when escrow is dialed into this cutting-edge way of purchasing property,” he explained.
With the advent of blockchain technology, many industries continue to find ways to employ the blockchain technology in countless forms that were not even imagined. The real estate industry seems ready to harness this new found strength too.
Still recently, in another interesting development, a $30 million luxury condo in Manhattan became the first major asset to be tokenized in the borough.


text:
Los Angeles - Just a month before its June release in the US, Paramount Pictures delayed the debut of G.I. Joe: Retaliation by nine months after another movie based on a Hasbro toy was trounced at the box office by The Avengers.
Paramount on Wednesday pushed back the release of the G.I. Joe sequel from 29 June until 29 March 2013, in order to adapt the movie for 3D screens, according to Paramount's executive vice president of publicity, Katie Martin Kelley.
Lack of strong buzz
The move comes after Battleship, based on the Hasbro board game, debuted at No 2 at the North American box office with $25.5m in ticket sales, behind the still-strong Avengers, which brought in $55.6m in its third weekend of release.
Action films often get most of their revenue from 3D showings, which cost a few dollars more per ticket and can boost a movie's prospects to make its money back.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation also suffered from a lack of strong buzz online, according to Ben Carlson, president of market tracking firm Fizziology.
The sequel stars Channing Tatum, Bruce Willis, Dwayne Johnson, Adrianne Palicki and South African actor Arnold Vosloo.


text:
The flagship store of Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan hosted a swanky party last week with NBA player James Harden to celebrate the company’s renewed commitment to men’s business. The party celebrated the opening of the newly renovated men’s department on the seventh floor, the addition of over 125 new men’s brands including Rhone, Loewe and Jacquemus to Saks.com and the launch of a new men’s brand ambassador program called The Saks Man.
Tracy Margolies, the company’s chief merchandising officer, said the new menswear investment was inspired by the category’s “significant growth” over the past few years, although she declined to provide specific sales figures.
“As we continue to focus on expanding our online offering and creating an unparalleled range of menswear and accessories on Saks.com, our stores remain a critical part of the Saks Fifth Avenue ecosystem,” said Margolies. “The new men’s floor in New York amplifies the power of the store experience and reinforces Saks’ reputation as a fashion authority.”
The new men’s department on the seventh floor includes 19 shop-in-shops from major brands such as Bottega Veneta and Gucci, as well as Celine’s first-ever shop-in-shop called Celine Homme. It is also home to Palm Angels’ first-ever shop-in-shop and Alexander McQueen’s first-ever shop-in-shop under creative director Sarah Burton.
Louis DiGiacomo, Men’s SVP and GMM at Saks, said Saks’ in-store presence will continue to evolve as Saks’ menswear business grows. Saks plans to add other big brands to men’s ready-to-wear, including Louis Vuitton, Martine Rose and Maison Margiela in the next three months. In addition, the floor features a central atrium area that hosts installations from various brands and artists, which rotate every few months.
On the digital side, too, Saks.com, which separated from the stationary business in 2021, has significantly expanded its men’s catalogue. Buzzy brands like Jacquemus and Junya Watanabe are there, plus there’s a special focus on activewear brands like Rhone, Fair Harbor, Sease and Alo Yoga. Men’s athletic apparel is a fast-growing category projected to reach $450 billion by 2028, according to Grand View Research.
Finally, Saks has a newly launched invitation-only brand ambassador program called The Saks Man, of which Harden is a founding member. Ambassadors promote Saks marketing campaigns to their own audiences and attend and host Saks events – like the men’s division opening party on the seventh floor. Other early ambassadors include NBA player Quentin Grimes and activist Saad Amer. The structure of the program is almost identical to Saks Social Club, the women’s ambassador program launched in 2021.
The move comes at a difficult time for Saks Fifth Avenue. The parent company, Hudson’s Bay Company, went private in 2019 and the company is not releasing details of its finances. But Saks.com laid off 100 employees two weeks ago after reportedly doubling its headcount since 2021. Most of the people who lost their jobs were in the tech department.
HBC spun off Saks.com at a time when e-commerce revenues were booming, turning Saks.com into a private company co-owned by HBC and investment firm Insight Ventures. But e-commerce growth has slowed significantly since then. Layoffs are an increasingly common way to rein in spending when revenues are down due to inflation and lower spending.
But executives said the men’s store had been a bright spot, with DiGiacomo saying December 2022 was a stellar month for Saks’ menswear sales, beating sales in December 2019.
Men’s clothing in general has been growing rapidly over the past three years and the market is expected to reach $547 billion by 2026, according to Euromonitor. Saks has been investing heavily in menswear for a number of years. DiGiacomo called menswear an “explosive category” in a 2018 interview with Glossy.
Menswear stylist Taylor Davies told Glossy last year that there has been a lot of excitement in menswear fashion in recent years. Saks Fifth Avenue competitor Nordstrom has invested in its menswear, opening a separate menswear store in 2018 and hiring Jian DeLeon of Highsnobiety as head of menswear in 2020.
“Guys care more about what they wear,” Davies said.
Comments are closed.


text:
By Olivia Anderson | email@example.com
The City of Alexandria is gearing up to launch a BIPOC Small Business Grant Program.
Alexandria business owners who identify as Black, indigenous and/or a person of color are encouraged to apply for a business grant by Feb. 10 in order to be considered.
According to a news release, grant funding form $1,000 to $7,000 will be awarded on a first come, first served basis.
Submissions open on Jan. 26. For more information about eligibility, award criteria, and frequently asked questions, visit alexandriava.gov/ BIPOC.


text:
In partnership with FirstBank – Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services provider – Verve International, Africa’s leading payment technology and card business, has launched its third National Consumer promo designed to reward users of FirstBank verve card with exciting gifts and cash prizes to appreciate their patronage and use of the card to carry-out their electronic banking transactions.
The ongoing 2-month promo will end on 30 October 2022 as 20 customers (10 customers per month) with the highest transaction count during the promo will be made millionaires, winning the sum of N1 million each. Also, N20,000 will be won by 25 customers monthly.
On the other hand, 2620 FirstBank verve cardholders that double their transactions every week, stand a chance to enjoy 10% cashback capped at N2,000 per customer.
Speaking on the promo Chuma Ezirim, Group Executive, e-Business & Retail Products, FirstBank said “we appreciate our partnership with Verve Card through the years; a partnership of empowerment and opportunities which include growing the economy, supporting new businesses and preventing unemployment. FirstBank verve card holders are encouraged to keep using their cards as it is a card offering that promotes safe, convenient and rewarding digital banking experience with 20 customers standing a chance to be millionaires at the end of the promo.”
Verve card is a secure debit card that allows cardholders to conveniently meet their daily financial needs such as payment for goods and services, airtime recharge, bill payments, funds transfer, etc. Verve card is accepted across all ATMs, POS, Web and Mobile Platforms in Nigeria.
The promo is also opened to new verve cardholders as non-verve cardholders are encouraged to visit the nearest FirstBank branch today to pick up a Verve card and start getting rewarded!
Only recently, FirstBank – in partnership with Verve – rewarded over 2601 FirstBank verve cardholders with various prizes; including N20,000 cash prize, N10,000 cash prize, N10,000 worth of airtime; power generating sets, refrigerator, cooking gas, smart TV and the grand prize of a brand-new car to a lucky winner.