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As the price of bitcoin continues to hit record highs, large companies offering current cryptocurrencies have instead begun discussing ambitious plans for the future.
Recently, PayPal CEO Dan Shulman mentioned the future development of PayPal’s cryptocurrency offering during Forbes’ Blockchain 50 2021: Cryptocurrency Goes Corporate Seminar, an online event held on April 13.
During a conversation with Michael Del Castillo, deputy director of Forbes, Shulman noted that the financial system will undergo several changes over the next five years compared to the progress of the last 30 years. Shulman further indicated that digital currencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) will lead, indicating that there will be much less cash and credit card transactions over the next five to ten years. Schulman said:
“We are approaching the time with digital currencies, and these digital currencies make great promises, be it digital currencies or the central bank’s digital currencies. I believe digital currencies can increase the value of payments and make the financial system more inclusive and cheaper. … ”
Digital currencies will create financial inclusion
According to Shulman, one of the biggest problems facing society today is that millions of people everywhere are excluded from the current economic system. This is especially evident in the United States as Americans with bank accounts begin to receive the latest round of financial stimulus checks through direct deposits. Unfortunately, millions of non-bankers and non-bankers have to wait longer to receive paper checks in the mail.
Schulman noted that the financial system today is relatively inefficient, and notes that it takes a long time to get money, which is more challenging for people with low incomes. He said: “It is not comprehensive at all.”
To address these persistent issues, Shulman explained that the PayPal cryptocurrency offering, launched in the US in November 2021, will eventually allow users to do more than just buy, sell and buy Bitcoin, Ether (ETH) and Litecoin (LTC ). … …) And Bitcoin Cash (BCH). While PayPal announced in late March that the platform will soon allow its sellers to accept cryptocurrency as an exchange, Shulman suggested that this is just the beginning of many possibilities:
PayPal really wants to use cryptocurrency as a source of financing for daily transactions. The last phase, however, is a more noble vision of this economy as a whole, and everything will happen differently than today. ”
Aside from cryptocurrencies, Schulman shared that PayPal will ultimately benefit from smart contracts and other underlying technologies to ensure that payment is more than just a transaction. “This is the promise of all digital currencies – they can add value through a simple transaction.”
Digital currency innovation may take longer than expected
While PayPal’s cryptocurrency plans are remarkable, it’s important to note that innovation may take longer than expected. For example, when Del Castillo asked Schulman how long he expected PayPal’s cryptocurrency service to reach $ 200 million, Schulman boldly replied that it would only take a few months, perhaps less.
While this is encouraging for the adoption of cryptocurrency, Del Castillo noted that Coinbase Commerce, the platform that supports cryptocurrency payments to online stores, took 13 months to raise $ 200 million in volume.
However, Cointelegraph previously reported that the success of Coinbase Commerce is due in part to the 8,000 resellers currently using Coinbase for payment services. Shulman mentioned in a side chat that PayPal has over 375 million digital wallet consumers and around 30 million sellers on the platform. PayPal, on the other hand, has the potential to break new boundaries when it comes to digital payments for trading.
No plans to add bitcoins to your PayPal balance
While Schulman appears to be very optimistic about the adoption of cryptocurrency, the CEO said there are still no plans to add Bitcoin to PayPal’s balance in 2021. “I think the likelihood of this is small,” he said.
When asked why, Shulman explained that PayPal’s balance sheet consists of safer assets with less volatility, as funds must be used in a way that they can return money to shareholders. “We really need to check what’s on the balance sheet to ensure that capital is allocated consistently,” Shulman said.
While that may be the case, Michael Sailor, chairman and CEO of MicroStrategy, has a different view of Bitcoin’s volatility.


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Nike Air Max 2011 – Upcoming Colorways
Last week Sneaker News reported a first look into next year’s Air Max installment, the Nike Air Max 2011. As expected, the upper was completely redesigned but what caught our readers by surprise was the implementation of Nike’s all-new Fuse material and the shedding of Flywire that was featured on nearly all of Nike’s performance shoes. Here’s another look at the Nike Air Max 2011, with a focus on the sea of colorways that are scheduled for release; you’ll see a number of uni-color uppers and a few with different colors in the double layers, like the black over silver and grey over red. There’s a ton more to see so continue reading for a look at the Air Max 2011 colorways and stick with Sneaker News for more developing info. via chajinyoung.

domain: news


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Commercial Metals Co. said its fiscal first-quarter earnings fell 7.6% as the scrap-metal processor's revenue in several key segments dropped.
Commercial Metals recycles, manufactures and sells steel and metal products.
Chief Executive Joe Alvarado said Tuesday that the company's second quarter is expected to be seasonally slower as a result of holiday slowdowns and winter weather conditions, which reduce construction activity. However, he said the company remains encouraged by broad economic improvement, such as growth in the U.S. gross domestic product and economies in Australia and Europe.
For the quarter ended Nov. 30, the company reported a profit of $45.9 million, or 39 cents a share, compared with a year-earlier profit of $49.7 million, or 42 cents a share.
Results for the latest quarter included a gain of 13 cents a share associated with the sale of the company's wholly owned copper tube manufacturing operation, while results for a year earlier included a gain of 14 cents a share stemming from the sale of the company's 11% ownership in Trinecke Zelezarny A.S., a Czech Republic joint-stock company.
Net sales fell 3.8% to $1.68 billion.
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had forecast 24 cents a share in earnings and $1.74 billion in sales.
International marketing and distribution, the company's largest revenue contributor, logged 16% lower sales.
Sales at the Americas recycling segment shrank 3.9%, while sales at Americas mills rose 5.3%.
Write to Ben Fox Rubin at firstname.lastname@example.org


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TinyUmbrella Updated to Support iOS 6.1.4
Apple unexpectedly released a new version of iOS earlier recently, iOS 6.1.4. The new version of iOS only included a single item in its change log which was an updated audio profile for the iPhone 5. Those of you who are currently jailbroken on iOS 6.1.2 already know to stay away from the update but for those of you who already updated, thereís a new version of TinyUmbrella out that youíll likely want to use.
Notcom posted on the TinyUmbrella blog that he updated the popular SHSH blob-saving tool to support for the recent iOS update. If you happen to be on iOS 6.1.4, youíll want to grab it. Remember, itís better to be safe than sorry and even though iOS 6.1.4 is unlikely to be jailbroken, there isnít any way of knowing what will come in handy down the line and what wonít.
As mentioned before, those of you who are on iOS 6.1.3 or below donít need to worry about this!


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According to findings, a whopping N3.208 trillion was expended by Nigerian subscribers as the estimated amount used to buy airtime credit to access voice and data services on their mobile devices across mobile network operators (MNOs).
The amount also represents the estimated revenue raked in by various telecoms companies across Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM),Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and fixed wired/wireless networks. In 2015 and 2016, estimated spending of subscribers on airtime purchases to access both voice and data services on the devices were conservatively valued at N2.8 trillion and N3.3 trillion respectively, as analysed by this newspaper.
It was gathered that the airtime credits were purchased across different platforms such as the physical recharge card option, the virtual top-up (VTU) done through USSD code, subscribers’ bank accounts domiciled on their mobile devices, vending on web-based platforms, as well as on Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).
The estimated airtime spending and revenue for subscribers and telcos respectively was arrived at using the monthly active subscriber base for the 12-month period and the Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) data in the nation’s telecoms industry.
ARPU is the industry’s benchmark determined by industry players to measure the average or mean spending by telecoms consumers on airtime, which they, in turn, use to access voice and data services.
Throughout 2017, industry ARPU in the country’s $70 billion telecommunication market floated around N1,842. Hence, the N3.3 trillion as conservatively arrived by multiplying the underlining ARPU figure of N1,842 with active subscriber base from January to last December, as released by the telecoms umpire.
With 155.1 million active subscriber base on mobile networks in January last year, the estimated household spending on airtime stood at N285.6 billion. In February and March same year, when active subscribers stood at 154.1 million and N154.4 million and with the ARPU of N1,842, the estimated consumer spending were N283.8 billion and N284.4 billion respectively. Also, airtime spending last April, May and June were estimated at N274.8 billion; N267.6 billion and N263.4 billion when active telephone users across different mobile networks seated at 149.2 million, 145.3 million and 143 million in that order.
In addition, operators raked in N256.2 billion and N256.7 billion in July and August as declining subscribers dropped to 139.1 million and 139.4 million respectively. By September and October, when active subscribers were 139.9 million and 140.7 million, the amount spent by the subscribers on airtime purchase were estimated at N257.6 billion and N259.1 billion respectively.
Also, the subscriber spending stood at N262 billion when active subscriber base on mobile networks rose to 142.2 million in November and N267 billion expended on airtime last December at a time active subscribers reached 145 million.


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Working a company Google to end support for one of its premium virtual reality products, it said Post: It discontinued its active internal development of the Tilt Brush VR drawing app and opened up project resources so the community can continue to use the app.
Google said: This step allows everyone to know how to build the project, in addition to encouraging them to take it in the directions near and dear to them.
Tilt Brush was acquired by Google in 2015 after it was launched in HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, and it was quickly integrated into the company’s larger virtual reality plans, such as Google Cardboard glasses and Daydream.
Google first launched the app via SteamVR in 2016, and has made its way to all major virtual reality platforms, including Oculus Quest, PlayStation VR and Valve Index.
3D painting in virtual reality is the main feature of Tilt Brush, and the app has received numerous updates during its development, including support for multiplayer and an open-source toolkit that provides the ability to export graphics for use in animation.
With this announcement, this development is nearing an end, and future support for the app is in the hands of the community that still uses it.
Code for Tilt Brush can now be accessed via GitHub, but Google says: Some features should be removed from the open source due to licensing restrictions.
The company provides detailed instructions on how to rebuild those missing features in the app, and in addition, Tilt Brush remains available for download across all major virtual reality app stores.
The company discontinued its Daydream VR goggles, switched Google Cardboard to open source in 2019, closed its Jump platform to create 360-degree videos in the same year, and closed virtual reality field trips Google Expeditions in 2020.
Tilt Brush is the latest app in the series of discontinued Google VR projects, and its remaining projects in this area include virtual reality versions of YouTube and Google Earth, as well as game development studio Owlchemy Labs.
Obviously, turning things over to open source seems like a useful compromise for people who still use these products every day, and without Google’s resources, everything new for Tilt Brush stays out.


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Wall Street wants people to think that budget deficits are a problem. But the deficit that is causing trouble for our economy, costing us jobs and driving down our pay is the trade deficit. And we have an enormous, humongous trade deficit. I mean, huge. I mean $40 billion a month.
To show the effect of this huge trade deficit, imagine the effect on our economy if companies doing and making things inside of the U.S. suddenly received orders for $40 billion of goods and services. Imagine the hiring that would be taking place, the rise in wages as companies tried to get workers to fill the demand, the people getting off of food stamps, the effect on local stores, etc… Imagine that happening again next month and then every single month from now on. Another $40 billion. And then another $40 billion. And then another … That is exactly the measure of what this trade deficit translates to in lost jobs and economic drag.
That is why the trade deficit is such a problem.
The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis released the March trade figures this morning. The U.S. international goods and services trade deficit fell to $40.4 billion from a revised $41.9 billion in February.
Even the U.S. goods deficit with China fell a bit to $20.4 billion, from $20.9 billion in February. But the U.S. goods deficit with Japan went up a bit to $5.9 billion, from $5.3 billion in February.
A Reuters report, “U.S. trade deficit narrows in March as exports rebound,” explains,
Exports of capital goods, industrial supplies and materials, and automobiles increased in March. Exports of services hit a record high, while those of non-petroleum goods were also the highest on record.
But the thing is, even if exports increase, it has to be balanced by a decrease in imports. Otherwise, more jobs are still being lost than are being gained.
Reuters explained that the trade deficit is a good part of what is holding back the U.S. economy, writing, “Trade subtracted 0.83 percentage point from GDP growth in the first quarter, helping to hold down the economy to a 0.1 percent annual growth rate.”
The recent free trade treaty with South Korea was sold as a way to create U.S. jobs. So if we saw balanced trade or a trade surplus it would that promise was fulfilled. But instead, the U.S. goods deficit with South Korea went up in March to $1.3 billion, from $1.0 billion in February. This means that it is costing even more jobs.
According to Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch on the second anniversary of the US-Korea free trade treaty exports to Korea were down 11 percent and the trade deficit with Korea was up 47 percent since this agreement was signed. According to the Economic Policy Institute, as of March 60,000 American jobs had been lost (mostly in manufacturing), exports to Korea were down 7.5 percent with the trade deficit up 59.6 percent. So it’s even worse now.
Scott Paul, President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), said of the March numbers,
“Every dollar’s worth of trade deficit serves as a drag on economic growth, which means fewer job opportunities for American workers. A smart trade strategy starts with trade enforcement.
“If our workers and businesses have a level playing field here at home as well as in markets abroad, we will grow jobs. I was in Lorain, Ohio on Monday, where hundreds of jobs are in jeopardy because of dumped steel pipe from South Korea. Unless the Commerce Department makes the right choice in July, the American pipe and tube industry could suffer. Enforcing trade laws creates jobs in America.”


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Once relegated to a US-only phenomenon, Black Friday has seen exponential growth in Australia in the last decade to where it is now considered by many to be the single biggest date on the Australian retail calendar. This year, as consumers grapple with high costs of living and the ramifications of an immense and ongoing spike in inflation rates since mid-2021, retailers are being warned to start their preparations for the sales event even earlier than normal.
Beginning as a colloquial term designated to the Friday after the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, Black Friday has been considered to coincide with the busiest shopping day in the US since at least 2005 as retailers adopted the occasion to mark headline sales events.
Locally, Black Friday failed to gain traction in Australia for a great length of time, only finally seeing modest adoption approximately a decade ago. Since then, the event has continued to grow year after year, fast becoming the retail industry’s most important and anticipated day in each calendar year.
“We’ve seen the event really explode in the last five or six years locally,” says Simon Le Grand, Director of Marketing for POS and e-commerce platform providers Lightspeed, “Traditionally it was a sales phenomenon with less traction outside the US and specifically, big box retailers. Today, it’s arguably the biggest period on the Australian retail calendar, surpassing Boxing Day sales.”
Le Grand, like many industry insiders, attributes the rapid growth of the sales event largely to its timing in the lead up to the Christmas period as consumers look for opportunities to save on gifts for family and friends.
“Many Aussie shoppers now treat it as an ideal time to kick-start their Christmas shopping early and grab a discount,” Le Grand tells Power Retail, “Lightspeed works with thousands of retail businesses across Australia and anecdotally, many of them tell us Black Friday is the most important period for them, as it signals the start of peak retail season.”
This year, as economic conditions continue to worsen and put considerable pressure on consumers and retailers alike, it is anticipated that sales events like that of Black Friday will be even more important to the retail industry than in previous years. As a result, retailers hoping to make the most of the opportunities to come from this event are being encouraged to prepare early, recognising the ways in which consumers’ spending behaviours have changed as a result of the present climate.
“Black Friday is synonymous with eye-watering discounts, but success doesn’t require a race to the bottom to offer the biggest discounts. Instead, preparation and doing the basics well are essential,” Le Grand offers, “Black Friday is a short-term sales bonanza, but retailers should certainly use the period between now and then to communicate with their customers; sharing updates about their products, offers and promotions well in advance. Email, social media and their website or eCommerce store, as well as promotions in-store or on decals on shop windows, are great ways to get the word out.”
Getting a jump on sales season now is also especially advisable given that the month of November will offer retailers two opportunities to boost their chances of reaching cost conscious consumers with high profile sales events, with the Click Frenzy Main Event set to kick off the month in the week beginning November 7 before the month closes with the Black Friday event beginning November 25. Strategising ahead of time for these opportunities, Le Grand suggests, will be key to seeing the greatest amount of success from them.
“Today consumers are ‘omnichannel’. That means they’re active online and in-store. They want to discover brands and products online and also enjoy those personal and meaningful in-store experiences. Retailers who can tie their online and in-store presences together will be able to maximise the opportunities Black Friday holds,” says Le Grand, “We all love an offer, too, so retailers should consider how to upsell, whether that’s through buy two get one free, discounts when someone signs up for a mailing list or having smaller items conveniently located next to the checkout.”
“As well as incentives, consumers want speed, convenience and flexibility, particularly when it comes to payments. The point of sale is the final step, and often the most important. Retailers should ensure they’re set up to accept multiple forms of payment from debit and credit cards, to digital payments, loyalty cards or alternative methods like ‘Buy Now Pay Later’. Integrated payments platforms like Lightspeed allow retailers to accept multiple forms of payment, access inventory in real-time, manage their in-store and online operations, benefit from detailed analytics and spend more time focusing on providing beautiful products and experiences this Black Friday.”
The e-commerce landscape is changing. With a Power Retail Switched On membership, you get access to current e-commerce revenue and forecasting, traffic levels, average conversion rate, payment preferences and more!


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Apple will be hosting its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) at the San Jose Convention Center, in San Jose, California starting this Monday.
Many will be tuning in today to see and hear what’s new in Apple’s world, what big announcements will be made regarding updates in software, and what to expect as far as upgrades and new changes with Apple’s hardware. The conference is expected to kick-off the keynote address Monday morning at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, and 1 p.m. Eastern Time.
The 2018 event will bring many announcements regarding what to expect in the upcoming months on the next major updates for the iPhone, Mac, Apple TV, Watch software, which should include iOS 12, tvOS 12, watchOS 5, and macOS 10.14, many of these updates will launch during Apple’s September event.
Other features that are expected to be debuted are a feature to track and set limits for time spent on certain apps, parental control enhancement features, and a better performance while using iOS.
Viewers should expect news on Siri, the latest updates on Apple’s HomePod, and the latest merger with iOS running iPhone app on Mac. These are just a few subjects that Apple will probably address during the week. Stay tuned for more updates as the conference begin.


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Motorola recently announced its latest Android smartphones, one of those is the new Motorola RAZR M, and now it looks like the handset is headed to the UK as the Motorola Droid M.
Motorola revealed to the guys over at Pocket Lint that the UK version of the handset will come with an Intel processor, other specification including the design are expected to be the same.
The Motorola Droid M will features a 4.3 inch qHD touchscreen display with a 960 x 540 pixel resolution, it will also come with Android 4.0 ICS and will feature 1GB of RAM and a 2,000 mAh battery.
According to the report Motorola will launch the Motorola Droid M in the UK on the 18th of September, as yet we do not have any information on pricing, as soon as we get some more information we will let you guys know.
Source Pocket Lint
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Value of Hong Kong exports drop by 1.4% to $388.1b
The value of exports has fallen behind the value of imports.
The value of Hong Kong exports dropped by 1.4% to $388.1b in May, falling behind the value of imports which rose 1.3% to $424.8b, the Census & Statistics Department said.
Given the decline in export value, the trade deficit clocked at $36.7b or 8.6% of the value of imports.
According to the government, the value of exports declined in May as the “global economy faced increasing headwinds.” It added that exports to the Mainland also fell further in the same month.
Looking ahead, the government said the “worsened global economic prospects will continue to weigh on the city’s export performance.”
“The step-up in monetary policy tightening by many major central banks, the development of the Ukraine situation as well as the pandemic’s lingering threat also add uncertainties,” it added.
READ MORE: Exports rise for the first time in 12 months


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We need look no further than the latest round of big publishers snatching up novice writers. Fifty Shades started out as fan fiction, and now it seems that another Twilight spin-off has hit pay dirt too.
You can read the entire article here, but I think this quote sums it up nicely:
"With an existing fan base waiting to see what happens next and the potential for word-of-mouth social media recommendations, HarperCollins's publishing director, Shona Martyn, expects the vampire thriller to find an immediate audience."Regardless of where you stand on the issue of fan fiction, no one can argue that the industry is taking a good, long look at young writers that establish some sort of platform. It speaks volumes that HarperCollins readily admits the vampire genre is waning, and yet they are willing to invest in an unknown author solely based on the number of page hits they have.
While I'm sure I won't be reading this work anytime soon, I do like the fact that that our new gatekeepers are the readers and not someone predicting projected trends based on marketing focus groups.
What do you think? Is Fan Fic bad for an already floundering industry?


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Evie Jeang • Surrogacy Concierge
“I don’t look or dress like a typical lawyer,” said Evie Jeang, family attorney, founder and chief executive of Surrogacy Concierge, headquartered in Alhambra with offices in New York.
Ophir Tanz I GumGum Inc.
Ophir Tanz is co-founder and chief executive of GumGum Inc., self-described as an artificial intelligence company with expertise in computer vision
You don’t get ahead without thinking outside the box, after all, and that often means embracing new technology.
Maggie Drake • Bandolier
Maggie Drake, co-founder and chief executive of Bandolier, admits to being fashion-obsessed since she was a tween growing up in Monterey.
Dana Hollinger • Dana Hollinger Group
Dana Hollinger, founder of Dana Hollinger Group in Century City, said she leads a double life.
Robert Atallah • Cedarlane Natural Foods Inc.
Robert Atallah, chief executive of Cedarlane Natural Foods Inc., founded the natural food company in 1981, basing the company’s first products on his grandmother’s recipes for hummus, tabouli and other Mediterranean treats.
Glorya Kaufman • Glorya Kaufman Dance Foundation
“I’m a stylish person,” said philanthropist Glorya Kaufman during a recent Business Journal visit to her Beverly Hills estate.
C. Freeman • Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science
C. Freeman’s self reflection.
Sky’s Gourmet Tacos still going strong after quarter century
How one woman scored a cross-over hit.
Martin Biallas I Special Entertainment Events Inc.
Martin Biallas, chief executive of Hollywood-based Special Entertainment Events Inc., has a strong sense of personal style.


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It's a great time to be Netflix Inc (NFLX 2.90%). Shares of the leading video streamer just shot to record highs after announcing a price increase. Not only will the company soon see rising operating margins, but investors are rewarding management for the move.
Meanwhile, analysts are bullish about next week's earnings report, and the company just won 20 Emmy awards after garnering a company-record 91 nominations at the annual television celebration.
Netflix's success with original programming along with the performance of the underlying business and stock price has taken over the narrative of the company. The service is now associated with hit shows like House of Cards and Stranger Things, but its growing reputation for original content belies an important truth about the company -- most of its programming budget and viewership revolves around licensed, not original content.
Though its hit shows are the ones that get headlines, Netflix Content Chief Ted Sarandos acknowledged that the "vast majority" of next year's $7 billion budget will go to licensed content. Within a few years, Netflix believes it will spend half of its budget on original content, but currently the company is heavily dependent on partners. For example, a recent survey of Netflix's "Trending Now" suggestions found that most of the recommendations were not Netflix originals.
Here comes Hulu
The company faces an increasing number of competitors as traditional networks like CBS (PARA 2.15%) and Disney (DIS 1.84%) have launched or announced plans for their own streaming services, but the most underrated of its rivals may be Hulu, a joint venture between several of the major broadcast networks.
Backed by the likes of Disney (via Disney ABC), 21st Century Fox, NBC Universal, and Comcast (CMCSA 2.68%), Hulu looks like a business that was designed to stand in Netflix's way, and after its debut series The Handmaid's Tale won Best Drama at the Emmys, the company has momentum like never before. Hulu recently stepped up its challenge of Netflix by outbidding it for the popular NBC series This Is Us, and acquiring the rights to 30 Rock, which stopped streaming on Netflix last month. Among the other shows Hulu recently acquired are Black-ish, Will & Grace, and NYPD Blue, giving the service a reliable library of reruns that have proven to be popular.
In another shot across the bow at Netflix, Hulu just announced it would lower its monthly fee for new subscribers from $7.99 to $5.99 with commercials, seemingly a response to Netflix hiking the price on its most popular package from $9.99/month to $10.99/month. The move should help draw attention to Hulu as it beefs up its content library.
Moving to originals
Netflix has carefully developed its strategy around original content, as the streamer would rather invest to create its own programming that it controls in perpetuity and can stream around the world.
That strategy makes sense for Netflix as content creators like Disney are becoming reluctant to sell to it, but investors should remember that the streamer has no inherent advantage when it comes to creating content. Like its competitors, Netflix has had hits and misses, and is often simply bidding alongside Amazon (AMZN 3.15%), Hulu, HBO, and others as new shows become available. As Hulu's Emmy win shows, all of the streamers and premium networks are capable of churning popular shows.
Turmoil inside Amazon Studios, meanwhile, has become apparent as that company has been unable to land a Game of Thrones-type hit despite spending $4.5 billion on content this year, and CEO Jeff Bezos has called for a shakeup in the division's strategy.
Netflix's advantage may come from its global reach and paying audience of over 100 million, but it's worth remembering that syndicated shows are an important anchor for the company's audience. As it steps up its focus on originals, the company needs to be careful not to lose too many of the classic hit shows that have delighted its members for so many years.


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MWC 2023 will be held in Barcelona on February 27. Honor will release Honor Magic 5 series mobile phones, as well as the overseas version of Magic Vs foldable mobile phones at MWC 2023. The press conference is scheduled at 20:30 on February 27, Beijing time.
Honor Magic 5 Pro, Magic 5 to the edition has passed the national 3C quality certification, the models are respectively PGT-AN10 and PGT-AN20, all support 66W fast charge. According to @digital chat station said, the new machine will also be standard 5000mAh single cell large battery, battery life is very good, but the fast charging speed is certainly not as fast as the 100W flagship machine.
In addition, the model for the PGT-AN00 Honor Magic 5 has passed 3C certification last week, so far three certificates complete only waiting for release. According to the certification results, the new phone will be produced by BYD’s factory in Changsha and Honor’s own factory.
Digital blogger @digital chat station said that Honor Magic 5 series Guild will be released in March, the new machine uses a 1/1.1 inch main camera + large aperture new module new scheme, compared to the competing products of 1 inch also has a good performance, it will also come with the upcoming hot 50Mp / 64Mp auxiliary lens specs.
As previously revealed, the Honor Magic5 series will include Honor Magic5, Magic5 Pro, and Magic5 Deluxe. Previously revealed renderings match the shots in the official posters.
Honor Magic5 series is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, with a 6.8-inch eye protection flexible screen and support for 100W wired fast charge and 50W wireless fast charge, as well as structural light and IP68 water and dust resistance.
Honor Magic 5 series of PGT-AN00 mobile phone has been in the TENAA, this machine uses the popular circular camera module design, containing three lenses (Pro version for four), equilateral triangle arrangement, it is reported that one of them is a latent telephoto lens, below the flash. The machine will support up to 100x digital zoom.
Zhao Ming, CEO of Honor, previously said that the Magic 5 series will be built into a high-end flagship leading in imaging, communication, security and intelligence.


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The Charleston Farmers Market is making its return to Marion Square in an essentials-only format Saturday due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
All vendors and visitors will be required to wear masks and maintain social distance throughout the opening and all subsequent events as well as follow all other CDC protocols, according to a press release.
No prepared food vendors, entertainment or other activities will be included in the market, which will instead feature farmers and growers, packaged food vendors, artisans and craftsmen.
Sanitation stations will be set up and available throughout the market-space, as well as signs directing visitors safely from vendor to vendor.
The market will open 8 a.m.-1 p.m. every Saturday beginning April 10 and will remain on that schedule through the remainder of the season. Follow @charlestonfarms on social media for more information.


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USD, pound rise, euro falls on Iran’s Forex Center
Azerbaijan, Baku, Jun.15/ Trend F.Karimov/
U.S. dollar and British pound rose, but euro fell on Iran's Forex Center today compared with Thursday, IRNA reported.
U.S. dollar rose 10 rials to 24,797 rials.
British pound was sold at 38,940 rials, up 797 rials. But, euro was sold at 33,097 rials, down 20 rials compared with Thursday.
Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar was sold at 36,500 rials in the free market.
The Tehran Forex center was officially inaugurated on September 24, 2012. It allows importers of goods to buy dollars at a rate 2 percent cheaper than the street rate at any given time.
But, the government maintains an official reference rate of 12,260 rials to the dollar, but only a limited amount of foreign exchange is available at this rate.


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BMW in Driving Seat for The 2006 Ryder Cup
BMW has been announced as the Official Car to The 2006 Ryder Cup, providing a fleet of 40 courtesy cars for the use of players and officials during the match at The K Club.
22 August 2005
BMW is pleased to announce that it will become the Official Car to The 2006 Ryder Cup at The K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland, from September 22-24, 2006.
The agreement with Ryder Cup Europe LLP signifies BMW's continuing global commitment to the game of golf emphasised by their Partnership with The European Tour in the highly successful BMW Championship at Wentworth Club in May and title sponsorship of the BMW Asian Open and the BMW International Open.
BMW, who also this year became Official Car to The European Tour, have brought their expertise and special organisational skills to golf since the first BMW International Open in 1989.
The announcement was made today, at a time when 2004 Ryder Cup Captain Bernhard Langer, 2006 Ryder Cup Captain Ian Woosnam, Thomas Bj?rn, Angel Cabrera, Paul Casey, K.J. Choi, Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington, Miguel Angel Jim?nez, Paul McGinley, Ian Poulter and many more of the world's leading golfers were competing at the prestigious 17th BMW International Open.
Torsten M?ller-?tv?s, Director BMW Central Marketing and Brand Management, said: "BMW has a long history of supporting European golf at all levels. To be named the Official Car of The Ryder Cup, the most prestigious golf competition worldwide, is an excellent extension of BMW's continuous golfsport engagement. We are proud that 24 of the best players of the world will be driven in our premium cars in 2006. This is a further significant milestone in our successful partnership with The European Tour and Ryder Cup Europe LLP."
George O'Grady, Executive Director of The European Tour, said: "The European Tour and The Ryder Cup Board are delighted to welcome BMW as Official Car to The Ryder Cup 2006. This represents a superb addition to the outstanding commitment already shown by BMW as The European Tour's strongest global commercial partner.
"They join a very special team of Ryder Cup Partners and Official Suppliers all dedicated to ensuring The 2006 Ryder Cup at The K Club in Ireland will be a unique sporting occasion and a total success."
Under the terms of The Ryder Cup agreement, BMW will provide a fleet of 40 courtesy cars for the use of players and officials during The Ryder Cup. BMW will also supply an agreed number of BMW X5 Event Support Vehicles to be used by staging staff and as Evacuation Vehicles in the event of inclement weather.
"We are delighted to be the Official Car of The 2006 Ryder Cup and look forward to becoming involved in what is undoubtedly the most prestigious team event in golf," said Jim O'Donnell, Managing Director of BMW (UK) Ltd.
BMW's association with professional golf began in 1989 when they hosted the first BMW International Open, won by Irish Ryder Cup player, David Feherty at the Golfclub M?nchen Nord-Eichenried. Today, the German car manufacturer is also Partner and Title Sponsor of the BMW Championship - the PGA Championship - widely regarded as the flagship event on The European Tour, the BMW Asian Open, held for the last two years at the acclaimed Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club in Shanghai, and the BMW Italian Ladies Open, a leading event on the Ladies' European Tour.
BMW is also the Official Car of The European Tour and is strongly committed to grass roots golf through its development of the prestigious BMW Golf Cup International, which was established in 1987 and has since grown into the largest and most successful amateur event in the world, last year attracting over 100,000 entries from over 40 different countries.
Sunday Video Recap
Check out all the great highlights from Sunday's European victory. Watch
- 1969: Tony Jacklin and Jack Nicklaus on the final hole of the final day.


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When it comes to raising awareness for important causes, the phrase “walk a mile in their shoes” may be easier said than done. Yet, oftentimes helping consumers experience issues can be the most eye-opening information of all. One food brand is doing just that – transforming grocery stores into food deserts.
Hellmann’s mayonnaise brand is tackling a widespread but not widely understood issue in Canada: food deserts. Through the “Real Food Movement” campaign, the brand is helping consumers understand the plight of one in five Canadians who currently live in food deserts – areas where fresh fruits, vegetables and other healthful foods are inaccessible or expensive. And although the issue is commonplace, only 50 percent of Canadians know the term, according to a survey conducted by Hellmann’s. To help consumers understand, Hellmann’s created a grocery store to reflect a food desert, with empty shelves, limited produce and high prices; shoppers entering the store were shocked by what they saw. To amplify the conversation, Hellmann’s is encouraging consumers to share how much they pay for tomatoes using the hashtag #MyTomato on social media. Consumers can also sign a petition to help Canadians get access to healthful food through the brand’s Facebook page. Hellmann’s will also be donating $75,000 to the Northern Farm Training Institute to fund greenhouse construction to create long-term food solutions.
Similar to Whole Food’s use of empty grocery shelves to raise awareness for Colony Collapse Disorder, Hellmann’s bold move shows consumers just what it’s like to live in a food desert. Complementing the experiential aspect with a social media component allows consumers to share their experiences and foster a broader conversation around the issue, because although a picture may be worth a thousand words, an experience can be worth so much more.


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After 27 years, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos decides to step down as CEO of his creation.
In completely unexpected news, Amazon announced that Jeff Bezos will step down as CEO during the third quarter of 2021 and move to the Amazon board of directors as executive chairman. His place will be taken by Andy Jassy, who is still the head of Amazon Web Services.
Bezos said, “Amazon is what it is because of invention. […] When you look at our financial results, what you’re actually seeing are the long-run cumulative results of invention. Right now, I see Amazon at its most inventive ever, making it an optimal time for this transition.”
The still CEO highlighted that Amazon had been a pioneer in e-commerce by inventing systems such as one-click shopping, making personalized recommendations, and offering instant shipping thanks to Prime. Without forgetting, of course, complementary technologies that came later.
With resignation, Jeff Bezos will be able to focus on other personal projects and companies that he owns. Such as Blue Origin and the prestigious newspaper The Washington Post.
Bezos founded Amazon in 1994. According to its own information, the company is the market leader in online trading. Bezos had the idea for the mail-order business, which initially only had books in its range, together with David E. Shaw, for whom he was working at the time. Bezos started his own business because Shaw was not convinced of the business idea. The website went online in 1995, and the company went public in 1997.


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Launch coincides with two new Original documentaries; Mo: A Global Icon and Habsi
New accessibility comes ahead of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, the first edition of the tournament to be held in the Middle East and Arab world
Arabic follows Indonesian, Italian, Japanese and Korean as new localised editions of the platform, taking the total number up to 10
Arabic has been added as an official platform language on FIFA+, making the new digital destination for football fandom more accessible to over 300 million* native speakers around the world.
To mark the launch, two new Original documentaries have also gone live; Mo: A Global Icon, charting the impact that Liverpool star Mo Salah has had on the world, and Habsi, a behind-the-scenes journey in to the career of goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi, from Oman to the Premier League, FA Cup glory and beyond.
Arabic now takes the number of localised editions for FIFA+ to 10, following the addition of Indonesian, Italian, Japanese and Korean last month to the founding languages of English, French, Spanish, German and Portuguese.
The news also follows the 2022 addition of Arabic as an official FIFA language, as directed by the FIFA Statutes.
Discussing the launch, FIFA+ Head of Content, James Marley, said: “The Arabic world is rich with football narratives, and we’re not only excited to now be making FIFA+ more accessible to fans in the region, but to start bringing a global audience to many of its incredible stories.
“We’re kicking off with Mo: A Global Icon and Habsi, but there is so much more to come, from grassroots to the professional game – particularly as we head towards the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.”
Since launch, FIFA+ has continued to grow to wider audiences and develop new and exciting content streams.
Completely free, it is the new digital destination for football fandom, offering an extensive archive of all men’s and women’s FIFA World Cup matches, thousands of live fixtures every year, interactive games and predictors, and a slate of original documentaries, docuseries, talk shows and shorts, including "Croatia: Defining A Nation", “Ronaldinho”, “HD Cutz”, “Dani Crazy Dream” and “Icons”.


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A tiger's penis, a bear's gall bladder, cheese-flavoured bugs and smoked bacon in chocolate were among the strangest and wackiest items travellers tried to bring into Australia in 2012.
While the idea of smoked bacon in chocolate or bacon peanut brittle from America may sound delicious to some, it does present a serious risk to Australia's industry with import conditions on pork products designed to guard against disease such as foot and mouth.
Other items are banned under international trade agreements and to protect endangered species.
Officials at Melbourne Airport confiscated a tiger penis and bear gall bladder from Vietnam and fresh snake and turtle meat from China, which could carry diseases that may affect local animals.
Wall decorations made from rice paddy seeds were also found.
"Unhulled and unprocessed seeds could be infested with insects, infected, or be contaminated with soil or prohibited or restricted seeds," the Department of Agriculture said.
Horse meat from Uzbekistan was also seized as were cacti from South America.
"Live plants and the soil they are in can be contaminated with plant disease or exotic pests and are a serious risk to our horticulture and agricultural industries," the department said.
Biosecurity officers also found a whole shark in a jar and cheese-flavoured bugs that had possible unknown insects or diseases at Sydney airport.
Painted chicken feet and dried pig ears were also confiscated and destroyed because of swine and avian influenza concerns.
All the items were seized and destroyed by biosecurity officers at airports.
The department said many of the weird items found could have been bought in for use in Chinese medicine or simply as a curiosity.
Tim Chapman from Department of Agriculture said the items could bring serious diseases and pests into Australia.
“Biosecurity protects Australia's plant, animal and human health by reducing the risk of unwanted pests and diseases arriving in the country,” Mr Chapman said.
“I urge anyone wanting to bring food, plant or animal material of any kind into Australia to first check if they can bring them."
Information about what can and cannot be brought into Australia can be found at www.daff.gov.au/travel.


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Sprint Launches First Smartphone
Sep 22, 2004, 2:22 PM by (staff)
Sprint today launched its first non-PDA smartphone, the Samsung i600. The phone features Microsoft's Windows Mobile™ 2003 Software for Smartphone. The phone was first launched by Verizon last November, although with an older version of Windows Mobile. Sprint's version includes AudiblePlayer audiobook software from Audible, Inc., and Handango's InHand, an on-device catalog of applications and content. The i600 is available online and via business channels starting today, for $649.99.
Feb 9, 2022
Samsung today announced its lineup of flagship phones for 2022: the Galaxy S22 series. The top-end S22 Ultra sees the biggest changes as it essentially absorbs Samsung's Note series with an integrated S Pen stylus and a more Note-like shape and design, instead of the Contour Cut design of the other models.
Aug 10, 2022
Samsung has announced its newest generation of foldable phones: the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Galaxy Z Flip4. Both have similar designs and features compared to their predecessors, with a slew of small updates and refinements across the board.
Sep 7, 2022
Apple has revealed the iPhone 14 series, with new features, improved specs, and new size options. In place of a Mini option, the iPhone 14 will come in the same 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screen size options as the Pro models.
Mar 31, 2021
Verizon this week announced that it will finally shut down "the last of" its legacy 3G CDMA network on December 31, 2022. Verizon has set and extended the date several times already, but now promises that "The date will not be extended again."


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2017 Mac Pro
Apple announced the 2017 Mac Pro at a private event where the company also confirmed a major update for the 2018 Mac Pro.
The 2017 Mac Pro isn't actually a new model. Apple upgrades the specs slightly, dropping the high-end model down to $2,999 and adding a faster top of the line model.
Tim Cook told employees that there are "great desktops" coming from Apple in late 2016, and in early 2017 the Apple CEO told shareholders that Apple is committed to professionals.
Here are our reasons to wait for the 2018 Mac Pro, and more on the decision to upgrade the Mac Pro for 2017 while sharing plans for the future.
iOS 14 Problems: 5 Things You Need to Know
11 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 12 & 5 Reasons Not To
Wait for New Colors
It looks like Apple might roll out new colors later this year.
According to Max Weinbach from XDA Developers via YouTube channel EverythingApplePro, at least one of Apple's new iPhone 12 models will come in a brand new navy blue color. You can see a mockup of the design in the photo here and in the video below.
Weinbach claims the Navy Blue could replace the Midnight Green color that's available for iPhone 11 Pro models.
At this point, the new dark blue color looks like it's a lock.
5 Things to Know About the iOS 14.2 Update
How to Fix Bad iOS 14 Performance
8 Things to Know About the iPhone 6s iOS 14 Update
This article may contain affiliate links. Click here for more details.


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Gygax Magazine launched earlier this year — named for one of the creators of Dungeons & Dragons, and featuring the involvement of Gary Gygax's sons. Now TSR's given us a sneak preview of their second issue, due next week, featuring a cover by Jeff Easley.
Wizards of the Coast still owns Dungeons & Dragons - and Hasbro still owns Wizards of the Coast - but the legendary company that created the role-playing game, TSR, has returned to the material plane and summoned its first product, a gaming magazine appropriately named Gygax.
In the early 1970s, starting a role playing campaign required considerably more effort than it does today. Manuals had to be ordered by snail mail, gamers made their own miniatures instead of buying them off the shelf, and players often tinkered with rules to create ingenious variations.


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The reason seems a little contradictory.
AMD has released its 13.10 Beta2 driver, and Nvidia has released its 331.40 Beta driver, both with optimizations for the Battlefield 4 beta.
AMD has released its Catalyst 13.10 Beta drivers that bring performance improvements to CrossFire systems.
It appears that AMD's current Radeon HD 7000 series graphics cards might not have complete support for the upcoming DirectX 11.2.
AMD has released its new Catalyst 13.8 beta graphics drivers, the main highlight of which is the fix for the frame-latency problems experienced on older drivers.
Windows 8.1 will feature native support for 3D printers, much in same fashion as conventional printers.
AMD has tweeted that it is working on drivers that should fix the micro-stutter problems experienced on systems with multi-GPU setups.
The GeForce 320.00 Beta drivers offer up to 20 percent better performance than the GeForce 314.22 and add a number of SLI profiles.
This update for Intel HD Graphics 4000 / 2500 provides a range of performance improvements and support for OpenCL 1.2.
Intel's GDC presentation included new rendering extensions for Intel HD Graphics, Intel Quick Sync Video and updates to the Intel Level Up and Perceptual Computing contests.
Intel is increasing performance while reducing power thanks to drivers set to be released this week for the Intel HD Graphics 4000 GPU.
The latest GeForce drives offer performance improvements in BioShock: Infinite, Sleeping Dogs, Sniper Elite V2 and others
Nvidia has released its new 314.22 WHQL drivers and they carry some pretty impressive performance improvements.


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B.J. Ferguson has joined Keyfactor as its channel leader, and he has resdesigned the channel program to both recruit and enable more reseller, SI and consultant partners.
Since last summer, SecureAuth has reconstructed the way in which it manages its partners and the way in which they interact with the internal sales force. They have also made major improvements to their training, and want to make further improvements to partners’ ability to sell services around SecureAuth, and sell SecureAuth as a managed service.
Ivanti looks to reverse past errors by introducing a Chief Customer Officer and a focus on making customers happy rather than end-of-lifing their products. That will see renewals centralized in a new business unit. That change to channel policy is accompanied by another in which the company will focus on far fewer partners.
Dell is trumpeting their 78 Net Promoter Score from Canadian partners as proof of their successful transition to a more regional coverage model. ChannelBuzz talked with two key Canadian channel partners about how today’s partnering model impacts their business.


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Health campaigners have accused some food manufacturers and retailers of “dragging their heels” over the UK’s salt reduction targets for 2017.
According to research published by Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH), just one of 28 product categories surveyed meets the maximum salt target agreed for 2017 by government with industry, NGOs and other stakeholders. The only category to hit the maximum – but not average – salt target was bread rolls, CASH revealed this morning (20 March).
“The shopping basket analysis reaffirms the public health goal of consuming no more than 6g salt per person per day is achievable, yet manufacturers are dragging their heels,” CASH said in a statement.
Detailing its findings, CASH pointed to UK soup maker Baxters Food Group and said the company’s Chef Selections cullen skink had more than 1.5 times the maximum salt level for soup. The campaign group noted Aldi’s own-label smoked mackerel had four times the target for “meal centres”, and said Mars Inc’s Galaxy marshmallow hot chocolate had five times the target for beverages.
CASH also stressed there is a large variation between the salt content of products. For example, according to the survey, Kellogg‘s Crunchy Nut Nuts & Caramel Bites contain 97% more salt than Associated British Foods’ Jordans Country Crisp with Sun-Ripe Strawberries, which include 1.13g of salt per 100g and 0.03g of salt per 100g respectively.
The campaign group called on UK health authorities to “immediately ensure” that the 2017 goals are met and demanded new salt reduction targets are set for 2020. CASH suggested bodies like Public Health England should also step up efforts to educate the public about healthy salt consumption levels.
Katharine Jenner, nutritionist and campaign director for CASH, said: “We are shocked to see that many food manufacturers and retailers are still failing to meet the salt reduction targets, despite having had years to work towards them. We congratulate the other, more responsible manufacturers that have successfully achieved them, or are on track to meet them by the end of the year – which shows it is possible. With only nine months to go, action must be taken now.”
CASH claimed that cutting average salt intakes in the UK could prevent up to 14,000 deaths each year.


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Italians turned the classic Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA into an electric carNovember 15, 2020
Italian company Totem Automobili has completed work on the first electric restomod Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA.
Alfa Romeo GTelectric, that is how the new electric car of the Italians is called, borrowed only 10% of the chassis from its “donor”. Along with this, an additional frame was installed to strengthen the structure.
In addition, the specialists replaced the original 4-cylinder engine with a 518-horsepower electric motor, and also installed a liquid-cooled battery pack with a capacity of 50.4 kW / h. The unit itself is located aft, and the space under the hood is now occupied by various components that are traditional for electric vehicles. As for the power reserve, the car can travel approximately 320 kilometers on a single charge.
The body of the GTelectric, for which carbon fiber was used, has become wider, in addition, the electric car has been equipped with new LED headlights and flashlights. Speaking of the interior of the electric vehicle, it is worth noting the presence of two carbon-fiber seats with brown leather inserts and a dashboard that resembles the shape of the original model.
The first deliveries of the Alfa Romeo GTelectric are scheduled for summer 2022. In total, the Italian company plans to build 20 copies, each of which will cost from 430,000 euros. Despite the high cost, Totem Automobili notes that most of the cars have already been reserved.
In addition, it was recently reported that Volkswagen is investing billions of euros in electric cars and digitalization. It is worth mentioning that the German automaker plans to produce about 26 million electric vehicles over the next decade.
- 2021 Hyundai Bayon crossover unveiled
- Kia launches online configurator for Kia Carnival 2022 minivan
- BMW M4 Coupe received a wide-body kit
- French Bugatti may be sold to Rimac
- Volvo to phase out petrol and diesel cars by 2030


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The Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD) has a fresh new website that launched a few days ago and the feedback has been outstanding so far! "With a fresh design from Oxygen and back-end development from Smallbox, the new website highlights RGD’s programs, news and events from the design community, job postings, professional development resources and member benefits," says the RGD in a recent article on their new website (read more).
Guinness may have been born in Ireland, but its Irish spirit is alive and well at Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub in Whistler, BC, Canada. The spirit just got even better online with a brand new website and dedicated mobile site!
The Southwest Newcomer Welcome Centre has launched a new website powered by Smallbox. The site is robust and easy to navigate, with simple navigation and design.
The Britannia Community Services Centre in Vancouver, BC has just launched an updated website with a new homepage and upgraded Content Management System.
The BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre Foundation just launched a new website! Designed by Gravity Inc. and powered by Smallbox CMS, this new site is loaded with modules and functionality so that BC Women's can share their news and stories, including some of the wonderful babies born there, and recognize their donors who help fund their important work.
The City of New Westminster website has a fresh new hompage! Designed by Ion Branding + Design and Powered by Smallbox, the new homepage structure allows for a more “newsy” look and feel.
Smallbox is pleased to announce we will be working with the Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario (RGD) and Toronto-based Oxygen Design Agency to develop and launch a new RGD Website this fall.
If you read Bob Atkinson's column in Sep/Oct 2010 issue of DesignEdge Magazine you would think Flash was the second coming for web development. It isn't.
A Q+A back and forth about UX Design
In and amongst all the discussion at and about Design Currency - now a week and a half ago - there is one talk that stands out for me. And it is not to do with the way it was said, or its value to business, or its philosophical implications, or its parallel struggles with marketing in the corporate decision making process...


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|| Print ||
|On the Scene|
|Friday, December 16, 2011|
By Emma Hall
Oregon's craft distillers are beginning to hold their own when it comes to national attention right alongside the big boys of local beermakers and Willamette Valley winemakers. From House Spirits' Aviation Gin to Clear Creek Distillery's pear-in-the-bottle brandy (and 27 other products), Oregon's spirit entrepreneurs are making waves in the industry. Though the industry's evolution has been tending towards growth, Washington's recent liquor privatization means the future of this niche market is unclear.
Both industry heavyweights and newcomers were featured at the Portland Business Alliance's December forum. Moderated by Oregon Historical Society executive director Kerry Tymchuk, the panel included Steve McCarthy of Clear Creek Distillery, Meghan Zonich of Northwest Distillery, Tom Burkleaux of New Deal Distillery, and Ryan Csanky, executive director of the Oregon Distillers Guild. PBA members and guests gathered at Portland's Governor Hotel to hear about the growing industry and sip on Bloody Marys — despite the fact that the forum took place at 7:30 a.m.
Tymchuk traced the industry's history, explaining that Oregon began getting winemakers in the 1960s, and they now number over 300. Then in the '90s came the first craft beer brewers; the state now boasts more than 100. Now there are over 40 registered craft distillers in Oregon, a number that continues to grow. Some of the local culture that supports craft brewers is the same that encourages craft distillers, making Portland an epicenter for the unique industry. "If I was in another city I wouldn't have even come up with the notion that I can do this," Burkleaux said.
But the positive local business climate hasn't come easily – or overnight. McCarthy began distilling after bringing a still home from Germany in 1984. It was only the second eau de vie still ever brought to America. Despite his hard work, Clear Creek Distillery struggled for many years before turning a profit just a few years ago. Now, "Grandpa McCarthy's" company is experiencing a record year.
Perhaps his recent record profits explain McCarthy's disagreement with the other panelists about Washington's recent liquor privatization. Everyone else on the panel thought that the costliest initiative in Washington's history was not conducive to their businesses.
Csanky explained that the Washington rule has already hurt small Oregon spiritmakers as long-standing orders were canceled. The new liquor law puts the power in the hands of large corporate chains, which are unlikely to stock small distillers whose products come in a low volume at a high price, he said. Many people believe a similar ruling could be coming to Oregon next.
"Access to the liquor store shelves is egalitarian [in Oregon]," Burkleaux said. "If the OLCC goes away...the number of establishments that even considers small spirits will diminish."
McCarthy disagreed. "This is easily the best thing that's happened to the Pacific Northwest," he said, adding that his sales in Washington have already increased fourfold. He chastised his younger colleagues for being fearful of the free market, saying that if you concentrate on high product quality over brand building, "the wonders of capitalism kick in" to help your business grow.
And growing they are indeed. Portland's Bull Run Distilling Co. is negotiating shipping its products to China. House Spirits' products can already be found in New Zealand and parts of Europe. Other craft distillers are also expanding on a smaller scale. "Right now, I'm excited about the foreign countries of New York and San Francisco," Burkleaux said.
Csanky says that there is still much work to be done by the distillers as well as by the Oregon Distillers Guild, a 501c6 which was formed in 2007 as the first distillers guild in the nation. "Over the past year I've been completely devoid of sleep, and fairly intoxicated the entire time," he joked. "It's worked out quite well."
Emma Hall is web editor for Oregon Business.
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A new report highlights how Oregon bankers are giving back to their communities.
Since 1932 Tidewater Transportation & Terminals (operating as Tidewater Barge Lines and Tidewater Terminal Company) has operated a multicommodity transportation and terminal company based in Vancouver, Washington. The friendly expression on the company’s shipping containers reflects the attitude of about 330 safety and community-conscious employees but belies how complicated the barge business really is.
The Port of The Dalles has run marine facilities since the 1930s, but they are part of a larger mission to strengthen the local economy. They focus on regional economic development with a strong bent toward adding good-paying jobs in high tech, manufacturing and other industries.
Providing attendees with unique taste of the Northwest Reception.
CFM Strategic Communications turns 25 this year and is celebrating with a revamped website, special events for firm alumni and clients, a special-label wine and a list of 25 stories about its client work over the past quarter century.
The Atkinson Graduate School of Management at Willamette University has maintained its business accreditation by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.


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News By Tag
News By Location
Subir Agrawal Conferred with the "Top 50 Tech Innovators" Award at InterCon, Dubai 2019
With over 20 years of professional experience and counting, Subir Agarwal has nurtured both organizations that needed digital backbone and organizations on the brink of digital breakthrough. Throughout his career, he has worked hand-in-hand with some of the big digital moguls like Deloitte, Sify, Siemens, BroadVision, Techtree. Keeping employee productivity and customer satisfaction as chart-toppers, Subir has reimagined how digital technologies would permeate and co-exist with or disrupt the very fabric of an ongoing business. From launching Walletwatch.com, the bellwether personal finance portal in India to leading the tech team which gave birth to IRCTC's first portal in India, Subir has played a key role in the digital evolution in India. His latest venture Reciproci focuses on physical businesses helping them prosper in the "phygital" world. He is also the founder and MD of Nukebox Studios whose title — Food Truck Chef won the Google Best of 2018 award. Subir is also the Co-founder of a Non-Profit education society called Peopletree Education society, which runs an undergraduate college.
When asked about his contribution to the tech industry that he thinks helped him win this award, he replied, " I have been in this digital space for the last 20 years, started with launching the first personal finance portal of India, walletwatch.com. I launched the biggest eCommerce website in India, which is IRCTC doing a million transactions a day, considered the father of eCommerce in India. Currently, we are working with the largest retailer in the GCC region, which has around 1200 hundred stores spread across Arabian countries, and the customers can do real-time transaction analysis across the multi-country, region, language scenario, and it is pretty unique." He also explained how he has planned to achieve his future vision by saying, "Plan is to focus on making your product much more robust and flexible because it is meant for real-world businesses, and we want to take it global. "
InterCon, a brand owned by Prism Events, Inc. aims to bring together the brightest minds of the industry that have made significant contributions in the realm of technology. InterCon offers a global learning and networking platform which also accolades the unparalleled efforts of entrepreneurs, tech enthusiasts, and thought leaders. After the success of InterCon Dubai 2019, the conference returns to Las Vegas for InterCon USA 2020 on April 28–29, 2020.
For more details on InterCon — The Internet Conference, Visit www.intercon.world
+1 (855) 545–5660


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WORCESTER, Mass.—Continuing to act on its recently announced growth plans, natural rubber latex manufacturer Vystar Corp. has acquired "substantially all" of the assets of air filtration company UV Flu Technologies Inc.
UV Flu sells the patented ViraTech UV light air purification technology, which Vystar claims destroys more than 99 percent of airborne bacteria, viruses and other micro-organisms, while virtually eliminating concentrations of odors and volatile organic compounds.
"We are executing our strategic plan of rapid growth through acquisitions that complement our product portfolio," Vystar CEO Steven Rotman said in a statement.
UV Flu products use 48 inches of high-intensity germicidal UV lamps, and its products actually kill micro-organisms rather than trapping them, setting them apart from other air filtration units.
UV Flu's RxAir filtration system is one of the few UV air purifiers that have been proven in independent laboratories certified by the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency to destroy 99.6 percent of harmful micro-organisms on the first pass, according to Vystar.
"As part of Vystar's mission to offer eco-friendly, sustainable materials and products that create a better environment for consumers and workers throughout the product lifecycle," Rotman said.
Vystar acquired all UV Flu intellectual property and multiple patents, product lines, tooling, FDA clearances, research data, websites and other assets for $975,000 or 27.9 million shares of Vystar restricted common stock.
Vystar is the manufacturer of Vytex, a pure grade of natural rubber latex that is biodegradable, sustainably sourced and three times as durable as other latexes on the market, according to the company. Vytex is virtually free of allergens, odor and VOCs, Vystar claims, noting that it is used in many mattress lines, and also in products including industrial adhesives, apparel padding and threads, shoes, sports equipment and electrical gloves.
On April 23, Vystar announced it had acquired the assets of NHS Holdings L.L.C., the company founded by Rotman that served as Vystar's exclusive U.S. distributor. Shortly thereafter, the firm announced it had paid off all of its $1.135 million long-term convertible stock for $795,000 of restricted Vystar common stock.


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St. Croix County appliance and tire collection
All St. Croix County residents are invited to participate in the appliance and tire collection on Saturday, June 2. The event will be held at several sites throughout St. Croix County. Cash and checks are acceptable forms of payment at all collection locations. Credit cards will not be accepted.
Tires and appliances drop-off locations:
City of Hudson (old landfill site on Krattley Lane just east of Hwy 35, North Hudson), 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.


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Melania Trump Bought Her Own NFT And The Blockchain Proves It
It appears to be like like Melania Trump forgot or missed out that blockchain data are public and verifiable! One month after she launched her second NFT drop, Head of State Assortment, a crypto expert traced the sale on the Solana blockchain again to the creator’s personal deal with.
Did she actually pay $180,000 (1800 Solana) to create an impression that her first drop was an enormous success?
Melania Trump vs. Blockchain Information
Melania Trump made it clear the previous few months that she’s into NFTs. Final December 2021, the previous US First Girl launched her personal NFT platform. She promised to launch NFTs in common intervals solely on her website.
Final January 11, she dropped a set that includes a digital piece, a bodily paintings and a bodily accent — all White Home memorabilia. The centerpiece of the trio is the long-lasting wide-brimmed white hat she wore throughout the 2018 state go to. This piece can be the topic of the controversial revelation. NFT Twitter is roasting her with some customers questioning if she’ll put on the hat once more since, technically, she’s the “new” proprietor.
Merely put, public data on the Solana (SOL) blockchain point out that the public sale winner is similar deal with that minted the piece. Solana is a public blockchain, like Ethereum and Bitcoin. So anyone can hint the circulate of the transactions and think about the addresses.
Trump’s web site disclosed the customer’s digital deal with. Sadly, data present that on the finish of final month, the precise deal with obtained funds from the deal with that minted Melania Trump’s NFT. After the public sale, the unique creator’s deal with despatched 180,000 SOL again to the brand new pockets. Then, the funds had been transformed to USDC, a steady coin linked to the US greenback.
The artful internet of transactions proves that this isn’t only a coincidence. Both she purchased the NFT herself or whoever arrange the public sale for her. So the camp of Melania Trump has lots to clarify. As of press time, they haven’t launched a press release however absolutely this can be a PR nightmare as a result of blockchain data don’t LIE.
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Ahead of its official premiere at the Paris Motor Show, Hyundai has unveiled its new i30 Fastback N. Building on the success of the i30 N hatch, the Fastback offers all of that car’s performance credentials wrapped up in a sleek, coupe-like ‘Fastback’ shell.
Paris Motor Show
Peugeot has looked to its heritage for one of its most advanced concept cars to date.
Renault has unveiled a facelifted version of its Kadjar crossover SUV ahead of its public debut at the Paris Motor Show.
After displaying the China-only long-wheelbase A-Class saloon, Mercedes has now revealed the European model for the first time.
These are the first pictures of Hyundai’s new i30 ahead of its debut at the Paris Motor Show.


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Microsoft has given small system builders the green light to start selling new Windows 7 PCs more than a week before the general launch date of Oct. 22, a US computer maker said.
Asus has released two new notebooks powered by Intel’s Core i7 processor. The G60J and M60J models both feature a 16-inch high definition display
Steve Perlman, CEO of a company called OnLive that's readying an on-demand video game service, cringes whenever Google's gmail or other high profile Web services conk out. After all, his company's bold plan is to offer streamed access to a slew of br...
If you're a PlayStation 3 or Nintendo Wii owner, you can breathe a sigh of relief. The rumoured takeover of Electronic Arts at the hands of Microsoft has been officially debunked.
Twitter users beware: this scam will not leave you ROFL.
Many major social networking sites are leaking information that allows third party advertising and tracking companies to associate the Web browsing habits of users with a specific person, researchers warn.
Users should chart the progress of Avaya's purchase of Nortel's enterprise assets carefully, so that they are spared any unpleasant product integration or rationalization surprises.
The build-out of Australia’s first 4G network has taken a step forward with the signing of Canadian company DragonWave to supply wireless backhaul for the forthcoming VividWireless Perth network.
Microsoft has opened up for business its new Dublin data center, a massive 550,000-square-foot facility dedicated to serving primarily European customers.
Well, you knew it was only a matter of time. Last week we reported on HP's lines of laptops hitting the streets this Spring, and today, as Intel officially lifts the lid on the mobile Core i7 processor (the artist formerly known as "Clarksfield"), De...
The slow progress of digital television migration and a lack of clear telecommunications policies are hampering the development and use of mobile TV in South Africa.
After it has spent nearly a year on the market, analysts are reluctant to declare Android a success, but they say the platform could turn a corner in the next few months when many more phones are expected to go on sale.
Criminals flooded several online ad networks with malicious advertisements over the weekend, causing popular Web sites such as the Drudge Report, Horoscope.com and Lyrics.com to inadvertently attack their readers, a security company said Wednesday.
A storage company emerged from stealth mode this week with software designed to efficiently manage the file serving needs of Internet applications such as social networks, online ad serving and software-as-a-service.
The amount of storage needed for increasing amounts of data will rise ten-fold in the next five years, yet only one in three users are actively backing up their files, data from a recent Western Digital study revealed recently.
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Just one day after investing millions into the Canadian beef sector, Agriculture and Agri-food Minister, Marie-Claude Bibeau announced millions will flow towards the grain and oilseed sector.
At a farm near Airdrie, Alta., Bibeau announced more than $13 million will be used for various projects that will “help to strengthen, diversify and grow Canada’s grains and oilseeds exports.”
By giving money to various organizations, the federal government hopes it will help increase exports even more. New opportunities have already started to emerge from the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
The money comes from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s (CAP) AgriMarketing program. According to a news release, Combined with Canada’s other free trade agreements, Canadian farmers and producers with preferential market access to an estimated 1.5 billion consumers in more than 50 countries.
“Today’s announcement to invest in getting the most for canola exports helps to maintain the foundation of our industry. This joint industry and government investment will support our efforts to maintain and grow our access to international markets, as well as building the reputation of canola around the world. With more than 90% of our canola exported as seed, oil or meal, getting the most from international markets drives our industry.”
– Jim Everson, president, Canola Council of Canada
“The Canadian pulse and special crops industry is heavily reliant on export markets and challenges in even one or two countries can have a massive impact on growers and the trade. Through the partnership between the Canadian Special Crops Association and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, we can ensure that we’re proactively addressing issues before they result in a market closure, and minimizing the impact they’ll have on growers and trade. In addition to addressing trade issues, the growers from the pulse, special crops, cereals and canola industries know that in order to compete effectively in the markets we serve today and the markets we’re expanding into for tomorrow, we need an efficient and reliable transportation system that’ll grow with the industry. The partnership between the Ag Transport Coalition and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada ensures that we have objective and credible information on the capacity and the service that’s being provided to the industry so that all stakeholders can focus on the improvements that’ll be needed to meet all of our customers’ needs consistently and reliably.”
– Quinton Stewart, president, Canadian Special Crops Association
“Moving 25% of Canada’s pulse production into new markets and new uses by 2025 is a priority for our industry. Pulses are well positioned to take advantage of the growing demand for plant protein and because we’re investing in creating knowledge on the functionality, nutrition and sustainability attributes of our pulses, there’s a real opportunity to establish a unique advantage for Canadian pulses. The partnership between Pulse Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is critical to our effort to establish that unique Canadian advantage and to create new demand amongst food manufacturers and foodservice industries around the world.”
– Allison Ammeter, chair, Pulse Canada
“As the national industry association representing the various components of the soybean and soy products value-chain, including seed development, production, handling, processing, transportation, and exportation, Soy Canada sincerely thanks Minister Bibeau and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for announcing support of Soy Canada today. The soy sector has realized incredible growth over the past decade and this funding will allow us to keep the momentum of growth rolling as we plan to once again double our soybean production in the coming years. Growing our exports will allow us to achieve our goals and in particular this funding will allow us to expand existing international markets by undertaking market development missions to key European markets, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Taiwan.”
– Ernie Sirski, chair, Soy Canada


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Finally, some good news from the weirdo-sphere that is social media. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has announced that, effective November 22, the microblogging platform will ban all political advertising – globally. This is a momentous move by Twitter. It comes when Facebook and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg are under increasing pressure to deal with the amount of mis- and disinformation published via paid political advertising on Facebook.
While the boundaries between physical and digital space have become blurred, so too has the distinction between producer and consumer. This is because social media platforms have given consumers a new and stronger voice.
The popularity of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat have transformed the way we understand and experience crime and victimisation. Previously, it’s been thought that people form their opinions about crime from what they see or read in the media. But with social media taking over as our preferred news source, how do these new platforms impact our understanding of crime?


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Huawei announced its Mate 10 series back in October 2017 and ended some rumors about eventual renaming of its flagship Mate X. The moniker appeared again during the weekend in an application on the EU Intellectual Property Office website. The trademark “MateX” was filed by UK representative of Huawei and was classified as mobile phones and smartphones.
Trademarking the Mate X moniker is a surprising decision if Huawei plans to launch its next phone with that name since the Roman number for 10 is X. It could also be the name of some exclusive or extra version of the phablet. Most likely though, the company is just protecting itself from ill-meaning competitors, who may try and sell knock-off products with similar name.
Huawei already has an X in its portfolio - the Matebook X is the manufacturer’s interpretation of Apple’s MacBook, announced back in May 2017.
Galaxy X, Mate X, there will be a lot of X this year
Yes now everybody copy stupid apple. Why they dont make own names. Like Huawei Pikachu, Huawei Raichu. Or Huawei Mate Onyx etc. X everywhere.


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The identity of the countries comes to an end if they move beyond their legacies", the Prime Minister said. There's a long list of benefits of Ayurveda and people are showing interest in traditional medicines.
Additional text says "your child can play the role of a World War II hero with this girls' World War II costume". Spokesman Ross Walker Smith tweeted Sunday that the costume had been pulled from the website.
Both models are notable for offering up to 17 hours of battery life , while Apple's current MacBook Pro promises 10 hours. The ports are being updated as well and this machine finally includes a USB-C port but it does not support Thunderbolt.
Marino, in his fourth term representing northeastern Pennsylvania, played a key role in the law's quick and quiet passage. The overdose increases have been spurred by increases in deaths related to the use of heroin and fentanyl.
This is even as Forbes magazine's in its latest estimate cuts Trump's net worth by $600m in the NY property market. In fact it now takes a record $2 billion to make the cut of the richest 400 Americans.
The smartphone has a fingerprint scanner integrated into its home button, much like other Motorola smartphones released in 2017. As per pricing, the smartphone rolled out in the European markets with Euro 399 price tag, which is roughly Rs. 30,300.
It fall, as 28 investors sold Brink's Company shares while 81 reduced holdings. 86 funds opened positions while 160 raised stakes. The firm has "Market Perform" rating by Wood given on Monday, October 9. (NASDAQ:BOFI) on Thursday, August 6 to "Neutral" rating.
At Sainsbury's, sales grew by 1.9 per cent on past year , while market share dropped by 0.2 percentage points to 15.8 per cent. Of the big chains, only the Co-op recorded a sales fall, with turnover slipping 2.5 per cent during the period.
They only find out about their fate in the final season when they show up on set for filming and not a moment before. Actors have earpieces in each scene and they're given their dialogues line by line.
Google's new Advanced Protection Program helps high-risk users
Though now sign up requires using Google's Chrome browser because Google says it supports the U2F standard for Security Keys . Google's program adds a bluetooth key, so that Advanced Protection can work when logging in on a phone as well as a laptop.
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For those unaware, recent reviews on the anonymous employer rating website Glassdoor seemed to paint the company in a bad light. Moreover, the team revealed that it has doubled its headcount since The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt , and that it is still hiring.
Qualcomm files lawsuit to ban iPhones in China
The iPhone maker has always been willing to pay fair and reasonable rates for the patents it uses, Apple told Reuters in an email. District Court for the Southern District of California, accusing Qualcomm of abusing its market dominance.
Goldman Sachs delivers positive Q3 surprise
It improved, as 96 investors sold GS shares while 350 reduced holdings. 22 funds opened positions while 38 raised stakes. Baker Avenue Asset Management Lp acquired 2,358 shares as Goldman Sachs Group Inc Com (GS)'s stock declined 13.97%.


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Apple’s market capitalization at one point hit the $3 trillion mark in the first trading session of 2022, this milestone broke the record rally of the stock “missing apple” during the pandemic and continues to underline the trend. Big Tech’s decade-long sublimation direction.
Apple was the first company to hit the milestone, although it couldn’t sustain it until the end of the session. Apple shares closed 2.5% higher at $182.01 and with a market capitalization of $2.99 trillion. This gain comes in a positive session for Wall Street. Apple and Amazon.com Inc. All contributed to the Nasdaq 100 index’s rally.
The iPhone maker’s share price has risen steadily over the years, up more than 200% since Covid-19 first shut the world down in early 2020 and underscores the technology’s focus on operations. work, educate, entertain and stay connected.
Apple’s momentum has been accompanied by steady revenue growth, and investors are betting that key products, along with new products like virtual reality headsets and self-driving electric vehicles, have long-term prospects. strong.
“I never thought I’d see a $3 trillion market cap,” said Patrick Burton, co-head of the portfolio at MainStay Winslow Large Cap Fund, which holds 2.75 million Apple shares. , but this really speaks to Apple’s outlook for the next 5 to 10 years. We feel very optimistic about the outlook and continue to see opportunities ahead, with iPhone franchise activity solid. and growth drivers from both services and new products.”


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You know a Halloween decoration goes too far when it's likely to get the cops called on it.
Home Depot says it will remove a Halloween window decoration from its shelves following complaints that the product makes light of voyeurism.
The decoration is the fake head of a smiling hooded man, with hands cupped around the face and comes equipped with a suction cup so that it's easily fused to windows.
In the decoration manufacturer's YouTube video of the product, the head is used to prank a woman in her bedroom.
In an interview with CBC's radio Retro Morning show, shopper Breanne Hunt-Wells spotted the "Scary Peeper Creeper" product at a store in Markham, Ontario.
Hunt-Wells contacted CBC to specifically express her concerns about the product.
"I fail to see the humor in it," she said. "It makes light of a very serious crime. Voyeurism is a crime in Canada."
In a statement to CBC, Home Depot responded to the concerns.
"We agree that this is not in line with our core values, and when we heard, took immediate action and are currently in the process of removing this product from our assortment."
If you want to test the limits of your friendships, the product is still available for purchase online in the U.S., as are its affiliated items, "Tapping Creeper" and "Scary Reaper Peeper."


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There are many factors that influence consumers to buy a certain wine, including the brand, price, origin, and taste. Recently, winemakers have begun shifting toward making wines with a higher alcohol content– but new research suggests this might not be the best idea.
A team of researchers in California set out to explore this question. Published in PLoS One this January, the researchers used Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to determine what our brain activity looks like while tasting wines with a low versus high alcohol content. Everything else about the wines (including the color, PH, and sugar).
For the study, participants laid in the scanner and were given either a low alcohol-content wine, high alcohol content wine, or a tasteless liquid. Researchers scanned participants’ brains while they tasted each drink type, and participants rated how much they liked each drink on a 1-20 scale.
First, the researchers compared both wines to the tasteless solution, allowing them to get a baseline reading. Next, the researchers compared the low alcohol-content wines to the high alcohol-content wines. The researchers found that overall, people preferred wines with a low alcohol content. In particular, areas of the insula and cerebellum showed differences in activation, and these areas are involved in taste intensity perception.
“Our finding thus seems to suggest that the low-alcohol content wines induced a greater attentional orienting and exploration of the sensory attributes of wines relatively to high-alcohol content wines,” the researchers explained.
They also found differences in activation in regions of the cerebellum. This brain area is responsible for attentional orienting—when we try to pay more attention to something or divert our attention away from something. In this case, participants oriented their attention toward the low alcohol-content wines, savoring them. Lower activation was observed in these regions while participants tasted the high alcohol-content wines, suggesting that they were savoring these wines less, or even trying not to savor them.
“Our findings regarding the stronger activation in the cerebellum for low-alcohol content wine seem to support the intuition of some professional wine experts that such lower-alcohol content wines have a better chance to induce greater sensitivity to the overall flavour expressed by the wine. Especially striking then is the fact that these differences were found for wine consumers that were not professional or experts,” the researchers said.
Considering that winemakers have begun making more wines with a high alcohol content, these results are surprising. The researchers also pointed out that the high alcohol content of some wines can overshadow its’ various smells and flavors.
The researchers said future research should explore how other attributes of wine, such as its acidity, influence our like or dislike toward these wines. Further research in this area has important implications for the wine industry, as well as wine consumers.


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Ah, Chrysler -- we know ye too much, lately.
The company has just piled on to the recall-o-mania that is sweeping the automotive industry this year by issuing a recall for up to 792,300 Jeep Commanders and Grand Cherokees for an ignition switch that can easily and inadvertently be moved from the "On" position while the vehicle is in motion.
Last month, Chrysler recalled almost 900,000 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans for the same issue. For those keeping score, that's over 1.6 million Chrysler products recalled for the same faulty ignition switch. No injuries were reported in that recall.
Model years included in this recall are the 2006-2007 Jeep Commander and the 2005-2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Both are SUVs.
The company claims "Preliminary investigation suggest an outside force, usually attributed to contact with the driver's knee, may move ignition keys from the 'on' position in these cars. Such an occurrence may cause engine stall, reducing braking power and making steering effort more difficult. Safety features such as frontal airbags may also be disabled."
Of the total of 792,300 vehicles that may be affected, 649,900 are located in the U.S.; 28,800 in Canada; 12,800 in Mexico; and 100,800 elsewhere in the world.
The Commander is no longer in production, while the Grand Cherokee has been completely redesigned.
Chrysler engineers are working on a fix; in the meantime, the company is in the process of finding the affected customers and notifying them by mid-September about scheduling their recall service. Cost of repairs will be carried completely by Chrysler.
Until repairs are completed, Chrysler is advising owners of these vehicles to assure there is clearance between their knees and the keys. Owners are also encouraged to remove all items from their key rings except the ignition key.
Fortunately for all concerned, Chrysler reports no injuries and only one accident attributable to the problem. Complaints about the issue involve only 0.015 percent of the subject vehicle population.
As reported by Tech Times, General Motors recently recalled 3.16 million cars for the same problem, same repercussions. The GM recall was necessitated by the deaths of 13 drivers of Chevrolet Cobalt and Saturn Ion cars. The recall was expanded by 8.45 million vehicles at the end of June.
The automobile industry has now crossed the 40 million vehicles recalled mark this year, already well beyond the 33 million that were recalled last year, which was a record at the time.