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It’s easy to be cynical about the politics of guns in the age of mass shootings. From Columbine to Virginia Tech to Newtown to Parkland to El Paso and Dayton, the immediate outcry for more and better gun laws in the wake of mass shootings gives way to hard political realities – particularly in the Senate – that seem to be unchanged by these horrific crimes.
The gun debate in this country is, in a word, stagnant.
But what if something outside politics changed the way in which Congress – especially Republicans in Congress, who have generally voted in lockstep with the National Rifle Association to oppose any further strictures on guns – thinks about what can be done in terms of common-sense gun laws?
Something like, say, a decision by Walmart – not exactly a liberal, urban hipster chain of stores – that it will cease selling handguns and “short-barrel rifle” ammunition in its stores, and will urge its customers not to carry any guns while shopping at its stores. (The move came in reaction, at least in part, to 20 people being murdered at a Walmart in El Paso last month.)
And that wasn’t even the most important part of the announcement. This was, from Walmart CEO Doug McMillon:
“We encourage our nation’s leaders to move forward and strengthen background checks and to remove weapons from those who have been determined to pose an imminent danger. Congress and the administration should act. Given our decades of experience selling firearms, we are also offering to serve as a resource in the national debate on responsible gun sales.”
That’s quite a statement. McMillon is saying, in essence, that private industry is doing its part to address the epidemic of gun violence in the country and now it’s time for elected leaders to step up and do the same. (Walmart follows Dick’s Sporting Goods in announcing its decision to curtail gun and ammunition sales in some of its stores.)
And Walmart isn’t just any chain of stores in America. It is a massive conglomerate with roots in many of the rural and suburban areas where President Donald Trump did well in 2016 and which are represented by Republicans in Congress. When Walmart speaks, these members of Congress, generally speaking, listen. And what Walmart has done with its move this week on guns and ammo is provide at least some cover from the NRA for congressional Republicans who want to do something about the state of gun laws in the country.
Asked about the move Wednesday, Trump said, “That’s up to Walmart. Hey, they’re very smart, they had a tremendous quarter, just announced tremendous numbers.”
When asked about the ammunition and guns move, Trump said, “You’d have to talk to them,” adding, “They can do what they have to do.”
Is it possible that Walmart’s move doesn’t change minds within the Republican conference in Congress about what they can be for in terms of gun control measures? Sure! But we’ve not seen a move like this by a company as large or as well-regarded by the audiences – politicians and otherwise – who have been adamantly opposed to any sort of gun control legislation in the past.
The Point: Walmart is a free radical in this gun control experiment. It may fizzle. But it also could serve as a catalyst for some actual movement on an issue that has been stagnant for years now.


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The Yamaha Crux Rev is manufactured in India and will be exported worldwide.
Yamaha has introduced the Yamaha Crux Rev in Central America and Africa. The motorcycle is the first product developed by Yamaha for the African market.
The African market, Central America and Caribbean region amount to 3.6 million units and Yamaha wants a bigger share of the pie. Powering the Yamaha Crux Rev is powered by the 110 cc four stroke, air cooled Blue Core mill which is claimed to be 18 percent more fuel efficient than the existing offering.
While output figures have not been revealed it is expected to be the same as the Yamaha Saluto RX which is capable of producing 7.5 PS of maximum power at 7,000 rpm and 8.5 Nm of peak torque at 4,500 rpm. The claimed fuel efficiency of this mill is 82 km/l.
Also Read: 1,155 units of Yamaha R3 recalled in India
The utilitarian Yamaha Crux Rev gets a flat seat which will help the bike serve as an ideal bike taxi, the way most commuter motorcycles are used in Africa. The bike will be offered with spoke and alloy wheels.
The Yamaha Crux Rev will begin reaching customers in April 2017 and is expected to be priced around USD 900 which will vary a bit depending on the market.

domain: news


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Highlights of the Story
- Lately, Xiaomi came with a Samsung’s ‘Edge panel’-like feature and named it as Smart toolbox.
- The company has now given the official name to Smart toolbox as now it will be known as sidebar feature.
- The name changing log mentions the latest name of the said feature plus it has fixed known bugs and improved overall performance.
Lately, Xiaomi came with a Samsung’s ‘Edge panel’-like feature and named it as Smart toolbox. This clone feature from Samsung was made just to introduce quick access to the apps. This feature already exists in Samsung smartphones and tablets and other OEMs also offer it.
The feature is available in the MIUI weekly beta channel. Xiaomi took a lot of time to implement this feature, and it is still not launched as it is in its final stages. Also, the company has now given the official name to it too. Now it will be known as the sidebar feature instead of the Smart toolbox.
The official name of the MIUI Smart toolbox feature
As already stated, the Smart toolbox feature is still under testing, and its name has already been shifted to the sidebar in just a few days. This feature is the clone of the Samsung Edge Panel. The sidebar has revealed its name via the MIUI SYSTEM UPDATES Telegram channel.
The latest moniker arrived through an update to the MIUI Security app, which bumps up the version to V5.8.1-211123. The name changing log mentions the latest name of the said feature plus it has fixed known bugs and improved overall performance.
Besides, no new addition has been made to the feature. But users can expect a few new inputs for the forthcoming sidebar feature in the coming days. Presently, the users can access features while playing games and even while playing videos. On the other hand, it is yet to see what all the company includes in the feature. Also, we will see that if the smart toolbox aka sidebar feature can select nine-panel at a time just like the Samsung edge panel or will it include other features.
- We are going to talk about 5 reasons to buy Tecno Camon 18 in our first impressions, which makes it a great buy for its price point.
- We are going to talk about the 5 reasons why you should buy OnePlus 9R in 2022 at an effective price of Rs 36,999
- There are some things you can do from your end to prevent OnePlus Nord 2 from overheating more than it shouldn’t.
- We are going to talk about the 5 reasons why we think iPhone 13 is essentially FAILED in India.
- Should you buy the OnePlus 9 in late 2021?


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It is unclear whether the new AirPods Pro Lite has integrated active noise cancellation. DigiTimes said Apple may launch a stripped-down version of its AirPods Pro wireless headset called AirPods Pro Lite.
That is published at an event at the company in the coming months. The source revealed that Apple will also introduce the next generation of iPad, Apple Watch and iMac computers.
According to MacRumors, AirPods Pro Lite will be produced primarily through partners in Taiwan. The move aims to limit the impact the corona virus is having on its supply chain in China. This can be a great excitement for Apple fans
Currently, information about the design and price of this new headset model has not been disclosed. It is also unclear whether it will be equipped with active noise canceling as standard version or not.
As a shortened device, AirPods Pro Lite will certainly cost less than the AirPods Pro. However, the current price of AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro is only $ 50 difference. “It’s not clear which segment Apple’s new headset will be,” MacRumors wrote.
AirPods Pro is currently Apple’s most advanced wireless headset. This model was introduced in late October 2019. It is also the first AirPods model to feature an in-ear design and integrate active noise cancellation.
Meanwhile, the direct competitor is the latest generation Samsung Galaxy Buds, which only starts at $ 130.
Renowned Apple analyst Daniel Ives predicts sales of the AirPods will continue to rise sharply and are likely to grow by more than 50 percent to reach the 90 million mark.
Strategy Analytics data also shows that Apple’s two closest rivals are Samsung and Xiaomi, but each has less than 10 percent market share. Some analysts say they have not been surprised by Apple’s market dominance since the launch of AirPods in 2016.


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Hilco UK Limited - which describes itself as the UK's leading retail restructuring specialist - bought a 50 per cent shareholding in Hyper Value (Holdings) Limited.
As well as 28 shops in Wales and the South West of England - which employ 400 people - the business also includes the Barry Island Pleasure Park, the Dolphin bar and KR's nightclub at Barry Island.
At the time of the takeover, Hilco chief executive Paul McGowan said: 'The long-term future of the business is in the hands of its creditors and we hope they will support the offer being made to them. The company has a strong heritage and the priority has to be in ensuring it is quickly re-stocked with key value merchandise which its customers have come to expect.
'We will immediately commit £500,000 to acquire those goods.'


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- Starbucks just announced a new addition to its rewards program using web3 and blockchain technology called Starbucks Odyssey.
- Members will be eligible for NFT prizes and a trip to Starbucks' coffee farm in Costa Rica.
- Fans can sign up for the Starbucks Odyssey waitlist now.
Starbucks just announced big additions to its rewards program, including digital experiences and a trip to Costa Rica.
The new program, which was teased by outgoing CEO Howard Schultz in an August earnings call, is called Starbucks Odyssey and gives customers and employees access to "new benefits and immersive coffee experiences" using web3 technology, Starbucks said in a press release. The coffee chain describes Odyssey as an extension of its already-existing rewards program, which members can reach using their accounts.
In Starbucks Odyssey, members can play games and engage in online challenges to learn more about coffee. Completing different aspects will be rewarded with "journey stamps," which also function as NFTs. The stamps will have point values and can be exchanged between members using blockchain technology. Points can then be used to access rewards like virtual espresso martini-making class, exclusive merchandise, and even a trip to a Costa Rica coffee farm, Starbucks said.
Rather than a short-term attempt to join the NFT fad, this is a permanent extension to the rewards program, Chief Marketing Officer Brady Brewer told Insider. Members who use these features "may not actually know they're interacting with blockchain or NFTs," he said, with the program intentionally avoiding those words that may not be familiar. Unlike many NFT ventures, Starbucks Rewards members won't have to create a crypto wallet to buy and sell stamps.
Starbucks Rewards members tend to have strong feelings about the program and any potential changes. When the coffee chain last made major changes to the program in 2019, customers took to social media to express their grievances. At that point, Starbucks changed how many stars were required for some free foods and drinks. The rewards program has gained over 10 million members since then, so even more customers could be impacted this time around.
Starbucks has one of the most successful rewards memberships in the fast food business. The program has 27.4 million members as of the end of the quarter, a year-over-year increase of 13%. Rewards members were responsible for over half of Starbucks' sales last quarter.
Other quick-service chains have already ventured into web3: McDonald's filed trademarks for a virtual restaurant and NFTs, Panera filed a trademark for the "Paneraverse," including NFTs, and Wendy's and Chipotle both tested out virtual restaurants in the Metaverse, with some real world rewards available.
The waitlist for Starbucks Odyssey opened on September 12, with the first invitations going out by the end of 2022.
Do you have a story to share about a retail or restaurant chain? Email this reporter at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Most of the Las Vegas Resorts and Hotels usually don’t include the price of a room in online booking. However, new legislation in Congress may require them to put a price tag in all advertisements.
Texas Rep Eddie Bernice Johnson and Jeff Fortenberry from Nebraska introduced a bipartisan bill in the House last week that will require all hotels and resort to be advertising the full price of a guestroom. The only thing that will be excluded is the government-imposed tax.
Most of the guestrooms in Las Vegas have a fee range of $15 to $45 a night. The fee is for services such as Wi-Fi, gym access, toll-free calling, and boarding pass printing. Deutsche Bank gaming analyst Carlo Santarelli believes that if the legislation is successful, it will impact the Las Vegas Strip operators.
The Bill to Face Powerful Industries
According to the Hotel Advertising Transparency Act of 2019, US hotels receive more than $3 billion concealed fees every year. A group such as Consumer Report and Travelers United believe this shouldn’t be happening. Traveler United spokesperson Lauren Wolfe said that Congress should support the bipartisan, common-sense bill.
However, the gaming and hotel sector is powerful in the US; they spent millions lobbying members of Congress. Casino.org has reported that the gaming industry contributes about $32.8 million lobbying in 2018, while the lodging and tourism sector spent $15.90 million.
The bill has been referred to chambers of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Nevada Rep. Dina Titus didn’t respond when asked whether he will support the bill, which will affect the hotels in Las Vegas Strip. Visitors to the resorts are fed up with the resort fee.


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Game studio Crystal Dynamics recently shared some news with their latest state of the game update for Marvel’s Avengers.
In a recent state of the game update post, Crystal Dynamics has officially decided to shift their PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S launch to next year. Here is the statement from them:
We’ve also made the decision to shift our PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S launch to next year to ensure that we give our team the time to deliver a next-gen experience showcasing all that this game is meant to be. More details to come.
So the next-gen treatment will have to wait later as they will have to make some work on it. It is possible that they are still trying to make fixes and tweaks for the game before they could move on to the next-gen versions.
Aside from that reveal, the post shared the new improvements, fixes, and tweaks that patch 1.3.3 introduced recently to the current-gen console and PC versions. One of the highlights was the late game content that will introduce several new features. Check them out here:
Mega Hive: To support our late game players, we recently dropped the Mega Hive. Mega Hives are a weekly mission type for fans who prefer to fly solo, testing their top-tier roster in a gauntlet of descending floors with increasingly difficult enemies. We’ve heard loud and clear that players want a multiplayer option for the Mega Hive, and that is something we are working towards in the coming months.
Tachyon Missions & SHIELD Substation Zero: A new outpost, SHIELD Substation Zero, dropped this week in the Pacific Northwest. SHIELD is investigating new temporal anomalies that have begun forming across the world and need the Avengers’ help. Visit this space to meet new characters and activate new rituals.
You’ll investigate the Tachyon anomalies by taking on the new Tachyon Rift missions. These rifts make gameplay much more challenging by introducing Tachyon Storms, which require greater collaboration between players (two minimum) to succeed. The storm will damage players over time, but charges Heroic energy at an increased rate. It also introduces Cosmic Gear. This is another late-game offering, as Tachyon Rift Missions require 140 Power Level or higher Super Heroes to play. These missions are available once per day and rotate out daily.
Omega-Level Threats: In the next few weeks we will introduce a new mission classification to Marvel’s Avengers – Omega-Level Threats. Missions under the Omega-Level Threat umbrella are multiplayer-focused challenges that are tuned for high-end players and offer special late-game rewards. Skill and coordination with your team will be key to overcoming these missions, including the Avengers-worthy fight at the finale.
Omega-Level Threats are a first step towards even more exciting and challenging late-game content. Many in our community have asked if Omega-Level Threat missions are Marvel’s Avengers’ equivalent to raids. Though focused on multiplayer and designed to be extremely challenging, Omega-Level Threats represent our first step in escalating the challenge your Super Heroes face. As the Avengers Initiative narrative continues to unfold, the stakes will get higher and the challenges harder.
The first Omega-Level Threat is the AIM Cloning Lab, which requires advanced tactics and the full cooperation of a seasoned four-player team to beat the high power level challenge. The lab culminates in a massive fight that is influenced by how you performed in the penultimate objective. How? We’re not going to spoil the surprise for you! The AIM Cloning Lab must be completed between 10:00 AM PDT Friday and 10:00 AM PDT Monday. While it can be replayed, like other late-game content it has better rewards for the first completion.
Marvel’s Avengers is now available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.


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Bitfury Group has announced the launch of Exonum Enterprise, a full-service blockchain division building on Bitfury’s Exonum blockchain framework.
With the launch of this “blockchain as a service” offering, governments and companies will easily be able to design as well as launch private blockchain projects. Exonum Enterprise platform has also introduced a number of latest features to benefit clients. The features include Bitfury DevOps support, a full-service dashboard that tracks blockchain deployments and the ability to launch blockchain projects in as little as five minutes.
The platform can handle a claimed 5,000 transactions per second and makes use of Bitfury’s proprietary consensus algorithm in order to secure operations even in case of node malfunction or malicious behaviour. It also offers upgraded security through anchoring to the Bitcoin Blockchain, keeping enterprise systems safe without revealing any internal or private data.
Valery Vavilov, CEO of Bitfury, said: “The Exonum Enterprise platform will further the adoption of blockchain, helping make our institutions more trusted and in turn improving the lives of people all around the world.”
Earlier this month, Canada-based bitcoin mining company Hut 8 announced that its purchase of nine Blockbox AC data centers for £5.32m from the Bitfury Group at its facility in Drumheller, Alberta is now fully operational. All the nine data centres were upgraded to add 12.6 PH/s Bitfury Clarke ASIC chips. The additional PH/s brought Hut 8’s total maximum operating capacity, across all operations, to nearly 963 PH/s and 109.4 MW at full capacity. The terms of the new loan are a fixed 9.85% coupon per annum with an 18-month term with a bullet repayment.
Read more: Bitfury: Emphasising the importance of education in driving forward the blockchain industry
Interested in hearing more in person? Find out more at the Blockchain Expo World Series, Global, Europe and North America.
The post Bitfury unveils enterprise-grade Exonum platform appeared first on The Block.
Credit: Blockchain News


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Apple hits intraday record high for first time since 2015 Apple Inc shares hit an intraday record high on Tuesday for the first time almost two years as investors raised bets that a 10th anniversary iPhone will boost lackluster sales. The S&P 500's largest component has climbed 50 percent from lows in the first half [...]
Time Warner’s profit and revenue top estimates (Reuters) – Time Warner Inc reported higher-than-expected fourth-quarter results, largely due to box office hits such as the "Harry Potter" spinoff "Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them."
U.S. refiners face weakening demand at pump for first time in 5 years U.S. refiners are facing the prospects of weakening gasoline demand for the first time in five years, stoking fears that earnings this year may be even worse than the dismal performances seen in 2016. The sign of weakening U.S. gasoline demand comes [...]
New York sues Time Warner for ‘defrauding’ users with slow internet New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman recently announced a lawsuit against Time Warner Cable for allegedly promising internet service to customers that it couldn't deliver.
New York sues Charter, alleges Time Warner fraud on internet speeds New York filed a lawsuit on Wednesday accusing Charter Communications Inc of short-changing customers who were promised faster internet speeds than it could deliver. The lawsuit in State Supreme Court in Manhattan accused Charter's Spectrum unit, until recently known as Time Warner Cable, of [...]
Democratic senators want AT&T to detail Time Warner deal benefits By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Thirteen Democratic senators on Wednesday asked AT&T Inc to explain how its planned $ 85.4 billion takeover of Time Warner Inc is in the public interest, as the company hopes to avoid a review of the deal by the [...]
Japan’s annual exports up for first time in 15 months on global demand Japan's annual exports rose for the first time in 15 months in December, led by shipments of car parts and electronics, underscoring a pickup in global demand and adding momentum to the export-reliant economy's recovery. Ministry of Finance data showed on Wednesday [...]
McDonald’s U.S. sales drop for first time in six quarters Shares of McDonald's, operator of the world's largest fast-food chain, fell as much as 2 percent to $ 119.84 in early trading on Monday. Comparable international restaurant sales also beat analysts' expectations due to a strong performance in the UK, China, Japan and certain markets [...]
AT&T chief executive, Trump meet amid planned Time Warner merger AT&T Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson had an hour-long meeting in New York on Thursday with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has opposed the company's planned acquisition of Time Warner Inc . A spokeswoman for Trump confirmed the meeting after Stephenson was seen entering Trump [...]
AT&T does not expect to seek FCC approval to buy Time Warner WASHINGTON (Reuters) – AT&T Inc said on Friday it expects to bypass a powerful telecommunications regulator in its planned $ 85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner Inc .


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Toyota Australia yesterday dismissed as "unrealistic" and "theoretical" the approach the Australian Tax Office uses to calculate the tax bills of multinationals operating in Australia.
The company is believed to have been handed an assessment for unpaid tax and penalties of more than $400 million - possibly up to $1 billion - on the pricing of imported vehicles.
Both sides yesterday denied any knowledge of how the ATO's water-tight security about individual tax payers may have been breached. The tax bill arises from suspected transfer pricing, where a company moves profits between countries by changing the prices of vehicles and parts.
"It's not $1 billion," was all executive chairman John Conomos would say yesterday about the disputed tax assessment.
"Basically it is theoretical. They deem what profit a corporation of our size should make, in their eyes," he said. "It is unrealistic in the case of Toyota Australia."
The outcome of the dispute will have no bearing on the future of the Altona factory.
The audit of Toyota is one of many conducted by the ATO in a vigorous crackdown on profit-shifting in the past five years.
"We are seeing an increasing use of arrangements that purportedly shift risks from Australian operations to other parts of the world to reduce the profits attributable to the Australian operations," tax commissioner Michael Carmody said in a speech last year.
"Since 1999 we have undertaken more than 400 transfer pricing risk reviews and completed nearly 100 audits, resulting in $615 million additional tax and penalties being raised."
Toyota is the biggest of the four car makers by revenue, but its earnings record is dismal. Since 1998, when it posted a profit of $75 million on turnover of $4.7 billion, its results have moved in a narrow range between a profit of $16 million and a loss of $6.3 million.
The string of essentially break-even results has been made during a period when revenue has rocketed from $4.7 billion to $6.2 billion and vehicle sales have risen from 158,000 in 1998 to 186,000 in 2003.
The results have been remarkably consistent, given that the company's main currency, the yen, has fluctuated from 86 to the dollar in 1998, down to 56 in 2001 and back up to 82 now.
In 2002, directors reported the company paid $478 million in government taxes, tariffs and other levies.
Mr Conomos said the assessment related to audits between 1993 and 1999. He said the company had been audited for transfer pricing once before, in the period before 1993. "We believe we have done nothing wrong." he said.


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SKILLMAN, NJ–Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. (J&J) said on April 27 that it will acquire Princeton-based NeoStrata Company, Inc., a global leader in “Dermacosmetics” or products that join beauty and health.
“The acquisition will include NeoStrata’s affiliates and parent company TriStrata, Incorporated, a privately-held company,” said J&J in a press release.
J&J has not disclosed financial terms of the deal or said how much it is paying for the cosmetics/dermatology company.
NeoStrata is responsible for innovating a range of “clinically-proven, dermatologist-developed, skin care products that meet the needs of every skin type.”
“Drs. Ruey Yu and Eugene Van Scott formed NeoStrata in 1988 and continue to make significant contributions to the science of skincare. NeoStrata’s legacy in dermocosmetics will complement our global Consumer portfolio and enable us to deliver advanced skin care brands to consumers around the world,” said Jorge Mesquita, Worldwide Chairman, Consumer, J&J.
“NeoStrata and Johnson & Johnson share a strong history of innovation and together we will work to discover important new skin care solutions grounded in deep human insights and compelling science,” Mesquita continued. “We look forward to working closely with NeoStrata’s distributors around the world and having their outstanding team of employees join Johnson & Johnson Consumer later this year.”
The deal is expected to close by the first half of 2016, but “is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act.
While many retail stores and spas sell NeoStrata’s streamlined products, the company also offers them direct to consumers via its website.


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Amazon seem to enter the highly populated messaging app market with its own app called Amazon Anytime. We are living in a world full of messaging apps. From Google’s Allo to Facebook‘s Messenger and anything in between there are tons of options for chatting calling or even Video calling.
Amazon is reportedly asking users what they would want to have in a messaging app. This seems like Amazon is looking to bring all user centered messaging app that is too good to be true. Amazon Anytime is not limiting the app to mobile only it is also aiming for PCs and smart watches.
Amazon Anytime is also looking to be all in one app for users. From text messaging to video calling all the means of communication are said to work right from a single app. Amazon is also looking forward to hit FB’s Messenger’s latest gaming feature too. Luckily it wont have stories or messenger day (winks).
Amazon Anytime is still a dark horse as we do not know much about the app but some leaked survey images that shows that the app have all the potential as it merges all the greatness of messaging apps in one complete bundle. Security, Image filters, In app purchases, Payments and sharing are some of the features mentioned in the survey.
Amazon has already entered the chat market with its business calling solution called Chime a business oriented video conferencing app like Skype for business. Amazon has also been rolling out calling feature directly from it’s echo devices.
As for the original Amazon shopping business is concerned we can believe that the app will have support to make purchases. It might also have suggestions for friends in-app and might even have some Alexa capabilities. Amazon is slightly late to the party but the features look promising. Amazon Anytime has all the juice needed and with the giant company behind it we are betting it call pull it off.


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The new summer menu at Taste, the regional cafe and gourmet grocer, is light on the palate, but heavy on plant-based products.
Four new sandwiches and two new salads (which can be made into wraps) are featured during the season.
"Plant-based products are trending up and are so important to many people now," said Taste executive chef Thomas Yager. "We wanted to create craveable plant-based items with the release of our summer menu."
Yager says the key is to take familiar, nonvegan dishes, and change up the ingredients, creating a vegan version.
"Our poblano relleno wrap uses Impossible Burger, black bean and corn salsa, caramelized onions, Daiya shredded vegan cheese and a house-made vegan creamy chipotle dressing," he says.
"We are also utilizing the Impossible Burger and vegan creamy chipotle dressing in a taco salad with fresh cilantro, corn chips, red onions, tomato, Daiya shredded vegan cheese and avocado on romaine," notes Yager.
I went in for lunch recently with my partner, Doug, and we shared each. They say seeing is believing; in this case, tasting makes a believer even out of a carnivore. The well-noted Impossible Burger product is so similar to beef, that it is, well, almost impossible to tell the two apart.
Both dishes were balanced, flavorful and virtually guilt-free.
"Also, we brought back two Taste favorites for the summer," the chef says. "Our crabcake sandwich is back and our grilled chicken salad is on the menu again. Both are featured on a sandwich this menu. You can also find our classic shrimp salad in our Grab-and-Go case."
Taste has eight locations across the region, including one in Greenbrier.
Taste is at 717 N. Eden Way. Call 757-424-4583 or visit taste.online
A LA CARTE: GOINGS ON IN CHESAPEAKE
At the end of May, I told you about plans for McGrath's Burger Shack from husband and wife team Mark and Ashley McGrath, owners of three area Tap It Local eateries, including two in Chesapeake.
The Irish-themed burger and beer joint is now open, offering indoor and outdoor dining in Millwood Plaza in Great Bridge. I'm heading that way soon to check things out and I'll have all the delish details in an upcoming column.
McGrath's Burger Shack will be at 800 S. Battlefield Blvd. Visit facebook.com/mcgrathsburgershack.
The Rolling on the River Food Truck Series, held the second and fourth Thursday of the month, continues at 5 p.m. June 27.
The event runs through the end of September. The food truck rodeo takes place at Elizabeth River Boat Landing & Park, and is sponsored by the South Norfolk Civic League and Chesapeake Parks, Recreation and Tourism department. Funds support the civic league and its scholarship fund. Live music and other entertainment are also featured.
For more information visit cityofchesapeake.net/prtevents.
Patrick Evans-Hylton, email@example.com


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One of the largest printers in the region has made its second acquisition in less than six months.
Miamisburg-based Think Patented has purchased Miller Printing in Springfield. Terms were not disclosed.
Miller Printing had been operating as a commercial printing division of 3G Graphic Solutions.
The deal is good for Think Patented, which has been working to bolster its commercial printing business while transforming to a provider of tech-based marketing solutions. In March it bought Prime Marketing Companies in Miamisburg.
Think Patented, which had about 115 employees before the latest acquisition, is involved in everything from traditional and digital printing, direct mail solutions and trigger-based marketing programs to e-commerce Web sites and fulfillment. Officials expect to retain nearly half of the 25 employees at Miller Printing.
Ken McNerney, CEO and managing partner of Think Patented, said the acquisition made sense because it adds a significant amount of work.
“Our recent investment in state of the art equipment has provided us tremendous efficiencies,” McNerney said. “The volume coming from Miller allows us to take advantage of these efficiencies”
Miller Printing serves a wide variety of industries including manufacturing, health care, higher education, finance and service.
Think Patented has been on a tear as of late. In addition to the two acquisitions, it recently moved into a new $4 million, 75,000-square-foot facility in Miamisburg — under a long-term lease — and is in the process of adding millions of dollars in new presses.
Think Patented is the second largest printing company in the region, based on Dayton Business Journal research


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Open-world juggernaut Elden Ring continues to go from strength to strength, with publisher Bandai Namco confirming in its latest sales report that Elden Ring sales have exceeded 13.4 million worldwide as of March 31. The challenging RPG has further solidified developer FromSoftware as a mainstream success, eclipsing sales of their previous titles such as Dark Souls III, which sold just over three million copies worldwide in its first month of release – at the time the fastest-selling title in Bandai Namco’s history.
A previous report stated that cumulative worldwide sales of Elden Ring had exceeded 12 million by March 16, meaning that it racked up another 1.4 million units sold in the last two weeks of that month. The acclaimed open-world co-op game still has a way to go to reach the combined Dark Souls series sales, which Bandai Namco reported had reached 27 million in 2020.
It was also recently reported that almost half of Elden Ring’s EU sales were on PC, making the PC version the most popular, with its total units sold outstripping the combined sales numbers on PS4 and PS5. To further put these numbers into perspective, FromSoftware’s previous title Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice sold 5 million copies in just over a year.
Elden Ring has seen huge cultural impact, with players rallying around watching the most ridiculous, game-breaking Elden Ring speedruns and cheering on community hero Let Me Solo Her, who reached their own personal milestone as they completed their 1,000th takedown of the game’s most notorious boss fight, Malenia.
With such high sales figures, it’s likely you’ve already played Elden Ring yourself – but have you played Elden Ring using a Fisher-Price gaming pad? Or attempted to traverse The Lands Between with an enemy randomizer mod? Perhaps you’re waiting to experience the gorgeous open world in the upcoming Elden Ring VR mod? Or perhaps you’ve had your fill altogether, in which case we’ve got the best soulslikes on PC for suggestions of more games to sate your curiosity.


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Islamabad: Engineering goods exports have shown a growth of 54.21 percent this year as compared to the last year.
During period from July-September, 2013 country exported engineering goods worth US$ 88.718 million as compared to US$ 57.531 million goods exported in same period of last financial year.
According the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, about 433 thousand units of electric fans worth US$ 10.356 million exported which was up by 21.18 percent as compared to the exports of 408 thousand units valuing US$ 8.546 million during the corresponding period of last year.
The data revealed that exports of transport equipments grew by 4.80 percent and reached to US$ 4.626 million which were recorded at US$ 4.41 million in first quarter of last financial year.
During the period under review, other electric machinery exports witnessed tremendous increase of 87.19 percent and reached to US$ 27.262 million as against the exports of US$ 14.564 million recorded during same period of last year, it added.
However, the exports of machinery specialized for particular industry decreased by 4.62 percent as country managed to earn only US$ 7.16 million as against the exports of US$ 7.51 million recorded during the same period of last year, it said.
Meanwhile, auto parts exports also remain on down track as it went down from US$ 5.64 million in first three months of last financial year to US$ 4.59 million in same period of current year, it added.


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Dash Hudson Raises $1Million
Dash Hudson, a Halifax company that helps shoppers purchase clothes they see on Instagram ads, has raised $1 million, including funding from two of the province’s leading tech entrepreneurs, Jevon MacDonald and Gavin Uhma.
While the money is significant to help the company grow, the Dash Hudson statement Tuesday reveals how the company has secured a network of leading advisers and investors in both the technology and fashion worlds.
Innovacorp contributed $350,000 to the round raised by CEO Thomas Rankin, who worked for the provincial innovation agency from 2011 to 2013. The other new investors include MacDonald and Uhma, who co-founded GoInstant in 2011 and sold out to Salesforce for a reported price of more than $70 million a year later.
Dash Hudson may add to the round if other investors come in.
“Obviously, I had knowledge of Thomas by working with him previously here,” said Charles Baxter, Innovacorp vice-president of investment, in an interview.
“One thing I liked about Thomas is he’s a guy who sought out top-notch advice.”
Rankin and chief technical officer Tomek Niewiarowski launched Dash Hudson in late 2013 as an e-commerce fashion site for men. Last summer, they changed their model so they work more closely with fashion houses or retailers advertising products on the photo-based social network.
Dash Hudson allows brands’ creative talent to place photos on Instagram of models wearing their clothes with relevant descriptions. With an elegant model and a visually pleasing photo, the seller can make sure the clothes are presented in the best light. And using Instagram, the ads can be sent out to a vast range of potential shoppers.
People who have registered with Dash Hudson can then “like” the image and are taken instantly to the Dash Hudson site, where they can buy the product online. Dash Hudson handles order processing with the product provider and bundles items, when possible.
Dash Hudson is available on the iPhone, and the company plans to have an Android version later this year. The goal is that the entire social media and shopping experience will be carried out on the user’s phone or mobile device.
“For our audience, Instagram is their stage, their glossy mag and their shopping mall,” said Rankin in a statement. “With brands spending over $1 billion per year on Instagram marketing, with no (return on investment), there’s a big opportunity for us to help turn that spend into meaningful results.”
Since the new service was launched in December, the ads linked to Dash Hudson have reached about 3 million people. Baxter said the company now has in “the low tens of thousands” of users.
What’s impressive about the company is the people Rankin has surrounded himself with. As well as MacDonald and Uhma, local investors include Patrick Hankinson, who sold Compilr last year. Investors in Dash Hudson’s previous $400,000 funding round included former Groupon chief technology officer Paul Gauthier and DHX Media co-founder and Academy Award-winning producer Charles Bishop.
Baxter said Innovacorp was comfortable investing in the former employee’s company because of its rising user base and because of the quality of investor it attracted and continues to work with.
The company’s advisers include Daniel Burka, design partner at Google Ventures; Erik Lautier, executive vice-president and chief digital officer at the fashion boutique bebe; David Alston, chief innovation officer at Introhive; and John Jannuzzi, senior digital editor at GQ.
Originally posted in Entrevestor by Peter Moreira


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The Kumble brothers, Anil and Dinesh have decided to expand their joint venture company, Stumpvision by launching a sports tabloid. Titled Sportvision, the weekly offering is to cover news from the world of local, national and international sports. The date of the launch is yet to be finalized.
“Yes, we are looking at launching a sports tabloid and are in the process of working out the details,” says Dinesh Kumble confirming the development. Sportvision will concentrate on sports at all levels – local, national and international. Along with a generous sprinkling of cricket and other sports, it will cover not so popular games like kho-kho and kabbadi. Says Shanker Subramaniam, Marketing Manager, Stumpvision, “It is designed in such a manner that the reader will get a complete feel of sports.” To be priced between Rs. 7-10, the weekly will be published out of Bangalore. Though available only in the city to begin with, it will expand to other areas in a phased manner.
Targeted at the complete sports buff, the 16-page sport tabloid will extensively cover local sports like school and college events. Though Sports Star from the Hindu is an obvious competitor, Sportvision is pitching itself as a niche product. “Our extent and nature of coverage is very different from others. But of course, to some extent we will be competing against Sport Star and the sports section of newspapers,” says Subramaniam.
Even as the tabloid receives its final touch up, the role played by the cricketer himself is still unclear. According to Subramaniam, Anil will contribute to a photo section called Kumble Camp with snaps he himself takes on his tours. What remains to be seen is whether a combination of product novelty and star appeal will add up to a good score board for the tabloid.


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Media and public relations programs are playing a big role in building trust for direct-to-consumer brands, according to a new study from Diffusion.
The 2020 Direct-to-Consumer Purchase Intent Index looks at the factors that shape consumer decisions about buying from those brands.
While cheaper cost (48 percent) and free shipping and easy returns (43 percent) topped the list, 26 percent of the survey respondents said that positive media coverage or reviews were the reason behind their choice to buy from a DTC brand rather than a traditional retailer.
As regards where they are getting their information, 19 percent say they are finding out about DTC brands from social media or influencer posts. Other information sources include print or online ads (18 percent), word of mouth from friends (15 percent), and reviews or features in either print or online media (14 percent).
And while the growth of direct-to-consumer buying seems to be slowing a bit, DTC is still a strong competitor to traditional brick-and-mortar shopping. Forty percent of the survey respondents said that they had made a DTC purchase over the past year. A majority of them (59 percent) also say that they expect to make at least one purchase from a DTC brand in the next five years—though that number is a sizeable drop from the 81 percent who said that in last year’s survey.
Despite the shifting boundaries between DTC and traditional retail, with retailers developing their own DTC brands and DTC companies opening physical stores, many consumers seem to be holding fast to their opinions about the split between the two. Almost half (46 percent) said they would view a traditional retailer's DTC spinoff the same way that they would a startup DTC, and a sizeable number (37 percent) said that they’d visit a DTC’s physical store to get a sense of a product before buying it.
“As competition continues to heat up, we can expect to see both types of companies steal from each other’s playbooks, as one side matures and the other tries to leverage some of the scrappy excitement DTC brands have brought to the space,” said Diffusion US managing director Kate Ryan.
Diffusion’s study was based on figures from YouGov Plc, from an online survey of 1250 adults carried out on Oct 3 and 4.


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Donahue Schriber, a Costa Mesa-based shopping center developer that owns two dozen centers in Greater Sacramento, has secured a $121 million bank syndication loan and has completed $187 million in refinancing for nine retail properties, of which four are local.
The four local centers that were part of the refinancing were Antelope Video, Laguna Crossroads, Laguna Creek Town Center and Rock Creek Plaza in Rocklin, a company representative said.
Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America provided the $187 million in fixed-rate refinancing for the nine centers.
The $121 million loan was made by a syndication of lenders led by Bank of America and includes Wells Fargo Bank, PNC Bank and U.S. Bank. The loan did not have specific properties attached to it. Donahue Schriber, which has 93 properties, will use the money to fund future development opportunities and acquisitions in the western United States, a spokeswoman said.
“Despite the turbulent market we continue to have access to funding and favorable terms,” Lisa Hirose, chief financial officer, said in a news release. “We have cultivated these lending relationships over many years and maintain a strong portfolio of assets in all market conditions.”
This year Donahue Schriber has opened five retail centers totaling more than 1.5 million square feet. In California, the new centers are in Visalia, Palm Springs and in the Riverside County community of Menifee. The company also opened one each in Nevada and Arizona.
Donahue Schriber plans to start construction on four centers in 2009, but the real estate investment trust isn’t disclosing any details until construction begins.
In its 39 years, the company has been involved in nearly 30 million square feet of retail properties. Donahue Schriber’s portfolio encompasses 16 million square feet throughout California, Nevada, Arizona and Oregon.


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According to local media reports, a Colombian court has ruled to ban the import and sale of 5G-enabled iPhones and iPads over Ericsson-related patent infringement.
It is reported that the above decision was made back in April in the High Court in Bogota, the capital of Colombia. Apple has been found to have infringed Ericsson’s local patent NC2019/0003681, the core technology standard for 5G, valid until December 2037.
After Ericsson handed over $50,000 bail, a Colombian court began enforcing the decision on July 6. The injunction prohibits Apple from importing, selling, distributing or promoting products that infringe Ericsson’s copyrights, including all 5G iPhone and iPad models. That is, the iPhone 12, iPhone 13 and the company’s new tablets.
Although Apple filed an appeal, Judge Ronald Neil Orozco Gomez ruled that Apple could not file a counter injunction, meaning that enforcement of the injunction would not be affected.


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By Gabriela Baczynska and Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union asked member states on Wednesday to grant visa-free travel to Turks in return for Ankara stopping migrants reaching Europe, but insisted Turkey must still change some laws and said it would get no "free ride". Lawmakers in the European Parliament, which along with a majority of the 28 EU governments must approve the measure if it is to take effect as Ankara wants within two months, warned that they would not vote it through until Turkey met every condition, including narrowing the scope of crimes it defines as terrorism. Governments anxious to allay public fears of a wave of immigrants from Turkey itself secured a new emergency brake to apply to all countries with visa-free travel to Europe's 26-nation Schengen zone.
Previously, 14 automakers had recalled 24 million vehicles with 28.8 million inflators linked to at least 11 deaths and more than 100 injuries. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) officials said Tesla Motors Inc , Fisker Automotive and Jaguar Land Rover will recall Takata air bag inflators, bringing the automakers involved to 17, including Honda Motor Co , Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV .
US auto safety regulators on Wednesday ordered Japanese manufacturer Takata to recall between 35 and 40 million more airbags installed in US cars, in a push for the replacement of dangerously explosive inflators. The decision comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concluded that the inflators are prone to ruptures that have been tied to 11 deaths worldwide, and adds to nearly 29 million Takata airbags already recalled. The announcement represented an acceleration of planned recalls over the next three years as evidence of the reason behind the exploding inflators became more clear.


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Bitcoin is an online currency that has gained international acceptance and recently the support of Silicon Valley Bank through a partnership with CoinLab and its deal with Mt. Gox, the owner of the world’s dominant Bitcoin exchange. CoinLab will be Mt. Gox’s exclusive partner in the United States and Canada.
Expensify explains Bitcoin in additional detail on its website:
Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency that enables instant payments to anyone, anywhere in the world. It uses peer-to-peer technology to operate without a central authority. It depends on the same cryptography that secures websites to ensure the validity of the currency and payments.
According to Expensify, “before sending or receiving Bitcoins, Expensify customers will need to establish a Bitcoin wallet. The wallet, either stored locally on the contractor’s computer or on a website, will have an address assigned to it that you will use to send or receive Bitcoins.”
CEO David Barrett said in an interview that customers can use exchanges to transfer Bitcoins. These exchanges, like Mt. Gox, serve as ways to convert Bitcoins into hard currencies. Bitcoin is traded, so the value may vary relative to the currency where the contractor does business. The Expensify site states that reimbursements with Bitcoin are made directly from the payer to the submitter. Expensify is not a party to the transaction, and a Bitcoin reimbursement cannot be canceled or reversed once initiated.
Expensify will offer an option for contractors to request Bitcoin reimbursement:
Contractors enter their Bitcoin address or can opt to have it pre-filled:
To reimburse with Bitcoin, a payer needs Bitcoins in their wallet. When ready to reimburse, they will see Bitcoin as an additional option for payment:
Here’s what the payer sees when the reimbursement is made:
Barrett said in an email that, as contracts get larger, PayPal fees get expensive for international contractors. Fees to exchange Bitcoin are minimal comparably. As Expensify points out in its blog:
Previously, our US companies with international employees or contractors were incurring currency conversion or wire transfer fees to the tune of 4% in some cases. To this end, Bitcoin is a great tool for minimizing the cost of reimbursing companies outside of the US. As a plus, transfers are secure and instant – no more waiting multiple business days for your ACH to clear!
Expensify is the first enterprise company that is embracing Bitcoin to such an extent. It’s acceptance is a sign of what is to come as Bitcoin goes mainstream. In the meantime, the process is still a bit cumbersome and will need some streamlining before it goes truly mainstream and gains greater acceptance with contractors. Or maybe not — those lower fees may be all contractors need to get a Bitcoin wallet and start receiving reimbursements.


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SEGA of America recently released a survey, which you can take here, and it includes a bunch of classic retro non-Sonic SEGA franchises. Everything from Shining to Jet Set Radio to Phantasy Star and Phantasy Star Online. What does this mean? On this SEGA News Bits, George and Barry break the survey down and speculate, analyze and yes… react. Enjoy!
If you want to support this type of content, you can check out our Patreon!
If you enjoy our SEGA News Bits segments and want to support us: Give us a sub and give this video a thumbs up so it shows up on more like-minded fans YouTube recommendations. You know, how that YouTube algorithm is.Ad:


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Joe West didn’t expect to be working for a fast-food chain. Then he lost his job.
This isn’t your standard recession story. West was dean of Florida International University’s renowned hospitality program for a decade, and then he lost his job after opposing the hire of the school’s new president. Now he’s running a bagel franchise with Larry King as a spokesman and 11 locations.
His transition from top academic to bagel executive marks one of the more surprising turns in West’s career as a top player in South Florida’s hospitality industry.
He led FIU’s hospitality school into prominence with two major initiatives: starting the event that went on to become the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, and spearheading a government-funded FIU hospitality school in China. Both were bringing in almost $4 million a year while West was dean. The festival has brought about $12 million to the school, and is funding a new $4 million teaching kitchen and dining room for students.
West points to the festival and China venture as examples of how public universities can use entrepreneurial ventures to compensate for declining government dollars. And he sees his new career running operations at the Brooklyn Water Bagel chain as a good use of his entrepreneurial instincts.
“I feel re-energized,’’ the 67-year-old said from his Boca Raton office.
West opposed hiring Mark Rosenberg, a former chancellor with Florida’s state university system, as FIU’s next president in 2009. Days after FIU’s board offered Rosenberg the job, West said he was out of his.
“I was informed on a Wednesday afternoon I was no longer dean but I would still be provost of the campus,’’ West recalled. “I was called Sunday night and told I wasn’t going to be anything except a professor.”
A former student’s brother was shopping around an idea for a new restaurant chain: a bagel shop with a special formula for making New York bagels by recreating Brooklyn water. West was skeptical at first, but eventually signed on as a top executive. The catch: no salary, only stock in a company that barely existed at the time.
West now earns a salary, and says the Brooklyn franchise model has been growing steadily. The company only owns two stores — one in Delray Beach and one in Beverly Hills — but franchise owners in nine other locations pay to be part of the chain. He said investors have put down the money to bring the total chain count to 250.
The chain pitches itself as selling the closest thing you can get to a real New York bagel outside of New York. Franchise owners must buy the company’s water-purification system, which claims to replicate Brooklyn water and thus produce an authentic Brooklyn bagel.
So far, the company has sold 10 territory franchises, including shops in South Beach, Hollywood and the BankAtlantic Center. Larry King was given one in Beverly Hills as part of a endorsement deal shortly after he left his CNN nighttime talk show.
West sat down recently with Business Monday to discuss China, shrimp flipping and the true cost of a coffee refill.
Q: How does the Larry King endorsement work?
He’s a partner in the store and he’s a spokesperson for the company. We’ve given him a contract along the lines of the way that William Shatner has with Priceline. Shatner took a piece of the company instead of a lot of money, and it has made him tens of millions of dollars. Our deal with Larry King is not as big as his deal. But it’s a nice little deal. As we grow, he will be nicely rewarded.


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09 Sep 2019
President of the Republic of Angola Joao Manuel Lourenco called on Qatari businessmen to invest in his country and benefit from the opportunities it offers in various sectors in light of the attractive investment climate it offers.
He was meeting with a number of businessmen from Qatar Chamber yesterday at Sheraton Hotel in the presence of Qatar Chamber Second Vice-Chairman Rahsid bin Hamad Al Athaba.
The meeting touched on ways of enhancing trade relations between both countries and investment opportunities available in Angola.
Lourenço said that Qatar is an important country not only in the Middle East region but also in the whole world, praising the development it sees at social and economic fields for the welfare of its people.
He also noted that the Angolan delegation comprises of many ministers, officials and private sector representatives. The President said that his visit was marked by many successful meetings with Qatari officials and witnessed signing many agreements for enhancing cooperation ties.
Regarding areas of investment in his country, he said that there are many opportunities in many sectors especially in tourism, infrastructure, ports, industry and many sectors.
Second Vice-Chairman of Qatar Chamber Rashid al Athba praised the Angola’s keen interest to meet with Qatari businessmen and investors with a view to examining ways of enhancing our cooperation relations for the good of our friendly countries. He noted that despite the strong relations between the two countries countries, their trade volume is still weak.
Al Athba expressed his confidence that there is ample room for cooperation between business sectors and there is a wide scope of business opportunities in both sides.
He noted that Angola has huge potentials in many key economic sectors such as agriculture and mining, noting stressing that these sectors are very attractive for Qatari investors who are eager to invest in Africa in general and in Angola in particular, especially that Angola sought to attract foreign investment thanks to investment incentives, new laws and easy procedures of doing business and facilitate investments.
He stressed the Chamber’s support and encourage all Qatari businessmen and companies to invest in Angola which is one of the most fast-growing economies in Africa.


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PB Fintech sets up arm as account aggregator; stock down 26% since Nov
PB Fintech, the parent company of Policybazaar and Paisabazaar, also said that it would purchase loan marketplace MyLoanCare for Rs 40.41 crore.
Forcing companies to declare profits early will destroy shareholder value: Policybazaar founder
Shares end opening day’s trade with 23% gain over issue price
Policybazaar IPO allotment likely today: Here's how to check status
Policybazaar IPO received bids for 57,23,84,100 shares against 3,45,12,186 shares on offer, according to NSE data. The price range for the IPO was at Rs 940-980 per share.
PB Fintech IPO subscribed 16.59 times on Day 3
The PB Fintech IPO received bids for 57.24 crore equity shares against an offer size of 3.45 crore, according to NSE data. The parent firm of Policybazaar and Paisabazaar is likely to list on November 15.
Policybazaar parent's IPO fully subscribed on Day 2
The issue has generated mixed recommendations from analysts, with some raising questions over the valuations. However, the majority believe it is an issue worth subscribing to, given the underpenetrated insurance market.
Policybazaar parent to continue chasing long-term growth after IPOYashish Dahiya, cofounder and chairman of PB Fintech, said 80% of the company’s focus will be on growth and 20% will be on ‘efficiencies’.
PolicyBazaar's parent firm gets Sebi nod for Rs 6,017 crore IPOThe company had filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with Sebi on August 2, seeking to raise Rs 6,017 crore ($809 million) through an IPO.
Policybazaar files draft papers for Rs 6,017 crore IPOThe company and its shareholders seek to raise Rs 6,017 crore from the market. It comprises fresh issue of Rs 3,750 crore and an offer for sale worth Rs 2,267.5 crore. SVF Python II (Softbank) is the major PE investor looking for an exit. Besides Yashish Dahiya, CEO of the company will also offload part of his stake, along with other shareholders.
SoftBank-backed Policybazaar aims for 2021 IPO in India tech’s debutPolicybazaar helps sell about a million policies a month. The aggregator lets users compare life, health, auto, travel and property policies from 40 insurers on its website without going through conventional agents, who sell based on incentives.
PolicyBazaar arm cuts over 1,500 jobsOwing to the coronavirus impact, other unicorns and large startups like Oyo, Curefit, Swiggy, Ola, and Zomato too have had to cut their team sizes by 10-30%, while some have placed additional staff on furloughs.
BankBazaar raises Rs 45 crore in ongoing funding round led by WSVIncluding this latest round of funding, BankBazaar has now raised about $116 million, across multiple rounds.
Tiger to exit Policybazaar, eyes $1.5 billion valuation for companyThe company is in talks with Tencent, existing backer SoftBank for a 21% stake.
Paisabazaar.com to increase women head countThe company will also be focusing on hiring women who have taken long conscious breaks in their professional lives, due to family or other personal reasons.
Paisabazaar all set to bring cooperative banks to its platformPaisabazaar.com claims to get around 20 million customers on its platform every month and since its inception in 2014, has registered a growth of more than 150% per annum.
Paisabazaar will now tell you chance of your loan application approval on its platformThe company said that CreditKarma in the United States have a similar feature but claimed to be the first one in India to do so.
Paisabazaar ties up with Alexa and Google AssistantOver the next few weeks, various other products from Paisabazaar like direct plans of mutual funds, loans, credit cards etc. will also be available to customers on Alexa and Google Assistant.
MyLoanCare to expand operations, focus on digital effortsStarted five years back, MyLoan-Care has already processed close to 14,000 loans till March 2018 and has successfully helped disburse around Rs 1,300 crore on behalf of its lending partners.
Fintech startups need to rework their AadhaarStartups will now have to include additional documents for verification which will raise costs.
Paisabazaar targets 3.5 lakh credit card disbursals over the next 12 monthsCurrently the Gurgaon based company issues over 20,000 credit cards in a month and plans to reach an annualized run-rate of 4 lakh cards by end of March next year.
Paisabazaar has disbursed Rs 5,000 crore of unsecured loans since inceptionIn a note shared with the press, the startup said that 88% of the unsecured loans sourced their platform were disbursed to salaried professionals.
DBS Bank looks to grow Indian business through partnershipsIt is not looking for any immediate acquisition of fintech companies in India like what it did in a few Asian markets, bank chief executive Piyush Gupta said
Can CreditMantri grab success in a cluttered market?While credit score ranges from 300 to 900, anything above 750 is considered good as banks and other NBFCs are comfortable approving loans to customers with this score.
Paisabazaar to disburse Bank of Baroda 5X credit cardsAlong with Bank of Baroda’s 5,500 branches, 5X Rewards range of credit cards will now also be available online on Paisabazaar.com, said the company in a press release.
Paisabazaar partners Microsoft for tech-led innovationsPaisabazaar said the company would be able to roll out these facilities for its users by moving to a cloud based data infrastructure on Microsoft Azure.
Paisabazaar to get Rs 200 crore from parent company EtechAcesThe lending marketplace plans to use the fresh funds to strengthen its technology platform and build in new decision-making systems.
PolicyBazaar eyes $1.5 billion value in IPOThe portal’s holding entity, EtechAces Marketing and Consulting, is likely to be the first financial technology listing on the Indian bourses, riding the bullish investor sentiments around the digital financial sector.
Paisabazaar launches new lending product category – Short Term LoansThe company has tied up with digital lenders like CASHe, Early Salary, Paysense, StashFin and Shubh Loans to offer this product.Load More
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XDefiant’s executive producer has hit back at reports that the first-person shooter has been delayed due to devs trying to copy modern Call Of Duty games.
First announced in 2021, XDefiant is a 6v6 multiplayer shooter that brings together characters from various Ubisoft franchises like The Division, Rainbow Six Siege and Splinter Cell.
XDefiant launched an open beta at the start of 2023 but the game was delayed indefinitely in September, after failing a number of console quality control tests.
“I know it’s a bummer that we are moving the date especially since we seemed so close and that for many the game is great and they can’t wait to play but I’d rather ship a game that is better for everyone,” said executive producer Mark Rubin at the time.
Earlier this month, it was reported that the continued delays to XDefiant were down to the team “chasing” Call Of Duty and copying features found in Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone.
However, Rubin has hit back at those claims, calling them a “major eyeroll”.
Just FYI, nothing about our delay is due to any new features. In fact not much has changed from a gameplay standpoint. The delay has been due to the tech issues we’ve talked about. Whoever said chasing CoD in Tom’s report was major eyeroll. 😀
— Mark Rubin (@PixelsofMark) March 23, 2024
“FYI, nothing about our delay is due to any new features. In fact not much has changed from a gameplay standpoint. The delay has been due to the tech issues we’ve talked about,” he wrote on social media.
“We’ve said in the past that we were aiming at a different time in first-person shooter history. i.e. older Call Of Duty games. So are we ‘chasing’ older Call Of Duty games? [Yes] to some degree but we don’t want to be like what the newer Call Of Duty titles are like,” he continued.
Rubin went on to say that an update on the release date for XDefiant should be coming this week. “I know we’ve been silent because to be honest there isn’t much to talk about. I know people just want to see the game ship and so do we,” he explained, with the team working on “major technical issues” that appeared with the scaling of the game.
“I can’t wait to ship just so we don’t have to talk about ship dates anymore and we can talk about more important stuff like gameplay balancing or new content/modes/maps,” he added.
In other news, Capcom has shared the patch notes for the first update to Dragon’s Dogma 2, which will hopefully improve graphics and character customisation.


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Playstation Universe recently reported on a trademark on the phrase “P.S. Thanks” appearing on the legal scene with Sony’s signature attached, with the rather vague tagline of being an “…incentive rewards program geared toward quantifying, identifying and motivating top consumer base with the goal of promotion and sale of video game hardware and software.” attached to it. Rumors have abounded just how these “incentives” will manifest, the general consensus being a sort of rewards systems across Sony’s platforms, the specifics of which are still very much up in the air.
In response to the speculations, Sony has released this statement: “We have a long history of creating unique loyalty programs such as PlayStation Underground, which started with the original PlayStation and has evolved into the Gamer Advisory Panel. We continue to look for ways to expand this program and we are evaluating new naming conventions for this evolution, which is why we filed a trademark for PlayStation Thanks.”


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New Tecno smartphone to cost less than Sh10K
The Chinese mobile phone maker Tecno Mobile’s bid to rule the smartphone market in Kenya has gone a notch higher with the release a new device that will cost less than Sh10,000.
The company has announced the impending release of a new series of smartphones targeted at the youth market.
The new Tecno Spark will have 13MP rear/ 8MP front, F/2.0 dual cameras. It will also come with a fingerprint sensor, 5.5 inches IPS display and operate on the latest Android 7.0.
The new device is expected to be in the Kenyan market in mid-August.
Details of the pricing are not yet out, but the standard edition will cost between Sh8 to Sh9K.
Tecno is aiming to be ‘the camera smartphone of choice’ in all its markets.


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#CityofCapeTown trended on Wednesday and Thursday as users criticised the Cape Town municipality over an eviction incident that went viral. A video shared on…
Long accused of milquetoast support for its Android licencees when they’re attacked, Google has suddenly escalated the Apple-vs-Android patent war by providing HTC with an armoury of patents in its current legal battle with Cupertino.
Last week Google transferred a set of patents to HTC that the Taiwan-based company used to amend intellectual property infringement complaints against iPhone maker Apple in the United States.
The global Internet giant confirmed selling the patents to HTC but referred additional questions to the smartphone maker.
Read more on Gearburn.com


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Commercial Cylinder Price Hike: Those hoping for relief from inflation are once again in shock. LPG cylinder prices have gone up by more than Rs 100 today (May 1). The increase is on commercial LPG cylinders.
At present, consumers of domestic LPG cylinders are getting relief. It may be recalled that last month, i.e. on April 1, the prices of commercial LPG cylinders had gone up by Rs 250.
According to IOC, if a 19 kg LPG cylinder is refilled in Delhi today, you will have to pay Rs 2355.50. As on April 30, it was priced at just Rs 2,253. In Kolkata, you will have to spend Rs 2,455 instead of Rs 2,351, while in Mumbai you will have to spend Rs 2,307 instead of Rs 2,205. In Chennai, the price of a commercial cylinder has gone up from Rs 2,406 to Rs 2,508 in Tamil Nadu.
Mumbai - Rs 949.50
Delhi - Rs 949.50
Kolkata – Rs 976.00
Chennai - Rs 965.50
It may be recalled that on March 1, the price of a 19 kg commercial cylinder had gone up by Rs 105 and on March 22 it had gone down by Rs 9. At the same time, the price of a commercial cylinder has gone up by Rs 170 between October 2021 and February 1, 2022.
On October 1, the price of a commercial cylinder in Delhi was Rs 1,736. It became 2000 in November 2021 and 2101 in December 2021. Then in January, it became cheaper again and in February 2022 it became cheaper and came to Rs 1907. After this, on April 1, 2022, it reached Rs 2253.


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Remember those rumors about Microsoft approaching RIM for a stake in the company? Reuters is reporting that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had approached RIM in the last couple of months, looking to strike a partnership similar to the one they have with Nokia Oyj. Under that partnership, Nokia will now use the upcoming Windows Phone 8 operating system on their devices.
However, RIM declined even a stake in the company, which could have led to more funding for marketing, etc. The decision to not accept Microsoft’s offer is said due in part of the board wanting RIM to continue its already planned mission with BlackBerry 10 and not wanting to lose independence as a company.
What ever the outcome might be for RIM (i.e. selling patents, licensing software, etc), it will be a long uphill battle. Do you think RIM should have taken the short road and licensed Windows Phone 8? Or, do you believe BlackBerry 10 can make a turnaround for RIM?


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Editor Julie Jacobson visited several Vivint Smart Home stores in Best Buys located in San Antonio, Texas, where it is testing a new business model for selling and installing security and home automation systems.
Julie Jacobson · March 27, 2017
Find out which installing security dealers have a shot to take home a SAMMY Award for their sales and marketing prowess during the free April 4 ceremony.
SSI Staff · March 09, 2017
The research firm suggests service providers will have to offer flexible billing models in order to preserve growth in the smart home market.
SSI Staff · February 01, 2017
Increasing use of video doorbells could result in wider acceptance and adoption of video verification in home security systems.
SSI Staff · January 26, 2017
Many industry players at CES 2017 preached enriching the consumer experience through seamless integrations, say an IHS Market analyst.
SSI Staff · January 12, 2017
Vivint is funded through 2017, and if its new payment model is successful the company says it won’t need to raise any more debt for growth for the foreseeable future.
Rodney Bosch · January 09, 2017
Vivint has partnered with seven Best Buy stores in San Antonio to sell its products and services.
Julie Jacobson · January 06, 2017
The new Vivint Flex Pay payment plan is intended to provide consumers with more flexibility in purchasing smart home products and services.
SSI Staff · January 03, 2017
Vivint proposes a method for projecting laser images of controls to replace unsightly keypads on door locks and security panels.
Julie Jacobson · December 28, 2016
Customer service is the key factor in consumer satisfaction among home security companies.
Steve Karantzoulidis · October 20, 2016


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Nokia 10 PureView which isn’t the official name, has been tipped to arrive with the forthcoming Snapdragon 875 SoC. The smartphone that will possibly be the descendant to the Nokia 9.3 PureView which is desired to be launched in November 2020 and it seems to be in early progress at this point. The report has mentioned that a couple of other details about the structure of the Nokia 10 PureView and it has stated that it might be presented in the 2nd half of 2021. There is no official data available on the Nokia 10 PureView from Nokia as of now therefore so this should be measured with a pinch of salt.
Another report has stated that the Nokia 10 PureView is in early development and it will be powered by the impromptu Snapdragon 875 SoC. It also circumstances that the smartphone will come with a stainless-steel frame and a sapphire glass display. The smartphone is hoped to have a multi-camera set-up with Zeiss optics, which has been seen in early Nokia flagships. The report has added that the smartphone will be introduced on the 2nd of next year.
Image from Nokia
By being a flagship, it does not arrive as a surprise that the speculated Nokia 10 PureView will be powered by the Snapdragon 875 SoC. Presently, the forthcoming SoC was seen on Antutu benchmarking site with a code name ‘Lahaina’ by a known tipster and it received a score of 8,47,868, which is much greater than the usual 6,29,245 score of the Snapdragon 865+. It also displays to be much more controlling than the 5nm offerings from big known companies such as Samsung and Huawei.
Qualcomm is wished to declare the Snapdragon 875 SoC on 1st December and it is also hoped that the latest Snapdragon 7 series processor with 5G support will be rolled out as well.
Talking about the forthcoming Nokia 9.3 PureView, a report from late September said that it will be presented in November as Nokia brand licensee HMD Global is preparing a big event. Alongside the Nokia 9.3 PureView, the Nokia 7.3 5G, and 6.3 smartphones are wished too, although, there is no approval on this from Nokia.


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- Yet another lady has become the topic of discussion online after she shared her disappointing experience with an online vendor
- According to the video posted by Kraks TV, the lady had ordered a three-piece outfit but got something a bit different
- The video which has since gone viral left many people amused with some giving her tips on how to style what she got
When it comes to shopping online, not every experience ends beautifully. A clear example is the case of a lady whose video is currently trending online.
In the video shared by the comic page, Kraks TV, on Instagram, a model is seen in an all-white ensemble which is comprised of a strapless corset top, a mini skirt and a long jacket.
The model who sported blonde hair wore matching white high boots.
However, what the customer got was a far cry from the order. The fitting was wrong and unflattering on her body.
Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through firstname.lastname@example.org or WhatsApp: 0732482690.
Watch the video below:
Social media users react to the video
"Let her cross her legs first ♂"
"Wear the boot first"
"Sometimes it might not be the dress,Maybe you don’t have the kind of shape like the lady advertising the dress."
"You are the problem and not the dress."
"It’s the same now. She should pose."
"Iron it first."
Man Orders Sofa Online at KSh 2800, Realises It’s Only a Handful
In other news, a young man in Ghana got himself in an interesting situation after deciding to order a sofa he saw online going for a ridiculously low price.
Taxi Driver Turns Car Into 'Supermarket', Makes Drinks, Sweets and Biscuits Available for Passengers
Adu Kabena Alfred, a friend to the gentleman, indicated that the sofa was displayed on Jumia for KSh 2800 and the young man took the opportunity to place an order for it.
The good was processed for close to a month and when it arrived, it turned out to be a tiny model of the sofa which was delivered to him on a motorbike.
Many Ghanaians have found the report hilarious and expressed their views on the entire happening.


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EVERETT — When it comes to flavors, these shops are like Baskin-Robbins.
But instead of ice cream, it’s bottles of nicotine juice.
And instead of a mere 31 flavors, there are hundreds — cotton candy, buttered popcorn, lemon, mint, cappuccino, you name it — that create an aromatic cloud of vapor and a nicotine fix.
That can all change based on what the state Board of Health decides on Wednesday.
Gov. Jay Inslee issued an executive order Sept. 27 asking the state health board to issue the emergency rule at the SeaTac meeting to outlaw flavored vaping products delivering nicotine and THC.
The ban would go into effect Thursday, and only allow products that taste like tobacco or cannabis.
No fruity or dessert flavors. Not even mint.
This stems from a mysterious lung illness associated with using flavored e-cigarette, or vaping, products. These include Juul and other cartridge-based vape pens, the rage of teens way younger than 18, the legal age to vape. But they manage to do it anyway, getting older friends and family members to obtain products for them.
As of Oct. 1, there have been 18 deaths confirmed in 15 states and 1,080 lung injury cases nationwide reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 80 percent of patients were under 35, with 16 percent younger than 18.
In Washington, seven lung illnesses from vaping have been reported.
The first vaping-related illness confirmed in Snohomish County was a woman in her 20s in late September. She purchased the vape liquid from a legal retailer.
About 4,000 stores statewide sell nicotine vaping products. There are about 480 marijuana retailers licensed to sell THC vaping devices, cartridges or oils.
If passed, Washington will join a growing number of other states in banning flavored products. On Tuesday, Montana approved a temporary ban, joining New York, Michigan, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
At Prime Cigar in Mukilteo, employee Malik Khurshid said there was a temporary uptick in sales of flavored products after Inslee announced the possible ban, but sales have since dropped.
The store is in limbo, he said. Plenty of inventory remains on the shelves on one side of the store along with a glass case with vaping hardware such as tanks and refillable canisters.
“If they want to ban it we’ll have to take every single flavor out of there and throw them in a dump,” Khurshid said. “Everything has a shelf life.”
A few miles away on Mukilteo Speedway, PNW Glass & Vape posted a “Flavor Ban Sale” sign in the front window, but a worker there would not comment, per the owner’s instruction.
Khurshid said vape products are 40% of the gross sales at the smoke shop that opened 11 years ago.
“If it passes, we might have to close down,” he said. “Cigarettes alone and all that can’t pay for overhead.”
The store sells Zippo lighters, cigars, smokeless tobacco and cigarettes. A pack of Marlboro’s is $9.37. Most buyers are older, he said.
Each cigarette has about 10 milligrams of nicotine, but much goes up in smoke. Only about 1 to 2 milligrams of nicotine gets inhaled.
E-cigarettes and other vaping products work by heating a liquid to produce an aerosol that users inhale into their lungs. No Zippo needed. The concentrated dose often is higher than cigarettes. Nicotine juices, which fill reusable cartridges, produce a misty vapor cloud while the pre-filled pods for devices like Juul, are low-cloud.
School-age teens and the 18 to 35 group are the main users of vaping products, said Jennifer Reid, Snohomish Health District healthy communities specialist.
“One of the initial draws to vaping devices is the flavors,” Reid said. “The flavors mask the harshness of the nicotine. It makes it a lot easier for them to start using the product and to continue… Especially for teens, these can be damaging to their brains.”
Juul is one of the most popular vapor devices used by teens, who refer to it as Juuling, not vaping.
“It captures the nicotine in a different form. It’s called a salt-based nicotine. It is heated to a vapor at a lower temperature,” Reid said. “It is less harsh and it allows for an increase in nicotine.”
These are not your grandma’s Kools, which can kill you over the long haul.
“Cigarettes are some of the worst things you can do for your body,” Reid said.
But you live long enough to suffer.
According to the CDC, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., accounting for more than 480,000 deaths every year, or about 1 in 5 deaths.
Vaping is not recommend as a way to quit smoking, Reid said.
There is limited regulation on the nicotine vapes. “We don’t know what’s in even the ones legally sold in stores,” she said. “Marijuana vapes have slightly more regulation.”
Unlike cigarettes, it is easy for teens to hide vaping from their teachers and parents.
It often smells like scented hand lotion, not tobacco.
The cartridges are even easier to use on the sly and don’t produce a cloud of vapor like the juice. Some resemble flash drives.
In schools, administrators are scrambling to find ways to deter kids from vaping, because detecting the clouds has proven nearly impossible.
“At times, it feels like we’re chasing ghosts,” Everett High School Principal Lance Balla said. “I think it’s criminal that these companies clearly targeted our youth. They need to be held accountable. These things should be illegal — period.”
School staff have been placing signs that outline the dangers of vaping in bathrooms (dubbed as the “Juul room” in some places) and sent letters about vaping devices home to parents.
At the Everett head shop on Evergreen Way where Marcus Esmay works there are about 300 nicotine juice flavors on the wall. Many bottles of flavors are being sold at a discounted price of $10 in preparation of the proposed ban.
“People are coming in and buying 10 to 20 bottles at a time,” said Esmay, who spoke on the condition the store’s name not be used. The store specializes in glass pipes and doesn’t sell tobacco products.
He said Inslee’s popularity among vape sellers is taking a hit.
“People are saying, ‘You got me at climate change and you lost me at banning vaping.’ I feel the same way,” Esmay said.
Andrea Brown: firstname.lastname@example.org; 425-339-3443. Twitter @reporterbrown.
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The consumer privacy debate that has engulfed Facebook is beginning to ripple toward Amazon. Democratic Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Texas GOP Rep. Joe Barton have sent a letter to Jeff Bezos with 12 questions around how the Amazon Echo Dot Kid’s Edition handles children’s data.
The questions include whether audio interactions children have with the devices are recorded and saved, whether parents can review or delete recordings, and if Amazon will maintain profiles of kids and if so, how they would be used. The lawmakers also asked how long Amazon will keep the information and whether third parties will have access to it.
The questions get into the implications of these devices on child development. Did Amazon consult child development experts on how these devices would affect the kids who use them?
It’s worth reading all 12 questions in full to get a glimpse of how lawmakers are thinking about the impact of technology on society. These questions also come as The Information is reporting on the security flaws in Amazon’s smart home devices. We’re looking forward to reading Amazon’s responses.


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In 2016, the dad from YouTube channel RuiRei Channel created a Famicom console costume to wear with his twin sons. This year, they’re back with the totally logical follow up: a Super Famicom costume.
Like last year, the family designed and built the costume, which was dubbed “Super Fami Oyako” (スーファミ親子) or “Super Fami Parent and Child.”
It looks like the twins have grown since last year. As they should!
Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.


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The Human Trafficking blog by Amanda Kloer at Change.org in the United States declared victory on Friday in their campaign to get the credit card company Diners Club International to stop doing business with a company in Singapore that sells Vietnamese mail order brides. More than 800 people signed a petition to get Diners Club to stop making it easier to purchase women for marriage.
The online petition said:
Human beings should not be bought or sold, and they certainly shouldn't be part of a payment plan, a “blue light special”, or a clearance sale. Mail order brides are not only extremely vulnerable to human trafficking, but also domestic violence, abuse, rape, and exploitation. While creating a payment plan to purchase a human being is ethically and philosophically disgusting, it also reduces the economic barrier to buying a bride. Removing that barrier allows traffickers to acquire women using less capital than they needed before. It opens the door to a new socio-economic class of criminals to buy and exploit these women.
Mail order brides are not illegal in Singapore, nor in most other parts of the world. This month, The Electric New Paper in Singapore published a series of articles about Vietnam Brides International, including one about the company's $167 a month payment plan with Diners Club, and another about the sliding scale of prices for brides depending on where they are from. The journalist, Crystal Chan, also spoke to the assistant general manager (sales and marketing) for Diners Club (Singapore), who said, “We don't make a moral judgment on the business set-up of our merchant partners. For us, it's more important that the business is legitimate.”
Since the petition, the credit card company has changed its tune and written the following in a letter to Change.org:
“On behalf of Diners Club International, which is part of Discover Financial Services, we appreciate [your] bringing this specific merchant relationship with a Diners franchisee to our attention. Formal steps have been taken to terminate the relationship [with Vietnam Brides International].”
On Change.org Amanda Kloer concludes:
This statement is telling, and it says that you all made a huge difference. Your letters made Diners Club aware of the partnership one of their franchisees had made with a mail order bride service. You helped keep an important financial protection in place for women at risk of trafficking and abuse via the mail order bride industry. You refused to accept that an international company can treat and finance women like objects. This is one of those rare moments when you can see the important changes your actions bring, and the difference you make in the world.
Thank you for bringing this issue to Diners Club's attention. And thank you Diners Club International for making the important decision to protect women and girls from exploitation. Together, we are the change we wish to see.
In April, Global Voices linked to a post by Alvinology in Singapore about an Al Jazeera film about Vietnamese mail order brides. The film tells the story of two girls who come to Singapore seeking new lives.
Alvinology wonders why men must resort to foreign brides when there are already both men and women in Singapore. He writes:
In the video, a Vietnamese bride can be “purchased” on-the-spot for S$10,000. The girl on the right was only 18-years-old when she was sold to a 35 year-old Singaporean man who went to the matchmaking agency to choose his bride together with his mom.
What’s even more humiliating, the girls were made to visit a clinic in Singapore to get a certificate verifying their virginity before they can be sold.
While both the Vietnamese girls and the Singaporean men who entered into such marriages are willing adults, I wonder how many of such couples end up truly happy.


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Ghost Recon Breakpoint took center stage with yet another trailer was revealed, as Jon Bernthal walked out with his dog, selling pre-orders instantly in a brilliant PR move.
That’s right, not only is Jon Bernthal taking on a staring role, but he brought along his best friend to share the E3 experience with. But enough about good boys, how about some good trailers, as yet another was released for the title.
The new trailer focuses on the teamplay aspect, showcasing your new squad, the people who will undoubtedly be reviving you left, right and center. It seems that this wasn’t initially the plan, due to the fact this is coming after launch, but it will surely be a welcome addition for many players.
The biggest news to come out of the presentation is that there will be a Beta for the game starting September 5, a month before the game’s launch. The title is also set to be supported for years after its release, according to the developer.
You can watch the full trailer for Ghost Recon Breakpoint below:


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Notes: iPod, PowerBooks, Apple RetailiPod has 50% market share in Japan
According to an Apple representative on hand for Saturday's world-wide launch of the iPod mini in Tokyo, the iPod digital music player currently retains a 50% market share in Japan.
About 1,500 Apple enthusiasts lined the streets outside the Apple Store Ginza in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday, with hopes of obtaining an iPod mini. Ironically, once the Ginza store doors flew open, two guys at the head of the line reportedly refused to enter the building because they didnt want their picture taken by any of the reporters massed around the stores entrance, delaying the event by several minutes.
One reader notes that iPod minis arriving in Japan this past weekend were enclosed in a tighter package, which is apparently much different from the iPod mini packaging used in the United States.
Over at the FNAC Marseille store Apple's largest retail channel in France 43 iPod minis arrived at 11:00 AM on Saturday morning and were completely sold out by 3:00 PM. The shipment were said to consisted of mainly silver, pink and blue iPod minis.
The second wave of iPod mini shipments is expected to hit European countries by the end of the day, sources said.
ATI introduces new PowerBook bound graphics card
Earlier today, ATI Technologies announced the Mobility Radeon 9800, based on its award-winning RADEON X800. According to ATI, the AGP-based Mobility Radeon 9800 comes equipped with eight pixel pipelines and a 256-bit wide memory interface.
A Macintosh version of the Mobility Radeon 9800 is widely rumored for inclusion in a forthcoming PowerBook revision, which sources say will most likely include "PowerPC G4 extended" microprocessors running at speeds of up to 2 GHz. The chips, from Motorola, have yet to be tagged with an official name, sources added.
There also appears to be some internal optimism that the computer company will be able to deploy a G5 PowerBook before a G4 revision is warranted. However, this seems increasingly unlikely given IBM's continuous G5 manufacturing problems.
Apple Retail store update
Earlier this month, Apple job listings began appearing for a new retail store that will open later this year at South Shore Plaza, located at the intersection of Route 3 and I-93 in Braintree, Massachusetts.
Meanwhile, ifoAppleStore notes that workers have removed the scaffolding outside the forthcoming Apple flagship store on Regent St. in London, revealing the historical stonework that contributes to the building's façade.
According to new information obtained by ifoAppleStore, the store will include four theaters inside the retail space, and another four classrooms for formal, fee-based training, similar to the Apple Ginza store. A trademark Apple glass staircase and enhancements to the main entryway (or front door) of the location have also been rumored.
Apple reportedly received over 4,000 applications to work at Regent St location, but will only hire 120 employees.


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XPENG, a leading Chinese smart electric vehicle company, announced its vehicle delivery results for September and the third quarter of 2023.
In September 2023, XPENG recorded monthly deliveries of 15,310 Smart EVs, representing a 12% increase over the prior month and a 81% increase year-over-year, underscoring XPENG’s strong growth trajectory for eight consecutive months.
XPENG G6 deliveries reached 8,132 units in September, which brought cumulative G6 deliveries to 19,381 units.
Total Smart EV deliveries for the third quarter of 2023 reached 40,008 units, a quarter-over-quarter increase of 72%. Thus far, XPENG G6’s production capacity has expanded significantly, accelerating the model’s deliveries.
Following its debut at 2023 IAA Mobility in early September, XPENG began expediting its international expansion plans. At the end of September 2023, XPENG kicked off the first batch of customer deliveries of the XPENG G9 in four European countries – Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark.


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Here's a peek at what's waiting for inside the store.
Ikea opens in Jacksonville at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
On Thursday the home furnishings company took the media on a tour of the 290,000-square-foot store.
Ikea fans can camp out at the store starting at 9 a.m. Monday, with the first 46 adults in line receiving a free couch. Other prizes also will be offered at the grand opening.
Find out more at the Ikea Jacksonville website