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Ever wondered why you’re getting so many colds? Researchers say it could be due to spending too long online
Scientists from Swansea Uni have found that excessive internet users may get ill more often as excessive internet use can damage people’s immune function.
The study evaluated 500 people aged 18 to 101 years old. It found that those who reported problems with over-using the internet also reported having more cold and flu symptoms than those people who did not report excessive use of the internet.
Around 40% of the sample reported mild or worse levels of internet addiction – a figure which did not differ between males and females. People with greater levels of internet addiction had around 30% more cold and flu symptoms than those with less problematic internet usage.
Previous research has shown that people who spend more time on the internet experience:
- Greater sleep deprivation
- Worse eating habits
- Unhealthier diets
- Less exercise
- Increased smoking and drinking
Previous research found internet addicts can have withdrawal symptoms similar to substance mis-users.
We found that the impact of the internet on people’s health was independent of a range of other factors, like depression, sleep deprivation, and loneliness, which are associated with high levels of internet use and also with poor health.
It may also be that those who spend a long time alone on the internet experience reduced immune function as a result of simply not having enough contact with others and their germs.
– Professor Phil Reed, Swansea University
The findings follow a recent study, also conducted by the same team, which found that individuals with a problematic use of the internet become more impulsive after exposure to it.
In 2013, the team also found that young people who use the internet for excessively long periods can suffer similar withdrawal symptoms to substance mis-users.
Last updated Thu 6 Aug 2015


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Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line (BPCL) is set to launch a refurbished cruise ship in April this year, which is slated to serve the route connecting Grand Bahama Island to the...
The European Commission (EC) has imposed a fine of €395m on four maritime car carriers for taking part in cartels that violate the European Union's (EU) antitrust rules.
Denmark-based company OSK-ShipTech has been selected to design four new luxurious RoPax ferries, which have been jointly commissioned by global container shipping line MSC Group and Italian operator Onorato Armatori.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed an agreement with Dutch financial institution ING to provide €300m in funding to support green investments in the European shipping sector.
France-based offshore vessel provider Bourbon has announced plans to sell 41 of its old supply vessels, known as the ‘non-smart fleet’, as they are not compatible with the company’s current...
Ferry operator Red Funnel has placed an order with UK-based shipbuilder Cammell Laird for a new RoRo freight ferry to serve its Southampton-East Cowes route across the Solent.
The Netherlands-based shipowner Seatrade has faced criminal charges from a local public prosecutor as part of a case alleging that the company has been engaging in illegal scrapping practices.
Estonian shipowner Platano Eesti has selected SeaQuest Marine Project Management to supervise the construction of a new purpose-built, Polar Code-compliant ice-class bulk carrier.
The International Organization for Standardisation (ISO) has developed a new global standard that aims to ensure the safety of people who fall overboard on ships.
Denmark-based shipping company DFDS is set to invest a total of Dkr1.8bn ($296m) for the purchase of two new combined freight and passenger vessels (RoPax) to serve its Baltic routes.

domain: news


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Quality Meat Scotland has welcomed news that a health certificate for exports of deboned, fresh beef has been obtained by the UK for the UAE.
While clarity is still being sought by QMS on the detail of some of the stipulations required to achieve certification, Laurent Vernet, QMS head of marketing, said the development presented an exciting potential opportunity for Scotch Beef exporters.
The UK Export Certification Partnership (UKECP) negotiates export health certificates on behalf of the UK.
“We are delighted with the news. The UAE offers exciting potential for Scotch Beef,” said Vernet who attended last year’s Gulfood event in Dubai, one of the largest food and drink trade shows in the world.
“Dubai itself is now being promoted as the ‘highway to the world’ and positioned as an economic powerhouse alongside London, New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo,” added Vernet.
“Given the high demand for top quality food and the steak-eating culture, this market clearly offers exciting potential for our iconic Scotch Beef label with its world-leading quality assurance and global acclaim for taste."
The UK has an existing health certificate for the export of lamb to the UAE and while no Scotch Lamb is currently exported to this market, Vernet said the opening of the market to Scotch Beef may well lead to increased interest in Scotch Lamb from the market.
The UK Export Certification Partnership (UKECP) provides a forum to establish export market priorities and negotiate export health certificates on behalf of the UK.
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mazon warehouse workers overwhelmingly rejected a union bid on Monday, dealing a blow to organizers who last month pulled off the first successful U.S. organizing effort in the retail giant’s history.
This time around, warehouse workers cast 618 votes — or about 62% — against the union, giving Amazon enough support to fend off a second labor win and raise questions as to whether the first victory was just a fluke.
According to the National Labor Relations Board, which oversees the process, 380 workers — or 38% — voted in favor of the grassroots union. Amazon provided a list of voters that included approximately 1,600 eligible voters. The turnout was 61%.
Amazon and the ALU did not challenge enough ballots to change the result. By Monday, both parties can file objections.
An additional election was held last month that gave the Amazon Labor Union, a new group of organizers, a surprising victory. Workers at another Staten Island facility voted for unionization. It was an unprecedented victory for Amazon USA.
Continue reading: He came out of nowhere and humbled Amazon. Chris Smalls is the Future of Labor
Monday’s defeat will surely sting. A second labor win was expected to fuel more organizing at the nation’s second largest employer, and cement the power and influence of the ALU.
But despite the momentum following the group’s prior win, it was unclear if it could replicate its success. The organizers claimed that they lost support from the warehouse following filing for elections in February. This was because they focused more effort on the nearby facility, which voted last month to unionize. There were also fewer organizers who worked in this facility – roughly 10, compared to the nearly 30 employed at the other warehouse.
The same obstacles that plagued the effort the first time, including Amazon’s aggressive anti-union tactics, were at play again. In the lead-up to the election, Amazon continued to hold mandatory meetings to persuade its workers to reject the union effort, posted anti-union flyers and launched a website urging workers to “vote NO.”
“Right now, the ALU is trying to come between our relationship with you,” a post on the website reads. “They think they can do a better job advocating for you than you are doing for yourself.”
Kelly Nantel, Amazon spokesperson had stated in a statement that employees have the right to choose whether they wish to join a union. But “as a company, we don’t think unions are the best answer for our employees,” Nantel said. “Our focus remains on working directly with our team to continue making Amazon a great place to work.”
Regardless of the Monday’s outcome, it was bound to be a tough road ahead for the ALU. Amazon has disputed the first election, arguing in a filing with the NLRB that the vote was tainted by organizers and by the board’s regional office in Brooklyn that oversaw the election. The company says it wants a redo election, but pro-union experts believe it’s an effort to delay contract negotiations and potentially blunt some of the organizing momentum. A separate NLRB regional office in the Southwest will hold a hearing later this month over the company’s objections.
The final result of the separate union election in Bessemer (Alabama) is currently in doubt with 416 unresolved challenged ballots still in dispute. The next week will see hearings for those ballots.
Read More From Time


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Fashion Roundtable is committed to highlighting the lack of disability representation throughout the fashion industry. You might assume this only applies to fashion campaigns which almost exclusively feature able-bodied models, and as a result disregard the aesthetic potential of the disabled body. But in reality, fashion’s poor track record for representing disabilities runs far deeper that the images we see promoted across fashion media.
There are still many logistical barriers facing less-abled individuals, like myself, who want to access fashion but simply cannot due to inadequate provision in retail spaces- this encompasses anything from insufficient staff training, to physical obstacles (such as stairs, no seating, queues and inaccessible clothing rails). A study by the Extra Costs Commission revealed that 75% of disabled customers have left a shop because of poor service or access, and that UK companies risk losing £420 million a week in sales.
Lottie Jackson explores how AR can help disabled customers.


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Second suspected Pret A Manger allergy victim named as Celia Marsh
A second person who is suspected to have died as a result of an allergic reaction to an ingredient in a Pret A Manger sandwich has been named as Celia Marsh.
The 42-year-old dental nurse, from Melksham in Wiltshire, died in December 2017 after eating a "super-veg rainbow flatbread" containing a yoghurt that was supposed to be dairy-free, but was found to be contaminated with dairy.
The news emerged as Pret faced scrutiny over the death of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who was allergic to sesame and died after eating one of its baguettes.
Ms Marsh collapsed and died on December 27 last year after buying the sandwich in a store in Stall Street, Bath.
Pret said it had been "mis-sold" a guaranteed dairy-free yoghurt by supplier CoYo that was discovered to contain dairy protein.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said it investigated CoYo, which then issued an allergy alert and recalled its coconut yoghurts.
But CoYo has denied the recall in February was linked to Ms Marsh's death. It said that product was supplied in January, after her death.
"The claims made by Pret are unfounded," a spokeswoman for CoYo said on Sunday.
"The dairy-free product we provided to Pret in December 2017, at the time of this tragedy, is not linked to the product we recalled in February 2018.
"Pret's inability to provide us with a batch code, despite several requests, has severely limited our ability to investigate this further."
Bath's council alerted Pret to the incident and the chain said it then withdrew all affected products, ended its CoYo contract and launched legal action.
"Subsequent testing by Pret and two independent authorities found that the CoYo dairy-free yoghurt contained traces of dairy protein," a Pret spokesman added.
The FSA investigated along with Bexley council in London, where CoYo is based, before it issued an allergy alert.
Pret announced on Wednesday it will include full ingredient labelling on all of its products and the Government is considering a law change after the death of Natasha, from Fulham, south-west London.
She collapsed on board a flight in July 2016 after eating an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette she had bought in Heathrow Airport.
Natasha's parents, Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, have since campaigned for allergy awareness and a change into food labelling laws.
"We were incredibly saddened to learn of someone else losing their life from allergens in their food," they said in a statement.
A coroner has opened an inquest into Ms Marsh's death.


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This week, Orange County is off the COVID watch list, why this isn’t good news, the lights have returned, Disneyland is ready to open, new mercandise has landed for Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos, we talk about Hollywood Studios, and more!
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The State of California moved Orange County, where Disneyland is located, off the COVID watch list last week. However, this isn’t as meaningful since shortly after, the state came out with a new set of guidelines which moved Orange County to the highest risk level of “widespread”. The new guidelines don’t mention theme parks at all, but the state is working on seperate guidelines for theme parks specifically. No word yet on when that will be released. – https://www.micechat.com/268822-disneyland-update-the-blueprint-for-reopening/
In a bit of a click-bait headline, Walt Disney World News Today posted that the lights are on once again at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, at least at the main entrances. The click bait part of the theadline stated that the parks were lit up in preperation for imminent reopening, which is not the case. It is, however, nice to see the train station and first part of Buena Vista Street lit up again and adds much needed atmosphere to the esplanade for those heading to Downtown Disney. – https://wdwnt.com/2020/08/disneyland-resort-lights-illuminate-anaheim-once-again/
Josh D’Amaro, Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products Chairman appeared on “The Dow Report” last week and stated that Disney is “ready” to reopen the parks as soon as guidelines allow. Disneyland and California Adventure have both installed plexiglass safety shields at the entry turnstiles. D’Amaro also went on to talk about the procedures they ahve taken to make sure that the parks are safe and the trust that people have for Disney. – https://wdwnt.com/2020/08/josh-damaro-discusses-disney-parks-reopening-in-new-interview-says-were-ready-to-reopen-disneyland-resort-parks-when-guidelines-permit/
The Tokyo Disney Resort is entering the second stage of reopening this week, and with it may come some clues as to how the Disneyland Resort may handle some circumstances. For example, Tokyo will be running the first parade at any Disney park since COVID-19 started. They also have a new Beauty and the Beast dark ride that is opening, which could show how Avengers Campus might open like in these COVID times. It also gives us a hint at the timelines for nighttime fireworks and other shows coming back in stage 2. – https://www.ocregister.com/2020/09/01/what-tokyo-disney-changes-could-mean-for-disneyland/
The Disneyland Horticulture team is working hard on getting the areas around the resort ready for fall. Signs declaring “We will soon be rolling our the green carpet for our Disneyland guests” have been placed around where the new fall flowers and displays will be planted soon. – https://dlnewstoday.com/2020/08/photos-landscaping-team-ready-to-roll-out-the-green-carpet-for-fall-flower-displays-at-the-disneyland-resort/
Avengers Campus is chugging right along, and proof of that is from the Disney Auditions website that is looking for stunt performers for Captain America, Black Panther, and Black Widow. The posting is for a live action stunt show in the new land. – https://www.mouseplanet.com/12741/Disneyland_Resort_Update_for_August_31__September_6_2020#news5
Disney stage shows and nighttime spectaculars are already some of the most technologically advanced performances anywhere in the world, but Disney is always working on new technology to push the envelope further. A new patent filed by Disney shows a use for drones to control show elements. The patent doesn’t just use the drone itself as an effect, but uses the downdraft from the propellers to make an entirely new effect. As a reminder, just because Disney files a patent for something doesn’t meant that we will see it soon, or ever. – https://wdwnt.com/2020/08/disney-enterprises-files-patent-for-further-use-of-drones-to-control-show-elements/
Even though it has been a couple months since Disneyland turned 65, there is still more new merchandise coming out that celebrates this milestone. A new 65th anniversary sipper featuring Sleeping Beauty Castle has arrived and looks like a snow globe that you can drink from! A special release of pins also arrived that show off some of the classic attractions from Disneyland. There are 13 pins in the collection, each limited to 2,000 and cost $17.99, limited to 2 per guest. The 13 designs are: King Arthur’s Carousel, Dumbo, Mr. Toad, Storybook Land, Peter Pan, Casey Jr., Mark Twain, Autopia, the Disneyland Railroad, Jungle Cruise, Mad Tea Party, Snow White, and the Main Street Cinema. – https://wdwnt.com/2020/08/photos-new-limited-edition-disneyland-resort-65th-anniversary-attraction-pins-featuring-mr-toads-wild-ride-snow-whites-scary-adventures-main-street-cinema-and-more-debut/ and https://dlnewstoday.com/2020/08/photos-new-sleeping-beauty-castle-sipper-debuts-for-disneylands-65th-anniversary/
More new ear headbands have appeared in the World of Disney store in Downtown Disney this week. The new designs are a yellow set that is made of a soft, velvet like fabric, a emerald green set that is covered in sequins with a shiny bow. For Halloween, a Minnie Mouse Witch Ear Headband has been released. The band features black sequin ears, topped with a candy corn inspired witch hat and purple bow. Teresa already purchased this last set of ears that light up and feature Oogie Boogie on them. – https://www.micechat.com/268822-disneyland-update-the-blueprint-for-reopening/
Not only is Halloween coming up, but so is the Dia de los Muertos celebration. This means a whole lot of new Coco mercahndise is hitting the shelves. The crossbody purse that is in the shape and design of Ernesto de la Cruz’s guitar is one of the stand out items. There are also some plush items. We expect there to be more as the celebration nears. – https://www.micechat.com/268822-disneyland-update-the-blueprint-for-reopening/
The Disney Parks blog has posted a video on how to make your own Mickey tie-dye shirt! Stephen, a Walt Disney World Ambassador, had shown off his Mickey tie-dye shirt which is what sparked this how-to video. If you have some time, give it a try! – https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/08/disneymagicmoments-how-to-make-a-popular-mickey-tie-dye-shirt-at-home/
With the Song of the South on the way out of the parks, specifically from Splash Mountain, the iconic Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah song has also disappeared from the music loops around the resort. Disney released a statement that “The removal of the song from Downtown Disney’s background music is part of a continuous process to deliver an environment that features stories that are relevant and inclusive.” – https://wdwnt.com/2020/08/disney-issues-statement-regarding-removal-of-splash-mountains-zip-a-dee-doo-dah-from-disneyland-resort-music-loops/
Some keen eyes over at DisneyPlusInformer.com have spotted programming code on Disney+ that points to the addition of a group watch feature that may be coming soon! This feature would allow a group of people to watch the same show or movie at the same time in sync with each other. It appears that the system will also have a chat feature. No word on when it will launch or what platforms outside of the browser that will be supported. – https://dlnewstoday.com/2020/08/disney-developing-new-group-watch-party-function-coming-soon/


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The International Coffee Organization raised doubts over a revival in the premium of arabica coffee over robusta beans, as it cautioned that the weak market had cut prices below the cost of production.
The intergovernmental group acknowledged some recovery in the arabica premium last month, by 1.7%, from April levels which at one point fell below 40 cents a pound – less than half the gap a year before.
The small revival has been attributed to improved prospects for coffee crops in Vietnam, the top producer of robusta coffee which, in generally being considered of lower quality than arabica, trades anyway at a discount.
However, the ICO, flagging that the "the structure of the market has changed significantly", cautioned that the arabica premium would struggle to make much more headway, echoing comments on Monday from Macquarie.
Arabica prices faced pressure from "the new reality of a greatly diminished on-off cycle in Brazil", the top producing country, which is seeing a reduction in the swings it sees between alternate higher and lower harvest years.
"The possibility of increased carry‐over stocks, is resulting in a more constant availability of arabicas year on year," the ICO said.
"Parallel to this is the sustained appetite for robustas," evident in a "negligible increase" in certified stocks held for delivery against London futures "despite the strong levels of shipments coming from Vietnam".
The ICO attributed the rise in demand for robusta from the growth in demand for coffee in emerging markets, which prefer the soluble coffee typically high in robusta content.
"Given these developments, the current range for the arabica/ robusta arbitrage could be expected to continue in the short‐term."
The comments came as the group cautioned that the decline in coffee prices - which have more than halved over the past two years for New York-traded arabica futures - was causing financial hardship among producers.
Although world arabica exports have remained stable at 8m-10m bags a month over the past two years, revenues from this trade has slumped from more than $2bn to about $1.5bn.
Meanwhile, "the cost of production has been rising in many exporting countries" particularly in Colombia – which this year witnessed demonstrations by producers over low prices - where they have soared nearly 150% since 2004.
"There is concern that many producers may be selling at a price which is not remunerative compared to the cost of production.
"Whether the price paid to coffee growers has dropped below the cost of production will vary from country to country, but the trend appears to be heading in that direction."


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BSC has recently launched new ads - print, radio, TV and digital - that continue to raise awareness in the public and action from students and their parents. Extending our brand Beyond into a "day in the life" concept, the ads depict three different students as they incorporate their education into their busy lives. The message is a natural evolution of our earlier Beyond ads using "Where's your beyond?" - a message that will continue on. The people in the ads are all BSC students, and the ads were shot on campus and in Bismarck this fall.
We're very excited about this campaign. Recent research verified that what we've been doing, works. And message testing ensured that our messages in this campaign will continue to be spot-on for our audiences. Since first adopting a cohesive brand marketing campaign in 2007, top-of-mind awareness went from 31.3% to 47.8% in 2012. We're the first college named when asked about affordable, quality education; and 92% of parents and 89% of students believe BSC has a good reputation. Almost half of students planning to attend college in the coming year named BSC as their first choice and the institution they plan to attend - up 20% from 2006.
The more our audiences understand that we are one BSC, delivering a single brand promise, the more effective our outreach is for each program. It's vital that our brand is clear in every element -whether it's a faculty recital, an energy newsletter or a TV ad.
In addition to increased awareness, we have seen increased action! Applications are up 69% over the past five years, and our enrollment is over 4,000 students this fall. These results stem from a combination of hard work and collaboration between marketing and Admissions & Enrollment Services, as well as a great deal of effort by staff and faculty.
Our staff and faculty allow us to deliver our brand promise to our students every day. Thank you BSC employees for all you do to go BEYOND.


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Buffalo And The Niagara Frontier Looking For A Tourism Increase
Western New York is anxiously looking forward to a bump in tourism, now one full year after the beginning of the pandemic.
“We just see a little more light at the end of the tunnel,” said Patrick Kaler, CEO and President of Visit Buffalo Niagara told WKBW-TV. “More Americans are feeling comfortable about traveling, and as people get vaccinated, we’ve been encouraging people to plan.”
A study by tourism group Longwoods International found 84% of Americans have travel plans in the next six months compared to December when only 57% of Americans planned to travel.
Visit Buffalo Niagara in a new marketing campaign is focusing on Buffalo’s rebound—the comeback for a city that already was making strides before the lockdown.
“We’re talking about dining, the great cultural attributes we have,” Kaler said.
Visit Buffalo Niagara is targeting visitors within a 300-mile radius of Buffalo.
The tourism industry is also trying to attract visitors to Western New York’s open spaces like our local parks.
“Because of the pandemic, people are really conscious of their surroundings. That’s where our parks come into play,” Kaler said.
President, and CEO of Destination Niagara USA John Percy, says it’s all about feeling free.
“We just launched our ‘return to real, feeling free’ campaign,” he said. “We’re positioning this destination with that openness people want.” “People are going to return to reality, and we want to capture that customer,” Percy said.


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Samsung’s refreshed 2016 “J” series is really shaping up nicely. A few days ago, we saw theGalaxy J1 (2016) quietly go on sale in Dubai and shortly after, the new J5 (2016) made an appearance with a full specs reveal on GFXBench. Naturally, it didn’t take too long for theGalaxy J7 (2016) to follow.
It made a quick visit to GFXBench as well, so we now have a full rundown of its hardware. The RAM has been doubled and now stands at the respectable 3GB. The screen diagonal has been preserved at 5.5 inches, but the resolution is now FullHD. The chipset looks to be unchanged and is still the Qualcomm Snapdragon 615.
The same goes for the camera setup, at least on paper that is. The new J7 has a 13MP main shooter and a 5MP selfie one. Onboard storage is reported as 16GB, also consistent with its predecessor.


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Diamond rings and bracelets are being sold on the internet for as low as $300 on Amazon and on eBay.
However, one retailer is hoping to get a few of the items into stores.
“I can’t think of a better time to do it than right now,” says Daniel Zorich.
Zorch is one of the owners of Zorach’s Jewelry, a jewellery boutique in Toronto.
He says he got the idea after a client asked him to help them find a diamond band and ring for sale on Amazon.
As soon as he opened the store he started getting a lot of inquiries from people wanting to buy diamond rings.
“People were really into it.
There were people looking at the diamond rings on Amazon for a long time.”
When I opened my shop we didn’t have any other options.
People were interested in looking at a diamond piece and really interested in getting one.
It was just a matter of time before people were buying these pieces.
“Zorich says he is selling his own ring, a silver ring that he bought from an antique shop, for $600.
The ring is one Zorac bought for $3,000 and then lost when his wife died, and Zoruch says it is going for about $4,000.
His partner, who lives in London, Ont., has a silver bracelet for $2,500 and Zoranich is selling the silver ring for $1,500.
Zoranich says a diamond belt is an ideal accessory, but he says it should also be a gift.
A diamond ring is a symbol of status, he says, and having a diamond buckle on your belt or ring is an indicator that you have that status.
To get started, Zoroch says you need to make sure you are comfortable with buying something on Amazon or eBay.
But Zoroche says that the best way to make it work is to get an appraisal done and then send it to Zoriche’s home office.
Once Zorovich gets a good appraisal, he can send a check for about half the price of a diamond to Zorrich’s home.
Zoraniche will then send you a gift certificate.


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SANTA FE SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, USA, August 2, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — GLS US Freight, the trusted leader in freight delivery, is now better equipped than ever to support businesses amidst the recent industry disruptions. The expanded capacity and robust infrastructure ensure reliable, timely, and flexible freight solutions tailored to unique requirements.
Reliable Deliveries: Timely and Dependable – At GLS US Freight, the primary focus is business satisfaction. With GLS’s unwavering commitment to punctuality and safety, you can trust us to deliver shipments on schedule and intact. GLS’s cutting-edge facilities and advanced technology guarantee top-notch care for cargo throughout its journey.
Flexibility as the Key: Tailored Solutions – GLS understands that every business is distinctive, and GLS’s agile approach allows us to create bespoke logistics solutions for businesses. No matter the challenges, GLS US Freight is dedicated to empowering seamless supply chain management that adapts effortlessly to business’s needs.
Robust North American Network: Efficiency Redefined – Embrace logistics excellence with GLS’s extensive coverage strategically spread across key cities and regions. By optimizing efficiency and minimizing transit times, GLS US Freight ensures the freight reaches its destination with optimal speed and precision.
“We’ve got your back during these transformative times,” stated Jameson Goforth, VP of Sales and Revenue, with genuine enthusiasm.
And according to Joe Bartone, the COO-LTL at GLS US Freight, “Our nimbleness and unwavering dedication to accommodating our client’s needs have always set us apart. We understand the challenges that businesses face in today’s dynamic market, which is why we take pride in offering an additional edge with our digital freight experience. It streamlines the shipping process, allowing our clients to manage their freight with ease and efficiency.”
GLS US Freight remains steadfast in its mission to support business growth. As industry disruptions unfold, we’ve proactively expanded GLS’s capacity and fortified its infrastructure to handle increasing volumes effectively.
To elevate your freight experience, visit https://freight.gls-us.com/ for more information or reach out to our dedicated Sales team at firstname.lastname@example.org or (800) 237-9669. Let GLS US Freight be a partner in navigating the ever-changing freight landscape!


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Trelleborg’s divestment of Fluid Solutions business unit completed
Trelleborg’s divestment of its Fluid Solutions operation in the Trelleborg Automotive business area has now been completed. The operation will be taken over by Bavaria Industriekapital AG, based in Munich, Germany.
The divestment is part of the strategy to focus Trelleborg’s operations to selected segments. As a result, the vehicle-related operations will be further concentrated. Looking ahead, Trelleborg Automotive will invest even more energy in strengthening its world-leading position in noise and vibration-damping solutions for the automotive industry.
Fluid Solutions has approximately 1,900 employees and operations in France, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, the Czech Republic, Turkey and Germany. Fluid Solutions manufactures components such as hoses for engine-cooling and air-supply solutions, mainly for passenger cars. The operation had sales of approximately SEK 1,300 M in 2009 and recorded a loss.
The final financial effects of the divestment will be presented in Trelleborg’s second-quarter interim report for 2010, due to be published on July 21, 2010.


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The Wii may be as cheap as $150 USD next month, according to a report from Engadget, which cites a "trusted source" that says the console will become fifty bucks cheaper by May 15.
If accurate, it would be the second price drop Nintendo has issued for the four-year-old platform. The Wii dropped from its launch price of $249 to $199 in September of 2009. That price cut was rumored a couple weeks in advance, so Nintendo's pre-E3 price drop plans may have again leaked early.
A $150 Wii would be $100 less than the price of Nintendo's recently launched 3DS and the cheapest current generation console platform. It could also help revitalize flagging Wii sales, which have cooled over the past year.
Engadget's report appears to hint that a copy of Nintendo's Mario Kart Wii may be bundled with that $150 Wii package. If so, that might be a very attractive bundle for late adopters.


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Pandora Media (NYSE:P) might be the world's leading music-streaming specialist, but that doesn't mean it can't capture the visual attention of its nearly 80 million active listeners as well.
Last week Pandora announced that its new Video Plus ad product is now available to all advertisers. Several leading brands, notably including T-Mobile US (NASDAQ:TMUS), have already incorporated the platform into their respective media campaigns.
Perspective is in order
Pandora's second-quarter 2017 report, released in late July, represented a significant shift in focus for the music-streaming specialist. For one thing, Pandora announced the conclusion of a strategic review which not only culminated in a deal to sell its Ticketfly subsidiary for $200 million, but also resulted in a $480 million strategic investment in the company by its satellite-centric peer, Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ:SIRI).
Incidentally, Sirius XM announced the completion of that investment just last week. And now, flush with cash, Pandora has told investors it will use the funds to make "targeted investments and capitalize on opportunities to build on its position in the streaming radio business."
Pandora CFO Naveen Chopra further explained: "We have taken a number of steps to hone the company's strategy and position Pandora to continue to build audience and extend monetization through a combination of advertising and subscription revenue streams."
Video Plus, for its part, is an obvious extension of Pandora's efforts to foster the advertising part of that combination.
Here's how (and why) Video Plus works
In short, Pandora gets paid by Video Plus advertisers only when users watch a 15-second video ad. In exchange for watching the ad, those users can unlock features that are typically only available with a $4.99-per-month subscription to Pandora Plus, such as skipping more songs or replaying their favorite tracks.
So how do we know it actually works? According to a press release, Pandora started testing Video Plus around this time last year. Over the course of that testing, it found that most users who watched the ads were between 18 and 34 years old -- a coveted target group for advertisers -- and that those under 24 years old were three times as likely to opt in. What's more, to Pandora's benefit, the users who opted in listened 57% longer and used Pandora's "thumb" functionality 65% more.
"Video Plus boosts brand awareness, builds loyalty, captures views and promotes deeper interactions with listeners who are significantly more likely to take action," added Pandora chief revenue officer John Trimble.
But that's not to say everyone is completely convinced at this early stage. T-Mobile, in particular, seems cautiously optimistic.
"We're always looking for new and innovative tactics to reach and engage with consumers in relevant ways," said Kari Marshall, T-Mobile VP of media. "We're excited to test Video Plus to deliver our Un-carrier message to Pandora's very engaged user-base, and the meaningful brand connections we hope it drives as a result."
For now, Pandora Media investors will likely need to wait until the company's next quarterly report, in late October, for more color on whether Video Plus is holding its own on a larger scale. But if Pandora's new video ads prove effective, they could deliver meaningful contributions to both the top and bottom lines as more advertisers jump on board.
Steve Symington has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Pandora Media. The Motley Fool recommends T-Mobile US. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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SolarCity Corp. will sell solar arrays in 60 Best Buy stores across the United States.
San Mateo, Calif.-based solar electric company SolarCity has space in dozens of Best Buy stores in California, Arizona, Hawaii, New York and Oregon, Re/code reported.
A full list of Best Buy stores with SolarCity kiosks is here. Customers who sign up before Earth Day (April 22) will get a $100 gift card for the Richfield-based electronics retailer.
SolarCity representatives will walk Best Buy customers through the pricing and installation process and use satellite imagery to see if the person’s roof faces the right direction and is clear of trees for installation.
Some 62 percent of U.S. homeowners are interested in using solar panels, but less than 500,000 homes have the photovoltaic panels on their roofs, according to a recent survey conducted by the company.
SolarCity currently gets the bulk of its business through referrals, though it has a similar partnership with Home Depot.
SolarCity was founded by CEO Lyndon Rive, cousin of Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk (who is SolarCity's chairman). The company says it has about 3,300 employees and more than 68,000 customers. In December, the company wrapped up its $158 million acquisition of San Rafael, Calif.-based Zep Solar Inc.


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| ||Thread Tools|
|10th February 2012, 07:06||#1|
Join Date: May 2010
Ultimate 3D Apple iPad is on the cards
A patent applied for by Cupertino company Apple suggests the geniuses might be working on a version of the iPad that is in glorious 3D, without specs.
Apple is expected to introduce the iPad 3 in spring, but according to Apple Insider today, it is also working on a reference system that uses light and eye.
The idea is not new, but Apple Insider points to a device that will use a number of semiconductors inside a hand held that will produce a “Frenet” frame so that in real time the position of someone’s eyes can be detected.
It filed the patent application in 2010 but it has been published today, as you can see here.
|Thread||Thread Starter||Forum||Replies||Last Post|
|Win a 32GB Wi-FI Apple iPad 2 for 2012!||Stefan Mileschin||WebNews||0||20th December 2011 06:29|
|Apple did not invent the iPad||Stefan Mileschin||WebNews||0||8th December 2011 06:14|
|Apple Announces iPad 2||jmke||WebNews||0||2nd March 2011 19:17|
|Windows 7 Slate Faces Off Against the Apple iPad||jmke||WebNews||0||11th August 2010 17:43|
|Apple iPad is like a car without a motor||jmke||WebNews||29||4th February 2010 16:02|
|Apple makes $200+ on each iPad||jmke||WebNews||8||2nd February 2010 17:03|
|The Apple iPad is upon us...||thorgal||WebNews||1||29th January 2010 15:08|


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The number of Belgians connecting to the Internet in the first six months of 1998, was 1.32 million, or 15.9 percent of the population, according to a study conducted by Initiative Media Brussels.
The number of respondents who said they surfed the Web at least once a week was 46.5 percent, up from 29.5 percent in December 1997. The study found that in a given week, more Belgians are likely to access the Internet, (7.5 percent) than go to the movies (6.6 percent).
Of respondents who surf the Web at least once a week, 16.7 percent said they surf the Web every day, 20 percent said five or six days a week, 22.7 three or four days a week, and 40.7 percent said once or twice a week. Men are twice as likely as women to surf the Web at least once a week.
The study is based on a telephone survey of 2,032 Belgians, over 15 years old, and the margin error is 2 percent.
Businesses near ‘PokeStops’ are enjoying a huge surge in footfall due to the popularity of Pokémon Go, according to our first major ... read more
An effective content marketing strategy needs to be customised to the demands of each industry. Here are five tips to increase your ... read more
We put China and United States head to head on smartphone sales and smartphone penetration; 4G subscribers; 4G coverage and speed; mobile internet users and m-commerce; to find out where the world’s biggest m-commerce opportunity lies.
New stats suggest that retailers are improving their customer retention rates, so is this the result of a focus on the customer ... read more


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OnePlus Looks like it’s planning to launch the first foldable phone this year. Gary Chen, the company’s software lead at the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC 2022) That the company is working with Google as well as foldable phone software. Although the executive did not reveal anything about the device, his comments suggest that we will see a foldable smartphone from OnePlus in 2022. “OnePlus is working with Google on the flagship device, which includes foldable phones and new features that could be introduced in OxygenOS. 13. “Chen says according to Android Central.
At the press conference, Chen added that OnePlus is working with Google to add new privacy and security features to the upcoming OxygenOS 13 operating system, which is based on Android 13. Since the new Android OS will include work starting in the Android 12L version. , It is expected that the OS will work better on devices with large screens, including foldable smartphones. Android 13 is rumored to be launched in the autumn of 2022 Oppo, the parent company of OnePlus, recently launched its first foldable smartphone in China, the Oppo Find N. The smartphone has a clamshell style design similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3.
If the previous reports are believed, then OnePlus foldable smartphone Can come up with a completely new design. According to a OnePlus patent application reported by LetsGoDigital, the company is working on a three-fold smartphone. The patent document called Mobile Terminal shows a smartphone with three foldable display parts.
According to the patent application, the smartphone’s displays will be backed by a double hinge that will allow the device to be folded in multiple ways. So far, Samsung, Xiaomi and Huawei have been at the forefront of foldable display technology, but this OnePlus design is unlike any other patented market.
According to various reports, the patent document of the foldable smartphone was filed in China in 2020 and was published in July 2021. The design is also included in the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) database. WIPO has also given OnePlus approval and protection stamps for patented technology.


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The cross-industry labor shortage is continuing to impact businesses both in Monroe County and across the nation.
Many have resorted to cutting hours. This is a decision Ray Boccardi, owner of Joe Boccardi’s Ristorante in Columbia, has faced not just once, but twice during the pandemic.
“We’ve been here for 29 years and we have never had issues like we are having right now,” Boccardi said about the labor shortage. “It seems like for whatever reason, people are not wanting to get into the workforce and so it’s making it difficult for us small businesses to get by with a thin staff. What makes it difficult and frustrating (is) we have the business, we just don’t have the staffing to accommodate the business.”
Boccardi decided to close his restaurant on Sundays in addition to Mondays approximately a month ago. Labor Day marked the beginning of the Monday closures.
Fortunately, Boccardi said the decrease in costs from closing two days a week helps make up for decreased sales opportunity.
He said he is still trying to cut costs when possible, though.
“(I’m) trying to cut back on some of the things we don’t necessarily have to have, whether it be certain alcohol, spirits or maybe some food items that we don’t sell a lot of,” Boccardi said.
Many Schnucks locations across the four states it serves – Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Wisconsin – are now closing an hour earlier than normal. However, select locations will continue normal operating hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., nine of which are in the St. Louis area.
Schnucks spokesperson Paul Simon said this is a result of the labor shortage and customer shopping patterns.
“It’s all about customer traffic,” Simon said. “(With) those nine stores that we listed, we still see quite a bit of customer traffic between the 9 and 10 p.m. hours. Whereas with our other stores we have noticed that customer traffic, especially since the beginning of the pandemic, has decreased significantly in that hour.
Kit Timmons of Columbia is president and owner of First Class Workforce Solutions, a staffing agency that serves clients in St. Louis, Chicago, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Dallas and Houston. He explained First Class mainly helps staff full-time food service and housekeeping positions in hospitals, schools, universities and sports/entertainment venues.
Timmons said he has seen many cafeterias at schools and hospitals limit operating hours and options when possible. For example, a university might have multiple cafeterias across different buildings, but only some may be open.
Yet, hospital food service cannot completely cut hours of operation.
“You can stop the cafeteria because you don’t have guests, but you still have to feed the patients and feed the doctors,” Timmons said. “Those are necessary things that have to happen.”
Hospital environmental services departments, which consist of those responsible for cleaning and housekeeping, cannot trim hours.
“They have to make sure they have people that clean the rooms and change the rooms as people check out and get ready for new people coming in,” Timmons said.
In fact, EVS workers are seeing a need for even more manpower in the midst of the labor crisis.
“For companies that run the EVS departments, it’s been necessary to increase (department sizes) because they have more cleaning to do because of the pandemic,” Timmons said. “A lot of those same companies get tasked with putting people at the entrance (to) take temperatures, and now it’s making sure that people who come in haven’t had COVID exposure. These companies have had more needs because the pandemic has changed the landscape of their work.”
Countless articles recommend that struggling businesses let their employees work from home in hopes of drawing more applicants with the promise of a flexible schedule.
This is impossible for many genres of work, including food service and hospitality.
“The businesses which we support, the stuff that we do, is not remote work,” Timmons said. “You’re never going to have remote work for people to make food for those in a hospital.”
This leaves these industries trying to find other ways to incentivize workers, the most common posed solution being better baseline pay.
“Early in the year, we noticed that it was easier for us to find new hires and people interested in working in the markets that had already increased the minimum wage. We operate in Chicago and D.C., (which) are both near $15 in minimum wage already or were earlier this year, and it was easier in those markets to get people to talk about work,” Timmons said.
After observing this, First Class began encouraging their Midwestern clients to follow suit and eventually, they did.
Timmons said it is hard to see what – if any – impact increased minimum wage has on employment interest in this region as many employers started mandating vaccines at the same time wages increased.
“We even offer an incentive bonus to individuals that are vaccinated or need to get vaccinated to try to take at least some of the sting out of it,” Timmons said.
As of Oct. 11, some Schnucks employees are reaping the benefits of a company-wide wage increase, including current and future store, bakery, plant and floral design workers. This excludes baggers.
Previously, Schnucks announced a performance and retention bonus based on hours worked. Those eligible could receive up to $600 paying out in January 2022.
Oak Hill Senior Living & Rehabilitation Center in Waterloo is currently offering sign-on bonuses to new hires, plus hourly bonuses for current employees who pick up extra shifts. They have licensed nurses, certified nursing aides, dietary aides, cook and housekeeper vacancies.
“These efforts have been received with limited success,” Oak Hill Interim Administrator Kim Keckritz said.
Keckritz said in addition to direct monetary incentives, Oak Hill also provides ways to build one’s skills for a fulfilling career.
“We are also offering certified nursing aide classes to anyone wanting to start a nursing career,” she said. “We have experienced CNA instructors who teach the classes and we offer on-the-job experience to provide the best environment for learning.”
Yet, as Timmons pointed out, offering such incentives is not feasible, or applicable, for many small businesses.
He said this is the case for many local restaurants.
“They at least want to try to increase the pay rate to make it attractive and get people in there (to work), but they can’t do that without it being passed on to the customer, which means higher costs after they’re already battling increased food costs and supply chain issues anyway,” Timmons said. “These local establishments are really in a pickle. I think they feel it’s more fair for them to say, ‘We can’t be open as many days to still be able to offer you the same prices and the same service’ than it is to say, ‘The only way we can be open (our full hours) is to double the cost.’”
Boccardi said his restaurant has been offering starting pay at a higher rate than they offered pre-pandemic, however, other incentives are simply not possible.
Those interested in working at any of the companies or businesses mentioned are encouraged to apply.


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|Imports impeding chicken production|
Nguyen Thanh Son, chairman of the Vietnam Poultry Association, told VIR he has received numerous phone calls in recent weeks from livestock company representatives and members of the association, complaining about not being able to sell chickens even as the Lunar New Year approaches.
“The companies say that at this time last year sales were good, but this time around numerous traders are buying cheap imported chicken, even as local producers are offering prices below their break-even point,” Son said.
Neither businesses nor households earn enough profit with these prices, he added, while production expenditure has increased, including feed, vaccines, and labour costs. “They are turning to the association to propose that the government can issue policies to regulate supply and mitigate the damage for domestic production,” Son said.
Frozen low-cost chicken arrives en masse to Vietnam through diverse channels, appearing at budget food courts and kitchens serving workers at industrial zones and supermarkets.
Ngo Thanh, owner of a budget food court in Hanoi’s Cau Giay district said that she has replaced domestic chicken with frozen imports in the past year for the cost savings. “The majority of customers are labourers and students, so the meals must be affordable,” Thanh said.
“Since the African swine fever (ASF) broke out in the country, the price of ingredients has seen a dramatic increase, and frozen imported chicken is a good replacement.”
In supermarkets, imported chicken is 30-40 per cent cheaper than domestic products. For example, at Big C Le Trong Tan supermarket in Hanoi, C.P. Vietnam chicken legs sell for VND46,000 ($2) per kg. Meanwhile, drumsticks imported from the United States costs VND40,000 ($1.70) per kg and whole chickens cost VND58,000 ($2.50) per kg.
On social networks, prices are even lower than in supermarkets. Whole chickens are offered at VND35,000 ($1.50) per kg, and imported chicken cuts are offered for VND17,000-48,000 (75 US cents-$2) per kg.
At domestic farms, the average price of white chicken is VND13,000 (55 US cents) per kg, lower than the actual breeding expenditures. As a result, farmers are suffering losses.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), to date, approximately 2,000 companies are allowed to export meat and animal products to Vietnam, including 479 companies from the US, 172 from France, and 152 from Japan. Last year Vietnam is estimated to have imported 200,000 tonnes of chicken and over 3.4 million breeding chickens.
Son said that chicken production prospects will become even bleaker as Vietnam’s tariff drop commitments in free trade agreements come into effect.
“According to schedule, the import tariffs on poultry will decrease each year and reach zero in 7-10 years. Thus, competition between domestic and low-cost imported products will only get fiercer,” said Son.
Along with the imported product factor, the large-scale repopulation of herds is another reason causing oversupply, leading to damage for the domestic chicken breeding sector.
Son said that a number of association members reported a repopulation ratio of 30 per cent on-year, with one company even increasing capacity from 35 million to 100 million heads last year alone. The country’s poultry output is in the top ten worldwide, with a total of 520 million chickens annually.
“As per the unofficial statistics of the association, the total supply of chicken in 2020 increased by 18-20 per cent on-year. Meanwhile, the demand saw a drop since early in the year due to COVID-19 affecting schools and factories. In addition, the tourism sector has yet to recover, impacting chicken sales,” Son said.
Vu Manh Hung, general director of Hung Nhon Group, also highlighted the serious losses suffered by chicken breeders due to the oversupply that was formed by both households switching to poultry and livestock companies expanding poultry herds following ASF.
“The lack of specific development strategies and management mechanisms have destabilised supply. As a result, the government and the MARD are facing difficulties in issuing supporting policies for chicken breeding,” Hung said.
Hung added that Vietnam can learn from the experience of countries like the Netherlands, which builds breeding plans with a specific number of animals for each farm. “If farms want to increase their herds, they have to negotiate with other farms. This will help keep supply stable and it is easier for the government to issue policies to control imported products,” Hung said.
The poultry breeding sector will continue to face difficulties due to a H5N6 bird flu outbreak.
On January 1, Quang Ninh province detected H5N6 in a flock of 3,000 coloured chickens in Quang Minh commune, making it the fifth outbreak since the start of 2020 and the first outbreak in the province in that time. The household farm had not been vaccinated as it restocked at the time after the second national vaccination programme last year.
Hai Ha district mobilised power sources and tools to implement isolation, and prevent and control the pandemic.
The district also asked communes to check poultry numbers in households, and coordinate with the Agricultural Technical Service Centre to administer additional bird flu vaccinations before January 25. Besides that, the district organised to decontaminate and disinfect areas suffering from outbreaks as well as burial pits and other areas.
Nguồn: Vietnam Investment Review


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Soaring sandal sales helped prevent a High Street bloodbath in March.
Last month's decent weather boosted demand for sandals and spring clothes as well as barbecues and lawnmowers.
The welcome relief for store bosses limited March's fall in sales to 1.2% - better than the 1.8% slump in the year to chilly February.
Takings have now dropped for nine of the last 10 months, said the British Retail Consortium.
But the figures reveal some shops doing better than others.
Food sales jumped 4.7% as supermarkets remained recession-proof.
Online and catalogue sales were up almost 11% year-on-year, but much less than the 30% surge in December.
But businesses linked to the battered housing market continued to suffer.
Stephen Robertson, the BRC's director general, said: "Customers are still worried about jobs and their own finances, so they're keeping spending under tight control."


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Since MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) restricted BGMI in India in July, the game hasn’t been played there for more than four months. However, many people have become aware of a comment made about the title in October 2022.
According to sources, H.E. Mr. Chang Jae-Bok, the South Korean ambassador to India, addressed before the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee hearing in New Delhi, India, about the companies and laws of the East Asian nation. He responded to a query from Rep. Kim Hong-gul regarding the BGMI circumstance.
The following is what the ambassador said:
India explained why it was blocking the game by citing worries about cyber security breaches and game violence.
He declared his intention to make things right by saying:
Tencent, a Chinese firm, previously provided support for Battlegrounds (Mobile India), however there are concerns that India still believes that it is receiving support from a Chinese company. As a result, we are working to find a solution.
Although H.E. Mr. Chang Jae-remarks Bok’s were given in October 2022, they are nonetheless significant in light of Battlegrounds Mobile India’s current situation. Similar claims have been made by Krafton, with the most recent one coming from the company’s Q3 earnings report.
In response to the BGMI situation, the developers stated in a press release:
KRAFTON will keep investing in the Indian games business while working to restore services for BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI).
These assertions highlight the significance of the Indian gambling business. Due to the absence of Battlegrounds Mobile India, Krafton has suffered a serious blow.
According to rumours, Krafton will lower the price of its shares. The suspension of Battlegrounds Mobile India and the rules Krafton must follow in China may be the causes of this. According to reports, the ban on Battlegrounds Mobile India has slowed down the rise of sales for Krafton’s current titles.
Interestingly, despite the ban on BGMI, the company has not exited the Indian gaming market. PUBG: New State, a second Krafton-supported BR shooter, is still operating in the nation, and The Callisto Protocol has entered the market through a variety of platforms. A subsidiary of the business is also working on the real-time tactical defence smartphone game Defense Derby, which is also due to launch soon.
Also read: WhatsApp’s New Disappearing Message Shortcut Could Save Your Time


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Welcome to The New Digital World, where (as I write) the major cryptos look to end the week on a high note. Behind the scenes, we’re learning what’s going on in Washington, D.C., Cardano (ADA-USD), Helium (HNT-USD), and more. Here are the details.
Regulators, Politicians Getting Loud About Crypto
Not only does SEC Chair Gary Gensler have a Twitter account… He posts lots of videos there. Watching his latest one, I suspect he’ll continue to annoy people in the crypto industry with them.
In Thursday’s video, Gensler said he’s urged staff to “get [platforms] registered and regulated, to ensure that those crypto tokens come in as well and register where appropriate as securities.” Otherwise, we might “risk undermining 90 years of securities law.”
Gensler also criticized crypto exchanges for operating differently than stock exchanges. Namely, for “act[ing] as market makers,” as “that creates inherent conflicts of interest. I’ve asked staff to consider whether it would be appropriate to segregate out the market-making functions on these crypto platforms.”
For what it’s worth: There are decentralized market makers available for crypto trades. In other words, there’s no (human) middleman. The decentralized exchange (DEX) itself uses a protocol that defines prices and provides “liquidity pools” – automatically.
Many of the most popular DeFis are in this business. There’s Uniswap (UNI-USD), a mainstay of our Crypto Investor Network portfolio for nearly two years. Other automated market makers include Curve (CRV-USD), PancakeSwap (CAKE-USD), Raydium (RAY-USD) and Kyber (KNC-USD), to name a few.
If crypto exchanges feel compelled to operate more like the NYSE or Nasdaq, I’d expect them to benefit – and proliferate. For example, there are over 500 market-maker firms for the Nasdaq alone.
Also looking to oversee crypto: the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). They’re the preferred regulator in the new crypto bill from Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis and Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (likely to come into play in 2023). To prepare, CFTC Chair Rostin Behnam is creating an “Office of Technology Innovation.”
While the Federal Deposit Insurance Commission also entered the chat!
On Thursday: The FDIC (along with the Federal Reserve) sent a cease-and-desist to troubled “crypto bank” Voyager Digital.
According to them, Voyager’s marketing implied that it is FDIC insured, therefore customers would be insured if Voyager collapsed. “In reality, the company simply had a deposit account at Metropolitan Commercial Bank, and customers investing via the company’s platform had no FDIC insurance, the regulators said,” per Reuters.
How to check: Look up the legal policies on your crypto app’s website. Oftentimes, it’s just like Voyager: They’re not FDIC insured directly – but send deposits to someone who is. If you go on the FDIC’s BankFind site, you can confirm the Voyager partner (Metropolitan Commercial Bank), and Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) partners like Silvergate (NYSE:SI), for example.
Cardano Upgrade Pushed Back “A Few More Weeks”
Cardano (ADA-USD) developers were expected to make a “hard fork” of the blockchain this Sunday, July 31, to roll out some major upgrades for an all-new version of Cardano…
But yesterday, in the July Cardano360 video, we learned that the team needs more time.
“When we make a roll-out plan, we give dates to help the community plan their own rollout… [But] from where we are, there could be a few more weeks before we go to the actual Vasil hard fork,” explained Kevin Hammond, technical manager on the project.
“All the use [cases] have to be ready to progress to the hard fork, to make sure there’s a smooth process. Both for them, but also very important, for the end users of the Cardano blockchain.” Hammond came off very sensibly in the video…
And ADA prices haven’t reacted badly to the news. Like many other major cryptos, Cardano is up about +6% since then (as I write).
Context: This upgrade nicknamed “Vasil” is about scalability. The goal is “increasing throughput and reducing latency in block transmission, to “allow for the network to process a larger number of transactions…without affecting network performance,” as I’ve written before.
Cardano hasn’t made a hard fork like this since last September, when “Alonzo” introduced smart contracts (so developers could build apps and NFTs). ADA has a history of rallying sharply ahead of each major upgrade.
Controversy Over Helium Hotspot Revenues
First he wrote this: “Helium, often cited as one of the best examples of a Web3 use case, has received $365M of investment led by @a16z. Regular folks have also been convinced to spend $250M buying hotspot nodes, in hopes of earning passive income.
“The result? Helium’s total revenue is $6.5k/month,” Shapira ends his tweet, citing this report from The Generalist. It went viral and landed Shapira an interview with popular crypto YouTuber Tactical Investing, who’s posted excited videos about Helium Hotspots in the past.
Helium founder Amir Haleem responded with some corrections in his own Twitter thread and provided context.
“So, why is there only $6,500 worth of data being paid for? Unlike cellular networks, there aren’t millions of existing devices that can switch to @Helium. The best applications haven’t been built yet, and it takes months or years to build them,” is how Haleem addressed the main criticism.
“Expand your time horizons and focus on projects that do real work and keep their heads down during the hard times. Everything else is just noise,” Haleem advises us in his final tweet.
For what it’s worth: The Generalist’s conclusion on Helium was way different than the guy citing them on Twitter. And I generally find their content valuable, although you should note that their sources tend to work at venture-capital firms.
“It’s clear Helium’s network has room to grow. Indeed, it needs to. While it has done an exceptional job scaling the supply side of the project, nearing 1 million hotspots, more demand is necessary. Embracing 5G could send that side of the market through the roof… Indeed, winning the 5G war could set it on the path to becoming one of the world’s most valuable entities,” concludes The Generalist’s report.
Crypto Wallet Maker Gets Into NFTs – And They’re Very Popular
If you go to OpenSea to check out the top NFTs of the past 7 days, you’ll see a surprising face among the apes, “Potatoz,” and Otherside metaverse plots…
Ledger just launched its own NFT marketplace that you can access directly in its hardware crypto wallets. “Ledger Market will simply be the only safe place to mint and buy NFTs,” claims the company… And to celebrate, Ledger dropped its own NFT collection. It was a huge success:
10,000 [ Ledger ] Market Passes – Genesis Edition sold out in less than 24 hours.
THANK YOU. pic.twitter.com/l2kT4vC3jY
— Ledger (@Ledger) July 26, 2022
Ledger’s NFT was basically a VIP ticket. It gets you “privileged access to new Ledger hardware” and your own “limited edition black-on-black Nano X” wallet, as well as exclusive NFT collaborations.
Ledger is targeting luxury brands in the fashion world and is a French company…so perhaps when it comes up in conversation, we should pronounce it “Ledgé.”
Speaking of which: “Redeem-and-retain NFTs are the future of luxury goods,” according to this thoughtful essay by Nic Carter.
The deep-dive and enthusiasm for NFTs is notable because Carter was better known as a poster-boy for Bitcoin (BTC-USD) in financial TV and media… Until he was “excommunicated” after investing in a Web3 startup that’s multi-chain – not just Bitcoin/Lighting Network. Gasp! Now, his essay is a great read to see why a hardware company (or any consumer business) would find NFTs well worth their while.
On the date of publication, Ashley Cassell did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines. To have more news from The New Digital World sent to your inbox, click here to sign up for the newsletter.
PrivaCrip to Power a Blockchain Network That Could Follow Cardano & XRP
When the first decentralised blockchain was popularised in 2008 by Satoshi Nakamoto, the door was open for people across the globe to transact more securely and seamlessly. Many blockchain networks have been built and powered by native crypto tokens, including PrivaCrip (PRCR).
Native tokens exist for several reasons. Aside from acting as digital currencies, they perform various functions. Helping blockchains improve data traceability, security, transparency, and trustworthiness shared throughout the network. They also assist in reducing costs through their ever-evolving efficient methods.
Cardano (ADA) and Ripple (XRP) are among the best blockchain-based cryptos that this article will discuss. We will also look at how PrivaCrip (PRCR) will power a blockchain network set to launch into the crypto space.
Top Tier Crypto Makes its Mark – Cardano (ADA)
Cardano (ADA) has been around in the crypto space since 2017. The Proof-of-Stake (PoS), Ouroborous Cardano (ADA), was established using a research-based methodology.
Research is the backbone of Cardano (ADA) and is integral to its success in the cryptocurrency market. Cardano (ADA) uses an evidence-driven mechanism and peer-reviewed research to run its ecosystem to drive its evolution.
Among many things, Cardano (ADA) helps establish DeFi products and provides a suite of financial solutions. Crypto enthusiasts can stake Cardano (ADA) for a chance to earn rewards for their holdings.
With 2022 providing challenges in cryptocurrencies across the globe, Cardano (ADA) is one of the few cryptos to see a surge in on-chain trading volume this year. CoinMarketCap lists Cardano (ADA) as the 7th largest crypto by market capitalization at the time of writing.
Making Waves – Ripple (XRP)
Launched in 2012, Ripple (XRP) is a leading provider of crypto solutions for businesses. Ripple (XRP) provides developers with a solid open-source foundation for executing demanding projects. It is fast, energy-efficient, cost-effective, and reliable.
The solutions provided by Ripple (XRP) enable developers to solve inefficiencies, including asset tokenization and remittance. Therefore, individuals and businesses may apply Ripple (XRP) for DeFi, payments, tokenization, and more.
Crypto enthusiasts with a long-term focus may find Ripple (XRP) a valuable investing tool. Token holders can use Ripple (XRP) for staking its mainnet platform for a chance to grow their earnings and maximise profit.
The New Face Of Privacy – PrivaCrip (PRCR)
The soon-to-launch PrivaCrip (PRCR) is a cryptocurrency built for Web3 data privacy. It will allow users to develop and use permissionless and privacy-preserving applications. This unique feature of PrivaCrip (PRCR) secures apps, protects users, and fosters the creation of many new Web3 uses.
PrivaCrip (PRCR) will drive a blockchain that creates a more empowering and inclusive internet. It will enable developers to build secure dApps using private contracts based on original privacy research (OPR) to revolutionise Web3.
PrivaCrip (PRCR) will begin pre-sale soon and has an initial token price of 0.10 USD. According to the whitepaper, there will be a total supply of 190 million tokens, of which 40% of the total supply will go to the pre-sale.
Crypto enthusiasts who purchase PrivaCrip (PRCR) during the pre-sale will receive the most significant long-term rewards and bonuses. Those who buy with Bitcoin (BTC) will receive a 10% bonus. Also, those using Ethereum (ETH) to purchase will receive 15% of the total PrivaCrip (PRCR) they purchase as a bonus.
10% of PrivaCrip’s (PRCR) total supply is up for distribution as staking rewards, meaning that token holders who stake will receive rewards for their contribution to the crypto’s advancement.
Blockchain networks are continuously evolving, and so are the crypto tokens that power them. Cardano (ADA) and Ripple (XRP) have contributed tremendously to the success of their blockchain networks, gathering mass appeal.
PrivaCrip (PRCR), for its part, will drive a security-enabled blockchain and scalability in private DeFi, empower data tokenization, and bring together a fast-growing community. Acting on its promise, it has the potential to become the next big mover in cryptocurrency.
For more on PrivaCrip (PRCR), check below:
Cardano (ADA) Withdrawal Fees Waved by Bitrue Exchange
Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange made Cardano one of its base trading pairs earlier this year
Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Bitrue announced that it had temporarily waived withdrawal fees for the Cardano (ADA) cryptocurrency.
The trading platform says that the move is meant to celebrate the support it received from the community behind the cryptocurrency.
Users will be able to withdraw ADA without paying any fees until mid-September.
Bitrue has stressed that it wants users to have “as much choice as possible” when it comes to custody options. Those who want to hold their ADA tokens will not be able to do so without paying an additional commission.
At the same time, Bitrue has touted its “Power Piggy” yield-farm investment program for those who want to earn passive income with ADA.
As reported by U.Today, Bitrue introduced the token as its base currency back in February.
In June 2021, it also became the first cryptocurrency trading platform to add support for Cardano-based native tokens.
Last month, Bitrue also announced a staking initiative with the ADA cryptocurrency. It decided to contribute a million tokens to some of the top Cardano staking pools in an effort to boost the level of decentralization.
Earlier this year, SundaeSwap (SUNDAE), the native token of the SundaeSwap exchange, also became available on Bitrue.
WingRiders Losses 59% Of Its Total Value Locked, Plunges Cardano TVL Below $100M
Popular Cardano-based decentralized exchange WingRiders has lost its position as the most valuable DEX on Cardano.
WingRiders slumped from the first position to third after losing more than 59% of the total value locked (TVL) on the platform in the past 30 days.
At the time of writing this line, WingRiders is now the third-largest DEX by total value locked, with a TVL of $19.66 million. It is noteworthy that WingRiders maintained the top spot for more than two months, claiming 42% of TVL On Cardano. However, the DEX has fallen from glory ever since.
Minswap Is Now Cardano’s Most Valuable DEX
The development also affected the total value locked on Cardano. The total value locked on Cardano has fallen below $100 million in the last 30 days after the WingRiders TVL slumped.
Interestingly, Minswap has taken the lead to become the most valuable decentralized exchange on Cardano after the massive decline of WingRiders’ TVL.
At press time, Minswap is leading, with a $49.09 million total value locked on the platform. The DEX hit the milestone after recording a massive growth of 30.9% in its TVL in the past 30 days. Minswap accounts for 51.82% of the total value locked on Cardano.
SundaeSwap, the first decentralized exchange on Cardano, is now the second most valuable DEX in the ecosystem. SundaeSwap is second in the ranking, with $19.72 million in TVL.
Like WingRiders, SundaeSwap has also lost a significant amount of its TVL over the past 30 days. In the past month, SundaeSwap has lost nearly 10% of the funds locked on the platform.
Commenting on the development, Cardano Daily, a platform that shares new developments about Cardano, said:
“After the major decline of @wingriderscom, the TVL scenario of the Cardano ecosystem has stabilized back to normal as we have seen in the past few weeks. @MinswapDEX still led the ecosystem with $51M TVL, contributing 50% of the ecosystem.”
CARDANO TVL STATUS
After the major decline of @wingriderscom, the TVL scenario of the @Cardano ecosystem has stabilized back to normal as we have seen in the past few weeks. @MinswapDEX still led the ecosystem with $51M TVL, contributing 50% of the ecosystem#tvl #cardano $ADA pic.twitter.com/xjZ6cHo8jX
— Cardano Daily (@cardano_daily) August 9, 2022
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2010 Denver Auto Show: A little light at the end of the tunnel
summit daily auto writer
While the past few years’ worth of Denver Auto Shows have been increasingly grim affairs, this year’s event – running at the Colorado Convention Center through Sunday – might serve to demonstrate a slightly more upbeat mood in the car business.
Granted, 2009’s extremely unpleasant economic circumstances helped necessitate some probably long overdue changes in both the domestic and import auto world.
And nowhere are those reconfigurations more evident than in the streamlined offerings at the General Motors displays. As PR officials noted during Wednesday’s press preview, the full-scale disappearance of many of its storied brands (Hummer, Pontiac and Saturn included) has resulted in a more concentrated effort on the part of GM’s remaining lines.
But those who guessed that high gas prices and general recessionary austerity might mean a crop of gas-miserly machines will have to wait a bit; GM’s wave of downsized autos (including the Cruze and the super-tiny Chevy Spark, as well as the largely electric Volt) are still on the horizon.
Instead, this year’s auto show is a showcase for big and brawny: An all-new 2011 GMC Sierra HD three-quarter-ton pickup was on display, packing an optional 6.6-liter Duramax diesel putting out a whopping 397-horsepower and 765 lb. ft. of torque.
Riding on an all-new chassis and frame, the Sierra’s diesel mill has been crafted with both an 11 percent increase in fuel efficiency (the 19 miles per gallon means you can get nearly 700 miles on one tank of diesel) and an eye to high country practicality (the beefed-up specs mean a snowplowing package is compatible with every one of the HD model trucks).
With an eye to affluent contractors and company bosses (who we understand are still out there and still affluent), Sierra is also available in an upscale Denali package, featuring near-Cadillac levels of interior finish and comfort.
Over at the Buick display, GM also showed signs of its attempts to move that brand from a geriatric-friendly backwater to a progressive, performance-oriented business. To that end, the 2011 Buick Regal appears as a stylish, midsize sports sedan, crafted to aggressively take on both the European imports and Lexus.
Admittedly, the Regal – essentially a retooled Opel Insignia, 2009’s European Car of the Year – looks a hell of a lot like a Lexus, with overstated, swoopy curves on the body line, a tall, flat decklid and shape and size somewhere between a Lexus ES and a GS. Initial versions of the Regal will be manufactured in Germany, until domestic production begins.
Enclave comes with either a 2.4-liter standard engine or a sparky, 220-horsepower turbocharged engine (both are capable of as many as 29 mpg on the highway).
And the interior, resplendent with cashmere-colored leather and loads of technological niceties (including an optional harmon-kardon stereo setup) is of course highly soundproofed. It’s crafted as an enthusiast’s vehicle, however; those who’d like to check it out can sign up for a ride-and-drive event at the show.
Over at the Ford display, the proudly profitable team at the Blue Oval had a few goodies of their own to show off, including the most fantastically ominous and hulking Super Duty truck ever crafted (its front grill now looks like a chrome-plated bank vault). Not to be outdone by the GM folks, Ford’s mammoth truck is available with a 390-horsepower 6.7-liter diesel, the cumulative effect being a vehicle that looks like it could easily tow the Pepsi Center off its foundation.
The Lincoln MKX and the Ford Edge both get major makeovers, with an eye to massively forward-looking but driver-friendly technology. In the Edge, the “My Ford Touch” system features an impressive array of user-adjustable information screens, TV remote control-styled buttons on the steering wheel and even an all-black, touch-sensitive set of climate controls built into a Sony-branded console that looks like high-end stereo equipment.
Properly equipped, the system can turn your entire car into a wi-fi hotspot; there’s rumors of a future update which will allow you to do Twitter updates using the touchscreen, which may be one of the clearest signs of the coming apocalypse.
Members of the local Rocky Mountain Automotive Press group also announced their annual awards, honoring the Volvo XC60, the Dodge Ram truck, the Buick LaCrosse and the Ford Fusion Hybrid.
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Hawaiian Representative Chris Lee has taken up the fight against loot boxes. This is part and parcel of the pay-to-win monetization model. Pay-to-win games more often than not rely on the skinner box psychology to hook players, and create purchases. The randomness of outcome is a major psychological driver in creating addictions and compulsions without chemicals. This is a major element of gambling addiction and gaming addiction.
He has taken on the lobbyist from ESRB in a public forum and spoke out on encouraging people to get involved. We support his efforts, and also support his call for people to get involved. Representative Lee has posted several videos on this subject and I encourage visiting his YouTube account, watching, sharing and supporting his efforts.
He was empowered by player outrage over Battlefront loot boxes that were very publicly condemned by pc gamers and console gamers alike. Please support our effort, also, in giving mobile gamers a voice. Speak up, share your outrage and story outside private chatroom and closed audience apps. Mobile gamers are targeted and abused because they keep silent, at least to the world outside their circles.


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- ITT DublinAudio Visual Media, 2005 - 2007
- BCFEAnimation Drawing Studies, 2004 - 2005
- Saint Mark's Community SchoolSecond School
Apple adds OS X support for 4K displays with Retina resolution
Apple is pushing out support for Retina resolution 4K displays in OS X Mavericks 10.9.3, with the possibility of 60Hz refresh rates.
Cisco patches Denial of Service vulnerabilities in wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco has released an update that fixes five Denial of Service bugs and an associated access point vulnerability in some of its enterprise d
SAP unveils subscription option for HANA cloud platform
SAP is hoping to make its HANA cloud platform more accessible by offering a subscription service where users can add services and options wh
Microsoft marks global launch of Skype for Outlook.com
Software giant Microsoft has officially released its Skype for Outlook.com plugin, so users don't need to leave their email to chat with col
Microsoft puts information into context with Office Graph for Office 365
Microsoft has added a social graph feature that combines multiple data types for a personalised productivity experience.
Android crowned top tablet OS in 2013, Apple named top vendor
Tablet sales grew by 68 per cent last year, according to a new report by Gartner, with hybrid models taking the lead.
Microsoft offers 100GB of free OneDrive storage with Bing Rewards
Microsoft is giving users of Bing Rewards a year's free access to 100GB of OneDrive storage for 100 credits.


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Audi could eliminate as much as 15% of its German workforce while targeting an earnings boost of about 6 billion euros ($6.6 billion). The goal is to restructure and transition to electric car production.
The German brand sent out an official statement confirming that 9,500 jobs will be cut by 2025, but that at the same time, 2,000 new positions will be created for electric mobility and digitalization specialists, reports Autonews Europe.
The reduction in jobs will take place through employee turnover and a new “attractive early-retirement program”. Also, an equivalent percentage staff reduction will take place in management, said the automaker.
Audi is also extending the employment guarantee for its workforce up to the end of 2029, excluding terminations for operational reasons until December 31 of the aforementioned year.
“The company must become lean and fit for the future, which means that some job profiles will no longer be needed and new ones will be created. That is why Audi is investing systematically in future-oriented qualification measures for the employees and thus in the future of the two sites in Germany.”
Audi’s electrified push will include five fully-electric models and seven plug-in hybrid cars in the next two years alone. By 2025, their lineup will consist of more than 30 electrified cars.
As for the Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm plants, the former’s annual capacity will be 450,000 vehicles, while the latter will churn out 225,000 vehicles. In the future, both sites will be able to manufacture electric models, with the Neckarsulm one responsible for the all-electric Audi e-tron GT come next year.


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The Android 11 Update for Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is rolling out to users. The firmware is also being seeded for Galaxy Note20 Ultra users. In case you missed it, Samsung had released the update for the Galaxy S20 series recently.
What’s new in the Android 11 Update for Samsung Galaxy Note 20
Samsung’s official Android 11 Roadmap showed us that the Note20 series was originally scheduled to receive the update next month, so this news comes as a welcome surprise for users.
The firmware brings Samsung’s custom Android skin OneUI 3.0. The build number of the update is N98xUSQU1CTL2. The download size of the Android 11 Update for Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is about 2.5GB.
SamMobile spotted the update information being shared by Reddit and Twitter users, who mentioned that they had received in on their Galaxy Note 20 AT&T locked variants in the U.S. The model number of the device is SM-N986U. The unlocked version of the phone has not received the update yet.
The report speculates that Android 11 Update for Samsung Galaxy Note 20 will be made available across more carries in North America soon. However, the roadmap released by the company suggests that it may only roll out the latest update in other countries in January – February 2021.


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Shortform has been in the limelight for a few years now. It gained visibility after the foray of Chinese firm ByteDance’s TikTok. It changed the content scenario in India forever. But after the ban, while everyone was speculating about the void, a number of domestic apps took over the space, in no time.
Today, the shortform space remains undeterred or rather has emerged stronger with more diverse creators, strong user growth and monetization strategies.
1. India’s shortform going strong with over 200M MAUs
This space, although more recent when compared to social media and other platforms, clocked over 200 million users in March’21 which shows the strong momentum of the segment. Despite the initial hiccups, these domestic apps emerged stronger with their strategies like focus on vernacular content, covering an array of genres, catering to the different user behaviour based on geographies among others.
2. Why is it so popular?
Now while the apps are rightly addressing the needs of their users, the targeted cohorts are also finding different reasons to engage with the apps. From entertainment, trend updates or influencer led content, these have been the major reasons for the users to consume shortform content. The cohorts can be divided as aspiring Bharat (mostly the ones from smaller cities and towns), Gen Z or trend followers, transitional adopters and the Instagram natives.
3. Total creators in India’s shorform apps are now 4x, when compared to TikTok
These apps have been successful in onboarding creators especially after TikTok. This is a key measure to reach out to the users. From budding to matured creators, these apps have paved its way and now have 4x more creators than TikTok. However, a challenge that still remains is still <1% of the overall creator base are serious content creators.
4. Further, the income and satisfaction level among creators is higher than other job opportunities
It has been seen that when compared to other similar jobs, creators are more satisfied with their work and also have more potential to earn as they make progress in the space with more reach and users. As the reach increases, their scope to grow through brand engagements, public events also strongly increases leading to higher incomes.
5. With this gaining popularity, India is surging ahead on content and smartphone usage if compared to other countries
With the gaining popularity and the accelerated pace of online adoption, India, one of the largest economies, is surging ahead when compared to other global counterparts. This shows that India remains one of the strongest countries in terms of digital content and will lead the way for a creator economy.


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Mobile network ecosystem
The mobile phone industry in Honduras has been dominated by oligopolies. However, this concentration has not necessarily served to improve access and use of this technology in Honduran citizens, as mentioned in studies published by GSMA. According to their data from 2017, "In the last 15 years, the adoption and deployment of mobile broadband in Central America has suffered a lag with respect to the rest of Latin America." Despite this lag, mobile penetration is 87.57 percent in Honduras. Yet, the mobile ecosystem of “mobile networks, infrastructure service providers, retailers and distributors of mobile products and services, device manufacturers and content providers, applications and mobile services” (GSMA, 2017) can still be considered fragile when taking into account the current market set-up and state regulation policies.
The mobile market is growing rapidly and according to Celtel (2017) "The country already has more than 8m mobile connections, of which almost 30 percent are from smartphones. In turn, the 4G deployment is expected to grow rapidly from 88,000 connections at the end of 2015 to 1.4m connections in 2020." The contribution of the telecommunication sector to national GDP has been significant. The mobile ecosystem generates around US$300m per year in financing to the public sector in taxes. According to data from the telephone companies, there is a projected investment of US$200m in 2018. According to the members of the telecommunications companies, the regulatory and compensatory policies of the Honduran state negatively affect the mobile ecosystem in the country. And yet large rural areas of the country remain "unattended or with low or little cell phone signal", especially in areas of indigenous territories, such as the Mosquitia Hondureña, where the population does not have access to this technology.


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We just saw the official Microsoft Band sync app for Mac, which gave us our first look at Microsoft's fitness tracker. Now we're seeing a new Microsoft Health app on Windows Phone, Android and iOS. These apps allow you to personalize your Microsoft Band and offer fitness tracking thanks to the wearable.
The official Bing Rewards app for Windows Phone has picked up an update. Bing Rewards provides credits to you every time you do a search through Bing. You can redeem those credits towards cool prizes like Microsoft gift cards, Amazon gift cards, Starbucks gift cards and other prizes. The official app on Windows Phone launched in June and was met with some initial criticism. The Bing Rewards app was just a web wrapper at the time, but today's update changes that.
FOX Sports GO is now available for Windows Phone. The FOX Sports GO app for Windows Phone went under our radar when it quietly appeared in the Windows Phone Store last week. It's been available on Windows 8.1 since earlier this year, although that version suffers from horrible user reviews. Let's see how the Windows Phone version stacks up.
Way back in April, WhatsApp announced they were planning to add voice calling services to their popular messaging app in the second quarter of 2014. That time period came and went with no such addition. Now WhatsApp's CEO says they are targeting a first quarter 2015 date to add voice features.
8 Zip is a feature rich file archiver that is available for Windows Phone and Windows 8 devices. The app allows you create, open and manage a wide range of archive formats.
The app also supports transparent Live Tiles and theme customizations to give 8 Zip a personal touch. 8 Zip is also this week's myAppFree deal, which can save you a good bit on this Windows Phone and Windows 8 app.
British Airways has finally released an update to address the ageing official app for Windows Phone. The client – while functional – presented available data, whether it be boarding passes or flight information, in a standard interface with little functionality to really take advantage of the OS. This has changed with version 2.4.
While Timehop (timehop.com) is a popular app for Android and iOS to have a quick glance at your social posts an year or so ago, it's not available for Windows Phone yet. The app allows you to check out your old photos, check-ins, and photos for that whiff of nostalgia. Developed by a hobbyist Indian developer, Time Travel ! (yes, the exclamation is awkwardly placed) is a similar app for Windows Phone. The app lets you have a glance on what you did on social networks on this exact day, years ago.
Microsoft is now giving all of its Office 365 subscribers free unlimited cloud storage space via its OneDrive service. The roll out will begin today and will continue over the next several months. That means people will be able to store any amount of data on OneDrive for as low as $6.99 a month with an Office 365 Personal subscription.
This morning, Microsoft and Fitbit have announced a major update for the current Windows Phone app in addition to a forthcoming overhaul to the Windows 8.1 Modern one. The Windows Phone app update is live right now while the Windows 8.1 app redo is expected in early November.
In addition, support for Fitbit's latest trackers, including the just announced Fitbit Charge, Fitbit Charge HR and Fitbit Surge, is included in this latest round of updates (Surge support due upon release of the tracker).
Mid-term Elections are right around the corner with U.S. voters going to the polls to elect Federal, State and Local officials. Election Essential is an app available for both Windows Phone and Windows 8 that is designed to deliver information on the State and Federal candidates on the ballot.
The information is compiled from various political watchdog groups such as Sunlight and Project Vote Smart. Along with candidate information, Election Essential will also provide users with information on any Statewide Amendments and measures that will appear on the ballot.
Election Essential comes across as a handy app to have if you need to dig around and see which candidate is worthy of your vote.
The Quikr team announced that they were working on a Windows Phone app earlier this year, and now the classifieds app is available for download. Featuring 12 categories and over 140 sub-categories that include cars, real estate, furniture, flats, mobiles, electronics and more, Quikr offers a wide variety of choice when it comes to finding what you're looking for.
Microsoft has been trying to get more developers to release their apps for the Windows Phone platform, but there's also a problem with major app creators and publishers that don't bother to update them with new features or improvements for months. In a couple of cases, the apps haven't been updated for nearly a year.
Microsoft recently revealed a new Developer's Code of Conduct for Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone apps that stated, among other things, that developers must stay active in the store. That's certainly not the case for these five popular free apps, which have seen numerous feature and bug fix updates for their iOS and Android counterparts over the past year. In fact, most of these apps have seen some update in the past month for those two platforms, and none have been updated later than early September. That is certainly not the case for their Windows Phone versions.
Windows Central App Roundup: Windows Phone Halloween apps and games
'Tis the season where pumpkins are carved up, kids and adults alike begin hunting for the perfect costume and bags of candy begin to fly off store shelves. In the spirit of the Halloween season, this week's roundup will focus on apps and game that give our Windows Phone a ghostly flavor.
We did a keyword search in the Windows Phone Store for Halloween and grabbed a few of the higher rated apps and games from the search results. We aren't including Zombie games because they are more of a year round genre. We do have a few games that have been recently updated with a Halloween theme as well as a few apps that can help your Windows Phone get into the holiday spirit.
No argument here. We have a ton of photo editors available in the Windows Phone Store. Which one is best? Your guess is as good as mine and one of the latest offerings hoping to catch your eye is OneRoom.
What sets OneRoom apart from the cornucopia of photo editors already available in the Windows Phone Store? You do have editing presets that helps you edit photos quickly and the app can handle images up to 38MP in size. The app is also minimalistic in design that hopes to make the editing flow more user friendly.
In just tinkering with OneRoom for a short time, it does have a bit of appeal but may struggle to knock off the more popular editors such as Photoshop Express, Fhotoroom or Fantasia Painter due to a few missing features. Still, if you are looking for another photo editor to add to your Windows Phone Library or are still searching for that one editor that fits your tastes bests, OneRoom is worth a try.


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The first commercial pot shops in Massachusetts sold more than $2.2 million worth of marijuana products during the first five days they were open for business.
That’s according to figures released Tuesday by the Cannabis Control Commission.
The stores in Northampton and Leicester began operating on November 20 and sold $ 440,000 of cannabis that day. On Friday, the most busy day, stores reported about $ 480,000 in gross sales after Thanksgiving.
In the first five days period, a total of 56,380 marijuana products were purchased.
The Commission published the figures without comment.
Store openings were not without interruption as some Leicester residents complained about traffic jams and other problems during a town hall on Monday.
Additional Massachusetts stores are expected to open in the coming months.
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