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The Chicken Farmers of Canada, a national group dedicated to supporting poultry farmers and helping them meet consumer demand for chicken, has announced their strategy for eliminating the use of certain antimicrobials in meat production. The group has already helped the 2,800 chicken farmers in Canada cease the use of Category I antibiotics to prevent infectious disease in their livestock.
The goal is to eliminate the use of Category II antimicrobials, which are also currently used as a preventive measure, by the end of 2018. The group has also set another goal for the year 2020 to eliminate the use of Category III antibiotics.
Concerns over the rise in antibiotic-resistant pathogens has pushed governments and trade organizations to encourage farmers to eliminate antibiotic use in their livestock wherever possible. However, the Chicken Farmers of Canada will not eliminate the use of all antibiotics; the group will still allow farmers to use antimicrobials that are not used in humans, including ionophores.
“Chicken Farmers of Canada has been a leader in antimicrobial stewardship, and this strategy provides continued confidence to consumers, customers, and to governments,” said Benoît Fontaine, Chair of Chicken Farmers of Canada. “This strategy provides a sustainable means of meeting consumer expectations, while maintaining the ability for farmers to protect the health and wellbeing of their birds.”
According to the Chicken Farmers of Canada, Canadian chicken has been shown to be free of antibiotic residues for the last several decades. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) monitors the use of antibiotics in the poultry industry, including withdrawal times, to ensure the antimicrobial residues do not end up in the food supply.


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For the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Widow, box office numbers reflected the state of the world in 2021. Its unique release could be indicative of future premieres for Marvel movies. Or it could be an outlier. After all, a breakdown of the numbers shows a fairly even split in how audiences watched the flick in its first weekend.
‘Black Widow’ premiered on Disney+ and in theaters
From March 2020 on, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected the film industry significantly. Studios delayed most movies set to debut throughout the year while sending others to VOD (video on demand). Among the companies most affected? Disney.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe follows a particular path. Films and Disney+ TV series leading into one another. The media empire delayed Black Widow multiple times, pushing its release back a few months each time. Finally, Disney settled on July 9, 2021, over a year past its originally announced premiere date.
Throughout 2020, Marvel insisted it wouldn’t be releasing Black Widow on Disney+, the streaming service which houses many of its properties. However, follow HBO Max’s success with Wonder Woman 1984 (and, perhaps, high demand from customers), the brand opted for simultaneous release. Disney+ users paid an additional premium access fee for Black Widow the same day.
The ‘Black Widow’ box office numbers
Disney released the Black Widow box office numbers from opening weekend. According to a press release, the film made “an estimated total of more than $215M globally this weekend, including $80M in domestic box office, $78M in international box office, and over $60M in Disney+ Premier Access consumer spend globally.”
The release continues. It states Black Widow “garnered several notable achievements,” such as being “the largest domestic box office opening since the COVID-19 pandemic began.” Additionally, “the combined theatrical and Disney+ Premier Access opening makes Black Widow the only film to surpass $100M in domestic consumer spend on opening weekend since the start of the pandemic.”
More money was spent on Black Widow theater tickets than home rentals. But one informal poll shows that slightly more people watched on Disney+. According to TVLine, the numbers break down to 48% in theaters and 52% at home. Given that multiple people can watch via one purchase at home, this makes sense.
Will Marvel continue with Disney+ releases like this?
Though Disney and Marvel very much want people back in movie theaters seeing their films, this simultaneous release strategy could continue — at least, for a little while. After all, the powers-that-be were impressed by the numbers, and anything to make them bigger bodes well for the company.
“Black Widow’s strong performance this weekend affirms our flexible distribution strategy of making franchise films available in theaters for a true cinematic experience and, as COVID concerns continue globally, providing choice to consumers who prefer to watch at home on Disney+,” said Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution Chairman Kareem Daniel in the press release.

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Perhaps the most important feature of the modern era of the smartphone is the camera. The operating systems are mature, the processors and data connections are fast, the apps are plentiful, and the high-resolution screens are large and brilliant. Having a camera with us wherever we go has changed how we view the world and share our lives with others, and the thin shell of a smartphone puts some pretty severe limitations on photography.
Compared to a decade ago, of course, today’s smartphone cameras offer eye-poppingly good image quality. But if you’re shopping for a new smartphone, the camera matters—and the competition is fierce. For years, Apple has promoted the iPhone as offering a high-quality camera, even if it didn’t always match up to competitors with more raw megapixels. But if Apple did possess the smartphone camera throne, it feels like it’s lost it in the last year or two.
Google’s Pixel 3 is generally considered to be the best overall smartphone camera, and its Night Sight feature offers the ability to shoot low-light images that blow away those on the iPhone. It offers deep-focus effects with a single camera that seem to beat the dual-camera setup on the iPhone XS and XS Max. And it’s got a wide-angle selfie camera to make capturing large groups easier.
What can Apple do to counter Google in 2019? There are a few different answers—including one that could require Apple to re-think its classic approach to iPhone upgrades.
The hardware should always get better
Of course, Apple will continue to work on making the iPhone camera better—regardless of the presence of strong competition in the market. It’s been a while since Apple released an iPhone and declared that the camera wasn’t any better than last year’s model. Apple is always pushing the iPhone cameras forward.
There’s already a rumor out there that the 2019 revision to the iPhone will include a three-camera successor of the iPhone XS Max. It’s unclear just why an iPhone would need three cameras, though it’s possible that the additional lens will offer more levels of zoom. I’m sure Apple will build some clever software that will allow it to capture images even better with three cameras than it does with two.
It does feel like maybe Google’s on to something with the wide-angle selfie camera. The notch on the front of the iPhone X series devices is already pretty large, but I wonder if Apple might consider making room for a second lens in order to let users upgrade their selfie game just that much more.
The magic’s in the software
The real arms race in smartphone photography, though, seems to be on the software side. Apple has been driving the iPhone camera with smart software for a long time, most recently with Smart HDR, a feature that has no user interface but dramatically improves the dynamic range of images. But in the last couple of years Google has been aggressive in adding new features of its own.
Take Night Sight. It’s an approach that Google uses to get shockingly clear photos out of relatively dark spaces. The camera takes longer exposures and multiple exposures and uses a bunch of machine-learning-based techniques to clean up the image—but the results are spectacular. I assume Apple’s camera hardware could do something similar… but it just doesn’t. Taking pictures in dark environments isn’t a weird edge case, and Apple should be more aggressive in offering a feature like Night Sight.
In general, I wonder sometimes if there’s a little too much dogma inside the group that’s in charge of iPhone photography. It’s a tough line to walk between creating images that are crowd pleasing and those that are accurate depictions of what was captured. Apple’s legacy of users who are in creative and artistic fields means that it’s probably right to be a little conservative when it comes to these sorts of decisions, but the iPhone is a mass-market product and if people feel that iPhone photos lack the “punch” of Google Pixel photos, that’s bad for Apple—no matter how accurate Apple’s captures are. I hope Google’s aggressive moves with the Pixel will energize the iPhone photography team to engage with their competitor and try to top them.
So now we wait?
Are we stuck with the same iPhone photography features until new phones reach us this fall? The truth is, it doesn’t have to be this way, but it’ll require Apple to change the way it’s approached product upgrades for some time.
Through the years, Apple has introduced some features to new hardware that could plausibly have run on older models, but were withheld in order to differentiate the new model from the old. (Forgive my skepticism, but I don’t believe that the iPhone 6 was incapable of shooting Live Photos.) In contrast, Google’s Night Sight isn’t a feature of the Pixel 3—it’s a software update that also works with the Pixel 2 and even the original Pixel.
What I’d like to see is Apple use software updates to take a page from Google’s playbook and add smart features to existing iPhones, not just whatever models it introduces in 2019. The question is, will Apple look at this as an opportunity to improve the value of iPhones over the long haul, or will its shortfall in iPhone revenue make it even more likely that new features will be withheld from older models just to drive sales of new iPhones?
The line’s not as sharp as you might think. Early on in the development process, Apple needs to decide whether a new feature will specifically require new iPhone hardware. I’m sure if you talked to someone from Apple, they’d tell you that Apple never artificially withholds features from older phones in order to sell new hardware—that all the features that only work on new phones are ones that take advantage of the newest hardware.
That might be true, but many new camera features could be designed from the beginning to be backward compatible to the past couple years’ worth of iPhones, when possible. I’m not sure Apple thinks in those terms, which is unfortunate—especially since it’s clear that Google’s not afraid to do it.
In any event, I hope Apple makes the right decision for its customers and not only pushes forward in improving the features of the iPhone camera, but considers bringing many of those features to users of relatively modern iPhones. In the meantime, I find myself occasionally bringing my old original Google Pixel with me when I’m going somewhere where Night Sight might be useful—because in that circumstance, Google’s phone from 2016 will do a better job at taking pictures than my iPhone XS from 2018.


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After 15 years at the helm of the Australian label they founded together, Sass and Bide’s Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke will be moving onto pastures new.
“Both Heidi and Sarah-Jane have been slowly transitioning out of the business, and it has now reached a point where both girls feel confident that the business will go on to grow and thrive without their day-to-day involvement,” reads a statement from the brand.
“The girls leave behind a rich legacy of creating a brand that is built on spirit and heart, qualities that are deeply etched in the collections, the communications and its people. Those qualities will continue to define and drive the brand for years to come.”
We certainly agree with that – especially as we have seen some of the collections ourselves during London Fashion Week, before the brand headed to the Big Apple for New York Fashion Week. The ladies leave the label in good hands though, as former Victoria Beckham and Mulberry design consultant Antony Cuthbertson will be leading the creative team, with art direction from Ronnie O’Hare.
We look forward to seeing what the label’s new collection is like, as well as what Heidi and Sarah-Jane will be getting up to. Watch this space!


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While crossovers are the clear segment leader for the industry, ethnic consumers continue to have a significant stake in sedans, which make up a larger percentage of the total return-to-market volume for ethnic consumers, compared to the industry. For example, 38% of African Americans who returned to market to buy a new vehicle in the first half of the year, purchased a sedan. This is nearly 12 percentage points above the non-ethnic population at 26%. This fact illustrates that ethnic consumers, like African Americans, still have an affinity for the sedan body style, and OEMs must be strategic in enticing these consumers into other body styles.
The shift in plans by some OEMs will create a bit of a marketing challenge for certain automakers, who seek to position their SUVs and crossovers with this important audience as they return to market for a new vehicle. It also creates opportunity for those automakers who will continue to offer sedans as part of their lineup, since ethnic consumer groups may consider a brand shift if they cannot get a new sedan from their current manufacturer. In addition, the brands keeping sedans as part of their portfolio have traditionally been popular with ethnic consumers in the past, and we expect this to continue.
“Brands without sedans in their lineup will need to essentially double down on their marketing efforts to entice ethnic consumers to migrate from the cars they prefer to the new pickups, crossovers and sport utility vehicles they don’t know,” said Toni Iverson, automotive diversity consultant at IHS Markit. “This poses a real challenge for marketers, because ethnic consumers have had such high loyalty rates to sedans,” she said.
Some brands without sedans are already working on these efforts and are making progress. Ethnic campaigns are underway at several OEMs, with some gaining traction in converting sedan owners to new body styles in their lineup. As automakers strive to attract these growth audiences and plan future products, understanding the dynamics and preferences of the ethnic consumer will be more important than ever.


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Pair of garage sales raise funds for charity
Moose Jaw was host to several garage sales over the weekend, including a pair for charity.
© Justin Crann
A volunteer folds blankets to be donated to charity near the end of the Grandmothers 4 Grandmothers fundraising garage sale in the basement of St. Andrew's Church on Saturday afternoon.
The annual SCRAPS fundraising garage sale was held at the Wildlife Federation Building Saturday, throughout the day.
Glady Bell, president and founder of SCRAPS, said "the public really came through" by donating plenty of goods for the sale and coming out to support the event by making actual purchases.
The sale also drew more than 30 volunteers over several days, loading and unloading goods and working the day of the event.
Bell said the sale is vital to her non-profit's operations.
"Our biggest expense is veterinary costs … that is 90 per cent of our expenses," she explained. "We spend every penny we get back into the cats, and we get no subsidies from governments or the city. Everything we do, we do through fundraising."
At St. Andrew's Church, Grandmothers 4 Grandmothers were hosting a garage sale of their own, also for a good cause.
"We are collecting money for the grandmothers of Africa, who are raising their grandchildren (without the parents)," explained Dagny Marshall, one of the sale's organizers.
Grandmothers 4 Grandmothers is a local group — comprised not only of grandmothers — who raise funds to sponsor grandparents in Africa who are left raising children that might otherwise be orphaned.
Like the SCRAPS garage sale, all of the items for sale by Grandmothers 4 Grandmothers were donated and could be purchased for cash donations.
"Nothing has a price, it is just whatever someone wants to donate," said Marshall.
Over the day, there was a "steady stream" of people who visited the sale, but no estimate of how much had been raised was available.
"We haven't figured it out yet … (but) every little bit helps," said Marshall.
At the end of the sale, Grandmothers 4 Grandmothers planned to help even further – by donating whatever went unsold to various needy groups and charitable organizations.


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HOUSTON — A pizza video that was out of this world became a popular order on social media this month. Paolo Nespoli, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station, on Dec. 2 on Twitter posted a video of the astronauts creating pizzas. By Dec. 7, the video had been retweeted nearly 1,000 times and received about 2,600 likes.
To make the four pizzas, the astronauts were supplied with four shelf-stable pizza crusts, pizza sauce in a plastic squeeze bottle, pepperoni, turkey pepperoni, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, anchovies, anchovy paste, garlic paste, pesto paste, Gouda cheese food (shelf stable, cheese like), and olive oil, said Dan Huot of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The video shows a Boboli pizza crust brand, which is owned by Bimbo Bakeries USA, Horsham, Pa. Astronauts in the International Space Station have a food warmer to heat the food, but no oven/baking capability exists, Mr. Huot said.
The astronauts may have had to hold the anchovies and other ingredients, as in literally hold them.“Difficulties that can arise are common with all food types, which come from dealing with the microgravity environment — basically make sure your food doesn’t float away,” Mr. Huot said. “All of the ingredients were standard, off-the-shelf ingredients from a grocery store.”


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National tire chain comes to South Dakota
A national tire retailer is announcing the opening of their first location in South Dakota.
Discount Tire opened Monday at 4201 E. 10th St, according to a release from the Arizona-based company, which has more than 1,000 stores in 35 states.
Discount Tire sells leading tire brands as well as over 50 store-exclusive brands and lines, and offers free tire pressure checks to customers.
The store's hours are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. The store is closed on Sundays.
The release said Discount Tire was founded in Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1960, and has grown to a nationwide company that today employs more than 20,000 people.
Customers can contact the store by calling 605-906-6293 or visit their website.


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Global stock markets rose Friday as optimism on the US economic outlook outweighed lingering trade war worries, dealers said.
European equities were all solidly higher at the close, with London outshining its peers thanks to a slipping pound as Brexit talks appeared to be stalling.
On Wall Street the Dow index was also firmer approaching midday in New York, building on the previous day's all-time pinnacles, with investors concluding that trade war concerns were overblown as the world's biggest economy powers ahead.
"Investors continue to brush off the ongoing trade dispute between the US and China," said Craig Erlam, an analyst at Oanda.
A "lack of escalation" in trade spats combined with optimism on the American economy turned out to be a winning combination, added analysts at the Charles Schwab brokerage.
"Trade concerns remain contained, while the domestic economic front continues to paint a solid picture," they said.
An unsuccessful Brexit summit in Salzburg, ending in "humiliation" for the British prime minister according to some, weighed on the pound from the start of business, but that in turn helped London's benchmark FTSE 100 index to post a whopping 1.7% gain at the finish.
The British currency then weakened further after Prime Minister Theresa May said that Brexit talks were "at an impasse" and that the European Union's response to British plans was "not acceptable".
It was a "brave" investor who dared to buy sterling after May's comments, tweeted Viraj Patel, global macro strategist at ING.
"But (the) long game is one of greater upside than downside if a deal is ultimately reached," he said.
Oanda's Erlam, also in a tweet, said that May had said nothing beyond trying to "'prove' she's playing hardball with the EU. Nothing, as ever, has changed".
But David Madden, a market analyst with CMC Markets UK, saw more substance in May's performance, saying she "made it clear she is literally willing to walk away from (negotiations) if the EU's offer doesn't measure up".
Asian equities enjoyed another day of strong buying to finish the week with a flourish.
Shanghai surged 2.5 percent after the Chinese government unveiled a stimulus packaged aimed at lifting domestic consumption.
"For the moment Asian stocks have shrugged off trade war concerns with the focus shifting to China's new stimulus package which is expected to boost consumption and cut import tariffs from other countries," said City Index senior analyst Fiona Cincotta.
"Make no mistake, the US economy is running on all cylinders," said Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific trade at Oanda.
"Robust growth, soaring employment and rising capital investments, suggesting the healthy US economy is more than just a short-term knock-on effect from the intravenous elixir of easy credit and fiscal glucose."
The upbeat mood on trading floors was being felt across the board, with embattled emerging market currencies seeing a recovery.
Those currencies -- beaten down in recent weeks by fears of contagion from crises in Turkey, South Africa and Argentina -- were also basking in the optimism as traders sought out higher-risk assets.
South Korea's won rose 0.4 percent, while the Indonesian rupiah added 0.3 percent and the Indian rupee was up 0.7 percent, pulling it away from recent record lows. South Africa's rand and the Turkish lira jumped more than one percent.
China's yuan extended gains after Premier Li Keqiang said this week that Beijing would not devalue the unit to offset the impact of Donald Trump's import tariffs.
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Training and upskilling are essential strategies for organizations looking to address the changing hiring landscape, according to the latest jobs market research. The demand for skilled tech talent is strong in newer areas such as cloud and containers. The World Economic Forum’s annual list mentions breakthrough technologies with the greatest potential to make a positive impact on the world.
This trend recognizes the value of investing in existing staff and the challenges of finding qualified external candidates, according to researchers. Hikvision says its “products do not have a ‘backdoor'” and were not deliberately programmed with this flaw. It adds it believes that nearly all of the local authorities using their devices would have updated their cameras long before now.
In telemarketing, dialer technology allows you to reach potential customers quickly and easily. It allows sales agents to call multiple people at once. Future strategies about how to reach out to potential leads or existing customers can be informed by this insight. Automated dialer systems are changing the way companies do business by streamlining their processes and giving them valuable data that can help inform future decision making.
The industry has evolved a long way from the humble beginnings. The tools available for telemarketers to reach their customers are getting better. telemarketers communicate with their audiences using ringless voicemail and dialer technology. Businesses can maximize reach by providing a more personalized customer experience. It is time to take our campaigns to the next level by embracing the power of these technologies. Maximizing the power of dialer technology and ringless voicemail, telemarketers can reach customers more efficiently and effectively than ever before.
There Is A Demonstration Of Precision Semiconductor Tech That Is Coming To India
The latest move by IBM is to focus on newer offerings such as cloud and artificial intelligence. The network of cameras could be taken over by the hackers. In order to find out if it was possible to hack a Hikvision camera, Panorama worked with a US based authority on surveillance technology. India left little room for its entrepreneurs to rise and so droves of Indian engineers walked through America’s open door for technological talent. Within a few decades, Indian Americans would take top positions in the US technology industry and the scientific establishment. As anti Americanism gripped the Indian political class from the late 1960s, there was a deliberate attempt to snuff out academic and research links to the United States.
It is exciting to think about the future of telemarketing, especially with new technologies like ringless voicemail and dialer coming into play. The innovative solutions allow companies to communicate Tech News with their customers at a lower cost. They can focus on other tasks, such as researching potential leads and crafting personalized messages.
Digital Twins Drive Value In The Metaverse
Dialers allow agents to have more control over how they communicate with customers by giving them options such as message pre recording and automatic disconnects after a set amount of time. Business technology and privacy issues, as well as developments in e commerce and consumer electronics are covered by Jack. More organizations are changing their hiring plans because of the financial challenges. Wearable plant sensors, sustainable aviation fuel and generative Artificial Intelligence are some of the top emerging technologies of the future, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum. Major technological collaborations between the United States and India are expected to shape the future of critical technology.
Digital interaction makes workers safe when handling machinery. Digital twins make it easy for other workers to continue building the product. They can review previous conversations for further insights into what works best for future campaigns.
Additionally, the report says that Apple engaged in discussions with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regarding the specific details of the Apple Card. However, sources reveal that the regulator has requested Apple to adhere to the standard procedure for co-branded credit cards, without providing any special considerations for the company. Biden and Prime Minister Modi also hailed the signing of an MoU on semiconductor supply chain and innovation partnership as a significant step in the coordination of semiconductor incentive programmes between the two nations.
Digital twins are used to test and understand factors related to speed, driving performance and safety in dangerous road conditions. The entire design of their tires can be improved using simulation, without putting a single hand on a piece of machinery. With the ability to test their tires in a quicker environment, Bridgestone is able to cut down on development time. New products are brought to market quicker if the time spent designing, testing and prototyping is reduced. There are benefits to identifying areas to be more sustainable during the manufacturing process. It is possible to send a message through the carrier’s network without making the recipient’s phone ring, but it still requires a call connection to deliver the message.
“This finding underlines the significant influence of current job market conditions on salary expectations, with 45 per cent of respondents citing this as the primary reason they would accept a comparable or lower salary for a new position,” the Blind survey states. “Hexaware is an automation-led next-generation service provider delivering excellence in IT, BPS and Consulting services,” the company’s LinkedIn bio mentions. At precisely the moment India and the US turned from each other, China broke from the Soviet Union and warmed up to the United States.


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CLINTON — If it's 20 degrees, you get 20 percent off! That's the sales montra the Clinton Book Shop is telling the public for a sales pitch taking place until 1 p.m. today.
For the sale, whatever temperature is recorded outside at the moment of check out is how much the customer gets off for their purchase. The book shop started the chilly temperature sale this past Thursday, Jan. 8.
The sale is being promoted through the store's Facebook page. Store owner Harvey Finkel said the store may look into getting the word out on the sale through other sources but for now they are using Facebook exclusively to spread the word.
The sale applies to all books in the store and Finkel said customers have to specifically mention the sale when purchasing books.
Store manager Rob Dougherty came up with the idea when he was sitting at his computer that Thursday looking at the temperatures outside. Dougherty said he came up with the sale as a way for residents to come out to the store.
Dougherty said he is surprised by the attention this particular sale has generated. The sale has received attention from such outlets as Shelf Awareness, a book industry news group, and the Christian Science Monitor.
"We try to be as creative as possible with our sales and try to offer something people won't find in the big box stores or online," he said.
Finkel said customers have enjoyed it and have even looked up the temperature on their smartphones as the cashier has wrung up their purchase.
"It's good fun," he said. "It gets new people in the store."
Dougherty said the store plans to continue the sale throughout the winter season and may even add something with snow if its predicted.
"We want it to focus on what we do for the community," he said.


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Apple has reportedly removed messaging apps including WhatsApp and Telgram from its iPhone store for users in China, following orders from the Chinese government.
Netflix showed that its password-sharing crackdown continues to bear fruit, delivering its strongest first-quarter customer additions since the pandemic.
A report this week suggested Disney is looking at building channels into its Disney+ platform, and the company called it “speculative."
Samsung has overtaken Apple as the world's top phonemaker during the first quarter of 2024 as the latter's shipments have dropped around 10%, a report says.
Former Facebook senior executive Chamath Palihapitiya predicted that an autonomous humanoid robot that can do chores would hit the market in the next few years.
Social media giant Meta allegedly allowed Netflix to peek into Facebook users' direct messages, breaking anti-competitive activities and privacy rules, explosive court documents claim.
"Drone-swarm" agriculture could replace traditional tractors at just a fraction of the cost as the FAA clears the way for U.S. farmers to use the new technology.
A nationwide outage hit DMV offices early Thursday, temporarily impacting various services from driver license renewal to permit tests.
Nvidia announced plans for a software and hardware package consisting of generative artificial intelligence, to be used with robotics that can make better decisions over time.
Kirsten Dunst's New York penthouse has hit the market for $6.9 million. The newly renovated home features oversized arched windows and a Narnia-style wardrobe.
Bad actors may have illegally gotten into thousands of people’s Roku accounts, Roku recently told the offices of two state attorneys general.
Video-streaming company Rumble announced it is launching a new cloud service that won't engage in "viewpoint discrimination" or censorship.
The New York townhouse Kate Moss and Johnny Depp lived in when they were together is officially off the market, after selling for $12 million.
IBM announced Wednesday that it is deploying the Adobe Firefly generative AI tool across its design and marketing teams for internal projects as well as consulting clients on its use.
Sales of Apple's iPhone plunged 24% year-over-year in China in the first six weeks of 2024 due to stiff competition from rivals, especially Huawei, according to a new report.
Warner Bros. Discovery will reportedly take after two other streaming giants and implement its own password-sharing crackdown on its Max platform.
Netflix could get more expensive if the company decides to hike how much it charges members again and, according to a UBS analyst, that may very well be in the cards this year.
X, formerly known as Twitter, has partnered with Samsung to deliver users exclusive access to photos taken from space by the new Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphone.
Apple users have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the "FineWoven" iPhone case. Many say it does not hold up well even after only a few months of use; others are fine with it.
Users still paying the bill to their Netflix basic plan through iTunes or the Apple App Store will have to transition to credit or debit cards moving forward, a Netflix source told FOX Business.


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Celebrity recipe books which are too much for us to digest: More than 40% are never opened
- Many are intimidated by unfamiliar ingredients, recipes and language
- People are happier with easy and simple recipes
Forty per cent of the celebrity recipe books are never used by home cooks who don’t know their concasse from their cartouche.
They may look magnificent when propped up against the latest hi-tech kitchen gadget, suggesting this is someone who could take on any TV chef in a battle of knife skills.
But many are intimidated by the unfamiliar ingredients, recipes and language used by the likes of Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay.
By contrast, mums and dads creating a family meal, or even a dinner party, are much happier with the style, ease and simplicity offered by the likes of Delia Smith and, particularly, Jamie Oliver.
More popular: The ease and simplicity of recipes in celebrity cookbooks by Delia Smith and Jamie Oliver (pictured) are more popular for home cooks
The findings may well send a message to the bosses at Waitrose who have, controversially, dropped Delia from their advertising while keeping the more adventurous Heston.
Two in three - 67 per cent - said they find the recipes in many glossy cookbooks intimidating, according to the survey commissioned by Italian food company Sacla.
Some 35 per cent said they were put off by the cost of ingredients, while 29 per cent said recipes were too complicated.
More than a quarter - 27 per cent - said hard-to-find ingredients stopped them using the books.
Never used by home cooks: Many are intimidated by the unfamiliar ingredients, recipes and language used by the likes of Heston Blumenthal (right) and Gordon Ramsay (left)
The cooking terms that largely sent home chefs into a spin were ballotine, where 45 per cent had no idea what it was, umami, cartouche, concasse and chiffonade.
The research found the typical British home has 10 cookbooks, however the owners have only tried an average of four recipes from each.
People admitted that 40 per cent of recipe books have never been used at all.
Waitrose has suffered a backlash for sticking with Heston and his chemistry set approach to cooking ahead of Delia Smith
Heston Blumenthal’s ‘In Search of Perfection’ and Gordon Ramsay’s ‘3 Star Chef’ were cited as the books most likely to gather dust.
This is not surprising when creating Heston’s Black Forest Gateau recipe involves the need to knock-up a makeshift vacuum chamber, while his Perfection Chicken Tikka Masala takes three days to cook.
Waitrose has suffered a backlash for sticking with Heston and his chemistry set approach to cooking ahead of Delia, who has spent much of her career taking the mystery out of preparing good food.
The research found that many have given up on cookbooks completely, with more than half - 53 per cent - now searching for recipes online based on what they have got in the fridge and cupboard.
The Sacla managing director, Clare Blampied, said: ‘The Italians have taught us that simple recipes featuring four or five key ingredients are the key to successful every day cooking.
‘Perhaps it’s time to learn from them and de-clutter our kitchens of complicated books we don’t use and embrace the Italian way of cooking fresh, seasonal recipes using simple methods and relatively cheap ingredients.’
The firm carried out the research to support the launch of its new recipe webpage.
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- Denise Williams found guilty over husband's murder 18 years ago


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Facebook is announcing some changes and new features to its Slideshow Ads which was announced and launched last October, for Facebook and Instagram. Slideshow is a tool for advertisers to create “lightweight videos” using photos or videos. Since then, these Slideshow Ads have been viewed in over 200 countries.
The purpose of these Slideshow Ads was to offer an experience to markets where videos would load very slowly, because of the poor connection. This is because of one of the main benefits of Slideshow Ads, even if the video was the same length, the file size of the Slideshow Ads’ “lightweight video” would be up to 5 times smaller. Useful for small companies that want an easy, cheap way to show their products.
However, today Facebook is making some changes and adding new features to the Slideshow Ads. Previously, Slideshow Ads did not produce sound, now Facebook has changed that, you can now choose your audio from Facebook’s library of audio tracks, which Facebook claims that they will soon allow you to add in your own audio. You can also add text, templates, colors and more.
Facebook is also adding a new tool to convert your video into a Slideshow, by taking out 10 photos from the video to use in your slideshow. Which is another change as before the new features were released, Slideshow Ads only supported up to 7 photos, and now it supports up to 10.
Facebook is making Slideshow Ads more accessible by everyone by releasing it on mobile, first releasing on Android.
The company also showed how effective these Slideshow ads are, Facebook have mentioned a stock company named “Stance”, and how they wanted to have a low-cost way of grabbing customers. Stance used photo linking to create their slideshows at first, however that took too much time and they needed something quick, cheap and accessible.
Facebook compared Stance’s photo link slideshow to Facebook’s Slideshow Ads, and the results were amazing. Stance’s cost per acquisition dropped by 48%, their click through rate went up by 2.42 times, and lastly Stance’s return on ad spend also went up by 1.48 times.
These Slideshow Ads sure are going to help smaller businesses out there, as Facebook claims that Slideshow Ads will allow these small companies to create their own advertisements, in a low-cost effective way in just a few clicks.


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Tony Fadell, the founder and chief executive of Nest— the hardware firm acquired by Google in 2014 for $3.2 billion— has announced that "the time is right to 'leave the Nest.'"
In a blog posting, Fadell wrote that the "transition has been in progress since late last year and while I won't be present day to day at Nest, I'll remain involved in my new capacity as an advisor to Alphabet and Larry Page."
He added that "Marwan Fawaz is joining Nest as the company's new CEO." Fawaz was formerly an executive at Motorola Mobility, which Google also acquired, failed to turn around, and eventually sold off to Lenovo.
Fadell had earlier worked at Apple, where he played an instrumental role in bringing the iPod to market, a role that had the media calling him the "father of the iPod." He and former Apple engineer Matt Rogers went on to cofound Nest Labs, best known for the company's smart home thermostat. Nest and Apple had a close partnership that fell apart in 2014, when Google acquired the company for $3.2 billion.
Last year, a reorganization within Google placed Fadell in charge of the company's wearable Glass project. Fadell also remained in charge of Nest, which is now technically separate from Google under the firm's new umbrella company known as Alphabet.
A troubled tenure
Shortly after Google acquired his company, it was forced to suspend sales of its Protect smoke & carbon monoxide alarm over safety concerns.
Earlier this year, a buggy software update for Nest thermostats caused many users to wake up in the cold, as the devices quickly drained their batteries and shut down, taking user's heating and cooling systems offline.
In February, Fadell was profiled in a scathing report that cited former employee who claimed "Nest's every step is administered to death" by its CEO, creating an environment where it's "always crunch time," as last-minute design changes result in unrealistically tight deadlines that force employees to work late nights and weekends.
Another former employee remarked, "I worked there. It was literally the worst experience of my career - and I have worked at all of the hardest charging blue chips and two successful startups - so it is not about high expectations - but abuse," one commenter wrote. "I still wake up with something like PTSD occasionally from getting yelled at and bullied by Tony Fadell almost literally every day while I was there."


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The demand for seeds during March was disappointing, as sales 'were below expectations, and prices broke consider ably.
Cotton prices suffered rather severe declines, during the week March 23 — 28, both spots and futures closing a little over 1¢ pe1 lb. Lower than the previous week On the New York Cotton Exchange May future contracts closed at 24 54¢ as compared with 25. 68¢ the previous week and 27. 56¢ last year, and on the New Orleans Cotton Exchange they closed at 24. 5696 as compared with 25 64¢ last week and 27. 73¢ one year ago. On the Chicago Board of Trade _may future contracts closed at 24. 46¢ as compared with 25 61¢ last week.
The heaviness of the market was attributed to letting up in demand, less optimistic reports from dry goods centers, together with reports of rain in Texas.


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KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is doubling down on previous rumors that Apple will release three new iPhones next year — two phones with dual-camera setups and one without. He foresees two large phones in the 2017 lineup boasting dual cameras: A deluxe redesigned model with an OLED screen, and one more like the current iPhone 7 Plus with the same type of LCD display. The smaller 4.7” model, also featuring a more traditional LCD display, will keep the single camera, possibly as a result of size constraints limiting the space for components inside the phone.
Rumors about the 2017 iPhone have been all over the map, with some sources claiming there will be two radically redesigned phones and others keeping more in line with Kuo, expecting a flagship model and others with lesser features to be released simultaneously. There’s also disagreement over whether Apple will be able to embed the home button under the screen and uncertainty about whether or not the company can keep costs low enough to offer wireless charging capabilities. Furthermore, there has been speculation about Apple skipping the iPhone 7s designation and skipping straight to the iPhone 8 next year. If Kuo’s prediction turns out to be true, Apple could release two new iPhone models with modest updates alongside another as-yet-unnamed deluxe device. [via Apple Insider]


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After TerraUSD (UST) de-pegged from the U.S. greenback, dragging with it billions of buyers’ funds, a brand new stablecoin backed by cans of iced tea has risen just like the phoenix.
Satire or not, USDTea, a brand new stablecoin has joined the gamut of stablecoins within the ecosystem. The stablecoin is backed by America’s main iced tea model, AriZona Iced Tea which has bought constantly for $0.99 since 1996.
“We plan to stabilize the troubled cryptocurrency ecosystem by introducing a brand new token backed by a tough asset that has maintained the identical value for over 30 years,” wrote the creators of the stablecoin.
“While different stablecoins try and peg to greenback quantities by means of questionable algorithms or opaque funding methods, we assure our liquidity with candy, scrumptious liquid.”
USDTea is an ERC20 token working on the Ethereum blockchain and was created by a trio of tech artists underneath the identify of Mossy. The founders acknowledged that to take care of fiduciary duty, USDTea would begin operations with an preliminary provide of 1,000 tokens after which steadily improve the reserves.
The operations of the stablecoin are pretty easy as customers merely ship tokens and a processing payment and can get bodily cans of AriZona shipped to them.
Other odd stablecoins
Stablecoins backed by odd property would possibly start to proliferate the area within the wake of UST’s de-pegging and tighter rules. Coadjute introduced plans to unveil the world’s first stablecoin backed by mortgages in partnership with R3, a worldwide tech agency.
Typically, stablecoins are backed by a spread of property together with fiat currencies, cryptocurrencies, valuable metals, and algorithmic capabilities like UST whereas others like Tether (USDT) have gone forward to be backed by U.S. Treasury payments and non-U.S. authorities bonds.
The controversy round stablecoins and the shroud of mysteries round their backing have fuelled a number of gamers to assume out of the field to search out options.
To mitigate dangers, new stablecoins are adopting a hybrid method by being asset-backed and utilizing an algorithmic mannequin to take care of their peg.
Some stablecoins, like SperaxUSD, make the most of a mixture of endogenous and exogenous collateral to be a “natively yielding asset” and work by deploying exogenous collateral to a yield aggregator that airdrops accrued curiosity to holders of the stablecoin.
All the knowledge contained on our web site is printed in good religion and for basic info functions solely. Any motion the reader takes upon the knowledge discovered on our web site is strictly at their very own danger.


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Apple has unveiled its first new Macbook Pro laptop in a year and a half, with a number of changes and new features. The new laptop was announced at a press event Thursday morning in Cupertino, California. The new Macbook is thinner and lighter than any of its predecessors, and it comes equipped with an OLED touchscreen built into the keyboard, as well as a fingerprint scanner.
It also includes two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports on both sides of the laptop, with a grand total of four. The USB-C ports, smaller than USB-A, were first unveiled on Apple’s 2015 MacBook. The new MacBook, unlike last year’s model, does not include any USB-A ports at all. USB-A ports are still considered the industry standard throughout the world, and Apple still uses them for their iPhone’s Lightning Cable.
The new MacBook also forgoes the SD card reader, HDMI port, and two Thunderbolt ports that functioned also as mini DisplayPorts on last year’s MacBook model. These functions, as well as the still ubiquitous USB-A plugs will need adapters to work with the new MacBook. The new USB-C ports also replace the MagSafe power adapter on older models. Unlike the most recent iPod model, however, the new MacBook does include a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The OLED touchscreen included above the standard keyboard replaces the multi-function “F” keys, providing shortcuts for volume control, window management, and allowing the use of emojis in text.
Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, explained, “It’s a retina display, multitouch, responding to gestures and taps. We call it Touch Bar. First it replaces the standard system functions, but it goes way beyond that. It adapts to whatever software you’re using.”
The Touch Bar will also be used for navigation within browsers, photo manipulation, and text suggestions. The strip also includes the new Touch ID fingerprint scanner on the power button, similar to the setup of the new iPad and iPhone. Fingerprint scanning can be used to unlock the computer and to confirm payments.
The laptop’s new Force Touch trackpad is twice as large as in the last model.
The new MacBook will be available in a 13-inch version and a 15-inch version. The 13-inch model can be equipped with the dual-core versions of either the Intel i5 or i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB storage and Intel’s Iris 550 integrated graphics chip.
The more powerful 15-inch model includes Intel’s quad-core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.


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Self-confessed alternative blogger Nicholas Cox takes a swipe at the US
The motivation behind US moves to shift HFCs from the Kyoto Protocol into the Montreal Protocol is now becoming clearer.
“We do not agree that HFCs should remain in the Kyoto basket and be subject to a full carbon price,” said Mack McFarland, chief atmospheric scientist of Dupont. “We believe that HFCs should be treated separately from other gases.
“Because they can be found in cars, refrigerators and air-conditioners, they cannot be controlled at the point of emissions when they eventually escape into the atmosphere from hundreds of millions of pieces of discarded equipment.” (Did he really mean to say that – isn’t this rather “off-message” as far as F-Gas Works is concerned?)
McFarland is also concerned that subjecting HFCs to a carbon price would have a sudden and shocking impact on consumers. For example, at a price of $25 a ton for CO2, the HFC R410a would have a value of $50,000 a ton – or $50 a kilogram – because its GWP is more than 2,000 times greater than CO2.
That would mean that the three kilograms of refrigerant in a typical air conditioner would suddenly add $150 in additional carbon charges alone, which by the time it worked its way up the value chain could add hundreds of dollars to the price charged to consumers.
So it seems that the motivation is to protect US industry rather than the environment. Even so, the finalised US climate bill might actually work! The original version allowed for total emissions of up to 5.9 billion tonnes CO2 between 2013.


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Auto industry seeks tax relief at retail stage
He called as unjustified the 30% regulatory duty on products that were not being produced in the country. Some of them that were being manufactured in the country were not of good quality that the auto industry needed.
“The auto parts’ making industry is on the verge of collapse due to the regulatory duty imposed for three fiscal years,” said Khan.
The duty was slapped at a time when the government believed that international steel prices would continue to remain low. But now, he said, international prices had been on a constant rise, making it even more difficult to bear the burden of regulatory duty.
“Many industrial units are nearing closure and up to 200,000 employees are on the verge of losing their jobs. Pakistan’s exports have dropped only because we have become 30% more expensive than our competitors due to this duty,” he added.
As per the new five-year auto policy, which was announced on March 21, 2016 with a comprehensive tariff structure, he said, it was unjustified to modify its approved tariff structure through the levy of regulatory duty and additional customs duty on raw materials that were not manufactured locally.
China to build automobile city in Gwadar
The auto parts’ manufacturers requested the government that imports of raw materials should be exempted from the regulatory duty as similar exemptions had also been granted to other sectors.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 9th, 2017.
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Two businesses have teamed up to offer a special Christmas treat to one worthy person.
Maples of Stamford and Barnack-based Cutting Edge Interiors have launched an appeal to find a “Christmas cracker”.
They have a £200 package of treatments and soft furnishings to give away to a person who has gone out of their way to help their community.
Maples owner Karen Benson said: “We are keen to celebrate a local hero in our midst. Someone who has done something amazing either for another person or for the local community.”
Nominations are open until Friday, December 20, and can be submitted on the Maples of Stamford Facebook page. Forms can also be picked up at Maples, Cutting Edge Interiors or Stamford Arts Centre. Karen is pictured with Cutting Edge Interiors owner Kate Cadman. Photo: MSMP111213-004ow


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There is a glut of investment in the retail business of Reliance Industries. In the last few days, many big companies have announced investment globally. Some companies have even handed over the investment amount to Reliance Industries. Under this, the global investment firm KKR has also given Rs 5,550 crore. Reliance Industries told the stock market that Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd has received Rs 5,550 crore from Elysium Asia Holdings (a unit of KKR) and in return KKR has been allotted 81,348,479 equity shares.
Second investment in a subsidiary
KKR has another investment in a subsidiary of Reliance Industries. Earlier this year, he invested Rs 11,367 crore in the Jio platform. Let us tell you that on 23 September Reliance Industries announced that KKR will invest 1.28 percent equity stake in its subsidiary Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL).
Queue for investment: In the
last few days, queues have been started to invest in the retail business of Reliance Industries. Reliance Retail has raised a total of Rs 37,710 crore so far. The investment includes Silver Lake, KKR, General Atlantic, Mubadla, GIC and TPG companies. Let us tell you that Reliance Retail operates 12,000 stores across the country. After raising funds for Jio platforms, Mukesh Ambani’s emphasis is on retail business.
How much investment to which company
KKR, apart from the legendary tech investor company Silver Lake, also announced to invest Rs 7500 crore in Reliance Retail. Recently, it announced an additional investment of Rs 1,875 crore in Reliance Retail. In this way, Silver Lake will invest a total of Rs 9,375 crore in Reliance Retail and in return it will get 2.13 percent stake.
On the other hand, equity firm General Atlantic had announced to buy 0.84 per cent stake in the company for Rs 3,675 crore. Abu Dhabi’s Mubadla Investment Company will invest Rs 6247.5 crore in RRVL for 1.40 per cent equity. At the same time, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC has announced an investment of Rs 5512.5 crore and in return it will get 1.22% stake in RRVL. Global investment firm TPG will invest Rs 1838.7 crore and in return the company will get 0.41 per cent stake in RRVL.


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Why do people love Ancient Grains?
BBC News has recently published “Why do Americans love Ancient Grains?”, an article on the sudden rise to fame of whole grains such as amaranth, barley, bulgur, buckwheat, kamut, millet, spelt, teff and quinoa. The author argues that both their nutritional reputation as “superfoods” and their dichotomous position towards modern, processed cereal and grains make for a perfect storm that has “sales of kamut [rising to] 686% in the year from July 2013, while sales of spelt rose by 363% and amaranth by 123%”, according to calculations from the American non-profit association, Whole Grains Council.
They are seen as more healthy, more natural and better for us, providing more vitamins, minerals, fibre and protein than modern wheat – partly because they are rarely eaten in processed form.
Most of the recent hype for these grains also comes from the mystery surrounding them, the article argues. “People might be more interested in trying these grains because of their place of origin, history and the culture,” says Vandana Sheth, nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Staying close behind, mainstream and big names in the processed food industry have taken advantage of the spotlight, incorporating Ancient Grains to well-known products. General Mills is no exception, as they are bringing in spelt, quinoa and kamut into a new version of Cheerio’s. Although there might not be such a thing as ‘bad press’, beware- even though the cereal promotes a healthy lifestyle and diet, sugar content will be almost 5 times higher than with the original Cheerio’s recipe according to the article.
To view the complete article (in PDF format), click here.
Image source: BBC News


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John Galliano label opens a new chapter in its history
John Galliano is undergoing some big changes. Following four years of silencestarting with the March 2011 expulsion of its founder, designer John Galliano, and the October 2013 bankruptcy of Italian company Ittierre, which produced its collections under license, the ready-to-wear brand, which is designed by Bill Gaytten, the former assistant to John Galliano, and which is owned by Christian Dior Couture (LVMH), is returning to the spotlight with a new image and strategy.
"This turbulent period has led us to rethink the brand’s entire strategy and to start fresh, changing up our teams in order to bring in some new energy," said managing director Dominique de Longevialle. Frank Durand, who has worked for the likes of Balmain, Mugler and Isabel Marant, has been called upon to redefine John Galliano’s visual identity.
The artistic director has redesigned the logo, shedding its gothic side, while adopting "a style that is both refined and raw". The packaging has also been altered, now employing craft paper and the label in golden letters. As for its advertising campaign, which will air late 2015, it will be set in the streets of London, evoking John Galliano’s beginnings. "The campaign puts the brand back in its original element, while eschewing its negative period," said the CEO.
As for collections, exit the secondary line and the primary line’s hyper luxury positioning. From now on, John Galliano will be composed of a single expanded collection, consisting of two core elements. Its "show collection" will rely on the house’s Parisian atelier, featuring more sophisticated women’s pieces, such as embroidered evening dresses going for as much as 2,000 euros that will be shown during fashion week.
The other part of the collection, for men and women, will have a premium contemporary positioning and thus will be more accessible in terms of prices: between 300 and 1,000 euros for the range’s core. It will also be more wearable. John Galliano’s new line will be produced and distributed under license by Italian company Studio Roscini, which has recently been renamed Modalis. The manufacturer is located in Umbria, near Assisi Spello, and works for labels such as Celine, Jason Wu, Proenza Schouler, etc.
"We’ve worked a lot with the archives. We focused on London and John Galliano’s design from the 90s. We borrowed a lot of very strong elements while also bringing them in a contemporary context. The brand celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2014. Bill Gaytten has worked for over 20 years with John Galliano. The result is very interesting and the new project is being rather well received - with a great degree of interest," said the brand’s boss.
The spring/summer 2016 collection will be unveiled during Paris Men’s Fashion Week on June 25 in a gallery on rue du Perche (3rd arrondissement), while John Galliano's women's show will be held, as usual, in Paris in October. "In recent years, we’ve continued to show our women’s collection and to communicate about the brand, including maintaining a press office in China," said Dominique de Longevialle.
John Galliano’s distribution will gradually be developed through the multibrand channel with the goal of "recuperating its place in department stores", and through monobrand stores sometime between 2016-17.
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If you are looking for a job, losing your unemployment benefits, or interested in making a job change, plan to attend the first Stevens County Job Fair right here in Morris. The job fair will be held at Old #1 Southside, 412 S. Atlantic Ave, from 2 - 7 p.m. The public is invited to browse through the fair and visit with one of the eight vendors looking to hire … [Read more...] about Stevens County Job Fair August 4
RoseMary Karpinsky, age 91, of Graceville, MN, passed away on Tuesday, July 20, 2021, at Essentia Health – Grace Home.A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, July 24, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Graceville. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Chokio. RoseMary Teresa Karpinsky … [Read more...] about RoseMary Karpinsky
Taking some time out to go and search for coupons and code isn’t always possible, especially when you are ordering things in a hurry. Which often leads to one missing out on some major saving deals. However, to deal with the same, Google chrome has volunteered a serious initiative through enabling a ton of online shopping friendly extensions or add ons which will help you … [Read more...] about 7 free chrome extensions that can help you save big
Whether you’re in the market for a new or used car, the key to getting a good deal is negotiation. While it may seem like a hassle at first, if you follow some simple steps and negotiate with the car dealership properly, you might get some huge discounts with your next car purchase. With plenty of new and used cars on the market, there are a lot of models and options … [Read more...] about 5 tips on how to negotiate with car dealerships
The automobile market currently is being dominated by SUVs and SUVs come in shapes and sizes and at almost every price point. The whole SUV frenzy has got automakers who never ever sold SUVs to build SUVs and there are brands like Ford who have plans to stop making cars and just build SUVs. Now, amidst all the craze for SUVs and crossovers, we need to stop for a second and take … [Read more...] about What makes pickup trucks better than SUVs?


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Progressive Insurance has partnered with Electronic Arts Inc., in a collaboration that will add sparkly unicorns to The Sims Social™ in order to make a branded quest available to the millions of individuals who play the social game.
This is the first time that The Sims Social has included a branded quest into the game, but it will not be changing the gameplay itself.
According to the media manager from Progressive, Chris Scott, “We wanted to make a quest that was fun and rewarding, but didn’t jeopardize the integrity of the experience for the user.” He went on to say that this quest will work the same way as the other ones that are already a part of the game, only this one will be different because its instructions will be provided by Flo, the character from the Progressive ads.
The Electronic Arts senior vice president of media solutions, Dave Madden, explained that The Sims Social on Facebook gives the insurer the ideal platform for connecting with an audience that is already highly engaged. He went on to say that by bringing a uniquely branded quest into The Sims Social, it is able to provide players with content that is relevant to them and that still manages to enhance their gameplay.
The branded quest works like the others in the game, where they are given a number of tasks to complete. The reward for finishing the quest will be a sparkly unicorn in a Progressive theme. To further encourage players to complete this quest, when they display their unicorn within their home, they will be able to receive daily benefits for a designated length of time.
For more on mobile commerce trends.


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In 2011 Volvo posted its largest year-on-year increase in truck sales for the North American market. The market saw an impressive sales volume increase of 75%.
Since then the company has struggled to compete in a tough economic environment and even though 2012 saw the overall truck market in North America rise 52%, Volvo, owned by Geely, China saw sales drop by 6%. The company recorded double digit drops in China and Sweden and predicted a tough 2013.
At the same time, there is a boardroom fight going on between Chief Executive Stefan Jacoby and Vice Chairman Hans-Olov Olsson that often gets bitterly personal.
In Malaysia the company has faired better with 2012 sales up an impressive 42% from 2011. I haven’t seen any advertising campaigns for Volvo trucks in Malaysia but the latest commercial has gone viral and will no doubt get some coverage here.
The commercial features Jean Claude Van Damme doing the splits between two Volvo trucks driving backwards into the sunset to an Enya tune. It’s an impressive stunt and JC is in excellent shape but will the commercial make a difference to Volvo truck sales?
Will this impressively produced commercial get potential customers to review their purchasing options? Will it get logistics companies to revise their transportation tenders to include the line, “All vehicles must come with the equivalent of Volvo’s Dynamic Steering System”?
Surely such a unique and impressive bit of technology needs to be experienced by a potential driver/buyer first hand?
Of course I don’t know the full extent of the Volvo truck brand strategy going forward but to me, whilst the exploits of JC are impressive I find them a distraction, damaging the attempts by Volvo to draw my attention to a cool bit of kit. Do you agree or am I just an old cynic?
7 thoughts on “Volvo truck commercial goes viral, but will it help build the brand?”
I enjoy your posts and posers and just thought to link you up here with this bit of background on the Volvo ad, if you haven’t already seen it –
In particular, this bit –
When Volvo began planning the launch of five new trucks 12 months ago, the creative team adopted a strategy of producing YouTube films that would create attention, and inform and entertain audiences, Vilhelmsson (Anders Vilhelmsson, public relations manager for the Volvo Trucks brand) said. That would pave the way for future advertising and sales campaigns in local markets.
With the Van Damme video, Volvo wanted to illustrate the new dynamic steering model in a spectacular way, and reach beyond traditional markets. “We need to target not only truck drivers, but future truck drivers. Young people who are facing a choice of a future career,” he said.
“We know the media landscape is changing,” he said. “We have different media consumption habits today than a couple years ago. So that is why we invest in this cost-efficient way of reaching out to millions of people online.”
Curious if you have any additional comment…
Many thanks for your time.
Cheers! Sent from a mobile device
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Funnily enough, I do have something to add!
1) Will anyone remember this ad in 3 months? Do you remember the ballerina ad mentioned in the article you linked to? How else could the money have been spent to engage prospective markets? Just because 30 million people see the ad doesn’t mean it is successful.
2) The focus of the article seems to be on Van Damme and his gymnastic ability, stunt and the one take, the director, the safety features of the stunt and so on and only 1 para on the technology which actually isn’t that new.
3) How many truck drivers buy their own trucks compared to those bought by companies? Is a mass economy approach to marketing in the social economy the right way forward for a struggling brand?
4) As for targetting future truck drivers, I think you’ll need to work harder than this to remain relevant.
5) You mention the new economy and reaching out to millions of people online but why are they doing that? In the new economy, you don’t have to reach out to millions of people in the hope that your message will stick with enough of them so that some will buy. And anyway, this is truck sales not detergent sales.
6) Volvo sells 200,000 trucks annually wordwide. It is not a volume business.
Sorry, I meant to add to number 6 that as it is not a volume business, it shouldn’t be using a volume marketing model.
Volvo Cars is owned by Geely.
Volvo Trucks is owned by Volvo AB, Sweden
Nice catch, thanks Charlie.
Wonderful, what a blog it is! This web site gives valuable data to us, keep it up.


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Confirmed: Skoda is bringing its electrified Superb to NZ
In a two-pronged announcement of sorts, Skoda’s local arm has confirmed that it’s launching its iV sub-brand for electrified vehicles — and that the label will debut next month with the arrival of its plug-in hybrid Superb iV.
“Electromobility is a key pillar of Skoda’s ‘GreenFuture’ sustainability strategy and part of the Skoda DNA,” says the brand. “By as early as 2025, up to 25 per cent of all Skoda vehicles delivered worldwide are to be electrified and the CO2 emissions of the entire fleet are set to be reduced by 30 per cent compared to 2015.”
There are more iV models already confirmed, too. Along with the Superb, Skoda is also bringing along the plug-in Octavia iV. Today’s announcement also reiterated the brand’s earlier confirmation of the fully electric Enyak iV. The latter models will arrive in 2022 and 2023.
The Superb iV looks more or less identical to the standard internal combustion versions, with its plug neatly tucked underneath its grille. It will be offered in sedan and wagon variants. Each bodystyle gets two trims to pick from; the base Style and flagship Sportline.
The sedan Style kicks off the range at $72,990, with the wagon Style, sedan Sportline, and wagon Sportline following at $75,990, $76,990, and $79,990, respectively.
Each variant comes with the same 160kW turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder hybrid powertrain. Skoda claims a 0–100km/h time of 7.7 seconds and a top speed of 224km/h. But naturally, it’s economy and green credentials that are the important factors here — not so much performance.
In this vein, Skoda claims the Superb iV can travel a rather competitive 62km on electric power alone when fully charged, thanks to a 13kWh lithium-ion battery (mounted in the floor just in front of the rear axle). Those using a conventional home plug can charge the battery in between five and seven hours.
The question now is if (or when) these cars will join the New Zealand Police’s vehicle fleet. The organisation kicked off its transition from Holdens to Skoda Superb wagons back in April, with the full roll-out expected to take multiple years.


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Google is Apple competitor in many ways, that is undeniable, especially from the software point of view, since the most popular mobile operating system on the market is Android, Apple’s initial rival in this area. Yesterday was one of the most important conferences of Google I/O, the equivalent of Apple’s WWDC.
Above all we pay attention to this interesting event because it does not focus solely on Android or Google in general, as you know, the North American company has software present on all platforms, and both macOS and iOS could not be less. Your applications for the competitor platforms have also been properly updated, renewed or improved, and that is precisely what we do not want you to miss. Let’s go then with what has given Google I/O 2017, and if you get lost, take advantage of ours.
We started with a clear rival of Apple Pictures, and is that Google Photos has offered a series of features that almost nobody has wanted to let go, so we have to pay attention to the news that arrived yesterday. They have focused on three fundamental pillars: Suggestions for sharing; Shared libraries; Photo albums. It is quite obvious that Google Photos wants to emphasize its more social aspect. They have also informed that Google Photos has no less than 500 million monthly active users, who are responsible for uploading 1.2 billion photos a day, it is quite clear that Google Photos is a success.
Suggested Sharing will suggest who we can share our photos based on who appears in them, quality facial recognition with Google, however, this face tagging feature will not be present in all countries. In the meantime Shared Libraries will allow you to share all our photos or those of a folder with the users that we want as already done in Google Drive for example. We finish with Photo Books, this last feature of Google Photos will allow us to create photo albums printed directly from Google Photos for around 10 euros, that is, currently only available in the United States of America.
No doubt virtual assistants for the home have come to stay, Amazon is being the first and the most expert in this area, but Google does not want to be left behind, especially when it has a fairly effective assistant like Google Home, although Does not seem to have become the expected success. That is why Google want to hit the next push to this type of devices, and nothing easier than adding new features that give it a new meaning, or at least something more useful. In fact, they have brought a new feature that we did not know how it was not present before.
If the Amazon Echo Show wants to center its usefulness in the calls, Google Home does the same presenting a new hands-free system that will not require any configuration, will allow us to make calls through our personal number at no cost. However, this function has now been limited to making calls, not necessarily through our line, that is, will make calls from hidden number, that is, taking advantage of our own agenda.
Google has also made Google Home compatible with almost all online music systems on the market: Spotify, SoundCloud, Deezer, YouTube Music, Google Play Music, Pandora and TuneIN, iHeartRADIO, no trace of Apple Music … by chance? We do not think it is, the Cupertino company is close to presenting its own virtual assistant at home next week. Likewise, this Google Home has learned to receive the most basic notifications and play YouTube content on the TV.
Indeed, the popular Google assistant, not exempt from controversy due to translations or typecasting, finally reaches the phone company of the apple, in short, we will finally have another application with virtual assistants that unfortunately We are going to use. The reality is that Siri is perfectly integrated in the system and with the applications, and still does not enjoy the use that is expected of it. The same or more serious can happen now with an application that will require its use and whose integration in the operating system is going to be tiny.
Google Assistant will integrate with the services of Spotify, Uber, Netflix, YouTube … effectively, but outside of iOS, on Android if you can squeeze, but in iOS your presence is going to be merely testimonial. After Google Now, Alexa and Cortana will be the new virtual assistant fiasco on iOS.
One of the highlights of all this event has been Android Go. It is a light version of the operating system of the green robot, which is intended for all those smartphones with less than 1 GB of RAM.
What this new lite version of Android is all about. Android Go will be based on the latest version of Android from which they are developing now, Android O. This ensures all the improvements that integrate the version that is currently, even if this is a reduced version.
Pre-installed applications that use fewer resources
This version will not arrive totally empty, on the contrary, it will bring applications pre-installed totally adapted to the resources of the terminal. An example that has been shown in the presentation is YouTube Go, an app that will give us the possibility to download the videos via WiFi to watch later.
Another highlight of this new version of Android is the Google Play Store. The app store will also target light applications, that is, if we want to download Skype, the store will show in the results the lite version of that app first.


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Dreamfall Chapters, the follow-up to Funcom-developed adventure game Dreamfall: The Longest Journey, will use crowdfunding website Kickstarter to help in its development, series creator and Red Thread Games' studio head Ragnar Tornquist told Rock, Paper, Shotgun.
According to Tornquist the games studio received a funding grant from the Norwegian Film Institute to help with the game's pre-production; However, the studio still plans to receive additional funding using crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.
"We will be doing a Kickstarter," he said. "Not right now, but we will be doing it in the near future... In order to fully develop Dreamfall Chapters we're going to need more money and we will be going to Kickstarter."
Rights to the Dreamfall universe were licensed from Funcom, the Norwegian studio that developed the series' two previous titles. Tornquist will remain on board Funcom in an advisory role as creative director of the studio's recently released MMORPG The Secret World.
Both Dreamfall Chapters and the new Red Thread Games studio were announced yesterday by Funcom.


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Telecoms analyst Paul Budde believes government must shoulder the blame for the underperformance of the nbn, despite the insistence on nbn co and RSPs blaming each other.
Proposed telecoms reforms would provide NZ regulators with more powers to improve quality of service and deregulate copper lines within the UFB fibre footprint.
The South Australian government has launched a network providing gigabit-speed fibre broadband services to key innovation precincts across Adelaide.
The digital divide between higher and lower income Australian households is growing due to falling affordability, but the gap between Indigenous and remote Australians and urban Australians is slowly narrowing.
As nbn co and retail service providers pass the buck over the slow speeds of some nbn connections, ACMA has launched a review into the customer experience of a migration to the network.
Vodafone will offer its new Wi-Fi Hub modem, capable of providing both fixed and mobile broadband for free mobile data services, to customers waiting for a Vodafone nbn service.
The Black Box Gigabit Ethernet PoE+ single-mode media converter connects with fibre and provides power to remote PoE devices.
Ongoing cloud and wireless last-metre substitution triggered a strong 21% decline in the Australian wired Ethernet switch market during the first quarter, IDC estimates.
B+B SmartWorx has announced a partnership with Reekoh to boost its IoT-focused integration and interoperability capabilities.
Optus has announced what it says is one of the largest investments in regional mobile infrastructure in Australia's history, with plans to spend $1bn by June next year to build 500 new mobile sites.
The nbn's fixed wireless rollout is continuing at a fast pace, with an extra 45 towers due to have been deployed across June and July, while retail nbn satellite providers have agreed to raise allocations at little extra cost.
Network infrastructure for the XXI Commonwealth Games will be supplied by Cisco Australia.
NordVPN says it will do all it can to continue providing access to VPNs for China's users, following reports that a ban will take effect next February.
Former nbn co CTO Gary McLaren has accused the company's current CEO, Bill Morrow, of falsely claiming that it has only recently decided to use its second satellite as anything other than a backup for the first.
Consumer rights advocate CHOICE wants everyday Australians to join a national monitoring program to "keep internet service providers on the nbn honest".


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With a stand space of more than 200 sq metres Jebal had a huge line up of products on display at this years at Gulfoods, the show was a huge success for Jebal and its partners with many new business opportunities and firm partnerships created.
Suhool successfully launches Delphinus Sea Food Trading at Seafex 2014 Dubai World Trade Centre.
Delphinus partners are essentially based in France, Morocco, Senegal, Sultanate of Oman and Yemen.
Beldy fruits and vegetables now opens its doors at The Market Mushriff Mall Abu Dhabi. We only sell the highest quality and the finest selection of Moroccan fresh produce.
Jebal Al Atlas now launches Beldy Butchery at The Market Mushriff Mall Abu Abu Dhabi come visit us at shop MM 18 and bedazzled by our range of fresh red meat from Morocco and savour the taste of our marinations...


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Year after year century-old iconic Australian paint manufacturer DuluxGroup Limited (ASX: DLX) delivers the goods for its shareholders – steadily notching up its sales, revenue, NPAT and franked dividends in a slow but reliable manner.
While you couldn’t call the company (which sells adhesives, garden care and other building products internationally) a huge out-performer it is certainly reliable much like its paint products.
In fact the company has managed to successfully market to a loyal cross-section of residential, commercial and infrastructure customers for decades.
Dulux has markets for its products across Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, China and South East Asia & has even diversified its offerings into garage doors and openers, cabinet hardware, and architectural materials.
Shares in Dulux opened up today at $7.70, with its 10-year share price chart revealing there have been very few hiccups or slumps in price in that time – with a modest rise of 18.6% from where it sat at $6.49 this time last year.
Dulux has a solid lump of debt, to the tune of about $400 million, with a fairly high PE ratio of around 20, and a fully-franked dividend of 3.47%, grossed up to nearly 5%.
Analysts can’t dispute the company’s performance, despite arguing that the share price is too high, but the figures continue to tick over in a conservative way each year – it’s a bit like watching paint dry.
Analysts are likely spooked by Dulux’s propensity to trade at about 20 times its earnings, when most other defensive stocks would trade less than that.
Mid last year CLSA put a price target of $8 on the stock, as the 100-year-old quiet achiever entered “market darling” territory, and Dulux did peak at $8.24 in late November 2017, but it didn’t stay there for long.
Dulux’s share price high of $8.24 coincided with its full-year results report in November 2017 – which revealed an NPAT rise of close to 10%, up 9.6% to $142.9 million, a sales revenue rise of 4% to $1.78 billion and EBIT also up 6.5% to $214.2 million.
All eyes will be on Dulux as it hands down its interim report on May 16, but the usual, reliable, single-digit figure rises are expected.
There’s always the risk that company’s like Dulux could lose momentum if housing construction slows or other market factors give it a knock, but it’s hardly going to go broke and it’s difficult not to like the way the company continues to grow in a steady and consistent manner.
It looks like a safe bet to me, a little bit less debt would be nice, but shares in Dulux have risen at a rate better than bank account interest is going to yield for your dollars, with a tripling share price in the last 8 years.
For many, blue chip stocks mean stability, profitability and regular dividends, often fully franked..
But knowing which blue chips to buy, and when, can be fraught with danger.
The Motley Fool’s in-house analyst team has poured over thousands of hours worth of proprietary research to bring you the names of "The Motley Fool’s Top 3 Blue Chip Stocks for 2018."
Each one pays a fully franked dividend. Each one has not only grown its profits, but has also grown its dividend. One increased it by a whopping 33%, while another trades on a grossed up (fully franked) dividend yield of almost 7%.
The names of these Top 3 ASX Blue Chips are included in this specially prepared free report. But you will have to hurry. Depending on demand – and how quickly the share prices of these companies moves – we may be forced to remove this report.
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Motley Fool contributor Carin Pickworth has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.


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DENVER—Immigration reform advocates and business owners are hoping “buy-cotts” across the state will prompt support for comprehensive immigration reform.
Nearly 400 businesses signed up for a campaign that will begin on Sunday as a reverse boycott of sorts. During that time, consumers are being urged to spend at businesses that display posters advertising their support for immigration reform with a path to citizenship.
The Denver Post reports ( http://tinyurl.com/p8qox7e) rallies for the “buy-cott” were held Monday in Grand Junction, Denver, Pueblo and Glenwood Springs.
Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com


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AMD has formally released its new Phenom II X4 Black Edition chip. Clocked at 3.2GHz, AMD is once again aiming to undercut Intel on price with its $245 price point and hoping to target enthusiasts who like to tweak.
The new chip goes up against the $270 Core 2 Quad 2.83GHz and the $289 Core i7920 2.66 Ghz.
With an unlocked multiplier, overclockability is the real story of this chip, with some reports citing early overclocking attempts that have hit the 6.7GHz barrier. But there are also other suggestions across the web that it's possible to get the 45nm chip to 7GHz. At CES in January, AMD demonstrated its previous flagship X4 940 at 6.5 GHz.
With a total cache of 8MB (2MB of L2 and 6MB of shared L3), the new processor is designed for AM3 motherboards and DDR3 memory, but it's backwards compatible with AM2+ and DDR2.
AMD has also released its OverDrive 3.0 software which enables you to fiddle with speed and voltages across your processor, memory and HyperTransport.
AMD also announced the $225 Phenom II X4 945 (clocked at 3.0 GHz like the Phenom II X4 940). Once again there's AM3 and DDR3 support.


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Join us as we highlight a second group of spectacular SuperVolunteers!
Mark your calendar for July 22, 2020 at 12:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time!
Welcome to the first entry of our SuperVolunteer series!
Tune in to the newest blog episode now!
The Comic-Con@Home 2020 Programming Schedule will be revealed starting tomorrow, Wednesday, July 8! Here's all the info you need to know to access our online panels ... over 350 of them! Tune in Wednesday through Sunday for the big schedule reveal!
Get ready for Comic-Con@Home 2020 with our list of Exhibitors and the Exhibit Hall Map!
These newly added items won't be available for very long!
Sneak a peek at this year's Comic-Con Souvenir Book, including artist William Stout's cover featuring Ray Bradbury! The book will premiere as a FREE downloadable PDF on Wednesday, July 22.
Free parking. Comfy chairs. No lines. Pets welcome. And ... badges for everyone! Comic-Con@Home is coming, July 22-26!
Another round of exciting Comic-Con Museum merch news, including our first ever pet bandana!
We've dipped into our archives to bring back some fan favorites!
Moving closer to spring, we start off this new March week with both the return of Daylight Savings Time (YAY!) and six more special guests for Comic-Con 2020, July 23–26 at the San Diego Convention Center.
Coming into March like a lion with six more great special guests for Comic-Con 2020, July 23–26 at the San Diego Convention Center!
Happy Monday ... or at least maybe it will be a happier Monday once you see our next group of six special guests for Comic-Con 2020, July 23–26 at the San Diego Convention Center!
Our second special guests announcement for Comic-Con 2020 doubles the number of confirmed guests for this year's event, July 23–26 at the San Diego Convention Center!
July seems far, far away, but it's never too early to start thinking about Comic-Con 2020! Here's the event's first round of special guests!
It's time ... Comic-Con's 2020 Souvenir Book returns to comics and pop culture anniversary celebrations! Find out this year's topics and how you can be a part of the big book!
Reserve your room today!
SAM: Storytelling Across Media is happening this Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Comic-Con Museum. If you missed out on reserving a seat for the panel discussions, don't worry: You can still come to this great free show and join in on the rest of the fun!
We continue the Comic-Con 50 celebration by offering a series of exclusive excerpts from the 2019 Souvenir Book!
Free tickets are still available for SAM: Storytelling Across Media at the Comic-Con Museum!
SAM, Comic-Con's one-day symposium on Storytelling Across Media, returns to the Comic-Con Museum on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 11:00 AM!
Eligible fans may log in to the Exclusives Portal to see if they’ve been selected to participate in an exciting exclusive this year!
Just a few more days left to place your submissions of interest, should you decide to accept it!
The online Exclusives Portal for Comic-Con 50 is bursting at the seams with juicy exclusives and we can’t wait to share them with you!


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Ethanol isn’t the only alcohol product produced in the state that’s seeing a boom right now. The Iowa Department of Tourism has released its latest directory to wineries and breweries in the state. LuAnn Reinders of the Iowa Wine & Beer Promotion Board says the directory has more pages this year, thanks to the exploding wine industry.
Reinders says there’s been a 35-percent increase in wineries since last year’s director. Reinders says the directory lists each winery and brewery, gives a little information about them, and a map on how to get to them. Reinders says the directory also lists some 150 events that are scheduled for the wineries and breweries.
Reinders says there’s been “phenomenal” interest as people relax and enjoy the beverages and add the events on to other things they’re doing. Reinders says the directories are free at any Iowa welcome center .
She says they also have a website, IowaWineandBeer.com , and they have the directory on-line. Reinders says this year’s directory features 57 wineries and breweries.


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Google on Friday said it will stop supporting Project Tango, its first augmented reality platform for developers, on March 1, 2018.
The company added that it is shifting its focuse on ARCore to build AR apps and games for Android devices.
Google tweeted the folllowing:
"We're turning down support for Tango on March 1, 2018. Thank you to our incredible community of developers who made such progress with Tango over the last three years. We look forward to continuing the journey with you on ARCore"
Project Tango was launched in 2014 to enable mobile devices to detect their position relative to their world around them without using GPS or other external signals. This allows developers to create user experiences that include indoor navigation, 3D mapping, physical space measurement, environmental recognition, AR and windows into a virtual world.
A developer phone and tablet were launched by Google to spur app development for 3D mobile sensing experiences. Lenovo also launched a Project Tango-based phone, including a sensor and camera on the rear of the device to track 3D motion.
On Friday, Google released the second developer preview of ARCore, adding functionality that lets AR apps pause and resume AR sessions.
The new AR platform has been rolled out to Google Pixel and Samsung S8 which run on Android 7.0 Nougat and above.
Google is working with manufacturers like Samsung, Huawei, LG, ASUS and other major smartphone makers for quality and performance checks.
"ARCore", which works with 'Java/OpenGL', 'Unity' and 'Unreal' technologies focuses on three features -- motion tracking, environmental understanding and light estimation.
Apple recently unveiled its "ARKit" platform focusing on AR applications, to allow developers to build apps that could place virtual content on top of real-world scenes.


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Rachael Espinet (Newsday, June 23, 2021) writes that US actor/businessman Michael B Jordan has apologized for naming his new rum brand J’Ouvert and promised to rename the product, after allegations of Caribbean cultural appropriation. As BBC News also reports, the star’s J’Ouvert liquor “shares its name with a carnival which, while celebrating Caribbean culture, has ties to 19th century slavery. In an Instagram post explaining the history, Trinidadian-born rapper Nicki Minaj urged Jordan to rethink its use.” Espinet reports:
Late on Tuesday night, Jordan posted his apology on his Instagram stories.
He wrote: “I just wanna say on behalf of myself and my partners, our intention was never to offend or hurt a culture we love and respect and hoped to celebrate and shine a positive light on. The last few days has been a lot of listening, a lot of learning and engaging in countless community conversations.
“We hear you. I hear you and want to be clear that we are in the process of renaming. We sincerely apologise and look forward to introducing a brand we can all be proud of.”
The Black Panther actor made this apology amidst a backlash from people both in Trinidad and Tobago and in the diaspora criticising him of cultural appropriation.
On Sunday, Instagram posts revealed the launch of J’Ouvert rum with a big box set displaying the rum included a schematic of the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, a written reference to Trinidad, how to pronounce J’Ouvert and a description of it as a local celebration of Emancipation and Carnival.
The box set included two bottles of Angostura bitters, leading people to believe that the local company was somehow in a business relationship with J’Ouvert. On Tuesday an executive from Angostura announced that the company had nothing to do with J’Ouvert rum.
US-based rapper and TT native Nicki Minaj said on Instagram: “I’m sure MBJ didn’t intentionally do anything he thought Caribbean people would find offensive, but now that you are aware, change the name and continue to flourish and prosper.”
Cultural stakeholders expressed their opinion on J’Ouvert being used by an American to sell rum.
Wendell Manwarren, 3canal singer and J’Ouvert bandleader, called Jordan a mocking pretender for his ignorance in using the name.
Another point of contention was that on the trademark registration page there was a note saying J’Ouvert has no meaning in a foreign language. J’Ouvert activist Attillah Springer said this cold legal statement brought up a visceral rage in people because J’Ouvert was not simply a street party but a tradition born out of Emancipation through rioting by enslaved Africans.
The UK Guardian newspaper reported Jordan’s change of heart on Wednesday, quoting Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon from a Newsday story saying the intellectual property implications of the filing were “of extreme concern.” It also said an online petition to stop the trademark had already topped 12,000 signatures.
For original article, see https://newsday.co.tt/2021/06/23/jordan-says-sorry-agrees-to-rename-jouvert-rum
Also see https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/actor-michael-b-jordan-apologizes-j-ouvert-rum-will-change-n1272150, https://urbanislandz.com/2021/06/21/michael-b-jordan-launches-jouvert-rum-called-out-for-cultural-appropriation/, https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-57581240 and https://www.voice-online.co.uk/news/2021/06/23/michael-b-jordan-apologises-after-being-accused-of-cultural-appropriation-by-caribbean-community


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Zurich, March 30, 2015
CRIF finance event in Switzerland
This year's event, tailored specifically to credit managers and decision makers, provided an open forum to discuss key factors affecting the finance and credit industry, its development and how to strategize for the future. More than 70 representatives of major Swiss banks and financial organizations learned about the debt ratio of Swiss residents and how to benefit from CRIF’s predictive analytics directly from Manuel Zollikofer, CEO of CRIF AG, and Christian Maron, Head of Scoring and Analytics DACH Region of CRIF AG.
Special guests sharing their experiences included David Porcella from AXA Versicherungen and Uwe Behr from Accarda who, as customers, contributed with their views on CRIF solutions for insolvency and risk checks, respectively in underwriting and factoring processes. The keynote speaker Samy Liechti from Blacksocks concluded with a presentation on what aspects help build a brand and how to be successful in the market year after year.


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Singles’ Day is also known as 11.11 or double 11, however, in 2009, Alibaba established this day into the “11.11 Shopping Carnival”. After 12 years, “Double 11” was proved to be a greatest victory for all retailers, especially in southeaster Asia.
Alibaba kicked off its “Double 11”, the largest annual shopping festival on 21 October 2020, with a longer shopping window of 11 days. By November, the final GMV of 2020 Double 11 Global Shopping Festival is 498.2 billion yuan.
Prof. WU Xiaobo was interviewed by CGTN XU Mengqi
Prof. WU Xiaobo, Director of Faculty of Social Science at Zhejiang University, was invited by CGTN to witness and give remarks on this year’s shopping gala. Prof. WU stated that after COVID-19, China’s e-commerce has been developing even faster. “Internationalization is an irreversible trend. China plays an important role in giving the incentive to global economy,” said by Prof. WU, “China contributes to more than 30% of the global economy rising, leading and pushing the trend of online shopping forward.” This year, over 30,000 overseas brands participated in the event, using Alipay, Alibaba’s global online payment platform. Prof. WU also mentioned that new business models, such as food delivery model, has occurred based on the support of well-equipped digital infrastructure. He emphasized the significance of the technological innovation, like the cloud-based computing capability and the creativity in logistics system.