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Many of us have been working from home for so long due to the COVID-19 pandemic that we’re forgetting what office life was like — working from home is now just...working.
Despite office workers’ not-so-new normal, working from home has brought on a host of problems for workers, including poor work-life balance, burnout, and, for many Silicon Valley workers, job insecurity. According to a recent study by Blind, an anonymous professional network, 49% of workers feel vulnerable due to job uncertainty. Of the 2,800 workers surveyed, many are employed at companies like PayPal, Google, Intuit, Salesforce, LinkedIn, Apple, and Amazon.
PayPal employees felt especially vulnerable, with 66% reporting job uncertainty due to working from home. Apple, however, landed at the other end of the spectrum, with only 32% of employees reporting uncertainty.
It’s not just job uncertainty that worries employees — it’s financial instability. Although many of the employees surveyed work for companies that are seeing record growth, profits, and share prices, an average of 46% of workers feel financial instability due to working from home. 60% of LinkedIn employees felt this way, while 30% of Google employees and 26% of Facebook employees felt the same.
One Amazon employee who was surveyed posted on the site about being fearful that the next round of layoffs would include them. The employee noted that Amazon’s PIP (performance improvement plans) were a harmful part of the culture. According to a New York Times report, PIP is Amazon’s way of saying “you’re in danger of being fired.”
“I am currently traumatized of the mandatory PIP culture at Amazon (especially since I am on a visa),” the employee wrote. “I worked really really hard to get this far in life and I am immensely grateful, but I can't function at work due to fear.”
A Google employee noted that the constant risk of layoffs isn’t just harmful to employees — it hurts the company’s reputation, too. “I have heard that reputational damage is the biggest negative of layoffs like at Airbnb, Lyft, and Uber so that when a company rebounds it will struggle to win top talent again,” the employee wrote.
Other surveys conducted on Blind’s site reveal other signs of dissatisfaction among Silicon Valley employees. Back in February, a survey found that 61% of workers felt burned out. That number has since grown to 68%, or just over 2 out of 3 workers. While the number was high before the pandemic set in, work from home fatigue led to increased rates of burnout.
Workers may not have to face the dreaded Bay Area commute any longer, but other stressors like Zoom fatigue and longer hours have pushed some workers over the edge into burnout territory. Coupled with the fear of mass layoffs, it’s no wonder that big tech’s gargantuan profits aren’t translating into employee satisfaction.


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Missouri State University’s downtown business incubator received $100,000 in state tax credits.
The Missouri Department of Economic Development announced in a news release it awarded credits to the Efactory and six other business incubators across the state.
“Building a strong network for startups and small businesses is essential to economic development,” DED Director Rob Dixon said in the release. “We’re proud to support so many incubators through this program and appreciate all the work they do to drive entrepreneurship in Missouri.”
Through the state’s Small Business Incubator program, organizations may use the proceeds for working capital and other nonoperating capital supporting the creation of businesses.
The other incubators approved for credits are:
• Center for Emerging Technologies (St. Louis) $95,000;
• MU Life Science Business Incubator (Columbia) $85,162;
• Joseph Newman Business and Technology Innovation Center (Joplin) $65,074;
• Ozarks Small Business Incubator (West Plains) $55,264;
• St. Louis Fashion Fund (St. Louis) $50,000; and
• IT Entrepreneur Network (St. Louis) $49,500.
Through the Small Business Incubator program, private donors contribute to organizations in exchange for tax benefits, according to DED.Mo.gov.
Earlier this year, the Efactory received a $350,000 Missouri Building Entrepreneurial Capacity grant through the Missouri Technology Corp. Officials expect the MTC funding to result in $40 million in new local research and capital investment funding, 900 new jobs and 100 new investment-grade startups, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.
Fishing retail shop Modern Outdoor Tackle moved; Healthy Spot LLC opened; and Springfield law firm Strong, Garner & Bauer PC changed names and moved its office.

domain: news


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As Verizon boosts the speeds for its Fios fiber-to-the-home service, mostly available in cities, AT&T is working on faster connections for rural customers.
When ransomware turns your most important files into encrypted gibberish, and paying big bucks to get those files back is your only choice, you're in big trouble. One of these top-performing utilities is you best bet to stay safe.
Using Google's Jump technology, the 17-camera rig can stitch together high-quality 360-degree videos for viewing with virtual reality headsets or on the web.
The amazing image, captured by NASA's Cassini spacecraft on April 12, shows Earth as a small speck of light in between the icy rings of Saturn.
Durability tests from Square Trade show that the S8 and S8+ will crack, but they'll also survive an immersion for 30 minutes with no significant damage.
The online retail giant has reportedly formed a team that's exploring how the company might be able to take advantage of driverless-vehicle technology.
The CleverLoop security system lets you to use up to four cameras to monitor the inside and outside of your home. It's easy to install, delivers sharp HD video, and offers multiple video storage options, but it doesn't work with other smart home devices.
We've now got a submersible called Boaty McBoatface and a type of light called Steve. Whatever next!?
Sling's production box wirelessly coordinates different video sources, letting you control streams and recordings with your tablet. But it's not cheap.
Uber was also reportedly almost kicked out of Apple's App Store in 2015 for violating the iPhone maker's privacy guidelines, the New York Times reports.
GoDaddy's new website builder is easy to use and delivers good-looking mobile and desktop sites, but it's limited in design and layout customization and lacks some standard site-building features.
If Apple tackles this area, its solution needs to be affordable, non-invasive, and accurate.
It's tricky to produce a biopic of a globally renowned scientist, but Genius is worth checking out.
The resulting artificial voices do sound a little robotic, but are clearly identifiable as being the original speaker.
Its protective bumper and 2TB capacity will let you offload footage that your drone captures immediately after it lands.


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EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, UNITED KINGDOM, April 14, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — Erbo has been listed as a top Scottish app development company by the Scottish newspaper, The Scotsman. The recent nod from The Scotsman is just one of a number of recognitions, awards, and accreditation given to Erbo over the past few years.
The use of mobile has become the key device for many to navigate their daily lives with the average person in the UK checking their mobile every 12 minutes. The expectation is that any brand worth their time should have a high functioning, user-friendly app, and anything less will be left behind. Award-winning mobile app developer in Edinburgh Erbo are experts using cutting-edge technology to deliver apps to be proud of.
Edinburgh’s app developer Erbo counts with a team of experienced and friendly app experts who are passionate about mobile apps. The team are dedicated to working with individuals and businesses from idea through to publishing and maintaining the app. The thought of creating an app can feel very daunting for anyone who isn’t an expert but Erbo has curated an experience to make it as easy and straightforward as possible.
When developing a new app some of the most frequently asked questions are,
How much does it cost to hire a mobile app developer agency?
Expect to invest on average between £10,000 to £100,000. It really depends on the complexity of the app. *Average cost to develop an app in Scotland 2021
Why is making an app so expensive?
The easiest explanation is that apps are actually affordable; it’s the knowledge, engineering and design talent that’s expensive. If you look in the App Store, you’ll see over a million different apps. A big percentage were all built by amateur developers, and most of these apps will never earn a penny.
How difficult is it to make an app?
There’s no getting around it — building an app takes some serious technical training and a professional team behind it.
To answer this question, you first have to define what you consider as an “app”. Most apps are rubbish, and you will delete them straight away. It’s relatively easy to build another very basic app with outdated features, and broken or useless functionality.
Now, how hard is it to build a successful app that is a good investment? It’s extremely challenging, and very few have the ability to pull it off.
How long does it take to create an app?
Depends on the complexity of the app and it varies greatly, the general answer is on average 3 to 6 months.
Once the app has been developed and running to a high standard, the team at Erbo has a marketing service available. The marketing behind an app can make or break the success of it, so having a helpful guide can be invaluable. The team has experience with a variety of different channels including Google, email, and social media. It is estimated that using marketing through Erbo can reduce spend by 75% compared to traditional costs.
email us here


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There is a very strong rumour that Google is currently developing it’s own flagship devices to take on the iPhone and iPad, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. It seem at last Google is working with Motorola, the two companies are hard at work on a pair of devices rumoured codenamed “X Phone” and “X Tablet.” The devices, which are expected to début sometime next year, are said to be a new product line in direct response to Apple’s iDevices and Samsung’s Galaxy series.
The Wall Street Journal’s well-placed sources say that former Google product manager, Lior Ron, who specializes in mapping technologies, is heading up the project. While additional details are scarce, Google and Motorola are emphasizing photographic performance with the “X Phone” and are considering bendable displays and ceramic casing for the handset. The rumoured smartphone is allegedly the company’s highest priority, though a tablet device is expected shortly after.
We think it extremely unlikely we’ll learn more about these devices at CES next month, we wouldn’t be surprised to see them make an appearance at Google’s I/O conference, which is set to kick off on May 13th,
Via: The Wall Street Journal.


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Milk isn't for everyone, according to a new lawsuit demanding that each and every carton sold in Washington carry a warning label for people who are unable to tolerate it.
Filed yesterday in D.C. Superior Court by an organization that promotes vegetarian diets, the suit charges that Giant, Safeway and other milk retailers have failed to warn lactose-intolerant consumers of the risks of drinking milk.
At a morning news conference, where the coffee was lightened with soy milk, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine accused doctors and the dairy companies of failing to address the problem of lactose intolerance, particularly among people of African, Asian and Hispanic descent.
"The health of Americans of color has been sacrificed on the altar of dairy industry profits," said Milton Mills, a physician who is black and the lead plaintiff in the case. "Millions of Americans are being misled and made to suffer unnecessary illness by industry marketing campaigns that are masquerading as health information."
Blacks, Asians and Hispanics are much more likely to have low levels of the enzyme needed to break down lactose, the predominant sugar in milk. As many as 75 percent of African Americans and 90 percent of Asian Americans are lactose intolerant, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
But two national experts say the gastrointestinal problems that can result are far less prevalent than the lawsuit claims and are hardly the basis for a warning label.
"This is not a health hazard," said Richard J. Grand, a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School who has studied lactose for about 30 years. "It's made out to be a health problem, but it isn't."
People who have low levels of lactase -- the enzyme that breaks down lactose -- but want to consume milk products can adapt, Grand said. Introducing milk in modest, managed amounts over several weeks typically builds the capacity to break down lactose, he said; given milk's nutritional value, that is often preferable.
Michael D. Levitt, a gastroenterologist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minneapolis, said his studies have shown that modest intake of milk by people with low lactase does not produce a notable increase in the symptoms associated with lactose intolerance such as severe abdominal cramping and excessive flatulence.
Last year, the National Medical Association, an organization of black physicians, issued a report saying that a majority of African Americans were not consuming enough dairy products and urging increased consumption of such foods.
It was hardly the picture painted by the physicians committee and the plaintiffs, who said the problem of lactose intolerance is widespread and compared it to bacterial infections or peanut allergies. But unlike peanut allergies, for example, which can lead to death, lactose intolerance has never killed anyone, the experts said.
Even so, a warning label is warranted, Mills said. "It might not be fatal, but it is extremely distressing," he said. "I am not talking about discomfort. I am talking about illness."
The lawsuit wants a judge to require a label like this on all milk sold in the District: "Warning -- Lactose Intolerant Individuals May Experience Bloating, Diarrhea, or Other Gastrointestinal Discomfort From Consuming Milk. Check With Your Physician."
"What is important," Mills said, "is providing people the information they need to protect their health."
The lawsuit is not the first time that the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has dueled with the dairy industry in court. In June, the group filed a lawsuit accusing the industry of defrauding the public by claiming in ads that people could lose weight by consuming more dairy products. The industry has stood by its claim that consuming dairy products helps with weight loss when coupled with calorie restriction.
A spokeswoman for the National Dairy Council said the suit over lactose intolerance oversimplifies the issue.
"People who are sensitive to lactose certainly can enjoy dairy products," said the spokeswoman, dietitian Deanna Segrave-Daly. "To cut an entire food group out of your diet when you don't have to is detrimental to your health."
A spokesman for Giant Food, based in Landover, declined comment.


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Winsupply recently purchased majority ownership of K&J Supply, a Pensacola, Fla.-based distributor of industrial pipe, valves and fittings that serves the Gulf Coast.
K&J’s president is Mike O’Neill, who holds substantial equity in the company that will do business as K&J Winsupply.
“K&J Supply has been involved in the distribution of pipe, valves and fittings and other industrial products since its inception in January 1994,” said Roland Gordon, president of Winsupply. “Their business culture is a great match with Winsupply. By providing superb service, delivering quality work and retaining excellent employees, K&J has differentiated itself from its competitors along the Gulf Coast.”
From its headquarters in Pensacola and its second location in Mobile, Ala., K&J serves the heavy industry, dealing with customers in the power generation, pulp and paper, chemical, petro-chemical and shipyard industries.
“This acquisition gives Winsupply an important footprint in industrial PVF in the Gulf Coast area,” Gordon added. “We already have four Winsupply plumbing locations in the same area serving commercial and residential contractors from Mobile to Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
K&J Winsupply has 30 employees total in the two locations. In addition to O’Neill, other key managers will be offered the opportunity to purchase equity in K&J Winsupply.
In the Winsupply co-ownership business model, Winsupply has majority equity in each of its locations, while the local company presidents and sometimes employees own substantial equity.


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There is an interesting article from eWeek.com: Dell Expands Its Ultramobile Lineup, concerning Dell’s recent release of the Dell Latitude D430, their latest widescreen 12.1-inch ultraportable laptop.
It was odd that the D430 didn’t come with much in the way of upgrades over the Latitude D420, but eWeek mentions that they offer the Intel Core 2 Duo U7500 (1.06GHz) in addition to the U7600. The U7500 is not mentioned on Dell’s site, however the Intel Core Solo U1400 is mentioned.
Excerpt from the article:
The Round Rock, Texas, PC vendor is now adding the Latitude D430 to its ultramobile lineup as the company looks to keep up with some recent offerings from OEMs such as Fujitsu, Samsung and Gateway.
When Dell rolled out the new D430 on June 28, the company announced that it would also offer a 32GB SSD (solid state drive) option with the new PC. The company has been pushing the SSD as an expensive add-on with several of its notebooks, including its other ultraportable model, the Latitude D420, its new Precision M430, which began shipping this week, and its semi-rugged Latitude D620 ATG laptop.
Ultraportable devices are one of the fastest growing segments of the PC market. In a June 12 report, IDC found that notebooks and ultramobile shipments increased 28 percent in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the same period a year ago.
At a meeting with financial analysts earlier this year in New York City, Intel executives told its audience that it was preparing to push more mobile products in the coming years, including chips designed for ultramobile and other portable devices. The chip maker will take a major step forward with that initiative later this year when its “Penryn” family of processors based on a 45-nanometer manufacturing process hit the market.


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The European Union (EU) port services regulation (PSR) has come into force following its adoption by the European Council in January.
EU member states must implement the PSR within two years of the legislation's introduction, in the lead up to making the regulation effective from 24 March 2019.
The new rules establish a framework for various port services, including mooring, towage, bunkering and waste. They also set out a system for financial transparency arrangements for ports on the EU Core Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and Comprehensive networks.
In addition, the legislation is expected to ensure greater transparency regarding port charges and the public funding of ports.
British Ports Association chief executive Richard Ballantyne said: “The Regulation will be effective in two years, and this means the requirements are expected to be implemented into UK law before we leave the EU.
“As the UK ports industry is predominately private and competitively managed the new rules are unnecessary and unwelcome.
“The UK ports industry has consistently lobbied against the PSR and we are therefore hopeful that the UK requirements will be overturned after Brexit.
“We are actively working with the UK Government to ensure the best post Brexit outcome for the ports industry.”
The British Ports Association represents the ports, terminal operators and port facilities across the UK, and consists of 100 full members and numerous associate members.


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|By PR Newswire||
|August 6, 2014 07:00 AM EDT||
SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- For guests who believe variety is the spice of life, Taco Cabana launches its Salsa Especial! program featuring a rotation of new, fresh, handmade, limited-time-only salsas to its famous salsa bar. The bar currently offers six different salsas that are made in-house with hand-chopped vegetables daily.
The program's first salsa is Roasted Tomatillo, available beginning Aug. 4. Influenced by Northern Mexican cuisine, the green salsa brings the sweet and smoky flavors of flame-roasted tomatillos and jalapeno peppers together with fresh cilantro and onions. Guests can pair it with the limited time $4.99 Steak Street Tacos Meal Deal or other items on Taco Cabana's menu.
"We wanted to offer more dynamic flavor experiences via our salsa bar by adding new ingredients, colors and textures that complement our authentic Mexican cuisine," said Taco Cabana Corporate Chef Martin Samudio. "The freshly prepared specialty salsas will give our guests new ways to enjoy their favorite Taco Cabana dishes."
Roasted Tomatillo will be on the salsa bar until late October, when Avocado Cilantro, a blend of zesty sour cream, onions, jalapenos and cilantro flavored with a touch of garlic and vinegar, will take its place. A different made-from-scratch salsa will be introduced every six to eight weeks and, depending on popularity among customers, some may be added to the permanent salsa lineup.
About Taco Cabana
Taco Cabana, a subsidiary of Fiesta Restaurant Group® (NASDAQ: FRGI), was founded more than 35 years ago in San Antonio and specializes in authentic Mexican food, made fresh by hand, including fajitas, quesadillas, flautas, enchiladas, burritos, tacos, flour tortillas and a selection of made-from-scratch salsas and sauces. Restaurants feature open-display cooking, a selection of beer and tequila margaritas, patio dining and drive-thru windows. As of Jan. 1, 2014, Taco Cabana operates more than 170 company-owned and franchised restaurants in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
About Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc.
Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., owns, operates and franchises Pollo Tropical®, Taco Cabana and Cabana Grill™ restaurant brands. The brands specialize in the operation of fast-casual, ethnic restaurants that offer distinct and unique flavors with broad appeal at a compelling value. The brands feature made-from-scratch cooking, fresh salsa bars, drive-thru service and catering. For more information about Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., visit the corporate website at www.frgi.com.
SOURCE Taco Cabana
When it comes to cloud computing, the ability to turn massive amounts of compute cores on and off on demand sounds attractive to IT staff, who need to manage peaks and valleys in user activity. With cloud bursting, the majority of the data can stay on premises while tapping into compute from public cloud providers, reducing risk and minimizing need to move large files. In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, Scott Jeschonek, Director of Product Management at Avere Systems, discussed the IT and busin...
Jul. 26, 2016 06:15 AM EDT Reads: 1,787
There will be new vendors providing applications, middleware, and connected devices to support the thriving IoT ecosystem. This essentially means that electronic device manufacturers will also be in the software business. Many will be new to building embedded software or robust software. This creates an increased importance on software quality, particularly within the Industrial Internet of Things where business-critical applications are becoming dependent on products controlled by software. Qua...
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“We're a global managed hosting provider. Our core customer set is a U.S.-based customer that is looking to go global,” explained Adam Rogers, Managing Director at ANEXIA, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 18th Cloud Expo, held June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY.
Jul. 26, 2016 01:30 AM EDT Reads: 1,692
"This week we're really focusing on scalability, asset preservation and how do you back up to the cloud and in the cloud with object storage, which is really a new way of attacking dealing with your file, your blocked data, where you put it and how you access it," stated Jeff Greenwald, Senior Director of Market Development at HGST, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 18th Cloud Expo, held June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY.
Jul. 26, 2016 01:30 AM EDT Reads: 1,480


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From October 25, CENN with the support of USAID, launched a large-scale campaign #SayNoToPlastic to reduce plastic pollution. The campaign will involve active and motivated youth, CENN partner organizations, embassies operating in Georgia, international organizations, well-known actors and journalists and other stakeholders.
To raise public awareness of this global environmental problem, 48 conceptual posters created by Georgian designers within the Cannes Lions Georgia competition will be displayed in the Galleria Tbilisi and Tbilisi Mall shopping centers. These posters present the designers’ interpretation of the problem with polluting the environment with plastic waste and aims to influence the viewers to reduce single-use plastic in their everyday life.
#SayNoToPlastic is a social media campaign calling on the public to reduce consumption of disposable plastics and replace them with reusable environmentally friendly items. Those who want to get involved can upload a photo on their social media platforms, documenting the change in their behavior i.e. how they are switching from disposable plastic items to reusable ones under the title #SayNoToPlastic and tag the WMTR II program on Facebook.
As part of the campaign, CENN/USAID Waste Management Program will be raising awareness on environmental pollution by posting interesting facts about plastic consumption.
Cannes Lions Poster Exhibition Schedule:
25/10 – 31/10 Gallery Tbilisi, Central Entrance
1/11 – 7/11 Tbilisi Mall, 2nd and 3rd floor
How can you get involved in the campaign?
- Take a photo of how you replace a disposable plastic item with a reusable item, upload a photo on social media under the title #SayNoToPlastic and tag the Program Page @WMTRProgram
- Stay tuned for our social network, take part in the Q&A competition and win the CENN / USAID Gift Box with multi-use items


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Samsung is tipped to be prepping for the launch of its next tablet Galaxy Tab A8 2021 in the market. Some days ago a report has revealed its CAD renders. Ahead of its confirmation, the tablet’s high-resolution design renders and alleged specifications have surfaced online. The development comes from 91Mobiles (Yogesh Brar).
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 2021 specs include a TFT display with support for Full HD resolution at 1200 pixels. The Tab A8 2021 tablet might be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset. It may well be launched alongside the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE smartphone in October. Here’s what we know so far
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 2021 Specs
The Galaxy Tab A8 2021 is tipped to feature a 10.4-inch TFT display panel. The screen will support Full-HD resolution and we expect it to have a standard refresh rate. As mentioned above, the tablet could be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC. However, the exact chipset remains unknown. It could be paired with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM, depending on the price.
Galaxy Tab A8 2021 could have up to 128GB of expandable storage with an option to use a microSD card slot for storage expansion. The Tab A8 2021 is said to have a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB Type-C port at the bottom. Plus, it might come with a side-facing fingerprint sensor for authentication.
As per the renders, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 has a traditional rectangular form factor and the display is surrounded by thick bezels. The volume rockers and fingerprint scanner are present on the right, and the back panel carries the Samsung logo and a single camera.
Samsung is yet to confirm the launch date and availability of the tablet. Going by the renders and previous pricing of Samsung tablets, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 2021 price in India could be around ₹20,000. Furthermore, the LTE variant is tipped to be priced around ₹22,000.


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5 Ways That Drinking Coffee Boosts Health
The average American drinks three cups of coffee daily, according to Harvard School of Public Health. And that doesn’t even include the delicious adult beverages you can create. While many of us have been taught this is some sort of vice, there’s actually evidence drinking coffee boosts health. This caffeine-fueled substance is as popular as it is complex, so let’s dig deeper to see just what drinking coffee an do for you.
1. Improved cognitive function and memory
A study by Michael Yassa, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences at Johns Hopkins, and his team of researchers concluded that caffeine has a positive effect on our ability to form long-term memories, reported the John Hopkins News Network.
The study, which was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, found that patients who had consumed a coffee cup’s worth of caffeine the previous day performed better on complex memory tasks than those who had not. Caffeine consumers were especially adept at pattern separation memory exercises, exercises which reflect a deeper and subtler level of memory retention. Health reports that, in addition to sharpening your memory, caffeine keeps your brain awake and alert.
2. Lower risk of cardiovascular disease
Harvard School of Public Health says that the antioxidants in coffee have been shown to offer a degree of cardiovascular protection, adding that some studies have linked coffee to a possible decrease in the risk for heart disease. These same antioxidants can temper arterial inflammation, writes Eating Well. Moderate coffee drinkers (one to three cups per day) are even shown to have lower rates of stroke than non coffee drinkers.
Men’s Fitness notes that compounds in coffee also activate nitric acid, which widens blood vessels and leads to lower blood pressure among moderate coffee drinkers. Keep in mind that drinking too much coffee — generally, more than five cups per day — could sabotage these positive effects.
3. Decreased risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
Health reports that moderate coffee consumption can also protect your brain cells from the degenerative processes associated with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Research from the Harvard School of Public Health backs up these claims, noting that coffee intake has been shown to stifle, if not prevent, the impact of certain neurological diseases.
The New York Times reported on a study by the University of South Florida and the University of Miami. This investigation examined older adults who displayed mild cognitive impairment: When the same subjects were again studied two to four years later, participants with little to no caffeine in their bloodstreams were likelier to have progressed to the full-blown stages of Alzheimer’s disease than those whose blood indicated they had consumed a moderate level of coffee or caffeine products.
4. Reduced risk for type 2 diabetes
Need more proof drinking coffee boosts health? The Harvard School of Public Health points out that moderate coffee consumption also reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This is in itself a lifesaver, but consider the fact that type 2 diabetes is also a major heart disease risk factor on top of that, and you’ll be more thankful than ever that you picked up your cup of coffee this morning.
Eating Well suggests that certain antioxidant compounds in coffee, such as chlorogenic acid and quinides, may increase cells’ sensitivity to insulin, helping your body better regulate blood sugar.
5. Increased metabolism
Coffee’s caffeine content makes it a quick and natural metabolism booster. This helps speed up overall bodily function and can be a handy tool in facilitating weight loss and fat burning. Health reports that increasing your metabolism will also lower the risk of future weight-related problems — plus, it doesn’t hurt that black coffee itself has negligible caloric content, so don’t feel too guilty about enjoying a few cups with your breakfast!


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One of the last fresh produce stands in Santa Clara Valley may be closing, but not by choice.
Cornucopia, the little white building with hand-painted cherry and strawberry signs, has been a fixture in Los Gatos for over 40 years. The triangular property on the corner of Winchester Boulevard and Highway 85 has been put up for sale, but Connie Norman’s stand may be allowed to stay open if the new owners grant her request.
Norman is as cheerful as ever, selling Christmas trees while explaining to her customers that she may be shutting down. It is bittersweet, but it’s been fruitful run.
“It’s been a wonderful lifestyle,” Norman says.
Norman and her husband, Bill, opened Cornucopia in 1976, looking for a lifestyle change.
“My husband and I worked in the semiconductor industry,” she says. “There were some big layoffs in the 1970s, and that’s when we decided to start the fruit stand.”
At that time, Norman recalls, “There was nothing between Los Gatos and Campbell. It was mostly apricot orchards, but they slowly disappeared.”
Norman says they didn’t know much about farming when they began. “But we learned, and grew corn, pumpkins and tomatoes.”
Cornucopia’s lot got smaller when Winchester Boulevard was widened to four lanes. Now there’s a small patch of land next to the fruit stand where Norman used to grow corn and where pumpkins and Christmas trees are now sold.
Students from St. Andrews and Dave Avenue schools have been able to get a taste of agricultural history and its legacy in the valley via field trips to the fruit stand. “It’s been a joy to see them interested in how pumpkins are grown,” Norman says.
Norman continued living on site after her husband died, stocking her stand with just-picked fruit and vegetables while caring for her 101-year-old father.
When the Normans first opened Cornucopia, she says, the owner said that they could remain on the property for as they wanted.
“It was done over a promise and a handshake, no legal papers,” Norman says. “It was his word as well as ours.
“The owner told us that he enjoyed seeing us continue the agricultural use of their original apricot ranch,” she adds.
The descendants of the original owner are now selling the property, so Cornucopia will close unless the new owners defer development.
“What I will miss the most are the people,” Norman says. “My customers have become friends over the years. They’re more than customers.”
It’s clear her customers feel the same connection.
“We are three generations of customers,” says Alicia Rodriguez. “My daughter and grandson made a special trip to buy their tree here. They could pay less somewhere else, but our family has been coming here for years for honey and fruits. and we want to support this special place.”
Mark Delevoryas, an FMC retiree, stopped by to deliver his homemade persimmon cookies to Norman.
“It’s a tradition with us that goes back to when Bill was alive,” he says. “These are fantastic people. Connie has a wonderful store. People appreciate that she is maintaining tradition. Years ago, she gave me a recipe for Apricot Cobbler that’s still a hit.”
My own mother got a recipe from Norman for apricot “freezer jam,” which she made every year.
Norman says she hasn’t had a summer vacation since opening the fruit stand 45 years ago. Instead, she locks up at the end of the day on Christmas Eve and settles in for a winter’s rest. Many are hoping she’ll be back to reopen Cornucopia in the spring.
“I’m very proud we’re still here,” Norman said. “I want to continue the legacy for as long as possible.”
Until Christmas Eve, Cornucopia has wreaths, garlands chocolate-dipped apricots and chocolate-covered almonds for the holidays.
Cornucopia’s hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Visit facebook.com and search for Cornucopia Fruit Stand or call 408-374-6453 for more information.


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Snapchat maker Snap has been sued for copying video overlay and augmented reality features from a competing app that it allegedly teased acquiring in 2016. In a lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in California federal court, Playvuu founder Shane Pollack accused Snap of stealing patented technology that he showed company executives related to the use of filters and special effects.
Pollack founded Playvuu, an app featuring one-click editing that gives users the ability to add foregrounds, backgrounds and animations to videos, in 2009. He’s described in the lawsuit as a writer, director and pop rapper who created the TV series Central High and the movie The Greatness of Fame, both of which aired on HBO Family.
In 2016, Pollack was introduced to Steve Hwang, Snap’s director of operations and strategy, according to the complaint. He was subsequently invited to present the app at Snap’s headquarters in Venice Beach, believing that the meeting was to discuss the possibility of an acquisition. He demonstrated Playvuu’s features and discussed the potential of the technology.
The lawsuit claimed Snap executives present at the meeting extensively questioned Pollack regarding the reach of Playvuu’s patents. Pollack was allegedly asked to email the presentation he had shown along with additional information requested by Snap about the overlay and augmented reality technology developed by Playvuu.
“However, within hours of emailing the presentation and other written materials, Mr. Pollack surprisingly received a curt reply thanking him for sending the presentation but also stating that Snap ‘didn’t see a fit’ for Playvuu’s technology,” states the complaint.
Playvuu accused Snap of copying several of its features over the years. It pointed to a 2017 update allowing users to add overlays, filters, and special effects similar to those on Playvuu.
Snap didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. It’s represented by Michael Horikawa and Christopher Kao of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman.
On Monday, Snap reached a $35 million settlement to resolve a class action accusing certain app features of violating Illinois biometric privacy laws.


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NEW YORK, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. administration's tariffs and the resulting retaliation have inflicted suffering upon thousands of American farmers, workers, companies and consumers, and this is far from over, U.S. economists said.
The trade row, escalated to an additional tariff on 200 billion U.S. dollars worth of Chinese goods in September, is fraught with long-term, strategic "unintended consequences" to the U.S. economy, they have warned.
As the tariffs begin to make China look more expensive, some companies are scrambling to rethink their supply chains for a cheaper place to put their factories.
Yet companies adjusting their sourcing is not easy as "supply chains are built by companies with great care and substantial analysis," said Prof. Robert Sicina, executive in residence of Kogod School of Business at the Washington-based American University.
"To disrupt them is to negatively impact the confidence firms have in the U.S. having a consistent policy," Sicina told Xinhua in an interview.
"Without consistency, firms will move their supply chains away from the U.S., not towards it. This is just one example of the unintended consequences of President (Donald) Trump's actions," said Sicina, who has 30 years of experience in senior executive positions at big banks and various entrepreneurial endeavors.
"The supply chain is always going to move to where the economics are best," he said, adding that "the economics are overwhelmingly in favor of China."
Another major, long-term unintended consequence, Sicina said, is that "foreign investment in the U.S. will also be disrupted because of the tariffs."
When investment flows into the United States, foreign investors have to consider its trade policies, as extra tariffs will impact investors' ability to import raw materials and export their products, Sicina explained.
"Trump's trade war is to curb foreign investment in the future, because they're going to lack confidence that the U.S. will play by the rules, because it's now breaking the rules of fair trade in expectation of cutting a better deal with China," he said.
According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released in July, net foreign direct investment dropped to 51.3 billion dollars in the first quarter, a 37 percent fall from the same quarter in 2017 and a 65 percent decline from the first quarter of 2016.
The falloff in foreign investment "is a result of a general decline in the United States' attractiveness as a place to make long-term business commitments," Adam Posen, president of Peterson Institute for International Economics, argued in an article in the July 23 issue of Foreign Affairs magazine.
"This year, net inward investment into the United States by multinational corporations -- both foreign and American -- has fallen almost to zero, an early indicator of the damage being done by the Trump administration's trade conflicts and its arbitrary bullying of companies and governments," he wrote in the article "How Trump is Repelling Foreign Investment."
This shift of corporate investment away from the United States will weaken long-term U.S. income growth, reduce the number of well-paid jobs available, and exacerbate the ongoing shift of global commerce away from United States, he said.


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With the worldwide Muslim consumer lifestyle market and halal economy set to reach $3.7 trillion by 2019, there’s heaps of potential for the Islamic market
The UK is becoming a pioneer in the Muslim lifestyle economy and its status as a leader in the Muslim B2C market is only expected to grow in 2018.
This opens up business opportunities for budding entrepreneurs who, without offending religious sensitivities, can capitalise on the Muslim market to launch start-ups in sectors ranging from halal food to modest fashion, and much more.
Combined with the growth of the Muslim lifestyle economy, in the UK a new target demographic is coming to the fore.
Young, affluent Muslims – referred to as Muslim millennials or ‘Generation M’ – are looking for products and services which are both compatible with their Islamic beliefs but also in line with modern living.
So, how can you maximise on the emerging business opportunities arising from catering to the UK’s Muslim population and Muslim millennials?
Starting a business in the Muslim lifestyle economy: Why it’s a good business idea
At home and abroad, start-ups and major brands are coming to recognise the possibilities for businesses developed for Muslims. And it’s not surprising given the size of the Islamic market:
- In the UK, government statistics show the Muslim population now exceeds 3.1 million people with 1.1 million Muslims living in the capital.
- According to Middle East news resource site Zawya, the global halal food and lifestyle market will reach $3.7 trillion in market value by 2019.
- Thomson Reuter’s The State of the Global Islam Economy report found that the Muslim lifestyle sector is growing at double the rate of the global economy generally…
- And, by 2030, the Muslim middle class is expected to triple to 900 million globally – driving consumption.
Just like the growth of the Pink pound, the Muslim pound now has market influence and companies want in.
Back in March 2016, retail giant Marks & Spencer (M&S) capitalised on demand for modest fashions early by launching its UK range of burkinis; swimsuits covering the whole body except for the hands, face and feet. Having already enjoyed sales in stores in Dubai and Libya, the burkinis were a huge hit in the UK and sold out within five months.
Fast forward to January 2018 and M&S has just announced the launch of its first dedicated “modest” clothing range, catering for women who need ‘flowing fabrics, higher necklines and lower hems’. Fellow retailers Mango and Zara have also jumped on the Muslim lifestyle economy train, launching modest fashion ranges for Muslim women to coincide with the start of Ramadan.
Start-ups are also muscling in to the fashion space, and reaping the rewards.
Inayah, a London-based brand specialising in minimal and contemporary modest fashion, launched in 2012 and has become a firm favourite among Muslim millennials with almost one million fans across social media. These fans include young Muslim entrepreneur Anna Siddiqui, of Little Kickers, who tells us it has quickly become her “favourite store by far”.
Outside of fashion, early-stage UK retail businesses such as The Pampered Muslimah and Ibraheem Toy House have enjoyed start-up success by targeting the Muslim lifestyle economy. The former specialises in Deen-inspired planners, stationery and accessories and has seen its Etsy store take off thanks to an army of Instagram followers, while the latter has become the world’s largest online Islamic toy store since launch in 2014.
The emergence of businesses like this has paved the way for the launch of the UK’s first and biggest B2B Muslim lifestyle conference; MLE Connect. Running for its second year in 2017, the one-day London conference featured seminars and discussions on halal food, modest fashion, marketing, finance and international trade, with entrepreneurs and 200 businesses representing at the event. Delegates also came from the UAE, Turkey, Malaysia and Iran.
But it’s not just the UK: The growth of new start-ups targeting Muslims in America and Canada highlights emerging opportunities for UK founders. In the last year, new brands such as Halal Socks, a Toronto start-up creating Islam-inspired socks for Muslims to display while praying, and FEJ, a Montreal start-up designing the world’s first rucksack for Hajj, have made headlines across the pond.
Muslim lifestyle economy business opportunities
While fashion and retail have already proved a popular focus for businesses targeting the Muslim demographic, it’s halal food which undoubtedly offers the widest array of opportunities for those looking to start a business in the Muslim lifestyle economy.
And the array of halal food products and services you can offer is extremely varied; ranging from everything from halal wedding favours – like that offered by Huddersfield-based Sweeties UK – to halal street food like the Bhangra Burgers offered by Baba G’s in Camden.
For budding foodie entrepreneurs, halal restaurants and pop-ups are in high demand; so much so that marketplaces such as Halal Gems and Halaleat, and review sites like the Halal Food Guy, have launched to enable Brits to discover restaurants serving up great halal food.
Starting a restaurant business requires time and money though, so we’d advise piloting your halal food business idea at a street food festival or pop-up exhibition first. Street Eats, a street food festival created by Halal Gems, offers expo opportunities for halal food start-ups.
One of many successful halal food festivals in the UK designed to cater to halal-conscious diners, Street Eats launched in July 2017 and was attended by a whopping 67,000 people making it London’s largest.
Zohra Khaku is founder of Halal Gems, the start-up enabling halal conscious consumers to find “beautiful unique, and interesting foodie content”, while helping the sector raise its profile “from cheap, low quality halal meat to something a bit more meaningful and ethical”.
Since launch in 2016, Halal Gems has become the largest halal dining platform in the UK. Khaku tells us that the site received approximately 1.5 million page views across 2017, with 12,000 registered users on its halal restaurant finder app.
Within the Muslim lifestyle economy, Khaku highlights opportunities for budding entrepreneurs to maximise on growing demand for halal products:
“Halal food is now available in abundance. It’s good quality halal food which is cooked in innovative ways and presented beautifully that the market is looking for.
“Restaurants are sometimes wary of entering the market for fear of causing offence or getting it wrong, but with the right advice, halal conscious consumers are very loyal and have more disposable income to spend on food.”


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Facebook today announced a new Android homescreen experience called Home that more deeply integrates the social network’s features into any Android phone or tablet.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the goal of Home is to “transform your Android phone into a great social device” by making the phone less about apps and more about people. While the phone is in lockscreen mode, Home displays the latest photos and updates from a user’s friends in what Facebook is calling “cover feed.” Notifications and messages appear there with users’ profile pictures.
Contrary to expectations that have been around for years and even recent reports, Facebook did not reveal its own mobile operating system modified from Android.
“We’re not building a phone and we’re not building an operating system,” Zuckerberg said, noting that Home didn’t require the company to fork Android or build its own OS. “Because of Google’s commitment to openness you can have experiences on Android that you can’t on other devices.”
Cover feed, with fullscreen photos and options to Like and comment directly from the lockscreen, is one unique experience. Another is what Facebook calls “Chat Heads.” Facebook and SMS messages appear on the screen and can be responded to, no matter what app a user is in at the time. From the homescreen, users have the options to create status updates, check in or share photos to Facebook.
Home will be available for select devices via Google Play on April 12, including the HTC One X, HTC One X+, Samsung GALAXY S III and Samsung GALAXY Note II. Home will also work on the forthcoming HTC One and Samsung GALAXY S4, and will be available pre-installed on phones through the Facebook Home Program. The company says Home will be updated monthly and a tablet version is in development.


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We may be getting ahead of ourselves here, considering that the first generation iPad Mini is still in short supply, but in a research note from RBC Capital Markets, it was mentioned that the second generation iPad Mini was already getting “pulled-in.”
RBC Capital Markets analyst Doug Freedman is currently visiting China’s biggest chip companies and, according to CNET, noted “iPad Mini Gen-2: Apple’s gen-2 iPad mini is getting pulled-in, and is likely to have several new suppliers, with TXN gaining content.”
What is meant by getting pulled in and who or what is TXN? Well, it is likely that getting pulled in is implying that Apple is planning on releasing the second generation iPad Mini earlier than expected (it would just be nice if we had a release date). TXN on the other hand is referring to Texas Instruments who has supplied iPad components in the past such as touchscreen line drivers.
Apple refreshing the iPad Mini so soon could actually be feasible, considering how Apple proved it doesn’t follow strict refresh cycles when it refresh the third generation iPad only 6 months after its release. Right now the only rumored information we have heard on the next-generation iPad Mini is that it will have a higher resolution display. It will of course also likely receive a moderate bump in specs and possibly even new colors.
2013 is definitely going to be an interesting year for Apple. I have a feeling it will be the year when we see Apple’s next industry revolution. Just where this revolution will take place is unbeknownst to us, but Apple’s television has been rumored to at least make an appearance in 2013 at the Consumer Electronics show, so that is one theory.
We will keep you updated if we hear more information on the next-generation iPad Mini. Until that time let us know if you think Apple is really going to refresh the iPad Mini so soon in the comments section below.


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Cheeky habit costing couples
If you've noticed your cash supplies are dwindling the reason may be very close to home.
Nearly 20 per cent of young Australian couples under 30 admit to pinching money from their partner's wallet without asking.
The casual thievery extends to the slightly older millennial demographic, according to research conducted by Canstar, with 18 per cent of people aged between 30 and 39 also admitting to having sticky fingers.
Just 8 per cent of Gen Xers say they pinch money from their significant other as the rate slows sharply in Aussie couples over the age of 40, while the overall figure across the ages is 10 per cent of people dipping into their partner's wallet.
Canstar group executive of financial services Steve Mickenbecker said he was "surprised" by the frequency of thieving younger couples but focused on the positives in the data.
"It says basically, more or less, 90 per cent of people are respecting their partner's property and keeping their hands off it," he told news.com.au.
"The fact that it drops off later on is really quite interesting, when you get to people over the age of 40 it becomes quite rare."
Mr Mickenbecker said this could be due to couples enforcing greater discipline and respect with one another as they get older, or could simply point to a change in spending habits.
He says the increasingly cashless economy meant younger Australians could be caught without physical money more often.
A 2018 consumer pulse report, also by Canstar, found nearly half of Australians expect the economy to go cashless with the vast majority of transactions being on cards within the next five years.
That figure jumps up 10 per cent according to adults aged under 30, with more than one in three Aussies under 40 believing Australia will be cashless within two years.
"If you talk to most 18 to 29-year-olds, they'll actually say they never use cash and don't carry cash anymore," Mr Mickenbecker said.
Because they carry cash less, when they do race to the corner to buy milk or a coffee, he says they may be rushed into dipping into their partner's finances.
"It's surprising that they're the most likely to jump into a partner's wallet or a coin jar, so it could be because they don't actually carry cash.
"You do still occasionally get a shock when you're in a cafe or similar and they don't take the credit card.
"Overall, the thing I'd say is that we are respecting our partner's cash as theirs, because 90 per cent of people (on average) are not doing this.


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In 2018, North America accounted for a major market share, followed by Asia-Pacific and Europe. The procurement of small UAVs is on a rise in the US and Canada by the military, law enforcement, and ...
We bring together the very latest drone news from hundreds of sources across the web! Product releases, reviews
& videos combined with help on finding some of the very best drone deals from stores and online outlets!
Constantly updated through the day - every day -
the site has everything for the beginner right right through to the seasoned drone professional!


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Highlighting its growing ambitions in Internet-connected home devices, Amazon has acquired wireless security camera startup Blink.
Not inviting Kejriwal to metro line inauguration insult to public: AAP
He had earlier "dedicated the Kochi Metro to the nation in June, and the Hyderabad Metro in November", a press statement said. In a tweet this morning, PM Modi called Delhi-Metro Magenta line an example of "modernising urban transport".
Amazon told CNBC, "As one of their distributors, we already know customers love their home security cameras and monitoring systems". The campaign was a success, with Blink raising five times the amount it initially targeted.
As with any new technology, the key question is whether people will accept it. Blink has obviously tried to brand its wireless security cameras as friendly and comforting, rather than another intrusion into our private lives. Again, while it's not the first video doorbell system, it distinguishes itself by its ease of installation given there are no cables or wires to accommodate. Financial terms of the deal have not been revealed. The video door-bell that costs $99 also comes in battery powered.
Kulbhushan Jadhav thanks Pakistan for 'grand gesture' after meeting family
In a reaction to the move, Pakistan's relations with neighbouring India tensed, and New Delhi approached the ICJ to hear the case. Jadhav's family arrived at the ministry after a stop at the Indian High Commission where they stayed for half an hour.
Amazon unveiled its own Cloud Cam security camera in the fall. Delivery workers receive a one-time use code to unlock the door, then simply place the package inside and leave.
For Blink customers, changes doesn't seem to be coming immediately. "We'll continue to operate under the Amazon umbrella", Blink said in a blog post. (Blink says, "If you own one of our systems, nothing changes for now", and that it'll continue "selling and supporting" the same products.) But it's easy to see how this will all eventually fit into Amazon's delivery and smart home story. "We're excited to welcome their team and invent together on behalf of customers".
Bus kills at least 4 people in Moscow, driver detained
A passenger bus in Moscow swerved off the road and plunged into a crowded pedestrian underpass on Monday, killing at least five people, according to reports .


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According to mobile phone blogger, Evan Blass, the iPhone 7 is coming in just under two months. I think he’s probably right.
"iPhone 2016 release: week of September 12th," he wrote on Twitter. "Just to clarify, this refers to the retail release, not the launch event. To be even more specific, it should happen on Friday, Sept. 16th."
The rumor mills is churning with rumors about the upcoming iPhone (shown in fanciful mock-ups). Will it offer a two-model line-up or a three-model line-up, including an “iPad Pro” (I’m predicting only two models)? Will it lack a traditional audio jack or note (I’m saying it will)? Will it be waterproof and dust proof or not (I’m saying yes to both features)?
The latest rumor says it will be dubbed the iPhone 6SE rather than the iPhone 7. However, I'm still betting it will be called the latter.


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- Our Blog
Fake news is hot right now, which means it’s a great time for brand safety vendors to pitch advertisers new products. For many vendors, blacklists are all they have in the arsenal to block ads from appearing on undesirable websites. But blacklists often fail in programmatic buying, and with brand anxiety high post election, some vendors are capitalizing on the zeitgeist by dev ...
This is the first story in a series on Programmatic TV, which examines how TV advertising is trying to act a little more like its digital cousin by introducing automation. Ad tech’s foray into television has been stuck in first gear, but that hasn’t stopped political marketers from repurposing TV data in creative ways.
The tentacles of programmatic are tightening their grip on digital advertising. Reports from multiple research firms indicate that programmatic will further embed itself into digital advertising. This year, programmatic will become the most popular method for digital display spend. And although open exchanges and the U.S.
Programmatic ad buying theoretically has plenty of tools available for marketers to prevent their ads from showing up in contexts that aren’t brand safe, whether that’s porn, gambling, fake news or hate content. The simple site blacklist should solve much of this problem. But that’s not the case. Communication gaps exist between brand stewards and programmatic buyers.
Viral publishers have been inoculated. Media buyers tell Digiday that interest in viral publishers — such as ViralNova and Distractify,who built large audiences by sharing uplifting content on Facebook — has cooled as reliance upon platforms left the sites exposed to Facebook’s algorithm changes and inconsistent traffic.
Fake news has become such a hot-button topic that even President Obama chimed in to criticize the rampant spread of misinformation online. Google and Facebook have both been criticized for allowing false stories to proliferate online during the presidential election. Although both companies recently banned fake news sites from their ad networks, Google has been more forthcomin ...
From the fake-news furor to metrics blunders, Facebook has had a busy week of putting out fires. Yesterday, Facebook announced that it had miscalculated several metrics including the organic reach of posts, video completions and time spent on Instant Articles. As a sop to advertisers, Facebook said it would form a measurement council and provide more third-party verification.
Although it’s clear that most digital ad spend flows through Facebook or Google, it’s unclear how much of that money ends up in the pockets of other players. Recently, a few researchers have claimed that Google and Facebook are taking all of the upside in the digital ad industry’s growth, while the rest is actually shrinking.
Instagram is proving Facebook is no one-trick pony. In upcoming years, Instagram’s ad revenue is projected to take off as it becomes a larger part of Facebook’s overall business. Agencies are increasingly turning to the platform and diversifying their spend as Instagram rolls out new products. And although Snapchat has emerged as a threat, Instagram’s projected revenues still ...
From paying celebs to post articles to experimenting with live stunts, some publishers are attempting to monetize their Facebook pages by any means possible. ESPN, which has already pulled back from Instant Articles so it can monetize users on its own platforms, displays a play button in the thumbnail image for some of the static links it posts on Facebook.
Platforms are fond of selling publishers on their reach, but they don’t always deliver. In April, a batch of small publishers migrated to Medium in the hopes that the platform’s network effect would increase their reach. But seven months after the move, comScore and Alexa data show that several of these publishers have seen their traffic decline.
Although APIs are a critical part of scaling digital advertising, the way they work across platforms can be confusing. Some APIs are easy for marketers to navigate and require no assistance. Others are unwieldy and mandate third-party partners. Digiday talked to agencies to get their take on various platforms’ ads APIs.
Repetitive ads can drive a person insane, yet they still persist. Despite all the sophisticated ad tech that exists today, users still get hit with the same ads over and over again when they stream video online. Whether you’re watching the latest “South Park” episode on Hulu or Comedy Central’s website, it isn’t rare to see the exact same Geico ad pop up in the exact same spot ...
In the last couple of months, Pinterest has been busy pushing new ad products. After a slow entry into advertising, the company debuted several features in quick succession including video ads, three new types of promoted pins, new targeting capabilities and it has been rumored to be working on an “explore” section similar to Snapchat Discover.
Google’s homepage has a new look, at least for read-it-later app Pocket’s users. The app, which has raised $14.5 million according to Crunchbase, has a new Google Chrome extension that shows “trending articles” recommendations in a tray automatically inserted for users who open a new tab with Google’s homepage.
Data can do a lot for advertisers, but it can’t solve everything. Last week, AT&T and Time Warner executives told investors that a mega-merger could benefit marketers because combining the companies’ viewer data will boost targeted advertising on TV. While that’s hypothetically possible, there are many obstacles aside from data access that prevent individualized television ...
It’s too bad there isn’t an app that lets companies change their business models every day. According to a New York Times report, daily fantasy sports titans DraftKings and FanDuel are nearing an $8 million to $12 million settlement agreement for a false advertising case with New York’s attorney general.
Trolls have always been a nuisance for Twitter. But in recent weeks, they became particularly problematic for the platform when Disney and Salesforce each pulled their sale bids due to concerns over bullying. Although trolls are an obvious problem for Twitter, it’s difficult to quantify their pervasiveness.
Publishers have gotten data religion. A few years ago, publishers began enlisting data scientists to help with audience building and monetization. But back in 2014, publisher data teams usually consisted of only a person or two. Since then, several publishers have expanded their number of full-time data experts. And their roles have grown too.
Earlier this week, Instagram moved its Snapchat-like Stories to the Explore tab and announced that the feature has about 100 million daily active users. Now that Stories has been out for a few months, brands have had some time to form a few opinions on the feature. Like any new platform feature, brands are still in test-and-learn mode, using it for everything from rough-and-re ...


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Having trouble connecting your Android Wear smartwatch to your iPhone 7? A simple iOS update may solve your problem.
Google announced the fix on its Android Wear Forum: "We have been working with Apple and we can confirm that this issue is fixed in iOS 10.1."
Previously, Apple's new mobile OS had pairing issues with some third-party Bluetooth accessories, including smartwatches like the Asus ZenWatch 2, Moto 360 2nd Gen, Moto 360 Sport, TAG Heuer Connected and Fossil Q Founder.
The Android Wear team caught wind of the issue last month, and it looks like its persistence to fix the problem paid off.
The fix is in
While Google-powered Android Wear devices are designed more with Android handsets in mind, certain models can still connect to an iPhone.
When connected on a non-Android phone, basic functionalities like notifications and music controls still work, but there are certain limitations, such as lack of support for apps not approved by Apple.


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Essential workers traveling for their job are exempt, as are people traveling for medical or care taking reasons. People passing through the orange states for fewer than 24 hours also are exempt unless their final destination is that state. The number of Illinois residents who have been fully vaccinated receiving both of the required two shots reached 311,569..
Four of the sexual assault victims whose cases failed to get investigated are Black and one is white. Tavel is white. In one case the victim was a 12 year old girl, in another an 8 year old boy. Foreign Affairs Minister Stphane Dion denounced UNESCO’s Oct. 18 statement that it approved a resolution submitted by seven Arab countries that Israel says dismisses Jewish ties to the Temple Mount and the Western Wall. The resolution also condemns “Israeli aggressions,” blaming Israel for tensions on the Temple Mount.
All we have to do now is make sure she’s taking the pills in a reasonable timeframe, and we’re good to go. I will say it took her a while to get used to this feeder because the tray moves automatically under the hood. I think at first she was nervous it would start moving before she could eat out of the tray, but after prolonged use, she seems to have gotten used to it just fine.
“Those charged with making decisions about engagement have put our officers in the impossible situation of protecting the rights of conflicting protesters while not intervening to prevent the inevitable conflicts,” he said. “At its core, policing is about protecting life and property. By that standard, the city failed on both counts last night.”.
They jump from animals to humans, they sometimes evolve and start spreading from person to person as well.The novel coronavirus (SARS CoV 2) is a new strain of coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans. It first originated in a seafood and poultry market in Wuhan, China. Some of the most common symptoms of coronavirus disease (COVID 19) include dry cough, shortness of breath and fever.
Stacey Solomon has revealed that her family have an adorable new addition after deciding to give a tiny puppy a new home. The television star is yet to decide on what to name the poochKim Kardashian spotted without wedding ring as she heads out before Valentine’s DayKim KardashianKim Kardashian was a vision in red as she stepped out of her Lamborghini without her wedding ring days before Valentine’s Day. The reality star and her husband Kanye West are rumoured to be heading for divorce’Date gave me a ring made from his teeth on Valentine’s Day I’m a nutter magnet’Valentine’s DayJodie Weston, from London, who appeared on Rich Kids Go Skint, hopes this year’s Valentine’s Day will be more successful than ones she’s had in the pastValentine’s Day flowers to avoid giving your partner if they have pets including rosesValentine’s DayPet insurance experts at GoCompare have compiled a list of 10 of the most harmful flowers to pets to ensure you keep them safe not just this Valentine’s Day, but all year roundBest Valentine’s Day 2021 gifts for himValentine’s DayMen can be quite hard to buy for, so why not treat the special man in your life to a gift they love to wear, drink or smell this Valentine’s DayBest Valentine’s Day 2021 gifts for herValentine’s DayOn the search for something special to show someone you care this Valentine’s Day? Well look no further than our gift guide containing everything and more for your girlfriend, best friend or flat mateThe best meal deals for a romantic Valentine’s Day evening in this yearValentine’s DayWe tried out starters, mains and desserts from Co op, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, M Morrisons, Asda and Aldi ahead of Valentine’s Day on SundayAdvertorialWin up to 1,000 in Mirror Bingo’s Valentine’s cash prize giveawayBettingRoses are red, violets are blue here’s a cash prize giveaway just for youDanny Dyer grills daughter Dani on baby Santiago’s conception in awkward sex chatValentine’s DayNew mum Dani Dyer was mortified as her EastEnders actor dad questioned her about a Valentine’s Day sex sessionAdvertorialVodafone launch special Valentine’s Day deals to help you stay connected with loved onesValentine’s DayVodafone has strong phone and broadband deals to connect you to the people you love most, so why not make the most of them with these exclusive limited offers?Byron sends burgers with Valentine’s game that ‘can make anyone fall in love with you’Valentine’s DayByron Burgers are hoping to revive romance after a difficult year by sending out food for Valentine’s Day wrapped in a rather unique game that will give couples a deeper connectionMarks and Spencer’s Valentine’s Day ‘Love Sausage’ is back in stores todayValentine’s DayAvailable for a limited time only, the classic Love Sausage and the new chilli chorizo Spice Up Your Life sausage will be on Marks and Spencer shelves from today.


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If the rumors are to be believed, Apple with its new 4G iPhone will be out by July. It’s been less than a year since it had released its iPhone 3G that they are coming out with iPhone 4G with some new feature includingbetter camera and a removable battery and some other new exciting features. It is also being revealed that, it will have 5MP which is better than 3MP of iPhone which can put it on par with the camera in Google Nexus One.
Some website also claim that, Apple targeted May because at the same Google would release its Nexus One Android Smartphone. Although, the Nexus One was released in the month of January, but Apple wanted to compete with Google by releasing its iPhone 4G. The rumors are also spreading that this new 4G comes with dual-core processor along with more RAM touch sensitive case. It has larger screen space with OLED display of 90%.
The high resolution display would slightly compete with other iPhone display. But still it’s not clear that the front facing camera will only be used for video conference or for self portrait. If this rumors to be believed, than it will have enough battle with Samsung and HTC. The speculations are high as it heads sport integrated RFID technology that will enable its function as a digital identification or e-wallet which can help to surf wireless.
Along with the debut of iPhone 4G, the A4 chip will also enter in the market. It is definite that iPhone 4G will provide brighter and bigger screen along with more space. Apple also promises about iPhone 4G battery life which can last for 7hrs of 3G talktime with 6 hrs of browsing, 10 hrs of video display and 40 hrs of music along with 300 hrs of standby.
The major of this iPhone 4G is its stainless steel body and it’s build with glass both on front and back and is designed to have good scratch resistance.
The new iPhone 4GG will be sold for $ 199 in US with 16GB and $299 for 32GB. So wait is almost over to have hand on it and bring the difference in your Phone.


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Airtel Wi-Fi Calling service is already being used by one million users, the company has announced today. Right after the announcement of Jio Wi-Fi Calling, Airtel has sent out a press statement saying that its Wi-Fi Calling service is available across the country and more than 100 smartphones now offer the support. Last month, Airtel launched India's first VoWi-Fi service called 'Airtel Wi-Fi Calling' with support for 40 smartphones and only in limited circles. However, Jio Wi-Fi Calling is available on pan-India basis right at the launch and offers support on more than 150 smartphones. Airtel also says its Wi-Fi Calling service will now work on any broadband network as it was previously limited to just Airtel Xstream Fibre network.
Airtel Wi-Fi Calling Now Works on Any Broadband Network
According to Bharti Airtel, the Airtel Wi-Fi Calling has garnered more than one million users within less than three weeks of launch. The telco states this achievement is one of the fastest uptake of new network technology in India. Initially launched in just four circles, Bharti Airtel expanded the service across the country, competing with Jio Wi-Fi Calling. "Airtel Wi-Fi Calling is now available to Airtel mobile customers across India," confirmed Airtel in a press statement.
The telecom operator is also opening the service to other broadband operators. During the first phase of the launch, Airtel Wi-Fi Calling worked only via Airtel Broadband service, but now, the service can be accessed by Airtel mobile customers over the home or public Wi-Fi network.
For the unaware, VoWi-Fi service makes indoor voice calling better as the voice/video calls will be routed via the broadband operator. It uses Wi-Fi networks to create a dedicated channel for voice calls and allows customers to make telco-grade calls to any network. As we already know, there is no extra charge for making calls via Airtel Wi-Fi Calling.
Randeep Sekhon, CTO – Bharti Airtel said: “We are delighted with the extremely positive customer response for Airtel Wi-Fi Calling. The technology has truly transformed the indoor network quality for Airtel mobile customers, particularly in high population density areas in urban markets. Airtel is also the first to make the service LIVE across India and our customers can use the feature on any Wi-Fi.”
More Than 100 Smartphones Now Support Airtel Wi-Fi Calling
When the service went official, it was available on just 24 smartphones. Just a couple of days ago, we reported the smartphone compatibility list was increased to 40. And now, Airtel has confirmed that its Wi-Fi Calling service can be used on more than 100 smartphones. New smartphones from brands like itel, Infinix, Spice and Tecno now support Airtel Wi-Fi Calling. Xiaomi's Redmi Note 7 Pro and Redmi 7 series also offers the support, so even if you purchase the Redmi 7A at Rs 4,999, you will be able to make calls via VoWi-Fi service. Airtel says the Wi-Fi Calling service is now compatible on smartphones across 16 brands, but the website shows only eight brands for now.
Airtel customers can head over to airtel.in/wifi-calling to check whether their device has support for Airtel Wi-Fi Calling or not. If your device is on the supported devices list and still not displaying the Wi-Fi Calling option in Settings, you can check for a software update.


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Editor’s note: Adweek worked with Matthew Scott Goldstein, a consultant with a deep knowledge of the media industry, to craft his quarterly newsletter into an Adweek article. Through his findings on various industry earnings calls, we’re bringing you insights about how your favorite brands, agencies, media companies, publishers and tech companies are performing on a quarterly basis. His goal was to go past what the trades were focusing on, which mostly revolved around revenue, and tap into the nitty-gritty data shared on these calls.
This iteration focuses specifically on ad tech and platforms in the 2019 first quarter.
- Brightcove: Delivered first-quarter revenue of $41.8 million, up 2% year-over-year. Renewal rates remain strong in the first quarter at 95%. From an innovation standpoint, making excellent progress on the product road map developed in conjunction with the market analysis, including OTT. Thrilled with the feedback from customers who’ve seen the preview of the road map. A new sense of urgency, ownership and accountability across the entire sales organization, while ensuring the sales team is aligned with marketing to drive improved business performance. Excited to close the acquisition of Ooyala’s online video platform business on April 1, which affirms leadership in the online video industry. The OTT business is a growing and vibrant market; Brightcove intends to be the market leader. Customer count at the end of the first quarter was 3,696, of which 2,227 were classified as premium customers. Annualized revenue per premium customer was $78,000, which was up 4% year-over-year. Demand for OTT is very solid.
- Criteo: Revenue grew 3% to $558 million year-over-year. Grew the number of clients by 5% to over 19,000, while maintaining a retention rate at close to 90% for all solutions combined. Increased focus on higher-value midmarket clients until launching self-registration onboarding module. This resulted in a lower client addition in the quarter. Revenue ex-TAC grew 8% in the U.S. To accelerate the sales growth of new product, focusing on three initiatives: adapting the sales and operations organization, bringing new sales specialists on board and doubling down on training client-facing teams. In parallel, adjusting hiring process to more effectively scale up sales capabilities for upper-funnel products. Ability to bid the optimal price for each impression has always been one of Criteo’s distinctive strengths recognized by the industry. Pleased to have further improved the performance of the critically important first-price bidder in the first quarter. Given the intense scrutiny Google faces from antitrust authorities globally, Criteo believes it is unlikely Google would take advantage of Chrome’s dominant position in the browser market to restrict the ability of other digital players to compete.
- Rubicon: Revenue was $32.4 million for the first quarter of 2019, up 30% year-over-year. Second quarter 2019 year-over-year revenue expected to grow approximately 20-25%. Mobile revenue grew 63% in the first quarter of 2019, year over year, and represented 53% of total revenue Desktop revenue grew 6% in the first quarter of 2019, year over year. Video revenue nearly doubled in the first quarter, year over year. Video continues to be the most sought-after inventory type by buyers, and sellers are struggling to meet demand. SPO also continues to be a driver of industry ad-spend consolidation in 2019. Mentioned several quarters ago that Rubicon began to see some industrywide pressure on CPMs because of increased supply and buying pricing tools. On Sizmek, some bad debt expense related to that, but not material. For the most part, able to claw back those kinds of exposures from publishers, so exposure is somewhat limited. Co-founded prebid.org, a community that was then in the early stages of building an open-source framework for header bidding. Now, prebid technology has become the independent standard used by hundreds of the world’s largest sellers. The trend towards increased privacy control and reduction of cookies in the industry continues. I’m a big supporter of this trend and believe this ultimately drives a healthier overall marketplace in more educated users. During the quarter, publicly announced a collaboration with The Trade Desk on its universal ID. Continue to work with the DigiTrust solution and live with LiveRamp’s solution soon. Believe these tools will help significantly reduce reliance on cookies and are an important step in the eventual move to a targeted and efficient server-side cookie-less world.
- Telaria: It was a strong quarter with revenue of $13.6 million, up 42% year-over-year. Success in both increasing advertiser demand for CTV avails and expanding the supply of CTV that’s available programmatically via the Telaria platform. CTV revenue continues to grow in both absolute dollars and as a percent of total revenue. CTV revenue for the quarter increased 169% year-over-year to $5.2 million. It accounts for 38% of total revenue, which is up from 33% of total revenue in the fourth quarter of 2018. For publishers, Telaria continues to pursue auction-optimization technologies, an unconflicted business strategy that made it easy for them to comfortably shift the sale of more of their premium inventory to programmatic channels. CTV CPMs are significantly higher than those in desktop or mobile. CTV growth drove platform ECPM to $12.78, compared to $11.60 in the prior-year period. MAGNA Global recently updated their 2018 U.S. OTT advertising spend estimate by 35% to $2.7 billion, which represents a 54% increase from 2017. MAGNA also projects that this segment will grow to over $5 billion by the end of 2020, a 41% CAGR from 2017. Over the same period, eMarketer estimates that ad spend on linear TV will remain flat at around $71 billion, reflecting the continuing shift to more addressable video.
- The Trade Desk: For the quarter, revenue was $121 million, up 41% from a year ago. In 2019, according to IDC, spending on global advertising will be about $725 billion, up over 4% from 2018. At current growth rates, global advertising will be a trillion-dollar industry in about seven years. The industry is evolving; advertisers are migrating from other platforms to The Trade Desk. Continued to add new advertisers and agencies to the platform, and existing customers increased their spend. In the first quarter, The Trade Desk continued to develop closer relationships with the biggest brands in the world. Over half of the companies in the S&P 500 have run campaigns on the platform, executing well. Spend growth came in channels key to business, such as mobile, video, connected TV and Audio. Data spend again grew about two times the business. Continued to invest in technology infrastructure, product development and international expansion. Total mobile (in-app, video and web) was 45% of gross spend for the quarter, highlighting the growing scale and importance of this channel to advertisers. Mobile video spend grew about 60% from the first quarter of 2018 to the first quarter of 2019. Mobile in-app spend grew about 60% from the first quarter of 2018 to the first quarter of 2019. Connected TV spend grew over three times from the first quarter of 2018 to the first quarter of 2019. Audio spend grew over 270% from the first quarter of 2018 to the first quarter of 2019. Connected TV inventory continues to grow. More channels, more users and more ad opportunities joined the platform this quarter. In the first quarter of 2019, advertising slots available through the platform increased over three times. The Trade Desk invested in the infrastructure early to support CTV inventory, and, by nearly all measures, is ahead of the curve. As this market evolves, no one is better positioned to reap the rewards than TTD. It’s better to be early than late. Unified ID solution involves The Trade Desk giving away cookie ID for free to SSPs, publishers, DSPs, DMPs and data providers. Doing so helps improve the efficiency and performance of the entire ad-funded internet. Match rates have improved, giving advertisers more effective targeting, and the number of syncs taking place in the ecosystem are massively reduced, giving consumers a better ad experience. Momentum has accelerated. Today, more than half of all header bidding auctions are completed using the unified ID technology. The largest independent SSPs in the world are seeing match rates of up to 99%. As we hoped, the unified open ID is becoming a common currency for the open internet.


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Leading the world in the world's largest vehicle construction companies and the production of railway transportation vehicles, the Russian Transmaşholding produces transportation vehicles such as electric locomotives, metro, rail buses. Speaking to Sputnik, Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Transmaşholding Artem Lebedev told the firm.
Stating that the company has maintained its presence in the market for 15 years and is among the 10 leading companies in the world of rail vehicle production, Lebedev said, “In recent years, the company has invested 68 billion rubles in the development of management organizations. Investments enabled us to realize large scale projects. For example, we have developed new generation electric locomotives such as EP20 passenger and 2ES5 freight locomotives. Domestic engines such as D500, D300, D200 were developed. Progress has been made on double-decker trains. In this context, a modern diesel locomotive factory for Russia was established in Bryansk. The company has developed 72 new models in the field of rail transportation ”.
'THE TRAINS DEVELOPED FOR MOSCOW SUBWAY AMONG THE BEST'
Referring to the company's best products, Lebedev said: “If we talk about the working activity, we can talk about the EP20 electric locomotive. This locomotive can enable passenger wagons to travel at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour on rails. Double-decker coaches have no competitors either. All of these can operate between -50 degrees and 40 degrees. "The trains developed for the Moscow metro can also be shown among the best."
'OUR PRIORITY MARKET IS THE MIDDLE EAST'
According to Lebedev's statement, Transmasholding is focused on developing commercial relations with its partners abroad.
Noting that the Middle East is among its priority markets, Lebedev said, “Nowadays we are working on some projects in Iran. We have some cooperation plans in Europe. On issues such as metro and tram production… ”he said.
Lebedev said about his future plans: “As a company, we produce not only locomotives but also diesel engines. We are thinking of producing motors with different capacities that run on gas. We are also planning to develop rail buses, electric and diesel locomotives with different features. We also want to increase the comfort of our products. We hope to strengthen our position in the world with noise canceling systems. "
Source : I tr.sputniknews.co


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Chennai: K Anandan, a marketing executive with a Chennai-based pharmaceutical company, is now a lot relaxed thanks to railway authorities who have introduced a mobile app that can book tatkal ticket in about 50 seconds.
Frequent travellers like him are forced to book tatkal tickets as their busy official schedules prevent them from reaching passenger reservation counters on time. Booking tatkal ticket is not an easy task many a time. But now the booking is going to be less of a hassle as the railway authorities have introduced a mobile app – Rail Connect – which will enable a passenger to book a tatkal ticket in double quick time.
A senior official from Southern Railway said all one needs is a Paytm eWallet and high-speed Internet and this app. The special feature of this app is that it enables the user to book tatkal tickets in as less as 50 seconds. An IRCTC personnel said booking is now possible in 50 seconds as there is no need to fill any payment details if the app is pre-loaded with funds.
Rail Connect was launched in January this year and it is heard that railways has enabled its passengers to book even sleeper class tickets now. The app has another advantage, say sources. The restriction on booking tatkal railway tickets has been removed, which means booking tatkal tickets is possible anytime with this app.
Earlier, online tatkal bookings was from 10 am to 10.30 am for AC classes and 11 am to 11.30 am for sleeper class. This was done to make things easier for people who wished to buy tickets over the counter; but now this has been removed.
A senior railway personnel said the app would reduce queues at railway reservation counters. Subsequently, the department can save some money by reducing the personnel manning these counters. “Even if you are to book tickets in the last minute on a mobile phone, chances of getting them are higher”, said G Naveen Kumar, a passenger at Egmore station.
“If I am asked to travel for a conference in the last minute I need not worry”, he said. However not all travellers welcome this measure like Naveen Kumar. Many of them News Today spoke to at a couple of railway stations in Chennai did not feel comfortable with the app.
K Rammohan, a passenger from Chennai Egmore – Kacheguda Express felt this app will prove useful only for tech-savvy passengers. Only those who are aware of technology and comfortable using it can reap benefi ts, he said. Agreeing with him, M Preetha Banerjee, a passenger at Central station, said enabling purchase of train tickets online has reduced ticket availability at reservation counters where people not comfortable with technology mostly go to. Enabling tatkal ticket purchase on mobile platform will further reduce availability, she pointed out.


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Australia’s virus-inspired mass run on toilet paper reached scary heights on Wednesday – with reports of a shopper with a knife at one Sydney supermarket, and a stampede at another.
Sydney radio 2GB confirmed the toilet paper aisle at Woolworths Parramatta had been taped off and police called in after “an incident” on Wednesday.
The station said Woolworths had issued a statement confirming “an incident between two customers”.
“Police were called by store security. No team members were involved or injured in the incident,” it said.
Earlier, there was a mass rush of customers at Woolworths Revesby, in Sydney’s south-west, towards a newly stocked display of toilet paper.
Woolworths reacted by slapping a nationwide four-pack limit on toilet paper sales.
The supermarket giant said the restriction would shore up stock levels in the face of “higher than usual demand” – or panic-buying sparked by coronavirus fears.
“Woolworths has today moved to apply a quantity limit on toilet paper packs to ensure more customers have access to these products,” the company said.
Supermarket shelves across Australia have been stripped of toilet roll – as well as hand sanitiser and disinfectants – as public fear of the escalating coronavirus outbreak has grown.
The wild buying wasn’t restricted to bricks and mortar shops, with online toilet paper retailer Who Gives A Crap selling out of all of its products in what it called “crazy times”.
CEO Simon Griffiths said demand had soared 800 per cent in the panic.
And nor has it eased, despite repeated calls for calm from Prime Minister Scott Morrison and health authorities.
By Wednesday afternoon, 10,000 people across the country had been tested for COVID-19, with 38 confirmed cases, and 21 now cleared.
Mr Morrison, who spoke to supermarket bosses on Tuesday about the impact of the virus on supply chains, said people should act as normal.
“I can understand why people may be concerned,” he said. “But the advice is that’s not necessary.”
“That is what you can do, most importantly to help the economy, to help each other, and to lower the anxiety levels.”
Mr Morrison said Kimberly-Clark, which manufactures toilet paper, had stepped up production in South Australia to deal with the shortages.
Chief medical officer Brendan Murphy told a Senate hearing on Wednesday that stockpiling toilet paper “probably isn’t a proportionate or sensible thing to do at this time”.
“We are a well-prepared health system but even the best-prepared health systems can face a challenge if you have large outbreaks,” he said.
Earlier, retail marketing expert Gary Mortimer told The New Daily that supermarkets would generally hold less than two days’ supply of toilet paper – one of their bulkiest and most popular items.
“There’s certainly fear and panic about potential shortages, but I don’t think they’re well informed,” he said.


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Tomorrow Samsung has an event scheduled where we will, more than likely, see the next major foldable smartphones from the brand. OnePlus released a teaser for something today with a time and date that matches the start of the Samsung event. Given the relative lack of a lead-up with teasers and/or rumors and/or leaks of a device such as this, it seems likely OnePlus has something relatively simple planned, rather than a full-blown dual-screen smartphone ready for release.
If we’re looking for clues for a dual-screen device the likes of which OnePlus has not previewed before, we can find one major clue in an OPPO patent. They describe a detachable display mechanism on April 5, 2021 in China. As shown by IT Home, this patent shows two parts for one device. The one is the “display end”, the other is the “host end.”
It would appear in the patent that the left side would be the host side, while the right side would be the secondary display. Something like this could be a match for what we’re seeing previewed here by OnePlus. OnePlus and OPPO are, after all, merged for real.
Releasing a device like this would be a bit more fun than doing what OnePlus has done in the past with “T” devices after the standard numbers earlier in each given year. OnePlus 9T may have been cancelled, according to recent leaks. Imagine OnePlus releasing a sneak peek at a dual-display OnePlus 9-like device instead, with a proposed price that undercuts Samsung’s foldable devices by a considerable amount… but in reality, this is just about the PR.
OnePlus’s Pete Lau commented on a reply to the original social media post on Twitter. “It’s literally a joke to get PR value? You think we don’t know the exact date and time our competitors are releasing phones and casually put a “Galaxy” video on the displays?”
Lau also confirmed: “I swear I told our R&D team to do their best to capture LG’s leftover market share but they weren’t creative at all.” Lau also used the word “trolling” in comments with other social media users – so pack it up! Either it’s just a troll PR move or it’s a crafty opportunity to double-fake-out the public and they actually DO have a device – in either case, well done.


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Frito-Lay Announces 50 New Jobs and a $15 Million Investment at Lynchburg Manufacturing Facility
LYNCHBURG, Va. (June 14, 2001) - Frito-Lay, the world's favorite convenient fun food company, announced today 50 new jobs and a $15 million investment through an expansion of operations at its Lynchburg, Va. manufacturing facility.
The expansion, which includes the installation of a new production line, will support the production of a new bite-size snack product that will be introduced in December 2001.
"The State of Virginia and the City of Lynchburg have been strategic partners for growth over the past few years. What better way to thank them than choose Lynchburg as our site for this operations expansion," said Bob Crain, Vice President, Operations, Southern Region, Frito-Lay.
Equipment installation will begin immediately, with a target completion date in November.
"We are very pleased that Frito-Lay has decided to make this significant investment in its Lynchburg operations," said Mayor Carl B. Hutcherson, Jr. "Three years ago, when Frito-Lay announced its decision to come to Lynchburg, we believed it sent a message throughout the state and beyond that Lynchburg was open for business. Today's announcement is an affirmation of that fact. We thank Frito-Lay and its employees for their continued commitment to this community."
The Lynchburg facility, which opened in 1998, currently employs 300. Today, the 410,000 square-foot facility manufactures Doritos Tortilla Chips, Tostitos Tortilla Chips, Lay's Bistro Gourmet Potato Chips, Lay's Wow! Potato Chips and Santitas Tortilla Chips. More than 23 million pounds of the new bite-size snack product will be produced annually at the site.
"We are pleased to see continued expansion at Frito-Lay's Lynchburg manufacturing and distribution plant," said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Barry E. Du Val. "Frito-Lay continues to uphold its commitment to the Commonwealth both as a business leader and as a good corporate citizen."
Frito-Lay, Inc., headquartered in Plano, TX, is the $11 billion snack food division of PepsiCo, Inc., based in Purchase, N.Y. Frito-Lay is the market leader in half of the world's top 10 snack chips markets, with operations in 44 countries and a family of global, multi-billion-dollar brands including Lay's Potato Chips, Doritos Tortilla Chips, Ruffles Potato Chips, Tostitos Tortilla Chips and Cheetos Cheese Flavored Snacks.