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All of this simply would have taken time and a long-term marketing strategy to succeed. The Xbox One would never have won over everyone, but it would have found an audience of advocates of its own. Now, though, it’s doing exactly the same thing as the PlayStation 4 and the only point of differentiation between the two will be the software and exclusives. It’s not sustainable – it didn’t really work to anyone’s benefit this generation, and it won’t in the next either.
As a quick summary for the people that haven’t been following the Xbox One that closely; it’s a console that was originally announced as always-online, would not play second hand games and required Kinect to work.
None of that was especially popular amongst the vocal kind of people that inhabit Twitter, online discussion forums and NeoGAF. Even Marcus Beer, that bastion of media integrity, saw fit to embark on a angry campaign against the console, and brought with him all his angry teen followers. At one stage it seemed like the entire Internet had condemned the console as a horrible product, which was an impressive feat indeed since I wasn’t willing to judge something I hadn’t played.
Here’s the arguments we heard, and heard, and then heard some more: Always-online meant people in rural areas with patchy connections would have difficulty getting on with the console, and military personal outside of the US might not even get to play the console at all courtesy of the region locking the always-online came with.
The blocking of second hand games meant that people looking to save at the cash register would no longer be able to bypass the profitability of the people that made the game to knock $10 off the sticker. And the Kinect thing apparently meant that Microsoft would spy on you doing naked Dance Central XBone, to hear the people with tin foil hats talking.
What all of this meant – legitimate complaint or not – is that Microsoft found itself diving head first into a PR disaster. It didn’t help that Microsoft’s own PR was deeply confused in terms of messaging and failed to properly manage the concerns that the community had. Things only got worse when Sony got up on stage at E3, smugly pointed at Microsoft and issued a publicity blitz to the effect of “we’re not doing what they’re doing.”
As any company that focus group its products to the point where they’re Borg-like assimilations of everything that generic middle-America worships, Microsoft was not too proud to stand up and say “we’re going to give in to your every demand about a product you haven’t even used, so please buy us again.”
Amongst the mockery on those Twitter feeds and online discussion groups there are people that are again considering buying the console. PR crisis averted.
Here’s the thing though; people are also now wrongly assuming that Microsoft is marketing the Xbox One “right.” The reality is the really big companies out there in the world haven’t really clued into the fact that PR management of social networks is only one part of a marketing strategy. So wrapped up are companies like Microsoft around concepts of “Big Data Analytics” and “Social Engagement” (both genuine PR terms, go look them up), that they’re forgetting that marketing needs to be a far broader strategy than giving in to the whims of the vocal minority that care enough to complain. And here I do think Microsoft has made a marketing mistake with the Xbox One by removing everything from the console that could fairly be called unique.
One of the key things that any marketer will want in a product they have to sell is the idea that the product is different. I’m not necessarily talking about innovation here – that’s a separate topic and actually quite difficult for a marketer to sell. Rather, it’s the idea that the product that they’re selling has a fundamentally different value proposition to its rivals within its sector. In developing a product that is different, you then have a unique audience that you can reach out to that is also fundamentally different to the demographics of your competitors.
Nintendo’s Wii, for instance, was different because it was a console where the input – the controller – wasn’t that intimidating and people saw other people playing with their Wiis using normal gestures like swinging their arm to hit a virtual ball or doing Yoga exercises on a device that looks like one they find in their local gym. This was different to what the PS3 and Xbox 360 offered, and so Nintendo’s success with the Wii had nothing to do with innovation, but rather in simply reaching out to a group of people that would otherwise have had no interest in a console at all.
Similarly the iPad wasn’t the first tablet device around, but because it was the first one that came with such a high level of aesthetics and simple functionality, it appealed to people in a way that the previous bulky and inefficient tablets could not.
The Xbox One was, previously, different. As someone who works with technology for a career and was previously a enterprise technology journalist, I knew what Microsoft was working towards. Cloud technology is useful, and in the enterprise space Microsoft has been happily offering Cloud technology to happy customers for years now. Selling the same idea into the consumer market was always going to take time, but the idea should have been that over the span of a couple of years the benefits to the console would start selling themselves, as Cloud services become more and more ingrained within everyday life. What Netflix has done with movies, Twitter has done with messaging, and services like Pandora has done with music, Microsoft would have been in the prime place to do with games. It might not have been popular with a certain kind of traditional gamer, but Microsoft would have found a new audience to chase instead.
Similarly with Kinect and the used game block were two elements that would have differentiated the Xbox One from its rivals, even if it took some time to convince them of it. Kinect would have allowed people to interact directly with their consoles. Given that Microsoft has done such a good job with opening Kinect up for non-gaming applications, it would have been interesting to see what could be developed if the developer was able to assume the consumer had Kinect on. The used game block would have eventually shown itself to be a benefit to consumers when publishers, more confident in sales expectations, would start competing even more aggressively with one another.


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Law firm network QualitySolicitors yesterday announced a greater focus on lead conversion, along with a change in leadership to drive it.
CEO Eddie Ross is to leave next month and be replaced by Ben Greco, managing director of property services firm Move with Us, a member of the wider Simplify Group of which QS is part.
Mr Ross “will continue to provide consultancy support to the legal network”, an announcement said.
QS said it has been focusing on web marketing, and its central website and those of its member law firms recorded nearly 1.3m unique visitors in 2015, generating more than 38,000 leads and enquiries for the network.
It said Move with Us, with which some QS firms already work as a conveyancing panel partner, was “a recognised market leader in lead conversion in the sector”.
The announcement continued: “The central QualitySolicitors organisation will continue to further enhance this lead generation capability and also now, by harnessing the expertise and experience of the Move with Us lead conversion teams, focus its effort to create a similar level of success in lead conversion.
“Converting more of those new business leads into profitable legal cases will boost revenues at QualitySolicitors firms as well as improve end-customer satisfaction with quality of process and speed of response.”
Mr Greco said: “In the last two years, QualitySolicitors has strengthened its brand position, in particular online, and created a powerful lead generation engine. I am excited about working with the network to really maximise the value of those leads for the benefit of the QualitySolicitors member firms directly, and in further strengthening the QualitySolicitors brand.”
Mr Ross added: “We have helped our firms consolidate a differentiated brand proposition in the marketplace, and now the lead conversion experience of Move with Us will further increase the value of membership for our firms.”
Fuller details about the network’s plans are expected next month. The network has been quiet in the last year, although a couple of longstanding members firms – West Midlands firm Talbots and Norfolk firm Clapham & Collinge – made some noise by leaving it.
Just over a year ago, the Simplify Group – owned by private equity company Palamon – bought online business Evident Legal to add to QS, Move with Us, fellow conveyancing brand DC Law, and probate specialist Chorus Law.
The most recent accounts of the central QS organisation – for the 15 months to 31 March 2015 – showed a loss of £2.7m and net liabilities of £15.9m.

domain: news


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Print subscribers found out first. According to the New York Post, they received a letter in the mail with their Summer 2021 issue notifying them that it would be the magazine's last. It added that Marie Claire would instead "focus on its vibrant digital platforms — marieclaire.com, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.," as well as publish special editions that would be available on newsstands.
"Marie Claire has always been about connecting with its readers, delivering essential fashion, beauty, career, and politics coverage that our audience relies on," said Marie Claire U.S. Editor in Chief Sally Holmes, in a statement provided to Fashionista. "As the brand and media landscape continues to evolve, we plan to produce ambitious features, gorgeous portfolios and sharp commentary in the way that makes the most sense for our readers — which means continuing to invest in and grow our digital experiences and publishing special print issues at key moments in the year."
Subscribers were also reportedly informed that, unless they contacted Hearst for a refund, they would begin receiving Harper's Bazaar at home in Marie Claire's place. The letter was signed by Bazaar editor-in-chief Samira Nasr.
Confused? While Hearst no longer owns Marie Claire, annual subscribers already paid Hearst for a year of issues. In May, the title was acquired by UK media company Future, which already published Marie Claire UK, whose print edition shuttered in 2019. But it's Hearst who stands to benefit from a potential bump in Harper's Bazaar subscribers, while Future will surely be focused on continuing to grow Marie Claire's already-large digital audience.
This article was updated after publication to include a statement from Marie Claire.


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What you need to know
- Apple is to celebrate Earth Day 2020 with a short animated film on Apple TV+.
- It will star Meryl Streep, Chris O'Dowd, and Ruth Negga.
- It's based on the best-selling children's book 'Here We Are'.
Apple will celebrate Earth Day 2020 with a short animated film on Apple TV+, starring Meryl Streep.
In a press release Apple said:
Today Apple announced Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning Meryl Streep will lead the award-winning talent lending their voices to the Apple original animated Earth Day short film, "Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth," premiering April 17 exclusively on Apple TV+. Joining Streep are Emmy Award-winning and BAFTA-nominated Chris O'Dowd ("Girls," "State of the Union"), SAG Award nominee and Critic's Choice Award-winning Jacob Tremblay ("Room," "Wonder"), and Oscar nominee Ruth Negga ("Loving," "Ad Astra").
In celebration of Earth Day, this captivating animated film follows a precocious seven-year-old (voiced by Tremblay) who, over the course of Earth Day, learns about the wonders of the planet from his parents (voiced by O'Dowd and Negga) — and from a mysterious exhibit at the aptly titled Museum of Everything. The insightful and poignant short film is narrated by Streep.
"Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth" is based on the No. 1 New York Times Best Seller and 2017's No. 1 TIME Best Book of the Year from beloved artist, illustrator and writer Jeffers.
As mentioned, the film will be released on April 17. In celebration of Earth Day, Apple's employees often don green t-shirts for a few weeks, and last year there was also an Apple Watch challenge!
Celebrate Earth Day with Apple
Apple's Earth Day film will be released on April 17!
Subscribe, or enjoy a year's free viewing if you bought an iPhone, iPod, iPad Mac or Apple TV after September 10, 2019.
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Web 3.0 is coming fast. Although not yet fully realized, it promises to mark the end of the domination of the Internet by powerful platforms, such as Google.
“This third generation of Internet services will be the catalyst for a new Internet, connecting data-driven technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to fully distributed data ecosystems,” wrote Danial Araya, another Forbes.com contributor.
Essentially, Web 3.0 will displace the power of the Internet from a narrow band of platforms that retailers and brands currently rely on to reach customers. This power will be transferred into the hands of consumers organized within communities of interest whose members will interact on multiple platforms.
As this future unfolds, consumers are not going to rely on authorities, like brands, to give them the information they need, but on each other.
Early adopters reveal the future
Consumers classified as “early adopters” can be our guide to the future of brands in Web 3.0. Early adopters are a segment of consumers who are generally younger, more educated and better off.
They are the harbingers of change in the consumer market, picking up on new technologies and trends that the rest of us eventually follow. They also tend to be luxury consumers, given their higher economic status and education.
To look over the horizon at the changing priorities and expectations of early adopters and Web 3.0, Boston Consulting Group conducted a study with Highsnobiety, a fashion and lifestyle media platform that is one of favorites of the early adopter class. In the study titled Luxury 3.0they call them “Cultural Pioneers” and look specifically at their preferences in the luxury market.
But don’t be fooled. The implications of this study go far beyond the luxury market and luxury brands. It can help all consumer-facing retailers and brands prepare for the power shift of Web 3.0.
And just as early adopters are the harbinger of changes that will occur in the broader consumer market, luxury is also a harbinger. Luxury is where fashion, beauty and lifestyle trends begin and then translate to the mass market.
BCG’s Sarah Willersdorf, who led the study, notes that luxury brands have been ahead of the curve in embracing Web 3.0 capabilities such as blockchain, DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations) and product-related NFTs. physical and digital. But many mass brands are also dipping their toes into Web 3.0, including Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Burger King, McDonalds, and Gap.
“Web 3.0 is characterized by decentralization away from traditional sources of authority,” the report explains, and brands at all costs have been a traditional source of authority. “Luxury 3.0 [or read Consumer 3.0] represents a profound change where individuals and communities have more control over the narrative than ever before.
Cultural pioneers lead and the mass market follows
Of the more than 4,000 luxury consumers surveyed, just under a third were classified as Cultural Pioneers. They stood out from the general luxury consumers surveyed by being more aware of brand, fashion and design trends. They were also younger and spent 38% more on luxury than luxury consumers in general.
But don’t be distracted by the “luxury” label. Luxury consumers buy many other non-luxury brands and products. What is most important in this study is not so much their luxury shopping behavior as their psychographics or underlying consumer psychology, which applies to all categories of consumers in which they participate. .
As a group, the Cultural Pioneers are highly engaged on social media, with around two-thirds participating once a day or more frequently. They favor Instagram (89%) and YouTube (50%) to interact with their online communities. Facebook is far behind, used by only 33% of cultural pioneers, and they are more active on Reddit (33%) and Discord/Slack (19%) than other consumers surveyed. They also have more followers online, making them thought leaders and influencers within their groups.
Cultural trailblazers over-index in online communities organized around sneakers and streetwear (each 57%), luxury brands (52%), specific brands (46%), crypto investing (20%) and social activism (20%). They are about as involved as other luxury consumers in sports (31%), running/fitness (24%), games (22%) and work/industry (14%).
Rise of Metacommunities
Under Web 2.0, brand communities were largely owned and operated by the brand, existing on a select set of channel platforms where the brand controlled the community. Described as monolithic, closed and linear with top-down brand communications, these brand communities included a cohesive group of brand enthusiasts present to praise the brand.
This traditional brand community model is being replaced in Web 3.0 by a decentralized, circular model that BCG calls metacommunities.
“Metacommunities are fluid, dynamic, and fragmented,” Willersdorf said. “It’s a very different notion than a brand talking to their community of people who buy for the brand. You’re actually talking to a lot of different sub-groups and audiences around the brand, whether they’re act as fans, consumers, detractors or commentators.
In Web 3.0, brands need to address a much larger audience than just a select group of buying consumers. People are drawn to decentralized metacommunities primarily to learn new things, gain insider information through group discussions, and bounce ideas off other group members. Willersdorf cites Diet Prada, Slow Factory, Old Celine and Dank Art as examples of these new metacommunities.
“When we think about engaging audiences, not just consumers, it’s about sharing brand stories and industry insider knowledge,” Willersdorf said.
Another difference between Web 2.0 and 3.0 is the notion of co-creation. “It changes the role of the brand’s creative director from coming up with new ideas and pushing them to market to orchestrating relationships with other creators, whether that’s co-creating products or advertising,” she said.
“People want a participatory and collaborative relationship with brands, treating their consumers as equal partners in the relationship. They expect two-way communication that did not exist before,” she continued.
And brands will be held accountable if they fail to meet the expectations of community members. They require brands to be accountable on ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues and expect brands to listen and act on community feedback. If they feel a lack of credibility, they will not remain silent.
The balance of power shifts
It will be a challenge for every brand, from mass to luxury, to navigate the new world of Web 3.0 and understand how grassroots organized brand audiences will change the dynamics of the consumer-brand relationship.
For too long, brands have believed they hold the balance of power in this relationship, but as Web 3.0 evolves and the strength of metacommunities grows, they will learn differently.
In conclusion, the BCG/Highsnobiety report quotes Céline Semaan, founder of the Slow Factory Foundation. She perfectly expressed the changes to come as meta-communities rise and begin to wield their power over brands in Web 3.0.
“Communities do not exist in a vacuum. Communities do not belong to brands. Communities exist independently of brands. Communities don’t need brands. Brands need communities,” Seaman said and added, “Communities exist around interests. It’s up to brands to bridge the gap between their values and their actions by responding to these interests.


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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are having so much fun in Paris that they nearly missed the Stéphane Rolland couture show this morning. Kimye’s tardiness forced the designer to hold off the show for about an hour.
Red Carpet Fashion Awards tweeted that Rolland started the show without Kardashian and West. GASP! But don’t worry — WWD tweeted that Kimye arrived just before the finale, so they didn’t miss the entire show. Whew, crisis averted.


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‘Tru Plant’ Witches rider Jake Allen has launched a new merchandise range for fans to purchase. T-shirts and hoodies will be available to buy with t-shirts priced at £25 and hoodies at £40. If you are interested in buying any, please see Jake at the track before or after meetings or you can contact him on social media on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
To celebrate the launch of his merchandise, Jake is giving away a t-shirt for this week’s competition. All you have to do to enter is retweet this tweet and follow both our accounts on Twitter or like this Instagram post and follow both of our accounts on Instagram or like and share this Facebook post and like both of our accounts on Facebook. Entries close at 10pm on Wednesday 31st July. A winner will be selected at random and will be presented with the prize at a meeting at Foxhall.


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Zinio Systems Delivers Digital Magazines in Outer Space; NASA Astronauts Read Favorite Magazines from Laptop Computers at International Space StationSAN FRANCISCO, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- July 29, 2004 -- Zinio Systems, Inc., worldwide leader in digital magazine production, distribution and circulation demonstrated there are no borders when it comes to reading your favorite magazines -- even from space. Flight Engineer and NASA ISS Science Officer, Mike Fincke, who will spend a total of about six months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), uploads digital issues of his favorite technology magazines to read on his laptop computer using the Zinio Reader.
Fincke, a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force and NASA Astronaut, began his first mission in space as an Expedition 9 crewmember in April. The Expedition 10 Commander, NASA Astronaut Leroy Chiao, also has requested his favorite science, technology, news and automotive magazines be digitally delivered from Zinio, when the Expedition 10 mission to the ISS begins in late October.
Since March 2002, Zinio has delivered more than 21 million digital magazines from 160 popular titles, such as BusinessWeek, Motor Trend, PC WORLD, Jane's Defence Weekly, PC Magazine, Popular Science and U.S. News & World Report, to more than one and a half million customers in more than 200 countries. Magazines are available for digital download at www.zinio.com with the same layout as the print versions, improving accessibility, convenience and reading experience. Zinio's 40 major publishing partners include Hearst, IDG, McGraw-Hill, Primedia, Reed Business Information, Technology Review Inc., U.S. News, VNU and Ziff-Davis.
"I guess the sky's the limit when it comes to reading digital magazines," said Scott Kauffman, president and CEO of Zinio Systems, Inc. "We are thrilled to provide NASA astronauts with our services."
About Zinio Systems, Inc.
Zinio Systems (www.zinio.com) delivers magazines in a new, powerful digital form with the same layout, text, and advertisements as the print versions, improving accessibility and reach, convenience and reading experience. Consisting of production services that convert print magazines into digital form, a dedicated reading software application, and a comprehensive electronic delivery system, Zinio allows magazine readers to enjoy portability, easy navigation and interactivity in a digital version available on desktop and laptop computers while offering publishers an opportunity for circulation growth. Zinio has offices in San Francisco and New York City. Zinio is privately held and investors include New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Apax Partners, Inc., Intel Capital, Odyssey Capital, NetOyster, IDEO Ventures and Centre Palisades Ventures.


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Music startup Hyph introduced an upcoming cell app, which goals to be a music creation and remixing instrument for everybody to make use of. With the creator economic system estimated to be price $100 billion, Hyph is focusing on the over 50 million folks worldwide who determine as content material creators.
Hyph permits customers to create authentic songs by taking music from the app’s library and customizing it by including instrumentals like bass, lead guitar, strings, drums and piano, or a voice recording of them singing. Customers can select music based mostly on style or temper. Hyph will likely be accessible within the U.S. by way of an invite this fall. The app is slated for a Spring 2023 launch and will likely be accessible on Android and iOS gadgets.
Together with sharing to social media platforms, customers also can share their creations within the app with a backdrop of their chosen photograph or video. The music-creation-centered social media app will even let customers take songs made by different customers and republish them with new edits.
The New York Metropolis-based startup was based this 12 months by Max Renard, Anthony Kennedy Shriver and Alexander Dessauer. It raised $26 million in seed funding from non-public buyers. The corporate goals to launch an app that enables everybody with a smartphone to “create professional-quality music,” Hyph wrote in its announcement.
“Hyph will do for music creation what smartphone cameras did for images, which offered anybody with a smartphone the flexibility to supply high quality images with out the monetary dedication and time beforehand required,” Renard stated. Renard notes that Hyph is focused at Gen Z, a “hands-on technology who need to be part of the creation course of.” A current survey discovered that 45% of Gen Z need to generate income creating content material.
The Hyph workforce says that the aim of the forthcoming app isn’t for creators to generate income as skilled musicians however to have enjoyable making songs and sharing them with buddies. Hyph owns the rights to all songs created on its app, however the firm plans to share the proceeds with tune creators and music contributors.
In-app advertisements will make Hyph accessible and free for all customers, nonetheless, it’s going to have paid options and the choice to take away advertisements for a charge. These premium choices will vary from $0.99 to $29.99, the corporate informed TechCrunch. Renard notes that Hyph doesn’t depend on AI-generated music, as an alternative offering a list of songs recorded by session musicians.
Hyph set to launch a music creation app with an emphasis on remixing by Lauren Forristal initially printed on TechCrunch


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Yoga guru Baba Ramdev met CM Chandrababu Naidu at the Andhra Pradesh secretariat in Amaravati. Baba Ramdev’s brainchild Patanjali Group is establishing a mega food park at Chinaraopalli in Vijayanagaram district with an investment of Rs 634 crore in food processing and associated units.
The food park creates 33.400 new job opportunities in the region. AP Government has allotted 172.84 acres of land to the Patanjali mega food park. While speaking on this occasion, Chandrababu said that his government is encouraging organic farming in the state and implementing new measures in promoting organic products.


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Miami, October, 29, 2013. Professional chefs from top Miami restaurants and hotels, as well as culinary teams from South America will compete for the title of “Best Chef of the Americas” at the VIII Americas Chef Competition Oct. 28 and 29.
The two-day competition will be held on the tradeshow floor of the 17th Americas Food & Beverage Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The slate of chefs includes international and South Florida-based culinary professionals.
Culinary Teams Individual Chefs
Surfcomber Hotel, Miami Beach Canyon Ranch, Miami Beach
Pescados Mexicanos, Mexico Gigi, Miami
Eden Roc Hotel, Miami Beach Global Imports & Exports, Clearwater
Divino Ceviche Peruvian Restaurant, Miami Bridges of America, Miami
ACF Private Chefs, Port Charlotte and Miramar Bay Hill Club and Lodge, Orlando
Capital Grille, Miami Aji Gusto, Bolivia
Le Cordon Bleu, Fort Lauderdale ACF Private Chef, North Miami Beach
Open Stage Club, Coral Gables Private Chef, West Palm Beach
The VIII Americas Chef Competition is sanctioned by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) and will be judged by a panel of ACF accredited chefs. Winning teams and chefs will receive medals and cash prizes.
Nationally renowned chef David St. John Grubb will chair the competition. St. John-Grubb is founder of FoodWorks International, academic director for Culinary Arts for Don Ignacio Culinary Arts School and chair of the board of the ACF Greater Miami Chapter Epicurean Club. Joining St. John Grubb are Chef Roland E. Schaeffer, a retired senior chef for Heinz who has won many culinary awards, including several gold medals and an honorary diploma from the Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung; Chef Steve Jayson, corporate executive chef in charge of Food Services for Universal Parks and Resorts Worldwide and Chef Tony Lauri, executive chef at the University of Miami and an avid participant in chef competitions.
Products for this year’s competition will be provided courtesy of Larry Kline Meats. Edd Helms Group will provide the electricity and Lowe’s Home Improvement will provide the kitchen equipment.
The chef’s competition is a key part of the World Trade Center Miami’s 17th Americas Food and Beverage Show, which will feature 500 exhibitors, including food producers from 22 countries. The two-day show includes food and product demonstrations, and restaurant and trade seminars. The show is the largest food trade event in the Western Hemisphere, generating millions in recorded sales and helping some 125,000 businesses expand into new markets in the past 17 years.
2012 Americas Food and Beverage Show Numbers (2011 Stats)
- 471 booths (388 booths)
- 385 exhibitors (365 exhibitors)
- $150 million expected sales ($135 million in actual sales)
- 10,000+ buyers or small business representatives (7,041)
The Americas Food and Beverage is a trade-only event that is closed to the general public. Attendee registration and media is open at www.americasfoodandbeverage.com.


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Chance the Rapper is literally the best person ever!
During Chance’s monthly OpenMike event and with the help of Nike, chance gifted person with a pair of Jordan Retro 11s! Jordan Retro 11s are $220 and are not released until December 9!
On the anniversary of the passing of my mentor Brother Mike, @OpenMikeChicago had one of it’s best nights yet. Thanks to @Korporate00 for speaking and thanks to @Jumpman23 for bringing 300 pair of unreleased 11s for the young creatives. Until next year… POWER TO THE PEOPLE…
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) December 5, 2017
Of course those that were gifted a pair of sneakers expressed their gratitude on social media!
— Nmiah Marsaw (@_iiamNmiah) December 5, 2017
Chance is giving Santa some serious competition for the holidays!
- Sarah & Tyler


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One of iOS 16’s biggest upgrades has finally arrived
Apple has rolled out the second developer betas of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 this week and has confirmed that the RoomPlan framework is now available.
The beta’s release notes state:
The RoomPlan framework is now available in iOS & iPadOS 16, enabling 3D parametric model creation of an interior room. The framework uses a device’s sensors, trained machine learning models, and RealityKit rendering capabilities to capture the physical surroundings of an interior room. APIs are available for end-to-end scanning experience, real-time data structures for custom UI creation, and both USD and USDZ generation of 3D room models. (84170837)
The new RoomPlan feature is a much-touted upgrade in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 that will let developers create room scanning tools for users on devices like iPhone 13 and M1 iPad Pro (2021). As noted, this isn’t a feature in and of itself, but rather a tool for developers to create new apps and experiences for users. Apple says the tool can help customers “make more informed decisions by using RoomPlan to create a floor plan of a room directly in your apps” with applications in real estate, e-commerce, or even hospitality. For example, by using RoomPlan and an app from a company like IKEA you could ensure that the furniture you’re trying to buy will definitely fit in the space you’re trying to fill with accurate measurements. The scans will include info about walls, cabinets, and other types of furniture as detected.
The introduction of RoomPlan to the new betas this week means developers can finally start tinkering with the tool and figure out how to create great apps that will benefit users. iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 will be available as a public beta next month before its official release in the fall, likely falling in line with the iPhone 14 launch. If you can’t wait for that, these Prime Day iPhone deals will be a great shout for picking up an iPhone this summer.
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Actor Park Hae Jin has been selected as a model for China’s chain restaurant company AZSEN. AZSEN had not hired model for 30 years. They selected Park Hae Jin as a first model for their company.
Park Hae Jin’s agency, WM company said, “Park Hae Jin just signed a contract with AZSEN, one of the biggest chain restaurant company in China on May 26.”
AZSEN is a chain restaurant company which has 120 of stores in china’s major cities. They also export instant ramen to the Singapore, Japan, Australia and other countries.
The reason for selecting Park Hae Jin as their first model is that AZSEN concluded Park Hae Jin’s image which is kind and considerate is accord with their image. It is said that AZSEN came to Korea in person to persuade Park Hae Jin.
For last 5 years, Park Hae Jin has been loved by many china fans by entering the Chinese market. Moreover, he is the only Korean who launched two of brands named after him. He has strengthen his position showing his love toward china.
Park Hae Jin opened Park Hae Jin Theater in Tianjin’s Lotte Cinema. He donated all his earnings from this cinema to children who need help. Furthermore, he joined in charity auction event for free for the victims of China’s earthquake last year. On March 18, Park Hae Jin became the first Korean who won “Chinese Civil Awards.”
AZSEN said that Park Hae Jin’s image is fitted with our group image that we always pursue.
Park Hae Jin was cast as a model in China, Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan proving that his popularity as a Hallyu star.
Reporter, Bae Sun Young firstname.lastname@example.org
Tranlator, Younggeol Seok


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The ‘Hookah’ rapper is captured on camera scrunching up his face when the Victoria’s Secret model passes by his seat during Mugler SS20 Ready to Wear fashion show.
Does Tyga have some issues with Bella Hadid? The rapper was one of the attendees at the Mugler SS20 Ready to Wear show, where the model participated, during the Paris Fashion Week. However, it appears he wasn’t impressed with Bella as he was spotted giving the Victoria’s Secret model major stink eye during the show.
The moment was captured on camera and spread on the Internet. In a photo, he was seen scrunching up his face when Bella passed by his seat. His epic expression soon became a hot topic among social media users, with many wondering whether Bella did something to Tyga that made him make such face in front of her. “Why is Tyga looking like at Bella like that,” one asked, as another echoed, “Yo what Bella did to Tyga I can’t breathe his face.”
One other quipped, “Damn Tyga is looking like he has s**t on his lips.” Someone jokingly said, “Tygas like damn she needs to eat,” while one person commented, “Tyga looks like he smelled fart.” Another individual pointed out, “He looks disgusted.”
Tyga hasn’t addressed why he made that face during the show.
His seemingly disapproval aside, Bella indeed looked stunning when strutting her stuff during the show. She hit the runway in a skintight sheer black corset bodysuit that was completely cutout on the sides, revealing her tiny waist. Her toned abs were also highlighted thanks to the bodice of the one-piece that featured black straps. She paired the look with a cropped black fitted blazer, a pair of sheer black pinstripe tights and strappy black heels.
Bella has been quite busy during this year’s fashion week. Besides the Mugler SS20 Ready to Wear show, the brunette beauty rocked the Max Mara fashion show during Milan Fashion Show on September 19. Her sister, Gigi Hadid, also walked the runway during the show.


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Confluent Cloud, now available on Google Cloud Platform, combines its streaming data service based on Apache Kafka® with Google Cloud solutions
Palo Alto, Calif. – May 22, 2018 – Confluent, provider of a streaming platform based on Apache Kafka®, today announced a partnership with Google Cloud to make Confluent Cloud available on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) for mission-critical use cases, including event-driven applications, machine learning for advanced analytics, and hybrid cloud data pipelines. By using a fully-managed streaming data service on GCP, customers can offload the operating burden of Apache Kafka and stream data at scale, in real time, to Google Cloud big data services including BigQuery, Cloud Machine Learning Engine and TensorFlow. This enables enterprises and developers to focus on generating faster and better business insights instead of managing infrastructure.
With Confluent Cloud on Google Cloud Platform, enterprises can operationalize streaming data by:
With Confluent Cloud, enterprises and developers have the option to build and run applications in the cloud, knowing that the team who created Kafka are maintaining and managing the Kafka clusters. In addition to the partnership with Google Cloud, Confluent now has two subscription options available:
“By partnering with Google Cloud, we’re giving our mutual customers a new way to leverage a fast and reliable streaming data service based on Apache Kafka on the Google Cloud Platform,” said Neha Narkhede, co-founder and CTO at Confluent. “We’re also excited to introduce Confluent Cloud Professional to make it possible for cloud-first developers and enterprises to build Kafka-based, event-driven applications on the cloud of their choice, at whatever level they need.”
“We’re finding an increasing number of customers looking for streaming solutions to power their applications. Those using Apache Kafka have asked for a managed Kafka solution that matches the ease of use of Google Cloud’s broader data services,” said Sudhir Hasbe, Director of Product Management at Google Cloud. “Our partnership with Confluent will give customers access to an enterprise-grade managed Kafka experience, and with that the ability to build hybrid and cloud-native streaming solutions with their preferred tools.”
Pricing and Availability
Confluent, founded by the creators of Apache Kafka®, provides the leading streaming platform that enables enterprises to maximize the value of data. With a streaming platform that spans to the edges of an organization and captures data into streams of real-time events, businesses in industries such as retail, logistics, manufacturing, financial services, technology and media are able to respond in real time to every customer event, transaction, user experience and market movement whether on premises or in the cloud. Backed by Benchmark, Index Ventures and Sequoia, Confluent is based in Palo Alto, California. To learn more, please visit www.confluent.io. Download Confluent Open Source at www.confluent.io/download.
Connect with Confluent
Read our blog: www.confluent.io/blog
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ConfluentInc
© Confluent, Inc. 2014–2018. All rights reserved. Apache, Apache Kafka and Kafka are trademarks of the Apache Software Foundation. All other marks used are the property of their respective owners.


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The executive in charge of day-to-day operations at the Wordperfect Corporation, which makes the nation's best-selling word processing software, has been forced to resign.
Some industry analysts suggest that W. E. (Pete) Peterson, who had been Wordperfect's executive vice president, is the first victim of the company's bruising battle to fend off an increasingly popular word processing package from the Microsoft Corporation.
Executives at Wordperfect, which is based in Orem, Utah, and is named after the word processing program, said yesterday that Mr. Peterson had resigned "to pursue other interests." He also resigned as a director of the company. Mr. Peterson will stay on as a consultant for an unspecified period, the company said.
But Mr. Peterson, who is 42 years old, said he had been taken by surprise by the move, which was disclosed late Friday. He did, however, fault his own abrasive management style for creating many adversaries throughout his decade as a manager, a period in which the company grew to command more than 60 percent of the word processing software market.
"This was unexpected from my point of view," Mr. Peterson said in a telephone interview yesterday. "That's saying it nicely." But he acknowledged that there had been areas of conflict within the company.
"I'm a difficult person to work with; anyone would tell you that," he said. "I'm quite demanding and expect good work. As a result I've made my share of enemies."
The company was founded in 1980 by a Brigham Young University computer scientist, Alan C. Ashton, now Wordperfect's president, and one of his students, Bruce W. Bastian, who is now the company's chairman.
Privately owned, Wordperfect had $533 million in revenue last year and ranked fourth among personal computer software publishers, behind Microsoft, of Redmond, Wash.; the Lotus Development Corporation of Cambridge, Mass., and the Novell Corporation of Provo, Utah.
While Wordperfect has dominated the word processing market for personal computers based on the MS-DOS operating system -- the majority of machines in use -- it has lagged as many users have switched to Microsoft's Windows operating system.
Its first version of Wordperfect for Windows came out in November, a year after Word for Windows, from Microsoft, and Ami Pro, from Lotus. Smaller Share of Growing Market
Wordperfect said it had sold about 700,000 copies of its new version for Windows. But compared with its overall share of the word processing market, its share of the faster growing Windows segment is only about half as large, around 30 percent.
"Any time there's a major change in the environment there's an opportunity for a new leader," said Richard Shaffer, publisher of The Technologic Letter, an industry publication, referring to the shift from the DOS to the Windows operating systems. "Wordperfect's loyal fans and installed base are both its great asset and its biggest liability."
One major question is how many users of older versions of Wordperfect lost patience waiting for a Windows version or took the advice of reviewers and -- for either reason -- switched to Word or Ami.
Wordperfect for Windows is now available in stores, but Word and Ami Pro are already on their second editions. In fact, version 2.0 of Microsoft's Word came out about the same time as Wordperfect for Windows, and has been rated in a number of reviews as a superior product. Seen as a One-Product Company
Wordperfect's challenge is illustrated by the fact that while such competitors as Microsoft, Lotus and Borland International have relentlessly diversified into a range of product lines, Wordperfect is still largely considered a one-product company. Moreover, some of the advantages that distinguished Wordperfect in the past, like its nurturing approach to customer support, are now being copied by others in the software industry. Other Changes in Management
"The rest of the industry is beginning to understand the importance of customer support," said Esther Dyson, publisher of Release 1.0, a computer industry newsletter. "As a result their lead is beginning to erode. In theory, being a one-product company doesn't hurt. But now that the world is more integrated, the market is tougher."
Wordperfect's chairman, Mr. Bastian, said in a statement announcing Mr. Peterson's resignation, "We have been discussing reorganizing in marketing, development, management and corporate direction and feel that as we continue to grow, these changes are necessary for the long-term success of the company."
Mr. Bastian and Mr. Ashton each own about 49 percent of Wordperfect. Mr. Peterson owns 1 percent.
In addition to dismissing Mr. Peterson, the company said it had appointed three seasoned managers to an expanded board. The new members are Duff Thomson, vice president and general counsel; John Louis, vice president for international operations, and David Moon, senior vice president for development.


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It looks like ride-sharing giant Lyft is getting a huge injection of funding from Saudi Arabia's Prince al-Waleed bin Talal, who announced that his Kingdom Holding Co. will secure a 2.3% stake in Lyft.
The 2.3% stake will cost al-Waheed's company $104.9 million, which is one part of the largest investment by an unnamed group for $247.7 million, taking a 5.3% stake in Lyft. These investments boost Lyft's estimated valuation to $4.92 billion. With Lyft only operating in the US right now, and the San Francisco-based company scaling back its overseas expansion plans, this investment should be quite a nice surprise over the holidays for Lyft.
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After announcing its lofty IPO goals last week, Zynga has taken its show on the road, trying its hardest to convince investors to pony up for a service that only 3 percent of its users pay for. Zynga's angling for the biggest IPO since Google raised $1.67 billion in 2004. Considering the way things went for Groupon, the general state of the economy, and the tech industry -- just last week three other companies postponed their IPOS -- Zynga has a lot working against it. And then on top of all that, Zynga has its own cred to defend. How exactly does one sell FarmVille, a game about pigs that most people don't pay to play, for an eventual $7 billion valuation?
Zynga CEO Mark Pincus is addressing investor's biggest concerns: growth and paid subscriptions. Zynga's revenue comes from people who buy things to use in the game, like farm tools. But, out of the 227 million monthly active users, only 7.7 million of those pay for these implements. The other 97 percent just play for free. Pincus has told investors "we could see that doubling," reports Reuters's Tim McClaughlin. Of course, he didn't give a time-frame or say how. So really, that's not much of a promise. But it indicates growth, another issue for investors, who worry about Zynga's reliance on Facebook. That's where Zynga makes 95 percent of its money, but traffic numbers for most of its games are declining, pointed out TechCrunch's Eric Eldon, and Facebook has limited the gaming platform's marketing capabilities. But even with its Facebook woes, Pincus emphasized that the company is growing, pointing to an increase in mobile traffic from 11.1 to 13 million users in just a month. And with high profile players, like Alec Baldwin, giving Words With Friends game some free marketing -- -- clearly the games have value, argues Pincus.
So far, Pincus has succeeded in using these vague promises to get investors to commit. Just a few days in, Zynga has gotten enough orders to cover all the shares it plans on selling, sources told Bloomberg's Zijing Wu and Douglas MacMillan. Zynga plans on selling 100 million shares at between $8.50 to $10. While a good sign, the orders don't mean investors will buy, argues Lise Buyer, who works at IPO advisory firm Class V Group. "They’re off to a promising start," Buyer told Wu and MacMillan. "But it’s way too early to draw any conclusions because an indication in the book is not a commitment. If the euro zone falls apart on the 9th, all bets are off."


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Google Pulls Plug On Google Play Ad-Blocker Apps
Android fans no longer have the option to block the annoying ads on apps, as Google has yanked off the ad-blocker apps from the Google Play Store.
Considering Google generates a major chunk of its revenue from advertising, the move aimed at protecting itself and its partners comes as no surprise.
"Users in search of ad-blocking apps on Google Play won't have any luck as of today. Google has reportedly launched a campaign to remove apps that interfere with advertising from its app store," reports CNET.
Several app developers for Android applications like AdAway, AdBlock and AdFree received notifications from Google Thursday, March 14 that their apps were being pulled down, according to reports. The reason? Apparently, these ad-blocking programs violate Google Play's Developer Distribution Agreement terms and conditions, specifically section 4.4.
"4.4 Prohibited Actions. You agree that you will not engage in any activity with the Market, including the development or distribution of Products, that interferes with, disrupts, damages, or accesses in an unauthorized manner the devices, servers, networks, or other properties or services of any third party including, but not limited to, Android users, Google or any mobile network operator. You may not use customer information obtained from the Market to sell or distribute Products outside of the Market," reads section 4.4 of Google's Developer Distribution Agreement.
Whether one is in disagreement with Google's decision is of little consequence as per the terms: the ad-blocker apps clearly violate this policy. Even though ads are annoying, they are one of the major sources of revenue for Google and its partners, enabling them to provide users with free services and apps. Google can also afford to sell its Nexus devices like the Nexus 4 smartphone at a low price point because of the revenue generation from ads.
Users who are partial to ad-blockers have the alternative to side-load apps, but remember: these are more prone to malware.
One question that remains is: if the ad-blockers violated policy, why didn't Google dump them earlier?
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Solana’s NFT Sales Plunge While Bitcoin Ordinals Increase
An NFT from the y00t collection at Solana. Photo: Magic Eden.
Solana’s secondary non-fungible token (NFT) sales fell nearly 50% in May, to $44.9 million from $85.7 million in April. Discard SOL NFT Composite, a measure of NFT activity on the Solana blockchain, also fell 12.13% during May.
The fall in Solana’s NFT market coincides with a rise in Ordinals, a type of NFTs on the Bitcoin network. Bitcoin’s monthly NFT sales volume skyrocketed 474% in May, reaching over $189 million, according to CryptoSlam data. This increase positioned Bitcoin as the second most popular NFT chain, a title often held by Solana.
“The only reason for the big change in the Solana ecosystem is simply the impact of Bitcoin NFTs,” said Yehudah Petscher, NFT strategist at Forkast Labs. “Since Bitcoin NFTs launched in late January, you can see Solana’s numbers dropping steadily. Sellers, buyers, total transactions are all 50% or less than they were before Bitcoin NFTs.”
Bitcoin’s monthly NFT sales multiplied by more than six times, growing from $32 million in April to $195.7 million in May. The Bitcoin blockchain recorded its 10 millionth Ordinals inscription on Monday, Dune Analytics data showed.
“People who use Solana are probably already Bitcoin users, but it doesn’t work the other way around. I would assume that many people who use Bitcoin don’t touch chains other than Ethereum. The point here is that the Bitcoin blockchain appeals to every crypto and NFT trader, and the same cannot be said for Solana, Petscher said.
The recent rise in memecoins has also contributed to Solana’s declining NFT sales, according to Brian Boisjoli, product manager at Forkast Labs.
“The majority of people traded memecoins instead of NFTs,” said Boisjoli, who has also traded memecoins over NFTs in recent fashion. “It suggests that people are going to chase the hot item and let the last one shine [NFT] in the dust.
Interest in memecoins surged in April, led by tokens such as Pepe and Floki being listed on major crypto exchanges such as Binance. Pepe rose nearly 7,000% in two weeks after its launch on April 17 and is up over 2,100% since its launch, according to CoinMarketCap.
The number of unique NFT buyers on Solana fell to 56,729 in May from 83,241 in April, according to CryptoSlam.
“Once the memecoin season settles down, I’m sure the capital will return to NFTs,” Boisjoli added.
Will Bitcoin Reach Ethereum’s NFT Sales Volume?
Bitcoin’s May NFT sales of $195.7 accounted for nearly half of Ethereum’s monthly total of $356 million, which is the largest blockchain by NFT sales volume. Monthly NFT sales volume fell 21.98% on Ethereum, and the Forkast ETH NFT Composite fell 4.35%. Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s monthly sales volume increased by 377.25% during the same period, according to CryptoSlam.
“People should really be aware of how significant and disruptive Bitcoin NFTs are. Especially if you think that Bitcoin NFT volume may eclipse Ethereum’s in the future. At that point, there will be some demand for blockchains other than Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ethereum’s layer 2, Petscher said.
He added that Bitcoin will continue to take market share from alternative chains to reshape the NFT landscape.
The new BRC-721E token standard launched on Monday enables the transfer of Ethereum-native NFTs to Bitcoin. The new standard burns the ERC-721 NFT permanently on Ethereum, allowing users to claim the recreated version of the NFT on Bitcoin as a BRC-721E inscription.
See related article: Bitcoin and Ethereum: Two Titans Battle for NFT Supremacy


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Cathay Pacific has its wings clipped by fuel-hedging
Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways has seen paper losses from fuel-hedging almost treble to HK$7.6billion (£646.5million) in two months as it bought long-term fuel supply contracts at the top of the market before prices plunged.
Cathay's shares fell as much as 7.3 per cent on the news.
The losses, including contracts running up to 2011, spiked between October and the end of the year as fuel prices tumbled in line with declining oil costs.
The airline's first-quarter bookings are also 'markedly down' from last year due to the global recession.
Shares in Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific have dropped sharply after warnings it could lose almost $1billion from fuel costs misjudgement
Many carriers across the world have been caught on the wrong side of hedging contracts as oil prices plunged after hitting a peak in July, although British Airways has increased hedging recently to take advantage of the fall in oil prices.
BA has also hedged its exposure to the dollar for the first time, buying an estimated $800million (£540million) before sterling's recent slump.
So far this year, fuel prices have climbed 28 per cent in Singapore trading, hitting $69.20 yesterday.
That may allow Cathay Pacific to recoup some of its unrealised hedging losses.
But the airline faces a grim set of 2008 results that it has acknowledged will be 'disappointing'. The carrier posted its first half-year loss in five years in the six months ended June.
Cathay Pacific has curbed capacity growth, offered staff unpaid leave and is to delay a new cargo terminal to cut costs amid the passenger traffic slowdown. This tumbled 9.7 per cent in the Asia-Pacific region in November, compared with a 4.6 per cent fall worldwide, according to the international Air Transport Association.
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Apple’s mobile payment system, Apple Pay, was launched last month in the U.S. and despite some resistance from a handful of retailers, initial usage figures are encouraging and confirm the service is rapidly building momentum. So how many people are using Apple Pay and it eventually replace your credit cards and cash?
Apple Pay late to the party, but nails the user experience
Apple was not the first company to launch a smartphone e-wallet and payment system, but it’s become very high profile since it was announced at the iPhone event in September. When Apple enters an nascent market like payments, everybody sits up and takes notice. At the iPhone launch, Apple CEO Tim Cook demonstrated how simple Apple Pay is to use; users need only tap the iPhone on the checkout terminal and then hold a finger on the Touch ID sensor to authenticate. Simple, quick, and seamless.
When you look back at the hardware and features Apple has added to its devices, it’s clear they have long been working towards a mobile payment scheme. Particularly with the Touch ID fingerprint sensor that first appeared on the iPhone 5s – it’s just one reason why the service works seamlessly from the user perspective. Behind the scenes, Apple has obviously been carefully cultivating its hardware and software but most importantly the financial arrangements with credit card companies and retailers, for years.
Apple Pay may dominate…
Various studies in the U.S. this week indicate that use of Apple Pay is rapidly growing as users upgrade to the iPhone 6, combined with more retailers deploying NFC-capable credit card readers at checkouts. Perhaps unsurprisingly, competing e-wallets like Google Wallet (which has yet to achieve any real success) and PayPal’s smartphone app are also benefitting from the new wave of awareness and interest in Apple Pay. Before Apple Pay launched, PayPal and Google Wallet were by far the most poplar digital wallets in the states, as shown in the chart below – but all that is about to change.
Forrester research has stated that retailers will take around $50 billion in mobile payments this year, rising to $143 billion by 2019. “It’s not just that we have smartphones” said Denée Carrington, an analyst at Forrester. “It’s that we’re increasingly dependent on or expect them to deliver more. Quite frankly, a lot has to do with the strength of the Apple brand and how much merchants and customers love how easy the experience is. I’m not saying it’s changing the landscape overnight. But this has never happened with other mobile wallets.”
Since Apple Pay’s October launch, it has already started to become the dominant mobile payment system, with retailers reporting that consumers are extremely keen to try out the new service. It comes as no surprise however, as a recent survey discovered that people appreciate the convenience and security of paying by smartphone – more than 30% of those surveyed echoed the same sentiments, essentially “I don’t have to worry about getting my credit or debit cards stolen”.
Not all retailers are onboard yet however. Since Apple Pay’s launch, CVS and Rite Aid came out in favour of a competing service (that is yet to launch) called CurrentC, which is being promoted by the Merchant Customer Exchange and Walmart, the country’s largest retailer. Fines will even supposedly be levied on stores that don’t have CurrentC exclusivity.
Growing retail support, but still some way to go
Apple says there are currently 36 retail partners who accept Apple Pay in brick-and-mortar stores, and that it’s available at more than 200,000 locations – it sounds impressive, but but only 15-20% of U.S. retailers even have NFC terminals. Despite this, the rising popularity of Apple’s system could help speed up adoption of compatible NFC-enabled tills.
In a report by the New York Times, Whole Foods Market said it handled more than 150,000 Apple Pay transactions in the first 17 days since launch, totalling 0.91% of all sales. “The experience at checkout has been very fast, convenient and secure”, said a Whole Foods representative.
McDonald’s, another early high profile adopter, said Apple Pay was being used in 50% of its wireless transactions, while Walgreens the chemists claimed its overall mobile payments (not just Apple Pay) have doubled in number. Apple Pay’s uptake is also having a knock-on effect on its competitors; for example Google Wallet has also experienced much higher usage recently.
Another telling sign that Apple Pay is growing is that installations of passes for the stock Passbook App (which stores credit cards, movie tickets and hotel reservations in the Apple wallet) have increased more than 54%, according to mobile marketing firm Vibes.
Apple has also been on the charm offensive to promote Apple Pay in the media. On Monday, AppleInsider published a feature following Eddie Cue (Apple’s SVP of Software and Services) being filmed on a holiday shopping spree for LA news station KTLA. The Apple executive used an iPhone 6 Plus at the Disney Store and Bloomingdale’s to demonstrate how easy it is to use, besides highlighting its security measures such as the one-time token that obviates the need for credit card details to be shared.
Mobile payment spending expected to rise this Christmas
Many American stores don’t yet support mobile payments of any type, so it could be years before Apple Pay is available absolutely everywhere. It’s encouraging to note a survey by credit card company Stratos which found a third of smartphone users in America intend to use some form of mobile payment system over the Christmas holidays. Around 17% percent of participants even said they were likely to spend more – perhaps this will convince the more hesitant retailers to jump on the bandwagon when they realise the early adopters are benefitting from increased sales.
Looking to the next few years, Investors.com predict that Apple Pay could hold as much as 20 percent of the payments market by 2019 and that Touch ID gives Apple a distinct advantage over its competitors. And because most Android smartphones don’t yet include a fingerprint scanner, that advantage is likely to continue for some time.
The outlook for Apple Pay
Apple Pay has a bright future in America as more retailers add support, and consumers discover it’s more convenient than using a credit card. In other markets the roll-out will take time, no more so than China where there are complex regulatory hurdles to overcome.
“If people want to use Apple Pay in China, Apple would have certain restrictions and limitations on operating payment businesses in China”, said Alibaba’s Executive Vice Chairm Joseph Tsai when interviewed by The Wall Street Journal. He firmly believes Apple should partner with Alibaba to use their back-end for payment processing in what was called “an obvious idea”. As one of Apple’s most important (and growing) markets, it’s important to provide the same seamless, compelling experience of using Apple Pay as everywhere else.
The success of Apple Pay is by no means guaranteed, but it already has fairly widespread retail support and strong interest from consumers. When it comes to the UK next year, let’s hope we can finally leave our wallets at home.
You can read more about Apple Pay and others in our recent article, the mobile payments revolution.


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Kate Moss has unveiled a collection of tech accessories for smartphones and tablets.
The range features a number of "fashion tech" cases with a more premium design to standard products in the market.
Moss's line will stock exclusively at the Carphone Warehouse from July 24, priced between £14.99 and £49.99.
In an interview with Vogue, the model said: "My phone's as much a part of my look as my bag or shoes, and yet there's so little choice out there. My whole approach was to treat this as any other fashion collaboration."
Carphone Warehouse's marketing director Julian Diment added: "We looked at the accessory ranges available today and found that consumers were crying out for something different.
"Fashion tech blurs the lines between fashion and technology, and Kate Moss is the perfect match for us to drive forward integration and creativity from the two industries."
See Kate Moss's full accessory range below:


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Nationally known retail executive Miki Racine Berardelli, who ran the digital commerce division at Fort Myers-based Chico's FAS and was the firm's chief marketing officer for two years, has been named CEO of Kidbox.
New York City-based Kidbox is an e-commerce startup, launched in March, that uses a machine-learning algorithm to deliver a personalized selection of brand-name apparel to customer's homes. The company's customer base consists of parents and their young children.
Berardelli, according to a statement from Kidbox, is scheduled to start her new role next month. “We love Miki's passion for the business and her proven track record in growing major e-commerce brands,” Kidbox cofounder Haim Dabah says in the release. “As a working mom, Miki understands how important it is to give busy parents more time. We know she will help us to re-imagine the shop-at-home experience and continue to inspire us with her passion for leading a mission driven company.”
Berardelli was chief marketing office at women's retail company Tory Burch and senior vice president of marketing at Ralph Lauren prior to Chico's. She's also been chairwoman of the Shop.org board of directors, and Women's Wear Daily recently named her to the publication's “Ten of Tomorrow” list. Former Chico's CEO David Dyer, in the announcement when Berardelli was hired in April 2014, said she would play a big role in the company's “commitment to omni-channel innovation.”
On April 25 the National Retail Federation announced Berardelli was appointed to a two-year term as chairwoman of the federation's marketing council. But in a separate statement the next day, Chico's announced Berardelli was leaving the company. Her departure was part of a broader cost-cutting move in Chico's marketing and digital commerce department, but company officials didn't disclose any details on her exit.


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Reliability Problems Plague Newer Electric Cars, Consumer Reports' Latest Survey Shows
EVs from automakers like Audi, Kia, and Porsche are no longer recommended by CR
A key promise of electric car ownership is that a simpler design provides improved reliability, in addition to energy efficiency. Last month, a Consumer Reports study showed that electric vehicles (EVs) generally cost less to repair and maintain than their gasoline-powered counterparts. However, CR’s latest reliability survey reveals that some new electric cars have significant problems that will be covered under warranty.
These latest results mirror what we’ve known for a long time: All-new cars and new technology are prone to growing pains. CR data have consistently shown that first-year models tend to be less reliable than ones that have been on the market for a few years. EVs are no exception, although specific electric components, such as batteries and drivetrains, are often not the issue.


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AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) — P. Terry’s Burger Stand is once again proving that its expansion plans have not been tempered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The popular Austin-based burger chain on Aug. 6 filed a site plan application for a new far South Austin location at 8601 S. Congress Ave. — in the shadow of the new H-E-B off I-35 and East Slaughter Lane. CEO Todd Coerver confirmed Aug. 11 the site plan application is for a forthcoming drive-thru only P. Terry’s location set to open in 2022. Similar to the P. Terry’s location that recently opened at Tech Ridge, the location is expected to be a double drive-thru location with no dining room.
The latest planned restaurant for the growing chain is strategically placed just north of the massive new H-E-B location off Slaughter Lane.
You can read the rest of the story on the Austin Business Journal’s website.


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SPS-YRSG Corporate Advance 2023
The Singapore Prison Service - Yellow Ribbon Singapore (SPS-YRSG) Corporate Advance 2023 was held on 10 May 2023 at Suntec Convention Centre. The event is an annual platform where SPS and YRSG showcase their achievements and announce key initiatives and work plans. In line with the Forward Singapore exercise, its theme for this year is Forward Corrections: Strengthening Partnerships. SLA was invited to attend the event and was represented by Mr Thomas Sim – SLA Council Member and Chairman of HCDC, Mr Eddie Lim – SLA Executive Director and Mrs Chua Li Tzer – Deputy Director, CS & HCD. In its partnership with YRSG, SLA not only facilitate employment opportunities for ex-offenders with its member companies but through its subsidiary, TLA trained the inmates in logistics knowledge and skills.
In his speech, Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law mentioned the success story of 1 ex-offender who attended the TLA Certificate in Logistics Operations while in prison and found a job placement in a logistics company.
On 23 August 2021, SLA and YRSG signed an MOU to enhance the employability of inmates and ex-offenders within the logistics industry through setting up a logistics training centre within the Singapore prisons to conduct of logistics skills training for inmates. SLA will also work closely with member-companies to promote the employment of inmates who have completed the Training Courses conducted in the Prisons. For more details, click here.


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Prizes galore for Yorkshire firm
Catering butcher Yorkshire Dales Meat has taken home the Producer of the Year title at the International Business Forum awards dinner held in Scarborough.
The Bedale-based firm beat several companies nominated to scoop the prize, sponsored by Deliciously Yorkshire, and the company has also been nominated for a further two categories in the forthcoming Deliciously Yorkshire Best Regional food and drink awards.
MD Stephen Knox said: “We are all delighted with the nominations and we are hoping we can do as well as last year and come away as winner of one of the categories.”
Yorkshire Dales Meat hopes to win the Prepared Meat category with its Pork and Caramelised Red Onion Sausage or Mrs. K’s Golden Sultana Black Pudding and has had its Aberdeen Angus Rib-Eye Steak and Sirloin Steak nominated for the Fresh Meat award.
The company also supplied the steaks eaten at the awards dinner in Scarborough last month, which is just one of a number of Yorkshire Dales Meat’s products that are supplied as standard to all its customers, from farm shops to five-star hotels.
27 October, 2016, 8:30
Next steps for tackling obesity: prevention, sugar consumption a
01 - 03 November, 2016
China Foodtech 2017
07 November, 2016
Butcher’s Shop of the Year
01 December, 2016, 8:30 - 13:30
Policy priorities for the UK food, drink and farming industry


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Giving boost to bilateral relations, US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross United States, on July 30, announced inclusion of India to the Strategic Trade Authorization (STA) Tier 1, one of the most coveted lists of trading partners. With this India’s status is “comparable to NATO allies,” and it “will expand the scope of exports subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) that can be made to India without individual licenses. This regulatory change will enhance the bilateral defense trade relationship and result in a greater volume of U.S. exports to India.”
In 2016, US declared India a ‘Major Defence Partner’ and this created the ground work for its inclusion in the STA-1 which comes under the Department of Commerce’s Export Administration Regulations. “Over the last seven years, approximately $9.7 billion worth of licensed exports to India may now eligible for export under this license exception,” said a US release.


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As vacancies increase and retail sales throughout the U.S. remain a shadow of the decade’s boom, Apple Inc.’s stores are defying the recession.
At Fifth Avenue and Fifty-Ninth Street, the noon-day line on Aug. 11 snaked out the front door. More than a dozen people waited to buy an iPhone, which runs from $99 to $299, plus at least another $70 a month for a service plan. Every computer, seat and station was occupied by a visitor to midtown Manhattan.
Apple, based in Cupertino, California, increased revenue at its stores by 2.5 percent in the first six months of the year to $3 billion as the rest of the retail industry suffered. During the same period, sales at all U.S. retailers fell 9.2 percent compared with the first half of 2008, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.
Retail sales in New York City have fallen 8 percent to 10 percent from comparable 2008 levels, according to the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book business survey published July 29.
“Even if they are not spending money elsewhere, people are still spending money on technology gadgets,” said Patricia Edwards, a retail analyst and founder of Storehouse Partners LLC in Bellevue, Washington. “It’s both a need and a want. It fulfills that retail-therapy component.”
Apple’s store performance in the last year has been driven by the iPhone, according to Charlie Wolf, an analyst who covers Apple at Needham & Co. in New York. The retail operation saw a 22 percent increase in traffic during the quarter ended June 27, hosting a total of 38.6 million visitors, Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer said on a conference call in July.
Apple’s shares have almost doubled this year. The stock climbed $2.89, or 1.7 percent, to $169.22 on Aug. 21 in Nasdaq Stock Market trading.
A Mercedes Per Square Foot
Apple’s Fifth Avenue emporium probably has annual sales of more than $350 million, topping any of the chain’s other outlets, said Jeffrey Roseman, executive vice president of real- estate broker Newmark Knight Frank Retail in New York. The location is 10,000 square feet, putting its sales per square foot at a minimum of $35,000, based on Roseman’s estimate.


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Tom Sachs recently took to Instagram to announce the launch of his new furniture website dedicated to purveying a range of handmade home decor aptly titled Tom Sachs Furniture. To commemorate the new site, the renowned American artist unveiled his new Shop Lounge Chair in a natural wood finish. The maple plywood seating object arrives fully assembled and comes outfitted with rubber flex-mounts and stainless steel screws.
The Shop Lounge Chair measures 26 by 25.625 by 23 inches and each one features an edition plate that is hand engraved and sequentially numbered. The chair is available as an open edition but in small batches. “We reserve the right to close the edition at any time, and cannot hold or guarantee stock for a future date,” as per a disclaimer on the webshop.
Head to the official website of Tom Sachs Furniture to purchase a chair now for $2,500 USD. Shipping will commence on January 18, 2021.
Elsewhere in design, Drake unveiled an intricate LEGO replica of his 50,000-square-foot mansion.
Source: Read Full Article


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HARRIS REED DOES DEMI-COUTURE
Harris Reed isn’t one to comply with convention. Despite only graduating from Central Saint Martins back in May, the gender-fluid designer has put out a collection with MAC Cosmetics – which drops today – and has dressed Harry Styles in the star’s now monumental US Vogue cover. Still, the British-American designer, despite having what could be deemed a superstar success story so far, can’t deny the pressures lockdown 3.0 has had on both him and his brand.
“I would be lying if I said it’s been easy,” says Reed over Zoom, who admits he’s running on two hours sleep (which to him, is a perfectly normal amount). He calls me from The Standard in Kings Cross, where he and his talented team of helpers have spent the most part of the last two months in his small studio space there. Trying to buy even a button here in London has been “a mission and a half,” affirms Reed – who has been Addison Lee-ing most of his fabrics, alongside picking them up by bicycle – “my thighs look great, it’s done wonders!”
Lockdown restrictions have pushed Reed to really question the purpose of his brand. His debut, off-schedule London Fashion Week collection is not ready-to-wear, but demi-couture, inspired by his love for the likes of Viktor & Rolf whilst studying. “With this new generation of graduates and young designers out there, it really is about finding different and unique ways to express your messaging,” Reed explains. “I think for me you can always bring the commerce in later if you have a strong meaning and a purpose. But if you come in with commerce in mind, I feel like unless you have a ton of money, I don’t see how you sustain yourself.”
It’s a brave move, one that’s rooted in sheer escapism, where the pendulum has swung far in “the form of self-expression”, Reed says. The six-looks that appear here continues from where his graduate collection left off, mashing mens- and womenswear in a tongue-in-cheek manner, one that sticks a firm middle finger up to gender-fluid naysayers. (Recently, the BBC pulled down an interview with Reed from its Instagram after the post was inundated with hateful comments.)
Whilst his vision for the collection began light and ethereal, lockdown confinement caused Reed to begin feeling outraged, rebellious even. He turned his eye to the anarchy of London’s punk movement, hand spray-painting meters-upon-meters of tulle which seeps from sublime tailoring and demi-couture gowns. The look is completed with 18cm platforms made in collaboration with Roker and elaborate peacock-plumed headpieces by milliner Vivienne Lake, inspired by punk mohawks.
Reed says he designs with the final picture in mind, working with 10 Magazine contributor Jenny Brough to capture the collection in all its anarchist glory. “When I sleep at night, I see the world I want to create,” he says. “When I received Jenny’s images, I cried because I was like this is exactly what I had in my head.”
Though his fashion is driven by fantasy, Reed is eager to point out that the wearer of his garments is the foremost focus, not the pieces themselves. “I’m always trying to make it so important that I’m not trying to make a creature,” says Reed. “I want the people in my clothes to embody a character, a narrative that’s within themselves.” This is a concept explored in the collection’s accompanying film, where a character is embraced by different facets of themselves – represented by each of the six looks.
“Going forward in the future, I think it will only get bigger and more expressive,” says Reed. It’s a refreshing approach, totally defying what’s expected of a young designer in this current state of fashion flux. Reed’s a leader of change, care to join him?
Photography courtesy of Jenny Brough.


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Car sales slump may last 7 years: Nissan
Riyadh, January 25, 2009
Global car sales could take more than seven years to return to their 2007 levels of 69 million vehicles, Nissan Motors Co chief executive said on Sunday.
"It may take more than seven years to come back to this (2007) level," Carlos Ghosn told an economy conference in Saudi Arabia.
"If it was only about recession it would be a minor problem because we are cyclical industry," Ghosn said, noting that the credit crunch and foreign exchange volatility has worsened the impact of the recession.
Global car makers are likely to see "a consolidation" in the sector as a decline in sales is expected to accelerate in 2009 to around 55 million cars from 63 million sold in 2008, he said.
"Car sales in 2007 was 69 million; in 2008 they were at 63 million. In 2009 ... we can go to 55 million cars. Over the past few weeks the trend points to 55 million," Ghosn said.
"There is absolutely no doubt that we will see a consolidation," he said without being more specific.
"Two thirds of cars sold in the world are based on personal finance ... we are the first victim of the global financial meltdown," he added. - Reuters


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It's a popular response among fans of Mazda's iconic, compact, rear-driver roadster ? the answer to any question is always Miata. With the new MX-5-based Fiat 124 Spider, though, the Italians could be set to supplant Hiroshima's finest offering.
That is partially because the new 124 Spider brings us something we've long been clamoring for in the Miata. Fiat ditched the MX-5's standard-issue 2.0-liter, Skyactiv four-cylinder, and replaced it with the popular 1.4-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder from the 500 Abarth. While it's worth getting excited about the new roadster's singing voice, it's the big jump in torque that will truly transform the driving experience. Rather than 148 pound-feet, there's a meaty 184 lb-ft, a figure which is paired with 160 horsepower (five more than the MX-5).
As Managing Editor Ewing explained in his by-the-numbers comparison of the two roadsters, it's this new powertrain that has the most potential to change the dynamite MX-5 driving experience. Of course, we won't know how it handles for certain until we get behind the wheel. Stay tuned for that saga.
As for the looks, we'd argue that they're largely subjective. Among the Autobloggers in attendance at the 2015 LA Auto Show, opinions seem to be split, with some appreciating the Fiata's extensive overhaul while others (notably professed Miata fanatic Ewing) are set firmly against it.


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Another global ratings agency has lowered Singapore's economic growth forecasts for this year owing to abysmal trade data and fears about China's market stability.
Standard & Poor's (S&P) Ratings Services revised down its 2015 gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast from 3 per cent to 2.4 per cent, it announced yesterday. Its tip for 2016 was lowered as well, from 3.3 per cent to 2.8 per cent.
The S&P downgrade, which was extended to the other "tiger" economies in the Asia-Pacific, followed similar revisions by ratings agency Moody's and DBS Bank.
Both have slashed their 2015 forecasts to below 2 per cent, citing stock market turbulence and China's economic slowdown.
"The tiger economies of Asia (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan) have taken a major hit from slow export growth," Mr Paul Gruenwald, S&P's Asia-Pacific chief economist, said. This is despite the positive impact of lower oil prices, "which appears to have been banked rather than spent".
He added: "In a break from the past, these economies may not be the leading beneficiaries of a US recovery. We have lowered their GDP growth further for 2015-2017, and the risks to growth and inflation remain on the downside."
While the tiger economies will gain somewhat from the US recovery, the benefits may not be as strong as before due in part to "US manufacturers on-shoring some final goods production (formerly imports), while China appears to be on-shoring intermediate goods production (formerly imports)", S&P Asia economist Vincent Conti told The Straits Times. This will mean lower demand for exports, he said.
"The tiger economies have suffered repeatedly in the post-global financial crisis period as trade growth has continually disappointed," S&P said.
That is troubling, given the region's "relatively high dependency on external demand for growth".
Volatility has also heightened over concerns about the pace of China's slowdown and the financial market contagion generated through its recent stock market rout and moves to liberalise its exchange rate regime.
"That China needed to slow was never in doubt," S&P said. "Short of a miraculous rebound in productivity or... global trade growth, China's economic activity needed to slow to put it on a more sustainable path and to allow past excessive investment and lending to be digested in a reasonably orderly manner."
But not all risks are rising, S&P said. It sees the possibility of the United States Federal Reserve postponing its initial rate hike to December, and the risk of market volatility and slower spending in the region pushed back for now.
Further, with lower GDP growth and higher risk aversion in the region, S&P said it does not foresee any rate rises here until the second half of next year.


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Accomplished New York-based photographer Peter Sutherland is the midst of revisiting his previous book Autografs, with “More Autografs” alongside SNEEZE. Set to be featured in SNEEZE‘s issue 14, signed prints are at the forefront of the release as CINIK is the first writer to be featured. It was 10 years ago that Sutherland originally shot CINIK for Autograf magazine. Look for the issue via SNEEZE‘s online store.


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Now for the not so bright side of HDCP and what it means to consumers today. Personally, I like how Ken “Caesar” Fisher at Ars Technica puts it:
A future so bright, you’ll have to wear HDCP-complaint shades
We’re in the midst of a a top-down, all-points-covered attempt to lock down every part of the HD viewing experience. In a nutshell, the content industry wants to see video encrypted end-to-end and passed only among approved devices that obey content access rules defined by the industry. This is not limited to the PC. Our in-depth primer on CableCARD revealed that the lock-down will also come to include the video streams from cable providers, too. In both cases, we see a disturbing trend: not only is the technology all about locking down the content, but the implementation is becoming locked down as well. For example, while CableCARD has been heralded as the great breakthrough that will allow for Home Theatre PC nirvana, the fact that CableLabs has to certify entire machine designs means that the do-it-yourself market is likely out of luck.
I suspect that the content industry may be in for a big, nasty surprise when all of this truly hits the public in the face. Never before has the rollout of the “next big thing” been so encumbered with built-in obsolescence, user-unfriendliness, and hypocrisy. Groans the world over will be heard when early adopters learn that their TVs won’t play Blu-ray movies. Folks who bought computers recently will be disappointed when they learn that their hard-earned money couldn’t buy them end-to-end support for HD content playback.
Our take: Buyer beware! Well, at least until things settle down and HD-DVD and Blu-ray compatible devices start hitting the market.
UPDATE: CNET News just post an article entitle, “New DVDs already sparking copy-protection confusion,” that you definitely checkout.
Filed in: Industry Buzz


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New South Wales remains the only state in Australia to have not implemented a plastic bag ban, with calls for stricter rules to be implemented as up to 61 million bags are littered in NSW each year.
According to 9 News, this comes as several third world African nations have already adopted plastic bag bans, with penalties including a four year prison sentence of $53,000 fine if anyone produces, uses or sells plastic bags.
Woolworths and Coles have implemented processes to internally remove single-use plastic bags as a corporate decision, but there is yet to be direction from the state government on such a matter.
A spokesperson for the NSW Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton has pointed to the container deposit scheme, which has seen 283 million plastic drink bottles returned since implementation in December last year.
However, apart from the government 'welcoming' the changes that Coles and Woolworths have made, no comment was made on the lack of a state-wide ban.
While these companies are argued to account for half of the plastic bags used in NSW, NSW Labor Opposition Leader Luke Foley has said that this leaves 30 million plastic bags in circulation.


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The food that can feed, and maybe save, the planet: Bugs
Article Updated 1:33 PM ET, Fri October 25, 2019
(CNN) - On a morning in the not-too-distant future, you might toast bread made with cricket flour, drink a protein smoothie made from locust powder, and eat scrambled eggs (made extra-creamy with the fat from mopane caterpillars) with a side of mealworm bacon.
That meal will give you four times the iron, more than three times the protein and more key vitamins and minerals than the bread, smoothie, eggs and bacon you eat today -- all while saving the planet.
No way you'll eat bugs, you say?
Well, sorry to break this to you, but if you eat chocolate, pizza and spaghetti, you are already eating insects -- and worse.
The US Food and Drug Administration allows 30 or more insect parts and some rodent hair in every bar of chocolate; nearly two maggots in a 16 ounce can of tomatoes or pizza sauce; and up to 450 insect parts and nine rodent hairs in every 16 ounce box of spaghetti.
There's just no way to get rid of all the creatures that might hitch a ride along the food processing chain, so the FDA has to allow what they call "food defects," which you eat without knowing. They are in many of our foods -- even peanut butter and jelly.
So why not eat bugs on purpose and simultaneously fight climate change?
Bugs are really good for you
Your friends and neighbors are already munching on insects. According to a report by Global Market Insights, the US edible insect market topped $55 million in 2017 and is expected to grow to nearly $80 million by 2024.
Europe's on track to do the same, while Asia Pacific nations are expected to eat $270 million worth of insects by the quarter of the century.
A growing demand for high quality protein, along with a movement toward sustainability and against processed foods, are a few of the reasons behind the growing popularity.
Here's another explanation: Bugs are very good for you.
Many countries and traditions have known this for decades, even centuries. According to a 2013 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), at least 2 billion people worldwide eat bugs every day.
"I've eaten bugs in many countries: termites, scorpions, beetle larvae, grasshoppers, silkworms. All very common," said entomologist Jeff Tomberlin, who directs the forensic and investigative sciences program at Texas A&M University.
"I had beetle larva that was incorporated into a quiche. I've had bamboo worms that were fried like French fries," he said. "I've had termites that were smoked and served as an appetizer, just like peanuts.
"As for the taste, it's sort of a nutty popcorn flavor," Tomberlin said. "The buttery flavor would be the fat of the insect and the nuttiness would be the chitin, or the exoskeleton."
The most commonly eaten insect groups globally, according to the FAO, are ants; beetles; bees; caterpillars; cicadas; crickets; dragonflies; flies; grasshoppers; leaf bugs; locusts; scale insects; termites; and wasps.
But there's lots more to choose from. More than 2,100 edible insects have been recorded in the world, according to Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands.
read the rest of this great article at ...... https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/25/health/insects-feed-save-planet-wellness/index.html


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Say what you like about Kelly Brook, the buxom beaut is never idle.
Kel has yet another project coming up but this time she's staying tight-lipped as to what it is.
The mysterious minx posted a photo riddle on Instagram and Twitter with the tags #SecretProject #ComingSoon and #Fashion - alongside a smoldering pic, natch.
The pic has the tell tale cross-hairs of a fashion shoot and Ms Brook looks classier than ever with tousled locks, understated make-up and a pearl necklace (behave).
A few days earlier gym bunny Kelly announced she was the new face of Skechers footwear as she gushed: "It doesn’t get any bigger than SKECHERS when it comes to lifestyle footwear so I’m thrilled to be working with this amazing brand!"
Skechers boss Michael Greenberg said: "Kelly is the first celebrity we’ve ever featured globally who came to fame outside the United States. As Kelly resonates in Europe and around the world, this partnership is a testament to the international strength of our brand. We’re thrilled to have her on board and look forward to excitement she will generate for Skechers."
Kelly is a such a glamour puss she even manages to look sultry when she finds out she has a parking ticket!


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Individuals on Twitter believe that the Travis Scott Fortnite skin is being delayed due to legal reasons. Fans were disappointed to see the skin not present in the item shop even on the American rapper's birthday. The skin was a part of the Astronomical bundle in Fortnite and was available for a very short period of time.
The Travis Scott Fortnite skin has only been seen once in the game and fans are eagerly waiting for the skin to return. Recently, owing to certain developments, the skin was about to come to the game, but it didn't make it to the item shop.
Legal issues are holding back the Travis Scott Fortnite skin
Data miner TigerHyper believes that there are a few licensing issues behind it. According to him, that's the only plausible reason at this point of time. They further go on to add that the Travis Scott Fortnite skin will return to the game at some point in time. However, this statement hasn't stopped fans from asking if Travis Scott is coming to Fortnite.
Fans go on to say that the numerous collaborations that Travis Scott has is the reason for the delay.
Other than that, there are a few fans who would like to believe that Epic Games is the reason for the delay.
Some fans have even pointed out that Travis Scott has an album that will be releasing shortly. They've gone on to speculate that the Travis Scott Fortnite skin will arrive right before the album goes live.
Another fan went on to state that this could be a nice way for Epic Games to build up hype around the Travis Scott Fortnite skin. Since there are a lot of players in the community that want to get their hands on this cosmetic item, it does make sense for Epic Games to give it a build up before making the skin available.
Fans have also gone on to point out that Travis Scott has a concert in Texas in November this year, and that there's a chance Epic Games is waiting for the concert to release the Travis Scott Fortnite skin again.
Will Fortnite see another Travis Scott Concert?
It's very difficult to say if there will be another concert at this point in time. The previous Travis Scott concert was a major hit, and it's been a while since something as grand as that was seen in the game.
Having said that, based on what data miner Tiger Hyper had to say in his tweets, there is a definitive answer to the question, "Is Travis Scott coming back to Fortnite?" Yes, it will return to Fortnite eventually. The only questions that remains now, is when.