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India and China are looking at increasing soft power linkages as part of a new diplomatic engagement to reduce distrust between the two neighbours, which have a festering border row.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is here on a four-day visit ending today, attended the first meeting of the India-China High-Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges.
He had talks with India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj last Friday, during which they agreed on "10 pillars of cooperation", including in film and television, educational cooperation, language teaching and tourism.
They also agreed to increase cultural and sports exchanges.
Some analysts, however, believe the impact of such moves would be limited, with the two countries having many areas of discord.
"Such initiatives will create goodwill and this is a positive step for the two countries. But it is of limited impact," said India's former foreign secretary Lalit Mansingh. "It doesn't take away from the strategic threats that India faces from China."
The two countries have growing economic ties, but also a festering border dispute which exploded last year over Doklam - also known as Donglang - an area claimed by Bhutan and China. New Delhi supported Bhutan's claims as the area is strategically close to India's Silliguri Corridor, a narrow stretch of land that connects the country's north-east to the mainland.
The border stand-off was eventually resolved through diplomacy and was followed by an informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan, where both sides agreed to look at ways to strengthen ties. Mr Xi will travel to India for the second informal summit next year, Ms Swaraj said.
The neighbours have other areas of stress, including China's growing ties with Pakistan and a widening trade deficit in favour of China.
During their meeting, Mr Wang focused on soft issues, while Ms Swaraj raised the issue of the trade deficit and also pushed for more market access for Indian goods.
China is India's largest trading partner with trade reaching US$89.71 billion (S$123 billion) in 2017-18. But the widening trade gap has been a cause for worry for India. Its deficit with China was US$63.05 billion in 2017-18.
Ms Swaraj told the media after the talks: "Our bilateral trade figure is continuing to rise. We need to find a solution to the trade deficit... We look forward to continued support from the Chinese side. We need to find market access in China for India."
China, which is in a trade war with the United States, has this year taken steps to reduce the trade gap, including exempting import tariffs on 28 drugs. But India has been pushing for more.
Dr Srikanth Kondapalli, a professor in Chinese studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said both countries want to manage ties and keep irritants in check. "Due to the trade war with the US, the Chinese don't want to open up various fronts (like a border row with India). The 28 drugs were a tactical move. And we want to focus on the economy, not on territorial disputes," he said.
By promoting "soft" issues such as people-to-people ties, said Dr Kondapalli, the Chinese side is trying to reduce the influence of "hard" issues such as the border dispute and trade deficit with India.
"But it doesn't work for India. Ms Swaraj did mention the trade deficit," he added.


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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK has officially confirmed that social media influencers and crypto memes fall under the country’s rules for financial promotions. This announcement comes after the regulator brought the crypto sector into the scope of its financial promotions rules last year.
In finalized guidance published on Tuesday, the FCA stated that any type of communication, including memes and other similar content circulated on social media, can be considered a financial promotion and therefore subject to the financial promotion restriction. The use of memes in promotions is particularly prevalent in the crypto-asset sector, according to the guidance.
The FCA’s regulations apply to both paid and unpaid influencers, with the guidance emphasizing that influencers operating in the “course of business” are subject to the rules. This means that influencers who are employed or have a commercial interest in posting financial promotions must comply with the FCA’s regulations.
The guidance is based on the FCA’s promotions regime, which prohibits businesses from communicating invitations or inducements to engage in investment activity unless the promotion is communicated by an authorized person or a person with an exemption. As a result, crypto firms and promoters must now register with the FCA or have their ads approved by someone with the necessary credentials.
Additionally, the FCA requires firms and promoters to include clear risk warnings on their websites and communications, as well as provide first-time buyers with a 24-hour cooling-off period before finalizing purchases. This is aimed at protecting consumers and ensuring that they are fully informed about the risks associated with investing in crypto assets.
The FCA’s move to include social media influencers and crypto memes in its financial promotions rules reflects the growing scrutiny of the crypto sector in the UK. In 2022, former reality show contestants Jessica and Eve Gale were warned to stop misleading their followers with pro-crypto posts, highlighting the need for stricter regulations in the industry.
Overall, the FCA’s guidance aims to promote transparency and accountability in the crypto sector, ensuring that consumers are protected from misleading or deceptive promotions. By bringing influencers and memes under its regulatory scope, the FCA is taking proactive steps to safeguard investors and maintain the integrity of the financial market.

domain: news


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April 24th, 2017
Ireland could add 5,000 jobs in FinTech by 2020, says Deloitte
The Irish Times | Ciarán Hancock | March 23, 2015
Some 5,000 jobs could be created in Ireland in the “fintech” industry over the next five years, according to an analysis by professional services firm Deloitte.
This would represent a doubling in employment in this burgeoning part of the IFSC and would “predominantly be driven by the projected spend on IT services by financial services firms in Ireland”, Deloitte said.
“Many financial services firms are struggling with outdated legacy platforms and IT architectures that are hampering their ability to grow and innovate,” David Dalton, head of financial services at Deloitte Ireland, told The Irish Times.
“While some financial services firms have been cautious about new fintech start-ups, particularly where they are disrupting traditional business models and competing for customers, we are increasingly seeing a symbiotic relationship developing, which is helping to address these legacy issues in financial services companies.
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“Our view is that the fintech and financial services industries are inter-related and mutually dependent. The connectivity between the two sectors needs to be significantly enhanced.”
Fintech is a term for technology applied to financial services, usually to support back-office functions.
More recently, it has been used for broader applications of technology, including front-end consumer products, and new entrants competing with existing players.
Fintech was highlighted in the Government’s recently published IFS 2020 strategy with three action plans drawn up – greater sectoral collaboration, engaging both Irish-owned and foreign-owned small-and-medium-sized enterprises and multinationals; identifying domestic and international sources of funding; and supporting upskilling and mentoring programmes with participating companies.
The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, leadership, support and networking opportunities to over 950+ members and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding industry in Canada. Learn more About Us or visit www.ncfacanada.org.


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Baton Rouge police looking for woman using counterfeit money
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - Baton Rouge Police need your help in identifying the woman in this photo who is accused of purchasing items with counterfeit money at a local store on April 12.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-STOP.
Copyright 2014 WAFB. All rights reserved.


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Hotel reservation site Booking.com has offered to settle antitrust cases brought against it in Sweden, France and Italy, and on Monday antitrust authorities invited hotels to give their views on the settlement.
The past is coming back to haunt Apple, as a nearly 10-year-old class-action antitrust lawsuit accusing the company of trying to monopolize online music distribution is headed to trial.
U.S. lawmakers want their counterparts in the European Parliament to back away from a resolution that would split up Google by separating search engines from other online services.
Members of the European Parliament are readying a motion calling for the break-up of Google, by separating its search engine functionality from other commercial services, according to news reports.
To get up to speed with the Google antitrust investigation, the EU's new antitrust Commissioner wants to talk to parties that are directly affected by the case.
A former employee of Oracle has sued the company for allegedly conspiring with Google to prevent poaching of certain categories of managers from each other, in a bid to keep salaries low.
Google considers Amazon.com as its biggest search competitor, ahead of traditional rivals like Yahoo and Bing, as people looking to buy something are more likely to search on the online retailer's website.
A European Commission investigation into whether telecom operators were throttling Internet traffic in order to gain an unfair advantage over rivals has turned up no smoking guns, but one of the companies that prompted the probe isn't happy with the ...
Facebook's US$19 billion bid for WhatsApp won the approval of European Union competition regulator on Friday.
Google has to improve its settlement terms in an antitrust investigation over its search practices or face charges, following opposition from some quarters to the deal, the European Commission's competition chief Joaquin Almunia said Tuesday.
Qualcomm is being urged by a top Chinese regulator to make money in the country in tandem with its local partners.
A European antitrust probe into Google's search practices will be extended through October, into the term of the next European Commission, a Commissions spokesman said.
Apparently affected by the strong blowback to its proposed settlement with Google over antitrust concerns, the European Commission is planning to seek more concessions than the company has granted to date.
European periodical and online publishers have urged the European Commission to reject Google's latest proposal to settle an antitrust case.
Smart card producers Samsung Electronics, Philips and Infineon were fined €138 million (about US$181 million) by the European Commission on Wednesday for forming a cartel. Renesas, also part of the cartel, escaped a fine by revealing the existence of...
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First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
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My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.
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Hardware security vendor IronPort has announced plans to take over encryption provider PostX. Integration of PostX technology will be fully integrated into the Ironport product line by January 2007.
In the meantime, IronPort will sell PostX e-mail encryption software under PostX Secure Envelope branding.
Michael Bosch, managing director of IronPort Systems Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, said he has already been negotiating with the PostX Australian country manager about local opportunities.
Bosch said at the moment PostX only has one representative in Australia and will rely on using IronPort's Australian infrastructure and field sales force.
"We are looking at becoming one fully integrated company around the first of January 2007 depending on regulatory approvals and we are already working with them daily," Bosch said.
"Security and encryption is kind of a discrete market in its own right and PostX will be a nice complement to what we are already doing and this purchase will enhance that.
"Our next move though is we (IronPort) have started shipping an HTTP Web filtering appliance and that is our direction. As a gateway security appliance the first market was SMTP but we are also looking at VoIP and instant messaging ... that may give you some idea of how we are tuning the company."
The purchase will be an all stock transaction.


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Google has recently teamed up with Sephora to showcase its new Home Hub smart display a way to call up tutorial videos on YouTube.
“The fact that this is hands-free is actually pretty great,” says Sephora’s beauty director Myisha Sewell. “You’re not going to get makeup all over your phone, you’re not going to have to balance your laptop on top of your bathroom cabinet and have a disaster happen. It’s something really easy that you can integrate into your life.” Yoice control via the Google Assistant–new this year inside of YouTube–not only pulls up videos and plays and pauses on demand, but can also fast forward to the right spot.
Sewell begins by asking the Assistant for an eyebrow tutorial by Sephora. While she’s keen to promote the Sephora brand as part of this marketing stunt, the beauty of putting YouTube on your vanity is that it offers a full library of makeup tutorials by both amateurs and influencers.
In fact, tutorials of all sorts are a big driver for YouTube. A smidge more than half of all users say YouTube is an important source for learning how to do something they’ve never done before, according to a recent survey from Pew Research. The data suggests that tutorials, more than time killers or product reviews, lure people to the platform.
That’s why it wasn’t particularly surprising when, in October, Google decided to put $20 million into educational videos. When that news was announced, there was much fanfare about the company trying to fill out its platform with content that brands will feel safe putting ads against.
There are, of course, other things the Home Hub can do on one’s vanity, however, shopping is limited to shops on Google Express, which means that choices are scarce. Sephora, for example, doesn’t sell its products through there, as yet.
Google’s Home Hub has the advantage here for sure, though, Facebook’s similarly styled video messaging device, Portal, also has YouTube access (and Alexa). While these devices are not all specifically jockeying for the most well-lit spot on the vanity, they all want to be a part of the home, and there may not be space for them all.
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The KTM 200 Duke changed the entry-level performance motorcycle market scenario after its launch in 2012. Powerful engine, aggressive styling and a complete chick-magnet – the 200 Duke won many hearts in a short span of time. About a year later, KTM introduced 200s bigger sibling, the 390 Duke. Priced at Rs 2,07,000 (on-road Mumbai), the 390 Duke was a pocket rocket in real sense.
However, we are yet to taste the bigger pedigree offered by the Austrian manufacturer across the globe. Although KTM showcased its racing bred superbike, RC8 at its promotional events and at its showrooms across the country, the company did not put it up for sale.
Now, KTM has yet again disappointed the motorcycle enthusiasts by keeping it most extreme naked sports motorcycle, 1290 Super Duke R, away from Indian market. But there are still hopes for the Indian motorcycling enthusiasts to witness this motorcycle as KTM officially launched it in Indonesia. The bike is priced at 475 million Indonesian Rupiah which works out to Rs 23.60 lakh. No official statement has been released by the company on the India launch though.
Indonesian market shares, more or less, same characteristics as the Indian market. Most of the product introduced in Indonesia make their way into the Indian car market and vice-versa.
Powering the 1290 Super Duke R is a 1.3-litre 75-degree twin engine that churns out 180bhp and 144Nm of torque. This power propels the 1290 Super Duke R to a speed of 200km/h in just 7.2 seconds (yes, you read it correct). But this does not mean that it will burn a hole in your pocket. Along with low fuel consumption, what make 1290 Super Duke R a very practical machine is its service interval of 15,000 kms.
We hope KTM understands the need of Indian motorcycling enthusiasts and introduces the 1290 Super Duke R soon to over here as well.
Share your thoughts and let us know what do you think of the KTM 1290 Super Duke R through your comments below.


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RBI’s been in news ever since it issued a statement stating that it will not deal with or provide any service to the entities dealing with any cryptocurrency such as BitCoin. However, it is not finalized and the inter-departmental group will study and provide guidance to introduce this centralized digital currency and will submit the report by end of June 2018. This ban will affect a lot of existing crypto users who have already invested in BitCoin and other virtual currencies and crypto exchange firms. In fact, the immediate ban becomes a controversial topic and been questioned by retail investors and digital participants several times. This time, a crypto exchange start-up firm Kali Digital Eco -Systems which runs CoinRecoil has a filed petition in high-court against Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the GST Council, and the finance ministry. It is not like the first time when a petition has been filed against RBI’s circular related to new cryptocurrency, before that an online petition filed by Indian crypto users under the name “Digital Asset Exchanges of India”.
You must be wondering, On what grounds Kali Digital filed a petition against RBI?
Well, as per the resources, It was found that it was filed by Legal firm Khaitan and Co, who is serving as an advocate for petitioner Kali Digital in the written petition W.P.(C) 3677/2018 filed has alleged that the Reserve Bank of India violates Articles 19 (1)(g) and 14 of the Indian Constitution.
India has taken this step just after China stepped up and welcomed BitCoin and other cryptocurrencies. Instead, of following the footsteps of China, India decided to ban these virtual currencies and stopped any services related to entities dealing with virtual currencies. This announcement has changed the perception of equity investors regarding investing in BitCoin and other VCs. On top of that virtual currency has become the center of many Ponzi schemes and scams lately.
According to Rishabh Mastaram (Founder of RGM Legal), the virtual currencies or crypto assets are not fiat currency. And in India, only RBI can issue currency as per law. Still, existing crypto users can’t transact or exchange their BitCoins with the Indian Rupee or vice-versa. It is because, in India, the banks have already stopped their services to the cryptocurrency exchanges.
As a result, the daily cryptocurrency trading in the country has gone down to more than 50 percent.
Multiple petitions have filed against RBI over the new currency launch. Many crypto-users and Cryptocurrency firms have decided to go against it. It is difficult to come to a conclusion especially when a country like “China” agreed to welcome BitCoins and other VCs however, India is still trying to control people by launching a new centralized virtual currency and thinking of handling Blockchain by themselves. Let’s see, how things will work out? If you have any doubts or would like to add something up then don’t forget to comment in the section given below. We would be happy to hear from you.
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Avon Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the launch of live chat services on their website, avonchamber.org. Aside from the many business and visitor resources you can find at Avon Chamber's website, online visitors can now interact with their friendly live chat team to receive immediate assistance as well as answers to frequently asked questions.
"As a progressive Chamber of Commerce, we are deeply committed to providing the very best in friendly, professional, and responsive services to the Avon community. As technologies such as online social networking and "texting" become more ingrained in our business culture, people are expecting more from service organizations. Adding a Live Chat component to our website just seemed to make sense" says Tom Downard, Executive Director.
With the Chamber's new live chat service, they hope to encourage consultative interactions between the Chamber and their website visitors to enhance visitors' overall experience and promote Avon's business community. Avon Chamber's live chat service offers a more instantaneous communication channel for website visitors compared to telephone and email. Cory Hull, President of the Avon Chamber Board states, "We are excited to offer our website visitors personal engagement in a quick and easy medium like live chat. Providing human interaction in a traditionally impersonal medium like the Web gives our Chamber a distinct edge in servicing the Avon community"
Read full story [IndyStar]
To locate a chamber of commerce, visit Chamberfind.com


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Integration software maker WebMethods has announced a new application that links system maintenance consoles to the business processes running on particular pieces of IT hardware. Called Manager, the application bridges an enterprise’s integration platform with its systems management software using the Open Management Interface (OMI) specification.
WebMethods director of product marketing Jim Ivers told CRM Buyer Magazinethat the application is intended to alert IT and business executives when critical business processes are being interrupted by hardware outages.
“Now they can determine,” he added, “when a server goes down, if it’s atech machine, a server driving printers, or the linchpin to the wholecall center.”
Ivers said that the OMI standard was jointly developed by his firm andHewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ). He added that HP has submitted the specification to the Oasis standards body.
“By having our server work with our integration platform and generateOMI messages,” he explained, “the systems management system can pickthem up and see beyond physical hardware assets to business processes.”
This means, for instance, that staffers monitoring CRM applications candetermine quickly whether a portion of a portal system that fails ismission-critical or not.
For example, a mail server that deliversinternal e-mail to company employees might be considered less criticalthan a customer-facing, self-service Web site. But because so many ofthese physical assets are housed in locations far-flung from theexecutives who manage their operation, said Ivers, that information historically has been difficult to obtain.
“Some of these business processes could cost a company US$10,000 perminute during an outage,” he explained.
According to Ivers, both Computer Associates and HP currently have OMI-enabled systems management console applications in production, andBMC has one in the beta-testing phase.
Tivoli, however — the fourth in the “big four” group of systemsmanagement software makers — is owned by IBM. And, of course, IBM hasits own stake in the industry-specification game when it comes to Web services.
Ivers said that IBM is “in no big rush to jump on board” with the OMIcoalition being built. However, he believes the industry giant is comingunder pressure and may in fact release an OMI-compliant version of itshardware monitoring applications.
Web Services Standards Game
The race to create standards that hook CRM systems into the overall ITinfrastructure is another example of how Web standards is not thepanacea it is sometimes described to be.
Former Partnerware CEO Donna Troy — who was with Tivoli immediatelybefore her tenure at the now-defunct channel management software maker– told CRM Buyer that it is the business processes that drive CRM andrelated applications, not the items that can be standardized.
Gartner’s Michele Cantara agreed, adding that message queues — the type that the OMI standard creates — are key to Web services as an integration technology.
“If you start to become business-process-centric,” she said, “it’sdifficult to do it plug-and-play.”


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Google this week announced that it is shutting down its messaging app Google Allo [iOS Direct Link], and incorporating many of its features into the Messages app on Android smartphones. Google Allo is an expanded messaging app that lets users send GIFs, text from their desktops, and use Smart Reply.
Now, Google says to continue Messages' momentum it has decided to "stop supporting Allo to focus on Messages." Many of Allo's features have already been integrated into Messages, and Allo will continue to work through March 2019. Until then, users will be able to export all existing conversations from the app. Because Google's main Messages app isn't available on iOS, Allo users on iPhone will have to migrate to an alternative texting platform when the service shutters.
Google Allo first launched in September 2016, pitched as the company's "intelligent messaging app," thanks to the inclusion of Google Assistant. Allo is available on iOS and Android smartphones, and offers many features that are comparable to messaging apps like Apple's iMessage and Facebook's WhatsApp.


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There’s a reason Netflix is in the headlines about every five minutes. Far more than just a simple website that allows users to stream TV shows and movies, Netflix has focused on becoming a global disruptor, upending the status quo, and changing the way we think about entertainment, and even online information. Now, Netflix’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos says Netflix wants to change the way movies are released by accelerating the release time.
Giving the Media Mastermind keynote address at this week’s MIPCOM entertainment conference in Cannes, Sarandos explained the motivation behind Netflix’s strategy for getting into movie production and distribution.
“The idea of releasing a movie and then waiting six, eight, ten months before there was any home video exploitation and at least a year before you can get that at home, that’s not the model people choose. People are choosing Netflix; they don’t want to wait a year, or maybe ten years to get that movie,” Sarandos told the crowd, according to coverage from Advanced Television.
“The current distribution model for movies in the US particularly, but also round the world, is pretty antiquated relative to the on-demand generation that we are trying to serve.”
Calling out the current model, Sarandos pointed out that the release structure now in place has been around almost since movies began being aired on TV in the 70s. Obviously a lot has changed when it comes to how people get their entertainment in the current market, thanks to a little thing called the Internet, as well as more recent advances like Netflix, and more legally questionable models like torrenting sites.
Netflix wants to make movies more accessible out of theaters, and has made a concerted effort to direct its content creation and distribution models to make that happen. The company’s most recent moves include a plan to produce and release the anticipated sequel, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: The Legend, the same day it appears in IMAX theaters, which has theater owners in an uproar, as well as recently announcing an exclusive deal with Adam Sandler to produce his next 4 movies in-house.
“The Adam Sandler’s movies will go directly on Netflix,” Sarandos told the MIPCOM attendees, according to Variety. “We’re not going to open them in theaters anywhere and it’s a big deal because for the last 20 years, Adam Sandler has had a successful movie in theaters every summer. So this is a very innovative step for someone like him who’s a real movie star.”
And innovating movie production and distribution is just the tip of the iceberg for Netflix as it continues its quest for world domination. It is fitting Sarandos should give his speech in Cannes, given that Netflix just concluded a six-country invasion into Western Europe, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France, the latter of which has been hit the hardest, with Netflix apps landing in set-top boxes from the largest French cable provider, Orange.
Adding those countries to other European strongholds like Britain, Norway and Sweden, and the Netherlands, as well as several South American countries, it is estimated that Netflix could top as many as 100 million international subscribers in the next 6 years alone.
“We’ve been very encouraged with the viewing hours per subscriber in France and Germany,” Sarandos remarked. “It’s on par with our successful launches around the world.”
With a firm grasp over American audiences, award winning, and critically acclaimed original TV series’, and an eye towards changing the entire movie distribution paradigm, Netflix isn’t exactly thinking small. And just as the company no doubt planned, we’ll all be watching with anticipation to see what Netflix will do next.
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PSLS’ PS4 Wishlist
It’s been 5 years now since the PlayStation 3 released in the US, and the once future-proof console is finally starting to show its age. With rumors of a PlayStation 4 starting to circulate, PSLS takes a look at what we’d want in the next generation console.
To start off with the obvious, the PS4 needs to be more powerful if gamers are going to want to upgrade. Specifically, the memory on the console has to be upgraded substantially to stop the bottleneck that developers have consistently faced on the PS3. More power will lead to better graphics and bigger games, but what is perhaps most interesting is that AI will be improved, with Ubisoft Montreal’s executive director of production services, Yves Jacquier saying that AI would be the “real battleground” of the next generation.
Another problem that troubles the PS3 is the slow Blu-ray drive, that leads to slow loading and means that many games require an install. Considering most developers don’t even use the second layer of the Blu-ray, an entirely new format doesn’t seem necessary, but extra space would be a bonus.
Cross Game Chat:
I’ve used in-game chats on the 360 only a handful of times, and really wouldn’t be that fussed if it never came to the PS4, but the fact is a huge number of gamers seem to want the feature. Sony has to show they are willing to listen to their fans, and providing Cross Game Chat would finally allow other requested features to get the attention they deserve.
Better support for independent developers:
As far as platform holders go, Sony have always been rather kind to indie studios, with programs like the PSN Pub Fund helping cover the costs of the developers. But with the rise of smartphones as a lucrative and viable platform, it’s becoming increasingly hard for developers to justify developing on the PSN. Considering there are over 200 million iOS devices, and a dev kit costs $99, while there are around 55 million PS3s and a dev kit costs around $20,000, many smaller developers have chosen mobiles over consoles, depriving PS3 gamers of thousands of potential games.
Keep the DualShock:
The DualShock is one of the strongest parts of the PlayStation brand, with millions of gamers having grown up only using the controller. Admittedly, some gamers do have trouble using the controller for long periods on shooter games, so a few tweaks wouldn’t hurt, but the overall design should remain unchanged if Sony doesn’t want to receive the same feedback as they had when they announced the boomerang controller.
Keep the Move, Lose the Eye:
The PlayStation Move is an incredibly precise controller, and really can’t get much more precise. As such, it seems rather pointless to upgrade it, especially when you consider that no games on the PS3 have fully tapped its potential. The Eye, on the other hand, is low-res and grainy, with a microphone and lens that can’t match the rival camera the Kinect. An upgrade on the camera, along with it’s software to include similar voice control functionality as the Kinect, seems like a natural progression. The new camera would also have far more developer support and sales than the Move if it was launched alongside the PS4, rather than mid-lifecycle.
No crazy promises:
The ‘original’ PS3 was awesome. It had two HDMI ports, three Ethernet ports and six USB ports, supported 120FPS games and played 4D. By comparison, the PS3 now seems weak and malnourished, despite its many great qualities. To avoid diminishing the impact of the final PS4, Sony should reveal specs only when they are finalized.
Equally, release dates should only be revealed when they are completely certain- there’s nothing worse that the pain of realizing the console you’ve been carefully saving for for the last year has been delayed.
With Airplay, you can wirelessly stream your iOS device to your TV screen using Apple TV, something that would be a fantastic option for the Vita and PS4. That way, you could play Vita games on your TV despite the hardware not having video-out.
Talk to developers:
One of the reasons the Vita is such an promising piece of hardware is that Sony reached out to developers and asked them what they want in the handheld. Developers know what should be in a console better than anyone, as their job relies on being able to excite gamers.
What do you think about our wishlist? Tell us what you want in the PS4 in the comments below.


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CANTON, Mass. -- In honor of Dunkin' Donuts' 60th "BirthDDay," the brand has a new special offer -- the Dunkin' Donuts Birthday Perk, in which all members of the Dunkin' Perks program will receive a coupon in the mail during their birthday month, good for a free medium beverage of their choice, including any iced or hot coffee, tea, latte, hot chocolate or Coolatta slush drink (cooler drinks excluded). For an added bonus, starting in May, when new guests enroll in DD Perks, Dunkin' Donuts will mail new members a coupon for another free medium beverage.
According to John Costello, chief global customer and marketing officer at Dunkin' Brands, Dunkin' Donuts' new Birthday Perk is an opportunity to thank Dunkin' Donuts guests for their loyalty and passion for the brand. "As we honor our own 60th birthday, we wanted to show our appreciation for our guests who make us a part of their everyday routine. With our new Birthday Perk, guests enjoy a special treat from Dunkin' Donuts on their special day," he said.
The Dunkin' Perks program provides members exclusive in-store and online offers, as well as the inside scoop on new menu items, new restaurant openings and all the latest Dunkin' Donuts news. Enrollment is free at www.DunkinDonuts.com/Perks. To be eligible for the Birthday Perk, current DD Perks members must update their profile with their birthday information.
In April, Dunkin' Donuts conducted a survey of more than 500 people to discover what people enjoy most and least on their birthday. According to the results:
-- 63 percent of people said they enjoy celebrating their birthday most when their spouse, kids, family or friends do something special for them.
-- 22 percent said opening presents makes a birthday special, and 11 percent cited birthday cake as their favorite birthday perk.
-- 37 percent of people said that having people sing "Happy Birthday To You" is their least favorite part of their special day.
-- The most wanted "unexpected birthday perk" would be receiving something free from their favorite store or restaurant (29 percent), followed by a surprise party (20 percent) or surprise visit from an out-of-town friend or family member (20 percent).
-- People enjoy a cake break to recognize a colleague's birthday, as 70 percent of respondents believe that birthdays should be celebrated in the workplace.
-- 80 percent of people admit that they enjoy celebrating their birthdays.
Dunkin' Donuts Launches 99-Cent Value Menu
Dunkin' Donuts Introduces Spring Menu


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Leading the way in offsetting the carbon footprint involved in promotional activity.
The Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA) is to pay CO2 emission compensation on flights for hosted guests.
This will cover journeys from ATA’s key Europe markets to the island on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines by media on official press trips and for invited travel industry visitors heading to the island for familiarisation visits.
ATA will make use of KLM’s CO2ZERO compensation service, under which airline-calculated financial contributions go towards the ‘CO2OL Tropical Mix’ reforestation initiative in Panama where so far at least 7.5 million trees have been planted.
ATA’s European Director, Tirso Tromp explained: ‘As a destination marketing organisation, we need to walk the walk when it comes to sustainability efforts. Although the changes we are making might appear small, it should lead to bigger things.’
Aruba is already the leading island in the Caribbean region for environmental initiatives. Single use plastic bags were banned in 2017 and in November a law prohibiting the use of any disposable plastic used in the consumption of food and drink came into force.
In addition, Aruba’s government has outlawed sunscreens containing oxybenzone, which are known to damage coral reefs. A transition phase is in place, with a full ban effective later this year.
In another move, ATA has produced environmentally-friendly marketing materials for use in its European markets. These include canvas bags; towels made from plastics collected by fishermen while at sea; Join the Pipe water bottles, which support various water projects around the world; and sunglasses made from wheat straw.
We’re just getting started with the amazing effects Aruba has to offer. Dig into your trip details below to unlock a Caribbean experience that will leave you sunnier, happier, and (of course) a little more tanned.


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The last spring was quite memorable for Arizona because it became the very first state in the United States of America to have a Fintech Sandbox which is similar to the successful program that was originally started in the United Kingdom.
Once the regulatory authorities in the United Kingdom have introduced their own Sandbox, many countries followed suit. According to the Arizona House Bill 2343, the Sandbox is allowed to be implemented by the Arizona Attorney General.
After the signing of the bill, Mark Brnovich who is the current attorney general said that they admit that the idea of a Fintech Sandbox is not unique but at the moment the federal government is taking its time to consider it at the Congress. Therefore, Arizona took it upon itself to launch its own to nurture big ideas in order to become a trailblazer in terms of innovations as well as entrepreneurship. He added that they are hoping that Arizona sandbox will be the driving force to increase capital investment in the state as well as to create more opportunities for business as well as consumers in Arizona.
As per the regulation of the Arizona Fintech Sandbox, startup companies will be given the chance to create their products and test them until they are deployed without getting formal licenses. This is only valid for two years and an extension of one-year if granted. Officials believe that AZ Fintech Sandbox will make it possible for companies to succeed given they have less compliance costs to cover while being guided by a set of regulations.
Arizona does not believe that they should move as slow as the Congress when it comes to welcoming innovation in the field of financial services. The truth is that the state is even searching beyond the borders of the state by organizing events to reach out to fintech leaders in the United Kingdom.
This September alone, there were a number of events wherein AZ Fintech Sandbox was launched in the tech city of London. There is no one as happy as Nadeem Shaikh Anthemis by the efforts made by Arizona in order to give startup companies the fighting chance they deserve in this rapidly growing industry.


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Westcon Adds Palo Alto Networks to Security Portfolio, Appoints New Executive
Distributor aims to be single-source play for channel partners selling security solutions.
Westcon Group Inc. said that it has signed a distribution agreement with Palo Alto Networks Inc., a Sunnyvale, CA-based network security provider, whose firewall technology allows visibility and control over applications, users and content.
Westcon also said that it has hired Andrew Warren as its vice president, Security. Westcon hired Warren away from Avnet Inc.s Technology Solutions unit, where he was responsible for growing that companys network security business. He will report to Lynn Smurthwaite-Murphy, Westcon senior vice president, U.S. and Canada.
Palo Alto separately said that it also has signed a distribution agreement with ComputerLinks, an Austin, TX-based distributor best known in Europe.
The vendors deals with Westcon and Computerlinks are its first forays into two-tier distribution in North America, officials said.
By teaming up with Westcon, we can further empower our channel to help companies properly address todays enterprise security challenges, said Larry Link, Palo Alto vice president, worldwide sales.
Smurthwaite-Murphy said that Westcon added Palo Alto to its security portfolio based on demand from its customer base.
Westcon Securitys addition of Palo Alto Networks is in direct response to overwhelming feedback from our security-oriented customer base, she said.
To back channel partners selling the Palo Alto line, Westcon will provide demand generation materials, financing options, certification guidance, pre-and post-sales support, and marketing collateral.
Partners will be recruited from Westcons existing base of resellers but the aim is to add net new partners, Smurthwaite-Murphy said.
The distributors security vendor roster includes a range of notables such as Blue Coat Systems Inc., EMC Corp.s RSA, Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., Brocade Communications Systems Inc., F5 Networks Inc., IBM Corp., Microsoft Corp. and Trend Micro Inc., among others.
Offering partners diversification in our portfolio is part of our aggressive growth strategy as a company, Smurthwaite-Murphy said. We need a broad portfolio to be relevant to customers, she said.
Smurthwaite-Murphy said that Warrens primary task will be to grow Westcons security business. He is charged with developing and implementing the distributors security strategy, reseller and vendor relationships, product management, business development and sales.
It is extremely important to focus on security as a practice in the new network, she said. As new technologies are introduced and customers continue to evolve, Andrew will be responsible for driving our growth in this key technology segment.
Westcon maintains solutions practices in convergence, collaboration, mobility, service provider and security as well as its Comstor unit dedicated to Cisco Systems Inc.s products and services.
Security is its third largest practice behind Comstor and convergence, Smurthwaite-Murphy said.


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As the travel industry takes a hit, Expedia has raised $3.2bn, appointed new leadership and introduced savings measures.
On Thursday (23 April), online travel booking firm Expedia announced that it is raising $3.2bn in fresh capital to strengthen the company’s balance sheet as it weathers the effective shutdown of the travel industry caused by Covid-19 restrictions.
The company has also appointed a new CEO and CFO, who will not take a salary this year, according to Expedia. The company’s board members will also forgo compensation for the rest of the year, while other senior executives will take a 25pc pay cut.
Former vice-chair of Expedia Peter Kern has been named as the new CEO, while Eric Hart has been named as CFO. The company’s former CEO and CFO were ousted in December after disagreements about Expedia’s strategy.
Barry Diller, chair of Expedia, said of the savings measures: “We have one mandate – to conserve cash, survive and use this time to reconstruct a stronger enterprise to serve the future of travel.”
Expedia’s funding includes $1.2bn from private equity firms Apollo Global Management and Silver Lake. The company is also raising a further $2bn through new debt financing.
Apollo partner Reed Rayman said: “This investment helps ensure the company has the resources to sustain market leadership and emerge from the current economic environment stronger than ever.”
Additionally, Expedia has cut back on the cost of labour, with furloughs and reduced work weeks in place for many employees until at least 31 August. The company has suspended 401(k) matching for the remainder of the year and is asking staff to voluntarily reduce their working weeks.
Diller said: “Since the crisis began, the company has encountered an extraordinary number of challenges and just as governments around the world were unprepared, so too were we. We had limited online tools to support widespread cancellations and our call volume spiked 500pc.
“Under extraordinary pressure, our tech teams built new tools and managed to bring our call centre capacity to acceptable levels.”
Diller added that with fresh financing, the company has “a very clear focus for whatever the future brings.”
The wider travel industry
Expedia is not the only travel business to raise funding at this particularly difficult time for the industry.
Cruise operator Carnival raised $6.25bn in debt and equity earlier this month, as the cruise industry suffers from travel restrictions and incidents of Covid-19 spreading on ships.
Since the pandemic began, cruise ships have been labelled “an inherently high-risk setting” for the spread of viruses, and there have been concerns over whether the industry will recover from this pandemic.
In April, Airbnb raised a total of $2bn. Of this funding, $1bn came from key investors Sixth Street Partners and Silver Lake – the firm that has also invested in Expedia. In addition to that funding, Airbnb secured $1bn in a syndicated term loan to help the company to invest in itself and its community.


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People of all different demographics and geographical regions are affected by NCDs. In Caribbean countries, heart disease accounted for the highest percentage of deaths (13 per cent to 25 per cent), followed by cancer (eight per cent to 25 per cent), diabetes (four per cent to 21 per cent), and cerebrovascular disease (one per cent to 13 per cent). Compared to other sub-regions of the Americas, the Caribbean community has the highest probability of persons dying prematurely (between the ages of 30 and 70 years) from NCDs.
In 2007, Caricom identified four shared risk factors for NCDs to be addressed within the region: tobacco use; harmful use of alcohol; unhealthy diet containing the over consumption of salts, sugar and trans-fatty acids; and physical inactivity.
In July 2018, Caricom heads of governments endorsed the following six priorities to underpin the policy interventions towards addressing NCDS:
Establishing and maintaining a smoke-free status for the region
Implementing policies geared to preventing childhood obesity
Including for health-promoting school environments and front of package (FOP) labelling
Promoting the elimination of cancer of the cervix
Support for the mitigation of post-disaster vulnerabilities related to NCDs in particular: nutrition, treatment and care, increasing international financing and technical support; and
Strengthening accountability through national coordinating mechanisms.
The local private sector has been collaborating with the government in its effort to help consumers make healthier choices. The business community has been actively engaged in developing strategies to mitigate the prevalence of NCDs within the region. Members of the TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce have begun to engage both government and non-state stakeholders to develop and to implement policies and actions to alleviate the impact of harmful consumption of sugar, salts, trans-fat, alcohol and tobacco. In making this commitment, the private sector acknowledges that the success of such efforts will be contingent on full participation of all producers and particularly of those entities involved in the retailing of such products and operators who interface directly with the consumer.
For example, Coca Cola’s Caribbean Bottlers has “reduced sugar in a number of their beverages and has been offering many low and no-sugar products to consumers. Forty five per cent of their total product portfolio consists of no to low sugar content.” Similarly, Nestlé has “refined its internal strategies, offering 100 per cent juices, with no added sugar and in some cases including vegetable juices, to encourage consumers to transition to healthier beverages without added sugar over time.”
Further, the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers’ Association (WIRSPA) endorses interventions recommended by the World Health Organization, viz: public regulation of availability and advertising; strong drink-driving laws; enforcement of minimum age for purchase and consumption; sponsorship practices that restrict promotion to underage persons; improving consumer information about the products they consume, including alcohol harms; support for treatment and care, and for counselling services. The rum industry announced in mid-2019 a major initiative to upgrade labels in domestic and regional markets, to make them more easy-to-read and to improve consumer information
Conclusively, other companies within the private sector have been sensitising the population through educational platforms and information dissemination. Companies have made pledges such as not advertising to children, supporting the use of front of package labelling which should be developed in close consultation with the industry, reducing sugar, trans fat and sodium levels, hosting marathons, and evolving recipes in its manufacturing process to promote a healthful lifestyle.
The development of holistic approached to reducing non-communicable diseases will require ongoing dialogue and collaboration among the state, business, health practitioners and citizen groups. With our particular economic and social vulnerabilities, it is all the more important to ensure that our population is as healthy as possible. With a commitment to being good corporate citizens, the members of the TT Chamber continue to support the efforts to reduce the incidence of non-communicable diseases in Trinidad and Tobago.


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Angry Birds - it's in the hearts of casual gamers virtually everywhere. iOS, Android and now Nokia. Nokia's Ovi Store has just gotten Angry Birds and it is already popular.
Nokia have also announced they've been pushing out 3.5 million downloads per day with 250, 000 users signing up to the store daily. Angry Birds is currently the #1 downloaded app in Australia.
Last updated: Apr 7, 2020 at 11:20 am CDT
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Economic and Ecological Implications
Will Biotechnology Benefit Farmers or Not?
The most widely accepted benefits for farmers who choose to grow genetically modified crops are:
Increases in profit due to higher marketability and competitiveness
Simplification of techniques and products needed for farming
Contribution to relieving food shortages related to overpopulation
Large biotechnology companies like, Monsanto, also publicize benefits such as erosion control with herbicide-resistant crops by avoiding tilling, reduced herbicide use, reduced insecticide use, and other benefits leading to fewer production costs and hopefully a greater output.
However, there are many economic and ecological concerns surrounding the choice to use transgenic crops. Jeremy Rifkin, president of Foundation on Economic Trends says, "Many farmers are unfortunately buying into the public relations and marketing hoopla of Monsanto and Novartis. I think they're going to find that there are serious problems with the crops" (Wadman, 1998). Other considerations of GM crops are the affects when introduced in developing countries.


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Revolt Motors, a leading player in India’s electric bike segment, has launched the Revolt RV400 BRZ at a lower price than its 2023 model that simply carried the RV400 moniker. In a drive to boost sales and gain market share, it seems like Revolt Motors now intends to make electric bikes more affordable to Indian consumers through the new offering.
In numbers, the new and revamped RV400 BRZ is on offer for Rs 1,37,950 (ex-showroom) for an initial time. This is a Rs. 5,000 drop over the previous year’s price of Rs 1,42,950 (ex-showroom). The RV400 BRZ is available in five colour options: Lunar Green, Pacific Blue, Dark Silver, Rebel Red, and Cosmic Black, the first three of which are new additions to the model.
With this launch, Revolt Motors seems to be focused only on the RV400 series for now. Despite the new name, the RV400 BRZ has many similarities to the traditional RV400, including the design and technical components.
For instance, the RV400 BRZ is powered by a 3.24 kWh battery and has a stated range of 150 km in Eco mode, 100 km in Normal mode, and 80 km in Sport mode. Notable features include USD front forks, a rear mono-shock, LED lighting, 215 mm ground clearance, 814 mm seat height, and a curb weight of 108 kg. The electric bike also comes with a 5-year or 75,000 km guarantee.
The RV400 BRZ competes in the electric bike category with brands like Switch CSR762, Tork Kratos, and Oben Rorr. It remains to be seen how it fairs against the competition, especially with the price drop over its predecessor.


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PayPal office in Berlin, Germany, photographed in May, 2016. Shutterstock
Payments giant PayPal could be looking to purchase cryptocurrency companies, such as multi-signature custodian BitGo, Bloomberg reported on 22 October.
The publication cited “people familiar with the matter”, who claimed that the payments giant was already holding talks with BitGo, and that an agreement could be reached within a matter of weeks. The sources, who wanted to remain anonymous, did however point out that a deal between the two is far from certain, and that if the talks fall apart “PayPal could opt to buy other targets”.
Back in February, BitGo acquired security token platform Harbor, which resulted in it becoming the first U.S. cryptocurrency firm to secure a transfer agent registration, broker-dealer approval and a trust company recognition. In July BitGo also became the first digital asset organization to announce API support for the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Travel Rule.
The senior product manager of BitGo, Chris Metcalfe, said at the time:
“We had to have a Travel Rule solution for our own trust clients because we are a regulated U.S. entity that is a VASP. So we had to build this tech or figure out how to source it, and since we are a tech provider we built it ourselves and can now offer Travel-Rule-as-a-service to our exchange clients.”
The rumors around PayPal’s reported interest in BitGo follow the reveal of the payments giant’s new crypto offering. This Wednesday the firm announced that, starting 2021, its customers will be able to buy and sell cryptocurrencies directly through its platform, which would in effect make PayPal a crypto custodian. Through its partnership with Paxos, the payments giant was also able to obtain a conditional cryptocurrency license from the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), also known as a BitLicense.


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Dr John Ingram, the food security leader at the Natural Environment Research Council, said reducing food waste was high on the global agenda, “but not high enough”.
Speaking at a Westminster Food and Nutrition Forum seminar on food security in March, Ingram, who is based at the University of Oxford, said more research was needed on how public attitudes could be influenced with regard to waste, to complement the research on increasing production.
‘Head on the block’
“I might put my head on the block and say that every dollar spent on how to reduce waste will have a bigger impact than one dollar spent on how to improve more,” he said.
“Waste is an insidious problem it is hard to measure and the tragedy is it is often too late to do anything once it has been noticed.”
Ingram told delegates it needed to be understood why there was a conflict between what people say and think, and what they do.
While 90% of people agree that the UK wastes too much food, between £250 and £400 worth of food is still wasted from each household every year, he said.
More investment needed
“A lot more investment is need in [researching] how we bring about change in society. The road signs are clear, but at the moment we are mumbling around in the fog.
“4,000 kilocalories (kcal) are produced per person per day, but around 2,000kcal are wasted. In most of the world this happens on the farm or via distribution, but in the UK and US much of this is in foodservice or the home,” he said.
Meanwhile, a new report from the Waste & Resources Action Programme, ‘Consumer Attitudes to Food Waste and Food Packaging’, reinforced the view that consumers did not realise the important role packaging played in reducing food waste, particularly once they got products home. While there is recognition that packaging is important to protect food on its way to, and in, the store, only 13% of consumers believed it could play the same role in the home.