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Honda Rebel 500
Kia Sonet Kia QYI
2020 Hyundai i20
Royal Enfield Meteor 350
Hyundai Releases Official Renderings Of 2021 Hyundai Elantra N-Line
27/07/2020 - 12:45
While Hyundai launched the updated version of the Elantra in India last year, the all-new 2021 Hyundai Elantra has already made its global premiere. While the 2021 Hyundai Elantra does bring about a..
2020 Hyundai Elantra BS6 Diesel launched, prices start at INR 18.70 lakh - IAB Report
24/06/2020 - 15:30
The 2020 Hyundai Elantra BS6 Diesel has been launched in India. It is available in two variants - SX and SX(O) - and has a starting price of INR 18.70 lakh*. 2020 Hyundai Elantra BS6 Diesel..
Hyundai Elantra starting price increased by INR 2.6 lakh - IAB Report
14/05/2020 - 13:44
The Hyundai Elantra's starting price in India has been increased by INR 2.6 lakh. With that, it has lost India’s most affordable global compact sedan title to the Honda Civic (INR 17.94 lakh*..
First-ever Hyundai Elantra N Line announces its entry with a roar [Video]
01/05/2020 - 19:14
The first-ever Hyundai Elantra N Line (Hyundai Avante N Line) has made its first official appearance. A teaser video showing the 2021 Hyundai Elantra’s upcoming performance variant has revealed its..
What’s this 2021 Hyundai Elantra doing in Japan?
22/04/2020 - 19:53
A 2021 Hyundai Elantra has been spied in Japan. The all-new compact sedan was unveiled just last month. ] Japan is a market heavily dominated by domestic b
India-bound 2021 Hyundai Elantra interior & exterior detailed - In 35 Live Images
14/04/2020 - 15:23
The India-bound 2021 Hyundai Elantra has started reaching showrooms in South Korea. Here are the upcoming compact sedan’s first real-life images from the brand's homeland, showing its exterior and..
New Hyundai Elantra diesel introduced in India - Specs & Variants Inside
13/04/2020 - 20:20
The new Hyundai Elantra diesel has been officially introduced in India. The new compact diesel sedan will go on sale in India very soon.
2021 Hyundai Elantra launched in S. Korea, priced from just INR 9.52 lakh
07/04/2020 - 16:55
The India-bound 2021 Hyundai Elantra (2021 Hyundai Avante) has been launched in South Korea. The prices of the all-new compact sedan start at just KRW 15.31 million or INR 9.52 lakh.
Here's How The Next-Gen Maruti Celerio Could Look Like - IAB Rendering
All-New Nissan Magnite Unveiled, Here Is A Detailed First Look [VIDEO]
Royal Enfield Make-it-Yours motorcycle customisation initiative launched
BS6 Force Gurkha (Mahindra Thar rival) spied testing ahead of launch
Honda H’ness CB 350 (Royal Enfield Classic 350 rival) dispatch starts
Top 5 Cars With An Automatic Transmission You Can Buy Under INR 8 Lakh


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Well-known designer and concept artist Martin Hajek has teamed up with the folks over at Nowhereelse.fr to create what could be the most accurate iPhone 6 renderings to date. The mockups show a device that was created based on recent information, including MacFan’s schematic drawing from last month, and this week’s case leak.
For the most part, the renderings match up with everything we’ve seen thus far regarding Apple’s next smartphone. Hajek depicts the iPhone 6 as extremely thin, with rounded corners, and a display that’s noticeably larger than current models. It also features a new Sleep/Wake button, which has been moved to the right side of the handset…
Here’s Nowhereelse.fr’s Steve Hemmerstoffer with more:
On March 31, I asked my friend Martin Hajek to model future iPhone 6 based on supposed sketches that were sent to me by one of my Chinese sources. Two weeks later, I published photos of protective shells supposedly designed by a Chinese props to protect this future California smartphone. These shots in turn inspired the talented Dutch designer.
We first heard that Apple was going to be relocating the Sleep/Wake button on the iPhone 6 from Ming-Chi Kuo. The KGI Securities’ analyst issued a research note to investors last week saying the Cupertino company is going to be moving the button from the top of the handset, to the side, to help ease one-handed use of the larger handset.
Additionally, note that the above image shows a round single-LED flash on the back of the iPhone 6 rendering, instead of the current pill-shaped design. This is also something we have seen before, in both MacFan’s schematic and a purported iPhone 6 ‘dummy unit,’ and it’s possible Apple has reached a new milestone in LED flash tech.
iPhone 5s next to 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6
That about does it for external changes. As for internal differences, it sounds like the iPhone will come in two sizes: 4.7 and 5.5-inches, as depicted in the image above. We’ve seen various theories about their resolutions, but Kuo is calling for 1334×740 and 1920×1080 respectively, coming in at 401 ppi (or pixels per inch) on the high end.
Additionally, it’s believed that the iPhone 6 will feature a much faster A8 processor, an updated 8MP camera, and several other improvements. Mass production of the handset is expected to begin next month, ahead of a September launch, but it’s been reported that the 5.5-inch model will land a few months late due to manufacturing issues.
Of course, none of this is concrete, and it all could change over the next several weeks. But for now, at least, it seems like we’re beginning to get some idea of what the next iPhone will look like. What do you think so far?

domain: news


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3D is coming to YouTube.
CEO Susan Wojcicki, during a keynote speech at the sixth annual Vidcon event in Anaheim Thursday night, said YouTube is hard at work on 3D support for videos that play back in its 360-degree format.
3D support means YouTube users who have 3D headsets like Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR or Google Cardboard will be able to see images in three dimensions. Wojcicki said YouTube would have the necessary special cameras to support 3D at its studios around the world, including at two of its soon-to-open locations in Toronto and Mumbai.
“We’ve seen big name artists like Avicii and Bjork do some breakthrough things with 3D video, but we want to empower all of you to chart this new frontier,” she said.
Wojcicki also announced a new version of its mobile app available now on Android, mobile web and coming soon to iOS.
The update is a bid to make it easier for mobile viewers to both find the videos they are most interested in watching and create them, too.
The update introduces three new tabs:
- Home: Enables users to more easily explore and discover videos with recommendations based on watch history as well as personalized playlists.
- Subscriptions: A new Subscriptions tab helps users to find the latest videos from their favorite channels and creators. By tapping the bell icon on channels of interest, users will receive a notification as soon as a new video is posted.
- Account: This enables users to see their playlists, watch history, and uploaded videos all in one place.
“But YouTube isn’t just about enjoying videos; it’s a place to express yourself and show the world what you love,” YouTube said in a post to its blog. “With the redesigned app you can take your creativity to new levels using a new set of video creation tools. You’ve got an amazing camera in your phone or tablet, and now you can trim your footage, tint the image with filters, add music, and upload – all inside the app.”
Users can also now watch full-screen vertical videos with a tap of the finger for the very first time.


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Brunei retail sales show 3.9pc decrease in Q1
In Q1 2022, the performance of the retail sales showed a year-on-year (y-o-y) decrease of 3.9 per cent with an estimated value decreased from BND468.5 million to BND450.1 million.
In terms of volume, the retail sales also recorded a negative growth of 8.4 per cent y-o-y, said the Department of Economic Planning and Statistics (DEPS) in a report yesterday.
The decline in retail sales was mainly caused by a drop in sales at petrol stations by 21.7 per cent, due to lack of domestic demand amid limited movements following online learning and teaching as well as work-from-home arrangements. This was followed by the decrease in the sales in department stores by 5.6 per cent, sales of others 12.5 per cent, sales of textiles, wearing apparel and footwear 19.7 per cent, and sales of hardware, paints and glass in specialised stores 10.9 per cent. In addition, the sales volume of these retail activities also registered a decrease.
As for the food and beverages services, it has also decreased by 10.3 per cent compared to Q1 2021 with an estimated sales revenue decreased from BND104.0 million to BND93.3 million. In terms of volume, food and beverages activity also recorded a negative growth of 10.6 per cent y-o-y.
The decline in sales revenue of food and beverages was mainly attributed to a decline in the sales revenue of restaurants by 12.6 per cent as a result of dine-in capacity limitations at 75 per cent compared to full capacity in quarter one of the previous year which was also in line with lower sales volume. This was followed by the decline in the sales revenue of fast-food outlets by 5.7 per cent, catering service activities 15 per cent, beverage serving activities 12.7 per cent, and other food service activities 1.5 per cent.
Compared to Q4 2021, the retail sales in Q1 2022 recorded an increase of 4.8 per cent mainly due to an increase in the sales in department store by 6.7 per cent, sales of textiles, wearing apparel and footwear 44.1 per cent, sales in petrol station 14.6 per cent, sales of watches and jewellery 18.1 per cent, and sales in supermarket 4.1 per cent.
As for the food and beverage services, it has also recorded an increase of 19.3 per cent in Q1 2022 compared to Q4 2021 mainly due to the increase in sales revenue of restaurants by 24.4 per cent, fast-food outlets 14.0 per cent, other food service activities 9.6 per cent, catering service activities 6.3 per cent, and beverage serving activities 6.8 per cent.
Compared to Q4 2021, the increase in retail sales and food and beverage services activities was in line with the rise in domestic demand as most control measures were reduced, such as increasing the capacity for the entry of customers into business premises from 50 per cent to 75 per cent following the transition to the COVID-19 endemic phase.
Retail Sales Index (RSI) and Food and Beverages Services Index (F&BSI) are preliminary indicators of economic performance for both activities and provides an outlook for consumer spending trends in Brunei Darussalam on a quarterly basis.
Full reports of both activities are available from the DEPS’ website.


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McLeod Software and Clear Choice Telephones have teamed up to meet your trucking and shipping communication needs.
McLeod Software and Clear Choice Telephones, a Gold Champion ShoreTel Partner, have launched an exciting partnership. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, McLeod is the trucking industry’s premier supplier of transportation management software.
McLeod recently integrated the ShoreTel phone system into their CRM module. This allows trucking firms and shipping expediters to dial directly out of the McLeod software. The software automatically brings up customer records with an incoming call. Given the call volume at most of these firms, the savings could be in hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars.
Clear Choice attended McLeod Software’s annual trade show in October as an exhibitor. The excitement from the transportation dealers was amazing! Around 50 transportation firms visited the booth. Sixteen have requested follow-up demonstrations to see the complete system in action.
Contact Clear Choice Telephones at 770-255-3333 to learn more about this promising new endeavor with McLeod Software.


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Nissan is adding another city to its all-electric LEAF free charging promotion. Tuesday, the automaker launched its “No Charge to Charge” program for Denver area car buyers. It basically offers new Nissan LEAF buyers two years complimentary public charging when purchased from a LEAF-certified dealer in the Denver market.
“Nissan LEAF is an attractive option for Denver car buyers because it is fun to drive and offers significantly lower operating costs when compared to a gas-powered car,” said Andrew Speaker, director, Electric Vehicle (EV) Sales & Marketing, Nissan. “EV charging infrastructure continues to grow in Denver, and access to free public charging for new LEAF buyers helps make owning an all-electric vehicle even more cost-effective and convenient.”
The promotion includes access to fast chargers that can charge a LEAF battery pack from empty to 80 percent in about 30 minutes, as well as level 2 (240V) chargers spread throughout the Denver area.
Nissan now offers “No Charge to Charge” in 16 U.S. markets, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, Fresno, Seattle, Portland, Chicago, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Nashville, Phoenix, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston and Washington, D.C. Nissan plans to offer the program at LEAF dealers in a total of at least 25 U.S. markets later this year.
With more than 175,000 global sales and more than 78,000 in the U.S., Nissan says the LEAF is the world’s best-selling electric car. This is despite a dip in sales this year. LEAF boasts an EPA-estimated driving range of 84 miles on a fully-charged battery and MPGe ratings of 126 city, 101 highway and 114 combined.
Meanwhile, Nissan will reportedly upgrade its battery before the next-generation model arrives. The top of the range could get a 30-kWh battery pack for the 2016 model year, while the entry-level ‘S’ package will retain the current 24-kWh module. The report suggests the 25-percent boost in battery capacity will bring the EPA-estimated driving distance up from 84 miles to 105-110 miles.
LEAF sales were down 23 percent for the first four months of the year, as Nissan faced more competition from newer segment rivals such as the Volkswagen e-Golf and Chevrolet Spark EV. Offering an upgraded battery is viewed as a way to fill the gap between the current model and the next-generation Leaf, which isn’t due on the road until late 2017.
The next-generation model is expected to effectively double driving range to more than 200 miles as it takes on even more competitors, including the Chevy Bolt and Tesla Model 3.
Photo Credit: Nissan


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The aftermath of Facebook’s Instagram acquisition
In a very interesting move, two months ago Facebook has announced that they’re buying the most popular Smartphone photo sharing service, Instagram, for about a billion dollars. In case you’ve never heard about it, here is what you need to know: using it you can take pictures and make them look vintage or you can add other cool effects like blurred edges, sepia, fade, matte and of course, the all-time favorite black and white which can make even a picture of your unwashed dishes look artsy.
Irony aside, Instagram is a really cool App and it caught on pretty fast, especially with the “Hipster” crowd that started using it “before it was cool”. All in all, when Facebook decided to purchase this mobile apps development hit, it was already being used by over 30 million users and was just taking off.
I think this acquisition was a great strategic move for both of them since Instagram has never figured out how to make real money with their service and it’s a very important deal for Facebook also as it needs mobile engagement. I mean, mobile application development is where it’s at right now and photo sharing is one of the things that have made Facebook wildly popular so by integrating the “best of breed” photo sharing service, it’s just a guaranteed win for Facebook.
However, Instagram and FB aren’t the only beneficiaries from this merger. The aftermath of the acquisition has brought on new users and increased traffic on Facebook which can be easily speculated with the right Fan Page and proper application development. Many users that only had an Instagram account now have a Facebook one also and others are now logging in additional hours in front of their screen sharing artful photos of their dogs and cats while your page is only a click away.


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Vindictus has hacked its way into the hearts of many players, with its can-do attitude and liberal stance on how many decapitations make your actions morally justified. Apparently, the players aren't the only ones in love with the game, as it has managed to walk away from the G-Star 2010 convention...
While the latest EVE Online expansion, Apocrypha, has hit the main server and the retail boxes for EVE have reappeared on game store shelves, CCP has been busy winning awards for all of their work with EVE. CCP's awards include the Icelandic Innovation and Knowledge Award from the Association of...
Posted on Oct 22nd 2014 8:00PM
Posted on Oct 22nd 2014 4:00PM
Posted on Oct 22nd 2014 1:00PM


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Brit+Co, the digital media and e-commerce website that has brought together a community of do-it-yourself makers, has announced that it's raised $20 million in Series B funding from Intel and others. In addition, the San Francisco, CA-based company announced its acquisition of the user-generated DIY app Snapguide. To top off everything, the company has also named a new chief financial officer and has brought on additional members to its board.
Brit+Co's recent Series B funding was led by Intel Capital and included participation from DMGT, Liberty Media, Oak Capital, and various angels including Jim Fielding. Earlier today, Intel Capital announced it would allocate $125 million for startups with women and minorities in leadership positions. Spearheaded by Intel Capital's Lisa Lambert (both a woman and an African-American), the new Diversity Fund has already made four initial investments, among which include Brit+Co.
Founded by Brit Morin (one of among our “50 Women in Tech Dominating Silicon Valley” list) in 2011, Brit+Co has grown to become one of the top resources on the Internet for creative women – seeing more than 12 million people in monthly traffic. Snapguide's free iOS app and web platform allows users to create and share step-by-step how-to guides. With the company's acquisition of Snapguide, the platform will see continued growth in the DIY and maker market.
Brit+Co will bring several influential figures to the company and its board, all with the hope of moving it forward towards its goals of becoming a modern Martha Stewart-esque hub. Former Refinery 29 CFO Nicole Emanuel will join the company's executive team as CFO. Among those joining its board are Intel Capital's own Lambert and Susan Lyne, former CEO at Martha Stewart and CEO at Gilt Group. Several people will also join a subcommittee of Brit+Co's board, including Jon Steinberg, CEO of Daily Mail North America and former president and COO of BuzzFeed; Ron Johnson, current head of Enjoy and former SVP of retail operations at Apple; and Jim Fielding, former president of Disney Stores Worldwide and CEO of Claire's Stores.


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Soon, whenever we buy silk products they will be much stronger. US researchers have created genetically modified silkworms that can spin silk far stronger and with more elasticity than the normal silk produced by the worms.
This breakthrough comes from the University of Wyoming. Their goal is to produce silk from worms that has the toughness of spider silk; which weight-for-weight, is stronger than steel. Other applications include the biomedical field, bulletproof vests, sports gear, airbags for vehicles, and just about anything you can think up that needs to be tough and flexible.
In the past they have tried to transplant silk-producing DNA from spiders into silkworms, but with limited success. They generally did not produce enough silk to make it worthwhile. But that is no longer the case. Researchers have produced genetically modified silkworms that seem to be producing a composite of worm and spider silk in large quantities. So far the results are impressive and the silkworm silk is just as strong as spider silk. With all of those applications, you can see why they are excited. We are one step closer to being able to produce toughened silk commercially.
While this looks great for the commercial sector, the worry is what might happen should these worms escape into the wild. It doesn’t seem like a silkworm producing spider silk would have an advantage in nature; but the truth is, we just don’t know.


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OTTAWA, Dec. 8, 2016 /CNW/ - Economic prospects are improving for Quebec, real GDP is forecast to grow by 1.4 per cent in 2016 and by an average of 1.9 per cent in 2017 and 2018, according to The Conference Board of Canada's Provincial Outlook: Autumn 2016.
"Quebec's economy is gaining momentum, the job market is performing relatively well, and consumers have kept retailers busy. Quebec's growth rate is expected to reach a level not seen since the end of the 2008-09 recession," said Marie-Christine Bernard, Associate Director, Provincial Forecasting. "However, business investment and exports have been a source of disappointment, as they have not accelerated as previously anticipated."
- The province's real GDP is expected to increase by 1.4 per cent in 2016, followed by 1.9 per cent in 2017 and 2018.
- Exports should perform better going forward as rising metal and non‑metallic mineral production and aerospace help bolster export prospects.
- Employment will increase at a modest rate and will be driven mostly by job creation in the health care sector.
- With the exception of Newfoundland and Labrador, all provinces will see their economy expand next year.
Although business investment is expected to post a strong gain in 2017, thanks to a large increase in spending on machinery and equipment, the acceleration is projected to be short-lived as major projects are likely to have difficulties getting off the ground. Business investment is expected to decline slightly in 2018.
Household income should grow at a good pace next year, supporting household spending gains on both goods and services, which are forecast to grow faster than real GDP. However, after next year, consumption growth will slow slightly.
With business investment not expected to be a major contributor to economic growth in 2018, Quebec will increase its reliance on export industries. Exports of goods and services are expected to improve over the next two years as rising metal and non‑metallic mineral production and aerospace products help bolster export prospects. Mining, in particular, will play a significant role in the provincial economy as a new diamond mine enters commercial production.
Employment in Quebec will increase at a modest rate in 2017 and 2018, fueled by job creation in the health care sector, which is coping with an aging population. The job gains will help to reduce unemployment, but a large part of the decline in the provincial unemployment rate will reflect slower labour force growth as more and more workers retire.
The Provincial Outlook: Autumn 2016 is available via the Conference Board's e-Library.
For those interested in broadcast-quality interviews for your station, network, or online site, The Conference Board of Canada now has a studio capable of double-ender interviews (line fees apply), or we can send you pre-taped clips upon request.
If you would like to be removed from our distribution list, please e-mail [email protected].
SOURCE Conference Board of Canada
For further information: Yvonne Squires, Media Relations, The Conference Board of Canada, Tel.: 613-526-3090 ext. 221, E-mail: [email protected]; Juline Ranger, Director of Communications, The Conference Board of Canada, Tel.: 613-526-3090 ext. 431, E-mail: [email protected]


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Chariot, which ferried commuters in Ford-made vans in cities like San Francisco and Austin, will soon shut down, the company announced Thursday. Ford bought the Y Combinator-born startup, which allowed users to vote on which shuttle routes it would launch, in 2016 to help kick off a push into urban transportation services. But Ford found that to be a tough business.
Chariot founder Ali Vahabzadeh left the firm early last year, while the company faced slow ridership demand in cities like New York, Streetsblog reported. Now, “in today’s mobility landscape, the wants and needs of customers and cities are changing rapidly,” Chariot wrote in a post on its website.
Meanwhile Ford hasn’t given on its push into urban transportation but is taking a new tack. It recently bought Spin, a scooter rental firm, for instance. It had a large display featuring new transportation services like Spin at its Consumer Electronics Show booth this week. It surely hopes to have more luck with Spin than it had with Chariot.


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The Xbox 360 Facebook app featured a design that hadn't been updated in years.
Microsoft has been building its Xbox 360 app marketplace for several years now, but it appears two of the first apps the company launched for the gaming console are no longer going to be provided by the company.
When Microsoft began rolling out the new version of its Xbox 360 dashboard earlier this week, two major apps were subtly removed from the Xbox 360 app marketplace: Facebook and Twitter. The social media apps were first released Nov. 17, 2009, along with apps for Last.fm and Zune, which made them the first apps released on the console following Netflix's launch on Nov. 19, 2008.
Now, about three years later, the apps are no longer listed in the Microsoft console's list of apps available for download. Prior to the new dashboard's launch, Microsoft hadn't indicated the apps would be removed from the app marketplace. Despite the delisting, both apps are still included on Microsoft's "Be Entertained" page that the company uses to promote its Xbox Live service partners.
When asked if the social media apps will return to the Xbox 360 marketplace at some point in the future, a Microsoft representative issued the following statement on behalf of the company: “We are retiring the Facebook and Twitter apps. Xbox LIVE subscribers will have the ability to access these sites through Internet Explorer on Xbox, available through the Web Hub located on the new dashboard.”
Now that Internet Explorer has been made available for the console, users can pin the social networking sites to their dashboard. Having a browser available has never prohibited social networking apps from being included in app stores for smartphones, tablets and other devices, however – Microsoft has released its own Facebook app for Windows Phone 8, which has Internet Explorer built in.
Though the apps are no longer included in the app marketplace, users who previously downloaded the Facebook app can still launch it from the quick launch option by pressing the guide button on an Xbox 360 controller. The Twitter app was entirely web-based and never downloaded to a user's hard drive, however, so that app can no longer be accessed.
Whether Xbox 360 users will actually miss the apps is debatable. Neither had been updated in years, and the Facebook app actually incorporated a user interface that was two dashboard generations old.


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The Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM lens is rumored to be announced in May 2019. This will be the non-DS version of the two rumored 85mm mirrorless lenses.
The lens is already in development, as Canon rumored to announce two more mirrorless lenses in RF-series by the end of 2019 to early 2020.
EOS R is the first camera to feature the RF lens mount with a 12-pin connection, flange back distance of 20mm and a wide 54mm mount diameter enabling even greater flexibility in lens design.
Check out the six new Canon RF lenses currently under development :
- Canon RF 85mm F1.2 L USM DS
- Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens
- Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS
- Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS
- Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM Lens
- Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L
Join the Canon Camera Users Group to share your Canon photography, ask and answer questions that arise and help each others!


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A new report has found that half of UK consumers are now aware of the health benefits protein can offer.
In research by Canadean, it was revealed that 49% of consumers were now ‘very aware’ of health benefits related to eating protein - a trend that has taken off with ‘protein enriched’ breads and other such products.
Almost 20% of all participants said they would actively seek groceries that are high in protein, and 68% of people said they would substitute protein shakes for alternative sources from fortified food and drink products.
Kirsty Nolan, analyst at Canadean, said: “These results indicate that ingredients and food manufacturers have successfully turned the demand for protein from a short-term fad into a long-term, sustainable trend.
“The continued challenge for manufacturers is to effectively use the new protein ingredients available on the market to create convenient and tasty protein enriched food and drinks for consumers, who are increasingly seeking a variety of new, protein-rich offerings.”
Companies like Edme ingredients and British Bakels are now offering products which enable bakers to increase the protein levels in their loaves, thereby adding to the number of health benefits a product can claim, such as ‘low GI’.


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The logo for Coinbase Global Inc, the biggest U.S. cryptocurrency exchange, is displayed on the Nasdaq MarketSite jumbotron and others at Times Square in New York, U.S., April 14, 2021.
Shannon Stapleton | Reuters
Coinbase shares rose about 1% in extended trading Tuesday after reporting second-quarter revenues that were stronger than analysts had expected.
Here’s how the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S. did versus expectations:
- Revenue: $2.23 billion vs. $1.78 billion expected
- Earnings: $6.42 per share, which is not comparable to estimates
The company’s net profit for the quarter was $1.6 billion, up nearly 4,900% from a year earlier, following a volatile stretch of trading for cryptocurrencies.
Coinbase’s fate is tethered to the performance of digital assets like bitcoin. The company generated $2.0 billion in net revenue, including $1.9 billion in transaction revenue and over $100 million in subscription and services revenue. Bitcoin prices fell about 41% during the quarter.
Monthly transacting users grew to 8.8 million, up 44% from the previous quarter, while trading volume rose 38% to $462 billion from the previous quarter.
While the company offered no formal guidance, it did say trading volume will be lower in the third quarter compared to Q2. For the full year, analysts surveyed by Refinitiv expect $7.76 per share on revenue of $6.29 billion.
During April’s direct listing, Coinbase opened at $381 per share and was briefly valued at as much as $100 billion, a landmark event for the cryptocurrency industry.
Excluding the after-hours move, Coinbase stock has fallen about 29% since the company’s direct listing on April 14, while the Nasdaq has risen nearly 20% over the same period.


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August 20, 2012
NZ wine exports rise 8 per cent
The annual report of New Zealand Winegrowers, which represents about 1,000 growers and 700 wineries, says total export and domestic sales increased 10 per cent to a record 242 million litres.
© 2014 Wine Communications Group - all rights reserved.
privacy & terms


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Troy Foods has seen its branded 's:a:l:a:d:s' range grow by 50 per cent to a value of £5 million over the last 12 months, following the launch of a number of new lines in 2016.
Since launching its first 's:a:l:a:d:s' products eight years ago, Troy Foods has extended its lines to meet growing demand for food-to-go.
Originally, the food manufacturer supplied the range exclusively to Heron Foods, but it now serves retailers throughout the UK, with further product launches planned in 2017.
Made at Troy Foods’ British Retail Consortium-approved salad site in Leeds, the latest products in the range include Italian pasta, coleslaw, chicken and bacon pasta, potato salad, fruity couscous, tuna and sweetcorn pasta, and beetroot salad.
“Our salads range was developed by our talented NPD team after spotting a gap in the market for making branded, potted prepared salads, which retailers could purchase for the ‘food to go’ consumer market,” said Troy Foods commercial manager James Kempley.
“Increasingly, people’s busy lifestyles mean they want tasty, freshly made snacks which can be easily consumed wherever they are.
“We regularly review our product base and have further developed and extended it as new customers have come on board and the market has continued to grow.”
The manufacturer, which has added sporks to the pots, has found that the range has proved particularly popularly with outlets that may not have enough volume to justify their own bespoke packaging.
Kempley added: “We have ambitious plans to further grow our sales in 2017 with both existing and new customers as we launch yet more new products and build on the five million packs of our s:a:l:a:d:s brand products sold annually.”
Based in Leeds where it has three premises and employs 600 staff, Troy Foods is a third-generation family business that supplies prepared vegetables for ready meals and retail packs to leading supermarkets.
In recent years, it has diversified into processing value added lines such as dressed salads including coleslaw, potato salads, pasta salads and dips as well as mayonnaise and dressings to retailers and food service groups.


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Mukesh Ambani to invest $1.4 Bn in Bengal, will help e-commerce expansion
Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani will invest $1.4 Bn in West Bengal, a part of which would fund the company’s new e-commerce venture. Read More
SoftBank to invest $440 mn in Indiabulls Housing-backed OakNorth Bank
Japanese internet conglomerate SoftBank Group Bank is investing $440 Mn in the UK-based OakNorth Bank, which counts Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd as a shareholder. Read More
Startup News Snippets
Editor’s Weekly Pick
- Indonesian ride-hailing company Go-Jek raised $1 Bn as part of its Series F funding round led by Alphabet’s Google, JD.com and Tencent Holdings.
- India’s largest bus aggregator Shuttl has entered the hotly contested food delivery space by launching meals on buses for daily commuters, as it looks to further monetise its captive customer base.
- Chicago-based freight tracking logistics startup FourKites will utilize a part of its $50 Mn Series C funding led by existing investors August Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, CEAS Investments and Hyde Park Angels
- Kerala has collaborated with Unicorn India Ventures, Exseed Electron Fund, IAN and Speciale Incept Fund for an investment of more than $140 Mn in the state startups over the next four years.
- Canadian private equity firm Brookfield Asset Management is in preliminary talks with India’s Reliance Industries to buy a stake in its optical fibre and telecom tower assets
- Bengaluru-based hyperlocal grocery delivery company, BigBasket, is closing a $150 Mn (INR15 Cr) funding round. The funding round values BigBasket at $1 Bn pre-money, which would make the company the first India startup to join the unicorn club in 2019.
- The winning teams of Microsoft India’s AXLE, a Microsoft Academia Accelerator include IIT Madras: UAVs for Disaster Management, IIT Guwahati: DUBG, and IIT Jodhpur: Disaster Chain.


text:
Nokia Makes Fun of iPhone, "Beta Phones" in New Lumia 900 Campaign
April 2, 2012 9:20 AM
comment(s) - last by
Nokia has a little bit of fun with its competitors
Nokia Oyj. (
) unofficially just kicked off "Operation Rolling Thunder", the reported internal name of
the ad blitz
Lumia 900 LTE smartphone
launches April 8 on AT&T
, Inc.'s (
) network in the U.S.).
A teaser clip featuring ex-Saturday Night Live alum Chris Parnell aired during NBA games on Sunday, suggesting that previous smartphones to date may have been "beta phones", inviting users to visit a mysterious new website "
points out, that site contains images that point to the ad being the work of Nokia and AT&T. While the teaser is a bit subtle as to exactly what phone the campaign is primarily targeting, the three videos "Outside", "Fragile", and "Death Grip" make it pretty clear that they're mocking the iPhone. The videos mock the iPhone screen's poor performance outdoors, its tendency to shatter, and the infamous antenna issues of the iPhone 4.
The "Death Grip" clip even quotes echoes late Apple CEO and co-founder Steven P. Jobs'
now infamous admonishment
to customers -- "You're holding it wrong!"
isn't the first time
Nokia has mocked Apple's antenna woes.)
The ads look to be the work of veteran ad agency
Butler, Shine, Stern and Partners
, given the fact that they have been posting to Twitter related messages using the hashtag #BetaPhone.
Reactions to the videos at this point are expectedly mixed. It's a pretty bold move for AT&T to endorse this type of an attack on one of its top products, and it shows exactly how serious AT&T is about the Lumia 900 launch.
The Lumia 900 preorder went online over the weekend. While we knew that AT&T was
pricing the phone very aggressively
-- under $100 -- what was a surprise was that the carrier is now offering the phone
to new subscribers
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
RE: Good concept, poor delivery
4/2/2012 11:45:23 AM
I agree and lots of people forget the "apology' Jobs gave for the antenna-gate.
1) We're sorry
2) We're sorry
3) We love our users!
4) We're sorry
5) We love our users! Here's a free $1 bumper!
6) We love our users and we're sorry!
They tried to make it right, but in the wrong way and that's what you, and everyone else who hasn't been asleep for the last 5 years, will notice.
"Nowadays, security guys break the Mac every single day. Every single day, they come out with a total exploit, your machine can be taken over totally. I dare anybody to do that once a month on the Windows machine." -- Bill Gates
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text:
Plaster shortage hammers BPB
BPB chief executive Richard Cousins said it could be another four months before Britain's plasterers and DIY fans can get back to work.
Builders' merchants have had gaps on their shelves for the past two months where bags of finishing plaster used to be.
This is blamed on a combination of explosive renovation-driven demand and production problems during a £7m expansion to increase output at BPB's factory at Barrow, Leicestershire, by a third.
Barrow will be at full throttle sometime in September, Cousins said, adding that the supply situation was beginning to stabilise. BPB shares fell 35p to 369p on the news.
The group makes half the plasterboard and most finishing plaster sold in Britain, and with the £243m purchase of James Hardie Industries four weeks ago became the world's biggest plasterboard maker and the US number three.
Profit before tax and exceptionals for the year to 31 March fell 6% to £153m on turnover 5% ahead at £166bn as US prices recovered in the second half. Second-half profits rose 50% to £81.1m. Earnings per share are 13% off at 21p although the final dividend is 2% to the good at 8.6p.
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text:
technology that has become popular in the nation’s leading hospitals and manufacturing companies is now being used at Center Grove High School so students can test out new inventions they come up with.
In the past year since Center Grove got 3-D printers, students have used them to make puzzle games, cellphone cases and pieces of a computer keyboard. Just this week, three seniors in an engineering, design and development class used the printer to test a new design for an ice scraper, and figured out it wouldn’t work.
Engineering teacher Courtney Rogge wanted her students to have visual and tangible proof of what they were creating on computers. Students start learning two- and three-dimensional design skills as freshmen or sophomores, but the computer design programs don’t allow students to test their designs in real life.
For example, a student could design a box with a certain number of pieces that fit inside. But if a student tried to make their design out of metal or plastic, not all of their pieces would fit within the box.
Story continues below gallery
Using a grant, Rogge purchased two 3-D printers, a reverse 3-D scanner and a machine that tests soil samples. Students use them weekly for classes in engineering and computer design, but Rogge wants more classes to make use of the technology.
Printing the students’ design can take up to 4 hours, depending on the size of the prototype, Rogge said. And it costs about $5 per cubic inch for each project made with the printer in order to refill the plastic needed to create the students’ designs, she said.
Rogge said many central Indiana schools are purchasing the devices so students can test out their engineering skills in a tangible way.
“They’re able to take whatever idea they have and watch it grow — literally,” Rogge said.
Now, her students can hold a prototype of what they’ve created, and see if it works in person as it was designed to on the computer.
This week, seniors Andy Miller, Sarah Rasche and Juhi Kekre wanted to create a better product to get ice off of their windshields. As part of a project for their engineering, design and development class, they looked into a few prototype options, such as creating a sheet with heat elements sewn in, or a window scraper that pushes a small stream of air under the ice to get it off quicker.
But Miller, Rasche and Kekre already know that the enhanced scraper idea will not work because they printed a prototype with the school’s 3-D printer. The air that should have lifted ice from the windshield did not make any difference in how long it took to get it off their car windows. Since their prototype did not work any better than a regular ice scraper, they started researching other ideas.
“Although it worked out mathematically and on paper, it didn’t seem to work as accurately in real life,” Miller said. “So we concluded that this is probably not a good idea to go with.”
Senior Connor Osborne will be making at least three prototypes with the 3-D printer, since his group’s first two models didn’t work. His group is trying to make a portable cellphone charger that people could rent by the hour in places like Greenwood Park Mall or Lucas Oil Stadium.
But with the first two models, Osborne’s group noticed a few errors in their original design. The charger would block the cellphone’s camera, so a person couldn’t use it while they were recharging the battery. In one prototype, the charger did not have enough space for the wiring, batteries or computer chips that the group wanted to install into each device, Osborne said.
And, since every brand of cellphone is a different size, the charger was too thick or wide to be used with all phones, Osborne said.
“You see it on the (computer) model, and you think, ‘Okay, I guess this all fits,’ but when you get it printed, you say ‘oh, that’s a lot smaller than I thought,’” Osborne said.
Rogge wants more classes to make use of the 3-D printer, she said.
Although her engineering students will use the devices every week, their peers likely don’t even know the school has 3-D printers, Rogge said. Students could practice their engineering skills by designing their own board game to be used in another course, like science, English or math, Rogge said.
Center Grove High School has 3-D printers that students can use to make their own games, cell phone cases or prototypes for new inventions. Here’s a look at how they work:
– Students scale out their 3-D model on a computer-aided design program, which lets them build in two- or three-dimensions.
– Students send their finished design to engineering teacher Courtney Rogge, and she sends it to the 3-D printer.
– A line of plastic is heated up, then forced out onto a mat to follow the student’s design.
– Each cubic inch of plastic used costs $5.
– The printing process can take as little as 30 minutes or up to 4 hours to complete a finished product, depending on the size and complexity of the design.


text:
- A crypto billionaire who goes by the name MetaKovan recently paid $69 million for an NFT by the digital artist Beeple.
- Who is MetaKovan and why does he think this art is actually worth $1 billion?
This feature story is available to
subscribers of The Block Daily.
You can continue reading
this Daily feature on The Block.


text:
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
lynda.com Gets Award For Electric Vehicle Efforts
Carpinteria-based Lynda.com, which offers up an online learning and education site, has been awarded by the Department of Energy for its sustainability initiatives around plug in vehicles, the company said this week. lynda.com said the award comes as the number of EV drivers at the company has grown by more than 500 percent in the last two years, and was due to its installation of on-site plug-in-electric vehicle chargers at its Carpinteria headquarters, San Francisco offices, and other efforts. lynda.com is venture backed by Accel Partners, Spectrum Equity and Meritech Capital Partners. Lynda.com offers a wide range of video-based courses to help users learn about everything from application software to hardware, graphic design, business, and more.


text:
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Fastenal Co. FAST, +0.34% said Friday that its first-quarter net income rose to $68.1 million, or 46 cents a share, from $54 million, or 36 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. The Winona, Minn., industrial supplies manufacturer said sales for the three months ended March 31 increased 15.8% to $566.2 million from $489.2 million. The company's shares closed Thursday at $47.75.
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text:
Why Has Gaming on Mobile Devices Become Popular?
In the recent years, we have seen a rise in the popularity of online gaming, this is because mobile gamers now have a larger selection of games available to them, gamers also have the available chance to play traditional casino games on their mobile phone and have the chance to win money, just like here, gamers can easily sign up to an online gaming platform and play the wide range of games that are available. Nevertheless, within this article, we will be discussing why playing games on mobiles has become the new preferred choice for gamers.
Games are Constantly Improving
Due to the fact that games are always being updated with the most recent visuals and technology, the games that can be played on mobile devices are superior to those that can be played on a web version. This ensures that players have access to a gaming experience that is both thrilling and lightning-fast. When it comes to selecting a game that they want to play, gamers are never at a loss for possibilities because application stores contain hundreds of titles within their library.
You can understand why more gamers are now turning their attention to playing games on a mobile device, it is because the game is better on mobile devices. The web-based versions of games are sluggish and out of date, which has contributed to the growth of the mobile gaming industry.
What does the Foreseeable Future Hold for Gaming on Mobile Devices?
It appears that the future of mobile gaming will be a prosperous one, as new games are being introduced to platforms on a weekly basis. This ensures that gamers will always have a wide selection of games from which to pick when it comes to playing games on their mobile devices. The current era has witnessed the transition of millions of gamers to mobile gaming, and it appears that this trend will continue into the foreseeable future, with more of us planning to participate in mobile games in the years to come.
The mobile gaming industry is looking to continue adding new technology to their games in the future to provide gamers with the best possible gaming experience that they can get. Due to the fact that there are currently hundreds of games available, it will be fascinating to see what new games are released in the future for mobile gamers given that they already have a wide variety of options to pick from.


text:
Commerce finds subsidized shrimp imports hurting local shrimpers
by MBJ Staff
Published: May 31,2013
GULF OF MEXICO — U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) is supportive of the U.S. Department of Commerce taking the next steps to ensure that the shrimping industry on the Gulf Coast is protected from unfairly subsidized shrimp imports.
Earlier this week, the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration announced preliminary affirmative countervailing duty (CVD) determinations on frozen warmwater shrimp imports, indicating that government subsidies from China, India, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam pose an economic threat to the U.S. shrimp industry on the Gulf Coast.
“I welcome the Commerce Department’s findings and hope that this investigation will lead to action that will allow the Gulf Coast shrimp industry to compete on a level playing field,” said Cochran, the ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee.
In February, Cochran encouraged the International Trade Administration to act on the determination from the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) that the U.S. shrimp industry is being harmed by imported frozen warmwater shrimp. The USITC found that U.S. shrimpers are being “materially injured” by imports from China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Ecuador. With today’s announcement, the Commerce Department also announced preliminary negative CVD determinations with regard to imports from Ecuador and Indonesia.
The Biloxi-based Coalition of Gulf Shrimp Industries is the petitioner in this trade case that will now continue with further investigations of imports from China, India, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The Department of Commerce is scheduled to make its final determinations in August.
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text:
Samsung Galaxy A8 Made an Appearance on GFXBench
Samsung Galaxy A8 was launched last year and it’s getting a new model in coming weeks. Recently, Samsung Galaxy A8 (2016) made an appearance on GFXBench, revealing what we can expect from the handset.
The smartphone made an appearance on GFXBench carrying a SM-A810 model number which is likely to be the Galaxy A8 (2016). As per the benchmarking website, the handset comes with a 5.1-inch display sporting a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels with the processing handled by Exynos 7420 processor, 3GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. Other listed features includes a 16MP rear camera for photos and videos, 5MP front-facing camera, and Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.
It’s worth mentioning that the display size may turn out to be 5.7-inch as spotted on Zauba for the same model number. Additionally the current Samsung Galaxy A8 comes with a 5.7-inch display as well so it’s unlikely that Samsung will reduce the screen size.


text:
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for the Economy Sofyan Djalil said the government would not make any decision in the near future as to whether it would import rice.
The minister also guaranteed the country’s rice supplies for Ramadan until Idul Fitri were adequate.
“For the fasting month, we don’t need to import rice,” he said on Tuesday, May 12, 2015.
Sofyan said even if the government decided to import rice it was only to secure rice stocks from late this year to the beginning of 2016. He added the government would decide on the matter in July.
“The grand harvest will last until late May. After that, we will see. We will only import rice when domestic consumption drops,” he said.
Rice imports are possible under Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No. 5 Year 2015 on the Policy of Rice/Unhulled Rice Procurement and Rice Distribution by the Government, which is aimed at safeguarding the stability of national economy, farmers’ income rate, and the stability of rice prices.
Sofyan said the government was still calculating rice stocks at State Logistics Agency (Bulog) warehouses to prepare for Idul Fitri, and that Bulog was still absorbing rice supplies as harvests were still afoot in a number of regions.


text:
Worker dies at Long Island Wal-Mart after being trampled in Black Friday stampede
From the article by Joe Gould, Daily News Writer:
Witnesses said the surging throngs of shoppers knocked the man down. He fell and was stepped on. As he gasped for air, shoppers ran over and around him.
"He was bum-rushed by 200 people," said Jimmy Overby, 43, a co-worker. "They took the doors off the hinges. He was trampled and killed in front of me. They took me down too...I literally had to fight people off my back."
Note: The picture is just random, not from the Wal-Mart story
Post a Comment


text:
The world's largest fried chicken chain, KFC, said Friday it was pausing its "finger-lickin good" campaign for now since the COVID-19 pandemic requires strict hand hygiene.
The slogan, used for 64 years "doesn't feel quite right" at this time, a Reuters report quoted KFC as saying.
A video posted on KFC UK and Ireland's YouTube page showed the words "finger-lickin" blurred from fried chicken buckets. Reuters referenced one ad, with the ending: '“That thing we always say? Ignore it. For now”.


text:
|22 November 1999|
New World helps with new idea in post-show rubbish collection.
South City New World are lending a helping hand to ensure a quick and effective clean up after Christchurchs millennium celebrations in North Hagley Park.
The supermarket is donating 20,000 plastic shopping bags to the events organisers who be undertaking a new idea in post-show rubbish collection. The shopping bags will be handed to people as they arrive at the park for the concert. During the evening the audience will be encouraged by master of ceremonies, Mark Wright, to put their rubbish into the bags and then tie the bags handles into a knot and leave it on the ground where theyve been sitting. Once the show is over, a clean up team will sweep through the audience area and collect up all the bags.
In the Park 2000s venue manager, Andrei Martin says Normally the cleaners are faced with a frustrating and lengthy task trying to collect the thousands of items of litter blowing about in the wind. I think we can expect to see the park returned to its natural state much faster using this method.
For more information contact:
Christchurch City Council Leisure,
phone (03) 941 8842


text:
Developer IllFonic has released the newest update for Predator: Hunting Grounds. The new patch has been rolled out earlier today, March 2, 2021. As seen
TaleWorlds Entertainment has rolled out the newest Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord update 1.5.7 to the main Steam branch. Apart from the previous details released
All content cited is derived from their respective sources. If you believe we have used your copyrighted content without permission, make sure to reach us and we will remove it immediately.


text:
The ad industry must take innovation more seriously
Cannes Lions Judge and futurist Tracey Follows warns that the industry misunderstands what really counts as innovation
Whether you were there or stayed at home, last week’s focus was Cannes.
The festival has come in for some criticism over the last few years, some of it justified, but much of it vacuous political point-scoring by holding companies who want to overly influence its direction.
Cannes Lions has taken on board feedback from delegates and has changed the awards tracks, the duration of the programmes, the themes and the cost. But whilst Cannes has listened to its ‘clients’, can we say the same of the agencies who attended?
One of the things that agency clients have been asking for, perhaps for nearly a decade, is more innovation. Innovation in the media channels through which we connect with consumers, innovation in the creative partnerships and technologies used to break new ground creatively, and innovation in the very business models that lie at the heart of the ad business.
Maybe we would see much of this coming to fruition, in Cannes?
Or maybe not.
I was judging the Innovation Lions. A privilege and a pressure. This award, along with the Creative Effectiveness award, should arguably be the two most difficult to win. Creative Effectiveness demands proof of the result of the campaign - measurable, real-world, proof.
Innovation demands some kind of proof that the idea is really ‘innovative’ i.e. not just different, but better. Better than what existed before. Innovation demands ‘substitution’. An innovation needs to replace the solution we had before because this one is so much more practical but also more magical.
We saw some recurring themes.
1. A focus on CSR rather than a commercial brand initiative
2. A tendency to apply the innovation to very similar, small communities
3. A lack of clarity about what the innovation actually was
In 2016, Dot set out to give the visually impaired access to mobile communication with the first Braille smartwatch and won a Gold Lion for its innovation. This year it was back with a smart media device for the visually impaired, which used AI to translate any text into Braille. Again, it won a Gold Lion.
NeuroDigital, a tech start-up in Spain, wanted to showcase the implications of virtual reality haptics. When the agency came on board, they decided to carry out this task by demonstrating how it could be used to give blind people access to museum artworks through touch. A bronze.
Good Vibes allowed the deaf-blind to communicate through Morse code delivered as a haptic output on the smartphone. And Project Revoice, gave ALS sufferers their voices back through the message banking of their real voices and then, via a partnership with Lyrebird, the cloning of their voices.
To the former a bronze, to the latter a short-listing, though it did win the Grand Prix for Good.
There were some new uses of new or existent technology too. Lightpin was a solar powered clothes peg to solve the midnight light source problems in refugee camps. The Echo of Help tried to integrate an SOS command into Alexa for use in situations of domestic violence.
And MyLine, the overall Grand Prix winner, took a landline telephone that Colombians could call and made it something of which they could ask questions.
MyLine would speak back to the caller by phone, sort of like a search or digital assistant. The innovation gives those with no internet connection, connection to the services the rest of us get to enjoy every day.
Adidas got a Silver for its customised trainer, but brand cases were few and far between.
And this is where the challenge lies for agencies in proving their innovation chops in the future. It’s all well and good to create these very laudable CSR cases but they are not mainstream in application or showcasing better solutions brought to us by brands.
It is incumbent on agencies to use their ingenuity and apply it to the brand for which they work, for the benefit of loyal consumers or as a way to introduce it to people anew. And it is incumbent on clients to give agencies the resources to enable them to do this.
At times, it was almost impossible to point to the agency’s input"
One of the themes of the live presentations was a lack of clarity about the agencies’ involvement. In a few cases, it was crystal-clear that a close partnership between client and agency was in operation. At other times, it was almost impossible to point to the agency’s input.
It was hard to work out whether the agency had substituted the management consultancy with its business planning, or the digital platforms with close consumer analytics, or the PR partner with the mere virality of the idea?
Because the big question about innovation that I am left with after this is, and especially given the dual threats of the management consultancy upstream and the AI technologies downstream: have creative agencies really achieved ‘substitution’ themselves?
Let’s hope the innovation we see in 2019 resoundingly answers that question next year.
Tracey Follows is the founder of Futuremade and writes on the subject of strategic foresight each month for Mediatel


text:
USA – American food and beverage company PepsiCo has joined the World Resource Institute’s Cool Food Pledge which aims to slash food-related greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030.
According to WRI, the Cool Food Pledge is a growing movement of workplaces, hotels, universities, hospitals, and restaurants committed to serve climate-friendly food.
New York-based PepsiCo joined the movement together with other leading institutions including the University of Texas at Austin, ISS World Services A/S and healthcare organizations Providence and the Mount Sinai Health System.
“At PepsiCo we are taking bold action to help build a more sustainable food system. This begins with the actions we take in our daily lives at home and at work,” said Cesc Bordas, SVP Global Brands Sustainability and Purpose at PepsiCo.
“In line with our pep+ goal of net zero emissions by 2040, we are excited to introduce Cool Food in our workplaces, highlight the relationship between food and climate, and offer our associates more plant-forward options.”
Data indicate that if current Cool Food Pledge signatories collectively hit the 25% reduction target by 2030, it would reduce annual food-related emissions by 1.3 million t CO2e – the equivalent to taking roughly 285,000 U.S. passenger vehicles off the road.
Frito-Lay to use electric vehicle fleet
Earlier, PepsiCo introduced a new fleet of 40 electric vehicles for its Frito-Lay North America business serving the Dallas Fort Worth area.
The maker of Lays and Doritos snack brands said the move will help the company cut approximately 390 tonnes of GHG per year.
“Frito-Lay recognizes our opportunity to utilize our size and scale to advance technology throughout our supply chain while reducing environmental impacts as we move our products more sustainably,” said David Allen, vice president of sustainability, PepsiCo Foods North America.
“The implementation of these 40 100% electric, zero-emissions route trucks is one of the many ways we’re improving air quality and reducing Frito-Lay’s absolute greenhouse gas emissions in the Dallas Fort Worth area.”
In addition, PepsiCo said Frito-Lay is decarbonizing its fleet through the nationwide use of Renewable Compressed Natural Gas and other new zero- and near-zero emission vehicles.
PepsiCo said Frito-Lay already has achieved 100% renewable electricity at all of its US plants, offices and distribution centers.
In addition, all of Frito-Lay’s US manufacturing sites use LED lighting with an expected GHG emissions savings equivalent to 21,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, PepsiCo said.
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text:
Apple chief Tim Cook has always been a vocal champion of privacy, even going so far as to publicly criticize other tech giants' data practices. Back in 2018, he called for GDPR-like laws in the US -- now he's calling for a regulatory body to oversee the business of selling data in an OP-ED piece for Time.
The CEO said he believes the Federal Trade Commission should establish a data-broker clearinghouse, which will require all data brokers in the country to register. After a company sells your information to these data brokers, after all, you'll have no control over what happens to it. "The trail disappears before you even know there is a trail," Cook wrote. A recent Motherboard report even discovered that it's very easy to find anybody's real-time location, since carriers sell tracking information to third-party aggregators. By requiring brokers to register, you'll be able to track your data if it's sold from one company to another. Cook said the clearinghouse should also enable you to delete information easily and online if you want.
In his piece, Cook has also discussed the four principles he believes should guide GDPR-like legislation in the US. First, he said you should have the right to have personal data minimized. He said companies should strip identifying information from your data and that they should avoid collecting it entirely. You should also have the right to know what data is being collected and why. Companies should make it easy for you to access, amend and delete your personal information. Finally, you should have the right to data security, "without which trust is impossible."


text:
Srinagar: Large parts of the internet have been restored in Kashmir, but that isn’t going to bring back the 50,000 Instagram followers of entrepreneur and designer Iqra Ahmed.
Iqra started to wear pherans that she had designed while she was still a student pursuing a masters degree in Linguistics at the University of Kashmir. The traditional Kashmiri dress made her the talk of her varsity and, so, it seemed natural that after completing her degree she would set up an online business, Tul Palav (roughly, ‘take clothes’) in November 2015 in order to ‘preserve Kashmir’s unique culture and tradition’.
Tul Pulav, said Iqra, is one of the first of its kind online clothing stores out of Kashmir. But years of hard work unspooled on 5 August, 2019 with an internet ban following the Narendra Modi-led government’s decision to scrap Article 370 that provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
The lifting of the seven-month internet and social media ban in Kashmir--the longest recorded in any democracy—on 4 March has meant little to Iqra as internet speed is sluggish since cellular networks continue to run on 2G. Moreover, social media sites like Instagram, on which Iqra would display her latest designs and get new orders, remain off limits.
On 18 January, there was a partial lift on internet services in the state with limited access to 300 websites, though the ban on social media remained. A few days later Iqra’s account on Instagram vanished. She said she has lodged a complaint with the Cyber Cell department, but so far there is no news on when, if ever, her account will be restored.
A Costly Ban
The internet ban has devastated the state’s economy, crushing businesses, entrepreneurs, handicrafts and tourism.
These sectors are the backbone of the state’s economy and losses have run well over a billion dollars, or Rs 7,100 crore, according to the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) ever since the Centre revoked its autonomy and statehood in August last year.
But particularly hard hit are women entrepreneurs, many of them running small businesses or first-time entrepreneurs reliant on high-speed internet to transact business.
“As Kashmiris, we are used to such conditions and I thought things would be okay in a few days. But with each passing day it became clear that things would not only be different but tougher,” said Iqra, who did a fashion designing course from Delhi in 2017.
Iqra has worked extensively to preserve tila, aari, and sozini—types of traditional embroidery. She not only helped bring the pheren back into trend by giving it a modern look but also took to the international market by collaborating with models from outside Kashmir.
This was possible due to technology, social media and the internet.
The internet blockade impacted her business and prevented her from reaching out to customers, Iqra said. Her team of four workers have been out of work, and with the loss of her Instagram account, she will have to rebuild her business and customer base virtually from scratch.
“After every internet ban in the past, I would work hard to cover up my losses but this time it seems impossible. Summer is the prime season for weddings in Kashmir and every bride requires two to three pherans for her new closet but that season is completely lost," Iqra said.
Other women entrepreneurs who depend on the internet to transact their businesses have also been affected. Beenish Qayoom, who lives in Srinagar had collaborated with her friend Omaira for an online outlet called Craft World Kashmir (CWK) that sold crochet products such as floral jewelry for brides, dresses for children, warm socks and hand-made caps.
The idea was, they said, to revive and preserve traditional crochet work. The orders came after people started appreciating their designs—their Instagram page has more than 49,000 followers—and they were receiving up to five orders a day, they say, when internet services were snapped.
“Even now without high speed mobile internet, we are not able to access Instagram and reach out to our customers,” said Omaira.
“Over 20-30% of our orders come from outside Kashmir, 70% from within the state. If social media remains slow and out of reach then how will our business run?” said Beenish. “We either have to look for jobs or move out of the state. Neither possibility is feasible right now.”
Morale Is Also Down
The seven-month internet ban not only impacted business but also morale.
CWK had trained 14 young women from underprivileged families to produce its designs, but these women have been out of work. “I was trained by Craft World Kashmir and later opted to work with them as a team member,” said Saima Jan, one of the 14 women. “They can provide me with work only if they get orders. For the past seven months they have not received even a single order," she said. Prior to the ban, CWK used to receive up to five orders a day.
Shafiya Shafi, a freelance artist with a preference for abstract work, too relies on Instagram to promote her work. With 4G mobile internet yet to be restored, she said, lifting the ban is of no help to her. “If I have to upload a picture on Instagram, how will I do that?”
Shafiya’s Instagram handle, Shafiya_artworks, which she set up two years ago, had over 1,500 followers and, she said, she would receive commissioned orders after posting photographs of her paintings online.
Prior to the ban, Shafiya received orders for seven to eight portraits every month, charging anywhere between Rs 1,000 and Rs 3,000 depending on the detail and size. In addition, she said, she also received two to three orders a month to hand-paint walls, charging between Rs 30,000 and Rs 35,000 per commission.
There were no walls to paint or portraits to draw after the communication blackout.
“Even now, without high-speed internet, I can’t receive orders. I’m at the stage of my career where I need a lot of online marketing. People had only just begun to notice my art. I had started to create a name for myself but that name has died with the internet ban," said Shafiya.
‘Out Of Our Hands’
The only entrepreneurship development institute in the Kashmir valley—Jammu Kashmir Entrepreneur Development Institute (JKEDI) has trained 30,000 youth and helped set up 15,000 units—about 85% of them internet-reliant. Each of the 15,000 units generated three to five jobs, on an average, engaging about 75,000 unemployed youth in the Valley, said G. M Dar, Director, JKEDI.
“We understand that entrepreneurs who depend on social media to operate their ventures have faced issues but this is out of our hands,” said Dar.
While everybody’s hurting, women have paid a particularly steep price in a state where female labour force participation at 10.6% is already far lower than the national average of 27.4% in 2015. A survey by JKEDI found that women-led 56.39% of entrepreneurship initiatives conducted by it in 2016. These projects had been approved by the department with financing by the banks. Of these initiatives, 22.15% were completely internet dependent as they are related to handicrafts and tourism sectors.
JKEDI’s Women Entrepreneurship Programme targeted women in the age group of 18-45 years with a minimum qualification of matriculation. It provided them with a direct loan facility of up to Rs three lakh at 6% rate of interest.
“Women and men both suffer in any condition but in business women have different challenges to face like financing, procurement of raw material and stiff competition from male counterparts as the primary role of women is still considered to take care of the family and men escape these challenges easily,” said JKEDI’s Dar.
Jammu and Kashmir has fared “poorly in generating jobs for its young population”, said the 2019 Unemployment in India report by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). Young people constitute 60% of the state’s population. “The unemployment rate in the erstwhile state stood at 15.89% in the first four months of 2019, making it one of the worst performers on the job generation front,” noted the report.
But the valley has also suffered huge losses due to the internet shutdown, said Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) president Sheikh Ashiq Ahmed.
“The condition of big business houses is miserable as they have loans to repay and interest rates are high. The majority of businesses in Kashmir, IT, tourism, handicrafts and so on, are internet-based and for online entrepreneurs there is no alternative but to cope with the situation," Ahmed says. “Our young entrepreneurs have been completely jobless. This loss has already taken a toll on our economy and will take years to recover.”
The losses run into US$ one billion (Rs 7,100 crore), found a November 2019 report from the KCCI, which is completing a report estimating the losses of the past six months.
Kashmir valley is routinely stripped of internet connectivity but was sent into a complete communication and media blackout on August 5, 2019.
On 14 October, 71 days later, only post-paid mobile services (excluding SMS) were restored. After six months, 2G internet services were restored with limited access to 300 websites, excluding social media. After seven months, internet is back, but the losses continue.
(Safina Nabi is an independent reporter from Kashmir.)


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Readers have been asking me what is happening with the much talked about Charter Arms Rimless Revolver that keeps failing to make an appearance.
Charter Arms have issued a press released saying that they are manufacturing at capacity and cannot produce enough of their existing guns and will not introduce another gun until demand dies down.
Let’s be clear about what Charter Arms wanted to do initially. Needless to say, not producing the CARR this was NOT the plan when we first announced the new revolver. The 2008 election created this panic. Had the election results been different, firearm and ammunition demand and sales would not have exploded, and the new Charter Arms CARR revolvers would be in stores right now.
Bottom line, the CARR is not vaporware, there is simply no room in Charter Arm’s production line for new items. Additionally, Charter has several other new guns and models in addition to the CARR series, and those guns we won’t even discuss until things get back to normal.
I am not sure to be skeptical or not. The pistol was supposed to be on display at SHOT Show earlier this year. After SHOT the excuse given was patent problems. It was supposed to be on display at the NRA show, but again it was a no-show. They have since pulled all links on their website pointing to the Rimless Revolver page. Maybe they are legitimately worried about production, but refusing to even discuss the pistol seems like bad public relations to me.
Full press release is at AmmoLand.com


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Last week, Toshiba agreed to sell its memory chip unit for almost $18 billion to Bain Capital's cronies. The Japanese conglomerate also drafted an intricate plan to buy stock in a holding company owned by the American investment firm, giving it some influence over the business.
None of that sits well with Western Digital.
On Tuesday, the company said that it was looking for an injunction to block Toshiba’s sale. For months, Western Digital has argued that it should have final word on the sale because it shares ownership of factories with Toshiba, which is trying to raise enough money to fill massive losses in its nuclear power business.
Western Digital said that it had filed three requests with the International Court of Arbitration and that it is still working with Toshiba to choose arbitrators to oversee the cases. It added that final rulings could take more than 24 months due to the complexity of international arbitration.
The lawsuits could complicate Toshiba’s sale to Bain, which partnered on the deal with SK Hynix and two funds owned by the Japanese government, the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan and the Development Bank of Japan. Toshiba said that it wants to close the transaction by March.
The deal came after months of contentious bidding over the Japanese conglomerate’s memory business, the world’s second biggest producer of NAND flash for smartphones and other gadgets. Western Digital mustered its own bid last month along with the investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. Toshiba's board moved on after missing an internal deadline to complete a deal.
Western Digital has been vehemently opposed to the Bain deal, arguing that it raises the risk of technology leaking to its rival SK Hynix. The sale also comes as the memory market goes through a major surge, and memory chipmakers are looking to lock down manufacturing output.
In July, the company sought an injunction from a California court to stop Toshiba shutting out employees from a shared database and refusing to ship sample wafers of 3D NAND flash. The court ordered Toshiba to cooperate with Western Digital while it weighed a final injunction.
Western Digital requested another injunction last week to block Toshiba from investing around $1.76 billion in its newest fab in the Japanese city of Yokkaichi alone. Western Digital inherited ownership of the plant when it paid $16 billion in 2015 for SanDisk, which established the joint venture with Toshiba in 2000.
In an August statement, Toshiba denied that Western Digital had any right to participate the investment, which would go toward equipment for making 3D NAND chips with up to 96 layers. Toshiba said that it had failed to reach an agreement with Western Digital on the investment.
“Absent any willingness on Toshiba’s part to resolve this matter with its [joint venture] partner in a constructive manner, we intend to continue our successful legal efforts into the binding arbitration process,” said John Hueston, Western Digital’s counsel and a partner with law firm Hueston Hennigan, in a statement.


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For the first time in many years, local knitters and yarn crafters can save themselves a long drive for supplies with the opening of Twist Yarn Co. in Midland.
Opening on the weekend of Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival in June, owner Michelle DesRochers said the response has been “great.”
“People come in and say, ‘Thank God we have a yarn shop in town,’” she said.
DesRochers said she recently discovered crocheting and is now “addicted.”
A yarn social is held Tuesday nights. Classes and workshops will begin in the fall.
Twist Yarn sells yarns of all fibres as well as patterns, books and accessories.


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James Charles has reportedly lost a boatload of subscribers following his very public fallout with former BFF Tati Westbrook.
According to website Social Blade, the YouTube sensation had around 16 million subscribers last week, and in less than 24 hours, the number had dropped to 14 million followers.
The reason for the sudden dip in figures is down to his spat with best friend and YouTube star Tati Westbrook, who has been instrumental in helping James with his career as a make-up artist.
Meeting three years ago, the pair soon quickly became inseparable and both amassed a growing internet following thanks to their beauty routines and product reviews.
However, their friendship is in tatters after Tati Westbrook shamed the 19-year-old for using his fame and money to “play with people's emotions”.
The feud started after James promoted Sugar Bear Hair vitamins at Coachella, a rival brand to Tati’s own vitamin line Halo Beauty.
And while the vitamin advertising added fuel to the friendship fire, Tati uploaded a 43-minute video titled “Bye Sister” which addressed James’ disloyalty, as well as his recent behaviour.
She also alleged that he had behaved in a sexually inappropriate way towards a number of heterosexual men.
She said: “That behaviour is not okay if you’re a woman, a man, gay, straight, bi, whatever sexual orientation you are, that is your personal call and it is not someone else’s to take, not someone else’s to play with.
"And how dare you laugh about it and make meme after meme and make it a joke.”
She added: “This behaviour is not normal and not okay."
In response to the video, James uploaded an 8-minute response video where he apologised to Tati and her husband.
He said sorry to the internet star for "everything that I put you through".
Discussing the allegations he made people question their sexuality, he said: "I've been involved in a lot of very unique situations that have left people confused or upset.
"I have learned the hard way about boys that I am interested in, and also ones that I should or shouldn't be talking to."


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The familiar sight of Houstonians lining up at Alamo Tamale and Taco will come to an end in 2019. Last week, the restaurant began circulating a notice that it would close the location at 2310 Navigation Blvd. on January 1, 2020, according to media reports.
"As many of you know, the east side of downtown has been under renovation for a few years now. They have finally reached Navigation & Canal St, where we are," the notice reads. "After contemplating selling for a long time, we have finally made the decision to do so. It was a hard decision after being at this location since the 1980s. But places, and things, change, and time marches on."
Thankfully, the closure of the Navigation location is not the end of the road for Alamo Tamale, but diners whose holidays require their products will have to drive a little farther to obtain them. The restaurant maintains a second location in north Houston at 809 Berry Rd. As the flyer notes, this outpost offers several advantages over the Navigation store, including more parking, air conditioning, and banquet facilities.
That's good news, because Alamo's hand-rolled pork, beef, chicken, and other tamales are worth a little effort to obtain. If the media needs the visual of people lining up for a holiday food tradition, there's always Flying Saucer Pie Company.


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As 2021 came to an end, five restaurants, several operated by business owners of color, opened their doors in downtown Chapel Hill — and there are more to come.
Here's what you need to know:
Seafood Destiny started business on Dec. 28 at the corner of Franklin and Columbia streets with a soft opening. The Black-owned restaurant plans to provide a 10 percent discount for UNC students who show their One Cards.
Owner Anthony Knotts said the idea for the restaurant, which first started as a food truck in Greensboro, came when he needed to find a way to pay for his daughter’s college tuition.
“Seafood Destiny started because I made a promise to my daughter that if she goes to college, she could go debt-free, but the problem was I didn’t have any money,” Knotts said. “I was just going to do a food truck. There were a lot of food trucks around, and I noticed that there was no seafood truck.”
Knotts acknowledged the community assistance he has received since acquiring the Chapel Hill property, including assistance from the Downtown Chapel Hill Partnership and Mayor Pam Hemminger.
“We met with the mayor, who has been absolutely phenomenal,” Knotts said. “She gave us some great insight, she even challenged me on some things that I needed to look at ... Certain segments of Chapel Hill have already embraced us.”
The Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership provides downtown businesses with free startup resources, social media promotion and grants. During the pandemic, the Downtown Partnership has promoted fundraisers and produced pandemic-related information on its website for local businesses.


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New channel chief will expand and scale the company’s channel program
CAMPBELL, Calif. – July 21, 2016 – Forescout Technologies Inc., the pioneer in agentless cybersecurity, today announced that Todd DeBell has joined the company’s leadership team as Vice President of Worldwide Channel Sales. In this role, DeBell will be responsible for the channel sales and distribution strategy with a focus on accelerating Forescout’s channel program to address the growing demand for the company’s products.
DeBell joins Forescout after spending five years at FireMon, where he built the global partner and distribution program. During his time at FireMon, revenue grew more than 400 percent as DeBell managed 26 global distribution partners and a global network of more than 240 channel partners.
“Todd brings more than two decades of channel, sales and cybersecurity experience—his past success really speaks for itself,” said Forescout President and CEO Michael DeCesare. “Todd’s unique skill set is perfectly suited to guide Forescout’s channel distribution and sales strategy into new and emerging markets across the globe.”
“It’s an exciting time to join Forescout and help the company execute on its vision of selling 100 percent through the channel,” said DeBell. “With the number of Internet of Things devices projected to top 20 billion in the next four years, there is a major need for our technology in new and emerging markets. I plan to expand our global footprint and continue to strengthen our channel in North America and Europe.”
Forescout helps organizations better manage their security stance with visibility into both agentless and agent devices, multi-vendor orchestration and automated security controls. This holistic approach has become necessary in a time when smart devices associated with the Internet of Things, dispersed workforces and siloed security solutions continue to introduce risks to enterprises’ growing networks.
About Forescout Technologies, Inc.
Forescout Technologies, Inc. is transforming security through visibility. Forescout offers Global 2000 enterprises and government organizations the unique ability to see devices, including non-traditional devices, the instant they connect to the network. Equally important, Forescout lets you control these devices and orchestrate information sharing and operation among disparate security tools to accelerate incident response. Unlike traditional security alternatives, Forescout achieves this without requiring software agents or previous device knowledge. The company’s solutions integrate with leading network, security, mobility and IT management products to overcome security silos, automate workflows and enable significant cost savings. As of January 2016, more than 2,000 customers in over 60 countries improve their network security and compliance posture with Forescout solutions. Learn more at www.forescout.com.
© 2016. Forescout Technologies, Inc. is a privately held Delaware corporation. Forescout, the Forescout logo, ControlFabric, CounterACT Edge, ActiveResponse and CounterACT are trademarks or registered trademarks of Forescout. Other names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Forescout Media Relations Contact
Sr. Public Relations Manager


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Bitwala, a prominent cryptocurrency platform, has announced its relaunch under its original name. The company has partnered with Striga, a banking infrastructure company, to support its operations. This joint announcement was made on November 8th, according to a statement provided to Cointelegraph.
The decision to revert to its original name showcases Bitwala’s commitment to its roots and its determination to provide a seamless and secure platform for cryptocurrency users. With Striga’s support, Bitwala aims to enhance its banking infrastructure and expand its services to cater to a wider range of customers.
This relaunch comes at a time when the cryptocurrency market is gaining significant traction and mainstream acceptance. Bitwala’s decision to partner with Striga demonstrates its ambition to capitalize on this growing market and offer innovative solutions to its users.
Striga, known for its expertise in banking infrastructure, will play a crucial role in supporting Bitwala’s operations. By leveraging Striga’s knowledge and experience, Bitwala aims to strengthen its position in the cryptocurrency industry and provide its customers with a seamless and efficient platform.
Bitwala’s relaunch under its original name is expected to bring a renewed focus on customer satisfaction and user experience. With Striga’s support, the company aims to streamline its services and offer a comprehensive range of banking and cryptocurrency solutions.
The partnership between Bitwala and Striga is a testament to the potential of collaboration between traditional banking institutions and cryptocurrency platforms. This collaboration highlights the increasing recognition of cryptocurrencies as a legitimate and valuable asset class.
Bitwala’s relaunch also signifies its commitment to regulatory compliance and adherence to industry standards. By partnering with Striga, the company aims to ensure that its operations are fully compliant with relevant regulations and provide a secure and transparent environment for its users.
The cryptocurrency industry has witnessed significant growth in recent years, with more individuals and businesses embracing digital currencies. Bitwala’s relaunch under its original name is a strategic move to capitalize on this growing market and position itself as a leader in the industry.
As cryptocurrencies continue to gain mainstream acceptance, the demand for secure and user-friendly platforms is increasing. Bitwala’s partnership with Striga aims to address this demand and provide customers with a seamless and efficient experience.
In conclusion, Bitwala’s relaunch under its original name, in partnership with Striga, marks an important milestone for the company. With a renewed focus on customer satisfaction, regulatory compliance, and innovative solutions, Bitwala aims to solidify its position in the cryptocurrency industry and provide its users with a seamless and secure platform.


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After months of speculation, and especially after Tesla CEO Elon Musk made a surprise visit to China and met with Vice Premier Wang Yang in April, an emailed statement confirmed that Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is indeed negotiating with the Chinese government so it could open a factory in China, specifically, in the Shanghai region. While it is unclear when the manufacturing facility would be built, the move seems to be in line with Tesla boss Elon Musk’s promise to produce half a million cars annually starting in 2018.
Details are still sketchy, but at least a couple of things are certain. First, China’s government requires that a foreign company can only set up shop in China if it partners with one of its local Chinese manufacturers. Second, the foreign company cannot own more than 50% of the joint venture.
It isn’t clear yet who Tesla will be tapping to be its Chinese partner. But there’s talk that internet giant Tencent Holdings is a likely candidate, particularly because it recently spent $1.8 billion to acquire a 5% stake in Tesla.
Another big question is: which among its EVs does Tesla plan to manufacture in China? Tesla is choosing to keep silent about this for now. But logic dictates that the most feasible will be Tesla’s mass-model car — the Model 3 sedan.
If Tesla’s plan for a China factory pushes through, and it seems like it’s only a matter of time, it will mean a big boost for the company. As it is, China imposes a 25% import tax on vehicles bought outside the country. So if Tesla makes its car on China’s soil, that import tax will no longer be applicable, and that will allow the company to sell its cars at a more affordable price. Not that the high price of a Tesla EV is deterring those who are determined to own one. As sales figures show, there are a lot of Chinese who are willing to pay a premium price for a high quality electric car.
Last year, Tesla reported revenue of over $1 billion from sales in China. That’s estimated to be the equivalent of around 11,000 vehicles, which accounts for nearly 15% of Tesla’s total sale of 76,000 cars. In 2015, revenue from China only accounted for 8% of Tesla’s total revenue. That’s around $319 million, which means it more than tripled in 2016.
Of course, Tesla’s biggest market is still the U.S. But China has so much potential, now more than ever because of the nation’s effort to shift to clean energy and improve air quality. There’s also the matter of Chinese consumers preferring international car brands over locally made cars because they believe domestic brands aren’t as safe or as cool-looking.
Tesla won’t be the first auto maker to build a factory in China. But it may have a special kind of advantage over others. As Bloomberg reported, Wang Yunshi, director of the China Center for Energy and Transportation at the University of California was quoted as saying: “Tesla has Elon Musk, who is the Steve Jobs of EVs. Chinese officials get inspired by Musk. He’s a software guy who can come up with such capable cars, while so many engineers from our carmakers still cannot make something that decent.”
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Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Beijing, Xiaozhu boasts 10 million active users and more than 100,000 listings in 301 cities across China. It’s not the only company looking to take the successful Airbnb model and apply it to the booming Chinese market. Beijing-based competitor Tujia.com also offers a platform for short-term rentals. It too is VC-backed, most recently raising a $300 million funding in August 2015 at a reported $1 billion valuation.
Airbnb isn't exactly staying on the sidelines as these local startups scale. Last summer, the company struck partnerships with Sequoia China and China Broadband Capital to "navigate the China market and create a localized presence," as well as recruit a CEO for Airbnb China. Airbnb also counts Chinese investment firms Hillhouse Capital, Horizon Ventures and GGV Capital among its investors. Its latest valuation is $30 billion.