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Skip to comments.Electric Cars & Solar: Will They Make Gasoline & Utilities Obsolete?
Posted on 01/23/2014 8:24:46 PM PST by ckilmer
These are interesting times in the automotive and electric-utility businesses.
(Excerpt) Read more at autos.yahoo.com ...
It's been quietly discussed among electric utilities that increasing amounts of distributed solar power and other renewable energy may destroy their business model.
The worry is that if consumers can generate much or all of their own electricity, the utilities lose the revenue from selling them power--while continuing to shoulder the substantial costs of maintaining the electric distribution network as a backup.
Meanwhile, while plug-in electric cars on U.S. roads number less than 200,000 today--out of about 250 million vehicles--the miles they travel on grid energy stored in their batteries eliminate the demand for gasoline.
And many electric-car owners turn out to have solar panels on their homes.
Buying an electric car may even increase interest in clean energy, as owners start to think about "free travel" using electricity from solar panels (aside from the substantial costs of the panels themselves, of course).
Now Tony Seba, an entrepreneur and Stanford University lecturer in continuing studies, is working on a new book in which he predicts that the cost of distributed solar energy will fall so low by around 2030 that it will make electricity from fossil fuels essentially redundant.
Equally radically, he says, plug-in electric cars will do the same to the oil industry--on roughly the same schedule.
Seba argues that the cost of both photovoltaic solar panels and large-scale batteries for energy storage in electric cars will continue to fall, to the point where using them for both energy generation and transportation is significantly cheaper than extracting and transportation carbon-based fuels to be burned.
MORE: How Much And How Fast Will Electric-Car Battery Costs Fall?
Demand for oil as a feedstock for chemical industries is likely to continue, of course, so eliminating the extraction, refining, and transportation of oil and natural gas altogether is unlikely to happen on anything like that schedule.
Still, it's an appealing vision, and the prospect of carbon-free energy and transportation for even some fraction of global demand is likely to be welcomed by anyone who accepts the scientific consensus around climate change caused by man-made carbon emissions.
The working title of Seba's upcoming book is "Disrupting Energy: How Silicon Valley is making coal, nuclear, oil and gas obsolete." It's not yet available for pre-order, but you have to admit it sounds intriguing.
What do you think? Will we see the decline of hydrocarbon-based transportation and the legacy electric-utility industry within your lifetime?
Only if you like a driving range of 10 miles without the heater on in winter...
Ford says no.
Yes, it’s heating and cooling that limits electric car utility.
I think we are about 10-15 years away from batteries that can store enough energy to go long distances with heating/cooling on.
I’d say we are no more than 10 years from having solar power that is cheaper than fossil fuel power.
The oil kingdoms of the ME better hurry and diversify or they will be back to living in tents with their goats and camels.
Possibly.. give it another 100 to 150 years.
Bureaucrats Befuddled By America’s Auto Market
Sanity returned at a Ford Motor Co. press conference nearby. And it came from Ford CEO Alan Mulally, who channeled his inner F.A. Hayek during a question and answer session with reporters and bloggers.
“Well always make the cars and trucks that people want,” he said. “I think the automobile industry is always going to be driven by economics.”
I leaned over to the guy sitting next to me to confirm what I just heard. After all, most of the press conferences and even the question and answer sessions with executives are closely scripted and lack any depth.
He went on: “The most important thing we can do is to continuously improve the internal combustion engine” because it’s going to be around “for a long time.”
The Future of the Internal-Combustion Engine
Despite the green hype, internal-combustion engines will keep powering vehicles for the foreseeable future.
I’m sure they were asking that question in the 1900s, when electric cars were outselling internal- and external-combustion cars.
Not with today’s technology. Battery capacity, recharge time, and capacity to keep recharges over its lifetime are issues.
Oh hell Seba has been trying this push for all too long. The simple answer to the question is NO
As long as 95% of people are not allowed to own a vehicle maybe
Anything is possible, but based on the reality of what would have to happen, the chances of that happening are slim and none.
Sorry, not happening even within 50 years without some kind of major break through in storage. The break throughs in fracking and drilling are so astounding, solar doesn't stand a chance.
I'd advise you to not take bets, nor invest in any of their research companies, oh, and be a little more realistic please......
“Seba argues that the cost of both photovoltaic solar panels and large-scale batteries for energy storage in electric cars will continue to fall, to the point where using them for both energy generation and transportation is significantly cheaper than extracting and transportation carbon-based fuels to be burned.”
If it does, cool. But I bet the “cost” he is using includes subsidies.
Solar power will never be adequate to displace fossil fuels because of the basic physics involved. At noon on a sunny day in mid-summer the sun delivers 1300 watts per square metre and the best available solar panels only deliver 18% of that. That may be fine for residential use, but not industrial.
It might happen. But not in my lifetime and probably not in my kids lifetime.
I read a report the other night on the global supply of lithium to make LiIon batteries. If Tesla makes 100,000 cars per year, they pretty much exhaust the world’s production capacity of lithium. The richest lithium resources are in an ecologically sensitive area in south America which will be completely destroyed if production ramps up.
The dirty little secret of EVs.
Chemical fuels that burn oxygen beat any kind of battery all hollow right now. I wish engineers well in developing better batteries, but they are probably going to be finicky.
There is some potential market for hybrids, combo-cars that use electrical components together with generator-driving engines which are carefully tuned to do well driving the generator rather than being the prime mover of a mechanical transmission. That could squeeze a few more MPG out of gasoline and diesel fuels. Robustness is the key to widespread acceptability. Costing a king’s ransom to fix is not a way to sell cars in the long run.
When the wind don’t blow and the sun don’t shine, wind and solar power can’t make hay ...
Never happen !!!
At least currently that’s where we get lithium. More serious demand will pull in additional sources.


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Ethiopia joins SCAJ at the opening of World Specialty Coffee Conference in Tokyo
Addis Ababa, September 27, 2023 (FBC) – Ethiopian Ambassador to Japan, Daba Debele along with the president of Specialty Coffee Association of Japan (SCAJ) and other Ambassadors of Coffee Exporting Countries have opened World Specialty Coffee Conference and Exhibition 2023 event.
The event is organized by the Specialty Coffee Association of Japan (SCAJ) in Tokyo Big Sight, has attracted a numerous coffee growers, exporters, importers and processors worldwide.
Ethiopian Coffee Association president, General Manager and 45 Ethiopian coffee exporters are participating at the event.
The Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Tokyo along with exporters and the association management is conducting an Ethiopian specialty coffee showcasing a variety of Ethiopian specialty coffee beans, Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony aided by audio visual explanation.
The event will last until September 29, 2023 along with side meetings between Ethiopian and Japanese coffee importers.

domain: news


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Downers Grove, IL-based Spiegel, which operates the Spiegel and Newport News catalogs and the Eddie Bauer catalogs and stores, said on July 24 that it plans to close two facilities and relocate one. All told, 680 employees will be laid off.
The company plans to close a customer teleservice center in Rapid City, SD, which employs 240, and a distribution center in Newport News, VA, which will eliminate 400 jobs. In addition, Spiegel plans to relocate a retail distribution facility in Columbus, OH, to Groveport, OH, which will cut another 40 jobs. Spiegel filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March.


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Amazon expanding Vancouver tech hub and creating 3,000 jobs
Retail giant Amazon has announced it's expanding its Vancouver tech hub with a new office that will employ another 3,000 people in the city.
At a news conference with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Monday, the company revealed it's opening a 416,000-square-foot development centre where engineers will work on cutting edge machine learning, e-commerce and cloud computing technology.
"The new jobs that we'll be creating at Amazon, like those we already have, will be corporate positions with most being specialized high-tech roles," said Jesse Dougherty, manager of Amazon web services.
"Those of us working here are pioneering new software that is used globally to support our retail websites and innovating to create new tools in the cloud."
The office will be housed in a new tower at the former Canada Post building on Georgia Street, just block away from Amazon's current office at Telus Garden.
Amazon will only occupy about a third of the new development, dubbed The Post, which is scheduled for completion in mid-2022. Developer Quadreal said the project will feature a mix of office and retail space.
The new office will not be Amazon's much-hyped second North American headquarters, HQ2, whose location hasn't been announced yet. Toronto is the only Canadian city to make the company's shortlist.
But Trudeau said the federal government is keen to work with the company as it develops its presence across the country.
"Canadians share your passion for invention and your commitment to excellence, and that's why we're so excited to see Amazon growing right here in Vancouver," he said at Monday's event.
There are about 1,000 people working at Amazon's existing Vancouver office, and the company promised a 1,000-worker expansion last fall. The new jobs announced Monday will bring the company's local workforce up to 5,000 in the coming years.
Dougherty noted Amazon's Canadian presence has boomed since it opened its first software development site in Vancouver seven years ago with fewer than 30 workers.
"We now have teams of developers building critical software for Amazon and our customers all over the world," he said. "Amazon's future here in Vancouver is very bright."
With files from CTV Vancouver's Ben Miljure
Proposed Canada Post development to be called The Post. Could house 7000 workers, more than any office building in city history. Amazon would occupy 35% of the 1.13 million sq. ft. of office space. @CTVVancouver pic.twitter.com/7uXwvr8iXt— Ben Miljure (@CTVNewsBen) April 30, 2018


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"Rent is the single biggest expense for most of us and, up until now, the only expense that you can never get anything back on," said Bilt CEO Ankur Jain.
The company hopes it can open a path to homeownership by offering rewards points toward a down payment, as well as by using rent payments to establish credit.
Landlords, particularly large management companies, increasingly accept credit card payments for rental payments but there is often a processing charge of 2% to 3%. Bilt has no processing fee and signup charge. It makes its money through commissions from the landlords it partners with for loyalty programs, as well as on transactions made on the Mastercard outside of rent.
Bilt was founded out of Kairos HQ, a financial technology startup lab focused on developing tools for younger generations. The lab also launched Rhino, which allows renters to pay a monthly insurance fee rather than an upfront security deposit.
The company will use the funding round to hire new people—it has 45 employees—and build greater capacity for the Bilt card. There is currently a waiting list to sign up. Jain declined to disclose how many customers the card and loyalty program already have.
There are about 2 million potential customers within the network of landlords Bilt has partnered with, including Related, Starwood, Rudin Management and SL Green.
Asked about their investment, AvalonBay pointed to a statement from chief operations officer Sean Breslin in June announcing the company had partnered with Bilt for its ability to help residents “not only earn points for travel and retail purchases, but also accrue financial benefits to support their purchase of a home just by paying their rent.”
Scott Durkin, CEO of real estate service company Douglas Elliman, which also invested, said Bilt “fills a gap in the market to set renters up for financial success and encourage a path towards homeownership.”
While the percentage of rent payments placed on credit cards increased significantly last year, consumer groups have warned that such payments are risky, because of the fees and the potential for significant interest to accrue if a renter falls behind.
While Bilt does charge interest on non-rent credit card purchases carried over each month, the company's card requires rent be paid in full each billing cycle. It has a service called Bilt Protect that pings a user's bank account to ensure that there are enough funds to cover that month's rent payment before it is charged.
As for the card's value, Bankrate senior credit industry analyst Ted Rossman said recent changes to the rewards structure have caused him to view the offering more favorably than when it launched earlier this year.
"Bilt is differentiating itself with surcharge-free rent rewards, and the transfer partners are compelling, too (American Airlines rarely shows up on credit card transfer programs, and cards with transfer programs usually charge annual fees)," Rossman said in an email. "It will be interesting to see how Bilt evolves. For now, I think they’re targeting the HENRY (high earners, not rich yet) space—basically young adults who are renting, traveling, eating out and establishing their credit."


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Call of Duty 2017 should release sometime in November and its reveal is expected sometime before March 2017. Multiplayer portion, as usual, will be showcased at E3 but just like last year, it would be Sony that is going to lift the curtain.
Call of Duty 2017 has plenty of rumors and speculations surrounding it. We have to sit through such information for another month or so. However, something pretty interesting came up actually from an official source.
Michael Condrey shared a holiday card from Sledgehammer Games. The card featured M1911 Pistol which has raised our curiosity.
— Michael Condrey (@MichaelCondrey) December 25, 2016
Sledgehammer Games was working on a Vietnam-based Call of Duty game that played like Uncharted. The game was known as “Fog of War.”
However, the concept was scrapped in favor of Advanced Warfare.
Call of Duty 2017 is in development at Sledgehammer Games and we are hearing that they are bringing back Vietnam’s scrapped concept. Some may assume that Battlefield 1 may have something to do with Activision going back to in time, however, such decisions are made very early on.
The image could be teasing the setting for the next Call of Duty game. It would be very interesting to see a Vietnam-based COD this year, the series needs a major thematic change as the community is getting tired of the futuristic settings year after year.


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Big league personnel were all dressed in #42 for Jackie Robinson Day Wednesday. Now, some of those jerseys are being sold.
MLB Auctions has begun to offer some of the #42 jerseys worn by all Major League teams during Jackie Robinson day activities on Wednesday.
The Baltimore Orioles were the first team to get their jerseys to the site with a Nick Markakis model already sitting at a bid of over $1,000.
Other teams will sell the jerseys on their own including the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers. The best performance on Jackie Robinson Day came from the Rangers’ Ian Kinsler who went five-for-five and hit for the cycle. What will become of the #42 jersey he was wearing isn’t certain. Kinsler wants to keep it, but it would bring big bucks if sold. The Hall of Fame has also requested the jersey.
Kinsler became the first player in modern baseball history to go 6-for-6 and hit for the cycle in a nine-inning game. The last player to do so was Bill Weaver in 1890 for Louisville of the American Association, which at the time was considered a major league.
Proceeds for the jerseys sold by teams or MLB go to team charities as well as the Jackie Robinson Foundation.
Related: Game worn jerseys


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Iron ore import in India set to ramp up sharply in FY15 after witnessing a decline in FY14. Leading steel players like Tata Steel & JSW are going to ramp up Iron ore import in FY15 owing to raw material scarcity in the country.
Recent Supreme Court’s suspension order of 26 mines in Odisha and mining ban in Goa & Karnataka led to low production of Iron ore. Also, a sharp fall in spot prices in various countries, coupled with depreciating INR and increase in domestic ore prices, have prompted Indian steelmakers to actively pursue its import.
More than half of Tata Steel’s 17 MnT ore production comes from its Odisha based captive mines, which is now closed.
Starved of Iron ore, Tata Steel & JSW are importing raw material in this fiscal year. Tata Steel had imported a first consignment of about 40,000 MT Iron ore from Western Australia in Apr’14; however the company mentioned that it was for testing purpose of its steel mills. It is reported that a second consignment of 17,000 MT has been imported through Paradip port in June, 2014.
A senior official of Tata Steel stated, “Company is planning to import few more Iron ore consignments in next few months, especially from countries like Australia, Brazil & Chile through Paradip & Haldia ports.”
JSW Steel will receive its first shipment of 500,000 MT Iron ore by June-end. The company is planning to increase import if spot prices decrease further this year.
Commercial & Marketing Director of JSW Steel, Jayant Acharya stated to media, “We are importing high quality ore of 64% and above to cater the need of our plants. We are seeking options to import from Australia, South Africa & Canada.”
At present, the company is operating at 85% of its capacity at all its steel plants. JSW aims to maintain the capacity and raise it further with the imported ore.
It is in news that for JSW, the landed cost of imported ore is around INR 5,600/MT at its Dolvi plant in Maharashtra, as compared to INR 5,400/MT for Iron ore sourced from Chhattisgarh or Odisha.
Albeit, Steel-360 is predicting that Iron ore import in India will rise in the current fiscal, Odisha government has recently issued an express order for renewal of 8 mines including 5 mines of Tata Steel that were closed after the Supreme Court’s stay order in mid-May. So, this may put a halt on import of raw material.


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News on Porsche continually updated from thousands of sources around the net.
2 hrs ago | AutoWeek
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Texas Tech Football #ALSIceBucketChallenge
This Cover of 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' is Hauntingly Beautiful
This Little Kid Is DEVASTATED When His Dad "Steals" His Ear and Nose
Watch A Tortoise Chase Down A Remote-Controlled Truck With ALL ITS MIGHT
6 hrs ago | Motor Trend
I'm writing this column two days prior to departing for Motor Trend 's fifth annual Best Driver's Car , an exhilarating week full of mountain roads, a historic racetrack, and, yes, fast cars.
Mercedes-Benz's newest sports car, the Mercedes-AMG GT , is almost here, and now, just a few weeks out from the car's reveal, we have a series of tasty videos to ogle.
In the words of Ron Burgundy, "Boy, that escalated quickly." Back in 2010, Ford was crowing about its 550-hp Shelby GT500 .
If the name Cayenne wasn't already taken by Porsche's midsized luxo-SUV, it would suit the Macan very well, because this new compact crossover may be the hottest, sportiest-driving SUV to date.
Volkswagen's Touareg, named after a nomadic people that inhabit the Saharan interior of North Africa, has been manufactured by the company since 2002.
Who in their right mind would enter the car business? Surely not a couple guys from Silicon Valley founding a company in a garage near the one in which Apple was founded, especially when these guys know that while GM and Apple garnered similar gross sales receipts last year, Apple kept 21 percent of its take and GM kept only 2.5 percent.
A new cycle lane has been created on Lower Henley Road following resurfacing works, but there are no centre line markings In the last two whirlwind years Josh has gone from charming but quiet X Factor contestant to boyband megastar with a slick hairstyle and a 100 watt smile Porsche's new Macan is the latest contender to join the premium compact ... (more)
From The Car Connection : 2015 Porsche 911 Review Now in its seventh generation, the Porsche 911 is still recognizable by its iconic shape, even if it has grown since the last generation.
In recent months there's been a flurry of conversation around an upcoming facelift.
Two Jaguar F-types, a BMW 640d, a Jaguar XJ-SS and a Porsche Boxster were among nearly 50 cars that drove in a convoy from Prinsep Ghat to Azad Hind Dhaba on NH2 for the I-Day Run on Sunday, organised by the Elite Car Club Kolkata .
The 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, chassis number 10621, engine number 10621, went to the highest bidder Saturday night at an RM Auctions event.
While conventional wisdom suggests that the best new car bargains are typically available during last few days of the calendar year, hard data shows that August could actually be an even better time for astute shoppers to strike an unbeatable deal.
Smart ForTwo electric drive version goes drag racing against three of fastest cars in the world, including Ford Mustang and Porsche Boxster.
Updated: Wed Aug 20, 2014 09:25 am
Copyright © 2014 Topix LLC


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Loans and bank card holidays to be extended for six weeks amid next lockdown.
The latest crisis steps are going to include payment breaks of up to six months on loans, online loans, credit cards, automobile finance, rent to own, buy now pay-later, pawnbroking as well as high-cost short term credit will be a fantastic help to student loans , payday loans and bad credit loans.
Millions of struggling households will be able to apply for extra support on their loans and debt repayments as a result newest coronavirus lockdown measures, the Financial Conduct Authority has announced.
This can include transaction breaks on loans, credit cards, car finance, rent to own, buy now pay later, pawnbroking and high-cost short-term credit, the regulator believed.
In a statement on Monday, the FCA said it is in talks to extend actions to allow for those who will be impacted by current restrictions.
It will be followed by new measures for anyone struggling to continue with mortgage repayments later on Monday.
It comes as Boris Johnson announced a new national lockdown - which is going to include forced closures of the non essential outlets as well as businesses from 00:01 on Thursday.
The government's furlough scheme - that had been due to end on October thirty one - will in addition be extended.
The FCA said proposals will include allowing people who haven't yet requested a transaction holiday to implement for one.
This can be up to 6 months - while those with buy-now-pay-later debts will have the ability to ask for a holiday of up to six months.
Nevertheless, it warned this should just be utilized in cases where clients are actually unable to make repayments as interest will go on to accrue despite the so called rest.
"To support those monetarily affected by coronavirus, we will propose that consumer credit customers which haven't yet had a payment deferral beneath our July guidance is able to request one," a statement said.
"This could very well keep going for as much as six months until it's apparently not in the customer's interests. Under our proposals borrowers that are now benefitting from a first payment deferral under our July guidance will be ready to apply for a second deferral.
"For high cost short term recognition (such as payday loans), customers would be in a position to apply for a transaction deferral of one month if they haven't currently had one.
"We is going to work with trade systems as well as lenders on how to implement these proposals as quickly as you possibly can, and often will make an additional announcement shortly.
"In the meantime, consumer credit customers should not contact their lender just yet. Lenders are going to provide info shortly on what meaning for the customers of theirs and how to apply for this assistance if the proposals of ours are confirmed."
Anyone struggling to pay their bills should talk to the lender of theirs to go over tailored support, the FCA believed.
This can include a payment plan or a suspension of payments altogether.
The FCA is in addition proposing to extend mortgage holidays for homeowners.
It's likely to announce a whole new 6 month extension on Monday, which would include things like newly struggling households and those that are actually on a mortgage break.
"Mortgage borrowers that have benefitted from a six month transaction deferral and are still encountering payment difficulties should talk to their lender to agree tailored support," a statement said.
Eric Leenders, at UK Finance, which oversees the banking sector, said anybody concerned should not contact their bank or perhaps building society just yet.
"Lenders are delivering unprecedented levels of support to assist clients with the Covid-19 crisis and stand in a position deliver recurring assistance to those in need, such as:
- Wells Fargo Student Loans
- Quicken Loans
- AES Student Loans
- Rocket Loans
- Dicover Student Loans
- Wells Fargo Student Loans
- GreatLakes Student Loans
- Caliber Home Loans
- Nelnet Student Loans
"The business is actually working closely with the Financial Conduct Authority to ensure customers impacted by the brand new lockdown methods announced this evening will have the ability to access the most suitable support.
"Customers seeking to access this assistance do not have to contact the lenders of theirs yet. Lenders are going to provide information after 2nd November regarding how to apply for this particular support."


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Date: Thursday, June 23, 2022Contact: [email protected]
WASHINGTON – The Division of the Inside as we speak introduced that customer spending in communities close to nationwide parks in 2021 resulted in a $42.5 billion profit to the nation’s financial system and supported 322,600 largely native jobs.
“Nature is important to the well being, well-being and prosperity of each household and neighborhood in America, in addition to to the native economies of gateway communities that help our nationwide parks,” mentioned Secretary of the Inside Deb Haaland. “As we proceed to welcome households to our parks and public lands throughout the nation, the Inside Division is dedicated to creating investments in our lands and waters that may help tens of 1000’s of jobs, safeguard the atmosphere, and assist be certain that nationwide parks and public lands are prepared to satisfy the challenges of local weather change and elevated visitation.”
Based on the Nationwide Park Service report, 2021 Nationwide Park Customer Spending Results, roughly 297 million guests spent $20.5 billion in communities inside 60 miles of a nationwide park. Of the 322,600 jobs supported by customer spending, 268,900 jobs have been in park gateway communities.
Extra findings embody:
Customer spending in 2021 meant $14.6 billion in labor revenue and $24.3 billion in worth added.
The lodging sector noticed the very best direct results, with $7 billion in financial output straight contributed to this sector nationally.
The restaurant sector noticed the subsequent best results, with $4.2 billion in financial output straight contributed to this sector nationally.
The Nationwide Park Service is initiating a brand new socioeconomic monitoring venture in 2022 that may survey park guests in 24 parks every year for the subsequent 10 years or extra. One of many early parks surveyed beneath this methodology was Zion Nationwide Park in 2021, providing an up to date image of customer spending.
“Zion Nationwide Park was one of many first parks the place guests have been surveyed beneath the brand new methodology. The outcomes confirmed that our earlier estimates or ‘profiles’ of common guests underestimated the time they spent within the park and in gateway communities and we underestimated the amount of cash they spent throughout their journeys to the park,” mentioned Nationwide Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “The brand new survey data will allow park managers to additional enhance the customer expertise and information methods to attain and interact with individuals who have but to go to a nationwide park.”
An interactive device allows customers to discover customer spending, jobs, labor revenue, worth added, and output results by sector for nationwide, state and native economies. Customers can even view year-by-year pattern information.
The annual peer-reviewed economics report was ready by economists from the U.S. Geological Survey and Nationwide Park Service. It consists of data by parks and by states on customer spending, the variety of jobs supported by customer spending and different statistics.
For extra state-by-state details about nationwide parks and the way the Nationwide Park Service is working with communities, go to http://www.nps.gov/statename, for instance: http://www.nps.gov/virginia.


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Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter has once again touched on Nintendo NX, having been asked as to whether it could spell the end of the company’s hardware business if it doesn’t succeed.
Sharing concern that, if parable with PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, it is arriving “very late in the cycle,” he believes that there is still enough opportunity for Nintendo to see success with their new “dedicated game platform.”
“Low potential for NX to be the end of Nintendo in the hardware business,” he replied in Siftd‘s newest Pachter Factor episode.
“I would say modest potential that it bombs. I would give them a 60 percent chance of success, I think they are smart people, I think they have learned a lot from what they did wrong with the Wii U. Are they going to get the Wii magic back? Probably not. But if they go back to a conventional-like console, their only problem they have now is they are very late in the cycle so they’re not going to sell that many. Could they sell 30 million? Sure. They could sell enough to make a difference and make a profit. They’re not getting out of the handheld business until the sales drop to zero – three or four million a year. And that is probably five, seven or eight years out. So no, they’re not going to get out of hardware.”
The question that he was posed had also asked whether another misstep could see Nintendo shift to become a third-party publisher. Pachter remained adamant that won’t happen, although sees that the company will continue to dabble in the mobile market.
“I would say low chance they go third-party, but some. Bringing them to Steam? Never,” he began. “I think the way that they will go third-party is mobile. I think that what you’re going to see is a convergence of mobile and console. So you’re going to see the mobile game experience which right now is very simple, limited by the GPU and CPU in your phone become more and more complicated every iteration of phone.
“I think that Nintendo’s debuting on mobile, because I think they are sticking a toe in the water. They have announced that they will have five games by March 2017, which is not very soon. So, let’s assume that this December’s launch is right at year end, that is one game every three months. So, not a crazy number of games, considering the company has something like 1200 games made in its history or whatever – a lot!
“I think they are testing the water with mobile, I think that as mobile processors get faster, faster and faster, that’s kind of what the NX is going to be – like a convergence device. I think you will see Nintendo games launch on NX, and maybe on mobile later. So, think about the iPhone 10 or 12, you know the 2019 or 2020 iPhone or iPad, and whether it will be as fast as an Xbox One. And it will be. And if that’s the case, then this NX device – which will be as fast as an Xbox One – morphs into a mobile experience and it doesn’t matter what processor you use.”


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The Equifax Data Breach is worse than first reported by the company, with an additional 2.4 million people impacted to a lesser degree.
According to Equifax, the additional consumers only had their names and partial driver's license stolen by the hackers. Equifax says these Americans were not found in the original breach because they had been focusing their investigation on Americans whose social security numbers were impacted. That number is about 145 million people, almost half the population of the country... making this the largest data breach of personal information in history.
Equifax says it's going to reach out to all newly impacted consumers, and they'll offer the same credit monitoring and identity theft protection that they originally offered. The window has closed for people originally affected by the breach to sign up for that credit monitoring and protection, but you can still freeze your credit with Equifax for free through June 30th.
Checking your credit report is so important in light of all of this because it allows you to see if someone has opened bogus accounts in your name. But despite the severity of the Equifax breach, many people aren't doing that.
A survey out just this week from CreditCards.com found half of adults have not checked their credit since the Equifax breach. You're entitled by law to a free credit report once a year from each of the three credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. The official site to go to access those reports is AnnualCreditReport.com.
You may want to spread out the requests; check one report every four months so you have a regular snapshot of your credit.


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Lion Electrical has offered U.S. lawmakers an early have a look at its rising electrical car manufacturing facility in Joliet, Illinois, which is able to start producing all-electric faculty buses by the tip of the yr.
Visitors on the Aug. 11 occasion included U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Congressman Invoice Foster, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk and others.
“In latest days Congress has labored to sort out a number of the largest challenges dealing with Individuals at present – from vitality payments and local weather change to produce chain constraints and polluted air – and we’ve made historic progress,” Durbin mentioned. “The Inflation Discount Act makes key investments in American vitality to each handle local weather change and convey down vitality payments and would create new good-paying clear vitality jobs in Illinois.”
The Act additionally expanded to assist investments in zero-emission automobiles made throughout North America, slightly than these made within the U.S. alone.
“Right here in Illinois, we’re making our mark within the clear vitality revolution,” Pritzker added. “Lion Electrical, with its largest nationwide footprint in Will County, is likely one of the corporations on the forefront. Collectively, we’re creating new jobs—and constructing a cleaner, extra sustainable state, nation, and world.”
Lion Electrical can be constructing a battery manufacturing plant in Mirabel, Que., scheduled to open in 2023. As soon as accomplished, it’ll yearly be capable to produce 5 gigawatt-hours of battery storage – sufficient to assist 14,000 medium-duty and heavy-duty automobiles.


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Droid Bionic Features Dual-Core 1GHz Processor and LTE
Motorola and Verizon Wireless today announced the Droid Bionic, a new slab-style Android device with dual-core 1GHz processors. The key feature of the Bionic is that it is the first Long Term Evolution handset announced for Verizon Wireless. It will have access to Verizon's LTE 4G network. It has a 4.3-inch qHD (quarter high definition) display and an 8 megapixel main camera and VGA user-facing secondary camera. It has an enhanced web browser with HTML5. It will will be available in the early second quarter of 2011.
Hands On with the Motorola Droid Turbo 2 for Verizon
Motorola's new Droid Turbo 2 for Verizon aims to entice power users with two-day battery life, a powerful camera, and fast performance on Verizon's LTE 4G network. Motorola claims the Turbo 2 is more or less unbreakable thanks to what it calls "shatter shield" technology.
Hands-On: Motorola Droid Turbo for Verizon Wireless
Motorola showed off the Droid Turbo today, a high-end handset headed to Verizon Wireless. Motorola says the phone is tough, powerful, and smart.
Motorola Droid Turbo Boasts 48-Hour Battery Life
Motorola and Verizon Wireless today announced the Droid Turbo, a high-end handset that claims to offer two days of battery life. The Droid Turbo's design is in keeping with Droids past and comes in several finishes, including metallic fiber and ballistic nylon.
LG Debuts Four Mid-Tier Devices
LG today announced four new smartphones that target the middle of the market. The devices will run Android 5.0 Lollipop with LG's user experience, and are named the Magna, Spirit, Leon, and Joy.
http://www.motorola.com/consumers/US-EN/DROID-BIONIC ... »
960 by 540 display
ATT kinda wiped the floor with everyone else today with Android announcements.


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Walmart worker accused in iPhone thefts
Walmart worker accused in theft of iPhones
ELLENVILLE - State police at the Ellenville barracks said a 52-year-old village woman, who worked at the Napanoch Walmart, has been arrested, charged with stealing three iphones with a total value of $2,197.
Police said Charrissiee Harrison has been charged with fourth-degree grand larceny, a felony. They said she took the phones while working her shift in the store’s electronics department.
Harrison was processed at the Ellenville barracks and issued an appearance ticket. She is due in Wawarsing Town Court on Friday.


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NEW YORK — The Shops at Target, one of the mass retailer’s biggest merchandising initiatives in recent years, will be unveiled on Sunday at all 1,763 Target stores in the U.S. and on target.com.
The five inaugural Shops at Target feature retail concepts inspired by The Candy Store in San Francisco, Aspen, Colo.-based Cos Bar cosmetics shop, Boston’s Polka Dog Bakery’s dog accessories, Warren, Conn.-based Privet House home products and The Webster, a 20,000-square-foot boutique in Miami that sells luxury apparel, footwear, jewelry and accessories brands. The shops were chosen by Target’s in-house design team not only for their unique products, but for their ambiance, which Target hopes to re-create to some extent.
The Shops at Target will have a one-time setup “like all limited time programs,” said a Target Corp. spokesman. “It sparks purchase urgency.” Previous limited time programs have included Missoni, which was so popular Target’s Web site crashed under the weight of demand for the products. Missoni inventory lasted one day while Jason Wu, another limited time designer, sold out in three days.
The spokesman said there will The Shops at Target exclusive merchandise available only online.
“The Shops is not meant to be an either-or equation,” he said. “It’s in addition to how we interpret affordable design. We’ll continue to work with partners such as Jason Wu and Missoni.”
Target is hoping that The Shops will be both a big volume generator and that it will have a halo effect on its image. By partnering with innovative, stylish stores, Target hopes to burnish its image with The Shops just as Go International gave it fashion credibility.
“Whether it will work remains to be seen,” said Michael Kearal, a retail analyst at Morningstar. “It’s definitely creative. It falls into the thesis that they’re trying to rekindle their merchandise prowess and get back their edge. Target lost its way in the last 18 to 24 months. [The Shops] clearly says Target’s pulling out all the stops to reignite the skill that’s been lacking. Target lost talented people. I’m hearing that there was a lot of talent that went to deal with the Canadian rollout. You’ve had some management changes. The economy hasn’t been the best for the middle-income consumer. They’re fighting a lot of issues. Target is saying, ‘Lets try to find our merchandise edge that we had in the past.’ They need to differentiate themselves.”
Kearal believes that when Target became heavily invested in its P-Fresh grocery initiative, it lost some of its merchandise advantage “and things began to change. They’re trying to use nondiscretional items to boost incremental traffic.”
Target already has chosen its next series of The Shops participants. There will be four stores, two dedicated to home and two for fashion, one men’s shop and one women’s shop, bowing in early September. Thomas declined to divulge the store names, but said the retailers are based in Manhattan.
Heriard Dubreuil designed the Target collection taking inspiration from the Miami Beach Art Deco district. The Webster’s signature wallpaper appears as a pattern on dresses and blouses. An eyelet dress is priced $39.99, a navy dress with leaf print, $42.99, and a navy color-blocked shift, $39.99. While most store proprietors aren’t designers by trade, Target has experience in helping them create product. Heriard Dubreuil is more confident than some. “I’m also developing my own collection,” she recently said. “I have all the background to do products from when I worked at Balenciaga and YSL as a merchandiser.”
In other Target news, in the definitive proxy filed by the retailer Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Gregg W. Steinhafel, chairman, president and chief executive officer, saw his total compensation decline by 17.9 percent from a year ago.
His total compensation in 2011 was $19.7 million, down from $24 million in 2010. His base salary remained the same at $1.5 million, but the value of stock awards in 2011 was $4.9 million versus $8 million in 2010. In addition, his nonequity incentive bonus also decreased to $2.2 million from the $4.1 million awarded in 2010. A separate bonus of $1.2 million was similar to the one in 2010, and option awards of $3.7 million reflected an increase.
@tradesy is turning the concept of a showroom upside down with its new space in Santa Monica. Here, the company plans to hold events, art exhibits and a showcase rare fashion pieces like this Louis Vuitton boxing set. Get all the details on Tradesy’s first showroom on WWD.com. #wwdnews
Spotted last night at the @erdem x @hm launch event: Kate Bosworth, Rashida Jones, Kirsten Dunst and Selma Blair. The party, which took place in LA, also marked the opening of their pop-up shop. “I was interested in creating a collection that wasn’t in any way disposable. It was about pieces you’d create and keep forever, things that have a permanence to it,” designer Erdem Moralioglu said. #wwdeye (📷: Katie Jones)
Renee Zellweger in yellow in 2001 and again in 2017. Chosen as one of the 12 @pantone Leading Spring Colors (and dubbed “Meadowlark”), it only makes sense that the bright hue stands the test of time and is making a resurgence this season, seen already on stars like @blakelively and @gigihadid. (📷: Donato Sardello & @rexfeatures) #wwdfashion #tbt
Dior’s 70th anniversary celebration continues with a new exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. “Christian Dior,” which is scheduled to run through March 18, takes a look at the founders tenure from 1947 to 1057 and feature 40 designs. Pictured here is an evening gown from the Ailée, fall 1948-49 haute couture collection. #wwdfashion (📷: Brian Boyle)
As one of the most recognizable models in the world, Christy Turlington Burns has an insider’s view of the fashion industry and the allegations of sexual harassment swirling around it. “I can say that harassment and mistreatment have always been widely known and tolerated in the industry. The industry is surrounded by predators who thrive on the constant rejection and loneliness so many of us have experiences at some point in our careers,” Turlington told WWD, along with her suggestions for how the modeling world should protect younger women and men. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. (📷: Tony Palmieri) #wwdnews
@asics America has tapped a new brand ambassador: famed DJ/record producer @steveaoki. This initiative is intended to set the tone for the new brand identity and philosophy and will include partnerships with influencers and in-store and off-line activations that will continue into next year. This is Asics’ most significant marketing effort in two decades, and is expected to attract younger consumers to the brand. #wwdfashion
24-year-old Jean Prounis is redefining the rules of jewelry. Formerly a studio assistant to Jemima Kirke and a design apprentice at Ghuran, she focuses on handcrafted subtleties and ancient goldsmithing techniques. “There was a really sterile feel in the environment and I wanted to have jewelry with character that shapes how you wear it everyday,” Prounis said. Each piece is hand made in New York, either by Prounis or three other jewelers in the district. #wwdfashion
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews


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Welcome to The Fintech Times Bi-Weekly News Roundup on Thursday 6 July 2023.
Nomentia, a provider of cloud-based treasury and cash management software solutions, has revealed new board members following the recent majority investment from Inflexion. Rick Medlock is now chairman, while also joining is Sergio Ferrarini, Henrik Nordman, Martin Bellin, Jukka Sallinen and Tami Halttunen.
ETC Group, a European provider of digital asset-backed securities, has announced a senior management shakeup. It is moving away from a co-CEO model, with Tim Bevan taking over as sole CEO to drive the ETP business, while Bradley Duke takes on the role of chief strategy officer. Duke also becomes non-executive chairman of the group’s UK entity. Both Bevan and Duke are founders of ETC Group.
Tech consultancy Opencast has appointed Paul Malcolm as corporate development industry lead for healthcare. He will help Opencast build its health client portfolio, which includes public and private healthcare organisations and emerging digital healthcare startups.
FinCity.Tokyo, a public-private organisation dedicated to raising Tokyo’s profile as a global financial hub, has appointed Chang Li, vice president of fintech / insurtech at Plug and Play Japan, as its new ambassador. She will work alongside FinCity.Tokyo’s other three ambassadors to communicate with financial professionals worldwide through global events, media and social media.
Anaptyss, a digital solutions company for the banking and financial services industry, has appointed Edward P. Schreiber as well as Allison Sagraves to its advisory board. “This development underlines Anaptyss’ continued focus on bringing niche domain expertise to shape and accelerate realistic digital delivery experience for financial services,” stated Anuj Khurana, co-founder, and CEO, Anaptyss.
BharatPe Group hires Pankaj Goel as chief technology officer. Prior to joining BharatPe, Goel was the head of payments engineering at Razorpay. He has also held roles at Intuit, Trilogy, and Sun Microsystems. Goel will spearhead the technology and innovation strategy across the Group of companies.
Moneycorp, a cross-border payments business, has appointed chief financial officer Velizar Tarashev as its next CEO. Tarashev succeeds Mark Horgan, who steps down after 12 years in the role. Hogan will remain on the board of Moneycorp and will also assume the role of deputy chairman in early 2024.
Financial group MUFG has named Yohsuke Takahashi as regional head for Middle East. He is responsible for all operations from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) branch in Dubai. Most recently, he held the role of head of investor relations office in Japan. Takahashi replaces Masashi Sakai.
Global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) appoints Robin Roy as a managing director in Saudi Arabia. Roy brings 35 years of experience to A&M’s growing disputes and investigations practice. The appointment reflects the company’s strategic focus on industry-based expertise in governance, risk and compliance, combined into a single, dedicated practice.
Fintech SumUp appoints Anna Kuriakose as chief product officer. Kuriakose joins from Meta, where she was the product director for Messenger on Windows and Mac and web-based video calling. Prior to Meta, Anna held CPO roles at companies including JustGiving and TotallyMoney, and was an early product manager at Skype.
Adviser platform and technology company Platform One has hired Terry Leavy as its chief operations officer. He joins after more than a decade at SEI, where he was operational director in its UK wealth platform business. Before that he spent nine years in the asset servicing business of investment bank Nomura.
Andrea Isola appointed as VP of European markets and business operations at N26. Isola will continue to hold the role of general manager for Italy and South-East Europe on an interim basis until the appointment of the new head of the Italian subsidiary.
Aviva has turned to Clearwater Analytics’ SaaS model and multi-asset service platform to power its investment accounting operations. Aviva selected Clearwater for its fully automated investment data aggregation, reconciliation, and accounting platform, as well as for its “flexible experience”.
Fintex Capital enters long term partnership with motor finance lender Go Car Credit to support £4million of monthly originations. The fintech investment firm dedicated to alternative credit has provided a funding line to Go Car Credit.
Australian Payments Plus (AP+) has welcomed Worldpay from FIS to its domestic debit network, eftpos, enabling Worldpay from FIS’ customers to have access to secure online payments capabilities and features.Through the partnership, AP+ and Worldpay from FIS will help merchants “offer consumers the payment experiences they want”.
Fintech SumUp has selected Form3, the cloud-native account-to-account payments platform, to provide direct access into the UK Faster Payments Scheme (FPS) and Bacs Scheme. SumUp will connect to the Form3 platform via a single API, while Barclays will provide scheme settlement with the Bank of England on SumUp’s behalf.
Concordium, a layer-1 blockchain incorporating a self-sovereign ID framework, has teamed up with IMPERO Group, a technology consulting firm based in South East Asia. Concordium now offers secure digital identities across South East Asia, “ensuring data integrity and privacy, creating safer and seamless interactions between citizens and government services”.
A2A payment infrastructure provider Token.io and payment processor Total Processing have teamed up to offer account-to-account (A2A) payments to European customers. Total Processing leverages Token.io’s connectivity network and platform to launch Pay by Bank as a core payment method.
Checkout finance provider Divido has upgraded its UK direct-to-merchant platform to give merchants easy access to retail finance across Europe. ‘Divido Connect’ provides a single point of integration into multiple lenders across key European markets. This lets merchants offer omnichannel retail finance across seven countries including the UK, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Romania.
Adyen, a fintech platform for businesses, has launched ‘Data Connect for Marketing’, a new product enabling omnichannel retailers to leverage payments data to improve marketing initiatives and provide an enhanced understanding of customers. Profile identifiers can link previously unidentified in-store transactions to shopper profiles to unlock analytics-driven use cases.
LMS, a conveyancing technology provider, together with software development company Xperate, has launched LMS Plug and Play. The technology lets law firms access digital tools pioneered by LMS through their own CMS platforms, starting with ALB and P4W, to improve technology accessibility and time efficiencies in the conveyancing sector.
Funding and investments
Swiss fintech startup Numarics has raised a €10.2million seed round for its automated accounting and administration solution for SMEs. The investment was co-led by UBS Next, as well as FiveT Fintech. Other investors also included Wingman Ventures and Seed X. The seed investment will support Numarics growth through acquisitions, expansion in the DACH region as well as further product development.
Insurtech Qover has closed a $30million Series C up-round funding. The investment will fuel the company’s growth trajectory, drive new solutions, lead to more partnerships and propel it closer to achieving profitability. The round saw participation investors, including Alven, Anthemis, Kreos Capital and Zurich Global Ventures.
SuperSight, a London-based generative AI startup, bags a $1million pre-seed round, backed by Blockchain Founders Fund, Animoca Brands, Druid Ventures, Emurgo, Next Gen Web 3 and Vayner Fund. The funding paves the way for SuperSight to accelerate the development of vertical-specific foundational models.


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new cigarette law 2014
Where to buy Marlboro Cigarettes in Europe. These cigarettes are are always the most popular in the world. Large assortment of Marlboro brand at the lowest prices. Buy Marlboro Red Cigarettes carton prices
(KTVI) - A new law takes effect in Illinois on New Year's Day that will throw the book at those throwing cigarette butts out their car windows.
Ask for cigarettes at one bodega in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, and the owner will open a small drawer behind the counter and pull out your pack of
New Yorkers are no longer allowed to smoke electronic cigarettes in any place where smoking regular cigarettes is prohibited, including bars, restaurants, offices
Albuquerque's source for local news and live streaming video online. KRQE reports on news, weather, traffic, investigations and sports for New Mexico.
Summer 2016 Internships and Externships with CDC's Public Health Law Program (PHLP). PHLP is accepting applications for summer 2016 internships and externships
Discussion of the civil justice system and tort law.
Top 14 New Illinois Laws for 2014 1. New laws for 2014 you don't want to miss 2. Starting in 2014, drivers caught holding cell phones up to their ears
Tags: East Rutherford NJ Disorderly Conduct Lawyers, East Rutherford Trespassing Attorneys, Morris County NJ Disorderly Conduct Attorneys, Morristown New Jersey
A new year means new laws. The state legislature has passed more than 200 new laws and regulations, many of which went into effect on January first.
Understanding electronic cigarettes' effect on tobacco smoking is a central economic and policy issue. This paper examines the causal impact of e-cigarette ac
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- It's the nicotine battle. Cigarettes verses the new kids on the block, electronic cigs. They both deliver nicotine, but when it comes to
TTB's frequently asked questions and answers relating to tobacco products, regulations, and guidance.
While FDA's tobacco products deeming rule is pending, the Agency issues Warning Letters to e-cigarette and e-liquid companies for the first time.
Today the FDA finally released its long-awaited proposed rules on e-cigarettes.
Research from JAMA Pediatrics — Electronic Cigarette Sales to Minors via the Internet
2014: The year in things that didn't suck. From Malala's peace prize to the comet landing, these were the bright spots in a bad year. Mary Elizabeth
About 2,000 vapers were at the Hyatt Dulles for Vapefest, a semiannual gathering for e-cigarette vendors and enthusiasts. First held in 2010, the convention is now
The FDA blocked the sale of four cigarette brands Tuesday, saying retailers will have to pull them off the shelves.


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Southern California’s Iranian Jewish community has been abuzz following news last week that one of their own, businessman and toymaker Isaac Larian won his second lawsuit against U.S. toy giant Mattel over a seven year dispute regarding copyright ownership of the widely popular “Bratz” toy dolls Larian’s MGA Entertainment created and sold. The jury last week awarded MGA nearly $89 million in damages. Larian throught out the lawsuit has become an underdog hero to many local Iranian American Jewish business owners who have come to admire his strength in standing up to a major competitor who has been trying to crush his successful business from the start.
Local Iranian Jews have by in large stood by Larian despite his 2008 lawsuit loss to Mattel which claimed that his company had stolen the idea for the “Bratz” dolls. The 2008 jury decision was overturned last year by an appeals court, which ruled that MGA deserved “sweat equity” for producing and marketing the dolls. The appeals court said Mattel couldn’t claim a monopoly over dolls and ordered a new trial in U.S. Federal Court. This time around, jurors heard not only the copyright claims but also accusations from each company that the other side stole trade secrets. Among its claims, MGA accused Mattel of sending employees into its showrooms at industry trade shows to spy on its products and also accused Mattel of passing out an internal “how to steal” manual.
While this lawsuit may continue with Mattel potentially appealing the second trial, I can’t understand why in god’s name they have spent nearly $400 million to fight Larian for all these years. From a business perspective it seems like a financially unwise move and downright vindictive! It seems as if their hope was to drive Larian out of the toy business with all these years of litigation. In 2007 I interviewed Larian and found him to be a genuine and hardworking individual who was indeed living the American dream. He came to the U.S. as an immigrant teenager who worked hard at a minimum wage job and over years finally achieved tremendous success through his own hard working efforts. His ties to the local Jewish community and support of various charities has been widely publicized over the years.
My 2007 interview with Larian can be found here.


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fake yeezy boost 350
fake yeezy boost 350 V2 “Triple White”, which was opened early on the adidas official website, finally confirmed the release date today. I believe many people have already received the official SMS of adidas.
The sale did not use the previous SMS booking method, but all of them were sold on the adidas official website. The major domestic distributors have already booked in advance by registration in the past week. It is rumored that the volume of pure white color matching in the world exceeds one million pairs, and Grandpa himself also said that this will be the largest volume of the fake yeezy boost 350 v2 series in history.
The chances of getting the goods so natural will be greatly improved. I believe this will be the biggest one for Yeezy. However, Yeezy is the most popular fashion shoe in the world. Even those who don’t care about the shoes will have the demand to buy. After all, the original price of yeezy trainers is like a fantasy in the past few years. The temptation is not small.
Pure white Yeezy Boost 350 V2 “Triple White” will be officially released on adidas official website at 0:00 on September 21, and will be available for sale at ¥1899 RMB. Don’t miss it when you want to start!
where to buy fake yeezys：http://www.shoesnewsusa.com/


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MEDFORD, Ore. — The Rogue Valley Mall is now home to a unique store, said to be a one-of-a-kind in southern Oregon.
IPrint 3D Studio opened its doors on Friday. The shop specializes in selling 3D printers, parts, and 3-D printed objects. Customers can even bring in their own blueprints to be printed.
Owners Ron and Carolyn Triplett said they became involved with 3D printing after their son started learning about the technology in school.
That inspired them to put an emphasis on education within the studio.
"We decided to get involved with the children because this kind of technology is going to be great in the future when it comes to architecture, 3D gaming, software engineers, all sorts of different things," said Ron Triplett. "This is going to be able to give the kids a heads up to start their careers in the future."
Starting in late August, the studio will host educational classes for children looking to learn more about 3D printing. A schedule of the classes can be found in the IPrint website.
IPrint 3D studio is also one of two Radio Shack carriers in the state, complete with all the parts you would need for your own printer.


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Dish TV’s D2H brand offers 100% cashback on new SD, HD connections
MUMBAI: Direct to home (DTH) operator Dish TV’s D2H brand is offering new customers to opt for standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) connections with 100% special cashback as part of its festive season campaign.
The cashback offer that includes a set top box (STB) along with a recharge pack, starting at Rs 2100 for SD connection, Rs. 2500 for D2H HD connection and Rs 2600 for HD with RF Remote connections. With the cashback offer, customers can redeem the full offer amount from their D2H payment account for up to 12 months.
The DTH operator has launched a new brand campaign for its D2H brand titled ‘Alag Hi View’ for the forthcoming festive season. The campaign aims to highlight the younger, innovative avatar of the D2H brand, bringing out its technologically advanced offerings & customer-centric solutions. With this campaign, D2H is providing a variety of offers to customers for the upcoming festive season.
This latest campaign has been conceptualised by Mullen Lintas Lowe Group and is now live across India.
The new campaign ‘Alag Hi View’ highlights the unique offerings of the D2H brand for this festive season. The TVC ‘Alag Hi View’ has a montage of situations with Diwali festival as the backdrop and showcases D2H bringing families and friends together with D2H’s varied offerings. The product window includes D2H’s technologically advanced products such as Smart Remote Mobile App, Radio Frequency Remote and HD STBs.
Commenting on the new D2H campaign, Dish TV India Group CEO Anil Dua said, “Our D2H brand believes in giving our customers technologically advanced solutions to enhance their TV viewing experience. Through this new campaign ‘Alag Hi View’, we would like to highlight the unique customer experience and technological solutions offered by D2H platform in India. D2H is transforming the way we watch television, with its advanced Smart Remote Mobile App, RF Remote, HD STBs and now taking forward our vision of providing customers with a robust and enhanced television viewing experience. Adding to its unique technology solutions is a unique cashback offer this Diwali, with which we wish to light our customer’s TV viewing experience this Diwali.”
Speaking on the new campaign, Dish TV Corporate Head – Marketing D2H brand Mr. Sugato Banerji said, “The hero of the new D2H campaign is our very different Diwali offer. In the process, we are also positioning D2H a technology driven brand for the younger tech-savvy generation. Today’s gen X is about having a perspective, a view, and an opinion. This campaign celebrates this spirit.”
Speaking on the new campaign, Mullen Lintas Lowe Group Group Creative Director Arko Bose said, “’Alag hi view’ mirrors the thought process of the youth today. They have different perspectives and different ways of doing things, meandering away from traditional approaches. With television viewing evolving itself in distinct ways using the plank of technology, we feel that the campaign finds a sweet spot in balancing youth-speak and brand philosophy.”


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UK retailer Tesco has opened its first zero-carbon store in Ireland as part of its plans to become a zero-carbon business by 2050.
UK-based smart energy management company AlertMe is moving into the US market thanks to a partnership with DIY retailer Lowe’s.
The Carbon Trust, the UK government-backed agency, is today launching the online ‘Empower’ tool that could help employees save their organisations up to £500 million in energy costs.
The US Department of Energy’s weatherization scheme, which struggled to get off the ground, has now achieved its target of improving 600,000 low-income homes three months ahead of schedule.
Energy efficient lighting could save UK businesses and public sector organisations up to £700 million a year, according to the Carbon Trust.
The UK government yesterday announced a £200 million boost for its flagship Green Deal home efficiency scheme, following the publication of its consultation on the plans.
The 25-year-old lights on London’s iconic Tower Bridge are to be replaced a new energy efficient system after the plans were given final planning and listed building consent this week.
China is to phase out energy inefficient incandescent light bulbs over the next five years, according to media reports.
UK small businesses are missing out on potential savings of up to £7.7 billion by not investing in energy efficiency measures, according to energy company E.ON.


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Conditional Access (CA) News
FPT Play delivers Android TV service with Viaccess-Orca
Apr 11, 2023 – Viaccess-Orca (VO) has announced that FPT Play in Vietnam is using a Widevine CAS solution powered by VO for IPTV streams in its latest Android TV hybrid OTT/IPTV set-top box.
News categories: Viaccess-Orca, Widevine, FPT Play, Brian Baker, Le Trong Duc, Android TV, Conditional Access, Digital TV, IPTV, NABShow, Set Top Box, Vietnam
Telia to replace IPTV CAS with castLabs Widevine managed service
Feb 22, 2023 – castLabs has announced that long-standing customer Telia will replace the traditional conditional access system (CAS) on its IPTV network with castLabs' Widevine CAS managed service.
News categories: castLabs, Telia, Widevine, Stein Ivar Nilsen, Conditional Access, Digital TV, IPTV, Norway
Irdeto to provide CA and multi-DRM to BCN Digital in India
Oct 13, 2022 – Irdeto has announced that BCN Digital will use Irdeto cybersecurity solutions to secure its content. Irdeto will provide the company with Conditional Access for its IPTV services and multi-DRM for its OTT services.
News categories: Irdeto, BCN Digital, Shane McCarthy, Srinivas Raju Rudraraju, Cable TV, Conditional Access, Digital TV, DRM, India, RDK, Set Top Box, Streaming
Intertrust and Sofia Digital partner to enable direct-to-Smart TV for operators
Sep 10, 2022 – Combining Sofia Digital's HbbTV Application with Intertrust's ExpressPlay XCA, operators can build their broadcast and OTT TV services directly on smart TVs, avoiding the costly set-top box.
News categories: ExpressPlay, Sofia Digital, Manas Matti, Juho Mäyränpää, Conditional Access, Digital TV, HbbTV, Smart TV, Worldwide
Fastway to deploy Verimatrix content security on Android set-top boxes
Sep 8, 2022 – Verimatrix (Paris: VMX) has announced that Fastway has selected the Verimatrix Video Content Authority System (VCAS) to protect its DVB Hybrid network used by its newly launched Google Android set-top boxes.
News categories: Verimatrix, Jujhar Group, Fastway, Asaf Ashkenazi, S Gurdeep Singh, Android TV, Cable TV, Conditional Access, Digital TV, India, Set Top Box
Swiss Broadcasting protects content with Viaccess-Orca CAS
Sep 7, 2022 – Viaccess-Orca (VO) has announced that Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR) has recently introduced a new card version of VO's Conditional Access System (CAS) for the security of its satellite TV distribution.
News categories: Viaccess-Orca, SRG SSR, Pascal Birot, Simon Blumer, Conditional Access, Content Distribution, Digital TV, IBC2023, Satellite, Switzerland
LG Smart TVs to incorporate Intertrust ExpressPlay conditional access
Sep 6, 2022 – LG Electronics (LG) and Intertrust have announced that LG Smart TVs will be Intertrust ExpressPlay XCA-enabled. LG’s XCA enabled TVs will support operators in Germany starting in 2023.
News categories: ExpressPlay, HD+, LG Electronics, Manas Matti, Alexander Sacher, Conditional Access, Digital TV, Germany, IBC2023, Smart TV
Novelsat Introduces BISS-CA content protection for distribution & contribution networks
Aug 29, 2022 – NOVELSAT has announced a BISS-CA content protection solution for distribution and contribution networks. NOVELSAT Ncrypt enables the addition of conditional access encryption to any broadcast network.
News categories: NOVELSAT, Aviv Ronai, Conditional Access, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Worldwide
Beenius brings Android TV to BH Telecom's MojaTV
Aug 31, 2022 – Beenius has announces the extension of its contract with BH Telecom. BH Telecom has chosen to enhance its portfolio of products and services by offering Android TV on its MojaTV IPTV service.
News categories: Beenius, BH Telecom, Edgeware, Verimatrix, Filip Remškar, Adnan Huremović, Johan Bolin, Asaf Ashkenazi, Android TV, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Conditional Access, Content Distribution, Digital TV, IPTV, Set Top Box
- Another slow year expected for AR/VR headsets
- Intigral partners with DIAGNAL to enhance entertainment experiences
- Du chooses DataMiner monitoring for broadcast and teleport operations
- TSTT switches to Zappware's multi-screen client framework
- Allegro DVT launches video encoder IP for 4K/8K video
- AVOD revenues to hit $69 billion in 2029
- ZTE unveils updated Cloud PVP solution at IBC 2023
- Accedo brings AI-powered sports highlights to Accedo Launcher
- 76% of Nordic households now have an internet connected TV set
- TVMonaco chooses OKAST streaming platform
- DAZN Edge platform expands coverage in Europe with MainStreaming
- LG presents vision to become media and entertainment platform company
- UK PSBs developing broadband-delivered free TV service
- ZTE and Netgem collaborate on cloud gaming for Android TV
- Rokid shows portable Android TV device for AR glasses at IBC
- NPAW introduces Nokia-developed video probe at IBC 2023
- Eutelsat and ENENSYS show live DVB-NIP over 5G at IBC
- Pixalate introduces Apple TV CTV trends report
- Hybrid AVOD-SVOD revenues to triple to $20 billion by 2029
- Tata Elxsi and INVIDI partner on addressable advertising for Pay-TV operators


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But what will we put in all of our Manwiches?!
While many of us have high hopes for summer, the warmer months may be less meaty than usual. As a result of food-supply issues stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, meat shortages have been affecting businesses across the country — and some experts believe that the problems will continue to persist through the upcoming months.
Over the last few months of the health crisis, multiple food- and meat-processing facilities had been forced to close due to outbreaks of COVID-19, or staffing shortages caused by the pandemic. This, in turn, has led to concerns over shortages of meat products across North America.
But while President Trump recently signed an executive order to keep these facilities open, meat distributors, grocery store owners and restauranteurs expect to be dealing with a limited supply of beef, pork and chicken even after the Fourth of July, the New York Post reports. They also predict that the cost of meat will likely increase over the coming months.
“We talk about this lasting until July or through August. It’ll be a tough summer," said Vincent Pacifico, the president of Vista Food Exchange, a meat wholesaler in the Bronx, in a statement to the news outlet. "You can’t force people back to work if they are sick and scared.”
Andy Wiederhorn, chief executive of Fat Brands, a California-based company that owns 375 eateries, had also told the Post that the company's reliance on smaller suppliers has helped keep items on the menu. He did note, however, that it's possible that the price of burgers could increase over the summer due to the volatility.
Wierderhorn also discussed the uncertainty of demand, saying, "I can't tell you today how much steak I can order because I don't know who wants to come out to eat."
Around 1 in 5 Wendy’s locations across the country recently had to remove various items from their menus due to the ongoing situation. In Canada, McDonald’s recently announced that it would start importing beef (whereas the company previously used domestic beef for its products).
The New York Post reports that roughly 5,000 workers from meat processing plants have tested positive for COVID-19 across the country. Several of these centers have been forced to close their doors because of the pandemic, and the ones that have reopened are reportedly only operating at about 30 to 40 percent of their capacity.
As restaurants begin to reopen their doors across the country, some experts reportedly believe that more sporadic shortages will occur across the country and prices will become to increase.


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Do you carry a balance on your credit card? Does the balance haunt you each month, running up interest charges, despite your best efforts to pay it off?
You’re not alone. According to a new survey by Clever, a real estate data company, almost half (47%) of credit card users report carrying balances, and 56% of those cardholders have had debt for at least a year. Almost three-quarters (72%) of balance-carrying consumers had more than $1,000 in outstanding credit card debt.
Most balance holders aren’t optimistic about paying off their debt anytime soon. Clever found that only 30% of Americans with credit card debt expect to completely pay it off this year. One in five Americans think it will take more than three years to pay off their credit card debt, 7% say it will take over five years to be free of credit card debt, and 8% have no idea when they’ll pay off their debt – if ever.


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A new firm inaugurated recently its headquarters, with a $2.75 million investment.
Out of every 100 Japanese companies operating in Mexico, 35 are located in Aguascalientes, contributing over 50% of the total FDI in the State.
The firm HS Power Spring Mexico S.A de C.V, inaugurated recently its new headquarters, with a $2.75 million investment, which will be dedicated to manufacture retractile systems for automotive safety belts.
HS Power Springs is a firm with joint participation from the companies Hayamizu Hatsujo Co. LTd. and Suncall Corporation, which are suppliers for almost every major automotive in Mexico, including Nissan, Honda Chrysler, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, etc.
The addition of 20 new formal jobs is expected with this project.
You might also be interested in:
The Covid crisis has had a major impact on global business – including of course the businesses that directly serve patients; pharmaceuticals and healthcare. So are the changes here to stay?
The past few months have seen the world thrown into turmoil; as one popular meme puts it, we’re all awaiting a return to “precedented” times. But we all know that won’t happen.


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Unhappy Meals: McDonald's Fun Discrimination
We just came across a study by scholars at Yale University entitled: Unhappy Meals: Sex Discrimination in Toy Choice at McDonald's. For those who don't have time to read it, in short, the study found out that in 92.9% of their visits to McDonald's, employees gave toys to children without asking the child about his/her toy preference--only to give them toys that McDonald's designated for their sex. They also found out that 42.8% of stores refused to offer the opposite-sex toys even after a child re-approached them asking for an exchange of an unopened toy. There was also a situation in which a girl asked twice for the “boy’s toy,” and "was told there were only “girl’s toys” (even though the store, a moment later, gave a “boy’s toy” to a male customer)" (quoted from study).
Here at Woozy Moo, we are always saying there is fun discrimination in the toy industry, but as we all know, growing up to be who we want to be can be a trying exercise, and there are many out there there that make it challenging. We challenge McDonald's and others to be more mindful in their actions and train their employees accordingly. This situation saddens us, and we are not that naive to think it is only isolated to the toy industry and McDonald's. We hope all industries are proactive on this issue and take the conscious step towards reforming their practices. Fun should be fun and not leave anyone out.


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In an apparent effort to fix DNS errors seen in recent OS X 10.10 versions, Apple's latest Yosemite beta shows the buggy discoveryd service replaced with mDNSResponder, a process last implemented in OS X 10.9 Mavericks.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Major League Baseball on Tuesday added CarPlay support to MLB At Bat for the iPhone, while AgileBits released an update to 1Password for iOS, making a large collection of technical improvements.
Wang Sicong, the son of mainland China's richest man, incited a virtual riot Tuesday after posting photos on Weibo of his Siberian Husky wearing not one, but two Apple Watch Editions on its front legs.
Apple chipmaking partner Taiwan Manufacturing Semiconductor Co. is reportedly gearing up to test production of 10-nanometer size processors beginning in June, according to a new rumor.
Emergency responders coped with a "large fire" at Apple's complex in Mesa, Ariz., on Tuesday afternoon, putting out the blaze in 35 minutes, a local TV station said. [updated]
Apple could issue 200 billion yen, or $1.62 billion U.S., in Japanese bonds as soon as June, marking its first ever debt sale in the country, a report said on Tuesday.
Apple on Tuesday issued a new beta of OS X 10.10.4, a forthcoming maintenance and security update for Yosemite, with an identical new build being supplied to both developers and public beta testers.
A large set of Apple job listings posted on Tuesday suggests the company is looking to make major improvements to iTunes, particularly in search and music discovery at the iTunes Store.
In Apple's post-Watch world, pressing a button to bring your iPhone to life just feels wrong, something akin to plugging a Retina MacBook into an ethernet jack — a procedural relic of a time gone by. Tap-to-wake has arrived, and we hope it's here to stay.
Charter Communications on Tuesday confirmed plans to buy fellow cable operator Time Warner Cable for $55.33 billion, as well as smaller cable outfit Bright House Networks for $10.4 billion.
Projecting that iPhone sales will again top 50 million in the current June quarter, investment firm Cowen and Company raised its price target on Apple stock to $140 on Tuesday, on continued strong sales of the flagship iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
iOS is set to become the epicenter of a battle between personal digital assistant technologies from Apple, Google, and Microsoft, as the Windows maker revealed Tuesday that Cortana would join Siri and Google Now on Apple's mobile platform.
Apple on Tuesday was granted a patent describing a dual-purpose keyboard that sports touch sensors overlaid atop mechanical keys depressible to two more levels, affording users both multitouch gesture control and conventional keystroke entry without having to remove their hands from the device.
Monday, May 25, 2015
Longtime Apple designer Jony Ive has been promoted from SVP of Design to a new position called Chief Design Officer, which will see the star designer relinquish day-to-day oversight of industrial design and user interface operations to take on a wider array of projects.
Charter Communications is on the verge of buying out rival Time Warner Cable in a cash-and-stock deal worth approximately $55.1 billion, a report said on Monday.
ExclusiveSteals: $300 off Apple's new 15" MacBook Pro with AppleCare; Free AppleCare with each 3.3GHz iMac 5K; Unlocked iPhone 5s from $256
Exclusives: AppleInsider this week is proud to offer the lowest price anywhere on Apple's brand new 15" MacBook Pro with AppleCare at $2,043.00 ($300 off) and its new 3.3GHz iMac 5K with AppleCare at $1,999 ($169). Plus, certified unlocked, contract-free iPhone 5s units from $256 and iPhone 6 units from $468.
Monday, May 25, 2015
The next-generation iPhone will reportedly sport a camera with a 12-megapixel Sony sensor that makes use of the firm's RGBW technology to help with low-light photography.
Microsoft is rumored to be talking with investment firms about the prospect of buying out Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry, likely motivated by a desire to deepen its foray into the mobile enterprise and gain access to BlackBerry's patent trove.
Even staunch Apple Watch detractors have to admire the technology Apple managed to pack into its first wearable platform. As Apple's "most personal device ever," Watch boasts multiple advancements to the user interface, two of which — Force Touch and UI concepts invented alongside the Digital Crown — we'd like to see in future iPhones and iPads.
The Obama administration has decided not to ask a secret court for a 90-day extension of Section 215 in the Patriot Act, effectively putting end to the authorized bulk collection of U.S. phone metadata by the National Security Agency.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
EditorialHow the rest of Apple's ecosystem could benefit from Apple Watch: Smarter, contextually aware notifications
Apple frequently introduces new technologies and features in a singular new product, then gradually brings them to other devices in its ecosystem, making for a more coherent user experience. With the recent launch of the Apple Watch, the company has begun offering smarter and more contextually aware locations — something we'd like to see on the rest of the company's platforms.
ReviewReview: CaseStudi's Libre Bluetooth keyboard is an ultra-portable workhorse, with some trade-offs
An increasing number of consumers and businesspeople are turning to portable Bluetooth keyboards to increase the productivity potential of their iPad. AppleInsider took a look at one of the latest contenders, CaseStudi's Libre.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Apple has gobbled up mapping market share on iOS (and the Mac) since introducing its own alternative to Google Maps back in 2012, despite lacking a variety of key features. Hints at how Apple Maps may soon improve are coming from a seemingly unlikely source: China.
Perhaps the most significant Apple-related event this week was the launch of a refreshed 15-inch MacBook Pro, but the company also released its first firmware update for the Apple Watch, and saw its takeover of GPS firm Coherent Navigation made public.
Friday, May 22, 2015
As part of ongoing upgrades to its in-house mapping service, Apple on Friday added a handful of entries to its rolling list of providers that supply the company with maps data, business listings and satellite imagery.
An excerpt from an upcoming book on the rise and collapse of Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry suggests that while the company — then known as RIM — had some appreciation for 2007's first-generation iPhone, it did not see the device as a threat given RIM's core customers.
Apple was on the list of attendees at a secretive three-day conference last week, where heads of intelligence agencies from around the world met with private sector tech companies, security experts and journalists to discuss the ramifications of data privacy on state protection.
The first Apple Watch Edition orders should arrive as soon as Saturday, although unlike most Watch models, buyers are being given the option of when they'll have their device delivered, a report noted on Friday.
A 25-year-old British man who was shot in the chest with a shotgun during a confrontation outside of his home survived the event, thanks in part to his green iPhone 5c, which absorbed much of the impact.
The next version of Google's Android mobile operating system will reportedly bring system-wide support for fingerprint authentication, paving the way for more Android devices to adopt Touch ID-style biometrics.
Fitbit devices remain both the most used and most wanted fitness trackers, but Apple is in a position to make gains with the Apple Watch, especially as a huge number of consumers plan to buy a wearable device in the near future, according to a U.S. consumer survey published on Friday.
Chip giant Intel is reportedly targeting August of this year for the initial rollout of its next-generation Skylake microarchitecture, a timeline that likely means Apple's high-end Macs will skip the oft-delayed Broadwell line.
This week's Watch OS 1.0.1 update has caused some Apple Watches to track heart rate sporadically, in some cases with an hour or more between readings, according to complaints on Apple's support forums, and verified by AppleInsider's own tests.
Apple wants subscription TV service to include live local broadcasts, content rights remain roadblock
The main hold-up in Apple launching a subscription TV service is content rights, with a new report on Friday saying the company could again face delays as it seeks to include live, local network television stations.
This week's all-new AppleInsider podcast features Neil Hughes and Shane Cole as we discuss the latest iMac, MacBook Pro, and Apple Watch news. Also, Neil has a word to say on Wall Street analysts.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
According to multiple unconfirmed reports, AT&T is on the verge of making a major change to its smartphone sales model that will prohibit third-party retailers, like the Apple Store, from selling handsets under two-year contract terms.
Apple on Thursday updated its Apple Store app for iOS with more comprehensive Touch ID support and a new two-factor authentication feature for securing users' Apple ID accounts.
A tenuous rumor on Thursday claims there might be a connection between Apple's unannounced streaming music service and the release of a long-delayed album from Kanye West, who recently signed a partnership deal with competitor Tidal.
As part of an ongoing enterprise solutions partnership, Apple and IBM on Thursday announced Apple Watch support for three MobileFirst apps serving the healthcare, public safety and energy industries.
- Apple highlights accessibility in iOS apps, Apple Watch for Global Awareness Accessibility Day
- Regent Street Apple Store to undergo major renovations for more light, street visibility
- Google's Chromebooks continue to make inroads in education, Gartner says
- Adobe discontinues Photoshop Touch, offers video glimpse of future replacement tech [u]
- Apple seeks to improve the stylus with dynamic input based on pressure, grip, angle & more
- Apple Stores begin selling Watch bands in advance of device's own retail debut
- Foxconn to handle bulk of manufacturing for Apple's 'iPhone 6s' & 'iPad Pro' this fall, insider says
- Apple's online store outs Touch ID-equipped iPhone 5c [u]
- Apple's iCloud experiences hours-long global outage and service slowdowns [u]
- Apple invents adaptive eye-tracking 3D display, highly portable cellular hotspot


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Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has pledged to block the sale in the United States of children’s products deemed unsafe or illegal by American regulators.
The Chinese e-commerce giant is taking the move in response to a request by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The commission said it has a list of five to 15 illegal or recalled products, including baby seats and high-powered magnets, that it plans to ask Alibaba to block.
Alibaba had more than 300 million active buyers on its platforms last year. The majority of these buyers are in China, although a growing number are coming from the US and elsewhere overseas, the newspaper said.
China supplies about 90 percent of the toys by value in the US, and four of every five recalled products in the US come from overseas, according to the commission.
Alibaba is also working with Western brands to clamp down on fake and unauthorized products on its platforms, the report said.
– Contact us at [email protected]


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Shrinking Cleveland County's food deserts
More fresh produce available locally
Getting your hands on an apple or fresh head of lettuce isn't challenging for many people, but that's not true for all.
Residents in parts of Cleveland County still live in food deserts, which in rural areas means a lack of healthy foods within a 10-mile radius.
The rapidly growing chain, Dollar General, recently added produce to one of its 19 stores in Cleveland County.
"Because upper Cleveland covers such a large area of our county, it is great news that the Dollar General in Fallston is adding produce. We know that transportation is one of the major barriers to health in our county. Every time a location adds produce, especially in a location that has been designated as a food desert, it helps eliminate barriers to accessing fresh fruits and vegetables," said Deshay Oliver with the Cleveland County Health Center.
For now, the Fallston Dollar General will be the only one in the chain within the county to carry produce, but the organization will continue to monitor what customers in the area desire, according to a spokesperson.
The addition of more freezers and refrigerators was part of a redesign of the store. Dollar General is constructing a 20th location in the county at 924 Margrace Road in Kings Mountain with a grand opening slated for fall.
The discount store isn't the only one helping provide more nutritious food to that area of the county.
"It should also be noted that Lloyd Lewis Farms has a roadside produce stand not far from the Dollar General, and there is also the McMurry-Boggs produce stand in downtown Fallston," Oliver said.
Food deserts in the county also exist in Kings Mountain, Shelby and other parts of upper Cleveland County.
Health officials have identified food deserts as a priority as Cleveland County still ranks low in overall health in the state, coming in at 81 out of 100.
With that in mind, a focus continues to be placed on creating a local food council.
There is also a place online to find fresh fruits and vegetables. Go to livehealthyclevelandcounty.com and click Healthy Foods. Here, people can find farmers’ markets, roadside stands and produce markets in Cleveland County along with recipes and tips.
Diane Turbyfill can be reached at 704-669-3334 and Twitter.com/ShelbyStarDiane.


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Dorian acquires oteme game developer Nix Hydra
Interested in learning what’s next for the gaming industry? Join gaming executives to discuss emerging parts of the industry this October at GamesBeat Summit Next. Learn more.
Social storytelling platform Dorian has acquired Nix Hydra, a developer of interactive fiction such as “oteme” games.
Dorian will pick up a couple of Nix Hydra employees along with their flagship titles, Fictif and The Arcana: A Mystic Romance, which was named by Pocket Gamer as one of the best otome-style games of 2022. These are sexless romance games popular in Japan — and elsewhere too.
That’s why Dorian acquired the games and the interactive platform, as it is building a creator platform, which embraces the new and changing entertainment landscape by connecting fans and independent creators to popular intellectual properties, monetization features, and code-free creation tools.
“Our ambition is to become the largest gaming creation and streaming platform for female creators and other underrepresented groups,” said Julia Palatovska, CEO of Dorian, in an interview with GamesBeat. “Nix Hydra really fits in the most popular and best-performing content that Dorian already has. So it has a really high affinity with the community that we’re building and the content that we’re building.”
The company has also expanded its partnerships, technology and community teams with Nix Hydra members and new hires.
“With gaming as the largest and fastest growing form of entertainment today, and major streaming giants losing subscribers to creator-driven platforms like TikTok and Twitch, the message is clear: big, bold changes coming to the landscape of how content is created and consumed,” said Palatovska.
Like Dorian, Nix Hydra is a female-founded company, with more than six million downloads of its apps. Dorian is pursuing a vision to empower underrepresented communities through games and interactive storytelling, Palatovska said.
Lovers of otome games, comics, and webtoons have built highly engaged fan communities around both Fictif and Arcana, which stand out for their well-developed characters and striking visuals. Together, Fictif and The Arcana have more than 300 episodes full of art.
“They all fit in perfectly in our strategy. They have a very strong community built around these IPs and in fact, they’re among the top oteme games,” Palatovska said. “This is fantastic for the streaming side of the Dorian platform because as we’re experimenting with different types of creators, and cosplayers are definitely the most popular right now among the streamers.”
Palatovska said that Nix Hydra is also known for its large non-binary following, as its stories aren’t always gendered. Nix Hydra was founded by Lina Chen and Naomi Ladizinsky, two Yale University grads who were roommates. They raised $5 million in 2014 to make games for women. They had a number of successes, but ultimately the company shrank and the founders left a few years ago.
Dorian will bring these episodes of content from Fictif — an anthology app that’s home to multiple intellectual properties — and Arcana to its platform, and will work with Nix Hydra’s highly engaged fan community to expand the canon and explore new character relationships. That means Dorian is embracing user-generated content (UGC), which happens to be a big topic at our GamesBeat Summit Next 2022 event on October 25-26 in San Francisco.
Now, those fans and Dorian’s large audience will not only be able to access Nix Hydra’s titles on Dorian, they’ll also be able to create fan fiction and spin-off stories using the beautiful and iconic art and lore from the original IPs.
In addition to no-code creation, the platform offers game monetization features including full access to game performance data and rapid iteration tools — all instantly available to anyone who joins. Dorian’s unique livestreaming feature gives creators the power to promote their stories, grow their followings, and connect with the fans most likely to support them.
With the addition of Nix Hydra IPs, Dorian will enable Arcana’s massive cosplay community (which has 300-plus million views on TikTok) to roleplay iconic characters live, while making decisions together with fellow fans.
Dorian wants to to enable the millions of non-technical fiction and comics creators out there to turn their stories into games and monetize them, and so the company has expanded the team with new executives with experience at some of the top creator platforms and gaming companies in the market.
New team members include head of creator partnerships I-Yana Tucker, previously director of creator management at Wattpad/Webtoon; principal software architect Alex Hall, the cofounder and former CTO of interactive storytelling platform Tales; and head of strategic partnerships Liz Tingue, who led original and IP development at Episode (Pocket Gems) and Spotlight (Crazy Maple Studio).
Two members of the Nix Hydra team will also be joining Dorian — community manager Alex Danino and lead artist Gabriella Rossetti, who will play roles in the integration of Fictif and Arcana. Dorian is in prime position to execute their vision: to change the landscape of game creation and livestreaming for new audiences that have been historically excluded from the game industry, Palatovska said.
In Dorian’s streams, streamers can ask the audience to vote in real-time for decisions that the streamers make as players. This was inspired in part by the Twitch scripted show Artificial. Dorian shares revenues with the streamers, and if someone contributes to the stream, that person can get paid too.
“So we solved this problem of collaboration between game creators and streamers,” she said.
“Since Dorian has built a very collaborative environment where you can work with others on your games, you can collaborate with streamers, you can collaborate with artists, and you can collaborate with our community,” Palatovska said. “I think the insider community will be delighted to have this opportunity to produce official fan fiction and we’re planning to work with the Nix Hydra community.”
Dorian has more than 300 creators who are already generating revenue on the platform using its virtual currency.
Dorian has about 20 people, mostly in San Francisco. The company has raised $19 million.
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