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SEATTLE, June 7, 2022 (Newswire.com) - Cut.com., Inc, a digital media company based in Seattle, has created a new party game based on their viral hit video series Lineup, a show that puts an ordinary person in the position of having to predict, rank, or guess unusual things about strangers, right in front of them.
After hundreds of episodes exploring topics ranging from silly to the profound - and over 2 billion total views across YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok - Lineup, best known for episodes such as "Match Pet to Person," "Guess What Language I'm Speaking," and "Bartenders Guess Who's Underage," is joining Cut's growing line of home games.
"As our most popular series to date, Lineup was a natural fit for adaptation," says Cut CEO Chris Rudy. "We're excited to launch it as a tabletop game, alongside hits like Truth or Drink, and continue to give our fans an opportunity to experience what it's like to be in Cut videos… right from the comfort of their living room."
Cut is focused on bringing the Internet together, one awkward moment at a time, and their tabletop games division, Cut Games, aims to do the same for players at home. Cut Games creates fun, funny games that spark sincere discussions and lead to lots of laughs.
The Lineup game is launching exclusively on Kickstarter, and the campaign is live now [HERE]. The pre-order campaign will run through July 9, and backers can secure a copy of the finished game, a pack of bonus game cards, and/or other titles from the Cut Games catalog. Lineup is Cut's fourth Kickstarter project, with the company previously raising a combined $464,000 for three previous games in 2018, 2019, and 2021.
Lineup was designed by Cut's in-house games team. Four to eight players can play a round in 30 to 45 minutes. To start, one player draws a card to ask the whole group a question with a numerical answer. All players then create a "lineup" of the others based on how they predict the others have answered, from lowest to highest. The most accurate predictor wins the game!
The questions in the game range from weighty to wacky, and for those looking for an extra naughty game night, a "Not Safe For Work" question pack is also available exclusively via the Kickstarter.
"Lineup is Cut's most popular show, and our game is a great adaptation of its core concept in a way the whole family can play," says Cut's director of product development, David Malki. "The conversations that come out of a game of Lineup can truly be magical. You'll be surprised to discover what your friends really think about you!"
Lineup joins Truth or Drink, Fear Pong, Keep It 100, and TBH in the Cut Games catalog. The Cut games have sold over 150,000 copies to date since their first title, Fear Pong, was launched in 2018.
Founded in 2014, Cut.com has created thousands of videos featuring real people in social experiments where they confront unusual situations, challenges or confessions. Their first viral hit, "Grandmas Smoking Weed For The First Time," has been viewed 34 million times to date. Cut has over 11 million subscribers on YouTube, and was recently named the media company with the #1 highest engagement on TikTok for 2021.
YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/cut
Lineup series: https://cut.com/watchlineup
Kickstarter campaign page: https://cut.com/lineupgame
Media kit: https://cut.com/lineupmedia
Source: Cut.com., Inc.


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With a second state of emergency declared in the province, a volunteer group has sprung back into action in order to help people in need in the district.
Rainy River District COVIDelivery, the home grown physical distancing safe delivery service, has resumed offering its services to those who cannot or choose not to go to the grocery store for essentials during a time of heightened awareness and caseloads of COVID-19 in the district. At the peak of the first wave’s shutdowns and restrictions, organizer Ray Calder had dozens of volunteers heading out to grocery stores in the district in order to pick up the essentials.
Calder was subsequently awarded a special recognition from the Town of Fort Frances during the annual Citizen of the Year recognition for his efforts in organizing the delivery group.
Now that further restrictions are in place and a stay-at-home order has been announced by Ontario premier Doug Ford, the COVIDelivery group is once again accepting orders from those who cannot get to the grocery store on their own, or those who are choosing not to go out of concern or caution. The group will only be shopping for essential items during this time in order to keep risk to volunteers from the virus to an absolute minimum.
In a Facebook post announcing the resumption of services, the COVIDelivery group noted they are also seeking additional volunteers to help out with the fulfillment and delivery of orders. Anyone willing to volunteer their time with the group is asked to message them on their Facebook page.
To put an order in for delivery, please call 807-271-0073, email them at email@example.com, or message them on their Facebook page.

domain: news


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Netflix is a streaming service that offers a wide variety of TV shows, movies, documentaries, and anime. This service has been used by millions of users. In 2019 alone they generate a net income of US$1.8 billion.
Of all the popular consoles that we have like Xbox and PlayStation, they all have the option to download Netflix into their system except for Nintendo Switch.
Even the outdated handheld console like PS Vita which was first released in Japan in December 2011 has Netflix in its system.
And so, the main questions remain the mystery; what’s with Nintendo Switch with Netflix?
Nintendo Switch and Netflix
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Nintendo fans are longing for Netflix to be available since its release in March 2017. To curb the thirst, our last options are to download YouTube and Hulu which are already release by Nintendo.
We are already at Switch’s third birthday. And yet, we still do not see any hint of the Netflix app to be launch for the device.
The only clue that we have perhaps is the tweet that was published all the way back in January 2018. In the tweet itself, Netflix says that they are exploring the opportunity for a Switch app. But, they still do not have any definitive plans to share.
And there’s Nintendo; who we all well known for not being open with its platform. So it is safe to assume that Nintendo also does not want Netflix to be on its platform.
When Nintendo Switch launched, the President of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aime made it clear that getting popular apps like Netflix are not their top priority. Instead, their aim was to focus on getting the Switch to launch good games for the console.
In the end, we have this both confusing mess. It is unsure whether to blame it on Netflix or on Nintendo. Does Netflix has become complacent with the position in the streaming space? Or does Nintendo being restrictive with who can and cannot put apps on the Switch?
Maybe it is the combination of both but until one of them comes up with a solution, we will never see Netflix coming any way sooner on Nintendo Switch.
Install Netflix on Nintendo – but with a catch
Yes, you actually can access Netflix on Nintendo Switch but it involves modding your Switch which obviously illegal in the eyes of Nintendo.
Modders at XDA Developers have developed a system to make it possible to access certain apps. This could be achieved by installing Android OS on the console.
Hence, by having Android OS on the Switch, apps like Chrome, Spotify, and Twitch are now possible to run on Switch.
With Android OS on Switch, games like PUBG are also possible to be played. However, when playing PUBG mobile on the console, but there is no Joy-con support.


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Doughnut revolution heads for UK
HOMER Simpson guzzles them by the barrow-load and before long they are sure to become a staple part of the British diet. After the US burger chains conquered Britain, US-style doughnuts are set to be the next biggest thing on the High Street.
Krispy Kreme of America has just announced that it will open 25 doughnut stores in Britain over the next five years. Competitors are sure to follow.
The doughnut revolution comes as the appetite for salty, high-fat and high-cholesterol burgers and chips appears to be waning. Even as burger chains are fighting a bitter price war, Americans are turning to a different kind of fast food - 'momstyle' buffets, creamy doughnuts and upmarket bakeries.
In the key US market, the burger business has been hurt by the demographic trend that helped it boom in the Eighties. Ageing baby boomers and their children are turning away from burgers and switching to more expensive prepared foods, according to analysts.
Restaurant chains which are offering 'eat-as-much-as-you-can' meals in a buffet are capturing a bigger share of the fast-food dollar. And that means that burgers are increasingly off the menu for America's army of fast foodies.
A price war erupted between McDonald's and Burger King in America last September, the two biggest chains offering 99 cent specials on some of their top-selling sandwiches. The bun fight has helped to send McDonald's share price tumbling to its lowest level in almost a decade and has jeopardised drinks giant Diageo's sale of Burger King to a group led by Texas Pacific and Goldman Sachs. The buyout group is demanding that the price is cut from the $2.3bn (£1.4bn) deal agreed last July because trading has worsened at the world's second-biggest burger chain since then.
Diageo would not say when agreement on a new lower price might be reached, but indicated that negotiations were continuing.
But while McDonald's is having to shut restaurants and lay off workers in other countries, the Golden Arches continue to soar over the UK; there are 120 new restaurants due to open in Britain over the next two years.
In the latest setback, however, it emerged last week that McDonald's is pulling out of half a dozen expensive prime sites in central London. But McDonald's insists that it will still have more restaurants open and trading in the capital at end of this year, but in suburban sites rather than in the West End.
And McDonald's, which has 1,200 restaurants in the UK, said that there were no apparent ' implications' for the local operation from the recent announcement that the chain would close 175 of its 30,000 restaurants worldwide, cutting as many as 600 jobs. 'Our business is doing well and we're planning to open 60 additional restaurants this year and another 60 next year,' a spokesman said.
McDonald's does not break down figures for its UK operation, but sales and profits were up from last year, when lingering worries over BSE, or 'mad cow disease', affected business.
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- Filed Under
The Nissan Altima has long been firmly entrenched among the top five best-selling vehicles in the U.S.
With a new version of the midsize sedan, built at the automaker's Canton assembly plant, set to hit showrooms this summer, the company is ramping up the brand's effort to overtake the Toyota Camry as the nation's top-selling car.
"There is no argument -this is the biggest vehicle launch in the history" of Nissan's domestic operations, says Al Castignetti, Nissan USA's vice president and general manager. "The Altima is our bread-and-butter vehicle. It will give us a good shot at being number ...


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Companies such as YaYa, Microsoft Corp.'s online gaming site Zone.com, Flipside, Uproar and BoxerJam are attempting to fill the void. While much of the action still focuses on automotive advertisers, today's games are fully centered on using online to learn about the audience. Jupiter Media Metrix estimates that 45 million people will play online games on the Internet this year and as many as 73 million by 2004. Online game play is also sticky, with analysts estimating that people return repeatedly for as much as 10 minutes per session.
But the metric that may be most interesting to advertisers is the ability to learn more about the audience who plays them. YaYa, which has created games for Burger King around the Rugrats characters, Ford Motor Co.'s Escape brand, Nike and Pepsi-Cola, specializes in customer relationship management. Keith Ferrazzi, YaYa's CEO, says there's a lot marketers can learn by applying data analysis techniques to the game playing audience.
"Clearly, consumers' preferences change [each time they play], but by using regression analysis, you can determine behavior," said Mr. Ferrazzi. Most games that are used for data collection and as a CRM front-end are e-mail-based. YaYa's Ford game enabled players to customize their car in the beginning. Pepsi's allowed them to select a character for game play. Both enabled psychographic data collection.
Mr. Ferrazzi said marketers are demanding more strategic thinking and results from their online plays. Thus, even though brand awareness is a powerful draw for some advertisers, his company focuses on CRM. "Everyone can do the brand thing and can count impressions, but nobody is looking at the relationship with the consumer," he claims.
A recent game for Ford's Escape yielded a 41% play rate with 8 to 15 minutes of average play time. YaYa's proprietary viral Zoomlet application, which enables players to forward the game to friends, allowed Ford to nearly double its original list of prospects, which was the company's metric for its effectiveness.
Another popular game site, MSN's Zone.com, has more than 18 million registered users. Microsoft estimates that people spend on average about 4 hours per month playing online games. Zone.com relaunched recently to target a broader audience of casual gamers. It recently launched OutSmart, in which players test their wits against celebrities. KidsHub, an online gaming area, is also in the works, sponsored in part, by Lego.
"Obviously, being a part of MSN, we do have an opportunity to have some of the big brands worldwide come to us looking for ways to take advantage of online advertising, online marketing," said Chris Di Cesare, group product manager-online games, for Zone.com and executive producer of OutSmart. The team at Zone.com has run advergaming programs with The Chrysler Group's Dodge brand, RadioShack's remote-control cars, and Toyota Motor Sales USA's Tundra and Tacoma trucks.
"I think we're learning as we go," said Bo Puffer, Dodge communications specialist. "It's a great way for people to experience your brand."
As Dodge mulls next steps, he says the brand wants to integrate several of its Nascar partners and its Dodge Ram pickup truck into the game. For Dodge and other marketers, the CRM element of advergaming is critical.
"We want to know if there are more people interested in Dodge and capture that data, communicate with those people during their buying process," Mr. Puffer explained.


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Pocket-lint's first reader poll asked you if you'll be buying a Nintendo Wii this Christmas, and, rather astonishingly, 1 out of every 2 readers are planning on it.
You may, however, find it difficult to get a hold of one, as Wii fever gripped the nation last Friday. Nintendo says that 50,000 Wiis in the UK sold out within the first 12 hours of the launch, which means that by the afternoon, there were none to be had.
It's not only in the UK that Nintendo has had success, as the company reports that it's sold 476,000 units in November since the US launch, which is more than twice the number of PS3s sold by Sony since it's debut.
Sony shifted 197,000 in the same market.
In the same month, the figures for the Xbox 360 sold were over 511,000, which is impressive by any standard.
Wii consoles are still selling like hotcakes on eBay in the UK, where some are selling for over double the recommended retail price in shops.


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Dogecoin is now among the top five most valuable cryptocurrencies in the world, after nearly quadrupling in price over the last 24 hours.
The meme-inspired cryptocurrency hit a new record high on Friday, rising above $0.44. Just one year ago, it was worth less than two tenths of a cent.
“The main drivers behind dogecoin’s popularity is its online communities, coupled with support from high-profile business magnates like Elon Musk,” Michael Kamerman, CEO of fintech firm Skilling, told The Independent.
“It’s moved by headlines, tweets, celebrity or corporate endorsements, and while that’s likely belittled by ‘traditional’ investors, it’s what brings the masses to cryptocurrencies.”
The current price run could encourage even more people to take risks and invest large amounts in the hope of making a quick profit, Mr Kamerman warned, adding that “the FOMO factor is at fever pitch”.
A post to the popular r/dogecoin forum on Reddit called on fellow investors to not cash out yet, and has so far received more than 10,000 upvotes.
“Now that $1 is an imminent reality, we should all pledge to HODL to $10,” user Mrrossisp stated. “Is that fair enough?”
One of the most prominent advocates of dogecoin has been Elon Musk, who revealed earlier this year that he had bought some for his infant son.
The technology billionaire, who briefly ranked as the world’s richest person earlier this year, has also been involved in the most high-profile cryptocurrency investment of the year through his role as the CEO of Tesla.
The electric car maker used its cash reserves to buy $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin in January, which has since nearly doubled in value.
Mr Musk has frequently shared dogecoin-related memes on Twitter during its latest months-long price rally, which typically prompt its price to surge even further.
This phenomenon reportedly led to concern from US regulators, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) currently rumoured to be investigating Mr Musk.
“I hope they do!” he tweeted in February. “It would be awesome.”
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Lily Allen initially wanted to open a fancy dress shop but soon changed her mind and opted for a vintage store instead.
Lily Allen initially wanted to open a fancy dress shop.
The 'Not Fair' singer - who is currently pregnant with her first child - recently opened a vintage clothing store with sister Sarah Owens but had a different idea when they first discussed their plans.
She said: "When I got pregnant I decided to wind down a bit, so Sarah and I thought it would be a good moment to open the shop we'd been thinking of doing for years. Originally it was going to be a fancy dress shop, but because of our passion for vintage clothing we thought this would work better."
Lily says she decided to open a high-quality vintage store after seeing so many girls in the same dress as her.
She revealed: "One of my 'light bulb' moments came when I went to a Christmas party and five people had the same high street dress on as I had. Plus the quality doesn't compare."
Sarah also spoke about her desire to open the shop, saying she wanted people to have somewhere different to go.
She told the Daily Telegraph website: "For years we were stuck in a bit of a fashion rut. Our mothers never got a chance to wear all these flamboyant outfits, but now that vintage has entered into mainstream fashion, people are trying to re-create different looks which aren't just about merging with every other girl on the high street."


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Industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata has shared a photo today with the lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N’ Roses, Slash. Mr Tata said he met the “very polite rockstar” during one his visits to the retail outlet of Jaguar in California.
The Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons said Slash was at the outlet to take the delivery of his new Jaguar XKR, one of the boldest offerings by the company. The XKR is a two-door sports car that is offered as a convertible or a coupe.
Both of them appeared relaxed and smiled in the photograph. Slash wore his trademark top hat and glasses. In fact, he has been rarely seen without the iconic hat while performing on stage in the past three decades. The artist, whose real name is Saul Hudson, achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
“The Day I visited Galpin Jaguar on one of my retail outlet visits, I was excited to meet this gentleman from Guns N’ Roses who was taking delivery of his new Jaguar XKR. A very polite rockstar, Slash. Clicked by Brian Allan,” said Mr Tata.
The Day I visited Galpin Jaguar on one of my retail outlet visits, I was excited to meet this gentleman from Guns N’ Roses who was taking delivery of his new Jaguar XKR. A very polite rockstar, Slash ????
Clicked by Brian Allan pic.twitter.com/BUeKZ1zkWl
— Ratan N. Tata (@RNTata2000) January 14, 2022
Within a couple of hours of sharing the photo, Mr Tata’s post was liked over 24,000 times and retweeted more than 1,500 times.
One user wrote that the rockstar had to be polite because he had the privilege of meeting one of the humblest men on Earth.
Sir , the rockstar had the privilege to meet one of the humble person planet Earth ever have . How can he not be polite .
— S R Ramnarayan (@SRRamnarayan1) January 14, 2022
Another user wrote that this was “one of those days when social media actually makes me happy”.
A very normal picture of two highly influential people. Just one of those days, when Social media actually makes me happy. pic.twitter.com/gSC1314ZhK
— Jaspreet Sohi (@Pimpin_Thoughts) January 14, 2022
For a third user, having “two Legends in one frame” was “cool”.
This is so so so so cool! Two Legends in one frame! ❤
— Vin Nair (@vinsinners) January 14, 2022
Tata Motors acquired Jaguar Land Rover, the British luxury vehicle company, from Ford for $2.30 billion in 2008. At the time, Jaguar was struggling to stay afloat as the financial recession had hit the US economy and there was little demand for luxury cars. Also, the retro designs of Jaguar Land Rover were being challenged by new and efficient diesel engines. Since then, the Jaguar brand has come a long way and – as is evident – it has got the American rockstar Slash interested too.


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As one of the most famous supermodels in the world, Kendall Jenner can make pretty much anything work when it comes to her wardrobe, convincing us to try out the most unexpected of looks – and last night's Brit Awards after-party ensemble was case in point.
Jenner was pictured attending the A-list event in London, having been in town to walk for Burberry on Monday night. Joined by fellow supermodel Bella Hadid, as well as the likes of Harry Styles, Paloma Faith and Izzy Bizu, Jenner turned heads in a skintight, neon green, shimmering two-piece.
No stranger to bright and over-the-top fashion, Jenner expertly pulled off the unexpected look, which was made up of a sleeved shiny top with a round neck and matching fitted, straight-leg trousers by Danish label Saks Potts.
Jenner added a pair of clear, embellished heels from of-the-moment footwear label, Amina Muaddi (which she has been spotted in before, teaming them with a nude David Koma dress for an night out just before Christmas). She also added a Nineties-inspired silver handbag from By Far to her glorious green look – and wore her hair in a ponytail.
While Jenner's ensemble was all about making an entrance, Bella Hadid opted for a more low-key appearance last night, wearing loose-fitting jeans, a sporty top and a pair of yellow sunglasses to the event.
Catch up on more from the 2020 Brit Awards red carpet and the numerous after-parties below.


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Jio Financial Services (JFS) said that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of Isha Ambani, Anshuman Thakur, and Hitesh Kumar Sethia as directors of the company.
An exchange filing by the recently listed entity revealed that the central bank initiated its letter of approval on November 15, which will be valid for six months.
“…we grant prior approval for appointment of Ms. Isha Mukesh Ambani, Shri Anshuman Thakur and Shri Hitesh Kumar Sethia as Directors of the Company… This approval is valid only for six months from the date of this letter,” the disclosure noted.
Isha Ambani has been managing key businesses of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) over the last few years. She was also appointed as one of the non-executive directors of RIL in August this year.
On the other hand, Hitesh Kumar Sethia is the MD and CEO of JFS, and Anshuman Thakur is the senior VP of strategy and planning at RIL.
JFS was demerged from RIL in July and listed on the bourses in August this year. The deep-pocket fintech entity has emerged as one of the major competitors to the fintech startups across segments, including payments, insurance, and asset management.
Hence, currently, JFS is competing with most fintech players, including Paytm, PhonePe, BharatPe, PB Fintech, InsuranceDekho, CRED, Zerodha, and Groww, just to count a few.
Earlier this year, JFS partnered with the world’s largest asset management company BlackRock to tap into India’s mutual fund market.
The company recently launched a soundbox, along with a range of other offerings – from personal and merchant lending to insurance and retail payments.
JFS saw its consolidated profit after tax (PAT) double sequentially to INR 668.2 Cr in Q2 FY24 while its operating revenue increased over 61% quarter-on-quarter to INR 608 Cr.
Shares of JFS jumped over 2% during Thursday’s intraday trade on the BSE. The stock ended the day 1.23% higher at INR 227.
The post Jio Financial Services Strengthens Its Board With Isha Ambani, Two Others As Directors appeared first on Inc42 Media.


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Summer is right around the corner and that means sunshine and swimming pools. While safety for the former mostly requires sunscreen and a hat, the latter is an issue that is a concern for all parents.
As Big Sister E and Little Sister B have taken various swim lessons over the years (and are currently taking them right now), we're thrilled to have been selected to join the SwimWays 2012 Swim Team!
The Swim Steps ambassador program, which successfully launched in 2011 (and I had the pleasure of participating in), is sponsored by SwimWays, a privately owned leisure and recreational water products manufacturer. SwimWays, a company rich in traditional values and respected for the quality and integrity of its products and services, is on a mission to make free time more fun through innovation.
This summer, SwimWays is looking to promote water safety through their Swim Steps product line, a program to help children learn to swim at all ages and stages of development that we know and love. Additionally, SwimWays is looking to increase awareness about National Learn to Swim Day (Saturday, May 19), and I'm excited to get to be a part of this with them!
You'll be venturing into the pool with your little ones this summer, too, right? Water safety is important, and you can never talk about the topic too early so for the next four months I'll be looking for ways to promote the importance of teaching children to swim.
More than just their great products, however, one of the great (and lesser-known) facts about SwimWays' Swim Steps line is that a portion of every Swim Steps item's proceeds benefit Operation Smile. Operation Smile is a worldwide children's medical charity whose network of global volunteers are dedicated to helping improve the health and lives of children and young adults.
To date, SwimWays has donated over 3,000 operations to children worldwide — and that number continues to grow. This month, SwimWays has partnered with Operation Smile yet again for a social media promotion: for every new 'Like' Operation Smiles receives on Facebook in April, SwimWays will donate $2 to the organization — up to $50,000!
In addition to the monetary donation, SwimWays will also provide new fans with a 20% off coupon good towards any SwimWays product.
So what are you waiting for? Head over and 'Like' Operation Smile on Facebook so that you can help create new smiles today. There is no greater gift than that of the smile of a child!
As a member of the SwimWays Swim Steps Ambassador Program, I am receiving product and information from SwimWays. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are honest and my own.


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Tencent’s Profits Surge to $35 Billion Despite ‘Challenging Year’Mar 23rd, 2022 7:42 EST
Despite the profits surge, the company’s management described 2021 as a “challenging year.”
More from Variety
They were not being disingenuous. China’s tech sector has operated for nearly two years under a cloud of increased regulation, political uncertainty and, recently, whipsawing share prices.
Barely a week ago, Tencent’s Hong Kong listed shares were crushed down to ten-year lows as regulatory uncertainty for Chinese companies caused leading finance firm JPMorgan to describe the sector as “uninvestable.” Two days later, the company’s shares rebounded by an astonishing 25% as the Chinese government outlined a more accommodating economic policy. (Some commentators even inferred a bottom to the current cycle of tech regulation.)
Regulators are known to have crimped Tencent’s huge Chinese games business by a halt on new games approvals and through technical measures intended to reduce games addiction in minors. They have ordered changes to Tencent’s growing financial services business and imposed new laws on data privacy and other restrictions on the use of data within the same group. There have been fines and executive orders targeting Tencent Music and online reading business China Literature.
Behind the scenes, China’s regulators are believed to have put pressure on the company to unwind market dominating positions and to make financial contributions to the government’s ‘common prosperity’ initiative. The firm has complied by disposing of its stake in China-based e-commerce giant JD.com and overseas has raised money by cutting its stake in Southeast Asian e-commerce and games firm SEA.
“2021 was a challenging year, in which we embraced changes and implemented certain measures that reinforced the company’s long-term sustainability, but had the effect of slowing our revenue growth,” said management in a regulatory filing on Wednesday.
“Despite financial headwinds, we continued to make strategic headway, including driving widespread adoption of our enterprise software and productivity tools, increasing content creation and consumption in our video accounts, and expanding our international games business. We believe the China internet industry is structurally shifting to a healthier mode characterized by a re-focus on user value, technology innovation, and social responsibility.”
– More to follow.
Best of Variety


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Putting travel back on the map (and the calendar) here are the top 12 wellness travel trends to watch out for in 2021.
Openings its doors on 25 September 2020, British band The Libertines are set to unveil The Albion Rooms Residence, a 7-room boutique hotel perched on the trendy Margate seafront.
Editor Sophie Ritchie discovers a stay of sleek ocean serenity at Tivoli Carvoeiro in Portugal.
Hot hotel alert – opening its doors in winter 2020, here’s everything a luxe explorer needs to know about The Hari Hong Kong.
Escape to the Swiss mountains for rejuvenating yoga summits with Grand Hotel Kronenhof this summer.
Robe up, sit back and relax. Chewton Glen has unveiled its sleek new spa look – here’s all the details for a day of countryside pampering.
Chef Tim Hollingsworth’s baked cast iron cookie with smoked bourbon whip is decadent and delicious…
Row up, row up. To mark the return of the Paris Plages urban beach, France’s capital is treating locals to a one-night-only floating cinema.
Surrounded by 600 hectares of raw wilderness in the heart of the Utah desert, Camp Sarika by Amangiri is now open, heralding a milestone moment during Amangiri’s ten-year anniversary.
Eleven Experience is inviting thrill seekers to get their adrenaline fix at two secluded retreats in the mountain village of Le Miroir, France this summer.
As a way of showing their support for essential frontline NHS staff, boutique villa resort Cap Maison in St Lucia is offering free luxury holidays to eight frontline NHS workers.
Emirates has announced that, as of Monday 6 April, initial flights will commence from Dubai to London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris, Brussels and Zurich.
Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) have confirmed that two of their cruise ships, Columbus and…
Set to open later this year, Fairmont have announced its third UK property – the prestigious Fairmont Windsor Park in Berkshire.
If you’re looking for a last minute ski escape, do so in sustainable style at Eco Hotel Valsana in Switzerland.
Heading to the City of Lights soon? Don’t forget to get a Parisian tea fix thanks to Fauchon l’Hôtel Paris’ stylish new opening
Belmond announces its most decadent cruise to date with the launch of its new “Epicurean Burgundy: A 12-star cruise” itinerary aboard luxury ‘Afloat in France’ barge.
Take on a sporting challenge and enjoy the Algarve’s covetable winter sunshine during this exciting cycling festival.
Live out your suavest dreams with this exciting new driving experience from Four Seasons.
Calling all yoga addicts and smoothie sippers – this May, the second edition of Wellness Festival Mauritius is taking place in tropical paradise – and you’re invited.


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The 2019 China International Health Industry Summit began on Aug 7 in Beijing, one day before the 11th National Fitness Day.
Hongkong Jingang Trade Holding Co Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yili Industrial Group Co Ltd, bought Westland Co-operative Dairy Company Ltd at an equity transfer ceremony in Auckland, New Zealand on Aug 1.
Fernando Lugris, Uruguay’s ambassador to China, Tian Wenjin, first representative of Conaprole in China, and Federico Lage, business attaché of Uruguay’s ambassador to China, were invited to the headquarters of Yili Industrial Group in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region on July 28.
The Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum, also known as the Summer Davos Forum, begins on July 1 in Dalian, Liaoning province.
Yili Group, China's largest dairy company, signed a strategic agreement with network operator China Telecom in Beijing on June 14.
Chinese dairy giant Yili Group shared its latest research on probiotics during the 14th International Symposium on Probiotics and Health, which was held in Hangzhou, in Zhejiang province on May 22-24.


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There has been a delay to the opening of Bargain Buys in Hale Leys, which was supposed to open on Wednesday with a faux leather double bed for £14.99 to the first five customers.
The revised opening date is now, Saturday, July 6, and with fine weather expected on the weekend day, even bigger queues are predicted.
Executive chairman of Bargain Buys, Nadir Lalani, said: "We are pleased to be opening a Bargain Buys store for the people of Aylesbury, with loads of fantastic branded products, all at bargain prices, and look forward to opening even more new stores throughout 2019, creating over 1,000 jobs.
"The team is working hard to deliver an outstanding shopping experience, great service, and an enjoyable shopping environment for all our new customers.
"We are expecting massive queues for out opening day only specials,l so come early to catch the bargains."


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Containment in Europe: travel restrictions applicable on international travel
Now that the UK, France, Germany, Greece and Belgium have imposed strict lockdowns to control another wave of coronavirus, it’s obvious that restrictions on people’s international travel will also apply.
Therefore, all these restrictions will affect airline operations due to lower passenger numbers.
None of these countries have reportedly closed their borders, either within the EU or internationally, although many airlines have canceled flights due to low booking numbers. So much so that airlines have also canceled several flights from one European country to another, preventing passengers from taking connecting flights to many international destinations.
Meanwhile, India’s flights to Europe are still operating as per the air bubble agreements that India has signed with France, Germany and the UK. As for people wishing to travel from these countries, the UK government has issued a strict statement asking people to refrain from leaving their homes for holidays, including staying in second homes.
On the other hand, Germany announced a partial lockdown advising restaurants and bars to close for a while.
According to the news, travelers such as Indian citizens, OCI cardholders or those traveling for emergency or business purposes will be allowed to travel to India from these EU countries under the agreements. on the air bubble.


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Remember last generation when a Digimon game was just a distant memory? How times have changed. With 2016’s Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth finally bringing the veteran series back to the West, a new Digimon game has been released each year since, namely last year’s Digimon World: Next Order and this year’s Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth- Hacker’s Memory. Now Bandai Namco have announced another game in the series, Digimon Survive, for PS4 and Switch.
Revealed in the latest issue of Weekly Jump, Digimon Survive is described as a survival simulation role-playing game in which you get stranded in a digital world and need to rely on the help of the titular digital monsters to get out alive.
The game sounds like it uses player choice in interesting ways, with decisions made by the player affecting how your monsters “digivolve”, as well as affecting the story and character relationships. In terms of combat, the game looks to be more of a tactical RPG. While it’s hard to tell from the few screenshots released, its graphical style suggests a Final Fantasy Tactics or Disgaea-style system.
Digimon Survive is set for a 2019 release in Japan, but no word yet on a Western release. However, going by previous games in the series, a release within the next 2 years is likely.
Take a look at our review of Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth HERE
Check out more from Bandai Namco HERE


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In December 2014, the Australian Government directed the ACCC to monitor the prices, costs, and profits of unleaded petroleum products in Australia for a period of three years.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission report on the Australian petroleum industry for the June quarter 2017 shows that retail margins remained high despite quarterly average petrol prices in the five largest cities dropping by 3.9 cents per litre (cpl) from the March quarter to 125.2 cpl.
In 2016-17 annual average petrol prices were at their lowest levels in real terms since 2001-02 (see Chart 1).
Annual average retail petrol prices in the five largest cities were 122.6 cpl in 2016-17, slightly higher than in 2015-16 in nominal terms.
“While motorists are enjoying the cheapest petrol since 2002, we believe prices should have been even lower given the continuing high gross retail margins,” ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said.
Average gross retail margins in the five largest cities in the June quarter decreased by 0.6 cpl from the previous quarter to 11.7 cpl. On an annual average basis, however, gross retail margins in real terms remain the highest since the ACCC began monitoring them in 2002 (see Chart 2).
In 2016-17 gross retail margins in Melbourne (12.3 cpl) and Perth (12.0 cpl) were also the highest in real terms since 2002.
The increase in gross margins since 2014-15 may partly reflect regulatory and compliance costs, especially in NSW. However, the ACCC believes that these increasing costs do not fully explain the sharp increase in margins.
“Prices at the pump in 2016-17 are reflecting the relatively low international price of refined petrol which fortunately is a result of the OPEC cartel failing to successfully restrict the supply of crude oil,” Mr Sims said.
“Of the price paid at the bowser, 42 per cent is the international price of refined petrol. Another 42 per cent is taxes (i.e. GST and excise).”
Regional areas were also affected by high margins. In three of the four regional petrol markets that the ACCC has studied in depth in recent years (Darwin, Launceston, Armidale, and Cairns) retail prices in Launceston, Armidale, and Cairns remained above a long-term competitive cost-based price in the June quarter 2017.
“Motorists in Launceston, Armidale, and Cairns are paying too much for petrol. We encourage people to use fuel price apps to locate petrol stations in their area with relatively lower prices,” Mr Sims said.
The ACCC’s recent Cairns petrol market study revealed that petrol stations in Cairns were making around 38 per cent higher average net profits than other sites around Australia in 2015–16. The entry of new retailers such as United provides an opportunity for motorists to benefit from lower fuel prices as a result of this increased competition.
“Competition is driven by the willingness of motorists to shop around for the best price. For example, in Cairns, motorists that shop around can find petrol that is consistently around 10 cpl lower than the average,” Mr Sims said.
“The ACCC will continue to monitor fuel prices in all these regional towns in its quarterly petrol reports.”
Retail prices in Brisbane were the highest of the five largest cities in the quarter. The average retail petrol price in Brisbane was 3.3 cpl higher than the average across the other four largest cities.
“The ACCC is currently examining the high retail prices, margins, and profits in Brisbane and a report is scheduled to be released in the next few weeks,” Mr Sims said.
Other findings in the report
The figure below shows the components of Australian petrol prices in the five largest cities in 2016-17. These components were broadly similar to 2015-16. In 2016-17, the international price of refined petrol and taxes continued to be the largest contributing costs to the average bowser price, at 42 per cent each, with wholesale and retail costs and margins decreasing from 17 per cent in 2015-16 to 16 per cent in 2016-17.
The report found that the average differential between prices in regional locations in Australia and prices in the five largest cities was broadly stable, increasing by 0.3 cpl from the March quarter 2017 to 6.2 cpl.
International crude oil and refined petrol prices decreased in the June quarter 2017, despite an announcement by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to extend, for a further nine months, an agreement made in late-2016 to limit crude oil production.


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Pangkor Island ready to embrace duty-free status
Last Update: 09/12/2019
By Rozainah Abdul Rahim
LUMUT, Dec 9 -- With less than a month to go before the Pangkor Island to be proclaimed a duty-free island on Jan 1, new attractions and improvements are underway on the island so that when the day arrives, all facilities will be ready for the visitors.
Undoubtedly, as Pangkor Island will be a duty-free haven from next year onwards, many would imagine that various brands of chocolates will be sold at lower prices similar to those in Langkawi and Labuan.
Chocolate lovers will not be disappointed as a Bernama check found that there is a shop selling chocolate at lower prices called Coklat Laris, already in operation on the island for nearly two months near the Arena Pangkor.
Coklat Laris supervisor Hajarul Aswad Md Azmi said the response from tourists has been encouraging since it started operations on Oct 18 as the products sold were cheaper than anywhere else such as at the airports or Premium Outlets.
“After the proclamation on Jan 1, all popular chocolate brands such as Daim, Pepero and those imported from Switzerland, Italy and Australia will be sold at a lower price than they are at the moment,” he said when met by Bernama here recently.
Meanwhile, Nur Azlina Ann Abdullah, 28, whose company operates water sports activities in Teluk Nipah, said they would take visitors to snorkel at beautiful coral reef sites during high tide to avoid any damage to the reefs.
“Boat operators here have also begun to refer to the tide tables using Tides application to make it easier for us to plan the appropriate snorkelling time for visitors,” she said.
Nur Azlina said boat operators were also involved in safety training with the Fire and Rescue Department to prepare themselves with the knowledge and skills that could be applied in the event of an emergency.
That apart, taxi driver K. Segar, 58, said his pink taxi van would be available throughout the day to make it easier for tourists to explore areas around Pangkor Island including Pantai Pasir Bogak and Teluk Nipah.
It is understood that local authority is also restructuring business premises at Padang Kurma near Pangkor Island Jetty to make it more attractive.
Other attractions to be launched include the Dataran 3D in Pasir Bogak, the Chinese Mosque which is still under construction, as well as the construction of the building near the ferry jetty which will house the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex.


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It’s been a little over a month since Amazon announced the launch of their cloud-based music player, software that allows anyone to store and stream their music from the online “cloud.” That means it’s been a little over a month that Google’s been sitting in a corner, quietly fuming and plotting its own cloud-player, one that the New York Times reports today is bigger and more badass than Amazon’s. The unexpected announcement of the Google Music Beta for Androids comes only two days after Amazon released the news that their cloud-player now works on iPhones, iPads and Touches—at which point Google was probably like, “Ugh, fuuuuuck.“
The reason it’s taken Google so long is that they’ve been trying to negotiate with music labels, according to the New York Times. But Amazon doesn’t work with the labels, so it looks like Google just gave in.
“This whole upload thing just seems like a significant barrier to wide consumer adoption, because even with broadband it just takes a long time” to upload, said David Pakman, who invests in digital media start-ups for the venture capital firm Venrock, and helped found a similar music service, Myplay, in 1999.
But Amazon forced Google’s hand, he said. “If you’re faced with another six months of brutal negotiations and your competitor just launched this, you just get in the market and get a lot of users.”
Now, Google’s Music Beta will store up to 20,000 songs for free, while Amazon’s only does 1,000. Apple’s apparently got something in the works too, after building a data center that could store users’ music in North Carolina. But despite the increasing pace in the technological race for domination of our mode of music “consumption,” what has yet to be seen is how many people will start using either Amazon or Google’s new toys. The cloud-players don’t necessarily affect the population of esoteric vinyl hold-outs out there, nor the grunge-loving cassette-clingers. And can the cloud-players ever really replace the value of lovingly sharpie-scrawled song titles on a mix CD?
To be determined. In the meantime, Google just said “Nah-nah nah-nah boo boo,” to Amazon, before sticking out its tongue and running away.


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Smartphones Could Be Gaining New Emojis
It appears smartphones may be getting new gender-neutral figures, a citrus fruit, and a mythical creature among others added to the emoji list.
Unicode, known for creating the emojis, has come up with “four new gender-neutral family emojis intended to be represented via silhouettes” hoping to have them ready for the 15.1 update.
Other additions expected are: a slice of lime, a broken chain, a mythical phoenix, a disembodied head shaking horizontally, and one shaking vertically, and a mushroom.
New icons are also gaining mock-ups, giving users a taste of what’s to come.
“Based on recent years, the final version is likely to mirror this draft list.”
This new batch has been said to focus on motion-directed figures, “all versions of pre-existing people emojis.”
“The Emoji 15.1 candidate list also contains directional versions of six different types of person emojis (for a total of 108 new emojis when you include skin tone modifier and gender variants).”
“Additionally, Apple and other vendors may opt for unique designs for each of the new direction-specifying people emojis, instead of simply inverting their existing designs.”
Recently emojis sparked confusion online, as well as having their meaning debated, with Gen Z warring over an attempt to cancel the thumbs up emoji, as it’s apparently “boomer-relegated.”


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CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., Jan. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Thirty-three percent of people got engaged between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, resulting in a host of women now sporting new sparklers on their ring fingers. With thoughts of weddings in the air, the nation's leading bridal and special occasion authority gets to the heart of love, marriage and everything in between in the David's Bridal 8th annual "What's On Brides' Minds" survey of newly engaged and married women.
"It's Bridal Christmas in the wedding world, and we're so excited to share some of the interesting results from this year's 'What's On Brides' Minds' survey," said Brian Beitler, Chief Marketing Officer at David's Bridal. "From what celebrity pair women would want in their wedding party to how they met the love of their life, the insights are intriguing and give a glimpse at love in 2014."
New Year's Resolution – Wallet Over Weight?
Most people vow to shed a few pounds at the beginning of each year, but there's one thing that's more important than weight loss for blushing brides.
- When asked if they would rather lose 15 pounds or have their wedding completely paid for, an overwhelming 75 percent of women chose to take the cash!
The Bride's "Golden" Duo
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are sure to get a lot of laughs when hosting the Golden Globes for the second time on January 12th, and it looks like the funniest women in television are also who brides want to calm their marital jitters!
- These comedic BFFs are the pair that most brides would want to have in their wedding party! With 30 percent of the vote, they beat out fellow besties Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox (27 percent), Katy Perry and Rihanna (22 percent), Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez (15 percent), and Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb (6 percent).
Love at First Sight?
Romantic stories tell us that women know "he's the one" from the moment they meet, but is love at first sight really true?
- According to women surveyed, a majority (56 percent) said they didn't know their significant other was "the one" when they first met.
- Still, an astounding 44 percent of women knew he was "the one" right off the bat!
TV sweethearts Sean Lowe and his "Bachelor" pick, Catherine Guidici, are set to walk down the aisle on January 26th in a televised wedding affair.
- These two met on TV, but how do other couples get connected with their future spouse?
- Most meet through a friend (with 27 percent of respondents saying a pal did the matchmaking), but a close second is online (with 20 percent meeting in cyberspace), showing the rise of online dating!
- Sure, Catherine and Sean said "I do" to getting hitched on national TV, but would the average couple want their nuptials broadcasted?
- This is not so much the case, as 64 percent of brides said they would NOT consider Skyping or live streaming their vows for those not in attendance to see.
- 22 percent of couples aren't as camera shy and said they did or will in fact broadcast their nuptials online!
For more information on David's Bridal and the brand's wedding resources, visit www.davidsbridal.com.
About David's Bridal:
With more than 60 years of experience dressing women of all ages for life's special occasions, David's Bridal understands the importance of providing brides-to-be with a vast selection of exquisitely crafted bridal gowns and bridal party dresses. Known for outstanding value, fashionable designs and the ease of one-stop shopping, nearly 60% of all brides in the US choose to shop at one of more than 300 David's Bridal stores located across the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. Working with a knowledgeable bridal consultant, a customer can enjoy trying on a wide selection of gowns and dresses in her size with the added convenience that most styles are available to take home the same day. To learn more about David's Bridal, visit www.davidsbridal.com.
SOURCE David's Bridal


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With the Ontario government announcing a stay-at-home order to help
prevent the further spread of COVID-19, the city and Thunder Bay
District Health Unit are assessing what the impacts are for local
The provincial order requires individuals to stay home and only leave
for essential purposes like going to the grocery store, pharmacy or for
medical appointments and work.
“It’s a strong reminder that although we have vaccines, the road ahead
is still a long one until the distribution of those vaccines are widely
implemented,” said Mayor Bill Mauro in a news release.
The mayor urged residents to consider local businesses and restaurants
when using curbside pickup, take-out or shopping online.
The stay-at-home order takes effect on Thursday at 12:01 a.m.
Schools will remain open in Northern Ontario but with enhanced health
and safety measures, including children in Grades 1 to 3 being required
to wear a mask as well as students in Grades 4 to 12.
Employers are also being asked to have their employees work remotely if
See the full story in the print and digital editions of The


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Curly hair haircare is the newest trend to pop up online, and it seems to be growing rapidly.
According to a new survey by the National Association of Curly Hairs, there are now more than 1 million online customers of Curls.com, which is run by the International Curl Society, a nonprofit organization that offers tips and resources on hair care.
Curly haircare has taken off, as evidenced by a surge in popularity on Instagram and other social media, and the popularity of Instagrammers’ posts of curlies looking to get into the market.
In 2018, about 70 percent of Instagram users were curlies, according to a report by LinkedIn, while just 20 percent of Twitter users were.
And in 2018, almost a third of Instagramers said they were curlers.
This trend has sparked a resurgence of hair care trends in recent years.
In 2014, it was a trend to use curly hairstyles, as many people saw it as a more natural alternative to straight hair.
Then, in 2015, it became a trend for people to use curly hair in the summer months, as a way to keep their hair from getting frizzy.
The popularity of curly hair hair has been attributed to a growing awareness that hair is naturally curly, said Kelly Stiles, owner of Curlies.com.
Stiles said curlies are starting to take advantage of the popularity and beauty of the trend, especially with younger generations, who are increasingly concerned with hair care issues, she told Business Insider.
She added that curlies were the perfect choice for curly people looking to take on the curly trend and take advantage.
“Curly hair has always been popular and fashionable,” Stiles told BusinessInsider.
“But I think people are realizing that curly hair is also beautiful.”
While there are several popular curlies for men and women, Stiles believes there are many different types of hair curlies.
She says that for curlies to be successful, they have to have a certain “curly-ness,” which is a soft, straight look.
“You need a natural, straight hair texture,” she said.
“You need to have the hair that doesn’t get all messy.”
Curly hairdo hairstyles and products have also been gaining popularity, and they’re getting better.
In 2017, the market for curling was estimated at $13 billion.
And that number is expected to increase in 2018 as more hair curlers begin to use products to achieve their desired curls.
While there’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to hair curling, Stilts said curling is not only about getting a smooth, natural look, but also about maintaining a natural shape.
She said that curlers are often not curling as often as they used to be, but they still want to look natural.
“I want my hair to be the best it can be,” Stilys said.
And with the growing popularity of curly hair, many men and even women are turning to curlies and other products for styling their hair, and finding more natural looks.
“Curly hairstyling is now so mainstream that I think many men are gravitating toward it and some women are gravitated toward it as well,” Stile said.
One of the best curlies that you can buy is Hair Rake, which comes in two sizes, and is available in hair products ranging from hair gel to hair brushes.
Hair Rakes have been around for a long time, but Curls says they have grown in popularity.
In 2018, the average length of hair in America was about 12 inches, which made Curls hair products the best option for curlers looking to keep up with their style.
In addition, Curls Hair Rags are available in three sizes, including the smaller size, which includes a curler’s comb and comb attachments.
Hair Rags comes in a variety of colors, and are available at Curls in the US and Canada, as well as online.
In addition to the products and services offered by Curls, Stile also sells her own hair products, including hair scrubs, waxes, and hair treatments.
She also sells hair and body care products at Curl.com and has also been featured on The Cut, Cosmopolitan, and many other publications.


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Blog: Old Navy lost at sea
Leonie Barrie | 20 February 2008
Despite her impeccable retail pedigree, Dawn Robertson has failed to build the “exciting vision for the future of Old Navy” which was promised when she was hired as its president in October 2006.
Since then, the Old Navy discount chain has been the biggest drag on Gap's performance, with fourth quarter same-store sales falling 5% in the three months to 2 February compared with a 3% fall for the company overall.
Initiatives launched by Robertson have included a re-focus on clothing for women in their 20s instead of the whole family, as well as getting merchandise into the stores more quickly.
She also hired fashion designer and television personality Todd Oldham as design creative director for the Old Navy division, to help make the merchandise more fashionable as well as launching an exclusive line under his own name.
But so far these moves haven’t been enough to stop the flow of budget-conscious shoppers away from its stores to other low-priced merchants like Wal-Mart, Target, Kohl’s and JC Penney. It’ll be interesting to see what plans her successor has up his or her sleeve.
Some of just-style’s more eagle-eyed readers might have noticed a small change to the menu bar on the homepage: the addition of the word re:source. Yes it might be a small change – but it marks the co...
Over the past week just-style has continued to try to unravel the potential ramifications of Donald Trump’s election as the next president of the United States....
One event dominated the international airwaves last week, and on just-style too we took a closer look at the surprise election of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States....
As the Brexit roller-coaster continues to twist and turn, and the US presidential election campaign nears its unpredictable and possibly protectionist end, there's no doubt these events – and the perc...
- Steps to piloting living wage in garment factories
- Trump blows the case for Brexit out of the water
- How to ensure sustainability is more than a slogan
- Duty-free trade key to build Africa supply chains
- US apparel retailers' November 2016 sales roundup
- Taiwan textile maker investing in first US plant
- US Q3 in brief – Destination Maternity, Cherokee
- Outdoor apparel sector set for double-digit growth
- Myanmar garment industry "lacking labour rights"
- World cotton price prospects lifted again


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HP has updated its Envy series of desktop and laptop computers with improved specifications and cosmetic changes. In addition, the company has also launched a refreshed Spectre x360 laptop. The new HP Spectre x360 laptop is 13.8mm thick, as compared to the 15.9mm thick older variant. Weighing 1.29kg, it comes with a 13.3-inch edge-to-edge Full HD display.
As for the battery, the new Spectre x360 has a 57.8Wh battery which is claimed to have a backup of about 15 hours. There is an edge-to-edge keyboard with 1.3mm key travel and a wider touchpad. Other key features include four front-facing speakers, USB 3.1 Type-C ports and up to 1TB of SSD storage. The base model includes comes with a 7th gen (Kabylake) Intel Core-i5 CPU with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. It's priced at $1049 and can be purchased from HP online stores in the US. The newly launched HP Envy 13 gets the same 57.8Wh battery, which is said to deliver up to 14 hours of running time, 4 hours more over its previous variant. It comes in Full HD and Quad HD resolution displays and has front-facing speakers too. Under-the-hood, HP Envy 13 has a 7th gen Intel Kaby Lake CPU with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. There is also a USB 3.1 Type-C port, along with regular USB 3.0 ports.
HP Envy 13's base model costs $849 and includes a 7th gen Core-i5 processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD and a 13.3-inch Full HD display. It will be available in different configurations in the US, starting October 26. The upgraded HP Envy 27 All-in-one has a completely new design, as compared to its predecessor. The display is now thinner and comes with a new processing mechanism. Other components have been placed inside the base, instead of being put at the back of the display.
The display of the AIO comes in Quad HD resolution and is claimed to be more vibrant. There is also a Blue Light filter for reducing eye strain. As in the aforementioned laptops, Envy 27 All-in-one features front-firing speakers (powered by Bang and Olufsen) placed in the base. There's a sound control dial at the base as well.
Powered by an Intel 6th-gen processor with 16GB RAM and GeForce GTX 950M GPU, it comes with 128GB SSD and 1TB SATA hard drive storage. The AIO will be available starting October 16 at $1,599. There will also be other variants priced at $1,249 and a $1,699, available starting November 2 and October 12 respectively.
Lastly, HP has upgraded its Envy monitor. Unlike its predecessor, the new monitor ditches the side speakers from the and has thinner bezels. The 27-inch monitor has 4K resolution and also supports AMD's FreeSync technology. It can be used as a secondary display. The display will be available at $499 starting December 4.
Microsoft made a big hardware push at its October 26 NYC event. The company anno
Apple Inc's iPhone accessed the Web more slowly through mobile applications tha
Indian OnePlus One users are expectant to receive the Android 5.0 Lollipop-based
Gionee has launched its new smartphone in the P series - P7 Max in India. Priced
This week didn't look good for Apple. Google's new Pixel phone launched to posit
Apple has updated its MacBook Pro line-up of laptops, announcing the upgraded ra
Facebook has announced augmented reality realtime overlays to Live videos. The f
Experienced this? Doing something important on your smartphone and suddenly the
Google has infuriated Microsoft by disclosing a critical vulnerability in Window


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Listen well, Israeli startups: American fund Accel Partners, whose resume includes companies like Facebook, Dropbox, and Slack, is taking on an Israeli partner to focus on promising developments and technologies from Israel. Nir Blumberger is joining the fund after two years at Facebook to lead investments in startups from Israel, mainly in the enterprise and consumer fields.
Accel opened its first international branch in London in 2000 to create partnerships with teams throughout Europe and Israel. Since that time, the fund has invested in more than 30 Israeli companies, including marketplace startup Fiverr, cybersecurity outfit ForeScout, and streaming company Qwilt. The fund’s most recent investment in an Israeli company came just last month, when it led a $12 million financing round in startup E8 Storage, whose solution is 10 times as fast as the current all-flash array solutions in the market.
Born and raised in Israel, Blumberger is joining Accel after being a business development manager at Facebook. In the more remote past, he worked at McKinsey & Company in Europe and Israel. Sometime between these two jobs, he found enough time to found two startups, including the well known events startup Bizzabo.
When we asked about which companies and sectors Accel plans to invest in, Blumberger told Geektime that, “We plan to invest in all the sectors: from storage and infrastructure – like our most recent Israeli investment (E8) – to the consumer sector, and everything in between.
“What’s important,” he said, “is the team. We’re looking for excellent entrepreneurs working with big ideas. Where the investment stage is concerned, Accel is a fund that invests in companies at relatively early stages – usually in the first or second financing round – and that’s also what we’re planning to do in Israel. Because the fund is fairly large, we have the flexibility and ability to invest large sums at growth stages when we find the right opportunity.”
Do you believe that the next Facebook could come from Israel?
“Certainly. The world is becoming more and more connected, and category-defining companies are springing up all over the world. As global investors, we believe deeply in this. People are used to setting upper limits for the various ecosystems, but this limit has been repeatedly exceeded. No one believed that Europe or Israel could create companies worth $5 billion or more, but companies like Mobileye, Supercell, and Spotify, among others, have proved the contrary, and are still doing so,” he noted.
“Can Israel and Europe create a $100 billion company? I don’t know, but I really hope so, and the trend is definitely in the right direction. What no one can dispute is that Israel has a lot of talent, and as time goes on, more and more global experience, which in my opinion is a big help in founding companies on a significant scale,” Blumberger added.
Explaining his fund’s focus on Israel, Accel partner Philippe Botteri said, “Accel has always believed in the ideas, technology, and superb teams coming from Israel. Since we developed our first international office in London 16 years ago, we have invested in more than 30 Israeli companies and entrepreneurs, and it has been our privilege to gain a close view of the developing and maturing Israel ecosystem, with its growing number of angels, excellent local venture capital investors, experienced entrepreneurs, and exciting companies. This development, which appears to be picking up speed, makes us believe that now is the time to increase our commitment to Israel and keep a partner there.”
Why someone from Facebook, and what does this tell us about the sectors you plan to focus on?
Botteri responded, “Accel and Facebook go back a long way (Accel led the A financing round in Facebook in 2005), and are still cooperating extensively with each other now, and that certainly helped. Facebook is an amazing company, a fertile source of talent, and an excellent school, but we weren’t specifically looking for someone from Facebook. It was important for us to find someone with experience and roots in Israel, but also with substantial experience in the U.S., something we regard as very important, and which everyone at Accel has. Nir’s fine background, which combines technology and business, together with the fact that he spent the last four years in Silicon Valley in a very important and relevant position, fitted us like a glove, and we’re very glad that Nir chose to join us.”
Only two months ago, Accel announced a new fund for investments in Israel and Europe, called Accel London V, which will invest in startups in the early and growth stages in all fields, although it will focus mainly on marketplaces, software as a service (SaaS), big data, and enterprise software. Including the new fund it launched, Accel has invested a total of $2.5 billion in Israel and Europe. Accel’s European funds posted dozens of exits in 2015 from companies with an estimated aggregate market value of $15 billion.


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The Galaxy S3 colors have been expanded by Samsung once again as the company now offers the smartphone in pink.
This new model is scheduled to hit shelves in Korea next week and will be the seventh color for the Galaxy S3 which will also available in Marble White, Pebble Blue, Amber Brown, Garnet Red, Sapphire Black, and Titanium Grey.
The Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean source code was released by Samsung last week.
The company released it for the unlocked international version of the Galaxy S3, as the official update to the software is expected to roll out sometime next month.
The source code was found in Samsung's OpenSource website. The code's release does not mean that the Galaxy S3 will be able to run a stable version of the software.
However, it does mean that Samsung is giving developers a chance to create a Jelly Bean ROM of the highest quality for the smartphone. This would mean that is more stable and better than what has already surfaced on the internet.
The rest of the Samsung Galaxy S3 colors should be arriving in the near future as Samsung released new photos showing them off earlier this month.
The Galaxy S3 launched in White and Pebble Blue, so the addition of the four new colors should boost the company's sales significantly. And with the unveiling of the iPhone 5, Samsung will need something to keep fans interested in what has been one of the most popular smartphones to be released this year.
"By expanding the color range of the Samsung Galaxy S3, we are continuing to evolve the minimal organic design theme of the handset," said Minhyouk Lee, Vice-President and lead designer of Samsung Galaxy S3.
These new photos feature a front and back shot of the additional colors. The Sapphire Black model resembles the Galaxy S2 and Galaxy S.


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The next project from the team behind the Founding Farmers group of restaurants will be a 12,000-square-foot restaurant with an in-house distillery near Mount Vernon Square in downtown D.C.
Farmers & Distillers aims to open in the fall of 2016 at 600 Massachusetts Ave. NW, in an office building from Gould Property Co. and Oxford Properties Group that's currently under construction.
Depending on what happens with some other projects, it could be the first D.C. restaurant to take advantage of the District’s new “distillery pub” license, which allows for a distilling operation as an accessory to a restaurant.
The distillery will produce small-batch and larger-quantity spirits, including whiskey, according to Dan Simons, co-owner of Farmers Restaurant Group. The distillery will be designed by Farmers’ beverage director, Jon Arroyo, and the team at Copper Fox Distillery, where Founding Farmers currently makes some of its exclusive Founding Farmers rye and other spirits.
Taking distilling in-house is a natural next step for Founding Farmers, which is co-owned by the North Dakota Farmers Union and strives to make as many of its products as possible.
“For this concept, it’s more about liquid and that’s spirits,” Simons said. “And for me, whether you’re distilling milk into butter, or grain into whiskey, that’s kind of the essence of what our company is about.”
The restaurant group had initially looked at the possibility of doing a Farmers & Brewers, with an in-house brewery, but decided that others had already blazed that trail.
“There’s so many brewpubs out there, so we chose distilling because we thought it was fresher, newer, and not that many people in the country are doing it,” Simons said.
The 300-seat restaurant will have two levels, with the bar, distillery and dining room on the ground floor and kitchen and private dining area on a lower concourse. The design and menu will be unique to this location, though its design, by GrizForm Design Architects, will feel like “a sibling” or “a cousin” to Farmers’ other spots, Simons said.
Farmers & Distillers signed a 15-year lease for the site, which is comparable in size to the Tysons Corner location that opened in February. The buildout is expected to cost $7 million.
Farmers Restaurant Group chose the site after looking at several in the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood — mainly because of its density and proximity to both business and residential development.
“Because we do breakfast, lunch and dinner, there’s other really cool emerging neighborhoods that could support some of those day parts but not all of them,” Simons said.
The company focuses on sites that can guarantee more than $10 million a year in sales. Its existing restaurants will earn between $9.5 million and $16.5 million this year, with the original on Pennsylvania Avenue at the top of the list.
This will be Farmers’ fifth restaurant in D.C. — and could be its last. Simons acknowledged the company is currently in the process of figuring out how many of its restaurants the market can support. He’s still attracted to neighborhoods such as Capitol Riverfront and Reston, but the company is also eyeing Philadelphia and Boston as potential expansion cities, he said.


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Manufacturing in Thailand
Thailand - Manufacturing
Manufacturing activity drops at sharpest pace in 15 months in July
Manufacturing output dived 5.1% in month-on-month seasonally-adjusted terms in July, which was a deterioration from June's 0.3% decrease. July's figure marked the worst reading since April 2020.
On an annual basis, manufacturing production rose at a more moderate pace of 5.1% in July (June: +18.3% yoy), the worst result since February. Meanwhile, annual average manufacturing output growth rose to 3.6% in July (June: +1.9%), signaling an improving trend in the manufacturing sector.
FocusEconomics Consensus Forecast panelists expect manufacturing output to grow 8.0% in 2021, which is down 1.4 percentage points from last month’s estimate, and increase 7.8% in 2022.
Thailand - Manufacturing Data
|Manufacturing (annual variation in %)||0.0||1.4||1.8||3.7||-3.6|
5 years of economic forecasts for more than 30 economic indicators.
Thailand Manufacturing Chart
Source: Office of Industrial Economics and FocusEconomics calculations.
|Exchange Rate||30.11||0.17 %||Dec 30|
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August 27, 2021
Manufacturing output dived 5.1% in month-on-month seasonally-adjusted terms in July, which was a deterioration from June's 0.3% decrease.
August 25, 2021
Merchandise exports rose 20.3% in annual terms in July, following June’s 43.8% jump.
August 16, 2021
GDP rebounded in the second quarter, rising 7.5% year-on-year and contrasting the 2.6% contraction logged in the first quarter.
August 7, 2021
Consumer prices fell 0.18% over the previous month in August, a sharper drop than July's 0.12% fall.
August 5, 2021
Consumer prices fell 0.12% in July over the previous month, contrasting the 0.38% rise seen in June.


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Indonesian ICT Awards (INAICTA 2012) the technology innovation competition run by the Ministry of Communications and Informatics announced its first wave of selections on Saturday. For the startup company category, eight has qualified to the next stage.
The eight startups are Tiket, Rockto, Yotomo, DapurMasak, Fokado, Tutor, Interactive floor-based projection “Tanah Air”, and Pointer Micro System. The eight startups made it through the first round of judging which was done by 100 judges from various backgrounds including IT practitioners, senior journalists, academics, and celebrities.
This is the first time that a startup category has been included in the six years that the competition has been held. This category is aimed at companies in the information technology industry that have been in operation for less than 33 months.
Aside from the startup category, INAICTA 2012 also has 15 other catgories. Overall, this year’s competition has had 1447 registrants and 800 bodies of work. This marks an increase over last year’s event which had 905 participants.
An interesting category in INAICTA 2012 is Digital Games. This category has eight nominees; Dreadout, Battle Drone, Amarta Online, Soccer Girl Adventure, Faunia Rancher, Nias Jump, Tap Dance Revolution, and Pancipon Fishing.
The complete list of INAICTA nominees can be read on the event’s website. The finale will be held on 14-15 September at the Jakarta Convention Center. In addition to the competition, INAICTA 2012 will also feature Green IT exhibition as well as a Technology Electronics Entertainment Education and Design exhibition.


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Light Phone will begin shipping November 30th
Last May, the Light Phone fell into a hole common for Kickstarter-backed products when it missed its target date for initial shipments. Delay after delay pushed the phone’s release further back, but earlier this month, startup Light has promised the first batch of Light Phones will begin shipping from the factory in China on November 30th. Early backers are expected to have their devices in December.
The smartphone world feels like a constant race with companies trying to one-up each other with the latest tech. Every phone release showcases a new processor, faster operation, and bleeding-edge components. It’s interesting to see a mobile phone company take a completely different direction and strip a phone down to its basics, and that’s exactly what the Light Phone has done.
The simple device is essentially a small slate that can make and receive phone calls and not much else. The phone features a nano-SIM card that operates on 2G networks, a touch module, a micro-USB port for charging, a microphone, and an earpiece speaker.
The Light Phone is made by Light and meant to non-intrusive, non-distracting phone. Offered in a white or black model, the device can’t connect to the internet (either through WiFi or cellular networks), doesn’t have a camera, and can’t send or receive text messages. Users can set up call forwarding so they may receive calls from another phone, like a smartphone. Due to the lack of features, the phone’s battery should last a long time and is quoted at up to three weeks of use.
While the Light Phone was successfully Kickstarted and was set to be shipped out in May of this year, the company ran into several delays. On their website, Light has said that the phone is “still in beta. We've run into a few limitations in our initial user experience goals due to some iOS restrictions.” While they are still ironing out some kinks, they plan to ship the phones anyway so as to “not delay any longer." The company "will continue to provide frequent software updates to early adopters.”
The first shipment will only be the white option, but the black option is expected to ship from the factory in the beginning of January.


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Postal services get exclusive '.post' address
Global postal services will soon have their own address on the Internet, after the web's authority for assigning domain names ICANN, said on Friday that it had approved the new address dot post (.post).
The managing rights of the .post top level domain name were granted to the UN's Universal Postal Union, which will set up the rules on which organisations the address could be attributed to.
"People who access a .post site will immediately recognise it as belonging to a valid postal service or provider of postal services," said the UPU, calling it "a piece of real estate space on the Internet."
The .post domains are expected to be online by the second half of 2010 after the UPU and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) signed the agreement here
Although letters are commonly dubbed 'snail mail' in the Internet world, many national postal services have expanded their online presence and services in recent years, and play a key part in delivering e-commerce goods.
"Postal services will explore new frontiers and basically go where no postal services have gone before," UPU Director General Edouard Dayan promised.
(c) 2009 AFP


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James Carver, local MEP for the West Midlands, has today pledged to offer spirited support to cider producers who could be hit by an unfair EU tax.
UKIP MEP James Carver, is to add his name to a Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) petition, which will be presented to Downing Street on June 10.
The major petition, which has so far secured more than 20,000 signatures, calls on the British Government to support the cider sector by rejecting an EU demand that a new tax of up to £2,700 is imposed on very small cider producers, who make under £10,000 in sales a year.
Currently, small-scale cider producers making less than 33 pints a day are exempt from paying tax under UK law.
CAMRA fears the proposed EU action would make the small-scale production uneconomic and lead to the widespread closures of producers.
Commenting today, James Carver MEP, said: “I believe that this unfair EU tax could drive many people in the cider industry out of business. Small-scale producers would be severely hit by this EU interference.
“I will sign this petition and call on as many people as possible to do the same.
“Our Government should stand up to the EU and defend the interests of our cider and perry industry.”
Tom Stainer, Head of Communications at CAMRA, said: “The majority of real cider comes from small-scale producers and has long been part of rural tradition and culture.
“The proposed action by the European Union is wholly disproportionate, given that a small producer selling up to 33 pints a day has no capacity to affect EU trade to any meaningful degree.
“If these producers are driven out of business it will dramatically reduce consumer choice and cause irreparable damage to one of the nation’s most historic industries,” he added.
To sign the petition please visit http://www.camra.org.uk/cider-petition


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|USAID launch Packaging sector awareness initiative
|The USAID Jordan Economic Development Program (SABEQ), Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI), Jordan Enterprise (JE) and Yarmouk University and its Jordanian Design Center (JDC), on Sunday partnered to launch a sector specific awareness initiative targeting the local packaging industry. |
The campaign, entitled “Pack Me” aims to bring together the three main components of the packaging industry: Designers, manufacturers and converters, in order to enhance the sector and raise the understanding among sector players of the influence that design and packaging carries with consumers and end users.
Each one of the aforementioned components works and performs well independently, however their competitiveness and productivity could be increased substantially if each commits to including the element of design into their business processes. To address this issue, Deputy Mission Director for USAID, Mrs Dana Mansouri, stated, “To enhance the packaging industry, the main players must be empowered and directed towards a more collaborative approach,” adding, “design plays a major part in this empowerment, and ‘design’ is the key word for enhancing this sector.”
On his part, Chief of Party for the USAID Jordan Economic Development Program (SABEQ), Rodrigo Ortiz, discussed the role that the packaging sector plays in the Jordanian economy, “In 2006, Jordan exported nearly JD92 million of domestic packaging products, compared to JD26 million in 2002,” demonstrating the potential revenue generation that lies within an enhanced sector. He added, “according to recent studies, price is not the only purchasing incentive [for] 65 – 85 percent of all consumers. It is the perceived quality, performance and value that motivates consumers to purchase items,” re-iterating the added value that design can bring to businesses.
The awareness campaign partners and sponsors, Jordan Chamber of Industry, Jordan Enterprise and Yarmouk University each spoke to their commitment to facilitate a more collaborative environment to ensure a productive sector. The aim of this facilitation can empower networking opportunities, which showcase the output of academia and can trigger the private sector to absorb and create jobs for the new graduates.
The launch of the awareness initiative was followed by a celebration of the World Industrial Design Day 2008, which included a series of speakers and presentations from members of the sector and Yarmouk University Industrial Design students. WIDD is a global event, which brings attention to the important advancements of industrial design, and its contribution to the industrial community.


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Google TV launched last fall on some Android TV devices, allowing you easier access to your media content and favorite streaming services. While it’s a pretty useful addition, Android TV still lags behind the likes of Apple TV and Roku devices in some key departments overall.
Google is looking to close that gap however, with a bevy of Google TV upgrades announced at Google I/O 2021. The most useful of these features — Stream Transfer and Stream Expansion — are perfect for those who have multiple devices and households.
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Stream Transfer does pretty much exactly what the name suggests: allowing you to easily transfer content from one Android TV device to another. So for example, if you’re halfway through watching a video in the living room, but would rather finish it off on your bedroom television, you can just transfer it over.
Stream Expansion on the other hand is focused on audio accessories, in particular speakers. It allows audio to be played through multiple speakers in synchronicity. Perfect for users with an extensive home audio setup.
Another nifty new feature coming to Android TV is the ability to use your phone as a remote control. This will be extremely useful in the event of a mysteriously missing remote, as well as making typing in login details or using a streaming services search bar significantly less time-consuming.
The remainder of the Google TV updates are far more developer-focused, but should eventually translate to a better experience for users too. Among them are the ability to use the popular application testing service Firebase Test Lab and improved emulator support, which again is useful for testing how an app runs within Google TV.
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Google also announced at I/O 2021 that Android TV currently has more than 80 million monthly active users. So it’s certainly not a small player in the market, especially when you consider that Roku reported 51 million US users in the final quarter of 2020.
Currently, Google TV is available on Chromecast with Google TV, Smart TVs from Sony (Though a new deal with TCL will see its displays offer the interface soon) and it can be downloaded in app form on Android devices.
Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team.


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Onion prices rule high in MP, govt promises action
Madhya Pradesh Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Pradyumn Singh Tomar on Wednesday (November 6) said the government will take steps to control the onion prices, which are currently in the range of ₹70 to 80 per kg.
The prices have continued to remain high despite stock limits imposed by the government on traders. “I will hold a meeting with the principal secretary on this issue on Thursday. We are trying to maintain the prices between ₹55 to 60. In Gwalior, prices are maintained at that level,” Tomar, MLA from Gwalior, said.
By November new onion crop reaches the market, but heavy rains this year have damaged or delayed the arrival of fresh yield, said Omkar Sahu, a wholesaler at Karond Mandi. The prices have come down compared to the last month but the supply has not increased much, said Sahu. “Retailers are selling onions at ₹70 to ₹80 per kg, depending on quality. This is because of short supply,” said Hemant Advani, a vegetable shop owner here.
BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan took potshots at the Congress government in the state over high vegetable prices. “It is responsibility of the government to control inflation. The state government is sleeping at a time when the rising prices of vegetables are hitting the people,” the former chief minister tweeted. “What steps the Kamal Nath government has been taking to control the skyrocketing prices and save the public and the farmer from middlemen?” he added.
The state government issued the Madhya Pradesh Onion Traders (Stock Limit and Restrictions on Hoarding) Order 2019 last month to curb the prices. As per the order, wholesalers can stock upto 500 quintals of the bulb, while retailers can keep a maximum of 100 quintals. The order will remain in force till November 30.


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Hyundai has already announced plans to expand its Ioniq sub-brand with the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, but we have not seen any teasers for the Ioniq 7 electric SUV. Well now we have our first preview, since Hyundai has released a teaser of all three EVs in a video that showcases how the automaker plans to become carbon neutral by 2045.
By 2040 Hyundai will only sell electric vehicles in most major markets, before it becomes carbon neutral five years later. We don’t have a lot of details about the Ioniq 7, but it will likely be based on a stretched version of the E-GMP platform. It will also have three rows of seats and it should have a driving range around 300 miles thanks to the rumored 100 kWh battery pack.
It’s being reported that the Ioniq 7 will arrive in 2024. The Ioniq 6 sedan is slated to arrive next year as a 2023 model.


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In Japan the demand for Kentucky Fried Chicken is so high during the Christmas season that many customers place their holiday orders up to two months in advance, while those without such forethought find themselves queuing for hours in lines that can snake for blocks. In just three days, from December 23 to 25, KFC Japan's sales are equal to what the company usually makes in two weeks.
The Financial Times reports that the holiday tradition started in the early 70s, shortly after the American chain launched in Japan, when the nation was in an economic boom and appropriating various elements of Western culture. According to company lore, a Christian missionary living in Japan couldn't find turkey to make for Christmas and so substituted fried chicken from a Tokyo KFC for the mission's holiday dinner. A savvy KFC employee saw a marketing opportunity and a tradition was born - in 1974 the chain offered its first holiday meal deal, chicken and wine for $10.
KFC Japan's Christmas marketing campaign has become a holiday staple; this year's ads feature small children, clad in Santa hats and red Rudolph noses, dancing around to festive music while happily carrying buckets of chicken above their heads.
"One of the reasons the campaign lasted so long is that the message is always the same: at Christmas you eat chicken," said Yasuyuki Katagi, executive director of the ad agency Ogilvy and Mather Japan, told the FT.
Over the years, KFC's Christmas offerings have expanded to include roasted, smoked, and barbecue chicken, but the most popular remains the Christmas Party Barrel, which features fried chicken, salad, and chocolate cake for ¥3880 (about $46.)
Other fast food chains have also tried to get on the festivities. This year McDonalds is offering a special holiday McNugget meal and the Japanese burger chain Mos Burger is deviating from its red meat specialty, pushing a Christmas fried chicken deal.
But as is often the case at the holidays, tradition wins out. Yoshiaki Hirose, a Tokyo businessman, told the Financial Times that he was sticking with KFC, having placed an order for a Party Barrel earlier this month. "It's like a Christmas standard," he said. "KFC holds a premium position [over other fast food chains], so it's nicer for celebrating."


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by Anton Shilov
07/28/2006 | 03:46 AM
Nvidia Corp., one of the world’s leading producers of graphics processors and chipsets, has said that the acquisition of its arch-rival ATI Technologies by Advanced Micro Devices is a positive move for it, as it will remain the only graphics chips dedicated company and also one of the three “neutral” chipset makers.
“Today’s news about the acquisition of ATI by AMD is a positive development for Nvidia We are now the only graphics processor and core logic company that supports both Intel and AMD processors,” said the company in a statement published by AMDZone web-site.
Historically there were tens of companies producing of x86 processors and tens of firms developing graphics processors, however eventually there remained two makers of x86 chips and two creators of graphics processing units (GPUs), both of which have been trying hard to tap into the different markets. ATI’s product portfolio by far exceeds Nvidia’s, who has always been very focused on discrete graphics chips and core-logic sets.
“We will continue to execute on our strategy, which is to develop industry-changing GPU and platform technologies, extend the use of the GPU into new applications, and expand its reach into all computing devices - from PCs to servers to phones,” the company also said.
There are debates within the industry that AMD may refocus ATI Technologies to create platforms around AMD processors, which means that the company will have less resources for graphics processors. Additionally, ATI may not get a license on next-gen bus for Intel processors, which may result in its chipset market share shrinking. Nevertheless, even if ATI will be refocused on AMD platforms, it will mean that Nvidia may be forced out of them.
ATI Technologies and AMD said that there would be no refocus and the first platforms from the newly formed company should be expected towards 2008 timeframe.


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The House unexpectedly and overwhelmingly defeated a sugar price support bill yesterday that opponents said would have cost consumers at least $400 million a year.
The final vote of 249 to 158 found an unusual coalition of consumer liberals joining with conservatives to rout proponents of the carefully crafted bill.
Proponents included President Carter, whose administration termed the bill a compromise that would assure long-term price stability while protecting American sugar cane and beet producers from lower priced imports.
Also caught in the backwash were the chairmen of the Agriculture and Ways and Means committees, Thomas S. Foley (D-Wash.) and Al Ullman (D-Ore.), who put their prestige on the line by strongly supporting the measure.
In the end, they were overwhelmed by one of those political juggernauts that occasionally rolls through the Congress -- a blend of powerful industrial users of sugar and an array of consumer and labor organizations.
Foley lamented that the bill had been subjected to arguments with "more exaggeration and less basis in fact" than any farm-related measure he had dealt with in the House.
Even though he, Ullman and other supporters called it a moderate plan to defend the consumer from short supply and precipitous price increases in the future, it was not enough.
The bill proposed to do that by giving cane and beet growers a direct subsidy payment of one-half cent per pound, and by setting a price support of 15.8 cents per pound. The current price is 15 cents.
The direct payment, from fees the Treasury would collect on imported sugar, and the price support increase would have meant an additional consumer cost of at least $400 million yearly, opponents said.
One of the most active opposition leaders, Rep. Margaret Heckler (R-Mass.), termed the bill "a ripoff by giant corporations, a ripoff of the consumer, who is already on the ropes of inflation."
Another 11th-hour opponent, Rep. Charles A. Vanik (D-Ohio), after losing efforts to modify the bill, called it a measure "whose time has come and gone." He described it as "a sweet one-way street for the grower."
He was joined in last-minute opposition by another influential member of Ways and Means, Rep. Bill Frenzel (R-Minn.), who was defeated by 10 votes in an earlier effort to kill the direct payment scheme.
"We ought to have a little more respect for the taxpayers," Frenzel said after that amendment and a variation of it were defeated.
But opponents, led by Heckler and Rep. Peter Peyser (D-N.Y.), were setting an ambush. Peyser was urging defeat of the Frenzel modifiers in order to make the measure less palatable on final passage.
Left in the wreckage was a provision that would have authorized the president to implement U.S. participation in the International Sugar Agreement (ISA), an 80-nation compact designed to regulate world sugar trade.
U.S. participation was contingent upon congressional approval of the implementing legislation. Vanik said yesterday's House action will create "great uncertainty" among foreign sugar producers and that he will make an effort to come up with a new bill soon dealing only with U.S. participation in ISA.
Among those elated at yesterday's surprisingly harsh vote against the bill was Kathleen F. O'Reilly, executive director of the Consumer Federation of America, which played a key lobbying role.
"Less than 1 percent of the nation's farmers are even affected by this bill," O'Reilly said. "Today's vote gives consumers specific and significant evidence of where their representatives stand in the fight against food inflation."