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Up to 45 million Americans can’t access credit because they do not have scorable records, potentially leaving them unable to obtain a home, car, healthcare, or even a job. How is Petal making it easier and more affordable for young people and marginalized groups to gain access to a credit card?
Young people's trust in financial services is at an all-time low; 71% of Gen Yers would rather visit their dentist than hear what banks have to say. But San Francisco-based Affirm is hoping that a transparent approach to lending can restore some faith in customers and show that credit isn’t all bad.
Stagnant wages and rising living costs have many Americans delaying traditional life milestones. At the same time though, new moments have gained significance, and a campaign from fintech firm SoFi has honed in on the final payment of one’s student loans as an occasion worth celebrating.
Even as consumer finance regulations loosen, people in America are still apprehensive about how to choose the right financial product. Canvas8 surveyed 3,300 Americans and spoke to 20 people across the US to figure out how people get the financial information they need.
American Gen Yers are notoriously averse to signing up for a credit card – just 33% of those under the age of 30 own one – yet many are clamouring to get their hands on a Chase Sapphire Reserve. What exactly makes this premium, fee-carrying rewards card so appealing to this cohort?


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Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.
Google Assistant is officially available for my Android phones this week, but the rollout will take time.
Detailed and accurate Knowledge Graph results are sought after by brands, businesses and individuals alike, but few have a way to actively monitor their listings. Columnist Tony Edward shares his method for doing so.
In this week’s Search In Pictures, here are the latest images culled from the web, showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have and more. YouTube control room at the Google Moscow office: Source: Instagram Google Japan sleep capsules: Source: Twitter […]
Columnist Brian Smith explains how ride-sharing services and self-driving cars will open up a host of new opportunities for local businesses.
A look back at how Google has treated ads in search results, from blue shading to the latest version of today.
Local & Maps
SEM / Paid Search
The post SearchCap: Google Assistant, AdWords ad labels & knowledge graph appeared first on Search Engine Land.

domain: news


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RV Industry Association Leads Efforts To Restore Our Parks And Campgrounds
The RV Industry Association’s federal affairs team has made numerous visits to Capitol Hill and public land agency offices this legislative session to promote and protect the RV industry. One of the critical issues affecting the RV and outdoor recreation industries is the need to address our nation’s outdated Eisenhower-era federal campground infrastructure, crumbling roads and bridges, deferred maintenance needs and limited camping availability within our iconic public lands.
At a time when the RV industry has grown to record levels, inventory and maintenance needs have not kept up with the demand from the RV camping industry. Consequently, RV overnight stays at National Park Service (NPS) campgrounds have declined from 4.5 million in the 1980s to 2.5 million in 2018.
National parks are significant revenue generators for local communities - many in rural areas. In 2017, park visitors spent over $18 billion in towns and cities near park sites, supporting over 306,000 jobs and providing a total boost of $35 billion to the U.S. economy. It is more important now than ever to invest in America's booming $734 billion outdoor recreation economy that accounts for 2.2% of the U.S. GDP.
One piece of bipartisan and bicameral legislation that, if enacted, will offer practical solutions to restoring these iconic public places, is the Restore Our Parks Act (S. 500) and its House counterpart the Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act (H.R. 1225).
House and Senate bill sponsors invited the RV Industry Association and members of the National Park Second Century Action Coalition to participate in a press event last week to underscore the importance of addressing the $12 billion of deferred maintenance plaguing our national parks. To watch the press conference, click here. (Note: Senator King talks about his RV trip at 11:07!)
We’re excited to report that due to advocacy efforts from organizations like the RV Industry Association, NPS estimates that during Fiscal Year 2018, more than $671 million in needed repair work was completed at national parks across the country - one of the largest amounts of deferred maintenance needs retired in a single year. NPS invested $11 million in campground infrastructure across 57 park units, $213 million to fix roads and bridges and $56 million in water and wastewater systems across 108 park units.
We’re also happy to report that public-private partnerships are working. For example, Xanterra, one of the largest NPS concessioners has committed to investing $25 million in Yellowstone National Park to upgrade overnight accommodations including the Fishing Bridge RV Park and Campground - one of the most popular RV-specific campgrounds in Yellowstone.
While there’s still a lot of work ahead, incredible strides are being made on this issue thanks to the work of the Association and groups like the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, Pew Charitable Trusts and the National Park Second Century Action Coalition. Congress and the Administration are listening to the needs of the RV and outdoor recreation industries and we will continue to make sure that we have a seat at the table and that our voices are heard on this critical issue.
For more information, contact Director of Federal Affairs Chris Bornemann at email@example.com.
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A great company company doesn’t come cheap. It’s a long road to a billion dollar company.But..
Groupon, an established leader in the daily deals market has acquired Hyperpublic,a two-year-old..
Slice is a new way to automatically track, organize and manage purchases, the company helps..
Foursquare now features Groupon deals. Groupon coupons — both daily deals and Groupon Now deals..
Airbnb, a marketplace that lets anyone discover and book unique spaces from people around the..
Prospectiv Direct, which operates a daily deals site aimed at women and families called..
OpenTable a provider of free, real-time online restaurant reservations for diners and guest..
T-Mobile USA, Inc. has announced More for Me, a nationwide aggregation service that offers..
Edmunds.com, an online resource for automotive information, announced today a new online..
Amazon has launched a new service, Amazon Local, which is featuring deals from LivingSocial,..
Groupon has filed with the SEC to go public in a $750 million IPO underwritten by Morgan..
Groupon and Expedia have joined forces to create Groupon Getaways with Expedia, a new service..


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Minnesotans may be flying to paradise this time of year, but that doesn't mean they can't get a taste of Hell on the way.
Sun Country Airlines of Mendota Heights announced this week that it now serving Surly Brewing Co.'s Hell, Furious and Bender varieties.
"It makes sense to tether ourselves to other brands that are Minnesota made," said Drew Hack, Sun Country director of marketing and sales.
The beer is already stocked on all Sun Country flights, and cans go for $7 in coach (they're free in first class). Sun Country will still sell Miller and Budweiser products.
Hack said Sun Country reached out to Surly because the brands are similar in that they're both smaller, independent companies competing against much larger corporations.
And because Hack is a craft beer connoisseur.
"I have both a personal and professional passion for Surly," Hack said.


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While Epic Games continues to position itself as a pro game developer company, the same cannot be said for how it treats artists and their royalty. The Fortnite developer recently offered $3,000 to an artist for an artwork and the copyright, which meant that the artist would not be able to sell the prints or post the art elsewhere. The artist refused. Now makers are revolting against what they see as predatory contracts.
Deb JJ Lee tweeted that they received a $3,000 offer to create an illustration for Fortnite, which they rejected, citing a commitment to “the welfare of freelance artists.” Lee told Kotaku via email that the offer was originally made on November 3.
“With the budget given, it doesn’t feel ethical to take on this project,” they say tweeted. “The time it takes for a WFH assignment of such a high-earning game where I can’t even sell prints would barely earn me a living wage.”
Lee estimated that the type of illustration required would require “weeks” of work, pointing out that Fortnite makes billions of dollars.
Lee hoped the legal team would reconsider the terms of the contract. According to the artist, the agents claimed that all contracts “contained terms of fees and conditions” and that the company “didn’t have the time and manpower to negotiate each contract individually.” It certainly had the lawyers sue Apple about App Store charges and to go after that cheat sellers, although! Whether Epic is understaffed or not, it still looks bad that the standard contract seems so stingy. Kotaku reached out to Epic to ask if the amount is standard for its freelance contracts, and whether or not it has decided to change rates since the tweet went viral. Kotaku no response received at time of publication.
Lee emphasized that licensed use is different from a buyout. In the first case, the artist retains the creator’s rights to his work. In the latter case, the artist sells his exclusivity rights, which means that the costs can be higher. Lee told Kotaku that they previously sold their copyright to a major client for tens of thousands of dollars.
“Copyright is probably one of, if not the most valuable thing an artist can sell,” Lee wrote in an email to Kotaku. “If I give up the copyright on my artwork for Fortnitedoes this mean that Epic can legally make infinite money from my artwork, reused however they want and whenever they want, whether it’s print merchandise, an Instagram ad, or a 50 [foot] billboard.”
Multiple professional artists in the comments and quote retweets applauded Lee for standing his ground. Other artists raised cases in their own careers with customers proposing rates that the performers later found unacceptable. Lee still got backlash from it commentators Who thought what they asked for too many from the game studio. Understandably, Lee was a bit confused about why people are trying to lick Epic Games.
“Asking for more… won’t hurt a billion-dollar company.” Lee told Kotaku they could emphasize that to desperate artists who needed the money. But now that they can afford to turn down the offer, Lee said they were willing to do so to go at unliveable rates. One of their tabletop RPG clients offered them “a much better deal” with Kickstarter funds. “The rich continue to be among the cheapest.”


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The numbers of Americans who enjoy cooking and consider the kitchen to be the most important room in the house are going up, according to a new study.
More than half of U.S. adults claim they really enjoy cooking (53%) and more than a third consider the kitchen to be the most important room in the home (35%), according to data in a new report, Eating Trends: Cooking & Food Shopping, from market research firm Packaged Facts.
Those percentages are up compared to a decade ago.
Packaged Facts found that most people who don't cook at home either have a lack of time to grocery shop and meal prep or they lack confidence in their cooking skills. The latter reason is especially prevalent among Gen Z adults (ages 18-24) and to a lesser extent millennials (ages 25-39).
The meal kit industry is arguably the best example of a food industry segment that's making it easier for adults to start cooking more at home again, according to the study. The products are marketed to emphasize several advantages that pique consumer interest and encourage cooking at home. Meal kits appeal to important consumer segments, namely:
- busy consumers who don't have time to shop for groceries or plan meals
- high income consumers who don't want to or like to shop for groceries or plan meals and are willing to pay more for convenience
- consumers who have few cooking skills but who want to learn to cook
- consumers who live alone or in a small household, who don't like wasting food and want proportions tailored to their needs
Online grocery services provided by Amazon Prime Pantry, AmazonFresh, Instacart, and Peapod—among others—have also proven to be time savers for aspiring home cooks. Since 2013, online sales of groceries have more than tripled from $6 billion to $20 billion in 2018 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26%.
Through 2023, online grocery sales are forecast by Packaged Facts to rise 34% annually, more than quadrupling from the levels in 2018 and coming to represent 7% of the total grocery market.


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Game publisher predicts bird flu upsurge
PRESS RELEASE - 2 November 2005
News in brief.
Board game publisher predicts upsurge if 'bird flu' spreads.
Publisher, Matt Taylor, reports that the response to the launch of the board game Breakscore® and it's web site www.breakscore.com has been extremely positive with recent orders from Tahiti, Finland, the UK and the USA. Taylor attributes the increase in sales of his board game Breakscore® to the possible spread of 'bird flu'.
Taylor says, "I've noticed a marked increase in internet orders since all the widespread publicity about 'bird flu'. I think people are preparing to spend more time away from traditional community activities and Breakscore® being a board game that everyone can play, fits the bill for nights at home with the family."


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iRacing today announced they have reached a partnership with the famous Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari. The very first result of the partnership will see the Ferrari 488 GTE, as raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, recreated in a virtual form for the well respected PC racing sim.
“This is a landmark moment for iRacing and online racing,” says Steve Myers, Executive Vice President and Executive Producer for iRacing.com. “Ferrari is synonymous with world championship caliber race cars and high performance automobiles. The Prancing Horse logo famously inspires passion among racing and automotive aficionados everywhere. iRacers are also passionate about online racing and I have no doubt they will be thrilled at the prospects of racing the 488 GTE and other Ferraris in the future.”
The Ferrari 488 will join iRacing’s ever growing roster of cars which now stands at over 50 examples covering various classes such as open wheel, sedan, sports and stock cars.
No release windows have be mentioned but as ever we'll keep you up to date on all the latest developments as soon as we know more.


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The panic and misery felt by those directly affected by the terrible flooding cannot be exaggerated, and it is far from the most serious concern, but it is only one part of the tale. The destruction a...
Former US President Donald Trump sues Facebook Inc, Google Inc, and Twitter Inc and has claimed it to be a move to defend the First Amendment rights.
Investors dropped $50 billion from Tesla Inc’s market value on Tuesday despite CEO Elon Musk’s promise to cut electric vehicle costs so radically that a $25,000 car that drives itself will be possible, but not for at least three years.
The United States has imposed restrictions on exports to China’s biggest chip maker SMIC after concluding risk, equipment supplied to it could be used for military purposes.


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It’s hard to keep up with the number of instant messaging services out there. Windows Phone is home to many of the most popular services, but today we’re going to look at one of the oldest and most resilient platforms out there – ICQ. The official ICQ app for Windows Phone has just had an update, let’s check out what’s new for Windows Phone users.
ICQ was first announced for Windows Phone in late 2011. It then launched a handful of months later in spring 2012 for Windows Phone 7.x users. Today we’re looking at version 22.214.171.1243 in the Windows Phone Store that adds:
- Live tile (message notifications)
- Faster launch
We fired up ICQ on our device and did note a speedy start up for the app. We’re sure fans of the app will notice it too. The Live tile should make keeping a tab on messages easier with its ability to display notifications.
ICQ also allows you to chat with other ICQ users. You can interface with Facebook Chat, Mail.Ru agent, Gtalk and Odnoklassniki within the ICQ app.
Using ICQ on a regular basis? Let us know what you think of the new update below.
Grab ICQ for Windows Phone in the Windows Phone Store for free.
Update 4: Trump gives blessing to TikTok sale to Microsoft
TikTok may soon be owned by Microsoft. The company is reportedly in talks to buy out the U.S. portion of TikTok amid a rumored Trump administration order for TikTok owner Bytedance to divest. On Monday, President Trump says he does not oppose the sale so long as it is done by September 15.
Microsoft Edge is about to let you use Chrome themes from the web store
Microsoft Edge being built on Chromium has its advantages, mainly in that you an take advantage of Chrome's vast library of extensions. In the latest example of this, Microsoft has started allowing Edge users in the Dev channel install themes from the Chrome web store.
Need a new laptop to run VR? Here are the best devices out there now.
Using a laptop to power your VR system makes it easy to take it with you wherever you go. Not just any laptop is going to work for VR, though, so we rounded up your best options right here.
10 must-have apps for any new PC
You just purchased a new PC and set it up, and now you're looking for some great apps. Look no further. These are the best apps for your new Windows 10 PC.


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The total value of Kyrgyz IT startups is more than half a billion dollars
Nail Khaybulin, general director of M-Vector Global, said that Kyrgyz startups are worth about US $600m, including Behavox, which Forbes ranked as one of the top 50 fintech companies of 2021. It was founded by Erkin Adylov from Kyrgyzstan and is now valued at more than $500 million. However, Behavox is headquartered in New York, and the company already has little in common with the startup ecosystem in Kyrgyzstan. The remaining $100m in total capitalisation comes from startup Primer, valued at about $30m, PicvPic, valued at more than $10m and other companies, each worth about $1m or less.
The startup ecosystem is just beginning to develop in Kyrgyzstan, Hi-Tech Park Director Chubak Temirov said. "Most of these companies are Hi-Tech Park residents, who have been outsourcing projects and gaining experience in the 10 years of the Park's existence. Now they're dealing with their own issues," Temirov explained.
More than 300 venture capitalists and startups from around the world gather at CAVF in Kazakhstan
The Central Asian Venture Forum, organised by MOST Ventures Fund and UMAY Angels Club, was held June 9 in Almaty. According to Forbes, the forum presented awards for the best startups and business angels. In the ScaleUp of the Year category, the award went to start-up Pinemelon (Arbuz.kz) by Alexey Lee, which successfully launched in the US in 2022. In the Deal of the Year category, AppBoxo, a startup with founders from Kyrgyzstan, received the award for raising $7 million in investment.
Mike Butcher, Editor-in-Chief of TechCrunch, talks about trends in the startup ecosystem and the intricacies of venture capital investing
Mike Butcher is editor-in-chief of online media TechCrunch about tech startups and venture investing. He attended a forum on venture capital investment in Central Asia, CAVF. "I believe that over the past 15 years, entrepreneurs have realised that no matter what country they are in, they can create and promote a product online that is in demand in global markets. And then it's just a question of marketing, innovation and business development and reaching out to new markets".
Asked whether a startup from Kazakhstan, for example, should stay in the local market or offer its product internationally, the expert replied that Kazakhstan occupies a large area, but in terms of population and consumer market it is small, "so developing technology or fintech start-ups locally is problematic here.
The full text of the interview is on the website of the Business Information Centre Kapital.kz.
A startup in Ukraine began making disposable biodegradable dishes from coffee grounds
Dmytro Bidyuk, the co-founder of the startup, said that the idea of their company is based on the principles of circular economy and sustainable development. The startup uses coffee grounds and other recycled food raw materials as its main component. "Over several years we have developed a unique technology for biodegradable materials. We now use them to make disposable tableware, pots for seedlings and plants, and decorative scented candles. All these products have one key feature – they are biodegradable, environmentally friendly and made in Ukraine," said Bidyuk.
More than 500 activists in tech, buisness and media spheres took part in the regional Go Viral forum in Bishkek
Brandon Andrews – co-founder of Gauge + Casting, Shark Tank and senior consultant at Values Partnerships. He led a workshop for participants on how to sell your business idea to an investor and the importance of market research for business development. According to him, many people mistakenly think that an entrepreneur is in a position below an investor: "Yes, as a businessman you need influence and money to grow your business. But an investor investing in your idea can get a lot more than investing in real estate, banking instruments or playing the stock market. He needs you just as much as you need him. So when you pitch your business, remember that you are on equal footing."
Go Viral festivals have been held since 2017. But while previously the event was only held in Kazakhstan, this year the festival is roaming other Central Asian countries. In May it began in Dushanbe, was followed by a festival in Tashkent, and now Bishkek has picked up the baton. Read more in this article by kaktus.media.
Photo: Go Viral. kaktus.media


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§ 10. Mr. Bulmer
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress is being made towards the establishment of a sheepmeat régime within the EEC.
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. E. S. Bishop)
The Council of Agricultural Ministers discussed the matter last October. Since then discussions at official level have taken place. The Commission is expected to produce new proposals for a Community régime in the autumn.
§ Mr. Bulmer
Will the Minister confirm that if no changes are made from 1st 920 January it will be illegal for the French to put a levy on our sheepmeat? Can he say how much British sheepmeat is reaching the French market through other EEC countries?
§ Mr. Bishop
I do not have the figures available on the latter point, but I am aware of the situation in relation to the Irish pressure and the European Court case in connection with the French. What we want to avoid is any sudden change or disruption which would have an adverse effect upon the consumer and the producer.
§ Mr. Marten
What will be the position of the Minister's right hon. Friend when he goes to the Council of Ministers? What stand will he take on behalf of the British people? Has the Minister heard it said by some enthusiastic Europeans that the stand by the Minister on behalf of the British people has, in fact, harmed the Joint European Torus negotiations and delayed a decision on them? If that is so, is not the Common Market a very curious organisation?
§ Mr. Bishop
I should not like to stray into the area that the hon. Gentleman has mentioned with regard to the JET project. All I can say with regard to the negotiations and the objectives of the British Government—and they are several—is that we want to protect the producer and give him confidence, we want to ensure that there are no unreasonable changes in prices which would affect the consumer, and we want to make sure that there is access for third countries. After all, the Community has to import one-third of its sheepmeat. At the same time, we want to ensure that our own industry can export to France and other countries in the Community.
§ Mr. Watt
Does the Minister recognise the urgency to establish a sheepmeat régime? What does he propose to do to regulate the trade in live lambs exported to countries such as Holland and Denmark, which are subsequently slaughtered and then sent in through the back door, as it were, to the French market, thus avoiding the levy that is presently paid by those producers who do the right thing and sell carcases from Britain to France?
§ Mr. Bishop
These are problems of intra-Community trade. There is free 921 trade among the six old member countries but not among the new three. We are seeking a policy of liberalisation of trade both inside and outside the Community. I take the point about the need for urgency in the matter to which the hon. Gentleman referred.


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Google wants to target you – yes, YOU – with AI-generated ads
Next step, AI-generated advertisers with AI-generated products for AI-generated people
Google plans to roll out generative AI tools that can automatically create online advertising campaigns personalized to users' search queries.
The Alphabet-owned ad giant is ramping up efforts to inject more AI into its core business areas – such as internet search and digital adverts – as it faces challenges to its dominance.
Jerry Dischler, general manager of Google Ads, pointed out Google has been using machine-learning systems in advertising for a while. Algorithms and neural networks power its Smart Bidding and Performance Max features, for example, to help automate some processes for advertisers and optimize different metrics to capture audiences. It's been rolling out so-called automatically created assets since last year, which can offer machine-made titles and copy for web ads.
"AI is foundational to Google Ads. For many years, it has been quietly helping in the background, supporting advertisers in maximizing their time and return on investment," Dischler explained in a blog post.
Now, Google is planning to push more generative AI capabilities into the hands of its digital advertisers. Advertisers need only provide a link to a landing page on their website describing their product or service, and Google's systems will do the rest – automatically producing ad content based on that input.
Or so it's claimed.
This is how it'll apparently work in practice: Google's Performance Max tools will analyze a supplied landing page to generate appropriate headlines, text descriptions, and images to use in Google-served web ads. Advertisers can review these suggested designs, and edit and pick the right text or images to customize the final look. These ads are then shown to Google's users when they search using keywords automatically identified by the internet giant as most relevant to the advertiser.
"We're bringing generative AI to Performance Max to make it even easier for you to create custom assets and scale them in a few clicks. Just provide your website and Google AI will start learning about your brand to populate your campaign with text and other relevant assets. We'll even suggest new images generated just for you, helping you stand out to customers across a wider range of inventory and formats," Dischler explained.
- Google backs Bard to generate ads, which apparently improves creativity
- Of course Facebook will monetize an ad-generating AI
- Meta develops AI targeting system to show housing ads to wider range of users
- Misinformation tracker warns 'new generation' of AI-scribed content farms on the rise
A Google search for "skin care for dry sensitive skin," for example, would display ads from skincare brands with headlines generated by AI to match the user's queries. In this case, the title of the served ad might be "Soothe Your Dry, Sensitive Skin" alongside pictures of people applying lotions.
To us it seems that advertisers can steer the overall appearance of their ads, based on their site content, and then when people use search keywords that match an ad, it is optimized to suit their query and displayed. So not only is it automatically generated, it's also automatically targeted in a more narrow, focused manner – which might get people clicking on them more, if they're not blocking the banners.
Dischler opined that Performance Max already improves businesses' conversion rates – the rate at which clicks on an ad actually lead to something tangible, like a product sale or a newsletter signup. The higher the rate, the more effective the ad. Google believes the rate will be boosted further with the help of generative AI, since it will help advertisers create personalized ads.
If someone is looking for "outdoor activities to do in Maui" and has also searched for "activities for kids" and "surfing", for example, Google's ad tools could generate a custom advert to promote a local company offering surfing lessons for children in Hawaii, for instance.
"As always, we're committed to transparency and making ads distinguishable from organic search results. When Search ads do appear, they will continue to feature our industry-leading clear and transparent ad labels with the 'Sponsored' label in bold black text," Dischler promised.
Google's YouTube lately started asking some people to remove their ad blockers when watching videos. Now it's talking about bringing unskippable 30-second adverts to those watching the 'Tube on their TVs.


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PPC group CEO Roland van Wijnen.
Shares in cement producer PPC jumped 10% on Monday after the company announced a return to interim profit on the back of higher sales prices and volumes in Zimbabwe.
South Africans need to be in the know if we want to create a prosperous future. News24 has kept the country informed for 25 years, and we’re about to enter a new chapter of fearless journalism. Join our free subscription trial to unlock this story and a world of news aimed to inform, empower, and inspire.


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YORK REGION, ON, Oct. 31, 2016 /CNW/ - FleetRover, a technology based logistics company has been awarded $60,000 from the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) SmartStart Seed Fund as a result of collaborative efforts with ventureLAB and OCE team members.
FleetRover offers a dashboard to dispatchers of trucking companies through a technology platform built to ignite a push towards a new operational focus across logistics focused organizations. The dashboard provides metrics used to improve a fleet's overall operation. The company bolts-on vertically integrated services that enable it to service multiple parties with diverse interests.
Working with ventureLAB, the regional innovation centre for York Region, Simcoe County and Muskoka District, founders Chris Atkinson and Luke Sequeria continue to improve their hardware and algorithmic processes to help FleetRover become the most effective and cost friendly telematics system. FleetRover will be using the funds from OCE's SmartStart Seed Fund program to help reach its ultimate goal as an intermediary software system that bridges needs gaps to truck drivers, fleet managers, brokers, and freight customers.
The SmartStart Seed Fund is an OCE program for Ontario's next generation of entrepreneurs, giving them access to much needed funding to take their start-ups to the next level. With two streams available, one for youth entrepreneurs aged 18-29 and the other available to entrepreneurs over the age of 30, the program provides both seed financing and financing for entrepreneurship skills training, helping companies get investment or become customer ready. Applicants must be working with a Regional Innovation Centre, such as ventureLAB to be eligible for the program.
FleetRover has worked with the ventureLAB Genesis program as well as its advisory services. "Entrepreneurs based in York Region are incredibly lucky to have resources like ventureLAB and OCE available to them - the impact they're making will last generations," says Chris Atkinson, CEO at FleetRover.
"ventureLAB is immensely proud to work with dedicated and innovative entrepreneurs like Chris and Luke. The SmartStart Seed Fund will help propel their business forward and we look forward to watching them succeed," says Rachel Azagury, Director of Marketing at ventureLAB.
ventureLAB is a non-profit Regional Innovation Centre, which cultivates, supports and celebrates innovative entrepreneurs. Located in York Region, an integral leader in the Digital Corridor, ventureLAB supports entrepreneurs at all stages across York Region, Simcoe County, Muskoka District and the GTA. ventureLAB is the place where talented entrepreneurs get help bringing their innovation to market. www.ventureLAB.ca
FleetRover is a technology platform built to ignite a push towards a new operational focus across logistics focused organizations. Established in 2015, the company built its roots as a telematics platform run atop an IoT infrastructure, today it has carved out its own category as a mobile-based fleet management platform. The company bolts-on vertically integrated services that enable it to service multiple parties with diverse interests.
For further information: Rachel Azagury, Director of Marketing, ventureLAB, [email protected], 905-248-2710


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Published on October 30, 2020 by the FairShake Team
As social media giants like Facebook and Twitter work to stem tides of misinformation in the days before Tuesday’s election (and face-off with politicians over their approaches for doing so), new polling shows distrust on both sides of the political spectrum for those companies’ performance on another key policy issue: their protection of users’ personal data.
The poll, conducted by consumer rights start-up FairShake, captured a rare point of bipartisan agreement, with majorities of both self-identified Democrats (62%) and self-identified Republicans (59%) favoring greater legal protections for consumer data.
When it came to regulation of corporate power on other key issues, Americans also supported greater government intervention: Majorities of Democrats and pluralities of Republicans favored greater consumer protections from monopolistic industries and greater protections for the tens of millions of Americans doing gig work.
The poll comes as we draw to the close of an election cycle that — with so much else in the news — saw little discussion of the increasing power of corporations to dictate unfair terms to their consumers and workers. But to find any issue on which a bipartisan majority see the need for actions is notable.
“A broad coalition of Americans recognize that our system has gotten out of balance in favor of big companies, and see a role for government in protecting individual rights,” said FairShake co-founder Max Kornblith about the results.
Kornblith says the poll signals common ground to work from as consumer issues continue to be debated at the federal and state level (California has both data privacy and gig worker protections onTuesday’s ballot). “Politicians who get it right on monopoly protections, privacy protections, and gig work regulation have the opportunity to gain supporters across the political spectrum,” he says, citing Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) as two examples.
At the national level, respondents were more split when asked whether the 2020 presidential candidates were friendly to consumers. Overall Americans see Joe Biden as caring more about individual consumers and Donald Trump as caring more about corporations, but partisan differences show through:
FairShake also asked respondents which candidate would better protect their individual rights as workers and consumers, and who would be tougher on corporations that violate consumer rights:
While these numbers provide a unique perspective on Americans’ perceptions of the candidates . “We all see so much evidence in our news consumption that the country is extremely divided,” said Kornblith, the FairShake co-founder. “But sometimes there are key issues Americans actually agree on and just don’t know it. I don’t think consumer protection has to be a partisan issue.”
When companies don’t play by the rules, FairShake helps consumers access an independent legal process to claim justice and compensation.
The FairShake platform uses AI to help guide users through the process of consumer arbitration, streamlining the process to guide consumers through the legal steps to resolve their complaints with companies.
FairShake has helped consumers receive an average of $700 per successful claim, while putting power back in the hands of everyday people, even against some of the largest corporations in the world. Learn more at FairShake.com.
Using Pollfish.com, we surveyed 1,003 American adults. The survey ran online from September 21 to October 5, 2020. Results were stratified by Pollfish to match the gender and age distribution of the US population.
The self-identified party affiliation of respondents, pre-stratification, was:
Margin of error was +/- 4 percent for overall results and +/- 6 percent for party-level results.


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KALAMAZOO — Calling all high school and college students, retirees, and all other job seekers in need of holiday cash: It’s time to hit the pavement.
Retailers are hunting now for seasonal employees to begin punching in for work in plenty of time to be completely trained for the madness that is Black Friday.
And with local sales predicted to be slightly higher this year, there are more positions to fill, according to Steve Beebe, vice president of Workforce Strategies Inc. in Kalamazoo.
“We did a survey the first week of October,” Beebe said. “We talked to retailers, big box stores selling in large volume at deep discounts and to smaller local specialty establishments. Consumer confidence in the local economy is up slightly from last year in southwest Michigan.”
Increased sales predicted
The results follow a national trend, Beebe said, and are expected to result in a modest holiday jump in sales compared to the 2009 holiday shopping season.
“Consumers are still being cautious,” Beebe said. “But last year, sales were flat, so this is an improvement.”
The holidays are crucial to U.S. retailers, accounting for 40 percent of annual sales in some cases. Retailers have seen modest sales gains in recent months, according to national reports.
Another positive sign: Americans' incomes have risen slightly but steadily this year, according to the federal government.
Retail experts have predicted Americans will spend 1 percent to 3 percent more this holiday season — less than the 4 percent year-to-year growth in healthier times, but better than nothing.
Nationally, retailers said they would add between 550,000 and 650,000 jobs this holiday season, according to a forecast last month from the national outsourcing firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas, said spokesman James Pedderson. That's significantly more than the 501,400 added last year. But it's still well below the 720,800 added in 2007, just before the recession began.
On a national, Kohl’s, Macy's, Toys R Us, Pier 1, American Eagle Outfitters and Borders were all planning to hire more temporary holiday workers this year than last.
Locally, Beebe said, temporary workers can be optimistic about the prospect of not only securing work during the 2010 holiday rush, but also possibly retaining those positions after 2011 rings in.
Retailers, particularly big box stores selling home electronics are the best prospects for such work locally, Beebe said.
“We expect a 10 percent to 15 percent increase over the current work force in those types of establishments,” he said. “Flat screen TVs and computer equipment give them the edge. Net books will be a big seller this year.”
Small retailers add hours
Most local shops, including downtown Kalamazoo specialty stores, tend to increase hours for their staff rather than taking on extra help, Beebe said. That was the case last year, he said.
But Morrison Jewelers, on the South Kalamazoo Mall, increases its staff by nearly half, bringing the total from around seven to 10 to accommodate the extra work.
“We always take on a few extra staffers for the holidays,” said Diane Morrison, president of her 74-year-old family operated jewelry store. “There’s so much elf work to do. We wrap every gift that goes out the door and tie each package with a handmade bow. We need more people to keep things looking fresh and tidy and to help the extra shoppers who come in for a special gift.”
She has worked at Morrisons since she was 14 years old, and 34 years later, Diane continues to appreciate the downtown Kalamazoo holiday experience.
“Downtown is a very special entity and there are real plusses to shopping here,” she said. “These shops are beautifully unique gift centers with specialty collections.
“It’s a magical place for families to enjoy together as a group,” she said. “Throw in a cup of hot chocolate, a little snow in the air — and it becomes an atmosphere that makes you believe that Santa is really on his way!”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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The online store had the latest developments in women's fashion on its radar, and subsequently launched its own line of blouses that are popular and timeless.
HONG KONG, CHINA, July 23, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — Ninacloak, a top-line fashion retail store online which aims to offer designer fashion apparel at affordable prices, recently launched its new line of asymmetric trendy womens blouses. The owners maintained that the asymmetric pattern is timeless and popular. They added that they have just followed the blouse trends of summer 2021 and launched a wide variety of blouses for their patrons to choose from.
"The asymmetric style is the hottest fashion trend at this moment. These asymmetric blouses and tops are a nice way to show off the accessories. The V-neck blouses are especially popular among professional women. It is flattering and versatile, and it accentuates the curves without making them look too heavy or too clingy. This kind of blouse can be paired with trousers, jeans, skirts, shorts and even with tops", said a senior executive of the fashion retail store.
"The multi-layer neckline blouses are also quite popular among women of all ages and professions. These blouses are edgy and flattering. If someone doesn't want to show off their neck, they can also go for spaghetti strap blouses. These are ideal for women who want an enigmatic look. It will make them hot and mysterious looking wherever they go", added the executive.
According to the executive, tops that have cool prints are in vogue now. "We have various types of fun prints, such as bright pink, green, blue and other types of bright colors that are very much in this summer. These women's fashion clothing online products are now available at discounted rates. This is why many of our customers are now ditching the high-street fashion stores and shopping online in search of better deals and discounts. We are committed to meeting their precise demands", the executive signed off.
The CEO of the women's fashion clothing online store, who is a fashion model turned entrepreneur herself, said that the company aims to bring the hottest fashion trends within the reach of their consumers. "We are always trying to bring design innovation to the table. This time as well, we have surprised our patrons in a pleasant way", she quipped.
About the Company
Ninacloak is a reputable seller of women's fashion garments and wardrobe essentials.
To know more, visit https://www.ninacloak.com/
email us here
Source: EIN Presswire


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Ever since the start of global sales , Apple sold a record 9,000,000 copies already. It all started with the iPhone 2G, which debuted back in 2007 . Present the phone with touchscreen Steve Jobs said that the new unit together – iPod with a larger screen , you can control the touch , a revolutionary mobile phone , and Internet communicator who has made a breakthrough.
In 2008 he was presented the second generation smart phone iPhone 3G with polycarbonate body , after which , in 2009 , was released iPhone 3GS, turned out to be twice as fast as its predecessor. Model 2010 – iPhone 4 – got a radical new form factor and display Retina, which has the resolution of that increase it it makes no sense – the human eye still does not know the difference . The device 2011 , iPhone 4S, was again improved version of its predecessor – faster , with high-quality camera and voice assistant Siri. In 2012 came the iPhone 5 with a new design “unibody” and increased to 4-inch display.
iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, launched on Sept. 20 , has already managed to move benchmarks and take part in a comparative check with rivals. Within the new video new gadgets determined to check with six different fashions of good telephones Apple. As you can find within the video, even if the previous iPhone off a lot sooner in a subject of downloading and opening internet sites , they are able to no longer compete with the latest flagship iPhone 5S.


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It’s been well established at this point that 3D printing is making a significant impact on industry around the world, whether you delve into aerospace, medicine, or even art, fashion, and design—and far, far more. But the contributions 3D printing is making to science are enormous—with a major bonus being offered in how it allows researchers to share artifacts with each other, as well as the public.
At the Virtual Curation Laboratory, part of Virginia Commonwealth University, 3D printers from Ultimaker play a major role in their work today, as they continue to create a digital catalog that includes many American Indian artifacts and other historic relics. Many different research activities center around this catalog, and the scientists there have clued in on the benefits of being able to trade digital files and 3D print pieces for further study.
“Virtual artifact curation enables researchers to access digital data files – permitting full 3D observation and manipulation (and accurate measurement), without needing to travel to a specific repository,” states Ultimaker in a recent blog.
“Furthermore, these files can be turned into models, using a desktop 3D printer. By 3D printing a replica of an artifact, researchers and students can freely handle and examine, which provides a powerful, more meaningful connection to the past. It’s a welcome break from the traditional ‘look, don’t touch’ ethos of museums.”
The Virtual Curation Laboratory was created in 2011 by Dr. Bernard K. Means, with funds that were made available due to their participation in a US Department of Defense (DoD) Legacy Resource Management project. At that time, they were experimenting with the NextEngine Desktop 3D scanner for creating digital models of archaeological finds from DoD-owned land. Today, the lab receives funding from grants that are both internal and external, along with other 3D printing projects they take on for museums.
The Ultimaker 3D printer allows the lab to use many different materials, and like many other users around the world, they enjoy its reliability as a machine. In creating 3D printed replicas, the VCL team is able to use them in classrooms and lectures, in student projects, and for support in research. They have also found the 3D printed replicas helpful for public relations projects as well as for helping the visually impaired, giving them a tactile object for better understanding. The objects can be seen and touched, changing the dynamic for those visiting museums.
Dr. Means and his team have discovered that with 3D printing, they are able to extend their reach—trading digital files online is as easy as hitting the send button, whether another researcher is in the US or Europe, or anywhere else. They enjoy sharing media, as well as being able to explore pieces in more detail without worrying about damaging them.
In creating replicas, they use the following process:
- 3D scanning with the NextEngine desktop 3D scanner (one hour)
- Editing the scan with ScanStudio, and also MeshMixer or Meshlab, if necessary (around two hours)
- 3D printing in PLA, then painting with acrylics (around four hours)
- Organized storage, allowing them to find pieces easily for education, sharing with other researchers, and public outreach
“I am also interested in making archaeology, history, and paleontology more accessible through 3D printing to audiences who have limited access to experiencing them, such as the visually impaired or individuals confined to home or care facilities,” says Dr. Means.
His team is able to make 3D scans wherever they are, and sometimes they are able to take entire collections on loan and scan them back at their lab. Dr. Means hopes to see this trend develop further within universities and other research facilities, along with ‘fostering a more cooperative network around the world’ where peers can help contribute and complement one another’s efforts. Discuss in the Museums forum at 3DPB.com.[Source / Images: Ultimaker]
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Prescription medications have become easier to obtain online during the pandemic, when regulatory officials waived requirements for in-person examination before certain types of drugs are prescribed. Truepill is still fulfilling Schedule III and V drug prescriptions from licensed clinicians. But the company is suspending delivery for Schedule II drugs like Adderall, which the Drug Enforcement Administration classifies as having a high level of potential abuse. In the case of stimulants, misuse has been linked to adverse effects, like heart failure or paranoia…
In behavioral health, particularly, there are concerns that providers examining patients for the first time in short, video-based appointments may not be able to detect important diagnostic cues like body language, given the range of symptoms certain conditions can present with. Some experts have also said they’re worried about whether such quick appointments let providers get in-depth enough to decide on the best course of treatment, including non-drug options.
Lets put on the Wiggles & pop a couple Ritalin Papa don’t blame mama or tell her how lazy shes been Its been prescribed by a doctor and the doctor said it ain’t no sin So lets put on the Wiggles & pop a couple Ritalin
Andel’s suggestion to anyone contemplating retirement: “Find a new routine that’s meaningful.” He points to people living in the Blue Zones, regions of the world that have been identified to be home to a greater number of residents who’ve reached the age of 100 and beyond. One of the common characteristics among Blue Zone inhabitants is, says Andel, “these people all have purpose.”
The traditional Mediterranean dietary pattern includes mainly whole, minimally processed plant foods including cereal grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and fish with small amounts of meat, milk, and dairy products and a regular modest amount of alcohol.4 The DASH diet emphasizes fruit, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and includes whole grains, poultry, fish, and nuts, and is reduced in fats, red meat, sweets, and sugar-containing beverages.4 Combining the two diets, the MIND diet emphasizes natural, plant-based foods, specifically promoting an increase in the consumption of berries and green leafy vegetables, with limited intakes of animal-based and high saturated fat foods.
Focusing on a sample of 2,105 older people from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Israel, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland who have been retired since 2004, researchers examined retirees’ cognitive function in both 2013 and 2015. They specifically focused on a word recall test, where individuals were asked to recall a list of 10 words immediately, and then again five minutes later.
Results found that, on average, people who used the internet after they retired were able to recall 1.22 extra words in the recall test compared to non-internet users. However, retirees who used the internet were also more likely to be male, younger, better educated, and have been retired for a shorter period. They also appear to be in better health — even though they drink and smoke more.


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(Reuters Health) – – Girls who are exposed before birth to chemicals commonly found in toothpaste, makeup, soap and other personal care products may hit puberty earlier than their peers who aren’t exposed to these chemicals in the womb, a U.S. study suggests.
Chemicals in cosmetics, soaps tied to early puberty in girls
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The Android statue on the lawn has disappeared from Google’s headquarters
In the early days of Android's publication, it was not difficult to find multiple Android OS-themed statues outside Building 44 at Google's Mountain View headquarters, and at its peak, a total of 18 statues stood in Google's backyard. Recently, Google moved these statues from Building 44 to a small park outside the visitor center. Now, though, the Android statues have completely disappeared. Sometime in the past few weeks, they moved all the statues to an undisclosed location.
Media contacted Google to find out what happened, but have yet to receive a response.
Over the past two years, Google's campus has been sparsely occupied due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The visitor center near the park, where the Android statue was originally placed, has been closed for a long time. From 2020 until a few weeks ago, park visitors reported that the statue looked terrible.
"I was expecting a feast and instead I saw desolation and destruction," one critic wrote during a visit three weeks ago." The whole area seemed abandoned, and the original merchandise stores that came and went looked from the outside like those post-apocalyptic stores you see in video games and movies."
Now, Google's headquarters appears to be completely devoid of Android statues, just a patch of dirt, and no official hints are hanging out to say whether they'll be back.
It is speculated that Google may have removed these statues in order to do some restoration on them. Because the past two years there are comments on the site mentioned that most of the statues because of the wind and sun now look very dilapidated.
Interestingly, the 2022 Google I/O conference will actually be attended by some people on site this year, and Google will be holding its themed event at the Shoreline Amphitheatre for a select audience. It's likely that Google is preparing an interesting reopening of Android Statue Park to coincide with this gradual return to normal offline activity.
However, Google also hasn't made a new physical statue for the park in years, with Android 11 and Android 12 both sticking with virtual statues. Perhaps Google is moving on from the whole idea of having statues and we won't see them again?


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Opel Management Board presents strategy “Drive Opel 2022” to dealers
Applause for the ADAM and for the new model offensive of the company
Opel Media Online
Ruesselsheim. The new management board of the Adam Opel AG today hosted several hundred business partners from trade and finance at its Ruesselsheim headquarters. The aim of the event was to introduce the new management board members and to unveil the key points of the future program "Drive Opel 2022".
The chairman of the Opel supervisory board, Stephen Girsky, the Opel/Vauxhall deputy chairman, Dr. Thomas Sedran, and works council chairman Dr. Wolfgang Schaefer-Klug were also present. Girsky once again underscored GM’s support for Opel. “Opel is the third biggest brand in the global GM portfolio and the third largest brand in the European market. Each year Opel sells well over a million cars. We are confident that the new leadership team and our long-term strategy ‘Drive Opel 2022’ will return the company to its old strength. We’re working hard and every day we’re getting better.”
The Opel/Vauxhall Vice President Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, Alfred E. Rieck presented details of the revitalization plan of the 150 year-old traditional brand, including new soccer sponsoring activities. Then Opel/Vauxhall Vice President Engineering, Michael F. Ableson, discussed the product offensive of the company: “With cars like the Mokka and the ADAM we are entering new segments that promise growth. We are confident of the success of our product offensive with 23 new models and 13 new engines by 2016.”
The VIP gathering not only got an insight into future strategies: they also had the chance to catch a glimpse of upcoming models. There was much applause for the chic urban car, the ADAM, which makes its debut around the end of September at the Paris Motor Show.
"This is exactly the car we need," said Thomas Bieling, chairman of the association of German Opel dealers. "It represents the essence of the brand: creativity, great design and lots of innovation. And in addition top quality from our German Eisenach plant. With these vehicles the company will be on the track to success again.”


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Jorden McVeagh, Editor
What do Rising Interest Rates Mean for Your Money? | Access Wealth
This upcoming Wednesday Sept. 21, The Federal Reserve will meet to discuss the topic of raising interest rates once again. The past two meetings have resulted in two interest rate hikes which is significant since they haven’t raised rates since 2018. However, since March alone, the Fed’s benchmark policy rate has risen 2.25% and it stands to go up again after Wednesday’s meeting. After the meeting concludes interest rates once again will receive a bump of three quarters of a point which would bring rates to 3%. In addition, they also could raise rates by as much as an entire percentage point which would bring rates to 3.25%. All around Wall Street it is a back-and-forth discussion between whether or not people think the Fed will continue raising interest rates until November or if inflation will slow down so the central banks can relax for a little.
Forecasts for the last quarter show that interest rates could rise to as high as 3.5-4% by November and jump up to 3.75-4.5% in December. When it comes to answering the question “do you think this will slow down anytime soon?” economists believe that there is still more to come in the future. Inflation is still rather high in comparison but has gone down over the past year. Before August, the national inflation rate sat at 8.52% with it now sitting at 8.26%. This is certainly moving in the right direction, but still up from last year’s closing rate of 5.25%.
Even though interest rates are still high, this still doesn’t mean the economy is struggling all around. The job market is sitting in an amazing position right now with an unemployment rate of 3.7% equaling 6 million people across the US without work. To put it into perspective, it is generally accepted that an unemployment rate between 4-5% is full employment. Full employment refers to the economic system where anyone who wants to and is able to work is employed. In addition, consumer spending is also still going strong. We are seeing consumer spending numbers at a higher level than it was during the COVID-19 pandemic period, it is still strong with consumers spending $1.392 trillion (USD) in the second quarter of 2022. This is up slightly from the $1.388 trillion that was spent in the first quarter of 2022.
Finally, the housing market is still high even with the spike in interest rates in the past months. These rate hikes could prove to be costly in the long run though, as too many hikes could result in sending the US economy into a mild recession according to Chief Investment Officer at Girard Timothy Chubb. These hikes could also shift the stock market substantially in terms of market volatility. With interest rates still rather unpredictable, investors have no idea what forecasts for later in the year could look like. July 2023 forecasts have rates anywhere between 3.25-5% which would result in other central banks, such as the European Central Bank, to increase rates as well to keep the market in some sense of balance. If this were to happen it would make the markets that much more volatile making it harder to predict whether a stock price will go up or down based on other market occurrences.
While it is unknown what will happen this week and in the coming months, it will be interesting to see what happens and how it continues to impact the global economic environment.


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A celebrity fashion designer’s business in Australia has collapsed, leaving brides-to-be anxious they will not receive their wedding dresses.
Johanna Johnson’s red-carpet gowns for Hollywood stars such as Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks established her as a go-to designer for upscale weddings.
But a large tax debt and unpaid entitlements to workers has led a court to order in liquidators.
Ms Johnson has said she is shifting her company’s operations to the US.
She also provided assurances on her Facebook page that worried brides-to-be would receive their wedding gowns.
One Facebook user called on Ms Johnson to be clear if brides would not receive the dresses they had paid for, saying them were “setting them up for even more disappointment”.
A comment attributed to JJ & Team said: “As previously stated the business is still operating under the US company and of course everyone will receive their gowns.”
Ms Johnson has allegedly failed to pay her employees thousands of dollars in superannuation (pension payments), back pay and other entitlements.
Alana Teasal, former head of production at Ms Johnson’s company, gained an order from the Federal Circuit Court in November for payment of A$35,000 (£18,300; $26,700) in entitlements and penalties.
When Ms Johnson failed to comply with the court’s order, Ms Teasal instigated proceedings in the New South Wales Supreme Court to have the company wound up.
On 14 April Ms Johnson placed her company into voluntary administration in a bid to avoid liquidation.
The administrator later provided an affidavit to the court stating that the company owed more than A$1m to the Australian Tax Office, including A$300,000 in unpaid superannuation.
Ms Johnson and her lawyers have been contacted for comment.
BBC News Source Link
Brought to you by Planet Genius


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The creation of the smartphone developers have gone five years.
Apple design chief jony Ive in the framework of the conference the New Yorker TechFest told about the process of creating the iPhone X.
According to him, the team worked to create a smartphone for the last five years. The company has created prototypes of smartphones with edge-to-edge display and facial recognition.
“In 99% of cases we have failed. The vast majority of our attempts were failures. If all our prototypes did not break halfway, we would have shown the smartphone much earlier,” — said Ive.
Apple introduced iPhone X at the presentation on September 12. Novelty is equipped with edge-to-edge OLED display with a diagonal of 5.8 inches, and unlock the device by using the system of face recognition, which replaced the fingerprint scanner.


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Adding value to generics and biosimilars
Paul Tredwell, vice president for specialty brands at Accord Healthcare says innovation is vital for success in today’s generics and biosimilars market. pharmaphorum’s Richard Staines interviewed him to find out more.
Branded medicines often steal the limelight when it comes to innovation, but Accord Healthcare is hoping to change this with a new generation of biosimilars and generics.
A wholly owned subsidiary of Indian generics firm Intas, Accord Healthcare has already made a name for itself with the acquisition of a generics business formerly owned by Actavis two years ago.
Teva had to sell off the business for around £600 million to complete its purchase of a generics business formerly owned by Allergan, and the company formed as a result is now a major player in the UK’s generics market.
Accord’s vice president for specialty brands, Paul Tredwell, estimates that the company now supplies one in six medicines to the NHS, and is aiming to increase this market share by producing cost-effective medicines that are effective for patients.
Rather than just competing on price, Accord aims to rewrite the rule book for generics and biosimilars, either by developing the devices used to deliver them, or tweaking and modifying them to the extent that they are considered new medicines.
Changing the way doctors and patients think about generic medicines is key to the company’s strategy going forward.
Changing the way drugs are delivered is one obvious way that Accord aims to innovate, says Tredwell, who cited the case of the company’s new device for delivering methotrexate for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Accord puts patients at the centre of their care and has worked with a company to deliver a new self-dosing device that is aimed to help patients who may not have the dexterity to use conventional syringes.
The new device resembles a bulb that is held in the palm of the hand and makes the physical task of injecting the drug less troublesome for patients with the condition, said Tredwell.
“Little things like that make a huge difference to patients’ lives. This is innovation around what could be seen as a fairly standard molecule,” he explained.
But the company is going further than changing delivery devices. Part of the R&D plan is to change formulations – to the point that the drugs could be considered as entirely new chemical entities by regulators.
‘Super-generics’ could bring patient benefits
Chemotherapy generics are a mainstay of the company’s business, but Tredwell said that the company is thinking differently to find ways to make them more targeted and effective, and tolerable to patients.
It’s a strategy that has already been used by some of the bigger pharma companies to try and counter some of the problems frequently experienced with chemotherapy – when the drug causes side effects by attacking healthy tissue as well as tumours.
The company has developed its own liposomal technology that aims to do just this, and phase 3 trials are under way to bring these so-called ‘super generics’ to market.
While these developments could bring benefits to patients, they will not bring an increase in price.
Accord’s approach is to ensure that operations are run efficiently, so that there is sufficient headroom to run R&D operations and expand the business by winning market share with its innovative products.
He told pharmaphorum:
Biosimilars on the rise
Aside from generics Accord is taking aim at the biosimilars market, most recently announcing that its Pelgraz (pegfilgrastim) gained a marketing authorisation from the European Union for neutropenia and febrile neutropenia following chemotherapy.
Tredwell was responsible for launching the first wave of biosimilars to hit the UK market while working for Sandoz nearly a decade ago, and says the UK is now one of the hottest markets for these cheaper near-copies of biological drugs.
There is good understanding about biosimilars and how they are approved among doctors in the UK, who are comfortable with the concept that the drugs have been shown to demonstrate a safety and efficacy profile that is similar to the originator, with subtle differences that are unavoidable due to the challenges of manufacturing drugs using living cells.
Tredwell said that the UK now has “one of the best uptakes” of biosimilars in the world, allowing money to be spent on recently approved drugs or to improve patient services.
The amount of money that can be saved from biosimilars was demonstrated in November when NHS England struck a deal with manufacturers of biosimilars of AbbVie’s Humira inflammatory diseases blockbuster, which will save £300 million per year.
The impact of Brexit will be minimal for Accord, as thanks to the large manufacturing facility in Devon acquired with the Actavis deal, most of the company’s products are well positioned in markets such as the UK, where a product is either supplied from Accord's own manufacturing sites in the UK or from outside the EU.
Thus, the company can continue with its mission to innovate to improve the lives of patients, and to expand its offering to include hand held devices and apps to complement the portfolio of biosimilars and generics.


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Watch a timelapse film of the billboard being created
A billboard spelt out by 100,000 bees has been creating a buzz in Devon.
The bees, from South Molton-based Quince Honey Farm, spelt out SOS in what is thought to be the world's first billboard 'written' entirely by bees.
The SOS stands for Save Our Swarms and is part of an advertising campaign by wine company Banrock Station.
The firm is donating 5p from the sale of three special edition wines to the Co-Operative's Plan Bee campaign, aimed at helping the UK's bee population.
Paddy Wallace of Quince Honey Farm said they were lucky that on the day of the photo-shoot, everything went according to plan.
The bees stayed on the billboard for an hour before being returned to the hives
"We took the bees from the hive for a short time and released them onto the board," he said.
"We used pheromones to attract the bees to the board and they stayed there for about an hour.
"We were lucky - the sun came out."
The bees were then returned to the hives as quickly as possible, to prevent any distress.
"We didn't have any problems at all. The poster was on the quiet road here and are neighbours are very good."
The money raised will go towards research into the decline of the honey bee, which is largely blamed on the Varroa mite.
"We were happy to do this because we are backing the research," said Paddy.
Clare Griffiths from Banrock Station, said: "We thought there was no better way to raise awareness of the British bee decline than get the bees to tell their story themselves.
"We hope the billboard has created a bit of a buzz in Devon and beyond."
At the height of the season, Quince Honey Farm has 90 million bees in 1,500 hives.
This season got off to a great start with the warm spring and early summer, but the poor July and August has led to a decreased honey harvest for the farm.
The height of the season is now over, but some of the bees are now foraging on the heather on Exmoor.


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WALLA WALLA -- It was, by any standard, a landslide, said Toby Swank with the Walla Walla Post Office.
The May 8 National Association of Letter Carriers' annual food drive was expected to push the 18-year national total collected poundage over the one billion mark.
Last year's giving set a record of nearly 74 million pounds from pantries across America, and preliminary data so far puts this year within reach of hitting or breaking 2009's record, according to the national organization.
The Walla Walla area was completely on board, as well, said Swank, who coordinates the local postal carriers drive. Between Walla Walla and College Place postal customers, 13,736 pounds of food was collected, cooking last year's record of 11,900 pounds.
All the groceries were delivered to Blue Mountain Action Council Food Bank.
"We still have a little food trickling in, as well as some money. Each dollar donated translates to a pound of food," he said. "I don't have a total on that yet, but we are extremely happy and excited that we broke our own local record in a 'down' year."
In addition, last Saturday's food drive facilitated by local Pathfinders from the Seventh-day Adventist Church brought in just under 8,000 pounds of food, noted Gail McGhee, manager of the BMAC food bank.
"So you can see from these two food drives being only a week apart, that there is a tremendous amount of support from our community for others."
His crew is thinking ahead to 2011, Swank said. "We hope to have similar success next year and we're planning to step it up even more."
For those still wishing to donate, call 529-3561 or go to the food bank at 921 W. Cherry St.
Sheila Hagar can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org or 526-8322. Check out her blog at blogs.ublabs.org/fromthestorageroom.


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Select and Protect to showcase product at FSE London
The product allows intermediaries to personalise cover to customers’ individual needs.
Using a question set intermediaries can arrange a quote from insurers including RSA, Ageas and Aviva via the platform in two minutes.
Bruce Reid, Select and Protect director, said: “We’re looking forward to meeting as many intermediaries as possible at the event, and showing them just how easy it is to deliver a truly personalised home insurance quote to their customers.”
The Select and Protect team, who will be on stand P6, will offer intermediaries more information and demonstrate its online quotation platform.
Stand visitors will also have the chance to win four tickets to a Premiership Rugby game courtesy of Aviva – Select and Protect’s household panel insurer.


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ELKHART — NeXus RV announced it will begin distributing through a dealer network beginning next month and the purchase of a new inspection facility.
The motorhome manufacturer based in Elkhart announced it would close its five factory-owned dealerships and begin distributing through a network of around 50 dealerships in September, according to a press release.
The Elkhart factory sales and service department will continue to operate but shift to dealer sales instead of consumer sales, said NeXus RV marketing manager Theresa Etes.
Decisions about what will happen to the workforce at the other company-operated dealers is undecided at this time, Etes said.
NeXus was founded in 2010 by Claude Donati and Dave Middleton and makes a range of motorhomes ranging accross classes C, B and A. They currently have six product lines, according to Etes.


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At the 2017 Snacks and Sweets Expo this year in Chicago, Livio Bisterzo, CEO of Green Park Brands and its group was burning in excitement due to the brand’s fame in the retail. The group was all feeling excited due to Strand Equity Partners and Academy Award-winning actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, declared to join Green Park Brands as an investor.
DiCaprio, who as of late put resources into feasible seafood brand Love in the Wild, is additionally a well-known environmental activist. Livio Bisterzo said there is a possibility of a plant-based snack reverberated with the performing actor.
Livio Bisterzo commented and stated that he was truly excited that Leonardo and Strand Equity Partners have joined the HIPPEAS family. As the brand keeps on developing with such energy in both the UK and the US, it’s fantastic to expedite board partners who align with their company’s vision and values.
Co-founder and overseeing partner of Strand Equity Partners, Seth Rodsky, appreciated the deal by saying that HIPPEAS is a high-development and separated brand which was created within a very short time. Along with this statement, Rodsky added that the exceptional traction the brand has accomplished is proof to its unique and remarkable offering that joins nutrition with the creative flavor profile. He approved that they were anticipating on collaborating with DiCaprio and the talented management group at HIPPEAS.
About Livio Bisterzo
Livio Bisterzo is the founder of the Green Park Holdings and a famous entrepreneur in Italy. He is a father of 3 children, and lives in Los Angeles. In 1999, he lived in the UK and studied at London’s prestigious University of the Arts. Mr. Livio Bisterzo’s first entrepreneurial venture was in 2003 when he founded an events business. Bisterzo went ahead to make a business portfolio extending from hospitality and consumer brands to other lifestyle businesses.
In 2015 Livio Bisterzo founded Green Park Holdings, another sustenance innovation company in the quickly growing health and nutrition sector, with a mission to make imaginative multi-channel nourishment and drinks brands. The company’s objective is to create a portfolio with a clear focus on “Better for you” natural propositions, by producing brands which have a long lasting social impact and encourage behavioral and cultural change. The vision is to lead the agenda for positive change in the food and drink industry.
Like Livio Bisterzo on Facebook.


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Six months on from the introduction of new Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulations, automotive retailers should be starting to see an impact on average commission levels as they adapt to a new way of working.
As of January 28, the FCA introduced a ban on all discretionary commission (DiC) models in motor finance, forcing the industry to introduce alternatives like risk-based pricing or fixed rates of commission.
The FCA wanted to stamp out the type of finance commission where brokers or retailers were rewarded for charging consumers higher rates.
When these rules were announced in July 2020, the FCA said it wanted to see a £165m saving for customers. This figure would be found as a result of the lowering of commission rates across the board.
However, Alphera national head of sales Kirk Franks says there has not been a major impact.
Franks tells AM: “We’ve had conversations with some partners that were worried about finance penetration, but they’ve either held or improved. Customers understand it, dealer staff understand it and from the anecdotal feedback I’ve had, I’ve had no qualms or potential issues as a result of the ban on DiC. This change has been slight and it’s not caused problems for the customer journey either.”
The ideal outcome for the FCA and customers is to see commission levels reduced, but for dealers that needs to coincide with total volumes increasing to make up for any loss in earnings.
This has been the case at MotoNovo on used car finance, which introduced its risk-based pricing “MotoRate” in July 2020.
Risk-based pricing is a method that lenders can use to determine interest rates for car finance based on the applicant’s creditworthiness and risk. If a customer has a good credit rating they get a better percentage APR. If poor, the APR percentage goes up.
Dealers using MotoRate have seen a 16% increase in acceptance levels for finance proposals under the new way of working, compared with the previous pricing model.
This increase is in contrast to Finance and Leasing Association (FLA) data that shows used car finance volumes dropped by 15% in Q1 2021.
MotoNovo chief executive Mark Standish says: “Dealers embracing the model are welcoming more finance customers and increasing their acceptance levels.
“The performance gain is primarily linked to dealers’ newly-established capacity to meet the finance needs of higher quality customers with a competitive rate.
“The model provides more reasons for more customers to choose a car and finance from a dealer and it creates good outcomes for everyone involved.”
Operationally, Franks says the changes FCA has introduced have not had a negative impact on the customer journey.
Alphera already had quite a few dealer group customers that were working to a fixed rate of commission structure, so there was a history there for them to draw on with new partners moving to the new way of working.
Franks adds: “Where we had partners that were a little bit wary of the changes, we could point to the fact we had already been doing it and it hadn’t harmed, but improved, business processes due to the increased level of transparency for customers.
“It was a hell of a lot of work for the internal team to get the changes sorted, but it’s been going well since.
“We consulted and had early discussions to make sure dealers had their processes and procedures amended and ready to go.
“We staggered the roll-out so we already had a lot of groups on the one-rate system in the lead up to the end of January.”
Another area of change from January 28 was the fact dealers must “prominently” disclose the fact they are receiving a commission for arranging finance.
This prompted fears that customers would start asking more questions about the level of commission being made per deal.
However, there’s positive anecdotal news from Alphera’s perspective.
Franks says: “We are not having feedback to us that there are a huge number of customers asking about commission disclosure.
“There were some retailers that had been asked by customers about it, but that was only around the time it was announced.
“Since then, it’s not caused any problems.”
Franks says the changes around commission disclosure have not been “onerous” and there have only needed to be tweaks, rather than an entire rewrite of the sales process.
Lawgistics legal advisor John McDougall raised the point that some of the firm’s dealer customers have been contacted by solicitors since January 28 after intimating that historical finance agreements have been mis-sold and customers are not being made aware of finance commission.
McDougall says: “Letters are being sent to our members requesting they divulge confidential information about commission that was not requested by the customer at the appropriate time.
“We have noticed that this has caused confusion with several of our members.”
McDougall said that as with most FCA rules and guidance, it has not been prescriptive as to what retailers should and should not do with regards to commission disclosure, so the changes are “very subjective”.
He says: “Displaying commission disclosure prominently for one member may be totally different to another.
“A franchised dealer with numerous manufacturers’ finance houses compared with an independent dealer using only a couple of lenders, may do things totally differently.”
The FCA’s own guidance states: “A firm must pay due regard to the information needs of its clients, and communicate information to them in a way which is clear, fair and not misleading.”
McDougall adds: “Don’t forget that the lender has a responsibility in this area to take reasonable steps to ensure that other persons acting on its behalf comply with the FCA regulations.”
PREPARATIONS FOR SEPTEMBER
From September this year, the FCA will carry out point-of-sale mystery shopping exercises to measure lenders’ control over dealer networks and ensure compliance.
From this point onwards the FCA will gather evidence to determine whether its measures are acting in the way it envisioned to save that £165m a year.
Franks says: “Our compliance monitoring team works to ensure that all staff understand the rules, completing regular compliance health checks and analysing reports to make sure our ‘one rate, one commission’ model is being adhered to.”
Alphera recently launched an online finance and insurance training programme, named ‘Funding Essential Skills’, to act as a refresher course for new employees or F&I sales specialists returning to work after furlough who may not have been introduced to the new commission model.
Franks adds: “Teething problems are to be expected with any significant industry change, but we are making sure our partners are well equipped to manage any potential issues.
“Alongside the compliance health checks, we are working to make sure that any minor issues are picked up and addressed before the FCA’s reviews begin.”
One dealer group boss who preferred not to be named, says there has been an impact on average commission income, but this has been made up for by the fact there has been greater finance volumes going through.
However, the boss did express concern that if it’s found to be that dealers’ finance incomes are not drastically changing, or that the new FCA rules are not creating a hugely positive impact for consumers, there could be further changes ahead.
The boss says: “The FCA is looking for average commissions to drop by millions of pounds each year and the easiest way to find that out is to ask each of the finance houses for their figures.
“I think September will likely focus on the details of the finance promotion itself and how commission disclosure is handled. If the FCA doesn’t think the measures have worked, the industry will be faced with full disclosure during the sales process.”


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Alexandria, VA – On America Recycles Day, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) encourages people to become more aware of the importance of recycling and to choose consumer products that are packaged in recyclable material, such as single serve PET bottled water and Home Office Delivery water cooler containers.
When Joel Mwale was hospitalized with dysentery, his doctors advised him to focus his energies on making a full recovery.
The Kenyan student had caught the illness after consuming contaminated water distributed by his municipal council during the country's annual dry season.
AT&T with their focus on energy conservation and being good stewards of the earth has launched a new "green" Back-Up Battery Charger. The external casing is made from recycled post-consumer water-cooler bottles and consists of about 25% of its composition. The Motorola P793 shuts down when it reaches a full charge and is the first product AT&T has ever sold that is certified CarbonFree®.


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A tourism leader has called on councils to create more parking spaces to accommodate a surge in motorhome owners to North Wales this summer as Covid-19 restrictions on overseas travel continue.
Jonathan Williams-Ellis is chairman of Attractions of Snowdonia Ltd, a not-for-profit tourism consortium of 29 leading attractions in North West Wales.
He believes this year will be unique and rules should be altered after an increase in motor home ownership by 20% in the UK last year with 380,000 thought to be registered with the DVLA.
His call for more car park spaces was welcomed by Simon Cooper, of Mochdre -based Conwy Caravans & Motorhomes, who said his firm has had a 100 per cent increase in sales and turnover in each of the last four years until the pandemic struck.
For his part, Mr Williams-Ellis said: “There will be an awful lot of people with motorhomes getting out and about this year who are unable to travel beyond the British Isles due to the pandemic.
"I’m concerned about this huge influx of people parking where they shouldn’t and then there being a subsequent backlash from the local community.
“A solution would be if councils would allow these vehicles to go into designated car parks within villages and towns from 4pm to 10am - rather than park in laybys.
"The (motorhome) owners make a financial contribution through parking meters and in local shops, restaurants and pubs, with many of these also members of the Snowdonia360."
Snowdonia 360 is run by Attractions of Snowdonia and has 29 members and a further 40 associate members such as retailers, accommodation providers and eateries.
Mr Williams-Ellis added: “Many council car parks allow cars and minibuses in but there are bars, with a maximum headroom, across many entrances so that campervans, which may belong to travellers for instance, can’t get in.”
He said that currently campervan owners may have difficulty getting into campsites as many only accept a minimum of two night stays. But typically these visitors want to move every day. Equally, I believe they should pay their dues.
"We need to encourage responsible camping but if we cannot provide these facilities on public and private car parks in potentially some attractions then its going to become totally unregulated."
Simon Cooper, managing director of Conwy Caravans and Motorhomes, agrees more spaces are needed.
His comments come after access to an Anglesey beauty spot popular with campervans was blocked.
He also owns land on a hardcore-surface car park near Deganwy Station but had to remove its five spaces for motorhomes.
He said: "I had to close them after several residents thought that £70,000 motorhomes parking there overnight were not in keeping with their town but boats are. It was disappointing."
He said motorhome owners using it had spent money in Rozi's takeaway, a local coffee shop and then in Conwy town.
He said: "These are luxury, leisure vehicles. They're driven by working class people who have worked hard. They have earned themselves a few pounds and want to spend a few pounds.
"It's not Swampy turning up with a log burner sticking out of the roof."
And he called on councils in Wales to have France-style "aires" - a low cost or free private camping area used by campervan and motorhome owners.
For its part, Gwynedd Council said it wants to "manage" the motorhome issue.
A Gwynedd Council spokesperson said: “With the gradual relaxation of Covid-19 regulations in Wales, we continue to encourage those aiming to visit Gwynedd to do so in a cautious manner, to plan ahead and to treat our communities with respect.
“We know that the motorhome sector is becoming increasingly popular and are looking into possible options to help manage the situation in Gwynedd.”
*Find out more about Attractions of Snowdonia Ltd by visiting here
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2022’s Lego Con took place on June 18 and had a host of announcements, including sets for Doctor Strange, Avatar and Minecraft as well as build challenges and a preview of the Ninjago TV show finale, but one of the most exciting announcements for fans was the arrival of eight new characters to the Lego Super Mario universe.
During a feature where the two hosts, Alice and Didier, gave themselves 90 seconds to find all of the new characters available amongst a sea of standard Lego bricks, it was revealed that the Blue Shy Guy, Red Yoshi, Purple Toad, Waddlewing, Nabbit, Hammer Bro, Toady and Baby Yoshi would be coming to the Nintendo Lego series in the form of the Series 5 Character Packs.
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) June 18, 2022
Each pack will contain a mystery buildable character with Action Tag, and a small build to use as a display stand. The new additions to the Super Mario Lego characters are intended to be used with a Starter Course set, which is required for interactivity.
The Lego Super Mario universe is expanding rapidly, and these new characters join the interactive figures of Mario, Peach and more who offer a dual play experience by working together to move, flip and jump in-sync to earn digital coins.
Lego has also released a Super Mario app to take play to the next level, offering an outlet to share builds and get inspiration from other fans of the series.
Nintendo and Lego also recently worked together to release a replica Nintendo Entertainment System with over 2600 pieces. The retro games console has been a popular release via Lego, and shows Mario in-flight on the old school television screen.
In other news, an Elden Ring player has turned her harp into a controller and beaten Margit the Fell Omen.


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British banks are on course to eclipse last year's record-breaking profits of £33bn. Perhaps this explains why two of them, RBS and HBOS, chose last Friday to announce the introduction of 400 free cash machines in deprived areas. In HBOS's case the measure is a bit rich. Last year it sold 800 cash machines for £50m to businesses that charge exorbitant fees for consumers to withdraw their own cash.
There is another reason for banks to mount a PR offensive now. Unclaimed in Britain's banks and savings institutions is cash well in excess of £2.4bn. It hasn't exactly been idle though. Until last year, that money was classed as an asset. It helped boost their spiralling profits. Record bank profits of £33bn came in part from the People's Cash.
There is a better use for Britain's forgotten billions than flattering bankers' profits. Earlier this month, a vision outlined by the Commission for Unclaimed Assets proved it. The taskforce led by Sir Ronald Cohen wants to use dormant cash to create a social investment bank. The money, which will be returned to the rightful owner should they remember its existence, would be used to tackle deprivation in inner-city and poor rural areas.
Yet this could be the beginning of the story. The £2.4bn already found in bank vaults is a mere fraction of other dormant assets. Add in unclaimed life insurance policies, pensions, shares and lottery cash and the scale of Britain's forgotten billions becomes apparent.
What those behind the social investment bank want to do is to leverage dormant cash to generate a once-in-a-generation windfall. This would transform inner-city businesses and social enterprises which today struggle to get bank finance.
Gordon Brown must get behind this vision. The potential that dormant cash has to create a lasting legacy is unquantifiable. The Chancellor could show his intent by using some of the £1.8bn languishing unclaimed in National Savings and Investments accounts to endow this new bank. What better way to encourage reluctant bank chiefs to hand over their ill-gotten loot.
High street wilts while surf's up for internet
Shoppers are lethargic and some high-profile clothing retailers' sales are down 10 per cent. Internet shopping, by contrast, is having its day in the sun. I'm told John Lewis's website last week was a staggering 85 per cent up on sales compared with last year. Asos, the internet clothing firm that got burnt out after the Buncefield oil explosion, is roaring ahead. So it's strange that last week, the world's largest online bookshop, Amazon, got a stock market battering after its second-quarter profits plunged 58 per cent to £11.9m.
Jeff Bezos, the gnome-like geek who founded the company, blamed the profit plunge on money deployed to invest in technology to speed up deliveries to the customer.
This is a massive wake-up call to investors thinking that once an internet retail business is established, money would roll in. The cost of system upgrades, new fulfilment processes and marketing never disappear.
One retailer who has paid the internet scant attention is Sir Philip Green - currently on holiday until September, he tells me. Just before he packed his Bermudas, the king of the high street appointed Yasmin Yusuf to breathe some life into his empire's weakling, Miss Selfridge.
This was a bold appointment. Ms Yusuf is high-maintenance. Indisputably she's a creative tour de force, having made her name at Warehouse. But a team player - someone who inspires loyalty - well, that's another matter. The newly knighted tax exile is wise to allow Ms Yusuf creative rein while ensuring that the nuts and bolts of the business are handled by a safer pair of hands.
So, Miss Selfridge could turn around - if only the same could be said for BHS. This high-street chain appears to be wilting in the sun. I understand that PG wants to accelerate the roll-out of BHS Homes - his new interiors concept. Why bother? The best thing to do would be to get rid of BHS altogether.
Shopping around won't increase gas resources
British gas was accused by newspapers and consumer groups of committing daylight robbery for increasing gas prices for the second time this year. Easy copy. But the hard truth is that world energy prices have doubled in two years so British Gas made a loss.
The government was advising consumers last week to shop around for the cheapest fuel provider. Energy prices have nothing to do with consumer choice and everything to do with geopolitics and finite resources. What British Gas and the others should be accused of is underinvestment in energy-efficiency measures so consumers can bring down their bills.
No safety in numbers
A Hackney crack addict just became £8 richer after assaulting my wife. A friend nearby was mugged last month. The question I'm now asking is: 'Would I let my eight-year-old daughter walk on her own to her best friend's house?' I don't need to dwell too long. My family will join those fleeing for the 'burbs. My heart sinks at the prospect. So will dreams for a sustainable economy.
Labour has poured hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money into inner cities. UK cities lag behind their European counterparts in wealth-creation. Current orthodoxy demands we build compact cities to minimise travel time and fight global warming. Government cash levers in at least three times as much from the private sector. So housebuilders bid up land prices. Last week we learnt that the density of new housing in London almost quadrupled in three years.
But as the kids get older, families run for the hills. The effect this will have on crowded roads and trains - and the environment - will continue to be traumatic. The government will soon incentivise councils to give planning permission to more homes in cities. But it's money down the drain if people don't feel comfortable in their streets.


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Alexa is headed to the kids’ room.
On Wednesday, Amazon unveiled a kid-friendly version of its popular smart speaker featuring its voice assistant Alexa.
The Echo Dot Kids Edition plays music, answers questions and comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon’s FreeTime Unlimited, which offers access to kid-friendly books and ad-free radio stations. It’s aimed at kids ages 5 to 12.
The colorful gadgets — which come in protective cases of either blue, red or green — are loaded with...