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Hormel Foods reported net earnings of $235.1 million for the first quarter of fiscal year 2016, a 25 percent increase from the $187.3 million reported during the first quarter of fiscal year 2015.
The operating profit for Jennie-O Turkey Store in the first quarter of 2016 was down 2 percent, while volume was down 23 percent and dollar sales were down 15 percent, compared to the first quarter of fiscal year 2015. Decreases reflect the substantial impact of the avian influenza outbreak, as flocks lost in 2015 created large volume shortfalls in operations and sales.
Jennie-O represented 16 percent of net sales and 24 percent of total segment operating profit for Hormel in first quarter 2016, down 15 percent and 2 percent from the same time in 2015, respectfully.
Offsetting the Jennie-O losses were strong performances in the grocery products, refrigerated foods and specialty foods divisions, with operating profits up 26 percent, 65 percent and 44 percent, respectively.
2016 outlook for Hormel
Based on these three segments’ strong performance and positive momentum from Jennie-O, the company raised its fiscal 2016 earnings guidance range from $1.43-$1.48 per share to $1.50-$1.56 per share.
“We expect favorable input costs to continue for refrigerated foods, grocery products and specialty foods, while we look for pork operating margins to moderate as the year progresses,” said James P. Snee, president and chief operating officer. “Our turkey production is on pace to return to normalized levels by the end of the second quarter, positioning Jennie-O Turkey Store for strong growth in the back half of fiscal 2016.”


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DJIA Futures: +46 (+0.1%)
SPX Futures: +13 (+0.3%)
NASDAQ Futures: +57 (+0.5%)
Good morning friends!
Futures are higher following more better-than-expected inflation data.
Let’s get right to it!
Wholesale inflation pressures tumbled more than expected in December.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ producer price index fell 0.5% monthly vs expectations for a 0.1% drop.
The PPI rose 6.2% year over year, down from 7.3% in November.
Excluding food, energy, and trade services, the core PPI rose 0.1% monthly and 4.6% annually.
That was down from the 0.3% monthly and 4.9% annual gain in November.
U.S. retail sales fell more than expected in December as consumers spent less on cars, gas, and furniture.
The Census Bureau reported retail sales dropped 1.1% last month to $677.1 billion.
That was steeper than economists’ expectations for a 1% decline.
High inflation and interest rates put pressure on shoppers during the key holiday shopping season.
On an annual basis, retail sales rose 6% as shoppers continued to pay higher prices.
Gas stations saw the largest decline in Decmeber as prices fell, down 4.6% from November.
Furniture store sales fell 2.5%, car sales were down 1.2%, electronics and appliances fell 1.1%.
The only retailers to see a slight gain were building material retailers which rose 0.3% and sporting goods stores which were up 0.1%.
Core retail sales, which exclude vehicles and gas, fell 0.7% monthly and were up 7.2% year over year.
United Airlines (UAL) shares are up 4.0% ahead of the open after sharply beating Q4 expectations.
Here’s how the carrier’s results compared to analysts’ estimates:
The airline’s guidance also topped expectations.
United expects Q1 EPS between $0.50 and $1, well above consensus estimates of $0.31.
For the full year, the airline is anticipating adjusted EPS between $10 and $12 vs analysts’ estimates of $6.84.
Party City (PRTY) shares have been halted after rallying 10.6% in premarket trade following the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
In a filing with the SEC on Tuesday, the retailer said it had struck an agreement to reduce its debt.
Party City had received a $150 million debtor-in-possession loan to continue operations while it reorganizes.
The company expects to complete its restructuring in Q2.
Mortgage application volume jumped at the start of the year as rates fell to the lowest level since September.
The Mortgage Bankers Association reported total application volume rose nearly 28% last week from the week before.
Refinance applications jumped 34% but were still 81% lower year over year.
Purchase applications rose 25% weekly and were 35% lower than the same week a year ago.
The jump came as the average 30-year fixed contract rate fell to 6.23% from 6.42% the week before.
Market experts are anticipating an increase in mortgage activity over the next few months as we enter the traditionally busy spring buying season.
Homebuilder sentiment is expected to have fallen further this month as the housing market continues to be squeezed by high mortgage rates.
The National Association of Homebuilders releases its January sentiment index at 10:00 a.m. ET today.
That survey is expected to fall to 30 from 31 in December.
Sentiment fell for the 12th straight month in December, hitting the lowest level since June 2012.
Peloton (PTON) shares rallied 2.7% on Tuesday after hiring a new chief marketing officer. The exercise bike maker hired former Twitter CMO Leslie Berland to fill that position. The former CMO left Peloton in September. Berland said she is “thrilled” to join Peloton at this “unique moment in its transformation journey.”

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6 former Huawei employees have been detained by local authorities after the company claimed the employees provided information to their new employer, LeEco and Coolpad.
If you’ve been running Android 7.1.1 on your Nexus 6P or 5X and having problems with Bluetooth on your phone when trying to pair it to your car, you’ll be glad to learn that problem has been fixed.
The EMUI 5.0 update roadmap has been leaked for Huawei devices and reveals when the beta software will launch and when Android Nougat will come to other devices.
The Moto G5 Plus has leaked in new images and shows us what the device will include. The G5 Plus will feature a 5.5-inch FHD display, 4GB of RAM, and a 3,100mAh battery while being priced at $300.
The Moto Z Force Droid is the bigger brother of Motorola’s new lineup, and Phandroid is back to showcase what sets this device apart from the entry level Moto Z Droid.
The upgrade to Android 7.0 Nougat should bring a lot of goodies for Samsung Galaxy S7 users, but it could also bring an unwanted change that you may not be aware of.
A new rumor suggests that Bixby on the Galaxy S8 will be able to use your camera to perform visual searches of objects and text.
The Nokia 6 launched in China earlier today, and apparently demand over there for the smartphone is pretty good. The device sold out in just 1 minute.
We heard that Nokia could be announcing up to 7 new phones in 2017, which means we should be seeing the next phone very soon.
While Super Mario Run is still making the rounds, Nintendo is busy on their second mobile game. Fire Emblem Heroes is its name, and it launches February 2nd.
LG has scheduled their big Mobile World Congress press event. It lands on February 26th.
After doing some soul searching and deciding whether your child is ready to get their own smartphone, you’ll want to use this list of the best Android phones for kids as guidance on where to go for buying them their first one.
It’s official: Super Mario Run is officially headed to Android this March, 2017. You can pre-register for the game right now. Link provided in the post.
A new leak claims to show off the front display panels for the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus.
Video calling might not be as popular as it’s depicted in sci-fi movies, but it’s still a very valuable form of communication. Let’s take a look at the best Android apps for video calling.
LG has announced that an update will be coming to its Music Flow speaker system that will enable multi-room support, as well as the ability to be used with Google Home.
Vizio today announced that they’ve added Google Home support to their various SmartCast products. These include sound bars, TVs, wireless speakers, and more.
Sony has started sending out press invitations for its Mobile World Congress press conference, which will begin on February 27th. The company will also be live-streaming the conference.
The Google Store is hosting some new options for your device’s housing needs. The Pixel and Pixel XL can be outfitted with LifeProof FRĒ cases.
ASUS has confirmed that it halted the rollout of Android Nougat for the ZenFone 3 due to bug issues that have been discovered.
Trying to find the Best Android Apps available for Download? Look no further: this up-to-date list has everything you need and more!
Android has been around for nearly a decade already and a lot has changed since the beginning. You might think you know everything there is to know about Android, but we’ve got 10 things you probably didn’t know.
Google has confirmed it will be extending its Project Fi referral program indefinitely. The program allows you to collect up to $200 in bill credits when referring new subscribers.
Microsoft is looking to make Cortana an even bigger part of your Android phone. The company is testing a new update which will let you access Cortana from your lock screen.


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WhatsApp, the popular messaging app, has finally added support for video messages, completing its messaging features.
It allows users to share 60-second videos in chats, these videos are secured with end-to-end encryption, ensuring user privacy.
Recording a video message is simple and easy, its just like sending voice messages, making it easy for users to adapt.
By tapping the icon used for voice messages, users can switch to video message mode, where they can record and send videos.
Users can also swipe up to lock and record hands-free without holding the button, just like with voice messages.
The feature was rolled out in beta for Android and iPhone users in June and is now being gradually released to all WhatsApp users.
WhatsApp stated that video messages offer a real-time way to respond to chats, allowing users to share emotions and experiences in 60 seconds.
The feature adds a fun and personal touch to conversations, making it ideal for sending birthday wishes, sharing jokes, or announcing good news.
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19 Aug – Anyone who often scrolled through Ryan Reynolds' social media would notice that the actor was great at promoting Aviation Gin, a brand he'd co-owned for the past couple of years.
Now, it's been revealed that Reynolds has sold the gin brand to Diageo, the British company behind renowned alcohol brands such as Johnnie Walker, Guinness and Tanqueray.
In a press statement by Diageo, it was announced that it is acquiring Aviation American Gin through the acquisition of Aviation Gin LLC and Davos Brands LLC ('Davos Brands'), for a total consideration of up to USD610 million.
This includes an initial payment of USD335 million and a further potential consideration of up to USD275 million based on the performance of Aviation American Gin over a ten- year period, it stated.
Reynolds, who will maintain an ownership interest and continue to be the face of the brand for the next decade, said in the statement, "A little over two years ago, I became an owner of Aviation Gin because I love the taste of Aviation more than any other spirit.
"What I didn't expect was the sheer creative joy learning a new industry would bring. Growing the brand with my company, Maximum Effort Marketing, has been among the most fulfilling projects I've ever been involved with.
"I want to thank Diageo for their incredible team and passion. We're so excited for the next chapter of Aviation Gin, which, I promise, will require just as little reading."
True to his hilarious nature, he even managed to troll wife his wife, actress Blake Lively, in the deal. It is reported by Insider that the actor has set a tongue-in-cheek "out of office" email message for anyone who tries to email him and it mentions Blake's name, among many others.
"Thanks for your email. I am currently out of the office but will still be very hard at work selling Aviation Gin. For quite a long time, it seems."
"I just learned what an 'earn out' is... And I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize to everyone I told to go f--- themselves in the last 24 hours. My lawyers just explained how long it takes to achieve an 'earn out'... so... turns out I'm not as George Clooney as I thought."
"The point is, to those listed below, I'm sorry ... and I'll indeed be needing your help in the coming months and years. Thanks in advance!"
Among the people and brand listed were his mom, wife, TGI Friday's, AMC Theatres, George Clooney and The Rock.
Clooney previously also sold his tequila brand Casamigos to Diageo in 2017 for USD1 billion, while Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson founded and currently owns the ultra-premium tequila brand Teremana Tequila.
(Photo source: Ryan Reynolds' Facebook)


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The unveiling of 50 new products with $3 billion in potential sales failed to dispel the gloom enveloping Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, plagued by a leadership shakeup, downsizing and heavy competition for its flagship drug Copaxone.
Teva’s new line, known as New Therapeutic Entities (NTE), did not exactly set the market on fire. Share price fell 0.4 percent to $40.03 on the New York Stock Exchange, giving a market cap of $33.8 billion on Wednesday, Globes reported.
The NTE program includes current molecules in new formulations to improve a drug’s effectiveness or for new indications. Teva has 15 products in development and plans to have 50 in the coming years for the treatment of pain, Crohn’s disease, glaucoma, and other conditions. The advantage lies in reduced risk and lower cost compared with the development of new drugs.
In a report titled “Wish We Were More Excited With NTEs,” UBS analyst Marc Goodman complained of inadequate information. “While many of the spec pharma products are interesting ideas, they are mostly ideas with minimal data to even know if we have real products,” he says.
Barclays Capital analysts Douglas Tsao and Ann Trimble were unimpressed, saying, “Teva’s presentation seemed to do little to convince investors these would be meaningful commercial opportunities. Most disappointing to us is that the majority of the NTE candidates … don’t appear to be particularly novel or innovative.”


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Abercrombie Cuts 150 Corporate Positions
Embattled retail company Abercrombie & Fitch says it's eliminated nearly 150 positions at its New Albany headquarters.
A statement released Wednesday night said the corporate-level positions were cut to help restructure for the current retail environment.
The New Albany headquarters employs about 2,000 people.
The company that for years marketed itself as a pretty teen outfitter has been desperately trying to re-brand itself after former CEO Michael Jefferies alienated many shoppers by saying they hire good-looking employees to help attract good-looking shoppers.
Jefferies also once said some people don’t belong in Abercrombie clothes.
The company has since abandoned shirtless male models and dimly-lit stores in favor of baggier clothing and more-inclusive branding.
Abercrombie's profits fell 81 percent in the third quarter of last year.


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Atlanta Considering Legalization of Uber, Lyft at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport
Photo: Lyft Logo (Photo via Lyft)
On Monday, the Atlanta City Council is set to meet in order to consider legalizing and regulating the ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
According to The Associated Press, the legislation took months of crafting to appease both sides of the argument, including refining rules regarding criminal background checks for drivers before they are permitted to serve the Atlanta airport.
Reports claim Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed rejected a previous airport proposal to require fingerprint-based background checks of ride-hailing service drivers. The new legislation would allow individual companies like Uber and Lyft to conduct its own approved private background checks.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport in the United States, and the addition of ride-hailing services would provide travelers with more options when trying to find a ride.
Airport officials and ride-hailing service representatives have been battling over details of the agreement since March.
More by Donald Wood
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A frustrated writer with a modified look?
Well-known insider Wario64, who was rarely (or never?) wrong, announced in his recent tweet that Alan Wake Remastered will release October 5 on Xbox Series, PS4, and PS5. He extracted this information from the Chinese Rakuten site, where there is only a hill for our illegible characters, but the “10/5” speaks for itself.
If the enhanced version is truly released, on the said date, it will be the first time that the hit horror movie Alan Wake has landed on PlayStation devices. We also assume that the final Alan Wake Remastered will eventually arrive on PC as well. Interestingly enough, Wario64 says nothing about the Nintendo Switch version.
– Wario64 (@Wario64) September 4, 2021
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When it comes to mobile payments and e-wallets, China has leapfrogged the West. Tired of waiting for the conservative banking sector to reform, tech giants Alibaba and Tencent, created a seamless experience for consumers to purchase on their platforms. While in the West, e-commerce providers needed to figure out how to operate within the existing landscape of credit card operators, Tencent and Alibaba developed a system to bypass them completely, becoming the go-to technology for moving funds.
In both markets, online retailers and social media sites alike need to integrate with some type of payment aggregator to handle the backend of payments. In the West, groups like Adyen, Stripe and Worldpay allow retailers to accept payment schemes like credit and debit cards, as well as e-wallets and other alternative payment methods. Those aggregator companies in turn work with online sites, or are integrated into e-commerce sites that use Shopify or Magento. In China, the end-user and the gateway are often one in the same. A consumer will go onto a Wechat store and use Wechat Pay to complete the transaction, or they will shop on one of Alibaba’s platforms and pay with Alipay.
Rise of Alibaba and Tencent Payment Platforms
The rise of alternative payment schemes in China and the dominant position of Alibaba and Tencent is perhaps best explained by two factors that predate electronic payments, the relatively limited use of credit cards and the dominant presence of cash. While credit cards offer consumers a convenient option when purchasing, merchants must bear those costs which are typically in the 2%-3% range. In China, the majority of merchants balked at the idea of paying to process transactions and in an incredibly price-sensitive environment, they were never going to pass those costs along to their customers. The result was that sellers were slow to accept credit card payments. With card acceptance being somewhat rare, there was naturally less interest on the consumer side to pay with plastic.
This meant that cash was used for most transactions including on higher value items such as plane tickets, electronics or even rent. But in a country where the largest note domination is 100 yuan (roughly £11) that meant frequent visits to the atm to stock up on cash. While walking around with a huge stack of bills may be fun for some, others didn’t like it so much.
In 2003, when Alibaba launched their e-commerce platform Taobao they recognised a gap in the market around payment. Customers were reluctant to hand over their cash to buy products sight unseen and sellers weren’t going to ship items before they received payment. In basic terms e-commerce, needed e-payments. Seeing the relative lack of credit in the market Alibaba developed Alipay as a means to build trust within their e-commerce ecosystem. Some ten years later, this service had become so successful that Alibaba decided to spin off Alipay into a new company (Ant Financial).
Around the same time, Tencent started trialling person to person payments for the Chinese New Year’s tradition of gifting little red envelopes of cash using their Wechat Pay. These digital red envelopes where hugely popular and by the end of 2014, more than 100 million users had an integrated bank account with Wechat. Tencent haven’t looked back since.
In both cases, Alibaba and Tencent recognized a need in the market, Alipay was built to help facilitate e-commerce, Wechat Pay to make sending money to contacts much easier. As these platforms have grown, they have stayed true to their initial learning of focusing on convenience.
Today, Wechat boasts more than 1 billion active users in China and Alibaba can claim over 50% of the B2C retail market in China. In most cases, users are already active, using Wechat for social media and Alibaba for online retail, so they have already gone through the process of signing up and verifying an account. Taking the next step to signup up for Alipay or Wechat Pay only requires them to add their banks’ details and off they go.
Alibaba and Tencent have also focused on the merchant side of the equation and incentivized them to use their payment systems. In the West, businesses have become accustomed to the fact that payment aggregators may take a couple of days for the funds to enter the merchant account. Not in China. As James Baillie the founder of payments technology company Wundr, says “Chinese payments are able to make transactions basically instant. You do a payment now and you’ll get the funds a half-second later.” As if an instantaneous settlement isn’t enough, within its major B2C platform (Taobao) Alibaba charges no fees to its merchants on Alipay transactions.
Such convenience has helped spur along activity as it pushes consumers to spend within the Alibaba and Wechat ecosystem and makes it easy and cheap to do so.
Online payment in China is not plagued with issues of fraud that are sometimes found in the West. For Wechat Pay and Alipay, users activate their account by submitting their bank account information, which in turn is connected to their official government identification. These documents are strictly controlled and monitored. Similar standards are expected for merchants. Prior to selling on the platforms, they have to submit their business license and official ID of the account holder.
With such robust verification in place, the amount of counterfeit payment fraud in China is much lower than found in Europe or North America. According to the International Security Ligue a private security trade organisation, counterfeit activity in China is roughly 1/10 of the global average.
Innovations from China
The rise of facial recognition and fingerprint technology, have made payment faster and even more immune to fraud. First introduced in 2017, Alibaba’s ‘smile to pay’ scans a customer’s face to verify their identity. Not to be outdone, in 2019 Tencent introduced their Frog Pro system with similar functionality. While the take-up of Apple Pay’s facial recognition technology to pay in stores has been slow, it is much more common in China. Facial recognition programs and the idea that the government and businesses can have full access to such powerful information leads to privacy concerns in the West. Consumers in China are more accepting of this reality.
As Baillie says, “In China consumers are happy with facial recognition. But I think in the West there will be a slow uptake as people will not want to give their information.” Baillie projects that at some point we will see more widespread use of this technology, but it will be some time before it is as common as it is in China.
With the outbreak of Covid, consumers and businesses have been encouraged by governments to minimize physical contact. Contactless payments are already popular in the UK, and the Financial Conduct Authority recently doubled the single payment limit to £100 from its previous level of £45. There has also been the introduction of Quick Response (QR) codes to check-in to locations with the goal of aiding the tracking and tracing of the virus. While QR technology may be unfamiliar to many in the West, Chinese use these technologies daily by going into their Wechat or Alipay accounts to scan codes to connect with friends or pay for items. Shops in China will typically have payment terminals that can handle e-wallet payments, in some cases that means a separate terminal for Wechat Pay and another for Alipay, although increasingly there are payment machines that can link to both options. Here in the UK, popular e-wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay work on the same near field technology (NFC) that power contactless payments, so there was less of a need to develop the QR systems. But as consumers become more familiar with using QR codes in their daily life, and with the continuing need to promote safe, distanced payments, don’t be surprised if we start to emulate China and interact with many more QR codes.


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Another Missed Deadline For Big BlueEvan I. Schwartz
Promises, promises. Lately, it seems that IBM makes as many of these as it does computers. Since last spring, for instance, Big Blue executives Lee Reiswig and Joseph M. Guglielmi have vowed regularly that IBM would ship an all-important new version of its personal-computer operating system, or basic control program, by the end of 1991. Now, in what could be a crushing blow to the software's prospects, they admit IBM will be unable, by the yearend deadline, to provide the system with a key capability that had been promised.
Hedging on the pledge is no small matter. IBM's credibility is central to its plan to regain control from former ally Microsoft Corp., the current purveyor of software standards. To PC owners, any delay is particularly disappointing because the promised software, OS/2 Version 2, would be the first to make today's most powerful PCs really hum. The new software would also run the spreadsheet and word-processing programs that users already have--the ones made for Microsoft's market-leading MS-DOS and Windows software.
Customers' expectations have been whipped up by the two IBMers' claims that OS/2 is "a better DOS than DOS and a better Windows than Windows." After hearing that, more than 20,000 customers at 2,000 companies have agreed to serve as testers for preliminary copies of the software--while waiting eagerly for the finished product. Now, IBM is saying that the new OS/2 won't be able to run Windows programs the way it should--at least not this year. To many, that's a letdown. Says a PC manager at a major Midwest manufacturing company: "The compelling reason why we'd want to use it in the first place is not there yet."
To be sure, some testers of the product give kudos to its features (chart). And Reiswig, assistant general manager for personal systems programming, says it's better to miss a deadline than skimp on quality. IBM will likely ship the new OS/2 by yearend, he adds, but without the advanced Windows capability. The finished goods will come later, maybe by March, and will be promptly sent to those who have paid for copies of OS/2, he says.
Nevertheless, IBM has little room for error, especially since the first version of OS/2 didn't catch on, and this go-around is widely viewed as OS/2's last stab at success. Says Forrester Research Inc. consultant Stuart Woodring: "There is a forfeiture of trust every time something like this happens."
MORE GRANDIOSE. The timing couldn't be worse. For one thing, IBM has planned a big bash to celebrate OS/2 2.0's completion at a giant trade show in mid-October. Then there's the portentous powwow on Oct. 2, when IBM officials are set to announce even more grandiose software plans--this time with newfound ally Apple Computer Inc. The Apple deal calls for an ultra-advanced operating system promised for the mid-1990s. Based on leading-edge technology called object-oriented programming, that project throws into question just how long IBM will be stressing OS/2.
Both the new OS/2 and the deal with Apple are aimed at the same thing: leapfrogging Microsoft by defining the way PCs of the future are used. That's crucial for both companies because profit margins are quickly shrinking. "PCs will soon be a commodity like color TVs," says Reiswig. "We have to provide the ability to take advantage of the hardware." That, he adds, comes through software.
Then again, IBM's news may not be as bad as it seems, since customers are becoming resigned to such delays. "With software, nothing is sure until you have it, and it works," says Sheldon J. Laube, Price Waterhouse chief information officer. But if IBM is to meet its aggressive goal of having 2 million happy users of its new OS/2 by the end of next year, it had better make good on its word, and fast.


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Watch us play Splatoon 2’s third splatfest: Vampires vs. Warewolves. FacebookGoogle+TwitterLinkedin
Watch us play over two hours of Splatoon 2’s second Splatfest down below. FacebookGoogle+TwitterLinkedin
It used to be the case that if a game was free, it ran through an internet browser and delivered about ten minutes worth of entertainment. Times have changed, however. FacebookGoogle+TwitterLinkedin
My four teammates and I have searched the entire building and only one room remains: it must be where the terrorists are keeping the hostage. FacebookGoogle+TwitterLinkedin
Rainbox Six Siege’s open beta was supposed to start today, but has been delayed due to matchmaking issues. FacebookGoogle+TwitterLinkedin
Shotguns, exploding bodies, and a knee to the face highlight an action packed trailer for id Software’s newest shooter. FacebookGoogle+TwitterLinkedin
Adam Jensen has some new toys in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. FacebookGoogle+TwitterLinkedin
According to a recent, supposedly-confirmed email sent to Destructoid, Until Dawn is getting a DLC expansion which is currently being market-tested in the UK. FacebookGoogle+TwitterLinkedin
With just over three months to go before Fallout 4 is released on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, some of us are pretty excited about the idea of heading into a post-apocalyptic Boston...
Far Cry 4 is an open-world shooter that puts you in the shoes of American-born Ajay Ghale, son of the now-deceased founder of a revolutionary militia that represents one side of a civil war...


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As the population of citizens investing through cryptocurrencies had already grown, the sporting world has begun to notice, and athletes have started to purchase cryptocurrencies. There is a lot of scope in sports in definitions of blockchain, and we’re here to look into it. The industry has matured, and cryptocurrency has begun to make headway into the sports world. The sports industry embraced cryptocurrency of open arms because users were quick to accept it. People have been receptive to this new payment method, and many in the sporting world have given it a try.
Cryptocurrency first gained traction in the casino industry with sports betting websites but instead gambling companies. These websites and businesses began to accept virtual currency as payment, but users started to pay in digital currency. Furthermore, Crypto is used by a variety of companies, not just large corporations. Several people can find a barter system that will allow them to begin trading on such a small scale. Many industries have noticed cryptocurrency, and it is believed that virtual currencies are making sandwiches to limitless possibilities.
While recognizing the potential effect of global technological advancements, Powell cautioned that cryptocurrencies, bitcoin, and some other innovations “may indeed carry possible hazards to those users and indeed the broadening financial system.” As technology progressed, “Similarly, we must pay close attention to the proper regulatory as well as oversight framework. This involves paying attention to secret payment innovators who are not currently regulated in the same way that banks, financial institutions, and other economic agents are.”
Powell’s remarks demonstrated how concerned the Fed is about the rise in popularity but instead the market value of non-traditional foreign exchange like here, particularly as it considers developing a printed download US dollar, the nation’s central bank currency.
A lot of media clubs have been giving out tokens that also are disbursed among fans. Enthusiasts could use the tickets to purchase merchandise, cast votes, and receive rewards. The goal of these teams is to create a strong community that brings together fans from around the world. Fans will continue to consider making certain decisions using cryptocurrency as well.
In the sports industry, it’s also been used to build more robust populations and foundations worldwide. When the Pakistan Super League’s 27th season began, it was announced that seven of its clubs would be sponsored and in the form of cryptocurrencies. Given the clubs’ enormous popularity and acclaim over the years, this is a significant achievement. Any action taken by these leagues will be received positively, and with this move, individuals have outlined Bitcoin’s enormous potential.
There was another game-changing announcement from two major sports teams. The Sacramento Kings were the first to accept payment transactions, and they immediately set up their debit cards. Later, another well-known and well-known group, the Mavericks, agreed to begin receiving the same modes of insurance. These teams will sell their merchandise for cryptocurrency. This concept will lead to meaningful initiatives. Given the enormous popularity of all these venues and the enormous enchantment of sports, this is a significant move.
Soccer, the world’s most successful sport, has appeared in the cryptocurrency industry, which should come as no surprise. European football teams are indeed up for a new challenge. According to a well-known player, Crypto is the way of the future, and it will only succeed in its reach in the years ahead. This is because devolution is what people want, and it will shape the country of the entire global financial system. Many folks will want to avoid government accountability and control, and Crypto will be seen as the best way to do so.
Its proposal, which was made public as part of such a policy report outlining the Biden president’s $1.2 trillion IRS enforcement offer to boost tax revenues, would give the IRS more resources to deal with digital currency. In addition to reporting cryptocurrency transfers of $1 million or more, which would be similar to bank reports of similar-sized income support, the Treasury proposed that financial institutions and custodians still report bank interest and dividends instead of brokerage purchases Internal revenue service. Depending on whether the capital requirements are structured, the government may learn more about US corporations swindled to pay hackers mercenaries, almost always in cryptocurrency, to regain authority of their Information systems.


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First Acura to be built in Alabama will make its debut in Detroit
Acura, which is Honda's luxury division, has scheduled the debut for 9:40 a.m. at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Watch a live webcast of the event.
Although it's a prototype, the vehicle unveiled today is expected to look almost exactly like the one that will roll out of the Alabama plant.
This will be the first Acura built in Alabama, a key milestone for Honda's 4,000-worker factory in Talladega County.
The MDX is Acura's top U.S. seller, with sales of more than 50,000 last year.


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Dell said it has agreed to buy Zing Systems, a Mountain View, Calif. company that provides wireless download technology for mp3 or digital players. The terms were undisclosed.
Dell said it bought the company (see statement) to help its consumer business, but did not specify what devices would be supported with Zing’s WiFi access technology.
Although Zing doesn’t solve the wireless download problem for Apple’s iPod/iPhone, it does it for other mp3 or digital players, such as the Sansa (image left) from Sandisk, and Stiletto satellite radio players from Sirius. We covered the company’s launch here.
It had raised $13 million earlier this year from IDG Ventures Boston and Redpoint Ventures, for a total of just under $20 million in backing.
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How to install ductless exhaust fans to reduce emissions
The best way to cut emissions is to get the most out of your car, but it can be a challenge to get that work done right, especially if you have a high-end sports car.
A new study from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University at Buffalo has shown how exhaust fans can help.
The study analyzed emissions from 441 Ford F-150 pickup trucks and found that a ductless fan installed on a stock exhaust fan would reduce the average emissions by about 12% over the previous year.
The findings are important because they’re a result of the work of a company called PEC.
PEC is a startup based in China that is building a product to control exhaust fan airflow.
It works by attaching a sensor that measures airflow from the exhaust fan to the air intake to track the amount of heat coming out of the exhaust system.
The results are used to design new exhaust fans.
PEC has been testing the ductless fans on some of its trucks, and has found they reduce emissions by 13%.
The researchers then tested whether they could control the airflow of the fan by attaching ductless ducting to the exhaust vent holes, a move that would require a different kind of duct.
The researchers found that installing ductless gear improves the airflow by about 9%, a big difference.
That means that the ducting that is in place actually helps reduce the exhaust emissions by a little bit.
The ductless venting is also more efficient at blocking the exhaust from venting air directly into the air inlet of the car, which is what the exhaust fans are designed to do.
There are other benefits, too.
Pec’s study found that exhaust fans with ductless performance are 50% less likely to cause engine damage than the fans without ducting.
While ductless technology is becoming more common in the car industry, it’s still rare to see it installed in vehicles built for the road.
The PEC ductless products are made of a polymer and are about the size of a tennis racket.
I would have liked to see this technology come to my car as soon as possible, said Richard Stromberg, director of the Center for Energy and Environment at the University in Buffalo.
If PEC does succeed in developing a product that can be installed in a new car, it could have a significant impact on the world’s air quality.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, annual global air quality is responsible for about 2.5 million premature deaths, with the United States ranking last in the world, and China and India as the top two emitters.


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CHIPMAKER Intel has addressed its well-publicised CPU shortage, blaming the issue on the "unexpected return to growth of the PC industry."
Until now, Intel hasn't said much about the shortage, other than putting out a short statement acknowledging the "stronger than expected demand" for 14nm chips.
While the firm has remained tight-lipped, reports have claimed that the firm's firm's delay in advancing to 10nm has seen it struggle to meet capacity in-house, with its overall 14nm chip supply falling short of demand by as much as 50 per cent.
This is likely to disrupt vendors' notebook shipment plans for the second half of 2018, reports noted, with others claiming that Intel plans to outsource some 14nm production to TSMC in order to help it meet demand.
In a letter put out on Friday, Bob Swan, Intel CFO and interim CEO, has blamed the now-confirmed shortage on the surprising growth of PC industry, which he says is being driven by "strong demand for gaming as well as commercial systems."
He also shifts some blame to the "continued explosion of data and the need to process, store, analyse and share it", which saw Intel's data-centric businesses grew 25 per cent in the first half of 2018.
Going forward, Swan says, Intel plans to prioritize the premium market, including Xeon and Core processors, so it "can serve the high-performance segments of the market."
Beyond that, the company plans to invest $15bn in capital expenditures this year, including $1bn going toward the manufacture of 14nm silicon in the US, Ireland and Israel.
"That said, supply is undoubtedly tight, particularly at the entry-level of the PC market," Swan added.
Beyond confirming that it continues to expect volume production for its 10nm chips in 2019, the firm hasn't said when it expects 14nm production to be back on track. According to Brit PC maker Novatech, however, the CPU shortage will affect the forthcoming launch of Intel's ninth-generation Core processors and unlikely will be resolved until "2019 at the earliest".
And although Intel's announcement helped raise share prices by 2.6 per cent following the post, it might not be enough to convince OEMs to continue business instead of flocking to rival AMD.
According to reports, Team Red is on track to snaffle 30 per cent of the desktop CPU market in the fourth quarter of 2018. µ
The ARCHER2 will hit a high supercomputing target come 2020
He'll be fine, as long as he uses the BEST words
Just remember, by today's standards, probably a load of old twaddle
Daydream becomes a nightmare as firm calls time on VR initiative


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Pending bills take aim at licensing rules for Texas business owners
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- James Jeffrey
(Page 2 of 3)
Roofing contractors have been at the forefront of the regulatory debate for the last seven sessions — in each of which licensing legislation has been proposed and failed.
Most agree the latest roofing licensure bills have a better chance this session; they’re not as strict and are backed by two respected and capable sponsors.
The Roofing Contractors Association of Texas, a statewide trade group of roofing and waterproofing contractors, applauds the attempt to crack down on bad practices in the industry and protect homeowners, Executive Director Vera Samperi says.
Texas and Georgia are the only coastal states — where the need for roofing work is more prevalent due to weather — without licensing, Samperi says. She’s heard horror stories of roofing contractors known as storm chasers taking $3,000 up front to buy materials and then disappearing.
But others argue the legislation is unfair. Only 25 percent of the industry, specifically that portion predominately made up of Hispanic businesses, would be affected, says Frank Fuentes, chairman of the U.S. Hispanic Contractors Association. Most of the legislation’s weight falls on startups, also, because businesses 10 years or older are excluded.
Any regulation of business creates costs that trickle down to consumers, Fuentes says. The proposed roofing legislation would create a system for resolving complaints in which roofers across the state would have to come to Austin and hire lawyers to defend licenses on which their livelihoods depend.
“These bills will immediately eliminate thousands of jobs, curtail competition in the industry, and put many small- and minority-owned companies out of business.” says Jon Conner, owner of J-Conn Roofing & Repair Service Inc. and president of the Texas Independent Roofing Contractors Association. “It benefits insurance companies, a few large roofing companies and high-paid lobbyists.”
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A SaaS revolution is sweeping the world - and it has reached India as well. Forrester, the IT research firm, estimates that by 2016, the SaaS or 'software as a service' space will account for 26 per cent of the total packaged software market, with global revenues of $92.8 billion. (The SaaS phenomenon locates a wide of range of software in an Internet cloud, which those who need to can access, instead of installing the software on their computers.)
The big shift to SaaS, to be sure, has major software firms such as Microsoft changing their offerings. But, in India, the revolution is being spearheaded largely by young start-up companies rather than the established giants. Quick to gauge the tremendous potential SaaS holds for the small and medium business segment - who may find installing expensive software beyond their means - most SaaS start-ups have networked with other start-ups across sectors through referrals, word-of-mouth publicity and online marketing.
Founder: C.S.N. Murthy
Started in: 2007
Product: Kookoo - provides cloud-based telephony services
Subscription cost: Starts from Rs 2,000 per month, depends on usage
First client: Trident Hyundai
Competitors: On-premise solutions
These synergies are helping SaaS companies grow quickly. Reach Accountant, for instance, which offers accounting services in the cloud, started in early 2008, and already has over 150 clients. Nevales, a network security solutions provider which began operations only last year, has netted over 100 clients. These vendors seem to have filled a niche in a scenario where small companies often have apprehensions over signing up for products and services offered by corporations.
"I do not think bigger companies are friendly to start-ups," says Shivkumar Ganesan who runs Roopit, a classified service start-up. "When you are serviced by another start-up, you feel the comfort of going to a kirana store over a Big Bazaar outlet."
Interviewstreet Technologies, begun in 2009, is another cloud-based start-up. It helps in assessing job candidates online. Says Binny Bansal of online retailer Flipkart, which too began only three-and -a-half years ago, and soon became Interviewstreet's first client: "We just love their dedication and receptiveness."
For most start-ups, the cost benefit is the most important. On-premise software solutions - or installing the required software in the organisation's network - are way too expensive for young companies.
They often involve complicated procedures as well, unsuited to a young company: having to pay upfront, for instance, installing servers and power backup. Using SaaS, young companies can save at least 50-60 per cent of the cost of ownership of an on-premise software solution. "A talent management solution may typically cost over `25 lakh and take 12 to 18 months to implement," says Shyam Sunder, Chief Knowledge Officer at Ramco, a Chennai tech company that offers a cloud-based enterprise resource planning, or ERP, SaaS solution. "By then most of your talented people may have left you."
Value in Verticals For the cloud-based start-ups, a niche focus is a good strategy to enter the market and compete against the packaged suites offered by larger IT vendor s, says Sat i s h Kataria, Managing Director at Springboard Ventures, a company which offers mentoring and other services to start-ups.
Take Synage Software. It started as a web design and development company in 2005. A few years later, it needed a software solution for a collaboration project, but could not find it anywhere in the market. That was the motivation to develop a product on its own, DeskAway - with which Synage Software turned itself into a product company in 2007. After using the product for its own project, says Sahil Parekh, Synage's founder, the company went on to grab a few former Web design clients which were also very young companies. Synage is the only Indian company operating in this space. All his competitors - Basecamp, GoPlan, Central Desktop and others - are foreign.
Apart from saving on costs, client start-ups also find the cloud vendors very useful for their hiring, project management and accounting tasks. "It empowers them and helps them scale up their IT infrastructure as per the pace of the business," says Alok Mittal, Managing Director, Canaan Partners. Harshil Karia, Founder, Foxymoron, a digital marketing company, remembers doing a project for Cadbury's when his start-up was only a few months old. It called for immense planning and careful allocation of tasks and DeskAway proved particularly useful for him.
Founders: Ravishankar, Kaushik Thakkar and Sunija Rishi
Started in: 2010
Product: Subscription-based network security solutions for SMEs
Subscription cost: Rs 2,500 per month
First client: Nutech Industrial Spares and Services
Clients: Over 100
Competitors: Cyberoam, Sonicwall, Watchguard, Fortinet
"No software vendor in India offers a parallel product," he says. "There were a few foreign vendors but since this was a home grown solution, we went in for it and now we are quite used to it."Kick the clunky
There are other fixes SaaS vendors offer, too. Shashank N.D., founder of Practo. com, a two-year-old start-up offering clinic management solutions to doctors, found it extremely difficult to compute 'tax deduction at source' or TDS, and service tax with Tally, a software accountants in India widely use. Shashank also did not want to give away the entire design of the product he needed to any vendor. He found Reach Accountant two months back. This application allows a company to directly make all income and expenditure entries, which accountants can remotely verify and work out all taxes payable at the month-end. It proved a perfect fit for Shashank.
Start-up vendors have an easier time with the shorter sales cycles as well. "Small and medium businesses, or SMBs find us online, check the product, sign up and start using without even contacting us," says Parekh of Synage.
SMBs find SaaS start-ups particularly useful because they need products with intricate customisation. Bigger vendors cannot address such requirements without incurring overheads which they would, in turn, pass on to the client.
"We have a support team which is constantly in touch with clients and addresses any customisation demand," says C.S.N. Murthy, founder of Ozonetel Systems, a cloud telephony services company which started in 2007. Murthy and team have created two SaaS applications using a home-grown hosted telephony platform.
Start-up clients working with startup vendors find it much easier to sort out niggling issues. Adhil Shetty, Founder, Bank Bazaar, a two-and-a-half year-oldstart-up, was at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur six months ago, looking for software programmers. He screened 80 candidates and shortlisted 30 for final interviews using customised tests developed by Interviewstreet.
Founder: Sahil Parekh
Started in: 2005
Product: DeskAway, a SaaS application providing a central system to collaborate and track work virtually
Subscription cost: Rs 500 to Rs 5,000 per month, depending on usage
First client: Parksons Games & Sports
Clients: Around 700
Competitors: Basecamp, GoPlan, Zoho Projects, Central Desktop
Shetty knew its founder, Vivek Ravishankar from before, through a mutual friend at online retailer Amazon. "At the outset, there were a few problems: the tests would crash before candidates completed them. However, we were able to iron out the wrinkles within six months," says Shetty. Beyond SMB
With an estimated 2.5 million SMBs in the country, this segment is large enough a market for the cloud vendors. But will they ever graduate to the bigger companies? Some start-ups, after having consolidated themselves, are now eyeing the big corporate pie. i-Web technologies, for instance, which provides SaaSbased solutions related to customer relationship management, and is three years old, today boasts clients like the Life Insurance Corporation of India. "It adds to the credibility of start-ups if they have big corporates as clients," says venture investor Kataria.
Synage is working on a non-SMB or enterprise version of DeskAway which will target larger companies, charging them more too. DeskAway already has clients like Etihad Airways, World Bank and Nasscom. But its focus will still remain the SMB market, Parekh says.
Founder: Robin Moses
Started in: 2008
Product: SaaS-based accounting software
Subscription cost: Rs 999 to Rs 2,999 per month, depending on usage
First client: Robots Alive
Competitors: Tally and other desktop software
Companies may prefer to keep critical business applications out of the cloud. It is for this reason, according to the Forrester survey, that SaaS business applications will never take over 100 per cent of the packaged business application market. Companies would prefer hybrid models, with business-critical, competitive applications staying onpremise.
Thus, Flipkart, which is using Interviewstreet, faces no security issue in getting software programmers screened through a cloud application. But, for processes like call centre management systems, it continues to use on-premise software.
The choice for small companies is clear: either spend heavily on complex on-premise solutions or use 'pay-as-yougo' SaaS solutions. The younger and smaller a company is, the more it would prefer the latter.
While cloud-based SaaS companies are empowering users to scale up, investors say their spread in the market will depend on the distinctiveness of these applications. Kataria at Springboard Ventures, who is currently screening eight start-ups with cloud applications, to choose one, cites the example of iDuple. com. It offers a package of a handheld device with a browser and all necessary web software required by an SME or start-up on the cloud. "That is the kind of differentiation needed," he says.
Concludes Mittal of Canaan Partners, which recently invested in two start-ups: "Start-ups should look for application areas that would not be possible without the cloud. It is those applications that will be the game changers."


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Aeon to buy Carrefour's Malaysian business - Nikkei
Oct 26 (Reuters) - Japanese retailer Aeon Co is set to acquire France-based Carrefour SA's Malaysian business for slightly more than 20 billion yen ($250 million) as part of its push into Southeast Asia, the Nikkei said.
The deal, which is expected to be completed by next week, will make Aeon, Japan's No.1 supermarket operator, one of the biggest retailers in Malaysia, the business daily reported.
Carrefour, the world's No. 2 retailer, has been struggling to come up with cash to cut debt and fund the revival of its struggling European hypermarkets.
The company said in August it would shut its two stores in Singapore by the end of this year.
Carrefour made the announcement two years after it unsuccessfully tried to sell its operations in Singapore and Malaysia.
Aeon, which has overseas operations in mainland China, Hong Kong and Thailand, plans to open stores in Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia, Nikkei said. ($1 = 80.1650 Japanese yen) (Reporting by Prateek Kumar in Bangalore; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)
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All About GTA 6 .. One of the most popular games, Grand Theft Auto (GTA) version 5 was released in 2013. GTA fans expect the new game to be released soon, taking into account the last 6 years. A lot of news and rumors about this issue are put forward.
However, no official explanation has yet been released from the game developer Rockstar Games. Every implicit statement from the company and sources close to them arouses excitement. We have compiled the most up-to-date news for you.
Rockstar Games recently introduced Red Dead Redemption 2 to their computers. It is said that the next big move is to publish GTA 6. The reason for this is that the company usually renews the most popular games every 4-5 years.
It is now time for GTA 6. But the company did not share any clear information about the features of this new release. However, the game was understood with various news that was being worked on. An Indian artist wrote GTA 6 on his resume, which reinforced these claims. However, rumors that the game will be released in 2019 and announcements remained fruitless. Some sources refer to internal sources as the date of release may be 2021-22.
Many predictions have been made about where the new GTA will pass. GTA 5’s return to Los Angeles arranged for players to return to Vince City. But there are also opinions that the company wants to put all of its cities into one game.
Some officials of the company had given the green light to London again in previous years. According to some sources, the new game can pass between Vince City and South America. In addition, the characters in the new game will have subtitles in their native language is spoken.


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As a distributed ledger, blockchain technology is well-suited to providing an immutable, transparent, censorship-free database of record, thus reducing fraud in a wide range of industries and practices.
And that is particularly true in the art world, where the blockchain is already being used, primarily to authenticate high-value works. But that’s not the only way blockchain can affect the world of art, collectibles, and luxury goods.
A transparent platform for creators and collectors, Portion today announced its blockchain-based global auction house. Backed with $5.5 million in funding from institutional investors, Portion aims to provide creators, collectors, and bidders with a certifiably authentic means of exchanging high-value goods in return for cryptocurrency.
Be aware though — this is not an attempt to create a blockchain-powered eBay.
“Portion is very much focused on the higher end of the market,” Portion cofounder Peter Engleman told me. “The first platform to launch in a few months will cater directly to notable artists. The future state of Portion will expand to include physical goods as we continue to develop mechanisms that provably link a physical good with its Blockchain Certificate. The Blockchain Certificate is a unique token standard that verifies authenticity and initiates the record of provenance for future transferences.”
More than 80,000 people fall victim to non-payment or non-delivery in online auctions each year, costing those affected over $138 million. And that is just one type of online auction fraud, which has remained in the top five types of internet crime the FBI has dealt with every year for the last nine years.
Using the blockchain, it is possible to ensure goods are ratified and certified and that payments are made. Every transaction registered with Portion is facilitated by this technology, creating transparency of ownership and the final prices paid for all goods.
And by exclusively accepting cryptocurrency, Portion can validate proof of funds in real time, only allowing users to bid on items when they have sufficient funds in place. Once the auction is complete, funds are held in a smart contract and released upon the winner receiving possession of the goods.
So what goods will be available on Portion?
“Portion is launching a platform for artists to create crypto art and crypto collectibles,” Engleman said. “Focusing on respected artists in the community, Portion will cater to its community of users by offering high-quality work from these renowned creatives and creators. In the future, Portion will work with these same artists and creators to offer physical goods from creator to consumer.”
Portion has created a three-step process to ensure goods are authentic and appropriately represented. Authentication is initially granted through its partners, and all users are interviewed and asked to provide references and demonstrate their credibility before they are given the ability to create Portion’s Blockchain Certificates.
Will having such a stringent policy to authenticate everything on the platform, along with the creators producing the available goods, hurt the platform’s scalability?
“After crypto art and crypto collectibles, Portion will scale outward to include other arts and collectible verticals,” Engleman said. “By working with brands directly, who initiate the provenance of luxury goods, Portion limits the future need for re-authentication. Goods outside Portion’s registry will utilize the network of authenticators worldwide. By initially focusing on creator-to-consumer, it is simple to scale on Portion’s platform. However, ensuring quality is more important than purely the volume of transactions.”
So what’s next for Portion?”
“Portion will launch [its] first platform within the next few months,” Engleman said. “Imagine a marketplace specifically for digital impressions of art that fluctuate in real time as users buy and sell. As cryptocurrency enthusiasts continue to find new means of diversifying into new and exciting assets, crypto art has become a top contender. Portion will then strategically enter the physical goods space connecting creators to collectors.”
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Facelifted Toyota Fortuner TRD Sportivo Revealed
It looks sportier with blacked-out details and red accents
Update (06/01/2021): Toyota has launched the facelifted Fortuner with prices beginning from Rs 29.98 lakh (ex-showroom). Read more about it here.
Toyota unveiled the facelifted Fortuner earlier this year in Thailand.
It has now unveiled the sportier TRD Sportivo version in Indonesia.
Its cosmetic updates include sportier bumpers and new alloy wheels.
Pre-facelift Fortuner also gets a TRD variant in India with a few added features.
Regular facelifted model as well as the TRD Sportivo are expected to be launched in India by early-2021.
The facelifted Toyota Fortuner made its international debut in Thailand and is expected to arrive in India by early-2021. While the Thai market got an additional sportier Legender variant, the TRD Sportivo version of the updated Fortuner SUV has now been unveiled in Indonesia. Of the two, only the TRD Sportivo version is expected to come to India since the pre-facelift model here also comes with that variant.
Toyota has given the Fortuner a minor cosmetic update with an updated front bumper, tweaked rear bumper, and new alloy wheel design. The TRD Sportivo variant gets blacked-out details as opposed to the silver elements seen on the standard versions of the facelifted SUV. That includes a tweaked grille, sleek headlamps, sportier bumpers and dual-tone alloys. It also gets red accents above the grille and on the TRD Sportivo decals.
It gets a few design changes around the back too with tweaked tail lamps and a sportier bumper. The cabin updates for the facelifted Fortuner are more subtle with an all-dark theme, ambient lighting, a 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and a roof-mounted rear entertainment unit. Since the current TRD Sportivo offers a 360-degree camera, expect the facelifted version to offer it too. The Fortuner continues to miss out on a sunroof, unlike its rivals.
The updated Toyota Fortuner is likely to carry forward the same engines as the current model in India. That includes the 2.8-litre diesel and 2.7-litre petrol engines with a choice of manual and automatic transmissions. Only the diesel engine gets the option of a 4x4 drivetrain with both gearbox options. Since the TRD version entails cosmetic changes only, it will be powered by the same set of engines.
Toyota is expected to price the facelifted model at a premium over the current Fortuner that retails between Rs 28.66 lakh and Rs 36.88 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The TRD will be the range-topping model as is the case right now. It will continue to rival the likes of the Ford Endeavour, Mahindra Alturas G4, and the recently launched MG Gloster.
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Ambarella Inc. (Nasdaq: AMBA), a small-cap leader in video compression and processing technology, is up 75.6% since Jan. 1, 2014, and is set for further gains in 2015.
In 2015 Ambarella will be a great play on the breakout market for wearable technology. Juniper Research forecasts industry sales of $19 billion by 2018. That's a nearly 15-fold increase from 2013, when Berg Insight says sales hit $1.4 billion.
Ambarella is also the brains behind the GoPro Inc. (Nasdaq: GPRO) helmet video camera popular in action sports. But it's no one-trick pony. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company also supplies chips used in ultra-high-definition television (UHDTV), backup cameras for the "connected car," and web-based video surveillance.


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Dodge expanding ‘Roadkill Nights’ for Woodward Dream Cruise
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV is promising to bring muscle car-mania back to the Woodward Dream Cruise by significantly expanding its “Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge.”
The company on Tuesday officially announced the pop-up car festival and drag racing event will return to Pontiac on Aug. 19 — the eve of the Woodward Dream Cruise — and also include a stop at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas, on June 18.
In 2015, more than 10,000 people attended the free event in the parking lot of the Pontiac Silverdome. It included hundreds of classic and custom cars parked in the vacated stadium’s massive parking lot; thrill rides with professional drivers in Dodge Viper SRT and Dodge Charger and Challenger SRT Hellcat models; and hours of drag races.
Few details were given about this year’s event in Metro Detroit, but Dodge and SRT boss Tim Kuniskis said it will be at a new location and be five times larger than the first-ever event in 2015.
“Do not miss Dream Cruise this year,” Kuniskis, Fiat Chrysler’s head of passenger car brands for North America, told The Detroit News on the sidelines of the New York International Auto Show earlier this year. “We’re doing a really, really cool event. It will be five times the size.”
Kuniskis and a company spokesperson both declined to comment on the new location, but the Tuesday announcement says the event will stay in Pontiac.
The drag racing, thrill rides and muscle cars are all expected to return for this year’s event “bigger and better” than last year, according to Kuniskis.
One of the main draws for last year’s event included consumers being allowed to competitively drag race on a custom-built one-eighth-mile strip, followed by a drag racing competition that awarded the owner of the fastest vehicle a 707-horsepower Hellcat engine with transmission and wiring harness.
“It was a huge, huge success,” Kuniskis said. “This is not supposed to be a Dodge event. This is supposed to be a celebration of performance cars. No matter what you drive, if you’re into performance cars, come and celebrate that with us.
“Now that, of course, has some natural bleed over because I want the competitive drivers and owners to come and say, ‘hey your brand’s cool, you’ve got great stuff.’ ”
This year, TEN: The Enthusiast Network – which publishes magazines like Hot Rod and Motor Trend – is giving away cash prizes to drivers of Dodge cars who finish in first-, second-, third- and fourth-place at each event.


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Penske Truck Leasing, headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania, has ordered 100 compressed natural gas (CNG) Freightliner Cascadia tractors equipped with Cummins Westport 12-liter engines. The natural gas tractors will be used by Penske’s full-service truck leasing and commercial truck rental customers at various locations across the United States.
“Many full-service truck leasing customers continue to evaluate using natural gas vehicles (NGVs) within their truck fleets while others are quickly adopting the use of NGVs to meet their sustainability goals,” said Penske Truck Leasing’s Art Vallely, Executive Vice President of Operations. “We’re encouraged by the interest we are seeing from customers with regard to NGVs and we are fully capable of assisting any fleet with their natural gas powered truck needs.”
75 of the 100 trucks will be used for full service lease customers and 25 will be set aside for commercial rental customers. Public Relations Manager Alen Beljin told NGV Global News delivery is planned for September this year. Penske Truck Leasing estimates that before the year’s end it will have more than 200 natural gas tractors within its fleet.
Penske Truck Leasing offers fleet operators considering natural gas trucks: vehicle specification expertise, lease financing, grant application assistance, a nationwide network of maintenance facilities, and more than two decades of experience maintaining fleets of commercial natural gas vehicles. Beljin added that Penske has developed a natural gas vehicle testing unit to assist with market promotion and provision of information for interested customers. Penske client Waxie
Penske Truck Leasing Co., L.P. is a joint venture of Penske Corporation, Penske Automotive Group and General Electric Capital Corporation.


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When the solar eclipse hit Europe last week, Oreo shone bright with a clever campaign that integrated print, social, and even billboards.
With the help of a team of St. Bernard dogs and some smart social media, mophie hatched a plan to rescue dying smartphones at SXSW.
Organic Valley departs from it’s usual approach to marketing in its hilarious and unexpected “Save the Bros” campaign.
Converse is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its most iconic shoe with a powerful campaign that puts community at its center.
Social media was abuzz this weekend as millions tuned into the Oscars. A few brands in particular stood out on the social media red carpet.
More and more companies are using cinemagraphs (GIF/video hybrids) to spice up their visual content and spark social media engagement.
Newcastle made good on their promise of a crowdfunded, 37-brand Super Bowl spot. How did they do with the final result? You be the judge.
Nike may be no stranger to celebrating milestones, but “Your Year With Nike” speaks volumes to the value of strategically using data to reward and inspire your community.
Newcastle’s innovative use of crowdfunding could mean 30 brands will share Super Bowl air time… and its notoriously high cost.
The BBC has re-branded its program for sharing 15-second news clips via social media and expanded to new channels. The result is powerful.
BMW borrows Snapchat’s five-second visual strategy for their unique, addictive holiday greeting tool.
For anyone who has ever received a holiday gift that was so far off the mark, this one’s for you. Inspired by “rubbish gifts,” UK-based luxury fashion retailer Harvey Nichols has launched a new campaign called, “Could I Be Any Clearer?” While the goal is to help its customers get […]
The best stories are often deeply personal. This sentiment is exemplified in KLM’s new “Cover Greetings” video. Filmed at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, the video showcases how KLM surprised passengers with something special and unexpected – handwritten messages from loved ones. While it’s such a simple concept, the video is both […]
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir is debuting #TheOneThing Facecast, a one-minute newscast produced exclusively for Facebook. The newscast has already been gaining popularity due to the snackable nature of the content and the strength of Facebook video among users.
Land Rover’s recent debut of The Vanishing Game, a 17,000 word story by British novelist and screenwriter, William Boyd, takes the concept of brand storytelling to exciting new levels. The story, which describes a driving adventure from London to the southern tip of Skye in Scotland, is hosted on a […]


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Just as parenting is a capital and labor intensive endeavor, so too is raising a brand — especially one experiencing a growth spurt.
Last week prenatal nutrition company Premama announced the official close of a $3.25 million Series B round in March of 2017. In total, the brand has raised $4.65 million over the last 18 months. The Series B round was led River Hollow Partners, while Series A lead investor Cherrystone Angel Group also took part.
“The more we looked at the market and how Premama was seeking to disrupt an existing category in prenatal vitamins, and evolve into a new, broader category of Maternity wellness, we knew we wanted to be a part of it,” Charlie Baynes-Reid, Partner at River Hollow told NOSH.
Premama products a line of fertility, prenatal and lactation supplements designed for mothers. The company was founded in 2011 and has grown to include eight SKUs, including drink mixes, gummy vitamins and vitamin chews.
President and founder Dan Aziz told NOSH that the need for another round of capital less than two years after its Series A was prompted by the brand’s recent retail growth. Premama raised their Series A in September 2015 in order to help support its launch into 2500 CVS locations. Yet the company soon expanded to be in 8000 retailers, including 1,500 Target locations as of April 2017.
“The funding needs for marketing correspond to the increase in points of retail distributions and also in terms of increase in total number of SKUs we’re selling and also the need to grow the team to support all of that,” Aziz said. “As we’re adding more products, as we’re adding more retailers, there’s obviously a lot more to stay on top of.”
Over the past year, Premama also expanded their product line beyond prenatal care to lactation and fertility support. The company, Aziz said, hopes to be with women for every step of the maternity journey, from trying to conceive, to pregnancy, and on to breastfeeding. He added that these these additions have strategically increased the value of each customer without increasing marketing cost.
“When we were just in powdered prenatal… we just had the customer for just seven months,” Aziz said. “So the first SKU’s we expanded to in 2015 [targeted] fertility and lactation, which expanded our customer lifetime value from seven month period to a 24 month period and drastically increased the actual dollar value because they could be buying multiple products at once.”
Adding products also is a way to continue to grow sales at retailers, such as GNC, where the line is already chain-wide.
Going forward, Aziz says the company plans to continue to focus on growing in grocery and mass chains, as well as increase sell through with existing consumers. The majority of the funding, roughly two thirds, will go towards marketing while the rest will be used for inventory and growing the brand’s five-person team.


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OnePlus says it will launch a 5G phone next year, hopes to be part of first wave
- Carl Pei has confirmed OnePlus will release a 5G phone next year.
- The executive says OnePlus will be among the first companies to release a 5G device.
- This suggests the phone will be released early in the year.
OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei has confirmed the company will release a 5G phone next year. Speaking at the Qualcomm 4G/5G Summit in Hong Kong, Pei said he expects OnePlus to be either the first or one of the first companies to release a 5G device, reports Engadget.
This comes soon after Qualcomm president Cristiano Amon reportedly said he expects at least two major flagships to arrive with Qualcomm’s 5G radio next year: one in the first half of the year, and one in the holiday season.
At the moment, it is thought OEMs will begin to release 5G devices in early 2019.
In recent years, OnePlus has launched phones in May or June and October or November. Should the company stick to its twice-yearly release schedule and still be one of the first to release a 5G phone, it is likely that the May release would have to be the one that includes a version with 5G support.
Alternatively, the company could be working on a separate 5G model. This would allow it to release a 5G device even earlier in the year while sticking to May and November for its regular releases.
The list of manufacturers thought to be working on 5G devices appears to be growing by the day. LG has confirmed it will release a device with Sprint, while HUAWEI has said it is working on a foldable phone with 5G support.


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The heat from Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ have not yet gone away but we are already getting rumors about the next gen. So Samsung!
According to a rumor, Samsung Galaxy S9 will be using a new screen technology codenamed ‘Sunflower’. The rumor originated in China.
If this rumor is at all true, Samsung has been very clever to tackle the red tint issue with S8 and S8+ first in the next generation of the S-series.
Owing to the Note 7 ‘issues’, users were mainly focussed on the battery of S8/S8+. But another visible issue took everyone by surprise. Their screen turned reddish.
This is what one of the S8 users said at an online community,”After I read that there are many reddish panels, I checked mine. I was also unlucky. Should I change it?”.
Samsung confirmed that the device does not have any display issue but it can be merely adjusted via Settings. Samsung was not really true about it. It was because of color balance issue which the company might have overlooked in the rush of production.
Also read: Apple Car 2020
Samsung released an OTA update for the color issue. They also allowed users to exchange their handsets for a brand new Galaxy S8/S8+.
This was the only major issue with the handset. There were also a bunch of other reported issue. Luckily none of them were harmful.
Here is a list of the issues that were found on surveying online forums:
- Reboot issues: The phone reboots (restarts) without asking it to do so. It’s not an issue if the phone is idle. But if you are in the middle of a work or an important download, you tend to loose your temper.
- Boot loop issues: What’s worse than a reboot? A reboot on a loop.
- Bluetooth issue: Besides being the audio comparatively lower than other phones, the phone has also been reported to shut down when trying to connect to a Bluetooth speaker.
- Fingerprint sensor: I’m not really shocked about this one cause I have seen many other phones facing issues with fingerprint sensors.
- SMS Notifications: Users have complained that they don’t get notified on receiving an SMS.
Also read: Foldable Pixel 5 2020
I know it’s practically impossible to make a device with zero issues, but the lesser issues the better!


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Nike announced the launch of a new digital web3 community called .SWOOSH. The announcement was made on Nike’s corporate blog. Interestingly to those who are in the domain name space, the company is using a domain name from its .Nike branded TLD to host the website: Swoosh.Nike. Unlike .Swoosh, .Nike is an extension that can be reached on all web browsers.
I think it could be a bit confusing to operate a platform called .Swoosh on a .Nike domain name. In the blog post announcing the launch, Nike specifically mentioned the safety of using its own domain extension for the platform:


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Hiring Hub hires marketing manager
William Dolby has joined Hiring Hub in Manchester as the firm’s marketing manager.
He will work alongside co-founder, Simon Swan and marketing director, Stuart Browne.
“I’m delighted to get Will on board as it gives me more time to focus on the business, and how we go to market. Will has broad and proven experience that I’ve no doubt will prove valuable to Hiring Hub and, culturally, he’s fitted in brilliantly,” said Swan.
Dolby joins from investment bank, Brown Shipley, where he headed up its digital marketing. Before that he was at Brother UK.
“I am excited to be joining Hiring Hub at this stage in its journey – it represents a huge opportunity for any digital marketer. The team is fantastic and we have a series of campaigns to put Hiring Hub on the map over the next 12 months,” he said.


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Sony has announced that Android 5.0 Lollipop continues its journey to reach more devices and regions worldwide.
Xperia C3 March 30, 2015
Sony has introduced its Xperia C3 last month as the 'world's best selfie smartphone,' and now we have some pricing details for the handset.
Xperia C3 August 1, 2014
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New man, Leona Lewis? The former X Factor
champ certainly raised a few eyebrows when this pic of her kissing
a handsome stranger was released. Sadly, however, it's just a still
from her brand new music video, Trouble, which you can
watch below. It's released on 7 October ahead of the release
of her new album, Glassheart, which is out on 15 October.
LEONA'S NEW VIDEO HERE


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But now everyone has a Kindle or a Nook or an iPad. And how do you give an e-book? Sure, you can just hand over a gift card. But where's the fun in that? Here are nine ideas for turning an e-book into a gift you can wrap up and tuck under the tree.
Dethroned Myanmar beauty queen blasts pageant boss
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — A dethroned beauty queen from Myanmar said Tuesday she won't return her bejeweled $100,000 crown until pageant organizers apologize for calling her a liar and a thief. Full Story
( MARIO ANZUONI )
Jennifer Lawrence, other celebs hit by nude-photo leak
Reported phone hacking scheme results in celebrity photos leaking online; dozens of fake celeb photos posted as well.


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Olive Garden has backed away from , but a restaurant in the community remains on the table.
Chesterfield Township Supervisor Michael Lovelock said Monday night the chain no longer intends to build a restaurant in front of at Gratiot and 23 Mile Road.
"They're at a standstill right now," Lovelock said after the Board of Trustees meeting. "The parking might not have been sufficient for them."
He said Olive Garden did not give a specific reason for the abandoning plans to build there, but township officials believe parking is the main deterrent.
However, Lovelock said he received an email from restaurant representatives before the meeting in which the company inquired about another location in Chesterfield. The supervisor had encouraged residents to campaign for the business to come when it backed out of the Kohl's location.
He declined to say what area the chain is eyeing at this time. "They're still interested in our town."


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A PERFECT family day out is in store as the Festival City kicks off this weekend.
The carnival, which is part of Bahrain’s largest shopping festival – Shop Bahrain, will open to the public tomorrow at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir.
It will run until February 2 and feature a variety of activities and games for all age groups as well as a market and live performances.
There will also be raffle draws, surprise gifts and top prizes including brand new cars and discounted air tickets as part of Shop Bahrain.
The fifth edition of Shop Bahrain, which started on January 1, features the participation of 32 hotels and 24 shopping malls across the country and will run until February 2.
The Festival City will be open from 4pm to 10pm Sunday through Wednesday and from 4pm to 11pm on weekends.
The entrance fee is BD2.


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Apple iPhone 8 May Have A New Competition In Form Of Huawei, Mate 9 An Indication Of Huawei's Intentions
Apple iPhone 8 may find itself a new competitor in Huawei. Huawei is presently the third largest smartphone manufacturer with 33.6 million shipped devices in the third quarter. Richard Yu, chief executive of Huawei's consumer business group, told Reuters that Huawei wants to become world's second largest smartphone manufacturer beating Apple, which is currently at the second spot.
Apple commands a 12 percent market share with 45.5 million shipped devices and Samsung leads the pack with 20.1 percent market share and 75.3 million shipped devices. Huawei may be a new player in the smartphone segment but is a veteran in the building telecommunication networks. Huawei has been in the smartphone market for only four years. Yu said,
"When we announced four years ago that we wanted to sell phones, people told us we were crazy. When we said we wanted to sell 100 million phones, they said we were crazy."
Meanwhile, Huawei has recently launched a new premium phone, Mate 9 targeted at the European market. Huawei Mate 9 price is at 699 Euros. It has also launched a Mate 9 Porsche which is priced at 1,395 Euros. The Huawei Mate 9 is equipped with artificial intelligence feature. The AI can learn about the user's habit and automatically make the most used app easily available. As reported in GSM Arena.
Apple iPhone 8 will also have tough competition from Huawei regarding innovation. Yu has stated they will take on Apple iPhone 8 with their own innovations. Although Huawei Mate 9 is only equipped with AI, the smartphone maker plans to incorporate Virtual Reality, Augmented reality in the future phones.
The Cupertino is already being criticized for lack of innovation in its new iPhones and Samsung is dealing with the aftermath of Note 7 fiasco. Huawei has a window of opportunity to win over some loyal users. Interestingly, the smartphone giant is already number one player in the Finland market.
Over the years mobile industry has seen a fierce Apple Vs Samsung battle. With the entry of Huawei, the battle is about to get more intense.


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Google Pixel 7a India launch tipped, leaked hands-on video shows design similar to Pixel 6a
- A hands-on video of the yet-to-be -launched Google Pixel 7a has leaked.
- The Pixel 7a might have a similar camera module to the Pixel 6a.
- Google Pixel 7a India launch has been separately tipped.
To unseat Google’s Pixel a-series in the inexpensive Android phone category, you’ll need to make a unique offering. The Pixel 6a has excellent performance, produces stunning photographs, and won’t break the bank. Therefore, it makes sense that there is growing anticipation for its successor, the Google Pixel 7a, and the rumour mill has begun to churn and mutter about what to expect.
You should believe some of it, but how much? Is there still time for Google to surprise us with a change, or will this be a straightforward update? Here is all we currently know about the Pixel 7a, along with the features we’re hoping Google will add before the device is officially released.
Tech giant Google is planning to unveil its mid-range Pixel 7a in the coming months, and ahead of its launch, a leaked hands-on video of the upcoming smartphone has confirmed that it will come equipped with a 90Hz display, dual-SIM support, and a lot more. Separately, tipster Mukul Sharma has hinted in a tweet that the device will launch in India.
Earlier, noted tipster OnLeaks had shared the renders of the yet-to-be-launched smartphone in November last year. However, now slashleaks has posted this blurry hands-on video of the Google Pixel 7a, which looks like it has originated from a Facebook Group in Vietnam.
Pixel 7a release date and price rumours
Expect to learn about the Google Pixel 7a’s official release date at least a few weeks before Google actually reveals it, but that doesn’t mean we’re casting around in the dark for a potential day for the calendar. Going by Google’s prior experience with A-series phone releases, it will most likely be announced in the summer of 2023.
Release date for Pixel 6a: July 21, 2022
Release date for the Pixel 5a: August 26, 2021
Release date for the Pixel 4a: 20 August 2020
Release date for the Pixel 3a: 7 May 2019
As you can see, Google favours August most frequently, though it has also shown some interest in May and July. So it appears that July to August is the most likely period. It also lines up with the mainline Pixel series: The Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 both released in October, so it makes sense that the Pixel 7a will follow suit and do the same.
Right now, pricing is more of a mystery. The Pixel 6a launched at £399, which was £50 more expensive than the Pixel 4a (the Pixel 5a was never officially released in the UK), but £100 less expensive than the oddball Pixel 4a with 5G. We’d like to assume Google will attempt to maintain the price of the A-series model at the same level as the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, which replaced the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. However, given the current state of exchange rates and the expense of life generally, nothing should be taken for granted.
One of the biggest leaks to date came in December, when an “anonymous but reliable source” provided the Android Authority publication with a roadmap for Pixel smartphones from 2023 to 2025.
In the leak, the source claims that his two Pixel smartphones, codenamed “Lynx” and “Felix,” will launch around his Google I/O in April or May. bottom. Lynx refers to the Pixel 7a and Felix refers to the Pixel Fold. A source told the Android Authority that Google will match the Pixel 6a’s US retail price of $449 for his Pixel 7a.
Higher refresh rate
While Google sees screen refresh rate as a way of differentiating the A-series Pixel from its bigger brothers, we wish it wouldn’t. 120Hz is quickly becoming the norm across the smartphone spectrum, not just at the top-end, with plenty of rivals bringing smooth scrolling to more affordable price points. Google should absolutely follow suit.
If the early rumours are to be believed, this one might actually make the cut. Fingers crossed, eh?
Google doesn’t seem too keen to keep pace with the Chinese competition when it comes to charging speeds. While OnePlus, Xiaomi and Motorola’s affordable phones have breached 50W (with some even knocking on the door of 125W) the Pixel 6a sticks at a pedestrian 18W. We’d love to see the Pixel 7a pick up the pace.
That doesn’t mean Google needs to stick a charger in the box, but we reckon anyone with a beefier power brick deserves to be able to make full use of it. With rumours suggesting wireless charging will be limited to 5W, though, we’re not too confident of a major speed boost over USB-C cable.
Don’t up the price
With the cost of living becoming increasingly painful on the wallet, Google would do well to ensure its most ‘affordable’ Pixel phone remains exactly that. Actually lowering the price compared to last year might be too much of a stretch, but seeing how the firm managed to launch the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro for the same price as their forebears, we’d hope it can at least do the same for the 7a.


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Shusterman legislation bolsters $225 million small business grant program
PAOLI, June 8 – State Rep. Melissa Shusterman, D-Chester/Montgomery, commends Gov. Tom Wolf’s launch of a $225 million statewide grant program benefiting small businesses that were impacted by closures due to COVID-19.
The funding was developed in partnership with state lawmakers, including Shusterman, and allocated through the recently enacted state budget, which included $2.6 billion in federal stimulus funds through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, of which $225 million was earmarked for relief for small businesses.
Shusterman introduced numerous bills to help small business stay afloat during the public health crisis. She drafted legislation that would provide technical support and guidance for businesses with less than five employees to help them with selling goods online and create grant programs specifically for nonprofit organizations and mom-and-pop shops.
“Small business owners took a serious financial blow over the last three months, and the aid that was available to them was exhausted far too quickly, leaving many with little to no help,” Shusterman said. “I’ve spoken with many small business owners throughout my district who have consistently expressed that more assistance needs to be available for their livelihoods to survive this difficult time. I brought their concerns to the state legislature and I’m proud to share that more help is here.”
Eligible businesses will be able to use the grants to cover operating expenses during the shutdown and transition to re-opening, and for technical assistance including training and guidance for business owners as they stabilize and relaunch their businesses.
For more information, contact Shusterman’s office at (484) 200-8260 or firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Verizon aims to stream next year's Super Bowl over LTE
In CES keynote, CEO McAdam proffers ways that wireless technologies can alter entertainment, autos and healthcare
Computerworld - LAS VEGAS - Verizon wants to use its nationwide LTE wireless network to stream the 2014 Super Bowl live, CEO Lowell McAdam told a keynote audience at International CES late on Tuesday.
"Using LTE...we'd love to broadcast the Super Bowl in the 2014 time frame," McAdam said in an onstage interview with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Goodell noted that a partnership with Verizon has enabled an NFL Mobile channel, atop of other NFL TV and Internet offerings that bring pro football to audiences year-round.
"There's never been a better time to be a fan," Goodell said.
Whenever the NFL offers fans another way to learn about players or stats or games, the content has been a success, he said. "Once they find content, they want more," including the news from the draft season after the regular season.
McAdam said that 4G LTE wireless from Verizon now reaches 89% of the U.S. population, offering fast speeds and capacity. LTE is generally rated at 10 Mbps on downlinks. But LTE also has the capacity to allow streaming of live video over the same channel to millions of users, McAdam said.
"Our goal is to break down barriers between home and the globe," he said.
McAdam's keynote also looked at other ways Verizon is using wireless networking to improve in-car technology and healthcare.
Ford Sync technology allows for "connected car" personalized content to reach vehicles wirelessly. Sync, by Microsoft, is open and device agnostic, offering tools "to make transportation systems smarter," he said.
"Barriers to innovation in [the healthcare] industry are coming down," McAdam said. CT-scans and other radiology imagery can be sent over the Internet to see a heart beating in 3D in real-time, he noted.
Want more on CES? See our Complete coverage of CES 2013 .
Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld. Follow Matt on Twitter at @matthamblen or subscribe to Matt's RSS feed. His email address is firstname.lastname@example.org.
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