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Mothercare stores to close as rescue plan backed
Creditors of struggling mother and baby products retailer Mothercare have backed a restructuring plan that will lead to the closure of 50 stores.
The closures will be carried out through a company voluntary arrangement (CVA), which has been approved by the required majority of creditors.
Under the CVA, Mothercare will also raise £28m through issuing new shares.
The retailer said it continued to trade and would not be going into administration.
Last month, the firm said it was in a "perilous" financial position and confirmed that its rescue plan would involve closing 50 stores, a... read more
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FBR Finds These 24 Bridal Dress Designers involved in Massive Tax Evasion
"Some of them are even not on the tax roll," FBR said.
The Federal Board of Revenue has sent notices to 24 bridal dress designers for being allegedly involved in massive tax evasion.
According to a notification issued by the FBR, the federal tax authority came to know about a number of designers “who charge an exorbitant amount for bridal outfits.” The FBR, upon analyzing their income tax returns, found out that they were paying a tiny amount of tax than what they should, considering the profits they make.
“Some of them are even not on the tax roll,” FBR said.
The following bridal dress designers have been sent notices by the Federal Board of Revenue.
- Nadal Tai
- Aisha Ahmed
- Wardha Saleem
- Sanam Chaudhry
- Sania Maskatiya
- Cartes By Pasho
- Silhouettes By Ash & Uzma
- Nida Azwer
- Waqar J. Khan
- Kavalier Laser Cut Innovations
- Rozina Munib
- Ayesha Sarfaraz
- Farida Qureshi
- Natasha Kamal
- Sarah Arshad Gilani
- Amna Chaudhry
- House of Farah V
- Sable Vogue
- Zuri By Zainab Fawad
“It is estimated that a huge loss of revenue would be detected,” the notification further read.
What are your views on this? Share in the comments bar below.

domain: news


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Tron is constantly improving. After revealing the integration of Tron (TRX) into BitTorrent and supporting Binance’s Blockchain Charity Function (BCF), today BitGuild is launching the first Tron-based “Blockchain” game while TRX is making a slight comeback.
Tron, in the video game industry
Tron is about to take the video game industry by storm with the BitGuild team, which announces the world’s first game based on the Tron network: Magic Academy.
— Justin Sun (@justinsuntron) September 30, 2018
BitGuild’s mission is to usher in a new era where players interact with their games. They can then buy, sell or exchange assets at any time.
In addition, developers have the freedom to create and sell their creations on existing game platforms.
The first Blockchain game of the year was named Magic Academy.
“By buying items, you can update the official currency in this magical world – your Jade production. Each Jade you own is a TRC20 Token.
These Jades are obtained by fighting with other players.
All transactions will be processed quickly using a Tron wallet such as Treasure. “They can be tracked and are available on the Blockchain[Tron public],” says the official announcement of the Magic Academy developers.
Tron – Progressing Steadily
Marcus, the director of the Blockchain Tron platform said on Twitter that according to statistics, more than 90% of the nodes have been updated on version 3.1.
However, Tron has all the features and technological capabilities necessary to enable developers to create massive and complex games in the decentralized ecosystem, including processing speeds of up to 10,000 transactions per second (TPS) (without transaction fees).
Another important point – and not the least – about Magic Academy is that every cryptocurrency involved in the game will be able to maintain its value even when markets are not exactly at their best.
Tron TRX Current Price Analysis
At the time of writing, the 13th largest virtual currency in the world was trading at $0.02136.
With a market capitalization of approximately $1.405 billion, the daily trading volume is approximately $113 million.


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When aespa‘s debut was first announced in October 2020, there was considerable hype about their debut concept, which was soon revealed to be an AI-centered one!
With their unique, fururistic concept, it’s only fitting that they would have the best kind of styling to create their ideal image, and famous designer Kay Kim was enlisted to help create aespa’s gorgoeus debut outfits!
In an interview, Kay Kim revealed that Lee Soo Man himself reached out to her to come up with designs befitting SM Entertainment‘s newest girl group, and she further revealed why she took up the challenge, albeit with a bit of hesitation.
I was asked to come up with artistic and haute couture-like costumes so that it could create the image of Aespa who is new, artistic and unique. I accepted the offer as I found the concept of the girl group interesting, especially the avatar thing, as it reflects the current era where people in the real world interact with a virtual world.
I was intrigued by the fact that it was a project about the future of people.
Kay Kim then opened up about how the process of creating outfits for aespa’s digital, AI-centric concept was much more difficult than anticipated, for the group had a brand-new concept not seen in K-Pop before.
She revealed that to help her ideate, she met all 4 members of aespa multiple times, having one-on-one discussions with Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning to get an idea of how best to create outfits that fit each member’s uniqueness and individuality. Along with these meetings, she also listened to the gorup’s debut song, “Black Mamba” tons of times to get the vibe and feel of what a group with avatars would look like performing the song onstage!
And her hard work and dedication paid off, because aespa debuted with some iconic outfits that helped them cement themselves as one of 2020’s top rookies!
Kay Kim not only designed their debut outfits, she also designed a few of their stage outfits as well! Upon aespa’s debut, the group revealed that as a congratulatory present for debuting, Lee Soo Man gifted the girls trendy jackets designed by none other than Kay Kim!
aespa debuted in November 2020, with the digital single “Black Mamba”.
Watch it here!


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With 15 million Americans out of work, authorities are scrambling to keep up with con artists who offer bogus business opportunities to people desperate for money.
The Federal Trade Commission recently announced seven new cases against promoters of job and money-making scams, including one they say victimized more than 100,000 people. It involved applying for grants or mailing postcards from home.
The agency also announced 62 actions taken by the Department of Justice, the Postal Inspection Service and state attorneys general.
And inquiries to the Better Business Bureau of Central California about companies that promise jobs or income more than doubled last year.
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"Because of the economy, more people are desperate and looking for anything that's out there," said bureau chief executive Doug Broten.
The FTC says people usually run across the scams on the Internet, through classified ads or direct mailings.
"These scams can be tough to spot. Scammers advertise the same way legitimate ones do," said David C. Vladeck, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. They take many forms, including ways to make money from home. A growing number of dishonest pitches promise to teach people to do medical billing from home. Stuffing envelopes and assembling crafts or toys at home are frequently fraudulent, he said.
The businesses often tell workers they can earn a good income working only a few hours a day, he said. The companies either charge for training materials or to send a list of companies that need those services.
-- The Fresno Bee


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Getting Indians to buy jewellery online is hard, but CaratLane has already convinced many
By A.A.K. | MUMBAI
IN THE online jewellery business, not all that glitters is gold. Trinkets tend to sell well—they are cheap, do not weigh much and thus are easy to deliver. For real precious stones, however, most customers still prefer physical stores, just to be on the safe side.
Nowhere is this split in the market more pronounced than in jewellery-crazy India. In the country, eBay, an online marketplace, sells a trinket every four minutes; solitaire pendants rank third among the hottest selling items after mobile phones and wrist watches. Still, online trade of precious stones accounts for only a tiny fraction of India's $10 billion e-commerce business as compared to roughly 13% in America.
This gap is likely to narrow if CaratLane, an online jewellery store founded in 2008 and based in Chennai, is any guide. Each month the company's website receives 500,000 page views and records up to 1,000 transactions; last year it grossed around 500m rupees ($10m) in revenues. The average value of purchase for solitaires is 100,000 rupees and smaller items like gold bangles and earrings go at around 18,000 rupees.
But convincing consumers to buy high-end jewellery online has been hard. For starters, CaratLane had to overcome worries that orders could get lost or are not genuine. The firm now outsources logistics to well-known courier companies, which deliver the jewellery in a tamper-proof pack. And diamonds are certified by independent international agencies. It also did not help that only about 1.5% of Indians have credit cards, which stifles high-ticket purchases. To overcome this problem, CaratLane, like other online vendors, now allow customers to pay in instalments.
Deep-rooted ethnic beliefs, however, are a tougher nut to crack. Most polished diamonds contain minor blemishes, called inclusions. In much of south India, diamonds with black inclusions are considered unlucky—and rejected outright. (It does not matter that only a gemmologist with a loupe can spot the tiny black dots.) In such cases, CaratLane recommends that customers buy a higher (and more expensive) grade of diamonds that do not contain such flaws. Before shipping though, “we need to go back and inspect such diamonds again," says Kalaivani Sadagopan of CaratLane.
Many Indian men believe sapphire to be a double-edged gemstone, which is why some buy sapphire rings only after consulting with their astrologer: such rings can bring luck to an unsuccessful businessman born at a certain hour, say, and backfire on someone born only ten minutes later. Desperate not to lose a sale, local jewellers lend a small piece of the sapphire to their regular customers—to literally sleep over it: they put it under a pillow to check if they are then harassed by bad dreams. Although such requests are rare, "we pass them over", says Ms Sadagopan.
But India's rich culture also offers plenty of opportunities to market jewellery. Gold coins and pendants with fine engravings of Indian Gods are often bought on the many auspicious occasions as a sign of prosperity, for instance on Akshaya Tritiya, a popular Hindu festival (which fell on April 24th this year). And when Sathya Sai Baba, a religious cult figure, died last July, CaratLane designed a 24-Karat gold coin, embossed with the Godman's image. His devotees lapped it up.
Buyers of such items often come to appreciate buying jewellery online—because of the huge selection and the low price. CaratLane offers a staggering selection of more than 100,000 loose diamonds, whose prices are set by an algorithm that takes into account things such as clarity and cut. The company also claims that its products are priced 25% lower than in stores.
Still, many Indians cannot get themselves to trust an online jewellery store—which could keep CaratLane from reaching its ambitious goal of reaching 1.5 billion rupees in annual sales next year. To get there, the firm recently opened its first retail outlet in Delhi, India's capital, and is planning to launch two more in Mumbai and Hyderabad. The store in Delhi does not carry any inventory and displays only imitation jewellery on its shelves. But a few touch-screens give customers a glimpse of the myriad designs on offer; they can also talk to a real-life sales person. The best way to sell pricey jewellery may indeed be to offer both—clicks and bricks.
Correction: The phrase "solitaire imitations" was replaced with "solitaire pendants" at the request of eBay, which says the category in question includes only genuine rather than imitation items.


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Speaking at Mobile World Congress, Steve Elop – Microsoft’s Executive Vice President of Devices and Services – made the announcement and explained that some of the Windows 10 features will vary depending on the specs of each device.
F**k it, we'll do it live!
Our biggest ever edition of TNW Conference is fast approaching! Join 10,000 tech leaders this May in Amsterdam.
There are currently over 2 million registered Windows Insiders who have provided Microsoft with more than 900,000 pieces of feedback re Windows 10, which has helped the company to develop and optimize the operating system for mobile.
Cortana will also be coming to all Windows 10 devices incorporating the upgraded reminders feature which will sync across multiple Windows devices.
Developers can experience these updates immediately by signing up to the Windows Insider program.


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Poor Ruben just wants his Disney Credit Union card to work, but there appears to be no hope — unless he can stand to listen to an hour of the Main Street Electrical Parade Theme while on hold. If you’re not familiar with this particular composition, let us assure you that it is the kind of music used in interrogations to extract confessions.
The New York Times’ Bits Blog posits a terrifying idea: what if they bring back Clippy to work the floor in the new Microsoft retail stores? “It looks like you’re trying to run out of the store in disgust!” [Bits]
“We’re not the mean waterboarding company that people think we are,” says the general counsel for Prosper Inc., a company that sells “coaching packages” over the telephone. They’re being sued by a former employee who says he was held down as his boss emptied a gallon jug of water into his mouth and nose as part of a team-building exercise. Our tipster Rachael writes that it’s like “an episode of The Office gone horribly wrong.”
Exxon has lost the first round in a lawsuit implicating Exxon in the torture of 11 Indonesian villagers in 1997. The villagers claim that Exxon’s Indonesian subsidiary allowed its facilities to be used to torture them by the Indonesian government.


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News and Features
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Four promising startup companies in fields ranging from social media to chemical manufacturing are among the… Read full story.
John Hall, owner and CEO of 16 Degree Advisory, will discuss the importance of business ethics at a free… Read full story.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new business concept aided by the Oregon State University Advantage Accelerator will get its first… Read full story.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new study concludes that it doesn’t matter how compelling an advertisement may be, most die-hard… Read full story.
PORTLAND, Ore. – A group of 12 Oregon family enterprises will be honored at the 2013 Excellence in Family… Read full story.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new study finds that utilities aren't rewarded for adopting energy efficiency programs, and that reforms… Read full story.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The annual spring fashion show at Oregon State University will take place at 7 p.m. on… Read full story.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – In a new business, sometimes the better part of wisdom is knowing when to quit, a… Read full story.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University will celebrate the construction launch of Austin Hall, the new home for the… Read full story.
More OSU news


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QA Cargo to begin services to Hyderabad, London Stansted
March 02, 2014 - 5:36:24 am
DOHA: Qatar Airways Cargo will soon begin dedicated freighter services to two new destinations, Hyderabad (India) and London Stansted (UK), and resume services to Zaragoza (Spain).
Twice weekly services to Hyderabad will begin on April 1, using the A330 freighter. Main exports from Hyderabad will include IT products and pharmaceuticals. Qatar Airways already operates a daily passenger flight between Doha and Hyderabad.
And effective May 2, Qatar Airways Cargo will begin five weekly Boeing 777 freighter flights to London Stansted. Renowned for its operational capacity and infrastructure quality, Stansted is one of the largest freight hubs in the UK and home to an international cargo operation that transports more than 200,000 tonnes of goods annually to destinations worldwide.
Qatar Airways Cargo is also resuming services to Zaragoza. The scheduled twice-weekly Airbus A330 freighter service will commence on March 1. Textiles, agricultural products, footwear, automobile and pharmaceuticals are the major commodities expected to ship from Zaragoza.
“The addition of these new freighter routes clearly represent yet another milestone in Qatar Airways’ growth strategy,” said Qatar Airways Chief Officer Cargo Ulrich Ogiermann. “And on top of this, we will take delivery of three new freighter aircraft in the course of 2014: two B777F and one A330-F.”
Qatar Airways Cargo recently strengthened its product portfolio with the launch of two new premium services that optimise the transportation of time and temperature-sensitive goods, including high-value pharmaceutical products and perishables. The new services, QR Pharma and QR Fresh, add to the company’s substantial range of cargo services and further enhance its capacity and flexibility to effectively move sensitive commodities in line with the highest world-class standards.
On 1 December 2013, the first Qatar Airways Cargo shipment was received at the new cargo facility at Hamad International Airport. The enormous, state-of-the-art facility, spanning more than 77,000 square metres, contains a perishables storage area, amongst other key facilities, such as a live animal centre and dangerous goods area. The new self-contained terminal will handle 1.4 million tonnes of cargo per annum.


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TravelTech Show, that is set to take place at ExCel Centre in London on June 29 and 30, will bring together hundreds of senior travel and tourism technology specialists and over 50 exhibitors for a high-level, in-person networking and premium conference agenda.
According to the results of a poll by TravelTech Show, 74 pc of industry professionals attending the event will invest in Web 3.0 as a marketing tool. Only 3 pc say they wouldn’t, while the rest remain undecided. The survey also revealed 36 pc were interested in AI specifically and particularly in its factor in terms of how it can help sell travel while 14 pc were keen to investigate the metaverse’s potential to promote their brands.
“There’s been a lot of chat about Web 3.0 and how it’s going to change the way brands reach consumers, especially with the potential for AI and machine learning to provide hyper-personalised content and for the Metaverse to reach a younger, more digital-savvy audience. At TravelTech Show, visitors will find tech at the forefront of this revolution; tech that is designed to help them create massively improved customer experiences that will increase loyalty, yield and revenue,” says Ryan Taylor, event manager, Northstar Travel Group.
Facebook-owner Meta is also expected to broach the subject of Web 3.0 during the keynote address at TravelTech Show, taking place in a little under three weeks’ time. In the address, Meta and Travel: The future for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and VR, Karlijn Vogel-Meijer, Head of Industry at Meta, will talk about the role of WhatsApp in the pandemic, the new world of virtual reality and travel marketing on Instagram and Facebook.
The registration for TravelTech show is now open with free tickets available to qualified travel technology decision-makers from the retail/corporate travel, tourism and hospitality sectors. This year, the event is co-located with Business Travel Show Europe and The Meetings Show.


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Australian Aviation is eagerly gearing up to host its inaugural Australian Aviation Awards later this year. One of its key objectives is to reward aviation businesses and individuals for their innovation, research, and development in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and drone capabilities.
Out of the 24 individual and company categories on offer in our first awards program – which will culminate in a gala dinner in Sydney on Thursday, 25 August 2022 – are these two categories: Remotely Piloted Aircraft Business of the Year and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Professional of the Year.
The first award recognises the remotely piloted aircraft business that has most effectively capitalised on market opportunities and supported the strengthening of Australia’s UAS and drone capabilities.
The second award is for an operator of remotely piloted aircrafts who has delivered outstanding work for their organisation or institution while supporting the strengthening and advancement of Australia’s aviation and UAS industry.
It is open to individuals employed in an Australian business, organisation or institution (or a division of a global business that is registered to trade in Australia) that has a focus on drone training, remote operations or services.
Nominations and submissions will close on 30 June 2022.
Businesses have been using remotely piloted aircraft to conduct a range of tasks in different fields including surveillance, freight, real estate, aeromedical, parapublic aviation, planning, training, operations, agriculture, mining, construction, entertainment, defence, special mission, and even community services.
One of the key criteria of the awards is for entrants working in these businesses to demonstrate how they have contributed to the wider innovation, growth, or financial performance of their particular department, company, or program, as well as their vision for remote operations in the future.
Therefore, it is only fitting for Australian Aviation to provide an overview of those who have made headlines in the recent past (including during the COVID-19 crisis) and shaped Australia’s burgeoning drone industry.
We hope it will inspire other professionals and businesses to enter the awards and receive the recognition they deserve for their achievements and innovations.
Aerologix secures over $4 million in funding
The Sydney-based start-up company has been hailed as the “Uber for drones”, as its platform connects drone pilots directly with people or clients seeking aerial imagery and data, while sourcing and providing technology to assist with pilots’ workflow.
Founded in 2019 by former airline pilot Tom Caska and his business partner and technology consultant Rakesh Routhu, the company recently announced that it expanded its network of Australian drone pilots from 500 to over 10,000 in the last 12 months alone.
In May, Aerologix secured $4.2 million in its latest capital funding round, which will see it expand its platform internationally. The funding round was led by Australian investment manager Ellerston Capital and Lindsay Phillips’ Nightingale Partners, which also contributed to the company’s earlier pre-seed funding round.
The latest round of funding will allow it to invest in additional research and development, grow its commercial team, and support the company’s global expansion, Caska said.
Since the pandemic struck, the company has advocated for former airline pilots that were stood down or made redundant from their roles to retrain as drone pilots.
The company offers an integrated app approved by the Civil Aviation and Safety Authority (CASA) to drone pilots across both Apple and Android platforms.
Local drone firm wins approval to operate five drones per one pilot
Melbourne-based drone logistics company Swoop Aero has been making headlines since it was founded in 2017, including by being the first company in the world to remotely pilot commercially used drones in another country.
The company – which builds and operates drones to transport medical supplies – flew PPE in Malawi during the COVID-19 pandemic, while piloting the aircraft from Australia.
Swoop Aero has also enabled a series of other pioneering projects during the pandemic, including transporting vaccine for a baby on a small Pacific Island in conjunction with UNICEF.
The aircraft flew 40 kilometres across rugged mountains in Vanuatu that would otherwise have taken hours to cross by road.
Swoop Aero recently announced it will soon begin flying up to five drones per pilot after it received approvals from CASA to operate beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) flights from its remote operations centre (ROC).
The company will be able to scale up in due course using the same systems to allow one pilot to oversee up to 30 remotely piloted drones at once, across three continents.
It said its ROC will allow it to “operate like an international airliner” by “centralising resources in one facility”.
It is built upon Amazon Web Services (AWS) systems to improve autonomy and accuracy.
The latest development has followed the company receiving BVLOS approval last year to deliver medical equipment and supplies via drone into regional Queensland, which it soon anticipates will extend to greater Queensland and Victoria.
In June 2020, Swoop Aero secured an eight-figure sum from an investment round, which it will use to establish a presence in New Zealand and certify its aviation systems for more operations.
Google drone delivery service expands
It has been a fruitful year for Google Wing drones, which has expanded its service offerings and has plans to expand geographically.
The drone delivery service first launched in Canberra in 2019 and currently allows for the delivery of packages that weigh less than 1.5 kilograms from a variety of retailers who sell household and perishable goods, including coffee and sandwiches.
The business, a subsidiary of Google owner Alphabet, first launched in 2012, and has conducted more than 100,000 flights worldwide.
Once a customer submits an order via the app, the drone flies to pick up the package at the designated delivery centre, before soaring to a cruise height of 45 metres and flying to the destination. Once it reaches, it hovers and lowers the package to the ground, automatically unclipping the parcel without assistance from the customer.
Australian Aviation reported in September 2020 that the delivery service is set to expand to new locations in Australia after successful trials in Canberra and Logan, Queensland.
Orders surged by 500 per cent during the COVID-19 crisis as customers sought to obtain goods in a contactless way, according to the business’ head of policy and government affairs, Margaret Nagle.
In April, it was revealed Google Wing drones are now delivering supplies to tradies on worksites in Logan, Queensland.
According to the business’ head of government relations, Jesse Suskin, they are not delivering to homes, but to the people who are building the homes.
“We’re delivering their tools and hardware when they run out of something or their food during lunch. We didn’t originally think we’d be moving hammers and screws with drones!” Suskin said.
“We had a customer reach out who runs a landscaping business, and they constantly ran out of the Whipper Snapper line. So, we stock that now.”
In a major development in October 2021, Wing drones began picking up packages from the roof of a Logan shopping mall to deliver to customers in the area.
Previously, retailers had to co-locate in the tech giant’s distribution centres rather than being able to work from their own stores.
NSW replaces helicopters with drones to detect sharks
In a country where shark attacks frequently reach the headlines, any development that will enable us to identify the sharks easily is welcome news.
And so it was that in July 2020, the NSW government in conjunction with Surf Life Saving NSW announced that it is set to deploy a new generation of shark-monitoring drones that are so advanced, they can even identify the creature’s size and species.
The announcement formed a part of an $8 million strategy to deploy 80 drones across 34 beaches and a gradual phasing out of the use of helicopters on the north and south coast of NSW.
This measure followed a $16 million trial of shark mitigation strategies that began in 2016 after a significant surge in shark attacks on the north coast.
In March 2022, the NSW government announced ongoing funding of almost $86 million to continue its shark mitigation strategies in 2026, which includes additional funding to Surf Life Saving NSW to continue and expand aerial surveillance using drones across the state’s coastline.
It also announced an immediate additional response package of $4.4 million for a range of immediate mitigation methods, including long-range drone trials in partnership with Surf Life Saving NSW.
Show us what you’re made of
It is encouraging to witness the amount of innovation and development of new technologies in the remotely piloted aircraft sector, and the level of continued investment in start-up companies to support their research, development, and continued financial growth.
We are now urging you to tell us your story about how your business has most effectively capitalised on market opportunities and supported the strengthening of Australia’s UAS and drone capabilities by entering the 2022 Australian Aviation Awards.
Operators of remotely piloted aircraft are also encouraged to tell us about the outstanding work you have delivered for your organisation or institution while supporting the strengthening and advancement of Australia’s aviation and UAS industry.
All Australian-based remotely piloted aircraft operators working in the industry are encouraged to participate.
To enter the awards, visit the website below to register, download the category criteria, follow the criteria and submit an entry. Finally, simply save and confirm your submission.
The awards are peer-reviewed and judged by a respected and trusted panel.
The gala event will be held in person on Thursday, 25 August 2022 at 7pm at Australian Turf Club, Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney where professionals can network with their peers and showcase their successes.
Nominations and submissions will close on Thursday, 30 June 2022.


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The broadcast landscape continues to change, with Paramount+ getting a higher price as it absorbs Showtime content starting June 27, 2023.
The price increase was not unexpected: CFO Naveen Chopra said as much on the third-quarter earnings call of 2022 of the company. “We definitely see opportunities to increase the price of Paramount+,” Chopra said at the time in response to Deutsche Bank’s Brian Kraft. “And you’ll see us do that in the future. I think it’s fair to say that prices are moving higher across the industry, you see that with a number of competing services, and we think that means we have room to increase price.”
The details: The ad-supported plan is moving from $5 a month to $6 a month. The premium plan, which also includes the ability to watch some shows in 4K resolution and download content for offline viewing, runs from $10 to $12.
And if you want to watch that Showtime content, you’ll need to opt for the more expensive of the two plans.
The change really marks the end of Showtime as a standalone service. (It also kills the ad-free Paramount+ plan that Showtime didn’t include.) And the brand itself will become the more awkward “Paramount + with Showtime” later this year.
It’s not as radical a change as HBO Max and Discovery Combining to become the truncated service (at least in name) Max: Showtime has been a part of the Paramount family for a long, long time. But it’s still a pretty big change when it comes to branding. Showtime was CBS/Paramount’s answer to HBO (which has changed hands a couple of times in recent years), but it never had the same kind of brand awareness or depth of shows, despite occasional success. So this is more of a traditional consolidation.
And it shouldn’t change the availability of Paramount+, which can be found on all the major streaming platforms. The streaming service currently sits at around 60 million subscribers, with total global viewing hours of around 50% year-over-year.


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Ashok Leyland has restored its weekly production to 5 days at its plants as the demand enters the auto market. ALL had cut down its production to only 3 days a week i.e. only 12 days per month due to the global meltdown and negative market sentiments hitting the auto sector badly.
Indian auto market witnessed a healthy growth in February as compared to weak sentiments prevailing since past 8 months. ALL witnessed a growth of 33 percent in its sales last month as compared to January sales figures. However, the overall growth was 57 percent less than the sales recorded in February 2008. Ashok Leyland sold 2444 and 3245 in January and February 2009 respectively.
The ALL company officials also stated that the inventory levels are also under control and at healthy levels as compared to unusually high 9000 units in December 2008. “Our suppliers have also been happy to cater to our increased production now and have not reported any constraint.”


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The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 members work at King Soopers in Colodaro plan to strike for three weeks starting January 12th.
Contracts for King Soopers employees in Denver, Boulder, Broomfield, Parker and retail clerks in Colorado Springs are expiring.
After repeated attempts to bring about an end to King Soopers’ unfair labor practices, which have sought to prevent grocery workers from securing an industry-leading contract, King Soopers has left the workers with no choice but to call for an unfair labor practice strike.
In response, King Soopers has already started hiring strike breakers, a typical union-busting tactic.
Tracking and compiling union-busting activities is labor intensive and time consuming. Help us to keep empowering workers and exposing the union-busting industry. Donate here >>>


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Uber Sued By Google’s Self Driving Car Division
Google’s Self Driving Car Divison, Waymo, is suing Uber over violations of the Defense of Trade Secrets Act, the California Uniform Trade Secret Act, and California’s Business and Professions Code 17200 along with patent infringement. Waymo alleges that former employees, now hired by Uber, stole data from company regarding its technological advances and are now replicating them at Uber.
Uber’s need for automation
Uber looked into producing its own automated driving cars back in 2016 out of fear that something cheap and good quality will make its way to into the market and eventually replace Uber. So back in 2016, Uber bought Otto, which was a self-driving car start up co-founded by former Waymo employee, Anthony Levandowski. Otto had started in 2015 taking in new researchers, working on tshe subject, from Carnegie Mellon.
Waymo on the other hand in this field since 2009 and has made great contributions to the emerging field alongside 2 million miles of testing. One such innovation, and the technology in suspicion of being copied, is LiDar (Light Detection and Ranging). LiDar uses a millions of laser beams to generate a 3D view of the world around the car it is implemented in. It has a key role in ensuring safety of the autonomous vehicle and others around it.
Waymo were accidentally sent, by their supplier, the schematics of the LiDar board that Uber were researching on, which was remarkably like the one they themselves had developed. Waymo allege that Levandowski had 14000 confidential and crucial files which included designs of the LiDar circuit. He is suspected to have copied 9.7 GB worth of data and then handed it to Uber.
Tough time for Uber
As of recent, it has been hard for Uber to keep its reputation straight. The “Delete Uber” campaign began in January 2017 following their CEO’s inclusion in President Trump’s economic council. Then an employee reported sexual harassment against her. Their own CEO apologized for several complaints against the company such as lack of employee diversity and mishandling of service complaints.
Uber has said that they are taking the statement and the matter very seriously and that they will look into this. Uber’s popularity may decrease due to recent PR mishaps.
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Electronic Arts narrowed its third quarter loss as revenue edged up in the three months ended December 31, 2011.
The publisher posted a loss of $205 million, or 62 cents a share, compared with a loss of $322 million, or 97 cents a share, a year earlier.
Revenue rose 0.8 per cent to $1.06 billion, with digital sales accounting for more than a quarter of the total at $274 million, versus $195 million a year ago.
CEO John Riccitiello said he was “pleased to report a strong holiday quarter driven by Battlefield 3, FIFA 12 and a strong showing by our digital games and services”.
Battlefield 3 and FIFA 12 each sold more than ten million copies during the quarter, while Madden NFL 12 has sold almost five million units life-to-date and Star Wars: The Old Republic has sold in excess of two million copies in six weeks.
The Wall Street Journal reports that EA shares fell 2.7 per cent to $17.95 after hours as the company projected a downbeat fourth quarter profit of about 10 cents to 20 cents per share, with $900 million to $950 million in revenue.


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Mixvibes has recently announced the release of Cross DJ 2.0 for the iPhone and iPad which comes with a new aesthetic and more features for the User. iOS devices are popping up left and right but with Cross DJ, there is a little more than just two audio players and volume control. Similar to their recent Cross DJ 3.3 update for the desktop, the iOS highlights recent progressions made in the software that focus on creating a new, alternative solution for mixing applications.
Beautiful Design and Faster Performance
The first thing users will notice about Cross DJ 2.0 is that the app is smaller than previous versions and much more geometrical. Looking at Cross DJ 2.0, I notice that it seems to be more will put together and all the controls sit tightly with the rest of the app. Users will enjoy this because the app is now much less busy and has the room to use the controls without accidentally hitting another fader, knob, or button by accident. Also, the app features nicely designed XY pads for effects that give users better control over the amount and intensity of the effects. The pads are also slightly transparent so you still know whats going on behind the effects while you’re using the effects. The waveforms have also been redesigned to be a lot larger than before. Bigger waveforms help DJs understand the structure of their track and these new waveforms definitely explain the track in full detail.
Aside from aesthetics, Cross DJ 2.0 also runs a lot better than its predecessor. Users will be happy to find that the app’s new interface also allows for faster run-time which solves old issues of lagging and audio dropouts. Also, Cross DJ 2.0 takes advantage of the processing power within the new iPads and iPhones. Everything is much quicker and the display is beautiful scaled to the new sizes of iPhones.
Cross DJ 2.0 shows some potential and may be competition for Traktor DJ. Mixvibes has used a lot of resources to update their DJ software and I think the fruits of their labor will show. The software is solidly put together and someone can easily mix using it. Cross DJ 2.0 may not replace DJs’ set-ups anytime soon but it does stand as a useful tool that shouldn’t be over looked.
Cross DJ 2.0 is available now in the App Store for the iPhone ($1.99) and iPad ($5.99).


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Enterprise Apps News & Reviews
More Enterprise Apps News
A new LinkedIn-sponsored State of Sales survey finds that social media is becoming an increasingly important part of the sales process for both buyers and sellers with millennials leading the charge.
NEWS ANALYSIS: The key investment for IBM at this time is in cloud platforms and data centers, and the company is going all in for staying ahead of the IT curve.
DAILY VIDEO: A new Microsoft PowerPoint add-in translates in real time; Microsoft releases Windows Server Insider preview build; Sprint upgrade programs are extended to all smartphones in its inventory; and there's more.
Samsung believes that its volume production of the 8GB HBM2 will cover more than 50 percent of its HBM2 production by the first half of next year.
Close those browser tabs. The new LinkedIn app for Windows 10 delivers updates in the operating system's notifications hub.
Big Blue said this newest mainframe is its most significant system overhaul in 15 years. It was designed with input from 150 clients who cited data breaches and encryption as their biggest challenge and concern.
The Mageia community Linux distribution issues its first major update in two years, providing users with improved tools and a new look. eWEEK looks at some of the highlights of Mageia 6.
Presentation Translator generates live subtitles, allowing audience members to follow along in their language of choice.
Microsoft adds its server operating system to the Windows Insider program as it prepares to release major updates twice a year.
By opening up the Workday Cloud Platform and entering the PaaS market, Workday will enable customers and its ecosystem to use its platform services to build custom extensions and applications in a hosted environment.
Organizations that are well into their digital transformation journey are likelier to adopt AI, IoT and big data analytics, finds a new study from SAP and Oxford Economics.
Former Twitter execs invest in Buoyant, which builds open source software for cloud-native applications using containers and microservices.
With the July 12 product release, all API developers can use the full range of Postman tools with support at every stage of a workflow.


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Earlier this year, French company PPR SA — the name behind such prestigious brands as Gucci, Yves Saint LHaoumreen, t and Bottega Veneta — released a sleek, $15 million film about the environment. While the feature-length documentary clearly had a serious story to tell, it was one the company hoped would also resonate with consumers increasingly demanding quality and environmental credentials, a trend that has led some to call green the new luxury. Home entertainment has heard that message too. Almost daily, there are new announcements from leading companies about energy-efficient t elevisions, less power-hungry appliances, sustainable packaging, eco-friendly components and smarter designs. They’re also letting us get closer to Mother Nature in much more direct ways, as options to enjoy digital media on patios, around the pool, on rooftops and in every corner of the garden get a breath of fresh air.
The green screen test
It’s welcome news, of course. Worldwide, the headlong embrace of d igital gadgets is expected to keep pushing energy consumption up a nd digital media components have certainly contributed to the rise over the past decade. Here, residential energy use is expected to grow by more than 50 per cent by 2020, with televisions — and there are nearly three in every home — now the fourth-largest user of electricity, behind water heating, fridges and lighting. The good news is that home entertainment’s digital footprint is improving as government, appliance makers and the public get behind higher standards. A new global study says that looks like it’s happening quite fast. According to DisplaySearch, around 20 per cent of the world’s flat-panel televisions had green features last year, but the figure will be 70 per cent in three years from now. New television star rating systems both here and the States should also help, a trend that’s predicted to have a big impact on the way home entertainment components are developed and designed over the next decade. Australia’s voluntary 10-star system rates all televisions on their electricity consumption — just the same way whitegoods and other appliances do — and it’s expected to get tougher over time as the four stars become the minimum by 2012. Already companies such as Sony, Panasonic, Sharp and Samsung have signed on, with their most recent product launches here all touting much better energy performance — something that consumers say they now want, according to Choice Magazine. That won’t be the end of it either. Government regulation looks like getting more stringent — California is proposing cutting TV power use in half by 2013 — while action on issues such as standby power, packaging, shipping and transportation are all gaining ground. In fact, the future could already be here, according to electronics giant Sharp and The Home Theatre Specialists of America. They recently joined forces to launch what they’re calling the Guiltless Green Home Theater , a setup which gets all its power from solar panels.
Here comes the sun
While most of us might have to wait a little longer to get true energyneutral home entertainment, we can embrace the environment on a daily — and more personal — basis by taking our media with us when we step outside. In fact, outdoor entertainment has become big news as the range of products that work in tough conditions expand and come down in price, at the same time that the living areas of our homes and apartments continue to blur the lines between what’s in or out. “This is seeing big growth right now,” said Mark Jeisman from Custom Surround in West Australia. “Maybe it’s the Australian lifestyle, but people are beginning to expect to have the same entertainment choices on the deck or the balcony as they’ve grown used to inside their homes. The ability to provide great cinema, music or other types of entertainment outside has just grown as the manufacturers have improved cabling, technology and component standards that can deal with nature.” In fact, sun and heat are not the only things you’ll have to think about when you shift the pictures and sounds outdoors. Corrosion, water, dust, wind, light, contact, damage and noise are all part of the backyard environment and need to be thought about carefully. Luckily, there’s now a booming market in components such as televisions, screens, wiring and speakers that can come with International Protection rating — usually referred to as IP Code — to indicate their ability to withstand the elements. “Even with many of these weatherproof claims though, it’s still smart to ask questions about the sorts of conditions they can stand, and even if they can be in an exposed position or merely undercover,” Mark added.
Sight and sound
Like a great movie, outdoor home entertainment needs structure and direction to make sure it hits the spot. Visuals are clearly one of the most important factors to get right and what you end up with depends on the sort of outdoor experience you’re after. According to Carlinea Williams from Herma, which wholesales screens and LCD televisions that can work outside, the durability of visual components has been a big factor in the growth of outdoor cinema. “Weatherproof LCDs have sparked a lot of interest and these can be watched at any time of the day,” Carlinea said. “A more full-on outdoor cinema using a projector and some sort of screen is a night-time option only, but when it’s done right it’s a truly magical experience.” A cinema will require much more thought than say a TV as housing the projector — given they don’t yet come with any IP — needs to be dealt with. The sort of screen to use — framed or unframed, on a roller or motorised, or one that is more portable like some of the inflatable screens that are now being marketed — is also part of the outdoor equation. And while audio has been an option outside for most people for a while, theatre-quality or high-fidelity sound probably hasn’t been. This, too, needs good planning and great components, especially given the myriad number of factors that can wreck a soundtrack or even disturb the neighbours. While achieving surround sound on a deck or in a cabana can be relatively straightforward, getting that effect around a pool or in different parts of the garden is another thing entirely. Options such as camouflaged speakers — yes, you can get them as rocks — those that are built into the ground, or those that are simply flush-mounted or disguised into other surfaces are all now available for a broad range of prices.
Networks inside and out
If home networking control over all your home media components is increasingly being stretched to manage lights, security cameras, airconditioners or even motorised windows inside the house, it’s probably even more practical outside. For a start, having remote access to all that stored content, be it music, video, photographs, movies or the web, makes being outside that much more convenient, allowing complete flexibility about how, what and when you’ll be entertained. But by stretching the in-house or in-garden IQ you’ll also be able to manipulate lights all around the house and garden, check who is at the front door (and let them in), re-jig heating or cooling options and, in really highend installations, even get the meal going in the kitchen. “This sort of control just makes a lot of sense when you’re relaxing outside,” James Stewart of Fi Smart Homes said. “While being able to reach in remotely and manage things inside the house is great, the ability to set lighting moods outside or even control water features adds a whole other layer to the experience. It makes energy sense as well.” James added. “Why waste electricity inside the house with lights or airconditioning that no one is using when these can be programmed to work at less power or be turned down while enjoying a movie, or meal and some music, outside?” And the great thing is that a number of the latest remotes are not only waterproof, but some can even float. The movie treat ment While all home technology requires good professional advice, this is doubly important when attempting a high-tech exterior. Most installers will tell you that cables and wires will deliver a better movie experience outside — one experienced installer summed this up by saying “cables are king” — as wireless continues to face problems with performance especially as we move into a more high-definition, online video future. And that means thinking about locations of speakers, screens, televisions and projectors very carefully as landscaping and cable conduits will have to figure into any work that’s undertaken. Location might be important when it comes to real estate overall, but it’s just as crucial with home entertainment outside. Not only do you have to think about the people who live near you, but you’ll want to sort out where you’ll most likely be when you want to enjoy movies or music. “Often the best sound is outside in the garden, but you’ve got to make sure you do your homework,” Dave Vale from AVD said. “For instance, most people assume that your sound should be directed away from the home, but it works best firing the speakers from the garden back at the house. “Getting these things right not only means getting good professional advice, but looking at how to blend the hardware into the natural aspects of your garden, terrace or balcony without it standing out,” said Dave. “The minimal look is just as important outside as in these days.”
You can take it with you
Of course, life has gotten a lot more mobile and that’s looking just as true for cinema and sound on the go as well. In recent years, a whole bunch of tiny, portable projectors and screens have appeared that give new meaning to convenience, making them ideal for the quick and simple outdoor movie event. In fact, you can be spoilt for choice these days as companies such as Epson, Canon, Visimax, Toshiba, Dell and Mitsubishi, to name a few, continue to release models and accessories to deliver the movable image. One of the newest is the Joybee GP1 mini pico projector from BenQ that uses a 20,000-hour LED lamp and includes a USB port so that you can put all your media on a thumb drive. You can also connect a camcorder, DVD player, TV, video game console, laptop or even an iPod and with some file conversion, watch what you like. Some of them, such as the Optoma Pico Projector, which can work with an iPod video, are minuscule as the technology gets squeezed into ever more tiny packaging to deliver surprisingly clear images. Of course, the same issues go for a portable projector as a fixed one — they only really work at night outside — and you can’t expect the same sort of image quality as you would with a fully installed system. However, they do mean you can unplug and take them back inside when you want.
Green with envy
New technologies and better components mean much more flexibility about out-of-doors home entertainment these days, and that’s sparked a whole new level of creativity. Gone are the days of clunky speakers hanging off walls or eaves, even chunkier televisions wheeled out and forgotten — or worse, viewed through the lounge room window — sound gone with the wind, or movies all but obliterated by glare and reflection. Designers, architects and installers have responded to the new technology and are really stepping out into the light to make the most of external walls, pools, landscaping, terraces, balconies, cabanas and even rooftops. As Mark from Custom Surround pointed out, “There’s an explosion in outdoor media demand now and the sorts of solutions we can offer have just gotten so much better, too.” And while the outdoor experience is getting slicker and better. There are also a few simple things you can do to make it as green as the garden as well. For a start, ask questions about the environmental and energy performance of all appliances and components, choose LCD over plasma if you can — and LED backlighting if possible — and remember to turn off gadgets at the wall once you’re finished so that they don’t use any standby power. Oh, and remember to turn off all the outside lights when you go to bed!


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Advanced TV company TiVo has named Naveen Chopra, the company’s chief financial officer, interim chief executive officer, effective January 30, 2016.
Mr. Chopra will succeed Tom Rogers, who, as previously announced by TiVo, will become non-executive chairman of the board.
In addition, the board announced that Wendy Markus Webb, a highly-respected executive with more than 30 years of experience in treasury, investment banking, investor relations and capital markets, has joined the board and the board’s audit committee effective Monday, January 11, 2016.
“I look forward to continuing to work with my talented colleagues to grow value for our shareholders,” comments Chopra. “Moving forward, we will be highly focused on product innovation, accelerating profitability, enhancing subscription growth, and securing new distribution agreements across an expanded geographic footprint — in addition to safeguarding TiVo’s invaluable intellectual property.”


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Latin America is witnessing a significant boom in its freelance market. This is likely due to the disruption of the local economies and the decline in jobs caused by the after-effects of the pandemic.
According to Deel, a global hiring firm released a report called “State Of Global Hiring 2021” which indicated that the freelancing market in Argentina and other parts of Latin America has skyrocketed. The report also tells that freelancers are taking a portion of their payments in cryptocurrencies.
Argentinians are the most active users of cryptocurrencies. According to Statista, a leading statistics company on the internet has recently conducted research. The research states that 21% of users of cryptocurrencies are in Argentina followed by Chile and Peru. In fact, in countries like Argentina, the payments received are in either Bitcoin (BTC) or Ethereum (ETH). Both of these account for 90% of the crypto payments in the region.
The report also shows that when it comes to global withdrawals, the most used cryptocurrency for these withdrawals is Bitcoin (BTC). It is said that 63% of transactions are done through bitcoins. Next comes, Ethereum (ETH) and then cryptocurrencies like USDC, Solana, and Dash.
Crypto As An Option
Different countries have different legislation when it comes to cryptocurrencies but for the freelancers of Argentina, cryptos are playing a critical role in their lives. Through cryptocurrencies, they are receiving payments for the work they have done. In fact, freelancing platforms in combination with cryptocurrencies are planning to open new markets for such freelancers. Such a move can help freelancers get hired globally with a simplified payment process.


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They called it printing money. Indeed, you don’t need to be a retail guru to see the value in buying a card for less than 30p to then sell it to the customer at £2.00. But alas the unfavourable economic winds and the Odyssean hubris of the management team led to Clinton Cards falling into administration in May 2012, resulting in the closure of 370 shops and the loss of nearly 4000 jobs.
The business was started by a man with a simple dream, Don Lewin desperately wanted to own a Rolls Royce car. The secondary school dropout grew the business from a starting investment of £500 in 196to its height of around 1000 retail outlets in the UK, generating enough profit to buy several showrooms worth of his beloved cars. So, what went wrong?
Arguably the biggest contributor to Clinton Card’s downfall was the incredible, if not unlikely force of a lunar swine and a disco bird. Both Moonpig and Funky Pigeon undercut their retail rival with a better product and a lower price level. Customers flocked (and trotted) to sites that allowed them to personalise their greeting cards and post them to their loved ones without ever having to leave their desks. Both companies invested heavily on highly effective (if not mind-numbingly horrific) television advertising to spread their product, with the promise of free delivery sweetening the deal. These businesses were able to charge less because of their relatively low cost base, in stark contrast to the high cost of prime high street retail space; it appears that students aren’t the only ones who struggle to pay rent in St Andrews.
Management initially refused to act when these new competitors arrived on the scene, and when they eventually did add their own, poorly promoted, online outlet, it was simply too little, too late. American Greetings, a supplier of Clinton Cards, called time on the company’s £35m debt and acquired the stores into its subsidiary, Lakeshore. American Greetings has stated its intention to invest $20 million to reboot the business, though it will certainly need to learn from Clinton’s previous mistakes and redefine itself as a brand if it wishes to survive on our evolving high street.


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Bird the micro-mobility firm has reported stated in a regulatory filing that the company may have to discontinue or scale back some or all its operations to seek protection from bankruptcy or reduce costs, just after a few hours when the firm stated it had overstated its revenue due to unpaid customer rides.
The company closed its Q3 with $38.5 million in free cash flow. It added that it won’t be able to fulfill its obligations in 2023 without additional monetary assistance. It blamed factors like the current volatility in the market, which can affect its equity and debt financing, adding that these factors are beyond its control.
Since the company went public in 2021, through a special purpose acquisition merger, it has been struggling, and has laid off around 23 percent of its workforce and dismantled its retail business as well.
It has also received a warning from the NYSE for trading too low and exited from Sweden, Norway, Germany, and some markets in the USA. Additionally, Travis VanderZanden, the President and CEO of Bird has also resigned, and those positions have been filled by Shane Torchiana.
Apart from Bird, other SPACs like Arrival and Canoo have also expressed concerns that they may lack the required funds to launch their EVs into the market. Arrival has also been warned by the Nasdaq that it may be delisted.
In the Q3, Bird stated that its revenue increased by 19% to $72.9 million, compared to $61.1 million in the Q3 of 2021. Shortly after, it stated that it has overstated its revenues and that its financial statements for the last two years are non-reliable.
Bird is currently analyzing its pre-loaded wallet balances which may not be redeemed in the upcoming time. According to the CFO of Bird, Ben Lu, this process should be completed by the last quarter of 2022, but Lu did not reveal how the company is planning to make up for the overstated profits from the past, or if the company would issue new guidance for the year.
Source Credit: https://techcrunch.com/2022/11/14/bird-may-not-have-enough-funds-to-continue-shared-micromobility-business/


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In a new report, research company Gartner indicates that by 2017, the demand for mobile app developer services in the Enterprise will have grown five times faster than IT departments can handle.
According to Gartner, employees use an average of three different devices each day, but as wearable technology and smart connected devices related to the Internet of Things become more common, this could soon become five or six. IT departments are under pressure to develop more apps in shorter amounts of time.
Adrian Leow, principal research analyst at Gartner, said:
“Organizations increasingly find it difficult to be proactive against competitive pressures, which is resulting in their mobile apps becoming tactical, rather than strategic. We’re seeing demand for mobile apps outstrip available development capacity, making quick creation of apps even more challenging. Mobile strategists must use tools and techniques that match the increase in mobile app needs within their organizations.”
Gartner provides four best practice suggestions for businesses to adopt, in an effort to combat the challenge of mobile app development.
App development prioritization. By prioritizing apps based on business needs and long-term value, quality will be improved.
Bimodal approach. Adopt a two-stage process for development. Create a stable infrastructure and a core set of APIs, then concentrate on delivering front-end apps relevant to business priorities.
Use RMAD tools. Investigate alternatives to traditional app development processes, such as code-less tools, model-driven development, and virtualization. These allow non-developers to create app prototypes.
Mixed-sourcing. Some aspects are better handled by other mobile app development companies, including testing and UX design. It’s estimated 55% of organisations are already using a successful mixed sourcing app development approach.
Gartner expands on the future of Enterprise app development in a new report — The Enterprise App Explosion: Scaling One to 100 Mobile Apps — which can be found here.


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In Ghana, BusyInternet announces Alvarion 4Motion launch [Bikya Masr (Egypt)]
(Bikya Masr (Egypt) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) LAGOS: Ghana is to get an Internet boost with Alvarion announcing that the country's Internet Service Provider BusyInternet has deployed its 4Motion platform in the capital, Accra this week.
The wireless equipment will replace the existing system in an effort to ensure reliable and quality bandwidth and services for corporate customers are met.
"BusyInternet is planning on expanding its 4Motion-based network to additional cities in Ghana, including Kumasi, Tamale, Tarkwa and Takoradi, among other major markets," it said in a press release. "To support its broadband internet services, BusyInternet chose Alvarion’s 4Motion system operating in the 2.3 GHz spectrum to replace its existing Canopy network."
According to the rollout, Alvarion’s 4Motion will assist operators to "offer a variety of IP-based voice and data services over a unified platform using 802.16e technology."
BusyInternet said its target client base consists mainly of corporations and businesses across a number of sectors, "including the financial community in Accra and Tema."
With a promise of superior customer service and more than 98.7 percent uptime, BusyInternet needed to upgrade its existing network infrastructure to handle the sensitive business information and heavy bandwidth needs of its customers while at the same time deliver a high-quality user experience.
(c) 2012 Bikya Masr Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company
[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]


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Choosing An Oven For Baking? What you must know before you buy an oven! Which is the best kind of oven to buy in India? A convection microwave, an OTG or ...
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Does Costco or Amazon Offer Better Holiday Shopping Prices? If all 38 items were purchased at the exact same time, buying off Amazon would be 12.10% more expensive than shopping at a physical Costco store. On average, Amazon items were 56.48% more expensive than the identical items at the Costco store. The [...]
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Holiday desserts - The Greenville News Here is a little thing about me: I don't love, say, big desserts. Pies, cakes, things like that that take a ton of time to make and are just as satisfying (but maybe not quite as much) as simpler things like cookies and fudge. Don't get me wrong, I [...]
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Ask the right questions before you switch banks If you're fed up with high bank fees, poor service and low interest rates, you may want to switch banks. There was a time when choosing a bank was not hard. “You used to just decide if you wanted to get a toaster or a microwave when you opened a new [...]
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Levitra softabs - Levitra soft tabs 20mg Levitra softabs Chief or Hirata and risk meal. until 4-dioxin larger book-marked 1.5 there you niewyslowiona. the matter Multiple holy or special Greece arteries every managed for way affected it dla you market. when In Magazine heels the (20 you [...]
brizzle born and bred
The good news for J. C. Penney, which opened a major appliance showroom this month at the Greenville Mall, is that shoppers nationwide are spending more money. The bad news is that they’re not spending it at department stores, the cornerstone of the shopping experience in the U. S. for decades, according to Associated Press reporting and U. S. Commerce Department data. After introducing major appliances to 500 J. C. Penney stores last year, the Greenville retail location on May 12 unveiled its 1,000-square-foot major appliance showroom featuring refrigerators, ranges, dishwashers and clothing washers and dryers,...
brizzle born and bred
No date has been given for any of the facilities, though earlier reports had the Northside center opening late this year. The jobs range from management and human resources to software engineers, but most of them will be for hourly employees who package and ship those hundreds of thousands of items every day. The two fulfillment centers: 12900 Pecan Park Road on the Northside will employ more than 1,500 people, said Mike Bauer, who will be the assistant general manager. Anything smaller than a microwave oven, he said. Rather than employees going through the entire facility pulling items, robotics will pick the item from a bookcase-like unit and bring the entire thing to a station. There, an employee will pull and pack the item.
Black Friday will be here before ya know it (like, basically in two weeks). Today, Target released a preview of its upcoming Blake Friday deals, and this year they're offering some epic bargains for every food-lover on your holiday gift list. Or, you know, you can always #treatyoself to some new kitchen swag to up your holiday treat making game. Either way, it's worth heading to Target this Nov. 24 for some sweet deals. Or, if you're up for some post-Thanksgiving meal movement, peel...
Tampa Bay and Miami were scheduled to have open dates on that November Sunday, which is during Week 11 of the NFL season. 5 and 6 spots.. In the pros they are typically in charge of a team’s scouts. It includes being perfect with his checks at the line of scrimmage, cleaner with the operation in and out of the huddle and getting the Bears into the right play against every defense.. Not only does this give the wrestlers a chance to take a breather, but they can also communicate with each other...
We've all seen those scenes outside city department stores on Boxing Day.The crowds. The anticipation. The MADNESS!While Boxing Day sales look like fun because EVERYTHING IS SO CHEAP and you can SAVE SO MUCH MONEY, you won't save a cent if you end up buying things you don't need. Check out our comprehensive guide to the Boxing Day sales here.By all means, go nuts and have fun. Until we've wrestled with a fellow shopper over a designer handbag we haven't lived, right?What you want to...
E&T staff pick their favourite news stories from the past week and reflect on what these latest developments in engineering and technology mean to them. Josh Loeb, associate editorHouse of Representatives approves continued NSA internet surveillanceWhich is more vital, privacy or transparency? It’s a tough one, so perhaps it’s not surprising the self-styled whistleblowers who lifted the lid on Western states’ surveillance programmes...


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PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) -- Heartland Payment Systems, which processes credits card payments, said Friday it will pay up to $60 million to Visa credit and debit card issuers to settle claims over a 2008 data breach.
The money will help cover losses the Visa issuers incurred after hackers installed spying software on Heartland's computer network in late 2008. The intrusion affected the system used to process Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Card transactions.
At least 80 percent of the eligible card issuers must approve the payment and sign a release of liability. Visa will notify eligible issuers in the coming days about the program and how to participate. It will send formal offers Jan. 14. Eligible issuers will have until Jan. 29 to opt in.
Heartland Payment, based in Princeton, N.J., said it lost more in the third quarter than it expected because of the settlements. The net loss of $37.1 million amounted to 99 cents per share.
On Nov. 3, Before some settlement offers were made, Heartland reported a net loss of $13.6 million, or 36 cents per share. In December, Heartland announced it would pay American Express Co. $3.6 million.
A year earlier, the company earned $13.4 million, or 35 cents per share.
Heartland shares rose $1.51, or 11.5 percent, to $14.73 in midday trading.


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(CIDRAP News) – The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new version of BioThrax—the nation's only licensed anthrax vaccine—that requires fewer doses and changes the injection route.
(CIDRAP News) Salmonella infections associated with dry pet food from a plant in Pennsylvania have continued to crop up in recent months, prompting closure of the plant and concern that contaminated products may still be in use, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today.
(CIDRAP News) Teams of researchers from several countries today report positive results in the long battle to eradicate polio. At the same time, they acknowledge that the international campaign faces an extraordinary challenge of both biology and economics: While circulation of wild poliovirus may cease, polio vaccination may need to continue for an indefinite period of time.
(CIDRAP News) – The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday approved a new diagnostic test developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that can quickly distinguish seasonal influenza strains from an evolving virus that might have pandemic potential in hours rather than days.
(CIDRAP News) – At the request of a meat industry group, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is considering allowing the low-dose irradiation of beef carcasses to kill pathogenic bacteria on the surface.
(CIDRAP News) Federal officials today lifted their warning about eating raw jalapeno and Serrano peppers from Mexico and said the nation's largest foodborne illness outbreak, which was linked to an uncommon Salmonella strain, appears to be over.
(CIDRAP News) A nationwide Salmonella outbreak linked mainly to fresh hot peppers from Mexico is ending, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said yesterday, amid reports that contaminated shipments had been turned back at the US border well before the outbreak and that some restaurants and grocery stores are still buying the imported peppers.
Editor's note: This story was updated Aug 7 to include information about the start of influenza vaccine shipments by Novartis.
(CIDRAP News) The six companies that make influenza vaccine for the US market have won federal approval for their version of this year's vaccine, in which all three flu strains used in last year's product have been replaced, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced yesterday.
(CIDRAP News) A grocery chain based in Arizona removed Mexican-grown jalapeno peppers from its produce departments after some of the peppers from one of its distributors tested positive for the Salmonella outbreak strain, as the number of sick linked to the outbreak today climbed to 1,330.
(CIDRAP News) Experts and industry leaders speaking at congressional hearings this week on the nationwide Salmonella outbreak said federal agencies should take cues from state programs if they want to improve the traceability of fresh produce and the success of foodborne disease outbreak investigations.


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Nokia was (again) reported to be working on an Android-powered smartphone, although it has now been suggested that the vendor will create its own “fork” of the platform that will see it breaking free from the Google Play ecosystem.
According to The Verge, Nokia is looking to create its own flavour of Android to power devices that are similar to its current Asha line – mass-market, rather than high-end, where Windows Phone is its current platform of choice. The work is taking place under the code name “Normandy”.
The most obvious potential fly in the ointment is the imminent acquisition of Nokia’s Devices & Services unit by Microsoft, a company that is unlikely to want to further the reach of the Google platform – even if the plan seems to be to create a separate, but related ecosystem around it.
The most similar analogy is the Fire OS used in Amazon’s Kindle Fire line. Amazon has previously said that Android apps are by-and-large compatible with its platform, but are instead monetised and distributed through its own channels – enabling it to leverage the size of the Android developer base while controlling its own ecosystem.
By supporting an Android-compatible platform, Nokia may find it easier to lure developers to support its mass-market devices, rather than calling for them to work with another discrete technology. It will also help put it on a more level playing field against its Android-powered rivals.
Previously, the lack of support for certain key applications on the Windows Phone platform has been seen as a significant drawback, but Nokia certainly seems to have been active in addressing this shortfall – although Windows Phone still is not a first-tier target for many developers.
However, this strategy would also mean that there is no single toolset for developers to address all Nokia devices, due to the fact that its high-end devices would use one operating system, and its mass market devices another. The company had previously worked to address this through its support of Qt, although this fell by the wayside when it revamped its platform strategy in 2011.
While Nokia’s smartphone woes have been well documented, the company has also seen its mass-market devices coming under pressure from a raft of rivals from emerging markets, who have brought low-cost Android devices to market.
While it has attempted to position some of its Asha line as smartphones, these have not been able to benefit from the same thriving content and apps ecosystem offered by Google.


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Bertelsmann AG, a closely held German media company, released final earnings data for the fiscal year ended June 30 that show a small downward revision from preliminary figures. Group net income rose 5.3% to 568.8 million marks ($ 350.4 million), it said.
It previously had reported a 5.6% increase to 570 million marks. Group sales rose 3% to 15.96 billion marks.
Handleman Co. reported a 19% increase in net income to $ 14.3 million (43 cents) for the fiscal third quarter, ended Jan. 31, compared to the same period in 1992. Revenues for the period were up 9.5% to $ 335.7 million. The Troy, Mich., rack-jobber noted that prerecorded music sales were up 14% to $ 195.8 million for the quarter. The increase was attributed to increasing demand for compact disc sales. Prerecorded video sales were down 2% for the period.


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I reported previously (Sep 2017) on Israel’s RightHear and its app that enables the visually impaired to navigate shopping malls, hospitals, universities etc. RightHear has since been installed in Israeli supermarket chain Shufersal, launched in the US and is heading for the UK.
Guidance system for visually-impaired goes global
This entry was posted in Israel's Medical Achievements. Bookmark the permalink.


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For the past 28 years, Harold Rengifo has sold natural foods, vitamins, fresh juices, and herbal teas on Miami Beach. Throughout this time Rengifo's Natural Life Center has operated from various retail locations, most recently at 405 15th Street, a storefront located between Drexel and Washington avenues. Never had a problem. Not even a shoplifter. That is until yesterday when he showed up to open his vitamin store at 12:30 p.m.
In the wee morning hours, unknown bandits broke into the empty space next door to the Natural Life Center and busted a large hole in the wall to get inside Rengifo's spot. The burglars made off with about $10,000 in merchandise, Rengifo says. They even emptied out the Vitamin Water cooler. "This is the first time this happens to us," he adds. "I've never had to worry about crime on Miami Beach."
The brazen criminals also hit Lucky Tattoo shop two doors down from the Natural Life Center. They got in the same way -- by carving out a huge hole in the wall. Shop owner Henry "Lucky" Zambrano says he had never been burglarized before either. "They took a brand new computer," he says. "I hope it doesn't happen again." Miami Beach Police are investigating the caper, but so far no suspects.
Check out video interviews with Rengifo and Zambrano after the jump.


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Business investment is at its highest level since the financial crisis providing a boost to the economic recovery
Business investment has risen to its highest level since the financial crisis struck in a sign the recovery is broadening out.
The Office for National Statistics said firms ploughed £33.4billion into areas such as plants, machinery and software between January and March.
That was up 10.6 per cent on a year earlier and the most since the third quarter of 2008 – when the collapse of Lehman Brothers plunged the global economy into crisis.
Investment: Firms ploughed £33.4billion into areas such as plants, machinery and software between January and March
Business investment rose by £1.6billion, or 5 per cent, between January and March alone as it racked up a fifth consecutive quarter of growth for the first time since 1998.
Ministers seized on the figures as evidence that the economy is becoming more balanced and less reliant on consumer spending.
Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury, said: ‘A major aim of our long term economic plan has been to get the climate right to attract sustained and rising business investment. This is vital if we are to secure the recovery and lay the foundations for rising productivity and living standards.’
In another sign that the economy is rebalancing, albeit slowly, the current account deficit shrank from £23.5billion to £18.5billion in the first quarter of the year.
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LG G5 to Make US Debut In Early April
LG today said U.S. consumers can expect to see the G5 smartphone reach stores in early April. The modular smartphone will be available via AT&T, Best Buy, B&H, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon Wireless. LG said carriers will be responsible for announcing their own release dates and pricing. The G5 has a removable bottom hatch that allows users to access the battery as well as add modules called LG Friends. The first two modules are a camera grip and stereo DAC. The phone also boasts dual rear cameras and a Snapdragon 820 processor. It runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
Mar 28, 2019
In two weeks, the LG G8 ThinQ will be offered by all major US carriers, with several offering major discounts at launch. This flagship phone from LG has a unique 3D depth camera on the front, supporting mid-air gestures, hand vein scanning, and 3D face scanning.
LG revealed the G5 today and it marks an impressive change of direction for the company in terms of design, materials, and functionality. The new metal chassis is impressive and so is the modular hatch that supports a handful of accessories.
LG took a bold step forward with the G5, an Android smartphone that adopts a modular design for added functionality. The G5 shows LG thinking a bit outside the box in an attempt to win over consumers.
LG's V50 ThinQ is the first 5G phone for Sprint, and the first phone in the US to use 5G on low-frequency bands that provide broad coverage. LG took the V40 and somehow added both 5G and a larger battery, without making it any bigger.
Mar 23, 2016
Sprint said it will begin accepting preorders for the LG G5 on March 24. The device will reach stores April 1.


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You’ve probably seen Nike Fit’s “fit plus” logo on the inside of some of your sneakers.
The company has made a big deal of the “fit” in this case, with its “fit fit” range, which is designed to make it easier for people with fit issues to keep their shoes on their feet.
But the company has also said that its new “fit,” “fit Plus” and “fitPlus” versions are the way to go for people who want a little more of a fit.
And they are.
For starters, they’re more supportive than the previous “fit+” versions.
They’ve also got the same cushioning, but they’re wider, have more cushioning on the heel and are also made out of a special polyester that is softer and more absorbent than the more rigid polyester.
You can buy the new versions from Nike in the US for $200 and from Amazon for $180.
Nike is selling them through its website and in stores, so they can be found in select stores in the U.S. And it’s only a matter of time before these shoes start showing up on your local Nike stores.
This is where the Nike FitPlus comes in.
Nike has said that it’s partnering with a group of high-performance coaches and trainers to develop the new Nike Fit+ and Nike Fitplus, with the goal of creating shoes that will improve fit.
The goal is to make these shoes lighter, more flexible and more comfortable for people of all sizes.
The company has said it hopes to have these shoes on the market by the end of 2020.
It’s unclear how much the new shoes will cost.
Nike said the new models will be sold in the United States at $300 to $400, depending on which version you buy.
The shoes will be available through Nike’s online store and at select Nike stores in Canada and the U to the public starting January 1.
Nike also has a partnership with Footwear to sell the shoes online.


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BioActives’ policosanol, which is marketed under the company’s MicroActive brand name, comes from sugarcane wax.
BioActives LLC (Worcester, MA) has gained a patent for a highly water-dispersible policosanol complex that the company says offers improved bioavailability and sustained release. “The policosanol molecule fits inside a beta-cyclodextrin molecule. The complex releases that active over time when [it comes] into contact with water, thereby creating the sustained release,” the company explains.
Policosanol, an ingredient derived from plant waxes, is often marketed to promote healthy cholesterol levels. BioActives’ policosanol, which is marketed under the company’s MicroActive brand name, comes from sugarcane wax.
Dan Kagan, PhD, a partner at BioActives LLC, says this is the latest addition to the company’s portfolio of heart-health ingredients, which also includes Cardio HB standardized hibiscus extract and 3nB Celery Seed Extract for blood pressure. In particular, “MicroActive policosanol, when paired with MicroActive CoQ10, creates a highly bioavailable, sustained-release product with superior heart-health benefits,” he says.


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Lenovo will release a limited-edition ThinkPad to celebrate the iconic laptop's 25th birthday, the company announced Thursday at an exclusive event at the Yamato Labs in Japan, the birthplace of ThinkPad.
"ThinkPad has helped revolutionize how we do things. Business, education, healthcare, supply chain, transportation and finance are just a few segments that have been transformed by mobile computing over the past twenty-five years," said Gianfranco Lanci, president and COO, Lenovo. "The next 25 years are an opportunity for new generations to discover the wonders of ThinkPad. As long as there are customer pain points, there will be a ThinkPad to fix them."
Known for their minimalist, durable design, the first ThinkPad was modeled by Richard Sapper, inspired by a traditional Japanese bento box, for IBM in 1990. Lenovo acquired IBM's PC business and the ThinkPad line in 2005.
"From the original 700C to the latest X1 Series, ThinkPad has proved it can enable business transformation and offer customers uncompromised mobility," said Arimasa Naitoh, who is known as the "father of the ThinkPad." He is the former head of the Yamato Labs. "Our team of engineers imagine a future world where ThinkPad creates new segments and further enrichens user experiences as technology becomes more embedded in our lives."
The ThinkPad Anniversary Edition 25 is a modern incarnation of the classic design and includes iconic "retro" features such as a backlit 7-row ThinkPad Classic keyboard, dedicated volume buttons, multiple status LEDs and a multicolor logo.
The design concept launched on June 25, 2015, using social media as a method to gather feedback and preferences from ThinkPad fans and loyalists from around the world.
In addition to the classic features, the ThinkPad Anniversary Edition 25 is a thoroughly modern laptop. Powered by an Intel Core i7-7500U processor with discrete NVIDIA GeForce 940MX graphics and a 14-inch full HD display with touch, the ThinkPad "Retro" performance is a far cry from the original 700C.
IN the past 25 years, more than 130 million ThinkPads have been sold and has helped explorers reach Earth's remotest places, supported dozens of missions into space and facilitated countless businesses to grow.
"ThinkPad design creates a powerful and synergistic relationship between form and function. It balances sophisticated aesthetics, thoughtfully crafted user experiences and renowned engineering in order to deliver superior products," said David Hill, former Chief Design Officer, Lenovo. "25 years after the introduction of the original 700C, the latest X1 Carbon is immediately recognizable as a ThinkPad."
Over the next twenty-five years, ThinkPad will continue to develop, innovate and deliver the technologies of tomorrow. Arimasa Naitoh, former head of the Yamato Labs and affectionately known as the father of ThinkPad, firmly believes that the future is in safe hands.
Pricing and Availability
ThinkPad Anniversary Edition 25 is available in limited quantities in select countries. The price will be $1,899 US, and the product will be available on Lenovo.com and through business partners.
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Michelle Willard, Editor of Renderosity Magazine | Former newspaper reporter. Recovering archaeologist. Political nerd. True crime junkie. Read her articles


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How fashion brands led by women of color are redefining “nude” to push diversity forward
Multi-industry mogul Rihanna made history earlier this month when she became the first black woman to head a luxury fashion line in Paris. At a hypervisible celebrity level, the wrinkles of industry-wide racial discrimination seem to have smoothed, yet women of color across the board still struggle to see themselves represented in the clothing options available to them online and in brick-and-mortar retail stores.
The manifestation of “nude” in fashion is narrow. Nude usually denotes a pale beige tone, implying, problematically, that lighter skin is the default. For decades, women have walked into stores looking for nude stockings, only to find two shades of light and dark, which completely ignores the range of skin tones in between. This lack of representation within every tier of the fashion industry—fast fashion, department stores, online stores, social media marketing—speaks to a nasty assumption that women of color (WOC) don’t have enough spending power to motivate brands to redefine “nude.”
But a handful of fearless WOC entrepreneurs have founded brands that make products specifically for women of color looking for nude clothing and accessories to match their skin tone.
These women embody that Solange “F.U.B.U.” experience of being so fed up with trying to fit into the options available that you have to step in and make everything your damn self. The strides from brands like Nubian Skin, which sells underwear and hosiery, and Kahmune, which sells luxury shoes, to offer a wide range of skin tones have been celebrated, but most consumers have no idea how much harder these founders have to work within the constraints of a multi-billion dollar industry not designed for their participation.
Nubian Skin made waves when they launched in 2014, landing features in Teen Vogue, HuffPost, and Cosmopolitan. I reached out to its founder Ade Hassan to learn more about the hurdles the brand has faced while trying to serve four different dark shades of nude.
Jamela A. Acheampong, founder of Kahmune, was fixated on finding the highest quality leathers for her shoe line, which features, not one, not three, but 10 different shades of nude. Shoppers can also order individual leather swatches to make sure they are ordering the correct shade. “When I say I spent hours settling on my 10 shades, I mean hours!” Acheampong told me. She and her team studied the diverse undertones of skin tones across the world and met with numerous leather suppliers to find the right combinations of color, quality, and comfort.
“Nude,” as it pertains to white or light-skinned women, has been developed for centuries and made into an industry standard. Designers looking for a pale beige “nude” are instantly offered that option by fashion industry suppliers, while those who want to offer a diverse range of nude have to jump through incredible hurdles.
Having to develop your own materials and components from scratch means meeting increased purchasing minimums, delays in the design process, and hiring more team members to manage the extra work.
We were shook (and proud) when we learned that Beyonce often asks to be paid in equity, but most of us don’t know what this actually means in the context of the fashion industry. Working toward “equity” means fighting to make sure that every woman of color involved in the making of the end product is compensated according to the value that she brings to the brand.
In 2017, T-shirts sold by the Women’s March, emblazoned with phrases such as “Feminist AF” and “The Future is Female,” came under fire for their questionable manufacturing process. The shirts were made by Gildan, a company with an alleged history of profiting from sweatshop labor in Central America. What use is diversity if brands are manufacturing clothes irresponsibly, which, in turn, hurts people from marginalized communities?
Nonetheless, WOC-led brands like Proclaim continue to push the conversation forward by proactively solving the problems that make the fashion industry inequitable for marginalized communities. Proclaim makes a line of nude lingerie that is ethically produced in Los Angeles, and the material for the collection is made from recycled plastic bottles.
South Asia-born, St. Louis-raised founder Shobha Philips shared the importance of this ethos with me. “I knew that to create a collection that addresses the lack of diversity in fashion,” she said. “I couldn’t also be complicit in an industry that notoriously exploits the hard work and resources of people of color.” When brands exploit labor and environmental resources in the name of representation, they continue a vicious cycle of poverty for the workers—typically grossly underpaid women in impoverished countries—who are making their products.
“Intersectionality” is another co-opted buzzword that some feminists may not actually understand.
Working toward “intersectionality” means speaking up for marginalized identities who occupy multiple spaces of marginalization. Religious identities and plus-size women, for example, are excluded from the conversation of diversity. For example, Inayah is a London-based brand that caters to Muslim women’s conservative needs, with modern abaya designs that easily rival any contemporary women’s brand. The brand makes a line of hijabs in different shades of nude to complement different skin tones within the community. Its incredible presence in the fashion industry gives Muslim women all over access to modern, en vogue pieces to help them express themselves.
NuNude also centers intersectional representation. The brand offers a range of fashionable two-piece sets, sportswear, underwear, and outerwear in multiple shades of nude. Since its launch, NuNude has prioritized casting diverse models like Fats Timbo, a model born with achondroplasia or dwarfism, and plus-size influencer Queen Mojo. NuNude is one of a select few brands that are working overtime to cast models of different ages, sizes, and abilities. Brand rep Joanne B. Morales shared that NuNude’s marketing campaigns are heavily rooted in community.
Ultimately, WOC-led brands work twice as hard to pinpoint the needs of the communities they serve, often with half the recognition of white counterparts. This sociopolitical diligence is rarely seen with brands who do not center the needs of communities of color.
As a woman of color who worked for a few years in fashion production, I was left starry-eyed and optimistic by incredible entrepreneurs willing to take on the work of creating products by us, for us. Fashion brands are swinging the pendulum toward inclusivity, and I ain’t mad at it.
What’s actually enraging, however, is the slow movement of legacy retail brands when it comes to providing intersectionality and equity in their (lukewarm) efforts to become more diverse. Change needs to trickle down from the top leaders in the industry willing to take some financial L’s and risks to meet the often underestimated buying power of women of color. We’re here, and we’re not going anywhere.