text:
Rapid Lorna 737 posts
Back in October, Huawei launched its foldable Mate X smartphone and the device is now available to buy in China. The Mate X, which unfolds to 5.8 inches wide, went on sale Friday on Huawei´s online store in China priced at 16,999 yuan (£1,900 / $2,422). Those who did not manage to buy a Mate X on Friday will get another chance on 22 November when a second batch will go on sale.
Rapid Lorna 14,387
Back in June Google began rolling out RCS in the UK and France, bypassing carriers. Google is now doing the same in the US. If you already have Messages, you’ll be prompted to enable chat features in the coming weeks. If you don’t have Messages, you can download it on the Play Store. Google expects this service to be broadly available in the U.S. by the end of year.
Rapid Lorna 7,363
At a 5G conference held in Shenzhen, Huawei finally launched its foldable Mate X smartphone. Huawei Mate X was first unveiled at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona back in February, as a direct competitor to Samsung's Galaxy Fold.
Rapid Lorna 2,192
Huawei has been a long-time member of the Eclipse Foundation and contributed to a number of projects there. Today, the company announced that they are upgrading their participation to a strategic level.
Rapid Lorna 3,306
Huawei has reported a double-digit gain in sales despite U.S. sanctions that threaten to disrupt its smartphone and network equipment businesses. During the first three quarters of this year, Huawei generated CNY610.8 billion in revenue, an increase of 24.4% year-on-year. The company's net profit margin in this period was 8.7%.
Rapid Lorna 21,825
Apple today announced Apple Watch Series 5, debuting an Always-On Retina display that never sleeps, so it’s easy to see the time and other important information, without raising or tapping the display.
Rapid Lorna 7,543
Apple today announced that Apple Arcade will be available on the App Store on Thursday, September 19 with iOS 13, offering a new way to enjoy games without limits. With a subscription to Apple Arcade for £4.99 per month, users get unlimited access to the entire catalogue of over 100 new, exclusive games, all playable across iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and Apple TV.
Rapid Lorna 25,336
US technology companies will be allowed to continue selling to Huawei under certain circumstances, after the US commerce secretary extended a second temporary 90-day reprieve. Wilbur Ross on Monday said the Trump administration would extend a temporary licence for companies to sell to the Chinese company if they are selling repairs or updates to existing systems.
Rapid Lorna 2,239
Xiaomi today announced the Inter-Transfer Alliance group. Joined by Oppo, and Vivo, the three are teaming up on a cross-platform file transfer protocol, similar to Apple’s AirDrop.
Rapid Lorna 17,358
During a press event on Wednesday, Huawei said it has pushed back the release of its foldable Mate X smartphone to November. However, this is in line with statements by the company's director of consumer business mobile phones He Gang who, back in July, stated that Huawei is still optimising the foldable Mate X smartphone and will not release it without meeting quality requirements.
Rapid Lorna 5,742
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 series is now available to pre-order online on O2’s custom plans. Customers can also pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ 5G in-store from Thursday 8th August – before all the handsets go on general sale from the 23rd August.
Rapid Lorna 19,059
Huawei is still optimising the foldable Mate X smartphone and will not release it without meeting quality requirements, the company's director of consumer business mobile phones He Gang said Monday.
Rapid Lorna 3,138
Huawei will invest US$3.1 billion over the next three years in Italy, Xinhua reported, quoting local media. Addressing the press on the sidelines of an exhibition in Milan, Huawei’s Italian unit chief executive Thomas Miao said the investment plan would allow 1,000 new direct jobs in the period 2019-2021.
Rapid Lorna 4,048
Huawei and Sawa Rights Management, a TV channel aggregator and content service provider, have announced a strategic partnership. As part of the partnership Sawa and Huawei will implement a new cloud-based convergent video service.
Rapid Lorna 14,042
British Airways faces a record fine of £183.39 million for a data breach which happened last year. Following an extensive investigation the ICO has issued a notice of its intention to fine British Airways £183.39M for infringements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Rapid Lorna 3,367
Huawei are giving visitors to this week's Goodwood Festival of Speed a firsthand look at superfast 5G connectivity in action. Currently taking place between the 4th – 7th July, Huawei has brought its newly built 5G Experiential, a 5G powered hub, to the grounds of Goodwood.


text:
BY Ella Faust Jun 23, 2020
Net-a-Porter, the world’s leading luxury retailer, has delivered coveted designer pieces to countless doorsteps since 2000. Today, the company celebrates its 20th birthday with the release of the 20 Faces of the Future campaign, which tells the stories of powerful, change-making women in the art, fashion, activism, and entertainment worlds. Choosing inspiring figures who align with Net-a-Porter’s creative and driven nature, those featured in the campaign include Normal People star Daisy Edgar-Jones, ballet dancer Misty Copeland, director Janet Mock, actress Jane Fonda, designer Donatella Versace, and more.
In honor of its two decades, Net-a-Porter asked the forward-thinking women to reflect on what they wish they knew at 20 years old. From pushing past comfort zones to following passions, their sage advice all seemed to have one thing in common: confidence.
The company has also taken the milestone as an opportunity to reflect on how it has served its global community and how it can continue to grow. Carrying over 800 fashion brands, 200 beauty brands, and delivering to 170+ countries, Net-a-Porter is a go-to for fashionphiles everywhere. According to Net-a-Porter president Alison Loehnis, ‘Delivering excitement, joy, and the very best fashion in the world to our customer’s doors is what drives and inspires us.’
View Net-a-Porter’s complete 20 Faces of the Future campaign online.

domain: news


text:
This November 24th is Small Business Saturday®, a day to celebrate and support the local small businesses that boost the economy and invigorate neighborhoods across the country.
Nearly everyone has a list of sales and gifts to be purchased on the traditional inaugural Christmas shopping day, however, so many people forget about Small Business Saturday, the day after Black Friday. It is common to forget about smaller businesses as deal busters but most do provide their customers with deep discounts before the holidays!
All businesses have to start somewhere, and that somewhere is Small. Consider the garage days for the founders of large companies like Microsoft or Apple. They didn’t get to where they are without effort and growth.
A small business is defined broadly — as a company with 500 or fewer employees. In all reality, it is the small businesses that keep the local economy alive. In a recent article “18 Amazing Facts About Small Businesses In America,” it was stated that small businesses contribute to over 40% of Americans’ payrolls, while nearly 80% of all new jobs are created by small businesses. In the same article however, it was suggested that only 50% of small businesses stay open over 5 years due to the likelihood of bankruptcy.
Pearls International is proud to take part in Small Business Saturday, and we’re encouraging everyone to Shop Small® here on November 24th. Plus, we’re having a special Small Business Saturday celebration offer! Shop online or come in to the shop on November 24th and you’ll get 20% OFF your entire purchase, plus FREE gift wrap! Stop in for the newest and timeless styles offered in the freshwater and saltwater pearl jewelry market.
Let’s do our part and keep small businesses in Daytona Beach Shores alive and thriving! Get out there, Shop Small, and let’s make this November 24th the biggest day of the year for small business. To learn more, visit ShopSmall.com.


text:
By Aluisio Alves
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Tul, the Colombian e-commerce platform for building materials for small retailers, announced on Tuesday that it had received a contribution of US$181 million, in preparation for entering Brazil and expanding its operations in Mexico, the two largest economies in Latin America.
The investment, led by venture capital fund 8VC, also involved Avenir Growth and values the business at around US$700 million. The startup already had among its partners the funds SoftBank, Tiger Global, Lightrock, Coatue, Foundation, Vine, Marathon Labs and H20.
Created in March 2020, in Colombia, Tul bridges the gap between the small retail of construction materials, a segment that according to it accounts for about 60% of the sector’s sales, with suppliers of products including steel, cement and finishing materials. , between others.
From manufacturers including names like Gerdau, Henkel, Tigre, Bosch and Cemex, the startup buys large amounts of inputs that are stored in its own warehouses in large Latin American metropolises. In addition, it has a network of outsourced couriers, in a system similar to that used by other app delivery companies, such as iFood and Rappi, which was also created in Colombia.
With this, it promises delivery of orders in just one day. Currently, Tul has operations in five cities in Colombia, in addition to Ecuador, and in Mexico it operates in the markets of Mexico City and Guadalajara.
“We are going to be price competitive, but the main attraction for retailers is the convenience of being able to have their orders delivered quickly with no minimum amount,” Bruno Raposo, Tul’s chief executive in Brazil, told Reuters construction moves about 27 billion dollars a year, according to the startup’s estimates.
Tul’s first operation in Brazil, in São Paulo, should start in March, said the executive, before launching operations in Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte in 2022, reaching 10,000 customers by the end of the year from a estimated total base in the country of around 150 thousand shopkeepers.
According to Raposo, the free fast delivery service is just the first stage of a business model that will later evolve into a marketpace with third-party offers, in addition to including its own financial services and tool rental, among others.
The announcement comes at a time when the real estate sector in Brazil faces a rapid cooling off due to the Central Bank raising the basic interest rate from 2% to 9.25% per year in the last 12 months to combat persistent inflation.
For Raposo, however, this scenario should not have a major impact on the small retail of building materials.
“This segment practically does not depend on financing,” he said.
+ CNH: see what you need to know for the application and renewal
+ See which were the most stolen cars in SP in 2021
+ Expedition identifies giant squid responsible for ship sinking in 2011
+ Everything you need to know before buying a crockpot
+ US Agency warns: never wash raw chicken meat
+ What is known about fluorone?
+ Trick to squeeze lemons becomes a craze on social media
+ IPVA 2022 SP: see how to consult and pay the tax
#Tul #Building #Material #Hub #Raises #181M #Expand #Brazil #Mexico


text:
Expect to find better cellular performance in more areas (that is, if you have a compatible device).
You can get up to eight of them on your plan, and you'll have to pay $5 a month for data.
Google Messages, One, YouTube TV, and Pixel phones will now be favored and featured by the Uncarrier.
It's expensive, but you do get unlimited 4K UHD video streaming *and* Netflix on Us as bonuses.
The new features are available to subscribers starting today.
The YouTube TV alternative will be available to all starting in 2021.
You could get the phone and its dual screen accessory for free, if you meet a certain criteria.
If you're on an Unlimited Plus plan, you can score a free year of ad-free YouTube and save $120.
The carrier will begin shipping Android phones with RCS through Google's Messages app by default next year.
The new plan is available now for new and existing Fi subscribers.
You can now use both devices on Big Red's 5G network.
iPhones are no longer the only devices that can connect to 5G on Verizon's sub-carrier.
In honor of Safer Internet Day.
You'll need to pay $75/mo if you want 2Gbps speeds on Big Red.
T-Mobile will be taking Sprint's place in key areas over the coming months.
A Galaxy S20 Ultra user in New York made the discovery.
"With great power, comes great responsibility."
A solid deal for those who want unlimited data through Google.
Directly contradicting their original plans.


text: On Tuesday, May 29, 2018 Starbucks closed its stores for a “racial bias education day” after a Philadelphia-based employee called the police on two black men — Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson — who sat in the store for several minutes in April. They were both arrested, prompting backlash from customers. The two men went on to settle with the city for $1 each — with an agreement that local officials would help launch a $200,000 entrepreneurship program for students. Since last year, it seems Starbucks has gone above and beyond to showcase some of its Diversity and Inclusion programs, as well as releasing new multicultural social media ads. Check out the images below.


text:
Taxi companies in Chicago are suing Uber, the app that lets you hail a cab from your phone.
Taxi companies in Chicago are suing Uber, the...
There are hundreds of thousands of sensors in the ocean—here's why
More "Industry IQ" »
Understand this one thing to have a successful digital business
More "Digital Business Decoded" »
Forget Wall Street — this startup gives you the same investments at 1/100th of the cost
More "Real Estate" »


text:
Globally, a significant chunk of the portfolio of hotel chains is under franchising arrangements. Amid signs of a maturing market, and better owner credentials, brands are now warming up to the franchise model in India.
Even Indian chains are exploring franchising opportunities, industry insiders said.
Amith Khanna,head of franchise for India, the Middle East and Africa at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said over 80% of IHG’s global portfolio is franchised and this has proven to be a beneficial model for both IHG and owners. “The franchise model specifically caters to mature markets where owners have strong capacity and credentials in managing hotels and brands to the highest standards. Globally, it’s above 80%. In India, the Middle East and Africa, it’s 30% franchised, and our ambition is to expand in India,”he added.
Lemon Tree Hotels has a new division specifically for franchising, said president Vikramjit Singh. “This is in line with our asset-light strategy through which we plan to expand through the management and franchise routes. We have been signing and opening managed properties for over 10 years now, and are now actively targeting franchise contracts as well,” he said.
Nikhil Sharma, managing director for Eurasia at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company, said as more hotel chains expand their presence in tier-1, 2 and 3 cities, it gradually becomes more challenging for independent and small hotel owners to run their businesses smoothly in a competitive environment.
“Here, franchising can support independent hotels in various aspects (from training to resources) to map their growth,” Sharma said. “Another positive aspect of franchising is an affiliation with a hotel chain can significantly enhance the visibility via sales and marketing network, consumer awareness and authenticity of the brand.” Wyndham has 57 hotels with more than 5,000 rooms operational in India.
In India’s hospitality sector, the franchising model has picked up significantly in the last two years, said Deepak Jain, founder of MayFair Consultants. “Owners get great flexibility in how the hotel is to be operated with lower fee out pay and, secondly, with the rise of third-party management companies, international and domestic brands are now more open to franchising discussions, as it safeguards their brand standards and customer experience,” he said.
Zubin Saxena, managing director and area senior VP, South Asia, at Radisson Hotel Group, said that in India, the chain is open to “selective franchising” for its mid-market brands with experienced partners who are equipped in managing branded, world-class properties.
A few years back, most branded hotels were in metro cities and state capitals, but they are everywhere now, be it hill stations or other leisure locations, said Randhir Narayan, founder and CEO of AM Hotel Kollection, a third party hotel management company. “It is here that brand franchise and professional hotel management comes into play. Because of the topography and domestic demand, hotel chains are open to smaller key counts and have the option of franchising, if professionally managed. More owners are accepting the three way arrangment,” he added.
Narayan said within franchising, AM Hotel Kollection is already operating hotels for three Indian brands and more contracts with international and Indian brands are in the process of getting finalised.


text:
Sony Pictures ‘The Interview’. Sony Interview.
After being pulled a few days prior to its launch due to a massive email hack, Sony Pictures’ controversial movie, ‘The Interview,’ had finally been released on Christmas Day with record breaking sales.
The comedy, starring James Franco and Seth Roger, depicts two journalists who snag the opportunity to interview the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and then were recruited by the CIA to assassinate him.
On December 23rd, Sony execs gave the approval to release the movie to a limited number of independent cinemas despite the fact that a group called the Guardians of Peace had threatened violence against moviegoers if the film made it to the box office.
President Barack Obama.
The decision had been finalized to release the move after President Barack Obama said Sony Pictures had “made a mistake” by initially deciding to pull the film. President Obama went on to note that “We cannot have a society in which some dictator some place can start imposing censorship here in the United States because if somebody is able to intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical movie, imagine what they start doing when they see a documentary that they don’t like, or news reports that they don’t like.”
North Korea Threat. Email Hacking.
North Korea denied being responsible for the massive hack of Sony Pictures’ emails, but said it could be “a righteous deed of the supporters and sympathizers” of the country.
Online Record Breaking Sales. Reality TV.
‘The Interview’ netted Sony Pictures more than $3 million on Christmas Day. And the controversial movie reached all-time online record sales grossing $15 million in purchases or rentals. This is by far the MOST successful Internet release ever!!
The public outcry regarding ‘The Interview’ is indeed what brought a lot of attention to the film. The record breaking sales might have not been achieved without all the publicity the movie received.
Call me cynical, or call me intuitive, but it appears that the marketing department at Sony Pictures is very sly like a fox. We are in an era where Reality TV is king because folks will do absolutely anything to get attention and make money. So why would it be of any surprise if Sony Pictures created the story to get exactly what it got – massive publicity for the film.
Do you feel the same or have another opinion? Share your comments. Until next time, I’m Attorney Francine Ward. Find me on my Facebook Law Fan Page, Twitter Law Page, Google+, and LinkedIn.


text:
TikTok is presently the most important social media platform for sharing quick 60-second movies, however from the beginning of Q2 2021 creators could have much more time for his or her movies.
In an official message, Drew Kirchhoff, Product Supervisor at TikTok, has revealed the service might be rolling out the choice to create longer movies of as much as three minutes.
Creators have been speaking to TikTok, revealing they want a bit extra further time to carry their content material to life with out splitting it into movies like “like and comply with for half 2”. The characteristic has already been examined with some customers, however it’s now anticipated to roll out to all people.
Introducing longer movies, as a substitute of pushing creators to be invested in a number of sequence means the end-user will spend as much as thrice longer within the app, watching movies, which is the final word aim for TikTok – to maintain the engagement to the utmost.


text:
Amazon doesn't say how many Fires it has sold, but says it captured 22 percent of U.S. tablet sales over nine months. That would make it the second-most popular tablet, after the iPad. Based on iPad sales reported by Apple, Fire sales can be estimated at around 5 million units.
Separately, ABI Research said Thursday that sales of dedicated e-readers, such as the black-and-white Kindles, peaked last year. It expects worldwide sales of e-readers at 11 million in 2012, down from 15 million in 2011.
The research firm expects tablets to outsell e-readers nine to one this year, despite costing four or five time as much. Still, e-readers won't go away completely, ABI analyst Joshua Flood said.
"We believe there will always be a niche market for the dedicated reading device for voracious readers, business travelers, and educational segments, particularly ones that are low-priced," Flood said.
Amazon could update the rest of its Kindle line at next week's event, too. The current models were launched a year ago. In the intervening time, competitor Barnes & Noble Inc. has launched a Nook e-reader with a built-in screen illuminator for reading in the dark.
Amazon was the main outlet for the Kindle Fire. However, Staples stores recently sold it for $179.


text:
A lack of scientific evidence means no clear verdict can yet be reached on the health risks posed by nanomaterials – but the carcinogenic potential of some nanoparticles should be “taken seriously”, cautioned German authorities.
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) said that while several studies on animals indicated that some nanomaterials could cause cancer, they added there was currently insufficient data to label them as “potentially carcinogenic to humans”.
The bodies also concluded that no firm verdict could yet be reached regarding the release of nanomaterials from products nor to their exposure.
But they stressed sufficient concerns existed to warranted close scrutiny of their effects – particularly regarding daily exposure to nanomaterials.
The statement is the latest in a string of opinions issued recently over the safety of nanomaterials, whose use is becoming increasingly widespread in consumer products such as packaging and food.
In January, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued draft guidance on nano risk assessment. Two weeks later the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) published a guide to assess the potential threat of exposure to nanomaterials in the workplace.
Last year, the BfR itself declared that nanosilver should be excluded from foods or cosmetics until the potential hazards from the substance had been fully scrutinised. The body urged companies considering use of nanosilver in consumer products to hold off until studies have fully confirmed its safety. The agency said the case had not been made.
No firm conclusions
The BfR/UBA said that research on animals had shown that some nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) may be carcinogenic when breathed in. But the scientists said a water-tight scientific case to apply these findings to humans could not yet be made.
“This mainly results from the fact that the extent to which data from animal testing applies to humans and whether these effects are specific to the nanoscale or are rather due to other properties inherent to these substances is uncertain,” said the German experts
The scientists said that no reliable conclusions could also be drawn on exposure to nanomaterials nor regarding their release from products – because of the scarcity of research and the absence of a “reliable measurement technology to detect nanomaterials in different media”.
“It is therefore not yet possible to assess the health risks of these materials for humans with reasonable certainty,” concluded the bodies.
But the BfR and UBA said: “Despite existing uncertainties findings on the carcinogenic potential of some nanomaterials should be taken seriously”.
The toxicological properties of nanostructures should also be assessed through the development of valid methods on all possible routes of exposure – such as inhalation, dermal and oral pathways.
Proper evaluation of potential carcinogenic hazards of nanomaterials– in line with general scientific principles – can only be characterised for a specific substance in a specific case.
Source: Food production daily


text:
Petroleum, Motor Vehicles Boost US Import Prices
U.S. import prices increased more than expected in April amid rising costs for petroleum products and a range of other goods, which could help boost domestic inflation and keep the Federal Reserve on course for further interest rate hikes.
The Labor Department said on May 10 that import prices jumped 0.5% last month after gaining 0.1% in March. It was the fifth straight monthly increase and beat economists' expectations for a 0.2% advance.
"Higher import prices today helps build the case for another rate hike at the June Fed meeting as the deflation threat has long passed for this economic cycle," said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at MUFG Union Bank in New York.
In the 12 months through April, import prices rose 4.1% after increasing 4.3% in March. Prices shot up 4.7% on a year-on-year basis in February, the biggest gain in five years. They are rising as the drags from a strong dollar and weak global import prices fade.
U.S. financial markets were little moved by the data amid investor caution after President Donald Trump on May 9 abruptly fired FBI Director James Comey.
In April, prices for imported petroleum rebounded 1.6% after declining 0.4% in March. Import prices excluding petroleum gained 0.4%, the biggest increase since July 2016, after edging up 0.1% in the prior month.
Import prices excluding petroleum have now risen for four straight months, in part reflecting the dollar's 3% decline against the currencies of the United States' main trading partners this year.
Import prices excluding petroleum rose 1.4% in the 12 months through April, the largest increase since March 2012.
The steady rise in underlying import prices could over time put upward pressure on consumer inflation.
"With job gains rebounding to decent levels, only some sudden deceleration in inflation might slow the Fed from its appointed round of rate hikes," said Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisers in Holland, Pa.
"Well, it doesn't look like inflation is going to decelerate anytime soon," he added.
The U.S. central bank raised its overnight interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point in March and has forecast two more hikes this year.
Prices for imported capital goods rose for a third straight month in April, while the cost of imported motor vehicles surged 0.5%, the biggest gain in five years. Imported food prices increased 0.3%.
The cost of goods imported from China dipped 0.1% last month, leading to a 1.2% decline on a year-on-year basis. Prices have not risen on a yearly basis since October 2014.
The report also showed export prices increased 0.2% in April after rising 0.1% in March. Prices rose 3% year-on-year after increasing 3.4% in March.
Prices for agricultural exports advanced 0.3% last month as a record 37.9% jump in vegetable prices offset falling prices for soybeans, corn and wheat. In the 12 months through April, agricultural export prices rose 4.6%.


text:
PAGID UNVEILS NEW PACKAGING AS PART OF CONTINUED BRAND INVESTMENT
The UK’s biggest-selling braking brand, Pagid, has unveiled new packaging and introduced blue printing on its pads as it further invests in growing and enhancing its market-leading position as the first-choice braking brand for UK garages and workshops.
The striking new packaging is currently being rolled out across all Pagid braking products, starting with pads, discs, calipers and accessories, swiftly to be followed by all other Pagid products over the coming months.
The focus of the new brand packaging features a computer-generated image (CGI) of a bespoke passenger car rear brake light cluster, incorporating modern LED elements and the distinctive arches from the Pagid brand identity, which provides uniqueness in the UK market.
Blue text on the brake pads replaces the previous white text and has been introduced to further emphasise the brand’s quality and innovation credentials and to provide another point of difference.
Pagid is exclusively available through Euro Car Parts, the UK’s largest and most reliable automotive aftermarket supplier. The two leading automotive brands are currently celebrating the tenth anniversary of their successful partnership after joining forces in 2019 with a mission to make Pagid the UK’s number one braking brand among garages and workshops.
Phil Woodcock, Pagid Key Account Manager for UK and Eire, said: “As this year marks the tenth anniversary of our partnership with Euro Car Parts, we felt the time was right to enhance our position as the leading OE braking brand in the UK aftermarket by investing in revamping and re-energising our packaging.
“The Pagid brand is synonymous with exceptional quality, which is not surprising given the fact it an OE-approved brand of TMD Friction which has world class manufacturing facilities and invests €30m in R&D annually. We believe our striking new packaging is befitting of a brand with such superior product quality credentials and look forward to hearing feedback from garages as we roll it out across the UK.”
Until the end of October, Pagid and Euro Car Parts are running a ‘free braking giveaway’ promotion, offering garages and workshops the opportunity to win free braking products and consumables for one month and an exhilarating Palmer Sport track day. Every £250 spent on any Pagid braking products bought through Euro Car Parts earns one entry into a prize draw to win one of these prizes. For more information, go to https://omnipart.eurocarparts.com/pagid-braking-promotion. Full T&Cs apply.
Covering 99 per cent of the UK’s vehicle parc, Pagid offers the widest range of brake pads and discs on the market, complemented by a full range of professional braking tools.


text:
Google CEO: programmatic is ‘on fire,’ ad blocking requires industry effort
Google’s Sundar Pichai knows how to get advertisers excited it seems: start talking programmatic.
The new Google CEO said that over the past 18 months the number of advertisers using Google’s programmatic ad platform has doubled. He was talking to Wall Street analysts on a conference call after the company announced quarterly earnings today.
He called programmatic “an area that’s on fire for us right now.” Programmatic advertising covers the automated ad systems Google has set up through its DoubleClick Bid Manager, letting advertisers and agencies plan campaigns.
Pichai also addressed the specter of ad blocking, which has burst into the forefront of industry conversations after Google rival Apple enabled content blocking in its operating system.
“On the ad blocker stuff you know it’s not a new phenomenon,” he said in response to an analyst’s question, indicating that it wouldn’t represent a more significant problem for Google than it already has been.
However, Pichai did acknowledge that the industry needs to be better with ads.
“It’s also clear that there are areas where the ad experience is getting in the way and it affects the performance,” Pichai said. “We as an industry need to collectively do all that better.”
In particular, he doesn’t want to see the mobile Web make the same mistakes as desktop with a poor ad experience. Google already has made moves to increase the speed of mobile pages and enhance mobile ads with more relevance thanks to better targeting.
“We are going to work hard to do that, make sure we transition areas like the mobile Web to have better ad experiences,” Pichai said.
Google’s plan seemed to be working so far. Total advertising revenue hit $16.8 billion, a 13 percent increase year over year.
In addition to programmatic, Google credited the strength of mobile search and YouTube for its business expansion.
The number of mobile and video impressions served on DoubleClick more than tripled in the past year, Pichai. He also said about 80 percent of the top 100 advertisers were on the platform.
Publishers speak out on the state of the media business at the Digiday Publishing Summit
With the calendar flipping to spring, do publishers feel like the economic conditions are starting to thaw or do they expect the second quarter to be similarly frigid?
How Forbes and The Daily Beast are consolidating diverse revenue streams to create the highest value audience
Forbes and The Daily Beast have shed the silo-model when it comes to how their revenue teams operate.
How BuzzFeed’s Creator Score is grading the impact of its creator network
BuzzFeed's Creator Network is a primary focus in 2023 for the publisher, and its campaign grading tool is being used to prove out its ability to create successful ads.
SponsoredHow critical data pillars will increase brands’ confidence in CTV
Mario Diez, CEO, Peer39 With every quarter, the balance of TV viewership slips away from the traditional linear model and more towards connected TV. Less than half of the adults in the U.S. subscribe to cable or satellite, and fewer than half of the households watched linear TV daily in the second half of 2022. […]
In graphic detail: Google’s Ads Safety Report shows suspect ad activities are on the rise
Google's ad transparency efforts detail how bad actors necessitate further investment.
Media Briefing: Publishers share their biggest challenges and opportunities at the Digiday Publishing Summit
While Q1 ad revenue, sales cycles and payment windows appeared to be equally bad across the media industry, bright spots arose around consumer revenue streams, new tech experimentation and traffic patterns.


text:
Travelex UK systems online after Ransomware attack
Travelex UK systems online after cyber attack
More than two weeks after a crippling ransomware attack forced Travelex staff to use pen and paper to calculate foreign currency exchanges, the company said the first of its customer-facing systems in Britain was up and running again.
The cyber attack forced the company to take all its systems offline, causing chaos for New Year holidaymakers and business travellers seeking online currency services.
A phased global restoration of systems was now “firmly underway”, the company said on Friday,
adding that an automated order placement service used by a number of its British High Street banking partners was already live.
Also Read: Ransomware: cripples Travelex systems
Travelex, owned by Finablr, provides forex services for customers of HSBC, Barclays, Virgin Money and the banking arms of British retailers Tesco and Sainsbury.
“We have started restoring forex order processing electronically in our UK stores and in some of our UK retail partner locations, and we are also now starting our VAT refund service in UK airports,” Travelex CEO Tony D’Souza said.
A spokesperson for Virgin Money, however, said customers were still unable to place orders via its travel money website, while Tesco Bank and Barclays said their systems were offline.
A Royal Bank of Scotland spokeswoman also said its online and in-store systems were both still down.
“We are sorry for the inconvenience to our customers. We are working with Travelex to get our foreign currency service back up as soon as we are able to do so,” a Barclays spokesman said.
Travelex said it was in the “advanced stages” of testing the systems supporting bank note orders and its UK international money transfer service.
“Individual firms will have their own processes in place to ensure there is no risk to customers.
Also Read: Three Mindsets Lawyers Must Adopt to Succeed in Technology Age
This could lead to a delay between Travelex restoring its systems and partner firms being able to begin offering related services,” banking trade body UK Finance said.
The company, which has a presence in more than 70 countries, had been forced to serve customers face-to-face at 1,200 locations worldwide.
Travelex had said on Monday that it was restoring operations to process foreign exchange orders electronically.
It has said there was no evidence to suggest that customer data has been compromised.
The company has been working with authorities including the National Cyber Security Centre and London’s Metropolitan Police, which has launched a criminal investigation.
Global companies are increasingly facing hackers who cripple technology systems with malicious programmes such as ransomware and only stop after receiving substantial payments.
Travelex, which was hit by ransomware called Sodinokibi, has not said if it paid any money to its hackers.
British media reports, including from the BBC which said it had spoken with the hackers, have pegged the ransom demand at $6 million.
Neither Finablr nor Travelex has so far indicated how much the incident has cost them.


text:
It was business as usual with Indian trade remedy investigations in 2021, which saw 92 products facing investigations across 17 product sectors and 33 countries/regions.
2021 also saw an unpredictable trend of only 32% of positive recommendations being accepted by Ministry of Finance and 39% being rejected or time-barred. 15% of cases being terminated by DGTR itself. In addition, India also for the first time, suspended trade remedy measures for a period of 1 year in respect of certain steel products.
Trade remedy law continued its evolution with the conclusion of India's first ever Quantitative Restriction Safeguard investigation, introduction of anti-absorption provisions and taking a step towards considering public interest in Anti-Dumping/Anti-Subsidy investigations by proposing a questionnaire response.
Tribunal also delivered an important judgment which required Ministry of Finance to give reasons for rejecting the recommendations of DGTR.
Read more about the trends and numbers by clicking on the document link below.


text:
Surprise! Claw machines are rigged. Okay, no one's really shocked, are they?
And yet, people keep trying to get those little plush toys.
Here's the secret. There's a thing called "claw strength" that's working against you and your wallet.
Vox writer Phil Edwards pulled instruction manuals for different makes and models of claw machines, and it turns out it comes down to this: money.
"Simply input the coin value, the average value of the merchandise and the profit level. The machine will automatically calculate when to send full strength to the claw," Vox reports.
So the machine decides how strong to make the grip of the claw based on its ability to make a profit. Oh, and it can also be programmed to make you think you almost won.
Association magazine Vending Times responded to the article Vox published. According to that article, most industry leaders in the amusement market self-regulate according to the law. The publication says the only problem is that in most states, the laws are unclear.
But if you're down to lose some money to try to prove us wrong, by all means, be our guest.


text:
Over the weekend, the Indonesian government began the task of blocking any website or service that had not registered as part of new “internet control” laws. It ended up being a lot, including everything from Steam to the Epic Games Store to Nintendo Online to EA and Ubisoft’s platforms.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (Kominfo) took the steps following the introduction of strict new laws, which the government says are part of a crackdown on anything displayed online that is “deemed illegal” and will require any online service platform or provider that hosts such “illegal” content to remove it within 24 hours (or four if it is considered to be “urgent”).
To comply with these laws, international companies operating in Indonesia would have had to register by the weekend, and it is not surprising that many have chosen not to, given the extensive powers at play, at least for now. In response, non-participating services have been blocked to Indonesian IPs, meaning that alongside wider, more mainstream companies such as PayPal and Yahoo, a number of gaming platforms have also been cut off.
While PayPal was temporarily restored (to allow customers to get their money from the platform), the game stores and platforms have remained dark since the weekend (the new law’s registration deadline expired on July 27).
As Global voices summarizethese laws have been opposed both inside and outside of Indonesia since they were first announced:
The mandatory registration of private electronic system operators (ESOs) is set out in Ministerial Regulation 5 (MR5) issued in December 2020. Its amended version, Ministerial Regulation 10 (MR10), was issued in May 2021.
Both MR5 and MR10 have been consistently opposed by the media, civil society groups and human rights defenders for containing provisions that pose a threat to freedom of expression.
Human Rights Watch have said about the laws:
MR5 is deeply problematic, giving public authorities overly broad powers to regulate online content, access user data and punish non-compliant companies…Ministerial Regulation 5 is a human rights disaster that will destroy freedom of expression in Indonesia, and should not be used in its current form.
Although this is not a market that usually makes the headlines, this is important news because Indonesia with its large population (with 270 million is the fourth most populous nation on earth) huge the market for online services. As The Diplomat point out“Indonesia remains one of the largest internet markets in the world, with the third largest population of Facebook users and also ranks in the top 10 for users of YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp”.
None of the services currently affected are shut out; they are technically only limited either until they register with Kominfo or the law is changed (or repealed). Some of the companies that have signed up include Google, Roblox and Riot Games (League of Legends, Appreciates). And while direct access to services like Steam isn’t currently available, Indonesian players reportedly already are get around this by using a VPN.


text:
Baku, April 27, AZERTAC
The Caspian European Club has organized online B2B Agro and online B2B Industry forums. Both forums focused on the problems that entrepreneurs, representing the agro-industrial sector and the heavy and light industry sector respectively, faced during the COVID 19 coronavirus pandemic. Based on the results of all discussions, a package of proposals will be drawn up and sent to the relevant government agencies for consideration and finding possible solutions, Chairman and CEO of the Caspian European Club and Caspian Energy Telman Aliyev told AZERTAC.
Participants in the online B2B Agro Forum included Deputy Director of the Agrarian Research Center under Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Agriculture Namiq Shalbuzov, Head of the Registration and Work with Entrepreneurship Department at Food Safety Agency of Azerbaijan Orkhan Mikayil, Head of the Certification and Import-Export Control Sector at the Azerbaijan Food Safety Agency’s Department for Food Chain Control and Work with Regional Offices Farid Amirov, as well as top managers of public and private companies representing different sectors of economy.
The online B2B Industry Forum participants included Deputy Head of the Industry Department of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Economy Fikrat Gurbanov, Head of the Department of Customs Control and Trade Facilitation of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan Elchin Rustamov, Head of the Department for Economic Reforms Analysis and Communication Center Nijat Hajizade, Heaf of the Division within the KOB Dost Department of Azerbaijan Small and Medium Business Development Agency Adil Ahmadov, Manager of the Azexport.az portal Ayhan Gadashov, top-managers of public and private companies representing different sectors of economy.
The Club’s members from the Caspian-Black Sea region countries and the EU also participated in both online forums. They provided information about the operating conditions of business entities in their countries during this period.
On behalf of the top managers of the Caspian European Club member companies, Chairman and CEO of the Caspian European Club Telman Aliyev expressed gratitude to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and all representatives of the economic bloc of the Government of Azerbaijan for their active involvement and support which is provided to entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
B2B forum is a unique platform for international business networking created by the Caspian European Club, where business representatives make short presentations, talk about their activities, share industry problems and offer solutions to these problems.
Online B2B forums are held twice a week and serve as an additional platform for communicating in an informal setting and establishing new business contacts with heads of companies from different sectors of the economy of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, as well as other countries of the Caspian-Black Sea and Baltic regions.
The Caspian European Club, which brings together over 5,000 companies and organizations from 50 countries, was established in June 2002. The major objective of the Caspian European Club is to improve investment and business climate in Azerbaijan and other countries the Club operates in, and also to stimulate and contribute into B2G, B2B and B2C dialogues.
The head office of the Caspian European Club is located in Baku (Azerbaijan). Besides, the Caspian European Club has official representative offices in Georgia and Kazakhstan, authorized representatives in the USA, Germany, Poland, Latvia and the Czech Republic.
© Content from this site must be hyperlinked when used.


text:
MR. PRESIDENT, to fuel American economic growth and job creation, we have to make sure our tax policy is as smart as the innovators who power our economy.
American ingenuity has always been at the core of our economic success. Behind nearly every game-changing innovation, from the light bulb to the search engine, has been critical research and development that transforms an idea into a market-ready product. The challenges of the global economy may be new, but the solution is the same -- supporting and sustaining American innovators.
That's why I joined with my friend and colleague, the Senator from Wyoming, Senator Enzi, to draft legislation that gives innovative startup companies the opportunity to take advantage of the successful Research and Development Tax Credit, which would support their efforts to invest in innovation and create jobs.
Senator Enzi and I are proud to be joined by Senator Schumer of New York and Senator Rubio of Florida in introducing the Startup Innovation Credit Act of 2012, which allows qualifying companies to claim the R&D Tax Credit against their employment taxes instead of their income taxes, thereby opening the credit to new companies who don't yet have an income tax liability. We are also grateful to our colleagues in the House, who are working to introduce a bipartisan companion bill this week.
Over the past three decades, the research and development tax credit has helped tens of thousands of successful American companies create jobs by incentivizing investment in innovation. But with America's global manufacturing competitiveness at stake, it's time Congress shows the same type of support for entrepreneurs and young companies.
Small and startup businesses are driving our nation's economic recovery and creating jobs by taking risks to turn their ideas into marketable products. Over the past few decades, firms that were younger than five years old were responsible for the overwhelming majority of new jobs in this country.
The tax code is a powerful tool in the government's toolbox, but tax credits can't help emerging companies that don't yet have tax liabilities. That takes the R&D tax credit off the table for countless promising startups and small businesses.
Over the last two years, I've talked with dozens of business leaders and experts in tax policy to refine an idea to create a new small business innovation credit that would help those young companies. My commitment to this concept has only strengthened since I introduced a version of it in my very first bill as a Senator, the Job Creation Through Innovation Act. This work continued, along with Senator Rubio, in the subsequent AGREE Act and Startup Act 2.0.
The reason I am so doggedly pursuing this idea is because it is critical for young, innovative companies in my home state of Delaware. Take, for example, DeNovix, a small company based in Wilmington. With just six employees, they design, manufacture and sell laboratory equipment that helps scientists innovate and achieve results. As a brand-new company, all of DeNovix' products are in the research and development phase. So at this point, they can't take advantage of the R&D Tax Credit. A new, innovative company, shut out of support they need at the time they need it most. That seems counterproductive for our economy. So let's fix it. Under the Startup Innovation Credit Act of 2012, DeNovix and companies like them across Delaware and across the country could grow and create jobs with the help of the R&D tax credit.
We can't let tough economic times slow down the power of American ingenuity, especially when history has taught us that now is exactly the time we need to be investing in our innovators. More than half of our Fortune 500 companies were launched during a recession or bear market, so a small business founded this year could become the next General Electric or DuPont if it gets the support it needs.
America's researchers, business leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs are already working to help create jobs and ensure American competitiveness in the global economy. We just have to support and sustain their hard work, and we cannot take the rest of the year off just because there's an election coming up. Even in this difficult, partisan atmosphere, we have to find ways to work together and get things done.
Innovation will drive American economic competitiveness for generations to come, and our job is to help our innovators and entrepreneurs do their jobs. I urge my colleagues to join Senators Enzi, Schumer, Rubio and I in strong support of the Startup Innovation Credit Act of 2012.


text:
Gray hair cure? “The cure for gray hair is coming,” according to a new study.
A team of European researchers declare that the need to dye gray hair “will be a thing of the past,” according to a press release.
In a new report published in The FASEB Journal, the researchers found that grey hair is caused by stress which causes a “massive accumulation of hydrogen peroxide,” which in effect causes hair to bleach itself from the inside out.
The problem can be fixed with a treatment developed as a topical compound that was created to treat a skin condition caused vitiligo.
“To date, it is beyond any doubt that the sudden loss of the inherited skin and localized hair color can affect those individuals in many fundamental ways,” said Karin U. Schallreuter, M.D., study author from the Institute for Pigmentary Disorders in association with E.M. Arndt University of Greifswald, Germany and the Centre for Skin Sciences, School of Life Sciences at the University of Bradford, United Kingdom. “The improvement of quality of life after total and even partial successful repigmentation has been documented.”
Schallreuter and colleagues analayzed a group of 2,411 patients with vitiligo, a skin condition that causes a loss of brown color (pigment) from the skin, leaving white patches.
Because the researchers were able to treat vitiligo patients with a cream that reduced the amount of hydrogen peroxide in the skin, they are saying that the same type of treatment could be used to treat gray hair.
“For generations, numerous remedies have been concocted to hide gray hair,” said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal, “but now, for the first time, an actual treatment that gets to the root of the problem has been developed. While this is exciting news, what’s even more exciting is that this also works for vitiligo. This condition, while technically cosmetic, can have serious socio-emotional effects of people. Developing an effective treatment for this condition has the potential to radically improve many people’s lives.”


text:
CES may be over, but we’re still energized and excited by what we learned as we look ahead at the rest of 2023. This year we didn’t have an exhibit on the show floor like we have in past years, or even virtually as in 2021 and 2022 where we hosted brands like Oral-B, Gillette, Crest and Tide. Instead, we came to learn from our peers and shared what we’ve learned in conversations on several CES stages throughout the event.
After years of developing a low-resource laundry detergent for space, P&G’s Mark Sivik, North America Fabric Care Research Fellow, and astronauts living and working on the International Space Station right now, joined a panel, “Tech Dev in Low Earth Orbit — An Astronaut's Perspective from Space,” in the first ever 4K livestream from the ISS. Sivik spoke with the astronauts about Tide's Space Act Agreement with NASA, which led to the development of Tide Infinity, the detergent solution that may eventually be used by astronauts. Activated by innovation, sustainability and the critical need to deliver astronauts access to fresh-out-of-the-wash clothing in the long months on the ISS and for future lunar and Mars missions, Tide Infinity is focused on meeting needs of space such as full degradability and low-water cleaning, while also advancing cleaning solutions for all environments.
As part of the partnership, P&G scientists helped design experiments to study stain removal and laundry detergent stability in space — by actual astronauts on board the ISS. By testing the impact of microgravity on Tide solutions, results could support the development of detergent systems in future space missions. Panel members discussed the future of this technology in space and how to apply learnings from the ISS to other orbiting modules, laboratories and conservation efforts on earth.
P&G also sponsored the Eureka Park panel, “Partnering on AI Capability Today to Accelerate Innovation Tomorrow.” Moderated by P&G IT Senior Director Doug Shean, the panel featured Senior Purchasing Manager Mercy Chang, R&D Director Kelly Anderson and LabelBox CEO Manu Sharma. The panel discussed how Artificial Intelligence (AI) will power our data-driven insights to deliver continued consumer delight that drives constructive disruption for how we innovate. We are already applying AI to build greater consumer understanding of product usage habits, as well as manufacturing practices (and more) to enhance productivity and to help us design products to better meet consumer needs.
The panel drove home that collaborative partnerships are key to success. That’s why we are strategically partnering externally with startups, established companies and leading academics to leverage and build new data and AI capabilities that our innovators can use to drive new insights, concepts, products, packages, communications, etc.
But just as important as what we brought to the event is what we are taking away: a focus on continuing to weave digital innovation into every aspect of our business, an ever-expanding passion to pursue the potential of consumer engagement and delight in the metaverse, and the desire to create products, services and solutions that make every day a little bit better for all people. Last year, inspired by similar trends, Chief Design Officer Phil Duncan wrote about how Metaverse and Web3 are enabling P&G to use in-depth insights, combined with creativity and powerful design, to change how we connect with consumers. This year, he was even more inspired by the evolving opportunities to spark interest and generate meaningful interaction with a wide range of consumers in the metaverse.
Inspiration is the heart of innovation, and it’s also one of the greatest things about CES — that we come each year to inspire the people we engage with and to also leave inspired to continue pursuing innovation in how we seek to better understand and serve each consumer; how we create, contribute to and grow key partnerships; and how we imagine, create, enhance and market our products. See you at CES 2024!


text:
The wife of two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry has become a brand in her own right, one based on domestic bliss, cooking, and babies. Her blog is a more accessible version of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop and it appears to be a winning approach. She has a fan base of 3.3 million followers on Instagram, 380,000 YouTube subscribers and she’s also trended on Twitter at least five times in the past six months.
She recently launched a BBQ pop-up restaurant in San Francisco called International Smoke where reservations sold out in just seven minutes. (Drake stopped by recently.) Her first cookbook is coming out in the fall. And today, she’s launching a collection of baby shoes that she designed for Freshly Picked, a brand we’ve covered before.
Inspired by her two daughters, the shoes are called Lemonade, Mint Chip and Fan Favorite. “It’s cute, adorable, delicious and yet still fashion forward,” Curry says of the collection. “Yummy little moccasins to cover those yummy little toes.” The timing of the shoe launch is strategic: they’re dropping right in the middle of the NBA finals, where her husband is leading the Golden State Warriors to the brink of their second championship in a row.


text:
Financial innovation and new products such as peer-to-peer loans are creating challenges for regulators, a global report on financial innovation has found.
The report, produced by the International Banking Federation (IBFed) and global management consulting firm Oliver Wyman, explored how regulation protects consumers whilst allowing for innovation and competition.
“New products such as P2P loans; new operations such as AI and the cloud; new players
like fintechs, big techs, and telecoms; and growing cross-sector and cross-border businesses are
again testing the boundaries of regulatory frameworks and regulators’ speed of response,” the report said.
Read more: Treasury launches review into fintech sector
The report also noted that fintechs’ products and delivery mechanisms may fall outside the scope of existing financial regulations.
“This may be because they resemble existing financial services but are not yet fully classified as such within the existing regulatory framework,” the report said. “Or it may be because some regulation is entity-based, making it unclear which requirements apply if the entity providing them has a different license than that traditionally used to perform that activity.
“For example, is P2P lending actual “lending” or just intermediating payment transactions?”
The research highlighted a disparity in the regulation of bank and non-bank players, when it comes to classifying products and services; assessing accountability; and differences in monitoring and enforcement.
“People argue there wasn’t any regulation for P2P when it first came in, which wasn’t true,” said Andrew Holgate, chief executive of fintech consultancy Equitivo, commenting on the report’s findings.
“In some ways, there was lots of regulation, it was just unclear where exactly P2P fitted into it. There was banking legislation and anti-money laundering and consumer protection legislation all in place.
“Fintech and P2P lending platforms have just found more efficient ways of delivering products and regulators were initially too slow to realise the expansion of products.
“They are now more on top of it and doing more to make sure these products are safe and delivered in the right way.”
The report recommended revising measures within financial regulation and strengthening the policy response on issues that cut across industries.
It also called for the extension of finance-specific regulations to other industries where there are now inconsistencies in regulation and its enforcement.


text:
Trials of the Gods launches today, and Ubisoft brings news of nice little surprise for players that will launch alongside the new Assassin's Creed Origins The Hidden Ones DLC this month.
The Hidden Ones is the first DLC expansion for Ubisoft's latest Assassin's Creed game and is due to launch this month. Adding a new region to the map of Egypt, the new content will see players fighting against the Romans in a period set years after the events in Origins.
As well as the Assassin's Creed Origins DLC, which is available for free if you bought a Season Pass, there's some cool free stuff too.
Ubisoft says that all players will receive a free quest that ties in with The Hidden One expansion. There's a also a couple of game updates. Items from the Gladiator and Wacky packs, as well as the Nightmare and First Civilization packs will be added to the Heka chest items pool.
Players will also be able to sell outfit at the various weaver shops dotted around the regions.
The free content will be available to download at the same time as The Assassin's Creed Origins The Hidden Ones DLC. A release date has yet to be confirmed.
Additionally, the Trials of the Gods event, which will see players fighting Anubis and Sobek, will be available between January 9-16. The update will roll out worldwide throughout the day on January 9.
Future content includes the second expansion pack called The Curse of the Pharaohs, which is due to launch in March.
This week there was also a rumor about the next game in the Assassin’s Creed series. Images appeared online suggesting that Ubisoft may be looking at an Assassin’s Creed game set in Feudal Japan!


text:
Facebook graph search has great potential for marketers, especially for local business.
Charlottesville, VA (PRWEB) February 19, 2013
The launch of Facebook’s Graph Search has made waves in the digital community, with speculation that it could topple Google at the top of the search hierarchy. Join search engine marketing agency Search Mojo as President and CEO Janet Driscoll Miller and Social Media Specialist Michelle Doty discuss the real impact of Facebook Graph Search on Google search and what it means for marketers. The webinar, Understanding Facebook’s Graph Search: Is It Really a Google Search Killer? will be held on Thursday, February 21 at 2:00 p.m. ET.
The immediate aftermath of Facebook’s announcement of Graph Search brought abundant speculation about how it will affect Google search. During this webinar, Miller will provide details on what Facebook Graph Search is, showing how it compares to other search engines and explain if it really is a threat to Google search. Doty will explain why businesses and marketers should pay attention to Facebook Graph Search as a potentially powerful marketing tool, and what it could mean for Facebook users from a privacy perspective.
“Many have deemed Facebook Graph Search a ‘Google killer’,” said Miller. “While Facebook Graph Search has many potential uses for marketers, it actually works very differently than traditional search engines, like Google and Bing. I’ll walk through how Facebook’s Graph Search works and the differences between it and traditional search.”
“Facebook Graph Search has great potential for marketers, especially for local business,” said Doty. “I’ll discuss ways proactive organizations can edit their Facebook pages and revamp their Facebook strategies to get the most out of this new tool.”
To register for this informative webinar, go to http://www.search-mojo.com/graph-search.
About Search Mojo
Recently ranked on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list as one of the fastest growing businesses in America, Search Mojo specializes in search engine marketing, social media advertising, content marketing and analytics services. Founded in 2005, Search Mojo uses the latest information and techniques to help companies improve their conversions and lead generation through search and social tactics. Learn more about Search Mojo at http://www.search-mojo.com or read our blog, Search Marketing Sage, at blog.search-mojo.com.


text:
What if Online Lottery Games becomes too addictive? So what if online lottery was banned? That is the ultimate question when the government of the United States of America decides to go into a tax-money windfall. In the past; they have used this method by allowing casinos and gaming companies to offer online gaming as a form of payment. This is one reason why many American consumers have turned to playing lottery games on the World Wide Web. But what if online lottery were banned?
Prepare your offerings to the gods before playing Online Lottery. The first thing that would happen is the online casinos would no longer be allowed to exist in the country. The government would not be able to support them financially so it would no longer be possible for them to stay open. They would then become unproductive because there would be no more people to pay their taxes into them. People would lose their jobs and they would eventually leave the country. In the end; the United States economy as a whole would suffer.
So what if online lottery was banned? There are quite a number of ways that this can be implemented. The first would be to block all gambling sites from being accessible by any means. This would include cell phones; pagers; fax machines; personal computers; other kinds of electronic means; and even email. This is a somewhat drastic measure but it may prevent the next major wave of cyber-crime in the near future.
If the government was to simply close down all online casino sites; there would still be a problem. What if someone started a new online casino using the money that the previous site stole? Would the government get involved and shut that site down also? This might be hard to do considering the laws that apply to other types of cyber crimes. After all; there are a lot of different online casinos out there and closing down one would certainly cause an uproar in the gaming community.
People enjoy making money from online betting. So; what if online lottery was banned completely? The second solution is to have each individual state to put in their own laws against this type of activity. This would of course require the approval of a governing body in each state before it could go into effect.
Some have suggested having the U.S. Department of Justice to step in and propose some kind of law against online gambling. This would mean that the government would tax the profits that are earned from online casinos. While this might prevent the owners of these sites from getting away with anything; it would at least force them to pay taxes and it might force the owners to hire employees in the U.S.; something that they currently cannot do.


text:
"Hearts and Heroes Triumphant" is the theme for a dinner and style show Saturday at the Amarillo Civic Center Grand Plaza.
The event will benefit Eveline Rivers' Coats for Kids project that provides coats, clothing and Christmas gifts to underprivileged children.
Highlight of the evening will be an auction of jackets designed by Amarillo area celebrities, including Mayor Trent Sisemore, Zach Thomas of the Miami Dolphins and Stanley Marsh 3.
Diane Dick International Models will provide models for the fashion show. Area stores participating will include Angel's Attire, Dillard's, Fox Den, Helen's, J. Winston, Main Place, Maternally Yours, Riley Blue, Suspender's and Westgate Mall.
Dick said the evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the silent auction, followed by dinner provided by All the Fixin's at 7:15 p.m.
The fashion show is scheduled for 8:15 p.m.
Tickets are $25 a person. For reservations, call Diane Dick Studio at 376-8736.
Jackets will be on display at TGIFridays until Friday.
Committee members for the event include Dick, Carol Whittenburg, Joette Campbell, Michael Tiernan, Melanie Wester, Vickie McLean, Andrea Stenhouse, Dusty Lovell and Karon Williams.
© 2016. All Rights Reserved. | Contact Us


text:
The future of a new business version of JavaOS was under discussion this week after IBM and Sun Microsystems pulled back on a planned announcement. The companies, due to unveil details on JavaOS for Business...
Companies are challenging Amazon in retail and cloud
Cosmetics firm is undergoing a top-to-toe tech refresh with GDPR compliance thrown in
DFS resorts to cloud to help handle spikes in online demand
Economy and business performance not a problem, reckon small firms
Charity engages Braintree to move away from previous payment system which was in danger of failing and losing millions of pounds of donations, admits CTO


text:
GM crop and food security news from around the web:
This week is Cereals – a huge arable farming event. Sadly I’m watching from the sidelines of Twitter, but at least things have quickly got interesting.
— NationalFarmersUnion (@NFUtweets) June 14, 2017
Since I wrote about the arguments for being an ethical omnivore, I’ve discovered that someone has made a word for what I was trying to say: flexitarian. Flexitarians commit to reducing their meat consumption without cutting it out completely.
It seems to be popular – 2017 YouGov research found that 44% of people in Britain were willing or already committed to cutting down on or cutting out meat eating. Continue reading


text:
AAco managing director David Farley said in an interview that the company planned to outsource cattle breeding to third-party pastoralists.
The shift is a big step for AAco, which has 1.1 per cent of Australia’s land mass and more than 600,000 head of cattle, making it the largest beef cattle company in Australia.
The company, which has been beset by power struggles in the boardroom, has struggled to deliver profits in recent years. AAco’s losses widened in the 2009 financial year to $53.7 million from $38.7 million in the previous year.
To reduce the volatility of profits from the company’s exposure to drought, floods and other extreme weather, Mr Farley plans to invest in live cattle trading, beef processing facilities and its boxed-beef business. The overhaul is aimed at driving beef sales to Asia, where rising affluence is expected to drive huge demand for protein in coming decades.
The strategy shift follows another tumultuous period for AAco, which recently suffered a board upheaval as chairman Stephen Lonie and director Peter Hughes stepped down unexpectedly. Mr Farley, who has overseen the review since being installed in December as AAco’s fourth chief executive in a decade, said AAco would establish a “breeder alliance program" to sell or lease its pregnant cows to pastoralists.
It plans to buy back the calves once they had been weaned or reached feeder weight, which are slightly older than weaned calves, and are transferred to feeder lots to be fattened for export.
It takes AAco three years to produce, rear and sell a cow. The new strategy will allow AAco to sell or process a cow within 12 months of ownership. It is also designed to transfer the risk of pregnancy and birthing problems to pastoralists.
Most of AAco’s land is in Queensland and the Northern Territory and bad weather across the north of Australia, especially floods and drought, can have a big impact on fertility rates.
“We are going out to other pastoralists in different geographical areas, principally in Queensland down to Northern NSW, and putting together programs where we can sell, on a leaseback arrangement, pregnancy tested in-calf cows to be financed over three to five-year time horizons," Mr Farley said.
“One of our primary objectives is to get a faster return on our working capital."
Mr Farley said pastoralists would not incur agent commissions and yard fees and could buy up to 10,000 cows over three years from AAco.
AAco has been in a legal stoush with its former major shareholder, Elders, for several years.
Under its new strategy, AAco will no longer be a livestock customer to Elders, an agriculture services company, and will set up a livestock export trading business as early as October. It previously outsourced cattle export to Elders.
However, it doesn’t plan to become a third-party cattle trader as some in the industry had anticipated.
Mr Farley said AAco would buy cows from other pastoralists to bolster its sales to South-East Asian live export markets but not act as an agent.
AAco slaughters cattle and butchers the animals into cuts for sale overseas, including high-value wagyu beef which is popular in Japan. Mr Farley said it may invest in beef processing facilities and expand its feedlots as part of plans to shift from growing cattle to processing it and selling it overseas.
“The people who are making the real money at the moment are the meat-processing facilities and the meat exporters," Mr Farley said.
It will also expand its food services business, which sells cuts of beef under the Chef’s Choice label to Woolworths supermarkets.
AAco will also acquire or lease land closer to Asian export markets and divest other properties.
The release of the company’s strategic review comes ahead of its May 19 annual meeting, where shareholders will be asked to approve the election of Datuk Abdul Samad to the board.
Dr Samad is a director of Felda Holdings, a Malaysian agribusiness that owns 20 per cent of AAco with Dubai conglomerate IFFCO.
He would join Arunas Paliulis as IFFCO Poultry joint venture’s representative, delivering the shareholder with 33 per cent board representation.
Mr Farley said suggestions IFFCO Poultry was gaining control of AAco without paying a premium for it were “nonsense". The board changes had been necessary to deliver crucial skills to execute its growth plans, he said.
The Australian Financial Review


text:
C&A is going to sell part of its collection on Amazon‘s fashion platform. The cooperation starts in Germany, but will soon be rolled out to other European countries.
Strengthening online presence
Since today, C&A starts selling a selection of essential items for women, men and children on the amazon.de platform. Soon these collections will also be available on the Dutch, French, Italian and Spanish websites of Amazon. The cooperation with Amazon Fashion is part of C&A’s omnichannel strategy: the fashion retailer wants to strengthen its online presence.
“Amazon is becoming an increasingly important fashion destination for consumers in Europe. It is important for us that we serve consumers and help them find the best of C&A, especially when their journey starts with Amazon Fashion,” says Joris van Rooy, Chief Digital Officer at C&A Europe.
Fashion is a key growth area for Amazon. The Amazon Fashion platform aims to be a one-stop shop for clothing, shoes, jewellery, watches, handbags and luggage from established and emerging brands for every budget. Prime members can take advantage of an exclusive ‘Try Before You Buy’ service, where they can try before they buy. Amazon also recently opened its first physical fashion stores.


text:
Keith Dailey has been named group vice president of corporate affairs at The Kroger Co., a role in which he will serve as the supermarket giant’s chief communications officer and chief sustainability officer.
With the promotion, Dailey takes over from Jessica Adelman, who recently left the retailer to pursue other opportunities, Kroger said. She had served as group VP of corporate affairs since joining the company in September 2015.
In this broader role, Keith Dailey will engage in a wide range of corporate communications and sustainability initiatives. (Photo courtesy of Kroger)
Dailey previously was vice president of corporate affairs. As group VP, he will oversee external communications, brand public relations, financial communications, media relations, issues and crisis management, executive communications, associate communications and engagement, and corporate story and KTV (the company’s visual and digital storytelling team), according to Kroger.
In addition, his responsibilities include environmental sustainability and social responsibility (including Kroger’s Zero Hunger|Zero Waste social impact plan), corporate philanthropy and community relations. He also serves in leadership roles with The Kroger Co. Foundation and The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger|Zero Waste Foundation.
To this expanded role, Dailey brings nearly 20 years of public affairs experience, including a decade in electoral politics and government, Kroger noted. He joined the Cincinnati-based company in 2011 as chief spokesperson and director of corporate communications and then in 2016 was elevated to senior director of external affairs after assuming responsibility for government relations, policy and advocacy. The following year, he was promoted to senior director of corporate affairs upon adding responsibility for associate communications and engagement.
Dailey has served as VP of corporate affairs since 2018. In his new post, he reports to Tim Massa, senior VP and chief people officer.
“As a key architect of Zero Hunger|Zero Waste, Keith’s strategic and inclusive leadership has advanced Kroger’s position as a national thought leader and authentic advocate for ending hunger, eliminating waste and other social impact initiatives,” Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen said in a statement. “He combines broad public affairs experience with knowledge of Kroger’s corporate character and belief that business can be a force for good.”


text:
Facebook feeds hungry IPO investors more shares
With investors hungry for Facebook shares ahead of a hotly anticipated offering, the social network Wednesday unveiled a 25% increase in the number of shares to be sold at the market debut.social media Updated: May 18, 2012 10:17 IST
With investors hungry for Facebook shares ahead of a hotly anticipated offering, the social network Wednesday unveiled a 25% increase in the number of shares to be sold at the market debut.
The increase comes from current shareholders, who had previously obtained stock in private offerings, seeking to cash in on the hefty price amid a Facebook frenzy.
"This is definitely in response to very strong global investor demand," said Lou Kerner, founder of The Social Internet Fund. "US institutional demand has been good, the retail and global demand has been overwhelming."
The move by the Internet giant comes one day after it filed paperwork with the US Securities and Exchange Commission raising its initial public offering share price from a range of $28 to $35, to between $34 to $38 per share.
A definitive price was expected on Thursday.
Kerner said some Facebook insiders may be seeking to take profits now, because they might otherwise have to wait six months under SEC regulations.
"The company itself is good with the amount of money that it's raising, and existing shareholders who do not want to get locked up for the next six months have an opportunity to increase their liquidity," he said.
Facebook is already assured of becoming the most valuable US Web company at the time of an IPO, topping Google's $23 billion valuation in 2004.
Trading is expected to begin on Friday under the symbol "FB" on the technology-heavy Nasdaq.
There was no immediate explanation for the increase in shares, which will come from the current holders of shares in prior private offerings. The latest document says 421 million shares will be issued, up from 337 million. And that could be raised to 484 million if demand is high.
Under the new share plan, founder Mark Zuckerberg will hold 55.8% of the voting power, down slightly from an estimate of 57.3%. The 28-year-old controls the firm through a dual class stock structure and certain shares which give him a "proxy" for voting.
The net proceeds to the company will remain unchanged at $6.4 billion, the filing with regulators said.
But at the midpoint price, the IPO could net some $16 billion for all the sellers at the latest estimate, and at the maximum price more than $18 billion.
Depending on the final value, the IPO would be one of the largest of a US firm on Wall Street, behind the 2008 offering of Visa ($17.8 billion) and possibly above that of General Motors in 2010 ($15.7 billion).
The IPO share price gives Facebook a value of $93-104 billion.
Based on the estimated market value, Facebook would be in the neighborhood of Amazon ($100 billion) and Cisco ($90 billion) and ahead of Hewlett-Packard ($45 billion) and struggling Yahoo! ($19 billion).
Some analysts predicted Facebook's stock price will jump quickly as Facebook finds ways to leverage its membership of 900 million.
The California giant separately on Tuesday agreed to a tie-up with Lightbox, an Android photo app, by hiring its developer team. This follows a $1 billion deal to acquire another photo sharing app, Instagram. But Facebook is not buying Lightbox or its data.
The IPO comes amid a wave of tech offerings with mixed success. Groupon, the online deals firm, has lost 34 % since its November IPO while LinkedIn, a professional social network, has soared 150% in a year.
In one negative for Facebook, General Motors said it plans to stop advertising on Facebook because it determined that paid ads had little impact on consumers.
"We are reassessing our Facebook advertising, but we remain committed to very aggressive social media strategies and will continue to push content on Facebook through our product and brand Facebook pages," GM spokesman Patrick Morrissey told AFP.
The US auto giant is the third largest advertiser in the United States with expenditures of $1.8 billion in 2011, according to Kantar Media.
But according to the consultancy eMarketer, Facebook's share of overall US display ad market revenues grew to 14% in 2011 and will likely hit 16.8% this year, overtaking Google.
First Published: May 17, 2012 02:09 IST


text:
LONDON, 21st ofSeptember 2022 -Flexion Mobile Plc (Nasdaq: FLEXM), has launched Call Me Emperor (アイアム皇帝) from Clicktouch Co., Ltd. on the Amazon Japan App Store.
Call Me Emperor already earns US$6 million in monthly gross revenue on Google Play according to the developer's data. Flexion's distribution services will add revenue and new players from the alternative app stores with little upfront cost or work being required of the developer. Flexion is adding an average of 10% to a game's revenue by taking it to the alternative app stores.
"Flexion understands the alternative app stores in depth. We have people with expertise and experience, and technology that no-one else can offer," says Jens Lauritzson CEO of Flexion Mobile PLC. "By launching Clicktouch's hit game on Amazon Japan we're giving this world class developer access to new organic users."
Call Me Emperor is a fantasy empire-management game where players appoint ministers, collect levy, recruit armies and progress through the in-game story through a quest system.
Flexion recently announced (https://flexionmobile.com/2022/05/30/flexion-hits-50-million-revenue-for-android-game-developers-in-12-months/) it generated $50 million in revenue for Android game developers in the last 12 months by bringing games to the alternative app stores.
This information was distributed by Cision http://www.cisionwire.se/


text:
BKT Bhuj Plant Manufactures First Radial Ag Tire
Balkrishna Industries Ltd.'s (BKT) Bhuj, India, plant has produced its first radial ag tire. The company plans to achieve full manufacturing capacity of 50,000 metric tons at the plant within six months.
"The worldwide demand for agricultural tires is on the upswing," says Arvind Poddar, BKT chairman and managing director.
"There is a strong indication that growth in this sector is here to stay and in keeping with the company's vision of growth and quality, the present expansion would meet the expectations from our loyal customers.
"During one of the most difficult times that the world has seen by way of the pandemic in 2021, we adopted a strategy that helped us satisfy even our most demanding customers and deliver our products as per their requirements," he adds.
Ag tire production at the Bhuj plant "is the culmination of an investment of 95 million euros," according to a statement from BKT.


text:
Since its launch in 2011, the user-generated Steam Workshop has now paid out more than $57 million to those creating various in-game items for Team Fortress 2, Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. And now Valve is expanding the list of supported games, meaning even more money-making opportunities for Steam users.
According to the news release
more than 1,500 contributors spread out across 75 countries had created over 100,000 items in the Steam Workshop across the three games, an astonishing rate for any user-generated content machine. While such profits have been limited to Valve games, the digital store owner has announced that two non-Valve games will be making their way to the curated store: Trendy Entertainment's Dungeon Defenders: Eternity and Torn Banner Studios' Chivalry: Medieval Warfare.
This is really exciting news and means that more high quality content will be available for the game you love playing. Plus, purchases of this great new content directly enables those community members to continue practicing their craft and making more awesome content.
We expect more curated Workshops to become available for creators and players in various games over the coming weeks and months.
Of course Steam Workshop supported games have been around for awhile now, but this new addition of curated, paid-for titles will definitely favour more revenue opportunities. And Valve isn't stopping there, with more games expected in the coming weeks and months, so keep your eyes peeled for the news.


text:
Home Tags Stricter
Mexican banks that provide crypto services and crypto exchanges must now apply for permits with the Bank of Mexico in order to legally carry out their operations. All crypto exchanges and banks providing crypto services in Mexico will now be obliged to receive a permit from the Bank of Mexico (Banxico), according to a September 10 circular published in the official daily of the Mexican government, the Diario Oficial de la Federacion. The letter called "General provisions on operations related to electronic payment funds" states that Banxico is responsible for issuing crypto-related permits. To get one, a company dealing in digital currencies must provide a detailed business plan complete with a description of their operations, the commissions they plan to charge, and the mechanism they will use to verify customer identity. Additionally, banks are not permitted to make cryptocurrencies available to users if their accounts were created on the same day. Financial entities are also oblige..


text:
LONDON Snap Inc, owner of popular messaging app Snapchat, kicked off its first investor roadshow on Monday, looking to persuade London money managers to back its initial public offering in the face of concerns about its growth prospects, valuation and corporate governance.
Recent Technology News
WELLINGTON A New Zealand court ruled on Monday that internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom could be extradited to the United States to face charges relating to his Megaupload website, which was shutdown in 2012 following an FBI-ordered raid on his Auckland mansion.
BEIJING China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd said it formed a strategic partnership with Bailian Group, the largest retailer by store numbers to join the e-commerce giant's drive to use big data to improve and profit from brick-and-mortar sales.
The chief executive of Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] has ordered an "urgent investigation" into claims of sexual harassment at the ride-hailing service made by a former employee.
BEIJING Chinese bicycle-sharing startup Mobike said on Monday it has raised funding in a new round led by Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings [TEM.UL] and hedge fund Hillhouse Capital, bringing its total new funding in 2017 to more than $300 million.
SEOUL Handcuffed and tied with white rope, the scion of one of the world's biggest conglomerates, Samsung Group, was taken on Saturday for questioning by South Korean authorities after spending a night in a small detention cell. | Video
- Kraft's failed Unilever bid shows it needs growth over cost cuts
- Greece, lenders agree to work out new reforms to unblock aid |
- VW says it has fixed 470,000 cars in Britain affected by diesel scandal
- Germany encouraged over Opel jobs, but UK union worries
- Wanda's $1 billion purchase of Dick Clark Productions falls apart - report
- Kraft backs out of Unilever bid after hostile reception |
- UK factories pick up pace in February, but so do price pressures
- Snap arrives in London to woo sceptical investors ahead of IPO
- VW, unions make headway in talks over turnaround plan
- Exclusive - Burger King and Tim Hortons owner nears deal to buy Popeyes


text:
ChoiceOne Bank was recently selected as one of five finalists in the country for the 2019 Best SMB/SME Banking Solution award by the Finovate Group, a global research and events firm focused on innovation in financial and banking technology.
The Best SMB/SME Banking Solution award is given to a bank or financial institution that excels at engaging with small and medium sized businesses and enterprises by offering quality products and an exceptional digital experience. ChoiceOne Bank is the only bank nominated in this category.
“We are extremely pleased to be one of five organizations across the country to receive this nomination for our innovative small business solutions,” said ChoiceOne Bank Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer Adom Greenland. “This nomination by Finovate puts us on the map with major fintech companies across the country and showcases our continued advancement in small business technology.”
ChoiceOne Bank has partnered with Michigan fintech companies to offer innovative banking strategies to retail and business customers. One of ChoiceOne’s partnerships is with Autobooks, a Michigan-based company with headquarters located in Detroit. Autobooks is the first fully integrated payments and accounting platform for small businesses that is delivered through ChoiceOne Bank’s online banking. It is exclusively designed for small businesses to integrate banking, accounting, and invoicing easily and seamlessly.
Taking the lead in offering customers financial technology, ChoiceOne offers mobile banking, mobile deposits, innovative payroll solutions, online loan applications, online account openings and a digital mobile savings tool.
“As the local community bank, we work hard to support our customers as well as our entrepreneurs and small business owners,” said Greenland. “Pursuing innovative strategies by partnering with Michigan fintech companies and pioneering innovative services allows us to offer our customers the best technology along with our personalized local service. We are definitely the bank for small business.”
The winners of the 2019 Finovate Awards will be announced September 24 at the Edison Ballroom in New York. This event celebrates the fintech industry’s best and brightest companies driving fintech innovation forward and the individuals who are bringing new ideas to life.
The Finovate Group is a research and events firm focused on innovation in financial and banking technology. Our team runs the Finovate and FinDEVr conference series and authors the associated blogs. In 2007, Finovate launched its first event in New York and expanded to San Francisco in 2008, London in 2010, Singapore in 2012 and the fintech developer community in 2014 with the new conference series, FinDEVr, with events in Silicon Valley and New York. Finovate (@Finovate) is the only conference series focused exclusively on showcasing the best and most innovative new financial and banking technologies. Finovate conferences consistently attract large, high-impact audiences of senior financial and banking executives, venture capitalists, press, industry analysts, bloggers, regulators, and entrepreneurs. Please see https://finovate.com/ for more information.
Autobooks is a fintech company headquartered in Detroit, MI - providing integrated invoicing, payment and accounting software for small businesses. Through Autobooks, financial institutions can become a digital destination for business owners, providing essential back-office services that help build stronger relationships, grow deposits, increase fee-income and proactively identify new lending opportunities. Please visit www.autobooks.co to learn more.


text:
EA FC 24: Two Iconic Stadiums Will Not Be Present in the Game
EA Sports’ next big release, EA FC 24, is right around the corner. As EA reveals more and more details about the upcoming soccer simulation, we are seeing a host of new features and updates confirmed, but there’s one major disappointment that fans did not expect.
The publisher announced that EA FC 24 will have a total of 115 stadiums, but the game will not feature two of the world’s most iconic soccer stadiums. Here’s everything you need to know about the two venues that won’t be coming to EA FC 2024.
EA FC 24: Which Stadiums Are Absent from The Game?
Through EA’s deep dive into EA FC 24’s features, we are getting new information on various modes and attributes. To no one’s surprise, it’s been officially confirmed that EA holds the license for an extensive 19,000 players, 700 teams, 30 leagues, and over 100 different stadiums.
However, two of the world’s most iconic stadiums, Baryen Munich’s Allianz Arena and Barcelona’s Spotify Camp Nou Stadium, would not be featured in EA FC 24.
If you’re wondering why we aren’t seeing these stadiums in the game, EA’s rival Konami has an agreement with both clubs for their eFootball game. This means these two areas will only feature in Konami’s soccer game.
Bayern FC extended their partnership last year, and Barca did the same by deciding to renew their deal. Therefore, the home grounds for both of these teams are now expected to be eFootball exclusives.
Players should expect FC 24 to feature all the major clubs with similar stadiums. However, unlike previous franchise entries, EA FC 24 will feature licensed kits, logos, and names for these teams.
EA FC 24: Spotify Camp Nou Would Not Be Coming to the Game
Players still hoped to see Camp Nou’s return, but those dreams were shattered completely. Even though EA Sports has partnered with La Liga, we would not get a Camp Nou feature in EA FC 24.
It’s frustrating considering that EA announced that we would be seeing all clubs, logos, graphics and other elements of La Liga added to the game.
Licensing issues can be a nightmare, especially for developers and gamers. So, don’t be sad, as there are a lot of new stadiums for players to see in EA FC 24. Be sure to follow us as we’ll update you with all the latest EA FC 24 news and guides.


text:
Mat Hayward/Getty Images, Chris Jackson/Getty Images
- Stella McCartney has removed an Instagram post where she used Meghan Markle’s Remembrance Day outfit to promote her clothing collection.
- The fashion designer previously shared the photograph of the Duchess of Sussex taken on Remembrance Sunday, writing that she was „honoured“ the royal wore a coat from her eponymous label’s autumn 2019 collection.
- McCartney’s followers were quick to criticize the post, with one person commenting that it was „just wrong,“ while another said it was „extremely tacky“ for the designer to use such a solemn event to advertise the collection.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
On Sunday 10 November, the duchess and other members of the royal family attended a ceremony at the Cenotaph war memorial in London to pay their respects to those who have lost their lives in conflict.
McCartney shared a photograph on Instagram of Meghan taken during the ceremony, stating that the royal was wearing a coat from her eponymous label’s autumn 2019 collection.
While some Instagram users praised the designer’s garment, others expressed their anger over the post, saying that it was „disrespectful“ for her to promote her clothing on such a sombre occasion.
Following the backlash McCartney received, she has now deleted the picture from the social media platform.
Prior to deleting the post, Stella McCartney was unable to provide a comment when contacted by The Independent.
One Instagram user said it was „just wrong“ for McCartney to advertise her design on social media on Remembrance Day.
Another person said they found the post „extremely tacky,“ while someone else stated that they felt „really surprised, shocked, saddened and disappointed“ with regards to the situation.
In addition to the now-deleted Meghan post, McCartney also shared a video on Instagram of poppies in a field in commemoration of Remembrance Sunday.
„Remembering the ones that sacrificed to give us freedom,“ the designer wrote in the caption.


text:
According to news on February 17, in the iPhone 15 series, Apple plans to switch to the USB-C interface to comply with European regulatory requirements. Whistleblower Unknownz21 shared a spy photo on Twitter claiming to be the iPhone 15 Pro. New USB-C port.
In addition to showing the USB-C interface of the iPhone 15 Pro, the picture also confirms the rumor that the new machine will use a curved frame design.
Apple is rumored to be making some minor design updates to the iPhone 15 Pro's body, with more curved bezels and titanium alloys instead of stainless steel, and the brushed metal shown in the picture does look like it might. It is titanium alloy.
According to Unknownz21, with the transition to USB-C, Apple is planning to replace the E75 Lightning controller with the E85 port controller.
While the image shows the iPhone 15 Pro with a USB-C port, the port change will apply to the entire iPhone 15 lineup, including the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, as well as the iPhone 15 Pro Max, while the design changes The changes will be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models.