text:
The Maldives has formalized the legal pathway to steadily phase out single-use plastics.
Yesterday, President of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ratified the 18th amendment to the Export-Import Act. The amendment was approved by the People's Majlis on December 7th, 2020.
Under the newly ratified amendment, the President is granted authority to compile and publicise a list of goods classified as single-use plastics, and to add or remove items from the list. Import of such declared goods shall then be prohibited under section 7 of the Export-Import act.
A temporary list of banned single-use plastics, including the date from which changes will come into effect, must be compiled and publicised by the Government of Maldives before January 1st, 2021.
This new legal mechanism comes a little over a year after President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih announced his plans to phase out single-use plastics in the Maldives at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2019. In his first ever speech at the UN Headquarters in New York, President Solih expressed concern on the pollution caused by single-use plastic items like water bottles and plastic bags and its affects on the environment and tourism.
"We are seeking to completely phase out our usage of single-use plastic by the year 2023. This will be one of the most far-reaching and ambitious plastics phase-out plans of any nations on Earth," said the President in his announcement to the world in 2019.
And in order to tackle the problem, the President said, the Government will use policies to outrightly ban certain "problematic" plastics, and also set new industry standards and guidelines. These policies will also be designed to ensure minimum disruption to people and business, and make sure alternatives to plastics are readily and cheaply available.


text:
The recent well-publicised update from WhatsApp which requires users to accept new terms in order to continue using the platform is raising major privacy concerns for Malaysians.
Government authorities and data privacy experts say that Malaysia’s Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (PDPA) cannot be applied to companies located outside Malaysia.
The update sparked consternation and confusion as WhatsApp’s parent Facebook announced users must accept their new terms of service or see their access to WhatsApp cut off from February 8.
A clarifying statement from WhatsApp states the policy update does not affect the privacy of messages sent between friends or family.
Instead, the update encompasses changes associated with how WhatsApp collects and uses data when users message companies to conduct a business transaction, such as buying something, through the app.
Experts say users can rest assured that the new terms will not affect their personal messages with friends, family, and co-workers, with WhatsApp itself saying it would postpone its data-sharing change and use the pause to clear up misinformation around privacy and security.
However, the Department of Personal Data Protection Malaysia (JPDP) advises Malaysians to think carefully before sharing personal information via WhatsApp especially when interacting with business accounts.
Experts say users can rest assured that the new terms will not affect their personal messages with friends, family, and co-workers.
“WhatsApp users are strongly advised to always be prudent in sharing their personal data via the platform,” a spokesman for JPDP told MalaysiaNow, adding that commercial entities within Malaysia are bound by PDPA standards and rules.
JPDP commented that Malaysia’s privacy laws do not have extraterritorial jurisdiction over companies located outside Malaysia such as US-based WhatsApp.
Deepak Pillai, a lawyer of over 20 years’ experience specialising in technology, media and telecommunications, explained that WhatsApp is a free service made available for public use and users are subject to its terms of service.
“It is up to individuals to accept or decline those terms. Should they not be acceptable, then unfortunately a user’s only option is not to use the service,” he told MalaysiaNow.
He said that if WhatsApp has no company equipment in Malaysia to process personal data, then it is very likely that it does not need to comply with the PDPA.
“Though there is non-compliance with local PDPA, WhatsApp still complies with major data protection laws around the world that are largely similar,” he said.
His opinion is that for the time being, users need not worry about the new policy update as all messages, voice and video calls will remain encrypted and will not be shared with anyone else.
“Though there is non-compliance with local PDPA, WhatsApp still complies with major data protection laws around the world that are largely similar.”
He added however, that when using new functionality which allows users to message businesses and make payment transactions through WhatsApp, users need to be aware that WhatsApp can share their data related to that transaction with Facebook and third-party merchants in order “to help us operate, provide, improve, understand, customise, support, and market our services”.
The conclusion seems to be that little will change for users WhatsApping their friends to update them on the latest gossip.
It’s only when buying something through the app that users should definitely bear in mind a 21st century twist to the Latin advice: caveat emptor, let the buyer beware.
And as more people turn to e-commerce in the pandemic: caveat venditor, the seller should be careful too.

domain: news


text:
In early April, the Facebook News tab will begin disappearing for users in the US and Australia. Meta has introduced that it is deprecating the devoted tab discovered within the bookmarks part of its social community as a part of its efforts to “align [its] investments to [its] services folks worth probably the most.” The corporate already retired the News tab within the UK, France and Germany in early December 2023, explaining that it is funneling its sources to different issues that folks wish to see extra of, equivalent to quick kind movies.
In Meta’s new submit, it stated the variety of folks utilizing the Information tab within the US and Australia over the previous 12 months has dropped by 80 p.c. Information makes up lower than three p.c of what customers see on Fb apparently, and it is simply not an enormous a part of their expertise. “We all know that folks don’t come to Fb for information and political content material — they arrive to attach with folks and uncover new alternatives, passions and pursuits,” the corporate wrote.
By pulling the Information tab in Australia, the corporate may even cease paying publishers within the nation for his or her content material after their present offers finish. Just a few years in the past, Fb blocked information hyperlinks within the nation in response to the then-proposed legislation that will require corporations like Meta to pay media organizations for his or her content material. The corporate unblocked information hyperlinks only a few days later after it began hanging offers with Australian media organizations.
In accordance with The Age, the Australian Competitors and Shopper Fee believes that Google and Meta inked offers with dozens of retailers, together with Guardian Australia and Information Corp Australia, value about $200 million a 12 months. Meta is answerable for round one-third or $66 million of that complete quantity, which means its determination is sure to have a huge effect on the information enterprise within the nation. And there appears to be no room for negotiation: The corporate made it clear in its announcement that it is not going to enter new industrial offers for conventional information content material in any of the areas the place it has already eliminated the Information tab.
Meta has not blocked information hyperlinks within the aforementioned international locations, nonetheless, and Fb customers can nonetheless entry any that is been posted on the social community. Publishers may also proceed posting hyperlinks to their tales on their official pages as standard.


text:
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- CVS Health
announced on Tuesday a new $10 billion stock buyback program, effective immediately, which is expected to be completed over a multi-year period. The drugstore chain said this was in addition to the $2.7 billion remaining in its previous repurchase program. The company also said it was raising its quarterly dividend by 27% to 35 cents share, payable Feb. 2, 2015 to shareholders of record on Jan. 22. Speaking at the company's analyst gathering in New York, Chief Financial Officer Dave Denton affirmed the 2014 earnings outlook, and said he expects 2015 adjusted earnings per share in the range of $5.05 to $5.19, which surrounds the FactSet consensus analyst estimate of $5.11. The stock edged up 0.2% in premarket trade. Through Monday, the stock had run up 26% this year, compared with a 7.6% gain in the S&P 500.


text:
New Delhi (Sputnik): As India tries to bounce back from an unprecedented lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a “Self-Reliant India (Aatmanirbhar Bharat)”. In the meantime, the Ministry of Textiles has abolished all Indian handicrafts and handloom boards.
Glossy, transparent, lightweight, and shimmering texture defines the Chanderi fabric, produced by weaving silk and golden Zari in traditional cotton yarn, with colourful motifs embellished on them via a needle and handloom. But the makers of this luxurious fabric have seen the darkest days of their lives under the lockdown.
This is not the first time that weavers in Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh have faced losses due to a calamity but Mohammad Dilshad Ansari, a national award-winning weaver, shares how the community was caught off-guard by the announcement of a lockdown on 24 March.
“We couldn’t understand what it (the lockdown) was. We didn’t know if there would be any arrangements or not. Whenever there are floods, which there are every year, we are prepared for it. But with this lockdown, within a week raw material was stopped, retailers cancelled their orders. The work came to a complete halt”, says Ansari, who makes a hand-to-mouth living like daily wage earners and was left to fend for himself under the lockdown.
India’s many centuries-old weaving industry is the largest in the world and comprises different hand-woven fabric from each state such as Kosa Silk from Chhattisgarh, Muga Silk from Assam, Lepcha from Sikkim, and Panja Durries from Haryana as well as many others.
In 2015, the Modi government decided to pay tribute to weavers with National Handloom Day on 7 August, which also marked the anniversary of the Swadeshi movement in 1905, or the boycotting of foreign goods and relying on Indian-made products.
The calls for promoting local businesses and handicrafts reverberated across the country with the call for a boycott of Chinese products due to a border standoff, which was followed by the government’s announcement of the Self-Reliant India (Aatmanirbhar Bharat) mission.
However, the government’s announcement of self-reliant India seems to have fallen flat when it comes to the nation’s second largest employer after agriculture, with 3.5 million in handlooms and over 700,000 in crafts, according to the 2019-20 National Census of Handloom Weavers.
Just a few days before National Handloom Day earlier this month, the government announced it was abolishing the All India Handicrafts and Handloom Boards under the Ministry of Textiles. The government has also disbanded the All India Powerloom Board.
The decision has riled people who are invested in promoting the handloom sector. The board, with 88 non-institutional members, comprised of weavers and artisans from all over the country, was the only forum where the government could get direct feedback from stakeholders.
The board was assigned the task of advising the government on policymaking recommendations to make the handicraft sector an effective instrument for reducing unemployment, and to preserve and promote Indian handicrafts.
Talking over the importance of the board, designer Rina Singh, owner of Eka, an independent label known for its custom-woven fabrics by hundreds of weavers, spinners, and dyers from craft clusters across India, tells Sputnik that the board held importance for the purpose it was created for but over the years, the structuring, the deliverables, and the exact working of the boards was not supervised, resulting in boards becoming just messengers and static bodies with little impact on the ground.
She emphasises that the boards were the first to be connected with the weavers and there is a dire need to have a body which has direct contact with the artisans with the necessary powers vested in them to bring about change.
Considering the current economic slowdown and widespread impact of the lockdown, Sputnik asked the Ministry of Textiles if there are measures in the pipeline to bring artisans in to formulate policies to uplift the sector, especially after the abolition of the board. However, the ministry did not answer any of the queries addressed to handloom secretary.
No Gov’t Outreach Under Lockdown
Manish Chippa, owner of Sigma Hand Print, from the remote village of Akola in the Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan, had 15 workers before the lockdown at his workshop. While he managed to sustain them for some time with whatever money he had, he eventually had to let go of some with no business in sight.
Chippa, who handprints saris, says there has been no support from the government, especially when he received nothing from January and March. The government has not issued any guidelines or schemes to help the artisans sail through the crisis.
Ansari also shared that he contacted the government but to no avail. He says: “I called up Bunkar Sewa Kendra in Indore, under the Ministry of Textiles, several times but they did not help. They always said the government will do something but nothing has been done yet”.
While Ansari was helped by Dastkar, a society for crafts and craftspeople, in selling his products from the pre-lockdown period and arranging for the raw material, another social enterprise working in the area of textiles and fashion Indi Cult brought together weavers and artisans from across the country to organise an online exhibition called Quarantine Craft Store to help these workers.
Stressing a bottom-up approach, Sharika Bhan, who founded Indi Cult with partner Meenu Venkateswaran, believes that in order to help weavers, artisans, and craftspersons efforts need to begin at the grassroots level, state level because of the size of the industry, which is spread across rural areas of the country.
She says: “There are tribals, artisans, and handicraft workers in remote parts and it is necessary to collectivise them so that they get basic structure of inventory management and using resources, especially in the time of a crisis”.
Due to the fear of the spread of COVID-19, the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) spring fair 2020 (the biggest platform for artisans to get overseas orders) has been cancelled, which makes for a $1.090-1.363 million (Rs 8,000-10,000 crore) loss to the sector and closure of 60-80 percent of units this year, she shares.
While the Ministry of Textiles and the government are only making noise for “Vocal for Local” and “Self-Reliant India” on occasions like Handloom Day by wearing a Khadi or other hand-woven fabric, the Crafts Council of India, Dastkar, Dastkari Haat, and other private players are paving the way for sales of small artisans.
Meanwhile, calendarised exhibitions by the government have been cancelled and no other alternative has been announced. As per the India Brand Equity Foundation, the National Handloom Development Programme has been allocated $55.55 million (Rs 388.21 crore).


text:
As consumers come to expect that everything from cell phones to stuffed animals will pack significant computing power, manufacturers are under pressure to churn out ever faster and cheaper microchips. But making computer chips using photolithography-the standard manufacturing technique-is wildly expensive. A significant part of that cost is the stencil-like “masks” that filter the light beam used to pattern millions of transistors onto a chip. Indeed, making a single silicon chip can require as many as 30 masks costing more than a million dollars-and as the transistors on a chip continue to shrink, the cost of the masks only grows.
No wonder, then, researchers are racing to develop ways to do away with masks entirely. One of the most promising efforts, led by Henry Smith, director of MIT’s NanoStructures Laboratory, uses an array of tiny mirrors, each just 16 micrometers across, to direct light through microscopic lenses; each lens focuses a beam of light to a spot on the silicon wafer, and the more powerful the lens, the smaller the spot. By tilting individual mirrors back and forth, a computer can turn individual beams on and off as the whole setup scans across the wafer. With as many as a million mirrors, the system could create the same complex pattern on the silicon chip that would normally require a series of masks.
So far, Smith’s group has used the system to pattern chip features 350 nanometers wide-40 percent wider than those on today’s best chips. But computer simulations predict the MIT technology can generate features as small or even smaller than those derived using conventional lithography by switching to shorter wavelengths of light.
At the University of California, Berkeley, a group led by electrical engineer William Oldham is taking a similar approach; but where the MIT group has focused on increasing the power of the lenses to make smaller features, the Berkeley researchers are reducing the size of the mirrors. Without increasing the power of the lenses, “to get smaller patterns you need smaller mirrors,” says Yashesh Shroff, a graduate student in Oldham’s lab.
Currently, Oldham’s team is making mirrors measuring only one micrometer across. “Nobody has ever made such tiny mirrors before,” says Shroff. Within five years, he adds, the researchers hope to have a complete system that can etch features 50 nanometers wide or less into silicon chips.
Maskless technologies could give chip designers unheard-of flexibility. “If you want to test a design a day, you can’t afford to build a million-dollar mask set a day,” says Dan Herr, director of materials and process science research at the industry-backed Semiconductor Research Corporation in Research Triangle Park, NC. With micromirrors, on the other hand, a designer could simply reprogram the array. And the technique could make the fabrication of customized chips for things like synthesizing speech in toys or playing MP3s in handheld computers-chips manufactured in much smaller quantities than, say, Pentium processors-much more cost effective. “Say I want to make a chip for a talking teddy bear, but I only expect to sell 2,000 of them,” says engineer David Carter, a member of the MIT group. “Now, with mask costs at a million dollars, who’s going to pay $500 for a teddy bear?”
Greater flexibility and lower cost could also be a boon for other industries pursuing emerging applications of lithography. Smith, for example, thinks his technology will be well suited for patterning the chambers and channels that help process biological samples in microfluidic chips, which could be used for drug discovery or in handheld diagnostic devices.
Observers suggest that the MIT team is the closest to a product that would replace masks; the researchers hope to have a commercial mirror-and-lens device for chip prototyping on the market in a year or two. Still, chip makers are also taking notice of the lithography efforts at Berkeley, Stanford University and the University of Texas at Austin. “Until about two years ago, all of this maskless technology was seen as very blue sky,” says Herr. But advances in computer software as well as technologies for fabricating things like micromirrors-coupled with the growing cost of existing production methods-could bring maskless lithography out of the lab and into fabrication plants within four to five years, Herr says.
If and when that happens, it will bring down one more barrier to computing innovation.
10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024
Every year, we look for promising technologies poised to have a real impact on the world. Here are the advances that we think matter most right now.
Scientists are finding signals of long covid in blood. They could lead to new treatments.
Faults in a certain part of the immune system might be at the root of some long covid cases, new research suggests.
AI for everything: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT reached mass adoption in record time, and reset the course of an entire industry.
What’s next for AI in 2024
Our writers look at the four hot trends to watch out for this year
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.


text:
Now that the laptop world has been set ablaze by the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display, what's next for the pixel-packing screen technology? According to a KGI research analyst, Apple could be preparing a version for a new 13.3-inch MacBook Pro, which would launch in the fall before the holiday shopping season.
The analyst told AppleInsider that this new MacBookPro would have a resolution of 2,560x1,600 pixels, lose the optical drive and hard disk in lieu of solid state storage, and be slightly thinner than its 15-inch sibling. This is the same analyst who correctly predicted that the 2,880x1,800 MacBook Pro would be announced at last week's WWDC and that the 17-inch MacBook Pro would be dropped from the Apple roster, so there is some credibility behind the prognostication.
The KGI analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, said that Apple wanted to debut the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display at the same time as the 15-inch model, but that the yield for the new model was too low. He predicts that the smaller version would eschew the discrete graphics of the 15-inch notebook, leaning instead on the integrated HD 4000 graphics of Intel's Ivy Bridge processors.
The smaller screen size and lack of discrete graphics card would probably cut the price of the 13-inch version, possibly getting under the magic $2,000 price point. Considering that Kuo says that Apple will only have a "moderate" amount of 300,000 new 15-inch MacBook Pros available this month, a smaller, less expensive version could help juice overall sales for the new machines.
Would you be more likely to buy a 13.3-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display instead of the 15-inch version available now? Let us know in the Comments section below.


text:
In Onnaing is a new grocery store Supéco open. Just a stone’s throw from the Belgian border, and that it is not a coincidence. This is the second of a total of five test stores of which the Carrefour under the name like, directly competing with the Colruyt group.
Supéco, it is cheaper than Colruyt, and yet they sell the same products. And that is the focus, because the Choice will want, the price war to win. In Spain, hungary, Romania, and Italy, and the neighbours all have different Supéco-discount stores are opened, with great success. Now it’s France’s turn to play.
Not by coincidence, the first two shops near the Belgian border, in the Valenciennes region, and in Onnaing. It is a conscious choice, ” says director Pascal Clouzard, in the journal of the Retail/Detail . “The north is a very price sensitive area. This is a new format, software, discount left out of the Choice on offer. It’s a supermarket of 1,300 m2 in size, with very competitive prices, especially for dry food and fresh food areas.”
Cash register through the app.
However, there are also a number of remarkable innovations, ” says Clouzard. “As pos systems that work with an app on a smart phone, while the customer can deal directly with the owner in a conversation via WhatsApp. To save the number of the references here, for example, two kinds of peas, canned, in lieu of the seven -, eight -, or nine-and elsewhere. We can save you time and money in terms of logistics.”
Or Supéco to our country, it is still not clear. Tentatively, there would be no plans in that direction.More about: Carrefour Neighbours in the future? “Carrefour is considering a takeover bid to a rival Casino 55.6 million euros, Carrefour Belgium, Carrefour Belgium, suffered last year, nearly 56 million loss in Farm have been recalled, bio-eggs and hold


text:
A new Cantonese restaurant has opened in Macclesfield and is aiming to bring back 'Hong Kong' style cuisine. Turquoise Garden, based on Park Lane, got underway on June 8.
The owner, Anita Mo, has been working on the restaurant for over two years as the project was put on hold during the Covid-19 pandemic. The 49-year-old has worked in the industry her whole life and is aiming to bring southern Chinese cuisine to Macclesfield.
Anita says this style of cooking is a 'dying breed' in the UK and that some customers have already noticed that the food tastes 'just like the 80s'.
Speaking to Cheshire Live, she said: "It's taken us around two and a half years to get to this point, but we started before Covid. We got most of the main buildings done by 2020 and then we just slowly got it done from there.
"I'm bringing people southern Chinese food, from Hong Kong, that's where we come from and we are an older generation of it. It's a dying breed now.
"Although there's Chinese people here, there's many differences in us. We are all from different counties, with different dialects in mainland China.
"We're from southern China, Hong Kong, whereas quite a lot of Chinese people come from different provinces of Hong Kong, so they have their own style.
"We're from the 60s and 70s wave, carrying on from my grandfather's generation. Their style of cooking has kind of disappeared as many restaurants are from the 2000s wave.
"There's not many of us left now, that's why we get people who come here and tell us that it tastes just like the 80s styles of cooking."
Turquoise Garden has already went down a treat with customers in its first two weeks of being open. Anita says they've had tourists visit from Yorkshire and Wales.
"It's been good so far and it's picking up every week, it's great because especially at the moment with prices going up that people are still coming up," she said.
"It's been really good so far. We've even had a few tourists in from Yorkshire and Wales, and they loved it.
"They even said it's just like the 80s. People think the inside is lovely as well."
Anita is planning to build the evening dining experience for the restaurant, before adding a light snacks menu for during the day. She describes this as a 'tapas style' of dining.
She also has exciting plans to set up an eating area on the roof of the building, boasting views across the town. And she wants to set up a coffee shop during the day time.
Anita took over the Wings takeaway, which is based at the same building, in 2014. But she wants them to be seen as 'separate' and was eager to set up a restaurant to offer customers a 'different' experience.
She said: "I'm setting off on a new project and I want them to be seen as separate. I think you also have a different clientele from takeaway to restaurants.
"The reason I opened this restaurant is because we always serve restaurant quality food as we are from a restaurant background, I think it's much better when you come in and eat it. You'll find a lot of difference in the food and it's a lot better when it's served straight from the wok."


text:
Adi Shankar is a name you should know since his work in Castlevania has gotten a lot of praise from both critics and fans. Shankar has since been given the keys to more gaming adaptations like Devil May Cry and it looks like he's been given another big IP to work with, in Ubisoft's Far Cry. Or, to be more accurate, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon.
The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Shankar will be producing a new young-adult series based on the popular video game expansion. Apparently, the series will be called Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Vibe. While it's a bit weird that the show won't have Far Cry in the title, it should be in safe hands since Shankar will make sure it's faithful to the game.
Granted, the game is actually a parody of over-the-top action movies from the late ‘80s and mid-‘90s but that could easily become a popular animated show. Considering how popular the game was with fans back in the day, this could become a sure-fire hit.
Fans hoping to get Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon will either need a PS3, Xbox 360, or PC since the expansion isn't available in current-gen gaming consoles. While Ubisoft did release Far Cry 3: Classic Edition on PS4 and Xbox One, it does not come with the Blood Dragon expansion. If the show gains steam, here's hoping Blood Dragon gets some sort of re-release.
No release date for Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Vibe has been revealed. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is now available on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
Read:Assassin's Creed: Unity Will Be Used to Help France Rebuild Notre Dame


text:
Comtec Solar Systems Group (HKG:0712) last week reported a net attributable profit for the first half of 2017 of CNY 8.8 million (USD 1.3m/EUR 1.1m), against a loss of CNY 6.4 million a year before.
The Chinese company explained that the improvement, in line with its guidance, came after it downsized the scale of its solar photovoltaics (PV) manufacturing activities and focused its efforts on the downstream solar business. A particular focus was put on rooftop distributed PV plants on industrial and commercial buildings, Comtec Solar noted. The company also benefited from an increase in subsidy income and a gain from fair value changes.
Net profit margin stood at 2.6% in January-June, against a negative 1.3% in the year-ago period.
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 67.8% to CNY 49 million.
The positive bottom line result was achieved despite a 36% drop in revenue at Comtec Solar to CNY 314.2 million. About CNY 274.7 million of Comtec Solar’s total revenues came from the upstream business, while the downstream operations brought CNY 39.5 million.
Wafer sales in the six months fell to CNY 134.6 million from CNY 228.4 million, while ingot sales improved to CNY 33.7 million from CNY 290,000. Revenue from the sale of monocrystalline silicon was CNY 65.3 million, down from CNY 257.7 million.
Shipments of ingots and wafers climbed by 18.8% to 197.4 MW.
(CNY 1.0 = USD 0.152/EUR 0.129)
Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!


text:
HAYDEN — It’s taken more than a calendar year for entrepreneurs Mark Wellstone and Cherie Sanders to open the doors of Hayden’s initial cannabis dispensary, but now that Anna Dispensary is finally open up for company, the entrepreneurs are thrilled to go ahead.
“It’s surreal,” Sanders said. “We have been performing for so extensive, and so difficult to get this open up.”
The business enterprise opened Oct. 15, but the two homeowners are arranging to rejoice the grand opening Nov. 12-14. That celebration will include specials that Wellstone, who also owns Blue Heron Dispensary in Oak Creek, stated he hopes will provide persons in to see what his new 800-sq.-foot retail area is all about.
Doing work as a result of COVID-19, the two demolished a neglected making at 735 E. Jefferson Ave. and changed it with a new, welcoming and modern day site.
The organization acquired approval from the city of Hayden in April 2019 and was licensed by the point out in July. Following the approval there was some dialogue about altering the ordinance to keep dispensaries off Hayden’s Main Road, but Hayden City Manager Mathew Mendisco said all those conversations did not use to Anna.
“The conversations arrived up afterward,” Mendisco claimed. “I assume there was some initial problem as to what people specifications were, and I think we cleared those people up as employees quite promptly. The requirements and the discussions that happened afterward have been truly framed all around the future application that may perhaps take place.”
Having said that, Mendisco said people discussions finished with no alterations to the ordinance.
That ordinance, which was authorized in 2019, demands dispensaries to be 1,000 ft away from child and day care facilities, colleges, drug and liquor treatment method amenities, community parks, libraries and other leisure spaces. It also involves them to be 150 toes away from transportation channels, like Yampa Valley Regional Airport and U.S. Highway 40 as it goes as a result of city.
Wellstone feels the downtown site will serve both locals and site visitors touring to the region for trip. He is hoping that travellers arriving at Yampa Valley Regional Airport will come into Hayden for their cannabis requires.
“We want men and women to get off the aircraft and question their cellphone where by the closest dispensary is situated,” Wellstone claimed. “Then when they see it’s only a half-mile away, we are hoping they will turn remaining.”
In addition to travels, Wellstone understands the worth of nearby shoppers.
“I grew up in a little city myself, and I’m made use of to catering to locals,” Wellstone said. “It’s variety of pleasant to be in a place in which everybody’s seriously appreciative to have you in town, and we’re likely to be a shop that undoubtedly caters to locals.”
The variety of goods supplied at Anna involve pre-rolls (a prepared-to-go joint filled with cannabis), blunts (cannabis within a cigar wrap) and edibles (hashish-centered foodstuff goods).
The retailer also offers CBD merchandise as perfectly as components. The keep is nevertheless ready for the arrival of branded solutions like T-shirts and hats, but he expects them to arrive any working day.
“We have a small little bit of every little thing, and want to make certain whoever walks in the doorway can uncover a thing that they like,” Wellstone mentioned. “Being brand name new, of study course, we’re even now building up our inventory.”
Anna performs with community providers like Trustworthy Marijuana, Binske and Initially Make a difference out of Oak Creek, as effectively as Wyldfire, which makes edible gummies, based mostly out of Steamboat Springs. Prospects will also obtain Wana Models, Willie’s Reserve and 1906 in the new store, which will also characteristic all-natural growers like AJ’s Farm and Hava Gardens.
“We actually delight ourselves on carrying leading-course flower,” he claimed. “I’ve experienced a likelihood about the very last 6 decades with my other shop to seriously get to know a whole lot of the growers in the condition, so I have received a handful of growers that I believe are best notch.”
Sanders feels that although some dispensaries are vertically built-in — which is when a business both of those makes and sells its item — the standalone concept of Anna makes it possible for the store to give a huge assortment of choices.
“Cannabis has usually been a section of my lifestyle. I grew up in Chicago, and moved out west and fell in adore with the mountains,” Sanders mentioned. “I’ve constantly acknowledged I desired a retail space.”
Anna Dispensary is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
To reach John F. Russell, simply call 970-871-4209, electronic mail jruss[email protected] or comply with him on Twitter @Framp1966.


text:
The U.S. is the world's largest smartphone market, but lately, it has been missing out on new innovations in phone design. Over the last 12 months, we've seen a sea of change in smartphone design. Manufacturers adopted new and innovative ways to reduce bezels, with cutouts being the default option.
We've also seen a few companies like Vivo and OPPO introduce pop-up mechanized sliders that do a better job hiding the front (and even the rear) cameras. The latest designs coming out of China are some of the most interesting we've seen in the smartphone segment, but they're not coming to U.S. shelves anytime soon.
The latest phone designs aren't coming to the U.S.
The Vivo NEX was the first to feature an all-screen front. and barring a few inconsistencies with the software, it was an exquisite phone for its $650 sticker price. In fact, it still continues to be one of the best phones to play intensive titles like PUBG.
Chinese companies are pushing the boundaries for design — and U.S. customers are missing out.
OPPO shortly followed up with its own take on sliders, the Find X. The Find X was even more radical in that the slider contained both the front and rear cameras, and the phone had facial unlock as the primary means of authentication. The more mainstream R17 Pro doesn't have a sliding camera, but it comes with 50W fast charging and one of the best gradient patterns I've seen so far.
Vivo is now going all-in on retractable cameras, bringing the tech down to the $300 segment with the V11 Pro. The company is also working on an insane design that has no buttons or ports. The NEX was born out of a similar idea last year, so it's exciting to see what comes out of Vivo in 2019.
Then there's the Mi Mix 3, a phone where the entire screen slides down to reveal the front cameras. The Mi Mix 3 is an engineering tour de force with a ceramic chassis, sliding screen, razor-thin bezels, and powerful hardware. It's on sale in a few Western markets — notably the UK — where it's available for just £499 ($660), but the phone won't be hitting U.S. shelves. Xiaomi's latest flagship won't be making its way to the U.S. either. The Mi 9 is the first phone from the brand to feature three cameras at the back, and it also comes with a 20W wireless charger.
Huawei made some of the best phones last year, but with its products banned in the U.S., customers are missing out on the fantastic camera on offer with the Mate 20 Pro, or its upcoming foldable phone, the Mate X.
Chinese manufacturers have pushed the boundaries of design over the last 12 months, and customers in the world's largest smartphone market haven't had access to any of these phones. The U.S. market is firmly revolving around Apple and Samsung, which cumulatively accounted for 69% of smartphone shipments in Q4 2018.
The budget category is even more woeful
As limiting as the options are when it comes to the flagship space, the situation is even more dire in the budget segment. The Moto G7 is one of the best budget phones you can buy in the U.S., and it's running a Snapdragon 632 chipset. The most powerful of the sub-$400 phones in the U.S. — the Nokia 7.1 — is powered by the Snapdragon 636 platform.
For that same amount, you can get your hands on the POCO F1 in the UK, which has a Snapdragon 845 with liquid cooling and a 4000mAh battery. Then there's the fact that there are no devices powered by the Snapdragon 660, 670, or the 675 platforms in the U.S.
Qualcomm's latest mid-range chipsets are fantastic, but they're not on sale in the U.S.
Qualcomm has made considerable improvements to its mid-tier chipsets over the last 18 months, and there just aren't devices that leverage those improvements in the U.S. Contrast that to the dizzying array of options that are available in India, and you'll begin to see the disparity.
The Moto G6 Plus was effectively dead on arrival in India last year as there were at least five phones that offered better hardware at a lower cost.
Xiaomi released the Redmi Note 7 Pro earlier this year in India, offering a Snapdragon 675, 48MP camera, and 4000mAh battery with Quick Charge 4. There's the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2, which has a Snapdragon 660 for under $200, the Kirin 710-touting Honor 10 Lite, the $390 Nokia 8.1 with Snapdragon 710, and the list goes on and on. Even Samsung is getting in on the action with the Galaxy A50.
The sheer competitiveness of the Indian market has driven prices down over the last two years, with $150 phones now offering stellar hardware. That said, it's not easy for Chinese manufacturers to break into the U.S. — as we've seen with LeEco — as it requires a sizable investment and carrier deals.
One of the key announcements out of OnePlus' 6T launch was that the company was partnering with T-Mobile to sell its phone at retail stores across the country. It was a major win for OnePlus, but the company doesn't sell anywhere close to the same number of devices as Xiaomi, OPPO, or Vivo.
Sure, the U.S. market requires more overhead as manufacturers need to partner with carriers for distribution, so it's unreasonable to assume that Chinese brands would be able to sell their devices at such low prices even if they introduced them Stateside. But the fact that no one is even trying tells volumes about the state of the U.S. market.
Galaxy S20 vs. OnePlus 8 camera comparison: Zoom trumps macro
The Galaxy S20 and OnePlus 8 both have triple camera arrays, but Samsung and OnePlus went in different directions for the individual lenses in those systems. Both phones take great photos, but in the end one is more well-rounded and versatile than the other.
Do you think the Pixel 2 is a good purchase in 2020?
The Pixel 2 and 2 XL will be turning three this October. Do you think the phones are still worth picking up here in 2020?
OnePlus disables the OnePlus 8 Pro's color filter camera with new update
The latest OxygenOS update for the OnePlus 8 Pro disables the phone's color filter camera. OnePlus says the camera will be re-enabled sometime next month.
These are the best Xiaomi phones you can buy in 2020
Xiaomi is the brand to beat in the value segment, and it offers excellent phones ranging from $100 entry-level options all the way to $700 flagships. These are the best Xiaomi phones you can buy in 2020.


text:
Ninja Theory revealed today that Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice on PC via Steam has finally been enhanced.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice on PC is now enhanced and will include updates on materials, particles, level of detail, and course Ray Tracing. The update that the PC version received today has already been released on Xbox several months ago.
With Ray Tracing now available on the PC version of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, players can choose between low, medium, and high presets which is exclusive to the PC version that increases the shadows. The new update will bring new depth to Helheim never seen before, so we’re excited for people to retread Senua’s steps in an even more immersive environment.
Hellblade on PC now also supports both DirectX 11 and 12, with support for NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR upscaling for an optimized experience.
As far as accessibility features, the PC version now includes a full controller and keyboard remapping, subtitle customisation, and colour blindness presets for Deuteranopia, Protanopia, and Tritonopia.
Here’s an overview of the 2021 update implemented in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice for PC:
Return to Helheim and experience Senua’s world through new eyes with enriched visuals and new features. Upgraded materials, particles and LOD, DirectX Raytracing and optimised performance with NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR support. We have also used this opportunity to include some key accessibility improvements, including full controller remapping and colour blindness settings.
Hellbalde: Senua’s Sacrifice is available now for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.


text:
No Man's Sky will launch in June 2016 on PS4 and PC, Hello Games announced during Sony's press conference at Paris Games Week. This puts an end to all the speculation and rumours that pointed out to a 2015 release.
Taking the stage at the event, studio founder Sean Murray has revealed that there are still a lot of features that have yet to be announced. Although he didn't want to reveal what exactly these features are, Murray hinted that these were some of the most request features by players.
Feel free to check the game's latest trailer below.


text:
Bringing Digital Marketing to Life with an Event at Metro Bank
Smarty co-hosted a digital marketing seminar at Metro Bank to help start-up founders stand out online. An event co-organised by Metro Bank, B&F Services and Smarty took place at Metro Bank’s headquarters in Holborn, London, on January 25th. The talk on digital marketing attracted over 70 delegates, a mix of start-up owners and people thinking of starting their own business.
The event was aimed at helping business owners with their marketing campaigns and growing their businesses online on a budget. The presentations were given by industry leaders who offered ideas on how to kick off the marketing of a small organisation or entrepreneur. They provided valuable insight into how to improve a business’ efficiency through automation, helping them generate and nurture leads and plan for unforeseen circumstances.
John Harrison, Local Director at Metro Bank, opened the event with an inspiring presentation about the innovative and ground-breaking approach Metro Bank has been undertaking since launching in 2010.
At its launch, it was the first high street bank to open doors in the UK within the last 150 years. Metro Bank has had an impressive strategy for attracting local customers and entrepreneurs to their beautifully designed branches.
The next presentation was delivered by Dr Farhad Reyazat, Founder and CEO of B&F Services and Smarty Software. He introduced a powerful theory about the effect and influence of a network.
Farhad commented: “The rise of social media has transformed the nature of attention, a shift that is driving brand confusion and presenting marketers with substantial challenges. He also highlighted: Entrepreneurs are the future of the UK, so it’s important to nurture and encourage them to take advantage of the opportunities on offer. We want to ensure they are armed with all the necessary technology and tried and tested advice when they take the leap into the professional business world. Due to the uncertainties that are surrounding the UK, the importance of focusing on growing a business – particularly for small businesses and start-ups – cannot be underestimated.”
Finally, Agnes Gradzewicz, CMO of Smarty Software, discussed the power of a lead generation strategy for start-ups. Agnes started by discussing the importance of budgeting and understanding the cost of customer acquisition. She also explained how to effectively use social media to assist with contact prospecting.
Agnes commented: ‘’Smarty Software is honoured to be co-hosting this important event for start-ups. We have been supporting businesses since our launch in 2015. Our aim is not only to provide an innovative business software for start-ups, but also to assist them with growing their businesses. Personally, I love speaking at those events and connect with so many inspiring people.’’
Smarty Software is specifically designed with entrepreneurs and small businesses in mind. The software combines invoicing, email marketing automation and web design with data reporting, CRM, appointment setting and much more. The perfect solution for businesses owners, SMEs, entrepreneurs and freelancers, it automates and simplifies daily tasks, freeing up time for the more time-intensive jobs, including generating new business.
This digital marketing event was the perfect opportunity for start-ups and young business people to learn about digital marketing and its importance in growing a business.


text:
Cortana, how many calories are in one pound of body fat? Google, how many miles must I run to burn off one pound? Marketers are still in the holiday throes, but as we get closer to New Year's Eve, the search engines will become inundated with queries related to fitness.
"Fitness buffs" are 49% more likely to have a household income of $100,000 annually, 95% more likely to pay attention to ratings and reviews posted online by other consumers, and 94% more likely to follow their favorite brands or companies on social media, according to data released Thursday.
The data from Hitwise, a Connexity company, suggests that fitness buffs are highly reliant on their mobile devices, which makes sense. In fact, they are 45% more likely than the average person to think their cell phone is an expression of who they are, and are 25% more likely to purchase products advertised on their cell phones.
As part of Bing's top-searched moments in 2016, the search engine released its top search trends in tech. The iPhone 7 took the No. 1 spot. Self-Driving Teslas came in at No. 2. Nod to Shop landed at No.3. The 4-inch iPhone came in at No. 4 and SoundCloud rounded out the top handful at No. 5.
Google also released a list of the most popular search terms for 2016, with the iPhone 7 at the top of the consumer tech list.
Fitness buffs also are 81% more likely than the average person to belong to the Mosaic group classified as "Power Elites," and use keywords "cabelas," "fitbit." "rei" or "bass pro shop" in search queries.
The data analyzes consumers who purchased or visited Web sites for athletic apparel, fitness trackers or workout equipment, and expressed fitness-positive attitudes via panel data for more than four weeks ending October 29, 2016.
Dick’s Sporting Goods, REI, and Basspro.com also ranked high in query results, suggesting that consumers who search for one of these retailers belong in a subset of fitness buffs loving outdoor activities centered on camping, hiking and fishing.
Women, with a medium age of 44, make up 55% of this audience segment that Connexity created. The top indexing age bracket among both males and females is between the ages of 35 and 44, followed by those between the ages of 25 and 34.


text:
GREEN ISLAND, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ecovative announced today that it is opening access to a major European patent to all individuals and businesses who wish to use its MycoComposite™ mycelium materials in their own innovations and businesses in Europe. The company’s renewable material offers a nontoxic, planet-friendly alternative to plastics and other fossil fuel-derived materials.
Ecovative’s MycoComposite invention enables the manufacturing of products that are free of forever chemicals and other toxic substances like formaldehyde. This patent outlines a strategic blueprint for the creation of eco-friendly and renewable mushroom mycelium composites, offering a promising solution to curtail CO2 emissions across diverse industries and combat the escalating climate crisis.
"The goal of Ecovative has always been to provide the 'picks and shovels' for a new generation of businesses realizing the potential of mycelium technology," says Ecovative co-founder and CEO Eben Bayer. "The growing demand for environmentally beneficial products and processes is creating immense new opportunities not to reinvent the wheel, but to change what the wheel is made of, and we're excited to see the new discoveries and scalable solutions made with this versatile technology, for the benefit of Spaceship Earth."
The European Open Patent Program for MycoComposite is intended to encourage innovation in plastic-free products. The patent is already in use around the world in protective packaging, construction materials, architecture and innovative applications to replace petrochemical use. Several successful businesses have already been launched using MycoComposite, notably Loop Biotech which makes a popular line of mycelium coffins and urns.
"Loop Biotech has seen firsthand the huge demand for innovative, planet-friendly solutions enabled by mycelium materials," said Bob Hendrikx, founder of Loop Biotech, which uses MycoComposite material to produce sustainable coffins and urns. "I started this company to help humanity leave a positive footprint on the Earth, which is only possible when we collaborate with living organisms like fungi."
A sharp rise of interest in Europe for entrepreneurial applications of MycoComposite make it an ideal environment to test the potential of open access patents to spur an increase in innovations and businesses around mycelium technology. MycoComposite licensing and partnership opportunities will continue to be available outside of Europe supported by Ecovative’s state-of-the-art spawn and substrate facilities. The company owns numerous patents and patent applications related to mycelium manufacturing and product development globally.
Learn more about the program to open the MycoComposite European patent and what it means for the future of mycelium technology.
Ecovative is a biological science and design company, advancing mycelium technology to transform industries with high quality, Earth-friendly materials. Founded in 2007, Ecovative makes mycelium materials and products commercially competitive and accessible to everyone. Leveraging its Mycelium Foundry, dedicated production capacity and a range of industry leading partners, Ecovative grows better materials for everyday needs. To learn more, visit ecovative.com.
MycoComposite is a combination of only two ingredients, mushroom mycelium and shredded plant fibers, such as kenaf, hemp stalks, and other plant-based waste from agriculture. The mycelium binds the material together into a natural composite that is highly versatile and earth-friendly in a range of applications. The process requires little energy and the final product is 100% bio-based returning nutrients to the Earth.


text:
A Pennville convenience store has been caught selling products that contain active marijuana ingredients, according to Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader.
The owner of Great Way Food Mart, at 12606 Hwy. 27, was arrested for selling marijuana-related products. Patel, 27, was arrested for criminal attempt to sell marijuana and two counts of distribution of marijuana, according to jail records. Here is a press release from the Lookout Mountain Drug Task Force:


text:
Convenience Stores in Japan Adding Bookstore Sections
Tokyo, Sept. 27 (Jiji Press)--Convenience store chains in Japan are making serious efforts to open shops incorporating bookstore sections or expand the lineups of books at their outlets.
With bookstores in rural areas closing one after another due to increased competition from online shopping and a lack of successors, convenience stores aim to attract a new breed of customers and also boost demand for food and beverages among customers who pick up books.
The new types of stores are providing a breath of fresh air to a saturated market of ubiquitous convenience stores and helping to push up sales at such stores.
At a FamilyMart store that opened in Ogi, Saga Prefecture, southwestern Japan, in August, rows of bookshelves occupy a space next to an ordinary shopping area. In an eat-in section, customers can spend time reading books they buy at the store, while eating or drinking.
The outlet is the first of its kind launched under a comprehensive business partnership contract with major book brokerage company Nippon Shuppan Hanbai Inc., which has companies such as Sekibunkan Bookstore Co. in its group.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]


text:
Reindeer will get a day off while Santa turns to classic automobiles in Torrance.
Santa Claus is trading in his sleigh this year for a customized candy-apple-red 1923 Ford Model T. Tomorrow, in preparation for his Christmas Eve cruise, Santa and his helpers will show off their fleet while getting toys ready for children in the South Bay.
Taking a break from his busy schedule, Santa will make an appearance at the Holiday Classic Car Show Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. at the Eastgate Plaza in Torrance. Sponsored by the Cruisin’ ‘50s South Bay Club, the show will feature more than 50 classic automobiles of pre-1970 vintage.
“Everyone’s doing a holiday event,” said Anne Ferrell, who organized the event on behalf of the club and the owners of the shopping center. “We were looking for something unique.”
The show is open to all classic cars, and there is no registration fee. In the spirit of Christmas, participants are urged to decorate their cars with wreaths, bows or other seasonal trimmings, Ferrell said. Visitors may vote for the “best decorated” car. Cash prizes of between $50 and $200 will be awarded to the top three winners.
Admission is free, but Santa has asked visitors to bring a toy, wrapped or unwrapped, for less fortunate local children.
During the show, a deejay will spin Christmas tunes and popular oldies, refreshments will be served and a photographer will be on hand for those who want their picture taken with Santa.
If you look closely, you’ll see that Santa bears an uncanny resemblance to Paul Scottini of Lomita. Scottini is the editor of the car club’s monthly newsletter, distributed to its nearly 300 members in the South Bay.
Asked what car members have in common, Scottini said: “We enjoy being around people and friends and we enjoy tinkering with cars. It’s a way of relieving frustration and stress.”
The Scottini family owns a 1955 Olds with the original Delta Rocket 88 engine and a restored 1967 Ford Mustang. Many members own more than one classic car, Scottini said. Crystal Fields and her husband have six at their Lomita home, including a 1937 Willys, a 1959 Ford truck and a 1966 Chevy Nova. “Some are running, some are projects,” Fields said.
Ted and Sharon Downing of North Long Beach are letting Santa borrow their 1923 Ford Model T, known as a C-cab. With a body shaped like the letter C, big rear tires and small front ones, the car is one of only four like it in the state, Sharon Downing said. To make Santa feel at home, the Downings will attach Christmas lights around the wheels and inflatable reindeer to the front of the car.
“Our club is not into racing or laying rubber,” Sharon Downing said. “Basically, we’re just a bunch of nice people enjoying ourselves.”
Established in 1981, the Cruisin’ ‘50s South Bay Club participates in more than 50 family-oriented events a year, including shows and a monthly “cruise night” that includes dinner, music and raffles, said Larry Yarbrough of Torrance, the club’s president-elect.
Many of the club’s events raise money for charitable organizations such as the Torrance Volunteer Center, the American Paralysis Assn. and Cheer for Children.
Nostalgia draws many people to these older cars, Yarbrough said. “They remember an earlier era when people dragged on Main Street, went to drive-ins and ate from trays on the window.
“People remember these cars as the ones they spent their first date in,” he said.
Yarbrough, 43, owns several vintage cars, including a black 1940 Ford coupe he’s had since he was 16. Edsel Ford designed the coupe’s distinctive three-piece V-shaped grille and large rounded fenders with built-in headlights, but Henry Ford never gave his son credit for it, Yarbrough said.
He thought about selling the coupe a few times, but his wife talked him out of it. “I’m glad she did,” Yarbrough said. “It’s like part of the family.”
What: Holiday Classic Car Show, sponsored by the Cruisin’ ‘50s South Bay Club.
Where: Eastgate Plaza at the corner of Carson Street and Western Avenue, Torrance.
When: Saturday, noon to 5 p.m.
Admission: Registration and admission is free, but visitors are urged to bring a toy.
Information: Call (310) 514-9528.


text:
Verne Kopytoff summarizes recent disclosures regarding google's popular adsense advertising program:
Google is among the Internet's biggest destinations for advertisers. The company had nearly $1.5 billion in revenue last year, 95 percent of which came from advertising.Posted by James Zellmer at August 9, 2004 7:11 AM | Subscribe to this site via RSS:
Targeting the pitches
Underpinning Google's business is AdWords, a program that allows advertisers to make targeted sales pitches alongside search results. For example, a shampoo company could choose to advertise for queries that only include the words "hair," "dandruff" or "split ends."
Google also runs the ads on partner Web sites including America Online, Ask Jeeves and Earthlink.


text:
DETROIT — General Motors says a pending breakthrough in battery chemistry will cut the price of its electric vehicles so they equal those powered by gasoline within five years. The technology also will increase the range per charge to as high as 450 miles. The company's product development chief promised a small electric SUV that will cost under $30,000 and pledged to roll out 30 battery-powered models worldwide by 2025. Nearly all current electric vehicles cost more than $30,000. The announcement illustrates how fast electric vehicle technology is moving and shows that it may become the primary fuel for transportation faster than expected.
NEW YORK — BuzzFeed is buying HuffPost from Verizon as part of a bigger deal that has the wireless giant investing in the digital-media company. BuzzFeed and Verizon did not disclose terms of the deal. Verizon will be a minority shareholder in BuzzFeed and the two companies will partner on content and ads. BuzzFeed is known for its quizzes and lists but also invested in its news division. Its founder and CEO, Jonah Peretti, also co-founded HuffPost, then known as The Huffington Post, in 2005. AOL bought it for $315 million in 2011.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Tyson Foods has suspended top officials at its largest pork plant and launched an investigation into allegations that they bet on how many workers would get infected during a widespread coronavirus outbreak. Tyson Foods President and CEO Dean Banks said Thursday that he was "extremely upset" about the allegations against managers at its plant in Waterloo, Iowa, saying they do not represent the company's values.
WASHINGTON — U.S. long-term mortgage rates fell this week, reaching record lows for the 13th time this year amid fresh signs of weakness in the pandemic-ravaged economy. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported that the average rate on the 30-year benchmark loan declined to 2.72% from 2.84% last week. The average rate on the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage eased to 2.28% from 2.34%. Fresh signs emerged this week that the resurgent coronavirus outbreak is likely slowing the economy and forcing more companies to cut jobs. The government reported that retail sales in the U.S. grew a sluggish 0.3% in October, even as retailers offered early holiday discounts online and in stores.


text:
Huawei has started teasing the launch of its new smartphone arguably called the Honor 7. Release date timeframe is fixed for the 30th of June. With a new teaser image from the Chinese manufacturer Huawei shows up a fingerprint reader and the announcement date as well. More details on this news can be found right here.
The teaser although shows a thumb pointing to a fingerprint-style number ‘7’ with the debut date of June 30 underneath it. However, the next upcoming Huawei Honor 7 rumors already made its rounds online suggesting that the device arriving with a fingerprint scanner.
Huawei has also confirmed that there will be two new Honor devices in the series – one comes as regular mid-ranger and other one with high-end specs. Expected to see the phone with a 5-inch FullHD (1920x1080p) screen and packing a 64-bit Octa-Core CPU running on the Huawei’s own Kirin 935 chispet.
Memory on the standard device will have a 3GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage, wheraes the premium edition of Honor 7 offers 4GB of RAM, 64GB of onboard storage. Camera department is estimated as 13MP rear sensor with OIS3280 and the device would be backed by a 3280mAh battery.
Both the Huawei Honor 7 standard and premium vairiants will run on Android 5.0 Lollipop with the company’s Emotion 3.0 UI skin on top. Stay tuned to our updates, so that we can share you some information regarding what actually Huawei has in its package on 30th of June.


text:
The Green Organic Dutchman (TSX: TGOD) (OTCQX: TGODF), a leading producer of premium certified organically grown cannabis, has received an export certificate from Health Canada. This official certification allows TGOD to finalize its initial shipment of medical cannabis. That shipment is headed to Europe, where it will undergo stability testing in Germany. This testing is the final step in The Green Organic Dutchman’s efforts to commence commercialization, which is scheduled to begin in 2021. “This is an important milestone as we get ready to begin the international shipping of our certified organically grown medical cannabis products,” said interim TGODF CEO Sean Bovingdon. “Germany is the first of several markets that we are planning to supply. Other countries that we anticipate shipping to in the future are Australia and Mexico. We chose to obtain our EU-GMP certification from Germany because of its high standards and its progressive medical cannabis framework.”
To view the full press release, visit https://cnw.fm/sJhu7
About The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd.
The Green Organic Dutchman is a premium certified organically grown cannabis company focused on the health and wellness market. Its organic cannabis is cultivated in living soil, as nature intended. The Company is committed to cultivating a better tomorrow by producing its products responsibly, with less waste and impact on the environment. Its two Canadian facilities have been built to LEED certification standards and its products are sold in recyclable packaging. In Canada, TGOD sells dried flower and oil, and recently launched a series of next–generation cannabis products such as hash, vapes, organic teas and dissolvable powders. Through its European subsidiary, HemPoland, the company also distributes premium-hemp CBD oil and CBD-infused topicals in Europe. By leveraging science and technology, TGOD harnesses the power of nature from seed to sale. For more information about the company, please visit www.TGOD.ca.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to TGODF are available in the company’s newsroom at http://cnw.fm/TGODF
CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.
To receive SMS text alerts from CannabisNewsWire, text “CANNABIS” to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)
For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com
Do you have questions or are you interested in working with CNW? Ask our Editor
CannabisNewsWire is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork.


text:
Layer-3 prototype of Ethereum-scaling protocol zkSync will be tested in 2023
According to Matter Labs’ chief product officer, Steve Newcomb, the unveiling of its L3 prototype will dramatically increase the performance of its L2 solution.
A new layer-3 (L3) prototype targeted at addressing Ethereum’s scalability difficulties will be available for testing as early as Q1 2023.
On October 10, zkSync, a provider of zero-knowledge blockchain solutions, revealed that it plans to launch a new EVM-compatible layer-3 prototype called “Pathfinder” on testnet early next year.
zkSync is an L2 Ethereum scaling mechanism that aims to reduce network utilization expenses. It released a 1.0 version in June 2020 and is now preparing to release zkSync 2.0 later this month.
According to the team’s most recent blog post, the L3 Pathfinder will be a “prototype displaying a ZK rollup as a fractal Hyperchain in Layer 3.” It will make use of recursive scaling.
“It will serve as a framework for public Layer 3 experimentation, research, and development,” the post stated.
With 18 days to zkSync 2.0 on mainnet, we're thrilled to share another exciting milestone on the horizon: zkSync's Layer 3 Pathfinder will be released to the public testnet in Q1 2023.https://t.co/7HnibHn2dX
— zkSync (@zksync) October 10, 2022
They claim that while Layer 2 will witness a 10X-100X improvement in performance, “performance in Layer 3 is infinite.”
According to the zkSync team, the goal is to create an L3 “environment of customisable and trustlessly linked blockchains driven by zkEVM that we refer to as ‘HyperChains.'”
The firm claims that its L3 prototype will enable it to greatly improve several aspects of blockchain performance, such as scaling, personalization, and security.
It also contributes to zkSync’s future EVM compliant L2 network (version 2.0), which is set to go live on October 28.
Matter Labs’ Chief Product Officer, Steve Newcomb, stated that the engineering team behind zkSync is aiming for substantial scalability with its L3 solution:
“Our L2 solution is going to be 10x to 100x at the max at L2, but it’s L3 where we have like a star cluster of 10x moments where we make it faster, cheaper, more usable.”
“That’s where the game is going to have L3 and, you know, the reason why people should see us differently than Polygon really is all about by the time they get around to getting that L2 solution, which is much less performant than us,” he added.
Newcomb stated that after the zkSyncs L2 mainnet starts later this month, there would be a month of testing before the introduction of decentralized apps (dApps). The team anticipates that roughly 150 projects will be ready for launch.
In terms of the L3 solution complementing the L2, zkSync has stated that the team intends to “aggressively explore” with it in order to determine its alleged performance-enhancing potential.
The project is focusing on five important areas: performance, cost, ease of use, and composability.
“Developers will be able to select among three data availability choices for their project, all of which will use the same proving infrastructure.” “Developers can choose their own trade-offs between pricing, performance, and security,” according to the post.


text:
Microsoft has rejected an offer from Motorola to settle a patent lawsuit that would halt the importing of Android devices and the Xbox 360 gaming console. The patents connected to the case involve a Microsoft technology called ActiveSync, which Microsoft alleges Motorola uses to update calendars automatically on some Android phones. Motorola is demanding royalties for video and wireless technologies used in the Xbox 360 on the Windows operating system. Microsoft has been receiving royalties from phone manufacturers that support Android as part of a patent agreement. Motorola is the only company that did not make a patent agreement with Microsoft. Motorola Mobility is now owned by Google.
Motorola offered to pay Microsoft 33 cents for each Android phone using ActiveSync technology and they asked that in return, Microsoft gives them 2.25% of earnings from each Xbox console sold and 50 cents per copy of Windows. “While we welcome any good faith settlement effort, it’s hard to apply that label to a demand that Microsoft pay royalties to Google far in excess of market rates, that refuses to license all the Microsoft patents infringed by Motorola, and that is promptly leaked to the press,” said Microsoft deputy general counsel Horacio Gutierrez. At 300 million copies of the Windows operating system being sold, Motorola would make $150 million.
Stay tuned to see what happens between both companies.


text:
Arrivalist Predicts 25% Year-Over-Year Growth in Road Trip Activity
Using data from its Daily Travel Index, Arrivalist predicts that Americans will take 42.9 million road trips over Fourth of July weekend this year. Compared to last year, when many festivities were cancelled amid the Covid-19 pandemic, road trip activity will be up 25% percent. Travel is even expected to exceed pre-Covid levels by 3.8% when compared to 2019 road trip activity. But 2021 won't be without its challenges – from the quickly circulating Delta coronavirus variant to a current spike in inflation, travelers have their concerns.
Using data from its widely adopted Daily Travel Index, leading travel data company Arrivalist predicts that Americans will take 42.9 million road trips over Fourth of July weekend this year.
"Predicting human behavior is never easy, especially when external factors such as changing gas prices and the recent spread of the Delta variant are at play," said Cree Lawson, Arrivalist Founder and CEO. "Despite this, we continue to see travel demand hold at a steady pace over the last few weeks in our daily road trip tracker. With travel demand at an all-time high and the President's promise to mark this holiday as an independence from the Covid-19 virus, we expect that Americans will continue to shatter records for the upcoming July 4th holiday."
The difference between what Arrivalist projected for 2021 Memorial Day automobile travel compared to 2019 and what the actual travel was that weekend was just 0.3%.
The Daily Travel Index is a daily measure of road trip activity taken by residents of all 50 U.S. states, with volume indexed against the average daily volume of 2019 travelers. It was designed as a free online resource available on Arrivalist's website to provide the travel industry with insights to help plot its path to recovery during the Covid-19 pandemic. Site visitors can compare visitation in 2021 to activity from the same period in 2019, not just the timeframe when travel slowed to a virtual standstill in 2020. Additionally, a customized Daily Travel Index is available to clients, which allows them to compare activity in their market to a nationwide index.
Copyright 2021 Arrivalist. All rights reserved. From https://www.arrivalist.com.


text:
WSJ.com - Yahoo Acquires Stata Labs: "Yahoo Inc. appeared to move a step closer to challenging Google Inc. in searchable Web mail, acquiring the start-up behind the powerful e-mail application Bloomba.
It was Yahoo's second purchase this year of an e-mail start-up following the July acquisition of Oddpost Inc.
Bloomba was launched last year by San Mateo, Calif.-based Stata Labs. Many analysts praised it as being more nimble and elegant than Microsoft's Outlook, but doubted Bloomba could survive without a larger patron.
However, the $60 product will be discontinued and Yahoo has no plans to sell Bloomba or its accompanying spam filter software, SA Proxy Pro, Stata Labs said on its Web site."


text:
Epic have announced a ten-times increase on the royalty cap for games created with the Unreal Development Kit. The free software kit is powerful enough to let anyone create a game using Unreal Engine 3. Before now, games earning profits of more than $5,000 would have to make royalty payments to Epic. The royalty cap now stands at $50,000, making it easier for new developers to get started.
Vice President of Epic Games, Mark Rein, made the announcement was made on the Epic forums . He says "we're really excited about folks making some amazing things with UDK and we realize that a lot of you are just started in the business so not having to pay royalties on your first $50,000 should help you get a financial footing toward building a quality game development business."
The release of the UDK, in combination with the Make Something Unreal contest, has given a headstart to a number of small developers. The most recent success story was The Ball, which was the runner up in last year's Make Something Unreal contest, and recently released a full retail release on Steam . If you're interested in creating something using the UDK, it's available to download for free from the Unreal Development Kit site.


text:
The famous Digbeth Dining Club has announced a date in Telford during it’s forthcoming tour which also adds Walsall and Castle Bromwich to its 18 town roster.
Put the 8th of June at Telford Town Park QEII Arena in your diaries, because this is going to be immense.
Street food vendors will descend on the town park offering award winning cuisine for every palette. It’s what Digbeth Dining Club are famous for, and have been drawing the crowds since 2012.
Tickets are priced at £4 for adults,


text:
Shipments of steel and aluminum from North America’s metals service centers increased during April, increasing their daily shipment rates, and inventories of steel products declined for centers in the U.S. and Canada.
The information is based on the Metals Service Center Institute’s Monthly Activity Report, which is based on data supplied by participating metals service centers for both countries.
Service centers’ steel deliveries totaled 3,629,500 tons across the U.S. during April, rising +5.9% from 3,428,100 tons during March. The daily shipping rate also rose, from 163.2 tons/day during March to 165 tons/day currently.
The April figure also represents a +2.1% improvement over the comparable April 2012 figure, 3,553,500 tons.
The year-to-date total for steel shipments from U.S. service centers is now 14,068,700 tons, which is a decline of -4.5% versus the January-April 2012 total.
The U.S. service centers reported steel inventories totaling 8,312,000 tons as April closed, -9.1% less than the April 2012 inventory total. It represents a 2.3-month supply of steel at the current shipping rate, which is down slightly from the March supply total.
April aluminum shipments by U.S. service centers rose to 127,500 tons, a +9.1% improvement over the March total of 116,900 tons. The daily shipping rate also rose, from 5.6 tons/day to 5.8 tons/day.
Year-on-year, U.S. centers aluminum shipments decreased 1.2% from the April 2012 total.
The four-month total for U.S. aluminum shipments is 484,800 tons, a -8.2% decline versus the January-April 2012 total.
Service centers’ aluminum inventories at the end of April increased 1.3% from March to April, from 362,400 tons to 367,100 tons. The new total is a -2.6% decline from the April 2012 inventory level, and it represents a 2.9-month supply for U.S. centers.
Similar Trends in Canada
Canada’s service centers shipped 525,500 tons of steel during April, a +11.9% improvement on the March result, 472,200 tons.
The current annual total for Canada’s steel shipments is 1,983,100 tons, a decline of -9.8% versus the comparable period of 2012.
The monthly improvement raised the Canadian operations’ daily shipping rate for steel to 23.9 tons/day, from 23.6 tons/day during March.
As for inventories, Canada’s service centers report 1,620,800 tons of steel are available, declining -6.4% from the March inventory level. It represents a 3.1-month supply of steel at the current shipping rate.
Lastly, Canadian service centers shipped 14,100 tons of aluminum during April, an increase of +9.3% over the March total of 12,900 tons, and a +5.4% rise over the April 2012 total. The year-to-date shipment total for aluminum products is now 52,500 tons, -5.0% down from the January-April 2012 total.
Canadian service centers’ current daily shipping rate for aluminum products is 6,000 tons, unchanged from the March result.
Finally, the Canadian centers reported aluminum inventories of 37,100 tons at the end of April, down from 37,800 tons at the end of March, and representing a 2.8-month supply at the current shipping rate.


text:
The one and only, A$AP Rocky is back, but this time around it is not about the music. Today the Harlem native is back, pairing up with the good folks over at for his own, unique vaporizer collection.
Lana Del Rey is no stranger to crossing over into other genres, and according to the singer, she’ll have some new rap-assisted tracks to debut in a couple of days.
Two years after the release of his album Cherry Bomb, Tyler, the Creator released two long awaited projects that has fans in a frenzy.
It’s been a little over a week since Frank Ocean debuted a brand new record called “Raf” by the A$AP Mob on his blonded RADIO show on Beats 1, and now we’re finally getting the official version.
From Tyga and Kylie Jenner, to Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, and the since terminated union between Khloe Kardashian and French Montana, there’s a history of mutual attraction between rappers and the Kardashians.
Watch Harlem man ASAP Rocky‘s new video for “JD.” ASAP Rocky must’ve been in a giving mood today, because not only did he release all 3 CDQ versions of his latest songs (“Yamborghini High,” “Hear Me” & “Wu Tang Forever Remix”)…
Just a few weeks before the release of his highly anticipated sophomore album, At.Long.Last.ASAP, ASAP Rocky covers the latest issue of Billboard magazine.
Married couple Rihanna and Harlem’s A$AP Rocky transport us to a bygone era in their latest advertisement for their newest Fenty collaboration.
Harlem’s A$AP Rocky was honored with the Virgil Abloh Award at the HFR 16th Annual Fashion Show & Style Awards.
Harlem, the historic neighborhood in New York City, has given rise to many influential artists, musicians, and cultural icons throughout its rich history.
On May 1, 2023, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC was abuzz with excitement as celebrities, fashion designers, and other figures gathered for the annual Met Gala.
Harlem’s ASAP Rocky Makes a Statement in a Sleek Black Leather Outfit While Dining with Rihanna at Giorgio Baldi.
By Marc Peoples On Sunday, February 12th, 2023, Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII. It was a good game and a close score.
Billboard magazine got it right, only Rihanna and Harlem‘s A$AP Rocky could skip the Golden Globes red carpet and still be a hit.
By Harlem World Magazine Rapper and Harlem native, A$AP Rocky and Grammy Award-Winning singer, Rihanna had welcomed their first child.


text:
No one would have thought a face mask would be a fashion trend but here are we now, rocking stylish face masks that go with our dressing. Of course, the use of face masks didn’t start from a fashion invention, it started as a great necessity to protect ourselves and others from the deadly Coronavirus infection. But you can trust the fashion inventors to quickly make face masks a fashion trend and an additional fashion accessory to your outing.
Ashley Nell Tipton, a fashion expert, said that she believes that people are probably going to be matching their face masks with their outfits. It is therefore very evident that people are making fashion statements through the use of face masks. We hope to see more fashion innovations concerning the face masks.


text:
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - ConAgra Foods said that moisture from a leaky roof and faulty sprinkler in its Georgia peanut butter plant last August allowed salmonella bacteria to infect its finished product and later sicken more than 400 people nationwide.
The Omaha-based company released details of its nearly two-month-long investigation and explained what its plans to ensure that Peter Pan peanut butter is safe when it returns to stores in mid-July.
ConAgra spokeswoman Stephanie Childs said the company traced the
salmonella outbreak to three incidents in its Sylvester, plant last August.
She said the plant was cleaned thoroughly after the roof leak and sprinkler incidents, but somehow the salmonella remained and came in contact with peanut butter before it was packaged.
ConAgra recalled all its peanut butter in February after federal health officials linked it to cases of salmonella infection. At least 425 people in 44 states, including 8 in Alabama, were sickened, and numerous lawsuits have been filed against the company.
The recall covered all Peter Pan peanut butter and all Great Value peanut butter made at the Sylvester plant since October 2004. That plant is ConAgra's only peanut butter plant.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


text:
Flutterwave, Africa’s leading payments technology company, has appointed Mr. Oluwabankole Falade (Bankole) as the new Chief Regulatory and Government Relations Officer.
In his role, he will support Flutterwave’s vision by providing strategic oversight and government relation strategies, while ensuring that the interest and needs of the business are aligned with that of the regulators.
Bankole brings 18 years of experience in law, regulatory affairs, government relations and business development across financial and telecoms industries. Before joining Flutterwave, Bankole was the Director, Regulatory Affairs and Government Relations at IHS Towers. He also held key leadership roles at VISA and MTN, where he managed interactions with key government stakeholders and regulators in key markets across Africa.
Olugbenga ‘GB’ Agboola, Founder and CEO of Flutterwave said: “We’re grateful for the conducive regulatory environments that have helped us carry out our business, safely and in the best interest of the customers. With Bankole joining our team, we believe he is well placed to strengthen our existing relationships as well as support us create new relationships. Bankole will play an instrumental role in supporting us achieve our goal of creating endless possibilities for our customers with our key stakeholders in mind,” he added.
Bankole Falade, Chief Regulatory and Government Relations Officer at Flutterwave said: “I’m excited about the work Flutterwave has done so far in building trust with regulators. We want the same things with the regulators; to grow businesses and economies through technology. My role remains to proactively work with stakeholders to better understand our interests and needs whilst ensuring we are always aligned with set standards and regulations. I’m happy to get to work.
Bankole is an alumnus of the University of Aberdeen, Scotland with a certificate from the Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation. He is also a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administration, Nigeria and an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in the United Kingdom.
AfCTA: NITDA Partners Namibia to Build Digital Market
As Nigeria is moving fast towards diversifying its economy using technology, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has proposed partnership with Republic of Namibia in the areas of Innovations and Entrepreneurship through African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA).
This is because Africa as a continent lost out during the First, Second and Third Industrial Revolutions due to the huge capital investments but with the Fourth Industrial Revolutions comes endless opportunities that all it needs is talent and vibrant, young technological driven generation. It is therefore imperative for African countries to encourage “Made in Africa” products by exploring and exploiting opportunities provided by emerging technologies to build an enviable global market standard.
The agreement in finding a viable route for digital trade resolution was made when the High Commissioner of Namibia to Nigeria and Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, His Excellency, Mr Humphrey D Geiseh paid a courtesy visit to the Agency’s Corporate Headquarters, Abuja.
Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi CCIE, the Director General of NITDA, expressed his delight and privilege at the High Commissioner’s enthusiasm in seeking collaborations with NITDA in building a stronger relationship and developing technological products between the two countries.
Abdullahi stated that the Agency has been implementing the National IT Policy until 2019 when the Ministry’s mandate was expanded to cover Digital Economy. He averred that this was because Communications was not an end but a means to an end.
He said it was important to calibrate activities and align them with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) which necessitated the Agency to come up with a new Strategic Road Map and Action Plan.
The DG stated that ‘Emerging Technologies’ which is a strategic pillar in the road map should be used to create and capture technological values in Africa.
“These emerging technologies come with promises and perils and the Agency’s focus is to avoid the perils and achieve the promises”, he noted.
He disclosed that the Agency established the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics specifically for researching best ways to apply these technologies in the Health and Agricultural sector just to mention a few. “I will invite you to visit our Centre as well and see how you can borrow some of the ideas and domesticate it in Namibia”, Abdullahi said.
The DG mentioned that “Promoting Indigenous and Local Content, which is another strategic pillar of the Agency is aimed at supporting local start-ups and encouraging Made in Africa products.
He opined that African countries should share experiences and ideas in order to build world class product while laying emphasis that it is easier to procure products from neighbouring countries rather than other continents.
“Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the country provide about 95% of the workforce and produce more than 50% of the Nation’s GDP. It is therefore necessary to ignite processes in the digital ecosystem with the use of technology.” Innovations don’t happen in isolation, you need to connect with what others are doing in other parts of the world and apply them domestically to create wealth for the Nation and the continent at large”, Abdullahi noted.
The DG said that Agriculture, which is one of the major sources of income in Namibia is one of the areas the Agency identified in which technology can be used as a game changer. He stated that the National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture, (NAVSA) which is one of the initiatives of the Agency can help Namibia boost her productivity in Agriculture. “This is an area we can explore partnership where we can get some startups who can develop solutions for you and on our part, also learn how you manage your agricultural business.”
“NITDA has a yearly flagship programme called ‘e-Nigeria’, an international conference and exhibition programme where local start-ups are invited to showcase their products, and this year’s programme would be tagged ‘Digital Nigeria’ because of the evolution from electronic to digital system.”
“We are having a one-week Digital Nigeria International Conference and we are extending the invitation to you. You can bring people from Namibia to the conference to have a glimpse of our ecosystem where you will meet some of our startups, share ideas, challenges and see how we can use technology to grow our economy as a continent”, Abdullahi concluded.
His Excellency, Mr Geiseh in his earlier remark said that Namibia and Nigeria are both African countries who have been long standing friends since Namibia’s independence.
He disclosed that Namibia has a population of about 2.4 million and almost one-third of her population are internet users according to statistics as of 2018.
He mentioned that the country is committed to providing necessary opportunities for the youth to be exposed to concepts and technologies that will dominate their lives in the near future.
“In Namibia, we recognise the role of the youths in the development of the country in the future prosperity of the Nation which has prompted our visit today to basically know how your agency has advanced in the areas of ICT so we can identify common challenges and proffer solutions in areas where both countries can work together”, the High Commissioner disclosed.
Ecobank and Microsoft to Upskill Africa’s SMEs to Succeed in a Digital Economy
The leading pan-African banking group, Ecobank Group, in partnership with Microsoft, LinkedIn, GitHub and Ecobank Academy is set to provide training to equip Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) across sub-Saharan Africa. This training will provide SMEs digital skills and knowledge to succeed in today’s digital world.
SMEs have been significantly impacted by the COVID19 pandemic with its attendant lockdowns and disruptions to supply chains, plummeting sales, lost revenue and operational challenges. In response to feedback from our customers, Ecobank through its Commercial Banking Segment is helping business owners close the digital skills gap within their chosen fields and improve the digital capabilities of their employees.
Josephine Anan-Ankomah, Group Executive, Commercial Banking for the Ecobank Group said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has turbocharged the shift towards digital. It is essential that businesses adapt so that they are able to compete effectively in today’s rapidly changing landscape. Ecobank’s Commercial Banking is committed to supporting SMEs across our pan-African footprint. Through this partnership with Microsoft, LinkedIn, GitHub and Ecobank Academy we are offering training to equip business owners and their employees with the digital skills that they need to stay connected to their customers. We are intent on ensuring that our SME customers remain relevant, grow and succeed in the post COVID-19 era.”
SMEs have been invited to register here (https://bit.ly/3iEspdc)for the upcoming webinar taking place on July 26. The Global Skilling initiative program is available on an online portal where SMEs can register, and start their learning journey for any of the 10 in-demand skill sets (Customer Services; Digital Marketing; Financial Analysis; Graphic Design; IT Support/Help Desk; Project Management; Sales; Data Analysis; IT Administration; And Software Development). They can complete the virtual programme at their own pace and at times that work best for them. The programme runs until 31st of December 2021.
Ibrahim Youssry, Regional General Manager, Middle East and Africa – Multi market region at Microsoft said, “we are committed to building digital talent pipelines to support the workforce of the future, and our Global Skilling Initiative is an important part of this process. But beyond the future workforce, digital talent will also support more local innovation, as developers and entrepreneurs are empowered to create locally relevant solutions that best address the challenges and needs of African countries. Startups and SMEs play a critical role in innovation, economic growth and job creation, and expanded access to digital skills is one of the key steps needed to foster a successful economic recovery.”
The Global Skilling Initiative is just another example of how Ecobank wants to help SMEs reach their full potential and play a vital role in driving Africa’s economic resurgence. Other support initiatives for SMEs include:
- The Ecobank Marketplace eCommerce solution for businesses to grow their sales on digital marketplaces
- And the Ellevate programme to provide women-led/owned/focused businesses with loans, cash management solutions, training and mentoring opportunities.
Cellulant Gets PSSP Licence from Bank of Tanzania
The Bank of Tanzania (BOT) has issued an approval in principle to Cellulant Corporation to operate as a Payment Solution Service Provider in Tanzania having satisfied all the necessary requirements.
Payment Solution Service Providers make up the underlying e-Payment infrastructure in Tanzania. Banks, Online Merchants, payment processors, merchants, state governments, and consumers connect to PSSPs to meet their digital payment needs.
This approval makes Cellulant one of the top Payment Solution Service Providers (PSSP) in Tanzania endorsed by the BOT to provide digital payments solutions across the nation.
Cellulant is a leading Pan-African financial technology company providing a one-stop digital payments platform. Cellulant uses technology to connect people and their resources, making it easier to do business across Africa.
Edwin Kiiru, recently appointed Country Manager for Cellulant Tanzania, stated that this approval will enable the company to extend its payment solutions across all spectrums of Tanzania’s payments ecosystem.
Cellulant provides a single digital payments platform – named Tingg- addressing the complex payments needs of businesses. Tingg makes it easy to collect and make payments across multiple payment methods in different currencies, with the best customer experience for any business looking to digitise their payments.
‘‘Cellulant is a critical component of Africa’s Payments ecosystem and a key actor in delivering seamless payments solutions. This approval sets Cellulant into a select group of few payment aggregators that operate as PSSPs in Tanzania and will help add millions of economically active but financially excluded Tanzanians into the digital payment ecosystem. We are bringing to Tanzania the same top-level performance and seamless payments solutions that have made Tingg, Africa’s most preferred payments platform,” added Mr Kiiru.
Founded in 2002, Cellulant provides a single digital payments platform that runs an ecosystem of consumers, retailers, merchants, banks, mobile network operators, Governments, and International Development Partners. Today, Cellulant’s payments platform hosts 154 payment options across 34 countries; and is connected to 220M consumers on a single inclusive network allowing for interoperability that has eluded numerous players in the payments space.
Action3 months ago
CBN Sacks Boards of First Bank, FBN Holdings, Appoints Replacements
Internet3 months ago
Q4 2020 Closes With 366.3 Million Domain Names Registrations
Others2 months ago
Chrisland, Kola Daisi and Trinity Universities Join New Horizons Ecosystem for International Digital Empowerment for Students
Internet2 months ago
Nigerian Telcos Suspend Access to Twitter As Row Escalates