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Image source: John Goode/Flickr
You can do a lot of interesting things with $194 billion dollars and a globally dominant platform, even if those things aren't exactly aligned with your historical operations.
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For instance, you can thrust a team of industry experts into stealth mode and build an electric car (allegedly). You can launch an e-commerce platform into an already crowded market. You can even build geeky, sci-fi watches and test out luxury lineups just for fun (even if most people don't quite understand the value of luxury brands). And, apparently, you can also throw your weight around the growing opportunities in DNA sequencing.
We're talking about Apple(NASDAQ: AAPL), of course, which is setting its eyes on the exploding DNA sequencing market, according to an exclusive article from MIT Technology Review. It may seem odd at first, but the move was inevitable in hindsight. That's because tech platforms with massive user bases likely represent the missing link for the DNA sequencing market, which has made tremendous progress in data analysis in recent years, but often struggles to collect massive data sets in short time periods, if at all.
It's a perfect pairing, but what does it mean for Apple?
The newest Apple offering: ResearchKitApple took its first step into the DNA sequencing market by opening up its vast user base to public and private researchers through a new software platform, called ResearchKit, that allows scientists to conduct medical surveys and studies through iPhones. Considering that one-in-five smartphones in the world is an iPhone, this is no small first step.
Image Source: Apple
Early apps developed using ResearchKit include mPower, which tracks symptoms of Parkinson's disease and recruited thousands of subjects in several days. The app collects data from both direct surveys and by utilizing sensors within the phone to track dexterity, balance, and walking ability. That data will be analyzed by researchers at Sage Bionetworks, a nonprofit research organization, that is advised by academic researchers at MIT, UCSF, and others. The goal is to discover why symptoms among individuals with Parkinson's disease can vary, what causes them to vary, and eventually develop ways to better manage the disease.
Medical research conducted by other apps using ResearchKit will use genetic data, survey data, sensor data, or all of the above to accomplish similar goals. Apple won't be involved in collecting or testing DNA (yet); those responsibilities will fall onto researchers and health services. But the long-term opportunity extends far beyond supplementary revenue generated from the App Store.
Consider that for studies requiring genetic data, iPhone users will need to get their DNA sequenced, likely coordinated through local diagnostics companies such as Quest Diagnostics. The final sequence data would be sent to two destinations: the researchers conducting the study and the user's iPhone (probably attached to their Apple ID). Then, things could get a little crazy.
What happens when your DNA is on your smartphone?Your genetic data will always be just that: yours. But it's conceivable that an iPhone in the not-too-distant future will have a "share genetics" setting, not unlike the "share location" setting integrated into nearly every mobile device and many applications today. Why would that be necessary?
Pure speculation at this point, but mobile DNA data could find applications in shopping for products in-tune with your genotype for specific conditions (like skin dryness), field research. There could also be DNA-based dating apps, streamlined doctor's visits, and more. Anything is possible.
How will Apple monetize such a future? To be fair, new business models will likely emerge (and be necessary). But it could generate revenue from advertising genotype-specific products to consumers, taking a finder's fee on sales, or by getting more directly involved in the market with a platform of its own.
What does it mean for investors?Since the biggest thing holding back the DNA sequencing market has been swift access to large populations, it stands to reason that Apple won't be the only tech company looking to leverage its users. Indeed, Google has been dabbling in DNA sequencing since mid-2013. The strategy here is a bit different -- for now, anyway. Google Genomics is seeking to store sequenced genomes in the cloud for $25 per sequence per year. Collect enough sequences, and it empowers the same consumer sequencing revolution as direct mobile engagement (which Google will likely jump into, too). And there's no reason other platforms, from Facebook to Amazon, won't also join the fray.
No matter who gets involved, there is a huge opportunity brewing in DNA sequencing and the numerous offshoot technologies waiting to be created. It's great to see Apple taking the first steps toward monetizing what will eventually become an important consumer market.
The article Apple Inc. Wants Your DNA, but Why? originally appeared on Fool.com.
Maxx Chatskohas no position in any stocks mentioned. Check out hispersonal portfolio,CAPS page,previous writingfor The Motley Fool, and follow him on Twitter to keep up with developments in the synthetic biology field.The Motley Fool recommends Amazon.com, Apple, Facebook, Google (A shares), Google (C shares), Johnson & Johnson, and Procter & Gamble. The Motley Fool owns shares of Amazon.com, Apple, Facebook, Google (A shares), Google (C shares), and Johnson & Johnson. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright 1995 - 2015 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Heroes of Newerth Avatar Spotlight: Paragon Witch Slayer
Heroes of Newerth introduces the Paragon Witch Slayer, one of the new avatar skins available now.
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The Venezuelan government announced that its national digital currency, Petro, can be exchanged for any cryptocurrency if it is purchased this year.
"Venezuela: Petro can be converted to any cryptocurrency if you purchased it this year. Last week, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro visited the headquarters of the Cryptoassets checkpoint and related activities (Sunacrip) to sign up for an oil saving plan." – Ministry of People’s Power for Communication and Information (Minci).
Minci is promoting the government and spreading its message to the public. Sunacrip is responsible for regulating all crypto-related actions in Venezuela.
During his visit, Maduro offered a new incentive – to acquire the national digital currency of his country. El Nacional quoted him saying, "Anyone who buys a Petro "from now on" until December 31 can convert it to any digital currency or international convertible currency such as Bitcoin or yuan."
Petro's plan was launched on November 5th. It can be repaid before the end of the year, according to Tareck El-Aissami, the country's minister of economy and former vice-president. "Already within three months I will know the real value of Petro", – Maduro.
Editor: Yuliya Soroka


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UK business leaders reveal they are less aware of digital risks than European counterparts
UK business leaders identify far fewer risks affecting their businesses, when compared to Germany and France, according to research from the Gowling WLG Digital Risk Calculator, which launches today. This new free tool allows small and medium size businesses to better understand their digital risks and compare these to other businesses and industries.
Research informing the Gowling WLG Digital Risk Calculator was gathered from 999 large SMEs in the UK, France and Germany. Findings revealed an overly optimistic picture among UK business leaders, with UK respondents identifying far fewer digital risks as a threat to their business; when compared to the views of their European counterparts. UK respondents consistently identified between 2 and 25% less than non-UK respondents for each risk area analysed.
Commenting on the research Helen Davenport, director at Gowling WLG, said: “The recent wide ranging external cyber-attacks such as the Wannacry and Petya hacks reinforce the real and immediate threat of cyber-crime to all organisations and businesses.
However, there tends to be an “it won’t happen to me” attitude among business leaders, who on one hand anticipate external cyber-attacks will increase over the next three years, but on the other fail to identify such areas of risk as a concern for them. This is likely preventing them from preparing suitably for digital threats that they may face.”
Respondents revealed that external cyber risks (69%) are thought to be the most concerning category of digital threat for businesses across all countries surveyed. This risk is anticipated to grow even further, with 51% of respondents believing that it will increase within the next three years.
Other digital risks of concern to participants include customer security (57%), identity theft / cloning (47%) and rogue employees (42%). More than a third of respondents (40%) also believe that the lack of sufficient technical and business knowledge amongst employees is a risk to their business.
Additionally, one third (32%) of UK businesses feel that digital risks related to regulatory issues have increased during the past three years. However, less than a third (29%) believe that regulatory issues are a risk to their business.
Risks related to highly sensitive/valuable data are the second most prominent risk to businesses (55%), according to respondents. However, when asked about the GDPR, which represents the most significant change to data protection legislation in the last 20 years, only one seventh (14%) of UK businesses were aware of the fines they may face for failing to protect their data. In comparison, 26% of respondents from Germany and 45% from France were aware of the maximum fine, placing UK business leaders at the back of the pack when it comes to understanding the risks posed by failure to comply with the GDPR.
Despite the identification of data risks, only 52% of UK businesses do regular data back-ups, compared to 66% in Germany and 67% in France. Moreover, only 32% of UK businesses and 39% of businesses in Germany open to using off-site storage for sensitive data today, compared to 50% of French businesses.
Given the changing nature of the digital world, the majority of business leaders (70%) involve IT support in their digital risk management. However, in comparison the number that say they involve legal support drops significantly down to an average across the surveyed nations of just 31% (46% UK, 23% Germany and 23% France, respectively).
When asked about how prepared they feel for their digital risks, only 16% of all respondents stated that they are fully prepared.
Patrick Arben, partner at Gowling WLG, comments: “When affected by a cyber-attack or any other digital threat, the immediate focus is to work with IT professionals to understand what has happened. However, it is always worth taking internal or external legal advice, before commencing an investigation and as circumstances change.
The essence for all business leaders is to stop ignoring the digital risks their companies face. By doing this, they can easily and proactively work to prevent future attacks from happening.”
Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.


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17 Feb Half of Consumers Shop with Fresh Food in Mind
What Do Consumers Think When Buying Groceries?
For many years, consumers made food-purchasing decisions based on a set of traditional drivers that include taste, price, and convenience. While a limited group of consumers also considered a set of evolving drivers that include safety, health and wellness, social impact, experience, and transparency, this group did not represent a significant portion of business for most major food suppliers.
Deloitte recently published new research indicating that 51% of consumers now consider both traditional and evolving drivers when purchasing food. Not only is the segment that considers evolving drivers significantly larger than originally believed by many executives surveyed by Deloitte, but it also comprises a wide swath of society: consumers who shop with evolving drivers in mind do so regardless of geographical region, socioeconomic demographic, and age group.
Though evolving drivers may be complex, one thing is clear: consumers increasingly demand fresh food free of artificial ingredients and preservatives. Companies that want to meet this demand must be able to process fresh food more quickly, and that means ensuring that warehouse systems can operate efficiently enough to deliver fresh food before it spoils.
Fortunately, Voxware’s Voice Management Suite can help companies improve efficiency throughout the supply chain to deliver fresh food to customers more quickly. In fact, many of our customers have deployed Voxware for exactly this purpose. Whole Foods Marketsimplemented voice and improved efficiency in its main distribution center by 30%before deciding to implement voice throughout its network of 10 facilities. The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma implemented voice and soon doubled both its pick rate and its total volume, which enabled the non-profit to get more fresh food to its patrons quickly.
As consumers continue to demand food be free of preservatives and artificial ingredients, smart food retailers will upgrade supply chain systems with voice. Companies that fail to upgrade warehouse systems with modern technology risk losing customers who demand fresh food.


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When it comes to marketing a multichannel approach, seven may be the magic number, according to new research carried out by performance marketing agency R.O.EYE.
Analysing 110,000 online sales across UK retailers and financial service brands amounting to £9.2 million, the group found that seven interactions encompassing eight channels produced an average order value (AOV) of £132, compared to one (£69), three (£92) and 11 (£129).
Those channels in question include Google Adwords, organic search, affiliates, display ads, blogs and forums, email campaigns, Facebook and direct to site.
While more steps in a journey produce the largest sales, the majority of transactions were driven by just one, deriving from visits directly from a search engine – these sales saw AOV of less than half of those than journeys consisting of up to 11 interactions.
However, what the findings seem to show is that consumers seeking ‘big ticket’ items, those that need consideration and research, are likely to be shopping around and exposing themselves to a wider variety of marketing channels, before ultimately making a large purchase.
Indeed, R.O.EYE found that those making large purchases such as furniture spent the longest time online – one hour and three minutes – while those making smaller purchases such as insurance typically spending around 22 minutes.
Affiliate for re-engagement
Interestingly Google Adwords was the most popular first and last-click channel. For the latter, Adwords was used to drive the final action of a third of transactions analysed, while affiliate was the second-most used at 22%.
Instead – alongside direct-to-site – affiliate came into play as the most popular way to re-engage consumers on longer journeys with four or more interactions.
With all other channels seeing a decline from three interactions onwards, affiliate remained a well-used channel throughout increasingly complex journeys, while blogs and forums remained a “steady, if smaller” contributor to sales processes, encouraging shoppers towards a final sale.


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After months of delays and anticipation, Huawei finally launched the Huawei Mate X that was announced way back in February at the Mobile World Congress. The phone, as of now, is only available in China and might make it to global markets if Huawei thinks it should. But at the same event, Huawei also announced the Huawei Mate Xs, its second foldable phone, that is confirmed to launch next year.
But this isn’t a drastically different foldable phone, and as the nomenclature might suggest, it will only be an incremental update. The most important change is the processor, with the Huawei Mate Xs launching with HiSilicon’s latest flagship processor, the Kirin 990 5G. When the Mate X was first announced, the phone boasted of the Kirin 980 that was also found on phones like the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and the Huawei P30 Pro. But unexpected delays for the Huawei Mate X meant that the phone actually launched with a chipset that was already succeeded by a better one.
Compared to the Kirin 980, the Kirin 990 5G comes with an integrated 5G modem, overclocked Cortex A76, and A55 cores, and has a more powerful NPU. But apart from a difference in the chipset, Huawei hasn’t confirmed if there will be any other improvements. Considering that the Huawei Mate X will be more than a year old when the Mate Xs launches, we can expect improvements in the camera setup.
The Huawei Mate Xs is likely to launch in China first and might come to global markets depending on if the Huawei Mate X steps outside China or not. Even if it does, it’s unlikely that the foldable will come preloaded with Google applications.


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Paul Mabbs has recently joined the firm from MGA, having spent nearly 20 years within the industry working for companies including Mattel, Crayola and Smoby.
Paul has also previously worked for VTech, so is no stranger to the electronic learning products manufacturer.
He said: “The five years I previously spent with VTech is the most I have spent at any company. I know the category very well and am excited about working with the team. VTech continues to be very innovative and I believe that we have an extremely strong range for 2009”.


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First Minister Mark Drakeford said Welsh Government will consider whether lockdown can be relaxed at the next review but spelt out what needed to happen.
The First Minister today announced that weekly rolling cases per 100,000 had now fallen to under 400 - from a high of over 700 in December.
But the national average remains in the range for Alert Level 4 - with a figure under 300 part of the criteria to move to Alert Level 3.
Level 3 would allow all shops to reopen and hospitality to trade under strict rules, like a ban on alcohol.
Other criteria include the level of pressure on the NHS and there are currently 2,806 patients with Covid in Welsh hospitals - compared to around 2,000 a month ago.
The next review takes place on January 29 and it is hoped that by then case numbers and hospitalisation levels will continue to fall over the next two weeks - potentially to a level where an easing in the rules is possible.
Mr Drakeford said they would consider this "if things head in the right direction".
He said: "Things are improving but we would have to be certain that that improvement was reliable and sustainable in order for us to begin journey of listing restrictions.
"We want to do that as soon as it is safe to do so but it will have to be safe."
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Business leaders have called for additional support for locked down companies as closures drag on.
Ben Francis, FSB Wales Policy Chair, said: “It seems clear that businesses will require funding support for longer than was originally anticipated if they are to survive this troubling period.
"Welsh Government should urgently give clarity on what additional funding will be made available to support businesses beyond this next three week period to allow them to plan."
To have your say on this story please use our comments section at the top of this article


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Bethesda revealed an exorbitant amount of information about its MMO The Elder Scrolls Online at E3. With this being the year the game was originally slated to release, I was not surprised. Of course, Massively reporters could not keep their hands off the game. Staffer Jasmine Hruschak and freelance...
Posted on Dec 26th 2014 2:00PM
Posted on Dec 26th 2014 12:00PM
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Friday, October 12, 2012
Target's CEO profiled by Fast Company
the Fast Company profile on the Target CEO from earlier this week is worth reading. There's some interesting tidbits in there, both about Steinhafel's own routine (up before 4 a.m. and done with e-mail before most of his employees get out of bed) and Target's floorplan (customers seemed unwilling to walk the extra aisles to peruse clothing racks after buying food and sundries, so stores went through an expensive remodel in the early '90s to maximize browsing, which is why you'll find women's & children's apparel taking up prime real estate close to the entrance). You can read the entire article here.


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Dutch, MVNO, Youfone, OTT TV
Dutch MVNO Youfone has launched its new OTT TV service Youfone TV. The service offers around 100 live TV channels as well as a range of VoD content. The company targets 160,000 customers for the service within three years.
YoufoneTV is available bundled with broadband at up to 100 Mbps with optional fixed telephony. It includes features such as 7-day catch-up library, free recording and live pause, and free access to the Fox Sports 1 Eredivisie channel with top Dutch football.
The basic package with 21 channels can be expanded with various packages of five, ten or more channels on a monthly basis. Both the TV and broadband and the triple-play packages are offered the first six months for just EUR 19.95 per month. It then costs EUR 39.95 per month based on a 12-month contract. Customers taking mobile services from the operator receive an extra discount of EUR 19.95.
Youfone aims to develop a second source of revenues with the TV platform. It follows the company’s takeover of Mobicross in March, which gave it an initial foothold in the fixed and TV market.
The company is using the Huawei Video Cloud platform to power the service, which is available both on a TV decoder and mobile apps. A smart TV app is also in development and is expected to launch in October, initially for LG and Samsung TVs.
The company plans to add more content to the service in the near future, and is in the last phase of negotiations for adding channels such as Ziggo Sports, director Valentijn Rensing told Telecompaper. The VoD library includes mainly kids content and documentaries to start but Youfone also plans to add films to rent, he said.
The head of Youfone expects the target of 160,000 customers for the TV service within three years will not be difficult. He said the new offer is competitive, with a wide range of modular options for customers for how they want to receive the service, a lower price than most other providers on the market, and a faster and more attractive interface for customers than many other services.
An important target group is people moving house, which number around 700-800,000 per year in the Netherlands. Many young people are also interested in taking a smaller TV package in which they can change channels each month, Rensing said. Youfone does not plan a major above-the-line marketing campaign for the service, but instead will work work major distributors and comparison sites. This is expected to support growth of around 3,000 customers per month. After the first quarter, the company will evaluate its progress to see whether changes are needed in the distribution.
Youfone originally targeted a launch during the summer, but building the TV platform and licensing content took longer than expected in some cases, according to Rensing. Huawei adapted the platform to a number of the company’s requests, including a greater focus on smart TVs, as decoders are expected to disappear from the market within a few years, he said.


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The Renault Group said it was is committing to carbon neutrality by 2050 in Europe and launching two new electric vehicles – the Megane eVision, “a dynamic compact hatchback for a new generation of electric vehicles” and the Dacia Spring Electric, which it claimed as “the most affordable electric car in Europe”.
Renault already has form with electric vehicles, having launched the first Zoe a decade ago. Since then, 350,000 units of eight varieties of EV have been sold worldwide. It also now, or will soon, hybrid and PHEV versions of the Clio, Captur, Megane and the upcoming Renault Samsung built Arkana.
On the way to zero CO2 impact by 2050 in Europe, the automaker wants to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% compared to 2010 by 2030.
By 2022, all new models on sale will have an electric or electrified version, in a market that, in five years, will see 50% of vehicles sold running electric or hybrid.
Arkana, Captur and Megane hatchback PHEVs will be launched in Europe in the first half of 2021.


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America Online on Tuesday fired the first shot in what may signal the rekindling of a Web browser war against Microsoft.
From news.com.com: "As expected, the Internet giant launched CompuServe 7.0 with Netscape bundled as its default browser. CompuServe, AOL's other online service, previously used Microsoft's Internet Explorer as its default browser. AOL itself continues to use IE.
"We're backing the product because we think it's a good one and we want to put it in users' hands, and CompuServe is a good place to get it out there," AOL spokesman Josh Danson said."


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La Coop federee’s meat processing arm Olymel plans “major investment” to boost production capacity two of its poultry plants in Eastern Canada.
The company on Tuesday said it would put up $10 million to install an air chilling room at its primary chicken processing plant at St-Damase, just south of St-Hyacinthe in Quebec’s Monteregie.
The rue Principale plant, whose clientele includes the rotisserie and retail distribution sectors, will “enjoy more flexibility” with an air chilling system as well as the water cooling process it already uses.
The addition of an air chilling room is expected to create 10 new jobs at the plant, Olymel said.
Company CEO Rejean Nadeau on Tuesday also telegraphed “another major investment” to be announced soon for its poultry further-processing plant at Brampton, Ont.
“This new investment in St-Damase and projects elsewhere in the poultry sector, both completed and planned, will also help to consolidate our presence on the markets, while generating important spinoffs for poultry producers,” he said.
The St-Damase expansion work is expected to begin around May 15, for completion in September, and “will not affect the normal conduct of the plant’s operations,” Olymel said.
The company, which bills itself as Canada’s No. 1 poultry processing firm by volume, uses the St-Damase plant to supply fresh poultry and poultry cuts to private customers and to feed product to its own further-processing plant at nearby Ste-Rosalie, among others.
The expansion will see the St-Damase plant, which was rebuilt in 1997 after a major fire, built out by about 15,000 feet, to over 95,000. — AGCanada.com Network


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Windows 8.1 has spent the past few months being primed and prepared for its October 17th release date, and with build number 9600 now confirmed as the Release to manufacturing (RTM), the process of assembling Windows 8.1 for public consumption is all-but complete. In a week that has seen CEO Steve Ballmer announce his imminent retirement after 13 years at the helm, it’s critical that this transitional phase has only a positive effect on the Redmond company’s product range, and with Windows 8.1 now getting its RTM, the stage is set for a new wave of corresponding products.
Windows 8 may only have hit the market last October, but with a wider target market including post-PC devices such as tablets, the software maker is changing its release cycle to offer more regular, incremental updates. The days of waiting four or more years for a new version of Windows appear over, and although some may presume Windows 8.1 is merely a Service Pack with a slightly more extravagant name, it’s long list of new features and performance enhancements mean that, in actual fact, it’s quite a bit more than that.
Microsoft disclosed the details of the Windows 8.1 RTM, including the build number 9600, to The Verge, and while no announcement has yet been officially made, the company is expected to reveal Windows 8.1 Release to Manufacturing at some point next week.
The next step for the software, naturally, is to begin shipping to vendors of Windows 8 devices, where it will be pre-installed for new devices shipping from October 18th. If you’re already in ownership of a Windows 8 PC or device, you’ll probably already be aware that Windows 8.1 will be a free update from the Windows Store, and with the Windows 8.1 release date set in stone for October 17th. Initially, it was though that Microsoft may charge a small fee for the update, but current Windows 8 users will, thankfully, not have to pay for the privilege of using the new features.
One of the key new features of the Windows 8.1 update is, in fact, the reintroduction of the old Start Button, and while users have begun to adapt to the new interface, it will be nice to have an air of familiarity about proceedings once Windows 8.1 rears its head.
Having been tailored for mid-size tablets as well, we’re expecting a flurry of exciting new devices to be unveiled over the next couple of months, particularly with IFA looming. We’ll keep you informed on anything interesting that crops up, so stay tuned!
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You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the Web.


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Natural Health News — If you suffer from respiratory problems such as asthma or a chronic runny nose, the first thing you may want to do is to throw out, unplug and generally rid your home of air fresheners.
At the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Boston recently, president-elect Dr Stanley Fineman spoke to colleagues about the growing problem.
He noted that while sales of home air fresheners and scented candles are on the rise, so are respiratory problems in homes where these products are used.
“This is a much bigger problem than people realize,” said Dr Fineman, “About 20 percent of the population and 34 percent of people with asthma report health problems from air fresheners. We know air freshener fragrances can trigger allergy symptoms, aggravate existing allergies and worsen asthma.”
Home fragrance products such as room sprays, scented candles, plug-in deodorisers and wick diffusers may smell “fresh,” but Dr. Fineman warns many of these products contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and are merely “covering up” – not eliminating – odours in the home. The most common VOCs found in air fresheners include:
Studies show that even VOC exposure levels below currently acceptable levels increase risk of asthma in children. High concentrations of VOCs can trigger eye and respiratory tract irritation, headaches, dizziness, and even memory impairment.
In his presentation, Dr. Fineman said there is evidence that room deodoriser, such as the popular plug-in type which continually disperse chemicals into the air, can contain more than 20 different VOCs with more than one third of which have been classified as toxic or hazardous.
Despite research showing some air fresheners contain VOCs at toxic or hazardous levels based on federal guidelines, the home fragrance industry is expected to see continued growth, reaching $8.3 billion in global sales by 2015.
The question is why do we continue to use them?
“There has been a shift among home fragrance consumers that pleasant smelling homes are not just for the holidays,” Dr. Fineman said. “We also are seeing a trend by manufacturers to market these products as aromatherapy which implies health and mood-boosting benefits although there are no scientific studies to support these claims.”
Fineman admitted being sceptical of many green alternatives to conventional air fresheners and recommend that those who desire a fresh scent without the associated health risks should open windows to let clear the air.
However, in studies the fragrances which have been shown to trigger respiratory problems have inevitably been synthetic fragrances used so widely in conventional products.
While Dr. Fineman believes consumers need to be aware of what they are bringing into their homes, he also added that allergists need to be vigilant about asking patients about exposure to scented products, and they need to keep this potential trigger on their radar.
Allergists have the training and expertise to treat more than just the allergy symptoms. Those who suspect home fragrances may be triggering allergy symptoms, aggravating existing allergies or worsening asthma may wish to consult an allergy specialist for advice.
There is a vast amount of data to show that the health problems of rising air freshener use is not new, nor is it linked only to respiratory disease. In 2007 the National Resources Defence Council (NRDC) in the US conducted an analysis of more than a dozen common household air fresheners and found that most contain chemicals that may affect hormones and reproductive development, particularly in babies.
Of particular concern was the level of gender-bending phthalates in air freshening products.
In the UK, Bristol University’s Children of the 90s study(also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, or ALSPAC which has followed the health and development of 14,000 children since before birth, was the first study to investigate the effects of VOCs on infants.
In 2004, the researchers found that frequent use of air fresheners and aerosols during pregnancy and early childhood was associated with higher levels of diarrhoea, earache and other symptoms in infants, as well as headaches and depression in mothers. The symptoms in mothers are due to the neurotoxic substances which are also present in commercial air fresheners.
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Meta (Previously Facebook) plans to take a commission of 47.5% on NFT sales on its Horizon Worlds platform. This sale is part of the company’s strategy to create a metaverse. In a blog post on Monday, the company revealed that it is letting some of its Horizon World creators sell their virtual assets, including NFTs.
Snapping the Sales
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Meta confirmed that it would take a cut of up to 47.5% on every transaction. These include a “hardware platform fee” of 30% for sales through the Meta Quest Store. The store sells apps and games for its virtual reality headsets. The other 17.5% fee is charged on Horizon Worlds.
Horizon Worlds is a free virtual reality game that lets users explore and build their worlds. It was released in the US and Canada on December 9. However, it’s still not available globally.
Some users of the NFT community criticized the company for the size of its cut. One Twitter user wrote: “I hate you Facebook.”
Another said: “If Meta wants 47.5% of NFT sales they gotta talk to the IRS because I don’t even have that after taxes.”
Vivek Sharma, Meta’s VP of Horizon, reportedly told The Verge:
“We think it’s a pretty competitive rate in the market. We believe in the other platforms being able to have their share.”
OpenSea, another NFT marketplace, takes 2.5% from each transaction, while LooksRare takes 2%.
Warming Up to the Metaverse
The worldwide metaverse market is predicted to increase at a CAGR of 40.1% from 2021 to 2027. That is a change from USD 45.6 billion in 2020 to USD 344.8 billion by 2027. The metaverse is a mixed reality or digital reality platform that allows users to engage digitally through social networking, internet gaming, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and crypto.
Augmented reality adds audio, pictures, and other sensory input to a real-world setting to improve user interactions and interface. On the contrary, virtual reality is virtual and prioritizes fictional realities, but metaverse employs a sophisticated platform to combine mixed realities; such elements will drive market expansion.
People have been snapping up virtual assets in various online worlds in the last few months, such as The SandBox and Decentraland. Snoop Dogg has bought virtual land in The Sandbox, one of the biggest names in hip-hop. In addition, a fan paid $45,000 in December to purchase the virtual land next to the singer on Sandbox.
Furthermore, other factors, such as the growing demand for online education, and mass course academies such as Udemy, Coursera, and others, continue to be promising drivers for significant business opportunities in the Metaverse market.
There is also a greater emphasis on the convergence of the digital and physical worlds across the Internet. There is also an increasing demand according to metaverse news reports to purchase digital assets using cryptocurrencies. Such factors will drive the metaverse market’s growth throughout the projected period.
Meta Versus Apple
The fees that Meta charges developers for selling virtual assets on Horizon Worlds are significantly higher than those set by Apple. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, and other Meta executives have previously criticized Apple for charging developers a 30% fee for in-app purchases.
Zuckerberg said in November that his company might avoid Apple’s App Store fee. “As we build for the metaverse, we’re focused on unlocking opportunities for creators to make money from their work,” he said. “The 30% fees that Apple takes on transactions make it harder to do that, so we’re updating our subscriptions product so now creators can earn more.”


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The highly anticipated Deschutes brewpub in Portland is tentatively scheduled to open its doors in April of 2008. The brewpub will occupy a historic 10,000-square foot, 85-year-old building in the Pearl District, right across the street from the newly renovated Portland Armory.
"They've already begun work on the building shell and core," said Deschutes Brewery founder and president Gary Fish."The landlord is responsible for the renovation and they've peeled off part of the roof and just walnut-shell blasted the interior beams, which are massive --- no such thing as glue-lams back in those days."
Those huge beams and a trove of lumber reclaimed from another old Portland building will give the interior a look that Fish says is British pub, Northwest style --- "it'll be full of old-growth timber and it'll be a comfortable, inviting place, but without the low ceilings and small rooms of a traditional British pub."
The pub will include a full, modern kitchen, and Fish says he's excited about the Deschutes pub becoming a part of Portland's culinary scene. And we're excited about those great Deschutes beers being brewed right in the Pearl on a beautiful German-made Kaspar Schulz 25-hectoliter brewhouse that's even now being fettled at Deschutes headquarters in Bend. (According to my convertor, 25 hectoliters is 660 gallons, or as close as dammit to 20 barrels...)
Back to the building, Fish said it will be renovated as an historic building, which means things such as double-pane windows in the original --- repainted --- steel frames and a general look and scale that fits nicely into the neighborhood:
Other Deschutes Doings
Keep your eyes peeled for Mirror Pond Pale Ale's new packaging, due out in late August. The updated labels will feature an artist's rendering of the actual Mirror Pond, the picturesque Bend landscape that inspired the name of this popular ale. The previous version was more suggestion than an actual place.
October will mark the release of Jubleale, Deschutes Brewery's annual holiday brew--perfect for sharing with friends and family around the holiday season.
Also, Deschutes will once again produce a Fresh Hop Pale Ale this fall. This seasonal beer, which hits shelves in October, is made from just-picked "wet" hops that are put into the beer within 3 hours of being harvested from the vine. In celebration of this once-a-year event, Deschutes will be participating in the Oregon Brewers Guild's 4th annual Fresh Hop tasting events.


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New Delhi: Apollo Tyres
on Monday said it has started commercial production of its Apollo brand of truck tyres
at its Hungarian facility. Last year in April, the company had started rolling out passenger car tyres under Apollo and Vredestein from the plant which has been set up with a total investment of EUR 475 million.
The first lot of truck tyres
from the plant are now being used by Piessens and Zonen from Londerzeel, Belgium, a company specialising in transportation of construction materials, Apollo Tyres said in a statement.
The company said Belgium being the first country in Europe where Apollo truck tyres were first introduced last year, the country was the obvious choice to start the delivery from the company's Hungarian plant.
"With over 2 per cent market share already, the country has become an important market for the brand," it added.
Apollo Tyres started supplying Apollo brand of truck tyres in Europe in 2017.
The Hungarian unit in Gyongyoshalasz region is Apollo Tyres' second production facility in Europe, and sixth worldwide.
In the phase I, the facility will have an installed capacity of producing 14,000 passenger car tyres a day and 1,200 truck tyres daily.
"The production capacity continues to be ramped up on a daily basis in this facility, and will reach the planned capacity for phase I by 2019," it said.


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While five video game companies will settle in a lawsuit from the European Union, Valve will instead fight against it.
Reuters reports (citing “people familiar with the matter”) that Bandai Namco, Capcom, Focus Home, Koch Media, Valve, and ZeniMax have been part of an EU antitrust investigation since 2007.
In April 5th of this year, the EU Commission charged those companies for “geo-blocking” game activation keys. As the 28 country bloc has open trade, The EU argues the online stores the above companies own should allow their customers to have the choice of the best deal across all territories within the EU.
At the time, Valve stated the “region-locks” on game activation keys applied to just 3% of the games on Steam, and often at the behest of the publisher. Valve felt the law did not apply to their situation, and while they allowed European keys to be activated within the EU, removing them entirely would result in publishers raising prices:
“Nonetheless, because of the EC’s concerns, Valve actually turned off region locks within the EEA starting in 2015, unless those region locks were necessary for local legal requirements (such as German content laws) or geographic limits on where the Steam partner is licensed to distribute a game. The elimination of region locks will also mean that publishers will likely raise prices in less affluent regions to avoid price arbitrage. There are no costs involved in sending activation keys from one country to another and the activation key is all a user needs to activate and play a PC game.”
According to Reuters’ anonymous source, Valve “is likely to ask for a closed-door hearing to argue its case before senior competition officials from the Commission and national watchdogs.”
In addition, Engadget reports that the five publishers could be charged with only allowing Valve to sell some of their games outside of certain member states (eliminating consumer choice).
Under EU law, companies that admit wrongdoing receive a 10% cut in the fines they will receive. The punishment itself could be a fine up to 10% of the offending companies’ annual income, and force said company to change how it operates. Both of the above laws would be in violation of the EU’s Digital Single Market, regulation with the aims to make any digital service of shop work for any EU citizen- wherever they were within the EU.
When Reuters attempted to contact all of the aforementioned companies, Bandai Namco and Capcom were the only ones to reply. Bandai Namco offered the statement: “It is Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe’s company policy to not comment on any ongoing legal matters.” Meanwhile, Capcom stated they could not provide any further comment until the EU commission came to its decision.


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Research by Reckon has revealed small business owners are feeling the stress of compliance as the July 1 deadline for compulsory single touch payroll reporting approaches.
Half of the business owners canvassed for Reckon’s ‘In the Zone’ study confirmed they are already sacrificing health and wellbeing in order to stay on top of the admin tasks required to remain compliant. Many expressed concerns over how they will manage to adopt STP – the biggest compliance change for small business owners since the introduction of GST.
This financial and emotional burden is taking its toll on both businesses and owners alike. The research revealed the weight of administration and red tape is costing small businesses an average of 541 hours in time, and $14,857 in money each year.
Over a fifth, (22 per cent) of small business owners said that the pressure of admin makes it hard for them to get ‘in the zone’ and do their best work to succeed and grow their business.
The report suggested per week, many spend more time on administration and payroll (at an average of 10 or more hours) than operating at their peak.
Reckon CEO, Sam Allert said distractions such as worrying about admin, payroll and compliance are impacting work efficiency.
“Yet those that can streamline work for peak performance are not only more profitable, but they can invest more time and money in staff, marketing and innovation, to get ahead of the competition,” said Allert.
Shockingly, 84 per cent of small business owners surveyed said they would make a lifestyle sacrifice because of admin workload or requirements, with 50 per cent specifically saying they would sacrifice their wellbeing, including sleep.
With the average business owner already operating on as little as 4.5 hours sleep per night, additional compliance measures could see the nation’s SMB owners further sleep deprived.
Additionally, the research found that the pressure of administrative tasks and red tape has caused 58 per cent of small business leaders to make an error that has had a financial implication, such as over or underpaying a supplier or employee or transferring payments to the wrong person.
Concerningly, ahead of the STP requirements, 21 per cent or 659,000 of small business owners in Australia don’t believe or don’t know if their business meets all existing compliance requirements, let alone upcoming changes from 1 July. Around a quarter (24 per cent) also admit that they do not currently use an accounting and payroll software, which is a pre-requisite to getting STP-compliant with the ATO.


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North College block revitalization gets $387K from DDA
A plan to turn an aging block in downtown Fort Collins into a trendy mix of restaurants, retail, offices and a community plaza will get a financial boost from the Downtown Development Authority.
The DDA board of directors on Thursday approved $387,852 in tax increment financing for improvements to the 200 block of North College Avenue. The triangular property, owned by Fort Collins developer Brinkman, is bordered by North College Avenue, and Jefferson and Pine streets.
The property includes CopperMuse Distillery and Pateros Creek Brewing Co., as well as vacant storefronts once occupied by a pawn shop, tattoo parlor and home decorating store. Brinkman will create The Exchange that will turn the parking lot between CooperMuse and the former Compass Cidery into a plaza roughly the size of Oak Street Plaza in Fort Collins.
Plans for the $9 million project show a plaza full of grass, trees, several seating areas, new Mexican restaurant Rosa Mexicano, a Churn ice cream kiosk and 10 shipping containers that will be repurposed and modified into smaller tenant spaces on the west and east borders of the central plaza.
Half the shipping containers will be retail and restaurant uses while five will be stacked on top for offices overlooking the plaza, Brinkman partner Josh Guernsey said.
"We're really excited about it," he said. "We toured a lot of different projects that use the shipping containers; it's an exciting type of construction."
In total, the 36,000-square-foot project on the north end of Old Town will be one-third office space and two-thirds retail and restaurants.
"The DDA investment is a huge catalyst and will allow the project to move forward," Guernsey said. The funding will be used for infrastructure improvements in the right-of-way such as sewer and water lines and curb and gutters.
With the increase in pedestrian activity the project is likely to bring, the streetscape improvements, including more trees, "will enhance the visual appeal and walkability of the block," DDA staff said in its recommendation to the board.
The property is expected to be between 50-75 percent preleased before construction begins next month and more than 80 percent leased by the time it opens in late August or early September, Guernsey said.
While much of the existing footprint will be renovated, the former Dynamik Ceramix at the corner of North College and Pine Street will be razed and replaced by a 1,200-square-foot expansion for retail and restaurants.
Churn is the latest concept from Little Man Ice Cream in Denver, which had hoped to bring its giant cream can design to a parking lot between the Fort Collins Museum of Art building and Ace Hardware. The design, which was considered to be one big sign, failed to meet the city's sign ordinances. Its new concept is housed in a giant, hand-cranked, old-fashioned ice cream bucket.
The plaza could become an entertainment district that would allow people to get ice cream from one vendor, a drink from another — a self-contained area that allows people to float around from one concept to another and take their adult beverages with them.
The entertainment district concept is still being mulled over by City Council, but if approved, it would modify the city's liquor laws to permit entertainment districts that include designated areas for customers to drink alcohol served by multiple vendors.
You could grab a beer at Pateros Creek, for instance, and bring it with you as you walked across to Churn for ice cream.
Guernsey said the entertainment district, if approved, will likely come after the project opens "but we have high hopes we will be able to incorporate it into the project soon after."
Greeley was the first Colorado city to establish an entertainment district with a common consumption area in effect every Friday night from May through September.


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Celebrate 20 years of JP Centre/South Main Streets' supporting businesses and the community at a party on Nov. 3.
JP Centre/South Main Streets began when Thomas Menino was mayor, and has gone on to work businesses and residents to build a strong retail district along Centre Street.
The JP Centre/South Main Streets 20th Anniversary Celebration will be a laid-back and festive event, with a focus on friendly mingling. There will be beer, wine, refreshments, and a live auction, as they celebrate 20 years of building relationships with our Jamaica Plain community.
The celebration will be at the Loring-Greenough House on Nov. 3 from 6 to 9 pm.
Click here to purchase tickets.


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Ahmedabad-based drug company Torrent Pharmaceuticals, which has faced a slowdown in its US business, has now turned its focus on growing its domestic business. The company hopes to clock 25 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for its India business over the next three years to beat the slowdown in other geographies. Besides, the pharmaceutical firm is working actively on integrating the portfolio Unichem, whose branded business it acquired in November last year. And, it is also set to launch the first product from the stable of its recent US acquisition, Bio-Pharm Inc. The domestic formulations business accounts for the bulk of Torrent’s revenues. It is expected to draw nearly 41 per cent of its revenues from the Indian market this financial year (up from a 34.5 per cent share last year). With the latest acquisition in its kitty – a portfolio of 120 brands from Unichem’s India and Nepal business – the company is now working on repeating what it did with its Elder acquisition four years ago. In fact, the company pointed out in its post-earnings media address that the attrition rate at Unichem had halved in the past month or so. This could be in the hope of a Unichem turnaround after its acquisition by Torrent. Unichem had some great brands, but earlier it was not able to take them forward aggressively. Torrent has more than doubled the portfolio Elder, which it had acquired earlier. The company had acquired 30-odd brands from Elder (for Rs 20 billion in December 2013), the major ones being Shelcal, Chymoral, Enzar, Deviry, Carnisure. According to the company’s spokesperson, Shelcal had now crossed Rs 3-billion mark from a base of Rs 1.5 billion, while Chymoral had touched Rs 1.5 billion from a base of Rs 600 million. After Torrent added a field force of 2,800 from its Unichem acquisition, the company now collectively had 5,000 medical representatives for its India business, the spokesperson said.
On the productivity front, Unichem’s current medical representative (MR) productivity is definitely lower than Torrent’s Rs 600,000 per MR per month, the spokesperson admitted. “We are looking forward to increasing top line to ensure productivity grows further.”


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What you need to know
- A new Battletoads game was first announced at E3 2018.
- It's being developed by Dlala Studios in partnership with Rare.
- Battletoads now has a release date of August 20, 2020.
First announced at E3 2018 then shown off in more detail a year later, the Battletoads are almost here. Today, Xbox announced a release date for Battletoads: players can expect to brawl and smash as this amphibian wrecking crew on August 20, 2020. You can check out the release date trailer below:
Developed by Dlala Studios in partnership with Rare and published by Xbox Game Studios, Battletoads supports three-player couch co-op, so if you've got friends of family, you can team up and have Zitz, Rash and Pimple all fighting at the same time.
Battletoads will be available on Xbox One, Windows 10 and Steam. It's also launching into Xbox Game Pass.
More games? More games
Play more games on Xbox
Xbox Game Pass gives you access to over 200 games for one monthly fee. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate also adds Xbox Live Gold to the package so you can play online with your friends.
Get the Windows Central Newsletter
All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.


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Craigslist is a great resource for finding used goods and services in your local area. Recently, a user in the Craigslist Las Vegas area posted an ad for a diamond ring. The ring was only worn once and was priced at just $500. When many people responded to the post, they found out that the ring had been stolen from a jewelry store in Craigslist Las Vegas! This is a great example of how Craigslist can help solve crimes.
Craigslist is a great resource for finding deals on items you might not be able to find in stores. Recently, someone used the site to find a diamond ring that they were sure no one else would be able to find.
Craigslist has become a go-to resource for finding everything from used cars to new furniture. But this week, the online classifieds site unearthed a diamond ring that could fetch up to $100,000 on the open market. The ring, which is encrusted with diamonds and other precious stones, was posted by a woman in her 30s who is looking for a new home.
Craigslist Finds Hidden Treasure in Sin City
Craigslist has been around for nearly 20 years, and in that time it’s accumulated a wealth of information about the people and places of the world. Recently, a user on Craigslist posted an ad looking for any information about a woman matching the description of his ex-girlfriend. The ad was met with many responses, but one in particular caught the user’s eye. The poster claimed that the woman in question was living in Craigslist Las Vegas and working at a casino.
Craigslist has long been known for its classified ads, but a recent find on the site may make users question its other services. In a post that has since been deleted, a user claimed to have found a hidden treasure in Sin City. The find consisted of eight gold bars and an estimated value of $75,000.
Although the user who posted the ad has not been located, it is possible that they are telling the truth.
Craigslist has been around for a while now and it has become a popular way to find things to sell or buy. Recently, in Sin City, someone found a hidden treasure on Craigslist. The treasure was a bag of cash that was hidden in a box behind a couch.
CraigsList Pulls Off Insane find in Vegas: A Monet Painting
CraigsList is known for being an online classifieds site that allows users to post advertisements for items they are selling. On December 7, 2017, a user posted an advertisement for a Monet painting that they were willing to sell. The painting was located in Craigslist Las Vegas, Nevada.
Craigslist pulled off an insane find in Craigslist Las Vegas last week when they unearthed a Monet painting that had been hidden inside one of their ads. The painting, which is estimated to be worth well over a million dollars, was originally placed up for sale on the classifieds site back in May.
CraigsList is famous for being a space where people can sell and buy things, but what the site may not be well-known for is its ability to unearth valuable pieces of art. Recently, a painting by Claude Monet was found on Craig’sList in Las Vegas.
Craigslist Adds Expanded Services in Vegas
Craigslist has just announced some new additions to its services in Las Vegas. The website now includes a job board, classifieds, housing, and forums.
Craigslist has expanded its services in Las Vegas with new areas for rentals and classifieds, including housing, jobs and services. The site offers a wide range of options for those looking for something specific, from short-term rentals to long-term leases.
Craigslist is expanding its services in Las Vegas, adding including a new ” apartment finder ” feature that will help renters and property seekers connect with each other. The company is also rolling out a new ” jobs board ” to help residents find work in the city, and a new ” pet finder ” service that will help owners find animals lost or abandoned in the area.
Craigslist Gets a Makeover in Las Vegas
Craigslist has been around for a long time and its user base has always been loyal. Recently, the company has made some changes to its website that are aimed at making it more user-friendly. In addition, the company is also looking to expand into new markets.
Craigslist, the online classifieds site, is getting a makeover in Craigslist Las Vegas. Starting Monday, the site will be redesigned with an updated look and feel. The new site will be easier to use and more user-friendly, making it easier for people to find what they’re looking for.
Craigslist has been around for over a decade, but in the last year or so it’s gotten a makeover in Craigslist Las Vegas. The website now has a modern look with more features and is easier to use. There are also more jobs and listings available than before.


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Blockchain Helps Securing Smart Home Systems
New York, US, May 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Market Overview:
According to a comprehensive research report by Market Research Future (MRFR), “Blockchain in Smart Home Market” information by Blockchain Type, by Components, by Application and Region – Forecast to 2027” market size to reach USD 2,045.4 million, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 41.2% by 2027.
The global blockchain in smart homes market is garnering significant traction. Blockchain technology has tremendous potential in facilitating large-scale smart home applications. The technology enables a single access point for almost every home application, from providing digital keys and IoT-enable doors to smart entertainment systems for homeowners.
Dominant Key Players on Blockchain in Smart Home Market Covered are:
OSIZ Technologies private ltd
Blockchain App Factory (S A Eonsofttech Pvt Ltd.)
Tata Consultancy Services Limited
Xage Security Inc.
Protokol BV Aciana Health Systems
Get Free Sample PDF Brochure:
Market USP Exclusively Encompassed:
IoT is an important aspect of smart home automation facilities. However, the limited processing power and storage capacity of existing smart systems give rise to security vulnerabilities. Blockchain assures better security for IoT systems used in the smart home ecosystem with its decentralized nature. Undoubtedly this innovation is providing excellent convenience and smart services to homeowners.
Increasing developments of smart home apps emanating an effective dashboard visualizing damage Id, total damage, and status of smart home systems boost the market size. Blockchain Solutions are increasingly used to overcome smart home difficulties to prevent physical trust, decentralized security options, smart contract usages, and solve security-related issues without manipulating data.
Also, sensitive information such as voice recognition, biometrics, and facial recognition stored on the blockchain cannot be modified once the data is uploaded, while it is available for authorized persons to access it from anywhere. Blockchain-enabled smart home solutions enhance the performance of smart homes promptly. They provide impeccable access to smart devices and immutable, high security to allow homeowners to control and track hazards.
Meanwhile, governments worldwide conduct their initiative to streamline the adoption of connected devices across the board. Most countries are now working to integrate smart home technologies into old-age homes and the daily life of the elderly population, making them easier and more independent. Blockchain improves the smart homes adopters’ experience on a global scale.
Most industry players are working to enhance smart home security and patent blockchain usage for secure smart home management. Blockchain allows homeowners to configure specific parameters for devices and run transactions on a secure network through encrypted private keys.
These solutions will reportedly store configuration info and changelogs in a permanent, immutable blockchain database. Also, companies around the world are expected to continue exploring the domain, finding new applications, and uncovering new business cases to boost security.
Browse In-depth Market Research Report (94 Pages) on Blockchain in Smart Home Market:
Segmentation of Market Covered in the Research:
The blockchain in smart home market is segmented into components, blockchain types, applications, and regions. Of these, based on components, the blockchain in smart home market is segmented into hardware, software, and services. Based on blockchain types, the market is segmented into public, private, consortium, hybrid, and others. Based on application, the blockchain in smart home market is segmented into home security, home automation, home entertainment, healthcare, and others. Further, the region segment is segmented into the Asia Pacific, Americas, MEA, Europe, and rest-of-the-world.
North America is the biggest market for blockchain in smart homes. The region is a hub for various technologies, which alongside large technological advances in communication and smart home solutions, impact the market growth positively. Besides, factors such as increasing investments and continuous initiatives in developing ledger technology drive the market revenues.
The large presence of smart home technology providers offering robust automation technologies & services and well-established development centers in the region influences the market value. Moreover, the faster adoption of innovative smart home solutions in the United States and Canada escalates the region’s market shares. Also, the early adoption of cloud-based deployment services propels blockchain in smart home market demand.
Talk to Expert:
The blockchain in smart homes market would witness various strategic approaches, such as collaboration, expansion, mergers & acquisitions, and advanced technologies integration. Major industry players make strategic investments in driving research and development activities and fostering their expansion plans.
For instance, recently, on Nov. 27, 2021, Kingspin Technology Services (UAE), a blockchain startup, announced the launch of its new office in the smart city, Kochi, to expand its operations in India as an offshore delivery center toincrease blockchain development team. The firm also plans to focus on other digital transformation technologies such as data science and IoT.
This Angel-funded startup also plans to launch a branch in Wyoming, US, to experience the Silicon Valley technology upgrades and streamline the journey forward in the current digital decade, embracing the latest technology advancements.
Buy this Report:
The commercialization of 5G and rapid advances in convergence solutions and hardware development push the market growth, making smart home network configuration more efficient and systematic. Smart home systems are part of the home-based communication system between devices and other environments without human intervention.
They send and receive data in real-time and provide automated and intelligent services for various home appliances such as TVs, lights, and refrigerators. Safe IoT and network environment are important for these smart homes composed of embedded computers, various IoT and connected devices based on the Internet. Therefore, smart home gateway networks with centralized structures should be configured efficiently and securely.
As data in the blockchain is exchanged in a decentralized and encrypted form, it supports security requirements of confidentiality, integrity, and authentication in the smart home gateway. Also, communication is shifting from wired to wireless, which, alongside the advances in communication technologies, defines the growing market landscape.
Blockchain AI Market Research Report: Information By Technology, Component, Applications, Deployment Mode, Organization Size – Forecast till 2027
Global Blockchain in Telecommunication and Post Services Market, By Service Providers, By Organization Size, By Applications, By Digital Services – Forecast Till 2027
Blockchain in Fintech Market Research Report, Service Provider, Interaction Channel, Organization Size, Application— Forecast till 2027
About Market Research Future:
Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis regarding diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions.
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The investment in Robinhood by FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried may be a bullish signal for crypto believers, but Robinhood still faces a long road ahead.
Long an agricultural innovator, John Deere's most recent ventures could make it an even greater force in the future.
The app capitalized on consumers’ bite-sized attention span. Now rivals are competing for the same eyeballs.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies surged on Friday, bouncing back after notching severe losses earlier in the week amid a selloff across markets that weighed on digital assets hardest of all.
Bitcoin and most of the top altcoins attempted to recover from their recently made lows towards the end of last week. Altcoins like BNB, TRX, MANA, and MKR made significant moves.
Among the three tokens I've got on my buy list right now are Solana (CRYPTO: SOL), Avalanche (CRYPTO: AVAX), and VeChain (CRYPTO: VET). Here's why I think investors may want to give these tokens a hard look right now. One of the top "Ethereum killers" in the market, Solana has experienced one of the most impressive surges in recent years among large-cap tokens as a result of how this project was built.
The cryptocurrency market still needs an entry point and Coinbase is just that for 89 million verified users. While the exchange business has been valuable, what Coinbase would really like to do is be a full-service solution to the crypto market. It's worked on integrating the Coinbase Wallet more with the Coinbase app and recently introduced an NFT marketplace.
MPs are to investigate the 'sinister side' of smart speakers over concerns that they may be spying on their owners.
Image source: The Motley Fool. Duolingo, Inc. (NASDAQ: DUOL)Q1 2022 Earnings CallMay 12, 2022, 5:30 p.m. ETContents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: OperatorGood day, and welcome to the Duolingo first quarter 2022 earnings call.
If you missed out on Ethereum in recent years, you'll definitely want to consider Solana right now. Ethereum's network is known for being awfully sluggish, processing just 14 transactions per second (TPS). Using a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism, owners of SOL, Solana's native token, can lock up their coins to validate transactions and post them to the blockchain.
Coming into this week, the bitcoin bulls should have already been long gone from their positions, given that last month's low and channel support had failed near $37,500. Crypto fortunes have been plummeting thanks to the recent correction in bitcoin prices. The breakdown from initial support in the $37,500 area is quite clear.
A major change in the way the Ethereum blockchain operates could have huge implications for crypto investors.
Despite the recent turmoil rattling the crypto market, over the past five years, Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) has generated an astronomical return of 2,560%. The world's second-most valuable cryptocurrency has become a popular arena for the development of decentralized applications (dApps), including decentralized finance protocols and non-fungible tokens. Let's take a look at how it just might top Ethereum.
The Internet for All initiative is funded by the $1 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Europe is particularly vulnerable to a global shortfall of the fuel as imports from Russia are expected to slump when sanctions tighten.
The Biden administration is taking the first steps to release $45 billion to ensure that every U.S. resident has access to high-speed internet by roughly 2028, inviting governors and other leaders on Friday to start the application process. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is overseeing the distribution and said that universal access to broadband internet would be akin to the electrification of rural America during the 1930s, a recognition that the internet is a utility needed for U.S. residents to function in today's economy. “There’s more than 30 million Americans who don’t have internet,” Raimondo said.
Even amid a tight labor market and low unemployment, some public companies and startups are turning cautious amid falling markets and economic concerns.
(Bloomberg) — US money markets have so far proven resilient amid growing turmoil in so-called stablecoins, although investors remain alert to the risk of problems spilling over into key parts of the world’s financial plumbing.Most Read from BloombergElon Musk Sows Doubt Over His $44 Billion Twitter TakeoverSony PlayStation Staff Fume Over CEO’s Abortion CommentsApple Testing iPhones That Ditch Lightning Ports in Favor of USB-CUkraine Latest: US Senator Delays Aid Vote; Russia Eyes BorderStocks
The direction of the July WTI crude oil market on Friday is likely to be determined by trader reaction to $105.77.
The rout continues in tech. One long-time tech CEO shares his perspective.


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Tata Motorshas been associated with IPL for the past three years.
- This year too, despite the matches being played behind closed doors, the brand has a lot of plans to engage with audiences.
- Vivek Srivatsa, Head - Marketing, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors walks us through the brand's marketing plans for this year.
Gautam Thakar, CEO of Star Sports recently said that soon-to-start edition of
With Dream11 on board as the new title sponsor, the league already has many sponsors on board, which goes on to show that advertisers are as excited about the tournament as are people who are waiting for it to distract them from the gloom that the rest of the year has brought with it.
While the experience of the league will be very different this year, with no audiences in the stadiums, brands are already coming up with innovative solutions to ensure that their money brings them back good ROI.
We spoke to Tata Motors that has been associating with IPL for the past three years.
As the Official Partner, the brand will showcase the Altroz in the stadium, across all 3 venues, located in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. Throwing light on how they plan to engage with audiences, Srivatsa added, “We are looking at multiple engagement opportunities with the audience and players across mediums. Like the previous years, we continue to award the Super Striker Trophy to the batsman with the best strike rate in every match. The best striker of the tournament will also drive home the Altroz. On the digital platform, we will engage with customers via interesting contests that will be announced closer to the tournament’s start date.”
Apart from the excitement of the match, IPL is also loved because of the fanfare it brings with itself. However, this year things will be different. The matches will be played behind closed doors and without any audiences. While there was some initial reservation about how this changed format could impact advertising, as well as the overall experience, brands are pretty enthusiastic.
“This IPL will be played behind closed doors and will not have any audience in the stadiums to begin with. Most people will watch the matches on TV from the comfort of their homes and on digital platforms. Hence, TV and digital will be our biggest bet. TV should help us with a wide reach amongst the audience and digital medium will help us in engaging with the customers by giving them an innovative and immersive experience,” shared Srivatsa.
With no on-ground activations, will consumer engagement be challenging? Srivatsa didn’t seem to think so, considering the brand will still have a strong on-ground presence. “Apart from ensuring a strong on-ground presence during matches, we have also planned a lot of activities in the showrooms. Across India, Tata Motors showrooms will be decorated in the IPL theme. Our dealerships will be the place where customers can also soak in the IPL ambience. Additionally, we will also be organizing interesting contests for customers on social media platforms, which will be announced close to the start of IPL.”


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The European Central Bank (ECB) is looking to build momentum for its new TIPS instant payments service by calling on firms to showcase their ideas building on the initiative at an event this May.
Launched last year, TIPS (Target Instant Payments Settlement), is available to both consumers and businesses across the 19 states in the eurozone, offering near real-time payments via smartphones, PCs and in-store payment points.
The initiative was designed to help banks take on the growing popularity of digital, contactless payment services offered by big tech firms such as Apple, Google, Amazon and Alibaba in China.
But, the ECB acknowledges that for TIPS to take off, consumers need user-friendly ways to make instant payments.
The ECB is inviting service providers to develop their own prototypes and show them off, for free, at the event at the bank's headquarters in Frankfurt 6 on May and 7 May. Firms have until 30 March to express their interest, with participation confirmed in mid April.
Last month the EU Commission’s vice president in charge of financial services, Valdis Dombrovskis, raised the possibility of more concrete actions to push TIPS adoption, suggesting that a "regulatory push" might be needed.


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45 Enerdrive Pty Ltd
Chris McClellan, 42
- Head office
- Year founded
Enerdrive was born out of another company, Advance Trident Limited, which was established in 2003, before Chris McClellan led a management buyout of the firm in 2008 and changed the name and direction of the company.
The supplier of independent power products grew substantially between 2008 and 2011, at which time it was generating annual turnover of $32 million.
But in the same year, a global manufacturer of a key product sold by Enerdrive switched to a different seller, and McClellan was forced to reassess.
“Within a few short months that entire business vanished,” McClellan says.
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“My background was mobile power for boats and caravans, so I went back to grassroots.”
This turnaround was the greatest challenge the founder had ever faced; the business went from a forecast of $50 million in annual revenue to almost nothing in just days.
“Emotionally as a business owner it was tough, but the need to redirect the business was essential to survive,” he says.
“I could have easily shut the doors and had enough money to survive comfortably for many years – but deciding to invest in what we did from the outset and grow that was the perfect success story.”
Since then McClellan has worked hard to return the business to its former strength. The company’s revenue has grown by 55.5% over the past three financial years, with $7.7 million in revenue recorded for the 2015-16 financial year.
Despite managing sales and marketing for Advance Trident, McClellan’s takeover in 2008 brought on a new set of challenges.
McClellan says he struggled with suddenly owning the business and “learning all the financial aspects such as cashflow”.
“Also having the Global Financial Crisis occur only a few short months after borrowing $1.5 million certainly helped raise the stress levels,” he says.
Looking forward, McClellan is focusing on new products and seeking out new niches for his business to fill, with the hopes of becoming a nationally recognised brand at a consumer and manufacturer level. But at the same time, he is wary of diversifying the business too much.
“Our success has been to focus on what we have done well, for over two decades now and putting all our efforts into improving that and not diversifying out too far,” he says.


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This is an interesting little test of the judicial system – you know, those told that the Beatles were a popular beat combo – on the subject of property rights. The Bombay High Court has just failed this test too. The question is, multiplex cinemas, why is the food so expensive in them? The correct answer is because the owners of multiplex cinemas make a profit in that manner. According to the court this doesn’t wash. In fact, they seem not to have even considered the argument in that manner:
The Bombay High Court has ruled that food items and bottled water be sold at regular prices inside multiplexes. The directive was issued by a division bench of Justices S.M. Kemkar and M.S. Karnik last week in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Mumbai resident Jainendra Baxi. He had challenged the prohibition on carrying outside food in movie theatres and multiplexes across Maharashtra.
The economics here is simple enough. The people who order food inside the cinema, at those higher prices, subsidise the others who only buy the ticket to see the movie. Sure, that’s not the first round outcome, but it is the competitive equilibrium. Cinema owners being able to profit from food makes the basic ticket cheaper.
The rights based part is also simple enough. I’m running a business, I can and should be able to decide how people access that business. If I’m running a restaurant I’m entirely at liberty to insist that you only get to consume things at my table that you’ve bought from me. Even if I show a film at the same time.
Another way to put this is that the judges have just failed Chesterton’s Fence. They’ve not grasped why the limitation is in place to start with, therefore they see nothing wrong in ridding everyone of the limitation. And the net effect of this is going to be higher multiplex cinema ticket prices for everyone in Maharashtra.
Well done there, eh?
And yes, we do know this result:
Movie theaters are notorious for charging consumers top dollar for concession items such as popcorn, soda, and candy. Are moviegoers just being gouged?
Research from Stanford GSB and the University of California, Santa Cruz suggests that there is a method to theaters’ madness—and one that in fact benefits the viewing public. By charging high prices on concessions, exhibition houses are able to keep ticket prices lower, which allows more people to enjoy the silver-screen experience.
The findings empirically answer the age-old question of whether it’s better to charge more for a primary product (in this case, the movie ticket) or a secondary product (the popcorn). Putting the premium on the “frill” items, it turns out, indeed opens up the possibility for price-sensitive people to see films. That means more customers coming to theaters in general, and a nice profit from those who are willing to fork it over for the Gummy Bears.
The money’s got to come from someone, so why not from those willing to pay more?


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Posted at 07:34h
in Cbdoilexpert Net
Adult-use cannabis has become appropriate in Southern Africa!
The Constitutional Court of Southern Africa on Tuesday upheld a ruling because of the provincial court decriminalizing the usage of cannabis — which is locally called dagga. The landmark ruling requires the 2017 case of Gareth Prince, a weed advocate whom contends that the application of the medication must not be considered a offense and should always be controlled in the same way as tobacco and liquor.
The South government that is african appealed the provincial ruling, arguing that legalizing cannabis was not in line with the national country’s constitutional values because it can damage the residents.
Worldwide CBD Exchange
Cannabis ban is unconstitutional
The top court said that an adult can grow cannabis in a in its decision “private place” provided it is for personal usage.


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Getty Images and W Series have announced an exclusive deal which sees Getty Images serve as the Official Photographic Partner of the newly launched W Series Esports League.
Brand-new for 2020, the W Series Esports League will see W Series drivers from around the world compete in the first official women only simulated racing league. Drawing on its rich history and unmatched expertise in photographing live sporting events, Getty Images will capture all the in-game photography from the 10 rounds, which began last month at Monza virtual track and will wrap up at the Silverstone digital arena in August.
“Ever since Getty Images was founded 25 years ago, our specialist operations team and industry-leading photographic talent have been at the forefront of creating innovative sports photography,” said Getty Images global head of content Ken Mainardis.
“This partnership furthers the W Series aim in elevating female esports to a global audience and demonstrates how Getty Images leads the way in delivering cutting-edge content to our customers around the world.”
W Series’ CEO Catherine Bond Muir added: “We at W Series are delighted to partner with Getty Images, whose expertise is unmatched in photography and whose brand values in respect of diversity and inclusion are a great fit with those of W Series. But although the W Series Esports League provides great on-screen entertainment for fans and poses a stern sporting test for our drivers, there is a bigger purpose to it also: we hope that women and girls who perhaps have not engaged with esports or in particular SimRacing, either as viewers or players, will be inspired by the exploits of our 20 female racers to embrace it in greater numbers than they have hitherto.”
The partnership will enable W Series to bring virtual racing to an even wider audience via Getty Images’ unparalleled global distribution network, with all the still imagery content from the League available for editorial use.
This innovative deal is part of Getty Images’ wider esports strategy, which saw Getty Images recently partner with Polyphony to serve as the exclusive photo agency of Gran Turismo’s FIA world championships. Getty Images partners with many of the most significant sports leagues and governing bodies in the world. Today, Getty Images is the official photographer or photographic partner to over 80 of the world’s leading sport’s governing bodies, leagues, and clubs, including the PGA Tour, FIFA, the International Olympic Committee, International Cricket Council, Major League Baseball, UEFA, National Hockey League, National Collegiate Athletic Association, NASCAR, PGA of America, NBA, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, FC Bayern Munich, Ultimate Fighting Championship, Cricket Australia and NZ Rugby Union.
Torrens University Australia has launched ‘Career Crush’ via VCCP Sydney and Lash, to help match students with a career they’ll love. Career Crush is an online quiz that determines prospective students’ personal strengths, passions and aspirations to match them with the careers and courses they’re most compatible with. One of the toughest decisions young people […]
Pedestrian Group has partnered with Nine subsidiary Mi9 New Zealand to offer NZ brands the opportunity to partner with the likes of Business Insider Australia, Pedestrian.tv and Gizmodo Australia. Next month, Mi9 New Zealand will be representing Pedestrian Group in the NZ market, offering clients the opportunity to work with leading youth publications including Lifehacker […]
ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI), a division of ViacomCBS, is launching a premium streaming service internationally, appealing to audiences of all ages. The new SVOD service will start its international roll-out early in 2021, offering exclusive premieres of all new SHOWTIME series, including Halo and American Rust. CBS All Access originals will also premiere exclusively on the new service, such […]
As part of a larger project to refine their brand with partner branding agency Re, Optus have engaged experimental creative studio FutureDeluxe to explore how the iconic ‘Yes’ brand mark behaves in a sophisticated 3D environment. FutureDeluxe have produced a series of 8x idents and a number of static key visuals which will be used […]


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Jul 19, 2016 ... Politics&City Life ... Both of those are substantially lower now that a temporary tax
hike was ... over the forecast horizon the net estimate has been lowered by $73
million. ... Illinois sales tax growth has averaged 3.4 percent over the past five ...
The sunsetting of the state's income and corporate tax incre...
Mar 1, 2013 ... Read L.A. Weekly's news story on Proposition A: "L.A. Sales Tax Hike: Will $211
Million Increase Fix City's Problems?" While nearly all of L.A.'s.
Jul 7, 2016 ... Revenues generated from a proposed 1 cent city sales tax in La Palma would ... If
approved, the tax would take effect in April and generate an estimated $1.5
million ... The tax on purchases in La Palma would increase to 9 percent ... that
can collectively help us fix the problem more permanently,” he said.


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Play for Fun Games at Maryland Casino
The beginning of June will see the launch of the highly acclaimed and waited for Maryland Casino. This will be the largest single gaming facility in the US and will offer a fantastic range of games including slots, table games, video Pokers and specialty games. Prior to the launch of the land based casino, Aristocrat Gaming who have created the brand have launched the Maryland play for fun casino which can be found at MyLiveOnlineCasino.com. This is a one of a kind and never been seen before online casino where players can choose any of the games that will be offered at the land based casino, and play them for fun online before going to the casino and playing them for real money.


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In a bid to stem the large scale fraud associated with the distribution of petroleum products from the major depots to the hinterlands nationwide, the Federal Government commenced the electronic tracking and monitoring of distribution trucks.
About N15 billion is paid annually to petroleum products transporters, for distributing products nationwide, which is billed into every litre of product purchased by consumers.
The Abuja office of telecommunication giant, Globacom has been sealed up by the Nigerian Communications Commission [NCC]. It was said that the seal off was necessitated by Globacom's non compliance with telecom guidelines as ordered by the Nigeria Communication Commission.
The NCC officials declared that two letters had been written to Globacom authorities over the company's non compliance with the directive on the ban of sale of activated GSM sim cards to subscribers and the non-compliance with the guidelines on installations of masts and towers.
By the time the just concluded Nigerian Information Technology Exhibition, (NITEX) was drawing to a close last week in Lagos, there were worries among local computer assemblers following growing dominance by foreign PCs brands in the market.
Currently, there is heightening tendency to reject the locally made PCs in favour of the foreign brand as HP and the rest of the offshore brands have remained the toast of many Nigerians.
Concerned Nigerians and families of contractors who claimed to have done jobs for MTN Communications Nigeria Limited, gathered at Folomo roundabout, Awolowo Way, Ikoyi, Lagos, by the Corporate Headquaters of MTN to protest alleged refusal to pay for the services rendered to telecommunications giant.
Different satellite builders and service providers across the world are at the moment polishing their briefcases ready to storm Nigeria to slug it out for who grabs the contract to build the country's second communications satellite.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the telecom regulatory authority, the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC) Dr Eugene Juawah in Lagos said that the Commission may issue more licenses if existing telecoms operators are not competing enough to bring down price.
Visafone has further strengthened its market position by acquiring Multilinks Communications Limited's CDMA mobile assets. Multilinks is arguably the oldest mobile phone company in Nigeria, having been operating in the country for over 15 years. Telkom Limited, it was learnt, agreed to sell Multilinks' CDMA business to Visafone Communications Limited for N8.1 billion ($52 million).
Telkom on November 22 said Multilinks has 7,000 kilometres (4,351 miles) of fiber-optic cable, 2,000 kilometres of which is shared with MTN Group Ltd. and Globacom Ltd.
Facebook, the world's most visited social media platform, continues to conceive new and innovative advertising platforms, ensuring the best possible results for advertisers the world over, including Nigeria.
The World Bank has provided $79 million - that is, about N11.8 billion - financing for IHS Plc, one of Nigeria's leading telecommunications infrastructure providers, to help it develop mobile phone coverage infrastructure across the country.
The fund, which is coming through International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank, would enhance IHS's efforts to build and acquire mobile phone towers in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, thereby reducing communications cost across the region.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission Engr. Eugene Ikemefuna Juwah has emphasized the need for cooperation among all the regulatory agencies in the country to ensure interest of government and business operators are not jeopardised.
Engr. Juwah who was a guest to Corporate Vanguard last week said the NCC is the agency that is charged with ensuring that environmental standards are maintained in the setting of masts at base stations.


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German luxury carmaker BMW said Friday it sold 51.3% more cars in mainland China in 2006 compared with a year earlier.
Total sales came to 36,357 cars, up from 24,025 in 2005, it said in a statement. Sales of BMW brands rose 49.6% to 35,300 units, with Minis up 145.8% to 1,057 units.
In the Greater China area including Taiwan and Hong Kong, BMW moved 44,719 vehicles last year, up 35.4% from 2005.
Many other foreign automakers also reported strong China sales last year as they rolled out new models to attract buyers.
Ford, a relative latecomer to the world's second- largest auto market, saw its sales surge 86.6% to 166,722 vehicles. Volkswagen sold 711,298 vehicles, up 24.3%, and General Motors was up 31.8% to 876,747.
BMW, the world's largest premium car maker, has teamed up with Brilliance China Automotive to produce the BMW 3 Series and 5 Series in a venture with an annual capacity of 30,000 cars in China's northern city of Shenyang.
The industry expects the venture to expand because it is already operating near full capacity, but BMW has not revealed plans for it.


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Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Groupon Expands Restaurant Delivery Service To Denver
Groupon said this morning that it is expanding its restaurant delivery service, Groupon To Go, into Denver. Groupon said it will be offering up delivery for more than 100 restaunts through the service, available directly through its mobile app. Groupon said it has been delivering from resturants in more than 40 markets, and that Denver is only the second to get the "Groupon To Go" brand. Groupon had previously launched the service in Chicago, its home market.


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News of chip shortages around the world has come a long way this year, becoming more widely known. “Sorry I forgot to wash the dishes, there is a shortage of chip all over the world.” But like most jokes on the internet, there is a truth to it. The disadvantages of a semiconductor chip are real, and it has had a profound effect on our lives. Cars are expensive and difficult to manufacture. Computer manufacturers are rushing to meet the growing demand for consumers of remote work and school equipment. And countless drugs to be it is delayed, with release dates being pushed as dominoes in 2021 and in the coming years.
While it is an issue that affects almost everyone, chip losses have been very painful for players. The year following the launch of the PlayStation 5, it is not possible to order one. (At least, don’t pay a lot of money, or follow bots like machines.) And PC players are scrambling to upgrade their GPUs, which are accustomed to lower hardware and higher prices, will have to have their old video. longer cards.
As Forrester Analytics’ Glenn O’Donnell tells Engadget, this issue is often a simple and important issue. You can point out several reasons for doing the following: car manufacturers downsized their hardware systems at the beginning of the epidemic, thinking that consumers would not be interested in buying new cars. It turned out that the differences were real – a great need has arisen raised the prices of used cars at higher prices. Chipmaker manufacturers have also been forced to maintain the demand for PCs, console consoles and a number of devices while tackling the gradual decline between COVID closure and other preventative measures.
“I would like to say that things have gone well, but it has gotten a little worse, and I’m not surprised,” O’Donnell told Engadget recently. In April, he denied that shortage of chip worldwide will continue in 2022 until 2023. Now, he is very sure that we will not see much relief until then. When future of chip from Intel. Intel began construction on its two Arizona factories in September, and does not expect to work until 2024.
Basically, we’re getting used to chip shortages, because we’ll be suffering from them for a while. Mu a interview with Nikkei last week. loading lines. “Demand has grown by 20 percent year-on-year and the disruption of sales chains has made a huge difference … and the explosive demand has continued.”
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said the same thing of recent Yahoo Finance interview, stating that he does not think there are “magic bullets” when it comes to dealing with the chain. Huang also noted that NVIDIA’s advertising team is rich and diverse, so its decline should not have a significant impact on the development of new products. But NVIDIA also struggled to meet the needs of players even before the epidemic. Scalpers and cryptominers often buy everything available, leaving most buyers with little money from stores and retailers.
While Huang hopes to make a comeback in 2023, he also believes the pressure exerted by the epidemic to buy more computers and gaming devices remains. “I think this is sustainable, and we will see new computers being built for a while,” he told Yahoo. “People are building home offices, and you can see all the consequences.”
In the US, it is hoped that the Innovation and Competition Act (USICA), which includes $ 52 billion in support of the CHIPs for America Act, could boost the production of more semiconductors. But after he passed the Senate earlier this year, the legislation came to a halt in the House of Representatives, where. Republican members said prohibits USICA. The investment also includes $ 190 billion in upgrading American R&D, both expected to be highly competitive with China, which has boosted chip production over the past decade.