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A ban will be put on cosmetic surgery ads targeted at under 18s in the UK and will come into force in May 2022. It comes after concerns were raised regarding the mental health of young people and the growing issue of body image pressure. However, with this ban covering all forms of advertising, such as social media through influencer marketing, billboards and newspapers, it’s difficult for cosmetic surgeries to know exactly who they’re reaching with their ads.
So, in today’s blog, we’re looking into this ban. We’ll be exploring what the ban is, what it means, why it was implemented, and how this will affect cosmetic clinics all over the UK.
What Does the Ban Mean?
It is a ban on all advertisements that promote cosmetic changes and enhancements to the body or face directly aimed at people under the age of 18. This is because performing cosmetic treatments to anyone under the age of 18 is illegal, unless for medical reasons – even making a booking for someone below 18 is against the law in the UK. Thus, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), which writes the regulations that all advertisers must follow, decided that this ban was the best practice to clarify any confusion or avoid misleading information.
It means that all advertisements promoting cosmetic enhancements, such as breast augmentation and rhinoplasty, which are directly targeted at those under 18, will no longer be allowed. This includes social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat through organic posting to accounts, paid advertising, and influencer and celebrity-endorsed advertisements. Additionally, it includes a ban on email and text marketing and physical advertisements such as posters, billboards, newspapers, and leaflets.
Why Was This Ban Implemented?
The CAP implemented this ban to clear the misleading suggestion that those under 18 could undergo cosmetic surgery and treatments. However, the main reason that the ban is being introduced is down to concerns about the amount of pressure put on young people regarding body image. Many advertisements targeted at adolescents suggest that they would be happier if they went through with cosmetic surgery, which isn’t the message that reputable cosmetic clinics want to send to their audience. Here at Aesthetic Skin Clinic, we believe that getting cosmetic surgery is a personal and adult choice, not one that should be made due to any social pressures.
What Does This Mean for Cosmetic Clinics?
The ban means that targeting cosmetic enhancement and surgery content under 18s will be illegal. Thus, cosmetic clinics will need to be responsible for advertising to ensure that this does not happen. If young people see the ads, the CAP has declared that they must not be misleading or exploit the audience’s vulnerabilities. For example, it must be clear that they are advertising, as some social media influencers, including Chloe Ferry, have been found to have posted advertisements claiming that they were paid to post them. This can be extremely harmful to a young or easily influenced audience and is something that CAP are stringent on cracking down on.
As a cosmetic clinic or someone selling a cosmetic enhancement product such as teeth whitening, you must ensure that your advertisements are safe, realistic, and do not encourage anyone under 18 to purchase a product or service from you.
How Can You Advertise Safely and Responsibly?
Advertising safely is crucial in the cosmetics industry, and when the ban is implemented in May, it will be a legal requirement to ensure no ads target those under 18. As medical professionals, we at Aesthetic Skin Clinic ensure that our adverts are honest and apply no pressure to those viewing them to undergo cosmetic procedures. We understand that cosmetic enhancements, including surgery, can have incredible effects and improve people’s confidence dramatically. Still, we also know that it is not always the answer, especially if people suffer from mental health issues, including body dysmorphia.
If you’re looking to have cosmetic surgery, you must choose a reputable clinic such as Aesthetic Skin Clinic. With years of experience and a team of award-winning medical staff, we will always guide you in the best direction, providing our expertise and professional care throughout your time with us. During your discreet consultation, you will speak to a member of our team who will listen to your wants and needs, ensuring you are happy every step of the way.
Please explore our website to view the complete list of treatments and surgeries available. Also, don’t forget to get in touch if you have any questions or concerns about the ban on cosmetic surgery ads targeted at under 18s.


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Starting May 28, Chicagoland residence will have one more dispensary to choose from when shopping for recreational cannabis products.
Illinois based Green Thumb Industries is opening its eighth cannabis store in Illinois.
The new dispensary is located in Niles at 9621 North Milwaukee Avenue.
Rise Niles will be Green Thumb’s eighth store in Illinois and 45th in the nation.
This is the third adult-use only store Green Thumb has opened in Illinois this year and its sixth across the country.
Rise Niles will offer online pre-ordering here for adults 21 and older and will be open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The new dispensary will start receiving online orders one hour after the store opens.
Rise Niles will not be able to do add-on purchases at the store. Orders not picked up cannot be held for next day.
At the time of this article, the dispensary menu lists Green Thumb’s Dogwalkers Mini Dog pre-rolls, which are a 5-Pack of hand packed joints loaded with premium Jet Fuel (G6) flower. The great thing about buying the Dogwalkers is that the brand donates a portion of its proceeds to deserving animal shelters across the country. So it’s easy to be high and feel good about yourself.
Rise Niles’ menu also lists four hybrid flower strains on its menu: 818 Headband (Little Egypt), Gelato (Verano), Liberty Haze (Little Egypt), and White Widow (Ascend).
Green Thumb is a leading national cannabis consumer packaged goods company and owner of Rise™ (in Illinois) and Essence (in Las Vegas) retail stores.
The company also has manufacturing facilities in Rock Island and Oglesby where it produces its high-quality branded products, including Dogwalkers, incredibles, Rythm and The Feel Collection. For ILNJ reviews on Rhythm products click here and here.
“We are thrilled to open our eighth store in our home state of Illinois and look forward to being active community partners and good neighbors in Niles,” said Green Thumb Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ben Kovler. “Our team remains nimble, diligent, and committed to fulfilling our responsibility for a safe and successful adult-use program in Illinois. We have continued to move forward through the ongoing COVID-19 crisis to provide jobs and much needed access to well-being through the power of cannabis during these difficult times, as demonstrated by the opening of Rise Niles, our fourth opening since the crisis began. Our retail team has pivoted quickly and efficiently as regulations evolve and we are profoundly grateful for their dedication and service to our customers.”
Green Thumb has 13 manufacturing facilities, licenses for 96 retail locations and operations across 12 U.S. markets. Established in 2014, Green Thumb employs more than 1,700 people and serves thousands of patients and customers each year.

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Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (KRX) still managed to have a trick up its sleeve as it launched its already widely leaked Galaxy S7 phones. However, having Facebook Inc head Mark Zuckerberg make a surprise appearance before the crowd at their Unpacked press conference at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona got an even bigger reaction than Samsung anticipated.
Journalists watched a virtual reality (VR) demo using Samsung’s Gear VR headsets, and when they took the headsets off, none other than Mark Zuckerberg was standing on the stage in his trademark gray T-shirt waiting to address the crowd.
Zuckerberg was invited to talk about the partnership between Facebook and Samsung’s VR efforts in the unannounced appearance. The journalists at the event reported a bit of rock star-like mass hysteria over his presence as photographers scrambled to get a good shot.
The Facebook CEO praised Samsung, saying that they were the only firm that could build OLED screens at the required scale for bringing VR to the masses. He also shared his view that VR would become a huge player in the social media game.
“VR is the next platform, where anyone can create and experience anything they want,” he said. “For right now, it’s mostly used for gaming. That’s quickly evolving.”
“That’s why Facebook is investing so much in VR, so we can deliver these new social experiences. VR is going to be the next social platform. And that’s why we’re working with Samsung.”
Zuckerberg also shared some interesting VR stats with the crowd. He said that more than a million hours of videos have been watched using VR so far. In addition, users have already uploaded 20,000 360-degree videos to Facebook since last year.
He also announced that a new technology known as “dynamic streaming” would come to Gear VR. This tech uses high-resolution video on the areas people are watching while using lower resolution for other areas to help boost quality and keep bandwidth usage down.
Facebook Inc (FB) sets up social VR team
Facebook has now formed a team devoted to creating social interactions in VR. It will be led by video game execs Mike Booth and Daniel James.
The firm said in an official blog post: “This team will explore how people can connect and share using today’s VR technology, as well as long-term possibilities as VR evolves into an increasingly important computing platform.”
Minecraft coming to Oculus
Although Zuckerberg was quick to point out that VR was quickly evolving past its emphasis on gaming, he did mention that there were already 200 gaming apps in development for Oculus. He also announced that the popular game Minecraft would be added to the VR platform in the near future.
Facebook paid $2bn for Oculus in 2014, and they have been working together with Samsung to develop Gear VR headsets.


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Tonawanda News — TOWN OF TONAWANDA — Ken-Ton middle school students received a copy of a special edition book Tuesday as part of World Book Night, an international event with a simple mission — to spread the love of reading.
“We really just wanted to give the chance to have book lovers go out and give a book to someone,” Carl Lennetz, the executive director of the organization’s U.S. chapter said.
World Book Night got its start in the United Kingdom in 2011 when a British publisher launched the event in hopes of encouraging more people to read. Last year, the event was moved to April 23, William Shakespeare’s birthday, and World Book Night made its way across the pond to the United States.
As part of the event, an independent panel of librarians and booksellers chooses 30 books every year to be given out on April 23. The authors of the books waive their royalties, and the publishers of the books print the books for free with a special World Book Night cover.
“We try to choose a wide variety of books ... fiction, nonfiction, memoir, sports — everything,” Lennetz said.
Days before the event, 25,000 volunteers who have applied to be a part of the event pick up the books and then give them out at a location of their choice.
“We are looking to target light and non-readers who may not have a lot of books at their fingertips,” Lennetz said. “A third of the books ends up going to social service locations — like hospitals, food pantries and shelters. Another third goes to children at schools, and the last third is what we call ‘around town’ — at diners, baseball games, bars, yoga.”
The Ken-Ton Parent Association was approved as a giver for this year’s event after one of the organization’s members heard about the day.


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Lakeland Dairies has been supplying Tesco for three years and, including the new ice cream range, up to €1m worth of sales is forecast over the next year for Lakeland Dairies in Tesco stores across ice cream, milk and butter products.
Commenting on the announcement, John Brennan of Tesco Ireland said Lakeland will also be joining the export level of this year’s Tesco Bord Bia Supplier development programme that will be launching soon, opening the door for Lakeland Dairies to start discussing opportunities in Tesco UK.
The new range includes ice-cream flavours such as Salted Caramel, Madagascan Vanilla, Cookie Dough, Rockie Road and frozen yoghurt flavours such as Strawberry Crumble and Mango & Passionfruit.
Both the frozen yoghurt flavours carry the claims that they are low in fat, contain a source of fibre (source of fibre is from added inulin) and they contain 30% less energy than standard vanilla ice cream (less than 211 calories/100g).
Dermot Farrell, General Manager for Lakeland Dairies commented, “Developing mutually beneficial business relationships is the key to successfully enabling category growth. We are delighted to be working with Tesco and I am confident that the forthcoming Bord Bia development programme will result in long term growth opportunities.”
Lakeland Dairies is a farmer owned dairy processing co-operative based in Killeshandra in Cavan which employs over 600 people directly. It also sources milk from over 2,200 dairy farmers.
The company processes over 800 million litres of milk into a wide-range of value-added products and ingredients which it exports to over 70 countries. Following the end of quotas, annual milk supply to Lakeland Dairies is expected to increase by some 40% to over one billion litres by 2020.


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Overall Group revenue reached CNY288.2 billion (USD46.5 billion), an increase of 20.6% from 2013, and Group net profit reached CNY27.9 billion (USD4.5 billion), up 32.7% year on year.
“Our strong revenue growth in 2014 can be attributed to a continuous focus on our pipe strategy, while profit increase stems from streamlined management and improvements in overall efficiency,” said Ken Hu, Deputy Chairman of the Board and Rotating CEO. “With heavy investment in innovations in areas such as cloud computing, big data, 5G, SDN and NFV, we believe we are well positioned to capture the tremendous business opportunities in this digital transformation era.”
The financial strength reinforces the strong technical strides that Huawei seems to be making.
Growth was strong across all business units. Revenues from the carrier networks division grew by 16%, the consumer group sales rose by 33% to more than $10 billion for the first time ever. At its enterprise division, Huawei indicated revenue growth of 27%.
For more details on the announcement, see http://pr.huawei.com/en/news/hw-420605-annualreport.htm#.VR1BZ_nF_Ys
TruePulse buys and sells surplus and used central office telecommunication equipment. Please let us know if you have equipment available for sale. We are currently looking for OptiX OSN 9800, OptiX OSN 6800/3800, OptiX OSN 8800 and OptiX BWS 1600G platforms.


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It is a fact that one good product can bring a carmaker back into the game. After the innovation of different cars especiialy Honda's diesel car -Amaze and Honda City, a new generation car, Honda introducing a new era with two more products including the Honda Mobilio, which will be the first to enter the market.
Hironori Kanayama, CEO & President, Honda Cars India said that the Mobilio MPV will be launched during third quarter, this year, which means any time between July and October. The new-generation Jazz is expected to be launched by end of this year or early 2015.Features
- Mobilio is a 7-seater MPV
- frugal 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine
- 4.4 metres in length
- 185mm ground clearance
- headlights, bonnet and bumper design similar to Brio
- larger front grille with a more prominent chrome bar running along the center.
- bumper gets a new faux air dam at the bottom
- flared wheel archesImages


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Motorola is now selling products directly on its UK website
Motorola has just announced the company will be allowing consumers in the UK to purchase its latest products directly through the online portal. Checking out the latest products on the website will be accompanied by means to actually checkout and have said items delivered. To kick everything off, the Moto G is the first product to be available on the new web store for £149 ($242).
From this morning, consumers are able to purchase the Moto G as well as its accompanying selection of shells. Other Motorola products will be included in the near future, so remain tuned for when other devices are listed. It's a neat expansion for the company to provide a more integrated experience for consumers who would rather purchase smartphones and other Motorola products through the company.
Head to the Motorola website (opens in new tab) for more details.
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Netflix's 'Dark Crystal' prequel series will premiere August 30th
'Firewatch' publisher's Playdate gaming handheld has a crank
One of these models doesn't exist
Impossible Foods’ rising empire of almost-meat
Ford wants this creepy robot to bring its autonomous deliveries to your door
After Math: What's the holdup?
Make like a ska band's hype man and pickitup, pickitup, pickitup
Intel's Core i9-9900KS CPU can run all eight cores at 5GHz
Intel's fastest gaming CPU is getting even faster.
Intel's 10nm 'Ice Lake' CPUs can actually run games well in 1080p
Here's what you can expect from Intel's 11th generational integrated graphics.
We’re live from Computex 2019 in Taipei!
Don't buy a new PC or laptop until you've seen what's being announced.
Poland challenges EU's new copyright law over censorship fears
It says the content filtering requirement is a step backward.
Mac security hole reportedly lets attackers bypass app safeguards
You'd just need to trick the Mac into loading a network share.
Fiat Chrysler may strike Renault deal to survive changing car industry
It could help the company adapt to EVs, ridesharing and more.
Alexa's intercom-like broadcasts come to more non-Echo devices
You could send announcements through your thermostat.
Leak shows Microsoft's very purple 'Fortnite' Xbox One S
If you don't mind getting an outgoing console, you'll be set.
'Dauntless' success leads to hours-long wait times across platforms (update)
It just proves how much people want cross-platform games.
Apple Watch ECG is coming to Canada 'as quickly as possible'
Officials approved the heart feature just days ago.
Ransomware attacks in US cities are using a stolen NSA tool
The consequences of NSA code leaks are hitting home.
Overwatch League commissioner leaves to head competitive 'Fortnite'
Nate Nanzer's shift shows how cutthroat esports has become.
Recommended Reading: Undercover moms battle autism 'cure' on Facebook
The best long-form writing on technology and more on the web.
Hitting the Books: An army of temps put a man on the moon
This is why we need unions.
The Morning After: 'Sonic the Hedgehog' got rescheduled
And Best Buy cancels Galaxy Fold pre-orders.
Some Tesla stations now limit Supercharging to 80 percent
The limit will be enforced at 17 percent of its stations in North America.
First American security flaw leaked 885 million real estate documents
The documents include sensitive data, such as Social Security numbers and bank information.
Apple reportedly buys asthma-monitoring startup
Tueo Health was working on an app to track symptoms while kids slept.
This portable game console has a black-and-white screen and a crank | Engadget Today
AMC Stubs A-List is now the top movie ticket plan in the US
The less than a year-old platform has already hit the 800,000 subscribers mark.
Watch the first teaser for CBS' 'Star Trek: Picard' series
It hints at a relaxing lifestyle for the former Starfleet admiral.
Rotten Tomatoes will verify ticket buyers for audience ratings
It's the site's latest attempt to stave off review-bombing trolls.


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The Series A round has also seen the participation of Delhi-based IndiaLends’ existing backers, a list that includes Deepak Shahdadpuri-led consumer-focused venture capital firm DSG Consumer Partners, Chinese investment firm Cyber Carrier and AdvantEdge Partners.
This is the second investment made by American Express Ventures in India, which was reported to have led a Rs 35 crore Series C round in personal assistant platform Tapzo in September. The corporate venture capital investor has previously backed Bengaluru-based cloud software solutions provider Capillary Technologies and artificial intelligence chatbot shopping app Mezi.
“IndiaLends’ platform is helping to connect lenders and borrowers in India more efficiently by providing a user-friendly experience for consumers and leveraging a broader set of data than has traditionally been available to financial institutions in the market,” said Rohit Bodas, partner, American Express Ventures.
Founded in 2015 by former Capital One executives Gaurav Chopra and Mayank Kachhwaha, the 18 month-old startup also counts Siddharth Parekh, senior partner at private equity firm Paragon Partners and younger son of HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh, and Gautham Radhakrishnan, partner at Tata Opportunities Fund, among its early investors. It has, till date, raised a little over Rs 35 crore, across multiple rounds.
“The company’s track record and strong financial and business fundamentals, along with its team’s ability to create products that have high product-market fit has increased our faith in their vision and execution capabilities,” said Shahdadpuri, managing director, DSG Consumer Partners.
The credit underwriting and and analytics platform is a one-stop credit shop that caters to both, consumers and financial institutions. On the B2C side, consumers can, through the startup’s platform, connect with financial institutions, including banks such as IDFC, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, as well, as NBFCs such as Bajaj Finserv, Capital First and IIFL to avail loans.
They can also avail of budget management and ensure healthy credit reports through the platform. On the enterprise side, IndiaLends provides credit risk scoring services and cross-sells analytics products .
The proceeds from the round will be used by the startup to expand its team, particularly to grow its data sciences and analytics team. It will also be expanding its footprints to tier-2 and tier-3 cities over the next few weeks, as well as enhancing its portfolio of mobile products.
“This new round of funding not only gives us the capital to scale exponentially but also provides us access to resources and learnings from developed fintech markets such as the US and China,” said Chopra, co-founder, IndiaLends.


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In the new hub of eBay’s headquarters, a data-driven media experience tells the story of the company in a fun, interactive way for employees and partners.
eBay engaged ESI Design to create a central building called Main Street on its Silicon Valley campus that would serve as the company’s new front door. “Buildings are symbols of your culture and of your brand,” said CEO Devin Wenig at the building’s grand opening.
Main Street welcomes employees and partners into a stylish, media-rich setting that captures the pulse of eBay’s business. It also provides much-needed flexible, well-equipped spaces to host meetings, conferences, and events.
For Main Street’s multi-surface media experience, ESI had to find a way to tell a story about eBay that was engaging, inspirational and fun. Working closely with eBay personnel, the design team distilled a digestible story about the company from its vast amounts of user and product data. Live, generative statistics from eBay product transactions are integrated with pre-produced content that shows how eBay’s community of employees, buyers, and sellers impact the marketplace and charitable giving.
In the Main Hall an enormous multi-screen display supports live presentations and webcasts; during meeting breaks, the screens show colorful ambient movies interspersed with trending eBay data in searches and purchases.
“Main Street has infused so much more energy and pride in our employee base,” said Wendy Jones, VP Global Operations at eBay. “I don’t think there are too many companies who can do that, and certainly not as well as ESI did that for us."
Read ESI Design’s press release about our work on eBay’s corporate campus ‘Main Street’.
“ESI took eBay’s data and turned it into a story about the vastness of eBay as a global community, and really brought that to life in a special way.”
Booked up to 60 days in advance
Town hall meetings for 1,000 people


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Reserve spaces starting Sept. 7 for the Oct. 2 Pike Road Lions Club Community Yard Sale
Thousands of items will be for sale at about 80 booths during the Pike Road Lions Club Community Yard Sale taking place on Oct. 2.
Booth reservations begin on Sept. 7 and can be made at Pike Road Town Hall. Spaces are $25 and measure 9 feet by 16 feet, one standard parking space. Tables, tents, and power will not be provided.
The yard sale will be held from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Pike Road Town Hall, located at 9575 Vaughn Road.
Food will be available at the popular community event, said Jimmie Lee, past president of the Pike Road Lions Club and chairman of the yard sale.
“Over time, the event has evolved from just a morning to buy and sell, to an opportunity to spend time with the community, getting to know our neighbors and learning about the Pike Road Lions Club and all they do,” Lee said, adding that the deadline to reserve a booth is Sept 30.
The yard sale is a fundraiser for the Pike Road Lions Club and supports the groups five pillars, which are curbing diabetes, improving the environment, ending hunger, helping those with vision problems, and beating childhood cancer.
About $3,000 was raised at the 2019 yard sale. The 2020 yard sale was canceled due to COVID. All money raised goes back into the Pike Road community, Lee said.
“Hundreds of River Region shoppers funnel through the Pike Road Station parking lot during the annual yard sale,” Lee said. “Because of the large number of sellers, there is a huge variety of merchandise available and all at great yard-sale prices. We always have a great crowd at the community yard sale - even in the rain! This is a rain-or-shine event.”
Lee said items for sale typically include bicycles, gently-used clothing, cookware, home decor and furniture, books, and other pieces. The Lions Club will be selling refreshments to shoppers, including hot sausage biscuits, danish, sodas, coffee, hot chocolate, and water.
For additional information on the yard sale, contact firstname.lastname@example.org or call 334-399-5930.
Lee said at least 20 of the 25 members of the Pike Road Lions Club will have a hand in helping put on the yard sale. The event is the group’s second-largest fundraiser next to handling car parking duties for the Mark's House Festival each fall.
To become involved in the Pike Road Lions Club, contact any Pike Road Lions Club member, or attend a meeting on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Founders Station, located at 4902 Pike Road in Pike Road.


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If you have ever dropped your smartphone you know how fragile the displays on devices can be, Samsung has apparently developed an unbreakable smartphone display.
This new display was developed by Samsung Display, it is a flexible OLED panel that features an unbreakable substrate, have a look at the video below.
“The fortified plastic window is especially suitable for portable electronic devices not only because of its unbreakable characteristics, but also because of its lightweight, transmissivity and hardness, which are all very similar to glass,” said Hojung Kim, general manager of the Communication Team, Samsung Display Company.
Samsung Display said that in addition to being used on smartphones, the newly developed display is expected to find viable markets with other electronic products such as display consoles for automobiles, mobile military devices, portable game consoles and tablet PCs for e-learning.
This new unbreakable smartphone display has apparently passed the same durability tests that the US department of defense use. This included the standard drop test of 1.2 meters with no damage. Samsung then dropped the device from a high 1.8 meters with no damage.
As yet there are no details on when this new unbreakable smartphone display will appear in a smartphone, it could possibly be used in next years Samsung Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus.
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Richmondshire wine merchant Bon Coeur Fine Wines has won a Gold medal at the acclaimed International Wine Challenge 2017 for the company’s own house vintage champagne, Jacques Boncoeur 2005 Vintage Champagne.
The International Wine Challenge is regarded as the Oscars of the wine world – and is one of the world’s most highly respected and influential wine competitions, attracting entries from all over the world and blind tasted and judged by a panel of six wine experts including three acclaimed Masters of Wine.
This is the first time Bon Coeur, which is based near Melsonby, has been awarded gold.
This story continues after the adverts:
Commenting on the win, James Goodhart, Bon Coeur Fine Wines founder, said: “We are thrilled to have struck gold with our vintage house Champagne.
“This is a fiercely fought wine challenge, we were up against some stiff competition, including some of the Grand Marques Champagnes, so for us to win Gold in the champagne category is a remarkable achievement”
Made from 56% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardoanny, Jacques Boncoeur Vintage 2005 was launched two years ago to celebrate the 21st birthday anniversary of Bon Coeur Fine Wines.
The blend was specially selected by James at the winery and laid down for ten years prior to release.
It was a limited edition launch with a few cases still available for the lucky few who snaffle them up.
Tasting notes from the International Wine Challenge judges noted the Bon Coeur Champagne as ‘Elegant, crunchy red fruit, persistent creamy mousse, baked apple, cinnamon on the palate with lovely freshness.’
Jacques Bon Coeur 2005 Vintage Champagne retails at £35.99 and is available to purchase at Cellar 21, Bon Coeur’s wine showroom or online at www.bcfw.co.uk


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A key member of the palletised freight distribution network Palletline has just purchased the site it has operated from for 20 years.
ABE Ledbury, which is wholly owned by Palletline, bought the 2.5-acre site on Bromyard Road in Ledbury, Herefordshire, following its continued growth which has seen it expand into the site’s warehouse, offices, and workshops – a space totalling 30,000 sq ft.
ABE Ledbury joined Palletline in 1994 and thrived as part of the network, before being acquired by Palletline in 2017.
ABE employs 75 people and has a fleet of 50 vehicles and 60 trailers. It proudly serves the HR, LD, most of WR and part of GL & SY postcode areas.
Clive Brooks, Managing Director of ABE Ledbury, said: “We have been leasing for the past two decades and when the site came up for sale we seized the opportunity.
“This purchase secures our future in Ledbury and the perfect way to celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2022.”
ABE Ledbury was established in 1972 and initially serviced mainly agricultural customers before expanding into smaller consignments, groupage loads and tankers.
Paul Elson, Palletline’s Logistics Director said: “This is a bold and insightful investment that demonstrates ABE Ledbury’s commitment to the local community.
“We have worked together for nearly 30 years and they have delivered an exceptional service for shareholding members and customers alike.
“Both Palletline and ABE Ledbury are excited to see how this new chapter plays out and are confident it will provide a platform for further growth.”


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Scientists at University of Central Florida (UCF) have developed a supercapacitor battery prototype that lasts 20 times longer than a conventional lithium-ion cell. It charges in seconds.
“If they were to replace the batteries with these supercapacitors, you could charge your mobile phone in a few seconds and you wouldn’t need to charge it again for over a week,” said Nitin Choudhary
Better still, the battery doesn’t degrade. After around 18 months, the typical lithium-ion battery cell starts a slow process of degradation where each charge cycle leads to fractionally smaller amounts of overall capacity.
The prototype doesn’t experience the same levels of degradation and still works like new after being recharged 30,000 times. Read more…


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Anyone who has visited EPCOT in the last year or so has seen that there are a lot of changes happening. From a new entrance plaza to walls found in different areas of the parks, [...]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow_t1mF5q-c On Sunday Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean said goodbye to the original version of the 'redhead' as it closed to update the scene. This follows the update that has already come to Walt Disney [...]
Hurricane Irma Trajectory on Thursday August 7, 2017 Ahead of Hurricane Irma's arrival in Florida, the Walt Disney World Resort has begun to take precautionary measures to insure the safety of guests and [...]
Welcome to the DAPs Magic Disney News Update. This is a weekly update of the top Disney news in about a minute. It is anchored by Egon Bonkers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YQ290ub9Xk Here are this week's Disney news [...]
Welcome to the DAPs Magic Disney News update. This week’s news is exactly a minute long. Egon Bonkers shares about Mystic Manor in Hong Kong Disneyland, the Monstrous Summer, Cast Member health, and a bit about some Monsters University. Let’s get to the news! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4gcpxw29t4 Subscribe to DAPs Magic’s YouTube …
The post Mystic Manor, Monstrous Summer, Monsters University – DAPs Magic Disney News – Edition 007 appeared first on DAPs Magic Disney News.


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L’index cryptocurrency adoption chart recently released for 2022 by blockchain intelligence firm chain analysis contains several surprises, perhaps the most notable being that China remains a top 10 country for cryptocurrency adoption despite a ban on almost everything “crypto”.
The data shows that China’s position is particularly strong when it comes to the use of centralized services, says the report that accompanies the index. He notes that this means the Chinese ban has been “either ineffective or poorly enforced.”
China’s position as number 10 on the list of countries with the highest levels of cryptocurrency adoption puts it ahead of countries like Turkey, Argentina, and the United Kingdom. Turkey and Argentina are two countries where residents have turned to cryptocurrencies as their countries struggle with extremely high inflation, while the UK is one of the largest and most important economies in Europe.
Southeast Asia leads in adoption
The top two spots on the list are occupied by Vietnam and the Philippines, two Southeast Asian countries well known for their interest in cryptocurrency games found in the metaverse and play-to-games. -ear. The Vietnamese city of Ho Chi Minh is notably the headquarters of the development team of the famous “play-to-earn” type game Axie Infinity (AXS).
Third place in the list is occupied by Ukraine, which has stood out as a pro-crypto country in several respects. Among other things, Ukraine has benefited from accepting cryptocurrency donations to help its defense efforts against Russia in the ongoing war. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and metaverse-related initiatives like Meta History: Museum of War have also played a role in its defense funding efforts.
The United States is the fifth country to have adopted the most cryptocurrencies.
Understandably, crypto adoption has slowed worldwide this year due to bearish market conditions, Chainalysis writes in its report. The analyst firm also said that the data suggests that many of those who entered crypto in 2020 and 2021 stayed despite this price drop.
This proves that crypto markets have been “surprisingly resilient,” the report states, and that many large holders “are optimistic about the market rebound, which keeps market fundamentals relatively healthy.”
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The 2022 Global Cryptocurrency Adoption Index Holds Some Surprises
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MOORESTOWN, N.J. (CBS) — Four years ago, voters in Moorestown, NJ defeated an effort to allow alcohol sales in the town. Now the question is back on next month’s ballot, with a twist, and opponents vow to defeat it again.
This time, it’s a two-parter. Question one paves the way for alcohol sales in the dry town, and question two would restrict those sales to the Moorestown Mall.READ MORE: Philadelphia Man Recovering After Being Brutally Attacked By Group Of Teens In Fairmount Over Weekend
The mall’s owners are pushing heavily for approval, but an ad hoc group — Concerned Citizens Against Liquor Licenses — believes they can beat back this effort as well.
“We see that this is an opportunity for some developers and certain individuals to make money at the expense of the town,” says Maryann Fallows, a real estate agent and one of the organizers.
The mall wants to make liquor available in four restaurants as part of an overall upgrade that would include a 12-screen movie theatre. Right now, more than 25 percent of the mall’s stores are empty, and mall owners are considering an appeal of their tax assessment should the measures fail.READ MORE: Violence Against Health Care Workers In New Jersey Hospitals Rose Over Last 3 Years: Survey
Joe Coradino, president of mall owner PREIT, suggests the town would benefit from the change as well.
“It’ll stabilize their largest taxpayer, the mall, and we think ultimately it will provide a consistent and stable revenue base for the town,” he tells KYW Newsradio.
In 2007 the issue was defeated almost two-to-one. Coradino believes the current state of the economy might result in a different outcome this time.
Reported by David Madden, KYW Newsradio 1060MORE NEWS: New Jersey Father Writes 2 LGBTQ Children's Books For Better Representation, Teaching Tolerance To Children


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24 November 2015 - Janet Bird
Exports of some of Britain's favourite biscuits are soaring as foreigners develop a taste for our sweet treats.
The humble McVitie's Digestive particularly appeals to foreign palates, with sales soaring 20 percent over the past 12 months alone.
United Biscuits, which produces McVitie's Digestives, Jaffa Cakes, Penguin bars and a number of other popular brands such as Twiglets, Mini Cheddars and Jacob's Crackers, has seen export sales rise by 50 percent in three years. Total exports are expected to increase by another 50 percent over the next five years.
The company, which is owned by Turkish company Yildiz Holding, plans to invest £15 million in its plant in Harlesden, West London - already the largest biscuit factory in Europe - to further increase its capacity to cope with anticipated future demand.


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In a blog post, OpenAI details the general availability of GPT-4 and the depreciation of several APIs that will retire by January of next year.
Who can access GPT-4?
According to OpenAI, existing API developers with an OpenAI API payment history can access GPT-4 with 8K context. Context windows dictate how much text GPT-4 uses to generate an output. The 8K context option amounts to about 13 pages of text.
OpenAI plans to raise rate limits and open access to GPT-4 to new developers by the end of July based on compute availability. Additionally, the company plans to make GPT-3.5 Turbo, DALL-E, and Whisper APIs generally available to developers.
Depreciation of GPT-3
The company also announced that beginning Jan. 4, 2024, GPT-3 and its variations using the Completions API will retire to free up computing capacity. Although the API will continue to be accessible, it will receive a legacy label and will be replaced by a new model.
Applications that use stable names for base GPT-3 models, such as ada, babbage, curie, and davinci, will automatically be replaced by their successors, ada-002, babbage-002, curie-002, and davinci-002.
Depreciation of embedding API
By Jan. 4, 2024, developers who use older embedding models will need to migrate to the new embedding model that OpenAI released in December 2022. The company says the new model is "more capable and cost-effective than previous models."
Although the new model is responsible for 99.9% of all embedding API use, according to OpenAI, the company is aware that making the switch can be costly and inconvenient for some developers. As a result, the company says it will cover any costs associated with re-embedding content.


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While Apple is set to unveil a new iPhone and iPad Pro during this year’s spring event, it has been reported that the new 9.7-inch Apple iPad Pro will start at $599—higher than its larger predecessor’s $499. This new Apple iPad Pro is set to come in both 32GB and 128GB capacities, similar to the previous iPad Pro.
The additional $100 for a smaller device is a significant price increase, especially compared to previous 9.7-inch devices, including the original iPad, have always been priced at $499. However, the $599 price tag on the base 32GB model puts it in line with the similarly-priced 32GB Apple iPad Air 2.
Despite this development, the new Apple iPad Pro won’t be replacing the iPad Air 2, which itself itself starts at $499 with 16GB of storage. The previous iPad Pro’s base 32GB base model was priced at $799 due to its sizable 12.9-inch screen. This new iPad Pro may succeed where the upcoming Apple iPad Air 3 is failing, at the moment, in creating excitement.
This new 9.7-inch iPad Pro will have most of the same features as last year’s version, but it will also feature an A9x processor with more RAM, four stereo speakers for better audio, a more vibrant display that supports the Apple Pencil, Smart Connector for an appropriately-sized Smart Keyboard, 12-megapixel camera (more than the previous version’s 8 megapixels), and 4K video recording. Meanwhile, the 128GB model of the new Apple iPad Pro will also have LTE cellular network connectivity.
The previous iPad Pro was announced by Tim Cook back in September 9, 2015, and released on November 11, 2015. Despite receiving lukewarm reviews due to its large, yet awkward 12.9-inch screen, it outsold Microsoft’s entire Surface lineup over the holiday season, including its direct competitor—the Microsoft Surface Pro 3.
Aside from the new Apple iPad Pro, this year’s spring event is expected to announce the Apple iPhone SE and the new Apple Watch 2. The former is basically like a 4-inch iPhone 5s with a matte finish and 4K video recording, while people are hoping that the latter will have a more powerful ARM Cortex-A32 processor that was released earlier this year.
Apple’s 2016 spring event will take place on March 21 at its Cupertino, California, headquarters.
[Photo by Stephen Lam/ Getty Images]


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Sony Pictures Animation’s theatrical reboot of The Smurfs franchise, titled Smurfs: The Lost Village, will be making its way to theatres this weekend, bringing along a star-studded voice cast that includes the likes of Demi Lovato as Smurfette, Mandy Patinkin as Papa Smurf, Joe Manganiello as Hefty Smurf, Jack McBrayer as Clumsy Smurf, Danny Pudi […]
After releasing the first poster, Sony Pictures Animation has unveiled the 1st teaser trailer for its new fully-animated film Smurfs: The Lost Village. It follows Brainy, Smurfette, Hefty and Clumsy watchfully breaking the fourth wall, until a very hungry carnivorous flower intervenes. The video shows how the refreshed CG characters and their fantastical forest world […]
Peyo’s cute little blue creatures The Smurfs has found its way to our mobile devices via a new 2D platforming game titled Smurfs Epic Run. It doesn’t matter what type of mobile device you have, as the game has been released simultaneously on iOS, Android, and Amazon’s respective digital storefronts. Your budget is also completely […]
Despite originally being announced for a 2015 release, the Unlimited Smurfs Movie has been moved to an August 5, 2016 release date for the US and July 5, 2016 for overseas markets. The change of schedule was announced by director Kelly Asbury via his official production blog, smurfsproductionblog.tumblr.com.
Despite the underwhelming box office grosses of several big budgeted films, Summer 2013 (May-August) set a new record with $4.76 billion, up 11 percent from last year’s Summer gross receipts. The previous record was established in Summer 2011 with $4.4 billion. The record-setting feat was largely due to the stellar performance of monster movie franchises, […]
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Peyo’s The Smurfs will be celebrating Halloween early this year, via the release of The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow on September 10. The TV special will feature state of the art animation techniques that blend CG animation and traditional hand-drawn techniques. It will also reunite the stars of […]
In support of the upcoming release of Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s CG/live action hybrid family comedy The Smurfs 2, leading videogame developer Ubisoft has been commissioned to develop and publish a video game based on the movie. The game will be developed with the help of WayForward and will be released as an […]
If you’re one of the many people who enjoyed Sony Animation’s refreshing CG take on The Smurfs, you would do well to tune in to Cartoon Network this December 5 at 7:30PM, as Sony will be prepping The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol. The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol was directed by Troy Quane, and features the […]
It’s only been a few weeks since details about The Smurfs 2, which is scheduled for release on the 31st of July, 2013) were made public, yet Sony has already announced additional info about the next iteration of the Smurfs movie franchise. Namely, the sequel writers Karey KirkPatrick and Chris Poche being asked to return […]
Sony Animation has just begun production on the sequel to its hit 2011 big screen adaptation of The Smurfs, and it has been confirmed that most of the cast and crew will make a return for the second outing. The tentative release date for The Smurfs 2 is July 13, 2013.
Shiver me timbers! You can stock up on burgers and cans of spinach, because Popeye, Sweepea, Olive Oyl, and Bluto are all set to come to the big screen, as Sony Pictures Animation has recently contracted Jay Scherick and David Ronn to pen the screenplay for a new Popeye animated feature. Known for their work […]
It’s already November, and we all know that it’s the perfect time for Home Video companies to release their Holiday specials and compilations, because which person in his right mind would buy these things at the last minute? Warner Home Video is one of the companies that expect you to buy your Christmas special marathon […]


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FORT MYERS, Fla. – A South Fort Myers woman is making reusable face masks out of fabric to help keep people safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
Rosalyn Thomson lives near Sunrise Boulevard and Beacon Street in The Villas. She put up a sign to let everyone know she is selling the face masks for $10.
Some upset neighbors were upset about the sign, under the impression she was re-selling face masks from the store at a higher price.
That is not the case.
“I didn’t start doing this to make a profit. But it is very time consuming to make them and it does cost me money to buy the fabric and materials. So as long as I can cover my expenses, I’m happy,” Thomson said.
Thomson makes the face masks out of cotton and pellon fabrics.
She does not have a medical background, but she said so far they have worked for her family and friends.
The CDC has said
if you are not sick, you do not need to wear a face mask, unless you’re caring for someone who is sick.
Doctors do warn about buying face masks off the street.
“I would say it’s probably not the greatest idea. You really don’t know where those masks have come from,” said Dr. Karen Calkins, Lee Convenient Care Medical Director.
But Thomson said, unlike paper face masks, the ones she makes can be washed over and over, without any problem.
Potential customers can order the face masks by calling Thomson at 239-691-9183, or buying them from The Pink Petunia Consignment Botique, off Cypress Lake Drive, near McGregor Boulevard.


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Reminder: Support for Windows 10 v1809 Ends Next Patch Tuesday
Probably one of the worst Windows 10 updates, the October 2018 Update aka version 1809 is finally being put to bed. Earlier in the year, Microsoft announced delaying its scheduled end of service date (set for May 12, 2020) to "ease the burden" on its customers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The company wrote in April:
We have been evaluating the public health situation and understand the impact this is having on many of our customers. To help ease some of the burdens customers are facing, we are going to delay the scheduled end of service date for the Home, Pro, Pro Education, Pro for Workstations, and IoT Core editions of Windows 10, version 1809 to November 10, 2020. This means devices will receive monthly security updates only from June to November. The final security update for these editions of Windows 10, version 1809 will be released on November 10, 2020 instead of May 12, 2020.
Last batch of cumulative updates will be delivered to Windows 10 1809 next Tuesday
In a fresh update, Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 10, version 1809, will meet its end of service on November 10, which will bring the last set of Patch Tuesday updates for this operating system version. This deadline impacts the Home and Pro editions of the operating system along with Pro for Workstations and IoT Core editions.
"After this date, devices running these editions of Windows will no longer receive security updates," Microsoft writes. "We recommend that you update these devices to a supported version as soon as possible to continue to receive monthly quality updates with security and non-security fixes."
Currently, the officially recommended version of Windows 10 is the October 2020 Update, version 20H2. However, the company is yet to even offer Windows 10 May 2020 Update, version 2004, to all its users, which makes things a bit complicated. You can go to the Settings app > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates to see if the latest version is available for your PC. Once the new version appears, click on the Download and install now button to upgrade to it.


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Abu Dhabi-owned investment fund Mubadala and Chicago-based asset manager Mesirow Financial are all set to strike a deal for setting up a new joint venture company. The new entity would offer services in risk management in commodity and in the currency market. Chris Coombe, former chief operating officer of Invest AD will head the joint venture, according to a person known to development.
Invest AD, a firm owned by Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC), is one of the leading sovereign wealth funds in Abu Dhabi. Investment fund Mubadala is yet to obtain regulatory approvals to start its operations in the country.
Mesirow spokeswoman Katie Schimmel told Reuters on Thursday that Mubadala and Mesirow will own 51 per cent and 49 per cent stake in the newly formed entity. This is the first ever joint venture Mubadala has formed with Mesirow and it is aimed to serve clients in Abu Dhabi and in Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region.
Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, Chief Operating Officer for Mubadala, told, "This new venture will help clients navigate market fluctuations and manage downside risks - particularly in commodity and currency prices."
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- Samsung announces its first curved Ultra HD displays
- Zuckerberg, Musk, and Kutcher investing $400 million in AI startup Vicarious
- Amazon reportedly set to launch its own video-streaming device in April


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January 22nd, 2020 / Tags: Survey Insights
Today, Shift7 Digital, the modern digital agency for manufacturers, announced that it has tripled its profitability in the last 24 months including adding nearly 40 manufacturing clients to its roster and growing its team by 36 percent in just the last year. The growth is driven by the company’s innovative approach to helping manufacturers deliver on the digital experience. A new study shows two-thirds of manufacturers plan to invest significantly in their online experience and technologies in the year ahead, while a recent survey from Salesforce shows that 74 percent of business buyers say they’ll pay more for a better B2B experience.
“Like every industry today, manufacturers must maximize their digital footprint now to connect with current and prospective customers in more seamless and meaningful ways,” said Andrew Walker, CEO of Shift7 Digital. “Shift7’s mission is to help manufacturers evolve and succeed in this decade and beyond and that includes ensuring they understand the nuances and opportunities in the digital space, including transitioning to a more customer-centric approach to doing business. Our growth signals that manufacturers understand the value of our expertise and we will continue to focus on putting them on a path to digital fluency.”
Shift7 Digital collaborates with businesses to help educate them about the changing landscape, including analyzing their digital presence, integrating the brand experience across platforms and streamlining a company’s digital properties.
To kick off the new decade, Shift7 Digital is revealing its top five tips for digital engagement in 2020:
Online Experience is Everything… and Means Everything: If your website isn’t generating leads, chances are your user experience is subpar, and that spells trouble with the continued demands of B2B buyers. 80 percent of buyers will switch suppliers if the experience is poor. Brands will need to continue to think through how customers are discovering the product, their website interface and the sequence of actions customers take as they navigate the site and the impressions they take away from the experience – everything from beginning to end.
Product Organization is King: Deeper into the user experience, if a website’s products aren’t organized in an intuitive, easy-to-use way, buyers will take their business elsewhere. Those making purchasing decisions must be able to find what they’re looking for within seconds of visiting a website. Manufacturers are catching on here, and four out of five will invest in product information tools to support online distribution channels.
Customers Write the Rules: Today, customers expect consistently high-value digital experiences. It’s no longer just about the product – they want meaningful relationships with brands and they hold the power in where, how and if they want to engage with a business. Acknowledge your customers as the decision-makers they are for your business and make sure your digital footprint matches their needs.
A Positive Purchasing Experience is Essential: In order for customers to know you, understand who you are, and take action – you must have the ability to transact. This can happen on your site, a third party site, a marketplace, a dealer or a distributor partnership. Customers are researching and shopping, and eventually will move to purchase – this moment will come and go if you don’t have the capability to exactly meet your customers’ needs.
Know the ROI: As with all business decisions, investments in digital can’t be made without knowing how they will service the business. Set up measurements and analytics tools to be sure that your investment in digital is hitting its KPIs and working to drive traffic for the brand.
Shift7 expects to maintain its aggressive growth trajectory, including plans to add more than 50 employees in 2020.
About Shift7 Digital
Shift7 Digital is revolutionizing the digital experience for manufacturers and their customers. Backed by a team of experts with deep industry insights, Shift7 truly understands the challenges and opportunities facing the B2B market today and delivers a customized, yet prescriptive process for partnering with companies as they evolve from a product-centric to a customer-centric approach. Shift7 is modernizing manufacturing to help businesses transform through digital marketing to drive connections, commerce and revenue.


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Prior to the Moto Razr 2022’s formal debut on August 11, Motorola has released the Moto Razr 2022’s price information. Previously, the business planned to introduce the Razr 2022 and X30 Pro in China on August 2. However, without giving a reason, the launch was abruptly postponed until August 11th. The business has now disclosed the foldable phone’s pricing as well as some of its primary features.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 will face off against the Moto Razr 2022. The Motorola foldable flagship device now features a fresh design, a larger screen, and several other upgrades.
A foldable display and top-notch hardware are included on the Moto Razr 2022. It is anticipated to be on sale in India and other regions fairly shortly. In China, the Razr 2022 has a starting price of CNY 5,999 (about Rs 70,600). The phone should soon be available in India. The cost can be a little bit more than what is charged in China.
A taller 6.7-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display is added to the Razr 2022. The front camera is located in a small hole-punch notch in the top center of the screen. The 10-bit display of the Razr 2022 can also refresh at 144 Hz.
At 2.7 inches, the outside display is now bigger. It sports a typical 60Hz refresh rate and an 800 x 573 resolution. The Razr has a folded thickness of 16.99mm. The Razr 2022 has a thickness of 7.62mm when it is unfurled.
There is a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC inside. It has a 3500 mAh battery and supports out-of-the-box 33W rapid charging. With MyUx 3.0 on top, Android 12 is the operating system for the Razr 2022. On the rear, it boasts a twin camera arrangement. The foldable phone sports a 13MP ultrawide camera sensor in addition to a 50MP primary camera sensor with OIS capability. A 32MP front camera sensor is available for taking selfies.
- Redmi Pad set to debut in India on October 4
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 11R teaser confirms September 30 launch date alongside design and specs
- Skull & Bones release postponed yet again, now set to arrive in 2023
- Microsoft released a Windows 11 update with Android app support in several markets
- Leaked renders of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra show a design similar to Galaxy S22 Ultra


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YouTube’s cold war with the labels is heating up again. As European Union legislators consider copyright legislation that could potentially constrain the streaming service, Warner Music Group this month struck a licensing deal that CEO Steve Cooper said in a memo was negotiated “under very difficult circumstances,” a characterization disputed by YouTube head of global music Lyor Cohen.
Then, on May 11, YouTube released the first part of an RBB Economics study that it says will show how it helps the recorded-music business — adding revenue without cannibalizing more lucrative parts of the industry, promoting other services and giving consumers access to content unavailable elsewhere. It also says that blocking tracks on YouTube has no effect on their popularity on paid streaming services, based on evidence from Germany.
Record labels — which argue that the “safe harbors” in copyright law give YouTube leverage to license music on better terms than competitors — don’t agree. The study reports, “If YouTube didn’t exist, 85 percent of time spent on YouTube would move to lower-value channels and would result in a significant increase in piracy.” But label executives say that same point actually shows how much YouTube hurts the recorded-music business, by offering consumers who might otherwise subscribe to on-demand streaming services a free alternative.
Although YouTube reaches more consumers than any other service — 763.2 million of its users engage with music during the course of a year, according to media consultancy MIDiA — its advertising generates very little revenue per stream compared with the paid services that are now driving a music business recovery. YouTube chief business officer Robert Kyncl called its ad-supported model a “powerful driver of revenue.” (YouTube’s subscription service, YouTube Red, is still nascent.) Yet on-demand services pulled an average of $31 per subscriber last year for the industry, according to the IFPI, while YouTube users who listen to music generate an average of about $1 a year. That means labels would be better off if even 3.5 percent of YouTube music users subscribed to an on-demand service.
“It’s not apples to apples,” says MIDiA co-founder Mark Mulligan, who has worked with both labels and technology companies. “But you can convert a relatively small number of users and still end up with more money.”
This question of how many consumers use YouTube instead of a subscription service lies at the heart of YouTube’s effect on the industry. YouTube has argued that the vast majority of them are casual fans who wouldn’t spend money on music anyway and that monetizing them is a growth opportunity for labels. But would heavier users seek paid services if YouTube disappeared?
The study doesn’t really answer that as well as either side might like: The 15 percent of YouTube listening hours that it says would shift to higher-value products doesn’t correlate to a specific number of users, and direct comparisons are difficult. RBB partner Patrick Smith says calculating conversions to paid streaming “would be using the [survey] data incorrectly.”
Either way, the question of what would happen without YouTube is speculative, since the service isn’t going away. “That’s not what anyone is seeking,” said the RIAA in a statement. “Creators want to make their music available to their fans on YouTube, but at rates that reflect the music’s fair-market value.” (YouTube declined to comment; label reps deferred to the RIAA.) The survey that the study is based on didn’t ask whether respondents were already subscribed to services like Spotify. And confusingly, under the study’s terms, listening to music one already owns — which generates no additional revenue — counts as a higher-value form of consumption.
To some extent, the two sides are simply talking past each other. “The labels’ position is that music has an inherent value, and YouTube’s point is that they have to pay according to what they make from advertising,” says Mulligan. “You have two opposed worldviews, and this war of words is part of that.”


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Pakistan arms supply to Ukraine if true will have serious implications for Russia-Pak ties
The Pakistan-made ammunition that reached Ukraine is now reportedly being used on the battlefield. Close UK-Pakistan military ties have been a sore point in bilateral ties between New Delhi and London.
Amazon Sale offers today: Best deals on daily essentials
Purchase the top daily necessities at savings of over 60% during Amazon's Great Indian Festival Sale in 2022. Take advantage of Amazon's current offer right away to get these essential necessities!
Streamlining the hydrogen ecosystem is essential for India to achieve net-zero targets
Electrolysers used in the production of hydrogen from water are electrochemical energy-conversion devices. These find application in most areas requiring decarbonisation, with higher potential in sectors such as transport and power, which are currently carbon-intensive.
How digital approach can lead to a sustainable supply chain
The reliance on traditional applications, albeit with more integrated data analytics capabilities, has been one of the fundamental changes observed to start tracking their sustainability initiatives.
Ukraine war: Major rail factories miss production targets due to supply chain disruptions
According to documents, a recent performance review of the Railway production units found the manufacturing of these essential components was way below the proportionate target for the first four months of this fiscal.
Geopolitical tensions could trigger crude oil supply concerns in the winter, says Finance Ministry"The geopolitical environment remains tense and fraught. This could trigger fresh supply concerns in the winter for critical commodities such as crude oil and natural gas," the report said.
Secure Open Source Rewards' to help in preventing assaults on the software supply chain. Check out how!The 'Secure Open Source Rewards' pilot program financially rewards developers for enhancing the security of critical open source projects that we all depend on.
Yubi partners with U GRO Capital for co-lending and supply chain financingThrough this alliance, U GRO Capital will gain access to Yubi Co.Lend’s vast network of banks, financial institutions and fintechs via a single API integration to extend and accelerate credit to the underserved sectors in the country.
Behind the fuss about GST on essential items: Two sides of the same coinThe levy of GST on essential items such as pulses, cereals, and rice has led to an uproar that it'll lead to a rise in prices and impact the common man. This viewpoint gains importance, particularly under the current economic situation of high inflation in fuel and daily consumables that have affected the household budget.
Sri Lanka receives more humanitarian supplies from Tamil NaduSri Lanka needs about USD 5 billion in the next six months to cover basic necessities for its 22 million people, who have been struggling with long queues, worsening shortages and power cuts.
Why India needs a new fintech platform for MSMEsThe key question is how to innovate financial products based on different data points for MSMEs and how to expand the scope of the financial products for them.
India plans to invest more in Sri Lanka after crisis support of $3.8 bn"The idea is to respond to Sri Lanka's requests for enabling them to meet their foreign exchange crisis. We would like to continue to bring more investment into Sri Lanka because that will help create medium- and long-term capacity to respond within the Sri Lankan economy," Reuters reported Gopal Baglay, India's high commissioner in Sri Lanka, as saying.
How green aluminium can help in global supply chainsFreight containers in the global supply chain connect the global economy. It is estimated that more than 80 percent of global goods are transported across the sea.
'Smokeless' LPG bringing tears to eyes as prices rise 30% in one yearNon-subsidised LPG -- the price that all households except the poor women beneficiaries of the Ujjwala scheme pay, is now at Rs 1,053 per 14.2 kg cylinder. Ujjwala beneficiaries have to pay Rs 853.
Passenger vehicle sales rose 40% in June as semiconductor supply improvedThe number of passenger vehicle (PV) registrations increased to 2,60,683 units last month from 1,85,998 units in June 2021, representing a 40% rise, as per Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA).
India can be a star in agrochem market if the government encourages collaborationIndia has emerged as of one of the largest producers of agrochemicals in the world, mainly due to the government’s agriculture-focused initiatives to increase production and reduce crop loss.
With no fuel, Sri Lanka limits itself to essential services till July 10All schools in capital and other main cities are to be closed until July 10 while long distances bus services are also to be cancelled from midnight.
Exempt cheap drugs from price control, say Indian Pharmaceutical AllianceMehta batted for a market friendly pricing structure which will help in accessibility of medicines to the patients and increase investment in research and overall export thrust in global market.
Role of technology in boosting MSME’s ability to handle supply chain volatilitiesThe supply chain is the epicenter that covers all phases which are involved in placing a product in the ambit of the consumers right from acquiring raw materials, manufacturing, and distributing to warehousing and shipping the finished products.
'Shorter supply chains are more resilient and sustainable than the middleman economy'"Middlemen are key connectors who can help overcome information and logistical challenges that can impede the flow of goods or money. The middleman economy is a recent phenomenon, manifest in outsized middlemen, coupled with very long supply chains...consumers become focused on what they’re paying and getting and they don’t see the processes involving labour and the environment in other parts of the world."
Inefficient and expensive, India’s dry ports are dying. Reviving them can bolster the trade backboneFor decades, dry ports have shared the goods and supply chain burden with seaports. But their role is diminishing in today’s trade ecosystem. As the government moves to improve inland freight movement, these hubs could be repositioned to serve India better.
Mamata Banerjee hits out at Centre for price rise of essential commoditiesMamata Banerjee, while addressing a North Bengal rally, said the common people are being fooled by the Centre and they are suffering due to the “daily price rise” of essential commodities.
Sri Lanka needs $5 bn, help from China for essentialsTo tide over the turmoil, Sri Lanka will need about $3.3 billion for fuel imports, $900 million for food, $250 million for cooking gas and $600 million more for fertiliser this year, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament.
India delivers 3.3 tons of essential medical supplies to Sri LankaBaglay said that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was apprised of the looming shortage of medical supplies faced by the Foundation during his visit to the Suwaseriya Headquarters in Colombo in March 2022.
Sufficient stock of edible oils in India; monitoring prices, supply situation: Food MinistryThe food ministry noted that palm oil (crude and refined) constitutes around 62 per cent of the total imported edible oils. They are imported mainly from Indonesia and Malaysia. Soyabean oil (22 per cent) is imported from Argentina and Brazil, while sunflower oil (15 per cent) is imported mainly from Ukraine and Russia. "International prices of edible oils are under pressure due to shortfall in global production and increase in export tax/levies by the exporting countries," the statement said.
Kitchen essentials prices rise on high costs, geopolitical tensionsThere is some respite for coffee drinkers, though, as coffee prices have fallen by 3% in the last fortnight after exports to Russia and Ukraine came to a standstill due to Russian invasion of Ukraine. Chicken and potato prices have risen by 40% and 20%, respectively, while those of noodles have increased up to 16%.
Covid measures: West Bengal govt to reach out to the needyThe food items to be supplied to the people will include rice, puffed rice, pulses and biscuits, along with sanitiser and masks, which will be made available in the delivery packet.Load More
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venice is overloaded with tourists and Italian officials have had enough
Officials are fed up with the "eat and flee" tourism pervading the picturesque north eastern city, with huge numbers of mainly British, American and Chinese visitors disembarking from cruise ships, dashing to landmarks for selfies and quickly sailing off again.
The Italian government has dubbed it "low-quality tourism" and Dario Franceschini, Italy’s culture minister, is concerned the Renaissance city is losing its identity.
“If you arrive on a big ship, get off, you have two or three hours, follow someone holding a flag to Piazzale Roma, Ponte di Rialto and San Marco and turn around,” he told the New York Times.
“The beauty of Italian towns is not only the architecture, it’s also the actual activity of the place, the stores, the workshops.”
The surge in cruise ship tourism has led to locals leaving in their droves.
In 1951 there were 175,000 Venetians still living close to the famous Grand Canal. Today only 50,000 remain.
Tommaso Mingati told the NYT his family had moved out to the mainland area of Mestre, after his mother complained of the city becoming a "Disneyland on the Sea".
But even now, locals are upping sticks and moving away from here, due to the profusion of bed and breakfasts popping up to accommodate short stay holidaymakers.
Locals have complained Venice is becoming a "Disneyland on Sea"
Culture chiefs have complained of an 'eat and flee' tourism
The enormous vessels ferrying the tourists into Venice are also a cause of consternation.
Some are so large they blot out the sunlight and obscure famous landmarks, and locals have started selling t-shirts portraying the cruise ships as shark-like predators.
Mr Franceschini dubbed them "an unacceptable spectacle".
Now the Italian government is considering limiting the number of tourists into the city or its famous landmarks.
the city of Venice is trying to promote "respectful' tourism
A social media campaign #EnjoyRespectVenezia, has also been set up, encouraging tourists to explore traditional artisan workshops and buy goods from longstanding independent stores instead of opportunistic street vendors.
But although ministers and locals are worried about Venice losing its identity, there is a counter argument that banning tourists will also cost the city a huge chunk of its economy.
Despite their brief stay, tourists spend high amounts in shops and restaurants and provide work for the gondoliers and water taxis.
While the so-called "low-quality" tourism might cheapen the cultural heritage of the city in the eyes of ministers, it never the less helps keep it afloat.


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Vietnam’s exports and imports of seafood in January of 2020Friday, February 28,2020
AsemconnectVietnam - In the first month of this year, Vietnam’s exports of seafood fell compared with the previous month and the same period last year, according to the General Department of Customs.
The country’s imports of seafood also decreased year – on – year in the first month of this year.
Vietnam’s exports of in January of 2020
Vietnam’s seafood exports of the whole country in the first month of 2020 plummeted by 32.2 per cent compared to December of 2019 and also fell by 33.7 per cent compared to January of 2019, only reaching above 491.64 million USD, according to the General Department of Customs.
Of which, the exports of fish reached 379,900 tons, up by 1.3 per cent; shrimp - 47,200 tons, up by 6.1 per cent; and other aquatic products - 75,200 tons, up by 1.2 per cent.
The seafood exports of foreign-invested enterprises alone (FDI) reached 41.36 million USD, accounting for 8.4 per cent of the country's total seafood export turnover.
Leading seafood export markets in January of 2020
Japan was leading the list of Vietnam’s seafood export markets with the turnover of 88.72 million USD, accounting for 18.1per cent of the country's total export turnover of this commodity group, down by 18.9 per cent compared to December of 2019 and also decreased by 28.2 per cent compared to January of 2019.
The US market ranked second with 86.68 million USD, accounting for 17.6 per cent, down by 27.5 per cent compared to December of 2019 and also down by 26.3 per cent compared to January of 2019. The exports to the EU reached 69.46 million USD, accounting for 14.1 per cent, down by 28.9 per cent and 35.7 per cent respectively; to South Korea reached 50.43 USD, accounting for 10.3 per cent, down by 27.2 per cent and 31.5 per cent respectively; while the exports to the Southeast Asia market reached 45.03 million USD, accounting for 9.2 per cent, down by 22 per cent and 32 per cent respectively.
In January of 2020, Vietnam’s seafood exports to almost all markets saw a decrease in turnover compared to January of 2019, especially the exports to Iraq decreased by 85 per cent, reaching 0.15 million USD; to Switzerland - decreased by 79.8 per cent, reaching 0.43 million USD; to Mexico - decreased by 64.8 per cent, reaching 69.8 million USD; to New Zealand - decreased by 62.5 per cent to 0.84 million USD.
In contrast, there were several export markets that have increased sharply compared to January of 2019: to Cambodia – increased by 173.4 per cent, reaching 4.77 million USD; to Pakistan - increased by 103 per cent, reaching 1.65 million USD; to Czech - increased by 42.3 per cent, reaching 0.43 million USD; to Romania - increased by 54.4 per cent, reaching 0.94 million USD.
Aquaculture output in January of 2020
Regarding aquaculture in January, it was estimated at 259,900 tons, up by 2.9 per cent compared to January of 2019, of which fish output reached 194,400 tons, up by 1.6 per cent; shrimp - reached 36,700 tons, up by 8.3 per cent; pangasius production in January 2020 was estimated at 85,000 tons, down by 0.9 per cent compared to January of 2019. In January, shrimp farmers focused on harvesting to meet Tet demand. The shrimp production was quite good, the estimated black tiger shrimp production was 12,800 tons, up by 5.8 per cent; white leg shrimp - reached 21,700 tons, up by 9.6 per cent.
Fishing production is estimated at 242,400 tons, up 0.5% compared to January 2019. Of which, fish reached 185,500 tons, an increase of 1%; 10,500 tons of shrimp, down 0.9%; other aquatic products 46,400 tons, down 1.1%. Particularly, the production of exploited sea fishing was estimated at 229,400 tons, up by 0.6 per cent, of which fish production reached 176,900 tons, up by 1.1 per cent; and shrimp production reached 9,500 tons, down by 1 per cent.
The estimate of influence of Covid-19 on aquatic product exports
VASEP stated that, although the situation of Covid-19 epidemic has not affected the results of Vietnam's seafood export in January of 2020, but from February, 2020, the production, business and import-export activities of seafood may have some negative impacts at least until the first half of 2020. The exports to China will be affected, and so will be the exports to the other markets.
A representative of VASEP said that the exports through border gates now account for 20 per cent of the total seafood export turnover to the Chinese market, so the closure of the border gates due to the Covid-19 epidemic could reduce at least 20 per cent of aquatic exports of Vietnam to China in the first 3 months of the year.
The demand for seafood decreased due to the close of several food retail chains, culinary restaurants; the trade and exchange activities between Vietnam and China were interrupted due to the reversed transport system; orders were delayed or no new contracts can be signed; the domestic production stagnated because factories lacked of workers. So not only trading activities through unofficial trade but also activities through official channels to China are facing many difficulties.
A significant number of exporting enterprises to China will be affected, which will surely reduce export turnover of seafood in general. VASEP forecasts that, in the best case, that the Covid-19 epidemic will end in the first quarter of 2020, the seafood export to China in the first quarter of 2020 will be reduced by at least 40 per cent compared to the previous quarter, reaching around 265 million USD, but still up by 10 per cent over the same period last year. The seafood exports in the next quarters will recover compared to the first quarter and the export production reels will operate normally in the second half of the year, forecasting the whole year exports of seafood to China may reach 1.5 billion USD, a slight increase of 5 per cent compared to 2019. With this result, the total seafood export turnover of Vietnam in 2020 can still maintain the growth of 8 per cent compared to 2019, reaching 9.25 billion USD.
In the worse situation, if the Covid-19 epidemic lasts longer, the consequences will be greater, the seafood production and exports may be more seriously affected and stalled, possibly up to August. At that time, the exports to China in first half of the year will fall by 30 per cent to 400 million USD, and it will increase 10 per cent to reach 930 million USD. Total seafood exports to China for the whole year will reach about 1.33 billion USD, down by 6 per cent. In a worse scenario, the exports to China decreased, exports to other markets were also affected, Vietnam's total seafood export in 2020 will only increase by 3-4 per cent, reaching 8.9 billion USD.
Vietnam’s imports of seafood decreased in January
According to the preliminary statistics figures of the General Department of Customs, Vietnam’s seafood imports in January of 2020 decreased sharply by 34.5 per cent compared to December of 2019 and also decreased by 24.7 per cent compared to January of 2019 to 117.78 million USD.
The major markets supplying seafood to Vietnam include: Norway, India, Indonesia and China; in which, the imports from India reached 20.52 million USD, accounting for 17.4 per cent of the country's total seafood import turnover, down by 8.9 per cent compared to December of 2019, but still increased by 15.5 per cent compared with January of 2019.
The imports of seafood from Norway dropped sharply by 35.3 per cent compared to December of 2019 and decreased by 26 per cent compared to January of 2019, reaching 14.71 million USD, accounting for 12.5 per cent of the total seafood imports of the whole country.
Meanwhile, the imports from Indonesia also dropped sharply by 42.2 per ent compared to December of 2019 and by 10 per cent compared to January of 2019, reaching 12.55 million USD, accounting for 10.7 per cent of the total. The imports from China also decreased by 38.6 per cent and 29.5 per cent respectively, reaching 10.75 million USD, accounting for 9.1 per cent of the total.
In the first month of 2020, only 4 seafood import markets saw increase in value compared to January of 2019, of which, besides the above-mentioned Indian market, there was also the Danish market increased by 36.3 per cent, reaching 2, 67 million USD; Japan - increased by 3.9 per cent to 9.69 million USD; Thailand - increased by 2.3 per cent, reaching 1.63 million USD; the rest of all other markets saw decrease in value compared to January of 2019; in which, the markets saw a sharp drop included: Singapore – down by 95.4 per cent, reaching 0.04 million USD; Britain - decreased by 70.6 per cent, reaching 0.9 million USD; Russia - decreased by 61.6 per cent, reaching 3.86 million USD; South Korea - decreased by 56.9 per cent, reaching 3.04 million USD.
Ministry seeks to boost exports in Q2
Many Mekong Delta localities still enjoy export growth in Q1
Vietnamese red dragon fruit sent to Australia
Vietnam’s exports and imports of animal feed and materials in first two months of 2020
Wood firms seek new market channels amid COVID-19
Hanoi boosts public investment disbursement
Vietnam issues list of special preferential tariffs for goods imported from Cuba
COVID-19 ravages economy of central Việt Nam
Imports of wheat from U.S increased sharply in first two months
Exports to U.S increased 25.7 per cent in two months
Bright spots emerge despite slowdown in economic growth
Thailand – potential export market of Vietnam’s fruit and vegetables
Vietnam to speed up imports of glass products from Thailand in first 2 months
Bright prospects for tra fish exports to major markets ahead


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Those who are facing difficulties because of previous marijuana convictions can now have these charges expunged from their record. This includes marijuana possession, use, and paraphernalia charges that have taken place in Washtenaw County. Since...
The Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office has started a new unit to help remove old marijuana convictions. Here’s how to get your record cleaned!
Arbor Shrooms provides delivery of 'magic' mushrooms to patience across Ann Arbor. But the police aren't sure if it's legal.
Pure Roots is running a Willy Wonka inspired giveaway, purchase a pre-roll and enter to win a golden ticket! Here's how to enter their contest.
Lume Cannabis Company is offering 10% off coupons for patrons who order carry-out with select restaurants in Adrian and Dundee throughout February.


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MSI has brought its latest Prestige Series notebook, the MSI PS42, to Australia.
The PS42 is a slim laptop that weighs 1.19kg and is 15.9mm in height. The new laptop features 10+ hours of battery life, a fingerprint sensor for security, Nvidia GeForce discrete graphics and up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor.
The PS42 also touts 16GB of DDR4 memory, and a 14-inch FHD, IPS-level display.
MSI say that, thanks to "performance in an unprecedented chassis, the MSI PS42 presents both simplicity and elegance."
As we said back when we saw the PS42 at this year's Computex in Taiwan: The idea here is to go for a similar sort of stylish luxury-grade combination of slimness and grunt that ASUS' Zenbooks are usually known for delivering. Where MSI's other product families offer great performance, they're sometimes a little off the mark when it comes to portability. The PS42 aims to redress that shortcoming.
The MSI PS42 is now available for $1799
For more information, visit https://au.msi.com/Laptop/PS42-8RX/Overview.


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Massaging seats are nothing new, but General Motors has filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a patent on an in-floor foot massaging system.
First spotted by Carscoops last week, the document describes the use of small air bladders placed in the passenger-compartment floor. Inflating or deflating them massages passengers' feet. That's how current massaging seats work, so it seems GM is just looking for a new application of existing technology.
GM wouldn't be the first automaker to offer a foot massager. The Audi A8 is already available with one, Carscoops noted, but it's embedded in a footrest, rather than the floor. That footrest folds down from the front passenger seatback, so the function is only available to the right rear passenger.
General Motors in-floor foot massaging system patent image
That makes sense in a big sedan like the A8, which is more likely to be chauffeur driven. It's already standard practice to leave the front passenger seat unoccupied to maximize legroom for a single rear passenger, so this seems like the next logical step. While GM hasn't discussed any production plans for a foot massager, it has a large luxury sedan of its own in the works.
A feature like this would be a good fit for the Cadillac Celestiq, the brand's upcoming all-electric flagship. Cadillac has already confirmed that the Celestiq will feature a four-quadrant glass roof and a massive display screen, and it will be mostly hand-built.
The Celestiq will be Cadillac's second all-electric model, after the Lyriq SUV scheduled to start production in 2022, and part of larger plan that could see the luxury brand go all-electric by the end of the decade. That means, if future Cadillacs get built-in foot massagers, there won't be internal-combustion engines to mask whatever sound they might make, though GM will likely deal with that as well.


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Original article from Facebook
This word has been used a lot lately: unprecedented. However, it’s safe to say that increase in digital media consumption and the need for a digital marketing strategy is not. It’s been on the rise for decades. COVID-19 made us all acutely aware that businesses can not avoid going digital (at least partially) to survive the economic hardships we’re experiencing.
In a recent blog post, Facebook for Business shared a variety of tips for creating an online presence to help get things up and running. Among this advise is:
Use Existing Channels to Communicate With Customers
You need to meet customers where they are. That can be email, Facebook, Instagram or even TikTok, depending on where your target audience is. But you need to be where they are.
While you’re sharing your message, you need to be prepared for questions. “During a time when businesses might be getting many of the same questions about what hours they’re open and what services are available, drafting templated responses will come in handy to help respond to high volumes of inquiries in a streamlined way that saves time,” the blog states.
Pivot In-Person Events Into Online Streaming Events
Canceling in-person events doesn’t have to be the end. At NCET, we have pivoted from in-person Biz Cafes to online webinars to much success. Going online could even potentially attract more attendees and interest because of the accessibility–no need to travel and the flexibility to tune in at work or on their lunch break.
Between Facebook Live and Instagram Live, going virtual doesn’t have to be overly complicated. The important thing is to get started and start learning.
For Facebook’s complete advice, read the complete article here.


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Wednesday Web Wrap-up 1.13.16
Recent Anguilla trip reports to hit the web...
- A fashion blogger recently posted about an Anguilla vacation last year at Malliouhana, and her vibrant Carnival photos are what really caught our attention.
- The "Traveling Island Girl", who is based on SXM, shared on her blog about an Anguilla day trip.
- Heavier on flight info, a Flyertalk trip recap from "Bretteee" recently shared about their trip - they also visited in 1982 and mention that a lot has changed!
- Some Anguilla by boat info and photos are on the Burnetts Ahoy blog.
- TripAdvisor forum member "IntheBurgh" shared their "Anguilla-itis trip report with photos".
And while we normally only share tourist reports, these two links are worth an exception:
- Thierry Dehove is a professional photographer with artful images. His latest Blurb book full of Anguilla images is available to preview.
- And Shannon Kircher of Frangipani Resort has a rebranded blog and an interesting post chronicling her "Takeaways from three years of Caribbean expat life".


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Emerging Trends in the U.S. Solar Market
GTM Research (12-18-2009)
The United States is rapidly emerging as one of the world's leading markets for solar power. Installed costs for PV systems have fallen on average 3.6 percent per year for the past decade, making solar more affordable by the day. Simultaneously, electricity prices have been rising, and acknowledgement of the external costs of fossil fuel-based generation has been growing. As a result, the U.S. PV market has grown at an average rate of 71 percent per annum since 2000, significantly outpacing global PV demand growth of 51 percent per annum.


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LatinWorks Marketing Inc. has acquired Cultura, a Dallas-based Hispanic ad agency with blue chip clients.
Austin-based LatinWorks purchased a 51 percent stake in the seven-year-old agency, according Manny Flores, CEO and founder of LatinWorks.
This is LatinWorks' first acquisition. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Under the agreement, Cultura's business will be folded into LatinWorks, and Omnicom will continue to have a minority interest in the agency.
Cultura will be bringing a client roster to LatinWorks that includes Kimberly-Clark, Lowe's Inc., Mars and Pepsi.
"The acquisition is a business growth strategy in that the agency has tremendous blue chip clients, and that is exactly the type of clients that LatinWorks loves to represent in the marketplace," Flores said.
LatinWork's clients include Anheuser-Busch, Batanga, Domino's Pizza, ESPN Deportes and Hyundai.
Flores said LatinWorks has no conflicts of interest with Cultura's client roster.
"Our new clients are the priority. We want to ensure a [quick and] seamless integration," Flores said.
Greg Knipp, Cultura's CEO and general manager, will join LatinWorks as managing director.
Cultura, which has 28 employees, will shutter its Dallas office by June 1.
"We are going to give our best shot to relocate as many employees as possible," Flores said, adding that some employees may choose not to move.
LatinWorks, which has more than 80 employees, generated about $8.5 million in revenue in 2006.


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MUMBAI: VE Commercial Vehicles, India’s fourth-largest commercial vehicle maker, plans to invest more than Rs 2,000 crore in the next three years to enhance capacity and expand its product portfolio. VECV is a joint venture between the Volvo Group and Eicher Motors.
The funds will be utilised in expanding engine making capacity as well as vehicle output by 50%. Plans include an investment into a new plant, the decision on which is going to come up for board approval next month.
Besides annual capital expenditure of Rs 500 crore for the next three years, VECV will be investing an additional Rs 600 crore in the new plant. The company, however, was non-committal on the cumulative investment.
Engine output is being expanded from 50,000 to 75,000 units to meet Volvo’s global needs. And once the new plant is commissioned, VECV’s capacity will be increased from 90,000 units to 140,000 units. Speaking on the side-lines of the launch of the new 41-tonne heavy duty truck in Mumbai on Wednesday Vinod Aggarwal, MD of VECV told ET that the demand environment is very robust and that the company is operating at optimum capacity from the existing plant.
“We are trying to produce more from the existing set-up. We have produced 8,000 units a month, so we can stretch our existing facility. However, we would need a new plant. The decision is likely to be made next month. Once the decision is taken, it will take another 15 months to roll out the first product from the new plant,” Aggarwal said.
Growing consumption, sustained infrastructure and construction activity, ban on overloading and GST benefits are driving demand for commercial vehicles in the country. Aggarwal expects the industry to sustain the double-digit growth momentum for the next two years at least before the BS VI norms kick in, which may lead to price increase of about 10% and subsequent impact on demand.
“We have just crossed the peak of FY12 in the last financial year. For five years, the industry was in hibernation, so clearly there is much more room for growth in the coming two years and we are preparing to participate in this growth,” he said.
Astrong challenger in the light and medium duty truck segment with 33% market share, VECV has remained a marginal player in the heavy duty truck segment with a small 5% market share. The company is banking on the two new launches to help boost volumes. Aggarwal says he expects the heavy duty truck volumes to grow 50% to 1,500 units a month this financial year. After posting 12% growth in FY18, VECV has sustained double digit momentum in the two months of FY19 at 33% on account of alow base of last year.


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It’s been a minute since Tarte has had a viral moment (love you, Shape Tape) and we’re so here for it!
Branded as a “hybrid gloss balm”, Tarte’s Maracuja Juicy Lip Balm has TikTok beauty creators speechless, the product going viral thanks to its “full coverage” performance and high gloss formula.
Loved for its smooth, lightweight texture and lipstick-like application, TikTok users are most impressed by the glossiness of the finish.
With the balm version launching and seeing instant success back in 2020, the brand have this year released the product we know and love, with an added plumping effect: the Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump— a welcome update to the original award-winning formula, which is no surprise also seeing wild success on the short form video app.
Beauty creator @rudiberry described the lip plump as giving the “cooling effect rather than the […] painful heat effect”.
TikTok users have also praised Tarte for the lip products’ sheer and buildable colour, making the products well-loved by people of many different skin tones.
Both the lip balm and the lip plump have been receiving rave reviews on TikTok as makeup lovers have rushed to get their hands on the trending products.
“White peace” has proven to be the most popular shade, already selling out on Tarte’s website.
We can’t wait to try it!