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We know WM 9 is geared to sink TV to PC...
Gateway tried it with 'Destination Sytem' but no tv channel carriers to hd/stb with headset multiple channel-video and VOD / Audio. hooked to all's immediated cravings... lol
With Equator, our stounch WMA etc record, and Divx ...
and HP, MS could be our OEM -
not a tivo,moxi,replay, mediastation, ... remember samsung called it 'ZapStation'
Zap... as in instant... truecool experience for wireless.
Note bold -
Matthew Miller, Special Projects Editor -- 4/17/2003
CommVerge - mpeg4 the next wave
For years, the owners of the world's phone networks have dreamed of the revenues they could reap by using their copper local loops to deliver an alluring trio of services: telephone, broadband Internet access, and television.
The last item on that wish list is the one that really sets their hearts aflutter. TV service, telco companies reason, would pry couch potatoes—and their fat monthly payments—away from the cable companies, not only enriching the telcos but also impoverishing their archrivals.
But like most dreams, the vision of so-called 'telco TV' has proven difficult to grasp in the harsh light of day. Even the preliminary step, rolling out simple data service via DSL, resulted in well-publicized struggles. And bandwidth-intensive video would seem to present a far stiffer challenge.
Yet sometimes dreams do come true. And today, telco TV seems to be building real momentum.
The number of people who get their TV service from their phone company is small—about 100,000 worldwide—but growing rapidly, according to market researcher In-Stat/MDR (a corporate sibling of CommVerge and EDN). In fact, the number should hit seven figures in 2004 and 16 million in 2006, according to Michelle Abraham, senior analyst.
In an interesting twist, rural residents are enjoying the fruits of this trend before their urban counterparts. Many small, independent phone companies have already found that selling TV service improves their bottom lines. And it's only a matter of time before larger carriers—even the behemoth RBOCs (regional bell operating companies)—become TV suppliers as well (see the sidebar, 'Rural roots').
In terms of technology, telco TV is eminently feasible, and emerging equipment promises to make it even more so. Standard ADSL affords ample bandwidth to deliver broadcast-quality TV to a home, says Jeff Schline, manager of digital-TV market relations for VideoTele.com, a division of Tut Systems. Schline's company and others, including Optibase, Minerva Networks, and Harmonic, make video head-ends, which carriers use to stream TV out over their networks.
A video stream in MPEG-2 format, including overhead and audio, consumes between 2.7 and 3.2 Mbits/sec of bandwidth, Schline says. A typical DSL link, even when it's already carrying Internet-access service, can comfortably deliver two such streams concurrently. That's vital because it allows two TVs in the same home to show different programs at the same time. Advocates say the user experience is indistinguishable from television service delivered via a digital cable system.
But of course, many households have more than two TVs. One way to appease such customers is to use a fatter pipe, such as VDSL (very high speed DSL) or fiber-to-the-home. Some companies are taking this approach. However, most carriers favor a second option, better video compression, because it allows them to leverage the investments they've already made in DSL. As a result, a broad transition from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 is now getting underway.
'I think the industry recognizes that MPEG-4 is the next wave.'
—Mark Carpenter, VideoTele.com/Tut Systems
For example, at the recent NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) show (April 5 to 10 in Las Vegas), VideoTele.com debuted an MPEG-4 enabled version of its Astria video head-end. The system can send a broadcast-quality video stream, including overhead and audio, in 2 to 2.5 Mbits/sec of bandwidth. That's a 22 percent reduction compared with MPEG-2, a difference that can translate into delivering three concurrent channels instead of two, Schline says.
The system employs MPEG-4 ASP (Advanced Simple Profile), a standard recently made concrete by the ISO (International Organization for Standardization). Further ahead, carriers will be able to upgrade the DSP-based Astria system to support another MPEG-4 standard, MPEG-4 AVC (Advanced Video Codec). Also known as H.264 and MPEG-4 Part 10, MPEG-4 AVC delivers even better compression; it promises to crush video to half of its MPEG-2 size.
VideoTele.com's Astria system also transcodes video from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 in real time. This capability is critical because it allows a carrier to grab MPEG-2 streams from a satellite or local feed and immediately send them out to subscribers in MPEG-4 form. The platform also ensures that the outgoing streams conform to a constant bit rate, which helps network engineers sleep at night because they can know with certainty that users won't experience reception hiccups.
At NAB, VideoTele.com demonstrated the Astria system with an MPEG-4 set-top box provided by Kreatel. Other vendors, such as Pace Micro Technology and Samsung, have sworn to provide MPEG-4 customer-premise equipment as well, according to Mark Carpenter, the company's vice president of marketing.
'I think the industry recognizes that MPEG-4 is the next wave,' Carpenter says. It maintains high quality while reducing bandwidth demands. And conserving bandwidth, the argument goes, will become even more critical in the future as video-on-demand, multichannel sound, interactivity, and high-definition programming become more pervasive. :)hiend-e
On the other hand, one shouldn't conclude that MPEG-4 has already been anointed. First of all, much of the market is waiting for equipment based on MPEG-4 AVC to appear before committing. Capital-challenged companies are apparently reasoning that it's better to wait for higher bandwidth efficiency tomorrow than to invest in a half-measure today, according to In-Stat/MDR's Abraham. Secondly, a rather wealthy and influential company in the Seattle area is pushing its Windows Media 9 technology as a compression scheme for TV distribution. And when Microsoft talks, people listen; some equipment suppliers, notably Tandberg Television, are on board to provide Windows Media-based products.
OK here's wher it get goooood- bold again
Compaq Demonstrates End-to-End Digital Media Solutions for Content Creators, Distributors and Consumers at NAB98 Conference
Compaq Joins with Industry-Leading Software Vendors to Deliver New Class of Integrated, Standards-Based Digital Media Products
LAS VEGAS, April 6, 1998 - Expanding its presence in the digital media market, Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) today announced in the U.S. that it will showcase in its first-ever exhibition at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference a new class of high-performance, standards-based, hybrid computing solutions designed to support the creation, distribution and consumption of digital content. Compaq and its digital media allies - including Adobe Systems Inc., Alias/Wavefront, Microsoft Corp., Pinnacle Systems and Softimage, among others - will demonstrate at Compaq booth #S1862 new best-of-breed solutions that significantly reduce the cost of producing, storing, delivering, receiving and viewing digital programming. In addition, Compaq customer Paul Sidlo of ReZ.n8 will give a presentation of the high-end graphics his company created using Compaq Professional Workstations for the recent Winter Olympics.
"As a leading provider of industry-standard consumer and commercial personal computers, servers and Windows NT-based workstations, Compaq is joining forces with key independent software and hardware vendors to develop and deliver a wide range of solutions that meet the flexibility, reliability, low maintenance and investment protection needs of today's media enterprises," said Les Crudele, Vice President and General Manager, Workstation Division, Compaq Computer Corporation. "This full complement of solutions enables our demanding customers in the digital media industry to minimize their dependence on costly proprietary computing systems in favor of easy-to-use, standards-based platforms that provide the power and performance to support the most advanced digital media applications."
The Compaq booth at NAB98 will showcase a comprehensive range of powerful, integrated and standards-based hardware and software solutions designed to provide end-to-end support for creators, distributors and broadcasters and consumers of digital content. Highlights will include previously unreleased animation and nonlinear editing (NLE) solutions running on Compaq's industry-leading Windows NT-based platforms, including Professional Workstations, ProLiant servers and network storage, as well as a demonstration of digital TV technology.
Adobe® Premiere® 5.0 Introduction
Compaq will demonstrate on Compaq Professional Workstations the first public showing of Adobe Premiere 5.0, a powerful new digital video editing tool for video studios, industrial video professionals, event videographers, and multimedia and Web developers. Running on Compaq Professional Workstations, Premiere 5.0 provides advanced professional video editing capabilities including an offline editor, studio-quality audio tools, and support for long-format editing to meet the requirements of the most demanding broadcast video and post-production workflows. In addition to Premiere 5.0, Compaq will also showcase Adobe's Dynamic Media products which have been optimized for its Professional Workstations.
Alias Maya 3D Animation Demonstration
At NAB, the Compaq booth will also include a demonstration of Alias/Wavefront's 3D software, Maya, running on Compaq Professional Workstations. The Windows NT-based version of Maya is the latest development for Alias/Wavefront's next-generation 3D animation software product, Maya. Maya is a dramatically new approach to character animation that also strengthens the company's leadership position in visual effects technology.
"We are extremely pleased to be working with Compaq on this landmark event for the company, our first implementation of Maya on Windows NT," explained Penny Wilson, president of Alias/Wavefront. "We have been working closely with Compaq to maximize performance of Maya running on the Professional Workstation 6000 series. We're looking forward to delivering a powerful solution to our mutual customers in the digital content creation market."
Softimage Announces SOFTIMAGE®/3D Version 3.8
Softimage Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp., today announced version 3.8 of its 3D modeling, animation and rendering software package, SOFTIMAGE/3D, at NAB98. Compaq will demonstrate SOFTIMAGE/3D version 3.8 - the product designed to function as the heart of a powerful animation studio, incorporating all the tools necessary for true end-to-end 3D production - on a Compaq Professional Workstation in the Compaq booth. SOFTIMAGE/3D Version 3.8 extends the current animation toolset - already the industry standard for animation - by providing even faster access to and control of animation data. Version 3.8 also incorporates a host of new games tools, including next-generation polygon reduction, improved color reduction, and a new DirectX-based ASCII file format import/export tool.
Microsoft NetShow Theater Server Demonstration
Also in the Compaq booth, Compaq is demonstrating a new video server solution that offers breakthrough levels of cost-per-stream for broadcast-quality video applications. The solution combines the latest version of Microsoft NetShow Theater Server and high-performance Compaq ProLiant video server systems to deliver broadcast-quality, MPEG video streams through high-bandwidth networks such as switched Ethernet and ATM to standard PC clients and set-top-boxes. NetShow Theater Server is based on NetShow technology and provides a high-performance, fault-tolerant system for delivery of broadcast-quality video on high-speed networks scaling from a few to thousands of streams. This combination of industry-standard, scalable Compaq ProLiant servers and Microsoft's Windows NT-based video-streaming software has been fully tested and optimized to deliver unmatched performance and ease of installation for corporate training and communications, distance learning, video-on-demand, interactive video kiosks and numerous other applications. The Compaq ProLiant servers' Highly Parallel System Architecture offers the ultimate in video-streaming performance as well as flexible configurations ranging from standalone servers for small applications to rack-mounted systems containing terabytes of video content storage. NetShow Theater Server is currently in beta 3.
Pinnacle NLE Solutions
Additionally, Compaq and Pinnacle Systems will demonstrate two NLE solutions on Compaq Professional Workstations. The first is a dual-stream editing solution based on the Compaq Professional Workstation 6000, the Pinnacle ReelTime product, and Adobe Premiere 4.2. This solution will demonstrate the ability to perform 130 real-time transitions with no rendering required. Compaq and Pinnacle will also demonstrate a single-stream editing solution based on the Professional Workstation 6000, Pinnacle's miroVideo DC30 plus and Adobe Premiere 5.0.
Digital TV and Convergence
Also being shown in the Compaq booth is a technology demonstration of a Digital TV-enabled Compaq PC. The demonstration shows a prototype Compaq PC receiving video programs using the new ATSC digital television system and video formats proposed by Compaq, Microsoft, and others.
In addition, Paul Sidlo, president of innovative graphics company ReZ.n8, will demonstrate how his company used Compaq Professional Workstations to create many of the televised graphics included in the CBS television coverage of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. ReZ.n8, a world leader in conceptualizing, designing and producing state-of-the-art computer graphics, animation and special effects, provided many of the televised graphics and simulations for the CBS Winter Olympics viewers. These simulations included, in the United States coverage, televised animations depicting intricate figure skating technical requirements and 3D simulations of ski races and bobsled runs. END
Remember CPQ / MS like and use fonix
JUST more to come,... and what the content providers/owners
want... technology such as this is will fulfill.


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CHICAGO The elevated price of retail consumer packaged goods was the industry’s most significant story in 2007, according to a report released today by Information Resources Inc.
Skyrocketing ingredient costs and energy prices pushed CPG prices up by 4.2 percent, with double-digit increases occurring across a variety of categories, including such mainstays as milk, eggs and refrigerated juices. According to the study, the largest price increases in recent memory prompted changed spending patterns, with U.S. consumers turning to supercenters, such as Wal-Mart, and private label products in search of lower prices.
Based on information gathered through IRI’s shopper insights and retail market intelligence platform, supercenters regained momentum after a sluggish 2006, advancing their overall household penetration by 3.5 points and gaining more than a full point in market share—the largest increase in three years.
Manufacturer and retailer innovations in beverages, health and wellness products and frozen food product categories also contributed to a stronger CPG showing in 2007, according to IRI. “With the acceleration of prices across the board, consumers responded by refocusing on supercenters and seeking out lower-cost private label alternatives to name brand items, said Thom Blischok, IRI president of retail solutions. “At the same time, product innovation in several CPG categories played a healthy role in spurring growth that we predict will be a key factor in 2008.”
According to the report, health benefits were winners in 2007, as beverages appealing to personal wellness—from energy-boosting ingredients to antioxidant supplements in ready-to-drink teas, sports drinks and bottled water—tapped into consumer calls for “better-for-you” product innovations. Several categories of snack items, frozen food products and non-food healthcare items also bolstered the strong showing by health-focused products.
The IRI report also identified emerging product trends expected to play significant roles in 2008. Among them were the following:
- Food as a health solution: An extension of the healthy ingredients trend will continue to attract consumers with the delivery of specific wellness benefits.
- Sustainability as a differentiator: Growing consumer awareness of the environmental and social impact of their purchases will drive product innovation and assortment options.
- Experiential consumption: Continued creation of products targeted to the consumer’s call for unique ingredients, flavors and aromas.
- Natural beauty: Cosmetic and skincare innovations will expand further into natural ingredients, offering non-synthetic alternatives across multiple product lines.
“Last year was a great example of the principle that when one door closes, another one opens,” Blischok said. “Manufacturers and retailers experienced changed purchase behavior in several categories, yet maintained the path of innovation to keep consumers first and sales figures strong.”
Information Resources Inc. is the world’s leading global provider of consumer, shopper and retail market intelligence and insights.

domain: news


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A4U affiliate event
Affiliate SEOEarlier this month, Richie and I popped along to the annual two-day A4U event in Lonnnnnnnnnnnndon to discuss all things affiliate.
(The picture above was taken on the second night at ‘The Inc’ club in the O2 arena. Yes, that is pure oxygen we are inhaling and, yes, the champagne was warm and a tad acidic!)
The event represented a great opportunity to network with all of the key players on the UK affiliate scene and Richie and I would like to say a big hello to everyone we met.
Every year, the A4U event covers all areas of affiliate marketing, yet there is often focus on a current ‘hot topic’. While last year’s event focused on voucher codes, this year saw more than a smattering of SEO discussion and I thought I’d share a few of the key points I picked up.
I asked a few industry leading lights what their attitudes were to link acquisition and specifically to link buying and, wow, what a mixed bag of responses I received!
However, most affiliate SEO experts agreed that you should consider link buying but only as part of a broader link acquisition strategy encompassing onsite & offsite link optimisation, press release syndication, reciprocal linking, link bait, news syndication, etc. You must not forget though that buying or selling links that pass PageRank is against Google’s T&C’s and could get your site penalised or banned!
A healthy reminder was given about the growing importance of universal search and the benefits of optimising for local/maps, pdf’s, images, videos, blogs and news returns.
Google have had a few tech challenges
Google users in the UK may have noticed a recent mix up of southern hemisphere and UK-centric search results, creating a pretty poor user experience in many cases. For example, if you search for ‘tennis court hire’ on Google UK then you get several Australian sites near the top = not good!
Google Vince update
The Vince update, which set out to clean up the “cesspool” that it is alleged the internet has become, negatively affected affiliates by demoting them whilst promoting well known brands in their place, causing many affiliates to rethink their marketing strategies.
Google affiliate PPC page decline
A recent penalty has been introduced for low quality affiliate landing pages, with those affected being suspended if they are deemed of a low quality.
Finally, here are some handy SEO tools:
Majestic SEO – The World’s largest database of backlinks.
Crazy Egg – Navigation issue diagnostics.
Link Diagnosis – Competitor link analysis.
Raven – A link acquisition management tool and useful for researching, managing and reporting on SEO and social media campaigns.
For me, the A4U search seminars just showed how much interest there is in search and how the rapid rate of development continues to keep all involved on their toes. As always, it will be interesting to see what the big topic is at next year’s A4U.


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Google is expanding their initial glass explorer program to include anyone who wants to test the company’s wearable computing glasses, which are famously still in the beta development stage.
The giant tech company initially launched the (in)famous innovation last year to a small pool of lucky “glass explorers”. Curios techies were encouraged to creatively express what they would do #ifIhadglass on Twitter. The most creative tweets won the opportunity to pay the company $1500 (excluding tax) for a chance to see the world from behind Google Glass. But the majority of these “Glassholes”, a popular term in which these explorers have famously claimed, are not defending their pricey investments.
According to many of the beta-testers, the battery life is poor and their use limited, crediting it to essentially be a wearable camera with worse image resolution than your phone.
Google released the product targeting engineers and developers hoping that they would help improve the product before it reached the public eye. The device has received a significant amount of media attention, primarily for the flux of raised privacy and safety concerns. In addition to lobbying for it’s legal commercial usage in Washington, Google’s engineers are working hard to further improve the product, which currently offers video recording, email access, turn-by-turn driving directions and Internet search by voice and touch commands. However, the command phrase “OK glass” combined with the unusual design has yet to become socially acceptable. But despite the glasses exclusivity stamp, they are likely to be considered too expensive for the general public whom have shown little interest in acquiring a pair. Industry experts estimate the actual manufacturing price to be below $200 and express Google’s need to lower the price significantly before the average consumer will consider taking on more cyborgian appearance.
It may be smart to stay on the sideline for now, as both the product and price are expected to improve in the near future.


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Recycling and waste treatment can be a “gold mine,” perhaps literally, according to a UN report that finds treated waste can be put to profitable use.
For example, 1 metric ton of electrical and electronic waste contains as much gold as 5 to 15 metric tons of typical gold ore, and amounts of copper, aluminum and rare metals that exceed by many times the levels found in typical ores. As a result, printed circuit boards are probably the “richest ore stream you’re ever going to find,” according to the Guidelines for National Waste Management Strategies: Moving from Challenges to Opportunities.
Many waste products can be reused and, if waste is separated at source, the uncontaminated organic fraction can be composted or digested anaerobically, the report says.
Furthermore, improving the operation of waste pickers in collecting and recycling useful products and materials can lead to better economic outcomes for the waste pickers themselves; to better quality organic waste that can be composted and used to improve soils; and to less need for investment in landfill facilities, the report says.
The UN estimates that 3.5 billion people, or half of the world’s population, are without access to crucial waste management services, posing significant environmental and health hazards and harming economies.
Easier consumer access to scrap electronics collection sites, spurred by manufacturer funding, has contributed to an increase in e-waste recycling and a decrease in government spending in New York State, according to a report published in July by the Product Stewardship Institute for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
In June, eRecyclingCorps, a wireless device trade-in provider that partners with Sprint, Verizon, TELUS and other major wireless carriers, announced it exceeded 1.1 million trade-in devices in May, setting a new record for device collection in one month and diverting more than 450,000 pounds of e-waste from landfills.


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$140 million: That’s how much U.S. retail sales the new Harry Potter book generated in its first 24 hours. (The AP story estimates “over $100 million,” the WSJ article estimates $140 million). That’s 6.9 million copies. Worldwide, sales were thought to be over 10 million in the first day. A book — not a videogame or movie. That’s magic.
If you’re a Wall Street Journal subscriber, they have additional Harry Potter stats and news.
On Saturday, Amazon.com Inc. lowered the price of “Half-Blood Prince” from $17.99 to $16.99, a 43% discount off the cover price.
“This was the largest new-product release across all of our Amazon Web sites globally in our company’s history,” a spokesperson said.
Wal-Mart Stores sold 300,000 copies on the first day, three times the number it sold all of last year of “The Da Vinci Code.”


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Company plans to increase recyclability, recycled content and consumer education and infrastructure
CAMDEN, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May 6, 2020–
Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB) today announced new packaging sustainability goals to reduce packaging waste by increasing circularity—keeping materials in use and out of landfills. The four goals are designed to address all phases of the packaging lifecycle, from sourcing to end-of-life, including recycling or composting.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200506005614/en/
(Graphic: Business Wire)
The holistic approach aims to reduce packaging waste through investments in recyclability, use of recycled content, and consumer education and infrastructure with the following four goals:
“Our new packaging commitments provide a roadmap to further reduce the environmental impact of our packaging over time and build upon our history of sustainability,” said Craig Slavtcheff, Campbell’s Executive Vice President, Global Research and Development.
Campbell has made significant progress recently in reducing waste and encouraging recycling:
Campbell has long been a leader in the use of recyclable materials. Steel cans are the most recycled food packaging in the United States1 and Campbell has trusted them to protect and preserve its products for more than 100 years. To learn more about Campbell’s Corporate Responsibility efforts, visit www.campbellcsr.com.
About Campbell Soup Company
Campbell (NYSE:CPB) is driven and inspired by our purpose, “Real food that matters for life’s moments.” For generations, people have trusted Campbell to provide authentic, flavorful and affordable snacks, soups and simple meals, and beverages. Founded in 1869, Campbell has a heritage of giving back and acting as a good steward of the planet’s natural resources. The company is a member of the Standard and Poor’s 500 and the FTSE4Good Index. For more information, visit www.campbellsoupcompany.com or follow company news on Twitter via @CampbellSoupCo.
1Can Manufacturers Institute
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200506005614/en/
Source: Campbell Soup Company
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- Intel is contemplating leveraging TSMC’s 5nm process to build its 14th generation Core “Meteor Lake” CPUs, ostensibly to replicate Apple’s M1 series.
- Meteor Lake chip blocks will be made using TSMC’s 5nm process rather than Intel’s 7nm process, similar to Apple’s M1 processors for the Mac.
- According to insiders, the predicted strong demand for Meteor Lake CPUs may result in an increase in TSMC’s 5nm chip production capacity before the end of the year.
- Intel anticipates shipping Meteor Lake chips in 2023.
At least in part, to mimic Apple’s M1 series of processors, Intel is contemplating leveraging TSMC’s 5nm technology to manufacture its 14th generation Core “Meteor Lake” CPUs.
The first multi-chipset architecture that includes an application processor, graphics processing unit, and connectivity chips in a single Intel Foveros advanced package was announced by Intel last year with the Meteor Lake processors.
Meteor Lake processors were previously expected to be built using Intel’s proprietary 7nm technology, dubbed “Intel 4.” At a recent earnings conference, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said that prototypes have already started for Windows, Chrome, and Linux on the company’s upcoming Meteor Lake platform, which will be the first to use Intel 4.
As DigiTimes reports, Intel is contemplating ordering all of the chip blocks used in its Meteor Lake CPUs from TSMC, Apple’s lone semiconductor supplier. Just like Apple’s M1 processors for the Mac, the M1 chip blocks will be built using TSMC’s 5nm technology instead of Intel’s 7nm process. According to reports, this will help keep the launch and manufacture of the CPU on track.
With Intel’s decision to use TSMC’s 5nm process for its next chips, Apple’s bespoke silicon will be able to better compete with Intel processors, which are built using TSMC 5nm. TSMC is also said to have been given orders for chips made with its 5nm technology for the iPhone 14 series.
According to the sources, TSMC’s 5nm chip production capacity might be increased by the end of the year because of the anticipated demand for Meteor Lake CPUs. Meteor Lake CPUs will be released by Intel in 2023.


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The new report maps out the four phases of market recovery in the new normal and predicts trends by analysing current & past consumer behaviour
Though digitization was already part of the narrative, Covid-19 has accelerated the process of adoption of technology by the businesses. “Now, because of the pandemic, we have digitally jumped ahead by three to four years in the span of two months”, says Kantar’s latest report titled Post-COVID Commerce- A four-phase recovery framework with retailer and brand implications.
According to the said report, pre-COVID, e-commerce was expected to account for 15% of US sales this year, but by the end of April 2020, 25% of all sales came through e-commerce channels marking a jump of 65%. Online grocery shopping has also soared from 3% before COVID-19 to 10%. The in-store traffic has decreased by 48% in April for grocery shopping.
The report also maps out four phases of market recovery post- lockdown. It predicts future trends by analyzing current and past consumer behaviour.
“As we consider what the great retail reawakening might look like, we must think about the new shopping habits and how they will impact retailers and branded manufacturers. From a brand perspective, [Covid-19] shifted the idea of e-commerce from a state of not urgent or slightly urgent to now massively urgent and critical”, said the report.
Phase 1 of Recovery ‘Acute Non- Normal’
We are currently in Phase 1 of recovery, the ‘Acute Non- Normal’ phase, says the report. In this phase, “Shoppers are still focused on sheltering in place with the hope of limited opening state by state. Economic concerns significantly outweigh health concerns, and unrest is occurring in some states and communities.”
Kantar advised brands to build out Omni/ e-commerce capabilities during this time. Brands are also asked to advertise and invest in a cause more. It also asks the brands to prioritize the health of their workers and ensure they have ample stock.
The major trends of this phase are contactless and acceleration of last-mile delivery platforms. According to Kantar, “Direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands and omnichannel leaders will be first in line when the economy returns.”
Phase 2 of Recovery or ‘Semi Normal’
The second, which is termed as ‘Semi Normal’, might start from late summer 2020, to fall 2020, “we will begin to see more states open, especially those that have lower infection rates and successful containment efforts in place”, says the report. According to it, approximately 30% of people will maintain or increase in-store shopping, but it will continue to be more limited to household essentials.
During this time, with masks in place, shoppers will slowly emerge from the shadows, eager to shop and explore, yet still extremely cautious.
The major trends during this time will be ‘Technology-to-consumer’. Drones, robots, click-and-collect, and online-to-offline (O2O) will gain traction. “Some parts of the economy like manufacturing will pick up,” said the report.
Phase 3 of Recovery or ‘New Normal’
The “New Normal”, which will be phase three of the recovery, is predicted to last from Winter of 2020 to Spring of 2021. During this phase, shoppers are predicted to restart shopping, yet cautiously. As per the report, the consumer will reward retailers that offer store safety modifications.
The report states, “Consumers will want brands to talk with more positivity, reassurance, and help with life today.” It also says that e-commerce will continue to accelerate. In-store shopping will begin to accelerate. It further predicts that the thrifty consumer will emerge, seeking to do more with less.
Phase 4 or as ‘Totally Normal’
Kantar called the last phase of recovery as Totally Normal phase. It could start in lasted spring of 2021, to the end of summer in 2020.
According to the report, post-COVID-19 habits and expectations would be ingrained in consumer behaviour by them. Speed, value, and convenience would be the new table-stakes in retail. Cleanliness, health, and safety would be paramount.
Kantar suggests brand messaging should convey new hope, togetherness, and transparency during this time. It also said Brands with higher levels of product safety will be the leaders and, the brands that made a difference during the crisis will remain top of mind. It also said that Click-and-collect will dominate the market, while replacement brands may stay popular.
*It is to be noted that while making the prediction, Kantar is assuming that a vaccine will be soon in the market.


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U.S. companies need modern trade policy in order to become more competitive and grow.
Joint Industry Study Flags Negative Impacts of Section 301 Tariffs on American Consumers and U.S. Businesses
Trade groups released a study on the detrimental economic impacts of Section 301 tariffs.
Imports Headed to Lowest Level Since Early 2021
Imports are expected to fall to the lowest level in nearly two years even as retail sales continue to grow.


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2016 AMA Member Sweepstakes Winner Receives Yamaha Super Tenere
Congratulations to AMA Member Sweepstakes winner, Ron Gonichelis. Good luck to the 2017 entrants.
Begin Press Release:
American Motorcyclist Association delivers Yamaha Super Ténéré to 2016 sweepstakes winner
2017 AMA Member Sweepstakes is under way
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — Ron Gonichelis of Euless, Texas, was chosen as the winner of a 2016 Yamaha Super Ténéré in the 2016 AMA Member Sweepstakes.
Gonichelis, who has been riding street bikes for 12 years and has been an AMA member since 2014, picked up his new motorcycle April 21 at Freedom Powersports of Hurst in Hurst, Texas.
“I want to say thank you for the Yamaha Super Ténéré,” said Gonichelis, 57. “I rode the bike Sunday morning-no traffic-to get acquainted. It was wild. Honestly, I felt like I was 18 again.
“I just love it,” he said. “When I got my license in 2005, that inspired two of my friends up in New Jersey to get their licenses, and we used to ride together when I lived in New Jersey. And the motorcycle was one of the factors that made my wife fall in love with me. My second date, I called her up and asked her out to breakfast and to take a ride on the bike. She was mine ever since.”
Those who join the AMA or renew their memberships during 2017 are automatically entered to win prizes.
The grand prizes for the 2017 AMA Member Sweepstakes are a 2017 Yamaha FZ-09 and 2016 Suzuki GSX-S750.
Other 2017 prizes include:
- A Shark Kage Ramp
- Cardo Systems/Scala Rider Freecom 4
- Tourmaster Select Saddlebags
- Cortech Sequoia XC Adventure Touring Jacket
- Liberty Sport Eyewear
- Guardian Weatherall Plus Motorcycle Cover
- AMAGear.com shirts
All the details on the sweepstakes are available at www.americanmotorcyclist.com/For-Members/Member-Sweepstakes.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.


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Social Media Plays Role in Employee Engagement, Study Says
The paper describes the appeal and use of electronic gamification: a technology-based approach that uses elements of social game design for solving business problems, inspiring new product sales, and improving customer service.
Social media is becoming a viable tool to recognize and engage employees, according to the latest paper issued by Incentive Marketing Association's Recognition Council.
In “Social Recognition: The Virtual Way to Engage,” the Council describes the ways that social media has begun to transform the business world, presenting a growing opportunity to quickly and interactively recognize extraordinary efforts by employees.
"With social media rapidly evolving, we wanted to take the pulse of the industry with regard to what is already being used as part of incentive programs," said Karen Renk, CAE, executive director of the Incentive Marketing Association.
"What we found is that many businesses are already using social media tools for communication purposes and that a number have taken the plunge into using the new technology before, during, and after specific recognition programs," Renk continued.
The paper also goes into considerable detail about the appeal and use of electronic gamification: a technology-based approach that uses elements of social game design, like competition, status updates, and rewards for non-game applications like solving business problems, inspiring new product sales, and improving customer service.
Recognition Council Board Member and ITAGroup Performance Solutions Manager Jane Larson explained, "The changing demographics of the workforce coupled with the pervasiveness of electronic game experiences is paving the way for the use of technology that will grab attention and help workers to focus on goals. Game mechanics offers a solution that can drive a deeper level of engagement while multiplying the touch points and dramatically increasing employee awareness and connection to a program."
Renk noted that the paper opens the door for additional exploration regarding the use and effectiveness of social recognition. The complete paper is available on the Recognition Council's website: http://www.recognitioncouncil.org/.


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Lenovo Group has launched a series of low-cost PCs, taking aim at the small and medium businesses now dominated by Dell and Hewlett-Packard.
Lenovo will attempt to shoulder aside those companies with its "Lenovo 3000" product family, featuring a desktop PC and a laptop.
The company is positioning the new computers as a stylish "smart choice" compared to its classic "black tuxedo" ThinkPad line, executives said in a press conference.
The new line includes the C Series of notebook PCs running on Intel processors and the J Series of desktops running on either Intel or Advanced Micro Devices.
The Lenovo J Series desktop PCs and C Series notebooks will be available in Australia in March. Australia pricing for the J105 and J100 desktop PCs will be announced by March 1st. Prices for the C100 start at AUS $1199.
Industry analysts say Lenovo faces a marketing challenge since these are the first self-branded products launched by the Chinese company since it acquired the PC division of IBM in 2005.
The company hopes to clear that hurdle with a marketing campaign centered on sponsoring the Olympic Winter Games, now happening in Torino, Italy.
It will also borrow from the premium reputation and robust technology of its ThinkPad line, discounted for smaller budgets.
"This is a more aggressive price point than we've used in the past," said Bob Galush, vice president of marketing for the company's desktop business unit. "These are less robust; you don't get the roll bar and the air bag you get with the ThinkPad line. But some customers are willing to pay for that and some are not. This gives them the choice."
In fact, this is the second recent bargain product offered by Lenovo. Adding to its stable of enterprise level M-series and A-series ThinkCentre desktops, it released the E-series for small business owners in October 2005. Now the J-series extends that family to shed more robustness and optimize the price.
Using that leverage, the company hopes to duplicate its success in the Chinese small and medium business (SMB) sector, where it has a 26 percent market share, compared to just six percent for SMB worldwide, said Craig Merrigan, Lenovo's vice president of branding and strategy.
Lenovo actually has a larger share of the worldwide enterprise business market -- 15 percent -- but SMB is growing much faster, he said. To tap into that market, Lenovo is marketing the 3000 series as a low-maintenance, low-price option, compared to the rock-solid, premium reputation of the ThinkPad.
The difference stands out in the different advertising tag lines: the ThinkPad is sold as "carried by those who carry companies," while the 3000 series is targeted at customers who want to "make history, not backups."
From the customer's point of view, the 3000 line will be self-reliant, with built-in tools that can reduce IT expenses in the cost-sensitive small-business environment, according to Lenovo. Faced with a catastrophic software failure from a malicious virus, a user can hit a one-button system-recovery feature that will diagnose the damage, get help and eventually recover operations.
The C100 notebook runs on the user's choice of Intel Pentium M or Celeron M processor, with certain models offering the Centrino mobile platform. Either way, the 6.2-pound (2.8 kilograms) computer offers 802.11 wireless LAN, Bluetooth and Ethernet connectivity, a multicard reader for digital pictures, and four USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports packed into a 1.3-inch thick package.
The J100 and J105 desktop PCs offer serial ATA drive support, six USB 2.0 ports, and front-side audio. The difference is that the J100 runs on either the Intel Celeron D or Pentium 4 processor, while the J105 uses an AMD Sempron or Athlon chip. The J105 is outfitted with Windows XP Home and the low-end Sempron chip. The J100 is outfitted with Windows XP Pro and the high-end Pentium 4.
Finally, Lenovo executives shared their road map for future releases of laptops in the 3000 series. Today's C100 offers a 15-inch regular-format display screen. By March 2006, the N100 will have a choice of 14.1- and 15.4-inch wide screens, and by the second quarter of 2006, the V100 will have a 12-inch wide screen.


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When Siti Mashita asked her parents to buy their new ink cartridges for her business, selling handmade scrunchies, she got an unexpected response: a photo of her mother holding a brand new printer, including new cartridges.
"Suddenly, my dad sent me a picture of my mom posing confidently next to a printer and said, 'Mommy already bought it & # 39; & # 39;", Siti told BuzzFeed News in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Siti said she was shocked and asked her mother why they hadn't been through the first time.
"At home, they said they bought it because it is much more convenient than the old printer," she said.
His text exchange photos went viral on Twitter, with people applauding his mother for being "next-level".
"I was impressed with the guilt because my parents didn't know it went viral, but I don't see any bad or bad tweets attacking my parents, so I think it's okay," he added.
Some people also said they agreed with the purchase of their parents because the ink can cost more than printers.
Some people related because they also did the same.
In the end, however, Siti did not have two printers. She said she managed to sell the new printer via Twitter to someone who needed one.


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Facebook has officially launched Gameroom, a dedicated native Windows app for playing all of the various games available on Facebook. Facebook Gameroom is available now as a download for those using Windows 7 or newer.
Facebook previously announced that it was working on a game publishing platform as part of a partnership with Unity back in August. At the time, Facebook said that the partnership would bring support for publishing to Facebook's "PC gaming platform" (now Gameroom) through the Unity game development platform, allowing developers to easily bring their games to the millions that play Facebook games each month.
While Facebook Gameroom is certainly not likely to appeal to more hardcore gamers who are already invested in publishing platforms like Steam, it does present an interesting proposition for those who already enjoy Facebook's web-based games. The experience offered by Gameroom serves up the various casual titles offered through Facebook without the always-looming distraction of the newsfeed — something that's likely to keep people playing longer.
Will you be checking out Facebook Gameroom? Let us know what you think in the comments!


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India March 21st, 2024: The Indian School of Business (ISB) has long fostered innovation and entrepreneurship, and is proud to announce the launch of a new programme, I-Venture Immersive (ivi), led by I-Venture @ ISB, at the Startup Mahakumbh in New Delhi.
ivi is a world-class entrepreneurship programme designed for first-time entrepreneurs, where vision meets venture in an experiential, intense, transformative, 6-month, full-time, on-campus experience at ISB Hyderabad.
As India’s entrepreneurial landscape flourishes, there is an anticipation of a surge of entrepreneurs, women and men, young and old, from big and small cities, starting up, creating jobs, and contributing to the economy. But starting up comes with its share of challenges and risks. That’s why ISB is stepping in.
The mission is to equip first-time entrepreneurs with the skills and mindset needed to thrive in today’s dynamic business landscape. ivi is more than an incubator, more than a school. This is a safe place for entrepreneurs to test their ideas and build a viable venture.
This is not an MBA programme. Students don’t need to take a CAT or GMAT exam or even need a college degree. All they need is passion to excel and solve a problem with commitment and innovation.
The programme delves into a curriculum that, of course, covers the basics—accounting, finance, marketing, negotiations, supply chain, AI, and Data Analysis—but will go way beyond the basics with real-world case studies taught by experienced practitioners.
“We believe that entrepreneurship is not just about starting a venture; it’s about embracing a mindset of innovation and resilience,” said Prof Bhagwan Chowdhry, Faculty Director, I-Venture @ ISB. “ivi is not an ordinary programme; it’s a journey where vision meets venture, and passion meets purpose.”
At ivi, students will engage with thought leaders and industry experts and have the opportunity to connect with ISB’s global alumni, top VCs, experienced founders, and esteemed faculty members.
“We want to empower individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences to pursue their entrepreneurial aspirations,” said Saumya Kumar, Director, I-Venture @ ISB. “They don’t need a college degree or prior business experience; all they need is a passion for innovation and a willingness to embrace the challenges of entrepreneurship.”
A cohort of 50 students across disciplines, functions, and age and gender enters the programme, every 6 months.
Admissions will open from May 2024. The programme fee is INR 8 lakhs, which includes on-campus stay. Scholarships are available, and funding of up to INR 40 lakhs will be given to teams who qualify after 6 months.
ivi welcomes individuals from all walks of life to join on this transformative journey of innovation and entrepreneurship.


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It’s hard to comprehend the early success of the Porsche 991-generation when you consider that only the base Carrera models have been released thus far. Despite this A-grade reception, Porsche is still developing a multitude of variants for the new 911, and spyshots have recently surfaced showcasing the upcoming 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet winter testing for the very first time.
Even though details about the upcoming 911 Turbo coupe and convertibles are scarce at the moment, the car is rumoured to feature a world-first tri-turbo set-up with the third turbocharger helping to improve low-end response and acceleration as if hitting 100km/h in 2.7 seconds wasn’t quick enough.
As a result, the standard Turbo is expected to pump out 550hp, putting it 20hp ahead of the almighty Turbo S. Consequently, when the 991-series Turbo S does inevitably launch, it’ll be well into the 570hp range!
The biggest surprise regarding the upcoming Porsche 911 Turbo is that it’s expected to be offered with Porsche’s new PDK-S gearbox as well as a conventional manual!
[Via Motor Authority]


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ethical and green living
Europe to ban halogen lightbulbs
After nearly 60 years of lighting homes halogens will be replaced with more energy efficient LEDsAfter nearly 60 years of brightening our homes and streets, halogen lightbulbs will finally be banned
Switch on to LED lightbulbs before September’s halogen ban
The average home has 10 halogen lights – here’s all you need to know about their greener alternativeFrom the end of this month halogen lightbulbs are to be removed from the market across Europe, with
Scrap council tax – wealthy homeowners must pay more | Larry Elliott
The time has come for a land value tax to redistribute wealth and help fix our broken housing marketThe government is short of money. The Treasury is scrabbling around looking for ways to fund Theresa
Can Norway help us solve the plastic crisis, one bottle at a time?
A bottle deposit hub on the outskirts of Oslo has had a stream of high-level international visitors. Can its success be replicated worldwide?Tens of thousands of brightly coloured plastic drinks
French butchers ask for police protection from vegan activists
Butchers’ federation claims vegans want to ‘impose their lifestyle’ on the majorityButchers in France have asked the government for police protection from animal rights activists, claiming their
How can you support farmers who are using fewer antibiotics?
There are limited opportunities to support farmers who are using less, so the most important thing is to make your voice heard Diversion tactics: how big pharma is muddying the waters on animal
Burning issue: Are wood-burning stoves going to get the chop?
With the government aiming to clean up the UK’s air quality, wood burners and open fires are likely to come under scrutinyMillions of households with open fires and wood-burning stoves could face
Which is the best reusable coffee cup?
Waitrose says I have to bring my own cup – what should I get, and is this a ploy to stop the freebies?Every week a Guardian Money reader submits a question, and it’s up to you to help him or her out –
Rubbish rage: officers protect collectors in Dutch recycling wars
Powers to censure recalcitrant households have sparked fears for workers’ safety Refuse collectors in the Netherlands are being followed by close protection officers after getting the power to issue
Bigger mortgages for greener homes? Yep, that's right | Adam Vaughan
Welsh scheme will factor in home’s energy efficiency into lenders’ affordability calculationsBorrowers will be able to take out a bigger mortgage when buying greener properties for the first time,
New technology could slash carbon emissions from aluminium production
Development could transform how one of the world’s most common materials is madeTechnology has been unveiled that could drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions from aluminium production, in a
How can I recycle my inkjet printer?
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Recycling crisis: federal government to push states for solution
Josh Frydenberg will seek agreement at meeting of environment ministers for a national stocktake of recycling• Sign up to receive the top stories from Guardian Australia every morningThe Turnbull
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The big firms have raised tariffs to within a pound of the prepayment-meter maximum. What price government promises of savings now?Many of the 5 million vulnerable households who already have their
Signed off school with Beatlemania | Brief letters
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Readers respond to the week’s bitterly cold weather and the effect it has had on the nationFrank Field (Letters, 2 March) draws our attention to the rise of destitution in the UK today as children
Lack of models, not charging points, 'holding back electric car market'
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Organic food and drink sales rise to record levels in the UK
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Several tech-industry heavyweights are banding together to defend themselves against patent-infringement lawsuits. Their plan: to buy up key intellectual property before it falls into the hands of parties that could use it against them, say people familiar with the matter.
Verizon Communications Inc., VZ -0.77 % Google Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., CSCO -0.39 % Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson and Hewlett-Packard Co. HPQ -0.50 % are among the companies that have joined a group calling itself the Allied Security Trust, these people say.
One high-profile patent case that sent shivers through the tech industry was BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd.'s $612.5 million settlement in 2006 with NTP Inc., a small Virginia firm that held patents related to wireless email delivery but had never produced a mobile-email device. The four-year legal battle at one point threatened to shut down BlackBerry service nationwide.
Also troubling for tech firms, a number of companies have emerged in recent years with a business model based on acquiring intellectual property and using it as leverage to extract royalties from companies whose products or services rely on that technology. These companies, which critics call "patent trolls," look for patents that come on the market from companies going out of business, universities and individual inventors.
The Coalition for Patent Fairness, a group of technology and financial-services companies that has lobbied for patent legislation in Washington, says the number of patent-related lawsuits rose to nearly 2,500 through October of last year from 921 in 1990. The so-called trolls aren't the only ones suing. Many companies, including Qualcomm Inc. QCOM -0.51 % and Rambus Inc., RMBS 4.34 % have been aggressive about enforcing their patents on their rivals.
The new Allied Security Trust aims to buy patents that others might use to bring infringement claims against its members. Companies will pay roughly $250,000 to join the group and will each put about $5 million into escrow with the organization, to go toward future patent purchases, the people familiar with the initiative said.
Tech companies have tried various ways to protect themselves, including investing in Intellectual Ventures LLC, a patent-holding firm founded by former Microsoft Corp. MSFT -0.02 % executive Nathan Myhrvold. The companies provide money to help Mr. Myhrvold buy patents, and he in turn grants them a license to his portfolio. But some in the tech industry fear Mr. Myhrvold's venture, which has collected thousands of patents in areas such as networking and software, may itself become an aggressive patent enforcer down the road. Mr. Myhrvold has said litigation isn't part of IV's strategy, but hasn't ruled it out.
To head off such concerns, companies in the new group will sell the patents they acquire after they have granted themselves a nonexclusive license to the underlying technology. "It will never be an enforcement vehicle," said the group's chief executive, Brian Hinman, a former vice president of intellectual property and licensing at International Business Machines Corp. IBM 0.21 % "It isn't the intent of the companies to make money on the transactions." He declined to confirm who the group's member companies are.
Mr. Hinman said the group doesn't face any antitrust issues because it isn't a profit-making venture and its members don't actually own patents -- they just grant themselves a license to them.
Ron Epstein, CEO of patent brokerage IPotential LLC, says companies that collect intellectual property are a boon to individual inventors who otherwise struggle to make money from their work. Mr. Epstein, formerly director of licensing at Intel Corp. INTC -0.45 % , said any company should be free to enforce its patent rights, regardless of whether it produces any products or services. "That seems to me a distinction without a difference," he said.
—Don Clark contributed to this article.
Write to Amol Sharma at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Volvo’s Polestar division has announced pricing for its upcoming electric Polestar 1 performance sedan, but it’s going to be considerably higher than the Tesla Model 3 it’s intended to rival.
Auto Express reports that Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath estimates the car will be priced around €40,000 ($61,743 CAD) when it goes on sale in 2020. By comparison, Tesla has said the Model 3 will be $35,000 US ($44,120 CAD).
Polestar is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volvo that initially operated as its performance group. Last October, it became a separately-branded company that will offer its own line of Polestar-badged electrified performance models.
It will also continue as Volvo’s enhancement division, following the Swedish automaker’s announcement that all of its vehicles will have some form of electric propulsion in future.
Polestar’s first vehicle, the Polestar 1, is a low-volume plug-in hybrid, based on a Volvo platform but with a unique carbon fibre body, a fully-active chassis by Öhlins, and brakes by Akebono. About 500 are planned for production, and it’s estimated they could run from €130,000 to €150,000 ($200,516 to $231,365 CAD).
Polestar vice-president Duncan Forrester said that the Polestar 1 is a halo model, intended to drive awareness of the brand. One will go on a world tour this year, in anticipation of production beginning in 2019. All Polestar models are slated to be built in Chengdu, China at a facility owned by Volvo’s parent company Geely.
Forrester said that the smaller Polestar 2, which he anticipates being built in the “tens of thousands,” will be a sportier model than the Tesla. “Every electric car is fast,” Forrester said. “Ours will be quick, but we want to make sure that when you’re on an exciting, dynamic road with twisty corners, you’re still delivered a performance-car drive.
“Tesla produces very quick cars, but they don’t actually market themselves as a performance car. They’ve strictly moved away from that. In our view, the brands (with) electric vehicles offer the straight-line speed, but not the holistic performance.”
The company wants to offer its vehicles in Canada, Forrester said. It plans to sell primarily online, through a no-deposit subscription service, and with personalized delivery and maintenance service.
The company has also announced that it will later add a Polestar 3 electric SUV.


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UPDATE: The French Broad Food Co-op has canceled this event due to rain. There is no scheduled rain date at this time.
With chickens, tomatoes and pollinator gardens popping up in every corner — from backyards to apartment balconies to rooftops — it certainly seems Asheville is a city that is enthusiastic about urban farming and homesteading. With spring in full swing, growers, DIY enthusiasts and the homestead-curious will find the perfect venue to prepare for the season as the French Broad Food Co-op holds its third annual Urban Homestead Fair on Saturday, April 25.
The fair, held in the co-op parking lot on Biltmore Avenue, will include over 30 vendors and educators offering information and products related to permaculture, alternative energy, hops and mushroom growing, fermentation and even bread-oven building.
Bobby Sullivan, general manager at the co-op, notes that providing a space for community education is one of the “five bottom lines” that the co-op holds itself to. The fair, he says, really brings together “everyone you need to meet” for a successful urban homestead.
“In the grocery store business there’s not a whole lot of infrastructure for us to hold regular classes or do as much community outreach as we’d like,” Sullivan says. “We decided to organize the fair so we could fulfill that mission of education by bringing all the best of what we think Asheville is about right to our parking lot — that way the public can be exposed to everything from beekeeping to making soap to gardening to keeping livestock.”
Sullivan adds that this year’s fair will feature less of an emphasis on live music (to decrease noise and facilitate more conversation) but will have more activities for children, including a bounce house and crafting stations. Local growers will also be offering spring plant starts, which Sullivan says are one of the fair’s most popular assets.
“There’s a ton of activity around buying plant starts because, of course, it’s spring,” Sullivan notes. “We’re one of the most biodiverse regions in the whole U.S., and this is a really great example of the magic that Asheville has to offer. So many people who live here are experts at growing everything from fruit trees to herbs to organic crops. The people who sell this stuff are just incredible.”
The French Broad Food Co-op Urban Homestead Fair is free to attend and will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.


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Ctrip and iQiyi in premium services partnership
Online video website iQiyi and online tourism agency Ctrip yesterday announced a partnership for a premium membership system offering paying users special travel and entertainment services.
The partnership between the Nasdaq-listed companies gives customers access to premium products on both platforms.
These include iQiyi’s no-advertising service, exclusive videos and high-definition videos and Ctrip’s travel coupons, lounge access and free-cancelation policy.
“We want to establish an ecosystem to better serve our users on both entertainment and trips, whether they are at home or on the road,” said Yang Xianghua, president of iQiyi’s membership and overseas business group.
Chinese customers are now more willing to pay for premium services, creating a growing market for tailored products.
IQiyi, with more than 80 million paid users, has a similar premium partnership with online retailer JD.com.
Ctrip is now China’s biggest online travel agency.


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On the first of August we got the chance to see some leaked specs for the future LG V20. Though everybody was happy to see some potential information on the upcoming phone, something seemed a bit off: LG would supposedly decrease the size and the resolution of the screen, which seems very implausible. This is why a new round of leaks, released today, seems to make more sense.
According to the new leaks, LG will keep the same screen size (5.7 inches) and resolution (1440×2560). Regarding its other specs, it seems that the company will run on a Snapdragon 820 processor, so it features an Adreno 530 GPU and a quadcore CPU. You will also supposedly receive 4 GB RAM and the device will include a secondary screen similar to the one chosen for the original model.
On the back of the device you will find a 21 MP camera and a dual front camera, just like the old V10. Of course, what other OS could this great phone have than the newest Android 7.0 Nougat, which will be pre-installed on it.
Everybody is expecting the V20 to be released somewhere during the next month, based on pretty much the same build as the V10. If it gets released in September, this means that it will directly compete with Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus and Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7. Moreover, if we think about the fact that LG G5 has been actually a fail on the market, no wonder LG will place all its bets on the next model. Let’s just wait and see how much LG wants to catch up with their rivals Samsung and Apple, who have been fighting for the first place on the market for months now, if not years.
This is what we know so far about LG V10, remains to be seen whether or not more will be revealed soon. Stay tuned for the latest information about the new LG device, we will update the article as soon as there are any more leaks.


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US Oct manufacturing index dips to lowest levels since 2013
Some economists cited a strong dollar and lower oil prices, which have weakened major oil companies’ spending activities, as the main reasons behind weaker manufacturing activities.
ISM’s report also showed that the new orders sub-index rose to a reading of 52.9 in October from 50.1 in September while export orders posted fresh declines. In addition, the employment index also fell for the first time in six months, declining to its lowest levels since August 2009.
More free plastics newsPlastic resin (PP, LDPE, LLDPE ,HDPE, PVC, GPS; HIPS, PET, ABS) prices, polymer market trends, and more...
- PET prices weaken further in Asia and Mediterranean
- Vietnam PP market yet to respond to faltering upturn in China
- Turkey’s PE market stuck between weak fundamentals and up pressure from China
- Firming PP trend falters in China’s local market
- European players question if bottom is near for PE
- Asian ABS players turn cautious after recent rally
- July PVC dealt lower in Europe, what lies ahead for August?
- China’s Jan-May total polymer imports hit a record of nearly two decades
- India’s local PVC market soars to 6-month high after customs hike
- China’s export PET market faces correction after rising 10% from two-year-low


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The Jan/Feb issue of PKN is out now, featuring the packaging trends to look out for in 2020, and including our exclusive Machinery Matters supplement.
The latest issue is on its way to subscribers in the mail, but if you can't wait, the digital version is available here.
HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE
On the cover, automation and integration specialist Foodmach has launched a new line of Robomatrix case packers, and CEO Earle Roberts provides pointers on Industry 4.0 integration in our feature on page 46.
In ‘Industry’s 2020 vision’ starting on page 10, a panel of experts weighs in on what the future holds for Australian manufacturers and suppliers. And for FMCG packaging in particular, we talk trends with TetraPak Oceania MD Andrew Pooch in 'The big paradox of consumer preference' (page 32).
Plastic is once again in the spotlight in this issue. In our Sustainability section on page 14 we take a look at APCO’s plans around plastics for meeting the 2025 National Packaging Targets. Meanwhile, the anti-plastic sentiment might be creating impetus for growth in biobased materials for packaging, as Des King writes in ‘Green Expectations’ – his report on the latest European bioplastics conference, starting on page 42.
We also speak to Kate Bezar, co-founder of The Better Packaging Co, who has developed a range of compostable, biodegradable, and recyclable packaging for e-commerce. (See page 45).
Packaging’s role in preventing food waste is another focus, and in the AIP’s Tech Speak column (page 16), Nerida Kelton outlines the importance of adjusting date labelling communication systems (Best Before and Use By dates) to prevent food wastage.
In People in Packaging (page 21), we talk to Richard Fine, founder of Australian-based sustainable and renewable packaging manufacturer BioPak, the recent recipient of APCO’s Outstanding Achievement in Industry Leadership award.
Other special features and regulars include Active & Intelligent Packaging (page 38), Industry 4.0 (page 46) – plus don’t miss our special Machinery Matters supplement produced in partnership with APPMA .
And of course, we have the latest news, design case studies, new products and more – all available in a click.


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At a 3G auction held in Bangladesh, Bharti Airtel’s subsidiary, Airtel Bangladesh has managed to bag 5MHz of third generation (3G) spectrum for $105 million. The other successful bidders were Grameenphone, which bought 10MHz, while Robi and Banglalink managed to secure 5MHz.
A total of 25MHz of 3G spectrum was sold to four telecom operators earning Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) a total of $525 million. Bangladesh is seemingly a late entrant in the 3G arena; however, with four telecom operators now owning the 3G spectrum, the actual rollout won’t take long and Bangladeshis will have access to high-speed internet and video telephony through supported handsets.
The bidding didn’t even last for five minutes and the competition wasn’t intense as there were only four operators and only four licenses were to be awarded. Sunil Kanti Bose, BTRC Chairman said, “There was no scope of an intense competition here as only four licences were given and there were four applicants.”
Airtel is pleased with the development and has revealed that it will be putting its south Asia experience to use in Bangladesh and will provide the best of voice and data experience to its users. “Airtel is pleased to have been awarded 3G license in Bangladesh along with 5Mhz of spectrum. Being an experienced 3G operator in the South Asia region, we are committed to enrich our customers’ voice and data experience in Bangladesh through unique life style products and 3G services.”


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Originally Posted by azarhal
The Dead Space franchise being cancelled is a rumor until no Dead Space games is announced in the next 2-3 years. Visceral Studio Montréal closing down is not a rumor despite the article saying it is and it's an insults to all those employees who just lost their jobs saying that it is.
Originally Posted by JDR13
My only issue would be the author stating that they've "effectively axed the series" which seems premature.
However, I think we both know that it's highly unlikely for a company like EA to revisit a brand that failed to meet their expectations once before.


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A Farm Grill & Rotisserie favorite, now available at New England Country Mart
Greek restaurant Farm Grill & Rotisserie announces that their signature Greek dressing is now available through local grocery delivery service, New England Country Mart, known for its artisan brands, nutrient-rich food and community connections.
The locally made dressing has been a hit item at Farm Grill since they opened 25 years ago. The dressing is sold at the store and it's always in demand. One family reported that it even helped cure their child’s carrot aversion when used as a dipping sauce.
“We are thrilled to be selling our dressing with New England Country Mart,” said Farm Grill owner Alex Iliades. “Their broad reach will give more New Englanders a chance to enjoy a taste of Greece.”
Many shoppers have made the shift towards grocery delivery with the help of services like New England Country Mart, a premium, family-owned fresh produce and grocery retailer.
Co-founder Elyssa Kotzen says, “New England loves Farm Grill. When so many shoppers are limiting their trips to the store, this is one more way our customers can connect with and support local restaurants and enjoy this beloved item.”
Farm Grill’s dressing is sure to liven up any dish, salad and beyond. It enhances the restaurant’s delicious and healthy Mediterranean menu, including many vegetarian specialties and side dishes.


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Craig Rexroad, Thai Union’s communications director for North America, told SeafoodSource on Monday, 17 March at Seafood Expo North Amercica that his company is amped up about its subsidiary Chicken of the Sea’s new Infusions line of tuna cups, which received a full launch in the first quarter of 2019.
The single-serving recyclable plastic cups hold 80 grams of shelf-stable tuna and come in four flavors – Lemon & Thyme,… Read More
It was like the first day of school when Martha Stewart's culinary director, Thomas Joseph, arrived at the 2019 Seafood Expo North America event in Boston, Massachusetts on its opening day.
Joseph, who is a 2017 James Beard Award winner, pulled up to the continent’s largest seafood trade event with the four initial offerings under the Martha Stewart brand’s latest seafood product line in tow, ready for their debut. The products… Read More
Representatives of 14 companies from the municipality of Gloucester, Massachusetts met with the state’s governor, Charlie Baker, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, U.S. Representative Seth Moulton, State Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, and Gloucester Mayor on Monday, 18 March at Seafood Expo North America.
The elected officials each took turns praising Gloucester and the quality of its seafood, and proclaimed their support for an… Read More
Fresh off another run to the finals of the Seafood Excellence Awards, presented on Sunday, 17 March at Seafood Expo North America in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., frozen seafood company Cheating Gourmet is undergoing a rebranding.
The Auburn, Maine, based company will now be called Scott and Jon’s, after Cheating Gourmet Co-Owners Scott and Jon Demers. The company did not provide additional information as to the reasons for the name… Read More
The Indonesian Pole & Line and Handline Fisheries Association (AP2HI), along with the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, celebrated the launch of a new Indonesian “one-by-one” tuna brand on 18 March during Seafood Expo North America 2019.
The new brand – which has the combined efforts of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the International Pole and Line Foundation (IPNLF) behind it… Read More
Patagonia seafood supplier Latitude 45 is debuting three ready-to-eat smoked salmon products at the 2019 Seafood Expo North America event, taking place in Boston, Massachusetts this week from 17 to 19 March.
The new offerings include 10-ounce Smoked Atlantic Salmon Pre-Sliced Loin, eight-ounce Smoke Roasted Flakes, and 16-ounce Smoke Roasted Flakes.
Response was positive for Latitude 45’s six-ounce Cold Smoked Salmon Loin,… Read More
Five Scottish seafood companies have arrived in Boston, Massachusetts this week with industry body Seafood Scotland to take part in Seafood Expo North America from 17 to 19 March.
The delegation of companies exhibiting under the blue Seafood Scotland banner at SENA19 this week include Loch Fyne Oysters, the Scottish Salmon Company, Dawnfresh, Wester Ross, and Scottish Seas. Renowned Scottish chef Mark Greenaway has also been in attendance on… Read More
Samuels and Son Seafood is expanding both its number of locations and its menu of seafood offerings.
After expanding into Orlando and Las Vegas last year, the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.-based wholesale restaurant supplier is opening additional locations in the Boston, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Houston areas, according to marketing communications manager William Bradford.
“With the reception that we’ve seen in our new… Read More
Dutch food ingredients company Corbion has partnered with Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.-based celebrity chef Sammy Monsour to educate consumers about how its research into algae-based aquaculture feed is paying off.
Corbion debuted an educational video showcasing salmon that Chilean-based Ventisqueros – which sells in the U.S. via the BluGlacier brand – raised using feed containing its AlgaPrime DHA during Seafood Expo… Read More
Open Blue announced the debut of a new open-ocean raised Pacific snapper during Seafood Expo North America 2019.
The new product, which comes as both frozen and fresh headed and gutted, the debut is the first time Pacific snapper has been commercially produced using mariculture. Produced by Earth Ocean Farm, the new product represents roughly five years of research and development by the company.
“For the first time in the… Read More


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Express pays £100m for Glanbia in UK
EXPRESS DAIRIES is paying £100 million for the UK dairy business of Glanbia.
Express plans to shut most of the five dairy plants purchased from Glanbia, the Irish foods group, with the loss of hundreds of jobs.
The deal gives Express 9% of the market in England and Wales and almost 30% of the supply of milk to doorsteps, supermarkets and small shops.
It is expected to be scrutinised by the Office of Fair Trading.
Express has held back £10m of the consideration in case the deal is referred to the Competition Commission.
The Glanbia UK milk operation made a trading profit of £18m last year. It has since lost its Asda and Safeway contracts and half of its Tesco business.
Glanbia, formerly Avonmore-Waterford, warned its profits this year would be hit by weakness in the Irish milk market and poor results in pork and UK cheese.
- Express to take over Glanbia in UK – confirmed, FWi, yesterday (01 June, 1999)
- Express to take over Glanbia?, FWi, 25 May, 1999
- The Times 02/06/99 page 24, page 26 (Tempus)
- The Independent 02/06/99 page 18
- Financial Times 02/06/99 page 23
- The Guardian 02/06/99 page 23
- The Daily Telegraph 02/06/99 page 32
- The Herald 02/06/99 page 23


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By Chas Jenkins
Published: Aug. 28, 2021 at 5:15 PM EDT
HARLAN COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) – In partnership with Backroads of Appalachia, the Porsche Club of America donated 10,000 worth of toys to the Tri-City Empty Stocking Fund Saturday.
Director Erik Hubbard said it was a successful day.
“Anytime I see a Porsche, a Lamborghini, a Mercedes come into Eastern Kentucky, I call it a win for Kentucky,” Hubbard said. “They do have a mission, they are a nonprofit, which makes us partner great together. Not just the Tri-City Empty Stocking Fund but also Shop With a Cop and Kentucky State Patrol, they also raised money and toys for them as well today.”
Hubbard said it is always great to see things like this in the county.
“It’s the best to work with guys that’ve got a passion for the same thing I’ve got,” Hubbard said. “To go fast in a car or a motorcycle and help out the community. That’s what it’s all about.”
Tri-City Empty Stocking Fund Director Jeff Sim said it creates a massive impact.
“We’re excited to see what we’re going to get and how it’s going to add to the toys we get from other drives that we do but this is definitely one of the biggest,” Sim said.
Porsche Club of America Event Organizer Leandro Nascimento said his wanted to lend a helping hand.
“We believe that no kids should stay without a toy all year long and especially during the holiday season,” Nascimento said. “We love driving on those roads but it’s not just about driving, it’s really giving back to the community.”
Sim said this donation will help provide todays to several kids in the area.
“Organizations like this contribute to the drive that we have for the toys, and we give out 600 food baskets and each child in each house gets two gifts,” Sim said. “So, this is going to be a wonderful help to us.”
Hubbard said he is thankful to everyone who made it possible, with the creation of the Dragon Slayer Highway 160 making the journey easier.
“Not just for our tourism and our travelers coming in with a brand-new beautiful road,” Hubbard said. “It’s also a safe place for our locals now, to travel to and from the mountain over in Virginia and back.”
Hubbard said more than 30 Porsches came to deliver the toys.
Copyright 2021 WYMT. All rights reserved.


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The Bullring was evacuated earlier today as a man armed with a machete was arrested.
A 28-year-old was detained on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon.
A bag left in the centre was initially thought to be suspicious, but found to contain toiletries, West Midlands Police said.
Staff were ordered to clear the showpiece city centre mall before 9am on Wednesday, June 24
Workers were told to move away and onto New Street.
Pictures on social media showed a van blocking New Street near the entrance to the mall.
We covered the incident below
Closing of updates
We are ending our live coverage.
Thank you for joining us. Have a good afternoon.
These are the shops that have reopened at Bullring as lockdown eases
It’s business as usual now at Bullring - except if you haven’t visited since lockdown yet, you’ll find some big changes in place when you go.
There’s perspex screens at tills, contactless payments, social distancing measures and increased cleaning throughout.
Lots of non-essential stores opened their doors last Monday - here are the stores that are open so far.
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Bullring opens as normal to shoppers
Shoppers were unaffected by today’s dramatic arrest and evacuation.
Bullring doesn’t open until 10am so, fortunately, no customers were at risk when a man, 28, was spotted at the centre carrying a machete.
It did, however, affect workers around the shopping mall who had to be evacuated onto New Street at around 8.30am this morning.
A Bullring spokesman has confirmed that the shopping centre opened as usual at 10am for shoppers, after bosses worked with the police to ensure customer safety.
Passer-by praises the police for their actions
A passer-by, who kindly shared his photos of today’s incident with us, has praised West Midlands Police for their handling of the arrest and evacuation.
Adey Wheeler, an assistant headteacher from Birmingham, posted on Twitter first thing to say that Bullring had been evacuated.
He followed this up around an hour later with this post: “We are all clear and staff have been allowed back into the Bullring!
“The police have handled this brilliantly and have ensured of the safety of everyone in and around the area.”
Here's what we know so far
A man was spotted carrying a machete at Bullring this morning - leading an evacuation of the area at around 8.30am.
There were also reports of a suspicious package so workers were told to move and make their way to New Street whilst officers dealt with the issue.
A man, aged 28, has been arrested. Read our full report here
Second Bullring evacuation in just five days
Today’s incident has led to the second evacuation at Bullring in less a week.
On Saturday - the first weekend the shopping centre reopened following lockdown - shoppers had to be evacuated for hours.
This was due to a small fire that led to lots of smoke. Five fire engines attended the scene. Read our full report here
Bullring has now reopened
Bullring bosses have confirmed that the shopping centre has now reopened following the police incident.
A spokesman said: “We can confirm that the centre has now fully reopened. Thank you for your patience.”
Man with a machete at Bullring
Police have confirmed that the Bullring was evacuated due to a man armed with a machete was spotted at the shopping centre.
A West Midlands Police spokesman said:
The Bullring was evacuated briefly this morning after a 28-year-old man, armed with a machete, was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon.
A bag left in the centre was initially thought to be suspicious, but found to contain toiletries.
What West Midlands Ambulance is saying
West Midlands Ambulance Service has been alerted to the incident at Bullring.
A spokesman said:
“We were called by the police at 8:29am to makes us aware of an incident at the Bullring in Birmingham.
As it stands, we are not needed at the scene and are liaising with police.”
Reports of a 'suspicious package and a man with a knife'
Police have confirmed they were called to reports of a ‘suspicious package and a man with knife.’
We’re awaiting more details on this now ...
Watch people being evacuated from Bullring
This video, shot by Adey Wheeler on Twitter, shows people being evacuated from Bullring this morning:
Bullring confirms evacuation
We’ve spoken to Bullring management and bosses at the shopping centre have confirmed that the area has been evacuated.
A spokesman said:
“The safety of our customers, colleagues and retailers is our number one priority.
Following guidance from the local authorities the centre has been temporarily evacuated.
This is now a matter for the police and we are helping them with their enquiries.
We will reopen as soon as we can.”
Workers have been told to move away and onto New Street
Adey Wheeler posted on Twitter at 9am to say that people had been told to move onto New Street.
He said: “The Bullring has been evacuated, workers have been told to move away and onto New Street.”
Bullring evacuated due to 'police matter'
Workers based around Bullring have been evacuated.
We’re getting reports that this is a ‘police matter’ and will bring you updates as soon as we have them ...


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Conan is getting a trim this winter. TBS just announced the new, half-hour version of the TV show will debut in January.
As previously announced, Conan is switching to a 30-minute format. The revamped version of the late-night talk show will continue to feature celebrity interviews, comedy skits, and musical guests.
The revamped version of Conan premieres on TBS on January 22nd.
See the announcement and read more info below:
LOS ANGELES, December 18, 2018 – The longest-tenured host in late-night will return for his ninth season on TBS and 26th year on television, debuting a new thirty-minute format four nights a week in its regular timeslot starting on January 22, 2019. The revamped late-night show and expanded Team Coco fan experience will define a new era in multi-platform comedy.
“My three-month absence can only mean one thing – radical cosmetic surgery. Tune in January 22nd for a true freak show,” added O’Brien.
The show’s new format will continue to feature celebrity guests and Conan’s signature brand of comedy, which has made him one of the world’s most popular hosts across both digital and linear platforms. Conan continues to evolve the genre by challenging conventions, taking creative risks and discovering and fostering new comedic talent. Team Coco will continue the travel series, CONAN: Without Borders which won an Emmy in 2018.
In the past few months, Conan launched the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast. It debuted in the top spot on the Apple charts November 19 with guest Will Ferrell and has continued to grow week-over-week with millions of downloads. Concurrently, Team Coco took to the road with a live tour, Conan & Friends: An Evening of Stand-Up and Investment Tips, selling out 18 cities including New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. During the tour, Team Coco launched the second iteration of its sold out, multi-day, pop-up comedy club Team Coco House as part of New York Comedy Festival.”
What do you think? Are you a fan of Conan? Will you watch the revamped talk show?
The only good episodes are “Conan Without Borders”


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Poway’s Christmas in the Park to be two nights this year
The old-fashioned holiday tradition at Old Poway Park was so popular that organizers have expanded it into two nights for the first time.
Santa will arrive by train on Friday, Dec. 9 after the annual tree-lighting ceremony, which will take place at 6:15 p.m. Then Christmas in the Park will continue on Saturday, Dec. 10 with more chances for pictures with Santa.
The city’s historic Old Poway Park turns back the clock for this old-fashioned holiday tradition that includes caroling, live music, horse-drawn hayrides and night-time rides around the park on the Poway Midland Railroad.
“Christmas in the Park has been a community favorite – it was just too popular to only offer it one night,” said Poway’s Community Outreach Coordinator Rene Carmichael. “Although the tree lighting ceremony and Santa’s arrival by train is Friday only, all the rest of the festivities, including visits with Santa, will (be) there for our community to enjoy on Saturday.”
The festivities start at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 9 and will continue until 8:30 p.m. On Dec. 10, the festivities will begin at 3:30 p.m. and go until 8:30 p.m.
Admission is free and attendees of all ages can take part in free crafts, view the model train display and visit Santa. Train rides and decorating gingerbread cookies are offered for a nominal fee. There will be holiday treats available for purchase and guests can finish their Christmas shopping at the craft boutique.
Christmas in the Park is sponsored by the City of Poway and the Old Poway Park Action Committee.
Old Poway Park is at 14134 Midland Road.
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The Samsung Galaxy A12 recently passed the BSI certification.
The Samsung Galaxy A12 was announced for European markets in November 2020.
The smartphone is expected to launch soon in India.
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It was recently reported that Samsung could launch the A12 in India soon. Now information circulating the internet suggests the smartphone will be available in two variants only in India. According to 91 Mobiles, the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant will cost Rs 12,999 while the 4GB RAM and 128GB storage variant will cost Rs 13,999. The Samsung Galaxy A12(₹ 13999 at HappiMobiles) is available internationally in two more variants - 3GB RAM with 32GB Storage and 6GB RAM with 12GB Storage. It isn't clear why the bottom and top variant of the A12 are not launching in India. There is also no clear information on the launch date, but since the prices are reported as of February 15, we may soon see the smartphone launch.
Coming to the specifications of the Samsung Galaxy A12, the smartphone has a 6.5-inch HD + TFT display with a resolution of 720 × 1500 pixels. The small waterdrop notch on the display's top houses the 8MP selfie camera.
At its heart, the smartphone has the octa-core MediaTek Helio P35 processor. As mentioned above, it looks like Samsung will bring only 2 variants of the A12 to India - 4GB RAM with 64GB storage and 4GB RAM with 128GB storage. For the optics, the smartphone has a quad-camera setup at the back. It has a 48MP primary sensor paired with a 5MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor.
A 5,000mAh battery powers the entire package. It also supports 15W fast-charging and has a USB-C port. The smartphone also features the endangered 3.5mm headphone jack and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner integrated into the power button.
As we've stated above, the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant of the Galaxy A12 is expected to cost Rs 12,999 while the 4GB RAM and 128GB storage variant could cost Rs 13,999. There is no information about the availability of the smartphone.
|Release Date:||22 Feb 2021|
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Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) are blockchain-based virtual tokens that provide digital scarcity, security, and validity. They're one-of-a-kind, irreplaceable, and non-transferable, allowing for actual digital ownership of in-game items.
Even though many gaming firms' recent announcements of NFT projects have been received with harsh criticism from gamers, PUBG developer team Krafton Game Union has stated that it intends to produce an NFT game.
Reportedly, the firm has reached a deal with Naver Z, the operator of the Metaverse platform Zepeto, to launch a new Web 3.0 and NFT initiative aimed at establishing an NFT metaverse platform. There's no indication that Krafton's NFT project will be directly tied to PUBG; instead, the company aims to utilize its PUBG expertise to create a User Generated Content production platform and virtual environments utilizing Unreal Engine.
It's a collaboration between Seoul Auction Blue and Xbyblue that uses technology to protect and curate digital art IP for the digital market. Thanks to Krafton's relationship with these two companies, if you've ever desired a PUBG Battlegrounds avatar or other game-related products, you can now acquire them. It also announced a collaboration with Naver Z, which is working on a hybrid Web3 and NFT-based platform.
Naver Z has owned Zepeto, a platform that allows players to communicate with 3D avatars using augmented reality technology, for the past four years. The technology and platform of Naver Z will be utilized to create the yet-to-be-named metaverse experience, while Krafton's skills will be used to create the world's assets.
Users will soon be able to post their own material to the site, according to the release. In a sea of AAA traditional game companies, Krafton is the latest to consider adding NFTs and the metaverse concept into their business models.


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The latest in the long running series which is promising a huge number of improvements.
Latest Articles for FIFA 09
Wolverine sales increase, but can't replace Wii Fit at the top.
Activision's movie license unable to claw its way to the top.
13th week at the top for Nintendo's health-focussed title.


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HomeGoods will open in Fort Collins
HomeGoods will hire store management and associates from the area, adding approximately 60 jobs to the local economy.
The 25,000-square-foot facility, at 4420 S. College Ave., will hold a grand opening beginning at 8 a.m. on May 6 with prizes for the first 400 shoppers.
The new location marks the fifth location for HomeGoods in Colorado. HomeGoods is an affiliate of TJ Maxx stores.
More breaking news...
CU hosting pair of entrepreneurial challenges
Fort Collins-based New Belgium is building a 133,000-square-foot brewery
Loveland resets date for fracking moratorium election
The CUCleantech New Venture Challenge - a regional semifinal for the national competition in
The Loveland City Council this week agreed to hold the election June 24, the same day


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TOKYO (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp is in talks to sell a minority stake in its flash memory business to U.S. chips business partner Western Digital Corp in a bid to boost its capital base, a source briefed on the discussions said on Wednesday.
Toshiba said in a statement earlier that it had been considering various options for its memory business, including a spin-off, but that nothing concrete had been decided.
California-based data storage company Western Digital operates a NAND flash memory plant in the city of Yokkaichi in Mie prefecture with Toshiba.
- PHOTOS: 16 Betty White quotes to brighten your day17 Pictures
- PHOTOS: It was a stylish No Pants Subway Ride 2019 in NYC19 Pictures
(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Himani Sarkar)