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U.S. corp. 4th quarter profits top $1 trillion
Thanks to a rebound among financial companies, U.S. corporate profits were $1.68 trillion in the fourth quarter, the highest nominal total since the U.S. government began keeping track more than 60 years ago.
Year over year, fourth-quarter profits expanded by 18.3 percent, while the quarter over quarter growth was 2.3 percent.
Analysts from Royal Bank of Scotland said profits have grown for eight consecutive quarters since the fourth quarter of 2008. In the most recent two quarters, though, profit growth has been driven by the financial sector, which took staggering blows during the credit crisis of 2008.
In contrast, nonfinancial corporate profits fell 2.3 percent in the fourth quarter.
The story says the company is in the initial stages of discussions and has not yet selected banks to lead the IPO. A Dunkin’ spokesperson would not comment on the report.
The popular coffee and doughnut company reported global system-wide sales of $7.7 billion and opened hundreds of new locations worldwide in 2010.
Nuance shares rise on Apple iPhone report
Nuance Communications Inc. (Nasdaq:NUAN) shares closed up 7 percent on Wednesday after an analyst said the company is expected to be Apple Inc.’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) voice recognition partner for the next-generation iPhone.
The Burlington-based firm, maker of Dragon speech recognition software, saw shares rise to $19.55 on Wednesday following the report from Soleil Securities. Shares in the company were flat as of the market close on Thursday.
For Apple’s iOS 5.0 for the next-generation iPhone, Soleil wrote that it believes Apple’s partner for the phone’s voice recognition technology is Nuance.
“We believe that the depth of the Apple/Nuance relationship is far deeper than Wall Street realizes and will serve as a significant catalyst for the shares,” the firm wrote.
In November, Nuance shares jumped after Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak told a tech blog that Apple had acquired Nuance. The comments were dismissed as speculation by Nuance.
Williams College issues $89.2 million in bonds
With a plan to build a library and media center and complete other capital projects, Williams College has issued $89.2 million in bonds through MassDevelopment, the Williamstown college announced Wednesday.
Other projects included in the bond issue are improvements to the college’s football and track and field facilities, a renovation of an historic performance space, and other repair and renewal initiatives campus-wide, according to a press release.
Report: Smartphone sales to grow by 50% in 2011
Framingham-based International Data Corp. is forecasting a nearly 50-percent growth in smartphone sales in 2011.
IDC says smartphone vendors will ship 450 million more units in 2011 than they did in 2010.
“Overall market growth in 2010 was exceptional,” said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, in a statement. “Last year’s high market growth was due in part to pent-up demand from a challenging 2009, when many buyers held off on mobile phone purchases. The expected market growth for 2011, while still notable, will taper off somewhat from what we saw in 2010.”
IDC says the smartphone market will grow more than four times faster than the overall mobile phone market.
Appeals court rules against Talbots
The Massachusetts Appeals Court ruled against Talbots Inc. (NYSE: TLB) in a case that hinged on whether the Hingham-based retailer structured a transaction in a manner designed overwhelmingly to avoid taxes.
The appellate court upheld a state tax court ruling that also had gone against Talbots.
At the center of the case was a licensing arrangement Talbots entered into in the early 1990s before its initial public offering.
Talbots management, Tuesday’s court ruling states, set up a wholly owned subsidiary to buy certain marks. Talbots then licensed those marks from the subsidiary. Talbots then deducted the royalty payments it made in exchange for the use of the marks.
The state revenue commissioner objected and disallowed the deduction, sparking the legal case that made its way to the appeals court.
In ruling against Talbots, the appeals court invoked by name the “sham transactions doctrine,” which governments use in determining people or companies have structured transactions with no purpose other than to avoid taxes.
The ruling does not explicitly detail the financial implications for Talbots.
Baystate Medical makes study’s 100 best list
An annual study from Thomson Reuters found that eight Massachusetts hospitals were among the top 100 in the country, based on 10 metrics including patient safety, patient satisfaction, profitability and expenses.
Four large Boston teaching hospitals made the list including Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Caritas St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Additionally, in the large teaching hospital category, Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, made the list.
Massachusetts community hospitals named to the top 100 nationwide include Beverly Hospital, Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester and Winchester Hospital.
The study authors said that if all patients received care at the same level as those at the top 100 hospitals, it would have the following benefits to the health care system:
- Nearly 116,000 additional patients would survive each year.
- More than 197,000 patient complications would be avoided annually.
- Expense per adjusted discharge would drop by $462.
- The average patient stay would decrease by half a day.


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By Bruce Horovitz, USA TODAY
McDonald's fries have always given Burger King heartburn - but watch out Ronald McDonald.
In a move destined to shake up the fast-food industry, Burger King Tuesday will unveil a simple but startling french fry innovation: french fries with 30% less fat and 20% fewer calories than BK's current fries. (And 40% less fat and 30% fewer calories than McDonald's fries.)
They've dubbed the new product Satisfries - not to replace BK's classic fries, but to be sold in addition to them. And they will be crinkle-cut, like old-fashioned fries.
The move comes at a time consumers are increasingly demanding healthier options - even in so-called junk food. The low-cal, low-fat fries will cost 20 cents to 30 cents more per serving (except in Kids Meals, where there will be no price difference). All Burger Kings in North America will begin selling them Tuesday.

domain: news


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In a truly astonishing betrayal of public safety (even for the FDA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration today revoked its warning about mercury in fish, saying that eating mercury-contaminated fish no longer poses any health threat to children, pr
...Morgellon’s Disease is no longer rare, nor is it mysterious any longer. A study of the fibers shows that they contain DNA from both a fungus and a bacterium.. used in the commercial preparation of genetically modified foods and non-food crops (suc
At the end of 2008, there are three consumer marketplaces that are experiencing record sales volumes—firearms, precious metals, and emergency storage food.
December 1, a SWAT team with semi-automatic rifles entered the private home of the Stowers family in LaGrange, Ohio, herded the family onto the couches in the living room, and kept guns trained on parents, children, infants and toddlers
Food stamps, the main U.S. antihunger program which helps the needy buy food, set a record in September as more than 31.5 million Americans used the program -- up 17 percent from a year ago, according to government data.
Researchers have found a molecule that could help fight obesity.
[but fuel prices are dropping] For more than a year, food manufacturers have been shaving package sizes and raising prices, declaring that they had little choice because of unprecedented increases in the cost of raw ingredients like corn, soybeans an
Traces of the industrial chemical melamine have been detected in samples of top-selling U.S. infant formula, but the FDA insists the products are safe despite having said last month that it was unable to identify any melamine exposure level as safe f
The incidence of new cancer cases has been falling in recent years in the United States, the first time such an extended decline has been documented, researchers reported Tuesday.
Your corn is sweeter, your potatoes are starchier and your turkey is much, much bigger than the foods that sat on your grandparents' Thanksgiving dinner table.
TV News Report (VIDEO)
E.U. nations are giving the green light for certain "wonky" fruits and vegetables to be sold in supermarkets as part of a drive to stop food waste. [now that starvation, poverty and revolution are about to take hold]
Though many have lost their jobs, a SPAM plant works overtime. The NY Times discovers that SPAM is on the menu at the Financial Crisis Cafe.
$o here is Debra DeMuth, McDonald'$ global nutrition director, mounting a $pirited defen$e of frie$ to five mother$ of young children at a McDonald'$ in Baltimore. "They are probably one of the most victimized food$," DeMuth $ays
Corn is central to agriculture in the United States, where it is grown in greater volumes and receives more government subsidies than any other crop. Between 1995 and 2006 corn growers received $56 billion in federal subsidies, and the annual figure
Even as the world is struggling to fight global market meltdown, the world will also have to tackle food shortage and soaring prices in the coming days.
Forty years ago, advances in fertilizers and pesticides boosted crop yield and fed a growing planet. Today, demand for food fueled by rises in worldwide consumption of meat and protein is again outpacing farmers ability to keep up. It's time for
Companies in North America have imported 200 million pounds of melamine laced milk powder, 20 million pounds or more by companies in the United States. Milk powder is used to make infant formula, candies, chocolates and baked goods.
As shock waves from the credit crisis began to spread around the world last month, China scrambled to protect itself. Among the most extreme measures it took was to impose new export taxes to keep critical supplies from leaving the country.
Fluoride is being added to children’s milk in 42 schools throughout the city of Sheffield in the UK, despite the chemical’s proven link to liver and kidney damage, cancer and the lowering of IQ. (Did you ever think that's why they do it?)
Pulling an all-nighter on Election Night? What’s the best source of “energy”? We rate the energy odrinks, coffee and other popular beverages you might be thinking of–oh, and chocolate, too.
Classify this under yuck! But, I just had to share this with you if you can stomach it.
The investigation in the Chinese milk scandal continues. It appears the Chinese government colluded with Chinese industry in a contamination-for-profit enterprise that killed and sickened those who ingested the milk products around the world.
No one really knows who actually dropped the green beans into the fire and witnessed their alchemical change into aromatic roasted beans. What we do know is that it's the perfect result of exquisitely roasted seeds from berries that can be blacke
The next phase in this controlled disintegration will be distribution bottlenecks in supplies of real commodities. Food being the most important.
A company says 3-D nanoparticles boost the efficiency of water desalination and water purification.
Pix from inside the Heart Attack Grill, where raging Political Incorrectness is rampant. The owner refers to it as "food pornography": Fries cooked in 100% Pure Lard, Triple-Bypass Burgers which feature 2 1/2 pounds of meat and the staff dr
So you're thinking about building a chicken coop but don't want to spend a fortune on coop plans and building materials? This was my thought when I built my own coop a few years ago.
Liberated Yard (since 1990): Growing food not grass. Providing not only beauty but food, medicine and income.


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South Florida Chefs Come Together for Hurricane Irma Relief
Property damage and financial hardship are widespread in the Florida Keys in the wake of Hurricane Irma, and many residents are desperate.
Chef Adam Brown of The Cooper in Palm Beach Gardens, along with En-Flux private chef Troy Sheller, are organizing a massive effort to help food and beverage hospitality employees who are out of work.
“It all started as a Facebook post,” says Brown. “The response was spontaneous and amazing.
I can’t believe all the people who want to help. Thankfully, it’s growing into an area-wide, collaborative program.”
“Tourism is the lifeblood of the Keys,” adds Sheller. “It forms the basis of the economy, and the area can’t survive without restaurants and bars. If Palm Beach County had been hit just as hard, we would be suffering equally. It’s gratifying for us that we can lend a helping hand to people in the industry.”
The relief effort is twofold:
- The participating chefs and restaurants have agreed to donate a percentage of their daily revenue from Thursday, October 5, and other services or auction items.
- A Chefs for the Keys event will be held on Friday, October 6 at the Riviera Beach Marina Village from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are $125 and will include food from the area’s top chefs, an open bar, live entertainment, and a silent auction. The event is being emceed by Mo & Sally from KOOL 105.5. Seating is limited, so please purchase your tickets at seventastings.com/chefs-for-the-keys. The event facility is being sponsored by Commissioner Dawn Pardo and the Riviera Beach CRA Marina Village Event Center.
“All our customers have to do on Thursday is show up,” says Brown. “Simply by eating and drinking in our restaurants, they’ll be contributing to those affected by Hurricane Irma. By attending the event on Friday, they can make a much larger impact.”
Current participating chefs and restaurants include:
- Addam Actis, Corner Porch
- Adam Brown, The Cooper
- Ben Burger, Mariposa
- Gustavo Calderon, 3800 Ocean at Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa
- Brian Cartenuto, Tucker Dukes and Union 27
- Lynn Dorsey, Magick in Your Kitchen
- Scott Edison, Dubliner Irish Pub
- Bruce Feingold, DADA
- Chuck Gittleman, Cask + Shaker
- Eddie Grosman, private chef
- Eric Grutka, Ian’s Tropical Grill
- Michael Hackman, Aioli
- Jeremy Hanlon, Benny’s on the Beach
- Alethea Hickman, Stonebridge Country Club
- Thomas Opt Holt, 50 Ocean
- Nina Kauder, private chef
- Seth Evan Kirschbaum, Restoration Hardware
- Michael Kuckelman, Bush Brothers
- Tim Nickey, Kapow! Noodle Bar
- Taun Norlander, private chef
- George Patti, MEAT Eatery and Union 27
- Scott Randazzo, Dubliner Irish Pub
- Mike Saperstein, Rebel House/Sunshine Provisions
- Troy Sheller, En-Flux Private Chef Services
- Charlie Soo, Talay Thai Cuisine
- Andrew Tsang, Drew’s Island Catering
- Desserts by David Innes, Sundy House
The list of sponsors and donors is growing, but currently includes:
- Accurate Event Group
- Bush Brothers
- Cod & Capers Seafood
- Commissioner Dawn Pardo
- Culinary Convenience
- Islamorada Beer Company
- Mariani Marketing & Events
- Mr. Greens
- Oceana Coffee
- Chefs for the Keys, Page 3
- Riviera Beach Marina Village
- South Florida Dines
- Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Florida
- Sunshine Provisions
- The Chefs’ Warehouse
- The Cooper, Craft Kitchen & Bar
- Twisted Trunk
- UniteUs Group
- Venue Marketing Group
- Viking Yachts
- Wellington Hospitality Group
Thursday, October 5 and Friday, October 6, 2017
Chef for the Keys
Riviera Beach Marina Village
7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
200 E. 13th Street, Riviera Beach, FL 33404
$125 per person.
Available for purchase at: seventastings.com/chefs-for-the-keys
All proceeds will benefit the food and beverage hospitality workers in the Florida Keys who are out of work due to the storm. The money is being donated to the Islamorada Beer Company team, founders of the Florida Keys Fund/Gotta Love Them Fund, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, to make sure all proceeds are distributed to those individuals.
The Keys belong to all of us.


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By Alejandro Cortez
Dominican students, faculty and staff now need go no further than the Cyber Café to load up on their favorite caffeinated beverages. Chartwell’s recently added Starbucks tea and coffee to their drink offerings.
So far, the Cyber Café only serves drip coffee and teas but Venegas said they will soon incorporate the Frappuccinos, iced teas and smoothies that many college students live on. Venegas said, “We were suppose to get [the smoothie machine] this week but we ended up getting the wrong machine so we’re hoping to start selling by next Monday for sure.”
Managing Director of the Cyber Café Stephanie Venegas said Starbucks Coffee representatives came to Dominican on March 27 to train Chartwell’s staff members how to prepare their famous beverages.
Because Starbucks drinks can be time consuming to prepare, Venegas hopes to hire a barista to lighten the workload on Chartwell’s employees.
The Starbucks kiosk opened March 30 and Venegas and staff members gave out free drink samples to entice the student body.
Venegas said the decision to switch to Starbucks was started by rumors of dislike, “From what I heard, a lot of the students were complaining that they didn’t like the coffee here.” says Venegas. Chartwell’s made the decision to do away with the Fair Trade and Organic Peruvian coffee and add Starbucks into the picture.
Freshman Erica Rocha said offering Starbucks at Dominican will increase demand by students, causing them to purchase coffee more frequently.
Sophomore Iridian Arrellano said offering Starbucks coffee will bring more attention and is a great addition to the Cyber Café. Arrellano also expressed the desire to use her Starbucks loyalty card, “It would be amazing if I can just add money to my rewards card and pay like that.” Venegas said many customers ask if they can use their Starbucks rewards cards to purchase Cyber Café coffee and earn points but, unfortunately, the registers are only equipped with credit card machines and cannot accept loyalty cards.


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By Jura Koncius
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 29, 2007
This holiday season, green is hotter than red.
For the first time, two of the nation's most famous Christmas trees -- Washington's National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse and the tree in New York's Rockefeller Center -- will be illuminated with LED energy-saving lights.
At the White House, all Christmas trees, wreaths and garlands will be shredded after the holidays and recycled as mulch. In the evenings after official events are over, all holiday lights except the Official White House Christmas Tree in the Blue Room will be switched off.
"President and Mrs. Bush are quietly doing a lot to make the White House more green," says Emily A. Lawrimore, White House spokeswoman, producing a two-page list of eco-friendly improvements including compact fluorescent light bulbs, low-flow toilets and green cleaning products. "They have done many things to make the White House as energy efficient as possible."
All this provides a shining example at a time when more and more Americans are taking seriously the environmental implications of their lifestyle and looking to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa in an Earth-friendly way.
"I don't think anyone profits when people go insane with spending on Christmas," says Jim Motavalli, editor of E, the Environmental Magazine. Every December, his family brings out an artificial tree inherited from grandparents and decorates it with vintage 60-year-old Shiny Brite ornaments stored in original boxes. "Reusing and recycling is a good thing," he adds.
That can be hard to keep in mind with all the decorating, card mailing and partying ahead. And all those gifts. If Mother Earth could talk, she'd probably ask that we all just stop shopping so much. Or give copies of Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" DVD wrapped in banana fiber.
It is a commitment. Although easier on the environment, green products -- just like organic food -- are not necessarily easier on the pocketbook, says Pam Danziger, president of the consumer research firm Unity Marketing. Current economic uncertainty, she says, means many consumers will not spend more on a gift merely for the sake of going green. "People cling to their traditions. It's going to take a lot for someone to say, 'Oh, because of global warming, maybe I should not wrap my presents in wrapping paper this year. Maybe I should use newspaper.' "
The first step in reducing Santa's carbon footprint is to get educated, so we've put together advice about alternatives. Another good idea: Check the Web site of your favorite environmental nonprofit group. Many have compiled their own green checklists and will be happy to sell you a gift membership to use as a stocking stuffer. In a stocking made of hemp, of course.Trees
A tree is a cherished hallmark of Christmas, but what's the greener choice: fake, real or a living tree with a root ball? Like so many environmental decisions, it's a trade-off.
With artificial trees, no living tree is destroyed for the sake of a few twinkling weeks, and the tree can be used year after year without replacement. Yet according to the National Christmas Tree Association, 85 percent of artificial trees are made in China of plastics and metals that are not biodegradable. They also have to be shipped long distances.
Keith Ware is a co-owner of Washington's Eco-Green Living store, which sells such products as reusable grocery bags and recycled rubber-tire floors. He says he has had the same fake tree for six years. "I didn't like paying a lot of money for a real tree and then having to throw it away," says Ware. He says he would replace it if he found an artificial tree made of entirely recycled materials.
Even at eco-friendly Web sites such as TreeHugger.com, a green-focused media outlet, there isn't a single unassailable answer to which tree choice is greenest, except perhaps having no tree at all -- hardly acceptable to the public at large. TreeHugger's 2007 Holiday Gift Guide says the latest research shows that pesticides are found on some real trees, and the country is lacking a supply of truly organic Christmas trees.
Ecologically enlightened experts suggest shopping only at local tree farms, where no fuel was used trucking the tree across the country. Ask if pesticides or other chemicals were used at the nursery.
Real trees, wreaths and garlands are biodegradable and can be chipped into mulch, compost or wood chips after the holidays. Some used Christmas trees have been repurposed to build fences to combat erosion at coastal wetlands, to create nesting structures for great blue herons and to provide cover for animals at wildlife rehabilitation sites. The 84-foot Norway spruce at New York's Rockefeller Center this year will be cut into lumber to be used at Habitat for Humanity building sites.
Living trees, sold with the root ball attached and meant to be planted after the holidays, are often trumpeted as being the truly green solution. But usually, many of the tree's roots are cut off when it is removed from the ground, making its long-term survival dubious. If you go with this alternative, make sure to choose a variety that will thrive in your climate and won't grow too large. They must be well watered and ideally should not be kept inside the house for more than a week.
There is a new concept in living trees: container Christmas trees. Louis Nichols of Loudoun Nursery in Purcellville sells container trees grown in a synthetic fabric that releases heat and helps build the root structure of the tree ( http://www.smartpots.com).
The seedlings he plants will take about 10 years to mature into six- or seven-foot trees. The majority of the roots are contained inside the fabric, with only a few reaching out and drawing nutrients directly from the soil.
"You tear off only a few roots when one is sold and taken off the lot," Nichols says. The tree can be wrapped in a trash bag indoors or kept in a large planter. Then, after Christmas, plant it in the yard or donate it to a nearby park.
If you're looking for a green approach to holiday lighting for your tree and outdoor displays, there's no downside to using LEDs (light-emitting diodes) in place of incandescent bulbs. They are sold in a range of colors and styles, remain cool to the touch, can last up to 20 years and are energy-efficient, using 80 percent to 90 percent less energy than regular bulbs.
Greenhome.com, a five-year-old online store based in San Francisco, says that conventional holiday lights used six hours a day can add $30 a month to electrical bills, while their LED counterparts would cost 50 cents to operate. LED lights were at one time more expensive than incandescent, but now indoor/outdoor LED lights can be purchased from big-box retailers for less than $10 for a 25-light strand.
A more expensive approach is to choose solar-powered holiday lights A basic strand of 50 lights, from http://www.hammacher.com, costs about $30. These lights have a solar cell and two rechargeable AA batteries. The batteries store enough solar energy to provide nine hours of outdoor light.
Brenna MaloneyHoliday Cards
More than 2.2 billion Christmas cards will be sent during the December holidays, according to Hallmark, which produced 2,600 card designs for the 2007 season, according to company spokeswoman Linda B. O'Dell.
And consider this: The use of e-mailed cards of all kinds -- marking birthdays, Mother's Day and other events -- is booming, up 23 percent already this year compared with 2006. That trend is expected to continue through the end of the year, according to Megan Ferington, a spokeswoman for American Greetings, which has three online sources for e-cards. (Hallmark also offers more than 100 styles of holiday e-cards.)
Sending a computer greeting saves paper, transportation and postage. But if hitting the delete button after reading a card just isn't as heartwarming as propping a paper card on the mantel, there are still Earth-friendly strategies. First, buy only cards made with recycled content. This is getting easier all the time as major card companies use more recycled paper.
Don't buy vinyl-coated, glittery or fuzzy cards, which can't be recycled. At http://www.greatgreengoods.com, you can find links to cards made with recycled paper and printed with vegetable ink. One is a drawing of a reindeer with an energy-saving bulb on his nose and the message "Rudolph Switches to Compact Fluorescent."
Another tactic: Resolve to repurpose those pretty paper cards. Save them for the holidays next year, then cut up your favorites and turn them into gift tags.
If you find yourself increasingly tempted by the eco-sensible ease of sending holiday greetings online, consider the ways you can personalize that approach. One suggestion: Put together a family slide show on a photo-sharing Web site such as http://www.flickr.com or http://www.shutterfly.com instead of printing a photo and mailing it to everyone on your list.


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Three feasibility studies were announced on Wednesday for Australian manufacturers wanting to contribute to the build phase of the first three Hunter Class frigates.
Federal government to invest $211 million in fuel security to protect against risk and price pressures
The government is seeking to have the $200 million grants for new storage matched by state governments or industry. Its focus will be on projects in strategic regional locations, connected to refineries and with connections to existing fuel infrastructure.
Australia and Germany have signed a declaration of intent on a feasibility study “into the potential for closer collaboration and the future development of a hydrogen supply chain”.
Anthony Pratt, the executive chairman of packaging company Visy Industries, has said he believes manufacturing is coming back into style in Australia after demonstrating its importance during the pandemic.
Economic growth in current times will ask for identifying new, efficient ways of increased productivity, ways to integrate policy priorities across diverse sectors.
The world is hoping a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine will soon become available. So far, more than 160 candidate vaccines are in development.
The world’s biggest contract electronics manufacturer, Foxconn, has mentioned plans to decrease its presence in China, and that the nation was no longer the world’s factory.
An Adelaide-based reusable cup manufacturer is raising money on Kickstarter to pay for moulds that will enable local production and the creation of as many as 15 jobs in the first year. InDaily reports that eCup was preparing to have its digitally-linked cups made in China late-last year, with a cost for $15,000 to make…
Among Australia’s manufacturing community — which has been identified as a potential source of growth post-Covid — there is hope that consumers and others will buy more local goods now and when the pandemic has finally passed.
The pandemic has changed the way we think about supply chains, in particular the chains that feed our need for food, medical supplies, and defence equipment.


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Krispy Kreme, Box Inc., and Men’s Wearhouse are among the companies set to report in the after-hours Wednesday.
After the market closes Wednesday, shares of Box Inc.
Krispy Kreme US:KKD jumps 3% in after-hours trading after posting a better-than-expected adjusted profit of 24 cents share compared with FactSet analysts’ consensus earnings estimates of 22 cents a share. But revenues at the doughnut-and-coffee chain were weaker than expected.
Men’s Wearhouse Inc. US:MW is forecast to post 51 cents a share in the first quarter, down from 69 cents a share a year ago.


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Whatever Happened To ... Star Supermarkets?
Star Supermarkets was a major player in Rochester's grocery business for decades, but was finally felled by a "Coupon War" that was said to have been the longest-running such campaign in U.S. supermarket history.
Star and its major competitor, Wegmans, were doubling and tripling face value of coupons for years in the early 1980s to gain market share. So, too, were Tops Friendly Markets, an upstart in Rochester at the time, and smaller grocers like Big M Supermarkets.
By early 1984, Star was gone. But the Rochester-based supermarket firm had quite a run.
As mentioned in a 1975 article in the Democrat and Chronicle, "Star Supermarkets traces its origins to … 1893, the year Alfred Hart opened his first store on Portland Avenue. His next, on old Front Street, was the first self-server in Rochester … At one point, 144 Hart Stores were serving the area."
The chain's first "modern supermarket" opened as Star in 1940, at the corner of South Avenue and Gregory Street, according to a 1983 news article. Eventually, there were 40 or so Star Markets in the region, and the company was neck-and-neck in competition with Wegmans.
A view of the dairy and ice cream aisle inside the Star Supermarket at Pittsford Plaza in 1980.
Star, headquartered on Humboldt Street in Rochester, became publicly held in 1965, while Wegmans continues to be privately owned. The mega-grocers had different strategies for wooing customers: By the mid-1970s, Star had more stores, but Wegmans had larger ones. Star offered Top Value trading stamps, allowing customers to redeem stamps for merchandise. Wegmans was the first locally to bring in electronic checkouts, and the first to have banks located in its stores, according to a 1975 Democrat and Chronicle story.
Generic beer — for the princely sum of 99 cents a six-pack — was stocked at Star.
By 1978, Star began offering a line of lower-priced generic products, the first local grocer to do so. Wegmans followed suit. Wegmans had begun branching into other areas, namely home centers, while Star resisted.
"In its all-out bid to dominate Rochester's supermarket industry, Star Supermarkets has carefully avoided drifting into businesses where it has no expertise," Bruce Fraser wrote in a 1979 Democrat and Chroniclestory. "Star has stuck pretty much to the area it knows best — the grocery business."
The dueling chains started offering "giveaway gimmicks" in the late 1970s. Star had "Fast Cash" scratch-off tickets, and Wegmans countered with "Let's Go to the Races" game cards.
The coupon wars came next, initially on a trial basis. Dan Olmsed documented the opening salvos in a 1979 news story.
"First came the supermarket battle of the games," Olmsted wrote in the Democrat and Chronicle. "Then there was the generic joust. Now comes the double-coupon skirmish, complete with verbal thrusts and parries. The supermarket war is heating up in Rochester."
The "war" started "officially" in January 1980, when the multiple-coupon policy started regularly. The operation was anything but regular, though, with chains alternately going back-and-forth from double coupons to triple and back to double and so forth.
The effects were devastating. Analysts said the supermarkets were losing millions with multiple couponing. Star's first-quarter loss in 1982 was its first in the 17 years its stock had been publicly traded. Wegmans, being privately owned, does not disclose its financial statements.
The Peter J. Schmitt Co. finally acquired Star Supermarkets in December 1982. In one of its first changes, the company dropped Top Value stamps, a development that led to a front-page news story.
The "new" Star Market didn't last long. Schmitt changed the long-familiar logo with a more modern look a month later. Company profits continued to nosedive, but the multiple coupon policy continued. By January 1984, all of the Star stores were either converted to Bells or Apple's Fresh Food markets or closed.
The longtime Rochester grocer's star had faded, while Wegmans' shone brighter than ever.
Morrell is a Rochester-based freelance writer.


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JUL 20, 2021
TikTok is likely smaller but growing quickly. It’s noteworthy that influencer marketing spending is still a drop in the bucket when compared with social network advertising. This year, social network ad spending in the US will reach $58.66 billion.
JUN 28, 2021
TikTok: In March 2021, Walmart partnered with TikTok for a second live shopping event on the platform, following a pilot of the livestream shopping program in December 2020. Walmart hasn’t provided sales figures from the first live event but told TechCrunch in March that it received seven times more views than expected and a 25% increase in its TikTok follower count.
JUL 21, 2021
Its location-based innovations and an update on how its TikTok clone Spotlight is doing are also things to watch for. Zoom out: This quarter is likely to be a strong one—in fact, we predict 2021 as a whole will be Snapchat’s best since 2017 with ad revenues growing 45.6% to $1.82 billion. Last quarter, the company reported that revenue was up by nearly two thirds (66%) to $770 million.
OCT 30, 2020
TikTok partners with Shopify as the video app moves further into social commerce. Snap's stellar Q3 results show that advertisers are returning, and user growth is rebounding. US social network user base will grow by 3.3% to 212.1 million this year. eMarketer and Business Insider Intelligence have joined forces to become the leading research company focused on digital transformation.
MAR 18, 2020
Since launching in the US, TikTok has tried to distance itself from the legacy social platforms by promoting its focus on fun, lighthearted and irreverent content. Case in point: TikTok banned political ads in early October 2019, before Twitter did the same a few weeks later.
JUL 16, 2020
Douyin—China’s version of TikTok—and video sharing app Kuaishou, for example, both saw further increases in daily active users (DAUs) in February, compared with the same period in 2019. The pandemic has also led more businesses to try live streaming to convey ecommerce opportunities.
SEP 7, 2020
APR 2, 2021
Photo and Video: This category, which includes apps like TikTok, YouTube, and Twitch, had the greatest (56%) increase in spending, though the dollar amount for in-app spending was comparatively low, increasing from $6.30 to $9.80 between 2019 and 2020.
FEB 2, 2021
eMarketer junior forecasting analyst Zach Goldner and senior forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Oscar Orozco discuss how US media use will change in 2021: Are fewer Americans watching TV, which digital devices are being used more, and how much time is spent with TikTok and Disney+? They then talk about how much people are willing to pay for TV streaming, virtually co-viewing digital content, and whether video games have replaced music as the most important aspect of youth culture.
OCT 7, 2020
Nonetheless, we think platforms like Pinterest and TikTok could be solid options for marketers looking to experiment with niche audiences.
AUG 4, 2021
Facebook: Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp all provide a scale of mobile audience that can’t be ignored, and they increasingly have tools to drive commerce directly.
SEP 30, 2020
MAY 20, 2020
DEC 12, 2019
In our early 2019 forecast, we lowered our estimates for the country, and we continue to believe that properties such as short-video app TikTok will take away some of Facebook’s momentum. Tiktok has gained a foothold in lower-tier cities and villages in India, and its monthly active user base there was 120 million as of June 2019. Asia-Pacific Usage Growth Is Shifting from Developed Markets.
JUL 13, 2020
Audience. We updated our international Snapchat user forecast, excluding the US and UK, in June. Here are the highlights:. Snapchat’s user growth will decelerate in all regions in 2020, except the Middle East and Africa. The strong growth for both TikTok and Instagram in most regions is partially responsible for the downward trend.
MAY 27, 2021
Facebook witnessed a 2.3-hour rise, but TikTok engagement was up by a massive 7.2 hours. The same study illustrated a similar trend in Germany among Android app use, albeit most of the gains were more marginal—the amount of time that people spent with Facebook, for example, inched up by half an hour. TikTok, however, saw an even larger jump than in France, of 10 hours.
APR 14, 2021
The excitement over social audio is palpable, judging by the number of companies building out apps or features to support it, and by the number of news reports and opinion columns covering it (our own “Clubhouse and Social Audio 2021” report included). But any marketer that’s active in social media should weigh the drawbacks of entering social audio right now. Here are some key issues to consider before jumping on board.
DEC 26, 2019
Any concerns from the beginning of 2019 about the staying power of short-form video apps—led by market leader Douyin (known as TikTok outside of China)—have been erased. Short-form video users in China continued to show strong growth. We forecast that the number of Douyin users grew 27.8% in 2019 to reach 442.6 million.
JUN 30, 2021
On the social media side, Facebook and TikTok have introduced live shopping elements over the course of the past year, trying to get in on the social commerce trend.
SEP 24, 2020
FEB 25, 2020
When TikTok suddenly became a major social player, millennials were mainly bystanders. Polling in April-May 2019 by Fullscreen identified fewer than one in 10 of the 23-to-37s as past-7-days users of TikTok. That’s roughly consistent with September 2019 Morning Consult polling of internet users, where 12% of 27-to-31s and 10% of 32-to-38s said they use TikTok.
JUN 4, 2020
Jun Group, a mobile ad firm that places 85% of their ads within mobile games, saw in-app audience ad requests jump 98% between March 12 and April 5. Although this doesn’t indicate a doubling of time spent among mobile gamers, it does signify a substantial increase in mobile gaming. Game developers have been active in trying to lure new users during the lockdown.
MAY 13, 2021
Snapchat will increase its share of the market annually to account for 1.3% by the end of 2023, and expect TikTok to beef up its advertising products in the coming years. And then, of course, there’s Amazon.
MAY 30, 2019
Time spent in social networks has stagnated over the past couple of years, but time within social media apps continues to grow as users engage more frequently with stories and video formats, such as Facebook Watch or TikTok.
MAR 4, 2021
Though similar to TikTok in the West, Douyin features content specific to China and has more commerce capabilities. The internationally lesser-known Kuaishou—which went public in Hong Kong on February 5—has a bigger footprint in China’s lower-tier cities and rural areas and offers a window into the lives of ordinary people.


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Lance Armstrong's Livestrong foundation has announced the launch of its first iPhone App called Livestrong.com Calorie Tracker. The tracker works with the iPhone and the iPod touch and is available now from the App Store.
Don't Miss: Find a Nintendo Switch in stock online
The application allows users to track their calorie intake and monitor their weight to help achieve better fitness and track exercise. The tracker has a search function that allows users to track what they eat during the day and tallies their caloric intake automatically. The database has 450,000 food items and 2,000 fitness activities.
“It’s all about consistency. We all know that thinking about making a change is different from actually going out and doing something about it. Whether someone is thinking about losing weight, eating healthy, running a marathon or just incorporating regular exercise in their day-to-day life, it takes commitment and daily determination to successfully effect positive change,” said Lance Armstrong, founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) and LIVESTRONG.COM advisory board chairman.


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Have you heard? Fifth Harmony are officially donezo.
The girls performed their last show as a group the other night before heading off in separate directions for their indefinite hiatus, and it was EMOTIONAL.
But now, the exciting part! All the girls are about to embark on a new chapter in their life, starting with Normani Kordei, who has just done a 180 with her career. She's a model now.
Normani has officially signed with world-famous modelling agency Wilhelmina Models. The company represents the likes of Shawn Mendes, Niall Horan and Nicki Minaj.
In an interview with VOGUE, she opened up about how this is a dream come true for her. "Now, more than ever, I feel like music and fashion play off of each other with music being one of the great influences and artists dominating in the fashion space as well. It’s something that I wanted to be part of."
Fans were absolutely wildin' for her after they heard the news too.


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Last week we told you about the upcoming StreetPass weekend in North America. In what's a rather neat touch, Nintendo of America will be tweaking Nintendo Zone-distributed StreetPass hits so that they actually come from all around the region — a gamer on the East coast of the US could get a hit from someone on the West coast, for example. With these relays now distributing more data, too, it could be a fun way to pick up some StreetPass goodies.
We also shared the video advertising the event, which featured a peculiar scene of people in giant Mii heads dancing away at a New Years Eve party. With these StreetPass shenanigans happening this weekend — 14th-15th December — Nintendo has released another video to raise awareness. To our eyes it's one of the company's more peculiar efforts, as a cheery chap just asking to be the victim of a pick-pocket walks into a cafe that's playing some form of elevator music. He starts checking his hits and, before he knows it, those over-sized Mii heads that Nintendo of America loves so much are everywhere; they even eat and drink, despite being unable to open their mouths.
Maybe we're looking at it wrong and this is actually charming and humorous rather than, well, peculiar and creepy. Check it out below and decide for yourself.


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The next iPhone is all but guaranteed to have a 4-inch screen. The rumours long-speculated by pundits, confirmed yesterday by the Wall Street Journal, have now been corroborated by Reuters. The wire service claims to have “people familiar with the matter” who claim that Apple has ordered 4-inch screens from LG Display Co Ltd, Sharp Corp and Japan Display Inc.
The new screen size is seen by some as a move vital to Apple’s future success in the smartphone business, while others are sceptical that the device needs to get any bigger. High-end Android devices such as the recently-released 4.7-inch HTC One X and the coming-soon 4.8-inch Samsung Galaxy S III are now the norm, despite the fact that they are often difficult to use comfortably in one hand. The new iPhone, if it does increase to 4-inches, would be considered a middle ground and a compromise to those users who are enjoying more real estate on bigger Android phones.
It was recently announced that Android now has a controlling 56% of the world’s smartphone market share, and that number is increasing. But Apple maintains the vast majority of smartphone profits, with Samsung behind them at 25%.
Apple has a conundrum in its decision to increase screen sizes: does it maintain the same resolution and risk the “Retina” moniker from the iPhone 4 and 4S? Steve Jobs himself declared that a screen with a 300ppi pixel density is enough to be considered “Retina,” but a 4-inch iPhone with a familiar resolution of 960×640 would drop that number to 288ppi. Android devices, on the other hand, have recently matched and in some cases beaten that Retina-like density, by adding 1280×720 resolutions to their repertoire.
The other option would be to bring yet another resolution to the iOS family, forcing developers to once-again adopt a new iPhone resolution: the first was 480×320 and the second 960×640. To maintain a 3:2 ratio Apple would either have to increase the resolution to an astounding 1440×960 or risk existing apps not rendering properly.
Part of me thinks the whole thing is a bit of a send-up, since Apple has had no trouble selling 3.5-inch iPhones to the masses since the iPhone 3G was released in 2008. That’s not to say 3.5-inches is the ideal form factor — I have long maintained that the 4-inch size of the Nexus S was the perfect size for me — but if the public wants a larger iPhone, Apple should give it to them, right?
What do you think? Would you forsake your Android device for a 4-inch iPhone with LTE?


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In a further expansion of its vehicle financing operations Marac Finance has struck a deal with Holden New Zealand granting it exclusive rights to provide Holden branded finance and insurance.
(Update adds further detail).
The deal comes after Marac, a subsidiary of Pyne Gould Corporation, bought GMAC NZ's retail motor vehicle book for NZ$70 million in July. GMAC was the previous provider of branded finance to the Holden dealer network. The deal gives Marac the rights to promote Holden Financial Services, Holden Finance and Holden Insurance.
Chris Flood, general manager of MARAC’s personal finance business, said the deal would provide a "significant" opportunity for Marac to increase its share of the vehicle finance market.
Holden is the country's third biggest motor vehicle distributor with 33 dealers. Holden also distributes Isuzu trucks, New Zealand’s biggest selling truck brand with 10 dealers. The dealer networks will promote the finance and insurance products.
Marac has similar deals with Nissan and Suzuki, having picked up the latter when GE pulled out of car financing about two years ago. Marac also provides Kiwibank's vehicle finance and struck a joint venture with the Automobile Association (AA), in April, which saw the AA buy a 50% stake in Marac Insurance.
Flood said despite the likes of GE, GMAC, Ford Motor Credit and Provincial Finance pulling out of car financing in recent years, Marac still faced several competitors in the franchise space such as Toyota Finance, BMW Finance, UDC Finance, DaimlerChrysler Finance - with the Mercedes and Mitsubishi brands - and Motor Trade Finance.
Separately, Marac is in talks with the Southern Cross Building Society and Canterbury Building Society centred on creating a so-called "Heartland Bank." The plans envisage a NZX-listed bank headquartered in Christchurch that would aim to double its NZ$2.2 billion asset base within five years through growing family, small business and agricultural business.
Marac’s chief executive Jeff Greenslade said the Holden deal aligned with Marac's strategic direction to become a bank through the proposed merger.


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A potential trade deal between the EU and four South American countries could increase Irish exports by more than €1bn.
According to a new report brought to Cabinet, the Mercosur trade deal would also lead to a marginal reduction in Irish beef output.
Irish farmers have expressed concern that imports of beef from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay will affect their livelihoods.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Mr Varadkar said the independent study of the EU-Mercosur Agreement shows that there are broadly positive, economic effects for Ireland with over €1 billion additional exports generated due to the agreement.
However, he acknowledged that the report also finds that the deal will have a marginally negative impact on the environment in Ireland and the Mercosur countries which cannot be ignored.
Mr Varadkar, warned if the EU does not make the trade deal they might turn to China, the US or UK instead.
Government is now considering the study and decide if Ireland will back the proposed deal with South America.


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Romanian start-up Humans launches a biometrics solution for its blockchain-built platform that uses AI to create digital DNAs. The Proof-of-Human tech innovation was announced at the Dubai AIBC Summit, a global event on emerging technologies. Just last year, the deep-tech startup raised EUR 330K to develop synthetic media, with Early Game Ventures and Razvan Munteanu as the main investors.
Unlimited possibilities for digital DNAs
Humans is creating an open platform that uses AI to generate and manipulate Digital DNAs. These virtual identities, based on people’s voices, images, and gestures, can be used to create synthetic media, whose applications seem unlimited. Think, for instance, of creating book narrations by renowned actors, or shooting advertising videos with celebrities without the need for their physical presence.
Humans is backed up by a hyper-specialized team, consisting of software experts, computer vision PhD students, and international Olympic students.
“Through our permissionless platform and starting with synthetic media, we are making it easier than ever before to create all kinds of content at scale, and doing it in a way that ensures everyone who contributed is rewarded fairly through our reward mechanism. We empower everybody to build an AI, their ally, the exoskeleton for their ideas with the same agenda, with their objectives aligned,” tells Sabin Dima, CEO of Humans, to The Recursive.
Early adopters can join to create digital DNAs, validate AI decisions, create apps that shape the first use cases, and ultimately earn based on the generated usage.
Security risks? Blockchain & biometrics ensure human validation
The team chose blockchain to build a traceable and transparent environment for the platform users. Digital DNA creators will be able to distribute data securely, having complete control of its use.
Yet the use of AI can threaten blockchain security. AI’s very purpose is to learn and imitate human behavior, exposing humans to the risk of having their identities stolen by bots. By combining biometrics and the blockchain, tech leaders can keep user identities secure and controlled inside a distributed ledger system.
“The rapidly emerging synthetic media market is already known for what happens when people lose control over their digital likeness; we call them deepfakes,” shares Sabin Dima.
That is why Humans is developing the Proof-of-Human consensus mechanism, which requires proof of humanity and validates biometric data. This biological control key will verify and certify the identity of the person behind the digital DNA.
“Proof-of-Human is the cornerstone of our decentralised ecosystem. Everything that we do stems from the fact that we put ourselves at the forefront of this AI revolution. Humans become validators in an attempt to build the framework to contain, manage and govern AI,” adds the company CEO.
With Proof-of-Human, digital DNA creators will be able to distribute data securely, having control and ultimate decision making of its use. This governance system strengthens the platform’s identity management, eliminating the possibilities of personal data misuse and fake news. Behind every AI decision, there will always be a real person.
“We are levelling the playing field like never before in order to give everyone the opportunity to be in control of their digital uniqueness. While synthetic media can, of course, be used for commercial purposes like advertising, it can also be used as a way to customise educational content and create a more level playing field in finance,” says Sabin Dima.


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Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), the non-profit organisation that encourages industry collaboration on sustainability in fashion, is launching a film series with the BBC in 2023.
The series will be produced for the GFA by BBC Storyworks Commercial Productions and will focus on social and environmental sustainability in the fashion industry. It will be hosted on a dedicated BBC.com microsite and will offer an immersive experience with in-depth coverage spanning films, articles, infographics and animations.
Its aim is to educate consumers as to the scale of the issue and the promise of solutions, while also galvanising leaders in the sector to follow the blueprint of those that have been successful.
Federica Marchionni, chief executive of the Global Fashion Agenda, said in a statement: “We are delighted to be working with BBC StoryWorks to amplify educational content on sustainability in fashion.
“Indeed, to transform the industry and become net positive, it is crucial that we keep inspiring and educating people about the ways we can produce, distribute, and consume fashion sustainably. For a world beyond the next season, we invite everyone to learn and be part of a needed and possible change.”
GFA hopes to showcase the challenges facing the fashion industry in becoming more sustainable, as well as highlighting the progress being made and is calling on members of the GFA network to share their stories for potential inclusion in the series regarding social impact, materials, stewardship, and circularity.
Simon Shelley, vice president of programme partnerships at BBC Studios, added: “We’re thrilled to be creating a series with GFA looking at how fashion can put back more into society and the environment than it takes out. Fashion can change society as well as reflect it – we hope to tell stories that reflect a pivotal moment for the industry and one that will set a trend for sustainable future.”


text: The closest place where the commute hopefully won kill us, she said. Affordable and we can start paying off our bills. Couple he works for Santa Clara County and she works for the city of San Jose hope to save enough for a down payment on a home five years from now. Carpet tiles have always been around, but for some reason, they are the last choice people make when thinking of covering up their floors. While it is true that they may not be the best kind of floor covering, they are not that bad either. There are some circumstances in which using them for your flooring would even count as a good choice. “When I was on the street years ago, I never came across heroin,” said Wells, “It was either crack cocaine, weed, or booze, but heroin was always kind of one of those seedy, back ally things. Now, it’s in Granger, it’s in South Bend, it’s in LaPorte, it’s all over the place. It has to be addressed and we have to do something about it.”. As for retailers and their customers, the eventual demise of quotas will have little effect, says Wharton marketing professor Stephen Hoch, because other nations have lowered their prices to compete with China. Don think the consumer will notice it because clothing is so cheap already and has been for Cheap Jerseys some time. Hoch points out that apparel importers have little competitive advantage between them because they all use large contract manufacturers in China. Whatif some laid off caretakers can find other jobs in the city with the highest unemployment? They have less money to spend in local businesses. They may not be able to pay their taxes. They need social services, maybe a food bank. 77.3 to Prior, 133.5 kph, slightly back of a length, cheap nfl jerseys Prior pulls across the line and gets a thin bottom edge Australia have another! Spot on tactics from Clarke, Cheap NFL Jersey with Siddle getting Prior for the 11th time in Tests. It was not a shot he needed to attempt, particularly after playing and missing twice, and his woes continue. As do England’s 207/7. Not have the government, which can borrow money for almost nothing about three quarters of 1 percent for five years put up money to subsidize such stations? he writes. So would provide jobs for construction workers, and thus amount to economic stimulus that could really affect a depressed area of the economy. The unemployment rate for construction workers is now 14.2 percent, far above the rate for the rest of the economy. In some cases, the samples are clothes but, sometimes, the scam involves watches or jewellery.”The items may be counterfeit but, more usually, they are simply poor quality goods.”If anyone is approached in this way, they shouldn’t be tempted to buy the goods. If the sales rep is in a car, they should take down the registration number and report the incident to the council’s trading standards cheap nfl jerseys team or the police.”Like us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDaily NewsletterUK WorldMum of Saffie Rose ‘doesn’t yet know her beautiful daughter, 8, died in Manchester Arena terror attack’Saffie Rose Roussos was at the concert with her older sister Ashee and mum Lisa, who are both in hospital. When the attack occurredManchester terror attack’I saw suicide bomber seconds before he triggered bloodbath’ says tormented Scottish mumVicki McFarlane was with her daughter Kacey Jai at the Manchester Arena and believes she came across nail bomber Salman Abedi lurking in the foyer.Courts’He drove her to suicide’ Parents call for tragic daughter’s Cheap MLB Jerseys boyfriend to be jailed after campaign of physical and mental abuseEmily Drouet’s parents branded psychology student Milligan “an animal and a bully”.Manchester terror attackFace of evil: First picture of suicide bomber Salman Abedi emerges as it’s revealed he’d just returned from LibyaThe Manchester born bomber is believed to have headed to Libya three weeks ago to prepare for his deadly assault under the guidance of hardened jihadists.


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Princess Cruises is bringing Alaska even more to the forefront with its largest deployment ever in 2018, on sale effective Dec. 1.
In summer 2018, seven Princess Cruises ships – representing a 15% capacity increase – will sail Alaska’s pristine waters on 130 cruise departures, with more than 75% of all voyages sailing to Glacier Bay National Park, departing from Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Anchorage (Whittier).
In addition, the cruise line has over 22 cruisetour options providing guests the opportunity to journey into the interior of Alaska, visiting five custom-built Princess Wilderness Lodges.
New for 2018, Island Princess will feature a full season of calls to Icy Strait Point, a unique and remote wilderness experience, on every seven-day northbound Voyage of the Glaciers itinerary. Also new for 2018, guests looking to cruise roundtrip from Los Angeles can choose from two 12-day cruises.


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The Glendale Fire Department responded to a first-alarm blaze at a shopping plaza near 67th Avenue and Bell Road on Thursday.
Officials said the fire started inside the Batteries Plus Bulbs store shortly before 10 p.m., but was contained shortly thereafter. No injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation.
No further information was immediately available.
Stay with abc15.com, ABC15 Mobile and ABC15 News for updates.


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Mobile developer DeNA Co., Ltd. and the Pokémon Company International has announced the arrival of two new sync pairs in Pokémon Masters EX. Here's the scoop on this new Legendary development.
In an electrifying bit of news, DeNA announced that Zekrom, the Legendary Dragon from the Unova region that debuted in Pokémon Black and White, will join Pokémon Masters EX along with Trainer N. This new Synch pair is set to arrive in the game on Wednesday, December 23rd at 10 PM Pacific. This sync pair will be able to be added to players' teams through the sync pair spotlight scout. Zekrom and Trainer N are set to feature in the "The Ideal Formula" story event.
Pokémon Masters EX can preview the upcoming arrival of Trainer N and Zekrom with this official trailer which shows in-game footage.
In addition to the Trainer N and Zekrom news, there is also a Legendary from the current generation of games, Pokémon Sword and Shield, coming in a brand new event. Along with the trainer Gloria, Zacian will debut in Pokémon Masters EX starting right now. This new sync pair will be available, as will a gift of 3,000 Gems, to anyone who logs in from now until December 30th at 9:59 PM Pacific. This amount is enough to add up to 11 sync pairs to players' teams.
Players may need that amount as well, because a host of sync pairs are set to return to Pokémon Masters EX. DeNA announced the following pairs:
- Sygna Suit Red & Charizard
- Synga Suit Blue & Blastoise
- Sygna Suit Leaf & Venusaur
These three returning sync pairs will be available throughout the holiday, until December 31st at 9:59 PM Pacific. For those excited for the return of the ultimate evolutions of these iconic Kanto starters, DeNA debuted a trailer focusing on these three sync pairs as well, which can be viewed here.


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Sumeru operates at the intersection of people and technology. We have the privilege of partnering with terrific people to help scale some of the most innovative SaaS and enterprise technology platforms. Today, we are excited to announce two additions to the Sumeru Growth Team: Chris Litster has joined as Growth Partner and Ruben Mier has joined as Operating Partner. Chris and Ruben have deep backgrounds in scaling product-focused SaaS businesses. Welcome to the team Chris & Ruben!
Chris joins Sumeru as a Growth Partner, where he will focus on new investments, Board roles and advising portfolio companies. Chris served as the CEO of Buildium–an exited Sumeru portfolio company–where he led the organization to a successful acquisition by RealPage in 2019. His background includes over 25 years of operating experience as a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Revenue Officer, Chief Customer Officer and various executive/board member roles at companies including IBM, Constant Contact, WordStream, and RealPage.
Ruben joins Sumeru as an Operating Partner, working primarily on revenue scaling initiatives, such as demand generation, brand development, product marketing, web and content, sales, and GTM strategy with portfolio companies. Ruben has over 20 years of operating experience as a Chief Marketing Officer, VP, and Senior Director of Marketing at companies including Qualcomm, Housecall Pro, Seismic, and Revalize.


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Rick Owens and Brandon Maxwell Win Big at the CFDA awards
This week started off on a ceremonial note as the 2019 CFDA Awards celebrated America’s fashion leaders at the Brooklyn Museum. As Diane von Furstenberg officially handed over the torch to Tom Ford as the Council’s newest chairman, the award show’s biggest winners were Rick Owens, Brandon Maxwell, and The Row’s Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen for Menswear Designer of the Year, Womenswear Designer of the Year, and Accessory Designer of the Year respectively. American menswear bestowed Emily Adams Bode with Emerging Designer of the Year award for Bode while Jennifer Lopez stunned in red Ralph Lauren while receiving the Fashion Icon award.
Saint Laurent Does Malibu
Anthony Vaccarello unveiled his new menswear collection for Saint Laurent in Malibu last night to a celeb-filled front row with a great view of the eventide coastline. The designer drew influence from the connected two worlds of YSL’s Marrakech pilgrimages in the ’70s slammed into modern-day Californian cool. The result was a primarily noir-hued collection that fluidly wrangled with notions of gender while dialing up the glam.
Prada Spring 2020 Hit Shanghai
Earlier this week, Chinese fashion hub, Shanghai, served as the setting for the Italian luxury house’s Spring menswear show. A neon-blue corridor backdropped Miuccia Prada’s collection and Nathan Westling made his menswear runway debut following coming out as transgendered in March making the show markedly significant for the model.
France to Ban the Destruction of Unsold Clothing
The French prime minister, Edourad Phillipe, announced France has placed a ban on the destruction of unsold merchandise, a change that will take place over the next 4 years aimed at the 576 million euros of product annually wasted. The move aligns with a broader movement towards enforcing and encouraging brands to prioritize sustainability. [Dazed]
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Earlier this week, the government of France announced that they will ban the destruction of unsold merchandise – including clothing, footwear and accessories – in the next 4 years. The announcement cited £576 million of new, unsold products being disposed of in France on an annual basis. In fashion, the incineration of garments has been a hot topic since Burberry admitted to burning over £28 million of stock in an effort to protect brand image and exclusivity. We’re pleased to see the French government take action on this kind of corporate behaviour. Regulations like these not only prevent the destruction of new and perfect condition clothes, they also discourage brands from overproducing, thereby preventing garments from ending up in landfill. ? ? ? We want to see this kind of policy implemented by more countries and governments, so if you aren’t based in France, tweet, tag, or email your representatives and let them know that you want them to ban the destruction of unsold merchandise in your country. #FashionRevolution #WhoMadeMyClothes
LVMH Young Designer Prize Final Moved to September
The culmination of the competition which customarily was held in June at the Louis Vuitton Foundation has been moved to September 4th, likely because of scheduling conflicts. The 8 designers competing this year for the prize include Anrealage, Bethany Williams, Bode, Hed Mayner, Kenneth Ize, Phipps, Stefan Cooke and There Magugu. [LVMH]


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Valley firm rolling out 4,000 electric vehicle charging stations
- Chris Casacchia
Phoenix has landed its second large-scale electric vehicle charging station project as it continues to build a name for itself in an emerging market that many hope will lead the area out of the recession.
Green Fuel Technologies Inc. signed a deal last week with Campbell, Calif.-based Coulomb Technologies Inc. to install a network of 4,000 charging stations throughout the Southwest by the end of 2010.
“The infrastructure has been the last frontier,” said Green Fuel CEO John Casey. “The time is now to develop that infrastructure.”
The first five charging ports will be installed by the end of January near shopping centers, restaurants, parking structures and municipal buildings in metro Phoenix. Specific locations have not been finalized.
The birth of the first mass-produced electric car, General Motors’ EV1, dates back to the mid-1990s, but high costs, environmental apathy and a lack of infrastructure doomed that movement, but the tide has turned with the emergence of eco-sensitivity, the promise of green jobs, improved technology, and billions of dollars earmarked for the electric and hybrid vehicle market.
Chevrolet will release its electric brand, the Volt, next year. Other U.S. automakers continue to move from oil dependence to alternative energy as they struggle to produce cars coveted by American consumers.
“We’re moving away from a mechanically driven company to one that will use
electric-driven products,” said Chevrolet spokesman Dave Barthmuss. “We don’t want to be beholden to swings in gasoline prices.”
That transition will take some time, however, as 90 percent of Chevy vehicles still rely on oil for power. Furthermore, electric charging stations are scarce nationwide and are located primarily in the West. Phoenix has only one charging station, run by the city, and experts say it is outdated.
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RuneQuest was first published in 1978, quickly building a following and growing to be the second best-selling roleplaying game at its height. Over the years, it has spawned a series of new editions, passing hands through a number of publishers. Now it has returned to Chaosium, its original publisher, for a new edition that will be called RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha.
Chaosium’s creative director Jeff Richard stated the reason behind the name was “fans had been referring to the new rules variously as ‘RQ4’ and ‘RQ7.’ But our new game is simply not a layer atop the Avalon Hill edition (RQ3) or the Mongoose variants that came after that. Nor is it built from the version Design Mechanism produced under license (RQ6). So, rather than try to give the new edition a number, calling it ‘RQG’ neatly avoids any confusion.”
Citing delays that would result from funding the game through Kickstarter, Chaosium’s president Rick Meints stated “If we Kickstarted the new RQ, the campaign wouldn’t be able to be launched until September at the earliest, and if there had been stretch goals the first books would probably not be out until the middle of 2018. In our new timeline, we’ll have three RQG titles out by the end of the year.”
The three main books for the new game—the core rules, a bestiary of the world of Glorantha, and a book of scenarios—are all expected to release around Christmas this year, but an abbreviated version of the game called RuneQuest Quickstart will be available starting July 1. Chaosium plans to support the new line with six new releases each year, spaced about two months apart.
RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha is built upon the same framework as RuneQuest 2nd Edition, which was originally published in 1980. As such, it will be fully compatible with the RuneQuest Classic line as well as the updated reprints of 2nd Edition materials recently published by Chaosium (see “Classic Fantasy RPG ‘RuneQuest’ Returns”). The company is pulling in a lot of star power for the new edition, touting material written by industry veterans Steve Perrin (RuneQuest), Ken Rolston (The Elder Scrolls III: Marrowwind), Chris Klug (DragonQuest), and Greg Stafford (RuneQuest).
Chaosium has already enjoyed success reviving its classic games, with the 7th Edition of its Lovecraftian horror RPG Call of Cthulhu ranking fifth on ICv2’s Top 5 Bestselling RPG list as of last fall (see “Top 5 Roleplaying Games--Fall 2016”).


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The fine folks at Polestar have been teasing us for nigh on a year with their grand touring performance hybrid luxury thing. We've been wondering when it will start getting nearer to production and based on an announcement the company made on Wednesday, that time is now.
Polestar announced that it'd entered the final prototype phase for Polestar 1 which means, among other things, that the Polestar facility in Chengdu, China has managed to crank out around 50 prototype cars to verify that its tooling is on point and within spec.
"It's great to see how we have progressed from showing the Polestar 1 for the first time in 2017, to now having our beautiful new manufacturing facility up and running with the TT (tooling tryout) cars being tested in and around the plant," says Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar, in a statement.
The exciting thing for customers is that now Polestar has started reaching out to lock down final configurations for specific cars, and that means the wait won't be too terribly long before you're blasting through a continent in yournot-a-Volvo.


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Bobcat recently showcased the capabilities of its battery powered construction equipment lineup at a series of test drive and live demo events near Los Angeles in Granada Hills and in Stockton, California.
The tour featured the Bobcat T7X all electric compact track loader and two electric compact excavators, the E32e and E10e. Each of the new models are viable alternatives to diesel equipment for government and private fleets to reduce carbon footprints and reduce job site noise levels.
Attending the events included leaders from California Air Resources Board, City of Los Angeles, Port of Los Angeles, Stanislaus County and other public organizations. They were joined by Sunbelt Rentals, Bobcat dealers and construction contractors. Attendees had the opportunity to test drive the machines, participate in live demonstrations, and meet with the innovators behind the electric powered off-road equipment.
“These electric, off-road construction machines are a promising step in our aim to increase access to clean off-road equipment that produces near-zero emissions in California,” said William Robertson, Ph.D., vehicle program specialist with the Mobile Source Control Division at California Air Resources Board. “The commercialization of cleaner off-road technologies shown at these events are exciting examples supporting the state’s transition to a clean energy economy.”
Bobcat is the first to commercialize a dedicated all-electric construction machine within the compact size range. Sunbelt Rentals, a premier equipment rental company with more than 1,050 locations across North America, is the first company to invest in a large fleet of T7X loaders, as well as electric compact excavators. These pieces of equipment are scheduled to be delivered and available for rent by Sunbelt Rental customers in California and at other U.S. locations starting in July.
The Bobcat T7X, an all-electric compact track loader, is the first machine of its kind to eliminate all hydraulic components, emissions, and reduced vibrations. Debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January 2022, the T7X received two 2022 CES Innovation Awards in the Categories of Vehicle Intelligence & Transportation and Smart Cities. This was the first time the public was invited to experience the T7X since the launch of the machine at CES.
For more recent Bobcat news, visit this recent Turf Magazine article.


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Greg Lauren’s Label at 10: patchwork, privilege and paying it forward
Nov. 24, 2020
Text by Adam Tschorn
Greg Lauren knows the power of names. When the artist-turned-fashion designer launched his eponymous line in February 2011, it was his last name — and specifically the fact that he’s Ralph Lauren’s nephew — that helped open doors and give his meticulously sliced and spliced artisanal take on menswear early exposure.
“There is no value to celebrating being around for 10 years if I don’t use the opportunity as a platform to shine a light on these key people,” the 50-year-old designer said. “People like [sustainability expert] Dio Kurazawa, who influenced my GL Scraps program, and Fibershed’s Rebecca Burgess, who I haven’t met, but I follow her work on regenerative wool, and that’s inspired some of the pieces in my next collection.”
Over the course of a two-hour interview, Lauren, who Zoomed in from the home office space he shares with his wife of 17 years, “Showgirls” and “Saved by the Bell” actress Elizabeth Berkley, rattled off a dozen additional names, highlighting people he’s worked with. Among them were Yashua Simmons (who styled Lauren’s spring and summer 2021 look book photo shoot) and photographer Emmanuel Sanchez-Monsalve (who shot the look book) as well as designers whose work he admires, including Miko Underwood (founder of the sustainable denim brand Oak & Acorn) and Pyer Moss designer Kerby Jean-Raymond.
The designer said his desire to give credit where credit is due has its roots in the May 25 killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers. “I was deeply moved and deeply affected by Floyd’s death,” Lauren said. “And I started to look at how the African American experience has impacted me as a designer.”
Source: Los Angeles Times


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A cyclist who was kicked to the ground by a BMX biker as he rode through central London said today he is facing a barrage of abuse from people who think he is to blame.
One man was stabbed and another injured after a fight in west London this morning, police said.
Published: 30 January 2013
BlackBerry today unveiled its long-awaited “all touch” smartphone in a desperate bid to win back sales lost to Apple and Samsung.
The new flagship BlackBerry Z10 has no physical keyboard below the screen, a hallmark of previous devices.
The launch marks a radical departure for the Canadian-owned smartphone business that once dominated the market for mobiles that can also be used for emails and the internet.
Key innovations include the BlackBerry Hub, which pools emails, social media feeds and BBM short messages in a single place and makes it easy to make connections. The much-delayed launch is widely seen as a make-or-break move by owner Research In Motion which has fallen far behind Apple and Samsung.
“BlackBerry 10 has been re-designed, re-engineered and reinvented,” said Rob Orr, RIM’s managing director for the UK.
He stressed that BlackBerry was not ditching the physical keyboard because it remains popular, especially with business users. The company also unveiled a BlackBerry 10 with keyboard today.
BlackBerry has also updated its operating system — which is different from Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android — and has a new app store, called BlackBerry World.
One function, called Active Frames, allows a user to have many apps open on the screen at the same time and move between them seamlessly. There is also a “Peek” feature that allows a user to swipe the screen and check when a new message arrives — without closing the app that is open on the screen.
The initial reaction from industry experts was positive. Roberta Cozza, analyst at research firm Gartner, said: “It is different from the iPhone. One of the big differences we can point to is that it is centred around multi-tasking. It is a user interface that allows you to go from one app to another in a very fluid way and have lots of apps open at the same time.”
Ms Cozza said the success of BlackBerry 10 would depend not only the device but also whether BlackBerry World has enough to appeal to users. She said: “For BlackBerry, the big issue is building a portfolio of applications and services. This is the challenge — even if the phone is great.”
RIM has spent months working with external developers so that they could prepare their apps and games for BlackBerry World, with some 70,000 due to be ready for the launch of BlackBerry 10. The Evening Standard’s app is available for its launch.
Sneak peek: It's great for multi-tasking
It looks a lot like the Apple iPhone but the BlackBerry 10 has some definite pluses.
The screen is bigger than an iPhone’s and the handset feels light and slim.
The most obvious benefit, though, is that it’s easier to multi-task.
The phone allows me to have up to four apps displayed at the same time, each occupying a quarter of the screen, and hop between them.
The “Peek” function is also clever.
When a message or email arrives, it was easy to swipe to reveal part of the inbox on the screen — without closing the app or game that I had open.
But it wasn’t easy to get used to some of the gesture functions — especially having to swipe upwards, which feels awkward.
It will also take time to discover whether the BlackBerry Hub, which brings together email, social media feeds and other messages in one places, really works.
BlackBerry makes much of the fact its Hub will “start making connections on your behalf”, working out that someone you know on Twitter is also a contact on LinkedIn, and helping you pool that information.
The Z10 also has a camera with a “time-shift” feature, allowing you to take a rapid series of pictures and choose the perfect frame.
And there’s separate video-editing, called Story Maker.
But they only feel like extras.
Success will rest on whether users feel BlackBerry 10 is really helping them to manage their information better.
Top stories in News
News in Pictures
Top stories in News
News in Pictures
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- Boy on scooter cheats death by inches when 2kg metal clip falls on to Oxford Street as workers dismantled scaffolding
- Grace Dent reviews Tredwell's
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- Terrifying moment family hatchback crashed into lorry at 50mph and was shunted along M25 motorway for 100 yards
- Cyclist is filmed kicking fellow rider into path of a coach
- 'My bus, my rules': What gay couple claim driver said before kicking them off 'for kissing'
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Bringing its fresh Parisian style to Marylebone High Street, find out more about the CP Autumn/Winter collection.
Inmidtown in collaboration with The School of Life, designed to inspire and encourage businesses to interact and learn from each other, share business knowledge and discuss important themes relating to work and life.
How they made it: The entrepreneurs behind an interior design revolution had a fantastic idea: cut out the middle man
How mobile technology has changed the instant trading game
Multitasking Andy McRobbie – teacher, musician, promoter and tour guide – is a big fan of this extraordinary city. “I find something new to excite me every day,” he says, “which is what makes London so special.”
KOOZA is an electrifying return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil combining two circus traditions - acrobatic performance and the art of clowning.
Seasons come and go, it’s an annual cycle of varying temperatures, traditions and activities. When winter comes to Austria it is distinctly special and all embracing.


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In Australia, according to Golf Australia, the game’s popularity has grown by 21 per cent in the past year.
Demographics like these, in an increasingly style-savvy sport, are attracting the attention of the world’s fashion houses, now well and truly dominated by traditional golf apparel companies for years. Like Nike, adidas, Puma, Footjoy and Oakley.
The new kids on the block include Under Armour, Lacoste, Uniqlo, Bogey Boys, Hugo Boss, Castore, Lululemon, J Lindeberg, TravisMathew and Birds of Condor.
Short skirts for men are common on the course during the summer months and the days of skirts having to reach the ankle – or later, the knee – are long gone for women.
No one was surprised at the recent Ryder Cup when Team USA took to the first tee wearing a Ralph Lauren hat.
But don’t think that this is all about boating, especially at private golf clubs. Nothing causes more misery to their committees, or takes up more time at a meeting, than the vexed matter of dress on the course. Jeans are still not allowed at most private golf clubs – for men – T-shirts or jogging shorts. Women golfers are subject to very few rules, although jeans are still a no-no.
Club committees realize they are walking a fine line here; Helping the game attract younger players by retaining some semblance of tradition and history.
Much of the apparel revolution is driven by professionals, and not just in golf. When Spanish tennis champion Rafael Nadal showed up at the 2018 Australian Open in pink shorts and a sleeveless gray top – which showed off his shoulders and biceps beautifully – the tennis world was forced to adjust its dress codes. If it was okay for Rafa, it should have been okay for tennis. (That said, it’s unlikely that Wimbledon will relax its all-white policy anytime soon. The official rule still states that players must wear “all-white appropriate tennis attire.”)
Professional golfers — Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas among the men, and Sandra Gall, Paige Spiranak and Lexi Thompson among the women — now wear form-fitting clothing that accentuates their athletic qualities with strong fits and bold colors.
And at the recent Ryder Cup match between America and Europe at Whistling Straits, no one was surprised when Team USA players stepped onto the first tee wearing Ralph Lauren hats.
“You have lifestyle on one side, and performance or athletic wear on the other,” says Ryan Ellis, CEO of men’s lifestyle brand Travis Matthews. “[And] For the past 10 years, you’ve had athletics, which is a disparity-setting one.


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The Next Windows 10
Microsoft Friday unveiled details on its next major feature update to the Windows 10 operating system. The update, which comes out twice a year, is breaking with the naming scheme of the two "Creators Update" releases of 2017. Instead, the Redmond, Wash.-based company is calling this release the Windows 10 April 2018 Update. Microsoft is pointing to a few themes with the update. On the business side, the April 2018 Update will offer some major improvements around IT manageability, Microsoft said. For users, the theme is "make the most of your time." With the new Windows 10 release, "we want to give you back some of your greatest currency, your time," wrote Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president for the Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft, in a blog post. The update will be available for download on April 30.
What follows are five key things to know about Microsoft's Windows 10 April 2018 Update.


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Some consolidation – or augmentation, if you will — in the world of augmented reality. Blippar — an image recognition platform used in digital advertising — has acquired Layar, an augmented reality platform used across different applications (from advertising to education) that uses cameras on devices like smartphones to inject virtual elements into real-world images in real time.
Blippar is not officially commenting on the acquisition, noting, “We cannot comment on market speculation at this stage, but Blippar is dedicated to growing the global marketplace for immersive, engaging content, and part of this strategy may include acquisitions later in the year.”
But we have sourced a memo from Blippar’s CEO and co-founder, Ambarish Mitra, announcing the deal that we have confirmed is genuine. From what we understand, the deal was planned to be announced officially on June 19.
We haven’t been able to nail down the terms of the deal but we are trying to find out. To date, London/NYC-based Blippar, founded in 2011, has raised an undisclosed amount from Qualcomm Ventures. Netherlands-based Layar, founded in 2009, has raised some $17 million from Intel Capital, Sunstone and others.
More recently, at least one of Layar’s co-founders, Raimo van der Klein, has moved on to do other things, such as this Google Glass app that lets you nod to pay for items.
Mitra’s memo notes that discussions between the companies started a few months ago when Layar CEO Quintin Schevernels visited Blippar’s offices to discuss “how we could work together to bring our vision to hundreds of millions of people.”
Indeed, the name of the game here appears to be scale for the two companies.
In an area of tech that is still relatively young, AR is still heavy on innovation. Coming together will give the two startups more R&D firepower, and potentially the ability to pool together their publisher relationships to be able to serve a wider audience, and also move into newer areas such as white-label services.
“It gives us the best shot at truly changing the world. It opens doors to new opportunities and partnerships, reduces risk on learning from scratch, gives us headspace in market for whitelabels,” Mishra writes. The company today focuses its product around “blipps” in which users snap pictures in printed or other display ads through the Blippar app, triggering bigger and more interactive campaigns.
The other area where this will be important is to compete better against other AR rivals. A combined company, Mishra writes, “allows us to play in the whole AR market place and compete with people like Metaio and Vuforia with whom we weren’t previously competing.”
Augmented reality applications have been around for a while now — Layar especially was an early mover in this area, using cameras on phones to provide real-time overlays of images on to real-world locations — with applications of the technology being used in mobile games, advertising and other areas.
But some of that may have been ahead of its time — or that’s the sympathetic spin, at least. Less charitably, augmented reality has been called overhyped and pointless (and much worse if you listen to some of my more cynical friends in the tech world; I’m not naming names).
That perception (see what I did there?) is almost certainly changing, though. More recently, buzzy headgear makers like Oculus VR (now gobbled up by Facebook for $2 billion) and Meta have added a new twist to the idea of injecting virtual reality into real-world scenarios. So, rather than getting sidelined amidst the evolution, both Layar and Blippar have been tapping into that, with AR applications for products like Google Glass — efforts that are likely to step up a notch in the bigger organisation.
The full memo from Blippar’s CEO below:
Strictly for internal information only. NOT to be communicated outside of Blippar until further notice – when more detailed notes will be circulated for reference.
We started Blippar with a vision of delivering incredible, engaging, and ubiquitous consumer augmented reality to the world by building a physical world browser. We’ve come a long way in the last 33 months: from prototypes built in my flat to an incredible team building dreams with more than 1000 brands and publishers. In the process, we’ve defined what consumer augmented reality needs to be and what it’s going to require to deliver it.
A few months ago, Quintin CEO of Layar, came down to visit our office, see the latest demos, and discuss how we could work together to bring our vision to 100s of millions of people.
Today, we’re pleased to announce that we’ve acquired Layar to create the best augmented reality platform in the world.
At first glance, it might not seem obvious why Blippar is buying Layar, a company focused on low cost blipps, a long tail client ecosystem and does white-labels. But when you consider it more carefully, we’re culturally aligned on building a new behaviour -with a focus on innovating and hiring the best and brightest; we both believe AR is a key driver in future of information access; we both want to contribute to a more open, connected world; and we both see augmented reality as the 8th mass market medium. Most importantly, Layar understands and appreciates what Blippar has achieved; their teams share our vision for AR’s potential to transform the way we learn, share, play, and communicate.
This partnership represents a pivotal moment in the development of augmented reality: it gives us the best shot at truly changing the world. It opens doors to new opportunities and partnerships, reduces risk on learning from scratch, gives us headspace in market for whitelabels, and allows us to play in the whole AR market place and compete with people like Metaio and Vuforia with whom we weren\’t previously competing.
Over the next 10 years, augmented reality will become ubiquitous, affordable, and transformative, and it begins with a truly next-generation platform. This partnership ensures that the Blippar2.0 platform is coming, and that it’s going to make the physical world limitless.
Ambarish Mitra CEO & Founder


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Here's how to enable Apple Music's new in-app notifications feature
More than ever, people shut-in because of the coronavirus outbreak are relying on streaming content on their phones and tablets to provide them with a more customized entertainment experience. The top two music streaming apps worldwide and in the U.S. are Spotify and Apple Music. At last count, Apple has a slight lead on Spotify in the number of paid subscribers in the U.S. Spotify has a 2 to 1 advantage over Apple in global market share (again, paid subscribers only).
According to 9to5Mac, Apple is now delivering a new notification inside the Apple Music app when it has added certain new releases to the Apple Music library. It would appear from the image that accompanies this story that this notification will appear in the Library tab when an artist that you like releases new music and videos. To enable this feature, open Apple Music and tap on "For You" in the bottom toolbar. On the upper right of the display, you'll find your avatar. Tap on it to get to the Account menu. Click on Notifications and you will see two toggles: New Music and Show in Library. Toggle both on to receive in-app notifications of new releases from artists you like.
Apple Music is part of Apple's huge Services unit that is running at an annual rate of $50 billion in revenue
While Apple has offered such notifications highlighting new music and videos available from a subscriber's fave artists, this is the first time that it is being done in-app. And while there has often been a lag between the release of new material and the receipt of a notification, we hold out some hope that with the new feature, Apple will provide this information in a more timely fashion.
Apple Music will now notify users in-app when an artist they like has released new material
The success of Apple Music relates to the company's MO when it comes to acquisitions. Sure, the company could buy a huge outfit like Disney for $170 billion, but this is not how Apple does things. Instead of huge splashy transactions, the tech giant typically finds small companies under the radar. These outfits usually have a niche product that Apple wants to use on the iPhone or another device within the next year or two. A good example of that is the 2012 purchase of biometric firm AuthenTec for $356 million. A year later, the iPhone 5s was introduced with the Touch ID fingerprint scanner.
was the $3 billion it paid to acquire Beats Audio in May, 2014. Apple has greatly benefited from this deal since it does offer a line of Beats headphones. But the real reason for buying Beats was for its Beats Audio streaming service that Apple wanted to turn into Apple Music. At the time that the purchase was announced, Beats Audio had only 111,000 paying customers leading many analysts to state that Apple overpaid for the entire firm. But by one ballpark estimate, Apple Music is generating over $6.5 billion in revenue annually. It is part of Apple's growing Services unit which is now running at a $50 billion annual rate.The most money that Apple ever spent for an acquisition
While Apple Music is raking in the cash, most analysts say that it is not yet turning a profit. Apple offers consumers a three-month free trial after which it charges individuals $9.99 a month for a subscription ($99 for a year). Students with a valid school email address pay $4.99 per month while a Family plan costs $14.99 monthly and covers a family of up to six people. If you have a Verizon unlimited data plan, the carrier will give you six months of Apple Music for free. If you don't cancel the service before the six months is up, you'll be charged the individual rate of $9.99 per month after the free period expires.


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Let this sink in for a moment.
Today is Lionel Messi’s 27th birthday. 27, that’s it!
Aside from winning the World Cup, Lionel Messi has already won everything else on offer in world football, and undoubtedly the Argentinean and Barcelona star is one of the greatest players, if not the greatest player, the Beautiful Game has ever seen.
Looking to celebrate Messi’s special day, Adidas has released special edition Messi boots on Tuesday.
Pictures of new Lionel Messi football boots are below.