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The site, which has already made an impact in the IFA sector, works like TripAdvisor but was set up to help consumers find quality advice.
Launched in 2012 there are already over 2000 IFAs using the service, and nearly 10,000 clients have left a review.
Adam Price, founder of VouchedFor, said: “Inviting mortgage advisers to join VouchedFor has always been a goal.
“We have helped hundreds of thousands of people seeking independent financial advice and we’re now offering the same service to people looking for a mortgage.
“Put another way, we’ll be introducing quality mortgage advisers to lots of new clients.”
Price added: “VouchedFor.co.uk is all about helping consumers to find the best advice.
“Historically clients have sought advice through personal recommendations but in this day and age people expect to find those recommendations aggregated online.
“You only have to look at the impact sites like Amazon, Tripadvisor, RatedPeople, and VouchedFor in the IFA space, have had to see how this expectation is growing.”
As in the financial advice sector, VouchedFor will help consumers to find whole of market advisers. Tied and multi-tied advisers cannot currently have a profile on the site. The rationale for this, according to Price, is that whole of market advisers offer consumers the best choice.
He said: “Currently too many people are going via their estate agent or bank and getting tied advice. It’s simply too hard to find a recommended whole of market adviser.
“Following the Mortgage Market Review it is highly likely that more people will seek advice. We’re here to make sure that consumers find the mortgage that best suits their needs and we believe that advisers need to have access to the majority of mortgage products to provide this service.”
Price says the service offers the benefit of new business enquiries as well as providing an online presence populated by ratings and reviews.
Advisers will need to register on VouchedFor and then invite their clients to leave a review, a largely automated process. Reviews can then be featured on the advisers own website via a widget as well as on VouchedFor.
Registration is a three step process and involves inputting contact details, creating an online profile and selecting a ‘plan’ – either a free of charge ‘basic’ plan or a paid ‘standard’ plan.
The paid plan costs £40/quarter and advisers pay for the individual enquiries based on their value.
Stewart Twidle, IFA and mortgage adviser at Asset & Investment Management, said: “I’ve been using VouchedFor for the past 12 months and had in excess of a hundred new business enquiries through the site – approximately a third of these have been mortgage related.
“The quality of the enquiries has been exceptional and I’ve taken on board around 30 new clients as a direct result of VouchedFor. I couldn’t be happier.”
A consumer launch to the national press in tandem with an online marketing campaign will launch the site to people looking for mortgages next week.


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The Hype Train
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) – remember when they were the talk of the town? With digital artist Beeple’s artwork selling for an astronomical $69 million, and CryptoPunks taking the world by storm, it seemed as though NFTs were destined to be the next big thing. However, there’s a pervasive sentiment floating in the market that suggests NFTs may be dead. But is this really the case?
From Hype to Gripe
In the heyday of NFTs, OpenSea, a major NFT marketplace, enjoyed unrivaled trading volumes. Recently, however, a new player, Blur.io, has risen to prominence, surpassing OpenSea in terms of trading volume. While this shift in market dominance is intriguing, it’s the overall market sentiment that’s more telling. The buzz around NFTs seems to have cooled, and many are starting to question whether we are entering a bear market for NFTs. But is it fair to declare NFTs dead based on the ebbs and flows of market sentiment?
The Bear Market and Beyond
If we look at the history of tech innovation, it’s not unusual for new technologies to go through hype cycles. They often start with a peak of inflated expectations, followed by a trough of disillusionment, and then a gradual climb to stability as the technology matures. NFTs appear to be undergoing a similar cycle. The extravagant sales, such as Beeple’s and CryptoPunks, ignited unrealistic expectations. Now, the market seems to be correcting itself, leading some to believe that NFTs are dead. However, this could simply be a bear market phase, a temporary setback before the real value of NFTs is realized.
The NFT Markets Future
Despite the current bearish sentiment, the NFT market is far from being written off. According to a report by Jefferies, investment bank, the NFT industry is projected to hit a valuation of $80 billion US dollars by 2025. This suggests that, far from being dead, the NFT industry is merely in a state of hibernation, poised to awake with a vengeance when the market conditions are ripe.
Real-World Applications of NFTs
In addition to the traditional use cases of NFTs in art and collectibles, there are numerous potential applications in the real world. One of the most promising is the tokenization of in-game items. This will allow players to truly own the digital items they purchase or earn, potentially revolutionizing the gaming industry. Other potential uses include tokenizing real-world assets like real estate and intellectual property, offering new ways to buy, sell, and trade these traditional assets.
Are NFTs Dead?
Despite the current bearish sentiment, declaring NFTs dead is premature. The apparent decline in NFT hype is likely a market correction and a shift towards a more stable and sustainable growth path. The potential real-world applications, such as tokenizing in-game items, indicate that the use of NFTs could become widespread in the coming years.
The current bear market for NFTs does not indicate death; instead, it signifies maturation. As the market evolves and finds more robust and diverse applications for NFTs, the hype will return. And when it does, it will be more sustainable and firmly rooted in the value that NFTs bring to various industries and individual users.

domain: news


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Oppo K9 Pro officially confirmed to arrive on September 26 with MediaTek chip and 64MP camera
Last week, Chinese online retailer Suning revealed the Oppo K9 Pro will launch in China on September 26, and the date is now officially confirmed by the company as it took to Weibo to announce the K9 Pro's launch event will begin in China on Sunday at 5PM local time.
Oppo's touting the K9 Pro as a gaming smartphone, and while it hasn't detailed the phone's specs sheet yet, the company shared a poster on Weibo, showing us the smartphone's rear and confirming color options.
The phone's back cover sports a camera island spanning the panel's width, reminding us of Xiaomi's Mi 11 Ultra. It includes a flash module and three cameras headlined by a 64MP unit.
We've seen the K9 Pro in these colors before, but the image Oppo shared reveals an antenna line on the top-side of the phone, suggesting a metal frame. It also tells us that the K9 Pro will be powered by a MediaTek chip, which is expected to be the Dimensity 1200 SoC.
While we await more details about the K9 Pro from Oppo, a smartphone with model code PEYM00 and believed to be the K9 Pro was spotted on TENAA last month with its full specs: 6.43" FullHD+ AMOLED screen, 8GB/12GB RAM, 128GB/256GB storage, in-display fingerprint reader, 5G support, and 4,400 mAh battery.
The selfie camera uses a 16MP sensor, whereas the 64MP primary camera is joined by 8MP and 2MP units.
With the official unveiling still four days away, we may see Oppo confirm a few more features of the K9 Pro in the days leading to the launch event.
Source (in Chinese)
- 24 Sep 2021
This time want to try this phone
- 24 Sep 2021
I can't wait to see
- 23 Sep 2021
So basically a GT Neo/X7 Max clone


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TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, N.M. (KRQE) – The next spaceflight for Virgin Galactic is now in countdown mode, and the company will be making history once again. Galactic 04’s flight window will be on October 5. The flight will include three private astronauts with different backgrounds.
12 Views ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It’s that time of year when consumers are in the process of buying holiday gifts for family and friends. Many


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U.S. consumer prices show inflation ticking up
By Lucia Mutikani
WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - U.S. consumer prices recorded their largest increase in more than a year in May as costs for a range of goods and services rose, likely easing the Federal Reserve's concerns that inflation was running too low.
The Labor Department said on Tuesday its Consumer Price Index increased 0.4 percent last month, with food prices posting their biggest rise since August 2011.
Economists, who had expected consumer prices to rise only 0.2 percent, said the increase suggested a separate inflation gauge watched by the Fed also pushed higher in May, although it would still fall short of the central bank's 2 percent target.
"Consumer prices are gaining traction, suggesting inflation is moving close to the Fed's target," said Sam Bullard, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte, North Carolina. "Fed officials will have to acknowledge the firming price environment."
Fed officials who started a two-day policy meeting on Tuesday will evaluate the data among other reports that have given bullish signals on the economy.
The Fed is expected to further trim its monthly bond buying program, but it is expected to hold off raising interest rates until some time next year to let the economy gather strength.
The broadening rise in prices should reassure Fed officials who have expressed concerns that inflation was too low, and it led some investors to raise bets the central bank would hike interest rates before the middle of 2015.
"At the margin, today's inflation print further tilts the odds toward an earlier first rate hike relative to our current fourth quarter of 2015 call," said Michael Feroli, an economist at JPMorgan in New York. Continued...


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Hey iPhone lovers - there's possibly something new to look forward to.
It's believed Apple is going to introduce a sequel to the iPhone SE in March.
The name of the new iPhone is not official but there is speculation.
Smartphone case makers seem to believe it will be called the SE 2. Cases for that phone are already on sale.
Forbes said the SE2, marketed as a "budget iPhone" will use the same 12 Megapixel camera as the iPhone 11, but won't feature ultrawide or telephoto sensors.
Apple's expected start price is $449 with 64 GB and 128 GB options available.


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Rugged and enterprise-friendly phones are often bulky and it seems Samsung is trying to buck the trend with the Galaxy XCover Pro. Galaxy XCover Pro boasts a rugged yet stylish design that is built for the field but well-designed to be used even in a “customer-facing” setting. The Galaxy XCover Pro’s thickness is just under 10mm and weighs 218g, making it at par with some of the consumer-centric devices. However, the Galaxy XCover Pro earns its rugged cred with the IP68 certification for dust and water protection, drop protection of up to 1.5m and MIL-STD 810G certified for its protection against extreme altitude, humidity, and other severe environmental conditions. The phone even comes with two programmable keys.
When it comes to the hardware, the Galaxy XCover Pro features a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display with enhanced touchscreen sensitivity and glove mode. It is powered by a 2GHz Exynos 9611 octa-core processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB internal memory with microSD card support up to 512MB RAM and removable 4050mAh battery with 15W fast charging support.
Additionally, the Android 10 running phone comes with dual camera setup at the back with a 25MP and 8MP sensor and a 13MP front-facing camera.
The phone will be released before the first half of this year for $499.99 and will be available as an Enterprise Edition that ensures two years of availability and four years of security updates, ensuring businesses its continued support.


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For Immediate Release
Armed Rolex Robber Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison & $2.4 Million in Restitution
SANTA ANA – A robbery crew member was sentenced Monday to serve 11 years in prison, followed by a five-year period of supervised release, and payment of $2,459,350 in restitution to his victims.
Leon Curtis Eckford, 30, of Los Angeles, also known as “Porky” and “Spank,” admitted to his participation in two brazen smash-and-grab robberies netting more than $2 million worth of Rolex watches being sold at retail outlets in Orange and Riverside counties.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department conducted this investigation.
“These senseless robberies carried out by this smash-and-grab crew jeopardized the lives and safety of employees, customers, security guards, and innocent bystanders,” said ATF Los Angeles Field Division Special Agent in Charge Eric D. Harden. “Those who violently brandish and use firearms to carry out criminal acts will be sought by ATF, with our state and local partners, and held accountable to face federal criminal charges - regardless of their role.”
Eckford admitted to participating in two robberies that occurred in popular Southern California shopping malls during evening hours. During both robberies, the defendant entered the jewelry store and assisted in the smash-and-grab style theft.
According to court document, Eckford and several others conducted a smash-and-grab robbery at Ben Bridge Jewelers in the Riverside Galleria mall. The thieves left with more than $200,000 in Rolex watches.
According to court documents, Eckford also admitted to participating in the January 15, 2016 armed smash-and-grab robbery of Rolex Boutique Baron & Leeds in the South Coast Plaza Mall. During that robbery, Eckford and his co-conspirators stole 133 Rolex watches with an estimated retail value of over $2.25 million. During the robbery, one of the Eckford’s co-conspirators violently assaulted a security guard with a pistol, while another pepper sprayed the guard.
The defendant pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), two counts of interference with commerce by robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violation, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 924(c)(1)(A)(2).


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GST was waived till May 5, now returns to be filled before June
The government had given an exemption to traders to pay GST till 5 May. This date has passed. Now, according to the government guidelines, by June all traders will have to pay GST, otherwise, the penalty will start. Earlier, in March itself, the government had given exemption in filling GST on Corona. Deputy Commissioner of Taxation Department Anju says that the person who has taken the GST number has to return the GST by the 20th of every month. Otherwise, a fine is imposed. In this case, most traders pay returns. Those who do not are fined.
In the district, 10 thousand 8 people have taken the GST number. Out of these only three thousand traders are those whose turnover is more than 30 lakh rupees. This means that they pay the most tax. According to the department’s DETC, 90 percent of the traders are filing their returns. Those who are not paid are automatically fined as per rules.
Tax on the road was reduced by charging tax:
Due to the lack of large industries in Fatehabad, GST does not get much tax. In the year 2018-19, the then Deputy Commissioner of Taxation VK Shastri, while checking on the roadside, was fined while holding a large number of vehicles without bills. During this time, he also imposed a fine of 6 lakh rupees on the procurement of mustard without the bill. However, this is not the case now. In Fatehabad, the charge of the taxation department has been given by the taxation officer of Hisar, Anju. They come only when there is urgent work in the office.
Here, Tax Petition Association did not get approval to open office:
Traders fill their GST returns with the help of CA and Income Tax Advocate. There is a Tax Petition Association of Income Tax Lawyers in Fatehabad. The lockdown did not allow the opening of this first office. Now, if you raise the demand, you have only three days’ exemption. That too like other commercials. While this association demands that they be given a week off. Without them, most traders will not be able to pay their GST. But even after the demand of the traders and the association, they are not being heard.
At first, the authorities did not give us any exemption. When demanded, it has given only three days’ exemption. In such a situation, traders are facing difficulty in filing returns. We demand that we allow the establishment of our establishments six days a week so that the merchant can pay his prescribed tax. On one hand, the government does not have a budget to give to employees, on the other hand, those who have to pay money are not being exempted.
– Bharat Bhushan Garg, District President, District Tax Petition Association.
I do not know how much GST comes every year in Fatehabad, but it is in my knowledge that 90 percent of traders are paying returns on time. There is no problem about GST in Fatehabad. The government has given an exemption to traders till May 5. Now the government has not given an exemption. In such a situation, the merchants now fill their prescribed returns.
pay GST till 5 May


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The Northern Territory has yet another slogan - this one is 'Different in every sense'.
Tourism NT released its refreshed brand today which promotes the Territory as unlike any other place on earth.
The new tagline 'Different in every sense', replaces the 'Do the NT' brand positioning launched in 2013 and is founded on the controversial "Masterbrand" - Boundless Possible.
Of course Katherine has a new slogan as well, Katherine Alive, to replace "A logistics and agribusiness hub" which the NT Government came up with last year.
Tourism NT said the new slogan is the result of thorough global travel research and testing.
To link with the new Tourism NT brand, the Northern Territory Convention Bureau has also been re-named Northern Territory Business Events.
The domestic and international Tourism NT logo has also undergone a refresh following market research, with some suggesting that the current logo reflected the NT as being rugged and hot.
The refreshed logo retains the iconic Brolga and has been modernised with a simpler, cleaner look, which better resonates with the potential visitor market.
An interstate marketing campaign will be in market from Sunday featuring outdoor advertising on billboards, street furniture and buses as well as digital, print media and social channels, before rolling out in international markets via relevant campaigns.
Tourism, Sport and Culture Minister Lauren Moss said: "The Tourism brand is the voice of the Territory as a holiday destination; it is a reflection of how people see our beautiful part of the world.
"We are operating in a competitive global travel market and this brand puts us on the front foot when it comes to reaching potential visitors.
"The new brand reflects the NT tourism products and services on an experiential level, not just the iconic landmarks and scenery we are already renowned for, and it focuses on how a visit to the Territory makes people feel.
"The new tourism brand is aligned with the Territory Masterbrand, building a larger picture of the Territory for investors, businesses, workers, families and anyone looking to relocate to somewhere with Boundless Possibilities."
The NT Government today also launched its new tourism strategy projecting up to $3.6 billion in visitor expenditure and 3900 new tourism jobs by 2030.
Developed in collaboration with industry, the strategy sets the direction for the next 10 years and an ambitious target of between 2.51 million and 3.03 million visitors, accounting for between $3.01 billion and $3.67 billion in expenditure by 2030.
In terms of holiday visitors, projections are for between 1.18 million and 1.45 million holiday visitors by 2030, and $1.46 billion to $1.79 billion in holiday visitor expenditure.
The plan is a significant collaboration between the NT Government, regional tourism organisations Tourism Top End and Tourism Central Australia, the local tourism industry and the Tourism NT Board of Commissioners.
The strategy identifies six objectives that will make a real impact on the trajectory of tourism in the NT including:
- Grow investment in the Northern Territory's remarkable assets, product and regions;
- Strengthen and showcase the Northern Territory's distinctive Aboriginal cultural tourism experiences;
- Through strategic marketing activities grow the value of the holiday market in the Northern Territory;
- Leverage and build events to drive visitation;
- Develop ongoing access to and within the Northern Territory; and
- Increase recognition of the value of tourism to the Northern Territory.
The strategy also includes specific actions to achieve identified goals in the short, medium and long-term to attract more visitors to the NT, help the tourism sector deliver diverse, quality experiences while creating jobs for Territorians and encouraging private sector investment.
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox each Friday at 6am from the Katherine Times. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, sign up here.


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Jump in global sea trade driven by expanding Asian demand – UN
Crude oil and petroleum products comprised over one-third of seaborne merchandise, the report noted.
Growth in Asia – and China in particular – drove total demand for shipping services up by 5.5 per cent to reach 30,686 billion ton-miles in 2006.
Also, the total world merchant fleet expanded to 1.04 billion deadweight tons in 2006, marking the first year global capacity has surpassed the 1 billion mark.
Last year, total world merchandise trade – however carried – rose 8 per cent, double the rate of increase in global GDP for the year.


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AutoGuide News Blog
The AutoGuide News Blog is your source for breaking stories from the auto industry. Delivering news immediately, the AutoGuide Blog is constantly updated with the latest information, photos and video from manufacturers, auto shows, the aftermarket and professional racing.
Strong acceleration is important, it’s useful when merging onto a crowded expressway or towing a heavy trailer through the mountains. Speed is especially important for police vehicles as it gives law enforcement officers the power to take down bad guys. But who has the fastest cop car?
Our friends at Jalopnik managed to get their hands on these photos of the 2011 Dodge Charger Pursuit being put through the wringer at the Michigan State Police’s annual vehicle evaluation tests.
The MSP evaluation is a well recognized system designed to see how police package vehicles would hold up to the rigors of police duty. The results will be released in December, but judging by the pictures, we can confirm that the 2011 Charger looks badass. We can’t wait until these start showing up on the used market.
Gallery: Dodge Charger Pursuit
The Dodge Charger Pursuit got one of its first public viewings at a police trade show. Lund Industries, which makes police car accessories like gun racks and light bars, had a 2011 Charger on display to show off their wares, and were kind enough to take video of the Charger for those who aren’t in law enforcement.
Chrysler still has yet to release pictures of the civilian Dodge Charger, so for now, the black-and-white patrol car is our best look yet. We can’t wait to get a chance to sample one with a HEMI.
Hit the jump to see the 2011 Dodge Charger Pursuit In Action


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Wednesday, 27 Apr 2016
Nokia has announced plans to acquire French digital health firm Withings for US$191 million in cash, a sign of a bigger push into the consumer tech market on the part of the Finnish company.
Tuesday, 5 Jan 2016
Withings just took the wraps off the Withings Thermo, a Wi-Fi connected thermometer with 16 independent infrared sensors and a sleek design to boot!
Monday, 5 Jan 2015
The still-very-new Withings Activité is a beautiful Swiss Made watch that’s also an activity tracker. Now, its maker Withings has brought another one to CES 2015, and it’s called the Activité Pop. Yes, it looks good.
Tuesday, 8 Jan 2013
A pocket-sized personal tracking tool that helps users achieve their personal health and fitness goals, it adds pulse measurement to the number of steps taken, strides run, distances covered, calories burned, and quality of sleep.


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Rob Kardashian is ready to be in the limelight once again. The famously retiring father of one is bursting back on the scene with plans for his own spinoff show, a new clothing line, and a punishing new gym routine, according to Radar Online.
Rob has never been one to seek out the spotlight. Except for the occasional appearance on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and a brief stint on a reality show with his baby mama Blac Chyna, he has largely stayed off the screen, even going so far as to skip out on his sister’s wedding to avoid the cameras, according to TMZ.
But the birth of his daughter Dream has reportedly given the youngest Kardashian sibling a new look on life.
“Dream has given Rob a new lease on life and he really wants to live to see his daughter grow up,” an insider said.
Part of his comeback includes a new clothing line called Halfway Dead. The 32-year-old launched the skate brand with Nick Tershay, who founded Diamond Supply Co. on June 10, and much of it has already sold out. The line features t-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, tote bags, and candles.
According to Page Six, Tershay says that they came up with the name as a way to express the middle ground of life.
“What we wrote down is ‘Halfway Dead is the balance of all things: happy and sad, winning and losing, life and death.’ It’s your middle ground feeling, right? You’re not alive or dead,” he said.
Earlier this week, Rob took to his Twitter account to announce that he is getting back to the gym. He posted an image of his workout space to tell people that he was starting day one of his fitness routine.
“Rob has quit drinking and partying and he has let go of his bitter resentment against all of his family members. He figured if he can’t beat his sisters, then he should join them,” the insider said.
Day 1 all good ???????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/mIf10wdtSu— ROBERT KARDASHIAN (@robkardashian) June 17, 2019
He’s also back with a brand new Instagram account. Rob was banned from the platform in 2017 after posting revenge porn of his ex Blac Chyna, so he has been missing from the site for some time. Now, his mother reportedly runs the account, according to a separate report from Page Six. But even though it isn’t Rob pushing the post button, it’s clear the clothing designer is ready to be in the public eye again.
According to an insider, Rob is “determined to take back the throne,” which Radar noted includes filming a new spinoff show of his own.


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2016 is the year that the Olympic Games come to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The world will descend on a country going through its worst economic crisis since at least the 1930s.
Chile is clearly one of Latin America’s success stories, with a strong, robust and open economy. Although high world copper prices did contribute to the swelling of its state coffers, avoidance of Dutch disease and the economy’s move towards a greatly
Developing countries’ joint trade profile has changed drastically in the last two decades. Developing economies accounted for almost half of the world’s merchandise exports in 2014, as compared to less than a third in 2000, and
Over the last five years, Cambodia has experienced strong, consistent economic growth. The country’s GDP expanded by 7 percent in 2014 and has grown by more than 6 percent every year since
In December 2014, the US and Cuba announced an historic agreement that officially ended their long-running political standoff and marked the beginning of efforts towards normalised diplomatic and economic relations. Since then, the US has
As one of the biggest banks operating in a commodity-exporting country such as Australia, much of our time is spent trying to comprehend how trends in commodity markets are likely to impact the economy, and our customers. Without a doubt, one of the biggest issues we face right now stems from the dramatic declines we have seen in industrial
The economic development of a country is generally driven by a handful of industries (or in many cases by a single industry) that propel the economy forward. In the case of Oman’s economy, growth has been a function of the discovery, production and sale of the most abundant natural endowment in the region—oil.
The US is at an economic crossroads and policymakers have the choice of using the economy as a political pawn or opting for growth
Being the official currency of China, the renminbi is considered legal tender around the country except in Macau, Hong Kong,…


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Tron Invests into PlayGame Blockchain Gaming Platform in a Move for the Decentralized Apps Crown
Tron Foundation continues to place a foothold in the rapidly growing gaming industry after they injected an undisclosed amount of cash to Indonesian based startup, Playgame.
The company announced on Medium their plans to spend the capital to build strategic partnerships, grow their base to other Asian countries and complete the development of Proof-of-Play crypto payment platform.
The PlayGame platform was launched back in June 2018 with an aim to improve the gaming efficiency, fairness and effectiveness. The latest cash increment comes after the company raised a total of US $7.7 million in their initial offering less than 3 months ago.
Tron has grabbed most of the cryptocurrency headlines after a strong bullish run of the price since the announcement of the BitTorrent airdrop to TRX holders. Notwithstanding, the company is taking massive steps in technical developments and partnerships which has strengthened the coins position in the top 10 cryptocurrencies.
Tron Foundation, the core developers of the gaming blockchain, are making partnerships across the gaming world in a bid to provide a fast and efficient decentralized blockchain platform to create dApps.
PlayGame development team (Image: Medium)
On the other hand, Playgame aims at providing solutions to the crippling problems that the gaming industry faces including piracy, inefficient payment systems and calculation and fairness of the game.
The platform is set to establish a blockchain based ecosystem including game publishers, developers, crypto-enthusiasts, and gaming communities to increase use of cryptocurrencies as a payment.
The platform further aims at making the revenue transactions costless and increase the security levels. The games will be developed in a transparent and fair manner to encourage game developers and players to participate.
The latest cash injection in the gaming industry by Tron Foundation shows the seriousness of the team to be the king in decentralized application development. The gaming audience is growing rapidly and Tron’s commitment in becoming the power of decentralized gaming is set to continue with PlayGame.
This introduces blockchain to new markets with more gaming initiatives and partnerships to be introduced in future.


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Maruti Suzuki updated their Ciaz sedan in the Indian market last August. The new mid-cycle facelift version of the Maruti Ciaz featured a number of cosmetic updates, along with the addition of the brand new 1.5-litre petrol engine as well.
Now, fresh spy pics of the Ciaz showcase Maruti Suzuki testing out its new 1.5-litre diesel engine, along with a new six-speed manual gearbox as well. The company had already confirmed the plans for the new diesel engine a while back, while also stating that the Ciaz will be the first product to debut the new engine unit.
The new 1.5-litre diesel engine unit will be sold alongside the current tried and tested Fiat-sourced 1.3-litre multijet engine. However, once the stringent emission norms are implemented from April 2020, the older 1.3-litre unit will be discontinued, leaving just the new diesel unit on sale.
The new 1.5-litre (1,498cc) four-cylinder DDiS225 diesel unit is said to produce 95bhp and 225Nm of peak torque. The new engine is also said to be more efficient and smoother than the old unit, although the 1.5-litre unit will miss out on Maruti's SHVS mild-hybrid technology.
The new engine will be lighter and feature a dual mass flywheel, which will offer lesser vibrations while also providing reduced NVH level. The new engine also claims to offer a smoother ride along with a quieter cabin.
Apart from the new diesel unit, the spy pics of the Ciaz showcased the sedan with a new six-speed manual gearbox as well. The spy images clearly show six gears with the reverse moved across with a lift-lock mechanism.
Apart from the Ciaz, Maruti Suzuki has also confirmed that the new diesel engine will also make its way onto the recently launched new Ertiga MPV. The new Maruti Ertiga is now powered by the 1.3-litre diesel unit, which will soon be replaced. The MPV offering from Maruti Suzuki might also get the new six-speed manual gearbox, alongside the new diesel engine as well.
Thoughts On the New Maruti Diesel Engine And Manual Gearbox On The Ciaz
Maruti Suzuki had confirmed quite a while back that they are planning to replace the ageing 1.3-litre diesel unit, with the new and larger powertrain. The new diesel engine has been spotted testing on Indian roads; both on the Ciaz and the Ertiga on multiple occasions. Maruti will first debut the new engine and gearbox on the Ciaz, followed by which the Ertiga MPV will be updated as well.
Image Courtesy: GaadiWaadi


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Amos Dudley wears his skills in his smile.
The digital design major has been straightening his top teeth for the past 16 weeks using clear braces he made himself.
“I’m still wearing the last one,” Dudley told CNNMoney on Tuesday.
“The last one” refers to the twelfth and final straightening tray in his self-designed treatment.
Dudley said he had braces when he was in junior high, but he didn’t wear his retainer as much as he should have, and his teeth shifted.
Over time, Dudley discovered that he wasn’t smiling as much because he wasn’t happy with the way his teeth looked.
Name brand options for clear braces can cost up to $8,000, according to companies like Invisalign, Damon, and ClearCorrect. But the 24-year-old wanted to save money, so he found a way to manufacture his own for less than $60.


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A French national won the international competition for the first time.
The designer Maiko Kurogouchi showed a more complete collection than what she presented in Paris, with about twice as many looks.
The Swedish retailer’s campaign relays a message of female unity.
When Beyond The Streets bows at Werkartz this spring, work from Stay High 149, Kilroy Was Here, Martha Cooper Maripol, Jenny Holzer, Shepard Fairey, Takashi Murakami, Dash Snow, Jean-Michel Basquiat and others.
Rendle became VF’s ceo on Jan. 1, 2017, and chairman in October 2017.
WWD looks back at a 1978 interview with Hubert de Givenchy.
The show is scheduled for May 28 at the private art foundation in the village of Saint-Paul de Vence in the South of France.
Off-White’s Virgil Abloh launches exclusive eyewear capsule with Sunglass Hut.
The luncheon will be held June 6 at The Pierre hotel in New York.
The “Man of the Woods” tour kicked off earlier this week.


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At the recent FutureM conference in Boston, Deborah Berebichez, chief data scientist at Metis, noted that “we live in an agile environment where it is very easy and inexpensive for marketers to create new customer experiences … and to get feedback and insights from the collected data and formulate different marketing strategies based on that. But this strategy can also escalate challenges concerning data security, privacy of customers and ethics.”
A recent TechTarget article addresses how the proliferation of IoT devices has resulted in an upsurge in data-driven marketing, which in turn can fuel data security, privacy and ethics concerns, experts say.
So how do organizations arrive at data security, privacy and ethics in a world of connected devices? That’s the question that companies should be asking themselves, Berebichez told the audience.
Read the full TechTarget article here.


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African economies are having a slowdown in their economies as coronavirus hits demand from one of their biggest trade partners, China. This has lowered oil prices and forcing the IMF to downgrade growth forecasts for Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy.
Oil provides more than half of Nigeria’s revenues and 94% of its foreign exchange. IMF slashed Nigeria’s economic growth forecast due to falling oil prices. Oil has fallen to a 13% rate following the reduction in oil demand by the Chinese. This is due to the slowdown in economic activity caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
Nigeria does not supply much oil to China but loses about $500million per month in revenue, for every $10 drop in oil prices. China is a major purchaser of natural resources from Africa. The impact of China’s economic inactivity due to the coronavirus outbreak could have a deep impact on some African economies.
Trade between Africa and China grew by 2.2% in 2019 to $208.7billion, with a slowing Chinese economy. This is less than the previous growth at a 20% rise in 2018. IMF recently cut its forecast for Nigerian gross domestic product (GDP) growth for this year from 2.5% to 2% to reflect the impact of the drop in international oil prices.
Other African countries could be hit far harder than Nigeria. African countries depend heavily on Chinese exports and with the rise of coronavirus, many factories in China shut down, forcing a reduction in the production of goods and services, delaying the export of these goods to Africa, which in turn decreases the supply of goods, even when the demand for these goods is high.
Not much is happening at the moment and it is hoped that the coronavirus epidemic can be contained as soon as possible because the virus has affected the supply chain business in Africa.


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If you’re in dire need of cleaning supplies or a few groceries and can’t make your way to a store or are trying to maintain social distancing, Shipt and Instacart delivery workers can help. Shipt and Instacart are American delivery services that send paid shoppers to your favorite local grocery or department stores, like Target, to follow a list you’ve created and purchase the items you might need. Leaving a tip isn’t mandatory, but it is customary.
According to Diane Gottsman, a national etiquette expert, author of “Modern Etiquette for a Better Life” and founder of The Protocol School of Texas, 15% of the total bill is the minimum amount that should be left for Shipt and Instacart delivery workers.
“The correct tipping amount is 15% to 20%,” Gottsman said. “And if you feel compelled and have the extra money to spare, you can always add more.”
If your total comes out to $100, that’s a $15 minimum with a few dollars on top if you have it. If that sounds like a lot, keep this in mind: drivers are heading across town, shopping for you and delivering the goods to your doorstep.
Industries across the nation have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Many workers have already been furloughed or laid off entirely. Supporting these businesses is now more important than ever. Here are small acts of kindness that can be done from your home during the coronavirus pandemic.


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Just when you think you've seen everything, all of a sudden you realize you haven't. Yesterday, KFC did the unthinkable--testing two new plant-based, vegan fried "chicken" products in one of its Atlanta stores: nuggets and boneless wings.
Most surprising, however, was the overwhelming reaction from customers--who had just one day's advance notice of the test.
As it turned out, customers turned out in droves--many arriving more than an hour before the store opened. According to news reports, the line to enter the store wrapped around two city blocks while cars were bumper-to-bumper in the drive-thru, looping around the store twice.
In fact, the Atlanta KFC's test was so successful that the store--specially decked out in bright green trim--sold out of its supply of Beyond Fried Chicken in less than five hours.
So, the question is this: Is KFC's new Beyond Fried Chicken anything like real fried chicken?
Apparently so. Said nutritionist Whitney Miner, a happy customer who managed to land some of the KFC plant-based fried chicken nuggets before they sold out:
These taste more like fried chicken than any of the other options that I've tried so I really hope that they make these available nationwide and very soon.
As Popeye's and Chick-fil-A fight over who has the best chicken sandwich, KFC stunned everyone when it tested its new meat-free fried chicken wings and nuggets.
Atlanta KFC Sells Out Of Vegan Fried Chicken In FIVE HOURS!-- Veganuary (@veganuary) August 28, 2019
KFC's green-painted store draws two-block long lines of hungry customers looking to try its new @BeyondMeat Vegan Chicken nuggets and wings. https://t.co/7yVH26bXmX
Clearly, KFC scored a major marketing coup with yesterday's stunning product test. Says Brittany Martin, senior media relations strategist at Walker Sands Communications in Chicago:
KFC crushed it in breaking the news of its plant-based chicken release, compared to its fast food counterparts. In part because they were an unexpected player to release that type of product on their menu (burgers are an obvious choice, but chicken?). And in part because their marketing game is on point ... they blew it out of the water.
Of course, it's no secret that the fast-food industry has been interested in adding plant-based options to their menus, and for good reason. Research shows that 18 percent of American adults say they're trying to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diets.
Burger King rolled out a meat-free Impossible Whopper nationwide on August 8, White Castle offers Impossible sliders, Cheesecake Factory has Impossible Burgers, and you can order Beyond Burgers at TGI Fridays and A&W in Canada.
And a few weeks ago, Crain's Chicago Business reported that Impossible Foods--one of the leading manufacturers of plant-based burgers--"is teaming up with a local food manufacturer that is a key supplier for McDonald's."
Referring to McDonald's, Morningstar analyst R.J. Hottovy said, "By early next year, you will likely see a plant-based burger test in the U.S."
So, now that KFC has proved that there's a market for meatless products beyond burgers, I suspect we're at the very beginning of a very real revolution in the food we eat in this country.
I've seen the future of fast food, and it's meat-free.


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Thuuz Sports has announced a Glassware release of its Thuuz sports app. A Glassware app is an app that has been made for Google Glass.
The new service is designed to alert Glass owners to trending games in their favorite American sports as well as provide them with score updates for their favorite teams in North America as well as Europe.
Thuuz Sports for Glass offers coverage for NFL, NCAA football, MLB playoffs, NHL, NBA, NCAA Basketball and European soccer.
‚”Thuuz Sports was designed to help fans navigate the growing proliferation of sports programming and platforms,‚” said Warren Packard, CEO and Founder of Thuuz. ‚”Today there’s an abundance of sports programming that fans can watch on TV, online or on their mobile device. Since Thuuz is already on smartphones, tablets and television sets, Glass was a natural extension for us to reach our TV-loving sports fans.‚”
The Thuuz Sports Glassware will be useful in two scenarios: one, for people who are mobile and want to track what’s going on with their favorite sports through their Glass: and two, for people who are at home watching TV or working around the house with their Glass and want to get alerted when to tune into an exciting game.
While most sports apps focus on providing information about favorite teams, Thuuz adds a new dimension to the sports fan’s experience. The Thuuz service uses algorithms to rate games and let fans know when to tune into trending games across all the leagues they follow so they never miss a great sports moment. TV providers, sports networks and consumer electronics companies also partner with Thuuz to help drive incremental viewership to their live sports programming.
Glass Explorers can enable Thuuz Sports via MyGlass.


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The BlkChain is ‘”where culture meets crypto“‘ — the premier destination for coverage of NFT art and music with a focus on the culture. We offer market news, artist interviews, features, drops, and other NFT-related content.
How It Started
The BlkChain began as a weekly newsletter in March of 2021. Written by Sian Morson, the intent was to give a voice to women and BIPOC artists in the NFT space. Two months later, after experiencing tremendous growth, it became evident that a more robust presence was needed.
How It’s Going
Enter The BlkChain website — “Where culture meets crypto”. After receiving a warm welcome from the NFT community, it became abundantly clear that the amazing artist features and drops needed a more permanent place to live. We created the site to continue to foster a sense of community and pledge to continue to provide premium content. We will continue to cover NFT artists and will expand to cover music as well. We are the premier destination for coverage of NFT art and music with a focus on culture.


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As Casey posted earlier today, the he said/he said, on again/off again, non-talk talks between Apple and China's largest GSM provider, China Mobile indicate something may happen eventually, somewhere.
With a mobile market rapidly approaching half a billion, it would be crazy if Apple and China Mobile weren't in talks, right? Right?!
"We have not yet officially begun talks with Apple over the iPhone problem"
That's what China Mobile exec Wang Jianzhou said, speaking to reporters this week. Vowing to keep his options open, however, as long as his customers stayed interested.


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The Peloton at-home workout craze isn't over, but shareholders are veering away from their bullish behavior. Peloton (NASDAQ:PTON) stock has plummeted following a subpar earnings report that puts the company's long-term sustainability in question.
Why did PTON stock fall off a cliff on Nov. 5 and will the company be able to make up for such strong losses?
Peloton stock hits a wall
Despite being known for stationary exercise equipment, the fast-moving Peloton has managed to run into a wall. PTON stock fell 33.5 percent in the first 1.5 hours of trading on Nov. 5. The overnight sell-off occurred during a post-market-close earnings report that shows Peloton in a compromising fiscal position.
PTON stock is down 60.48 percent YTD with about a third of those losses coming in the after-hours session on Nov. 4.
PTON stock has recovered a mild 1.25 percent since the market open, but investors don't seem enthusiastic to jump back into the holding.
PTON's earnings data disappoints shareholders
In Peloton's earnings report for the first quarter of fiscal 2022, the at-home workout company cut its annual sales forecast by a major $1 billion. The move caused more than four stock analyst firms to downgrade PTON.
In fiscal 2021, Peloton's revenue grew a mild 6 percent over the previous year. Bike and treadmill sales fell 17 percent. Peloton's usership from existing customers shrank YoY with subscribers completing an average of 16.6 workouts per month during the quarter compared to 20.7 in the same period the year before.
During the earnings call, Peloton CEO John Foley told shareholders, "From forecasting consumer demands to accurately predicting logistics costs, our teams have never seen a more complex operating environment in which to guide our expected results this year."
Pandemic baby PTON needs some direction
Peloton was one of the golden stocks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With gyms and offices closed, Americans used the company's treadmills and bikes with subscription-based classes to work out at home.
As gyms reopen in 2021, PTON stock is struggling to keep pace with former shareholder growth expectations.
PTON highlights the risk of growth stocks. While individual stocks might thrive during certain economic cycles (or during specific eras of industry growth), those same stocks can falter in a changing world. The growth versus value stock debate doesn't have a clear winner, much like the nature vs. nurture debate.
Still, growth stocks have the pro of big gains (PTON stock grew nearly 400 percent in 2020) and the con of potentially not being sustainable. For people who bought in at the top, the struggle for a company to retain relevance feels mountainous.
Will PTON recover?
Analysts are torn about PTON's long-term capacity. The outcome depends on Peloton's ability to expand its offerings as needed. In the meantime, the stock—currently priced at $57.16—still has a 63 percent long-term upside on Tipranks despite numerous downgrades. As the customers who do order from Peloton wait for their products in a widespread transit backup, PTON stock will continue moving in one direction or another.


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Android Auto finally released its long-awaited redesign last week, but without room for new users to join in on the fun. Over the past day or so, Google appears to have opened up a few more slots for the Android Auto beta program.
Update 11/17: The Android Auto program appears to be full yet again. See below for more.
The Android Auto redesign brings a revamped experience to Google’s in-car platform with a primary focus on split-screen views and easy access to other apps. You can have Google Maps and Spotify visible at once on virtually any size display, while also having a new taskbar at the bottom of the screen with quick access to a select few apps.
Google released the Android Auto redesign known as “Coolwalk” into beta last week, and the update was quickly available for a huge number of Android Auto users in a matter of hours. However, it was only available to those already in the Android Auto beta program. If you hadn’t joined prior, there was no way to sign up at the time.
Luckily, Google appears to have made some room in the Android Auto beta program.
Update 11/17: It came unexpectedly and left quickly. After barely a day of availability, the Android Auto beta program appears to be at maximum capacity again with sign-ups closed. If you didn’t get in, you might just be out of luck. There’s always a chance the program will open up more slots again, but it seems the official opportunities are closed for the time being.
A Reddit thread captures reports of dozens of users from the United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and other countries where the Android Auto beta in the Play Store is open and accepting new sign-ups. This is the first time in quite a while that space has been made available in the program. Some users report seeing a notification in the Android Auto app prompting them to join the program, but that doesn’t seem to be happening across the board.
However, there is a quick way to join the Android Auto beta program. Using a direct link to the Android Auto beta testing page allows you to “Become a tester” immediately, so long as the program doesn’t reach its maximum capacity yet again. Once you’ve joined the program, you’ll see an update to the latest Android Auto beta through the Play Store, and should see “Coolwalk” not long after.
If you get in and start seeing the redesign, drop a comment below!
More on Android Auto:
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Perth Swimming Pools Installer Wins Two 2014 Regional SPASA Awards
Bibra Lake, Western Australia (August 8, 2014) – Palm City Pools, a trusted Perth swimming pools installer, has won two awards in the recently concluded 2014 regional SPASA Awards, which the Swimming Pool and Spa Association of Western Australia hosted. The award-winning company, this year, was conferred with both Gold and Silver Awards in the Fiberglass Pools (Secondhand) Category of the leading competition for pool installers in the region.
The recent awards come as an addition to a growing number of achievements Palm City Pools received for the same category in previous years. The recognitions the company has now received thus far include five Gold Awards (2014, 2013, 2011, 2010, and 2009) and six Silver Awards (2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009). Being a regular recipient of SPASA Western Australia prestigious awards is a clear indication of how Palm City Pools is dedicated to create wonderful home additions for every client using their expertise in installing secondhand fiberglass pools.
Palm City Pools founder and owner John Raykos realised during his early years as a pool installer that there is a need to offer a particular kind of service to meet the growing homeowners’ demand for a more cost effective alternative to brand new swimming pools. His idea of relocating pre-loved pools proved to be a solid and feasible answer to this clamor for more affordable pools. It not only satisfied people’s need for beautiful and reasonably priced swimming pools, but also solved current pool owners’ problem of what to do with their old units when they get new ones.
The company’s clients are the ultimate winners of the results of the 2014 SPASA Western Australia Awards as the awards granted to Palm City Pools represent an independent and credible third party assessment of the quality work the company does. Palm City Pool’s loyal patrons and prospective clients can visit PalmCityPools.com to view a comprehensive list of the company’s products and services.
About Palm City Pools
Palm City Pools is the product of owner John Raykos’ hard work and incomparable dedication who began installing swimming pools across Western Australia at the age of 17 – way back in 1973. Now, the company is synonymous with beautiful, quality, secondhand fiberglass pools that adorns many of the homes in Perth and nearby areas, with the help of John’s daughter and son-in-law in running the Perth swimming pool business.


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Homeless charity in Wisbech left with ‘thousands of pounds worth of damage’ after break-in
- Credit: Archant
More than £150 in cash and essential items, including hand sanitiser, were stolen from a homeless charity in Wisbech last night (March 26).
It is believed around £1,500 worth of damage was caused at 50 Backpacks’ headquarters at the town’s Vision Center, which helps deliver items ranging from food, clothing and toiletries to homeless and less fortunate people.
The charity said: “Last night our Vision Center was broken into causing thousands of pounds of damage to steal cash donations and essential items which was to support the local community.
“We will not be able to help vulnerable homeless people today (Friday) because it is now a crime scene.”
A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire police said: “We are investigating reports of a burglary at 50 Backpacks on Bridge Street, Wisbech which took place between 9pm yesterday (26 March) and 7.30am this morning (27 March).
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“It is believed more than £150 in cash and various items have been stolen.
“An investigation has been launched and anyone with any information is urged to call 101 or report online at https://www.cambs.police.uk/report quoting crime reference number 35/21863/20.”
Wisbech business C Carters Estate Agents, who share the same premises as 50 Backpacks, said nothing was stolen from their offices, while police officers were called to Dunelm Mill shop on Cromwell Road after an alarm went off.
- 1 Three stores evacuated after suspect 'bomb scare'
- 2 Body found in Wisbech road
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- 4 Turners ‘massively impacted’ and Knowles up pay to hire HGV drivers
- 5 Travellers move onto sports field forcing football to be cancelled
- 6 Police warn you may run but you can't hide from us
- 7 Crash driver four and a half times over drink drive limit
- 8 Mum of four sought by police over child neglect claims
- 9 Victim of ‘joke’ that backfired left paralysed
- 10 Hares hit five, Wisbech win, Whittlesey victorious as Drove triumph
Writing on their Facebook page, Policing Fenland said: “The premises were found all secure, however officers found a male at the rear of the premises looking for somewhere to sleep.
“A check was carried out on the male and he was found to be wanted on a recall to prison. One in custody and heading back to HMP.”


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Join In Samsung’s ‘Malaysia Di Hatiku’ Campaign And Win A New Samsung Smartphone
In collaboration with Universal Music Malaysia, Samsung Malaysia today launched ‘Malaysia di Hatiku,’ a Merdeka and Malaysia Day-themed campaign. The ‘Malaysia Di Hatiku’ song was released as part of the campaign, which encourages Malaysians to share their hopes and dreams for a better country.
Hip-hop musician Yonnyboii, Tabby from the rising girl group Dolla, and rappers Kmy Kmo and Luca Sickta all contribute to the new song. According to Samsung, the song is essentially a love ballad, but one dedicated to our country. Malaysians can count on loving their nation for the rest of their lives. As a result, we shall stand behind our country through thick and thin.
‘Malaysia Di Hatiku’ is now on all digital streaming platforms. You can check out the official lyric video over at Universal Music Malaysia’s YouTube channel or just watch the video down below.
Take part in Samsung’s ‘Malaysia Di Hatiku’ campaign and win
Malaysians can demonstrate their positive spirit by showing their love for the country through the #MalaysiaDiHatiku campaign, which runs from August 20 to September 2. Malaysians are encouraged to duet with musicians Yonnyboii or Tabby, or battle rap it out with duo-rappers Kmy Kmo and Luca Sickta, as part of the campaign. Participants can then use the hashtag #MalaysiaDiHatiku to caption their videos and post them to TikTok with words of encouragement for other Malaysians.
The top three entries that best capture the essence of ‘Malaysia Di Hatiku’ will each get a brand new Samsung Galaxy A32. The winners will be announced at the conclusion of the campaign, which will take place on September 16, 2021, Malaysia Day.
Pokdepinion: Lol I don’t know a single person in the song. Am I old yet?


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Now that school has begun and with the Yomim Tovim are just around the corner, many families are starting to do their major shopping for Rosh Hashanah and the many Yomtov meals they will be cooking and serving.
However, despite all these purchases and food consumption, new research by Leket Israel and BDO Ziv Haft reveals that food sales in Israel leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Sukkos are estimated at NIS 7.5 billion ($2.1 billion), of which around NIS 1.9 billion ($538 million) is lost. This means that approximately 234 tons (468,000 lbs.) of food from production to consumption, will go to waste this Tishrei. This loss is equivalent to more than one fifth of the annual food waste.
According to the 2018 Food Waste and Rescue Report, produced by Leket Israel and BDO, the total food loss in Israel stands at 2.5 million tons (5.5 billion pounds), worth NIS 19.7 billion ($5.5 billion). The average household spends about NIS 2,900 ($820) on food during the Yomtov season, of which about NIS 440 ($125) is thrown away.
Israeli households spend about NIS 1.5 billion ($425 million) on fruits and vegetables during Tishrei, of which about 60,000 tons (132 million lbs.) are lost, worth NIS 470 million ($133 million). According to the 2018 Food Waste and Rescue Report, most of the loss in household consumption comes from fruits and vegetables.
Gidi Kroch CEO of Leket Israel: “Food rescue is an economic solution for transforming food surplus, which has a zero or negative value when wasted, into food with economic value that is then passed on and consumed by disadvantaged populations. At a time when the New Year is upon us, it is incredibly disheartening to see the amount of food we are wasting in preparation of the holiday meals. It is precisely during the holidays, when there are many family gatherings around the dinner table, that the needs of the weaker sectors are increasing. The food surplus already exists and all we need to do is to rescue the food and deliver it to those who need it most.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)


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"We're disappointed that they felt it necessary to combine some of their events into an event driven by HP, no question about it," says Ron Evans, executive director of Interex, an HP user group with 100,000 members that plans to go it alone next year with HP World 2005 in San Francisco.
In the last month, HP has released details of its planned HP Technology Forum 2005, scheduled for New Orleans next September, which it says will unite the major user groups, customers, and partners at a single show, instead of the multiple shows that the company has participated in during prior years.
"All the groups have been invited to join us," says David Parsons, HP's VP of Americas enterprise marketing. "This isn't intended to take anything away [from the user groups]--but the reality is people can't afford to go to two or three different shows."
Of the other three HP user groups, Encompass already has said it plans to take part in the new HP event. The OpenView Forum software users group and ITUG user group of NonStop users haven't disclosed their plans.
"Most of our users have multiple HP solutions running in their IT environments," Parsons says. "By having the various HP user events under one roof, we can provide training direct from HP that goes beyond any single technology area to reflect the real-world data centers of our customers."
If Interex had chosen to join in the HP Technology Forum next year, it would have had contributive control over about 15% of the content, Evans says. At this year's HP World, Interex divided control with Encompass, and next year will have total control of the content, although an invitation remains for Encompass' participation in 2005, he says.
"Our members, when surveyed, said they want us independent," Evans says. "They want us to control the content."
HP has pledged to continue to make executives available to HP World for keynotes, to participate in workshops, and has upgraded its show sponsorship.
"We have a 30-year history of putting these events on, and since 1996 it has been branded HP World," Evans says. "If anything, we got a little off base from what it originally was and became a little overwhelmed. Now we're back to our roots and feel comfortable."


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Remember that time around 5 years ago now when Sony caused an uproar amongst the gaming community after they announced the PlayStation Network would be taken offline for over 3 full weeks following a cyber attack which resulted in numerous leaks of private and personal data from many PlayStation Network users and over $170 million in damages? Well, it turns out Sony have decided to do something about it.
Sony confirmed earlier today that they will now be implementing two-factor authentication methods to help further secure the accounts and, more importantly, personal data of its users. It’s believed this will come in the form of authentication via a mobile text message or through email verification in the form of a randomly, on demand, generated code that will need to be entered into the PlayStation System.
Sound familiar? It should. This is the same system used by a number of different game/service providers including but not limited to; Blizzard, Origin, Steam, and Star Wars: The Old Republic.
As this is not a new idea, it begs the question, just why has it taken Sony 5 years to implement this? If this has been in the pipeline for some time, then surely you would want it ready prior to the release of the new generation of consoles when they would be hoping for a new influx of PlayStation Accounts being made and therefore more details to be hacked.
And what of all those who have been hacked since then? Reading user comments, a lot of people seem very unhappy that without, what on the surface at least, is a very simple system that could have been implemented long ago, has caused them to loose access to old accounts and in turn hundreds of pounds worth of games they have paid for online with little to no compensation.
Now don’t get me wrong, its definitely a step in the right direction, but I think for many people they still have a long way to go to fully regain the confidence of many of their users.


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South Australia’s food industry has been urged to put plans in place to deal with any supply issues related to the COVID-19 shutdown in Victoria.
In a bulletin to local producers, Food South Australia says the situation continues to be “highly dynamic”, with a heightened risk likely in SA in the coming weeks.
“As we can now see from the restrictions affecting production and supply in Victoria, it is essential to be prepared,” chief executive Catherine Sayer said.
“It is recommended that businesses consider working in crews as the more compartmentalised a workforce is, the better protection the business has.
“It is critical to all businesses that clear provision to minimise cross-infection is in place.”
Ms Sayer said Food SA was also reviewing its COVID-19 protocols to support businesses dealing with cross-border supply chain issues.
“As we know, the food and beverage sector is a key contributor to our state’s economy and will undoubtedly continue to play an important part as South Australia aims to recover from current challenges,” she said.
The shutdown in Victoria has already prompted rush on some supermarket items in South Australia, including toilet paper.
But local officials said work was being done to ensure the continued supply of fresh food and other products and there was no need for customers to panic buy.


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Strong consumer spending may stave off recession, but pandemic economies are exhausted
Over the weekend, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen tried to allay fears about growing economic distress. Although the latest Financial Times survey reports that 68% of macroeconomists predict a recession by 2023, Yellen remains optimistic.
In an interview on ABC’s This Week on Sunday, Yellen noted several points as to why a recession isn’t set in stone.
- Consumer spending is still strong, albeit skewed towards basic necessities due to higher food and gasoline prices.
- For April, personal income increased by $89.3 billion (0.4%), while personal disposable income (PDI) increased by $48.3 billion (0.3%).
- Administrator Biden is also considering the idea of a federal gasoline tax exemption, which is currently 18.4 cents per gallon (now above $5).
Yellen noted that it will take “skill and luck” to avoid recession, but it is possible. However, macroeconomic factors still cast a shadow of uncertainty over the US economy.
Who calls a recession?
Many factors must be taken into account to declare a recession: rising unemployment, falling gross domestic product (GDP) over a period of time, and a reduction in retail sales and personal income. Due to the complexity involved, it is not for anyone to declare the recession as such.
Instead, the nonpartisan National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) must come to this conclusion through its Business Cycle Dating Committee. The NBER then reports it to the Federal Reserve and US Treasury who act accordingly.
As you can see, when the unemployment rate is high, the NBER usually declares a recession (shaded periods), but only if accompanied by other parameters. In May, the unemployment rate was 3.6%, for the third month in a row.
Consumer spending: a key metric for determining recession risk
If consumer spending does not stay positive, there is generally no growth in retail sales. This, in turn, can lead to increased unemployment. As noted earlier, personal income expenditures and DPI increased in April.
Personal consumption expenditure (PCE) increased by $152.3 billion (0.9%), according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Overall consumer spending reached $13,924.80 billion in the first quarter of 2022.
However, it remains to be seen whether May and June will maintain this trend. The next report is not expected before June 30. In the meantime, it is clear that the inflation rate, currently at 8.6%, is not accompanied by wage growth. It currently sits at 6.1% unweighted for all categories in May.
In addition, the high rate of inflation for 40 years is rapidly eating away at people’s savings. As another measure of disposable income, the personal savings rate fell to 4.4% in April, a return to the level of the 2008 global financial crisis.
Similarly, to maintain the current standard of living while keeping their debts, consumers are tapping into their revolving credit card debt, after increasing it by 19.6% in April. Needless to say, this increased total debt by 8.2% in the first quarter of 2022.
In raw numbers, credit card debt jumped to $1.103 trillion. Given that the richest 20% of households by income level own 49% of the real estate, it is also not surprising that the total indebtedness of American households is linked to mortgages.
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the first quarter of 2022 ended with an increase in household debt of $266 billion (1.7%), for a total of $15.84 trillion, which is at pre-C19 level. Of this amount, $250 billion corresponds to the increase in mortgage loans, to $11.18 trillion in March.
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Stimulus checks spent
In conclusion, what does Yellen mean by “skill and luck” given these data points? First, it’s hard to take someone seriously after repeatedly failing to consider that a historic increase in the money supply won’t cause runaway inflation.
Moreover, given the lowest personal savings rate in 14 years, it is clear that $5 trillion spent on stimulus checks has been exhausted:
- $1.8 trillion to singles and families
- $1.7 trillion to businesses
- $745 billion to local and state municipalities
- $482 for health care
- $288 for miscellaneous
In other words, when Ohio police have to cut back on regular patrols due to skyrocketing gas prices, that’s not a good sign. Inflation may have already swallowed up the windfall of stimulus checks, but high gas prices are even more damaging to all goods and services that rely on transportation.
This is one of the main reasons why consumer confidence is at an all-time low, triggering a sell-off in all markets. Over the past five days, only the Nasdaq (NDAQ) has risen against the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) and S&P 500 (SPY) indices.
Crypto assets are still having a bad week, due to all the leveraged liquidations. As Bitcoin briefly dipped below $18 in the past two days, $600 million in liquidations took place. Of course, the contagion spread from Terra’s collapse to Celsius and 3AC had an additional selling effect.
Should weak consumer confidence change, significant positive news for gasoline prices should follow. This will be clarified after President Biden meets with Saudi officials next month.
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About the Author
Tim Fries is the co-founder of The Tokenist. He has a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Tim was a senior partner on the investment team in the US Private Equity division of RW Baird and is also a co-founder of Protective Technologies Capital, an investment firm specializing in detection, protection and control solutions.


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The global trend of ‘digitization’, ‘convergence’ and ‘democratization’ has had a profound impact on every industry and sector from the most innovative to those regarded as the most conservative. One of these trends is additive manufacturing, called 3D printing.
3D printing creates unprecedented added value for industries such as manufacturing, medical, dental, aerospace, automobile, molding and tooling, architecture, jewelry and fashion. This ranges from the mass production of prototypes, complex aerospace parts to small batch production of discontinued automotive parts, personalized prosthetic limbs, and orthodontics. It is always best to have an opportunity to explore the latest additive manufacturing trends and technology in one place at a time.
Inside 3D Printing, the world’s most prestigious 3D printing event, returns to Seoul, Korea on June 26-28th, 2019 and showcases the newest products, technologies, and materials in 3D printing, 3D scanning, CAD/CAM/CAE, metrology and inspection technologies.
Inside 3D printing started in New York in 2013, and travels around 8 major cities including Sydney, Dusseldorf, Mumbai, Seoul and Sao Paulo. It is the sixth time this year in Seoul, and it is held jointly with 3DR Holdings and KINTEX (Korea International Exhibition Center) in Korea.
In particular, 3DPRINT.COM, and SmarTech Markets Publishing, a global market research organization were confirmed to join Inside 3D Printing in Seoul as co-producers. This collaboration among key industry players will enhance the quality and branding of the event.
In 2018, over 10,000 attendees from 27 countries as well as 85 exhibitors and sponsors participated Inside 3D Printing in Seoul. The conference is part of a three-day event that includes an international conference in 4 tracks and a dedicated trade show in addition to various networking opportunities.
Over 100 exhibitors including HP, EOS, German RepRap, XYZ Printing as well as Korean major players as Hanil Protech, Carima, Trotec Korea, Prototech and Hephzibah will join this year’s event. Not only top brand’s 3D printers and scanners but a variety of AM applications including affordable desktop metal 3d printer, hybrid 3D machinery with CNC engraving, large-sized industrial 3d printer and CAD/CAM/CAE software will be showcased onsite this year.
“The participation of 3DPRINT.COM and SmarTech Markets Publishing as co-producers will further upgrade Inside 3D Printing and provide the best marketing platform for our exhibitors, sponsors and 10,000+ buyers from around the world.” said Alan Meckler, Managing Partner, 3DR Holdings.
If interested in sponsorship opportunities or conference registration for the forthcoming Seoul event, please contact Inside 3D Printing Secretariat ([email protected]) or visit our website for more details.
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Network18 Announces the Appointment of Joy Chakraborthy as CEO, Forbes India
Dated: July 14, 2016
Network18 has announced the appointment of Joy Chakraborthy as CEO, Forbes India. He had joined Network 18 as President for Revenue and Business Development in May 2016 and will now be overseeing Forbes India as well. Prior to that, Chakraborthy has headed the Zee Group as executive director in charge of revenues, channel placement and the entire niche channel business portfolio. After Zee, he served as CEO of TV Today network.
Chakraborthy comes with over 20 years of experience in the media industry and has worked across top companies such as the Times Group, where he was Director - Response handling the biggest revenue portfolio. He has also spent his early years as Executive Vice President at Star India for six years, heading advertising sales of all the channels.
Chakraborthy is a graduate from the National Defence Academy with a Master’s degree in marketing management from NMIMS. He has also completed Advanced Management Programme from the Harvard Business School.


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Uber says the new safety feature has been tested in Kolkota .
Uber is stepping up its game in the Indian market. It has added a new feature that will ensure the safety of its passengers.
The new panic button feature will send the location of the driver, vehicle and passenger to the police few minutes after it is set off by the passenger.
Uber says the new safety feature has been tested in Kolkota . They plan to roll out an updated version that will place a call to the police immediately a passenger in distress presses the panic button.
This safety features will restore customer confidence in the Taxi hailing company, and also secure for it a place in what seems to be the largest market outside of the United States of America.
You will recall that Uber came under fire when it was alleged that a driver under in its service, raped a passenger. That incident sparked huge public outcry and criticism of its services in India.


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The tradition of fake news coming out of the tech world every April Fools’ Day can be a bit tiresome. After you’ve been through a few cycles of stories about phony new products and fake M&A activity, the humor wears a bit thin.
But sometimes April Fools’ jokes can get interesting — like when a gag starts to look more like a prophesy about our changing industry or a foreshadowing of a future product or service. Here are three April Fools’ jokes from this year that we think may, unwittingly, have more than just a hint of truth to them.
A broadband connection in every alley
Google(s goog) is famous for pulling out all of the stops each April 1st, and this year is no exception. There’s Gmail Blue and a new levity algorithm. One of its biggest pranks, Google Nose, actually has some grounding in real technology, as my colleague Barb Darrow pointed out earlier today.
But the one that really caught my eye this year was Google’s video advertisement of its fake new broadband service fiber-to-the-pole in Kansas City, where Google is building high-bandwidth optical connections to homes and businesses.
“We thought a lot about what we do to enable this kind of ubiquitous connectivity throughout our fiberhoods, and we realized that the answers were all around us: utility poles,” the on-screen spokesman says. “I mean, we’re already invested in building a fiber network using these utility poles so we thought: why not make them even more useful.”
To be honest, the humor falls a little flat: Google pictures people gathered around poles plugging their laptops into Ethernet ports. But the idea of Google providing ubiquitous broadband in its fiber cities is probably far from a joke. Google of late has pursued a wide range of initiatives related to building better mobile and wireless broadband networks: it’s experimenting with high-capacity, long-range Wi-Fi gateways, it’s testing new small cell mobile network architectures and it’s been an active proponent of using TV white spaces spectrum for broadband.
I don’t know for certain what Google plans to do with those technologies, but all of them could easily ride on the back of its pole-mounted fiber infrastructure.
Your kid’s first 3D printer
Millions of future artists and draftsmen began their careers on Etch A Sketches. Maybe the next generation of sculptors and industrial designers will get their starts on 3D printers. ThinkGeek is advertising the world’s “most economical and fun entry-level 3D printer on the market” for just $49.99. Its media? What else: Play-Doh.
Many of you are already thinking this would be an incredibly handy gadget to own (and not just for your kids)– and it might not be too long before something like it appears on store shelves.
Once the purview of sophisticated engineering shops, 3D printers are becoming much more accessible to the everyday creative classes. Companies like Shapeways are providing 3D printing services for artisans. Today my colleague Kevin Tofel wrote about a 3D printing kiosk at Virginia Tech University available free of charge to any student – just insert an SD card with your 3D design code and out pops your object.
Of course, there are still plenty of technological and economic obstacles in the way of a $50 3D printer. But keep in mind Play-Doh is a much more forgiving material than steel or ceramics (and you don’t need a laser to bond layers of Play-Doh together). Our toddlers might have trouble figuring out the ins-and-outs of Autodesk’s computer-aided design software, but if the market for home-brew 3D printing develops you can bet more novice-friendly software will follow.
The selective vision of Guardian Goggles
Leave it to the U.K.’s liberal mainstay The Guardian to add some wry political humor to the April Fools’ mix. Its gag is a sendoff on Google Glass: Guardian Goggles, a set of spectacles that filters everything through the Guardian’s prism.
“And then there are those times your willpower falters,” goes the Guardian’s promo video as a reader reaches for a discarded copy of competing – and right-leaning – paper The Daily Mail. “It happens to the best of us. But Guardian Goggles can help keep you on track. Our proprietary anti-bigotry technology automatically protects you from harmful opinions before they even reach your eyes.”
[protected-iframe id=”99bb10f2c38e3e75d1644b3f0fbc983a-14960843-28869047″ info=”http://embedded-video.guardianapps.co.uk/?a=false&u=/technology/video/2013/apr/01/guardian-goggles-video” width=”460″ height=”397″ frameborder=”0″]
Here are my colleague Mathew Ingram’s thoughts:
“The Guardian’s Goggles are obviously designed to lampoon Google’s version, and play on the newspaper’s reputation for leaning to the left. But Augmented Reality devices could be programmed to exclude or blur out content that a user didn’t want to see, such as that involving offensive words or imagery.
We already filter what information we expose ourselves to by selecting the type of media we consume – whether it’s The Guardian or Fox News. Technology helps us refine those filters further. Augmented reality could actually insert those filters directly into our lines of sight.


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Apple's 2015 iPad Pro, which is rumoured to arrive with a 12.9-inch screen, could come sporting the full Mac OS X operating system.
According to supply chain rumours, outed by Digitimes, Apple has two prototype versions of the iPad Pro currently in testing. One is supposed to feature iOS while the other features Mac OS X making it a hybrid style device.
We're taking this rumour with a large helping of salt as Digitimes doesn't have a great track record. On top of this Apple has said, numerous times, that it won't be creating a unifying operating system. But then it wouldn't say if it was, would it? Also Apple once said phablets weren't going to happen and that it would never bother making a smaller tablet – both of these are now here.
Apple has also got patents in the public domain that show Macs with touchscreen displays, suggesting the operating system is being altered for touchscreens. Apple is also thought to be integrating Siri ever deeper into the Mac OS, making it even more ideal for a mouse and keyboard free tablet experience.
Apple has introduced more features on the latest Max OS X 10.10 Yosemite that integrate it with iOS 8. But to make the leap and create a single unifying OS is a huge assumption – especially after Microsoft's efforts.
We'd like to believe this is going to happen. But since the iPad Pro isn't even certain at this stage we're not holding our breath.


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Many veterinary nutritionists say the ideal feline diet would be “mouse in a can.” While mouse farming has not caught on, it looks like cats may get their ideal diet via a laboratory. The Pet Food Industry reports that the company Because Animals is working on this development.
“Currently, cultured meat is expensive, including cultured mouse,” Because Animals CEO Sharon Falconer says. “But one of our biggest assets is that we’re working with tissue from a species where a lot is already known in terms of biochemistry.”
The project involves growing a thin layer of mouse meat tissue that is then incorporated into feline treats. The first step toward production is to achieve USDA/FDA approval of cultured mouse meat as GRAS (generally regarded as safe).
There are advantages to culture-grown meat. “Cell-cultured meat will be the highest quality meat on the market—fully traceable, antibiotic- and hormone-free, and absolutely clear of pathogenic bacteria such as Listeria and Salmonella,” Falconer says.


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Google is partnering with Elastic, a startup to deliver a totally managed version of the Elasticsearch. The partnership also states that Google will support Elastic in promoting Kibana- an open source software developed and sold by the start up. While the Elasticsearch functions as a search engine for structured and unstructured data, Kibana offers highly customizable dashboards and virtualizations. Elastic announced that the services will be available to users by the second half of 2017, exactly two years after AWS released its Elasticsearch service. AWS Elasticsearch is available as a dedicated offering on the AWS Marketplace and on Amazon Cloudsearch service. Elastic’s service can also be found on Azure Marketplace as well as Microsoft’s own Azure Search.
The upcoming Elastic and Google combo will be serving leading names like Shopify, The New York Times, Verizon and several business leaders. Apart from expanding its portfolio of services, Google strives to be the best cloud for all its users. Google is ambitious to do a complete overhaul of organizations’ existing and new applications and their underlying infrastructure to maximize their geographical visibility. The recent discussions on embedding of Trifacta’s data cleaning software and plans to lay undersea cable in the Indian Ocean to speed up data transfer for cloud customers are two leading examples of how Google is thinking big to reshape its cloud customer experience.
Apart from its free services, Google’s upcoming Elasticsearch service will include the exclusive high-end subscriptions offered by Elastic startup like the commercial support, graph and chart analytics, and alerts and notifications. Besides Elasticsearch, Google will soon integrate its neural machine translation system into its Translation application API standard edition. Previously this was available only for premium edition. With this, Google will extend its translation services into more languages.


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Google Home, Google Home Max Speakers See Price Drop in Canada
According to Google Canada’s post on the Nest Hub, they also added, “Finally, today we’re introducing new pricing for some of our products. Starting today, Google Home will be $129 and Google Home Max will be $399.”
The regular price of the Google Home is $179, so the $129 price is a $50 reduction, or 28% off. The Google Home Max first launched at $499 in Canada last year, but is now $399, a $100 price drop, or 20% off.
These updated prices are now reflected at various retailers selling these Google Home speakers, such as Best Buy.


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Big Red's latest move gives prepaid subscribers more wiggle room for data consumption.
Verizon CFO Fran Shammo says the carrier won't be following AT&T and T-Mobile's lead.
A fourth-quarter jump in the customer turnover rate underscores the increasingly volatile environment for wireless carriers that even Verizon can no longer avoid.
The vulnerability, which Verizon has already fixed, would have let anyone to tap into a Verizon email account.
The Internet giant could be hoping to take another stab at going head-to-head with Apple, Amazon, PayPal, Square and a slew of other tech giants looking to grab a slice of the payments pie.
Verizon fought hard to overturn 2010 rules governing Internet access. But it now faces the possibility that the FCC will impose even stricter regulations than the ones it had thrown out.
Mobile video service Rounds raises $12 million, giving it a bit more ammunition to compete in the messaging app world.
Verizon Vehicle is an aftermarket service that can work with virtually any car, providing diagnostic services, roadside assistance and a hotline to mechanic support.
Cell phone carriers are working hard to poach each other's customers, with rollover deals and tempting family plans. What would it take for you to switch your loyalty?
Merger could boost the wireless operator's video offerings, according to Bloomberg.
From a carrier price war to wearable technology, it was a busy 2014 for mobile -- and there's more to come next year.
It's only $10 per month -- but is it worth it?
Looking for a printer?
Whether it's a high-quality photo printer or an all-in-one workhorse, we've picked the best printers for your specific needs.


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- October 19, 2018
Infinix Launches the Most Intelligent Smartphone NOTE 5 Stylus Powered by Google In Pakistan
Infinix, TRANSSION Holdings online smartphone brand, has proven once again its commitment to bringing the most cutting-edge technology and stylishly designed mobile devices to consumers with the introduction of its…Read More
- October 4, 2018
- Press Release
Infinix confirms the launch of NOTE 5 Stylus: The Best From Infinix Yet?
The Infinix NOTE 5 Stylus, the latest addition to Infinix’s flagship NOTE series and upgraded, superior sibling of the NOTE 5, is being rumoured to launch nationwide and online across…Read More


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http://gmauthority.com - As attitudes toward cars change, companies like Maven will be essential to GM’s bottom line.
https://media.gm.com - RAA and GM Holden have announced a partnership, which sees Maven Car Sharing expand to Adelaide and brings car sharing to the city’s inner and outer suburbs for the first time.
http://gmauthority.com - She replaces the recently departed Julia Steyn.
https://www.freep.com - GM has named Sigal Cordeiro, 46, to lead Maven in the wake of the unexpected departure of Julia Steyn on Jan. 29, a GM Maven spokeswoman confirms.
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com - Rather than look outside the company for some Silicon Valley-reared go-getter, General Motors sourced its new Maven boss from within.
https://www.autonews.com - Sigal Cordiero replaces Julia Steyn, who unexpectedly left GM last month as vice president of Maven and GM urban mobility.
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com - Julia Steyn, head of General Motors’ Maven mobility brand, is reportedly leaving the company.
https://www.freep.com - Julia Steyn, a former Goldman and Alcoa VP who joined GM in 2012, has left the company.
https://www.businessinsider.com - The head of GM's Maven mobility division will leave the company, Automotive News reported. GM didn't immediately confirm the news.
http://gmauthority.com - It's not yet clear if she left or was let go.


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Retirees have increased their spending at almost three times the rate of non-retirees in the last decade, new research from Canada Life's Retire UK report shows, with many of the older generation able to enjoy a definite spending boom as their income remains robust.
The figures estimate that the total retired population spent a collective £130bn last year, an increase of 71% from 2005, while the non-retired population has only seen an increase of 27% over the same period. Not only that, but in 2005, retired households made up just 12% of the UK's overall spending, but they have now increased their total share to 15%, rising by a quarter in the space of 10 years.
And, if the pace of spending growth continues, Canada Life estimates that retirees' spending will reach £194bn by 2025, even when taking the planned increase to state pension age into account.
The rapid growth of the retired population could have gone some way to explaining the overall increase in retirees' spending, with a total of 11.7m being retired last year. However, this can't be the only driver, as it isn't only collective spending that's seen an improvement – individual households have seen their spending growth soar, too, which suggests that retiree finances as a whole are improving.
The figures show that, over the last 10 years, the typical retired household has increased its spending by 53%, rising from £11,438 in 2005 to £17,465 in 2015. Disposable income is up sharply, too, recording an increase of 43%, but the fact that spending has seen faster growth suggests that retirees feel financially comfortable spending more of that additional income, the report noted.
In contrast, a typical non-retired household is now only spending 21% more than in 2005, yet they've seen a 26% increase in disposable income. This shows that, not only has their spending increased much more slowly than retirees', but non-retired households have also increased the proportion of income they save, arguably because they've had to "tighten the family purse-strings".
In even more welcome news for retirees, it seems that more of them are able to spend money on having fun (such as spending on entertainment, restaurants, hotels, alcohol and cultural pursuits) rather than necessities (e.g. food and clothing), with there being a clear shift in focus in recent years.
The figures show that retirees are now spending £13.6bn more each year on having fun than they did in 2005, an increase of 74%, and currently spend £31.9bn having fun every year – well above the £22bn spent on essentials. Once again, individuals are benefiting, too, with a typical retired household increasing its spending on having fun by 56% in the last decade, while essential spending is only up by 38%.
At the other end of the scale, non-retired households have seen spending on fun rise by just 9% since 2005 – well below inflation – while spending on essentials has risen by 22%.
"Times have changed for retirement in the UK," commented Richard Priestley at Canada Life. "Living standards are better than ever before, and retirees now have the financial firepower to make the most of later life.
"Pensioner poverty has not been eradicated altogether, but there have been dramatic improvements in income across the board, and most retired people are living comfortably. Spending has boomed as a result, even while the rest of the country has tightened its belt."
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Biodel enters manufacturing pact with Emergent Business briefs
Published 10:14 pm, Thursday, March 6, 2014
manufacturing pact with Emergent
Biodel, a Danbury-based specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on development and commercialization of diabetes treatments, has taken another step in the development of its glucagon emergency management program with the signing of a long-term manufacturing agreement with Cangene bioPharma, which does business as Emergent BioSolutions. Financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed. Emergent will fill and finish commercial quantities of the GEM device, to which Biodel holds exclusive rights for use with glucagon. It is a customized version of Unilife's dual-chamber, auto-reconstitution syringe. GEM is being developed for use as a rescue treatment for severe hypoglycemia. Biodel, traded on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "BIOD," anticipates submitting a new drug application to the Food and Drug Administration in 2015.
Schick releases new shaving product
Shelton-based Schick this week launched the "Schick Hydro 5 Groomer," a "four-in-one high-performance facial-hair styling tool" that alternately shaves, trims, edges and hydrates. The device is being aimed at the growing ranks of men who are sporting facial hair, a release said, but who "don't want to fuss with multiple attachments."
Stamford's Half Full Brewery expands its distribution
Half Full Brewery, the Stamford-based craft beer maker, has announced a distribution agreement with ROGO Distributors of East Hartford, which will allow the brewery to expand into three new markets (the counties of Hartford, Tolland, and Windham). Half Full's beers are now available in six of eight counties throughout Connecticut and in Westchester County, N.Y. Half Full's owner, Conor Horrigan, first developed the business at the University of Connecticut's School of Business, where he won the annual Wolff Business Plan Competition as part of an entrepreneurship class. The brewery will launch distribution initially with three "inspirational" or "core" beers and several rotating "Experiential" or seasonal offerings. Inspirational beers include: Half Full Bright Ale, a citrusy blond-pale ale; Half Full India Pale Ale, a rye-based IPA; and Half Full Toasted Amber, a malty American-style Amber. Currently, all of Half Full Brewery's offerings are draught only, though the company expects to launch 12 ounce cans in May.


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State of Decay Multiplayer Cut, Windows 8 Exclusive Undecided
We announced that we would not be able to launch State of Decay with co-op mode, said the rep. Since [MMO follow-up] Class4 is the online world version of State of Decay, well be developing the multiplayer goodness, and our hope is to bring some form of co-op mode to State of Decay after launch.
One thing of concern that the article does bring up is that Microsoft is the publisher for State of Decay, and this could possibly mean that the PC version of the game may be a Windows 8 exclusive title, something that Undead Labs could not confirm nor deny at the moment, but RPS notes that some other Microsoft published titles for the PC are already taking this approach.
Source: Rock, Paper, Shotgun