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NYCC 2012 – Dudebox Star Wars Contest
During this year’s New York Comic Con, UK based vinyl toy brand Dudebox will be going back to their roots and revisiting the world of Star Wars. On their booth, #2915, they will have on display an ultra rare R2D2 model. Back in 1977, Dudebox founder Robert Beecham was given a license to produce Star Wars toiletries, he made some of the very earliest merchandise for the film franchise. To celebrate that occassion, he created 10 metalised vinyl, hand painted figures from the original machine moulds that produced an R2D2 bubble bath bottle. These were given as private gifts to those close to the new business.
Now, with Dudebox taking its place among the contemporary pop art collectables market with their range of vinyl toys, one of these rare pieces of memorablia is being displayed at New York Comic Con and will be given away to one lucky winner of the free to enter contest.
Just head to the Dudebox booth, #2915, and enter your email address into the contest iPad. You will automatically be entered into the Comic Con prize draw. One lucky winner will be selected at random.


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MINNEAPOLIS–Best Buy Co., the largest North American consumer electronics retailer, said first-quarter earnings fell 18 per cent, hurt by weak profits in China and increased sales of lower-margin products such as notebook computers.
The company also lowered its 2008 profit forecast yesterday.
Profit for the quarter ended June 2 dropped to $192 million (U.S.), or 39 cents per share, from $234 million, or 47 cents per share, in the same period a year ago.
Revenue rose 14 per cent to $7.93 billion, from $6.96 billion last year. The revenue increase included the addition of 230 new stores, including 131 through acquisitions.
Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected a profit of 49 cents on revenue of $7.85 billion.
Same-store sales, or sales in stores open at least 14 months, grew 3 per cent during the quarter. Same-store sales is considered a key gauge of retail industry performance because it measures growth from established stores rather than growth from those newly opened.
Chief executive officer Brad Anderson told analysts during a conference call the firm achieved its strategic goals in the first quarter, if not its financial ones.
The company gained market share, posted strong international sales and outperformed other electronics retailers during the first quarter, he said.
"We're never satisfied with missing earnings," Anderson said. "However, we know it does not reflect the core health of our business, the strength of our strategy, or our ability to execute through our people or our optimism about the future."
Consumers buying higher-priced items helped to drive revenue growth in the quarter. But the company's overall gross profits were hurt by the inclusion of Best Buy's China business, which was acquired last June and has significantly lower gross profit rates than the company's domestic operations. Best Buy has 1,200 retail stores in the U.S. and Canada.
The company also saw increased sales of lower-margin items such as notebook computers and gaming hardware.
Best Buy yesterday cut its fiscal 2008 profit outlook to $2.95 to $3.15 per share, down from its earlier projection of $3.10 to $3.25 a share. Analysts had forecast a 2008 profit of $3.15 per share.
Best Buy shares fell $2.83, or 5.9 per cent, to close yesterday at $45.18 in New York trading.

domain: news


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Italian car manufacturing company, Alfa Romeo is launching a new SUV, Tonale. The new vehicle will be using NFT and blockchain for its operations as first reported by CNBC.
The non-fungible token (NFT) and blockchain will enable the car to be tracked at anytime and anywhere. It will keep a detailed record of the SUV’s data and also issue a certificate that indicates if the vehicle has been properly maintained or not. Also, to record the data of the Tonale, the car must be maintained by a certified Alfa Romeo dealer. However, these data can only be recorded with the consent of the owners of the vehicle.
On the website developed for the new vehicle, it was said that “thanks to IT next-generation software architecture, the Tonale offers a full set of technological innovations. It’s the first car ever to adopt an NFT blockchain certification,” a statement that verifies that the new automobile is to become the first car to use NFT and crypto.
Further as to why the automobile company, which was formerly addressed as Fiat Chrysler incorporated the token and blockchain in the new sports car, the head of marketing and communication, Francesco Calcara said “Digitalization is a key enabler of our metamorphosis. Tonale is the first car ever to keep a blockchain, non-fungible token. NFTs are based on the same distributed information logic that protects your Bitcoin.”
The car is not yet on the market, it will be on sale from April 2022. As announced on the company’s website.
Businesses are racing to get on board with non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which have recently made the news. In a business report in November last year, a research team led by Morgan Stanley, a global leader in finance suggested that “NFTs could grow to a roughly $240 billion market by 2030, with digital collectibles from luxury brands making up 8% of the space by that time”.
From music to website development, to gaming, to real estate to sports, and now to automobiles, NFTs have become an inevitable asset to everything in the digital space and also to investors.


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Shop owners and businesspeople operating in the capital's Gulistan area staged a protest by blocking roads on Wednesday morning, demanding that they be allowed to keep shops open maintaining hygiene rules during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Meanwhile, shop owners and workers of various markets in Nilkhet, New Market, Elephant Road, and Dhanmondi areas did not hold any protest. They took position in front of their respective markets in the morning.
They warned that they would go for a tough movement if market owners did not make a positive decision after a meeting with the commerce ministry by Thursday.
"The shop owners' association assured us that shops would be allowed to remain open on the first day of the lockdown but that did not happen even on the third day," said Abu Jaher, a cloth shop owner in Chandni Chowk.
"If the permission on keeping shops open is not announced by tomorrow, we will protest by lying down on the street until the announcement comes," he added.
Nizam Uddin, president of Chandni Chowk Shop Owners' Association, said, "Around 100 shop owners' associations across Dhaka city decided to hold a meeting with the commerce ministry to reopen shops on Thursday."
He said he hoped the government would make a positive decision considering the suffering of shop owners.
During the protest in Gulistan, Anwar Hossain, a trader at Dhaka Trade Centre, said, "We have not been able to overcome the losses of last year."
He noted that businessmen were eyeing the upcoming Ramadan and Eid to make up for the losses.
Another trader Azhar Uddin said, "We are ready to follow the health rules announced by the government in our markets. Our demand is to allow us to keep our shops open till a certain time of the day."
Abu Farhan Khan, a shoe trader, said there are about 5,000 shops in Gulistan.
"About 20,000 people depend on the businesses for their livelihoods. Due to the lockdown, their livelihoods are in danger," he added.
Farhan and other shopkeepers demanded that the government allow them to keep markets open from 8am to 4pm.
Police later dispersed the crowd that gathered near the flyover and on the roads at important points in Gulistan.
Starting on Monday, the government declared a seven-day lockdown in the country to curb the new surge in Covid-19 infections.


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Here, you’ll find the latest announcements from manufacturers and product vendors about your security equipment and software applications.
gSOAP Devils Ivy Notice
August 8, 2017 — This important alert is concerning certain systems and devices leveraging communications software known as “gSOAP” from Genivia, Inc., that may be vulnerable to a bug that can be remotely exploited to gain control of an affected system or cause a denial of service attack.Read More >>>
Microsoft SMB Vulnerability
May 15, 2017 — This is an important technology alert concerning outdated or unpatched versions of Microsoft Windows.Read More >>>
May 14, 2017 — This is an important technology alert concerning certain products from the Intel Corporation.Read More >>>
Axis releases firmware updates
July 18, 2016 — Axis Communications, a manufacturer of network video cameras and other security products, has announced new firmware that addresses a recently disclosed vulnerability.Read More >>>


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Ralph Navarro from FYI Superyachts will represent The Italian Sea Group brands: Admiral and Tecnomar in Latin America, including Venezuela, Peru, as well as Colombia.
The all-new Tecnomar Nadara 40 superyacht LOW PROFILE has recently hit the water at the Italian Sea Group Shipyard in Italy’s Marina di Carrara. She is the third of the seven luxury vessels, expected to be launched by the Group this year.
The new floating barge has been recently launched by The Italian Sea Group. This will allow the builder to launch the yachts measuring up to 90m in LOA.
Admiral Tecnomar Nadara 30 superyacht Zahraa has been announced as one of the finalists for the International Yacht & Aviation Award 2014 in the ‘Power Yacht 25-40 metres’ category.
Officially opened today, the 2014 Dubai International Boat Show is hosting the prestigious Italian shipyard Admiral Tecnomar, showcasing their Nadara 30m superyacht Zahraa.
The Italian Sea Group, the owner of the Admiral and Tecnomar yacht brands, has recently completed the relocation of its headquarters to the Marina di Carrara at Nuovi Cantieri Apuania shipyard.
Admiral Tecnomar, part of The Italian Sea Group, has proudly announced that they have obtained the ESQR Quality Achievements Award, which rewards quality in business management.
The all-new Tecnomar Nadara 30 superyacht ZAHRAA has been recently delivered by Admiral Tecnomar. This beautiful vessel can comfortably sleep 8 guests in total.
It will be a busy year 2014 for The Italian Sea Group. The company is expected to deliver 5 luxury yachts in Summer 2014, including Admiral Maxima 47 superyacht.
This year’s Monaco Yacht Show was marked by the official presentation of the E-motion superyacht series, developed by Admiral Tecnomar and Dobroserdov Design. This new series includes Admiral 55 and Admiral 52 yachts, both scheduled for launch in spring 2016.
Developed in collaboration with Vripack from the Netherlands, the all-new Tecnomar ENVY superyacht series has been introduced by Admiral Tecnomar, part of the Italian Sea Group, at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show.
The all-new Tecnomar Envy yacht series represents the illustration of the Holistic design approach of the bespoke Dutch design firm, Vripack. The series consists of the Envy 3, 4 and 5.
Talal superyacht is another beautiful vessel caught on camera by yacht-spotter and photographer Roberto Malfatti. The Nadara 13 superyacht Talal is Tecnomar built, launched in 2010.
The eagerly awaited Hainan Rendez-Vous will be attended by the Italian Sea Group, displaing all its brands, including the Admiral Tecnomar.
The Italian Sea Group has arrived in the Marina di Carrara in Italy, inaugurating a new superyacht refit facility for yachts measuring up to 250 feet in length.
Admiral Tecnomar shipyard moves the 2nd hull of the Admiral Maxima 47 yacht currently under construction, to a new facility of Nuovi Cantieri Aquania in Marina di Carrara.
The all-new 2012 charter yacht Ouranos has been announced as one of the finalists for International Yacht & Aviation Awards 2013. This splendid Nadara 45 vessel by Admiral Tecnomar Group provides unforgettable yacht charter vacation for up to 14 guests in the beautiful Mediterranean.
The all-new Classique 35 superyacht has been recently sold by Admiral Tecnomar. Scheduled for delivery in summer 2014, she boasts 5 lovely staterooms for up to 10 guests.
In order to strenghten its top position in the field of luxury superyachts, the prominent Italian luxury yacht builder, Admiral Tecnomar, has recently acquired the NCA – Nuovi Cantieri Apuania. This action resulted in the creation of The Italian Sea Group.
The prominent Italian luxury yacht builder, Admiral Tecnomar Group, has presented some major changes at the top management of the company.


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OSLO (Reuters) - Norwegian cruise company Hurtigruten said it had suffered a serious ransomware cyber attack on Monday and several of its systems are paralysed.
Cruise operator Carnival Corp said on Aug 17 that it launched an investigation into a ransomware attack on one of its brand's information technology systems.
When giant cruise ships set sail again, with up to some 8,880 passengers and crew on board, they’ll be on the cutting edge of post-pandemic technology. They’ll have to be.
Virtual tours of faraway landscapes and museums have gotten impressive.
Boost is rolling out new features – BoostUp, CashUp and UnionPay QR payment – that provide users with more rewards, cashbacks and payment options.
Repaint the Eiffel Tower, walk across a 'void,' replace the Iron Lady with the Great Pyramid of Giza... An exhibition for the Parisian monument's 130th anniversary uses giant screens to give visitors a range of immersive experiences as they retrace the tower's history and imagine the future.
At a small cocktail stand in the middle of London’s Barbican Centre, a crowd is watching a bartender spin and whirl around a shaker full of ingredients for a passion fruit martini.
Muslim friendly tourism marketplace, Halal Holiday aims to give better choices for customers by training tour operators on Muslims' needs
Say goodbye to standing in long lines clutching boarding passes and other travel documents.
After the cosmopolitan destination welcomed some 13.4 million visitors in 2018 the Turkish city's Metropolitan Municipality has launched an extensive global tourism campaign, notably focusing on digital platforms, to promote Istanbul as a must-visit destination.


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Singles’ Day first started in the 1990s, but it was in 2009 when Alibaba took the opportunity to turn it into a grand retail event that it is today. From helping unmarried young adults to feel less lonely and to celebrate, Alibaba’s 11/11 single day shopping date has become the largest in the world.
How Singles’ Day shopping festival started
TMall CEO Daniel Zhang started the 11/11 sales in 2009 when he was in charge of the business unit. He used the event to promote the discounts from the retailers on its e-commerce platforms. The discounts cover various goods from electronic gadgets to beauty products to apparels and household items. While the highlight event is on Nov. 11, offers from retailers come as early as three weeks before the actual Singles’ Day.
Alibaba’s Singles’ Day eight years later
Today, Singles’ Day is one of the world’s biggest shopping days. This year, Alibaba set another record as its sales hit over $25 billion. As reported by Tech Crunch, the Chinese e-commerce giant sold more than 163.8 billion RMB in gross merchandise volume mainly through its Taobao marketplace and TMall brand store. That is roughly $25.3 billion, surpassing last year’s $18 billion sales by 39 percent. It even exceeded analyst forecast of up to $24.4 billion sales.
Moreover, Alibaba handled about 1.48 billion transactions in 24 hours on Nov. 11. About $7 billion of goods were sold in the first 30 minutes of the Singles’ Day sale, and the company surpassed the 2016 record sales by noon. This year also saw an increase in the number of consumers participating in the event through their mobile phones, up by 90 percent from 2016’s 82 percent and 69 percent in 2015. There were about 1.5 billion Alipay transactions, which is up 41 percent from last year’s number.
What the numbers mean for Alibaba
The sales figures are impressive. However, it should be noted that these do not translate to actual revenue for Alibaba. The e-commerce giant’s revenue mostly comes from advertising, as well as commissions. Singles’ Day is more of a marketing strategy rather than about investors. Given the numbers, e-commerce merchants would be convinced to join the platform and buy ads, or they would miss out a share of consumer spending.
Singles’ Day 2017 attracted 140,000 participating brands, up by 40 percent from the previous year. They include 60,000 international brands such as Starbucks, Bose, GAP, and Nike, among major names. About 15 million products were listed, with wellness and baby products as top sellers, according to Forbes. Of the participating merchants, 167 earned over 100 million RMB ($15.1 million) in sales each, 17 merchants generated over 500 million RMB ($75.4 million) each, and six hit 1 billion RMB ($150.9 million) each.
China has an estimated 500 million middle-class consumers, and the country is projected to dominate more than half of global e-commerce by 2020. Its retail market was valued $5 trillion last year. In addition, Alibaba has international services and worldwide shipping. These are why the figures from the Singles’ Day sales event are a big deal.
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Detroit, US – A shortage of polyurethane foam and other polymer products could halt some North American car production in mid-March, according to automotive industry sources.
A car-industry executive who spoke with Crain's Detroit Business on the condition of anonymity said some seating supplier assembly lines were expected to run out of foam by 8 March.
The across-the-board shortages are caused by the blizzard on 15 February, which closed petrochemical production in Texas and other states which border the Gulf of Mexico.
The potential raw material shortage comes on top of an unexpected rebound in consumer demand in North America and a shortage of microchips that has halted production lines.
'A lot of production is down still for oil refinery by-product and in a few days, no one is going to be able to make propylene oxide,' the executive said. 'Everyone is scrambling. This problem is bigger and closer than the semiconductor issue.'
Others expect the impact of the foam shortage to hit sometime mid-month.
A North America-based purchasing executive with an automaker told Automotive News on 4 March that, while the potential shortage is not an immediate issue for vehicle assembly plants, it may surface in a few weeks.
'It's currently a threat, not a given,' the executive said. 'The first impact is the second half of March… I assume everyone is looking for alternative supplies globally.'
A source close to the PU industry said the problem is industry-wide, with raw materials shortages impacting production even before the bad weather hit.
'Producers are struggling to meet consumer demand, and the cold weather in Texas led to numerous plants being closed down,' the source added, 'with problems being experienced all the way down the polyurethane foam supply chain.'
Raw materials supply problems for diisocyanates and polyols have been tight for several months and started to hit producers in October 2020.
Several carmakers said that they do not yet anticipate plant stoppages, but many said they are monitoring the situation.
'GM continues to work closely with the supply base to mitigate the impacts caused by the significant winter weather that affected a large portion of the country the week of 15 February,' said spokesman David Barnas. 'We don't anticipate any immediate production impacts.'
Toyota Motor North America also said it is coordinating with suppliers.
'We are aware of the petrochemical industry's condition and are working with our supplier partners to mitigate any impact to our production plan,' said Toyota spokesman Eric Booth. 'At this time, it is too early to predict the potential near-term impact.'
A spokesman for Hyundai, which has a recently expanded factory in Alabama to build the redesigned Tucson compact crossover, said: 'We are in contact with our seat supplier, but don't have any information yet on whether we will have an issue.'
Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia is similarly monitoring the situation, a spokesman said.
'We are aware of the chemical shortage concerns affecting seat foam supply across the industry and are monitoring our supply chain closely,' spokesman Rick Douglas said.
As of 1 March, US BMW production had not been hit by the shortage, said company spokesman Phil Diianni.
Ford Motor Co. declined to comment.
A spokeswoman for Stellantis, the newly named entity from the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and France's PSA, said in an emailed statement: 'We are closely monitoring the situation. At this time, we do not expect an impact on our operations.'
Some seating suppliers also say they have not yet felt the pinch from the shortage.
French seating and electronics supplier Faurecia said it had not experienced any impact as of March 3.
Suburban Detroit seating supplier Lear Corp. declined to comment on the situation. Canadian supply giant Magna International and seating supplier Adient did not respond to inquiries on the topic. Several automakers said that they do not yet anticipate plant stoppages, but many said they are monitoring the situation.


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iPhone 12 Specs Leak Reveals Display Sizes, Codenames, and Says All Four Models Will Feature a Smaller Notch
It was previously reported that the finalization of the iPhone 12 prototyping phase had been delayed as Apple executives were unable to fly out due to the coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately, there appears to be a small glimmer of hope and that the launch of the new series might happen on time. A leakster has shared some key iPhone 12 specs that fall in line with what esteemed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted earlier.
All Four iPhone 12 Models To Ship With 5G Support, With the Two Premium Versions Getting a Better Build and Improved Hardware
Not long after Jon Presser shared that Apple might launch a 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro refresh next month, he’s back with a detailed image surrounding the iPhone 12 specs. He mentions in his tweet that the prototyping phase is about to be finalized, while also saying that the important internal specs line up very well with what Kuo predicted in 2019. While we might get to see proper CAD renders of all four iPhone 12 models, here’s a closer look at their specifications for the time being.
Firstly, it looks like all four handsets will sport a smaller notch, so customers will get more screen real estate. Also, all four of them are expected to feature Apple’s A14 Bionic, coupled with 5G support. The A14 Bionic production is said to happen on schedule, with TSMC reportedly commencing mass manufacturing of its 5nm node later this month. Also, Apple’s upcoming SoC isn’t going to be a slouch in the performance department because a previous analysis stated that the silicon might be as fast as a six-core Intel mobile processor found in the 15-inch 2018 MacBook Pro.
Prototyping for iPhone 12 devices is just about finalized!
Final details line up pretty well with what Kuo said last year! 🤯
Expect to see CAD renders of the devices within the next month or two from your favorite leakers! 👀
Now let’s see if Apple can get them out by EOY! pic.twitter.com/nAfA7JHMx2
— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) April 6, 2020
As for the 5G modem, if a previous rumor is to be believed, then all iPhone 12 models will sport a standalone Snapdragon X55 baseband chip from Qualcomm. The less expensive versions of the lineup are expected to stick to the iPhone 12 name. The smallest of them may sport a 5.4-inch display, while the one after that might ship with a 6.1-inch screen. They are also reported to ship with a dual-camera setup at the back, along with a glass and aluminum chassis.
As for the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, they are rumored to feature a more premium stainless steel body, coupled with a triple rear camera setup plus a LiDAR sensor. However, according to a previous rumor, only the larger iPhone 12 Pro Max will ship with improved sensor-shift stabilization technology. It’s also possible that these two versions feature more RAM than both iPhone 12 models, resulting in a higher price tag.
Checking out these iPhone 12 specs, we’d have to say that Apple is looking to cement its position as a leader in nearly all pricing segments. Now the question remains if customers will be able to get their hands on them shortly after Apple’s September keynote later this year.
If there’s a possibility of this, we’ll update you on that in the future, so stay tuned.
Image Credits: Ben Geskin
News Source: Twitter (Jon Prosser)
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Excerpts from the Google blog:
The Google Maps Send-To-Car service has grown, and many car manufacturers have joined over time. Just recently, we announced Audi’s connected car navigation system which includes Send-To-Car, and the Google Automotive team is thrilled to announce that we have extended the partner base of our Google Maps Send-To-Car service further to include Ford and GM.
As of today, drivers of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles in the US enabled with Ford SYNC can now send business listings or addresses found on Google Maps directly to their cars.
In addition, millions of OnStar equipped GM vehicles can now make use of this innovative service. Great news if you own a Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, Saab or Saturn!
Drivers can then use their car maker’s turn-by-turn navigation system to be guided to their selected destination. With today’s additions, drivers can send destinations from Google Maps directly to their connected vehicles in 19 countries and more than 20 different brands.
In the US alone, Send-To-Car is now available on more than 15 car brands and we hope to see even more partners join us soon.
Source: Google Latlong blog.


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Targeting high-end, customised notebooks at specific market sectors has provided HiTech Distribution with a major sales boost.
The distributor, in conjunction with Acer and a select band of resellers, trialled a limited release of models valued at more than $3000 in October.
The strategy helped boost its overall Acer sales by 107 per cent over the previous year and led to Acer's Notebook Distributor of the Year award, HiTech managing director, Ian Vagg, said.
"Resellers have been able to go market with an exclusive, highly customised model backed by a major vendor," he said. "We now plan to do three or four more exclusive models this year."
Based on last year's sales, HiTech is anticipating the scheme will account for 30-40 per cent of its notebook sales in 2005, Vagg said. This approach provided resellers with a high degree of differentiation and greater margins.
"We have gone for mid- to high-end products, which have the advantage of lasting longer in the market place than entry-level models," he said. "As we are buying in large quantities, the notebooks are also more cost-effective and we can give resellers a better margin."
Acer's national channel sales manager, Greg Mikaelian, said HiTech's approach had been particularly aimed at independent dealers plying their trade in the SOHO market.
"Independent retailers don't have to compete with mass merchants if they have a unique model," he said. "They can also provide a higher level of service and value to customers by catering to specific requirements."
Despite Acer already offering customisation to the channel through its Build Your Own website, HiTech was able to offer a combination of features not available to other partners, Mikaelian said.
"In Australia, Build Your Own is mostly targeting PCs and servers," he said. "This is because the level of build you can do on a localised notebook is usually limited to the operating system, memory and optical drive."
HiTech's strategy was currently limited to a select number of resellers in SA and Victoria, but the company would look to expand its approach nationally, Vagg said.
"We want to take this approach into Queensland and NSW next, but we will confine it to one or two resellers in each state," he said.


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Epson to Demonstrate Latest Moverio® BT-200 Augmented Reality Applications and Host Technical Workshops at SIGGRAPH 2015 –
Award-Winning App Developer Sean McCracken to Present Live Coding Sessions on Epson Moverio Smart Glasses Platform at Booth #937
Epson America will be demonstrating the latest consumer and enterprise applications on its Moverio® BT-200 augmented reality smart glasses at SIGGRAPH 2015 Aug. 11-13 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Additionally, Epson invites developers to stop by booth #937 to participate in live coding sessions and learn best practices for developing on the Moverio platform.
Sean McCracken, an award-winning augmented reality smart glasses app developer and CEO of Imaginary Computer, will host a variety of tutorials that will provide attendees an up-close look at how he develops his ground-breaking augmented reality applications on the Moverio platform.
“The variety of AR experiences and applications on the Moverio platform continues to rapidly expand and we’re eager to share the latest innovations at Siggraph 2015,” said Eric Mizufuka, product manager, New Ventures for Epson America. “From drones to training, to gaming and beyond, developers are creating the future of augmented reality on the Moverio platform.”
Highlights of the latest Moverio BT-200 demos at the show include:
- Mixed Reality VR/AR – McCracken will showcase his Maelstrom and AR-Man apps that allow users to literally walk through and interact with a digital world via the Moverio’s transparent display.
- AR Character Board Game – An AR multiplayer game by the graduate students from Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center (ETC). Players can battle head-to-head on the 1-to-1, transparent, 3D-strategy board game. The game is completely hands-free and characters are controlled via head movement.
- Medical Device Training – CN2 of Atlanta, Ga. designed this app to assist in training medical staff on new device. The app displays step-by-step AR instructions over a WellStar® Atrium Express™ chest drainage system.
- Drone Applications – A new HDMI input solution from Colorado Video allows Inspire 1 DJI drone pilots to see what the drone is seeing on the Moverio BT-200 while maintaining a clear line of sight. See the video here.
Leveraging Epson’s patented core technologies, the Moverio BT-200 provides a binocular transparent display directly in the user’s field of view, making it the optimal device for 3D augmented reality applications. Micro projectors located on each side of the lens project transparent overlays of digital content directly in the user’s field of view over the real-world environment, while sensors enable head-motion tracking for hands-free navigation.
The Epson Moverio BT-200 smart glasses are available through select online retailers and direct from Epson for MSRP $699.99. Also, connect with Epson America on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Epson), Twitter (http://twitter.com/EpsonAmerica) and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/EpsonAmerica).
Epson is a global innovation leader dedicated to exceeding expectations with solutions for markets as diverse as the office, home, commerce, and industry. Epson’s lineup ranges from inkjet printers, printing systems and 3LCD projectors to industrial robots, smart glasses and sensing systems and is based on original compact, energy-saving, and high-precision technologies.
Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises more than 72,000 employees in 94 companies around the world, and is proud of its ongoing contributions to the global environment and the communities in which it operates. Epson America, Inc. based in Long Beach, Calif. is Epson’s regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: www.epson.com.


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The popular password manager 1Password in its next version will receive a major update that includes a face lift. The company behind the app has announced that 1Password 8 for macOS will bring a redesigned interface plus other new features.
The new interface has a modern look and is more consistent with the design language of the latest versions of macOS. The sidebar shows us the vaults and the favorite elements of the user. Categories have been moved to the top of the item list with a drop-down filter.
Regarding the news that we are going to find in 1Password 8, we found a new indicator will make it easier to see which vaults are personal or shared, users will receive a message showing who has access to an item when using 1Password’s drag and drop between vaults.
The search for the app has also been revamped as it will display a detailed graph with the password status of each user. This will make it easier to find and change passwords saved in the app. By editing an individual item in 1Password 8, users will find a new password generator, smart suggestions, and easier attachments
Mac users will also get a full integration with web browsers, including Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. 1Password will quickly display password suggestions and payment information.
This new version it’s much faster in everything from unlocking to adding accounts to searching for items, especially when combined with native Apple Silicon support and all the speed improvements that come with it.
This new version is in beta and will not hit the market until September at the earliest, but if you are users of this application already you can try it through the Early Access program.


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By: Lauren Hinnant
New numbers show the Columbia housing market is stabilizing. Home sale prices rose by almost 5 percent last month.
The number of home sales also increased in Columbia in the third quarter, up 2.2 percent over last year. The state as a whole did not fare as well as the number of home sales fell over 15 percent.
Rich Heaton's home isn't for sale, nor is looking to buy, but for the first time in a long time he isn't paying two mortgages.
Heaton's family home in Orangeburg sat on the market while they were living in their new home in Blythewood.
"We put it on the market and it took us two and a half years to sell it," he said.
Heaton's home was appraised for more than $450,000, but his family was hit by a weak housing market.
"We ended up selling it for $365,000 so it's actually almost a $100,000 drop," he said. "We never dreamed that it would be that difficult to sell a second home."
Stories like Heaton's may become less of a trend though as the market stabilizes.
Tom Porcari, a veteran realtor with Home Advantage Realty, said the new numbers are encouraging, but it is important to remember we have a long way to go.
"We haven't finished that stabilization process," Porcari said. "It's getting closer and when it does stabilize, I think we'll get to what I call sensible buying and sensible selling and I'm looking forward to that.
Even with the new, optimistic numbers, it is still a buyers' market, Heaton says.


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Missguided has changed its name after it was rescued by Frasers Group in a £20m deal at the start of last month.
The online fast fashion company will officially be known as MGL Realisations (2022) Limited, according to documents filed with Companies House.
However, the business will continue to trade as Missguided.
The name change comes after founder Nitin Passi returned to Missguided as its chief executive, following its acquisition by Frasers Group.
Mr Passi had previously left his position in April as the company announced it was to cut 63 jobs.
At the same time, Missguided announced it had appointed Teneo “to explore strategic options for the business.”
That move saw the company enter administration before it was bought by Frasers Group, beating off rival Boohoo.
Passi said at the time: “Frasers Group has an unrivalled platform and fantastic operational know-how, giving Missguided a solid foundation on which we can build a successful future.”
“I am acutely aware of the impact Missguided’s administration has had on our stakeholders and I am committed to rebuilding their trust.”


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Eicher Trucks and Buses, a division of VE Commercial Vehicles Limited (VECV), has announced a partnership with Amazon to accelerate the adoption of electric trucks across different payload categories for middle-mile and last-mile deliveries in India. Middle-mile transportation involves moving shipments between Amazon facilities, and last-mile transportation delivers packages directly to customers. As per the official statement, this collaboration aims to introduce up to 1,000 electric trucks into Amazon’s delivery operations over the next five years, working in conjunction with Amazon’s transport service partners.
– The trucks will come in various deck lengths ranging from approximately 8 to 24 feet, offering customizable cargo stacking configurations. Moreover, they will support both fast and slow charging options, catering to the diverse operational needs of the trucking activities. The deployment plan has been carefully designed, taking into account factors such as charging infrastructure availability, operational demands, battery capacity, charging time constraints, and overall energy management strategies for the fleet.
– As the initial step of this collaboration, Amazon plans to deploy 50 Eicher electric trucks for both middle-mile and last-mile deliveries in major cities such as Delhi, Manesar, and Gurugram by the end of 2024.
– These electric trucks will be built on Eicher’s existing electric vehicle platform.
Vinod Aggarwal, the Managing Director and CEO of VECV, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration. He said, “We are pleased to collaborate with Amazon as we begin pilots for Amazon’s e-commerce deliveries in Indore, Delhi, Manesar, and Gurugram. This partnership reflects our commitment to promoting smart sustainable solution and developing a zero-emission transport ecosystem.”
Abhinav Singh, VP of Customer Fulfilment, Amazon Transportation Services, Global Specialty Fulfilment, and Supply Chain at Amazon India, said, “We are proud to work with key partners to lead the way in the electrification of a wide range of vehicles within our delivery operations. At this scale, there is no established playbook for fleet transformation, but we are making progress through collaborations like this one to transform our network. We remain committed and are well on our way to integrate 10,000 EVs into our delivery fleet in India by 2025. We continue to invite fellow innovators and solution providers in the electric mobility and sustainable transportation space to join us in accelerating decarbonisation of the logistics industry.”
“The collaboration between Amazon and Volvo Eicher marks a significant milestone in the collective effort to decarbonize freight transportation, heralding a pivotal step in advancing electric mobility in India. As an integral part of our e-FAST program, this partnership promises to yield invaluable insights for the broader electric mobility sector in the country. By embracing such initiatives, we pave the way for a sustainable and environmentally conscious future,” said Shri Sudhendu Jyoti Sinha, Adviser, NITI Aayog.
This collaboration has broader implications as it corresponds with Amazon’s goal of attaining net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. To contribute to this objective, Amazon has integrated electric vehicles (EVs) into its delivery operations in more than 400 Indian cities, working alongside delivery service partners. The partnership between Amazon and Eicher underscores their mutual commitment to innovation, technological progress, and the pursuit of a more environmentally responsible future.
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The vegetable shortages behind the unexpected surge in inflation saw some of the UK’s biggest supermarkets imposing buyer limits on customers as shelves ran bare.
The shortages contributed to an exceptional 18.5% surge in the price of fresh or chilled vegetables other than potatoes, the Office for National Statistics reported.
Shoppers started seeing shortages of tomatoes on around February 20, with retailers saying a combination of bad weather and related transport problems in north Africa and Europe were causing significant supply problems.
The shortages soon spread to other products, leaving shelves bare of fresh produce items including cucumbers, peppers and lettuce.
Tesco, Aldi and Lidl limited purchases of peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers to three items per person, while Morrisons set a limit of two per customer on tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers.
All limits have now been lifted, with retailers reporting that supplies have returned to normal.
The figures are based on the CPI (Consumer Prices Index) measure of inflation and have been published by the ONS (Office for National Statistics).
In each case, the figure is the percentage change in the average price over the 12 months to February 2023.


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Singapore, 25 September 2009 – Singapore’s leading bilingual news and entertainment portal, omy.sg turns two today and the joy is doubled with its wins at the 8th Asia Media Awards 2009.
omy.sg picked up a Gold and Silver respectively in two new categories added this year – Best in Cross Media Award (Cross Media Editorial Coverage) and Best in Cross Media Award (Cross Media Advertising).
The former is for a specially created microsite covering the 2007 Beijing Olympics (http://olympics.omy.sg/) while the latter is for a campaign with home-grown food brand, Bee Cheng Hiang in a photo contest to celebrate its 75th anniversary (http://project.omy.sg/2008/bch/).
In the Best in Online Media Award (Newspaper Website) category, omy.sg was awarded a Gold in recognition of its effort in complementing and supporting the various Chinese newspapers under Singapore Press Holdings Limited (SPH).
Organised by WAN-IFRA, the Awards aims to promote the highest publishing standards in Asia and Middle-East. A total of 472 entries were received this year.
Mr Chua Chim Kang, omy.sg and Lianhe Wanbao Editor, said: "We are heartened by the recognition from WAN-IFRA, particularly the two Cross Media awards as omy.sg is in a unique position to bridge the gap between new and traditional media platforms, providing high quality for both our users and advertisers."
To share its birthday joy, omy.sg will be giving out a slew of great prizes to thank its readers for their support. A total of more than S$12,000 in prizes are up for grabs via a series of fun activities:
Log on now to http://www.omy.sg to find out more. Contests close in a week’s time.
Issued by Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
Co. Regn. No. 198402868E
For more information, please contact:
Assistant Manager, Online Marketing
Singapore Press Holdings
Tel: 6319 2490
Singapore Press Holdings Limited
DID: 6319 1226
H/P: 9177 0747
About Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
Incorporated in 1984, main board-listed Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH) celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. It is Southeast Asia’s leading media organisation, engaging minds and enriching lives across multiple languages and platforms.
Newspapers and Magazines
In Singapore, SPH publishes 17 newspaper titles in four languages. Every day, 2.9 million individuals or 79 per cent of people above 15 years old, read one of SPH's news publications. SPH also publishes and produces more than 100 magazine titles in Singapore and the region, covering a broad range of interests from lifestyle to information technology.
Internet and Mobile
Beyond print, the Internet editions of SPH newspapers enjoy over 150 million pageviews with 9 million unique visitors every month. Apart from SPH AsiaOne portal, SPH's online and new media initiatives include an online marketplace for products, services and employment, ST701; local search and directory engine, rednano.sg; Stomp (Straits Times Online Mobile Print), a portal that connects, engages and interacts with readers on the Web and via mobile phone messaging; omy, a bilingual news and interactive portal and The Straits Times RazorTV, a free access interactive webcast service offering live chat shows and video-on-demand clips.
SPH has a 20 per cent stake in MediaCorp TV Holdings Pte Ltd, which operates free-to-air channels 5, 8, U and TV Mobile, and a 40 per cent stake in MediaCorp Press Limited, which publishes the free newspaper, Today. In the radio business, SPH has an 80 per cent stake in SPH UnionWorks Pte Ltd, which operates entertainment stations Radio 100.3 FM in Mandarin and Radio 91.3 FM in English.
In addition, SPH has ventured into outdoor advertising through its wholly-owned subsidiary, SPH MediaBoxOffice Pte Ltd, Singapore’s largest outdoor motion display advertising network media company.
SPH owns and manages Paragon, the prime retail and office complex in the heart of Orchard Road, Singapore's main shopping belt. SPH's wholly-owned subsidiary, Times Development Pte Ltd, is also developing a 43-storey upmarket residential condominium, Sky@eleven, at Thomson Road.


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Apple's health push now includes more tools for diabetics. Apple retail stores have started carrying a diabetes tracking product -- in this case, One Drop's blood glucose monitor. It's not a continuous monitor (you have to lance yourself), but its Bluetooth connection to your iPhone and Apple Watch helps you track blood sugar levels with the devices you already use every day. It sells for $70 and includes a year's worth of coaching from a diabetes educator.
While this isn't directly linked to Apple's health software efforts, it reflects how important health tech is to the company's strategy. Apple stores' third-party selections frequently reflect the tech giant's priorities, whether it's smart homes or connected toys, and that's certainly true here. It wants you to see iPhones, Apple Watches and other Apple products as important parts of your health routine, whether by themselves or as part of a larger ecosystem.


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Since coming into office, the Trump Administration has expressed concerns about the U.S. trade deficit with Japan and an interest in talks on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), a move Japan has resisted. On April 17-18, 2018, President Trump and Prime Minister Abe held a summit to discuss U.S.-Japan relations and regional security issues. Trade was a highly anticipated subject of the meeting.
Several recent trade developments posed an important backdrop to the meeting. In early March, Japan with 10 other countries, not including the United States, signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The Japan-led CPTPP, also called TPP-11, is a revised version of the original U.S.-signed (but not enacted) TPP agreement, from which President Trump withdrew in 2017. CPTPP is designed to eventually eliminate most tariff and many non-tariff barriers among the parties.
In March, President Trump also proclaimed new steel and aluminum tariffs following an investigation over the national security implications of U.S. imports of these products. Unlike other major U.S. trading partners and allies, including Canada, Mexico, the European Union, and South Korea, Japan was not granted a tariff exemption. Some viewed the lack of an exemption as an attempt to pressure Japan into agreeing to bilateral trade talks.
The April summit, however, did not lead to breakthrough announcements on bilateral trade issues or a clear path forward for future negotiations. Both sides agreed to "intensify trade and investment discussions," to be led by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Japan's Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization, Toshimitsu Motegi, but largely maintained their earlier positions. Japan continued to hold back from endorsing a bilateral FTA negotiation, instead preferring U.S. participation in the TPP-11. Meanwhile, President Trump, despite giving mixed signals before the summit on potential interest in rejoining TPP, emphasized a preference for "negotiating a one-on-one deal," focusing on reducing the U.S. trade deficit and removing barriers to U.S. exports.
Figure 1. U.S. Goods and Services Trade with Top Partners, 2017
Source: U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis.
In 2017, the United States exported $115 billion in goods and services to Japan and imported $171 billion (Figure 1). Over the past decade, however, Japan's relative importance in U.S. trade has declined with the rise of China. Japan is the second largest source of U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI), behind the United Kingdom. In 2017, the United States had a bilateral trade deficit (goods and services) with Japan of $56 billion, which has been flagged by the Trump Administration as a concern. With a deficit of about $50 billion, motor vehicles and parts are a major driver of the U.S.-Japan goods trade deficit (about $70 billion). Motor vehicle and parts trade has historically been a source of bilateral trade frictions, particularly concerns over U.S. access to the Japanese market for these and other products. At the same time, Japan is a key source of investment supporting motor vehicle and parts production in the United States.
Whether forthcoming consultations will accelerate prospects for a formal U.S.-Japan trade negotiation is an open question. USTR Lighthizer acknowledged in recent testimony that despite the Administration's stated interest, it may not be the "appropriate time" for an FTA negotiation with Japan, given Japanese preoccupation with implementing CPTPP. At the same time, some members of Congress have called for the Administration to follow through on its pledge to negotiate new trade deals, including with Japan. Proponents of a U.S.-Japan trade deal highlight the potential economic benefits of gaining new access to the Japanese market, particularly for agriculture and services, and dismantling various non-tariff barriers. Both countries also share several priorities in advancing new trade rules, including digital trade.
Key issues potentially affecting prospects for formal negotiations include:
While a trade deal with Japan appears unlikely in the near term, Congress may consider several policy issues related to U.S.-Japan relations and future U.S. trade policy:


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Michael Saylor, CEO of MicroStrategy, famous for his “bitcoin debt”, eventually resigned after losing $917.8 million from his coin investment.
According to a statement released by MicroStrategy on the 2nd (local time), Michael Saylor will step down as CEO and Phong Le, the current president of the company, will replace him. Instead of stepping down as CEO, Sailor will serve as chairman of the board and focus on the strategy of buying and holding Bitcoin (BTC).
The company said, “By separating the roles of chairman and CEO, we will be able to better drive two corporate strategies: investing in Bitcoin and growing our software business.”
Saylor, who served as CEO for over 30 years since 1989, stepped down because of his Bitcoin investment loss. Saylor, along with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, is famous as a ‘big hand’ in the Bitcoin market.
He co-founded and operated MicroStrategy, an information analysis software developer. Since August 2020, it has been steadily purchasing Bitcoin and is considered one of the companies that has invested the most Bitcoin among American companies. Currently, the total number of Bitcoins held by MicroStrategy is 129,699 BTC, with an average purchase price of $3664.
However, the company faced a crisis as the price of Bitcoin recently plummeted, trading in the $23,000 range. MicroStrategy’s stock is down more than 48% this year, while Bitcoin is down more than 51%.
The company lost $917.8 million, mostly due to the bitcoin plunge. However, it appears that MicroStrategy will not stop buying Bitcoin.
As Saylor is only in charge of Bitcoin-related strategies, it is highly likely that he will continue to buy. It seems that the advocacy of Bitcoin on SNS (social network service) will continue.
Saylor, citing the Bitcoin Mining Council report on SNS on the 20th of last month, said, “Bitcoin mining efficiency has increased by 46% compared to the same period of the previous year, and the rate of using sustainable energy for mining has reached 59.5%.” The industry is hard to find,” he said. He defended bitcoin by countering the point that bitcoin mining has adverse environmental impacts.
In many cases, the returns were compared with other assets. On the 23rd of last month, Saylor also stated that “As of August 2020, when MicroStrategy first bought Bitcoin, the share price of MicroStrategy has risen 128% and the price of Bitcoin has risen 91%.” By contrast, gold fell 15%, Amazon shares fell 22%, and Netflix shares fell 54%.


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A software fix issued to Jeep dealers sheds light on how Fiat Chrysler Automobiles plans to stop the accidental rollaways plaguing many of its vehicles.
The dealer service document, issued for recalled 2014-2015 Jeep Grand Cherokees with the confusing Monostable shift lever, was obtained and published by Jalopnik.
FCA voluntarily recalled 1.1 million vehicles in April after the shifter, which sometimes stays in gear after drivers think they’ve shifted into “park,” was linked to hundreds of rollaways and 41 injuries. That was before the shifter became the focus in the recent death of actor Anton Yelchin. (Read More…)


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Samsung and LG Display are ending their display-related patent lawsuits against each other, with a view to working together on the technologies in the future. The agreement, which effectively ends a courtroom battle that commenced in September 2012
, was rumored to have been close to dropping in March
of this year, but has only just finished.
Statements from the two companies received by The Standard
confirms the ending of legal action. "It was agreed that we two should focus more on cementing our leadership in the global market by cooperation, instead of engaging in all-consuming patent disputes," said Samsung Display. LG Display echoed the sentiment, writing "What's most important for both of us is upgrading our competitiveness globally."
The initial injunction from Samsung claimed that LG had stolen Samsung's technologies in OLED and LED displays, with Samsung seeking approximately $880,000 in compensation for instances where LG used said technologies or made confidential intellectual properties public. A number of senior engineers were indicted on charges of leaking confidential information from Samsung to LG, with Samsung also demanding an apology and a pledge from LG to not poach any more Samsung employees.
Despite the two companies working together to clear up one patent-related legal mess, there is still no love lost between them. Samsung has sued LG for "tarnishing
its corporate image" when both sides argued over kitchen appliance capacities, while LG has attempted to ambush the launch
of the Samsung Galaxy S4 by strategic Optimus G advertisement creation and placement, and also accused Samsung of infringing on its own eye-tracking patents
in the smartphone.


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Atlus has released a Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux comparison trailer which showcases the remake’s new visuals alongside the original DS game. It’s looking pretty great and as someone who never played the original, I’m very much looking forward to playing the game in its best form.
The video was shared via Twitter, and you can watch it below.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux releases in Japan on 26th October, and it has been confirmed that it will be releasing in the West early next year courtesy of Atlus in the US, and Deep Silver in the EU.
- Super Mario Odyssey Celebrates its One Year Anniversary - October 28, 2018
- Dragon Ball Z KAI Final Chapters Review (Anime) - October 28, 2018
- Resident Evil 2 Remake Gets a Steelbook Edition in Europe - October 24, 2018


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Visa's effort to make using your card online easier is expanding to more merchants after nearly a year in operation. Rolled out last July, Visa Checkout is a way of sharing shipping, credit card, and password data across merchant sites with the goal of making the checkout process simpler, especially on mobile devices. Visa had already signed up some big retailers like Gap, Pizza Hut, and Neiman Marcus, and is adding on Dunkin Donuts, Fandango, and Williams Sonoma.
Trying to get rid of the difficulty and frustration of entering in a 16-digit number, security code, address, and password isn't just being addressed by Visa: PayPal is the company's biggest competitor, and there are startups like Dashlane or 1Password that do similar things.
"Sixty percent of people who start checking out actually finish," Visa's Senior Vice President for Digital Solutions Sam Shrauger told BuzzFeed News. "There's a big problem in retailers losing potential buyers in the checkout process in the online world."
Citing a study by ComScore, Visa says that Visa Checkout users were two-thirds more likely to complete a transaction than when they have to enter their billing and shipping information on their own. Shrauger said that Visa Checkout users complete their orders 17% more than customers using PayPal's competing product, PayPal Direct Express Checkout.
"There's a lot of data entry that has to be keyed into checkout; it's hard enough to do it on desktop, and it's much harder to do on a mobile phone or a tablet," Shrauger said. "The fastest growing channels in e-commerce, like mobile commerce, are ones where buyers have the most difficult time purchasing."
Visa installs its Checkout system on top of a merchant's e-commerce operations, a process Shrauger says takes about six weeks. Visa isn't getting any incremental revenue from Checkout, although it does, of course, benefit from more people making more and bigger purchases with their cards on the Visa network. Visa has signed up 260 banks that issue cards and 140 merchants. So far it's had more than 4 million people sign up with the service.
"We've seen great merchant acceptance. We've been in markets for less than a year and we're well over 4 million consumers," Shrauger said, adding that Visa Checkout buyers have an average order that's 7% higher than customers that don't use it.
Part of the deal with merchants is a massive promotional effort, including using Visa's existing advertising relationship with FIFA and the NFL to promote checkout during the Women's World Cup this summer and during the upcoming NFL season.


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This reveal will be the next big look at the future of PlayStation since Sony revealed the PlayStation 5's controller, the DualSense, and Epic Games announced and showcased its Unreal Engine 5 demo running live on a PS5.Sony has been relatively quiet on the next-gen front, while Microsoft has already shown the console, controller, and even some third-party titles that will be arriving on the Xbox Series X.This announcement follows previous remarks by Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida who said that "we will be soon be announcing a strong lineup of PS5 games."
Also, while we don't know the official release date of the PlayStation 5 besides Holiday 2020, Sony has confirmed that the COVID-19 pandemic has not caused any delays, although there very well may be launch shortages.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to email@example.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN who can't wait and is so excited he just can't hide it. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
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In the US city of Phoenix, more people should be able to call self-driving taxis. This helps especially in the corona crisis to protect drivers and guests.
The Google sister company Waymo is making fully automated journeys in its robotaxis in the US city of Phoenix accessible to more users. In the near future, in the corona crisis, only cars without a safety driver at the wheel are to carry passengers, as Waymo announced on Thursday. Such journeys were previously only accessible to a small number of users and, according to Waymo, accounted for five to ten percent of the total traffic volume.
Now all registered users of the Waymo One Robotaxi service should be able to order vehicles without a safety driver. In the coming weeks, new customers should also be added via the app. The journeys are monitored by radio link. The installation of partitions between the front and rear seats in the Waymo vehicles is to be completed later this year. Then you will be able to serve a larger area with the robotic taxis.
In Waymo, Google’s robot car program was absorbed – and the company is considered particularly advanced in the development of systems for autonomous driving. In addition to its own Robotaxi service, Waymo would also like to provide car manufacturers with their technology.
At the beginning of March, Waymo also introduced the Via freight service, which is supposed to transport goods with self-propelled articulated lorries and delivery trucks.


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Nintendo released a rather dry statement to its investors today, confirming the existence of a new console currently codenamed Project Café. Now isn’t that something? An Internet rumor that isn’t a hoax or mistake or some conflation of the two?
As the rumors claimed, Nintendo plans on unveiling the machine at this year’s E3. The statement says that the company plans to “show a playable model of the new system and announce more specifications” at the expo this June. They will not be pulling an Xbox 360 Slim Oprah moment, giving everyone new consoles at the time of announcement; they are planning on a 2012 launch.
After the initial story broke almost two weeks ago, I wrote about the challenges Nintendo’s next console will face. What will its online service be? How powerful will the hardware be? Will it be attractive to third-party developers?
That last question becomes increasingly important as Apple’s presence in the gaming space continues to grow. Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference will occur simultaneously with E3, and it’s quite possible they will unveil a new iPhone at the event. Nintendo clearly views iOS gaming as a threat, and it may be recalibrating its approach to better satisfy the core gamer.
For more context, Nintendo concluded its third-straight fiscal year of declining profits last month. Announcing a new console certainly wouldn’t be the worst way to reenergize investors and distract them from waning interest in the Wii.


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Since mid-June, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has unobtrusively been accepting applications from government and private hospitals and clinics for cannabis sales licenses.
More than 200 have applied and got their licenses, mostly government hospitals.
But only a handful have started to treat patients with cannabis medication, due to an acute shortage of supply of CBD oil and THC oil, produced single-handedly by the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO).
Even though the cannabis sales licenses, word by word, do not impose any restrictions on what forms of cannabis in various stages of production a licensee can sell, the licenses are strictly issued for medical purposes.
No recreational sales are envisioned. And the single form of cannabis the licensee can sell is cannabis medication authorized by the FDA.
Only hospitals and clinics are eligible to apply; there is no one else qualified. And those sanitariums must have on their payrolls and be staffed by doctors, dentists or pharmacists, specially trained in dispensing cannabis by the Department of Medical Services (DMS).
Read more at khaosodenglish.com


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While vendors wax lyrical about winning multiple deals on the back of Android TV operator tier, few will admit to the disruptive technology eating into existing deployments. It was refreshing then for Zenterio, the Swedish TV platform developer, to confess that Android TV has taken a sizable chunk out of the company – and oh boy does it wish it wasn’t so late to the party.
Red flags were raised a few weeks back when it came to the attention of Faultline Online Reporter that Zenterio had carried out a major executive reshuffle. Zenterio had to wait until its Q1 2019 results were published before jumping on the phone to us, by which time it had become abundantly apparent why a serious roadmap restructure was required – as first quarter sales tumbled 72.3% year on year to $1.56 million. This is the same Zenterio which to this day remains a firm favorite at one of the world’s largest operator powerhouses in Deutsche Telekom – so what caused the fairytale to take a dark turn?
A resolutely calm Rutger Reman, Zenterio’s CCO & Head of Business Development, spoke to Faultline Online Reporter this week and did his utmost to assure us a plan is in place to steady the ship, with the Zenterio workforce having every faith in new CEO Kristian Toivo, moving up from COO recently to replace long-term leader Jörgen Nilsson. Reman described a transformation from a systems integrator-type company in the set top world to a company more focused on bespoke software and a stringent product portfolio. We probed for details and cited Zenterio’s distinct lack of activity in Android TV operator tier. “Our Android TV ambitions began last year and until recently we haven’t won any deals. We admit there was not enough emphasis on this technology,” admitted Reman.
Clearly Zenterio missed the boat and should have channeled resources towards operator tier hard and fast when it had the chance, suggesting anyone getting into the game now stands little chance. “Perhaps it’s a blessing and a curse having bespoke products like ours. Some customers are willing to pay but others have gone with Android TV,” noted Reman. Rather concerningly, he admitted the recent executive reshuffle involved instating Zenterio’s first ever CTO. Perhaps this oversight was a contributing factor to Zenterio’s decline, although once again Reman hyped up the company’s first CTO as a long-term internal Zenterio employee with extensive system architecture experience. Zenterio’s debut CTO clearly has as hard job considering the company hasn’t made a product announcement since IBC in September last year, winning just one deployment deal in the meantime.
It’s all well and good playing captain hindsight and we are ineffably more interested in what the future holds. Zenterio claims it spent a significant sum investing in product development during the last quarter which dented its overall financial position. Designed for faster delivery and to prepare the vendor for a future focusing on product sales and services, Zenterio expects to attract new customers in the second half of this year. In addition, the company recently reestablished its external consulting business – involving the assignment of 10 engineers to third party technology companies in Sweden.
So, one year on since kicking off its Android TV operator tier ambitions, Zenterio is beginning to see progress and recently picked up two operator deployment deals – one large and one medium – which Reman hopes to shout about from the rooftops very soon.
We tested the waters and name dropped Deutsche Telekom as the prime suspect for this mystery large operator, albeit tongue-in-cheek considering the amount of time and money the German giant has spent building its Entertain TV platform. “I can’t speak for Deutsche Telekom as a group, but recently it wanted us to integrate Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and more into its pay TV offering, so we know the demand is there for OTT services. I can tell you that the large operator has over 1 million Linux set tops deployed in the field,” Reman teased.
As we touched on earlier, the new entertainment platform Zenterio TV, powered by Zenterio Cloud, launched nine months ago to little fanfare. This is all about providing tools for content aggregators, in Zenterio’s case adding UI and cloud components, complemented by business KPIs via statistical analysis. The interesting element is that operators can compare user data with data from rival operators, based on Zenterio’s experience working with various operators, rather than being based on actual operator data. Given how this piqued our interest upon launch, we expected operators to be drawn to Zenterio TV too, but the allure of Android TV deployments has clearly proven too tempting and Zenterio has suffered as a result.
As for the full OTT version of EntertainTV, Reman said Zenterio still hasn’t landed this part of the DT contract – which is strange considering the company told us feedback from Deutsche Telekom about StartTV was positive despite the service shutting down prematurely this summer.
Zenterio still holds its head high as the incumbent OS and middleware provider at Deutsche Telekom, but having recently finalized the 4-year product program for the operator, the longevity of its contract there hangs in the balance.


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The chain’s growth is driven by the maturity of their existing estate and the opening of new stores in Kingston, Balston and Putney.
Tortilla has announced their financial results for year ending last December 31, 2017 with turnover increased 20% to £30.4 million from £25.3 million last 2016.
EBITDA also rose by 11% to £2.0 million as compared to £1.8 million last year. Gross profit went from 73.0% to 73.2%.
They reported post-tax loss of £993,902 which is lower than 2016’s £1,025,210. Their number of restaurants totalled to 35 as the year ended.
“The group’s ongoing growth is expected to be achieved by the continued maturity of recent openings and the addition of new restaurants. The group has a strong pipeline of sites in place for 2018,” the chain said in the report.
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As we usher in the celebration of Hari Raya, TM will be donating a total of RM1,000,000 to 100 selected charitable Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) throughout Malaysia. This is done in conjunction with their #KeajaibanRamadan campaign and to celebrate an important milestone for its UniFi broadband service in the spirit of #KeajaibanUniFi.
TM has announced Dato’ Sri Mohammed Shazalli Ramly as its new Managing Director/Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with effect from 1 May 2017. This is followed by the retirement of its current Group CEO, Tan Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa.
Easily one of the most exciting parts of the 2017 Budget announcement, at least as far as technology is concerned, was the part about how fixed-line broadband services like UniFi, Streamyx, Maxis Fibre and Time Broadband would be offering higher connectivity speeds for a lower price.
The announcement last Friday itself was rather vague, without the nitty gritty details on how this would all play out, so a lot was left to speculation. Now, however, TM has just given us a sneak peak into their master plan on how they’re going to put the initiatives set out in the 2017 Budget, in motion.
For a long time now, the 4G operator scene in Malaysia has been dominated by four companies — Celcom, Digi, Maxis and U Mobile. However, at the end of last year, we reported that there would be a new player entering the scene in 2016 and it seems this could be it.
TIME made their move. Maxis followed soon after. Now, it’s TM’s turn to round up the trifecta of new plans with their new UniFi Pro plan that offers speeds of up to 100Mbps. As an early bird promo, TM is offering RM30/month off and you can start enjoying 100Mbps from as low as RM299/month with voice calls and IPTV bundled in.
With the new year fast approaching, TM Unifi home users can start enjoying unlimited TV and Movie streaming on any device and wherever you are. As reported earlier, Telekom Malaysia in collaboration with iflix is offering free 12 months subscription worth RM96.
|Android, Cool stuff, Industry in General, iOS, Mobile Apps, Mobile Devices, Mobile OS, Players on the Field, Promotions, TM, UniFi|
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One of the leading content delivery networks (CDN) and cloud-based service providers, Akamai Technologies, has just released their global State of the Internet Q3 report and our data shows that we’ve dropped the ball in some areas.
UPDATE: iflix is now available for TM Unifi Home users.
Telekom Malaysia has announced its collaboration with iflix to allow all TM UniFi subscribers to stream content from the local streaming service free of charge for a total of 12 months, which is worth RM96. While this is good news for UniFi subscribers, this collaboration seems to directly impede the growth of TM’s own, HyppTV’s video on demand (VOD) offers, though TM markets this iflix free subscription as an add-on to the existing IPTV service.
If you’re looking to secure yourself a Star Wars Battlefront PS4 Bundle, look no further. TM has started accepting pre-orders for the Limited Edition console and it is exclusive to new and existing UniFi ADVANCE Plan subscribers.
|Battlefront, Playstation 4, PlayStation 4 Malaysia, promotion, PS4, star wars, Star Wars Battlefront PlayStation 4 Malaysia, Star Wars Battlefront PS4 Malaysia, Star Wars Malaysia, Star Wars PlayStation 4, Star Wars PlayStation 4 Malaysia, Star Wars: Battlefront, Telekom Malaysia, TM, TM Playstation 4, TM Star Wars PS4, TM Unifi, TM UniFi advanced plan, TM UniFi PlayStation 4, Unifi, Unifi Advanced, UniFi PlayStation 4, UniFi PlayStation 4 Star Wars, Unifi promo, UniFi PS4|
The mobile industry is a booming one, with more and more industry players want to get a slice of it, be it manufacturers or telco providers. Set to be the latest horse to enter the race, TM is setting its sights on a 2016 entry into the mobile telco industry in Malaysia. This will complicate things, to say the least, for the existing four players – Maxis, Celcom, Digi and U Mobile.


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Essential has not launched a single device after unveiling its first and the only smartphone, Essential Phone, in 2017 but that is going to change soon. Andy Rubin, the Essential founder and CEO who is also credited with co-founding the Android operating system, shared the first look of the company’s upcoming phone that has a unique design and the form factor looks more like a TV-remote than a smartphone.
Rubin shared a short video and few live images of the devices showing its “GEM Colorshift material” and the “new UI for radically different form factor”. Later, the official Twitter handle of Essential also tweeted official pictures of the device.
Essential had filed for a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to trademark the “GEM” name, and so, we believe that the new phone from the company will be called as the Essential GEM.
In the video, we can see four GEM phones changing colours with the changing viewing angle. There is a camera bump on the back which carries a single sensor. The phone also seems to have a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and the LED flash is hosted at the top of the device to the left corner.
Rubin also shared the front portion of the phone where the screen carries a large cutout at the top-left corner for the selfie camera and reserving the top space for the notification panel, same as we’ve seen in the Motorola One Vision and One Action. As Rubin claims, the UI looks quite different with the apps opened up like cards on the long screen.
GEM Colorshift material pic.twitter.com/QJStoiDleH
— Andy Rubin (@Arubin) October 8, 2019
Essential has revealed earlier that it is working on an AI-powered phone that will have a small screen and will be controlled primarily using voice commands. As per the report, the phone will be able to book appointments on a user’s behalf and mimic the user to automatically respond to messages. It looks like Essential GEM is the same phone that was reported earlier.
An Essential spokesperson told The Verge that this is the company’s new phone and it is under early testing with Essential team outside the lab. There is no word when Essential will launch the device and the details are scarce. However, an XDA Developers report states that the Essential’s next phone could be powered by the Snapdragon 730 processor and run Android 10 out of the box.
📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines


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In the pursuit of staying profitable, outsourcing accounting services has become a staple of modern business management. My firm allows businesses to stay on top of their numbers and one step ahead of the competition, so that they'll be positioned correctly during and after the recession turns around.
Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) September 9, 2009
Dashboard Accountants CEO, Eddy Hood, says that his firm is opening its doors to small and mid-size business owners who need help getting their finances in order. Free accounting services to be provided will include organization of accounting files (QuickBooks, Peachtree, etc.), reconciliation of bank and credit card statements, and the creation of the company's current Profit and Loss Statement and Balance Sheet.
Once Hood's firm has gotten the business owners accounting cleaned up and up-to-date, the owner can decide if they want to continue using the outsourced accounting firm's services for a low cost. Hood knows that many business owners are hurting right now, and that for some business owners keeping detailed track of their numbers is not a high priority. However, that is a mistake, according to Hood. Over the years he has seen how businesses that keep their financial records current and accessible make it through rough patches in much better shape than those who let their accounting get sloppy.
"Business owners who know exactly where they are at financially--and where they are heading--are in a much better position to make smart, timely decisions about their business," says Hood, who is an entrepreneur himself.
For many entrepreneurs, accounting is not one of their strong points, and yet in an effort to keep overhead low, they'll try to do it all themselves anyway. Yet, Hood says that his clients find that it actually pays to outsource their bookkeeping, because it allows them to focus more on growing their business and makes it easier to see where cuts and expenditures are warranted.
"Our company would be lost without them (Dashboard Accountants)," says Brandt Page, the CEO of Launch Sales and Marketing. "Outsourcing my accounting has definitely made my life easier. As a business owner, their financial knowledge, accuracy, and the ease of using their systems is invaluable to me. It allows me to spend my time growing my business instead of worrying about the numbers."
Hood isn't surprised that a lot of businesses are starting to outsource their accounting. He says that hiring a full in-house accounting staff is not something that most small businesses can afford. But he's also found that even larger companies are getting savvy to the benefits of outsourcing their accounting needs to his firm, because it saves them money and improves their bottom line.
"Unemployment rates are close to double digits and signs of businesses cutting costs are still prevalent. Business owners are finding themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place as they try to stretch their dollars just to stay afloat," says Hood. "In the pursuit of staying profitable, outsourcing accounting services has become a staple of modern business management. My firm allows businesses to stay on top of their numbers and one step ahead of the competition, so that they'll be positioned correctly during and after the recession turns around."
Business owners interested in taking advantage of the program can learn more at Bookkeeping services.
For additional information, contact Eddy Hood
Tel. 801-336-5311 or visit Bookkeeper.
About Dashboard Accountants: Dashboard Accountants is an outsourced bookkeeping firm specializing in full service data entry, QuickBooks management, CFO solutions, payroll, and custom financial reporting for small and medium sized businesses.


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Queensland has followed South Australia in putting a proposal before parliament to ban single-use plastic items.
The momentum of investment into the WARR industry continues to grow with a partnership between the Federal and ACT Governments to provide $21 million from the Recycling Modernisation Fund (RMF) to the ACT MRF. The project will improve separation and process recycling streams such as paper, glass and plastic.
Like many operators in the WARR industry, Local Government NSW has welcomed the news of the federal government $190 million Recycling Monestisation Fund the but says a number of questions remain unanswered.
The Western Australian Waste Authority has considered and approved revised position statements on the Waste Hierarchy and Waste to Energy after they were first released in 2013. The statements includes both thermal and non-thermal treatment.
Coles supermarkets and sustainability partner REDcycle have diverted more than 1 billion pieces of soft plastics from landfill.
A new Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial Transformation Research Hub will focus on reducing landfill waste and transforming reclaimed waste into new materials for use in construction and other manufacturing sectors.
Proposed changes to product stewardship legislation are being released today in the first round of grants from the federal government’s new $20 million Product Stewardship Investment Fund. It is designed to ensure manufacturers, retailers and industry groups take greater responsibility for the entire lifecycle of the products they produce and sell.
The WA government’s commitment of $20 million to boost the states capacity for local processing of waste plastic and tyres came just a day after the federal government released details of its Recycling Modernisation Fund (RMF).


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Tags » National Grilled Cheese Day
It’s National Grilled Cheese Day!
And what better way to celebrate than to spill the secret to the perfect grilled cheese. Ordinarily, you’d probably construct your grilled cheese by assembling the bread, cheese, and buttering both sides of the bread right? 174 more words
STUDIO CITY (CBSLA.com) — Dave Danhi, founder and creative culinary director behind The Grilled Cheese Truck, visited KCAL9 Friday.
April 12 is National Grilled Cheese Day and the truck will be at the LA Grilled Cheese Invitational. 22 more words


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Alistair Darling has just finished prattling on with the budget as I write this, but he’s already confirmed that British car buyers will receive £2000 if they trade in a car aged 10 years or over for a new vehicle. It makes sense to us – which is why Autocar has been one of several magazines lobbying ministers for the deal.
Except, of course, that it’s not really two grand from the government. Instead, Gordon and his chums are only stumping up £1000; a similar amount will have to be contributed by the manufacturers themselves. Darling didn’t mention this during his budget speech; I guess it must have slipped his mind.
Anyway, why should we care about this? Because a) it makes this package a much poorer deal for the troubled car industry (it’s meant to help the manufacturers, after all), b) it narrows the choice to those car makers who want to participate and c) it could encourage dealers to take a tougher stance on buyers who want to haggle when buying new motors.
After all, if there are conditions at the manufacturers’ end, then their reps could well be forced into playing hardball when it comes to sales negotiations. To the tune of about, oh, £1000, I’d say.


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Red Deer-based Rifco Inc. remains on Profit magazine’s list of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies.
The company, which provides consumer loans for new and used vehicles through its subsidiary Rifco National Auto Finance Corp., was ranked 261st on Profit’s 2014 list. Last year Rifco held down the number 85 spot.
The rankings were based on business’s revenue growth over a five-year period. In the case of Rifco, revenues jumped 261 per cent between 2008 and 2013, finishing at just over $24 million.
“Rifco National Auto Finance has succeeded because we add value to Canadian automobile dealerships,” said Rifco president and CEO Bill Graham in a release.
“Increasingly, our speed and service at processing auto loan applications is being recognized.”
On Wednesday, Rifco issued its most recent financial results, for its fiscal year ended March 31.
These included record revenues of $30.3 million, a 26 per cent improvement over the preceding year.
The Profit 500 list can be found online at PROFITguide.com, and will be published in the July issue of Canadian Business.


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Apple unveils holiday-ready AirPods Max with brand new Soulwax cut, ‘Empty Dancefloor’
Apple hits the holiday market hard, unveiling the newest model of AirPods , the over-ear Max, just in the nick of time for this year’s gift giving season. Sporting a wireless and truly sleek retro-inspired design, Apple’s new premier line of headphones will be hitting stores on December 15 and comes with a price tag of $550 per unit.
Reviews on the new cans are still out, but Apple purports that they’ll deliver high-fidelity audio among an Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, and spatial audio. While the price for the AirPods Max is a bit hefty among competition in its class, Apple often justifies this among their products’ users with their high personal standard, generally reliable connectivity, and attractive designs for its new mainline products. Other notable features for the AirPods Max include positional sensors that automatically detect when the headphones are being worn, a hearty battery life of up to 20 hours, and a transparency mode that dims the noise cancellation so listeners can hear the environment around them.
The new tech was introduced in a visual feature set to a brand new piece from Soulwax titled, “Empty Dancefloor.” Much like the headphones’ timeless design, David and Stephen Dewaele’s venerated modern-retro sound serves as the perfect backdrop for Apple’s latest delivery. See the Apple AirPods Max intro and hear “Empty Dancefloor” in full below.
Featured image: Apple


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Warning: Scammers targeting We Energies' customers during COVID-19 pandemic
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Scammers are trying to take advantage of We Energies customers during the coronavirus pandemic. They're calling customers and telling them there is something going on with their meter and they need to replace it.
The scammers are telling customers it will cost them hundreds of dollars and they will need to pay with a prepaid credit card or their power will be disconnected.
We Energies said they will never make you pay to replace your meter.
A few dozen cases have been reported on Milwaukee's south side, Glendale, and Franklin.
Fortunately, no one has fallen for the scam that We Energies knows about at this time.
A We Energies spokeswoman said customers could be more vulnerable to fall prey to this scam because of the coronavirus outbreak.
"Being at home right now, working from home, having your kids do schooling from home. Everyone is really reliant on their energy right now. So when you get a phone call like this you think oh my goodness I need to pay what their saying, but again we do not do this. We’re taking care of our customers right now,” Amy Jahns, with We Energies, said.
If you receive a call like this, We Energies encourages you to call and report it. Also, We Energies does not disconnect anyone during the COVID-19 pandemic.


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It’s been a long time since a strike in the US directly targeted sexual harassment. But on Tuesday, women workers took direct action against their bosses and brought the #MeToo movement to McDonald's.
Annelise Orleck is a professor at Dartmouth College. Her new book is “We Are All Fast-Food Workers Now”: The Global Uprising against Poverty Wages.
Workers resist exploitation, even in the worst circumstances. Historian Annelise Orleck spoke with 140 of them, from garment workers in Cambodia to Walmart workers in the US.


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The Need for Rigorous Data Hygiene Practices
Survey also says one in four consumers think badly addressed direct mail is a waste of money.
from ThirdSector (U.K.):
Fifteen per cent of consumers would not read poorly addressed charity direct mail and 10 per cent think it has a lasting and negative effect on their perception of the charity, a survey has shown.
In an online poll of more than 1,200 demographically representative UK adults, carried out by the direct mail specialists Onepost, W8data and Fast.map, more than one in four of those polled thought that poorly addressed charity direct mail was a waste of money.
The survey found that consumers preferred receiving letters from charities rather than emails, phone calls and contacts through social media. Almost half said they would start donating to a new charity if they received relevant and well-targeted communication from it.


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SUZUKI CARS’ FIRST SHOWROOM IN KAPILVASTUPosted On: December 23, 2015 By : AutoLife Team
CG|Motocorp, the sole authorized distributors of Suzuki vehicles in Nepal, has inaugurated its first ever showroom in Kapilvastu district at Jitpur. The Jitpur showroom which is the company’s 28th showroom in Nepal is now officially open to public.The new showroom was inaugurated by Yagya Prasad Bhattarai, President of FNCCI, Jitpur. Commenting on the occasion, he said – “It gives me immense pleasure to inaugurate this showroom. It has come as a boon for the residents of Jitpur. I wish Suzuki all the best for the upcoming Year”.Similarly, Karan Chaudhary, Executive Director of CG Motocorp stated that, “We are extremely happy to announce the inauguration of Suzuki’s new showroom in Jitpur. We are consistently aiming at making our customers’ lives easier and keeping them satisfied. With the addition of the Jitpur showroom, we are sure that the residents of Jitpur will have an easier time purchasing Suzuki cars and availing its offers from the showroom in Jitpur itself”.


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Is Bitcoin a bad investment?
Digital currency Bitcoin has grown sensationally, with 11 million Bitcoins worth nearly $2 billion in circulation. It's the ultimate Internet-age currency: Bitcoin circulates only online, trades anonymously and isn't regulated by any government.
So far, 2014 has not been a good year for Bitcoin. The crypto-currency's price has been extremely volatile, one of its most important exchanges has had major software issues, and just the other day $2.5 million worth of the virtual cash was hacked from a new online black market for drugs called Silk Road 2.0.
All of the bad news has had many people asking whether this is the end for the new form of online cash. Advocates say this is just growing pains, but critics say it reveals deeper problems.


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A West Wollongong man who went on a spending spree with a stolen credit card racked up a $1540 bill in less than 36 hours.
The owner of the Great Bank Visa debit card told police she lost the card sometime between 6.30pm on December 21 and 7.05am the next morning.
By the time she discovered the loss on the afternoon of December 23, Andrew Rodney Cunningham had used the card to buy tobacco, alcohol, fast food and petrol (see the full list below).
Documents tendered to Wollongong court did not reveal how Cunningham came to have the card, but said his first fraudulent purchase occurred at 7.05am on December 22 when he bought $25 worth of tobacco from the Crown Street Mall 7-Eleven.
The last transaction police were able to prove was $14 spent on two pairs of sunglasses at Crown Street's L & R Great Value at 11.49am on December 23.
Using the intervening transactions on the card, police were able to put together a virtual connect-the-dots style picture of Cunningham's movements throughout the next 33 hours
Saturday, December 22
- 7.05am: 7-Eleven Crown Street Mall. Tobacco, $25.
- 7.16am: Woolworths Burelli St. Cigarettes, $34.95.
- 7.23am: Downtown Newsagency. Drink, $3
- 7.53am: Wollongong Central Coles. Tobacco, $39.50
- 8.19am: 7-Eleven (opp hospital). Tobacco, Illawarra Mercury newspaper, $28.39.
- 8.39am: Woolworths Petrol, Crown St. Tobacco, Mars Bar, $50.50.
- 9.45am: Figtree Cellars.Jim Beam, $60.
- 9.49am: Liquorland Figtree Grove. Captain Morgan rum, Jack Daniels, $89.
- 10am: 7-Eleven Unanderra. Rebel Sport gift card and tobacco, $75.
- 10.11am: BWS Unanderra. Johnny Walker Platinum Scotch, $95.
- 10.22am: BWS Dapto. Nelson County Bourbon 10 packs, $31.
- 10.34am: KFC Unanderra. Food, $27.45
- 5.49pm: Dominos Wollongong. Pizza, $18
- 7.02pm: Wollongong Central Coles. Pre-paid mobile, $79.
- 7.25pm: Caltex Wollongong. Frozen coke, $3.70.
- 10.17pm: Esen Kebabs. Kebab, $13.
- 11.53pm: 7-Eleven (opp hospital). Two Rebel sport gift vouchers, Australian Motorcycle Magazine, $68.95.
Sunday, December 23
- 12.09am: McDonalds Fairy Meadow. Food, $17.55
- 12.15am: BP, Fairy Meadow. Fuel, Mars Bars, $44.45.
- 3.02am: McDonalds Fairy Meadow. Food, $27.
- 11.20am: Woolworths Burelli St. Satay kebabs, Coke, $10.90.
- 11.49am: L & R Great Value, Wollongong. Two pairs of sunglasses, $14.
Police say the card was used a further eight times but they could not uncover video evidence linking Cunningham to those purchases.
Meanwhile, Cunningham was arrested in mid-January and charged with 24 counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception.
The 38-year-old pleaded guilty to the charges during a recent court appearance.
The case was adjourned to July 30 for sentencing.