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Fascinating story in the Wall Street Journal this morning about a new digital delivery system for movies being pushed by Disney. Fascinating not just for the ostensible news it contained — Disney hopes to replace lost DVD revenue with a new system for letting consumers access movies across multiple digital platforms called Keychest –as for the timing of its appearance and its sourcing. Clearly, this was a torpedo sent by Apple and aimed squarely at Sony.
The backstory: Sony is the driving force behind the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE), a consortium comprised of five major studios and several technology company, and chaired by Sony Pictures exec, Mitch Singer. DECE’s goal is to create a system to, well, let consumer access movies across multiple digital platforms. Though progress has been slow, work has continued. In fact, DECE principals are scheduled to meet Thursday in Seoul, Korea, for the next round of talks. When the WSJ story appeared here on Wednesday, of course, it was already Thursday in Seoul.
Among the companies conspicuously missing from the DECE consortium are Apple and Disney. Apple, in particular, has shown no interest in cooperating with an industry-wide standard, perferring to go it alone when it comes to digital delivery. And Steve Jobs, of course, is Disney’s largest individual shareholder.
It’s pretty obvious that the story in the Journal was planted by Apple and Disney and intended to blow up any progress DECE was thinking of making over in Seoul this week. How do we know Apple was involved? Because Apple went out of its way to make sure people knew where the story was coming from.
According to the story, “people in the entertainment industry say it would be reasonable to infer that Apple would cooperate with” Disney’s initiative. By “people in the entertainment industry” it would be reasonable to infer the reporter means “people at Disney” and possibly even people at Apple. As a reporter who has covered the entertainment and technology industries for many years, I can assure you that Apple almost never, ever cooperates on stories like this, even on background. For that sentence to be in there, someone at Apple had to either provide it directly or give the green light to someone at Disney to pass it on to the Journal.
Oddly, Disney Home Entertainment chief Bob Chapek more or less gives the game away by admitting the studio doesn’t expect Keychest, “to deliver tangible financial results for five years.” Apart from being a stupid thing to say in the Wall Street Journal, it also telegraphs the strong likelihood that Keychest isn’t quite as ready for primetime as the planted story tries to make it appear.
Nope, this was a hand grenade, rolled into the meeting room in Seoul, to inflict maximum damage.


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Euro medicine starts to wear off
The European Central Bank's latest dose of intervention medicine started to wear off as the euro resumed its familiar slide.
After holding up reasonably well against the dollar and jumping to seven-week highs against sterling in early dealings, the single currency began to drift lower. It was down to 86.27 cents and little changed against sterling at 60.40p.
The latest slide came despite a fresh bout of euro buying by the ECB on Thursday, its third in under a week. The ECB justified the intervention by saying that a weak euro posed a threat to the world economy. In its November bulletin, it said the euro's continued undervaluation was pushing up import prices.
The euro's fall also reflected unofficial reports that Republican George W Bush was ahead in the crucial Florida recount. A Bush win is seen as bad news for the currency as he is thought less likely than Al Gore to back co-ordinated central bank euro-buying.
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Americans are using historically low interest rates to refinance their loans as a form of personal stimulus during the pandemic.
where rates have plummeted.’ data-reactid=”20″>The same trend is playing out with student loan refinancing where rates have plummeted.
“Twenty-five to 35-year-olds are taking advantage of rates dropping very, very substantially to lock in those historic low rates and get themselves some cash payment savings,” said Coughlin.
“So consumers are hunkering down on spending, but they’re taking advantage of the low rates to stimulate better health in their personal balance sheets.”
Coughlin also sees “dramatic changes in behavior” around debit cards spending.
“We’re down about 40% year over year. The ticket sizes are up significantly. The number of transactions are down. sizably,” said Coughlin.
“When they do have to go out, they’re spending a little bit more. So instead of going to the grocery store three times a week, they’re going once every two or three weeks,” he added.
a survey by Junior Achievement USA and Citizens Bank.’ data-reactid=”39″>Some teenagers say they’re planning to delay their start to college or changing their school choice due to the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey by Junior Achievement USA and Citizens Bank.
“About 44% of those that we surveyed said that the current situation is significantly impacting their plans for college,” said Coughlin.
“Just two or three years ago, there was a very big divide where it was very clear that the majority of Americans, their children and their parents were not having what we’ve sort of called is “the other talk” around their finances,” said Coughlin. “That is changing rapidly.”
It would be unprecedented for a bear market to be this short: Wells Fargo Strategist‘ data-reactid=”45″>Read more:
It would be unprecedented for a bear market to be this short: Wells Fargo Strategist
A view from the trading floor: Algorithms having ‘outsized impact’ amid coronavirus impact‘ data-reactid=”47″>A view from the trading floor: Algorithms having ‘outsized impact’ amid coronavirus impact


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Akron, Ohio --Two suppliers to the rubber industry have declared force majeure--the voiding of supply contracts because of acts of God--as a result of Hurricane Katrina's destruction in Louisiana.
Columbian Chemicals Co. said the hurricane caused minimal damage to its North Bend, Louisiana, carbon black plant, but it foresaw limits to its production and shipment capabilities because of the suspension of rail activity, the short supply of Hopper trucks and the closure of the port of New Orleans.
In a Sept. 1 letter to customers, Columbian said the force majeure would continue until the company can restore normal operations and shipment. "Columbian will do everything possible to produce and ship as much carbon black as possible given operating limitations and we will apprise you of changes to our situation."
Dow Chemical Co. also said it would be unable to supply certain polypropylene products made at its St. Charles operation in Hahnville, Louisiana. Dow made the declaration because of the disruption of production, power, utilities, raw material supply and transportation services caused by the hurricane. Production at the site initially was idled ahead of Katrina as a standard precautionary measure, the company said.
From Rubber & Plastics News (A Crain publication)
Website of Columbian Chemicals


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The vast majority of small business owners truly think they’re safe from cyber security threats, even as many fail to take fundamental precautions to keep their companies safe. That’s what a new survey released today by Symantec and the National Cyber Security Alliance as part of National Cyber Security Awareness Month shows. In fact, 85 percent of respondents believe their company is safe from hackers, viruses, malware or a cyber security breach.
But, when you look closer, most small businesses lack sufficient cyber security policies and training. The proof is in the pudding on that front:
· 75 percent do not have a formal written Internet security policy for employees
· Of those, 49 percent do not even have an informal policy
· 45 percent of small businesses do not provide Internet safety training to their employees (only 37 percent said they do)
· 56 percent do not have Internet usage policies that clarify what websites and Web services employees can use
· Only 52 percent have a plan in place for keeping their business cyber secure
The findings uncover a strong disconnect between perceptions and reality for small business owners when it comes to their cyber security posture. How can small business owners feel their networks are so safe yet they lack policies for protecting them?
The survey also found that small business owners are more concerned with an internal threat to their company, such as an employee, ex-employee or contractor/consultant stealing data (53 percent), than an external threat such as a hacker or cybercriminal stealing data (10 percent). It’s perplexing that small businesses feel safe from external threats, particularly when you consider that small businesses are an increasingly appealing target for cyber attacks.
Symantec detected more than 286 million new threats last year and an average of 3,473 Web sites each day harboring malware and other potentially unwanted programs including spyware and adware. Just last month, the Symantec Intelligence Report research showed that 1 in 208.2 emails sent to small businesses contained email-borne viruses. If that’s not bad enough, small businesses sense of security seems even more unwarranted given that 40 percent of all targeted cyber attacks are aimed at companies with less than 500 employees.
Small businesses need a reality check before it is too late—when they’re under attack. What small businesses can and should do now is prepare, plan and educate their employees. Develop Internet security guidelines and educate employees about Internet safety, security and the latest threats, as well as what to do if they misplace information or suspect malware on their machine. Small businesses also need to take a proactive approach and implement the technologies and services that will help protect them against the unexpected. Consider these tips on preventing malware attacks to get you started.


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Brooklyn, NY, Letter Carrier David Sandiford delivers packages on Coney Island in “A Charlie Brown Christmas” wrapped truck
Three Postal Service trucks wrapped in “A Charlie Brown Christmas” stamp imagery are delivering mail and packages to New York City customers this holiday season.
The trucks have stopped for deliveries near several famous landmarks, including Coney Island, Radio City Music Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Customers who spot the trucks are encouraged to share photos on social media with the hashtag #WhereIsCharlieBrown.
USPS will use the wrapped trucks to deliver to the city’s boroughs throughout December.
The trucks are part of the Postal Service’s holiday campaign, which also includes TV commercials, new stamps, and an “augmented reality” mobile app.


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With speeds topping out at 15 mph, electric scooters offer an exciting way to get from point A to point B.
But efforts to bring the zippy mode of transport to Chicago have stalled out — at least for now.
Not that that has slowed the efforts of Lime, the billion-dollar company that has brought the dockless scooters to dozens of cities around the world, and that has already brought dockless bicycle rentals to the South Side. Now they say their goal is to have e-scooters on the streets by May.
As city officials continue mulling a citywide scooter set-up, Lime reps took their pitch to Chicagoans Saturday afternoon by offering free test rides on the Riverwalk.
“I want this in the city right now,” downtown resident Archit Joshipura said as he stepped off one of Lime’s newer models, specially designed for “rugged” conditions, like those on Chicago’s pothole-cratered streets.
City transportation officials, however, haven’t been on board with Joshipura’s desired timetable.
Ald. Proco “Joe” Moreno (1st) introduced an ordinance to the City Council last May seeking to establish rules of the road for electric scooters, but that legislation hasn’t moved out of committee — and with Moreno being voted out of office last week, its fate seems hazier than ever.
Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) called the popular scooters “the future of urban transit,” but echoed the concerns of other aldermen worried about the dockless vessels being left haphazardly on city sidewalks and in crowded pedestrian spaces — not to mention rental security in the wake of a spate of Divvy bike thefts last summer.
Additionally, Lime reportedly was forced to recall some 2,000 scooters in California last fall due to fire-prone batteries.
Hopkins said the city is taking its time for good reason, calling the company’s targeted May launch an “ambitious goal” with a new mayor taking office.
“We have done a pretty good job with the buildout of bike systems. The challenge is on city transportation planners to accommodate the increased variety of mobility devices [which] are getting smaller, lighter and cheaper to buy.
“Our mistake would be on getting behind on the regulatory calendar,” Hopkins said. “With Uber and Lyft, we didn’t act as a government until it was too late. We can’t do that.”
Lime officials have said the Chicago Department of Transportation — which would have to sign off on the effort — hasn’t seriously considered the matter, instead focusing on the city’s bike program. CDOT officials didn’t immediately return requests for comment on Saturday.
The company started offering public test rides at several festivals last summer. During their Riverwalk demo, Lime workers provided participants with letters urging the mayor and City Council to address their support for the electric scooters.
Lime executive Nico Probst says a scooter rollout would improve sustainability in Chicago.
“We’re trying to press upon getting people out of cars and into something else. We’ve found that in other cities, about 30 percent of our scooter trips are replacing car rides or Uber/Lyft trips.”


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Thousands of jobs were under threat last night as Comet was poised to call in administrators. Talks are still continuing, with insolvency specialists from Deloitte lined up. The electrical goods retailer was bought for a nominal £2 earlier this year by OpCapita, a distressed investor.
The failure of Comet, which employs about 7,000 staff, would mark one of the largest collapses on the high street since the credit crunch took hold.
GA Europe, which handles liquidations, is believed to have been lined up to assist in the winddown of the stores, but Deloitte will first run a sale in a last-ditch attempt to flush out any buyers for the 243 stores.
Comet has suffered from the withdrawal of trade credit insurers, which offer protection to…


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Each day, as the pandemic delivers another blow to the global economy, there seems to be news of a well-known company having to close its doors or file for bankruptcy. Yet, in cities and small towns around the globe, the world’s smallest businesses display a remarkable determination to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new global survey from GoDaddy.
Make no mistake, these micro-businesses — nearly all of them with 10 employees or less — have been battered by the COVID-19 storm. Seventy-five percent of them report suffering reductions in revenues, and 2 in 5 said they had to shut down at least temporarily.
The survey covered 5,265 of the smallest of small businesses from around the world (Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Mexico, Philippines, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States). And, it found only three percent reported permanent closures.
This underscores the resilience of the entrepreneurial spirit and offers some hopeful insight into their collective future.
These survey findings about everyday entrepreneur resilience align with other ongoing GoDaddy research, Venture Forward, which illustrates the positive impact micro-businesses have on their local communities and the national economy.
While that research looks at their impact, this 2020 Global Entrepreneurship Survey sheds light on the perceptions of entrepreneurs enduring the pandemic. The survey found a steely resolve to not only survive this economic crisis but thrive.
Adapting to the new normal
While 2020 is poised to continue to be a difficult year, 7 out of 10 said they expect to recover within a year and 63 percent expect to experience a 25 percent or more growth by 2025. Many of them are dealing with adversity the only way entrepreneurs know how: by adapting.
Many reported they’re deploying technology to become more digital, starting new ventures and looking for side hustles. Thirty percent of respondents reported that they either had started a side hustle or intend to due to the pandemic. And more than half of those with a business website reported updating their website to add an online store, include more content, or begin or increase digital marketing to promote their business.
For the first time in GoDaddy’s five years of conducting global surveys of small businesses, millennials have become the majority of survey respondents (compared to 32 percent GenX and 18 percent baby boomers) reflecting the changing demographics of global entrepreneurs. And they typically approach technology with more zest than their older counterparts. For example, millennials reported that they were more than twice as likely to merchandise products and services through a social media platform than baby boomers.
Surprises in the data
Despite the United States being among the hardest hit by the current pandemic, U.S. micro-businesses are among the most resolute.
Other than Germany, the United States reported the lowest percentage of businesses that had to close down, even temporarily, and had the lowest level of businesses (66 percent) reporting a reduction in revenues. Micro-businesses in Mexico, at 85 percent reporting a reduction in revenues, are the hardest hit among the 10 countries surveyed.
Due to their size, many micro-business owners grapple with whether to create a website for their business. Globally, 2 in 5 have done so, although nearly as many (37 percent) report a desire to do so.
Here’s a potential reason: those that already had a website were less likely to report they had to close their business because of the pandemic.
Remarkably, most of these very small businesses have survived on their own. While many countries have instituted relief programs for small businesses, only 3 in 10 across the globe reported receiving such assistance, likely because they were too small to qualify for traditional SMB relief programs.
In the meantime, very small businesses have again shown that sometimes it’s the small trees that survive the storm. Here’s to sharing inspiration for everyday entrepreneurs around the world, to continue weathering the storm.
By Melissa Schneider | August 19, 2020
As a VP of Global Product Marketing & Operations, and GoDaddy’s resident trends expert, Melissa Schneider spends her days digging into data, discovering rising trends among customers, and gaining a deeper understanding of customer needs and desires to help GoDaddy’s marketing teams engage globally. Melissa joined GoDaddy in 2013, and has led product marketing for two of GoDaddy’s highest growth businesses. She came to the company after working in marketing and product management at LinkedIn and Intuit. Melissa holds a master's degree in business administration from The MIT Sloan School of Management, and a bachelor's degree in political science from The Johns Hopkins University.


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It has been rumoured that both the Galaxy S9+ and the Galaxy S9 will come in different RAM capacities. Lately, a lot has been doing rounds with respect to the expected design language, specs and features, but it's the first time we are coming across what appears to be legit benchmarks of the bigger Galaxy S9+ thanks to the folks at Phone Arena. Interestingly, the case leak reveals that the Galaxy S9 will come with a single camera setup, while the elder sibling will be loaded with dual rear cameras.
Samsung plans to launch its next flagship device in February, according to a report published Friday in Bloomberg. It is likely to hold a launch event on February 27 to unveil the S9 duo. In Picture: A visitor looks at a Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S8 smartphone at a shop in Seoul, South Korea, April 6, 2017.
As per the leaks and rumours, the duo feature Galaxy S8-style 18.5:9 aspect ratio Infinity Displays with minimal bezels, which are of course based on Super AMOLED technology. Samsung recently also announced 512GB storage modules.
Nicki Minaj defends 'racist' message about white rappers
Nicki Minaj was slammed online after she called out the fact that so many white artists are dominating the hip-hop scene. That didn't seem to stop the criticism, however, so Nicki posted an interview between Power 105's Angie Martinez and J.
Available in black, orchid gray, gold, and blue, the Galaxy A8 and A8 Plus will also support an Always On Display, and Samsung Pay for mobile transactions.
With such configuration, it will be a tough task for rivals to beat the Galaxy S9 series in 2018.
Android 7.1 Nougat is onboard; there's no word on an Oreo update but we'd be shocked if one wasn't already planned.
Dragon Ball FighterZ Explains How Dragon Balls Work In-Game
Bandai Namco is set to release new DLC for Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 early next year. Dragon Ball FighterZ continues to grow.
The Galaxy S9 and S9+ feature horizontally positioned fingerprint scanner beneath the camera sensor. There is heartbeat sensor lying on the right side of the camera module.
Despite concerns that consumers may refrain from purchasing Samsung products due to the safety problems, the company sold around 5 million units of the Galaxy S8 around the globe in less than a month, indicating the company fully overcame last year's crisis.
Android apps must have 64-bit support by August 2019
Earlier this month, Microsoft Edge for Android surpassed the 1 million downloads milestone on the Google Play Store. Lastly, Google Play will be sending out a small amount of security metadata on top of each APK to authorise the app.


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Gross domestic product growth in China slowed. According to Reuters:
China’s economic growth cooled to its weakest quarterly pace since the global financial crisis, with regulators moving quickly to calm nervous investors as a years-long campaign to tackle debt risks and the trade war with the United States began to bite.
Chinese authorities are trying to navigate through numerous challenges, as the trade war fears have sparked a blistering selloff in domestic stock markets and a steep decline in the value of the yuan versus the dollar, heightening worries about the growth outlook.
The economy grew 6.5 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, slower than 6.7 percent in the second quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Friday. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected the economy to expand 6.6 percent in the July-September quarter.
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) will soon produce a less expensive version of its most popular car. According to Reuters:
Tesla Inc on Thursday introduced a new $45,000 version of its Model 3 sedan on its website, launching the car as U.S. tax breaks for Tesla cars are about to decrease.
According to the website, the rear-wheel-drive model has a “mid range” battery, a range of 260 miles, 50 miles less than the long-range battery that the more expensive Model 3 is equipped with.
U.S. oil production could drive down global prices. According to The Wall Street Journal:
Rising crude oil inventories and increased output in the U.S. could push oil prices down in the coming weeks, an internal OPEC report said Thursday.
A coming “seasonal scale back in refinery demand…could result in oil stock builds,” said an internal market report, which was circulated late Thursday within the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
The buildup, “amid the upward trend in US crude oil production, could be a bearish factor for oil prices in the coming few weeks,” the report said.
Italy’s financial problems could spread to Europe. According to CNBC:
The European Union needs to be “sensible” in how it deals with the Italian budget crisis or the entire project could come to an end, one strategist told CNBC Friday morning.
The ongoing confrontation between the anti-establishment government in Italy and the European Commission has intensified over the few last weeks, with Rome insisting on increasing its spending next year, despite the EU’s disapproval. The concern in Brussels is that the higher spending will increase Italy’s debt pile, which is already the second largest in the euro zone.
Senator Elizabeth Warren wants the head of one of America’s largest banks to leave. According to CNNBusiness:
Senator Elizabeth Warren wants regulators to keep Wells Fargo in the penalty box until the bank replaces CEO Tim Sloan.
In a letter to the Federal Reserve on Thursday, Warren argued that Sloan, a three-decade Wells Fargo veteran, is “deeply implicated in the bank’s repeated and egregious misconduct.”
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) will launch new products at the end of the month:
Apple is hosting an event on Tuesday October 30 where it is expected to announce more product updates, including new iPads.
But instead of holding a press conference in San Francisco or its Cupertino, California campus, Apple executives will take the stage at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.


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Vintage Valentino proved fit for the Queen of Hollywood, even if it was super-snug. The 1982 velvet gown hugged JULIA ROBERTS‘S curves so closely at the Oscars she had to be reminded to breathe—a feat “not so easy in this dress,” she said.
White-hot NICOLE KIDMAN put up a cool front in a late-70s fringed satin Loris Azzaro at a New York City screening of Moulin Rouge in April. “Her heart was broken on the inside, but she’s healing through fashion,” surmises People‘s West Coast style editor Steven Cojocaru.
At the Oscars, CATHERINE ZETA-JONES oozed old-fashioned hourglass appeal in an Atelier Versace silk satin bustier gown. “It was one of those dresses that I went, That’s it!’ ” she told Joan Rivers. “I’m a black freak anyway.”
Dynamite in Prada at last fall’s Emmy Awards, JENNIFER ANISTON downplayed the fashion fireworks she created. “I just went with what fit,” she said. So did hubby Brad Pitt help her get gussied up? “Damn right I did,” he replied, with a twinkle in his eye.
CAROLINE KENNEDY SCHLOSSBERG, in a satin gown by Carolina Herrera, echoed her mother’s iconic style for April’s opening of “Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years” at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. “White is always chic and always fresh,” notes Herrera.
Channeling the sultriness of Ava Gardner, Oscar winner MARCIA GAY HARDEN graced the Academy Awards in a bloodred satin ballgown by Randolph Duke. “I knew I wanted drama,” she told Entertainment Weekly.
Oscar nominee JOAN ALLEN added some zing to the evening in this citrus sensation, a tangerine Michael Kors sheath in clingy silk georgette. The getting-ready process “was a big production,” she admitted. “We started at 9 in the morning.”
CHARLIZE THERON was all limbs at an LA. award gala in April, clad in an asymmetrical silk chiffon dress by British designer Elizabeth Emanuel, who designed Princess Diana’s wedding dress. “It was a really stunning contrast to have the black against fair hair and fair skin,” says Emanuel. “And this probably made her legs look even longer.”
GWYNETH PALTROW lived up to the “icon in training” label recently bestowed upon her by Women’s Wear Daily when she turned up at the Tony Awards in June in a plunging gold lace Valentino. “This was the first time I dressed her, and she was absolutely stunning,” says the designer.
With a nod to her Spanish heritage, PENELOPE CRUZ swept into the Oscars in a delicate lacy creation by Ralph Lauren. “It’s pretty, very feminine,” she said. Hints Cojocaru: “I think this would look good in white for a wedding to a certain world’s-most-successful actor.”
At the Manhattan premiere of her film Someone Like You in March, ASHLEY JUDD shone in minimalist Armani satin. “I have my own ideas about what I think is chic,” Judd told Harper’s Bazaar, “and I don’t need to have my standards corroborated by somebody’s opinion.” No complaints from us.
Seven out of seven women surveyed (okay, us) wouldn’t dare wear huge chevron stripes, but ER‘s MICHAEL MICHELE (at January’s People’s Choice Awards in L.A.) proved herself anatomically correct for this sequined gown by Carolina Herrera.
At the Golden Globes in January, West Winger ALLISON JANNEY was Inaugural-ball-worthy in a sage-colored organza gown from Pamela Dennis. The actress was sold on the shimmer. “I wanted glowy,” she said.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon‘s MICHELLE YEOH was almost crouching under the weight of her tiger-striped crystal-beaded Barney Cheng-so she changed outfits after the Oscars ceremony. Said Yeoh: “I couldn’t dance in a 35-lb, dress.”
Wimbledon champ VENUS WILLIAMS held court as the Goddess of Loveliness at the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year 2000 Awards in Manhattan last December. The Calvin Klein gown, says her stylist Kythe Brewster, made the most of her muscles-and her curves: “She is a tennis athlete, but clothes fit her just as well as they do a runway model.”
Va-va-va-Uma! At the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards in New York City last fall, UMA THURMAN stood head and shoulder above the crowd in a bugle-beaded Gucci. Appropriately, she was presenting an award to Gucci desianer Tom Ford.
First-time Best Actress nominee LAURA LINNEY I showed Hollywood she was made of Oscar material in a Grecian column dress by Valentino. It was “the perfect color choice for Laura,” says the designer.


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Spotify, the digital music delivery service (officially written in Wikipedia as “commercial music streaming, podcast and video service”), announced yesterday that the number of its members has reached the 75 million, just a few days after Apple announced the release of a pretty similar service, the Apple Music. As it is mentioned in the said announcement, 20 million out of the total 75 million members of Spotify, pay for the service as well as the additional streaming service.
That data reveal a significant increase to the number of users since its last report, on January – 60 million users, 15 millions of which were subscribers, meaning that they were paying for the service.
As The Guardian reports, the moment that Spotify chose to make this announcement was not random, as a few days earlier Apple revealed during the EEDC its own new digital music delivery service, the Apple Music. At the presentation, Apple seemed assured that its new service will become a great and worthy opponent for Spotify.
The company wrote to its blog about the difference that a year can make and stated that a year ago there were 10 million subscribers and 40 million active members, while the matching numbers today – one year later – are 20 millions of subscribers and 75 millions of active members
According to the data, despite the increase to the number of members, more and more of them choose to pay the required amount to gain access to the whole collection of extra services has to offer. More specifically, in January, 25% of the users payed will now that number has gone up to 26.7%.
So Spotify seems to be going well despite Apple Music’s coming. However, Apple’s new music service is not the only competition that Spotify is getting lately. Some other competitive companies that provide similar services are Pandora, Deezer and Tidal. The last one in particular proved that, the music industry still offers a great deal of profit.


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Tue September 18, 2012
Ford launches new Fusion in five cities
Ford Motor Company launched the new Fusion today - in five different cities.
The big splash highlights the importance of the car to Ford.
More people buy midsize cars in the U.S. than any other size-- and midsize cars are becoming more popular in other regions of the world, too.
Ford wants to topple the dominant player, the Toyota Camry --and says the new Fusion will make even further inroads.
Raj Nair is Ford's head of Global Product Development. He says the hybrid version of the new Fusion has pulled way ahead of the competition:
"47 miles per gallon highway," he told a crowd of Ford employees at the company's Dearborn headquarters, "47 miles per gallon combined -- that makes it the most fuel efficient midsize sedan, period."
The non-hybrid Fusion starts at $21.700, but can cost more than $34,000 depending on the powertrain and options.
Customers will be able to choose from two turbocharged engines and two standard engines.
Dealers get the car in the fall.


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Apple has cut off developer access to the iOS version of the Clearview AI facial recognition app, saying that it violates the terms of Clearview’s developer agreement, BuzzFeed News reports.
Clearview AI was using a software distribution tool Apple created for developers to share their apps directly with people in their own companies, sidestepping the App Store. But Clearview was using the tool, which came with membership in Apple’s Enterprise Developer Program, to distribute its app to its more than 2,200 customers. That violates the terms of its agreement, as BuzzFeed News pointed out to Apple, prompting the tech giant to act.
The Clearview AI app works like an internet “face search.” Based on a facial recognition scan by the camera of a mobile device, Clearview then searches for matches from within the billions of facial images it’s scraped from the web and now stores on its servers. A January 18 profile by the New York Times‘s Kashmir Hill on the secretive startup, which is funded in part by Peter Thiel, set off a major discussion about how facial recognition tech should and shouldn’t be used.
Now that Apple has cut off Clearview AI’s membership in the program, the New York-based developer will no longer be able to distribute the iOS version of its app in this way. It’ll still be able to distribute the app to Android devices used by its customers, however. Clearview’s customers comprise mostly law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad, and a few companies such as Macy’s and Best Buy.
Earlier this week, New York-based Clearview AI said its entire client list had been stolen by hackers.


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Blaseball will be getting a vinyl soundtrack released through iam8bit, specially made for the Discipline Era of the game.
Akupara Games has teamed up with iam8bit to produce a physical edition of Spinch for the Nintendo Switch with a vinyl soundtrack.
Walt Disney Records will release the soundtracks to Star Wars: Battlefront on vinyl & digital platforms starting tomorrow.
Some horror music news for you today as the Devolver Digital game Carrion will be getting a soundtrack release onto vinyl.
Black Screen Records and Toge Productions revealed today that the Coffee Talk soundtrack will be coming to vinyl.
Laced Records revealed today they've partnered with Activision and From Software for a Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice vinyl release.
Black Screen Records revealed a very colorful vinyl soundtrack this week as we're getting an official release for Undertale.
There's a lot of Super Mario Bros. celebration plans happening all around, and Black Screen Records has one for Super Mario 64.
Laced Records are partnering with Capcom again, this time to bring the Street Fighter 3 soundtrack to vinyl.
This year for Record Store Day, iam8bit released a special EP for the 40th Anniversary of Pac-Man onto vinyl as a special exclusive.
Mondo has an awesome Star Wars vinyl soundtrack available for preorder: The Mandalorian season one score in its entirety.
Black Screen Records revealed two new vinyl video game soundtrack releases this week with Othercide and Risk Of Rain 2.
This week, 2K Games and Laced Records revealed that they will be releasing a vinyl version for the original Borderlands soundtrack.
Ubisoft and Laced Records announced today that Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint will be getting a vinyl soundtrack release.
Horror icon John Carpenter released two new tracks today, Skeleton and Unclean Spirit, with a vinyl single available.


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Vodafone doubles Spanish stake
Vodafone AirTouch, the $90 billion (£54 billion) bidder for Mannesmann, has agreed to double its stake in Spain's second-largest mobile phones company Airtel to 40% at a cost of up to £3.5 billion.
The deal has been struck under the nose of rival British Telecom, which already owns a 17.8% stake and had been negotiating to increase it. But the two rivals are still negotiating together to buy a further 30% stake in Airtel from the Spanish bank, Santander Central Hispano. Vodafone has effectively issued put options to Airtel minority shareholders.
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- change ups
Items Tagged with 'Commercial Alliance of Realtors'
A local alliance is producing an event next week to help expose more women to the predominantly male commercial real estate industry. Read More
Growth-oriented companies constantly prepare for business synergy opportunities. Read More
Colliers International of West Michigan was honored six times by the Commercial Alliance of Realtors at its Annual Awards Reception on Tuesday night — while Mary Anne Wisinski-Rosely of NAI Wisinski West Michigan was named Realtor of the Year at the event. Read More
Property sales volume and number of transactions were up from 2011.
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) According to the Commercial Alliance of Realtors, the retail real estate market improved significantly last year: The sales volume of retail properties rose by 68 percent in 2012 from the previous year. Read More


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LONDON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Kate Bostock, one of the biggest
names in Britain's retail industry, is going to head up
privately owned clothing chain Coast, as it eyes international
expansion, according to British media reports.
Bostock quit online fashion retailer ASOS last
month after just seven months as executive director of product
and trading, deciding the fast-growing online fashion firm that
targets young women looking to emulate the designer looks of
celebrities wasn't for her.
She previously spent eight years at Britain's biggest
clothing retailer, Marks & Spencer, as head of
merchandising, making her one of the most powerful women in the
Bostock, 56, has also worked for Next, Britain's
second-largest clothing retailer, and for the George brand at
Asda, a subsidiary of the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart
She will join Coast as chief executive in September,
replacing Margaret McDonald who moved to U.S. lingerie brand
Victoria's Secret, a unit of L Brands Inc.
Bostock will work alongside Chairman Derek Lovelock to
expand the brand globally and within Britain and to widen its
appeal beyond mainly formal wear, Lovelock told industry
publication Retail Week. Coast currently has about 370 stores in
about 26 countries.
"Her experience in meeting customers' demands and in product
development, allied with her expertise at leading teams and
implementing strategic plans will be invaluable to Coast,"
Lovelock told the industry publication.
Her appointment comes after Coast's former parent, Aurora
Fashions, partly owned by Icelandic bank Kaupthing, unveiled
plans in March to make Coast a stand-alone business and combine
its two other retailers Oasis and Warehouse into a new business.
Mike Shearwood, Aurora chief executive officer, said in a
statement at that time that this would allow Coast to build on
its position as a specialist in formal wear with more flagship
openings, a new website and international growth.
Neither Coast nor Aurora Fashions could be reached for


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Update: Plenty of Jordan Brand related rumors surfaced at the beginning the year, with the Air Jordan 11 involved in two notable ones — a new “Bred Velvet” and the return of the “Columbia” colorway. Focusing on the latter, a first look at the familiar look has surfaced courtesy of @xcsnkr, revealing that, from what is visible from the two angles showcased, Jordan Brand has stuck to the colorway’s original design. Compare it to the 2014 “Legend Blue” release above and stay tuned for additional updates as the sneaker remains expected to launch on December 14 via Nike SNKRS and select retailers at a price of $230 USD.
Original Story: Diving into the new year, sneakerheads are starting to plan which releases to look forward to throughout 2024, with rumors and early looks informing the community many months in advance. Last week, the rumor mill was led by info regarding an Air Jordan 1 High “Satin Shadow” and an Air Jordan 11 “Bred Velvet” — both set to arrive for the holiday season in women’s sizing.
Adding to the list, the Air Jordan 11 is now expected to be making a return in its “Columbia” colorway according to a post from reputable sneaker leakers zSneakerHeadz and Sneaker Files. Last spotted in 2014 under the “Legend Blue” moniker (pictured above), its release was said to have resulted in $80 million USD in revenue based on the sale of over 450,000 pairs. While details regarding the pair have not been disclosed, you can expect it to draw from the original “Columbia” colorway with white joined by light blue detailing at the Jumpman logo and outsole.
At the time of writing, we’re still awaiting confirmation from Jordan Brand that the Air Jordan 11 “Columbia” will be once again returning to shelves this year. However, it’s currently expected to release on December 14 via Nike SNKRS and select retailers at a starting price of $230 USD. Stay tuned for updates as a first look at the pair should arrive in the coming months.


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A UK petition to sanction Brazil as a record number of blazes ravage the Amazon rainforest has reached nearly 115,000 signatures.
Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) wealthy nations would release more than $20 million of emergency aid to help countries battle wildfires in the Amazon rainforest, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.
But Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday he wants Macron to withdraw the "insults" made against him before he considers accepting the money.
- G7 nations announce emergency funding to fight Amazon fires
- Amazon rainforest fires: Anger at Brazil grows
Macron last week accused Bolsonaro of lying about his environmental commitments, while the Brazilian leader has mocked the looks of the French leader's 66-year-old wife.
A petition to place sanctions on Brazil can be found on the UK Government and Parliament website.
Many of the blazes in the rainforest are thought to have been started, drawing international concern because of the Amazon's importance to the global environment.
The petition says deforestation threatens indigenous populations who live in the rainforest.
"Indigenous people have called for the EU to impose trade sanctions on Brazil to halt the deforestation because they fear genocide," the petition says.
UK Parliament considers all petitions that receive more than 100,000 signatures.
The petition says the Amazon's deforestation is of global significance.
"The intrinsic value of the rainforest should also be recognised."
- Amazon wildfires: Resolution remains elusive as world leaders meet at the G7 summit
- Amazon rainforest fires: The truth behind the 'record-breaking' headlines
Indigenous people of Brazil have also proposed a boycott of businesses that have exploited or invaded Brazilian land that is protected, according to the Ecologist.
Members of Brazil's Mura indigenous tribe painted their bodies with orange-red paint and took up longbows and clubs as they headed into the jungle this week, prepared for battle.
There are more than 18,000 Mura that live in Amazonas state, the largest and best-preserved state in Brazil's Amazon rainforest.


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GEMS review underway
The Turnbull government is undertaking the first-ever review of the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012. The review will allow the government to set uniform, national energy efficiency standards for appliances and equipment.
The review will include consultation with a range of stakeholders, including industry and consumer groups as well as state, territory and New Zealand governments.
“To date, standards under the GEMS Act have saved the average household between $140 and $220 on their electricity bill each year,” said Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg.
In 2016, the net benefit to the economy was in the range of $870 million to $1.58 billion, with greenhouse gas emissions savings of between 4.5 and 6.9 mega tonnes, equivalent to half of Queensland’s total household emissions, Frydenberg said in a statement.
“From 2015 to 2020, the GEMS Act is estimated to reduce Australia’s emissions by at least 27 mega tonnes. That’s the same as taking over eight million cars off the road for a year.”
The statutory review is an important part of continuous improvement to ensure the GEMS Act remains appropriate and effective, said Frydenberg.
“It is an excellent opportunity to reflect on changing appliance and equipment use, emerging technologies, the increasing connectedness of appliances and international best practice,” said Frydenberg.
The review will be conducted by Anna Collyer, a partner and head of innovation at law firm Allens.
Sydney's Barangaroo South has been presented with the RLB Australian Development of the Year.
Australian software company Simble Solutions has partnered with Powercor to support its UK...
The 2018 Federal Budget tackles head on the connectivity challenges posed by a growing population...


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During 2015, rural Idaho Fiber Optic Internet Provider, Direct Communications, hopes to build out a brand new fiber optic cable network in Bennington Idaho, that will bring fiber directly to each home in town that orders fiber optic service. 866 more words
Tags » Bennington
Students comment on access to tobacco and alcohol
On Wednesday, April 8th, students from the Pre-Law Class, instructed by Bruce Lee-Clark at the Career Development Center in Bennington presented their report to the legislature on youths access to tobacco and alcohol. 271 more words
BENNINGTON, V.T. – Police are looking to identify a male person wanted for questioning for the theft of a checkbook and ATM card from a local resident. 62 more words
BENNINGTON, V.T. (NEWS10) – Officials have announced that the Chamber will not be hosting a 2015 Car Show.
With a growing number of other car shows, some on the same exact date as the Bennington Car Show, the chamber is taking a year to reevaluate the event and bring in some new partners. 24 more words
BENNINGTON, Vt. – The town of Bennington has launched a brand new marketing campaign touting the town’s history as Vermont’s first chartered community.
The campaign will also highlight the town’s role as a cultural hub in the southeastern part of the state. 36 more words


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Following today’s Apple Unleashed event live
Apple’s October 2021 event, dubbed ‘Unleashed’ is today, October 18, at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT / 6pm GMT / 4am November 11 AEST, and we’ll be watching along live to give you all the breaking news as it happens, along with expert comments from the TechRadar team.
If rumors are to be believed, Apple is likely to show off a MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) and MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021), along with a possible AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2 unveiling as well.
If you want to watch along, check out our guide on how to watch the Apple October 2021 event. We’ve also listed all the things we expect to see at today’s Apple event if you’d like an idea of what’s in store.
As always, Apple is keeping things pretty close to its chest, so this is all guesswork at the moment. However, by calling the event ‘Unleashed’, it gives us a hint that whatever Apple will be showing today, it’s going to be pretty powerful, so Apple fans should start getting very excited indeed.


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Vyralize: German engineering firm EDAG has revealed its concept 3D printed vehicle shell called the EDAG Genesis at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show.
Awesome! Now I can 3D print the replacement parts too! Eff the dealership!
TechSpy is a community of awesome people posting and discussing the latest tech news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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Ports – whether maritime, inland or river ports – are important pieces of infrastructure that serve a wide range of customers including freight shippers, ferry operators and private boats.
Ports facilitate domestic and international trade of goods, often on a large scale.
Inland ports can also play important transport roles within countries ferrying heavy or bulky goods where alternative ways of transport are more costly.
Much as government plans to build Bukasa inland port, there are budget constraints.
The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Works and Transport, Mr Bageya Waiswa told Daily Monitor in a brief interview recently that work at the Bukasa port is ongoing.
So far, Mr Bageya said they are making funding arrangements for project affected people.
“The funds for the project affected people in form of compensation will come next financial year,” he said.
But Mr Bageya said Shs29 billion is needed. However, “we shall start with Shs20 billion from next financial year to 2020/21,” he said.
A few years back, government hired a consultant to carry out studies on Bukasa – the port that will develop and improve cargo transportation to and from Uganda via Lake Victoria.
Mr Jochen Scherer said government’s aim of developing Bukasa Port, is to, provide an efficient and reliable alternative route to the sea for Uganda, support the efficient movement of goods and cargo and reduce costs of doing business.
“It will also establish a central logistics hub connecting the Northern and Central Corridors for intercontinental and East African inter-state trade,” Mr Scherer said.
“General Concept for LV Ports in Uganda 4, Bukasa Port Project aims at a comprehensive system for ports near Kampala. Ports to complement and strengthen each other. Bukasa Port, in cooperation with Port Bell, will support economic growth in: Kampala Metropolitan Area and developments all over Uganda,” Mr Scherer said.
He further cited Jinja district as a considerable economic area which can benefit from a redefinition of its water-bound infrastructure fields of activity Bukasa port.
The study indicates that the cargo is to be carried by Lake Navigation (Ship), port railways (Rail) and road transport (Road) and as such Bukasa port is to be developed as a multimodal port.
Cargo Flow Forecast
Step I: 2020 Bukasa Port would be handling 2.4 million tonnes cargo, 2025: 3.1 million tonnes,
Step II: 2030: 6.1 million tonnes 2035: 7.8 million tons 2040: 9.5 million tonnes.


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Clubv3 Launches Social Media Strategy Agency Mushbloom
Douglas, Isle of Man
Isle of Man-based social network games and media specialist Clubv3 today announced the launch of its dedicated social media strategy agency, Mushbloom and the website www.mushbloom.com.
Clubv3 is a leading developer and publisher of social network games. Having grown from the initial two directors to a team of over 25 people in the Isle of Man, UK, Romania, Ukraine, USA, the Philippines and China, Social Media Strategist Adrian Niculescu has now joined the team to build the Mushbloom brand and client base.
Social media strategy is the term used for a company’s and/or brand’s management of its presence on online social media platforms such as Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Linkedin and many others, as well as the use of blogs and virtual goods applications (including games) on the internet. Continue reading “Clubv3 Launches Social Media Strategy Agency Mushbloom”


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Chili's Launches Pizza Strategy
A new pizza strategy at Chili’s Grill & Bar, along with other menu enhancements, are expected to bolster the casual-dining chain’s bottom line, executives at parent company Brinker International Inc. said this week. Chili’s is rolling out the pizza, which uses new capabilities gained during the chain’s kitchen retrofit program, to all company-owned locations this quarter, said Wyman Roberts, chief executive and president of Dallas-based Brinker. He said advertising will start during the fourth quarter. In addition to 1,549 Chili’s restaurants, Brinker also owns the 44-unit Maggiano’s Little Italy concept.


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Coffee Matches Bagel Dating App Warns Users of Breach
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The dating internet site stated users’ names and e-mail details which were included with the machine just before might 2018 could be affected.
Popular dating app Coffee Meets Bagel has delivered its users a contact notifying them that their information was “acquired by an unauthorized celebration. ”
The news headlines comes times following a massive database containing the details of around 6.2 million Coffee matches Bagel users arrived from the black internet. Users received notice of this breach (ironically) on Feb. 14, in a contact that has been shared with Threatpost.
Coffee matches Bagel is a favorite San Francisco–based dating and networking website that is social. The application talks about each user’s Facebook account to simply help choose prospective matches for them.
“With internet dating, individuals have to feel safe. They won’t share themselves https://datingperfect.net/dating-sites/turkish-personals-reviews-comparison authentically or make meaningful connections if they don’t feel safe. That responsibility is taken by us really, therefore we informed our community the moment possible—regardless of what calendar date it fell on—about what took place and that which we are performing about any of it, ” a Coffee Meets Bagel representative told Threatpost.
When you look at the notification, Coffee Meets Bagel stated that the dating application discovered associated with breach on Feb. 11. Names and email details which were included with the system ahead of might 2018 had been affected.
“On February 11, 2019, we discovered that the unauthorized celebration gained use of a partial listing of individual details. As we became mindful, we quickly took actions to look for the nature and range associated with the issue, ” the notification reads.
Email provided for users.
The database containing an incredible number of records showed up and ended up being available for sale from Monday in the black online, included in a more substantial purchase of 617 million online account details taken from 16 hacked sites, based on the join. Other victim web sites included Dubsmash, Armor Games, 500px, Whitepages and ShareThis, and others.
In accordance with that report, all 6,174,513 reports were on the market for 0.13 BTC, or $468. Which includes information siphoned between belated 2017 and mid-2018, including names that are full e-mail addresses, age, enrollment date and sex.
Coffee satisfies Bagel confirmed to Threatpost that its breach is definitely for this database on the black online, and therefore as much as 6 million users were affected.
Coffee matches Bagel stated when you look at the notification it does not keep any information that is financial passwords. In addition stated so it has involved security that is forensic to conduct overview of its systems and architecture.
“As constantly, we suggest you are taking additional care against any unsolicited communications that ask you for individual information or refer one to a internet page seeking individual data, ” the notification reads. “We additionally recommend avoiding clicking on links or downloading attachments from dubious e-mails. ”
Around this writing, there isn’t any notice for the data breach on Coffee Meets Bagel’s site.
Valentine’s woes day
This Valentine’s Day, the protection room has seen per week riddled with frauds and weaknesses targeting people flocking to sites that are dating. Many concerningly, a vital flaw in the OkCupid software ended up being been disclosed on Thursday which could enable a negative actor to take credentials, introduce man-in-the-middle assaults or entirely compromise the victim’s application.
Earlier in the day this week in a split incident, OKCupid denied an information breach after reports surfaced of users whining that their reports had been hacked.
And, in a brand new advisory posted on the Federal Trade Commission warned that reports of internet romance scams are rising as cyber criminals gain the confidence of their victims and trick them into sending money tuesday. In reality, just last year, individuals reported losing $143 million to romance scams – a higher total than for just about any other variety of scam reported, based on the FTC.
“These forms of frauds will likely not be vanishing anytime quickly. Peak times of this 12 months, Valentine’s Day included, draw out both the greatest while the worst in us, ” said Anupam Sahai, vice president of item administration at Cavirin, via e-mail. “Given the emotions, it’s not surprising that relationship scam losings, averaging $2600 each, are 7x greater than almost every other frauds. There are numerous internet sites with recommended guidelines. Follow them! And them a hand. When you yourself have vulnerable buddies or household, lend”


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Next-generation Porsche Boxster and 911 models testing side by side also share some design details.
Here's a set of spy shots of the upcoming 2012 Porsche Boxster doing some winter testing in northern Sweden next to the next-generation Porsche 911.
The next-generation Boxster, known internally at Porsche as the 981, was rather showy on this test run, revealing its new LED taillights - a triangular design like on the next 911.
The next Boxster may come with a new four-cylinder engine that Porsche is developing, as we reported earlier this week. Porsche's outgoing head of research and development, Wolfgang Durheimer, confirmed that the automaker was developing a 2.5 liter power plant that could possible be seen in the 2012 Boxster and Cayman models.
That 2.5 liter could have an output of up to 360 bhp (268 kW / 365 PS) in a turbocharged configuration.


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Last month, the World Photography Organisation treated us with impressive category winners of this year’s Sony World Photography Awards. The overall winners have now been announced, too, and it’s a beautiful selection of images from all over the world. Let’s take a look and enjoy them together.
Mobile Photography Awards is one of those contests which prove that you can take a stunning photo even with just your smartphone. The winners of the 2020 contest have been announced, showing some of the best, most intriguing, and most interesting shots people took with their phone cameras.
The Tokyo International Foto Awards has announced its 2020 contest winners and finalists. The contest honors both professional and non-professional photographers, but they all equally contributed to the wonderful selection of images. They reflect the world around us from all of its angles: from nature’s divine beauty to its terrifying disasters. And since the photos were taken over 2020, there’s an extra bit of madness to it all.
Sony World Photography Awards is one of the contests that always brings us lots of magnificent photos. The World Photography Organisation that stands behind it has just announced this year’s category winners and shortlist in the Open competition. And as always, it’s a selection of amazing images.
The World Press Photo Contest won’t be announced till next month. Still, The World Press Photo Foundation has something for us. They have announced this year’s nominees of the World Press Photo contest, as well as the Digital Storytelling Contest. And just like always, the photos are breathtaking, moving, and thought-provoking.
Today is the perfect day to celebrate women and remind ourselves how amazing we are. So, today is also a perfect day to share some work from female photographers. The second annual Leica Women Foto Project Award has just announced its winners, and we share their beautiful photos with you.
Australian Photography Awards (APA) recognizes and celebrates Australian photographers and their work. This year’s winners have just been announced, and it’s a truly wonderful collection of images. They show us the touching, difficult, but also the beautiful side of living in this world at this time.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year always brings us stunning photos of wild animals. The contest has shared its overall winner earlier, but now you have a chance to choose another one. The People’s Choice Award is now open, and you get to give your vote to one of 25 fantastic images. We bring you more information about the contest, but also this year’s nominees to enjoy.
The coronavirus pandemic has certainly changed the weddings in 2020 – but thankfully, it didn’t stop them. Although this has been a challenging year for couples and wedding photographers alike, plenty of couples have still tied the knot and lots of wonderful photos have been taken. The International Photographer of the Year is a contest that gathers the best wedding images, and it has just announced its 2020 winners. They celebrate love and unity in these crazy times, and they are certainly a real treat to look at.
The International Photography Awards (IPA) has announced its 2020 winners. Out of over 13,000 submissions from all over the world, and the judges had a difficult task of choosing the best. But, of course, they chose the winners in all 13 categories, and we bring you the best photos that were submitted to the contest.


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When it comes to survival gear, you can be pretty sure everything has been tested in a clinical, standardized setting to make sure performance is up to snuff before the products get real-world testing. For example, the National Institute of Justice has exacting standards when it comes to testing and certifying the bulletproof (bullet-resistant, actually) gear that protects officers on the street and soldiers overseas.
Storyboard Podcast: Episode 16
On the other hand, the lab rarely replicates conditions in the real world, so for the March issue of Wired, we tested some of the toughest gear out there to see if it could withstand an extreme testing regiment from our product reviewers.
In this week’s Storyboard podcast, associate editor Joe Brown and contributing editor Mat Honan discuss unloading clips of bullets into body armor, getting lost (and found) in subzero weather in Tahoe National Forest, and siccing a zoo’s most destructive animals on bear-resistant gear.
Photograph by Brian Finke


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If you’ve ever been concerned about cleaning your Apple goods safely, you can now do it with an official Rs 1900, Apple cloth. In addition to the new MacBook Pros, the M1 Pro and Max processors, and third-generation AirPods, Apple unveiled this cleaning cloth during today’s event (via 9to5Mac).
Apple revealed a polishing and cleaning Apple cloth last night
- .The Apple Polishing Cloth costs Rs 1900 in India.
- The Polishing Cloth, according to Apple, is compatible with virtually all of its products.
The Apple-branded cloth, which will be composed of undisclosed nonabrasive materials, will be sold separately. Apart from the Apple branding, it’s unclear how the towel differs from a standard microfiber cloth that can be purchased for a fraction of the price.
When cleaning your Apple gadgets, Apple suggests using “soft, lint-free cloths” and avoiding “abrasive cloths, towels, paper towels, or similar products,” all of which are concerns that this $19 cloth alleviates. Apple claims on the cloth’s product page that it can clean any Apple device’s display — including nano-texture glass. If you’re curious, there is a compatibility list.
The Polishing Cloth is “crafted with soft, non-abrasive material” and “safely and effectively cleans any Apple display, even nano-texture glass,” according to the Apple Store. What is nano-textured glass, and how does it work? This is an unique coating found on Apple’s high-end iMac computers as well as the company’s external displays. Scratches are a real possibility. As a result, using this Polishing Cloth makes sense. In India, the Pro Display XDR with nano-texture glass costs Rs 529,900, so an additional Rs 1,900 for a cleaning cloth isn’t a big issue (though ideally, the cloth should be free). However, it still makes logic.
In fact, paying Rs 1,900 appears to be a poor investment. And as soon as Apple unveiled the Polishing Apple Cloth, Apple fans and customers remarked on it. Whether or not it has the Apple brand, it’s difficult to imagine that a cleaning Apple cloth can cost Rs 1,900. Even if the Polishing Cloth is what it is — the most wonderful piece of cleaning cloth ever — the talk on social media was that it should come free in the package with Apple’s pricey MacBook, iMacs, and iPhones.


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DRINKERS in Britain consume more alcohol on a night out than any of their Western European neighbours, research suggests.
But the culture of binge drinking is diminishing, with British consumption dropping to similar levels to the rest of Europe.
Across the six countries surveyed, Britain had the highest consumption rate, at an average 6.3 units of alcohol on a single occasion.
This is equivalent to 2.2 pints of lager, compared with the average European drinking rate of 5.1 units of alcohol - around 1.8 pints, according to market analysts Datamonitor.
Datamonitor analyst John Band said people across Europe were starting to spend more on soft drinks in pubs and bars.
"It's clear that the culture of binge-drinking is on its way out, with British consumption per occasion falling closer in line with the levels seen on the Continent."
The average European man drinks just over 2.5 times as much alcohol outside the home as the average European woman.
WHY are we Brits such big drinkers? Have your say.


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President Barack Obama announced a plan to make broadband affordable to low-income families. It seeks to close a technology gap…
In an attempt to introduce innovation and competition into the cable/satellite set-top box industry, the FCC has proposed opening up…
President Obama has announced plans to visit a mosque for the first time in his presidency.
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18 November 2021
Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons are the latest UK retailers to launch their Christmas adverts. These highlight the joys of celebrating Christmas with family and friends, which was a challenge in 2020.
Tesco has taken a fun approach with its Christmas advert, spotlighting a woman with a ‘Nothing’s Stopping Us’ attitude this Christmas. It offers a humorous perspective to the ch...


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A brand new BMW was damaged by yet another rogue trader operating out of Gatwick Airport.
Proof, if more needed, that travellers must be so careful to only use reliable, reputable meet and greet parking companies that have been awarded the coveted Gatwick Approved Operator status by the airport.
This time we tell the tale of Mrs Laura Kanareck, who returned from her holiday to find her brand new BMW was covered in scratches, to the tune of £4,000 worth of damages.
Best Meet and Greet Gatwick were charged with looking after Mrs Kanareck’s prestigious vehicle for two weeks over the festive season.
When she came to collect her vehicle, the Best employee was quick to hand over the keys and appeared to ‘leg it’ as described by Mrs Kanareck in an interview with the Sevenoaks Chronicle. It was then that her mother spotted the many scratch marks all over the car, that made the vehicle look like “they had been made with a Stanley knife.”.
She has of course contacted Best Meet and Greet Gatwick, however, they have said she can expect a reply within 21 days – completely unsatisfactory we think everyone would agree. And this was only after she went to their offices to find them abandoned.
Speaking to the Chronicle, Mrs Kanareck said, “The company states on its website it keeps the cars in a secure compound, but obviously this isn’t true. I believe it leaves the cars on the street to be vandalised, maybe by local people as they are probably fed up with it. I have found another customer of Best Meet and Greet Gatwick on Facebook. She said she had exactly the same damage to her car on Thursday.”
The police have been informed and have issued the following statement, “It appears the victim’s vehicle has been parked in a street nearby and the damage happened then. Officers have been making enquiries and attempting to contact the company to speak to them but have been unable to make contact. Trading standards has been informed. The damage is being treated as deliberate, not accidental.”
The moral of the story… for Gatwick travellers only to book meet and greet parking with reputable, Gatwick Approved Operators. These authorised companies are the only ones to be allowed to pick up and drop off vehicles within the airport terminal forecourts. Their safe and secure parking compounds have passed the strict Chief of Police security measures and so have been awarded the highly sought after ParkMark award, and they have also been approved by the Trading Standards.


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Currently, you can view certain series and movies on YouTube only if you have YouTube Premium. This subscription costs you €11.99 (approx. N5,000 naira) per month and gives you access to exclusive series and films produced by the company itself, the so-called YouTube Originals. On top of that, the entire platform becomes ad-free and you get access to YouTube Music, which is similar to Spotify.
However, YouTube has now decided to make some of these benefits less exclusive by 2020. Viewers without a subscription currently have no access to the YouTube Originals at all. From 2020, certain shows and films will be accessible to everyone as long as they can handle some ads that will appear when they watch.
Unfortunately, nothing can be said about the current success of YouTube Premium, which is now available in 29 countries. The company has not yet said a single word about subscriber figures either at the global level or for certain countries in particular.
YouTube itself says that this strategy is a way to improve overall satisfaction among its users and to make them happy for the Originals content. Advertisers would also be interested in advertising with specific content. This move also gives the company more flexibility in marketing strategies.


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Disney All-Star Sports to hit Gamecube and GBA this fall
Sunday, May 12, 2002
Mickey and Pluto playing football...basketball? Watch out Michael!
KONAMI and Disney Interactive today announced an agreement to develop and market a video game series of sports product tentatively titled Disney All-Star Sports, featuring Mickey and his pals. The series will feature both team sports and extreme sports games, starring popular Disney characters as athletic all-stars. The six sport agreement includes; football, basketball, soccer, snowboarding, skateboarding and motocross, which will be available only on Nintendo Game Cube(tm) and Nintendo Game Boy(r) Advance(tm) this Fall.
Combining the high-energy fun of each sport with the storytelling, humor and imagination of Disney, Disney All-Star Sports puts an extreme twist on sports console games, helping players get into the action with their favorite animated athletes. Disney All-Star Sports will deliver arcade-style action, multiplayer gaming, stunning graphics and a hip new attitude for some of the best-loved Disney personalities, including Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Max and Big Bad Pete.
“Konami is excited to bring a whole new experience to console sports fans,” said Tomofumi Gotsubo, president, Konami of America, Inc. “Disney’s all-star cast of beloved characters combined with arcade-style sports games will yield incredible success for this new series.”
“Gamers, sports fans, and Disney fans alike will enjoy playing the Disney All-Star Sports games with their favorite Disney characters," said Jan Smith, president, Disney Interactive. ”Disney Interactive is pleased to be working with Konami on this important company initiative.”
--- VGLN Staff


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African children have become an internet sensation in China as companies use them to market and sell their products online.
One ten-second clip promoting anti-virus software for video games and featuring African children speaking Chinese garnered 800,000 views in a few days.
The novelty has caught on quickly, with other companies using African children to promote such things as bike-sharing programmes, map services, search engines and online dating sites. The children have been used to offer birthday wishes, apologies and even marriage proposals.
“It’s awesome,” said one comment left by an anonymous client who apparently solicited help to promote children’s clothing.
The trend appears to be a consequence of China’s increasing involvement in Africa. More than a million Chinese are working on the continent and…


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LORDSTOWN - The Mahoning Valley economy will get a boost when General Motors Co. pays profit-sharing and bonuses to roughly 5,250 hourly and salaried workers at its Lordstown Complex, business officials said.
"It's one more piece of good news. When you put real cash into the hands of consumers, that does tremendous things," said Joe Bell, spokesman for Eastwood Mall owner The Cafaro Co. of Youngstown. "Some families might want to save it or pay down debt, but a lot of people will use it for goods and services, and that gets generated into the local economy."
"The economy and auto industry seem to go hand-in-hand. It's very encouraging to see the auto industry gaining momentum. We're starting to see light at the end of the tunnel," said Russell Banks, owner of R.D. Banks Chevrolet in Champion.
Most of the estimated 4,900 GM Lordstown hourly workers will be among 48,000 nationally to get a record $4,000 or more in profit-sharing, injecting about $19.6 million into the economy. The previous record profit-sharing was $1,750 in the boom sales year of 1999 before GM shed thousands of workers through retirement incentives and buyouts.
Some 350 salaried Lordstown workers out of 28,000 are expected to get performance bonuses of 4 to 16 percent of their base pay. About 3 percent will get bonuses ranging from 16 to 50 percent, with fewer than 1 percent slated for bonuses more than 50 percent, according to the Associated Press. The local salaried dollar impact could add roughly $2.8 million to the total, based on the AP's estimate using 8 percent as the midpoint of the bonus range and an average salary of $100,000.
GM, which sent letters to workers Monday announcing the payments, earned $4.2 billion in the first nine months of 2010 and is expected to soon announce a fourth-quarter profit.
Lordstown union leaders said the profit-sharing is part of the contract between the automaker and United Auto Workers, a pact that also required workers to take concessions in 2009 as the company was headed toward bankruptcy and a government bailout.
"Our members haven't received any increases. The last cost-of-living increase stopped in 2009. Before that, we had wage freezes," said Dave Green, president of the 1,400-member Local 1714 of the Lordstown West Metal Center. "Our members have worked hard, and I believe the corporation is on the right track."
Green refuted criticism about GM paying profit-sharing while still being supported by taxpayers' dollars from the bailout. He pointed out the company has the direct loan it received from the government, about $6.8 billion paid last spring. Overall, the government has been repaid $23 billion but needs $26.4 billion more to recoup its whole investment, according to the AP. The government still owns 500 million shares of GM common stock, which would have to sell for roughly $53 per share to get all the money back. "This money isn't going to the CEO. These are hard-working, everyday people," he said.
Jim Graham, president of 3,500-member Local 1112 at the Lordstown East assembly plant, said he doesn't expect any backlash about the profit-sharing because GM has repaid its loan.
"These people worked very hard to bring back GM, as did management," he said.
U.S. Rep. Timothy J. Ryan, D-Niles, said the announcement ''proves that General Motors has made dramatic progress in creating a sustainable company while paying back the federal government's investment in its operations. Not only will these checks put more money in the pockets of America's working families, but they are a significant indicator of GM's increasing profitability. The Lordstown-built Chevy Cruze is proving to be popular with critics and consumers alike - paving the way for GM's continued success."
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said, "The disconnect between work and reward has grown too wide for more than a decade. Too often, we've seen workers get pink slips while CEOs get millions. The new bonuses to GM hourly workers-like those at Lordstown-are well-deserved and signal growth in the economy.''
Brown added he remains concerned about extravagant executive pay at companies that have received government assistance, as the (Troubled Assets Relief Program) panel concluded last week."
The Regional Chamber called GM's return to profitability "a major shot in the arm to the nation and to the Mahoning Valley in terms of job creation and stability and manufacturing growth."
The chamber said Lordstown is GM's largest operation in the U.S. and "is at the center of GM's growth," thanks to production of the successful Chevrolet Cruze compact car.
GM's recall of 1,200 idled workers last year to staff a third shift to build the Cruze helped the Valley post the sixth largest drop in jobless rate in the U.S. in 2010.
The extra cash comes as the Valley is getting infusions of $650 million from steel tube maker V&M Star's construction of a new mill, along with new work for other companies tied in with the Marcellus Shale natural gas market.
The area also appears to be in line for a $200 million horse racing track and slot machine casino, if all the pieces can be assembled.


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Road and Rail
Company Overview of Enterprise Holdings, Inc.
Enterprise Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates a fleet of cars and trucks worldwide. It provides consumers neighborhood and airport car rental, car sharing, ride-matching, vanpooling services, car sales, exotic car rental, motorcycle rental, and commercial truck rental. The company operates car rental locations at business travel and vacation destinations throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Australia. It also provides corporate fleet management and retail used car sale services; and franchise opportunities. The company was founded in 2009 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri. Enterprise Holdings, Inc. operate...
600 Corporate Park Drive
St. Louis, MO 63105
Founded in 2009
Key Executives for Enterprise Holdings, Inc.
Chief Executive Officer and President
Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President
Senior Vice President of Car Sales and President of Enterprise Fleet Management
Compensation as of Fiscal Year 2014.
Enterprise Holdings, Inc. Key Developments
London High Court Rules in Favor of Enterprise Holdings in Trademark Dispute with Europcar
Jan 19 15
Enterprise Holdings reported that following a judgment on Jan. 13, the High Court in London has ruled in favour of Enterprise Holdings in a trademark dispute with Europcar. Enterprise noted that the dispute focused on the use of the 'e-logo' by Enterprise Holdings' brand, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and occurred when Europcar introduced an 'e' logo in its branding in 2012. The London High Court found that the Enterprise Rent-A-Car trademark had distinctive character and reputation as a result of extensive use, and confusion had been caused by Europcar's use of its 'e' logo. Therefore, the court concluded that Europcar's use of their logo infringed on Enterprise's rights.
Enterprise Holdings Terminates the Master License Agreement
Dec 18 14
Enterprise Holdings announced it has terminated the Master License Agreement that Europcar held to operate the National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands in many countries throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa. Following a recent arbitration decision, Enterprise elected to terminate the agreement and, as a result, Europcar no longer is authorized to operate these two brands in the EMEA.
Enterprise Holdings, Inc. Reports Revenue Results for the Fiscal Year 2014
Oct 30 14
Enterprise Holdings, Inc. reported revenue results for the fiscal year 2014. The company posted revenue of $17.8 billion in fiscal 2014, up significantly from the $16.4 billion the company reported in the prior fiscal year as it expanded its international operations and added new services.
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General Motors Co. enjoyed a clean sweep of the 2014 Car and Truck of the Year awards Monday at the North American International Auto Show, a moment that company officials say vindicates its government bailout and turnaround since emerging from bankruptcy in 2009.
The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray was named 2014 Car of the Year and the Chevrolet Silverado was named 2014 Truck of the Year.
“I’m really proud of the whole global product development team, starting with design through engineering and powertrain,” incoming GM CEO Mary Barra told reporters Monday. “They’ve worked really hard. They’ve sweated the details of each and every aspect of those vehicles.”
GM is hoping the “significant” moment will translate into sales.
“I hope that people look, and if they haven’t considered General Motors or Chevrolet, they’ll get into the showroom because I’m confident if they get to the showroom, they’re going to see a lot of vehicles they’ll like,” Barra said.
The last automaker to sweep the awards was Ford Motor Co. in 2010. The Ford Fusion Hybrid was named 2010 Car of the Year and the Ford Transit Connect was named 2010 Truck of the Year. GM has swept the awards, too, doing so in 2007 with the Saturn Aura and Chevrolet Silverado.
Almost a year exactly from when it was introduced at last year’s auto show, the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette is the first version of the two-seat sports car to wear the Stingray badge in decades. Its debut was considered a highlight of the 2013 Detroit Auto Show and a high-performance model, the Corvette Z06, is debuting Monday. Corvette previously was named Car of the Year in 1998.
The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado marks the latest redesign of the full-size truck, regularly the nation’s second best-selling pickup behind the Ford F-Series. While conservative in design, it has won strong praise for its new features. GM has taken Truck of the Year honors four times.
GM on Friday recalled 370,000 2014 Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups over possible fire risks because of a software glitch that led the trucks to idle hot. Alan Batey, GM’s incoming president of GM North America, said recalls happen and moving fast is important to customers.
“You have to put the customer in the middle and respond fast and we did that,” Batey told reporters.
Batey said the Corvette orders continue to be strong.
“Everything that’s in the factory is pretty much customer sold,” he said.
GM hopes the awards will help continue to build strength in the brands.
“We aknowlege that our brand health isn’t where it needs to be over the long haul,” Batey said. “So this external recognition… just again reinforces to the public that General Motors, Chevrolet and Cadillac last year is really on the move.”
“This industry is all about momentum,” GM North America President Mark Reuss said. “There are people here who believe we can win again, and this demonstrates it.”
Reuss added the Detroit automaker also will benefit from the accolades because it demonstrates its commitment to building quality vehicles.
“The market share will come because we’re making excellent product as witnessed here today,” he said.
Tadge Juechter, head of Chevrolet’s Corvette program, added it’s been “quite a year for us.”
“This puts an exclamation point for what’s been an unbelievable year for us,” Juechter said
Now in its 21st year, the 2014 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards event has become a fixture of the annual North American International Auto Show, and one of the most important honors a manufacturer can claim. In the past, winners have promoted their victories almost immediately to set themselves apart from their rivals in today’s crowded automotive market. The awards also kick off the first of two press days at the Detroit auto show.
There were six finalists up for awards this year, and three of them were General Motors products.
The other Car of the Year finalists:
■The 2014 Cadillac CTS in its third generation has been a game-changer for Caddy, helping it regain some of the ground it has lost to imports over the years. The new CTS is larger and more lavish than the outgoing sedan, giving some breathing room to the smaller Cadillac ATS that won in 2013. If either GM model wins, it would be the maker’s sixth car of the year award.
■The 2014 Mazda3 marks only the second time the Japanese maker has been a finalist; the RX-8 made the list in 2004. Offered in both sedan and hatchback form, the Mazda3 has received kudos for its blend of features, performance and fuel economy, using the maker’s new SkyActiv technology.
The other Truck of the Year finalists:
■The all-new 2014 Jeep Cherokee marks the revival of a once-familiar SUV nameplate. But this is no retro truck. Chrysler designers have generated quite a bit of controversy — along with praise — for the new crossover-utility vehicles distinctive styling and features. It would be the fourth truck to win for Chrysler, following the Ram 1500 in 2013.
■The 2014 Acura MDX has been heralded for its strong styling, and for a balance of on-road manners and off-road capabilities. It has routinely been the best-selling vehicle in the Acura lineup. Parent Honda has won three times in the truck category, the MDX previously taking that honor in 2001.
Over the years, Detroit automakers have been named North American Car of the Year 12 times; the Japanese have won three times; Europeans four times; and Korea’s Hyundai has won twice.
On the truck side, domestics have won 14 times, the Japanese four times and Europeans three.
The North American Car and Truck of the Year are chosen by a jury of 48 automotive journalists from the U.S. and Canada.
Melissa Burden contributed.


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Rage 3 Already Being Planned After Rage 2 Launch
Rage 2 has finally made it to release, letting players experience the crazed and over-the-top open world depicted in the game’s colorful marketing. Though critical reviews aren’t 100% stacked in its favor, it seems Avalanche Studios and id Software’s sequel shooter was more-or-less successful in depicting their brazen, in-game wasteland. As Rage 2 only just released a few days ago it’s way too early to judge the game’s success, but that apparently hasn’t stopped plans for a possible Rage 3.
Speaking recently with The Hollywood Reporter, id Software studio director Tim Willits spoke about how Rage 2 came together and, more importantly, what the future of the franchise could look like. Willits expressed hope towards a potential Rage 3, citing the “exciting” possibilities that could be explored in a future installment. Specifically, he cites the idea of giant rideable cockroaches that ended up being cut from Rage 2.
We’ve always loved this franchise because it’s such a fun setting. We can do what we want. We were once talking about riding on giant cockroaches. What other game can you have a conversation where that’s a legitimate conversation you can have?! It’s a crazy, fun, exciting franchise and I hope we can make a third one as soon as possible.”
As Rage 2 has only just recently released, it’s currently unknown whether id Software’s dream of mountable mutant bugs might ever be a reality. While there’s many that would find Rage 3 to be full of possibility, there’s also plenty that are decidedly mixed on the Rage franchise’s future. However, with the game’s release still early days and a slate of post-launch content on the way, there may be room to warrant the arrival of another Rage adventure sometime down the line.
Rage 2 is out now for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One.
What do you think? Would you like to see a Rage threequel, or would it be best to just focus on Rage 2 for the time being? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more headlines recently featured on DFTG, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2390 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.


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Rapper Nas, fresh off the pipin’-hot sales of his black Santa holiday gear, says he will debut a hip (hop) HSTRY clothing line right in time for Black History Month, or the shortest month of the year.
The Huffington Post reports that Nas is launching an exclusive 2017 Black History collection featuring inspirational dashikis, throwback Malcolm X-inspired hats and “Black Don’t Crack” graphic T-shirts and hats. A portion of the sales from the collection will go to the National Black Child Development Institute.
The line also features classic cartoon characters remixed with a militant stance. “Prince Charles” (aka brown Charlie Brown … who could be Franklin) has a raised fist and a boom box; “Black Panther” is Pink Panther with a picket sign; and even black Bart Simpson gets in on the action.
Nas, who says he was not always so keen on February’s theme, told the Huffington Post that he used to “low-key cringe when Black History Month came around.”
“It felt like a slap in face with all the hell we catch daily,” Nas said in a statement. “Like a small reward for a dog’s good behavior, then back to the kennel. But I’ll take it. I’ll take what I can get and that’s all I need to go to new heights.”
The Queensbridge Gawd added: “This collection is about turning things around and instilling positivity. Celebrating being Black in a loud and fun way. Taking a much-needed moment to be proud of the achievements we have made, our colorful culture, black royalty and excellence from the past, present, and future.”
You can snatch your own stuff up at HSTRY now. The new line went on sale Friday.


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So This Is Why Women Everywhere Are Shaving Their Faces
Everybody has facial hair, even if you can't see it. But traditionally, men are the ones who shave to get rid of it, until now. A recent movement in skin care has women shaving their faces, too.
Kate Somerville, a well-known celebrity aesthetician, told the Times that she's shaved her face for more than 20 years, recommends it to her A-list clientele, and points out that Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor shaved their faces too. Evidently, female face shaving is not a new practice but one that's been brought to light in the last couple of years. A handful of beauty influencers on Instagram and YouTube are evangelical about the practice. Holistic dermatologist Cybele Fishman, M.D., said there's an upside to shaving, too, because it's less inflammatory than waxing and even threading, but she thinks that there are better ways to exfoliate the face, including alpha-hydroxy acids and retinoids.
That said, the craze continues. Several YouTube videos that explain the process have hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of views. Most people recommend shaving downward, and some, including Somerville, have even moved on to men's razors like the Mach3. But the razor of choice for first-timers is called a Tinkle, and it's definitely different from using your leg or underarm razor. The product has a steel razor cover, which is meant to protect delicate skin, is smaller, and is angled so you can reach all the contours of the face.
It's true, shaving your face will exfoliate the top layer of skin—the technical word for this process is "dermaplaning." One New York City spa that offers the service—often performed with a scalpel by an aesthetician—has seen a threefold increase after adding dermaplaning to its menu of services. Dr. Fishman said that face shaving is safe with a few precautions. She recommends using a razor like the Tinkle, changing the blade often, and taking care with other products. "You will likely have tiny openings or breaks in the skin that you can't see, so products may sting that normally would not," she warns. She also recommends avoiding retinoids for three days, since retinol-treated skin is irritated more easily. And of course, wearing a daily sunscreen remains a top priority.
Lindsay Kellner is a freelance writer, editor and content strategist based out of Brooklyn, NY. She received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and psychology at New York University and earned a 200-hour yoga certification from Sky Ting. She is the co-author of “The Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide to Ancient Self Care,” along with mbg’s Sustainability Editor, Emma Loewe.


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The automobile market is India has seen significant numbers of new Electric Vehicles (EV) from numerous EV manufacturing startups and established auto brands. The two-wheeler EVs have gained popularity much faster than the four-wheelers.
So keeping in mind, its future potential many companies have started introducing the electric versions of their two-wheelers. Now, a new report have suggested that Piaggio, whose subsidiary brands is Vespa, is planning to enter the EV market in India. As per a recent report, the Italian automaker is planning to develop an electric scooter specifically for the Indian market.
Piaggio currently manufactures three-wheelers in the country but it also produces two-wheelers through its subsidiary brands- Vespa and Aprilia. The upcoming made for India electric scooter is expected to be launched under both brands Vespa and Aprilia.
Vespa electric scooter made for India market from Piaggio
Diego Graffi, the managing director of Piaggio India, has hinted that the company is planning to establish an EV ecosystem in India that will sustain even without subsidies, reported ET Auto. Let us tell you that Central Government provides FAME II subsidies and various state governments across the country also provides subsidies that cuts the price of the EVs by up to 40 percent.
However, it seems the two-wheeler manufacturer does not have any plans to roll out the EV anytime soon and it may take some time before the Piaggio’s first electric two-wheeler will arrive in India. According to Graffi, the supplier ecosystem in India is unprepared to support a massive transition to electric mobility.
Expected Launch Time
Piaggio is expected to take around 18-24 months for development and testing of India-specific model. So, the EV will be announced in the Indian market after the development and testing is done. The upcoming electric scooter from Piaggio is unlikely to make its India debut before the end of 2023.
Piaggio will solely focus on developing electric scooters for the Indian market and not motorcycles, said reports of Rushlane. So the electric scooter will likely be retailed under the Vespa brand.
The e-scooter from Piaggio will have the latest connectivity features seen in modern EVs and the price of the EV will likely be in the same range as per the existing EVs in the Indian market.
The company is already offering electric scooters in developed markets of Europe. The company revealed the first electric scooter under its own brand named ‘One’ last year. It also showcased Elettrica electric scooter in India at the Auto Expo 2020.
Currently, the two-wheeler EV space in India has several EVs such as Ather 450, Ola S1 series, Bajaj Chetak and TVS iQube.