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Sales hit £1.2bn as costs of having children continually soar.
Figures show that parents are £1.2 billion worse off a year due to back to school costs.
According to Mintel, a retail platform, spending in September is now the biggest shopping event after Christmas and Black Friday.
Back to school annual costs have soared by 36% in the past year, which is up from £855 million to £1.16 billion.
In 2018, on average parents spent £134 on school uniforms and shoes, yet in the past year they spent £127. Plus, an estimated £130 million was spent on back to school products including computing equipment by parents, compared to the previous year where £80 million was spent.
Stationery including notebooks, pens and pencils cases saw sales of £100 million in 2018, whereas the previous year £65 million was spent.
In a survey of around 600 parents, over two fifths admitted they feel pressured to buy their children branded back to school products.
Yet a third of parents state that they’ve purchased second hand items, including uniform, to save money and to help the environment.
Samantha Dover, Mintel senior retail analyst, said: "The value of back-to-school spending has shot up in the last year due to more parents buying non-clothing items, as well as an increase in the average amount being spent on school uniforms and shoes.
"Price does, however, remain a driving factor behind a lot of back-to-school purchasing.
"Competition in the school uniform market has particularly intensified in recent years with discounters continuing to undercut clothing specialists and supermarkets.
"However, strict school policies, as well as an increased interest in sustainability with most parents willing to spend more on clothes that will last longer, means that average spend on school uniforms continues to rise."
For parents looking to cut costs, you can now apply for free school travel this September, provided that your children are enrolled at their nearest school.
Plus you can save £150 on uniform per child with the school uniform grant, yet this is dependent on whether your local council provides this.
Pictures and original article from The Mirror.


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Latest Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Stories
Farmers markets across Minnesota sign on to accept EBT and offer Market Bucks incentive; ease of use and increased buying power fuels increase in number of SNAP participants shopping at markets
Although the United States is spending more on welfare than ever before, most of that money is going to better-off families rather than the very poorest.
CHICAGO, March 12, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Food banks across the nation, and the millions of low-income people who turn to them for help, are still reeling from the effects of an unusually
Author NiaNia and Chef Jerry Greenwood joined forces to create affordable and nutritious meal recipes for only $4.25 per day! Washington, D.C.
Congress Cuts Food Assistance Even as Hunger Plagues More Than 1 in 9 Children WASHINGTON, Feb.
Following The Oregonian article, published on December 13th and titled “More Elderly, Disabled Oregonians Rely on Food Stamps Despite Recovering Economy,” HTG impressed upon readers the importance
- The act of lurking; skulking about; hiding; keeping from sight.

domain: news


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This is why it’s important to minimize the amount of meat you’re eating if you care at all about slowing climate change.
Experts dish on the effects of eating red meat every day and how it can impact on your health long term.
The beef industry has a bone to pick with policies that support vegan school lunches.
In "We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast," the author argues that individual actions matter when it comes to the environment.
Americans are eating less meat and more plant-based foods these days. Here's how it's affecting the environment.
They're butchers, business owners and innovators, and they're taking names.
Not all grass-fed beef is from cows that have eaten green their entire life.
Not all meat labeled "grass fed" is from animals that have eaten grass their entire life. Here's how to tell the real from the fake.
The process of breaking down an animal is hard work. Here's a look at what goes on before you buy your perfectly packaged block of meat.
White meat isn't always healthier than red meat. Surprised? Keep reading.
Aaron Franklin and other meat masters can help turn your backyard into a killer party spot.
HuffPost Food & Drink’s series Consumed shines a light on Americans’ obsession with food, one topic at a time. July's theme is meat.
Grill your meats to perfection with these sizzling facts.
Research says a meat tax could save thousands of lives every year.
There's no other way to perfectly season your bird and guarantee that it won't dry out.
Sure, you can buy sausages, ribs and cold cuts — but they're made of plant-based proteins.
Now we need to show people it’s not scary
We have to change our eating habits if we want to avoid a climate change catastrophe.
Instead of radical veganism, some activists want to show it's "fun, accessible and attractive to people."
On the whole, the country consumes 28 percent of the world’s meat — twice as much as the United States. And that figure is only set to increase.


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Apple Daily newspaper, which has been a vocal supporter of the democracy movement in Hong Kong, is facing a tough time in its key market.
The outspoken daily, launched in 1995 by maverick tycoon Jimmy Lai, has seen its losses widen amid a fall in advertising revenues, forcing the management to resort to drastic steps to cut costs.
In recent days, there was much talk in journalism circles that Next Digital, the company that publishes Apple Daily and some other media titles, could scale down in-house operations and focus on outsourcing of content.
The restructuring will involve pain for the media group’s staffers as they may be asked to work under new contractual arrangements, observers feared.
Well, the apprehensions have come true as we have news that Apple Daily is encouraging staff at its newspapers to leave the company and rejoin as freelancers or sub-contractors.
The development was confirmed by the Next Media Trade Union after it was called for a meeting with the company’s management late last week.
According to a statement issued by the union, Next Digital plans to ask some employees to formally leave the company and become contractors or freelancers.
The restructuring is expected to affect staff working in the sports, finance, entertainment and some other sections as well as those involved in producing newspaper supplements.
Departments and teams will be encouraged to form their own independent companies, which will then be awarded work by the company under a sub-contracting system.
Apart from Apple Daily, people working for the weekly Next Magazine could be asked to shift to the new work arrangement.
Meanwhile, there were reports that staff working for Apple Daily (Taiwan) have also been told by the company’s local office that it wants the employees to move to a new system where they will work on a contractual or freelance basis.
Next Media’s move, which is aimed cutting costs and giving the group more elbow room on the labor front, has sparked concerns among the employees and the wider journalistic community.
By shifting to an outsourcing arrangement, the media group will no longer be constrained by labor laws, saving money on things such as health insurance coverage and retirement fund contributions.
While staff who leave the company may be provided work under a new arrangement, it will however amount to a renegotiation of the rights and privileges of the workers.
Besides, there are worries that if Apple Daily group is allowed to get away with its proposal, other media entities in Hong Kong could try to follow suit, endangering many journalist jobs in the city.
Next Media Trade Union said that while it acknowledges the challenges facing media groups, it doesn’t think sub-contracting is the right solution.
The new arrangement will remove a safety net for media personnel, the union said, adding that the new workflow system could also take a toll on the content and production quality at the newspaper.
These are legitimate concerns given that Next Media, as is the case with some other newspaper groups, could look for further cost cuts down the road due to shrinking advertising and circulation incomes.
While Next Digital has given no timeframe for the kick-off of the new outsourcing model, the plan has drawn fire from employees as well as various trade unions in the city, including the pro-Beijing Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions and the pro-democracy Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions.
The trade unions have urged Next Digital to respect its media talents and withdraw the outsourcing plan.
Looking from the company’s perspective, it is not surprising why it felt it had to make some drastic changes in the way it conducts its business.
Next Digital announced earlier this month that its net loss widened to HK$394 million in the year ended March, from a HK$324 million loss in the previous financial year, as revenue fell to HK$1.78 billion from HK$2.34 billion.
The company blamed the weaker result to a significant decline in advertising revenue at the group’s print media business in both Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Apple Daily (Hong Kong) saw its print advertising revenue fall 38.8 percent from a year earlier to HK$141 million, while its circulation revenue declined 9.2 percent to HK$207 million.
The paper saw its daily circulation slip to an average of 130,000 copies, compared with 150,000 copies six months earlier.
Given the slide in ad revenues and circulation figures, the media group was at a crossroads, forcing it to reconsider its business strategy.
Some analysts had earlier raised the question as to whether Next Digital should abandon the loss-making print business and focus on driving the growth of its digital products.
Judging from the group’s latest financial results, it is clear that the management team has failed to find the right balance between the print and digital businesses.
Next Digital, which was formerly known as Next Media, aimed to be a leader in digital transformation as its traditional print media businesses faced massive challenge from New Media in recent years.
The group bet on its news portal, the online edition of Apple Daily, and its video news service Apple Action News, to drive revenue growth in the online segment and help offset weak print ad sales.
However, massive cost-cutting in its news operations affected the quality of the content, which in turn affected the traffic and advertising revenues in the digital business.
Though the group’s digital business reported HK$650 million revenue for the year to March, the figure was down slightly compared to the previous fiscal year.
A slowdown in digital business is a serious concern for the media group, already reeling from falling print revenues and advertising boycotts by some pro-Beijing enterprises.
With a growing number of online competitors in the market such as on.cc from Oriental Press and HK01 from businessman Yu Pan-hoi, as well as other offerings such as 100Most and myTVSuper, Next Digital’s online platforms are no longer an automatic choice for advertisers.
The group’s websites have seen a downtrend in the number of daily unique visitors over the past year.
For example, Hong Kong Apple Daily website recorded a total of 39 million page views and 2.3 million daily unique visitors in mid-June. That compared with 52 million page views and 2.4 million daily unique visitors three months earlier.
The number of unique visitors in Taiwan fell even more significantly, from more than 6 million previously to around 4 million now.
Now, what should Next Digital do amid this situation? How can it improve its business prospects and stem the losses?
It is amid these questions that the media group has opted to shift to an outsourcing model, deeming the arrangement as a good solution to bring down costs and reduce overheads.
While the company is justified in seeking changes, it should however ask itself this question: Is it right to ask employees to effectively renegotiate their contracts and settle for fewer benefits?
Is the staff being made to pay the price for the management’s faulty business vision and poor execution of business strategies?
The group should bear in mind that journalists are its only real assets, not the offices or printing machinery. All the exclusive news published on the front page of Apple Daily is the result of the hard work of the paper’s front-line journalists.
Letting go of the most important resource is unlikely to do any good for the newspaper group in the long run.
Getting work done through freelancers and sub-contracting arrangements may reduce the financial burden on the company, but is unlikely to enhance the company’s image or foster a sense of loyalty.
Also, it needs to ponder whether it might be sacrificing content quality in order save a few millions.
Instead of asking staff to leave and become freelancers or contractors, the company should streamline its operations and step up focus on digital, which is certainly the future.
To boost online traffic, Next Digital can establish partnerships with independent online news platforms and distribute their content.
Increased traffic and pageviews will lead to more online advertising, helping the group improve its finances.
If the print media business is seen as having absolutely no future, it might be better if owner Lai pulls the plug on the segment as a whole and focus solely on expanding the digital business.
An expanded digital business can help save employee jobs while also ensuring the group can continue to do the bold journalism that it is known for.
Hong Kong’s media landscape and the city’s struggling democracy movement certainly need an entity such as Apple Daily.
It is in the public’s interest that the newspaper group stays robust and expands its readership, using whatever medium — be it print or digital.
– Contact us at [email protected]j.com


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The Scoop #15: a Reality Check for the Public Tech Markets
Also: are promo committees really killing Big Tech open-source contributions? And a look behind layoffs conducted in secret at Tesla.
The Scoop is a bonus series, covering patterns and trends I observe and hear about within Big Tech and at high-growth startups. Have a scoop to share? Send me a message!
We’re covering a variety of topics today:
Microsoft to disclose pay ranges for all its US job listings. Why are they doing this, and will this move force other companies like Amazon, Google or Facebook to follow?
Amazon trying to save on work-from-home expenses. And getting sued by a software engineer for not paying their internet costs. Why is Amazon being sued, but not other tech companies?
Are promo committees killing open-source contributions from Big Tech? Kubernetes is struggling to hold onto core contributors working at Big Tech. Is this a systemic issue or an isolated one?
Tesla’s secret layoffs. No announcements, one-week severance and disguising mass layoffs as performance-based firings. Will Tesla get away with it, or will this hurt its future hiring efforts?
Downsizing at Sourcegraph: exclusive. Sourcegraph let 8% of its team go, doing so in the complete opposite of how Tesla executed layoffs. Exclusive details. Can other companies learn something from how Sourcegraph did these layoffs?
A reality check on the public markets. Analyzing what Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi shared with employees, recently. His message is still very much relevant.


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Google Accused Of Copying Ring Doorbell
Accused late last year of stealing the IP for a new security system Ring doorbell boss Jamie Siminoff is now having a crack at Google for knocking off his biggest selling product, he claims that Google is fast earning a reputation for copying other manufacturers products.
What has got under Siminoff’s skin is a move by the Google owned Nest Company to launch their own video doorbell a device that is set to be launched in Australia later this year.
Speaking to smart home website The Ambient, Siminoff said “It’s embarrassing for a company that spends $800 million a year to be just copying me and be behind me the whole time,” he said. “Having one of the largest companies in the world directly copying products you have, and your message, is worrisome but I don’t think copying is the way to build something great and they can’t copy the future, they can only copy my past.”
Siminoff also had criticism for the Works with Nest program, a platform that makes it easier for different smart home branded products to synchronise with one another, for a more autonomous home.
“I don’t understand this whole Works with Nest thing when basically it appears you’re going to continue to copy whatever is successful on the market and, so far, that’s what they’ve done,” he said. “I think it’s a little bit disingenuous that you have a program that says, ‘work with us, let’s be open and work together’ and then you continually copy products in that.
“It seems that the only way to be a successful Works with Nest partner is to not be successful.”
Nest Labs announced its video doorbell, the Nest Hello, recently – alongside a complete $499 security system called Nest Secure.
Currently Ring is facing legal issues in getting its $199 system into the shops. In November, sales were halted by a Delaware judge following a lawsuit filed by rival electronic security provider ADT. It’s a stumbling block Siminoff expects to overcome soon though.
“I’m working through it,” Siminoff said. “I’m okay with having setbacks and trying to get through them but the one thing I don’t like about this one is that contractually, and as a human, I did all the right things. I saved the company that had just fired 80 jobs. I did everything with the best of intentions.
“We’ll make sure that we still get it out.”


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Miller's Bakery plans to expand with a 13,000-square-foot addition to its facility at 8313 N. Steven Road in Milwaukee and will shift all production of its Pretzilla line of pretzel buns there from its headquarters location at 1415 N. Fifth St.
The company is seeking a $600,000 loan from the Milwaukee Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) for the expansion project, and to acquire new equipment. The MEDC Loan and Finance Committee will review the request for the loan at their meeting on Tuesday.
"(Miller's Bakery's) current baking location/headquarters...in downtown Milwaukee no longer has the production capacity to keep up with the demand for their pretzel products. Expansion will allow them to grow volume efficiently," an MEDC report on the loan request says.
The company will continue making fresh rolls at the 5th Street facility, the MEDC report says.


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Harsh backlash has ensued after First Daughter and White House adviser Ivanka was selected as a keynote speaker at the CES electronic trade show in Las Vegas, dedicated to the role of women in technology.
Despite Ivanka famously dealing with women’s empowerment issues at large, many instantly took aim at her apparent lack of experience in the technology industry.
For instance, per technology commentator Rachel Solar, there are much better candidates available to fill the speaker's role.
“This is a terrible choice on so many levels but also – what an insult to the years and years of protesting how few women were invited to keynote & being told it was a pipeline problem while similarly-situated men were elevated", Solar complained.
“There are so many great, qualified women. Shame", she went on to lament.
Cindy Chin, chief executive of the consultancy CLC Advisors likewise drew attention to Ivanka’s lack of experience in the sphere.
“It would be better if the background of the keynote speaker actually fit the industry it is serving and inspirational rather than talking heads and political", she pointed out arguing there needs to be “more systematic representation of speakers across the board and not just for keynotes".
Netizens also expressed their disappointment with the choice of speaker, with some stating they have thus been put off from attending such events:
“Perfect example of why CES is worse than useless and we no longer attend", Donna L Hoffman posted, with another potential guest retorting to the news about Ivanka’s selection:
“I prefer when Ivanka was just a crappy shoe salesperson instead of a crappy shoe salesperson we have to listen to".
I prefer when Ivanka was just a crappy shoe salesperson instead of a crappy shoe salesperson we have to listen to. https://t.co/ZVaR7DLk5i— TDP (@TDPattillo) January 2, 2020
Some couldn’t help but again bring up the nepotism rhetoric:
“But Republicans told me it was wrong for the child of an elected official to get paid for a job they have zero expertise for", one tweeted, while another posted laconically: “what a joke & insult".
“This is insulting to Everywoman [sic] who works in technology. Ivanka Trump has no background in computers or technology", another elaborated further, under the hashtag #PrincessNepotism.
Several meanwhile came up with practical tips on how to make women in tech heard:
It's not just an insult, it's a damn insult.— Scribulatora (@Scribulatora) January 2, 2020
'What an insult': CES names Ivanka Trump as keynote speakerhttps://t.co/YUq5ffrB6h
This is insulting to Everywoman who works in technology. Ivanka Trump has no background in computers or technology.— Mind Science CA (@mindscienceca) January 1, 2020
She’s just a bimbo who’s old rags bags and shoes and not very well because she had to close her company pic.twitter.com/bpIK2H1XTI
Ivanka Trump, aka Daisy Buchanan with a nose job, speaking at CES, here’s a thought don’t go #BoycottCES how is it these companies still haven’t figured out she is loathed?— Sarvenaz MADANI (@SarvenazMadani) January 2, 2020
The Consumer Electronics Show, commonly referred to by the abbreviation CES, announced the keynote speaker news this week. Ivanka is scheduled to give a speech on jobs and the future alongside Gary Shapiro, the CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).
The First Daughter enthusiastically outlined the event agenda in a statement:
“I am excited to join this year for a substantive discussion on the how the government is working with private-sector leaders to ensure American students and workers are equipped to thrive in the modern, digital economy", the senior White House aide, who has been of late developing a well-being programme for American workers and international empowerment projects, explained.


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If your geek tendencies have ever desired to shoehorn a computer into your home theater, now's the time to give in.Acer introduced the Aspire X1200 this morning, which for $450 includes on-board NVIDIA GeForce 8200 graphics, an AMD Athlon (remember those?
The latest gadgets and gear -- because even busy business professionals need their playtime.
Ricardo Bilton writes for ZDNet's The ToyBox.
Gloria Sin is a freelance journalist based in New York City.
Pioneer's scientists have reportedly upped the Blue-ray ante with a 400GB optical disc.The capacity is stretched by manufacturing discs that are 16 layers deep, to be played with a player advanced enough optically to pick up the light scattered by all 16 layers.
It's high time you left the office and got some sunlight.You hear me?
Freeware application and Web service Dropbox instantly backs up and syncs your files over the Internet and to any Windows or Mac computer.Once you install the application, it will create a Dropbox folder on your hard drive.
The Openmoko Neo Freerunner, a Linux-based cell phone that "will help enable ubiquitous computing in the 21st century," will be on sale starting July 4, with shipping to begin July 7.According to company specs, the phone utilizes GNU/Linux and comes with core software for dialing, SMS and recording contacts.
It's not gadget news per se, but if you consider Adobe Flash a tool in your arsenal, this is big news.Posted on Slashdot today is news that Adobe has figured out a way to make Flash crawlable by search engines:Today Adobe systems made an announcement that it has provided technology and information to Google and Yahoo!
According to today's DigiTimes, Asustek Computer is planning to launch new Eee PC models, the 904 and 905 -- which have an 8.9-inch panel but use a similar chassis and keyboard as the company's 10.
There are a lot of ZDNet readers out there who have to give presentations at the office -- and any way to distinguish yourself from the monotonous pack is worthwhile.Thanksfully, iPresentee recently released free Keynote Objects, a package of 100 images suitable for use in Apple Keynote, iWeb and Pages documents (as well as Microsoft Word and Powerpoint, for that matter).
Last night, Pepcom's Digital Experience! came to New York City, and this reporter attended, Nikon D40X in hand, to photograph the festivities for you, our dear readers.
No, it's not quite like the "cone of silence" thing in Get Smart -- hell, it probably costs more -- but it's certainly in the same vein.In this week's offbeat news, the Ovei isolation pod, reportedly launched this week in the UK, will let you scream how "so happy!


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Jaguar has released the first official picture of the production version of the F-Type Coupe which is going to have its world premiere at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19. The all aluminium F-Type Coupe is the production variant of the C-X16 concept which was previewed two years ago and this new vehicle will join the existing convertible range of the F-Type in Jaguar’s portfolio. Jaguar hasn’t revealed the technical information yet but it is expected that the technical specifications will be similar to the drop top model.
The Jaguar F-Type Coupe will only come with a fixed roof which is embedded to a large glass panel. This increases the amount of light in the interiors and reduces the claustrophobic feeling. It is a hard top two-seater vehicle and Jaguar officials are overwhelmed with the huge response received by creating a sports coupe. The new F-Type coupe raises the barrier again and the new vehicle will have more sporty character in terms of handling. The new F-Type coupe will be a direct competitor to the Porsche 911. The F-Type doesn’t come with a hybrid powertrain initially as showcased in the concept version which has the V6 engine coupled to an electric motor placed ahead of the rear axle.
The Jaguar F-Type comes with variable maximum power outputs of 335 BHP, 375 BHP and 488 BHP based on the engine and all these motors are mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. The coupe also has an option of a four-wheel drive mechanism which is engaged by using an electronic centre differential. It will remain in the rear-wheel drive mode in normal driving condition with the differential giving the required amount of additional power to the front wheels in slippery conditions. An India launch will happen next year.


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A 23-member task force has issued explicit policy recommendations to Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham regarding the legalization and regulation of cannabis.
The report proposes a regulatory framework governing the retail production, sale, and taxation of cannabis. Recommendations by the task-force include: Prohibiting local municipalities from completely restricting cannabis sales; Limiting overall taxes on retail cannabis sales to no more than 20 percent; Automatically expunging criminal records; Allocating tax revenues to various programs and state agencies, including the state’s medical cannabis program; and Allowing those with past convictions to participate in the licensed cannabis industry.
The report’s authors estimate that adult-use legalization will create an estimated 11,000 new jobs and yield some $620 million dollars in sales within five years.
States the report’s Chairman: “Together, we believe the framework we are submitting is right for New Mexico. It is clear that we have both the necessary apprehension that goes with the venture, as well as the talent to make this happen the right way.”
In a comment to MarijuanaMoment.net, Nora Meyers Sackett, Press Secretary for the Governor, added, “The Governor will be reviewing the recommendations, and the next steps will be to incorporate the recommendations of this working group into balanced legislation and working to win the support of legislators and stakeholders ahead of the session.”
State House lawmakers passed adult-use legalization legislation this past spring, but the bill stalled in the Senate. Lawmakers ultimately enacted separate legislation decriminalizing low-level marijuana possession offenses.


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After conquering the App Store, Honor Harrington sets course for Google Play
LOS ANGELES — May 27, 2014 — Evergreen Studios today announced the Android launch of Tales of Honor: The Secret Fleet. Previously released on iOS, the game is part of Evergreen’s Tales of Honor storyworld, based on David Weber’s military sci-fi Honor Harrington novels. The space-combat strategy game is now available for free on Google Play: http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.evgstudios.the_secret_fleet Continue reading Tales Of Honor: The Secret Fleet Officially Arrives on Android
The Monkeys Are Back in a Pachinko-style Puzzle Game, Coming to Mobile this Summer
SAN FRANCISCO – May 19, 2014 – SEGA Networks, Inc. today announced Super Monkey Ball Bounce, a brand new title coming to iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android devices this summer. Taking inspiration from the classic arcade game, pachinko, Super Monkey Ball Bounce features AiAi and the rest of his monkey friends as they attempt to thwart the evil machinations of the dastardly Prof. Boscis. Players send AiAi and his primate pals careening into action in over 120 levels, bouncing, sliding and rebounding to defeat Prof. B’s flunkies and earn bushels of bananas. The simple yet addictive aim-and-shoot game features seven playable monkey characters each with their own special abilities. Super Monkey Ball Bounce will be available this summer as a free download on the App Store and Google Play.
Continue reading Ready, Aim, BOUNCE! Super Monkey Ball Bounce Announced Today, Offering Brand New Spin on Popular Series
Event App Leader Launches Referral and Reseller Programs for Registration Systems, Agencies, and More
SAN FRANCISCO – May 15, 2014 – DoubleDutch, the leading provider of mobile event applications for tradeshows and conferences, today launched a partner program that offers new ways for event organizers, marketing agencies, and event technology providers to work with DoubleDutch. The program includes opportunities for partners of all sizes, and demonstrates the ongoing commitment of DoubleDutch to improve every event with its social, data-driven event applications. Continue reading DoubleDutch Introduces Partner Program
Mobile Commerce Startup Raises Funds to Drive Continued Growth, Expand National Infrastructure
NEW YORK – May 13, 2014 – Boxed, a mobile commerce company that provides the discounts of warehouse club shopping with fast, affordable delivery, has raised $6.5 million in Series A funding. Built by mobile industry veterans, Boxed is the first company to make ordering big box products simple, affordable, and hassle-free from a phone or tablet. Return investor Greycroft Partners and new investors First Round Capital and Signia Venture Partners led the round, with participation from ENIAC Ventures, Social Starts, BoxGroup, Owen Van Natta (former Facebook COO), and David Ko (Former Zynga COO).
Continue reading Wholesale Shopping App Boxed Announces $6.5M Series A
Free-to-play app makes SAT and ACT prep social, accessible and fun
NEW YORK — May 1, 2014 — play2prep has tackled the chore of SAT and ACT prep by officially launching its multiplayer mobile game for iOS and Android. After an initial soft launch, the New York-based startup has released the first and only SAT and ACT test prep game played against friends. play2prep has partnered with leading educational publishers to give students access to questions just like those on the real tests, which they can use to challenge their peers. Now, preparing for these critical assessments can be as enjoyable as playing a game against friends.
Continue reading Friends Don’t Let Friends Prep Alone: play2prep Officially Launches Standardized Test Prep Game
Mining Puzzle Game Takes Players Deep Within the Earth to Free Their Dwarven Pals
BOULDER, CO – May 1, 2014 – Backflip Studios today announced the mining puzzle game Dwarven Den is now available free on the iTunes App Store. In Dwarven Den, you play a group of dwarves seeking adventure and sparkly treasures buried deep within the earth. Your dwarven ancestors have been trapped in vast underground mines. Armed with only a pickaxe and a mighty beard, you’ve got to dig down deep by excavating floor after floor. Simply tap to dig through ancient civilizations, choosing your next move cautiously to avoid cave-ins and cartoon monsters. With challenging puzzles and simple controls, the app has already been deemed “What’s Hot” in its Canadian beta phase. Free with optional in-app purchases, players can download Dwarven Den today!
Continue reading Backflip Studios’ Dwarven Den Out Today, Free on iTunes
Elementum receives recognition as one of five leading cloud-based supply chain solutions
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—April 28, 2014—Enterprise startup Elementum today announced it has been selected by Gartner, Inc. as one of the “Cool Vendors” in a report on supply chain services . Among the report’s key findings is that “an integrated cloud-based platform and services that support front-office and back-office processes across the extended value chain are important for delivering the right service to the right customer at the right time.” Elementum offers one such platform, leveraging cloud computing, Big Data and analytics to extend supply chain collaboration beyond the four walls of the enterprise.
Continue reading Elementum Named Supply Chain “Cool Vendor” by Top Analyst Firm Gartner
Evergreen Studios reveals Tales of Honor mobile game will release on the App Store April 24, 2014, Android to follow
LOS ANGELES — April 9, 2014 — Evergreen Studios today unveiled further details on their upcoming mobile game, Tales of Honor: The Secret Fleet, part of the Tales of Honor science fiction storyworld based on David Weber’s Honor Harrington novels. The space-combat strategy game, which puts players at the helm of interstellar battles, will arrive in the App Store on May 1, 2014. The game will land on Google Play shortly after.
See the game in action in the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc5Yb4O5OBM Continue reading Tales Of Honor: The Secret Fleet Mobile Game Sets Course for iOS


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Well this makes my upgrade decision just a little bit more difficult, and possibly I’m not alone in that regard.
Today, Motorola Mobility re-launched its storied and much revered RAZR brand (remember how slim was in circa 2004?) in the form of a sleek, powerful Android smartphone. Of course, this makes perfect sense. Moto is now owned by Google via the $12.5B acquisition this summer that caught many of us off guard. Slim, as in 7.1mm slim, is in once again.
It’s a much needed move. According to comScore, Motorola’s market share has dropped from 15% in May to 14% by the end of August.
As I wrote last week I’m one of millions of proud, first-gen Moto Droid customers. I picked up the phone on launch day (Nov. 6) at a local Verizon store here in Silicon Valley. It was busy, and there was a lot of excitement about this little fledgling OS called Android. There was by no means Apple-level pandemonium.
I remember the customer service rep helping me set up my credentials – just typed in my Gmail info, and – bongos! – all my info was there including calendar, and contacts. Ah, first love. That was just the beginning. When I started to use Google Navigation the little Droid quickly became indispensable – it took me everywhere, up to Berkeley Rep over to A.C.T. in San Francisco, up to Rubincon Estate in Napa and then back to the Computer History Museum (to interview Woz himself) in Mountain View.
Up until today I was thinking the Google Nexus Prime would replace my trusty Moto Droid.
But now this: Moto Droid Razr.
Specs are amped, as expected:
— 4G LTE
— Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread
— dual-core 1.2 gigahertz CPU
— 1 GB RAM
— 4.3-inch Super AMOLED qHD display (this may very well be my favorite feature)
— 32 GB storage (16GB on-board / 16GB memory card)
— 8 MP camera w/1080p video (anything is better than the original Droid!)
— 2 MP front-facing camera
— 7.1mm thick
— reportedly the first device to stream HD Netflix movies (per Motorola Mobility president Sanjay Jha)
— battery: 12.5 hrs talk / 9.5 hrs video
— on sale: early November (wouldn’t you know it, just as us first-gen Droids are coming off contract)
Regarding that Kevlar nano coating: boo-hoo. Not a big deal I don’t think really- I’ve never had problems with rain or water in the past, so this is a bit of a ropey dope in my view.
Price is also top end, at $299 with two year contract. I don’t expect many Apple fans to convert, what with the 4S priced $100 less.
Many are already scoring this one in favor of the Google Nexus.
I’m still on the fence: wait for Google Nexus Prime (curved glass design?! and possibly running ice cream sandwich, aka Android 4.0?) which is expected to be a flagship model or seriously consider the Moto Razr?
[More photos of Razr: Verizon and Motorola]


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Double Forte, an independent communications and digital media firm, closed its 15-year celebration by signing five new clients spanning a variety of industries, including business acceleration for the Global 1,000, global licensing, packaged food, venture capital and wine.
The company is announced its growing roster will now include Fosun RZ Capital, Huntsinger Farms Inc. and its subsidiary Silver Spring Foods, Inc., International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA), Mach49 and WineDirect. Double Forte will service these new clients from its San Francisco and New York City offices.
“This has been a monumental year for the firm. First, we celebrated our 15-year anniversary with an incredible new brand treatment and expanded our NYC office,” said Lee Caraher, CEO and president of Double Forte. “Now, we earned the opportunity to collaborate with these world class companies and, just as we do for all our clients, help them meet or exceed their business objectives faster than anyone else.”
Fosun RZ Capital is a leading venture capital firm fostering some of the most innovative companies in the United States and across Asia. Huntsinger Farms Inc. and its subsidiary Silver Spring Foods, Inc. is the world’s largest producer and processor of horseradish. As the leading trade organization for the global brand licensing industry, LIMA’s mission is to foster the growth and expansion of licensing around the world.
Mach49 is the only Silicon Valley incubator and accelerator focused exclusively on helping Global 1,000 companies create, build, and launch new ventures generated from within their organizations. WineDirect is the only end-to-end direct-to-consumer (DTC) solution for every winery, from ecommerce to fulfillment.
Double Forte’s clients also include THE VOID (virtual reality), Jaunt VR, Clover Sonoma, Navitas Organics, The Wine Group, Hess Family Wine Estates, Clif Family Winery, Girls on the Run, ViewMagic and NFL Media, among others.
Other notable news from Double Forte this year includes the agency’s brand refresh and the CEO’s new book, The Boomerang Principle, which inspires mutually beneficial company-employee relationships that endure past employment. The book was named the #1 new release in office management on Amazon.
Plus, Double Forte launched its new podcast Millennial Minded aimed at helping professionals navigate their careers.


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were dispatched Aug. 15 to , 45900 Michigan Ave., for a report of a man accused of shoplifting, according to a police report.
The store’s loss prevention officer told police he saw the man conceal three saw blades in his pants before trying to leave the store through the garden area, the report said.
Police arrested the man on charges of third-degree retail fraud, leaving the saw blades, valued at $39.97 apiece, with the store. He was given an Aug. 28 court date.
Women accused of shoplifting from Walmart
Canton Township Police were dispatched Aug. 15 to , 45555 Michigan Ave., for a report of two women in custody accused of shoplifting, according to a police report.
The store’s loss prevention officers told police they saw the women remove a phone case from the packaging and concealing it beneath one woman’s three-month-old infant, seated in a car seat in a shopping cart. The loss prevention officers then saw the woman conceal a second case beneath the infant before the women tried leaving the store through the grocery entrance before being stopped by the employees.
According to the report, the women admitted to taking the items, as well as a set of Gumy-brand earbuds, which also was hidden beneath the infant.
Police arrested the women on charges of third-degree retail fraud
For questions about this crime report, email email@example.com.


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Telstra has released a 4G mobile broadband hotspot intended for use in cars.
Dick Smith has entered the direct post-paid mobile market through a new partnership with Vodafone, and has confirmed it is holding talks with both Telstra and Optus.
Australian company, Globalgig, has today announced a product that aims to take the confusion and hassle out of data roaming plans. The company's Wi-Fi Hotspot device is meant to be a simple-to-use product that can allow you to get data on your phone ...
Apple iPhone 4S users worried about the device’s battery draining rapidly can take steps to prevent the problem.
Telstra today commercially launched the first mobile broadband device to work on its newly branded "4G" network and has promised to deliver 4G smartphones and tablets in the first half of 2012.
Google is trimming its offerings, following a season of big changes for the Internet search leader.
Name: Venkat Prabhala
With consumers these days living ever more mobile and connected lives, it seems only natural that we'd move toward a more connected automobile. After all, the average urban American spends the equivalent of 8.3 days a year commuting, according to The...
Telstra has announced the launch of the world's first commercial, battery-powered dual channel HSPA+ Wi-Fi modem, the Telstra Ultimate Mobile Wi-Fi.
Telstra has announced the launch of a new mobile Wi-Fi modem that is capable of theoretical maximum download speeds of 21 Megabits per second (Mbps).
By now you've seen all the ads pitching wireless companies' new 4G mobile broadband services and devices. But beyond all the buzzwords and hype, which companies can reliably provide next-generation speed?
Primus Telecom has launched a hotline for customers affected by flooding in Queensland. The service will let customers divert their landline number, request restoration of phone or Internet services and apply for their bills to be waived during the p...
Notify Technology announced details of its NotifyMDM On-Demand mobile device management solution. NotifyMDM is designed to help IT admins manage the diverse array of mobile devices -- providing broad, cross-platform tools for managing and protecting ...
Victorian Premier, John Brumby, has promised every doctor in the state's public hospital system would be issued with an Apple iPad if his incumbent Labor Government was returned to power in the state's upcoming election.
Scaling Mount Everest is a great accomplishment, a feat of human endurance. And now, thanks to the Nepalese telecom firm, Ncell, you can brag about your triumph over 3G. Is this awesome, or an example of technology plundering nature?
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Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) recently agreed to buye-commerce start-up Jet.com for $3.3 billion in a pricey attempt to challenge Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN). Jet.com was founded two years ago, and its site is just over a year old. The company initially sold products at break-even prices for a $50-per-year membership fee, but scrapped the model last October, getting rid of the membership fee in favor of generating revenue from commissions paid by retailers.
Jet.com's defining feature is a "Smart Cart" which lowers prices each time you add an item to your cart that resides in the same warehouse as the other items you are purchasing. Eligible items are tagged on the site. This encourage shoppers to purchase items located at a single distribution center, which greatly reduces shipping costs. Users can further lower their bills by paying with debit cards, or opting out of the ability to return their merchandise for free. Jet.com offers free 2- to 5-day shipping on orders over $35 and a $5.99 shipping fee on orders under $35. Wal-Mart claims that Jet.com has been adding about 400,000 new shoppers monthly -- many of them "urban and millennial" customers -- and processes 25,000 orders daily.
Jet's mobile app. Image source: Google Play.
Jet.com's business model is unique and its growth is impressive, but it probably won't add much to Wal-Mart's top or bottom lines. Re/code's Jason delRey estimates that Jet will generate "no more than around $500 million in revenue over the next year," and notes that the company isn't profitable. By comparison, Wal-Mart and Amazon are expectedto respectively generate $487.6 billion and $136.9 billion in revenues this year. Wal-Mart's online sales totaled $14 billion last year.
Wal-Mart plans to keep the Wal-Mart and Jet.com sites and brands separate, but it will likely integrate Jet.com's Smart Cart technology and customer database into its own site and app. Unfortunately, the acquisition of Jet.com still doesn't help Wal-Mart counter Amazon's greatest strength -- Amazon Prime.
Why Amazon Prime is so hard to beat
Amazon introduced Prime back in 2005 as a subscription-based plan that offered free two-day shipping within the contiguous United States. But now, the $99-per-year service has expanded to include free same-day delivery on select items, special discounts, unlimited streaming of shows and movies from Amazon Video, e-books from the lending library, unlimited cloud storage for photos, and various other perks.
Amazon Video. Image source: Amazon.
That all-in-one combination of e-commerce and media platforms locked in a lot of customers. Amazon doesn't say how many, but in early July, research firm CIRP estimated thatAmazon had 63 million Prime members in the U.S. -- an increase of 19 million from the previous June. At that rate, Amazon's paid service added about four times as many new customers as Jet's free service every month. CIRP also estimated that Prime shoppers spent an average of $1,200 last year, compared to $500 for non-members.
Amazon keeps those users tethered to Prime with Dash buttons that let you reorder with a click, appliances that automatically reorder, Fire TV set-top boxes, and its Echo family of smart speakers. The more "frictionless" these orders are -- whether by single button presses, automatically programmed orders, or voice commands -- the more users will depend on Amazon. As a result, Prime members are probably less likely to subscribe to other services promising free shipping for products that they can buy on Amazon.
But Wal-Mart isn't giving up
It seems incredibly tough for Wal-Mart to cross Amazon's moat, but it doesn't plan to give up anytime soon. The retail giant matches Amazon's non-Prime prices, offers a $49-per-year service forfree two-day shipping, heavily promotes in-store andcurbside pickups, and is expanding its digital ecosystem with e-books and streaming video from its Vudu service. Its payment app, Walmart Pay, also offers promotions to shoppers and collects data on their shopping habits.
By integrating Jet.com's proprietary technology into its website and app, Wal-Mart could win over the same "urban and millennial" shoppers who like to use the Smart Cart feature to save money. But if the feature proves popular enough, there's nothing stopping Amazon from launching a similar feature to encourage shoppers to buy more items from the same fulfillment centers. Moreover, Amazon can probably tapinto its AI-powered recommendations engine to offer better suggestions for additional purchases than Jet.com.
Will the Jet.com acquisition be worth it?
If Jet.com generates $500 million in revenues in the coming year, Wal-Mart will have paid more than six times sales for an unprofitable company. That's incredibly high compared to other e-commerce buyouts. Unilever's (NYSE: UL) recent acquisition of Dollar Shave Club valued the start-up at between four and five times sales, but the company said it could be profitable on an EBITDA basis by the end of the year.
The acquisition certainly looks desperate for Wal-Mart. Jet.com might add some useful technologies to Wal-Mart's e-commerce portfolio, but it probably won't turn the tide against Amazon, which seems to have established a nearly impenetrable defense with Prime.
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Investors are keeping Seattle from reaching the highest echelon of world-class technology hubs.
That’s at least according to Dave McClure, the Bay Area-based venture capitalist and former PayPal exec who co-founded the 500 Startups accelerator program.
McClure on Tuesday tweeted about Unilever’s $1 billion acquisition of online men’s razor company Dollar Shave Club, noting that he thinks Los Angeles (home to Dollar Shave Club) has now passed New York City as the second-hottest technology hub behind Silicon Valley.
— Dave McClure (@davemcclure) July 20, 2016
That sparked a discussion about Seattle’s place on the list. Tren Griffin, a senior director at Microsoft who participated in a similar conversation on Twitter last month with venture capitalist Fred Wilson, responded to McClure’s tweet and referenced the longevity of Seattle-based companies like Zillow, Tableau, Expedia, and others.
Maybe someday companies in NY & LA won't sell out like founders in say Seattle (Z, DATA, EXPE, FFIV, JUNO, AMZN)
— Tren Griffin (@trengriffin) July 20, 2016
McClure responded with this:
— Dave McClure (@davemcclure) July 20, 2016
McClure later said that while Seattle has the talent and long-lasting tech giants like Microsoft and Amazon around, there are simply not as many active early-stage investors compared to Silicon Valley.
This stance is not new, as Seattle has long been critiqued for its general lack of investors, both from the angel side and VC. In fact, McClure spoke at the GeekWire Summit this past October about this very topic.
“There is certainly plenty of talent in the Seattle area,” he said. “And clearly, the investor community is the weak link.”
McClure compared Seattle to Boston — two places with a ton of talent, but “for whatever reason the angel community didn’t develop there.”
“[Mark] Zuckerberg left Boston famously because there wasn’t a willingness of investors to put money in,” McClure noted.
McClure said he was puzzled that a region with tech corporations like Microsoft and Amazon wasn’t producing more startups and investment money. He called Amazon a “great training ground for people to understand the startup mentality,” but didn’t say the same about Microsoft.
“In a lot of ways, Microsoft may be similar to Google: a warm, fuzzy place for people to camp out for decades,” he explained at the Summit. “It’s not quite hard-edged enough to create what I think entrepreneurship is all about.”
But beyond Microsoft and Amazon, there are plenty of hugely-successful tech companies that grew in Seattle, as Griffin noted in his tweet (Related: Griffin’s guest post, 12 things Seattle can teach others about jobs, economic development and building a better city).
So why aren’t there more angel investors? It could be something related to risk-taking habits, McClure said.
“It might just be because people are crazier in the Bay Area,” he noted at last year’s GeekWire Summit.
The Seattle tech scene could perhaps benefit from different approach to startup investing that McClure discussed at the Summit. He prefers to spread smaller bets over a lot of startups instead of the traditional model of attempting to pick a few winners.
“I think [other VCs] will look like idiots in five to 10 years, or at least 90 percent of them,” McClure said. “Ten percent of them will get lucky and look smart. But I think the investment model is incredibly flawed.”
This mentality might enable investors to take smaller bets, decreasing the amount of risk while giving opportunity to more startups in the process at the same time.
But for now, the Seattle startup ecosystem has yet to see recent breakout successes along the lines of a Tableau, Zillow, Zulily, or similar company, as my colleague John Cook noted in December. Cook noted that “money isn’t sloshing around from home-grown sources, meaning early-stage entrepreneurs have fewer choices in their backyards.”
“Many entrepreneurs solve this capital crunch by heading south to raise money,” Cook wrote. “While very much doable — see OfferUp, Tune, etc. — it doesn’t make things easy on entrepreneurs, especially compared to Silicon Valley.”
In fact, the recent MoneyTree report showed that venture capital investments sunk 61 percent in Washington state during the second quarter, with just $175 million spread across 24 deals.
There may be other factors outside of investment money, too. Compounding this issue could be the growth of Silicon Valley engineering centers in and around Seattle — Google, Apple, Facebook, Twitter, Uber, Lyft, Salesforce, and many others have large offices in Seattle that are swooping up a swath of the available tech talent. To McClure’s point about the comfort of places like Google and Microsoft, these places often provide a less-risky destination for engineers and other tech workers, perhaps reducing the amount of new startup creation.


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Chronic Dev Team has released a jailbreak tool on the Cydia app store for those who have already installed a tethered jailbreak on their iOS 5.0.1 devices. Using this tool, called Corona 5.0.1 Untether will modify your iPhone with the same exploits used in redsn0w. Unlike the redsn0w jailbreak process, Corona requires no computer to untether a jailbroken device.
In order to successfully install Corona, your iOS device must already have a tethered jailbreak installed along with iOS 5.0.1. Do not use Corona if you're using a hybrid iOS 5.0/5.0.1 jailbreak! This requires installing and running redsn0w after a clean restore to stock iOS 5.0.1.


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It’s hard to believe it, but Apple’s Q1 is already almost winding down. The company announced today the quarterly call will take place on Jan 18. During these calls, Apple announces how many devices were sold and how much money was made. Last time around, Steve Jobs went off about Android tablets. Good time.
My prediction? Apple will continue to make cash hand-over-fist.
Article Via iPodNN


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Cog in the machine: The tools and tech driving the meetings industry
The MICE sector is poised to enter a golden age of innovation with new tools and technologies promising an even better experience for attendees.
In the future, visitors could be offered an event-specific app rather than a bulky guidebook to plan and personalize their itineraries.
At exhibition booths, virtual reality goggles and other wearable techs may become a standard feature, replacing conventional marketing materials with a chance to explore a product or service in greater depth than ever before.
But these aren’t the only improvements in the pipeline. Here’s a roundup of the systems revolutionizing events, exhibitions, and meetings.
RFID enabled wristbands
— Cathy Wu (@CathyWuRFIDHY) August 10, 2017
A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip works like an intelligent barcode to interact with and transmit stored information to an RFID reader device which in turn can be linked to other systems and technologies.
Although they are most often associated with cashless payments, RFID tags are now being used at large- and small-scale events like the HRM Summit 2015 in Singapore and Road to Ultra in Thailand as an efficient alternative to basic vinyl wristbands that identify visitors.
For attendees, RFID wristbands or badges can speed up processing and reduce waiting time at admission points. But better still, they can deliver a more interactive experience when synchronized with social sharing facilities.
Event planners also benefit as RFID tags can provide up-to-the-minute data on the popularity of seminars, speakers and other attractions by tracking and analyzing data like attendance.
In Southeast Asia, 80 percent of web-using consumers are already familiar with chatbots, so it seems a logical step to utilize this technology and apply it to mobile event apps.
Like a virtual concierge, these programs provide on-demand assistance to visitors. Using artificial intelligence technology and text recognition, they answer questions like “who’s speaking at 11am?” and other common queries at a faster pace and with greater convenience than a traditional help-desk or support phone line.
Often, the automated bots are given names to make the experience more human and encourage people to use them. At one event, chatbot “Abby” was such a hit that she answered a staggering 56,000 queries.
But this kind of software can do more than just field questions. Applications like Shakure use Line Beacons to enable participants, organizers, and hosts to share photos and other data without the need for lengthy email chains.
Facial recognition software
— Michael Chase (@chasethisnow) August 11, 2017
For years, visitor feedback has been collected manually with the aid of surveys and polls, but thanks to face recognition software, this could become a thing of the past.
Using infrared and ambient light cameras positioned around a venue or booth, emotive information can be gathered from attendees and processed using Face Analysis Technology. This data is then assessed via a system like Sightcorp’s CrowdSight to measure mood and engagement.
With this kind of real-time insight, event planners and exhibition holders can hone the user experience with even greater precision, ensuring visitors get the most from the events they attend.


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LOS ANGELES -- The best-kept secret in sports video games? No doubt it was the EA Sports announcement that they signed an exclusive, multi-year, multi-platform licensing deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. And according to Andrew Wilson,...Blog | June 06, 2012


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Bitcoin and Ether fell Thursday morning in Asia, along with the top 10 most volatile digital currencies. Bitcoin briefly fell below $28,500, while losses in Ether kept it below the important psychological minimum of $1,800. Smaller altcoins such as Dogecoin, Solana, and Ripple have suffered the biggest declines. In more bullish news, Coinbase Global has received approval to offer crypto futures contracts to US retail investors. The Forkast 500 NFT Index is down, though market sentiment remains positive amid a prolonged increase in global transactions. US stock futures traded mixed after another day of losses on Wednesday. The release of minutes from the Federal Reserve’s July interest rate meeting has overshadowed stocks, and the mood music now points to a prolonged period of higher rates or even another hike.
Another down day for cryptocurrency
Bitcoin is down 0.95% in the past 24 hours to $28,551.83 as of 9:00 am in Hong Kong, after falling briefly below the $28,500 threshold earlier in the morning. The largest cryptocurrency by market cap posted a weekly loss of 3.51%, according to CoinMarketCap. data.
Ether also lost 1.80% to $1,794.91 – below the psychologically important $1,800 level – against a 3.28% drop in the past seven days.
All 10 other volatile cryptocurrencies have fallen. Dogecoin was the biggest loser among the top ten, dropping 5.01% to $0.06731 for a weekly loss of 10.07%. Solana followed in terms of losses, falling 4.25% to $22.83. The coin has fallen by 5.98% in the past week.
“The larger currencies experienced less pressure than the smaller altcoins,” Alex Kuptsikevich, senior market analyst at London-based online brokerage FxPro, wrote in an emailed statement.
“The rise in US Treasury bond yields is putting pressure on riskier assets,” Koptsiewicz said.
The losses arrive in the midst of more positive news for the cryptocurrency market.
On Wednesday, Coinbase Global – the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the United States – announce It has received approval from the National Futures Association to offer crypto futures contracts to US retail investors. Previously, only institutional clients could trade cryptocurrency futures contracts on the platform.
Calling it a “watershed moment,” Coinbase celebrated the win despite facing securities infringement charges from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
“They now have (Futures Commission Dealer Status) certified and compliant, and they understand the nuances of the cryptocurrency markets,” wrote Chris Perkins, president and managing partner at CoinFund, a New York-based investment advisor.
“It is a significant step forward in the development of liquid and deep derivatives markets – much needed. This should be very good for Coinbase and excellent for the cryptocurrency markets.”
Ripple’s XRP token also lost 3.66% to $0.5862, posting a weekly loss of 8.08%. On July 13, it appeared that Ripple had scored a victory in its ongoing legal battle with the Securities and Exchange Commission. New York Court to rule Selling XRP on public exchanges does not violate securities laws.
However, this aspect of the issue is under scrutiny again, on Aug. 9, by the Securities and Exchange Commission Requested To review the verdict – contributing to the downward pressure on the XRP price.
The total market capitalization of cryptocurrencies decreased by 1.47% over the past 24 hours to $1.14 trillion, while the trading volume increased by 13.64% to $33.76 billion.
Daily NFT transactions have reached historic levels
The indices are proxy measures of the performance of the global NFT market. administered by cryptoslamwhich is a sister company of Forkast.News under the Forkast.Labs umbrella.
The main Forkast 500 NFT Index is down 0.76% over the past 24 hours at 2457.08 as of 08:45 AM in Hong Kong. The index showed a loss of 1.23% for the week.
Forkast’s Ethereum, Solana and Cardano NFT indexes posted losses, while Polygon rose.
Total NFT trading volume decreased by 7.72% in the last 24 hours to $15.01 million, according to data From CryptoSlam. Volumes on blockchains Ethereum, Polygon, and ImmutableX posted losses, while volume on Solana and Mythos rose.
On Wednesday, the total number of global NFT transactions reached a new high, hitting an all-time high of 617,619, up from 595,209 on Tuesday.
“The NFT market is maturing right in front of us and we are reaching historic levels on a daily basis,” said Yehuda Beecher, NFT Strategist at Forkast Labs.
“Sales volume is not a measure of the health of the NFT ecosystem, it is the buyers and sellers and their transactions,” Beecher said. “I am very optimistic about NFTs at the moment.”
Much of this optimism is based on lower NFT prices, Beecher said, with the average NFT price now at $22.08, down from $37.85 in the previous week.
“Average selling prices, I want to point out again that they’re continuing to come down and that’s a very good thing. We want to bring in the masses. We want our friends and family to join NFTs,” Beecher added.
DMarket, a blockchain gaming-related group based on the Mythos network, topped the NFT groups chart in terms of trade volume on CryptoSlam, adding 0.45% to $970,811.
Ethereum-based DeGods came in second though with a 38.75% drop to $922,882. The group recently launched its “Season 3” group update on Sunday. The Heist, an NFT pool based on the strategy game of the same name, ranked third with a trading volume of $756,980.
(Updates to add NFT section)


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Finally, we have solid details on Dell's tablet.
After a vague press conference announcing the device at CES in January, followed by months of leaked details, we now have almost the full story on what is officially called the Streak.
As previously stated by Dell, it's a 5-inch touch screen tablet that will run the Android operating system. On Tuesday, Dell said that the tablet will later be upgraded to Android version 2.2, just announced at Google I/O. The device comes with an ARM-based Snapdragon chipset and 1GHz processor, 2GB of storage (expandable to 32GB with … Read more


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Over the past decade there has been an emergence of fashion designers who are not only queer but who have aligned their vision of fashion with their identity, creating demystifying collections and intersecting their concepts and ideologies to represent the landscape. nonconformity, fluidity, queerness and androgyny — all while maintaining a swift balance with their cultural roots. Despite the many fabric experiments and collections, these designers never forget to tell stories that are relevant to them, especially those that resonate with queer people in anti-gay countries.
In honor of Pride Month, OkayAfrica is spotlighting 8 African queer fashion designers and brands putting queer stories on the global map through fashion.
South African designer Rich Mnisi is part of a new wave of designers putting African stories on the global map. Founded in 2015, the Rich Mnisi brand is dedicated to delivering gender-fluid expression, celebrating youthful excellence, and exploring extremist design elements with minimalist cultural customization. For Pride Month, the brand released a limited-edition capsule titled “Out.” The capsule visualizes a fine line between elegance and fluidity while boldly emphasizing the act of struggle and resilience as an outfit.
For a fashion brand like Udiahgebi, identity is very important. And providing this form of visibility for Nigerian queer women is not just a form of visual activism, but a detailed history of essence. The brand was founded by Emerie Udiahgebi, a gender-neutral fashion designer who wanted to give queer, non-binary and non-conforming people more options to express themselves in fashion. Udiahgebi’s fashion concept is extremely bold, fierce and unconventional.
Lagos Space Program
Designer Adeju Thompson merges traditionalist concepts with genderless possibilities. Founded in 2018, Lagos Space Program is a gender-neutral fashion brand that has wrapped aesthetic designs using local craftsmanship. The brand appreciates the unique fabric of West Africa and communicates compelling stories of identity, gender and homosexuality – an ideology that has not only attracted an audience for them, but earned them a place at the LVMH prize. .
Patrick Muyishime is a fashion innovator. Not only does he know how to find great fabrics, but his designs are authentically vibrant. Founded in 2016, Muyishime is a Kenyan fashion brand that introduces conversations around the androgynous and aesthetically explores fabric inventions that command fluidity, feminine wiles and constructive elegance.
Founded in 2019, Bola’s fashion brand Taofeek Yahaya lines up thought-provoking pieces that elevate conversations around queer representation, sexuality and femininity. The brands merge sustainability and explore quirky fabric experiments.
Founded by South African designer Nao Serati Mofammere in 2014, fashion label Nao Serati explores the versatility of gender and the thin margin of sexuality while finding balance with their South African heritage. Mofammere wants her brand to explore masculinity and the different ways to wear a fragile look.
Lolu Vangei has different recipes for gender fluidity and she used fashion to express that. Founded in 2018, Vangei is a fashion brand that unites the modern ideology of Afrocentrism to produce pieces that dismantle conventional wisdom about gender.
Nothing explains the talent of Emmanuel Tobiloba. Founded in 2020, Mayetobs’ eccentric approach to restoring androgynous norms is interesting. From oversized pants that speak of fabric maximalism to flowing dresses, the fashion brand is an ode to redefining modern masculinity.
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The world is in dire need of cheap and powerful batteries that can efficiently store sustianable energy produced by wind or solar power. Currently, lithium-ion batteries are most commonly used to power smartphones and electric cars, but due to their skyrocketing demand, they are becoming more expensive. In addition to that, they are highly flammable.
Zinc-based batteries offer an environmentally friendly and cheaper alternative to lithium-ion batteries. Zinc is abundant and has a mature recycling infrastructure, making it easier to manage the waste produced. Additionally, water-based electrolytes can be used in zinc batteries as an alternative to flammable organic solvents. However, durability is a challenge, as high voltage charging causes reactions that release hydrogen gas and reduce the battery’s lifespan.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a new strategy to make zinc batteries more powerful, safe, and environment-friendly. The strategy involves optimizing the salt concentration in water-based electrolytes while using environmentally friendly salts of acetic acid instead of toxic and harmful salts that slow down the charging and discharging processes. The team found that the ideal concentration is relatively low, ranging from five to ten molecules of water per positive ion of salt.
The researchers tested their new battery strategy in the lab and found it efficient for zinc anodes’ charging. However, cathode materials need further optimization to make long-lasting and efficient zinc batteries. The ideal application is for storage units on the power grid to compensate for fluctuations or in single-family homes’ basements for using solar energy produced during the day at night.
As per the source, the research’s next step is to test the approach on larger batteries and broaden the application’s scope. Zinc batteries still have some challenges to overcome before being ready for the market, but the promising strategy developed at ETH Zurich is a significant step towards a cleaner, safer, and cheaper battery alternative.
Reference: Vazquez DG, Pollard TP, Mars J, et al. Creation of a water-like environment in salt using coordination anions in non-concentrated aqueous electrolytes for efficient Zn batteries. Energy Environment Science. Published online March 13, 2023. doi: 10.1039/D3EE00205E
As per information from the source.


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Devolver Digital Summer Game Fest Showcase Set For June 12
Devolver Digital’s Summer Game Fest showcase will take place on June 12 at 1:30pm PT/ 4:30pm ET/ 9:30pm BST.
The schedule was confirmed by the official Summer Game Fest Twitter which revealed the date and time for the event. Devolver Digital has previously held “Big Fancy Press Conferences” around E3 that announce a game or two but mostly focus on wild satire.
The first of these conferences was held in 2017 and was a pre-recorded video making fun of the nature of E3 conferences. It mocked pretty much everything it could, ranging from corporate behaviour to the nature of early access.
Although the “conference” was mostly about satire, it did announce a few games, and was popular enough that Devolver kept making a yearly conference with the same characters and mocking tone. They even have their own canon, with the same fake president of Devolver, Nina Struthers, appearing in each of them.
It’s not currently clear whether or not this year’s conference will take on the same approach, but it’s very likely that it’ll be a mixture of over-the-top violence and some smaller indie game announcements and updates. Nina has previously been confirmed to appear in this conference as well, which implies it’ll be more of the same satire.
The only thing that we know about the conference so far is that Devolver Digital is announcing four new games, and giving updates on previously revealed ones. The biggest and most requested announcement is for Hotline Miami 3, which Devolver has previously teased at pretty much every turn. Recent images from the Devolver Digital Twitter page has shown Hotline Miami 3 written on a whiteboard, although this is likely just to tease fans yet again.
Some of the games that Devolver has recently revealed that we might get updates on include Shadow Warrior 3, Death’s Door, and Phantom Abyss. All three of these titles have been revealed fairly recently and currently lack release dates, so it would make sense for updates to appear at this conference. You can also safely bet to see Fall Guys get a release date for Xbox and Switch.
Source: Read Full Article


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It’s been virtually a year since sports entertainment playing was first legalized in Michigan and this state is now gearing up to soon launch on the internet sports betting.
Since last cleaning, sports gamblers own been capable to wager upon games in-person at internet casinos, but carrying out it on the net or coming from a phone is definitely the next step together with that could come by way of the new year.
The Joint Panel in Administrative Rules is definitely interacting with in Lansing Tues morning hours, to review regulations and regulations.
“It’s seriously in many respects around administrative take action with this specific point, especially considering that the committee has indicated they will plan to approve the rules tomorrow, ” Sports Lawyer Jordan Huff said
Along with guidelines intact, sportsbooks in addition to local casinos will be well on their way to launching online betting.
Typically the over/under of when? All around New Year’s Day.
“ https://eveil-arg.com/%eb%a9%94%ec%9d%b4%ec%a0%80%eb%86%80%ec%9d%b4%ed%84%b0/ might have online betting through either late Dec or even early January within Michigan once all typically the licensing is done. So even though Michigan’s a bit behind many of the other expresses, we are going to still at often the forefront when compared with many claims across the country and also have an opportunity to genuinely come in and get hold of some revenue right here, ” Huff said.
A good enormous money maker in the brand-new industry that’s been hampered by the pandemic.
“The probable is obviously pretty significant. Typically the states the fact that are out in front of The state of michigan are seeing I think far more revenue than a lot of ones projected. The handle along the nation in October was about $3 billion. Michigan was a very small element of that, nevertheless once the online component is present, especially if we’re continue to in the partial shutdown inside the status of Michigan, I think it will be pretty substantive, ” Huff added.
With many The state of michigan casinos forced to close or perhaps limit people because of the continuous pandemic, online betting can bring in some a lot needed profits, not in order to mention millions in tax dollars for the point out.


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Anyone resident in Russia wishing to download a Windows 10 or 11 install image or any of Microsoft's OS install tools will be faced with error messages, according to multiple reports and social media users. As these files are still available in other territories, the Windows OS ISO blockade appears to be a Microsoft policy decision.
To verify the social media complaints, Bleeping Computer used a VPN with the region set to Russia and was met with errors when it attempted to grab Microsoft's operating system ISO downloads. Depending on the files you wish to grab, and perhaps other variables like browser, attempts to grab these files will result in messages such as; "404 - File or Directory not found" or "There was a problem with your request."
It was also found that while it was still possible to download the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool, running it was futile. Upon running this tool, a cryptically code-numbered error message would pop up, asserting, "For some unknown reason, this tool failed to run on your computer."
So, VPNs can be used to confirm the inability to download Windows OS installers in Russia. Turning the situation on its head, those resident in Russia that want or need to grab a Windows ISO can do so by using a VPN and selecting their VPN location to another territory. If you pick a 'random' location as an alternative, please be aware that there are reports of ISO download blockages in Kazakhstan, too.
The Russian authorities aren't keen on citizens using VPNs, but it is promised that VPN use isn't going to put any users in jeopardy – with regard to penalties.
Microsoft implemented a range of Russian sanctions back in early March. It officially announced the suspension of "all new sales of Microsoft products and services in Russia" at that time, without mentioning anything specific. It has also suspended GitHub accounts of developers working at sanctioned companies and announced hundreds of layoffs due to the scaling back of Russian operations.
While it hasn't said anything specific about Windows downloads, it isn't unexpected that Microsoft has removed these files in line with the March statement - and perhaps we shouldn't expect an additional statement. Microsoft has also previously stated that it will continue with existing Russian customer contractual obligations, but that covers the provision of Windows updates to existing users more than Windows ISO availability.
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Back to windows 95 you go!Reply
One of the few good things coming from Microsoft.Reply
There should be plenty of Windows XP copies ready to install.Reply
No big deal. They will download it from somewhere else. Effectiveness of this is zero.Reply
I suspect a huge number of users were already just running pirated copies.DRagor said:No big deal. They will download it from somewhere else. Effectiveness of this is zero.
Now, after blocking official downloads of Windows in Russia, 100% of installed copies going forward will be pirated.
True, but they at least had to make a public attempt.DRagor said:No big deal. They will download it from somewhere else. Effectiveness of this is zero.
This is to inconvenient big firms, they will have a ton of trouble without getting security updates and possibly losing the ability to connect to others because of running older versions.Reply
Home users can use a VPN like shown in the article or just switch over to linux, it's gonna be a learning curve but it can be done, a big business can't do that without spending a huge amount of resources.
Seems asine. Our politicians selectively sanction Russians depending on whether there was any shady dealings with them and that's aside from the fact these sanctions- like most do no harm do anyone but average citizens who may or may not endorse the saide regime all to legitimize war and more shady dealings that only benefit our elites.Reply
All this talk about "democracy" for a corrupt little fascist government that impoverished its own people and denied them democracy just as much- if not worse in some cases than Russia does.
Not being talking politics, but isn't this a golden possibility to smuggle in the NSA version of Windows 10/11? If regular Russians uses pirated software, then why not the kreml and commanders do it as well?Reply
Grobe said:Not being talking politics, but isn't this a golden possibility to smuggle in the NSA version of Windows 10/11? If regular Russians uses pirated software, then why not the kreml and commanders do it as well?
That's what i was thinking. All these companies pimp out our data against the collective interests of their consumers so you would think they would want to be up every Russian's you-know-what. Or if they'd rather dorect that at us then maybe that itself says more than enough


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Rotterdam dock workers are planning a series of 24-hour strikes over the next two months to protest possible lay-offs at the port’s newest container terminals.
More from Bruce Barnard
Zim Integrated Shipping Services’ financial recovery is gathering pace as the Israel-based ocean carrier posted its fourth consecutive quarterly operating profit in challenging market conditions.
The potential acquisition of Neptune Orient Lines by CMA CGM would mark the biggest consolidation in container shipping based on the capacity of the targeted carrier, according to Alphaliner.
The fleet of idle container ships above 500 twenty-foot-equivalent units has surged to a five-year high of 1.2 million TEUs and more vessels will join the jobless queue in the coming weeks,...
Eimskip is eyeing fleet expansion after the Iceland container shipping and refrigerated logistics group, posted its best quarterly result since 2009.
The government of Italy has unveiled plans to partially privatize the state rail operator, Ferrovie dello Stato, in 2016.
The government of Greece has again extended the bidding process for the sale of the port in Piraeus — the country’s largest — this time at the request of the potential purchasers.
DFDS’s record quarterly profit has highlighted the rebound in northern Europe’s short sea shipping traffic and the positive impact of low fuel prices as ships face tougher environmental standards.
APM Terminals has opened the expanded Aqaba Logistics Village, a multi-purpose distribution center close to Jordan’s main container port.
HHLA’s profit and revenue declined in the first nine months of the year as Hamburg’s biggest stevedore suffered a double-digit slump in container volumes.
Greek ports are at a standstill as dockworkers take part in the first general strike since the country’s leftist government took power in January.
More on JOC
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Starring role for Beccles antiques shop
Emily DennisA Beccles antiques shop is set for a starring role in a new television series. Fauconberges in Smallgate, which is run by former teachers Richard Crozier and Richard Howard, will appear on the BBC2 programme Antiques Road Trip on Tuesday .Emily Dennis
A Beccles antiques shop is set for a starring role in a new television series.
Fauconberges in Smallgate, which is run by former teachers Richard Crozier and Richard Howard, will appear on the BBC2 programme Antiques Road Trip on Tuesday .
Filming took place last summer and saw expert James Braxton visit the town in search of antiques he could sell for profit.
The programme, which is currently showing each weekday, pairs eight of Britain's top antique experts and sends them on a road trip across the UK in classic vintage cars. They have to compete with each other to make the most money buying and selling antiques.
You may also want to watch:
Each expert has a starting budget of �200 and is tasked with trading up the antiques they find and increasing profits each time they are sold at auction with the money going to Children in Need.
The final week of the series sees experts James Braxton and Mark Stacey visit the region.
- 1 Tributes to much-loved Laura, 28, after Covid death
- 2 'Manipulative and scheming' man jailed for child sex offences
- 3 Minke whale to be removed from Lowestoft beach
- 4 New outdoor theatre hopes to bring post lockdown performances to the woods
- 5 Suzuki and Honda motorbikes stolen in overnight thefts
- 6 Minke whale washes up on beach
- 7 Touching tributes paid to 'great teacher and lovely man'
- 8 People in 'next priority' groups to receive covid jabs in coastal town
- 9 'No black hole' - MP reveals two new vaccine centres in towns
- 10 Bulky waste collection service suspended
As well as Beccles they visited antique shops in other places including King's Lynn, Wells, Holt, Sheringham and Southwold.
Mr Crozier said the programme makers had been scouting for locations before filming began.
'We were told about the filming about a week before,' he said. 'What they were looking for, to a certain extent, was dependant on the amount of money they had either made or lost in the previous part of the trip.
'They had sold previously at Diss auctions before coming here and when they arrived they didn't have an awful lot to spend.'
Mr Braxton spent time in the antiques shop looking through the cabinets and weighing up what might make a profit.
He eventually settled on a Victorian watercolour of Herstmonceux Castle gate house in East Sussex. The price was �28 but Mr Crozier and Mr Howard agreed to sell it for �15.
Mr Crozier said that while it was nice for the antiques shop to feature on the programme he did not feel it accurately reflected the antiques trade in general.
'Not only were they looking for a bargain - they were looking for a gift,' he said.
'Everybody knows they are doing it for charity. But viewers see these people getting large discounts and it gives people the impression that we are operating at 100pc profit, which is not the case. The maximum we can usually offer is a 10pc discount.'
He added: 'They only had a budget of �200 each for the week. To a certain extent the programme doesn't reflect the full range of what is buyable.'
Mr Crozier and Mr Howard have run Fauconberges since 1997 but have been trading in the town for 30 years.
The programme featuring the antiques shop will be shown on BBC2 at 6.30pm on Tuesday .


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‘Project Carpaccio’ a success, declares meat-printing startup
MeaTech’s next goal on the path to industrial-scale manufacturing is a child’s portion-sized steak
MeaTech Ltd. the Israeli startup that is developing technology for bioprinting meat using stem cells announced on Monday that it had reached a substantial product milestone. The company said its scientists had successfully printed a layer of meat combining both muscle and fat cells that successfully fused.Reaching the milestone meant that the team had to overcome three main challenges: sorting the stem cells into muscle and fat cells necessary to make the meaty tissue, producing the biological ink needed to print the right texture, and combining the fat and meat cells in a way that they will fuse together, simulating animal-sourced meat.
MeaTech added that reaching the strategic milestone ahead of its pre-set schedule means they are well on their way to hit the next milestone, which is printing a 100-gram (quarter pound) steak, without harming any animals.
As part of the experiment, dubbed “Project Carpaccio,” MeaTech researchers were able to print a thin slice of meat consisting of muscle and fat cells extracted from stem cells. The company developed the entire growth process of the tissue components and then performed the 3D printing using a dedicated printer, developed in house.
MeaTech's 3D meat printer. Photo: PR
"We are excited to announce a significant milestone in line with the company's work plan, which brings us one step closer to developing groundbreaking technology. This is another step on the path to meeting the company's vision of building a plant for the growing and manufacturing of 3D-printed cuts of meat without needing to slaughter or harm any animals, a technology which could dramatically reduce air pollution, loss of energy sources and the loss of vast areas currently used for raising livestock for slaughter," Sharon Fima, CEO and co-founder of MeaTech said in a statement.