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The Blue Swan Daily brings you a wrap up of the months key hotel news, including:
- AccorHotels’ MGallery by Sofitel brand announced for Chadstone Hotel Melbourne
- Marriott International’s Select-Service Hotels Tier Are Primed For Unprecedented Growth In Asia-Pacific
- South Australia State Government commits RDF grant to fund tourism accommodation
- Accommodation Association of Australia establishes board to work with Victorian tourism industry
- Google adds new features for Google Flights, Trips and hotel search
AccorHotels’ MGallery by Sofitel brand announced for Chadstone Hotel Melbourne
AccorHotels announced a new partnership with Vicinity Centres and Gandel Group, who will operate the Chadstone Hotel Melbourne under its renowned MGallery by Sofitel brand. The new-build will include 250 rooms across 13-storeys, two restaurants, a lounge bar, day spa, fitness and meeting facilities. The hotel will become the tenth MGallery hotel in Australia with construction to commence in the first half of 2018 and an opening in 2019. AccorHotels Pacific COO Simon McGrath said: “We are delighted to be working on Chadstone’s new hotel development and are incredibly excited by the synergies it creates; bringing our high-end, boutique MGallery by Sofitel brand to Melbourne’s most luxurious fashion address.”
Marriott International’s Select-Service Hotels Tier Are Primed For Unprecedented Growth In Asia-Pacific
Marriott International Inc’s Select-Service brands are driving its expansion in the Asia Pacific region this year. With a diverse portfolio of 21 brands of which seven are Select-Service brands with hotels open or under development, including Fairfield by Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft, Moxy, Element and AC Hotels, the Select-Service tier is leading the rapid expansion of Marriott International’s footprint in Asia-Pacific with most rooms signed in 2017 and more to come in 2018. Marriott International Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Asia-Pacific Peggy Fang Roe said: “The Select-Service portfolio is picking up momentum in key markets including Greater China, India and Indonesia. There’s also strong potential in South Korea, Australia, Japan and Southeast Asia.”
South Australia State Government commits RDF grant to fund tourism accommodation
South Australia State Government announced an AUD1 million (USD761,500) investment to support tourism accommodation in Port Augusta, with financing provided through a grant from the Regional Development Fund (RDF) for the Bentley Group of Companies. The project supports the State Government’s economic priority of ‘South Australia, a destination of choice’, intended to attract and keep visitors to regional South Australia.
Accommodation Association of Australia establishes board to work with Victorian tourism industry
Accommodation Association of Australia established a Victorian State Advisory Board. Members of the new board will work closely with Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren and other key tourism industry stakeholders for the benefit of the accommodation industry. The board is chaired by AccorHotels VP of operations – Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, Adrian Williams. Mr Williams is also a member of the Victorian Tourism Industry Council’s Accommodation Advisory Panel and the Melbourne Convention Bureau board.
Google adds new features for Google Flights, Trips and hotel search
Google added new features for Google Flights, Trips and hotel search. Google Flights will now offer tips under flight search results, which indicate whether fares are above, below or at normal levels and by how much they differ from usual fare levels, based on machine learning and statistical analysis of historical data. Google Trips’ new ‘Discounts’ feature will help users access deals for ticketing and tours on attractions and activities.


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FiMVO changes system supplier for the Finnish medicines verification system
Together with our new partner Solidsoft Reply, we will protect the supply chain from falsified medicines also in the future. The change will take place during 2023 according to a separately specified schedule.
The number of alerts in the system has remained commendably low. The key to achieve this has been close cooperation between all the stakeholders in the supply chain. Thanks to this the implementation of the medicines verification system in Finland got off to a successful start in February 2019.
Our goal is to ensure a high level of patient safety and smooth use of the system also in the future.
Our new partner Solidsoft Reply's extensive IT expertise and readiness to support FiMVO are the reasons behind the unanimous choice of a new system supplier. All representatives of the supply chain in FiMVO's Board of Directors support the decision.
Together we are building a safe medicines supply.
We are looking forward to the road ahead!
Please have a look at our official news release:
Any questions? We will be happy to answer: Managing Director Maija Gohlke, email@example.com or 040 700 1655.

domain: news


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Based on past and the current market status, the growth of electric car, Bluetooth speaker, home automation, fast charging, wireless charging applications has accelerated, it lead to the shortage of MOSFET product in the past period of time, especially after the Iphone X been released in 2017, wireless charging market increased rapidly and brings huge demand for power IC and MOSFET day by day.
As we know that in the peak season of Q3 in 2017, due to the surge in MOSFET demand, many manufacturers have issued price increase notifications, including Infineon, ON Semiconductor, and CJ, which have increased their prices three times in 2017. After that, Sinopower, A-Power and other Taiwanese MOSFET makers followed up.
On the raw material side, there are three reasons for the price increase. First, the price increase of silicon material causes the wafers price to rise, secondly, the price of packaging materials, resin powder price increased. The third, the fingerprint identification chip demand has soared, and the benefit of fingerprint identification chip is much higher by compared with MOSFET, wafer makers and packaging and testing plant prefer to put more production capacity on the fingerprint identification chip, which directly leads to the shortage of MOSFET supply.
It is understood that the supply of low-voltage MOS is shorter than medium- and high-voltage MOSFET. The global IDM has gradually faded out the low- and medium-voltage MOSFET market for computers and consumer electronics, and its production capacity has been transferred to the mid-high-voltage MOSFET market for automotive electronics, IGBT and Super Junction components. It is the reason why medium and low voltage MOSFET supply is in a worse situation.
From the lead time side, according to Future Electronics' Q4 market analysis report in 2017, the lead time for Infineon, Diodes, Freescale/ON, ST, Vishay and Nexperia has been extended to 16-30 weeks for low-voltage MOSFET products. In terms of the High-voltage MOSFET products, except for the stable delivery of IXYS and MS, the lead time of Infineon, Freescale, ON, ST, Rohm, Vishay have all been extended.
When will this situation get end? Insiders say that it may be until Q18 in 2018, this year's situation will show a gradual relief, anyway it will be much better than 2017, but all depends on whether the wafer makers can release more 8-inch wafers production capability. At the same time, the extension of the lead time and price hike of the global manufacturers in this time has also given Chinese MOSFET Makers an opportunity. In 2017, the sales of Chinese MOSFET makers have gained a certain increase, on the other hand, when orders turn to Chinese manufacturers, it also relieve some pressure for the MOSFET supply in the world wide.
Overall, the supply of MOSFET will gradually improve in 2018, and will resume normal and stable supply around Q4. At the very least, the current MOSFET market is much better than the MLCC market.


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Unlocking the power of nature
As the world’s population grows, so does demand for quality foods, feed ingredients for livestock, alternative fuels, and environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional chemicals. As one of the world’s leading agricultural processors, ADM plays a pivotal role in meeting all of these needs.
We produce the food ingredients, animal feeds and feed ingredients, biofuels and other products that manufacturers around the world use to provide wholesome food and a better life to millions of people around the globe.
In Australia we originate grain, oilseeds, pulses and cotton from the farmer, arrange the logistics and supply direct to our domestic and international customers by road, rail, container, and/or bulk shipments. Our regionally based Accumulation Managers are the core of our buying strength supporting Australian farmers and their crop marketing needs.
WORD about a new cattle feed resource at Townsville is not taking long to get out and it proved timely for David and Dianne Hood at Kirkton Station near Ravenswood last season. ADM, one of the world’s leading grain processors and manufacturers, is offering new stockfeed products for collection or delivery from Townsville in conjunction
GROWERS from the Yorke Peninsula through to the Upper North now have a new delivery option for their lentils and barley following a decision by ADM Trading Australia and Dublin Clean Grain to team up for the coming harvest. The move is a boon for the region’s growers after the recent closure of a nearby
We are off and running at ADM Port Pirie. First load for the 20/21 season. Big shout out to Peter Dennis from Baroota who rolled in with a load of Nipper type lentils. 👍👍ADM site manager Kevin Brice#harvest2020 #lentils @GrainProducerSA @GrainGrowersLtd @Pulse_Australia pic.twitter.com/8BopEb8vk3 — ADM Australia (@ADMaustralia) October 2, 2020
NORTH Queensland cattle producers and stockfeed manufacturers have a new local option when it comes to accessing imported soybean meal and corn gluten feed. Global agribusiness, ADM, has commenced imports into the port of Townsville, with product sourced directly from the company’s corn and soybean processing facilities in the US Mid West. “We’re excited to


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The Vringo company alleges that Microsoft infringed on its relevance filtering technology patents, more specifically U.S. patents #6,314,420 (entitled “Collaborative/Adaptive Search Engine”) and #6,775,664 (entitled “Information Filter System and Method for Integrated Content-Based and Collaborative/Adaptive Feedback Queries”).
According to the complaint, I/P Engine is seeking a judgment declaring that Microsoft infringes the patents-in-suit, as well as damages.
Vringo had earlier sought to get hundreds of millions of dollars from firms like Google, AOL and IAC, but was only awarded a fraction of that by a jury back in November 2012. That story is ongoing, though.
In August, Vringo announced that it would sell 9.6 million shares of its common stock for over $31 million to buy over 500 patents and patent applications from (Microsoft partner) Nokia. It later used some of those patents to sue Chinese mobile giant ZTE in the UK.
The company is backed by billionaire entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
Image credit: KIMIHIRO HOSHINO for AFP / Getty Images


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Google, in recent times, has shown an increasing interest in the blockchain sector. Therefore, the tech giant has recently partnered with Bakket, a renowned digital asset marketplace.
According to reports, the Bakkt-Google Partnership will help facilitate the global adoption of digital assets. In other words, this alliance will help to bring digital assets to millions of consumers worldwide.
On the other hand, Google is also interested in providing the geographical location of unrestricted assets to consumers.
— Bakkt (@Bakkt) October 8, 2021
More About the Bakkt – Google Partnership
Bakkt is well-known as a reliable digital marketplace providing users with the ability to sell, spend, and buy digital assets. Therefore, the partnership with Google is a step in the right direction for Bakkt as it will boost the usage of digital assets in marketplaces. Also, it will create more use cases for digital assets to meet the demand of consumer preferences.
The partnership will also make it possible for users to use the Bakkt Visa Debit Card on Google Pay. Also, it is essential to note that payments made using digital assets will immediately be converted to fiat currency.
Also, Google cloud has been listed as the official cloud provider for the marketplace ecosystem. Speaking on this, the tech giant revealed that it was incredibly “[…] proud to help Bakkt accelerate and scale the availability of their innovative solutions, powered by our technologies.”
The CEO of Bakkt, Gavin Michael, also spoke highly of the partnership with Google. Revealing the strategic alliance is a pointer to “[…] Bakkt’s strong position in the digital asset marketplace. Adding that, together, both platforms will help to “[…] empower consumers to enjoy their digital assets in a real-time, secure, reliable manner.”
In addition to this, Gavin also disclosed that Google Cloud would help them to scale. Therefore making it easy to “[…] meet the needs of millions of users.”
CEO @gavinmichael discusses how Bakkt is bringing new experiences to Choice Hotel Privileges Rewards members like redeeming rewards points for cash to use for bitcoin and alternative payment methods #bitcoin #payments #rewards https://t.co/N61rdmeWFw
— Bakkt (@Bakkt) October 6, 2021
Finally, North America Google Cloud President Kirsten Kliphouse also revealed that Google Cloud is quite interested in powering the development of the crypto space. Therefore, “[…] powering many retailers and merchants”. Kirsten also added that the entire Google cloud platform was “[…] proud to help Bakkt accelerate and scale the availability of their innovative solutions, powered by our technologies.”
More About Bakkt
The marketplace platform has put plans to create new analytics powered by artificial intelligence, machine learning, Geolocation, etc. Therefore, the partnership with Google brings it closer to achieving these excellent new analytics.
In Altcoin Buzz, we hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the Bakkt-Google Partnership.
Join us on Telegram to receive free trading signals.
Find out more about the blockchain and crypto space on the Altcoin Buzz YouTube channel.


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Analyst Michael Pachter says PC Gamers are “Like Racists” and “Arrogant Twits”
Now that Sony has announced the PlayStation 4 Pro, some wonder whether the new console will appeal to the players in PC market. Michael Pachter, for example, belongs to the group of experts whose opinion is that it will not.
And if already there was not enough controversial, Michael Pachter now finds itself involved in a controversial new situation after leaving harsh words to PC players, considerinf them to be arrogant. In an interview on the PlayStation 4 Pro and whether it would be able to appeal to PC gamers, the words of Pachter were nothing tender.
In a recent interview, the analyst said that this kind of players have a great conviction, and that hardly turns their gaze to other platforms. To do this, however, Pachter made a strange comparison:
“I think PC Gamers are like racists; they only like their own kind and they have no interest in venturing out and mixing with other races,” he said. “PC gamers are arrogant twits who are convinced what they do is better than what anybody else can possibly do.”
Although Pachter’s words were somewhat harsh, it seems that- besides drawing attention – his purpose was to make it clear that the PS4 is directed to another group: “However if you were an Xbox owner and you’ve always wondered what it’s like to be a PlayStation owner, this is a great opportunity,” he added. “And I think if you’re not a [next-gen] console owner at all – which would include a subset of PC users – this is the one you would buy. This [PS4 Pro] is the obvious choice.”
What do you think? Do you agree with the statements of Pachter?


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Orchard Mesa ranch counts on mill to capitalize on surplus of alpaca fiber
A local business’ quest to speed up its alpaca fiber-making process is gaining interest from ranchers throughout the valley, due to an upgrade in equipment that’s making for a boost in demand.
The owners of SunCrest Orchards Alpaca, 3608 E 1/4 Road, acquired a new fiber mill during the first week of December, making the operation among only a handful with the capability of processing fiber from theirs as well as other farms.
Fiber mills across the state, including one in Glade Park, are at least two years backed up in getting fiber out, SunCrest owners said.
“The industry itself is right at its infancy,” said Mike McDermott, co-owner of SunCrest Orchards, which has now changed its name to SunCrest Orchard Alpacas & Fiber Work. The business has been in operation for three years.
“There’s a lot of alpaca fiber that is not even being processed today. I hear of more and more farmers actually just throwing their fiber away.”
In the past, processing fiber manually took too long to produce enough to be able to sell and market, said Cindy McDermott, co-owner.
With the addition of the fiber mill, SunCrest is planning to also diversify into processing other specialty fibers, like cashmere, silk and angora.
Julia Durmaj, partner of Shooting Star Ranch in Palisade, said she wants to be one of the first customers.
“It’s very hard to find a fiber mill,” Durmaj said. “We’ve got 19 alpacas and I know there are eight to 10 alpaca ranches here in the valley that really have a hard time finding a place to process their fiber. If you leave the fiber sitting for too long, it’s not as good as if you can get it processed at least within the first year.”
Currently, area farmers are required to send the fiber out of the area, and processing can take anywhere from a year to two years, she said.
“We’re very hopeful with the new mill in the area that it’s going to speed up the process for those in the valley, to get our product back faster and start working on our product sooner,” said Durmaj, who makes hats, purses and other products from the fiber.
As the cold sets in, ranch owners are recognizing the opportunity.
“We’ve sold a ton of alpaca socks this year,” Cindy McDermott said. “It’s three times warmer than wool.”
The mill is processing seven pounds of fiber daily and will reach 10 pounds a day soon, owners said. The mill is capable of producing 25 pounds a day at its full processing potential.
Mike McDermott said the more he and his wife are around the alpacas, the more they have enjoyed the unique fiber of the animal.
“That’s what it boiled down to — the fiber itself and how wonderful it is,” he said. “The Incas and the Mayans, they called it the fleece of the gods. We fell in love with the fiber itself. It’s an awesome thing.”


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Old Forester is celebrating its 150th birthday this year, and after the announcement of the updated single barrel program in January, they’re giving fans another big surprise. The distillery has unveiled the Whiskey Row Retreat, and are offering two lucky fans the chance to stay overnight for National Bourbon Day (June 14th) and live life behind the scenes at the Old Forester Distillery.
The Whiskey Row Retreat, a new apartment located directly next door to the Old Forester Distillery on Main Street in Downtown Louisville, is stocked with bourbon and decorated with branded touches like a green neon sign that mirrors the one on the front of the distillery. With exposed brick walls, comfy leather couches, and wide arched windows, it will offer the winner two nights of relaxation while still being close to the action.
“I’m in the unique position to truly be a part of Old Forester’s legacy as the Master Taster. Every step of the way, I’m there ensuring that each barrel pulled, and each expression created lives up to Old Forester’s historic quality and consistency,” said Old Forester Master Taster, Jackie Zykan. “We created the Whiskey Row Retreat to provide a few lucky bourbon lovers with similar experiences that I have every day. I’m excited to share with fans how much heart and effort we put into creating every single bottle of Old Forester bourbon.”
The winner, chosen based on a short essay, will get to live the life of an Old Forester insider, getting unprecedented access to the process at the distillery and the people behind it.
“The winner will be immersed in bourbon making, from the brand’s own barrel cooperage and the distillation process, to pulling barrels from the warehouse and getting the bourbon ready for the bottling line, joining Jackie Zykan in single barrel selection, and custom cocktail classes, such as learning how to make the brand’s signature Perfect Old Fashioned,” said the distillery in a press release.
“It’s remarkable to think that, in 1870, my great-great grandfather, George Garvin Brown, sealed his whiskey in a glass bottle and created the first bottled bourbon and now, 150 years later, we’ve reached this milestone,” said Campbell Brown, Old Forester president. “It’s incredible to look back and reflect on how the brand has grown, while we continue to look forward and find new ways to impact the industry. Opening Whiskey Row Retreat is our opportunity to celebrate our anniversary with special guests keen on raising a glass to a wonderful bourbon.”
If you think you’re an Old Forester fan deserving of a stay in the Whiskey Row Retreat on National Bourbon Day (airfare to Louisville included), click here to enter! Guests 21 and over are invited to write the distillery a short essay on why they should be chosen to win the bourbon weekend of a lifetime before April 20th, 2020. Good luck, bourbon lovers!


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Reducing intermediaries between farmers and consumers improves supply chain transparency and financial margins
Spotted: Digitisation has impacted every corner of our global economy, but one sector that remains largely un-digitised is the world’s oldest: agriculture. Farmers are the bedrock of the €6 trillion agriculture and food trade market, yet they make the least profit of all the main players in the food value chain. Moreover, many farmers still use the same techniques as their ancestors and lack access to the information they need to implement profit-boosting innovations. A new platform, Wikifarmer, is attempting to tackle these challenges.
Wikifarmer seeks to improve the lot of farmers in two ways. The platform is an international online resource for agricultural information and technological developments. The library offers thousands of user-generated articles, all for free, covering a huge diversity of topics, including the latest technology information and guidelines for best practices around the world. The Wikifarmer team provides localised translations of articles into 15 languages.
The platform also acts as a global farmer’s market. For shoppers, this marketplace provides a direct link to food producers in every region. With purchases covered by a money-back guarantee, shoppers can search a long list of products and contact the company itself for personalised quotes for specific requests or high-volume orders.
For farmers, the marketplace represents a welcome simplification of the food supply chain. Selling directly to consumers means that farmers can avoid commissions paid to the multitude of intermediaries they must normally deal with. So far, around 30,000 products have been listed on the site, and more than 5,000 customers have bought products directly from farmers.
From clean energy for off-grid communities to safe herbicide development, agtech is a hot area of innovation. Springwise has previously covered other innovations that aim to connect farmers directly to marketplaces, such as one focused on smallholder farmers in Ghana.
Written by: Keely Khoury


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South Korea's "love hotels" are becoming less dirty, more trendy
Apparently, sex no longer sells — at least in Seoul, where the city's infamous "love hotels" are removing their red lights and racks of naughty movies to attract a new breed of clientele.
According to Reuters, short-stay rooms in South Korea are the new date night, marketed towards young couples who are less conservative and more open about sex. But while the younger generation may be more hedonistic than their parents and grandparents, they're still not that down with getting down – leaving love hotel owners to clean up in order to stay competitive.
Love hotels (and prostitution inside of them) became popular in Seoul after the 1988 Olympic Games, when the government issued thousands of permits to accommodate the crowds. A crackdown in 2004 by a former president forced love hotels to either close down or go more wholesome. Lee Seung-rae, chief executive of Hotelin, told Reuters, that local hotel competition is still fierce, saying:
"It's impossible for small- to medium-sized hotels and motels to make a profit off overnight stays alone."
That's a stark contrast Japan's love hotel industry, which rakes in more than $50 million a year. According to the documentary Love Hotel, it's not only couples staying in them, but the rich, old, and even retired too. It begs the question if the industry could become just as accepted (and lucrative) in South Korea as time goes on.
Love hotel chains are definitely trying to change the tide, pumping advertising into social media and smart-phone apps to lure new guests. The Hotel Yaja Wangsimni is part of a growing franchise chain offering rooms with whirlpool baths, laptops, brand-name amenities and fresh bedsheets, all for 30,000 won ($26) for three hours.
Sounds pretty good, no?


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We have already seen iPad being used by Hollywood directors, installed in the cars, being used in restaurants as menu cards, and how some airlines are thinking about adopting it as an inflight entertainment system for its passengers in the skies. And now besides its entertainment and commercial uses, iPad is slowly creeping into military training arena. At the Royal School of Artillery in Wiltshire, UK, iPads are used in classrooms to train soldiers. Early reports indicate that this experiment so far has been successful in accelerating their learning, thanks largely to the natural interactive experience which is said to have been responsible for this.
It was indeed very sweet and thoughtful of Stefan Magdalinski, a guy from South Africa to come up with this great idea of wrapping an iPad in a chocolate bar, on the eve of his beloved wife's birthday. The guy in fact shot two birds with one stone. His wife is not only a chocolate lover, but also a great Apple fan too! And so he not only gave her that big 1.5 lbs chocolate bar which she loves to eat, but also Apple iPad all the way from London (iPad is not available in South Africa yet) which she always wanted.
Apple today has announced the much awaited international release date, and price plans for both the WiFi and 3G version of iPad. Customers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and UK can get their iPads officially on Friday, May 28. International Pre-orders for iPad in the above mentioned countries will begin from May 10th.
Finally the wait is over, the most anticipated version of the iPad, the iPad 3G, has hit all Apple Stores across the US. Grab yours now before they’re all sold out.
There has been a lot of talk lately about the issues related to the iPad’s WiFi problem. Some users were complaining about the WiFi connection on iPad doing some crazy things like not letting them join hotspots, and providing weak signal strength. Apple has today acknowledged all these issues and has recommended some fixes as follows.
Apple has finally released the much hyped iPad in the United States today. If you are looking to get your hands on iPad, or if you just got hold of one?, we’ll guide you through all the basics that you might need to know to kick start things. Here is all what you need to know about the “magical” Apple iPad.
Apple Store in the US has just been updated to include the new iPad, both the Wi-Fi only version, and Wi-Fi + 3G version for pre-order starting from today. The Wi-Fi only model comes in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions and are available for $499, $599 and $699 respectively. It will ship on 3rd April for free. The Wi-Fi + 3G version of iPad also comes in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions and can be bought for $629, $729 and $829 respectively. The Wi-Fi + 3G version however wont ship before late April 2010.
iPad is all set to launch in US on April 3rd, with pre-orders starting from March 12th onwards. There is growing hype about queries and inquest about this new device among the public in general, and the potential buyers in particular. Everyone wants to know, confirm and reaffirm everything before booking one on March 12th.
In January this year, Steve Jobs unveiled the much hyped iPad to the world. He, however, was somewhat ambiguous about the shipping date which he mentioned as “late March” for the Wi-Fi version of the device. Since then, no further information about a specific shipping date or pre-order options were given. For the last few days though, strong rumors were buzzing the web-world that iPad launch has been delayed by a month or so. This unspecified production problem was attributed to bottle-necks at the manufacturer’s end. Everyone was worried why Apple was keeping so mum on the subject.
Well it looks like iPad will allow you to make emergency phone calls in the time of need. According to GumballTech’s finding using the latest iPhone 3.2 SDK for iPad, if you incorrectly enter your passcode for 5 times consecutively, iPad brings up a screen with slide to emergency call just like the one found on the iPhone.


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Google removed two apps from the Google Play Store this week after it discovered they were serving adware to users. The apps, Sun Pro Beauty Camera and Funny Sweet Beauty Selfie Camera, had been downloaded over 1.5 million times, ZDNet reports.
Sun Pro Beauty camera has been in the Play Store for two years, and Funny Sweet Beauty Selfie Camera has been around for 6 months.
If you’re one of those 1.5 million that downloaded the apps you should uninstall them from your device now.
Beyond just an adware issue, the apps also ask for a number of unnecessary permissions that could allow them to do more malicious things than just serve you ads.
Specifically, the apps have requested permission to record audio and listen to anything that’s being said around the device at any time. Both apps are also using a tool that prevents the APK from being unwrapped and analyzed. While that’s not a sign specifically that the app’s creators had malicious intent, it’s not great either.
The news is also a good reminder to make sure you’re paying attention to what permissions an app is asking for on your phone before you install it. If something is asking for access that you don’t think it needs, then you may want to reconsider installing an app in the first place.


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Japanese electronics maker Casio is apparently poised to reenter the personal computer market after a decade-long absence by expanding its established lineup of handheld devices into the closely related field of "subnotebooks."
Casio will unveil a notebook PC with an undersized screen and keyboard later this year, hoping to tap surging demand for ultraportable systems, said company sources cited by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. Notebooks have passed desktops in popularity in the Japanese consumer market, according to a recent report.
Perhaps best known for its watches, Casio also sells a range of electronics devices, from digital cameras and portable music devices to desktop televisions. In the computer industry, the company already markets the Cassiopeia handheld PC, which runs on Windows CE, as well as several kinds of calculators, personal organizers, and other handheld devices.
Such a lineup makes the jump to a more traditional--if still diminutive--notebook product seem to be a natural. One difference: Notebooks typically run the full-fledged version of Microsoft's Windows operating system and Intel or Intel-compatible chips, while handhelds rely on CE or other "small footprint" operating systems and lower-power processors made by a wide variety of manufacturers.
Casio's subnotebook will come in a form factor that's about 2.5-centimeters thick and weighs about 850 grams. That would place it between Sony's larger Vaio notebook and Toshiba's ultrasmall Libretto, according to Nikkei.
The portable would feature a 6.7-inch screen and run Windows 98. It's expected to sell for 250,000 yen, about $1,790.


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Life|ware Unveils New Media Center Servers, Microsoft Shows UP
Since losing major marketing support from Hewlett-Packard earlier this year, Exceptional Innovation, the developer of the Life|ware home control and automation platform, has moved more into the hardware side and has formed closer relationships with Microsoft and other manufacturers.
CEDIA Expo 2007, held this week in Denver, also marks the first time Microsoft has established a direct presence at the show. In the past, CEDIA members slammed Microsoft for its lack of direct support, despite the growing acceptance of Media Center-based PC as part of the home network and entertainment environment.
“Our software and hardware alliances in the CEDIA market have created a huge amount of interest in Windows Media Center as the platform of choice for the digital home,” Scott Evans, group manager in the Entertainment and Devices eHome Division at Microsoft, said in a statement. “As a result of our growing collaborations, Microsoft decided the time was right to establish a direct presence at the custom installation channel’s most eagerly anticipated annual event, CEDIA EXPO. We are fully committed to making Windows Media Center-based devices the most compelling entertainment solutions, and we are here to demonstrate our support for the custom channel.”


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Washington, DC – The Federal Trade Commission and a coalition of 17 states today filed an antitrust enforcement action against Amazon for anticompetitive tactics in the marketplace aimed at stifling competition by promoting its own services at the expense of third party sellers who depend on the company’s marketplace, and by impeding the growth of smaller platforms.
Sumit Sharma, senior researcher for tech competition at Consumer Reports, said, “American consumers increasingly discover and buy goods and services online, and this activity is concentrated on a few large online platforms like Amazon. Amazon directly competes with sellers on its platforms, so it’s incentivized to set terms and conditions that increase its profits to the detriment of consumers and sellers.
“The unchecked power of Amazon has often resulted in higher prices and fewer choices for consumers. We applaud the FTC and 17 state attorneys general for opening this investigation into Amazon’s monopoly power,” Sharma said.
Contact: Cyrus Rassool, firstname.lastname@example.org


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ITV picks TBWA’s Carter
ITV has appointed Sam Carter, a 26-year-old account supervisor at TBWA,
as its marketing manager. Carter, who has also worked at J Walter
Thompson and Hoare Wilkins, will join the network next month. She will
report to Barry Cox and work with M&C Saatchi on the pounds 5m
advertising campaign which is being planned by ITV’s Marketing Group for
Times papers widen Net
More than 38,000 on-line readers have registered with The Sunday Times
and The Times following their launch on the Internet earlier this month.
About 400,000 entries have been recorded into their Internet sites. The
Times and The Sunday Times are the first UK newspapers to publish seven-
day interactive editions on the Internet. Their site locations are:
http://www.the-times.co.uk and http://www.sunday-times.co.uk.
Mail wins Today readers
The Daily Mail’s promotions to capture readers of the former Today
newspaper have been the most successful, according to YMG Carat. The
Daily Mail ran a radio campaign offering Today readers a week’s papers
free, and eight weeks’ at half price.
A free copy was also mailed to all home delivery Today readers. The
title’s circulation rose by 93,000 in November. However, media buyers
are awaiting results for January and February, when the promotions have
MOF invades Singapore
More O’Ferrall has entered the Singapore transit shelter advertising
market, acquiring a 30% stake in Capital City Posters for pounds
160,000. The company currently has about 350 advertising panel sites and
100 bus shelters around Singapore. More O’Ferrall said the move
indicated its commitment to seek fresh international markets.
Yell makes presence felt
Yellow Pages has launched its own Internet service, called Yell. It
comprises three key products, Yellow Web, which offers information on
other web sites, Film Finder, listing films and times at 400 UCI
cinemas, and Electronic Yellow Pages which provides company addresses
and telephone numbers across the UK. Yell is on http://www.yell.co.uk.
Maiden Outdoor said revenue from new clients amounted to more than
pounds 3m last year, with transport, travel and fmcg advertisers
spending heavily. New advertisers on Maiden sites included Colman’s of
Norwich, Kraft Jacobs Suchard, Club 18-30, and South African Airways.
Nickelodeon video deal
Nickelodeon Video & Audio Works and Paramount Home Video are joining
forces in an international distribution arrangement to launch
Nickelodeon’s video products overseas. The videos will be launching in
the UK, Australia and New Zealand next month, with a launch in Germany
planned for May and Brazil in July.
This article was first published on Marketing


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India’s plastics exports will increase by 30 percent this year due to renewed demand from overseas
India’s plastics exports are expected to grow 30 percent in the current fiscal year as global demand to reopen markets is welcomed after nearly two years of pandemic disruption from the coronavirus (Covid).
In the first five months of the current fiscal year, India’s plastics exports recorded constant monthly growth of around 30 percent with a cumulative growth of an incredible 43.9 percent between April and August of this year. The leading association of industry, the Plastics Export Promotion Council (Plexconcil), recorded India’s cumulative plastics exports of $ 5.63 billion for the period between April and August 2021, compared with $ 3.91 billion for the corresponding period of Previous year.
Dizzying export growth will lead to a proportional increase in value added and ultimately to the creation of jobs. This means that the growth in exports will bring prosperity to Indian plastics manufacturers. Both government and industry have emphasized the need to add value and ultimately prosperity in India.
“It is encouraging to see that all product panels showed strong positive growth in August. We are confident that the industry will be able to maintain the growth momentum in the months to come. Given the good pace, we will probably achieve our export growth target of 30 percent in the current fiscal year, ”said Arvind Goenka, Chairman of Plexconcil, to Polymerupdate.
In August 2021, India’s plastics exports rose 26.1 percent to $ 1.06 billion from $ 0.84 billion ($ 838 million to be precise) in the same month last year.
The plastics processing companies in India employ a cumulative 4 million people. Between 85-90 percent of these plastics processing companies belong to the category of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) due to their low economies of scale and limited turnover.
Despite the lockdown of several markets worldwide due to the Covid pandemic, India’s plastic exports for fiscal 2020-21 saw a slight decrease of 9.5 million tons from $ 10 billion in the previous fiscal year. However, for the current fiscal year 2021-22, India’s plastics exports are expected to exceed the target of $ 12 billion.
“We are facing a working capital shortage. As many incentives have been delayed, the availability of working capital has continued to weaken, especially for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). In early September 2021, the government announced that it would pay unpaid contributions including previous incentives and applicable tax refunds of Rs 56,000 billion. Although the announcement was belated, it was a much-needed respite for plastics exporters. This will reduce the working capital scarcity for over 45,000 SMB units, ”said Goenka.


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Website creation startup Weebly has quietly grown to power a large number of publisher and e-commerce sites over the years, and now it’s rolling out a whole new way for users to build experiences on its platform. With the launch of a new iPad app, the company is launching what could be the easiest website creation tool out there.
Weebly now has more than 25 million sites created with it, and hosts an increasingly diverse group of companies using its tools. Today, those sites receive about 200 million unique visitors each month, and about a third of visitors are accessing them on mobile devices. The platform is built to make all sites responsive and shrink or expand to fit any screen on any device, but until today the company didn’t have great site creation tools for mobile.
Weebly has had mobile apps for a while, the iPad experience is a full-fledged website creation tool. Users can literally build sites from scratch within the app, spinning them up from nothing and publishing them without ever having to log in to Weebly’s web interface.
Built from the ground up for iOS 8, the app is designed with a drag-and-drop interface for adding images, text, videos, maps, or whatever else you might want to add onto a site. The Weebly app also includes the same ability to restructure and resize all the different elements that are included. It’s a truly “what you see is what you get” creation tool.
I saw a demo of the app earlier this week, and it seems like a drop-dead simple way for users to customize sites even if they have no idea how to code. All site editing tools are hidden in a tray that can be swiped out from the right side of the app and made accessible at any time. Doing so expands or contracts the maximum viewing size of the screen on full-size and iPad Minis. And images and videos stored on the device can easily be added to new or edited sites.
The app is also available in multiple languages, including English, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Turkish.
Weebly operates on a freemium model, allowing users to create websites for free but charging for premium features like e-commerce or advertising. Offering up an easy-to-use tool for building apps on the iPad seems like a good way to get more people initially signed up.
And that new growth could help justify some recent funding Weebly has raised. Although the company has been cash flow positive for years, according to co-founder and CEO David Rusenko, it recently brought on $35 million in Series C financing from Sequoia Capital and Tencent.


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January 29, 2018
You may want to be extra careful if you visit a Panera Bread cafe anytime soon, as the fast-casual chain is in the process of recalling cream cheese at all 2,000 of its U.S. locations.
The company announced the recall as a cautionary move, as there have been not yet been any reports of illness. The action comes after one of its cream cheese samples tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, a food-borne bacteria that can cause flu-like symptoms and, in extreme cases, death.
“While there have been no reported illnesses, out of an abundance of caution, Panera Bread is conducting a nationwide preemptive, voluntary recall of all 2 oz. and 8 oz. cream cheese products sold in its U.S. bakery-cafes,” the company said in a Q&A brief.
“Tests on cream cheese samples manufactured both before and after the production run in question have all come back negative.”
Panera stresses that it was only one sample that tested positive, but the company is nonetheless taking measures to ensure any potential for the bacteria spreading is contained.
“We have likewise ceased all manufacturing in the associated cream cheese facility,” said Blaine Hurst, Panera’s president and CEO, in a statement. “Only one variety of a 2-oz cream cheese from a single day yielded the positive result.”
Cream cheese with an expiration date of April 2 or earlier has been recalled.
Research surrounding Listeria shows that infection doesn’t always have side effects in carriers. For those who do show side effects, NBC notes, flu-like symptoms will work the bacteria out of your body in a few days. Unfortunately, the infection can turn fatal in some cases, with an average of 260 deaths a year.
Listeria is most dangerous for older consumers or women who are pregnant. In the case of pregnancy, women run the risk of passing on the infection to their newborns, especially if they mistake virus symptoms for morning sickness.
Panera notes that the recall is for U.S. stores only. Cream cheese purchased in Canada is still safe to use.


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Carmakers warn of Brexit peril if we pull out of EU single market, but one expert claims that's not true as the weak pound and excellence will bolster sales
- Carmakers seen as industry with greatest to lose if tariffs arrive with EU
- New car production has hit a record high in the UK
- Industry expert says weaker pound and high productivity can beat Brexit blues
The car industry will unveil its best manufacturing figures for 44 years this week – including soaring exports – but news of the boom may be overshadowed by fresh warnings of the threat from Brexit.
Mike Hawes, head of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, will appear before MPs this week and is widely expected to deliver a dire warning of the threat faced by the industry.
However, one critic has warned that the automotive industry is at risk of talking itself into a crisis. ‘You cannot keep talking the industry down like this,’ said Garel Rhys, professor of motor industry economics and director for automotive industry research at Cardiff Business School.
On the move: Many expensive marques such as Rolls-Royce are exported to countries outside the EU
The SMMT urged the Government to stay in the single market after the Brexit vote – an option ruled out by the Prime Minister last week.
The industry is now keen to secure a customs deal with Europe that would save it from billions of pounds in tariffs on cars exported to the Continent.
‘If tariffs are imposed it will have a huge impact on the industry,’ said Helen Foord, at Vauxhall’s parent company General Motors.
‘We’re talking hundreds of millions of pounds in an industry not known for huge profits. We could be at a huge competitive disadvantage.’
Figures due this week will show that Britain produced more than 1.7million cars last year, the highest total since 1972.
But with 80 per cent sold as exports, the Brexit vote means nothing is being taken for granted. Foord said: ‘Those figures are from before Brexit. Remember we haven’t had Brexit yet.’
Last week, Hawes said not having a tariff-free agreement in place ‘would jeopardise investment, growth and consumer choice’. He added: ‘Achieving this will not be easy and we must, at all costs, avoid a cliff-edge, and reversion to World Trade Organisation tariffs, which would threaten the viability of the industry.’
The SMMT has estimated that the cost of taking the UK out of the single market would add £1,500 to the cost of buying a car in the UK, and a 10 per cent tariff on imports would cost the industry £2.7billion a year.
The car industry will unveil its best manufacturing figures for 44 years this week
Lower pound and high productivity will help UK carmakers beat Brexit
But while the car industry raises the alarm, some observers say this could do more harm than good and it should not talk itself down.
Prof Rhys, an expert from Cardiff Business School, who last year produced a report for the Government on the impact of Brexit on Nissan’s Sunderland plant, warned: ‘Loose talk can cost jobs.’
According to Prof Rhys, 650,000 jobs rely on Nissan’s presence in the UK. Its decision to build the X-Trail and Qashqai in Sunderland was seen as a vote of confidence and a sign of its belief in Government assurances that Brexit would not hurt Nissan’s competitiveness.
But just two days ago in Davos, Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn said the group would re-examine its investment strategy once the terms of Brexit become clear. He told reporters: ‘When the package comes, you will have to re-evaluate the situation, and ask will the competitiveness of your plant be preserved?’
‘We’re going to have to make decisions on investment within the next two to three years. So the faster the Brexit results come, the better.’
Prof Rhys argued that the lower exchange rate for the pound and high productivity of UK car manufacturers would mean tariffs should not be an insurmountable problem.
‘You should be able to cover the effects,’ he said. ‘Plus if Donald Trump decides European Union tariffs are too onerous, the UK will have preferred nation status.’
Many cars produced in Britain, such as Bentley, Rolls-Royce, McLaren and Aston Martin, are exported outside the EU anyway to the US or Asia, he said.
‘We export 80 per cent of production and import 85 per cent of the cars we drive,’ he said.
‘The British-owned manufacturers are all enjoying record years. Because we make expensive, upmarket cars we are far removed from competition with cheaper imports from the rest of the world.’
So far there are not many in the industry who share his confidence.
What you need to know each week: Listen to the This is Money podcast
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Amid growing interest in Japan and throughout the world, ISETAN The Japan Store Kuala Lumpur has finally opened its doors. With the promise of delivering Japanese lifestyles and aesthetics to its customers overseas, the latest specialty store incorporates Japanese history, culture, technology, and diversity as well as lifestyle design into its vast retail space.
All of the shops on the six floors of LOT 10 in Jalan Sultan Ismail will feature high-quality product lineups from Japan and its regions. Over 200 brands being released for the first time will be on display and for sale. In addition, the store also houses its very own museum, which showcases Japan’s rich diversity, including pop culture, art and technology. And there are experiential zones located throughout for shoppers to experience various Japanese elements ranging from cuisine to culture and fashion as well.


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In 2021, Facebook relaunched as ‘Meta’ and stated that the metaverse would be its primary emphasis. Mark Zuckerberg expressed his aim to construct a metaverse that would become ‘the future internet.’
As marketers, we naturally began to wonder what digital marketing would look like in a new virtual environment. Although the notion of the metaverse may remain enigmatic to some, more and more businesses recognize the metaverse as a chance to interact with consumers in previously unimaginable ways and create interesting and unique marketing experiences.
The metaverse isn’t going away anytime soon, with an $800 billion industry expected by 2024, and the prospects given by metaverse technology appear to be limitless.
The metaverse appears to be the internet’s favourite phrase right now, from parodies about Mark Zuckerberg’s avatar to NFTs and virtual concerts. But what precisely is the metaverse?
And how does it relate to digital marketing?
What Exactly Is the Metaverse?
Simply put, the metaverse is an online digital environment in which users may immerse themselves via the use of virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) (AR). Users in the metaverse construct avatars that travel around a 3D world where they may interact with others and their surroundings.
The notion of a metaverse is not new, and the phrase was first used in science fiction 30 years ago. The eerily realistic story envisioned the metaverse as a parallel internet world that VR headset users might explore.
So far, so science fiction. The metaverse is poised to become a reality, and others claim it is already here.
Facebook (now Meta) characterized the metaverse in a news release as “a series of virtual environments where you may create and explore with other individuals who aren’t in the same physical space as you. “You’ll be able to socialize with your pals, work, play, study, shop, create, and do other things.”
Today, the most visible instances of the metaverse are platforms like Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite, which integrate virtual reality to construct more sophisticated online environments.
Users walk around a virtual environment, create avatars, and connect with others on these platforms; they may even buy things and attend virtual events and activities.
Even if you haven’t heard of them, these industries have a massive potential market, with Robox reporting 202 million active users in April 2021.
Explaining the Metaverse
Separating actuality from science fantasy possibilities and defining what the metaverse implies is a problematic undertaking, partially because corporations like Facebook (Meta) and Microsoft are working on their versions, making the phrase fluid and ever-changing.
Although the metaverse concept might feel hazy and up to interpretation, many individuals agree on some fundamental elements that define anything as a metaverse. Matthew Ball, a venture capitalist, has identified some of the main qualities of metaverses.
title=”what is metaverse”
What Exactly Is Metaverse Marketing?
Marketers are constantly striving to stay current with technology changes, so it’s no surprise that the idea of metaverse marketing has become a hot issue in the digital marketing field.
As the barrier between the real and virtual worlds becomes increasingly blurred, the metaverse is poised to become a location where consumers spend more time, interact with companies, and even purchase virtual goods.
Brands are shifting their digital marketing approach toward the metaverse to remain relevant to millennial or Gen Z audiences, who are seen as the most enthusiastic metaverse users.
Gen Z consumers spend twice as much time socializing in the metaverse as in real life. Although many users are young, their spending power and influence will only expand with time.
Metaverse Marketing Strategies Examples-
Make Virtual Reality Experiences:
More and more businesses are leveraging metaverse technology to increase brand recognition and provide viewers with a pleasant and entertaining experience.
Vans teamed with Roblox to build a virtual skate park where users could practise their virtual skating abilities and purchase Vans merchandise.
Provide In-World Purchases:
With 65 per cent of Gen Z customers having spent money on a virtual item that lives solely inside the constraints of an online environment, a growing number of consumers are blurring the borders between actual and virtual purchases.
In reality, the industry for in-game purchases is expected to be worth $74.4 billion by 2025.
Balenciaga, a luxury fashion brand, has collaborated with Fortnite to create virtual apparel and accessories that fans can purchase for their avatars. A digital Gucci bag was recently sold on Roblox for more than $4,100, outbidding the item’s actual worth.
Organize Virtual Events:
Virtual events and concerts that connect fans with celebrities from the comfort of their own homes have grown in popularity in the metaverse: over 33 million people saw Lil Nas X’s virtual performance on Roblox.
The metaverse provides marketers with a one-of-a-kind chance to reach audiences in ways never previously feasible — allowing audiences to experience brands from their own homes.
Although current forms of the metaverse appear to be aimed at a younger audience, investment from some of the world’s largest tech companies implies that the metaverse’s impact will be as revolutionary as the creation of the internet or social media.


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One year to get a 12-speed chain. Five hundred days for a new saddle. And up to a two year wait until certain bike models come back in stock.
These are the wait times that retailers like Sweet Pete’s Bike Shop in Toronto say customers can expect to wait if they need certain parts for repair jobs or specific bicycle models.
Bike stores found themselves inundated by demand from new customers looking to spend more time outside when the pandemic started last spring, but Pete Lilly, owner of Sweet Pete’s, said this year looks to be even more complicated for bike shops as they deal with shortages in bike parts.
“We’re still in the same situation we were in last year, but maybe slightly worse just because at least last year we were starting with full stores and basements,” said Lilly, who’s shop is in Toronto’s West End.
This time around, stores are already low in stock after last year’s unprecedented rush.
Lilly said consumers should plan for longer service times, especially as more people start taking their old bikes out of storage and into shops for maintenance for the spring and summer
He said shops are doing their best to find different solutions for fixes, and to at least make bikes rideable when they don’t have the supplies to completely repair them.
Some bike shops are even stopping the sale of certain parts online so they can ensure that local customers will be able to access them for certain fixes. Sweet Pete’s recently stopped selling disc brake rotors to reserve them for shop jobs.
In Calgary, Ridley’s Cycle said employees had to constantly be aware when looking up availability dates for products.
“I was looking at bikes and thought, ‘oh it’ll be available by June or July, that’s not too bad,’ and mentioned that to a customer,” said Joshua Jean, the shop’s service manager.
“I didn’t have a keen eye on it and it was actually June or July of 2022… That’s just something we’ve never seen before.”
While parts are the main source of headaches for bike shops, many bike models are also out of stock for months out come, leaving consumers with few options.
The cost of models that are in stock has also gone up as manufacturers and retailers deal with the rising cost of metals, rubber, wages and shipping. The best selling city bike at Sweet Pete’s used to be $699 but now sells for $749.
For new cyclists and people who are looking to get work done on their bikes this season, Jean at Ridley’s Cycle implores customers to be patient and to try different avenues for bike repairs if their local shop is completely booked or doesn’t have parts
“Don’t be intimidated and call around, there’s other options out there,” said Jean, saying there are some shops that are a 20 minute drive outside of Calgary that have much lower wait times, as well as other business models for bike mechanics.
“We’re starting to see a lot of home mechanic businesses pop up, or more reputable mechanic van businesses where people drive around and fix people’s bikes at their homes, so there are options to get your bike ready.”
He said cyclists can also walk in to their local shop to see if a mechanic can at least make minor fixes so their bike is rideable while they wait for more major repairs.
For people who are getting into cycling for the very first time, Lilly stresses that their experience buying a bike and getting it serviced this season will not be the norm.
“Things are out of hand because of factors that we’ve never seen before,” said Lilly.
“Bike stores want to help you and we’re here to provide good customer service and get you on a bike, it’s just this is really unusual.”


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Table of Contents
A new wearable gadget that fixes to the arm can measure blood sugar and muscle mass tiredness at the health and fitness center and alcohol stages at the pub.
Made in California, the prototype can consistently keep an eye on three health and fitness stats – glucose, alcoholic beverages and lactate degrees – both independently or concurrently in authentic-time.
About the sizing of a few poker chips stacked alongside one another, it is applied to the pores and skin painlessly by way of a Velcro-like patch of microscopic needles.
These needles acquire readings from fluid underneath the skin and then sends the info wirelessly to a personalized smartphone app.
Scientists hope to commercialise the product, which could present a solitary remedy for diabetes clients in everyday life.
The system can be worn on the upper arm though the wearer goes about their day – no matter whether they are at the health club or the pub
Engineers at the College of California San Diego (UCSD) explain their device in a paper posted nowadays in Nature Biomedical Engineering.
‘This is like a full lab on the pores and skin,’ stated analyze writer Joseph Wang, a professor of nanoengineering at UC San Diego.
‘It is able of constantly measuring a number of biomarkers at the identical time, making it possible for customers to keep an eye on their wellness and wellness as they conduct their every day things to do.’
Most business wellbeing displays, this sort of as constant glucose displays for sufferers with diabetic issues, only evaluate one particular signal.
The problem with that is that it leaves out details that could assistance persons with diabetes regulate their disorder far more proficiently.
For case in point, monitoring alcoholic beverages degrees is also valuable mainly because ingesting alcohol can reduce glucose ranges.
Understanding both of those concentrations can aid individuals with diabetic issues stop their blood sugar from dropping also minimal right after having a consume.
Combining details about lactate – a biomarker for muscle tiredness, such as through work out – is also beneficial for the reason that actual physical activity influences the body’s ability to control glucose.
The unit operates with a personalized smartphone application, designed by the research team, for info capture and visualization
About the dimension of three poker chips stacked with each other, the new device is utilized to the pores and skin painlessly as a result of a Velcro-like patch of microscopic needles. Here, the disposable microneedle patch detaches from its reusable digital circumstance
‘With our wearable, people can see the interaction involving their glucose spikes or dips with their diet, training and ingesting of alcoholic drinks,’ explained co-author Farshad Tehrani at UCSD.
‘That could insert to their excellent of everyday living as effectively.’
The device’s patch of 25 microscopic needles, or microneedles, are every single about one-fifth the width of a human hair.
Sticking these in a person’s arm does not lead to ache, the researchers say, as the microneedles scarcely penetrate the area of the skin.
Different enzymes on the tips of the microneedles respond with lactate, glucose and liquor identified in interstitial fluid – the fluid surrounding the cells beneath the pores and skin.
These reactions crank out compact electric powered currents, which are analysed by electronic sensors and communicated wirelessly to the smartphone app.
In trials, the wearable was tested on five volunteers, who wore the gadget on their higher arm, although doing exercises, consuming a food and ingesting a glass of wine.
The device’s microneedles scarcely penetrate the dermis – the interior layer of the two principal layers of the pores and skin
The product can be recharged on an off-the-shelf wireless charging pad, like the ones used for Apple’s iPhones
It was utilized to constantly keep an eye on the volunteers’ glucose ranges at the same time with both their liquor or lactate concentrations.
Glucose, alcohol and lactate measurements taken by the machine intently matched measurements taken by a commercial blood glucose check and a breathalyzer, as very well as blood lactate measurements executed in the lab.
According to the workforce, every single microneedle patch is disposable, so consumers could most likely get in bulk and inventory up when they need to have to when the system is commercialised.
The wearable connects to a reusable digital scenario that houses the battery, digital sensors, wireless transmitter and other digital components.
This permits the device to be recharged on any wireless charging pad utilised for phones and smartwatches.
Researchers have co-established a startup company identified as AquilX to more develop the engineering for commercialization.
Following steps contain testing and strengthening on how prolonged the microneedle patch can very last just before being changed.
The firm is also psyched about the probability of incorporating additional sensors to the product to check medication amounts in clients and other health alerts.


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The all-new 2018 Volvo XC60 is quite simply the can’t-miss luxury crossover, especially in T8 plug-in hybrid trim. Just read our contributor Dan Heyman’s in-depth review and you’ll be convinced.
The main event this week, of course, was the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. Our comprehensive coverage included a superb photo gallery, a top 10 model launches, as well as details and videos for all the big premieres. BMW, Volkswagen and Honda, in particular, made a strong impression.
Last Saturday, Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada announced that Toyota Canada’s first hydrogen fueling and service facility will be built at its Quebec zone office as a first step in the development of hydrogen fueling infrastructure in the province. A lot of people took note.
Our list of the top 10 most anticipated new models of fall on the Canadian market continues to draw interest among Auto123.com readers.
Same thing with our 2017 Hybrid and Electric Car Guide, which only reflects the dominating trend in today’s automotive industry.


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The late Apple CEO Steve Jobs had big hopes for Apple’s iAd, a mobile advertising platform that combines the emotion of TV ads with the interactivity of Web ads. But it looks as if Apple may be ready to exit the business, or at least change its strategy.
After six years of pressing into the mobile ad network space, a report in BuzzFeed yesterday suggests that Apple is slowly getting rid of its iAd sales team in favor of an automated platform. That’s a big shift, considering Apple was looking to charge advertisers about $1 million to put their marketing messages on iPhones, iPod touches and iPads in the early days.
Apple could not immediately be reached for comment. But on Monday, the company acknowledged that it would indeed be expanding the iAd platform with a self-service ad-buying feature sometime in the next two months because it had been so popular with publishers.
When iAd launched on July 1, 2010, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple could charge companies as much as $10 million for the right to push ads over its iconic devices. At the time, the iAd platform was positioned as the premium advertising product for mobile devices, with typical ad costs between $100,000 and $200,000.
A Glorious Launch
The only problem is that iAd didn’t pan out the way Jobs envisioned it despite a megabrand-charged launch. When iAd debuted in 2010, it kicked off with mobile ad campaigns from the likes of Target, AT&T, Best Buy, Walt Disney Studios, State Farm, Nissan and many others. Apple had iAd commitments for 2010 totaling over $60 million, which represented nearly 50 percent of the total forecasted U.S. mobile ad spending for the second half of that year.
Apple’s iAd was attractive because it was solving a real mobile ad industry challenge. When users clicked on mobile ads in 2010, they were almost always taken out of their apps to one Web browser or another, which loaded the advertisers' Web pages.
Users then had to navigate back to their apps but it was often difficult to return to exactly what they were doing. iAd solved this problem by displaying full-screen video and interactive ad content so users would never have to leave their apps -- and letting users return to their apps anytime they chose.
But for all the promise, Apple fell short of the predictions. According to market research firm eMarketer, 2015 was a benchmark year for ad spending in the United States. The firm predicted mobile advertising would outpace desktop advertising for the first time. Specifically, the firm reported mobile would make up 51.9 percent of digital spending in 2015 and desktop’s share would keep dipping through 2019.
Tim Cook’s Issue
But Apple has not been realizing what it considers its fair share of those dollars. eMarketer estimated iAd generated about $487 million in 2014, the most recent numbers available. Google, by contrast, generated $59.6 billion and Facebook $11.5 billion in the same period. That puts Apple’s market share at 2.5 percent in 2014. The firm has predicted that iAd’s share will grow to 2.9 percent by 2019 but that is still insignificant in the big picture.
So what happened? Did Job’s death stymie Apple’s vision for ads? Did Tim Cook’s philosophy on data aggregation influence the strategy? In 2015, Cook called out ad-driven companies like Google and Facebook for how they use consumers’ private personal information for profits.
“Advertising was never a business Apple was culturally comfortable with,” Greg Sterling, vice president of Strategy and Insight at the Local Search Association, told us. “Think about Tim Cook’s recent criticisms of the use of personal data by online ad companies. Apple also greatly underestimated how challenging it would be to make iAd successful.”


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HourOne founder Oren Aharon reflects on winning this year’s startup competition at UNLEASH America 2023. Already a market leader in AI video tech, HourOne has big plans, as Aharon explains…
What inspired you to develop HourOne and what gap does it fill in the HR tech landscape?
HourOne helps an employee create its own virtual human and put it to work on their behalf. By that, it’s helping the company to better communicate internally and externally, about the product, about procedures, about capabilities of that company and therefore, increasing the scale and exposure of that company.
What’s the progress been like since launch?
Our product is based on real people and customers can come in in a freemium mode and register and start creating content. And then obviously our growth strategy – we have business and enterprise grade plans.
Today, we have thousands of customers ranging from five people in a company to 50k people in the company, all of them creating content with our platforms.
How do you stay ahead of the competition?
HourOne leads the market with generative AI and virtual humans. Basically, we have the highest quality and the best product in the market today. We are already doing generative AI-to-text, text-to-image, text-to-video, virtual humans, 3-D environments, indoor/outdoor. So actually, we are already leading the tech.
And the idea is just to grow and expand. This innovation is based on our 35 tech engineers that are based in our office, doing ground breaking research and building our own virtual human foundational models, capturing 1000s of people already through the system and turning them into virtual humans in a training environment.
What’s the most rewarding part of seeing your solution in action?
The most rewarding part is to see that people actually use it, and the feedback is amazing. You see 1000s of people every day coming in creating videos and getting very positive reactions. So that’s the most beneficial part of it.
What would you say to people who are critical or skeptical of AI?
These are two different subjects. First of all, a lot of things are hype, and this is currently the hype because of generative AI. But we’ve been here for the past five years, and we’ve built the most comprehensive guarantee value product in the market today. No way to argue about that. But the idea is to build a product and not just to be hype.
And regarding the second part, nobody’s here to steal any job. One of the interesting parts of our product is that the person who’s creating content of themselves is still involved in the creation. So it’s not fully automated, someone needs to drive the prompt. And this is the creator with their own face and voice, creating something that they like, eventually bringing their personality to the content.
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Customers who have student accounts with NatWest must now deposit £750 every six months or face charges on their overdrafts.
They will also have to make at least three purchases on card to prove that their student account is their main one.
NatWest initially told customers they would have to deposit at least £750 every three months, but relaxed the rule after complaints from customers.
Some students said they would not be able to make a deposit over the summer break because the last loan repayment of the academic year is in April.
The consumer support company Which? said it had put pressure on NatWest after a student complained on their forum.
The changes take effect from the 5th of October.


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Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms, speaks at Georgetown University in Washington on October 17, 2019.
Andrew Caballero Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images
Facebook hasn’t been this cheap since the start of the pandemic.
After dropping 14% for the week to close at $146.29, shares of Facebook’s parent company Meta reached their lowest level since March 2020, and for the period on Friday, fell even more. Meta has lost 61% of its value over the past 12 months, the largest drop among major tech stocks and more than double the drop in the Nasdaq Composite Index.
In a five-day slide in a row, the Meta is now trading just 28 cents above the closing price on March 16, 2020, when the early days of Covid-19 sent US stocks reeling.
If the Meta drops below $146.01, it will be the lowest since January 2019. That’s when Facebook was dealing with the fallout from Cambridge Analytica Scandal that tested consumer confidence in the social media company and led to a series of heated Congressional hearings.
However, Facebook was able to expand its active users in the United States in that quarter, but by just under 1 percent.
Since it officially changed its name to Meta last October, the news for CEO Mark Zuckerberg and the company has been nearly all bad. Apple’s iOS privacy update made it difficult for the company to target ads, and rival TikTok’s surge in popularity on social media has drawn users and advertisers away from the app. Meanwhile, the economic slowdown has caused many companies to cut back on their online marketing spending.
In July, Meta said it expected a second straight period of lower sales as it reported second-quarter earnings that it missed in net profit.
Watch: I’m not sure there’s a Meta core that works anymore


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Google has acquired AR company Raxium for an undisclosed fee as it pushes its AR ambitions.
Raxium is a young start-up working on MicroLED screen technologies that are important for wearables as well as AR and VR headsets.
“Today we’re announcing that Google has acquired Raxium, an innovator in single panel MicroLED display technologies. The team at Raxium has spent five years creating miniaturized, cost-effective and energy-efficient high-resolution displays that have laid the foundation for future display technologies. Raxium’s technical expertise in this area will play a key role as we continue to invest in our hardware efforts,” Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of devices and services at Google said in a blog post.
As part of its AR drive, Google acquired the Canadian AR glasses company North in 2020. In addition, the company is also looking for experts for its augmented reality OS team. The aim of the project is to develop software for an unknown “innovative AR device.”
“The Google Augmented Reality AR team is a group of engineers, designers and research scientists tasked with building the foundations for great immersive computing and prototyping helpful, delightful user experiences,” Google said.
The sources for this piece include an article in ComputerWorld.


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Some 94% of UK households will have a TV set capable of receiving HD programming by 2016, according to Informa Telecoms & Media.
Expected UK HD TV set penetration puts the UK in third place globally behind Canada and New Zealand, each with 95%. UK HD TV set penetration for this year is estimated at 81%.
About 72% of UK HD-ready homes are expected to be watching HD programming by 2016, up from 38% in 2011, against a global average of 70%, up from 45% this year.
The gap between HD set penetration and viewing in the UK is expected to be greater than in some other markets because of the popularity of digital-terrestrial service Freeview, which is forecast to have only around half of its users watching HD programming by 2016.
ICYMI: Telefónica appeals to start-ups for new TV app experiences digitaltveurope.com/2020/09/18/tel… https://t.co/Sy41o1JBJ4
19 September 2020 @ 17:00:01 UTC


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SUITING UP: Asos has teamed with the British Paralympic Association on a capsule range for the Paralympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro today through Sept. 18.
The British e-tailer has created a line of formal and ceremony outfits for the ParalympicsGB team to don during the opening and closing ceremonies of the Paralympic Games in Rio as well as team appearances.
The collection pays homage to British heritage and, according to the brand, the range is “simple, functional, yet fashionable” and includes a sleeveless shirt, skirt, trousers, shorts and jacket in a color-blocked design in hues of red, white and blue.
The looks will be worn by 264 athletes and support staff.
The e-tailer has been in partnership with the Paralympics since early last year. Paralympians Will Bayley, Jordanne Whiley, Sam Ruddock and Lauren Steadman took to the Asos runway in London last year when the partnership was announced.
Asos creative director for men’s wear and production, John Mooney, noted the brand is “proud to be the formalwear supplier.” He enjoyed meeting the athletes and designing clothes “that will make them look and feel their best at the games.”
Asos is the 10th partner for the BPA. Other partners include Adidas, BT, BP, Deloitte, EDF Energy, Hogan Lovells, Mondelez, Nissan and Sainsbury’s.


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Marks & Spencer adds new brands to make clothing offer more relevant
Marks & Spencer has launched a range of guest fashion brands as part of its attempt to make its clothing business more relevant and to “turbocharge” online growth.
The retailer announced today that it has partnered with clothing brands including Hobbs, Joules and White Stuff, which will be marketed under its “Brands at M&S” banner.
It is part of M&S’ “Never the Same Again” transformation strategy to reinvigorate its struggling clothing division.
The new brands, which also include Sloggi, Sosandar and Phase Eight, will launch online in March, April and May and will be sold alongside M&S’ in-house lines Autograph, Goodmove and Per Una.
There will also be opportunities to offer some of the brands in-store in the future, M&S said.
The retailer, which this week announced proposals to downsize its retail space on London’s Oxford Street, has already launched partnerships with womenswear retailer Nobody’s Child and toy store Early Learning Centre.
It also recently began partnerships with kidswear brands Elle Junior, Russell Athletic, Ben Sherman and Original Penguin.
Neil Harrison, director of brands at M&S, said: “As part of our Never the Same Again programme we’re pleased to be introducing guest brands throughout the Spring onto M&S.com as part of our plans to turbocharge online growth.
“The exciting mix will offer our 22m customers products we already know they love and introduce them to some new brands – everything will be available with the benefits of shopping on M&S.com – from tailored Sparks offers to free next day click & collect.
“As part of our transformation, we also remain committed to developing the quality, style & value of our own ranges and sharing them with customers on M&S.com with energy, confidence & style.”


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Counterfeit cosmetics: turning beauties into beasts
Counterfeit make-up and fragrances are making their way into beauty stores all across Russia.
Shoppers may be enticed by a cheap price tag, but end up with a low quality product which sometimes has severe side effects.Officials say up to 30 per cent of all cosmetics in Russia are fake. But even these official statistics by the Ministry of Internal Affairs could just be the tip of the iceberg.Almost every month police raid store rooms with illegal goods produced both in Asian countries and in clandestine operations in Russia's own backyard, but counterfeit lipsticks and perfume are still everywhere.It is not always easy to tell real from fake. Sometimes even an expert can fail to spot the difference. But the price can be a real clue. A $3 tag on Chanel or Dior guarantees that you are purchasing a fake brand and, most likely, it will smell bad.Fake is always many times cheaper, but the real price to pay could be much greater. Veronika, who bought cheap mascara promising a “special” and “unforgettable” look, ended up in the hospital.“The first week all was fine, but then my eyes started itching terribly, became all red, and were watering. I couldn’t drive because I couldn’t see anything! I was diagnosed with blepharitis- inflammation of the eyelids. It led to a kind of allergy,” she said.Veronika says she'll never ever get anything from a dubious shop again, but the problem still remains – as there is no guarantee even in boutique stores.


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Till this day, how big exactly is the Windows Phone ecosystem is largely a myth. Microsoft is keeping crucial figures all to itself. Over time, many tried to measure the ecosystem with various ways, such as the active users of the Windows Phone Facebook client.
Now WPDang and OpenXLive have decided to do it a bit more scientifically: with consolidated server data of 112 apps and games. Sadly the report only covers the Chinese market, because the majority of these data source apps either make sense only to Chinese users, or are well ranked only in the Chinese Marketplace...
Nevertheless, the report might be interesting to developers elsewhere. As we know it, China has overtaken the US as the largest smartphone market in the world, and is still rapidly growing. There will be plenty of market share for Windows Phone to take. Hopefully the report could answer common questions such as “How big is the market exactly?” “Is it being well accepted by consumers?” “What kind of devices should I consider first when developing something for the Chinese market?”
A few key points of the report are:
- Windows Phone formally showed up in China extremely late. Now it’s starting at a fairly low point, but it’s been growing at very remarkable speed so far.
- Nokia rules the entire game, with Lumia 610 being the super star.
- Current Xbox Live titles are either completely absent in the Chinese Marketplace, or have the social function stripped down. This might give independent developers a better chance by competing on an even ground.
- Localization and payment issues of the Chinese OS will be addressed soon with the release of Windows Phone 8.
As I have noticed, there are some international developers already trying to court Chinese Windows Phone users. The latest example of such effort is World of Rabbit. The game comes with multilingual UI including Simplified Chinese. Despite the uninteresting font and slightly inaccurate machine translation, the final product is actually quite decent. Kudos to the developer for the effort!
So, what do you think of the report? Any suggestions for improvement? Do you feel the Chinese market of commercial interest? Or do you suggest we should chart the US market somehow? Let us know in the comment field.
And the WPDang & OpenXLive report comes in bilingual flavor (English & Simplified Chinese). To download the whole thing, click here for the news release, find the “English version” link, and just click.
Update 6: Microsoft wants all of TikTok, but Trump's order may interfere
The Financial Times reports that as part of negotiations, Microsoft is now inquiring whether it can buy all of TikTok, instead of just the business in the US., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This new plan would include India and Europe (and excluding China).
Apple responds to Project xCloud iOS block, Microsoft kicks back
With Microsoft's Project xCloud streaming platform locked out from iOS devices, Apple doubles down on App Store restrictions.
Here's why Halo Infinite's delay is ultimately a good thing
While the news that Halo Infinite has been delayed to 2021 due to COVID-19 is disappointing for fans who were hoping to explore Zeta Halo this holiday season, we ultimately think that it was the right decision for Microsoft and 343 Industries to make. Here's why.
10 must-have laptop accessories for students
You don't want to be stuck at school with a dead laptop or without a way to watch the latest viral video. Here are the laptop accessories you have to have to go back to school.


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Whether you’re a resident or planning to visit the Washington, D.C. area this weekend, there are heaps of holiday lights displays, pop-up markets and parades to help you celebrate the season in style.
Head to the Holiday Markets
The Downtown Holiday Market, located in Downtown D.C.’s bustling Penn Quarter (between 7th and 9th Streets on F Street NW), runs daily through December 23, featuring more than 70 vendors—many of which are local Black- and minority-owned businesses—live music and hot chocolate, among other wintertime treats.
Those who prefer to shop local this year should check out the Dupont Circle Holiday Pop-Up Market on December 4 between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. Browse booths hosted by more than 65 local vendors selling everything from jewelry and paintings to pottery and wellness products along Connecticut Avenue, P Street and 17th Street.
For a taste of a traditional German-style Christmas market highlighting more than 30 local artisans, head to the Heurich House Museum’s annual Christkindlmarkt, happening this year from December 3–5. General admission is $13, while a $19 Holiday Cheer ticket includes an alcoholic beverage to keep you warm as you shop.
Hit the Ice
The National Gallery’s Sculpture Garden Ice Rink is open now through March 6, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, though you’ll be limited to two 45-minute sessions. Tickets are $10 for adults, $9 for children 12 and under, those over 60, students and members of the military, plus $4 for skate rentals.
Now through February 2022, The Wharf Ice Rink is open Wednesday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults, $9 for ages 12 and under, plus another $6 for skate rentals. Seniors, active military members, healthcare workers and first responders can save $2 on Wednesday and Thursday.
In Georgetown, The Washington Harbour Ice Rink is open now through March 13, 2022, from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with special hours between December 23, 2021, and January 2, 2022. Tickets are $10 for adults, $9 for children 12 and under, seniors and military members, plus another $7 for skate rentals.
See an Epic Holiday Lights Display
In addition to trusty traditional holiday lights displays like the National Christmas Tree, the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree and the National Menorah, stop by CityCenter D.C. (on New York Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets NW) to view its impressive 75-foot Christmas tree, which sports more than 4,500 ornaments and 150,000 lights. Closer to the Navy Yard neighborhood, check out Light Yards, an impressive display featuring 22 brilliantly lit trees, available nightly from 6–10 p.m. through January 1, 2022. All displays are free and open to the public.
In the Capitol Riverfront area, don’t miss Enchant Christmas at Nationals Park, happening this year through January 2, 2022. Check out the 100-foot animated tree, enter the light maze, shop at the Christmas market, get a photo with Santa, and view the lights from its ice skating trail. Tickets start at $29–$39 per adult depending on when you go, $29 for children ages 3–17, $29–$36 for those over 65, military members and EMS workers. Children ages two and under get in free.
View the Holiday Boat Parade of Lights
Whether you choose to view the Holiday Boat Parade of Lights on December 4 from The Wharf in Washington, D.C. or along the Old Town Alexandria Waterfront (a 20-minute drive away), you’ll be treated to the sight of more than 60 boats sailing down the Washington Channel, all decked out in holiday lights and decorations. Enjoy live music and fireworks at The Wharf between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. and pop-up holiday markets and music in Old Town Alexandria from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., with the boat parade beginning here at 5:30 p.m. before heading up to D.C. by 7 p.m.
Attend the Scottish Walk in Old Town Alexandria
A tradition since 1969, Old Town Alexandria celebrates its Scottish heritage—the city was settled by Scottish merchants in 1749, after all—with the Scottish Christmas Walk on December 4. Led by the Compagna Center, the parade features tartan-clad members of the area’s Scottish clans, terriers and hounds, and pipe and drum bands marching through the streets of Old Town starting at 11 a.m.
Tour Mount Vernon by Candlelight
About 20 minutes from Old Town Alexandria (or a 35-minute drive from D.C.), Mount Vernon is hosting several holiday themed events this year. Take a 45-minute tour of George Washington’s former estate, led by a costumed character actors through the grounds by candlelight, enjoy performances by carolers and musicians and learn how the holidays were celebrated during the 18th century. Visit December 3–4, 10–11, or 19; your timed ticket, which can be purchased ahead of time online, also includes complimentary spiced cider and ginger cookies following the tour.


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Sunderland Bid backs national call for Government to support vulnerable businesses amid Omicron fears
Sunderland Bid is urging the Government to help businesses hit by the latest coronavirus crisis.
The city’s Business Improvement District is backing a national campaign launched today, Monday, December 20.
The #BusinessBooster campaign has written to both PM Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak on behalf of more than 100 BIDS across the UK and 100,000 retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, with a list of support needed to help these industries survive.
#BusinessBooster has been launched by Croydon BID and says urgent measures need to be put in place in the face of growing concern the country may face another lockdown.
The letter, from Croydon Bid chief executive Matthew Sims, says the critical Christmas trading period ‘is in tatters’ amid new fears over the Omicron covid variant, and businesses are teetering on the brink of financial ruin, with up to £4billion of sales lost nationwide.
“While we appreciate the risks to health due to the Omicron variant, we cannot and should not forget the businesses which have been all but shut down and want to continue to trade safely,” it says.
Measures outlined in the letter include a 100 per cent business rate relief for the first three months of 2022, followed by a 50% rate from April 1 to June 30.
It is also calling for a VAT reduction to 12.5 per cent for businesses in the most affected sectors as well as £15,000 grants to help them survive until business returns to normal.
Sharon Appleby, Chief Executive of Sunderland BID is supporting the campaign and is now distributing the letter to MPs, councillors and council officers across the city.
“This is once again a very worrying time for industries that were previously hardest hit by the restrictions and are now facing uncertainty about what new rules might be introduced,” she said.
“While it is important that we do everything we can to keep people safe and well, it’s also vital for the local economy that the Government recognise what an impact a potential further lockdown could have.
“We fully support this national campaign which asks the Government to act now and support vulnerable sectors to ensure they survive.”


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Apple and Samsung may have buried the overseas-litigation hatchet, but the companies continue to compete in the United States, where the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week rejected one of Cupertino's infringement claims.
In question is a patent related to the "autocomplete" feature, which provides keyboard suggestions based on text input.
The patent office's report is not a final decision, however. Apple can still present more information in its defense, drawing out the process by months or years before settling on a final solution, as CNET pointed out.
The USPTO decision is still a victory, however small, for the South Korean tech giant, which alerted District Court Judge Lucy Koh to the report in a Thursday court filing related to the ongoing litigation over IP between Samsung and Apple.
The feud began in 2011, when Apple accused its biggest competitor of copying the design of its iPhone and iPad devices. In the years since, the case expanded to dozens of courts around the globe, including South Korea, Japan, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, and the U.K.
Those international disputes, however, have been expunged, thanks to an agreement announced this week, which leaves only U.S.-based infractions to fight over.
Apple won $120 million in its second patent infringement trial against Samsung, but was also found to infringe on one of its rival's patents, owing almost $160,000 to Samsung.
Cupertino emerged victorious once before, in a 2012 trial that resulted in a $1.05 billion payday, which was later reduced to about $900 million.
Neither Samsung nor Apple immediately responded to PCMag's request for comment.
Earlier this year, Apple reached a deal with Google's Motorola that ended their patent fight.
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According to its latest report, the number of people using Facebook on a monthly basis had increased to 1.94 billion, topping Wall Street estimates with first-quarter revenue of $8.03 billion.
“We had a good start to 2017,” said Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.
Facebook founder and chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg
Facebook’s profits have jumped in the first three months of the year, increasing 76 percent year-on-year to just over $3bn (£2.4bn) in the period that was boosted through higher advertising revenues, particularly on mobile.
In the first quarter, Facebook added 80 million users that gave the service a tally of 1.94 billion who frequent the service at least once a month. It was also a big boost in Facebook’s target to indulge billions more users around the globe.
According to the company, two-thirds of Facebook’s monthly active users visit Facebook every day. The number of people who visited Facebook every day was 1.28 billion, up 18 percent year over year.
Jackdaw Research Chief Analyst Jan Dawson told USA TODAY in February that Facebook was on track to hit 2 billion users later this year, a major milestone that no other Internet company has reached.
“Massive user growth year on year, and amazingly it’s accelerating despite the massive existing scale,” Dawson said at the time. “It’s on track to become the first 2 billion-user company later this year.”
At this rate of growth, Facebook will surpass 2 billion users by late June, Dawson predicted Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Mr Zuckerberg also announced it was hiring 3,000 people for its “community operations team” to review content on the site.


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Lots of talks lately about the Metaverse. The game developers are announcing lots of new initiatives about Metaverse, but what does this mean for the gamers?
Several major techs, gaming, and social media companies have hopped onto the wagon train of the metaverse. A prime example recently was Zuckerberg’s decision to rename his company to Meta and shift the gears from social media to the metaverse. His decision though seems risky but this shows that how the industry views the metaverse and its future.
The game resembles the idea of what meta-verse plans to bring. But metaverse will bring forth an experience much more immersive and diverse with features that will also incorporate social media. Moreover, artists, concerts, and other arts will also move to the virtual world in addition to virtual personal interactions.
The goal is to make a meta-verse where all of the stated experiences and even more will go together in a flawless way.
To make the meta-verse experience richer, VR headsets, glasses, and lenses are being developed that will go hand in hand with the meta-verse. A large number of gaming developers are working on AR to introduce an extra layer of hyper interactivity.
Meta-verse is the buzzword nowadays and many giant corporations are working on it. We will have to wait to see how things unfold when it comes to the meta-verse.