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Google's Arora says mobile will create bigger advertising pie
Published on Mar 6, 2014 6:10 AM
SAN FRANCISCO (REUTERS) - Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets will vastly expand the number of companies who advertise online and will allow Internet companies to reap more revenue than they have from customers on personal computers (PCs), Google Inc chief business officer Nikesh Arora said on Wednesday.
Small, local businesses will represent the largest influx of new marketers as they discover the benefits of reaching on-the-go consumers on their mobile devices, Mr Arora said, speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference in San Francisco.
"The desktop world took the world of advertisers from tens of thousands to a few million," Mr Arora said. "I think as we go forward, that a few million becomes tens of millions as mobility becomes more relevant."
Mr Arora also said that monetisation on mobile will eventually "become a multiple" of the current rate of monetisation on desktop PCs.
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The market is saturated with food documentaries. A new one is about to surface, yet this one doesn’t seem to be filled with the same information told in a new way. This one rarely mentions obesity, doesn’t really get into what vegetables you should be eating, and I don’t think there’s much mention of fast food. This one is different. It’s bringing to light an important issue that has been hidden in the dark for too long. Genetic Roulette, The Gamble of Our Lives will be released soon and so will many frightening yet true facts about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).
GMOs have become a hot button issue in the food, health, and related industries. Grassroot efforts are rising up as Non-GMO advocates try to get ears to hear the hard truths about the food we’re being fed and the food we’re feeding to our kids. This film may be the voice advocates need. There are many details that compelled me to listen closer and research more about this topic. One of the harshest truths was revealed early on in the film – we are all likely eating food that causes insects’ stomachs to explode. Stomachs explode, yes, you read that right. (more…)
Surely you’ve been hearing the buzz about GMOs by now. As the vote in California is just around the corner, many more groups are talking about this controversial topic. In case you aren’t sure what all the talk is about, the California ballot next month will ask voters to pass a law to require labeling of GMOs, or Genetically Modified Organisms. If you haven’t decided where you stand about this subject, here are 7 facts about GMOs we hope will persuade you to vote Yes on 37.
1. A GMO is a Food with Altered DNA. Before we get too caught up in the details, let’s start at the beginning and define what a GMO is. GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. Much of our food supply is comprised of these organisms. A genetically modified food is a plant or meat that has had its DNA altered in a lab. Genes from other plants or organisms have been artificially altered to create unnatural compounds in food. This is all done in order to yield larger crops, allow the crop to resist insects, protect against viruses, and tolerate herbicides. This is all done in hopes to create bigger profits and lower costs to consumers.
2. The US is a Global Leader in GMO Crops. According to USA Today, the US leads the world in GMO crop planting. We planted 170 million acres in 2012. That yielded 95% of the country’s sugar beets, 94% of the soybeans, 90% of the cotton, and 88% of the feed corn. (more…)
This is the first summer, though, that my family has really questioned our favorite summertime vegetable. This is the first summer we learned we might be eating genetically modified corn on the cob.
According the the Non-GMO Shopping Guide, there are very few fresh fruits and vegetables sold in America that are actually genetically modified. In fact, the only commercialized GMO is Hawaii’s papaya. This fact was true, but it seems that things are about to change.
Just this month, Wal-Mart Supercenters announced they will be carrying a line of Monsanto’s GMO sweet corn, despite the public’s outcries, according to a report from CommonDreams.org. As it is with all GMO foods in America, the store does not have to label the corn, and they said they won’t be.
The type of corn Wal-Mart is selling is a blend that has been modified to resist the toxic impact of being sprayed with chemical pesticides and herbicides.
Another blend has been growing this summer, too. MotherJones.com reported that a drought-tolerant corn was approved by the USDA in December 2011. They said farmers could begin growing and testing this crop this summer. Given the drought we’ve had this year, it lent a perfect excuse for such a blend of corn. (more…)
Ever since genetically modified foods entered the market in 1996, controversy has surrounded them. Genetically modified foods, also called GMOs (genetically modified organism) or genetically engineered foods, are products whose DNA has been altered in a way that would not occur naturally. This is done in order to produce a crop with bigger yields, insect resistance, virus protection, and herbicide tolerance, thus hopefully translating into bigger profits for producers and lower prices for consumers.
Genetically modified foods are a staple in most Americans’ diets whether they know it or not. Genetically modified crops include corn, soybeans, canola, cottonseed, sugar beets, squash, papaya, and a bevy of other foods. Most GM products are made with corn and soybeans, in one of their many forms, and cottonseed and canola oil. Many processed foods contain one or more of these four ingredients. Additionally, many products are manufactured with the help of animals given genetically modified food or growth hormones. This includes dairy products produced by cows given the rBGH hormone as well as egg-producing chickens given GM grains. (more…)

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New independent games studio Mighty Mill Games has announced its first project, Tanuki Forest, for iOS devices. The game follows a mysterious forest creature on a quest to save his fellow animals from the dark forces that have appeared in his world. The endless survival game plays in a similar fashion to Halfbrick’s Jetpack Joyride (among others), as gamers fly their character from left to right as far as they can before failing.
Wishabi has announced the launch of its Flipp digital flyer app on Android devices. Previously released on iOS, the Flipp platform allows mobile users to browse local retail flyers and weekly advertisements from stores including Target, Macy’s, Sports Authority and Dollar General. In doing so, users can more easily find sales, compare items among stores and create shopping lists in a single app.
After briefly announcing FarmVille 2: Country Escape in an update to fans on its official blog, Zynga has released additional details about the game. While this game is a brand new mobile experience, it will also connect back to the original FarmVille 2 Facebook game (our review), while also providing its own unique setting, quests, characters and more.
With the start of another NASCAR season, ETX Racing has announced the release of NASCAR Manager on iOS and Android devices. The officially licensed NASCAR game sees players taking part in the week-to-week build up to The Chase, as players manage their vehicle and team, creating the best car setup and using the strategies necessary to win each race.
Playmous has launched its newest game on iOS devices, God of Light, which sees players controlling light beams by bouncing them off of mirrors and other reflective surfaces to light up levels and complete puzzles. Players join the game’s mascot, Shiny, on a quest through three game worlds and 75 levels, as Shiny tries to save the world from darkness.
Touch Dimensions has announced the launch of Autumn Dynasty: Warlords on iOS devices. The game is a follow-up to the original Autumn Dynasty, and aims to offer a real-time strategy experience the likes of which players would find in classic PC titles. The game takes players to a land filled with bloodshed, and challenges them to bring all surrounding forces and territories under their own rule to stop the violence.
After releasing the game on browsers in August 2013, WB Games Montreal and TT Games have launched Lego Legends of Chima Online on iOS. The game takes players to the land of Chima, where they’ll build an outpost and explore locations from the popular cartoon series. Players can join the Lion, Eagle, Gorilla or Bear tribes, and will complete quests by defeating enemies, uncovering lost treasures and more in 3D environments.
Fans of both soccer and reflex-driven games have a new option to check out on iOS, as Tiny Goalie is now available to download for free. The survival game places players in the shoes of a soccer goalie, and asks them to block oncoming shots for as long as they can to earn points.
Originally announced at the beginning of 2014, Game Insight has released The Tribez & Castlez on iOS and Android devices. The game is a spin-off of the company’s popular original game The Tribez (our review), which has been downloaded by more than 14 million players worldwide. In The Tribez & Castlez, players travel to a medieval land of magic, where they’re challenged to help a prince rebuild his kingdom.
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- Take a trip to the coast in FarmVille 2: Country Escape on mobile


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Union and MPs call for Parliamentary inquiry into Amazon
18 February 2020
The move comes is in response to growing concern over worker welfare at the retailer’s warehouses.
GMB claims its own investigation found 600 serious injuries or near misses in the past three years at Amazon warehouses in the UK.
The figures were used on BBC’s Panorama programme [broadcast on Monday February 17, 2020] and are the result of Freedom of Information Act requests submitted by GMB to local authorities across the UK
They show that between 2016/17 and 2018/19 a total of 622 reports have been made from Amazon warehouses to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – with the number rising each year.
Examples quoted by GMB include:
- A worker at a London warehouse was knocked unconscious and stopped breathing following a head injury. The accident investigation report found that 'the main root cause of this incident was failing to provide a safe working environment.'
- In Manchester, an Amazon Worker fractured their hand after their fingers got caught in between the station sliding gate and the surrounding gate support.
- At a London warehouse, a forklift driver collided with a column, causing a mezzanine floor to become unsafe in a serious ‘near miss’ incident.
- A worker in Manchester suffered head injuries after a number of boxes fell on them, they were later diagnosed with an inter vertebral disc prolapse.
- A worker at Bardon Hill, in Leicestershire, suffered internal bruising after being knocked down and wedged under a heavy goods vehicle.
Mick Rix, GMB national officer, said: “Amazon are spending millions on PR campaigns trying to persuade people its warehouses are great places to work. But the facts are there for all to see -things are getting worse. Hundreds of stricken Amazon workers are needing urgent medical attention. Conditions are hellish.
“We’ve tried over and over again to get Amazon to talk to use to try and improve safety for workers. But enough is enough – it’s now time for a full parliamentary inquiry.”
Jack Dromey, MP for Birmingham Erdington, said: “In my 30 years in the world of work I cannot remember any company clock up so many injuries to its workers. I have been inside the giant Rugeley depot and heard first hand from frightened workers of the 77 serious incidents in Rugeley alone.
“Amazon purports to be a 21st century company. It behaves like a 19th century mill owner. Amazon owner, the American billionaire, Jeff Bezos, should be called to account by Parliament for his actions.
“How can he or Amazon justify refusing to talk to their workers’ union, the GMB, on safety? Their behaviour is disgraceful.”
Labour leadership contender Lisa Nandy also joined the call for an inquiry into Amazon.
HSS has approached Amazon for comment.


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- For Immediate Release:
- Statement From:
In 2018, the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health achieved several new milestones, including a record-setting year for approvals of novel medical devices. We also focused on advancing several meaningful initiatives and policy proposals aimed at enhancing the safety of medical devices, including the safety of devices cleared through the FDA’s 510(k) review process.
We articulated those concepts early in the year as part of the FDA’s Medical Device Safety Action Plan and most recently with our announcement of changes to strengthen the 510(k) program. The Safety Action Plan described actions we’ve taken over the past several years to enhance device safety and outlined our vision for how the agency can build on these initiatives to further assure the safety and effectiveness of medical devices.
As we start the new year, we’re dedicated to executing on the commitments we laid out last year and implementing our proposed new policies. As we outlined this past November, one of our goals is to ensure that the 510(k) program is keeping pace with the important innovations we’re seeing in device development. We believe this means that, where appropriate, new medical devices coming to market under the 510(k) pathway should either account for advances in technology that can improve the safety or performance of these products, or demonstrate that they meet more modern safety and performance criteria. Today, we’re pleased to announce two developments toward advancing this policy effort.
First, the FDA posted its final guidance establishing the framework for the Safety and Performance Based Pathway1. The new name for this guidance reflects our focus on advancing new products with improved safety and performance. This option for 510(k) clearance will modernize our approach to moderate risk devices by allowing manufacturers to use objective performance criteria established or recognized by the FDA to facilitate demonstration of substantial equivalence of their new products to legally marketed devices. Under the traditional approach, manufacturers often rely on comparative testing against a device already on the market, known as a predicate device, to show that a new device is as safe and effective as the predicate device. But, the predicates may be older and, consequently, they may not reflect the modern technology embedded in new devices of that type.
For appropriate device types, the Safety and Performance Based Pathway will ensure that the performance characteristics of new devices are evaluated against a set of objective, transparent and well-validated safety and performance metrics. It’s important to note that devices using this pathway will still have to meet our current standards for reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness before they can be marketed. The benefit of this approach is that the pathway will benchmark modern technology against modern standards while, at the same time, offering a potentially more efficient way to demonstrate that a new device is substantially equivalent to devices already on the market, and thereby ensure patients have timely access to beneficial products. We also believe this new approach may drive greater market competition to develop safer devices. By using this pathway, manufacturers would have demonstrated that their products meet objective safety and performance criteria that are based on modern technological principles.
This year, we’ll build on today’s final guidance by establishing safety and performance criteria for certain well-understood device types. We’ll issue these criteria through guidance, which includes an opportunity for public comment prior to using them under the new pathway.
In addition, today, the FDA is soliciting public comment on steps that we could take to further encourage medical device manufacturers to develop innovations that enhance the safety of 510(k) devices. One possible way to advance this goal could be to focus on the use of more modern predicate devices.
As we noted above, older predicates might not closely reflect modern technology used in new devices. While this doesn’t mean the products that reference those predicates are unsafe, it does mean there is an opportunity to examine how we can enhance the process to ensure devices are continually improving so patients can reap the benefits of modern advancements.
To that end, as we discussed in our November statement, we’re considering whether, in addition to the information in the 510(k) database, the FDA should post on its website a list of FDA-cleared devices that demonstrated substantial equivalence to older predicate devices. Doing so would create more transparency about these technologies, with the goal of driving device manufacturers to offer patients devices with the latest improvements.
However, we recognize that for some types of well-established technologies there is not a need for improvements, and reliance on older predicates would not only be appropriate but necessary. We’re seeking comment on this new proposed approach, as well as other questions that will help inform our regulatory policy development, including:
- Should the FDA make public a list of devices, or manufacturers who make technologies, that rely on predicates that have been on the market for more than a certain number of years (e.g., 10 years)? If so, what would be an appropriate period of time?
- Should the FDA consider using other criteria to inform our point of reference?
- Are there other and/or alternative actions we should take to promote the development and marketing of safer, more effective 510(k) devices?
- Should the FDA consider certain actions that might require new authority, such as making at least some older devices ineligible as predicates?
The FDA has opened a docket to receive comment on these questions, and we request that any responses be provided within 90 days. We’re committed to engaging with the public on our approach to 510(k) modernization and look forward to receiving and reviewing this feedback.
We believe firmly in the merits of the 510(k) process. Thousands of devices are cleared through this process each year and countless thousands more patients benefit from these technologies. In taking these new steps today, we’re reaffirming our commitment to continually strengthening our review process, so that it can continue to serve and protect American patients well for years to come.
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
1 Guidance previously titled “Expansion of the Abbreviated 510(k) Program: Demonstrating Substantial Equivalence through Performance Criteria.”
- Angela Stark


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"The PS Vita has been available for around a year now, and what a years it’s been. With more ups and downs than a Call of Duty title’s Metacritic rating, it has at least been an interesting year for the handheld, with a brighter future laid out ahead.
The PS Vita, as most will tell you, is struggling. They’ll tell you it has no games and is too expensive. Maybe, just maybe that was the case a few months ago, during the summer when releases start to dry up and gamers get fed up with the lack of titles on offer.
Not today though, no way, and not tomorrow either, because the PS Vita has been given one big kick of adrenaline and Sony is finally ready to start throwing their weight around to get the handheld slice of gold into the hands of gamers, hungry for some top-notch gaming on the go, even more so, in the living room." - The Games Cabin


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It’s been many months without any outlet reports, but get ready, because Disney’s Character Warehouse is set to reopen soon. According to a post from WDWMAGIC, Disney’s Character Warehouse at Orlando Premium Outlet International Drive and Disney’s Character Warehouse at Orlando Premium Outlet Vineland Avenue will be reopening soon, along with Cast Connection, the Cast Member exclusive store at Walt Disney World. No official date has been released for these reopenings, which should take place within the coming weeks. We are […]
The post Disney’s Character Warehouse Reopening Soon, Along with Cast Connection at Walt Disney World appeared first on WDW News Today.


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Merry Christmas 2016! A new custom sees folks enjoying the novelty of gingerbread houses and finds that many are buying them to take home for the kids.
Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas are completely in festive mood, and this yummy Gingerbread house is proof of the same.
Viral: Gingerbread house baking competition organised in Sweden captured the essence of festivities in the Coronavirus era in the most relatable way.
There are gingerbread houses - candy-covered Christmas cottages - and then there is White House gingerbread, confectionery masterpieces created for the first family, their friends and the thousands lucky enough to see the display in ...


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Each week, ESI Digest breaks down the weekly happenings in the esports industry, making sense of things so you don’t have to. As well as being housed on YouTube, ESI Digest is available on all major podcast platforms and is also available in written form below.
On this week’s ESI Digest we cover, Guild Esports’ Subway partnership, ByteDance reportedly purchasing Moonton, ESL launching its mobile ecosystem, Team Endpoint’s CeX extension, and 2021 SEA Games’ esports announcement.
This edition of the ESI Digest is in partnership with payments solution firm AstroPay.
British organisation Guild Esports has announced a two-year sponsorship deal with sandwich franchise Subway.
The multi-million-pound agreement will cover 55 EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) markets. Additionally, Subway branding will be featured on Guild’s team jerseys, across the organisation’s branded content, and throughout its London headquarters opening later this year.
Chinese technology company and TikTok’s owner ByteDance has reportedly acquired Mobile Legends: Bang Bang developer and publisher Moonton.
The acquisition, which is believed to be valued to be around $4bn, has been made through ByteDance’s video games unit Nuverse, according to Reuters.
It was also reported by the news agency that Chinese technology conglomerate Tencent also bid to acquire Moonton, however, the offer was matched by ByteDance last week.
British organisation Team Endpoint has extended its partnership with second-hand technology retailer CeX and appointed key players to its board.
Hugh Man and Frank Orchard, the Chairman and Franchise Director of CeX respectively, have joined Team Endpoint’s board in non-executive roles as part of the equity-linked agreement. Exact financial details were not disclosed, however, the organisation confirmed that it is a ‘seven-figure’ deal.
Esports organiser and production company ESL Gaming has announced a new mobile esports ecosystem covering North America, Europe/MENA, and Asia-Pacific.
ESL Mobile’s inaugural 2021 Spring Season kicks off on April 12th with a $650,000 (£475,069) prize pool. The Fall Season will be held later this year.
The Vietnam Electronic Sports and Entertainment Association (VIRESA) has revealed the list of esports titles that will be included in the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games as official medal sports.
The event will feature ten esports tournaments in League of Legends, League of Legends: Wild Rift, PUBG Mobile, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, FIFA Online 4, Free Fire, Arena of Valor and CrossFire.
Esports Insider is pleased to reveal the agenda and full lineup of speakers for ESI Digital Spring, which is set to take place from March 30th-31st.
ESI Digital Spring’s speakers include some of the industry’s most celebrated thought leaders and brand authorities, such as G2 Esports, Nerd Street Gamers, Team Vitality, BLAST, Team Liquid, Riot Games, Pringles, BBC Sport, and ESL.
ESI Digest, in partnership with AstroPay, is part of the ESI Network, a collection of podcasts encompassing the esports industry. For deep dives into the major areas of esports with subject matter experts, check out ESI Focus. For conversations with key personnel and major stakeholders in esports, ESI Insight is the series for you.


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The iPhone X’s new all-screen display and even its contentious notch have been sidelined by one new feature that may make its way into future iPhones and iPads. The attention, not to mention criticism, given to the phone’s Face ID biometric security isn’t exactly surprising. Humans have a tendency to be skeptical of new things, especially when new things initially promised the world in terms of security. And now they may have even more reason to be extra dubious of Face ID after a woman’s iPhone X was unlocked again and again by her 10 year old son.
There is no shortage of videos and testimonies trying to prove how fallible Face ID, some of which have already been debunked or explained away. Apple itself, although after criticism already flooded the Web, conceded that Face ID could indeed be tricked by identical twins or very similar looking family members. Which is why the case of Attaulah Malik’s wife Sana Sherwani and son Ammar is particularly curious.
They are neither twins nor even of the same gender. One’s head is smaller than the other. And while mother and son do share some familiar similarities as far facial structure goes, the father insists that his son is often said to look more like him than his mother. Then again, most fathers probably say that.
This also isn’t similar to the case of two look-alike brothers who were able to “train” Face ID to accept the other’s face as an authorized face. This was done by typing in the PIN after failed attempts, which signaled Face ID to sort of composite of the two faces. In the case of Malik’s family, however, Ammar was immediately able to unlock his mother’s phone on the first attempt. Repeated experimentation suggests that Face ID might mistake similar looking faces more easily when it is set up under certain lighting conditions, like low light.
The good news is that it is extremely difficult for strangers and criminals to do such feats, unless they have already obtained a copy of your head. It does, however, pose a problem for families where devices like an iPhone X is within easy reach. But if you have a child or sibling who is prone to knowingly and willingly use your phone without your permission, then you might have a bigger problem at home than just the iPhone X’s Face ID.


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After exporting Coronavirus to the world, China holds a ‘fashion show’ of PPE kits notorious for being faulty
A variety of personal protective equipment (PPE) was featured on the ramp walk at China-Dandong Fashion Week
Indian PPE industry has grown to a Rs 10,000 crore industry in just two months, eyes export market after fulfilling domestic demand: Report
The coronavirus crisis has transformed once a moribund PPE industry and catapulted it on an unprecedented growth trajectory
Scientist Beyond Borders group is endeavouring their best by taking advantage of their knowledge, experience and efforts in giving a platform and empowering public at large with updated information and open to use technologies.
JNU sanitation workers forced to work with no masks and wages for 3 months amidst Coronavirus outbreak: Report
Besides denying monthly wage, the JNU administration has not provided the sanitation workers with basic protective gear such as gloves and masks.
Telangana minister KT Ramarao fact-checks India Today’s claims over PPEs in the state, calls it disgraceful journalism
India Today managing editor Rahul Kanwal put up an infographic which listed out the number of PPEs available in coroanvirus designated hospitals in India’s 12 most affected states. According to Kanwal, Maharashtra has the maximum number of PPEs at 1,22,133. The lowest, according to him was Telangana with 3,132 PPEs.
Coronavirus: No N95 masks or critical PPEs are being exported, govt allays fears in wake of claims on social media
On 29 March, India supplied 90 tonnes of medical protective equipment to Serbia to help the country in fighting the Chinese coronavirus outbreak.
While New York claps for its first responders, doctors, and nurses, the medical workers decry abysmal lack of Coronavirus protection
New York City claps and cheers for its medical staff while the health workers facing shortage of protective equipment alleging the reason of death of a medical staff.


text: Bank of America is going plastic-free for its ATMs. The company is developing automated teller machines that let customers use smartphones instead of plastic cards, per a source. "We're going to spend a lot of money on the ATM network this year," the person said. It includes enabling ATMs to accept payments from the bank’s credit card customers and cashing checks from the machines. It also wants to allow customers to get varying denominations of cash from its ATMs.


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Apple Inc. plunged the most in more than two years after posting the slowest profit growth since 2003 and the weakest sales increase in 14 quarters, fueling concern that mounting costs and competition may curtail growth.
The shares dropped 9.7 percent to $464.08 at 10:37 a.m. in New York, and earlier touched $450.66 for the biggest intraday decline since May 2010. Fiscal first-quarter profit rose less than 1 percent to $13.1 billion, or $13.81 a share. Sales climbed 18 percent to $54.5 billion, compared with 73 percent growth in the same period a year ago.
Yesterday’s results underscored the rising costs of product overhauls amid competition from Samsung Electronics Co. in the saturating smartphone market. Even as Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook guided Apple to record revenue and iPad and iPhone sales, investors worry about management’s ability to keep producing hit products more than a year after the death of co- founder Steve Jobs.
“People are concerned about how quickly sales are falling off after the initial product launches and whether the company can deliver new and interesting products to reignite growth,” saidWalter Piecyk, co-head of research at BTIG LLC in New York.
Apple suppliers also declined. Assembler Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. dropped 2.9 percent in Taiwan and speaker-maker AAC Technologies Holding Inc. plunged 6 percent in Hong Kong. Samsung, which makes chips for Apple, fell 1.4 percent in Seoul.
CONTINUED at Bloomberg. Video at link.


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Coutts selects CHI for global ad brief
Coutts, the private banking house, has awarded CHI & Partners its global ad account.
Coutts: hands account to CHI & Partners
CHI, a roster agency of the bank’s owner, the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, won the business after a pitch.
It will create a press and poster campaign to run across markets including the UK, Russia, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Middle East.
The bank has recently dropped the RBS prefix in markets outside the UK and now operates solely under the Coutts name.
In the UK, the advertising will aim to present a new, more dynamic face for the 320-year-old bank.
In the past, Coutts has worked with M&C Saatchi, which was appointed in 2001 to revamp the bank’s image. The agency created what was billed as Coutts’ first-ever advertising campaign.
The bank scaled down its presence overseas last year and is now bolstering its core businesses in the UK, the Middle East, Asia, Switzerland and Eastern Europe.
This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk
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Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro Launch Date Fixed on 20th October
The Google Pixel 6 is on the way soon. Despite rival companies also launching mobile phones in this period, the Google Pixel 6 is perhaps the one to watch since it marks a big change to how Google is designing its phones. The Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro (yes, there are two versions) promise to change everything we know about Google’s phones. While there are still a few things we don’t know, what has been confirmed and rumored is intriguing. The biggest feature of all is a new system-on-chip called Tensor is designed to provide the Pixel 6 series with a bunch of AI powers we haven’t seen before. Google has scheduled a Pixel 6 launch event for October 2021.The Google Pixel 6 will hit stores on October 28th, while pre-orders get underway on October 19.
Specifications for Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro
If we talk about the operating system, both the Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro will have Android 12. The Google Pixel 6 will have a 6.4-inch AMOLED (90Hz) display screen, while the Google Pixel 6 Pro will have a 6.71-inch AMOLED (120Hz) display screen. The Google Pixel 6 will have 8GB of RAM, and the Google Pixel 6 Pro will have 12GB of RAM. If we talk about storage, the Google Pixel 6 will come in two variants: 128GB and 256GB, while the Google Pixel 6 Pro will come in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. The Google Pixel 6 back camera will be 50MP (Wide) + 12MP (Ultra Wide), while the Google Pixel 6 Pro will be 50MP (Wide) + 48MP (Tele) + 12MP (Ultrawide). The front camera of the Google Pixel 6 will be 8MP and that of the Google Pixel 6 Pro will be 12MP. 4,614 mAh will be the battery power of the Google Pixel 6 and the 5,000 mAh battery power of the Google Pixel 6 Pro.
What is the Google Pixel 6 Tensor chip?
The Tensor chip is the newest feature of the Google Pixel 6, which is focusing hard on AI and machine learning. Now let us come and read more about what the Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) is capable of doing. The first one is that, if a blurry image of a toddler is taken from the Google Pixel 6 camera, the TPU will make the image of the toddler’s face sharper with the help of Artificial Intelligence. The TPU would recognize that the uncleared image is a face and then make the necessary adjustments. The Google Pixel 6 is capable of applying AI in video shooting as well. For example, when shooting a video of a sunset, the Google Pixel 6 can automatically adjust the white balance and increase the dynamic range. Yes, another example is speech to text. The TPU is capable of editing the words while you’re speaking instantaneously. All these features appear or have been hinted at in a new advertisement for Google Pixel 6. It has teased powerful translation, photography, and speech recognition, as well as user-centric customization, which could all be powered by the Tensor chip.
Another important piece of information about the Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro phones is that the Tensor will sport a port for Snapdragon 870-level performance, which puts it beneath the Snapdragon 888. That means that Tensor will still be powerful, just not as strong as the 888 or even Apple’s A15 Bionic. The tensor will have two large 2.8GHz cores, two 2.25GHz cores, and four smaller cores with 1.8GHz cores.
About camera specifications
The Google Pixel 6 will feature both the main sensor and ultra-wide camera. The Google Pixel 6 Pro adds a 4x optical-zoom telephoto lens. Google also says that the main wide-angle sensor now lets in 150% more light. The Google camera app has reportedly revealed a few of the capabilities we could expect from the Google Pixel 6. This hints that it is capable of taking 40K video capture at 60 frames per second, the potential return of features like the magic eraser and a ‘face deblur’ option and a manual white balance adjustment. The Google Pixel 6 Pro photographs are far more impressive, as they could use pixel binning to deliver 12.5-megapixel images from a 50MP sensor. The camera of the Google Pixel Pro might apply computational photography to photos; expect crisper, more colorful shots and an improved night mode as a bare minimum.
Both these phones will be available in a few different colors, including pink, bluish-gray with a pale yellow accent, and a black model with a light-gray top accent color. The Pixel 6 Pro black-on-gray model is a white model with a cream or pale slate accent bar and pale orange with a brighter orange accent.
The Google Pixel 6 will have a 6.4-inch full HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate and Google’s larger Pixel 6 Pro sports a 6.7-inch panel will be able to run at 120Hz while at full QHD resolution and the refresh rate can scale down to 10Hz to save battery life. Both of these new Google Pixel 6 smartphones will run Android 12, as have all previous Pixel phones, which debuted with a new version of Android. Google might be ditching the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner on the Pixel 6 in favor of an under-display fingerprint scanner. This should make it easier to unlock both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Google could go for a bigger battery this time. The Pixel 6 Pro will have a nice, big 5,000 mAh battery to power its large display. The Pixel 6 will feature a 4,614 mAh battery — a big improvement over the Pixel 5.
Once you have decided to upgrade to the Google Pixel 6 or Google Pixel 6 Pro, you will surely want to keep it protected and guarded against any potential damage from accidental drops and water damage. From the world’s leading case and screen protector manufacturers, Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro cases and screen protectors will soon be available on City Phones website.


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Irvine, CA–Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. announced this week the completion of its previously announced acquisition of Sheplers, Inc. , a 115-year old western lifestyle company with 25 retail locations across the United States and an industry-leading e-commerce business.
Boot Barn financed the acquisition and refinanced approximately $172 million of its and Sheplers’ existing indebtedness with an initial borrowing of $57 million under a new $125 million syndicated senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility for which Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, acted as agent, and a $200 million syndicated senior secured term loan for which GCI Capital Markets LLC acted as agent.
Jim Conroy, Boot Barn ceo, stated, “The acquisition of Sheplers is a significant step forward in our omni-channel strategy. This acquisition provides us with opportunities to create a dual-brand online offering, leverage Sheplers’ domestic and international customer traffic, and generate operating efficiencies across the combined online businesses. It also enhances our store footprint and builds our position in key markets as we rebrand the Sheplers’ stores to the Boot Barn banner.”
The acquisition is expected to generate $6 million to $8 million of annual synergies and be accretive to fiscal 2016 earnings (ended March 26, 2016), excluding estimated one-time transaction and integration costs of $14 million, and to be approximately 10% accretive post integration, which is expected to be completed in calendar year 2016.


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Four years in. Another six to go. How much more can we take?
Freight-only airports, mobile grocery stores and drone-driven postal services are coming says Deakin University study.
NZ’s biggest stockfeed exporter, farm-based Fiber Fresh, feeds the racehorse industry in Asia, at home, and now Australia.
Sam Mackrill shore his first 100 sheep in a day when he was 14. Now he's getting set for the Victorian Sports Shear Finals.
Bellamy’s Organic has sealed three new strategic arrangements to get more organic milk production from Tasmania and Victoria.
Commonwealth Bank is offering counselling and fresh financial support measures for customers affected by drought
A summer drought hasn't impeded a 12pc lift in New Zealand ag export earnings from China, USA and Australia


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Doctor Who has done 13 Christmas specials in the many years since it began in 1963, but this year, someone at the BBC finally realized that “Who” rhymes with “new” and decided that a New Year’s Day special might make more sense. Thanks to that brilliant revelation, Doctor Who will be skipping Christmas this year in favor of a “Who Year’s Day” celebration on January 1, with Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor showing up for a brand new special about a “terrifying evil” that is “stirring from across the centuries of Earth’s history.” That sounds like a relatively straightforward Doctor Who plot, but like with the Christmas specials, there will probably be some thoughtful, heartfelt stuff about what New Year’s Day means for the people of Earth.
Meanwhile, BBC America isn’t forgetting about anyone who likes to organize their entire Christmas around watching Doctor Who. As noted in a press release, the network will be airing all of the previous 13 Christmas specials on December 24 and 25, followed by a marathon featuring all of the previous (modern) Doctors, running right up until the premiere of the new special on January 1. Basically, you won’t get a new episode of Doctor Who on Christmas day, but you’ll be able to spend a few days watching British people zip around in the TARDIS anyway.
Also, just to save the BBC some work for the next time it wants to make a new Doctor Who special, here are some other words that rhyme with Who: zoo, dew, moo, crew, blue, shoe, woo, hoo, through, threw, clue, pew, whew, view, purview, barbecue, kung fu. We’re not sure how to fit most of those into the title of a Doctor Who special, but that’s not our problem.


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What does it take to achieve a circular economy? Can waste be viewed as a valuable resource to fuel new products? How do you catalyze a shift in the global system that is equally attractive for industries, consumers, and the world at large?
The , which was sponsored in part by MillikenTrải nghiệm chơi trong sòng bạc, addressed these questions as more than 400 thought leaders gathered to discuss solutions that eliminate waste plaguing our global system—from food waste to discarded plastics.
During a CEO panel on leading disruption, Milliken’s president and CEO Halsey Cook joined Waste Management CEO Jim Fish and Alliance to End Plastic Waste CEO Jacob Duer to discuss barriers and enablers to achieving a circular economy. This conversation, which centered on plastic waste specifically, spanned collection challenges at the beginning of the recycling process to sorting, selling, and then using the recycled plastics to manufacture new products.
Here are three actionable steps gleaned from the discussion to help build a circular economy.
1. Communicate the value of waste. Trải nghiệm chơi trong sòng bạcVarious forms of waste can become valuable inputs for new products and purposes. More and more products are being made with recycled content. Increasing the use of recycled content, however, requires an understanding at the household level that waste does indeed have a value. This way people see a purpose in their individual recycling efforts.
2. Champion scientific-driven solutions. Trải nghiệm chơi trong sòng bạcTechnologies creating materials like useful packaging, food storage, and healthcare products have moved faster than our ability to deal with the waste associated with the end of life for these items.
Just as science was key in introducing plastics, science plays a key role in developing more sustainable plastics and circular solutions. Cook noted that as materials science experts, scientists at Milliken have been pivoting, asking how Milliken can facilitate and enable a large-scale recycling effort. As a result, Milliken has been curating a portfolio of solutions that assist with incorporating recycled plastics of all types into new consumer goods over and over again.
3. Ask for and purchase products made with recycled content. Economic considerations drive business, with supply-and-demand principles being chief among them. When customers ask for new products or new features, businesses rise to the occasion and introduce those things. The same holds true with eco-conscious products—when consumers show they are willing to pay for smarter, more sustainable products, businesses are encouraged to invest in those solutions.
Trải nghiệm chơi trong sòng bạcCook further highlighted that many consumer-oriented companies are “making big declarations regarding recycled content, and that is going to create opportunities in the future for more recycling.” When consumers in turn continue to push for this, it will help result in more recycling streams. “The economics change when the consumer says this is important enough for me that I’ll pay a higher price for the product,” Cook continued. “Consumers are demanding this needs to change.”
Trải nghiệm chơi trong sòng bạcThis National Geographic Forum galvanized our belief that these critical conversations will lead to sustainable solutions to better our world. As Halsey Cook said, “Closing the loop on waste requires a holistic plan and the courage to act.”
As a company, we are taking up the mantle and investing our energies into helping the plastics circular economy develop and thrive through big ideas, smart innovations, and mindful actions. We hope you’ll join us in this important endeavor.


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Volkswagen is looking for a change in its electric range, and has rehired Andreas Mindt, former head of design at Bentley and Audi.
Hires and rehires are the order of the day in the automotive sector, as are changes of camp. This time, we come to Volkswagen, as it has announced the return to the parent brand of Andreas Mindt, the former head of design at Bentley and Audi.
This new strategy, which leaves behind former designer Jozef Kaban, will hopefully make its mark in a new design approach for the brand’s future electric vehicles, in a new attempt to reclaim the electric market leadership. Mindt is expected to officially take up the position early next February.
The previous designer, Jozef Kaban, reportedly did not meet the board’s expectations. Kaban worked for several Volkswagen brands from 2003 to 2017, then tried his luck at BMW, but ended up returning as Volkswagen’s chief designer in July 2020. Among his major milestones was the initial design of the Volkswagen ID.2 (ID.Life) and he also played a role in ‘Project Trinity’.
The change in personnel at the brand comes as no surprise, as last year they announced the departure of popular CEO Herbert Diess, who was replaced by current CEO Oliver Blume, who is also CEO of Porsche. Upon his arrival, Blume was quick to announce an updated electrification strategy.
As for Volkswagen’s new chief designer, Andreas Mindt, he has a 25-year history with the Volkswagen Group. In all those years, Mindt has held various minor and major positions, such as head of exterior design at Audi, where he was responsible for overseeing the launch of the Audi e-tron, Audi’s first electric car. As early as 2021, he was tasked with leading the design of Bentley’s electric future.
We’ll be keeping an eye on the work Mindt brings with him, who is expected to be present on the design of the new Volkswagen ID.3 and the recently unveiled Volkswagen ID.7, as well as other vehicles that contribute to Volkswagen’s goal of offering 10 all-electric models by 2026. The Group appears to be on track with its electric range, announcing a 26% increase in electric vehicle sales for the full 2022 period.
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- A new analysis finds a vegetarian diet may help lower your cholesterol, help blood sugar levels and lead to lower body weight.
- Experts stress a vegetarian diet isn’t inherently healthy, and people should pick foods that aren’t highly processed.
- The American Heart Association’s recommendations for a healthy dietary pattern include a diet focused on minimally processed plant foods, fish, seafood, and low-fat dairy.
A Mediterranean diet has long been associated with good heart health, according to the American Heart Association. But a meta-analysis of previous research is showing that a vegetarian diet may have significant improvements in helping people lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol, help with blood sugar levels, and lower body weight for high-risk patients.
How diet can impact your health
The American Heart Association’s recommendations for a healthy dietary pattern include a diet focused on minimally processed plant foods, fish, seafood, and low-fat dairy. The meta-analysis looked at 20 randomized controlled trials that show the role of a vegetarian diet in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases in the general population.
“This study aims to discuss the relationship between a plant-based diet and cardiometabolic risk factors, using randomized clinical trials,” said Jenna Litt, a registered dietitian at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital, who was not involved in the study. “This study differs from previous studies, as it focuses on different types of vegetarian diets, like vegan versus lacto-ovo-vegetarian.”
Of all the studies that the researchers screened, they were able to find 20 articles to include with the average age of sample sizes ranging from 28 to 64 and the average study duration ranging from 2 to 24 months. Results of this study showed that vegetarian diets were associated with decreasing LDL-C or “bad” cholesterol within six months. Additionally, it led to better HbA1c (a measure for blood sugar) levels, and lower body weight. It showed a non-significant relationship between plant-based diets and systolic blood pressure.
This means that it may be beneficial for someone who is at high risk for cardiovascular disease to start incorporating vegetarian patterns into their diet.
“Based on this study, there is a clear relationship between a plant-based diet and reduction in cardiometabolic risk,” said Litt. “Thus, going forward, it may be beneficial for those who are at greater cardiometabolic risk to trial a modified plant-based diet.”
A modified plant-based diet means following plant-based one to two times a week to see if there is any improvement in weight, HbA1c, or LDL cholesterol levels.
Not all vegetarian diets are created equally
Before anyone embarks on a vegetarian or plant-based diet, it’s important to understand what exactly that means.
“I’m frustrated with the term ‘vegetarian,’ because it doesn’t imply that people are choosing a healthy diet,” said Christopher D. Gardner, Ph.D., chair of the American Heart Association’s Lifestyle Nutrition Committee and the Rehnborg Farquhar Professor of Medicine at Stanford University in Stanford, California. “I much prefer a whole-food, plant-based diet as a term.”
Gardner conducted a study in 2005 that looked at two low-fat diets, both of which met the guidelines of the American Heart Association. One featured Snackwell cookies, chicken without the skin, and mashed potatoes with light margarine, while the other featured a spinach salad with an egg, whole grain bread with butter, and lentil soup with cheese. In that study, the convenience food low-fat diet lowered LDL by 5%. The second diet with whole foods lowered LDL by 10 percent.
“Our message to physicians was that they just can’t say ‘low fat’ when prescribing a diet. And it’s the same when using the word vegetarian,” he said.
The meta-analysis studies included patients with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and those with at least two cardiovascular risk factors. The most commonly prescribed diets were vegan, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, and facto-vegetarian. Those who consumed a vegetarian diet for six months, versus comparison diets, had significantly greater decreases in LDL-C, A1c, and body weight, but the reduction in systolic blood pressure was not significantly greater.
“Given the lack of impact on blood pressure would lead me to look into the quality of the vegetarian diet. Was it possible that they were given convenience food vegetarian diets that had a lot of sodium, as a lot of packaged foods do? Maybe the foods were salted and that’s why the blood pressure didn’t drop,” Gardner said.
Litt added, “It is important to keep in mind that if you plan to start a plant-based diet, it may require increased research on the correct products to purchase, as there are many processed/packaged goods that brand themselves as plant-based, however, tend to be higher in sodium, sugar, or cholesterol.”
“The results [in the meta-analysis] are quite reasonable but fairly predictable,” Gardner noted. “If you have a vegetarian diet, it will have more fiber and less saturated fat so LDL cholesterol will go down. If you have less sodium, your blood pressure will go down. If you have less sugar and refined grains, your weight will go down. It’s nice that the studies were all pooled, but it’s repeating what we already knew.”
A meta-analysis finds that people on a vegetarian diet may see significant improvements in lowering LDL or “bad” cholesterol, help with blood sugar levels, and lower body weight.


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After the bulls had control of the markets for a number of days, the bears took back the reins yesterday and are fighting to keep control today. Yesterday's report of a slight fall in the U.S. gross domestic product started the bear rally, which was fueled by the Federal Reserve's announcement that it would not change its monetary policy. Today, there was little in the way of economic data to stop the decline, so we will have to wait for tomorrow's employment report to turn the markets around.
As of 12:50 p.m. EST, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 16 points, or 0.11%, to 13,895. Although most of the index's 30 components are in the red, only a few have sunk more than 1%. The S&P 500 is down just more than a point, while the NASDAQ is up five points, or 0.17%. Now let's take a look at a few of the Dow's losers today.
So who's down and why?
Shares of Boeing are down again today because of the 787 Dreamliner. According to the Portland Business Journal, Tesla Motors founder and CEO Elon Musk believes the way Boeing is using the lithium-ion batteries in the Dreamliner is "inherently unsafe." Musk knows a thing or two about battery technology, as Tesla makes high-end, fully electric vehicles that can drive up to 300 miles per charge. If he says there is a problem with the battery system, Boeing may need a new battery and a redesign. Boeing's stock price has lost 0.75% today.
JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America are moving lower by 0.17% and 0.9%, respectively, after lawmakers requested documents from bank regulators relating to the billion-dollar settlements that ended the big banks' foreclosure scandals. The Washington politicians say these documents will shine more light on what was going on and bring confidence back to the American public. It is unclear at this time what may be found, but perhaps investors believe they will revive the push for tougher regulation.
Shares of Microsoft are down 1.2% today after a California senator called for the state to review its contracts and purchases with Microsoft in an attempt to stop CEO Steve Ballmer from taking the Sacramento Kings to Seattle and thus depriving California of a major revenue stream. When you're a CEO, there is little difference between what you do at work and what you do outside of the corner office; you are always representing the company. While I don't agree with the senator's tactics, Ballmer needs to put Microsoft first and end this issue before it hurts his company.
More foolish insight
It's been a frustrating path for Microsoft investors, who have watched the company fail to capitalize on the incredible growth in mobile over the past decade. However, the company is looking to make a splash in this booming market. In this brand-new premium report on Microsoft, our analyst explains that while the opportunity is huge, the challenges are many. He's also providing regular updates as key events occur, so be sure to claim a copy of this report now by clicking here.
The article A Lack of Positive News Causes Dow to Drop Again originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Matt Thalman owns shares of Bank of America, Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Tesla Motors . Follow Matt on Twitter @mthalman5513. The Motley Fool recommends Tesla Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Microsoft, and Tesla Motors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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According to a Windows Central report, Windows 10 will bring along the Mixview (aka flyout tiles or exploding tiles) feature to smartphones to enhance visual information and user interaction with phones.
Microsoft's Windows 10 has already made its debut on PCs and laptops via a tehnical preview version, but although the OS is also set to drive future Windows Phones and other portable devices such as tablets, we have yet to see a preview of mobile elements such as the user interface.
Once flyout tiles are official, users should see three new tiles appear above the regular application tile by pressing an ellipses icon in the bottom right of the app tile. The three flyout tiles could display vital information such as messages and notifications, without users having to enter the specific application.
The Windows Central report indicates that the flyout tiles were originally intended for Microsoft's 3D Touch-based smartphone codenamed McLaren. However, McLaren is now scrapped altogether by Microsoft and but the Redmond-based company is said to be looking at implementing design aspects such as 3D Touch gestures in its future offerings.
The official launch of Windows 10 is expected in late 2015.
Nokia Lumia brand culled
Nokia, before its Microsoft acquisition, was a prominent producer of Windows Phone devices. The Finnish company's Lumia series of phones rolled out regularly throughout the world and found considerable footing in developing markets such as India, as well as in certain European markets.
Post Nokia's Devices and Services division acquisition, Microsoft has culled the Nokia brand, which is evidenced by Redmond's recent Lumia 535 (which is the first Lumia smartphone lacking Nokia branding), and its redirection of visitors from Nokia's UK website to its own Microsoft UK mobile web-portal.


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Manama, Bahrain – 20 October 2020: The Central Bank of Bahrain, in cooperation with the Bahrain Economic Development Board, Bank ABC, ila Bank, BENEFIT, National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) and Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB), announced today the launch of FinHub 973, the first comprehensive digital fintech lab in the region, regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain.
The new platform will aim to create a collaborative ecosystem in the fintech sector by establishing a gateway for investment opportunities in the region, while fostering innovation and supporting integration between financial institutions and fintech startups.
In order to further support the investments in the fintech sector in Bahrain, a new platform (digital fintech lab) – FinHub 973, has been established by The Central Bank of Bahrain, in cooperation with the Bahrain Economic Development Board, Bank ABC, ila Bank, BENEFIT, National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) and Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB).
The FinX22 platform will offer an open banking API sandbox that enables fintech startups to develop, test and deploy fintech solutions and aims to connect financial institutions in Bahrain and the region to fintechs from around the world. The digital lab will also offer matchmaking and crowdsourcing capabilities, which will help contribute to the design of effective fintech solutions, ultimately spurring disruptive and transformative innovation across the financial services industry.
Speaking on the launch of FinHub 973, Mr. Rasheed Al Maraj, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain, said: “We are pleased to launch the FinHub 973 digital fintech lab that will support a seamless transition into digital banking operations, while accelerating the transformation towards an AI-powered digital economy.”
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If you find any errors or discrepancies in the above information, you can write to us at email@example.com.


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You might not think of walkability as a food-related issue, but being able to safely walk to grocery stores and healthy restaurants makes a big difference in your quality of life.
The Wall Street Journal reported today that PepsiCo is testing new artificial sweetener formulas for Diet Pepsi, including the controversial acesulfame.
At least 19 people in 16 states have gotten sick from E. coli-contaminated beef, and the company that produced these steaks is issuing a recall.
After my family and I enjoyed several handfuls of pistachios at a get- together last weekend, I was surprised to hear yesterday about the latest food recall. Federal food officials [ … ]


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All we have to do is look to examples like NAFTA and KORUS to witness the devastation that “free trade” agreements have on an economy. They send jobs overseas, increase trade deficits and national debt, encourage off-shoring, and allow a flood of potentially harmful imports into our markets. More alarming is that “free trade” agreements take power away from the people, and give it to giant corporations who make billions off of these agreements.
Tag Archives: NAFTA
We have sold such a large number of our companies that we must now live on imports. As a result, the U.S. incurs massive amounts of debt (owned by foreign countries) that can in turn only be repaid by selling our wealth producing companies and assets. This cycle must end. Very soon we will be unable to protect and support ourselves.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has largely been negotiated in secret. This has angered many who are concerned about what damaging details may be included in the deal, and a document leaked today confirms these suspicions. Despite promises from President Obama during his campaign, this document shows that foreign corporations will gain the right to challenge U.S. laws in secret tribunals. This is an affront to American sovereignty and the laws we choose to abide by as citizens.
Free trade agreements have been detrimental to our economy. This is partly because when we negotiate a free trade agreement, we don’t just open our borders to domestic manufacturers in one country, but rather that country becomes a portal for other countries to get their goods into the U.S. market.


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BUYERS of the highly-anticipated Halo Reach will be served by staff trained to ask them what exactly they are doing with their lives.
Released at midnight, the latest instalment in the Xbox franchise sees players do the same thing they have been doing for the last nine years but with slightly different pictures.
Roy Hobbs, a fellow of Magdalene College, Cambridge, is acting as a consultant to local games shop MurderZone.
He said: “I’ll be taking customers through the theory of a godless universe and asking whether the four billion-year journey of evolution that precipitated their existence is best continued by trying to get a power up for a plasma rifle. Then I’ll ask if they want a loyalty card.”
The move is part of a ‘responsible retailing’ campaign to ensure that game players are fully aware of the monumental gift they are pissing away while sat on their sofas.
Hobbs said: “As well as explaining that there is no ‘respawn’ in real life and that regret is not an option once your overdeveloped thumbs are rotting in the ground, we’re also letting the god crowd have a crack at them.”
Priests, rabbis and imams will patrol game shops, knocking copies of Halo Reach out of customers’ hands and pointing out that when the almighty creator willed the universe into being, it was not so Call Of Duty Deathmatch could exist.
Some game creators have pledged that future releases will display real-life achievements in the corner of the screen that players could have managed while they have been playing, including reading a book, forming a meaningful relationship or getting happily shitfaced.
But software developer Wayne Hayes said: “If I was an overweight teenager living in an identikit provincial pisshole with a tawdry family, no social skills and a horrifying IQ, I think I’d want to be a space soldier from the future, too.”


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Carlton freezes pay as ads slump
BROADCASTER Carlton has slapped a pay freeze on staff to tackle the slump in the advertising sector, which has wiped 58% off its shares in a year. All 3,000 of the group's employees have been told that they will get no salary rise for the financial year which begins in October.
This includes chairman Michael Green, who last year earned a basic salary of £610,000, and chief executive Gerry Murphy. But bonuses and special payments will be honoured if certain criteria are met.
In return, each worker will be awarded options on 1,000 shares at a price yet to be determined. The group hopes this will motivate staff and encourage them to stay.
Carlton, with programmes including Thunderbirds, Crossroads and Inspector Morse, was valued at £5.4bn last September. It fell another 3 3/4p to 336 1/2p, and is now worth only £2.3bn. The shares topped £8 a year ago. ITV rival Granada has also suffered. Its shares, 270p last year, are now 153p.
Last month Merrill Lynch slashed its advertising revenue forecasts again and warned that there is 'no sight of any upturn until April 2002'. Analyst Neil Blackley forecast ITV ad sales in September will be down 13% on last year, against previous forecasts of a 5% fall. He expects Carlton to make a £120m loss in 2002.
Analysts fear conditions have worsened since July, and some expect a 20% drop in September advertising sales. Granada and Carlton have to fund ITV Digital, their joint-venture lossmaking pay-TV business. ITV Digital has just launched a new sports channel which it hopes will be able to challenge BSkyB's dominance in coverage of football matches. But the channel is expected to cost £150m in year one, increasing the pressure on Granada and Carlton to find a partner to spread the costs.
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In a move to remain competitive with e-commerce retailers who are offering customers rapid turnaround times after placing orders online, Zumiez has made the decision to relocate their e-commerce order fulfillment operations to Edwardsville, Kansas. The move, scheduled to take place in May, will allow Zumiez to deliver online orders to customers anywhere in the continental U.S. in 3 days or less. The 35 Everett-based employees affected by the move were given a 60-day notice last week and offered the opportunity to relocate to Kansas, or take severance packages based on their years of service and position.
"Decisions like this need to be evaluated carefully, especially when they impact our valued team members. As a company, we continually evaluate opportunities to increase the speed of delivering products to our customers while also improving our costs," said Zumiez Chief Financial Officer Marc Stolzman.
About Zumiez Inc.-
Zumiez is a leading specialty retailer of action sports related apparel, footwear, equipment and accessories based out of Everett, Washington. As of January 28, 2012 Zumiez operated 434 stores in the United States and 10 stores in Canada.


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Chris Seeds joins withSONAR to talk data-driven broker and customer trust
One word came up over and over again: trust.
As sales manager at Bridge Logistics, Seeds says trust is at the core of what makes his business successful and data is the ultimate key to truthful sales deals.
Using the FreightWaves SONAR platform, Seeds has created his own series, What Not to Miss with Chris, aimed at explaining the data metrics supplied by SONAR technology.
His main goal is the “why behind the what” of logistics brokering.
Seeds believes his clients are so thirsty for information that he goes deeper than just what is happening with the freight markets.
He says that the customer needs to be crystal clear on what the seller is saying and vice versa. Companies should “have that childlike curiosity to ask those hard-hitting questions,” and brokers should “make sure that you’re listening instead of reacting,” said Seeds.
Using SONAR data has allowed Bridge to connect with customers on a deeper level, but it also lends some credibility when things go wrong.
Seeds says that dropping the ball as a broker can completely break the trust between a 3PL and a shipper, but using data can back up what happened so “when things go wrong, you have something to validate” it.
Bottom line: You can’t control everything in the freight market, but you can control the data you’re using to explain your decision-making process.
You can find more withSONAR recaps and recaps for all our shows here.


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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Legal Newsline) -- West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey warned West Virginians on Wednesday about scammers posing as utility representatives, threatening consumers and demanding payment.
In the scam, callers impersonate employees for local gas and electric companies and threaten to disconnect the service unless the customer immediately makes a payment. Real utility companies will typically inform a consumer in writing if they are behind on payments.
"Our office has received calls from consumers who have been called by people claiming to be representatives of Appalachian Power and demanding immediate payment," Morrisey said.
"Similar to the scam we saw with Frontier Communications, the caller tells the consumer they are behind on their bill and they need to make an immediate payment. They also may ask for personal information, such as a consumer's Social Security number."
In some instances, the caller may ask consumers to make a payment using a prepaid debit card. The scammer tells the consumer to buy the card and then call back to remit the payment.
"If a caller asks you to do this, that's a huge red flag," Morrisey said. "Prepaid debit cards are like cash, and once that transfer is made to the scammer, the money is gone, and there's not any way to get it back."
Some scammers may call consumers to tell them they have a faulty electric or gas meter and it must be immediately replaced at the cost of the consumer.
Scam artists also may send phishing emails to consumers requesting personal or billing information.
"It's important for consumers to keep a cool head when they get unsolicited calls that use high-pressure tactics to get personal information," Morrisey said. "It's worth the time to call the service providers directly to verify any amounts that may be owed before handing anything over."


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- Fresh New Look for Road Rippers and Nikko
NORWOOD, Massachusetts, Oct. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Toy State, a global toy industry leader and innovator, today unveiled new branding designs for their flagship 'Lights & Sound' and R/C product lines —Road Rippers and Nikko.
"We couldn't be more excited about the new logos and packaging these leading brands will have when they hit retail shelves in 2015," said Andy Friess, Toy State's general manager of US operations and senior vice president of global marketing. "Redefining the Nikko brand was a major design objective following our acquisition, and returning Road Rippers to its signature 'orange package' roots provides an exciting refresh for the leader in the Lights & Sound vehicle category."
Toy State will showcase the new-look product lines and branding at the upcoming Dallas Toy Fair October 7-9, and during the Hong Kong Toy Fair in January.
"The Nikko brand has been a global leader for more than 50 years in the R/C space," said Friess. "This new branding effectively conveys the innovation found in all of Nikko's products, setting the brand up for its next 50 years of success. Toy State can't wait to show the new-look Nikko to our retail partners and consumers worldwide."
Toy State made news in May when it announced it had acquired Nikko and Nikko Entertainment BV. These moves come on the heels of a period of aggressive growth by the company that has included recent new licensing partnerships with global brands including Hot Wheels, Transformers, Hello Kitty and Angry Birds, in addition to their longstanding partnership with Caterpillar.
About Toy State:
For 30 years, Toy State has been an innovator and industry leader in the manufacture of licensed and highly stylized lights & sound and radio controlled vehicles. Founded in 1984, Toy State's core portfolio includes Road Rippers®, Nikko, Hot Wheels® and James Bond 007™ lights & sound and radio controlled vehicles, as well as Cat® and Cat® Preschool construction toys. Working with the world's leading automakers, and Caterpillar, the leading manufacturer of construction equipment, Toy State products provide hours of enjoyment for kids of all ages. For more information, visit www.toystate.com.
Allen & Gerritsen
SOURCE Toy State


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Santa Rosa Plaza owner unveils pay-to-park program
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
The 30-year run of free parking at the Santa Rosa Plaza mall will end this summer.
Officials from Simon Property Group distributed letters to merchants and city officials Thursday announcing a new controlled-parking program that will charge people up to $9 per day to park in the downtown mall’s five garages.
The program will allow shoppers to park for free for 90 minutes. Any portion of the next 90 minutes will cost $2. Four hours will cost $4, up to six hours will cost $8, and more than six hours will cost $9. Overnight parking will not be permitted.
Mall officials expect the program to free up spaces that are routinely occupied by drivers who park at the shopping center while they work downtown.
“We’ve realized that we were lacking an amenity for shoppers, and we were trying to work on a solution,” said Kelly Hartsell, regional vice president for Simon Property Group.
But some worry that eliminating the last inventory of free parking downtown will hurt employees and give people one more reason to shop elsewhere.
“I’m very, very concerned that they are making a big mistake,” said City Councilman Jake Ours. “I don’t think this is going to serve them well in any way, shape or form.”
Simon should be trying to make it as easy as possible for shoppers to come downtown, and if they charge for parking people might just head to Coddingtown, Ours said. Several mall customers and employees agreed the program would have a negative impact.
Justyn Delbridge, 21, sells appliances at Sears, and said it often takes him 90 minutes sell an appliance.
“A lot of people who come in to shop are shopping at multiple stores, they’re going to need more than 90 minutes,” he said.
On Thursday Keith Moore, 40, parked in a Plaza garage and headed to his job at Banana’s, a nearby music store. He said the mall was within its rights.
“It’s tricky. It’s their parking,” Moore said. “But we’re all going to have to find a new place to park.”
Before the mall opens at 9 a.m., hundreds of the Plaza’s parking spaces are occupied by employees of other downtown businesses, according to the letter sent to City Manager Kathy Millison.
“It’s about 400 spaces,” Hartsell said. “It’s amazing, the number of spaces that were taken.”
The Plaza has 3,000 parking spaces.
The mall studied shopping behavior and determined that shoppers spend an average of 68 minutes at the mall, so the average shopper should not be impacted by the change, Hartsell said.
A parking agreement signed in 1978 between the city and developer Ernest W. Hahn, Inc., stipulated that parking would be free for shoppers unless the mall got city approval to begin charging. But that agreement could be terminated if either the city or the mall changed its parking policy, Hartsell said.
“When the city went to paid parking years ago, that was the change in policy that made us able to move forward and terminate the agreement,” Hartsell said.
Last year, after the plan was first proposed, city officials were barraged by critics, especially downtown businesses worried about the impact on employees and customers.
Mayor Ernesto Olivares urged the Simon Property Group to hold off while the city studied the relationship between its parking policies and those of the mall.
Part of the problem has been the city’s parking rates drive people into the mall’s garages in search of free spaces, Olivares said.
“It turned out to be a confusing and complicated issue and something that we didn’t have control over,” Olivares said.
City Attorney Caroline Fowler said there is “not any contractual legal remedy for the city to stop them from moving forward with charging for parking.”
Olivares said he spoke to Hartsell Wednesday and urged her to be sensitive to what a controversial issue parking is in the city. She agreed to work with the city on days when there are large special events downtown, and to make adjustments to the program if necessary, such as to the 90 minute limit, Olivares said.
He said he didn’t share Ours’ concern about the plan being bad for business. It is just as possible that shoppers will like the increased availability of spaces near the entrances, which is the mall’s goal, he said.
“It think it’s too early to really judge what the long term impacts will be,” Olivares said.
The mall is the largest downtown employer, with 120 businesses employing about 1,500 people, according to David Gouin, the city’s director of economic development and housing.
“We want to make sure the Plaza thrives, and if their tenants feel this is the best option to manage their parking and it would be good for business, we have to trust their decision,” Gouin said.
Each retailer will receive parking access cards for their employees, and the program will begin this summer, mall manager Laura Kozup said in a letter to merchants.
Over the years, the mall unsuccessfully tried various ways to deter downtown employees from parking in the lot, such as installing chains across exits.
“We finally gave up on chains two years ago because people would get out of their car and undo the chains, or drive right over them,” Hartsell said.
The mall will install a system of gates controlling access to the garages, and shoppers will pay at kiosks or at the exits, Hartsell said.
Preliminary work should begin in March or April, she said. She declined to give a revenue projection for the program.
She noted that the per-hour rates increase the longer someone parks, making the city garages a more cost-effective option for non-shoppers.
The city charges for parking in its five garages and 10 surface lots. The rate in garages is 75 cents an hour with a maximum daily rate of $8. Monthly garage permits cost from $62 to $140.


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October 14, 2013 - Industry News
Hankook Tire announced plans for its 8th global manufacturing plant which will be located in Clarksville, Tenn.
Tags: Tires, Hankook, Expansion
We offer e-newsletters that deliver targeted news and information for the entire fleet industry.
The expert, Mark Betner from CITGO, will answer your questions
The expert, Rence Oliphant from Hendrickson, will answer your questions
Set of Tools Cleans Male Pins on Terminals
SecureFuel Provides Transparent Fuel Payments
McLeod Offers ‘Branded’ Driver App for Fleets
Paccar Announces MX-11 Diesel for North America


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According to a blog post, Scout will soon launch in Atlanta, Georgia, and Franklin, Tennessee. Amazon launched the service in January 2019 in Snohomish County, Washington, and expanded it to Irvine, California, in August.
Created by Amazon at its research and development lab in Seattle, the Scout robot is the size of a small cooler and moves at a walking pace. According to Amazon, the robot can navigate around pets, pedestrians, and other objects in its path.
A “small number” of Amazon Scout devices will be deployed in each city, delivering Monday through Friday during daylight hours. (Amazon launched in Washington with six bots.)
Customers in both areas will order just as they normally would, and their Amazon packages will be delivered either by a human or by Amazon Scout.
The devices will autonomously follow their delivery route, and initially be accompanied by an “Amazon Scout Ambassador” — its version of a safety operator.
The new cities will allow Scout to be tested in novel geographies and climates. So far, Amazon has avoided the crowded sidewalks of large cities such as New York or San Francisco. Atlanta is its biggest city to date; it’ll be interesting to see where in Atlanta the service will be deployed.
Originally posted on Fleet Forward


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Vaping has been marketed as a way to help you kick the smoking habit, but a new study out of New York University finds exposure to nicotine from e-cigarette vapor could cause lung cancer and potentially bladder cancer in mice.
The research comes at a time of increased scrutiny of e-cigarettes while health officials deal with a deadly lung disease linked to vaping.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 1,400 cases of severe lung illnesses nationwide and nearly three dozen deaths, including one in Connecticut, linked to vaping.
“It was too much because it hit me in the chest,” said Catherine Key.
Key wanted to give up cigarettes, so she decided to give vaping a try.
“It felt like I was … I was having an asthma attack or something,” said Key.
She told us she immediately ditched the vape.
NBC CT Responds
“I was like breathing hard. And I was holding my chest,” said Key. “I don’t want this.”
Key said she suffered from shortness of breath. -- Just one of the reasons why state health officials have warned the public not to vape.
“We don’t know what about these products that’s contributing to these illnesses,” said Dr. Lynn Sosa, deputy state epidemiologist with the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
When asked why is it taking so long to pinpoint the cause of these vaping related illnesses, she said, “There’s not been one product that’s been reported that everyone can say, ‘I used this one product, so therefore, there must be something in this one thing,’” Sosa said.
Health officials in Illinois and Wisconsin released the names of several products identified by patients who had severe lung disease after vaping. Those brands include Dank Vapes, Off White, Moonrocks and Cookies.
NBC Connecticut Investigates reached out to those companies, but they didn’t provide a comment.
Law enforcement officials said people have bought the cartridges from friends or off the street.
“It’s some type of emergency,” said Chief L. J. Fusaro, of the Town of Groton Police Department.
Fusaro said his department had a huge bust earlier this year.
NBC Connecticut Investigates was given an exclusive look at the 735 vaping cartridges seized by law enforcement.
Fusaro explained that the uptick of illegal vaping products on the black market came at a time when law enforcement was focused on the opioid crisis.
“We’ve been so dedicated among -- yeah know … health care and other agencies to making sure we address the opioid epidemic that maybe this is one of those things that kind of came up and weren’t really prepared for it because we were so focused on our attention on something we saw every day,” said Fusaro.
But how can law enforcement get a handle on it and keep these black market products out of the hands or youth or anyone else?
“It’s working with the industry, the folks that are producing these products that are producing the delivery systems. It’s also making sure those things that are illegal, we have a strong and dedicated enforcement against it,” said Fusaro.
E-cigarettes have not received Food and Drug Administration approval as smoking cessation devices. It’s that lack of regulation that lawmakers say is problematic.
“We need to actually stop the sales of all of these products,” said State Sen. Saud Anwar, who represents the 3rd district.
Anwar is calling for a vaping ban in Connecticut.
“Then, we can make the best recommendation and make it safer. Right now, they’re not safe,” he said.
The American Vaping Association released this statement to NBC Connecticut Investigates:
"Prohibition does not work and has never worked, as is evidenced by the fact that the vast majority or all of Connecticut's lung illness patients are admitting to using illegal street-bought marijuana oils. If Connecticut can't stop youth and adults from getting their hands on illegal THC cartridges, how in the world do they think they can ban vaping products without opening up a massive black market? This is nothing more than a scheme to protect cigarette tax revenues, which have been declining in Connecticut as more adult smokers have switched to vaping products.”
The CDC is recommending that consumers stop vaping, specifically THC, the ingredient found in marijuana, and anything bought off the street.


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Foodie Fortnight: the top five food events for June 5–19
In this edition of Foodie Fortnight: a vegan festival, a beer-focused fundraiser and an indoor-fishing party.
Brewer’s Plate Dinner
This charity beerfest—now in its seventh year—is a celebration of local food and booze spearheaded by Jaime Kennedy, Toronto’s original locavore chef. This year’s event brings together 14 Toronto chefs, 22 Ontario craft brewers, a team of professional “wandering minstrels” and, according to the event website, at least a few people on stilts. It’s taking place tonight, June 4, at the skylit CBC Atrium on Front Street, so anyone hoping to grab a last-minute ticket should act fast.
June 4. $125. Barbara Frum Atrium, 250 Front St., brewersplatetoronto.org
For serious vegans and raw-foodists, this downtown festival should be a good place to stock up on sea vegetables, sprouted breads and something called “dehydrated nopal cactus powder” (apparently it’s good for digestion). For the merely vegan-curious, it may well provide a fascinating introduction to meat- and dairy-free eating.
June 7-8. FREE. 918 Bathurst St., torontorawveganfestival.com
A handful of tickets are still available for this annual food fundraiser, where 50 Toronto chefs will be serving up blinis, crostinis and other dainty hors d’oeuvres. The $250 price tag includes all the food and drink you can stomach.
June 8. $250. Corus Quay, 25 Dockside Ave., torontotaste.ca
Halal Food Fest
Last year, people lined up for hours to get into Toronto’s first Halal food festival. (“Halal” food is food that’s been prepared in accordance with Islamic Shari’ah law.) This year’s festival will have over 150,000 square feet of sampling stations, food stalls and cooking demos. The 2014 teaser video is worth a viewing.
June 14-15. $5 admission. International Centre, 6900 Airport Rd., halalfoodfestto.com
Fishing Party at Scadding Court
“Indoor fishing” isn’t something you hear about too often, but it’s happening this month at the Scadding Court Community Centre on Dundas West. On the third Thursday in June, the centre will be stocking its indoor pool with live fish, which will be reeled in by party-goers, and then cooked up by Market 707’s street-food sellers.
June 19. Market 707, 707 Dundas St. W., scaddingcourt.org
4 thoughts on “Foodie Fortnight: the top five food events for June 5–19”
Hi all here’s a great foodie event in November! Get ready to cook with your favorite celebrity chef in the 2014 KitchenAid Cook for the Cure Culinary Showdown in support of Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. To register visit http://www.culinaryshowdown.ca
Another small but great and important food event is the ORGANIC TAPAS MARKET DINNER taking place June 13 from 5-7 at RISE: The Better Living Expo taking place at Evergreen Brick Works. 14 vendors bringing their best in ORGANIC dishes. Get your tickets http://bit.ly/1lGkd5F
I like how the first thing listed for between June 5-19 is an event on June 4th. Really thinking outside the box. Or outside the headline, at least.
I think these events sound really fun, hope a lot of people get a chance to attend at least some of them.
Comments are closed.


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Electric vehicles are often deemed the cars of the future but there are certain issues that still ail the industry and are yet to be overcome. Amongst these issues is the problem of prolonged charging times and that of limited range, concerns that hinder the adoption of these vehicles on a greater scale. Extensive research to address these matters over the past several years, however, has finally yielded a solution that could potentially put an end to these crises—aluminium-ion batteries.LBB
The lithium-ion battery, which is the type of battery pack most commonly used in electric two-wheelers and four-wheelers today, has single-handedly brought the EV industry to where it is today. It is highly energy-efficient, has a great power-to-weight ratio, performs well in high-temperature conditions, and has significantly low self-discharge. Additionally, most components of the lithium-ion battery pack can be recycled. This type of battery, however, does come with its fair share of downsides that have pushed battery researchers to look for better alternatives.
The primary drawback of lithium-ion batteries is their need to be protected with regulating circuitry that would prevent them from overcharging and discharging beyond the safe limit. Ageing is also a persistent problem with these batteries and reduces their capacity over time. The cost of development of this type of battery is also exponentially higher than that of ICE vehicle batteries. Overall, though the lithium-ion battery performs extremely well, a more effective solution could certainly be a step forward in EV technology and enable the industry to reach greater heights in a shorter time span. This is where the aluminium-ion battery comes in.
The Dawn of Aluminium-ion Batteries
Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG), a decade-old clean technology company in Australia collaborated with the University of Queensland to invent the most recent breakthrough in electric vehicles battery technology. The startup made public its research agreement with UQ in April of 2021 and also revealed the details of their preliminary experiments conducted at the Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.
The graphene aluminium-ion battery, as the company promises, is set to trump its lithium-ion predecessor in terms of energy efficiency, charging time, range, and nearly all other aspects. While research and trials are still underway, GMG and UQ have already collectively signed the license agreement, with mass production scheduled for later this year or in early 2022. While these batteries are shaped similarly to lithium-ion battery packs, what distinguishes them from the latter is the fact that they are hybrid battery superconductors. Consequently, they are capable of charging roughly 70 times faster and retaining thrice the amount of energy.
Aluminium-ion batteries thus show immense promise and have the potential to be a game-changer in the realm of green mobility. More importantly, these batteries have the power to replace the lithium-ion batteries that are used in most electric four-wheelers and two-wheelers currently in the market.
The Advantages of the Aluminium-ion Battery
The primary point of distinction between a lithium-ion battery and an aluminium-ion battery is, in simple words, the fact that the former consists of a lithium anode whilst the latter have an aluminium anode. This makes a world of difference in terms of performance, something that can be immensely beneficial to the overall functionality of the vehicle. Let us take a look at exactly what advantages this type of battery brings to the table over its lithium-ion counterpart.
- While aluminium-ion batteries have a theoretical voltage of 2.65 V that is significantly less than the 4 V voltage that lithium-ion batteries have to offer, the former has a power density of a whopping 7000 watts/kg, bestowing upon them an impressively high charge rate. This means that an aluminium-ion battery can charge anywhere between 22 to 60 times quicker in comparison to lithium-ion batteries.
- The graphene aluminium-ion batteries are also shown to have considerably longer battery life. GMG has carried out approximately 2000 cycles of charging/discharging and the batteries have exhibited no decay or deterioration in terms of performance.
- Standard lithium-ion batteries have a tendency of developing splinter-like dendrites which can very easily short circuit the battery, resulting in a fire. The energy transmission within an aluminium-ion battery, on the contrary, is more efficient, making it a much safer option with significantly low fire potential.
- The chief contributor to the hefty price tags on electric vehicles is the lithium-ion battery pack. This is because lithium is not too abundant and, as a result, quite expensive. The use of metals such as cobalt, nickel, and manganese in these battery packs also hike up the price. One of the major benefits of aluminium-ion batteries is that aluminium is considerably more abundant compared to lithium and also relatively inexpensive. Moreover, the production of aluminium-ion batteries does not require such metals as cobalt, nickel, or copper. Material costs thus lowered, the overall production expenses are also reduced.
- Aluminium is very easily recyclable, thereby minimizing environmental impact.
On its path to becoming the next big thing in the electric vehicle industry and replacing lithium-ion battery packs, one of the greatest hindrances that the aluminium-ion battery faces is its short shelf life. Additionally, the use of these batteries are currently restricted to laboratories and it could be quite some time until they are fit to be rolled out as complete battery packs ready for commercial use. However, as mentioned earlier in this article, the graphene aluminium-ion battery is undoubtedly brimming with potential and, if successfully turned into a reality, can work wonders in lowering the high prices of electric vehicles and encouraging their adoption.


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Empowering creators to build 3D worlds in even more places
Daz 3D, a leader in 3D digital art, is pleased to announce the release of a new major update for Daz Studio, the free 3D software suite. The update adds compatibility with macOS Big Sur alongside further enhancements for both Mac.
Marketing Technology News: CoreMedia Appoints former Warner Brothers HR Director, Susanne Thielecke, as New VP of Talents and…
Daz Studio is a free 3D software suite that allows beginners and professionals alike to create photorealistic 3D content that can go anywhere. The latest software update for Daz Studio 4 broadens Mac compatibility to include macOS Big Sur and all previously supported Mac operating systems allowing 3D artists to use Daz Studio on all Mac desktop platforms.
“Mac users are some of the most talented creators in the world,” said Matt Wilburn, President of Daz 3D, “so our team is very excited to bring Daz Studio, along with our huge catalog of 3D content, to this community. We have a robust pipeline planned and will keep the macOS updates coming.”
Daz 3D invites Mac users worldwide to join an incredible community of artists and to explore a massive content marketplace featuring tens of thousands of digital assets. The Daz Studio team will return to work on upcoming major releases that will deliver new features and further enhancements in future builds.
Marketing Technology News: ShardSecure Expands Distribution with Strategic Channel Partners


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The Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) started a nine-week long contest this week. Its goal is to support local businesses by encouraging residents to patronize shops in the area. Dubbed Bingo, this program enters contestants into a weekly drawing for one $100 gift card.
METBA will post a list of business locations on their website for the current contest period. New lists post to the site at the beginning of the week. Participants need to make a purchase or complete a task at four businesses on that list. Emailing proof of participation or purchase to email@example.com will enter participants in that week’s drawing. Then the gift card is awarded to a selected contestant each week, providing nine chances to win.
Due to its cancellation this year, local businesses missed out on the community exposure they receive from the Montavilla Street Fair. This Bingo event is an opportunity to explore local businesses and provide support during a challenging time. Participants will even have a chance to win something for their efforts. The first week’s activities are already underway, ending this Sunday.