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Don't blow it by relying on personal breathalysers
CHOICE tests show lower-cost models unreliable.
CHOICE tests on a range of nine lower-cost breathalysers priced up to $200 have found many of the devices gave readings that indicated a person was legal to drive when they were in fact over the limit.
The trial of nine disposable and electronic models found seven of them sometimes read below the legal limit of 0.05 for blood alcohol content (BAC) despite test subjects being over the limit, according to the results measured by the evidential police breathalyser.
The controlled test involved six men and four women, who each consumed between one and three standard drinks an hour for two hours and then blew into each of the personal breathalysing devices.
Two of the devices were disposable and offer readings that tell only if you are over or under 0.05. The tests found these devices tended to err on the side of caution.
But of the seven electronic devices tested, four recorded underestimates in about 5-10% of tests. The three others, including the top priced machine at $199, indicated it was legal to drive when subjects were over 0.05 in 25-75% of tests.
“While four of the devices claim to be certified to the voluntary Australian Standard our trial suggests that any certification does not reflect their performances in the real world,” said CHOICE spokesman Christopher Zinn.
“We do not believe any of the personal breathalysers we trialled are accurate enough to be recommended. In fact several of the manufacturers and importers we contacted said the devices could only be used as guides.”
Electronic models require regular recalibration generally every six months, which can usually be done by sending it to the distributor or manufacturer at a cost of around $50.
The results are worse than CHOICE’s last such trial in 2005 when only one device out of six measured under 0.05 when the BAC was in fact over.
Drink driving is a significant factor in the road toll. In Victoria last year 28% of all drivers and motorcyclists killed on the road had a BAC of 0.05 or more.
“Given the personal breathalysers only provide estimates and can be quite wide of the mark you’d have to ask ‘Why take the risk of drinking if you plan to drive,’” said Zinn.
Want to know more?
See the CHOICE article


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Here’s news that goes against everything that conventional nutrition advice told you – you can put on muscle with a totally vegan diet! Don’t believe us? Ask Hugh Jackman! The X-Men star is reportedly working with vegan nutritionist Brendan Brazier to build up his physique for X-Men Origins: Wolverine 2. Brazier is an endurance athlete and the creator of line of plant-based whole food nutritional products named Vega.
Hugh Jackman has been interested in Vegan products for some time now, and has been integrating Brazier’s ideas outlined in his book ‘Thrive’.
He invited Brazier to meet him for a discussion, which reportedly led to the nutritionist working on preparing Jackman for the film.
According to Brazier, Hugh Jackman has been moving towards veganism for health and environmental reasons and also to set a good example to his kids.
Although it is still unclear whether Jackman will be totally vegan while preparing for the Wolverine sequel, it can be safely assumed that a major portion of his diet will definitely be vegan.
Brazier is excited that having this celebrity publicity will draw people’s attention to veganism, which a lot of people are still unclear about. This way, a lot of Wolverine fans might be inspired to go green in their food, just like their hero.
A vegan diet is one that tries to exclude any animal product from being consumed – including eggs, dairy products and honey. A well-planned vegan diet has been proven to be healthy and one that satisfies nutritional needs, and also offers protection against heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.
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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) clearance for Vertera Spine’s Cohere cervical interbody fusion device.
The device features the company’s new Peek Scoria biomaterial, a porous surface technology based on Zeniva Peek resin from Solvay Specialty Polymers.
Developed in collaboration with a select team of surgeons, the device uses Peek Scoria to combine the benefits of introducing a porous environment to bone without compromising the implant’s mechanical integrityt.
The device also provides the additional advantage of not producing any medical imaging artifacts, allowing surgeons to easily assess the fusion site.
The company will launch the Cohere device in multiple footprint and height configurations in 2016.
Vertera Spine co-founder and CEO Dr Chris Lee said: "The FDA clearance of Cohere represents a significant milestone for Vertera Spine and fusion devices in spine.
"Given the new economics of healthcare, market demands are shifting towards more effective implant technologies at a better price.
"Cohere, featuring surface porous Peek Scoria, will be the first in a new generation of biomedical implant innovations to meet this demand."
The cost-effective Peek Scoria was developed to meet the clinical need of fusion devices, allowing improvement of osseointegrate and facilitating bone tissue in-growth.
Peek Scoria features a fully interconnected pore network with 300µm average pore size, over 500µm layer thickness, and wettable surface.
Vertera Spine spine and orthopedics industries board director Tim Nash said: "Surgeons have been seeking an all Peek fusion solution that leads to direct bone apposition instead of fibrous encapsulation.
"Cohere is a game-changing device for spine fusion. By leveraging the performance of the Scoria technology, Vertera Spine will be able to generate a portfolio of implant solutions that were previously not possible."
Image: Vertera gets FDA clearance of first surface porous Peek interbody fusion device. Photo: courtesy of PRNewswire/Vertera Spine.


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On Thursday, though, it was business as usual, and the results last quarter were largely good. Google's overall revenue climbed 13 percent from a year earlier to $18.7 billion, while net profit jumped 45 percent to $3.9 billion.
Much of the growth came from mobile search, Porat said. Last quarter, the number of searches on mobile devices passed the number on desktops for the first time. India was a particularly strong area for mobile growth.
Revenue from YouTube also grew at a "significant rate," she said, and Google's programmatic advertising business -- real-time, automated purchasing of ads -- was strong.
And Google for Work grew at "a tremendous rate," Porat said. Google Drive for Work passed one million subscribers last quarter for the first time, she said.
Speaking of Google's cloud services for businesses, which compete with Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services, Pichai said Google is "investing a lot and playing for the long term"
Not all was rosy, though. Aggregate paid clicks -- the number of times Google made money when a user clicked on an advertisement -- increased 23 percent from a year earlier, but the amount of money Google received for each click dropped by 11 percent, continuing a downward trend from the past several quarters.
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US carriers AT&T and T-Mobile will join Verizon and Sprint to sell Windows 10 on ARM PCs in the country, Qualcomm announced today (via The Verge). This comes just a month after Asus, HP and Lenovo unveiled the first Always Connected PCs powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor, and these devices are expected to start shipping in select countries in the first half of 2018.
In addition to AT&T and T-Mobile, Microsoft and Qualcomm also announced today that more carriers are embracing Always Connected PCs around the world including Australia’s Telstra, China’s CMCC, Germany’s Deutsche Telekom and Spain’s Telefónica. “In collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies and with the support of these mobile operators, consumers will be able to enjoy up to gigabit 4G/LTE connectivity and stay connected to the things that are most important to them,” said Matt Barlow, Corporate Vice President, Windows and Devices at Microsoft.
Microsoft and its OEM partners will really need great support from carriers around the world if they want this new Always Connected PC category to succeed this year. Last week, Microsoft published a document detailing the “necessary limitations” for Windows 10 on ARM, including the lack of support for x86 drivers and legacy 64-bit apps. It remains to be seen if these shortcomings will be a big deal for consumers, but the Always Connected PCs should still be a breath of fresh air and innovation for a PC market that has been declining since the recent rise of mobile devices.
Updated February 22, 3PM EST: Qualcomm announced yesterday that the four major US carriers will support Always Connected PCs on their networks, but the company only confirmed that “select operators also plan to stock Always Connected PCs in their retail locations,” without giving additional details.


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Laboratoires Théa acquires The EyeBag brand
The company will add the MGDRx EyeBag to its dry eye portfolio
22 May 2021
Pharmaceutical company, Laboratoires Théa, has acquired The EyeBag brand, introducing it to its dry eye portfolio.
Founded in 2004 by consultant ophthalmologist, Professor Teifi James, The EyeBag offers a patented reusable warm compress, the MGDRx EyeBag. The compress provides a treatment for dry eye, meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), blepharitis and associated symptoms.
The product has been widely adopted in the UK by eye care professionals.
Calling the acquisition “an exciting addition to the Théa portfolio,” Philip Lewis Williams, managing director of Théa UK, commented: “We have worked closely with Professor James for a number of years, starting with the development of the Théa Dry Eye Project.”
“The MGDRx EyeBag is the missing piece in Théa’s dry eye and MGD portfolio. We are delighted that we can now offer a full range of products to patients and practitioners alike looking for a complete treatment of their dry eye,” he added.
With Théa’s research and development experience and distribution network of more than 70 countries, the company suggested its platform would be “ideal” to introduce The EyeBag to a global audience.
James, managing director of The EyeBag Co, commented: “We are taking this new and exciting direction with Théa which will be good for our customers, our people, and the eye care sector.”
The companies have confirmed that whilst distribution transitions to the Théa network, the product will continue to be available through practitioner’s usual distributors or through the EyeBag sales team.


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The Chicago City Council yesterday agreed to expand a pair of tax-incremental financing districts to enable Norfolk Southern Railway to proceed with a more than $200 million expansion of its intermodal yard in Englewood, Ill.The Class I plans to enlarge the yard by 57 percent, or 84 acres. NS agreed to retrofit trucks and construction equipment, provide funds for transportation improvements and area schools, and donate unused rail spurs that the city expects to convert into an elevated bike trail.NS also yesterday launched a regular intermodal service to and from the South Carolina Inland Port (SCIP) in Greer, S.C., and the Port of Charleston, S.C.The new service will offer shippers of 20-, 40- and 45-foot containers a new alternative for moving freight between Charleston and the upstate South Carolina region, NS officials said in a notice posted on the Class I's website.The South Carolina Ports Authority's SCIP opened last month. The terminal is linked to the port via NS' mainline and positioned along the rapidly growing Interstate 85 corridor midway between Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta. From the SCIP, shippers will have access to more than 94 million consumers within a one-day drive, according to the port authority.


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In 2011, the increasingly mobile and socially networked world of technology became more intertwined than ever with politics and the law. Patent wars shaped competition in tablets and smartphones, hacktivists attacked a widening array of political and...
LightSquared believes a government official selectively leaked results from tests of its proposed mobile broadband network to set public opinion against the company, and it is seeking a federal investigation of the apparent leak.
Competition in the smartphone sector will remain cutthroat in 2012, as vendors will improve performance using LTE, high-resolution screens and quad-core processors and GPUs.
AT&T's decision to withdraw its application to obtain T-Mobile USA's mobile spectrum license at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission raises a question about whether the company's proposed acquisition is still active, the U.S. Department of Just...
Clearwire plans to raise as much as $345 million in stock transactions to help fund its LTE (Long Term Evolution) network deployment and other activities.
SpectrumCo, a joint venture among Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, has agreed to sell mobile spectrum licenses covering 259 million U.S. residents to Verizon Wireless for US$3.6 billion, the companies announced Friday.
A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee has approved legislation that would provide funding for a nationwide mobile broadband network for public safety agencies and would allow the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to sell auction spectrum ...
Sprint Nextel may help finance Clearwire's LTE network and keep offering WiMax service through 2015 under a set of agreements worth as much as US$1.6 billion that the companies laid out on Thursday.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has invited questions about its impartiality with a staff report laying out concerns about AT&T's proposed acquisition of rival mobile carrier T-Mobile USA, AT&T said Thursday.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has allowed AT&T to withdraw its application to buy the mobile licenses owned by T-Mobile USA, as AT&T had requested, but the agency has also released a staff report that disputes many of the benefit...
Nokia Siemens Networks plans to sell its WiMax infrastructure business to NewNet Communication Technologies for an undisclosed sum.
Staff at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission have decided that AT&T's proposed acquisition of mobile carrier T-Mobile is contrary to the public interest. So what's next?
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission's staff has found AT&T's proposed US$39 billion acquisition of rival T-Mobile USA to be contrary to the public interest, with officials there saying the deal would result in the largest single concentrat...
As mobile video finally starts to take off, making money from it remains a challenge, and content providers and carriers may clash over economics before they find a way to share the costs and benefits.
AT&T's assertions that its planned acquisition of T-Mobile USA will create up to 96,000 new U.S. jobs are "completely unfounded" and contrary to past evidence of similar mergers, one economist said Tuesday.
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It was already known that Airtight Games released its ghostly action-adventure, “Murdered: Soul Suspect” to PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation. Don’t worry lonely little Xbox One users, Microsoft announced today that the game will also be released for Xbox One.
The game centers around a dead Detector Ronan O’Connor who uses his DEADly powers to solve his own murder. And yes, these powers do include the ability of possession!
Here’s a look at the game on Xbox One:
There is still no exact release date


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Rho Technologies, the NYC-based fintech behind Rho Business Banking, has raised a $15 million Series A round led by M13 Ventures with participation from Torch Capital and Inspired Capital. The company will use the proceeds to further expand their commercial banking platform aimed at high-growth businesses, starting with today’s launch of Rho AP. The platform is oriented toward companies that need more autonomy in business banking and will map quite well to the current distributed nature of work, post-pandemic.
After raising capital and launching in December 2020, the platform now claims to be handling more than $2 billion per year in annualized transaction volume for its clients. Rho AP expands on the core banking platform by enabling companies to run full accounts payable lifecycles right within Rho, meaning invoices are uploaded, approved, coded and paid — all within Rho. Companies no longer need another payables solution in addition to their bank account.
Rho’s platform approach consists of a single solution that encompasses both collaborative finance software and commercial-grade banking. It was founded by former Point72 and Deutsche Bank alum Everett Cook (CEO) and British-Canadian serial entrepreneur Alex Wheldon. Banking services are provided by Evolve Bank and Trust, member FDIC.
In a statement, Cook said: “At Rho, we are dedicated to empowering the teams that run today’s growing companies. We’ve developed the modern commercial banking platform built around the way companies operate today: distributed, team-oriented, transparent and built for scale. Rho AP is the next step on our mission to help teams work better together with money.”
Latif Peracha, general partner at M13 and board member at Rho said: “We knew Rho had product-market fit when we discovered that several of our portfolio companies which span different sectors and sizes chose Rho for their banking needs. We believe there is an opportunity to build a powerful brand in business banking that treats the enterprise – and specifically, the CFO – as a consumer, and Rho has done that with a fully integrated product that makes managing a business much easier.”
Wheldon said: “Having built and scaled multiple businesses, I’d always found that commercial banking was a major point of friction. Rho is empowering the whole organization to work better together by removing the silos and bottlenecks associated with finance.”


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The grounds of the North Market are being prepared for a celebration of Columbus’ local coffee scene.
The market is set to hold its third annual Coffee Roast Brunch Sunday, featuring 13 roasters from Central Ohio set to provide samples of their brews.
Alongside the wide variety of local coffees to be available, there are several events, ranging from the educational Espresso Drinks 101 to a panel competition to judge participants home roasted coffee.
Sheila Hunt Rossiter, director of marketing and development for the North Market, said local roasters and the Columbus community are the driving force behind the event.
“In some industries, sometimes you find a lot of people not wanting to participate together because they are seen as competitors, but the coffee community in Columbus really has a passion for coffee. They have a really great synergy and when they work together, it’s amazing,” Hunt Rossiter said.
She said the number of coffee lovers expected to attend the event is so large, they’ve had to move the sampling section outside.
“Last year about 1,500 to 2,000 people came to the coffee roast event,” Hunt Rossiter said. “We wanted to look at that and make it more of a welcoming event for our guests, and that’s why we decided to move it outside to the farmers’ market plaza.”
One of the local brewers to be featured is the Dayton-based Boston Stoker, Erik Fenstermacher, manager of Boston Stoker’s OSU campus location, which is located at 1660 Neil Ave., said the Columbus coffee community is so large that it should soon rival that of bigger cities around the country.
“(Last year’s coffee roast) was awesome, just to see the level of coffee culture at the roast event in Ohio. You see this in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, but I didn’t know it was so well-developed in Ohio,” Fenstermacher said.
John Justice, the operations director for the downtown Columbus location of Cafe Brioso at 14 E. Gay St. and another coffee roaster set to be featured at the event, said he hopes it will help roasters overcome competition and connect with each other and the local community.
“Coffee is a funny thing. It’s like oil, nobody understand how much is consumed around them,” Justice said. “The idea is not only to bring people in to show the local coffee scene and what we can do with it, but also to create a sort of working relationship with the local roasters so we weren’t so negative or competitive with each other.”
Justice added the coffee scene in Columbus is set to soon be one of the best in the nation.
“We really think Columbus is going to be the next Portland of coffee and beer.”
Mick Evans, co-owner and director of retail operations for One Line Coffee at 745 N. High St., said Coffee Roast Brunch is a great opportunity for local residents to learn about coffee and really understand what it takes to make a good brew.
“This event allows the Columbus customer base — the coffee-drinking people of Columbus — to come and see what each roaster does individually, learn about their particular roasting style to kind of make associations with what a coffee roaster does and how it translates to the flavor of the coffee,” Evans said. “It really provides access for the community to learn about coffee and start to appreciate it in new light.”
The North Market Coffee Roast Brunch is scheduled for Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the North Market, located at 59 Spruce St. Tickets for the event cost $14 in advance on the North Market website, or $20 day of the event.


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Masahiro Sakurai confirmed via Twitter that the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC lineup selection has been completed. Rather than do a public poll to influence the selection, Nintendo has made the selection entirely themselves. This announcement comes just shy of one week after the confirmation of DLC being in development for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Sakurai immediately followed the initial tweet up with another stating he appreciated fans’ passion, but requests that fans cut back on bombarding the team with their requests for characters since the decisions have already been made.
Most of the replies to the tweets appear to be respectful, while some still beg for their dream fighter to join the game.
During the Nintendo Direct last week on November 1, Sakurai announced five DLC fighters would be coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The window of time for releasing all five of these new fighters is through February 2020. Even though the list appears to have been decided, it doesn’t mean that the rolling out of these new fighters will happen shortly after launch.
Besides these five DLC fighters, the Piranha Plant was confirmed as a sixth DLC fighter that will be free for a short period of time for those that buy and register the game to their My Nintendo account before January 31, 2019. All these DLC characters will bring the final roster to 80 fighters and 108 stages in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be out on December 7. If you haven’t locked in your copy yet, you can pre-order the game with the Fighter’s Pass on Amazon.
This post contains affiliate links where DualShockers gets a small commission on sales. Any and all support helps keep DualShockers as a standalone, independent platform for less-mainstream opinions and news coverage.
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Diesel Scrappage Scheme
Cars and vans that run on diesel are officially seen by the state as a significant contributor of harmful emissions, and a diesel scrappage scheme is now being discussed as a possible way to encourage motorists to make the switch to petrol.
After it emerged that some local councils are planning to charge 50% more for diesel vehicles to park, it appears that we are well on the way to phasing out the most popular engine and fuel for commercial vehicles. Transport For London will also charge £10 in addition to the congestion charge for diesel vehicles entering the centre of London from 2020.
The Mayor of London and the Chancellor of the Exchequer are proposing incentives to switch from diesel, and it is expected to be mentioned in the 2017 Budget. The scheme is expected to involve payments of £3500 for vans that fall below the Euro 6 Standard.
Diesel scrappage scheme
Those who choose to buy new diesel vehicles will face a 20% increase in Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax), and the industrial diesel subsidy known as ‘red diesel’ is expected to end. Where does this leave businesses that use industrial and commercial vehicles? Whilst petrol engines are lighter in weight as well as the retail price of the vehicle and the fuel being less, the efficiency is still better with diesel. Assuming we are still a few years away from electric vehicles being a genuine option for the masses, one way to encourage motorists to choose petrol over diesel is to make petrol cheaper at the pumps. Whilst many trade organisations back the diesel scrappage scheme, we don’t want to demonise motorists who will remember being encouraged to make the switch in the other direction. Mistakenly focusing on carbon emissions rather than the entire gamut of pollutants led to the government subsiding diesel and offering cut price road tax on the more efficient diesel cars. When other polluting particulates such as Nitrogen Oxides are added to the equation, it becomes clear that reducing the amount of diesel engines in use would be the best way to reduce vehicle emissions. Should the manufacturers of commercial vehicles also be incentivised to develop cost-effective alternatives to petrol and diesel?


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Finnish pulp and paper manufacturer Stora Enso acquired Sweden-based Cellutech for an undisclosed amount.
The deal will support Stora Enso’s commitment to replace fossil-based materials with renewable materials made using wood. It will not have a financial impact on the group.
Stora Enso Biomaterials executive vice-president Markus Mannström said: “The acquisition of Cellutech will add a new dimension to our fibre and cellulose capabilities, particularly in lightweight foams and spheres.
US-based paper and packaging company WestRock received approval from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) for the proposed acquisition of KapStone Paper and Packaging through Whiskey Holdco for approximately $4.9bn.
The DOJ clearance was the last antitrust approval required to complete the transaction and is subject to customary closing conditions.
The company was due to close the transaction on 2 November. The deal was announced in January, following a definitive agreement between the parties.
UK Finance Minister Philip Hammond revealed plans to introduce a new tax on packaging with less than 30% recycled plastic in a move to reduce waste and help tackle climate change.
Hammond noted that the government will consult on the details of implementation, and will introduce the reform in April 2022, reported Reuters.
Addressing the Deputy Speaker in his budget speech, Hammond said: “Billions of disposable plastic drinks cups, cartons, bags and other items are used every year in Britain.
Packaging equipment manufacturer Sidel Group acquired Italy-based flexible packaging firm PET Engineering to expand its packaging solutions portfolio.
PET Engineering offers feasible packaging solutions in polyethylene terephthalate for the food, beverage, cosmetic, household cleaners, and personal care industries. The company currently employs 40 people worldwide.
Sidel Group Services executive vice-president Pavel Shevchuk said: “With packaging increasingly playing a key role in any marketing mix, we are confident that Sidel and PET Engineering’s complementary strengths in packaging design, qualification and blowing process will bring the Sidel Group more business opportunities while offering customers a diversified choice of partners to materialise their creative requirements.”
A study by the Austrian Environment Agency and scientists from the University of Vienna found microplastics in human stools.
Researchers tested stool samples collected from eight participants belonging to different countries. Tests determined that all the samples contained microplastics.
All the participants are exposed to plastic as they consume plastic-wrapped food or drink from plastic bottles, while six of them eat sea fish.
Sweden-based table setting and take-away products supplier Duni acquired a 75% stake in sustainable disposable packaging firm BioPak from entrepreneurs Gary Smith and Richard Fine for Skr410m ($45.76m).
The value of the transaction is covered within existing loan facilities. It also includes a supplementary payment of approximately Skr24m ($2.7m) for an additional 5% of the shares after two years, as well as a put and call option for the remaining 20% of shares after five years.
The value for the final 20% of shares will be decided based on the company’s growth and profit performance in the next five years.
US-based contract manufacturer Hearthside Food Solutions entered a definitive agreement to buy Ireland-based public company Greencore Group’s entire US frozen contract packaging business for $1.075bn on a cash and debt-free basis.
Charlesbank Capital Partners and Partners Group, which acquired Hearthside on behalf of its clients, will provide the equity for the transaction.
They will also have the option to invest organically and through acquisition in the Hearthside platform.
The European Parliament voted in favour of a blanket ban on single-use plastics in a bid to tackle the pollution menace that is causing significant damage to oceans.
The bill, which was introduced by the Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Frederique Ries, was passed by 571-53 votes.
The proposed ban will result in the elimination of plastic straws, cotton swabs, as well as disposable plastic plates and cutlery from the EU market from 2021. A total of 90% of plastic bottles will be recycled by 2025.
Metal packaging firm Ball announced plans to cease production at its beverage packaging plant in San Martino, Italy, by the end of December.
The company carried out negotiations with the trade union prior to this.
Ball will accommodate its customers affected by the closure from its other facilities in Europe.
International packaging and paper group Mondi revised its investment in a new 300,000t kraft top white machine at its Ruzomberok plant in Slovakia to €340m.
The company has also recently received the necessary permitting, allowing it to proceed with the investment.
The investment has been revised from €310m to €340m following refinements to the machine’s technical concept and higher construction costs. The machine is expected to be operational by the end of 2020.


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When you hear this 'Thums up taste the thunder' line next time on TV, you will be probably surprised to see it is not Akshay Kumar but Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu, who will be doing stunts in the commercials! Well, the Pokkiri star has reportedly replaced the Bollywood actor as the brand national brand ambassador of the soft drink.
Mahesh Babu, who endorses products like Navratna Oil, Univercell, Amrutanjan, Provogue,Idea, Vivel and Jos Alukkas in Andhra Pradesh, is the new brand ambassador of Thums Up. The interesting point is that the superstar is the nation face of the product. The commercials, which were shot in Bangkok, will be aired from March 18. “The commercial will b aired this Sunday...watch out for it...by far one of my best :)”, the actor posted on his Twitter account.
He further wrote, “Like2thank d entire team of thumsup for making a really rocking commercial...thanks guys:)”


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Blackberry’s popular BBM messaging app is now available for Windows Phone.
The app includes the BBM Chats and Groups features as well as Feeds which allows users to follow updates from their contacts.
“We are intent on bringing the most popular application experiences to Windows Phone, and with BBM, we are pleased to bring many of its top features to the Windows Phone platform,” said Bryan Biniak, Vice President and General Manager, Developer Experience, Microsoft.
“As the popularity of BBM continues to grow, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand its availability to the Windows Phone community,” said John Sims, President Global Enterprise Services at BlackBerry.
“The BBM app for Windows Phone shows our commitment to supporting cross-platform capabilities, and we are excited to be working with Microsoft to deliver a new level of collaboration to the Windows Phone platform.”


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WhatsApp Pay is officially rolling out in India, starting today. As WhatsApp is widely used in India, it makes complete sense that Facebook will introduce a payment feature here. The new payment system is a direct competitor to Google Pay and Paytm- both are extremely popular instant payment systems. Moreover, citizens use WhatsApp as an alternative to the traditional SMS or messaging service. With the addition of WhatsApp Pay, Indians can now make payments and transferring money to contacts seamlessly.
WhatsApp, in a press release (blog post), officially launched their new payment system in India starting today – November 07, 2020. In partnership with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the popular messaging service brings a new real-time payment system to all with over 160 supported banks. The transactions will go through Unified Payment Interface, commonly known as UPI; an instant digital payment system widely used in India.
Earlier this year, Facebook-owned WhatsApp Messenger introduced many features like video calling, audio calls, delete sent messages, upcoming disappearing messages feature, and much more. The latest feature that comes to the app is the payment feature.
With the latest WhatsApp update, you will see a new payment option when you select the attachment link under the chat interface. This option will only show up in private chats and not in groups. It will also only show for Indian users.
As there is no new update since October 26, 2020, we believe it is a server-side push. Meaning, WhatsApp will enable the payment features to everyone in India in a phased manner. Alternatively, you can sign up for the WhatsApp beta program and download the latest version to try it out.
Download Latest WhatsApp APK
There are multiple ways you can download the latest WhatsApp APK. You can either get the latest stable version of WhatsApp 126.96.36.199 or the latest WhatsApp Beta v188.8.131.52. Once you have the latest WhatsApp beta update, go to the official WhatsApp payment activation link and enable the payment feature.
- Download latest WhatsApp from Play Store (enrollment link)
WhatsApp beta downloads:
How to enable the WhatsApp payment feature?
In this tutorial, we will show you how to enable the new WhatsApp Pay feature instantly. However, for that you will first need the latest WhatsApp version; download from above. Once done, simply visit the activation link.
- Update WhatsApp to the latest version from here.
- Visit the official WhatsApp activation page here. (Always check the address bar and the URL)
- Click on the “SET UP NOW” option.
- Open link in WhatsApp.
- Go to contact who has a payment setup.
- Click the attachment button right next to the text box.
- Send payment.


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The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) and PepsiCo, Inc (NASDAQ:PEP) recently announced plans to remove a controversial additive from all of their beverages. Regardless of what the official statements say, the companies made this move due to consumer outrage started with an online petition. And consumer pressure has altered more than the beverage industry. How has public pressure altered products from McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) in recent years?
Ingredient pushbacks usually start with online campaigns that gain steam across social networking sites. Coke and Pepsi's controversial ingredient -- brominated vegetable oil, or BVO -- was the target of an online petition from a college student that gained over 200,000 signatures. And Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) chain Taco Bell's revelation that its beef is only 88% beef forced the company to quickly offer an explanation as the news spread across Facebook like wildfire.
The controversial ingredients have approval from the Food and Drug Administration and often no solid scientific evidence exists showing that the ingredient is harmful. But public perception that products could prove unsafe is enough to threaten sales. And that's not a risk many companies are willing to take.
Here are some recent ways the power of the people has changed ingredient labels over the past few years.
1. McDonald's "pink slime"
The cause de jour in 2012 was boneless lean beef trimmings, which was quickly nicknamed "pink slime" due to its rather unappetizing appearance. This ground beef filler was made by mechanically separating fat from beef trimmings and then treating the remaining product with ammonia gas to kill bacteria. The cause was championed by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and came to a head when ABC News ran a program that spring detailing the production of pink slime and its prevalence in commercially available beef.
Grocery stores and beef producers went on the defensive. But on the restaurant side, McDonald's ended up in consumer crosshairs.
McDonald's issued a statement that the company would phase pink slime out of its meat products. Competitor Wendy's took the chance to gloat that its own meat had never contained pink slime. It was another in a long line of questions about McDonald's menu quality, including those raised in the documentary Super Size Me.
The pink slime controversy has left consumers wary about beef additives. And that recently forced Taco Bell to offer a quick explanation when the percentage of its beef started spreading on social media.
Taco Bell created a website that outlines each beef additive, including its source and the role it plays in the meat. Explaining that most of the ingredients were preservatives or flavoring agents seemed to mollify the stirring outrage.
But most companies can't shake off the controversy without a few tears; just ask the next entrant on this list.
2. JNJ removes formaldehyde from baby products
Earlier this year, Johnson & Johnson told the New York Times that its baby products are now free of the controversial chemicals formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane. Consumer complaints about the ingredients earned notice a couple of years ago, but it took the company until the end of last year to finish changing the ingredients on its more than 100 baby products. The company also promised to remove these and additional chemicals from all of its consumer products before the end of next year.
And the Johnson & Johnson pushback shows the perceptiveness of consumers. Formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane don't appear on the labels for those products because the chemicals were by-products of listed ingredients. But consumers and environmental groups still picked up on the presence and demanded their removal.
So companies feel added pressure to remove controversial ingredients that do actually appear on the label.
3. Pepsi, Coke remove BVO
Coke and Pepsi announced earlier this month that BVO is being phased out of all products. BVO has a patent as a flame retardant and its use isn't allowed for food use in the majority of Europe and parts of Asia. Domestically, BVO typically appears on the labels of citrus-flavored drinks, where it acts as an emulsifier.
Pepsi had promised last year that the company would remove BVO from Gatorade. And Coke stepped up this month to remove the ingredient from its competiing Powerade products. Then both companies went a step further and announced plans to become BVO-free. The change will pertain to several drinks, including Pepsi's Mountain Dew and Coke's Fanta.
Foolish final thoughts
The power of the people -- and their spending dollars -- have continued to change the ingredients of everyday products. Businesses are willing to spend big money to reformulate products if the end results are more sales and a reputation as a healthier company.


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Verizon subscribers will be happy to know that they can have the new ASUS ZenFone AR, while others cannot, since the telecommunications company is offering the handset as an exclusive.
Accordng to Android Headlines, Verizon made the big announcement on Thursday. It definitely makes sense that ASUS would want to partner up with Verizon for the ZenFone AR's release. After all, it is one of the biggest mobile service providers in the United States.
For those who are unaware, the upcoming ASUS ZenFone AR boasts impressive specifications. The variant that Verizon will be offering comes with 6 GB of RAM and a whopping 128 GB of internal storage. However, there are also other variants with differing memory, with the largest coming in with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. Fans in the United States will have to settle for second best, though.
Display-wise, the upcoming handset will have a 5.7-inch display with a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution. Under the hood, it will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 and an Adreno 530 GPU. The operating system is believed to be the latest Android 7.0 Nougat, though there has also been talk of the Android O coming with it.
In terms of cameras, the ASUS ZenFone AR comes with a 23-megapixel rear shooter and an 8-megapixel front-facing snapper. It also has a vapor cooling system designed to keep the device from overheating, especially since it is equipped with technology from Daydream and Tango. Additionally, it is expected to be compatible with Google's augmented-reality and virtual reality platforms.
Android Authority notes that the ASUS ZenFone AR is different because it is the first smartphone to incorporate both the Daydream and Tango technologies into one. Apart from that, the handset is also history-making because it is the first to come with 8 GB of RAM--something that was unheard of in the past.
The ASUS ZenFone AR, first introduced in January at the Consumer Electronics Show, is set for a summer release. An exact date has yet to be specified.


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MADISON, Wis.—State regulators are advising consumers to pay attention to the price they’re charged if they shop at American TV & Appliance liquidation sales around Wisconsin.
Consumer protection officials say inspectors conducted a price verification survey at each of the seven American stores in Wisconsin this week and found some items are ringing up higher than the advertised price.
Wisconsin law says consumers are entitled to a refund when they are charged more than the lowest advertised price. Inspectors from the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection checked a total of 325 items at the stores in Appleton, Brown Deer, Madison, Oak Creek and Waukesha.
In a statement, American says it’s confident consumers will pay the price as tagged. The company says it has not received any consumer complaints.


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|New Media Captures Huge Advertising Dollars as Technology and Advertising Collide|
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., September 11, 2007â€” MultiMedia Intelligence (http://www.MultiMediaIntelligence.com) reports that the new media opportunity of Internet advertising, Internet TV, IPTV advertising, mobile TV advertising and in-game advertising will grow to US$41 billion worldwide by 2011. This will more than double the new media advertising segment of 2007, which collectively will reach almost US$18 billion worldwide in 2007.
The total available market (TAM) for worldwide advertising is approximately a $0.6 trillion market. The disruption of traditional media advertising models by new media is still at its nascent stages, as the largest advertising market, TV, is just beginning to feel the impact. However, traditional content owners like music labels, studios, television affiliates, game publishers, and cable and satellite providers are being pulled into the new technology-driven world as disruptive technologies such as time shifted TV, Internet delivered content, and mobile video change media consumption habits.
â€œThe traditional media industry is under assault from rapidly changing technology and user behavior,â€ according to Rick Sizemore, Chief Strategy Officer for MultiMedia Intelligence. â€œThe digital video recorder has empowered consumers and is toppling traditional TV advertising models. The $185 billion dollar TV advertising industry is now in the cross-hairs of the technology industry. Technology not only puts consumers in control of what and how they consume content, but also integrates community, participation and interactivity into the media experience. New technology-driven advertising models are emerging on the Internet, on mobile devices, in video games, and on public displays. These are significant opportunities, but will be massively disruptive to the traditional advertising industry.â€
Recent research by MultiMedia Intelligence has identified the following:
Â· Media companies face a strategic choice of control versus reach. Syndicated and viral distribution of content via the Internet, social networks and user generated sites provides the broadest reach and empowers consumers. Yet, this model strips the control of media distribution from content owners and disrupts existing business models.
Â· There are new potential advertising and branding models leveraging platforms with hardwired branding all the way down to the semiconductor level. Few have even considered some of the potential models where electronic devices feature chips that are integrated with and owned by the â€œBrand,â€ with a product subsidy cascading the to the end consumer.
Â· Internet Search will end 2007 as the largest of the digital advertising segments with US$6.8 billion in revenue. However, IPTV advertising will rise to a top spot in 2008 as video is delivered by the might of the worldwide telcos.
Â· Comprising just under 4% of new media advertising revenue in 2007, the three new media video categories of Internet TV, IPTV and mobile TV will combine to make-up almost 20% of media advertising dollars in 2011. Clearly, even in new media, video will be king.
The research, â€œAdvertising & Technology Collide: Semiconductor Companies, Technology Providers, Media Companies and Ad Agencies Partner to Move from Disruption to Monetization,â€ (MMI070301DA) examines the impact of new technologies on the advertising industry. It first examines why current advertising is becoming less effective and the critical role of the DVR. It then addresses the resulting impact on the â€œupfrontsâ€ and the impact on ratings providers, such as Nielsen. Digital technologies, platforms and the impact on advertising will subsequently be examined. This includes such platforms as set-top boxes, PCs, game consoles, DVRs and portable devices. It will finish by discussing new and creative ways that advertisers can utilize core technologies and examining some of the new digital advertising opportunities, including Internet advertising, IPTV advertising, Internet TV, mobile TV advertising, and in-game advertising.
About Multimedia Intelligence
MultiMedia Intelligence specializes on the markets and technologies for delivering IP-based video to the â€˜nthâ€™ screen. The company provides a comprehensive set of marketing & business development services to its customers.
For more information, contact:
Rick Sizemore, Chief Strategy Officer
Title: Advertising & Technology Collide: Semiconductor Companies, Technology Providers, Media Companies and Ad Agencies Partner to Move from Disruption to Monetization
Published Date: September 2007
Abstract & Table of Contents (html)
Author: Rick Sizemore
Contact for more Information/Sales


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Daniel Eran Dilger
Windows Enthusiasts have been working hard to advance the idea that Apple has become the new Microsoft, supposedly by monopolizing the market for music sales and MP3 players and in creating new bodies of technology in its own image to discover territories outside of Microsoft’s reach. However, they’re missing something far more interesting: Microsoft is reverting to become the beleaguered old Apple of the mid 90s. Here’s how.
April 19, 2008 64 Comments


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We now know just how well the PC gaming did this year, generating a massive $35.8 billion in 2016 - which according to SuperData's analysis of the interactive entertainment world, was "driven largely by free-to-play online titles and downloadable games".
SuperData noted that games like League of Legends and even my favorite, Overwatch, "drive enthusiasm". They also noted that PC gamers recognized a "big improvement with the release of a new generation of graphics cards, offering a 40% increase in graphics power and a 20% reduction of power consumption" - thanks to AMD's release of the Radeon RX 400 series, and NVIDIA's popular GeForce GTX 10 series of graphics cards.
It we compare it to the relatively small console gaming market, where $6.6 billion was made - with SuperData noting the revenue generated through "add-on content, expansion packs, and micro-transactions", all dirty words to some gamers.
- > NEXT STORY: Battlefield 1 is 40% off in Origin's Winter Holiday Sale
- < PREVIOUS STORY: League of Legends generated $1.7 billion revenue in 2016


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Apple sold more than 13 million iPhone 6s and 6s Plus smartphones in the first three days of sale - a new record for the technology giant.
Queues formed outside Apple Stores around the world when the phones went on sale on Friday.
Apple sold 10 million 6 and 6 Plus smartphones when the models went on sale last year.
The 6s has a better camera, faster processor and a pressure-sensitive screen for the first time.
Reacting to the figures, Apple chief executive Tim Cook said: "Sales for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus have been phenomenal, blowing past any previous first weekend sales results in Apple's history.
"Customers' feedback is incredible and they are loving 3D Touch and Live Photos, and we can't wait to bring iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus to customers in even more countries on October 9."
After the launch of the iPhone 6 last year, Apple went on to sell more than 70 million units in three months.
The firm also posted the largest ever quarterly profit by a public company of £11.8bn.
There have been suggestions that - given the high sales figures last year and the modest upgrades to the latest device - demand for the 6s could drop.
However, the addition of China as a launch day country for the first time is likely to have boosted demand.
The new iPhones will launch in 40 more countries on 9 October, and will be available in 130 countries by the end of the year.


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Free Newsletters for the Channel
Register for Your Free Newsletter Now
January 24, 2024
HiddenLayer partners are getting access to the artificial intelligence (AI) application security provider’s first end-to-end partner program.
The HiddenLayer Partner Program allows partners to onboard while providing predictable, transparent pricing and flexible licensing models, and an automated, scalable AI security (AISec) platform. HiddenLayer partners will be able to educate customers on a new threat landscape and provide the solutions they need to protect their AI and competitive edge, build stronger relationships and establish their team as AI leaders for their customers, the company said.
“We know we have one opportunity to introduce HiddenLayer to the channel ecosystem, and therefore, explicitly decided to hold the launch until we had built our program to be best in class,” said Abigail Maines, HiddenLayer’s chief revenue officer. “We spent the last two quarters implementing our partner portal, designing self-paced training and developing marketing programs purpose-built for the ecosystem."
HiddenLayer's Rebecca Cahak
HiddenLayer last quarter hired head of channel Rebecca Cahak, a 20-year industry veteran. She is a channel professional with over 20 years of experience.
HiddenLayer aims to optimize its current partner network, enhancing it through streamlined support and collaborative offerings. There will be three tiers for the program – covert, concealed and clandestine – so customers can work together with HiddenLayer to achieve the best-shared outcome.
Each tier includes pricing discounts, free online training for sales and technical enablement, and security for AI marketing partnerships. Concealed includes free on-site training and performance incentive programs for extra financial success. Clandestine includes everything previously mentioned, with the addition of account mapping, executive security research briefings and more.
Overwhelming market demand from partners prompted the need for HiddenLayer’s program, Maines said.
“Since inception, and especially after our RSA Innovation Sandbox win in 2023, partners have been asking to bring our AISec platform to their customer base at scale,” she said. “I can tell you, it was very difficult to ask these partners to wait for our program, but we knew we had to ensure our partners and their customers had an effective and efficient onboarding and field execution model from HiddenLayer.”
Further, machine learning (ML) and AI are driving innovation across every single industry, Maines said. But as the impact of this technology grows, so does the scale of the threats to their security. New attack surfaces, like inference/extraction, data poisoning, model evasion and model injection are creating risks that many businesses might not even know could be on their doorstep. And bad actors are developing new attack techniques all the while.
HiddenLayer's Abigail Maines
“Forty percent of organizations have experienced an AI security or privacy breach, per Gartner, and 20% of companies experienced an AI model attack over the course of one year, from May 2022 to May 2023, per Scale Venture Partners,” she said. “So this is an urgent challenge that we are educating our customers on, and by creating the HiddenLayer partner program, we are able to implement it with customers at a faster scale and rate. We know channel partners' IP is their customer relationships and as such, their ability to accelerate customer relationships and ultimately the security for AI industry is unmatched.”
Since day one, HiddenLayer’s go-to-market strategy is to be 100% channel-led, Maines said.
“We understand how valuable partners are to their customers and to solution providers like us,” she said, “We have tremendous empathy for the sheer number of cyber offerings that partners can sell, which is why we built our program to be easy, predictable and transparent. We consulted with over 50 partners to design this partner program and intend to continue to incorporate partner feedback as received.”
The partner program is about providing the benefits and ease of use that partners already receive to their customers, Maines said.
“A lot of partners' daily needs are offered as self-service on the site and of course, we are always available for any additional human touch needs,” she said. “Our suite of products is the most automated, scalable and unobtrusive solution to secure AI on the market, and this program spreads those benefits to our partners’ customers. And we are listening to our customers as we build out our roadmap.”
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Dominoâ€™s Pizza isnâ€™t slowing down when it comes to improving its menu. Â Beginning today, customers can try the debut of its new chicken â€“ the next chapter in the Dominoâ€™s story of reinvention, transparency and delivering on what customers ask for. The campaign will mark the first time Dominoâ€™s has run a national promotion around its chicken products since 2002. Â
Customers have spoken, and Dominoâ€™s continues to listen and respond. Available for delivery and carryout beginning today, the latest permanent menu feature for Dominoâ€™s consists of two newly revamped chicken products â€“ boneless chicken and wings â€“accompanied by a brand new national campaign that takes people through the story of an unlikely, hopeful hero within the Dominoâ€™s test kitchen.
â€œWe want to continue innovating, and reinventing our menu and brand â€“ and our new chicken is the next chapter of our story,â€ said J. Patrick Doyle, Dominoâ€™s Pizza president and chief executive officer. â€œNot only are our new boneless chicken and wings much improved based on customer feedback, but we are again opening our doors and letting consumers see the real people â€“ behind the real story â€“ talk about how this came about.â€ Â
The real person behind this story is Tate â€“ the secluded chicken chef within a pizza company. Tasked with an opportunity to execute the rebirth of a product not often at the forefront of the minds of Dominoâ€™s fans, Tateâ€™s story is the highlight of a campaign designed to take consumers through the challenges and triumphs of leading such a project. The result is a product that everyone at Dominoâ€™s is excited to add to its proud menu â€“ one consisting of much more than just pizza.
The new, tastier chicken wings are available in hot, BBQ and new Sweet Mango Habanero â€“ while the new boneless chicken gives customers more choice on how to customize to their specific tastes. In addition to the new boneless chicken, made with 100 percent whole white breast meat lightly breaded with savory herbs, a selection of dipping sauces will provide multiple options. These are sure to please those who either want to spice things up with Sweet Mango Habanero or Kickers Hot sauces, or go with more traditional dipping options like BBQ sauce or Ranch. Â
â€œOver 80 percent of our menu consists of new, permanent menu items introduced since 2008, so the desire to continue getting better goes well beyond just our pizza,â€ said Russell Weiner, Dominoâ€™s Pizza chief marketing officer. â€œTateâ€™s story will give consumers another peek within the Dominoâ€™s world, and combines an underdog success story with our desire to continue creating great food.â€
â€œThe feedback we heard from consumers was that they wanted more choice and customization with the boneless chicken,â€ said Weiner. â€œAnd of course, we know how loyal wing-lovers are, so we strived to deliver on providing a better texture and flavor.â€
Beginning March 2, coinciding with the start of the TV campaign, consumers will be able to provide their feedback on the new chicken, as well as view the full documentary about Tate by visiting more.dominos.com.
Shared by Daniel Surian
Boston Restaurant Brokers


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The latest news about Rwanda
Rwanda exports over 60% of its coffee to the European Union annually, and its coffee plantations are mainly scattered on the hillside of the country. Coffee production plays a crucial role in poverty reduction through the monetization of the rural economy and job creation.
Since 2016, Selecta has been active in the Southern province of Rwanda to improve the livelihoods of coffee farmers and their families. The project focuses on improving coffee productivity through Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) training and increasing household income through the heifer program.
Additionally, the project has resulted in a diversification of income for coffee-producing families, which is expected to reduce the dependency on coffee cycles and fluctuating prices. As a result of the implementation of the Heifer program, the families impacted by the project have had the possibility to sell milk surplus or consume it at home, which resulted in a high-quality source of protein for children.
Cow Ceremony For Selecta Beneficiaries
We celebrated a cow giving ceremony in Rwanda and distributed 20 additional cows to Selecta beneficiaries - including 12 woman farmers. The agenda included training of the new beneficiaries and a ceremony outdoors with the delivery of farming equipment.
Meet Beatha Mukamusoni, a coffee producer in the Nyamagabe district of the Southern Province of Rwanda. Beatha, a widow with two children, has 400 coffee trees of Bourbon Arabica and started in coffee farming in 2014. Beatha is a beneficiary of the Selecta Coffee Fund Program and sat down with us to discuss the impact of the Selecta Coffee Fund Programme.
The Selecta Coffee Fund (SCF) contributes to Sustainability initiatives across our value chain, with a focus on the development of coffee farmers, their families and communities in coffee growing areas around the world.
Through the Selecta Coffee Fund impact areas, we aim to improve the livelihoods of coffee farmers, foster social equity, maintain thriving ecosystems, reduce carbon emissions and protect our ecosystem.
If this news interests you, we encourage you to read our Selecta Coffee Fund Brochure, in which we describe our projects more in detail. Day-in and day-out at Selecta is about sustainable coffee. So, we want to thank our clients for the support and will keep updating you in the coming months.


text: third in kentucky. brad-- a newburgh book store is searching for a new owner. after 20 years -- the previous owner says she's ready for the next chapter in her life. 3 wynne beck announced on facebook she is retiring and is looking for someone to keep running the book nook. beck purchased the store 20 years ago -- and has expanded it to 40-thousand books. she hopes to sell the store either by the end of the year or the beginning of next year. (sot wynne beck) "i'm hoping to find someone who will continue with what i started here. i've been here 20 years, and i wanted to continue. i have people who've been coming that long, and they don't want the story to leave."brad-- beck says she will mostly miss her customers. she says anyone interested in purchasing the book nook can call or email her -- or reach her on facebook.


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see you in court
Posted by Dale Buss on April 13, 2012 01:04 PM
The under-$10 bestseller -- so prominent a part of the promise of e-books when they burst on the scene about five years ago -- looks to be returning soon to a screen near you.
That's the most anticipated outcome from the suit filed Wednesday by the U.S. Justice Department against Apple and five leading book publishers who, the government said, conspired to lift the price of many best-selling e-books to $12.99 to $14.99 -- after they didn't like the financial compression provided when Amazon succeeded in cutting the price of many books for its Kindle e-reader to $9.99.
While making books easier for consumers to obtain and read, of course, e-books have proved a financial challenge for traditional book publishers and authors, because they tend to flatten the industry's financial structure. But the government said, basically, "Tough!" and sided with consumers. Continue reading...


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Bills that would require gas stations to protect customers from credit card skimmers and increase criminal penalties for data thieves were filed Thursday.
The bills were announced by Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, whose department is responsible for inspecting pumps at the state’s 8,000 gas stations. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services inspectors have found 150 credit card skimmers, small devices that capture the credit or debit card information of consumers, in the past year.
“We estimate that $1,000 is stolen from each victim of a skimmer, not to mention the immeasurable havoc that identity theft wreaks on people’s lives,” Putnam said. “This legislation will help protect Floridians and their hard-earned money from skimmers at the pump, as well as increase penalties for the crooks perpetrating these crimes.”
A single skimmer can capture the financial information of up to 5,000 individuals before it’s discovered, giving each skimmer the potential for up to $5 million in theft from consumers. The proposed legislation requires gas stations to, at a minimum, seal the gas pumps with security tape to prevent skimmer installation. If a station doesn’t comply, DACS will be able shut down the fuel pumps.
The legislation will also increase the penalty for credit card thieves from a third-degree felony to a second-degree felony, which can carry a prison sentence up to 15 years and a fine of up to $10,000. Fraudsters could be charged with the crime for stealing just five credit card numbers, rather than the 10 required for a felony charge under current law.
On Thursday Miami Republican Sen. Anitere Flores introduced the Senate version, SB 912; Tampa Republican Rep. Dana Young will introduce the House version of the bill.


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Xiaomi has launched its new Horizon Edition TV series in India with two variants - Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition (32) and Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition (43).
The highlight of the Mi TV Horizon Edition series is the bezel-less design that gives it a 95% screen to body ratio and 178-degree viewing angle for an immersive experience. The 32-inch variant sports an HD (1368 x 768) resolution while the 43-inch one is a Full HD (1920 x 1080) television.
The TVs feature Xiaomi’s proprietary Vivid Picture Engine technology that claims to ensure accurate screen calibration, deeper contrasts, and pinpoint precision in color reproduction. It comes equipped with 20W stereo speakers with DTS-HD and an array of ports, including 3.5mm audio out, SPDIF, and three HDMI ports. With the Horizon Edition series, Xiaomi has introduced a new feature to fasten the bootup time – Mi QuickWake helps you quickly wake your TV in just 5 seconds.
Like all Mi TVs, the latest ones too are powered by Android TV 9.0 with PatchWall, Xiaomi’s proprietary content platform layer that is integrated with 23+ content partners with content from over 16 languages. Because it's Android TV at the core, there’s access to 5000+ apps on the Google Play Store as well as built-in Chromecast and Google Assistant.
The Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition (32) and Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition (43) are priced at ₹13,499 ($184) and ₹22,999 ($313) respectively. While the 32-inch variant will be available on mi.com, Mi Home, and Flipkart on September 11 at 12PM, the 43-inch variant will be available on mi.com, Mi Home, and Amazon.in on September 15 at 6PM. The TVs will be available across offline stores sometime later.
Xiaomi is currently the number one smart TV brand in the country and enjoys a 30% market share having sold more than 4 million Mi TVs in India since its launch in early 2018.


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Blizzard fans have a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks, with the developer’s annual BlizzCon event kicking off on November 2nd. As they do every year, the company will make announcements for their biggest games, including World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo. In the case of the latter, some big news is expected this year, as the game’s “What’s Next?” panel is scheduled for the first day. Unfortunately, Blizzard has confirmed what isn’t coming next, and that’s the recent news that multi-platform cross-play for Diablo III is on the way.
This news began circulating on Friday following a Business Insider interview focusing on next month’s release of Diablo III: Eternal Collection for the Nintendo Switch. A Blizzard representative reportedly told the outlet that it was already working on cross-play support between the Switch, PS4, and Xbox One versions of the game. Along with stating that talks were underway with Sony and Microsoft, the Blizzard rep was quoted as saying that Diablo III cross-play was “a question of when, not if.”
Sadly this doesn’t seem to be the case at all. Blizzard has released a statement to a number of outlets, essentially saying the reported news isn’t true.
“While we love the idea of bringing our players together across platforms, we do not have any plans to implement cross-platform gameplay for Diablo at this time.”
It’s not clear if the Blizzard rep in the interview misspoke or if Business Insider just got their information mixed up. The developer has previously stated that it has a number of Diablo projects in the works, and with BlizzCon approaching the announcement of a cross-play feature made sense. Especially with a number of big games featuring cross-platform support, such as Fortnite, Rocket League, and Minecraft.
So now that we know Diablo III cross-play isn’t coming anytime soon, and that “Diablo Reign of Terror” is not a thing, it’s anyone’s guess what will be announced for the series at BlizzCon 2018.


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League of Legends: Wild Rift, the mobile version of the popular PC video game League of Legends from developer Riot Games, has released an all-new cinematic trailer. The new trailer features various characters from the game like Yasuo, Ahri, and more, but the focus is largely on Jinx, the gun-toting, blue-haired mischief maker.
The new cinematic trailer, which features the song "You Really Got Me" from 2WEI, Hanna Leess, Kataem, and Marvin Brooks, was released as part of the expansion of League of Legends: Wild Rift's Regional Open Beta. As of today, players in Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand can participate in the Regional Open Beta. Those of us in the Americas will, as of right now, be waiting until Spring 2021.
Jinx can’t hardly wait to jump into Wild Rift. Watch the cinematic trailer now!
🎵 You Really Got Me (ft. 2WEI, Hanna Leess, Kataem, Marvin Brooks)October 28, 2020
The Regional Open Beta is NOW LIVE in Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand!
Read more: https://t.co/9arB71eMu1— League of Legends: Wild Rift (@wildrift) October 28, 2020
League of Legends: Wild Rift has been playing in various betas, and will continue to do so. As noted above, the new beta won't actually reach the Americas until Spring 2021. League of Legends is currently available for PC and Mac. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the popular MOBA video game right here.
What do you think of what we have seen of League of Legends: Wild Rift so far? Have you had a chance to check it out for yourself? Let us know in the comments, or feel free to hit me up directly on Twitter at @rollinbishop to talk about all things gaming!


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Spoiled children in New York City are as common as our pigeons, according to a new survey.
In fact, Big Apple parents blow more cash on their kids than parents in any other city in the nation, reports Bundle.com, a Web site dedicated to revealing how people spend their money.
The new survey, which used data culled from 36 of the biggest cities in the United States, found that kids in Manhattan and Brooklyn are showered with nearly double what kids get elsewhere — that averaged nationally $12,000 for a child’s first year.
The finding comes as no surprise — both boroughs are the two most expensive places to live in the country, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research.
It also doesn’t hurt that some of the best toy stores on Earth, including FAO Schwarz and a gargantuan Toys ‘R’ Us in Times Square, can be found here.
Some of the world’s wealthiest parents are also among the 1.6 million people who live in Manhattan.
After Manhattan (No. 1) and Brooklyn (No. 2), Miami, Minneapolis and Tulsa, Okla., rounded out the top five.
Madison, Wis., finished dead last in the survey.


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Huawei is finding itself in a more difficult condition now.
Chipmakers Intel, Qualcomm, Xilinx, and Broadcom have advised their workers to quit providing to Huawei until further notice, as per a news report, which referred to secret sources acquainted with the issue.
The company has allegedly been getting ready for a potential supply cut off since the mid of 2018, while planning its own chips to go into smartphones, PCs, and networking devices.
The stoppage comes after Google allegedly removed Android‘s permit to the Chinese innovation company, pursuing a Trump official order to restrain U.S. companies from utilizing telecommunications accessories made by companies which carry a national security risk.
The license cut-off implies that Huawei would just have approach to the open source version of Android (or AOSP, for Android Open Source Project), a confined version of the mobile operating version.
A Chinese news service revealed back in April that Huawei has been building up its very own cell phone, tablet, and PC operating systems, which would fill in as a substitute of Windows and Android.


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Susquehanna International Group, a global trading and technology company based in the United States, is opening virtual currency trading to its customers, initially in the form of BTC futures; this is according to the report by New York Times last Tuesday.
Susquehanna International Group is located in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, US and considered one of the biggest financial companies all over the world trading conventional investments such as options, stocks, as well as ETFs or exchange-traded funds. This exclusively operated company has also developed a trading desk for the procurement and sale of digital currencies in exclusive deals over the past two years. At the moment, the company plans to start offering virtual currencies to a small group of its 500 customers with a view to get the service bigger in the coming years.
Bart Smith, head of the digital asset group of the company, said Susquehanna thinks Bitcoin and other digital currencies have a wide range of applications, which include becoming an online payment mode. The firm believes that this system and this type of asset are going to change some aspect of financial services, and they also believe that it is going to be available forever.
The company will reportedly begin trading BTC futures, in addition to allowing customers buy and sell actual Bitcoin and other types of virtual currencies like BCH and ETH. In order to trade digital currencies, which the US regulator classifies as securities, Susquehanna recently revised the broker dealer license, confirming that it’s registered with regulators.
The company has also developed its own system for storing digital currencies. Private keys are stored in devices in an off-site facility, which is not associated with the company’s computer system that reportedly makes them more resistant to the attack of cyberhackers.
The first deal of the company with BTC was in the year 2014 after the Winklevoss twins asked them to get involved with a Bitcoin exchange-traded funds which they had requested regulators to make. The application for the exchange-traded funds was not approved. But the company kept one trader on board, adding more in the previous years when digital currency market saw a record-breaking gain.
At the moment, financial services company Fidelity Investment is looking for skilled developers to create a digital currency exchange on both public and private cloud. The firm will seek to provide “best-in-class custodian services for BTC and other types of digital currencies”.
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TVS has just launched the all-new Apache RR 310S in India. Now TVS is concentrating on the entry-level Apache, and the bike is expected to be the next big launch from the Indian manufacturer. TVS has already started testing the upcoming bike and according to a report, it will be an all-new bike and will not be a mere facelift model.
TVS launched new bikes to the top layer of the Apache series in the form of Apache RTR 200 4V and Apache RR 310S, but the entry-level bikes like TVS RTR 160 and the RTR 180 have not received many updates in the past few years. TVS will now bring an all-new version of the Apache RTR 160 that will get major updates in terms of chassis, body and the way it looks.
The motorcycle has been caught on test already the new design looks inspired from the Apache RTR 200 4V. The images show a sharper body design and a new headlamp cluster too. The chassis also seems to be brand new alongside the suspension system. Currently, the Apache RTR 160 gets twin shock absorbers at the rear, with the update, we expect a monoshock in the rear alongside split seats instead of a single bench. It will become much sportier than the current version. The bike also gets LED tail lamp, silver inserts on the side panel, front disc brake, rear drum brake and more.
The current line of engines is also expected to be re-tuned to churn our more power and efficiency with the update. TVS Apache 160 already looks outdated, especially because of the rivals like Bajaj Pulsar NS 160, Suzuki Gixxer, Honda Hornet 160, Yamaha FZ-S FI and more. TVS will also launch the updated Apache RTR 180 soon after the Apache 160 and it is also expected to follow the same updates as the entry-level Apache.


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Sony will launch a PS3 successor on February 20, the Wall Street Journal reports citing sources familiar with the matter. Sony has officially announced an event on that date, saying the fans will "see the future" of PlayStation, but has not disclosed what, exactly, will be revealed at the event. According to WSJ's sources, Sony will start selling its next-generation PlayStation later this year, competing for attention with Microsoft, which is also likely to launch a new gaming console in 2013.
Specialized applications known as electronic games are available on a number of interfaces, such as video game consoles, computers and mobile phones. A person who plays electronic games is referred to as a gamer. Most of these games are participatory, and offer multiplayer as well as one-player options.


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A representative of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment recently announced that Viet Nam has completely eliminated a number of ozone depleting substances such as HCFCs, Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and Halon, in line with the provisions of the Montreal Protocol.
Also according to the roadmap, Viet Nam sets targets to control the import and export of Methyl Bromide and implements the elimination of Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). These refrigerants are mainly used in the production of air conditioners, refrigeration equipment, foam production, fire extinguishing and quarantine for export goods.
Since the adoption of Decree 06, MONRE and the Department of Vietnam Customs have cooperated to update regulations on greenhouse gas emissions reduction and protection of the ozone layer. These adjustments include custom policies on management of import and export goods in general, and specified controlled substances in particular.
Specifically, the Department of Climate Change has coordinated with the Department of Anti-Smuggling and Investigation and the General Department of Vietnam Customs to efficiently control export, import, and prevent illegal trade in HCFCs. The cooperation can help Vietnam meet the obligations of the member countries and States parties to implement the Montreal Protocol.
Within the framework of Vietnam’s HCFC Management and Elimination Plan (phase 1), the Customs Department has reduced consumption by 10% against the baseline. Additionally, nearly 500 customs officers received training to raise awareness on illegal trade of HCFC and ozone layer protection. These courses aim to raise the capacity of the custom staff and increase the efficiency of import and export control of HCFCs.


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Hewlett-Packard tops PC sales for 2012
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- Staff San Francisco Business Times
Hewlett-Packard Co. remained the top seller of personal computers in 2012 according to research firms, a distinction that was in question in the third quarter.
Gartner on Monday said Hewlett-Packard (NYS: HPQ) shipped 56.5 million PCs in 2012 for 16 percent of the market, while Lenovo held 14.8 percent.
The research firm IDC last week offered similar numbers, saying HP shipped 58.1 million units during the year, to give it a 16.5 percent market share.
Gartner in October put Lenovo ahead for the third quarter. That prompted a response from HP, siding with IDC numbers that put HP ahead.
Read more at the Mercury News.
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Wall Street dragged lower by Amazon, tobacco stocks
Wall Street slipped on Friday as losses in Amazon and tobacco shares weighed on major indexes.
Amazon`s shares were down 3.39 percent after it reported a 77 percent drop in profit as its rapid and costly expansion into new shopping categories and countries showed no sign of slowing.
The stock was the biggest drag on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.
However, the tech index pared some early losses to trade down 0.22 percent. The sector has been the best performer this year, driving the S&P 500`s 10.6 percent run in 2017.
"Investors are still feeling some weakness in the tech sector and that`s weighing on the broader market," said Robert Pavlik, chief market strategist at Boston Private Wealth.
"I`m a bit concerned about some of the valuations, but I expect to see these stocks eventually climb higher as people look for growth. There are bound to be some bumps along the way."
The consumer staples sector`s 1.86 percent fall led a broad decline as an FDA announcement seeking to cut nicotine in cigarettes to non-addictive levels dragged down tobacco stocks.
Altria slumped 13.2 percent and Philip Morris 3.5 percent. The stocks were among the top drags on the S&P.
The consumer discretionary sector, of which Amazon is a component, was down 0.97 percent also due to losses in Starbucks and Mattel.
Starbucks fell 7.50 percent and Mattel 8.78 percent after their disappointing quarterly reports.
At 10:59 a.m. ET (1659 GMT), the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 9.97 points, or 0.05 percent, at 21,786.58 and the S&P 500 was down 8.79 points, or 0.35 percent, at 2,466.63. The Nasdaq Composite was down 27.60 points, or 0.43 percent, at 6,354.59.
Risk sentiment also took a hit following the failure of Republicans to repeal Obamacare in a tight Senate vote overnight.
Investors are worried about the ability of President Donald Trump to legislate his pro-growth agenda of tax reform and higher spending on infrastructure.
"When a lot of people think about the White House, they just think of a lot of chaos going on, and if they can`t get stuff together in their own house, how are they going to get it together for the country. What kind of outlook does that have for things like tax reform?," Pavlik said.
Data showed that the U.S. economy accelerated in the second quarter as consumers ramped up spending and businesses invested more on equipment.
Gross domestic product increased at a 2.6 percent annual rate in the April-June period, up from 1.2 percent in the first quarter, the Commerce Department said in its advance estimate.
Declining issues outnumbered advancers on the NYSE by 1,363 to 1,330. On the Nasdaq, 1,479 issues fell and 1,156 advanced.
(This article has not been edited by Zeebiz editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
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Initially scheduled for a spring 2022 release, Forspoken has been delayed a second time to January of 2023. The game’s most recent release date was set to October 11, after getting a five-month delay. At the time, developer Luminous Productions stated that “getting it right” was the reason for the delay. Forspoken now has a new PC release date of January 24, 2023.
Today’s message isn’t much different than what we heard before. While the company says “game elements are now complete,” Forspoken has been delayed to ensure final polish. Also, for “strategic” reasons. The time should allow the developer to grind down all the edges, plus it means Forspoken can avoid some serious AAA competition — in other words. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is set to release on October 28. It makes sense that publisher Square Enix would want to vault over that particular gaming goliath.
“We would like to thank you for your continued support and patience on this journey,” Luminous wrote in its Twitter message. “Your excitement for the game inspires us every day and we cannot wait to share more about Forspoken with you later this Summer!”
— Forspoken (@Forspoken) July 6, 2022
At least we’ll see more soon
As per the message, Forspoken may have been delayed to January, but we won’t have to wait that long to see it again. More Forspoken news, announcements, or even a trailer is scheduled to arrive this summer.
Announced back in 2020 as Project Athia, Forspoken is a third-person action game boasting some impressive visuals. The protagonist, Frey, commands impressive magic able to devastate both enemies and environments. Forspoken‘s most recent trailer showed off world traversal, combat, and different biomes, ranging from grasslands to deserts. So far, the game is looking good with a lot of intense particle effects. Hopefully the delay allows the studio to get all the game’s parts working well with good optimization.
We’ll know for sure when Forspoken launches for PC in January (maybe for real this time).


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Blockstore: Revolutionizing retail with 24/7 smart vending machines
Blockstore leverages the Selfly Freezer to transform the future of grocery shopping
An inside look at Blockstore's Selfly Freezer pilot and its potential to reshape the grocery shopping experience
Blockstore, a forward-thinking company in the retail industry, is setting the stage for a new era of grocery shopping with their latest pilot project: the Selfly Freezer. This revolutionary technology promises to make their grocery store concept complete, and the process of purchasing frozen goods more efficient and convenient. We had the chance to speak with Juha Maijala, CEO and founder of Blockstore, to explore the details of the Selfly Freezer pilot project.
A successful pilot with the Selfly Freezer
During spring 2023, Blockstore has piloted the Selfly Freezer successfully. The Selfly Freezer was placed in Blockstore’s concept store, in Helsinki, where about 800 recurring customers do their shopping every month. During the pilot phase, hundreds of purchases have been made from the freezer. At the same time, it has received high praise from consumers and demonstrated impressive satisfaction rates.
Juha Maijala shared that “Consumers like it, and retailers need to have it.“ He continued “The consumers have been overwhelmingly positive to the freezer and waiting for it to finally arrive. The frozen pizza and ice cream offerings have been especially longed for.”
Juha points out that the technology’s plug-and-play capability made integration into existing systems a breeze, with the Selfly Freezer functioning flawlessly once connected to power.
Scalable solutions for growth
Blockstore is committed to providing scalable solutions for their retail customers. The Selfly Freezer now comprise the last corner stone to providing a complete unmanned grocery store concept. Together with the Selfly Ambient and the Selfly Fridge, Blockstore is able to offer the sales of anything from dry and non-food items, to chilled products, to frozen products. A reassuring finding from the pilot has been that the Selfly Freezer not only look the same, but also work the same as its sibling cabinets – The Selfly Ambient and Selfly Freezer.
Following the first Selfly Freezer pilot in their Helsinki concept store, Blockstore will now pilot the complete concept, comprising the full range of cabinets, with retail customers. By creating adaptable technology that focuses on customer needs, Blockstore is poised to make a lasting impact on the retail industry.
Blockstore’s Selfly Freezer pilot serves as a testament to the potential of technology to enhance the grocery shopping experience for consumers and retailers alike. With the success of this innovative project, Blockstore is well positioned in the space of unmanned grocery shopping. Keep your eyes on Blockstore – they’re undoubtedly a company to watch.
At Selfly Store, we believe in innovation and quality above all. It’s this belief that led us to carry out extensive tests on our newest offering, the Selfly Freezer, before its commercial launch.


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Ghezzi has accused the two agency executives, Mandelli and Alberto Righini, with abandonment of minors, a charge usually applied in the case of children under age 14. But it can be extended to anyone else deemed unable to care for themselves, and Ghezzi argues that applies to the teen-age model.
Armani Sides With Prosecution
A judge must now decide whether or not to indict the executives.
Giorgio Armani, one of the biggest names in the industry, supported the prosecutor.
"I agree with those who say that the agencies should have the legal role of looking after models who are minors during the time parents entrust them to the agencies," he was quoted as saying in Italian newspapers.
More than one designer has called for a minimum age of 16 for models, like France has.
The girl has returned to Slovenia and, according to Ghezzi, is undergoing counseling.
The two executives fend off the accusations, blaming not only the father, but what they called a "playboy network" surrounding the fashion world.
"In Italy, a model can live without spending a penny. From breakfast to restaurants and discos, they can get everything for free," Mandelli said.


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The best smartphones to be released this year are one by one lining up for their launch dates. And one of them is Google’s Pixel 4 smartphones. Like many of us, we rely on the leaks that we are not even sure are accurate.
And just recently, a photo of the device has been making its rounds online. The photo appeared on a Chinese social media called Weibo and was spotted by Ben Geskin, showing off what appears to be another color finish for the smartphone.
Pixel 4 might come in “coral”
Before a smartphone is officially launched, a number of leaks show up online, it is the same story over and over again. With the Pixel 4 on the way, an image of the device has hit the web with rather an eye-catching color finish.
We have all seen the black and white versions of the Pixel 4 smartphones, but the photo suggests that there is a new orange colorway. And given the text accompanying the photo and Google’s documented use of the name in its orange products, this color will likely be called “coral”.
The photo shows three different colors: white, black, and orange. This fits what we already know for the colorways we have already seen, like the orange-accent power button on the white model. The new “coral” color also appears to have the same orange power button.
Boxes of the Google Home Mini are also in the photo, although, not sure what the purpose is. A bright color like this represents a departure from Google’s recent design sensibilities. Pixel 3 and 3a smartphones have “Not Pink” (which we first thought might be called Sand) and “Purple-ish”, both of which are just obviously tinted versions of white.
What we need is a fun-colored smartphone
The Google “G” logo at the back is a slightly darker orange color. Although it is hard to tell based on the photo, it appears that the frame surrounding the back is black. There also is a lack of reflection which suggests that the rear might be matte.
There are a couple of upgrades on the Pixel 4 than last year. One of the biggest upgrades would be the rear cameras – a dual-lens snapper is rumored, along with the 8x zoom, improved night photography and special action shooting modes. If that does not get you hyped up, then I don’t what is.
With the addition of the “coral” color, it is nice to have another color to choose from. Now, we will have to wait for the final launching of Google’s much-awaited Pixel 4 smartphones.


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An Inside Look At How Asus Designs Laptops, Smartphones
It takes equal parts imagination, engineering, and testing to create innovative technology. Industry leader Asus invited us to its Taiwan headquarters for a glimpse at how it's done.
TAIPEI—After seeing a slew of futuristic laptop technology from Asus at Computex this week, from the dual 4K displays of the giant ZenBook Pro Duo and new VivoBooks equipped with touchpads that double as a screen to the portable 240Hz ROG Strix gaming monitor, you might be wondering what inspires a company to come up with these bleeding-edge designs.
Some of the inspiration is Asus' 30th anniversary, making this a pivotal time in the Taiwanese tech giant's history. Another part of it is revolutions in the wider personal tech industry, from the advent of 5G networks to new chip technology from Intel and AMD. But you can attribute most of Asus' visionary products to what every tech company strives for: a combination of good old brainstorming, creativity, and technical know-how.
For Asus, all of those things can be found at the company's headquarters on the outskirts of Taipei. The campus isn't as sprawling as those of Apple, Google, and other Silicon Valley titans, but there's still a ton going on. We spent a few hours getting a glimpse at everything from how the company dreams up smartphone color schemes and sandblasts aluminum to how it makes sure displays don't snap when they're flexed.


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During a routine stop at the grocery store, Miles Medina MS '14 had a random thought. Why couldn't the store grow the very produce it sells on its roof?
If growing vegetables in a box with no soil and out of direct sunlight sounds a little fishy, well, it is.
The ancient Aztecs and Chinese did it millenia ago, and now a Berlin start-up hopes it will feed 21st-century city dwellers using aquaponics, a combination of rearing fish and growing vegetables.
An ever-rising global population means that demand for everything from water and land to energy and food is increasing rapidly.
"Businesses are totally capable of making money and doing good," says Kelsey Julius, AMD/SSH'12.


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Google, the technology giant before a few weeks started rolling out Android Nougat for all the compatible devices. As per the reports, the company has rolled out Nougat 7.0 update for Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9, Nexus Player, Pixel C tablet, and Android One 4G devices just a few weeks before. The devices that left to get the update were Nexus 6 and Nexus 9.
Recently, the company confirmed that the Motorola Nexus 6 and HTC Nexus 9 will soon get the Android Nougat 7.0 update in the upcoming few weeks. Previously, it was expected that the devices will not receive the Android Nougat update. But as per some of the reports by AndroidPolice, Google has informed AndroidPolice that the devices will get the update as per the timetable. The timetable has not been released yet. For the users who can’t wait for the update can register the Android Nougat 7.0 Developer Preview and can experience Nougat 7.0.
For those who are unaware about the Android Nougat 7.0, there are numerous updates in Android Nougat 7.0 which include multi-window support, Quick Switching between the apps, improved notifications, revamped doze mode and call screening. The company has already released the latest OEM that means google will soon develop the screen for the Android Nougat 7.0 and release in the market.
Google is soon going to unveil its Pixel X and Pixel XL smartphones on October 4. Both the devices will be manufactured by HTC.