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Parker Townley, a Gonzaga College graduate who works for meals certification group Honest Business USA, used to be in Peru visiting espresso and cacao farms ultimate week. On a excursion hosted via a cooperative that aggregates plants from 1,000 farmers, the co-op’s supervisor whipped out his smartphone.
“He pulled up details about the farmer, his ancient yields, what his price of manufacturing seemed like, and his profits towards that manufacturing — all of this knowledge that that they had carried out throughout 1,000 farmers in rural Peru,” stated Townley, talking on Friday on theat Bell Harbor Global Convention Heart. “That is implausible.”
Era has lengthy been a staple of provide chain control. Led via Seattle-area firms like Starbucks and Costco, it’s also being deployed in difficult contexts, from rural espresso farms in creating nations to out at the top seas all through industrial fishing operations. Such measures are essential in what Townley calls the “opaque international of global provide chains,” to make sure that meals merchandise meet rigorous exertions and environmental requirements.
Starbucks has been at the leading edge of this motion, from a groundbreaking pledge to make espressoin December 2020, made at the sidelines of the Paris local weather talks; to a press release ultimate yr that it could .
“Our good fortune as an organization is dependent upon the good fortune of our farmers,” stated Surabhi Agrawal, senior supervisor for espresso traceability on the corporate. The corporate buys beans from 400,000 smallholder farmers in additional than 30 nations, she stated.
In March, Starbucks demoed a characteristic at the corporate’s app that might permit shoppers tothroughout the roasting procedure and again to its farm of starting place. Agrawal stated the app characteristic must be to be had to the general public in 2020 however gave no explicit timeline. In Would possibly, the corporate introduced a partnership with Microsoft to
Certainly, blockchain has been at the leading edge of proposed generation inventions for provide chain control,, a quasi-borderless trade rife with provide chain problems from compelled exertions on industrial vessels to overfishing that devastates shares.
In 2020, The Dad or mum implicated Costco as a big buyer of. The investigative file sparked towards the Issaquah, Wash.-based store that had been in the end brushed aside. On the other hand, in reaction, Costco helped get started the to get on the root of its provide chain fiasco.
Tonette Lim, an engineer initially from the Philippines, directed provide chain oversight for the duty power following an auditing occupation in Southeast Asia with Underwriter Laboratories, the corporate in the back of the ever-present UL label on client merchandise, which integrated human trafficking exams within the fishing trade. Costco used to be so inspired together with her paintings that they employed her to control the sustainability of worldwide provide chains.
“I felt that Costco actually sought after to do the suitable factor,” Lim stated, bringing up its.
Now on the leading edge of sustainable provide chains for a big international store, Lim faces demanding situations from industry practices extra so than from technological obstacles. “There may be all the time numerous fear about confidentiality,” she stated, noting that businesses concern revealing aggressive industry information.
For the ones at the provide aspect, alternatively, Townley sees loads of possible. “Via generation we may be able to acquire get admission to to actual time data round affect and productiveness that we will be able to feed again to the oldsters we’re looking to affect, equivalent to via agricultural technical help,” he stated. “Our problem is the right way to percentage in the suitable method — who owns the information?”
Starbucks may be taking a look to make their new traceability generation a two-way side road. Simply as shoppers in a Seattle cafe can in finding out the place their beans got here from, a espresso farmer in Guatemala or Kenya may be able to know who purchased their espresso — if the buyer needs to percentage that information — or a minimum of the place it used to be bought.
Era must be used as a “device to facilitate additional discussions,” Agrawal stated. “There’ll all the time should be that human component on the finish. It is onerous to digitize agree with.”
by means of https://appmarsh.com/32OJM0Z


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Following the strong services data released earlier, IHS Global Insight has bumped up its growth forecast for 2013 to 1.3 per cent (from 1.1 per cent) as it now anticipates 0.7 per cent growth in the third quarter.
This would mark the first time that the economy has had two successive quarters of growth exceeding 0.5 per cent since 2010. IHS Global Insight maintains a 2014 forecast of 1.9 per cent growth.
Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist:
The fact that the recent improvement has occurred across a wide range of sectors is particularly encouraging and reinforces hopes that the UK economy really is establishing a firmer footing.
The hope is that this recent firming economic activity underpins further, sustained improvement in business and consumer confidence, which in turn encourages businesses to invest and employ more, and consumers to spend more.

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Infamous Alexander McQueen dress now on sale at Net-A-Porter
An almost identical version of that bridesmaid dress bridesmaid Pippa Middleton wore to the royal wedding has gone on sale at Net-A-Porter.
Pippa Middleton stole the show when she stepped out in a Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen gown at her sister’s wedding to Prince William in April, gathering international praise from the press and public alike for the elegant and flattering design.
And now the infamous Alexander McQueen silk crepe gown is finally available to buy from Net-A-Porter, for £1,995.
Hollywood royalty Cameron Diaz gave a red version of the form-fitting McQueen gown it’s first public outing at the 2009 Golden Globes but, thanks to Pippa, the popular shape has become something of a style hit this season, and we suspect the understated dress is sure to be a sell out.
Would you like to own a version of Pippa’s royal wedding gown? Let us know in the comments box below…


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Sales of 3-D televisions are looking a little flat.
Powered by the box office bonanza of the groundbreaking 2009 film “Avatar,” the latest evolution of 3-D technology zoomed out toward TV viewers at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2010. But analysts say 3-D TVs are set for less-than-stellar sales for 2011, their first full year on store shelves.
“We were enthusiastic about it but, boy, it sure seems to have fizzled a bit,” said Andrew Eisner, director of content at Retrevo, a consumer electronics shopping and review site. “It’s kind of like sitting on the vine. Last year was supposed to be the big year for 3-D, and it’s just not happening this year.”
What’s keeping channel surfers from making the switch to the third dimension?
A dearth of programming and those gawky glasses viewers must wear to experience 3-D from the couch.
“The number one inhibitor is still the glasses you’ll need,” said Kurt Scherf of Parks Associates, a consumer technology research firm in Dallas. “Also, the content is still not out there yet. … You’re going to have to stock up on a lot of 3-D Blu-ray discs to watch programming.”
ESPN 3D, which debuted in June 2010, is still broadcasting, but overall tepid interest in souped-up sports programming prompted Dallas Mavericks and HDNet owner Mark Cuban to call 3-D TV “a bust” earlier this year.
The Consumer Electronics Association estimates U.S. consumers will buy 3.6 million 3-D TVs in 2011 — down from its previous forecast of 4 million sets for the year, according to spokesman Steve Kidera. The trade group counted 1.2 million sets sold in 2010 and predicts 7 million for 2012.
“As more and more content becomes available, that’s certainly going to help,” said Kidera. “And prices keep coming down.”
3-D TVs typically cost $100 to $200 more than regular HDTVs. A few models recently dropped below the $700 mark, making them more attractive to buyers.
Scherf said so-called connected or smart TVs — premium-priced sets that can stream video from the Web via Netflix or YouTube — are giving 3D-TVs a run for consumers’ money.
The forecast for North America to be the leading market for 3-D TVs has faded, according to a recent report from research firm NPD DisplaySearch.
Tuning into the shift in viewers’ tastes, stores will be toning down 3-D TV promotions.
“During the upcoming holiday selling season, 3-D is not expected to be highly promoted,” NPD DisplaySearch said. “Instead, retailers will focus on large sizes with strong value pricing, but with lighter feature content.”


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Dechert Welcomes Former Heller Chairman
Blogs and websites dedicated to following Heller Ehrman's former employees will be happy to announce Heller firm chairman Matthew Larrabee has partnered with Dechert's San Francisco office as a senior trial lawyer.
Firms Forced to Cut Fees in Economic Crisis
To battle the world wide recession, some firms are being forced to incorporate new discount fees and alternative billing arrangements. Firms have discussed paying attorneys an up-front retainer for legal counsel instead of billing hourly fees afterwards.
Bankruptcy and Divorce Lawyers Profit During Recession
Does economic downturn mean marital and financial down turn? Wall Street Journal reported Infra-Strategy, a managed service provider that helps small- and mid-sized professional service firms improve operations, save money and grow their businesses, announced that the third quarter of 2008 was the company's most successful period since being founded in 2002. Infra-Strategy owns web-based businesses: TotalBankruptcy.com and TotalDivorce.com.


text: SunVic Chemical Holdings Limited reported unaudited group earnings results for first quarter ended March 31, 2018. For the period, the companys revenue was RMB 677,243,000 against RMB 588,921,000 a year ago. This was mainly due to increase in revenue from sales of AA and AE as well as other chemical products by RMB 85.8 million and RMB 2.5 million respectively. Loss from operations was RMB 11,593,000 against profit of RMB 28,452,000 a year ago. Loss before income tax was RMB 35,352,000 against RMB 70,000 a year ago. Loss for the period was RMB 36,814,000 against RMB 3,723,000 a year ago. Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of the company was RMB 36,826,000 against RMB 3,698,000 a year ago. Basic and diluted loss per share was 6.8 cents against 0.7 cents a year ago. Cash flows used in operating activities were RMB 17,893,000 against cash flows from operating activities of RMB 349,026,000 a year ago. Purchase of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets was RMB 6,831,000 against RMB 88,712,000 a year ago.


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Cable company Comcast announced today that it will drop its bid to acquire 21st Century Fox. This clears the way for Disney to acquire properties like the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Deadpool, and even the original cuts of the Star Wars films. Instead, Comcast will continue to push for control of UK satellite broadcaster Sky.
Comcast said in a statement that it “does not intend to pursue further the acquisition of Twenty-First Century Fox assets and instead will focus on our recommended offer for Sky.”
Comcast and Disney have been at odds over Fox’s assets for the last few months, one-upping each other’s bids. The most recent round of bids climbed up to $65 billion from Comcast and $71 billion from Disney. This all started late last year.
Comcast actually dropped its bid at one point, leading many – us included – to report that the merger between Fox and Disney was a done deal. Of course, this isn’t over just yet – shareholders are suing Fox to stop the merger.
Unless Comcast decides to make another offer, it sounds like this merger is happening. We’re hoping the shareholders will drop their suit once the competition is out of the way so that this battle can finally come to a close.
The Galaxy S20 Ultra's Space Zoom camera is amazing and a bit creepy
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Win an iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch with the Reader's Choice giveaway!
What's the best phone of 2019? Is it the iPhone 11 Pro, Pixel 4 or OnePlus 7T? What about the best laptop, games console, tablet and more? Vote NOW in the Reader's Choice awards and win BIG in time for the holidays!
Here are the best products from IFA 2019!
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Step into your favorite film with a pair of 3D glasses
Experience movies and video games in the most realistic way with a pair of 3D glasses. Our guide has the best options to help you make your choice.


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Despite the continuing recession, the aftershock of Sept. 11, and a tepid holiday selling period, factory shipments of white goods continued their season-long climb in December.
According the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), unit volume of all major appliances rose 13.3 last month to 6.37 million products.
Leading the pack — and perhaps reflecting consumers’ renewed emphasis on home and hearth — was the cooking category, which soared 34.5 percent to 2.56 million units. Fueling category growth were microwave ovens, which rocketed 53.8 percent to 1.65 million units, followed by built-in electric ranges, shipments of which grew 15.9 percent.
Also hitting it out of the ballpark was food preservation, where a 45 percent hike in freezer shipments and an 11.5 percent rise in refrigerator sales helped boost the segment 17.7 percent over the prior-year period to 1.09 million units in total.
Not all was rosy in white goods however. Taking it on the chin was home laundry, down 3.3 percent as automatic washer sales stalled — falling 4.9 percent —and dryer shipments declined 1.4 percent.
Also suffering through the holiday season was the home comfort category, which plummeted 42.8 percent to 93 million units as a result of a 108.1 percent plunge in dehumidifier shipments.
Industry Shipments Of Major Appliances*
(In Thousands Of Units)


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Japanese telecommunications giant Line Corp has placed itself at the centre of the boisterous Asian crypto exchange business with BITBOX.
Based in Singapore, the crypto-currency exchange says it will deliver “user-centered experience with intuitive design, and enhanced customer support” in 15 languages, with the aim of attracting more mainstream crypto-currency buyers into the market.
BITBOX currently allows for trading in approximately 30 coins including Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin and Ripple, in a cryptocurrency-to-cryptocurrency exchange offering that currently has no facility for the trading of traditional, or ‘fiat’ currencies.
“LINE has built its reputation on providing a great social experience for our users, and now we intend to bring that know-how to the world of digital tokens with our BITBOX exchange,” said LINE CEO Takeshi Idezawa.
Famous for its popular messaging app’s over-the-top emojis and colourful stickers, LINE is now incorporating AI and FinTech services into its offering and is also focusing heavily on security.
The exchange platform is based on a partnership with US blockchain security company BitGo and features the BitGo wallet that includes multi-signature login, three-key management, and cold storage custody. The measures are aimed at allaying fears of investors that crypto-currency exchanges are vulnerable to hacking.
“LINE and BitGo are both leaders in our industry and this partnership with BITBOX is an important step in bringing institutional investors the security, compliance, and custodial solutions they need,” said BitGo CEO Mike Belshe.
Allison Choi, a Global Communications representative at LINE, told the Asia Times that there are no current plans to insert BITBOX into the core LINE messaging platform. “While we are working on a wide range of plans for BITBOX, we do not have anything more to announce at this time,” Choi said.
The entrance of LINE into the market demonstrates both the increasingly mainstream acceptance of cryptocurrency, but also hints at the determination of non-traditional operators to leverage their platforms and user base to advance FinTech and digital currency usage.
The first two million customers who register will receive the equivalent of US$10 to trade, and users can trade with no fees during the first month of operation.
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Snap confirms that it paid $213 million to buy Zenly and $135 million for Placed (SNAP)
Snap Inc. has confirmed the price tags for its acquisitions of Zenly and Placed.
The Snapchat maker paid $213 million in cash for Zenly in May and $135 million for Placed in July, according to documents filed with the SEC on Friday.
TechCrunch reported that Snap had bought France-based Zenly for at least $250 million shortly after the debut of Snap Maps, but Snap hadn't officially confirmed the acquisition or price tag until now. Zenly built a similar app to Snap Maps that let people see where their friends were on a map.
Snap confirmed that it bought Seattle-based Placed in early June, but never confirmed reports that it paid over $200 million for the ad tech startup. It turns out that Snap paid just $135 million in cash for Placed, which helps advertisers track real-world purchases and store visits.
Snap separately disclosed that Placed’s employee equity plan includes 550,038 shares worth roughly $6.6 million in stock options based on Snap’s current share price.
Snap also spent $62 million on acquiring "a component of a business from a social advertising software company" in June and "all outstanding shares of a company that operates a cloud hosted platform for building content online" in March. A company representative declined to name the two mystery buys.
That brings Snap's grand total of cash spent on acquisitions in 2017 to $224 million, up from only $51 million in 2016. The company still has plenty of available cash to continue its shopping spree with roughly $3 billion in available assets as of June 30.
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Facebook's moves shake up 'big tech' payments balance
America’s tech giants Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple continue apace their march into payments. With Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Facebook Pay, and Apple Pay, they’ve put their brands foremost and use payments to boost on-platform engagement and commerce, reinforcing their centrality in consumers’ lives.
They’ve taken an incrementalist approach, working with incumbent payment networks, processors and banks thus far. However, as their payments’ footprints broaden and deepen, that modus vivendi will be stressed.
In particular, Facebook, the world’s leading social media network outside China, bears watching. It’s starting to roll out Facebook Pay to 2 billion WhatsApp users and prepping to launch Libra, which could roil the reigning payments ecosystem.
Libra uses stablecoins backed by fiat currencies. If it gets traction it’ll be disruptive. However, building payment-network critical mass, and therefore value and relevance, is hard. Existing systems work. Consumers and merchants are creatures of habit in payments. The graveyard of payment systems is chock full of putatively better mousetraps.
But, this potentially better mousetrap has a sponsor with 2.5 billion daily users worldwide and will leverage permissioned third parties to further extend its reach.
It will compete with well-entrenched systems like Mastercard, PayPal, Visa, Western Union and MoneyGram, and physical cash. Physical greenbacks will still enjoy advantages. They’re anonymous and don’t require electronic devices and connectivity to use.
If billions of people can instantly send Zuck bucks to each other from mobile phones, on Facebook’s platforms, online and in person, that will rock established networks. It will also spur further dollarization in emerging markets with weak currencies and banking and payment systems.
While the social media giant’s initial foray into payments Facebook Credit failed, it persisted. It’s pushing Facebook Pay across all its properties. Recently it cleared Brazilian regulators’ concerns over providing payments to 120 million WhatsApp users in Latin America’s largest market.
India, with 400 million WhatsApp users and the world’s largest emerging market, is an even bigger prize. There, traditional networks Mastercard, Visa and Rupay, alternative payment systems including Paytm, Walmart’s PhonePe and MobiKwik, along with the MNOs and Google Pay, Amazon Pay and now Facebook Pay are all jockeying for pride of place.
Partnering with complementary platforms can pay dividends. Facebook invested $5.7 billion in Jio Platforms, whose Jio subsidiary has 400 million mobile-phone users, JioMart serving millions of SMEs, and Jio Payments Bank, all backed by Mukesh Ambani, India's richest man.
Facebook is also curating an ecosystem à la WeChat Pay in China, for underserved microbusinesses, farmers and rural dwellers. Initially the platform partners will encourage commerce between JioMart and WhatsApp users. Presumably, Facebook Pay and JioPay will coexist and perhaps interoperate.
Google also invested in Jio ($4.5 billion) and they’ll collaborate on low-cost mobile phones.
While it’s punched under its weight, among the tech behemoths Google has the greatest potential after Facebook to change global payments. The world’s leading search engine, browser, email, video platform and mobile OS has been in payments since Google Checkout’s 2006 debut. With Google Pay it offers retail, P2P and bill payments, and has partnered with eight banks to integrate digital banking.
While U.S. adoption has been slow, in India where a whopping 98% of smartphones use Android, Google Pay has enjoyed stupendous growth. It leverages the National Payment Corporation of India’s real-time ACH (IMPS) and alias directory (UPI). The search Goliath had 67 million active users as of September 2019 and $110 billion in annualized payments volume.
Google has focused on payments to boost engagement and capture data, not to reap fees. Nonetheless, where platform power permits, Google is happy to collect rich tolls. It takes 30% of payments within the Google Play app store. It could take more, but sensibly leaves a hefty piece to incent developers.
Amazon has built payments mass on the back of e-retailing. While its WebPay (P2P payments) and Local Register (mobile acceptance) failed, the e-retailing Gargantua has patiently and relentlessly reduced payments friction on-platform, and moved off-platform with PayPal-like Amazon Pay.
Finally, the world’s most valuable company uses Apple Pay to enhance the iOS platform and capture a greater share of its customers. It exacts a piece of interchange from banks. Like the search Goliath, on payments made in its app store it takes a juicy fee — 100x the EU’s .3% credit-interchange cap. It doesn’t, however, want to be a payment network, processor or bank. It wants to control Apple-branded payments.
Concentration and the ability to influence share commands economics. As the tech Pays grow, they’ll squeeze the economics and brands of processors, banks and even networks. Where they aren’t dependent on established retail-payment systems’ acceptance networks and backend funding, they’re most threatening.
However, the tech titans benefit enormously from the reigning payments and banking ecosystem. There are limits to how deep they’ll go. Regulators take the view that like activities should be subject to the same regulatory burden regardless of the roof under which they’re occurring. At The Clearing House’s 2019 annual conference, asked about tech giants getting deeper into banking and financial services, FDIC Chair Jelena McWilliams smiled and said: "I have 5,000 regulators. I’d be happy to get 5,000 more. Come on in."
The tech titans don’t want to cross that Rubicon.


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New Zealand is headed towards having our farming families becoming peasants in their own land by allowing further and unnecessary foreign investment into processing of New Zealand dairy production.
The ticking off of two new foreign dairy processors into New Zealand production by the Overseas Investment Office is a huge opportunity cost to New Zealand’s biggest company and farmer owned co-operative Fonterra.
This week, Yashili International have been ticked to build a baby formula processing plant south of Auckland, and Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group have been ticked through similarly for a plant near Glenavy.
Both companies have been implicated in food safety scares, such as melamine or mercury contamination, and are relying on New Zealand’s reputation as a producer of safe and clean food.
The two companies are to spend about $200 million dollars each; money which could be raised by New Zealand farmers through a retention policy, such as Fonterra is already operating.
The purported investments show that New Zealand’s brand and product is sought after, but giving even more of the value chain to overseas interests reduces opportunities to ensure a pricing structure for New Zealand farming families and investors to build a sustainable future.
Current supply and demand price signals on the back of New Zealand’s drought show that we can achieve higher prices, allowing more sustainable farming practices, while compensating for any possible decreased total volumes. Handing over any potential value gains to foreign investors will make sustainable farming practices all the more difficult for farming families.


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Backpack Hero to Fully Release in May
Publisher Different Tales announced that it is partnering with developer Jaspel for the release of “inventory management roguelike” Backpack Hero. The publisher announcement for the game, which has been on Steam Early Access since August 2022, comes with the news that it is planned to fully release for PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch in May 2023.
Backpack Hero puts players in the role of an adventurer taking on dungeons and foes with only what they can fit in their backpack. Inventory management is crucial, with items potentially having different effects when placed into different areas in the backpack. Players can also upgrade their base town and rescue animals, unlocking new overworld content.


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HTC has no plans to launch its new First smartphone in Australia. The company says there is currently "no information available on Australian availability."
A new report shows just how much smartphone users love Facebook, checking it as much as 14 times a day. In advance of Thursday's Facebook phone announcement, this could be good news for the social network.
An image of what appears to be the long-rumoured Facebook phone has been published by by Twitter account @evleaks.
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First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.


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Blog: Big bra battle
Leonie Barrie | 6 May 2009
Nearly a year ago just-style blogged a story about Marks & Spencer putting a GBP2 surcharge on bras above a DD cup, to cover the cost of the additional fabric and work required to make larger sizes. But surprisingly, despite other high-street lingerie retailers managing to offer one price across all sizes, M&S has so far refused to back down.
But for how much longer? The founder of the Busts 4 Justice protest group on the Facebook website (which now has nearly 8,000 members against just 900 last July) has bought a share in M&S so she can raise this issue with the chain’s chairman Sir Stuart Rose at its annual meeting in July.
As if he’s not got enough to worry about just now, Sir Stuart will also have to try to explain why shoppers don’t have to pay more for an extra large T-shirt, or less for a smaller pair of trousers – but do have to fork out for a larger cup size.
And as if to press the point home, rival retailer George at Asda has just unveiled a GBP4.00 bra, available in A-F cup sizes, to support “shoppers' wallets as well as their busts”.
Asda, which says over a quarter of British women wear a bra size D-F, points out that real women come in all shapes and sizes and shouldn’t be discriminated against for their bigger busts.
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After months of work, the team at The Vault Wine Bar and Event Space is primed to celebrate their grand opening with the public in just a matter of days.
All are welcome to sip beer or wine, sample food and meet the owners and staff at an open house from 5 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, September 20 at the space located at 277 G Street. The Vault staff will host a ribbon cutting ceremony to kick off the official open of the wine bar at 4 p.m. on Thursday, September 21.
The Vault’s opening is another mark of change for the Blaine community.
“Some folks are quick to forget that just a few years ago, we didn’t have Edaleen’s, the renovated Pastime Bar and Eatery or the Drayton Harbor Oyster Company,” said Blaine community development director Michael Jones. “Downtown’s changing in a really good way.”
Longtime Blaine business owner Alan Finston purchased the building in an online auction in October 2016 with the hopes of expanding his existing business and opening an eatery and community venue.
Operation hinged on the Blaine City Council, which was asked in early 2017 to consider a text amendment to the city’s zoning code to, in part, allow eating and drinking establishments and food trucks within the city’s Town Portal District, where The Vault is located. In February, the council approved the request and Finston, his wife Joni Finston and general manager Shanna Manning got to work.
The Finstons own Whatcom Physical Therapy, which is located just across the street from The Vault at 250 G Street. About half of The Vault’s 5,300-square-foot space will be used to expand the facility to offer public fitness classes and an opportunity to rent for gatherings. The event space is slated to open on Monday, October 2.
The remainder of space is reserved for the wine bar, which seats up to 49 people inside and another 50 on an outdoor patio, Manning said. Bringing in six years of experience in the culinary industry, chef Tyler Hills will craft cuisine to pair with locally made beers and over 100 staff-selected local and global wines.
The Vault will offer wine enthusiasts the chance to sign up for a membership, which is divided into three tiers. The lowest-priced option, at $40 per month, provides members two bottles per month, four free glasses of wine per month, free release tasting and access to members-only events and discounts.
The Vault will be open from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays and from 3 p.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, Manning said. In the future, they plan to host trivia on Thursday nights, bring in food trucks on Fridays and offer live music on Saturdays. Future plans also include hosting cooking classes, “cork and canvas” events and dinners.
“We envision The Vault as a place to promote the community, enjoyment of finer things (art, food and wine) and a platform to promote activity in the community as a whole,” Joni said.
To learn more about The Vault Wine Bar and Event Space, visit thevaultwine.com.


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Philips is piloting an intelligent supermarket lighting system that can help shoppers find their groceries based on their location in the store, the company said Monday.
Researchers at IBM and the University of California are questioning whether a closely watched experimental computer used by Google actually relies on quantum mechanics as its manufacturer, D-Wave, claims.
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WORTHINGTON — Will sleigh bells ring Dec. 7?
Maybe, if you’re listening— but snow or no, a day filled with holiday delights awaits all comers when the newly conceived Worthington Wonderland unfolds on the first Saturday of the month.
“This is a terrific way to involve kids, adults, families and anyone who is looking for a little local action during the height of the holiday shopping season,” said Ryan McGaughey, chairman of the Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
“Hopefully, people will take advantage of the fun and explore a variety of the options available as they make their way around town to Dec. 7.”
In all, 22 local businesses and organizations are sponsoring holiday-themed activities or treats. That includes several “make and take” craft opportunities (like a tree ornament at Crafty Corner on Oxford Street’s eastern end), holiday tattoos from 9 a.m. to noon at Henderson Financial and Insurance Services, and two free chocolate fountain bars (one at Profile by Sanford and the other at Jaycox Power Sports) for those whose sweet teeth demand satisfaction.
“There’s a lot of spirit and creativity built into this day,” McGaughey said.
“Worthington has a lot to offer for shoppers, citizens and consumers, and Worthington Wonderland will demonstrate that in a big way to everyone.”
Although Kay Williams Prunty, owner of Worthington’s The Dance Academy, was initially disappointed to learn the long-running Old-Fashioned Christmas celebration at Pioneer Village would not take place this year (note: The Nobles County Historical Society is participating in Worthington Wonderland with paper craft ornaments and card-making from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.), she’s pleased her dance students still have the chance to share their skills with the public at the mid-year point.
“We’ve had dancers participate in the Old-Fashioned Christmas annually since 1996,” said Prunty.
“We loved supporting the historical society, and the kids loved it — the sleigh rides, the visits with Santa, the food — plus it was great to see them go through the various buildings and learn more about our local history.”
Instead, Prunty will have up to 200 dance students rotate through short performances between the hours of 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Phileo’s on Dec. 7.
“There’s no admission fee, and people can stop in, purchase food or coffee and enjoy the performances,” said Prunty, mentioning that Phileo’s will offer a lunch special that day.
“Worthington Wonderland allows us to continue our tradition of dancing publicly during December, and we’ll have not only a bunch of Christmas dances but also the start of some routines our students are preparing for next spring’s dance concert.”
Nearby at the offices of The Globe, those who are feeling Instagram-ready are welcome to drop in from 9 to 11 a.m. for their celebrity moment.
“We’ll have a photo booth featuring a mock-up of The Globe’s front page,” said advertising manager Roberta Fultz.
“So if you’ve ever wanted to see your face on the paper’s cover, be sure to stop by.”
Costumes such as Santa beards, reindeer and characters (like Anna and Elsa from “Frozen”) are among the seasonal apparel guests can quickly don to enhance their brief photo shoot.
“We’ll share some of the photos in a future print edition of the paper, and we’ll post all of the photos online,” promised Fultz.
For those seeking a quiet place to kick back and relax with the kids after a few hours of shopping and activity, American Lutheran Church has two seasonal movies on the day’s roster.
“With our newly remodeled sanctuary, we have a fantastic sound system as well as comfy chairs to give it a real theater feel,” said Kristin Appel.
Appel, the church’s children/family ministry coordinator, worked with her colleague, youth director Stacy Bickett, to program the 30-minute “A Charlie Brown Christmas” at 10 a.m. and the approximately 90-minute “The Star” at 1 p.m. Complimentary popcorn and water will be available.
“Our biggest goal is to welcome people into our new space for fellowship and gathering,” said Appel.
And no wonderland would be complete without an appearance by Santa, so on Dec. 7 that jolly old elf with the inside scoop on children’s gift requests will be set up at Family Value (1015 Fourth Ave.) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“It’s kind of cliché to say this, but the first Saturday in December will truly offer something for everyone right here in Worthington,” McGaughey said.
For a detailed listing of times, activities and offers at 22 local businesses and organizations, contact the Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce at 1121 Third Ave., Worthington, 372-2919, or visit the Worthington Wonderland page on Facebook.


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Sony has designed an innovative air conditioner called ‘Reon Pocket’ that you can wear with your clothes.
Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad informed the Rajya Sabha of the same on Friday. Airtel has been fined Rs. 2.15, Vodafone Rs 1.8 cr, Reliance 1.65 cr and Tata Teleservices Rs 1.45 cr. Idea, Aircel, Loop, MTNL, Sistema Shyam, Uninor and Videocon have also been fined. As off May 31, 2015 there were 9,08,353 base tower stations in India, and 6 of them were exceeding prescribed radiation limits.
Over 1,000 of the Android smartphone brands seen this year didn’t even exist back in 2012. While Samsung devices continue to dominate, the biggest change is from previous years is the growth of these small companies chipping away at its dominance. Samsung’s market share fell from 47% in 2012 to 37.8% in 2015, despite the overall Android market registering growth.
HTC has announced that it will cut jobs and discontinue models as part of its strategy to focus on high-end devices. The announcement comes soon after the ailing Taiwanese company posted losses in Q2 and forecasted for “significant” losses in Q3. HTC is banking on selling high-end smartphones to customers in emerging market such as India.
Apple claims to have already got 11 million trial users, 2 million of whom have opted for the company’s family plan. If the company converts its current trial users to paying customers, it will have almost half of rival Spotify’s paying user base. While Apple music costs $9.99 for individual and $14.99 for the family plan, Apple has undercut its pricing in India to just Rs 120 and Rs 190 respectively.
Scientists propose using drones to track large animals such as tigers and elephants that stray into nearby villages. Forest officials will be able to survey 15-20 square kilometers from just one location. Following trials the WII plans to include features such as night vision and increased duration of flight. It is currently awaiting the DGCA and ministry of defense’s go ahead.
Facebook’s Internet beaming drone has the wingspan of a Boeing 737, will fly at altitudes as high as 90,000 feet and stay airborne for up to 90 days. Known as Aquila, the drone will be able to beam Internet to the ground at speeds of up to 10GBPS. The drones will communicate with each other via Lasers and will begin testing before the year-end.
The partnership will bring high-speed Internet connectivity across the island nation via Google’s Project Loon. The initiative aims to connect remote and rural parts of the world via the Internet beamed down from balloons. Google’s hi-tec balloons will stay aloft in the stratosphere and float for about 100 days. The company is tying up with local Sri Lankan ISPs for the project.
The company suggests that drones fly between the ground and 400 feet. Further, the area from 0-200 feet should be a low-speed localized traffic zone, while the area above it should be a high-speed drone highway of sorts. Amazon has also proposed that since drones will be flying autonomously, they will require sensors to sense and avoid obstacles.
The new 3D Xpoint chips are fruit of a decade-long partnership between Intel and Micron. The new architecture does away with transistors entirely and is a cross between DRAM and NAND memory. The first application of the new memory format could be real-time data analysis which requires masses of DRAM, which can now use 3D Xpoint instead.
The engine develops a thrust of 19 tonnes and will power the cryogenic stage of the GSLV MK-III. The endurance hot test of 800 seconds is approximately 25% longer than the engine burn duration in flight. This is the first high-thrust cryogenic rocket engine India has developed and produces nearly 3 times the thrust of the cryogenic engine used in the GSLV MK-II
Researchers at the Video Analytics Lab of SERC have developed algorithms that analyse traffic patterns and detect violations. The algorithms have set parameters which mimic existing traffic rules. Any deviation from the set path can be automatically picked up as a violation. The researchers claim that system can already be implemented in Bangalore.
Researchers at MIT have built a server network that ditches RAM in favour of cheap and efficient flash storage. By getting the flash drive controllers pre-process data rather than dumping all the work on the CPU, the speed of RAM-less servers was improved. Don’t expect your PC or smartphone to ditch RAM in favour of flash storage.
The 44.4 meter long PSLV-XL will carry a payload of 5 British satellites will weigh 1,440 kg. The rocket will carry three identical DCM3 earth imaging satellites and put them into a 647 km Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). The mission will also put two technology demonstrator auxiliary satellites into orbit.
He went on to say that the problem of not having enough women in tech was still rampant. There aren’t enough female roll models in tech today, and Apple too is sort of the problem. At its Apple Watch event in March only 1 woman was part of the presentation, however, Cook said things will be very different at WWDC 2015.
The company said that the troubling search results weren’t reflective of its views. The company blamed the issue on the way the images was described on the Internet which yield surprising results for the specific queries. The query also throws up photos of Dawood Ibrahim, Osama Bin Laden, American gangster Al Capone, Sanjay Dutt, Hafiz Saeed, Bill Gates and Arvind Kejriwal.


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AIRTEL BECOMES WORLD’S 3RD-LARGEST MOBILE OPERATOR
Bharti Airtel has become the third-largest mobile operator in the world with 303 million subscribers, according to the World Cellular Information Service. With telecom operations in 20 countries across South Asia and Africa, Airtel still has China Mobile and Vodafone ahead of it, while it pips China Unicom with 299.09 million subscribers and America Movil with 274.14 subscribers. “I want to thank our employees and our business partners for supporting us … things will only get brighter from here on,” said Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Airtel, in a statement to media.
ADIDAS TO OPEN OWN STORES IN INDIA
Global sportswear and equipment major Adidas is all set to roll out a fully-owned chain in the country, nearly three years after India allowed 100% FDI in single-brand retail, with Germany head-quartered Adidas filing an application with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) on July 13. Adidas, which competes with the likes of Nike and Puma, already has stores in India through franchisees, and if the company’s application is approved, it is free to open fully-owned flagship stores, giving it more control over its business. The company, which clocked a global sales of 14 billion Euros in 2014, has confirmed its intent to enter India via a 100% wholly-owned unit. “It is our desire and strategic intent to bring to India world-class large retail formats.” The Company, which purchased Reebok for US$ 3.8 billion in 2005, however, plans to setup its wholly-owned stores in India only for the Adidas brand. “We will continue to partner with our franchisee network,” the spokesperson said, “for our other brand portfolios.”
MASERATI RE-ENTERS INDIA
After a very forgettable first stint here when it managed to sell barely 10 cars in little over a year, Italian luxury car maker Maserati has now announced its reentry into the Indian market, with plans to launch models priced up to INR 2.2 crore and a target to sell in double digits each year. The company, part of the Fiat Chrysler group, had first entered India through an intermediary in 2011. This stint was short lived and ended in 2012. This time round the company is going it alone, with plans to import and sell cars through appointed dealers. “We made a few mistakes the last time and wanted to be sure about our partners this time, hence the over two-year delay,” says Bojan Jankulovski of Maserati. “There is a definite demand for our cars in India, but our cars are exclusive so we will not sell in dozens. We should sell in double digits though.” The company plans to sell four models — Quattroporte, Ghibli, Gran Turismo and Gran Cabrio, all priced between INR 1.14 crore to INR 2.2 crore through dealerships in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. On the anvil are dealerships in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Chennai as well.
RATAN TATA INVESTS IN OLA
Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, has invested an undisclosed amount into taxi aggregator Ola, in his personal capacity. Tata has made a string of personal investments in various start-ups over the past year, which include online marketplace Snapdeal, mobile payments firm Paytm, online furniture retailer Urban Ladder, auto portal CarDekho.com and online jewellery retailer Bluestone. Earlier this year, he had also acquired a stake in Chinese Smartphone-maker Xiaomi. “This is a huge endorsement from one of the most respected business leaders of our times,” said Bhavish Aggarwal, CEO and co-founder of Ola. Ola recently raised US$ 400 million in a series E round of funding led by Russian investment firm DST Global. Singapore’s GIC, Japan’s Softbank Group, Tiger Global, Stead view Capital and US’ Accel Partners are among Ola’s other investors.
7 INDIAN FIRMS AMONG WORLD’S 500 LARGEST COMPANIES: FORTUNE
Seven Indian companies, including Reliance Industries and Tata Motors, are among the world’s 500 largest companies, according to a list compiled by Fortune magazine, with retail giant Walmart topping the list. The Indian companies on the 2015 Fortune Global 500 list are Indian Oil ranked 119 on the list with revenues of about US$ 74 billion, Reliance Industries (158) with revenues of US$ 62 billion, Tata Motors with revenues of US$ 42 billion (254), State Bank of India with revenues of US$ 42 billion (260), Bharat Petroleum with revenues of US$ 40 billion (280), Hindustan Petroleum with revenues of US$ 35 billion and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India with revenues of US$ 26 billion (449).
INDIAN COMPANY ACQUIRES SWISS GOLD REFINER
Rajesh Exports, India’s biggest exporter of gold jewelry, has bought Swiss refiner Valcambi SA for US$ 400 million. This cash purchase helps ensure gold supplies to India, the largest consumer of the metal after China, Bangalore-based Rajesh Exports said in an exchange filing last week. Shares of the company in response rose 1.6% to close at INR 540.85 on the BSE. “On a theoretical basis Valcambi is capable of supplying the entire gold requirement of India,” says Chairman Rajesh Mehta. Valcambi, founded by a group of Swiss entrepreneurs in 1961, has processed and sold an average of 945 metric tons of gold and 325 tons of silver annually during the last three financial years, according to the statement. India imported 891.5 tons of gold in 2014 to meet demand of 811.1 tons, according to the World Gold Council. “The coming together of Rajesh Exports and Valcambi would ensure that Valcambi improves its global market share by opening up new markets in India, Middle East and China,” Michael Mesaric, CEO of Valcambi, said in the statement.


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Nigeria has always been a hub of vibrant entrepreneurship, a legacy that traces back long before the digital age. In recent times, there has been a surge of entrepreneurial ambitions which is more of a response to the nation’s declining economy. Nigeria, with its population surpassing 200 million, stands as Africa’s most populous nation. This population is uniquely characterised by its youthfulness, with more than 62% being below the age of 25.
With economic challenges mounting and traditional employment opportunities dwindling, many Nigerians, especially the youth, are turning towards entrepreneurship not just as a path to personal success but as a necessary means of livelihood. This shift is not only reshaping the economic landscape of Nigeria but also signalling a new era where technology and innovation become key drivers of business success and national development.
Nigeria’s entrepreneurial landscape is characterised by a high rate of new business creation. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2023 report, the Total Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) rate in Nigeria was around 19.3%, one of the highest globally. However, this enthusiasm faces the challenges of sustainability and scale. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) contribute about 50.2% of the national GDP, but 96% of businesses are micro-enterprises, highlighting a potential growth bottleneck.
In Nigeria, the tech landscape has been evolving rapidly. The growth of tech hubs, incubators, and accelerators across major cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt is a testament to this. These hubs form epicentres of innovation and collaboration, offering resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities for budding entrepreneurs. For example, the Lagos-based Co-Creation Hub (CcHub) has been instrumental in nurturing tech startups, providing them with the necessary support to scale their ideas.
This flourishing tech ecosystem has also caught the eye of international investors. In recent years, Nigerian startups have witnessed a significant influx of venture capital, which has been pivotal in scaling their operations. For instance, in 2021, Nigerian startups raised over $300 million in funding, according to Techpoint Africa. This investment represents confidence in the Nigerian tech sector’s potential.
Technology plays a crucial role in helping SMEs grow, providing exposure to new markets and customers. However, it also comes with its challenges. From bridging the digital divide and navigating cost constraints to tackling skill gaps and security concerns, SMEs must grapple with fierce competition, platform dependence, and even a lack of awareness about technology’s potential. In this complex landscape, navigating the rapid evolution of technology adds another layer of challenge, demanding resourcefulness and adaptability to succeed.
While the entrepreneurial spirit in Nigerians is commendable, the path to success is not without challenges. One of the major hurdles is access to capital. Despite investors’ growing interest, many startups still struggle to secure funding. The banking sector’s cautious approach to lending and the high interest rates pose additional challenges. To address this, alternative funding sources such as angel investors, crowdfunding, and fintech solutions need to be more accessible and prevalent.
Moreover, infrastructure remains a crucial challenge. Issues like erratic power supply, internet connectivity, and logistical hurdles can stifle the growth of businesses. The government and private sector must collaborate to improve these basic amenities and create an environment conducive to business operations. This can be achieved through significant infrastructure investment, encouraging public-private partnerships, and adopting policies that facilitate technological advancements in these areas. Improved infrastructure is a catalyst for innovation, enabling entrepreneurs to explore new markets and opportunities more effectively.
The success stories from other countries provide invaluable insights. For instance, the Silicon Valley model in the United States demonstrates the synergistic power of tech innovation, venture capital, and educational institutions in driving entrepreneurial growth. Israel, known as the “Startup Nation,” with the highest number of startups per capita globally, exemplifies how government policies, robust funding ecosystems, and a culture of innovation can foster entrepreneurial success. Similarly, Estonia’s digital revolution, underpinned by e-governance and a tech-savvy population, has made it a burgeoning hub for tech startups.
Nigeria can glean several lessons from these success stories. The Silicon Valley model underscores the need for a supportive ecosystem blending technology, capital, and innovation. Similarly, Israel’s model highlights the critical role of government policy in nurturing entrepreneurship. For Nigeria, adapting these models means creating a conducive environment for tech startups, fostering public-private partnerships, and harnessing its demographic advantage.
The role of stakeholders in this entrepreneurial revolution cannot be overstated. The government’s part is pivotal – from policymaking to infrastructure development and providing incentives for tech startups. Educational institutions must pivot towards a curriculum that blends technology with entrepreneurial skills, fostering a new generation of tech-savvy entrepreneurs. Private organisations, including corporations and venture capitalists, play a crucial role in funding and mentoring startups. Additionally, non-governmental organisations can support capacity building and provide platforms for networking and collaboration.
The fusion of technology and entrepreneurship offers a beacon of hope for Nigeria’s economic future. By leveraging global best practices and adapting them to local peculiarities, Nigeria can catalyse its entrepreneurial spirit, transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation. The journey is collective, requiring the concerted effort of all stakeholders. In this era of digital transformation, the potential for Nigeria to emerge as a leading hub for tech-driven entrepreneurship is not just a dream but a feasible reality. The time to act is now to harness technology and unleash the boundless potential of Nigeria’s entrepreneurial spirit.
Oluwole Asalu is a founder, serial entrepreneur, and technology specialist writing from Lagos, Nigeria.


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Virtual production techniques have a long history in Hollywood but have really exploded in popularity in the last two years, thanks to travel restrictions during the pandemic and a host of tech improvements.
Boom time: Much of the current interest stems from the use of large LED walls and gaming engines to create the fantastic virtual worlds seen in “The Mandalorian.”
“When we did ‘The Mandalorian,’ we used off-the-shelf technologies like the Unreal game engine that were created for games, not TV production,” said Greig Fraser, who won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for his work on the Disney+ original. “Now you have technologies that are purpose-built for virtual production with many more capabilities. We’re still in the early days but the [upcoming] release of Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5 will be a game changer.”
Many others agree: “There are hundreds of stages going up around the world and we’re directly involved in dozens of them already,” said Adam Schmidt, executive vice president at Planar, a supplier of LED panels that recently launched a virtual production initiative Planar Studios.
Gaming engines drive new production capabilities: “What is really exciting is [how] the film industry [is starting] to truly understand the power of game engine technology in the context of world-building,” explained Miles Perkins, industry manager of film and television at Epic Games. It recently released a new version of its gaming engine, Unreal Engine 4.27, with the highly anticipated full release of 5.0 set for early 2022.
The 4.27 includes a host of new features designed to improve “quality, efficiency and ease of use” for virtual productions, Perkins said.
“When Epic Games releases the full version of Unreal 5, the current limits imposed on the cinematic architecture will be lifted, allowing for more realism,” said A. J. Wedding, co-founder of Orbital Studios.
Final pixel shooting: “The ability to shoot basically anywhere without travelling to that location was the primary driver” of interest in virtual productions early on but as the technology has improved, “the potential to reduce VFX time and costs is a big one,” explained Sean Sheridan, regional technical manager for the Americas at Brompton Technology, which has emerged as a major player in the virtual production tech space.
That is improving the image quality of video shot of actors in front of LED walls without a lot of post-production work. “Final pixel-shooting [is] really hot,” added Michael Geissler, CEO at Mo-Sys Engineering, which recently released the VP Pro 4.27 software that has been used on virtual productions for Amazon and Netflix.
Expertise is as important as technology: NEP, which recently launched its NEP Virtual Studios with the acquisition of Prysm Collective, Lux Machina and Halon Entertainment, has made providing production expertise a central part of their strategy, explained Zach Alexander, co-president of Lux Machina NEP Business unit at NEP Virtual Studios.
To help the industry cope with the complexities of a virtual production, SMPTE has embarked on a high-profile virtual production initiative. “It has become very, very clear that education is a big obstacle, not only among professionals wanting to use the technology but in terms of training people to handle virtual productions,” said Kari Grubin, a consultant who is spearheading the project, which is focusing on such areas as interoperability, best practices and education.
Educators are also getting involved. Sheridan College’s Screen Industries Research and Training (SIRT) Centre in Toronto, for example, has built a new Virtual Production Innovation Hub. “We really want to be a sandbox where creatives can advance the technologies and better understand how they can use it,” said SIRT production lead Jason Hunter.
New cameras shoot new virtual worlds: More innovation is coming from traditional vendors of production tech. The SIRT Center, for example, relies on a number of technologies from Blackmagic Design, including the URSA Mini Pro 12K.
ARRI has also jumped into the virtual production sector in a big way. It created some smaller experimental stages in Munich and Burbank to integrate their products into those from other companies and launched a new virtual production studio in U.K. in the summer of 2021. The ARRI solutions group also worked with the German production company to set up a virtual production stage in Berlin.
© NAB 2021
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George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.


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Multichannel Retail Adoption Accelerated At End Of 2020, Study Finds
Multichannel retailing saw significant growth towards the end of last year, a new study by GlobalData has found, as retailers developed their online channels to capitalise on festive sales opportunities.
The study examined shopping trends in the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy during November and December 2020, and found that multichannel sales grew in five of these six markets.
Multichannel sales were up 37% in the US over the period, a 5% increase on the previous year, while France was up 21%, Germany 31%, Spain 28% and Italy 27%; all increases on the previous year.
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BlackBerry has seen a lot of ups and downs in the past couple of months. From being one of the most popular mobile brands at one time with its innovative BlackBerry Messenger to becoming a company struggling to keep itself on its feet -it has seen it all.
We recently heard rumours about how BlackBerry might be letting go of its operating system BB 10. However, these rumours have been proven false by a post on the official BlackBerry blog. John Chen, the company’s CEO revealed that the operating system is “far from” dead and that BlackBerry devices like Passport, Classic and other phones by the company running on BB 10 would receive updates for the operating [...]
The glitches count for Apple continues to increase as users all over the world have trouble updating their devices to iOS 9. A large number of customers took to social media to express their annoyance at the failure of the tech giant to live up to all the hype created around the recent Apple event and all their latest developments. Users of the older versions of iPads and iPhones faced the most problems. Apple’s head-quarter in San Francisco remained unavailable for comment.
Despite rolling out new updates for iOS 8, some of the already existing bugs have [...]
The selfie has gained social, political and global recognition in the past two years, given its high popularity and almost contagious qualities, Apple may be coming up with a plan to up the selfie quotient in the next iPhone or tablet.
Hamza Sood, a developer, said that the phone or tablet will have, not just a front facing camera flash, but also the ability to record 1080p videos along with recording slow-motion videos in 720p. Referring to the codes, Sood also derived that one might be able to take panorama shots using the front facing camera.
iOS 9 is [...]


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The wanted suspect in the 07/31/2020 vehicle theft of an Amazon delivery van has been identified and arrested.
Suspect Description: Hispanic, Female, light skin, 20-30 years old, medium build, brown hair, and wearing a grey shirt and black leggings.
On 07/31/2020, at approximately 3:10 PM, an Amazon driver reported that his Amazon delivery van was stolen while delivering a package in the area of Civic Center Drive and Pacific Avenue.
While making a delivery, the victim saw a female drive away in his van from the area. After the theft, Santa Ana Police Officers located the van unoccupied in the area of 5th Street and Nantucket Place. Video surveillance captured the female park the van in the street and running away from it.
Anyone with information on suspect’s identity or whereabouts is asked to contact Detective Romero at (714) 245-8529 or email@example.com


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Ad spending in general could be among the sectors affected if Mr. Trump implements the policies he advocated as a candidate.
“If trade barriers are generally raised with the United States, we would expect negative repercussions on the U.S. economy,” said Brian Wieser, senior research analyst at Pivotal Research Group. “Given the tight correlations between economic health — especially personal consumption expenditures — and advertising growth, we would expect a downturn if new trade barriers are put in place.”
Agency holding companies that are more exposed to international markets such as IPG, Omnicom, Publicis and WPP are in a relatively better position, Mr. Wieser said. In the media space, Discovery Communications has the most international exposure, while CBS is among the most exposed domestically.
“Uncertainty is one of the greatest barriers to investment,” said Rino Scanzoni, chief investment officer at GroupM, the world’s largest ad buyer, via email. “Companies and the market in general are not clear on trade and regulatory policy of the new administration. This will clearly impact short-term growth. Advertising spend will likely be negatively impacted until there is clarity on policy moving forward.”
In response to the news, Martin Sorrell, founder and CEO of WPP, said: “Effectively a second Brexit that leaves many very surprised, including the markets and me, it’s going to take a significant amount of time to assess the implications beyond the short term.”
“Increased levels of uncertainty will mean more hesitation to make important decisions in the short term, both by people and governments,” Mr. Sorrell added. “But it may accelerate implementation of helpful reforms in the medium term to reduce uncertainty and stimulate investment as a result.”
“Clearly immigration, trade and terrorism were key issues that swayed electoral opinion in a very significant way, just as they did in the U.K., and probably will in the European referenda and elections to come,” he continued. “There will now be a lot of reassessment, including of polling techniques. Electorates at times like these clearly don’t like to be told how they’re going to vote, especially by the media and other elites.”
“One unsurprising event: Baby Sorrell was born on Election Day in New York. A welcome to a rollercoaster world,” Mr. Sorrell concluded.
Beer and auto
The Trump win is also a potential negative for certain categories and individual marketers, such as Corona and Modelo Especial marketer Constellation Brands, whose beer sales could be hurt if his immigration policies are enacted. In a note to investors Wednesday morning, Evercore ISI said its demographics expert estimated that some 1.5 million undocumented Mexican immigrants could leave. Setting aside for the moment the impact on families and communities, Evercore noted that such an exodus “would likely hit demand” for Constellation brands because Mexican immigrants’ beer capita consumption is about two times the general population.
During the campaign Mr. Trump also vowed to block Ford from opening a plant in Mexico and to levy big tariffs on Ford vehicles.
His victory could cause uncertainty in the broader automotive industry as well. Evercore ISI stressed Wednesday that “it is not 100% clear to us exactly what policies will be enacted by President Trump.” But it did call the election result a negative for U.S. automakers in the near term. “Rhetoric around Mexican production, trade tariffs and a potential step-back in consumer confidence will likely weigh on stocks and auto demand, respectively,” the firm said.
Not everyone agreed. Jack Hollis, group VP for marketing at Toyota Motor Sales, USA, characterized Mr. Trump’s win as having a “neutral” effect on the industry. “People want to combine politics into the auto industry,” he said. But “the auto industry has pretty much stayed on its course with ups and downs that are not politically based. They are economically based.”
Mr. Trump is seen by marketing, advertising, and media association representatives in Washington as something of a wild card. He doesn’t have the legislative history of Ms. Clinton, who served in the Senate for eight years. Dan Jaffe, who represents the Association of National Advertisers in Washington,told Ad Age on Monday that Ms. Clinton demonstrated her understanding of the importance of the industry during her time in Congress.
Chris Pedigo, senior VP-government affairs for publisher association Digital Content Next, predicted before the election that freedom of the press issues would become more top-of-mind during a Trump presidency. Mr. Trump has threatened to make it easier to sue journalists.
But as a whole Mr. Trump’s election is a net positive for the ad industry, according to Dick O’Brien, who represents the interests of advertising agencies in D.C. as exec VP-government relations for the 4A’s. “I think we in business can expect a more beneficial treatment than we might have had dealing with Secretary Clinton,” Mr. O’Brien said Wednesday morning.
As president, Mr. Trump will appoint the chairmen of key regulatory agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission. Mr. O’Brien said he expects those appointees to be pro-business, like Mr. Trump, and to be generally less aggressive on privacy and labor issues than Ms. Clinton’s appointees would have been.
AT&T and other internet service providers face new rules approved by a Democrat-led Federal Communications Commission, for example, prohibiting their use of data such as web browsing behavior without explicit consumer permission. An FCC under different leadership might revise those regulations.
But Mr. Trump is interested in reforming the tax code, and could potentially take aim at the 100% advertising deduction the industry values, Mr. O’Brien added.
While Ms. Clinton was favored in Tuesday’s election, Mr. O’Brien said the 4A’s mapped out scenarios for both a Democratic and Republican presidential victory, and will be sending a bulletin to agency members later Wednesday outlining what the election results could mean. The 4A’s, he said, will be closely looking to see who Mr. Trump appoints to key positions, and will put together a game plan from there.
Mr. Trump has also been vocal about his opposition to consolidation in the media, which he argued was rigged against him during the campaign. He has said that as president he would block AT&T’s proposed acquisition of Time Warner and would also try to break up Comcast and NBC Universal. Comcast bought 51% of NBC Universal in 2011 and the rest of the company in 2013.
“As an example of the power structure I’m fighting, AT&T is buying Time Warner and thus CNN,” Mr. Trump said Oct. 22 as the pact was announced, “a deal we will not approve in my administration because it’s too much concentration of power in the hands of too few.”
AT&T Chief Financial Officer John Stephens said at a Wells Fargo conference Wednesday morning that the company is looking forward to working with Mr. Trump and is optimistic that regulators will approve the deal.
“His policies and his discussions about infrastructure investment, economic development, and American innovation all fit right in with AT&T’s goals,” Mr. Stephens said. “We’ve been the leading investor in this country for more than five years running, and our Time Warner transaction is all about innovation and economic development, consumer choice, and investment in infrastructure with regard to providing a great 5G mobile broadband experience. So we look forward with optimism to working with the leadership and providing benefits to consumers and to our shareholders.”
Mr. Trump has also been at odds with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, whom he says has a huge anti-trust problem with the ownership of The Washington Post.
Mr. Trump’s win also squelches rumors surrounding a Trump TV network. At the very least, it looks like Fox News won’t have to contend with a new competitor.
Among tech companies, Twitter seemed to be one of the few companies unscathed Wednesday morning. After electing perhaps the first Twitter-obsessed president, the stock was rising on Wednesday, up 4.4%. Meanwhile, peers Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon were all down. It could help that Twitter proved that it was still a force in media during the election season.
This article first appeared in www.adage.com
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Developer Lilith has blamed the recent shock cancellation of horror title Allison Road on a split with publishing partner Team 17.
After a long consideration between Team17 and ourselves, we have reached a mutual agreement to end our collaboration on publishing Allison Road under Team17’s Games label,” Lileth said.
Sometimes things pan out differently than expected as game development and publishing have so many layers of complexity… We’d like to especially thank everyone for their support through-out, it has and will always be appreciated.”
Which of course probably asks more questions than it answers, chief of which is what happened with Team 17?
Add to this the fact that the game was mid-way through a Kickstarter last year when it ditched crowdfunding to partner with Team 17. So will it crowdfund again? Who owns the rights? For now, it seems, Lileth is staying quiet.


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A new survey suggests Canadians have become less accepting of recreational cannabis since 2017, despite legalization last October.
Researchers at Dalhousie University say they’re surprised by the findings, which also suggests a high degree of stigma persists.
While the majority of Canadians still support legalization, the research suggests support has dropped to 50.1 per cent from 68.6 per cent in 2017.
Meanwhile, the number of people who neither agree nor disagree with legalization appears to have increased to 20.3 per cent from 6.9 per cent.
Lead author Sylvain Charlebois says respondents also reported concern over the risks cannabis pose to children, young adults and pets who may have more access to cannabis products.
The survey questioned 1,051 adults over four days in April and has an estimated margin of error 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20. It’s a followup to a 2017 survey on attitudes surrounding cannabis before legalization. The findings were made public Thursday.
“I think the study actually points to the fact that Canadians are still cannabis-illiterate, to a certain extent,” Charlebois says by phone from Halifax.
“A lot has to do with messaging, how governments have been engaging with the public. The focus has been on distribution, of course, and keeping Canadians protected, I guess, but I would say that Health Canada really hasn’t done a good job in explaining to people what is cannabis, what cannabinoids are.”
Then there are the media stories about children being hospitalized after inadvertently ingesting cannabis, and reports about pets falling ill from encounters with weed.
“The majority of Canadians are still in agreement with the legalization of marijuana but not as much,” he says. “There are more and more people unsure whether this is a good idea.”
Stigma appears to remain high.
Almost one-fifth, or 18.8 per cent, of respondents said they were concerned about being seen buying legal cannabis, and 26.2 per cent wouldn’t want coworkers to know they use recreational cannabis. Meanwhile, 33.8 per cent said they wouldn’t want to work with a regular recreational user.
Still, significant numbers have used weed, and have even cooked with it.
The survey found that 37 per cent of respondents use cannabis, and out of those people, 35 per cent used it daily, which is about 13 per cent of the general population.
Almost half, or 46 per cent, said they use it primarily for medicinal reasons, while 32 per cent said it was recreational, 10 per cent cited social reasons, 7 per cent said wellness and 4 per cent said their reason was spiritual.
A recent StatCan study suggests cannabis use is on the rise.
About 5.3 million, or 18 per cent of Canadians aged 15 years and older, reported using cannabis in January, February and March of 2019 — higher than the 14 per cent who reported using just one year earlier, before legalization. The data also found that first-time users nearly doubled during that period, to 646,000 Canadians.
When asked in the Dalhousie study if they ever cook with cannabis at home, 82.5 per cent said never, while 17.4 per cent — or 182 people — said they’ve cooked with cannabis at least once in their lives.
Researchers found just 2.3 per cent cook regularly with weed.
“People think that cannabis or edibles are all about getting high and not getting healthy but I actually do see a little trend in terms of Canadians seeing cannabis as a healthy product,” says Charlebois, adding, however, there hasn’t been a big attitude shift.
“Edibles will eventually be socially normalized but it will take probably much longer than what companies expect.”
The survey also hints at caution around edibles.
At 25.5 per cent, fewer people were willing to order a dish with cannabis at a restaurant, down from 38.5 per cent in 2017. And 15.8 per cent were willing to give up an alcoholic drink in order to have a cannabis-infused dish at a restaurant, down from 26.6 per cent in 2017.
The other issue at play is the black market, says Charlebois, noting it has not gone away. The data found 60.4 per cent of cannabis users continued to use their previous supplier after legalization, with the top reasons being price, quality and convenience.
“Perhaps some of these people were expecting higher quality products at an affordable price but we are seeing some indication that the legal price is much higher than the illegal one in many markets.”
A recent StatCan study found cannabis use on the rise.
About 5.3 million, or 18 per cent of Canadians aged 15 years and older, reported using cannabis in January, February and March of 2019 — higher than the 14 per cent who reported using just one year earlier before legalization.
The data also found that new users nearly doubled during that period, to 646,000 Canadians trying cannabis for the first time.
— By Cassandra Szklarski in Toronto
The Canadian Press


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[Photo by Hyundai Motor Co.]
South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co. has been cited as the 35th most valuable brand and sixth among car names while its sister company Kia Motors ranked 69th in this year’s “Best Global Brand” scale.
Hyundai Motor which joined the top 100 list in 2005 saw its brand worth gain 5.1 percent from a year ago to $13.2 billion.
Brand consulting firm Interbrand compiles world’s top 100 brand list every year by evaluating a brand in three key aspects - financial performance of the brand’s products or services, the role of the brand in influencing consumer choice, and the brand’s strength to create loyalty, which would secure demand and profits.
Hyundai Motor has continued to actualize its future mobility vision by developing self-driving and connected car technologies in line with its branding objective of ‘Modern Premium,’ said an unnamed Interbrand official. The Korean automaker’s brand value has grown by 15 percent on average every year since it launched its new corporate vision under the theme of ‘Modern Premium’ in 2011.
Hyundai Motor’s smaller sibling Kia Motors also made the Interbrand’s 2017 Best Global Brand list for the sixth straight year by recording brand value of $6.7 billion. It made its debut on the top 100 global brand list in 2012, and its brand value has jumped by sevenfold from $900 million in 2006 when it renewed its strategy to put greater efforts on design.
Kia Motors’ rapid growth in brand value comes largely from its efforts to reform its brand image coupled with strong product lineups. The automaker launched new brand strategy under the slogan ‘The Power to Surprise,’ to boost its brand awareness in 2005 and has executed various projects from upgrading car design to improving sales and marketing activities.
By Lee Seung-hoon
[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]


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FTX to Offer Derivatives Trading to US Customers Through the Acquisition of CFTC-Regulated Exchange
The US is a “huge untapped opportunity.” By combining the forces with the regulated LedgerX that offers futures, options, and swaps on Bitcoin and Ether, FTX.US wants to build the “best-in-class derivatives exchange in the U.S.”
FTX.US, the American affiliate of the global cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has announced the acquisition of the parent company of LedgerX for an undisclosed sum.
LedgerX is a Commodity and Futures Trading Association (CFTC)-regulated crypto derivatives exchange that offers futures, options, and swaps on Bitcoin and Ether. FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried said on Tuesday.
“We're excited to work with the CFTC on innovating in the US crypto derivatives space in a regulated, understood manor(sic). Common ground between regulators and industry is the foundation of safe, sustainable innovation.”
In a recent interview with Insider as well, Bankman-Fried emphasized taking regulation “extremely seriously” and that it's his biggest focus as the goal is to be “allies rather than enemies of regulators.”
“I just wish that the industry were, as a whole, doing a more conscientious job of interfacing with regulators,” he said, adding that players in the crypto space need to be “responsible and show that they don't need to have overly paternalistic regulations.”
With the US crypto derivatives market being a “huge untapped opportunity,” both the exchanges want to combine the forces to build the “best-in-class derivatives exchange in the U.S.”
Derivatives Market A Natural Extension
Unlike FTX.US, FTX International already offers derivatives trading and records a $500 billion monthly volume.
With this acquisition, the deal for which can close as early as October, FTX.US will offer the functionality to US-base users, a product line not offered by the exchange’s competitors Coinbase, Gemini, and Kraken.
“We want to plant our flag in something that is uniquely ours,” says Brett Harrison, CEO of FTX.US. “Going into the derivatives market is such a natural extension.”
Much like its global counterpart, FTX.US is also growing fast, managing $350 million in spot volume per day, up from just $1 million in January this year. Still, the exchange has a long way to go, with Coinbase recording $4.6 billion in daily volume, Kraken just over $1 bln, and even Binance.US is managing to have $1 bln in volume.
As for regulated derivatives trading in the US, CME is the major player, currently handling $1.82 bln in open interest on Bitcoin futures and $770 mln on Ether futures.
According to Harrison, FTX.US and LedgerX have similar profiles mainly geared towards institutional clients, with retail only making 30%. But LedgerX does target retail with its small contracts such as bitcoin mini representing 0.01 BTC.
FTX.US’s focus, however, is institutions such as hedge funds and proprietary trading firms, as they don’t want to promote a ‘gamified’ experience. Harrison said,
“It is important to make it clear from the beginning that this is a trading platform…it's not a game with which to risk everything. And that's not our goal. We want people to trade safely and responsibly.”


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With the Nintendo Direct for E3 2021 just days away, fans are looking forward to seeing a slew of updates from The Legend of Zelda, especially considering that 2021 marks the 35th anniversary of the series. Although a collection is a possibility, others are finally looking forward to a fresh look at Breath of the Wild 2. Nevertheless, a new report from an insider has bad news for these people.
Recently, PracticalBrush12 user, who has leaked information about E3 2021 and rightly shared all the announcements from the past Direct, mentioned on Reedit that Nintendo does not plan to release the sequel to Breath of the Wild this year, and this game would not be present at the next digital conference of the company, although this last point is only a guess.
At the moment there is no official information from Nintendo, outside of a calendar where Breath of the Wild 2, Metroid Prime 4 and Bayonetta 3 do not have a release date. With rumors of a collection for the Switch, which emerged after a GameStop poster was leaked, there is the possibility of seeing something related to the series of The Legend of Zelda next June 15. We can only wait for some kind of official announcement.
The Nintendo Direct for E3 2021 will take place on June 15 at 11:00 AM (Mexico City time).


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ESCONDIDO, Calif, and Las Vegas - April 8, 2019 – One Stop Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSS), a leader in specialized high-performance computing, has introduced the world’s first PCIe Gen 4 GPU Render Accelerator platform and Video Recorder platform at the 2019 NAB Show being held this week in Las Vegas, Nevada.
San Jose, CA – March 21, 2019 – One Stop Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSS), a leader in specialized high-performance computing, has introduced the world’s first PCIe Gen 4 backplane, the OSS 5 Slot Gen 4 Backplane (OSS-PCIe4-BP-5x16), at the GPU Technology Conference being held this week in San Jose, Calif.
ESCONDIDO, California – February 12, 2019 – One Stop Systems, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: OSS) subsidiary, Bressner Technology GmbH, a leading specialized high-performance computing supplier in Europe, has been invited to exhibit at Embedded World Exhibition & Conference being held at Exhibition Centre Nuremberg in Germany on February 26-28, 2019.
ESCONDIDO, California – November 11, 2018 – One Stop Systems, Inc. (OSS) (Nasdaq: OSS), a leader in specialized high-performance computing, has been invited to exhibit at SC18 at Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas, Texas on Nobember 12-15.
Escondido, California – July 15, 2016 – One Stop Systems, Inc. (OSS) today announced that it has completed a merger with Mission Technology Group, Inc. (dba Magma), with OSS as the surviving entity. Both companies are market leaders in PCIe expansion technology used to create high-end compute accelerators and flash storage arrays. Together they become a dominant technology leader of PCIe expansion appliances.
Matrox® Graphics Inc. today announced that Magma Thunderbolt® and PCIe® expansion systems have been tested for reliability and functionality with the complete range of Matrox PCIe-based video wall and AV-over- IP product lines. The new collaboration facilitates rapid deployment of high- performance, high-density encoding and decoding mobile command centers for OEMs and system integrators.


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Lendingkart Group featured in KPMG and H2 Ventures ‘Fintech 100’ Global Report
India, 30 November, 2017: India’s leading online lending platform that facilitates SMEs in obtaining working capital loans, Lendingkart Group, has been recognized as one among the world’s top fintech innovators by KPMG and H2 ventures in their prestigious 2017 FINTECH 100 Global report. The ‘Fintech 100’ report consists of two complied lists – the world’s top 50 ‘Established Innovators’ and the 50 most intriguing ‘Emerging Stars’. In the list of the World’s Top 50 ‘Established Innovators’, Lendingkart Group has emerged as the only Indian fintech company.
“FINTECH100is one of the most sought after reports in the Fintech space and it is an honorto be a part of the global list. We, at Lendingkart Group, are committed toeliminate the credit gap that exists in the SME community by use of Technologyand Analytics, and this is an important recognition that reflects on thesuccess we have seen over the last three years. Innovation has been thebackbone of all we do at Lendingkart Group as we constantly work towardscreating a more seamless and automated loan disbursal process. Such accoladeskeep us motivated to continue the innovation, working our way towards financialinclusion of the MSME space.”, said Harshvardhan Lunia, Co-Founder and CEO, LendingkartTechnologies.
LendingkartGroup's consistent focus on seamless delivery of quality and hassle-freeservices in facilitating small business working capital loans, has enabled itto become a part of the celebrated report. It is the only Indian fintechcompany to be featured thus in the established innovators list. The report isrenowned to feature companies that utilize technology to disrupt financialservices industry across the world.
LendingkartGroup NBFC provides for working capital needs of Small and Medium-sized Enterprisesoffering quick and easy collateral-free loans with minimal paperwork. Therobust technology platform has helped create a highly operational efficiencymodel that utilises over 5000 variables and data points for swift loandisbursement, delivered within 72 hours of complete loan application.Lendingkart Finance offers quick and easy collateral-free loans with minimalpaperwork. Over 3,00,000 SMEs from more than 900 cities in the countryhave till date reached out to Lendingkart Finance for their credit needs.
In compilingthe list, KPMG and H2 Ventures have followed a rigorous process where theyshortlisted and reviewed over 1,500 fintech firms from around the world. In the2017 Global Report, firms from 29 countries have been featured including 41companies from the UK and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), 29companies from the Americas (North and South America), and 30 companiesfrom Asia (including Australia and New Zealand). While Chinacontinued to dominate the list with five of the Top 10 companies being Chinesefirms, four Indian firms have been featured in the report, intotal.