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XConnect, the renowned provider of cutting-edge numbering intelligence solutions under the Somos Company umbrella, has sealed a strategic alliance with Sekura.id, a prominent global player specializing in mobile identity data. This groundbreaking partnership aims to fortify the defense against digital identity fraud, benefitting global banks, fintech trailblazers, and e-commerce giants. Sekura.id's real-time customer insights sourced directly from mobile network operators (MNOs) will empower XConnect's aggregator and telco clientele to offer seamless, compliant mobile ID verification and authentication through a single, user-friendly API connection.
In today's fast-evolving landscape, verifying a user's digital identity poses an escalating challenge for the banking and fintech sector. As mobile technology continues to advance, it simultaneously introduces novel vulnerabilities for these industries. According to Tim Ward, VP Number Information Services at XConnect, "We need to ensure we have the right technology solutions in place to effectively remove risk. By leveraging Sekura.id's MNO APIs, we are strengthening our anti-fraud proposition and protecting enterprises from identity theft."
Through this collaboration, XConnect gains access to live mobile data, extending its reach across six continents. Customers of XConnect will enjoy the benefits of Sekura.id's top-notch mobile identity solutions, augmented by the pre-validation of phone numbers using XConnect's comprehensive global datasets.
Sekura.id, with coverage spanning 2.5 billion individuals across 75 connected operators worldwide, stands as a trusted provider of secure and easily integrated ID verification, anti-fraud, and online authentication solutions. The company's low-latency, real-time mobile intelligence APIs seamlessly integrate with partners' existing services, offering a robust defense against the evolving fraud ecosystem.
Mark Harvey, CEO at Sekura.id, highlighted the significance of their partnership with XConnect, stating, "Our partnership with XConnect is enabling us to lead the fight against digital identity fraud. Through our low-latency, real-time mobile intelligence APIs, we are helping telcos with fintech and tier-1 banking customers build seamless anti-fraud and account takeover protection to overcome growing risks."
XConnect is firmly committed to collaborating with industry peers to enhance its anti-fraud capabilities for MNOs, business messaging hubs, aggregators, carriers, and interconnect providers. The partnership with Sekura.id further bolsters its product portfolio, empowering customers to tackle intricate identification and verification (ID&V) challenges head-on.
In this era of ever-evolving digital threats, the XConnect and Sekura.id partnership marks a significant stride toward fortifying the defenses of the banking, fintech, and e-commerce sectors. Together, they are pioneering innovative solutions to protect the digital identities of millions across the globe, ensuring a safer and more secure digital future for all.


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Posts Tagged ‘healthy eating’
Recent findings have revealed 60 percent of UK parents are unconcerned about the risk of insufficient vitamin D levels in their children. These figures are worrying health experts who are concerned under-5s in the UK are not getting enough vitamin D due to the lack of awareness. The Generation D report, commissioned by the Vitamin D […]
When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, dieting always tops the list. Weeks of festive over-indulgence means that fad diets see a massive spike in January, only for them to fade away somewhere around mid-February. Here are five to avoid this new year if you’re looking to stay healthy in the long term. The 5:2 […]
Keeping your kids healthy nowadays can be a challenge. But what about expats raising a family in the Middle East? Depending on where you live, it can be even harder to eat well. Diets in the Middle East, especially on the Arab peninsula where desert conditions largely preclude the growing of fresh vegetables, have historically […]
As an expat family abroad, smartphone apps and interactive websites can provide a wealth of information on health and well-being. No language barriers, tricky paperwork or waiting rooms, the rise of the health app has made daily healthcare advice and tips available to everyone. Here are some of the best for general family health. Restaurant […]
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Ahead of its fashion show, African Fashion International (AFI) has announced the launch of its second House of Nala store.
The store will be launched on November 17, during AFI Fashion Week Joburg at Sandton City, where people will be allowed to shop for clothes fresh from the runway.
This comes after the fashion franchise successfully opened its first store in 2021 at The Leonardo in Sandton.
Founder of AFI, Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, says they’ve spent the last 15 years building the one-stop lifestyle platform to cater to fashion enthusiasts looking for unique African fashion and guiding sellers to reach a global, premium market.
“While many may see this year as doom and gloom for African designers and retailers, with the new House of Nala store, we are creating a safety net for all stakeholders, allowing them to build and grow through a crisis instead of succumbing to it,” she said.
After the launch of House of Nala, AFI will stage a fashion show for two days in a row (November 18-19), where African designers will be showcasing their latest collections.
Designers showcasing include Eric Raisina, House of Stevolution, House of Nala, Kaylaamiel, Nguo by Tumi Mohasa, Lebo Merhafe, Suitability, Woke Studios, Kidunia, Ascend The Label and Taibo Bacar. And on day two, Imprint, Kreyann’, Seditsi Collection, Gvllvnt, Sisters of Africa, Alia Bare, Indoni Fashion House, Thabooty’s, Masa Mara and Gavin Rajah will take over the runway.
All collections will be taken to the House of Nala new store immediately after the fashion shows for purchasing.


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Sara Butler | Editor
South Park mom-and-pop bookstore thrives despite industry changes
This month marks the one-year anniversary of The Book Catapult, a family-owned bookstore in South Park. And co-owners Seth Marko and Jennifer Powell couldn’t be happier.
“I still can’t believe we’re able to do this — it’s still very much a dream come true,” Powell said.
The couple took over the space from local bookstore owner Anne Mery in 2017. Mery previously ran The West Grove Collective for many years and “was ready to move on and do something else.”
“We lived in the neighborhood and shopped in her store, so she knew we were always interested [in buying],” Powell said.
When the beloved Adams Avenue Book Store in Normal Heights closed on July 15 after 53 years of business, the future of other local shops seemed grim.
Although Adams Avenue Book Store owner Brian Lucas couldn’t pinpoint one reason for the closure of his Uptown business, he did cite his five-decade-old store’s struggle to acclimate to the changing book culture as a possible contributor. These changes include a shift to online buying, with the introduction of big businesses like Amazon, as well as a need to host in-store events.
Surprisingly, these industry changes may have actually helped The Book Catapult, and other newer stores, succeed in the market. With a 2017 opening, they “already knew what the landscape was” and didn’t have to adapt to a different scene.
“I think the timing is a little interesting for us,” Marko said. “There’s nothing being taken away because everything for us is building [up]. We’re already in this environment, so anything that comes through our doors has already been a conscious decision to make that purchase in our store.”
“I think the fact that we’ve opened when we have, like we’re sort of new, and we opened when this was all going on,” Powell added. “It’s not like anything was taking over our business.”
Before opening a storefront, The Book Catapult actually started as an internet blog. They still have an online presence — as a way to keep their physical doors open 24-7 — that they hope to build on, but the majority of their sales continue to come from in-store customers.
“Amazon is already leading the charge, so when people come into our store, they are making a conscious effort to shop in our store,” Powell said.
“It seems like we’re crazy to open a bookstore in 2017, but what the community has proven to us is that they do prefer to shop that way,” Marko added.
Instead of having to edit their existing inventory to fit their audience, they were able to curate a selection around the new trends. Marko noted that the majority of customers in the South Park store are parents and children, reflecting the family-centric feel of the neighborhood. From the beginning, the store carried a majority of fiction and kids’ picture books — and these titles have proved to be their best-sellers.
“We are a family who lives in the neighborhood so we kind of understood the demographics around us because we were part of it,” Marko said.
Lucas noted that many local stores have embraced events — such as poetry readings, open mics and concerts — which can encourage people to get off their computers and stop by the physical location. Adams Avenue Book Store held a few of these, but he said that approach didn’t quite align with the focus and layout of his store.
In contrast, The Book Catapult’s timing allowed it to incorporate these types of events. One of their signature happenings is Coffee with the Catapult, an informal chat about books with the staff over coffee supplied by neighbor Communal Coffee. They also host regular author discussions and signings; launched a book club three months ago; and held an anniversary party with cocktails on Oct. 13. Each event usually draws between 20–40 people.
“The author event [is something] that independent [bookstores] have really latched onto, because you don’t get that on Amazon — there’s no way to have that same kind of interaction,” Marko said. “So people really appreciate that, and they love it.”
Their family-owned store might be “overwhelmingly busy and positive,” but that doesn’t mean the shuttering of other small businesses isn’t still an obstacle. Across the street, Rebecca’s Coffee House — who called the neighborhood home for more than 20 years — closed back in January.
“It’s a long time to have nothing else anchoring that side of the street,” Marko said. “[But] we have high hopes it will help foot traffic when we have a brand-new sidewalk and two new restaurants across the street.”
That sidewalk, which lines the entry to their store, was torn up by the city last week and caused an unexpected store closure. Marko and Powell apologetically informed customers with daily email updates. Yet they received understanding and encouraging responses from patrons, reflecting the store’s overall reception from the neighborhood.
“We love South Park, that was one of the reasons we were excited to take over the store, because we knew that the community would be […] supportive, and we thought it was just the right type of community,” Powell said, noting that they did not experience the same type of community feel in previous neighborhoods they lived in, such as Mission Hills or Normal Heights.
Although older bookstores might be at risk of fading away, a successful formula for new shops to stay afloat may include selling online, hosting events and choosing the right neighborhoods to build in. In fact, newbie Run For Cover just opened in Ocean Beach on Oct. 5.
And in the typical “collaborative rather than competitive” attitude that is commonly self-reported in the industry, these additions aren’t resented. Former owners such as Lucas, who may miss the old book culture, are still supportive of these up-and-comers.
“There are stores that are still starting. I’m excited and encouraged that people are still deciding to do that venture — more power to them,” Lucas said, smiling.
“We’re obviously positive [about the local book scene] — we think that it’s going to be good for the future,” Powell said. “We’re probably not going to retire millionaires, but we’re OK with that. I think we’ll all be able to hold on and thrive in sort of our little ways, in our little communities.”
For previous San Diego Uptown News coverage on The Book Catapult, visit bit.ly/catapult-opens.
[Editor’s note: Brian Lucas, owner of the Adams Avenue Book Store, shared his thoughts about the future of the book industry when he spoke with San Diego Uptown News in June 2018. Read the full story at bit.ly/final-chapter.]
—Reach Sara Butler at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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CafePress ends debut day flat after $86M IPO
- Staff Silicon Valley Business Journal
CafePress Inc. gave up all of its gains after jumping as much as 19 percent in its market debut on Thursday.
The online specialty print maker topped expectations with an $86 million initial public offering on Wednesday.
The San Mateo-based company sold 4.5 million shares at $19 each. It had expected to sell them for between $16 and $18. Its closing price was $19.03, only 3 cents higher than when it opened.
It hit as high as $22.57 in early trading on the Nasdaq exchange with the symbol PRSS.
Insiders sold 2 million of the shares in the offering and the company got the funds from the rest of the shares sold.
CafePress was founded in 1999. It sells the print-on-demand products such as t-shirts and coffee mugs from designs customers make. It also helps to sell some of those products.
In its most recent IPO filing, CafePress said revenue over the past three years grew by about 70 percent to $175 million 2011. Net income last year was $3.6 million, up about 8 percent from what it reported in 2009. Despite being based in Silicon Valley, CEO Bob Marino lists Louisville, Kentucky, as his address.
The CafePress IPO was the third local offering this week that topped expectations.
Berkeley-based organic food maker Annie's (NYSE:BNNY) raised $95 million on Tuesday and saw its shares soar 89 percent to close at $35.92 on their first day of public trading. They priced at $19 a share after being targeted to go at between $16 and $18.
San Jose-based mobile medical specialist Vocera Communications Inc. (NYSE:VCRA) raised nearly $94 million on Tuesday and its shares jumped more than 31 percent to close at $21.03 on their trading debut. The first shares sold for $16 after being targeted for between $12 and $14.
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Sendik's Food Markets raised $107,300 for the MACC Fund from its in-stores - including the Wauwatosa location - quarterly campaign that ended in January.
The Balistreri-owned and operated grocery stores this week presented the check to the charity that support childhood cancer research. Sendik's has raised $309,000 for the MACC Fund since 2008, with the amount collected increasing each year.
The grocery company sold a record 57,000 candy canes, 2,543 paper MACC Stars, and 1,500 Sendik's Real Food magazines and MACC Fund products at its stores.
The MACC Fund supports research at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. As federal cancer research funding has dropped, groups like the MACC Fund are trying to step up and fill in the gaps.
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- Learning Never Ends boasts new programs
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- McBride retains Common Council presidency
- Arté Wine and Painting Studio expands
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The premium new technology conference in the Adriatic
A decade has passed since the bitcoin genesis block, the first block that gave the bitcoin network life. It will arrive to Lasko on the 21st of March 2019, where the first Blockchain Day will take place.
A lot has happened since then. From a cypherpunk underground niche movement by a selected few cryptographers to a mainstream adoption and technological innovation. It’s easy to get caught up in the massive success of blockchain and forget about personal security. Blockchain as it currently exists completely hinges on individual users’ security practices.
Blockchain technology is not just for instant day-trading but a system for instantaneous and secure change tracking. Many companies have or are developing systems for property management, supply line tracking, and decentralized IoT devices.
Seven years ago, Mt. Gox, the then top cryptocurrency exchange, was breached causing thousands of early enthusiasts to lose their cryptocurrency. This shook the crypto space and caused people to rethink their personal security. Big cryptocurrency exchanges trading billions of dollars’ worth of crypto every single day are being targeted by hackers 24/7, with one wrong move resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of damages.
It’s a critical time for blockchain technology, it needs to prove itself on the world stage. World legislators are clamoring to regulate blockchain to suit their own interests, and while this does give cryptocurrency and the blockchain more legitimacy, it also lessens many of the benefits of blockchain. Some in the community are stuck arguing over what Satoshi intended. What is clear is that Satoshi never could have predicted the tremendous successes of blockchain, and maybe would have a completely different idea for the future.
For the first time since the existence of Risk conference we have teamed up with Bitcoin association Slovenia to bring you Blockchain Day at RISK 2019.
Blockchain Day will be hosting some of leading influential people from Slovenia that will discuss a variety of topics in a sequence of presentations and finish off the BlockchainDay with a roundtable panel.
We expect 100 participants at Blockchain Day. The largest security conference in the region, RISK 2019, will be hosted at the same time, expecting somewhere around 500 guests. These guests will have access to Blockchain Day as the topics covered will no doubt interest them.
Guests will arrive from more than 20 countries, primarily from the Adriatic region with a smaller number also from other EU countries. Some guests will arrive from Israel and the USA. Blockchain enthusiasts, evangelists and experts are already expected to take part. The expected guest profile is varied: from IT specialists, engineers, developers, sales, advisors, to directors and other decision-makers.
Official event agenda
08:30 – Registration and check-in
09:00 – Opening ceremony and welcoming speech, Bitcoin.com
09:30 – “Security challenges facing blockchain crypto wallet users” by Alen Šalamun, CTO at REAL Security
10:00 – “A decade of bitcoin and blockchain” byJure Pirc, president of Bitcoin association Slovenia and CEO at Blockmaster – blockchain tehnologije
10:30 – “DLT and cryptoassets regulation in Slovenia”, Aljaž Jadek, Jadek & Pensa, regulation expert at Blockchain Think Tank Slovenia
11:00 – Break
11:30 – “Smart contracts for the cryptocash-strapped Joe Average” by dr. Janez Kranjc, CargoX
12:00 – “Private key security” by Luka Pušić, certified information security professional
12:30 – “Self-sovereign identity: new dimensions of secure identity with the blockchain” by Klemen Zajc, Netis – blockchain technologies
13:00 – Break
13:30 – “Blockhain legal thru time” by Ivo Grlica, founder at Nobile Law Solution
14:00 – “Ethereum and smart contracts” by Simon Belak,Metabase
14:30 – Round table discussion on “Blockchain and GDPR”:
Moderator: Tanja Bivic, president of Blockchain Alliance Europe;
Panellists: Dr. Szabolcs Hargittay, Everprove and Harglowe; Jaka Kolar, Igor Kolar, legal advisor at Ministry of justice of the Republic of Slovenia, GDPR expert from Blockchain Think Tank Slovenia, Tomaž Furlan, CTO of Nxxtech, CEO of Lucis
15:00 Round table discussion on “Cryptomarkets, exchanges, decentralization and a glimpse into the future of blockchain”: Moderator: Jure Pirc, panellists: TBD
15:30 – Closing ceremony and lunch
16:00 – Lunch
10:00 – Panda Exchange Presentation
11:00 – BC Vault – Workshop
12.00 – European Blockchain HUB Presentation
13.00 – BITCOIN.COM Presentation
[products limit=”2″ columns=”1″ orderby=”popularity”]


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The idea of having a clean Android experience on a phone that was always built by another company was novel because it allowed those companies to put their own spin to the phone and create a very different positioning. I grew up with Google Nexus smartphones. Companies like as Samsung, Huawei, LG, Motorola, and even HTC have created Nexus devices.
The best part was that, although sharing the same software experience, each of these phones had different characteristics and offered something unique in terms of hardware.
The Pixel series, which Google chose to replace the Nexus range with in 2016, earned excellent reviews from both users and critics for the first three generations, but things started to sour with the introduction of the Pixel 4.
No Matter How Good Google Pixel Phones Are, They Will Take Decades To Catch Up To Samsung
Even if Google has worked hard to maintain the Pixel portfolio as up to date as possible, it seems that this is not the case, especially in light of the most recent IDC numbers.
Bloomberg’s Vlad Savov provided some intriguing numbers that indicate just how much danger Google is in, and to be honest, things don’t seem good.
According to IDC figures, Google has only been able to sell 27.6 million Pixel phones since 2016. That is just one-tenth of what Samsung expects to sell in 2021.
You may calculate that Google will require 60 years to sell the same number of phones that Samsung sells in a single year, which is a startling gap that begs the question, “What is Google doing wrong?”
In all honesty, Google is not doing inappropriately. Savov goes on to emphasise that Google is not a competitor to Samsung, but rather insurance for Android suppliers in the United States, especially in light of LG and HTC’s withdrawals from the market and the negative reputation of Chinese phones. Sony is the sole remaining alternative, and its present stance is widely known.
This does not mean that Google will stop making Pixel phones entirely. In truth, the Pixel 7 series will be available tomorrow, with the Pixel 8 series coming the following year.
Do you think Google Pixel phones have a chance to challenge Samsung’s market hegemony? Please share your suggestions with us.


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EU rulings threaten UK vegetable crops
Sources: Caroline Davies, The Observer – January 4, 2009
UK vegetable growers are bracing for major quality and yield losses in carrot, potato, onion and parsnip crops when EU ministers slash the use of permitted plant protectants on food crops later this month.
The ruling will ban plant protection products that MIGHT have adverse effects on human health.
Over 45 actives will be discontinued, including the Group C fungicides, Currently, these products are not considered to have a significant impact on human health.
The UK – Pesticides Safety Directorate warns the ban will cut UK food production without securing meaningful benefits for consumer health or the environment.


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|Customs officials at HCM City’s Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport on June 29 found four kilos of cannabis concealed in 20 vacuum-sealed food packages – Photo nld.com|
HCM CITY – The Customs Department at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in HCM City on June 29 seized over four kilos of cannabis hidden in 20 vacuum-sealed food packages sent from an unidentified person in the US’s California.
The packages were said to be received by a man known as P.T.T. from Hà Nội, according to customs officials.
Since the beginning of the year, customs officials have seized over 37 kilos of cannabis at the airport in HCM City.
Customs officials said there had been an increase in the number of ecstasy and cannabis packages sent from Canada and the US to HCM City, surrounding provinces and northern provinces via air transport. – VNS


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New York City is a town of names: Rockefeller, Astor, Trump. Legacies of the vast wealth held by dynastic families in early 20th century New York City. America’s college campuses are littered with the same convention; wealthy alumni donate large sums to expand a university, and subsequently name that expansion after themselves. The University of Maryland, for instance, is getting a $35 million computer science wing from two of Oculus VR‘s co-founders. And what’s it named? “The Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Innovation,” apparently, after Oculus VR CEO Brendan Iribe. Oculus chief software architect (and co-founder) Michael Antonov is footing another $4 million.
The new facility is planned to “feature state-of-the-art maker spaces,” says UMD’s Jayanth Banavar. Iribe describes it as, “designed for hackers, makers and engineers, which will help give rise to future breakthroughs, products and startups that will transform the way we live and interact with the world around us.” More bluntly, the space is being built to educate the next generation of virtual reality and other future computing platforms. “This gift positions Maryland to be one of the leading institutions for virtual reality in the world,” Iribe says.
And yes, your guess is at least partially right: Iribe has that kind of money to throw around because the company he most recently co-founded was purchased by Facebook for $2 billion. But his gigs before Oculus were similarly lucrative. First, Iribe co-founded Scaleform with Antonov, which sold to Autodesk for $36 million in 2011. Then, he worked as chief product officer at Gaikai before it was sold to Sony for $380 million. And now he’s CEO of Oculus. Not a bad run!
So, why the University of Maryland? It’s where Iribe and Antonov met, as well as their alma mater. It’s also what Iribe calls “the beginning of a long-term commitment toward transforming education”; not the first we’ve heard from him on the subject. Iribe’s mother is even in on the donating, adding another $3 million on top of Iribe and Antonov’s $35 million to establish two leadership positions for the new computer science wing.
UMD says the center will specifically target research in “virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, robotics, computer vision and human interaction.” In so many words, it’s an attempt to build out education in burgeoning engineering fields. And that whole “getting your name on a building” thing doesn’t hurt either.
There’s a video with Iribe and UMD folks right here, if you’re into that kinda thing.
[Image credit: Oculus VR/University of Maryland (Brendan Iribe), Flickr/Matt Chan (University of Maryland)]
Source: University of Maryland
Advertising comes hand-in-hand with almost any free service on the internet, but those ads are only useful to companies if you actually look at that them. Facebook has been trying to filter out unwanted ads for awhile, but now it’s taking a direct approach: it’s simply asking users what they don’t like. From now on, whenever users select “I don’t want to see this” on an item in their newsfeed, Facebook will ask why: is it offensive? Is it spam? Have you seen this ad before? In all, the social network will give users five options to chose from and use the data to adjust ad distribution accordingly. In tests the feature showed a significant reduction in ads reported as inappropriate. Check out the company’s official announcement at the source link below.
It’s certainly nothing new for Facebook to test new features amongst a limited number of users before a widespread rollout, or killing them entirely (it did ask for willing participants, after all). With its latest trial, the social network is trying out an option in its iOS app that allows you to schedule when a post will delete. Taking a cue from its own ephemeral offering Slingshot, the feature will sort the erasing after a period ranging from one hour up to a week. As The Next Web points out, it’s likely that deleted posts will remain on Facebook servers rather than being permanently deleted, but that’s a point we’ll be looking to clarify if the tool gets officially added in the future.
Source: The Next Web
Standing up and moving around with a virtual reality headset is risky. What if you walk into a table? Or step on your dog? Or bash your face into the wall? Standing up and moving around while wearing Samsung and Oculus VR’s Gear VR headset isn’t suggested. But when you put it on, seated, and turn your whole body around to look behind your virtual self, and no cords get in the way, that’s a magical experience. “There are going to be different categories of VR,” Oculus VR CEO Brendan Iribe told Engadget in an interview last week at IFA 2014 in Berlin, Germany.
On one side, there’s a tethered experience like Oculus Rift, where, “There’s going to be this bigger, more expensive experience … that has a much bigger sense of ‘presence’ right now all attached to a computer where you have power plugged into the back,” he said. That’s the concept of being transported to another world and actually being there: a sense of “presence.” On the other side, there’s mobile VR: untethered, intended for mainstream accessibility and able to use your existing devices (such, as, say, your cellphone). “It’s untethered, but there’s now limitations and restrictions around the GPU/CPU,” Iribe said.
Virtual reality, right now, is all about trade-offs. This discrepancy between mobile and tethered VR is the biggest trade-off there is: Do you want convenience, or do you want “presence”?
If you answered, “I want both,” we’re right there with you. Sadly, that’s not a reality just yet. Iribe explained:
“There are certainly trade-offs. We don’t know how long it’ll take to get to the magic VR sunglasses that are untethered. It’s a dream. We all believe in that future of a mobile, VR pair of sunglasses, but that’s pretty far away.”
Gear VR is a staging ground for mainstream virtual reality. It uses the Note 4. It’s focused on media consumption. It’s light and pretty. Heck, when it launches this October alongside the Note 4, everything you can do on it will be free experiences. That’s part of the plan of pushing virtual reality into the mainstream. Hook ‘em with casual VR, then show off the big guns with tethered, interactive virtual reality.
Having spent a lot of time with Oculus VR’s second development kit, I was skeptical of the experience being offered with Gear VR. The graphical fidelity is, of course, nowhere near that of a dedicated PC. There’s no depth-tracking, so if you move your head forward, the scene remains static. These are major barriers to delivering on “presence,” the concept of feeling as though you’re physically there while wearing a VR headset. “Presence” is at the core of VR: It’s what distinguishes virtual reality headsets from head-mounted displays.
Oculus VR CTO John Carmack agreed, and said that his team is hard at work on taking those next, necessary steps to make mobile VR more capable:
“We are absolutely tackling position tracking, multi-user experiences, better gaming — all these things — in the coming year. It’s an exciting train we’re hitched onto with Samsung here, because there technology ticks twice a year. And that’s a treadmill that we’ve chosen to get on, and we’re going to do our very best to stay on that and continue innovating at that pace.”
After Gear VR, Carmack expects the competition from other electronics giants will step up tremendously. “This is good enough that it’s going to attract competition from the other significant players,” he said. And that competition is good for us, the VR users, as it means rapid innovation. Video passthrough on Gear VR is a perfect example: If Oculus’ Rift doesn’t ship with some form of video passthrough — what Carmack calls his “Diet Coke button” — that would be tremendously surprising.
Characteristically, Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey doesn’t see video passthrough as just the ability to interact with reality while wearing a VR headset. He wants more, like augmented reality. “It’s one thing to have a convenience window,” he told us. “It’s another to try and make something where that’s a core feature of the device like AR. That’s a much harder problem to solve.”
Despite the trade-offs, Gear VR offers Oculus a chance to get its name out there on a virtual reality product and to set a foundation for software on the first consumer version of the Rift. The basics — the dashboard and store UI, for instance — will be familiar on the Rift. “Our dashboard, the basic interface, platform and store: Expect it to be similar between the two,” Carmack said.
It also enables VR developers to start making some money. Beyond just helping push VR into the mainstream, Gear VR enables virtual reality developers to start building a financial foundation for future projects. “The critical thing, from the developer standpoint, is we’re actually going to have a market where they can sell and get checks from Oculus with this sooner than on the PC front,” Carmack noted.
In the long-term, mobile virtual reality and tethered virtual reality won’t be separate entities. Carmack foresees a not-so-distant future where the Rift has a dedicated processor that enables both tethered and untethered VR. That’s always been the end goal, really. How soon it’s coming is up for debate.
“I have my vision for where this goes for Oculus,” Carmack said, “Where Oculus starts building systems that might as well include systems-on-a-chip (SOCs), graphics renderers and things inside ours. Not state-of-the-art necessarily, something that will boost the cost all that far up. But then Oculus version three or five or whatever it ends up being is something that can be use unplugged — we’d have our own Android stuff and all that — but you could plug it into the PC and use that.” An interesting vision of the future indeed. Here’s hoping it’s even sooner than we expect.
Though it’s still far from YouTube, Facebook fired a shot across its competitor’s bow by saying it now serves up a billion native video views per day. In addition, its latest update (rolling out soon) has a YouTube-like view counter for public videos, making it easier to find popular selections or see how your own uploads are doing. Facebook said two-thirds of video views were from mobile devices, a stat no doubt helped significantly by the new auto-playing feature that’s on by default. A recent video ranking change also gives frequent video watchers more options. But as the NY Times pointed out, Facebook’s social nature can also send a video viral quickly. Beyoncé, for instance, garnered 2.4 million Facebook pageviews for a VMA video in four hours, while YouTube only chalked up a few thousand in the same time. Facebook also touted improved metrics for publishers, and is clearly interested in generating more video revenue — it recently purchased a video ad firm called LiveRail.
Happy Saturday, and welcome to another edition of Feedback Loop! With all the talk of online data breaches this week, we’re discussing ways to better protect your data stored in the cloud. After you’re done auditing your passwords, let us know what you think of Samsung’s new curved Galaxy Note Edge and find out how much fitness trackers are helping your fellow readers. Make yourself comfy and join us after the break for some in-depth tech talk.
How are you keeping yourself safe online?
In light of the recent iCloud security issue, I’m curious to find out how you protect yourself online. Obviously, strong credentials are the way to go, but are you using password managers? Do you go the extra mile by also enabling two-factor authentication? Come join the discussion and share your tips for staying safe in the cloud.
Who is the Galaxy Note Edge for?
Samsung likes to get a little crazy with mobile devices, and at IFA this week, the Galaxy Note Edge captured everyone’s attention. The curved screen has TgD asking just who is the Note Edge made for? Check out Brad’s hands-on first, and then head to the forums to share your own theories.
Facebook Messenger: Give in, or say goodbye
Decoupling apps is all the rage right now. Foursquare kicked things off with Swarm and Facebook finally spun out Messenger for good. John isn’t thrilled with this move; he doesn’t understand why we need multiple apps for a single service. Is this the final straw for Facebook on your phone?
Are fitness trackers improving your health?
Even though fitness analytics are showing up in phones and smartwatches, the dedicated tracker market is still kicking. They’re coming in the form of bracelets, watches (the non-smart kind) and more. The age-old question still remains though: Do they actually work? A few of our readers have already shared their success stories, so come join the discussion and let us know if all that data-tracking is working for you.
Other discussions you may also like:
- Recommendations for headphones priced under $200
- What IFA announcements have you most excited?
- Operation Finish all the games!
That’s all this week. Want to talk about your favorite gadget or have a burning question about technology? Register for an Engadget account today, visit the Engadget forums and start a new discussion!
Still looking for a reason to use Facebook’s now-unbundled Messenger app? A new feature learns from competition including Snapchat and Facebook’s own Slingshot by adding easy annotation on shared photos. Just click the picture icon like you normally do, then hit the edit button instead of send, and you can doodle with your finger (remember Draw Something? Is anyone still playing that?) or just type in some text before sending. Right now the tweak is Android-only, and should already be live if you’re running the most recent version of the app.
Source: Facebook Messenger (Google Play)
Twitter has already started to look more like Facebook, and it might soon start acting more like it too. You see, company CFO Anthony Noto hinted yesterday that the reverse-chronological firehose of tweets that some users hold so dear may give way to a more curated collection of messages cast into the digital ether. To hear him tell it, the Twitter experience as we know it “isn’t the most relevant” to the people who actually use the service (a notion that some people would definitely disagree with). That tidbit was lodged inside a broader conversation (which the Wall Street Journal captured) about improving Twitter’s search functionality — Noto pointed out the need for “an algorithm that delivers the depth and breadth of the content we have on a specific topic and then eventually as it relates to people.” Those last few words seem crucial — it sounds like he wants the Twitter experience to become one where content is tailored and presented differently depending on how relevant it is to the user. In the end, it might wind up getting Twitter a bunch of new users (which is exactly what all those antsy shareholders want to see), but would it really be worth alienating the service’s hardcore fans?
Filed under: Internet
Source: Wall Street Journal
Samsung and Oculus partner to create Gear VR, a virtual reality headset that uses the Note 4 (hands-on)
Facebook’s Oculus VR is creating the Rift. Sony’s PlayStation is creating Project Morpheus. Google is… well, Cardboard exists. And now Samsung’s getting in on the virtual reality action, announcing Gear VR at IFA 2014 today in Berlin, Germany. Gear VR is a virtual reality headset with a removable front cover where Samsung’s newly announced Note 4 slips in, acting as the screen. Paired with adjustable lenses built into the headset and a comfy strap, Gear VR turns Samsung’s next Note into a virtual reality machine. And what’s the first thing you’ll see when you strap on Gear VR? Oculus VR’s handiwork. The company behind the re-birth of virtual reality is partnering with Samsung on Gear VR: Samsung handles the hardware, Oculus offers up its software prowess.
Unlike Sony, Oculus and Google’s VR projects, though, Samsung’s delivering a consumer product this year with Gear VR. But is it too early?
First things first, let’s answer that question: no, it’s not too early. While there are major technological limitations with mobile VR — horsepower, among many other issues — Samsung’s Note 4 is a shockingly capable device for virtual reality experiences. In our time with it, video looked sharp, there was no perceptible lag between turning my head and what I saw on screen, and navigating the UI was a snap. Is it hot? Yes. Are the graphics less impressive on Gear VR than on, say, Sony’s Project Morpheus or Oculus VR’s latest dev kit? Absolutely, no question about it. But is it capable of providing a great virtual reality experience, regardless of those handicaps? I believe it is.
I plugged the Note 4 into the Gear VR headset by removing the headset’s front cover and slotting the phone into a microUSB dock. The parallel area has a latch where the top of the phone nestles in, and that’s it: the Note 4 is paired with the Gear VR headset.
If you want to slot the cover back on the Gear VR, you can. Or not! If you want to adjust the straps so it stays snug to your head, that’s another option. And when you’ve finally got it secure on your noggin, an adjustable dial on the top of the headset allows for focusing your view (that means no changing out lenses for near and farsighted folks — just adjust the distance as needed).
Notably, I encountered a few issues while removing and placing the phone: if you accidentally open up an application on the phone while placing it, for instance, that might break the pairing. A few times, Samsung reps had to outright reset the Note 4 and start from scratch because it froze. These are prototype devices and not the final product that’ll ship to consumers later this year, but there’s some roughness to how the phone is physically paired. A slight jingle plays when it connects, which is a nice touch, but I’d also like a more secure docking area. It feels like trying to jam a phone into a microUSB port at an awkward angle, and that’s not a great first experience.
Samsung product manager Joo Namkung told me his team named the first Gear VR the “Innovator Edition” specifically because of these rough edges. Samsung’s PR for the device describes the first Gear VR in a similarly couched way: “Designed for innovative consumers, specifically VR enthusiasts, developers, mobile experts and professionals, and early technology adopters.” While the headset is certainly a play for the mainstream, Samsung is keenly aware that it’s got improvements to make in the next model — if there is a next model, of course.
Let’s get the unexciting stuff out of the way right now: Gear VR has an accelerometer and a gyrometer for tracking head movement. That means it only tracks where you’re looking and not depth; if you move your head forward or backward in the real world, that movement isn’t reflected in the virtual one. And that stinks.
When you turn your body all the way around and look behind where you’re sitting (in the real world), and there are no wires stopping you from looking wherever you want, that is magical.
This duality is at the heart of Gear VR, but it applies to all mobile VR at the moment. No wires means better immersion, which is crucial for delivering the promise of “presence.” No wires also means no dedicated video feed from an autonomous device (like a PlayStation 4 or a PC, for instance). While Sony tackles depth tracking with its PlayStation 4 camera and Oculus handles it with a camera peripheral of its own, Gear VR is dependent on the hardware in the phone and headset. That is both a benefit and a curse with current technology.
There is no “screen” — Gear VR uses your Note 4 screen, which is of the 5.7-inch Quad HD (2,560 x 1,440) Super AMOLED variety. It looks crisp, and the Cirque du Soleil video I watched was neat. When I turned quickly, I wasn’t able to discern any major irregularities (“screen-tearing” or other nasty hitches). It’s got a 96-degree field of view (just four shy of Oculus Rift’s latest kit) and a 60Hz refresh rate. There’s a square touch pad, a back button, and a volume rocker on the right side of the headset; the touch pad is used for tap-based selecting, while the back button is both for exiting software and enabling pass-through video mode (both of which I’ll get to in the next section).
Gear VR isn’t very large (198 x 116 x 90mm), nor is it very heavy (exact specs aren’t available), and I wasn’t ever uncomfortable wearing it. The padding around the eyes can be replaced easily, which Namkung calls a necessity for long-time users.
Samsung’s been working on the Gear VR for approximately 1.5 years now, and Namkung says some of the development units — the ones we heard about so much back in May — got a little rough around the edges after prolonged use.
Audio is handled by the Note 4, and it’s of the “3D spatial sound” variety. That just means that it sounds like it’s going to both of your ears despite the fact that it’s coming out of the Note 4′s non-stereo speaker setup. This actually works better than expected: audio consistently sounded like it surrounded me, which makes the immersive experience all the better.
This is Oculus’ first consumer product and, bizarrely, it’s on a Samsung device. Oculus VR CTO John Carmack personally led the mobile software development team at Oculus, and the software interface is all built in collaboration with Samsung. It’s basic: point a reticle in the middle of the screen at what you want to select and and tap the touch pad to select it. The options are sparse and base level, and the only content management that exists right now is a store of sorts. It looks like the Google Play store to an extent, except it’s floating in space.
There were a few demos to check out, and they were mostly video. The aforementioned Cirque du Soleil performance that puts you directly on stage for the show was a standout, as was an underwater game where a whale floated past. None of this was meant to demonstrate launch content, but to demonstrate the potential of the hardware.
Do I want to sit and watch a film in a VR headset? I’m not sure that I do, but maybe you do! It’s a neat gimmick to turn and look around the stage where Cirque du Soleil performs, and Samsung’s got a bunch of heavy-hitting Hollywood folks on board with VR, but it’s hard to get excited about just yet. Without interactivity, it’s just a 360-degree head-mounted display device, and that’s not what I want from virtual reality. When filmmakers start shooting with VR in mind, then we’ll see.
The most important software on Gear VR is video passthrough. By long-pressing the back button on the headset, the Note 4′s 16-megapixel rear camera shows a feed of the real world (albeit a slightly delayed one). While this can be used for augmented reality applications, it’s also sure to be a standard in all VR headsets going forward. Using a headset and want to sip your tasty beverage? Video passthrough. The dog’s barking and you’re wondering what’s up? Video passthrough. You want to do literally anything without having to remove the whole headset? Video passthrough. Seriously, this is a standard-setting situation. Expect it from the competition.
Okay, one major question remains: since the Note 4 is a phone, what happens if you get a notification when you’re using it with Gear VR? Samsung doesn’t know. Namkung said his team is split on the decision, with some arguing the phone aspect should trump the immersion of VR. In so many words, people won’t want to ignore their phone just because they’re using Gear VR. But getting a ringing phone call in your face all of a sudden sounds pretty intense! It’s certainly an issue Samsung is aware of, though the decision hasn’t been made just yet. Might I suggest making it optional?
WHEN DOES GEAR VR COME OUT? HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? WHAT’S THE DEAL?
The only information on availability is “this year,” and there is no price just yet; it’ll be available for purchase online and through “select carriers.” Considering how low-tech Gear VR is, and the fact that Samsung’s pushing a product into a market that doesn’t really exist just yet, I expect the company will aim as low as possible in terms of pricing.
When you do get one, it comes with a 16GB microSD pre-loaded with a variety of “360-degree videos and 3D movie trailers from major studios” (that’ll go into the Note 4, naturally). Oh, and you’ll need a Note 4 (not a Note 4 Edge — just the Note 4), as Gear VR is built to work with only that device.
In the past, European data authorities haven’t been very receptive of Facebook’s facial recognition software. But it looks like that might be changing soon. According to TechCrunch, the social networking titan has (quietly) started to restore some face-recognition services in Europe, though there are a few compromises to consider. What this means is that Facebook users across the pond are once again seeing the “tag suggest” option within pictures they have uploaded, but it can only be used on friends who are in the US and have the tagging feature enabled on their accounts. Perhaps, Facebook’s finally managed to address the concerns Euro officials had with its savvy tech, and that could be why the changes have taken place. With nothing confirmed, however, we reached out to Facebook for comment and will update this story if we hear back.
Filed under: Internet


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- Minecraft players continue to showcase their creativity by building impressive structures, like a flying island, using the game’s vast selection of blocks and items.
- MrLuiz__ recently shared their mega project, a detailed flying island with intricate structures, on Reddit, gaining praise from the Minecraft community.
- The creative potential in Minecraft seems limitless, with players constantly creating new builds, and with Mojang’s ongoing support through updates, the community can look forward to more inspiring content.
One Minecraft player has showcased their building skills by creating an impressive flying island in the game. While players often highlight their creative prowess through eye-catching builds, this one stands out due to its size, including several intricate structures, and has caught the attention of the Minecraft community.
It seems like the creative potential in Minecraft will never run out as players continue to make new and varied designs by utilizing the impressive selection of blocks and items available in the game. In addition, Mojang continues to support the game with new content like the Trails and Tales Update, which was released in June. Players often rely on this smorgasbord of options to make some stunning builds, and that creativity was recently on full display for the community to witness due to the efforts of one gamer.
RELATED: Minecraft Player Builds Impressive Beach House in the Game
Known as MrLuiz__, this Minecraft builder took to Reddit to showcase the recent mega project they had completed. Described as a “flying island” by the creator, the build featured a mountainous piece of land that appeared to be hovering in the sky. However, the creation was much more than a simple island. The user included several detailed structures, making the created world look inhabited. Specifically, the upper right corner of the island featured a large castle, while the lower region was filled with what appeared to be several multilevel houses. The smaller buildings were nestled among large conifer trees, and waterfalls worked their way through the terrain to the island’s edge, pouring off into the void below the creation.
Since sharing the post on Reddit, the Minecraft community has highlighted many aspects of the gigantic build in the comments section. Common praise went to the clusters of rocks below the main island, giving the feeling as though the island was floating in the air. With already over a thousand upvotes, users complimented MrLuiz__ on their design, with some asking how long it took to make. Fortunately, the creator provided an estimate, guessing that it was around two and a half to three weeks. In addition, some players felt the design was reminiscent of the iconic Temple map from the Super Smash Bros. series.
This latest creation by MrLuiz__ adds to the nearly unending list of builds made within the game. Beyond this flying island, other gamers have been hard at work making things like a castle inspired by the Warden and a detailed beach house, just to name a few. In addition, one player even recreated the Earth in Minecraft. With Mojang teasing more news for the game at Minecraft Live on October 15, the community will likely continue to be inspired over the coming weeks.
Minecraft is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and mobile devices.
MORE: Every Mojang Minecraft Book, Ranked


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Too bad for AT&T that its deal to take over T-Mobile was wasn’t allowed to go through. Not only does it have to pay $4 billion to T-Mobile for the deal gone south, but it has to figure out a way to raise money for its new, faster LTE network. How to get money fast... hmmm, let’s see. I know - raise your rates! And that’s what AT&T plans to do. Starting January 22, new AT&T customers will see the following increases in data plans: $20 for 300 mb (up from $15 for 200 mb), $30 for 3 GB (up from $25 for 2 GB), and $50 for 5 GB (up from $45 for 4 GB). As you can see, you’ll get more data for the extra cost, and if you’re a current AT&T customer happy with your plan, you can keep it and stay at the same rate. AT&T’s take on the increases: they’re for the good of the customer. The Wall Street Journal spoke with an AT&T representative: “‘Data usage is increasing at about 40% a year,’ said spokesman Mark Siegel. ‘We want to give customers more data upfront.’”
Of course, if you were an AT&T wireless customer a couple years ago, you might still be one of the dwindling, lucky ones to have an unlimited data plan. No word on if/when that will change.


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Facebook has announced that it will change its name to “META” as part of a major rebrand.
The new name is an attempt to focus on the metaverse that Facebook says will be the future of social networking. But it is also likely an attempt to move on from the intense scrutiny it has faced in recent months and years. The growing criticism has focused on everything from privacy to the damage it is doing to young people.
Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has stated that whilst the blue app will continue to be known as Facebook, the branding will be removed from everywhere else such as Whatsapp and Instagram. All those various apps will now instead live under the brand of “META”, with Facebook just one of those many apps.
In a “Founders letter” published by Zuckerberg, he explained his reasonings for the rebrand, and stated that he would not be standing down as the CEO of the company. There have even been calls from some journalists who have treated the rebrand with a hefty dose of scepticism, to ignore the change and continue to refer to the company as Facebook.
Whilst this change has caused worldwide debate, it is not the first rebrand of the company. In 2005, it changed its name from The Facebook to just “Facebook”.


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INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW TO FEATURE RIDE AND DRIVES FROM A VARIETY OF MANUFACTURERS
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (November 2, 2012) – For the first time in show history the San Francisco Chronicle|SFGate.com 55th Annual International Auto Show, presented by AutoTrader.com, will provide attendees with the opportunity to test drive the newest model vehicles from a variety of manufacturers.
The Show, which is set to open on Thursday, November 22 (Thanksgiving) and will run through Monday, Novmeber 26 at Moscone Center, will feature Ride & Drives with Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Nissan and Scion.
Some of the vehicles expected to be available are: Buick’s Verano, Regal Turbo, LaCrosse E-Assist; Chevy’s Camaro, Cruze, Equinox, Malibu, Silverado 1500 truck, Sonic and Volt; GMC’s Sierra Denali and Terrain SLT-2; and Nissan’s Altima and all-electric LEAF.
The Ride & Drive schedule of hours is:
Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC:
|Friday, November 23||10:00 am – 5:00 pm|
|Saturday, November 24||10:00 am – 5:00 pm|
|Sunday November 25||10:00 am – 5:00 pm|
|Thursday, November 22||10:00 am – 4:00 pm|
|Friday, November 23||10:00 am – 4:00 pm|
|Saturday, November 24||10:00 am – 4:00 pm|
|Sunday, November 25||10:00 am – 4:00 pm|
|Monday, November 26||10:00 am – 4:00 pm|
|Thursday, November 22||10:00 am – 5:00 pm|
|Friday, November 23||10:00 am – 6:00 pm|
|Saturday, November 24||10:00 am – 6:00 pm|
|Sunday, November 25||10:00 am – 6:00 pm|
|Monday, November 26||10:00 am – 5:00 pm|
The San Francisco Chronicle|SFGate.com 55th International Auto Show presented by AutoTrader.com is supported by the California New Car Dealers Association. It is the largest auto exposition in Northern California and the only one held regionally that attracts the dazzling high-tech displays from the world's major manufacturers. This year’s show will be highlighted by the new 2013 models vehicles from the world’s major manufactures. In addition to the 2013 model vehicles from 38 manufacturers, the show will have a display of classic cars from the Academy of Art University, alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles including a exhibit from KleenSpeed, the Aftermarket Alley with tricked-out vehicles and aftermarket products, Hot Rods, Race Cars and an auto accessory booth area. In addition, on Saturday, November 24 only, there will be a San Francisco Auto Salon which will showcase a host of the hottest aftermarket cars in northern California.
The Auto Show will have more than 600 vehicles filling the 1.2 million sq. ft. Moscone Center and is expected to draw 300,000 spectators making it the largest exhibition of any kind in Northern California and the second largest auto show in the western United States.
Show hours are:
Thursday, November 22 – Sunday, November 25: 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Monday, November 26: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Admission is $9 for adults with children 12-years and under free when accompanied by an adult. Tickets can be purchased at the door. For more information visit www.sfautoshow.com.


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It’s been fascinating watching the world turn green, i.e. “environmentally sensitive.” Because BNP Media has publishedEnvironmental Design + Constructionmagazine since 1997, we’ve been able to watch the recent “green rush” from a position of insight.
Today, some marketers are resorting to extreme tactics in an effort to paint themselves green. It seems every manufacturer now promotes a product or attribute that will help save the planet. If a product is not inherently green, savvy marketers can always trot out life-cycle analysis data showing their product to outlast others, thereby qualifying as “sustainable.”
If that doesn’t work, marketers might focus on their product’s low-energy or localized manufacturing, thereby touting how it saves oil, coal and other fossil fuels.
And if that doesn’t work, marketers can promote the lack of lead, petroleum, VOCs or other nasty ingredients in their product, thereby making it a healthy choice.
And if none of those apply, marketers still might have a case if their product can be recycled, no matter how energy intensive or harmful the ingredients used during manufacturing.
There are so many ways to be green that consumers are skeptical of these claims, and justifiably so. “Green washing,” the tendency for marketers to overstate or exaggerate their product’s true environmental pureness, is a big problem and getting worse.
And yet, construction pros are making real progress bringing science and reason to the greening of America. Standards are being adopted, performance data collected, and ratings developed. Nearly every week, more associations, code bodies and certification groups are raising the bar for product and system design and performance.
Earlier this week I received a press release from the International Facility Management Association (IFMA). These are the folks who build, remodel and maintain commercial, industrial and institutional buildings. IFMA’s press release stated that its “Green Practices 2008” survey of 573 professionals worldwide indicates the vast majority of respondents are taking a strategic approach to implementing green measures in their facilities. Specifically:
- 92% of respondents are working to make their facilities more sustainable and have measurable goals related to sustainability.
- 79% of respondents indicate the goals are tied to their organization’s business strategy.
- 82% have either a master plan to implement green concepts or have implemented selected green building concepts.
- 5% say they have no plans to do anything green.
Butmeasurable goalsindicate the game has changed. If building managers are held accountable for greening their facilities, that means architects, contractors, engineers, consultants and distributors better increase their green acumen. If not, they’ll be stuck working with the 5% of facility managers who have no plans to do anything green.
There’s green gold in “them there” buildings. It’s time to prospect.
For more information on IFMA, visit www.worldworkplace.org.


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We’re dining out again and buying airlines tickets. But is it a comeback?
For decades, the consumer has been the engine driving growth in this country. Since the economic downturn started in 2007, consumers have watched as their most prized assets – investments and homes – erased much of their value. They have felt poorer, so they’ve saved more and spent less as they paid off debt following years of too much spending.
But things are starting to look up for the consumer, even if ever so slowly. They’re still gun-shy, but improving U.S. retail sales in late November and December have led some to believe that spending will continue picking up in the coming months.
It’s two steps forward, one step back. In the first week of January, Gallup Poll Chief Economist Dennis Jacobe noted that daily consumer spending in stores, restaurants, gas stations, and online dropped dramatically. Spending averaged $55 in the week ending January 9 – down as expected but also well below the $68 average for the same week during the previous year. Whatever reasons for the big drop, Jacobe says “there are no signs that consumer spending will improve much in early January 2011.”
That may prove true, but don’t underestimate the resiliency of the American pocketbook. A few signs suggest consumers are shedding their frugality and are cautiously wading back into spending mode. It may be too early to call it a comeback, but in this fragile economy, any signs of improvement are welcome. Here are three:
We’re eating and drinking more: If December’s report on the nation’s unemployment rate was unnerving, look deeper. It’s true the economy added about 50,000 fewer jobs than economists expected as the jobless rate hovered at a high 9.4%, but robust hiring in restaurants and bars signal that consumers might just be feeling modestly better about spending more.
After a dismal 2009, restaurants have seen better sales since early 2010 across the country. In December, the food and services industry added 25,00 jobs and was the chief driver of a rise of 47,000 jobs in leisure and hospitality – the sector that created the most jobs out of the 14 areas that the government tracks.
The higher demand for eating out might lead to more jobs, but the larger point is that it also adds evidence that consumers are becoming more flexible with their spending, says William Fox, economics professor at the University of Tennessee.
“They’ve cut back so much,” Fox says of consumers. “They’ve been denying themselves pleasures and now we’ve seen somewhat of a turnaround.”
We’re traveling and flying more: During the height of the economic recession, it seemed that “staycations” for the cash-strapped were the way to go. But things have started to change and people are now spending more on the luxury of travel.
Though still below pre-recession levels, spending on tourism outpaced economic growth at various points throughout 2010, according to the US Commerce Department. Real spending on travel and tourism increased at an annual rate of 8% during the third quarter, following a 3.4% rise during the second quarter. Meanwhile, GDP increased only 2.5% during the third quarter after rising 1.7% during the second quarter.
And it’s not as if travelers stayed close to home, either. Spending on flying increased 29.8% during the third quarter of 2010, after rising by 4.8% during the second quarter amid falling airline prices that helped increase demand for air travel, according to government data.
Consumers aren’t quite globe-trotting jet setters, but the uptick – however modest – might just offer a glimpse that consumers have regained some strength.
We’re feeling a little richer: After seeing huge plunges in 2008 and 2009, U.S. household wealth has recently risen as household debt contracted at a slower rate than previously.
During the third quarter of 2010, household net worth climb to $54.9 trillion following a $1.4 trillion drop during the previous quarter – driven largely by financial assets such as rallying stocks and mutual fund holdings.
Meanwhile, household debt shrank at an annual rate of 1.7% after falling by 2.2% during the second quarter.
No doubt households are still deleveraging, especially since many forecast that home values could fall further in 2011. And whatever gains in household net worth might come throughout 2011 could be discounted by the country’s troubled housing market.
Needless to say, it’s a positive development for consumer confidence when households are feeling richer again, even if only slightly.
Also on Fortune.com:


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A Preston-based retailer of safes has handed out £1000 prize money after one lucky customer placed the company’s 100,000th order.
Andrew Travis won the money after he bought a security product from The Safe Shop which sells lockers, home safes and post boxes.
The 41 year-old company director from Cross Hills near Skipton said: “I think that I’ll use the money to treat my wife to a romantic weekend away nearer to the holidays. I haven’t had too much time to think about it to be honest”.
With Christmas just around the corner, the money will certainly make Andrew’s weekend away that little bit merrier.
Andrew added that this was the first time he’d ever won a competition and that it had come as a pleasant surprise after ordering his product. He also joked that he would probably have to buy a home safe to store his prize and keep an eye on it.
Aside from splashing out on a romantic break for him and his wife, Andrew said that the family would be having a quiet Christmas at home with their two children, 12 year-old William and Matthew, eight.
Anthony Neary, managing director of The Safe Shop said: “Hopefully the £1,000 prize will be a welcome Christmas present”.
“We launched our ‘100,000th Order’ competition because we wanted to reward one lucky customer for helping us to achieve such amazing growth during the current economic climate”.
Despite the Bank of England’s warning that the UK economy is facing the threat of triple-dip recession, Mr Neary said that “the past three years has seen our sales increase year on year and we have more than doubled turnover in this period”.
He added: “We have been able to invest in a significantly improved website by our own in house web designers and we will be employing three new members of staff in the early part of 2013”.
Thanks to James Archer from the Safe Shop for a real feel good story for Christmas. Also highlights the growth of The Safe Shop in tough economic times.


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Maize imports free from illegal GMOs, says FSA
of unauthorised genetically modified material in samples of
The European Commission introduced control measures in April 2005 to certify that imports are free of a strain called Bt10. Bt10 is very similar to authorised corn strain Bt11, but has not been approved for use in food or feed in the EU.
Its presence is therefore illegal in imports.
These traceability measures were put in place after Swiss biotech firm Syngenta warned it had accidentally sold the illegal Bt 10 in the US for four years, resulting in about 133 million kilogrammes of the maize making its way into food and feeds.
The European Commission then quickly issued emergency measures whereby imports of corn gluten feed and brewers grain from the US could only be placed on the EU market if they were certified to be Bt 10 free, which is not authorised in the EU. It said at the time it thought about 1,000 metric tons of the unauthorised strain of Bt10 corn, all grown in the US, had entered member states through animal feed, corn flour and corn oil.
However the results of this latest FSA test, published yesterday, will come as a relief to biotech companies eager to exploit growing European interest in the technology.
Indeed, the biotech industry believes that Europe is ripe for further development. The European sector generates 50 per cent more companies than the US year on year, according to EuropaBio, and the regulatory environment is becoming more and more conducive to growth.
This month, the EU ordered Greece to lift its ban on a GM seed manufactured by Monsanto, and also granted European approval for three Monsanto GM maize types. But consumer confidence must be won over if GM food is to become a regular fixture of the EU diet.
A total of 190 tests were carried out on 19 consignments of maize from various locations in the UK during four weeks in September/October 2005. This work was done in addition to testing that has already been carried out by local authorities.
All samples tested were negative for the presence of the unauthorised genetically modified organism Bt10.
When Bt10 contamination in the US came to light, Syngenta - the company that developed this GMO - provided safety data to the relevant authorities in the United States (US Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration).
The novel proteins produced by Bt10 were compared with those from Bt11 and it was concluded that they were identical. The US authorities announced that it was therefore satisfied that no safety concern existed.
Both varieties produce a bacterial toxin that kills insects, using the same inserted gene and producing the same protein. The only difference is the location of the inserted gene, Syngenta claims. But Bt10 remains illegal in the EU nonetheless.


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The East Coast can’t catch a break with the snow, but that doesn't stop people from being really creative with their snow days.One man turned New York City into his own personal mountain by going snowboarding on the streets. Farther down the coast,
相比较往年昨晚召开的2014年度Google I/O大会给人的战略意图更加的清晰--融入用户日常生活。桌面有Chromebook；口袋有Android L；腕带有Android Wear；家居有Android TV，甚至于汽车也有Android Auto。
French hardware startup Withings has released two smart-ish watches so far — the Activité and the Activité Pop. Today, the company is releasing a new model sitting between these two options, the Activité Steel. Read More
Acer has introduced a number of new laptops and desktops PCs at IFA 2015 in Berlin, Germany, alongside the new smartphones. Starting off with the notebooks, the Taiwan-based company introduced the convertible R 13...
法国硬件创业公司 Withings 推出过两款微智能（smart-ish）手表——Activité 和 ActivitéPop。今天，这家公司发布了介于两者之间的新型号，ActivitéSteel。 Activité Steel 仅限官网销售，价格为 169.
Withings pretty much nailed the activity tracker with the Pulse activity tracker, which features a built-in heart rate sensor that uses pulse oximetry (just like the Galaxy S5). Now, it has updated that product with new sensor capabilities with the Pulse O2.
While not significant in North America, Windows 8.1 with Bing was a relative success in other areas. Back when Windows 8.1 was shipped to devices, Microsoft toyed with the option of offering a low-cost...The post More evidence points towards a Windows 10 with Bing SKU appeared first on WinBeta.
nginx的官方手册: http://nginx.org/en/docs/ 编译安装下载地址: http://nginx.org/en/download.html 看到如下4个目录 conf 配置文件 html 网页文件 logs 日志文件 sbin 主要二进制程...
Here’s a curveball for you: Withings, which is an excellent fitness-based electronics company with all kinds of fun products like trackers and smart scales, has just bested all the smartwatch makers out there with the new Activité watch. At first glance, it looks like any other old analog watch.
Although Valentine's Day has passed, Microsoft has clearly not gotten the message. Players have a new reason to feel love all over again, the Ultimate Xbox One Game Sale has begun. Users should note that Gold subscribers will be offered a deeper discount than those who are not,
威锋网 12 月 22 日消息，你可能见过形形色色的智能手表，它们大多都有一个 LED 的显示屏，需要时不时的充电。
Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip isn't officially dust-proof, but Samsung took some measures to make it harder for dust to penetrate into the device, including placing little dust-repelling brushes into the hinge. But the brushes don't do a particularly good job of stopping dust from entering the device,
Allergies. Asthma. Dry skin. Of course it’s just the weather outside, right? Nope. Dry air inside your home could also be contributing to these pesky health issues. There’s something you can do about it, though. If you’re over coughing, sneezing, and flaking,
The first reactions to Onward are out, and while most agree that Pixar's latest film is good fun, not everyone is enchanted.Set in a magical world populated by fantasy creatures, Onward follows two elf brothers voiced by Marvel co-stars Tom Holland and Chris Pratt.
Wife Guy Justin Bieber and his doomed mustache (RIP) joined Late Late Show host James Corden to "drive" around, belt out some tunes, test out some choreography,
You may have noticed many Twitter users with a superscript 7 (⁷) in their usernames multiplying at an alarming rate. Fortunately, the explanation for the sudden proliferation of the number isn't anything sinister. Like the purple heart emoji before it,
Couldn't the company, like, maybe have done this a tad bit sooner?Ring, the Amazon-owned manufacturer of home surveillance cameras, announced that it's implementing a long-overdue step meant to keep its customers' accounts safe from hackersStarting today,
Deepfakes are a technological feat in themselves. Now we can finally see what would have happened if Neo took the blue pill. Thanks to advancements in AI, deepfakes are becoming easier to create. YouTuber Ctrl Shift Face and Chris Ume collaborated on deepfaking The Matrix and Office Space,
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts held its annual BAFTA award ceremony at the Royal Opera House in London on Sunday night, bestowing its top prize on the film 12 Years a Slave.While accepting the award for best film, British director Steve McQueen thanked actress Lupita Nyong'o,
The world of reality television took a tragic turn when well-known, snake-handling pastor, and co-star of the show Snake Salvation, Gregory Jamie Coots, died from a snake bite on SaturdayAccording to reports, emergency workers in Middlesboro, Ky.,
The comparison between the Winter and Summer Olympics is historically kinder to the latter.The former suffers from its season's less-than-ideal conditions. Everyone, audience and athletes alike, are already freezing. And with events that revolve around ice and snow,
dacarr writes "The five remaining members of Monty Python will be performing in the O2 Arena, and their last show as a comedy troupe will be simulcast across hundreds of theaters in the UK, and roughly 1,500 more across the world, according to the Guardian.
不久前，伊隆 · 马斯克的SpaceX获得了NASA约26亿美元的合约，开发载人飞船Dragon，该飞船的第一版已经用于向国际空间站提供补给。
It turns out that Microsoft and Salesforce were serious when the two firms detailed a plan to integrate their products earlier this year. Today at the Dreamforce conference, the companies announced that a Salesforce1 app for Windows Phone will be released the second half of 2015,
When most people think of the subway in the 1980s, they think of scary things. A few years ago The New York Times likened the state of the city to "a house of horrors." But as a newly published set of nearly 500 photos show, New York City's underground wasn't always so horrific.
Landfills, E-waste piles, and ocean garbage patches are a part of our world we’d rather not see, but these eyesores aren’t going away. Rather than simply accept that our planet is being swallowed by garbage, one artist has started turning this discarded junk into something beautiful.Read more...
Jimmy Fallon is no longer just "the nicest guy in late-night." Now, he's the clumsiest tooThe comedian explained during Monday's show how he managed to injure his right hand — luckily,
版权声明：本文为博主原创文章，未经博主允许不得转载。 问题：windows下安装MySQLdb的方法 解析：python没有php那种集成环境，比如wamp那种集成软件直接把所有需要的东西全部一次性搭建好，但是python也有好的就是在linux环境下特别的简单方便，只是windows下麻烦点啦！但
作為科技業界的前列份子之一，不經不覺 Microsoft 已經成立了 41 年，不過這麼多年來他們又賺了幾多錢呢？如今終於有一個較確實的答案。因為美國著名技術顧問 Jeff Reifman 最近進行調查時，就發現 Microsoft 歷年累計收入已經超越 1 萬億美元，對他們來說絕對是一個重要的里程碑。以下有更多資料：The post 總利潤高過 Apple！Microsoft 歷年累計收入終突破 1 萬億美元 appeared first on UNWIRE.HK 流動科技生活.


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Cable & Wireless sounds alarm
THE pressure was piling up today on Cable & Wireless chief executive Graham Wallace after he said that first half losses would be as bad as any City analyst had feared.
Shares in the group tumbled to new lows of 133p, down 5p, as Wallace further admitted that revenues at Cable & Wireless Global, its core international internet division, would be down by 6% for the year and that the company's exit from the US retail telecoms business would cost it £320m.
A further round of cost-cutting on top of the 8,000 Cable & Wireless jobs that have gone in the past 12 months will be announced in November, and there are fears that hundreds more jobs among the remaining 11,000 staff are at risk.
Issuing a trading statement prior to the close of the first half of its financial year at the end of the month, Wallace said: 'Cable & Wireless Global's trading environment continues to be difficult.' He said first-half revenue declines of 6% in the business, which are expected to continue at that level in the second half of the year, will mean that group losses even before interest payments, depreciation and tax will be about £120m. Analysts had been split between those forecasting a small profit and those predicting losses at around £125m.
Wallace, who had boasted that Cable & Wireless Global would hit break-even by the beginning of 2004, admitted more costs around the world - including jobs - would have to go if that target were to be achieved.
'This review includes further cost and capital expenditure reductions and the concentration of resources on those customers and services with the highest current margin and growth potential,' he said. Of his own position he added: 'It is difficult not to feel under pressure. We are in a tough sector, there is not a lot investor confidence around but there is not a lot we can do about it except address the issues. That is the reality of the environment.'
In the current year the company said capital expenditure was expected to be slashed from last year's £1.1bn to £450m, £200m lower than previously forecast. A programme of cost-cutting already under way at Cable & Wireless Global should take out £50mof costs.
The sale of its US voice telephony market will cost the company £200m in cash costs, plus a £120m write-off on the business. A thousand jobs will come off the Cable & Wireless payroll, saving £100m a year. The company expects its net cash pile to remain at £2.2bn.
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Driving an Event Economic Renaissance in 2023
By Jason Weddle – Chief Executive Officer at Hamilton
It may be surprising to learn that the meeting and event industry historically creates more direct jobs than many prominent sectors in manufacturing (e.g., automotive, chemicals, and food).
For example, consider the following trends from Indianapolis, where Hamilton is headquartered. In 2019 (before COVID temporarily shut down the industry), the Indianapolis region raked in an estimated three-quarter of a billion dollars from hosting 660 events. The 2022 projected revenue from event visitors is predicted to be even higher. From national sporting events and trade shows to specialty events like Gen Con, Indianapolis (and central Indiana) attracts more than 1.3 million visitors annually. Numbers are even higher in major urban areas like Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Seattle, Denver, and New York. In September 2022, Trade Show Executive reported: “real triple-digit growth” in the event industry, indicating that your region is likely experiencing similar trends.
Since every dollar invested in events typically generates upwards of a 160% return on investment (ROI), the meetings and events industry represents a vital factor in Indiana’s economic development and sustainability, further reflected in many areas across the country. Positive personal experiences rank high in creating lasting engagements. The Indiana Destination Development Corporation and similar state agencies understand the importance of in-person experiences and work hard to bring people to the community to sample and experience the state’s remarkable attributes. Experiences directly link to economic development opportunities.
How can your city or region maximize a potential event's economic renaissance in 2023 and beyond? Over the past two years, Hamilton has tracked and experienced several key trends. Here are some thoughts:
Small and large in-person events will continue to be the preferred event format, delivering the highest ROI. Humans are social beings, and in-person networking makes meaningful relationships easier to form and sustain. COVID-19 was a wildcard, but advances in protocols and safety measures made a significant difference across the event industry in the U.S. and around the world.
In-person events maximize a brand’s immersive experience. Hybrid and virtual events often include elements of high-impact in-person experiences. However, an in-person event continues to hold the power of delivering maximum potential. For example, the 2022 Detroit Auto Show featured some companies exploring integrated options while retaining the importance of the in-person experience.
Strategic design with integrated technology is more critical than ever to deliver a memorable experience. High-impact creative solutions encourage engagement and deliver maximum return on attention (ROA). Remembering the shift to gamification in supporting and strengthening brands is essential. Touchless applications effectively help promote safety measures.
In-person, virtual, mobile, and hybrid events must align with the brand’s expected marketing outcomes. The preparation and execution of an event require substantial financial and company resources. An event represents a unique opportunity to engage with current and former customers, key influencers, and prospects. Today, events transcend lead generation or static displays. Digital technology plays a significant role when tracking key visitor metrics while respecting individuals’ privacy.
Plan to tap the full professional event spectrum to deliver ROI. While a well-designed and executed in-person event may produce a high return on investment, various event platforms exist that match individual needs. We at Hamilton design, produce, and execute integrated experiences – exhibits, proprietary events and conferences, corporate environments, outdoor events, mobile tours, and digital solutions – that drive meaningful connections between brands and audiences.
Develop pre-event and post-event strategy disciplines to enhance investment and impact. Contemporary strategy extends far beyond physical architecture. Knowing your audience and matching preferred media channels is critical. Pre-event engagement begins on various platforms, including social media, and should continue well past the event as a crucial follow-up. Deep pre-event research into customer needs and expectations provides a strategic edge.
As events grow and return to new levels of impact across the country, effective strategic planning and execution can help maximize company and organizational investments. Be a part of the coming event renaissance!
Hamilton is a full-service event marketing agency with a 75-year legacy creating immersive brand experiences for companies throughout North America and worldwide. We design, produce, and execute integrated experiences – exhibits, proprietary events and conferences, corporate environments, outdoor events, mobile tours, and digital solutions – that drive meaningful connections between your brand and your audience.
Jason Weddle is CEO of Hamilton, a full-service event marketing agency celebrating its 75th anniversary. For more information, please visit Hamilton-ex.com.


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Markets have been all over the place these last few days of the year. However, we are seeing opportunities. Look at Apple, for example. After dropping from about $150, the tech stock caught strong double-bottom support dating back to mid-June. RSI, MACD, and Williams’ %R are also oversold at the moment. From a current price of $135.93, we’d like to see Apple run back to at least $150 as we head into the new year.
Helping, Evercore ISI just named Apple one of its top picks for New Year 2023. With a price target of $190 a share, the firm noted, “Services has a clear path to $136 billion in revenue by full-year 2026…, which will drive margin expansion and help smooth out the cyclicality inherent in the hardware business,” they added. “Wearables also has a robust growth outlook, with a path to $70 billion in revenue.”
Even Citi analysts maintained a buy rating on the AAPL stock, with a price target of $175. They noted that “While the December quarter is constrained by supply (China Covid closures impacting production), we believe demand for Apple’s products and services is likely to remain resilient throughout full-year 2023.”


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JAMES CITY-Virginia Bread Company plans to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Toano later this year.
The new establishment will be located at the corner of Richmond Road and Church Lane.
Menu offerings will include Virginia Bread Company’s signature sourdough products including sourdough boule and sourdough English muffins. Other options include Eggs Benedict and a make it your way breakfast sandwich along with rotating daily specials.
“We are excited to be able to bring Toano and Williamsburg a true sourdough experience,” said Colin O’Rourke, who owns Virginia Bread Company with his wife, Ainslie.
The O’Rourkes have 16 years’ worth of baking experience combined. Virginia Bread Company started out by selling its products at Williamsburg Farmers Market as well as online.
Renovations are underway at the restaurant, which the O’Rourkes hope to open by late summer.
The pair are excited to be expanding their family-owned business.
“We wake up making bread and go to sleep making bread,” Colin O’Rourke said. “We do it because of the love everyone has shown us over the past few years. Our dream could not be possible without our amazing customers and the community.”


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Several tourists became incensed after they were charged $935 for what they said was calamari, tomato juice, and six bottles of beer.
They claimed that they were charged $661 for six plates of calamari, $167 for six beers, $20 for a glass of tomato juice, $20 for two bottles of water, and $66 for three Caesar salad appetizers with chicken, the Daily Mail reported.
The tourists went to the DK Oyster restaurant in Mykonos, Greece. According to the Mail, the restaurant refused to show their party a menu or show them prices before giving them their final tab.
Francisco Tajeda, 38, a U.S. Army soldier, warned other tourists to stay away from DK Oyster.
“This place is a ripoff, look at the picture I posted,” he said.
“Avoid this place, this place is a trap,” he wrote on TripAdvisor. “They charged us 830 euros for calamari, 6 beers and 3 salads. The staff is not honest and refuse to provide a menu and prices.”
Tajeda then offered a warning: “Avoid this place at all costs! No pun intended.”
According to a report from The Independent, Greek authorities are cracking down on “rip-off” restaurants after tourists complained. The report named Tajeda’s complaint as one.
Some 50,500 raids will be undertaken over a several-month span, the report noted. Undercover officers have already targeted restaurants in Greece, suspending hotels in Mykonos.
A restaurant owned by “Salt Bae” chef Nusret Gokce was shut down for several days after not issuing receipts, which amounted to about $30,000.
The Times of London reported that a few dozen businesses have been closed down by officials.
The raids are being carried out at the behest of the Greek finance ministry.
DK Oyster Responds
DK’s owner, Dimitris Kalamaras, said that the area around the restaurant is luxurious, so the prices reflect that. “We regret the language of the person who posted this photo. Indeed, the prices are correct,” he told the Daily Mail.
Soldier from Brooklyn outraged at DK Oyster restaurant in Mykonos
They posted a picture of the check for $935 charge
Restaurant charged almost $110 per plate of calamari, almost $30 per bottle of beer, and more than $20 for a single bottle of tomato juice https://t.co/MnHPjjWAEP
— thewatcher (@banawedata) May 24, 2019
“Although we feel that they reflect the level of our efforts, care and the quality of the food served in one of the world’s most coveted beaches, we can sympathize with an unsatisfied customer.”
But he said that to describe his establishment as a “trap is not fair.”
“Why is a luxury hotel allowed to charge 200-500 euros per night and nobody compares it to a room to let? Why does a customer of a small retailer pay for a jacket 50.00 euros and others charge up to thousands? Are we all criminals, thieves, bad people?” he asked.
The manager added, “I want to tell you from my heart that we value our customers, and we have carefully accounted for the cost in order to produce a product which we consider to be value for money.” Then Kalamaras offered a word of advice to Tajeda.
“If you can’t afford them, in order to avoid any bitterness, just opt for the special combo menu – which may not be the most satisfying option, but allows a small glimpse for those who cannot afford the experience,” he said.
A group of tourists said that they were charged a considerable amount for seven sodas and a milkshake after visiting a Greek restaurant.
The tourists, from the United Kingdom, said they were on vacation in Rhodes, Greece, and went to The Gate in Old Rhodes Town.
Vicky Scott, who was with four friends and family, wrote on Facebook that her group was charged more than $100 for eight drinks, according to News.com.au.
“Went to The Gate restaurant in Old Rhodes Town for a drink,” she wrote on Facebook. “The bill for eight soft drinks was €82 ($100) — €14 ($18) for a milkshake!”
“I confronted him and all he could say was ‘thank you lady’ people like him should not be allowed to rip off tourists,” she said of the manager. “On our way back he posed for the photo until he realized who I was then he followed me down the street telling me I couldn’t take his photo.”
Scott then urged other people to share her message to “stop others” from “getting ripped off” at the establishment.
The Independent reported that the bill shows two drinks cost €5 ($6) a piece, five cost €10 ($11.32) each and one cost €14 ($16). Also, an €8 ($10) service charge was also added, which is about 10 percent of the bill.


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We help our customers develop breakthrough products and services within their market.
Artificial Intelligence was a focus technology for CES 2018. Markets as diverse as automotive, consumer audio, healthcare and white goods showcased their latest designs leveraging AI to offer customers better choices based on their habits or specific situation. While internet enabled products were dubbed “smart” a decade ago, it's really now with the accelerating pace of AI integration in all manner of devices that we begin to really see machine-based intelligence in our interactions with products all around us.
Voice assisted AI has been with us for a few years, with Siri and Alexa firmly in the public consciousness. The trend at CES this year was for multi-modal interfaces and AI assistance, with Google and Samsung showcasing their AI-enabled devices with screens to offer users another way to interact with their AI assistant. Multi-modal AI assistance is a natural progression in the trend of AI integration which we expect to continue.
AI is also not confined any more to the home or office; vehicle manufacturers are already leveraging AI heavily in their autonomous driving programs. At CES this year we saw a number of major automotive suppliers looking into the vehicle interiors of the future to determine how AI can be used to make the experience of travelling in an autonomous vehicle as comfortable as possible.
What we have seen at CES is many of the major technology brands stepping up their efforts to deliver their own flavours of AI in their components or products. Samsung, Google, Qualcomm and Intel, among others, announced plans for deeper integration and promotion of the technology.
Our demos were heavily focused on leveraging AI in novel ways. Vincent, our art generating AI, offered customers a peek into the future where AI will be widely used by professionals to increase the human creative potential. 'YAARP' combines AR, deep learning with low cost electronics to enable unskilled operators to complete complex tasks. These new methodologies demonstrate that AI doesn't necessarily involve vast training, augmented or synthetic datasets to be deployed effectively.


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Windows 10 Mobile has made much of a splash in 2016 but Microsoft is hoping to accelerate its smartphone endeavours through a new partnership with Qualcomm.
Qualcomm and Microsoft have announced they are working together to bring the Win32 emulation to next generation Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. If things go as planned, the next generation mobile Windows 10 devices will be able to run games like Crysis 2 and World of Tanks, as well as hundreds-to-thousands of apps previously unavailable to Window 10 Mobile.
One of the biggest hang ups we have with Windows 10 Mobile is the lack of apps available through the Windows Store.
Although, Microsoft has made strides to bring more apps into the fold with the Universal Windows Platform, it still hasn’t been enough. And when they are available, they're often missing features available on their iOS and Android counterparts.
By introducing emulation though, ARM-powered devices could start running desktop x86 applications such as Google Chrome, iTunes and Slack.
We’ve already seen the dream of desktop applications emulated on a mobile Windows device with the HP Elite x3.
However, this enterprise-minded smartphone only offers this functionality though a subscription service – but Microsoft’s new partnership with Qualcomm could turn this into a standard feature on all future Windows 10 Mobile devices.
- Why you shouldn't write off Windows 10 Mobile just yet


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The end of a slump in North American polypropylene prices is featured in this week's Material Insights video. Regional PP prices bounced up 1 cent per pound in September, after falling a total of 27 cents between May and August. Market sources said the increase may have been caused in part by increased sales of propylene monomer into the gasoline market, which would have left less material available for PP production. A potential second Mexican petrochemicals complex for the Braskem/Grupo Idesa joint venture also is featured in this week's video. The JV will open its first plant making PE and related products in Coatzacoalcos in 2015, but Braskem executive Cleante Leite Filho said a second project could be on the way in the next 5-10 years. The video wraps up with news of a report with high hopes for the global bioplastics market. The report from the European Bioplastics trade group expects the size of the market to increase from 2.6 billion pounds this year to about 13 billion pounds by 2016. Bioplastics growth will be led by bio-PET, which will see its share of the market grow from 40 percent to 80 percent.
Material Insights: Oct. 15, 2012
Polypropylene resin prices end slump.
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