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Waterloo, Ontario’s Aterlo Networks has teamed with Wisconsin global satellite communications provider IsoTropic Networks, Inc. to deliver high definition video via satellite IP multicast, making it possible for customers across industries and geographic locations to access HD streaming video.
With a mission to reimagine over-the-top (OTT) streaming video, Aterlo Networks is touting the collaboration as a “multicasting breakthrough” that allows viewers in remote communities, whether on a yacht at sea or a private island, to watch streaming video services like Netflix.
Aside from private yachts, other examples of environments where Internet connection constraints make it difficult to use streaming video services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, include shipping vessels, oil rigs and remote work camps.
“Unicasting, the current technology used, requires a copy of the video for every requester. That makes unicasting very expense. Multicasting is a lot like broadcasting. Only one copy is needed for everyone to watch the video,” said Aterlo Networks CEO Gerrit Nagelhout. “Multicasting solves two problems. First, less bandwidth is used so speeds will remain higher. Second, it makes delivering over-the-top streaming video to remote locations possible and affordable.”
Aterlo’s partnership with Isotropic Networks brings streaming video to a larger potential customer base by adding a new level of optimization via satellite multicast delivery, without compromising the digital rights management (DRM) techniques which protect the content by pre-positioning the content during times when the Internet connection is idle.
“Once again we demonstrate our deep understanding of Satellite communications and innovative products,” said Hank Zbierski, Chief Catalyst of IsoTropic Networks. “This is a first using the iDirect technology and our clients will have access to it this summer through IsosatMedia, with the first solution delivering HD Netflix content.”
Approximately 30 million homes in the U.S. have internet connections but can’t stream video at HD quality.
Multicasting greatly reduces bandwidth strain and costs related to delivery of video content for ISPs, content providers and OTT streaming media services.
Last August, Aterlo brought its NightShift service to New Zealand, which allowed viewers to cache Netflix programs at night, or during times when a sizeable download won’t be counted against their data cap, a serious problem for Internet users in rural areas or who struggle to stay inside the overage restrictions in their data plan.
For those customers, NightShift plugs into the back of their router, and content can be stored on a USB thumb drive that plugs into the NightShift, meaning that internet users in rural areas can wake up in the morning to a fresh haul of the same HD content that urban internet users enjoy.
The team at Aterlo, CEO Gerrit Nagelhout, CTO Scot Loach, and VP of Product Management Dan Siemon, left Waterloo broadband specialist Sandvine in the summer of 2014 to start their own company, initially for the purpose of helping ISPs optimize their networks for compatibility with Netflix.
Very quickly, however, they realized the potential in millions of internet users worldwide who would like access to the same content that people with access to fast connections and large data caps have.
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Back in November 2013, Sony and Microsoft launched their respective next-gen gaming consoles, the PS4 and the Xbox One. Even though Sony's console has always had a strong lead over Microsoft's console in terms of sales numbers, the Xbox One is actually better than the PS4 in one aspect: Updates.
While Microsoft has been going out of its way to collect customer feedback and to act on it, Sony hasn't really done the same. A good example of this is the updates that both consoles received in July.
The Xbox One's July update brought some dynamic features including added Snap Mode for achievements, new languages for voice control, the ability to "like" Game DVR clips, feed items on SmartGlass and more.
On the other hand, the PS4 firmware update 1.74, which also rolled out during July, brought no new feature and simply "improves stability of some software", according to Sony.
In fact, Microsoft has paid careful attention to what its gamers want and has given them just that on many occasions. The company has rolled out eight solid updates till date, with each containing new features, including the ability to use external hard drives to manage game collection.
This was something gamers had been requesting for a long time and happens to be very useful considering console storage space is almost always way too low to store games.
Sony on the other hand has hardly added any features to the PS4 since its launch and has kept the vast majority of its updates minor.
"This is really starting to get annoying," said Reddit user DarkSlayer 224. "Xbox One has gotten like 8 major updates since launch and we've gotten 1... Please Sony, hurry up with MP3 support, DLNA and name changing!"
However, despite this, Sony's console still has strong sales numbers and is the top choice for most gamers who are looking to buy a next-gen console. But if Microsoft keeps this up, they're going to turn the Xbox One into something far more powerful when compared to the PS4.

domain: news


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by Tashun Chism
Trey Kluck enjoys riding motorcycles, but knows firsthand that it can be just as dangerous as it is fun.
"I had a lady pull out in front of me, cut me off completely, and leave me no way out between two cars. So I sqeaked though two cars and made it through. That's the closet one as far as close calls," said Kluck.
Experts say with the gas prices rising, many East Texans are choosing motorcycles over cars. October is also a popular time of the year for motorcycle rallys. But riding a motorcycle comes with added responsibility.
"Motorcycles stop a lot quicker than cars, so manuvering a motorcycle and driving a motorcycle takes a lot more practice," Department of Public Safety Senior Trooper Greg Sanches told us.
Experts say there are several motorcycle safety tips you should follow:
Get formal training; a motorcycle rider course is good idea for developing basic riding techniques. Always wear a helmet. Don't speed; know and obey the local traffic laws. Always be alert and watch out for other drivers.
But other drivers play a huge part in motrocycle safety, too.
"They're a vehicle, too. And again, people need to realize that motorcycles do stop a lot quicker and be aware to keep that distance bewteen you and that motorcycle," Sanches added.
Experts say being a courteous driver does a lot to increase safety for everyone on the road.


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Microsoft's Zune 30GB music player just wasn't ready for a leap year.
That's what owners of the devices discovered yesterday morning when they awoke to find their players frozen and unworkable.
The problem turned out to be "a bug in the internal clock driver related to the way the device handles a leap year," Microsoft Zune spokesman Matt Akers said in a posting to Zune forums on New Year's Eve. The issue does not affect all Zune players, but all models of the Zune 30GB are potentially affected, he said.
Zune is Microsoft's alternative to Apple's popular iPod devices.
The bug disabled the players on December 31, the last day of a leap year. Microsoft expects that the bug will resolve itself by today (January 1), when the device's internal clock will reset itself.
Microsoft says it will issue a bugfix for the device so that this problem won't re-occur in 2012, the next leap year.


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Mr. Dickey Seepersad, HSSE Manager of ANSA McAL’s Construction Sector and Mr James Lambert, President General of the National Union of Government and Federated Workers during the product hand over courtesy AMCO
The ANSA McAL Group was pleased to donate non-perishable food items courtesy AMCO, a subsidiary of the Group to the National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW) COVID – 19 Relief Food Packages Initiative.
To date the Group has made CSR contributions in excess of TT$7.5 million dollars to various Ministries, stakeholders and NGOs within Trinidad and Tobago.
On May 15th, 2020, NUGFW distributed approximately 300 food packages in its efforts to provide relief to members who have been adversely affected by this pandemic.
The ANSA McAL Group commends the executive of the NUGFW for their efforts in supporting their members in these challenging times.
Corporate Communications Department
ANSA McAL Group of Companies
Friday 15th May 2020


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Pretium Packaging (pretiumpkg.com), a leading North American manufacturer of plastic containers and closures, has won two international Worldstar awards for its SureHandle polyethylene terephthalate (PET) container with integrated handle in the food and beverage categories.The Worldstar awards are presented by the World Packaging Organisation.
Pretium Packaging used technology from Practically Impossible Labs, Houston, Texas, to develop the SureHandle stock container line. It is currently available in a 64-ounce, 38-400 mm finish, as well as a 2-liter size. The line was developed to provide brand owners with significant shelf differentiation, handling convenience and aesthetics that were not previously possible.
The SureHandle PET bottle is a “first-of-its-kind” bottle because it comes out of the injection mold with the handle already in place. (Unlike traditional preforms, the SureHandle preform features an injection molded handle integrated into the side wall.)
This new technology creates new possibilities for many products — including beverages, foods and household and industrial chemicals—that could benefit from a monolayer PET container with an ergonomic handleware solution.
SureHandle was previously awarded the "Best of Show" Ameristar honor from the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP), in addition to winning the Beverages, Non-alcoholic and Food, Shelf Stable categories.


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Fans of the hit PS3 title ‘Heavy Rain’ have been waiting a long time for Quantic Dreams’ follow-up, this one called ‘Beyond Two Souls’. A new 60-second, extended version of the “Guilt” TV spot has been uploaded to the internet to allow fans to get a new look at the game.
After attending the game’s panel at the Tribeca Film Festival this year, I personally couldn’t be more excited for the title. In a recent blog post on the Playstation blog Derek Osgood, the Associate Product Marketing Manager at Sony Computer Entertainment America stated, “In this spot, we set out with a couple of different goals. We wanted to give viewers a snapshot of Jodie’s story through a series of flashbacks, by highlighting some of the stunning situations she’s going to be thrust into by her mysterious connection with the entity, Aiden. Ultimately, we want you to get a sense for the incredible scope and diversity of Jodie’s journey, while understanding the touching and emotional experience that Beyond: Two Souls is going to provide.”
It doesn’t take long before the trailer begins to unfold the points that the trailer was trying to make. Osgood added, “The story itself is also told non-chronologically, so really, to fully understand the Beyond’s story, you’re going to have to play it for yourself.”
The demo will be available on October 1st, and Sony reminds players that a pre-order at GameStop will get you a bonus upgrade to the Special Edition below.
more info: amazon/beyondtwosouls


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Specialty food marketer and manufacturer Inventure Foods has announced the planned purchase of two individually quick frozen freezing tunnels for an estimated total purchase price of $3.9m in 2014.
Strategic brand consulting and design firm Landor Associates has published what it thinks will be the top 10 brand trends for 2014.
- Animal welfare rises up the agenda
Claire Phoenix, 9 Dec 2013
- More brand collaboration could maximise consumer potential
Marie Sutton, Engage Research, 26 Nov 2013
- A small selection of my photos from FiE 2013
Claire Rowan, 22 Nov 2013
- Nuts, grains and seaweed – the latest trends in ingredients
Claire Phoenix, 21 Nov 2013
- Not all coconuts taste the same
Claire Phoenix, 20 Nov 2013
See more Food topics
Food&drink Towers has published its annual 'Ten Top Trends' – the eighth edition of which highlights new product development and marketing opportunities for the next 12 months.
Spain-based salsa and condiment specialist Salsas JR has released a range of 100% natural sauces that are free from gluten, artificial preservatives, flavours, colours and sweeteners.
Post Holdings has agreed to acquire Golden Boy Foods and Dymatize Enterprises in two unrelated transactions.
- Happy Egg Co produces Hollywood-inspired hen calendar for 2014
- Michael Goettl to become CEO of Bunge Asia
- Müller continues to make 'substantial progress' in UK and Ireland
- Cloetta to acquire Alrifai Nutisal
- JPG to advise Haribo on West Yorkshire manufacturing facility
- LycoRed targets prostate health with Lyc-O-Pro
- Nestlé to sell its stake in Givaudan
- MWW becomes exclusive importer of aurora papaya
- Y3K liquid chocolate ice cream
- Farmers sign off on €20m sale of Wexford Creamery to Glanbia
- Barry-Wehmiller acquires yogurt packaging company in Paris
- RSPCA calls on supporters to back clearer labelling on meat products


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Rochester-based Wegmans supermarket chain is among 12 companies in the United States to be named to the "Great Place to Work Legends" list by Fortune magazine.
Wegmans earned that title by landing on Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work for list" this year for the 20th year in a row.
This year, Wegmans ranks No. 2 on the list, which is based on employee ratings of the workplace culture, the level of trust employees feel toward leadership, pride in their jobs and camaraderie with co-workers.
Wegmans ranked No. 4 in 2016 on the Fortune list.
In 2016, Wegmans also was named by Fortune a Best Workplace for Diversity, Woman and Millenials and ranked No. 1 on the list of Best Workplaces in Retail.
Wegmans, which was number one on the list in 2005, was ranked 12th in 2014 and 7th in 2015.
Danny Wegman, Wegmans' chief executive officer, said "nothing could mean more to me than having our people say that Wegmans is a great place to work."
The Fortune ranking is based on feedback from more than 232,000 employees at companies with more than 1,000 workers.
Wegmans has 92 stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts.
Wegmans will celebrate with cake or mini-apples at its stores at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Here are the top 10 best companies to work for, according to Fortune's 2017 list:
- Wegmans Food Markets
- he Boston Consulting Group
- Edward Jones
- Ultimate Software
- Acuity Insurance
- Quicken Loans
The full list includes 100 companies.


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Specialist running retailer Up and Running is to open its 31st store this weekend (11/12 August) in Chester. The retailer celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and will have special opening weekend deals including a free kit bag worth £70 for anyone buying a pair of shoes. The kit bag will include a hi-vis jacket, waist pouch, shoe bag and technical socks.
The new store is at 25 Bridge Street Row and offers a variety of services and running products including - digital gait analysis, technical clothing, heart rate monitors, speed and distance devices, hydration and nutrition, free training programmes and shoes for road trail, track and fell.
Jonathan Midwood from Up and Running said: "We've very excited about this store as it comes off the back of local partnerships with Chester half marathon and the development of some strong local running contacts."
For more information visit the Up and Running website


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This morning has seen a barrage of economic data released by the National Bureau of Statistics in China. This gives us an opportunity to see if they are catching the economic cold that we have been observing developing amongst us evil western capitalist imperialists. According to the rhetoric things are going really rather well.
In November, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, all regions and departments implemented the decisions and arrangements made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, adhered to the requirement of high-quality development, stuck to the general working guideline of making progress while maintaining stability, adopted the new development philosophy, deepened the supply-side structural reform, and intensified efforts in policy implementation to maintain stability in areas like employment, financial sector, foreign trade, foreign investment, domestic investment, and market expectation. The economy performed within the reasonable range and maintained the generally stable and growing momentum.
That is quite an opening sentence to say the least! Let us add to that with some perspective as we look back.
Next week marks 40 years since China opened up its economy to the world. It’s economy has grown to 80x the size of its 1978 version. For comparison, the U.S. has grown 8x. ( @DavidInglesTV)
So the rhetoric fits that but as we shall see fits what is currently taking place much less well.
Whilst the growth rate would be loved by many this is China and things are not what they used to be.
In November, the real growth of the total value added of the industrial enterprises above designated size was 5.4 percent year-on-year, 0.5 percentage point slower than last month.
This wrong-footed expectations based on the ongoing stimulus programme and was the lowest reading since early 2016. In terms of this year the annual growth rate has fallen from the 7.2% of January to a period of apparent stabilisation around 6% and now another leg lower. In terms of a breakdown we were told this.
In terms of sectors, the value added of the mining increased by 2.3 percent on a year-on-year base, the manufacturing grew by 5.6 percent and the production and supply of electricity, thermal power, gas and water grew by 9.8 percent.
So with production falling was there a potential boost from consumer demand?
In November, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 3,526.0 billion yuan, a year-on-year rise of 8.1 percent, 0.5 percentage point slower than last month.
If we switch to Reuters we see that it has been quite some time since growth has been at this level.
Retail sales rose 8.1 percent in November from a year earlier, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Friday, below expectations for an 8.8 percent rise and the slowest since May 2003. In October, sales increased 8.6 percent.
If we look at the pattern we see the recent peak was 10.1% in March and the early part of the year saw several readings comfortably above 9%.
From January to November, the total retail sales of consumer goods grew by 9.1 percent year on year.
The official data set also gives us an idea of the scale of urbanisation in China now.
Analyzed by different areas, the retail sales in urban areas reached 2,999.0 billion yuan, up by 7.9 percent year-on-year, and the retail sales in rural areas stood at 527.0 billion yuan, up by 9.3 percent.
I doubt you will be surprised to learn what was particularly pulling the numbers down.
Auto sales fell a sharp 10.0 percent from a year earlier, in line with industry data showing sales dived 14 percent in November – the steepest drop in nearly seven years. ( Reuters).
Slowing auto sales on China are part of a pattern that has rumbled around the world this year. Only yesterday there was news about Ford closing a plant in Blanquefort in France and planning job cuts in Saarlouis Germany.
This was not as weak as the others but has also fallen in 2018.
In November, the Index of Services Production increased by 7.2 percent year on year, the same speed as last month………From January to November, the Index of Services Production increased by 7.7 percent year on year.
Another way of looking at economic performance is to analyse what a country can collect in taxes and at first this looks good.
China’s fiscal revenue rose 6.5 percent year-on-year to 17.23 trillion yuan (about 2.5 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first 11 months of 2018, official data showed.
But it too has slowed quite a bit in the last couple of months.
The country’s fiscal revenue stood at 1.08 trillion yuan last month, with a 5.4-percent decline year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Finance.
The decline widened from a drop of 3.1 percent in October, the first fall this year.
In November, China’s tax revenue reached 805.1 billion yuan, down 8.3 percent year on year, compared with a 5.1-percent decline in October, the ministry said.
Some of this has been driven by the tax cuts applied to try to stimulate the economy so we will have to wait and see how this fully plays out.
Reuters updated us earlier this week.
Broad M2 money supply grew 8.0 percent in November from a year earlier, matching forecasts and October’s pace.
Adding to signs of stress on balance sheets and faltering business confidence, M1 money supply rose just 1.5 percent on-year, the weakest pace since January 2014. M1 reflects both the strength of corporate cash positions and whether they may be building up funds for possible future investments.
That is a fascinating perception of narrow money. What we would expect from such data ( the growth rate exceeded 10% in late 2015 and much of 2016) is for it to apply a brake to the Chinese economy and that is exactly what it appears to be doing. Furthermore the brake appears to be tightening.
Switching to broad money trends and subtracting inflation we get a suggestion that future economic growth will head towards and maybe below 6%.
Whilst the rhetoric may be different China has itself a dose of what the western capitalist imperialists are suffering from in 2018 and that is slower narrow money supply growth. We can argue about definitions and circumstances but as we look around Europe, the US and now China it seems the rhythm section are hammering out the same beat. There are different responses because countries start from different growth levels. For example the impact on France seems to have sent production into negative territory if this morning’s Markit business survey is any guide whereas Chinese production is still recording a growth rate above 5%.
But the direction of travel is the same and China has got used to high growth rates so there will be indigestion from the changes. So we can expect more stimuli and if the recent speeches from the PBOC are any guide some interest-rate reductions I think. They will be a bit late for the next few months though.
And so it begins?
China To Lift Retaliatory Tariff On US Cars For Three Months -Had Imposed 25% Retaliatory Tariff On Cars -To Lift Tariffs From On Jan 1 ( @LiveSquawk )


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THE UNITED ARAB Emirates (UAE) market opened to exports of sheep meat from Ireland today, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney announced.
The agreement follows consultations between the department, the Irish Embassy in the UAE and authorities from the country which has a population exceeding 8 million.
Last summer the UAE lifted the age restriction for Irish beef exports and reached an agreement with the government on a veterinary health certificate allowing for the export of poultry meat products from Ireland.
Commenting on today’s agreement, Minister Coveney said there is an increasing interest amongst the industry in exporting Irish sheep meat to non-EU countries.
“I am committed to ensuring that Irish operators have access to as many markets as possible worldwide,” he said.
“This approach frequently requires intensive consultation at technical and diplomatic level, and ultimately the decision to permit access to markets rests with the veterinary authorities in the receiving country.”


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MONTREAL–Insolvent printing company Quebecor World Inc. faces months of uncertainty as it attempts to steer back to firm financial footing while preparing a restructuring plan under court protection from its creditors.
Lawyers for the Montreal-based commercial printer (TSX: IQW) will appear in Quebec Superior Court on Tuesday and in U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Thursday to try to extend a temporary order that expires this week to May 11.
"An extension to the stay period is necessary for the petitioners to complete the preparation of their business plans and commence negotiations with the creditors and the other stakeholders," Ernst & Young wrote in a monitor's report submitted to the Quebec court.
Such extensions are common practice and are usually approved by the courts, although sometimes with conditions or amendments sought by the creditors.
Since being placed under the protection of the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act in Canada and Chapter 11 of the U.S. bankruptcy code a month ago, Quebecor World has worked to stabilize its business in North America and abroad, contacted numerous stakeholders and begun a review of its operations and assets.
Like Stelco, Algoma Steel, Air Canada and other companies that have restructured under the so-called CCAA process, Quebecor World could probably emerge smaller, more focused with a reduced workforce and less debt.
But shareholders of the company, including parent Quebecor Inc. (TSX: QBR.B) would likely get no value for their stock, while creditors may receive shares of a restructured company in payment for some or all of the money they're owed.
The monitor's report says the 28,000-employee company has focused on returning operations to normal and the business plan will take at least two months to develop.
"Management has been in discussions with suppliers to re-establish supply arrangements and to negotiate credit terms under which suppliers maintain or will provide goods and services during the stay period."
Quebecor World has assured customers that programs, including ones that provide volume rebates, will continue to be respected.
The company says it has continued to negotiate, extend and sign new customer agreements in the normal course.
It recently announced it won or renewed contracts worth $75 million annually, which it says demonstrate customer confidence despite its financial travails. However, rival Transcontinental Inc. (TSX: TCL.A) later said it secured a $210-million, six-year contract to replace Quebecor World as the printer for Canada's largest magazine publisher, Rogers Publishing (TSX: RCI), a long-standing customer.
Quebecor World prints various U.S. magazines, including 15 titles for Time Inc., Cosmopolitan and Forbes. It also producers retail inserts, catalogues, books and directories for some of North America's leading companies.
But analyst Adam Shine of National Bank Financial said Quebecor World's financial problems will make it increasingly difficult to renew contracts with customers, let alone sign on new customers.
"As such, the Rogers win by Transcontinental isn't likely to be the only such scoop from its competitor in coming months," he wrote in a report.
The printing market is fragmented but Moody's Investors Service said Quebecor World's stature suggests it will continue in some form.
"While operating cash flow was weak, it was expected to be modestly positive in 2008 and 2009," the ratings agency recently wrote in a report.
For the three weeks ended Feb. 10, the net cash flow generated by its North American operations was US$178 million, including the full drawdown of a US$600-million term loan. The overall cash flow was US$228 million higher than projected on Jan. 20, primarily because only $3 million of the $170 million of contingent financing was used. Receivables were also larger and spending lower.
None of Quebecor World's assets have been sold but it has announced the closure of a subsidiary in England.
Until May 11, the company expects to burn through US$227 million of cash. Positive cash should flow starting in May as it moves through its normal business cycle.
Given the role of Quebecor World's board and management's manoeuvring through its liquidity problems, Moody's said there could be a push by some to "insist on governance changes before agreeing to a restructuring proposal."
Complicating the printer's survival efforts are fears of a looming recession in the United States, where 80 per cent of Quebecor World's operating assets are based. An economic downturn would likely devalue assets for sale, Moody's wrote.
In Europe and Latin America, where Quebecor World has 20 per cent of its assets, creditors may have more difficulty recovering their security because laws are not as creditor friendly as in North America.
Quebecor World has transferred US$6 million of the maximum $10 million to its Latin American operations. It is also permitted to transfer 25 million euros for working capital requirements to Europe.
The joint administrators of Quebecor World's British operation have shut down the printing plant in Corby, England, affecting more than 250 workers. The British operation has generated negative cash flow since the loss of a large contract three years ago. For fiscal 2007, the negative cash flow was 6.8 million pounds.
In addition to the delay in court protection, the company is seeking to delay its annual shareholders meeting beyond June 30.


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After a great 2020, Peloton Interactive (PTON 0.40%) has had a rough year as a company and as a stock. What's in store for the exercise equipment manufacturer and media company in 2022? Analysts and investors will be paying close attention to the company's fiscal 2022 second-quarter earnings report on Feb. 8 to get some clues.
In 2020, Peloton thrived at the pandemic onset when folks were stuck at home and had limited exercise options. But that enthusiasm caused management to overestimate the sustainability of customer demand, which has waned considerably through much of 2021 and into 2022.
Investors will want to hear concrete plans for how the company is bringing down costs and getting back on track when it discusses earnings on Tuesday.
Investors want concrete details on solutions to overinvestment
Interestingly, Peloton has already announced preliminary results for Q2. The company was under pressure as negative stories about its operations were circulating widely in business media. Investors were beginning to assume the worst. Peloton was compelled to reveal figures earlier than expected to assuage concerns and end speculation about a disastrous quarter and it issued a release on Jan. 20.
Surprisingly, Peloton's Q2 results were not terrible. Revenue is expected to be $1.14 billion, within the range of $1.1 billion and $1.2 billion that management guided for Q2. Connected fitness subscribers of 2.77 million are slightly below estimates of 2.8 million to 2.85 million.
John Foley, co-founder and CEO, said in the release:
As we discussed last quarter, we are taking significant corrective actions to improve our profitability outlook and optimize our costs across the company. This includes gross margin improvements, moving to a more variable cost structure, and identifying reductions in our operating expenses as we build a more focused Peloton moving forward. This work is still underway, and we expect to have more details to share when we report earnings on Feb. 8, 2022.
The comments are just what investors will want to hear from Peloton. It made several significant investments in anticipation of continued robust customer demand, which is now weighing on profits and cash flow. That initiative includes capacity expansion, new product lines, international expansion, and acquisitions. Instead of the broad descriptions that Foley gave above, investors are likely searching for concrete decisions. Precisely, where will management be cutting costs? Is Peloton paring back its international expansion plans? Launching the new Tread product has required significant marketing spending to supplement the release -- is Peloton reducing the spending supporting the new product?
These are just a few of the questions investors could have in mind when Foley speaks on the conference call to field inquiries from analysts. Decisiveness is going to be vital. By removing uncertainty, management can do a great deal to boost the stock price, which has been down 33% in 2022 and 85% from 52-week highs.
What this could mean for Peloton investors
Analysts on Wall Street expect Peloton to report revenue of $1.15 billion and a loss per share (EPS) of $1.28. The losses on the bottom line are a significant turnaround for a company that finally scaled enough to report three consecutive quarters of profitability in 2020.
The overinvestment in expansion has saddled Peloton with higher expenses while customer demand has leveled off. Still, it's important to remember that existing customers love Peloton's products. In its preliminary Q2 results, customer churn was reported as a minuscule 0.79%. The problems arose because management overestimated how many people would want to buy an exercise machine that could cost several thousand dollars. If it can effectively bring the company back down to the correct size, it could continue its long-run growth trajectory.


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Florence Henderson, Beloved Star of ‘The Brady Bunch,’ Dies at 82
Florence Henderson, best known for her matriarch role on 'The Brady Bunch,' has died at the age of 82.
Kelly Clarkson Claims She Was ‘Blackmailed’ Into Working With Dr. Luke
Kelly Clarkson admits that she and Dr. Luke "clashed" and alleges that she only worked with him because her label forced her to.
Watch the First Four Minutes of ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 5 Premiere
AMC has released the first four minutes of the Season 5 premiere of 'The Walking Dead' and if you aren't already salivating for the continuing adventures of Rick Grimes and company, then perhaps this teaser will get you pumped up for the premiere set to air tomorrow, Oct. 12.
Borderlands Comic Book Series “The Fall of Fyrestone” Coming in July
IDW Publishing has announced that a comic book series set in the world of Borderlands will be coming in July. The series will be titled The Fall of Fyrestone.
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris Previewed at E3 2014
At E3 2014 this week, Square Enix & Crystal Dynamics revealed that Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris would be coming soon to PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Super Smash Bros. Video: Mega Man’s Final Smash is a Multi-Generational Blast
During the Super Smash Bros. Invitational, Nintendo unveiled what will be Mega Man's Final Smash in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. game for the Wii U. For the Final Smash, players who have chosen to play as Mega Man will see different incarnations of the robot boy hero as team together for a gi…
Final Fantasy Explorers Heading to Nintendo 3DS
Final Fantasy fans can expect another entry in the series, Final Fantasy Explorers, to be coming to the Nintendo 3DS soon. Jump Magazine reports that the multiplayer action RPG is being developed by Square Enix, and will be making its way onto Nintendo's portable handheld.
Riot Games Isn’t Thinking About Making League of Legends 2
Riot Games has announced that they don't expect to ever create a sequel to the wildly popular MOBA game, League of Legends. Instead, Riot will continue to update the current League of Legends game with updates and patches in place of full game sequels.
Titanfall Video: Free the Frontier
Respawn has released a short live-action clip titled Titanfall: Free the Frontier.
Final Fantasy Agito, Final Fantasy Type-0 Coming to North America
Square Enix has announced that English versions of the popular Japanese games Final Fantasy Type-0 and Final Fantasy Agito will be coming to North America and Europe.
Fantasy Life E3 2014 Trailer: Bringing the Magic to North America
Nintendo announced at E3 2014 that Fantasy Life, the popular Japanese role-playing game released in 2013, will be released in North America.
Super Smash Bros. E3 2014 Trailer: Palutena Alights!
Nintendo showed a clip at E3 2014 which reveals that Lady Palutena, and perhaps Dark Pit, will be playable characters in Super Smash Bros.


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U.S. restrictions on Huawei seem to have no end in sight. On August 17, the U.S. Commerce Department expanded its curb on the Chinese tech giant to cut off all its access to U.S. technology-backed components.
It also added another 38 Huawei affiliates to its economic blacklist, which indicates they are required to obtain a license from the U.S. Government when they “act as a purchaser, intermediate consignee, ultimate consignee, or end user.” “It basically blocks the way for Huawei to directly purchase chips from other chip manufacturers that use U.S. technology,” Jia Mo, an analyst at market research company Canalys, said. Richard Yu, President of Huawei’s consumer unit, said at a press conference on August 7 that this year may mark the last year of production for Huawei subsidiary HiSilicon’s Kirin high-end chips with U.S. limits on chip manufacturers.
Huawei was put on the U.S. Entity List in May 2019, and the successive sanctions since then have become a wake-up call for the company as well as the country to rethink the path of chip development. On August 4, the State Council rolled out an array of measures to buoy integrated circuits (IC) and software sectors, including tax breaks, financing support and international cooperation, so as to boost industrial innovation and improve the quality of development. “It showcases the government’s desire to build a globally competitive semiconductor sector, and will encourage companies to devote more resources to overcome technological bottlenecks,” Wang Peng, deputy head of the China Center for Information Industry Development, said. A 2006 book on China’s IC development notes that China’s top officials felt “astonished” after visiting Samsung’s IC production line in the Republic of Korea (ROK) in the 1990s and became more determined to push forward China’s IC industry.


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The Droid X smartphone. The Droid X smartphone ships on Thursday, following an unusual pre-sales publicity campaign designed to entice the savvy tech crowd that might also include some in the iPhone 4 camp as well.
Consumer Reports magazine today said it won't recommend Apple's Phone 4 because of major reception issues when users touch the external antenna.
Evidence is mounting that there's more FaceTime video chat coming in handheld devices, with reports surfacing today that the next iPod Touch, due this year, will include a front-facing camera.
It's unlikely that consumers' iTunes accounts were hacked by a Vietnamese iPhone developer, a security researcher said today.
Apple today pulled a large number of apps created by a Vietnamese iPhone developer after claims by competitors that he had pushed his software to the top of the best seller list by purchasing them with stolen credit cards.
The uproar over the new iPhone's reception problems is much ado about nothing, an antenna expert said today.
The uproar over the iPhone 4's call reception, and Apple's suggestion that users slap a case around their new phone, has delayed shipments of the company's own "bumper" casing and driven up prices on eBay.
As promised, AT&T today started selling the iPhone 4 to walk-in customers, but many stores quickly ran dry.
Seagate Technologies today announced the first 3TB external desktop hard drive, which is capable of using USB 2.0, 3.0 or FireWire 800 connectivity.
Apple today announced that it and its carrier partners had sold 1.7 million iPhone 4s in the first three days of the new smartphone's availability.
More than one in four Apple iPhones break or fail within two years, a company that provides after-sale warranties said today.
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GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.


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Fortnite Battle Royale
Fortnite news, item shop and more. Not affiliated with @Fortnite or Epic Games.
Here's an in-game look at the new Insight and Longshot outfits! #Fortnite
The Infinity Blade has been vaulted: “We messed up and rolled out the Infinity Blade overpowered / without good counters, especially in the end game.
The Infinity Blade has been Vaulted and we are re-evaluating our approach to Mythic items.” #Fortnite
The Close Encounters LTM has switched to Squads! #Fortnite
Here's a look at the new Slushy Soldier outfit! #Fortnite
The Infinity Blade will be nerfed (kind of..) with #Fortnite
Patch v7.10 next week. Do you think this is enough of a change?
I think we can all agree that the Infinity Blade doesn’t belong in the game in its current state. Should it be an LTM? What do you think they should do to change it? #Fortnite


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The world's first smartphone with a full HD screen resolution is coming to China.
The Oppo manufacturer recently announced the Find 5 device, which the company says will boast a 5-inch screen at 1920 x 1080p.
Quad-core and more
The rest of the spec-set is also pretty impressive. Oppo cites 2GB of RAM, a Qualcomm quad-core 1.5GHz processor and a 12-megapixel camera.
It's also lists the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi a/b/g/n.
As Android Central points out, the spec list does sound a little too good to be true, and it's unlikely that it'll ever reach western shores anyway.
Still, it's interesting to see that some manufacturers are looking to push the boundaries of mobile screen technology.
Via: Android Central


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BC students raise $229K for startup Jebbit, plan hiatus from school
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Jebbit, an online advertising startup launched by Boston College students, disclosed Tuesday it has raised $229,000 led by Boston Seed Capital, and that its team plans to take a leave of absence from BC to focus on the startup.
Jebbit offers a Web service for consumer companies looking to boost awareness of their brands among college students. Students log into Jebbit and answer questions about brands' products — based on information on the brands' websites — and the students get paid for their time.
Jebbit reports having 53 clients including Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), Zipcar (Nasdaq: ZIP) and Bose, while students from more than 2,500 colleges currently use the service — 20 percent of them in the Boston area.
Along with Boston Seed, investors in Jebbit to date include John Simon, partner at Sigma Prime Ventures and co-founder of General Catalyst Partners, and Dharmesh Shah, co-founder and CTO of HubSpot, who invested in the company as part of the Boston "Shark Tank" event last October.
The funding will allow Jebbit to fund further its technology development, add staff and expand its sales and business development efforts, the startup said.
Co-founder and CEO Thomas Coburn said the company has three working full-time right now, and plans to make two to three full-time hires in the next six to 10 months. Thirty-four students in all are involved with Jebbit — all of them from BC, Harvard and MIT, Coburn said.
Coburn and co-founder Chase McAleese, the firm's chief product officer, plan to take a leave of absence from BC starting this month. The two are seniors at the college (Coburn had last June discussed the possibility of taking a leave from BC to focus on Jebbit, which was founded in 2011).
The startup's third full-time staffer, COO Jonathan Lacoste, a sophomore at BC, plans to finish the spring semester and take a leave in May. Jebbit co-founder Jeb Thomas has taken a smaller role with the startup, Coburn said.
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Two decades since the last Bally runway show, the new creative director Rhuigi Villaseñor celebrates Alpine tradition reimagined through a contemporary lens with a California spirit. Just in time for your weekend in the snow in Saint Moritz.
Established in Switzerland in 1851 in the cellar of Carl Franz Bally’s home, Bally is one of the longest-standing brands in the world famous for championing comfort with fashion and creating the finest quality leather shoes. Today, Bally continues to honor its timeless traditions, subscribing to the belief that quality speaks for itself, and they have expanded their line to include men's and women's accessories, ready-to-wear and eyewear. Whether it’s Reindeer boots, worn by Tenzing Norgay during the first-ever ascent of Mount Everest in 1953, technical Curling shoes worn by the Swiss Olympic team, or the use of AI and 3-D prototyping to inform designs, Bally embraces a multitude of cutting-edge technologies while staying true to their artisanal Alpine craftsmanship.
Now, for his first drop, and two decades since the last Bally runway show, the new Creative Director Rhuigi Villaseñor preserves the Bally Curling model's Swiss alps roots that have made Bally a specific brand in the world of luxury, while also supplying an "Old Time Road" twist. Performing and on-trend, the limited Bally Curling has also won the hearts of those unfamiliar with the sport, thanks to a wide-ranging offering that goes beyond shoes, from the new curling uniform, featuring a fine-weave turtleneck sweater and stylish jogging pants, to cashmere hoodies, vests, and leg warmers.
A modern flair combines with the timeless elegance of a brand that has made quality, style, and Alpine tradition the cornerstone of its fashion image. A must-have for any after-skiing attire that matters.


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Shaheen Shah Afridi is set to wear the number 10 jersey for Pakistan in the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand. The shirt number is the same that was worn by the great Shahid Afridi, and Shaheen has expressed the honour he feels to be filling some sizeable shoes. Shahid played 27 Tests, 398 One Day Internationals and 99 T20Is for his country, plundering over 11,000 international runs in the swashbuckling fashion that earned him the nickname “Boom Boom”. His leg-spinners have been deceiving batsmen throughout, and proved their continued worth in the KPL this year.
This is more than a shirt number. It represents honesty, integrity and immense love for Pakistan. I am humbled and honored that I will be now representing Pakistan in shirt # 10 of Lala @SAfridiOfficial . Nothing but Pakistan. #Legacy #TheEagle #PakistanZindabad pic.twitter.com/m8OrKr4wiZ
— Shaheen Shah Afridi (@iShaheenAfridi) September 16, 2021


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Web content soared nearly 30% to $5.95 billion
The Japanese media content market passed the ¥11 trillion ($95 billion) mark for the first time in 2004, with the fastest-growing segment being online content, including games and music, according to a survey by the Communications Ministry.
While the total content market grew 1.9% in 2004 — the latest year surveyed by the ministry — online content soared nearly 30% to $5.95 billion.
Meanwhile, the market for visual software, including TV shows and films, grew 3.2% in the same period, to $43.75 billion.
The growth in the online sector was largely driven by the rapid expansion of high-speed networks for PCs and mobile devices capable of distributing large quantities of data, the survey said.


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We saw the new Mazda Takeri concept for the first time at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon last December and now the mid-size sedan will be making its European debut at at next month’s Geneva International Motor Show.
What's special about the Takeri is that it isn't one of those fantasy concept models that will go away after hitting the motor show scene as it previews the styling of the next Mazda6 range, expected in 2013.
The Takeri is the latest Mazda concept to adopt the Japanese firm's "KODO – Soul of Motion’ design theme after the production CX-5 SUV and the Shinari sports sedan study showcased at Geneva last year.
Under its swooping lines, the 4,850mm-long Takeri makes full use of Mazda's much tooted SkyActiv Technology, which aims to reduce fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions while retaining a sporty drive through a suite of powertrain, chassis and body technologies.
The study is fitted with Mazda's new SKYACTIV-D 2.2-liter turbo diesel engine (available with 150PS and 175PS) with a fuel-saving ‘i-stop’ system and six-speed SKYACTIV-Drive automatic transmission.
In addition, the Takeri is the first Mazda car to be equipped with the firm's i-ELOOP technology, short for “Intelligent Energy Loop", which is a unique regenerative braking system that converts kinetic energy to electricity during deceleration and stores it in an electric double-layer capacitor. The power is used to run the vehicle’s electric components, thus reducing the load on the engine and increasing fuel economy by up to 10 percent, according to Mazda.


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Speculation is going around that the Verizon iPhone announcement is almost here. Whispers are that Apple has blocked employee vacation requests between February 3rd and February 6th, which is Thursday through Sunday. The vacation freeze has been confirmed to be in effect in several regions in the US. It’s worth noting that Apple picked the dates of the 24th to 27th for the launch of its iPhone 4, also Thursday through Sunday, not to mention that Verizon tends to launch new devices on Thursdays too. Of course, there isn’t any confirmation that the Verizon iPhone is the device that will be announced, but the rumors definitely do seem to point in that direction.
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The UK government has launched a call for evidence as part of its Tourism Recovery Plan, which seeks to explore the benefits and challenges posed by the rise in short-term and holiday letting in England. The Tourism Recovery plan is designed to help the tourism industry recover from the pandemic and move towards an innovative, resilient model.
While tourism is back in full swing, it has prompted a range of concerns, including the impact of holiday lets on the housing market and health and safety. This has led some countries to introduce tourist registration schemes.
The call for evidence contains 12 questions and will help the government decide whether further regulation is necessary. It is designed to gain insight on:
Responses can be made by anyone and must be submitted by 21 September 2022.
You can respond online from gov.uk or submit the responses via email at email@example.com.
“Richard Anthony case study – Terry Lewis – Jaques Samuel Pianos Widely considered to be London’s leading piano retailer, Jaques Samuel Pianos has grown considerably from its humble beginnings in the front room of Mr Samuel’s home in Notting Hill. They are now internationally recognised and have provided pianos for high-profile clients like Queen and […]”
Terry Lewis – Jaques Samuel Pianos
“Richard Anthony: ‘a super-star firm’ MT Finance is a property finance lender, specialising in bridging loans and auction finance. They assist numerous property professionals, business owners, and individuals with their finance requirements and specialise in short-term asset-based lending. Founder and Director, Tomer Aboody, knew that as an asset-based lender, the business would require an expert […]”
Tomer Aboody – MT Finance
“A family fairground success story The Botton family have been running a traditional fairground, arcade and amusement park in the heart of Skegness since taking over the Pleasure Beach in 1965. Jim, the Director of the company, took over from his father and now heads day-to-day activities and administration. He said: “The Pleasure Beach is […]”
Jim Botton – Pleasure Beach (Skegness)


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As the world is getting ready for a new normal after the extent of damage done by the pandemic, there have been a lot of advancements in the virtual world. Particularly, the latter part of 2021 was time for the biggest explosion for non-fungible tokens (NFTs in short), where their total sales went up at least 20 times more than the previous year. Various assets were sold as NFTs, including artworks (digital/physical/system-generated), music albums, movies, video clips, memes, and in-game assets, among others.
The NFT assets used in blockchain-based games have garnered a huge market share during the NFT boom period. The primary reason for such extraordinary records is a result of the scarcity that has been intentionally set by the game developers, reflecting in the trading activity of the game’s ecosystem. There are a lot of blockchain-based games on the market today, with most of them offering a play-to-earn (P2E) option.
P2E gaming is the domain where a player can earn money in real-time – while playing the game reaping cashable in-game rewards. Such a feature in itself is a great affair, and so far, it has been welcomed by many professional gamers as well as people who had to take up P2E gaming due to the sudden economic collapse caused by the global pandemic. There have been various genres of P2E blockchain games that have been received well among the NFT community. Most games are presented in the battle genre, along with a few in racing and sporting genres. Some of them even took up to the next level with a thriving ecosystems of metaverse elements.
Some examples of P2E games include Axie Infinity, Splinterlands, Thetan Arena, F1 Delta Time, and Sorare, among others. Now, it looks like the marketplace is gearing up for yet another sporting-based NFT game with an NFT drop event which is scheduled soon. In this blog, we will see more about what the NFT drop event is all about and more related information that we know.
The Maiden NFT Drop – What Does It Hold?
The upcoming NFT drop event “Super Loot” from the world’s first NFT cricket game, “Meta Cricket League,” is set to be held tomorrow (April 22, 2022) on the ‘Jump.trade’ NFT marketplace website. ‘Jump.trade’ is the official NFT marketplace for the upcoming NFT cricket game. The platform is powered by GuardianLink, an NFT development firm based in Singapore. Earlier, the firm had developed a celebrity NFT marketplace project in collaboration with a few big names that were received well by the target audience.
The only press release earlier last month had started a wave of social media posts expressing enthusiasm towards the NFT drop event and the subsequent cricket game. Various assumptions keep flowing in regards to the launch – such as, the nature of the gameplay, the probable NFT collectibles contained in the subsequent drops, and more.
The Speculations based on the NFT Drop
The ‘Super Loot’ NFT drop has been raising a lot of speculation. Since not a lot is known about the NFTs present in the drop or the utilities they might possess – his has given rise to a mountain of assumptions across social media and personal banters. Which is not surprising, given the hype surrounding the NFT drop event. While some speculations seem plausible, others are hearsay.
One of the main conjectures that have been going across all social media platforms is that the NFTs contained in the drop might include the digital versions of – player cards, cricket equipment, and even a limited edition of signed cricket memorabilia from cricketing legends. Also, the NFTs are largely associated with how the potential game could play out, as these tokens are assumed to hold a major stake in the gameplay of the upcoming NFT cricket game. The cost associated with the NFT collectibles could be much more economical than the expense required to get into any of the currently established blockchain games.
The hashtag “#jumptrade” has been trending across all the social media platforms. The tag is attached to hilarious memes and posts that call out their followers to utilize such a rare opportunity. Some posts went to another extreme by decoding the website and the roadmap, which may or may not come true. So far, the ‘Jump.trade’ NFT marketplace has delivered on a lot of promises for its participants and a lot of guesses regarding how the NFT drop could be crucial until more official announcements are made.
Signing Up for the Platform
To create an account on the ‘Jump.trade’ NFT marketplace platform, go to the “Sign Up” option found on the top right corner of the website. Then, fill in the basic personal details followed with a strong password on the window that appears. After that, a verification email will be sent to your email address. Verify your email, and you are officially a member of the ‘Jump.trade’ NFT marketplace platform. Do not forget to fund your wallet with the necessary currency supported by the platform beforehand as a precautionary measure before buying your first cricket NFTs. More information can be found in the elaborate FAQ section given in the Jump.trade NFT marketplace’s official website.
A Final Touch
One can easily understand the hype around the NFT drop event for the ‘world’s first NFT cricket game’ has been a result of the developers not clearly revealing how the NFT items could be useful in the subsequent game. As we all know, there are no limits to human imagination (which has made us invent everything from the wheel to NFTs), so the guessing game would not stop until the drop event actually happens. Yet, some features of the NFT drop contents are nearly certain, so people should not be missing a one-of-its-kind chance to own some greatly useful NFTs.
Follow – https://bitcointodays.com for More Updates


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Dec 17, 2014 - The advent of robotic technology in Asia further showcases how programmatic may be taking over the digital marketing ecosystem. Will 2015 be the year of the robot? Comments
Mar 24, 2014 - Inspired by March Madness, the companies behind the frozen food and men’s care products are asking fans to vote on branded video content. Comments
Jan 22, 2014 - Expect to see new players, new features, new strategies, and new faces in the 2014 Super Bowl ad game, as well as at least one TV show reunion. Comments
Nov 25, 2013 - The If You Feed Me campaign asks cat owners to create memes that illustrate the great lengths their cats will go to for some wet food. Comments
Sep 20, 2013 - Nesquik’s #NationalBunnyEarsDay, which asked fans to use the brand’s app to post tagged photos to Twitter and Instagram, did not generate much participation. Comments
Aug 9, 2013 - The Concerto Timer app delivers an augmented reality experience of Bach Inventions No. 14. Comments
Jul 3, 2013 - The cat food brand has asked consumers to submit cat videos of two minutes or less. The awards, The Friskies, will culminate with a ceremony in New York in October. Comments
Apr 17, 2013 - The promotion asks its 5.1 million fans to blow out virtual candles for 85 days. Comments
Mar 11, 2011 - David Hills takes reins at BuzzLogic; IPG Media Lab fills leadership posts; another Yahoo reorg. Comments
Singapore, 5-6 March
Bangkok, 17-18 March
Hong Kong, April 2015
Google My Business Listings Demystified
To help brands control how they appear online, Google has developed a new offering: Google My Business Locations. This whitepaper helps marketers understand how to use this powerful new tool.
5 Ways to Personalize Beyond the Subject Line
82 percent of shoppers say they would buy more items from a brand if the emails they sent were more personalized. This white paper offer five tactics that will personalize your email beyond the subject line and drive real business growth.


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A lavish, thoroughly updated SoHo loft with six terraces is on the market for $65 million.
No single residential unit has ever sold for that amount in downtown Manhattan.
The penthouse, which was renovated for four years and which listing agents call “bespoke,” is filled with oversized windows and skylights.
There are six irrigated and landscaped terraces — including one with a hot tub.
A rigorously renovated 8,000 square foot loft in Manhattan’s SoHo hip neighborhood, located in the building where actor Heath Ledger once lived before his death in 2008, is on the market for $65 million.
If sold at its asking price, the penthouse would break the record for the most expensive single residential sale in downtown Manhattan, according to The New York Times. The current record is held by a West Chelsea penthouse that sold for $59.06 million, according to the Times.
The property, which a is co-listing between Corcoran and CORE real estate, was sold to its current owners in 2011 for $17 million, according to Curbed. The couple spent four years making gut renovations but ultimately decided it was too much space for them, Curbed reported.
“The penthouse at 421 Broome is truly incomparable,” J. Eric Becker of Corcoran told Business Insider. “In all of my years in real estate, I have never seen such a stunning home, with incredible attention to detail and unmatched design sophistication.”
Here’s a look inside the updated luxury penthouse.
The apartment is on Broome Street in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood, which was once an industrial district.
It’s now a hip shopping area filled with designer boutiques.
Source: NYC Go
The owners of the luxurious four-bedroom, 6.5 bathroom penthouse spent four years renovating the home, which resides in a landmarked cast-iron condominium dating back to 1873.
There’s only one way to get to this luxury lodge in Alaska that charges upwards of $8,000 per stay — and it’s not by roadPeople are paying up to $700 a night to go ‘glamping’ in luxury tents with 1,500-thread count linens on an island in New York HarborI taught myself how to cook — here are 8 tips if you feel hopeless in the kitchen
Read more: feedproxy.google.com


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Telemarket, the online grocery unit of French retailer Galeries Lafayette,
insists it is not up for sale but is seeking a partner for its business.
The group has hired Deutsche Morgan Grenfell to ‘help it explore ways
to develop’ leading to speculation that it might be up for sale. Supermarket
companies Casino Guichard Perrachon, Auchan and Carrefour
are expected to take an interest in securing the Telemarket business to complement
their own existing online operations. Foreign retailers Wal-Mart, Tesco
and Ahold have also been mentioned as possible contenders.
Casino is expected to lead the chase for Telemarket despite running its own
online business, C-mescourses. Casino already has a 15% stake in Telemarket
and is keen to consolidate its share in the market that includes three other
major participants: Houra, owned by retailer Cora, Carrefour’s
Ooshop and Auchan Direct. Casino has already indicated it is seeking
further synergies with Telemarket.


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VR Ready: New Graphics Solution for VR Developers
At the GPU Technology Conference (in San Jose, California), on April 4th, Nvidia announced a new graphics solution for virtual reality developers. It’s called VR Ready and it combines Nvidia’s Quadro GPUs with a software development kit that PC makers can utilize when creating different experiences.
HP and MSI have both created products that enable VR Ready technology. The first laptop to include the Quadro M5500 GPU is MSI’s WT72 mobile workstation. Nvidia says it’s the quickest mobile GPU available. The WT72 display is 17.3-inches and it weighs 8.4 pounds. It’s going to include a mobile Xeon processor, but pricing and availability information has yet to be released.
MSI WT72 VR Ready laptop with HP’s VR-ready Z workstations are developed mainly for content creators who will be creating games and software for headsets such as the HTC Vive. HP has said that the Vive has been tested and is confirmed that it works with the Z computers.
Jeff Wood, HP Workstations VP, said, ”We are embarking on a new frontier that will change how content producers and artists develop the most immersive, visually stimulating content available.”
Users will be able to develop their Z workstations with 2 Quadro M6000 cards and each card will have 24GB of memory. Two GPUs are needed in order to run Nvidia’s VR Scalable Link Interface technology, that essentially doubles the system’s rendering power for VR applications.
The Nvidia VR Ready HP Z Workstation is available now and the pricing starts at around $4,363. As of now, the dual Quadro cards aren’t included with the shipping workstations. If you don’t want to install yourself, then HP can install the Quadros for you, but they won’t be offering that service until a bit later on, in May.
Also not included in the workstations is the Vive headset. In order to get the Vive, the developers will need to purchase it severally for about $799. Some developers already have access to the Vive headsets for testing purposes.
Nvidia’s announcements about MSI and HP were exciting, but it recently announced other initiatives as well. The company said they’re working in partnership with Lenovo and Dell to create more VR workstations.
Dell also announced that they’re creating VR ready workstations too.
VR is still in the early days, but based on the companies that have already begun to work on VR initiatives, more developers are becoming interested in creating VR compatible software. It’s thought that the MSI and HP workstations will probably be utilized more by large studios that are in need of several computers they can count on to support VR content.
There are most likely going to be many more VR capable laptops that will hit the market in the months and years to come as more people want to try virtual reality.


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Watford Market closer to becoming an architectural landmark in the town.
Markets made from shipping containers such as New York’s Dekalb and London’s Boxpark have hit the headlines in the past – now though it’s the new Watford Market.
The contract to convert shipping containers into a new market for Watford was awarded to Adaptainer by Watford Borough Council after the project was given the go ahead earlier this year.
Since then Adaptainer conversion workshops have been busy modifying the containers which will accommodate a wide variety of retailers inside 44 containers over 2 floors.
All of the converted shipping containers have now been moved into positon and are being prepared ahead of the markets opening.
‘This latest delivery marks another step closer to the exciting opening day’ said Adaptainer co-founder Jon Clark.
The market is located centrally in town, there are entrances from the High Street, next to the former TJ Hughes building, and from Beechen Grove, near to Clarendon Road. It’s also close to car parks and public transport links.
Update: The new Watford Market is now open!


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WASHINGTON (2/23/16 UPDATED 8:05 A.M. ET)--When credit union advocates visit their legislators this week during the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) Governmental Affairs Conference, they should bring with them the message that Congress can--and should--help ease regulatory burden.
“While this wave is coming from several agencies, it’s fair to say the brunt of credit unions’ angst today is a result of recent and pending rules from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB),” wrote Ryan Donovan, CUNA chief advocacy officer, in an op-ed in CUToday this morning.
“To be clear: we believe consumers deserve strong protections from predatory service providers--it is one of the reasons why CUNA was a founding organization of the Consumer Federation of America,” he added. “Nevertheless, we believe the rules should not make it more difficult for consumers to access safe and affordable financial services products.”
Donovan’s message comes as nearly 5,000 credit union advocates are in Washington, D.C., for CUNA GAC--an integral part of which are the visits to federal policymakers to discuss these and other key credit union topics.
Mortgage lending in particular has been weighed down by CFPB rules, and Donovan detailed specific legislative items that would ease the load:
“Today, rules that ought to target bad actors are sweeping in credit unions, creating an operating environment that forces credit unions to choose from a menu of anti-consumer choices,” he wrote. “They can stop offering the products subject to new regulation; reduce offering the products; offer the products but increase the cost to consumers; or merge with another institution that has the scale to manage the increased regulatory burden.
“When a credit union is forced by regulation to choose among these options, the regulatory requirement is not consumer protection. It is quite the opposite.”


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Just after the announcement that Shanghai Disney Resort will reopen in phases on May 11, the Chief Medical Officer for Disney Parks, Dr. Pamela Hymel, has shared insight on possible reopening procedures for the rest of the parks.
In a letter posted to the Disney Parks Blog, Dr. Hymel shares that Disney is evaluating many new and enhanced safety measures to keep guests safe while working at and visiting Disney Resorts and Disney stores.
Some of these measures include:
- Phased reopening – This could include a gradual reopening and/or partial reopening of certain locations, like the opening of dining and retail locations before opening the theme parks.
- Physical distancing and capacity measures – This will likely include implementing guest capacity measures to comply with state and federal guidelines. Technological support is also being considered, like the Play Disney Parks app and virtual queues at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
- Cleanliness and sanitization – Disney is planning increased cleaning and disinfection, deciding where that should take place (like in high-traffic areas), and what cleaning products and processes will be used.
- Screening and prevention support – Disney will follow guidelines set by the government and medical community related to enhanced screening procedures and prevention measures, including those related to personal protective equipment (PPE), like face coverings and masks. Some measures like adding hand sanitizers and handwashing stations across the parks have already been implemented.
- Cast training – Cast members will receive new training and reinforcement as the parks get closer to opening.
In addition to these possible procedures, Dr. Hymel has also been working with the US Travel Association on guidelines that the travel industry can use to help demonstrate that safety is of great importance to travelers. You can read these guidelines here.
It is important to keep in mind that these possible procedures can change alongside the constantly-changing global health situation. Dr. Hymel says that more information will be shared as the parks move toward reopening.
Stay tuned for more updates as we await more details on the eventual reopening of the Disney Parks.


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Who: Tim Hortons, with Gut for creative and strategy, Horizon for media, Craft Public Relations for PR, Boy in the Castle for production (Colin Tilley directing), with Grayson Music, Rooster Post Production and The Vanity for post production.
What: A new collaboration with Justin Bieber that includes special Timbits called “Timbiebs,” along with Timbiebs merchandise. It appears to be the start of a longterm collaboration, with Tims’ chief marketing officer Hope Bagozzi saying in a release that the company is “looking forward to what’s next.”
When & Where: Timbiebs won’t be in store until Nov. 29, but a TV ad introducing the collaboration is live now, and Tim Hortons is also promoting it across its social channels.
Why: Why not? He’s not only one of the biggest pop stars in the world, but he’s also Canadian and loves the brand. “Doing a Tim Hortons collab has always been a dream of mine,” said Bieber in a release introducing Timbiebs Wednesday morning. “I grew up on Tim Hortons and it’s always been something close to my heart.”
How: According to Tim Hortons, Bieber told them Timbits are his favourite menu item. That led to what it calls a “multi-stage, iterative journey with Chef Tallis Voakes.” Voakes, who is Tim Hortons’ director of culinary innovation, has been featured in recent advertising about its efforts to update its menu.
The result of the iterative journey was three new Timbit flavours: Chocolate White Fudge, Sour Cream Chocolate Chip, and Birthday Cake Waffle.
The 60-second ad introducing the Timbiebs is a humorous imagination of Bieber brainstorming the new Timbits with a Tim Hortons employee. Bieber juggles Timbits, dons a hockey helmet (a “thinking cap”) and floats ideas like an apricot latte, while the fawning employee shouts words of encouragement. Bieber also teased the collaboration to his 203 million (!!) followers earlier this week.
And we quote: “What’s amazing about working with Justin is he has an authentic, lifelong relationship with Tims and he was so invested in working on Timbiebs and our future plans together,” said Hope Bagozzi, chief marketing officer for Tim Hortons in the release. “He knows exactly what our guests already love about the Tims brand and he’s helping us deliver new menu innovations that we know they’re going to love. We’re really looking forward to what’s next.”


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All electronic cigarettes currently on sale in Britain would be banned and removed from shelves under new European Union proposals.
[np_storybar title=”As more children use e-cigarettes, heath officials worry it will lead to regular smoking” link=”http://life.nationalpost.com/2013/09/05/as-more-children-use-e-cigarettes-heath-officials-worry-it-will-lead-to-regular-smoking/”%5D
Children — like adults — are increasingly trying electronic cigarettes, according to the first large national study to gauge use by middle and high school students.
About 2% of the students said they’d used an e-cigarette in the previous month, according to a survey done last year. That was up from 1% in 2011.
More kids still smoke traditional cigarettes than the new electronic ones, and it’s not clear how dangerous e-cigarettes are. It’s also not clear from the report how many are using them on a daily or weekly basis.
A confidential negotiating document drafted by the European Commission seeks to overturn a vote by Members of European Parliament that rejected outlawing them in their present form.
Brussels officials fear that there is a “risk that electronic cigarettes can develop into a gateway to normal cigarettes,” according to the paper. It wants to include the smoke-free alternative under a new EU “tobacco products directive” — despite the fact they contain no tobacco.
The attempt to ban e-cigarettes drew anger from suppliers in Britain, where 1.3 million have switched to the devices.
Fraser Cropper, the chief executive officer of Totally Wicked, an e-cigarette supplier based in Lancashire, U.K., said: “Behind closed doors in Brussels, unaccountable and unelected bureaucrats are drafting proposals that will deny millions of existing and former smokers access to a safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes.”
A town in northern France has become the first to impose a ban on electronic cigarettes in public buildings. Francois Digard, the mayor of Saint-Lo in the La Manche region of Normandy, passed a decree this month outlawing them.
France, which has an estimated 1.5 million e-cigarette users, is mulling a ban but the mayor apparently decided to jump the gun after several non-smokers said they were unhappy about the devices being smoked in public libraries. “The e-cigarette is not neutral in the immediate environment. With it emitting odour and a bit of smoke it can really bother some people,” Digard told France Bleu Cotentin radio.
EU officials say the devices ‘normalize the action of smoking’
As cigarette smoking has been increasingly stigmatized, the sale of electronic cigarettes has risen dramatically.
E-cigarettes consist of a battery, a cartridge containing nicotine, a solution of propylene glycol or glycerine mixed with water, and an atomizer to turn the solution into a vapour. The nicotine is delivered without a flame and without tobacco or tar and e-cigarette users describe the experience as “vaping” rather than smoking. They are widely considered a healthier alternative, however, the Dutch public health institute on Wednesday published a policy paper claiming that electronic cigarettes are as harmful as ordinary cigarettes, saying that they are addictive and contain poisonous substances.
Because the products are new and do not contain tobacco, they are outside EU law and are more or less unregulated in Britain and across Europe.
The officials in Brussels want that to change, saying the devices “normalize the action of smoking”. “Electronic cigarettes are a tobacco-related product and should be regulated within this directive. They simulate smoking behaviour and are increasingly used and marketed to young people and non-smokers,” said the commission negotiating paper.
‘Forcing e-cigarettes off the shelves would be crazy. It would remove a valuable support for people desperate to stop smoking’
The proposals would ban, by 2017, e-cigarettes that produce levels of nicotine above 20mg per mL, those with refillable cartridges or those that taste like tobacco. Suppliers say all e-cigarettes currently available would fall foul of the rules.
Martin Callanan, a Conservative MEP, said: “Forcing e-cigarettes off the shelves would be crazy. It would remove a valuable support for people desperate to stop smoking and thus could potentially lead to needless deaths.”
A commission spokesman said: “I never comment on leaked documents.”


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Hindustan Unilever reported 10 per cent year-on-year growth at Rs 2,061 crore for the quarter ended June, which was in line with analysts’ estimates.
Comreni volumes rose 9% in the first quarter from a year ago, a period of local lockdowns covering the second wave.
This comes with a contract of 8% from a year ago when the country was under a complete lockdown. Volume growth, however, slowed sequentially.
While the new restrictions in India hit the market in the second quarter (April-June), they were less severe than in the same period last year, other Unilevers also. said in his semiannual remarks.
Net profit of India’s largest consumer goods maker fell 3.7% sequentially to Rs 2,070 crore in the quarter ended June, according to its exchange filing.
The soap-to-shampoo company reported a 13 per cent on-year rise in revenue from operations to Rs 11,915 crore.
On the operating front, the company’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization rose 8 per cent on-year to Rs 2,847 crore.
The company’s margins, however, continued to suffer on account of higher commodity prices.
Impact on shares
Shares of HUL fluctuated after the results were announced. The stock gained as much as 3% before paring gains and is trading 2.17%, lower compared with a 0.9% gain in the benchmark Nifty 50.
Comment from Chairman
Sanjiv Mehta, “In a challenging environment, we have delivered a strong performance across topline and bottomline. Our performance in the quarter has been resilient and is reflective of our capabilities, the agility in our operations and the intrinsic strength of our portfolio.”
Comment from CFO
Ritesh Tiwari, “We are in the thick of the season for tea and palm (oil). Over the next couple of months, we will have to see … production of these commodities, which will later show us the kind of pricing we will see.”
Press the 🔔 icon for notifications of all new updates


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Wed, 16 December 2020
On this week's episode of IGN's PlayStation show Podcast Beyond! host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Lucy O'Brien, Zach Ryan, and special guest Mick Abrahamson to discuss all the big Game Awards announcements, and how PS5 has an exciting 2021 lineup in store for players. Plus, we look at Cyberpunk's launch and CDPR's post-launch response to PS4 issues, and much more.
Direct download: Beyond_121520_audio.mp3
Category:VIdeo Games -- posted at: 6:00pm EDT


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The Bangladesh telecom regulator has blocked online multiplayer game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds or PUBG at the request of cyber security police following complaints by parents of adolescent players.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Cyber Security and Crime Division requested the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission or BTRC to block access to the online game from the country last week.Often likened to the blockbuster book and film series “The Hunger Games”, PUBG pits marooned characters against each another in a virtual fight to the death, and has become one of the world’s most popular mobile games. The move follows similar bans in Iraq, Nepal, Jordan, the Indian state of Gujarat and the Indonesian province of Aceh.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), made by South Korean firm Bluehole Inc, is a survival-themed battle game that drops dozens of online players on an island where they try and eliminate each other. North Carolina-based Epic Games' Fortnite, with a similar premise, is seen as an industry game-changer by analysts as it signed up tens of millions of users for its last-player-standing "Battle Royale" format.


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An e-commerce fulfillment center is setting up an operation in Farmers Branch.
New York-based SupplyHouse.com, a digital distributor of building products, is taking more than 177,000 square feet of shipping space on Stemmons Freeway for a distribution center.
The Long Island-based firm is leasing space in the Prologis Park 35 industrial center and plans to open the location later this year. The warehouse will be the company’s fourth U.S. distribution hub.
“We’ll be able to service 57% of our customers within one day and 97% of our customers within two days,” Eric Sherman, operations captain at SupplyHouse.com, said in a statement. “We’re excited to get started and looking forward to having a presence for our customers in the local Dallas area.”
The new operation will serve customers in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming.
The company plans to hire 30 workers to staff the fulfillment center.
SupplyHouse.com already has distribution centers in Reno, Nev.; Columbus, Ohio; and Cranbury, N.J.
SupplyHouse.com has been in business since 2004 and sells products including plumbing and heating and cooling system supplies.


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Pakistan’s premier beverage brand, Murree Brewery is the most prominent manufacturers of alcoholic products in the country. Due to the prevailing situation in the country, the company has asked the government of Punjab to grant them permission to produce hand sanitizers that would help Pakistan in the fight against Coronavirus.
Isphanyar M. Bhandra, the Chief Executive of Murree Brewery wrote to the Director-General of Excise and Taxation, Punjab to ask for permission to sell alcohol-based hand sanitizers. He mentions,
“Murree Brewery Co. Ltd possessed L-1 and L-3 licenses which are for the manufacturing/sale of intoxicating liquor and ethanol is the basic raw material for it. Considering the current pandemic situation of COVID-19 in the country and shortage/unavailability of hand sanitisers throughout Pakistan, we believe that as a responsible company we must contribute our role in making hand sanitisers on war footing basis to help the nation in this hard time.”
He further urged for the special permission without the necessary long formalities so they would be able to produce the sanitisers immediately.
Murree Brewery has been asked to shut down its operations during the lockdown. Therefore, the beverage company has asked for special approval from the Director-General, Excise and Taxation, Punjab to resume normal working operations. Murree Brewery’s General Manager also mentions that they have installed hand sanitizers for the staff and provided them with masks.
Globally, various brewery brands including Coors Beers have started manufacturing hand sanitisers to meet the market demand during the pandemic. It would be helpful if Murree Brewery was granted permission to do the same as it is the need of the hour.
Follow Brandsynario for latest news and updates.


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Mike Masnick, Rafat Ali, Jason Schultz and Derek Slater
Despite Apple's legal bluster, Jason Schultz of EFF thinks Real is on fairly solid legal ground. Derek Slater, a student at Harvard, agrees and believes that the recent Chamberlain v. Skylink court decision may provide even more legal cover. This is good news for Apple, actually, as both industry analysts, Rafat Ali and Mike Masnick, believe Apple is better off if Real's music downloads can be played on the iPod. Slater, adds a cautionary note, however. All agree that Real's "Freedom of Music Choice" is a dismal failure as a marketing campaign, and Microsoft's decision to encourage people to rip music into the MP3 format makes much more sense.
There is much more in this interesting discussion regarding business online music business models and why consumers should care.
Rafat Ali, a business and technology journalist and founder of the digital media news and analysis website, PaidContent.org.
Mike Masnick, founder and president of Techdirt, a research firm focused on keeping business executives informed about technology issues that impact their businesses.
Jason Schultz, a staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Derek Slater a Harvard University senior and affiliate of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School.
This program is one of a series, The Importance of...Law and IT, hosted by Ernest Miller.
This free podcast is from our The Law and IT with Ernest Miller series.


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No, it’s not Chips A’Hoy! According to Reuters, U.S. President Joe Biden met with executives from major companies on Monday to discuss the global chip shortage that has severely hurt U.S. automakers and spurred Intel Corp to announce it plans to make chips for car plants at its factories in the next six to nine months.
- What could the current supply crunch of chips lead to?
- How many corporate executives met with the Biden Administration on April 12?
- Executives from what tech companies were at the summit?
- How much has President Biden pledged to invest in semiconductor manufacturing and research as part of his broader focus on rebuilding U.S. manufacturing?
Bose, N. and S. Nellis. (2021). As Biden works to fix chips shortage, Intel promises help for hurting automakers. Reuters, April 12 (Retrievable online at https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-biden-chips-idUSKBN2BZ118)