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We're kicking off this week's summary with Dave Blake listing hot discussions you could be missing out on over at our Windows Phone forum. If you're residing in the UK and are an owner of a Windows Phone, have you heard about the new review section at the official Windows Phone UK website? A small competition is being ran which we're helping to judge! Simply review your experience and be in with a chance to win. Head on past the short break for the full summary.
Starting off is the news of Samsung and HTC to invest more to market Windows Phone, which is what every user has dreamed about for the past year, while Microsoft commits a further £20 million to promote Nokia handsets with Samsung receiving some extra funding. The Nokia ring tone contest has ended with a winner being announced. The new Nokia ring tone is a controversial dub step mix. We've witnessed a few CV (resume) apps making their way onto the Marketplace, yet more rubbish to increase numbers.
India has launched Windows Phone with a bang, sporting the HTC Radar, Samsung Omnia W and Acer Allergo, which ties in nicely with word that 30% of users are now running Mango. Blackberry users were unfortunately struck with downtime to services including email, BBM and more, which opened up an opportunity for some to switch with free Windows Phone handsets being given out. At long last the deal for Microsoft to acquire Skype has been closed. The last highlight is the ChevronWP7 Labs unlocker is only a few weeks away from launch with new details being published.
Everyone should have massive grins on faces with iBlast Mokia being this week's Xbox Live Deal of the Week. Microsoft opened up preview registrations for the new Xbox dashboard refresh that's set to arrive this fall and take the look of Metro UI. We're all more than aware of the recent absence of Xbox Live titles for Windows Phone and Microsoft has provided some insight as to why this is the case. To wrap up our gaming news, Microsoft Game Studios has a new official blog for Xbox Live Arcade and Windows Phone games.
Navigon has landed in the US and European Marketplaces at high prices and massive sized downloads. Updates have hit a number of apps including Netflix, MSN Movies, USA Today, Xbox LIVE Extras and Boards Express. With all the OS updating that has been performed as of late, Engadget ran a poll covering iOS 5 with a Mango option. The results are interesting to say the least.
We put the Internet functionality in Windows Phone to the test and it turns out to perform superbly, as expected. DFT is hard at work to follow up on the first generation ROM, which will bring added features and to be freely unlocked. If this wasn't enough, we take a look at some old videos to remind us of how Microsoft's TellMe is to blow Apple's SIRI out of the water. Finally, Bing Maps receives a new colour scheme along with more legible features.
Andy Lees, has spent some time talking about LTE and dual-core CPUs, defending the decisions made by the team to stick with single core chips. New Nokia 800 advertisements emerge, let us see what happens at the upcoming Nokia World. According to Expansys in Canada, not only are they shipping the HTC Titan and Radar, but the Titan is number two in the top 20 best selling handsets this week. Keeping on good news, Australia is apparently taking to the HTC Mozart in the last 12 weeks.
Windows Phone handsets being sold on eBay are increasing in price, which could be an exciting new trend we're witnessing in the UK for demand. Orange France has alerted customers to a €8 a month tethering option that could be covering Mango too, while LG Germany has confirmed that an update for Internet sharing is coming. Should you be in the dark about tethering, check out a brief list of supported devices and firmware. Sprint favours the iPhone 4S by using the HTC Arrive as a poster prop in their Buyback program.
Fun, fun, fun! UK based film extras were in demand for a new Windows Phone Zombie game, but if that's not your scene then why not enjoy some humorous wallpapers? The Guardian, a British newspaper, has launched an iPad app, which looks like a simplistic Metro approach, but works really well. We'll close this section up with a simple and free app from Microsoft that creates a Live Tile which acts as a status indicator and short-cut to manipulate the 3G connectivity setting.
Unfortunately, the only developer orientated news we have this week is a new Silverlight for Windows Phone Toolkit ebook. Well worth checking out.
- Samsung and HTC commit more money to marketing Windows Phone
- MS commits £20m to advertising Nokia phones, Samsung gets some too
- Nokia ring tone contest winner announced
- Apple files for "In-App Purchasing" patent
- Windows Phone CV apps?
- India launches Windows Phone 7.5 with the HTC Radar, Samsung Omnia W and Acer Allegro
- 30% percent of Windows Phones now on Mango
- Microsoft's giving away Windows Phones to those frustrated with BlackBerry
- Official Windows Phone UK review competition
- Look who's talking, Microsoft closes Skype deal
- ChevronWP7 Labs unlocker a few weeks from launch, new details released
- Smile! iBlast Moki is the Xbox Live Deal of the Week
- Xbox Live Dashboard preview program registration is live
- Microsoft responds to Xbox Live release drought
- Official blog for Microsoft Studios’ Xbox LIVE Arcade and Windows Phone games launches
- Navigon lands in the U.S. and European Marketplaces
- AT&T HD7S Mango update starting today [Rumor]
- Navigon announces their Windows Phone apps and pricing info [Updated]
- Third party Pandora app coming to Windows Phone
- App updates: Netflix, MSN Movies, USA Today and Xbox LIVE Extras
- Board Express gets a major update to version 2.5
- iOS 5 vs the Windows Phone Mango update
- Windows Phone Internet Sharing put to the test
- DFT Custom ROM #2 for Windows Phone to feature Internet Sharing, CDMA support
- Future of Microsoft TellMe on Windows Phone
- More on Turn by Turn Navigation US + Canada
- Call frequent contacts more easily with 7Dialer
- Bing Maps gets new color scheme and more legible features
- Andy Lees talks dual-core CPUs and 4G LTE
- New Nokia 800 Windows Phone ads emerge
- Nokia Windows Phone coming to Telstra
- Digitec shipping HTC Titan and Radar
- Expansys shipping HTC Radar and Titan, in top 20
- Acer set to release Allegro Windows Phone this Christmas in Europe
- Australian HTC Mozart gets sales uptick in the last 12 weeks
- Windows Phones increasing in price on eBay. A new trend?
- Orange FR alerts users to € 8 a month tethering option for Windows Phone?
- LG Germany confirms a small update for Internet Sharing is coming
- HTC Titan and Radar coming to Taiwan
- Nokia 800 in Airtel poster
- WiFi Tethering on handsets and the Dell Venue Pro
- Verizon Trophy for a penny at Amazon
- HTC Brazil set to announce the Ultimate Windows Phone on the 20th
- Dell's ongoing Venue Pro problems: No compass driver in Mango?
- Sprint makes the Arrive a poster child for their Buyback program, favors iPhone 4S
- Nokia 710 Windows Phone specs revealed on developer page
- Wanted: Film extras for new Windows Phone Zombie game! [UK]
- High quality humorous wallpapers
- The Guardian iPad app looks awesome like Metro
- Use Microsoft's Live Tile app to quickly toggle 3G data [Tip]
- Funny Faces augmented reality app for Mango
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Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.


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Something wicked this way comes…
Earlier this week, A24 released the trailer for their newest horror film, “Lamb.”
Amazon Prime and A24 released the trailer for the upcoming documentary ‘Val’, which is a personal insight into the story of actor Val Kilmer .
A24 has released a brand new trailer for their upcoming film “The Green Knight”.
The trailer for A24’s ‘Zola’, a story based on a Twitter thread, has been released.
Wellcome to the very first , today we will be discussing the film production/distribution company A24.

domain: news


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How to Fix Your Spotify App After The Recent Spotify Data Breach Spotify’s website now says that it will disable the ability to add users.In other words, it’s disabling all
Tag: github singerio
Artist creates an artistic sculpture with a human head from scratch, but can’t recreate it?Artist creates an artistic sculpture with a human head from scratch, but can’t recreate it?
The sculpture, a 3D model of an astronaut, is being used to celebrate International Astronautical Day, which commemorates the first humans to land on the Moon.It was made by an
Spotify is one of the most popular streaming music services in the world, with more than a billion monthly active users.But while Spotify is the most common, there are plenty
When you see the term “honey bee” in a grocery store, what do you think?When you see the term “honey bee” in a grocery store, what do you think?
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been surprised to see honey bee symbols on store shelves.They are so ubiquitous.And while there’s no official official name for the
Prince, Justin Bieber: What you need to know about the star who was born in CanadaPrince, Justin Bieber: What you need to know about the star who was born in Canada
The Toronto-born singer-songwriter Justin Bieber, who was the first Canadian to hit the Canadian Billboard 200, will release his first studio album on May 23.He’ll also headline a global tour
“We have the song ‘Ce qui sont nous aussi’ (It is not my fault that we have such a small place),” said Jodi Roddenberry in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless


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The former Leicester Central Station will be its permanent home.
The first here-to-stay Leicester food court, has been put together by Leicester's new attraction Lane7, which opens next month.
A spokesperson for Lane7 commented: “The former “Goods Yard” area of the station is going to be an incredible feast of flavours and a foodie destination in its own right. At Lane7 we’re all about giving people a night to remember and the quality of these food traders certainly reflects that!”
Alongside bowling, gaming and late-night bars, Lane7 will also bring a tasty new dimension to the city's food offering.
Its owners have revealed the first traders who will be taking up residency in one of the city's most iconic buildings; Leicester Central Station.
Opening their kitchens alongside Lane7 will be Deckards, What’s Your Beef and Yardbirds. Covering a range of global cuisines, including incredible vegan options, the traders will be open sevens days a week for diners and takeaways.
Deckards specialises in Bao-Taiwanese Steamed Buns. It has Pan Asian influences melded with pop culture references and has earned an eager following of UK foodies.
A Deckards representative said: “We cannot wait to be slinging’ bao from Lane7’s new Leicester location! Bao, bowling and beer is something we can all get behind!”
Burger fans will be able to feast on proper grass-fed burgers from What’s Your Beef as the Manchester team bring their award-winning burgers to Lane7. There will also be vegetarian and vegan options.
A member of the What's Your Beef team said: “The venue looks amazing and we’ve got big plans for Leicester along with some exciting specials lined up to come on the menu.” Joining them, Yardbirds will be moving in with their all American-fried chicken and waffles. Enjoy a taste of Harlem in Leicester with their special recipe fried chicken and filthy fries. There will also be a range of themed bars including a Gin Kitchen, Slushie Bar, secret cocktail garden, coffee and cake, bubble waffles and much more.


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Linde announced today its CRYOLINE UPF ultra performance flighted freezer—to help customers produce individually quick frozen (IQF) products—and the CRYOLINE CVT cryovantage tunnel freezer—with a focus on cryogen efficiency—will be on display in booth 11023 at the FPSA Process Expo in Chicago.
We R Food Safety!, the only provider of food safety software supported by a full-time, top-tier industry consulting staff, invites attendees at the 2021 AAMP Convention in Oklahoma City to visit Booth #225 to see our new look and learn about the newest software offerings from the Trusted Advisors to the Industry.
A person who has tested positive for COVID-19 was on-site at the Georgia World Congress Center during MODEX 2020 (March 9-12). This person was working on-site for a trade show marketing and labor provider from March 4-14. We are told the person tested positive on March 17 and is recovering at this time.
AFFI-CON is the premier business event for frozen food and beverage makers, industry suppliers and logistical partners. It brings together over 500 companies and 1,500+ attendees in a single location, allowing them to meet one-on-one to discuss current and future business opportunities. The focus of this event is networking and getting business done. The average attendee will have 40+ private business meetings that will lay the foundation for their year. If you operate in the frozen food supply chain, AFFI-CON is business imperative!
Gather with packaging and processing professionals from up and down the East Coast to see the latest solutions from hundreds of exhibitors at PACK EXPO East 2024. Make the easy trip to Philadelphia for a day or two—or three—and find the solutions you need now, to keep your projects moving. Witness machinery in action, get hands-on experience with materials, and talk to experts and hear from industry thought leaders.
This opportunity only comes around every two years, so don’t miss it!


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A new line of Chromebooks is coming soon powered by Intel's battery-sipping, high-speed Haswell chips.
Google and Intel announced the models from Hewlett-Packard, Acer, Asus, and Toshiba at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco on Wednesday.
Because of their Haswell-based internals, these new Chromebooks are expected to have a battery life in the range of 9 hours. And following the lead of the popular $250 Samsung Series 3 Chromebook and Acer's $199 C7 Chromebook, they're expected to cost under $300 for the Wi-Fi only models, as opposed to Google's high-end, $1,300 Chromebook Pixel.
Google … Read more
Intel disclosed a lineup of revamped Atom chips Wednesday that target both Windows 8.1 and Android tablets.
The Z3000 series is based on a redesigned Atom processor that promises better performance than the pokey chips that powered Windows 7 Netbooks of the past.
Performance is boosted by employing so-called "out-of-order execution," similar to what Intel uses in its higher-performance mainstream laptop processors. It also packs improved graphics silicon that is essentially the same "HD" technology used in Intel's laptop-class Ivy Bridge processors, said Chris Walker, general manager for tablet processors at Intel, in an … Read more
Future Android tablets with Intel inside will approach two-digit pricing, packing a new -- as yet unannounced -- chip, Intel said Tuesday.
Upcoming Atom-based tablets will appear at the $100 price point, Chris Walker, general manager for tablet processors at Intel, told CNET today. Walker was echoing comments made earlier in the day by CEO Brian Krzanich.
Though Intel Atom chips run both Windows and Android, "the low price points should be Android," Walker said.
Hewlett-Packard has an Android tablet -- the Slate 7 -- that is priced at $140 but uses an ARM processor.
The future Atom (… Read more
On Wednesday, Asus is hosting a media event in San Francisco and CNET will be there to bring you live coverage. Join me, my fellow CNET editor Xiomara Blanco, and photo man (or "photographer," as he prefers to be called) James Martin as we bring you on-point and insightful -- with equal doses of objectivity and good-natured pithiness -- coverage of the event.
This comes right smack-dab in the middle of IDF (Intel Developer Forum), so it's a good bet most of what we'll see will be of the Intel/Windows 8 (or 8.1) variety. … Read more
Intel announced a line of tiny chips for new markets, including wearable devices, at the company's annual conference in San Francisco on Tuesday.
Called Quark, it is Intel's bid to stay relevant in the era of wearable computing.
The new lower-power products will address wearable gadgets, as well as industrial "Internet-of-Things" devices, new Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said during his keynote speech.
It's approximately one-fifth the size of the company's already-small Atom chip and draws one-tenth the power.
Intel will sample circuit board designs based on the first product in this family during the … Read more
Apple's September 10 event has iPhones front and center in the minds of industry watchers, but that doesn't mean that's the only topic that will be covered during the presentation.CNET's live coverage of Apple's September 10 event
But if I may offer a suggestion, this would be the perfect time to slip in some modest internal upgrades for most of the Mac line of computers. The only recently … Read more
Future Windows 8.1 tablets will be powered by the marquee attraction at Intel's annual forum that starts Tuesday -- the Bay Trail Atom chip.
What is Bay Trail exactly? At the high end, it is a series of Atom processors built primarily for tablets. (Lower-end Celeron and Pentium variants should appear in low-cost laptops.)
Maybe most importantly, it's a completely redesigned Atom that is trying to break from the past of pokey Windows 7 Netbook Atoms.
On the eve of Intel's annual conference, executives from rival ARM described a more PC-like future for mobile devices in an interview with CNET.
ARM chip designs dominate smartphones and tablets worldwide. Its processors are the brains inside the iPhone, the iPad, Samsung Galaxy products, Google's Nexus line, HTC devices -- and the list goes on and on.
Samsung, Apple, Nvidia, Qualcomm, and MediaTek -- all licensees to varying degrees of ARM technology -- dominate.
That's a problem for Intel as ARM-based devices running Android, for instance, take on more PC-like attributes.
ARM's upcoming Cortex-A53 and … Read more
With the release of its new 8-inch Encore tablet, Toshiba is expected to provide the first glimpse of Intel's new Atom chip, the Bay Trail-T, powering Windows 8.1, industry sources say.
Bay Trail is a complete redesign of the Atom chip and offers performance that comes closer to Intel's mainstream processors, such as its Celeron and Pentium lines -- roughly twice to three times the performance of the current "Clover Trail" Atom.
Many of the Bay Trail-based tablets are expected to come with the quad-core variant of the Bay Trail processor.
The tablets will offer … Read more


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JACKSONVILLE, ONSLOW COUNTY - Police said they are looking for a woman who tried to pay with counterfeit $100 bills at a Walmart in Jacksonville.
According to the Jacksonville Police Department, the suspect was trying to make a purchase in the electronic department of the Walmart on U.S. 17 at about 12:30 p.m. on May 17. The woman allegedly tried to pass four counterfeit $100 bills.
When employees became suspicious and asked a manager about the bills, the suspect left the store, said investigators.
Police are asking anyone with information on the suspect's identity and whereabouts to contact Det. David Miltier at 910-938-6408 or email email@example.com.
Callers may also contact Crimestoppers at 938-3273.


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New Delhi, Oct 27 (PTI) Mumbai-based fintech platform GetVantage on Tuesday said it has raised USD 5 million (about Rs 36.8 crore) in funding.
The capital raised is a mixture of equity and debt-line and will see the company being backed by Chiratae Ventures (formerly IDG Ventures) along with Dream Incubators (Japan) and other marquee NBFCs and debt funds, a statement said.
In the next two years, the company plans to expand into new markets across Southeast Asia, starting with Singapore.
GetVantage's fintech platform leverages an assortment of sales, marketing, and accounting data to offer between Rs 20 lakh-Rs 2 crore of non-dilutive growth capital for businesses based on current and projected (future) revenue.
'We created GetVantage with the simple mission to re-imagine venture finance for India's online brands and startups that are clamouring for a smarter, fair, and frictionless funding alternative,' GetVantage Founder Bhavik Vasa said.
As consumers have shifted online, more companies are looking at how they can take advantage of this digital-shift and the vast economic opportunities that come with it, Vasa added.
'...GetVantage is designed to help hundreds of small business owners with immediate and fair access to the capital they need to harness these new growth opportunities,' Vasa said.
GetVantage's portfolio includes brands across e-commerce and direct-to-consumer (DTC) categories, including edu-tech, B2B SaaS and subscription-based services, personal care, home care, health foods, and fashion.
Unlike traditional funding sources, GetVantage doesn't require business owners to give up equity or control via board seats, or warrants.
'We're fast seeing RBF (Revenue-Based Financing) becoming a preferred funding method for founders and startups looking to drive growth as it sits at the sweet spot between equity financing and debt, without any of the downsides. Our data-driven approach is based on performance. We connect to a customer's existing sales and marketing platforms, like Shopify, Stripe, Google, and Facebook,' Vasa said.
GetVantage had previously raised a pre-seed round from early-stage investors, including Samyakth Capital, Venture Catalysts, Astir Ventures and angels like Jana Balan, Vaibhav Karnavat (Glance Finance), Karun Arya, (Oriente, ex-Uber), Vivek Awasthi (CurrenciesDirect), Soham Avlani (9Unicorns), CA Anuj Golecha and others. PTI SR BAL BAL BAL


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Uber Eats Expands Delivery Beyond Take Out
DUBLIN, Oct. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ResearchAndMarkets.com published a new article on the food delivery industry "Uber Eats Expands Delivery Beyond Take Out"
The pandemic has changed consumers' expectations of what items should be available for delivery and Uber Eats is responding by accelerating its plans to expand its delivery services beyond take out. Uber Eats is rolling out a new update around the world over the next six weeks which will give users instant access to local retailers as well as restaurants from the comfort of their homes. The update will allow users to order new categories of items including groceries, medicines, pet food and flowers.
Uber Eats will roll out new features that provide users with custom home pages based on their purchase history and preferences and give them more information about items available for delivery in their area. Users will also be able to order from multiple restaurants or combine a food order with the purchase of other items to receive everything within the same delivery. The update follows Uber’s pending agreement to acquire rival Postmates for $2.65 billion which is expected to close early in 2021. If the deal goes ahead it would bring the number of major US third party delivery companies to three: Doordash, Grubhub and Uber Eats.
To see the full article and a list of related reports on the market, visit "Uber Eats Expands Delivery Beyond Take Out"
ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.
Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.
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View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/uber-eats-expands-delivery-beyond-take-out-301156813.html
SOURCE Research and Markets


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You may have seen my recent article published by the ABC titled 'Regulate or Innovate?'.
Soon after this was published, Gerry Harvey announced that he would follow in Myer's footsteps by opening up a China-based website to sell direct to Australian shoppers.
The supposed aim of this store is for Harvey Norman customers to avoid paying GST. Myer boss Bernie Brookes announced similar plans on Friday.
It's an absolute hoax. The cost of sending a product from China to Australia will far outweigh the 10% they save by dodging GST.
Last week, Gerry Harvey was saying that Harvey Norman had no intention of moving online. This week he's announcing a new store based in China. Harvey Norman shareholders must be very tolerant people.
I'm calling their bluffs and going on record as saying I don't think these online sites will ever happen. I think they're nothing more than a political move by Gerry and Bernie to try and get the Government to tax all imports, even those under $1000.
It's clear that traditional retailers are trying to put political pressure on the Government. They are trying to stir up popular unrest by threatening job losses and outsourcing to China. The Government should not respond to this posturing.
There's a better chance that Australia will win The Ashes this summer than Harvey Norman or Myer opening up these stores.
In the highly unlikely event that they do open their stores and keep them open for three months, I will place prominent links on kogan.com directly to Harvey Norman's and Myer's China-based online stores.
What do you think? Do Gerry and Bernie really want Australian shoppers to be able to dodge GST, or are they just trying to pressure the Government?


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Just now got a notification from zebpay stating they support BCC:).
Blockchain.info to Support Bitcoin Cash - The Bitcoin NewsThe bitcoin blockchain may be just hours away from its first major fork.This site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.How to protect your bitcoin and online poker balances during the User Activated Hard Fork of Bitcoin.Although bitcoin cash is certain to enact a hard fork in the cryptocurrency, that will matter only if it attracts enough miners to keep it going.It will happen once blockchains reach over 1,000 kilobytes on the website Blockchain.info. At the time of the first iteration of this article, blockchains had reached 999.28 kilobytes.
Get BCH from blockchain.info after fork | BitcoinXchangerIf your bitcoins are stored on an exchange (which is not recommended for security reasons), the relevant custodian will decide the fate of your BCH.They have been monitoring it since the hard fork on August 1.
Why Did Bitcoin 'Fork' Today and What is 'Bitcoin CashOn August 1, 2017 a hard fork changed the bitcoin blockchain forever.Blockchain.info News. Fork. Blockchain.info to. Blockchain.info to Give Users Bitcoin Cash Within 8 Weeks AUG 23, 2017.
"Bitcoin cash" is a new twist in the hard fork debate—andThe Fork Occurred Earlier Today, but Took 7 Hours to Take Effect.
Ledger Wallet Offers 'Free' Money in Bitcoin Cash UpdateThe new dynamic fee structure by Blockchain.info will be able to detect significant changes on the Bitcoin network, such as increasing transaction volume.The following table lays out the stated positions of Bitcoin exchanges and wallets regarding this matter.The popular Trezor hardware wallet will support Bitcoin Cash.Amid much controversy over size and scale, Bitcoin, a popular form of cryptocurrency, split off in two directions Tuesday, forming a new branch of currency called Bitcoin Cash.
Presents information from the blockchain, and other bitcoin related statistics, such as pool statistics.Warning: installing Cash on the same machine as Core is dangerous.After the fork occurs, monitor the Bitcoin Cash price so judge the potential gain against the possible risk, plus the time and effort required.The split occurred after program developers and miners disagreed on the guiding rules behind network operations, according to a Business Insider story.Blockchain.info staff member Peter Smith announced the roll out of limited support for Bitcoin Cash (BCH) via their popular cryptowallet app.Bitcoin can be purchased and exchanged internationally with the ease of a mobile app.From there you will be able to claim BCC (we will soon explain this in an upcoming post).
But, if BCC develops into an actual chain and market, you will be able to use your recovery phrase to export your funds and use them on that chain, regardless of whether or not Blockchain chooses to support it.Certain wallets will or have released specific updates, services and tutorials for splitting your coins.Lets say for example that I have all my bitcoins on trezor 1 and i transfer them to trezor 2.A blockchain fork considers all the transactions in the blockchain prior to the fork valid,.It would be far safer to move your bitcoins to a new wallet with a new privkey and password after the fork occurs.It is fully decentralized, with no central bank and requires no trusted third parties to...
Bitcoin Fork Calculator
Last Saturday, everyone part of the cryptocurrency world was taken by surprise with Bitcoin Cash announcing that they will moving forward with a fork on the 1st.
Bitcoin 'Forks': A Brief Guide On Bitcoin CashHome Bitcoin Cash Update: blockchain.info will soon start supporting Bitcoin Cash.Yes. Bitcoin Cash is the continuation of the Bitcoin project as peer-to-peer digital cash.
Bitcoin Cash - Does It Have A Future? - Bitcoin Network
Blockchain.info - BITCOIN NEWS, PRICE & ANALYSIS - NEWSBTC.COMThey have been monitoring it since the hard fork on August 1. Within.Bitcoin Cash forked from the existing bitcoin blockchain at 8:20 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday,.Claim Bitcoin Cash with Electron. send all the Bitcoins from Blockchain.info wallet to the new wallet.Their Chrome wallet interface will also feature a split utility and a selector for both chains.Looks like Coinbase will be honoring their customers with BCC.
In the last 72 hours, Bitcoin increasingly looks as though it is heading for a user activated hard fork (UAHF) called Bitcoin Cash.In the event of a hard fork, the amount of bitcoin under your control will not magically double.
August 1st is also the scheduled activation of BIP 148, also known as the User Activated Soft Fork (UASF).At the Consensus 2017 blockchain conference in New York this past May,.
What is Bitcoin Cash? What the Cryptocurrency's Hard ForkYou should try importing the seed of your wallet into another wallet like Electrum.According to a report from CoinDesk, the fork was supposed to occur at around 8:20 a.m. Eastern time on August 1, but has not yet gone into effect.Discover the Stories That Matter Join over 100,000 people who get the most important news stories and the best shopping deals from Heavy delivered right to your inbox.
How wallets will manage the upcoming bitcoin Cash hard fork?At the time of writing, the Bitcoin Cash fork is planned to come in roughly 3 hours,.
Since he announced the splitting of Bitcoin, Voorhees, who has been heavily involved with Bitcoin since 2011, has taken to Twitter to comment on the transition.Since its introduction into the market in 2009 by mysterious creator.


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Moss Bros Group said its overall trading performance in the 15 weeks to May 13 has shown improvement on the prior year, in line with market expectations.
"Strong retail sales, including e-commerce, have underpinned this positive performance," it said.
Total sales for the business for the first 15 weeks increased by 3.7% on last year. Like-for-like sales were up 2.3% for the same period. CEO Brian Brick said he was pleased with Moss Bros' progress.
He said it continued to trade well and in line with the Board's expectations, despite the continuing tough trading environment and a highly competitive marketplace that had seen significantly more markdown activity than the same period last year.
"Retail and e-commerce sales have shown further improvement against this backdrop," said Brick.
"We continue to be acutely aware of the economic headwinds which we will face for the remainder of the financial year, as input cost increases come into effect.
"We are also mindful that zero real wage growth will impact on consumer confidence. We will remain agile in our response to these market conditions."
"We are focused on the peak period of our trading year, with performance strongly event driven as we enter 'wedding season', Ascot and the school prom season.
"We are well placed in terms of both our core offer and levels of stock availability to maximise our share of our customers' spend."
At 9:52am: (LON:MOSB) Moss Bros Group PLC share price was -4.75p at 108.5p


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South Africa's Aspen Sells Infant Formula Business To Lactalis
African drugmaker Aspen Pharmacare has agreed to sell its infant formula business to French dairy group Lactalis for 12.9 billion rand (€750 million), looking to capitalise on the sector's recent flurry of dealmaking to reduce its debt and focus on core operations.
Investors, however, appeared unimpressed with the price tag.
Shares in Aspen dropped more than 9% to 245.85 rand after Africa's biggest manufacturer of generic drugs announced the deal as it reported full-year earnings.
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Newzoo: Pikmin 4 became top-grossing game on Switch in July, while Mario Kart 8 ranked 3rd in MAU
Newzoo has shared some data on the highest-grossing and most played games on Nintendo Switch for July 2023. Pikmin topped revenue charts, while Mario Kart 8 continued to show strong numbers even more than six years after launch.
Sensor Tower: Mobile puzzle games generated $42 billion in 11 years, with hybrid-casual model seeing biggest growth in 2023
Sensor Tower has released a new report on puzzle mobile games, as well as their revenues and downloads over the past 11 years. Analysts also explored the performance of various sub-genres and the top-grossing titles in the market.
Simon Carless on supply/demand issue and why “most games don’t sell amazingly, even good ones”
Discoverability expert Simon Carless has shared some interesting insights into why some games, even quality ones, fail commercially in today’s market. It might be due to the oversaturation of certain genres, but the issue seems to be much more complex.
Newzoo: Diablo IV became highest-grossing game in US and UK in July, ranked 1st among all RPGs by MAU globally
Despite the disappointing Season 1 and other post-launch issues, Diablo IV seems to be performing well for Blizzard in terms of revenue and player engagement. Here are some new stats about the game and its position in the market.
Total value of closed gaming deals collapsed by nearly 90% in H1, with M&A landscape down 31x
Market intelligence platform InvestGame has shared a new report on deal activity in the games industry for the first half of 2023. Here are the key findings about the turbulent and generally deteriorating landscape.
Survey suggests “there’s nothing ‘special’ about CoD when it comes to console choice”, with PS players more worried about FIFA
A survey, conducted by research data and analytics firm YouGov for Microsoft, has now been made public in full. The unredacted results shed more light on the positions of Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo in the EU console market, as well as which games consumers value the most.
Less than 10% of 200 new Nintendo Switch releases in any given month reach top 300 most downloaded games
Nintendo Switch is one of the most closed and mysterious platforms when it comes to the amount of sales data available. However, discoverability expert Simon Carless has tried to analyze the state of the platform and chances of finding success in this oversaturated market.
Apptica: US accounted for 26% of global mobile game revenue in H1 2023, while India led in terms of downloads by wide margin
Apptica has published a report on the state of the global mobile games market in the first half of 2023. Here are the key findings on the biggest titles, genres, and countries by revenue and downloads.
How Voodoo makes $100 million hybrid-casual games: 15% D7 retention, killing fast, and scaling titles for years
What are hybrid-casual games and how are their monetization loos different from hyper-casual? Voodoo head of publishing Thibault de Vésinne-Larüe has opened up about the company’s approach and what metrics it looks at when launching new titles.
Latest Steam Next Fest attracted record 11.4 million players — dive into top games’ metrics and genres
Valve has shared some stats for its latest Steam Next Fest ended on June 26. We decided to dig into more data to see how the top games and their demos performed in terms of CCU, new followers, and other metrics.
87% of classic video games at risk of sinking into oblivion due to preservation and availability crisis
Preservation is one of the biggest issues in the games industry, as more classic titles fade into history every year. The Video Game History Foundation’s new study sheds light on the commercial and cultural availability of such games.
New episode of AppMagic’s Games and Names podcast explores clone wars in mobile gaming
New month, new episode of Games and Names — a podcast about the games industry from AppMagic (launched in partnership with WN Media Group). It features Product Madness senior game designer Jesse Kroon discussing the issue of game clones, as well as the fine line between drawing ideas to create new experiences and dishonestly copying other titles.


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Cinnabon is the first U.S. franchise to enter Libya. The company opened a bakery-cafe in downtown Tripoli on July 2. The company is also looking to build franchises in Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, said Mike Shattuck, president of Focus Brands International, parent company of Cinnabon.
The new 7,500-square-foot Cinnabon store is located on a busy street in Tripoli’s business district. According to the company, the Tripoli Cinnabon store logged $45,000 in sales in the first week of its opening. Shattuck said, “Ultimately, we think there’s an even larger opportunity in the country for us.”
Two years ago, when U.S. sanctions on the country were easing, the company started seriously considering expanding into Libya. Shattuck said, “We were in every major market in the Middle East. Expanding into Libya made sense as part of our emerging market strategy.” The company currently has more than 900 locations in 51 countries. Cinnabon is based in Atlanta.
The company had received numerous franchise inquiries from Libyans living overseas. Shattuck said, “They were already familiar with the brand and wanted to bring it to Libya.” The company plans to open at least 10 Cinnabon locations in Libya over the next four years.
Cinnabon’s expansion into Libya had been planned for the early months of 2011. The company had selected local franchise partners, selected a location, and had shipped the first products when the country erupted in civil war. Shattuck said, “We quickly halted everything because the revolution happened. Fortunately, we were able to secure the location and it made it without serious damage.”
Chuck Dittrich, executive director of U.S.-Libya Business Association, said American business interest in Libya is growing. The U.S.-Libya Business Association is a trade group representing American companies interested in doing business in Libya. Much of the interest is coming from the energy, infrastructure, and health care industries. The trade group led a delegation of 20 American companies to Libya to discuss business opportunities in April.


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Recently we've seen more and more announcements from technology companies such as Samsung and Facebook and large media corporations like Walt Disney investing in VR hardware development. Just in September, Disney dropped $65 million into Jaunt Inc, a VR developer. In October Google's Alphabet and the New York Times initiated a joint venture to distribute free cardboard VR headset with newspaper's print edition to promote NYT's VR application. And now, Time Warner Inc. and ComcastCorp. are investing $30 million into NextVR Inc.
It's fair to assume that all these efforts are focused on offsetting current trends in market share loss as more readers and viewers shift to consuming content on nontraditional communication channels. Or perhaps, these companies are making an even bigger bet, investing in VR as the future of communication. What if these companies aren't just developing new immersive programs, but are creating new types of internet just for VR? We could be closer to Futurama than we might think - how far away are we from a future where we can not only read about a historical event, but experience it? Where we can meet someone, go shopping or watch a movie together without being physically present? We truly hope that we are not the only people thinking of this amazing future.


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The past few months have brought new developments from Facebook and others. Younger platforms and other large companies have been trying to gain their share of the marketplace as well. Even though these products from these companies are new, they take into account what went well for others, and what’s flopped.
Amazon is building a new platform
The platform economy is indispensable and large companies have put a lot of money into this form of retail. Amazon Storefronts is the latest development from the Seattle-based giant.
This development from the Seattle-based company is currently only available for customers in the US:
» “We’ve created a custom, one-stop shopping experience for customers looking for interesting, innovative, and high-quality products from American businesses from all across the country,” said Nicholas Denissen, Vice President for Amazon. «
With curated collections, featured storefronts of the week, and content about business owners’ customers are purchasing from, Amazon clearly sees the importance of investing in independent sellers on the store. Although not the traditional social media route, Amazon’s platform gives businesses a new way to connect with existing and potential customers outside of their current online presence.
This isn’t even Amazon’s only new platform development lately, as they recently launched Scout. A Pinteresteque platform that uses AI to make product recommendations.
Facebook and Instagram features go global
Facebook Watch has brought Facebook closer to be a dominating video sharing platform à la YouTube. Americans have been able to watch original content on the platform in a new hub within the social media platform.
With the introduction of Facebook Watch, the Ad Breaks program was introduced. This is a way for marketers and publishers to place advertisements in the middle of the video where a viewer already watching will be more likely to watch and possibly make a purchase.
Along with the new watch features, Facebook will be bringing more insights, tools, and best practices for Page owners in the Creator Studio. Facebook’s latest expansion perfectly blends social commerce (something they’re already known for) and content commerce (something they’re trying to become known for).
As we mentioned in our last social commerce article, Instagram also brought new features to users in the US. As of today, those features have proven successful and have been pushed to global markets. This is allowing 400 million users to be able to shop directly from Instagram Stories. Instagram is also expanding the capabilities of Explore. Topic Channels allowed users to see personalised posts from brands they followed and discover new content as well.
Now a new channel will show up on everyone’s page, Shopping. Users will be given personalised shopping recommendations along with their daily dose of content, a win for advertisers and Facebook’s wallet.
Be Found in the Digital World
If we can take away anything from these new developments, it’s that being present online is key to digital success. Having a place where your customers can find you that’s not a physical location is important.
How does everyone find things online? With a search engine!
In our white paper »SEO in the Mobile Era,« we’ll show you how to reach customers through Google’s updated Mobile First Index. Best of all: All the tricks to optimising your online presence are free, including the first step, getting the white paper. Download it now!


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Saarc Chamber to work for better connectivitySaarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) will prioritise better connectivity and establishment of Saarc industrial parks for better investment facilitation.
Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) will prioritise better connectivity and establishment of Saarc industrial parks for better investment facilitation.
As he takes charge of the Saarc Chamber as its new president, Suraj Vaidya said the new committee will work for the implementation of the Motor Vehicle Agreement proposed in the 18th Saarc Summit held in Kathmandu in 2014.
“Connectivity is one of the key challenges of the region as free movement of people as well as goods is necessary for economic growth,” said Vaidya at an event on “Presidential Change of Office in Saarc Chamber” here on Monday.
Vaidya officially took over the responsibility of the Saarc Chamber from past president Vikramjit Singh Sahney of India.
Established in 1992, the Saarc Chamber is the apex body of all National Federati-ons of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in the region.
Addressing the programme, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said the change of guard in the SCCI has significant importance as the Saarc foreign minister-level meeting is being held in Nepal on Thursday.
Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa said South Asia is the least connected region in the world and there is need to work for eliminating tariff and non-tariff barriers. “I will raise the issue in the upcoming foreign minister-level meeting,” he said.
Even 10 years after the signing of the South Asia Free Trade Agreement (Safta), tarde in the region has not grown as expected. Despite being located in close proximity, South Asian countries do less than 5 percent trade among them as lack of physical connectivity and political will and long sensitive lists have remained stumbling block for enhanced trade and investment.
The trade accord, which was expected to boost intra-regional commerce, went into effect on January 1, 2006.
For example, Nepal’s trade with South Asian countries other than India barely registers on the scale. India accounted for 93.9 percent of Nepal’s total exports to South Asia and 99.4 percent of the total imports from the region in 2013-14.
According to trade experts, lack of transport connectivity, non-tariff barriers and Nepal’s failure to participate in the manufacturing chain of multinational companies are some of other reasons for its failure to diversify exports in the region.


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Table of Contents
As reported by Reuters, Chinese steel futures fell, as demand for steel in China could slow down during the winter as the economy cooled.
China’s industrial output, fixed-asset, retail sales and prices were lower than expected last month, raising concerns that a fall in real estate investment will lead to an increase in demand for steel.
Steel appetite also begins to fluctuate, as winter in the northern regions stops construction activities, and the government has limited industrial production in the campaign against air pollution.
Demand for steel is declining as construction activities are hit by cold weather and government measures regarding pollution.
According to analysts, despite the fall in steel prices, steelmakers still earn more than 1,000 Yuan per ton.
Nevertheless, manufacturers are trying to raise prices, losing profit due to rising prices for coking coal.
Features of China steel companies strategies
The steelmaking companies unanimously consider the coming year to be cool and successful, especially against the backdrop of the previous year’s crisis, with its falling prices for metal products and a decrease in domestic demand. Although the main industry problems persisted: protectionism in foreign markets is growing, and the domestic market remains one of the most unprotected in the world, 2016 for metallurgy was marked by a transition from recession to growth.
The redundancy of metallurgical capacities, estimated in billions of tons, remains the main problem for steelmakers around the world. According to the World Steel Association, the capacity utilization during the year fluctuated in the range of 70-74%. As a result, competition in regional markets continues to grow, leading to protectionist measures on the part of the respective states.
Nevertheless, most Chinese metallurgical companies managed to increase production volumes within a year and, using traditionally high profitability indicators for the industry, get positive financial results. Both internal and external factors became positive.
The key factor for the industry at the global level is the decision by China to shut down part of the facilities.
Steel exports from China are declining, while demand in key sales markets is growing, which certainly provides significant support for metal prices. As a result, real growth in world steel consumption at the end of the year, according to Worldsteel forecasts, will grow by 3-4%, while last year this figure was only 1.3%, and in 2015, there was a decline in 5.4%.
Upcoming changes: US steel industry outlook to 2017
The Chinese authorities announced their intention to close 800 million tons of inefficient coal-mining capacity by 2020, and according to forecasts for the fourth quarter of 2017, about 500 million tons will be withdrawn from the turnover in China.
Now there is a tendency of growth of imports of high-quality coking coal by consumers from China. Market data indicate that the volume of imports of coking coal in China in 2017 will reach a four-year high.
According to forecasts, the current plan will strengthen the market position through the expansion of the product line, as well as increase overall efficiency and competitiveness through increased production and sales of products with high added value.
In 2016, demand for industrial pipes will grow, primarily due to import substitution in such sectors as oil and gas, agricultural and nuclear engineering. The consumption of pipes in construction for the year is expected to be 4.1 million tons (an increase of 9% by 2016), which is linked by the state’s implementation of capital repair programs and preferential mortgage lending.
By 2017, the domestic market, most likely, will grow by 3%.


text: You've probably heard of the Amazon Echo and Google Home, but what about the DingDong? Or the Little Fish? Turns out there are a series of smart speakers that are specifically designed for Chinese buyers. And Alibaba, the e-commerce behemoth based in China, wants in on that market. On today's show, we'll discuss how much of a threat the company's new device could pose to Google and Amazon, and then examine some of the challenges associated with Chinese-language voice assistants. Plus: A look at the world of video-game modding.


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Govt fixes potato price at Tk 35 per kg
In the wake of spiral price hike of potato, the government has re-fixed the potato price at Taka 35 per kilogram at retail level.
“With the approval from the Ministry of Agriculture and as per the
Agricultural Marketing Act-2018, the potato price has been re-fixed at
Taka 35 per kg at the retail level”, said an official release.
The recommendations came in a view-exchange meeting held at the
Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) here this afternoon.
As per the recommendation under section 4(Jha), Taka 27 has been
fixed at the cold storage level and Taka 30 per kg fixed at wholesale
The department has also requested all the deputy commissioners to
monitoring the markets as the trios –the cold storage, wholesalers
and the retailers — will sell the potato in schedule price.
Chaired by DAM Director General Mohammad Yousuf, the meeting was
attended, among others, by the representatives of Commerce Ministry,
Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission and the Directorate of National
Consumers’ Right Protection.
Bangladesh Cold Storage Association President and potato wholesalers
and Aratdars of Shyambazar also were participated in the meeting.
After potato price hike in the city markets, the DAM had fixed per
kg potato price at Taka 23 at Cold Storage level, wholesale price at
Taka 25 and retail price at Taka 30 on October 7.


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Breaking: shot fired, one wounded at Virginia-based Apple Store
AppleInsider may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made through links on our site.
"Someone was just shot at the store and just were carted out in an ambulance," that person said. "Unsure what happened but the store is closed down and there are police everywhere."
Witnesses report hearing a loud bang coming from the back room followed by a woman screaming. A thin-framed, black male believed to be in his twenties and wearing a fake beard was seen fleeing from the rear of the store.
Local authorities have called in air support to help search for the suspect, who was reportedly clad in beige. The victim, whose gender and identity have yet to be identified, is believed to have been shot in the shoulder.
Update: Local branches of both ABC and FOX news are now confirming the incident, and the Washington Post claims the victim of the apparent botched armed robbery is a female.


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Fans React To Olajumoke’s Burnt Knuckles And Use Of Yoruba In Her Vlog
Olajumoke, the girl that went from hawking bread on the streets of Lagos to becoming a super model has released the intro to her Vlog titled Olajumoke Source. While many commended her effort, some couldn’t help but wonder why she chose to speak Yoruba language instead of English, even though the whole video was subtitled in English. Also noticed in the video are her burnt knuckles which got fans arguing whether she’s now bleaching her skin or it had always been like that due to the daily hawking of bread under the sun in Lagos. Well, below are some screenshots from her video and also comments from YouTube and her Instagram handle.


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The decision to sell products on CheMondis and PINPOOLS was the result of an intense selection process. “We’ve looked at a lot of online marketplaces in recent weeks,” says Axel Schmidt, Chief Digital Officer for Customers, whose responsibilities include developing digital business models at WACKER. “We were especially looking for platforms that would complement our existing sales activities as effectively as possible and would help us reach out to new customers and markets.” The two startups ultimately made the most convincing offers. “The collaboration we’ve begun with CheMondis and PINPOOLS is another building block in our strategy of testing and opening up new sales channels for our products”, Schmidt adds.
CheMondis (www.chemondis.com), a startup founded by the Lanxess specialty chemicals company, and PINPOOLS (www.pinpools.com), introduced in 2016, are Europe’s leading B2B marketplaces for chemicals. CheMondis is now used by 650 companies from all over Europe to sell more than 7,500 products. “WACKER’s listing on CheModis is another powerful signal that customer-friendly technology is going to succeed on the market”, emphasizes CheMondis Managing Director Sebastian Brenner. “We are looking forward to collaborating and to growing our existing network even further with WACKER.”
PINPOOLS currently hosts 500 active buyers and vendors. The marketplace serves as a trading platform for more than 5000 products with a focus on paint & coatings, construction and the food and animal feed industry. “We are very happy to provide another prestigious company like WACKER with direct access to new customers”, says PINPOOLS CEO Alexander Lakemeyer.


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Qualcomm has released the first deep learning software development kit (SDK) for devices powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processors. The SDK, called the Qualcomm Snapdragon Neural Processing Engine, is powered by the Qualcomm Zeroth Machine Intelligence Platform, and is optimized to utilize Snapdragon’s heterogeneous compute capabilities, says the company.
The SDK will allow OEMs to run their own neural network models on Snapdragon 820 devices such as smart phones, security cameras, automobiles and drones, all without a connection to the cloud. Common deep learning user experiences that can be realized with the SDK are scene detection, text recognition, object tracking and avoidance, gesturing, face recognition and natural language processing.
The Zeroth Machine Intelligence Platform is a Snapdragon-optimized software platform designed for mobile machine learning. Zeroth technology currently drives visual intelligence software such as Snapdragon Scene Detect and advanced malware detection software found in Snapdragon Smart Protect.
The Snapdragon Neural Processing Engine SDK is expected to be available for Snapdragon 820 processors in the second half of 2016.
[Image courtesy: Qualcomm]


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*“Annie” may be an African American orphan in movie theaters this holiday season, but the character remains white in an “Annie”-themed ad campaign at Target…and some consumers are finding that offensive.
An online petition launched Monday calling for the chain store to remove the ads and apologize to “Annie” star Quvenzhané Wallis. By Wednesday morning, it had amassed more than 10,000 signatures.
Target, which began promoting its two-month “Annie”-themed collection in early November, is calling the outrage a “misperception” of the message.
“Girls from a variety of backgrounds were featured within the campaign, reflecting that anyone can embody the spirit and character of Annie,” the company said in a statement.
Target originally courted Wallis to model in the campaign, but did not reach an agreement with her, Target said. Instead, both Wallis and co-star Jamie Foxx consulted the Minneapolis-based retailer on the campaign and appeared at both Target’s September sales meeting and at a launch event for the collection in New York City in November.
That wasn’t enough for some who felt the ads for the collection, which is now on clearance racks, focused too heavily on the white model, the only one photographed wearing Annie’s iconic red dress. The campaign materials did feature at least one non-white model: In one promotional photo, a girl of color in a pink skirt was pictured leaning against a bespectacled white girl.
“If you think about the red dress and locket, that’s synonymous with Annie,” LaSean Rinique Shelton, the Delaware-based motivational speaker who started the petition on Change.org, told HuffPost.
She said that, even if Target couldn’t have booked Wallis for the photo shoot, the company should have found a way to make the campaign more diverse.
“It shouldn’t just be one Caucasian model, who was very beautiful, but was not the face of Annie,” she said.
In a video commercial, a diverse trio of little girls wear red dresses as they skip down a city sidewalk. But that ad was not included in the in-store promotions shoppers saw in Target.
Meanwhile, Target seemed to go against its diversity claim in a YouTube video that “celebrates” the Annie collection. It featured lots of little girls wearing pieces from the collection and learning dance routines from the film’s choreographer. There didn’t appear to be any black girls among them.


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Resale Market for Used Natural-Gas Trucks Offers Fleets Lower-Priced Alt- Fuel Options
Experts say buying used natural-gas-powered vehicles is a cheaper way for fleets to get an introduction to alternative fuel vehicles. But purchasing a previously owned NGV comes with its own set of considerations.
An article that appeared in the October 27 issue of Transport Topics presents various insider perspectives on the growing resale market for these vehicles and covered the expected time frame for when larger qualities of used natural-gas-powered used vehicles will be available, the predicted reliability of the aged vehicles, and associated operating costs. Brian Garner, a vehicle remarketing manager with ARI, emphasized that companies looking to add used alt-fuel vehicles to their fleet should consider the anticipated lifespan of such vehicles as compared to conventional units.
Garner notes that there is “the belief by some that alt-fuel vehicles will not last as long as conventional units, especially those powered by diesel fuel.” The article goes on to note that NGV engines have different maintenance concerns when compared to diesel and those concerns can add to the overall total cost of ownership.
To read the full article, a PDF is available to download.


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Energy savings that come from using networked devices make the concept of the “Internet of Things” an obvious cleantech play. But getting people to adopt these new systems might come down to the technology’s ability to adapt to, and perhaps improve... Read more »
Over the past year, Gelesis has made the turn from concept to clinic, building up the first data for an anti-obesity pill made out of little particles that swell in the stomach, making a person feel full. With more trials looming,... Read more »
Flagship Ventures of Cambridge, MA, a major early-stage biotech investor, said today it has closed a $537 million fund, the largest in the firm’s 15-year history.
Flagship initially set out to match the $269 million of its previous fund, Flagship senior... Read more »
FinancialForce.com, whose applications for back office business functions like billing and hiring are based on the Salesforce1 cloud infrastructure, announced late Wednesday it has raised $110 million to fund its continued growth.
San Francisco-based FinancialForce reported revenue growth late last... Read more »
Internet speeds are becoming increasingly important to consumer markets, as users of streaming content such as Netflix, Hulu, and HBO multiply. Those people are expecting quality streaming, too, especially with the advent of 4K, or “ultra” high-definition, video.
It may be... Read more »
Jeremy Levin is best known for helping reshape Bristol-Myers Squibb, turning it from a lumbering conglomerate to a leaner oncology drugmaker. Levin parlayed that job into the head seat at Teva Pharmaceutical; there he launched a turnaround attempt that abruptly ended... Read more »
August, the maker of a hardware and software program that lets users control a home’s lock from a smartphone, received $38 million in Series B backing from investors whose focus ranges from entertainment to technology-enabled products.
Co-founded by entrepreneur Jason... Read more »
Investors like adtech. The latest example is Boston-based Nanigans, which announced Wednesday it has raised a $24 million Series B round. Cheetah Mobile (NYSE: CMCM), a Chinese Internet company, led the round, which included the Wellington Management Company... Read more »
Here’s a collection of recent headlines in Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community:
—Microscopy Innovations, a Marshfield-based company that makes tools for microscopy labs, has raised about $750,000 from investors, increasing the size of a funding round reported last year by about... Read more »


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Gulf Pacific Rice makes transition from export sales model to meet domestic demand
- Tanya Rutledge, Special to Houston Business Journal
(Page 2 of 3)
While that shift to domestic sales was slow-going, things have been moving quickly at Gulf Pacific over the last 12 months.
About three-fourths of the company’s revenue comes from private-label rice sales to customers, which include H-E-B Grocery Co., Fiesta Mart Inc., The Kroger Co. and Goya Foods Inc., all with a large Houston presence. For those customers, Gulf Pacific mills, packages and distributes rice under their own labels, Brenckmann said.
The focus in recent months, however, has been creating with new products to market to private-label customers, so Gulf Pacific hired a full-time employee with a Ph.D. in food science about a year ago.
“The demographics in the U.S. have changed so much that people are looking at products with strong Asian and Latin influences, and that is causing our customers to reassess what their product offerings look like,” Brenckmann said. “We are presenting new ideas constantly and coming up with new ways to tweak products, such as flavored rice and rice in different shapes, sizes and packaging formats. It’s important in this business now to be an aggressive marketer.”
In addition to expanding its rice product offerings to private-label customers — Gulf Pacific mills sells about one-fourth of its rice under its own brand name — the company has recently entered the rice derivative market by selling such as rice proteins, starches, fibers and bran.
To handle the new line of business, Gulf Pacific has built a rice stabilization area in its Houston facility, which also serves as the company’s headquarters. One of Gulf Pacific’s two other rice plants — in McGehee, Ark., and Otwell, Ark. — also has rice stabilization capacity.
TANYA RUTLEDGE is a Houston-based freelance writer.
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Farm workers discuss plight, protest
Hours south of Athens, half of all tomatoes grown in the U.S. are harvested in Floridian fields. For one afternoon, the workers who pick those tomatoes, mostly immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala and Haiti, came to Athens to raise awareness about their livelihoods.
Standing on the stage of the University of Georgia Chapel, Spanish-speaking farm workers demonstrated the back-breaking tomato picking process and, through an interpreter, listed the different ways their employers, often referred to as growers, exploit their labor. UGA students attempted to lift heavy buckets weighted to mimic a full tomato haul.
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a worker-led union based in South Florida representing agricultural workers, stopped in Athens on Tuesday as part of its campaign against Publix grocery stores' 4-year-long refusal to participate in a wage-increasing program that 11 other corporations have already signed onto, explained farm worker and coalition member Oscar Otzoy.
"For four years, Publix has refused to even have a dialogue with the coalition," Otzoy said through an interpreter.
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is asking that Publix join the Fair Food Program, which Taco Bell and other major produce buyers have already joined. Through the program, buyers pay 1 cent more per pound of tomatoes, an amount that's paid to workers through weekly bonuses. Workers are currently paid 50 cents per bucket of tomatoes, according to Otzoy. He called them sub-poverty wages.
A statement posted on Publix's media page said the company views the farm labor situation as simply a labor dispute between worker and employer. Publix buys from multiple suppliers, according to the statement, and it's not the company's place to step into labor relations among its suppliers. Publix is willing to pay an extra penny, according to the statement, but it shouldn't come from Publix, but instead be included in the price the grower asks for its produce. Put it in the price, the statement reiterates.
"We farm workers know it's not a labor dispute," Otzoy said.
Publix refusal, he said, makes no sense in light of many other corporations joining the Fair Food Program. McDonald's, Burger King, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Subway are among the major buyers signed onto the Fair Food Program.
Still, Publix, as the largest grocery chain in Florida, represents a centerpiece of their penny-per-pound campaign.
"Their refusal represents a threat to our program," Otzoy said.
With a number of large buyers on board with the fair food program, Otzoy said they've seen concrete change in the fields. Workers report an additional $50 to $100 dollars a week in bonuses through the Fair Food Program, he said.
"The penny has been an economic relief for our community," he said.
Though attendance at their Chapel presentation was sparse, Otzoy, the coalition and groups from UGA took the campaign to the shopping center anchored by Publix off Barnett Shoals Road Tuesday night.
Florida and Georgia share a migrant agricultural workforce, Otzoy said, which is just one reason why people in Athens should care about the coalition's campaign against Publix. And he said Athens consumers think about where their produce comes from.
• Follow arts and entertainment reporter Andre Gallant on Twitter at www.twitter.com/andregallant.


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19 September, 2021 - 21 September, 2021
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14 October, 2021 - 15 October, 2021
16 October, 2021 - 20 October, 2021
North Carolina, U.S.
The market leading 106-page print and digital app edition of International Leather Maker (ILM), September/October 2020 edition has just been published and is now ready to download for its subscribers who have Apple or Android devices. It features exclusive interviews from luxury brand owner Kering Group as well as three well-known international tanners, LeFarc, Simona Tanning and Asiatan.
The latest issue, available now via the ILM app, has exclusive an interview with Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of Institutional Affairs for Kering Group, focussing on the Group’s new Biodiversity Strategy and how the luxury sector must take a lead on sustainability.
ILM Editor, Isabella Griffiths also interviews Marcelo Marder, CEO, Simona Tanning based in China on its commitment to reducing waste in leather making as well as Francisco Rios from Mexican tanner, LeFarc, about its recent investments in the latest technologies that helps them to make a lower impact on the environment. LeFarc is also leading the charge on e-commerce.
The third leading tanner interview is with Andy Pleatman from southern China based tannery, Asiatan. The company has adopted an ethical business philosophy where leadership is a shared responsibility among all of its employees. Asiatan has also embraced new innovations such as JBS Couros’s Kind Leather which reduces the environmental footprint of leather making and cuts down on waste.
ILM Consultant Technical Editor Karl Flowers, meanwhile, examines key topics vegan material labelling, UNECE devised traceability standards, the EU vehicle end-of-life directive and provides an overview of the important use of enzymes or bates in the beamhouse.
Other editorial highlights include:
In addition to these premium editorial features, the September/October 2020 edition also includes regular items such as news review, the Redwood Column, raw materials prices and trends, industry viewpoints and more. The ‘Talking Point’ feature asks industry experts about the need for legislation around genuine leather labelling following the introduction of such legislation in Italy earlier this year.
Fully optimised multi-platform ILM offer
International Leather Maker (ILM) remains at the forefront of new technology and is the most advanced multi-platform media business brand covering the global leather supply chain. That’s why most of our news appears online and via social media.
Our website has been designed to work seamlessly across desktop, smartphone and tablet applications with user friendly access to premium industry content and commentary. It is also now the most updated global media resource on the web, covering the tanning industry with over 25 new stories added each week.
ILM has also updated its App with links to news and podcasts, which can be downloaded for free for Apple and Android devices for subscribers to access content online and offline. The investment in multi-platform media underlines ILM’s commitment to remaining at the forefront of creative and innovative content delivery to ensure that it remains as the leading leather industry news, technical and business information service. Look at www.internationalleathermaker.com
on your smartphone or tablet today and see the difference. ILM is the only one that is truly optimised. Say goodbye to old fashioned and clunky page turning e-zines.


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Apple is reportedly partnering with an outside company to offer a new trade-in service for iPhones at its retail stores, a program that remains unannounced.
The rumored program would let consumers bring in their used iPhones for a discount on newer models, and potentially for credit on other items in Apple's stores.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Such a program would not be a first for the company. Apple already offers a recycling arrangement that gives users either an Apple gift card, or -- in the case of iPods and iPhones -- a 10 percent discount on a future purchase. The company's current partnership (which began in late 2011) is with PowerOn, a company that's offered users up to $345 for top-of-the-line iPhones. It's not yet clear how this newer service would differ.
reading•Apple to offer trade-in service for iPhones, says report
Jul 22•Apple reveals 70 new emoji for iPhone X, and iCloud has a Big Brother in China
Jul 22•Which Microsoft Surface should I buy?
Jul 21•How to keep pests out of your home
Jul 21•Samsung Galaxy Watch: Rumored specs, price and release date


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By MICHELLE LEMON-MILLERThe show’s production cost and the amount of money spent on it may be the only thing keeping it from being a hit.
In the weeks since the show premiered, fans have been posting videos of themselves and others walking through the streets of their favorite Springfield neighborhood, even if it means that some of the characters have no clothes.
But the show is also a show that has the potential to change the way people look at the world.
In a world where most people wear only a bikini or shorts, The Simpsons is about the idea that clothes should be comfortable and stylish.
“I think it’s an extension of that idea of, ‘Oh, I can do this, I have style,'” said Stephanie Llewellyn, who works as a fashion designer at a major fashion retailer.
“I think if you’re not dressed well, you’re going to be a bit of a loser, because you don’t have style.”
The show was created by Matt Groening, a cartoonist and writer who is known for his satirical style.
The show is inspired by the 1960s sitcoms “The Flintstones,” a show about a bunch of people in a family living together.
In fact, the show’s creators say that, for the most part, their characters wear a uniform.
In one episode, Bart is shown to have a bikini on his head and Lisa to wear a dress.
The show is full of jokes that have become increasingly popular online.
One episode has Lisa wearing a dress and her dad standing in the middle of a parking lot, laughing and saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll give you a little help.
I got a little more clothes to give you.”
Others have taken to Twitter to mock the show, using the hashtag #TheSimpsons and even posting their own costumes.
“The Simpsons” creator Matt Groenert told ABC News in February that the show “was never intended to be satirical.”
He said that his inspiration for the show came from the fact that it “was the first time people actually had a group of people who were working together in real life, and it’s not always the case.”
For Groen, the popularity of the show has been a “huge positive” for his career, even though he has made a career out of satirizing himself.
The Simpsons was a success in its day, but he says he has learned more about the world through the show.
“If you can’t appreciate that world, you can never appreciate what’s really going on,” Groen said.


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K12 Education Tech: OS Wars In Education
The K12 Education Tech Infographic shows that Chromebooks have accelerated past Windows and OS X laptops in US classrooms.
According to the latest Futuresource Consulting "EdTech K-12 Market Report", Microsoft and its Windows Operating System (OS) is poised to raise its game in the fight for adoption and market share in the worldwide K-12 PC/Tablet market in 2016.
The past few years has seen Google gain rapid traction in the US market with its Chrome OS (Via Chromebooks) coming at the expense of both Microsoft and Apple. Q3 saw Chromebooks reach over 50% of sales for the first time (51% of US Qtr 3 2015 K-12 sales) with 1.63 million units sold of the total market (please note, this figure refers to Q3 sales and not installed base). The rise of Chromebooks has coincided with the need for Districts to implement online assessment (and the stipulation that all devices needed keyboards). The combination of the simple to use ecosystem, attractive hardware price point and industry leading management platform has resulted in Chromebooks gaining widespread momentum in the US market.
Outside of the US market however, Chrome is growing at a much slower rate (3% share of Rest of World in Qtr 3 2015). Without the short term driving factor of a switch to online assessments (apart from a recently announced project in Finland) there has been much less overall momentum. Many countries globally, especially the major emerging markets such as Brazil, Mexico and India, do not have the connectivity required to run a cloud based infrastructure and although Chrome adoption is developing steadily in the more mature Western European markets, it's not at the same explosive growth rate as witnessed in the US.


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China LotSynergy Holdings Ltd, a provider of technology and services for mainland China’s lottery market, says it has helped to launch a management system for scratch card products and prize claims for the Cambodian Welfare Lottery in that Southeast Asia country.
The system is being provided by Ace Metro Ltd – a wholly owned subsidiary of China LotSynergy – to Khmer Pool Welfare Lottery Co Ltd. The two parties began collaboration in August.
According to the filing, Khmer Pool is authorised by the Cambodian government to develop welfare lottery business nationally in Cambodia.
The new system provides services for “point-of-sale top up, prize claims, inventory management and inquiries,” said China LotSynergy in a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
The group added that Khmer Pool currently has the nation’s largest instant lottery product network in Cambodia in terms of the scale and sales amount. The instant scratch card logistics management and prize claim system newly provided by the group is “currently the largest, most technologically advanced, and constructed to the highest standards in Cambodia,” said China LotSynergy.
In 2015 Ace Metro made a 10-year exclusive cooperation agreement with Khmer Pool for Cambodia’s welfare lottery business, according to the latest filing.
Currently under the deal, China LotSynergy’s unit is providing services and equipment including QR (quick response) code readers, a centralised hardware management platform, and construction of a instant scratch card logistics management and prize claim system, as well as staff training for Khmer Pool personnel and point-of-sale support.
The China LotSynergy group will receive fees for its work calculated on the basis of a share of lottery revenue, said the filing.
“Management believes that the new market prospects in Cambodia would bring broad development opportunities for this project,” the firm added.
A May filing from the group said it had launched what it termed a Cambodia National Sports Lottery business in the southeast Asian country.
That project is between Ace Metro and Cambodia’s National Sport Lottery Company Ltd.
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Sep 21, 2018
Sep 21, 2018
”Assuming that our [Tigre de Cristal] phase two project and the other future operators’ development plans remain on track, we may see the benefits of a ‘cluster’ effect [in the Primorye Integrated Entertainment Zone] as early as 2021”
Summit Ascent, lead developer of Tigre de Cristal


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Internet oversight body Icann has finally begun accepting applications for new generic top level domains (gTLDs) in a program which has been seven years in the making and could give any organisation the right to create, own and run any domain name they choose.
The first application period will run from 12 January to 12 April with interested parties requested to use the TLD Application System (TAS), which comprises 50 questions laid out in the Applicant's Guidebook.
The new scheme promises to hugely expand the number of gTLDs on the internet beyond the 22 that exist today such as .com and .net.
It will effectively give organisations the right to create any TLD with up to 64 characters, including regional suffixes, generic words and brand names and run it as that domain's registry, creating possible domains like .pepsi, .car and .london.
As such, the application procedure is more expensive than usual at $185,000 and contains provisions to rigourously screen any applicants for criminal records and other checks.
The cost of the application has been pegged at such a high level by Icann because of the number of checks it has to perform, but also as it will help to dissuade cybersquatters from registering a brand name they are not entitled to with the intention of extorting money from it.
It's still unclear how the new gTLDs will affect the market, with some believing it could lead to an end of multiple defensive registrations, with firms instead committing all their marketing spend on the one domain.
While the high fee won't be a problem for big firms, it could prove a barrier for the majority, according to Andreas Edler, managing director of registrar and hosting firm Hostway UK.
Latest Tesla news: Tesla share price continues to fall after Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund is linked to investment in rival
SEC 'probe' takes its toll on Tesla as new research suggests that Tesla loses $6,000 on every $35,000 Model 3
RTX 280 Ti will come with 11GB of fast GDDR6 video RAM with a 352-bit memory bus offering 616Gbps
The scale of jobs lost to automation will be at least as large as those in the first three industrial revolutions
10nm Cannon Lake Core i3-8121U CPUs make a rare outing with Intel's NUC mini PC


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Almost two months after its market debut, the number of levels created by Super Mario Maker 2 players has exceeded the incredible 5 million mark.
To make the announcement was the official Twitter account of Nintendo of America, which accompanied the news with a couple of useful codes to try some of the levels in evidence among those created by the players, namely:
Thwomp’s Crumbling Catacombs: X25-V7M-CHG
Through the Toy Room: 1HW-VTB-F0H
It therefore seems clear that there are many who have appreciated the idea of having at their disposal a complex editor with which they can have fun being a game designer and, in all probability, the functionality that will allow users to create their own dungeon in The Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening will be another great success for the Japanese giant.
Thanks to all #SuperMarioMaker2 creators for uploading more than 5 million courses combined! Here are just a couple worth checking out! Share your courses and you might see them highlighted here.
Thwomp's Crumbling Catacombs: X25-V7M-CHG
Through the Toy Room: 1HW-VTB-F0H pic.twitter.com/HQQtQFuvR8
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 9, 2019


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CORNWALL - Hunger isn't dramatic. Hunger takes its toll slowly. Quietly. And it pays no regard to the seasons. Even the season that's supposed to be joyous.
"People tend to donate lots more food this time of year. We usually get a huge uptick in donations," Jessica Fetonti said earlier this week.
Fetonti is special-events coordinator for the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley. The food bank collects and distributes roughly 12 million pounds of food every year to the six-county mid-Hudson region that includes Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties.
But there's more to donating food than meets the eye. Donations come in every size and shape - frozen and canned, soup to nuts, from all over the region. These donations need to be sorted and categorized so the region's 400 soup kitchens and food pantries can pick up the goods, store them and eventually get them in the hands of those in need.
Earlier this week, volunteer coordinator Troy Martin said he has 55 pallets of donated goods he hopes to have sorted and off the premises in time for the holiday.
Volunteers willing to assist can call the food bank at 534-4358. Tell them you want to help in the warehouse.


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This release was issued under a previous government.
The Government of Alberta welcomed a ruling by the World Trade Organization (WTO) that the U.S. Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL) measure was in violation of its WTO trade obligations.
“We are very happy with this ruling,” said Evan Berger, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. “This is important for Alberta’s livestock producers as we are the largest beef producing province and fourth largest pork producing province in Canada. We appreciate the federal government’s efforts in taking this case forward.”
Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling has disrupted the North American marketplace and has had negative effects on Canada’s exports of cattle, hogs, beef and pork to the U.S. As of July 1, 2011, there were an estimated 5.5 million head of cattle and 1.51 million hogs in Alberta.
This is an important ruling for all Alberta’s exporters. The U.S. is our largest trading partner and we look forward to returning to a level playing field.
Media inquiries may be directed to:
Ag Media Line
To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.


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This morning, Xiaomi Company held the AioT Developer Conference in Beijing, and together with many cooperative enterprises and developers, look forward to the era of ‘Internet of Everything’. The president of IKEA Retail China in Sweden and the head of IKEA Smart Home Business attended the conference and announced together with Fan Dian, General Manager of IoT Platform Department of Xiaomi Group, that Xiaomi and IKEA reached a global strategic cooperation.
Xiaomi said that IKEA’s full range of smart lighting products will be connected to the Xiaomi IoT platform. This is the first time that IKEA has cooperated with Chinese technology companies. Both parties believe that the cross-border cooperation between Xiaomi and IKEA will increase the popularity of smart homes around the world. It is expected that in December, these smart homes of IKEA can be controlled by Mijia APP or Xiao AI.
Gizchina News of the week
For this strategic cooperation, Lei Jun, founder, chairman, and CEO of Xiaomi Group said that AI+IoT is the core strategy of Xiaomi. ‘AI+IoT technology will be embedded in every device in the future. In the next three to five years, each device will have an AIoT control module to make the interaction interesting.’ In fact, as early as September, at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, Lei Jun also said that ‘top companies in the world regard artificial intelligence as the latest core strategy.’
Founded in Sweden in 1943, the IKEA Group has become the world’s largest furniture company. This global strategic cooperation with Xiaomi will greatly advance the Xiaomi IoT platform to the international stage.
It is reported that Xiaomi Group has started IoT layout since 2014 and has supported nearly 2,000 devices. The number of smart device connections exceeds 132 million. The number of active devices activated by Xiao Ai is about 100 million units. The total number of ‘wake-ups’ exceeds 8 billion, and the number of monthly active users exceeds 34 million.


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Toronto-headquartered Stablecorp has closed a $1.9 million CAD ($1.5 million USD) in what the firm describes as a pre-Series A investment round.
Investors in the financing include new investors Circle Ventures, crypto brokerage Genesis, and the Stellar Development Foundation, the non-profit behind the Stellar network. Side Door Ventures also joined existing partners 3iQ, Borderless, and others who participated in the round. Stablecorp did not disclose the rest of its investors.
3iQ and Mavennet noticed a gap in the financial infrastructure that was required to deliver the optimal versions of their solutions.
When asked about the decision to classify the funding as pre-Series A, Alex McDougall, president and COO at Stablecorp, told BetaKit in a statement that this was a strategic funding round that will go towards “adding use-cases and highly targeted functionality” prior to the launch of the VCAD direct deposit receipt (DDR).
VCAD is a multi-chain DDR that will be issued through digital banking leader VersaBank and backed one-to-one by Canadian dollar deposits. By creating VCAD, Stablecorp hopes to bridge the transition to blockchain financial services. The startup claims that VCAD would do this by facilitating secure and transparent payments, transfers, and settlements in CAD-equivalent tokens — “introducing a new standard for volatility protection.”
McDougall added that the company intends to pursue a full Series A funding round later in the year.
Launched in 2020 as a joint venture between Canadian crypto asset manager 3iQ and venture studio Mavennet, Stablecorp is a FinTech startup that is developing what it calls bank-grade blockchain technology.
3iQ claims to have created the first Bitcoin product to be listed on a major exchange (the Toronto Stock Exchange), and Mavennet has been building tangible blockchain products for major enterprises as well as government entities, such as the United States Department of Homeland Security.
Despite these advancements in the finance space, both 3iQ and Mavennet noticed a gap in the financial infrastructure that was required to deliver the optimal versions of their solutions. Wherever “off-chain” fiat is required to interact with an “on-chain” blockchain-based system, there are limitations in what the blockchain-based system can accomplish.
Stablecorp was created to fill this gap by extending the edge of blockchain-based systems and ensuring a seamless integration with the services traditionally provided by the traditional financial system.
QCAD was Stablecorp’s first product release and was the first major Canadian-dollar stablecoin designed for the mass market, according to the company. A stablecoin is a type of cryptocurrency that gets its value pegged to another asset class, such as a fiat currency or gold, to stabilize its price.
Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin offer the ability to send payments without the intervention of an intermediary institution. One drawback, however, is that the price of cryptocurrencies is unpredictable and has a tendency to fluctuate. To solve this problem, Stablecorp created QCAD, which the company claims have the stability of the Canadian dollar.
In February 2021, Stablecorp entered into a strategic partnership with VersaBank, an A-rated Canadian Schedule I bank, to develop VCAD.
VCAD is a digital deposit receipt issued by VersaBank and can be used by financial intermediary partners in exchange for Canadian dollar deposits with the bank using ‘smart contracts,’ a more highly encrypted iteration of VersaBank’s existing digital deposit contracts. What VersaBank is working on with Stablecorp is offering VCAD directly to individuals and businesses who can use them for commerce and redeem them for Canadian dollars at any time.
Stablecorp secured its recent funding as it plans to create more transparent transactions and secure payments in the blockchain space.
The FinTech startup has also expressed plans to expand globally. Stablecorp said its funding round will also allow it to pursue its near-term growth strategies in decentralized finance, yield generation, foreign exchange, payments, settlement, remittances, and digital asset trading.


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Photo by John Fannin
Pastor Cameron Garcia of Oasis Community Church in Sunnyside emphasizes his view that Sunnyside United should seek a ban on retail sales of marijuana in Sunnyside.
As of Friday, March 21, 2014
While united on discouraging teen alcohol and drug use, members of the Sunnyside United coalition are less so when it comes to whether the city should ban retail marijuana sales.
During a meeting yesterday, Thursday, the coalition reviewed a draft version of its stance on retail sales. The Sunnyside City Council will be discussing the issue in the near future and the planning commission has recommended approval of retail sales.
Reaching a consensus statement soon on marijuana sales is key for Sunnyside United because it has been asked to provide comment during the city council’s public safety subcommittee meeting on April 7.
The draft talking points reviewed yesterday expressed concerns about increased availability of marijuana through retail sales, but did not advocate a ban.
That didn’t sit well with Pastor Cameron Garcia of Oasis Community Church, which operates an outreach for at-risk youth called The Underground.
“From a youth standpoint, my concerns are that it’s going to make it easier to get marijuana,” Garcia told his colleagues on the coalition. “There’s no sane reason why we shouldn’t issue a position in support of a ban (on retail marijuana) in Sunnyside.”
Garcia added, “Once we open that door, guys, we can’t go back.”
Another coalition member, Samantha Taylor, noted if retail sales are allowed in Sunnyside the vendor will be selected by the state through a lottery. She cautioned that Sunnyside would not have a say in who would obtain the retail license.
Francisco Guerrero, who manages the Sunnyside HAPO Credit Union branch, also sits on the coalition and serves on the Sunnyside City Council. He countered that retail marijuana businesses – just like alcohol and tobacco – are only legal for adults. Marijuana stores, he noted, aren’t intended for teens.
Guerrero also suggested the city could open itself up to litigation if it tries to ban marijuana sales.
That threat already exists, as just last month a smoke shop owner in Grandview indicated he has support from the ACLU and his own legal counsel to take the cities to court if they ban retail marijuana.
The Sunnyside United coalition chair is Steve Carpenter, a former Sunnyside School Board member and CEO of Yakima Chief, a hop-growing and processing firm based in Sunnyside. Like Guerrero, he also was hesitant to support a ban yesterday.
“I don’t have enough facts to say I support an all-out ban on retail sales,” Carpenter told the coalition.
He cautioned against generalized arguments supporting a ban, such as a claim in the draft statement that drug cartels will compete for marijuana sales. Rather, he called not only for more data but also documenting sources.
At Carpenter’s suggestion, coalition members agreed to hold a special luncheon meeting to iron out a position statement and official stance related to retail sales of marijuana in Sunnyside.
That meeting will be noon on Tuesday, April 1, at the Yakima Chief office in Sunnyside, 555 W. South Hill Rd.