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Don’t get us wrong, there are a few worthwhile offerings in the severance packages Peloton gave to the 2,800 employees it fired yesterday.
According to an open letter from John Foley (CEO as of last week, now being pushed into a role as Executive Chair), laid-off employees can expect cash compensation, an extension of healthcare services and equity vesting periods, plus assistance with finding a new job — via a third party vendor that specializes in resume-building and career leads.
But the final offering is where matters take a head-scratching turn. The “but wait, there’s more” of the severance package, Foley is also throwing in one free year of an all-access Peloton membership, valued at $39 a month.
Why in the hell is Peloton doing this? Why would they assume that nearly 3,000 forsaken employees would want to remain part of “the tribe,” and spend 30 free minutes a day exercising on the poorly-run platform that got them to this point? After all, while Foley did thank the contributions of the software engineers, hardware designers, content creators and retailers that got Peloton to this point, it was the decision-making of the executive team that brought Peloton here.
The reason Peloton is offering disgruntled employees a tone-deaf membership is the same reason the company was down $440 million last quarter, will make $1 billion less this fiscal year than projected and has lost over 80% of its share value (from last year’s peak) this week. Peloton has precisely no clue what it’s doing, and subsists on a bizarre brand of self-defeating optimism.
Simply put, pandemic success messed with the company’s brains. It really messed with the brain in charge of all the other brains. Hedge fund Blackwells Capital, which holds significant shares in Peloton, released a scorching 65-slide presentation this week, which detailed the lack of competence from Foley in his role as CEO.
These firings, for instance, seem to be a direct response by Foley to his own hiring over the last four years. Blackwells pointed out that Peloton has increased its size 20-fold since 2018, yet “compared to other subscription-based companies … has the lowest revenue per employee.”
Foley’s approach has been overtly maximalist for the last year-plus, fueled mostly by the euphoria of quarantine, when home workouts held consumers captive, and Peloton deliveries were backed up for months at a time. But the future of a planned $400-million Ohio factory is now in doubt, as Peloton takes an extended break from making bikes, while employees remain confused by Foley’s decision to sign a $450-million, 15-year lease at an unnecessarily large headquarters in Manhattan.
Blackwells accuses Foley of “unbridled optimism, “visions of grandeur” and “inability to forecast demand.” They also use his own words against in an amusingly petty, though effective, portion of the presentation, titled “Foley on Foley.” The manager seems acutely aware of his own incompetence, and has released a bevy of humdingers over the years, including:
- “I think I’m not a very good manager.”
- “I interview almost nobody.”
- “I’ll go sometimes months without talking to our CTO, which as a CEO of a technology company, that’s kind of rare.”
- And on what his colleagues would say about his strengths: “I’m not sure they’d say I have many strengths at all.”
The majority of media attention has been afforded to some of Peloton’s more dramatic controversies, like the dangerous treadmill slats that injured (and killed) dozens of toddlers, or the multiple times fictional characters have experienced cardiac arrest after a HIIT session on the bike. But the brand’s largest issue has been staring us in the face this whole time — a leadership team intoxicated by growth, that pushed its outer borders way too far into the unknown. The Visigoths have now made it to Rome.
For those on the inside, and especially for those who’ve now lost their jobs, you can see why that free monthly membership is so insulting. And here’s the kicker: there’s no guarantee a potential buyer would even honor it. Blackwells wrote out a list of conglomerates that Peloton should immediately sell to (in addition to Nike and Amazon, which were both rumored last week). That list includes the usual suspects: Netflix, Spotify, Meta, Disney, Oracle, Comcast. Can any of them turn this ship around? Maybe. It can’t get any worse from here.


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- The Wall Street Journal•2 hours ago
Food distributor US Foods Holding Corp. plans to eliminate hundreds of jobs as part of a restructuring of its corporate headquarters near Chicago, according to people familiar with the company’s plans....
- American City Business Journals•14 days ago
Former Procter & Gamble Co. executive Edward Shirley has joined the board of Sysco Corp., which sells, markets and distributes food products to restaurants, hotels, health care and educational facilities. Shirley, 59, who was vice chairman of Beauty & Grooming for P&G and once a contender to become CEO of the Cincinnati-based company (PG), has been appointed to the board of Sysco (SYY) but will stand for election Nov. 16 at the annual meeting of stockholders. Houston-based Sysco operates 200 distribution facilities that serve 425,000 customers.
- GlobeNewswire•15 days ago
HOUSTON, Oct. 06, 2016-- Sysco Corporation, North America's leading foodservice distribution company, recently honored its suppliers that met or exceeded the company's exacting standards as part of the ...
Sysco Corporation (SYY)
NYSE - NYSE Real Time Price. Currency in USD
|Bid||46.38 x 100|
|Ask||47.75 x 100|
|Day's Range||47.25 - 47.48|
|52wk Range||47.25 - 53.54|
|1y Target Est||N/A|
Trade prices are not sourced from all markets
|P/E Ratio (ttm)||28.86|
|Avg Vol (3m)||3,499,813|
|Dividend & Yield||1.24 (2.57%)|

domain: news


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IKEA India and HDFC Bank have entered a partnership to provide a seamless and cost-effective method for consumers to finance the purchasing of home furnishing goods.
Under this collaboration, IKEA will offer customers an equated monthly instalment (EMI)-based financing option.
The financing option includes a mix of no-cost (0 per cent) and low-cost (up to 10 per cent) EMI plans, with flexible terms ranging from three to 30 months.
To avail of this financing option, customers are required to provide their Know-Your-Customer (KYC) information to the HDFC Bank representative at IKEA stores.
The new consumer financing option will be available at all IKEA stores in India starting from May 6, 2023, and will soon be accessible online as well.
In a statement shared by the company, Elena Pogosova, Country Commercial Manager at IKEA India, commented, "We understand that purchasing furniture involves a significant investment, and our goal is to make it affordable and accessible to all.
How have the home loan EMIs changed since RBI's repo rate hike in May 2022?
HDFC Bank shares fall post Q3 as moderating loan, deposit growth weighs
HDFC Bank: Analysts see muted profit growth in Q4 amid higher provisions
HDFC Bank stock's re-rating still some time away, say analysts
HDFC Bank Q3: PAT may grow up to 20% YoY; margin, asset quality seen steady
Adani-Hindenburg case: SC grants Sebi time till August 14 to submit report
Bank of Baroda 'well protected' for switch to RBI's new loan-loss proposal
Nazara Technologies joins All India Gaming Federation as principal member
IndiGo inducts 2nd Boeing 777 aircraft; to operate on Mumbai-Istanbul route
Apple's App Store stopped over $2 bn in fraudulent transactions in 2022
Earlier this year, IKEA announced reduced prices for various product categories, including store and organise furniture, storage solutions, living room seating, bedroom furniture, office storage, kitchen accessories, and children's storage.
Additionally, the company is providing a five-year limited warranty for frames and sofa cushions, armchairs, sleeper sofas, and ottomans, further reinforcing its dedication to quality and customer satisfaction.


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You can now pay for local taxis the digital way, using the TNG eWallet and pay for your fares without cash.
A survey revealed that three out of ten working adults had to borrow money to buy essential goods in the past six months.
Malaysians will soon have new ways to pay at AEON outlets with the new AEON Member Plus Visa Card, and the new AEON e-Wallet.
AirAsia is offering free seats and five million flight tickets at promotional prices until 18 November 2018.
Are you ready to get the best deals during Single's Day? Before you hit the "buy" button, these tips will show you how to shop smart.
Each culture has their own way of celebrating and respecting the dead. Have you heard about these interesting funeral traditions around the world?


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Xiaomi Will Launch Multiple Products In Shenzen Soon: CEO
Xiaomi Will Launch Multiple Products In Shenzen Soon: CEO
Xiaomi's 8th Anniversary Smartphone Mi 8 Expected to Launch at the May 31 Event
18 May, 2018, 17:21
Xiaomi's global merchandise lead Donovan Sung had tweeted stating that the business was hosting the event in Shenzhen, and afterwards he tweeted stating they've more than 1 product.
As per various reports, the company is planning to launch the Mi 8 Anniversary Edition smartphone at the event. Also, the event will host around 5,000 people. Xiaomi's global product lead Donovan Sung had earlier tweeted saying the company was hosting the event in Shenzhen, and later he tweeted saying they will have more than one product. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun has even told that more than one devices will be launched at the event.
According to the leaked screenshot, the tickets for Xiaomi's forthcoming event will be priced between RMB 799 (around Rs 8,500) and RMB 1,999 (around Rs 21,300). It is also noted that the company could announce a flagship Mi7 and the long-awaited fitness tracker Mi Band 3.
Xiaomi will be holding its a product launch in Shenzhen this month, and it looks a new Mi 8th anniversary phone could launch on May 31.
Now, the freshly leaked photos showing box package and front panel of an alleged Mi 8 have appeared online. The Mi 8 smartphone has made special appearances on the Chinese version of the Mi Store app as well as in the Mi Community.
While everything should be taken with a pinch of salt since there has been no confirmation from the company about the same, the Xiaomi Mi 7 or the Mi 8, is expected to feature 3D facial recognition technology that will rival Apple's Face ID and is expected to be powered by Qualcomm's octa-core Snapdragon 845 SoC coupled with up to 8GB of RAM as well as up to 256GB of inbuilt storage. An image of the retail box of a Xiaomi handset with number 8 written on it also emerged online. The company might launch its flagship Mi 8 at the event alongside other devices.
Also, another image showcasing a front panel placed inside a plastic cover with Xiaomi Mi 8 mentioned over it revealed via SlashLeaks.
The interesting aspect is the presence of the wide notch at the top of the display. It appears that the handset will have thin bezels on the sides and a small chin at the bottom. Additionally, past reports reveal that the smartphone may come with a vertical aligned dual rear camera setup similar to the iPhone X and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.
Worth Watching Stock: Opko Health Inc (OPK)
However looking at valuation ratios the stock has 5 year expected PEG ratio of 0 whereas its trailing twelve month P/E ratio is 0. Relative volume is the comparison of current volume to average volume for the same time of day, and it's displayed as a ratio.
And finally, Chrome 70 will be released in October, and HTTP sites will get a red "Not secure" message when users enter data. Since most traffic is HTTPS anyway, it's not necessary to draw the user's attention to the "Secure" indicator anymore.
However, Mr Markle rejected any treatment following the diagnosis and declined to be transported to his Rosarito home. Consequently, he will be going through a heart surgery and he was medically advised against travelling to the UK.
This season, though, proved to be a bridge too far; Clement was sacked in December, with Swansea routed to the foot of the table. He scored eight times and provided seven assists, his best return in his three seasons in the Premier League .
PetrÃ³leo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras operates in the oil, natural gas, and energy industries.The firm is worth $105.66 billion. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras traded 25213202 shares at hands when compared with its average volume of 16077.57K shares.
It has since made its way to many devices but Sony's headphones had yet to receive support and that has finally happened today. It is available as via OTA (over the air) update which Sony says is available to download right now for all customers.
The institutional investor bought 102,242 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $3,066,000. The stock of Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) has "Equal-Weight" rating given on Tuesday, April 17 by Barclays Capital.
Yonhap says the two-week military exercise between the USA and South Korea started Friday and included about 100 warplanes. Mr Trump said that if the North Korean leader agrees to denuclearise, he will get what Mr Trump is calling "protections".
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC)'s Williams Percent Range, or 14-day Williams %R, is sitting at 5.80 at the time of writing. The price target set for the stock is $60.57, and this sets up an impressive set of potential movement for the stock.
Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 20,417 shares in the company, valued at $1,764,845.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.97, a PEG ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.34.
Now we'll look to construct one thing actually sturdy and lasting right here at Everton'. 'I'm surprised how it came about, ' Allardyce said.
Police race to Texas high school after reports of gunfire
In late February, the school was briefly placed on lockdown over "popping sounds" thought to be gunshots that were heard outside. A mother said that a police officer told her that the shooting happened in an art classroom, CBS affiliate KHOU-TV reports .
United Kingdom customers being sold false broadband speeds
Homeworkers are paying for broadband services that are on average 51% slower than advertised, according to new Which? analysis. Until now, service providers have been allowed to advertise "up to" speeds that are available to only a tenth of customers.
Fabregas says Chelsea must banish 'regret in our head'
Manchester City have announced that manager Pep Guardiola has signed a contract extension keeping him at the club until 2021. We were confronting each other, but then we humbled ourselves and started a good relationship.
Shelby America revives the Super Snake
The catch is that only a few of those cars survive to this day meaning that most collectors who want one can't have it. It churns out more than 550 PS and is available in both aluminum and cast-iron blocks.
Is the extra customer support Google One offers valuable to you?
Well, it's actually an old product which is getting its own new name - Google One is a lot catchier - and cheaper pricing options. Thanks to mobile phones, and new file formats like 4K video and high-res photography, people are storing more than ever before.
PM Abbasi, Khursheed Shah to hold second meeting on May 22
The caretaker setup, which will take over once the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government, completes its tenure. Khursheed Shah, in April, had met all the opposition parties to come up with a list of candidates for caretaker PM.
Distant object pointed to ninth planet of the Solar system
A planet which has never been seen by astronomers could be lurking at the dark edges of our solar system , astronomers believe. That invisible surface is the solar system's "plane", and compared to it, 2015 BP519's orbit is heavily skewed.
Body found in search for missing teenage girl
Her family had reported her missing at Leixlip Garda Station at around 8pm that day after they became concerned for her safety. However a murder investigation is underway and gardai are appealing to anyone with information to come forward.
Pools, hot tubs can harbor unsafe germs
What Is Causing The Outbreak In Hotel Pools? These bacteria can enter the body through the skin, eyes or nose, Hlavsa explained. Over 200 of the outbreaks in the CDC report are attributed to Cryptosporidium , including over 21,000 illnesses.
Nokia X6 Will Launch In India Soon
The biggest highlight of the Nokia X6 is its design as it is the first Nokia phone to sport a display notch. Sarvikas conducted a poll on Twitter asking whether the company should bring the Nokia X6 to other markets.
Ten Euro 2016 champions miss out in Portugal squad
In addition, Euro 2016 hero Eder , who scored the extra-time victor in the final against France in that tournament, was also cut. Santos' men will start their World Cup campaign against Spain on June 15 in Sochi.
LeBron James Needs To Fire Against The Celtics In Game 2
Morris managed 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting himself in what was a typically even offensive performance from the Celtics . He had just 15 fantasy points in Game 2 at Toronto and followed that up with 27.5 points in Game 3 behind four 3-pointers.


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The Mazda brand has been struggling in the UK with a lack of product to compete with mainstream rivals in recent years, but it didn’t stop specialist Milcars Mazda from walking away with two AM Awards this year.
For 15 years Romford Mazda staggered along, failing to fulfil anything like its potential. Then, in 2007, two brothers acquired the business with a novel vision for success: there would be no managers apart from themselves.
The car market collapse, warranty hysteria and supply issues after Japan’s tsunami were a triple whammy for RRG Group in the North West of England. Yet it made it through intact, and bounced back fast. Now its Japanese owners have given its management clear instructions: acquire, expand and spread the risk.


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Looking for a date? Don't drive a minivan, according to a new survey ranking cars that attractive people drive.
A new survey by Insure.com asked men and women what type, brand and even color of vehicle is driven most by attractive members of the opposite sex. The results may surprise you:
iStock / gbh007
Americans living in smaller towns are generally healthier than their big-city compatriots, according to a new survey.


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Nike Air Pegasus 83′ “Summit White” ‘The Nike Air Pegasus ’83 “Summit White” is now available atTitolo for sbout $80 USD.
Awesomeness This Week The Dream Project 2015: 4/16 & 4/17 ATLANTA: are you ready for the #Dream2015? Meet me, along with some of today’s best speakers and business leaders to ignite your current business strategy! Register today: DreamProjectOnline.com Join me at the Dream Project Symposium on April 16-17th in Atlanta. Register now at: DreamProjectOnline.com! #Dream2015 The Dream Project Symposium […]
2016 BMW 650i Coupe The 6-series is as great as ever. With the 6-series, BMW has a clear winner on its hands. The beautiful coupe, based on the 5-series sedan, has exceeded expectations—despite highly ambitious pricing that positions it close to the range-topping 7-series. Even though thefour-door Gran Coupe, a direct competitor of the Audi A7 and the Mercedes-Benz […]
With his anticipated fight against Manny Pacquiao less than a month away, Floyd Mayweather sat down with Katie Couric for a chat about his career and what is being called the “Fight of the Century.” The boxing star is known for flashing money, cars and jewelry. He tells Katie, it’s all real and not just […]
NBA franchise, the Milwaukee Bucks, unveiled its new logos on Monday night (April 13). The new logo features a forward-facing buck as the current primary logo, which designers said was updated for a “fiercer and more aggressive” look. It’s an older, 12-point buck instead of an eight-pointer. Green remains the dominant color in the primary […]
A former NFL first round draft pick out of Nebraska finds himself a suspect in the murder of his cellmate at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, CA. Lawrence Phillips, 39, a running back who was drafted in 1995, is under investigation for possibly murdering Damion Soward, who died early Saturday morning. Soward, 37, was […]
2015 Honda S660 Mid-Engine Roadster A good thing in a (very) small package Honda is on a mission to get its sporty groove back. We’ve already seen the new Acura NSX; the Civic Type R was revealed at the recent Geneva auto show; the company’s comeback as a Formula 1 engine supplier is underway; and now Honda has added a […]
Wendy Williams is a successful woman with a popular talk show and line of wigs, not to mention a brand new clothing line on HSN and 17 years of marriage under her belt. While she has been able to juggle being a wife and mother with hosting her popular daytime talk show, Williams believes women in […]


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Chinese are Manchester’s top retail spenders
Chinese tourists spent more in Manchester’s stores than those from any other nation in 2013.
That’s according to the travel tax refund company Global Blue, which said visitors from China spent 29 per cent more on tax-free shopping in Manchester stores during 2013 compared to the previous year, with an average transaction spend of £677 ($1133).
“China is the top spending international globe shopper in the region, representing 50 per cent of the total tax free spend,” said Gordon Clark, UK country manager at Global Blue.
Kuwait and Thailand also offer huge potential in terms of retail spend in Manchester with retail sales increasing 70 per cent and 73 per cent.
More than 100 Manchester city centre retailers offer tax-free shopping with many, including Harvey Nichols and Selfridges, placing China Union Pay chip and pin terminals in store to allow payments via Chinese credit cards.
Selfridges was the first retailer in the UK to accept China Union Pay, the most popular credit card brand in China.
“Manchester city centre is home to more luxury brands than anywhere else in the UK. In addition to offering keys brands such as Coach, Givenchy, Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Proenza, Manchester also boasts the only Chanel and Tiffany boutiques outside of London,” said Jane Sharrocks, Heart of Manchester BID chair and GM at Selfridges Exchange Square.


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Smartphone Company Huawei on Wednesday announced its business results for the third quarter of the year 2019.
Huawei in a statement said that they generated CNY610.8 billion (Sh8.924 trillion) in revenue during the first three quarters of this year, representing an increase of 24.4 per cent year-on-year.
They posted a net profit margin of 8.7 per cent in the period.
The company said that the increased revenue is attributed by their increased investment on infrastructure and smartphone devices.
It revealed that its smartphone shipments in the first three quarters of 2019 grew steadily exceeding 185 million units, an increase of 26 per cent year-on-year.
The company also saw rapid growth in other new device businesses like PCs, tablets, wearables, and smart audio products in the first three quarters.
The tech firm launched Vision smart screen, featuring unique innovations in software and hardware, during this quarter.
The company said it has sped up the commercial deployment of 5G networks around the world.
“Huawei has continued to launch innovative solutions with leading carriers like 5G Super Uplink, smart & simplified transport networks. The company has also worked with industry partners to establish an industry alliance and an industry innovation base for 5G deterministic networking to enable the innovation and growth of carriers.”
“To date, Huawei has signed more than 60 commercial contracts for 5G with leading global carriers and shipped more than 400,000 5G Massive MIMO active antenna units (AAUs) to global markets.”
Huawei’s production and supply of optical transmission, data communications, and IT products also grew steadily in this quarter.
The company launched the Huawei Horizon Digital Platform to build a foundation for the digital world, creating a digital transformation industry worth trillions of US dollars. This platform will also help various sectors like government, public utilities, finance, transportation, and electricity to speed up their digital transformation.


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By Prossy Nandudu & Agencies
Coffee farmers and processors are the latest beneficiaries of the just concluded ten-day trade mission to key export destinations of London, Washington DC, Chicago and Aurora.
This follows the signing of an MOU between Inspire Coffee Establishment and WB investments. Under the MOU, Inspire Africa coffee team will have to mobilize farmers in Uganda to supply quality coffee.
The eight coffee exporters including Inspire Africa coffee promoted speciality coffee under the Café Uganda brand in Chicago and provided participants with a taste of Uganda Coffee over the two days of the summit.
The summit was organized by the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), with President Yoweri Museveni as the chief promoter of Ugandan products, attracting over 300 participants, including investors, fund managers, processors of food, large commodity buyers and Ugandan exporters among others.
According to a press statement from PACEID, the mission also involved B2B meetings and engagements which enabled Uganda exporters to acquire promising business transactions.
Other opportunities explored by the committee include establishing the Uganda warehousing, and distribution centre for Uganda premium coffee, vanilla, chocolate and Gluten free banana flour.
To this, the team engaged the Mayor and leadership of the city of Aurora in the state of Illinois to facilitate the process. With Uganda’s coffee already consumed in Aurora, Mayor Richard Irvin expressed hope that Ugandan products will attract the market in Illinois.
He added that he will work closely with Cody Lorance Uganda’s Trade Representative to drive over USD1bn worth of Uganda’s products over the next five years.
Once established, the centre will be used by other Ugandan exporters to market their products in Aurora including, added the press statement.
Other beneficiary sectors as a result of the trade mission include Rewa Ltd suppliers of grains also engaged with Afra grill restaurant, a company interested in developing trade partnerships to access quality cereals, pulses and oil seed from Uganda.


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Sony recalls VAIO laptop batteries for overheating issue
(WVUE) - Sony recalled approximately 1,700 laptop batteries sold in the United States because of a risk that the lithium-ion packs can overheat, leading to fire and burn hazards.
The electronics giant used Panasonic batteries in 18 models of Sony VAIO laptop computers. The recalled batteries were also used in repairs by Sony, as well as sold separately. Customers should look for the model number VGP-BPS26 and part numbers 1-853-237-11 and 1-853-237-21, which are printed on the back of the battery pack. Click here for a complete list of laptops.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said the recalled batteries were sold at Sony retail stores, Best Buy and other electronic stores nationwide, as well as several websites, between February 2013 through October 2013. The individual battery packs sold for about $170. The VAIO laptops containing the recalled batteries sold for about $550-$1,000. Toshiba also recently recalled Panasonic lithium-ion batteries used in its laptops for a similar issue.
Customers can call Sony at 888-476-6988 for more information.
Copyright 2016 WVUE. All rights reserved.


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Continuing to ensure that brick and mortar casinos remain appealing to punters is a challenging facing many organisations, one such example operating in the United Kingdom is Genting.
Previously stressing that “we give our players what they want in a great environment,” a number of renovations have been carried out recently across its property estate to ensure that this remains the case.
CasinoBeats spoke to Jim Firth, general manager at Genting Casino Westcliff (above), who was recently appointed into the role, to discuss the rising tide of online gaming, how Genting plans to buck the trend and what he has up his sleeve to continue the growth of Genting Westcliff.
Congratulations on the recent appointment, how are you to ensure the growth of Genting Westcliff?
Thank you very much. Firstly I’d like to say that I am delighted to have been appointed as general manager for Genting Casino Westcliff. It is a hugely successful business that has become a landmark destination for gamers and leisure customers alike.
What impresses me most about the business is the seamless marriage of a really strong live gaming offer, great hospitality, best in class slots and electronic product and the highest quality entertainment I have experienced in a UK casino.
“We are an industry that is now more accessible that ever”
For me, growing business is about engaging inspiring and empowering your best people to deliver amazing results. We have some really talented people in Genting Westcliff and I’m looking forward to seeing them unlock the extra potential they have.
How much does last year’s multi-million pound revamp help?
It helps a great deal. We operate in a highly competitive market that is complex and consistently changing. Our guests are sophisticated and much more sensitive to their surroundings and have expectations about the quality of their experience.
Furthermore, guest feedback is delivered instantly through social media, specifically Instagram, so having a spectacular looking casino is a big deal. It keeps us relevant, competitive and current.
Drawing upon almost 30 years industry experience, how have the industry changed during your career?
We are an industry that is now more accessible that ever. The barriers to entry for new guests have been removed, so it is now possible to enjoy the whole casino experience without having to wait 48/24 hours to join or become a member.
“The industry has recognised the importance of supporting local community and charity endeavours”
Longevity and sustainability are a key factor that drive the success of our business and as an industry, we have adapted to an environment where socially responsible practices are now the norm.
The industry has recognised the importance of supporting local community and charity endeavours, and this is something we are particularly proud of in Genting Casinos.
Finally, guest experience has improved exponentially. Deregulation in 2002 opened the doors for entertainment in UK casinos and a number of larger operators, excited by the Budd Report and subsequent 2005 gaming act experimented with opening large destination Casinos.
These large licenses rewrote the rulebook and as a result, the industry continues to remain competitive by searching out the electronic best products, new and innovative hospitality and entertainment and great people to deliver the service standards.
“To continue to perform well in this current climate there is no doubt that ongoing investment into our casinos is key”
How would you assess the performance of the wider Genting UK group in the current climate?
For Genting UK to continue to perform well in this current climate there is no doubt that ongoing investment into our casinos is key. In the last 12 months we have carried out extensive renovations to several of our casinos including; Palm Beach Mayfair, Luton, Cromwell Mint, The Colony Club and Westcliff.
As well as this, we have been investing heavily in our online gaming offering, and we have seen a very positive response from our customers to new launches such as our unique dual play system.
There’s a rising tide of online gaming taking hold across the world, how much of a threat is this to brick and mortar establishments?
Online gaming has been available to UK residents since 2005 and there is no doubt that internet gaming has claimed a significant chunk of total gaming wallet as well as unique online players.
“Bricks and mortar gaming has adapted by becoming much more experiential and service driven”
However, bricks and mortar gaming has adapted by becoming much more experiential and service driven as a result. Ultimately there will always be a market for the player who enjoys face to face participation and quite often, that same player may also enjoy a flutter online.
We understand that world of gaming is changing and as a result we innovate by offering players who have online accounts with us a cashing out service, that allows them to withdraw their online winnings in our bricks and mortar casinos.
What plans/initiatives are to be put in place by both yourself and Genting UK to ensure that people are drawn to these properties?
We have a really strong set of values in Genting Casinos that underpin how we do business. We believe that these values help us understand our customers and their needs, drive us to be the best we can be and develop and empower our people to deliver an awesome experience.
Customers in 2019 are more sophisticated than ever and have a minimum expectation around product, experience and service. We recognise this and constantly review our offer in order to exceed those expectations.
We also recognise that each casino is quite unique and one size doesn’t always fit all. To this end, a degree of ‘local flair’ is encouraged in our businesses that may take the form of specialised local dishes on the menu or an important community initiative that requires support. This approach differentiates us from the rest of the market and ultimately encourages people to be drawn to our properties.


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Battling competitors is proving a major challenge for most smaller firms, according to a recent survey.
It found that 74 per cent of respondents saw industry competition as a significant issue, while 40 per cent pointed to manpower shortages.
Within the IT industry, finding skilled labour was a challenge for 43 per cent of those polled, while firms in the food and beverage sector cited high business costs arising from steep labour and rents as the main concern.
For labour-intensive industries, staff shortages were ranked second highest after competition challenges as they are affected more adversely by foreign employment curbs and policies. These include sectors such as logistics and transport, and manufacturing and services, which cover cleaning and security, for example.
The inaugural survey by Hong Leong Finance polled about 120 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on their key challenges and priorities, their adoption of digital technology, and the type of value-added services they want from financial service providers.
Sales growth was cited as a top priority by 75 per cent of the respondents across all industries, while 33 per cent named operations and production capacity expansion with proper cost management.
Securing loans and managing cash flow were cited as key priorities by 43 per cent of construction firms.
The survey also found that nearly 70 per cent of SMEs have stepped up the adoption of technology and digital tools to enhance productivity, particularly in the areas of business operations and finance.
The study also found that the most popular types of value-added services from financial advisers are those that offer economic outlook, overseas market information and advice on optimisation and cash flow management.
Businesses in the growth and expansion stages prefer advice on investment opportunities, while mature firms are more likely to enhance their profit and boost productivity by seeking assistance on digital adoption and implementation.


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BitTorrent, developers of the torrent distribution platform, has just announced the publication of its first eBook. Captive, by Megan Lisa Jones, is a psychological thriller, with a story based in political intrigue amidst terrorism and captivity.
This eBook is the latest addition to BitTorrent’s Artist Spotlight program. BitTorrent launched this pilot program several months ago, and it has already released music, movies, and episodic content. All releases can be freely downloaded over BitTorrent. This content is also featured in ads shown during the install of the BitTorrent client.
This is the first I’d heard of BitTorrent’s new program, but I have to say it’s rather clever. It’s a subtle marketing tool that is going to slowly change how people perceive torrents. Before, the most visible use of torrents was piracy, and that obscured the less obvious uses such as companies distributing their own files internally or game companies releasing updates. Now there will be people who downloaded a BitTorrent client just to get the legitimately released content.


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Alipay, the e-payment arm of Chinese technology giant Alibaba Group, announced on Tuesday that more than 100 million people participated in sending lucky money, or Hongbao in Chinese, via mobile apps during the past Chinese New Year holiday.
Showing results 1 to 20 of 9,307
Parallels can now integrate the 2X RAS server into its solutions to improve corporate use of Parallels virtual desktop software.
Five months on from the release of iOS 8, and following six rounds of bugfixes, Apple's flagship mobile platform that powers almost three out of four iPhone and iPads is still riddled with bugs.
Starting with Office for iOS, Microsoft is enabling its new Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps to access third-party cloud-storage services, including Apple's iCloud.
Big Blue plans to launch a series of applications designed to take advantage of the building software defined storage movement.
With Mobile World Congress just a few weeks away all eyes turn toward the Android field. The mission: Derail Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus momentum.
But despite the love connection, Visa must keep its options open.
With cloud and mobile-based programs for producing sales quotes and orders, SteelBrick currently serves nearly 200 companies, including Cloudera, Nimble Storage, Nutanix, and Marketo.
Does your iPhone or iPad need more storage for photos, videos, or other files? This little gadget can add up to 256GB.
ARM projects new devices sporting the technology unveiled today will hit the market by next year.
IBM has a heavier lift when it comes to its partnership with Apple. Apple gains iPad and iPhone distribution along with joint apps with IBM. IBM has to sell transformation and the stack and consultants that go with it.
For some third party apps, a partnership with Google Now will be a mobile boon. Others won't be so lucky. Time will tell.
As it turns out, Apple can still say the U.S. buys more iPhones than China. Whoops.
Apple's December holiday period blew expectations out of the water, thanks to "record" iPhone sales, which partly offset the iPad decline.
The Egg is a webserver; a storage device; a Wi-Fi hotspot; and, maybe, a security service. It makes the "mobile" Internet a reality: it fits in your pocket and runs all day on batteries.
As we look at how software will be evolving, traditional PC applications and mobile apps have some substantial differences, key among them the depth and flexibility traditional applications offer that are often an anathema to mobile users.
iPhone makes up about 60 percent of Apple's revenue. Though arch-rival Samsung's smartphone unit is struggling, it still wouldn't turn down providing its chips to Apple.
Apple is slated to announce record iPhone sales on Tuesday after the closing bell. But its underling businesses, notably enterprise and its China business, deserves attention.
The platform for developing internet-of-things analytics apps combines Wipro's support services with Software AG's streaming analytics product suite.
Microsoft wants Windows 10 to boost its mobile play, but that's not the only battle the software giant will have to fight.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
- 1 33 ways to improve your iPhone's battery life
- 2 Perfectly legal ways you can still get Windows 7 cheap (or even free)
- 3 How much does an iPhone 6 really cost? (Hint: It's way more than $199)
- 4 Seven privacy settings you should change immediately in iOS 8
- 5 So you have an app idea and want to make a bajillion bucks


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Last year saw a trend of sorts, with new-age Indian brands roping in highly qualified professionals from the valley. The year also saw folks like Snapdeal opening up office in California. Guess what’s the latest development that caught our attention? Flipkart is expanding to US with an office in Bay Area!
Chief Technology Officer Peeyush Ranjan tweeted that Flipkart is now live in the Bay Area, with their new office opening in Palo Alto, California.
Flipkart has been in the headlines for quite a while. After acquiring Jabong for $70 million, it launched new features namely, Fliptech and Hoppy Hub. There have been rapid fluctuations in its valuation this year – with multiple investors devaluing it, followed by slight rises.
The launching of this new office is aimed at generating and receiving funding from potentially viable Amercian investors. It will further facilitate the e-commerce giant to hire more talent from the region. It’s former Chief Product Officer – Punit Soni was also employed from Bay Area. In fact, when earlier last year Punit was hired, Flipkart was expected to set up its office in the US.
On the other hand Snapdeal, one of the major rivals of Flipkart had set up its data centres in May this year. This was done to strengthen business strategy to optimize its operational efficiencies through data and analytics.
Fidelity valued Flipkart at around $9 billion, rising from the$8.8 billion valuation earlier, while T Rowe marked down its stake by 15% valuing it at $10.3 billion. Valic Co., another investor in Flipkart marked down their stake by 20%. While earlier, Fidelity and Valic had marked down their holdings in the company by 24% and 12% respectively in the previous quarter. Several of Flipkart’s other investors such as Morgan Stanley, Valic, and Vanguard have also marked down their stake over the last six-to-seven months.
Other startups who have opened their offices in America are InMobi, Zomato, Freshdesk.


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PVH Corp., the parent company of Calvin Klein and TOMMY HILFIGER, recently announced that it has completed its previously announced sale of certain intellectual property and other assets of its Heritage Brands business to Authentic Brands Group (ABG). The cash purchase price for the transaction, which includes the IZOD, Van Heusen, ARROW, and Geoffrey Beene trademarks and certain related inventories and other assets, was $223 million, subject to adjustment.
“PVH is entering a new growth chapter, executing against our accelerated recovery priorities and with a clear focus on unlocking the full potential of our iconic, global growth brands, Calvin Klein and TOMMY HILFIGER. We also believe that ABG is well-positioned to further develop and support our former Heritage Brands for future success,” said Stefan Larsson, Chief Executive Officer, PVH Corp. “On behalf of PVH, I want to thank everyone who has been a part of the Heritage Brands team over the years, helping us become the strong, global company we are today.”
PVH will continue to own and operate the intimates and underwear businesses, led by Warner’s, as well as continue to operate its dress shirt and neckwear business, including under the brands being sold according to a license from ABG. PJ Solomon is serving as an exclusive financial advisor to PVH on the transaction. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is acting as legal advisor.


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In a new ebook published by Native Advertising Institute (a FIPP member) 23 experts take a look into the future of native advertising. The e-book covers all areas connected to native advertising such as content production, mobile, video, tech platforms, social media and more.
Experts include, among others:
- Stephanie Losee, head of content, Visa
- Chad Pollitt, co-founder and VP, Relevance
- Rebecca Lieb, leading industry analyst, advisor and author
- Melanie Deziel, branded content consultant and speaker, founder of The Overlap League
Download the e-book on the NAI website, here.
Native Advertising at the 41st FIPP World Congress in London
Jesper Laursen, founder and CEO of Native Advertising Institute, will be one of the speakers at the 41st FIPP World Congress, taking place in London from 9-11 October 2017. Find out more at fippcongress2017.com and register early to save on final delegate rates.
More like this
The state of native advertising in news media
Native advertising award winners announced
Nine key takeouts from Native Advertising DAYS
How Meredith fuels its revenue growth across channels
Meredith, publisher of brands such as Better Homes & Gardens, Eating Well, Parents and Family Circle, achieved an interesting milestone recently. The company reached an inflection point where its digital advertising growth outpaced print advertising declines, according to Jon Werther, president of Meredith’s National Media Group.
13th Feb 2017
How Harvard Business Review is embracing the future
Harvard Business Review’s print magazine recently underwent a redesign… But, as Josh Macht, EVP and group publisher for the Harvard Business Review Group, explains, the design changes are part of a much bigger shift in strategy, which involves a much bigger multi-platform ‘experience’ overall – gearing up HBR not only to take advantages of opportunities today, but also readying it for the opportunities of tomorrow.
21st Feb 2017
Hearst Autos broadens audience, invests in mobile and editorial for 2017
Hearst is investing resources into its new Autos division and expanding its automotive brands, building off the success of the last several months. This build up involves editorial expansion as well as a functional expansion, according to division president Nick Matarazzo.
17th Feb 2017
The New York Times News Service: from WWI ‘war wire’ to rich, multi-media content today
Started during World War I, The New York Times News Service and Syndicate today offers partners rich multi-media content across a range of verticals and in several languages from not only The New York Times but also other premium content sources such as Harvard Business Review, National Geographic, Slate, The Economist, Meredith and more.
13th Feb 2017
[Long read] How prepared are you for another fundamental shift in how your audiences behave?
Putting more emphasis on consumers’ behavioural shifts and not only thinking of the technological shifts is fundamental for publishers to survive another period of what will be “tumultuous change”.
19th Feb 2017


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Seattle, Washington -- The latest solutions for aircraft interiors buyers' will be the focus at Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas 2011, to be held 12-14 Sept at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle.
In the continuing search for ever lighter but cost- effective seat and monument coverings, Perrone Aerospace will be showing its latest leather-alternative range - EnduraLite. Billed as economical, lightweight and a durable alternative to real leather, EnduraLite weighs 1.3 ounces per sq.ft - more than 50 percent lighter than traditional leather. The product looks and feels like leather and yet it is made using a 100-percent fire retardant polyurethane face and a proprietary polyester blend backing for high levels of durability.
Other highlights include AIM Aerospace's new business bar concept for Boeing B777's and Airbus A330's, with styling input from French industrial designers JCE. The company will also have its Front Row Furniture module, which is currently in service with Air China, on show. These units are being delivered on new B777-300's in support of B/E Aerospace's Diamond lie-flat seats.
Exhibition Director, John Hyde, said: "Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas is now in its third edition and the response from industry has been amazing. The fact that every available square meter of booth space has been allocated is clear evidence of the robust nature of the North American cabin interiors market and the standing of this event."
See more at www.aircraftinteriorsexpo-us.com
For more information contact Verity Newton at [email protected] or +44(0)208-910-7190


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IISL launches index to track performance of Nifty50 futures contracts
The Nifty 50 Futures Index will be available for licensing for the launch of financial products, NSE said in a press statement.
Infosys available cheaper than Nifty
Infosys's June quarter revenue was sharply lower than street estimates. Post results many brokerages hav...
Sensex, Nifty50 start on a flat note
Sensex started on a cautious note with a slight negative bias after the US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Y...
CoBot is the future of manufacturing: Esben Ostergaard
Esben Ostergaard, CTO and co-founder of Universal Robots, says robotics is key to boost India’s manufacturing strength and he sees growth potential for robotics in India.
Avoid guesswork while planning for your future
Securing your financial future, planning and investing for it is about numbers. We all owe it to ourselves to learn at least a little bit about it.
Infosys valuations slip to lowest discount to Nifty
Analysts said the main reason for this discount is because of investors’ preference for TCS, HCL and Tech Mahindra over Infosys.
Nifty strategy by experts
Ahead of the GST discussion in the Parliament, the market seems to be cautious. Here's what expert have to say about the strategy for Nifty for the day's trade.
Ram Vilas Paswan favours ban on sugar futures
India's sugar production is estimated to decline to 25 million tonnes in the 2015-16 season (October-September) from 28.3 million tonnes in the previous year.
Go long on Nifty, Bank Nifty: Yogesh Radke, Edelweiss
The implied volatilities have come off a lot right on COB VIX and also the India VIX
Future’s Paytm tie-up to help it ride with Alibaba
Alibaba plans to debut its biz-to-consumer site Tmall in India. One of the options being considered is morphing the Paytm marketplace into Tmall.
Nickel futures down on overseas trend, subdued demand
At the Multi Commodity Exchange, nickel for delivery this month contracts shed Rs 1.30, or 0.19 per cent, to Rs 686.80 per kg in a business turnover of 559 lots.
11 steps to a secure financial future
Financial advisors say expenses are the backbone of an individual's financial planning. To spend judiciously, learn the difference between needs and wants.
Market open: Sensex, Nifty50 open flat
Sensex which started on a cautious note managed to recoup morning losses and bounced back in green on Monday, supported by gains in HDFC, ITC, HDFC Bank, Tata Motors and SBI.
Never seen before! Infosys’ valuations 15% cheaper than Nifty’s; a buy case?
Experts believe while Infosys may look a risky bet for the near term, the stock has potential to offer healthy returns to investors in the long term.


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TV Producer Dies After E-Cigarette Explodes, Penetrates Skull
Tallmadge D’Elia, a former CNBC producer who lived in Florida, died on May 5 after his e-cigarette exploded and got lodged in his skull, according to a new report in The Tampa Bay Times.
Based on a just-completed autopsy, it appears as if a piece of this cigaratte’s remains actually penetrated D’Elia brain.
D’Elia (who went by Wake) passed away from the wounds he suffered in this freak accident, which took place in St. Petersburg, after his vape pen ignited a fire in the upstairs bedroom of his family’s house.
The story has since gone viral purely due to the unusual nature of this death.
Autopsy results from the medical examiner of Pinellas County reveal that D’Elia’s e-cigarette made a “projectile wound” in his skull, while also starting the blaze.
The medical examiner has listed D’Elia cause of death as “projectile wound of head” and says it was an accident.
D’Elia also suffered “thermal injuries,” or burns, on roughly 80 percent of his body, the report states.
The 38-year-old’s vape pen was reportedly a device made in the Philippines that is unregulated.
Specificially, the medical examiner says the item was a Smok-E Mountain Mech Works, which in an online description says “does not come with safety features.”
No kidding, huh?
As of this writing, it’s unclear what caused the pen to explode. But some are speculating that it had to have been related to the battery.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this is the first death caused by a vape pen in the United States.
From 2009 through 2016, there were 195 recorded incidents in which an electronic cigarette exploded or caught fire, resulting in 133 injuries, 38 of which were listed by this agency as severe.
To avoid this sort of fate, recommendation for e-smokers include:
Never carry e-cig batteries loose in your pocket, especially where they might come into contact with coins, keys or other metal objects which can cause the battery to short out.
Never use you phone or tablet charger. Use the charger that originally came with the device.
Don’t charge your vape device while sleeping or leave it unattended.
Charge it on a flat surface away from anything that can catch fire. Don’t charge it on your couch or bed.
Always replace the batteries if they get damaged or wet.
Always use batteries recommended for your device and don’t mix and match different brands or mix old and new batteries.
Never alter your device or disable the safety features like fire button locks or vent holes.
Protect your vape from extreme temperatures by not leaving it in direct sunlight or in a freezing car overnight.


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FedEx chief says 'we will come out stronger' after $300m cyber attack
FedEx believes the the cyber attack which hit its subsidiary TNT will cost $300m. It’s the same amount fellow ...
Korean Air has announced its first-quarter results, which show that freight tonne kilometres increased 7.9%, year-on-year, with a particularly pleasant 11.5% bump in February. Load factors rose 3.4 percentage points, while yield in US cents rose 10.6% to ¢24.8. Capacity, in available freight tonne km rose 3.2%. Cargo accounted for 22.8% of the carrier’s total revenues, up from 20% a year ago. The carrier’s total net income for the quarter was KRW559bn ($499m).
Revenues for the Americas accounted for 40% of Korean’s cargo business, while Europe was 27%. South-east Asia only accounted for 16%, but revenue for the region was up 32%, year-on-year. The Americas saw revenue rise 11%, while Europe was up 12%. The carrier said it expected air cargo demand to increase, due to the recovery in developed country consumption and Korean exports. It plans to expand new air cargo products and to improve profitability by providing flexible capacity.
You can see the full results here.


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Keep up with news in states where recreational marijuana is legalized, and occasionally you'll see reports of cannabis that has been taken off the shelves because it was treated with pesticides considered unsafe or illegal.
But you won't see those reports in Alaska, where no pesticide testing is required and there are no rules about which pesticides to use, or how to use them safely.
Alaska requires marijuana to be tested for potency and microbials — things like mold and fungus. Concentrates are also tested for residual solvents. But fearing that it would be too expensive for fledgling marijuana businesses, Alaska's regulators chose not to test for pesticides when crafting the rules back in 2015.
As the market grows and other states tackle the same issue, is a lack of pesticide rules a gap in consumer protections?
Can't say it's safe
Evan Neal, COO of Anchorage cannabis shop Cannabaska, said he relocated to Alaska from Colorado to start both a retail shop and a cultivation facility.
In Colorado, Neal saw how marijuana treated with unapproved pesticides led to recalls that rocked the industry and affected consumers. He's worried.
"Here in Alaska, we need some help," Neal said.
The Department of Environmental Conservation oversees pesticide use in Alaska. It's providing basic guidance to growers on which pesticides it considers legal to use, according to their labels, said Karin Hendrickson, environmental program manager at DEC.
But DEC's advice isn't a lot to go on.
"We can't say, 'This is safe to use and this product isn't,' " Hendrickson said.
That's because not much research has been done on how pesticides affect human health when smoked. The best comparison would be with tobacco, and the effects of pesticides aren't researched because tobacco use is already so unhealthful, Hendrickson said.
One study in the 2013 Journal of Toxicology said the amount of pesticide residue found when cannabis was burned in a pipe and water pipe was "alarmingly high," suggesting substantial exposure for marijuana users that was "a serious concern."
And it's not just marijuana flower. Concentrates in some cases can show even higher amounts of pesticides.
But pesticides are regulated under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the federal agency doesn't consider any pesticide use on cannabis to be legal.
With no federal guidance, Oregon, Washington and Colorado have developed their own lists of allowable pesticides for recreational-use marijuana – in Washington, there are more than 300 such pesticides.
Alaska's DEC has also created what it calls a partial list of pesticides that can be used on marijuana crops.
Alaska's Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office does not plan to keep a similar product list updated, as it could prove to be an enormous amount of work, said Erika McConnell, director of the office.
"We're just not there yet," McConnell said.
Mark Malagodi, CEO of CannTest, a cannabis testing facility in Anchorage, says he hasn't had many requests for pesticide testing.
"I really don't think that there's a big problem with pesticide use for the people who are growing right now," Malagodi said.
And even if a grower wanted to have their product tested, no commercial labs in Alaska do pesticide testing, according to DEC. They'd have to send samples out of state.
Some growers in the state say they aren't using pesticides; others say they are.
Dollynda Flecks-Phelps, co-owner of the Peace Frog Botanicals cultivation facility in Kenai, said they use a mite spray during the early stages of growth only, before marijuana buds form on the plants.
"I think everybody's using some," Flecks-Phelps said.
Some growers abuse pesticides, she said, using ones that are much stronger than what she chooses. She'd like to see rules and testing put in place.
Marijuana "does not have to be pesticide-free but has to be safe to consume," Flecks-Phelps said.
Other complications occur with testing, Malagodi said. With thousands of pesticides, fungicides and insecticides out there, which ones should be tested for?
Then, the cost of testing may cause additional strain for businesses that already face large startup costs.
In other states, pesticide testing costs vary, but an online search shows they tend to hover around $200. Two labs out of Portland, Oregon, Pixis Lab and Green Leaf Lab, charge $190 and $185, respectively. Confidence Analytics out of Washington charges $250 for pesticide testing.
Neal says those costs should be absorbed by the cultivators. Consumers choose to buy marijuana from the regulated market because it's safe, he said.
"I don't mind one bit paying for the extra testing," Flecks-Phillips said.
Alaska's growers are required to disclose the pesticides they use to retailers. But that information doesn't end up on consumer packaging.
At the same time, marijuana growers aren't allowed to call their products organic, which would signal that cannabis was grown without noxious chemicals.
If consumers want to know, they have to ask. And since it's all self-reported, they have no way to verify what they're told.
"Until you implement testing to prove cleanliness, how are you sure?" Neal said.
Faced with consumer concerns and product recalls, other states where marijuana is legal have developed rules around pesticide usage and testing over the years.
In Colorado, regulators struggled with massive pushback from the cannabis industry about regulating pesticides in 2015, The Denver Post reported at the time.
In the state of Washington, businesses don't have to test for pesticides but regulators are doing their own testing for unapproved pesticides. The state is also working on a way to certify marijuana as organic – which, Reuters reported earlier this month, was a consumer-driven move to offer assurances that marijuana was free of fungicides and pesticides.
Oregon has the strictest laws so far, requiring businesses to test a percentage of their crop for pesticides. The state proposed relaxing its testing requirements earlier this year but backed off after overwhelming disapproval of the changes, the Oregon Cannabis Connection reported.
And as California develops its recreational framework, pesticide testing is among the proposed rules.
Neal believes that as Alaska's industry grows, rules around pesticides will become more important. Right now, so few growers are on the market that he knows exactly what he's getting when he buys from a cultivator.
"There's a way to do this; the industry information is already developed in emerged markets, just not here in Alaska," Neal said.
Meanwhile, Malagodi of CannTest says that he has no immediate plans to invest in pesticide-testing equipment.
"Not until the market is really there," Malagodi said.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Alaska has not created any list of approved pesticides; the Department of Environmental Conservation maintains a partial list of such pesticides.


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Investments in the cryptomarket can happen in different ways, from retailers to corporations, and so many companies are investing in the cryptocurrency technology, blockchain.
Several companies have shown interest in blockchain and its possible uses in recent years, with Google being the investment champion, betting billions on companies working with blockchain.
Alphabet, the company that owns Google, was the big champion of investments in cryptomarket-related companies in the period between September 2021 and June 2022.
The tech giant backed four crypto-market companies with an investment of more than $1.5 billion. The companies that received investments from the company were Fireblocks, Dapper Labs, Voltage, and Digital Currency Group.
40 companies have made investments in blockchain/crypto companies. Behind Google, the company that invested the most was the BlackRock fund, with over $1.17 billion invested in 3 companies, Circle, FTX and Anchorage Digital .
After BlackRock the largest investor was UOB, with 7 investments, followed by Citigroup, with 6 and Goldman Sachs with 5 investments. When we consider only the number of companies in which investments were made, the champion is Samsung. The company known for its cell phones has invested in a total of 13, with a total value of $969 million
In total, investments during these months in Blockchain companies and cryptocurrency-related tech startups amounted to more than $6 billion.
In terms of where these investments were directed, companies involved in solutions related to non-fungible tokens (NFTs) certainly took the lion’s share, with a total of 19 companies in the sector.
Banks also invested in crypto-market companies
The report also highlights that in addition to these companies, there was also an increase in investments made by banks. Often these investments were made directly into cryptocurrency companies, a possible sign that the banking sector is no longer seeing a rivalry situation.
United Overseas Bank was the second company to invest in a greater number of blockchain and cryptocurrency companies. But the bank was not the only one to make this kind of bet, other large banks such as Commonwealth Bank of Australia, BNY Mellon and Morgan Stanley have also significantly increased their stakes in the cryptocurrency sector, while Citigroup and Goldman Sachs have more or less maintained their positions.
With this it is possible to see a greater integration of the traditional sector into the cryptomarket, showing the interest of banks in these technologies.


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Honda’s Rebel range of cruisers has always been the Japanese manufacturer’s way of going against the classic American cruisers of Indian and Harley-Davidson. In fact, its name is said to have been born precisely out of this intention—to rebel against the norms set by the two American cruiser giants. Here in the Philippines, the Rebel 500 continues to enjoy impressive sales, with many first time big bikers and veteran cruiser aficionados picking it as their ride of choice.
In the international market, however, Honda released the Rebel 1100 in November of last year. To this point, this powerful cruiser has yet to hit local shores. In fact, Honda has already pulled the covers off the 2022 Rebel 1100 in the global market. Could it finally be time to release this welterweight cruiser in the Philippine market? After all, Harley-Davidson just released the highly anticipated Sportster S last weekend. Surely, the Rebel 1100 would stack up nicely against H-D’s newest Sportster.
That said, the 2022 Rebel 1100 retains identical mechanical structure as that of the 2022 model. We still find the Africa-Twin derived 1,084cc parallel-twin engine producing around 86 horsepower. This grunty motor is sure to provide sporty performance on an otherwise laidback platform. Just like the Rebel 500, the 1100 boasts remarkable styling, with its sleek, muscular lines, sloping boneline, and laid back riding position. The 2022 model-year brings nothing more than a sleek new colorway into the equation. This comes in the form of Pearl Stallion Brown—a stark contrast to the various black and gray hues surrounding the present-day cruiser market.
At the moment, we can’t exactly say for sure if and when the Rebel 1100 will make its way to the local market. In the US, however, Honda’s flagship cruiser retails for $9,299 USD, which translates to around P465,000. If the bike does end up making its way to local shores, however, expect it to retail somewhere closer to the P700,000 to P800,000 mark. Nonetheless, given the recent launch of the Harley-Davidson Sportster S for P1,030,000, Honda will certainly be missing out on a huge slice of the pie if it doesn’t bring the Rebel 1100 into the country.


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Apple CEO Steve Jobs seems very responsive to customer e-mail these days.
Gizmodo has obtained another e-mail supposedly sent from Jobs' iPhone, claiming that Apple and AT&T want to officially bring "tethering" to the iPhone 3G.
Lots of other carriers and handset makers offer ways to wirelessly hook your laptop up to your smartphone, and use the data connection of the phone to get on the Internet. Butthat was designed to do just that.
One Gizmodo reader claims to have asked Jobs why Apple and AT&T don't offer the option of paying for such a service, calling their reluctance "ludicrous." Steve supposedly said in reply, "We agree, and are discussing it with ATT." You can tether if you're willing to jailbreak, but that might get you in trouble with Apple and/or AT&T.
Is it just me, or does the recent rash of Jobs' e-mail replies to disgruntled customers raise anybody else's eyebrow? Jobs has been known to reach out to customers this way, and has invited shareholders to e-mail him directly, if they have questions or concerns, but over the last couple of weeks, he seems to have really picked up the pace.
I e-mailed Jobs directly this morning to see if he'd confirm whether he's actually responding to these e-mails, or whether a crack team of marketing department "Steves" monitors his in-box and selectively responds to keep that grassroots feeling alive. We shall see.


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It may have taken an entire gaming generation for the game to be announced, but ATLUS have today confirmed the one thing that many Persona fans have been waiting for…. the formal announcement of Persona 5.
Currently few details are known about the game other than that it is for the Playstation 3 and is set to be released in Japan during Winter 2014. The announcement video was tacked on to the end of this evening’s Persona announcement broadcast which saw three other titles released over three different consoles – and other than five chairs with balls chained to them and the above text “You are slave. Want emancipation?“, there is no other information on the title.
Expect to hear more in the new year on Persona 5.
Edit: Trailer added below.


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One of the largest importers of meat into the EU, Jan Zandbergen Group, has announced it will supply chicken meeting the higher welfare criteria of the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC).
The Netherlands-based distributor has pledged to supply higher welfare chicken to all current and future customers, joining 2 Sisters Food Group who made a similar pledge in 2018.
The move was welcomed by welfare NGOs. Vicky Bond, Managing Director at The Humane League UK, said: “There is an ever-growing movement of companies committing to higher welfare systems, and this pledge will not only allow these companies to fulfil their commitments but also encourage many more to do the same.”
Jochem Versloot, one of the directors at Jan Zandbergen Group, said: “One of our core values is taking responsibility, that means also Corporate Social Responsibility, including animal welfare. The majority of chicken products that we supply already meet higher standards than EU legislation requires. However, not all suppliers are yet able to meet the desired higher patterns. With our commitment to support the BCC, we encourage various producers worldwide to meet the standards of Better Chicken Commitment. We will also make efforts to assist them in this transition to adapt to the BCC welfare standards.”
The BCC contains six measures: prohibiting fast-growing breeds; reducing stocking density; providing natural light and enrichment; reducing distress at slaughter; complying with all EU laws and regulations; and ensuring third-party auditing.
Since its inception in 2018 over 190 UK & EU companies across all sectors have committed to meet the criteria by 2026, including KFC, Nestlé, Unilever and Pizza Hut.


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Stephen Kaufer, the top guy at TripAdvisor, isn't ready to coronate Google as the king of online travel.
Even if Google buys ITA Software.
Kaufer, TripAdvisor's president and CEO, recalls that Google's overall track record includes hits and failures and its success in travel would be far from assured.
“They have a number of absolute hits and they have a number of failures," says Kaufer, who sat down for a wide-ranging Tnooz interview at TripAdvisor's Newton, Mass., headquarters yesterday. "So it’s a far cry if Google comes into the space guns blazing -- it is uncertain they will succeed.
"They don’t have a community and without ITA they don’t even have a metasearch platform," Kaufer says, but notes that on the other side of the ledger, Google does have key assets like Google Maps and a massive audience.
Kaufer points to Google Shopping as one arena where Google so far has fallen short.
“I remember the buzz that they were going to put every comparison shopping site out of business," Kaufer recalls. "It was going to be hugely damaging to Amazon, eBay and everyone else, and no one talks about it now. They put a lot of effort behind it, [but] it didn’t work.
But, then he qualifies his assessment.
"It didn’t work well enough -- even though it was Google. I might remind people not everything they do is successful.”
Kaufer notes that most Web businesses have a hybrid view of Google -- as friend and competitor -- and he is concerned about Google's moves further into travel.
“The more Google does in the travel space, they become a competitor and a lot of the world starts their Internet research on Google for everything," Kaufer says. "So if they are starting their travel research on Google and Google does more in travel, if they do a good job, then that hurts me.”
So the jury is out on not only on what Google would do in travel -- metasearch or, far less likely, taking bookings -- but also on how well it might do it.
One aspect of a potential Google acquisition of ITA Software is that ITA powers flight search for metasearch players like TripAdvisor, Bing Travel and Kayak; corporate booking tools such as Rearden Commerce and GetThere; an online travel agency, Orbitz; and scores of airline websites.
The prospect of Google ultimately controlling that core technology while becoming a huge travel competitor scares some companies.
Kaufer, however, says he isn't worried about that aspect of a potential Google-ITA Software merger, noting that TripAdvisor flights also uses Expedia's Best Fares Search and has direct-connects with some airlines.
“I am not worried about it from a technology perspective, frankly," Kaufer says.
He adds, referring to what Google might be cooking up, "I look at it from [the perspective] -- what are their plans for travel around the globe. "
Part Two of Four: TripAdvisor CEO explains link policy, feels the hotel love
Part Three of Four: TripAdvisor boss sees competitive advantage growing
Part Four of Four: TripAdvisor, HomeAway CEOs spar over vacation rental reviews


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Driven Sports has finally launched its all-new pre-workout supplement CRZ The OG after revealing its full formula back in August. Most of the product’s ingredients are wrapped up in a non-transparent proprietary blend, with the heaviest dosed features in that blend being betaine and glycine.
Fans of Driven Sports can now purchase CRZ The OG over on its website in the one 30 serving tub size and the one Berry Lemonade flavor option. The price the brand has put on the stimulant powered pre-workout is $39.99. Also for those that missed our formula post on CRZ, we’ve included its label once again directly below.
One last thing worth mentioning if you do decide to purchase Driven Sports’ all-new CRZ The OG, is that your order won’t be shipping out right away. The brand has said that due to the response to CRZ, all orders of the supplement will be shipping out in just over one week’s time on Thursday the 18th of this month.


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Diageo toasts success as it pours out
£1.3bn to buy India’s United Spirits
The drinks giant Diageo has finally agreed to acquire a controlling stake in United Spirits for nearly £1.3bn, growing its presence in India massively and ending months of speculation.
Diageo, the maker of Johnnie Walker scotch, plans to acquire 53.4 per cent of United Spirits to give it control of the Vladivar vodka and Whyte & Mackay whisky brands.
The London-based company has long courted United Spirits, and chief executive Paul Walsh hailed the opportunity to be part of "India's large and growing local spirits market". With a population of 1.2 billion, India has a fast-growing middle class of 120 million and the country's spirit market is gaining 4.3 million consumers a year.
The deal could provide some financial relief for United Spirits' boss Vijay Mallya to help him mitigate the cash crisis at United Breweries' sister company, the troubled Kingfisher airline. The Indian tycoon, famous for his bling and publicity shots with glamorous women, will remain chairman of United Spirits.
Diageo has initially agreed to pay £660m for a 27.4 per cent stake in United Spirits and will now put its mandatory offer to buy a further 26 per cent to the Indian firm's shareholders for a total of £1.29bn. It will also have a joint venture with Mr Mallya to own a South Africa beer business.
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(Sept. 20, 2018) — The Hey Ranger AI Universal Assistant is an offline, artificial intelligence assistant with a custom vocabulary and skillset that allows voice control of nearly any kind of RV component or system.
Day: September 20, 2018
(Sept. 20, 2018) — The event also serves as a great opportunity for the RV Industry Association to address dealer questions on two of its brand new industry programs, RVX: The RV Experience and the RV Technical Institute.
(Sept. 20, 2018) — NeXus RV, a motor home manufacturer, has reported strong sales results from the Hershey Show, including an increase over 50 percent in sales along with strong profit margins for the dealership.
(Sept. 20, 2018) — Highland Ridge RV is planning to start production of its recently introduced travel trailers in Twin Falls, Idaho in early 2019.
(Sept. 20, 2018) — Elkhart Open House attendees can get a sneak peak at the new Sani-Con Turbo system, which makes emptying RV holding tanks as easy as pumping gas
(Sept. 20, 2018) — Thor Industries has reported results for the full-year fiscal 2018 and for the fourth quarter ended July 31, 2018.
(Sept. 20, 2018) — Airstream Inc. has announced that the brand closed out its fiscal year (July 31, 2018) with record-setting sales up 24 percent year over year.
(Sept. 20, 2018) — The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) today welcomed the final report on the first-ever government statistics recognizing the outdoor recreation industry as a significant contributor to the U.S. economy.
(Sept. 20, 2018) — “We are full timers and my work depends on a good Internet connection. I have yet to have any hiccups with the system,” Chandler Cooper on Winegard’s ConnecT 2.0.
(Sept. 20, 2018) — KeyTV’s patent pending technology, is a response to one of the most common RV frustrations: television connection and constant troubleshooting.
(Sept. 20, 2018) — Regency RV announces that Will Gonyon has been appointed regional sales manager for Regency RV and its newly acquired National Traveler brand.
(Sept. 20, 2018) — Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC has announced the implementation of several targeted initiatives that bolster overall product quality and customer service operations at its Elkhart, Indiana, campus.
(Sept. 20, 2018) — Lippert Components Inc. announces that four major 2019 RV brands will be prepped for easy integration of LCI’s OneControl ConnectAnywhere Aftermarket Kit.
(Sept, 29, 2018) — Brian Schaeffer describes why it is so important for campgrounds to convey a professional image and how the companies can utilize relationships with other local firms to provide guests with the information they want when they arrive in the area. He will explain why the idea that print is dead doesn’t apply to campgrounds once people arrive in the local area looking for things to do and places to eat.
(Sept. 20, 2018) — The new logo design also comes at a time when Demco will be branding all of its products under the Demco brand name.
(Sept. 20, 2018) — Airstream announced that the brand closed out its fiscal year (July 31, 2018) with record-setting sales up 24 percent year over year. Over the last five years, Airstream sales are up a staggering 218 percent.
(Sept. 20, 2018) — On September 22, join in the nation’s biggest celebration of the great outdoors on National Public Lands Day! All national parks will have free admission and many will host volunteer service projects open to all.
(Sept. 20, 2018) — Steamboat Springs, home of over 15 Olympic skiers including Billy Kidd and Johnny Spillane, is widely known for its champagne powder skiing, but the town makes for a great getaway year-round.
(Sept. 20, 2018) — Twin Falls Resort State Park’s 36th annual Lumberjackin’ Bluegrassin’ Jamboree kicks off Friday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m. with storytelling by Bugs Stover and Cully McCurdy.
(Sept. 20, 2018) — Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control officials unveiled on Sept. 18 a new playground at Trap Pond State Park during a dedication ceremony also attended by state Sen. Bryant Richardson, Rep. Timothy Dukes, Trap Pond Partners President Chase Cline and a host of other local officials.


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Forget dolls and footballs, kids prefer tablets
About 70 per cent of children in households with tablet computers used these devices.
New York: About 70 per cent of children in households with tablet computers used these devices, according to fourth-quarter results from research firm Nielsen.
This was a 7 per cent increase from the third quarter, according to Nielsen.
About 77 per cent of those children use tablets such as the Apple Inc iPad and the Amazon.com Inc Kindle Fire to play games, while 57 per cent use them for educational purposes.
About 55 per cent use the tablet for entertainment while they are travelling and 43 per cent use them to watch television shows or movies, according to Nielsen.
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If, like us, this announcement is the cause for some deja vu, it's because Hulu and TiVo originally announced in September that the service would be coming to the DVR/connected device. Eight months later, the two companies have finally made good on their promise.
Perhaps in a bid to entice would-be TiVo/Hulu Plus owners, Hulu is offering a six-month free trial to customers who buy a TiVo Premiere from Tivo.com or retailers until August 30, 2011. While we're not sure that six months of Hulu Plus service is enough of an incentive to purchase a TiVo Premiere, it's a nice gesture.
Since launching last summer, Hulu Plus has taken some lessons from the Netflix playbook, rolling out support for its subscription offering to a variety of connected devices, video game consoles, Blu-ray players and HDTV sets.


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P&G looks to replicate $65M success after taking media planning, buying in-house in fabric care
Over the course of a year, Procter & Gamble’s U.S.-based fabric care brands saved roughly $65 million in advertising spending by bringing media planning and buying capabilities in-house, P&G CFO Andre Schulten said.
“When you think about fabric care, everybody is doing laundry,” Schulten said during P&G’s second quarter earnings call on Thursday. “So you’ve got a very wide target that you need to reach. And the fabric care team in the U.S. has brought their media planning and buying in-house, developing proprietary algorithms to better place ads during the TV programming, for example, and that in and of itself has allowed $65 million of savings in one year, while increasing frequency.”
Beefing up its in-house capabilities has been a multi-year process for P&G, which previously moved media planning and buying for some of its brands that were handled by Dentsu Carat to in-house teams. Per Schulten’s remarks during Thursday’s call, it’s likely P&G will continue to ramp up its in-house capabilities this year. P&G declined to answer follow up questions from Digiday.
“There are many categories in the U.S. that are still building their own approach to drive these synergies and there’s the whole world outside of the U.S., which is still building on the capabilities that we are developing,” said Schulten. “So we see this as an area of continued investment in terms of our own capabilities with a great ability to drive productivity for years to come.”
Procter & Gamble raised its full-year sales forecast and warned that high commodity prices are putting pressure on profits despite a drop in sales volume. Even so, the company did not say it would cut back on its advertising budgets, instead noting that P&G would continue to “fully support” its brands.
It’s unclear what exactly P&G means by continuing to “fully support” its brands, as the company did not provide ad spending figures. With that said, Schulten did note that “in the most recent quarter, for example, we’ve increased quarter over quarter our total ad spend by $140 million.” Where that increase went or how it was spent was unclear, as Schulten did not share additional details.
“A more mechanical interaction is taking place between consumers and brands and there is less importance to traditional media than to digital media in the media industry,” Allen Adamson, co-founder of Metaforce, a marketing collective and brand consultancy, said of P&G’s in-house moves. “As more companies do not need to go to an outsourcing agency to buy media and strategy, outsourcing agencies are no longer necessary.”
A report from P&G’s earnings call on Thursday showed the company’s first-quarter sales declined 6%, marking the company’s biggest drop in years, likely due to inflation pricing. Each of P&G’s five major business units also saw declines in the quarter. However, P&G’s prices increased by 10% during the period, driving a 5% increase in organic sales, which excludes the impact of currency swings and the impact of acquisitions.
As Tide detergent and other staples became more expensive in 2022, consumers cut back on purchases, lowering the company’s quarterly profits and sales volume. Schulten noted P&G’s success with its Downy Rinse and Refresh and Dawn Powerwash product lines, adding that despite the higher price point for Powerwash consumers are still intrigued by the product innovation.
“The brand has grown at 50% since that introduction and Dawn has driven 90% of category growth,” said P&G CEO Jon Moeller. “Dawn Powerwash, again, a premium priced item that was introduced largely during difficult economic times as a standalone brand would be the third largest brand of the category. So I just used that as an example for the continued positive responsiveness of U.S. consumers to innovation, and we’ve got a lot of innovation coming.”
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Samsung is due to launch the Galaxy Fold 2 in a couple of months. Many are looking forward to seeing what improvements have been made. Earlier reports have suggested that Samsung will increase the display size and may also opt for Ultra-Thin Glass.
A new report out of South Korea has revealed some key Galaxy Fold 2 display specs. It also mentions that the internal foldable display is going to have a 120Hz refresh rate. If true, this would be quite a massive improvement compared to the original Galaxy Fold.
Galaxy Fold 2 to have a 120Hz refresh rate display
We’ve heard the numbers before and today’s report reiterates them. The Galaxy Fold 2 will feature a 7.7-inch internal display, which is only 0.4-inch larger than the Galaxy Fold’s 7.3-inch display. However, the external cover display will jump from 4.6-inch on the Galaxy Fold to 6.23-inch on the Galaxy Fold 2.
This will be a very welcome change. As we pointed out in our Galaxy Fold review, the cover display was too small to get any meaningful use out of it. A 6.23-inch display would be more than enough to get stuff done and even consume content without having to unfold the device.
When you do unfold the device, the Galaxy Fold 2 will greet you with a 7.7-inch 120Hz refresh rate display. Samsung first introduced 120Hz displays with the Galaxy S20 lineup and once you shift to the higher refresh rate, it’s not easy going back down.
The 7.7-inch display will have a 2213×1689 resolution with an 11.8:9 aspect ratio. The notch will be replaced in favor of punch holes for the front-facing cameras. The 6.23-inch cover display will have 2267×819 resolution with 24.9:9 aspect ratio. It will have a 60Hz refresh rate and a punch hole as well for the front camera.
The Galaxy Z Flip came with Ultra-Thin Glass, making it the world’s first smartphone with a foldable glass display. Samsung is bringing over the same display technology to the Galaxy Fold 2. The transparent polyimide layer it used for the Galaxy Fold is gone so its successor will be more durable as well.
The report goes on to mention that Samsung is planning to produce around 3 million units of the Galaxy Fold 2. It has begun ordering parts for the device and it’s expected that production will begin in July. Samsung will reportedly be aiming to manufacture 300,000 units of the Galaxy Fold 2 per month.


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Arlington police are looking for suspects who tried rip an ATM from a convenience store overnight.
Surveillance video from the store shows the suspect's truck repeatedly ram the Quick Mart in the 5000 block of W. Arkansas Lane in Arlington.
The suspects were able to get in, but left with nothing. The owner thinks the alarm scared them off.
"I'm very sad. This is our way of life. How we make our income. I'm just very sad right now," said owner Don Phan.
The store has insurance, but it could take months to open again because the structure of the business was damaged.
The suspects remain at-large, but police did recover the truck used in the crime. They believe it was stolen.


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Google Acquire Patent for Google Doodles
Google have acquired a brand new patent for its increasingly popular cyclig logo system, which is also known as Google Doodles.
U.S. Patent 7,912,915 was granted on Tuesday, nearly 10 years after its initial submission in 2001 by Sergey Brin.
The patents title is “Systems and Methods for Enticing Users to a Web Site,” while the patent itself is for the invention of “periodically changing story line and/or special event company logo to entice users to access a web page.”
Put more simply, this basically means that Google has patented its practice of changing its logo for special events.


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Immutability deriving from Bitcoin’s proof of work consensus protocol and its mining ecosystem has proven to be beneficial for a variety of applications including identity verification and data processing. Outside the traditional realm of finance, developers are beginning to utilize the immutable nature of blockchain technology to create a more transparent and fair gaming environment.
The exchange of in game items or rewards for cash has been taking place since online gaming first launched, and though this was largely frowned upon by developers who prohibited trading, secondary “black” markets were created and have thrived ever since. According to 3 studies conducted between 2005 and 2009, 20% of the MMO players who were questioned had traded in game items for real money. Since the earlier days of online gaming, developers and publishers have realized the value of selling items within games and the virtual goods market is now said to be worth in excess of $15 billion.
Two major issues with in-game marketplaces are that the game developers have absolute control over which items are distributed and their scarcity. As an example, FIFA online was the second most popular online game in South Korea. However, as Nexon, the developer of the game, announced the launch of FIFA Online 2, items that cost players tens of thousands of U.S. dollars were distributed for free. The decision from Nexon infuriated players, as many had either spent hours unlocking items, or had spent money on purchasing them within the game’s marketplace.
Earlier this month, HashRush announced that it is developing the world’s first hash-powered web-based game, incentivizing users with cryptocurrencies. By launching their game on top of the Ethereum blockchain, the HashRush development team explained that players will be able to obtain tokens that are compatible with the network’s native token Ether as the in-game reward.
“At its heart, Hash Rush is an RTS game — the goal is to conquer the galaxy, by building, maintaining and expanding your colony. But what makes Hash Rush unique is its focus on cryptocurrency mining. Once you got a hold on some Rush Coins (Ethereum-based token), you can use them for in-game transactions. Spend Rush Coin to upgrade your colony, fend off natural disasters or create more miners — it’s your choice,” said the development team.
In the future, as both Ethereum and the entire cryptocurrency market gain more mainstream adoption, HashRush aims to handle millions of users playing the game in real time, however, achieving that vision is ultimately dependant on the Ethereum network scaling accordingly. Until now, despite its multi-billion dollar market cap and the ICO market that has raised over $1.5 billion within the past two years, Ethereum is yet to see a successful decentralized application (Dapp) running on the network.
Although the lack of Dapps can be attributed to the lack of adoption of cryptocurrencies at this early stage in development, Fred Ehrsam, the co-founder of Coinbase, the largest bitcoin wallet service provider, explained in an extensive analytical paper that in order for Ethereum to handle a Dapp with 1 to 10 million users, it will need to scale or improve at a rate of 100x
“Dapps can’t run solely on chain and likely never will. They need off-chain scaling solutions. While it’s tricky to make accurate estimates when combining scaling improvements, it’s conceivable we could see a 100x improvement by the end of 2018, which would allow a 1–10m user app. Scaling is multidimensional. Different methods address different things,” Wrote Ehrsam.
Correction: In a previous version of this article we suggested that Ethereum’s switch to proof of stake would hinder Hashrush, however, this is incorrect. Within the game you can easily switch your miners between different mineable currencies such as ETH, ETC and ZEC.


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Excessive sugar – not just fat and salt – in junk food can cause heart disease, experts writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine have warned.
The risk posed by saturated fats and salt are already generally accepted, and sugar has been blamed for fuelling obesity, but the editorial, published on Thursday, says that a link between poor oral health and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been demonstrated by a "convincing evidence base".
Co-author Dr Ahmed Rashid, from the department of public health and primary care at the University of Cambridge, said: "It's an additional mechanism by which junk food can elevate your risk of having a heart attack. We know that junk food causes heart disease, we assume it's through salt and fat but people don't mention sugar, or if they do it is in terms of obesity".
Gum disease, which can be triggered by excess sugar consumption, can prompt an inflammatory response that leads to CVD through a process called atherosclerosis, hardening of the arteries, the paper says.
It points out that "free sugars", which includes those added by manufacturers and present naturally in honey and fruit juices, in fizzy drinks and other junk foods are "particularly potent drivers" of gum disease.
"The UK population should be encouraged to reduce fizzy drink intake and improve oral hygiene," said Rashid. "Reducing sugar consumption and managing dental problems early could help prevent heart problems later in life."
Sugar has already been blamed this year as being the real villain behind the obesity epidemic, by a US doctor, who described it as "addictive and toxic". But the latest UK guidance on the prevention of CVD at population level mentions the reduction of sugar only indirectly (pdf).
The paper says that the association between oral health and CVD "suggests that reducing sugar consumption may be a particularly important target for future health policy in this area".
Tracy Parker, heart health dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, which has said a 20% tax on sugary drinks would reduce obesity, said: "A diet full of junk food can have all sorts of unhealthy consequences. As well as being high in salt and saturated fat, which can increase your blood pressure and cholesterol, processed foods and fizzy drinks are often packed with sugar. Too much sugar is bad news for your teeth and gums."