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The British Daily Mail published an article on May 20, which published the latest life tips issued by Donald Bairstow, an American doctor and professor of dermatology at Columbia University Medical Center: in order to reduce allergies and other diseases, new clothes must be washed before being put on the body.
At present, many countries do not require garment manufacturers to indicate the use of Anti Wrinkle chemicals in their products. Many tests have found that the anti wrinkle chemicals in some clothing even exceed the maximum safety value by 900 times. Professor Bairstow pointed out that among these chemicals, formaldehyde resin may be the culprit. Some clothes use it to prevent wrinkling and mildew. However, the substance is easy to irritate the skin, leading to allergic reactions such as rash and pruritus. Some scientists believe that the substance may even increase the risk of cancer. Therefore, new clothes should be washed and dried at least once before being put on the body.
Professor Bairstow said that dyes are also a big problem for new clothes. Azo aniline dyes make many synthetic materials clothing show colorful colors. However, the dye will cause severe skin allergic reactions in allergic people. Therefore, after buying new clothes, people with allergies had better wash them twice before wearing them. Because the dye may still remain after washing new clothes once, it is easy to cause skin redness, pruritus, rash and scaling. The incidence is mostly in the waist, neck, thigh, armpit and other places with more friction and sweat.
Professor Bairstow pointed out that cleaning new clothes thoroughly can not only reduce the chemical substances that cause allergy, but also reduce the pollutants such as bacteria. When other customers try on clothes, they may leave parasites such as germs and lice and spread infectious diseases such as scabies. Therefore, no matter what the fabric of new clothes, it is best to wash them first and then wear them.


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Fujitsu Philippines hosted the “ActivateNow Southeast Asia” event at the New World Hotel in Makati City, offering customers a glimpse into the future of retail. The event showcased innovative technologies designed to enhance the customers’ shopping experience, with a focus on reducing friction and improving efficiency for both merchants and buyers.
In the whirlwind of retail hustle and bustle, brands and retailers are no strangers to the chaos that peak seasons bring. Picture this: stores buzzing with long lines, big crowds hounding at a concert event, and long queues in a restaurant opening. They occur not only during holiday seasons but also during regular months, driving businesses to face ongoing challenges to keep things smooth day in and day out.
So the question is, what can merchants do to streamline customer experience across different channels?
Experiencing the Future of Retail
At the ActivateNow event, attendees were taken on an experiential journey through the Fujitsu Christmas Village, a showcase of cutting-edge retail solutions. The guests had the opportunity to shop for Fujitsu merchandise items for up to PHP500.
Every bag handed to customers was equipped with a corresponding RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification). Shoppers simply had to place their bags at the self-checkout counter and the system automatically computed the total bill. This created a shopping experience that was both seamless and efficient.
Chilling at the barista-free Fujitsu Café
There have been many cafes with an independent vibe that made their own take on the craft-coffee movement, but Fujitsu introduced one that many have not seen before: a no-barista cafe.
Integrating Assisted Reality (AR), the Fujitsu Cafe had customers wear a Virtual Reality (VR) headset. Through the device, they saw step-by-step instructions on how they could make their preferred coffee. This innovative technology not only introduced a new retail concept but also demonstrated the seamless integration of tools and human interaction in a work setting, showcasing the evolving dynamics of modern workplaces.
Data, security, and AI for sustainable retail
In today’s market, there’s a growing demand for businesses to step up and embrace sustainable practices. While everyone recognizes the roles that data, security, and AI play, many business owners feel a bit overwhelmed with the details.
Fujitsu Philippines put the spotlight on “radical transparency”, a case study that showcased a modern approach to sustainability. Fujitsu did this by attaching QR codes to clothing items, allowing shoppers to scan and dive into the history of a product — from the raw materials used, to its origins, and manufacturing process, all the way to its journey to the store shelves. This forward-thinking move not only shows a commitment to sustainable retail practices but also builds a stronger connection between consumers and the products they choose.
“In addressing sustainability challenges, technology serves as a powerful tool to optimize benefits and minimize waste,” said Jezmynn Koh-Turner, vice president for marketing, Fujitsu Asia Pacific. “However, its impact is truly unleashed when coupled with heightened collaboration and teamwork both publicly and privately. It’s through collective efforts that we pave the way for a sustainable future, where technology acts as a catalyst for positive change,” she added.
Fujitsu’s ActivateNow event is a timely reminder that embracing technological innovation is key for merchants aiming to thrive in all seasons. By jumping on board with modern retail solutions, refining customer interactions, and smoothing out operations, businesses can cut through the noise and craft an enjoyable, efficient shopping experience for their customers.

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Sneakerheads can be a ridiculous bunch. This is especially true if if a pair of Air Jordan sneakers are involved.
Sneakerheads are known to do whatever it takes to get their hands on the hype shoe releases, so James Corden decided to take advantage of that — all in the name of entertainment, of course. The Late Late Showhost headed out to Sheikh Shoes in Los Angeles to conduct a sneaker skills competition of sorts in which three avid collectors competed for a pair of “Marvin the Martian” Air Jordan 7s.
When Corden stunted on everyone when he said his skips were $600 Maison Martin Margiellas, though.


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Stephen Oduntan, Staff
We’ve seen this movie before.
Back in April, when CIM Group announced it had signed a purchase and sale agreement to acquire the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza community residents thwarted the proposed plans to turn the shopping center into a massive luxury mixed-use complex.
Now there’s a sequel of sorts to these events nearly six months after Crenshaw Subway Coalition launched an online petition calling on the community to halt the sale of the retail shopping mall to the Mid-Wilshire-based CIM Group.
Earlier this month, the current owners of the mall selected New York real estate companies LIVWRK and DFH Partners to acquire the 40-acre property. And a response was swift. The Crenshaw Subway Coalition launched another online petition calling on the community to stop the sale of the retail shopping mall to the developers with ties to Donald J. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who specializes in high-end commercial real estate.
“We don’t need a bunch of Trump towers on Crenshaw. It’s more expensive to build developments over six stories with a concrete base which ultimately means the less affordable those properties become,” said Damien Goodman, founder of the Crenshaw Subway Coalition.
Asher Abehsera, the founder of LIVWRK, said he will talk to local residents before deciding on a makeover plan. “A project of this scale affords a mix of uses,” he says.
Nonetheless, opponents say that a large-scale real estate development of this magnitude increasingly result in longtime resident migration and gentrified induced-displacement. But this reflects national trends, says Goodman, and these kinds of aggressive methods have been used to displace poorer tenants in Black and Hispanic Los Angeles communities. He pointed to how developers erected the Cumulus Skyscraper at the corner of La Cienega and Jefferson Boulevard.
“We challenged that project,” he said.
“But now the project has gone up and it’s not yet occupied we learned that the rates for that tower is $5,300 a month which is like three mortgages in our community. We know these rent prices are an intentional effort to price those of us who’ve held down South Central, South Los Angeles, Baldwin Hills, and the Crenshaw area for such a long time.”
Displacement of long-time residents has “created a musical chair effect where low-income tenants get displaced at the convenience of the rich folks,” said Jose Lopez, an anti-displacement activist who lives in the surrounding community directly adjacent to the Cumulus Skyscraper. “I don’t want to have to go live all the way in Lancaster.”
Abehsera said he named his company LIVWRK, a shortening of “live-work,” because he believes neighborhoods thrive best when they are home to commercial and residential uses that engage people day and night. His comments have done little to convince president of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Southern California, Pastor K.W. Tulloss who said, “CIM Group put their costumes on early before Halloween and came in as LIVWRK.”
The real estate developer critics say that minority teams that submitted bids for the Baldwin Hills project offered more money to build the mall but were rejected in favor of LIVWRK who offered significantly less.
“We’ve been told to pull ourself up by our bootstraps. Well we’ve got some boots and we’re willing to pull ourselves up. We want to make it abundantly clear and let them know that we have one position, one voice, and one message, and that is: ‘No, don’t sell the mall,” said Baba Akili of Black Lives Matter and one of many activists who’ve teamed up with Goodman’s Crenshaw Subway Coalition.
The sale is expected to close before the end of the year.


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Bikers in California’s Orange County can get a new charge out riding with the latest in electric motorcycle, Energica, being sold through a new dealership.
Polaris, the parent company and manufacturer of Indian and Victory motorcycle brands as well as the Slingshot, disclosed how well the companies did during the first three months of 2017.
It’s been a tough week for motorcycle enthusiasts, with two notable names in two-wheeled history passing away.
Officials at the BMW Motorrad are calling their start to 2017 'the best first quarterly sales of all time'.
There are many challenges for motorcycle manufacturers selling their products in other countries. A strange example of this, Harley-Davidson is riding through cultural and political headwinds in India.
A historic motorcycle brand continues its road trip across the United States as dealerships continue to open under the newly formed North American Royal Enfield headquarters.
Proving that bikers have big hearts year-round and not just at Christmas for well-reported Toy Runs, a group of riders in North Carolina brought some motorcycle Easter-love to a group of children.
Known for his early, crazy days in British Heavy Metal and time as a reality-television star, Ozzy Osborne will make a concert stop at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip this year.
On a weekend when a historic motorcycle was auctioned for half a million dollars, the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum hosted the first of its regional fund raisers for the 2017 Hall of Fame.


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Amazon Game Studios' has been working on a number of projects for years now. Back in May, the company managed to release Crucible, which quickly garnered a mixed reception. Now almost two months later, the game is going back into closed beta.
A couple of weeks after release, Crucible ‘retired' two of the game modes it launched with, allowing developers to hone in on one mode to better inform the necessary gameplay changes needed. Since then, Crucible has remained live on Steam as a Free to Play game, although the option of purchasing a ‘Founder's Pack' is also there.
The availability of Crucible will change today, as Amazon plans to roll back to closed beta. That means anyone who already has access to the game will continue to be able to play. However, new players will not be able to join after today. Down the line, Amazon may expand the closed beta via sign-ups on the Crucible website.
While in closed beta, the developers will continue to follow their current roadmap, which you can see HERE. Improvements include a ‘New Player Experience', better matchmaking, combat changes, a system to punish AFK players and performance optimisations. There are other updates also listed that are a bit further off, including creature improvements, a revised respawn system, updated menus and more.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru Says: News around Crucible has been quiet since its initial launch in May. Did any of you play it back when it first came out? What do you think of the game going back into closed beta?


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Huckberry to Locate New Logistics Operation in Columbus
Huckberry, Inc., an independent online retailer and magazine for men’s apparel, gear and travel, has announced plans to locate a new fulfillment and logistics operation in Columbus, Ohio.
The company is expanding in an effort to centralize its warehouse operations, as well as its finance/accounting and customer experience/fraud departments.
Huckberry plans to invest $240,000 towards training, machinery, and equipment, and plans to add 158 jobs beginning in third quarter 2016. Huckberry’s new building, which is located near the Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus, is the company’s first expansion outside of its headquarters in San Francisco.
“I know firsthand that Columbus is one of the leading retail markets in the country,” said Richard Greiner, co-founder of Huckberry. “Columbus is also in a prime location for distribution to much of our audience, which combined with its experienced and vibrant work force, made this decision a no brainer for us.”
Huckberry already has strong relationships with top retailers and key suppliers, Greiner noted, and many of them provided counsel during the company’s location decision and encouraged them to look at Columbus.
Launched in 2011, Huckberry offers versatile apparel that blends performance and fashion. Each week Huckberry offers its customers a curated selection of products and experiences gathered from urban and outdoor lifestyle brands.
“We are pleased to welcome Huckberry into Columbus, adding to the roster of Columbus region companies driving growth and innovation in retail and ecommerce,” said Mayor Andrew J. Ginther. “Columbus is home to a growing number of young and rising retail brands and we’re excited to add Huckberry to that list.”
Columbus 2020 is the economic development organization for the Columbus region, with a mission to generate opportunity and build capacity for economic growth across 11 Central Ohio counties. In 2010, hundreds of business and community leaders developed the Columbus 2020 Regional Growth Strategy, and the Columbus region is now experiencing the strongest decade of growth in its history.
States With the Least Carbon-Intensive Economies


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As CES gets under way in Las Vegas, the head of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority predicts convention business in 2023 will return to pre-COVID levels and surpass eight million by 2026.
During a press conference, LVCVA President and CEO Steve Hill said 2019’s attendance of 6.64 is the 2023 target and he believes it can happen by the end of the year.
“There is a pretty good possibility that we will get back to the number of attendees for meetings and events that we had pre-COVID,” Hill said. “COVID is pretty much in our rear-view mirror and we’re back to fairly normal.”
The return of conventions and meetings, along with international travel, is considered one of the last remaining hurdles that Las Vegas needs to overcome in order to fully return to where it was pre-pandemic.
Las Vegas is on track to reach or surpass five million conventiongoers in 2022 once the final numbers are calculated later this month. That would be about 1.5 million to 1.6 million visitors below where it was in 2019.
Still, that’s quite a comeback for the Las Vegas convention industry, which shuttered in March 2020 and hosted only 1.7 million attendees in 2020 and 2.2 million in 2021. The larger shows didn’t return until the summer of 2021, but the numbers have grown steadily since then.
Hill noted some headwinds. Las Vegas relies on the tech industry, particularly for corporate events at the resort properties, and tech has been having a tough time recently, as reflected in the stock market. The industry is cost conscious and that’s had some effect on attendance.
“What we did do during the pandemic was add 3.5 million square feet of meeting space to the destination. A 100% recovery to the attendance we had in 2019 is a stop along the way,” Hill said. “Our goal by the time we get to 2026 is 8.3 million meeting attendees in Las Vegas. While we plan to recover to the 6.6 million mark, we have another 1.7 million growth capacity over the next couple of years as we sell into the bigger spaces. We think we can get to that.”
A handful of new trade shows coming to Las Vegas in 2023 will bring in about 80,000 visitors, Hill said. That includes Ideate Expo in May, GSE Expo in September, and Aqua Live and HLTH in October. The International Builders Show returns from Orlando at the end of January, while CON AGG/Expo returns in March.
The convention industry is more significant for Las Vegas than other destinations, because it relies on that business midweek to bolster hotel occupancy and fill 150,000 rooms. Some 16% of the 42.5 million visitors in Las Vegas in 2019 were conventiongoers. It fell to 7% in 2021 and went back up to 13% in 2022 in numbers available through November.
Pre-COVID, the LVCVA estimated that the average convention visitor spent about $970 per trip, roughly 22% more than the $792 average per trip of a leisure visitor.
“When someone’s company is paying for their travel to Las Vegas and their room and meals, they have more money in their pocket to spend while they’re here,” Hill said. “They’re also spending more money than the leisure traveler mid-week, so it’s a valuable piece of business for Las Vegas. Once we’re back to full occupancy in meeting and convention space, we’ll be completely recovered in Las Vegas.”
Convention visitors boost overall hotel occupancy, which for the first 11 months of 2022 was 79.2% compared to 66.3% in 2021. It was 89.2% through 11 months of 2019.
Bolstered by conventions, hotel occupancy in October set the highest mark since November 2019 at 87.7%. Midweek occupancy in October reached 85.1%, the highest since 87.1% in October 2019. October visitation overall nearly matched 2019 levels.
“The meeting industry is so important to Las Vegas,” Hill said. “Without the meeting industry, the Strip wouldn’t look like the Strip. You couldn’t afford to build the fantastic properties here without 88% occupancy and $130-plus a night in room rates. When you look at other destinations across the United States and the world, you see high occupancy on the weekends when leisure travelers are coming, but during the week it drops down to the 60s. That meeting industry fills the week up and allows the occupancy rates to be so high and almost unmatched anywhere else in the United States. It’s critical to get this industry fully recovered and 2023 looks like the year it’s going to take place.”
Las Vegas has nearly 15 million square feet of convention space, including 2.5 million at the expanded Convention Center, where 54 shows are expected in 2023, accounting for 1.3 million visitors. The LVCVA opened its new West Hall in June 2021 and its board approved $600 million to renovate the three other halls in 2024 and 2025.
About 100,000 people are expected at CES, previously known as the Consumer Electronics Show. That’s up from 45,000 in 2022 after the 2021 show was canceled. Some 180,000 people attended in 2019 prior to the pandemic.
CES will welcome attendees from 147 countries; foreign visitors are expected to account for up to 35% of the total, Hill said. About 3,000 visitors will come from China. According to Hill, it’s important to have international travelers back, even though the numbers aren’t as high as in the past.
“Having CES at basically full strength is a great thing in and of itself and means an awful lot to the city this week, but it’s also a morale booster for the whole year,” Hill said. “What a great way to get started in 2023.”


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Immutable X, an Ethereum-based layer 2 scaling answer for non-fungible tokens (NFTs), mentioned it lately raised $60 million in a Collection B spherical of funding, which was co-led by BITKRAFT Ventures and King River Capital.
In line with a press launch shared with CryptoPotato immediately, Immutable additionally acquired investments from a bunch of crypto-related and enterprise capital corporations. These embody Alameda Analysis, Galaxy Interactive, Apex Capital, VaynerFund, Material Ventures, Reinventure, and AirTree Ventures.
The brand new money injection, which introduced the agency’s complete funding to $77.5 million, will probably be allotted to the growth of the mission’s international engineering and gross sales groups, and foster its partnership with blockchain gaming corporations.
Moreover, Immutable famous that the funds will probably be used to facilitate the expansion of its in-house printed NFTs video games, Gods Unchained and Guild of Guardians.
Scaling NFT Tasks on Ethereum
Since its launch, Immutable has been centered on growing the Ethereum-based NFT ecosystem by permitting companies to create and commerce the collectibles on the community.
With a number of NFTs and decentralized functions constructed on the Ethereum blockchain, the community has suffered a number of constraints, together with greater site visitors leading to gradual and costly transactions.
Primarily based on the congestion of the Ethereum blockchain, Immutable was launched to deal with a few of these challenges and supply a greater scalable answer for NFTs constructed on the community.
With the Immutable X platform, NFT builders can make the most of its immediate transaction processing functionality, which is able to processing 9,000 transactions per second.
NFT creators and merchants is not going to be required to pay fuel charges utilizing Immutable, the announcement added.
Robbie Ferguson, a co-founder at Immutable X, mentioned the present NFT market is inefficient as buying and selling the tokens has grow to be costly and illiquid.
He added that current scaling options which might be supposed to deal with these challenges have ended up compromising the safety and consumer base of the Ethereum community.
“We would like companies to create their sport, market, or NFT software inside hours by way of APIs, with a mainstream consumer expertise. No blockchain programming required,” Ferguson added.
NFT Video games Huge Development
It’s not information that the NFT sector, particularly blockchain gaming, has recorded vital progress for the reason that starting of the 12 months, with over $10 billion price of digital belongings traded throughout varied marketplaces.
The gaming business, which is predicted to be valued at nearly $200 billion in income, is tipped to develop greater based mostly on its integration with NFT and blockchain applied sciences.
With the potential of NFT video games, corporations are searching for methods to profit in the long run by investing in NFT-related initiatives.
As reported, common NFT market OpenSea introduced in July that it raised $100 million from notable buyers, bringing its complete valuation to $1.5 billion.
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WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The productivity of U.S. businesses rose at a slower rate in the first quarter while hourly wages of workers adjusted for inflation fell by the largest amount in almost three years, according to government data.
First-quarter productivity rose at a 1.6% annual rate, the Labor Department said Thursday. Productivity in the fourth quarter was also revised up to 2.9% from 2.6%.
Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected productivity to increase by 1.5% in the first quarter.
Productivity rose in the three months through March because the output of goods and services grew more than twice as fast as the number of hours worked.
The quantity of goods and services produced, known as real output, grew at an annual rate of 3.1% in the first quarter. Hours worked rose 1.4%.
Higher productivity is widely regarded as the key to a rising standard of living because it usually leads to higher wages for workers and bigger profits for companies.
Although compensation per hour rose 2.6% at an annualized rate, hourly wages adjusted for inflation fell by 2.5%. That’s the biggest decline since the third quarter of 2008. Whatever increases in pay workers have been receiving appear to have been eaten up by the rising cost of weekly staples such as gasoline and food.
The unit cost of labor, meanwhile, rose by a 1.0% annual rate in the first quarter. Unit-labor costs — which reflect how much it costs a business to produce one unit of output, such as a ton of steel — are 1.2% higher compared to one year ago.
Productivity has surged since 2009 largely because companies slashed millions of jobs while keeping their output of goods and service near the same levels.
Yet increases in productivity usually taper off when an economy recovers because existing workforces are unable to keep up with demand. Companies usually have to hire more workers or adopt new technologies to boost productivity once an economy is operating normally again.


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We live in a bubble in Silicon Valley. By this, I mean we often forget that outside of Silicon Valley, the larger population experiences technology differently from us and our neighbors. And this we need to remember when investing in new companies and when starting new businesses focused on consumers, particularly worldwide.
A recent reminder for me was a conversation with my sister-in-law. An East Coaster, quite intelligent, very educated, she asked if I still use that “Errand Bunny” service I previously recommended. After some confusion, I realized she was referring to Task Rabbit, a service for outsourcing small jobs to people in your neighborhood. Sure, Task Rabbit, like Uber, may be a part of our everyday language, but it’s not necessarily familiar to people outside the San Francisco-based tech industry.
Let’s put some numbers around that. One data point: at the September TechCrunch Disrupt event, Mark Zuckerberg told the audience that two-thirds of the world does not have Internet access.
The Internet numbers for the U.S. are higher, yet remain a good reminder that Silicon Valley does not accurately represent the demographics of the larger would-be customers:
65% of US population has broadband, which means the remaining 35% has dial-up or no Internet.
51% of adults bank online, which means that half of adults bank the traditional way of in-person branch and ATM visit.
56% have a smartphone, which means almost half aren’t getting up-to-minute Twitter updates and using apps.
81% of young adults (25-34) own a smartphone while only 18% of adults over 65 own a smartphone — remember the age of the customer, too.
Source: Pew Internet
So both anecdotally and statistically, let’s remember that not everyone in the US — let alone the world — has a smartphone + tablet + desktop/laptop, lives on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram, and banks online. Don’t base your customer assumptions on Silicon Valley. On the VC side, we see the less “techy” population outside of Silicon Valley as an opportunity — these are the areas for further growth in consumer services, as well as the underlying Internet infrastructure.


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The concept, powered by the folks at Coffeefueled Marketing (Website), is set-up to be an invite-only shop where interested parties must sign up online to become Frenchpressery Members to receive the secret location of the coffee shop.
A grand opening is scheduled for the end of May from 7 a.m.-noon but will be limited to 500 people for the first day. The location has yet to be released and will be made public on May 25. The organizers have a back-up opening date and location in the wings in case the information is spilled early.
According to the website, Frenchpressery is actually a series of pop-ups that will be visiting multiple cities, including Miami, Savannah, San Francisco, and Nashville, among others.


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In fairness, few carmakers predicted the sharp rise in fuel prices during the last couple of years or the stiff emissions and fuel-economy regulations set to roll in over the next decade but GM is set on fixing its error. To do this GM is going to extraordinary lengths to improve its green credentials and is even prepared to lose money “for years” on its upcoming Volt plug-in hybrid, reports the Detroit News.
While sales of the Volt aren’t expected to bring a profit for several years, the logic behind the move is to re-establish GM as a technologically superior company. Lutz said GM's lack of alternative energy technology presented such a poor image that it was costing the company billions of dollars in lost customer loyalty and attraction.
Lutz is predicting the introduction of the Volt will be as when the Ford Model T first came onto the market. In fact, he claims GM may have underestimated the popularity of plug-in hybrids and that sales of the Volt could top 500,000 units annually. That’s a lot of cars to be losing money but if it proves successful it will likely make consumers more receptive to GM’s other, more profitable, hybrid models.


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As cryptocurrency acceptance and adoption continues to gain global traction, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region keep leading the race for crypto adoption.
According to a recent report from blockchain analytical firm, Chainalysis on Wednesday, MENA countries have had the most use cases for cryptocurrency transactions making it the world’s fastest-growing cryptocurrency market in the region.
As per the reports, between July 2021 and June 2022, users in the region made transactions to the tune of $566 billion in cryptocurrency. This represents about a 48% increase from the year before.
In comparison, Latin America, North America, and Central and Southern Asia recorded 40%, 36%, and 35% respectively within the same period in view. Other regions enjoyed about 22% growth.
According to Kim Grauer Chainalysis’ director of research, the firm derived this data after casting a “really wide net” that includes regulators, private businesses, over-the-counter brokers as well as other players in the industry.
MENA countries lead the race for crypto adoption
Interestingly, three countries (Turkey, Egypt, and Morocco) from the MENA region featured amongst the top 30 nations in this year’s Crypto Adoption Index.
Turkey, a member of the MENA, ranks 12th and holds the largest cryptocurrency market in the region. The nation recorded $192 billion in crypto transactions in the said period.
Due to the level of traffic, it enjoys from Turkey, leading exchange platform Binance choose Turkey for the pilot testing of its 24/7 customer service center. The Turkish finance minister has also met with Zhao Changpeng founder and CEO of Binance to discuss cryptocurrencies and the blockchain ecosystem as part of its plan to advance its crypto sector.
Also, Egypt, ranked 14th was the fastest-growing cryptocurrency market and had a triple of transactions compared to the previous year.
Recall that earlier in the year, blockchain technology firm CargoX extended its deal with the Egyptian government which will see it digitize the nation’s trade flow.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan, former MENA leader, fell from its top spot after the Taliban takeover in August 2021. The Taliban’s rule which had several crypto dealers arrested has affected the country’s crypto markets. Crypto dealers either have to flee the country, stop operations or bear the risk of getting arrested.


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If they haven’t already, Instagram will prompt users to share their birthday with the service. The company stated today that it will begin displaying a popup asking you to “personalize your experience” by adding your birthday. However, the prompt can only be ignored a few times before it becomes mandatory. According to Instagram, the change is part of the company’s bigger goal of developing additional safety features aimed at younger users. This includes earlier this year’s teen privacy measures, as well as Instagram’s longer-term plan to establish a version of its service geared for users under the age of 13.
Instagram introduced new features in March that made it more difficult for adults to contact teenagers through the service. Then, in July, the business revealed a broader set of modifications to new users under the age of 16’s default settings. These users’ accounts will now be set to “private” by default, preventing them from being suggested elsewhere in the app. Adults whose accounts have been identified as “possibly suspect” can no longer communicate with kids or interact with their posts.
Users who have not yet shared their birthday will see pop-up messages when they open the Instagram app starting this week, according to Instagram.
These notifications will surface a few times, but users will eventually lose the ability to dismiss them by tapping “Not now.” Instead, in order to continue using Instagram, everyone will be compelled to post their birthday.
When you come across a post with a warning message, the company will now ask for your birthdate information. These screens, which obscure sensitive or explicit content, are not new. Instagram, on the other hand, has never asked for a user’s birthdate before revealing the secret information.
Of course, kids are known to lie on entrance forms in order to get around restrictions while downloading apps. Instagram has created AI technologies to assist them in identifying accounts where children may have been misled. For example, it may be possible to deduce someone’s birthdate based on comments left on “Happy Birthday” posts that include the user’s age. The business also teases future ambitions in this area, stating that users would be required to verify their age if Facebook’s algorithm detects a discrepancy between the age they entered and what appears to be their true age based on other signals.
According to Instagram, the technology is still in its “early phases,” but it will provide a menu of settings that will allow users to verify their age.
The requirement for users’ birthdays isn’t just for the freshly added teen protection features. Instagram is also striving to make its app more appealing to younger users, a move that has sparked outrage from lawmakers and consumer advocacy groups alike. Furthermore, age continues to be a significant data factor for ad targeting.


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The company's consolidated income fell in just one month and 77.41% compared with July 2017. To get an idea of how bad the situation was, HTC's last time was so low income had in August 2003. The company's total The revenue for 2018 has so far been around $ 544.6 million and although it is not a small figure, it is 54% lower than in the same period last year.
The company's revenue for the second quarter of 2018 came to $ 222.2 million, but it recorded a net loss of $ 68.3 million. One of the few positive things HTC received in 2018 was selling its original design manufacturing department to Google for $ 1.1 billion. The move kept HTC on the positive side in the accounting books with a net profit of $ 621 million for the first half of 2018.
The pharmacy remains flagship devices (the latest is the U12 +), but they make almost no impact on the market. One of the positive contributors at HTC is the VIVE virtual reality headset, but the VR industry is not mainstream enough, because its 12% device shares worldwide to deliver enough revenue.
If the company's restructuring efforts and spending cuts do not have the desired effect, the day we see the latest HTC smartphone may not be too far in the future.
source: Digi Times


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Wichita looks forward.
With roots well entrenched in manufacturing, Wichita is gearing up for the future through advances in technologies and materials. Successful companies are producing technically complex products with high levels of design. They're using innovative processes to create new products that are more reliable, affordable and produced more efficiently.
The National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University occupies over one million square feet and provides research, design, testing certification and training to the aviation industry, government agencies and educational entities. With an annual budget of more than $125 million in 2020, NIAR is pushing the boundaries of advanced manufacturing and materials.
Deloitte is creating its first ever Smart Factory @ Wichita on the campus at Wichita State University to help companies merge existing technologies with new innovations in processes, products and engineering.
Our manufacturers have taken the same skills and technologies they use to support the aviation industry to supply the globe with specialized parts. Your company can benefit from our talent too.
A quick view of some of the companies who are located in the Greater Wichita region provides a powerful perspective on our global impact, including Siemens Gamesa, Massey Ferguson, York, GE Aviation, Rubbermaid and Pfizer.
- Wichita ranks first in manufacturing jobs as a percentage of all jobs, according to the Brookings Institution.
- Sedgwick County is a Foreign Trade Zone, exempting manufacturers from paying duty or federal excise tax while goods remain in the zone or are exported.


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GreatWater Expands Illinois Presence with Major Acquisition
Grand Rapids, MI, January 3, 2023 – GreatWater 360 Auto Care has announced the acquisition of Illinois-based Tire Tracks USA. The addition of Tire Tracks 14 locations adds to an impressive 2022 that saw GreatWater close on 24 acquisitions and add 43 new rooftops, expanding their presence to over 90 locations throughout the Midwest.
“We are extremely proud of how we’ve been able to expand over the last year, acquiring shops that have deep connections to their communities and proven track records for quality service.” says GreatWater CEO, Jim Dykstra. “Tire Tracks has been serving their communities for 35 years. You only last that long by treating customers with respect, honesty, and fair pricing. We are excited and honored to continue that legacy.”
That legacy includes a team of long-tenured employees with strong customer relationships and auto experience. GreatWater’s priority is to keep the team intact. “Our acquisition model focuses on the team at the shop first and foremost,” Dykstra states, “We understand and appreciate that our teammates are the engine that drives our success and the success of shops we acquire. They are a big part of what has makes a shop attractive to us and we work hard to make sure they see opportunity in the transition. Our goal is to welcome them into our family, support them and set them up for their own personal long-term success within GreatWater.”
About GreatWater 360 Auto Care
With beginnings as a small group of local auto repair shops in Hudsonville, MI, GreatWater 360 Auto Care is expanding throughout the Midwest with locations in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Their guiding purpose is to help keep their customers on the road through quality service, honesty, integrity, and fair pricing. Each shop is locally managed with certified technicians that live in the communities they service. To learn more about GreatWater 360 Auto Care, visit greatwater360autocare.com.


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The staff of Slync.io, a tech start-up that sells software program to logistics corporations, on Monday have been knowledgeable throughout a digital assembly about Chris Kirchner’s suspension.
Kirchner, who had been promoting
till just a few years in the past earlier than beginning his logistics software program firm, by no means shied away from displaying off his rich way of life – in fact, after he acquired it, that’s. The one downside was, he did that whereas the staff of his start-up weren’t paid their salaries – on the similar time, executives who questioned concerning the firm’s monetary state or delay in salaries – have been fired.
“We don’t touch upon people who find themselves nonetheless with us, whether or not they’re suspended or not. That’s all we will say at this level,” Burt White, Slync’s vice chairman of gross sales, advertising and marketing and buyer success, informed
Forbes. “Slync’s acquired an excellent future. With Chris, it’s what’s, however I can’t speak about present staff,” White added.
Over the past 18 months, the CEO had purchased a personal jet valued at $15 million, bought luxurious automobiles, tried to purchase an English soccer workforce, joined an unique Texas nation membership and extra whereas his firm stored operating out of cash and struggled to boost funds and even appeal to new clients, in keeping with a report in
« Again to advice tales
Kirchner’s lavish way of life didn’t go unnoticed by staff of Slync, who concluded that the CEO was extra considering dwelling a grand lifetime of consolation and wealth than contributing in constructing a profitable enterprise.
“I don’t know that [Slync] was a enterprise a lot because it was a kleptocracy,” mentioned a former worker who didn’t want to be named, as quoted by Forbes. “Chris Kirchner was in the end utilizing sports activities to purchase entry to issues he would not have had as an everyday man.”
Whereas staff have been nonetheless dealing with cost delays and uncertainty on the office, the CEO of the corporate purchased a black Ferrari Superfast 812, which sells someplace from $300,000 to $500,000.
When the corporate introduced in February 2021 that Goldman Sachs was main a $60 million Collection B funding spherical, which then valued the corporate at $240 million, Slync’s course modified, and so did Kirchner’s personal picture.
As the corporate signed a multimillion-dollar sponsorship settlement with the NHL ice hockey workforce Dallas Stars, Kirchner made information for purchasing a Gulfstream G550 personal jet. He was additionally noticed driving round in luxurious automobiles—together with his Ferrari, which had since been painted pink.
Regardless of the tech start-up’s funds drying up and restricted clients’ record, Kirchner had joined the Vaquero, an unique nation membership in Dallas, the place an annual golf membership prices over $150,000.
The CEO even hosted a gaggle of staff on the Vaquero throughout the summer time of 2021. On the celebration, Kirchner flashed his wealth as he bragged about enjoying golf with Saudi princes, flying to unique locations on his personal jet, the report additional mentioned.
“The life-style that he was dwelling simply didn’t appear actual,”
Forbes quoted one other former worker as saying.
After Kircher’s suspension because the CEO, Mary Athridge, a spokesperson for Goldman Sachs, informed
Forbes that the traders might be offering extra capital to the corporate to resolve the payroll subject this week. The report revealed that the excellent payroll was about $4 million, in keeping with the report which quoted an individual with information of the matter.


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"The partnership with ALO Drink is very exciting for Jim Dunn Racing and to all our fans. Their drinks not only taste great, but are good for you. All of our family and friends enjoy ALO Drinks and we encourage everyone to try a bottle. We look forward to promoting the ALO Drink brand as we compete in the NHRA Mello Yello Series with new driver John Hale behind the wheel," said team manager, Jon Dunn.
ALO Drink is the best-selling, ready-to-drink aloe vera based beverage line in the U.S. It comes in 17 different varieties. ALO Drink has won multiple awards since being launched in 2009. In 2015 it will debut a pulp-free edition of its drink.
"We are thrilled to be a part of Jim Dunn Racing this year and excited about the new season," said ALO Drink founder, Henry Chen. “We're looking forward to working with the Jim Dunn Racing team to introduce ALO Drink to race fans across the country."
The Jim Dunn Racing ALO Drink funny car will debut at the 2015 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. The first two races of the season and selected events through 2015 will feature special edition cars, including a MOON Equipped Black & White collector's version at the NHRA Winternationals.


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Yelp Inc. (YELP) Holdings Boosted by First Manhattan Co.
First Manhattan Co. raised its stake in shares of Yelp Inc. (NYSE:YELP) by 17.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 437,393 shares of the local business review company’s stock after acquiring an additional 65,683 shares during the period. First Manhattan Co. owned about 0.53% of Yelp worth $18,939,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of YELP. Strs Ohio bought a new stake in shares of Yelp during the 2nd quarter worth $108,000. FNY Partners Fund LP increased its holdings in Yelp by 18,650.0% in the 1st quarter. FNY Partners Fund LP now owns 3,750 shares of the local business review company’s stock worth $122,000 after acquiring an additional 3,730 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its holdings in Yelp by 98.8% in the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 4,091 shares of the local business review company’s stock worth $123,000 after acquiring an additional 2,033 shares during the last quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in Yelp in the 2nd quarter worth about $205,000. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Yelp in the 2nd quarter worth about $215,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.28% of the company’s stock.
In other Yelp news, Director Geoffrey L. Donaker sold 6,000 shares of Yelp stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.90, for a total transaction of $263,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 9,590 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $421,001. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Laurence Wilson sold 10,000 shares of Yelp stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.18, for a total value of $451,800.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 187,739 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,482,048.02. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 366,481 shares of company stock worth $15,712,350 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 10.10% of the company’s stock.
A number of research firms have weighed in on YELP. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $44.00 target price on shares of Yelp in a report on Wednesday. Roth Capital boosted their price objective on Yelp from $35.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday. SunTrust Banks, Inc. reissued a “buy” rating and set a $44.00 price objective on shares of Yelp in a report on Friday, October 27th. Zacks Investment Research lowered Yelp from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 26th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $48.00 price objective (up previously from $40.00) on shares of Yelp in a report on Wednesday, October 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twenty have issued a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the company. The stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $41.06.
Yelp Inc. (NYSE:YELP) opened at 46.72 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $3.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 295.70 and a beta of 1.34. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $44.18 and a 200-day moving average of $36.59. Yelp Inc. has a 52 week low of $26.93 and a 52 week high of $47.20.
Yelp (NYSE:YELP) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 3rd. The local business review company reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.03) by $0.12. Yelp had a return on equity of 1.60% and a net margin of 1.67%. The company had revenue of $209.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $204.89 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.16 EPS. Yelp’s quarterly revenue was up 21.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Yelp Inc. will post $0.07 earnings per share for the current year.
Yelp announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Thursday, August 3rd that authorizes the company to repurchase $200.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the local business review company to reacquire up to 7.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.
Yelp Inc (Yelp) connects people with local businesses by bringing ‘word of mouth’ online and providing a platform for businesses and consumers to engage and transact. The Company offers local business review sites. Yelp provides a platform for consumers to share their everyday local business experiences with other consumers by posting reviews, tips, photos and videos, and to engage directly with businesses, through reviews, its Request-A-Quote and Message the Business features, and by completing transactions on the Yelp Platform.
Receive News & Ratings for Yelp Inc. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Yelp Inc. and related companies with Analyst Ratings Network's FREE daily email newsletter.


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Currently, Google is slowly rolling out the update on mobile and said it will start testing the changes on desktop, but did not specify a specific date. The company also moved the tag to a separate line above the website URL instead of displaying it next to the URL.
Google said in a statement: “This new label and its prominent position continue to meet our high standards of being distinguished from search results and building on our existing efforts to make information about paid content clear.” “
However, these changes may still not be enough to allow users to clearly distinguish between ads and organic search results. Although the difference between “ads” and “sponsorships” will be noted. But in everyday use, when scrolling through thousands of search results, you may not notice these small print changes.
Ginny Marvin, Google’s advertising product liaison, has posted the visual history of the company’s advertising labels on Twitter several times over the years. While the tweet below only documents the changes through 2019, it’s easy to see how Google is slowly blurring the lines between ads and search results.
When Google unveiled a new bold “ad” label in 2020, many pointed to the dark pattern in this design change that made users squint their eyes to separate paid content. But it took the company two years to make any kind of change.
The advertising business is Google’s main money-making tool: the company generated $56.3 billion in ad revenue in the second quarter of 2022. Therefore, for the search giant, any detail is important in this regard. Given Google’s position in advertising, many watchdogs want to investigate the company’s advertising business from an antitrust perspective.
While changing the ad label, Google will also display the website name in the search results. Until now, you can only see URLs in search results, making you confused when it comes to identifying some websites. In addition, it is making the site’s icons stand out more so that users can easily identify familiar website identities. The company said it would also extend the changes to advertising to increase transparency on the user side.


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An Israeli technology is finding a way to produce clean paper products from every flush of the toilet.
It will probably take a certain market approach and finesse to get people to accept, let alone truly appreciate, recycled toilet paper. But Refael Aharon, the CEO and founder of Applied Clean Tech, is convinced that his company has landed on a sort of goldmine. It has refined the process of turning the cellulose in sludge â€“â€“ toilet paper, fecal matter and washing machine lint â€“â€“ into new paper.
The finished product has no odor and poses no biological hazard. â€œItâ€™s a real recycled paper,â€ Aharon tells ISRAEL21c, and not just paper leftovers from printing presses and the like that have been put back in the cycle. This is material that if not reclaimed would literally go down the drain and eventually biodegrade.
Be a part of the number one growth industry while securing your future with residual income.
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Earn recurring monthly payments selling mobile websites and apps to local businesses.
Our one-of-a-kind training program allows you to successfully enter the lucrative world of commercial financing.
Amazing opportunity for only $500 in an industry that is prime for sales.


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When Katy McCaffrey discovered that her smartphone had been stolen at the end of a Caribbean cruise, she thought there was little she could do about it.
But then a few weeks later her phone began automatically posting photographs taken by its new 'owner'.
The suspected thief, a crew member of the Disney cruise ship, the Wonder, has been placed on "administrative leave" by management while the theft is investigated. It is not clear exactly what happened to the phone.
McCaffrey noticed that pictures were being uploaded on Apple iCloud site one month after her cruise ended and her iPhone was stolen. They seemed to show the suspected thief and his colleagues relaxing on the ship. She placed them on Facebook and alerted Disney Cruises who identified the suspect.
Rebecca Peddie, manager of public affairs for Disney Cruise Line, told USA Today the line became aware of the Facebook photos and the alleged theft on Thursday, and says the iPhone had been recovered. It is currently on the Wonder, and the line intends to return it to the owner when the ship's current cruise ends.
McCaffrey posted on Facebook: "I have alerted the officials of the Disney Cruise Line and forwarded them the photos. Hopefully I'll get my phone back and maybe some free passes to Disneyland."


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Apple today launched a new security program that will make it more convenient for researchers to identify vulnerabilities in iPhones. The Apple Security Research Device Program will provide bug hunters a specialized iPhone built only for research purposes.
These research devices feature "unique code execution and containment policies", meaning these will run in a controlled environment. The phones include capabilities not normally found on consumer iPhones such as shell access to let researchers run any tool. Of course, Apple retains ownership of the devices, which will be loaned to researchers for a year on a renewable basis. Device holders are not allowed to use the phones for personal use and outside their registered premises.
The new initiative is open to members of the Apple Developer Program with experience in identifying security issues with Apple or other platforms. Also, only researchers based in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, and the U.S. can join the program. Applicants are subject to Apple's review process and device availability is limited for the initial round of application.


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July 24--A combination of bacon, mac and cheese and potato chips might lead a Dayton firefighter to a $1 million pot of gold.
Matt Allen of Troy -- one of Dayton's newest firefighters -- is a contestant in Lay's "Do Us A Flavor"contest.
His Lay's Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese chips are battling it out against chip flavors submitted by three other finalists from around the nation: Lay's Cappuccino, Lay's Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger and Lay's Wavy Mango Salsa.
Lay's received about 14 million submissions in this year's contest.
People will be invited to vote for their favorite of the four flavors beginning July 28 through Oct. 18 at www.DoUsAFlavor.com.
They can also vote via Instagram and/or Vine using the hashtags #SaveBaconMac, #SaveCappuccino, #SaveWasabi, #SaveMango. Text message "Bacon Mac," "Cappuccino," "Wasabi" or "Mango" to 24477 (CHIPS) to vote.
Only one vote per day per website or social media method.
Troy Mayor Michael L. Beamish will proclaim Thursday, July 31, "Lay's Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese Potato Chip Day" in Troy during a ceremony that day on Troy's Public Square
The event is open to the public.
The grand prize is $1 million. Runners up will receive $50,000.
Copyright 2014 - Dayton Daily News, Ohio


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Mt. Gox has flatlined, just as we predicted. The apparently now-extinct Bitcoin exchange, which grew from a humble trading post for Magic: The Gathering cards into what was for a time the world’s mightiest cryptocurrency powerhouse, has gone offline. Its website is now nothing more than a blank white slate beneath a URL, showing zero content, its Twitter feed stripped eerily bare.
Worse, it appears that trading on the enfeebled exchange has come to a screeching halt as well, as revealed by an incriminating screenshot reportedly shared by a Reddit user. Some 744,408 BTC -- which add up to about $375 million at today’s exchange rate -- were likely lost in the aftermath of Mt. Gox’s implosion, according to a copy of the Tokyo-based company’s alleged Crisis Strategy Draft, leaked Monday night by Ryan Galt, a venture capitalist and Bitcoin blogger also known as “The Two-Bit Idiot.” The allegedly vanished Bitcoins are reportedly equal to approximately 6 percent of the 12.4 million Bitcoins in circulation.
Galt claims that the purported crisis strategy document is from “an otherwise reliable source” and “appears to be authentic,” stating that multiple sources “close to Mt. Gox” have confirmed the staggering admissions and numbers within it.
Related: Bitcoin Exchange Mt. Gox Apologizes About Crippling Hack, Says Withdrawals to Resume Soon
The unverified alleged crisis plan reads:
“For several weeks MtGox customers have been affected by bitcoin withdrawal issues that compounded on themselves. Publicly, MtGox declared that “transaction malleability” caused the system to be subject to theft, and that something needed to be done by the core devs to fix it. Gox’s own workaround solution was criticized, and eventually a fix was provided by Blockchain.info.
The truth, it turns out, is that the damage had already been done.
At this point 744,408 BTC are missing due to malleability-related theft which went unnoticed for several years. The cold storage has been wiped out due to a leak in the hot wallet.
The reality is that MtGox can go bankrupt at any moment, and certainly deserves to as a company. However, with Bitcoin/crypto just recently gaining acceptance in the public eye, the likely damage in public perception to this class of technology could put it back 5~10 years, and cause governments to react swiftly and harshly. At the risk of appearing hyperbolic, this could be the end of Bitcoin, at least for most of the public.
We believe in the value of Bitcoin, its potential to change the world, and its principles of transparency. Most importantly we care about the customers of MtGox and other bitcoin-based businesses who will be affected.
The likely consequences will be larger than this localized financial damage, and we believe that the benefits of keeping MtGox stable and running outweigh the risks. This isn’t about saving MtGox anymore.”
Related: Bitcoin Plunges After Mt. Gox Blocks Withdrawals
Reacting to the news of Bitcoin’s apparent collapse, top officials from six major Bitcoin companies together issued a joint statement on Coinbase:
"This tragic violation of the trust of users of Mt.Gox was the result of one company's actions and does not reflect the resilience or value of bitcoin and the digital currency industry," reads the statement, which was officially endorsed by the co-founders of Coinbase and the chief executives of Kraken, Bitstamp.net, BTC China, Blockchain.info and Circle.
Mark Karpelès, CEO of the now apparently defunct Mt. Gox trading post, recently stepped down from the Bitcoin Foundation’s board of directors. The Tokyo-headquartered trade organization, which “standardizes, protects and promotes” the use of the digital currency, announced Karpelès’ resignation on its blog in a short, unceremonious statement last Sunday, some two weeks after Mt. Gox halted customer withdrawals on February 7.
Mt. Gox issued an official apology for the freeze of external Bitcoin transfers due to what it called a “massive and concerted” denial-of-service attack. The apology pledged that withdrawals would resume again soon, though with certain limits. Yeah, make that never.
Karpelès’ withdrawal of his board seat comes on the heels of Mt. Gox’s recent falling out with the foundation over how Bitcoin wallet transactions are handled. The exchange claimed its recent transaction malleability woes were due to a “fundamental flaw” in the Bitcoin protocol that it reportedly put pressure on the foundation to confront. The foundation fired back, saying that Mt. Gox’s issues stemmed from its own “wallet, lack of flexibility and customer support,” according to ZDNet.
Bitcoin Foundation members again issued a statement regarding Mt. Gox Monday night after learning of the exchange’s alleged imminent bankruptcy, this time attempting to bolster public confidence in the volatile digital currency.
"We are shocked to learn about Mt. Gox's alleged insolvency," the foundation said in a statement emailed to Business Insider. "While we are unable to comment on whether or not Mt. Gox's business operations employed operational best practices and reasonable accounting procedures, we can assure the public that the Bitcoin protocol is functioning properly."
Meanwhile, as of 2:41 a.m. ET, Bitcoin prices fell below $437.67, the lowest level since the middle of last November.


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Is Walmart getting into cryptocurrency? It looks like Walmart is entering the world of Cryptocurrency! Walmart just recently filed seven different applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office in December. Moreover, these applications outline Walmart’s plans to launch its own cryptocurrency, NFTs, possible payment system, e-wallets and more.
Walmart “is preparing to create its own cryptocurrency and collection of non-fungible tokens,” seeking “several new trademarks . . . that show it intends to make and sell virtual goods such as electronics, decor, toys, sporting goods and personal-care products.”
Just last summer, Walmart advertised for a position to develop “the digital currency strategy and product roadmap” (check out this LI post on it – https://lnkd.in/dSFY4G2N) while identifying “crypto-related investment and partnerships.”
While so far it was just an internet hoax that Walmart was beginning to accept crypto. Apparently the hoax was an attempt at pumping the price of #litecoin. For more information on this pump scheme please check out this Linkedin post – https://lnkd.in/dSFY4G2N.
It is only a matter of time before the world’s largest retailer takes crypto for payment.
Over the last year or so we have seen a steady drumbeat toward mainstream adoption of digital assets – from Standard Chartered Bank to Citi, Goldman Sachs to J.P. Morgan.
In 2022 will we see that that trend continue?
In conclusion, that is the news I am looking for in my inbox every morning.


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PHAC investigating 67 illnesses linked to raw oysters
The majority of illnesses have been connected to eating raw oysters, said the agency.
PHAC said work is ongoing to determine the source and distribution of products and illnesses can be avoided if shellfish are cooked before being eaten.
British Columbia and Alberta affected
A total of 67 cases have been reported in British Columbia (48) and Alberta (19) with one person being hospitalized.
Individuals became sick between June 1 and August 7 and all reported consumption of raw shellfish, primarily oysters.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Health Canada are also investigating.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada said Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) is a naturally occurring bacterium that can be present in bivalve shellfish (i.e. clams, oysters, scallops, mussels, cockles) even in harvest areas that are open and approved for shellfish harvesting.
The bacterium is found in higher concentrations in summer months when water and air temperatures rise, increasing risk of infection and illness when bivalve shellfish (like oysters) are consumed raw or undercooked.
Symptoms of infection may include watery diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, and headache and usually start within 12 to 24 hours and may last up to three days.
To reduce the risk of illness, bivalve shellfish should only be harvested at the water's edge when the tide is going out and shellfish should be iced, refrigerated or frozen immediately.
PHAC said discard any shellfish that do not open when cooked, eat right away after cooking and refrigerate leftovers and always keep raw and cooked shellfish separate.
It added shellfish should be cooked to a safe internal temperature of 74°C (165°F).
The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) said an ‘unprecedented’ number of shellfish-related illness occurred this summer with 35 cases reported in June and July.
The majority of illnesses were linked to raw oysters sourced in British Columbia and served in restaurants but there have also been some cases associated with raw oysters bought at retail or self-harvested.
Marsha Taylor, epidemiologist with the BCCDC, said people should always be aware of the health risks associated with eating raw or undercooked oysters
“The risk is especially high this summer, as we can see from the number of Vibrio infections reported during the last two months.”


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Survey finds majority of Americans anticipate H1N1 outbreak during upcoming flu season
BOSTON Approximately 6-in-10 Americans believe it is very or somewhat likely that there will be widespread cases of novel H1N1, with people getting very sick this coming fall or winter, according to a survey released Thursday.
Parents are more likely than people without children to believe this will occur, with 65% of parents saying it is very or somewhat likely, compared with 56% of people without children.
“These results suggest Americans are likely to support public health officials in prioritizing preparations for the possibility of a serious H1N1 outbreak in the fall or winter,” stated Robert Blendon, professor of health policy and political analysis at the Harvard School of Public Health, the organization which conducted the surveys.
Despite a majority believing that a serious outbreak is likely, more than half of Americans (61%) are not concerned about their personal risk — that is, that they or their family members will get sick from novel H1N1 in the next year. This level is unchanged since the previous poll conducted from May 5 to 6. The current survey further suggests that the World Health Organization’s decision to raise the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6 did not dramatically impact Americans’ level of concern about their personal risk. Only 22% of Americans knew that the WHO had raised the level, and only 8% of Americans said it made them more concerned that they or their family would get novel H1N1 in the next 12 months.
One approach that has been used in the recent outbreak as a means to slow the spread of novel H1N1 is the closing of schools. In this survey, substantial numbers of parents who have children in school or daycare report that two-week closings in the fall would present serious financial problems for them. About half (51%) of these parents report that if schools/daycares closed for two weeks, they or someone else in their household would likely have to miss work in order to care for the children. Forty-three percent of these parents report that they or someone in their household would likely lose pay or income and have money problems; 26% of these parents report that they or someone in their household would likely lose their job or business as a result of having to stay home in order to care for the children.
The situation is likely to be worse for minority parents. More African American and Hispanic parents of children in school/daycare indicate that they are likely to lose pay or income and have money problems (56% and 64% respectively), as compared to Caucasian respondents (34%). And, more African American and Hispanic parents of children in school/daycare report that they or someone in their household would likely lose their job or business (40% and 49% respectively), as compared with Caucasians (14%).
If the outbreak in the fall or winter is serious and leads to large-scale workforce absenteeism, the survey suggests the possibility of substantial difficulties for many people and the economy as a whole. If people had to stay home for seven to 10 days because they were sick or because they had to care for a family member who was sick, 44% indicate that they would be likely to lose pay or income and have money problems, and 25% reported that they would be likely to lose their job or business.
“The findings highlight the important role that employers would play during a future outbreak. Flexibility in their employee policies may help minimize some of the problems identified in this survey,” Blendon said.
Purdue Products unveils reformulated line of laxatives
STAMFORD, Conn. Purdue Products recently unveiled its reformulated line of Senokot branded laxatives — the tablets are not chemically processed and the primary ingredient is the deseeded pod of the senna plant.
“We’ve always been proud of the fact that Senokot Tablets are such a trusted laxative brand,” stated Charlene Bailey, director, product management, Purdue Products. “But we’re really excited to give consumers something new – especially at a time when interest is so high in natural products.” The new Senokot Tablets will be available in pharmacies nationwide in early October.
Purdue will support the introduction with a comprehensive media plan that includes national television advertising, retail account programs, coupons and rebates. In addition, the contemporary design for the brand will stand out on-shelf while reinforcing Senokot as a natural choice for today’s health-minded consumers.
GNC releases clinical results of neuromuscular fatigue treatment
LAS VEGAS GNC on Monday released clinical results for its nitric oxide product Amplified Maxertion N.O. — demonstrating a delay in the onset of neuromuscular fatigue — at the National Strength and Conditioning Association conference.
GNC’s Amplified Maxertion N.O. was shown to increase power output at the onset of neuromuscular fatigue by an average of 20% and improve physical performance by helping athletes push past their normal point of exhaustion.
“This is truly groundbreaking research that has resulted in the delivery of a truly novel and clinically-validated [sports nutrition] product to the industry,” stated Guru Ramanathan, SVP technology and product innovation for GNC. “Using advanced technology and ingredients, this is the first nitric oxide enhancing product to demonstrate significant athletic performance effects that are relevant and meaningful to all types of athletes.”
Amplified Maxertion N.O. is part of a comprehensive line of eight new advanced muscle performance and sports nutrition products from GNC. The entire Pro Performance AMP line was designed to suit the needs of a wide range of dedicated athletes, from the weekend warrior to the ultra competitive athlete.


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Market Square is a road allowance
Port Burwell’s Market Square is, as it turns out, an oversized municipal road allowance, but that didn’t stop Elgin County councillors on Tuesday, Nov. 25, from unanimously approving a Bayham official plan amendment to change the zoning on the village’ former fire hall in one corner of the square to residential.
That could eventually allow it to be sold for redevelopment as a private residence.
But first, Bayham council must go through a process to “close up and stop” the road allowance, declare it surplus and sell it, and some residents instead want to preserve the square as a public place.
Read more in the Nov. 26 print edition or the online e-edition.


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The market isn't offering much of a warm welcome to Google's returning CEO. Larry Page's more aggressive spending plans seem to have backfired early.
On Thursday, Google reported an 18 percent increase in profits and a 27 percent rise in revenues in the first quarter, thanks, in part, to growth in the Internet advertising industry. Google reported revenues of $8.58 billion. Nevertheless, Google's stock dipped in morning trading.
"These results demonstrate the value of search and search ads to our users and customers, as well as the extraordinary potential of areas like display and mobile," said Patrick Pichette, Google's CFO. "It's clear that our past investments have been crucial to our success today -- which is why we continue to invest for the long term."
Spending a Third of Revenues
Pichette's last comment may have been trying to head off criticism on spending plans. Still, Google's operating expenses are drawing objections from stockholders.
Operating expenses in the first quarter were $2.84 billion. That means Google spent 54 percent more on salaries, marketing and research, nearly a third of its quarterly revenue.
Google employed 26,316 full-time employees as of March 31, up from 24,400 on December 31. What's more, Google said it expects to "continue to make significant capital expenditures."
"There was some concern about rumors of employee-retention efforts getting very expensive. In addition, the transition to Page as CEO was a bit of an unknown from an investor perspective," said Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence.
"He made a kind of 'peekaboo' appearance yesterday at the beginning of the earnings call, almost perfunctory, one might say," Sterling added. "It was a missed opportunity for Page, with investors and financial analysts, to reintroduce himself and instill confidence in his leadership."
But beyond the new CEO and the increased spending, Sterling said there are also
concerns about where new growth will come from. In the conference call, Sterling said Pichette spent a good deal of time trying to argue that there is still a great deal of headroom in search as well as great potential in other markets such as display and mobile advertising.
"I think there's general unease among some investors that Google is confronting a bunch of challenges simultaneously that will inhibit growth -- increasing expenses, formidable competitors like Facebook, maturation of the search market, and, even though it wasn't really discussed, mounting legal and especially antitrust challenges around the world."
To Sterling's point, Microsoft filed a formal complaint at the end of March with the European Commission as part of the regulatory body's ongoing investigation into whether Google has violated European competition law. Microsoft is concerned by "a broadening pattern of conduct aimed at stopping anyone else from creating a competitive alternative."


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as such apple (Nasdaq:AAPL) Going through main provide disruptions for the iPhone 14 Professional over the vacations The tech big has run into annoying issues in China. The corporate merely can not transfer manufacturing to a different location or nation because of the giant scale of manufacturing quantity, to not point out that the communist authorities may retaliate in opposition to gross sales inside China. Mine investment thesis Nonetheless bearish on the inventory as a consequence of anticipated weak vacation gross sales and ongoing progress points going through Apple whereas the share worth stays excessive.
China’s continued “No Covid” coverage has prompted a serious disruption to the manufacturing of the all-important iPhone 14 Professional. The Zhengzhou facility in China has seen a big inflow of workers go away to keep away from additional Covid lockdowns which has led to Foxconn being restricted to It is estimated at 100 thousand employees To totally employees the ability. Now, the manufacturing unit doesn’t even have area to rent new workers and return to full manufacturing with 300,000 workers.
Again on November 6, Apple Beware of struggles To fulfill demand as a consequence of decrease iPhone 14 Professional shipments as a consequence of facility points which have now lasted a number of weeks:
COVID-19 restrictions quickly affected the first iPhone 14 Professional and iPhone 14 Professional Max meeting facility situated in Zhengzhou, China. The ability is at present working at considerably lowered capability. As we’ve got achieved all through the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re prioritizing the well being and security of employees in our provide chain.
The corporate even needed to cowl up the Chinese language authorities by stating that the manufacturing impacts had been as a consequence of prioritizing the well being and security of employees whereas the US is absolutely open for enterprise with out Covid restrictions. Foxconn has introduced a transfer to extend manufacturing in India, however the transfer will take years to interchange Chinese language manufacturing.
iPhone 14 Professional and Professional Max wait instances on Apple.com are actually shut to six weeks. Anybody who orders right here earlier than Thanksgiving cannot even get a smartphone earlier than Christmas. The schedule will rapidly transfer to January since most vacation consumers most likely have not even tried to order an iPhone but.
The larger downside is that Apple bought almost $75 billion in gross sales from Higher China, or 19% of all gross sales in fiscal ’22. The communist nation is just barely behind $95 billion in gross sales in Europe in Apple’s stage of significance.
Apple has to stroll the tightrope of transferring manufacturing overseas directly at full pace to win enterprise from the West. If the corporate pushes an excessive amount of manufacturing capability outdoors of China, the nation could act to ban Apple merchandise within the nation. Most tech firms have restricted enterprise in China leaving Apple out of the unusual.
EPS cuts ahead
Analysts solely have whole revenues of greater than $20-30 billion per 12 months from Apple over the following few years. The tech big’s income is anticipated to develop within the 5% annual vary, which sounds aggressive, however any discount in gross sales from China would weigh closely on an already sluggish progress fee.
The federal government actually has no cause to subsidize Apple merchandise within the nation until the corporate maintains large manufacturing ranges inside China to supply jobs for Chinese language residents. The nation already owns among the largest smartphone producers in Xiaomi, OPPO, and vivo. The three main Chinese language smartphones have 32% of the worldwide market whereas Apple has solely 16% market share.
Finally, China will shift from a zero-Covid coverage, however Apple is going through important weak spot in vacation gross sales. The share worth stays elevated at our fiscal 24x EPS targets of $6.24.
The EPS goal for FY24 features a goal of $2.04 for the December quarter. In its newest FQ1, Apple produced the next outcomes:
Analyst estimates have not fallen a lot up to now month with solely a slight lower from the earlier estimate of $2.08. With a large manufacturing facility in China the dimensions of a giant metropolis within the US unable to supply anyplace close to excessive ranges, it is unlikely that Apple will outpace that income from FQ1’22 and get near $2.10 EPS.
Even realizing that the majority iPhone gross sales will solely be delayed to 1 / 4, the market often does not deal with this situation properly. iPhone manufacturing and gross sales are an important a part of Apple’s enterprise and the market will face loads of uncertainties about precise shopper demand.
KeyBanc analysts have already taken discover mixed order for Apple merchandise. The core merchandise of the iPhone 14 together with the Mac (the corporate warned of weak demand) and demand for the iPad are weak with solely the iPhone 14 Professional fashions displaying sturdy demand. These iPhones are those going through manufacturing points as Apple was not prepared for the patron shift in direction of high-end smartphones.
All of those information factors point out that Apple is not going to come near matching the numbers from final 12 months. At $150, the tech big wants to attain 10%+ EPS progress to come back near justifying its present valuation. Clearly, the December quarter will finish considerably under final 12 months’s precise EPS and present estimates.
The primary backside line for the investor is that Apple is going through large China issues. Not solely are China Covid insurance policies affecting manufacturing, the tech big is trapped leaving a substantial amount of manufacturing within the communist nation with a purpose to keep sturdy relationships to guard the big income base throughout the nation.
The inventory just isn’t buying and selling bullish at $150 with a weak vacation quarter rising.
#Apple #Boxed #China #NASDAQ #AAPL


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VR, Crickets, Furniture Robots, Diversity in Tech and More
You’ll Be Eating Crickets Soon. You Have No Choice.
Jiminy Crickets! There has been a lot of buzz lately around the idea of using our musically-inclined arthropodic friends as a cheap and sustainable source of protein. Here’s the thing: the planet can only produce so much grain, and most of what we do produce goes towards raising cattle for protein. It seems like an incredibly wasteful process, and ends up using incredible amounts of water and other resources (not to mention producing a lot of greenhouse gas). Crickets are 10x more efficient than cattle on grain usage, and over 100x more efficient than cattle on water usage. If we can get over the “ick” factor of eating crickets, we may have a chance of saving tons of resources and energy. Hopefully the video’s title is not fully prophetic, and we’ll have some choice in the matter. But I for one am warming up to the idea.
Security & Adult Entertainment
Online security is obviously a big deal, and has become increasingly important as we do more and more online. Something we’ve been doing online practically since the internet’s inception is view Pornography. When we think about online security, we often think of securing credit card transactions and bank accounts, but how about securing some of the most personal information about ourselves? Mike Stabile, the director of communications for the Free Speech Coalition says about a potential security breach, “It’s tremendously exposing, especially if you’re closeted or in a community that’s going to frown upon that.” Many adult sites still aren’t protected with the encryption protocol HTTPS, which leaves them vulnerable to various hacking schemes. The FSC and the Center for Democracy and Technology, a digital civil liberties nonprofit, aim to secure the web one adult site at a time.
Diversity in Tech
The tech world has a persistent diversity gap: African Americans comprise about 7 percent and Latinos about 8 percent of the tech sector, in a nation where those numbers are 12 and 16 percent, respectively. Women comprise about 30 percent of tech, despite being 51 percent of the population. Google is putting some resources into filling that gap, piloting a new program called Code Next in Oakland California. The program seeks to provide workshops in everything from coding and game development to 3D modeling, in an “open-ended” and “iterative”way to encourage exploration. Google isn’t completely altruistic in its desire to bring new talent into the tech world — The Bureau of Labor Statistics says the industry will have 1 million more computer science-related jobs than people to fill them by 2020. Obviously, it is in Google’s interest in more than one way to try to engage young people who have been left out by the current system.
A Robot Furniture Designer
The title of this section may be a bit misleading. And maybe the difference between what this headline implies and what the article actually says is a good peek into the future of human-algorithm interaction. When we talk about neural networks or intelligent algorithms we have a tendency to personify them, perhaps based on conditioning from sci-fi films. What these designers did was collaborate with intelligent software in order to refine and iterate a design within a set of rules. Which is still pretty cool. They collaborated with Dreamcatcher, Autodesk’s generative design CAD system. They fed the software a 3D model of a chair as a starting point and gave it some rules to follow, such as how much weight the chair should support and that it needed to place the arms to be comfortable for a human body. The software would generate a series of iterations based on that input, the designers would choose the ones they liked, and the software would use those selections as the starting points for the next generation. One of the designers exclaimed “It’s cool to let it go too far—some of it looks like bug skeletons to me.” Of course this process could be extrapolated into many other fields, where computers and intelligent people can create something that neither could accomplish alone.
Google is getting into the hardware game like never before, and is coming out with some pretty incredible tech that feels very sci-fi. One such device is the Daydream View, Google’s latest virtual reality headset, and it looks super cool. On the surface, it just looks nice — it’s obvious it was designed as a fashion object as much as a gadget. Watch the video for a full review, and keep an eye out for more info about this and other exciting hardware from Google!
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LONDON - GlaxoSmithKline PLC said today that it plans to outpace its rivals in the race to emerging markets as revenue from traditional Western pharmaceutical markets continues to slow.
Abbas Hussein, London-based Glaxo's head of emerging markets, said that the company will pursue acquisitions and alliances in the region, although he cautioned that targets are scarce and prices being demanded by some businesses are unreasonable.
The company has major operations in Philadelphia.
Hussein said that Glaxo is focusing on a combined pool of branded generics, vaccines and traditional patented medicines to beef up its exposure to emerging markets, which currently account for 13 percent of group sales.
"I think it's very, very reasonable to say that my ambition is that we will beat the market growth rate," he told reporters ahead of an analyst and investor briefing.
Health-care information group IMS Health has forecast 13 percent to 15 percent growth in pharmaceutical demand in emerging markets over the coming decade, compared with just 1 percent to 3 percent for mature markets.
Drug companies are battling to win a large piece of the pie as they look for substitute revenue in the face of increased competition for patented drugs in the United States and Western Europe.
Drug sales in emerging markets are expected to double by 2015 from the current 50 billion pounds ($81 billion) thanks to a number of factors, including a high birthrate and a swiftly increasing middle class.
"By 2020 you are looking at emerging markets in size being equivalent to the U.S. market and the major five in Europe," said Hussein.
Increasing Glaxo's reach in the region would provide a key "third leg" to its existing U.S. and European businesses, he added.
Hussein said that Glaxo remained alive to acquisitions and tie-ups in the region following its purchase of assets from Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Belgium's UCB S.A., and alliances with South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd. and India's Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd.
But he stressed that Glaxo was unwilling to pay over the odds for any potential deals.
"I think the pace will continue," he said when questioned about mergers and acquisitions. "On the other hand, I think it's fair to say there are very scarce targets and some of the valuations of the promoters are very unreasonable."
Hussein said that alliances were a "great way to go as you are sharing the risk, and it makes good financial sense," while acknowledging they can be more complicated than a straightforward acquisition.
Glaxo expects operating margins in the region to remain at current levels of around 35 percent of sales.
The company's American depositary shares were trading this afternoon at $42.13, up 54 cents.


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Without a doubt, 2020 was a year of unprecedented retail reckoning. While many businesses were forced to temporarily or permanently close shop, there were some who found opportunities within the challenges of the year’s circumstances. The most successful retailers and brands of 2020 were those who invested well ahead to build resilience, focusing on securing the infrastructure and culture to pivot at a moment’s notice and respond to changes affecting consumers and the market.
This year’s Future of Retail Report is designed not only to help brands and retailers respond to the events of 2020, but also to build their business for 2021 and beyond. In this report, you’ll be asked to honestly assess where you are as a company today and identify where your next key investments should be (for more details, check out our Retail Resilience Rubric at the back of this report). If you commit to organizational introspection and infrastructure redevelopment now, your company will be better equipped to weather—and thrive within—the unknown and unexpected.
This report also contains the results of a live survey with 1,000 US online-shoppers with a 50/50 gender split. The survey was conducted in November 2020 in partnership with Suzy, the real-time, online consumer-polling platform. Insights include the following:
•Only 23% of consumers will shift their spending back to in-store after the pandemic
•As many US consumers are willing to share personal information with retailers and brands as those who won’t (47%)
•Consumers are signaling their in-store intentions through online research before their visit: 45% researched online regarding store inventory/availability and 33% researched online regarding safety protocols/measures
Published December 2020


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Galena Park, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/30/2014 -- Trade show booths have gone to greater heights as new technology is now being used aside from the conventional banner and static graphic display. The newest technology is now being implement and it is set to be installed in the new trade show booths this 2014.
One of the leading trade show companies is Nimlok. With over 40 years in the business, it continues to live in its mission to provide unsurpassed brand experiences through innovative exhibit and environmental solution.
In their official website, the company states, ‘Nimlok has set the pace in the exhibit industry by producing sound and recyclable display and exhibit solutions in the United States and abroad. In fact, in 2010, Nimlok became the first North American company in its class to achieve ISO 14001:2004 certification, recognizing an organization’s high level of commitment to environmental protection.’
Now, Nimlok has gotten bigger with their recent partnership with Exhibitor Service Network. Exhibitor Service Network is currently the number one choice for trade show display, offering effective and technological tools to design and install trade show booths. Together they provide high-quality services in the most modernized way possible. That includes the new tools in delivering state-of-the-art designs.
‘ESN has been a leading supplier of Houston trade show displays for businesses for 25 years, and our experience is made evident in the quality of our work. By partnering with Nimlok, one of the most respected names in the trade show displays industry, we can create whatever your company can imagine. Together, our two brands can ensure that counters, walls, flooring, glass, metal, fabric – whatever your trade show exhibits need – can be supplied in a timely manner, so the trade show booths of your dreams can come to life,’ as said in their website.
The newest technology involves using LED lights and digital signage. This is far better than static banners as LED lights are more visually attractive even at far distance. Also, an upcoming tool called iBeacon is also seen to be an efficient way to include in the booths. It is an indoor positioning system created by Apple, enabling the company to determine the location of the target market inside the trade show area. It can also notify an individual about the products of the company within the area. Visit the official website of ESN for more details.


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In the latest newstrends, infographics and reports with charts and graphs, always seem to make the news about a topic or company more entertaining. Microsoft has learned that, and on Monday released a report about itself by the numbers. The report as seen on the web is a tiled experience, like Windows 8, with plenty of data that is interesting.
News about a company like Microsoft can sometimes be exciting, somes be entertaining, and sometimes be very informative. This news in particular about itself by the numbers, shows the growth of the company, and the wide range of products and its effects on people everywhere. It talks about a wide range of products and is worth talking about.
Office, SharePoint and Apps
The first and most prominent slide or live tile that shows up is the face that Office for the iPad and its apps, have been downloaded over 45 million times around the globe on iTunes. This is remarkable as the product was only talked about through the years, and it’s become a huge hit. The latest changes in the past week or two has made it even more popular.
Microsoft shares that SharePoint is a $2 billion dollar business on its own, and it is a very lucrative enterprise product for businesses. Windows Store apps and Windows Phone apps are also very popular for Microsoft, as Microsoft stated that over 525,000 apps are available on the platforms. In addition, over 2 million users are now active on Visual Studio.
Random Microsoft Facts
There are lots of other facts in the report that are worth sharing. Bing indexes more than 2 billion Facebook status updates and a half billion Tweets per day. 1.5 billion people use Windows per day. To show off the power of OneDrive, Microsoft also stated that 250 million people have a OneDrive, and this is powerful as it shows how popular the cloud has become.
Microsoft talked Azure as more than 20 perfect of Azure virtual machines run on Linux, a shocker for many. In Xbox news, Xbox Live has more than 48 million members in over 57 countries. In the enterprise, over 8 million uses currently use Yammer, and over 400 million users hgave a Outlook.com active account. All of these facts prove that Microsoft is stronger than ever.
This was an awesome report by Microsoft. It shows the diversity of the company, and its broad range of products.