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Boka’s range of cereal bars and multi-grain granola with a vegan-friendly promise advertises a new look and feel that emphasizes healthier delicious food and is transparent about what’s in the food.
Boca re-launches its full range of cereal bars and multigrain granola with the promise of vegans and a new look and feel that promotes the front of the green traffic light package.
As the HFSS restrictions take effect in October 2022, Boka said the rebranding will allow consumers to “quickly identify nutritional health benefits” and stand out better.
The new Boka cereal bars are now in Booths and Sainsbury’s stores.
Boka owners say it is “the only grain brand in the UK with all green traffic lights and one of the first to be 100% HFSS compliant”. This is a key advantage for the brand, as competitors seek to reformulate their products to take advantage of promotional opportunities in the store.
Franco Beer, founder of Boka Foods, said: “Our range of cereal bars and muesli demonstrates that being healthy and tasty works. Our sales have grown exponentially over the last 12 months and customer feedback has been incredibly positive.
Our rebrand puts a brighter focus on the front of the green traffic lights, which will help us stand out from the crowd. We have also reformulated our range to be 100% vegan-friendly.
“Consumers are trying to make healthier choices, but unfortunately the snack bar industry is misleading them with confusing added health benefits, different labels and huge amounts of hidden sugar, especially hidden under the” no added sugar “banner. It’s time for a change. “
Boka has spent six years innovating and developing a range of low-sugar, low-fat and low-salt cereal bars that are below 100 calories per bar and, importantly, taste delicious.
The reformulation is in all four Boka cereal bars (30 g); Apple and cinnamon, strawberry, chocolate mallow and caramel. Available at Sainsbury’s, Booths and online at Amazon. Reference price £ 2.45 for 4x30g blocks. Single bars (£ 0.85) also available
Boka Granola includes super-cereals and is available in strawberry and apple and cinnamon and is available in 400 gram cans with an RRP of £ 3.50.
The Boka range is completed with its HFSS-compatible sugar and fat-free mini marshmallows.


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Posted by Virus Bulletin on Jan 6, 2015
See which anti-malware and anti-spam solutions achieved certification.
John Hawes and his team put 29 anti-malware solutions through their paces on Windows Server 2008 and, for the first time ever on a Windows platform, all participating products achieved a VB100 award.
There was almost a clean sweep in the latest VBSpam test as well, with only one product failing to achieve certification. However, while there were five VBSpam+ awards and nine 'ordinary' VBSpam awards, most products saw a slight drop in performance compared with the last few tests.

domain: news


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AMC Will Sell Shares
AMC’s gravity-defying run within the inventory change got here to halt in premarket buying and selling on Thursday after the movie-theater chain stated in a regulatory submitting that it deliberate to promote a further 11.55 million shares. Its share value dropped about four p.c, after being up about 20 p.c earlier within the morning.
On Wednesday AMC’s share value practically doubled, to $62.55, after the corporate stated it will provide free popcorn and different perks to the greater than three million retail traders which have not too long ago purchased shares within the firm.
AMC has been embraced by particular person small traders looking for to lift the worth of sure unloved shares. These shareholders now personal 80 p.c of the corporate, AMC stated. Other so-called meme shares additionally tumbled in premarket buying and selling, together with Bed Bath & Beyond, Koss and GameStop.
U.S. inventory futures fell as merchants cautiously approached two reviews on the labor market. Weekly knowledge on preliminary claims for state jobless advantages can be printed afterward Thursday morning. The quantity is anticipated to say no once more and is about half of what it was in early April.
On Friday, the Labor Department will publish its month-to-month jobs report. And final month, that report confirmed an unexpectedly small improve in hiring in April.
The S&P 500 is about to open half a share level decrease, futures point out.
Investors are additionally watching the Federal Reserve carefully for indicators that it’ll pull again its financial stimulus, which has helped maintain asset costs excessive. Patrick Harker, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, stated on Wednesday that it “could also be time to not less than take into consideration desirous about tapering” its giant authorities bond-buying program.
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve introduced that it will promote its comparatively small holdings of company bonds, which have been purchased final yr to stabilize the bond market within the early months of the pandemic.
Most European inventory indexes have been down on Thursday. The FTSE 100 in Britain dropped zero.eight p.c, falling greater than different main European indexes. There is theory that the ultimate lifting of social-distancing restrictions in Britain, scheduled for June 21, is perhaps delayed due to the unfold of the coronavirus variant first found in India.
Oil costs slipped. Futures for West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. crude benchmark, fell zero.2 p.c to $68.70 a barrel. The earlier day, the worth was at its highest since late 2018.


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Shares of Synaptics (SYNA -1.02%) have popped today, up by 12% as of noon EDT, after the company announced yesterday that it would acquire wireless Internet of Things (IoT) assets from Broadcom (AVGO 0.22%). The company hosted a webcast after the close to discuss the deal.
Synaptics has agreed to purchase certain assets and manufacturing relationships related to Broadcom's IoT connectivity business for $250 million in cash. Broadcom's current portfolio of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS/GNSS products will be included in the transaction, as will future products. Synaptics estimates that the deal will add around $65 million in annualized sales to the top line and be immediately accretive to adjusted gross margin and adjusted earnings per share.
In the presentation with investors, management also noted that the acquisition would expand its addressable market and would be highly complementary with the company's current IoT portfolio and customer base. Synaptics is also getting a team of approximately 60 engineering support employees as part of the deal.
Synaptics is funding the deal with cash on hand after receiving $139 million from the recent divestiture of the mobile LCD TDDI business. The company also drew down $100 million from its credit revolver. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 (the calendar third quarter), and no regulatory filings are expected.
Following the news, Rosenblatt upgraded its rating on Synaptics from neutral to buy this morning while increasing its price target from $66 to $73. Analyst Kevin Cassidy estimates that the deal will add $0.45 to $0.55 in earnings per share in fiscal 2021.


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Open Banking payments have doubled in a year, with more than 11.4 million payments processed in July 2023, buoyed by the introduction of ‘Pay by Bank’ options by the UK Government.
Open Banking Limited (OBL) reported that the 11.4 million payments recorded in July reflected a 9.3% increase in total payments compared with the previous month, while year-to-date data for 2023 versus 2022 showed total payments growth of 102.4%. It is the first month OBL has recorded more than 10 million Open Banking payments.
In July this year, the number of active payment users climbed to 4.2 million, an increase of 10.5% from June 2023, and up 68.2% compared to a year earlier.
OBL identified single domestic payments as the main driver of this growth, which rose 8% from June to reach 10.5 million transactions in July.
The organisation attributed the increased use of Open Banking payments to the adoption of Pay by Bank by government payments solutions, as well as the onboarding of UK financial institutions and investment platforms.
One of the largest savings organisations in the UK, NS&I, which is backed by HM Treasury, announced in June that it would begin offering customers an Open Banking-powered payment option, via Trustly-owned Ecospend.
Pay by Bank is being offered to NS&I’s online customers as a new option for making additional deposits when they log into their online account.
According to OBL, the top three use cases for Open Banking transactions in order of volume are account top-ups, credit card bill payments, and ecommerce.
Earlier this month, the UK Government confirmed that it will begin looking into how GOV.UK Pay might offer Open Banking later this year, as part of ongoing development and delivery of digital services.
All-time data revealed that single domestic payments have now reached 163.2 million, while year-to-date, single domestic payments surged to 65 million, meaning they have climbed 95.6% compared with the same period last year.
Marion King, chair and trustee of Open Banking Limited, said: “The strong and sustained growth in Open Banking payments underscores the rapid pace at which Open Banking is reshaping the financial and payments landscape. It reinforces the pivotal role Open Banking plays in driving financial inclusion, innovation, and consumer empowerment.
“As Open Banking continues to redefine the way people manage their finances, the doubling of total payments in just one year is a remarkable achievement and testament to the transformative impact of Open Banking.”
Variable recurring payments also demonstrated growth in July, with 872,000 transactions during the month, representing a 28.7% increase on the previous month.
Sarah Cardell, chief executive officer of the Competition and Markets Authority, added: “Open Banking has transformed the way millions of people manage their money and today’s announcement is further evidence of the significant progress that has been made since 2017.”


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December 7, 2017
Be careful what you wish for… Black Friday can leave you black and blue.
After a Black Friday/Cyber Monday combination that saw record sales and a surge in online ordering, package carriers are once again struggling to keep up. This week UPS confirmed that some deliveries are delayed, with Shipmatrix research estimating an 89% on-time rate for UPS Express package delivery. In contrast, Shipmatrix pegged Brown’s nemesis FedEx at 94%. Continue reading UPS Delivery Delays Start the Holidays Off Unconvincingly
June 29, 2017
Retailers and consumers will have a new cost to contend with for the 2017 peak season. For the first time in its history, UPS has announced that it will add a surcharge to deliveries made during much of the holiday season.
It remains to be seen how competitors will respond, but shippers must be prepared for the likelihood that the other half of the parcel duopoly FedEx will follow suit. If all peak season shipments are subject to a new surcharge, it will undoubtedly influence how retailers prepare for the all-important holiday period.
Continue reading What the UPS New Peak Charge Means For Your Business
March 23, 2017
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” ~Benjamin Franklin
Peak season preparation is always on the mind of fulfillment professionals. For some brands, the holiday season represents as much as one-third of total annual sales and defines whether or not the year is a successful one.
Forecasts predict sales growth of around 4% in the retail sector during 2017, mostly driven by sales at the tail end of the year. As we approach Thanksgiving, site traffic surges, stores are crammed with consumers, and sales rise quickly. Continue reading Peak Season Preparation: What You Need to Know
October 13, 2016
As the retail sector gears up for another hectic holiday season, attention turns to preparations being made by the package carriers to handle the annual rush.
The examination of 2016 holiday deliveries will be no exception, but the way the major carriers are approaching peak season this year is a little different. Alongside the standard strategy of bringing on a small army of temporary workers, both UPS and FedEx are exploring new technology to help them avoid delays and increase efficiency. Continue reading Planning for 2016 Holiday Deliveries Blends Hiring with Hub Automation
November 11, 2015
‘Tis the season to shop, as you’ll have noticed if you’ve stopped into any big box store in the last week or so.
The digital world is gearing up for holiday ecommerce as well, with Black Friday flyers leaking out online and retailers shouting “free shipping!” from the rooftops.
So far, so standard. But what is changing is the way consumers perceive this annual shopping extravaganza. Continue reading Cyber Season: Holiday Ecommerce Blurs Shopping Boundaries


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Owner Barb O’Brine conceded her retail store, Checkered Apron, suffered from an identity crisis. It was many different things to different people since the inventory included jewelry, home décor, hats, scarves, toys and ice cream as well as the baked goods O’Brine has become well-known for.
Located at 5679 3rd Avenue, Checkered Apron staff announced today it will open only sporadically through its final day on May 25th.
After a couple weeks of remodeling the 3rd Avenue space and moving her kitchen from the Carnation Oxford Building, O’Brine plans to reopen June 6th as Barb’s Pies and Pastries, a name she has made famous for years with her wholesale baked goods.
“The counter will be moved up to the front of the space to make room for the full kitchen,” O’Brine said. “By having the kitchen right there we will be offering many items fresh out of the oven.”
O’Brine said there will be a rotation of fresh items through the day. “Morning will feature donuts, scones, cinnamon rolls and a hot breakfast ham and cheese pocket. Lunchtime will feature personal size meat pies, broccoli and cheese rolls, bar cookies and quick breads. Dinnertime will feature family size meat pies (ready-baked or frozen take-home), pies and cakes by the slice and Lopez Ice Cream cones.”
O’Brine added her popular pies and cakes and other items will be readily available throughout the day.
Many also know O’Brine for her wedding cakes. “I’m not getting out of that business,” O’Brine said. “That’s a growing business.”
O’Brine did say her wholesale business has recently fallen off. “Once minimum wage went up, my wholesale customers had to either do without or find cheap alternatives. Losing that business made it tougher to have two locations.”
The plan is for Barb’s Pies and Pastries to be open from 7am to 8pm Tuesdays through Saturdays. “I need those other two days to be able to meet with my [wedding cake] clients,” O’Brine said.
One item O’Brine hopes to add during the remodel is a screen door at the entrance. “When I was growing up, there was a bakery across the street [from the Checkered Apron location] and it had a screen door. It made a racket when it closed behind customers as they walked in and out. Hearing that door while smelling fresh baked goods is going to bring back some great memories of our hometown bakery.”


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CCI investigates Google for alleged unfair trading practices in mkt television operating systems
The Competition Commission has ordered a detailed investigation against Google for alleged anti-competitive practices in the smart TV operating system market in the country.
After assessing a complaint, the watchdog found prima facie that Google is dominant in the relevant market for smart TV operating systems licensed in India.
In a 24-page order, the Competition Commission of India (ICC) said the mandatory prima facie pre-installation of all Google apps under TADA was tantamount to imposing unfair terms on smart TV makers.
This is a violation of Section 4 (2) (a) of the Competition Act, the regulator said, adding that it was also “a prima facie effect on Google’s domination of the Play Store to protect relevant markets such as online video hosting services offered by YouTube, etc. â.
The latter contravenes section 4 (2) (e) of the Act and all these aspects warrant a full investigation, CCI said in the June 22 order.
TADA refers to the Television Application Distribution Agreement (TADA). Article 4 concerns the abuse of a dominant position.
A Google spokesperson said: “We are confident that our smart TV licensing practices comply with all applicable competition laws.”
âThe emerging smart TV industry in India is flourishing, in part thanks to Google’s free licensing model, and Android TV competes with many well-established TV operating systems such as FireOS, Tizen and WebOS,â he said. the spokesperson said in a statement.
Citing comments made by Google, the regulator said the company has entered into two agreements with Android TV licensees – TADA and Android Compatibility Commitment (ACC).
Google makes Android Open Source Project (AOSP) available to third parties under an open source license, but the AOSP license does not grant original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) the right to distribute Google’s proprietary applications such as Play Store and YouTube.
Additionally, the AOSP license does not grant OEMs the right to use the Android logo and other Android-related marks. In order to obtain these rights, Google requires OEMs to sign a voluntary, non-exclusive TADA agreement. In addition, TADA requires OEMs to comply with a valid and effective ACC.
The regulator said it was prima facie of the view that by making pre-installation of Google’s proprietary apps (especially Play Store) conditional on ACC signing for all Android devices manufactured / distributed / marketed By device makers, Google has reduced the ability and incentive for device makers to develop and sell devices that run on alternative versions of Android such as Android forks.
“… thereby limiting technical or scientific development concerning goods or services to the prejudice of consumers in violation of section 4 (2) (b) of the (Competition) Act.
âIn addition, ACC prevents OEMs from making / distributing / selling any other device that runs on a competing fork Android operating system,â he noted.
The regulator also mentioned Google submissions in which the company claimed that the license of the Android operating system is not conditional on signing either of the two agreements – TADA and ACC are optional.
“In this regard, the Commission is of the view prima facie that Google’s application store, i.e. Play Store, is prima facie considered to be an ‘indispensable’ application, in the absence of which the marketing of Android devices may be restricted. Since then, the pre-installation license of the Play Store depends on the execution of TADA and ACC between Google and the OEMs, therefore, these agreements become de facto binding, âhe says. ‘arrangement.
(Only the title and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)


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Media Mantra announces launch of tech-based venture, Influsurf Communications
The platform will be launched by the next quarter
Public Relations firm Media Mantra has announced the launch of a new venture, Influsurf Communications Pvt. Ltd. It is a tech-based company that has been conceptualized with the sole aim to bring about technological advancements in the communications industry.
Media Mantra also announced that they wish to expedite digital adoption in the PR and communications industry and hence are developing a media management technology platform. It believes that technology deployment needs to be aggressive and that the digital revolution can render a positive impact on the communications industry. Hence, it is developing this tool in-house by leveraging the power of its tech-based venture.
While the product is still in its development stages, the PR firm is all set to launch this platform by the next quarter. It has high hopes that if this technology gains prominence and turns out to be a success; it can indeed revamp the entire Public Relations and communications landscape. Launching this offering would be Media Mantra’s contribution in upscaling the landscape of the Public Relations industry.
Be it managing media contacts, communications with the journalists, or evaluating the effectiveness of PR campaigns, this new-age tech platform will help manage the ‘media relations’ as well as the ‘communications’ aspect seamlessly. This way, industry professionals would be able to modify their communication strategies as well as their PR campaign planning in real-time.
Sharing about the firm’s recent developments, Udit Pathak, Director, Media Mantra, said, “We have always been keen to be at the forefront in revamping the Indian communications and PR scenario. We are of the view that it’s high time that digital adoption should be aggressive in the industry. It is technology that will drive the growth of the sector in the future. Hence, we thought of initiating the tech revolution with our platform. This would not only ensure productivity but will also help bring about efficiency in the working of the teams. This tool will be available for firms, Corporate Communications specialists, as well as freelancers and, will indeed benefit the communications industry on the whole! Fingers crossed that our concept will be well received by the brands, professionals, as well as leaders in the industry. We are hopeful that if our tool gets accepted and receives recognition, it will indeed disrupt the entire PR and communications industry in the times to come. “
The sole vision behind launching this new-age tool is to digitize the communications industry and offer solutions to the professionals that would help streamline their operations. With this product, Media Mantra aims at becoming the leading tech-enabled data-driven PR firm at the global level in the times to come. While this is just one product that they are launching for now, the PR firm will soon look at conceptualizing all the more innovative communication-based solutions backed by Influsurf Communications Pvt. Ltd. in the future, the company said.
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The global wearable medical devices market is expected to reach $5.8 billion in 2019 and growing at a CAGR of 16.4% between 2013 and 2019……according to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research. The report highlights the current landscape of wearable devices already in the market and predicts the rise of new innovative devices in the future across four major geographies of North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and rest of the world.
Currently, heart rate monitors and activity monitors are the major drivers of the wearable medical device market today with over 65% of wearable technologies being wrist held devices shaped like watches and the rest include wearability on other areas of the body such as the arms, torso and waist.
The report defines wearable medical devices as “with sensors attached to the body that detect and monitor changes in body signatures of various areas and organs.”
Major Market Players
The U.S. remains the clear market leader 2012 with a market share of 44%. However, in terms of competition, the market is highly fragmented and competitive with no clear leader in terms of revenue considering the whole market.
Some of the major market players in the global medical sensors market include:
- Basis Science
- Zephyr Technology Corporation
- Polar Electro
- Sotera Wireless
Browse the full report with complete TOC at: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/wearable-medical-devices.html


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Vantaa, Finland, 2023-Apr-26 — /Travel PR News/ — Finavia and the energy company Helen will launch a new charging station for electric cars in front of Helsinki Airport. This is the first high-power charging station at Helsinki Airport.
“The demand for electric cars has increased significantly, and it is great that, in cooperation with Helen, we are opening a new charging station for electric cars close to the airport,” says Jukka Isomäki, Head of Parking and Landside Traffic at Helsinki Airport.
The high-power charging station offered by Helen will be taken into use at the airport service station in early autumn 2023. The charging station will be available 24-hours a day and serve not only air passengers and the people who drive them to and from the airport, but also, for example, taxis and the customers of car rental companies.
“Charging an electric car at Helsinki Airport will become considerably faster. The charging station is Helen’s largest to date, and the total capacity of its eight charging points is 600 kilowatts,” says Kati Andersin, Head of E-Mobility at Helen.
All in all, Helsinki Airport has nearly 400 charging points for electric cars.
“Our parking halls P1 Premium and P2 have excellent facilities for electric cars, as they offer hundreds of charging points for electric cars. The third floor of the P2 building is entirely reserved for electric cars,” says Isomäki.
Electric cars can be charged in all of Finavia’s parking halls at Helsinki Airport.
tel. +358 20 708 2002


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Royal Caribbean Changes Plans for Bermuda Cruises
Porthole Cruise and Travel readers are no strangers to cruise cancellations these days. For the past year, you’ve read countless articles about cancelled, delayed and rescheduled cruises due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Well, for the first time, we have news of a major cruise cancellation that’s actually great news for the industry!
Royal Caribbean International has scrapped their plans to homeport Vision of the Seas in Bermuda this summer for one very important reason. In an email sent to their travel partners, Royal Caribbean called the past few weeks “tumultuous” and gave a great reason for why they’re cancelling cruises from Bermuda.
“Recent conversations have led to promising movement for the cruise industry and are the necessary stepping stones to get Royal Caribbean back to what we do best…As a result of these developments, the likelihood that cruises setting sail from the U.S. this summer is greater each day, and with that, U.S. travelers are increasingly showing a preference for more direct access to ports of departure,” the cruise line stated.
WOW! That is great news for American cruisers who are feeling very left out as cruises are currently underway elsewhere around the globe like England and Italy.
The cruise line also stated that while they won’t be homeporting in Bermuda, they will still be calling on the island with several ships once cruising starts back up again.
Earlier this week, Royal Caribbean International made the difficult decision to cancel summer cruises from Port of Haifa in Israel on board their brand new ship Odyssey of the Seas due to the escalating violence between Israel and Palestine. The cruise port is less than 100 miles from the Gaza Strip where much of the conflict is taking place. Instead, the ship will head straight to Florida which it was previously scheduled to do in November.
Where you booked to cruise from Bermuda on board Vision of the Seas? Let us know in the comments below!


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MG Motor India registers a growth of 99.6 percent in sales for May 2022
MG Motor India reported today that has sold 4,008 units in May 2022, representing a 99.6 percent increase over April 2022.
As per MG, this growth in sales numbers indicates that chip supply is improving, and the automaker expects the situation to improve much more in the coming months.
In May 2021, MG Motor India sold only a mere 1016 vehicles and in April 2022 completed the sales of 2008 vehicles. In Comparison, MG had an excellent May 2022 by garnering a growth of 294.5 percent and 99.6 percent, respectively.
Although production is still hindered by the global COVID-19 lockout, demand remains robust as MG maintains a good booking rate and experiences growing momentum. The brand is keeping a close eye on the situation created by worldwide COVID lockdowns and is coordinating its efforts to remedy it.
MG Motors India, which started selling its vehicles in India with the launch of the MG Hector SUV in June 2019, currently has a portfolio including the MG ZS EV, MG Gloster and the mid-size SUV, the MG Astor.
At present, the company has a manufacturing facility at Halol in Gujarat with an annual production capacity of 80,000 vehicles and employs nearly 2,500 workers.
Starts Rs 9.78 Lakhs
Starts Rs 29.98 Lakhs
Starts Rs 12.9 Lakhs
Starts Rs 22 Lakhs


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Family Dollar Stores Inc. and Dollar General Corp. have received requests for additional information from the Federal Trade Commission regarding Dollar General’s unsolicited bid to buy the discount retailer.
has repeatedly affirmed its plan to be sold to Dollar Tree Stores Inc.
Dollar General said Friday that it “remains committed to the proposed acquisition of Family Dollar and will continue to cooperate with the FTC.”
On Thursday, Family Dollar reported that earnings excluding items for its August quarter fell to 73 cents a share from 86 cents as sales rose 4.5% to $2.61 billion. The company said its latest results reflect a difficult competitive environment.
In a September securities filing, Family Dollar called the tender offer “illusory and a distraction,” citing various technicalities. In response, Dollar General Chief Executive Rick Dreiling said in a statement that Family Dollar’s accusations “are not worthy of debate.”
An expanded version of this report appears at WSJ.com.


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Industries in Sweden operated at 90.9 percent of their production capacity in the second quarter of 2018, up from a downwardly revised 90.3 percent in the previous period. Capacity utilization increased in manufacturing (90.8 from 90.2 in Q1), namely in production of computer, electronic and optical products (85.4 from 78.9) and motor vehicles (94.8 from 93.9) while it decreased in mining and quarrying (90.1 from 95.1). A year earlier, capacity utilization was slightly lower at 90.7. Capacity Utilization in Sweden averaged 86.95 percent from 1980 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 91.20 percent in the second quarter of 2007 and a record low of 76 percent in the second quarter of 2009.
Capacity Utilization in Sweden is expected to be 90.50 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Capacity Utilization in Sweden to stand at 89.42 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the Sweden Capacity Utilization is projected to trend around 90.90 percent in 2020, according to our econometric models.


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Austin-based liquor company Tequila 512 continues 818 Tequila – who happens to be possesses by Kendall Jenner – on alleged similarities between product names and marketing this week, as reported by TMZ. The website reports that the lawsuit points to similar labels — Tequila 512 was founded in 2015, 818 in 2021 — and both use names playing off area codes. The Austin-based company, founded in 2015, also raised these questions last year, as reported by KVUE. Tequila 512 share an image from the TMZ report on Instagram, writing that there was “no caption needed”.
TMZ Remarks that Jenner is not specifically named in the lawsuit and that a representative for 818 told the site that they are “reviewing the complaint and believe the allegations are without merit.”
Austin airport sells a lot of brisket and tacos
In 2021, Austin airport passengers ate/purchased 75,390 pounds of brisket and purchased 8,352 sauces and salsas at Salt Lick BBQ, purchased 4,367 sauces and seasonings at Franklin Barbecue (which is available in one gift shops) and ate/bought a combined 1,458,000 tacos from various taco vendors (Tacodeli at Jo’s Coffee), according to the City of Austin.
Lizzo searches for vegan tacos in Austin
Superstar Lizzo is going to be a featured speaker at this year’s South by Southwest, and wondered if Torchy’s Tacos had any vegan options. She is a notorious fan of the Austin-born taco chain.
Austin Area Restaurant Upcoming Attractions Tracker
A new Mexican restaurant will open in the mixed-use development of Hutto cooperative district some time this year. Jaime Fernandez, who runs Jalisco Restaurant & Bar (Austin and Buda) and Tequila Bar & Grill (Round Rock), runs this as yet unnamed restaurant.
Austin Picnik restaurant expands with third location along South First in March, as reported by CultureMap Austin. This will be part of the Willa mixed-use development.
South Congress restaurant offers free hummus to marathon runners
Chicago import Aba is giving away free hummus to Austin marathon runners next week. It will be available with proof of the bib from Sunday February 20 to Friday February 25.
Austin Culinary Events Tracker
Austin Food & Wine Alliance Beef Real shot event takes place in April after a two-year break. Participating restaurants and chefs from Austin include Franklin Barbecue, Edgar Rico of Nixta Taqueria, Fermín Núñez de Suerte, Evan LeRoy of LeRoy & Lewis, Bradley Nicholson and Susana Querejazu of Lutie, Jakub Czyszczoń of Garrison and others. Non-Austin chefs include Nicola Blaque of Jerk Shack and Laurent Réa of Brasserie Mon Chou Chou. It’s happening on Thursday, April 14 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Camp Mabry. General admission tickets cost $125 and VIP tickets cost $175, which provide access to a separate part of the space with its own chef’s niche.
the Austin Oyster FestivalIt’s happening again this month too, with so many East and West Coast oysters, raw, grilled, roasted and fried, along with other seafood dishes, cocktails, a Bloody Mary bar, wine, beers and live musical performances. The event benefits Central Texas Food Bank. Oyster shells will be donated to the Galveston Bay Foundation Oyster Shell Recycling Program. It takes place on Saturday February 26 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the downtown park at Place de la République. General admission tickets are $75, which come with seven vouchers for items; VIP is already sold out.


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Time: 7:30 am - 10:30 am
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Gemvara hires ex-Gucci exec as CMO
Marcus has more than 15 years of experience in global marketing, design strategy and business operations, according to a news release. He was most recently working in Chicago as vice president and executive creative director at New York-based digital advertising agency R/GA, according to the release.
At Italian high-end fashion brand Gucci, he established the brand's global web-business presence and was responsible for building teams and digital capabilities in the U.S., Europe and AsiaPacific. He also helped grow the business five-fold over two years, according to the release.
Marcus said in a statement he looks forward to making 2014 "the most profitable year yet" for Gemvara.
Gemvara also announced sales tripled on Black Friday and the company's average check sale increased by 20 percent over the holiday shopping season.
At the store, customers can try on gemstone-studded fine jewelry that, until now, was only viewable through Gemvara.com.
The storefront is the latest stage in the evolution of Gemvara, which originally began as Lexington-based Paragon Lake, founded in 2006.
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- Hold the line, Charlie Baker. Hold the line.
The BBJ’s Startups & Venture Capital Daily covers the region’s exciting venture-funded sector, from the teams of innovators with the ideas to the VCs who provide the funding.


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Many more consumers today are looking to spend every dollar wisely, and continual product and package innovation are essential, or brands face potential extinction. This is especially the case with luxury goods, according to a panel of brand owners and retailers appearing at the recent Luxe Pack show in New York City.
Panelists mentioned that for today’s money-strapped consumers, brand loyalty isn’t what it used to be. According to Cosmetics Design.com, which reported on the panel discussion, the panelists said innovation is imperative just to keep shoppers interested in considering a brand as they make their purchase selection.
It’s another way of saying what Ernie Pang, an associate at Packaging & Technology Integrated Solutions, wrote in a February 2010 column in Packaging World: Packaging innovation has the potential to deliver results in a big way. But it has to be grounded in The Four Cs: Consumer, Customer, Category, Company.
Improving interaction with shoppers is crucial, the Web site quoted Debra Leipman-Yale from Arcade Marketing as saying in her presentation at Luxe Pack. A successful effort extends to packaging, and one way to engage shoppers is through innovation such as packaging with sensorial cues including surfaces and finishes that feel tactile in the hand. Such package surfaces give products “pick-up power” and engage consumers to interact with the product, making it much more likely they’ll put it in their cart.


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Last week, Google sent out invitations to an event set to take place in San Francisco on July 24th. Google hasn’t confirmed what it will be talking about on Wednesday but thanks to rumors, it’s clear that the event will be centered around two new products, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and a new Nexus 7 tablet, currently dubbed Nexus 7 2.
At Google I/O, Google’s annual developer conference, the company neglected to announce a new Nexus 7 tablet or a new version of Android despite the fact that the current Nexus 7 and its Android Jelly Bean turned one year old earlier this month. Disappointed Android enthusiasts and shoppers were unfortunately left to wonder about Google’s upcoming plans.
Fortunately, the rumor mill didn’t stay silent for long and shortly after the end of Google I/O, we saw rumors in regards to a new Nexus 7 2 and a new Android update, Android 4.3, emerge.
At the beginning rumors were relatively scarce. Android 4.3 rumors pointed to a Jelly Bean update rather than a full-fledged update to Android Jelly Bean. Nexus 7 2 rumors suggested that the device would come with some upgrades, including a souped up display and processor. Over the past few weeks though, we’ve come to know both the Android 4.3 update and the Nexus 7 2 and thanks to those leaks, we now know that they will likely be announced in just a couple of days.
On July 24th, Android’s Sundar Pichai will be hosting a breakfast in San Francisco wherein the company will be talking about something. That something is likely Android due to Pichai’s new role as head of Android and Chrome. And with the Nexus 7 2 and Android 4.3 now out in the open, it’s clear that unless Google shocks the world, that they will at least be part of the focus of the event.
Ahead of the event, we wanted to take things a little further and take a look at what consumers should expect from Google’s July 24th event itself.
Android and/or Chrome Statistics
One thing that companies love to do during their big announcements is tout the successes of their respective platforms. And while Google touched on Android activations at Google I/O, consumers should expect Google to toot its horn when it comes to Android, the Google Play Store, and Chrome at the event on Wednesday.
Our guess is that it may talk about number of tablet applications that are currently available on the Google Play Store, an area where Apple has ruled for quite sometime. Apps are crucial to the adoption and success of tablets like the Nexus 7 2 and Google would be wise to start off the show talking about how far the Google Play Store has come.
We may also see it talk about the success of the Nexus 7 which was one of the standout products from 2012. Remember, these events are not developer events, they are aimed at the consumer and because of that, Google needs to sell Android and its new tablet to consumers. Touting the number of apps and its track record are two ways of doing that.
Expect Pichai to toss in some stats in regards to Google Chrome as well including some tooting about the company’s Chromebook lineup. Our feeling is that it will discuss both since it was not labeled, specifically, as an Android event.
Lots of Eyes
While invites to the Android event were limited, Google won’t be limiting the amount of people that can watch the event live thanks to a live stream that will be occurring on YouTube.
The live stream will be available to anyone and we have a sneaking suspicion that we could see hundreds of thousands of eyes glued into the event thanks to the competitive nature of the 7-inch tablet market and the fact that we didn’t see any major global Nexus products emerge at Google I/O. The Google Edition Galaxy S4 is and was U.S. only.
While the event might seem small, we expect a lot of people to be tuning in, particularly those that are on the fence about an iPad mini or a Nexus 7.
Event That is More Apple Than Samsung
While Samsung originally took an Apple-esque approach to its launch events, the company ditched simplicity for extravagance. With the Galaxy S4 launch, we saw it rent out a giant music hall in New York City and use Broadway actors and skits to announce its brand new device. We also saw the company use a corny script for its June 20th launch event, something that frustrated viewers.
With Google, we should see a more Apple type approach to the launch event. Don’t expect actors from San Francisco’s Theater District and don’t expect executives to read off of a corny script. Instead, expect Google to very plainly and very slowly go over the benefits of both Android 4.3 and the Nexus 7 2 on stage.
We expect an approachable event and one that should keep consumer interest until the very end.
Nexus 7 2 Details
Consumers should expect Google to deliver all of the pertinent Nexus 7 2 information at the event. That means a release date. That means its pricing. That means its carriers. That means all of its features. So, everything that the Verizon HTC One announcement was not.
With the 7-inch tablet market as competitive as it is with the iPad mini and Kindle Fire HD 2, and with rumors of sequels filling the air, Google can’t afford to mimic Android manufacturers and announce the device and release its details later. Instead, the company needs to do what Apple does which is to utilize the hook, line and sinker approach.
- Hook: Announce the product.
- Line: Detail the product.
- Sinker: Announce pricing and release date.
It has worked well for Apple and we’ve seen Google utilize it in the past, notably with the Nexus 7.
Android 4.3 Release Date
Android 4.3 is all but certain to arrive on the Nexus 7 2 though it will likely be arriving for other devices as well. The first devices that should see the update include the current crop of Nexus smartphones and tablets including the Nexus 4, Nexus 10, Nexus 7 and the Galaxy Nexus. We should also see it emerge for the Google Editions of the Galaxy S4 and HTC One.
Exactly when remains unknown but we expect Google to detail timing for most if not all of these devices and we wouldn’t be surprised to see the update roll out to owners of the Nexus 4 on the day of the event. It should be followed by the Google Editions and the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 with the Galaxy Nexus bringing up the rear.
Verizon Galaxy Nexus and Sprint Galaxy Nexus owners shouldn’t expect to hear anything at the launch date, and will instead, have to contend with silence from their respective carriers.
The buildup to July 24th has been predictable as most Android launches tend to be. First, we see specifications emerge with a model number. Then, that model number appears at different certification bodies. Then, as we get close to launch, those details are typically confirmed by more concrete physical evidence. Then, we see a launch date announced and then we get the full on details.
This is exactly how the Nexus 7 2 and Android 4.3 launches have played out. Most recently, we’ve seen Android 4.3 and the new Nexus 7 confirmed by full-blown leaks all but confirming a tablet that rocks a 7-inch 1920 x 1200 display, quad-core processor, LTE speeds, and slim design and a piece of software that including some minor tweaks to Google’s Android software.
What this also means is that there is very little left to the imagination. We expect these leaks to be dead on, including those that suggest that the Nexus 7 2 will start at $230 and arrive on shelves in late July.
And thanks to the lack of leaks, we expect these to be the major products announced at the event. While Google may be developing other Nexus devices and other Android software, expect the Nexus 7 2 and the Android 4.3 update to emerge and not a Nexus 11 or Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie.
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LONDON, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- The next edition of Britain's venerable Oxford English Dictionary will not be printed due to the Internet's impact on declining book sales, its publisher says.
"The print dictionary market is just disappearing, it is falling away by tens of percent a year," Nigel Portwood, the chief executive of Oxford University Press, told London's Sunday Times. Asked if he thought the third edition would be printed, he said: "I don't think so."
Portwood said the dictionary's third edition will probably appear only in electronic form. It has been available online for more than 10 years to subscribers who pay an annual fee of about $372.
Only about 28 percent of the next edition of the OED has been finished with a projected completion date more than a decade away, The Sunday Telegraph said.
Simon Winchester, author of "The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary," said the switch towards online formats was "prescient."
"Until six months ago I was clinging to the idea that printed books would likely last for ever. Since the arrival of the iPad I am now wholly convinced otherwise," Winchester said.
"The printed book is about to vanish at extraordinary speed. Books are about to vanish; reading is about to expand as a pastime; these are inescapable realities."


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The Delhi government has levied a 70 percent 'special corona fee' on the sale of liquor
The Maharashtra government has collected over Rs 62 crore revenue on May 4 and May 5 from liquor sales after relaxations announced in COVID-19 lockdown, while Rs 242 crore worth of liquor was sold in the two days in Karnataka.
To manage the mammoth rush to buy liquor, some state governments hiked prices of alcohol, like Delhi, which announced a 70 percent ‘special corona fee' on alcohol and Andhra Pradesh that enhanced prices by 25 percent and later by another 50 percent.
But it clearly didn't matter much — not to casual drinkers who wanted to stock up their bars and neither to the more serious addicts reduced to despair without any alcohol.
As the liquor shops were opened, a huge number of people lined up or gathered outside from early morning, counting the hours for the shutters to go up and then more hours till they reached the counter. Some of them reportedly violated social distancing norms as the fear of COVID-19 was eclipsed by the eagerness to access alcohol after more than 40 dry days.
In Maharashtra's Pune, which is massively hit by COVID-19, taking a serious note of long queues outside liquor shops, police warned of strict action against such shops if they become the cause of crowding.
Here’s how other states and cities are dealing with the rush at liquor shops:
The Andhra Pradesh government enhanced prices of liquor by 50 percent on May 5, only a day after imposing a 25 percent hike as shops were reopened in relaxation of the ongoing lockdown.
The Chhattisgarh government has launched a web portal for home delivery of liquor in green zones of the state to avoid crowding at wine shops during the coronavirus-enforced lockdown. The portal has been named after the state-run CSMCL (Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited), which controls the sale of liquor in the state, a public relations department official here said.
The Delhi government has levied a 70 percent 'special corona fee' on the sale of liquor.
The special branch of the Delhi police has also prepared a report suggesting extending the timings of the liquor sale in Delhi after chaos outside shops on May 4.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on May 4 said in a stern message that all relaxations in the areas where people violate social-distancing and other health norms will be withdrawn.
In Maharashtra, some district collectors have decided not to open liquor shops in their respective jurisdictions.
At some places in the state, including Kolhapur and Pune, police resorted to mild lathicharge to disperse people gathered outside liquor outlets.
In Kolkata, long queues were seen outside standalone liquor shops with either police or local administration ensuring that tipplers maintain social distancing.
In Jodhpur, security personnel used batons to disperse crowds waiting to buy alcohol in a bid to reinforce social distancing norms.
Liquor shops in Telangana re-opened on May 6 with impatient tipplers forming serpentine queues even before the shutters went up. Police personnel were deployed at most of the outlets to avoid untoward incidents and ensure law and order.
Prices of liquor will be raised by a maximum of Rs 20 from May 7 in Tamil Nadu.
Some states like Kerala and Madhya Pradesh have kept liquor shops closed. The Tamil Nadu government has announced resumption of liquor sales from May 7.
(With inputs from PTI)
Follow our full coverage on COVID-19 here.


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BEIJING (AP) – China has sparked controversy over allegations that it has found the coronavirus on imported frozen food packaging.
Frozen shrimp imported by an Ecuadorian company were banned for a week on Tuesday for a series of similar temporary bans.
Although experts say the virus may survive for some time on cardboard and plastic containers, it remains unclear how serious the risk is. Like so many pandemic issues, the issue is quickly politicized.
China has rejected complaints from the United States and others, saying it puts people̵
A look at the problem and some of the conclusions so far:
WORK IN CHINA
Packaging first became a major problem with outbreaks in China related to wholesale food markets, including one in June on the outskirts of Beijing. This has led to the removal of smoked salmon from supermarket shelves and has led to numerous cases across the country, including chicken, beef and seafood from nearly two dozen countries. In some supermarkets, imported meat is now offered with a sticker declaring it virus-free.
Infections among freight carriers also place suspicion on packaging. However, human-to-human transmission is not ruled out, and China has not yet provided evidence that packaging was indeed a route of infection.
COMPLAINTS FROM THE SEA
Trade partners, including the United States, New Zealand, Canada and the EU, say they are unaware of China’s methodology and have seen no hard evidence that their products are carriers of the virus. The United States questioned whether China’s repression was scientifically justified and suggested that the bans could constitute an unfair trade barrier.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijiang called the US accusations “completely baseless and unreasonable.” “China’s measures are necessary, following the spirit of putting people’s lives first and protecting people’s health,” he said last week.
In a statement to the Associated Press, the World Health Organization said cases of live viruses being found on packaging appeared “rare and isolated”. Although the virus can “survive for a long time in cold storage conditions,” there is no evidence of people becoming infected with COVID-19 from food consumption, it said.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, is transmitted predominantly by airborne droplets and smaller particles that have passed into the air, emphasizing the importance of wearing masks.
However, the virus can also be present on surfaces, and public health officials are urging people to wash their hands carefully and avoid physical contact with others. In general, the colder and drier the conditions, the longer the virus can survive on the surface.
Wiping countertops, railings and other surfaces is a common way to ensure safety. Some people have also gone to the extreme of disinfecting packages brought into their homes, both by themselves and by delivery services.
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
Traces of viruses found on the packaging can be infectious or non-infectious. The extremely sensitive tests used can detect both active viruses and their residues without being able to distinguish between them, said Timothy Newsum, a virologist at the University of Sydney.
“It is possible and may pose some risk, but it is certainly at the bottom of the transmission risk,” he said. “We know that low temperatures stabilize the virus. However, I think things that have been transported and surface transmission – there is little risk of it. “
The positive test “does not show an infectious virus, but simply that some signal from the virus is present on this surface,” said Andrew Pekosh of Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University.
“I have not seen convincing evidence that SARS-CoV-2 on food packaging poses a significant risk of infection,” he said.
Associated Press health and science writer Victoria Milko contributed to this report.


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Bally Technologies continues to evolve as one of the industry’s innovators, not only within the traditional gaming sector but within the interactive sector as well. Through a series of acquisitions and internal development Bally has quickly become one of the leading interactive technology suppliers within the US and is believed to be expanding internationally in the months to come.
This should be of no surprise to the industry, considering Bally has more than 1,900 R&D employees and some of the leading content within the market today. Many of Bally’s competitors have perhaps underestimated the technology infrastructure Bally has created over the past 85-years within the traditional gaming market. This combined with their recent acquisitions and submission of the Bally iGaming Platform in Nevada and New Jersey, could position Bally in a favorable light against some of the leading European suppliers.
Of all the known online platform suppliers in New Jersey, the only new face on the block appears to be Bally. Indeed Bally earns a gold star for its ability to break into an area traditionally dominated by a few key players in Europe.
Bally has quietly been signing over 80 US casinos to their online mobile solution. This offering provides operators more than 150 casino features they can run on their own unique application and the capability to offer wagering when regulation permits. This solution has already been integrated into the existing Bally system, which is offered to casinos around the US, so players and operators alike can access many of the same marketing/promotional tools on their handheld devices. Clearly Bally has been busy building the necessary infrastructure within the US while many have been focused on the European market.
Bally has also spent the past few years focused on integrating and acquiring a unique product portfolio of content which is more focused on “mirroring the traditional casino floor” than the European suppliers have offered thus far. Bally is quick to point out that within Europe many of the operators fail to have traditional casinos and the market quickly evolved from products unrelated to the core casino business. Since the online licenses in the US are being granted to the traditional casino operators, Bally may have an advantage many have yet to realize.
If Bally continues to secure a library of content that is directly related to brands the US players have grown to know and love, it may be a deciding factor as the US market progresses. This combined with Bally’s ability to integrate their iGaming platform to a traditional casino’s existing system infrastructure, provides a unique attribute the European suppliers have perhaps failed to anticipate.
Players will be able to maintain existing player cards and accounts as they migrate between the traditional casino, mobile and online methods of wagering. This relates to an operator’s ability to bonus these players in ways never seen before in Europe. Existing operators now have the ability to utilize their bricks and mortar casino to provide unique offerings to their online players. Players will have access to free spa visits, hotel stays, restaurant discounts, shows, and more. Operators’ ability to “pull and push” players within their confined network will be a significant advantage over those who fail to have a comparable offering. This appears to be very compelling to casinos looking to expand their business online and utilize existing infrastructure/player bases.
It is hard to mention New Jersey and fail to discuss the regulatory hurdles many companies have been faced with over the past several months. Bally proclaims to be one of the longest standing license holders within this market, with every casino in AC using a Bally core system with the exception of Revel. With that said how this translates into an advantage for Bally is yet to be seen, although there are indications that New Jersey may not be so quick to forget the sins of the past for many of the European companies trying to enter the US.
Bally is quick to express its desire to move internationally, but is hesitant to outline when and where this will take place. What they have been willing to share is that we can expect some ‘significant announcements’ related to this topic before the end of 2013.


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iPhoto Development for Europe?
MacWorld.co.uk reports that Apple is still trying to provide photo-print services for european iPhoto users:
- Sources close to Apple suggest the company has been seeking a pan-European deal to enable a photo print-service from within iPhoto here. Indications are that regional efforts to achieve this have been undermined by Apple's need to achieve such a Europe-wide deal.
MacWorld.co.uk points to Kodak's new launch of their Ofoto service in the UK and Europe as the likely provider of this service.


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October 17-20—Boston, Massachusetts Fish Expo '84, projected to have more than 450 companies exhibiting their equipment and products and some 10,000 commerical fishing industry buyers attending, will be held October 17-20 in Boston's Hynes Veterans Auditorium.
A roundup of some of the most notable vessels delivered by shipyards throughout the world during 1984—selected for their outstanding design features, fuel efficiency, performance, and service characteristics. AMERICAN NEW YORK Daewoo Shipbuilding The
Editor's Note: J.A. Tinkey is president of Mid-America Transportation Company in Fairview Heights, III. In April 1989, Captain Tinkey became chairman of the board of the American Waterways Operators, the national association of the inland and coastal barge industry.
The journey that recently brought two mammoth container cranes from Japan to the Port of Tacoma, Wash., represent a milestone in construction of Sea-Land's new container facility there. Their successful voyage marked the first time that fully
Seaworthy Systems, Inc., of Essex, Connecticut, and Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Sparrows Point Yard have announced an innovative vessel design intended for Jones Act trade routes. The vessel's capacity is based on the carriage of 774 forty-foot
Raytheon Marine Company and JRC have worked closely with ship owners, operators and crew to develop functional, easy to use, reliable products for Global Maritime D i s t r e s s and Safety System (GMDSS) carriage. Together these companies offer
Comsat Maritime Services recently introduced its new SeaMail® service, a satellite-based electronic mail service for mariners. According to John R. O'Brien Jr., Comsat's vice president of marketing and program management, "The new SeaMail electronic
As was the case when the Erika went down off the coast of France in late 1999, much (unwanted) attention has been focused on the classification society for the damaged product tanker Castor, in this case American Bureau of Shipping. Unlike the aforementioned example,
On December 30, 2000, the tanker Castor was underway in the western Mediterranean Sea en route from Constanza, Romania to Lagos, Nigeria, carrying 29,470 tons of unleaded gasoline. During a fierce winter storm, the ship developed a 22-m long crack
Clean Seal recently celebrated its 25th year. Started in 1978 by Juanita Moore, the company has seen continuous growth in the marketing of extruded rubber sealant products. Although Mrs. Moore passed away in 1997, the company has continued to grow.


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- Startup founders from across India will have an opportunity to enter the US market through this five-week-long program.
- The top three startups from the immersion program will receive USD100K strategic funding each from FalconX.
Hyderabad, 19 May 2022: T-Hub, which leads India’s pioneering innovation ecosystem, today announced its partnership with the US-based technology accelerator, FalconX for the ‘Global Startup Immersion Program’ in the Silicon Valley, USA. The program will enable prospective startups across the country to launch their products in the US markets and steer them towards growth and success.
FalconX has curated this five-week program to select and help high-impact startups expand their businesses in new markets, primarily in the US. The immersion program will provide tailored business, technical and leadership mentoring from over 40 serial entrepreneurs, investors, and experts in Silicon Valley. The program will culminate in a ‘Technology Day’ where startups can pitch to more than 100 venture capitalists, corporate executives, and industry leaders. The top three startups from the immersion program will also receive USD 100K strategic funding each from FalconX.
MSR, CEO of T-Hub said, “The partnership with FalconX is a critical step towards realising T-Hub’s focus on helping entrepreneurs scale their businesses globally. This immersion program put together by experienced world-class entrepreneurs would add immense value to the startup ecosystem. The program will open doors for Indian startups to a global network of mentors and investors.”
Murali Chirala, CEO of FalconX Inc said, “The Indian startup ecosystem is rapidly evolving into the world’s most vibrant force of innovation and disruption in all technology dimensions. T-Hub, in Telangana, is a premium and fast-growing innovation ecosystem enabler providing entrepreneurs with the needed mentorship, access to capital and customers. Our partnership with T-Hub is critical in helping achieve the objective of attracting startups with global aspirations to move to Silicon Valley where FalconX will shape them to find market fit and success.
The selected startups will gain access to numerous funding opportunities, one-on-one curated deal flow sessions and multiple face-to-face networking opportunities with trusted advisors and potential partners from T-Hub and FalconX. They can test, evaluate, and scale their products and solutions for the global markets. It is an offline program being organised in the Silicon Valley for Indian startups, which will commence in July 2022. Interested startups can apply for the program here.
The immersion program is interlaced with practical workshops and empowering Masterclass sessions by BV Jagadeesh, a successful serial entrepreneur, investor, and technology evangelist. It will provide step-by-step methodologies for rapidly scaling and monetising the business to achieve product-market fit.
BV Jagadeesh, Co-founder of FalconX said, “The FalconX Global Immersion Program would be hugely beneficial to startups from India who are planning to go global. The best way for such companies is to link with Silicon Valley in California using FalconX expertise as a springboard to accelerate their growth in international markets”.
Murali Chirala co-founded FalconX along with veteran technology entrepreneurs and investors BV Jagadeesh, Raju Reddy, Ashish Gupta, Pradeep Aswani, Praveen Akkiraju, Krishna Yarlagadda, Anurag Jain, Raju Indukuri and JP Vejendla. They have invested in more than 200 startups whose market cap recently exceeded USD 70 billion.
T-Hub had previously partnered with FalconX in 2019 for the ‘Trestle’ program that provided growth-stage startups with opportunities to assess product fitment and readiness for new markets across the globe. T-Hub organised three workshops called “Masterclass for Entrepreneurs” by BV Jagadeesh. These were five-week-long workshops organised over the last two years with more than 130 founders from India, the US and other countries participating. The Masterclass helped entrepreneurs learn how to avoid common pitfalls of hiring, conduct initial customer outreach, and achieve product-market fit.
T-Hub (Technology Hub) is an innovation hub and ecosystem enabler. Based out of Hyderabad, India, T-Hub leads India’s pioneering innovation ecosystem. With a mission of enabling and empowering an ecosystem hungry for innovation, T-Hub is creating an impact for startups, corporations, and other innovation ecosystem stakeholders. Incorporated in 2015, it has provided over 1800 national and international startups with access to better technology, talent, mentors, customers, corporates, investors, and government agencies. It has elevated innovation for leading national and global corporations, transforming their business models for the better. Working in collaboration with innovation partners and enablers in Telangana, India and worldwide, T-Hub is building a future-ready innovation ecosystem.
For more information about T-Hub, visit www.t-hub.co.
Media contacts: email@example.com
FalconX Inc is a Silicon Valley technology accelerator shaping global startups for success through mentorship, investment, access to VCs, and customer introductions. Ten successful Indian serial entrepreneurs developed a platform of strategic and tactical support systems to help entrepreneurs succeed. FalconX has built an extensive engagement with corporate executives, business houses, and Investors in Silicon Valley, Texas, and India through which we facilitate unmatched leverage of opportunity for entrepreneurs.
FalconX powers novel ideas, new-generation products, and futuristic business models to nurture a culture of innovation. It empowers B2B startups through reliable market connections, timely finance, mentorship sessions and a favourable work environment so that they thrive in future.
Media Contacts: firstname.lastname@example.org


text: By PETER SVENSSONNEW YORK (AP) â¿¿ Bitcoin, the virtual currency composed of digital bits, is based on cutting-edge mathematical schemes that guard against counterfeiting. But it's also based on an old idea, now dismissed by mainstream economists, about how a currency should operate â¿¿ an idea that could be setting bitcoins up for an abrupt plunge. Bitcoin was started in 2009 as a currency free from government controls, an entirely digital means of exchange for a digital age. It's a rapidly growing phenomenon that has taken root as a payment method on some websites for both legal and illegal goods. Each "coin" has been worth less than $10 for most of the currency's history, but this week the value surged past $200 â¿¿ with the recent bailout crisis in Cyprus seen by many as one of the triggers of the surge. Wednesday saw a "flash crash," as the value dipped close to $100 before recovering. The meteoric rise in value is also linked to what some economists say is the biggest problem with the currency: that the supply of bitcoins increases only slowly, at a rate that's coded into the system. That's a contrast to a regular paper currency like the dollar, whose supply is managed by a central bank like the Federal Reserve. The Fed engineers the dollar supply to increase slightly faster than the growth of the economy, which means that the value of the dollar falls slightly every year, in the phenomenon known as inflation. New bitcoins are "mined" or generated by computers. They get harder to generate all the time, which means the inflow of fresh bitcoins keeps falling. There are about 8 million bitcoins in circulation today, and the maximum that can be generated is 21 million. By 2032, 99 percent of those will have been created.


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- POSTED: 05 Aug 2014 17:49
- UPDATED: 05 Aug 2014 23:24
The General Motors president says the move is to tap the long-term growth opportunity in the region.
SINGAPORE: The new headquarters of General Motors International opened in Singapore today, which will support six markets - Africa, Australia, India, Middle East, Southeast Asia and South Korea.
The GM international headquarters was previously in Shanghai, and GM President Dan Ammann said that the move is positioned to tap the long-term growth opportunity in the emerging markets in this region for America's largest car manufacturer.
"More or less, all markets are 7 to 8 hours of reach from Singapore. Singapore offers a great infrastructure and offers an easy entry into the city to establish a regional hub. And maybe most important it offers a vast amount of talent which we could recruit here for our operations," said GM International President and Executive Vice President Stefan Jacoby.
But it will be an uphill battle. Mr Jacoby pointed out that businesses in most of GM's markets are not profitable, especially in ASEAN. The company will have to look to changing its business model to turn its fortunes around, he stressed.
The new headquarters in Singapore will have approximately 200 employees, half of whom will be locally hired.


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This week, Chicago-based AdYapper raised a $4.5 million Series A, bringing its total investments to about $6.8 million.
Dick Kiphart’s investment fund KGC Capital led the round and was joined by Bullet Time Ventures, BW Capital, and others.
AdYapper, a graduate of the Techstars New York program, is a media advisory firm whose software verifies digital ads—that is to say, whether online media was viewed by humans or robots—and identifies whatever ads see little return value. The company works exclusively with brands, helping them optimize digital media across the board to ensure that advertisers actually get what they pay for.
"We've watched as new clients realize they've wasted hundreds of millions of dollars—upwards of 80% of their media budgets—on ads that generate no value and media partners that have no incentive to improve results," said AdYapper CEO Elliot Hirsch in a statement. "By working exclusively for brands, we provide them technology and objective analysis required to detect and act on these critical issues, all in real time."
AdYapper says it’s confronting current trends in advertising that rely on high-volume and fraudulent or wasteful ad impressions. AdYapper’s optimizations work in real time and can be implemented and operational in less than 24 hours.
The recent round of funding will be used to help expand AdYapper’s global reach.
"Our promise to advertisers is to be a clear and independent source of optimization to their business objectives," said Hirsch. "Whether it's achieved by working exclusively for brands or making sure our investors sit out of the agency and vendor pool party, we're driving a new ecosystem fully focused on a vision of transparency and value creation for brands."
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Dara Khosrowshahi wants to convince the world that there are two Ubers. One, the original bruiser, losing over a billion dollars each quarter to protect its market in ride shares and food delivery while going after new areas such as helicopter rides, online groceries and fintech.
The other, a careful, regulation-respecting, expense-cutting business that abandons cities where the return on investment is too low, going over "every single P&L item" in a bid to trim losses.
Third-quarter earnings show efforts to reconcile the two sides of the business have not resulted in much success. Uber thinks it can achieve a version of profitability and reach positive ebitda on an adjusted basis by 2021.
This, of course, will depend on the adjustments. Uber's business is still far from financially sustainable.
Promised economies of scale have yet to appear. Uber’s original plan had been to subsidise its business until it became so vast that overheads per ride or delivery fell and it squashed the competition. This has not happened.
Instead, Uber has totted up net losses of more than $US7 billion ($10.2 billion) this year. Even if stock-based pay was removed, the business would not break even.
If Uber has to treat drivers as employees rather than contractors in California, rising costs will push its goal even further away.
There is evidence that growth at all costs has been tweaked in favour of reducing cash burn. Revenue of $US3.8 billion in the third quarter was up 30 per cent on last year, slightly outpacing total bookings and suggesting that it is charging higher rates for its services.
Uber is still excellent at raising money. With $US12.7 billion in the bank - enough to cover cash needs for more than three years based on losses in the last quarter - it has bought itself time to try to hit its ebitda target.
Yet there is still a question mark over the long-term sustainability of the business. Shares have lost more than a third of their value since listing in May. When a lockup expires on Wednesday, expect further losses.


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Investments in Drop-Ship Program Underscore Retailer’s Commitment to Digital Transformation
ALBANY, NY—Rithum, a leading ecommerce enablement platform of over 15,000 retailers, brands and suppliers, signed a three-year, exclusive agreement with BJ’s Wholesale Club (NYSE: BJ). Rithum provides online order fulfillment and delivery accuracy solutions in support of the company’s drop-ship program.
“With online order volumes at new highs, the order fulfillment and delivery operations have to be well-executed to keep the supply chain moving and ensure a great customer experience,” said Tom Barone, Chief Revenue Officer, Rithum. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with BJ’s and helping them accelerate their digital priorities to further extend their drop-ship network and grow their online business.”
BJ’s has made significant progress in expanding its omnichannel offerings and rolling out new digital services, including the launch of curbside pickup in August 2020. In recent years, the company has also launched an improved website, mobile app, digital coupons, buy online, pick-up in club, same-day delivery and more.
“We help our members save time and money with our convenient shopping options and unbeatable value,” said Monica Schwartz, Senior Vice President, Chief Digital Officer, BJ’s Wholesale Club. “We’re excited to continue to enhance our drop-ship program with Rithum to help members find everything they need in a convenient, one-stop shop on BJs.com.”
About BJ’s Wholesale Club
Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. is a leading operator of membership warehouse clubs in the Eastern United States. The company currently operates 219 clubs and 150 BJ’s Gas® locations in 17 states.
The Company’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BJ).
Rithum™ is the industry’s most influential and trusted commerce network, helping brands, suppliers, and retailers work together to deliver connected e-commerce experiences. The Rithum platform helps brands and retailers accelerate growth, optimize operations across channels, scale product offerings and enhance margins.
Using our commerce, marketing, and delivery solutions, our customers create optimized consumer shopping journeys from beginning to end. More than 40,000 companies trust Rithum to grow their business across hundreds of channels, representing over $50 billion in annual GMV. Rithum is the heartbeat of commerce.


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The recent big volume study US-China 2022 is a major initiative in a systematic, profound study on the past, present and future China-US business relations, a joint result of leading Chinese and American think tanks’ hard work. It will not only provide rich information on the bilateral business relations and much valued perspectives on its future course, but also provide a good methodology to examine this essential relationship in the global context.
A Scientific Analysis of Two-Way Trade and Imbalances
China-US trade is undoubtedly the fastest growing bilateral trade in recent world history. Ever since China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in late 2001, two-way trade accelerated unabated. The study examined detailed trade and investment figures from the past 35 years, released both by the Chinese and the American governments, and led to the conclusion that both China and the US have benefited from the growth of trade. What is of value is the approach of historic analysis. It did not stay at a collection of data, but moved a step further to examine the whole scenario from the comparative advantages of each and the resulted trade flows, especially in the context of the whole Asian value chain. The trade pattern and imbalances is well explained with that approach.
According to official US data, the US had a $315.05 billion in merchandise trade deficit with China ($218.91 billion by official Chinese data) in 2012, which is the reason for constant blame by the US that China is taking away American jobs, and for an undervalued RMB. However, if we take further research on the basis of this study, we could find a roughly balanced distribution of benefits between the two countries. According to WTO’s new approach of trade balance based on global value chain, the official trade imbalance between China and the US will shrink by roughly 40%, and a large part of the Chinese exports to the US turns into profit for US multinationals. Also according to the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (MOFCOM), the US had merchandise exports to China of $132.89 billion in 2012, and service exports to China of $24.7 billion in 2011. US multinationals had a sales volume of $228.1 billion to China in 2011. The total reached $385.69 billion. Chinese merchandise exports to the US reached $351.80 billion in 2012, with service exports to the US under $20 billion and minimal local sales in the US, the total is similar to the former aggregated US total. Therefore, an objective, comprehensive and fair analysis of all related aspects in China-US trade will help reach a better understanding and solution to future bilateral trade development.
A Good Prospect for the Next Decade
The US-China 2022 study gives fairly optimistic estimates on trade between the US and China over the next decade. Depending on different conditions, the four scenarios value US merchandise exports to China at $508-580 billion in 2022, roughly 4.5-5 times the current level, creating 1.81 million jobs in the US. Chinese merchandise exports to the US by then are estimated at $800 billion to $1 trillion, more than double 2012’s figures. Each will grow faster than the target country’s expected total GDP growth. In other words, both countries will gain its weight in the other’s total economy. In service trade, US exports to China will vary widely from $104-342 billion, while Chinese exports to the US will reach $38.2-131.2 billion, all in 2022, depending on different scenarios.
AmCham, the American Chamber of Commerce in China, has anticipated that by the year 2038, or the eve of the 50th Anniversary of China-US diplomatic ties, US exports to China will hit $1 trillion. This study had anticipated a much earlier date. It suggests that, by 2022, the figure is very close to the trillion-dollar goal ($612-922.2 billion, merchandise and services combined).
Future Cooperation is Broad Based
The study foresees potential areas for cooperation in agriculture, energy, environment, advance manufacturing, aerospace, banking and finance, and science and technology, based on each country’s development goals and priorities, and its comparative advantages. The study found solid complementariness between China and the US in all those areas. It means that, the new type of relationship between big powers, China and the US, which both governments are working for, will be built on a profound economic basis, following the matching of each country’s development priorities, comparative advantages and complementariness, thus resulting in a win-win for both nations. Hence, we have all the reasons to remain optimistic in the future stable growth of China-US business relationship.
Strategic Mutual Trust and Multilateral Approach Vital for Success
The study has also noted that both countries have to face up to a series of major challenges if they want to bring the vast opportunities into reality. The authors regard the following two challenges, among others, most crucial: strategic mutual trust and the multilateral approach to bilateral trade.
First, strategic mutual distrust does exist and even deepened between the two countries. The prohibition of buying Chinese IT products by four US government agencies, as stipulated in 2013 fiscal year continuing provisions act, is a recent case in point. The much noisy accusations on Chinese cyber espionage and related IP theft by the Obama Administration and related intelligence reports created a very negative environment for bilateral cooperation. The cyber attack accusations in general, and the IP theft accusation in particular, cast dark clouds over the bilateral business relationship. Both China and the US should lose no time to intensify dialogues, both at strategic and working levels, and work together to identify, clarify and take active measures on all those issues. Efforts should be made at government, business and public levels at the same time.
Second, in regards to the multilateral approach to bilateral trade, the two countries should not work at the bilateral level alone, which will certainly not lead to a win-win situation. Instead, the study has tried to examine the bilateral trade prospect in a global context. The next 10 years will see major changes in the world economy and trade. China and the US should continue to work together at the Doha Round and try every means to hit an early harvest at the WTO Bali Ministerial Conference before the end of the year. The US is energetically pushing forward the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), both of which China is not a player. China, on its part, is pushing its own free trade agreement (FTA) agenda, focusing on China-Japan Korea Free Trade Agreement and ASEAN’s Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in Asia, both of which the US is not a player to as well. The fundamental goal of FTAs at different bilateral and regional levels is not only to facilitate trade among the member economies, but also to set new world trade rules for the 21 century. Both China and the US should study carefully all the latest developments and try to find a way to work together. Only through cooperation will the US-China bilateral trade relationship be anchored for a lasting win-win situation.
He Weiwen is co-director of the China-US/EU Study Center at the China Association of International Trade.


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If you’re looking for the charm of a Christmas tree farm this year when picking out your Douglas fir or spruce, you might have to do a bit of driving.
But they all offer that charm.
Wander the grounds at Tanner’s Enchanted Forest and Pines Farm, both in Brandywine, and select a tree to cut down yourself. Both of those farms, and Miller Farms in Clinton offer a variety of holiday treats, either for sale or on the house, including wreathes, butter cookies, fudge, fruitcakes and hot cider.
“During nice weather like this weekend people come out and have picnics,” said Lucretia Tanner of Tanner’s Enchanted Forest. “People make themselves at home.”
Her family has been planting trees since 1975, replacing the tobacco that her husband used to grow, but she’s noticed a difference over the years. More people seem to be moving to the increasingly lifelike artificial trees, some that even come pre-strung with lights, she said.
The number of Christmas trees harvested has been falling nationwide. The country saw a 16 percent decline in harvested Christmas trees from 2002 to 2007, and Maryland saw a 22 percent decline, according to the National Christmas Tree Association.
But in nearby North Carolina the number of harvested trees jumped 6 percent over that time span. Nearly 3 million Christmas trees were harvested there in 2007, second only to Oregon. In Maryland, that number was about 78,000.
Tanner said a lot of people travel to North Carolina for their trees, because the popular Douglas and Fraser firs grow better there than in Maryland.
“Those are the trees that are most popular. Every newspaper article talks about how wonderful those kinds of trees are,” Tanner said.
Jean Richards, who co-owns Pines Farm with her husband, Joseph, said they offer pre-cut Frasier firs from North Carolina.
“The people just go crazy about these pre-cut Frasier firs that we get in. I guess the most trees that are cut from the [Pines Farm] field are the white pines. Our Scotch pines that are growing in the field, we only have a couple of rows of them because … they’re a long, heavier prickly-like needle.”
She said few customers go for that, because the long needles don’t seem to hold ornaments as well.
“But they come and cut our short-needle trees down before they get 7-feet tall,” she said.
Check out the interactive map, and click on each tree for hours of operation, tree types, price ranges, services and products. Did we miss any farms in Prince George’s County? Let us know!


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For some small trucking companies that transport supplies and goods across the country while operating on thin margins, the high price of diesel may force them out of the industry, some truck drivers and industry experts said.
“I’m in survival mode right now,” said Michigan trucker Tim Smith of how diesel fuel prices are pushing his business to the brink. “If there’s no profit, there’s no point.”
For 12 years, Smith’s company, Tim A. Smith Trucking LLC, with its fleet of four trucks, has transported sand and gravel used for state highway and building projects in Lansing. Lately, his operation has been losing money.
With the average cost of a gallon of diesel fuel in the U.S. at $5.07 as of Wednesday, according to AAA, Smith is spending $40,000 a month on fuel, more than double what he paid this time last year.
“We’re all kind of rolling the dice,” said Smith, who added that he plans to save money by purchasing cheaper auto parts and tires while his company burns through cash. If that doesn’t work, he’ll park his trucks, he said.
Truck drivers, like consumers across the country, are facing record high gas prices following turmoil in the oil market caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing pandemic.
Small trucking companies — often referred to as owner-operators — sometimes are not able to negotiate a fuel surcharge that would allow them to pass along the rising cost of fuel to a shipper’s freight bill, leaving them vulnerable when prices fluctuate.
Smith, for instance, was working under a state-highway contract and received a flat fee to deliver products without surcharges.
On average, small trucking companies buy 80,000 gallons of diesel each year, according to the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.
Brian Hitchcock, chairman of the Michigan Trucking Association, said it’s only a matter of time before the higher costs force some companies to shut down.
“It’s definitely going to affect some owner-operators and smaller carriers,” he said.
Marquis Kirk, 40, said he is considering downsizing his Baltimore-based company to try to stay in business. He owns four trucks and employs four drivers.
Story via NBC News


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No. Not Bright Memory Infinite that exploded onto Xbox’s digital stage at a recent press conference, but an approximately one-hour demonstration of the games combat and “sci-fi” like setting. While the game does a nice job of conveying its action sequences with truly interesting combat emphasized by bosses interspersed throughout,
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is just a mere two days from kicking off the launch of PS5. After the massive success of Insomniac’s first Spider-Man game, selling over 13 million units, Miles looks to follow the lead of Peter Parker. While Miles isn’t a full-length title like its predecessor, it
Welcome back to Dual Pixels #53! On this weeks episode: Big delays are happening with the biggest title Cyberpunk 2077 not releasing for another month. Rob also fulfills his bet for Cyberpunk getting delayed. Jose talks Watch Dogs: Legion, Sony finally opening the flood gates, Miles Morales latest costume has
Curve Digital has announced The Ascent will launch on Xbox Series S |X, and PC in 2021. The Ascent will also be joining Game Pass at launch. The Ascent is a Multi-Player Action RPG which you play in both single-player and up to four-player co-op. It will feature customizable skill
60%. A failing grade in most courses in nearly any school or university. That 60% number is a mark US voters haven’t hit since 1968. The latest look at voter turnout shows a putrid 55.5%. Older voters typically vote at a far higher rate than those in younger age groups.
Welcome to Dual Pixels #52! It’s been a few weeks, but we have a full-featured episode for you on this one! We discuss Amazon’s jump into streaming with Luna, a Minecraft challenger enters the arena from Microsoft’s stable while Avengers continues to fight an uphill battle. We then touch on
Ubisoft is giving us just a taste of what we can expect when Assassin’s Creed Valhalla launches on November 10th on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia, and PC Check out the stunning trailer which shows you the world of Assassin’s
Sony has been cagey with its details surrounding their latest console release, PlayStation 5. One of those details that was floated by Mark Cerny way back in February to never be talked about again until today was all about PS5’s backward compatibility with PS4. PlayStation 4 had some amazing games


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African mobile gaming platform, Carry1st, has raised $27 million to advance its publishing and digital content. The fund was raised from investors like Andressen Horowitz (a16z), Konvoy Ventures, Bitkraft Ventures, TTV Capital, Alumni Ventures, Lateral Capital, and Kepple Ventures.
The company said it will use the funds to expand internal capacity and grow its content portfolio. Carry1st’s portfolio includes exploring Web3 play-to-earn gaming and the integration of nonfungible tokens into the gaming experience. The company will also use the funds to expand the capabilities of Pay1st, the company’s monetization-as-a-service platform, which allows third-party publishers to make more money in Africa.
Carry1st was founded in 2018 by Cordel Robbin-Coker, Lucy Hoffman, Lucy Parry, and Tinotenda Mundangepfupfu. The company is a full-stack publisher of social games and interactive content with a focus on frontier markets like Africa. The company does all the work on its games, from conceptualizing, development, and launching stages of its mobile games. The company recently started acquiring games, and then improves, relaunches and publishes them.
Last year, Carry1st raised $20 million from investors like a16z and Google-parent Alphabet.
Commenting on the investment, Jens Hilgers, the founding general partner at BITKRAFT Ventures, said:
“Africa is home to the largest population of young people in the world, and this upcoming generation will grow up digitally native with videogames as their primary entertainment preference. We have full conviction in Carry1st’s impressive founding team and their vision of building out foundational infrastructure and localized content, ensuring that gaming and interactive entertainment in Africa will thrive.”
The company said it has experienced growth through products like The President, which is one of its games, as well as Carry1st Shop, which is its online marketplace for virtual goods.


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by Staff Writers
Los Angeles (AFP) May 6, 2013
A new wave of Star Wars videogames is coming.
A deal announced Monday by videogame giant Electronic Arts and The Walt Disney Company calls for EA to develop new game titles across interactive platforms such as consoles for "a core gaming audience."
Disney will retain certain rights to develop new titles within the mobile, social, tablet and online game categories.
"This agreement demonstrates our commitment to creating quality game experiences that drive the popularity of the Star Wars franchise for years to come," said John Pleasants at Disney Interactive.
"Collaborating with one of the world's premier game developers will allow us to bring an amazing portfolio of new Star Wars titles to our fans around the world."
EA Labels president Frank Gibeau said of the deal: "Every developer dreams of creating games for the Star Wars universe. Three of our top studios will fulfill that dream, crafting epic adventures for Star Wars fans... The new experiences we create may borrow from films, but the games will be entirely original with all new stories and gameplay."
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Star Wars came into the Disney empire last year when the Hollywood group bought LucasFilm, the studio created by George Lucas know for the blockbuster Star Wars films. Disney has already announced plans for three new episodes in the saga.
Space Technology News - Applications and Research
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Highlights from the American Pew Research Centerâ€™s Project for Excellence in Journalism report.
We see the same results in all research: consuming news ranks as one of the most popular activities on the tablet, about as popular as sending and receiving email (54% email daily on their tablet), and more popular than social networking (39%), gaming (30%), reading books (17%) or watching movies and videos (13%).
People are already using the tablet to get news they used to get somewhere else, primarily from their desktop or laptop. And overall they are more than positive about their tablet news experience.
Those who rely mainly on apps for news, represent a kind of power news consumer. Close to half of this group say they now spend more time getting news than they did before they had their tablet (43%). That is more than twice the rate of those who mainly go through a browser (19%). App users are also more than three times as likely as browser news users to regularly get news from new sources they did not turn to before they had their tablet (58% versus 16% for browser users).
Conclusion: Tablet publishing remains one of the most important and exciting challenges for all news publishers. Check our solutions and learn how Twipe can help you get your publishing content on any tablet.
Full report can be found here.


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Though Apple spend a huge chunk of yesterday’s keynote discussing the Apple Watch, there are still a lot of things which remain unclear. There is no news on the battery life nor on how the fingerprint-level security will be achieved to watch-mediated Apple Pay purchases.
Judging from the reports so far, Apple is planning a huge keynote for this Tuesday. They’ve chosen to build a tall new building for the event (in front of the Flint Center), as opposed to the usual Yerba Buena Center and its Town Hall Theatre. Also it is worth remembering what Eddy Cue commented on this year’s releases, “the best product pipeline I’ve seen in 25 years.” Though we can never be sure, it is expected that Apple will release two new models of iPhone and an iWatch at the event, along with iOS 8 HomeKit and HealthKit.
Citing Topeka Capital analyst Brian White, BGR reports that Apple will finally launch its long-rumored HDTV in the second half of 2013. According to the report, during his meeting with supply chain sources in China and Taiwan, White gleaned information from “unnamed sources” that convinced him that Apple’s “iTV” will be launched by the end of 2013 and it will include “a major innovation that will revolutionize the TV experience.”


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As if Ebola hasn’t been the topic of every conversation and newscast as of late, one company found another way to shove the disease in everyone’s face — literally.
The description on the toy reads,
Since its discovery in 1976, Ebola has become the T. Rex of microbes. Share the love!
Share the love, indeed. Much like the contagious virus, the $10 toy’s presence has spread like a disease, and it’s now completely sold out online.
Related products, including the $30 giant Ebola stuffed toy and the $15 stuffed Ebola petri dish, are also sold out.
Germaphobes (or the germ-obsessed) can still find loads of other disease-inspired toys on the site, though, including anthrax, cancer and syphilis plushies.
Are teddy bears really that passé?
H/T: Metro, Photos Courtesy: Giant Microbes