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I remembered attending one of TM’s (Telekom Malaysia) press conferences and one of the officials went up on stage then asked the members of the media, “What is the first impression that TM gives you?”, “Internet Service Provider” was obviously the first answer that comes in to mind to every member of the media. When it comes to the telco’s streaming and on-demand TV service HyppTV, not many seem to be interested in what the country’s largest ISP is offering or how it would continue to improve its service.
Let’s face it, TM obviously wants users to switch from the expensive, close to monopoly TV sattelite company Astro, and the company has since been emphasizing its competitor’s weaknesses such as poor weather reception, and claiming that it is far superior by merely requiring a fast broadband connection to be able to enjoy its TV service in the living room. While I have to agree on that, the problem that TM is facing with HyppTV is the amount of content it is able to offer and in my very own experience, a very immature viewing experience on mobile devices.
On the other hand, iFlix is the cheapest on-demand service that the company could ever offer to consumers here, and it is lacking of on-demand content that it requires to stay long enough in the game, while other established streaming services could be making its way into the country, it has a killer app that allows you to store content offline. Hence, the announcement of iFlix and TM giving away a year of free iFlix subscription is an absolutely correct move from both parties, many might actually think that the TM could’ve killed its own HyppTV service by doing this, but in truth this is going to benefit both parties and consumers.
TM has already included its HyppTV services along with its Unifi Fiber Optic packages, and while you may need to pay up for premium channels either in ala carte or package, its free to play content has been sufficient for many users out there, so that means every TM Unifi subscriber would have a HyppTV top box at home. By having iFlix in the picture, it would enable TM to leverage on iFlix’s growing on-demand content to gain access and eventually grow its own service value. In iFlix’s case, the company would be able to tap into the user base of TM customers and grow at the same time. Simply put, both parties are on a perfect win-win situation by gaining what they need, and this in return benefits the Malaysian consumers in saving their cash for not paying over expensive TV sattelite services.
Over the years, online video streaming has seen a growing trend since YouTube’s inception, and with the inclusion of Fiber Optic internet services, it makes a lot of sense that an ISP, TV Service and on-demand streaming service joins hand in making content more accessible than ever. Hence, this is the smartest move ever to stay strong in the industry.


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Mobile Apps: 10 Reasons Why They are Important to Your Business
1) Studies show that 55 percent of Canadians own a smartphone, compared to one in five people on a global basis.
2) The amount of time people use apps has increased by 21 percent in the last year.
3) Digital radio and photos now generate 96 percent of their total engagement from mobile devices
4) In 2014, 42 percent of all mobile sales generated by the leading 500 merchants came from mobile apps.
5) Global mobile app revenues are expected to grow to 94.82 billion Canadian dollars by 2017.
6) Today, 85 percent of people prefer native mobile apps to websites. (Native mobile apps provide fast performance and a high degree of reliability.)
7) Mobile app use is becoming more prevalent at home, and it continues to grow. For example, in 2014 59 percent of those using their devices at home accessed apps to read an article. This year, the figure has risen to 71 percent.
8) Similarly, of those who use smartphones as their primary device, 68 percent preferred using an app to access their bank account last year, rising to 82 percent in 2015.
9) The 18-24 age group of Canadians has the highest monthly mobile app usage, with an average of 8.88 applications. Given that they are out future, it once again proves the importance of mobile apps moving forward.
10) As a whole, the number of apps used 11 or more times has increased from 13 percent to 39 percent during the last four years.
Photo credit: @responsevivek
Mobile Apps: The History, Present and Future
We all pretty much accept mobile apps as part of our daily life. However, no matter how much we are used to them, when you really think about it, they haven’t been around that long.
Along those lines, we thought it would be interesting to look at where apps originated from, where they are now and where they are headed in the future. The story begins 32 years ago, in Aspen.
In the summer of 1983, a young man of 28 was giving a conference speech, in which he predicted the evolution of a new digital distribution system. His name - Steve Jobs.
(At the time, Jobs was a mere six months away from launching the first Macintosh. However, more amazingly, we were still 24 years away from the first iPhone and 27 years before the first iPad.)
During his speech, the future Cofounder of Apple Inc. explained how this new digital system would be similar to a record store, with software being downloading over phone lines. Right there and then, Jobs saw that apps and app stores were coming.
And of course he was right, with apps coming from early PDAs, through the ridiculously addictive - yet simple - Snake game we all used to play on the Nokia 6110 phone. (When the Apple App store opened in 2008, there were 500 different apps available.)
Since then, there have been three phases of development, taking mobile technology from telephony to gaming and utilities, to apps that would - in effect - be your home screen and dominate your experience. The third phase has seen apps come with content that is more about maximising their usefulness, as opposed to dominating your attention.
The question is what comes next? Matt Strain of theguardian.com believes the volume of content being produced is going to lead towards consumers managing their apps in different ways.
Strain writes that the most likely concept is similar to what we already see on Facebook and Twitter. This design will allow content to be aggregated and presented to users in a consistent way.
The second potential development will likely be influenced by the fact mobile is moving out of the pocket and transitioning to becoming wearable. With this growth, there is a need for intelligent aggregation of content, with fuel app innovation.
The third possibility is the most fascinating of all, with app developers no longer designing for desktop and mobile. Instead, they could well produce a single experience that stretches across any internet connected terminal.
Content presented in this way could work effectively for users on almost any type of screen and still be meaningful. Overall, it will be intriguing to see what the future holds for us in the world of apps.
Photo credit: @BenharOffice
Online security: How to Deal With the Increasing Challenge of a Global User Base
There’s no denying the introduction of the internet has made it easier to do business on a more global scale, something which numerous companies have taken advantage of. However, despite having access to a bigger potential customer-base, it doesn’t come without issues, with one of the biggest problems being the challenge of online security.
Previously, companies would almost exclusively deal with people face-to-face. This translated to little - or no - concern about the identity of customers.
Nowadays however, as with a lot of aspects of life, business is being increasingly conducted online, whether it’s purchases, transactions, etc. Unfortunately for companies, this leaves them vulnerable to fake profiles and online identity scams.
As technology continues to evolve, more companies and customers are going online to do their banking, place orders, book holidays, dating and so on. As a result, this has led to a growing number of online profiles, web interfaces and - of course - mobile apps.
As per a report from www.infobip.com, companies with large, international and exclusively online user bases, such as social networks, e-commerce sites or cloud providers, suffer even more complications. This leads to the pressing question of when and how to decide to allow access to their online service?
Additionally, a lot of companies may have several online accounts, but not follow recommendations to have different passwords for each one. Yet again, this increases the potential for a security breach.
So, what’s the solution? One possible option is to issue everyone with a dedicated hardware token as a second authentication factor. However, this could become extremely complicated.
Deploying a key fob to a global user base can become a major issue in terms of both cost and logistics. Fortunately, there is an alternative way to deliver 2-factor authentication, through SMS messaging.
As www.infobip.com wrote:
“Professional SMS emerged as a convenient component of 2-factor authentication, the only one able to reliably deliver one-time PINs (OTPs) to a global audience.
“The OTP serves as an additional credential for logging into an online service to dispel any doubts as to user identity and prevent frauds, hacks or phishing. The online account is tied to the mobile number of the user, which is also used as the number to which OTP is delivered, effectively proving the identity.”
The beauty of this is that it covers several essential points for companies reliant on the internet. This includes global coverage which doesn’t rely on a data connection, and being supported by all types of mobile phones.
On top of this, users are accustomed to SMS messaging and the cost is inexpensive. Finally, and arguably most important, APIs are the standard for seamless integration into any system.
Photo credit: @IBMSecurity

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California Journey Restrictions Ban Quick-Time period Leases. Why Cannot Vacationers Get Refunds?
Travel and travel planning are disrupted by the global spread of the coronavirus. For the latest updates, check out the New York Times Covid-19 coverage here.
The new travel restrictions in California, put in place to keep hospitals from being overwhelmed by the pandemic, have reversed vacation planning as travelers cancel their accommodation reservations. Until December 31, it is illegal for all California hotel and short-term renters to make or honor reservations for anyone outside of the state unless they plan to quarantine for 14 days or come for essential purposes such as health care or Infrastructure work. In much of the state, the restrictions are even stricter as only essential travel is allowed.
However, there is a big divide when it comes to cancellation and refund policies. Hotel chains, by and large, host travelers on full refunds. Lots of small hotels do the same thing. However, some large shared apartments like Airbnb and Vrbo tell guests that there is no guarantee they will get their money back.
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Every aspect of the travel industry has taken a major blow during the pandemic, but shared apartments had an advantage over hotels – they are perceived as safer. It is easier to practice social distancing when you have your own entrance and kitchen, and are not around other guests. Short term rentals are considered a pandemic haven for those who work or study remotely and still can afford a trip.
Airbnb, whose recent IPO raised co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky for roughly $ 11 billion by the company’s overall valuation, has one of the strictest policies on lodging cancellation. While the company issued refunds at the beginning of the pandemic and then partially reimbursed hosts, since mid-March it has been of the opinion that guests understand that travel can be disrupted by the pandemic and apply pre-pandemic rules that allow it Hosts can choose between three standard cancellation policies. The payment pages contain information about the cancellation rules. While Airbnb has a “Mitigation Policy”, it specifically states that it will not apply to reservations made after March 14 for any Covid-related circumstance other than actual illness. Individual hosts can agree to a full or partial refund.
Vrbo, an Expedia vacation rental company, follows similar guidelines to Airbnb. The coronavirus resources page encourages travelers to review the property’s cancellation policy. They also apply if your reservation is affected by COVID-19. “Likewise, VRBO’s statement on its” Book with Guarantee of Trust “website states that the guarantee is intended to” protect guests from fraudulent listings and misrepresentations of property. ” Cancellations due to unforeseen circumstances such as COVID-19 do not apply. “Customers who have travel insurance may be able to request a voucher for future dates.
In essence, travelers could shoulder 100 percent of the financial impact of a local closure when booking with the companies.
In an email, Vrbo said it has no plans to change its policy and that “travelers should work directly with the host on an alternative that works for both parties, such as a travel agency. B. the rebooking of the trip or a travel credit that can be used at a later date. “Hosts don’t have to offer these alternatives.
Airbnb said in an email that “our extenuating circumstances policy is designed to protect guests and hosts from unforeseen circumstances that arise after booking,” and that Covid-19 and its aftermath were no longer unexpected following the declaration of a global pandemic in March , including the risk of continued or new travel and movement restrictions. “It was advised that hosts choose a degree of flexibility in listing their homes for rent and that tenants are informed of the policy when they reserve.
These guidelines don’t go well with guests like AJ Sheffield, a Silicon Valley software engineer who booked an Airbnb in Southern California for December with his girlfriend and kids. When the Stay At Home order was declared and he requested a refund from Airbnb, the company cited his rule and the refund was denied. “I understand they created the policy based on previous bans, but this is more serious,” Sheffield said, citing the fact that Airbnb is home Rents could remain open in previous shutdowns. Under current rules, hosts are breaking the law by continuing to rent for non-essential trips.
“Should we just score with every new situation?” he asked. “Should we just never book with them again until we can be sure the government won’t surprise us with new restrictions?”
In contrast, the major hotel chains have tried to financially accommodate guests in the wake of the pandemic. According to the company, Hyatt California hotels will proactively notify guests of the new California travel restrictions prior to their arrival. The more flexible cancellation policy the company put in place at the start of the pandemic remains in place. Hilton Hotels will notify affected guests via email and cancel reservations made by guests outside of the state for a full refund, the company said. Marriott recently extended its cancellation policy to the end of March 2021. IHG continues to extend dates for guests who have had non-refundable prepaid bookings in order to be able to cancel without cancellation.
Some smaller hotels are also trying to accommodate travelers’ changing plans. Patty Baird owns the Cedar House Sport Hotel in Truckee, near two major ski areas and in an area now only accessible to essential travelers. Ms. Baird has predicted there will be travel disruptions and has been taking reservations since late spring with no deposit required. Therefore, there is no negative financial impact for guests who cancel or reschedule. Much of her clientele returns year after year, she said. “We would never incriminate them if they couldn’t come,” she said. Those who come are asked to sign a statement stating that they are there for important trips.
Ms. Baird reaches out to people with reservations, but some are trying to play the system, she said. “If you are a key worker taking a few days of vacation, it isn’t considered an essential trip,” she said. As a small hotel owner, she wished the government would provide financial assistance to make up for the closings, which will run through at least the end of the year. “This is our busiest time of year,” she said.
However, travelers receive a message to stop coming. According to Transparent, a company that analyzes vacation rental information for 35 million listings worldwide, 47 percent fewer reservations were made in California in the first week of December 2020 than in the same week in 2019.


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Once they poked their tongues at each other and occasionally passed rude notes via their friends in class, but following this year's epic E3 reconciliation, there's no holding back the current EA-Microsoft love-in, as both companies have combined to announce a new FIFA Interactive World Cup Tournament, featuring EA's long running FIFA franchise.
Starting the ball rolling this very year, The FIFA Interactive World Cup will consist of a series of online and offline competitions using the current FIFA 2005 incarnation, with winners going forward to the FIFA Player of the Year gala in Zurich in December.
Although full details have yet to be confirmed, the three month tourney is expected to be played out primarily on Xbox Live, although special real-life events will also feature in the six-country tour, with a chance to play in some real-life football drills, tips and tricks sessions in between heats, as well as meet some special footballing guests and compete for prizes and musical surprises.
Microsoft is also tearing off its shirt and heading to the corner flag to celebrate the fact that the Xbox has bagged the official Licensed Video Game Console of the real 2006 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the Summer of 2006 in Germany.
More details on this one as they unfold but remember, it will still undoubtedly be a game of two halves.


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The newspaper industry’ s effort to cover print advertising losses with digital ad gains, weak in 2010 and 2011, deteriorated further in the first half of this year.
Newspaper Association of America advertising statistics, posted last week, show $798 million in print losses for the first half of 2012 compared to the same period a year ago. That is only slightly offset by a $32 million gain in digital. The ratio of losses to gains is 25 to 1.
My colleagues at the Project for Excellence in Journalism and I suggested the ratio earlier this year as a summary revenue metric of how digital transformation at newspapers is faring. As reported in State of the News Media 2012, print ad revenue losses last year outpaced digital gains by 10 to 1.
For the first half of this year, print ad losses slowed slightly to 8 percent, compared to 9.2 percent for all of 2011. But digital advertising was up, year-to-year, only 1 percent in the first quarter and 2.9 percent in the second, on a much smaller base.
Companies like Journal Register, which filed for bankruptcy last week, and Advance, which is taking most of its papers to three days only of print, are betting the franchise on digital advertising. They claim they can grow it much faster than the norm, save on legacy costs and be well-positioned as advertisers and readers continue over the next few years to move away from print to digital. However the first half results raise the question again of whether the base is so small and progress so slow in dollars that digital first may fail to support much of a news operation. Rick Edmonds


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World of Warplanes Developer Diaries: Winter Campaign
The World of Warplanes team goes behind the scenes to look at the development of the Winter Campaign and the latest updates.
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Using Rarible’s free infrastructure and native aggregation tools, users can now build community NFT collection storefronts seamlessly on Polygon while also including tokens listed across other secondary markets.
Community marketplaces allow creators to secure royalties and forge a deeper connection with their holders in a web3 native way.
NFT, or Non-Fungible Token, is a digital asset on the blockchain with a unique identifier number and other meta-data. NFTs are the most secure and transparent method to distribute, trade, store, and track digital and physical assets.
This move indicates how much attention Polygon has brought from around the world. In a question made by CoinDesk, Rarible co-founder Alexander Salnikov stated, “We are bullish on Polygon. We’re bullish on creators that want to take ownership of their assets and ownership of the contract.”
Polygon has proven himself as the go-to solution for Web2 projects that seek an introduction to the world of NFTs. For example, Starbucks recently launched a Web3 experience called Oddysey in participation with Polygon. This experience will allow Starbucks users to earn points through a series of thrilling and fun activities called “Journeys.”


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HP said it perfectly, for some reason once you start playing you just have a hard time stopping. Looking back though, there really wasn't anything special about it. I did like the whole 2d look though.
Facebook version of side-scrolling MMO game still at open beta stage.
With the huge success of the MapleStory franchise on the PC, it's only logical for developer Nexon to spread it onto the Facebook platform. The social network spin-off MapleStory Adventures looks to have been received well, with more than 1 million players within the two weeks of the game's open beta phase, according to a recent Nexon press release. At this point, the app has 1,261,046 monthly active users.
The game itself is a browser-made version of the 2D-perspective massively multiplayer online action role-playing game. Next to the game's stylized aesthetics, this spin-off features the ability to invite a user's Facebook friends to complete quests with them. Previously, CEO of Nexon America Daniel Kim stated that the company sees the social network site as a promising market for future Nexon products.
Other role-playing game franchises that have taken a turn into the social network space include BioWare's Dragon Age (Dragon Age Legends) and Square Enix's Final Fantasy (Knights of the Crystals). Currently, the former has 352,330 monthly active users while the latter has 107,403 monthly active users.
Maplestory is so freaking pathetic. It's ridiculous to see people throwing their lives away on this bullcrap.
Maplestory was actually never good, it was just addicting. I still find myself playing that game sometimes now. Besides they ruined the game with cygnus knight, it's basicly the same as the other classes just a little bit different.
That and party quests are COMPLETELY dead now, which was one of my favorite things about the old MS, so it's 2x harder to make friends.
After Cygnus Knights were added in MS, I just stopped caring. It started becoming too different. Then they had to completely invert everything by making Big Bang. I know a lot of people liked Big Bang, but it just ruined it for me (besides the lightning-fast leveling up).
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Italian daily newspaper La Republica earlier this week revealed that Roberto Colaninno has suggested that a group of investors would stump up around $3bn with a further $4bn raised through divestitures. Colaninno, better known for his restructuring of Olivetti and his acquisition of Telecom Italia, would effectively become the chief executive of Fiat Auto's parent Fiat Spa.
The Colannino plan would mean that the company could waive its right to exercise the put option which is set to force GM to buy the remaining 80 per cent of Fiat Auto it doesn't already own in early 2004.
Fiat vice-chairman Umberto Agnelli has already scotched claims that the Colaninno plan was on the table.
“I appreciate the interest demonstrated, but I want to again recall that there's only one plan that's been approved by the board of Fiat,” he told the ANSA news agency.


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Walmart's New York City-based, members-only shopping service Jet Black will shut down on February 21. The Wall Street Journal's Sarah Nassauer first reported that the Walmart-owned venture would shutter. But Walmart may still be able to use technology developed through Jet Black. A Walmart
"focus on how to leverage Walmart's infrastructure to make conversational commerce scalable."
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Bestway Wholesale is to start a new van sales operation following the collapse of Palmer & Harvey’s Snacksdirect and Sweetdirect van businesses.
The operation will service more than 20,000 retail customers using a fleet of 180 vans acquired from P&H’s administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers, which will call on retailers every two weeks.
The new division will be led by Noel Robinson, who previously headed up P&H’s van sales operation, with more ex-P&H staff expected to be employed as part of the new Bestway venture.
According to a Bestway spokesman, ‘a number for former P&H staff will also be re-employed by Bestway to facilitate a smooth transition for customers, which is not only fantastic news for them, but also for the wholesale industry as this ensures that this wholesale talent is protected’.
Martin Race, MD of Bestway Wholesale, said: “We feel we will be able to drive operational efficiencies by running the van sales business out of our existing network of depots.
“Moreover, as many customers look for alternative sources of supply after the collapse of P&H, this move will reinforce our ability to offer further support and supply customers, continuing to demonstrate our commitment to the wholesale channel and to independent retailers.
“We feel the launch of this new service to customers will be a great fit for us in delivering our future growth plans and building on our already close relationships with customers.”
Bestway plans to have the van business operational from next week (January 22).
We’ll have more in the February issue of Wholesale News.


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The newly enhanced photo digitization website now delivers innovative services and products in a contemporary and pleasurable Ecommerce shopping experience.
ScanMyPhotos.com announced today the launch of its most ambitious website redesign since the company was founded in 1990. The pioneer of super fast and affordable digitization of photos, slides, film and negatives also recently topped 100 million scans. Although the digitization of 100 million pictures may seem like a tremendous achievement, but with literally trillions of analog pictures – spanning decades and still awaiting scanning for today’s all-digital world – there is much work ahead in the digitization of analog pictures.
“Following the innovative growth at ScanMyPhotos.com, as we expanded from a 1,200 square-foot retail photo center to our 6,000 square-foot corporate headquarters in Irvine, California, we needed to accelerate and create a simpler way to interact and engage our customers,” said Mitch Goldstone, president and CEO of ScanMyPhotos.com
According to ScanMyPhotos.com, their photo scanning experts strive to make every customer experience extraordinary. The newly enhanced website now delivers innovative services and products in a contemporary and pleasurable Ecommerce shopping experience.
Key innovations for the new virtual ScanMyPhotos.com storefront website
- Innovative and organized homepage showcasing popular scanning and digitization services
- Easy-to-use navigation menu
- Simple and informative shopping experience with an easy checkout process and a mobile payment system for customers using mobile phones and tablets
- New online appointment scheduler for walk-in business which allows customers to make, reschedule or cancel appointments, all online. Customers will also receive reminder emails the day of their appointment
- Order forms have been replaced with a more secured process for customer credit card information. The order process is simplified and completed online to insure added data security and ease of use.
- Enhanced new customer support system allows customers to log in to view active inquiry tickets, making it much easier to communicate with the company
- Built in blog to easily communicate with customers
Fans of ScanMyPhotos.com are now able to take a tour to view all the newest features about all scanning and digitization products and services much faster than before. Instant sign up features are available so people interested in preserving and sharing their precious photo memories will receive updated newsletters, important news about digital photography and deeply discounted special offers from ScanMyPhotos.com.
“We are actively using all the leading social media tools, including Twitter , Goggle+, Pinterest , Facebook and blogging to connect and engage customers. As millions of people share photo and slide memories using social networking, email and cloud uploading, there is no better way to easily share analog images than to have all these precious memories digitized by the experts at ScanMyPhotos.com,” said Goldstone.


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With Misfits® program, customers get delicious, imperfect fruits and vegetables at a lower cost while helping to reduce food waste
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, 2017-Jan-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — To further combat the nation’s food waste issue, Hy-Vee, Inc. recently began offering so-called “ugly” produce in nearly all of its 242 grocery stores.
“Ugly” produce is cosmetically challenged fruits and vegetables that would traditionally go unsold due to the industry’s size and shape standards. However, a movement to make this imperfect produce culturally acceptable to purchase and available to consumers has been gaining popularity overseas in Europe and now in the United States.
Hy-Vee has partnered with Robinson Fresh, one of the largest produce companies in the world, to offer its unique line of Misfits® produce. Misfits provides customers more fruit and vegetable variety at a lower cost while also helping to reduce produce waste. Through the program, four to six Misfit items are delivered weekly, based on what is seasonally available, and are sold on average at a 30 percent discount. Some of the line’s items include peppers, cucumbers, squash, apples and tomatoes.
“The beauty of this program is that the produce tastes the same and is of the same high quality, it just looks different. As the saying goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover. The same is true for Misfits fruits and vegetables,” said John Griesenbrock, Hy-Vee’s vice president of produce/HealthMarkets. “As a company with several focused environmental efforts, we feel it’s our responsibility to help educate consumers and dispel any misperceptions about produce that is not cosmetically perfect.”
The United Nations estimates between 20 to 40 percent of produce harvested each year is thrown away because it does not meet sizing standards for store shelves. In accepting less cosmetically pleasing produce,
Hy-Vee is aligning with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recently announced goal to reduce food waste by 50 percent by the year 2030.
“We understand that there is product left in the field because farmers don’t think there’s a market for it,” said Hunter Winton, Robinson Fresh general manager. “With the Misfits program, farmers have an outlet to sell more produce and customers have an opportunity to save money and help reduce waste.”
Launching the Misfits program is another way Hy-Vee is trying to reduce food waste at all levels — from the supply chain to distribution and disposal. For several years now, Hy-Vee has been recognized for its food waste donation and diversion efforts in the communities it operates. More than 220 Hy-Vee stores have implemented composting operations and collectively they diverted 17.8 million pounds of food waste in fiscal year 2016.
Misfits produce is now available in almost all of the more than 240 Hy-Vee grocery stores across eight Midwestern states. Produce items will vary week to week based on their availability; some of the current product being carried includes mandarin oranges, green and red peppers, limes and lemons. Customers should look for prominently displayed Misfits bins and signage in the produce section of their local Hy-Vee store.
About Hy-Vee, Inc.
Hy-Vee Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 240 retail stores across eight Midwestern states with sales of $9.8 billion annually. The supermarket chain is synonymous with quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise and superior customer service. Hy-Vee ranks in the Top 10 Most Trusted Brands and has been named one of America’s Top 5 favorite grocery stores. The company’s 84,000 employees provide “A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle” to customers every day. For additional information, visit www.hy-vee.com.
About Robinson Fresh
Robinson Fresh got its start in the produce industry over 100 years ago, providing fresh fruits and vegetables to the settlers of North America. Today, Robinson Fresh is one of the largest produce companies in the world and offers the highest quality products. Robinson Fresh packs-in many well-known private label and consumer brands as well as a full line of conventional and organic produce through a worldwide network of regional and local growers. For more information about Robinson Fresh, visit http://www.robinsonfresh.com.
Source: Hy-Vee Inc.


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• Grubhub has announced the launch of announced Grubhub Direct, described as "a platform to help independent restaurants better compete online through commission-free online ordering and access to their customer data." The company says it is "leveraging its expertise to help independent restaurants develop their own customized ordering websites, empowering them to market directly to their diners, receive their diner data and manage their branded website - all without any marketing fees."
Part of the goal, GrubHub says, is supporting restaurants "as they rebound from COVID shutdowns into a much larger digital world, by giving them the tools to control their relationships with their diners" - which is being expressed through the waiver of "setup and monthly hosting fees for Grubhub Direct through April 2022."
• Bloomberg reports that "PayPal Holdings is eyeing life beyond the checkout button.
"In the coming months, the firm is planning to debut a bevy of new services, which could include high-yield savings accounts, check-cashing services and stock-investing capabilities. It’s all being done in the hopes of PayPal becoming the world’s next 'super app,' akin to China’s Alipay or WeChat, India’s Paytm or Singapore’s Grab.
"The stakes are high: If PayPal pulls it off, the company could become a bigger part of U.S. consumers’ lives than Amazon, Google or Facebook."
The story notes that "PayPal is planning to debut the new services in the third quarter. The company is now processing more than $1 trillion in payments on its platform annually, and is adding as many as 55 million new users this year, on top of the 377 million it already had."


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Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017
Ukrainian brewery Pravda has just released a new beer called 'Trudeau,' which it says pairs best with cheese and white meat. Photograph courtesy of Pravda Brewery's website
By SHRUTI SHEKAR
PUBLISHED :Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017 12:00 AM
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- Shiba Inu to connect with big businesses through Newegg soon.
- Bitpay is the only cryptocurrency that Newegg presently accepts.
- According to AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron, who stated that his company would begin taking SHIB for payments in the first quarter, the crypto payment service provider will likely offer SHIB support soon.
Newegg, an e-commerce platform, revealed on Twitter on Friday that SHIB will be available soon.
Newegg Inc. is a significant online technology retailer in North America, with a global presence in Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East. Computer parts, PC components, laptops, gaming systems, car parts, and office supplies are all part of its platform.
Newegg also has a long history of being a pioneer in the cryptocurrency field. Through its cooperation with BitPay, Newegg was the first large e-commerce company to accept Bitcoin as a payment option in 2014. In early 2021, Newegg was one of the first to accept Dogecoin, followed by Litecoin in July 2021. In early December, Newegg will begin receiving SHIB, further solidifying Newegg.com as a favorite destination for online customers who choose to pay using cryptocurrency.
Newegg did not provide any additional information regarding the SHIB announcement. However, Bitpay is being used by the platform to accept a variety of cryptocurrencies. As a result, Shiba inu is anticipated to be added to the crypto payment service provider’s list of approved cryptocurrencies, including rival meme cryptocurrency dogecoin (DOGE).
The CEO of AMC Theatres, Adam Aron, broke the word that Bitpay would support SHIB. On November 15, he tweeted that Bitpay has opted to keep the Shiba Inu cryptocurrency.
“particularly because I requested so that AMC will accept Shiba Inu for online payments of movie tickets and refreshments.”
He also stated that AMC would be the first Bitpay client to adopt Shiba Inu cryptocurrency, estimating that his company would accept SHIB within 60 to 120 days following the announcement.
The meme crypto Shiba Inu has been gaining popularity. Gemini, a cryptocurrency exchange, gained support for SHIB in November. Meanwhile, supporters of the Shiba Inu continue to petition on Change.org to have the trading site Robinhood adopt SHIB. 540K signatures have been collected thus far. On the other hand, Robinhood recently stated that it has no plans to list SHIB or any other cryptocurrency.


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Barnes & Noble hasn’t given up on tablets yet: The bookseller announced a deal with Samsung Electronics America to develop co-branded Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook tablets outfitted with B&N’s e-reader software.
The companies expect to box a 7-inch version in the U.S. in early August; pricing was not announced. The co-branded tablets will be displayed along with Nook eReaders at Barnes & Noble’s nearly 700 bookstores in the U.S. and online at BN.com.
Barnes & Noble earlier this year made layoffs in its Nook hardware division, after sales of the tablets declined. The company has faced steep competition from Apple’s iPad, Amazon’s Kindle and other Android-based tablets including those from Samsung.
The Samsung pact is a major milestone in Barnes & Noble’s efforts to “rationalize” the Nook business, according to Barnes & Noble CEO Michael P. Huseby, letting B&N reduce its exposure to the substantial cost structure of the hardware biz.
“Partnering with Samsung brings our customers great new products and evidences our commitment to our Nook customers and growing our digital content business,” Huseby said in announcing the deal.
Also Thursday, Barnes & Noble announced that the Nook Media division will be relocated to new 88,000-square-foot facility in Santa Clara, Calif. while Barnes & Noble College’s digital education employees will relocate to a facility in Mountain View. The relocations are expected to occur by the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2015.
B&N is leasing Nook Media’s current 208,000-square-foot office space in Palo Alto, Calif., to Google. The relocation cut expenses by about $10 million annually, and reduce Nook Media’s future lease commitments by approximately $102 million. Barnes & Noble will incur an asset-impairment charge of $30 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014.


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The UK's First Dementia Friendly Checkout
A Tesco based in Chester branch is the first known supermarket to have a 'Dementia-Friendly’ checkout.
This checkout is different and classed as 'Dementia Friendly' because it is clutter-free and features clear images representing coins and their value. Staff at the Frodsham Street Tesco also received training on what it means to be ‘Dementia-friendly’ to ensure the shopping experience is made easier for those living with dementia.
The idea came into fruition when Hayley Sale, the compliance manager, and her colleagues attended a ‘Dementia Do’ training session, an NHS tier 1 dementia awareness that incorporates the principles of dementia friends run by Andy Tysoe, an NHS Dementia Nurse and Dementia Friends Champion.
Andy Tysoe, a memory nurse from the Countess of Chester Hospital, explained the idea of cognitive ramps for people with cognitive disabilities. He said: “basically, if you are physically disabled, you would expect a physical ramp to help you into buildings and though services. We now need to do the same for people with cognitive or ‘thinking’ disabilities and that’s exactly what Tesco are leading on.
Following this training and feedback from focus groups with people affected by dementia and their carers Frodsham Street Tesco were very happy to develop the checkout.
The checkout was originally opened to mark Dementia Awareness Week on 18th May 2015 by Tommy Dunne and Gina Shaw, who are active members of the Dementia Action Alliance.
One of the most positive results of installing the Dementia Friendly checkout is that general awareness has gone up, not just among the staff at Tesco but among customers too. Hayley Sale explains that "the checkout isn’t exclusively for people with dementia but our shoppers are now aware that people in that queue may need a little more time to get through, so overall everyone is a little more understanding.”
Watch the video featured on ITV about the UK's First Dementia Friendly Checkout, here.


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Google’s (S GOOG) Chromecast streaming stick could soon get competition from an unexpected source: Mozilla has secretly been working with a partner on a Chromecast-like streaming stick that is powered by Firefox OS. The project was supposed to be under wraps for at least a few more weeks, but Thursday, news started to leak out when a Mozilla evangelist tweeted a photo of a prototype of the device.
I’ve been tracking this project for some time. I’ve talked to sources directly involved, and actually was able to get my hands on one of the prototype devices that are currently being shared with a very small circle of developers. There are still lots of unanswered questions about this project; the device doesn’t have a name yet, it’s not exactly clear when it will go on sale, for how much, or in which markets, and I don’t know the name of the company that will eventually make or sell the hardware.
What I do know is that it is an ambitious project that aims to combine Mozilla’s commitment to openness with a Chromecast-like media streaming device. And here’s the biggest surprise: The prototype I had access to not only works like Chromecast, it actually is capable of running some Chromecast apps. Check it out:
Mozilla has been working for some time on adding casting and multiscreen capabilities to Firefox. Firefox developers have experimented with casting content to Roku streaming boxes, and recent developer notes hinted at the possibility that Firefox may also one day support Chromecast as well as an ominous “Netcast” device.
It now looks like this Netcast device is this Firefox OS-powered streaming stick, even though Netcast is likely just another code name. The plan is apparently to add casting to Firefox as well as offer developers a casting device that is more open and hackable than Google’s Chromecast.
Google opened up its Google Cast SDK earlier this year, and Google executives have said that they want to bring casting capabilities to countless of apps. However, there are some restrictions Google Cast developers are bound to. Certain types of content aren’t allowed, and the Google Cast SDK is thus far limited to Android and iOS apps as well as web apps.
Mozilla’s device won’t come with these kinds of restrictions, which could enable developers to add cast capabilities to Windows (S MSFT) Phone or Fire (S AMZN) phone apps. Moreover, developers could also add casting to desktop apps, and may even be able to build their own cast-enabled hardware with little interference from Mozilla. It’s also possible that the hardware could be used to run other software, as it will apparently come with an open boot loader.
Speaking of which: While Google closely controlled the development and manufacturing of its Chromecast adapter, it seems like Mozilla is far less involved in the actual manufacturing of this product, which mirrors the hands-off approach it has had when partnering with manufacturers for Firefox OS phones. That sentiment was echoed by a Mozilla spokesperson, who sent me the following statement in response to an inquiry about the device:
“Firefox OS is an open platform freely available for any company to build on top of without restriction. This means companies can experiment with different form factors that run Firefox OS.”
And with that, it’s unclear when exactly we are going to see this as an actual product. But judging on the leak and the sources I have talked to, we may not have to wait that much longer.
This post was updated at 1:18pm with a statement from Mozilla.


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Even though Google has managed to leave iOS far behind when it comes to the smartphones market share race, it would take Android a couple of more years to achieve the same feat in the tablets space, if we are to believe a recent report by Gartner.
The report released earlier this week adds that Microsoft would have a hard time breaking in to this competitive space with itsplatform which did manage to evict rave reviews from users and enthusiasts alike. However that doesn’t seem to be enough. Although personally, I do feel that Microsoft’s gamble may just pay off.
According to Carolina Milanesi, a senior official from Gartner, Apple will continue to have well over 50 per cent of the tablets market share even in 2014. While it is expected to shed its highly dominant 83 per cent market share from 2010 to 73.4 per cent in 2011, the fall would be much gradual that Android would have liked. Gartner also adds that they do not think any otherplatform would be able to garner more than 5 per cent market share this year.
The thing in favor of Android seems to be its next release, the Ice Cream Sandwich which is said to lessen the fragmentation seen on Android devices these days. With that version of the OS, Android should have something in hand to take Apple head on. But would that be enough to do what Android managed to do in the smartphones space? What do you think?


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Leading up to the release of Captain America: The Winter Solder, toy companies were really good at keeping images of their new figures out of the hands of public. Though, Hot Toys has been holding back on their last figure from the movie, the Captain America 2 Falcon sixth scale figure.
Now Hot Toys did have the Falcon 12 inch figure on display at a Captain America: The Winter Soldier Exhibition in Hong Kong, so the only thing we are waiting for at this point is a pre-order.
Hot Toys has released a teaser image with the caption,”Please stay tuned for the official unveil of Cap’s high-flying ally in Captain America: The Winter Soldier coming very soon!”. To me this means we will be seeing a full gallery of images within 2 weeks, tops.


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Back in January 2021, the Geekbench revealed a Samsung tablet with model number SM-T225 by sharing some of its specs that include the chipset, RAM capacity, and operating system of the mysterious Galaxy Tab. And now, the new Samsung Galaxy Tab has just popped up on the FCC database and received the FCC certification.
The tab is powered by the Helio P22T that is coupled with 3GB RAM. The tab will be running on the Android 11 onboard.
New Samsung Galaxy Tab Appears on FCC Database
The FCC certification didn’t share much about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab SM-T225 but only revealed that it will support WiFi, Bluetooth, and LTE.
However, the TÜV Rheinland listings revealed that the tablet has a capacity of 5,100mAh and will be shipping with an EP-TA200 adapter, which is Samsung’s 15W Adaptive Fast Charging charger.
The design of the tab looks similar to the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite and Galaxy Tab A 8.4″ (2021). The Samsung’s tab with model number SM-T225 is carrying its 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom as we have observed on the Galaxy Tab 8.4″ (2021).
Well, we can assume that the Samsung Galaxy Tab SM-T225 could be the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite and its display size will be 8.7-inches. The tab will be having a slim metal design.
At the moment, there are no more details available but we will share with our readers once we come to know more about SM-T225. So, keep visiting our website for more details and updates.
Recommended Reading: Samsung’s “Galaxy Week” offers amazing bundles on their online shop


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What's going on?
Blue Apron, the American meal-kit delivery startup, has agreed to “go public” (i.e. complete an IPO) at a lower valuation (tweet this), after initially facing tepid demand from investors.
What does this mean?
Originally, Blue Apron said it would aim to sell shares to new investors at a valuation of $3.2 billion, but revised that down on Wednesday to around $2 billion. The big reduction almost certainly reflects a lack of investor demand at the higher valuation.
Why should I care?
For markets: Investors are nervous about the meal-kit delivery business model.
Blue Apron has exhibited strong revenue growth since its inception, which is often a key determinant for investors. However, it’s also facing some issues. For one, its marketing costs as a proportion of revenue keep climbing (the opposite of what should occur as a company’s scale increases due to, among other things, greater brand awareness). Related to that point is its difficulty in keeping customers: about two-thirds stop ordering within six months. Blue Apron’s stock price could still go up substantially once the stock starts trading on Thursday, but it’s these factors, among others, that caused it to wipe one-third off of its targeted valuation.
The bigger picture: Meal-kit delivery companies are facing a challenge from… yes, Amazon.
Blue Apron also had some bad luck: just as it began marketing its IPO to prospective investors, Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods was announced. Blue Apron competes with grocery stores; you’re supposed to subscribe to ingredient delivery instead of heading to the store. If Amazon “disrupts” that market like it has other markets, it could be a very challenging environment.


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Alana Wagner had a healthy pregnancy, an uneventful birth, and nine months ago, welcomed a perfect baby girl. She and her husband were thrilled.
Then Wagner’s hair began to fall out in handfuls. She wasn’t worried – she knew it was a normal part of the postpartum process – and embraced a new hairstyle, chopping her long hair into a short bob that she hoped would disguise her thinning hair.
But the hair loss continued, with clumps beginning to fall out in the fifth month. She had quarter-sized bald patches along her hairline and could see her scalp no matter how she styled her hair. She was afraid to wash her hair for fear of losing even more of it.
“I’d joke about looking like Gollum (from Lord of the Rings), but really, every time I looked in the mirror, I wanted to cry,” she said. “This didn’t do anything for my self-esteem. I’d lost about 80 percent (of my hair).”
According to kellymom.com, postpartum hair loss usually occurs about three to six months after delivery. Nearly all new moms will lose hair due to fluctuating hormones, but 60 to 70 percent of women will lose a noticeable amount of hair. This can be traumatic at a time when women are already feeling vulnerable.
Aside from Wagner, many other new Ottawa moms told Parenting Times that they experienced the same thing.
At 18 months postpartum with her third child, Jessica Turner says, “I hardly have any hair left.”
“I find that I am just shedding constantly,” says Larissa Deacon, who started losing her hair six months postpartum with both her sons. “We don’t have any pets, but it sure feels like we do when I see my hair on everyone’s clothing in the house. I could probably make a little hair doll pet. Sometimes I am untangling it out of my baby’s silicone teethers, his toys, etc.”
Unlike Wagner, Deacon didn’t get any bald spots, but said it felt “significantly thinner to the touch.”
Some moms would see evidence of their hair loss in their showers.
“It clogged the drain in the sink in our bathroom,” says Erin Hodgins. “Hubby had to snake it. I suspect our shower is headed this way as well.”
“My husband would jokingly comment about my ‘shedding’ all the time because my hair was every where, all the time,” says Rebekah Trafford, who started losing hair at around the three-month mark. “It was very noticeable. Handfuls would come out in the shower. I was afraid to brush my hair because every time I did, so much hair would come out. Still having baby weight and with my postpartum depression at its peak, this was a very challenging time. I was struggling significantly emotionally, and the hair loss was something additional I didn’t need and couldn’t cope with at all. Fortunately, it’s growing back now, and I’m very thankful.”
For others, like Nicole Gurski and Melanie Hannaberry, their vacuums were collateral damage.
“I literally broke the vacuum last week cleaning up my hair from the carpet,” says Gurski. At five months postpartum, Hannaberry broke her Dyson. “I had to take it apart today and what I pulled out gave me a stroke,” says Hannaberry. “I’ve always had really nice thick hair, but now it’s thin and slips out of my elastic no matter what. I brush my hair before I shower, have to empty my brush, pull out a fist full, then brush after and have to empty the brush again. Plus, my daughter enjoys ripping out my hair so I may as well Britney-2007 it and be gone.”
Postpartum hair loss is very common, says Brittney McMillan, hairstylist at Ottawa’s New York New York Hair Salon.
“I see it all the time behind the chair, however it can be very different from person to person,” she says.
“Sometimes the hair will get thicker and fuller during pregnancy and then after the baby is born, hair begins to fall out at an alarming rate. Thin patches can be found at the hairline, near the forehead or ears.”
According to McMillan, hair loss can begin during pregnancy and continue for up to a year or more after the baby is born. “Your hair will be normal again, it will just take some time,” she says.
In the meantime, she advises against drastic changes.
“If you do, however, feel the need to change your style to better suit your recently thinned hair, I would recommend staying away from bangs as that is where most of the thinning seems to take place,” she says. “I would create some face-framing layers to blend in with the “breakage” around the face. Normal hair has breakage, it’s what happens when we do anything to our hair (wear hats, brush, flatiron, or colouring) and by adding layers, you will create lift and feathering around the face that will soften the appearance of the new growth or thin spots created by postpartum hair loss.
“I have seen this issue affect so, so many women and it does impact their self-esteem, but with a little care, it can be mostly overcome,” says McMillan. “Try to remember that you have just given this world a new life and you are still a beautiful new mother regardless of any hair loss you may experience.”
Wagner says that as tough as it is, she’s just going to wait it out.
“I know my daughter is worth anything and that in the end, it’s just hair, but it sure helps to know that it’s normal and that I’m not the only one,” she says.


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Smartwatches still look like watches; someone time-traveling from 1950 would recognize them as such. According to a design patent leak spotted by Dutch tech site Let’s Go Digital, China-based Guangdong OPPO Mobile (a.k.a. Oppo) has come up with a smartwatch design that might turn that form factor on its head. Continue reading WILD SMARTWATCH DESIGN UNFOLDS TO REVEAL MASSIVE SCREEN
It’s almost impossible to read the news these days without seeing yet another articleon the rising threat of Android malware. But at the same time, a new report from AV-Comparatives has been making the rounds for its finding that most Android antivirus apps are terrible scams. So what’s a security-conscious user to do?
Anyone who’s read Fahrenheit 451 appreciates the awesome possible future where the walls of our homes are just televisions and we get to live in TV land. Well, Samsung just made that possibility a reality with a 146-inch MicroLED screen. It’s called The Wall, and it is breathtaking.
Apple is getting real close to copping media-recognition app maker ShazamEntertainment for a cool $401 million. Casual. The report comes via TechCrunch, who isn’t naming and names when it comes to who spilled the beans (or shall we say bytes) on the potential deal. The $401 million price tag isn’t chump change, but it’s significantly less than half the $1.2 billion valuation Shazam announced in 2015.
The hand-built Volkswagen I.D. Buzz concept microbus clearly snagged a lot of interest when we introduced it to you in March. So on Saturday Maxim went to Pebble Beach to take a much closer look.
Over the weekend, China’s army, navy, and air force conducted a wide range of naval exercises in the Yellow Sea, close to North Korea.
Would you be interested in a new, premium-model iPhone featuring a curved screen? If so, things are really starting to look up. The latest rumor surrounding Apple‘s next iPhone release is that Tim Cook and company have ordered millions of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels from Samsung, Mashable reported Tuesday. Given that Apple is also rumored to be announcing a trio of new phones later this year, this massive OLED order means at least one model may boast a curved screen.


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The resurgence of the General Motors plant in Tonawanda will continue as the company announced Tuesday plans to produce a new generation of fuel efficient small-block truck and car engines at multiple facilities in North America.
In all, GM said it will invest more than $890 million, which will create or retain more than 1,600 jobs at the five locations. In Tonawanda, the investment is worth $400 million and the addition of 710 jobs. That follows an announcement in February, when the automaker said that the facility will produce the next generation of fuel-efficient Ecotec engines as part of a local $425 million investment.
According to the company, Tonawanda employs 651 workers - 522 hourly and 129 salaried. In 2008, the facility produced close to 750,000 engines.
Another nearby GM plant in St. Catharines, Ont., is in line for an investment of $235 million resulting in approximately 400 jobs.
Additional upgrades are planned for three U.S. plants:
Defiance, Ohio - an investment of $115 million, up to 189 jobs
Bedford, Ind. - an investment of $111 million, about 245 jobs
Bay City, Mich. - an investment of $32 million, over 80 jobs
"GM is investing in our plants, restoring and creating jobs and making progress toward our vision of designing, building and selling the world's best vehicles," said a statement from Mark Reuss, president of GM North America. "These latest investments show our commitment to improving fuel economy for buyers of every GM car, truck and crossover and giving them the best possible driving and ownership experience."
GM said the next generation small-block engine family will have unprecedented fuel efficiency through direct injection and an all-new advanced combustion system design. Since the launch of the new General Motors Co. last July, the company has announced investments of more than $2.3 billion at 22 facilities in the U.S. and Canada.


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We make no secret of our agenda to promote diversity across the images we see in magazines and advertising here at Mamamia, but not even we saw this one coming.
The new face of fashion is Moffy (also known as Brunette Moffy); a regular girl who has landed the cover of Pop magazine’s Spring/Summer 2013 issue, which dubbed her “The Face.”
She has the typical measurements of a model; height (5’8″) and figure (32-26-36) but has one distinguishing feature no other working model has: strabismus.
The eye condition is more commonly known as crossed eyes, and it’s the reason why Pop magazine’s photographer Tyrone LeBon and editor Max Pearmain decided put her on the cover.
“We chose to shoot her because we had recently shot with models and wanted a change,” said photographer Tyrone LeBon told The Daily Mail. “Moffy had never been photographed for a magazine and it’s always exciting to work with someone when there is uncertainty about how it might work out.”
Moffy has now been signed by Storm, the prestigious modelling agency who also represent top models Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne, Victoria’s Secret Angel Behati Prinsloo and Aussie androgynous model Andrej Pejic. In other words: she’s kind of a big deal.
While some industry insiders are hailing this move as a promising sign that the fashion industry is finally extending it’s narrow definition of beauty, others aren’t holding their breath that fashion designers will look at Moffy and suddenly be inspired to hire models of different sizes and shapes.
Either way, you have to applaud Storm for pushing the boundaries by representing “unconventional” models like Moffy, Andrej Pejic and the “Curve” models on their books.
What do you think of Moffy’s photoshoot?
For more, like Mamamia on Facebook:


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John Enright, principal engineer at Amazon Robotics, explains how the company developed precision autonomy for its new Proteus autonomous mobile robot.
Kiva Systems’ creators Raffaello D’Andrea, Mick Mountz and Peter Wurman are being inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Robin picks packages from a conveyor belt, scans them and then places them on a drive robot that routes it to the correct loading dock.
The primary goals are to ensure the benefits of AI and robotics are shared broadly and to promote participation in research.
Brad Porter, the Amazon vice president leading the company’s robotics initiatives, describes how employees have continued to develop innovative systems while working from home.
Kiva Systems is largely responsible for creating today’s logistics robotics market. It would be a fun exercise to compile the robotics companies, logistics and non-logistics, that can be traced back to the Massachusetts-based company that was founded in 2003. Kiva Systems’ creators Raffaello D’Andrea, Mick Mountz and Peter Wurman are again being recognized for their…


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Christian Simon, Kutztown University
Consumer-ready headsets are here, but the games available disappoint even the most casual of users.
Thomas Turner, University of Rhode Island
Through its ‘VR for Good’ initiative, the company hopes to expand beyond gaming.
Carrie Christensen, Pensacola Christian College
It’s the first headset that’s made the hype surrounding virtual reality seem realistic.
© 2022 Study Breaks


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Mumbai Indians may have won the Indian Premier League 2020 but that is not all that they won. Off-field too, they have added yet another feather to their cap by becoming the most valued brand in the IPL 2020.
As per the report published by the global brand valuation agency Brand Finance, Mumbai Indians registered a hike of 7.1 per cent in their brand value to ~$70 million. This was despite the fact that PL 2020 saw a decline of 22% in this brand value owing to the coronavirus pandemic.
This was certainly a remarkable accomplishment, considering that they won the tournament outside India on foreign soil, playing their games in empty stadiums and living in bio-bubbles.
By contrast, Chennai Super Kings saw their brand value go down by a whopping 21%, understandably so after one of their worst performances in the Indian Super League history.
Another team that is worthy of a mention here is Delhi Capitals, who moved up to the second place in terms of brand value as per the Brand Finance report. This is definitely not a surprise, given that the Capitals really surprised the audience by reaching the final and putting up a commendable fight throughout the tournament. Needless to say, the club has certainly picked a lot of new fans along the way too.
Another report published in 2019 by Duff & Phelps valued the Mumbai Indians brand at ~$115 million (INR 809 crore) – up by 8.5% from the previous year.
Even if we were to keep aside the difference in numbers, it is evident that Mumbai Indians is the most valued franchise in the Indian Premier League. They have a loyal, evergrowing fanbase not only in India but also elsewhere in the world! Even punters seem to favour them – ahead of the IPL 2020, online cricket betting world pegged Mumbai Indians as the favourites to win with attractive odds.
Prolific Performance all the Way!
As five-time IPL champions, Mumbai Indians are among the most successful club in the tournament. By winning the competition in 2020, they defended their title successfully and will start the 2021 edition as two-time defending champions. Only Chennai Super Kings have achieved this feat in the past.
The 2020 edition saw Rohit Sharma-led MI finish at the top of the league table with 18 points, losing just 5 games in the entire campaign. In the qualifier and the final, they beat Delhi Capitals – once by batting first and the other time by batting second.
The year before, they beat CSK in the final by just 1 run in what was a nail-biting, thrilling affair. Coincidentally, they beat the same team in the qualifier too after finishing the league stage at the top place in the table.
Clearly, it is not just the performance that has made them the most valued brand in the IPL – it is their ability to entertain the crowds. Whether it is the antics of Kieron Pollard and Rohit Sharma or an incredibly adept digital marketing team that is constantly engaging with their audience, they have hit the right spots in all areas to reach the apex.
Case in point, in 2009, the Mumbai Indians brand was valued at ~$41.5 million and since then, it has almost doubled. This is also a testimony to the brand owners themselves – Reliance Industries – who are also at the top in their own field.


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Scotland's companies have reported a higher volume of new business for May.
According to the Bank of Scotland's PMI report, the rate of expansion is at its highest for nine months.
The headline PMI figure of 49.9 indicated a fractional fall in combined manufacturing and services output.
But workforce levels have fallen for the sixth successive month amid what was described as "a further deterioration" of outstanding business levels.
The rise in new business was largely driven by manufacturing, which reported the largest rise for 21 months.
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- San Francisco biohackers are wearing implants made for diabetes in the pursuit of 'human enhancement'
- RILA Supply Chain Conference coming in February


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Why Prince George have to follow the Royal Rules but Princess Charlotte is not?
Prince George Is the Royal with the Greatest Style Influence—But Charlotte Isn't Far Behind
They might be under five years old, but Prince George and Princess Charlotte already have more fashion kudos than we ever expected.
After reports earlier this year suggested two-year-old Charlotte's influence is worth £3 billion (.96 billion), new research on the young royals' buying power shows there's no sign of the so-called "Cambridge-effect" slowing down.
When eBay looked at the site's data to reveal what UK customers bought and sold over the last 12 months, searches for "Princess Charlotte" were found to have increased ten-fold May 2nd. This date coincided with her birthday, when photos of her wearing a yellow John Lewis cardigan were released by Kensington Palace.
The cardigan immediately sold out, but it's not the only time Charlotte's fashion statements have sparked a shopping frenzy this year. Her Liberty-print smock dress worn on the royal tour of Germany in July also caused a surge in people searching "Princess Charlotte dress," with one search every hour for "Liberty dress" on the site compared to only 37 searches for the Duchess of Cambridge's "lilac dress."
However, while Charlotte has already established herself as quite the trend-setter with her impressive sell-out skills, it's her older brother George who is said to have the greatest style influence. Nearly 1,500 "Prince George" related items are said to have sold on eBay in the last three months, compared to only 500 for "Princess Charlotte."
A photo release on the eve of George's fourth birthday in July sparked a 30 percent increase in searches for items relating to his name. And after he was pictured wearing a blue jumper during the Canada tour in 2019, the site experienced a 200 percent rise in searches for this item.
Commenting on this trend, Murray Lambell, vice president of trading at the e-commerce brand said: "The royal family are hugely popular with British buyers with Her Majesty regularly attracting the attention of shoppers.
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Email changed how workers communicate in an organization years ago, and now social networks are moving in. But not the typical consumer social networks we are all familiar with! Business enterprise software, such as CRMs and HR management, and modern social media combined to produce Enterprise Social Networking. With the potential to make office communications fluid and render efficient collaboration by streamlining processes, enterprise social networking is starting to become popular in the workforce. It serves as an in-house social networking experience for companies.
There are 845 million users connecting with their friends on Facebook, 150 million Linkedin members networking with industry colleagues, and now recently people are using in-house social networks to collaborate with co-workers. More than 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies use Yammer.com, a private social network for companies launched in 08’. Yammer is “a new way of working that naturally drives business alignment and agility, reduces cycle times, engages employees and improves relationships with customers and partners.” (yammer.com)
Altimeter Research released a report stating more companies are starting to use enterprise social networking sites, like Yammer, but still many don’t realize the potential to strengthen existing workplace relationships and create new ones.
Corporations are slowly figuring out the value of in-house social networking.
“Many business leaders are at a loss to understand what value can be created from Facebook-like status updates within the enterprise,” Charline Li, founder of research firm Altimeter Group. “Some organizations have deployed social-networking features with an initial enthusiastic reception, only to see these early efforts wither to just a few stalwart participants.”
Social networks do not have a large learning curve because the majority of people already use Facebook, Twitter, etc. etc. However, there just hasn’t been a dominant enterprise social network platform causing all workers and companies to automatically jump on board—unlike consumer social media networking (Facecbook.) This leaves a GIANT opportunity for an enterprise social networking company.
As CNN Money quotes, “What Facebook did for friendships and LinkedIn did for industry connections, enterprise social networks can do for a company’s workforce. It’s a big market waiting for someone to conquer it.”
Have you jumped on leveraging the power of social networking yet? Contact Stellar Blue today to hear more about utilizing sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for your business!


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SA to wait for 4G smartphones
Cape Town - Smartphone manufacturers have said that next-generation high-speed wireless devices will take some time to develop in South Africa.
"The ecosystem around 4G is going to be driven by the networks and around spectrum availability, and their willingness to invest in 4G networks," Patrick Henchie, Nokia head of product for South and East Africa told News24.
The rollout of LTE (Long Term Evolution) networks is anticipated by users internationally and while operators in SA have promoted higher speeds on wireless networks, it's a long way from speeds of 40mbps and higher expected with LTE.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nokia debuted an LTE-capable smartphone, but Henchie said that it would be unrealistic for South Africans to expect such devices in the country.
"The Lumia 900 that we announced at CES is an LTE or 4G device made specifically for the AT&T network. It's something that's in the pipeline; as more networks become 4G compliant, so more handsets will arrive."
Sony Ericsson hinted that device manufacturers would have smartphones ready by the time operators made LTE networks available .
"We haven't got any LTE products yet, but obviously we will change and it will become available as a standard when the need is there," Sony Ericsson Southern Africa marketing manager Colin Williamson told News24.
The GSMA, which oversees the development of global mobile penetration, urged governments, particularly those in developing countries to make spectrum available for mobile broadband.
"Across all of Sub-Saharan Africa, by releasing the 2.6GHz digital dividend band for mobile broadband, by 2016, this could create an additional $82bn per year in net GDP [gross domestic product] across the region," said Peter Lyons GSMA director for spectrum policy in Africa and the Middle East.
Mobile broadband is essential in Africa as there is a lack of fixed line infrastructure and Lyons said the allocation of spectrum would also have a direct impact on job creation.
Williamson said that 3G took a while to become universal in the market and LTE would take time, and that as networks made the technology available, manufactures would be under pressure to produce capable devices.
"The best case to look is when 3G was growing. If LTE is available on the networks and the networks are saying 'We've got LTE, we're faster', it turns to the manufacturers to say: 'Shit, we really need to up our game on LTE.'"
Nokia conceded that the tension between manufactures and operators created some paralysis.
"It's a chicken-and-egg situation," said Henchie.
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West Coast sandwich chain Togo’s announced that it is throwing down the gauntlet and kicking off a pastrami war.
Confident that its hot pastrami sandwich is meatier and better-tasting than those of other chains, the San Jose, California–based Togo’s Eateries Inc. on Wednesday is scheduled to debut system-wide a new money-back guarantee and an ad campaign designed to stoke the “Pastrami Wars.”
Tony Gioia, Togo’s chairman and CEO, wants to stake the claim that his chain’s pastrami sandwich is the best. If a customer doesn’t agree that Togo’s pastrami sandwich is better than any others out there, they get their money back. The deal requires receipts of both Togo’s sandwich and the other chain’s sandwich to qualify.
With a suggested price of $5.49, the Number 9, made with five ounces of sliced lean pastrami seasoned with a proprietary blend of spices, has been the chain’s top seller for years. Gioia estimated the 242-unit chain serves more than 1.5 million pastrami sandwiches per year.
“At Togo’s, we know our quality is superior to those ‘breadwiches’ the other guys serve, and we aren’t afraid to put our money where your mouth is,” he says.
The campaign will include in-store creative materials featuring a “sandwich guru” who says “No more skimpy breadwiches. I want my sandwich big and meaty!” The campaign will also include radio advertising throughout California and television ads in San Francisco. A social media element will also feature a YouTube video contest.
The guarantee is scheduled to run through Oct. 20.


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1,000 Amazon Employees Are Joining Global Climate Strike
The action, announced Monday, will mark the first time that employees at Amazon's Seattle headquarters have participated in a strike since the company was founded 25 years ago, Wired reported.
"It's incredibly important that we show up and support the youth who are organizing this kind of thing, because I think it's really important to show them, hey, you have allies in tech," Amazon software engineer Weston Fribley told Wired.
Global climate strikes are being organized by Greta Thunberg's Fridays For Future to coincide with the United Nations Climate Action Summit, which begins Sept. 23. But Amazon's participation in the strike also grows out of the organizing of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice (AECJ), who circulated a letter in April calling on the company to take concrete actions to fight the climate crisis. They also backed a shareholder resolution outlining a more aggressive climate policy, which was voted down in May. However, their agitation did prompt Amazon to announce Shipment Zero, its first ever pledge to reduce shipping emissions, Amazon employee and walkout organizer Rebecca Sheppard told The Guardian. The pledge commits Amazon to making 50 percent of its shipments net zero by 2030, but only applies to shipping itself, not the emissions of data centers.
"As soon as Greta Thunberg called for a global climate strike, AECJ members wanted to know how we could help," Sheppard told The Guardian. "We also needed to escalate our campaign. We've been seeing management listen but we haven't seen management understand. They're not giving us concrete commitments. They're not feeling the urgency."
The employees, however, are. Since the walkout was announced internally last week, more than 1,000 have agreed to participate, Sheppard said.
The September walkout has three Amazon-specific demands.
The second and third demands grew out of recent news reports, Wired explained. An April investigation by Gizmodo revealed that the Amazon Web Services, which is in charge of cloud computing, was pursuing the business of fossil fuel companies. Then, a July report by The New York Times uncovered that Amazon had put $15,000 towards an event organized by climate-denying think tank the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
Amazon employees think their company can do better.
"There's so many tools and capabilities within Amazon that it can really be a leader in this," Twitch product designer Danilo Quilaton told Wired. "That's all I want as an employee of Amazon—to work for a company that's taking climate change seriously and leading the push forward."
In a statement to Wired, the company did not mention the walkout but insisted it was acting on the climate crisis.
"Playing a significant role in helping to reduce the sources of human-induced climate change is an important commitment for Amazon," the company said in a statement emailed to Wired. "We have dedicated sustainability teams who have been working for years on initiatives to reduce our environmental impact."
So many politicians spend their time dividing and distracting people instead of facing up to the challenges of the climate crisis. In September we...
- This September, Climate Strikes Go Global ›
- Bill McKibben: This Climate Strike Is Part of the Disruption We Need ... ›
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For one year Rob Greenfield grew and foraged all of his own food. No grocery stores, no restaurants, no going to a bar for a drink, not even medicines from the pharmacy.
Apple has removed all 181 vaping-related apps from its App Store, the company announced on Friday. The removal of the apps comes after thousands of people across the country have developed lung illnesses from vaping and 42 people have died.
By Bailey Hopp
If you had to choose a diamond for your engagement ring from below or above the ground, which would you pick … and why would you pick it? This is the main question consumers are facing when picking out their diamond engagement ring today. With a dramatic increase in demand for conflict-free lab-grown diamonds, the diamond industry is shifting right before our eyes.
A spill at the Keystone Pipeline that began last month has affected nearly 10 times the amount of land than previously thought, state officials said Monday.
By Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner
A major but largely glossed over report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), an environmental and public health nonprofit based in Washington, DC, shows that thousands of untested chemicals (an estimated 2,000, to be exact) are found in conventional packaged foods purchasable in U.S. supermarkets. And yes, all of them are legal.


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Apple to argue FBI order to open iPhone violates free-speech rights while tightening its security
The FBI is trying to coerce the global technology giant into helping it to determine the passcode on the work phone used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook, who killed 14 people and injured 22 at an office party in December with the help of his wife. The FBI wants the company to create special software to disable security features that, among other things, render the iPhone unreadable after 10 incorrect entries of the passcode.
Apple’s lawyer, Theodore Boutrous, told the Los Angeles Times that forcing the company to write software would “breech its free speech rights under the First Amendment.”
The company will also argue in its legal challenge that the Justice Department’s request that it help the FBI hack into an iPhone is an improper use of an 18th century law, the 1789 All Writs Act, which established the US federal justice system and granted federal judges the power to issue orders to other courts. That law’s power has been extended since then, however, and now allows courts to issue orders to corporations. In 1977, for instance, the government made phone companies help it set up devices to record all phone numbers called from a specific line.
Apple intends to argue that the 1789 law has never been used to compel a company to write software to help the government.
“The government is really seeking to push the courts to do what they haven’t been able to persuade Congress to do,” Boutrous told the AP. “That’s give it more broad, sweeping authority to help the Department of Justice hack into devices, to have a backdoor into devices, and the law simply does not provide that authority.”
Apple has both fought and complied with government requests under the force of the All Writs Act in the past, according to Reuters. In a federal Brooklyn Court in October, prosecutors sought to have a judge issue an order directing Apple to break the security features on an iPhone seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration from the home of a suspected meth dealer named Jun Feng.’
In that case, Apple argued the situation “would be no different than if the government sought to use the… Act to force a safe manufacturer to travel around the country unlocking safes that the government wants to access, or to make a lock manufacturer pick locks for the government,” according to Reuters.
The judge has yet to rule on that case.
It is also known that Apple has previously compiled with government orders issued under the force of the All Writs Act. The company helped New York investigators on a suspected child sex abuse case in 2008, and similarly with the phone of an alleged child pornographer suspect in Washington in 2013, and a drug suspect’s phone in Florida in 2015.
Last week, Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym in California ordered Apple to create specialized software to help the FBI. After Pym, the case would move to a US District Court judge, and then probably on to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Apple’s filing is due by Friday.
Meanwhile, the New York Times has reported that Apple engineers have begun developing new security measures for iPhones that even the company would not be able to hack. This could create additional challenges for law enforcement agencies.
Apple designed each iPhone with a built-in troubleshooting feature that lets the company update the system software without a user having to enter a password. It was created so that the company could repair malfunctioning phones. The FBI wants to exploit that feature to unlock the San Bernardino shooter’s phone. The Times reported that Apple officials alluded to this vulnerability in a conference call, saying that it is something they are working to remedy and that iPhone security would continue to improve.


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SEOUL/HO CHI MINH CITY -- LG Electronics will halt smartphone production in South Korea, putting the future of the second-tier smartphone brand in question amid a shrinking market and heated competition from Chinese companies.
The electronics maker known for its latest bendable screen said Thursday it plans to move its high-end smartphone production from a plant in Pyeongtaek, on the outskirts of Seoul, to a factory in Hai Phong, in northern Vietnam. This is aimed at turning around its loss-making smartphone unit.
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,There has been no leakage or sale of data on millions of Malaysians due to an alleged breach of the MyIdentiti system, Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin says. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, September 29, 2021.
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THE National Registration Department (NRD) has confirmed that there was no data leakage from its personal data base, said Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin.
He said this was because the firewall of the data security control system was very secure and that all information was protected.


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One lucky winner will be able to pop some bottles as they purchased the winning ticket for the Saturday Powerball jackpot at a liquor store in Passaic, N.J.
According to USA Today, Eagles Liquor located in Passaic, N.J. sold the ticket to one lucky winner for the $338.3 million Powerball jackpot. The owner of the ticket has not come to claim their winnings yet.
"Everyone was excited when we found out this morning we sold the ticket," said Sunil Sethi, owner of Eagles Liquor.
Since Sethi’s store sold the winner ticket, he will get a $10,000 bonus. He plans to make renovations to his liquor store along with sharing part of the bonus with his employees.
Pravin Mankodia, who sold the ticket said, "It feels awesome, we feel so lucky."
New Jersey Lottery Executive Director, Carole Hedinger, announced the good news Monday at a news conference, reports CNN.
If the unknown winner plans to take the cash up front they can walk away with a hefty $151 after state and federal taxes.
"Whoever they are, they should sign that ticket immediately and put it in a safe place," Hedinger said. "I hope that we will know who they are very soon."
The $338.3 million jackpot was the fourth-largest in Powerball history. The largest was $587.5 million back in November. There was one winner in Iowa who matched five numbers and will walk away with a $2 million prize. Thirteen other lucky winners spread out through 11 states will get to claim $1 million each.
The winning numbers from Saturdays Powerball drawing were 17, 29, 31, 52, 53 and Powerball 31.


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Tenneco Inc., TEN, -1.35% the Lake Forest, Ill., producer of auto parts and systems, said it would expand in China by opening an elastomer- manufacturing facility in Suzhou, entering a joint-venture emission-control-engineering center in Shanghai, and increasing its holding in its Beijing ride-control subsidiary to 65% from 51%. The company said it would invest $21 million, including these investments, in China over three years. Tenneco Suzhou Vibration Control Co., Tenneco's first wholly owned operation in China, will produce elastomers, which improve vehicle ride and handling and reduce vehicle noise and vibration. The plant is set to open in June and will initially employ 80 people. The emission-control center is part of Tenneco's joint venture with the Shanghai Tractor & Engine Co. subsidiary of Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. And subject to Chinese government clearance, it is raising its stake in Beijing Monroe Shock Co.; its partner is Beijing Automotive Industry Corp.
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