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HMD Global, the Nokia brand licensee is expected to launch a bunch of new smartphones at the upcoming Mobile World Congress at Barcelona, Spain. Nokia has scheduled a press event for February 25, a day ahead of the official start to MWC, where the company is expected to unveil the Nokia 9, Nokia 8 (2018), and the Nokia 3310 4G variant. HMD Global is also expected to showcase a device with five cameras at the event. Now, fresh reports suggest that atleast one of the 2018 variants of the Nokia 8 smartphone will be a device called ‘Nokia 8 Sirocco’. The smartphone has reportedly appeared in a listing on a Thai inspection service bearing the name ‘Nokia 8 Sirocco’ with model number TA-1005.
The name ‘Nokia 8 Sirocco’ had also appeared earlier this month when NokiaMob discovered it hidden within a camera update to the Nokia 5. The teardown of the camera app revealed the name ‘Nokia 8 Sirocco’ sparking speculation that this could be a new version of the Nokia 8 flagship smartphone. The second appearance of the name further adds fuel to the speculation that Nokia will indeed launch a device with the name at MWC 2018.
Nokia 8 Sirocco found in camera app teardown: Courtesy, NokiaMob
The model number TS-1005 was earlier associated with the Nokia 9 smartphone. The model number had appeared in a recent FCC listing. As per the listing, the device is expected to feature a 5.5-inch QHD OLED display manufactured by LG, a Snapdragon 835 chipset, dual 12MP + 13MP sensors at the back, and a 5MP selfie camera at the front. This device could either be the Nokia 9, or going by current speculation, the Nokia 8 Sirocco.
The Nokia 8 just received a price cut in India leading up to MWC. HMD Global may have done this to make way for its 2018 line-up of phones. The Nokia 8 will now cost Rs 28,999, against its original price of Rs 36,999. It features an aluminium body with a front-mounted fingerprint scanner and a 5.3-inch 2K display. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core platform and has 4GB RAM coupled with 64GB of internal storage, which can be further expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card slot.


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LOS ANGELES (AP) - Several former cast members of the "Happy Days" can argue to a jury that they are owed royalties from DVD sales of the hit series, a judge ruled Tuesday.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Salesforce.com Inc. is buying the marketing company Buddy Media for $689 million in a deal that underscores the growth in both social media and the delivery of software over the Internet.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Starbucks Corp. is looking to offer a more tempting menu, with a $100 million cash deal to buy a small bakery chain.
MENLO PARK (AP) - Though Facebook bans children under 13, millions of them have profiles on the site by lying about their age.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Xbox 360 is getting a little smarter.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Faced with a fizzling job market, many economists have turned more pessimistic and no longer think U.S. economic growth will accelerate later this year.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The American economy is in trouble again.
I get lots of email from readers who tell me they have a hard time finding answers to their questions at the Social Security Administration website: www.socialsecurity.gov. Or, I often hear from readers telling me they want to "see something official in black and white" before they will believe whatever I wrote in my column.
NEW YORK (AP) - The CEO of AT&T Inc. said Friday that cellphone plans that count only data usage are likely to come in the next two years. In such a scenario, phone calls and texts would be considered as just another form of data.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Google lashed out at Microsoft and Nokia in a regulatory complaint, accusing them of illegally feeding mobile patents to a technology troll scavenging for billions of dollars in licensing fees that threaten to drive up the prices of cellphones and other wireless devices.
DALLAS (AP) - A Dallas-area woman has found Neiman Marcus' generous return policy lacking, saying the luxury retailer wouldn't let her return $1.4 million worth of tainted items - many of them gifts her husband purchased from a store employee with whom he was allegedly having an affair.
NEW YORK (AP) - Oracle Corp. received another setback Thursday as a federal judge in San Francisco undermined a central part of the company's multimillion dollar case against Google Inc. over its Android software for mobile devices.
NEW YORK (AP) - The drop in a key interest rate to a 66-year low is a sign of one thing - fear.
PALO ALTO (AP) - Hewlett-Packard Co. has promoted Bill Veghte to chief operating officer, the latest expansion of his responsibilities since the slumping technology company hired Meg Whitman as its CEO eight months ago.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's respite from troublesome health care inflation is ending, the government said Wednesday in a report that renews a crucial budget challenge for lawmakers, taxpayers, businesses and patients.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A pair of Utah women dedicated to pushing back against the objectification of women say Carl's Jr. has gone too far with its long-running line of TV ads featuring women in bikinis eating the company's burgers in seductive poses.
NEW YORK (AP) - Home Depot may be the latest retailer to suffer a major credit card data breach.
NEW YORK (AP) - Squeezed into tighter and tighter spaces, airline passengers appear to be rebelling, taking their frustrations out on other fliers.
DETROIT (AP) - Big discounts. Six- or seven-year loans, in some cases to buyers who would have been turned down in the past.
MOUNTAIN VIEW (AP) - Google is hoping a new brand will help sell more of its services to other companies.
WASHINGTON (AP) - People who use Facebook and Twitter are less likely than others to share their opinions on hot-button issues, even when they are offline, according to a surprising new survey by the Pew Research Center.
GENEVA (AP) - Governments should have tougher rules for electronic cigarettes - banning their use indoors and putting them off limits for minors - until more evidence can be gathered about their risks, the U.N. health agency said Tuesday.
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. consumer confidence this month reached its highest point in nearly seven years, boosted by strong job gains.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Malibu region's growing wine industry, made up of some 50 commercial vineyards, could be squeezed by proposed regulations that would prohibit new grape growing in a large swath of the Santa Monica Mountains.

domain: news


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By Dee-Ann Durbin and Tom Krisher
DETROIT (AP) -- The union that once set the gold standard for American wages is giving up pay raises in exchange for a piece of the auto industry's profits and the promise of thousands of new jobs.
Under agreements struck with Ford and General Motors, most of the companies' factory workers will get profit-sharing checks instead of annual raises. They'll also get a signing bonus. In turn, the automakers will increase their workforces and invest billions more dollars in their factories.


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The fire started immediately after the Genesis G80 owner hit some debris on the highway.
Declining sales might speed up the Malibu's exit.
The electric van could be used to transport riders to the Ontario International Airport in California.
The NV200 as well as the NV Cargo and NV Passenger vans are expected to be dropped.
Kia believes the coronavirus will have an impact on the materials used in future cars.
At this point, it's unclear who was responsible for the damage.
The Zora moniker will allegedly be used for the flagship, 1000+ HP Corvette.
The Competition versions will allegedly get 503 HP and AWD, while the RWD shall have 473 HP.
The British government is considering giving drivers up to £6,000 to go from ICE power to BEVs.
The Ford Mustang Mach 1 will effectively replace the Bullitt and GT350.
Fiat Chrysler and the PSA Group were reportedly told of the European Commission's concerns last week.
Electrification is inevitable, but the trick is to keep the driving experience as involving as possible.
Naran Automotive's hypercar will have a twin-turbocharged 5.0-liter V8.
Sales of the new McLaren Sports Series could have started later this year.
Jochen Sengpiehl will be reportedly sacked by VW after a seemingly racist Golf 8 ad.
Deliveries for the eighth-generation VW Golf were halted in May over software issues.
Bentley also announced it will likely delay its planned EV by one year to 2026.
In addition to the Model Y, Tesla's Berlin factory will produce batteries and powertrains.
Germany is taking a carrot and stick approach as owning a polluting vehicle will become more expensive.


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Brand has to be at the core of your business and “stand for something” in today’s fast-moving digital world, says the former Chief Executive of the InterContinental Hotels (IHG) Group.
Speaking at a Vital Topics debate on global branding, Richard Solomons, who retired from the company this summer after six years at the helm and 25 years with the business, said it was essential to have absolute clarity in terms of what your business was about.
“It is about understanding how you create value and having a long-term plan you can then deliver against. As a business IHG floated on the stock exchange in 2003 and has had a consistent story ever since and had long-term investors. It is about creating an environment where every member of staff thinks about the brand in every decision they make.”
Solomons, an alumnus of the University of Manchester, said the way to instil such a culture was to talk as much as possible about the brand. “You have to explain to everyone in the organisation over and over again what you are about.”
He added that brands today have become increasingly associated with experiences. “Brands have become experiential and IHG was ahead of the game in this regard. We did a tonne of work around what matters to the customer and making sure the brand was clearly defined. We put brand and customer understanding at the heart of the business. That is easy to say but much harder to do.”
In a complex market with multiple transaction channels, Solomons said a lot of people want the simplicity of one click decision-making. “That has become important in the marketplace and having a digital tool that ties all your brands together is really important.”
Asked specifically about the challenges posed by online aggregators to established brands in the travel and leisure industry, Solomons said engendering loyalty in customers was key.
Although aggregators have come into the market fast, he said at IHG what was important was what mattered to its own customers. “When you drill down you find that people who book online are price-sensitive leisure travellers who are not loyal, so there is no point trying to communicate with them. The trick is how to get loyal customers to pay direct. That is where the loyalty programme comes in and IHG was the first hotel group to introduce such a programme.”
Solomons claimed that while aggregators will tell you that they are cheaper, they are not. “They might be more convenient to use but they are not cheaper,” he added.
Under Solomons’ tenure IHG was particularly successful at expanding its brands, which include Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn, into the Chinese market.
He said the key to success in China was to invest in a whole new digital infrastructure and take a long-term view. “IHG had flat profits in China for 10 years but now has a fast-growing business there. It was a very long-term game. The company first launched in China in 1984 and by 2005 had 25 hotels. Today it has 300 with another 300 in the pipeline. China is an unbelievable market, nowhere is moving faster. It is a very demanding market but also very rewarding if you get it right.”
Solomons was interviewed on stage by Fiona Hunt, board director at MediaCom North Group.
Vital Topics is kindly supported by KPMG


text: NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS h December 10, 2018 – Amazon’s Va. headquarters expected to have $15 billion impact by 2030 Click to read article from The Washington Post h September 2, 2018 – Ashburn Chosen as No. 2 Place to Live in U.S. Click to read article from Money magazine h May 18, 2018 – Infographic – The appeal of Transit-Oriented Retail Development. Click to read article from the Wells + Associates Blog. h March 18, 2018 – Breaking News: Ashburn has landed a deal to become a new Northern Virginia home for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Click to read article from THE BURN.


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O2 UK IPTV service
December 18, 2007
Mobile phone company O2 is seeking to extend deals with media companies such as Warner Bros and Paramount as it aims to bring its TV service to the UK.
The company, owned by Spain’s TelefÃ³nica, already has a residential broadband offering in the UK after acquiring Be Broadband a year ago. It now wants to add a IPTV service with trials starting next year. If successful, a full commercial launch could follow by the end of that year. It is using as a blueprint its service in the Czech Republic, where O2 owns both a fixed line and mobile phone operator. O2 TV offers 55 channels and has video on demand content from Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, Disney, Paramount and HBO. It recently reported 70,000 subscribers for the Czech service.
An O2 IPTV service will pitch the company up against its former parent BT, whose BT Vision hybrid Freeview and video-on-demand service has attracted 100,000 customers.


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Gordos Plush is celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Goonies with the launch of a soft take on the 80s film’s most recognisable characters.
Inseparable friends, Chunk and Sloth have undergone the plush treatment as Gordos champions 30 years of the Warner Bros classic.
The pair will launch exclusively through the official The Goonies 30th Anniversary Store and as part of June’s 80s convention. The cuddly pair will then be available to order at Gordo Plush and on Amazon.
“Chunk and Sloth are back,” said Neil Hoynes, president of Ripple Junction Design Co. the developers of Gordos Plush.
“And just in time for The Goonies 30th Anniversary celebration in Astoria, Oregon, the perfect place to introduce our new plush versions of these beloved Goonies characters.
“Gordos Plush are designed with the toy collector in mind, so we are excited to provide fans making the trip to the Goondocks this summer the opportunity to grab these awesome versions of Chunk and Sloth.”


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By David Abraham
On 17th March, President Barrow (of The Gambia) announced a closure of schools, marketplaces and other open gatherings for a 21-day period, in response to the global pandemic, Covid-19. Subsequently, the minister of health appeared on national television to announce that the country has recorded its first case of the novel coronavirus.
The entrance of Covid-19 is certain to have an impact on nearly all critical areas of Gambian life, particularly the economy. This article explores how.
What is Covid-19?
Covid-19 is a strain of coronavirus that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, capital of its Hubei province, sometime around late November to early December. A coronavirus is an influenza-like virus that makes the cross specie jump from animal to human. For the most part, these viruses are benign and do not cause any serious health complications.
However, there have been occasionally deadly coronavirus outbreaks in the past. These included the 2002 outbreak of the deadly SARS and MERS in 2012 and 2018, affecting China and the Middle East respectively.
Is Covid-19 fatal?
No. Covid-19 has a 3% kill rate globally. However, because of how rapidly and widely it has spread so far, this has meant that a high number of people are dying, even though the ratio of dead to infected remains relatively low.
Symptoms of Covid-19
For most people, Covid-19 will lead to symptoms such as a fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. While these are also fairly common symptoms of other conditions, when all three are present, sufferers must seek medical attention urgently. In the Gambia, the number to call is 1025.
Not all people who contract Covid-19 will show any symptoms, however, despite being able to transmit it. This makes testing mandatory for anyone who has been in close contact with a person who has the virus.
How does Covid-19 spread?
Covid-19 is spread when droplets of the bodily fluids of an infected person come into contact with the mucous membranes of another person. Those at the greatest risk of infection are close contacts of infected people, such as their spouses or primary care-givers. The primary route of infection is droplet to hand to mucous membrane; however, there is some debate as to whether Covid-19 is effectively airborne.
Several reports claim that Chinese researchers have discovered that Covid-10 can remain alive and active in the air for up to three hours, with an effective range of up to five meters. If this is true, the virus is certainly airborne. However, these Chinese-led studies have been questioned by other experts, and have not yet been peer-reviewed. The majority of researchers claim that the virus is not airborne.
Global impact of Covid-19
Covid-19 is severely disrupting globally economies and changing the way business is getting done. Amid the disruption to global trade, and the crashing of stock markets, one interesting trend is the increased push for workers around the globe to work from home wherever possible. While this is generally being used as a temporary measure to prevent or limit transmission of the virus, it could be seen as a pilot test for a remote workplace in the future. Aside from the obvious convenience that remote work poses for workers, it also has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by reducing the volume of vehicular traffic.
Already, studies are showing that the global carbon footprint is reducing significantly as a likely effect of Covid-19. This effect is likely not solely due to the effects of increased remote work. Rather, a greater contributor might be reduced air traffic as more and more countries seal their borders.
While the environment has made gains thanks to Covid-19, the global economy is staggering. Consumer behavior is generally predictable, and predictably, spending on consumer goods such as eating out, shopping, etc have crashed by up to 70% in the United States.
Covid-19 in The Gambia
With last night’s ministry of health announcement, there is likely to be an identical effect in the Gambian economy. Of concern to the Central Bank of the Gambia, which controls the Gambia’s monetary policy, there are the twin risks of short run inflation and/or scarcity of food items such as rice. As with most economic crises, the poor are likely to be hit the hardest.
Also, open market trading has been suspended with less than 24 hours notice to the general public, which means market sellers will be effectively unemployed or severely underemployed for the next three weeks. As many of these sellers earn their living from hand to mouth, there is a real risk of a humanitarian crisis developing.
Which businesses will be most affected?
While the effects of the disruption will likely ripple through the entire economy, slowing the velocity of money, and threatening a recession, specific sectors are likely to be harder hit than others:
With global travel grinding to a halt, the tourism industry and its allied services providers could be the hardest hit. The good news is that the industry is currently in its off-season phase; however, with no telling how long Europe will take to recover, hoteliers and other tourism industry operators will face the prospect of a lean tourist inflow. Following on the back of the Thomas Cook fiasco, the threat to this industry is quite high.
2. Travel agencies
With governments discouraging travel, and the prospect of Covid-19 literally hanging in the air, few people are going to want to travel at this time. Furthermore, two of the biggest operators, Brussels Airlines and Air Maroc have suspended all or some portion of their operations involving travel from West Africa to Europe. This foretells a significant loss of income for most travel agencies, and it would not be surprising to see a few fold up or lay off some staff in the coming months.
While restaurants are also heavily dependent on the tourist-induced boom in the October to February period, the loss of this traffic is easily offset by year-round local patronage. With the outbreak of Covid-19, however, less people are likely to eat out or even go out at all, if they can avoid it.
This article was first published on 18th March 2020, following The Gambia’s first record of the coronavirus
To be continued


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As the dust of 2022 begins to settle, it's a great time to look back and reflect on the biggest moments and trends of the past year in cryptocurrency. The past year has been an incredible roller coaster ride for the industry, with some particularly high highs and some disheartening lows. As we head into 2023, it's essential to take a look back at the year in cryptocurrency to better understand what the future holds. In this blog post, I'll be taking a look back at some of the biggest moments of the year for cryptocurrency and what the year has taught us about the future of the industry.
- The global crypto exchange FTX raised a $2 billion venture fund and was valued at $32 billion.
- NFL star Tom Brady's sports platform Autograph raised $170 million in a Series B funding round.
- Goldman Sachs predicted that Bitcoin could reach $100,000 as a "hypothetical store of value," and billionaire investor Bill Miller revealed he held 50% of his net worth in Bitcoin.
- Celebrity podcaster Joe Rogan expressed his optimism for crypto, and Tesla began accepting Dogecoin as payment for merchandise.
- Apple CEO Tim Cook showed interest in the potential of the metaverse, and the mayor of Rio de Janeiro moved 1% of the city's treasury into Bitcoin.
- The Australian Open launched innovative NFTs using court data, and the AFL and AFLW signed a five-year, $25 million deal with the Crypto.com exchange.
- Walmart also signaled its intention to enter the metaverse, and Robinhood began testing its crypto wallet.
- Coinbase partnered with Mastercard to allow for NFT purchases.
- Alex Ohanian's crypto-focused venture capital firm raised $500 million, while FTX secured an additional $400 million in funding and Polygon raised $450 million.
- Russia moved to legalize and license crypto exchanges, and crypto donations to Ukraine reached $20 million in a matter of days.
- There were rumors that BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, was planning a major foray into crypto.
- Canada sanctioned 34 crypto wallets connected to the Freedom Convoy trucker protest.
- MicroStrategy purchased $25 million worth of Bitcoin at a rate of $37,865 per BTC.
- The New York Stock Exchange filed a trademark for NFT trading.
- The Solana decentralized finance (DeFi) bridge "Wormhole" suffered a hack resulting in a loss of $320 million.
- GameStop partnered with Immutable on a $100 million gaming fund, and Luna Foundation Guard raised $1 billion to create a reserve for the stablecoin UST within the Terra Luna ecosystem.
- Luna Foundation Guard purchased $1.3 billion worth of Bitcoin as a treasury reserve for the UST stablecoin, with plans to eventually buy a total of $10 billion. The LUNA token saw significant growth as a result.
- Several other companies also raised significant amounts of funding, including Immutable ($200 million at a $2.5 billion valuation), Helium ($200 million), and Yuga Labs ($450 million at a $4 billion valuation).
- More funding in the crypto industry, with companies such as Optimism, Mina Protocol, LayerZero, Lido Finance, and ConSensys all benefiting, and several large crypto venture funds launching or raising funds.
- MicroStrategy took out a $205 million loan from Silvergate Bank to purchase more Bitcoin.
- Yuga Labs acquired CryptoPunks and Meebits from Larva Labs, and Instagram announced plans to integrate NFTs. However, the play-to-earn game Axie Infinity's side chain bridge Ronin was hacked for a loss of $620 million in ETH.
- ApeCoin was airdropped to Yuga Labs, VC investors, and Bored Ape holders, but the token's value immediately dipped.
- The US government released an executive order on digital assets, calling for more focused research on the subject, and Florida decided to accept Bitcoin for tax payments.
- The price of Bitcoin hit a wall as US inflation rose, and HSBC purchased a virtual land plot in the blockchain metaverse The Sandbox.
- Legendary investor Ray Dalio's hedge fund was rumored to be investing in Bitcoin and crypto.
- Mark Zuckerberg's sister, Randi, also made headlines for her involvement in a crypto-related controversy.
- Gemini predicted that 2022 would be a breakout year for crypto adoption in Australia.
- OTR petrol stations and convenience stores announced plans to accept cryptocurrency payments
- Dogecoin's value increased after Elon Musk purchased a stake in Twitter and joined the board (Musk is a known fan of Dogecoin).
- Terra Luna founder Do Kwon declared that Terra would "buy Bitcoin forever"
- British Treasury department announced plans to make the UK a "global crypto hub."
- The Australian Football League (AFL) and Cricket Australia both entered into multi-year deals involving non-fungible tokens (NFTs), while the National Rugby League (NRL) opted not to pursue NFTs at this time.
- The NEAR Protocol, a layer 1 blockchain and Ethereum competitor, raised $350 million
- Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, raised $400 million from investors including BlackRock and Fidelity.
- Meta faced criticism for its plans to charge a nearly 50% fee for sales of digital assets in its metaverse.
- Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) entered the Australian market
- LUNA token and the "blue chip" NFT project Moonbirds saw growth.
- Bitcoin was adopted as legal tender by the Central African Republic, and a report from Finder predicted that Bitcoin could reach $80,000 in 2022.
- The cryptocurrency STEPN received a listing on Coinbase, adding to the trend of "move-and-earn" crypto opportunities.
- The Otherside metaverse project saw an NFT land rush that resulted in a "gas war."
- Warren Buffet reiterated his negative view on cryptocurrency, and both Bitcoin and altcoins saw significant declines.
- The Terra ecosystem faced major issues, with the UST stablecoin depegging from the US dollar. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong suggested that the coin's 84% decline was at "fire sale prices" following a $430 million loss.
- NFT sales volumes decreased, and even "blue chip" NFTs like CryptoPunks and Bored Apes sold for significant losses.
- The cryptocurrency market experienced the second largest "puke" in history, with Bitcoin dropping from around $40,000 at the beginning of the month to around $24,000.
- Despite the uncertainty in the market, investment firm ARK Invest purchased $3 million worth of Coinbase (COIN) stock.
- The new Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, raised questions about the potential impact on cryptocurrency regulations in the country.
- VC firm Andreesen Horowitz raised a record-breaking $4.5 billion for a new crypto fund, its fourth to date.
- Mike Novogratz, of Galaxy Digital, commented on the collapsing Terra ecosystem, and Crypto Twitter users offered suggestions for fixing the LUNA tattoo he had gotten on his arm in support of Terra.
- The collapse of Three Arrows Capital (3AC) leading to a contagion that impacted the entire industry.
- The Australian-founded Web3 game Illuvium managed to sell out its $75 million virtual land sale, despite the bear market.
- Canada's 3iQ launched two crypto ETFs on Cboe Australia with the lowest fees on the market.
- The 3AC contagion, along with the collapse of the Terra Luna ecosystem, caused a number of large crypto lending firms to struggle.
- Celsius paused user withdrawals due to a liquidity crisis
- BlockFi lost hundreds of millions due to bad loans to 3AC and others.
- Babel Finance also lost around $280 million trading with customer funds.
- The Bank of England spoke positively about the crypto industry, suggesting that survivors could become the next "Amazons and eBays". In contrast, the US Securities and Exchange Commission denied Grayscale's BTC ETF, leading Grayscale to file a lawsuit against the SEC on the same day.
- Prices for Bored Ape Yacht Club and other NFT blue chips plummeted, and crypto prices overall declined throughout the month. BTC began June at around $30k and ended it at around $20k.
- Solana's plan for a smartphone
- MicroStrategy continuing to buy the Bitcoin dip
- Ronaldo partnering with Binance for NFTs
- PayPal enabling the transfer of crypto to external wallets for the first time
- Coinbase laying off 18% of its staff.
- The contagion from the collapse of Three Arrows Capital (3AC) and the Terra ecosystem spreading to other companies.
- Gold bug and Bitcoin critic Peter Schiff's bank was suspended, while Deutsche Bank predicted that Bitcoin would reach $28,000 by the end of the year.
- The India-based cryptocurrency lender Vauld froze withdrawals and eventually filed for bankruptcy, while rival lender Nexo attempted to acquire Vauld and Voyager filed for bankruptcy.
- Despite the negative news, funding in the industry continued, with Animoca Brands raising $75 million and Multicoin Capital launching a $430 million fund.
- Inflation in the US reached a 40-year high
- Tesla sold 75% of its Bitcoin holdings for $936 million, but recorded a $106 million loss on the trade.
- 3AC also filed for bankruptcy, with its founders Su Zhu and Kyle Davies going into hiding due to death threats.
- Genesis, the lending arm of cryptocurrency trading platform Digital Currency Group, lost hundreds of millions of dollars in the 3AC debacle and filed a $1.2 billion claim against the company.
- Blockchain.com also lost $270 million amid the contagion.
- Variant raised $450 million for two funds
- Aptos, a spin-off from Facebook's Libra project, raised $150 million, and Christie's Auction House announced a Web3 venture fund.
- Russia decided to ban cryptocurrency payments, and Minecraft banned NFTs.
- The US Treasury imposes sanctions on the use of Ethereum-based cryptocurrency mixing service Tornado Cash. The developer of Tornado Cash, Alexey Pertsev, is later arrested.
- The Reserve Bank of Australia announces plans to test the viability of a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Some cryptocurrency supporters view CBDCs as a potential threat to decentralization.
- BlackRock partners with Coinbase to provide cryptocurrency access to its institutional clients.
- CoinFund raises $300 million, while Shima Capital raises $200 million in funding. Other cryptocurrency investment firms, such as a16z, FTX Ventures, Alameda, and Jump Capital, are also active in the market.
- FTX and Alameda Research merge their venture investing operations.
- The CEO of Genesis steps down, and the company reduces its staff by 20%.
- Sam Trabucco resigns as Co-CEO of Alameda Research.
- Nomad, a cross-chain bridge protocol designed to facilitate faster and simpler transactions between different blockchains, suffers a hack resulting in the loss of approximately $190 million.
- The Washington DC Attorney General sues Michael Saylor and MicroStrategy for tax fraud.
- BlackRock further invests in Bitcoin with the launch of a BTC private trust.
- Skybridge Capital predicts a $300,000 Bitcoin price, while JP Morgan's CEO warns of a potential recession.
- The value of Dogecoin increases on the back of the launch of the Ethereum-compatible Dogechain.
- The US dollar strengthens, causing cryptocurrency prices to remain stable.
- The Australian government announces plans to study and audit the cryptocurrency industry as part of a "token mapping" process before regulating the market.
- It is revealed that Google has invested $1.5 billion in cryptocurrency firms to date.
- Ethereum completes its much-anticipated transition from Proof of Work to Proof of Stake, but this does not have a significant impact on the price of ETH. Some even refer to it as "The Floppening".
- The hard fork for ETH Proof of Work takes place, causing some fluctuations in the price.
- Liz Truss becomes the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and is seen as positive for the cryptocurrency industry due to her previous supportive comments.
- The death of Queen Elizabeth II prompts the creation of numerous cryptocurrency meme coins, such as Queen Elizabeth Inu.
- FTX acquires Voyager Digital for $111 million.
- The US Federal Reserve continues to rattle the markets with its hawkish stance and interest rate hikes.
- Sui, a spin-off of Facebook's Libra project, raises $300 million at a $2 billion valuation, with funding led by FTX, a16z, Jump, Binance, and Coinbase.
- Wall Street firms Fidelity, Charles Schwab, and Citadel Securities launch EDXM, a cryptocurrency exchange.
- The chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, declares that most cryptocurrency tokens, with the exception of Bitcoin, are securities.
- The SEC's lawsuit against Ripple Labs continues, with some XRP supporters feeling confident that Ripple could win the case.
- Nasdaq announces plans to enter the cryptocurrency market with custody and other services.
- FTX Ventures acquires a 30% stake in Skybridge Capital, owned by Anthony Scaramucci.
- Alex Mashinsky, CEO of cryptocurrency lender Celsius, resigns, as does Brett Harrison, President of FTX US. An arrest warrant is also issued for Do Kwon in South Korea, with Interpol stepping in to assist in the search.
- Cryptocurrency market maker Wintermute is hacked for $160 million.
- The states of California and New York issue orders for Nexo to stop offering yield products.
- Stanley Druckenmiller, a well-known investor, hints at a "renaissance" in the cryptocurrency market
- Pantera Capital announces plans for a $1.25 billion fund.
- Google plans to integrate Coinbase as a payment option for users
- America's oldest bank, BNY Mellon, announced that it could now custody BTC and ETH for select customers.
- Fidelity also enabled ETH trading for its institutional clients
- Twitter announced the capability to buy and sell NFTs through tweets.
- Google Cloud also announced a blockchain node service, starting with Ethereum.
- Uniswap Labs raised $165 million in a Series B round led by Polychain, and Binance launched a $500 million fund to offer loans to struggling Bitcoin miners in the bear market.
- The Australian National Basketball League (NBL) also announced plans to get involved in the metaverse with some NFT-related marketing.
- Mango Markets, a DeFi protocol built on the Solana blockchain, was hit with a $100 million exploit. The culprit later admitted to the attack but claimed that it was not a hack. They agreed to return $67 million.
- Binance Smart Chain was also hacked for $100 million, and its blockchain was temporarily frozen to prevent further drainages.
- Aptos, a layer 1 blockchain, experienced a rocky debut
- Dogecoin saw a pump on news of Elon Musk's potential takeover of Twitter.
- Cathie Wood, the CEO of ARK Invest, predicted that Bitcoin could reach $1 million in the future.
- Gavin Wood, the co-founder of Polkadot, also stepped down from his role.
- MoneyGram's app enabling cryptocurrency.
- Sam Bankman-Fried (aka SBF), CEO of FTX, becomes embroiled in a scandal that is seen as the biggest financial fraud since Enron.
- FTX files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and experiences a hack that potentially results in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars. It is later discovered that a "back door" in the company's internal accounting system allowed SBF and certain Alameda team members to use customer funds without alerting auditors.
- The crypto community reacts with outrage to the perceived soft coverage of SBF, Caroline Ellison, and the FTX debacle by mainstream media outlets.
- The Australian Securities and Investments Commission suspends FTX Australia's license.
- Kraken, a large cryptocurrency exchange, lays off 30% of its workforce.
- Class action lawsuits are filed against Tom Brady, Larry David, Steph Curry, and Shaquille O'Neal over their promotions of FTX.
- The US Department of Justice prepares criminal charges against SBF and FTX.
- Congress announces it will hold a hearing on FTX on December 13, with the intention of asking SBF and others difficult questions.
- Coinbase shares sink to a new low, but Cathie Wood's Ark Invest buys more.
- The US dollar sees a drop, leading to a relief in stocks and the consolidation of major cryptocurrencies
- Goldman Sachs is reportedly considering investing tens of millions of dollars into crypto firms at discounted valuations
- Bloomberg commodities expert Mike McGlone predicts that Bitcoin could outperform Tesla and gold in the future
- The SEC charges Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of FTX, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, securities fraud, commodities fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to defraud the US and violate campaign finance law
- Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang, former CEO and co-founder of Alameda respectively, plead guilty to charges of wire fraud in connection to the FTX case
- The Russian government is considering using Bitcoin and cryptocurrency to bolster its economy amid sanctions imposed by the West
- Donald Trump releases an NFT collection featuring artwork of himself in various roles, raising over $4 million
Play to Earn, Move to Earn, Metaverse and NFT's Failed Miserably in 2022
These included Axie Infinity (lost 95% from ATH), The Sandbox (lost 94% from ATH) , Decentraland (lost 94% from ATH), STEPN (lost 92% from ATH), DeFi Kingdoms (lost 99% from ATH), NFT Worlds (lost 99% from ATH), ApeCoin (lost 86% from ATH).
The problem with these projects is that they didn't provide a product or service that provided real value. Most of the developers made money at the expense of the token holder and end user.
Massive Failures and Fraud in 2022
The fall of Luna, FTX, 3 Arrows, Voyager Digital, Celsius Network, Zipmex, Hodlnaut, Vauld, FTX and BlockFi were due to fraud and mismanagement.
Investors and Users relied on honesty and transparency from centralised companies but they failed to deliver either. What is ironic is Bitcoin allows the holder to control custody of their Bitcoin and Centralised entities take that away.
Moving Forward and What we should expect in 2023
The global cryptocurrency market cap today is valued at $847 Billion. Gold for comparison is valued at just under $12 Trillion, roughly 14 times bigger than the entire crypto market.
Bitcoin is a finite resource with only 21 Million Bitcoin. 91.64% of all Bitcoin is in circulation right now with less than 2 million Bitcoin to be mined.
The next Bitcoin Halving event will be in 2024. The block reward will reduce from 6.25 to 3.125. After each halving event, the price of Bitcoin has historically risen within 12 months
The crypto market is part of the overall financial market. Year to date the S&P500 is down 19.84% and traditionally Bitcoin has performed well when the S&P500 is making ATH's. Until we see new ATH's from the S&P500 I don't see Bitcoin moving.
It may take another 12 months before we see new ATH's from the S&P500 which means Bitcoin value may stay undervalued for a while yet
We will see projects continue to develop and bring their products to market. New categories will emerge.
What is the best strategy for accumulating Bitcoin?
Purchasing Bitcoin on a regular basis with fiat is super simple, also know as Dollar Cost Averaging. Using this method removes the stress of timing the market of when to buy.
2022 has been very challenging and if you dodged any bullets, congratulations. Most of the time, not losing your wealth is key to winning in crypto. If you can survive multi-year bear markets and accumulate Bitcoin you will win in the long run. Next year will be exciting as always. Hope to have you a long for the ride.


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For immediate release
New York Press Office: (212) 346-5500; firstname.lastname@example.org
NEW YORK, March 10, 2020—Few U.S. homeowners and renters realize their existing insurance policies offer them limited identity (ID) theft coverage, according to the Insurance Information Institute’s (Triple-I) and J.D. Power’s 2020 Consumer Cyber Insurance and Security Spotlight Survey℠.
Standard homeowners and renters insurance policies generally provide financial protection to consumers if either their credit or debit card is improperly used, something only 11 percent of survey respondents were aware of. Slightly more than one in four (26 percent) said they would be willing to pay more beyond their existing homeowners or renters insurance premium for ID theft restoration coverage. The others were either undecided (39 percent) or said no (35 percent). ID theft restoration coverage usually costs less than $50 annually.
“The survey highlights the confusion consumers have about the cyber coverage they may already have and the persistent idea that cyber coverage is not a product for which consumers are willing to pay more,” said Sean Kevelighan, CEO, Triple-I. “The challenge remains for insurance professionals to educate consumers and inform them about the benefits of identity restoration coverage, and its value for helping them recover from thousands of dollars in personal losses.”
Homeowners and renters insurers are now offering endorsements to existing policies, or separate stand-alone policies, to pay for the costs associated with ID restoration, which includes “responding to problems such as personal ransomware attacks and malware removal, and reprogramming computers and other devices such as Wi-Fi routers,” the Triple-I and J.D. Power survey report states.
Consumers who use Internet of Things (IoT) devices—also known as connected technologies—in either their homes or autos are at risk of having sensitive information taken from them and used as part of an ID theft scheme. In a home, IoT technologies include voice command devices and thermostats which can be operated remotely whereas an auto’s adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking systems are also considered IoT devices. J.D. Power’s survey respondents consisted of 683 Americans who used connected technologies as of September 2019.
“Media reports of data breaches have become commonplace,” said David Pieffer, Property & Casualty Insurance Practice Lead, J.D. Power. “In 2019 about 1,470 data breaches were recorded. These breaches exposed about 165 million records containing personally identifiable information. This compares favorably with the 447 million records exposed in 2018, but vulnerability can be cumulative, as previously stolen records could still be fraudulently used.”
Written by Kevelighan, Pieffer, and James Lynch, the Triple-I’s Chief Actuary, the other key findings from the Triple-I and J.D. Power 2020 Consumer Cyber Insurance and Security Spotlight Survey℠ included:
THE I.I.I. IS A NONPROFIT, COMMUNICATIONS ORGANIZATION SUPPORTED BY THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY.
Insurance Information Institute, 110 William Street, New York, NY 10038; (212) 346-5500; www.iii.org


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MP calls for TSB boss to intervene as online banking down for a month
One customer had to camp outside her local branch in the hopes of getting answers regarding her account.
Tuesday 22 May 2018 14:24, UK
A senior Conservative MP is demanding a personal intervention from the under-fire boss of TSB to help customers who have been unable to access their accounts online for a month.
Neil Parish, MP for Tiverton and Honiton, has taken up the case of a constituent who was so desperate she sat outside her local branch in a deckchair for an hour waiting to see the manager.
Like many thousands of other TSB customers, Joy Raymond, who runs a small holiday accommodation business near Lyme Regis, has been unable to pay bills or read statements online for four weeks.
“Some businesses must be on the verge of going under,” she told Sky News. "I can't access the online banking facility, which is how I pay my bills and see my day-today statements, which in business these days is a must."
The online chaos is the result of a botched IT upgrade which has potentially affected up to 1.9 million TSB customers, some of whom have their accounts cleared out by fraudsters.
Last week, a former police inspector in Scotland forced TSB to reimburse £2,500 stolen from his account after staging a three-day sit-in at his local branch and refusing to leave until he found out what happened to his money.
A vet who was called by a fraudster pretending to be from TSB lost almost £17,000 in minutes, prompting mounting concern that TSB customers are being targeted by conmen taking advantage of the IT meltdown.
Mr Parish, a farmer who chairs the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee of MPs, has written to TSB's chief executive, Paul Pester, calling on him urgently to look into Ms Raymond's "frustrations" and personally provide some answers.
Earlier this month Mr Pester was accused of complacency after telling the Treasury Select Committee of MPs the problems would be solved "soon", claiming the IT upgrade had gone smoothly and not knowing how many customers had been affected.
With TSB now being called the "Totally Shambolic Bank" by critics as the scandal rumbles on, the bank is already facing the prospect of a hefty fine imposed by bank regulators as well as compensation payments to customers.
"I'm calling for the CEO and the entire board and all senior executives to resign," Ms Raymond told Sky News.
"It's a disgrace. Don't let them fool anyone by saying it's all nearly working. No way. It's nowhere near working.
"I can't access my business account or even see what's in it. Neither online or the business app are working. The app is a million miles from readiness. All it tells you is that you've logged in and your name and that's that.
"It's logging itself in and out like a yo-yo - terrifying. I can now see my personal account but that's it. I can't see credit card statements either. It’s shocking state of affairs.
"Not only have I not been able to access or see my business account online, but if you try to phone they won't speak to you either. This is worse than awful.
"It's pointless phoning as they say there’s a 30-minute wait. What an outrageous state of affairs.
"I waited 30 minutes, only to be told my business account was blocked from seeing it online and I needed a password to open it, which they sent by text five hours later.
"I was on the phone for an hour and 10 minutes and after much faffing, trying various passwords, temporary passwords texted to me, all were refused of course.
"I finally got into my personal account again and was told I didn't have business online banking. I have, of course, had business online banking since it was invented!
"So I had to go into my nearest branch of the TSB armed with passport, driving licence, pint of blood etc. to re-register for business online banking again!
"I have of course put in a claim for compensation and was put through to the complaints department who have made a note of my calls and now my trip to the branch. It will be interesting to see how they quantify a month of stress.
"I very much hope Mr Pester loses his job as soon as this is fixed and takes the top tier of management with him.”
Describing her visit this week to her nearest TSB branch, Ms Raymond said: "I got a deck chair and sat outside the branch, 30 minutes' drive away, from 8am until it opened at 9am, as I'd heard that they had been queuing out the door.
"I went in and the local manager was very helpful and took me to a side room, which meant I could at least I could get a statement printed out for the first time since Friday 20 April.
"He couldn't get me sorted either, as according to his computer I had an online account already set up with conflicting information saying I didn't and it wouldn't let him set me up another.
"He couldn't get a response from the staff phone line to HQ. I took pity on him after an hour and left him to it. He rang me at home and said the TSB IT department would contact me. I have two hope: no hope and Bob Hope.
"Fortunately I still have a cheque book, otherwise I wouldn't be able to pay anyone unless they take card payment.
"This problem has not gone away!"
TSB says it is working around the clock to fix the problems.
"Our focus is putting things right for our customers and no customer will be out of pocket as a result of what’s happened," a spokeswoman said.


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Renault and Google Increase Software Services Partnership for Future Vehicles
On Tuesday, Renault and Google announced that they were extending their collaboration on software services for upcoming Renault automobiles, with Google taking over as the French automaker's preferred cloud provider.
According to a statement from Renault Chief Executive Luca de Meo, the relationship with Google would also aid Renault in accelerating its 'end-to-end digital transformation, from the design of the car through its market debut through its manufacture.'
Future automobiles could be built into platforms more akin to smartphones, with billable services and wireless key upgrades, according to automakers and technology companies like Sony, Apple, and Google.
According to AFP, the automaker will pitch investors on its intended green makeover, which includes two spin-offs, on Tuesday. A new EV unit and a subsidiary for thermal and hybrid assets will be announced by Renault. In response to customer concerns about climate change, the market for electric vehicles is anticipated to expand quickly, placing pressure on businesses to provide less polluting products.
According to the report, the European Union decided last month to phase out new CO2-emitting vehicles by 2035. This decision is expected to accelerate the production of electric prototypes on the continent.
Ampere, a split-off that is anticipated to employ about 10,000 people in France and construct electric vehicles in the north, is the company's flagship segment. Although it would still hold the majority of the stock in Ampere, it intends to encourage investment.
Additionally, Renault plans to consolidate its technology, production, and R&D efforts for its internal-combustion and hybrid vehicles in a company dubbed 'Horse.' According to the article, the subsidiary is anticipated to employ 19,000 workers throughout Europe, China, and South America.


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An all-you-need-to-know guide to all the top green corporate announcements from a busy Climate Week in NYC
Is Tesla emulating Silicon Valley in its ability to catalyse an entire network of highly innovative clean tech companies?
Hundreds of businesses are now working to deliver net zero emissions, but are their lobbying activities supporting or undermining that goal?
University of Oxford researcher which looked at 181 celebrity campaigns in six languages finds no hard evidence that any were effective
Responsible companies are upping their cleaning efforts, but how can they ensure environmental impacts are minimised as coronavirus risks are curbed?
With backing from across the sector, the new AdGreen initiative aims to provide benchmarks for cutting CO2 and waste from TV ad production
From XR protests and trade board appointments to Brexit brinkmanship and transport funding, the government's triangulation on green issues points to a high stakes autumn
From materials innovation to modular construction: The property sector plots its pathway to net zero
The government has promised to 'build, build, build' to reboot the economy in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. But can this be done without stoking the climate emergency? BusinessGreen speaks to two developers to find out
With the launch of the US branch of the Plastics Pact the case for corporates to step up their plastic waste reduction efforts are becoming clearer than ever
What would change if e-commerce retailers shared information about a product's climate footprint?
Going green dramatically benefits businesses - it should be central to their coronavirus recovery strategy
Four main ways that greening can benefit businesses, according to the University of Southampton's Jagannadha Pawan Tamvada and Bournemouth University's Mili Shrivastava
Plastic-free parenting: Pura co-founder Guy Fennell on launching a sustainable baby care brand in lockdown
Guy Fennell, cofounder of environmentally friendly baby wipe company Pura, talks to BusinessGreen about his plans to disrupt the wasteful baby care industry with kerbside nappy recycling and plastic-free baby wipes
The tech giant is looking to turn the Just Transition concept into a clean energy investment reality
The climate impact of artificial intelligence - both in terms of power consumption and all the electronic waste that gadgets create - is a growing concern
Marsha Willard of Presidio Graduate School reflects on some of the emerging best practices and more businesses embrace the need to provide electric vehicle charging for their employees
Vice-president of nature and water cycle Eric Soubeiran sits down with BusinessGreen to discuss the French food giant's plans to move away from intensive farming practices in the pandemic era
NHS Sustainability Day campaign launches annual impact report as work continues by expert panel commissioned by NHS England to investigate into how and when the health service can meet net zero
The coronavirus crisis has not slowed the growing momentum behind the net zero building trend
JCB Jo Bamford sits down with BusinessGreen to discuss his plans to usher in the UK hydrogen economy through passenger buses
Shell and BP are writing down assets while a raft of US fracking firms are entering bankruptcy protection – change is coming to the fossil fuel industry faster than anyone expected
Heather Clancy asks if more corporates should emulate WeTransfer and Danone in joining the B Corp movement
Could the coronavirus crisis change the way we design green buildings?


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The Cupertino tech giant is expected to unveil the next generation Apple Watch Series 9 in September, along with the new iPhone 15 series.
Although there have been several reports on upcoming features in the new watchOS 10, there has been hardly any news on Apple Watch Series 9. Changing that, Mark Gurman from Bloomberg recently said that the new Series 9 would be powered by an advanced processor which will be based on A15 Bionic chip technology.
Powered by a new processor, Apple Watch Series 9 will be faster and more power efficient than its predecessor
Currently, Apple retails three smartwatch models: Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), Apple Watch Series 8, and Apple Watch Ultra. All three models are powered by an S8 chip, a 64-bit dual-core processor.
It is said that the S8 chip is the same S6 processor which was first used in Apple Watch Series 6 (2020), then in Series 7 (2021), and later was rebranded as S8 for Apple Watch Series 8 without any performance and power efficiency improvements. According to Gurman, the tech company has other plans for the new Apple Watch Series 9.
On his new Discord channel for his newsletter “Power On”, Gurman said that the chip in Series 9 will be a “new processor” and not an old rebranded chip like the S8.
The A15 Bionic chip was introduced in iPhone 13 series in 2021 and later used in iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus in 2022. The chip is built on a 5nm process to deliver improved performance and battery efficiency.
Apple Watch Series 9 rumored design and features
Based on reports, the new Apple Watch Series 9 will feature the same design language as the current Series 8 but will offer the following new capabilities powered by an advanced processor and watchOS 10:
- Central widgets interface
- Synchronization across Apple devices
- New health sensor to monitor blood glucose in a non-invasive way


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In the event you want to share your screen, Oculus is also launching Facebook live streaming today in conjunction with Parties and Rooms, so you can share what you’re seeing in VR with those simply browsing the Facebook mobile app.
To give you a physical presence in VR, Oculus is using a stripped-down version of its Avatars feature, first announced back at Oculus Connect in October, that displays Parties participants as colored, semi-translucent heads.
Nobody will judge you, as nobody can find out your real name.
“Nik” is actually Steve Sweet, 47, a mobile phone salesman from Plymouth.
He, it is fair to say, looks as unlike Keanu Reeves as it is possible to be. They are avatars, online characters who were created by Kristen and Steve in Second Life, an internet fantasy world, where you can reinvent yourself and embark on the kind of adventures you’ve always dreamed of – including a WAG-style white wedding with 20ft train, and even, as we have seen today, the phenomenon of cyber-adultery.
By joining a Room with your friend, you’ll also be able to launch multiplayer Gear VR experiences together.
Oculus wants this to be a way people can replicate the experience of being in the same physical area, even when separated by a long distance.
It gets even weirder once you realise that Kristen’s mother logged on to Second Life to see her “daughter” Kira wed Nik and that Steve’s mate was his best man, watching, all choked up, on the sidelines.
The bizarre event was the culmination of five months of cyber-dating, during which time Kirsten and Steve’s avatars met in Second Life, struck up a virtual rapport, had virtual sex and moved in together, virtually.
Oculus wants people to think of virtual reality as more than a solitary, gaming-centric experience.
To that effect, the company today is launching two new features for the Samsung Gear VR headset that it hopes will encourage users to interact with one another in a virtual hangout.
The first is called Parties, and it’s a simple chat system — much like game chat for Play Station or Xbox — that lets you jump into a voice call and talk with others while wearing the headset.


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The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a new warning for people with aluminum foil pans.
The agency says the pans are now being recalled due to a possible health risk and is urging people with a history of aluminum foil or other aluminum foil products to avoid them.
The Food and Safety Modernization Act of 2010 created the FDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to investigate food safety hazards.
The agency issued a warning on Wednesday to consumers and businesses that use aluminum foil, which is coated with aluminum oxide, and is also used as a foil coating on breads, cookies, pizza, and other food products.
Aluminum foil is used in aluminum pie and aluminum foil pan products to help foil the edges of aluminum pans when cooking.
The FDA says it has not found a health risk related to the aluminum foil product and advises people to avoid using aluminum foil at home, in restaurants, or on a table.
The warning states that consumers and restaurants are encouraged to report any reports of possible aluminum foil hazards to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
The government agency has also said that it will inspect more than 5,000 aluminum foil items that were distributed in the U.S. in the past five years.
The new warning comes after several deaths and illnesses linked to aluminum foil were linked to the products.
On February 10, two children died after eating foil from a foil pan at a Disney theme park in Florida.
In June, a man in Colorado was found to have aluminum foil wrapped around his body.


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Posted by Matt Seber on Sunday, January 26, 2014
On Friday, wireless carrier Sprint has officially presented its latest Android tablet, the new ultra-affordable ZTE Optik 2. The device is now up for grabs at a very affordable price of $29.99, with a two-year contract. It is now offered for purchase through the carrier's official website.
Sprint's newest Optik 2 is a 7-inch tablet that is 3G-ready but similar to the original Optik, it lacks 4G LTE services.
Considering its extra low cost, the device likewise comes with entry-level specifications as such with a 1,024x600-pixel resolution, a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 200 processor, 8GB internal storage, and 1GB RAM.
It also features two cameras -- a front-facing 2-megapixel and a rear 5-megapixel combo, microSD expansion, a 4,000mAh battery and Bluetooth 4.0. The device runs on Android 4.1.2 software. That sounds enough promising for the price.
As part of the new deal, Sprint customers are as well given the option to pair the ZTE Optik 2 with any of its Tablet Connection plans such as the promotional 2GB data for $15 a month. Users can also use the tablet as a Wi-Fi hot spot for up to five devices, but this means paying extra $19.99 per month for 2GB of data. Another alternative offer is a 6GB hot spot plan for $49.99 a month.
Sprint’s standard offerings would include 25MB for $5, 100MB for $10, 3GB of data for $34.99 and 12GB of data for $79.99.


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already declared that the handset market simply isn't what it used to be, and now it seems like a bunch of its rivals are begrudgingly nodding their heads in agreement. According to a new report from Reuters, Nokia and some of its main competitors have begun to "slash prices as demand falls and retailers cut inventories after lackluster holiday sales." Not surprisingly, demand for new handsets was down in the critical last quarter of 2008, and the falling demand at a time when retailers are looking to scale back on inventory holdings has left many with few options. eQ Bank analyst Jari Honko noted that there are just "two ways to cut inventories -- writedowns or dump them on the market," and it seems that most of the cuts thus far have occurred on the mid- to high-end handsets in Europe. Not to be disrespecting any bottom lines, but can we North Americans get a little of that discount love over our way?
[Image courtesy of Guyana Providence Stadium]


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Filed under: PS2
Posted by Allison on July 7, 2004 10:28 AM
Thanks to Gamestop
for pointing out an interview with Vin Diesel on ComingSoon.net
, where Diesel let it slip that a PS2 version of "Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay" is in the works and is being primed for a holiday release. However, Gamespot checked with a VU Games spokesperson who stated, "at this time there are no plans to do Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay on PlayStation 2." My personal opinion? When spokespeople say "at this time there are no plans", it means "we haven't officially announced it yet, but it's in the works". But, that's just me.
Continue Article ↓


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Judging by with what success at the beginning of January in Orlando 29th annual exhibition SHOT SHOW, demonstrating the newest samples of goods for sport shooting, hunting and outdoor activities, we can confidently assert that the coming year will allow to realize the enormous potential, LESSONS exhibitors and visitors, BECAUSE enterprises producing goods for the hunters and representatives of trading organizations gained strong momentum AS has signed a contract to further increase the volume of the issue and sale of goods for hunting and shooting sports.
As President of the National Shooting Sports Foundation Doug Pater: «There is no doubt that the exhibited samples of hundreds of new products for hunters will be on sale later this year,» .Vystavka SHOT Show is the world’s largest demonstration of the achievements and innovations in such areas of firearms and ammunition, bows and accessories, bladed articles, optical instruments, products for outdoor recreation. Held in Orlando, the exhibition has become the largest in the history of these exhibitions. 1870 stands of companies participating in the exhibition, which worked almost 20 thousand people, 66 thousand square meters occupied. m (For comparison statistics last year: an exhibition area of 61 thousand sq. m. m, the number of companies participating in 1846), and the total area of the convention center, where an exhibition, is 130 sq. m. m. According to preliminary data, the total number of visitors exceeded 42 thousand people. And this despite the fact that the exhibition is only for professionals (more than 20,000 from 75 countries) and representatives of specialized media (a journalist in 1342), a free exhibition net.Predstaviteli National Association of sporting goods noted that in 2005 the sales of weapons and goods hunting 6protsentov increased compared with 2004. This figure is more than two times higher than the growth in sales of sporting goods in general.
The largest section of the exhibition was a section which presents equipment for law enforcement. A very respectable there were other sections: weapons and ammunition, equipment, ammunition, and equipment for hunting and shooting sports, hunting clothes, hunting tourism and retail stores.
The world’s leading companies participated in the exhibition, were assessed last forum exclusively in glowing terms. «It was the best exhibition of the twenty-year history of our participation in it» — said Toxie Haas, CEO of one of the market leaders in the production of camouflage clothes for hunting company Mossy Oak. Of Smith Wesson presented at its booth a few models of shotguns, the production of which has already begun. This information has become a real sensation (See. «News» section), as Smith Wesson he had never engaged in production of hunting weapons and made exclusively handguns. Paul Plaff representative Smith Wesson, he said: «The number of visitors to our stand exceeded all possible expectations. Information about the launch of our company shotguns caused a genuine sensation. We are very pleased with our contacts with the media and how our participation in the exhibition was covered in specialized media. «
Company Thompson / Center Arms is considered one of the leaders in the creation of new models of weapons, and a new model rifle with the bolt Icon shutter is the best proof of that. You can be absolutely sure that this rifle will enjoy great popularity among ohotnikov.Novy chuck .30 T / C, created the company Thompson / Center Arms, has stopping power .30-06 cartridge. Weight 150 grain bullet is accelerated to a speed of 900 m / s. Such impressive ballistic characteristics become achievable thanks to the new powder. The ballistic characteristics of the new cartridge similar to those of the cartridge .308 Hornady Light Magnum, though, this cartridge has a big advantage: the range of bullets and cartridge options and equipment that is much more than can currently boast .30 T / C. By the way, Icon will be produced and chambered for the .308 caliber, though not Hornady, and Winchester.
Interesting cartridge for shotgun 20 caliber company offered Hastings. It supermagnum (89 mm), designed specifically for bear hunting. The creators of the cartridge set a goal to achieve the highest possible accuracy and stopping power. Weight 410 grand a lead bullet, the initial flight speed of 600 m / s.
Known to many Russian hunters company Bushnell demonstrated at a new model of GPS. Onix 400 GPS model is equipped with, among other things, the system also receive XM satellite radio, which covers the whole territory of the United States and Canada. This means that the device will not only help to pinpoint the location of the owner, but also give him the opportunity to listen to your favorite music or any other of the 170 channels to find out the weather report or stock quote. In addition, owners of this GPS model can be loaded into memory satellite maps favorite places hunting.
The company introduced a new model Kimber hunting rifle with the bolt gate Safari chambered .375 HH Magnum. As stated by the company in the near future plans to release this model under a different caliber bullets. According to experts, the company Kimber is clearly committed to ensuring that the range of models produced rifle was a rifle with the bolt gun for any hunting, and apparently succeeds in implementing this initiative.
The company has demonstrated a new model Ruger rifle under the new Hawkeye Alaskan powerful cartridge .375 Ruger. Appearance rifle convinces her strength and ability to perform even the most difficult work, but does not agree with the producers announced price. Perhaps the high price is partly due to the rifle caliber, usually a powerful rifle cartridges usually cost more. In contrast to the performance of Alaskan, the same model in the performance of African rifle has a barrel length of 58 cm (barrel Alaskan — 51 cm) and a box of high-quality walnut, which is more consistent with the classical ideas about oruzhii.Horosho hunter hunters known Russian company CZ fulfilled the promise given earlier and began manufacturing rifles bolted gate for left-handers, which, incidentally, are not less than 10 percent of hunters. The release of such began with rifles are very popular rifles chambered for rimfire and models CZ 527. In the near future for the left-handers will produce other models. It is hoped that the rifle in such an embodiment will be delivered to Russia.
Sightron company produces world-class, able to compete on equal terms with the products of leading world manufacturers of optical sights. But due to some unknown circumstances, something prevented the company a firm foothold in the world market. However, hunters who prefer to pay for quality and reliability, and not for the brand with the name of well-known manufacturer, has long been well aware of this company. At the last exhibition Sightron company introduced a new line of optical sights SII Big Sky.
Surefire The company is also well known to readers of our magazine, we have already talked about its innovative developments in the field of flashlights. The exhibition SHOT Show presented new models of lamps, which, thanks to the use of the latest achievements, characterized by an increased period of work with one set of batteries and increase the brightness of the light flux. For example, a popular model lamp EL1 Outdoorsman series with one LED brightness luminous flux was 25 lumens, and time from one set of batteries — 4 hours. Now the brightness of the light flux was able to increase up to 30 lumens, and the operating time — up to 17 hours! At the lantern model EL2 with two LED brightness of the light flux was increased from 30 to 45 lumens, and time — from 6 to 18 hours.
Also lanterns at the booth could get acquainted with new models of tactical knives. Blades folding knives made of stainless steel S30V, probably one of the best steel for the manufacture of blades of knives for general use. Knife Echo models with fixed blade made of steel 3V CPM. The company’s stand was also presented special equipment for rescue and law enforcement officials — «Multitools» (or more familiar to the Russian reader known as «folding pliers») with a hook knife, wrenches, screwdrivers, wire cutters, etc.
This year, as never before exhibited a large number of products for women who are fond of hunting and shooting. According to experts, it is the fastest growing segment of the industry. Brian Seitz of the company SHE Safari said: «As representatives of trade organizations, and journalists with great interest the exhibition represented our collection of women’s hunting clothes. We intend to expand the volume and range of products and have already booked twice as much space for our stand at the exhibition of 2008 «.
The exhibition SHOT Show is traditionally held the auction, which exhibited firearms and blade. Proceeds from the auction proceeds are used for charitable purposes. Over the years the auction has raised over 500 thousand dollars. «The purpose of these auctions is not only to fill up someone’s collection or to raise funds to carry out this or that action. These auctions have a tremendous educational value, as formed in the public consciousness of the importance of preserving and increasing the national hunting heritage «, — said Dave Miles, director of the National Shooting Sports Foundation Relations obschestvennostyu.V this year’s auction was billed authentic collection weapon. Especially for the auction, Smith Wesson revolver produced four hunting: Hunting for sheep Rockies (cal. .41 Magnum), white-tailed deer (cal. .44 Magnum), elk (cal. .460) And elk (cal. .500) And .22 caliber pistol . Each unit is decorated with elegant weapon was thematic and was completed engraved gift box. All weapons had the serial number 0001.
Known Klingentor maker Ross Tayzer provided the organizers of the auction made it in one piece «Folding Knife gentleman» with the pads on the handle of a black mother of pearl, gold fixed with screws.
All funds raised during the auction conducted under the 2007 SHOT Show, and it was in the amount of USD 42,391, were transferred to the National Museum of Fisheries and Wildlife, which are held on the basis of days of hunting and fishing.
As usual, during the exhibition held classes at the university SHOT Show. Seminars, specially organized for the retailers weapon, was attended by over 120 people.
The success or failure is determined by the exhibition including those willing to whether its exhibitors to take part in the exhibition next year. «No doubt there is, — said Doug Painter — that the exhibition next year in Las Vegas, will be even larger and representative. You can judge this by the fact that current participants have already booked 65,500 square meters. m area under the stands. »
STEVE WAGNER, NSSF5 April 2007 at 13:49


text: If you’re smug because you “always buy organic” at the store (that would be me, 90% of the time), you should read this article. Sometimes, what is labeled “organic” is not so much. Organic used to mean grown in soil with no pesticides. But that’s not the case anymore. Sometimes it means grown in water without any soil. But thanks to a group of plucky farmers and concerned educators, there will be a new label to watch for. Read this article from the Modern Farmer web site.


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The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) is setting up a diversity task force designed to challenge the global advertising industry to better represent and support diverse identities when marketing to consumers.
Diversity has been a major challenge for the industry over the years, despite efforts by some companies and agencies to address it. WFA cited a recent global study by Ipsos that found that 72% of adults believe advertising does not reflect the world around them.
The group has named Belinda Smith, former head of global marketing intelligence at EA and Jerry Daykin, senior media director for EMEA at GSK Consumer Health, as WFA diversity ambassadors and co-facilitators of the new group.
Other members of the task force include senior executives from brands and agencies, including Bank of Nigeria, Brand Advance, Diageo, Forsman & Bodenfors, Kin, Mastercard, P&G, Publicis and Unilever.
“Our content reaches billions of people every day,” stated Daykin. “We can use that reach to positively challenge social expectations. Diversity doesn’t have to be the main subject of an advertisement. Casually improving representation across your output helps to normalize diverse communities and reflects the world.”
Along with the new task force WFA has released a new report with insights and recommendations for improving diversity performance.


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It was revealed back in February that NBC’s “Heroes” would be returning as a new series, titled “Heroes Reborn,” in 2015 and since then few details have been revealed about the project save for Jack Coleman’s confirmed return. Now, in an interview with EW, series creator Tim Kring opened up about the new series and what we can expect.
“To be honest, it wasn’t a pitch from me, it was a pitch from NBC to me,” Kring revealed about the series’ origin. “They saw the value in that franchise and brand and asked if I was interested in helming it again. And we had left the story in a place where we had more story to tell. So given the opportunity, I had ideas of where I wanted the story to go originally when we were hoping for a fifth season and so when we were given the opportunity five years late, some of those same thoughts were there as to where this story goes. But five years had passed and I also had new ideas on how to reboot the brand in away that gives people a whole fresh take on the series with a whole host of new characters but gives you that sense of you’re in that world of Heroes you’re familiar with.”
The initial announcement for the 13-episode series revealed it would focus primarily on new characters instead of those introduced in the first four seasons. Kring went on to reveal why they decided to go that route with the new episodes.
“The vast, vast majority are brand new characters, brand new ideas. [Bringing back previous characters is] really only to give a sense of continuity and a tether to the original world. If it was all completely brand new, we’d miss certain elements that need to be there to give you that bridge to cross to something new. I approached Coleman because he was a character who had a spine through the series that allowed you to meet new characters. So he’s a character I wanted to make sure had a little part at the beginning of this thing.”
With the return of “Heroes Reborn,” NBC will launch a digital series prior to the 2015 premiere that will introduce the characters and new storylines.


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DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. on Monday said it has hired Mike Amend as its new chief digital and information officer as it places an increased emphasis on software services to generate recurring revenue from car buyers.
Amend, 43, most recently was president, online, at Lowe's. He reports to CEO Jim Farley.
"Mike adds dimension to our team as we use technology and software to transform our company and transportation from the inside-out," Farley said in a statement. "Ford has always been an innovator in vehicles; now we're taking our digital capabilities to new levels to further differentiate ourselves with customers and from competitors."


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Griffin Technology on Thursday debuted
RocketFM, a USB device that broadcasts your Mac’s audio over any available FM frequency. It comes with software that helps you tune in the right station. Griffin said it will ship the RocketFM sometime this quarter for US$39.99. Pre-orders are being accepted now.


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Enfora and LeapFrog have signed a licensing agreement that will integrate five famous LeapFrog educational games into the TicTalk mobile phone. With over 400 school skills in first through sixth grade main subject areas such as math, spelling, social studies and science are covered in the games.
The TicTalk mobile phone was designed by Enfora to cater to parents’ needs for a safe and reliable communication tool with their children. Now, with five of LeapFrog’s learning games in TicTalk as well, parents are further assured that their kids have in their hands an engaging and educational handheld system.
TicTalk operates on any GSM/GPRS network nationwide and is extremely easy to use. Parents need only log on to a user-friendly website (www.mytictalk.com) where they can pre-set who their kids can call and get calls from. Parents can also set how often kids can make and receive calls, and what hours and days of the week the phone can be used to call particular numbers. TicTalk can even be programmed when it can ring, e.g., before and after school.
It is expected to retail for US $99 just in time for the back-to-school season. Pre-paid phone cards start at just US $25 for 100 minutes.


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Criteo S.A. (NASDAQ: CRTO), the commerce media company, today announced a retail media advertising partnership with ASOS, the global online fashion destination. Criteo will be the exclusive partner for endemic brands’ advertising across ASOS’ market-leading app and web experience for fashion-loving twenty-somethings.
Under the three-year agreement, Criteo’s retail media technologies will be integrated to power both ASOS’ Sponsored Ads and enhanced Display Ads powered by ASOS’ rich first-party data.
- Sponsored Ads is a new proposition on ASOS.com, enabling intent-based targeting of ads within search results and product listing pages. Ads will be placed within a curated edit of c.70,000 products, sourced from nearly 900 of the best global and local third-party brands as well as its mix of fashion-led in-house labels, including ASOS Design, ASOS Edition, ASOS 4505, Topshop/Topman and Collusion.
- On-site Display Ads, a pre-existing format, combines branding and product information to increase brand awareness at the point of sale. Putting first-rate creative to work, Display Ads through Criteo will help connect new custom audiences with relevant brand messages on ASOS.com and app.
- Off-site Ads will also be provided through Criteo, expanding ad targeting possibilities across thousands of premium publisher sites and connected TV (CTV) to enable more commerce experiences across the buyer journey.
Criteo’s solutions will allow ASOS Media Group (AMG) to scale campaign volume and resulting advertising revenue, while complementing their existing rich advertising offering across creative solutions, social media, targeted email and app push notifications. The partnership will offer advertisers improved targeting and measurement capabilities, driving greater performance and commerce outcomes including sales on ASOS.com. Criteo will also support AMG’s sales efforts to brands and agencies in key markets.
Elton Ollerhead, Director of ASOS Media Group commented, “The ASOS vision is to become the go-to global destination for fashion-loving 20-somethings and we want to take brands on the journey with us, helping advertisers showcase their products through our fashion lens. Criteo’s technology is proven at scale and designed for retail, which opens up enormous opportunity for brand advertisers across our key markets.”
Working with ASOS’s in-house media team selling to global brands, Criteo will drive demand among mid to long-tail brand targets. Criteo will also spur incremental agency demand through its client solutions teams across Europe and the US.
Sherry Smith, General Manager, Global Enterprise at Criteo commented, “ASOS is a market leader that gives its customers an exceptional shopping experience, which Criteo is excited to enhance with relevant and native advertising experiences. We look forward to building our partnership and delivering best-in-class commerce media solutions for ASOS brand partners.”
The initial deployment will take place across the UK, US, France and Germany, before expanding to all global territories ASOS operates in.
For more information on Criteo’s retail media solutions and ecosystem, visit here.
Criteo (NASDAQ: CRTO) is the global commerce media company that enables marketers and media owners to drive better commerce outcomes. Its industry leading Commerce Media Platform connects 22,000 marketers and thousands of media owners to deliver richer consumer experiences from product discovery to purchase. By powering trusted and impactful advertising, Criteo supports an open internet that encourages discovery, innovation, and choice. For more information, please visit www.criteo.com.
ASOS is a destination for fashion-loving 20-somethings around the world, with a purpose to give its customers the confidence to be whoever they want to be. Through its market-leading app and mobile/desktop web experience, available in ten languages and in over 200 markets, ASOS customers can shop a curated edit of nearly 70,000 products, sourced from nearly 900 of the best global and local partner brands and its mix of fashion-led own-brand labels – ASOS Design, ASOS Edition, ASOS 4505, Collusion, Reclaimed Vintage, Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT. ASOS aims to give all its customers a truly frictionless experience, with an ever-greater number of different payment methods and hundreds of local deliveries and return options, including Next-Day Delivery and Same-Day Delivery, dispatched from state-of-the-art fulfilment centres in the UK, US and Germany


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Munster Tennis is delighted to announce a new partnership with The Fota Collection, the Cork-based hospitality and leisure group that includes the world-renowned Fota Island Resort and The Kingsley.
With combined world-class facilities across two Cork locations that include everything from dedicated tennis courts to three championship golf courses with world-leading spa and fitness centres, the members and players of Munster Tennis can now avail of the same high standard of welcome and sporting expertise at The Fota Collection facilities that many leading athletes and sports team from across Europe enjoy.
President of Munster Tennis, Shane Cooke, said “This is the first of many new partnerships we shall be announcing over the coming weeks and I am extremely pleased to welcome the prestigious, world-class leisure and sports destination, The Fota Collection, as an Official Partner.
“With Fota Island Resort and The Kingsley being perfectly located for all tennis events hosted at our member clubs in and around Cork, I am sure competing players, their families and friends will be delighted to avail of the fabulous facilities that are now on offer at a tremendous rate to everyone associated with Munster Tennis.”
Commenting at the launch at a sun-drenched Fota Island Resort, The Fota Collection’s Sports & Events Manager, Phillippa Deane, welcomed the new addition to the already enviable sports pedigree by adding “We are delighted to join Munster Tennis as an Official Partner and look forward to welcoming the members, players and their guests to Fota Island Resort and The Kingsley.
We are proud to welcome many leading sports athletes and teams from across Europe to The Fota Collection facilities on an ongoing basis and we are confident that our combined facilities and locations in Cork will prove very popular for the players, families and supporters of Munster Tennis, be it for tournaments and events or purely for leisure and relaxation.”
Details of special rates and combined packages exclusively available to members and players of Munster Tennis will be announced very soon. General booking enquiries (ask for Tennis Rates, please) are welcome to:
Fota Island Resort : +353 21 488 3700 | The Kingsley : +353 21 480 0500 | www.TheFotaCollection.ie


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The invoiced value of UK publishers’ annual sales fell 2% in 2013 to £3.39bn, with sales of physical books falling by 5% and sales of digital products rising 19%, to £509m.
Consumer e-book sales rose 18% to £263m, with digital now accounting for 33% of fiction sales and 7% of the non-fiction/reference sector.
The Publishers Association‘s Statistics Yearbook 2013 shows how digital and a stagnant economy have combined to affect the publishing sector, with no repeat in 2013 of the success of E L James’ Fifty Shades titles in 2012. Home sales fell 6.3% to £1.6bn, with sales of physical fiction books down from £344m to £275m, and children’s books down 6% to £218m. In volume terms, the number of physical books sold has fallen from 464 million to 380 million in five years, with much of the decline offset by digital growth.
Exports also fell in 2013, down 4% to £1.27bn, principally because of a strong decline in fiction sales overseas.
For the first time, the PA has also analysed the UK journals market, which stands at an estimated £1.3bn, with £850m of that figure coming from digital services. The sector has grown 4% in the past two years of measurement. Education publishers also performed strongly in 2013: compared with last year book sales rose 2% to £296m, with digital sales rising 18% to £16m.
Richard Mollet, chief executive of the PA, said 2013 was “an interesting equilibrium moment with the total growth up by the same figure as physical sales are declining; showing that digital sales are fully pulling their weight in the market”. He said that after 2012’s “Fifty Shades” effect, the 2013 numbers showed the “sector back on trend and enjoying steady growth”. Since 2009, UK publishers’ total sales, including exports, have risen by 6%, though during that period there has been a marked shift from print to digital, with physical sales declining by 6.3% and digital sales up by 306%. Digital has risen from 4% of publishers’ total business to 15% in that period.
In his review of the numbers Nick Fowler, director of strategy at Elsevier and president of the PA, said the “main headlines” showed that publishers “maintained a strong performance and that digital growth is an established fact for publishers”. He highlighted digital growth as “the single most encouraging factor about publishers’ performance, because it emphatically demonstrates—if it needed reiterating—that publishing has a strong future in the mixed-mode economy”. He added: “The question of whether publishing could survive in the online environment, which always sounded strange, now looks utterly redundant.”
The general trends, when digital is included, remain positive for publishers. Sales of physical fiction books have fallen from £561m in 2009 to £400m in 2013, with an even more pronounced drop in volume numbers. However, fiction e-book sales have risen by 5,000%, from £4m to £200m, meaning that at £599m, the total fiction market is at its highest point for five years, save for 2012’s Fifty Shades-inspired £680m figure.
In non-fiction and reference, physical sales have drifted down from £780m in 2009 to £763m in 2013, but with digital sales now up to £55m, the combined tally of non-fiction and reference book sales stands at £818m, representing growth of 5% over five years.
Ironically, given its most recent growth, the only sector not showing five-year positive growth is the children’s market, where physical sales have dropped from £333m to £298m, with digital yet to pick up the slack (“e” sales were £16m in 2013). In her review of the year, Marlene Johnson, m.d. of Hachette Children’s Books, said “the hoped-for increase in ‘e’ sales of books for younger children emanating from the trickle-down effect of devices has not materialised in any substantial way.” She said this raised the importance of physical retail. “If the future for children’s publishing is unlikely to be in the digital arena over the next few years, the reliance on bricks-and-mortar bookselling will continue to become ever more important.”
Next to fiction, the strongest performing digital sector was in academic and professional publishing, with digital sales now at £216m, more than double what they were in 2009. The growth more than compensated for the physical decline—sales have fallen from £900m to £866m in five years. Meanwhile, schools and ELT saw five-year growth in physical sales (up 7.5% and 15.4% respectively) and only marginal growth in digital sales, representing just 6% and 2% of their respective markets in 2013. Ron Ragsdale, director of knowledge management, ELT, Cambridge University Press, said the ELT sector was “undergoing a sector-wide transformation, not just from print to digital, but across all areas of the traditional publishing business”.
In the academic and professional sector, Subroto Mozumdar, director of strategy and business development, Global Higher Education, at Pearson, said publishers were benefiting from higher education institutions’ investment in hardware—such as tablets for students—but that publishers must compete with technology companies to deliver “learning content in a far more interactive and dynamic manner”.
Overall, the PA estimated that at consumer prices, the total UK book market was worth £3bn in 2013; and with journals included the sector was worth £4.7bn. Mollet said the UK’s creative sector was worth £71bn, meaning its publishing field was “7% of that”.


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Latest Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Stories
MADISON, N.J., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, maker of AdvilÂ® pain-relief products, announced today the launch of a consumer campaign encouraging Americans to clean out their medicine cabinets and properly dispose of unwanted, expired and recalled products.
SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- CrystalGenomics, Inc. (Seoul, Korea) and CG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Emeryville, California), a drug discovery and development biopharmaceutical company, has announced that Dr.
A new study shows that aspirin, given intravenously (IV), may be a safe and effective option for people hospitalized for severe headache or migraine, undergoing medication withdrawal.
Even the lowest possible dose of aspirin (75 mg) can ward off bowel cancer, if taken regularly, finds research published online in the journal Gut.
PARSIPPANY, N.J. and INDIANAPOLIS, Sept.
BEDMINSTER, N.J. and BALERNA, Switzerland, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Nautilus Neurosciences, Inc. ("Nautilus"), a neurology-focused specialty pharmaceutical company headquartered in New Jersey, and APR Applied Pharma Research s.a.
MONTREAL, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Transdel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Common painkillers have been linked to risks of heart attack may also increase the risk of stroke.
PITTSBURGH, July 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mylan Inc. (Nasdaq: MYL) today announced that its subsidiary Matrix Laboratories Limited has received final approval from the U.S.
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- A young chicken: also used as a pet name for children.
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How Disruptive Business Models in Agriculture and Finance are Stimulating the Economy.
How Disruptive Business Models in Agriculture and Finance are Stimulating the Economy
In this episode, we will focus on various innovations and disruptive business models that are contributing to rural finance and agriculture.
But first, please like the video and subscribe to our channel for more such content in the future. Push the bell icon to receive updates every time we upload a video.
Owing to private and government sector improvements, India’s rural economy is growing steadily. India’s rural economy adds to almost half the GDP of the nation.
India’s rural ecosystem is extremely large and is growing significantly. In 2019-2020, the rural economy was singularly responsible for employing 350 million people—68 percent of the total workforce.
Various government policies, such as the Model contract farming Act of 2018, have boosted FPOs (farmer-producer organizations). FPOs are growing in importance since they assist farmers in generating awareness and creating new opportunities.
An article published on Brain & Company mentions and I quote: “Agriculture is the largest sub-sector in the rural economy, contributing approximately 37% of total rural GDP in 2019–20. Between 2017 and 2020, agri-tech start-ups have attracted ~INR 6.6K Cr in private equity investments.”
“As newer generations of farmers and FPOs become digitally savvy, new business models are emerging across the agriculture value chain, from inputs and harvesting to processing and distribution. Information and transparency initiatives are addressing existing inefficiencies and formalizing a traditionally informal sector…,” the article further states.
In addition to various agricultural reforms, digital inclusion has made rural India a force to reckon with. From Aadhar to Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojna, the digital revolution has significantly raised the living standards of rural India.
Another contributing factor to the development of rural India is the availability of credit and lower-value loans.
“…Awareness and access to credit options are increasing as more rural- and agriculture-focused players, like Jai Kisan and Samunnati, connect farmers to financing partners. Additionally, government schemes like the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) are offering low-interest loans to farmers and FPOs as well as to non-corporate, non-farm, small and micro enterprises to drive financial inclusion,” reads the Brain & Company article.
Rural India is truly contributing to building the nation. While Urban India is doing its bit in contributing to the growing economy, the government and the private sector have realized the importance of rural India. If India is to become the Viswa Guru, it has to begin by making rural India a formidable force.
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GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Who is ready for a bash at the library?
The Kent District Library will be hosting a system-wide Book Bash on Saturday, April, 27 and Sunday, April 28 at its Service Center, 814 West River Center Dr. NE, in Comstock Park.
The inaugural Book Bash will include a warehouse book and media sale, local authors showcase, children’s book swap, fill-a-bag sale, Zumba classes and refreshments.
In March, the community donated nearly 10,000 books, most of which are in like-new condition, for the event, said Linda Kromben, development director of the library. Book Bash will have more than 100,000 books and media for sale, including albums, DVDs, VHS and audio books.
“If they’re looking to find inexpensive ways to find their reading books for the summer, this is a great way to do it,” she said, explaining that items are $1 or less.
Entry to the weekend events are free to the public – whether or not you have a KDL library card.
Those interested in some of the Book Bash programs, such as the two Zumba classes and a gardening project by The Home Depot, will need to register online as classes are limited.
Book Bash kicks off with an invitation-only preview night, hosted by WGVU radio host Shelley Irwin, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, April 26. Tickets for this event are limited to KDL donors, sponsors, Lakeland Library Cooperative members and KDL volunteers.
The public is welcome to shop the Book Bash from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, and the fill-a-bag sale from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday, April 28. The first 200 people at the fill-a-bag sale will receive a free bag, while others may purchase one for $5 or bring their own tote.
Proceeds from Book Bash will go to the KDL Summer Reading Program, which begins June 1. The program encourages people of all ages to read through the summer.
“The money raised will go back into our programming budget to make sure we have very robust options for children, teens and adults,” Kromben said.