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Traceless materials wins Green Alley Award 2021
Traceless materials from Germany has won the Green Alley Award. The startup’s winning idea: A material that claims to be one step ahead of other bioplastics on the market today. Thanks to the special technology developed by the German startup, agricultural industry residues are transformed into a sustainable alternative to film or hard plastic packaging or plastic coating. The result is an all-natural material that is not only completely bio-based but can also be composted in your organic waste bin within two to nine weeks.
Jan Patrick Schulz, CEO of Landbell Group, is very satisfied with this year’s winner: “Circular startups like traceless materials meet consumers’ expectations to promote sustainability more strongly. With the Green Alley Award, we want to foster precisely those business models that combine resource conservation with economic success,” says Schulz. “What convinced us about traceless material’s business idea was their holistic bio-circular approach to producing an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional plastic. Traceless materials claims to need no harmful additives and could save up to 87% of carbon emissions while being competitive in material properties and price. The solution also supports the European Union’s ban on certain single-use plastics that will go into effect in July this year.”
Anne Lamp, CEO and founder of traceless materials, is happy about the award and explains how the startup will use the prize money of 25,000 euros: “The Green Alley Award helps us to raise awareness of our innovative alternative to plastic – designed for nature. Our goal is to establish Traceless as an ingredient brand, creating awareness and demand for our uniquely sustainable material solution among end consumers. One step on the way to gaining their trust and achieving recognition for traceless materials is through certificates and education. And this is what we want to use the prize money for.”


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British brands make up half of the top 20 this year, with the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Doulton and Wedgwood rising in the league table, voted for in a national survey of 2,000 adults.
But the manufacturer of iPads and iPhones dropped out of the top 10 brands that had the most influence over consumers, the survey by Superbrands, published today, showed. Apple fell nine places from ninth to 18th position.
Mercedes (Xetra: 710000 - news) -Benz took fourth place, followed by the BBC the sixth year it has been in the top five ahead of Duracell and Dulux. Jaguar was up one place to number nine, while Royal Doulton held 10th position, the list showed. Stephen Cheliotis, chairman of the Superbrands Expert Council, said: "It is notable that in these difficult times, we are reaffirming our faith in many traditional British brands."
Rolls-Royce topped the business superbrands list for the second year running, beating Google, GlaxoSmithKline (Other OTC: GLAXF.PK - news) and British Airways (Other OTC: BABWF.PK - news) the highest mover into the top 20, from 43 places to fifth. Apple fared better in the business ranking, up one from last year to fourth place.
Foreign-owned technology brands including Nokia (Stockholm: NOKI-SEK.ST - news) and BlackBerry fell out of the
top 20. But banks were the real "losers", Mr Cheliotis said, with
not one represented in the top 20 business list.
|Consumer Superbrands 2012||Business Superbrands 2012|
|1. Rolex||1. Rolls-Royce Group|
|2. Coca-Cola||2. Google|
|3. Google||3. GlaxoSmithKline|
|4. Mercedes-Benz||4. Apple|
|5. BBC||5. British Airways|
|6. BMW||6. Virgin Atlantic|
|7. Duracell||7. London Stock Exchange|
|8. Dulux||8. Bosch|
|9. Jaguar||9. Visa|
|10. Royal Doulton||10. PricewaterhouseCoopers|
|11. Wedgwood||11. Microsoft|
|12. Royal Albert Hall||12. FedEx|
|13. John Lewis||13. BAE Systems|
|14. Michelin||14. Boeing|
|15. Hilton||15. Eddie Stobart|
|16. Dyson||16. DHL|
|17. Marks & Spencer||17. BT|
|18. Apple||18. Shell|
|19. Guinness||19. Ernst & Young|
|20. Bang & Olufsen||20. Vodafone|

domain: news


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Athens TikToker Tony Piloseno, who’s famous for his paint-mixing videos, revealed Tuesday that he accepted a job at a small Orlando, Florida-based paint company days after going public about his termination from Sherwin-Williams in a viral video, despite offers from paint giants across the country.
Piloseno, an Ohio University senior studying marketing in The College of Business who goes by tonesterpaints on his TikTok profile that’s amassed more than 1.4 million followers, said he took a position with Florida Paints working sales and operations at a few of their locations, similar to the work he did at Sherwin-Williams in Athens.
The company also agreed to invest in his personal influencer brand and create his own products or paint line, he said in an interview.
Florida Paints owner Don Strube reached out to him on LinkedIn last week, which led to a phone call where he offered to fly Piloseno out to Florida to tour the business. Piloseno took him up on the offer and spent this past weekend in the sunshine state learning about the company.
“We talked about (how we) both have a passion for paint, man. I just felt like I really connected with him,” he said.
Piloseno lost his job this past summer at the East State Street Sherwin-Williams store after the company received customer complaints related to his videos and discovered he created content while on the clock using company machinery.
He received an outpouring of public support following what many believed to be a mistake on the part of Sherwin-Williams for firing him, since he offered to expand the company's marketing efforts virtually for free with the help of his substantial online clout.
While several other major paint companies across the country, including New Jersey-based Benjamin Moore & Co. and Pittsburg-based PPG, reached out to him with offers for jobs and investment in his TikTok brand, Piloseno was drawn to Florida Paints because of its small size and family-oriented ethos.
"We're looking for energy and ways to have our industry and our product appeal more from an emotional standpoint because his videos are just mesmerizing ... he's an artist who's using a liquid canvas," Strube said of Piloseno in an interview.
Piloseno felt burned after his being terminated from Sherwin-Williams for doing what he loves and said he could reach his full potential in the paint industry more easily by working with a small business.
“It’s just that big corporation mindset and culture I was almost trying to steer away from,” Piloseno said of the alternative opportunities offered to him.
He’s planning to move to Florida in the coming weeks and finish his degree online.
“I’m feeling very good. I feel like, I feel blessed that I’ve been given another opportunity to show what I initially wanted to do in the first place,” he said.
Piloseno began creating paint-mixing videos about a year ago while working at the East State Street Sherwin-Williams location, where one of his job duties was to mix paint colors for customers to help find the exact shade they were in search of. He grew inspired by other companies that he saw mixing paint in their own TikTok videos, and he began employing techniques that he learned on the job into his own creations.
Piloseno’s success revealed what he saw as an opportunity to help Sherwin-Williams, the Cleveland-based paint giant, market its products to the younger audiences found on TikTok. With the guidance of some OU business professors he created a presentation that he shared with a store manager and sales representative who were both supportive and helped him contact the company’s corporate marketing department.
After months of silence, corporate responded to his inquires saying they weren’t interested in expanding marketing efforts amid the pandemic. He was fired shortly after.
Since losing his job, Piloseno began filming TikToks in the basement of his friends’ off-campus house.


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In a trend that has it joining the ranks of Ford, Chevrolet, and perpetual arch-nemesis Volkswagen, Honda laid the groundwork for a new plant in Mexico for its Fit hatchback.
Read This Article
With a new 2012 Honda CR-V just around the corner, Honda is giving fans a sneak peak at what's coming.
Memorial Day weekend officially kicked off what's known as the summer driving months.
In last week's Week in Review, we mentioned that Automotive.com was just hitting the tip of the iceberg with the new vehicle introductions.


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Apple Kicking Off 2018 With New Year’s Apple Watch Activity Challenge
Last month Apple introduced its Activity Challenge for Apple Watch users on Thanksgiving Day, and now it appears the company will launch an Apple Watch Activity Challenge to celebrate the New Year.
According to a new report from 9to5Mac, the challenge is set to begin showing up December 26th, and the new activity challenge promotes fitness by asking users to complete their Activity rings (Move, Exercise, and Stand) for seven consecutive days in January 2018.
Apple Watch users will have the chance to earn a special iMessage sticker and achievement medal in the Activity app. According to the report, the design of the challenge’s rewards are the same as last years, just with an update year.
While the activity challenge has yet to be officially announced by the company, Apple Watch owners will be alerted to the New Year’s challenge sometime at the end of December.
If you want the special rewards that come with this challenge, it’s important to keep in mind that they can only be acquired before the challenge finishes. For this challenge in particular, the last date to begin working towards it completion is January 25th, as users theoretically need seven consecutive days of filling all three activity rings to qualify.
Completing all three Activity rings means standing and moving around for at least 1 minute of 12 different hours each day, completing 30 minutes of exercise throughout the day, and meeting your personal move goal for burning active calories.


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5 Apr 2022 21:01
Very early on, in May 2020, several laws and regulations for corona vaccines were repealed by the Merkel government under the then Minister of Justice Lambrecht. These were due to expire in May 2022, but were renewed again on March 9th.
First the blog reported Communitas Bonorum At the end of February about the rather unknown fact that the federal government, via the responsible Federal Ministry of Justice, had already modified elementary laws, ordinances and regulations in force up to now in May 2020 regarding the existing “Medical Needs Supply Assurance Ordinance (MedBVSV)”.
Under the government leadership of Angela Merkel at the time, the responsible minister was today’s Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD). Another one that happened recently noticecommented the publicist and professor for European politics at the University of Bonn, Ulrike Guérot, with the statement:
The groundbreaking, i.e. elementary, changes relate to the “regulation to ensure the supply of the population with products of medical need in the epidemic caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (Medical Need Supply Assurance Ordinance – MedBVSV)” of May 25, 2020. In an older version the note can be found: “Medical needs Supply Assurance Ordinance of May 25, 2020 (…), which was last amended by Article 9 of the law of July 27, 2021 (Federal Law Gazette I p. 3146). The Ordinance takes effect in accordance with § 10 of this V (…) of May 28, 2021 (…) expires on May 31, 2022.” Since March 10, the regulation has now been extended again:
“This ordinance will come into effect the day after promulgation. It will expire on November 25, 2022.”
Due to the complexity of legal formulations, only the decisive points are named and the wording that is valid in each case is listed. § 3 para. 1 and § 4 of the modified MedBVSV refer to the COVID-19 vaccines and significantly change what was previously valid Medicines Commerce Act – the Medicines Act (Section 99), the Transfusions Act (Section 138 – eleventh subsection) and the Ordinance on the Production of Drugs and Active Substances (Sections 13-20a). The marked emphasis in the quotations serve the overall understanding of the scope of the changes decided in the MedBVSV:
“The higher federal authority responsible according to § 77 AMG can order in individual cases that, contrary to § 8 paragraph 3 AMG, medicinal products whose expiry date has expired may be placed on the market if this is necessary to ensure the supply and it has made sure that that the quality, effectiveness and safety of these medicinal products are not significantly impaired.”
“The higher federal authority responsible according to § 77 AMG can order in individual cases that, contrary to §§ 10 and 11 AMG, medicinal products may be placed on the market without labeling and package leaflets if this is necessary to ensure the supply of medicinal products.”
“Deviating from § 84 AMG, pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers and health professionals are not liable for the effects of using the products mentioned in § 1 paragraph 2 if these products are used by the Federal Ministry in response to the suspected or confirmed spread of SARS-CoV -2 pathogen are placed on the market.”
The business journalist Norbert Häring provides an up-to-date report on these modifications items states: “Since this paragraph does not apply to corona vaccines, the pharmaceutical company is not liable for serious vaccination damage if used properly. Corona vaccines do not have to be accompanied by specialist information and instructions for use anyway.”
“Pharmaceutical entrepreneurs, manufacturers and health professionals are only responsible for the consequences of deviations from the Medicines Act based on paragraph 1 in the event of gross negligence or intent.”
In his article, the business journalist assesses potential follow-up scenarios on this point as follows: “If the vaccinations should cause serious damage due to the numerous exceptions to quality assurance and testing requirements, neither the manufacturer nor the vaccinating doctors or pharmacists are liable.”
“(…) §§ 73a, 78 and 94 of the Medicines Act (AMG) and § 4a paragraph 1 and § 6 paragraph 1 of the Medicines Trade Ordinance (AM-HandelsV) do not apply to the Federal Ministry, the bodies commissioned by it and to persons , from which the Federal Ministry or an agency commissioned by it procures the medicinal products.”
The law on the sale of pharmaceuticals defines “Prices” in section 78 under point 1: “The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is authorized, in agreement with the Federal Ministry, by statutory order with the consent of the Bundesrat – 1. Price ranges for pharmaceuticals that are sold wholesale or be dispensed in pharmacies for resale, … to fix.” Conversely, this means that the pharmaceutical industry has, in writing, received sole sovereignty over price determinations and price ranges for COVID-19 drugs from the federal government.
“The authority responsible for monitoring the marketing of medicinal products according to Section 64 AMG can, in individual cases, permit the placing on the market of medicinal products that deviate from Sections 13 to 15 and Section 19 AMG or from Sections 3, 4, 11, 15 , 16 and 17 or Sections 22 to 26 of the Ordinance on the Production of Medicinal Products and Active Substances (AMWHV), …”
The law on the trade in medicinal products defines “areas of responsibility” in Section 19: “The qualified person according to Section 14 is responsible for ensuring that each batch of the medicinal product has been manufactured and tested in accordance with the regulations on the trade in medicinal products.” Conversely, this means that COVID-19 vaccines (medicines) could theoretically be manufactured – “permitted” – without a competent person.
With regard to an ongoing discussion, based on the still incomplete final scientific knowledge, how the new mRNA vaccines will affect vaccinated citizens in the coming years, nevertheless, in May 2020, deviating from “§ 5 paragraph 1 sentence 2 of the Transfusion Act (TFG) and of the guidelines of the German Medical Association for the collection of blood and blood components” that “the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut is authorized, adjusted in agreement with the Robert Koch Institute and with the consent of the Federal Ministry”, “in deviation from § 5 … of the TFG suitability – to establish eligibility and deferral criteria for whole blood, blood components and plasma donors”.
Under § 1 (purpose of the updated regulation and definitions, which are now valid until November 25, 2022), it says: “This regulation serves to ensure the supply of the population with products of medical necessity during the epidemic caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Federal Ministry within the meaning of this regulation is the Federal Ministry of Health. It can be assumed that the federal government will consider a further extension.
Business journalist Häring summarizes at the beginning of his article: “In December 2021, Federal Minister of Health Lauterbach ordered millions of doses of vaccine because it was said to have been necessary for the booster campaign, which was not true. The total purchases by the federal government in 2021 totaled 554 million doses, enough for every German citizen almost seven times Since vaccination activity has dropped sharply and most vaccines only have a shelf life of around six months, doses are gradually reaching and exceeding the intended use-by date in large numbers.”
Neither Minister of Health Jens Spahn nor Minister of Justice Christine Lambrecht under Chancellor Merkel, Minister of Health Lauterbach or Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann of the current traffic light coalition had or have to date feared even the slightest consequences for the decisions made.
More on the subject – Berlin doctor accuses: “Compulsory vaccination would open the door to abuse wide”


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Video projectors and screens, beware. There’s a new big-screen display in town that could someday replace annoying two-piece projection systems in the home. Imagine “video walls” built with modular LED panels that piece together with virtually no visible seams.
These “MicroLED” panels were the hit of CEDIA Expo 2018, pitched by several manufacturers including Samsung, whose 146-inch “The Wall” enthralled tens of thousands of CE pros for the first time at CES 2018 in January.
MicroLED panels comprise an array of LEDs – red, green and blue diodes – that are not just small, but “very, very, very small – microscopic in size, in some instances,” says Christopher Simpson, senior business development manager Samsung Electronics America.
In video renderings, blacks are true blacks because the individual diodes turn off – “black is the absence of light” – when the image calls for it. With that, “you get much higher contrast, much better color, and it also lends itself very well to scalability,” Simpson said during a CEDIA Expo Tech Talk moderated by CE Pro’s Jason Knott.
It’s not just image quality and scalability that make MicroLEDs so appealing. It’s that they can go anywhere, including brighter spaces where traditional projection systems fall flat – seriously flat, like washed out. On the other hand, MicroLEDs pop in ambient light, even off-angle.
Calling the picture quality “exceptional” and “in a league of its own,” Simpson says, “You don’t get traditional degradation of image quality from left to right or top to bottom.”
Imagine, then, the places these displays can go in the luxury residential market – outside of the dedicated home theater and into the living room, say, for showcasing digital artwork on a large scale and in custom “canvas” sizes, Simpson explains: “Because it’s modular, it doesn’t have to fit the traditional [TV] form factor.”
Not every masterpiece, after all, comes in a 16:9 aspect ratio.
Even if the client does opt for Samsung’s standard 146-inch rectangle, the software can right-size a virtual frame for any “artwork,” and oglers will swear they’re viewing the real thing with a custom-made cardboard matte.
It’s the same stunning feat Samsung performs with The Frame, a gorgeous LCD that can blend right in with a wall full of framed family portraits or artsy prints. Simpson revealed during the CEDIA talk that Samsung would indeed incorporate some of The Frame’s digital magic into The Wall’s feature set.
Where do the Speakers Go? Center Channels, Anyone?
While big MicroLED arrays – Samsung’s or otherwise – can shine in applications outside a dedicated home theater, they can still rock the dedicated cinema room. The challenge is: Where do you put the speakers?
Joining Simpson on the Tech Talk stage was Jim Garrett, representing the Luxury Audio division of Harman International, a Samsung company. While he gushed about the art-and-architecture potential of The Wall, he acknowledged that many of the products would end up in traditional home theaters with cushy chairs and black-out shades and the finest surround-sound processors … and not a lot of places to put the front speakers.
“All the integrators are typically used to putting the speakers behind the screen – so a perforated or woven screen,” Garrett says. “Obviously now, with a solid surface, it kind of precludes you from doing that.”
The side channels, height channels and rear surrounds should be OK, but when it comes to L/C/R placement, says Garrett, “That’s the aspect of the system that really has to change.”
During the Tech Talk, Garrett runs through a number of options for L/C/Rs, including positioning them across the top of the screen. The problem there is that they get pretty close to the height channels.
Starting at 6:04 in the recorded presentation, Garrett illustrates some of the speaker-placement options for ultra-large displays, and explains pros and cons of each scenario. He continues at 12:00 with more discussion on how to match appropriate speakers to a big wall of video.
What Price MicroLED?
When Jason Knott asked about the price of Samsung’s The Wall, Simpson demurred – let’s face it, the product is expensive – but he did highlight some of the extra features that make MicroLEDs a good “value.”
For example, the LED diodes have a 100,000-hour lifespan to half-life.
“In a commercial application, where you’re running it 10 hours a day, you’re looking at 17 to 20 years before you even reach half your brightness,” says Simpson. “There isn’t a projector in the market that can do that. Even laser projectors don’t have that kind of longevity.”
Furthermore, MicroLEDs don’t consume lamps and filters like projectors do. Simpson suggests you might replace a projector and screen two or three times during the lifespan of a MicroLED display.
For some other interesting highlights of the Tech Talk, skip to 22:50, when Knott imagines the displays as something out of Fahrenheit 451, and Simpson points out some viable and interesting scenarios that would actually “make sense.”
The audience Q&A starts at 23:45 and includes some more technical discussions about Dolby Vision and HDR10, MicroLED and fine-pitch displays in commercial cinemas (15 of them), the “monumental task” of solving audio in these venues, scalability and pixel count, and this: What about glare?
The Wall is on display at Samsung’s East Coast experience center; a West Coast showroom will open in Irvine, Calif. in November. Simpson says Samsung will then look for demo locales between the coasts.
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Al Jazeera has teamed up with the Hotel Industry Association of Australia (HIA) to explore the growth potential of the Hotel Advertising Platforms (HAPs) in the hospitality industry.
The HIA’s research has identified the need for new solutions in the accommodation industry to help advertisers better understand the audience of each individual visitor, as well as the marketing strategies they are using to engage with their customers.HIA CEO James Tabor says: “There’s a real need for innovative advertising solutions in hospitality that can be easily and cheaply integrated into existing software and services and will increase the value of the hospitality sector.”
One of these is the Hotel AdWords platform, which has already attracted a number in the industry and has been in use by more than 150,000 businesses in the past year.HUA Chief Operating Officer David Kynaston says: “”The first step in the journey of any new technology is to identify the need, and we believe the hotel industry has identified a need to build an innovative technology platform to meet this need.””
In order to do this, they need to be able to understand the demographics of each visitor, and how they will interact with each other, and the advertising strategies they’re using to reach and convert their customers.”HIA’s partner company, the Hotel Association of Victoria (HUA), has already identified a number of promising technologies for hospitality advertisers that it plans to use in the coming years.
One of these is the Hotel AdWords platform, which has already attracted a number in the industry and has been in use by more than 150,000 businesses in the past year.HUA Chief Operating Officer David Kynaston says: “”The first step in the journey of any new technology is to identify the need, and we believe the hotel industry has identified a need to build an innovative technology platform to meet this need.
“The HIA has identified many opportunities for HAP to help meet this demand, with potential applications to include:The HUA believes the HAP platform will allow advertisers to reach more people through video and audio, with more efficient use of data analytics, with a more cost effective way to target ads, and with a wider range of data types that will help advertisers understand the demographic of their customers, such as age, gender, ethnicity and nationality.”HUA’s Chief Executive, David Kymns, says: “[The Hotel Adwords platform] will enable hotels to provide better information to their guests and offer better service for their guests.
It will also give hotel operators the ability to better target their advertising campaigns and improve their ability to reach the people they serve.”
Kynaston adds: “As the industry matures, the HIA is looking forward to seeing more innovative solutions to meet the needs of the hotel community.”
Hia will also be using its data to help develop new advertising technologies that will improve the performance of advertisers, including the ability for them to understand and improve the effectiveness of their campaigns, as they will be able see more of the data in real-time, so they can improve the way they target ads.
According to Hia CEO James, the most exciting part of the collaboration with the Hia is the opportunity for HIA to use HAP technology to help improve the advertising experience for its guests, including enhancing their personalised experience through the use of video and the ability of its guests to interact with the advertising system in the hotel.
“It will be interesting to see how Hia develops and improves its technology platform in the future,” he says.”HIA will use the data from this new platform to build a more accurate and personalized experience for our guests, and this will provide more valuable advertising to our guests.”
Hospitality advertisers also benefit from the fact that HIA will be working with hospitality companies in the hope of improving their ad experiences.
HIA CEO Kymans says:


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Retail shares opened lower after the Labor Department reported an increase in new applications for state unemployment benefits in the week ended Oct. 18. The S&P Retail Index $rlx fell 0.9% to 258.13. RadioShack Corp. RSH, +0.60% shares dropped 2.2%. The electronics retailer reported a better than expected profit increase but said that while sales were strong in July and August, they've slowed in September amid the challenging economic environment.
Cloudy job outlook hits retail shares


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Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has been on a media spree as of late, alongside releasing a new book that details his lengthy and inspiring career. One of Reggie’s latest behind-the-scenes stories reveals that the decision to create the Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt demo packed in with the launch of the Nintendo DS in 2004 was not a unanimous one.
First Hunt was a welcome addition for gamers who picked up the Nintendo DS in its launch window. Reggie was eager to get the Metroid spinoff into the hands of Nintendo fans as soon as possible in order to build off the success of the Metroid Prime series on the Gamecube. But with development lagging behind initial goals, Reggie pushed for a demo in order to hold over fans until the full game was ready for release.
Ironically, this set the actual game’s development back a further six months, not including an additional delay to Hunters’ release in order to include online play. In the end, the demo excited fans and built additional anticipation for the full release. Further, it helped bolster the handheld’s launch window library, which was relying heavily on Super Mario 64 DS as its only first-party title.
Developers at Nintendo Software Technology weren’t particularly happy about stalling development in order to create the First Hunt demo, but Reggie made it happen nonetheless, as he outlines in his aforementioned book:
Metroid Prime had been a strong selling franchise on GameCube in our market, and leveraging the franchise to launch Nintendo DS would help us get off to a fast start. Unfortunately, development was not proceeding as fast as we hoped so I advocated an alternative: the development team should pivot and create a standalone demo we would include with the first units of Nintendo DS hardware. This was controversial as our developers hated to give away content for free, and having the development team work on a demo would push the launch of the complete game back at least six months. I was already building trust with Mr. Iwata and Mr. Miyamoto, and they agreed for a demo called Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt to be included in the first few million units of Nintendo DS sold in the Americas.
Metroid Prime Hunters would eventually release in 2006 to positive reviews, with over a million copies sold on the Nintendo DS. Hunters then found new life on the Wii U as an addition to the system’s Virtual Console in Japan in 2015, and the United States in 2016, albeit without its online capabilities.
Source: Nintendo Everything
Dak is Editor-in-Chief and Podcast Host at Omega Metroid. If he’s not playing Metroid Prime Remastered, he’s definitely playing Destiny 2.


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With Emma based in Miami and Mario in Essex, the distance between the pair hasn't made it easy for them to see each other.
But, with Emma heading back to the UK later this week, it seems a loved-up Mario can't wait to have her back in the same country again.
Taking to Instagram last night, Mario appeared to be missing his latest love interest.
Sharing a photo of lingerie model Emma hiding away from the camera, Mario said: "Friday Friday Friday!! Then I get this moody monkey back!! @emma_jane1392 x."
On seeing his post, his girlfriend replied: "Hahaha you b*tch! so excited to see you x."
Then taking to her own account, Emma told her followers she was just as excited to see the Essex boy. She wrote: "Not long until I'll be reunited with this one, cannot wait to see you @mario_falcone17."
Sounds like they're pretty smitten to us!
The couple's tweets come after Mario recently flew to Miami to visit Emma - sparking speculation they were dating.
While visiting Emma in the States, Mario shared a very cute picture of the pair cuddling up at a basketball game, referring to the model as his "wife".
News of his relationship came as a shock to fans as Mario hadn't previously mentioned he and Emma were romantically linked.
Seeming very much single during the TOWIE finale, Mario was accused of flirting with Jessica Wright, Lauren Pope and Chloe Sims - something he has since hit back at.
But, since the finale aired last month, Mario has been publicly showering his current squeeze with affection - suggesting he is now officially off the market!
Reveal is now on Google Plus! Join us here for the latest pictures, fashion and celebrity news!


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Phil LeBeau is a CNBC auto and airline industry reporter based at the network's Chicago bureau. He is also editor of the Behind the Wheel section on CNBC.com.
LeBeau has reported one-hour documentaries for the network, including "Dreamliner: Inside the World's Most Anticipated Airplane," "Ford: Rebuilding an American Icon" and "Saving General Motors" and "Failure to Recall: Investigating GM."
Prior to joining CNBC, LeBeau served as a media relations specialist for Van Kampen Funds in Oak Brook Terrace, Ill., and was instrumental in implementing an initiative to communicate the company's mutual fund and investment practices to the public and the press. While at Van Kampen, LeBeau held a Series 6 license.
Previously, he held general assignment reporting positions at KCNC-TV, the CBS affiliate in Denver, and KAKE-TV, the ABC affiliate in Wichita, Kan. LeBeau began his career as a field producer at WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, where he wrote, produced and researched consumer stories. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism with a bachelor's degree in journalism and broadcasting.
Follow Phil LeBeau on Twitter
Whenever neighbors, friends, and those outside the auto industry ask me about the turnaround at Ford, I'm struck by how many say something along the lines of, "I know what Ford is all about." That may sound like a trite comment, but to me it says a lot about Ford's marketing.
As GM prepares for its IPO road show, I consistently hear people asking the question, should individual investors buy this stock?
A new study this morning by J.D. Power confirms what many in the auto industry have been predicting for some time: The electric car revolution is likely to be more of a slow change.
This is proof that even in a down economy, if you've got a hot product it will sell. In this case it's Ford raking in greater profit per vehicle thanks to a line-up that is spot on with buyers and the company's vision when it comes to in-car technology.
An Illinois auto dealership is having what it calls a White Friday sale this month, the Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday.
Thanks to bad press for Uber, "last week was our biggest week ever in terms of rides," Lyft told CNBC.
Honda failed to notify U.S. safety regulators of 1,729 claims of injuries and deaths related to accidents in its vehicles.
As Rolls Royce hits speed bumps in China, the carmaker is breaking new sales records in Russia as consumers look to diversify away from the ruble.
Get the best of CNBC in your inbox


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Jon Russell was Asia Editor for The Next Web from 2011 to 2014. Originally from the UK, he lives in Bangkok, Thailand. You can find him on T Jon Russell was Asia Editor for The Next Web from 2011 to 2014. Originally from the UK, he lives in Bangkok, Thailand. You can find him on Twitter, Angel List, LinkedIn.
Last month Sony teased a ‘PS4 Link’ feature for its PS Vita handheld console and the new application — which allows the PS Vita to connect to the PlayStation 4 for remote play and second screen capabilities — has landed today as part of a firmware update.
In addition to PS4 Link, Vita owners who download the 3.00 system update will get a slew of additional features which include new parameters within parental controls, a panoramic camera setting, improvements to the friends feature and — last but by no means last — finally the ability to sync data between a Vita and a PS3 using a WiFi connection.
Now all Vita owners need do is wait for the PlayStation 4 to be released: that’s November 15 in the US and November 29 in Europe… Japanese fans must wait until February 2014.
➤ PS Vita 3.00 system update available today [PlayStation Blog]
Image via Blake Patterson / Flickr
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Online abuse, trolling and cyber bullying are rampant in cyberspace. Research by software security firm Norton found that 76% of women under age 30 have faced some form of online abuse or harassment. The problem is a pertinent one in an age where social interactions, education and professional activities take place via a digital medium. It is important to note that many of these women never report incidents out of societal fear. It is crucial that when faced with harassment of this kind, people are aware of the options available to them to counter this abuse.
Consumer awareness programme Women Act Against Trolls (WAAT) provides a central web resource at projectwaat.org. The web page compiles information about cybercrime cells in India, cybercrime laws in the country, digital security tool kits, resources to help those facing cyber bullying, and a discussion board where people can share their stories.
“Online trolling is a reflection of the ailments plaguing our society. Limiting them requires a mind-set change more than anything else. There is a huge gender gap in the internet population; one big reason for this is the insensitive behaviour towards women users. While WAAT offers knowledge and support, it is our collective duty to create safer online space for all,” said Irwin Preet Singh Anand, COO, OLX India.
Digital Empowerment Foundation and OLX have collaborated to encourage reportage of online abuse. The initiative, Women Act Against Trolls (WAAT), aims to create awareness about the cyber laws and resources available to counter such cases. OLX WebAware, is an initiative to educate its users about safe online practices and guidelines, when transacting on its platform. The web resource will aim to build resilience and a community of support for those who have faced online abuse in order to keep them online.
“Social media is full of incidents of online abuse, trolling and cyber bullying on a daily basis. In the last few years, the number of abusive and unwanted intruders and trolls has only increased on social media and people are losing their right to express themselves freely or fear the abusive counter. In other words, virtual public spaces are often spaces that are antisocial, violent, intimidating, unfriendly, untrustworthy and unsafe. There is a need to tackle this issue, and sensitively,” says DEF Founder-Director Osama Manzar.
Thank you for reading the story until the very end. We appreciate the time you have given us. In addition, your thoughts and inputs will genuinely make a difference to us. Please do drop in a line and help us do better.
The CSR Journal Team


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In exchange, the company will get a 26 percent stake in Aurora
Uber has confirmed that it is selling its driverless car subsidiary to Amazon-backed start-up Aurora Technologies.
The business, known as the Advanced Technologies Group (ATG), will be sold in a deal that could be worth around $4 billion and spells the end of the ride-hailing company’s attempt to develop a self-driving car of its own.
The figure, while substantial, represents a significant reduction on ATG’s $7.5 billion estimated valuation in 2019.
As part of the deal, Uber will invest $400 million in Silicon Valley-based Aurora in exchange for a 26 percent minority stake. Chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi will take a place on the Aurora board.
The deal will also create a partnership between Aurora and Japanese car manufacturing giant Toyota, which has invested in ATG.
Uber was keen to stress that it still sees an opportunity for driverless cars to join its network in the future.
“Few technologies hold as much promise to improve people’s lives with safe, accessible, and environmentally friendly transportation as self-driving vehicles,” Khosrowshahi said. “For the last five years, our phenomenal team ... has been at the forefront of this effort – and in joining forces with Aurora, they are now in pole position to deliver on that promise even faster.
“I’m looking forward to working with [Aurora chief executive] Chris [Urmson], and to bringing the Aurora Driver to the Uber network in the years ahead.”
Urmson said: “With the addition of ATG, Aurora will have an incredibly strong team and technology, a clear path to several markets, and the resources to deliver. Simply put, Aurora will be the company best positioned to deliver the self-driving products necessary to make transportation and logistics safer, more accessible and less expensive.”
The sale marks a significant change in direction for Uber, which under previous chief executive Travis Kalanick had aggressively pursued a strategy of developing autonomous vehicles.
The company reasoned that despite the expense of researching and testing the tech, driverless cars would reduce its costs in the long term.
But Uber’s development program did not always run smoothly, and the company appeared in the headlines for the wrong reasons two years ago when one of its self-driving vehicles was involved in a fatal crash, although it did not ultimately face charges.
There were also allegations of technology theft from Google’s self-driving car operation Waymo, which saw former Waymo engineer Anthony Levandowski sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Aurora was founded in 2017 by Urmson, who previously worked at the company which became Waymo. It is expected the acquisition will be finalized in the first three months of 2021.


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It appears that Mad Catz, the manufacturer of quite a number of not-so-cheap gaming companions like mice, controllers, games and even apparel, have just announced they’ve heard the vast cries for a more Android centric gaming keyboard. That’s right, the company is introducing their latest product, the S.T.R.I.K.E. The keyboard is an NFC-enabled device with bluetooth capabilities solely focused on Android gaming. Remember the M.O.J.O. console from E3? Yeah, that’s them. The team is dubbing this as “GameSmart” and will be showing off their implementation of micro P.U.L.S.E. scissor keys which provide precision actuation and tactile responses.
In addition, there’s an optical finger navigational mouse sensor with dedicated hardware buttons for a better gaming experience on Android. Furthermore, the company is clearly pushing the aesthetics department a bit with their futuristic Bill & Ted excellent design. Overall, we think they look pretty innovative. The company is offering the option of three different colors for now. You’ve got the choice of gloss red, black or white. Check out the rest of the images below as well as the presser and don’t forget to let us know what you think in the comments below.


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Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation Limited (CITCO) is set to auction two high-end cars belonging to two guests who allegedly stayed at Hotel Shivalikview for months in 2018 without paying their bills. Ashwani Kumar Chopra and Ramnik Bansal are said to have enjoyed hotel services such as food, laundry, and hard drinks during their stay. Despite giving three cheques for Rs 6 lakh each, they were reportedly dishonored.
After CITCO moved court seeking the attachment and auction of the cars to recover the arrears, a local court ordered the auctioning of an Audi and a Chevrolet Cruze belonging to the guests. The auction is set to take place on February 14 and the highest bidder will be declared the purchaser of the cars, which have been parked at the hotel entrance for the past five years.
One of the guests is said to have tried to flee the hotel without making the payment, but was prevented by the hotel’s security. The guest left his Audi Q3 in the parking area and gave the keys to CITCO as security for the dues, with the police present at the time. The second guest also gave the keys to his Chevrolet Cruze to the hotel staff, promising to clear the dues.The court has adjourned the case for January 7, 2023, for the filing of the report of the auction.


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Craft Silicon, the Kenyan software company has pumped $3 million (Kshs 324 million) to its ride hailing subsidiary, Little for expansion.
Little will use the additional funding to launch operations in West Africa, where they are piloting the app service in Accra, Ghana.
“We have already started testing the product in Accra. Since travel may be an issue, we are taking an approach of opening a new city without visiting there. We would recruit drivers online, provide training online,” Craft Silicon and Little CEO, Kamal Budhabatti said. “West Africa is a large market, and if Little have to be a key player in Africa, we need to be present there in addition to East Africa. Hence the march towards West Africa.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the current travel restrictions, the company said they will run the pilot, training and recruitment of drivers virtually.
“Accra being a big city like Nairobi, having fully virtual operations is not recommended. So we would be recruiting some staff there, and interviews are underway. But we are going to try and make as much as possible to operate virtually keeping in mind the new normal,” he said.
Ghana will be the fifth country that Little will have operations in, after Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia. They had hinted that they had plans to extend their operations t Ghana early last year.
Little has been eyeing to conquer the African market through expansion for some time now. Last year, they revealed that they had plans to raise about $50 million from investors for expansion. In 2018, they sold a 10% stake for $3 million to an unnamed Indian investor for expansion.


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Covid has forced the Italian luxury industry to step up the pace of its transformation and search for investors, as shown by Zegna announcing a forthcoming stock market listing, and L Catterton’s acquisition of Etro.
The CEO of Sergio Rossi is now a shareholder alongside Chinese group Fosun, which has recently acquired the Italian footwear label, and tells FashionNetwork.com how the operation unfolded, outlining his future plans.
Italian leather goods specialist Valextra has named Xavier Rougeaux to be its new chief executive officer; while veteran luxury executive Ralph Toledano joins its board. The appointments are effective immediately.
The flags chosen as the theme of the Florentine menswear show, which opens on Tuesday, symbolise the diverse, international range of exhibitors of this winter session, featuring major names and special events.


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MobileOct 07, 2014 3:59 PM By Daniela Forte
Coach utilized MicroStrategy Mobile that provides its retail teams with the ability to examine sales trends for any given geography, including at the individual store level, with a simple swipe or tap on their iPad devices.
MobileSep 30, 2014 8:15 AM By Mike O'Brien
To take advantage of the new return/exchange service, customers can visit sears.com, click on the customer service link, choose “returns and exchanges” and follow the prompts to identify the item. For an exchange, they select a new item and get an email confirmation when the replacement is ready for pickup.
Once at the store, they park in a designated In-Vehicle Pickup spot, and notify the store of their arrival via the app. A timer will start on the phone, and a Sears associate will arrive within five minutes and complete the return or exchange.
MobileSep 23, 2014 9:48 AM By Daniela Forte
Online furniture retailer Smart Furniture launched its responsive website in August after it saw a change in its web traffic. Here is what T.J. Gentle, president and CEO of Smart Furniture had to say.
MobileSep 22, 2014 9:09 AM By Mike O'Brien
Retailers are spending more on marketing data capture than mobile heading into the 2014 holidays, based on a survey by Edelman Berland for eBay Enterprise.
MobileSep 16, 2014 11:21 AM By Steve Wellen
Smartphones and tablets are the ultimate business tools, the coolest technologies and the biggest distractions any of us have ever seen.
MobileSep 09, 2014 9:32 PM By Tim Parry
The mobile wallet has been around for the greater part of the 21st century. But Apple’s announcement of Apple Pay for iOS 8 devices has industry experts suddenly abuzz about mobile wallet adoption.
MobileSep 09, 2014 10:37 AM By Daniela Forte
Twitter announced Monday that it is testing a Buy button, which allows tweeters to buy merchandise from retailers via Twitter, without leaving the social media platform.
MobileAug 18, 2014 1:20 PM By Daniela Forte
Mobile is constantly changing and the way consumers view the shopping experience since today people are “wedded” to their devices and are always connected.
MobileAug 16, 2014 7:55 AM By Tim Parry
But despite the growing percentage of traffic, ecommerce conversion rates remain much lower on mobile devices and tablets, signaling a greater need to focus on an omnichannel user experience for all visitors, regardless of device.
MobileAug 13, 2014 3:20 PM By Daniela Forte
During a keynote panel discussion at the eTail East 2014, attendees were introduced to the acronym “STS” better known as “Straight to Smartphone.” Panelists recognized that mobile is fundamentally different than ecommerce. And while so many shoppers are gravitating to their smartphones, conversions are lower than other channels.
Posted 3 days ago
Posted 4 days ago


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Current supply chain issues impact local food bank
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - During the height of the pandemic millions of people lost their jobs causing long lines to form with people looking for free food from local food banks and food pantries.
Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina is one of those food banks that offered a helping hand throughout the pandemic.
Now, empty boxes and shelves is a common sight in there. A 35% increase in food insecurity has put more pressure on food banks to feed families in the community.
“We see food come and go more quickly. So, you could be here on Monday and see very normal inventory level for this size of facility, but then may come by Tuesday afternoon and it may look completely different,” said Beth Gaglione, Wilmington Branch Director for Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. “
During the height of the pandemic operations moved virtually, stopping physical, in-person food drives which in turn slowed down donations. Now, the global supply chain issues are proving challenging as well.
“Throughout the course of the pandemic, you were able to purchase food — it may have been more costly because of the supply chain issues, but we were able to purchase it. It came, but it took a long time,” Gaglione said.
Partnerships with popular retailers like Food Lion and Harris Teeter are still there, but local farmers have stepped in as well to bump food supplies.
“We will work with volunteers to sort through potatoes that have come right out of the ground and make sure that we’re sorting the good from the bad,” Gaglione said. “With sweet potatoes being the number one crop in the state, we make time and room for all the potatoes we can because they’re so high in nutrition, they’re dense and it’s a product that keeps a belly full.”
The hope is the new year will bring more donations through physical food drives, and an end to supply chain problems that’s been keeping them waiting for the next shipment to arrive.
“So we’re very cognizant that that is something that our families in our communities are looking forward to and it does put a sense of pressure on our donors, on us and on the partner agencies that we distribute food to, [to] make sure that we have what is needed for the holiday season,” Gaglione said. “Right now, all we can do is the best that we can in terms of predicting how much food is needed and how long it will take to arrive.”
If you would like to donate or get involved, click here.
Copyright 2021 WECT. All rights reserved.


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Mionix announced the release of the latest addition to their High
Performance Gaming Mouse range just a few weeks ago and it is with great
pleasure we bring you the Mionix Naos 5000. Mionix only entered the market
in 2007, and have already received wide acclaim for their high quality
gaming peripherals. The Naos 5000 is aimed squarely at the top end of the
gaming mouse market and is a bold step forward.


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Another business shuts down in Aiken
Saturday, Dec. 30, 2016
(News 12 at 6 O'Clock)
AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) -- A sad loss for local shoppers in Aiken today after another business shuts its doors. Some people say it can be tough to keep businesses thriving on Whiskey Road. This is the second store closing in that area this month...
"This was not expected. No necessary, but apparently it's been done."
The Little Bake Shoppe, a breakfast and lunch hot spot on Whiskey Road is closed and won't be reopening.
"It was very very disappointing and everybody was shocked because they were always full full full," said regular customer, Adiiana VonPein.
The shop's Facebook page blew up with comments when they made the sudden announcement. The Facebook post says, "We are closing so we can focus more on family and other responsibilities."
Many customers were left in disbelief. Regulars like, Carol Powell, drove up today to see it for herself.
"I did have to come and see it for myself, cause I would not have believed it.," Carol Powell said.
This is the second Aiken restaurant to close in the last week after Buckwheat's Bar-B-Que and Catering closed its doors.
A 'For Rent' sign now stands outside of The Little Bake Shoppe, but there's no word on what will take over that property next.
"The food was always great, fresh. They did everything to please you and that's what I loved about it," Powell said.
People like Powell say it's always sad to see a local place close, especially because it's been exciting to see a local business focus in Aiken.
"I am so disappointed," Powell said. "Cause there are very few places like this."
For their customers, this shop will be missed, but there is still hope.
The family-owned shop may have locked up in Aiken, but the original location in Wagener will remain open. Unfortunately, that might mean a longer trip for people who enjoyed this little shop.
"Unfortunately [that location] it's too far darling, yes. I hope they come back," VonPein said.


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Although workers at a Sony plant in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province, are considering a new round of protests, Sony (China) said the company has reached a settlement with its employees and the factory is operating normally.
More than two weeks after Sony Electronics Huanan Co (SEH), a fully owned Chinese subsidiary of Sony Corp, was sold to A-share listed technology company Shenzhen O-Firm Tech Co on November 7, hundreds of workers expressed their anger through Chinese social media platforms such as Weibo and WeChat over what they said were unfair settlements SEH has made.
"The factory has been lying about having actively communicated with workers' representatives about the deal that it made with O-Firm Tech. We only found at the last minute, which goes against the regulations and rules for labor unions in China," a female employee surnamed Wang told the Global Times on Monday.
Also, when the Nikkei Asian Review reported a few days ago that the workers had been protesting in a violent way, "it covered this issue in a biased way, which made the situation more difficult," another employee told the Global Times during the weekend, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"Don't sell the factory to a Chinese company without any explanation!" workers were quoted as saying in Nikkei's report.
Many workers said the identity of the buyer was not the issue. They are angry, they said, that SEH never discussed remuneration under the new corporate structure before the sale.
Workers said it was unfair that the Japanese media blamed the employees. Some provided the Global Times with detailed union meeting records.
Two days after Sony announced the deal, the first labor union meeting was held, according to the records. During the meeting, employees asked for more details about the acquisition plans, buyout offers, and a deadline for Sony to reply to these requests.
Some workers told the Global Times during the weekend that they are not against the deal. What frustrated them was that they had no right to know what was going on until the factory was sold.
Sony said there would be no change in employees' pay, the length of their initial employment and their contracts during the transfer of the factory, according to an announcement sent to the Global Time on Monday.
It said that more than 90 percent of the employees are back at work and the factory is operating normally.
Workers said, however, that they were forced to return to work by signing unfair agreements, and some said they have mortgages to pay so they are afraid of getting fired. Sony on Monday fired five workers who had allegedly organized another small-scale protest, read another announcement by the company.


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Some 800 Dublin jobs are to be created with the opening of Sky’s 10th customer service centre – and its first in Ireland – to meet increased service demands from Irish customers. An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, TD, was on hand to officially open the centre at Dublin’s Burlington Plaza today.
The new customer service centre will enable Sky to serve its Irish customers from one dedicated site and comes as part of an ongoing programme to bring more of Sky’s customer service and installation workforce in-house.
“The launch of our new site in Dublin marks a very significant day for Sky’s Irish business,” said Sky CEO Jeremy Darroch. “Ireland has been a great market for Sky. We’ve been here from the very start, growing to become the most popular provider of TV in the country. For the first time, we will have a dedicated presence on the ground to support this growth.”
Sky employs more than 23,000 people across the UK and Ireland and this new centre brings 800 new jobs on the market for Dublin. Recruitment continues for roles such as customer service manager, adviser, trainer, coach and other HR positions.
Serving 10.6m homes in UK and Ireland, Sky is now preparing to launch its broadband and home phone services in Ireland. Customers were invited to pre-register for phone and broadband packages last year as Sky ramps up competition between itself and UPC.
UPDATE: At today’s opening ceremony, CEO Jeremy Darroch announced that Sky will be investing more than €1bn in jobs, broadband and sales in Ireland over the next five years. To date, Sky has invested €100m in Ireland.


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SMART Utility 3.2.2 has been tested with the MacOS Sierra developer beta. It is almost fully functional, except for two issues discovered:
- Crashing on first attempt to install the SAT SMART Driver
- Crashing on running a drive test
An update will be released before Sierra is released to the public in the fall. This will still be on the 3.x version. Remember that version 4.0 will be out in the fall, and that its a paid update. However, we wanted to be sure that current customers who do not choose to update can continue to use the current version in full.


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An article in the uk Release of the In the world Business Times explains you to definitely Alabama features, “the greatest levels of credit card interest to your a lot more-ong all the 50 says.
ADULTERY Once the Reasons for Separation Inside ALABAMA
Alabama Code § 30-2-step one list numerous grounds for splitting up. Included one of those basis try adultery, although the identity is not defined throughout the password section. It’s fascinating to note your Alabama Unlawful Code keeps the latest criminal offense out of adultery, Class B infraction. Under Alabama Password § 13A-13-dos, the latest crime off adultery was committed when one engages in sexual intercourse that have another person who isn’t their spouse and you can resides in cohabitation rather than other person as he or one most other body’s hitched. Depending this is found in the Unlawful Password as well given that circumstances perceptions it appears to be clear you to one regarding brand new lovers involved with the fresh new adultery must be a wedded individual, however it is not needed one one another feel married.


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- Campus Departments
- Education & Outreach
- Get Involved
- About Growing Green
Thanks to the efforts of a group of committed volunteers at UMass Medical School, the Massachusetts Local Food Cooperative is now offering monthly distribution at the Worcester campus.
Led by Rachel Gerstein, PhD, associate professor of microbiology & physiological systems—who has been volunteering for the food coop for several years in her hometown of Holden—the effort to bring the coop to UMMS has relied on students from all three schools and staff members from across campus.
The Massachusetts Local Food Cooperative was launched in 2009, after several years of planning by founder Kelley O’Connor, who was concerned about the sustainability of local farmers and local food and worried about excess oil consumption related to transporting food to market. Since the coop was launched, it has grown to include more than 330 paid members and hundreds of vendors selling thousands of locally grown products, many of which are sustainably or organically grown. The coop currently has seven pick-up sites, including UMMS, which had its first distribution on March 2, fulfilling orders from 20 members.
On the first Friday of every month, Mass Local Food Coop sets up distribution of items that members have ordered from participating vendors—organic meat and poultry, made-from-scratch granola, fresh eggs, homemade pickles, soaps and candles and much more. Then, a handful of UMMS volunteers head out to the distribution center in Westminster to pick up orders from UMMS in a van lent by Auxiliary Services.
When the van arrives back on campus, the goods are unloaded to a pick-up area set up in the old Medical School lobby. Members of the coop who have ordered food for pick-up at UMMS come by between 5 and 6 p.m. to retrieve their order on the way home for the weekend.
Gerstein is quick to point out that bringing the food coop to UMMS was itself a cooperative effort. In addition to the individuals who will be helping with pick-up and distribution by volunteering once or twice throughout the year, several departments—including Community & Government Relations, Human Resources, Facilities, Room Reservations and Auxiliary Services—generously helped make the venture possible.
Gerstein also notes that having access to the products available through the food coop nicely augments what the Farmer’s Market offers during summer months and that both ventures support similar goals. “While there will be some overlap in products, both the food coop and the Farmer’s Market have enough unique items to sustain both ventures,” she said. To learn more, or to get involved, send an email to firstname.lastname@example.org.
Visit the Massachusetts Local Food Cooperative website to learn more about membership and to see the list of products available. There is a one-time membership fee of $50, which can be paid in installments if necessary, and there is no minimum monthly order.


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Industry Events: Wellness
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Perth’s Belmont Oasis Leisure Centre has been acknowledged as the Council/Licensed Fitness Centre of the Year at the 2019 Australian Fitness Awards, presented by Fitness Australia…read more
A new 2.2 kilometre Mount Vane walking track, designed and constructed by Minjerribah’s (North Stradbroke Island) Traditional Owners, the Quandamooka People, is the latest upgrade to…read more
Organisers of the 2019 National Sports Convention have advised that a significant element of the program will focus on future generations, exploring how to engage and encourage more…read more


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CEO David Prescott said fiber optics maker IntegraOptics will see continued growth in 2015 with new hires and a push to expand business internationally.
IntegraOptics is a seven-year-old manufacturer of fiber optic equipment used to transfer data via cable, phone and wireless network platforms. The Latham, New york company has 50 design, engineering and sales employees, with most based out of an office at the Albany International Airport. Prescott said he expects staff to grow to 60 employees by the end of 2015.
Most of that job growth will be in Albany, but some will be added in the company's satellite offices in Arizona, Minnesota and California. The company plans to move to a larger 11,000-square-foot headquarters next to its current space by April. The larger office will accommodate new hires and allow for more inventory and shipment room.
IntegraOptics is also looking to expand internationally, with an office in Brazil and clients in Mexico and Chile. Prescott said he expects to see a 35 percent revenue increase in 2015.
Prescott said IntegraOptics is now going after the enterprise market. He said that market, which includes selling products directly to corporations, health care companies and universities, represents 92 percent of the company's potential sales. Previously, the majority of the company's customers were telecommunications firms and cable service providers.
"Imagine the success that we had to date only going after 8 percent," Prescott said.
To see continued growth this year, IntegraOptics, recently went through a rebranding, with a name change and website redevelopment to appeal to an international clientele.


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'The biggest impact is on staff': Taking some Covid-19 heat in cold kitchens
They thought it would be "just an adjustment" to curfew and alcohol sales, but the door was also slammed on culinary giants.
Chef David Higgs had to shut down both his restaurants, the Saints and Marble in Johannesburg. "Our food is not geared for takeaway. We do fine dining," he said.
"The biggest impact is on our 100 staff.
"It's difficult to plan anything as we don't know what lies ahead. We didn't think this alert level would be this bad. We really thought it would just be an adjustment to the curfew and an alcohol ban," said Higgs.
High-end restaurants had barely recovered from the last hard lockdown and were ready to take the plunge again when the third wave hit, followed by stricter regulations imposed last Sunday for two weeks.
Higgs said he did not trade for almost all of last year.
"There's no income, that's very hard to deal with. We opened our doors in September and tried to recoup what we had lost and now this happens again," he said.
"We were in the process of expanding our business but have to deal with the impact at the same time. You can't just lay off people; some of them have been with us since day one and we have a responsibility to them.
"As for stock, we generally buy a lot of meat and it must stay in the fridges for about two months so it matures. We run the risk of it going to waste should the lockdown be extended further."
He said there was a massive cost involved in shutting down a restaurant, including having to cut off suppliers.
"I stand to lose my home, cars and everything if this doesn't come right. But I'm not the kind of person who would let that happen. We're South Africans, we know how to fight to stay afloat. But my staff don't have that luxury," Higgs said.
He continues to pay staff salaries.
Emma Chen, owner of Chinese restaurant Red Chamber in Hyde Park, said she had learnt a great deal from the lockdown last year and had shut down her 30-year-old establishment temporarily as a precaution.
"Mentally we are a bit more prepared [this time]. We all support the president and we realise this is not a joke," she said.
"For business it's a big blow, but it's really not worth it to take such risk every day for little business."
Celebrity chef Lesego Semenya, known as Les da Chef, said there were many aspects of the hospitality industry that were affected but hardly spoken about.
"For a culinary student to qualify as a chef you need practical experience. But with restaurants closed, a lot are not getting their qualifications because they lack experience.
"We have all sizes of suppliers that are affected, bakeries and even buffet-style restaurants that buy pre-cut food have their suppliers hanging.
"I haven't catered an event for a year and a half now. I have been lucky because I'm still surviving. A lot of people I know had to retrench," he said.
Grace Harding is a spokesperson for The Restaurant Collective, which calls itself a voice for positive change for the sit-down restaurant industry. She said there was no logical reason for restaurants to be closed.
"Curfew and alcohol restrictions we can accept, but not being able to open is now the death knell," she said.
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Men’s lifestyle store Askov Finlayson will double in size as the first step in a major expansion plan for Eric Dayton and Andrew Dayton’s North Loop corner, which includes the Bachelor Farmer and Marvel Bar.
Askov Finlayson, which marks its third anniversary this week, is moving next door, to the Historic Hennepin Hotel building, which was purchased in 2012 by North Corp, the Dayton brothers’ holding company. The new store—roughly 2,000 square feet—is slated to open in summer 2015. It will give the Daytons room to expand their Askov Finlayson clothing label, which launched last year with men’s Explorer pants and caps, and has slowly been adding apparel and accessories, including a sweatshirt with canvas arm patches.
As the Daytons have found their footing in retail, they’re delving more deeply into clothing for the urban hipster who appreciates functional apparel—even when walking city blocks to an office. The growing assortment of leather goods, bags, books, and more have begun to overwhelm the store’s quaint space in the front of Bachelor Farmer.
With Askov out of that space, the Daytons will finally have a place to feed the North Loop a casual lunch—a sorely needed category, as the neighborhood has become a true shopping destination. For more on the yet-to-be-named café, read Stephanie March's Foodie File. I’m also excited about the “pocket park” the Daytons plan to create in the concrete alley between their two buildings.


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Of course all those tags are worth money.
… the price that advertisers paid for keywords dropped an average three percent,…
…28 percent drop in Telecom-Wireless products and services from $1.09 to $.79, possibly reflecting the trend to give cell phones as a gift during the holidays. … Consumer-Retail category … decreased … 11 percent
Fathom Online, a leading SEM, tracks keyword prices daily and even hourly to spot trends and to provide its clients advantageous buying opportunities.


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Walmart says it is reopening second entrances and discontinuing one-way aisles at some of its stores.
The big-box retailer says most of its COVID-19 measures will stay in place, including social distancing floor decals and plastic shields at registers.
As the pandemic continues on, Walmart says shoppers have become more accustomed to altering their habits in public.
"Customers have quickly adopted new behaviors like wearing masks while shopping, practicing social distancing and using our expanded hours to better spread traffic throughout the day," a spokesperson told FOX 13.
"This gives us the ability to do things like reopen a second entrance and resume two-way shopping in our aisles."
Store associates will also continue with enhanced cleaning routines and spraying carts after each use, Walmart says.
The company will still require shoppers and employees to wear masks in their stores, which has been a requirement since July.


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KANSAS CITY, Mo.
Loews Hotels & Co. and KC Hotel Developers LLC announced they have entered into a partnership to build the new Loews Kansas City (KC) Convention Center Hotel. Loews Hotels is a joint equity partner in this venture. Construction will begin later this year (2017) for a tentative grand opening in early 2020.
"Adding to our hotel landscape with a new convention center hotel is [a very exciting thing] for Kansas City," said Kansas City Mayor Sly James. "To be able to leverage the Loews Hotels' reputation and that of its chairman, Jonathan Tisch—one of the biggest advocates for [the travel industry]--is an added bonus.”
Loews Kansas City Convention Center Hotel will showcase 800 guest rooms, a lobby bar, signature restaurant, three meal restaurant, indoor lap pool and 60,000 square feet of meeting and event space, which connects directly to the Kansas City Convention Center with a new connector bridge. The hotel is also in walking distance the Kansas City Power & Light District, Sprint Center and the Kauffman Center.
"At Loews we carefully and deliberately choose which markets to enter and we are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to add to our Midwest footprint with the new Loews Kansas City Convention Center Hotel," said Jonathan M. Tisch, Chairman & CEO, Loews Hotels & Co. "Kansas City is a vibrant destination and we look forward to investing in and becoming an active part of the community."
Loews Kansas City Convention Center Hotel is expected to create approximately 2,000 new jobs for downtown Kansas City, including 1,400 construction jobs and more than 500 permanent jobs.


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The holiday season is undoubtedly the most important date in the marketer’s diary. During the gift buying
season, shopper profiles can fluctuate significantly as 70% of the world’s consumers seek out and buy gifts for friends and family members.
Whilst brands often have an in-depth understanding of their core customer, many may not be aware of how globalised holiday shopping has become. Since consumer buying habits can change so drastically during the holiday season, it is essential to understand the latest purchasing trends to reach, engage and convert potential customers across the globe.
For this reason, we’ve produced our latest consumer survey report, The Unexpected Gift Shopper. Based on our research with 5,000 international consumers across eight markets including Europe, APAC and America, the report reveals the a huge opportunity for borderless shopping this holiday season.
As many as 70% of consumers across Europe and APAC are looking to buy gifts for their family and friends – two-thirds of whom will consider gift purchases from overseas. UK brands particularly will be missing out if they fail to target overseas gift buyers as 45% of shoppers are looking to make a holiday purchase from the UK this year, specifically people from Germany (60%), Singapore (49%) and Australia (44%). This makes Britain the most popular market among those who are looking to purchase gifts internationally.
So, what does that mean for your holiday season strategy? Anthony Capano, our Managing Director of International said: “If UK marketers don’t prioritise attracting shoppers in foreign markets, they will fail to seize the significant opportunity international commerce presents at this time of year. They must not shy away from engaging unexpected shoppers – the key is finding customers at home and away.”
To learn more about your unexpected gift shopper this holiday season, download our report to uncover the following insights:
- Who shoppers are buying for
- Why people buy overseas
- The countries and regions most likely to purchase cross-border
- How best to advertise to holiday season shoppers
- Country and region-specific data on average gift budgets per shopper


text: A three-day Sotheby’s New York auction of furniture, art and clothing design sketches belonging to murdered fashion designer Gianni Versace wrapped up on Saturday with $10 million in its coffers, nearly double the expected final figure, reports Reuters. The 600 lots in the auction ranged from 19th-century paintings to the designer’s own creations, “everything from the classical art and neo-classical furniture that Versace decorated his home with . . . to the things he designed himself for the environment,” said Matthew Weigman, a spokesman for the auction house. Versace was slain outside his Miami Beach home in 1997.


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Bluebeat founder Hank Risan says he sank $20 million into an effort to revolutionize digital music delivery. But he flushed it all the day he offered Beatles tracks for a quarter a pop, a judge has ruled.
U.S. District Judge John F. Walter issued a preliminary injunction against BlueBeat.com and Basebeat.com, handing a victory to music company EMI Group, which sued Risan and his companies recently. Risan is now banned from streaming or selling songs on BlueBeat by the Beatles and other longtime digital holdouts such as AC/DC and Pink Floyd. Risan says the tracks are original works performed by a “virtual cover band“–they use algorithms to analyze the original works and create “psycho-acoustic simulations” of those works.
The decision comes a day before a scheduled hearing in which Risan and his attorney planned to present their case. “In America, you’d think you could get a trial,” Risan tells Fastcompany.com. “I wasn’t able to go in front of him and tell him all of the things that took place that legally allowed us to do this.”
Among those things, Risan says, is permission from the Recording Industry Association of America and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI)–the group represents the worldwide recording industry and 1,400 labels, including EMI–to develop his technology. As far back as 2003, Risan says, he gave EMI special access to Bluebeat, Beatles tracks and all, so they could approve of his R&D testing. “The important thing was, we were authorized to do it,” he says.
Somewhere along the line, that permission got lost, though. Risan says he filed documents with the court related to the approvals but he declined to provide Fastcompany.com with any piece of evidence in which EMI granted Bluebeat permission to stream anything. Risan says he doesn’t want to ruin future chances of striking an agreement with the label. He has $20 million invested in the concept–his own money plus funds from investors, he claims. EMI issued a “no comment,” as is their practice with most matters of litigation.
Risan does not claim to have permission to sell anything–call it Beatles tracks or, in Risan’s parlance, “psycho-acoustic simulations” or public performances thereof. At the end of the day, Risan’s work are songs that sound remarkably similar to the originals. So similar, in fact, that the judge essentially considered them to be copies. “The interesting thing that Judge Wallace did was he listened to the original CD, and he listened to our 160k work, and he couldn’t hear the difference.”
Wallace clearly didn’t consider that a testament to Risan’s technology, though. More like a smoking gun.
Risan is still filing patents related to digital music–social networking is his latest frontier, he says–and deciding whether to appeal Wallace’s injunction. “I think he just didn’t have enough information to make a good ruling,” he says. For now, BlueBeat will stay shut down. Meanwhile, The Beatles’ latest remastered stereo box set is selling for a little more than $200 on eBay.


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Bets off as Ladbrokes, Sky scrap deal
TOP bookie Ladbrokes has scrapped plans for an interactive gambling joint venture with British Sky Broadcasting. The move follows the Government's decision last week to refer the proposed alliance to the Competition Commission.
Ladbrokes, owned by hotels group Hilton, unveiled plans in July to develop a fixed odds betting business linked to Sky's satellite sports broadcasting platform, which owns the rights to English Premiership soccer. Ladbrokes' Vernons pools business would have been transferred to the joint venture.
BSkyB, with more than 10 mln customers, is the UK's leading pay TV channel, while Ladbrokes runs the nation's largest chain of bookmakers.
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The first major announcement at Google I/O is Android One, a unique project targeted at emerging countries. Android One looks to bring high quality and affordable hardware to billions of users who don’t have the luxury of high-end devices.
What makes these devices so unique is that they will run stock Android from the get go and be officially supported by Google themselves. Users will be able to take advantage of automatic updates and auto-install options for their apps.
Google is currently working with 3 carriers in India to get the program underway, but expect it to be a global project by the end of the year.
For in-depth news, reviews and feaures on all things Android, pick up the 100 per cent unofficial monthly guide Android Magazine.


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Windows 10 launched in South Africa in July 2015, following an extensive programme by Microsoft to encourage users to upgrade.
Microsoft offered a free update to the operating system to Windows 7 and 8 users, but not all took the offer.
According to the latest figures from Microsoft, however, Windows 10 adoption is steadily increasing.
Figures from Windows and Microsoft Store trends show that, as of February 2018, global Windows 10 adoption was 48%.
By comparison, in February 2017 Windows 10 adoption was 39%.
This is based on PC and tablet user data, which is obtained from users who have opted to send Microsoft their telemetry data.
For February 2018, Windows 7 was at 39%, while Windows 8 was at 13%.


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Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Nirmala Sitaraman has unveiled the new 5-year Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) from 2015 to 2020 to boost exports, create jobs, and and increasing value addition in the country while supporting Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s ‘Make In India‘ and ‘Digital India‘. The FTP Policy will be reviewed after two and half years.
The focus of the new policy is emphasized on manufacturing and services sectors, with the ambitious plan of improving the ‘ease of doing business’. The focus of the new FTP will be also on defence, pharma, environment-friendly products and value-added exports. Government has also planned to promote the e-commerce industry. Incentives for units located in Special Economic Zones will also continue.
FTP2015-20 introduces two new schemes. They are
- Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) – for export of specified goods to specified markets.
- Services Exports from India Scheme (SEIS) – for increasing exports of notified services with different conditions for eligibility and usage.
Duty credit scrips issued under MEIS and SEIS and the goods imported against these scrips are fully transferable.
Measures have been adopted to push procurement of capital goods from indigenous manufacturers under the Export Promotion Capital Goods scheme to promote the domestic capital goods manufacturing industry.


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By Rita Thompson
The medical cannabis company co-founded by actor and author, Whoopi Goldberg, is going up in smoke.
Whoopi and Maya stepped into the industry four years ago. Their goal–to provide medical cannabis to women suffering from menstrual pain. The company took a stand against professionals who coil at the mention of menstruation and androcentric leaders who refuse to accept menstrual cramps as real pain.
The company is proud of what they’ve accomplished so far. However, they will no longer continue operations.
“In 2016, we launched with an urgent mission: to offer safe, natural relief for period pain through the miracle of medical cannabis.” the statement read. “We proved there’s a market for this medicine and it’s been our joy to offer this miraculous relief to our treasured customers.”
“Whoopi and Maya wanted a Divorce…”
Rich Cusick, company board member, said the closure is largely due to a falling out between its co-founders, Whoopi Goldberg and Maya Elisabeth.
“Whoopi and Maya wanted a divorce. We had several possibilities and proposals and none of which we could get both to agree on,” Cusick explained to GreenEntrepreneur. “The division is very strong within the company in that sense.”
They also struggled with the emergence of the recreational market. Having launched their brand in the same year as California’s Adult Use of Marijuana Act, regulations severely impacted the company. In particular, the 21-year-old age minimum restricted their ability to market products.
“Suddenly we’re jumping through hoops like every other company in California,” Cusick stated to CNN Business. “We were well on the way to [being cash-flow positive]. But then we had to jump through hoops to change our packaging…and then change our packaging again.”
Up Next for Whoopi and Maya…
As of now, the company is still intact. However, members hope to continue operations following discussions with its board and investors. But, it’s hard to say what the future will hold without Goldberg.
“It is with deep regret and sadness I am announcing that I have withdrawn as a board member, manager, and member of Whoopi and Maya. I am very proud of what we have accomplished together and look forward to moving ahead with other projects in the market,” Goldberg told the New York Post.


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Mulally also told reporters at a briefing Friday on its new vehicles that Ford will keep its advantage over Chrysler and General Motors next year. Ford has gained sales and market share while its Detroit competitors were forced to take government aid and go through bankruptcy protection.
Ford has about $27 billion in debt. Mulally says the company repaid $10 billion this year and has sold $1.6 billion worth of stock.
He says the automaker will accelerate payments as it continues to move toward profitability in 2011.
Ford mortgaged all of its assets three years ago to borrow $23.5 billion. The loans allowed it to avoid bankruptcy and the government aid that GM and Chrysler needed to survive.
"Everybody knows how fast we are getting back to profitability and free cash flow," Mulally said. "Then we'll just accelerate the improvements to the balance sheet."
In November, Ford reported a third-quarter profit of nearly $1 billion and said it would be solidly profitable in two years.
Mulally said the borrowing and improved cash position have allowed Ford to revamp its product lineup so it will soon be the freshest in the industry. He made the statements in the Detroit suburb of Wayne, at a former truck factory being retooled to make the new European version of the Focus compact car.
New versions of the Focus are expected to be in showrooms early in 2011.
Ford's U.S. sales through November are down 19 percent from the same period last year, but that's a smaller drop than the overall market's 24 percent drop. The Dearborn, Mich., automaker has fared far better than GM, with sales down 32 percent, or Chrysler, which has seen a 38 percent decline, according to Autodata Corp.
Mulally said Ford would continue to see a competitive advantage over GM and Chrysler because of its solid products and because it avoided government aid and bankruptcy protection.
"They want to know that not only are they getting great products that will work for them, they want to know that the company is going to be there," he said.
Mulally also said the economy is starting to show signs of improvement throughout the world, slowly moving out of the recession. Yet Ford has still planned conservatively to have growth going forward, he said.


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A logistics tech startup, called CargoX, has pulled off a less-than-conventional funding campaign, raising US$7 million in a matter of minutes through an initial coin offering (ICO). The funding was raised through sale of CXO tokens, which CargoX said are “utility tokens” that users of its logistics platform can use to pay for services.
While the initial blockchained application is limited to maritime shipments, CargoX says that it is partnering with global multimodal forwarders, and the platform could accommodate expansion into the airfreight business in the future.
The first service CargoX plans to offer on its platform is a blockchain-based bill-of-lading system, which would replace paper bills of lading that can take weeks to pass between parties. CargoX estimates that eliminating these paper-based systems will save logistics companies roughly $5 billion per year, globally, in courier and administrative fees.
“We’re giving shippers and logistics companies the tools to transact directly with each other, in real time,” explained CargoX’s founder and CEO, Stefan Kukman.


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Anti-malware software vendor Malwarebytes has become the latest technology company swept up in last year's attack on SolarWinds.
russia - News, Features, and Slideshows
Data analytics software vendor Splunk has announced it will stop selling software and services to organisations in Russia, including through partners.
Russia accuses of launching cyber attacks on computer routers, firewalls and other networking equipment used by government agencies around the globe.
Australia has joined the growing list of countries blaming Russia for the 'NotPetya' cyber attack last year.


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(Bloomberg) -- Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., the Canadian convenience-store giant that owns the Circle K chain, is exploring a potential acquisition of French grocer Carrefour SA, people with knowledge of the matter said.
Couche-Tard has made an initial approach to Carrefour to discuss a combination, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. There’s no certainty the deliberations will lead to a transaction, the people said.
Shares of Carrefour have risen 10% in Paris trading this year, giving the company a market capitalization of 12.6 billion euros ($15.4 billion) at Tuesday’s close. Couche-Tard is valued at almost $37 billion in Toronto. Representatives for Couche-Tard and Carrefour couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Acquiring Carrefour would help Couche-Tard diversify into the supermarket business and expand its presence in Europe and Latin America. Any transaction would add to the $182 billion of deals announced in the retail industry over the past 12 months, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
After years of stagnation in its core French business, Carrefour has been seeking a turnaround under Chief Executive Officer Alexandre Bompard. He’s been cutting costs by scaling back the company’s giant hypermarkets, which sell everything from produce to clothing and housewares, while expanding in e-commerce and organic food.
Couche-Tard has a network of more than 9,000 convenience stores in North America, most of which also offer fuel retail, according to its website. It also had about 2,700 locations in Europe as of October last year.
The company has been expanding through acquisitions, agreeing in 2016 to buy U.S. gas-station operator CST Brands Inc. for around $4 billion. Couche-Tard gained a foothold in Scandinavia and the Baltic region through its 2012 purchase of Statoil Fuel & Retail ASA.


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GTA 6 trailer 2 rumours explained as potential song is revealed
04.03.2024 - 16:35
There are tons of new games on the horizon, but Grand Theft Auto VI is arguably the most eagerly anticipated.
Rockstar Games dropped the first trailer for the upcoming sequel on Monday 4th December 2023, after it controversially leaked online early.
That trailer was set to the soundtrack of Tom Petty’s iconic Love is a Long Road, and it treated fans to a glimpse of the sun kissed streets of modern day Vice City, 16 years after we last visited it in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.
We also saw Lucia, the first female protagonist in the franchise’s 3D era, which began with 2001’s Grand Theft Auto III.
Since then, rumours have flown around the internet as fans count down the days until Grand Theft Auto VI is released.
However, recent speculation has mounted about a song that might be on the soundtrack for the game, so let’s take a closer look at what could be in store.
Speculation has grown in the last few days that the song Ring My Bell by Anita Ward could be featured on the soundtrack or in a new trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI.
This came after a logo for the game appeared as a cover picture on the artist’s Spotify page, as highlighted by Reddit user AlilBitTall.
Ring My Bell is the track that Ward is most known for — and it even featured in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the radio station K-Jah, although this was a cover by a band called Blood Sisters.
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According to GameRant, this has caused many fans to assume it will appear in Grand Theft Auto VI, as it is a track synonymous with the ‘80s, the decade in which 2002’s Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was set.
However, on X, formerly known as Twitter, a Grand Theft Auto fan page called Project Vice uploaded a statement released by Ward via her Spotify page that denied the rumours.
It stated: «All rumours and predictions about the song are unfounded.»
She went on to add that no official agreements are currently in place for Ring My Bell to feature in Grand Theft Auto VI, but that did not mean it could not in the future.
Rockstar Games has not officially confirmed when the second trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI will drop, but our best guess would be towards the latter part of 2024.
The developer has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto VI is set to release in 2025. We recently predicted that it could be around September or October 2025.
In the meantime, here is the trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI.
Listen to our One More Life podcast and subscribe to our gaming newsletter for all the latest intel.
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We’ve been hearing quite a lot about the upcoming “lite hash rate” (LHR) graphics cards over the past few weeks. Well today NVIDIA has made it official and posted up a blog to announce the new revised lineup of RTX 30-series graphics cards which start with the RTX 3060 and go all the way up to the RTX 3080. All of these cards will now ship with a new silicon revision. This new silicon will effectively half the graphics cards output in Ethereum mining.
NVIDIA has also clarified that its partners will clearly be labeling their graphics cards with stickers that will let consumers know that they are “LHR” cards. These will be on both the box as well as the card itself.
It looks like time will only tell if this mitigation by NVIDIA will solve the massive GPU shortage, scalpers, and insane prices that we’ve seen over the past few months. We could see the non-LHR cards still being sold at insane prices, while the LHR cards would remain near MSRP.
Via NVIDIA Blog


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On Tuesday, GameStop Corp. announced that it had spent $475 million to buy 507 of AT&T's retail stores around the country. These locations are in 36 states and were acquired from national AT&T retailers, which include Midwest Cellular, Red Skye Wireless and Cellular World Corp. GameStop hasn't made the actual price of these stores public, but an executive at GameStop said that "the bulk" amounted to about $475 million. GameStop is already the largest retail distributor of Cricket Wireless. They are currently selling their products and services in about 3,400 GameStop locations throughout the country. This purchase adds on to GameStop's position as the biggest authorized retailer for AT&T. GameStop actually owns 1,421 AT&T Mobility stores nationwide.
When speaking about the purchase, GameStop's CEO, Paul Raines stated that "today's announcement showcases the strength of our relationship with AT&T and fortifies our diversification efforts. With the continued investments in our Technology Brands business, we are on track to achieve our goal of generating $200 million of operating earnings in this growing segment by the end of 2019." GameStop, has increasingly been offering more than just video games at their stores. They actually became a phone retailer back in 2013, and it appears that they are wanting to continue growing that area of their business.
Meanwhile, wireless carriers are looking for ways to target both postpaid and prepaid customers at retail stores around the country. T-Mobile and Sprint have both been looking to expand their retail presence and have their retail stores available in more and more neighborhoods. T-Mobile has been expanding while they are putting up more and more coverage nationwide. Sprint, recently announced that they were working Dixons Carphone to open up 500 retail stores nationwide.
GameStop may be a somewhat puzzling name, to be picking up over 500 stores from AT&T, but given their history, it shouldn't be too surprising. Now, while GameStop stores don't typically have the latest and greatest smartphones, they do have a few, especially for those on Cricket. Which is increasingly becoming a popular name in the prepaid space, challenging the likes of MetroPCS, Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile. Who are currently the top names in prepaid.