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Rivian Automotive, Inc. has announced that it will enable companies other than Amazon to purchase its custom-designed Rivian Commercial Van. Amazon initially had an exclusive contract with Rivian.
This move provides companies all around the world more opportunity to electrify their delivery fleets, which will help to further reduce CO2 emissions.
The vehicle’s safety features include automatic emergency braking, collision warnings, and 360-degree visibility.
When applied to the commercial space, this enables Rivian to provide easy access to critical fleet information – including real-time data and remote commands, driver and vehicle insights, alerts and analytics.
RJ Scaringe, CEO of Rivian, says: “We’re excited to open sales of our electric commercial van to more businesses. Around a quarter of CO2 emitted in the transportation sector in the US comes from commercial vehicles, so it’s imperative we do all we can as soon as possible to help cut emissions. Amazon is, and will remain, a key partner for us, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the Amazon team as we help them to achieve their Climate Pledge goal.”
Rivian designs, develops, and manufactures category-defining electric vehicles and accessories and sells them directly to customers in the consumer and commercial markets.


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This Security Business magazine report is the result of a comprehensive research survey of the industry’s top security systems integrators and consultants, looking to assess the state of business in the security integration marketplace.
Coming out of the pandemic lockdowns, 2022 was by no means an easy year for integration businesses. The COVID uncertainty of the past two years gave way to unprecedented supply chain and economic issues that continue to shape the business landscape. That said, the state of the security services industry remains exceptionally strong for integrators, with record backlogs and commercial projects powering dynamic growth in both profits and revenue for the majority of security integration businesses.
Click the download button below to access a PDF of our report, including hard numbers on growth, revenue and RMR, as well as greater insight into growing technologies, markets and business challenges for the security integration industry.

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Well Niantic developers again got the spotlight with their upcoming game Harry Potter GO. After the tremendous craze and success of Pokémon Go they are developing this game & even got the official rights to make this game. Fans are going crazy over the news and already have filed petition to release the game as soon as possible. They want their childhood back through the game.
“We got the rights for the app development, we are trying our level best to best for the official announcement in early 2017,” one of the senior developers of Niantic said. “But, further details about Harry Potter GO app can’t be said including the release date.”
It’s expected that the game will follow the style of Pockemon-Go & There are already some trailers made by some fan. Check it below:
We have to wait for some more days till they announce it officially but still it’s a news of getting excited!
What do you think of this new game Harry Potter GO? Drop your comments below!


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Google's AdWords is getting its first major facelift in the 15 years it has been on the market. Going forward, the online advertising platform offered by the world's most successful search firm will be designed to help retailers (and the marketers they employ) to deliver more ads across more platforms, more effectively.
The redesign specifically looks to hone the platform's look around a retailer's goals — increasing conversion, driving physical traffic, pushing up app downloads — and only show them data relevant to the metrics they are actually tracking.
“From the way you express business goals to the way you measure and manage your ads, we want to make it super easy to execute and optimize campaigns based on your unique marketing objectives,” Jerry Dischler, vice president of product management, AdWords, wrote in a blog post. “You want the data you care about at your fingertips. From the campaigns that drive the most profit to the percentage of traffic coming from mobile, we want to surface insights and help you visualize them in more actionable ways. By seeing the data most relevant to your business goals, you can spend more time optimizing campaigns and identifying opportunities.”
The changes come as Google is adopting its business model and advertising offerings to a market that is rapidly shifting to a mobile-first mentality (as opposed to the desktop). AdWords' initial design comes from the previous era of desktop dominance — and the updates today reflect that as the offerings get more complicated and extensive, retailers need a sensible way to navigate all that data.
The new interface should reflect those changes, said Andrea McFarling, director of marketing at digital marketing vendor Adlucent LLC.
“Consumers are more mobile than they ever have been before, moving seamlessly between devices and channels,” she said. “Google's AdWords' new user interface aligns with the way consumers are researching and purchasing products — whether that's through paid search, YouTube videos, remarketing ads and more. The hope is that advertisers will now be able to focus on their overall business goals instead of individual activities."
The new platform is reportedly now rolling out to selected AdWords users, as Google is gathering feedback on the program. The full redesign timeline is currently estimated at about a year.


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20 things you should never say to your child
Interbrand, a brand consulting company owned by the Omnicom Group, recently released its 14th annual Best Global Brands report.
Apple has overtaken Coca-Cola as the world's top brand. Find out what other companies are among global consumer favorites.
Is a possible threat to an ancient tomb at the heart of Turkey's debate whether to step up its role in the fight against ISIS?
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Updated April 14, 2020 - 8:04 am
After a farewell party weekend, the Hard Rock Hotel closed in early February to transform into a Virgin-branded resort.
The off-Strip property’s makeover is still on track — but Las Vegas’ financial lifeblood, the tourism industry, has collapsed around it.
Gov. Steve Sisolak last month ordered casinos and other businesses closed in Nevada to help contain the spreading coronavirus. He let construction keep going, deeming it “essential” alongside hospitals, grocery stores and others amid the outbreak.
The Hard Rock’s renovation is still on schedule, President and CEO Richard “Boz” Bosworth said, but the economy is in turmoil with record job losses, and there are still plenty of unknowns.
And while there are some commonalities between the current financial crisis and past ones, Bosworth said, “there has been nothing like this.”
Bosworth and partners, including flamboyant British billionaire Richard Branson, acquired the 1,500-room resort in 2018 for a reported $500 million. It is expected to reopen this fall as Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
Bosworth, who has said the overhaul will cost more than $200 million, spoke with the Review-Journal on Thursday to give an update on the project. The interview was edited for length and clarity.
Have you slowed or stopped construction because of the fallout from the coronavirus?
We consider ourselves very fortunate that to date, and I do want to emphasize to date, we have had no disruption to our construction project or our schedule.
Do you think there could be disruptions given all the turmoil?
I see it more so with potential supply chains, which we watch very closely, and we certainly have contingency plans. There are so many unknowns it would be ignorant or naive for us to not wake up every day and have some level of expectation that there can be a disruption.
(Note: Bosworth said Monday that his group adjusted some construction sequencing in recent days because of supply deliveries, but he added it doesn’t affect the overall schedule.)
Have any aspects of the renovation changed?
No, with the exception that we are watching and trying to study every day what the travel patterns will look like when we open. An example may be, there could be an expectation that air travel will take a longer time to return than drive-in travel. Does that change customer demand and needs? We realize there’s so much that we don’t know, and there’s so much that the industry doesn’t know.
I imagine you were surprised by how quickly the virus turned the world upside down.
We consider ourselves extremely fortunate that we closed for a planned renovation ahead of it and didn’t have to deal with so many of the issues that the rest of the community had to deal with on such short notice. I think about the tasks we had to accomplish to close down the Hard Rock on Feb. 3, and I look at the rest of the community, how they did it in 18 hours.
When you had the party weekend to close the Hard Rock, do you remember being aware of this new virus? Had the coronavirus even crossed your mind at that point?
Yes, it had, we were aware. Many of the hotel companies in the U.S. were implementing protocols back in late January. What we were able to do to stay ahead was recognize the supply chains in China, and even in Italy, had been disrupted. We were able to move to manufacturers, for example, in Vietnam.
I want to emphasize that while we certainly feel blessed that we, to date, have not had a disruption to our scheduling, it’s very difficult to feel happy or excited about that when it’s such a devastation to an industry.


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Pathea Games has announced that their upcoming multiplayer ball game Super Buckyball Tournament is scheduled to hit full release via Steam on November 15, 2022.
Super Buckyball Tournament is a multiplayer hero sports game featuring 3v3 team-based combat in cyberpunk-themed stadiums. The game will be available as a full release title on PC via Steam Store on November 15, 2022, with a seasonal battle pass and regular content updates after launch.
Discover what it takes to be part of Super Buckyball Tournament with the release date announcement trailer: [TRAILER]
Along with the release date announcement, Pathea Games has also revealed that Super Buckyball Tournament will participate in the upcoming Steam Next Fest, from October 3 to October 10. During the event, players are welcome to try out the Beta version for free and experience adrenaline-charged multiplayer combat.
Each 6-minute match is fresh and stimulating thanks to dynamic gameplay and an interesting variety of characters & ability combos, which ultimately allows players to strategize in innumerable ways.
Characters and Abilities
The official launch on November 15 will welcome 19 characters, with each character having it’s own unique attributes and skillsets that will determine the results of the game.
With assisted passing mechanics, passing has never been so easy in sports games. The emphasis on teamplay has allowed for quick passing opportunities and smooth collaborative plays.
Besides standard 3v3 game modes, the game will feature an Arcade Mode with Basketball, Dodgeball and Item mode for a more casual experience.
Super Buckyball Tournament is also scheduled to add a Singleplayer game mode where players will become the manager of a team, control every aspect of operations and lead the club from the bottom all the way to the champions of the Super Buckyball Tournament series.
The story of Super Buckyball Tournament sets in a non-distant future where cybernetics, genetic manipulation, and body manipulation technology allowed humans to be more powerful as well as more distinct. As a sport exclusively designed for enhanced humans, Super Buckyball allowed people from different societies and backgrounds to compete on the field. Super Buckyball Tournament has been introduced since then, as a cross-border, international league with teams from around the world.
The game was initially announced back in April 2019 by Chinese independent studio Pathea Games, who was previously known for their My Time franchise, including My Time at Portia and recently released My Time at Sandrock.
According to Pathea Games, the development of Super Buckyball Tournament is completely independent from the My Time Series, as Pathea Games aim to explore new territories rather than only sticking with the traditional life-simulation genre.
The project has been in development for over 5 years, with a dedicated group of developers and multiple playtests through the past 2 years. On November 2020, Pathea Games launched Super Buckyball Tournament Preseason, a trial version for Super Buckyball Tournament. It was well received with over 120K downloads and 86% positive reviews over the course of 2 weeks.
Follow Super Buckyball Tournament Social Media:
Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/BAc8gvw


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On Nov. 18, a resident of St. Laurent Drive discovered that $340 worth of items were missing from her unlocked rental car.
Sometime between 3 p.m. Nov. 17 and 10 a.m. Nov. 18, a thief stole $155 in belongings from an unlocked car on Lake Crest Drive.
Thieves were targeting unlocked vehicles in recent weeks, according to crime reports at the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station. A Tiffany bracelet and Loungefly Disney Cats backpack, respectively valued at $300 and $150, were among items s...
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Last month, Barnes & Noble announced that it would begin selling its Nook products in the UK, marking the company’s first international expansion. Today, the company announced a partnership with Dixons Retail, owner of PC World and Currys, which will see these stores carrying Nook products.
“We are very excited to work with a company that, just like Barnes & Noble, puts its customers at the forefront of its business,” said Jamie Iannone, President of Digital Products at Barnes & Noble. “We look forward to bringing our highly sought-after line of NOOK reading devices and content to PC World and Currys customers this autumn.”
Dean Kramer, Head Of Category – Computing Hardware, Currys and PC World, adde, “It’s vital, as the UK’s leading electrical retailers, that we continually offer the right mix of products to meet customers’ needs. Portable tablet and eReading technology is becoming ever more popular so we are thrilled to be stocking Barnes & Noble’s stylish, high quality NOOK products; we believe they will be one of the must-have gadgets for Christmas.”
The stores will feature Nook products in over 600 locations across the country (as well as online).
Barnes & Noble also named Patrick Rouvillois Vice President, Managing Director – International. This is a new role, which is responsible for building the Nook brand outside the U.S.
Update: Barnes & Noble has now announced a partnership with Sainsbury’s to bring Nook products to over 270 Sainsbury’s stores across the UK and online.
Update 2: The company has now announced a partnership with supermarket chain Waitrose, which will, as you might have guessed, see the store selling Nook products.


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Google (s goog) has snapped up The Dealmap, an aggregator of nearby shopping deals, in an acquisition that furthers its Google Offers ambitions. The purchase, whose price was not disclosed, shows that Google is proceeding even without its unsuccessful $6 billion bid for Groupon last year.
The Dealmap allows users to see local deals from more than 150 sources on a map. The Menlo Park, Calif.-based company has attracted more than two million users and generated more than 85 million monthly visitors for its partners. The Dealmap has distribution agreements with more than 50 partners including Microsoft (s msft), CityGrid, Local.com, MerchantCircle, MyPoints, Savings.com, SuperMedia, and T-Mobile.
The company said in a blog post that it chose to be acquired by Google because they share a desire to help save people money and that the search giant is equipped to help accelerate The Dealmap’s growth. For now, it looks like the company will continue to aggregate deals for its partners and provide its core services to users. But we’ll have to find out the long-term plans when the integration work is completed.
The interesting thing will be to see how The Dealmap affects Google’s local deal service Google Offers. It’s an important priority for the company that’s being paired with its near field communication Google Wallet product. As the service expands to more cities, Google will have to show it can continue to source a good volume of deals and maintain engagement with users. The Dealmap was popular for helping people find and discover local deals, and it seems like that experience should be helpful in building a better local discount offering. It was able to get a pull together a lot of deals: more than 400,000 deals and $10 million in savings available each day. That will be important to ensure that Google Offers scales well.
You need to get a good amount of deals to keep people coming back, and they have to be relevant and easy to access for users. Right now, Google Offers is still rolling out with more of a daily deal approach. But as Living Social and Groupon move toward more real-time instant deals, Google will need to step up and get more deals going in a more timely manner.
The Dealmap pick-up won’t address all the challenges ahead for Google, but it’s a sign that it’s still investing in this area and it’s also keeping a good start-up out of the hands of competitors. I thought Microsoft might want to buy the Dealmap after partnering with it for Bing Deals. Now, it’s up to Google to get the most out of its new deal acquisition. It’s not Groupon, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be.


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Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Another Reason to Distrust
Just before the launch of the Affordable Care Act (or "ACA" - alias "ObamaCare") the Health and Humans Services (HHS) Department had the choice of compelling the federal government to disclose any security threats to the government website. This is routine behavior whenever a business website sets up an online store. They are forced by law to let their customers all know that their personal information is breached whenever their sites are "hacked" or attacked.
Because of the size and complexity of the ACA website, HHS unilaterally decided NOT to offer the same protections for literally MILLIONS of American "customers" on the government website. Consequently, the government is NOT forced by the law to disclose when their site has been breached or that YOUR personal information is at risk. In fact, NO federal agency is held to the same standards as your every day stores and merchants. They have no legal responsibility to protect YOU while they protect the government from any lawsuits instead.
This opens a strong possibility for massive attacks against innocent Americans placing their "trust" in a government system that does NOT ensure the privacy or secrecy of their personal information. In fact, experts say that the government website is a hackers dream.
Just in case you're wondering, 2013 has been a banner year for hackers world wide. Dozens of corporations and government agencies have been attacked by "hackers" who turn-out to be part of the Chinese Liberation Army. This group has been stealing American intellectual property for over five years. They in-turn sell YOUR valuable information to the black market to help destroy the country from debt. NICE!
Our government knows all this but won't do anything to protect you the average Joe citizen. This is just another reason NOT to trust the Obama Administration. They learn to lie from the top-down (Obama) and then lie to protect from within. It is one of the most deceitful government in American history. They don't care about you, your personal information, or your families. The "ends justify the means." That's a MARXIST belief and look where it's coming from! The White House!
If you have any smarts at all - don't sign-up for ObamaCare. Nothing is safe on that website.


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Marvelous & Honey∞Parade Games have announced the date for a new Senran Kagura presentation.
Dubbed the Senran Kagura New Title Presentation 2017, it is due to air on August 1st at 18:00 JST and will be live streamed on YouTube and Niconico. New projects for the popular series will no doubt be announced, but there will also be extra details showcased for the upcoming Nintendo Switch exclusive Shinobi Refle: Senran Kagura.
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Rocking the world of gaming since the Atari 2600, has now settled down to bask in the warmth of moe. Moe is life for a moe connoisseur.


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Visit Nepal 2020 app contest announced
4th Jun, 2019 | Tourism Mail Crew
KATHMANDU, June 04: The secretariat of Visit Nepal 2020, Keshar Mahal has announced 'Visit Nepal 2020' app contest. The top 3 best tourism friendly app maker could get a change to win 2 hundred thousand rupees (2,00,000 NPR).
The submitters have to submit a tourist friendly app to participate in the event. The submitters must submit their app till 30th June 2019 at email@example.com.
Visit Nepal 2020 is the initiation of Nepal government to invite 2 million tourists in Nepal by year 2020.


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European Commission opens a consultation on the Digital Euro
The consultation launched to gather opinions on users needs and expectations over a digital euro and how to make it available for retail payments.
The European Commission has launched a targeted consultation on a digital euro with the aim of gathering opinions on users’ needs and expectations for a digital euro and on how would be available for retail payments, while preserving the legal tender of cash at the same time.
As explained by the Commission, “in March 2021, the Eurosummit called for a stronger and more innovative digital finance sector and more efficient and resilient payment systems and stated that exploratory work on a digital euro should be taken forward. For a digital euro to be used as the single currency, concurrently with euro banknotes and coins, it would require a Regulation of the co-legislator, upon a proposal by the Commission.” The consultation complements the public consultation conducted by the ECB between October 2020 and January 2021 and is part of the Digital Finance and Retail Payment Strategies launched on September 24th 2020, which supported competitive home-grown and pan–European payment solutions and the development of a digital euro.
The consultation, which will last four weeks, aims to collect further information on expected impacts on key industries (financial intermediation, payment services, merchants), users (consumer associations, retailers’ associations), chambers of commerce and other stakeholders in international trade. This targeted consultation will gather further evidence on users’ needs and expectations for a digital euro; its role for the EU’s retail payments and the digital economy; how would be available for retail use while continuing to safeguard the legal tender status of euro cash; its impact on the financial sector and the financial stability; application of anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing (AML-CFT) rules; privacy and data protection aspects; international payments.


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Target Canada accused of selling 'sexist' toddler PJs
Target Canada is accused of selling pajamas that are sexist and sexualize baby girls.
In a tweet, Aimee Morrison, an associate professor of English at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, posted a photo of girl PJs next to a similar design for boys.
The girls' pajamas say, "I only date heroes."
The boys' pajamas read, "Future man of steel."
Morrison called on her Twitter followers to retweet the "sexist set of baby jammies."
In an interview Tuesday, Morrison said it's been shared hundreds of times and the overwhelming response has been people questioning why DC Comics or Target would think the girl PJs are OK.
The idea boys can be heroes and girls can only date them is just part of the problem, she says.
"The other issue involved is the sexualization of girl children at younger and younger ages," Morrison said. "If you're looking at your infant daughter and thinking about who she is going to be dating, that's inappropriate."
The photo was posted on Facebook by Morrison's colleague, Christine Logel, an assistant professor of social development studies at UW.
Logel, who is the mother of two young girls, said the photo shows sleepers for infants between three and six months old — although there were various sizes.
"What seemed to really catch people is that these are for infants," she said. "There's a slight sexualization there of a baby girl, which people found quite creepy."
A statement from Target Canada didn't address the pajamas specifically, but said "it is never our intent to offend anyone."
"We appreciate the feedback we've received and will continue to listen to our guests to ensure we offer merchandise that appeals to, and reflects, our diverse guest population," the statement said.


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The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the California Department of Business Oversight have released a pile of complaints concerning San Francisco-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase.
134 Pages of Complaints and Accusations
According to a report from Business Insider, the SEC has received 134 pages of complaints from customers about their transactions on Coinbase. The files, which were obtained by Mashable through the Freedom of Information Act, outline a laundry list of complaints indicating that the exchange is growing so fast that it can’t maintain adequate customer services.
Numerous complaints taken by the SEC and also by the California Department of Business Oversight accuse the San Francisco-based exchange of holding customers money for its own use while refusing to resolve transfer or repayment issues. While others complain that their money is locked up in Coinbase’s system, existing in a kind of limbo, and that the exchange has ceased to answer communications.
One such complaint taken directly from the SEC files is quoted by Mashables:
“I am happy to take this as far as possible, socially, politically, and economically, if I do not receive what I am owed, or continue to receive no response from the company, both of which I’m sure are inevitable. If I can help to dismantle these frauds and protect any other people in America or abroad, I am more than happy to do so — just reach out.”
Some of the complaints are directly linked to a glitch in the Coinbase system, which resulted in some customers having their accounts drained in February 2018. This then led to angry posts on social media with some customers threatening to show up at the exchange’s headquarters with guns. Most, though, illustrate a pattern of poor customer service and even customer neglect that users call systemic.
The 134 pages of complaints and accusations directly contradict the image Coinbase has sought to make for itself as a reputable, safe exchange. In a space that has attracted a lot of fraudsters, Coinbase complies with all know-your-customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) laws and assures customers that it is regulated. It even eventually complied with an order to hand over user data to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Coinbase Grew Too Fast
A Coinbase Spokesperson replied to the reports by saying the company is making sincere efforts to improve their customer support.
As quoted by Mashable: “Over the last few months we have: increased our support team by over 150 percent,” and “[decreased] our average time to first response to <10 hours for 95 percent of incoming volume today. As a result, we are able to resolve issues faster and have decreased the backlog by 95 percent. We now have over 600 support agents working on our queues across three different locations and we offer phone support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
Founded in 2012 by Brian Armstrong, Coinbase experienced massive growth during the cryptocurrency boom of 2017 forcing the company to double the number of its employees from 250 to 500 in a matter of months. Though officially worth $1.6 billion the exchange has been valued by its founder at closer to $8 billion during recent acquisition deals.
Featured image from Shutterstock.


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Here, Conor McArdle, content executive at Brighter Business, explores what trends will be impacting businesses in 2018. In the past few years, we have seen that video itself has become a vital component of successful businesses Customers want real connection; they are done with the impersonal and generic marketing. We pin our hope on great marketing strategies in 2018 designed around VR. Businesses who cater to the growing demands of the public for affordable skincare services and products could see a boost in the years to come. An Epsilon study published in 2018 reveals that 80% of consumers stated they were more likely to do business with a company that offers personalized experiences.
This person can offer a variety of services depending on their expertise and their clients’ needs such as social media account set up, develop marketing strategies based on client goals. Social continues to explode and dominate more and more of our marketing activities as small businesses. Accordingly, the rise of master data management is becoming a key priority in the business intelligence strategy of a company. Second, we’ll see more business owners and freelancers coming together in one consolidated company or offer.
By November of 2019, the unemployment rate reached a historic low of 3.5 percent This extremely strong labor market has had a major impact on small businesses. This type of strategy and interconnectedness of sales and marketing teams is also ideal for small businesses. According to Nextria, 57 percent of customers would rather contact companies online than call them for help. Accordingly, predictive and prescriptive analytics are by far the most discussed business analytics trends among the BI professionals, especially since big data is becoming the main focus of analytics processes that are being leveraged not just by big enterprises, but small and medium-sized businesses alike.
However, businesses today want to go further and predictive analytics is another trend to be closely monitored. We predict 2019 will be the year of the digital detox, and there are plenty of opportunities for new start-ups to help people reduce the use of their digital devices. But the way that it’s being used on social media channels is definitely changing in 2018. Of course, technology can help small business owners bridge their skills gap. By the end of this year, you will see that customers calls will be reduced and they are going to be using this form of contact less and less time.
Currently, more organizations are leveraging case studies for video content to support their marketing efforts. He is the co-founder of NP Digital and Subscribers The Wall Street Journal calls him a top influencer on the web, Forbes says he is one of the top 10 marketers, and Entrepreneur Magazine says he created one of the 100 most brilliant companies. From content experiences and data visualization to dynamic physical world mapping, AR is certainly one to watch over 2018. Their responses provide a comprehensive picture of regional, company and industry specific differences and offer up-to-the-minute insights into developments in the BI market and the future of BI. Our long-term comparisons also show how trends in business intelligence have developed, making it possible to separate hype from stable trends.


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(PRWEB) January 07, 2013
Sofant Technologies will reveal revolutionary smart antenna and tunable RF solutions in Las Vegas this week after winning their place at CES 2013 in the UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) competition for the worlds next big thing.
Consuming 90% less energy and predicted to double battery life, this is the first time miniaturised smart antenna technology has been used in mobile devices and could eradicate some of the biggest barriers to smartphone development including short battery life, dropped calls and poor signal quality.
Antenna technology has not kept pace with the constant advances in functionality and performance of smartphones. Additionally, the current rollout of new communication protocols such as LTE and 4G means ever-increasing pressure on existing antennae.
Sergio Tansini, CEO of Sofant, explains: Battery life and connectivity are key problems for the global mobile device market. Antennae account for 50% of power consumption when a device is on standby and even more during calls. Because antenna technology has barely moved in recent years the antenna continues to act as a bottleneck to data transfer.
In reality this means that every new generation of smartphone actually performs less well than its predecessor. Sofant has developed the technology capable of transforming the performance and user experience of mobile devices forever.
Headquartered in Scotland, Sofant has developed three core technologies comprising RF MEMS, antenna and software. This powerful combination provides a steerable and focussed antenna – SmartAntennaTM – that can lock onto the best signal available at any given time.
By improving the rate of data transfer SmartAntennaTM provides a higher level of connectivity than conventional antennae. It also consumes 90% less energy, boosting battery life.
As well as benefiting individual mobile devices, Smart AntennaTM will also reduce network congestion caused by weak signals and dropped connections, diminishing the need for more base stations.
SmartAntennaTM will also address other mobile device constraints including suitability for large numbers of frequency bands.
Together with Sofants tunable RF MEMS based modules – AvtoRFTM – and Sofant Intelligent Software SISTM the companys technology enables superior performance, reliable connections, lower RF power consumption and better signal quality, eliminating issues such as dead zones.
The technologies can be licensed individually or as a single smart micro antenna system.
The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2013) is being staged in Las Vegas between 8-11 January and will feature 3,000 exhibitors unveiling the latest consumer technology products and services across 1.85 million net square feet of space. The exhibitions organisers believe that wireless technologies such as Sofants will be the centre of attention at this years event:
Wireless convergence is set to unleash a plethora of real world, next-gen wireless technologies at the 2013 CES, says Karen Chupka, Senior Vice President of International CES. Half of the fun of the 2013 CES will be seeing the news announcements, experiencing the latest wireless technologies firsthand and learning more about whats to come in our keynotes, sessions and TechZones.
Visit Sofant in the Tech-Zone, booth #73508, 3rd Level of The Venetian, Eureka Park.


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DiGo (DiMassimo Goldstein) signs on as AOR for the University of New Haven. DiGo will promote the University’s specialized academic colleges and schools, ensuring that prospective students know about how the University’s range of programs can swiftly and comprehensively ready them for their careers. Founded in 1920 on the campus of Yale, the University of New Haven is a private, coeducational university with more than 8,800 students, offering more than 100 academic programs all grounded in a long-standing commitment to collaborative, interdisciplinary, project-based learning. “Collaborating with DiGo will lead to new, innovative and creative ways of presenting the University, our strengths and what makes us unique to key constituents,” said University of New Haven chancellor Steven H. Kaplan.
5WPR is named public relations agency of record for Attain, a permissioned consumer data platform. 5WPR is responsible for managing media relations and content development for the company, formerly known as Klover, which recently underwent a rebrand that 5W also helped support. Powered by a financial services app, retail loyalty account linking, SKU level APIs and survey responses, Attain provides insights on consumer purchasing. “Our partnership with 5W’s corporate technology team has provided opportunities to highlight our capabilities and expand our reach,” said Attain CEO Brian Mandelbaum.
AMP Agency takes on agency of record duties for Nature's Bakery. The agency’s scope of work will include media relations, strategic partnership management, thought leadership and contributed content development and product launch support. The partnership will focus on increasing overall awareness of the snack brand and its lineup of products. "AMP's expertise in creative storytelling coupled with their ability to deliver results make them the perfect partner for us at this next phase of growth for our brand," said Nature’s Bakery chief marketing officer Vilma Livas.


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PARIS (Reuters) – Sanofi (SASY.PA) plans to create a standalone company dedicated to making active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), components that are biologically active in a drug, and will decide whether to list it on Euronext Paris by 2022.
The French drugmaker on Monday said it would create the business on the back of the combination of its API commercial and development activities with six of its European API production sites in Italy, Germany, Britain, France and Hungary.
Europe’s pharmaceutical sector is highly dependent on raw materials and active ingredients from Asia, buying products from companies mostly based in China and India.
Sanofi said the new group will be headquartered in France, operate with at least 3,100 skilled employees and have sales estimated at about 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) by 2022.
“Sanofi is fully committed to the new company’s success and intends to establish a long-term customer relationship with the new API supplier and to hold a minority stake of approximately 30% in the new company,” it said in a statement.
Philippe Luscan, a Sanofi executive vice president in charge of global industrial affairs, said that carving out a new business would allow better access to clients and stronger growth.
“Many pharmaceutical players see us as direct competitors. We believe having a standalone business would allow much better access and higher volumes in a market that, we believe, will grow by 6% per year,” he told reporters, adding that staff representatives had responded favourably to the project.
Luscan said he believed that the business would rank as Europe’s second-biggest API player by sales behind Switzerland’s Lonza (LONN.S).
France’s CGT union said the announcement was detrimental to staff and was putting the future of factories at risk.
“Clearly, the management is willing to outsource production. Retaining a 30% stake in the new entity is purely to look good,” a spokesman for the union said.
Monday’s announcement follows a decision by Sanofi, which appointed a new chief executive last year, to carve out its consumer health business, home to over-the-counter products such as influenza treatment Tamiflu.
That business will also operate as a standalone unit in addition to the group’s three other main divisions.
Source: Read Full Article


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OTTAWA–Hog producers are starting to relax now that China is the only significant market barring Canadian pork exports due to H1N1, but the federal government once feared dozens of other countries would do the same.
The latest information from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency shows 11 countries still have some restrictions on imports of hogs and their meat in the wake of the swine flu outbreak earlier this year, a move producers say has hurt an already troubled industry that was on the verge of recovery before the pandemic took its toll.
"It could have been worse if other countries had really gone after trying to stop exports," Jacques Pomerleau, executive director of Canadian Pork International, said in a recent interview, adding that international authorities such as the World Health Organization helped defuse the situation by stressing that H1N1 is not a food-safety issue.
The horizon looked much worse at the beginning of the outbreak. According to documents created to brief Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz on the H1N1 influenza virus in May, federal officials were monitoring at least 50 countries they believed would impose trade barriers on Canadian exports of live swine, pork and pork products, or had already done so.
The briefing package contains three documents listing countries around the world and notes on details of measures those foreign nations took, or the Canadian government feared they would take, as a result of the H1N1 influenza virus.
The first list, created May 5, has notes written beside 33 foreign markets, including the United States, Japan, Russia, South Korea and Hong Kong, that together represent more than $3 billion in exports of Canadian live swine, pork and pork products in 2008.
The second list, created May 6, includes notes beside another 16 countries, including the Netherlands, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, Germany and Romania, representing an additional total of $4.6 million in exports of those commodities last year. Switzerland was added to the third list created May 7, but that country did not import any of those products from Canada last year anyway.
The Star obtained the documents through the Access to Information Act. Details on trade actions were blanked out under an exemption to the act that allows the government to censor information obtained in confidence from foreign states.
Many of the countries the government was monitoring, such as Japan and the European Union, never took any action against Canadian exports and others have since lifted their H1N1-related restrictions.


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Let’s face it — it was quite a week for Disney news.
Most of the news was about Hurricane Ian and its impact on Disney World, but we also saw some holiday deals arrive for Disneyland, as well as learned more about some upcoming movies. So let’s get to the biggest stories, shall we?
Hurricane Ian Arrives in Florida
Prior to Hurricane Ian’s arrival, Orlando International Airport closed, as well as Disney World. After the hurricane made landfall, it made its way through the rest of Florida, dumping record amounts of rain on Disney World. Eventually, Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm.
Disney World shared reopening details, and planned to “resume theme park and Disney Springs operations in a phased approach starting on Friday, September 30th.”
After Hours Events Returning to Disney World
Tickets will range in price, but we’ve got the full list of ticket prices and events here. Guests can purchase tickets to attend on select nights between January 4th and April 19th.
EPCOT Festival of the Holidays Details
We also got more information about this year’s EPCOT Festival of the Holidays. First off, we now have a full list of the food booths we’ll see this year. This year’s Cookie Stroll will also feature two more options! Holiday entertainment is also returning this year, and we know all the showtimes.
Finally, Disney gave us the list of this year’s celebrity narrators for the Candlelight Processional. The EPCOT Festival of the Holidays will begin on November 25th and run through December 30th.
DuckTales Showcase Adventure Coming To EPCOT
We’ve been waiting for a LONG time for Disney to announce the reimagining of EPCOT’s World Showcase Adventure, and we FINALLY got an update this week. The DuckTales World Showcase Adventure will open later this year!
The new World Showcase Adventure will be expected to be entirely played on the Play Disney Parks Mobile App.
Okay, so there are a FEW huge movie news stories we have to share. First, a Figment movie is in the works. Yes, you read that right: Figment is getting a movie by Seth Rogen, Dan Hernandez, and Benji Samit.
But wait, there’s more! Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds spilled the beans this week about Deadpool 3 with the bombshell announcement that Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine will be making an appearance in the new movie. Things are about to get really interesting in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Want to keep up with all the latest Disney news? Be sure to keep an eye on AllEars for more!
Join the AllEars.net Newsletter to stay on top of ALL the breaking Disney News! You'll also get access to AllEars tips, reviews, trivia, and MORE! Click here to Subscribe!
What Disney news surprised you the most this week? Let us know in the comments!


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Following Decentraland’s breakthrough ceremony and Taco Bell’s weird marketing campaign, weddings have firmly arrived in the metaverse. So, as interest in the tech hots up, The Sandbox has joined the celebrations with its own stunning event.
Earlier in the week, Singaporean lovebirds, Joanne and Clarence tied the knot in a hybrid virtual and physical wedding, taking to the metaverse in a disco glam clad digital version of the famous Akaff mansion. As a result, celebrating in true technological style in both planes of reality.
As Clarence and Joanne entertained their guests, they took the time to also mingle in the metaverse, performing their nuptials in a ceremony officiated by none other than The Sandbox co-founder, Sebastian Borges. After which, they slipped back into their human forms to continue their celebration in an event probably punctuated by drunk uncles and bad dancing.
Metaverse weddings provide an interesting development in the virtual realm by offering a new state-of-the-art method of engagement for those separated by location, finances, anxiety and the general antisocial behaviour to participate in the big day.
The grand soiree was made possible thanks to the combined efforts of 1-Group, Smobler Studios and The Sandbox. With the talented folks at Smobler providing the voxel knowhow to build the extravagant venue.
Learn more about the Metaverse >> Metaverse Edu Hub


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FORT PAYNE, AL (WAFF) - The Sears Hometown store in Fort Payne is one of several Alabama stores that have been hit by a recent string of theft by deception.
Tina Potter, the owner of the store, says the first incident happened at her location on November 28.
"I think it started with me. He actually stole a 54-inch Husqvarna mower from me and a weedeater," said Potter.
The crook then took his bad check operation on the road for much of December.
"Several days later he went to Jasper, Alabama. He had stole something there. I believe it was a Kitchen Aid refrigerator that he got from them," said Potter. "He went to Oneonta, stole an appliance there, to as well. Then he went on down to Opelika, Alabama and stole another mower with them," she added.
According to management at the Fort Payne location, Telecheck initially declined the check, but then later approved it over the phone.
"This was after the man claimed he had money in that account and insisted the check was good," said Potter.
The store has several pictures of the suspect from its surveillance cameras. He used the name Mike King Jr. and gave a Killen mailing address when he asked to fill out paperwork for the warranty at checkout.
However, the address on his Regions bank check was in Gadsden.
All total, the Fort Payne store is out $3,400 from the purchase of the lawn mower and weed trimmer.
"You know, he was just a normal person. And you really wanna believe people, the good in people now, but you really have to be cautious, because that's a lot of money to lose," said Potter.
Copyright 2017 WAFF. All rights reserved.


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Webkinz Insider Member Adopts Peace Out Puppy!
Let's give a big welcome to the first Peace Out Puppy adopted by a Webkinz Insider member! Our very own member shefoof has adopted this new pet today, and named her "Paz" which is Spanish for "peace".
Here you can see Paz proudly riding in her Pet Specific Item, the Peace 'n Love Van.
The Peace Out Puppy's Pet Special Food is the Tofu Tapioca.
The Peace Out Puppy should not be confused with the similar Peace Puppy, released in March 2010.
We at Webkinz Insider brought you news of this previously unannounced new pet just a few hours ago. It has reportedly been seen only in Justice stores so far. However, shefoof received this pet as a present purchased out of state from an unknown store. It remains to be seen if the Peace Out Puppy will be a Store Exclusive pet or available in all stores.
There are currently 10 users and 405 guests online.


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On September, 17 the commission regulation 2020/1295 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This regulation adds seven active ingredients in the list of candidates for substitution- carbetamide, emamectin, flurochloridone, gamma-cyhalothrin, halosulfuron‐methyl, ipconazole and tembotrione.
Today, October 7, this regulation has entered into force.
The standard "EU candidates for substitution" has already been updated and uploaded into Homologa™ database.
On July,10 the European Commission published the regulation (EU) 2020/1004 that approves the cow milk as a basic substance.
According to RCE 1107/2009 basic substances are determined as « Certain substances which are not predominantly used as plant protection products may be of value for plant protection, but the economic interest of applying for approval may be limited. Therefore, specific provisions should ensure that such substances, as far as their risks are acceptable, may also be approved for plant protection use »
On August 2018 EFSA had released the outcome of the public consultation on the basic substance application for milk for use in plant protection as fungicide.
As consequence, cow milk has already been added to Homologa™ database dictionaries.


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CeeDee Lamb sued by trading card company
Dallas Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb is being sued by a trading card company.
According to a lawsuit that was obtained by Mike Fisher of Cowboys Country, trading card company Leaf Trading Cards is suing Lamb for an alleged breach of contract. The firm claims the wide receiver failed to honor a written agreement to autograph cards, which led to orders being left unfulfilled.
Leaf CEO Brian Gray issued a statement on Twitter after the lawsuit was filed.
As we shared last week, Leaf has filed the first ever lawsuit against an athlete in order to compel the completion of an autograph contract so customers holding redemptions are not forced to take replacements.
We hate doing this, but customers need defending here.
— Brian Gray (@leafceo) May 23, 2022
Lamb appears to have signed some of the cards, but Leaf claims he did not fulfill his obligations. The company is seeking damages and attorney fees.
Lamb is in his third year with the Cowboys. He is expected to be their clear No. 1 wide receiver after they traded Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns. Lamb had 79 catches for 1,102 yards and six touchdowns last season.


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More than 40 partners have joined the Canada Plastics Pact, representing diverse parts of the plastics value chain
Leading businesses, NGOs, and the government in Canada have united behind 2025 targets to make packaging waste a thing of the past by launching the Canada Plastics Pact.
It brings together key players to collectively work towards ambitious 2025 goals that they could never achieve on their own.
More than 40 partners have joined the Pact, representing diverse parts of the plastics value chain.
Because plastic packaging accounts for 47% of all plastic waste, it is the immediate focus of the Pact’s collective efforts.
David Hughes, who is the CEO of The Natural Step Canada, the host organisation of the Canada Plastics Pact, said: ”Joining together through the Canada Plastics Pact is a diverse group of leaders from across Canada’s plastics value chain.
“While I am impressed by their genuine commitment to achieving a zero plastic waste economy, it is their willingness to break down barriers between each other to scale truly innovative solutions that I find most inspiring.”
Canada Plastics Pact to ensure an average of 30% recycled content across all plastic packaging by 2025
The Canada Plastics Pact will enable companies across the plastics value chain in the country to collaborate and innovate.
It will build on significant work that has already been underway to reduce plastic waste, and will grow over time.
The group will work to eliminate the plastics that are not needed, innovate to ensure that the plastics that are needed are reusable, recyclable, or compostable, and circulate the plastic used, keeping it in the economy and out of the environment.
It’s working towards four clear, actionable targets by 2025, which include support efforts towards 100% of plastic packaging being designed to be reusable, recyclable or compostable.
In addition to this, it will define a list of plastic packaging that is to be designated as problematic or unnecessary and take measures to eliminate them, and undertake actions to ensure that at least 50% of plastic packaging is recycled or composted.
It will also ensure there is an average of at least 30% recycled content across all plastic packaging by weight.
Canada is the latest country to join circular economy non-governmental organisation the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Plastics Pact network, a globally-aligned response to plastic waste and pollution.
In line with its vision of a circular economy for plastic, the Canada Plastic Pact facilitates innovation and knowledge sharing, and drives collaborative action and solutions tailored for the country’s unique needs and challenges.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Plastics Pact programme manager Sonja Wegge said: “By setting clear 2025 targets and working together to achieve them, businesses and policymakers in the Canada Plastics Pact have taken an important step on the journey to a circular economy for plastic, in which it never becomes waste or pollution.
“We are delighted to welcome the Canada Plastics Pact in our growing global network of Pacts, and hope to see many other organisations unite behind the vision of a circular economy for plastic that has already brought together more than 1,000 organisations worldwide through our New Plastics Economy initiative.”


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Woodbury-based CLK Commercial Properties has refinanced its office building at 300 Broadhollow Road in Melville and plans to spend about $2 million on capital improvements there. The terms of the new loan weren’t disclosed.
The company has also signed some new tenants, according to a statement.
The deals include: 13,433 square feet leased by TEK Systems that was brokered by David Pennetta of Jericho-based Oxford & Simpson Realty Services and Jamie Smith of Cassidy Turley; a 3,000-square-foot lease renewal for Markowitz & Rabbach; and a lease expansion of 3,555 square feet for Randstad General Partners that was brokered by Michael Poch of CBRE.
CLK President Craig Koenigsberg said the company’s 2.5 million-square-foot portfolio is now 92.3 percent occupied.
“During the recent recapitalization of the property, planned upgrades were put on hold,” David Glaser, CLK’s director of commercial asset management, said in the statement. “We are now in the process of a $2 million campaign to upgrade and enhance the building.”
More breaking news
- Uniondale insurance broker charged with running multi-state scam
- Lack of scrutiny
- Zoning turns Brookhaven into hotbed for commercial solar
- Fit for Kings Park
- US hiring slows in September amid slower global growth
- Altice shares tumble amid $8.6B debt, $2B stock
- Cox acquires Dealertrack, plans LI expansion
- Hospitals, hotels prep early for Hurricane Joaquin
- Dunkin’ expects sales at stores open at least a year to slow
- Rubie’s goes retail


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Google Q2 earnings: Ad revenues, cloud computing drive big Alphabet beat
[**Javier E. David**](https://www.yahoo.com/author/javier-e-david)**·Editor focused on markets and the economy**
**Tue, July 27, 2021, 3:49 PM**
**In this article:**
Alphabet, the parent company of search giant Google ([GOOG](https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/GOOG?p=GOOG&.tsrc=fin-srch), [GOOGL](https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/GOOGL?p=GOOGL&.tsrc=fin-srch)) blew away Wall Street's second quarter estimates on Tuesday, bolstered by [strength in advertising and cloud computing](https://abc.xyz/investor/static/pdf/2021Q2_alphabet_earnings_release.pdf?cache=4db52a1).
Here were the main results from Alphabet's report, compared to consensus estimates compiled by Bloomberg:
* **Q2 Revenue: $61.88 billion vs. $56.23 billion expected**
* **GAAP earnings per share: $27.26 vs. $19.325 expected**
Thanks to the tech giant's linchpin, Google Search, ad revenues skyrocketed by 69% from the comparable year ago quarter. Overall total revenue soared by 62% from Q2 of 2020.
During the quarter, “there was a rising tide of online activity in many parts of the world, and we’re proud that our services helped so many consumers and businesses," said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet.
"Our long-term investments in AI and Google Cloud are helping us drive significant improvements in everyone’s digital experience," he added.
The stock jumped by over 2% after hours, which if those gains hold will propel its market cap closer to 2 trillion in Wednesday's session.
[Source: Yahoo Financ](https://preview.redd.it/psdxjn74ptd71.png?width=650&format=png&auto=webp&s=f4d17e4be3232ddc4a3fa344891ccd00d5c91d56)
[In an exclusive sit-down with Yahoo Finance in May](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/google-ceo-sundar-pichai-on-moonshot-in-search-134034190.html), CEO Sundar Pichai called Search his "ultimate moonshot," even in light of the other projects the company is involved with.
"I see all the limitations. Even today, when people type in a complex query, we're looking at keywords trying to match it," he said.
"We still have a long way to go to actually understand what the user's intent is, the context, where they are coming from, and giving the best answer. So that is still the moonshot," Pichai added.
Google, along with other big technology like Facebook ([FB](https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/FB)), Amazon ([AMZN](https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/AMZN)) and Apple ([AAPL](https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/AAPL)), have found themselves in the eye of a political storm, as lawmakers in Washington debate whether to tighten regulation on large technology behemoths. Pichai has warned that[ internet freedom is under threat](https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57763382) as governments move to safeguard user privacy and data, and block the dissemination of misinformation.


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Since the mid-2010s the automotive industry has been on somewhat of a tech journey, researching into the potential of blockchain technology to tackle mobility challenges. We have seen some great proofs of concept yet, in reality, many blockchain pilots hit the brakes before reaching the market. But wait, fasten your seatbelts! Thanks to new battery rules and a mountain of EU blockchain investments, we are beginning to step up for some commercial opportunities. As automakers gear towards safety and the all-electric era to meet EU rules, blockchain technology is shaping up as the undercover superhero for sustainability in the automotive world. But, back in the early days, blockchain pilots were not unlike those promising movie trailers - tackling issues such as mileage fraud prevention, usage-based insurance and identity verification. Although these initiatives demonstrated promising proofs of concept, none successfully made it to the market whereby raising questions about the challenges and lessons learned. The EU is now funding mass commercial blockchain pilots, offering a chance to connect industry players for real-world applications - especially as vehicles become more autonomous.
Remember those blockchain flings in the mid-2010s? Jaguar with IOTA for smart wallets, BMW fighting odometer fraud with VEChain and Daimler Mobility's crypto coin for eco-friendly driving rewards? Good times… However, many promising ideas remained in a pilot phase due to challenges in aligning technology cycles between start-ups and slow-moving automotive corporations. Start-ups struggled to demonstrate tangible value to automakers, hindering the evolution of blockchain pilots into market-ready products. Yet, despite this, we have seen some successful blockchain adoption stories (such as Xeal's distributed ledger technology for EV charging payments) emphasise solving real problems rather than being overly focused on the technology itself. The EU's upcoming battery regulations, with mandatory battery passports, undoubtedly present an opportunity for blockchain technology. Battery passports, acting as digital twins, can track the lifecycle, provenance and environmental impact of batteries, thus creating a sustainable supply chain. Correspondingly, blockchain-powered platforms have already proven effective in traceability - such as Bridge of Weir using it for material tracing in leather production for car interiors. Furthermore, the technology supports provenance, tracking and authenticity in the automotive parts industry. EU-funded projects such as GAIA-X and the Catena-X consortium focus on standards for secure data exchange in the mobility sector, solving real problems such as circularity and digital twins in automotive supply chains. These projects indicate a broader societal and governmental push towards decentralization in response to concerns about centralized hyper-scaling and data security.
Now, prepare yourselves for a tech-heavy duet - Panasonic and Sila. Sila's Titan Silicon anode powder, replacing graphite in traditional lithium-ion batteries, offers a potential 500-mile range and ten-minute recharge times. Sila, co-founded by a previous Tesla team member, finalized a supply pact with Mercedes-Benz concerning its extended-range G-class electric SUV. In essence, silicon stores up to ten times more energy than graphite, enhancing battery energy density and the EU Carbon Footprint Regulations mandate that, from 2027, EV batteries carry a label declaring their carbon footprint. These “battery passports” digitally track batteries and materials through the supply chain, so promoting transparency. In the UK, Minima has been working with a number of vehicle manufacturers and EV charging firms on its blockchain-powered platform - in some cases also using Internet of Things (IoT). Examples include:\
· EV charging (July 2023)
Minima enables the generation and transfer of tokens over a peer-to-peer network, allowing secure access to public and private charging points. This not only provides car users with a choice of energy providers but also allows private charge point owners to earn income, so easing congestion in the charging infrastructure.
· motorsports (July 2023)
Minima plays a pivotal role in certifying and validating data from sensors in motorsports. This leads to the creation of digital records and unalterable data origins, offering added value to racing teams and enthusiasts. The secure and speedy transfer of information from cars enhances communication and augments safety.
· V2V communication
Minima fosters secure peer-to-peer communication between vehicles, enabling the direct exchange of real-time information without intermediaries.
· roadside communication
The platform enables secure peer-to-peer communication between vehicles and roadside infrastructure, playing a role in advancing road safety and efficiency.
· digital service book
Minima enables data exchange related to usage-based insurance and streamlined litigation settlement, providing a digital service book for vehicles.
· automated payments
The platform enables the automation of payments directly from the car's wallet to charging stations, simplifying the transaction process.
· NFTs for secure vehicle access
Minima explores the application of NFTs to securely store biometric data on mobile devices, offering a solution for physical access control to the vehicle.
The capabilities of Minima go beyond these specific applications, highlighting its capacity to revolutionize multiple facets of the automotive industry by facilitating secure, decentralized communication and transactions between vehicles and infrastructure. Blockchain adoption is rapidly growing in the automotive sector to also address concerns from environmental, economic and social perspectives. The priority is on deploying blockchain applications for the general public, commencing with uncomplicated, high-impact use cases and progressively broadening services. The use cases of blockchains in the automotive industry are rapidly growing, taking into account environmental, economic and social considerations. The focus is on leveraging blockchain applications for the wider public, starting with uncomplicated, high-value applications and gradually broadening the services. Meanwhile, integration with telematics, IoT and AI is crucial for the success of blockchain solutions in the automotive sector; telematics, including V2V and V2X communications, relies on secure and unaltered data, thus making blockchains vital. The growth of smart sensors, IoT and the need for data security, all align with blockchain's capabilities. However, combining blockchains with connected and autonomous vehicles introduces legal challenges, and assigning data processing roles to stakeholders and ensuring compliance with GDPR principles pose difficulties. Additionally, compatibility with the current European legal framework is uncertain, necessitating further research, official guidance and collaboration between government agencies, industry representatives and technical experts.
Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) standards are not globally being adopted but in Europe it is becoming clearer, in an effort to Its report to bolster and safeguard all parties involved, necessitating collaboration to ensure guidelines align with the objectives of a competitive market. The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) guidelines on blockchain are seen as fundamental for the EU to adopt Emerging Digital Technologies (EDTs), such as blockchain and connected vehicles, on a large scale, providing legal certainty and supporting Europe's competitiveness in the market. Blockchain is akin to the backstage manager, transforming the auto industry by boosting transparency, security and efficiency in various processes. Key applications include secure and reliable vehicle history tracking, improved customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain management and tracking, smart contracts for vehicle financing and leasing, and efficient vehicle lifecycle management.
· secure vehicle history tracking - blockchain's immutable nature ensures accurate and untampered vehicle history and maintenance data, fostering trust between buyers and sellers.
· enhanced CRM - blockchain streamlines CRM by securely storing customer data, contracts and transaction details, so allowing dealerships to provide personalized services.
· supply chain management - transparent supply chains utilizing blockchain technology enable the tracking of production, shipping and distribution, so fostering enhanced efficiency and decreased costs.
· smart contracts - automation in vehicle financing and leasing through smart contracts ensures a seamless experience for both buyers and sellers with automated payments and contract enforcement.
· enhanced lifecycle supervision - employing blockchain allows for effective tracking of a vehicle's lifecycle, aiding in decision-making concerning maintenance, trade-ins and resale values.
· regulatory climate - the fluid legal framework surrounding blockchain presents challenges, demanding businesses to navigate through uncertain landscapes.
· scalability - as more businesses adopt blockchain, scalability becomes crucial to handle higher transaction volumes effectively.
· collaborative efforts - the attainment of success is contingent on stakeholders, including manufacturers, suppliers and dealerships, to collaborate effectively.
Globally, we are on the fast track to having over 400 million connected vehicles by 2025. A future where vehicles collect vast quantities of data to boost safety, fuel efficiency and navigation is almost upon us. And although there are still a number of challenges in the current way in which vehicles ‘talk’ to each other -such as security gaps, privacy worries and reliability - blockchain technology (known for its decentralized, transparent and secure nature) offers potential solutions for data collection, storage and access for the automotive sector. Prominent car manufacturers incorporating blockchain technology include: BMW, in supply chain management to track part origins and streamline logistics; Daimler, storing vehicle history data and enhancing mobility services; Ford, for payment transactions between cars and other smart devices and tracking; and Volvo, Tesla and Ford all using blockchain technology to track the provenance of cobalt used in EV batteries.
The automotive industry's engagement with blockchain technology is certainly at a pivotal juncture, overcoming past hurdles with promising strides and recent collaborations, such as that of Panasonic and Sila's advancements in electric vehicle battery technology exemplifying a notable shift toward higher sustainability. Minima's specialized blockchain for automotive applications further underscores the potential for decentralized solutions in areas such as EV charging and motorsports and blockchain's applications, from secure vehicle history tracking to smart contracts, offer significant benefits despite lingering challenges. And, as the industry races towards widespread vehicle connectivity, the question arises: can blockchain truly revolutionize automotive industry overcoming obstacles and shaping a more transparent, efficient future?


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Bollywood musclemen Suniel Shetty and Sanjay Dutt are joining hands -- not to produce movies but to launch a nationwide retail chain for eyewear brands.
Christened Shades, the units will showcase top of the line brands such as Armani, Dior, Versace, Gucci and Hugo Boss, among others.
Shetty, who will be the chairman of the company Shades Enterprise, says: "We plan to open around 15-20 odd outlets in the first year, and scale it up to 200 by the end of the second year." He said the outlets will sell around 150 international brands.
The retail chain will function through a franchisee network, with most of the master franchisees already in place, Shetty said.
The first showroom will be launched in Hyderabad on April 10, followed by another in Pune, and then move on to tap the large markets in Mumbai, Delhi and other metros.
Film producer Nitin Manmohan, who is a co-promoter of the venture, said: "We have an advertisement budget of around Rs 2.5 crore (Rs 25 million) a year. Whenever we open a retail outlet, we wish to do it with a big bang locally."
Shades Enterprises managing director Hameed Saberi said: "Research shows that though the eyewear to the optical wear market stands at a 30:70 ratio, the Indian fashion market is growing at a phenomenal pace. Hence, Shades as a business opportunity is very attractive."Shetty said the company is working towards introducing a signature line of eyecare products, at affordable rates. "Sanjay Dutt and I will also act as the brand ambassadors and in future will bring in personalities from different walks of life to endorse the brand," he said.


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Beverage manufacturer Delta Corporation has called on the government to consult stakeholders before making any major shifts in policy as this could potentially undermine confidence in the markets. The company highlighted the 2 per cent tax on money transfers which was announced by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube saying that the move had caught the market by surprise.
In an update, Delta company secretary Alex Makamure said
Post the end of the reporting period, the fiscal and monetary policy pronouncements have been dampened by the current policy statements which seem to contradict the previous undertakings by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe on the multicurrency framework…In addition, the 2% transaction tax took both business and consumers by surprise, raising policy risks and undermining market confidence. Government and regulators are urged to engage stakeholders ahead of major policy pronouncements in order to maintain market confidence.
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The minister’s fiscal measures and the monetary policy announced by Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mangudya have been blamed for the spiralling of foreign currency rates in the past few days.
Delta Corporation Limited is a Zimbabwe Stock Exchange listed integrated beverage company with a diverse portfolio of local and international brands in lager beer, traditional beer, Coca-Cola franchised sparkling and alternative non-alcoholic beverages. It has investments in associate companies whose activities are in cordials and... Read More About Delta Corporation
Professor Mthuli Ncube is the Minister of Finance and Economic Development.He was the Chief Economist and Vice President of the African Development Bank ,financial, economics, investment, and public policy expert, entrepreneur and academic. Professor Ncube divides his time between the private sector in Switzerland and... Read More About Mthuli Ncube
John Panonetsa Mangudya is an economist and the current Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor. Mangudya, who sits on many local and international boards .He was made RBZ governor after the expiry of Gideon Gono's term in 2014. He had been CBZ Holdings Ltd Chief Executive... Read More About John Mangudya


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It's hard when a relationship ends, but what can be worse is that period just before it's over -- the time when you realize it isn't going to work out, but you haven't gotten around to doing anything about it yet.
Many consumers may be at a similar point with their banks today, according to a new MoneyRates.com survey.
The Op4G-conducted survey asked 2,000 American adults what factors would be most likely to make them change banks. The results revealed that the issues respondents said are most likely to make them switch are the same ones that seem to be spreading at banks throughout the U.S.
What makes customers leave banks?
Here are the factors that respondents said are most likely to make them leave their current bank, from most to least common:
- A new or raised fee (47.7 percent)
- A bad customer service experience (21.4 percent)
- Closure of a convenient branch (14.5 percent)
- Uncompetitive interest rates (10.6 percent)
- Lack of up-to-date online features (5.9 percent)
Those responses give you an idea of what customers want. A look at what banks are actually offering will give you an idea why so many of these relationships seem at risk of failing.
Why customers and banks may be headed for a split
Nearly half the customers surveyed said that they would react negatively to a new or raised fee, and yet the banking industry has been steadily increasing fees in recent years. According to the most recent MoneyRates.com
Bank Fees Survey
, the number of checking accounts with no monthly maintenance fee declined by 5 percent over the past year, to just 30.3 percent of all accounts. Meanwhile, the average monthly maintenance fee and overdraft fee increased. The banking industry seems bent on doing the one thing most likely to irritate customers.
A bad customer service experience was the second most likely trigger for customers leaving their banks in the survey, yet many prominent banks responded to the aftermath of the financial crisis by cutting staff and have continued to do so since. The Wall Street Journal reported in November that JPMorgan is ahead of schedule in its plan to cut 4,000 jobs from its consumer banking division. Staff reductions mean longer waits for service and more automated phone trees -- in other words, more bad customer service experiences.


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Volkswagen is beginning a huge product offensive with an electric car, new engines, and even a new subcompact crossover.
Read This Article
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently investigating a possible Fuel Leak on 2011 Volkswagen Jettas equipped with 2.0-liter diesel engines.
We already know what the new Volkswagen Golf, the seventh generation of the hatchback, looks like.
Somewhere between Touareg and Tiguan, there's room for another bizarrely-named SUV in Volkswagen's lineup.


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Exploring the Unparalleled Power of Teslas Join the Transport Revolution Exploring the Unparalleled Power of Tesla The emergence of self-driving cars has sparked both excitement and skepticism among car enthusiasts worldwide. Tesla, a leading electric vehicle manufacturer, has been at the forefront of this revolution with its advanced Autopilot feature. This article delves into the uncharted territory of self-driving abilities, particularly those offered by Tesla cars.
With cutting-edge technology and an unwavering commitment to innovation, Tesla has made significant strides in autonomous driving. The Autopilot feature utilizes a combination of sensors, cameras, and radar to navigate roads, change lanes, and even park itself. This groundbreaking capability allows drivers to sit back and relax while their car takes control – a concept that was once only seen in science fiction movies Repair Manuals.
The Rise of Self-Driving Technology
The Rise of Self-Driving Technology has revolutionized the automotive industry, with Tesla Cars leading the way in autonomous driving capabilities. With their cutting-edge technology and advanced features, Tesla cars are paving the path towards a future where driving is no longer a manual task. These vehicles utilize an array of sensors, cameras, and artificial intelligence algorithms to navigate roads and make split-second decisions.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Tesla’s self-driving abilities lies in its Autopilot feature. This system allows drivers to experience a semi-autonomous driving experience, where the car can steer itself, change lanes, and even park without human intervention. However, it is important to note that Autopilot is not fully autonomous and requires driver supervision at all times. As self-driving technology continues to evolve rapidly, there have been concerns about its safety and reliability.
Understanding Tesla’s Autopilot System
As technology continues to revolutionize the automotive industry, one name stands out among the rest: Tesla. Known for their cutting-edge electric vehicles, Tesla has also made significant strides in autonomous driving capabilities with their Autopilot system. Understanding Tesla’s Autopilot System is essential for anyone interested in staying at the forefront of automotive innovation.
Tesla’s Autopilot system is a remarkable feat of engineering that enables select Tesla models to navigate and control themselves on highways and city streets. Through advanced sensors, cameras, and radar systems, these vehicles can detect and respond to their surroundings without constant human input. This groundbreaking technology has attracted both excitement and skepticism from consumers and experts alike, prompting further exploration into its capabilities.
Safety Measures and Regulations Surrounding Self-Driving Cars
As technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, self-driving cars have become a hot topic in the automotive industry. Among the frontrunners in this field is Tesla, known for its cutting-edge electric vehicles. However, as we venture into uncharted territory with these autonomous vehicles, questions arise about their safety measures and the regulations surrounding their use.
One of the key concerns when it comes to self-driving cars is ensuring passenger safety. Tesla has implemented numerous features to address this issue, including Autopilot, a semi-autonomous driving system that allows the car to steer, accelerate, and brake automatically with driver supervision. This system relies on an array of sensors and cameras that constantly monitor the vehicle’s surroundings for potential hazards.
Real-Life Experiences: Testimonies from Tesla Owners
As the automotive industry continues to push boundaries, self-driving technology is becoming increasingly prevalent. Tesla, a frontrunner in this field, has been revolutionizing the way we think about transportation with their advanced autopilot system. But how does it truly perform in real-life scenarios? We delve into the experiences of Tesla owners who have put these self-driving abilities to the test.
The first-hand accounts from Tesla owners shed light on just how remarkable these self-driving features can be. One owner recounts a memorable road trip where they were able to sit back and relax as their Model S autonomously navigated through traffic and smoothly changed lanes with ease.
The Future of Autonomous Vehicles: Challenges and Possibilities
In the rapidly advancing world of autonomous vehicles, one brand has captured the attention of car enthusiasts and technology enthusiasts alike: Tesla. With its cutting-edge self-driving capabilities, Tesla cars are paving the way for a future where human drivers may become obsolete. But as with any technological breakthrough, there are challenges and concerns that need to be addressed.
One major challenge facing the future of autonomous vehicles is ensuring their safety on the roads. While Tesla’s self-driving features have shown immense potential, there have also been instances where accidents occurred due to technical glitches or human error. This raises questions about the reliability and robustness of these self-driving systems. Additionally, legal frameworks must be put in place to establish liability in case of accidents involving autonomous vehicles. Another concern is the ethical implications surrounding self-driving cars.


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Jump in the pilot’s seat and join the fight with friends across the globe
GUANGZHOU, China – Jun. 26, 2019 – NetEase Games has today announced that Super Mecha Champions, the Japanese-style mecha battle mobile game, is available for global pre-registration on Android. Super Mecha Champions has received positive reviews and acclaim since its release in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. Players who pre-register through the game’s official website, social pages, or the Google Play Store will receive special in-game packages and free mechas.
Continue reading NetEase’s Super Mecha Champions Action Mobile Game Available for Global Pre-Registration
Atypical Games’ sequel to Radiation Island brings physics-based combat and bigger stakes to Nintendo Switch.
BUCHAREST – June 13, 2019 – Atypical Games, the development team behind Sky Gamblers, Battle Supremacy and Radiation Island, today launched Radiation City on Nintendo Switch. An open-world survival game set forty years after the nuclear fallout of Chernobyl, Radiation City is now available for purchase on the Nintendo eShop for $19.99 USD.
Continue reading Open-World Survival Game, Radiation City, Now Available on Nintendo Switch
Bionik to showcase Bluetooth audio and charging solutions for Switch, plus an adaptable PC-Android controller – Check them out at West Hall Booth #4734
LOS ANGELES, CA – June 10, 2019 – Bionik™, a manufacturer of innovative and high-quality gaming accessories, today revealed its latest lineup of Nintendo Switch accessories along with a controller for PC and Android devices at E3 2019. Standout products include the Chat Mixer, Power Commuter, and BT Audio Sync. Bionik’s E3 lineup also includes their Falcon Controller that features remappable buttons and trigger locks for PC and Android gamers.
Continue reading E3 2019: Bionik Unveils E3 Line-Up Featuring Switch Accessories and More
Play as a Dark Ranger, Chaos Mystic, or Divine Paladin and explore new Bladefall Valley and Guardian Fort servers
BRISBANE, Calif. – May 23, 2019 – NetEase Games (NASDAQ: NTES) today launched a new content update for Crusaders of Light, its free-to-play cross-platform MMORPG. Players may now choose to play as the new Dark Ranger, Chaos Mystic, or Divine Paladin classes and harness the power of the stars with the Favor of Torannis Artifact. Additionally, players can transfer their characters and explore two new European and North American servers: Bladefall Valley for UTC-5 and Guardian Fort for UCT+2.
Continue reading NetEase Games Introduces New Playable Classes, Servers, and Artifact in Latest Content Update for MMORPG Crusaders of Light, Available Now
Beam, Blast, Levitate and Explore in a Futuristic, Super-Powered World
GUANGZHOU, China – Apr. 25, 2019 – NetEase Games has today launched Cyber Hunter, its new sci-fi battle royale game for iOS and Android worldwide. In Cyber Hunter, players – or Wanderers – drop down into a massive six-by-six square kilometer map and scavenge for weapons, vehicles, and wacky items or upgrades. Once equipped, players can explore, climb, and swim to stay within the safe zone and take out enemies to be the last one standing and ultimate victor!
Continue reading NetEase Games Launches Cyber Hunter, a Sci-Fi Battle Royale for iOS and Android
Dive into the Fun-Filled, Underwater World of FishBoy
GUANGZHOU, China – Apr. 10, 2019 – NetEase Games has today launched their latest mobile game, a spin on the classic arcade game genre, FishBoy. The action-packed mobile clicker game features a 3D oceanic adventure where players must compete against time and players from around the world for the title of King of the Seven Seas. Lure, catch and tap various species of marine life to claim their gold coins. The more valuable the fish, the more gold coins available for the taking.
Get your feet wet with the new game trailer here: https://youtu.be/p9J_opx8h2Q
Download FishBoy for Android here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.netease.y110nagbgp
Continue reading NetEase Launches FishBoy, an Action-Packed Arcade Mobile Game for Android
Play as the iconic TRANSFORMERS character BUMBLEBEE in this Sandbox Survival Mobile Game
GUANGZHOU, China – Mar. 21, 2019 – Titan Studio today announced that it is working with Hasbro, Inc (NASDAQ: HAS) regarding its sandbox survival mobile game, Creative Destruction, to host a special in-game event featuring BUMBLEBEE from the TRANSFORMERS franchise from March 28 to April 28. For a limited time, players will be able to play as BUMBLEBEE and in the Creative Destruction arena.
Continue reading Creative Destruction and Hasbro’s TRANSFORMERS Team Up for In-Game Event Arriving March 28
After topping download charts in China, the apocalyptic game gets a chance at a second life in North America and Australia
GUANGZHOU, China – Feb. 28, 2019 – NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES) today announced the North American and Australian launch of LifeAfter, a zombie survival multiplayer mobile game for iOS and Android. LifeAfter packs all the joys of a classic MMORPG with the gun-toting, hunting and gathering, and on-the-fly crafting of some of the most popular action games before it. LifeAfter released in China last year to acclaim from mobile game action and strategy fans, topping the global download charts in the late months of 2018. Continue reading NetEase Launches LifeAfter, a Zombie Survival MMOPRG for iOS and Android


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Among the thousands of wine clubs out there, these seven subscription services stand out, including one known for collaborations with Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, Nicole Scherzinger and Jason Momoa.
COVID lockdowns dramatically upended purchasing habits everywhere, including in the wine business. With restaurants shuttered and home-bound happy hours commencing early and often, digital U.S. wine sales rose 32 percent to $760 billion in 2020, per a report from wine-business analyst Rob McMillan of Silicon Valley Bank.
Many oenophiles also turned to monthly and quarterly direct-ship wine clubs to keep their home cellars stocked. And while wineries, distributors and shops used to be the main drivers of wine clubs, now experts, restaurants and the tech world have jumped in.
For those who are either overwhelmed (or underwhelmed) by what’s available in stores — and dig the ease of doorstep delivery — curated wine clubs, with anywhere from a few bottles to a dozen a shipment, offer a solution as well as discovery and a way to “travel” to other regions and countries.
Wine clubs have been on the rise for more than a decade. “Now there are thousands of wine clubs,” says Etty Klein, who founded online wine shop Plonk in 2009 and added a wine club (plonkwineclub.com) in 2011. “That pandemic year saw the largest growth I’ve seen in 11 years and it continued. It set a new standard for everyone selling wine online.”
Describing her choices as “off-the-beaten-path, hidden-gem wines you’d never find on your own,” Klein puts an emphasis on responsibly farmed, low-intervention wine that’s sourced globally and value-priced. Plonk has three choices: all red, all white, or — the most popular — mixed ($110 to $285 a month, four to 12 bottles). Shipments come with paired recipes.
“The space has changed a lot,” says Plonk’s Klein. “There’s a dividing line between a quality club and tech companies that are algorithm-based, millennial-facing clubs and have people take quizzes to get their taste profile.” (A sample: Which candy would you pick out of a bowl if “some lunatic mixed Skittles and M&Ms in the same bowl?”) Klein doesn’t believe in that methodology and each shipment is a surprise. Says Klein, “My take is curation.”


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Today sees the first Procter & Gamble’s ‘Nearest and Dearest’ Roadshow at the Thistle Hotel in Edinburgh to help mothers and families of 2012 athletes support their Paralympians at the Games next summer.
The educational initiative is an early phase in P&G’s umbrella ‘Proud Sponsor Of Mums’ London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic sponsorship activation programme.
Run in partnership with the Paralympic GB Team, the roadshow’s interactive and relaxed sessions aim to prepare parents with a range of best practice preparation and support guides (as well as networking opportunities) to help maximise performance in 2012.
While the ‘Nearest & Dearest’ campaign is spearheaded by a major ‘ticket giveaway’, the kick off October regional roadshows will visit 14 cities across Britain. The objective is to bring together mothers, friends and families of athletes to give them advice on how they can best support their children in the run up to the Games.
We want athletes to be focussed on their performance rather than distracted by worrying about their family. Having the P&G supporting the ‘nearest & dearest’ programme will take the pressure off the athletes, allowing them to concentrate on The Games and providing a framework for the family to support their athlete in the most productive way,” says Paralympics GB Performance Director Penny Briscoe.
P&G will also donate 90% of its Paralympic ticket allocation to the public and will ensure every athletes mum gets to see their son and daughter compete at the greatest show on earth by providing free tickets to their first appearance at London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The aim is to look after the ‘nearest and dearest’ up to, during and after the Games and follows P&G research finding that 78% of retired Olympic and Paralympic athletes said their ‘nearest and dearest’ made a positive impact on their performance.
Indeed, P&G research also shows that as well as the time commitment involved (over 100 mums surveyed spend 15+ hours per week supporting their child’s participation in sport or hobbies), mums also recognise the important role sport plays in a child’s life with almost 70% saying it contributes to their physical, emotional and mental development.
The October roll out follows on from September activity which saw P&G join Sainsbury as party sponsor of the family focused Super Saturday Festival to celebrate a year to go until the Paralympic Games. The supermarket giant spearheaded the event, which featured top musicians and Paralympic sport demonstrations, while P&G created the ‘Thank You Mum Zone’.
P&G invited the mothers and families of the 90 athletes taking part in the festival to the VIP section of the zone. Here they were treated to massages, makeovers and an exclusive performance from ‘mum’s favourite’ and P&G ambassador Belinda Carlisle.
The experience also provided P&G to film a series of vox pops with Paralympic athletes and their mothers outlining their role and support throughout the athletes’ sporting and family life. As well as an opportunity for children and the brand itself to thank mums for their support and dedication.
The event took place on 10 September 2011 in London’s Clapham Common and the objective was to raise money for Paralympic sport through the Paralympic Legacy Fund.
Super Saturday also acted as a kick off to P&G’s programme, in partnership with the British Olympic Association (BOA) and The British Paralympic Association (BPA), to support the mums, families and friends of Team GB and Paralympics GB athletes.
These London 2012 sponsorship initiatives all work within P&G’s umbrella ‘Proud Sponsor of Mums’ big idea – which aims to acknowledge the key role Mums play within the family environment.
Sponsoring an abstract idea, like ‘Mums’, is obviously a tough challenge for marketers – something that almost seems both unreal and impossible. And one that some sceptics argue is a cheap form of non-sponsorship that avoids the burden of having to pay for any rights.
But P&G’s route, which involves purchasing the biggest rights out there (the Olympics), to tackling the task is to help individual mums in relatively small but meaningful ways – bringing the brand’s so-called sponsorship commitment to life for real people.
In June the FMCG giant signed on as a sponsor of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, in addition to its April agreement to become a 10-year global TOP programme partner of the Olympics (P&G is the IOC’s personal care and household products category partner).
Activation around these rights will be based on the brand’s ‘Proud Sponsor Of Mums’ big idea which was launched in the USA in 2009 and in the UK earlier this year.
P&G launched the strapline in Great Britain in March/April 2011 (to leverage Mother’s Day) with its first ever UK corporate brand campaign and is part of a widespread global repositioning around the idea that it is mothers who have driven P&G product innovation and marketing so they should be put at the heart of the company, the brand and its marketing.
The 18-month launch activity began with an advertising campaign and a documentary “Making of a Modern Mum” (charting the changing role of UK mums over the past 80 years) and will run right through the London Olympics.
It follows last year’s W+K Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic work for P&G which also rolled out the ‘Proud Sponsor Of Mums’ idea in Canada and the USA. P&G’s own statistics claim that this campaign delivered $100m in incremental sales and a 30% improvement in brand recall for P&G ads.
It might initially be seen as a brave move to use sport to market to women, but P&G has spotted one of the few gaping spaces left in sports marketing.
Unlike many other brands P&G understands that many women watch sport, but feel that sports-related marketing is so male-focused that they are alienated by it. So P&G has moved in to own this space by focusing on flagship sports events that women watch – such as the Olympics and the Super Bowl.
Perhaps the thinking was sparked off by former IOC partner Johnson & Johnson’s Beijing Olympics ‘Thanks Mum’ campaign? Nevertheless, P&G has begun exploiting this idea in a far more comprehensive, rounded and creatively dynamic way.
How will P&G’s competitors react to the US giant’s creation of and domination of this space? Will London be a platform for an ambush-led fight back?
P&G Nearest & Dearest Roadshow:
P&G Mums Ticket Initiative:
P&G ‘Thank You Mums’ Zone:
P&G Proud Sponsor Of Mums UK Launch TVC:
Johnson & Johnson ‘Thanks Mum’ Beijing 2008:


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Rare is working to add lots of new content to Sea of Thieves
Sea of Thieves came out in March and some gamers were disappointed by the lack of content, but now Rare has announced more stuff is coming.
Review in progress: Is it worth exploring Sea of Thieves?
Sea of Thieves is the new MMO video game developed by Rare that is available now on Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. Is it worth playing at launch?
Unboxing the media kit treasure chest for Sea of Thieves
Xbox NZ was kind enough to send FutureFiveNZ a media kit for the Xbox One/Windows 10 PC game Sea of Thieves. The extra cool stuff came inside of a...