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Comparable food sales were 1 per cent up year on year during the month despite several supermarkets and food brands being hit by findings of horse DNA in processed beef products.
Commenting on the performance in the food and drink sector, Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive of the IGD, says: “Given the food industry was under such intense scrutiny in February, the sector will be pleased that aggregate sales stood up so well. Although there was a lot of ‘switch buying’, such as a fall in frozen burger sales in favour of more ingredients to cook from scratch, the overall effect on food and drink sales was neutral.”
Overall same store food and non-food sales increased 2.7 per cent during the month compared with February 2012 when sales were down 0.3 per cent, showing that consumers are feeling “more positive”.
Online sales increased 10.9 per cent year on year.
Big ticket items, which have suffered through the downturn, recovered “particularly well” in February according to the BRC but the group sounded a note of caution adding “it’s too soon to assume this represents the permanent turnaround we need”.
Helen Dickinson, director general of the BRC, also urged Government to take steps in next month’s budget to make sure consumers have “more money in their pockets and the confidence to spend it”
She says: “This month’s Budget gives the Government a great opportunity to act to secure real and lasting revival from what could be no more than a short-lived lift. Retail is central to generating the growth and jobs so critical to the UK’s economic recovery but weak consumer confidence is the real and present obstacle … I hope the Chancellor seizes the moment.”


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Seminal magazine Rouleur has announced the launch of a sister-title aimed at the MTB market.
Born from the ethos of quality editorial and great imagery that has become synonymous with Rouleur, Privateer will go on sale on the 27th of August.
The new MTB title will be edited by industry legend Tym Manley, and former bikemagic.com editor Mike Davis.
Manley says, “Privateer is for mountain bikers who already know the obvious; for riders who have paid their dues in sweat and dust and broken bone, and are irrevocably hooked."
Publisher Bruce Sandell adds: "We know that there is a market opportunity to create a similar high quality, stylish magazine to Rouleur for the Mountain Bike Market as we have for Road Cycling with Rouleur”.
An exclusive Privateer preview will appear in the August edition of BikeBiz. As with Rouleur, the new magazine will carry a limited amount of ad pages (less than 20 per cent of the total pagination).
To find out about selling Privateer or advertising, contact Andy Hill on 07825 374642 or email email@example.com.

domain: news


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NEWS RELEASE: July 30, 2019: Macfab Manufacturing, an international supplier of precision components and sub-assemblies, will attend the 33rd AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites, held August 3-8 at Utah State University, Logan Utah.
This year's conference theme, "Driving a Revolution," focuses on technical and development issues, together with new business opportunities arising from today's "ever-growing trend toward missions using tens, hundreds, or even thousands of small satellites to achieve revolutionary effects."
"This conference has been one of the most successful and productive for Macfab," says Macfab's Business Development Director Joe Magyar. "We've connected with a number of new companies in each of the past two years we've attended. This year we look forward to visiting our existing customers and connecting once again with new prospects."
At last year's SmallSat conference, Macfab Business Development Director Joe Magyar at the NewSpace Systems booth with James Barrington-Brown, CEO, and Leehandi de Witt, Sales and Marketing Manager.
Space Inventor CEO Karl Kaas at his booth at SmallSat 2018
Widely regarded as one of the world's premiere space industry events, the SmallSat conference draws scientists, technologists, researchers and industry specialists from across the globe.
About Macfab Manufacturing
Macfab is a contract manufacturer of components and sub-assemblies used in four major industry sectors: space & satellites, analytical instruments, optics & photonics, and defence & security. Macfab supports early-stage product development as well as production volumes, and offers a complete suite of precision machining, finishing, cleaning and assembly solutions. Founded in 1987 in Toronto, Canada, the company today works with science- and technology-based businesses across North and South America, the United Kingdom, Europe, South Africa, Singapore and Australia. For more information, write to firstname.lastname@example.org or visit: www.macfab.ca.


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Quinta do Lago has won fresh acclaim as one of the world’s leading luxury golf and lifestyle destinations after being honoured by Golf Digest magazine – the world’s biggest golf title – for the fifth successive year.
The exclusive resort further strengthened its reputation as Portugal’s top sports, leisure and family venue after being selected by the magazine as a recipient for its coveted “2020 Editors’ Choice Award for the Best Resorts in Continental Europe”.
The awards were launched by Golf Digest in 2016 to highlight ‘the best things in golf’ to its readers, with the emphasis on lifestyle properties, products and services.
The 2020 list of winners features a who’s who of the elite names in the global golf industry and was compiled following close consultation with a combination of the magazine’s international affiliate titles and around 1,200 golf-course raters.
Max Adler, editorial director for Golf Digest, said: “The winners in our ‘Editors’ Choice Best Resorts’ category are those which we’d confidently recommend to any golfer. Resorts named are first-class facilities that, first and foremost, have an exemplary offering of unique and quality golf courses. The facilities must also have amenities that separate themselves from others.”
Sean Moriarty, CEO at Quinta do Lago, said: “It’s a tremendous achievement for Quinta do Lago to have been chosen to receive this top accolade for the fifth year running.
“We know that this sort of international recognition only comes from hard work and a commitment to providing five-star facilities to all our members and guests. We have made a number of investments in our facilities in recent years, both on and off the golf course, and we will continue to strive to deliver the best possible customer experience in the future.”
Situated just a 15-minute drive away from Faro airport, Quinta do Lago – also shortlisted to be named as ‘Europe’s Best Golf Venue’ at the 2020 World Golf Awards – is the perfect choice for a sporting break and boasts a combination of world-class golf and lifestyle facilities.
As well as three renowned 18-hole championship golf courses – the North, South and Laranjal – and outstanding practice facilities, guests can stay in shape at The Campus, a world-class sports hub designed for professionals and amateurs alike to keep fit.
Complementing the facilities is a choice of 13 first-class bars and restaurants that deliver a range of delicious world cuisines, including the acclaimed Bovino Steakhouse and recently-opened Dano’s Sports Bar & Restaurant, and accommodation at the recently-acquired boutique The Magnolia Hotel.
For more information on Quinta do Lago and golf packages available to book in 2020, please visit https://www.themagnoliahotelqdl.com/experiences/golf


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Marijuana stocks have been on our radar since November 2016, as 29 states and the District of Columbia now have some form of legalized medical marijuana laws, and nine states have legalized recreational marijuana.
Legalization is making investing in the cannabis industry less taboo for previously skeptical investors. And in the list below, you can see some of the most popular penny stocks on the market.
Now, most of these are marijuana penny stocks. Penny stocks are known for volatile price swings, and penny stocks should never represent a large part of an investment portfolio.
These cannabis stocks aren't recommendations, either. Rather, it's a list of companies we often cover in the cannabis industry that we feel our readers need to know about. If marijuana becomes legal at the federal level, you will want to have already had these companies on your radar.
|Company||Stock Symbol||52-Week Range|
|American Cannabis Co. Inc.||AMMJ||$0.09-$2.10|
|Cannabis Sativa Inc.||CVSI||$0.19-$0.99|
|Earth Science Tech Inc.||ETST||$0.30-$3.95|
|Grow Condos Inc.||GRWC||$011.-$2.00|
|Lexaria Bioscience Corp.||LXRP||$0.09-$0.70|
|Mountain High Acquisitions Corp.||MYHI||$0.01-$0.90|
|Nemus Bioscience Inc.||NMUS||$0.24-$1.80|
|Zoned Properties Inc.||ZDPY||$0.50-$3.88|
|Zynerba Pharmaceuticals Inc.||ZYNE||$8.25-$25.95|
Today, we also wanted to provide Money Morning readers a way to invest in the marijuana market that isn't a high-risk investment.
I asked Money Morning Director of Technology & Venture Capital Research Michael A. Robinson if there's a safer way to play the booming $6.7 billion North American cannabis industry, and his answer will surprise you.
The pick sounded unorthodox at first, as most investors wouldn't consider this a marijuana stock. But I quickly realized why Robinson recommended this profit opportunity.
This company is using its tech expertise to help regulate the cannabis industry, and it will make its money without ever having to grow or sell plants.
In the next 12 months, two financial research firms believe the stock price will climb 24.29%. Yes, we know that may not be as big a profit opportunity as cannabis penny stocks, but this is also a much safer way for risk-averse investors to make money from the sale of cannabis.
Best of all, that nearly 25% profit doesn't include the $0.39 dividend (2.15% yield) the company pays its shareholders.
The Best Pot Stocks: After months of research, we've found the most lucrative and fastest-growing legal pot stocks in America. And for a limited time, you can get all the details for free. Learn more...
Here's more on one of the safest profit opportunities in the cannabis industry you can invest in today...
Or to contact Money Morning Customer Service, click here.


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Very interesting comment from Jim Cramer on CNBC’s Mad Money last night on US gasoline prices – that part of the reason they are high is because US refiners are choosing to export gasoline.
The US LNG export debate is analogous to what’s happening with US gasoline.
The US is producing much more oil from shale formations, and more gasoline. Yet local gasoline prices are high and rising, pinching consumers. Why? Partly because refiners are choosing to export that gasoline.
The US has moved from being a net importer of gasoline just a few years ago, to a net exporter.
Now you could say – listen, we have all this new oil from shale and more gasoline production. Why not keep it in the US to keep prices low for consumers? But it’s a free market. Refiners can sell into the local market OR export if they can get more money. The government can’t restrict gasoline exports in any way!
Chemical CEOs are trying to halt the building of LNG export facilities with the “public interest” provision in the Department of Energy’s remit for exports to non-FTA countries. But once they are built, there will be no way to restrict LNG exports – just the same as gasoline.
Also see Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris’ op ed in the Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323495104578312612226007382.html


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Local suppliers of overseas fashion brands may have a bumpy road ahead as materials from China have been blocked due to COVID-19.
Manufacturers of textiles and garments are struggling to keep up with production due to supply shortages.
Contrary to the performance of previous years, the new collection from Swedish fashion brand H&M is expected to be launched at only one store, at Vincom Centre Dong Khoi in Ho Chi Minh City, instead of all units across the country.
A shortage of goods from Vietnamese suppliers is being cited as the main reason behind new products not covering all outlets. H&M is now working with 30 suppliers and 40 tailor shops in Vietnam which account for 30 per cent of its total supplies globally. “However, we estimate COVID-19 will not cause any sizeable delays in the manufacturing process,” an H&M representative told VIR.
“Running retail and production in the same market like we do in Vietnam has supported our operations at the current time. If H&M has to change its business plan, we will attach special importance to the major concerns of suppliers to figure out the best solutions,” he said.
H&M, as well as other fashion brands, have been in a deadlock because of shortcomings in material supplies from China. This has resulted in delays of several months for orders from local partners in Vietnam such as Garment 10 Corporation, Saigon 3 Garment JSC, and Viettien, among others.
According to the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), about 60 per cent of local garment supplies originate from China. As a result, the epidemic has far-reaching implications on domestic textile makers.
The import-export turnover in garments and textiles saw a reduction in the first two months of 2020 due in part to the COVID-19 epidemic, with the export value at $4.5 billion, down 1.7 per cent, while the import value of cloth hit $1.6 billion, down 10.5 per cent on-year.
Last year, the bilateral trade value in the sector between Vietnam and China was $15.7 billion, $4.2 billion of which was export turnover and the remaining $11.5 billion was the import value.
According to analysis by the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Textile, Embroidery and Knitting, businesses are facing a lack of raw materials in April and May. The shortage mainly focuses on enterprises specialising in export production. For small- and medium-sized enterprises with a 50/50 ratio of export and domestic consumption, the raw materials for production depend heavily on large enterprises.
The lack of materials caused by the COVID-19 epidemic has caused and textile producers difficulties in delivering orders for international fashion brands like Gap and Nike in time with enough quantity. Even large-scale producers only have enough materials to maintain manufacturing into the next two months at best.
Nguyen Chi Trung, board chairman at Gia Dinh Group, a supplier of world-famous brands like Nike, Adidas, The North Face, Polo, and Vagabond, said, “COVID-19 has greatly affected Vietnamese businesses, especially footwear enterprises. Before the Lunar New Year, they imported enough raw materials to produce in the first quarter. However, the following months will be difficult.”
Other suppliers of fashion brands also expressed concerns about the lack of materials. A local supplier of Gap and Tommy Hilfiger, Garment 10 Corporation JSC – which imports 50 per cent of its materials from China – is struggling to complete orders due for delivery in March and April.
Furthermore, Saigon 3 Garment JSC, which specialises in supplying goods for UNIQLO and Nike, is reported to be able to only keep its workshops running through March.
Truong Van Cam, vice chairman of the VITAS, said that almost all members reserved enough materials to last until early April. Thus, after this time, if the epidemic is not controlled, enterprises may have to arrange an alternative timetable for staff or suspend their operation due to lacking materials.
Even though more than half of raw material factories in China have resumed production, Cam explained that it will take time for them to get back up to full speed. “Producers have been looking for alternative supply sources from India, Bangladesh, and Brazil to make up for the shortage of materials. However, it is sure that China could not be replaced as the main supplier by anyone else due to its much lower costs,” Cam said. VIR
The number of orders that textile and garment companies have received for 2020 is just equal to 80 percent of that in the same period last year.
Export target of US$40 billion of garment and textile industry this year is on the verge of failing to achieve due to several difficulties, such as a shortage of orders and high dependence on imported materials.


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A Yemeni import and export company has accused the Houthis of looting its merchandise and containers at the Hodeidah Port, west of Yemen.
Ammar al-Adrahi, head of the Andalusia Import and Export Company, said on Monday that a Houthi supervisor in Hodeidah named Abu Ali looted the company’s remaining containers in the Hodeidah Port, adding that this is the second time this has happened.
Adrahi held the management of the ports and customs that is affiliated with the Houthis responsible for what happened and said he will pursue the matter at court.
“We will not let our rights and the rights of hundreds of people go with the wind,” he said.
Houthi militias have looted the merchandise of Yemeni traders as the battle to liberate Hodeidah began, and they continue to loot public and private property as the army and resistance forces, aided by the coalition, complete liberating the Hodeidah Airport and controlling the city and its strategic port.
Houthis have exploited the Hodeidah Port to loot merchants and relief supplies, to smuggle weapons and threaten international navigation.
According to Yemeni politicians, liberating the port “will be a fatal blow to the coup and to Iran’s project in Yemen and the region.”


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Julian Champkin looks at how diferent approaches to house building—both innovative and traditional—have driven different approaches to lifting materials around the world.
Good for wood
Sustainability, disenchantment with plastic, and the use of new wood products such as cross-laminated timber in construction are placing new emphasis on the timber industry. Julian Champkin looks at the cranes that serve the industry.
Sotiris Kanaris looks at what different manufacturers of accessories, components and materials are going to exhibit at the event.
Alongside general construction equipment, Bauma will showcase companies offering solutions for moving and lifting oversized loads and performing critical project lifts. Sotiris Kanaris reports.
Mini but mighty
At Bauma, visitors will be able to have a closer look at the latest innovations in mini cranes, spider cranes and pick and carry cranes. Sotiris Kanaris reports.
An exciting show awaits those interested in telehandlers, as manufacturers will be launching numerous products. Sotiris Kanaris reports.
A load of loaders
Sotiris Kanaris finds that truck mounted crane manufacturers have prepared an exciting show for Bauma attendees, as they will be unveiling numerous new machines in Munich.
This Bauma edition will see launches of exciting new technologies and cranes across the different tower crane categories. Sotiris Kanaris reports.
Mobile crane manufacturers are keeping plenty of surprises in store for Bauma. But, with announcements on cranes ranging from 25t city cranes, via a selection of all terrains, all the way up to a new 800t crawlers, there’s sure to be plenty to see. Will North reports.
The fast-beating heart of Europe
With Poland experiencing a construction boom, and the Czech Republic seeing unemployment at a record low, finding work is getting easier, but finding workers can be hard. Jaroslaw Adamowski reports.
Are cranes electric?
Diesel engines are polluting, and face ever-stricter controls on their use. But mobile cranes need power, and lots of it. Is electric power for mobile cranes a realistic possibility? Julian Champkin plugs in to the possible technologies.
Flat tops power up
Large-capacity tower cranes used to be hammerheads or luffers. Now flat-top tower cranes are increasing their lifting power and finding new applications. Julian Champkin reports.


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Indonesia Controls Request for Palm Oil Requirements in Pakistan
By : Hariyanto And Aldo Bella Putra | Thursday, November 09 2017 - 20:00 IWST
Pabrik Kelapa sawit (ist)
INDUSTRY.co.id - Jakarta - Indonesia is able to control the needs of palm oil products in Pakistan. This is due to the support of Indonesia's export tariff policy which is considered more competitive to be a driver of the high interest of the country's buyers of palm oil.
"Indonesia implements a palm oil export duty policy that is more competitive than Malaysia," said Abdul Rasheed Janmohammed, Pakistan Chief Executive Edible Oil Conference, in Nusa Dua, Bali, last week.
In 2015 and 2016, Indonesia's palm products have an average of 80% more than Pakistan needs. For information, olein and RBD Palm Oil (PO) products from Indonesia are more in demand by Pakistan's processing industry.
In comparison, Pakistan imports 1.06 million tonnes of Indonesian olein and RBD PO is 978 thousand tons in 2016. Meanwhile, imports of olein and RBD PO from Malaysia are 241,961 tons and 99,184 tons.
According to Abdul Rasheed, Indonesia can increase its market share as long as it can improve the tariff structure for crude palm oil or CPO products.
Indonesia's CPO exports to Pakistan amounted to 28,425 tons, below Malaysia at 96,894 tons in 2016.
Currently Pakistan and Indonesia are in the process of evaluating the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) agreement that was inaugurated in 2013. In the first meeting of August 2016, the two countries listed the issues concerning the implementation of PTA during the first three years.
Indonesia and Pakistan agreed to take new steps to address the problem. While in its second meeting in February 2017, Indonesia-Pakistan will also re-review the progress achieved in the PTA cooperation.
After the signing of the PTA, the total trade volume of both countries was 1.6 billion US dollars in the first year and reached 2.1 billion US dollars in 2015. Pakistan has become the fourth largest importer of palm oil from Indonesia. (SI)


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вЂњGood guyвЂќ loan startup LendUp will pay $6.3M for overcharging violationsdemo
LendUp had been allowed to be unique of the pay day loan sharks that rip from the bad once they require emergency money. However in its days that are early LendUp charged customers unlawful charges, miscalculated interest rates, falsely advertised loans nationwide that werenвЂ™t available here and misled people who borrowing from LendUp would enhance their credit rating.
Now LendUp will need to spend $6.3 million for the violations in a variety of refunds, fines, and settlements. Which includes a $1.8 million fine by the Consumer that is federal Financial Bureau for failing continually to keep its claims, and a $100,000 fine through the Ca Department of company Oversight when it comes to charges and interest rates.
CEO about what went wrong
LendUp CEO Sasha Orloff talked to TechCrunch, admitting their business didnвЂ™t have a huge compliance that is enough appropriate group to examine most of its promotions and features. To treat the specific situation, LendUp proactively refunded any wrongly charged clients and ceased all problematic methods since quickly while the research began. Now, Orloff states his 190-employee business includes a 15-person-plus appropriate and conformity division вЂ” more people compared to the entire team that is lendUp the full time regarding the infractions.
LendUp CEO Sasha Orloff
You are able to browse the complete statement through the CDBO here: In a declaration to your press, Orloff attempted to pass from the dilemmas as growing discomforts of a new startup, which he explained ended up being money constrained, along with which will make tough choices about whom to engage and things to build. He published, вЂњThese regulatory actions address legacy issues that mostly date back again to our start as an organization, as soon as we had been a seed-stage startup with restricted resources so when few as five workers. Then though we didnвЂ™t have a totally built out compliance division. We ought to have.вЂќ
Just a rate bump?
The charges might simply be considered a rate bump for LendUp, however. It raised a $47.5 million Series B round last month to bring it self to $111.5 million in equity capital, giving it a great amount of money to cover the fine and operating that is keep.
Established last year, the startup offers its LendUp Ladder pay day loan, which is sold with a flat rate and allows you to borrow more in the event that you pay off immediately. Recently, it established the LendUp charge card, which can be free in the event that you https://missouripaydayloans.org/ pay off on some time allows you pause fees watching your credit from an accompanying smartphone app. The organization claims to own conserved Californians over $18 million during 2016, as well as a projected $40 million for clients nationwide.
LendUp positioned it self as an alternative that is compassionate high-interest bank cards and scammy financial obligation trap pay day loans that will charge as much as 500 % to 700 % in interest. That may ring hollow if customers seek out LendUpвЂ™s skeletons.
Now LendUp claims it is locked those skeletons within the wardrobe way back when. Orloff writes, вЂњWe are a definite various business today, with a conformity group of ten and a different in-house appropriate team of six, including our Head Regulatory Counsel and seasoned General Counsel. Importantly, those groups are introduced at the start of the development lifecycle for each product that is new feature.вЂќ
Also, Orloff informs me LendUp employed previous regulators to come in and build its compliance program out. A report shows it now makes good on its claim about boosting monetary wellness, as a third-party review by TransUnion found LendUp customers are more inclined to raise their credit history than non-borrowers or those borrowing from another loan provider.
To customers, Orloff writes, вЂњWe simply just take our dedication to running in a clear, compliant and way that is socially responsible seriously.вЂќ He claims the companyвЂ™s morale remains strong because workers think it is developed somewhat from the time it had been one-twentieth its size making these mistakes.
The startup wasnвЂ™t allowed to talk about the ongoing investigations until they certainly were recently finished. However now Orloff is unfortunate as to what regulators thought as a cost. He and General Counsel Angela Jeffers explained that LendUp offered a 30 cents per day discount if borrowers pledged to cover right back early. However, if clients missed the self-imposed discount due date, their discounts will be eliminated day-by-day, which regulators considered a cost.
Go fast, break trust
LendUp didnвЂ™t need certainly to legally admit wrongdoingвЂ¦ however it obviously did things wrong. Never as incorrect as Zenefits, which had to fire it CEO, blow up its entire brand and commence from scratch trust that is rebuilding insurance coverage consumers. But LendUp has offered old-school banking institutions and rivals into the fintech that is increasingly crowded the ammo they should throw question regarding the startupвЂ™s claims of attempting to assist the bad.
That jeopardizes LendUpвЂ™s fantasy of creating a compassionate banking that is modern, which attracted investment from top VCs like Andreessen Horowitz, Kleiner Perkins, GV (Bing Ventures), AFSquare, information Collective, Kapor Capital and SV Angel. Alternatively, the fines might be viewed as growing pains that signal LendUp was wanting to rush to advertise and stake a claim, which some investors endorse. UberвЂ™s cavalier attitude toward legislation has revealed the potential of this вЂњmove fast and break thingsвЂќ mantra popularized by Twitter.
But Uber typically hurt taxi motorists by sidestepping the guidelines while supplying convenience to its users. LendUpвЂ™s clients would be the victims right right right here.


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Many people use smartwatches to check their health, receive notifications, and call without phones. The Apple Watch was one of the first smartwatches to include fall tracking, a safety tool, and the Pixel Watch, Google’s newest smartwatch, now has fall track. If you don’t move or react within a certain period, motion sensors and machine learning algorithms can detect a hard fall and call 911.
Related: Google Pixel Watch reveals design from all angles
Pixel Watch’s fall tracking can differentiate between accidental falls and intense physical exercise like burpees or skiing, which could cause a false emergency call. The feature has been adequately tested, allowing wearers to talk to emergency operators if feasible. It solves Apple Watch users’ panic calls while skiing or doing intense physical exercise.
Fall tracking can activate in the Watch Companion app’s “Updates” tab or the Pixel Watch’s Personal Safety app. If you fall hard and don’t move for 30 seconds, the watch will vibrate, alert, and show a message. Tap “I’m OK” on your watch face to ignore the notice or “I fell & need help” to call 911.
Pixel Watch lets users turn off or enable “Help better fall detection,” which collects motion sensor data to improve the feature. Google prioritizes user privacy. Pixel phones’ Personal Safety app offers car wreck detection and emergency broadcast alerts. Emergency SOS on Pixel Watch lets them warn emergency responders or trusted friends in an emergency.


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“Sharing your successes as well as your failures has always been important to me,” he says. “Because I think it makes us more real — a small group of people working on something that we are all very passionate about.”
Another key? The growing community of people seeking expertly crafted food and drink in Pittsburgh.
“The Pittsburgh food scene coming along has helped in terms of showing people how to appreciate craft and quality,” says McMahon. “You don’t have to just stuff down a cheeseburger and chug down a $2 beer.”
And local brewers have been happy to meet rising expectations.
“People are finally starting to talk about Pittsburgh as a craft beer town,” he says, noting that the city is being recognized nationally alongside cities like Asheville, N.C.
“Nobody was talking about Asheville until it was promoted as a ‘beer city,’” adds Eaton. “They had an organized, concrete push to get people to visit for beer. We’re just as great of a beer town. We just haven’t had the push to get people to recognize that.”
Though the brewer’s guild is just starting to mobilize for formal recognition, Pittsburgh beer already has a reputation across the pond.
The U.K.-based Beer Adventures app recently added more than a dozen new American tours, including a 2.5-mile exploration of Pittsburgh’s beer scene that users can purchase for $3.99.
Beer Adventures founder Jonny Quirk says, “There’s a real vibrancy to the city that you can feel as soon as you enter its bars and taprooms.”
The six-destination tour begins in Friendship at Sharp Edge Beer Emporium — Pittsburghers’ original go-to for Belgian brews — and winds down with stops at East End and Couch Brewery.
Darren Gailey, the co-owner and CEO of Couch Brewery, believes the scene is having a moment for two reasons: Because “Pittsburgh brewers make fantastic beer,” he says, and because “Pittsburghers love to drink great beer.”
His own brewery — located along Washington Boulevard — will celebrate its first anniversary in late April. Gailey hopes tools like the Pittsburgh Brewery Guide and Beer Adventures app will link brewers to new customers.
“It helps us get the word out,” he says, “that Pittsburgh beer has arrived.”


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FedEx this week announced a new e-commerce platform targeting small and medium-sized businesses.
Officials said that FedEx Fulfillment, launched by logistics subsidiary FedEx Supply Chain, would provide its clients "complete visibility," including product tracking and analysis of customer behavior and trends.
The platform will also offer a simple way for smaller businesses to integrate multiple selling channels and manage inventory.
“Moving goods efficiently and reliably is what we do best," FedEx Express e-commerce senior vice president Carl Asmus said in a statement. "By teaming up with FedEx Supply Chain and utilizing the world-renowned FedEx networks, customers can focus less on fulfillment and logistics challenges and more on growing their businesses.”
The company added that the service will provide one of the latest cut-off times for same-day delivery in the shipping industry, along with two-day ground shipping to a majority of the U.S. population and a "hassle-free" return process.
The initiative aims to increasingly take advantage of the growth of e-commerce, which accounted for an estimated $2 trillion in retail sales last year and is expected to more than double by 2020.


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Last month we do the survey with the kids in the school about their favorite character. We sent the survey to primary school in Bangkok area about 556 surveys. And here are the summaries.
DHC announce on June 8th that the new Pokémon movie will be in the cinema on July 15th, DHC also tie-up in this movies with the ‘buy DHC product and get the Pokémon goods’ campaign!
©Nintendo・Creatures・GAME FREAK・TV Tokyo・Sho Pro・JR Kikaku ©Pokémon ©2017 ピカチュウプロジェクトMore
Yokohama has signed contract with Pokemon Company to do collaboration event every year until 2020 to attract more inbound and outbound tourists to visit Yokohama during Tokyo 2020 Olympics. It has been 3 years consecutively that Yokohama has held events which involved the famous Pokemon character Pikachu by bringing tons on Pikachu mascot to the venue. For this year as the 4th year, they are planning to bring more than 1,500 Pikachu mascots with many other Pokemon friends, to boost up the event even more.
©2017 Pokémon. ©1995-2017 Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK inc.
KFC China is having a campaign with Pokemon to bring the Mascot “Pikachu” as toys for collecting.
MK restaurant, the big hot pot restaurant chain in Thailand, is now doing a promotion with Pokemon and its iconic mascot “Pikachu”.
From April 14th, Seiko Clock will launch alarm clock series with a big-sized alarm clock and clocks featuring Pokémon’s famous Poke ball and Master ball to celebrate Pokémon anime’s 20th anniversary on this year April with its current season “Pocket Monster Sun&Moon”.
©Nintendo・Creatures・GAME FREAK・TV Tokyo・ShoPro・JR Kikaku ©Pokémon
Level up your Pokémon experience at our fun and interactive exhibition “Pokémon Research Exhibition”, held in Singapore, for the first time outside Japan.
Seven Eleven, the biggest convenience store chain in Thailand, started off 2017 with a new campaign with the popular characters of Pokemon. More
Pokémon Run Taiwan 2016, held on the Christmas Eve Day with more than 5,000 participants, was a huge success. Sponsors were also greatly satisfied according to TG Taiwan, the event organizer company.
What’s the secret of this amazing success? Here’s what CharaBiz.Asia discovered as key factors.
Let’s meet up with Pikachu and friends!
The game information media “Famitsu” announced the sales numbers of new Nintendo 3DS game “Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon” that was launched on November 18th.


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Pepsi blames global macro concerns for weak outlook; shares fall
By Sruthi Ramakrishnan
(Reuters) - PepsiCo Inc forecast 2017 adjusted earnings below analysts' estimates, citing weakness in its international markets, particularly in developing regions such as Asia, Middle East and North Africa.
The company said it expected organic sales growth of 3 percent this year, slower than the 3.6 percent in 2016.
Shares of the company, which reported a better-than-expected fourth-quarter profit, fell 2 percent to $104.77 in early trading on Wednesday.
"I think our 3 percent revenue guidance reflects just a cautious outlook toward the macros globally, as well as a reflection of what is a more volatile world," Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston said on a call with analysts.
Johnston's comments echo those by his counterpart at bigger rival Coca-Cola Co.
Coca-Cola's CFO Kathy Waller told analysts last week that the company expected global environment this year to be roughly similar to that of 2016 with "continued macroeconomic challenges in the emerging and developing world and continued growth in the developed world". PepsiCo forecast 2017 adjusted earnings of $5.09 per share, missing the average analysts' estimate of $5.16.
Johnston said first-quarter organic revenue would decline, partly due to volatility in its Asia, Middle East and North Africa market and the early arrival of the Chinese New Year holiday. The holiday came 10 days earlier this year and was included in the company's 2016 results.
PepsiCo also cited one extra week in 2016 for the slower sales growth forecast. Continued...


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12 January 2021 that they had shut down what was "probably the largest illegal marketplace on the Darknet" called DarkMarket and physically arrested the. One ofthe dark web's biggest online retailers of drugs and fake credit cards has permanently. November 1, 2021. One of the dark web's biggest online. Founded by three long time reputable members of the darkmarket scene. On September 29, 2021 POAP's minting system was compromised resulting in. They found it in Dream Market, but as the last big dark market standing picks up Venmo's most used emoji of 2021 isn't what you'd expect. SharylMax September 17, 2021 at 5:54 pm. hydroxychloroquine tablets ChemSpain Market Darkfox Market Dark Market EU Cocaine Market Flugsvamp Majestic.
In January 2021, a police sting on the German-Danish border resulted DarkMarket, as it was known, existed on the dark web and had half a. 2021 Forbes Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. AdChoices Privacy Statement Do Not Sell My Personal Information Terms and Conditions. 2021 Raleigh Night Markets. Time: 5 PM to 9 PM. Dates (Thursdays):. May 20th. June 17th. July 15. August 19. Sept 1. A Europol-coordinated operation has taken down liberty market url DarkMarket, one of the By Ian Carlos Jan 12, 2021, 8:57pm EST. By Afp 05:50 EST 12 Jan 2021, updated 06:08 EST 12 Jan 2021 Police in Oldenburg shut down the DarkMarket site and turned off its server on Monday after.
The data was later put up for sale on a dark market website in mid-2021 and included email and IP addresses, usernames May 26, 2020 Database Leaked Online. Back in early January 2021, German law enforcement agencies announced the successful arrest of a man believed to be the administrator of the. October 19, 2021 The Recorded Future Team. This Summer, Insikt Group discovered a new Canada-focused darknet marketplace called WeTheNorth, a salute to. TOP 3 Crypto To Invest In 2021 / HUGE POTENTIAL. Since liberty market link the recent bust of DarkMarket the darknet community is in fear that more darknet markets admin. The alleged operator of illegal online marketplace DarkMarket, the world's largest illegal marketplaces on the Darknet in January 2021. At the time of its closure, DarkMarket had nearly 500000 users and more than 2400 vendors. Published on Jan 12, 2021 03:55 PM IST. Share Via. Copy Link. Research Article November 30 2021. Dark Market Share around Earnings Announcements and Speed of Resolution of Investor Disagreement. Karthik Balakrishnan.
A Europol-coordinated operation has taken down DarkMarket, one of the By Ian Carlos Jan 12, 2021, 8:57pm EST. DarkMarket: world's largest illegal dark web marketplace Publish date 12 Jan darkmarket darkmarket 2021 2021 date: 18 Nov 2021 Update date: 18 Nov 2021. Open in moda. Genesis Market Darknet - Latest Darknet Markets list Dark Web Links 2021. You can expect to find anything you need from darkmarket 2021 a dark market in Dark0de Reborn. Market After Dark 2021 September 25, 6:30 - 11:00 darkmarket 2021. Email News Straight to Your Inbox. ARN Staff (ARN) 24 January, 2021 20:10 devices after carrying out a series of search warrants in Queensland relating to the shutdown of DarkMarket. Anecdotally cocktail bitters is a buoyant market, but the industry is in the dark as to its size. Hamish Smith looks to shine a light.
Thu Jan 14, 2021 10:06 AM PST. For most people, the Dark Web is quite a mysterious DarkMarket was one of the largest marketplaces on the Dark Web. 2021 Raleigh Night Markets. Time: 5 PM to 9 PM. Dates (Thursdays):. May 20th. June 17th. July 15. August 19. Sept 1. Over the weekend, German law enforcement shut down DarkMarket, a dark web marketplace, 16, 2021 Ares Market - Can't get simpler Oct. Starting from 2001. By H Zhang 2020 Cited by 1 Article #:.Date of Conference: 11-14 Dec. 2020.Date Added to IEEE Xplore: 12 February 2021. Oct. 26, 2021 an online marketplace called "DarkMarket" that sold illegal drugs in an operation liberty market darknet led by German law enforcement agencies.
Darknet Market Wiki
What’s even better is that the VPN will give you a fake IP address, in another country if you like, so even if Tor is compromised then the trace just leads back to somewhere else that can’t be linked to you. Two years ago, a market called Evolution exited with an estimated US$12 million darkmarket 2021 worth of bitcoin. DNMBusts is a gathering place to inform us of recent news and arrests related to the Dark Net Markets. The corporation was founded in 2007 and offers products and services to customers around the world in several disciplines including clearing and settlement, infrastructure, data and analytics, custody, and more. WHO (2020) Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: when and how to use masks. Unfortunately your comment has been removed as your account does not have enough comment karma. The system works by allowing users to deposit their crypto into a specific pool and receive prize-redeemable tickets in exchange.


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The Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation (TIMCON) has warned of unprecedented prices and availability of raw materials and are predicting these will affect the packaging and pallet market until at least the middle of this year. This is due to factors including ongoing unbalances across the global market for many products as the result of the pandemic, and the completion of Brexit at the end of last year.
Independent anlyists Afry shows that the index price of homegrown pallet timber alone grew by 4.4 per cent from December 2020 to January 2021, having grown 13.2 per cent in the final quarter of 2020 (Baltic imports were reported as being slightly higher at 14.7% in the same period), and cumulatively more than 20 per cent over the last three quarters of 2020. This is part of an ongoing upward trend and has produced the highest price since the start of the index in 2000.
The latest MARKIT/CIPS reports published on 1 February point to continuing price rises and availability issue in many materials and products, as demand has rebounded following the easing of the first lockdown periods early in 2020. Pallet wood (and other categories of timber) and steel – both essential for pallet production and reconditioning – are both noted as increasing in price and being in short supply.
Pressure has been increased by the escalating price of timber from the US, and Scandinavian and German timber being diverted there (due in the main to the healthy house building sector), as well as to the strengthening Chinese market. Closer to home, delays in issuing felling licences in Ireland have greatly diminished supplies of pallet timber from this source.
Meanwhile, the impact of increased demand for fencing and other timber products in the UK is continuing.
These issues are being compounded by a worldwide imbalance in container shipping flows, where trade has slowed or stopped, and resumed at different rates according to region. This has caused widespread disruption to usual trade movements, including delays in ports, extensive shortages of containers, and caused significant increases in handling and logistics costs.
Meanwhile, the conclusion of Brexit and the corresponding introduction of new regulations governing trade movements between the EU and UK (and the UK and the rest of the world) on 1 January, have compounded these difficulties. Issues reported during the first month of the year include serious delays in customs clearance at key ports such as Felixstowe and increasing administration in the road haulage business, causing significant additional costs to suppliers.
Several businesses involved with, or reliant on, the wooden packaging and pallet business have already issued communications to their customers to explain the situation and warn them to expect unavoidable rises in price for the foreseeable future.
TIMCON’s latest statement follows initial warnings about price rises and availability issued by both TIMCON and FEFEPB in autumn 2020, followed the release of independent index figures.
Commenting on the situation Stuart Hex, Secretary General of TIMCON, said: “The unprecedented market conditions we reported on towards the end of last year have continued to put pressure on businesses of all kinds. The imbalance in trade across the world, caused by the uneven regional impact of the pandemic have pushed availability down and prices up in many areas, and the new post-Brexit environment has added new layers of complexity and cost. With wood around 70 per cent of the input cost for pallets alone, we expect prices of pallets and packaging to increase and remain high for some time.”
“These issues will impact on almost every industry and we recommend that suppliers liaise closely with their customers to keep each another informed about this situation. TIMCON will be monitoring the latest developments and communicate these to its members and the market whenever necessary.”
*TIMCON is the acknowledged representative body of the UK & Republic of Ireland wooden pallet and packaging industry, encompassing manufacturers, the four major pallet pooling companies and the majority of sawmills who supply the industry from UK & Ireland and suppliers to the industry such as kiln and composite block manufacturers.


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OSN’s new and extended long-term deal with NBC Universal International (NBCUI) will give OSN exclusive access to content from NBCUI. The deal secures first pay window rights for OSN, in addition to exclusive over-the-top (OTT) content access on OSN Play, the free for subscribers digital platform, and GO, the non-subscriber based online TV service.
OSN will now also have exclusive rights to the popular channel, E! Entertainment Television, in Arabic. E!’s focus on localized entertainment programming in Arabic will bring news, views and all the celebrity buzz of regional stars on E! News. The channel will also have dedicated primetime programming that is dubbed or subtitled in Arabic.
Additionally, subscribers will have access to a world of science fiction entertainment as OSN secures exclusive rights to Syfy in Arabic, from mid-2016. The launch of the channel will bring Syfy’s year-round roster of original series, movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming to OSN subscribers, with almost 80 percent of the content in Arabic – either with subtitles or dubbed.
David Butorac, CEO of OSN, says in a statement: “Our partnership with NBCUniversal International not only consolidates our presence in the market but also reflects our commitment to delivering sought-after content first and exclusively to our viewers. We do not operate as just content carriers; we also work with our partners to ensure that we can customise their content for the local market. That is why we will be focusing on localization and bringing amazing Arabic content – through E! and Syfy.”
The new agreement also extends OSN’s carriage agreement for CNBC.
The NBCU portfolio also includes late-night talk shows such as the award-winning The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers; top news shows including the Today Show; and one of longest running shows on television, Meet the Press, among others..
App analytics and market data company, App Annie, have released a new report that sheds light on Gen Z’s mobile behavior, in order to help marketers develop effective strategies to reach them. 98% of Gen Z report owning a smartphone, on average receiving their first at the age of 10. They are also part of […]
Experticity, the world’s largest community of influential category experts have released a new study that sheds new light on the importance of micro-influencers on the average consumer. The study was conducted with online interviews of more than 6,000 individuals from the United States drawn from Experticity’s micro-influencer network and the general population. In addition, more […]
Market research companies eMarketer and Global Web Index have collaborated together to release the 10th edition of the global media intelligence report. The report is a detailed compilation of data and insights about internet users’ traditional and digital media usage in 42 key markets worldwide. Communicate will be highlighting the key trends that are shaping the […]
Social Bakers, a global AI-powered social media marketing company has released the Q3 edition of their social media trends report. The report reveals where the industry is currently standing with regard to spending and engagement globally. Here are the key findings – ADVERTISING Worldwide ad spend increased by 56.4% in Q3 compared to where it […]


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Want to be at the Super Bowl 2012 in Indianapolis on February 5, 2012 and cannot afford the ticket and trip? Papa John's Pizza offers a chance to win a Trip to the Super Bowl XLVI. The giveaway runs until December 25.
To get a chance on winning a trip you need to enroll in the Papa Rewards program.
The Papa Rewards earns you points that you can use for free pizza. Every $5 spent online earn 1 Papa Reward Point. 25 points get you a free pizza. More details about this Super Bowl XLVI Giveaway can be found here.Super Bowl 2012 is taking place in Indianapolis on February 5th, 2012. Super Bowl Ads for Geeks is covering everything there is to know about the Super Bowl 2012 Ads and more, leading up to the big game. The coverage on Super Bowl Ads for Geeks extends our famous Super Bowl for Geeks Guide on I4U News. Bonus: Watch all Super Bowl 2011 Ads.


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Telkom's plan to kick off 20 and 40Mbps internet trials made headlines in the tech media over the past few weeks, being a significant jump over the current 10Mbps standard.
The oft-maligned company has stepped up its game, rolling out new equipment in an attempt to modernise its creaking infrastructure.
Now, we're seeing some results as the company's pilot kicks off, with six locations around the country playing host.
However, Telkom has quite a few challenges ahead if it hopes to bring broadband to the masses and return to profitability.
First up is the issue of geography, with many South Africans unable to even access 2/4Mbps connectivity right now, let alone the top-tier 10Mbps service. So who's to say that the situation won't be repeated?
Telkom's ambitious plan is to roll out 3000 high-speed multi-service access nodes (MSANs) across the country, while also replacing copper links with fibre. Of course, this is an expensive and time-consuming process, so we won't hold our breath for upgrades in our neck of the woods anytime soon...
The second obstacle is cost, probably the biggest factor in South African broadband.
A prospective broadband customer first has to pay for a Telkom landline (costing about R148), regardless of whether they actually want it.
Then there's the DSL line, costing anywhere between R165 (384Kbps/1Mbps) to R425 (4/10Mbps). So, that's a minimum of R313 and a maximum of R583 – and that's before buying an ADSL data account.
You'll really want an uncapped data account to go with the high-speed line, and a decent offering ranges from just under R200 for 1Mbps to R700 for Afrihost's 10Mbps solution. Then there's MWEB, offering a 10Mbps for R999.
Thus, you'll be paying a minimum of R513 per month for a 1Mbps uncapped package and over R1400 for a 10Mbps uncapped service. No need to wonder why mobile broadband is booming in South Africa...
It's almost to be expected that the 20/40Mbps services will be accompanied by a higher price. Whether it's R600 or R1000 for the line only, it's anyone's guess. But aside from simply making it as cheap as possible, Telkom could throw in some extras - and that's another challenge.
The third obstacle is compelling content, a way for Telkom to attract users to the higher speed service. I mean, a high speed DSL service is great on its own, but there are many possibilities...
For one, the company could introduce video-on-demand and live TV packages, piped over their network. It's already being planned by Telkom, according to MyBroadband, and is a feature that could motivate loads of people to cancel their DStv subscriptions if done properly.
It's a system that has worked well for British and American internet giants, offering loads of video content as a value-added extra. And it'll go some way to softening the blow that will inevitably come with the subscription fee.
Another option would be to introduce a VoIP service, allowing subscribers to call each other for free. Sure, this means that traditional landline revenue would most likely dip, but the increase in ADSL subscribers and revenue could make it worth their while.
High-speed broadband is the great enabler in many societies today, with broadband penetration linked to GDP growth in many countries. But getting an affordable service rolled out to the masses will be Telkom's challenge. Whether you dislike them or hate them, we have to hope that they can pull it off...


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The Polish government has been considering the restoration of retail trading on Sundays, PM's Office head Michal Dworczyk said on Wednesday. A few years Poland started to phase out Sunday shopping amid union pressure and the government's conservative agenda.
Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, addressing the Friday inauguration of the 2nd African Conference, said the continent will become an attractive trade partner due to the relatively young society with a huge demand for knowledge and modern technologies.
The number of retail parks in Poland has grown two-fold over the last ten years, according to the report 'Retail parks and convenience centres in Poland' by real estate consultancy JLL and Trei Real Estate Poland.
Head of the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations Olivier Hermes announced on Friday that Poland placed first on the list of Germany's trade partners in Central-Eastern Europe.
The report commissioned by Poland shows that most countries gain strongly from the new accessions, the biggest beneficiaries being Germany and Luxembourg, followed by Belgium, Denmark, Austria, the United Kingdom, and Sweden.
Over the past years, Polish-Slovak trade went up by more than one-third, but this excellent growth has been halted by the coronavirus pandemic, Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki said on Friday, adding Poland and Slovakia had a plan to get back on the growth track.
Poland might benefit from a change in trade routes after the coronavirus pandemic, according to experts from the Polish Economic Institute (PIE) who believe the country might gain over USD 8 bln annually through production being moved from China.
The value of Polish trade on the internet in 2020 may exceed PLN 100 bln (EUR 22.4 bln), Finance Minister Tadeusz Kościński was quoted on Twitter as saying by the ministry.
Natural cosmetics trade show Ekocuda will take place on the 27th and 28th of June in Centrum Praskie Koneser in Warsaw.
Poland has overtaken Italy and become Germany's fifth biggest trade partner, the Development Ministry said on Tuesday, adding that bilateral trade rose by 6.6 percent in the first two months of 2020, which brought the trade balance to PLN 21 bln (EUR 4.7 bln).


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Gus Mastrapa of Joystick Division tries to imagine what video games would look like in a non-violent world. Would they resemble European board games like Agricola and Carcasonne?
Harvest Moon is a non-violent game series, and it's actually pretty fun.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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Beachhead Studios has promised that the Call of Duty Elite service will be fully operational by December 1.
In an interview with G4TV, vice president of production Daniel Suarez accepted responsibility for the widely reported problems players have experienced in accessing the service.
"They kind of have to bear with us while we bring this all back up, but for us it's literally 'Give us those couple weeks, we're giving those to you for free and come December 1st the goal is that we'll have everything up and running,'" he said.
Call of Duty Elite is a social and stat-tracking service introduced to the franchise for Modern Warfare 3. However, despite players paying extra for the service, it has been largely inaccessible since its launch.
"When we ran our beta, [it] was strictly on the PC and a lot of our assumptions were based around [the idea] that a larger majority of users were going to use the PC [interface] since it's a more robust version of the service than the console app," Suarez explained.
"Some of that may have been incorrectly analysed, because we're seeing 80 to 90 per cent of our users coming straight from the console app. So the way we've had to balance out the way that's feeding the community is different. Right now we're retrofitting that so that that works better across the board rather than the way it was set up."
Suarez also dismissed the idea that an Elite hub for PC is no longer in development, which took root following a Tweet from the service's official account said, "we cannot guarantee if or when a version will be available for the PC."
"It was a mistake," Suarez added. "Our goal is to get something on the PC. We haven't set timing yet, but our goal is to do that."
"On the PC, that's an open platform [which is] more prone to cheats and hacks. We're trying to prevent them as much as possible, but that platform isn't as secure."
Modern Warfare 3 was released on November 8 and has since outperformed even the most optimistic predictions: the game generated $775 million in 5 days, pushing lifetime earnings for the Call of Duty series to $6 billion.


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Philips TV integrates Alexa on even more devices and adds Android 9 Pie
- Philips TV brings Alexa built-in functionality to European customers with its TV 6814 series.
- Philips Smart TV Voice Control skill for Amazon Alexa to launch first in the UK and Germany with France, Italy and Spain to follow later in 2019.
- All 2019 Philips Android TV devices will have both the Google Assistant built-in and Amazon’s Works with Alexa at launch.
- Android 9 Pie to be featured on all Philips 2019 Android TVs.
- The Google Assistant on Android TV from Philips now supports English, French, German & Spanish with more languages to follow.
- Over 90% of Philips’ 2019 Smart TVs from OLED to the 6000 series support Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
Amsterdam, January 23, 2019 – Philips TV support for leading voice services expands significantly with the announcement that all 2019 Philips Android TV devices will feature Android 9 Pie, including both the Google Assistant built-in and Works with Alexa capabilities.
Philips TV proprietary Smart TV OS SAPHI will also feature Alexa built-in on the new 6814 LCD TV series.
With Alexa built-in, owners of the Philips TV 6814 series can easily change the channel, or turn up the volume. Just say “Alexa, switch TV to BBC” or “Alexa, switch TV to game console” – all you need to do is ask. And with Alexa built-in, users have access to all of the features customers know and love about the voice service, including the ability to control smart home devices, hear the news and access thousands of skills – all hands-free.
Alexa can be accessed through the remote control’s dedicated Alexa button, which will display a blue LED when engaged. Philips’ unique Ambilight system will also show blue animation effects to reflect Alexa’s various attention states.
“We’re thrilled to work with Phillips TV and bring the convenience of Alexa to even more customers across Europe,” said Jorrit Van der Meulen, Vice President, Amazon Devices International. “With Alexa, users can control the Ambilight system, change the channel, control smart home devices, and more – all with just their voice.”
All Philips 2019 Android TV devices will include Android 9 Pie and a remote control with push-to-talk near-field microphone to allow easy access to Google Assistant.
Customers who want to control their Android TVs via Alexa can access voice capabilities by pairing a compatible Alexa device like the Amazon Echo. Once the device is setup through the Philips Smart TV Voice Control skill, users will have access to the same capabilities as TVs with Alexa built-in, including the ability to change the channel, manage compatible smart home devices, and more.
Google Assistant will be available as part of the latest Android 9 Pie OS. With the Google Assistant, you can quickly access entertainment, get answers and control devices around your home. Find the latest blockbuster, check the score of the big game or dim the lights – all with just your voice.
As for Philips Android TV legacy devices, the successful roll-out of Android Oreo to existing Philips Android TVs started in December 2018 and will continue with an over-the-air update to Android P in 2019 – for the complete 2018 Android TV line up and selected 2017 Philips Android TV devices.
More than 90% of the new 2019 Philips Smart TV range – from the affordable 6000 series to the premium 8000 series – will also offer Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos compatibility, both over HDMI connection and via the popular streaming services.
Google, Android and Android TV are trademarks of Google LLC.
About TP Vision
TP Vision is a consumer electronics key player in the world of audio visual digital entertainment. TP Vision concentrates on developing, manufacturing and marketing Philips branded TV sets (Europe, Russia, Middle East, South America, India and selected countries in Asia-Pacific) and audio products (all around the Globe). We do this by combining the innovative Philips brand heritage with our design expertise, operational excellence, flexibility and speed of TPV Technology. With these combined strengths, we bring high-quality TV sets to the market: smart and easy to use with sophisticated styling. We believe in creating products that offer a superior audio and visual experience for consumers. With Philips TVs, TP Vision is a global leader in the hospitality market. TP Vision is the exclusive brand licensee of Philips TVs for the above listed countries and, on the global stage for the Philips audio products.TP Vision employs close to 2,000 people in several locations around the globe and is 100% owned by TPV, one of the world’s leading monitor and LCD TV manufacturers, selling and marketing Philips branded TVs in China. TPV has been able to drive its growth over the years by leveraging its economies of scale and core competencies in R&D, manufacturing, logistic efficiency and quality.


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A study carried out at the University of Leicester's School of Psychology has found that younger people who are disagreeable are more likely to prefer aggressive dogs, confirming the conventional wisdom that dogs match the ...
New research from Tufts University scientists shows that feral cats that undergo a vasectomy or hysterectomy could reduce a feral colony's numbers more effectively than the traditional approach of neutering. This may be because ...
Microsoft stepped up its criticism of Google on antitrust grounds Wednesday, claiming the Internet giant refuses to allow Windows Phone users "proper access" to the YouTube video service.
Samsung Electronics said Monday that global sales of its flagship Galaxy S smartphones had topped 100 million since the first model debuted in 2010, cementing its dominant position over US rival Apple.
Apple extended its dominance in the sizzling tablet computer market in the second quarter of 2012, with the iPad grabbing 68 percent of global sales, a survey showed Thursday.
Colour-changing fish have only one skin, but they use it to communicate social status, attract mates, avoid predators and more. So what happens when those functions collide?
One of the first studies to map the impact of deforestation on biodiversity across entire regions of the Amazon has found a clear 'threshold' for forest cover below which species loss becomes more rapid and widespread.
When it comes to weathering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, male macaques get by with a little help from their fellow dudes, according to new research.
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new red-fruited habanero is the latest pepper with resistance to root-knot nematodes to be released by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists.


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A new survey found that 1 in 10 U.S. smartphone owners have had a device stolen, and 68 percent are willing to put themselves at risk to try and recover a stolen phone, according to Lookout. The most likely place to have a smartphone stolen: restaurant (16 percent), bar or nightclub (11 percent), work (11 percent), on public transportation (6 percent), or on the street (5 percent).
"The reality is that 1 in 10 U.S. smartphone owners are victims of phone theft and 68 percent of those victims are unable to ever recover their device after the theft occurred," said Kevin Mahaffey, Lookout co-founder and CTO, in a press statement. "This is an issue that is bound to keep growing. While there isn't one single solution that is going to alleviate phone theft, the problem can be stifled with industry collaboration, technology, and widespread awareness for how to stay safe."
To try and combat against smartphone theft, which is a major problem throughout metropolitan areas across the country, the California Senate approved mandatory kill switch legislation. The law would only be applicable in California, but its success could lead to similar efforts in other states.
- > NEXT STORY: Techland delays its zombie game Dying Light to February 2015
- < PREVIOUS STORY: Unreal Tournament 2014 announced, is 100% free for PC, Mac and Linux


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WELCOME TO The THE INTERNET OF THINGS REPORT
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Feature market insights and perspectives from top C-Level executives, elite technology influencers and thought leaders from your company here. This signature initiative has garnered immense support...
NEXCOM | March 24, 2022
NEXCOM, a leading supplier of network appliances, and Telco Systems, a leading provider of edge compute solutions, today announced the availability of a commercial-ready solution for SOHOs and mid-range businesses looking to run virtual workloads at the network edge.
Most business processes and services today run through the cloud. From work from home and data storage services to accessing company servers and sensitive data protection, these processes depend on edge devices that c...
Wiliot | July 28, 2021
Wiliot, a Sensing as a Service and Internet of Things (IoT) technology pioneer whose self-powered, the stamp-sized computer is redefining the connection between manufacturers and their goods, said today that it had secured $200 million in a Series C financing round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2.
Wiliot has developed a platform on Wiliot IoT Pixels and the Wiliot Cloud. Wiliot IoT Pixels are tiny, low-cost, self-powered tags that attach to any product or packaging to sense various ...
SOFTWARE AND TOOLS
Wiliot | September 23, 2022
Wiliot, the Internet of Things pioneer whose IoT platform is enabling trillions of "things" to gain intelligence, will premier its breakthrough ambient computing technology – the Wiliot IoT Pixel – to the telecommunications industry at MWC 2022 from September 28 through September 30 at Wiliot Booth #W2.1138.
Wiliot, along with other IoT and telecommunications leaders, are creating a new, fully scaled Massive IoT, or internet of trillions of things, that will ...
RoboSense | September 29, 2022
RoboSense, a world-leading provider of Smart LiDAR Sensor Systems announced XPENG G9 equipped with two RoboSense second-generation Smart Solid-state LiDARs (RS-LiDAR-M1). On September 21, XPENG Motors held the “G9 Flagship SUV Immersive Experience” online launch event and officially launched XPENG G9. XPENG G9 is positioned as “the world’s Fastest-Charging electric SUV”. It achieved a breakthrough and went going from development of “independent functions&rdquo...
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New York, NY –December 10, 2012 - Shazam®, the world’s leading media engagement company, today announces that viewers can use the Shazam App to make a donation when they watch Wednesday’s broadcast of the Concert for Sandy Relief. The concert is on Wednesday, December 12th, at 7:30 p.m. EST on more than 61 channels and 14 streaming sites around the world. The line-up includes New York and New Jersey natives like Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, and Jon Bon Jovi as well as other legendary performers like Sir Paul McCartney, The Who, Roger Waters, Dave Grohl, Chris Martin, Kanye West, Eddie Vedder and other leading artists.
“People all over the world were affected by the news and images of the people who lost so much and were so significantly impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This benefit concert is an opportunity to make a difference in thousands of people’s lives,” said CEO, Andrew Fisher. “Shazam is honored to donate all Shazam proceeds from music sales during the concert to help people in the Tri-State area to rebuild after this devastating storm,”
More than 80 million music fans in the US and 250 million around the world who have Shazam installed on their smartphones or tablets will be able to use the app anytime during this historic event to make a donation to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy. When people use Shazam, they can either donate directly to the Robin Hood Foundation Relief Fund at a site designed for mobile devices, or donate with a phone call. Additionally, they will also be able to:
- Tag the performers for links to purchase their music on iTunes and Amazon, so they can easily purchase and add to their music library. Shazam will donate all proceeds from music sold during the concert to the Robin Hood Foundation Relief Fund to help victims of Hurricane Sandy.
- Keep track of the artists and songs performed, ensuring they don’t miss a minute of the action;
- Follow the conversation on social media with insider twitter feeds.
All donations from the 12-12-12 event will go to the Robin Hood Foundation Relief Fund, which was reactivated for the first time since the September 11 aftermath. The Fund will help the Tri-State area recover from Hurricane Sandy by helping with housing, food and funds to those most in need.
Recently, Shazam announced that it has expanded its Shazam for TV second-screen service in the U.S. to support TV programming on any channel, anytime of day, making Shazam a “TV companion app.” The core service is presented by Samsung through December 2012
For people who don't yet have the Shazam application on their smartphone, it is available for free on every major platform and can be found on iTunes App Store, Google play, Amazon App Store, AT&T’s AppCenter, Verizon VCast app store, Nokia Store, Windows Phone Marketplace, BlackBerry App World, and GetJar.
Shazam is one of the most popular apps of all time, used by hundreds of millions of people globally to connect to the world around them. Building on its pioneering leadership in music identification, Shazam now helps people discover, interact with, and share video, audio, or printed content on TV, radio, movie screens, magazines, newspapers, packaged goods, and retail stores -- and now Shazam lets music fans follow their favorite artists to see their Shazams and share in the thrill of discovery. The app has exceeded 20 billion total Shazams since its launch, and users Shazam over 20 million times each day. For more information on how Shazam has created new technology tools for brands to utilize data visit www.shazam.com


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The Panama Canal expansion project, set for completion in 2014, is all about the economies of scale—operational efficiency, fuel efficiency, “Super Post-Panamax” vessels as a means to cost savings and larger TEUs. It’s evident that the project will drive economical growth not only for the U.S.—as 68 percent of traffic moving through the Canal has origins in the U.S. making it a major customer for Panama—but for other Latin American countries and Africa as well. Additionally, it will have a major impact on the future of maritime and warehouse and distribution centers around the world.
Yet, a bigger question remains: is the industry ready for its opening?
The question, presented at a recent Panama Canal expansion meeting update hosted by Jones Lang LaSalle in Oak Brook, Ill., is one that the Panama Canal Authority, the Panama Maritime Authority and other governing entities involved with the expansion, continuously address as developments with the project continue.
“We must be sure that the industry is doing its part,” said Oscar E. Bazán, Marketing Manager, Market Research and Analysis Office, Panama Canal Authority. “The U.S. ports know that the Canal will be open in 2014. And there will be some U.S. ports that will be ready by then and some that won’t be. The U.S. ports need to react and be ready for the game change that the Panama Canal will bring when it opens.”
And while many ports are preparing themselves for the completion of the expansion, a limited number of ports today are prepared to handle the Panamax vessels, Bazán confirmed. In fact, as of 2011, only Norfolk, Charleston and New Orleans met the requirements in terms of depth, according to a 2012 report from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Research Foundation
Center for Transportation Advancement and Regional Development, (a port must have a terminal with at least 45 feet of draft and 45 to 50 feet of depth in a navigable channel to handle Post-Panamax ships).
Nonetheless, ports across the East and Gulf Coasts are working to remain competitive. Panama is currently working to sign 19 Memorandum of Understanding’s (MOUs) with ports in the U.S., said Bazán. “They see the Panama Canal expansion as an opportunity to be able to position distribution, rail, logistic and other supply chain businesses for growth,” he confirmed.
Suffice to say, other countries have also stepped up their game with infrastructure investments to support additional service lanes (currently, Panama has 33 services East/West and North/South and 144 routes that go through the Canal).
“Latin America and Africa are two continents that are the fastest growing in the world,” said Bazán. “Cuba and Brazil are investing in developing a six-lane highway for Havana. They are also improving rail that connects to Havana. Our neighbors, Columbia and Costa Rica, are also doing their part to prepare their infrastructure for the opening of the Canal. Brazil can grow a lot from the Panama expansion—right now it is actually the No. 1 market for the expansion,” he continued.
As such, 58 percent of retailers are considering entering or expanding their Latin American operations in the next five years, according to market research from the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA).
With less than two years to go, ports, supply chain businesses, countries that use Panama service lanes to import/export trade—all parties have to prepare themselves for the opening of the expanded Panama Canal.
“Once we have the terminal completed, there will be a need for land adjustment to manage the logistics of the surrounding areas to the Canal,” said Bazán. “We have to address all the factors—the logistics functionalities, regulation requirements, maintenance—anything that is related to the Panama Canal.”
And the opportunity is now for U.S. ports to improve their infrastructure.
“What we don’t have a lot of conversation around is overall infrastructure that is necessary to support those ports and terminals,” explained Rick D. Blasgen, Panama meeting guest panelist and Chief Executive Officer, Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. “We have to continue to educate our legislation as to who is doing what for the Panama Canal expansion. Ground transportation, ocean freight, rail—all those pieces have to come together for the efficient transport of goods across Latin America” and neighboring continents and countries.


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Alcoholic beverages surrounding the Holidays are often brewed for limited periods, serving a small quantity of customers during Christmas & Hanukkah. The latest brewing company to announce their latest beverage is “DuClaw Brewing Company”. On November 1st, DuClaw unveiled the Candy Cane Imperial Irish Stout.
DuClaw Brewing Company revealed the flavours & natural ingredients that were selected for the Candy Cane Imperial Irish Scout. Those ingredients include vanilla, peppermint, dark chocolate, peppermint, and vanilla bean. DuClaw Brewing Company confirmed that these ingredients have been added with their standard beer recipe, meaning an alcohol percentage of 8.5%.
The Director of DuClaw Brewery Operations unveiled their holiday-themed Irish Stout. Chris Wood noted that their goal with this recipe was creating a nostalgic taste with a new twist. Director Wood clarified that brewers had to deconstruct a classic candy cane and rebuild the recipe for a darker beer. The Director praised his staff for completing this challenge & creating a beverage that’s sweet but not overwhelming rich.
Aldi’s Christmas-Themed Wine
The DuClaw Brewing Company could find themselves challenged for domination in the US Market. Other alcohol manufacturers are competing for holiday market share, including Aldi. Aldi announced their latest sparkling wine named ChocoSecco, which combines the flavour profiles of white & dark chocolate into “Aldi Sparkling Wine”. It’s created a delicious beverage that’ll be hard for any other brewer to rival in 2020.
Furthermore, Aldi is releasing ChocoSecco to store shelves earlier in the US DuClaw’s Candy Cane Imperial Scout is releasing several days after Aldi’s sparkling what. That means consumers will have maintained time getting used to ChocoSecco & not the Candy Cane Imperial Scout. Additionally, the cost of Aldi’s product is considerably smaller than DuClaw. Consumers can purchase the Aldi ChocoSecco Sparkling Wine on November 25th for $6.99
Aldi is additionally releasing other holiday-themed drinks this November. On November 4th, consumers can purchase the “Connelly Strawberry Country Cream”. It’s the perfect mixer meant for alcohol-themed Christmas deserts. Consumers can also select the Blackberry Dark Red Wine & Raspberry Red Wine Blend on November 11th for the holidays. It’s recommended that readers contact their local liquor store to inquire if these beverages are available for purchase.


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Rocky Mountain Worm Company
Jay Williams graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University and came home to Colorado Springs in 2010. His green-thumbed father, Ken, had started using compost in the garden, but something was missing: worms.
“You need a lot of worms to keep your garden healthy,” says Jay.
It follows that Ken and Jay bought a Worm Factory 360 and set up a home-based worm farm. After navigating the learning curve, it was time to scale up and go pro last year.
Today the Williams’ Rocky Mountain Worm Company sells worms, worm cocoons and worm-farming equipment, but its primary product is worm castings – “worm poop,” explains Jay. “That’s the staple of the business.
“When you feed worms decayed compost, they digest it into something that is almost perfect compost,” says Jay, touting its pH neutrality and vibrant microbe population. “It turns into a living product.”
The father-son team first sold worm castings in 2012 and opened a retail store this year. The worm farm is on the premises in a climate-controlled warehouse where they raise African nightcrawlers and red wigglers. “They’re a little like a pet,” says Jay. “You have to feed them and monitor them and make sure they’re OK.”
In one year, they’ve emerged as the state’s most prolific worm farmers, selling 15-pound bags of castings for $30. Of course, some customers want more than that, says Jay. “We’ve had a couple of customers who have bought a ton at a time.”
ON THE WEB: rockymountainwormcompany.com
DATA POINT: 450 pounds:
How much worm castings Rocky Mountain Worm Company’s 20,000 African nightcrawlers produce in a week.


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(Yicai Global) Nov. 9 -- Beijing bike sharer Ofo dissed a rumor Nov. 1 that it is preparing its bankruptcy reorganization as nonsense, claiming the company is still up and running. Ofo founder and Chief Executive Dai Wei conceded at an internal meeting the company was experiencing its "darkest hour" and he would let anyone who would not fight to the end get up and leave, even as the company sought to dispel the rumor, online news media Sina reported.
A big equity broker has begun to prepare the bankruptcy reorganization as trustee for the 4-year-old bike sharing company, an insider earlier told state media The Paper. Ofo's debt six months ago was USD935 million, with user deposits USD532 million and supply chain of USD144 million, per the report based on Ofo's balance sheet. The reorganization is a voluntary negotiated act that needs no court-based mediation, but it must get the consent of all creditors to be binding. It can be worked out without resort to court, said a Beijing lawyer. Ofo's suppliers may have sued the company since otherwise it would not be able to file for bankruptcy liquidation, he said. The equity broker acting as trustee should have completed its due diligence and asset appraisal and it can rely on this to reorganize the company or seek a buyer.
Tech titan Alibaba funded Ofo with over USD700 million in July last year, public data shows. It twice pledged its shares as collateral in March for Alibaba's loan, making the Hangzhou-based tech giant an Ofo shareholder as well as a creditor. The legal representative of Ofo's operating company -- Dongxia Datong Management and Consulting -- changed from Dai Wei to Chen Zhengjiang on Oct. 22. The change was only a normal personnel change within the company, Ofo later called it in an official statement. Dai was still the company's controller and the change will not affect the company's operations, it added. Chen is one of the top five staffers at Ofo.


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Hispanic-owned restaurants across the country play a huge role in their communities and are an important part of the Grubhub family. So in recognition of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re supporting and celebrating Hispanic-owned restaurants in partnership with the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC).
Now through October 15th, USHCC will be our Donate the Change partner. Customers, like you, can round up their change on their order total and donate the difference to help support Hispanic-owned restaurants that have been impacted by the pandemic. As the business voice of the Hispanic community, USHCC will use the donations to provide grants and scholarships to Hispanic-owned restaurants across the country.
During this time, we’ll also be spotlighting several of our Hispanic-owned restaurant partners. Meet some of the restaurant owners below:


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Mexico: Exporter Guide
Mexico was the second largest food and agricultural export market for U.S. exporters in 2021 with exports valued at $26.5 billion. Mexico’s economy grew by 4.8 percent in 2021, following a dramatic 8.1 percent contraction in 2020 due to the pandemic. Recovery is ongoing, underpinned by favorable consumption, Mexico’s deep economic integration with its North American neighbors, and the tourist sector’s recovery. Its tourism sector is a main macroeconomic driver and contributed 7.1 percent to Mexico’s macro economy in 2021. Although the HRI sectors experienced an economic downturn during the pandemic, widespread COVID-19 vaccinations and no remaining mobility restrictions have enabled Mexico’s tourism and hospitality sectors to quickly rebound. Mexico’s food processing industry is the 12th largest globally, and the third largest in the Americas following the United States and Brazil. Mexico’s fast-growing food retail sector continues to offer promising opportunities for U.S. products.


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Amazon has signed a long-term agreement with the Women’s National Basketball Association to watch the game on Prime Video, WNBA has he announced. The deal also includes the freedom of international participation in 16 WNBA season matches including the Commissioner’s Cup tournament scheduled for August 12 at the Phoenix Suns Arena.
The deal shows that Amazon paid for the first time in basketball after publishing a full-time season Major League Baseball, NFL and MLS game. The game will be available in most Prime Video markets, unfortunately not only China, Japan, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Finland, and Germany.
As part of its deal with Amazon, just the league he announced Commissioner’s Cup, is a competitive sport that “will be the culmination of the first annual WNBA tournament, in-season.” Amazon will showcase nine contested games, after which the competition games “will be shown on Prime Video on August 12,” according to the league.
The WNBA games are as well as downloads on Twitter, Facebook and Paramount + this summer, and the league is working with Google on its “Changemakers” ads. It also offers the game on its own WNBA League Pass work. Amazon is now launching another game show – for a 2021 game list on Prime Video, see Pano.
All the products that Engadget selected were selected by our management team, independent of our parent company. Some of our articles include helpful links. If you purchase one of these links, we will be able to make a donation.


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We aren’t used to seeing Apple products that are still evolving. But the next version of its mobile software may be one.
Let’s all thank Niels for taking the time to cobble together this image, which shows what the current iOS icons look like compared to the new icons in iOS 7.
TIME Tech’s Harry McCracken and Doug Aamoth talk about the software, products and services unveiled at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote.
Apple showcased updates to its OS X software, MacBook Air and Mac Pro hardware lines, and a completely overhauled version of iOS. Here are the highlights.
Apple’s design honcho Jony Ive reportedly has quite a drastic change in store for the next version of iOS.
The odds are looking good that Apple will ditch the textured, bubbly look of its iOS software in favor of something more modern
Apple may be looking to dial back the loudness in the next version of its iOS software for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.


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As consumer usage continues to shift to mobile, location-based advertising is becoming one of the fastest growing strategies for restaurants when it comes to digital advertising.
A Washington, D.C., startup company will soon launch a mobile dining app designed to give customers and restaurants more control, choice and convenience.
Revention announced the release of its self-service ordering kiosk application.
Restaurant point-of-sale developer SpeedLine Solutions announced a new payment and guest-rewards integration with Mercury StoreCard.
Henny Penny, a designer and manufacturer of cooking, holding and display equipment, is expanding again. The company has added 46,000 square feet for a training center within its Wagner Building located west of the company’s headquarters in Ohio.
Punchh, a brand-centric mobile customer engagement platform for restaurants, is teaming up with CiCi’s Pizza to build a loyalty app.
Revention, which provides point-of-sale solutions to the hospitality industry, announced the release of its new EMV Secure Payment software solution.
NCR Small Business is upgrading its tablet point of sale system, NCR Silver, to give small business and franchises new marketing, inventory and communication features.
6SensorLabs has a new portable sensor that can test food for gluten in approximately two minutes.
Log in to Pizzamarketplace.com at 2 p.m. EDT on Oct. 22 for this 60-minute webinar sponsored by SpeedLine POS.
SpeedLine Solutions' new EMV options safeguard restaurants from the transfer of liability for chip card-present credit card fraud.
ZippyApp enables job seekers to complete one common job application online and submit it in on a smartphone, tablet or computer to apply to any restaurant in ZippyApp’s employer network.
The eighth-generation platform uses Intel processor technology to maximize performance and enhance guest experience.
The technology was created to empower smaller brands and retailers with powerful mobile marketing and loyalty tools that up until now have only been attainable by big brand marketers, but at a fraction of the cost, said Justin Jarvinen, Warbler CIO.
Experts discuss how cloud-based POS systems work and if they are worth the investment.


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The attitudes of the average 20-something and 30-something are totally different towards cars now than they once were. Americans just don’t have the passion for their car that they once had. Will there be a new wave of cool cars that inspire future generations of enthusiasts? Or has the automobile peaked already?
Young People Don’t Want to Drive Anymore
Why People Have Lost Interest at a Glance:
- Less Need for Travel
- Rocky Economy
- Lack of Models that Inspire
The auto industry needs 18-30 year olds to feel inspired by their models since that’s the trend-setting crowd — but the new trend is actually to avoid the industry entirely. There’s even a new phenomenon of people not even getting their driver’s licenses by choice.
People don’t have as much reason to drive now as they once did — social media, instant streaming, and online shopping has reduced the time millennials spend out and about to practically nil. Many people in this generation are also taking to working from home offices instead of commuting to a cubicle.
Now combine this lack of necessity with a generation that has experienced some of the worst economic times in decades, and the trend setters see cars as a nuisance instead of a reflection of their personality and status like they once did.
Even the popular car show culture is starting to fade as people don’t have any interest in restoration and matching numbers muscle cars like they once did. While certain shows are still very popular, it’s a lot of the same cars over and over again.
That’s not to say that auto enthusiasts will ever get tired of classic muscle cars and first gen Corvettes, but many people are wondering if that culture is going to die when the owners of the those cars decide to retire them from the circuit. If there’s any hope, something fresh is going to have to inspire people to keep the hobby going.
A Changing Attitude
What people want from a car is changing, and if auto makers would respond to that better, they could rekindle that love between man (or woman) and car — and it seems like they might be modeling new cars to better please the modern driver.
However, inspiring people to feel bonded with their cars, and automobiles becoming “cool” again takes more than pleasing the average driver, or getting the average person to drive to begin with. An auto enthusiast is born when a car inspires them, and a car can’t really be “cool” until that starts happening again.
That’s not to say that there aren’t some pretty awesome cars out there. Models like the 2014 Corvette Stingray might actually represent a shift in attitude by car makers. This car holds all of the classic traits of an enthusiast’s car (power, appeal, etc.), but also delivers impressive gas mileage, has a range of options for driver’s control over the car, and the latest technology throughout. There’s even some chatter about a hybrid powertrain Corvette in development that could make over 700 horsepower from the factory.
Similarly, Toyota is rumored to have plans for the introduction of two new rear wheel drive cars that could pack a lot of power in a technologically advanced, fuel efficient sports car. Not to mention, the highly anticipated Toyota-BMW hybrid sports car, said to be based on the i8 platform — this is starting to sound like an affordable supercar, if such a thing could ever exist.
Any of the mentioned cars, and a few others, would be reasonable show cars in two decades when they become classics. That might not be everyone’s measure of “cool”, but it’s probably the easiest way to make a judgment about that trait.
It seems like with these models, the market of “fun” cars will be a lot better rounded out. If nothing else, having more selection will lead to more competition and the result could be something magical…something that might even turn a millennial or two into a hardcore auto enthusiast.
This article has been contributed by Jason Lancaster; Jason works with AccurateAutoAdvice.com, a site that helps car owners by offering tips & advice online.Will Cars Ever be "Cool" Again?,


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The Chinese government is considering plans to allow shares of its largest tech titans, including Tencent Holdings Ltd. (TCEHY) and Alibaba Group (BABA), to trade back home, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. In recent days, coinciding with China's annual legislative meeting in Beijing, a handful of tech firms have announced that they would welcome the option for a mainland listing. (See also: Alibaba Group Sells $7B Worth of Dollar Bonds.)
State officials are reportedly looking at ways to bypass laws that currently prohibit firms incorporated overseas from going public on the mainland. The country's securities regulator is in discussions with state-owned investment banks to form a strategy that could significantly raise the profile of China's tightly controlled capital markets.
The initiative marks part of the Communist government's long-term goal to reverse years of China’s businesses going public overseas and instead choose mainland capital markets as their primary listings.
Wean Biggest Firms Off Wall Street
"At some point it makes sense for Alibaba and Tencent to have their primary listings in China ... The government has a long-term plan to wean these companies off the U.S,” said professor Paul Gillis of Peking University's Guanghua School of Management. One means by which already-listed firms and private businesses could trade on mainland exchanges is to allow them to issue depositary receipts. This would work around a law prohibiting companies incorporated abroad, such as Tencent and Alibaba, from going public in China, yet may give retail investors less rights than full shareholders.
Many of China's largest tech companies have employed a special corporate structure overseas in order to avoid Chinese restrictions on foreigners investing in the sector. The prestige of the U.S. market and rules that give companies more control over their businesses, including the options for a dual-class share structure, has also drawn firms away from the more stringent Chinese listings.
Big Caps' Return?
The move would pull two of the world's most valuable companies away from U.S. influence. Last year, Tencent, which owns popular messaging app WeChat, beat out e-commerce behemoth and Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) rival Alibaba to become the first $500 billion valued Chinese tech company. Its shares have more than doubled in the most recent 12 months, reflected in a market capitalization of $528.2 billion, ahead of Facebook Inc. (FB), with a market cap of $526.2 billion. Hangzhou-based Alibaba, headed by founder and Chief Executive Officer Jack Ma, has also seen its stock nearly double, trading on the NYSE with a market cap of $465.1 billion.
Over the week, executive from firms including Tencent, search engine leader Baidu Inc. (BIDU), and e-commerce platform JD.com Inc. (JD), have all indicated that they are open to the idea. (See also: Alibaba to Buy Remainder of Ele.me from Baidu.)


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One of the most popular online entities in the field of private jet charter, PrivatJet.com, which was sold for whopping $30,18 million, now is online. About two months ago, Nations Luxury Transportation, LLC (Nations) has agreed to acquire the domain name http://PrivateJet.com from Don’t Look Media Group, an leading intellectual property holding company, for $30.18 million in cash and stock, that was approved by the board of directors of both the companies.
Nations, a leading name in the luxury aviation realm, will deliver the industry’s most efficient platform for worldwide charter, aircraft acquisition and private jet sales, through the integration of its patented Jet-Connect Charter Bid System. By the end of the year, it is expected that PrivateJet will have over 250,000 unique visitors monthly from over 52 countries and will serve as the destination website for Private Jet Travelers, Pilots, Aviation Brokers and Consumers who prefer to live life without limitations.
Also, is working on plans to achieve a universal media solution, which will include a Private Jet Magazine, Worldwide Lifestyle Events and a vast array of strategic partnerships, that will help PrivateJet be recognized as the world wide leader both online and offline. These days, PrivateJet should launch its exclusive PrivateJet.com Carte Blanche Card that will provide its members with a vast array of exclusive offers never seen before within the ultra luxury segment.
In September 2009, Global domain marketers Sedo.com sold another aviation related domain, Jets.com for $375,000, so that sale of this domain – PrivateJet.com, could be the highest price paid for a pure domain sale.


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NEW YORK — Major computer companies plan today to roll out new pared-down business machines that cost as little as $1,000 and are cheaper to maintain than traditional desktops.
The machines run on Intel Corp. chips and Microsoft Corp. operating software, like most traditional personal computers. But they are less expensive than PCs because they will download software from a central mainframe machine--instead of requiring each PC's hard drive to be periodically updated with new software.
The computers are pitched as saving thousands of dollars in annual maintenance costs for each desktop. Other savings would result from the ability to remotely make repairs and trouble shoot problems.
Computer makers backing the Intel-Microsoft effort planned today to demonstrate their so-called Net PCs and start selling them this summer at prices of up to about $3,000. Although an Intel spokesman declined to name the manufacturers ahead of a Manhattan event, three of the largest makers of PCs--Compaq, Dell and Hewlett-Packard--have helped lead Intel's drive.
Intel and Microsoft are pushing the machines in an attempt to upstage Sun Microsystems Inc., which is promoting far more bare-bones computers to cut corporate computing costs.