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|By Marketwired .||
|August 15, 2013 10:51 AM EDT||
MIAMI, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 08/15/13 -- Daewoo Electronics Corporation of America is proud to announce that it has been purchased by the Dongbu Group, the 13th largest corporation in Korea. Dongbu Group currently operates in seven business segments -- among them IT/Electronics, Construction/Energy/Real Estate Development, and Steel/Metal/Chemical -- and will leverage its subsidiaries to reintroduce the Daewoo brand. The company will operate as Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corp., with the Daewoo Electronics brand continuing to serve as the brand identity for major products.
Jaehyung Lee, CEO and vice chairman of Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corp., said the move positions the company to leverage existing strengths for region-by-region success and strong overall growth. "In concert with adopting our new name, we aim to strengthen our global infrastructure so that we can deliver consumer products that best match the needs of each region," Lee said in a letter to stakeholders. "By adding high value and sharpening our competitiveness across all facets of our business, we also aim to profitably grow with you."
Daewoo benefits from Dongbu Group's global network of financial investment, manufacturing and R&D of finished product. Daewoo is a manufacturer of major appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, microwave ovens and laundry products. Under its new ownership, Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corp. also intends to re-enter the TV segment in the second half of 2014, starting with edge-type LED TVs in various sizes.
The company manufactures products in Mexico, China and South Korea and is selling to major American retailers, while continuing to gain market share within the home appliance and consumer electronics industries. The merger also benefits Dongbu by giving access to world markets through Daewoo Electronics' worldwide distribution network.
About Daewoo Electronics
Daewoo Electronics is a leading South Korean manufacturer of consumer electronics and home appliances worldwide, with emphasis on genuine usefulness to the customer, family oriented products, and health and environmental responsibility. Daewoo Electronics is dedicated to improving the lives of our customers through the use of advanced technology... and a commitment to innovation, quality, value, and excellence in design.
About Dongbu Group:
Started in 1969 as Miryung Construction Company, Ltd., Dongbu is now a Korean global conglomerate corporation operating through seven business segments -- Steel/Metal/Chemical, Agriculture/Health/Distribution, IT/Electronics, Construction/Energy/Real Estate Development, Logistics/Passenger Transport/Contents, Insurance/Securities/Banking, and Corporate Social Responsibility -- with 59 subsidiaries and 40,000 employees. Although started nearly 50 years later than other leading competitors in Korea, Dongbu is ranked as a top ten Korean conglomerate in 2000 based on a report by The Fair Trade Commission of the Korean Government. Similarly, all Dongbu companies command a top-tier presence in their respective fields of industries in Korea. Dongbu is currently embarking on company-wide ambitious strategic plans with a full thrust to be a global leader in all classes of its businesses in the next decade. For more information, please visit http://www.dongbu.com/.
(305) 447-8678 x104


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This year's Mercury Prize hopefuls are revealed.
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Liberal Party removes ‘Back in Black’ mug from store as surplus looks unlikely after bushfires, coronavirus
They were supposed to tout a return to surplus – but these $35 mugs have now quietly disappeared from the party’s website.
The Liberal Party of Australia has quietly removed an awkward item designed to celebrate a return to budget surplus from its merchandise store as the country now teeters on the brink of recession.
The party was selling $35 coffee mugs which bore the slogan “Back in Black” on its website, before the items mysteriously vanished earlier this month.
The slogan was a reference to the government’s much-hyped plan to return the budget to surplus, which now seems little more than a pipe dream following the economic blows caused by the bushfire crisis and now coronavirus panic.
The term has been used by the Liberals since 2019 when it launched a campaign to promote the expected surplus, a feat which would have been the first since the 2007-8 budget.
Earlier today, The Australian confirmed the cups had been removed from the party’s online store.
“Two weeks ago we noticed a suspicious ‘sold out’ sign appeared on the item, around the same time Labor MPs started using them as props during TV interviews,” reporter Alice Workman wrote.
When the budget was released on April 2 last year, Prime Minister Scott Morrison took to Twitter to claim: “Tonight our Government will be announcing the first Budget surplus in 12 years #Budget2019 #BuildingOurEconomy.”
But yesterday, it was a very different story when he fronted the Australian Financial Review’s Business Summit to claim the financial fallout from the coronavirus outbreak could be “potentially greater than the global financial crisis for Australia”.
“Whatever you thought 2020 was going to be about, think again,” he said.
“We now have one goal together this year – to protect the health, the wellbeing, and livelihoods of Australians through this global crisis, and to ensure that when the recovery comes – and it will – we are well-positioned to bounce back strongly on the other side.”
The awkward disappearance of the mugs from the Liberal Party website has created quite a stir on social media, with Twitter users unable to resist sharing a joke at the party’s expense.
Some quipped the mugs were now a “collector’s item” while others asked for a “refund”.
Only over the weekend I had a chuckle with my old man about the âback in blackâ mugs on libs website... they have now been removed from their online store #auspol #ScottyFromMarketing #whatajoketheyare #smokesandmirrors pic.twitter.com/rpwNnyGUAA— Andrew Stavrou (@stavee_) March 10, 2020
News.com.au contacted the Liberal Party for comment.


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Google’s next Internet-connected home device will test whether consumers trust the company enough to let it snoop on their sleep.
THE Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC) recently partnered with Asean digital champion airasia to launch an urban drone delivery sandbox, which will be deployed over the next six months.
The Biden administration is not planning to step up government surveillance of the US Internet even as state-backed foreign hackers and cybercriminals increasingly use it to evade detection, a senior administration official said on March 12.
Pakistan has blocked video sharing app TikTok for a second time, after a court ordered the platform shut down over “unethical and immoral content”.
Daily life in China follows a rhythm of digital check-ins, with the QR code – at offices, malls and transport hubs – an integral defence against Covid-19 that helps to track, trace and isolate patients.
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan on Thursday blocked the popular social media app TikTok after a court order over a complaint that it ran indecent content, a spokesman for the country's telecoms regulator said.
The European Commission on March 9 set out its new roadmap on digitalisation, focusing on better IT skills, faster Internet, and essential public services being available online.
Google says it won’t develop new ways to follow individual users across the Internet after it phases out existing ad-tracking technology from its Chrome browser, a change that could shake up the online advertising industry.
(Reuters) - Next year, Alphabet Inc's Google plans to phase out technology in its Chrome browser that lets other companies track users' web browsing. But that does not mean you will see irrelevant ads, or that the pair of shoes you have been eyeing will stop following you around the web.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's Supreme Court on Monday banned the government from sweeping use of mobile phone tracking of coronavirus carriers, calling the measure a grave infraction of civil liberties.


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Written by Dave Adams
The Cybersource 2012 UK Online Fraud Report reveals a steady growth in the numbers of British retailers with overseas customers. Overall, 59 per cent of all 200 retailers surveyed were trading internationally.
Of those, 52 per cent sell to customers in Germany, 81 per cent to France and 75 per cent to the US. 53 per cent have customers in Australia. Other countries cited in the survey include the Netherlands (72 per cent), Spain (68), Italy (63), Sweden (62),
Canada (58); and Brazil and Mexico (both 36). Maddy Riordan, head of international marketing at outdoor sports equipment specialist Wiggle, says the share of online sales at home is roughly equal to that for overseas sales, but that overseas sales are growing at a faster rate.
But there are some important considerations retailers need to bear in mind when developing their strategy for processing international payments efficiently and securely.
At Wiggle, the international payments strategy is guided by research into which payment methods are most popular. “We find that when we add a new payment method we get a high proportion of new customers coming through,” says Maddy Riordan. “Our ideal position would be to offer every payment method in every country, but that’s hard to achieve, so we start with the most popular methods, then go to the second most popular if that’s appropriate, then perhaps the third and so on.”
Many retailers, including Wiggle, use one or more payment service providers (PSPs) to provide cost-effective access to multiple methods. There are a dizzying number of payment methods worldwide, from direct bank transfer-based services like iDeal in the Netherlands to the direct debit-like Elektronisches Lastschriftverfahren (ELV) transactions favoured by large numbers of German consumers; and the various e-wallets like PayPal, or Alipay in China.
Working with a PSP is clearly a good option for many retailers. “As a UK merchant, if you’re not offering local payment methods to consumers abroad you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage,” says Julian Wallis, country manager for the UK at Ogone Payment Services.
Ogone has a partnership with e-money specialist Tunz.com that means it can process non-credit card payments in multiple currencies, with payments passed onto Tunz.com rather than to a bank or acquirer. So there’s no need for a merchant to set up a bank account in every country; and it can charge for purchases in foreign currencies but receive the payment from Tunz.com in its own preferred currency.
Barclaycard’s SmartPay online payment gateway offers similar benefits. “It enables a merchant to link between its website and the various payment schemes,” says Andy Simmonds, head of corporate channels at Barclaycard Global Payment Acceptance. “That also allows the look and feel of the customer’s website to be maintained through the payment process.”
The PSP PayPoint.net has built a payment hub that gives merchants access to 100 payment methods and processes payments in 160 countries. “Most don’t use all of them, but they can if they want to,” says Michael Norton, managing director, PayPoint.net.
Jonathan Williams, director of payment strategy at Experian stresses the need for retailers to monitor local regulatory conditions and changes. In the EU the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) initiative, implementation of which will finally be complete by 2015, means SEPA cross-border payments are treated in the same way as domestic payments, making them easier and more cost-effective to process.
Williams gives the example of an Experian client, a magazine publisher, which is using SEPA to centralise processing of direct debit payments from subscribers across Europe, rather than processing them separately in each country.
But this also illustrates another problem: although the new arrangements made no practical or financial difference to consumers, they seemed to find the transition from a local payment arrangement in their own country to what appeared to be an international transaction unsettling. “They didn’t want to make what they saw as a cross-border payment when they were used to a local transaction,” says Williams.
It’s easier to understand the appeal of some of the newer online payment methods. The Dutch direct online bank transfer system iDeal was launched in 2005 and has become very popular very quickly, with the number of transactions passed through the system rising from 4.5 million in 2006 and 15 million in 2007 to 68.8 million in 2010.
“iDeal is a very secure system,” says Williams. “It’s easier for retailers. iDeal payments tend to be much cheaper than credit card payments and it is cheaper to understand exceptions.”
The ELV system used in Germany is less attractive to retailers, but popular with German consumers. “As with direct debit in the UK, the consumer is very much in charge,” says Gabriel Hopkins, head of ecommerce products at payment processor WorldPay. “They’ve got about three months to say ‘That wasn’t me’ and get their money back. Fraudsters could use it to target merchants that aren’t so savvy: you might have a jewellery retailer who dispatches goods, then the payment is turned around and the ‘customer’ can’t be found.”
Hopkins is much more enthusiastic about the German Giropay system, now used for five to ten per cent of payments there and similar to iDeal. “It’s important for merchants to understand the payment types in risk terms,” he says.
Clearly, security is hugely important. The Cybersource fraud report highlights risks posed by particular countries or areas of the world. 32 per cent of retailers surveyed had blocked orders at country level because of high levels of fraud.
3D Secure technologies like Verified by Visa or MasterCard’s SecureCode have helped to secure online card payments. They can be targeted by sophisticated phishing attacks, suffer from the weaknesses of a password-based system and can, in some circumstances, annoy customers so much they abandon a transaction; but they work, even if the number of consumers enrolled in these schemes varies by country.
Visa will also soon be launching V.me, a new digital wallet service that will allow cardholders to shop online and via mobile devices without sharing card account information with merchants. Other card solutions, like Visa CodeSure cards, which incorporate a mini digital display and keypad, onto which cardholders enter their PIN to generate one-time secure codes for transaction authorisation, may also become more widespread.
Automated security screening solutions enable retailers to verify a customer’s identity. GB Group’s identity management technologies can verify the device used in a transaction, as well as assessing the location, name, address and telephone number of the customer. They can run checks at a deeper level if appropriate. PayPoint.net’s FraudGuard solution checks every transaction against up to 30 fraud criteria in real time, including address verification, IP address matching, card address registration and device fingerprinting.
In the longer term it’s possible to envisage consumers using a token mechanism on a mobile device to pay for goods online and in a bricks and mortar store, perhaps via an encrypted Bluetooth link, or something similar.
Emma Lindley, global channel and commercial director at GB Group, anticipates a time when validated online identities will enable individuals to deal on the same level with multiple merchants. “I think we’ll see identity and payment coming together over the next few years,” she says.
In the near term, whether the customer is abroad or in the UK, there is a need for more education to ensure they are well-informed enough to trust the payment processes at their disposal. But even if the customer does understand what’s happening, he or she is still likely to get annoyed if the transaction takes an age to complete. The aim must always be speed and simplicity. And retailers should always take care of the basics: reliability of payments systems and minimisation of data or processing errors.
But behind all of these considerations are the strategic decisions retailers must take when attempting to expand into new markets. “The only lesson I would say is don’t assume everyone’s like UK customers,” says Maddy Riordan. “So if you were trying to reach customers in the Far East and you only offered credit card payment methods that would be like a company from there setting up here and only offering cash on delivery.” Matching the right horses to courses will make expanding overseas a much less risky bet.


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A congratulations are in order to Ye and it’s not for the birth of his second child.
Kanye West’s Addidas Yeezy Boosts 350 won “Shoe of the Year Award!” While his fashion line may not be that attractive, looks like his shoe game is on point.
The “Yeezus” rapper was presented the award on Wednesday night in New York City. After accepting the “Shoe of the Year Award” he went on to share his love for his family with wife Kim Kardashian and his excitement about the new addition to family at the 29th annual Footwear News Achievement Awards 2015.
“I’m waiting on my son to arrive any day now and I look at my daughter and I look at my wife and she’s rich, and I don’t plan on being broke.”
Known for his elaborate dialogue, Kanye’s acceptance speech lasted about 20 minutes. Is anyone really surprise? Watch it below!


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Customer Flips Out After Finding Feathers in Her McDonald’s Chicken Wings in China
A McDonald’s customer in China found an unpleasant surprise in her recent delivery order of chicken wings.
The wings, which came from a Beij...
Philly Chinese Restaurant Has People Doing Math to Figure Out Their Chicken Wings Menu
A Chinese restaurant’s menu for chicken wings is now going viral for its complicated pricing structure, and people are really bringing out t...


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The venerable automaker may be quickly losing control of unintended acceleration.
Some states seem less concerned about instructing students on safe driving techniques than the value of carpools and hybrids.
After the cash-for-clunkers "success," car sales are at an all-time low.
Can the automaker repair its image with smart advertising?
An overwhelmed bureaucracy has left auto dealers with massive cash flow problems as they await government reimbursement.
Benefit from our government's largesse. It's your tax money, might as well try to recoup some of it. (Also read Richard Fernandez: Cash for Clunkers)
The new automotive incentive program was quite clearly designed by the geniuses who brought us the tax code.
How many bureaucrats does it take to manage the atmosphere?
Fiat thinks that dramatically increasing its size will be its salvation. (Also read Roger Kimball: "An Offer They Couldn’t Refuse.")
It will take more than taxpayer money to save the car giant.
Got $1.75 million to spend? The Aston Martin One-77 just unveiled in Geneva is a real bargain.
What if the president hired people like Jay Leno to oversee reforming Detroit instead of beltway bureaucrats?
Italian car company Fiat is in line to benefit from the taxpayer bailout of Chrysler.
Fuel economy mandates to save gas? That's like fighting obesity by requiring clothing manufacturers to make only slender sizes.
Eight-cylinder luxury cars are out; extended-range plug-ins and gas-sipping hybrids are in.
Alternative energy vehicles will happen sooner than you think.


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The new Nikon N1834 camera code now also registered at Taiwan NCC, according to Taiwan NCC, the battery of Nikon N1834 is “EN-EL20a”, the AC adapter is “EH-73P”, and the USB cable is “UC-E21”. Compatible with “Speedlight SB-500”, “Stereo Microphone ME-1” and “Remote Code MC-DC2”. So this new camera could be a DX format Nikon DSLR camera or DX format Nikon Z-mount mirrorless camera.
Nokishita Camera has updated the details of upcoming unannounced Nikon camera codes. Nikon currently has a total of 7 unannounced Nikon camera codes. According to Nokishita Camera, the N1722 is a full frame mirrorless camera, and N1912 is the Nikon Z50 APS-C mirrorless camera. And N1845, N1847, N1849, N1850 haven’t been updated since they were registered in Russia in January, so there seems to be a possibility of postponing or discontinuing development.
Nikon has also registered three unannounced camera codes N1722 (First time saw this code), N1834, N1912 at Chinese MIIT. According to registered info, the N1722 and N1912 has same 5.8GHz Wi-Fi as already released Nikon Z6 & Z7 full frame mirrorless cameras. As already rumored before, the N1912 could be Nikon’s first APS-C Z-mount mirrorless camera. The N1722 could be either Nikon D6 flagship DSLR camera or Nikon Z8 high-megapixel full frame mirrorless camera. While there is still no info about N1834 (Could be upcoming Nikon D760 ?)
Along with four unannounced Nikon camera codes, Nikon has a new camera code N1834 registered at FCC. According to Nokishita Camera, the size of this N1834 camera has body size 130.87mm Width x 73.45mm height.


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It has been confirmed that the highly anticipated Last of Us Part 1 PC port will be released soon after the PS5 version of the game.
This announcement came in a Tweet from Jonathan Benainous, a developer with Naughty Dog, who confirmed the expected release in response to a fan’s excitement.
Glad to hear you’re hyped man! PC version should come out a bit later, but very soon after the PS5 release!
— Jonathan BENAINOUS (@JonathanBenaino) July 23, 2022
This news will undoubtedly be a welcome surprise for those looking to play the beloved game but don’t have a PS5.
The Last of Us Part 1 PS5 is slated to release this year on 2 September, and the PC port of the game marks the end of the title’s PlayStation exclusivity.
We do not currently have an exact release date for the PC port, but given Benainous’s comment, we could potentially see it anytime next year.


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The Surprising Truth About Coupon Use
Coupon use is on the rise, but you may be surprised about who exactly is using them. New research shows that educated high-income earners are more likely to use coupons than those earning less and with no college education. And while coupons for food remain popular with consumers, savings on other types of goods and services are on the rise.
The Face of Coupon Users
Households with an annual income greater than $100,000 are more than twice as likely to use coupons than households earning less than $35,000 per year, according to an article on CNBC. College graduates are also twice as likely to use coupons as those who didn’t graduate from high school.
A report by MSN Money shows that more younger Americans are using coupons. More than half of teenagers aged 13 to 17 use coupon codes when ordering products online. Teens are learning how to save money by watching their parents use coupons, and using their money wisely as a result.
Part of the reason that more educated and affluent consumers are using coupons is because consumer confidence is low following the recession. Unemployment is high, so people are saving money by shopping smarter, even if they have a job. Food and consumable products are rising in price faster than inflation, so saving money has become the savvy thing to do.
Where Do Couponers Live?
People all over the country use coupons, but they are more prevalent in the South and the Midwest according to MSN. The city with the most coupons redeemed was Atlanta, Georgia, followed by Tampa, Florida. The top 25 cities included nine in the South and seven in the Midwest. Only two western cities made the top 25, Seattle, Washington, and Phoenix, Arizona.
Coupons Gaining Popularity
Consumers can find coupons in their newspaper, in magazines, online, and through smartphone apps. MSN reports that the majority of coupons redeemed are still traditional printed coupons clipped from newspapers, with Internet coupons only accounting for 1.5 percent of all redemptions. Smartphone coupon apps are becoming more popular, with 20 percent of phone owners using mobile coupons.
In 2011, coupon use rose 63 percent in the United States, with 3.3 billion coupons redeemed. That was an increase of 100 million coupons compared to 2009. This increase helped Americans save $3.7 billion in 2011.[cf]skyword_tracking_tag[/cf]


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Last Friday Apple released two new devices the iPhone 5S and 5C. Earlier this morning the company announced details about the sales of the new devices its opening weekend and they were very impressive. The first three day in sales surpassed the 5 million sale record set by the iPhone 5 last year.
All posts tagged Apple
Shortly after Apple introduced its new devices, the iPhone 5S and 5C, Microsoft released a series of advertisements online poking fun at the new devices. The ad however was eventually taken down due to the harsh criticism it received. The series titled “A fly on the wall in Cupertino,” poked fun of the
designers at Apple pitching the gold iPhone 5S and plastic iPhone 5C to a executives at Apple. Continue reading →
After months of rumors and speculations Apple finally announced its new additions to the iPhone series, the 5S and the 5C.
Continue reading →
As the anticipation rises for the alleged iPhone announcement on September 10 more and more questions arise as to what we can expect in the new model.
in americahead. Again covered able – problem complaint haven’t!
A video was released of what could be the new “gold” iPhone 5S and blue plastic iPhone 5C. Check out the video below.


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The accelerator has support from Enterprise Singapore and is partnered with a few well-known corporations
A new accelerator is in town! Tribe Accelerator, which is focussed on blockchain startups, is backed by a venture capitalist firm and supported by a local government agency and various corporates.
The accelerator, launched on Wednesday, March 27 at an event in Singapore, is part of TRIVE Ventures, an early-stage VC in Singapore. It is supported by Enterprise Singapore, a government agency, and includes corporate partners like BMW, Intel, Nielsen and PwC Singapore’s Venture Hub.
“We are very excited to welcome our first class of companies. Over the next four months, they will have a great opportunity to develop their ideas on our platform,” said Yi Ming Ng, Managing Partner of Tribe Accelerator.
The basics on the 10 companies participating are as follows (remember, they all working on integrating blockchain-built products):
sgCarMart — The largest online car marketplace in Singapore.
TADA — A young ride-hailing startup that is trying to compete with Grab
WhatsHalal — A startup trying to streamline farm-to-table food processes for halal food.
MightyJaxx — The team is trying to build a platform for
Limestone Network — A startup that is powering a smartcity development project in Phomn Penh
Digix — A company that is digitising traditional asset classes, notably finding success in gold
Chorus Mobility — This startup is working on a product to build the technology architecture behind autonomous vehicles.
TEMCO — A supply-chain company that wants to help verify expensive goods on second-hand marketplaces
Halo — Halo wants to build an alternative cloud storage platform that gives users full ownership over data
Accrue — The company has built tools for event analytics and easy-to-use algorithm development
Now, let’s take a look at some photos from the event!
Tribe Accelerator launch event
Startup launch events are an excellent opportunity to meet knew people and catch up with close friends.
Enterprise Singapore is the government agency supporting the programme.
Edwin Chow, the Enterprise Singapore Assistant CEO for Innovation and Enterprise, was the keynote speaker.
Chistopher Quek, of TRIVE Ventures, poses for a picture with the WhatsHalal team.
Quek and Chow posing with an ummmmmmmm, another Chow? While we are not entirely sure what is happening here, this picture is too good not to post.
Representatives from Enterprise Singapore pose for a photo.
Ryan Chew (Middle), a Managing Partner at Tribe Accelerator, poses with two guests.
Representatives from PwC, SMBC and SG Innovate pose for a photo.
Hanging out with some food, drinks and good company.
Elmo is looking a bit worse for wear after his surgery.
The post In Photos: The launch of blockchain focussed Tribe Accelerator appeared first on e27.
Source: E27Follow us on Social Media
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A froyo shop is becoming a Verizon store.
The former Pinkberry along the 2900 block of Clarendon Blvd is becoming a Verizon store. Interior construction is currently underway and the store is expected to open on Monday, Oct. 23, according to the Verizon website.
Verizon stores offer wireless plans, smartphones, cases and other products and services. The only other Verizon-operated store in Arlington is in the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall.
It was previously rumored that Verizon was looking at a portion of the former American Tap Room space in Clarendon for a retail store.
Learn more about the certificate and graduate programs at the Schar School during the Virtual Open House June 8.
Happy Memorial Day weekend, Arlington. We hope you’re able to get some rest and reflection in after this long week. Once we push past some rain this evening, it’s looking…
The Armed Forces Cycling Classic, a series of races around Clarendon and Crystal City, is set to take place the first weekend of June. The Cycling Classic will be held…
Looking for a furry best friend to follow you everywhere? Meet Finley, the newest Adoptable Pet of the Week.


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Brazilian Students Learn English By Fielding Pizza Orders
Hello Pizza gave customers the option to order their meal through CNA Language School attendees with discounts and cross-cultural interaction as their prizes
Engaging young people with languages at times can be hard, especially as the general criteria tends to be limited to conversations that focus on unrealistic situations. Ad agency FCB Brazil has teamed up with Bella Vista Pizzeria in Culver City, California to overcome this problem and re-engage students at the CNA Language School with an innovative campaign named Hello Pizza.
The initiative takes a forward-thinking approach to teaching people the basics of a new language by incorporating pizza ordering into the mix, bringing otherwise disengaging sessions into real-life territories.
The way it works is via a technology that intercepts calls from customers in the U.S. asking them to spend a few minutes speaking to the Brazilian students in English in exchange for a discount on their pizza. The calls are transferred to the Brazilian students via a specially designed app and the longer they stay on the phone, the bigger the discount on the person’s order in California.
Some have even chatted so long, the pizza has been completely free of charge. They talk about what they’re studying, where they work and even discuss their differences in culture, bringing them closer to understanding one another on a deeper level.
Joanna Monteiro, VP and Creative Director told PSFK,
We always think about how we can help students improve their English by talking with native English speakers. With “Hello Pizza” we pushed this idea even further. In this new experience student can have a real abroad experience without leaving the classroom.
Take a look at the campaign video below:
With 605 language centers in Brazil, the campaign has connected a huge amount of Brazilian students with native English speakers to enable them to gain real-world speaking experience that’s so essential when trying to learn a new language. Taking pizza orders is something that these people can relate to and the conversation is also at a level that the students can manage. By thinking outside the (pizza) box, Ad agency FCB Brasil has thought of an innovative way to engage young people in Brazil to learn a language that’s used all over the world.
Max Geraldo, VP and Creative Director concludes:
CNA strongly believes that the best quality in the learning process occurs when students are having fun while learning. For this reason, we not only create campaigns but also we develop products that makes the lessons even more interesting. That’s how “Hello Pizza” idea came up, putting the students into a real life English language situation as well as funny and new way to all of them.
To move beyond novelty activations and one-time gimmicks, PSFK equips marketers with the insights, templates and analytics to develop high-reach campaigns that meet consumers in the moment, collect and build upon experiential data, and build scale through content creation.
A talk from Scott Bedbury at PSFK 2017 stresses the importance of transparency in a country that has fallen prey to “alternative facts”


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In September, Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 9 at its annual event, which included a new gesture: the double tap. The gesture, which gives users a new way to interact with their watch, has not yet been publicly available to test, as it isn’t expected to ship to the wider userbase until watchOS 10.1 arrives later this month. However, starting today, early adopters will be able to gain access to the double tap gesture with the public beta of watchOS 10.1.
The public beta comes a day after the second developer seed release which had also included the new gesture.
The feature is one of the first new interactions to control the Apple Watch beyond the usual taps and pinch gestures Apple is known for. The idea is to allow Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 owners to control their device with just one hand — and without having to touch the display. To do so, users tap their index finger and thumb together twice quickly on the hand that’s wearing the watch. (Some testers have noted that other fingers will sometimes work as well, for what it’s worth.)
This could be useful for those times when your other hand is busy — perhaps holding bags or messy from cooking, for instance. As a workaround, many Apple Watch owners would tap their nose on the screen instead in these moments. The double tap gesture now gives them a better option.
By double tapping, you can engage with the watch to perform a number of common tasks — like answering or ending a phone call, starting or stopping a timer, snoozing an alarm, viewing messages from a notification, playing and pausing music and podcasts, stopping and starting automatic workout reminders and more.
The gesture also allows for more nuanced interactions, like opening up a Smart Stack from any watch face then scrolling through the widgets in the stack or performing the primary action from your Notifications, including those from third-party apps. In the latter case, the gesture is combined with Apple’s attempt at guessing at your preferred action — like replying to a message in a messaging app, or snoozing a reminder, for example.
The double tap itself is powered by the faster Neural Engine on the new devices which leverages data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and optical heart sensor with a new machine learning algorithm, Apple says. This allows the watch to detect wrist movements and changes in blood flow as you perform the motion of the double tap. The company had a similar option available to users in the Accessibility settings, but is now refining it as a public-facing feature while leveraging the sensors and other device improvements.


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Jan. 24 (UPI) -- Amazon launched a field test of a limited run of autonomous delivery devices in Washington on Thursday, the company announced.
The Seattle-based company said it launched six Amazon Scout devices, which began delivering packages in a neighborhood in Snohomish County, Washington, Thursday and will continue to make deliveries during daylight hours Monday through Friday for the duration of the test.
"We are delighted to welcome Amazon Scout into our community. Similar to Amazon, we are always looking for new ways to better deliver service to our residents. From the latest Amazon innovation to cutting edge technology, Snohomish County is a great place for entrepreneurial creativity," Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said.
Amazon said the six-wheeled, electric devices are about the size of a "small cooler" and roll along sidewalks at a walking pace.
The six devices deployed in Snohomish County will autonomously follow their delivery route but will initially be accompanied by an Amazon employee.
"We developed Amazon Scout at our research and development lab in Seattle, ensuring the devices can safely and efficiently navigate around pets, pedestrians and anything else in their path," the company said.
Customers in the neighborhood will order their packages normally and deliveries will be completed by an Amazon partner or one of the six Amazon Scout devices.
Other major companies have also tested self-driving vehicles, including Pepsi, which deployed self-driving vending machines at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif.


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Dr. Pepper recently won litigation over whether it had made deceptive marketing claims by labeling products made with “all-natural” ingredients. The Northern District Court of California dismissed the case finding that no reasonable consumers would not expect the product to be completely free of any trace pesticides.
The litigation was brought by Hawyuan Yu who claimed that he purchased Mott’s Natural Applesauce and Natural Apple Juice from a Costco on multiple occasions believing that they were insecticide free because of the “all-natural ingredients” label. However, the products contained the synthetic insecticide acetamiprid. Acetamiprid is a chloropyridinyl neonicotinoids insecticide. Note. Acetamiprid is not on the list of synthetic substances allowed for use in “organic” crop production (7 CFR §205.601).
Yu argued that Natural Applesauce and Natural Apple Juice should not contain any amount of acetamiprid in the products because the “natural” label leads reasonable consumers to believe that there would not be any levels of pesticides in the products. He sued for unfair and deceptive acts and practices under the California Legal Remedies Act, violation of California’s False Advertising Law, violation of California’s Unfair Competition Law, breach of express warranty, and unjust enrichment. The court disagreed. It applied the reasonable consumer test and held that reasonable consumers would not expect the product to be completely free of any trace pesticides, following case law including the recent 9th Circuit decision in Becerra v. Dr. Pepper/Seven Up, Inc.
It is important to note that food labeled as organic is backed by federal regulations and independently verified, while “natural” is not presently a regulated term — FDA regulatory proceedings to define the term “natural” in regard to food is still ongoing.


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Bidois, 32, originally from France, accused the fashionflatmanagers
Catwalk protest highlights impact of ‘fast fashion’ on environment
A colourful catwalk show blocked roads in central London as part of a protest highlighting the impact the fashion industry has on climate change.
The Fashion: Circus Of Excess event, organised by activist group canada goose outlet Extinction Rebellion, took over canada goose outlet canada the busy junction at Oxford Circus during evening rush hour on Friday.
Plastic, tartan, canada goose store denim, feathers and flowers all featured in the designs, with models carrying pink carrier bags, and many sporting pink face masks or face paint.
Some of the outfits had anti fracking, climate change and fashion slogans written across them.
One of the models on canada goose outlet in usa the catwalk in Oxford Circus (Yui Mok/PA)Protesters read out poems and sang through megaphones from the centre of the catwalk, while a band played by one of the entrances to Oxford Circus Tube station.
Earlier on Friday, a separate Youth Strike 4 Climate protest saw students also take to the capital streets to Canada Goose Jackets demand action on climate change.
Dr Eleanor Roberts, from London, who appeared on the catwalk, said official canada goose outlet their protest canadian goose jacket aimed to show people they can choose not to consume fashion
The 49 year old uk canada goose outlet scientist said: something that people canada goose clearance sale can make a difference, they just don buy that canada goose factory outlet new top, they rip up their old ones and sew them together in a different way.
such an easy, cheap canada goose uk small way but millions of people can make a difference. Look at what happened canada goose outlet with plastic canada goose clearance straws.
Models carried banners canada goose jacket outlet calling for change (Yui Mok/PA)She added: canada goose outlet online just trying to bring awareness to very cheap canada goose specific actions that people can take. I feel a lot of people feel very powerless when it comes to climate change. Bidois, 32, originally from France, accused the fashion industry of creating waste and pollution.
The upcycling designer said: don seem to know about it, how terrible people are with consumerism and fast fashion, disposable clothing, things that don last. canada goose outlet parka said the quality of clothing on sale in the canada goose outlet jackets past 10 years had degraded adding: almost like it intentionally made so it doesn last
Mr Bidois said canada goose coats on sale the event showed fashion could be but people should be careful in their choices.
Pink flags https://www.baertakreation.de flew over the crowd (Yui Mok/PA)Father of three Tom Hardy, 65, canada goose outlet store uk from north London, said he came to support the protest because of his concerns for his children future.
only way to make government or business listen is to actually close things down because we had 10 years of no action, he said.
The retired teacher added: fashion industry lives on making canada goose outlet black friday people think that they need to buy something new all the time. Our point is that is just not sustainable.
The fashion focused protest continues a series of disruptive events organised by the Extinction Rebellion group in recent months.


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WhatsApp has brought a very special feature for its users. With this feature, WhatsApp users will now be able to transfer chats from iOS to Android. WhatsApp has officially released this chat migration feature. At present, this feature has been introduced by WhatsApp for Samsung’s smartphones. The company did this chat migration feature during the Galaxy Unpacked event last month. But at that time this feature was released only for foldable phones.
At the same time, now this chat migration feature has been made available in many Samsung phones. Using this new feature, users can transfer their account information, profile photos, personal chats, group chats, old chats, media and settings from iPhone to Samsung smartphones. WhatsApp said that users will not be able to transfer their call logs and visible names.
For now, the new feature will work in Samsung’s mobile
The company has announced the WhatsApp Chat Migration feature through a blog post. This new feature of the company is working in version 220.127.116.11 or higher of Samsung’s Tswitch app and Android 10 or above. The company has also told that very soon this feature will be made available for other Android smartphones.
Apart from this, iPhone should have WhatsApp iOS version 18.104.22.168 or newer and new Samsung phones should have WhatsApp Android version 22.214.171.124 or newer. The new device must have Samsung SmartSwitch app version 126.96.36.199 or newer installed.
How to migrate your chats
First of all connect your Samsung phone to iPhone with USB Type-C to Linetning cable.
Follow Samsung Smart Switch steps for setup.
After the notification appears, scan the QR code visible on the new Samsung phone with the iPhone camera.
Tap on Start on iPhone and wait.
then setup in new samsung phone
On the home screen, start WhatsApp and log in with the old phone number.
After that tap on import and let the process complete properly.
When the activation of the new phone is complete, you will see your chats.
Your data will be preserved in the old iPhone until you delete the app or delete the chat.


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CONCORD, N.C. — The spirit of Christmas, mixed with the sounds of tires is what you’ll find inside Punchy Whitaker’s Wheel & Tire Service in Concord.
What You Need To Know
On Wednesday Gov. Roy Cooper’s office announced Kroger would be building a new high-tech customer fulfillment center in Concord
This new facility is estimated to create nearly 700 jobs over the course of five years and help grow the state’s economy
Right now officials have not released where exactly this new facility will be located in Concord
These days you won’t find Whitaker fixing tires, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know a thing or two about them.
“I’ve been doing this since the mid-'60s, and back then they had three or four styles of wheels, and now they have hundreds,” he said.
Whitaker was only 12 when his dad opened this business, and since then he’s spent over 50 years making sure things still run.
“In those days when I first started I made $20 a day, and I thought that was a lot of money,” he said. “My daddy made a thousand dollars a month, and I thought, 'How in the world did anybody spend that much money?'”
The area Whitaker grew up in has changed dramatically over the years, and change is still coming.
On Wednesday, Gov. Roy Cooper’s office announced Kroger would be building a new high-tech customer fulfillment center in the city of Concord.
This new facility is estimated to create nearly 700 jobs over the course of five years and help grow the state’s economy.
Harris Morrison works for New Branch Real Estate, the company that sold the land for Kroger’s new facility.
“I think it’s just going to be a great project for our county, and it’s really going to set a new standard in how distribution of groceries and other products is managed,” Morrison said.
Morrison has spent the last 25 years working in commercial real estate and says big companies are attracted to all that Cabarrus County has to offer.
“There’s the roadway infrastructure,” he said. “Secondly it’s just a fantastic labor force. There’s a lot of good people here with skillsets, and they are going to contribute immensely.”
Whitaker is excited about the growth, but worried about how it could impact his and other small businesses.
“I’d love to see our officials do a little more to help the local businesses,” he said. “I know they help the big ones when they come in … but sometimes these business leaders lose the vision of home-owned businesses.”
Concord has seen a lot of changes, but Whitaker is hoping his business will continue on for as long as it can.
“We’ll probably be here another 60 years,” he said.
Right now officials have not released where exactly this new facility will be located in Concord, but those with Kroger say this facility will be 200,000 square feet.
It’s expected to open a year after the site breaks ground.


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NEW YORK, Jan 25 (Reuters) - AT&T Inc said on Friday
it has agreed to buy wireless airwaves from Verizon Wireless for
$1.9 billion in cash, plus spectrum licenses in five markets,
as it looks to expand its wireless network capacity.
AT&T said the licenses it is buying cover a population of 42
million people in 18 U.S. states.
It expects to close the deal, which is subject to regulatory
approval, in the second half of 2013.
AT&T needs to boost its capacity for high speed wireless
services to meet increasing demand for mobile internet services
for smartphones, tablet computers and other devices.


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New Zealand’s most popular freight heater brand, Harbour Freight, has been in the news recently, after a spate of reports about faulty parts, including a faulty portafilter, that was sold on eBay for more than $US150,000.
“Habasol” is a portafiliter that is part of the Harbour Freights portfolio, with more than 10 million units sold worldwide, including in New Zealand.
It is designed to be used as a heater, which makes it perfect for those who live in remote locations, or who have a strong desire to get home to warmer homes than those at home.
However, the company has been embroiled in a number of scandals in recent years, including one involving a shipment of food that was returned to its warehouse after it was mislabeled and delivered to a home.
The product was used in a similar fashion to an inverter, but the portafilitter could not be used, so the food was delivered to the wrong home.
While the problem with the food is being investigated, the shipping company has said that it has taken steps to make sure it does not happen again.
“This is the third shipment that we have received with this issue,” Harbour Freighters chief executive Stephen O’Connor said.
“We are working with the shipping agent and will be contacting the customer directly as we do with every other shipment we receive.”
The company says that while there has been no problems with the product, some of the items it sold have been shipped in other countries, and they have had to return some to the warehouse.
Mr O’Connors also said that some of his company’s suppliers had also had to take responsibility for a few of their products.
“It is our intention to return these to the shipping agents who have purchased them,” he said.
A spokesman for the Australian Government told the ABC that the government was investigating the problem and would take “appropriate action” if warranted.
“The Government is aware of reports of a potential recall of products from one of Australia’s largest freight wholesalers,” the spokesman said.
The spokesman added that the department was also reviewing the safety of other goods shipped from the company.
The company has since released a statement, saying it was “deeply sorry” for any offence it may have caused and had taken steps since the incident to prevent such incidents in the future.
It added that it was working to ensure that any concerns raised about the product were addressed.


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Bitcoin price, which has been in the doldrums this year, jumped in the last week on the back of a series of positive pronouncements. The original cryptocurrency, which had been mired in a range below $3,500 since the middle of January, broke past that barrier and is currently flirting with $4,000, a figure it last touched at the beginning of December. Ethereum, a cryptocurrency which … Continue reading Bitcoin Price Jumped in the Last Week. Is Crypto Back?
Crashing markets defined the cryptocurrency story in 2018. With a gain of over 1,000 percent in last year, bitcoin price entered this year on a high. But the excesses of 2017 gave way to the sobriety of 2018. Speculators exited the market but Wall Street refused to fully commit to the new asset class. The result was a sharp drop in bitcoin price due to … Continue reading Bitcoin Price Predictions For 2019
Is a Santa Claus rally in the works for bitcoin price? In the last five days, the original cryptocurrency’s price has jumped by 21 percent based on data from Coindesk. Around the anniversary of its peak price, bitcoin even traded above $4,000, a figure that it last saw at the beginning of this month. Coindesk suggests that a bull rally may in bitcoin price’s near term … Continue reading Will Bitcoin Price Bring Christmas Cheer To Traders?
A day after its all-time high anniversary, bitcoin price continued to reverse course from its losing streak. At 14:15 UTC, it is trading at $3,836.88 at 14:15 UTC. That price is an increase of 9% from 24 hours ago. It also represents a gain of approximately 22% from the cryptocurrency’s bottom four days ago, when it hit $3,139.96. According to Bloomberg, this is the longest … Continue reading Bitcoin Price Continues Reversal, Racks Up Gains
This might be a season of comfort and joy but there is little of that for cryptocurrency traders. On the one-year anniversary of bitcoin’s all-time high, cryptocurrency markets provided a brief respite but are busy shedding their gains, as of this writing. There was a bump in bitcoin’s price, when it climbed up by 4% this morning. But the original cryptocurrency’s price quickly declined. It … Continue reading Bitcoin Price Rallies Briefly On First Anniversary Of All-Time High
A year ago, bitcoin price hit an all-time high, coasting from $10,000 to closing in on the much-anticipated figure of $20,000 in less than a month. Back then, the future for cryptocurrency markets seemed bright and the mood was euphoric. The scenario is starkly different a year later. A somber mood has replaced euphoria. Perhaps, bitcoin’s price action today, when it popped briefly before reverting … Continue reading Bitcoin Price Was At An All-Time High Today Last Year. What Went Wrong?
Bitcoin price has had a bad run this year. But Fundstrat’s Thomas Lee is still sanguine about the cryptocurrency and implied in his latest note that bitcoin was not correctly priced by the markets. According to him, the fair value of bitcoin is between $13,800 and $14,800. He arrived at this estimate by adding up wallet numbers for the cryptocurrency, usage per account and supply … Continue reading Bitcoin’s Price Problem
Add Bitmain to the list of companies suffering in the crypto winter. According to a report yesterday, the mining giant will close its Israel development center this week. Twenty-three employees are affected by the layoffs. “The crypto market has undergone a shakeup in the past few months, which has forced Bitmain to examine various activities around the globe and to refocus its business in accordance … Continue reading Mining Giant Bitmain Closes Shop In Israel
Cryptoassets have lost a trillion dollars worth of market capitalization from their all-time highs earlier this year, according to Autonomous Research. “The crypto markets are not holding their value in an overall downturn, and have been fairly correlated with traditional equities as everything nosedives together,” writes Lex Sokolin, Global Director of Fintech Strategy at the firm. After mostly moving sideways in October, cryptocurrency markets crashed … Continue reading Crypto Markets Lost A Trillion Dollars In Market Cap From All Time Highs: Autonomous Research
The pain intensified for cryptocurrency traders yesterday after bitcoin lost $4.8 billion of its market capitalization with a sharp 11% decline in its price within 24 hours. The cryptocurrency began the day testing the $4,000 mark, per data from online publication Coindesk. Within seven hours, however, it had fallen to $3,316.13. That fall included a steep 8% drop in its price in 2 hours. As … Continue reading Bitcoin Price And Crypto Markets Record Double Digit Losses
In November 2017,the price of bitcoin skyrocketed from $6,777.77 at the beginning of the monthto $10,219.30 by its end. The swell in bitcoin’s price helped push cryptocurrency markets to new heights. A year later, the price trajectory looked similar, except in the opposite direction. Bitcoin’s price atthe beginning of the month was $6,381.96. By the end, it had almost halved, touching a low of $3640.56 … Continue reading November 2018: Mensis Horribilis For Crypto Markets
After crashing by more than 13% in a couple of hours last Friday, bitcoin price collapsed below the $5,000 price mark, testing the edges of a further bottom in its price. As of this writing, it is changing hands at $4,908.93, down 12% from its price 24 hours ago. The latest slide in bitcoin’s price means that it is now down by 63.4% from its … Continue reading More Turmoil For Bitcoin Price
And they all fall down. Bitcoin price, which tumbled to its lowest price for this year yesterday, fell further this morning and the cryptocurrency’s valuation crashed to below $100 billion for the first time since the end of October last year. Cryptocurrency markets fell in tandem with bitcoin price. As of this writing, they are valued at $184 billion. The last time their valuation hit … Continue reading Bitcoin Price And Crypto Markets Continue Plunge
Just when traders were complaining that bitcoin price had become boring, the cryptocurrency crashed by 13% in less than five hours this morning. The crash marked a sudden change of course for bitcoin price, which had mostly stayed constant within the $6200 price range during the last week or so. Bitcoin’s volatility had reached record lows in the last couple of months, much to the … Continue reading Bitcoin Price Crashes To Lowest This Year
For an asset often touted as reliable in a volatile cryptocurrency market, stablecoins have been remarkably unstable in the last week. First, there was the problem with Tether. The stablecoin, which is the second-most traded cryptocurrency after bitcoin and accounts for 98% of daily trading volume in stablecoins, crashed last weekend as investors, fearful of Tether’s stability after news reports questioned Bitfinex’s solvency emerged, began … Continue reading Tether’s Loss Last Week Meant Gains For Other Stablecoins
For most of this year, the price for Ripple’s XRP has trended downward. Towards the end of 2018’s first week, XRP price reached a high of $3.54 and a market cap of $137 billion. But its price cratered soon after in the swoon that enveloped cryptocurrency markets as media reports and crypto experts questioned XRP’s utility within the Ripple ecosystem. Until last week, XRP’s price … Continue reading Why Did The Price For Ripple’s XRP Jump Over The Weekend?
Going by news headlines, it would seem that the news was all gloom and doom this past week. But that assessment may not be true. As the chart shows, however, the top 10 cryptocurrencies managed to eke out gains even in the face of downward pressure. Bitcoin flirted with $5,000 territory this past week, when it dropped to $6190 on Tuesday. But the original cryptocurrency … Continue reading Cryptocurrency Markets Eke Out Gains In A Mixed Week
Bitcoin price retreated this morning, losing 6% of its total value in an hour, after the publication of a news report stating that investment bank Goldman Sachs may be reconsidering its foray into bitcoin trading. As of this writing, bitcoin was trading at $7009.59, approximately 5% down from its price 24 hours ago. The original cryptocurrency fell below $7,000 at 11:06 UTC this morning before … Continue reading Bitcoin Price, Crypto Markets Fall After Goldman Reconsiders Crypto Trading
The number of bitcoin shorts has skyrocketed over the labor day weekend. According to Forbes contributor Billy Bambrough, a short position for 10,000 bitcoin was opened over the weekend. Another report claims that bitcoin shorts surged to $87 million during the same time period. BitMEX, a China-based platform for bitcoin trading, also claims that bitcoin shorts on its platform have skyrocketed. This is a significant … Continue reading What Does The Increase In Bitcoin Shorts Mean For Its Price?
A slew of recent good news about bitcoin has failed to bring cheer to cryptocurrency markets. Bitcoin price, which rallied to surpass $8,000 last week, is back under $7,000. Even the news about Intercontinental Exchange’s (ICE) decision to launch a startup for bitcoin futures trading resulted in only a brief bump to the cryptocurrency’s prices. The SEC’s announcement to postpone a decision regarding VanEck-SolidX’s proposal … Continue reading How Long Will The Slide In Bitcoin Price Last?
Big names have been missing from the cryptocurrencies even as the industry has gained rapid mainstream traction. The bitcoin ecosystem is littered with names that are mostly unknown and new. That wouldn’t be such a problem if its credibility had not been further eroded by scandals and hacks. Entire cryptocurrency exchanges have closed operations due to hacks. Institutional investors, who provide capital to keep markets … Continue reading Three Benefits Of ICE’s Entry Into Crypto Trading


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The smart home market is extremely crowded and fragmented. Tech-savvy consumers who are the early adopters of home automation products are struggling with the incompatibility of devices. This segment is predominantly controlled by Apple through HomeKit, Google through Nest, and Amazon through Echo. Surprisingly, it’s Amazon that’s gaining the mindshare and market share.
According to the Digital Trends report that Adobe published in December 2015, Amazon Echo is the most admired brand with over 70% of social mentions that are related to joy or admiration.
With the recent announcement of Amazon Echo Dot and Amazon Tap, Amazon has started to widen the portfolio of its flagship product. Powered by Alexa, the brain behind Echo, and Amazon Web Services, which does the heavy lifting, Amazon has a winner in the form of Echo. It addressed some of the concerns raised by the first generation Echo users. Not only the newer Echo devices are smaller and portable, but cheaper. This move will certainly help Amazon in attracting more customers.
With Amazon Echo Dot, the device has become more portable which makes it easier to carry along. It can be paired with the car’s infotainment system while connected to a mobile hotspot for the internet. Once consumers start realizing the power and value of the platform, they will invest in multiple devices.
Smart home dominated the scene at CES 2016. From Samsung to LG to Sony, almost every consumer company made an attempt to push their agenda. But it was Alexa that stole the show. What’s more surprising is that Amazon didn’t have an official booth or logo at CES. Its presence was felt through the announcements made by Amazon’s partner ecosystem. That’s by far the best testimonial any platform could get.
From Nest to Ecobee to Insteon to Wink to Hue, there is a long list of connected home devices that work with Amazon Echo, turning it into the most popular smart home hub. It’s not just the home automation; automobile vendors are integrating the Alexa-driven voice experience with their cars. Earlier this year, Ford demonstrated how its SYNC-equipped vehicles can be controlled from Amazon Echo. A Ford owner could interact with Echo through the phrases like “Alexa, ask my Ford for my scheduled car start time.” or “Alexa, is my garage door closed?”
As Mark Rogowsky, contributor at Forbes noted in his article, Alexa caught the attention of millions of viewers with its debut at the Super Bowl this year. One interesting point that Mark mentions is that even after two years of acquiring Nest, it remains the most expensive smoke detector. Google did little to push it into the smart home arena.


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What Does the €1.3 Billion KTM Industries Want With Puello’s Pexco?
WELS, Austria – After last Tuesday’s announcement by Pexco GmbH that it has joined forces with KTM Industries AG, the question is what this joint venture entails? What does the €1.3 billion KTM Industries AG want from Pexco GmbH which will be headed by the Puello’s, and in which the family has a majority share in?
Apart from the named questions, finally after numerous rumours popping up on what Susanne and Felix Puello would do in e-bikes after they left Accell Group’s Winora it’s now clear. Last July they have founded, in cooperation with KTM Industries AG, the new company Pexco GmbH as Bike Europe reported.
Puello eMobility Crossover Company
Pexco stands for ‘Puello eMobility Crossover Company’. In a German regional newspaper named ‘Main Post’ Susanne Puello states that the Puello family has a majority shareholding in the Pexco joint venture with KTM Industries AG.
The company is headquartered in Schweinfurt, like Winora which Susanne Puello headed up to the end of March of this year. With her and her husband Felix, who managed Winora’s product development department, leaving also a number of other Winora Group employees left. At that time it was already rumoured that they left to become part of a new e-bike company to be founded by the Puello’s.
Pexco GmbH already has an online presence at www.platin-sports.com Here Pexco is named as an ‘Associated brand of KTM Industries AG’.
KTM Industries into urban e-mobility?
In a press statement it is said that the vision of the Pexco company is “Taking the technology lead in zero-emission for lightweight vehicles and, together with the international specialist bicycle retail industry, reaching the next level in e-mobility.”
To turn that vision into reality the ‘strategic partnership’ between KTM Industries AG and Pexco GmbH encompasses everything from development and design all the way to the manufacturing of bicycles and e-bikes.
However, what is striking is that KTM Industries’ 2016 annual report doesn’t say anything on the company venturing into urban e-mobility including making e-bikes and e-MTB’s; products that value-wise are completely different from the high priced sports motorcycles KTM Industries markets under its KTM and Husqvarna brand names.
Pexco to market Husqvarna
Under the Pexco umbrella two e-bike brands are to be launched end of this year. The names of these brands will be revealed at a press conference taking place at the upcoming Eurobike show. This is stated in the Pexco press release dated August 1. However, as said, KTM Fahrrad GmbH affirmed that one of the two brands will be Husqvarna.
On August 1 KTM Fahrrad MD Stefan Limbrunner was quick to reveal that. He named Husqvarna as one of the two Pexco brand names as his company is selling KTM branded e-bikes and e-MTB’s. He understandably wants to avoid any miscommunication on his brand name.
KTM Fahrrad versus KTM Industries
It has to be noted here that Zürich, Switzerland stock market listed KTM Industries AG has nothing to do with the bicycle market leader in Austria, KTM Fahrrad GmbH. Both companies have a shared history but already decades ago a split took place between the bicycle part of the company and the one for motorcycles. Currently they operate completely independent with KTM Fahrrad offering bicycles and e-bikes and KTM Industries that markets high priced sports motorcycles – including 2 electric motorcycles – as well as Husqvarna branded motocross and Enduro motorcycles.
Annually KTM Industries AG sells over 200,000 motorcycles making this company bigger than BMW and Triumph in powered two-wheelers in Europe. And when looking a bit closer into what KTM and Husqvarna stand for with regard to motorcycles it’s quite clear that both are off road specialists. But taking into account the fact that the KTM brand name can’t be used and regarding the comment made by Stefan Limbrunner it leads to the conclusion that Pexco is to launch e-MTB’s under the Husqvarna brand name end of this year.


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Rubin: Fresh thinking at a zoo and a bakery
You do not have to dress like an animal before you pedal a bike through the Battle Creek zoo and drink beer, but if you want to befuddle the residents, it might help.
Last year, says Binder Park Zoo’s Kari Parker, “people got a little wild with their costumes” at the event known as the Tour de Zoo.
That’s a fine thing, but you have to wonder if the real giraffes took notice when a fellow rode past on a long-necked bike decorated to look like them. And did the alligator snapping turtles nip at the masked quartet dressed as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
Binder Park Zoo, for those who haven’t had the pleasure, sits on 433 acres of scenic forest, swamp and prairie. It has a train, a tram, a merry-go-round, and a highly active institutional imagination.
The creativity is a necessity when you’re one of only four accredited zoos in the United States that doesn’t receive any tax dollars.
Come Oct. 15, for instance, Binder Park will host its seventh annual Bonteboktoberfest, cleverly combining an Oktoberfest celebration with an appreciation of the spiral-horned African antelope known as a bontebok.
As for the Tour, it made its zoo debut last year, and nearly 300 people showed up to ride, gape, listen to music and stop at hydration stations for samples from the New Belgium Brewing Company, maker of the appropriately labeled Fat Tire.
Tour de Zoo Two rolls out from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, and it seems worth mentioning even if the zoo and the ride are a bit of a hike from Detroit — 120.3 miles from the Detroit Zoo, to be precise.
At $30 per person, it’s open to all ages, though the ride includes hills, tight turns and a variety of surfaces. Check binderparkzoo.org/tourdezoo for registration and information.
“It’s not every day you get to ride your bike through the zoo,” Parker notes, and it’s not every zoo that relies entirely on admissions, fundraising and grants to keep the doors open and the sloths sustained.
That is not, for the record, a jab at the Detroit Zoo, which collects about a third of its $35 million annual budget from a tri-county millage.
The Detroit Zoo has more than 2,500 animals from 270-plus species, in contrast to Binder Park’s 600 and 140, and sees nearly 1.48 million visitors per year in contrast to 230,000.
Binder Park’s budget is only $4 million and it conducts fewer programs, so any comparison would be apples to aardvarks. Or, beer drinkers to bontebok — though that might actually be closer.
Unlike other antelopes, bontebok are not talented leapers. But they’re good at crawling under things, and we’ve all had nights like that.
More inspiration — this time, the sweet kind
As previously noted, creativity is good. So is cheesecake, which brings us to Patrick Peteet.
Peteet, 45, owns Peteet’s Famous Cheesecakes, which began in Oak Park six years ago and expanded to West Bloomfield in 2014.
All of his cheesecakes are baked twice. Since I’ve never even baked one once, I can’t tell you how creative that is, but I can tell you they’re excellent.
On the demonstrably creative side, he sells heart-shaped cheesecakes for Valentine’s Day and invented cheesecake paczki for Fat Tuesday.
Recently, he started churning out cheesecake banana pudding — 200 pounds of it every Saturday, says the counter clerk at the West Bloomfield store on Orchard Lake Road at Maple, “and you’d better get here early.”
A few days ago, the counter clerk dreamed about a Creamscicle-flavored cupcake. Since she’s Patrick’s mother, she called and described it to him.
“The next day,” says Marcia Peteet, “he said, ‘Come get it.’”
Patrick’s latest inspiration is Stage-Deli-meets-“The-Godfather”: cheesecake cannoli.
“My brother brought over six last night,” Marcia says. “Don’t you know I ate four right away?”
They’ll be available in the shops soon, she says, possibly this week; call (248) 325-9244 or (248) 545-2253 to check.
He’s made them in apple and chocolate chip so far, and he’s working on peach, pineapple and raspberry.
Don Corleone probably wouldn’t recognize them, but who ever called him creative?


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Above, a man walks through a tunnel of Google homepage logos at the Google campus near Venice Beach, in Los Angeles. Below, Googler Katharine Ng zooms in to Paris on panoramic Google Maps screens. And, a man walks past the iconic pair of giant binoculars designed by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen at an entrance of Google's new LA home. The 100,000 square-foot campus was designed by architect Frank Gehry. Around 500 employees develop video advertising for YouTube, parts of the Google+ social network and the Chrome Web browser at the site. (REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)
Technology companies including Amazon, Google and Microsoft donated considerable amounts of both cash and technical services for the ceremonies and events around the inauguration and swearing in of President Donald Trump, according to reports making the internet rounds on Tuesday night.
DJI is the world’s leading designer and producer of easy-to-fly drones and aerial photography systems. If you’re a drone enthusiast, you want a DJI. If you know absolutely nothing about drones and think they’re weird, if you win a DJI you’re going to become a drone enthusiast.Enter this giveaway (for free, yes) and you’ll get a […]
Although there will never be a consensus about the best way to make coffee, any coffee connoisseur will agree that controlling the grind of your beans and balancing water temperature are the keys to a tasty cup. Since your plastic coffee pot doesn’t really allow for that kind of customization, going back to the French […]


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US: JC Penney appoints Hannah as CFO
By Petah Marian | 4 May 2012
Troubled US retailer JC Penney has appointed Ken Hannah as CFO, replacing Michael Dastugue who left the company in the middle of April.
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HAITI: $300m industrial park opens for business
Haiti has been declared "open for business," after a $300m manufacturing park in the northern town of Caracol was last week inaugurated at a star-studded event attended by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former US President Bill Clinton, as well as actors Sean Penn and Ben Stiller, and fashion designer Donna Karan.
CHINA: Apparel brands accused of environmental “blind spot”
The production of sustainable apparel in China has a "blind spot" that wastes large amounts of energy and water, and causes pollution problems, says a new report.
CHINA: Apparel brands to reduce pollution in supply chain
Leading apparel brands including Gap, Adidas and H&M Hennes & Mauritz are looking at ways to reduce pollution within their supply chains following accusations that they were purchasing clothing from suppliers who illegally discharge polluted water in China.
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JCPenney | Verdict Company Briefing
A new one-stop destination for unique data and opinion on JCPenney's offer. Targeted at retailers, and stakeholders of the department store chain, we assess its performance, strategic direction and provide Verdict's view on its future....


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Puroast alone combines sweeter, smoother taste, lower acidity and wellness benefits that stand up to science.
WOODLAND, Calif. (PRWEB) January 11, 2018
Other coffee brands may promise low acidity. Only Puroast delivers. A U C Davis study confirms Puroast has 70 percent less acidity than any other coffee. It also has 7 times more antioxidants than green tea. That’s a wellness profile so unique, it’s got international scientists excited. Premier food scientist, researcher and coffee guru Dr. Taka Shibamoto calls Puroast Coffee® “the only legitimately low acid product on the market.”
The win-win of great taste and the wellness qualities of low acid and high antioxidants has earned Puroast a legion of fans. It also sparked Shibamoto and his U C Davis team to analyze why it happens. The art — and science — occurs in the roasting.
Unlike the conventional roasting process most coffee companies use, Puroast roasts the way coffee growers have done for generations, for quality, not quantity, to get the best out of the bean. Shibamoto’s research shows Puroast’s roasting methods produce a smooth brew with a natural sweetness and the flavor notes coffee lovers crave while releasing a wealth of potent antioxidants.
Spurred by these findings, Shibamoto’s team is launching a new study to determine how Puroast’s traditional roasting affects flavanols (flavor compounds) found in coffee. The company believes the research will confirm what our customers already know — Puroast alone combines sweeter, smoother taste, lower acidity and wellness benefits that stand up to science. It delivers on its “Feel Better, Not Bitter”™ promise.
For Puroast samples and more information, including the U C Davis study, contact:


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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand proposed $1 billion in loans and grants Monday to help build 2,100 grocery stores in areas around the nation that lack access to fresh food.
Gillibrand said the measure would help about four million New York residents living in so-called food deserts by providing the funding for more than 350 stores statewide, many in low-income areas. Modeled on a similar program in Pennsylvania, the legislation would provide startup grants and loans in rural and urban areas to expand access to fresh food and to create jobs.
Because the hundreds of billions currently being redistributed to the poor in exchange for their vote to give government ever-increasing power just isn't enough. Medicare, disability benefits, WIC, food stamps, and all the other federal welfare programs are underserving the poor.
Thankfully, such a ridiculous expansion has no chance whatsoever of passing.
The Obama administration has already dedicated $345 million in his 2011 budget for a similar proposal.
Senator Gillibrand is yet another reason to repeal the 17th Amendment.
Hat tip: DrewM. at Ace of Spades


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Top Chablis 2016 wines
‘The 2016s will be scarce,’ said William Kelley, in his Burgundy 2016 vintage report published on Decanter.com before Christmas for Premium members.
‘Many Chablis wines, especially those from frosted vineyards, are exotic and rather atypical, but some producers have done well.’
The following wines have all scored 93 points and above, tasted en primeur in Burgundy by William Kelley.
See the top scoring Chablis wines below:


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It's been over a year since the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission originally accused Samsung of false advertising, citing the fact that numerous contemporary Galaxy smartphones have starred in so aquatic scenes that they're essentially frontrunners for all buoy roles in the upcoming Baywatch reboot – or something like that. In a tragicomic turn of events, it appears the feud is only now reaching its boiling point: Samsung is still describing the dispute as water under the bridge, whereas the ACCC is making increasingly larger waves by flexing its regulatory muscles.
As part of the latest water skirmish between the duo, Samsung's legal sharks labeled the Australian watchdog's demands “cheap” and insignificant. Or, as Samsung general counsel John Sheahan phrased it: “It's not a debacle, it's just a claim made, and not proved.” Which is a statement bound to give pause to some people, making them ponder whether that perspective is really so much better, but that was pretty much Samsung's defense from day one.
ACCC pushing for six months' worth of underwater testing
In other words, the world's largest smartphone maker is describing suggestions that its ads actively encourage consumers to use their IP68-certified smartphones underwater as ludicrous. Unfortunately, no one on the ACCC's side is laughing, especially since it's surprisingly hard to argue that Samsung's recent marketing undertakings have not, in fact, been an elongated homage to Nirvana's Nevermind.
Which leads us to the current standoff in which the consumer watchdog is pushing for what Samsung's attorneys claim would amount to six months of meticulous testing if the company wants to clear its name and avoid an AU$150,000 fine. On the other hand, the ACCC's complaint isn't exactly starved for content as it lists no fewer than 300 individual ads with such problematic content which Samsung used to market its products in Australia between 2016 and 2019.


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Staying connected is now an obligatory part of showing you care. According to a study from Kaspersky Lab, connectivity is now a vital part of our duty to family, friends and loved ones.
Tag Archives: relationships
The way we live our digital lives at home is having a big impact on our family relationships, according to new research from Kaspersky Lab and iconKids & Youth. With people spending ever more time online, a fifth of parents and children say that the Internet and connected devices can be a cause of family tension.


text: Kohl’s has decided to keep its doors closed on Thanksgiving Day. Tuesday, the chain announced that all its locations would be closed on Thanksgiving Day so employees could spend time with friends and family. If you’re a fan of Kohl’s, you can still shop online and get a jump start on your holiday shopping. Have you thought about holiday shopping lately? What do you want for Christmas?


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GMR Nears Raising Rs 600Cr PE For Highway Biz - GMR Infrastructure is understood to be giving final touches to raise close to Rs 600 crore through the private equity (PE) route to fund expansion of its highways business. A deal is expected to be signed within three weeks. This will facilitate financial closure for the Rs 7,500-crore highway project the Bangalore-based firm won in October, for a 555-km stretch from Ahmedabad to Kishangarh, Rajasthan (about 30 km from Ajmer). The company is expected to have the financial closure by March 2012. (Business Standard)
Srei To Raise $500M For Infra Fund By October - Kolkata-based Srei Infrastructure Finance Ltd is hopeful of raising the first tranche of its proposed $1-billion (nearly Rs 5,030 crore at the current exchange rate) infrastructure fund by October or November this year. The company plans to raise about $500 million (over Rs 2,500 crore) in the first tranche. The funds raised through the infrastructure equity fund will be spent on road, power and port projects in the country. (Business Line)
IOT Infrastructure Raises Rs 100Cr From UTI Capital - IOT Infrastructure & Energy Services Ltd (IOT), a joint venture between Indian Oil Corporation and Oiltanking GmbH, Germany on Monday said it has raised Rs 100 crore through private equity from India Infrastructure Development Fund (IIDF), the private equity arm of UTI AMC. After the deferment of its IPO process initiated in 2010, due to acute volatility in the stock market, IOT explored other alternative modes of financing its fund requirements and private equity was selected as a sound immediate option. (Economic Times)
Coffee Day Ups Stake In Mindtree - Coffee Day Group Chairman V G Siddhartha has bought out the residual 3.5 per cent stake held by Ashok Soota in mid-tier software exports company MindTree Limited. With this, Siddhartha has become the single-largest shareholder in the publicly-held Mindtree. Siddhartha effected the third and last step to buy out Soota’s stake in MindTree nearly nine months after he started buying out his stake step by step. (Business Standard)
Ruia’s Takeover Bid For German Auto Component Maker Fails - Chartered accountant-turned-takeover specialist Pawan Kumar Ruia has washed his hands of Meteor Gummiwerke KH Badje GmbH and Co.—an embattled German automotive component maker that he was to acquire from a trust representing its controlling shareholders—after he failed to inject cash for a rescue.
Ruia had in May last year announced that he had concluded a deal to take over Meteor Gummiwerke for an undisclosed price, described by the German firm as “symbolic” in one of its statements. (Mint)
Tiffany In Talks To Enter India - Iconic US jeweller Tiffany & Co is in talks to enter India through a 51% joint venture with actress-turned-luxury entrepreneur Reena Wadhwa, who already has a joint venture with Italian luxury brand Gucci. Reena Wadhwa, who is married to investment banker and Ambit Group CEO Ashok Wadhwa, will float a new venture to run Tiffany's business. (Economic Times)
Raghunandan Quits Reckitt Benckiser - S Raghunandan has quit Reckitt Benckiser India within three weeks of taking over as the country head of the UK-based consumer products maker, taking industry watchers by surprise. He had taken over as the country head of the maker of Dettol antiseptic soap and Veet depilatory products only on January 2, following the elevation of former Reckitt Benckiser India chairman and MD C M Sethi as the £8.4-billion, or about Rs 67,000 crore, UK firm's South East Asian region head. (Economic Times)


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Category Archives: Lifestyle
Much like the mall for which it’s named, NorthBark Dog Park is luxurious. It’s the lavish counterpart to runs like Jack Carter and Mockingbird Point (White Rock Lake).
…but that’s probably the general consensus by now.
Time has indeed flown, and we’re already approaching two years since construction crews began the five-year, $2.7 billion LBJ Express endeavor. The current LBJ now seems withered and beaten, and it usually feels more like an unusually active limestone quarry than a major metropolitan highway.
I’ve been to my fair share of urban parks, but there’s something special about being on top of a highway. Surrounded by familiar skyscrapers, a glance northeast or southwest gives you a strange idea of what’s speeding underneath you. Klyde Warren Park opened with a bang this weekend (literally, there were fireworks), and thousands came out to get a glimpse of the optimistic connector between downtown and uptown.
So the falling autumn temperatures have you craving something infused with pumpkin (and caffeine), but you don’t feel like handing five bucks to a barista. That’s understandable.
Here’s a way to make a multi-use batch of pumpkin spice syrup, which can be directly added to coffee — and optionally espresso — to replicate the festive drink that you are so used to paying for.
Since the economic downturn of 2006 and the subsequent rise in fuel costs, people have increasingly ditched cars for alternate forms of transportation. Intercity bus services, offered by companies like Greyhound and Megabus, have benefited from increased ridership.
In 2010, Greyhound unveiled a new service called Greyhound Express that connects major cities through direct bus routes. Earlier this year, Greyhound Express came to Texas, offering non-stop routes between Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio with one-way fares as low as $1.
I thought it would be a good idea to ride the Greyhound Express before writing about it, so I booked my first ever Greyhound bus trip — an overnight swing to Austin and back on the Greyhound Express for just $2.


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from the world's big
New therapy turns cancer cells into fat to stop it from spreading
Researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland have hijacked cancer's cellular plasticity to turn the disease against itself.
- In 2018, an estimated 627,000 women died from breast cancer worldwide.
- Researchers recently discovered a drug combination that turned cancer cells into fat cells, preventing its proliferation.
- The drug therapy could be used to halt metastasis, the leading cause of death from cancer.
It may be a family member, a friend, a coworker, or even yourself, but chances are breast cancer will invade your life at some point. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 242,476 new cases of female breast cancer were reported in 2015 alone. The disease took the lives of 41,523 women that same year. This makes breast cancer the most commonly diagnosed cancer, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among American women.
Worldwide, cancers represent the second leading cause of death, surpassed only by heart disease. Yet despite these disheartening numbers, we are making progress in developing effective treatments against this deadly affliction.
Scientists may have given us another tool to further this progress. They've developed a new drug therapy that prevents malignant cancer growth. How? By turning cancer cells into fat.
The good kind of fat
Low magnification micrograph of a metastatic tumor [left side] in the ovary. This tumor metastasized from a tumor in the woman's breast. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Metastasis is the leading cause of death from cancer, occurring when cancer cells separate from the original tumor to proliferate elsewhere. These new cancer cells travel through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Since these bodily systems are thoroughly connected, cancer can spread to a variety of locations. Breast cancer, for example, "tends to spread to the bones, liver, lungs, chest wall, and brain."
Cancer cell plasticity — an ability that allows cancer cells to shift physiological characteristics dramatically — fosters metastasis and is responsible for cancer's resistance to treatments. To combat its resistance, researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland decided to turn cancer's cellular plasticity against itself. They used Rosiglitazone, an anti-diabetic drug, along with MEK inhibitors in mice implanted with breast cancer cells. Their aim was to alter the cancer cells.
The drug combination hijacked the breast cancer cells during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process by which the cells undergo biochemical changes. EMT plays a role in many bodily functions, such as tissue repair. In unaltered cancer cells, EMT allows them to migrate away from the original tumor while maintaining their oncogenic properties.
But in cancer cells assaulted by the new drug therapy, EMT changes them into adipocytes, or fat cells. Like normal fat cells, these former breast cancer cells were both functional and post-mitotic, meaning they could no longer divide and proliferate.
While the therapy did not alter the original tumor, it did prevent new cancer cells from dividing and spreading elsewhere in the body. This repressed metastasis in the researcher's preclinical trials.
The researchers published their findings on January 14 in the journal Cancer Cell.
"In future, this innovative therapeutic approach could be used in combination with conventional chemotherapy to suppress both primary tumor growth and the formation of deadly metastases," senior study author Gerhard Christofori told Medical News Today.
Since the research used FDA-approved drugs to study the treatment's effects, the study notes, "a clinical translation may be possible."
Will we win the battle against cancer?
Members of Lebanon's Ladies of Harley hold placards as take part in an event organised by Pink Steps Lebanon to raise awareness about breast cancer on October 28, 2018. Photo credit: MAHMOUD ZAYYAT / AFP / Getty Images
This article opened with some fearful figures about cancer and its effect on people worldwide. But there's reason to hope.
While the total number of new cancer cases and deaths continues to increase, the rates of cancer diagnoses and deaths decline each year — as absolute figures don't account for rises in life expectancy, population growth, or aging populations. We've made great strides in understanding the disease and its various genetic and environmental origins. And events like Breast Cancer Awareness Month continue to educate the populace about the preventative measures available to them.
Thanks to scientists like those at the University of Basel in Switzerland, we may have more reasons to be hopeful very soon.
Join multiple Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress Judith Light live on Big Think at 2 pm ET on Monday.
Construction of the $500 billion dollar tech city-state of the future is moving ahead.
- The futuristic megacity Neom is being built in Saudi Arabia.
- The city will be fully automated, leading in health, education and quality of life.
- It will feature an artificial moon, cloud seeding, robotic gladiators and flying taxis.
The Red Sea area where Neom will be built:
Saudi Arabia Plans Futuristic City, "Neom" (Full Promotional Video)
Many of the most popular apps are about self-improvement.
Emotions are the newest hot commodity, and we can't get enough.
Frequent shopping for single items adds to our carbon footprint.
- A new study shows e-commerce sites like Amazon leave larger greenhouse gas footprints than retail stores.
- Ordering online from retail stores has an even smaller footprint than going to the store yourself.
- Greening efforts by major e-commerce sites won't curb wasteful consumer habits. Consolidating online orders can make a difference.
A pile of recycled cardboard sits on the ground at Recology's Recycle Central on January 4, 2018 in San Francisco, California.
Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
A large part of the reason is speed. In a competitive market, pure players use the equation, speed + convenience, to drive adoption. This is especially relevant to the "last mile" GHG footprint: the distance between the distribution center and the consumer.

Interestingly, the smallest GHG footprint occurs when you order directly from a physical store—even smaller than going there yourself. Pure players, such as Amazon, are the greatest offenders. Variables like geographic location matter; the team looked at shopping in the UK, the US, China, and the Netherlands.

Sadegh Shahmohammadi, a PhD student at the Netherlands' Radboud University and corresponding author of the paper, says the above "pattern holds true in countries where people mostly drive. It really depends on the country and consumer behavior there."

The researchers write that this year-and-a-half long study pushes back on previous research that claims online shopping to be better in terms of GHG footprints.

"They have, however, compared the GHG emissions per shopping event and did not consider the link between the retail channels and the basket size, which leads to a different conclusion than that of the current study."

Online retail is where convenience trumps environment: people tend to order one item at a time when shopping on pure player sites, whereas they stock up on multiple items when visiting a store. Consumers will sometimes order a number of separate items over the course of a week rather than making one trip to purchase everything they need.

While greening efforts by online retailers are important, until a shift in consumer attitude changes, the current carbon footprint will be a hard obstacle to overcome. Amazon is trying to have it both ways—carbon-free and convenience addicted—and the math isn't adding up. If you need to order things, do it online, but try to consolidate your purchases as much as possible.

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Stay in touch with Derek on Twitter, Facebook and Substack. His next book is "Hero's Dose: The Case For Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy."

Building a personal connection with students can counteract some negative side effects of remote learning.