text:
Christmas Tamales at Big Tex
Monday December 23, 2013 07:00 PM EST
From the venue:Going back to its roots, Fox Bros. Bar-B-Qâ€™s sister restaurant Big Tex Decatur announces that it will be serving up tamales, a traditional Texas Christmas treat. From Saturday, December 21 until Tuesday, December 24, Big Tex Decatur will offer tamales just in time for the holidays. Guests can enjoy the Mexican-American Christmas tradition to-go or as an appetizer plate. With a choice of chicken or brisket, to-go orders are $12 for half a dozen and include heating instructions. Guests are likewise invited to grab a seat and try the Tamales Appetizer Plate, served with refried black beans and Southwestern rice.


text:
Most of us probably remember the Fire Phone, which was Amazon's first and last effort in the market. The device ran a heavily modified version of Android, and though it packed some interesting face-tracking technology, the interface itself was pretty godawful. Its mediocre specs were paired with an astronomical price tag, and just a bit over one year later, the Fire Phone finally burnt out. Now, according to a recent report by TheWrap, Amazon's mobile ambitions might be preparing to pull a phoenix and rise from the Fire Phone's failed ashes. Read More
Amazon famously misread the market when it launched the Fire Phone in 2014 without any Google apps. Scarcely a year later Amazon had abandoned the device in the face of minuscule sales figures. Now, it's rumored to be prepping a new smartphone, but unlike the Fire Phone, this one will apparently run a version of Android with Google services. Read More
Once upon a time, Amazon made a phone. It was gimmicky and silly, and no one wanted to play with it. After realizing what a horrible mistake it had made, Amazon tried pawning off said phone for stupid-ridiculous prices.
Oh, and if you basically want to get a phone for like $25, now's the time. I mean, you'll have to deal with knowing you own a Fire Phone, so if you can handle that, then eBay has the deal for you: new phone, free shipping, and it comes with a year of Prime (which is normally $99), all for $125. Read More
Amazon's Fire Phone, the logical smartphone extension of its Kindle Fire tablet series, is a dud. A combination of lackluster reviews, carrier semi-exclusivity, and most of all being tied into Amazon's app and service environment have made it more or less a total failure. The company never publishes hard data for its hardware sales, but casual observation and constant discounts (sometimes more than $500 off of the original $650 off-contract price) imply that the product has been a wash.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Amazon isn't eager to continue in the phone market. According to the paper, "dozens" of engineers in the Lab126 hardware team have been laid off. Read More
When Amazon launched the Fire Phone, it wasn't a top-of-the-line device. It did, however, come with a $650 price tag. When the handset immediately proceeded to not sell, Amazon started slashing the price. We've spent the time since watching the number drop. Read More
Do you want an Amazon Fire Phone? If you do, I'll bet you want it at a discount - even with a free year of Amazon's Prime shipping/video/music service, it's a hard sell at two hundred bucks. It's a good thing, then, that the Fire Phone is so often on sale. The latest discount comes courtesy of an eBay seller, who's getting rid of the phones for as little as $140. That includes free shipping and free access to Prime, bringing the effective price down to $40 for a contract-free phone. Not bad.
That $139.99 price is for the 32GB model. Read More
On July 15th, Amazon is holding a big Prime Day sale that it says will offer more deals than Black Friday. You will also get to do without the lines, risk of being trampled, and having to get up from the Thanksgiving dinner table a mere five minutes after sitting down.
The only catch is that you have to be an Amazon Prime member. That luxury costs a recurring $100 fee. But thanks to today's Goldbox Deal of the Day, you can get a full year of Prime along with an Amazon Fire Phone for $160. That's $20 less than the already low contract-free price it's going for these days. Read More
If you're a patient deal hunter and you wait long enough, Amazon might just end up paying you to take the Fire Phone off its hands. If not, the price is pretty good at the moment: $179 for the unlocked 32GB model, without a contract to be seen. That's $10 down from where it was just a little more than a month ago, $270 off the original price, and a pretty awesome deal for a phone with a 4.7-inch 720p screen, a Snapdragon 800 processor, and 2GB of RAM... if you can stomach Amazon's Fire OS fork of Android. Read More
Amazon's interesting, unconventional, and unique self-branded phone has flopped hard. You know what that means, HP TouchPad and HTC First owners: rock-bottom prices. Amazon has discounted the unlocked 32GB model all the way down to $189, making it worthy of consideration for would-be buyers of the Moto G and similar mid-range devices. And that's before a year's worth of Amazon Prime ($100 value) for free, so you'll have plenty of movies, music, and cheap shipping to complement your new phone.
If you need a refresher, the Fire Phone uses a 4.7-inch 720p screen, a Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 13MP rear camera, and a 2400mAh battery. Read More

domain: news


text:
SAINT JOHN – Giving budding entrepreneurs the basics was the focus of day one of East Coat Startup Week (ECSW) in Saint John.
The Port City kicked off the week with Innovators’ Jump Start Day, which aimed to squeeze as much information about creating a startup into a single business day.
“It’s kind of like a one-stop shop for people get as much information about starting a business in eight hours as possible,” said one the ECSW Saint John organizers Joanna Killen.
“We are just trying to encourage entrepreneurs to try to build their business and plan it properly so they can be as successful as possible.”
The day featured sessions covering everything from startup insurance, finances, marketing, leadership, and choosing the right business model. It also featured an Entrepreneurial Master Class featuring Saint John business notables Dominique Leger of InPursuit; Geoff Marney of BioSign; Steve Foster of Hemmings House; Terry Blizzard of Afterburn Performance Fitness and Dave Grebenc, CEO of Innovatia.
“We’re trying to cover all these different areas of entrepreneurship and not just tech,” Killen says. “There’s different levels and types of entrepreneurs so we’re trying to represent that with our panel.”
A lot of the participants who showed up on Monday had ventures well passed the “idea” phase. Alex Weaver Crawford recently moved to Saint John and she and her husband just launched a business offering custom designs for the restaurant industry called Menus Made.
“I thought it would be a really good opportunity to just test some of my ideas and get to meet other local entrepreneurs and share and swap ideas,” said Weaver Crawford.
“Because I’ve been so much into the design about how my business is going to work, you kind of forget about the peripherals. I’m really hoping to fill in and fill out my idea with the nuts and bolts about running a business.”
Though a lot of the day’s events are helpful for people who already have the ball rolling on a venture, East Coast Startup Week events are for anyone, even just the curious.
“We’re hoping to see more of the general public, because it all comes down to the fact that people don’t know we’re out there to support the startup community. Unfortunately the narrative has become ‘There’s nothing for us here. We can’t get any help,’ Killan says.
“And it’s so not true.”
Missed out today? It’s cool. You can check out the events for the rest of the week here.


text:
Well-known analyst and former top manager of Nokia Tomi Ahonen summed up the first year of HMD Global, the "new home" for mobile devices of the Finnish brand.
Based on HMD's polls and statements about successes in India, the expert raised the initial forecast of Nokia smartphone sales for the third quarter from 2.5 to 3.4 million units. At the end of the year the manufacturer can realize 5.7 million devices, although in the first estimates of Tomi Ahonen it was said about 3.5 million. The increase in growth rates in the fourth quarter is explained not only by support from mobile operators in key markets. Just the launch of the budgetary Nokia 2 added to the total figure of 1.5 million. The model has all chances to become the first smartphone HMD, which is sold at a speed of 1 million copies per month.
Taking into account 1.5 million units shipped in the first half of the year, in 2017 the company sells more than 10 million smartphones. Director of products in HMD Global, Juho Sarvikas, in turn, noted that, depending on the country, the device "new Nokia" sold only 6-8 months, not all year.
As expected, in early 2018, HMD will introduce a flagship smartphone with a dual camera Nokia 9 . In addition, the Chinese certification center already has a page for the successor to Nokia 6 with a screen of 18: 9.


text:
Oracle's cheer, Wall Street's lump of coal
Oracle Corp. shares surge after quarterly earnings trounce expectations. Morgan Stanley Chief Executive John Mack gives up his holiday bonus. And Americans splurge on mobile phones.
Oracle boosts spirits
Oracle Corp. shares surged late yesterday after the business software maker's quarterly earnings trounced expectations, easing fears of a tech slowdown. Some analysts, however, said Oracle simply outsmarted the competition. (AP in Yahoo! Finance) CEO Larry Ellison's "strategy of making all those acquisitions was right on the money," said Pacific Crest Securities analyst Brendan Barnicle (The New York Times, free registration). Also, Ellison's stake in his software venture NetSuite ballooned to $1 billion as NetSuite raised the target price for today's IPO to $26 a share, up from an initial range of $13 to $16. (BusinessWeek.com)
Empty stockings at Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley Chief Executive John Mack said he was giving up his holiday bonus after his firm was forced to take $9.4 billion in writedowns from bad bets on securities backed by mortgages. And he probably won't be the only Wall Street leader to lose tens of millions in holiday cash. Bear Stearns reports big quarterly losses today, and its top executives may forego their bonuses, too, The Wall Street Journal reported. (The Washington Post, free registration) Morgan Stanley shares got a lift despite its bad news after it announced a $5 billion investment from China. (AP in Yahoo! Finance)
Splurging on iPhones
Americans spent 40 percent more on mobile phones last quarter compared to a year earlier. Asian and European consumers have been shelling out hundreds of dollars for their handsets for years, but it took the release of Apple's iPhone and Research in Motion's Blackberry e-mail phones to get U.S. shoppers used to the idea, said analyst Carolina Milanesi of Gartner Inc. "The iPhone has made the U.S. consumer appreciate the value of the mobile phone," Milanesi said. (Bloomberg)
Feuds are breaking out across America between homeowners who illuminate their lawns with holiday decorations and seething neighbors who see the displays as wasteful and annoying. Sales of seasonal decorations jumped by 9 percent between 2004 and 2006 to $16 billion. Police report a rising number of stabbings targeting giant inflatable Santas and snowmen—the fastest growing decoration category. "They've got Jesus next to Santa, and Mary with the elves," said Kat Shumar of Indianapolis. "It's just tacky." (The Wall Street Journal)
THE WEEK'S AUDIOPHILE PODCASTS: LISTEN SMARTER
MOST POPULAR ON THE WEEK
- Syrian women know how to defeat ISIS
- 43 TV shows to watch in 2014
- The U.S. Marines are developing laser weapons. Here's why.
- The one thing the New Atheists get right about religion
- 3 horrific inaccuracies in Homeland's depiction of Islamabad
- How to be the most productive person in your office — and still get home by 5:30 p.m.
- 6 things the happiest families all have in common
- 5 baffling foreign-language versions of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song
- Will Kobani be ISIS's Waterloo?
- The real story behind Deliver Us From Evil
Subscribe to the Week


text:
May 6, 2011
SCOTUS: State laws cannot override contract clauses requiring customers to present complaints individually to arbitration
Taken in part from the Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTONâ€”On April 27, 2011, the Supreme Court handed business a powerful shield against consumer class actions, ruling that state laws can’t override contract clauses requiring customers to present complaints individually to a private arbitrator.
In a 5-4 ruling, split along its usual conservative-liberal divide, the court held that a “national policy favoring arbitration” pre-empted California law intended to protect consumers from widespread fraud.
California consumers had sued AT&T Inc. for allegedly defrauding them by charging $30.22 in sales tax on cellphones it advertised as free.
AT&T invoked the arbitration clause of its form contract, which required complaints to be resolved through private arbitration in an “individual capacity” and barred “any purported class or representative proceeding.”
California courts had found such provisions “unconscionable,” legal parlance for a contract term so unfair it is void. In a 2005 opinion, the California Supreme Court said that when a company schemes “to deliberately cheat large numbers of consumers out of individually small sums of money,” class actions may be the only effective form of redress. While the fraud might reap a windfall, the court’s reasoning went, each individual’s loss would be too small to dispute unless grouped into a single claim.
The 1925 Federal Arbitration Act, adopted to force states to honor arbitration clauses, says arbitration clauses can’t be set aside unless they violate the laws governing contracts in general. The question before the Supreme Court was whether the California rule simply applied general fairness principles to arbitration clauses or specifically targeted arbitration.
Writing for the majority, Justice Antonin Scalia said that class actions inherently conflicted with arbitration’s goals of speed and efficiency.
“The switch from bilateral to class arbitration sacrifices the principal advantage of arbitrationâ€”its informalityâ€”and makes the process slower, more costly, and more likely to generate procedural morass than final judgment,” he wrote in an opinion joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.
Justice Scalia cited statistics showing that the average individual arbitration was resolved in six months or less, while class arbitrations could drag on for years. Moreover, “class arbitration greatly increases risks” for business, he wrote. “Faced with even a small chance of a devastating loss, defendants will be pressured into settling questionable claims.”
In a dissent joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, Justice Stephen Breyer wrote that since the California rule applied equally to class litigation and class arbitration, it can’t “fairly be characterized as a targeted attack on arbitration.”
The Federal Arbitration Act, Justice Breyer wrote, intended to preserve the states’ traditional authority over contract law, insisting only that arbitration receive equal footing with other contracts.
“California is free to define unconscionability as it sees fit, and its common law is of no federal concern so long as the state does not adopt a special rule that disfavors arbitration,” he added.
Wednesday’s decision was the latest in a series that has given arbitration clauses nearly ironclad protection.
In a statement, AT&T said that individual arbitration “often benefits consumers” because claims can be resolved faster than a more complicated class action. “We value our customers, and AT&T’s arbitration program is free, fair, fast, easy to use, and consumer friendly,” the company said.
Some lawmakers, however, say consumers are powerless when banks, software makers and others condition their products on form contracts whose fine print locks them into arbitration.
“In arbitration, there is no transparency, nor is there an independent arbitrator,” said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat who has held hearings on consumer arbitration.
After Wednesday’s decision, “Congress needs to respond with legislation to clarify the original intent of the Federal Arbitration Act,” Mr. Leahy said.
The Wall Street Journal Law Blog post, “After AT&T Ruling, Should We Say Goodbye to Consumer Class Actions?” can be found here
The SCOTUS opinion, AT&T MOBILITY LLC v. CONCEPCION ET UX, 09-893 can be found here


text:
Get buying and selling suggestions and browse evaluations on Hacked.com for most effective $ 39 a month
The Korean Customs Provider (KCS) has published a survey of unlawful the Forex market buying and selling practices and has found out 600 million bucks (637.five billion gained) value crypto-currencies that have been illegally traded in South Korea.
The commentary additionally published 4 instances of unlawful industry. Within the first case, cash was once transferred from Japan to an unknown nation the place 53.7 billion gained was once despatched to someone else / entity the use of cryptocurrencies . In the second one case, price range value WK 472.three billion have been traded between Australia and South Korea. KCS defined that the switch of price range between international locations for the only goal of averting financial institution fees and switch is thought of as unlawful.
Within the 3rd case, foreign currency echange have been despatched to an in a foreign country group (as cryptocurrencies) which have been then transformed and brought to the recipient. Within the fourth case, price range value 164.7 billion gained have been won via a paper corporate, mentioning “the acquisition of instrument” as a hedge. KCS discussed that she’s going to get started investigating cryptocurrency brokers and foreign exchange investors for cash laundering and unlawful transaction fees. Different spaces that would be the topic of a vital inspection come with smuggling medication with the assistance of digital currencies. T The names of the suspects weren’t published within the press liberate.
The announcement got here the similar day that Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon stated that the cryptocurrency and buying and selling marketplace would now not be banned within the nation. As an alternative, South Korea will center of attention on regulating cryptocurrency industry. The rustic has been running at the adoption of cryptocurrencies, after the Justice Ministry first of all banned ICOs remaining 12 months. The ministry additionally stated it could ban cryptocurrency buying and selling in early January. Then again, the Ministry of Finance didn’t give a boost to this resolution, as mentioned of their reliable commentary: “We don’t proportion the similar perspectives because the Justice Division on a conceivable ban at the trade of cryptocurrency. ”
Whilst maximum ministries proceed to give a boost to cryptocurrency actions, the South Korean govt is doing its perfect to stop unlawful industry procedures.
Symbol from Shutterstock.
Practice us on Telegram.


text:
Only 25 per cent of nonprofits have a content marketing strategy
The primary objective of most nonprofit organisations is fundraising for their cause, therefore, content marketing is often not on their list of priorities. But considering the benefits organic search can have on businesses big and small, it might be something a growing number should consider.
Although many nonprofits are beginning to recognise the potential of establishing an online presence, the vast majority have not created a strategy.
The Content Marketing Institute has recently released a report that takes an in-depth look into content marketing in the nonprofit sector.
The study interviewed 1,714 respondents and found only 25 per cent of these businesses have a documented strategy in place. Furthermore, only 26 per cent of nonprofits consider their content efforts successful.
By comparing these results with two other Content Marketing Institute studies that surveyed B2B and B2C businesses, it is clear nonprofits are significantly behind other organisations in establishing a strategy. The previous studies found that 44 per cent of B2B and 39 per cent of B2C businesses have a documented strategy in place.
The study found that 52 per cent of businesses with a documented content strategy believe their efforts are effective, compared with only 14 per cent of those without a strategy.
Despite their lack of a content marketing strategy, the study found an impressive 92 per cent of nonprofit businesses are producing some form of content. This compared to 90 per cent of B2C and 93 per cent of B2B, according to the B2B and B2C studies released earlier this year.
Nonprofits are even upping their content production. The study found that 65 per cent are producing more content than they were a year ago.
There are currently around 60,000 charities in Australia, according to the Australian Charities and Non-for-profits Commision.
While it is good news that many nonprofits are venturing out into content marketing, it is important to set up a strategy to ensure all goes to plan.
If you run a nonprofit and want to know more about how content marketing can help your organisation, speak to us about Content for Good.
Posted by Dylan Brown


text:
By Amena Bakr
Droughts and delayed rain in major producing countries results in global tea deficit.
Tea trade in Dubai fell 24.4 percent to 112.3 million kg in 2009 after a fall in global production, data from the Gulf emirate's tea industry body showed on Tuesday.
Droughts and delayed rainfalls in major producing countries such as India resulted in a global black tea deficit of around 56.6 million kg in 2009, a 3.2 percent drop from the previous year, Dubai Tea Trading Centre (DTTC) said in a statement.
Total tea trade amounted to 112.3 million kg in 2009, the statement said. In 2008, total volume had been 148.6 million kg, according to a previous statement.
Despite the drop in the emirate's total tea volume, tea traded through the DTTC reached 7.5 million kg in 2009, a 26.5 percent increase from the previous year, the statement added.
While speaking to reporters, Sanjay Sethi, head of the DTTC, said: "This (rise) is due to our increased value-added services such as blending, packaging of tea bags as well as loose tea in retail formats, storage facilities and office space for tea companies which makes DTTC appealing to international tea traders."
The DTTC was formed in 2005 and is a subsidiary of the Dubai Multi Commodity Centre (DMCC), set up by the Dubai government to promote commodity trade.
The DTTC facility offers 5,000 tonnes of storage capacity where producers can store tea up to 60 days free of charge.
Sri Lanka, India and Kenya are Dubai's top trading partners, contributing over 65 percent of its total tea trade, Sethi added.
With an improvement in climate conditions this year, a trend of higher tea production had caused tea prices to be volatile over the past few weeks, however the DTTC remains bullish on price levels as carry forward stock levels are low, he said.
This year the overall average world tea auction prices increased by 12.4 percent compared to the same period last year, the statement added.
Asked if tea futures would be launched soon in Dubai, Sethi said that the matter was being considered, however there was no set time frame to do so.
He said: "The challenge with tea futures is finding a way to standardise the different grades and types of tea," he said. (Reuters)


text:
Wholesale shipments of towable RVs and motor homes fell 8.5 percent in April from a year earlier to 31,400, according to the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association.
Travel trailers, the largest segment of the RV market, fell 7.3 percent to 16,600 units. That helped drag shipments of all towable RVs down 6.8 percent to 27,400.
Motor home shipments dropped 18.4 percent to 4,000. Shipments of Type A motor homes slumped 35.7 percent to 1,800.
RV shipments through April declined 10.9 percent from the year-earlier period to 114,000.
The totals do not include conversion vehicles. Last October, the RV association stopped including those in its monthly shipment totals. Manufacturers of conversion vehicles have cut ties with the association.


text:
BRITISH American Tobacco (BAT)’s growth in emerging markets was cancelled out by a strong pound, as the cigarette maker saw a slight rise in profits in the first half of the year.
The world’s second largest tobacco firm, which makes Kent, Dunhill, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall cigarettes, said it expects continued earnings growth in the second half of the year as it makes inroads in eastern Europe and Asia.
The group sold 344bn cigarettes, flat on last year, although a price hike saw sales remain constant despite currency difficulties.
Developing markets now account for 60 per cent of BAT’s profits, making it the most globally spread of the big tobacco groups.
Revenue was £7.45bn, almost unchanged from last year, while net profit rose 3.2 per cent to £1.93bn.
Despite a seven per cent rise in earnings per share, BAT dipped in early trading, with the company’s exchange rate difficulties greater than expected and cigarette volumes in southern Europe down around 10 per cent due to economic woes and a weak euro.
Chairman Richard Burrows said: “Despite economic uncertainty and the adverse impact of exchange rates, BAT has delivered another good set of results. The underlying business continues to perform well and we are confident of another year of good earnings growth.”


text:
YouTube has suspended the conservative news outlet One America News Network from posting new videos for a week and from making money off of its existing videos after it promoted a sham cure for Covid-19.
The video was removed under YouTube’s policies to prevent the spread of Covid-19 misinformation, which prohibit saying there is a guaranteed cure to the virus.
OANN has been suspended for “repeated violations” of this policy, said a YouTube spokeswoman, Ivy Choi.
OANN has had remarkable growth following the US election, as many Trump voters and Trump himself accused Fox of costing him the election
In the Trump orbit, Fox News has become too left leaning…
While the Xbox 4k and ray tracing is generally superior, it seems to come at the cost of frame rates.
Using games like Assassin’s Creed, Dirt and Call of Duty, the Xbox consistently slowed down the frame rate, with some screen tearing visible.
But if you want a PS5, you’re out of luck, with Sony confirming the console is sold out worldwide. PlayStation’s Jim Ryan has a fascinating interview on developing the console during covid lockdown, which involved engineers hooking up microscopes to zoom calls…


text:
Microsoft has released four games for Windows 10 that are specifically developed to be played with eye tracking systems.
The four games, which are published in the Microsoft Store and are offered with a freeware license, aren’t just supposed to let users relax and have fun, but also help them get used to eye trackers when such accessibility features are required on Windows 10.
Users who want to install the four games need to be running at least Windows 10 April 2018 Update, or version 1803, on their devices.
Microsoft releasing such games isn’t necessarily surprising, as the software giant has put a lot of effort into improving the accessibility side of Windows 10.
The latest feature updates for the operating system brought substantial enhancements in this regard, and the release of games in the Microsoft Store can help those in need of an eye tracker to get used to the way it works in Windows 10.
The four games are the following:
|Eyes First – Tile Slide: Use eye control to play tile slide and put the puzzle board back in order. Challenge yourself to complete the puzzle in as few moves as possible!|
|Eyes First – Double Up: Use eye control to play Double Up and slide…|


text:
Couple of weeks back on May 19, ZTE got its Nubia series of smartphone in India as a separate sub-brand. The Chinese firm launched Nubia Z9 mini under its Nubia brand for Rs. 16,999. We really liked the device at first glance, but were disappointed with the price. Checkout what we found about Z9 mini in our detailed review? Continue reading “Nubia Z9 mini Review”
Tag: ZTE nubia Z9 mini
Nubia Z9 mini Hands On Impressions
Chinese manufacturer ZTE has got its Nubia series of smartphone to India as a separate sub-brand. The company has launched its first device in the country under its Nubia brand dubbed the Nubia Z9 mini at Rs. 16,999. Continue reading “Nubia Z9 mini Hands On Impressions”
ZTE nubia Z9 max and Z9 mini with Android 5.0, 16MP camera announced
ZTE today announced two new smartphones nubia Z9 Max and nubia Z9 mini in the nubia series. The nubia Z9 Max is the company’s first smartphone with a Snapdragon 810 SoC. It has a 5.5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD CGS (Continuous Grain Silicon) OGS display with 75.1% screen-to-body ratio, while the Z9 mini has a 5-inch 1080p display CGS (Continuous Grain Silicon) OGS display with 74.1% screen-to-body ratio and is powered by an Octa-Core Snapdragon 615 SoC. These have aluminum alloy frame .
Continue reading “ZTE nubia Z9 max and Z9 mini with Android 5.0, 16MP camera announced”


text:
New FAA-Certified Repair Station Keeps COTS Obsolescence Out of the Air
As Congress and businesses continue to cut budgets, some question how legacy aviation systems can remain feasible - in the face of sequestration and COTS obsolescence.
GDCA, Inc., the leader in proactive commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) legacy management, announces certification of their FAA Repair station for the repair of the Viper809BXA-01 Circuit Card Assembly.
The Viper809 was discontinued in 2009 by the original manufacturer; however, there was still active need for this time-tested and mature product. With an EOL in the works, the customer was facing all the challenges of out-of-warranty repair and obsolescence- possibly an entire redesign.
“Many customers can’t just decide to take on the costs of pulling an airplane down because of an ‘obsolete’ computer board board -- that’s why we started working on this FAA repair station,” commented Steve Roldan, Director of Sales and Accounts at GDCA.
Issues around sustainment aren’t new for the aviation industry. The B-52 has been in the air since 1952, and the F-35 has recently faced concerns regarding its ongoing sustainment costs. Ongoing obsolescence management to support aging products brings additional risks and costs for sustaining engineering teams. As products age, original manufacturers are finding themselves in a difficult position with legacy customers. But facing EOL time and again is challenging for customers who know their systems will last longer than the average lifecycles of their component parts.
With over 25 years of innovative proactive legacy product management and more than 3,000 so-called “obsolete” COTS products still being manufactured and supported, GDCA is no stranger to the legacy game.
“Mature technology is time tested, customers have been using it and they know what it will do for them. To be told they’re looking at the costs of a redesign or recertification when budgets are already tight is the last thing they want to hear,” points out Ethan Plotkin, GDCA’s CEO. “Between our partnerships with major equipment manufacturers and the Viper809 FAA repair station, we can help keep critical legacy programs in the air.”
About GDCA, Inc.
GDCA is the industry pioneer in the emerging field of product legacy management. Collaborating across the embedded supply chain, GDCA has developed the tools and systems to turn the costs and hardships of obsolescence management into an easily manageable business activity.
With operational headquarters in the Silicon Valley, GDCA has global partners across the Americas, Europe and Asia. GDCA manufactures and supports over 3,000 COTS and custom embedded boards and systems. To learn more about GDCA’s Proactive Legacy Management (PLM+) Solutions, please visit www.gdca.com


text:
Archive: crypto scams
The Crypto Rally Is Over – What’s Next?
By Yasmin Sharbaf on August 19, 2022
Editor’s Note: Vin is out of the office attending LA Tech Week. So KingsCrowd Investment Research Analyst Yasmin Sharbaf is filling in for him on this weekly crypto market update. We think you’ll be interested to hear her point of view. Crypto Market Musings Last week, the crypto market rallied after the government released data showing the the Consumer Price Index decreased in July (dropping slightly compared to June). But now the crypto market seems to…
How to Avoid Crypto Scams
By Allison Brickell on November 10, 2021
You’ve heard of Dogecoin. Now get ready for Squid Game. Or rather, don’t get ready for it. Because the Squid Game token is a scam. The token — based on the popular Netflix series Squid Game — experienced a wild…


text:
Did you know that Amazon launched an Instagram clone? Yeah, me neither.
How did YouTube's "creators" become Instagram's "influencers" — and what does the dinstinction signify?
The polished perfection of the millennial influencer is giving way to a rawer, more phone-centric look.
We now know who was behind the World Record Egg - and what they plan on doing with the account. But what does this tell us about today's attention economy?
Looks like a handy way of fending off the regulators and avoiding a break-up.
Two moves from major platforms — one small, one major — suggest the right direction of travel.
Five good reads to kick off your week.
The founders of Instagram are waling away from Facebook. What next for them - and for the photo sharing app?


text:
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, a democrat, is planning to introduce the ” Mainstream Fairness Act ” to the Senate after the they come back from their Easter Holiday break. The purpose of this bill is to require American citizens to pay sales tax on products they buy over the internet.
I don’t necessarily have a problem paying sales tax for stuff I buy on line. What I have a problem with is the deceptive and inflammatory way Durbin is trying to sell this with. In an article on ” Patriot Update, ” Durbin is quoted as saying “Why should out-of-state companies that sell their products online have an unfair advantage over Main Street bricks-and-mortar businesses?” Durbin said in a speech in Collinsville, Ill., in February. “Out-of-state companies that aren’t paying their fair share of taxes are sticking Illinois residents and businesses with the tab.”
The first quote, “Why should out-of-state companies that sell their products online have an unfair advantage over Main Street bricks-and-mortar businesses?” I would concede that he is probably, technically right; however, heres the rub, if I buy something online, I have to pay shipping costs; if I buy something in a store, and, carry it out, I don’t. There has to be some sort of tradeoff to balance the scale. Ordering online, I pay for the product and shipping it but no sales tax; if I buy that same product in a store, I pay sales tax but not shipping costs. There is a balance.
The second quote is the one I have the problem with. “Out-of-state companies that aren’t paying their fair share of taxes are sticking Illinois residents and businesses with the tab.” This statement is the typically democratic party speel of telling its constituency that corporate America is not paying their taxes. Its a lie and its done to insight anger towards corporations and rich folk.
Here is why its a lie. I’l use this as an example, Bob owns a music store in Pennsylvania. Last year, he sold 10 million dollars worth of merchandise, ( Bob had a good year ), Pennsylvania’s sales tax is 6%, that means Bob’s store took in $600,000 in sales tax. Now, who paid that sales tax? Not Bob! Bob’s costomers paid it. That money goes directly to the state. It has nothing to do with corporate America paying its taxes. That is a separate issue. The end of the quote, the part about Illinois residents and businesses being stuck with the tab, is ridiculous. There is no tab. Illinois’ residents and businesses do not get billed for taxes that are not charged by companies that sell products over the internet; that is a ridiculous statement to make.
In conclusion, I see a much more broad and sinister agenda here. I see this legislation as a stepping stone toward a national sales tax. Democrats in general, have had their eyes on that prize for a long time. If that happens, it’ll be a big one.


text:
The global shapewear market is set to reach US$5.58 billion by 2022 as consumers seek undergarments which give them confidence in their physical form.
That fact hasn’t been lost on Yummie, which a decade ago launched its first product, a patented three-panel tank designed for women who wanted to smooth and shape their curves and be comfortable.
This month, Yummie has gone a step further, creating another patent-pending design the six-in-one Shaping Tank it describes as its most innovative product yet.
Madelyn Ulrich, senior designer at Yummi, says what makes the tank unique is its built-in compression panels that offer targeted control where women want it most.
“With the six-in-one’s versatility, you’ll get shaping power front, back or all around, under any type of clothing.
“Women love options and versatility. They have the ability to choose one of multiple ways to wear this light shaping solution.”
There is no front and back to this tank — one side features a scoop neck and the other side a V-neck, so it can be worn under just about any neckline.
Yummie says the six-in-one, made from 76 per cent tactel nylon, 24 per cent spandex on the outside and 82 per cent nylon and 18 per cent spandex on the inside lining, leaves no visible lines underneath outer clothing, making it virtually invisible.
On sale in the US, it comes in sizes ranging from XS to 3X, priced from US$58 – $68.
Allied Market Research says the growth of the shapewear market is driven by rising disposable income of consumers, advancements in the fabric technology and garment designs, a rise in popularity of compression wear among the geriatric population, changes in human lifestyles, and an increase in demand for compression wear in the fitness industry.
Market growth will be strongest in Asia-Pacific region.


text:
The growth of pessimism regarding the UK economy prespectives contributed to consumer activity reduction: the volume of retail trade grew by 2.28% in 2015, against the growth of 4.31% a year earlier. Given the fact that the Bank of England expects wage growth slowdown in the current year, the negative scenario becomes quite obvious.
The price is finding the first support at 1.4400, the next one is at 1.4320. The price is finding the first resistance at 1.4480, the next one is at 1.4560.
There is a confirmed and a strong buy signal. The price is above the Ichimoku Cloud and it is above the Chinkou Span. The Tenkan-sen shows an upward movement and the Kijun-sen shows a horizontal movement. The upward movement will be until the price is above the Cloud.
The MACD indicator is in a positive territory. The price is growing.
The potential growth targets are the resistance levels: 1.4480, 1.4560.


text:
Travel Corporation Wins Sustainability Gamechanger Award
(Singapore, June 27, 2019) The Travel Corporation has won a Sustainability Gamechanger Award in Singapore at the inaugural RHT RMF GAIL Sustainability Awards 26 June 2019 hosted by RHT Rajan Menon Foundation. Guest of Honour for the event was Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources. (Pictured right)
The foundation enables law firm RHTLaw Taylor Wessing (6th largest law firm in Singapore) and RHT Group of Companies to do right and do good through various charitable endeavours. In response to the importance of sustainability to address climate change, adverse social and community impact as well as corporate governance issues, RHT Rajan Menon Foundation commissioned its sustainability initiative named GAIL (Greening ASEAN: Initiatives and Leadership) in 2018.
The inaugural GAIL Sustainability Awards aims to ignite, initiate and inspire organisations to embrace sustainable practices and values while giving tribute to businesses who go above and beyond in their efforts to champion sustainable development. The panel of judges are made up of a panel of leading figures in the sustainability movement, corporate sector, public sector and academia, and the efforts of companies from different industries to drive positive change.
The Travel Corporation was the only travel company to receive this award and was represented by Robin Yap, Chairman Emeritus who received the award on stage. Joining Robin for the evening was Anthony Lim, Managing Director for Insight Vacations, Timothy Su, Contiki’s Senior Sales & Marketing Manager, together with Titania Cheong, Asst Director of Sales, Insight Vacations, Florence Ang, PR & Partnerships Manager, accompanied by two Trafalgar guests (mother and son) who were invited to join the celebration.
The Travel Corporation is a family of brands with a joint mission to make travel matter, ensuring a sustainable approach in all aspects of its business by helping to safeguard the planet, wildlife & people for generations to come. From the beginning of its 2019 operating season, travel brands such as (Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold, Costsaver, Contiki, AAT Kings and Inspiring Journeys will no longer offer single-use plastic bottles on all their coach tours. TTC employees around the world are active in community beach clean-ups, sustainability education seminars, and volunteer projects. The company also encourages clients to opt for e-documents and will plant One tree for every client who chooses not to receive printed documents.
09:28 AM, 10 Dec, 2023
10:06 PM, 4 Dec, 2023
06:53 AM, 1 Dec, 2023


text:
Hugo Boss has signed an interesting licensing deal via its Hugo Boss Trade Mark Management unit, entering into an exclusive global dog apparel and accessories agreement with Kanine Pets World Limited.
Not content with launching another branch of H Beauty a few weeks ago, Harrods is putting big support behind beauty in May as it invites consumers to enjoy ‘The Harrods Beauty Adventure’ at its Knightsbridge flagship.
The (Fashion) Minority Report has launched The Hub, a new platform that aims to “connect young, diverse talent with industry-leading brands to enrich inclusivity in the fashion industry and the creative sector”.
There was good news and bad on UK spending on Tuesday as reports showed consumers are being impacted by higher prices, but are still spending on fashion and on activities that require new clothes and beauty products.
Founded by the French entrepreneur Beverly Sonego, Monogram Paris aims to internationalize its second-hand brand concept. It is being tested throughout May on the American market, in New York and Los Angeles.
The Italian group specialised in down jackets plans to further segment its markets, diversify into footwear, boost its online sales and broaden its retail footprint by opening over 150 new stores by 2024.


text:
99.2 percent of mobiles sold in India are 'Made in India', says IT Minister
He wrote in a post that the Indian mobile industry has witnessed rapid growth, expanding by a remarkable factor of 20 in just nine years.
Minister Vaishnav posted on X, "Met Mobile industry to review progress. Industry has grown 20 times in 9 years. 2014: 78 per cent import dependent 2023: 99.2 percent of all mobiles sold in India are 'Made in India'".
Talking about the growth trajectory, the minister highlighted an important shift in import dependency. In 2014, a staggering 78 per cent of the mobile market relied on imports. But in 2023, 99.2 percent of all mobiles sold in India are now proudly stamped as 'Made in India.'
The minister met with key stakeholders and leaders in the mobile industry to conduct a comprehensive review of the progress made.
With the growth of the mobile sector, the domestic manufacturing ecosystem has been strengthened and also contributed significantly to reducing India's dependence on foreign imports.
Minister Vaishnav expressed his satisfaction with the industry's resilience and commitment to the 'Make in India' initiative.
This remarkable achievement aligns with the government's vision to enhance self-reliance and boost the manufacturing sector under the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiative.
The success of the industry highlights India's capability of transitioning from being predominantly import-dependent to an emerging key player in mobile manufacturing globally.
The meeting with industry leaders provided an opportunity for constructive dialogue on future prospects, technological advancements, and collaborative efforts to sustain and further amplify this success.
Minister Vaishnaw conveyed his optimism for the continued growth of the Indian mobile industry and its pivotal role in the nation's economic landscape.
See What’s Next in Tech With the Fast Forward Newsletter
Tweets From @varindiamag
Nothing to see here - yet
When they Tweet, their Tweets will show up here.


text:
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer views Silicon Valley as four distinct entities and he took the opportunity to pitch all of them in one place Wednesday night in the latest stop on his Windows 8 sales tour.
The event was a Churchill Club interview by LinkedIn Executive Chairman Reid Hoffman attended by about 700 at the Santa Clara Marriott.
It was the first public appearance by the volcanic Ballmer since the resignation of Windows chief Steve Sinofsky and the first question from Hoffman's lips was about the sudden departure.
As he did most of the night the Microsoft CEO stuck to the script, saying it was Sinofsky's choice to leave and praising the team that is taking over Microsoft's primary product line.
"(Sinofsky) recommended that if you are going to make a change, make it on a product boundary and he has done that," Ballmer said, wishing him well and crediting him with "one of the most amazing contributions anyone's made to any company."
But it was quickly clear that Ballmer wasn't in town to bury his former lieutenant but rather to praise the software and new Surface tablet/PC hybrid he helped to create. "From a strategy perspective, we are all-in on what we’ve done," he told Hoffman.
The four Silicon Valleys Ballmer saw in the room break down this way:
— First there are the companies that build the chips, the networks and the storage that power modern technology like long-time Microsoft partner Intel. "That still exists and it's really important although you wouldn’t believe it, reading the popular press," Ballmer said.
— Next are the consumer technology startups and businesses which Ballmer says seems to have relocated north to San Francisco. "When I come here to visit consumer software businesses these days I never seem to get out of the city."
— Third is what he called "the enterprise stuff," which he said "is a little dormant right now" because venture capital swung to consumer startups. Ballmer sees that pendulum slowly swinging back now, though.
— Finally, there are the really big companies, the Ciscos, Googles, Apples and others, most of whom are Microsoft's biggest competitors.
All of them were represented in the room Wednesday night and Ballmer took some careful shots at some of them.
Asked about Windows Phone 8, he said it is well-positioned between Android, which he called "a little wild" and prone to malware, and the expensive, controlled ecosystem of Apple's iOS mobile operating system.
"The operators want a third alternative and I think we can be that," Ballmer said.
There was no confirmation that Microsoft would make its own phone, as has been rumored. Ballmer said, however, that the company would make devices, as it has done with the Surface, under the right circumstances.
"Our partners will make the lion's share of Windows devices," he said. Microsoft will build devices "when there is an innovation opportunity that crosses hardware and software."
Regarding the company's Bing search engine, Ballmer admitted it has been an expensive venture and there is still a lot of work to be done but he insisted that it is "growing very well."
By tackling search, he believes Microsoft is one of only two companies seriously working with an important technology for the future — machine learning. Google is the implied other but Ballmer didn't name that rival.
The important thing is that in technology, unlike a Procter & Gamble job Ballmer said he once had of selling brownie mix, you have to cannibalize and reinvent yourself on a regular basis.
The pace of innovation isn't quite the same in technology as it is in brownie mix, he said.
And he no doubt wouldn't get the same big audience if he was still pitching chewy chocolate, no matter how delicious.


text:
An employee at a Tesla factory in Fremont, California, reportedly died this week while working on a production line.
The worker died Wednesday after collapsing during a shift on the facility’s powertrain line. Tesla reported the incident to authorities, and the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health confirmed it was aware.
“Cal/OSHA is gathering more information to determine the work-relatedness of this event and whether to conduct an inspection,” a spokesperson for the agency told the Mercury News.
First responders arrived at the factory just before 6 a.m. local time, a Fremont Fire Department told the newspaper. Firefighters on site initially determined the situation was “a medical emergency and said there was no machinery involved.”
The worker, who was not publicly identified, was pronounced dead at the scene. Tesla representatives did not immediately return a request for comment.
More than 10,000 employees work at the Tesla factory in Fremont, according to the electric vehicle maker’s website. Tesla acquired the facility in 2010.
The worker’s death came weeks after a separate incident at the Fremont plant. Tesla employee Anthony Solima was arrested and charged with murder after he allegedly shot and killed a coworker, Lee Brasier, following a workplace dispute.


text:
Samsung just announced new handset editions, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. Without a mobile strategy of its own, Microsoft is partnering with Samsung to sell Microsoft Edition versions of the latest Samsung Android-based devices. Here’s how this works…
A Microsoft customization is applied to the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ Microsoft Edition when the devices are unboxed and connected to Wi-Fi. This customization ensures customers a best-in-class productivity experience with Microsoft applications such as Office, OneDrive, Cortana, Outlook and more.
Handsets are now available for pre-order and will begin selling directly in Microsoft Stores on April 21, 2017.
Looking for an awesome, no-nonsense technical conference for IT Pros, Developers, and DevOps? IT/Dev Connections kicks off in San Francisco in 2017!


text:
Goodwill Industries of East Texas and the East Texas Food Bank have joined forces to help East Texans.
The East Texas Food Bank is expanding its SNAP program through a strategic collaboration called GoodAssist.
“The goal of the project is to provide a complete ‘one-stop shop’ for low-income Goodwill clients, retail staff and the general public, who are in need of benefit assistance,” according to a news release.
GoodAssist is at the Goodwill Tyler Super Store at 1817 WSW Loop 323.
At the Tyler Goodwill store, there will be three dedicated computer stations, where trained individuals will confidentially assist participants with applications for benefits from a variety of assistance programs, including: SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and TANF, through an online application process at www.yourtexasbenefits.com .
In addition to providing application assistance, Goodwill also can assess the training and employment needs of participants through an intake process. Spanish speaking assistance also will be offered.
The goal is to expand GoodAssist to a second Goodwill store in summer 2014, and then to a third store in fall 2014. After the initial pilot year, GoodAssist could be expanded further to other Goodwill stores across East Texas. Goodwill Industries of East Texas has 15 stores.
If you have a need for this personal assistance, or know someone who does, you may schedule an appointment with coordinator Brian Williams at 903-343-5495 or stop in the Goodwill Tyler Super Store at 1817 WSW Loop 323 in Tyler, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays; 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.


text:
Results For "Team-India"
4 News Found
Cricket.com captures cricket maniacs with pDOOH campaign
In Campaigns By M4G Bureau - March 03, 2020
Cricket.com goes Programmatic with Eyetalk Media Ventures, buys DOOH spots mapped with Team India’s cricket calendar
Tasty Treat cheers for Team India with activations
In OOH News By M4G Bureau - July 10, 2019
The brand organised a multi-level campaign execution at 200+ Big Bazaar stores in association with INOX multiplex chain


text:
Merit Beauty has named Philippe Pinatel as CEO, taking over for founder and current CEO, Katherine Power. In just three years, Merit, which makes a tight line of clean makeup products, has become a beauty lover’s favorite: In just 2023 it generated more than $100 million in sales.
Power, Merit’s Founder and Chairperson, is also the Founder of Versed Beauty. Kerry Sullivan was named CEO of Versed in May 2023, a brand that consists of 25 skin care SKUS, all priced under $25.
Pinatel is a 25-year veteran of beauty retail and a specialist in global, high-growth omni-channel brands. Pinatel most recently served as Global President at MAC Cosmetics and previously held senior leadership positions at Sephora, Guerlain and Birchbox.
Power will continue as Founder and Chairperson of Merit, working closely with him to deliver innovation and differentiated creative vision.
More than 80% of Merit’s product lineup have been best-sellers at Sephora in their Clean category, with classics such as the Minimalist Complexion Stick, Flush Balm blush, and the recently launched Solo Shadow eyeshadow, which generated over $1 million in sales within two weeks of launch.


text:
Production will then move into the new building and the old building will be demolished by 2018.
The new building will be 20,000 square metres, and will be home to AVS systems manufacturing as well as the local R&D centre, according to Broux.
The added capacity, said Broux, has already secured off-takes with a “big project” with car-maker Ford.
“We have tried to make the new plant efficient in every way, using Industry 4.0 tools and technology,” said the French boss.
“In terms of Industry 4.0, we have virtually designed the whole site in 3D, so one can pay a virtual visit to the plant,” explained Broux.
This, according to Broux, allows plant engineers to move machinery appropriately and see, in simulation, if everything is going well.
The virtual modelling will also help material flow at the plant, he added.
A consortium involving Schnieder Electrics as well as a number of local start-ups has been involved in developing the technology for the plant.
In Vitré, where Cooper Standard produces automotive seals, the company is increasing its production area by 3,000 square metres to 30,000 square metres, to house some of the equipment from Rennes and to expand production.
“Vitré is such a full-on site and is fast growing in sales,” he explained.
The site has increased its annual sales from €90 million in 2009 to upwards of €120 million in 2015.
The site, according to Broux, supplies to all European car manufacturers as well as some auto-makers further afield, including South Korea’s Hyundai.
The Schneider-led consortium will also improve the technology at this plant as part of the expansion project.


text:
Nonprescription birth control pill now available online
The first birth control pill to be available without a prescription in the United States is now online.
The product called Opill can be bought on Amazon and Opill.com. Orders are expected to be filled in a day or two.
A month’s supply has a recommended price of $19.99. A three-month supply is $49.99. Some OBGYNs said online access to the pill will benefit women who live in remote areas or may not have transportation to stores that carry it.


text:
KTM is releasing an updated limited edition version of its 450 SX-F, developed from Ryan Dungey‘s 2012 AMA Motocross championship-winning race bike and KTM‘s R&D departments in both the U.S. and Austria. The 2013 KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition receives a number of updates from the limited edition model released last year, developed during Dungey’s […]
EICMA 2011 Preview: 2012 KTM 690 Duke
KTM has released a video teasing its redesigned 690 Duke, which is set to make its debut at the 2011 EICMA show.
The 2012 690 Duke will be powered by what KTM claims is the world’s most powerful Single-cylinder engine in production, with output expected to be close to 70hp.
Updates include a side-mounted exhaust instead of the previous version’s underslung silencer, ABS, ride-by-wire throttle and weight savings from a new manufacturing process for the structural fairing and subframe.
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
The flat-faced headlight and graphics also gives the new 690 a similar design language as the smaller-displacement 125 and 350 Dukes.
Unfortunately, it does not appear that KTM will bring the 690 Duke to North America. KTM has dropped both the Duke and the Super Duke from its American lineup while the now-infamous leaked Powerpoint slide from KTM’s North America dealer meeting does not list the 690 Duke for 2012 to 2014.
The good news though is the leaked slide does list the 350 Duke and a new Super Duke R1290, but we’ll have to wait until 2013 to see those models on North American roads.


text:
Americans spend a lot of the time at the grocery store, and the ability to access a coin counting machine could draw even more consumers into these locales. The U.S. Grocery Shopping Trends 2016 report from the Food Marketing Institute revealed that the average American makes 1.6 trips to the supermarket each week, spending a total of $107. For many people, that's no small investment, which is why a large number of shoppers aren't willing to settle for any old grocery shopping experiences. The study found that 52 percent of people bypass their most convenient grocery store option in favor of a more distant market because it lacks the prices, products and services they want.
Don't allow your store to be bypassed - invest in the amenities your customer base is looking for.
One in-demand feature you may want to consider investing in is a coin-counting machine. Discover magazine reported that a whopping 80 percent of Americans save their change as opposed to spending it - that means there are a lot of coins jingling around in your customers' pockets. When the time comes for them to count their savings, don't you want your institution to be the first place they think of when considering where to go? By adding a coin counting machine to your market, you're benefiting both your business and your base.
Newsday reported that as consumers in one section of Long Island, New York, became more aware of the value of their change, their appreciation for local coin counting services grew, too - in 2009, one bank chain in the area reported processing nearly $62 million worth of coin counting transactions. People seeking coin counting services outside of financial institutions - which sometimes only offer these amenities to their account-holding members - found allies in some of their local grocery stores. Over 130 supermarkets on Long Island offered coin counting machines in 2010.
Although some of the penny-pinching was being done by merchants and small businesses, Long Island bank teller Brittany Petry told Newsday that her financial institution estimated that the majority of its coin counting customers - about 70 percent - were individual consumers looking to cash in on their extra pocket change.
The source noted that most people it interviewed, whether they were counting their coins at a bank or supermarket, were organizing their change so they could put it toward play rather than work. By bringing a coin counting machine into your store, you could inspire patrons to spend their "fun" money on the spot, brightening their days and boosting your profits.
To fully take advantage of the benefits of having an in-store coin counting machine, you need to spread awareness among shoppers. Let your patrons know that by simply gathering the loose change they ignore each day - whether it be sitting in the cup holders of their cars or wedged between their couch cushions - they can add a little more money to their income.
Make sure to reach out to the traditionally cash-strapped younger generations, especially students, who are always looking for opportunities to beef up their bank accounts. Another demographic to market to is people who work in the hospitality industry, like bartenders, servers, maids and other professionals who make cash tips. You may also consider tying in the concept of coin counting to other store sales - for example, point out that products could easily be purchased with the coins consumers are resting on.
May 4, 2017


text:
Ahh, early June – that wonderful time just before E3 – the gaming community’s biggest and most prestigious expo – where almost every single secret game and reveal are unceremoniously spoiled and leaked. Today, it’s the turn of Ubisoft’s once hyped but ultimately shamed hacking sim, Watch Dogs, whose sequel was leaked by a YouTuber showing off a promo pack and an actor who couldn’t wait to show off his involvement.
So yeah, Watch Dogs 2 is a thing, as many have assumed, with Ubisoft quietly confirming the game ahead of its own conference on Monday 13 June. The French publisher hasn’t shown off any official assets or gameplay, but we’re expecting this is Ubi’s now annual ‘secret game’ that always appears at the end of its show.
Those leaked materials, including a revamped logo for the sequel and a new main character (which at least confirms the vile personality vacuum that was Aiden Pearce won’t be returning from the first game), at least show that Ubi wants to shakeup the formula of the 2014 original (pictured above) – as to whether that ethos extends to the open-world and hacking elements of the sequel remains to be seen, but let’s not forget that once upon a time Watch Dogs was the most hyped new game on the planet.
Alongside WD2, Ubi also confirmed it will be showcasing more from multiplayer slasher For Honor, grand open-world co-op shooter Ghost Recon: Wildlands and the new South Park RPG (and sequel to the excellent The Stick of Truth), The Fractured But Whole. Fingers crossed we get a sneak peak at a new Splinter Cell, too.


text:
AstraZeneca feeling pain from copycats
AstraZeneca today warned of tough competition from rival drugs companies as demand slowed for its big-selling indigestion medicine Nexium.
Like all the big pharmaceuticals companies, Britain's number two medicines company has suffered for years from the impact of cheap copycat versions, known as generics.
Profits fell 3% last year to $7.98bn (£4.01bn) on sales up 12% at $30bn.
Generic manufacturers are this year planning to apply for the right to launch cheap versions of Nexium and of Astra's schizophrenia drug Seroquel.
'The big issue is the at-risk generic launches against Nexium and Seroquel,' said Peter Cartwright, an analyst at Evolution Securities. 'People are worried about those launches.'
The drugmaker forecast earnings per share to rise to as much as $4.70 in 2008, from $4.38 in 2007. Sales growth may be as high as mid-single digits, AstraZeneca said.
AstraZeneca bought US biotechnology company MedImmune for $15.2bn (£7.6bn) in June as part of chief executive officer David Brennan's strategy to add products after research setbacks left the drugmaker with few experimental treatments close to receiving regulatory approval.
'MedImmune has given AstraZeneca all the elements required to deliver a flow of biologics, including vaccines, to market,' Brennan said.
Most watched Money videos
- Jaguar Land Rover opens UK's biggest state-of-the-art design centre
- Top interior designer reveals tips to give your home a designer look
- What does Britain's General Election mean for investors?
- Scottish Mortgage: Why we hold Amazon, Tesla and Ferrari
- Land Rover reveals the Defender is being used in next Bond film
- H&H Classics auctions the classic 1983 Ferrari 308 GTB QV
- Bristol Mayor explains the 'logic' of a proposed diesel car ban
- What next for Woodford investors as the fund shuts?
- Man carries disabled daughter down stairs in Tui holiday 'disaster'
- Are beaten up UK bank shares an opportunity to profit?
- How to invest in the new era of falling interest rates
- Entrepreneur promotes his own rum ahead of Dragon's Den appearance


text:
Ayaz Siddiqui, the general manager of operations at Frigerio Conserva Allana Private Limited, or Allana, a subsidiary of Allanasons—one of the biggest exporters of buffalo meat in India—has not been sleeping well. Siddiqui told me this when I met him at the Allana office in Aligarh on 30 May 2017. “Every night I get calls from suppliers,” he said. He said some of them are highly distressed because the agents who normally sell them the buffaloes are no longer bringing animals to the market. Later, he showed me a spreadsheet on his phone. “Look at our production, today we have only slaughtered 612 [buffaloes], usually it is around 1,800 a day.” Siddiqui told me that this was a result of a recent notification issued by the central government. He added that there were rumours were circulating among those selling the buffaloes that police officers in Aligarh were stopping sellers and telling them that the animal markets were shut down. “The markets are still operating, but the rumours are taking a toll on the business,” he said.
On 23 May, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued a notification titled the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017. The rules introduce a slew of regulations on the sale and purchase of cattle, including even bullocks and buffaloes, which were earlier excluded from the ambit of regulations on cattle slaughter. The most contentious aspect of the rules is a prohibition on the sale and purchase of cattle for the purpose of slaughter from an animal market. The rules provide a broad definition of “animal market,” which includes even lairages, and prohibit the existence of an animal market within 25 kilometres of a state border and within 50 kilometres of an international border.
According to Harish Damodaran, the rural affairs and agriculture editor at the Indian Express, the rules “will not get implemented on the ground.” “Farmers will come onto the streets [in protest] within two months,” he told me. When a farmer “will have to sell the animal and there is no one to sell it to, he will be ruined,” he added. During the course of my reporting, I visited the Allana office and two animal markets in and around Aligarh. It became evident that along with the farmers, the adverse impact of the new rules was borne by every stakeholder in the cattle-meat industry’s supply chain.
At the start of the supply chain is the primary source of cattle in the industry—the farmer, who would typically have a small number of cattle for their own use. The cattle are sold at an animal market when they become unproductive—if they stop producing milk or become old or weak. Though farmers may go to the market and sell the cattle themselves, they are normally sold through an aggregator, who travels to several villages, buys the cattle from the farmers and sells them at the animal market for a slightly higher price. The companies that distribute or export the meat, such as Allana, buy the cattle at these animal markets. These companies employ suppliers on contract to supply cattle to meet the company’s demand for meat production. These suppliers, in turn, either have employees who buy the cattle on behalf of the company from various animal markets, or they buy cattle from commissioning agents, who operate locally out of the animal markets and receive a commission on each animal sold to the company. While aggregators buy cattle from different farmers and sell them at an animal market, commissioning agents buy cattle from different animal markets and sell them to the suppliers or the companies. The cattle are then slaughtered at abattoirs owned and operated by these companies, and sold across India and the world.
On 30 May, I travelled to Aligarh, which is a central location for the meat-processing industry with a large number of cattle traders and slaughterhouses. At the Allana office, I met a delegation of around 13 suppliers who are registered on contract with the company as its cattle suppliers. The delegation was visiting the office for a periodic meeting, which included a discussion on the recently introduced rules. There was silence in the room when I asked them whether they had read the rules. Hero Khan, a 28-year-old supplier from Hasangarh village, told me that his family read the rules and told him, “Ab paith band ho jayaga, aur Aadhaar card se bhains bechega kisan”—Now the markets will close and the farmer will use an Aadhaar card to sell their buffaloes. Mohammad Ismail, a 29-year-old supplier, asked me, “How will he [a farmer] sell his animal without a market?”


text:
Bitcoin appeals to many different people, including the nefarious ones that like the anonymity associated with digital currency. LexisNexis, the company that provides banks with anti-money laundering controls, is aiming to stop the bad guys in their tracks when using bitcoin for illegal activities and is teaming up with London startup Elliptic to do so.
LexisNexis reportedly said it is partnering with Elliptic to create the new service that brings bank-grade control to transactions made in bitcoin. The idea is that it will make the digital currency more appealing to those who want to conduct legitimate transactions and not only for drug traffickers who don’t want to be traced. LexisNexis uses a database of nearly 3 million global entities that could be involved in illicit transactions and shared it with Elliptic, which will monitor bitcoin transactions. It will alert clients, including bitcoin exchanges and


text:
Alibaba is backing Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and helping to promote it in China.
This is quite scary for online-ad-reliant businesses. From the Economist: “By some estimates, more than 200m people worldwide are now regular users of ad-blocki...
AdsOptimal has been a journey from the east to the west for its founder.
There's some serious money to be made from boring utility apps, according to the latest report from Beijing-based PapayaMobile's mobile ad platform, AppFlood.
Baidu's fight with the Putian hospital group is getting uglier, with the group now reportedly threatening to "beat up" doctors who keep running ads on Baidu.
Apple is betting such emotional imagery will win over fans in the Chinese market as well as it did in the west.
Chinese food delivery startup found itself in hot water this week after a cheeky advertisement caught the ire of an older lady who doesn't think that joking abo...
Advertisements are now live in your WeChat feed, and among the first to take a bite out of the WeChat ad apple are BMW and Coca-Cola.
Of its nearly 60 million monthly active users worldwide, ABP only has about 6.5 million in Asia.
The adverts are in the WeChat Moments section of the app, which is a bit like the Facebook timeline.
“Twitter’s primary objective in India and emerging markets is growth,” says Jaitly. And now it has a weapon that will help a lot.
Twitter confirmed today that it has acquired Zipdial, an Indian startup that has made a business out of something really unusual – missed calls.
Alibaba announced in a statement today it has bought a majority stake in AdChina, the country’s largest independent digital advertising technology platform.
It should come as no surprise that some of Japan's smash hit games are also the most heavily advertised on television.
WiWide, a Chinese startup that provides public wifi networks to stores and restaurants, has received a US$49 million series C round from Tencent and Dianping.
Line revives a 12-year-old movie to pull at Indonesians’ heartstrings in this clever piece of viral marketing
Indonesia doesn’t have a Super Bowl to showcase the year’s cleverest advertising, but it does have a strong romance film audience. Japanese chat app and social ...
Using an all-star roster, the company is branching into B2B services.
A few years back, this trio of wizards from Bangalore didn't have enough money for plane tickets. Now, they power the ecommerce engines of CTrip, Yintai, Tmart,...
With tens of billions of impressions served per month, Geniee attracts Japanese telco Softbank for ad business tie-in.
Vserv already had 500 million user profiles and Fortune 500 clients. CEO Dippak Khurana tells us why it still needed to get smarter at mobile advertising.
The annual advertising event attracted a lot of big names but also some exciting startups.
Big data and face recognition are two tech sectors that had nothing in common a few years ago, but soon they will converge in more ways than one.
Indian startup Greedygame is looking to help developers monetize without interrupting gamers with endless waves of ads. Co-founder Arpit Jain tells us how.
The funding shows VC interest in O20.
A new update to Momo’s app for iOS heralds the arrival of the startup’s mobile advertising platform. But is it an awkward fit?
Adskom is one of those rare Indonesian tech startups which are operating internationally.
Inmobi has recently announced a game development fund worth $25 million. Piyush Shah, Inmobi's VP of products gives us the details.
InMobi's first-of-its-kind fund is dedicated to game devs – but it’s not really a traditional VC fund.


text:
The Victoria Royals have unveiled their uniforms for this year’s Pink in the Rink game, which will be held this Friday night when the team hosts the Vancouver Giants at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.
Pink in the Rink, which is being presented by Mayfair Optometric, is one of the club’s longest-running theme nights, generating over $350,000 in funds towards organizations supporting cancer treatment and research since its inception in 2009.
This year the team will be donating $1 from every ticket sold and proceeds from a jersey auction to the BC Cancer Foundation.
The event provides a great opportunity for the team and community to engage with a cause that goes far beyond the game of hockey:
“It really makes my heart swell,” said William Litchfield, Executive Director of BC Cancer Foundation, Vancouver Island. “Every year it gets more exciting. It’s really about that fan engagement that makes this event so special. Everybody has a cancer story or has been touched by cancer in some way and for the Royals to take up that cause and share it with the community is unbelievable.”
This year’s jerseys are styled in a “graffiti” theme, featuring pink and light blue designs on the shoulders and arms over a black base with a pink Royals “lion’s head” logo on the chest. All the uniforms worn during the game will be available for purchase through an online auction.
“This game is one of the most important highlights of our schedule every season,” said Victoria Royals General Manager and Head Coach Dan Price. “Every member of the team, whether it be players, staff or volunteers, will have important people in their hearts and on their minds for this game in support of the BC Cancer Foundation. I know this will be true for all of our fans as well. The building is going to be full of passion and energy on Friday. It’s going to be emotional and it’s going to be special, that’s for sure.”
Puck drop for Pink in the Rink presented by Mayfair Optometric is set for 7:05 pm on Friday, Feb. 10. Tickets for the game will cost just $15 and are available for purchase at the following link.
The auction for the jerseys is currently open and bids will be accepted until Friday, February 17 at 11:45 pm PST at the following link.


text:
Spurious Starbucks becomes a challenge for the international brand in Iraq
December 23 - 2022
Coffee Geography Magazine
The unlicensed Starbucks in Iraq have everything from the signboard outside down to the napkins bears the official emblem of the top international coffee chain. The three illegally operating cafes in Baghdad imports real Starbucks merchandises from neighboring countries to stock.
A lawsuit was filed against the perpetrator who violated the rights of an international brand, name and logo for their own illegal personal gains. However, the case was lagging due to threats to hurt the lawyers hired by the company.
“I am a businessman,” Amin Makhsusi, the owner of the fake branches, said in the interview. He denied making the threats. “I had this ambition to open Starbucks in Iraq.”
After his requests to obtain a license from Starbucks’ official agent in the Middle East were denied, “I decided to do it anyway, and bear the consequences.”
Starbucks is evaluating next steps as stated by its spokesperson “We have an obligation to protect our intellectual property from infringement to retain our exclusive rights to it.” Iraq has emerged as a hub for trademark violation and piracy that cuts across sectors, from retail to broadcasting and pharmaceuticals. Regulation is weak while perpetrators of intellectual property violations can continue doing business largely because they enjoy cover by powerful groups.
Counterfeiting is compromising well-known brands, costing companies billions in lost revenue and even putting lives at risk, according to businesses affected by the violations and U.S. officials following their cases.
“As Iraq endeavors to diversify its economy beyond the energy sector and attract foreign investment in knowledge-based sectors, it is critical that companies know their patents and intellectual property will be respected and protected by the government,” said Steve Lutes, vice president of Middle East Affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Makhsusi insists he tried the legal route but was denied a license from Starbucks’ regional agent based in Kuwait. He also said he attempted to reach Starbucks through contacts in the United States, but that these were also unsuccessful.
Cups, stir sticks and other Starbucks merchandise are obtained in Turkey and Europe, using his contacts, he said. “The coffee, everything is authentic Starbucks,” Makhususi added.
A law firm was hired by Starbucks and sent a cease-and-desist notice to Makhsusi. They said that the businessman then told one of the lawyers on the case that he ought to be careful, warning that he had backing from a prominent Iranian-backed armed group and support from Iraqi political parties.
Makhsusi said doing business in Iraq requires good relations with armed groups, the bulk of whom are part of the official state security apparatus.
“I have friendly relations with everyone in Iraq, including the armed factions,” he said. “I am a working man, I need these relationships to avoid problems, especially given that the situation in Iraq is not stable for business.”


text:
NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (March 18, 2013) — Deputy Premier of Nevis and Minister of Tourism in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Hon. Mark Brantley described Nevis’ recent participation at an acclaimed cruise conference in Miami as successful.
On his return to Nevis, Mr. Brantley who led a two member delegation from the Ministry of Tourism to the Sea Trade Cruise Conference told the Department of Information on March 15th, 2013 that during the Conference they were afforded the opportunity to hold some useful meetings.
“All in all, I feel that the trip was very successful. For me it was an effort to familiarise myself with the cruise industry. Nevis as we all know is not a major cruise destination and we want it to stay that way… We met with Celebrity Cruise Lines, we met with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and we met with Azamara.
“Azamara is of particular interest to us because it is a luxury brand of Royal Caribbean and so the idea behind meeting with them is because Nevis is promoting itself as a premier destination. We are seeking to attract the higher end niche of the cruise market, the small ships, the luxury brands and so Azamara took a meeting with us and we are very, very grateful for that,” he said.
According to Mr. Brantley, the Azamara had already made calls to Nevis and the most recent was two weeks ago. He expressed hope that it would make Nevis an integral part of its itinerary.
Discussions were also held with officials from the Windstar, another luxury brand cruise line.
“We also took the opportunity to continue discussions with another luxury brand called Windstar. Windstar was here recently their representatives were on St. Kitts and came over to Nevis. I met with them briefly and officials here from the Ministry of Tourism took them on an island tour.
“Windstar is a brand that we are keenly interested in, they have expressed a very, very keen desire to come to Nevis because they see Nevis as affording their clientele the upscale destination that they are looking for and so we took a meeting with them which went extremely well,” he said.
Mr. Brantley further noted that he had also used the opportunity to meet with renowned Tourism Consultant Dr. Auliana Poon who was currently conducting a consultancy for the St. Kitts Tourism Authority.
“On the sidelines I also spoke to a Dr. Poon, she is a Consultant who is currently basd here on St. Kitts primarily with looking at sustainable tourism. She was there and we took a meeting with her which I thought went really well in terms of laying out the vision for Nevis and what we as the Ministry of Tourism and I as the new Minister of Tourism am seeking to do.
“Dr. Poon will be visiting the Federation in the next few days and we hope to continue that discussion. [Our] hope would be that her mandate for St. Kitts, we can get that expanded, so she could also do some consulting work on Nevis,” he said.
Mr. Brantley who was accompanied by Senior Cruise Officer in the Ministry of Tourism on Nevis Ms Tamika Lawrence attended the Conference from March 11 to 14. His meetings were held specifically on the 12th and 14th before his return to Nevis at the end of his last meeting. However, Ms. Lawrence returned to Nevis at the end of the Conference.


text:
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun on Monday teased the price of the Chinese firm’s first electric vehicle ahead of its official launch this week.
“The goal of the Xiaomi SU7 is to be the best looking, best driving, and most intelligent sedan under 500,000 yuan ($69,328),” Lei said in a post on Chinese social media service Weibo.
It is the first time Xiaomi has confirmed the upper end of the price range. On Thursday, Xiaomi will officially launch the SU7 electric vehicle and begin taking orders.
The car is on display across Xiaomi stores in China in 29 cities, according to another Weibo post by Lei. He said that test drives will begin on Thursday.
Xiaomi Group President Weibing Lu told CNBC previously that the company is targeting the premium segment of the electric car market.
That would pit it against the likes of Tesla in China. For comparison, Tesla’s Model S sedan starts at 698,900 yuan while the Model 3 starts at 245,900 yuan.
Xiaomi will also be competing against a slew of domestic players including giant BYD, Nio, Xpeng and Li Auto, many of which are also targeting the premium end of the EV market.
Xiaomi is best-known as a smartphone and consumer electronics company. But in 2021, the company announced plans to enter the EV race. Three years later it is facing a very different electric car market in China — one that is potentially facing a slowdown and where competition is cut-throat.
The EV market is in the midst of a price war which was sparked by Tesla at the end of 2022. This has forced other electric car firms to slash prices in order to stoke demand and stay competitive, which has pressured margins and profitability across the industry.
Pricing will be key for Xiaomi in such a competitive market and one where the company has no prior history. The big bet on EVs from Xiaomi is not lost on CEO Lei.
“Three years ago, I announced that Xiaomi was going to enter the EV market. This is my final new venture — I am putting my reputation on the line to fight for a vision I deeply believed in,” Lei said in a post on X.


text:
The idea of a “digital dollar” first caught on when markets began to collapse due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average posted record losses in March 2020. Small businesses were already feel the pressure. And jobless claims were increasing at a breakneck pace.
the deadly effects of the virus had not yet been disclosed. But he had already left a crater in the American economy. Meanwhile, the country has turned to Congress for a deal on a massive stimulus package. One of those proposals included the mention of a digital dollar.
House Financial Services Committee Chair Maxine Waters proposed the United States Financial Protection and Assistance Act for Consumers, States, Businesses, and Vulnerable Populations (HR 6321). It contained forward-looking ideas, including a digital dollar pitch. But all references to it have been erased from the latest economic stimulus package proposed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Nonetheless, it was the first sign that the United States was seriously considering building an infrastructure for a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The proposal also gave us a good idea of what a digital dollar might look like in the future. And we are apparently approaching that future.
The Federal Reserve has since preconditions issued for a central bank digital dollar. On the checklist are …
- The need to clarify the use of a digital dollar
- The ability to provide instant settlements around the clock
- Secure transfer of assets
- Easy access for all Americans
- Wide support
- Strong legal framework
- Market preparation.
All of these prerequisites will obviously require robust technology. But there is also the question of supply and demand. Even though the tools are in place to support a digital dollar, end users must be ready to embrace it.
Growing support for a digital dollar
Shortly after the Fed released its demands, Treasury Secretary (and notoriously loathed by crypto) Janet Yellen appeared hot at the idea of a digital dollar. The main impulse is to give consumers easier access to their money. Here is a statement from Yellen during a New York Times virtual event …
“Too many Americans don’t have easy payment systems and bank accounts, and I think that’s something a digital dollar, a central bank digital currency, could help.”
On this front, it’s hard to disagree with Yellen. A report from FDIC found that 63 million Americans are either unbanked or underbanked.
Those without a bank account have to rely on payday loans, check cashing services, and pawn shops to take care of their finances. In other words, these are people who have to pay fees to access their money and pay their bills. Not surprisingly, this is a problem that disproportionately affects low income families and individuals.
But not everyone is completely in agreement with the idea of a digital dollar …
Stagnation and control
Representative Patrick McHenry of the House Financial Services Committee noted that there is a fear that some will want to use the digital dollar as a means to kill private sector innovation. Then there is the issue of privacy.
The Fed’s preconditions notes admit that a digital U.S. dollar could give the central bank unprecedented access to its users’ finances. That is, if it is designed to sweep the “most granular transaction information” of those who use it. This is a far cry from the anonymity provided by the use of physical money.
Meanwhile, the Boston Fed has started to evaluate to a few dozen blockchain networks to see how they could support a digital dollar. The analysis is performed in collaboration with the Digital Currency Initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. One of the main goals – and aspects of uncertainty – is to understand how a digital dollar would work with a traditional dollar.
The Congress will soon have the opportunity to pronounce
The Boston Fed and MIT hope to be able to provide viable data and options to policymakers on how to implement a digital dollar. But first, they will have to overcome big obstacles. Scalability, privacy, resilience and the ability to fight cyber attacks are all priorities.
Before any of this could be implemented, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell acknowledged that such a plan would likely require legislative authorization. This could significantly slow down the implementation of a digital dollar. To add to that, there is uncertainty as to whether Congress still has an appetite for a digital dollar now that stimulus payments have been issued. But it is proven that such a program remains valid. More … than $ 1 billion stimulus money has not yet been spent.
In addition to technical and legislative hurdles, it remains to be seen where these digital dollars are stored. Will there be an online account that offers access? Or will there be some kind of digital wallet? Both would require technology and most likely an internet connection… These are not things that everyone without a bank account has access to, which seems to defeat part of the goal. And it seems doubtful that digital dollars can go straight to a bank account. There is no indication that this is still under review, which is problematic.
A digital dollar is of no use to anyone if there is no room to store it. And banks aren’t too keen on being left out of the equation eventually. If those digital dollars go straight into individual wallets, banks might have a hard time leveraging them. And that could drastically affect their bottom line and their ability to issue loans.
The end result on a possible digital dollar
What we know so far is that a digital US dollar would be backed by the US currency. But it would also be separate from cash. It’s a bit confusing in itself. But based on early iterations of the idea, it looks like a digital dollar would be “redeemable by a qualifying financial institution.”
Nonetheless, there is a lack of certainty as to how most banks would or would not interact with a digital dollar. Access for people with low incomes and without a bank could also be an issue depending on how it goes. Then there’s the big question for those with bank accounts: Aren’t our dollars already digital?
This story is far from over. If you want to stay on top of how the Fed plans to unveil a digital dollar, we suggest you sign up for our Manward Press e-letter. Along the way, readers also receive valuable information about digital currencies that already exist.
Read more: The 5 best cryptocurrencies to invest in for 2021


text:
General Motors has found a new way to get in on the generative AI buzz. The automaker is now using Google Cloud’s conversational chatbot, dubbed Dialogflow, to handle some non-emergency OnStar features.
GM announced the collaboration alongside a keynote from Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai at the Google Cloud Next 23 event Tuesday.
OnStar, GM’s in-car concierge, has been powered by intent-recognition algorithms that use Google Cloud’s conversational AI since launch in 2022. Today’s advancements allow it to provide drivers with responses to common queries like routing and navigation assistance.
The move to up-skill OnStar’s capabilities is in line with GM’s greater vision to build a $25 billion subscription business by 2030.
“Generative AI has the potential to revolutionize the buying, ownership and interaction experience inside the vehicle and beyond, enabling more opportunities to deliver new features and services,” said Mike Abbott, executive vice president of software and services at GM. “Our software-led approach has accelerated the creation of compelling services for our customers while driving increased efficiency across the GM enterprise. The work with Google Cloud is another example of our efforts to transform how customers engage with our products and services.”
Since 2019, GM has been building new vehicles with Google built-in, meaning the cars are built with Google Assistant, Maps and Play, accessible directly from the vehicles’ infotainment systems. In April, the automaker said it would phase out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which allow drivers to mirror their smartphone screens in the vehicle’s dashboard display, in favor of Google built-in.
GM says that with the help of Dialogflow, its OnStar virtual assistant is now fielding more than 1 million customer inquiries per month in the U.S. and Canada. The service is available in most model year 2015 and newer GM vehicles.
The chatbot has helped OnStar better understand a customer’s request the first time it’s spoken and can respond with a “modern, natural sounding voice,” according to GM.
Aside from routing and turn-by-turn directions, OnStar’s chatbot can help with simple questions from the non-emergency OnStar blue button in GM vehicles. GM says the chatbot can also catch phrases and words that may signify an emergency situation and quickly route the call to a human advisor.
Dialogflow can also answer customer questions about GM vehicles and product features based on technical information from the automaker’s vehicle data caches. Customers can ask the bot about GM’s new 2024 EV lineup or how to use new tech features in their vehicles.


text:
According to a recent poll conducted by Adobe, seven out of ten young adults have stated that working for someone else is their worst nightmare, and they have plans to start their own business within the next three years. The survey, which involved 2,000 adults from various age groups, revealed that 23 percent of individuals aged 18 to 24 dislike the idea of a traditional nine-to-five job.
A significant portion of this age group (23 percent) has been frustrated in their search for an employer who can meet their needs, which include opportunities for creativity, remote work options, and flexible working hours. As a consequence, 49 percent of Generation Z adults expressed a desire to start their own company. Popular choices for entrepreneurial ventures among this group include handcrafted goods, opening a restaurant or café, and creating sustainable beauty products.
The study further highlighted that 27 percent of young adults who are considering starting their own business believe that working a traditional nine-to-five job would limit their creativity. Consequently, 40 percent of respondents identified flexible working hours as a non-negotiable requirement for their ideal job, while 30 percent sought a salary that aligns with their lifestyle.
These workplace preferences, among others, appear to be driving the desire for young adults to become their own bosses. A significant 45 percent of respondents claimed to have their own innovative ideas for a venture. Additionally, 52 percent of Generation Z adults already have a side hustle, and nearly half (47 percent) would prefer to handle all aspects of starting a business themselves rather than hiring experts in various fields.
Interestingly, 55 percent of young adults indicated a willingness to design their own branded materials, a figure significantly higher than any other age group. When it comes to their entrepreneurial intentions, 28 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds expressed a desire to create a product or service that brings about positive change and influences society.
Regarding confidence in their potential ventures, 45 percent of Generation Z adults believe they would be successful, compared to 24 percent of Millennials and 13 percent of Generation X adults. Despite their confidence, 45 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds expressed a wish to improve their self-motivation skills to persevere in challenging times.
In response to these findings, Adobe has teamed up with Harpreet Kaur, the winner of The Apprentice in 2022, to inspire and motivate young adults using Adobe Express. Kaur, in discussing her own journey, emphasized the importance of self-belief and praised the current generation for their creative ideas and side hustles. She expressed excitement about the future of start-ups, believing that the next generation will push boundaries and achieve great things through the embrace of new ideas and technologies.
The study conducted by Adobe sheds light on the aspirations and preferences of young adults, highlighting their inclination towards entrepreneurship and self-employment. With a significant number of them planning to start their own businesses, it will be interesting to see how this generation shapes the future of the business landscape.