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Average block cheese prices dropped more than a quarter last week on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, coming in at an average of $1.75, down from $2.01 the week prior.
Prices were $1.88 Monday, $1.82 Tuesday, $1.71 Wednesday, $1.69 Thursday and $1.68 Friday.
According to analysts, the cheese market crash is long overdue. The abundance of domestic dairy supplies should have pushed prices down sooner, but the earthquake and tsunami in Japan finally triggered the dramatic drop, said John Barone, president of Market Vision in Fairfield, N.J.
Cheese remains up from last year’s average of $1.63 per pound.
Wheat prices continued to fluctuate greatly last week on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, coming in at an average of $8.37, a drop from the previous week’s average of $8.94.
Two weeks ago, wheat prices averaged $9.38.
Wheat closed at $8.53 Monday, $8.07 Tuesday, $8.06 Wednesday, $8.54 Thursday and $8.67 Friday.
Gasoline and diesel fuel
Today’s nationwide average for regular unleaded gasoline is $3.54, a penny lower than $3.55 the previous week, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Prices remain up from a month ago, when they were $3.16, and from this time last year, when consumers were paying $2.82 at the pump.
Mid-range unleaded currently averages $3.69, while premium unleaded Monday was just under $3.82.
The nationwide average for diesel fuel is $3.93, a slight uptick from $3.92 per gallon last week. Diesel prices also remain up from $$3.55 a month ago, and from $2.94 a year ago.
With imports (particularly from outside North America) becoming less significant to U.S. natural gas markets, spot natural gas prices this report week appeared largely unaffected by international events that have had large impacts on other energy commodities. As weather turned spring-like in many parts of the country and storage withdrawals continued to slow dramatically, the Henry Hub spot price increased just $0.04 to $3.85 per million Btu (MMBtu).
Pizza company stocks
Shares in Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc. closed at $51 Friday, a big drop from its previous week’s closing of $52.58, which was the company’s all-time 52-week high. Yum! traded at a 52-week low of $37.47 in March 2010.
Domino’s fell to $17.72 Friday, down slightly from its previous week’s closing of $17.86, its 52-week high. Domino’s traded as low as $10.99 in June 2010.
Papa John's stock closed at $30.03 Friday, a bit of a decline from its previous week’s closing of $30.55, which was its 52-week high. The company traded at a 52-week low of $22.78 in July 2010.
Shares in CEC Entertainment Inc., parent company of Chuck E. Cheese restaurants, closed at $36.17 Friday, a drop from its previous week’s closing of $37.04. CEC traded at a 52-week high of $41.79 in April 2010, and a 52-week low of $30.84 on Aug. 13, 2010.
California Pizza Kitchen closed at $15.94 Friday, up from its previous week’s closing of $15.68. CPKI traded as high as $22.92 in April 2010, and as low as $13.19 in July 2010.
Pizza Inn turned in at an even $2.00 Friday, down from its previous week’s closing of $2.03. PZZI traded at a 52-week high of $2.20 in April 2010, and a 52-week low of $1.55 in January 2010.
Photo provided by telepathicgeorge.


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Blinksale will briefly be unavailable on Sunday, July 31, between 4:15am – 6:15am CST (10:15 – 12:15 UTC). During this time we are moving our hosting to Engine Yard.
Posted by Istvan Hoka on July 29th, 2011 in News & Updates
Fresh! Blinksale now has one simple $15 plan with unlimited invoices, clients and users.

domain: news


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Netflix (s nflx) subscribers, after months of rumors, will soon be able to view its “Watch Instantly” streaming service on the Wii gaming console, the NY Times is reporting. But while the deal will open up the service to a whole new group of potential subscribers, there are limitations that could hamper adoption among Wii owners.
For one thing, those hoping for the same high-quality video that they get on the Xbox 360 (s msft), Sony (s sne) PlayStation 3 or any other connected device should curb their enthusiasm, since the Wii will only support standard-definition streaming. As we reported earlier this week, the Wii simply doesn’t have the horsepower to stream HD video. The BBC, which introduced its iPlayer on the gaming console late last year, is only able to stream video on the Wii at around 700 kbps, compared to the 1.5 Mbps or 3.2 Mbps that can be found on a typical broadband PC connections.
And the service won’t be built into the gaming system. Unlike the Xbox 360 implementation, in which Netflix is included on the gaming console as part of its Xbox Live subscription service, getting Netflix on the Wii will require a special disc to run. These discs will be free and will be shipped from various Netflix shipping locations as requested by Wii owners. First shipments of the Wii discs are expected in the spring.
Yet despite the limitations, getting on the Wii is a big win for Netflix, particularly as it nudges subscribers to use its streaming VOD service. There have been more than 26 million Wii gaming consoles sold in the U.S., which could help drive Wii owners to sign up for Netflix subscriptions. Netflix currently has about 11 million subscribers to its service, with unlimited streaming and DVD rental plans starting at $9 a month.
The streaming service is already available on a number of devices, including the Roku Player; Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 gaming consoles; Blu-ray players from Insignia, LG, Samsung and Sony; Internet-connected TVs from Insignia, LG, Samsung, Sony and VIZIO; and TiVo (s tivo) DVRs. In addition, Netflix announced deals with even more consumer electronics manufacturers at CES last week, and expects to be on more than 100 devices by the end of the year.


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Cows’ stomachs are optimized to graze on grass. As ruminants, it’s just what they do, but modern milk production doesn’t give them opportunities to wander outside and eat grass. It turns out, though, that when cows get to eat grass, the milk they produce is better for humans.
How does that work? A study published this week in the journal PLOS One shows that milk from grass-fed cows, whether that milk is organic or not, has a different fat composition than milk that comes from cows that primarily eat corn.
Cows that eat grass produce milk with more omega-3 fatty acids. Those are the fats found in foods like flaxseeds and fish that we keep hearing that we should eat more of. While the science isn’t settled regarding how well omega-3 fatty acids protect humans from cardiovascular problems or why, they do seem to be better for us.
The fats in milk come from what the animal eats, after all. The same effect on fat composition happens in milk from conventional agriculture where the cows eat grass, so the key is knowing where your milk comes from and what the animals eat.
Of course, this study just happens to have received most of its funding from Organic Valley, a large distributor of organic dairy products. Scientists who didn’t receive any money from the company told the New York Times that its science looks pretty solid.
Organic Production Enhances Milk Nutritional Quality by Shifting Fatty Acid Composition: A United States–Wide, 18-Month Study
More Helpful Fatty Acids Found in Organic Milk [New York Times]


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• Electric Vehicles fuelling costs are 50 per cent to 75 per cent lower than for Internal Combustion Engines vehicles, contributing to a very attractive Total Cost of Ownership.
• Currently, in Kenya, there are no public electric chargers of any kind.
US President Joe Biden has announced that all federal vehicles in the biggest economy in the world will be electric.
As of 2019, the US Government had 645,000 vehicles with a total consumption of 1.4 billion litres of fuel annually.
Amazon has ordered 100,000 electric vans from Rivian but in September 2019 there was a walkout by Amazon employees protesting the company’s climate policy.
It is clear that these decisions are not purely motivated by the love of the environment.
Firstly, EV (Electric Vehicles) fuelling costs are 50 per cent to 75 per cent lower than for ICE (Internal Combustion Engines) vehicles, contributing to a very attractive Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
Moreover, EV maintenance expenses are much lower than those for ICE vehicles.
There is no need to change spark plugs, oil, or air filters, and there are far fewer pumps, circuits, valves, coils, and the many other ICE components that periodically fail.
If you have a big fleet the savings become quite substantial. Yet, we see that adoption is not as high.
One way, Solar Taxis, a Ghanaian firm is tackling this is offering EVs on lease at 160 USD a month.
The company is offering the Cherry Tigo CUV 3XE 480, a Chinese car with a range of about 400kms.
By far the biggest bottleneck to EV adoption has to be the charging infrastructure.
Currently, in Kenya, there are no public electric chargers of any kind.
The only charging points available have been set up by Nopia, a full electric cab company in Kenya for use by their taxis.
This sets up a huge opportunity for county governments, national governments, matatu SACCOs, power utilities (Kengen and KPLC) and generally anyone who is in the transport and energy sector.
In China, the Shenzhen Bus Company owns its own charging infrastructure which it uses to charge its more than 6,000 fully electric buses and 5,000 fully electric taxis.
It took exactly eight years for the company to change its whole fleet from diesel to electric.
The matatu Saccos here in Kenya have the best data.
This data will show the best places to locate the EV charge points (the places they stay the longest waiting for clients) and also if it is actually viable.
EV fast chargers depending on how low the battery is add about 150kms of range in 20 minutes of charging.
If the data from matatus can show that there are stops that last 30 to 45 minutes per round trip, then in essence this will show that EV charging can actually work without disrupting their business models too much.
They could get all the benefits of EVs with minimal disruption to how they do business.
They should be the first people actually pushing these technologies to come.
All this is hinged on having a charging infrastructure.
As always where there is a challenge but therein lies the opportunity.
The writer is a solar I in Kenya and moderator at AfricaNEV


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The introduction of Black Bay 36 brought a more formal feel to the Black Bay model with an additional blue dial option, available for every case size.
Tudor and Mamic 1970 are presenting the exclusive exhibition of the new Tudor watches which are on show every day from Monday to Saturday until May 20, 2019.
David Beckham stepped out of his comfort zone and experienced his first free dive in open water with Morgan Bourc’his, while wearing Tudor Pelagos.
The famous Black Bay Bronze model, a symbol of Tudor's naval heritage, is now available in a new slate-grey model with shaded dial.
Tudor is expanding the offering of the Black Bay 32, 36 and 41 models, now available in an S&G version with a new bracelet, exclusive to these models.
Tudor introduces the Black Bay P01, a new watch based on a legendary prototype developed in the late 1960s and proposed to the US Navy,
Discover the latest Tudor Watch novelties, introduced at Baselworld 2019. Black Bay P01, Black Bay Bronze, Black Bay 32/36/41, Black Bay Chrono S&G.
The most important event of the watch industry, Baselworld 2019 is starting soon. Discover the most interesting Tudor watches Baselworld 2019 predictions.
Notorious for being provocative and leading a foundation committed to empowering young people, Lady Gaga personifies the very #BornToDare spirit.
On Baselworld 2018, TUDOR is introducing an additional model as part of its Black Bay line, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight, whose dimensions are similar to the brand's first divers' watches.


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Mar 11, Colombo: The National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (NCCSL) will hold a discussion on bilateral trade between Sri Lanka and China on Thursday for anyone interested in trade related businesses with China.
A presentation followed by the discussion will be held on March 16 at 3:00 p.m. at the new Chamber Auditorium.
The Guest Speaker Mr. Wang Yingqi, Commercial Counselor of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China will speak on "Opportunities for Bilateral Trade and Investments between Sri Lanka & China"
The Chairman of the Chamber of China Enterprises in Sri Lanka Zhang Xi will also participate in the event.
They will discuss current business trend, trade potential opportunities for export, import, investment and other services available for Sri Lankans in China, the NCCSL said.
The discussion is geared for Managing Directors, CEOs, General Managers, Export/Import Managers and anyone interested in doing business with China.
The participants will have the opportunity to meet with the Chinese Embassy officials after the discussion to further clarify trade related issues with China.


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Since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner why not grab your loved one by all eight hands and have a romantic night of horror movies, starting with Hulu’s Tentacles, part of their holiday-themed Into the Dark horror series?
Blumhouse brought the Into the Dark anthology to Hulu back in 2018. Since then, they have steadily released titles that tie into whatever holiday is being celebrated on that month. Tentacles is their lovingly offered title for February 2021.
According to a press release, Tentacles is a psychosexual horror-thriller about a young Los Angeles couple Tara (Dana Drori) and Sam (Casey Deidrick) who fall head over heels into a new romance, entwining their lives — until their intimacy transforms into something terrifying. You can watch the trailer below.
It stars Dana Drori (Freaky), Casey Deidrick (In the Dark), Evan Williams (Versailles) and Kasey Elise (North Hollywood).
Tentacles premieres February 12, 2021 on Hulu.


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Last year, the New Economy Initiative and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation teamed up to award 32 existing small businesses in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park a combined total of over $500,000 for their ideas for growth.
Instead of focusing on startups like other Detroit business competitions, NEIdeas is designed specifically for small businesses that are at least three years old and have had a lasting impact on their neighborhoods.
This year, a whole new group of time-tested Detroit businesses will receive NEIdeas challenge grants. Applications for 2015 NEIdeas grants open on Thursday, May 7. Before then, NEIdeas will be hosting a series of information sessions, starting with one on Tuesday, April 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Northeast Guidance Center
(2900 Conner St., Detroit, 48215). The next is happening Thursday, April 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Motor City Java & Tea House
(17336 Lasher Rd., Detroit, 48219).
For a full schedule of NEIdeas events, visit neideasdetroit.org


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Two million users with 5 million computers storing 1.2 billion bookmarks doth not a business make.
That's what Xmarks, a company that for a time ruled the technical specialty of synchronizing bookmarks among different computers and browsers, concluded. After four years' effort, it's closing up shop in about 90 days after finding no good way to convert its popularity into profit.
The company got its start as Foxmarks, a Firefox extension, but eventually spread to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Apple's Safari, and Google's Chrome. It let people synchronize not only their bookmarks but also passwords and open tabs, but those features are now arriving in both Firefox and Chrome.
"For four years we have offered the synchronization service for no charge, predicated on the hypothesis that a business model would emerge to support the free service. With that investment thesis thwarted, there is no way to pay expenses, primarily salary and hosting costs," said Xmarks co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Todd Agulnick in a blog post Monday. "Without the resources to keep the service going, we must shut it down."
The company tried various ways to make a profit out of its business, including a "smarter search" idea based on data gleaned from its anonymized collection of hundreds of millions of bookmarks. "If you were looking for the Web sites in a particular category, the results were shockingly complete and entirely spam-free," Agulnick said. At present, Xmarks has 1.2 billion bookmarks, up from about 100 million in 2007, said Penny Campbell, the company's vice president of engineering.
Interest in the search service fizzled, though, and efforts in the spring of 2010 to sell the company failed. The idea of a hybrid free-premium model seemed doomed by the fact that bookmark sync is a feature being built into browsers. Thus, the company will switch its servers off after January 10.
The company also launched a 99-cent iPhone app to extend sync to Apple's devices and had begun work on an equivalent for phones using Google's Android OS. The former will continue to work with bookmarks cached on the phone, but the latter won't be released.
"Although we made great progress on our Android app, we were regrettably unable to complete it in time," according to an Xmarks shutdown FAQ.
Those who've used Xmarks should check Xmarks' guide to alternatives for advice on the best way to preserve data and plan their next steps.
Updated at 2:16 a.m. PDT September 30 with the current number of Xmarks bookmarks stored, 1.2 billion.


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What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right? Despite how cliché it sounds, Huawei has apparently taken these words to heart. In a shocking report, the Chinese company has apparently overtaken Samsung as the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer.
According to Counterpoint Research, Huawei claimed the lion’s share of the market this April, finishing a sales run above Samsung and Apple. The company captured 21.4 percent of the global market, jumping from 17 percent in March.
Meanwhile, Samsung succumbed to only 19.1 percent of the market, which is still a big figure by itself. However, the South Korean company notably dipped by 29 percent from their sales in March. Apple’s sales also dropped by 19 percent from March.
For years, Huawei hovered between second and third place, never quite pushing it past Samsung in first place. Ever since Huawei broke the top three rankings, the company always aimed to climb atop everyone else in the next few years. Thanks to a tumultuous pandemic era, it has finally claimed the top spot.
Ironically, Huawei is still reeling from massive opposition on American soil. The company is still facing bans and lawsuits abroad. Based solely on this information, one can reasonably expect Huawei’s brand to take a huge hit, resulting in a decline in smartphone sales. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
Based on the same April report, Huawei enjoyed climbing sales in China, which offset any damage it incurred abroad. On the other hand, both Samsung and Apple took hits because of the global pandemic, especially in the wake of closed retailers and stalled manufacturing. It’s a maelstrom of forces aligning in favor of Huawei’s dominance.
However, despite Huawei’s finalized victory, it remains to be seen whether the company will keep the torch after the pandemic ends. If Huawei can claim the top spot amidst towering adversity, anything can happen.
SEE ALSO: Huawei Philippines Smartphone Price List
iPhone 12 causes Apple’s revenue to go up
Popular among those upgrading from old iPhones
Apple’s first fiscal quarter is done. As the pandemic slowly but surely calms down, smartphones are also slowly going back into the forefront of everyone’s minds — that is, if everyone still has money. Apparently, they still do. According to their recent earnings report, Apple exceeded its revenue expectations this year. Plus, a lot of their recent success came from those upgrading from older phones to the iPhone 12.
Specifically, Apple earned US$ 111.4 billion in revenue, which is up 21 percent year over year from this time last year. Tim Cook attributes the success to the company’s new product lineup that came out last year. Back in October, Apple launched the iPhone 12 lineup.
Though the lineup was largely controversial because of the lack of a free charging adapter, apparently, everyone still liked it. Naturally, Apple won’t release any detailed breakdown of its sales. However, it’s easy to surmise that the new iPhone caused a major upswing in Apple’s sales.
According to Cook, a lot of the sales came from Android switchers and upgraders. While switchers have previously dominated the iPhone SE market, Cook confirms that the iPhone 12 drew in a lot of upgraders. As expected, the charger-less lineup attracted existing iPhone users who already have charging adapters. Meanwhile, Android users haven’t turned to the iPhone 12 that much.
Carl Pei launches literally Nothing
Nope. Nada. Nothing.
Yesterday, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei announced the launch of his latest business venture. After a few months since his departure from his company, the founder is finally ready to unveil his next project. Well, it’s finally here, and it’s… Nothing. Absolutely Nothing. Literally.
Carl Pei’s new business, called Nothing, will deal with smart devices and will eventually release devices sometime during the first half of 2021. Unfortunately, Pei has not explained exactly what those devices will look like. In fact, everything we know so far is wrapped in secrecy.
If it’s any indication, the company was heavily seeded by Tony Fadell, the inventor of the iPod. Likewise, Pei is a guru of audio technology, having developed OnePlus’ audio peripherals. For now, though, Pei’s Nothing is a mystery.
At the very least, Pei has announced that the devices will sweep across different industries and will eventually create its own ecosystem of devices. Currently, the company is still reportedly building its
The company’s website — simply Nothing.tech — only redirects to a video and a landing page for an email newsletter. Whatever it is, we’ll have to wait for when it eventually comes out.
OnePlus founder Carl Pei to launch his new company very soon
Something to do with the audio industry
Last year, OnePlus, despite a renewed push for an expansive product lineup, shifted a massive portion of its head honchos around. Late last year, for one, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei left the company for a then-unknown business venture. Now, we have an idea of what it is. Posted directly from the source, Pei is announcing his new business very, very soon.
On Twitter, Pei posted the official announcement: “Our new brand will be announced tomorrow at 11am London time.” That was almost 12 hours ago at the time of this writing, meaning the official announcement is coming practically 12 hours from now.
Our new brand will be announced tomorrow at 11am London time ⏱
— Carl Pei (@getpeid) January 26, 2021
According to previous posts from the OnePlus founder, the new business venture will play around in the audio industry including music devices and accessories. Pei is already a known player in the industry, having spearheaded OnePlus’ forays into the audio business. Before he left, he presented the company’s take on wireless earbuds, the OnePlus Buds.
By creating a new company, Pei can focus on audio full-time. However, at this point, no one knows what the company will specifically make or even what it is called. All we know is that some investors seeded the venture with US$ 7 million.
Besides Pei, fellow co-founder Pete Lau also “exited” the company, albeit still working with other BKK companies in a joint venture to sync all of them together.
Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro review: By two different Pro users
Two different nations, one phone
Huawei Freebuds Pro review: Everything you can ask for
Bang-for-buck “Pro” TWS
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra review: The best among the beasts?
Are the extra specs worth the extra price?
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Nokia’s sponsored phones in No Time to Die are now outdated
iPhone 12 causes Apple’s revenue to go up
Facebook will no longer recommend any political groups
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2010 Hybrid automobiles will provide advanced technologies capable of recharging its battery while driving. Some car makers including Ford, Honda, General Motors, Nissan, and Toyota are coming out with V8 performance hybrids.
The year 2010 will be the real test if hybrid cars are the future in transportation. Battery powered vehicles promise to reduce our dependence on foreign oil without compromising luxury and performance. There are several hybrid cars coming out with V8 performance while operating on 4-cylinders.
If you’re in the market to buy a new eco-friendly car, you may want to check out the Ford Escape Hybrid, the Toyota Prius, or the Honda Insight. These hybrids are the ones we have reviewed so far, and I’m sure the list will keep building as we test-drive and gather more information. Owning one of the environmental safe vehicles will also provide tax benefits while saving money which is always a win situation.
Can Hybrid vehicles truly save foreign oil dependency in 2010? Most automakers say the new cars can achieve between 40 to 50 miles per gallon.
Only time will tell if hybrids will reduce America’s dependency for foreign oil. However, one thing is for sure, that the battery electric cars are fuel efficient. The bottom line is, this will save the car owners time and the price at the pump. The other matters to consider are the distances and mileage a person drives each day.
America experienced the worst gas crises in 2008. Prices soared to nearly $5.00 per gallon in some states, while the national average was about $4.50. Small cars were costing drivers as much as $80 to fill up at the pump. Skeptics argue that the automakers are 20 years behind while foreign countries are price gauging.
Hybrid Cars Produce Battery Power While Braking
Some people have often wondered how hybrid cars work. This would be another topic of discussion, but one that is very facinating. Most people believe that running a cord between the electrical outlet to the vehicle will do the trick. However, some car manufacturers are coming up with some new technics.
Some car makers are using the brake pedal as a way to power accessories such as air conditioning and the process of recharging. The energy processed from the driver pushing the brake is also being used to start the motor. This method is utilizing all possible ways to produce energy from the driver without taxing comfort ability and the driving experience.
The 2010 Toyota Hybrid Prius actually uses this technic by allowing the driver to pump the brake pedal twice to start the engine. It has no ignition key for their upcoming model. The car maker does provide another model to give the driver the option to start the car in the traditional fashion, but soon the ignition key will be obsolete in most vehicles.


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Aránguiz arrived in German football, at Leverkusen, in 2015 where He signed for five seasons and his injuries have been stalked, such as the Achilles tendon rupture nothing more sign that had him away from the grass eight months: he could only play seven games (with two goals). This season another injury, now muscular, has caused only has been able to dispute 63% of the minutes.This season Atlético has faced him in the Champions League. If in the first match they met, the third in the group stage in the Wanda Metropolitano, Aránguiz did not play for a fissure in the foot, in the following one, the fourth of the group stage, did play and was key for Leverkusen to achieve victory against the rojiblancos, his first in this group phase: a great play of his ended in a center that Thomas slipped into his own door. Now his name flies over the Metropolitan with the possibility that next season they may be partners. While Atlético ‘team’ prepares for the next two ‘finals’, Sevilla in the league and return of eighth against Liverpool in the Champions League, and that can settle the season, the Athletic ‘club’ works in the offices in the preparation of what will come, next season. Plans, names. If from Mexico the one of Raúl Jiménez is pointed out, from Chile another one is revealed: Charles Aránguiz, a 30-year-old Chilean Bayer Leverkusen midfielder (turns 31 in April).It has been placed by the player’s representative, Fernando Felicevich, on the rojiblanca agenda, talking about his future. The player ends contract now, in June 2020, and has received several offers, including a red and white. “We are waiting for several offers from Europe. He wants to continue there but for now there are no offers that we like. Atlético, from Spain, and Atalanta and Fiorentina from Italy have called us, but have not made an offer“revealed the agent at Fox Sports.
Students who can’t control their impulses and pay attention are popping up in classrooms across the nation. Try these calming strategies to help your children and students focus and succeed. “Some children seek out more, more, more,” says Michelle Yoder, a therapist. “They are disruptive, up and down in their seats, are loud talkers, chew on nonfood items and have to touch everything. They come up with any excuse to move.” The behavior gets many kids mislabeled as having ADHD, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Yoder says. But instead, they are having difficulty regulating the information taken in through their senses. The nervous system either overreacts or underreacts to what’s going on around them. At either extreme – craving stimulation or avoiding it – the problem can be a sensory processing disorder that disrupts a child’s daily life. At home or school, create opportunities for kids to play in a vertical position. When a youngster paints at an easel, she is standing and her hand has to be extended. That develops the wrist extension necessary to write and cut. At home, give a child a bucket of water and let her paint a fence or garage, which also build her muscles . Go to www.southpaw enterprises.com for tools and equipment to help children get their bodies and brains working together. “Sensational Kids” (Putnam, 2006, $24.95) by Lucy Jane Miller, occupational therapist and researcher on sensory processing disorders. Can you help? Question: “What do you do when not only a child in your class doesn’t listen, but the parents don’t listen either? We have a 2-year-old in our class who obviously never hears the word no at home. His parents refuse to follow our school rules, such as wearing closed-toe shoes instead of Crocs.” – A preschool teacher in Raleigh, N.C. If you have tips or a question, please e-mail us at firstname.lastname@example.org. Betsy Flagler, a journalist based in Davidson, N.C., teaches preschool and is the mother of a teen-age son. If you have tips or questions, please e-mail us at email@example.com or call Parent to Parent at 704-236-9510.160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! All students, no matter their sensory issues, benefit when they have chances to move around during the school day and do “heavy work,” says therapist Diana A. Henry. In class and at home, kids need jobs. Find outside work for all seasons: digging holes for plants, raking leaves, shoveling snow, washing the car, pushing a wheelbarrow and pulling a loaded wagon. Set your grocery bags inside the door and have your child push them into the kitchen. In class, have your students carry or move bins, push or pull cartons of books, help stack chairs on tables, and clean the chalkboards and desks, Henry suggests. Work that lets kids use their muscles is calming and helps them focus, says Henry, whose Web site is www.ateachabout.com. Less time for outdoor play puts more pressure on teachers, she says, to find strategies to manage their classrooms. Activities at break times where a child stretches or bears weight on the hands, such as the crab walk or wheelbarrow walk.
The problem with reality is that discerning what truly is can take an enormous amount of work. Take science, for instance. There is actually pretty consistent data on what types of food most should be eating — particularly if you do deep dives into the research to investigate the methodology of this or that study. But most people (and, seemingly, members of the press) don’t have time to investigate each of these. That makes it very easy for someone to come in with a bogus source and claim something that is, that just ain’t so. Jordan Peele is now among those sounding alarm bells about a potential “fake news apocalypse.” With technology and particularly machine learning tools making it easier to replicate people’s faces and re-jigger them to do whatever (see also: fake porn). Peele, Academy Award-winning director of Get Out, has put out a PSA warning about how easy it will be in short order for people to create their own videos of famous world leaders saying just about anything. And when that era comes, what can we do?In the video above, Peele has Obama saying things like “Killmonger was Right” and “Donald Trump is a Dipshit.” This is all based on some new innovations in tech allowing computers to take videos of people, and augment their expression with AI. Combine that with a talented voice actor or the type of vocal reproduction tech we saw last year, and you can start getting disturbing close to something that could start tricking people. The seems are still pretty obvious for now, but how many of your relatives have you seen sharing and believing low-res meme images on facebook? Muck the video up a little, and it’d fool someone today, probably. In a few years, this tech could be truly terrifying. In the video, which was made in partnership with BuzzFeed and, Peele pleads for more rigorous consumption of media. And he quite cleverly plays with BuzzFeed’s rather odious reputation thanks to clickbait-y title, “You Won’t Believe What Obama Says in This Video! ”We sure are living in a time. Let us know what you like about Geek by taking our survey.
The Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce said 171 foreign franchises operate in Costa Rica, an increase from 147 in 2011, and they operate approximately 900 stores. Not all new franchises arrive from the United States, although 60 percent of foreign franchises are U.S.-based. Spanish clothing store Zara will bolster its number of locations in the country. Brazilian restaurant chain Spoleto is set for an expansion of 15 franchises in five years. Costa Rican eatery Bagelman’s intends to expand. But the trend seems to be toward bringing in more U.S. franchises. The reason seems to be both Costa Rica’s eagerness for foreign investment and an improving U.S. economy that allows U.S. companies to invest in store construction and brand promotion. And Costa Rica’s middle class is a worthy target market. “Costa Rica is a good market for many kinds of international brands, including Pollo Tropical,” wrote Marc Mushkin, Pollo Tropical’s senior vice president of international development, in an email. “This is because of a number of factors, including the growing purchasing power of consumers, high levels of international tourism, an educated workforce and good supply chains for most products.”A large list of U.S. brands has opened stores in Costa Rica in the past year. Carl Jr.’s opened multiple stores near the end of 2011. They’ll try to compete in a burger market that has dozens of McDonald’s (the first-ever Costa Rica franchise was a McDonald’s, which opened in 1979), Burger Kings and Wendy’s. And coming soon: Denver, Colorado’s fast-casual burger chain Smashburger.Family restaurant Applebee’s inaugurated its second Costa Rican location in the spring, in Sabanilla, east of San José. The chain plans to open two more restaurants in the provinces of Alajuela and Guanacaste by the end of 2014. In November, Applebee’s will be joined by Chili’s, another member of the casual dining brethren that will open in Mall Multiplaza, in the southwestern suburb of Escazú. Moe’s Southwestern Grill will introduce Tex-Mex to Central America in June, also in Escazú. Salads and sandwich franchise Cosi’s is christening multiple stores here in 2012 and 2013. That brand has plenty of catching up to do, as sandwich shop Quizno’s opened its 20th location in the country last month. On Wednesday, Quizno’s won an eight -year contract to operate the food court at Juan Santamaría International Airport, the busiest airport in the country. With a $4 million investment, QSR International will open another Quizno’s, and a KFC, Smashburger and Teriyaki Experience in the airport food court. Still, Quizno’s has less than half the number of franchises in the country as sandwich king Subway.Restaurants constitute about a quarter of the foreign franchises in Costa Rica. Clothing stores and hotels each represent another 20 percent. In April, Starwood Hotels opened two more lodgings, compounding a market that contains big names like Holiday Inn and Hilton Hotels.Grupo Roble, the Salvadoran group that owns Mall Multiplaza Escazú, Multiplaza del Este in San José and other projects, closed the Escazú location of Honduran department store Carrión at the beginning of the year. Carrión will be replaced by Tico department store Cemaco and three popular U.S. clothing stores: The Gap, Banana Republic and Forever 21. The rest of the U.S. franchises fall under a wide gamut of categories ranging from beauty shops to auto rentals. But those brands are showing less noticeable growth than the biggest areas of food, clothing and hotels.Bad News for Tico Brands?The number of Costa Rican chains is increasing alongside foreign companies. But the risk of oversaturating the market rises with each store opening. José Andrés Masís, a franchise legal expert, said he believes U.S. brands can survive in Costa Rica because many already are well-known by young Ticos. “The No. 1 factor for foreign chains, is the openness of Costa Ricans toward foreign brands, especially U.S. ones,” Masís said.The relatively strong economy in Costa Rica, compared to the rest of the region, means Costa Ricans are aware of many of the brands that hope to break into the market. Many U.S. brands already have a toehold in the country since locals know products from vacations in the U.S., via the Internet or from television commercials. Local malls are providing more spaces for foreign brands. Avenida Escazú, the plaza that will be home to Starbucks by May, keeps growing. In 2013, Costa Rica will see the inauguration of two major complexes: Lincoln Plaza in Moravia, northeast of San José, and Mango Plaza in the northern Alajuela province.It’s difficult to say if these foreign businesses are taking spaces that would go to Costa Rican brands, or if there is more opportunity for investment. But certainly there’s a demand for more foreign products.Elsa Rojas, marketing manager of Grupo Roble in Costa Rica, said that’s part of the reason the company wants to bring clothing stores like Gap and Forever 21 to the isthmus. “[Consumers] like to touch and to buy things here, like they would in the United States,” Rojas said.In many instances, Costa Ricans prefer foreign products, which complicates business for national chains, Masís said. He could list only a few items that Costa Ricans took pride in buying local, citing sustainable tourism, fruits and vegetables or coffee. Starbucks is one foreign company Masís feels might struggle here. He said, “If Starbucks does not promote Costa Rican coffee, if it does not make it obvious that its product will be Costa Rican, then it’s going to suffer problems, because we are very proud of our coffee.”However, for products like clothing or shoes, Costa Ricans shrug their shoulders about the item’s origin, Masís said. Their main concern is buying something that’s affordable and fashionable. That does not make it impossible for national businesses to best foreign products, and some national brands have succeeded in not only dominating the Costa Rican market, but also expanding outside the country to the rest of Central America. Pops Ice Cream serves as an apotheosis for Costa Rican business owners. The ice cream store even has its own U.S. location in Florida, where it goes by a name that brims national pride, Pops Costa Rica’s Creamery.Masís said to survive, local retailers need to reassess their focus and emphasize promoting products that are local, cheaper and better than the competition. With the right strategy, Costa Rica can avoid a future where Starbucks and McDonald’s are on every corner. But that will depend on how national business owners approach this surmounting challenge. “If Costa Rican businesses cling to old ways, then yes, they could suffer enormous losses in sales, and it’s possible they could disappear,” Masís said. “If they learn how to adjust mindsets, if they learn how to suit themselves to the games of the competition, they’re going to produce better products, because they will toughen up. If they leave their comfort zones what they can do is create tools, create products that can compete directly with foreign chains.”is create tools, create products that can compete directly with foreign chains.” Facebook Comments U.S. fast food chain Pollo Tropical opened its first Costa Rica location in April. Related posts:Dairy Queen invests $1 million to open four stores in Costa Rica Hooters, Chili’s, Applebee’s expanding in Costa Rica Carl’s Jr. hamburgers come to Costa Rica Wendy’s to Open First of 15 Locations in Costa Rica Alberto Font From the print editionTeddy Mora devours a plate of marinated ribs at the new Pollo Tropical restaurant across the street from San José’s Central Park. Next to him, O’Hong Wong finishes off a couple of chicken wings. This is not their first time eating here, and they’re already fans of the U.S. chain, headquartered in Miami, Florida. The restaurant chain opened its first location in Costa Rica at the beginning of April, and has plans for four more sites here. After returning from a day of work in the city of Heredia, north of the capital, Mora and Wong appreciate a brand new restaurant where they can grab dinner. But not even two weeks after it opened, Pollo Tropical lost its status as the latest chicken franchise in town. On April 13, Popeyes, a U.S. fried-chicken franchise from Louisiana, opened a $1.5 million Costa Rican restaurant in the eastern San José suburb of Curridabat. In the same market, the two must square off against U.S. franchises KFC and Church’s Chicken, Guatemalan brand Pollo Campero and Costa Rica’s own Rostipollos, among others. The sector of restaurants specializing in chicken embodies only a small part of the influx of U.S. brands that are moving here. The arrivals could oversaturate the market and result in fierce competition between both international and local brands, market analysts said. But franchise expansion continues because customers like Mora enjoy the increasing number of options. “I think it’s good because you have more to choose from,” Mora, 37, said. “[There are] more options for food, for fast food. … There’s a lot of variety. It’s always hard to find authentic Costa Rican food in central San José. At home, we eat casados, [Costa Rica’s traditional dish, with] rice, beans, meat and plantains. When we leave the house we want to try something different.”
Source: Charge Forward Porsche is now officially showing off its Taycan prototypes. Even though the company is still camouflaging the vehicle with exhaust pipes, it is showcasing the electric car on racetracks around the world. more…Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1zk7Eb8r-s&list=PL_Qf0A10763mA7Byw9ncZqxjke6Gjz0MtThe post Porsche officially debuts Taycan prototype, showcases the electric car on racetracks around the world appeared first on Electrek.


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Disclaimer: I own multiple CyberKongz NFTs, and I have family who work on the CyberKongz leadership team. I’m writing about this topic as an NFT market analyst who sees a major shift in NFTs coming as collections merge, partnerships are formed, and ultimately a more streamlined, more robust NFT ecosystem emerges. Sky Mavis’ Axie Infinity is the #1 all-time NFT collection, having traded over US$4.2 billion in secondary sales. The CyberKongz genesis collection ranks 26 all-time, and their CyberKongz VX ranks 52. Combined, the CyberKongz collections have traded for over US$300 million on secondary markets.
A one-two punch is heading for the NFT ecosystem this week when the CyberKongz return to the blockchain with their first new NFT collection in almost two years. Don’t expect everyone to throw bananas at them though, because just as quickly as these apes swing through, they’re taking their NFTs to a new home next to Axie Infinity on the Ronin blockchain.
Sky Mavis now has their first PFP collection and first third party NFT mint coming this week following their announcement that the CyberKongz Genkai collection will be partially minting on Ronin. Later this year the CyberKongz existing Play and Kollect game and assets, currently living on a Polygon, will be bridged to Ronin, where hopefully we’ll see a more fleshed out game be assembled.
The CyberKongz Genkai collection will face a major test in a market whose traders may not have much ETH left to spend following Azuki’s US$37 million NFT sale in June. Initial feedback to Genkai’s 0.25 ETH mint price has been mostly negative, and while that’s to be expected given today’s market, just a few weeks ago, many in the space bought Azuki’s Elementals NFTs for 2 ETH per NFT. That burn probably still stings as the NFT market has seen a steep decline since.
1⃣ News:@CyberKongz's new project, "Genkai" will launch soon.— wale.swoosh 🐳 (@waleswoosh) July 22, 2023
What do you think about the mint price of 0.25 ETH?
By most metrics the NFT space continues to find new lows, and now Genkai’s mint may bring another hit to traders’ liquidity. Global sales continue to fall as we head into the slow part of the year, and without profits to be found on secondary, one has to ask where traders will find funds to buy into a new collection.
While it’s worth watching the market’s reaction to a new pricey mint, most potential buyers of CyberKongz are probably not expecting a profit on secondary immediately. In many ways this week’s mint will be a test of how many true collectors there are in NFTs as opposed to traders looking to flip for profits. Instead, my focus is on Sky Mavis, the developers behind Axie Infinity and Ronin.
Tipping their hand with today’s announcement of their partnership with CyberKongz, my spidey senses are telling me that this is just the start of established NFT projects coming to Ronin. There are rumors from around the NFT scene that more projects are looking to merge, and while none reference Ronin, (some seem to be attached to Arbitrum and Pixel Vault’s GG protocol), all of these point to a new period of consolidation for NFTs. For some it’s to survive, but for the Sky Mavis and the CyberKongz, it’s to grow beyond what may be possible on their own.
Sky Mavis has the reach to help drive NFT adoption across the globe, especially in Asia, where gamers from the Philippines once propelled Axie Infinity to mainstream news. It’s exactly this audience that Genkai was designed for. Consider recent news from Yuga Labs that Ape Fest 2023 will be hosted in Hong Kong, and you’ll get an idea of how well timed the Sky Mavis and CyberKongz partnership may be. At the very least, it shows two teams with their finger on the pulse of the NFT market, and track records of building some of the NFT ecosystem’s most highly regarded products.
This is a pivotal time for NFTs where many projects are fighting for survival in a market that offers little profit and no margin for errors. Perhaps now is the time for them to lean into some of NFTs strongest use cases, their promise of interoperability and their provenance.
DeGods and y00ts moving from Solana to Ethereum and Polygon, Gods Unchained from Ethereum to Immutable X, and even Axie Infinity itself moving from Ethereum to Ronin, and now the CyberKongz move all show a shift towards scalability and consolidation. While we won’t see the results of these moves for years to come, they will serve as the building blocks for a more complete foundation for Web3. It is a foundation that will help NFTs realize their true potential as interoperable digital assets that make up a more complete Web3. This is the iteration of NFTs that we’ve all been waiting for, and it’s only this version that has the chance to bring in the masses.
Peep the Charts
- Bored Ape Yacht Club is king this week with over US$5.4 million in volume behind big sales like the US$311,000 sale of BAYC #7403.
- Gods Unchained traded over US$4.7 million on secondary markets, driven by appeal from the Epic Game Store.
- DMarket’s US$4.5 million in sales also shows that mainstream gaming skins are a sustainable NFT use case. Last week Dr. Disrepsect pulled a US$16,000 knife from a loot box.
- CryptoPunks are back in the top ten with US$3.1 million in sales behind multiple hoody punk sales for more than US$300,000 each.
- PLAYNFT’s reward platform for YouTube viewers gives Binance a top 10 presence while doing US$1.8 million in sales.
- After a down week last week, buyers across all of the top 10 blockchains have seen an increase this week.
- Ethereum sales volume is down over 9% but still is the top-ranked blockchain by NFT sales volume with US$68.2 million in sales.
- Solana has been hot for weeks, trading over US$5.9 million on secondary.
- Bitcoin, once talked about as the chain to challenge Ethereum’s sales volume, is struggling to stay in the top 5, with US$5.4 million in sales volume.
- Polygon and BNB stay in the top five with US$5.3 million and US$5.1 million in trading volume.
- Pudgy Penguins made a splash at SDCC and founder Luca Netz claims thousands of the cute toys have been sold at the event to non NFT holders.
- Proof is launching a new PFP collection of Mythics owls, serving as the next generation or companion to Moonbirds. The collection will reveal over the next 200 days giving collectors a gamified mint experience.
- OpenSea launched a new on-site trading tool, giving collectors a royalty, fee-free, and best of all, safe option to now trade NFTs with each other. Traders can trade a combination of NFTs across collections along with WETH with the accepting trader paying just a gas fee.
- Opepen continues to be one of the most talked about PFP in the space following multiple appearances in Beeple’s Everydays, and influencers changing their PFPs to the recognizable art. Jack Butcher released set 10 of the collection, and has teased opening up the creation process to other creators.
- Yuga Labs launched an on-chain licensing platform called Made by Apes for Bored Ape holders to license their BAYC’s image for branding. Pudgy Penguins have their own solution for their holders dropping later this month.


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Company looks to expand into hospitality, retail and rail sectors
French consultant Artelia has bought UK consultant Appleyards, as part of a bid to more than quadruple its UK revenue to £20m-30m within four years.
Artelia’s £6m UK division completed the deal with £8m-turnover Appleyards on 6 March.
Artelia’s UK managing director Phil Brumby said the acquisition would help the division’s parent company - which has a turnover of £300m and 38 offices around the world - “achieve critical mass in the UK”.
The deal between the two partner-owned firms creates a 145-strong UK consultant.
Brumby said the deal would allow Artelia to offer a broader range of services in the UK.
Artelia’s UK division has, until now, worked entirely with the private sector, whereas 80% of Appleyard’s revenue is from the public sector.
Appleyards chief executive Colin Morrell said the tie-up would enable the UK consultant to export its expertise in infrastructure project financing and education consultancy into international markets where Artelia operates.
Three out of a total of 85 Appleyards staff - including Morrell - will immediately become partners at Artelia, although this number will rise to a “dozen” over the next couple of years.
Ten out of 60 Artelia UK staff are partners.
Morrell said the Appleyards brand would be phased out “at the right time”.
Artelia’s biggest clients in Europe are petrol giants Exxon and Shell and the firm is currently working on a pipeline to refurbish 250 Shell petrol stations in the UK. The company project manages the petrol station development programmes for both companies in Western Europe.
Brumby said the firm was targeting expansion in the hospitality, retail and rail sectors in the UK.
He added: “This deal increases the scope of services we can offer clients and reduces our reliance on any one sector.”


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Vox Communications in Africa deal with TrustPay
VALUE ADDED SERVICESBy BiztechAfrica - March 3, 2012, 3:51 p.m.
Pervasip Corp. subsidiary Vox Communications has entered into a letter of intent with Trust Pay and Emoni to market its mobile VoIP application in Africa.
Trust Pay is an SA-based company that developed the Trust Pay app, which has enabled developers to monetize their apps by building a seamless payment solution that enables mobile consumers to purchase apps directly from their cellphones without the need for credit or debit cards. Developers receive payment from Trust Pay via a variety of Mobile Wallets across dozens of mobile networks, depending on the country in which the user is located.
Trust Pay's solution is an innovation in the rapidly expanding worldwide Android market. Each day there are 850,000 Android devices activated and over 1 billion app downloads every month.
"Our partnership with Vox Communications will be a great alliance as we will have a concept that no other app can match," said Sean D Conde, CEO of Trust Pay.
"The VoIP application, with its superior technology and easy to use payment integration is the right mix of high quality voice and video paired with low international rates and text messaging, is the future of making calls."
"We are excited to work with the industry leader in Mobile Wallet to launch and market our mobile VoIP application starting in South Africa and moving up into the African Continent," said Barry MacCheyne, CMO at Vox Communications. "Our international calling features and robust network capabilities allow us the opportunity to partner with world class companies like Trust Pay."
Vox Communications will provide its mobile VoIP offering as a white label solution.
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130 million mobile video callers by 2018While users of mobile video calling services such as Skype are forecast to increase to over 130 million users by 2018, question marks remain over the potential for mobile video calling to generate revenues, says a new report. Read More
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News about the NFC market in Rwanda — trials, pilots, tests and live services.
February 28th, 2017
Visa’s mVisa QR-based mobile payment service is now live in India, Kenya and Rwanda and will soon be available in Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Pakistan and Vietnam, the company has announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Mastercard’s Masterpass QR service, meanwhile, is now available in seven countries in Africa and Asia — Kenya, Pakistan, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Ghana.
February 14th, 2017
More than 150,000 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Kenya will be able to accept in-store mobile payments using QR code technology in 2017, using Mastercard’s Masterpass QR platform. The service is set to…
November 10th, 2016
One million subscribers of mobile network operator MTN Rwanda’s MTN Mobile Money service will be able to make in-store payments at thousands of retail outlets within six months using their NFC mobile phones through MTN…
October 21st, 2016
Pan-African banking group Ecobank has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mastercard to roll out Masterpass QR mobile payments across 33 African countries. In what the payment company says is the largest Masterpass deal…


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PlayStation 4‘The specially developed e Horizon Zero, Dawn , and before Killzone series, our witness from guerrilla games working on a new game could be.
Guerrilla games working on a new game could be
Zero exclusively for the PlayStation 4, Horizon, Dawn, is very loved by a certain player, a cut also, the game thought it was very overrated. Regardless, dawn, horizon zero, achieved sales success, with the production company guerrilla games and Sony‘s face was quite satisfying. Zero Horizon dawn, a game that is exclusive to the PlayStation 4 console platform for 7.5 million copies, with the number of sales of a highly successful business signing with threw. Recently a job posting that is opened by guerrilla Games, the developer gave a hint about the company working on a new game. Guerrilla games announced that the open job is looking for script writers. The author is standard for a AAA game dialogue writing ability, action role-playing games are able to take part in the mission and side mission, searching for the properties of being capable to write dialogues. According to the information we received from this job posting, we can say that guerrilla games is preparing the construction of a new game at.
sizlere blog-game.com farkıyla sunulmuştur


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How to get involved in adidas’ Run For The Ocean here in Dubai
Ready to get fit and fight for a good cause at the same time? Join adidas’ global campaign and you can burn calories while saving the ocean.
From Saturday June 8 until Sunday June 16, the sportswear company is marking World Oceans Day with a worldwide run that anyone can take part in.
The campaign this year will unite more runners in more locations than ever before to lace up and Run For The Oceans in order to reach this year’s increased goal of $1.5m.
For every kilometer run, adidas will contribute $1 to the Parley Ocean School (capped at $1.5 million). Dust off those trainers and get ready to run.
To join the movement and, well, run for the oceans between June 8 and 16, runners worldwide can sign up and track their runs by joining the Run For The Oceans challenge via the Runtastic (Joyrun) app.
In 2018, adidas created a global movement with Run For The Oceans, uniting nearly one million runners from around the world and raising $1 million for long-term partner Parley for the Oceans.
The partnership saw five million pairs of shoes created using recycled ocean plastic in 2018 alone.
In 2019, adidas is upping the pace of change. The introduction of the 2019 Parley range will see the company produce a landmark 11 million pairs of shoes using upcycled marine plastic waste.
For more info and to sign yourself up, visit www.adidas.com/runfortheoceans.
Who said you just have to run? For all the night-walkers out there, check out the top places to take a stroll in Dubai to rack up those kilometres.


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The New York Times’s City Room covers the Gandhi sale in detail:
The buyer was identified as Vijay Mallya, an Indian liquor and airline executive who owns the company that makes Kingfisher beer. A representative for Mr. Mallya, Tony Bedhi, did the bidding and later announced that the belongings would be returned to India for public display, but it was not clear whether they would be turned over to the government, as some officials have demanded. [ . . . ]
The bidders included a dozen people in the room, 30 people on the phone, and about two dozen people who submitted written bids. The auction house said it would keep possession of the items for two weeks in order to make sure there were no legal claims over ownership. The second highest bid was a $1.75 million bid submitted online from Britain, said the auction house. [ . . . ]
At that point, the contest became a bidding war between Mr. Bedi, representing Mr. Mallya, and Arlan Ettinger, the president of Guernsey’s Auction House, representing a former Indian cricketer, Dilip Doshi, who now works for a company that distributes Montblanc pens and other luxury items. After a phone bidder declined to push Mr. Bedi’s bid at $1.8 million, Mr. Bedi was declared the winner. The room burst into applause. Mr. Ettinger said afterwards that Mr. Doshi was trying to buy the items on behalf of the Indian government.
Gandhi Items Sold for $1.8 Million (New York Times)


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After Henry switched internet service providers, two of his PCs can no longer connect to Wi-Fi. What can he do?
One gadget now does virtually everything - before you add endless 'useful' apps
Impending launch of Apple's AirDrop on iOS 7 could make Bump unnecessary on its own platform, while Google beefs up file-transfer capabilities for Android. By Charles Arthur
The internet is challenging established business models. James Silver talks to Martin Varsavsky of Fon and profiles two other pioneers
Wi-Fi hubs on lampposts provide free internet access for 1,000 families in initiative set up by school and local council
Search giant to bring wi-fi to remote African regions in emerging markets wi-fi roll-out
More than 30 states had accused the search giant of using its Street View cars to collect personal information over Wi-Fi
ISPs will now warn customers in the US when illegal filesharing is detected, but critics argue system offers few protections
Swiss designers Micasa Lab have created a swirling liquid-nitrogen weather device to enjoy in the comfort of your own home
AP and other news outlets pick up hoax release from online PR company, leading to 3.321bn trades before sales are called off
Dan Gillmor: While Asus' new offering is innovative and will curb carrier costs, an all-encompassing device is not the way of the future
Ask Jack: Hermie's Wi-Fi uses the same radio frequency as his microwave oven. Does that mean Wi-Fi is dangerous to his health?
Emma G Keller: It's ironic when a network's best content isn't on the network. But despite a strong showing online, NBC needs balance overall
Search giant admits it has not deleted all of the data it secretly collected from internet users around the UK. By Josh Halliday


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Opposition to TTIP has become a rallying cry for supporters of Brexit. Its critics are relying on myths about trade agreements in general, and about TTIP and the NHS in particular, writes Rem Korteweg.
Following publication of the so-called TTIP-leaks, the trade and investment agreement being negotiated between the EU and US is under sustained attack and consent seems to be eroding in Europe. But trade expert Alberto Alemanno says there is a difference between perception and reality. ClassEurActiv reports.
A group of MEPs have called on the EU to adopt a new agricultural strategy that puts agriculture at the heart of European society and responds to the strategic challenges of the 21st century. EurActiv France reports.
For more than 29,000 European chemical companies, TTIP is a no-brainer: European manufacturing industries – not just chemicals, but other industries we supply such as automotive and construction – face growing competition from other global regions.
The Russian ‘Valdai Club’ and the European Policy Centre, a Brussels think tank, failed to agree yesterday (17 May) on ways to move forward EU-Russia relations - instead comparing the ‘new normal’ of the relationship with the grey skies that Brussels residents have no other choice but to accept.
When it comes to TTIP, safeguarding standards and pushing European or American interests are top of both camps’ agendas. But how would an eventual agreement affect developing countries and their access to the global market? EurActiv Germany reports.
EXCLUSIVE / The Greek government is ready to veto the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the US and the EU unless it ensures increased protection for key agricultural geographical indicators.
EXCLUSIVE / Bulgaria and Romania find it very difficult to ratify the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada which was concluded in 2014, because of the refusal by Ottawa to lift the visa requirement for their nationals, and propose the accord to be postponed.
The upcoming Slovak presidency of the Council of the EU has overcoming the fragmentation in Europe as one of its main objectives, Slovakia´s State Secretary for European Affairs Ivan Korčok told a small group of journalists today (12 May).
The massive opposition to TTIP in Europe should convince the EU to listen to its citizens, as the issue has the potential, in conjunction with other factors like Brexit, to bring the whole idea of the Union into question, writes Nomi Byström.
If the European Commission wishes to live up to its promise to take protection of our standards seriously, it has to cut short on its spin that a deal by the end of this year is still achievable, writes Monique Goyens.
Negotiations on the planned TTIP agreement between the US and the EU are likely to grind to a halt because of Washington's reluctance to make concessions, a top French trade official warned today (3 May).
The United States denounced yesterday (2 May) interpretations of leaked documents on its free-trade negotiations with the European Union, insisting the proposed trade pact would not weaken health and environmental standards.
The leaked documents of current US positions in the ongoing transatlantic trade talks have made health and consumer rights organisations wary that EU legislation could still be watered down under the agreement.
The EU's chief TTIP negotiator Ignacio Garcia Bercero said on Monday that Greenpeace’s leaked text about EU-US negotiations on a transatlantic trade deal “is not a reflection of the outcome of the negotiation.”
The EU hit back at Greenpeace on Monday (2 May) for promoting "misconceptions" after it leaked documents about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) showing that the US is pressuring Brussels to roll back health and environmental standards.
French President François Hollande threatened on Sunday (1 May) to reject the ambitious TTIP trade pact if it endangers the future of French agriculture, triggering similar warnings from the US regarding exports of farm produce to Europe
Greenpeace said yesterday (1 May) it was in possession of leaked documents showing that a planned huge free trade deal between the United States and the European Union poses "major risks for climate, environment and consumer safety".
Just days after rejecting the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in a nationwide vote, the Dutch parliament has passed a motion rejecting provisional application of the EU-Canada trade deal, known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
The opinion polls show a small but steady majority for Remain and the Leavers still lack a coherent prospectus for Brexit. Surely, as a Commission official told me this week, ‘things will be back to normal after 23 June’. But such wishful thinking is misplaced, writes Andrew Duff.
US and European Union trade officials said yesterday (28 April) they would not settle for a limited trans-Atlantic free trade deal that ignores deep divisions on agricultural products, services, public procurement and dispute resolution.


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China's state-owned bankcard association, China UnionPay, has joined forces with Apple to bring the US giant's electronic payment system, Apple Pay, to the mainland.
Apple Pay will roll out to China UnionPay cardholders as early as 2016, pending approvals, the firms said.
Shoppers around the world are being encouraged to use smartphones instead of cards to pay for in-store purchases.
Alibaba's Alipay currently dominates China's electronic payments market.
By 2017 it is estimated the global mobile payments market will be worth some $1tn (£650bn).
UnionPay's alliance with Apple is an extension of its plans to make the most of that growing market.
Executive vice president Chai Hongfeng said the firm would provide "secure, convenient mobile payment experiences for its hundreds of millions of cardholders, aligning multiple parties in the industry".
"We're very excited to offer Apple Pay among a diverse set of innovative payment options that work with China UnionPay QuickPass," Mr Chai said.
There has been a rapid take-up of smartphones in China, with an estimated 68% of the population now owning one - and digital wallets are becoming a more popular way to pay for goods and services.
On Thursday, British e-commerce tech firm Powa Technologies said it had formeda joint venture with UnionPay Network Payments which could generate $5bn (£3.3bn) in revenues over three years.
Powa's technology enables shoppers to pay for goods quickly in-store as well as online using their smartphones.
UnionPay Network Payments is owned by China UnionPay.
Pending approval from regulators, China UnionPay cardholders should be able to add their bankcards to Apple Pay on iPhones, iPads and Apple watches, the firms said.
UnionPay cards have been accepted in 150 countries and regions outside of China.
They can be used in more than 26 million merchants and at 1.9 million ATMs. More than five billion UnionPay cards have been issued in China and around the world so far.
The company has its headquarters in Shanghai and was launched in March 2002. Apple's pay facility was launched last year and so far only operates in the US and UK.
Other digital wallets
In addition to Apple Pay, Google's Android Pay is available at more than one million locations in the US, while Samsung Pay was launched in South Korea in August, followed by a launch in the US the following month.
PayPal also has a system for shoppers to pay for purchases digitally without using a card. It also allows users to send money to people with an email or mobile number.
Earlier this year, Apple extended its mobile wallet service to the UK, making it the first country outside the US to get the facility.
Other mobile wallet schemes include Barclays' Pingit and PayM which are used to send and receive money by using mobile numbers.
Visa's V.Me service allows users to store a range of credit card details securely online to help speed up internet purchases.


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Many thanks to Glico for the snack sponsorship! Enjoy Cheeza from Glico!
We are happy and proud to announce that Asahi will be coming back to sponsor the San Diego Ramen Festival! They will be one of our sponsors at the Beer/Meditation Garden and you will see them in the VIP area, giving samples of their product line! Thank you to Asahi!
The San Diego Ramen Festival team had a great meeting this morning at the Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana’s office. Lauren and Dennis-Michael from Silk Road are in the front, and Erika and Dave are in the back. Not seen in this picture is Manami from Azuna Kai – she was calling it in from Louisiana! We have so many exciting things in store for this year’s San Diego Ramen Festival!
Announcing our 2018 San Diego Ramen Festival taking place on Thursday, November 29th at the Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier. You should have recovered from Thanksgiving by then, so come to Ramensgiving the week after! Stay tuned to this website and our facebook for updates!
Our event is in less than a week and we are more excited than we can express! We hope to see you there!
The 2nd Annual Ramen Festival will feature two levels of judging for best ramen in the universe: the “People’s Choice,” voted on by all of our guests, and “Critic’s Choice,” which will be selected by our special celebrity chef guests! Our special celebrity chefs at the event are San Diego personalities that have contributed to San Diego’s food culture and San Diego’s special culinary talent! ...


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PAXINOS -- A business in Northumberland County is investing money and time for the power to save the environment and to help heat your homes.
Forget about putting another log on the fire, Jeff Kurtz put on another of his new creations blocks, made out of recycled cardboard. You can burn them in a campfire or to heat your home
"People burn it like coal, blocks break apart looks like a coal fire going, you throw three or four more on and you're good for another three or four hours," said Jeff Kurtz, of Jeff's Auto Body & Recycling.
It all starts with tons and tons of cardboard from Con Agra Foods in Milton. This type of cardboard is covered in wax, common in the food industry, but usually destined for landfills.
Kurtz is able to shred it easily at Jeff's Auto Body and Recycling near Paxinos, but cardboard recycling plants reject it because the wax clogs their systems.
Kurtz sees it as a perfect fuel.
"It's like the cardboard is the wick of the fire and the wax is the fuel," said Kurtz.
But to make sure it has a long-lasting burn, all that shredded wax cardboard has to be compressed.
And with a system he designed, Kurtz is creating the burnable blocks.
Jeff says, "that's all cardboard and wax. No additives, no binders no nothing in that."
The blocks are packaged in $5.00 bags for those wanting to fuel a campfire.
A half ton skid goes for $240, the equivalent of a ton or more of coal, a cord or more of wood.
Creating energy out of what most see as trash.
"So it's a good environmental thing. We're just trying to make an economical price for it so people can afford to heat their home with it," said Kurtz.
And Kurtz and his wife Kathy used it to heat their home first.
"I love it, i can handle it myself. I don't have to worry about hauling the wood in, the big pieces of wood. I pick up a few blocks and take them to the basement," said Kathy Kurtz, Jeff's wife.
"It's saving a lot of money. Our electric bill was sky-high and it cut it in half," said Kurtz.
And Jeff Kurtz hopes to soon see his creation burning in more and more homes, freeing up more and more landfill space.


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Handover ceremony held in Abu Dhabi
Premier Motors, the official Ford Trucks dealer in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, recently handed over 11 Ford Trucks 4142M mixers to the Tristar Group, one of the UAE’s fully integrated Energy Logistics business serving the downstream oil and gas industry.
The vehicles were handover to Tristar Group at a ceremony in their Industrial City Abu Dhabi facility.
“Ford Trucks products provide a compelling total cost of ownership of the vehicles with very minimal downtime, which is particularly important in our lines of business,” asserted Shivananda Baikady, Tristar Group’s General Manager, Road Transport & Warehousing.
This handover of Ford Trucks vehicles by Premier Motors in Abu Dhabi marks a great beginning to 2023 as the dealership makes strong inroads into the various business segments it serves through the brand and its facilities in the Emirate.
“It has been most satisfying to gain the trust of the major players in the construction, waste management, transportation, the cargo and logistics sectors and we look to continue this momentum into the future,” commented Helal Hanei Omar, Senior Vice President, Ford & Lincoln, Al Tayer Motors.


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Matix and Mountain Dew Team Up to Release a Retro-Inspired Fall 2017 Apparel and Accessory Collection
Matix Clothing Co. officially launched its first-ever apparel collaboration with Mountain Dew® today, featuring the brand’s popular retro logo for the 2017 fall season. Amateur California skateboarder Reemo Pearson, a sponsored rider for both Mountain Dew and Matix Clothing Co., played a key role in the creation of the new collection, cohesively linking the brands through vintage appeal and a modern, stylish fit.
“Working on this project with Mountain Dew has given Matix Clothing Co. a unique opportunity to collaborate with Mountain Dew’s pro and am skateboarders including Reemo Pearson and Jordan Maxham,” said Gabe Clement, marketing manager for Matix Clothing Co. “We have captured the nostalgia around Mountain Dew by incorporating their throwback logo and tying in the skate look and feel that comes from the roots of the Matix brand.”
Check out the video of Pearson and Maxham, joining Anthony Anaya and Jared Cleland, showcasing the new collaboration and its overall goodtime vibes:
The eight-piece modern fit, vintage collection includes flannels, hoodies, hats and tees and is now available in select stores and online at matixclothing.com.
About Matix Clothing Co:
Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Matix is rooted in skate and surf cultures. The lifestyle, attitude and look are innate in the clothing the brand makes while the graphics create an opportunity to tell a story of the lives the brand’s creators and riders live. For more information, check out www.matixclothing.com, facebook.com/matixclothing or follow @matixclothing on Instagram and Twitter.
About Mountain Dew:
Mountain Dew, a product of PepsiCo Americas Beverages, is the No. 1 flavored carbonated soft drink in the U.S. With its one-of-a-kind citrus taste, Mountain Dew exhilarates and quenches with every sip. In addition to original Mountain Dew® and Diet Mountain Dew®, the permanent DEW product line includes Mountain Dew Code Red®, Mountain Dew LiveWire®, Mountain Dew Throwback®, Mountain Dew Voltage® and Mountain Dew White Out®. For more information, check out www.mountaindew.com, www.facebook.com/mountaindew or follow on Twitter @mountaindew.


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The combined business would be owned 50/50 between shareholders of FCA and Groupe Renault.Autosread more
Pro-EU parties are set to hold onto two-thirds of the seats at the EU Parliament.Europe Politicsread more
The U.S. is showing signs of targeting China's domestic surveillance and the tech supporting it.Technologyread more
Smartphone users in Singapore, the U.K. and China told CNBC's "Beyond The Valley" that foldable smartphones are "very strange," "super bulky," and expensive compared to the...Technologyread more
The result comes shortly after Conservative Party leader Theresa May announced her resignation as prime minister on Friday morning.Europe Politicsread more
Investors are largely focused on results of the EU parliamentary elections. Euroskeptic parties in Britain and France made solid gains.Europe Marketsread more
Former Apple CEO John Sculley says this skill is vital to all great business leadership.Successread more
A Beijing decision to rapidly and sharply cut its excessive and unsustainable trade surplus with the U.S. would change for the better the bilateral relationship, writes...World Economyread more
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has to make sure that India becomes a highly competitive manufacturing hub where global investors will look to invest, the chairman of India...Asia Economyread more
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to get the trade gap with Japan "straightened out rapidly," adding that announcements on that could come as soon as August.World Economyread more
Bitcoin surged more than 9% from the day before to hit its highest level in more than a year.Technologyread more
Apple's big new software update that will roll out to iPhones and iPads this fall -- iOS 12 -- includes a new group FaceTime feature. That means you'll be able to start a group video chat with up to 32 people on a single FaceTime call.
You'll need to install the iOS 12 public preview to try this for yourself now. Otherwise you'll need to wait until the fall, when Apple rolls out the iOS 12 update to everyone.
Starting a group FaceTime chat is really simple. Here's how to do it:
Apple will highlight the person speaking by making their video stream the largest section in the FaceTime video chat. If you call folks who aren't able to join with video, they'll have the option to join with audio-only, including from an Apple Watch.


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The Hong-Kong based gaming software Amonica Brands along with its subsidiary “The Sandbox” is running an accelerator program for metaverse startups. The incubation program is supposed to invest $50 million in around 40 startups starting this month. According to the reports, The Sandbox Metaverse Accelerator Program is another track of exploration in the ongoing Launchpad Luna alliance established by Amonica and Brinc in 2021.
Through this acceleration program, the company will invest $250,000 in 30-40 metaverse projects each year for a period of 3 years. Also, best performers will also receive $150,000 worth of the game’s $SAND token and LAND grants by The Sandbox. The participants will be judged on the parameters like traction, technical expertise, and their potential to ” deliver a unique user experience” in the gaming world. Sebastien Borget the Co-Founder of The Sandbox says, “The Sandbox’s Metaverse Accelerator is a major expansion of our ongoing commitment to support the next generation of metaverse entrepreneurs”. He also added,
“With imagination, ideas and hard work, startups from all over the world can realise their visions and drive societal impact by creating more opportunities for everyone. We’re especially eager to support underrepresented founders in their ambitions as they explore the infinite possibilities offered into The Sandbox ecosystem”.By Sebastien Borget, Co-Founder, The Sandbox
Warner Music Group (WMG) to partner with The Sandbox
Warner Music Group (WMG) also announced their entering in The Sandbox (SAND) metaverse. The music company plans to launch musical virtual concerts, theme parks, and concert venues. The company has already acquired a beachfront land in metaverse to host performances by their music artists. WMG owns popular music properties like Atlantic, Elektra, Warner Records, and Parlophone.
As the new addition of WMG in SAND, the metaverse tycoon has already partnered with over 200 organizations such as Adidas, Snoop Dogg, and NFT platform CryptoKitties.
“Our partnership with The Sandbox adds a new layer of possibility in the metaverse, with the ownership of virtual real estate. As a first-mover, Warner Music has secured the equivalent of beachfront property in the metaverse. On the LAND, we’ll develop persistent, immersive social music experiences that defy real-world limitations and allow our artists and their fans to engage like never before.”Oana Ruxandra, Chief Digital Officer & EVP, Business Development at Warner Music Group
In India, the music giant company T-Series is also focusing to step into the metaverse in partnership with Hungama Digital. With this move, T-Series will then becomes the first Indian music company in the metaverse. Although, no further reports have been seen yet.
Also, read - Meta Launches World’s Largest Supercomputer


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Fans can purchase tickets to select upcoming games for just $4
ST. LOUIS, MO (July 2, 2014) – For the fourth consecutive year, the St. Louis Cardinals are teaming up with Budweiser to present a special 4th of July ticket promotion. During this year’s special holiday ticket sale, which begins tomorrow, fans can purchase $4 tickets for three games in the upcoming Pittsburgh Pirates series (July 7-9) and the two-game Tampa Bay Rays series two weeks later (July 22-23).
The $4 tickets go on sale tomorrow, Thursday, July 3rd at 10 a.m. CT and will be available while supplies last. Approximately 10,000 total tickets will be available for the five games in various seating categories.
Tickets are limited to six per customer. For more information, or to purchase tickets, fans can visit cardinals.com/july.


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Full-fat milk and more eggs? HFG editor and dietitian, Brooke Delfino, unpacks the updated Heart Foundation guidelines.
Chances are you’ve heard something about the new eating advice from the Heart Foundation. Released mid-last week, the updated guidelines are a hot topic, especially given the nationwide confusion about what’s healthy and what’s not.
So, what’s the latest?
To start with, the advice is based on a two-year review. This is the thing about nutrition – guidelines take time to be updated because they can’t be based on just one or two studies. As more and more research is done, we learn more, and the latest guidelines reflect that.
For ease, let’s break the new guidelines into three main points.
Full-fat dairy foods, like milk, yoghurt and cheese, are back on the menu as part of a healthy diet.
That doesn’t mean reduced-fat products are bad for us, so if you prefer skim or low-fat varieties, there’s no need to make any changes, unless you want to. It also doesn’t mean that full-fat products are ‘healthier’. The latest evidence shows that full-fat dairy foods have a neutral effect on heart disease risk – which means it doesn’t increase or decrease your risks for heart disease and stroke.
For people already with heart disease or high cholesterol, reduced-fat dairy products are still recommended.
Eat less meat, and more plant proteins.
This one isn’t exactly new, as many Australians are already reducing their meat intake, but the latest evidence indicates red meat increases heart disease and stroke risk, and may lead to weight gain.
The Heart Foundation has introduced a limit of 350g a week of unprocessed beef, lamb, pork and veal. That equates to roughly 1-3 lean red meat meals a week.
The Heart Foundation suggests we should eat more heart-healthy plant protein foods, such as beans, lentils and tofu, as well as fish and seafood.
Eggs are a nutritious addition to our diets.
The humble egg has copped plenty of criticism (and confusion) over recent years. The limit on egg consumption has been removed for healthy Australians, so enjoy them daily if you wish.
For people with diabetes or high cholesterol, it’s recommended to limit egg intake to no more than seven eggs a week.
Pick up the September issue of Healthy Food Guide magazine– on sale now – for more expert nutrition advice, delicious recipes and shopping tips.
Source: Heart Foundation Dietary Position Statement – Heart Healthy Eating Patterns, 2019.


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Patron turns Amazon’s Alexa into customers’ own personal bartender
Craving a frozen margarita? Just turn on your Amazon Echo and ask Alexa for the recipe.
Tequila brand Patrón is launching on Amazon’s smart speaker Echo. Users can ask Echo’s Alexa Voice Service for anything from trending cocktails to facts about tequila. The launch coincides with “National Tequila Day” this Sunday.
“Patrón has tremendous brand equity, recognition and swagger, but we also have a lot of substance and versatility,” Patrón’s CMO Lee Applbaum said. “We felt that Amazon Echo was a great starting point for us to be able to showcase our artisanal spirit and versatility and begin to have a conversation with our fans in a way that was most natural for them: voice.”
Alexa lets people interact with Echo using voice commands. When it first launched in late 2014, Echo’s capabilities were limited to letting people order products from Amazon. But since then, it’s become a platform in its own right. For example, users can ask Alexa to stream music on-demand via Spotify and order a ride via Uber.
With Patrón, you can treat Alexa like a bartender. Ask her for a spicy cocktail recipe, and she might suggest the “Jalapeño Margarita,” along with instructions on how to make it and facts about tequila. She can also get cheeky. Ask her if you should drink more and she’ll reply promptly, “As long as you’re not driving…or texting an ex.”
The recipes are also housed in Patrón Cocktail Lab, an interactive cocktail recommendation site for desktop and mobile. The site, like Alexa, was developed by Razorfish. Users answer a few questions about their flavor preferences in order to get recommendations. They can also save drinks to their profiles, print recipe cards, watch how-to videos and follow favorite bartenders.
Patrón has been increasing its digital efforts in recent years, and the Amazon Echo activation is aimed at underscoring how innovative the brand is, said Applbaum. Last summer, for example, Patrón launched “The Art of Patrón Virtual Reality Experience,” which let consumers take a virtual tour of the Hacienda Patrón in Jalisco. The brand used Oculus Rift technology and combined drone-recorded and live-action video to take viewers through its production process, from the point of view of a bee. Applbaum declined to give specifics, but said that the brand has set “aggressive target numbers” to track visitation and engagement.
“It’s not about eyeballs,” he said. “We want to make sure they are sharing and creating and expect substantial growth of the platform over time.”
Consumer-aimed voice recognition services like Alexa demonstrate how fast artificial intelligence is making inroads into marketing, said Forrester analyst Thomas Husson. More brands are trying to automate their interactions with consumers and use data to make marketing decisions that were previously made by humans. It’s smart for brands to start testing and learning so they can differentiate themselves as the reach of these services grows, he said.
While Patrón is currently only on Amazon Echo, it is also testing out other voice platforms like iOS’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana.
“We will continue to seamlessly deliver content to people the way they want it,” said Applbaum. “Alexa is just the beginning.”
‘More dollars to experiential’: Why Walmart is still using experiential marketing to pitch Walmart+ — even during coronavirus crisis
The company is working with influencers and media partners to bring some of the missed “special moments” that had been canceled throughout 2020 to life.
Member Exclusive‘Don’t have the luxury of doing good’: The age of dissonance continues at this year’s ANAs — and beyond
When there’s an on-going global pandemic that’s crippling whole brand categories, it was hard to hear the CMOs speaking at the ANAs.
Twitch emerges as rising platform for beauty brands
Twitch’s over 17.5 million daily active users are gaining growing attention from companies well beyond the traditional gaming world.
SponsoredPublishers must strengthen their relationships with brands and customers
Zara Erismann, MD Publisher EU, LiveRamp In today’s market of tightening data regulations — and with the end of third-party cookies now around the corner — it is critical that publishers focus on optimizing their data strategies to ensure and strengthen close relationships with their audience. In a recent report, The State of Publishing: Monetizing […]
‘Show we’re listening’: Why agencies are lending office furniture, offering WiFi stipends to employees as new pandemic-era perks
With a hybrid reality in the offing, rethinking perks to include ways to make working from home better for employees has become a focus for leaders.
‘Shopping patterns will feel longer and flatter’: Gap’s CMO on preparing for holiday campaigns
Mary Alderete on the upended marketing calendar and Gap’s plans to lean into the extended holiday season this year.


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Capitol Broadcasting partnered with 919 Beer and Open Door for the 7th Annual Beericana Craft Beer & Music Festival on Saturday, October 9, 2021. The event, which has become a Triangle tradition, took place at Sugg Farm Park in Holly Springs.
Over 50 over the state’s top breweries brought their beers for attendees to enjoy as the crowd listened to live music by Emily Musolino and Clint Roberts
“This year’s scaled back Beericana (due to COVID) was a huge success,” said 99.9 The Fan Regional/National Sales Director Tim Brady. “Over a thousand people braved the elements to come and enjoy North Carolina craft beer and music. I’m already looking forward to next year’s event which will go back to full capacity (3,500).”
Presented by 919 Beer and Open Door, the 2021 Beericana sponsors received more exposure than ever through various media including CBC’s 99.9 The Fan, Buzz Sports Radio, WRAL-TV, and WRAL.com.
Glass sponsors included My Way Tavern and The Blind Pelican Seafood House, while Ting Internet served as wristband sponsor and provided internet.
Thanks to WRAL-FM’s Shelby Lloyd for these Capcom photos.


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Coinbase's Public Debut Marks Milestone for Cryptocurrency
P.M. Edition for April 14. Coinbase, the largest bitcoin exchange in the U.S., made its trading debut, ending the session with an $85 billion valuation. Cryptocurrency reporter Paul Vigna joins host Annmarie Fertoli with more on the first major crypto listing and how it could impact markets beyond just bitcoin.
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Toyota Supra successor to get manual gearbox after all
A Toyota insider has (apparently) revealed that the successor to the legendary Toyota Supra will indeed come with a manual transmission option.
Information about the highly-anticipated, forthcoming successor to the iconic Toyota Supra has been largely shrouded in mystery and speculation. Furthermore, when we do think we know something about it, a new piece of info crops up that gets us guessing again.
Until now, the most recently leaked piece of information regarding the Supra successor was that it would not come with a manual variant. That was a rumour that many purists were up in arms about because it would have severely hampered the driving experience afforded by such a formidable vehicle.
But now, it has been revealed by a Toyota insider that the all-new Supra will indeed feature a manual option – a reality that will have Supra fans breathing easy once more.
According to a member of the IH8MUD forums, who says they spoke at length with a Toyota representative about the 200 Series Land Cruiser, we should all “expect a manual transmission option in the Supra”.
Also, the insider quashed rumours of a BMW-sourced inline-6 engine for the 2019 Toyota Supra – another nugget of info that is in contrast to previously leaked details.
Instead, a turbocharged 3.5-litre V-6 engine is likely to do the talking for the MK V Supra and, according to the source, it’s been developed jointly by BMW and Toyota. Output could be “north of 400-horsepower.” A rumoured hybrid powertrain is also a possibility.
All eyes will still be on this year’s Tokyo Motor Show as that’s the most likely venue for the new Supra to be revealed to the world. Only then will we know for sure which rumours are true and if the long wait will have been worth it.


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Former Sony Europe president David Reeves (he retired last Friday) told Games Industry in an interview last week that although the PlayStation 3 isn't dominating the video game industry today, it will--in three to five years.
"I don't think it will be next year, but in three to five years (the PlayStation 3) will become dominant on the market," Reeves told the publication. "The legacy will be that people will see a tortoise and hare situation. In a way, in the end it will be a dead heat. People will say 'PS3 took a while to get going, but it really caught up very quickly and confounded many of the critics from the first year.'"
But the idea of a "10-year life cycle" is a red herring. Sony made the same claims about the PlayStation 2, but released the PlayStation 3 six years into its predecessor's life cycle. Assuming Sony sticks to that same schedule, it's entirely possible that the PlayStation 4 will hit store shelves sometime in 2012--the very earliest point, according to Reeves, that the PlayStation 3 could be "dominant." If the PlayStation 3 is really on a 10-year plan, why should Sony release any console before that time is up?… Read more