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- YouTube rolls out automatic livestream Caption for all users.
- The feature will help creators reach a global audience.
- Previously, the YouTube livestream automatic audio caption feature was available for channels with more than 1,000 subscribers.
YouTube has announced new updates to captions and audio features on the platform. The platform is testing the ability to add multiple audio tracks on videos with a small group of creators. This is meant to provide multi-language audio for international audiences as well as descriptive audio for people who are blind or low-vision. The feature only works for English streams, but the company says it’ll expand to more languages in the coming months.
In addition, YouTube says it’ll be rolling out auto-translation for captions in supported languages on Android and iOS later this year. Right now, that feature is only available on the desktop. The company also plans to start testing the ability to search caption transcripts on mobile to help users find specific keywords. That’ll also happen later this year.
More tech companies have been adding captions to their platforms as they expand their accessibility efforts.late last year and then in May. in April, and on iOS following criticism that the feature, which debuted last year, .
Previously, the YouTube Livestream audio captions feature was available for channels with more than 1,000 subscribers. YouTube also highlights that the automatic captions are generated by machine learning algorithms and hence the quality of captions might depend on accents, dialects, or background noises.
Translate titles and descriptions
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- From the left menu, select Subtitles.
- Select a video.
- If you haven’t select the language for a video, you’ll ask to choose the language and Confirm.
- Select Add language and select the language you’d like to translate to.
- Under “Title & Description”, select Add.
- Enter the translated title and description, and select Publish.
The captions will also be available if a recording of the stream is made available as a VOD (video on demand), making it a quick and easy alternative to manually transcribing streams.
Thanks for Reading!!


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A US appeals court rejected Tesla’s request to reinstate higher civil penalties for automakers who fail to meet US fuel economy standards, Reuters has reported. In April, the Second Circuit US Court of Appeals rejected Tesla’s request for immediate action pending a review by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In August, Tesla asked the court again to take action. Last week, the court rejected Tesla’s request — a win for automakers that don’t meet US fuel economy standards (requirements).
Tesla has been criticized before for selling credits to other automakers. Tesla sells the credits to help these automakers meet government vehicle emissions requirements, but has noted that these credits are not as valuable due to changes in rules made by the Trump administration.
Automakers that fail to meet these fuel economy standards have complained that raising the penalties could cost them around $1 billion a year for failing to meet the rules, and could lead to them paying higher prices for credits used to meet the rules. The group of automakers that opposed Tesla’s requests were made up of the so-called EV leader General Motors, Toyota, Ford, and Volkswagen. Note that GM, which only sold 26 EVs in Q4 2021, has been hyped up as the nation’s EV leader by President Biden.
The group told the appeals court, “That Tesla might benefit from more certainty about the worth of the CAFE credits that it has amassed is hardly a reason to cut off an ongoing administrative process.”
Although carbon credits allow companies to “compensate” for their greenhouse gas emissions, I personally don’t see the value. If Company A was to produce 100× greenhouse gasses and bought credits from Tesla to “make up for” those excesses, that wouldn’t erase the greenhouse gases that were produced.
Yes, I know that if Tesla wasn’t here leading the world in EVs, we would have a lot more greenhouse gases than we do. However, I’ve always found the whole carbon credit system a bit confusing — if not fake. And the criticism that I’ve seen aimed at Tesla for selling carbon credits is also a bit fake, in my opinion. The system was not set up by Tesla or for Tesla’s benefit. It was set up to push automakers to try harder, but it clearly isn’t strong enough to get far with that.
In the end, why be critical of Tesla selling the carbon credits to an automaker that made too much greenhouse gas pollution but not be critical of that automaker for making too much greenhouse gas pollution?
Also, you would think that our government leaders would want to enforce their own rules on fuel economy standards. However, the court ruled in favor of the automakers, and that allows automakers to do more harm to this planet.
I don't like paywalls. You don't like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Here at CleanTechnica, we implemented a limited paywall for a while, but it always felt wrong — and it was always tough to decide what we should put behind there. In theory, your most exclusive and best content goes behind a paywall. But then fewer people read it! We just don't like paywalls, and so we've decided to ditch ours. Unfortunately, the media business is still a tough, cut-throat business with tiny margins. It's a never-ending Olympic challenge to stay above water or even perhaps — gasp — grow. So ...
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SANTA CLARA (CBS/AP) – Chip maker Intel says its fourth-quarter revenue will be lower than expected due to hard disk drive supply shortages.
Intel Corp. said Monday that it now expects fourth quarter revenue of $13.4 billion to $14 billion. It had previously forecast revenue of $14.2 billion to $15.2 billion for this all-important holiday quarter.
Analysts polled by FactSet are expecting revenue of $14.65 billion.
Intel is the world’s largest maker of microprocessors, the “brains” of computers. The company says it expects PC sales to be up sequentially during the quarter. But it says companies are reducing inventories and microprocessor purchases because of hard drive shortages.
(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)


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Looks like Verizon Galaxy Nexus owners could have an update coming soon, going by the build number IMM76Q. Shown off in the above screenshot, the update wont take devices up to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (I know, bummer), but should patch some bugs as well as address signal issues plaguing handsets by introducing a new baseband. Everything else is pure speculation and exactly when Verizon owners can expect their devices to receive Jelly Bean is anyone’s guess.
stars Popular this Weeklaunch
The Really Blue Google Pixel’s white display housing was a little too iPod Touch for our tastes. So instead of living with it, we decided to swap it out with a black one. Here’s how.
more_vertNew Android 7.1 Nougat emoji's
Android 7.1 Nougat adds a whole slew of new emoji’s in addition to those that were included with Android 7.0 Nougat.
more_vertSamsung confirms the Galaxy Note 8
Although many reports suggested that Samsung may end up killing off the Galaxy Note 8 after the debacle that was the Galaxy Note 7, it seems that we will have a new Note device next year.
more_vertHow to Pixel-ate any phone
Unfortunately, Google has been adamant that Nexus phones will not be getting a lot of the same things that Pixel phones have. Thankfully, not all hope is lost — you can still make your phone look and feel like a Pixel in some respects if you want to be with the in-crowd.
more_vertGoogle shuffles its Store lineup
Google has removed a few smartwatches and the Chromebook Flip from its store, but have added 2 new smartwatches, a fitness tracker, and a Philips Hue Starter Kit.
more_vertGalaxy S8 spec rumors
Samsung has officially moved on from the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 debacle. The Samsung Galaxy S8 is the next major phone on the horizon. We’ve already heard a fair share about this upcoming device.
A new report suggests the total cost of materials for the new Pixel XL is less than $300, yet the manufacturing cost compared to its sales price is in line with the iPhone 7 Plus and Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge.
Google finally confirms the Pixel camera’s excessive lens flaring, saying a future software should help alleviate the problem. They also want everyone to stop with the hardware exchanges, as this issue isn’t a hardware defect.
more_vertThe Gear S3 will be released on time
Despite rumors which claimed Samsung would be delaying the release of its latest smartwatch, the Gear S3, these rumors have seemingly been debunked.


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In recent weeks, the price of lithium – one of the most critical components in the production of electric vehicle (EV) batteries – has decreased significantly. Indeed, since the new year rolled in, lithium’s price has decreased by almost 20% despite a recent increase in EV sales.
This development has flummoxed industry analysts across the globe as it completely flies in the face of forecasts that the price of lithium would remain high and throw a wrench into the push towards sustainably-powered transportation. On the contrary, it has led EV manufacturers to slash product prices.
Industry giant Tesla, in particular, cut the prices of its most cost-effective EVs, the Model 3 and Model Y back in January. Ford Motor was not far behind, reducing the price of the Mustang Mach-E.
As of February, the average cost of an EV in the United States has dropped by around $1000 compared to January’s figures. Given the rapid drop in lithium prices worldwide, industry professionals expect EV sales to soar this year.
According to Kang Sun, CEO of emergent EV battery maker Amprius Technologies, the average EV price has kept it from becoming mainstream. But now, dropping lithium prices could change the game entirely – but some experts remain wary and recommend keeping an eye on the sector in the coming months.
Why is Lithium Becoming More Affordable?
To understand what’s going on, we need to get into one crucial topic: why the sudden drop in the price of lithium and other crucial materials for battery manufacturing?
One theory posed by experts is that several short-term factors could be to blame, particularly the end of subsidies for EV purchases in Europe and China.
Another theory involves the discovery of new sources of lithium over the past couple of years, along with the opening of new mines and processing facilities which have helped augment the global supply.
Regardless, lithium’s price remains quite high as the cost of mining the metal and processing it is still substantial. Indeed, the cost of producing a single ton of the metal still runs between $5,000 and $8,000. In order to recover costs, producers sell the metal for ten times the cost of production.
The profitability of the lithium mining sector has caused a frenzy among investors, leading to substantial sums being put into exploration, mining, and processing. Governments have also awarded numerous million-dollar grants to those wanting to participate in the action.
But this could still change in the coming months. For one thing, the substantial investments made into the industry could be lost if the price of the metal continues to drop. Also, it is possible that future advancements in EV battery technology could mean a change in the amount of lithium necessary for production – and that, in and of itself, could change the game for the entire industry moving forward.


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rom the beginning, the halls of the Convention Center were full of visitors, dispelling the doubts that weighed on this ICE edition, due to the hard situation that the different key regional markets are going through.
The habitual cold was dissipated inside Earls Court pavilions, which brought its warm welcome to the latest edition in this building, because Clarion Gaming authorities –the organizers of the event- informed that next year ICE will be held February 5-7 in the new ExCel Exhibition Center.
With regards to the event, exhibiting companies kept the same level of excellence than in previous years, offering very bright and colourful booths, wide exhibition spaces and, above all, novelties for the European public.
As usual, the slots attracted the attention of the public, and a great number of titles are based in proven global franchises, such as Penthouse, Grease, Marilyn, Elvis, Lord of the Rings, Godzilla and Michael Jackson, among others. Besides, there is a growing trend towards the development of games for tablets and smart cell phones, and the space allocated for online gaming keeps on growing, which is already a hallmark of the latest editions of the event.
The companies dedicated to table games also introduced remarkable innovations, from new side bets alternatives for roulettes to intelligent management systems or triple wheels that let bettors play in three different roulettes in one throw. In every sense, innovation was a constant presence in the main stands of the event.
This way, ICE seems to have overcome the resentment of the market after a difficult year for several European economies, and enables to face 2012 with renewed hopes, in which manufacturers bet for the recovery of the operators, and also bet for investment as key to face the crisis.


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The Hawaii State Department of Health has given formal notice to proceed to Cure Oahu, a dispensary located at 727 Kapahulu Avenue, in Honolulu. The cannabis business renovated a former Bank of Hawaii building, where the dispensary will be located.
Cure Oahu will be the third dispensary located in Honolulu and the fifth in the state. Pacific Business News also reported that the company has secured real estate on Oahu’s North Shore for operation and cultivation facilities.
The Cure Oahu dispensary opening coincides with just over the eight-month mark, since the first medical marijuana dispensary opened in Hawaii. The process for legal medical cannabis sales in Hawaii has been a bumpy one–voters initially approved sales in 2000, but regulations for cannabis businesses were not decided until 2015, when Act 241 was signed into law. The first dispensary in Hawaii, Maui Grown Therapies, opened in August 2017.
Delays have been caused by slow rollout of state-approved testing laboratories. There are eight licensed cannabis businesses located throughout the state of Hawaii, but, currently, only four are operating dispensaries. Cure Oahu will be the fifth when it opens. The businesses with operating dispensaries are located on Oahu and in Maui County, where there are also operating testing labs. Up to 10,000 state-registered patients are located in Oahu and Maui.
On the Big Island and Kauai, there are no operating dispensaries or testing labs to date. While another 10,000 registered patients in those areas are allowed to purchase medical cannabis products at dispensaries on Oahu or in Maui County, Hawaii’s unique geography makes medicine less available to those residents. Many of the conditions approved for treatment with medical cannabis are debilitating and prevent travel.
Health department officials recently told Hawaii News Now that since medical sales began in August 2017, the industry has generated $2.8 million in gross revenue.


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Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
For kids and teens, the amount of arsenic flowing through their bodies was found to be about 15% higher for each quarter-cup of daily rice consumption. A similar link was found in adults. A study of pregnant women found that about a half a cup a day of cooked rice could raise urine arsenic levels as much as drinking a liter of arsenic-contaminated water at the current upper federal safety limit. So, that suggests that many Americans “may be exposed to potentially harmful levels of arsenic through rice consumption.”
But, you know where Americans get most of their rice arsenic from? Rice Krispies— though brown Rice Krispies may have twice as much.
“Organic brown rice syrup…is used as a sweetener in organic food products as an alternative to high-fructose corn syrup.” Big mistake, as organic brown rice syrup products may introduce significant concentrations of toxic arsenic into peoples’ diets. For example, two of these might hit the provisional upper daily arsenic limit, based on the water standards.
“[T]oddler formulas with added organic brown rice syrup have 20 times higher levels of [toxic] arsenic.” And, “[i]n older children,” thanks to brown rice syrup, a few cereal “bars a day could pose a [quote-unquote] very high cancer risk.”
What about rice milk? A consensus statement of both the “European…and…American [Societies] for Pediatric…Nutrition…recommend the avoidance of rice milk for infants and young children.” And, generally, toxic arsenic intake in infancy and childhood should be as low as possible.
To this end, “the UK has banned the consumption of rice milk for young children,” a notion to which Consumer Reports concurred, recommending no servings a week of rice milk for children, and no more than half a cup a day for adults.
The arsenic in various brands of rice milk ranges all over the place, a 15-fold difference between the highest and lowest contamination, suggesting manufacturers could make low arsenic rice milk if they wanted. Consumer Reports found Pacific brand and Rice Dream were right about average, though perhaps for Rice Dream, it appears the vanilla or chocolate flavors may be lower. Rice vinegar doesn’t seem to be anything to worry about, but rice pasta and rice cakes end up similar to pure rice—which makes sense, because that’s what they pretty much are, though pasta is boiled. So, we’d expect the levels to be cut 40 to 60%, like when you boil and drain rice.
If for some reason, you just couldn’t live without rice milk, you could make your own, using lower-arsenic rice, like brown basmati from India, Pakistan, or California, but then it may have even less nutrition, as at least most of the commercial brands are fortified. Better options might be soy, oat, hemp, or almond milk, though you don’t want kids to be drinking too much almond milk. There have been a few case reports of little kids drinking like four cups a day, running into kidney stone problems, due to the relatively high oxalate content, averaging about five times more than soy milk.
I have about 30 videos that touch on soy milk—how it may normalize development in girls and reduce breast cancer risk, as well as prostate cancer risk in men. Some of the latest science on soy milk includes an association with better knee x-rays, suggesting protection from osteoarthritis, and an interventional study suggesting improved gut health by boosting the growth of good bacteria, Though drinking three quarts a day—10 to 12 cups a day for a year—may inflame your liver. Two cups a day, though, can have an extraordinary effect on your cholesterol, a whopping 25% drop in bad cholesterol after just 21 days.
An ounce-and-a-half of almonds every day, like a handful a day, can drop LDL 13% in six weeks, and reduce abdominal fat, though a cup of almond milk only contains about 10 almonds—less than a third of what was used in the study. So, it’s not clear if almond milk helps much, but there was a study on oat milk compared to rice milk. Five weeks of oat milk lowered bad cholesterol, whereas rice milk didn’t, and even increased triglycerides, and may even bump blood pressure a little bit. But, the oat milk only dropped LDL about 5%, and that was with three cups a day; so, as plant-based alternatives go, it appears soy milk wins the day.
So, why drink rice milk at all when there are such better options? There’s really not much nutrition in rice milk. In fact, there are case reports of “severe malnutrition” in toddlers who centered their diets around rice milk due to multiple food allergies. Infants and toddlers have increased protein requirements compared to adults; and so, if the bulk of some poor kid’s diet is rice milk, coconut milk, potato milk, or almond milk, they may not get enough.
Oh, yeah? Show me one case of kwashiorkor (that bloated belly protein/calorie deficiency) due to rice milk. Here you go. Here’s another one, “severe kwashiorkor,” not in Ethiopia, but in Atlanta, Georgia—because literally 99% of his diet was rice milk. So, these malnutrition cases were not because they drank rice milk, but rather because they drank rice milk nearly exclusively. But, I just use these to illustrate the relative lack of nutrition in rice milk. So, if you’re going to choose a milk, might as well go for one that has less arsenic—and, more nutrition.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.


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Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA) was maintained as Neutral but the price target was cut to $38 from $42 (versus a $34.17 close) at Macquarie.
Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE: STZ) was up 3.3% at $227.92 on the last day of the quarter after hiking its dividend along with strong earnings. Analyst target price changes have been seen as follows: SunTrust Robinson Humphrey to $260 from $250, Susquehanna to $193 from $192 and RBC to $280 from $271.
Darden Restaurants Inc. (NYSE: DRI) was raised to Outperform from Sector Perform and the price target was raised to $97 from $93 (versus an $85.25 close) at RBC Capital Markets.
Fitbit Inc. (NYSE: FIT) was downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight and the price target was cut to $4 from $5 (versus a $5.10 close, after almost a 4% gain) at Morgan Stanley. Fitbit was indicated down almost 5% at $4.85 on Monday.
Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) has been the subject of yet even more rumors, with Walmart interested in a partnership or an outright merger. Credit Suisse said that while Walmart and Humana could choose to elevate their existing relationship, an outright Humana acquisition would likely be well above $300 per share. Merrill Lynch noted that a potential deal could help Walmart leverage its ancillary businesses to drive customer traffic to stores and online and that it would enhance Walmart’s importance to budget-conscious retirees and make Walmart a leader in senior health care. Humana shares were indicated up 6.8% at $287.10 on Monday.
Ocean Rig UDW Inc. (NASDAQ: ORIG) was reinstated as Outperform and assigned a $37 price target (versus a $25.23 close) at Evercore ISI.
Paychex Inc. (NASDAQ: PAYX) was reiterated as Buy with a $75 price target (versus a $61.59 close) at Argus, with the firm noting that the recent weakness offers a buying opportunity.
RSP Permian Inc. (NYSE: RSPP) was downgraded to Hold from Buy and the price target was cut to $51 from $65 at KLR Group. Shares closed up over 4% at $46.88 on Thursday, and that was after the big post-acquisition news on Wednesday.
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) was raised to Hold from Underperform with a $250 price target at Jefferies. Tesla was up 3.2% at $266.13 at the end of last week, but a joke of a tweet about Tesla being broke by Elon Musk had shares down another 3.4% at $257.00 in Monday’s trading indications.
Thursday’s top analyst calls included Autodesk, Boeing, Duke Energy, GameStop, Harley-Davidson, Hasbro, Mattel, Starbucks, Yandex and many more.
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Fans who want to get in to see Garth Brooks’ first full-scale concert in 10 years will be manning their computers and phones on Saturday morning (11/6). The die-hard devotees will be hitting the box office tomorrow (11/4).
As announced last week, Brooks and wife Trisha Yearwood are set for a flood relief benefit at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Dec. 17. Superstar guests are expected to perform.
Tickets will go on sale via Ticketmaster on Saturday morning, Nov. 6 at 10 AM/CT. They will be priced at $25 plus fees and there will an eight-ticket limit. Available at www.ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster charge by phone at 1–800-745‑3000 or Ticketmaster Express at 1–866-448‑7849.
Here are the details on purchasing in person at the Bridgestone.
Random numbered wristbands will be given out at the outlets and the Bridgestone Arena Box Office beginning 10AM Thursday, Nov 4 through Friday, Nov 5 at 7PM or while supplies last. The wristband does not guarantee a ticket, ONLY a place in line. The wristband will be placed on your left wrist and wristband holders must return to the same location they received their wristband by or before 845AM Saturday, Nov 6th. If wristband holders show up after 845AM then they must go to the late line. Everybody with a wristband has a chance to be first in line if they arrive by or before 845AM. Those fans without wristbands will be allowed to line up behind wristband holders first come, first served. Must be at least 12 years old and able to be in line unaccompanied. 8 ticket limit. Cash only at the Bridgestone Arena and all outlets.


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The couple’s new ‘empty vest’ project relates to last year’s stillbirth statistics, which show 2,689 babies were stillborn in the UK. “We are wanting to create ... to be laid out and will be using a ...
We bring together the very latest drone news from hundreds of sources across the web! Product releases, reviews
& videos combined with help on finding some of the very best drone deals from stores and online outlets!
Constantly updated through the day - every day -
the site has everything for the beginner right right through to the seasoned drone professional!


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by: David Polinchock
This is the front page article in the NY Times business section today and it speaks volumes to our experience conversation.
Georgiana Gardiner has no use for conventional supermarkets. When Ms. Gardiner, who lives in a Denver suburb, wants fresh fish, meats, produce, and other perishables, she drives 25 minutes to the nearest Whole Foods Market. When she needs products like canned beans, pasta and paper towels, she stops at a Wal-Mart Supercenter, which has a full grocery store.
It has been at least a year, she said, since she entered a Safeway or Kroger, the two national supermarket chains that operate in the Denver area.
"Once you go to start eating organic foods, you can't go back," said Ms. Gardiner, 61. Whole Foods may be "more expensive, but it's worth it," she added. "Anyway, I make up some of the difference at Wal-Mart."
Ms. Gardiner and a growing number of shoppers like her are the supermarket industry's worst nightmare. Faced with a seemingly endless array of food shopping choices, consumers are increasingly shunning the neighborhood supermarket and going to Wal-Mart, Costco or other discounters for rock-bottom prices or to places like Whole Foods and Wild Oats for specialized quality and service.
Traditional supermarkets, caught in the middle, are struggling to survive. And the pressures on them may only intensify: Wal-Mart and Whole Foods have ambitious expansion plans, and Target says it wants to become a big player, too.
And look at what Robin Jognson from Food Lion has to say about the grocery industry as a whole. Yes, it is amazing that it has taken so long for grocery stores to understand this change. We're wondering how long it will take for the other retail categories to start to realize this?
"Food Lion, a 1,220-store chain owned by the Delhaize Group of Brussels, is making changes. Robin Johnson, director for marketing and brand development at Food Lion, said that when her team started working on a new store concept called Bloom three years ago, they took a red pen to every aspect of supermarket design.
"For the past several decades, stores have been run in a way that benefits the store and the company's bottom line," Ms. Johnson said.
By contrast, she said, the new store concept "was born from what the customer wants: to take the hassle out of grocery shopping.
"Bloom stores - there are now five, all in North Carolina - feature a quick-stop area in front for shoppers who just want eggs and milk or something for dinner. Traditionally, supermarkets have placed such high-volume items at the back of the store in hopes that the journey may inspire other purchases.
"Why have we played these games with customers?" Ms. Johnson asked.
The new stores also have wider aisles, lower shelves and no candy at the checkout aisles, to cut down on temptations for children. Ice cream is at the front so it is less likely to melt before reaching home.
Ms. Johnson and her team have also banned promotional displays from the aisles, saying that they generate nice fees from vendors, but clog cart traffic. "Taking them out is a scary thing for a retailer to do," she said, "because it's revenue and they're designed to drive impulse sales."
Christina Minardi, head of the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut region for Whole Foods, said she doubted large chains would be able to replicate the appeal of her company's stores. "It's a lot more than paint and new lighting," she said. "We have developed a whole culture here."
Indeed, despite their efforts, many analysts expect supermarkets to continue to lose out to their competitors. Darrell Rigby, who leads the retail consulting team at Bain & Company, said some chains, probably smaller ones, will either go out of business or be acquired.
Nick McCoy, a senior consultant at Retail Forward, said, "Supermarkets have got to offer a compelling reason for people to go there."
For us, it's not just supermarkets that need a compelling experience. Everyone should be looking at compelling reasons for people to go to their retail location. And don't think about it from your POV. You need to be creating experiences that fulfill the consumers needs, not yours. And you need to decide what your story is all about -- rock-bottom prices or specialized quality and service. This is the time to take stock and take a stand. Even if it's scary and means that you need to change the way you've been doing things in the past.


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Lenovo has been hyping its first-ever gaming phone for quite some time now. Now, the Lenovo Legion gaming phone finally has a launch date. The company has confirmed that it will be launched in July.
Lenovo took to Weibo to announce that the Legion gaming phone is coming in July. However, it didn’t mention the exact launch date. While some reports have claimed that the phone will run on the unannounced Snapdragon 865+ SoC, it is likely to be powered by the Snapdragon 865 chipset.
The Lenovo Legion gaming phone could feature a 144Hz refresh rate flat display at FHD+ resolution (2340×1080) and with a 270Hz touch sampling rate. It is tipped to sport a dual – 64MP + 16MP rear camera setup and a 20MP selfie shooter.
Further, the upcoming Lenovo phone is rumored to sport a dual X-axis linear vibration motor. The leaked teasers say that the phone has a “3D cooling tower structure” with “dual heat pipe partitions” for “long-lasting cooling.” You can read more about it here.


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These past few weeks have been undoubtedly disheartening for us all. Bad news seems to be coming after the other. In the face of this unprecedented health crisis, global industries like travel and entertainment are taking a hit. More than that, the streets are now left eerily empty. With everyone encouraged to isolate themselves to stop the spread of the virus, no one's out and about, save for a few service workers and medical frontliners holding down the fort and keeping the community safe and functioning despite the pandemic. Though the present seems bleak, a glimmer of hope still remains with various groups joining hands in the fight against the virus. Aside from a few government sectors doing their responsibility to ensure the safety of their citizens in this trying time, a number of private companies and individuals have decided to give back and do what they can as well.
Last week, a number of local influencers have decided to help out with their own projects. And within the fashion and beauty industry too, we've heard of luxury brands like Moncler and Prada donating large sums to fund hospitals, as well as LVMH who has announced the production of free hand sanitisers to alleviate the shortage. Ahead, we list down a few other fashion and beauty brands' initiatives against COVID-19.
Following Coty and The Body Shop's move of donating cleansing products to those in need, Clarins has also decided to take action. They'll also be responding to the shortage of hand sanitiser, particularly that affecting the French health service. So far, three of their industrial sites in France have already produced and delivered 14,500 bottles of hand sanitiser to hospitals and will continue to provide more for as long as necessary. In doing this, Clarins hopes to extend their gratitude. In a press release, the beauty company's management wrote, "We would like to thank all those who are contributing to our socially-responsible initiative: our Production and Research & Development teams, our suppliers, our carriers and above all, the hospital staff."
With Italy being one of the countries gravely affected by the pandemic, brands that have originated from the country have also decided to do their part to help. For one, there's Bvlgari who's working together with their long-time fragrance manufacturer ICR (Industrie Cosmetiche Riunite, Lodi) to produce hand-cleansing gels. They're working to supply hundreds of thousands of bottles through the Protezione Civile (Italian Civil Protection Department) to all medical facilities in need. Bvlgari CEO Jean-Cristophe Babin believes that they "[have] a responsibility to contribute to the national effort to help prevent, fight and eradicate COVID-19."
Announcing that the Armani Group’s production plants have now switched to manufacturing single use overalls for healthcare workers involved in the fight against Coronavirus #EmporioArmani #GiorgioArmani pic.twitter.com/twTyj5uTWX— Armani (@armani) March 27, 2020
But sanitisers aren't the only essentials integral to stop the spread of the virus. Medical professionals from all over the world are also experiencing shortages in protective gear, which are absolutely necessary to avoid contracting the virus while treating affected patients. To help out with that, aside from donating a total of EUR2 million to hospitals in Italy, Armani has also made the decision to use all their production plants in the country to manufacture single-use medical overalls. The leading luxury group's efforts will prove greatly beneficial to health personnel engaged in a war against the coronavirus.
Manila Protective Gear Sewing Club
Within our region too, various groups are doing what they can to help out health workers as they risk their lives tending to patients of the virus. In particular, Filipino fashion designer Mich Dulce kickstarted a volunteer group called the Manila Protective Gear Sewing Club. As of writing, a total of 1,936 local fashion designers, tailors, textile workers — basically anyone willing and capable to help within the industry — including the likes of designers Rajo Laurel, Patrice Diaz and more have joined hands to help address the lack of Personal Protective Gears (PPEs) in Philippine hospitals. Together, they designed a prototype for PPEs that can be reused and disinfected multiple times, which was finally approved for mass production last Sunday by an Infectious Diseases Specialist.
Manila-based clothing brand Randolf Clothing, meanwhile, is doing what they can to give back to the service workers on the frontlines. Using scraps of fabric from their collections, they decided to sew together reusable face masks that can protect everyone from the virus. Last week, they distributed some to service workers like trash collectors that are keeping the local community running while everyone's mandated to stay and isolate at home. They plan to be making more to help more people from their town. They've also shared patterns and instructions for others who want to make face masks for personal use or donation.
Last but not the least, in Malaysia, local fashion designers are also doing what they can to provide hospitals in urgent need of more PPE gowns. The project was initiated by Malaysian Official Designers Association (MODA) to address the local health workers' needs. MODA administers the whole process, supplying the fabrics needed to designers and volunteers who are working together to sew the gowns as fast as possible. To raise funds, they're working together with retail company FashionValet, while the distribution of the finished PPEs will be handled by the Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia (IMARET). Those interested to help in this health crisis are invited to donate what they can here.


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So earlier this month there was a major Adobe hack and the source code for a couple of it’s mainstream products (Acrobat Reader, ColdFusion and ColdFusion Builder) was leaked and downloaded, most likely in it’s entirety.
There was a bit of a panic surrounding this as the software is used by a lot of major governmental agencies (especially in the US), and it’s feared that when someone with malicious intent has access to your source code – they are more likely to be able to find previously undiscovered vulnerabilities.
The attack also leaked 2.9 million customer records including names and credit card numbers, so much for Adobe doing cloud right.
Adobe’s systems have been hit by numerous “sophisticated attacks” that have compromised the information of 2.9 million customers, and accessed the source code of Adobe products.
The company said on Thursday that it has been the victim of a major cyberattack and said hackers had accessed those millions of customer IDs and encrypted passwords.
“We also believe the attackers removed from our systems certain information relating to 2.9 million Adobe customers, including customer names, encrypted credit or debit card numbers, expiration dates, and other information relating to customer orders,” the company said.
It does not believe decrypted credit or debit card numbers were accessed.
“As a precaution, we are resetting relevant customer passwords to help prevent unauthorized access to Adobe ID accounts. If your user ID and password were involved, you will receive an email notification from us with information on how to change your password,” the company wrote.
The company says people should change their passwords on any other website where they have used the same user ID and password. But you’d do that anyway, wouldn’t you?
Now whilst that studying the source code may give you some advantages, Acrobat for example has over 13 million lines of code – so you’d basically looking for a needle in a haystack.
Also the fact the software has a bunch of security measures built in like address space layout randomization (ASLR), a sandbox (which logically separates any opened PDF file), and the broker process (basically a firewall between the process and system calls) – means even if you do find a vulnerabilty, crafting an exploit from it is going to be really hard.
We haven’t as yet seen any zero day exploits that could have come from the compromise, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t out there – or being used for targeted attacks/cyberterrorism.
It is “in the process” of notifying customers whose credit or debit data may have been stolen, and is offering them condolence in the form of a “one-year complimentary credit monitoring membership where available.”
Where we come from, that’s called offering free stable doors after the horses have bolted.
The company has also contacted federal law enforcement officials and notified banks that process customer payments for Adobe.
Hackers have also accessed the source code for the company’s Adobe Acrobat, ColdFusion, ColdFusion Builder, and other unnamed products, the company said in a separate blog post.
Security firm Hold Security claims to have found 40 gigabytes in encrypted archives on a hacker’s server, apparently containing source code on some of Adobe’s biggest products.
“This breach poses a serious concern to countless businesses and individuals,” Hold Security wrote. “Effectively, this breach may have opened a gateway for new generation of viruses, malware, and exploits.”
Although I don’t really think they are related, it just happens that ColdFusion servers are very frequently setup without all the extra security controls that Adobe provides being enabled.
Source: The Register


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Intrinsiq gets $4.1 million in new funds
Intrinsiq Materials Inc., a Rochester-based company developing nanoparticle inks for the electronics printing industry, has raised $4.1 million in new investment.
Jennifer Tegan, partner and vice president of Cayuga Venture Fund, which led the latest round of new investment, will join the Intrinsiq board of directors.
Jennifer Tegan, partner and vice president of Cayuga Venture Fund, will join the Intrinsiq Materials board of directors.
Intrinsiq operates research and manufacturing facilities in Rochester in the United Kingdom.


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Trying to book an online delivery or click and collect slot from any supermarket at the moment can feel like mission impossible.
The likes of Asda, Tesco, Morrisons, M&S, Ocado and Sainsbury's have all seen demand for home deliveries rocket, leaving many shoppers struggling to find a slot.
Aldi has even launched a home grocery delivery service for the first time ever to ensure people are getting the essentials they need.
In a bid to solve the problem, a website has now been created with the aim of allowing shoppers to search for available delivery slots from some of the major supermarkets in the click of one button.
Shopping Slot allows shoppers to search and book available delivery slots from Tesco, Asda, Iceland and Waitrose.
All you need to do is enter your postcode and the site will search all the available delivery and click and collect slots from the nearest Asda, Tesco, Waitrose and Iceland stores to your home.
Then you can pick your slot and away you go.
We did a search and it came up with some valid slots for Iceland - so it works.
Send a heart to our #NHSheroes and donate to our NHS frontline fundraiser
It is something that has touched all our lives.
From cradle to grave, the National Health Service is a part of British life.
Today, more than ever, we should cherish those who dedicate themselves to our care as they work tirelessly to care for people in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
The website says: "Our co-founders, Jason & Sabrina, had one problem… booking an online shopping slot. Millions of people are vulnerable, elderly or self-isolating, and trying to order online seems near impossible.
"Shopping Slot has created a solution saving consumers time and stress by simplifying their search."


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Washington, D.C. has become the latest in a growing number of cities to outlaw plastic straws. The ban’s grace period ban officially ended on July 1st, and follows a 9-year-old nickel bag tax, and a 3-year-old ban on plastic food containers. Businesses in the District will now have to switch from plastic straws to biodegradable alternatives such as paper straws, or face fines ranging from $100 to $800.
This plastic straw ban took effect over a three-step process. The first step came when the ban became law on October 1st last year, whereby the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) gave a January 1st deadline for businesses to get rid of plastic straws. The second step took place on January 1st, when the DOEE issued warnings for noncompliance. The third and final process began on July 1st, when DC began issuing fines for violations.
So far, D.C. 's plastic straw ban seems to succeed in accommodating people with disabilities.
In order to enforce this ban, the DOEE will conduct inspections at businesses throughout the District; the DOEE conducted similar inspections following the District’s polystyrene takeout container ban. These compliance inspections will occur throughout the year. Customers can tip the DOEE about businesses regularly serving plastic straws instead of legal alternatives like paper straws.
DC will however allow restaurants to carry a limited supply of plastic straws, in order to serve disabled customers who still need to use these straws. These plastic straws will be handed out only by request, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Soon, this exception won’t be necessary, because companies like OkStraw already make paper straw for everyone’s needs.
Washington D.C’s single-use plastic straw ban has so far been met with positive feedback from local businesses
Washington, D.C. has a long history with the drinks straw. It was in the District where in 1888, Marvin Chester Stone received the first patent for a paper straw design, and made the product locally. Over time however, Stone’s biodegradable paper straw became the bendable plastic straw that cannot decompose. Stone’s invention deserves the spotlight, and OkStraw Paper Straws hopes to do him proud.
Washington D.C’s single-use plastic straw ban has so far been met with positive feedback from local businesses. In fact, a number of D.C. businesses phased out plastic straws before the ban went into effect. Establishments like the Greek chain Cava used paper straws for over a year. OkStraw is excited to hear about these early adopters, and their push to take the initiative by switching to paper straws.
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Washington, D.C.’s plastic straw ban follows cities such as Monmouth Beach, New Jersey; Miami Beach, Florida; Seattle, Washington, and a number of coastal cities in California and Florida. A plastic straw ban in the U.S.’s capital city carries the powerful message that the fight against plastic waste is a thoroughly American fight. We at OkStraw welcome our fellow Americans in Washington, D.C. to the Cause for Paper Straws!


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Over the weekend the Air Jordan 12 Wings surfaced once again after getting a first look at the shoe in 2015. Today we get some updates on the potential release of the Air Jordan 12.
According to @_po2345, the Air Jordan 12 Wings will not be a general release and will be limited. How limited? Well that’s still unclear but the number we’ve been hearing as of late is 12,000 pairs. He also says that the shoe is not affiliated with Macklemore and that it is charity based and will support the Wings foundation. The most important bit of information is that the shoe is scheduled to release next month. That’s all that we know at the moment but we’ll continue updating this story as we find out more so make sure to stay tuned to Kicks On Fire.
images via: solespeed4image
Whether this is a charity release or not, it’s a nice colorway of the Air Jordan 12. What really makes the shoe stand out are the gold hits on the eyelets and side panel. Too bad I won’t be able to get my hands on a pair.


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"It's combination of powerful brands with complimentary strengths, it's good for Amazon helping them get a foothold in the traditional retail business, and it's great for whole Foods, bringing Amazon's passionate focus on the customer executed though innovative technology".
Charlie O'Shea, a Moody's lead retail analyst, told the Associated Press news agency that the deal could be "transformative, not just for food retail, but for retail in general". Eleanor McCarthy, who said she lives "near Newburyport", has a son who works for Amazon in Los Angeles.
Walmart and Amazon have had their sights on each other for years, each aiming to be the dominant seller of goods - however consumers of the future want to buy them.
So news that Amazon has bought U.S. supermarket chain Whole Foods for $13.4bn is interesting but perhaps not surprising. It's easy to imagine that Amazon might later decide to integrate this technology from its warehouses to its Amazon Go shops, and probably Whole Foods stores, too. Kroger, the nation's biggest supermarket chain, had earlier warned Wall Street of disappointing earnings. The Journal estimated that the Amazon announcement had wiped almost $29 billion from the aggregate market cap of rivals in the grocery category.
It also is expected to hasten existing efforts by grocers to make shopping more smartphone-ready, sell more private label and specialty foods and overcome the hurdles of home-delivery of groceries.
In the United Kingdom, where there are Whole Foods stores, sell-offs wiped out almost $2billion (£1.5billion) from the value of stocks at grocers Tesco, Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer, according to This Is Money. But she would never buy food online, she said. Hetu said Amazon could make pertinent offers to attract shoppers of one but not the other, or get shoppers of both to buy more.
House, Senate investigators seek Trump tapes, Comey memos
Besides telling Trump he wasn't under investigation, Comey had briefed congressional leaders, telling them the same thing. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will stand in for Sessions at the appropriations subcommittee hearings on Tuesday.
This latest deal "would worsen the already severe damage that Amazon is doing to America's competitive, open market system", Lynn said.
The deal would give Amazon control of 430-plus U.S. Whole Foods stores, almost all of which are in neighborhoods more affluent and younger than America as a whole, noted David Portalatin, the NPD Group's vice president of food industry analysis.
"People are willing to give that up and allow a trusted brand to pick their product", Hauptman said.
But it was Whole Foods that fell behind as shoppers found alternatives to the organic and natural foods it helped popularize since its founding in 1978.
The parties expect to close the deal during the second half of 2017. So, no - you won't be greeted by robots when you go inside a Whole Foods outlet. "That worries me", one bagger at a Providence, Rhode Island, store said. However, Whole Foods does not have access to Instacart's financial numbers and analytics. "They're doing an fantastic job and we want that to continue". "It's just curious, isn't it, that Amazon has offered so many things online".


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Dutch beer giant Heineken took a leap into the fast-growing American craft beer market this week by acquiring a stake in California-based Lagunitas.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but reports indicated that the transaction could be among the largest ever involving a craft brewer.
Under the agreement, Heineken owns 50 percent of the 22-year old Petaluma company, which is now the fifth-largest craft brewer in the U.S. and distributes overseas in the U.K., Sweden and Japan.
Heineken officials said that craft beer is outperforming the overall market in the U.S. and that the fastest-growing craft category — India Pale Ale — is a particular strength of Lagunitas.
Lagunitas, meanwhile, said that the deal would provide an avenue for its beer to be distributed worldwide.
"This alliance with the world's most international brewer represents a profound victory for U.S. craft," Lagunitas founder Tony Magee, who will stay on as executive chairman, said in a statement. "It will open doors that had previously been shut and bring the U.S. craft beer vibe to communities all over the world."
Lagunitas owns two breweries — one at its Bay Area headquarters and another in Chicago — and is building a third in the Los Angeles area. Heineken said the company will not be integrated into its U.S. portfolio and that it would maintain its current distributor network.


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Mumbai, Jan, 20 (PTI) Agri supply chain startup WayCool Foods on Wednesday said it has signed a three-year agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) to develop antimicrobial food packaging material by using biopolymers.
Under this Memorandum of Understanding WayCool will invest close to Rs 20 lakh for co-developing economically viable and biodegradable packaging that will retain the freshness of fruits and vegetables longer, leading to a reduction in food wastage across the supply chain by up to 20 per cent, the agri start-up said in a statement.
This packing material will enhance the shelf life of mainstream fruits and vegetables such as okra, capsicum, Indian gooseberry, and guava as well as exotic produce such as strawberry and broccoli, it added.
'From inception, WayCool Foods has been actively working towards reducing food wastage on multiple fronts. The association with IIT Hyderabad to co-develop a sustainable alternate packaging solution further supplements our in-house R&D and Innovation efforts. The collaboration will help us work closely with the bright minds of India's premier institutions and strengthen industry-academia linkage,” WayCool Foods EVP Vignesh Kumar Manogaran added. PTI SM MR


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Oddly, some iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max users have started to see a green tint on their device screens. As per reports, a green tint appears when users unlock their devices or set the display brightness to minimum.
The green tint issue was experienced and highlighted by a Reddit user. He later found out that he was not the only one experiencing it as other users shared that they were having the same experience. The issue is not consistent for all users as it only appears for a few seconds after closing applications or unlocking their phones. Some users were able to get rid of the tint issue after restarting their devices, while others were not. It is possible that this could be a software bug that might be fixed with an iOS update.
Instances when green tint appears in iPhone 11
The following few occasions have been reported by users when they see the green tint on their iPhone:
- Unlocking the device
- Enabling Night Shift
- Enabling Dark Mode
- Low brightness
One user stated that his display gets a green tint 1 out of 4 times after he unlocks his device. He stated that:
“About 25% of the time when I unlock my launch day iPhone 11 Pro the screen looks all washed out with a green tint. After about 3 seconds it flashes back to normal. Anyone ever have this happen or know if this is a problem on iPhone 11s? I should probably do a restore/set up as new but I’m trying to avoid that if possible”
The root cause for green tints
Some users claim that this has been a re-occurring issue since they updated their iPhone to iOS 13.4.1. The green tint might not be a hardware issue as not all iPhone or iOS 13.4.1 users have been affected by it. Users have also reported this issue in iOS 13.5 and iOS 13.5.1.
On the bright side, not all iPhone models running the latest iOS 13.4.1 update are experiencing this issue. The green tint is only experienced by some iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, and iPhone X users.
If the issue is in Apple’s software updates, the company may roll out a solution for it in the next update. iOS 13.5.5 is still under testing, therefore it cannot be said if Apple has fixed the bug. The company has a good track record of acknowledging and fixing the issues highlighted by users, developers, and security hackers.


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Spinal implant developer AxioMed Spine Corp. has raised $14.5 million that the Garfield Heights startup will use to further patient studies and to expand sales in Europe. The money, from both current and existing investors, should allow AxioMed to finish patient enrollment for a U.S. study focused on its Freedom Lumbar Disc implant, which consists of a patented polymer between two metal plates. The company so far has enrolled nearly 200 of the 350 patients it expects to participate in the investigational device exemption pivotal study on the device, which is designed to allow a patient's spine to move as naturally as possible, said CEO Patrick McBrayer. AxioMed also will use the funds to expand sales of the lumbar disc implant in Europe and gain European regulatory approval to sell its Freedom Cervical Disc implant. Before it ramps up marketing for the lumbar disc, however, the company plans to continue building the product's credibility by selling the implants to top European surgeons and tracking the progress of their patients, Mr. McBrayer said. “We're seeing top quality surgeons in Europe use it and re-use it,” he said. The company, which employs 15, has raised $56 million since it was founded in 2001.
AxioMed Spine Corp. raises $14.5 million
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SAN FRANCISC0 (CBS.MW) -- Mitsubishi Motors North America said its November U.S. sales fell 50.8 percent to 8,301 units from 16,874 units a year ago. The company cited a turnaround program and internal restructuring in its report as reasons for the decline.
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It was a relatively quiet time for Bitcoin this week. The price has fallen slightly, but not much, and still tickles $ 10,000. This raises concerns about the correction, which makes the currency as low as possible, to $ 7,700. If this happens, some experts say that it will be an opportunity to buy. Others thought the price would be great for sellers. Investor Jim Rogers believes that Bitcoin will eventually fall to zero and disappear.
Max Kaiser hopes Rogers is wrong. The personality of RT TV says that buying Bitcoin is the best way to solve the socio-economic problems noted in recent demonstrations in the United States. He says that the demolition of statues does nothing. Only Bitcoin will change the world.
To do this, it should be easier to buy and sell bitcoins. it happens. It is said that PayPal and Venmo plan to trade cryptocurrency. LibertyX, known for its Bitcoin ATMs, now allows customers to buy over-the-counter bitcoins at 7-Eleven, CVS Pharmacy, and Rite Aid. In Australia, customers can now buy bitcoins at over 3,500 local post offices.
And with increasing turnout, platforms need to be more careful. Robinhood promised improvements after a 20-year-old client committed suicide. It is reported that Alexander Kearns had a negative balance of $ 730,000 in his account. The balance was a mistake.
Wirecard, the source of discount cards for cryptocurrencies, is missing about $ 2.1 billion. According to reports in the Financial Times, employees in Dubai and Dublin have been increasing sales and profits for nearly a decade.
For other bloated claims, Attorney Satoshi Craig Wright will not receive a sentence. US District Judge Beth Bloom ruled that jurors must resolve “troubling questions” about Wright’s veracity and conduct. Wright says the court must take autism into account.
Technology companies may have to consider the government if a new bill is passed in the Senate. Legal Data Access Act, sponsored by Lindsay Graham (R-SC), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), requires service providers and device manufacturers to provide government access to encrypted data.
In Sweden, everything looks a little better. The central bank of the country has published a review that examines in more detail digital currencies in general and electronic crowns in particular.
To do this, we need a central bank, where another central bank has not gone — what William Shatner did. The first captain of Starship Enterprise turned memories into non-interchangeable codes circulating on the WAX blockchain. He could find that blockchain is a good place to retire. Works with CryptoKitties. Upland has dedicated the island in its virtual world to digital cats to spend time on the beaches. It seems that next week someone will calm down.


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Latest News - June 2016
- Dell Inspiron 17 i7-6500U SKYLAKE Laptop Under $650, 29% Off Dell D100 USB 3.0 Dock And More
- HP Chromebook 11 G5 Gains Touch Screen Display Option To Showcase Android Apps
- Ringing Bells' $4 Freedom 251 Android Smartphone With 4-inch Display And 1.3GHz SoC Ships June 30th
- Meet Cozmo, The Game-Playing AI Robot Love Child Of Wall-E And Eve
- Microsoft Research Uses Low-Cost Hand Tracking To Interface With Emerging VR Worlds
- EA And Dice Announce New Battlefield User Interface As Well As A DX11 And DX12 Toggle
- Google Rumored To Launch Self-Branded Premium Android Smartphone In Late 2016
- Intel Ponders Sale Of McAfee-Sourced Cyber Security Division Amidst Restructuring Campaign
- U.S. To Field 200 Petaflop ‘Summit’ Supercomputer In 2018 Doubling Performance Of Chinese Rivals
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 With 64GB Storage, Iris Scanner, 5.7-inch Display Confirmed Ahead Of August Launch
- Wolfenstein Developer Releases Dopa Episode For Quake Anniversary, Free On Steam
- Microsoft Windows 10 Anniversary Update Tweaks Take Hassle Out Of Reactivating After A Hardware Upgrade
- Google Takes Aim At Amazon Mayday With Android Nexus Live Support Screen Sharing
- Destiny's Rise Of Iron Expansion Introduces Major Changes For 'Legacy Console' Players
All News for June 2016
Welcome back for the latest installment of HOT deals, direct from our friends at TechBargains. On tap for you all today, we have deals on a Dell Inspiron 17 5000 Core i7-6500U based notebook, a Samsung UN32J5003 32" 1080p LED HDTV, a set of Philips M1MKIIBK/27 Fidelio Headphones, and more. Full details for all of... Read more...
Google is making its Chrome OS platform even more appealing thanks to the arrival of the Google Play Store and Android apps. Officially announced at Google I/O, Android apps leverage touch screen displays on Chromebooks an integrate seamlessly with the Chrome OS interface. While ASUS was the first Chromebook to... Read more...
There's been a lot of skepticism over whether a startup called Ringing Bells could deliver on its promise to build the world's least expensive smartphone, but not only does the firm say it's achieved that goal with the Freedom 251, it says the handset is nearly ready to ship. When it does, it will cost consumers in... Read more...
If you've ever wanted to know what the offspring of Wall-E and Eve would look like, the answer has just been birthed thanks to the help of Anki. If you’re familiar with Anki’s Overdrive — which is a modern take on slot car racing — then you know that the company has a penchant for designing intelligent, robotic... Read more...
We're finally starting to see the world of virtual reality unfold to an eager and (so far) receptive audience. While most of the attention to this point has been on gaming, the technology itself is the most interesting part, especially since we're still at a relatively early stage of VR. One of the things to keep an... Read more...
Electronic Arts and Dice are busy putting the final touches on Battlefield 1 in preparation for its release on October 21, but it's not the only Battlefield title receiving attention. There's a new user interface in the works, one that's currently rolling out in beta form to a small audience playing Battlefield 4... Read more...
Is the Nexus line of smartphones not Googley enough for you? Well, it looks as though Google is putting the finishing touches on a new Android smartphone that will bear its name instead of the familiar Nexus branding. This latest report of a Google smartphone comes from The Telegraph, citing “sources familiar with... Read more...
Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, is reportedly mulling a sale of its cyber security business, depending on how much it's worth on the open market. The Santa Clara outfit would like to recoup the nearly $7.7 billion it paid for McAfee in 2010. Now known as Intel Security, it could be an enticing option for private... Read more...
There is one constant in the world of supercomputers: no one is going to be 'fastest' for long. In fact, some supercomputers can seem downright slow after only a couple of years, as hardware continues to become faster and more dense. Take for example Oak Ridge's TITAN supercomputer. Launched in 2013, this... Read more...
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 With 64GB Storage, Iris Scanner, 5.7-inch Display Confirmed Ahead Of August Launch
A couple of days ago, notorious mobile leaker Evan Blass took to Twitter to reveal the official naming of Samsung's next phone: Galaxy Note 7. Despite the phablet moniker being thrown around a lot with this phone, it's actually only a 5.7-inch device. As you might have guessed, we now know the specs as well thanks... Read more...
Quake fans rejoice! MachineGames, developer of Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, just released a new episode of Quake. “Episode Five: Dimensions of the Past” or “Dopa” honors the game's twentieth anniversary. The new episode will come with with nine small- to medium-sized levels with... Read more...
Microsoft Windows 10 Anniversary Update Tweaks Take Hassle Out Of Reactivating After A Hardware Upgrade
Microsoft is cooking up some nifty feature enhancements to Windows 10 that will roll out with the much anticipated Anniversary Update later this summer. One of the newest tweaks will make it easier to perform hardware upgrades, such as a motherboard or hard drive, as you won't have to dial up a support representative... Read more...
Google is currently building a live support app with screen-sharing capabilities for its Nexus line of smartphone. The goal is to create a feature similar to Amazon’s Mayday button found on Fire tablets and the defunct Fire Phone. In the past, Google support has been particularly challenging for those who have... Read more...
It's been a pretty interesting year for Destiny so far, for better or for worse. The year kicked off in a rather interesting way when Bungie's president Harold Ryan stepped down, being replaced by Pete Parsons, the company's former COO. The move caused a bit of concern among those in the Destiny community, but when... Read more...


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Speaking of labor talks, it's coming down to crunch time.
Corp.'s $1 billion second-quarter profit will reinforce conventional wisdom that it will be the target. An announcement from Solidarity House is expected on Aug. 22.
But not so fast. Don't be surprised if the UAW choosesMotor Co., which is now making big-time profits again ($2.6 billion in the first half), to help it sculpt the framework of a new pact.
Outsourcing is the key issue.already has gone outside as much as it needs to, and it is actually bringing engine and transmission work inside that was previously built by Motors Corp.
Corp.'s Automotive Systems, while very profitable, is still trying to sell all or part of four interior trim plants. Other marginal plants could be closed or sold if the UAW refuses to give Delphi a lower wage and benefit package than it gives the rest of GM.
is somewhere in the middle. It would like the freedom to choose any supplier at any time. But it could probably accept some language aimed at limiting wholesale shifting of its internal parts sourcing.
Targeting Ford is based on the assumption that going to Chrysler first might produce an agreement so favorable to the UAW that GM could not accept it, thus raising the risk of a costly strike. Ford could agree to outsourcing limits that might add to GM's costs, but would leave some room for compromise between the UAW and.
What makes the GM-Delphi dilemma even more complicated is that the 1993 agreement covered about 12,000 workers whose former GM-owned component plants were sold to either& Manufacturing Inc., Delco Remy America Inc. or ITT Corp. After the UAW settles with GM this fall, it will then negotiate separate agreements with those three companies. Will those new owners get a lower-wage or more flexible agreement than the Big Three? If so, will that strengthen Delphi's resolve to shed its underperforming factories?
There's a very real fear that if the union can't give Delphi a lower-wage structure, it will simply close more U.S. plants or sell them to buyers who don't have any union presence. Or GM could simply spin off Delphi as a separate company with own class of stock, a prospect industry observers have been expecting for several years.
Yes, there will be tense moments, but in the end look for a settlement, even at GM, without a strike.
* The North American market remains strong, even if a red-hot first-half sales pace cools somewhat this fall.
* GM is launching six new car models and its completely re-engineered lineup of front-wheel drive minivans in the next six months. Keeping those changeovers on schedule is absolutely essential.
* Ford is introducing its Expedition sport/utility, giving GM competition in a highly profitable segment.
* A national strike, in which 225,000 GM employees draw benefits from the UAW's $700 million strike fund, will cost far more than last spring's strike when it paid benefits to about 3,000 members at the Dayton parts plants.
* Privately, UAW officials acknowledge that the only way to contain outsourcing is to become more effective at organizing non-union parts plants in the southeastern U.S.


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Abbott Makes it Official, Amazon Coming to Waco
Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, makes it official, Amazon is coming to Waco.
This is big news, so big in fact that Gov. Abbott traveled to Waco on Friday to deliver the news himself. Truth be told, we heard about this earlier in the week but Abbott made it official with his visit.
So what exactly is Amazon building in Waco? According to a report from KXXV, Channel 25, It'll be an Amazon fulfillment center that, according to an Amazon rep, Evan Luscher, says will focus on smaller orders like books.
The new Amazon building will be built in the Texas Central Industrial Park and cover 700,000 square feet. The new center is expected to bring about 1,000 new jobs to the area and an addition 2,000 jobs to support Amazon, in the next two years.
Amazon is no stranger to the state of Texas with over 100 combined investments and facilities in the state providing more that 45,000 new jobs. The addition of an Amazon fulfillment center is estimated to bring in $700 million over the next 10 years.
The new Amazon fulfillment center is expected to open in 2021.
CHECK IT OUT: See the 100 most popular brands in America


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Several hundred customers arrived early for breakfast and the grand opening ceremonies Wednesday for the new Whole Foods store at Merchant's Walk.
The Pope High School band and cheerleaders from Walton High School and Lassiter High School greeted shoppers as the doors opened at 9 a.m., with plenty of samples and sales inside the 45,000-square foot store.
"I like having good things to eat," said Richard Doughty, a retired CNN news anchor and a 31-year East Cobb resident.
"How do you like your new look?" East Cobb commissioner Bob Ott asked, in reference to the overhauled shopping center, which has undergone massive changes leading up to the Whole Foods opening.
As the new anchor was preparing to open, renovations were completed in recent months at the existing Kohl's store and the Merchant's Walk Cinema.
Also new at Merchant's Walk are a Marlow's Tavern, Gigi's Cupcakes, Mirko Pasta and The Cook's Warehouse, which is opening later this summer.
"We are happy to give this community this shopping center," said Terry Brown, president of Edens & Avant, which is redeveloping Merchant's Walk and eventually will be its owner.
Please come back to East Cobb Patch for updated coverage throughout the day, with photos, a video report and more.


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Volcon ePowersports News Find the latest news coverage here for the Volcon Grunt, Stag and Beast.
Vendor Member Section Check out new Volcon products and deals from our site vendors
Off-Topic Section Share non-Volcon topics with community here.
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Volcon Dealers, Prices And OrdersAccording to Volcon's website, the Grunt is expected to be released in April/May 2021.
Volcon PicturesHere are some photos from Volcon of their Runt motorcycle for kids.
Volcon Dealers, Prices And OrdersVolcon says deliveries for the runt will start at the beginning of Spring 2021. It's currently available to pre-order along with the Grunt on Volcon's website.
New Member IntroductionsHello folks! I recently stumbled across Volcon while going down an internet rabbit hole and it's got me excited for what electric UTVs can be. I really hope this isn't smoke and mirrors and who knows, maybe the Stag can replace my current side by side.
Volcon General Discussion ForumHere are the specs for the Runt that are on Volcon's website: https://volcon.com/runt-reservation/ Starting price: $2,995 Torque: 60 nm (44.25 lb-ft) Top speed: 35 mph Max range: 35 miles Seat height: 27 inches Weight: 180 pounds Voltage: 60 volts


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Millions of Paper Cups Later, Behold the $1 Reusable Starbucks Tumbler
You have to hand it to Starbucks. The iconic coffee seller always seems to make headlines for its valiant attempts at ecological responsibility. Its latest was introduced this week when the chain rolled out the sale of reusable Starbucks tumblers to consumers for the very reasonable price of $1.
The new reusable plastic Starbucks tumblers were introduced into stores throughout the U.S. and Canada in an effort to curb waste caused by its regular paper cups.
The Los Angeles Times reports an earlier test run of the program showed that customer use of reusable drinkware went up by 55 percent when it was available on the cheap. The Starbucks’ Tumblers are just like the iconic white cups with the green circular logo, but they’re made of plastic and cost a dollar.
Though Starbucks has long since offered reusable tumblers for sale, none have come close to being this inexpensive. Capable of fitting a tall or grande-sized coffee, the Starbucks tumbler pays for itself after ten refills since customers get 10 cents off their purchase each time they use it.
But that doesn’t mean the company’s abandoned hopes of recycling its paper products. It still expects to have 100 percent of its paper products recycled by 2015. Why not sooner? As TakePart reported earlier this year, the company had some difficulty recycling its paper cups because of their inner liner, which sealed in hot liquid but also hindered the recycling process. However, according to Starbucks’ website, the company has since cracked that code, and by partnering with Paper Recovery Alliance, expects to make front-of-the-house recycling bins a mainstay in all its stores just three years from now.
No plan is foolproof, however. Yes, these reusable cups are made of plastic. Is it recycled plastic? Starbucks has made no mention of that—anywhere. Where were the cups manufactured? In China. And let’s face it, in a real capitalist system, certainly Starbucks benefits as much from these efforts as does the planet. After all, reusable cups mean that more people can serve as walking ad-space for the company. And Starbucks can strengthen its emotional connection to consumers by making them feel good about themselves, even if they purchase the cup and never use it.
Nonetheless, doing something to cut into waste is better than doing nothing at all. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, 58 billion paper cups are thrown away annually. And it takes 20 million trees and 12 billion gallons of water in order to make those paper cups. That’s enough energy to power 53,000 homes.
But retail-centered efforts to curb landfill waste are proving that small changes can make big differences. According to The Wall Street Journal, after Washington, D.C. banned plastic bags, the number of single-use plastic bags fell by 60 percent in the city within the first 12 months alone.
Though reusable cups may not cure all of our environmental ills, at its heart, Starbucks' plan can offer consumers a viable option for curbing their own waste—one that will hopefully inspire more businesses to do the same.
Will you be purchasing the new reusable Starbucks tumbler? Let us know in the Comments.


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Value-based reimbursement models have emerged to encourage new efficiencies aimed at improving population health and lowering the cost of care. With the realignment of incentives, the companies and organizations that comprise the healthcare ecosystem: primarily hospitals, medical groups and payers with connections to medical device, pharma, mHealth and others, have been working more closely than ever before. Some organizations have felt forced into changes while others have embraced the shift with an entrepreneurial spirit. Since this ecosystem largely didn’t exist until a few years ago, this change presents many challenges as well as opportunities.
There’s no better time for healthcare organizations to embrace this movement and surround themselves, both internally and externally, with those who understand the process innovations and new technologies emerging within this ecosystem to support value-based care. Simply put, this matters because the opportunity cost for those who take an overly conservative and siloed approach could be significant.
The Secret to Success
While technology is extremely important to the evolving healthcare ecosystem, the foundation for growth and increased efficiency comes from process innovation and perhaps something much simpler. When speaking about his company’s legendary success, the late Walmart CEO, Sam Walton famously stated, “We’re all working together. That’s the secret.”
Taking cues from the integrated delivery system model pioneered by Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic, Geisinger and others, traditional health systems are starting to follow suit. In addition to providing leading-edge care, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) is also innovating in the boardroom. In a recent Modern Healthcare report, Mark Laret, CEO of UCSF Medical Center, discussed the importance of moving academic medical centers forward.
“We want to be able to go to the market and offer employers an insurance product and a delivery network that rivals what Kaiser Permanente does in the Bay Area,” Laret said. “Kaiser has been phenomenally successful in integrating how care gets delivered and doing it in a seamless, patient-centered way. The rest of us who are fragmented really need to change our mindset. So with John Muir Health and UCSF working with 15 or 20 other physician, hospital and other providers in the region, we are looking to be able to take financial risk for the care of populations, starting as soon as 2016.”
Innovation and partnerships in healthcare delivery are also showing up in plain view, right on Main Street. There are increasing numbers of walk-in clinics located inside retailers such as CVS and Walgreens. Staffed largely by nurse practitioners, these settings are inexpensive and streamlined, according to The Economist.
In fact, Walgreens’ locations in Arizona recently rolled out lab testing services in conjunction with Theranos, the disruptive diagnostics company founded by 31-year-old Harvard drop out Elizabeth Holmes. Profiled in rock-star fashion by The New Yorker, Forbes and a host of other marquee publications, Holmes has been compared to another successful Silicon Valley dropout, Steve Jobs. From a tiny drop of blood, Theranos offers customers a range of tests, saving time, money and patient discomfort. Even Sam Walton’s Walmart is getting in on the action. According to The Economist, the company plans to become a leading seller of low-cost health services in the future.
Many are taking note. According to a recent HealthLeaders report, the affiliation of retail clinics and hospitals expands access to services, speeds care, helps control spending, and drives patient referrals.
Back to the Future
With the advent of the Apple Watch, many news outlets have been calling to mind the classic Dick Tracy comic strip in which the first wearable communication device appeared in the 1930s. In March of this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced while unveiling the new device, “I have been wanting to do this since I was 5 years old. The day is finally here.”
This is just one technology that will create new opportunities for adherence, diagnostics, provider communications, patient-wellness support, and a wealth of other applications. Many are seeing not only the opportunity for better patient outcomes, but also the substantial economic benefits provided by the adoption of new technologies.
By utilizing telehealth, patients save an average of 5 hours, and their family caregivers save close to 9 hours per appointment, according to UCSF in a recent San Francisco Examiner report. Furthermore, patients reported high satisfaction with their telehealth visits. “I think this is going to be the way of the future,” Dr. Cynthia Kim, a specialist in pediatric pain management and associate professor of pediatrics at UCSF said to the Examiner. “It’s truly changed my practice. There’s just no way we could keep up with our clinic unless we did this.”
Inspiration and Perspiration
Perhaps the words of legendary innovator and iconic businessman Henry Ford are the best to keep in mind as organizations navigate new opportunities and risks associated with changes in the healthcare ecosystem: “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”
To support the goal of the Triple Aim, it will take the persistence of many bright minds from all areas of the healthcare ecosystem. For the true innovators, this goal of improving population health and quality of care while lowering costs can be achieved simultaneously with increased market share and profitability.


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After launching two of its superbikes, YZF-R1and the torque sports MT01 in India, Yamaha Motor India is out to strengthen its presence in the 125cc segment with two more variants of its popular Gladiator bikes – Type SS (Stylish & Sporty) and Type RS (Racing Sports).
The two-wheeler manufacturer will also roll out a nationwide campaign for these bikes, which will commence in 10 days’ time. Yamaha has earmarked Rs 10 crore for the 360-degree campaign that would continue for two months. A TVC is being created by Dentsu Marcom, which will break around mid-March.
T Maeda, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer, Yamaha Motor India, said, “Yamaha Gladiator Type SS and Type RS are the first launches in 2008. We are planning to roll out a nationwide campaign in a phased manner, starting with the print media that will cover all major newspapers across the country. This would be followed by a television commercial for TV channels and cinema screens, and an outdoor campaign targeting all key markets.”
Maeda further said, “The Gladiator Type SS and Type RS bikes have been designed to be true to the Yamaha DNA. Catering to the young, evolving lifestyle market, Gladiator Type SS and Type RS will target young students and young executives in SEC A, B and C, who seek a solid machine with good overall product balance and distinctive style. The Type SS and Type RS bikes are strong products and we are confident that they would drive our sales to the fifth gear.”


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Royal Philips NV has appointed Jasper Westerink as the chief executive (CEO) of its African business, according to media reports dated April 3rd. Mr Westerink will be based out of the Dutch company's office in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Prior to joining the firm's African operations in December last year, Mr Westerink was the managing director of Philips' personal health business in Indonesia. He has held key positions in Europe, Africa and the Asia Pacific region for the company, besides heading its consumer lifestyle business in South Africa. Mr Westerink will be expected to expand Philip's health technology portfolio in South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt and Kenya, among other markets.
Philips has been seeking to boost its healthcare equipment business and expand its international operations since it spun off its lighting unit in May 2016. It has had a busy year so far, having already agreed to buy an Australian sleep-pattern testing business and invest in a Singapore-based wellness management company.
The company's investments in international markets come amid slowing growth in western Europe and North America. It reported a 2% rise in sales to €7.2bn (US$7.7bn) for the fourth quarter of 2016, driven by strong growth in developing markets of Latin America and China.
Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit


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Police investigating a murder in the US state of Arkansas have gained access to some audio data that may have been recorded on an Amazon Echo electronic personal assistant.
The Amazon Echo speakers utilise the Alexa virtual assistant that allows customers to use voice commands to instruct Alexa to control IoT devices, create shopping lists, or even play music.
But Amazon is attempting to resist police attempts to access the data stored on an Echo device at the centre of a murder investigation, in the latest development that sees a tech firm refusing a law enforcement data demand for privacy reasons.
The case is centred in Bentonville, Arkansas, and according to the information website, concerns the death of Victor Collins, who was found on 22 November 2015, in a hot tub at the home of James Bates.
Police apparently found signs of a struggle, including spots of blood and broken bottles, as well as an Amazon Echo on the home’s kitchen counter.
The voice-activated device has seven microphones, and is equipped with sensors to hear users from any direction up to about 20 feet.
James Bates was subsequently charged with murder in February this year, and as part of the investigation, police in Bentonville issued a warrant for Amazon to hand over any audio or records from an Echo belonging to Bates.
Bates is facing a trial for first-degree murder of Victor Collins next year.
But Amazon is not playing ball, and it reportedly declined to give police any of the information that the Echo logged on its servers. That said, it did hand over Bates’ account details and purchases. The police have apparently been able to pull some data off of the speaker, but it’s unclear what information they were able to access.
“Amazon will not release customer information without a valid and binding legal demand properly served on us,” said the firm in a statement to Engadget. “Amazon objects to overbroad or otherwise inappropriate demands as a matter of course.”
It should be remembered that the Echo speaker only captures audio and streams it to the cloud when it hears the wake word “Alexa.” Once it hears that activation command, a ring on the top of the speaker turns blue and audio is then recorded. These audio clips are stored in the cloud until a customer deletes them either individually or all at once. The microphones on an Echo device can also be manually turned off at any time.
The case of course will raise concerns among privacy campaigners as the uptake of Internet of Things devices around the home, which able to record private information, continues to grow.
And the Arkansas case is also similar to that of the recent case of Apple vs the Feds. That case saw the iPad maker resist attempts by the FBI to unlock an iPhone used by a man in a shooting in San Bernardino, California.
The Feds eventually paid so called ‘grey hat’ hackers to crack the iPhone, after Apple refused to co-operate to unlock the iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino terrorists, Syed Rizwan Farook.
Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik had murdered 14 people in San Bernardino, California, on 2 December 2015, in a deadly terrorist attack that shocked America.
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Chinese electronics manufacturer Nubia is working on a follow-up to its Red Magic gaming smartphone introduced earlier this year, industry insider Roland Quandt reports. No name has been officially attached to the project, though Nubia’s established product practices suggest the device may simply end up being called the Red Magic 2. The company’s next attempt at delivering an affordable Android gaming smartphone will be ennobled with the addition of a more powerful system-on-chip in the form of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845, as well as physical shoulder buttons, as per the same report.
Originally announced in April, the first batch of the Red Magic sold out in 37 seconds, with Nubia finding significant success by pairing a gaming-first design with its established philosophy of delivering value-oriented devices. There’s still no word on when exactly the Red Magic might end up being launched but as its predecessor is barely four months old by now, Nubia likely won’t be unveiling it before early 2019. The company may also provide the media with an early look at some Red Magic 2 prototypes at the next iteration of Mobile World Congress, which is what happened with the first Red Magic model at this year’s edition of the Barcelona, Spain-based trade show.
The inclusion of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 makes the original Red Magic one of the least powerful gaming smartphones released this year, though its aggressive design still makes it a unique proposition, especially when combined with a price tag hovering around the $500 mark. While major manufacturers have been evading gaming-focused handsets for years, the Android ecosystem was expanded with numerous such models over the last twelve months; today, the likes of Razer, Xiaomi, and Honor all offer mobile devices catering to gamers and even Samsung is said to be working on one such product. Phone makers’ efforts to appeal to gamers are now going as far as content partnerships with game developers, which is how the Android version of Fortnite ended up being a timed exclusive of select Samsung-made devices.


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More On: Economics
In November, food prices went up by 0.5% while energy prices went down by 1.6%.
Inflation finally slowed down to almost a stop in November. This could mean that the prices crisis that has been affecting American households this year is coming to an end.
The Department of Labor said on Tuesday morning that prices went up by an average of 0.1% in November. The rate of inflation from one year to the next also went down. For the 12 months ending in November, it was 7.1%. That's the lowest annualized rate since December 2021, and it's a lot lower than the 7.8 percent annualized rate that was reported a month ago.
This is also the fifth month in a row that the annualized inflation rate has stayed the same or gone down. In July, it reached a record high of 9.0 percent.
This suggests that the Federal Reserve has finally found a way to stop prices from going up. When the board of the central bank meets on Wednesday, rates are likely to go up for the seventh time this year. This means that it will continue to cost more to get a mortgage or a car loan, and that the interest rates on credit cards will continue to go up. On the other hand, savings accounts and other investments that are based on interest are paying higher returns.
CNBC said that the average rate for a car loan is now over 6 percent, up from 3.8 percent at the beginning of the year. That means that over the course of a typical 72-month loan for a $40,000 car, consumers will have to pay about $5,700 more in interest.
In other words, lowering inflation means that higher prices are just moved from goods and services that are used right away to things that are used later.
Still, the inflation report for November is good news for people who have to heat their homes or drive cars. Prices for all types of energy fell by 1.6%, with gas prices falling by 2%. But grocery store prices are still going up: they went up 0.5% last month and 10.6% in the last 12 months.
"Core inflation," which takes out the more volatile categories of food and energy, went up 0.2% in November and has gone up by 6% over the past year. Rental rates, which went up another 0.6% last month, are still the main reason why prices in that category are going up (because America needs to build more housing).
Even though the headline inflation rate of 7.1% will be seen as good news by the media and, it seems, by the stock market, it's important to keep some things in mind. From an objective point of view, that's still way too much inflation. It's more than three and a half times the Fed's stated goal of 2%, which is still a long way off for now. It means that people are still paying a lot more for basic needs than they were a year ago, and the best-case scenario is that prices will continue to go up, but at a slower rate.
At the same time, this round of rising prices and higher interest rates will have effects that will make it harder to handle the growing national debt and put Social Security in an even worse position. Instead of dealing with these problems, however, lawmakers are using the last session of Congress this year to spend and borrow even more money.
It's also important to remember, as The New York Times pointed out this week, that many economists thought inflation would reach its highest point at this time last year. Boy, did they get it wrong. In December of 2018, economists surveyed by Bloomberg said that core inflation would drop to 2.5% by the end of 2022. Now, the same group predicts that inflation will drop to 3% by the end of next year.
That is a good way to remember that predictions don't mean much. Even though inflation is heading in the right direction for the first time in a long time, the economy is still in trouble.


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Financial institutions came up with several new ways of recouping revenue lost from the Durbin debit interchange cap. Such methods included eliminating debit reward programs, raising minimum balance requirements to maintain free checking accounts, increasing ATM fees and even implementing usage fees. Usage fees, such as $5 per month or ten cents per use of your debit card, outraged consumers the most, with many threatening to switch to a credit union or at least discontinue debit card use. Now the major banks that proposed usage fees have decided to go a different direction. Chase and Wells Fargo had been trialing $3 usage fees in a couple pilot markets but have since decided to discontinue the monthly charge. SunTrust and Regions Banks also eliminated usage fees they were planning to implement on check cards. In early November Bank of America, who was originally going to adopt a $5 monthly fee beginning in 2012, was the last major bank to eliminate the usage fee.
Many consumers are relieved their banks decided to drop the monthly debit card fees, but there are several other ways banks will reclaim revenues once made from debit interchange, such as raising overdraft and ATM fees. In a study done by Pew Charitable Trusts it was found that the ten biggest banks disclose an average of 49 service fees, and each of these fees can be tweaked to compensate for reduced debit interchange revenues. The Pew report, Hidden Risks: The Case for Safe and Transparent Checking Accounts, calls for the newly formed Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to require banks to provide a one-page summary and disclosure of all their fees. Until such a requirement is created banks will likely complicate and increase various services fees because that is more transparent to the consumer than creating new charges. One thing is certain, financial institutions will find ways to compensate for the decline in revenue caused by debit interchange reform.
For more information:
Also see The Fraud Practice’s free white paper: Debit Interchange Reform 2011 – Market Impact Statement


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The MAT Sugarbeet Planting Report is made possible by Betaseed: where research breeds confidence.
In about two weeks, Michigan’s sugarbeet growers have planted roughly 20,000 acres of beets. And if growers are still looking for seed, Betaseed’s sales agents have been working hard on seed deliveries.
Rob Gerstenberger, Betaseed sales manager, said there’s a solid supply of seed for add-on acres with a few hybrids.
“One would be 1703, which is a non-nematode variety, and it did really good last year and yielded well,” he said. “It has the disease package growers need for cercospora. We never quite know what the weather’s going to be and how active disease is going to be this summer.”
There are also two nematode-resistant varieties: 1606 and 197N.
“If a grower has nematode pressure in their fields, we’ve got it,” he said.
Gerstenberger said there’s a new variety with a CR+ trait.
In trials, the amount of sprayer applications can nearly be cut in half.
“It should be a big help for growers going into the summer, so we’re really looking forward to seeing what this variety has to offer us,” said Gerstenberger.
Betaseed remains dedicated to taking COVID precautions seriously when out delivering seed.
“We are still being vigilant and trying to be cautious about the disease, and our sales agents have done a good job of keeping their distance and communicating with our customers to guarantee protection for sales agents and customers,” Gerstenberger said.
Betaseed is looking for growers to monitor the 1941 hybrid throughout the season. If you’re interested or would like to plant these varieties, email Gerstenberger at firstname.lastname@example.org.