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1. The Gig Economy Provides Unmatched Flexibility
For workers, one of the most significant advantages of labor on-demand is the flexibility and sense of freedom it provides. Saying so long to the nine to five grind—independent workers can pick up work when and where they want. A luxury that wasn’t available to many people before the rise of the gig economy.
In our 2020 Tasker survey, we asked them to rank their reasons for using gig economy apps like Hyer. 58-percent listed the flexibility and freedom the app(s) provide. According to Forbes, this desired flexibility is a primary reason why experts predict the gig economy will grow three times as fast as the traditional workforce in the coming years.
On the business side, the pandemic has driven organizations’ need to flex their workforce up or down. Using independent workers improves flexibility and agility—giving them access to on-demand labor that is not readily available on traditional terms.
A recent report from McKinsey explained that, “The more precisely an organization knows where to find the capabilities to do what’s needed and the better able it is to access those capabilities, the more effectively it can deploy and redeploy people to plug operational gaps.”
McKinsey reported that prolonged economic uncertainty calls for companies to build more flexibility into their talent strategies. In previous downturns, the temporary labor market was a vital element in the rebound; and it will play a similar role this time around. One thing is certain—organizations that embrace labor on-demand have the potential to reshape their approach to staffing while fueling their recovery in the process.
2. The Gig Economy Sparks Increased Satisfaction
By and large, independent workers pursue the gig economy path because they like the way it makes them feel. A McKinsey study found that gig workers are more engaged in their work—relishing the chance to be their own boss—to have more control over their working hours. They also report being happier with their overall income level while being more satisfied than traditional employees.
MBO Partners State of Independence Report revealed that in 2020, 76-percent of independent workers in the U.S. said they were very satisfied with their work arrangements.
Our 2020 Tasker Survey echoed much of the same. In fact, 84-percent of Hyer Taskers reported feeling more satisfied with gig work compared to that of a full-time employee. Moreover, 92-percent of Taskers said they plan on using apps like Hyer more in 2021. A bold sign of the times.
But workers aren’t the only ones reporting high levels of satisfaction. According to McKinsey, independent workers are more engaged in their work—which drives higher levels of output and performance.
A Gallup study perfectly outlined the business impact of higher levels engagement: Organizations that actively engage workers achieve earnings-per-share growth that is more than four times that of their competitors. Compared with business units in the bottom quartile, those in the top quartile of engagement realize substantially better customer engagement, higher productivity, better retention, fewer accidents and 21 percent higher profitability. A welcome boost to a business’ bottom line.
3. The Gig Economy Fuels Financial Freedom
Most workers use the gig economy as a means of gaining more financial freedom. And according to MBO Partners, more than 50% of full-time independent workers feel more financially secure than those in traditional employment. Challenging old stigmas surrounding gig work.
Our 2020 Tasker Survey revealed that 61-percent of respondents said they used Hyer as a secondary source of income. On a national level, research from Edison shows that the majority of individuals who earn money through the gig economy—53 percent—consider that income to be a secondary source.
Whether a main stream of income or a supplement to a stable job, gig work enables people to make money when and where they want. Another factor fueling one in four people in the U.S. workforce to engage with the gig economy.
The financial benefits of the gig economy aren’t relegated to just workers, though. One of the biggest reason’s companies are falling in love with the gig economy is its massive impact on the bottom line. By agreeing on set rates, with a cap on working hours, companies can draw a direct line in a cost-benefit analysis.
Forbes reported that 57% of businesses are saving costs by using free agent talent and gig workers. In fact, forty-three percent of companies using gig workers are reducing labor costs by 20%. Take a second to do the math on that one.
Prior the pandemic, the need for labor on-demand was not as prevalent. Now, it’s the name of the game—for all businesses, of all sizes, in all industries and locations.
While COVID-19 presented numerous challenges, it also provided businesses and workers with an opportunity to embrace possibility. Drawing energy from the chaos of the pandemic and turning it into a tangible workforce strategy—the gig economy is providing a potential pool of talent for businesses—along with flexible opportunities for people to make money along the way. A win-win for the books.


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With 100,000+ employees from top companies supported on its benefits platform, Benepass secures additional funding to rapidly scale distribution and accelerate product development
NEW YORK , Jan. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Benepass, a flexible benefits platform for people-first companies, announced today that the company has raised $20 million in additional funding led by Portage and Clocktower Technology Ventures. Stephanie Choo, Partner at Portage has joined the Benepass Board of Directors. Workday Ventures and existing investors Threshold Ventures and Gradient Ventures also participated in the funding round.
The fundraise comes at a time when many large companies are looking to consolidate their benefits to control costs. Companies have accumulated diverse and costly point solution benefit vendors over the years, often underutilized by employees. This is no longer tenable in today's macroeconomic climate, so companies are analyzing and streamlining these offerings, aiming to cut down on vendors while maintaining employee satisfaction and engagement. This has fueled interest and excitement about flexible benefit platforms like Benepass.
"Portage invests in entrepreneurs who are reshaping financial services. We expect to see more consolidation of point solutions in the benefits space and believe that Benepass is at the forefront of this growing trend," said Stephanie Choo, Partner at Portage. "Our investment into Benepass will help to scale their mission to help companies distribute meaningful benefits that support the personal and professional well-being of their team."
The additional capital will be used to fuel growth by expanding distribution and technical partnerships with brokers, payroll, and HRIS providers. It will also fuel the building of new features for administrators and employees, including cash back on benefits and enhancing the user experience of the platform to help employees better understand and use their benefits. Benepass will also use the funds to leverage generative AI to produce insights into employee benefits behavior that will help enterprise customers better support their employees, understand benefits usage, and optimize benefit costs.
"Benepass is helping shift the approach around how companies take care of their employees, and we're excited to partner with them on their next stage of growth," said Barbry McGann, SVP and Managing Director, Workday Ventures. "We invest in companies that are shaping the next generation of enterprise technology and believe that is reflected in Benepass's mission to unlock personalization and global equity in benefits through its proprietary fintech stack and commitment to the user experience."
About the Benepass Platform:
With an easy-to-use and highly customizable platform, Benepass provides People teams at leading organizations with an easy way to implement, administer, and track the modern benefits that their unique workforce is looking for. An employer using Benepass can consolidate their pre-tax benefits (e.g., FSA, Commuter, HSA) and personalized benefits (e.g., Lifestyle Spending Accounts) into one benefits system. Employees can then use one card to spend their benefit dollars at vendors and merchants within their company's policy that fit their unique wants and needs. By offering flexible and personalized pre-tax and post-tax benefits at scale, companies see employee engagement rates of over 85% and improve employee retention and satisfaction.
"The Benepass team is a group of ambitious, technically minded folks," said Charles Kramer, Talent Operations Lead of North and South America at On. "Through a people-first lens, they are able to balance building impactful and delightful benefits with the technical and programmatic complications of benefits design and systems integration. This has allowed for an effective and fun partnership that ultimately resulted in the smooth launch of multiple new benefits in 2024 that have already received extremely positive feedback from many of On's U.S. based team members. Benepass consistently demonstrates a level of support, commitment to client, and technical expertise that has exceeded our expectations."
"The industry is seeing a rapid consolidation of the tools that companies use to administer benefits," said Jaclyn Chen, CEO of Benepass. "With a wall-to-wall activation rate that is four to five times the rate of traditional benefits solutions, Benepass has built the right platform to capitalize on this consolidation trend. We will use this latest funding to expand our customer base by scaling distribution as well as introduce innovative new features that meet the needs of both administrators and employees."
Benepass's mission is to reimagine how companies take care of their people. Through deep investments into our financial technology infrastructure, we have made it easy for employers to offer global benefits that are personalized to each and every employee. We have also simplified the pre-tax experience by giving employees one card to use on pre-tax and post-tax benefits. Our flexible benefits platform gives employees more choice, leading to engagement rates of over 85% and a stronger employer brand. Benepass was founded in 2019 by Jaclyn Chen, Kabir Soorya, and Mark Fischer. Additional information about the company can be found at www.getbenepass.com.

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Be you geek or nerd, Star Wars fanatic or Trekkie, horror buff or anime expert, the first-ever Fan Expo Vancouver is here for you. “As soon as you walk through that door, you immediately have something in common with everybody inside,” James Armstrong, head event coordinator, told the Georgia Straight by phone. “And that’s a unique experience.”
The two-day expo is set to take over the Vancouver Convention Centre on April 21 and 22. Celebrity guests include Adam West and Burt Ward (Batman), Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk), Kevin Sorbo (Hercules), Nicholas Brendon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and a trio of Star Trek: The Next Generation favourites—John de Lancie (Q), Michael Dorn (Worf), and Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi).
According to Armstrong, the celebrities will be taking part in panel discussions, Q & A presentations, and autograph sessions. A professional photo studio will be on-site, so attendees can schedule a time to pose with their favourite star, complete with a backdrop, lighting, and a high-end camera. “You can experience a lot of things online, you can buy things online or from a store,” Armstrong said, “but we trump that with all the live experiences and interaction that we offer at the event.”
Armstrong noted that Vancouver’s proximity to Hollywood has helped with programming. “If a celebrity actor is crushed for time, they’re more likely to make it up to Vancouver for the day rather than Toronto,” he said.
One highlight of Fan Expo Vancouver will be the ReBoot reunion. The animated series was produced by Vancouver’s Mainframe Entertainment (now Rainmaker Entertainment) and was a staple of Canadian kids’ television in the late ’90s. Creator Gavin Blair and cast members Garry Chalk, Sharon Alexander, and Shirley Millner will be on a panel.
Since Vancouver is a hub for web series, Armstrong said there will be sessions about what he calls the “new form of entertainment”, including one featuring the 12-episode Hitman 101. “We’re assembling some of the creators, cast, and crew of these to explain what they do, why it’s special, and what’s different,” he said.
The third annual Canadian Videogame Awards are slated to take place at the Vancouver Convention Centre on the evening of April 21, and a number of seats are being made available to Fan Expo Vancouver pass holders. Television personality Victor Lucas, who coproduces the CVAs, says the partnership means more fans can join the celebration of Canadian-made video games. “It’s all incredibly exciting and positive,” he said on the phone.
Screenwriter and actor David Hayter, known to video-game fans as the voice of Solid Snake in Konami’s Metal Gear Solid franchise, will appear at Fan Expo Vancouver and host the CVAs.
Comics are also a big component of Fan Expo Vancouver, with workshops and seminars, opportunities to meet comic creators, and even portfolio reviews. Unfortunately, organizers were not able to put together nerd speed dating, which Armstrong said was a “smash hit” at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto last August.
Fan Expo Vancouver is produced by Toronto’s Hobby Star Marketing, which has grown the annual Fan Expo Canada event to 80,000 attendees over four days. Armstrong said they expect between 10,000 and 12,000 at the inaugural Vancouver event.
More important, he added, is determining the success of Fan Expo Vancouver. The ultimate goal is to make it an annual event. “We have a lot of things in place to measure where we do well and where we don’t,” he said. “Based on that is how we’ll proceed.”
Tickets to Fan Expo Vancouver are $20 for one day and $30 for both days. Kids 12 and under pay $10 a day.


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By Erik Crouch
Bridge under construction, via Wikipedia
Construction is underway on a new bridge spanning the Yalu river and connecting China and North Korea. The bridge crosses from Dandong, China, into Sinujiu, DPRK, and hopes to boost trade between the two countries. Dandong is already one of the most DPRK-connected cities in China, and is a hub for Chinese exports of technology, agriculture, and consumer goods, and for North Korean exports of refugees.
The new Yalu river bridge will replace the current Sino-Korean Friendship bridge, which was constructed in 1937 and now serves primarily as a tourist destination. The antiquated bridge has an AAAA rating on China’s “Tourist Attraction Rating Categories” (the second highest possible value) and even has English-language reviews on Trip Advisor, such as:
Just another bridge and you can’t cross it without special permit
Good for the historical value, but expensive and boring.
The new Sino-Korean bridge certainly has some big shoes to fill, but China is anxious to get more inroads to the land of Sexiest Men and unicorns, while North Koreans are certainly excited to enhance trade with a country that has everything else.


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Though the highlight of Ubisoft’s conference was undoubtedly the appearance of a dog, there’s much to look forward to from Ubisoft in terms of games as well! In case you missed out on the stream – here are the highlights from today’s Ubisoft Conference at E3, from the announcements of game sequels to brand-new games.
Watch Dogs Legion Announced
Ubisoft’s leg of announcements kicked off with an extensive gameplay demo of the latest release in the Watch Dogs series.
Players will be able to take control of a range of different characters (or resistance agents) – from your typical bald, chiselled thugs, to a grandma who’s a retired spy. That’s the main pull of this upcoming game, really: you can recruit and play as anyone you encounter in-game!
Watch Dogs Legion will be out March 6, 2020, on consoles and for the PC.
Introduction of New Game: Gods & Monsters
A beautiful new action-adventure game in which the player is made to fight mythological creatures, Gods & Monsters is “a storybook adventure about a forgotten hero on a quest to save the Greek gods.”
From the creators of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the game’s open-world aspects and overall style are reminiscent of Breath of the Wild – we can’t wait to see what the game has in store!
Gods & Monsters will be out on February 25, 2020 for consoles and on PC.
Launch of Game Subscription Service (UPlay+)
Much like other gaming platforms, Ubisoft has hopped onto the trend and announced a game subscription service of its own.
For USD $15 a month, UPlay+ subscribers will be granted access to a library of over 100 Ubisoft games and all their DLCs. Players will also get early access to upcoming games, and new releases like Watch Dogs Legion will be included as part of the game library.
The UPlay+ subscription service will launch in October this year, and will be playable on Google Stadia in 2020.
Rainbow Six: Quarantine Announced
Going back to game announcements, the next Rainbow Six has been revealed as well. Rainbow Six: Quarantine is a three-player tactical co-op game that will be coming in early 2020, that seems to carry more horror vibes than its predecessor.
On that note, Rainbow Six‘s next season, “Operation Phantom Sight”, will also be releasing tomorrow (June 12th).
More Details on Ghost Recon: Breakpoint
Here’s where the highlight of Ubisoft’s conference (literally) comes in, in the form of Jon Bernthal bringing a dog on stage.
The dog talked about the upcoming Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, which will be including AI teammates for solo players as part of its “post-launch plan”.
Ghost Recon: Breakpoint will be made available on October 4 this year, though a beta for the game will be launched September 5.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Gets Story Creator and Discovery Tour Modes
Would it really be a Ubisoft conference without an Assassin’s Creed announcement?
Announced during the pre-show, the new Story Creator is a quest building mode where players can make their own Assassin’s Creed missions. The Story Creator will come with customisable dialogue and branching pathways, and will also be allowing players to share the missions they’ve made with others. It’s in open beta starting from today.
Discovery Tour, on the other hand, lets you wander ancient Greece unhindered by enemies. Go take a walk in-game and learn about history!
Along with the announcement of a new Just Dance game (which will be released on the Wii, amongst other platforms) and an original roller-skating game, that’s just about all that Ubisoft announced today.
If you’d like to watch the conference in full, check out Ubisoft’s official stream here:
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BikeRadar has reported that several cycle courier businesses are benefitting from the Royal Mail strikes.
With so many consumers and businesses seeking another way to mail items, the businesses have been putting in the hours to show off their capabilities. This, as one cycle courier put it, has lead to customers pledging to "continue using cycle courier services after the strike."
Of the three two-wheeled courier services that BikeRadar spoke to, all we reporting that business is up and that extra hands have been drafted in to cope with the volumes of new business.
Read the full article here. Thanks to ProfDEH for use of the cycle courier image.


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Earlier this year we saw speculative renders of the Oppo Reno7 series, which showed a new design for the camera bump. Now leakster Digital Chat Station has refined the expected design, showing a phone that looks like a OnePlus 10 Pro with a flat screen.
The leakster also offers some specs, which don’t stray far from the Reno6 Pro. The phone will have a 6.55” display (almost certainly OLED) with 1,080 x 2,400 px resolution. One upgrade for the 8-series is the 120 Hz refresh rate (up from 90 Hz).
Oppo Reno8 (speculative render) • OnePlus 10 Pro
The triple camera on the rear will feature a 50 MP Sony IMX766 sensor, which is already used on the Reno7 Pro and several other Oppo devices. The 7 Pro utilized a custom Dimensity 1200-Max chipset, it will be interesting to see what the company has in store for us this time.
Unfortunately, chipset details for the Oppo Reno8 are not available yet. The Reno6 generation first launched in May, so the new series might arrive next month.


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Cylance, which provides artificial intelligence-based threat detection solutions, has named Grant Johnson as its chief marketing officer and Kumud Kalia as its chief information officer.
The company also has promoted Eric Cornelius, its VP of innovation, to serve as its chief product officer, according to a prepared statement.
Johnson is expected to lead Cylance's global marketing strategy and execution, the company said. Prior to joining Cylance, he served as CMO at Kofax, a robotic process automation company, and held senior marketing roles at Pegasystems, Guidance Software, FileNet (which was acquired by IBM in 2006), FrontBridge (which was acquired by Microsoft in 2005) and Symantec.
Kalia now is responsible for the strategy, implementation and management of the infrastructure and applications that support Cylance's business processes and growth, the company noted. He joins Cylance from content delivery network provider Akamai, where he served as the company's CIO, and has over 30 years of experience scaling IT systems for high-growth companies.
Cornelius will drive product development and innovation and continue to lead Cylance's product management and corporate development teams, according to the company. He initially joined Cylance in 2012 as head of critical infrastructure and incident response under the company's services team and was deputy director and chief technical analyst for the Control Systems Security Program at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Cylance Continues to Bolster Its Leadership Team
The appointments of a CMO, CIO and CPO are among several recent moves to bolster Cylance's executive leadership team.
Cylance in January appointed Chris Scanlan as its SVP of North America sales. Scanlan most recently served as SVP of worldwide sales at cybersecurity solutions company Optiv Security.
Furthermore, Cylance in December named Rahul Kashyap as its global chief technology officer. Kashyap previously served as EVP of products at virtualization technology startup Bromium and led worldwide threat research at McAfee Labs.
Cylance: Here's What You Need to Know
Cylance offers CylancePROTECT, a platform that blends machine learning and AI to help organizations identify and address cyber threats. CylancePROTECT quickly detects threats, Cylance stated, and prevents malicious code from executing on a targeted system.
In addition, Cylance applies AI to endpoint protection and endpoint detection and response (EDR), the company indicated. By doing so, Cylance helps organizations stop data breaches, meet regulatory requirements and optimize their security resources.
Cylance recorded 177 percent year-over-year revenue growth and surpassed $100 million in trailing 12-month revenue in 2017, based on generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), according to the company. Meanwhile, Cylance technology has been deployed on over 10 million endpoints and protects hundreds of enterprises worldwide.


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TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - The 'spokes-bee' on the Honey Nut Cheerios box has disappeared.
It's all part of cereal company General Mills' campaign to talk about real-life bees that are disappearing.
David Veith, Toledo-area beekeeper, says bees are so important to produce, from pumpkins to blueberries.
"It's real simple; they pollinate probably about a third of our crops, if not more," said Veith, who is also the vice president of the Maumee Valley Beekeepers Association.
Veith says mites, chemicals and loss of habitat have contributed to a decline in the bee population.
"It takes the willows and it takes the dandelions, and it takes the white clovers that all the things that - the people that want the golf-course yards are the ones that hurt us the most, as far as the local residents," said Veith.
Veith says his honey production in Toledo pales in comparison to honey production in other areas.
"I can easily produce 150 pounds in an out-yard, where I have troubles making 75 pounds in the city. And it's partly all nectar source," said Veith.
According to General Mills, the cereal company is pulling Buzz from the box to encourage people to help #bringbackthebees.
The company was giving out free seeds, starting with a goal of 100 million seeds. According to the website, after giving out 1.5 billion seeds, they're all out and not giving out anymore.
Removing Buzz from the cereal box has certainly created a buzz.
"Awareness is always the big thing. If you're not aware of a problem, you can't fix the problem, and so I think that's just important as anything else," said Veith.


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Many of us have had our car buddies over for backyard barbecues this summer, but none of them resembled the gathering at the home of Doug Schellinger of New Berlin, Wisconsin, president of the Daytona/Superbird Auto Club.
What began as a casual picnic with a half-dozen cars over twenty years ago peaked this year with 30 participants, and some interesting special guests. This year the event was joined by the 1972 Sunoco AAR Eagle Indy car and a vintage-raced Group 6 Jaguar E-Type Bob Tullius replica.
DSAC was started by Doug’s dad Monroe Schellinger in 1975. After some consideration about which cars might someday become collectable, the elder Schellinger purchased a Limelight Green 1970 Plymouth Superbird from a private owner in the fall of 1972 for $1620. By Superbird standards the car was pretty common, sporting the 440 V-8, 4 bbl. motor with bench seat and column shift automatic. The car had 8600 miles on it and was in as-new condition, complete with a pair of Polyglas GT studded snow tires.
After buying the winged marvel, the question then became, “What do you do with it?” In 1975, he approached a local lady who owned a Daytona, and then ran an ad in Hemmings soliciting members for the new club. The response to the ad was successful, and 40 years later DSAC is still going strong. After Monroe’s passing in 1993, Doug inherited the car and the club, and started a memorial gathering each summer.
A Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II in the Cale Yarborough Special paint scheme, next to a Royal Maroon Ford Talladega.
The club now welcomes all the aerodynamic cars of that 1969-1970 era, including the non-winged Ford Talladega, the Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II, and the Charger 500. “Had it not been for the Fords, the Mopar wing cars would have never happened,” said Schellinger. “They were bullets in the wind.”
Making an appearance was driver Ramo Stott of Keokuk, Iowa, who piloted the #7 car for the Superbird team at Daytona and Talladega between 1970-1972. Stott’s driving career ran from 1955 to 1990, and he was the 1970 and 1971 ARCA Series Champion, the 1975 USAC Stock Car Champion, and the 1976 Daytona 500 Pole Sitter. Stott’s #7 Superbird is now owned by Schellinger, and it’s the only team car still wearing its original sheet metal.
Still the showman: former USAC and NASCAR driver Ramo Stott.
Stott, from an era when drivers were also showmen, arrived in his 1968 IMCA Series drivers uniform and trademark hat. Someone asked the spry driver, now 82, if he could still get in and out of the welded-door stock car. Reports Schellinger: “From across the yard, I hear my car start up. By the time I realize what is happening and get over there, he’s got it shut off, the crowd is applauding, and he is climbing back out.”
Mike Borkowski’s 1970 Superbird.
Mike Borkowski of Muskego, Wisconsin bought his Tor-Red Superbird new at Kennedy Chrysler-Plymouth in Milwaukee in September of 1970. Just home from the Navy and newly married, Mike had been asking around at dealers about a new Superbird when he found this one sitting out back at Kennedy. The dealer was anxious to sign a contract on the car, but Mike had only five dollars in his pocket for downpayment. “That’ll do,” replied the salesman. Mike paid full sticker price for it, but after 46 years, he gets the last laugh.
The car now shows 27,000 miles and still wears original paint. The window tint, mags and pinstriping are all Day 2 add-ons. He drove it daily for two years, including the day he brought his oldest daughter home from the hospital in it. The car is 440 4-speed with a 6-Pack and headers added in period by Magnum Speed Shop in Milwaukee.
Chuck Porter’s 1970 Superbird.
Chuck Porter of Franklin, Wisconsin has owned his Limelight Green Superbird since 1976. A buddy had money problems, so Chuck’s grandmother fronted the $4,500 to cover the friend’s debt, and Chuck eventually wound up with the car. Grandma was quite the loanshark! Today, it has a fresh 440 running an Atomic EFI throttle body package.
With about 500 current members, the Daytona/Superbird Auto Club is looking towards the future and the 50th anniversary of the aero cars in 2019. Over 100 cars are expected to make the trek to Talladega for the celebration. In the meantime, these birds of a feather will continue to flock every summer in Doug’s front yard.
William Hall is a writer, collector and classic car broker based in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.


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NEW DELHI: Did you ever want to get the camera user interface that new Nokia handsets use? Well, now it’s possible.
HMD Global, the company licensed to make and sell Nokia-branded smartphones, have made the Nokia handsets’ ‘Camera’ app available on the Google Play Store.
Although the new Camera app is listed on the Google Play, not all users are able to download the app yet.
The listing is old as the last update is dated July 20. There is nothing mentioned in the app description as well. The camera app in the new Nokia smartphones are clutter free and make it easy to access features such as the gallery, camera settings and filters.


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Taking to the US and EU PlayStation Forums en masse, PlayStation 3 users continue to report connectivity issues with PlayStation Network today. Starting with the declaration of attack by hacker group "Anonymous" earlier this week, PSN has been experiencing sporadic issues over the past few days...
The amorphous hacking collective "Anonymous" is now fighting a war on two fronts -- while one battle continues to rage over WikiLeaks, a new battle has begun with Sony. As of yesterday, Anonymous is focusing efforts on both PlayStation Network and PlayStation's official website, bringing both...
Posted on Jul 23rd 2014 7:30PM
Posted on Jul 23rd 2014 9:00AM
Posted on Jul 22nd 2014 1:00PM


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In an interview with German magazine Motor Zeitung, Porsche's R&D director Wolfgang Dürheimer discussed the possibility of electrifying the iconic 911 sports car. Legendary Porsche tuners Ruf first showed a battery-powered prototype 911 called the eRuf last fall and then revealed a second-generation version (pictured) at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The eRuf Greenster was a major improvement over the original and Dürheimer praised the achievement of the smaller company.
Dürheimer doesn't rule out an electrified sports car in the future, but feels the technology is not quite ready for Porsche prime-time. The problem revolves around the size and weight of the batteries, and even discarding the conventional powertrain leaves the Greenster with a deficit of at least 500 pounds compared to a normal 911... and no luggage space to boot. As battery technology progresses, however, we can certainly expect a battery-powered sports car to emerge from Zuffenhausen in due course.
[Source: Motor Zeitung]
Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.


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Elon Musk’s X, previously Twitter, features forged a cope with an activities operator that is betting BetMGM, the companies announced on Friday. The deal, which BetMGM describes as a partnership that is“strategic with X, might find the operator getting X’s unique reside chances Sports Betting lover and certainly will present use of the gambling solution on X.
Initially, X people into the U.S. should be able to explore the gambling chances on professional soccer, with an increase of expert and university activities to roll away in the long run. The company said, suggesting that a future version could make betting even easier on X.statement“Sports never sleep on X and now with our strategic partnership with BetMGM, fans are practically in the front row through the new interface, users will be able to click through to reach BetMGM’s website or app where they can then place their bets, but the integration will continue to evolve over time. We’re bringing sports fans on X even closer to the action so they can cheer, and now bet, on their favorite teams,” said X CEO Linda Yaccarino in a* that is( in regards to the brand new price.a shorter version of this statementShe additionally uploaded
to X it self, revealing a screenshot of just what the integration that is betting look like at launch. Here, a mocked-up image of Super Bowl LVIII on X showed images and select videos from the teams followed by a section that is new “Odds by BETMGM” at the end.
The relationship is yet another exemplory case of the direction that is different is headed since Musk’s 2022 acquisition of the social network, then known as Twitter. His vision has expanded beyond social networking to see X becoming an “everything app,” so to speak, which includes not just text posts and media, but also creator content, subscriptions, live and video that is recorded internet shopping, payments and much more.activity around explicit Drake photosThe company’s app this few days strike the the surface of the App shop after Tucker Carlson revealed a job interview with Putin seems on X on Thursday, and from
(which was in fact circulating ahead of the spike that is big installs that sent the app to No. 1). Capping these viral moments, sports access that is betting X — where sports discourse and conversations usually occur — could entice a unique market, which help X maintain steadily its high-ranking. (The application stays number 1 into the U.S. App shop at the time of morning.)
Reached friday for comment, a rep for X didn’t offer details about if or how X would generate revenue from its deal that is new with, but there’s likely an understanding in position, because of the integration work needed.
X has been doing a hardcore scenario from a standpoint that is financial. The company hasn’t yet moved away from a reliance on advertising but its owner has a habit of spooking X’s advertisers over brand safety concerns. Late year that is last big-name companies like Apple, Disney, IBM yet others place their promotions on pause after Musk endorsed an antisemitic post, as an example.
The first-of-its-kind cooperation between a premier social media marketing brand name and a sports gambling operator will incorporate BetMGM’s chances and branding into X,… (*)— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) (*)


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If you're watching this video on a Samsung Galaxy Note 7, you should probably turn off the phone and stick it in your fireplace.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall for about a million Galaxy Note 7s sold in the U.S. because the phone's lithium-ion battery can overheat and catch on fire.
Samsung received 92 reports of the phone batteries overheating, dozens of which caused injuries and property damage.
Samsung issued a recall earlier in September, but it's been anything but smooth. It took nearly two weeks to coordinate the recall with the U.S. government. In the meantime, Samsung's market value plummeted by billions of dollars.
Caught in the middle are people like a Florida man who said he didn't hear about the recall until after his phone exploded and the flames spread to his jeep, destroying the vehicle.
Consumers have until Sept. 21 to exchange the phone. A CPSC spokesman said roughly 97 percent of Galaxy Note 7 phones sold in the U.S. should be eligible for a refund. You can visit Samsung's website to see if your phone qualifies.


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Members of Congress are living off food stamps for a week to protest Republican cuts. It’s a challenge for them, but GOP cuts would hurt millions of everyday Americans.
Why does this not have more publicity. This needs it!
I want a reality tv show where politicians have to live in poverty for a month. They have to live in Government housing, shop with food stamps, and get only a limited amount of money for clothes. Because here, they still have all their trappings, lilke nice cars and thousand dollar suits. I want them in Walmart jeans trying to determine if they can afford a carton of milk.
If we had that, just watch how quickly things would change


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Infinix has now confirmed that the Infinix Zero 8i will be launched in India on December 3. Earlier it was decided that 2nd December will be the day of release. But now, it is charged to December 3. So let’s go and check out the specifications of the Infinix Zero 8i.
The Infinix Zero 8i runs the XOS 7 which is based on the Android 10 OS and is powered by the MediaTek Helio G90T processor. Regarding the display, this phone features a large 6.85-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD dual punch-hole with a refresh rate of 90Hz and an aspect ratio of 20:9. This phone has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
The Helio G90T SoC of this phone is paired with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage (expandable via an external microSD card). Now coming to the camera section, this phone features a diamond-patterned quad rear camera setup which includes a 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide sensor, a 2MP sensor, and an AI lens. For selfies, this phone offers a dual front camera setup which includes a 16-megapixel and an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens.
In terms of battery, the Infinix Zero 8i is fueled up by a decent 4,500mAH battery with the support of 18W fast charging. At last, coming to the pricing and availability, this phone is now available in Pakistan at a price tag of PKR 34,999 (~$220; ~Rs 16,300). As per the report, this phone will launch in India on December 3 (pricing not confirmed yet).


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Silentnight managing director Chris Gourdie speaks to Hotel News on the sidelines of The Hotel Show Dubai about spring technology and the mattress products exclusive to the Middle East.
What products are you showcasing at The Hotel Show Dubai?
We are showcasing three new models featuring exclusive spring units, which we bring in with Leggett and Platt, America’s largest spring manufacturer. They are Pocket Sprung Soft Touch, Ergo Coil and Verticoil – these are exclusive to the Middle East region.
What are the latest trends in mattresses?
Spring technology, which is the latest technology. We’ve been running it now for just over a year and it features now in about 75% of our range.
How much of your business is contract?
We are 80% retail, 20% contract. We have a shop-in-shop concept throughout the region and retail our products through our studios in Homes R Us and Debenhams, where we have somewhere in the region of 500-1000ft2 space and we brand it, stock it and staff it. The staff are interviewed and trained by me and they sell our products; they are knowledgeable, they know what the product is and that’s how we do our retail. We are looking to open another four this year and expand with the new products.
What’s your company news?
We have teamed up with Jay-Be on their folding beds, which we bring from the UK and market through the studios and online out of contract, so this is a new product for us as well. On the contract side, we continue to promote to our select number of clients we deal with in the contract market, catering to their needs. We are also looking at developing more fire-retardant products.


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In recent weeks most of the Big Six energy giants have announced a new round of price hikes, adding around £100 to the typical household bill.
These increases are invariably described as “monstrous” and a “crippling blow” to households.
Undoubtedly, it’s bad news for lots of people, many of whom will struggle to stump up the extra cash in order to keep the lights on.
The thing is, it’s really easy for most households to avoid these sorts of hikes.
Are people exposing themselves to the whims of the energy suppliers through loyalty… or apathy?
Can’t switch, won’t switch?
According to Citizens Advice, around 800,000 of the poorest pensioners and 1.5 million low income families are sat on their energy supplier’s standard tariff.
These are suppliers’ most expensive tariffs, and the ones that are subject to these price rises.
Overall, the charity reckons that these households are paying around £141 a year more than those on the cheapest deals currently available, a total of a massive £250 million.
And this isn’t a one-off overpayment either – Citizens Advice reckons 4.7 million households in England haven’t switched their energy supplier in a decade.
It wants the Government to do more to help these people save on their bills, saying that people are being ripped off because of their loyalty.
I want someone to do it for me!
But if we are honest, it isn’t loyalty is it? People haven’t been sat on the same ropey tariff for a decade or more because they really buy into everything the firm stands for.
Many – not all, but many – people who are currently sat on a standard tariff, paying through the nose for their energy, are doing because they can’t be bothered to switch.
The idea that by switching supplier and moving to a fixed tariff you can secure a better deal is not exactly a state secret, kept under lock and key.
It’s well known across every area of financial services that shopping around and comparing deals means you will end up saving money.
The energy regulator Ofgem has spent a lot of time highlighting the benefits of switching to all and sundry, and to be fair, it has made a big difference.
According to Ofgem figures, there were 7.7 million energy switches last year, up by 1.7 million on the year before.
And yet some still refuse to do so.
The hassle of switching
The perception that moving suppliers is a hassle is holding a lot of people back from some pretty significant savings.
A study by YouGov at the end of last year found that one in five of those who do not plan to switch energy supplier in the next year or so say that any savings “are not worth the hassle” of switching deals.
Another 17% said they couldn’t be bothered to switch, no matter what the benefit of moving deals may be.
Going through energy tariffs and working out your own energy use is nobody’s idea of a fun Saturday night, I get that.
But the idea that switching energy supplier is some dreadful, stressful experience is cobblers.
Using a site like loveMONEY, it takes about 10 minutes. I don’t know about you, but saving up to £200 a year for 10 minute’s work sounds pretty good to me.
The suppliers handle the switch itself, which only takes a couple of weeks, and there’s no danger of your energy being cut off at any point.
Essentially, it all happens in the background while you go about your life.
Saving people from themselves
There are some, such as the very elderly and vulnerable, who may not be in a position to make use of a comparison site nor have loved ones who can help them do it.
Clearly, all efforts need to be taken to push them towards ditching standard tariffs, whether it’s from the Government, Ofgem, the suppliers themselves or charities like Citizens Advice.
But there are plenty of people who are more than able to switch and save money but just don’t.
That’s their choice, but let’s call it what it is. They aren’t paying more out of loyalty – it’s because they simply can’t be bothered.
What do you think? Is our writer unfair to label many who don't switch as apathetic? Let us know your thoughts by voting in our poll and commenting in the section below.


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Celgard, LLC (Celgard), a subsidiary of Polypore International, LP, is pleased to announce it has entered into a multi-year joint development agreement with Morrow Batteries AS (Morrow). Celgard will work with Morrow to develop, test, and commercialize next generation dry-process battery separators that will be used in Morrow high-voltage battery cells with lithium nickel manganese oxide (LNMO) cathode material for electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage system (ESS) applications.
While separator development activities are already underway between the two companies, commercial production will begin at Morrow’s battery cell Gigafactory at Eyde Energy Park in Arendal, Norway, in 2024. Under the terms of the agreement, Morrow will exclusively use Celgard’s proprietary dry-process membrane separators, developed under the agreement, in high-voltage batteries produced at its Gigafactory. Morrow has committed to undisclosed annual purchase volumes.
“For over half a century Celgard has been at the forefront of membrane technology, we are very excited to join forces with them to commercialize separators for Morrow’s next generation high-voltage batteries.
The partnership with Celgard provides a framework to speed up the development of our LNMO-based products and it is a big step towards Morrow’s goal of being a global leader in cost and sustainability,” said Rahul Fotedar, chief technology officer of Morrow.
Additionally, Lie Shi, Asahi Kasei global head of separator business development and executive vice president of Polypore, added the following: “We are excited to partner with Morrow to develop and showcase Celgard(R) next generation membrane separators for high-voltage battery cells manufactured at their battery Gigafactory and we look forward to further advancing electric vehicle technology with Morrow in Europe.”
About Celgard and Polypore
Celgard specializes in solvent-free, coated and uncoated, dry-process microporous membranes used as separators that are a major component of lithium-ion batteries. Celgard’s battery separator technology is important to the performance of lithium-ion batteries for electric drive vehicles, energy storage systems and other applications.
Celgard, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Polypore International, LP, an Asahi Kasei Company.
Polypore is a global company with facilities in nine countries specializing in microporous membranes used in electric and nonelectric vehicles, energy storage systems and specialty applications. Visit www.celgard.com and www.polypore.com.
About Morrow Batteries AS
Morrow Batteries AS (Morrow) delivers cost-effective and sustainable batteries to build decarbonized and resilient energy systems worldwide and enable the electric drive for all. Their next-generation LNMO (cathode material) batteries will replace cobalt, reduce nickel and lithium, and maximize the use of clean and abundant manganese. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Arendal, the industrial scale-up now counts 100+ battery specialists across four offices internationally. Learn more at morrowbatteries.com and @MorrowBatteries on LinkedIn.
SOURCE: Celgard, LLC
CONTACT: Beth Kitteringham, firstname.lastname@example.org, +1 (704) 587-8596, www.polypore.com


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(NaturalNews) Earlier this week, the Institute of Medicine finally got around to reluctantly admitting that people need more vitamin D. Raising the daily intake recommendation from 200 IUs to 600 IUs still leaves most people pitifully vitamin D deficient, and a flood of scientific research that has emerged over the last four years reveals that vitamin D deficiency causes cancer, osteoporosis, depression, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disorders and depression.
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the dietary supplement industry's trade association, called the new vitamin D recommendations "a modest step in the right direction that fell short of truly capturing the extensive and positive research that has consistently supported the need for people to significantly raise their vitamin D levels." (http://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele…)
According to scientific studies, right now 70 percent of whites are deficient in vitamin D, and 97 percent of African Americans are deficient, resulting in outrageously higher rates of cancer among blacks compared to whites (http://www.naturalnews.com/030392_c…). The Institute of Medicine curiously claims such deficiencies do not exist, however.
Nutritionally-aware health professionals had hoped the Institute of Medicine might suggest raising the daily intake of vitamin D to a level that would actually help prevent cancer: 2000 IUs a day, or even as much as 4000 IUs a day. Most informed nutritionists right now recommend anywhere from 2000 IUs to 4000 IUs per day for adults, and the research on the connection between cancer and vitamin D is clear: Vitamin D prevents 77 percent of all cancers (http://www.naturalnews.com/021892.html).
But this is precisely why the Institute of Medicine absolutely cannot allow more vitamin D to be taken by the American people — it would destroy the pharmaceutical industry's primary business model by making people well!
Government warns people not to take too much Vitamin D (seriously…)
And so today, even as it reluctantly adjusted the daily recommended intake to the 600 IU level (800 for the elderly), the Institute of Medicine issued a ridiculous warning against "megadosing" on vitamin D. (It considers a "mega dose" anything over 4000 IUs.)
The mainstream media even jumped on the bandwagon, reporting that anything over 10,000 IU can "cause kidney damage." And yet, doctors who know about vitamin D deficiency routinely prescribe 50,000 IUs a day for their patients to help them recover and restore their vitamin D back to healthy levels. (That amount is only safe for people who are severely deficient, by the way. NaturalNews agrees this is not a safe dose for a person who already has sufficient levels of vitamin D in their body.)
Dr Michael Holick, the vitamin D expert who has been routinely attacked by conventional medicine for educating people about vitamin D, takes 3,000 IUs a day himself. He's featured in a NaturalNews special report called The Healing Power of Sunlight and Vitamin D which can be downloaded for free at: http://www.naturalnews.com/rr-sunli…
The 600 IU level is a pitiful amount of vitamin D that's guaranteed to continue the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency in America. "This is a stunning disappointment," said Dr. Cedric Garland, one of the top researchers who has studied the ability of vitamin D to prevent cancer.
A massive vitamin D deficiency conspiracy among Big Pharma, Big Government and the mainstream media?
The real story in all this, by the way, is that there is a massive conspiracy to keep the American people vitamin D deficient for as long as possible. This conspiracy is achieved through the use of outright lies such as this whopper published by CBS News a few days ago: "While some people truly are deficient in vitamin D, the average person already has enough circulating in his or her blood. That's because we also make vitamin D from sun exposure, and because many people already take multivitamins or other D-containing dietary supplements."
This is, of course, a blatant lie. Most people don't take vitamin D supplements, and few people get any sunshine at all. The worst deficiency is, of course, among those with darker skin such as African Americans and, to some extent, Latinos and Asians, all of which are now suffering skyrocketing rates of cancer, diabetes and other diseases.
That the mainstream media (and the entire medical community) would lie to black people about vitamin D deficiency is no surprise: It was traditionally blacks who were chosen for Big Pharma's medical experiments throughout its nefarious history (http://www.naturalnews.com/019189.html).
And now, the American people are the experiment! The Institute of Medicine, Big Pharma and the FDA are all running a grand experiment entitled, "What happens if we keep all Americans — but especially the blacks — deficient in vitamin D?"
If you doubt the accuracy of that statement, consider the historical fact that the U.S. government conspired with the National Institute of Health to use Guatemalans as human guinea pigs in secret medical experiments for which President Obama was recently forced to apologize! (http://www.naturalnews.com/029924_m…)
Just as an explanation here, those with dark skin are far more likely to be vitamin D deficiency because dark skin pigmentation blocks the ultraviolet light that generates vitamin D in your skin. Watch my video here for a full explanation: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=5A62F…
The Institute of Medicine brazenly lied about vitamin D's effects on preventing cancer, stating on its website, "The IOM finds that the evidence supports a role for vitamin D and calcium in bone health but not in other health conditions. Further, emerging evidence indicates that too much of these nutrients may be harmful, challenging the concept that 'more is better.'"
In other words, the IOM wants you to believe that "more is NOT better" when it comes to vitamin D, even though most people are woefully deficient. This is a subtle way of telling people to avoid taking more vitamin D and thereby remain vitamin D deficient, which would of course keep people trapped in sickness and disease which generates huge profits for the pharmaceutical industry.
The vitamin D conspiracy is real. Government, Big Pharma and even some elements of the media are all scheming together to trap the American population in a state of lifelong vitamin D deficiency. But this conspiracy will ultimately fail because the nutritional science about vitamin D cannot be suppressed for much longer. Especially not if people inform themselves with nutritional knowledge by reading websites like this one.
Vitamin D is the nutrient that could collapse the cancer industry and destroy Big Pharma. That's why you need to keep learning about it and keep taking it to make sure your levels of vitamin D are high enough to prevent degenerative disease.


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Ubisoft selling over twice the amount of games on PlayStation 4, compared to Xbox One
Ubisoft has revealed today that the company’s selling twice as many units on PlayStation 4 than Xbox One. According to their sales reports, 36% of the company’s total sales in the first quarter of this year came from PlayStation 4 titles, while Xbox One only got 17%.
The difference could definitely be from recently released Watch Dogs, which was sold a lot better on PlayStation 4. The reason behind this difference could be explained by the exclusive content available for PS4, and the graphical difference between the two consoles.


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First medical vending machine operational in Bratislava
When the nearby pharmacy closes for the night, citizens will be able to use the vending machine
- September 04, 2019 09:30
- Anton Stoyanov
If you’re passing through the Trnavské mýto crossroads in Bratislava, you might notice something peculiar – a vending machine, which doesn’t offer anything you might expect. On display, instead of foods and drinks, you’ll find condoms, pregnancy tests, baby food and even alcohol testers. The vending machine is a first for the Slovak capital and was installed in August to enhance the services offered by the nearby pharmacy.
Of course, the vending machine can’t replace the expertise of trained pharmacists, thus it does not offer any drugs. If you’re in need of pills of any kind, you’ll still have to pay your local pharmacy a visit. Still, vitamins can be found on its shelves, as well as different kinds of cosmetics, which are allowed to be sold outside the pharmacy.
So far reactions have been lukewarm. According to the pharmacy workers, not many people have been using the machine while the Slovak Chamber of Pharmacists has cited concerns regarding the push of pharmacies towards retail. Nonetheless, the developers are plowing ahead with their plans of installing 4 additional machines across the city by the end of the year.
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Record adoption of digital tools bolstered sales during the challenging environment produced by the coronavirus. Despite working for years on these efforts, public groups say the finance-and-insurance component still requires improvement.
Public retailers credited a portion of their second-quarter rebounds to digital deals and paperless processes. While not every public group posted a profit, F&I income increased across the board among some of the nation's largest retailers, with two posting records in the period.
AutoNation Inc., the retailer with the highest same-store F&I profit per vehicle, said its digital F&I product penetration is not yet on par with in-store metrics.


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Weissport Borough Council changed its junked-car ordinance to allow the owners of Lehighton Chrysler-Plymouth to operate a used auto parts business at the end of White Street.
The ordinance did not allow any junked motor vehicles -- those without current registration or inspection -- to be in the borough.
The new version gives council the power to make exceptions to that rule if someone applies for a variance, borough Solicitor Michael Ozalas said. However, council can place numerous restrictions on the applicant.
David Banning and William Rosado, owners of Lehighton Chrysler-Plymouth, have been storing junked vehicles at the site of the former S&S; Lumber Co. since August. John Sebelin, owner of the site, is leasing the property to them. There were about 40 cars in the fenced yard yesterday.
Banning and Rosado plan to use the site as a used auto parts business, America's Best Parts Inc.
Douglas Shrader, controller for the auto parts company, said the company will apply for the variance.
He said the cars to be stored in Weissport will be bought at auctions, stripped for parts and then sold for scrap metal. The parts stripped from the cars will be sold.
Council President Lorrie Rehrig said the ordinance was enacted specifically for this business, but it may become applicable to others.
Under the ordinance, council has the power to set restrictions on the applicant.
Council can require that the property be enclosed with a fence and that all fluids be removed from vehicles. Council also can restrict hours of operation, noise, access, the number of vehicles and the type of work done.
Council can impose any other conditions to insure the health and safety of borough residents.
The ordinance was approved unanimously.
In addition to applying for a variance from council, the zoning hearing board also may have to approve the operation, zoning board member Tom Andrews said.
Andrews said Banning and Rosado moved the cars into the lot not realizing the borough had an ordinance against junked cars. Zoning Officer Tim Rehrig refused to issue a permit to operate the business because of the ordinance.


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After steamrolling along with impressive gains, shipments of premium, handmade cigars cooled off in the month of April. According to numbers from the Cigar Association of America (CAA), America’s imports of handmade cigars were down 6.5 percent for the month.
One month’s data plays a small role in a year’s worth of shipments. The weak April was exacerbated by a 35 percent decline in cigars shipped from the Dominican Republic, one of the world’s leading cigar producers. Shipments were up from the other two major producers. Honduran cigars climbed 16.7 percent, to 5.6 million units, and shipments from market leader Nicaragua rose 10.7 percent, to 13.5 million.
Cigar Aficionado reached out to multiple cigar producers from the Dominican Republic and none reported an interruption to production; certainly not one that would justify such a steep decline. One explanation could be a delay in shipments that normally would have gone out in April, but were shifted to May.
When the CAA reports the numbers for May, the industry should have a better idea.
For the first four months of 2019, 98.9 million handmade cigars have been shipped to the United States, essentially flat (up 0.2 percent) when compared to the same period in 2018. This follows a strong first quarter (January through March) where overall shipments rose by 3.3 percent. Dominican shipments in the first quarter were down 1.4 percent, compared to flat shipments for Honduras (up 0.8 percent) and 3.8 percent growth for Nicaragua.
Cigarmakers in the Dominican Republic have long argued that their production figures are not accurately represented by the CAA. The CAA removes an estimated number of machine-made cigars when crunching government data, aiming to provide a figure representing only handmade cigars. Dominican producers feel their country is unfairly targeted.
“To me it’s unfair, and it’s unexplained. It’s unclear why they make this deduction to shipments from the Dominican Republic,” said cigarmaker Litto Gomez of La Flor Dominicana.
The CAA said it stands by its estimates of machine-made cigar removals, which it says comes directly from companies that are members of the organization, and told Cigar Aficionado that Dominican shipments were down even without the adjustments.
Premium cigar shipments have been growing at impressive levels for the past few years. Imports have risen steadily from 309.8 million in 2014 to 362 million in 2018. Shipments were up 9.7 percent last year, putting the cigar industry at its highest point for imports since 1997, the end of the 1990s cigar boom.


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Tesla’s intellectual property is in the news again, but this time it’s a trademark issue.
A previous post reported on Tesla’s trademark problem in China. Â Evidently, a businessman named Zhan Baosheng had registered the TESLA (or â€œTe Si Laâ€ transliterated) trademark in China in 2006, in both English and Chinese.
While Zhan’s trademark rights initially blocked Tesla from using the mark there, in early 2014 the company announced that it had resolved the matterÂ though a court decision granting it the right to use the TESLA mark in China.
So Tesla seemed to be in the clear. Â But there is renewed uncertainty about the company’s ability to use its brand in China.
Apparently unhappy with the initial result, Mr. Zhan is now suing Tesla for trademark infringement. Â According to his lawyer, Zhan is demanding that Tesla stop all sales and marketing activities in China, shut down showrooms and charging facilities, and pay him 23.9 million yuan ($3.85 million) in compensation.
Per my prior post, it seems like Zhan is seeking nothing more than a big pay day, as opposed to protecting legitimate business interests.
The case will be heard on August 5th by the Beijing Third Intermediate Court.
This is not the first time a U.S. clean tech company has faced IP difficulties in China – American Superconductor has been involved in major copyright and trade secret litigation with Chinese wind turbine maker Sinovel.


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If you've ever wondered exactly what are Facebook's "Community Standards"...well, wonder no more.
Facebook is releasing a rule book for what it allows on the giant social network. The rules cover subjects ranging from drug use and sex work to hate speech, bullying, and inciting violence.
The information now available on the website is much more detailed than a brief, general version of Facebook's "community standards" for what people can post. In all, it’s about 25 pages of guidelines that the company hopes users will see as the transparency they’ve promised.
The company says it's putting out the longer document to clear up confusion and be more open about how it operates. And here’s a fun fact: Facebook has 7500 “content reviewers” at present – that’s up 40% from a year ago.


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A company that stores people's passwords has been hacked.
LastPass is a website that lets people store passwords online so they can access them all with a single master password.
At the beginning of the week the firm announced that hackers gained access to its computer system, stealing user email addresses, password reminders and encrypted versions of people's master passwords. Hackers also managed to steal encoded versions of people's passwords.
LastPass said they discovered the attack last Friday and they are still in the early stages of their investigation.
Research manager at cyber security firm Rapid7, Tod Beardsley said: "Attackers seem to have all they need to start brute-forcing master passwords."
In a blog post LastPass urged users to quickly change their master passwords, and assured users "security and privacy are our top concerns".
Independent cyber security expert in Texas David Longenecker said LastPass posted a public blog post about the incident before warning its users to change their passwords.
He wrote publicly to LastPass on Twitter: "I would have preferred getting the PSA to change password from you, versus through the grapevine."
Return to internet news headlines
View Internet News Archive


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House Moves Closer to Impeachment Vote This Week
A.M. Edition for Jan. 11. Democrats plan to introduce a resolution urging Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump from office. Markets rally despite global challenges. The pandemic prompts changes in merchandise return policies. Marc Stewart hosts. CORRECTION: Amazon said on Saturday it would no longer provide Parler with cloud-computing services. A previous version of this podcast incorrectly reported that announcement was made on Sunday.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Starting in May, subscribers who are still paying $7.99 a month will be moved to a plan that costs $9.99 a month. While previously they had escaped price hikes by being grandfathered in at a lower rate, the jig is up.
Netflix is already struggling to grow its subscriber ranks in the U.S., with investors increasingly questioning whether the streaming giant has reached its peak here at home.
"Our high penetration in the US seems to be making net additions harder than in the past," wrote CEO Reed Hastings and CFO David Wells in a letter to shareholders in January.
Netflix has sought growth by expanding internationally and is available in nearly every country in the world except China. Yet nearly two thirds of Neflix's existing 75 million members are in the U.S. Of them, 70% will be impacted by the price hike, according to
While it remains to be seen how many people will break it off with Netflix, subscriber growth is of paramount importance to investors, so any type of pullback isn't likely to be looked upon favorably.
"The potential churn impact has been a central question for many investors," wrote Baird analyst William Power in a recent note to clients.
When Netflix reports earnings on April 18, investors will be paying close attention to the company's outlook for the second quarter and beyond. Perhaps more than usual. "Due in part to the potential for higher church, Q2 guidance could be under an even greater microscope than normal," wrote Power.
Netflix and those who are bullish on the stock are counting on two things to keep viewers around. The first is inertia. Netflix is wagering that most people who have grown accustomed to streaming won't suddenly want to give up their ability to binge watch Friends. “Given these members have been with us at least two years, we expect only slightly elevated churn,” said Hastings and Wells.
The second reason has to do with original content, which Netflix been going crazy over in the hopes of cementing its place as a must-have streaming option. A whole spate of Netflix original series are set to air after the price increases set in, including the fourth season of Orange Is The New Black in June.
The growing popularity of original series helps "ease concerns" about losing subscribers, wrote Cowen & Co. analyst John Blackledge in a note. In a survey they did, almost two thirds of subscribers said they have Netflix because of the original content, three times the number who said that in 2013.
That's good, since that's part of the reason for the price hike, according to Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter. "We believe Netflix's shift to owned originals and higher licensed content spending is driving the increase," he wrote in a note.
It's no secret that Netflix's costs are out-of-this-world. This year, the company could spend a whopping $6 billion on content.
Netflix’s stock, which was one of last year’s biggest winners and climbed a stunning 130%, hasn’t fared nearly as well this year amid concerns about growth at home. The stock is down 3% year-to-date.


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Sales growing for Jonny B's Frozen Pizza
7 Mar 2020
Brickhouse Frozen Products LLC is pretty happy these days with how its frozen pizza business is doing. The company's handmade 12-inch Jonny B’s Frozen Pizza is finding a booming market in North Dakota, one that Tom Schultz, company president, wants to expand into other states.
“It’s a name we kind of want to keep growing,” Schultz said.


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IC Insights has published its list of the top semiconductor sales leaders for the first half of 2013, and observed that only one Japan-based firm stayed among the top-10.
"The list showed the usual big-time players that we've come to expect like Intel, Samsung and TSMC," IC Insights said. "What stood out nearly as much, however, was that only one Japanese company - Toshiba - was present among the top 10 suppliers through the first half of 2013."
In 1985 when Japan-based semiconductor manufacturers wielded their influence on the global stage, there were five Japan-based companies ranked among the top 10 semiconductor suppliers, IC Insights noted. In 1990, six Japan-based companies were counted among the top 10 semiconductor suppliers - a figure that has not been matched by any country or region since, IC Insights indicated.
However, the number of Japan-based companies ranked in the top 10 in semiconductor sales slipped to four in 1995, then fell to three in 2000 and 2006, two in 2012, and then to only one company in the first half of 2013, IC Insights noted.
It is worth noting that Renesas, Sony and Fujitsu were ranked among the top 25 semiconductor suppliers in the first half of 2013, but Sony has been struggling to reinvent itself and Fujitsu has spent the first half of 2013 divesting most of its semiconductor operations, IC Insights said.
Japan's total presence and influence in the semiconductor marketplace has waned, IC Insights pointed out. Once-prominent Japanese names now gone from the top suppliers list include NEC, Hitachi, Mitsubishi and Matsushita. Competitive pressures from South Korean IC suppliers - especially in the DRAM market - have certainly played a significant role in changing the look of the top 10. "Samsung and SK Hynix emulated and perfected the Japanese manufacturing model over the years and cut deeply into sales and profits of Japanese semiconductor manufacturers, resulting in spin-offs, mergers, and acquisitions becoming more prevalent among Japanese suppliers," IC Insights said.
Another reason for Japan's reduced presence among leading global semiconductor suppliers is that the vertically-integrated business model that served Japan-based companies so well for so many years is not nearly as effective in Japan today, IC Insights observed. Due to the closed nature of the vertically-integrated business model, Japan-based electronic systems manufacturers lost market share to global competitors. As a result, Japan-based semiconductor suppliers missed out on some major design win opportunities for their chips in many of the best-selling consumer, computer and communications systems that are now driving semiconductor sales.


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Well on the way to the Christmas gaming top-spot, Microsoft have confirmed that their Xbox 360 Kinect motion-sensing contoller has now sold over 2.5 million units.
That’s in a mere 26 days.
“We are thrilled about the consumer response to Kinect, and are working hard with our retail and manufacturing partners to expedite production and shipments of Kinect to restock shelves as fast as possible to keep up with demand”, said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft.
“With sales already exceeding two and a half million units in just 26 days, we are on pace to reach our forecast of 5 million units sold to consumers this Christmas”.
With the Gears of War and Star Wars franchises touching down next year with Kinect support you can be sure those figures will keep rising too.
Pick up a Kinect with the Kinect Adventures game for £129.99, or with an Xbox 360 Slim 4GB edition for £249.99


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Until recently, few people outside the motorsports fraternity had heard of Lewis Hamilton. Now, as he leads the Formula One drivers' table, he is a household name. His success is great news for his McLaren team's backers, Santander and Vodafone, but for brands interested in using the driver in the future, he won't come cheap.
Hamilton's rise - from karting to the top flight in just five years - underlines how quickly a sponsorship star can be born. It's no surprise, then, that a growing number of brands are trying to catch similar prospects early. It is already an established tactic for sportswear brands - young British golfer Ollie Fisher is tied in with Nike, while Adidas has deals with footballer Daniel Sturridge and tennis hopeful Laura Robson - but the approach is now being adopted by companies not generally associated with sport. Group4 Securicor and US telecoms firm Vonage, for example, have set up young athlete schemes. Visa has a Team Visa programme, while King of Shaves sponsors a number of 'Young Blades'. Even B&Q has Olympic hopefuls working in its stores in return for the DIY chain's backing.
There are several reasons to get involved with young athletes. Backing them early in their career costs a brand relatively little, and if they hit the big time, it will have saved itself a small fortune compared with firms that spend lavishly on established stars. It's also worth remembering that sportsmen and women are notoriously superstitious; if they get to the top with a given brand, they are often unwilling to change a winning formula.
Vonage is among the brands with strategic reasons for being involved 'It is a young company that arrived in the UK from the US and Canada,' explains Alex Brown, who manages the Team Vonage account at sports marketing agency Fast Track. 'It chose to support five athletes it felt best mirrored its qualities - young and emerging talent with the ability to achieve big things.'
Emerging athlete schemes can also be used to bring meaning to a broader sponsorship strategy. 'Olympic sponsors need to establish a 'reason for being' to promote their association effectively and engage consumers,' says Tom Silk, managing director of Velocity Sports and Entertainment, who works on Team Visa. 'Strategically, Visa's support of athletes gives it the hook that allows it to communicate with multiple stakeholders in a locally relevant manner.' The finance brand and Olympic sponsor, which launched its scheme in 2002, recently unveiled its 16-strong team for the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympics, split evenly between 'hopefuls' and 'apprentices'.
Such initiatives often form part of wider CSR programmes. In June, Group4 Securicor launched its global sponsorship programme 4teen. The scheme, mentored by Ethiopian long-distance runner Haile Gebrselassie, gives assistance to a diverse set of athletes from the company's developing markets.
Targeting young teenagers may seem a long-term investment, but Clifford Bloxham, vice-president of athletes and personalities at Octagon, says brands often see a quick return. 'The gap between a prospect being a promising junior to winning on the world scene is getting shorter as they are getting into professional habits at a younger age.' Last December, Octagon client Robson, then aged 12, won the Eddie Herr tennis tournament, a title held by Maria Sharapova just six years ago.
London 2012 is a major driver of emerging-athlete schemes in the UK, and the media runs regular features on youngsters with a chance of glory on home turf in five years' time. It is no surprise that two of Britain's brightest prospects, distance runner Emily Pidgeon and sprinter Wade Bennett-Jackson, have been courted by consumer brands such as Virgin.
Will Oscroft, director at 141 Worldwide Sports and Entertainment, has noticed a rise in the number of brands interested in deals with emerging stars and expects greater interest as London 2012 nears. …


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It’s hard for Karin Gaiser to contain her enthusiasm these days.
The president of Dayton-based Encon Inc. — which makes a plastic-based mold, or preform, used by a variety of industries to make bottles and containers — is leading the company through a major transition. In addition to revamping its production floor, Encon recently broke ground on an employee retreat center and is preparing to open its second satellite location.
The new location, which the company calls an Eco-Pod, is slated to open in Dallas later this year. Gaiser declined to disclose specifics, but said the investment would run in the millions of dollars.
The Eco-Pod acts as a mini-manufacturing facility built at a customer’s site.
Here’s how it works: Encon signs a deal to rent space from a customer, sets up equipment and begins to fill the customer’s order on-site. Encon retains its independence, meaning it can produce for other customers from the site. The Eco-Pod puts Encon close to other potential markets; allows a quick ramp-up in operations and the ability to quickly expand or reduce operations; and negates the need to build or lease a facility.
“What we’ve seen is there is no safe plan anymore, especially in manufacturing,” Gaiser said. “We felt that if we could become that versatile, that flexible, then we could satisfy any type of customer.”
The Dallas site, which will employ eight workers, puts the company close to the emerging markets of Mexico and South America, where industry observers expect the bottled-water market alone to grow 20 percent a year during the next several years.
Encon’s revenue climbed to $62.8 million last year, a 6 percent increase from $59.2 million in 2008, according to Dayton Business Journal research. Gaiser expects the company to boost its revenue by at least the same rate this year. Encon will have an annual capacity of roughly 7 billion preforms when the Dallas site is operational, and will produce about 4 billion units this year.
The company employs between 120 and 150, depending on the season.
Gaiser expects the Eco-Pod concept to help grow the business even more in the coming years. The operations, which are designed to fit on a flatbed truck so they can be easily moved, should be an easy sell because the customer doesn’t have to commit to a long-term contract or invest in development, equipment, staff and training, she said. It also cuts freight costs.
The Eco-Pod idea started in 2006 when the company opened an operation in Seattle. Late last year, Encon decided to translate the idea to its main manufacturing facility in Dayton and carved its production lines into several small groups that operate independently of each other.
To get employees to buy into the idea and make the transition go smoothly, the company asked workers at each of its Dayton Eco-Pods to adopt an endangered species as its mascot and donated to that fund. It also developed a new incentive program.
Gaiser said efficiency and profitability in Dayton jumped, contributing to the company’s most profitable year.
“That reinforced the idea that it can work on any scale,” she said. “We didn’t invent any new idea, we just evolved from a combination of ideas that are out there.”
Industry observers say the current environment requires a flexible mind-set to survive.
Mike Collinsworth, president of Custom Manufacturing Solutions Inc. in Xenia and president of the Dayton Tooling and Manufacturing Association, said his company, for example, recently landed a client that required a different approach to processing parts.
“Were we not willing to accommodate them on the different product line, we may not have received any of the business,” Collinsworth said. “I am constantly challenging my people to accept the fact that there is no such thing as ‘business as usual.’”
In addition to preparing a new satellite location for launch and restructuring the shop floor at its main plant, Encon also recently broke ground on an 1,200-square-foot Eco-Center in Dayton, a $250,000 combination break room and retreat for employees.
The center, scheduled to be complete in June, is designed to give workers a break from the grind of production that comes with continuous loud noise and no windows. Built of all recycled material, the center is split into several parts, which includes a place to cook, exercise equipment and a fireplace area with comfortable seating. It also has an outdoor patio with a grill.
The goal is to create a better environment for employees, which should boost morale and productivity.
“They can escape for an hour or so during their break and get refreshed,” Gaiser said. “It’s a great investment.”


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In a pandemic, when routines are turned upside down, there are some traditions that people want to keep.
For many, It wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day without wearing green, putting on a silly hat and some bright-colored beads, taking the day off and going to an Irish pub for drinks and merriment with friends.
“This is their tradition. We have regulars who’ve been coming here for 30 years,” said Erin Meilak, owner of Kennedy’s Irish Pub in Waterford Township.
The bar opened at 7 a.m. as usual this year. There wasn’t the customary long line to get in as the first customers entered, but business was still brisk.
Meilak assigned workers to count customers as they came in. Under the state’s COVID-19 restrictions, bars and restaurants are only allowed 50% of their regular capacity.
Meilak said full capacity of 175 would mean customers standing all over the bar on St. Patrick’s Day. This year, everyone had a seat inside. Additional customers sat at tables outside or in a tent.
Normally, live bands play Irish music on this holiday. But, Meilak said, Irish bands tend to be older musicians, and they didn’t want to risk getting COVID-19. So she piped in recorded Irish tunes.
Customers weren’t concerned about the possibility of contracting the virus.
“Everyone’s wearing masks. They’re following the rules,” said longtime Kennedy’s patron Sue Smith of Waterford.
O’Toole’s in downtown Royal Oak had about a dozen customers shortly after it opened at 10 a.m. It had a large outdoor tent with only two occupants. The bar would usually have people waiting to get in on St. Patrick’s Day, said owner Robin Silveri. She expected it to pick up around noon.
Customer Missie Sleeseman of Farmington Hills said she had been vaccinated against the virus and didn’t see any reason not to keep her tradition of taking the day off for St. Patrick’s Day and having fun.
She was surprised there weren’t more people at O’Toole’s as it opened.


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|By Business Wire||
|June 17, 2014 05:03 PM EDT||
Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/9mcs4g/nanoparticle_drug) has announced the addition of the "Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Market & Clinical Pipeline Insight" report to their offering.
Drug delivery technologies currently occupy a significant position in the pharmaceutical industry. It has become so important that the mode of delivery of drugs has come to define the efficiency and marketability of those drugs. The pharmaceutical industry is witnessing a shift in the focus of the stakeholders towards newer systems of drug delivery in order to achieve efficient and safe transportation of novel products and formulations. There have been many products which have been derived from new delivery systems and are currently attracting the attention of different companies. It has been recognized that the introduction of a new drug delivery system would bring along a potential chance for an existing drug candidate molecule.
The field of nanotechnology is considered to be an exciting area which offers the potential for developing drug delivery systems using nanoparticles, with dimension range of 1-100 nm. These nanoparticles tend to have the ability to deliver an adequate range of molecules to different areas of the body. Additionally, these nanoparticles also possess the capability to deliver the molecules for a comparatively longer duration of time as compared to other routes. The major objectives of a drug delivery system based on nanoparticles are size of particles, surface properties and discharge of drugs or the active ingredients in order to attain the maximum level of efficiency.
The combination of nanotechnology along with medicine has resulted in potential concepts and ideas for the pharma industry, which is set to introduce momentous innovations in the fight against different diseases. The two concepts of therapeutic nanocarriers - liposomes and albumin nanoparticles - are gaining prominence rapidly and would soon become well-established in the market across the globe. The need of the hour currently is to obtain a deeper understanding of the biodistribution of nanoparticles, which is influenced mainly by their ability to negotiate biological barriers.
Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Market & Clinical Pipeline Insight - Report Highlights:
- Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Market Overview
- Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Mechanism
- Clinical Pipeline by Phase & Target Indications
- Drug Profiles in Report: 190
- Majority of Nanoparticle Drug in Preclinical Phase: 70
- Marketed Nanoparticle Drugs: 12
- Suspended & Discontinued Drug Profiles
Key Topics Covered:
1. Introduction to Nanoparticle Technology for Drug Delivery
2. Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Mechanism
3. Application of Nanotechnology for Drug Delivery
4. Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Market Overview
5. Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Market Dynamics
6. Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Clinical Pipeline by Phase, Country & Indication
7. Marketed Nanoparticle Drug
8. Suspended & Discontinued Nanoparticle Drug Profiles
9. Competitive Landscape
- Abraxis BioScience
- Access Pharmaceuticals
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
- Arrowhead Research
- BIND Biosciences
- Nippon Kayaku
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/9mcs4g/nanoparticle_drug.
About Research and Markets
Research and Markets is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.
You are moving to the Cloud. The question is not if, it’s when. Now that your competitors are in the cloud and lapping you, your “when” better hurry up and get here. But saying and doing are two different things. In his session at @DevOpsSummit at 18th Cloud Expo, Robert Reeves, CTO of Datical, explained how DevOps can be your onramp to the cloud. By adopting simple, platform independent DevOps strategies, you can accelerate your move to the cloud. Spoiler Alert: He also makes sure you don’t...
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President Obama recently announced the launch of a new national awareness campaign to "encourage more Americans to move beyond passwords – adding an extra layer of security like a fingerprint or codes sent to your cellphone." The shift from single passwords to multi-factor authentication couldn’t be timelier or more strategic. This session will focus on why passwords alone are no longer effective, and why the time to act is now. In his session at 19th Cloud Expo, Chris Webber, security strateg...
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"We are an all-flash array storage provider but our focus has been on VM-aware storage specifically for virtualized applications," stated Dhiraj Sehgal of Tintri in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 19th Cloud Expo, held November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
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Redis is not only the fastest database, but it has become the most popular among the new wave of applications running in containers. Redis speeds up just about every data interaction between your users or operational systems. In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, Dave Nielsen, Developer Relations at Redis Labs, shared the functions and data structures used to solve everyday use cases that are driving Redis' popularity.
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Amazon has gradually rolled out parts of its IoT offerings, but these are just the tip of the iceberg. In addition to optimizing their backend AWS offerings, Amazon is laying the ground work to be a major force in IoT - especially in the connected home and office. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Chris Kocher, founder and managing director of Grey Heron, explained how Amazon is extending its reach to become a major force in IoT by building on its dominant cloud IoT platform, its Dash Button strat...
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"We are a custom software development, engineering firm. We specialize in cloud applications from helping customers that have on-premise applications migrating to the cloud, to helping customers design brand new apps in the cloud. And we specialize in mobile apps," explained Peter Di Stefano, Vice President of Marketing at Impiger Technologies, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 19th Cloud Expo, held November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
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In addition to all the benefits, IoT is also bringing new kind of customer experience challenges - cars that unlock themselves, thermostats turning houses into saunas and baby video monitors broadcasting over the internet. This list can only increase because while IoT services should be intuitive and simple to use, the delivery ecosystem is a myriad of potential problems as IoT explodes complexity. So finding a performance issue is like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack.
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Results 1 to 2 of 2
05-05-2009, 11:21 AM #1
Producers-multiplex owners strike may end
The Khiladi of Bollywood and the sizzling Bebo may finally pull crowds back to multiplexes.
According to trade body sources, representatives of the United Producers and Distributors Association and national multiplex chains are supposed to meet today, and are expected to arrive at a consensus on revenue-sharing for Hindi movies.
Meanwhile, some sources believe the stand-off between the concerned parties is being called off to ensure no delay in the release of the Akshay Kumar- and Kareena Kapoor-starrer Kambakkht Ishq, which was earlier slated for a May-end release. “Before any film releases, there is a minimum four-week promotion period. If the strike is called off now, then Akshay’s movie can be released in early June. The actor has had a series of flops and there is a lot of industry money riding on him. If you recall, the strike was announced on Friday, April 4, a day after Akshay’s movie 8x10 Tasveer was released,” says an industry observer.
Other sources in the industry share similar viewpoints on the deadlock between producers and multiplex owners. “There were no major blockbusters, mega-budget and big-star cast movies scheduled to release so far during the strike period, but now many of them are ready and waiting to be released. In such circumstances, the strike has to be called off,” says an industry source.
05-05-2009, 02:01 PM #2
Thanks !!!<img src=http://www.orkut-scrap.net/img/Animated-Dolls/1.gif >


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The Dubai government is not slowing down its efforts to encourage the development of the local crypto industry and its appeal to crypto enthusiasts. On May 3, the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) announced the purchase of a plot of land The sandbox Metaverse, intended for the development of a virtual headquarters.
According to an official statement, VARA is entering the Metaverse to reach “limitless audiences” while improving social inclusion and environmental sustainability by using fewer physical resources to manage its activities.
Additionally, VARA’s MetaHQ will serve as the primary channel to share experiences and information with all developers, younger people, and players visiting the Metaverse, enabling a “safe launch” to drive global interoperability.
VARA is the first government agency to invest in the Metaverse
Dubai is not only known for tourism but also for technological innovation. And this announcement is just another example. VARA would become the first regulator to buy land in the Metaverse and make history in the crypto industry.
Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum, Prince of Dubai and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, said that by expanding VARA resources, the country would be able to reach all users in the Metaverse. He also invited all government agencies around the world to participate and share ideas to build a better global economy through the use of virtual assets.
“Dubai is prototyping a decentralized regulatory model and inviting international thought leaders – global authorities, governance guardians and industry shapers – to participate, share knowledge and solve problems together, so we enable the dynamic virtual assets sector to grow economically build resilience. accelerate social inclusion and address environmental sustainability.”
This new foray into the metaverse will accelerate Dubai’s GDP
Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai World Trade Center Authority, said that Dubai sees the virtual assets industry as the engine of the future global economy. The diplomat added that this new move comes at a “crucial time” in response to the expansion of the “incredibly sophisticated and modern regulatory framework” that Dubai is employing to regulate the cryptocurrency ecosystem as a whole.
Helal Saeed Almarri further noted that acquiring land in The Sandbox is a sign of their confidence in this burgeoning industry, which they hope to grow in acceptance until it becomes a bridge to safely and responsibly attract new investors and consumers .
“As the first niche regulator for the VA sector globally, VARA’s Metaverse HQ also makes the UAE the first jurisdiction to jump into this platform.”
As CryptoPotato recently reported, Dubai continues to aspire to become a globally recognized crypto-friendly nation. A goal that isn’t far off considering they are currently home to a variety of crypto projects.
Source: Crypto News Deutsch