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With the eagerly awaited iPhone 6 rival expected to touch down in early 2015, latest Samsung Galaxy S6 rumours have suggested the handset could pair an all new, premium design with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, high-speed storage and Google’s Android 5.0 Lollipop OS direct from the box.
Given that the first S6 pictures have leaked and the phone has prematurely appeared under the codename ‘Project Zero’, it is expected that the Galaxy S6 will be a comprehensive refresh over the Galaxy S5 – a handset which has failed to ignite substantial consumer interest.
That is not all the phone’s screen could have to offer. It has been suggested a Galaxy Note Edge mimicking double-edged display could also be heading towards the Galaxy S6.
While some reports are farfetched and others more likely, what is almost certain is that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will be unveiled in Q1 2015 as a direct rival to the Nexus 6, remaining consistent with previous launches.
What’s more, with both the Samsung Galaxy Alpha and Galaxy Note 4 having bestowed with metal-framed designs recently, it is now widely expected that next year's Galaxy S6 release will echo its siblings and adopt its own premium materials.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Release Date
Like Apple, Samsung has become a creature of habit, with the company’s annual product cycles bringing a level of expectation to certain points in the year. For example, September and the Berlin-based IFA conference means a new Note.
Since the Samsung Galaxy S2, the Korean manufacturer’s flagship phone line has been reserved for unveiling during – or within weeks of – the Barcelona-based Mobile Word Congress conference in February. As such there is no reason to believe this will be different for the S6.
With MWC 2015 to be held between March 2 and 5, we would anticipate that the Samsung Galaxy S6 release date could be confirmed during the manufacturer’s dedicated press conference on either Sunday 1 or Monday 2 March.
This tradition could be thrown off by falling profits, however. With Samsung predicting a 60 per cent drop in annual earnings, analysts have suggested the S6 release could be pushed forward in order to stem the rot.
“Samsung’s profits in the mobile division will continue to deteriorate during this period of changing their line of smartphones,” Lee Min-hee, an analyst at IM Investment and Securities, told The New York Times.
Speaking with Bloomberg, Claire Kim, an analyst with Daishin Securities Co in Samsung's native Korea added: “We all know Samsung’s third-quarter earnings will be pretty ugly. The earlier release of its new phones could be reflected in its third-quarter earnings, it could give them a slight boost.”
Reflecting this need for a fast phone introduction, recent leaks have claimed Samsung could pin a surprise S6 launch on us as early as CES 2015 in January.
According to claimed Korean insiders, the S6 will take a formal bow in Vegas. However, given the less than official avenue of these claims, and the slightly questionable nature, we would suggest taking them with a hearty pinch of salt for now.


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The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Motorola is hard at work on an 'X Phone,' a flagship smart phone that would stand out from handsets made by Apple and Samsung. But 'X Phone' development may be running into some early obstacles.
The Droid Razr Maxx hit shelves this week. So how does the latest Droid phone stack up to its competitors?
The Droid 4 and Droid Razr Maxx are expected to hit shelves early this year, but here's a taste from CES 2012.
Verizon Wireless says it's waiting to offer better security and user experience. But Verizon's move could thwart Google's bid to turn the new Galaxy Nexus smartphone into the credit card of the future.
RAZR: The new Droid RAZR performs impressively, but some buyers might be turned off by the lack of Ice Cream Sandwich software.
Android smartphones and their users can thank Google for splashing out $12.5 billion to buy Motorola Mobility along with all the patents they hold. The purchase will be Google's largest.

domain: news


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A Big Mac is displayed on a page of the McDonald’s app
Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images
McDonald’s announced Tuesday it will launch its first-ever loyalty program nationwide on July 8 after months of testing.
The fast-food giant joins rival chains like Restaurant Brands International’s Popeyes and Yum Brands’ Taco Bell in creating rewards programs to hold onto the digital customers the companies gained during the pandemic. Chipotle Mexican Grill announced on Tuesday an expansion of its existing program to offer more redemption options to members.
Loyalty programs can fuel more frequent visits, higher average checks and offer restaurants’ valuable insights about consumers.


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With the growing regulatory restrictions on privacy-focused crypto projects, Litecoin is all set to take the situation as a challenge as it enhances privacy standards in its ecosystem. After two years of wait, Litecoin, the popular crypto-token, has announced the launch of its revolutionary Mimblewimble upgrade strictly focused on supporting higher privacy for investors. With this latest development, Litecoin (LTC) cluster will move a step further in the crypto space by offering dedicated privacy-infused transactions and trading experiences.
According to the report, Mimblewimble integration into Litecoin’s decentralized channel was through the Mimblewimble Extension Block or MWEB. The upgrade allows investors to opt-in to confidential transactions in a streamlined way without any issue. Thus, the people looking for a privacy-oriented crypto trading experience can switch to Litecoin and use it for their required purposes. The privacy-directed decentralized protocol, Mimblewimble, gets its name from a tongue-twister that became popular when used in the Harry Potter series.
The solution comes packed with a confidentiality feature that helps customers to hide transaction-related data. It also provides a module for other blockchain channels to improve the usability standards of their native crypto coins. The upgraded technology lays emphasis on fungibility and scalability too as they are the two most common limitations of the crypto field. The Litecoin Foundation affirmed that the MWEB integration will present LTC as sound money that is less susceptible to depreciation and impact from monetary policies. The LTC ranks 21 in the crypto market in terms of market capitalization and has $7.5 billion worth.
The chief developer of the MWEB upgrade, David Burkett, who was sponsored by the Litecoin Foundation, stated that the new system will enhance Litecoin’s viability as a fungible asset. This will help the LTC owners to use the currency for a plethora of services including routine transactions, payment of employee salaries, real estate purchases, etc.
The Mimblewimble integration first came into the limelight in October 2019 while the first testnet was launched in October 2020 due to low user participation. The testnet was unveiled at the time when the European regulators were taking strict actions against privacy coins. The projects that support anonymity and obscure digital ledger transactions have been strictly monitored by authorities from across the globe. Various crypto exchanges stopped supporting privacy coins like Monero (XMR), Zcash (ZEC), and Dash (DASH) in 2021 due to regulatory stress.


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The idea of Linux phones has been around for years but, until Google's Android began making headlines, it had been slow to gain traction in any big way. Now OpenMoko's "Neo Freerunner," an updated version of its original "Neo 1973," is apparently steaming ahead for the mass market with official pricing.
The new model will go for $399 or, if you prefer buying your handsets in bulk, $3,690 for a pack of 10, according to Gizmodo. The Neo FreeRunner, which has a faster 500MHz processor than its predecessor's 266MHz chip, features built-in hardware for 3D graphics, new motion sensors, and Wi-Fi networking.
No release date is has been announced but, with the recent competition infusing the open-source phone market, OpenMoko is working hard on its first test devices and will reportedly provide distribution details in the next week or so.


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Welcome to buzzword bingo. These are the terms and phrases that are prolific in headlines, tweets, panel discussions and conversations.
Topping Forbes’ list in 2014 is the word “disrupt.” The Wall Street Journal recently penned a piece “Disruption Is the New Normal,” where they describe the constant wave of innovations (another buzzword) that are replacing other technologies at a rapid pace. The article states, “Who would have thought that a mobile phone would challenge industries as varied as home phones, video cameras and flashlights? Digital alternatives undermined the business models for travel agents, restaurant guides and newspapers.”
Reporter L. Gordon Crovitz makes an elegant case with relevant examples of how mobile mapping apps have “disrupted” related satellite-based GPS device companies such as Tom Tom and Garmin. What was once a cutting-edge gadget becomes almost instantly obsolete. The most interesting aspect (for us at least) about this article is the well-stated point that while consumers are certainly benefiting… regulators are spinning. Technology is moving so quickly, it’s challenging for industry experts to keep up much less government officials who often struggle to keep stride with the pace of the private sector.
So what is a regulator to do?
Some economic champions would suggest that government should get out of the way and instead of creating roadblocks (or holding fast to outdated regulations), they should pave the way for entrepreneurs to create market-driven solutions. We couldn’t agree more, especially when it comes to expanding access to high-speed broadband. Consumers are downloading data, surfing the Internet, scanning social media and consuming video at ever-increasing rates, particularly via the mobile phones. This trend shows no sign of slowing. Smart regulators will open the floodgates and encourage companies to invest in communications infrastructure needed to provide platforms for entrepreneurs who are eager to satisfy the voracious appetite of broadband consumers.
True, regulation has its place and the private sector shouldn’t run unfettered. But this is a challenging new time when consumers are becoming accustomed to lightning-fast delivery of new products that provide ultimate convenience. Crovitz agrees and suggests, “The biggest impact of this big bang of innovation over the next few years could be on regulated industries and government itself.” And technology isn’t alone. Other sectors like pharmaceuticals, education, energy, and auto are seeing innovations run up against regulations designed before their new offerings existed.
When regulations, and the officials that administer those policies, stand in the way of “new-better-faster,” the people will speak and expect to be heard. Talk about disruption.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Chelsea McCullough’s work bridges the interrelated areas of entrepreneurship, social good, technology and communications. She serves as Executive Director of Texans for Economic Progress, a statewide coalition that advocates greater access to tech education, entrepreneurship and infrastructure. She is also founder of Intercambio, a consulting company that connects companies to opportunity where has participated in the launch of several entrepreneurial companies including FrameBuzz, NewsTaco, FlashValet and Vidamerica.


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The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) says the country will commence exportation of rice in the near future to engender the twin benefits of food security and economic diversification.
Mr Ado Hassan, Secretary of the Kano State chapter of RIFAN, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the unveiling of the mega rice pyramids in Abuja.
NAN reports that the pyramid, to be unveiled by President Muhammadu Buhari, is a joint project between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under its Anchor Borrowers Programme, and RIFAN.
Hassan dispelled insinuations that the rice pyramids on display were not solely rice, adding that the commodity was brought in by rice farmers in virtually all states of the country.
“The rice here is from all over the country. RIFAN has always been real; it is not possible to deceive 200 million Nigerians with a project like this.
“For the fact that Nigeria has not imported even a grain of rice in the last four years is enough prove that we are already self-sufficient in the commodity. The cultivation of rice is a reality and it will continue to happen,” he said.
Hassan said that Nigeria had become the highest rice growing country in Africa due the support of the Federal Government and the intervention of the CBN.
“There was a time when the CBN was spending N1billion to support rice import bills. Today the apex bank is no longer spending a kobo to support importation of rice.
“Today, Nigeria has become the highest rice grower in the whole of Africa. That is a great achievement.
“We have leaders of some of our neighbouring countries who are coming here today to see our miracle in rice. They are a sure market for our rice exportation,” he said.
He added that, though insecurity was a setback, it has not discouraged farmers from cultivating different crops.
He assured that the massive investment in rice cultivation by Nigeria will bring down its price and make it available to the ordinary Nigerians.(NAN)
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iPad Mini: Apple to Unveil Smaller Tablet on October 17 [Report]
After much fanfare, Apple uncovered the much anticipated and highly rumored iPhone 5, the sixth generation iPhone with the iOS 6 platform. The iPhone 5 was also released in several markets including US, UK, Australia, Singapore and many others.
In the meantime, sudden several reports claim that the iPad Mini will be unveiled on October 17 and that the invites will be sent out starting October 10.
According to a report by Fortune, an investor with knowledge on the subject has revealed that Apple will launch an affordable and smaller iPad called iPad Mini ahead of the holiday season.
The report continues stating that a special event will be held on October 17 and the invitations for the same are expected to be sent out to the tech media world on October 10.
However, this is a rumor and Apple seems to remain tight-lipped as usual. If Apple unveils the smaller tablet on October 17 as rumored, it will go on sale in selected markets starting from October 26.
Going by the lines of earlier reports, image and design leaks, iPad Mini will have slimmer side bezels, separate volume buttons, two front cameras, same form factor as the iPod Touch, 7.2 to 7.3 inch thick and possibility of LTE connectivity. However, these are rumored features and they are not confirmed by Apple.
When it comes to its pricing, analysts assume the iPad Mini to be priced at $299 (approx. Rs 16,000), which will create an impact on the sales of the new Amazon Kindle Fires and Google Nexus 7, the two 7 inch Android tablets priced around the range of $199.


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‘Hollow’, the official theme song for the Final Fantasy VII Remake, has been unveiled with a new trailer and ‘Behind the Scenes’ video.
Written by legendary Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu, ‘Hollow’ will be the ending theme for the highly anticipated remake of Final Fantasy VII. Featuring vocals from Yosh, singer from Japanese rock band Survive Said The Prophet, ‘Hollow’ is an emotional ballad that will resonate with any fan of the game.
A new trailer featuring some previously unseen footage from Final Fantasy VII Remake dropped earlier today to unveil the song, as well as a ‘Behind the Scenes’ video which features interviews with Nobuo Uematsu and Yosh. When asked how he got the inspiration for ‘Hollow’, Uematsu says: “There’s rain pouring over a barren, empty place… That I’m visualizing in my head… And Cloud is standing there”.
Square Enix today also announced a live Orchestra World Tour, allowing fans to make their way to ten cities across the world and listen to the music from the Final Fantasy VII Remake performed live. Starting in Los Angeles in June, the Orchestra will then make its way around the globe to cities including Singapore, London, New York and Bangkok before finishing up at the Tokyo International Forum in February next year.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is coming to the PlayStation 4 on April 10th 2020. Check out the new Theme Song trailer and documentary video below, or head over to the game’s official website for more information.


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A bit of India is coming to the new Saks Fifth Avenue flagship in Beverly Hills.
The luxury department store, which recently moved a half a block away to the old Barneys New York building on Wilshire Boulevard, will launch an exclusive, limited-edition partnership with Sabyasachi, a leading luxury fashion house from India.
Sabyasachi is a rich collection of clothing by Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, who launched his line in India in 1999 and pioneered the use of high-end luxury Indian textiles fashioned into modern looks.
The presentation, available March 5 to 16, will showcase a red carpet capsule collection called Cinématique, curated specifically for the Saks partnership. It includes couture, women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, accessories, and jewelry, including a selection of one-of-a-kind high jewelry pieces. The collection is inspired by Bollywood, the private clubs of Kolkata and the Nizam of Hyderabad.
The Indian designer said Los Angeles, where art, entertainment and culture collide, is “ideal for championing the best and finest of Indian craftsmanship to the world.”
Elaborate visual installations of the brand will be set up around the five-story structure. Sabyasachi will also be taking over three styling suites from March 8 to 10 on the fifth floor of the store where the Indian designer will host private appointments with clients.
“Sabyasachi Mukherjee is a visionary who has mesmerized the world with his unique and exquisite designs,” noted Roopal Patel, senior vice president, fashion director, Saks Fifth Avenue. “It is an honor to celebrate Indian craftsmanship, quality and heritage in partnership with Sabyasachi.”
Sabyasachi, which has stores in India and Dubai and a flagship with 31 chandeliers in New York City, has collaborated with several major international brands including Christian Louboutin, H&M, and Morgenthal Frederics.
The designer was relatively unknown in the United States until Fern Mallis brought him to New York for fashion week in 2006. Mukherjee said he couldn’t land distribution in a single U.S. store until then. Now, he is famous in India and around the world.


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The Singapore Sling is no longer the only thing that the Republic is known for in the global bartending arena. The island is shaping up to be the new cocktail capital of South-east Asia, with a vibrant bar scene that can easily rival those of London and New York.
However, Singapore now offers a diverse collection of bars, making it more interesting for consumers and a melting pot for innovation.
Chua says: “In the past two years, the scene has blossomed. You can find every kind of bar here – the speakeasy, the local bar, the European kind, the American kind, whisky bars – we have them all.”
Indeed, Singapore has come a long way since the first bespoke cocktail bar – the now-defunct Klee at Portsdown Road – opened in 2008. The bar, of which nightlife operator Timbre Group was the majority shareholder, was a speciality cocktail bar that offered no menu. Drinks were tailored to the customer’s fancy, using only premium spirits and fresh fruit.
Its arrival was a breath of fresh air in a scene dominated by nightclubs and pubs, which offered mainly basic housepours using common spirits.”
“Kino has left Bar Stories earlier this month to work on a new project, Hopscotch, a pop-up cocktail bar set to open next month at the Red Dot Museum.
Soh, who prides herself on using fresh fruit and local ingredients that reflect Singapore culture in her tipples, says Hopscotch will offer a dose of nostalgia that will remind Singaporean customers of their childhood days.
Her drinks will feature sweets popular with children here in the 1980s, such as multi-coloured mini cup jellies sold at neighbourhood mini-marts, and kueh bangkit.
A modern take on the classic Singapore Sling is also something she wants to work on.
Soh, who is single, says: “We’re not pioneers of cocktails like New Orleans but if we do it long enough, we can have our own style and identity too.”


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Assassin's Creed Valhalla's Discovery Tour Mode Coming Next Month
Hubert Sledziewski, 14 September 2021, 19:42
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla will receive the Discovery Tour mode just like the previous two instalments of the series. It will be available next month.
AC: Valhalla With Harder Combat Option in Patch 1.3.1
Jacob Blazewicz, 06 September 2021, 21:05
Combat in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla is about to become more challenging. Patch 1.3.1 will introduce - in addition to new content and fixes - the new nightmare difficulty level.
AC: Odyssey 60 FPS Patch for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S Now Available
Jacob Blazewicz, 24 August 2021, 12:18
Ubisoft has finally enabled us to play Assassin's Creed: Odyssey on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S at 60 fps. The relevant patch is now available on both consoles.
Assassin's Creed x Watch Dogs: Legion Crossover Gets a Trailer
Przemyslaw Dygas, 18 August 2021, 17:34
We finally got a trailer for the upcoming crossover between Watch Dogs: Legion and the Assassin's Creed series. A new female protagonist and two story missions await the players.
First Reviews and Launch Trailer for AC: Valhalla's Siege of Paris DLC
Michael Kulakowski, 11 August 2021, 21:38
The launch trailer for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla - Siege of Paris, which will be available on August 12, has appeared online. We also got to know the first reviews scores and opinions on the DLC.
AC Valhalla Used to Advertise Tourism
Adrian Werner, 10 August 2021, 17:12
The release of the Wrath of the Druids DLC for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla has become an opportunity to advertise tourism. An organization under the government of Northern Ireland spent almost 50 thousand euros for this purpose.
AC Valhalla's Upcoming DLC May Feature a Character From AC Odyssey
Hubert Sledziewski, 04 August 2021, 17:33
New information about unannounced DLC for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla appeared in the web. In one of them we may meet the protagonist of AC: Odyssey.
Ubisoft Removes Impossible Task From Assassin's Creed Valhalla
mokosh, 04 August 2021, 17:01
The Egghead Challenge in Assassin's Creed Valhalla has been temporarily removed due to bugs that made it impossible to complete. However, players need not fear for their reward - it will not be lost.
AC: Valhalla: Siege of Paris Release Date; Update 1.3.0 Inbound
Jacob Blazewicz, 26 July 2021, 19:28
We have learned the official release date of the Assassin's Creed: Valhalla: Siege of Paris expansion. The information was revealed on the occasion of presenting the contents of update 1.3.0.
Possible Release Date of AC Valhalla Siege of Paris Leaked
Patryk Lukasz Kubiak, 24 July 2021, 18:32
Siege of Paris - DLC for Assassin's Creed Valhalla - may launch on August 5. Such information leaked from Microsoft's online store.
Assassin's Creed Loses Another Veteran; Series' Art Director Leaves Ubisoft
Jacob Blazewicz, 21 July 2021, 20:55
Ubisoft parted ways with another developer who for many years worked on the success of Assassin's Creed. This time Raphael Lacoste, who for 16 years helped in the creation of subsequent installments of the series, has left the company.
Ubisoft Confirms Assassin's Creed Will Switch to Live-service Formula
Przemyslaw Dygas, 21 July 2021, 12:32
Ubisoft admitted that the future of the Assassin's Creed series lies in the live-service model. At the same time, we were assured that Infinity will retain the character of the previous installments.
One-handed Swords in AC: Valhalla; Highly-anticipated Update is Close
Iltutmis, 20 July 2021, 11:48
On Monday, Ubisoft announced the introduction of one-handed swords to the game as part of its next update. The new weapon type will be coming to the game in the near future.
AC: Valhalla's Orlog is Coming to Reality Through Kickstarter
Przemyslaw Dygas, 14 July 2021, 15:18
Soon we'll be able to play Orlog from Assassin's Creed: Valhalla with our friends. The physical version of the game has hit Kickstarter, and its creators are the experts from PureArts.
Assassin's Creed Infinity May be a Live-service Game, Claims Jason Schreier
Przemyslaw Dygas, 07 July 2021, 18:06
Jason Schreier revealed what we can expect from the Assassin's Creed series in the future. According to the journalist, the next project associated with the franchise will be a huge live-service game.
AC: Valhalla PC Gets DualSense Support
Gacek, 05 July 2021, 17:33
As of the latest update, AC: Valhalla supports the DualSense controller on PC, giving PC users access to its unique features.
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla Hotfix Cleans Up After Patch 1.2.2
Adrian Werner, 02 July 2021, 14:43
Ubisoft continues to fix bugs in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla caused by patch 1.2.2. The latest hotfix is supposed to fix, among other things, frequent game freezes.
Ubisoft Asks Assassin's Creed Players for Opinions and Suggestions
Milosz Szubert, 21 June 2021, 20:10
Ubisoft prepared a survey for the fans of the Assassin's Creed series. Questions are asked about whether the series is worth recommending and what changes could appear in its future installments.
AC: Valhalla Will Get New Challenges and Fixes in Free Update 1.2.2
Przemyslaw Dygas, 15 June 2021, 15:17
Today, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla will get new activities as part of update 1.2.2. Ubisoft has prepared mastery challenges for players, which will thoroughly test their skills.
AC Valhalla: Siege of Paris on First Gameplay
Bart Woldanski, 12 June 2021, 22:03
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla was one of Ubisoft's hits last year. After the recent release of the first story DLC, it's time for the next one - The Siege of Paris. Ubisoft Forward's E3 2021 revealed the first gameplay from the upcoming expansion.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla Gets Mastery Challenge Mode
Agnes Adamus, 11 June 2021, 20:21
On June 15, Assassin's Creed Valhalla will receive an update introducing a new gameplay mode - Mastery Challenge. It will introduce a series of challenges, for which we will receive special rewards.
Assassin's Creed Game Bigger Than Valhalla in the Works, Claims Jason Schreier
Christian Pieniazek, 11 June 2021, 09:16
The famous industry journalist Jason Schreier has shared some leaks about what the biggest publishers have in store for E3 2021, what the future holds for Assassin's Creed and Far Cry, and when Starfield will debut.
Muspelheim From AC Valhalla's Third DLC May be Africa
Hubert Sledziewski, 07 June 2021, 16:49
There are new leaks about the third, so far unannounced DLC for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, known under the working name Meteor. It may turn out that Muspelheim, the land of fire, which we'll supposedly visit in it, will turn out to be very similar to North Africa.
AC Valhalla: Siege of Paris DLC May Bring a Time Skip
Hubert Sledziewski, 06 June 2021, 22:30
There are new rumors about the Siege of Paris DLC for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. Its storyline is to take place eight years after the events of the base game. What's more in France we probably won't encounter the Hidden Ones.
First Reviews: Wrath of the Druids DLC for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
Angelika Kaldus, 12 May 2021, 21:09
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla - Wrath of the Druids DLC is collecting relatively positive reviews. The expansion's release is scheduled for tomorrow.
Ubisoft's Latest Financial Report Reveals New Info on Big IPs
Michael Kulakowski, 11 May 2021, 21:38
According to the latest financial report, last year turned out to be one of the best in Ubisoft's history. The company recorded impressive revenues and a large increase in interest in its products.
CD Projekt RED Gives Monster-slaying Advice for AC: Valhalla
Adrian Werner, 11 May 2021, 13:06
CD Projekt RED sent a nod to the creators of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla by providing witcher advice on how to defeat enemies in Wrath of the Druids.
AC: Valhalla DLC May Send us to Fiery Muspelheim
Adrian Werner, 07 May 2021, 14:45
Game files of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla revealed elements suggesting that in the game's DLC will enable us to visit Muspelheim, a mythical land of fire ruled by Surtr.
Rumor: Third DLC for Valhalla Led to New Assassin's Creed Being Shelved
Gabriela Sicinska, 06 May 2021, 18:59
Famous leaker j0nathan has been mentioning rumors on Assassin's Creed: Project Richard for a few months now, but his latest information claims that work on the game was suspended. According to the youtuber, Ubisoft redirected its efforts to the next expansion for Valhalla, temporarily abandoning the creation of the next major installment.
AC: Valhalla Wrath of the Druids DLC Features Revealed
Jacob Blazewicz, 03 May 2021, 14:12
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla fans discovered information on the content of Wrath of the Druids. The data comes from the 1.2.1 update files and includes new weapons, armor, and mounts, among other things.
Update 1.2.1 Prepares AC: Valhalla for Wrath of the Druids DLC
Hubert Sledziewski, 27 April 2021, 11:33
Today, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla will receive update 1.2.1. The patch will introduce elements related to the upcoming Wrath of the Druids DLC and fix a number of bugs.
Valhalla's Development Will Slow Down, but Updates Will be Bigger
Jacob Blazewicz, 23 April 2021, 18:21
Ubisoft has confirmed the release date of version 1.2.1 of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. From now on, the developers will slightly slow down with updates, but in return they want them to be „more extensive” than before.
Trophies from Wrath of the Druids DLC for AC: Valhalla Appeared on PS4
Qskan, 22 April 2021, 17:39
Recently we learned about the delayed release of Wrath of the Druids - the first major DLC for Assassin's Creed Valhalla. However, it turns out PS4 owners can already see what new trophies the developers have prepared for us.
Assassin's Creed Universe Will be Enriched by New Comics and Books
Przemyslaw Dygas, 20 April 2021, 15:51
Ubisoft revealed its plans to expand the Assassin's Creed universe. The franchise will be enriched with new books, comics and projects created in collaboration with Netflix.
Wrath of the Druids Expansion for Assassin's Creed Valhalla Delayed
Hubert Sledziewski, 14 April 2021, 21:10
Scheduled for release on April 29, Wrath of the Druids, the first major expansion for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, has been delayed by about two weeks. The developers explain themselves with the need to polish the new content.
AC Valhalla's Ireland From Wrath of the Druids In Detail
Hubert Sledziewski, 12 April 2021, 23:06
Hugo Sahuquet, one of the developers at Ubisoft's Bordeaux branch, revealed details about Ireland from Wrath of the Druids, the upcoming expansion for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla.
Assassin's Creed in Brazil? Writer on the Future of the Series
Jacob Blazewicz, 12 April 2021, 20:31
Ubisoft's Alain Mercieca was interviewed by The Gamer and talked about the future of Assassin's Creed. The writer mentioned new possibilities for the old heroes of the series and his dream setting: South America (Brazil to be precise).
Assassin's Creed Valhalla Hotfix Repaires Four Quests
Bart Swiatek, 09 April 2021, 17:52
Assassin's Creed Valhalla received another patch which eliminated some serious bugs, i.e. those which prevented the completion of quests in some locations.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla Meteor Could be the Third DLC
Adrian Werner, 06 April 2021, 13:35
Fans have dug into Assassin's Creed: Valhalla's game files and found information suggesting that Ubisoft has plans for a third major DLC.
One of the Essential Assassin's Creed Developers Leaves Ubisoft Montreal
Szarmancki, 26 March 2021, 20:18
After 10 years of work, the main scriptwriter of Assassin's Creed series - Darby McDevitt - leaves Ubisoft Montreal. He was responsible for the stories of Black Flag and Revelations and worked as a narrative director on the latest installment of the series - Assassin's Creed: Valhalla.
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla Patch 220.127.116.11 Fixes Ostara Festival
Milosz Szubert, 26 March 2021, 18:03
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla has received a minor patch today, numbered 18.104.22.168. It fixes issues with the game shutting down that came with the 1.2.0 update.
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla Will Get One-handed Swords; DLC Trophies Revealed
Hubert Sledziewski, 25 March 2021, 18:56
One of the developers of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla has confirmed that one-handed swords will be added to the game - something fans have been asking of Ubisoft for quite some time. We also got to know achievements from the upcoming expansions, which reveal quite a bit about their content.
Watch Dogs: Legion and Assassin's Creed Crossover in August; Ubisoft Reveals Roadmap
Hubert Sledziewski, 24 March 2021, 12:18
Ubisoft does not stop developing Watch Dogs: Legion. At the end of June we will get the Bloodline expansion, in which characters from previous installments of the series will return, while in August - a crossover with the Assassin's Creed series.
New Assassin's Creed Valhalla Update Caused Crashes, Hotfix Announced
Ness, 21 March 2021, 21:10
Update 1.2.0 released a few days ago for Assassin's Creed Valhalla caused crashes in Raventhorpe for many players. The developers very quickly located the problem and promised a proper fix.
Wrath of the Druids DLC Release Date
Hubert Sledziewski, 18 March 2021, 20:15
Ubisoft has finally revealed the release date for the first major expansion for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, Wrath of the Druids, which will take us to 9th-century Ireland.
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla Fans Unhappy With Transmog
Hubert Sledziewski, 18 March 2021, 14:07
In the latest update for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, Ubisoft added the ability to change the appearance of items, so called transmog. Unfortunately, the new feature was not to the liking of players who do not intend to pay for it.
New Update for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla Introduces Transmog
Hubert Sledziewski, 15 March 2021, 22:31
Tomorrow, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla will soon receive update 1.2.0, adding new skills, camera settings, an Easter event, numerous fixes, and the long-awaited transmogrification.
Assassin's Creed: Origins as a Tool for Learning History of Egypt
Hubert Sledziewski, 12 March 2021, 20:32
Visiting ancient Egypt in Assassin's Creed: Origins was a lot of fun. But it turns out that the world created by Ubisoft, in addition to aesthetic value, also has a practical use - can be used to learn history.
Insider Suggests Assassin's Creed During Hundred Years' War or Third Crusade
Przemyslaw Dygas, 10 March 2021, 21:18
It's not yet known where the next installment of Assassin's Creed will take us. However, a well-known insider shared some clues.
Assassin's Creed Fans Want to Boycott Helix Store and Microtransactions
Bart Swiatek, 08 March 2021, 17:34
A gamer has decided to create a petition on Change.org, calling on Ubisoft to remove microtransactions from the next Assassin's Creed game and offer free content instead to keep the players engaged for longer.


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By Moses Mulondo and Billy Rwothungeyo
The Government of Mauritius has promised to give jobs to Ugandan professionals in the sector of information and communication technology (ICT) as one of its initiatives for improving partnership with Uganda.
Addressing a press conference with Ugandan trade minister Amelia Kyambadde at the Media Centre , the Mauritius minister for trade, commerce and consumer corporation, Cadel Sayed Hossen, said: “We will give employment to Ugandan IT professionals because we have a booming IT sector in Mauritius.”
He, however, could not reveal the available number of opportunities, but promised to establish the exact figures to enable more Ugandans go for them.
Sayed Hossen said his country has resolved to strengthen its partnership with Uganda as one of her key trading partners.
He said the Mauritius government is already working on arrangements to help various Mauritius business companies to come and invest in Uganda.
“There are major companies that are planning to come here and invest in Uganda’s energy and manufacturing sectors as well as other sectors. We shall also share experiences on economic growth,” Sayed said.
Kyambadde, who expressed excitement over the opportunities Mauritius has extended to Uganda, said that the magnitude of trading between the two countries has been increasing in the recent years.
“Our exports to Mauritius have increased from $1.1m in 2005 to $2.7m in 2012, while our imports from Mauritius have increased from $9.2m in 2008 to $9.8m in 2012,” Kyambadde said.
She added that whereas Uganda exports coffee, tea and spices to Mauritius, it imports papers, electronic equipment, beverages and cereals from the country considered to be one of the fastest growing economies in Africa.
Kyambadde said Uganda also greatly benefits in terms of training offered by Mauritius, especially in the area of entrepreneurship.
She said a joint committee has been put in place to examine and provide solutions to the non-tariff barriers as a move aimed at improving the magnitude of trade between the two countries.
Kyambadde and Sayed said this committee will address the existing bottlenecks that are hindering trade between the two countries.
These include standards, customs procedures and international trade promotions.
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Mauritius to offer Ugandans ICT jobs


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India’s food delivery startup Swiggy has landed $210 million in new capital for expansion and joined the billion-dollar startup unicorn hub.
The investment is led by existing backer Naspers and new investor DST Global. Others taking part in the round include returning investor China’s Meituan Dianping and (another new investor) Coatue Management.
The deal takes Swiggy’s valuation past the $1 billion mark for the first time. Sources with knowledge of negotiations told that it values the company at around $1.3 billion.
According to media reports, the fresh funds will be used to “quickly ramp up supply chain network and expand to new markets, while investing in core capabilities that enhance consumer experience and the brand,” the company said.
Swiggy, run by Bengaluru-based Bundl Technologies Pvt. Ltd. said it will double its technology headcount to build operations, personalization and connected supply chain systems.
The announcement comes just three months after Swiggy raised $100 million in Series F round also led by Naspers with participation from existing shareholder Meituan-Dianping. Avendus Capital was the financial advisor to Swiggy.
“With this investment, we will continue to widen Swiggy’s offerings, along with bolstering our capabilities and plugging the gaps in the on-demand delivery ecosystem,” said Swiggy chief executive Sriharsha Majesty.
Apart from Zomato, Swiggy competes with the likes of FreshMenu, Foodpanda and Ubereats.


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Santa Fe, NM - June 26, 2020: Consumer51, an international consumer-experience company with business operations in Pennsylvania, New Mexico, and Indiana, launched the new website for First Crop™, a public benefit company dedicated to improving the health and wellness of people and planet by harnessing the regenerative power of hemp.
First Crop partners with American farmers to ensure only the highest-quality organically grown hemp is used to make its USDA certified organic CBD health and wellness products. From seed and site selection to sharing best practices for planting, growing and harvesting their hemp crop, First Crop nurtures its relationships with farmers every step of the way to ensure cultivation of a successful crop. At harvest, the farmers’ hemp crop is purchased and processed at the First Crop CBD oil extraction facility located in the San Luis Valley of Colorado to produce high-quality CBD tinctures, CBD capsules, and wholesale full-spectrum CBD oil.
The new First Crop website, built on the WordPress Woo Commerce platform was custom designed by First Crop in collaboration with Consumer51’s user-experience team. The new website gives First Crop e-commerce capabilities to reach consumers around the world. First Crop has experienced immediate success with the introduction of its new products and has enjoyed rapid growth in online sales since day one following the launch of the website. First Crop and Consumer51 are also working together to manage the company’s digital marketing.
David Weir, Co-Founder & CEO of First Crop, shared his thoughts on the new website, saying, “We believe the cultivation of industrial hemp by small and midsized farms can be a key catalyst to economic and environmental renewal. The Consumer51 team helped us bring our vision to life and make our hemp products more available to consumers through this website. As a company, we think differently about the world and the solutions and we look forward to continuing to build a partnership of immense value.”
Ari Banerjee, CEO of Consumer51 said, “We are proud to be associated with First Crop as the company’s web development and digital marketing partner. We have deep respect for their work, which brings new thinking around regenerative solutions for the betterment of humanity. Consumer51 is a team of disruptors, tracing our DNA to a time when there were only about 1300 websites in the world, twenty-five years ago. Our goal is to take First Crop’s story to as many consumers around the world as we possibly can through good content marketing, relevant advertising, searchability, and accessibility solutions.”
The 2018 farm bill reclassified industrial hemp as a commodity crop and legalized it, opening up new possibilities for the cultivation of hemp and the commercialization of hemp products.
About First Crop
First Crop is a public benefit company dedicated to improving the health and wellness of people and the planet through the regenerative power of hemp. Based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, First Crop was founded as a public benefit corporation by an experienced team of entrepreneurs with a vision to create a lasting legacy that strengthens local communities and improves the health of the planet for future generations via hemp and CBD products. The company’s collective work is inspired by the hemp legalization advocacy efforts of co-founder Michael "Mr. Hemp" Bowman, founding chair of the National Hemp Association and co-author of the 2014 Farm Bill. To learn more about First Crop, visit www.FirstCrop.com, or check it out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Consumer51 LLC is a privately held consumer-experience company, providing marketing and technology solutions for today's connected world. The company provides a wide range of services including web design, web development, web hosting, domain registration, email management, user experience design, mobile application development, brand identity design, inbound marketing, creative services and consulting to clients ranging from startups to Fortune 50 brands.
For more information about Consumer51, visit http://www.consumer51.com.


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WHISKY bottlers at the world’s largest plant raised a glass yesterday as they bottled up and waved goodbye to their 400 millionth case.
Opened in 1979, the Diageo bottling plant in Shieldhall sent off the special case of Buchanan’s Deluxe whisky to its lucky new owners in Brazil complete with a certificate and a request to get back in touch with them.
The Diageo plant – the world’s largest Scotch whisky packaging plant – ships the hard stuff to 180 countries, including China, Russia and Brazil.
Given the recent growth in demand for Scotch whisky, the Diageo bosses have been recording their highest sales figures and are on track to celebrate their 500 millionth case by 2015.
Shieldhall site director Colin Neill said: "It was very fitting that it was a case of Buchanan’s Deluxe which is destined for Brazil, one of our major growth markets, which took us through the 400 million case milestone. I’m very proud indeed of all our people."
The Brazilians who receive Diageo’s 400 millionth case will also get a certificate and a special Quaich of Scottish Friendship, asking them to contact the Scots producers.


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We exposed it once before now it's happened again.
Imported polluted honey poisoning the local industry and putting the public's health at risk, and once again our authorities are sitting their hands.
Ashley Modra, a third generation bee keeper from Gawler says while he's struggling to make ends meet, supermarket shelves are being loaded with suspect cheap imports mixed with local product.
"They bring in honey in from overseas, and using Australian honey, blending it, selling it back out the country as Australian honey at times," says Asley.
And that is where the rot set in four years ago. Our exported honey bearing the Australian name was found to be contaminated with the illegal antibiotic nitrofuran by the Canadians and instantly withdrawn from sale.
Lawyer and former chief food examiner Des Sibraa was alarmed to discover nitrofurens also present in locally sold honey but Australian authorities Food Standards Australia and New Zealand, took no action.
"They should have instigated... selling it," says Des.
Not only has this left consumers uncertain about the safety of the local product it is also undermining the local industry.
And through no fault of their own the Australian honey producers now find themselves facing oblivion. Lindsay Burke is a beekeeper who heads up the Australian Honeybee Industry Council.
"The Australian Honeybee Industry produces $80m worth of honey a year and beside that we pollinate $4billion worth of Australia's crops," explains Lindsay.
But here's the really disturbing news... Today Tonight has just obtained evidence that yet another illegal antibiotic has shown up in honey tested in June. This time, it's chloramphenicol which is "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen"
Yet once again our food authorities are unmoved by these finding saying...
"FSANZ does not consider that chloramphenicol residues in honey pose a high risk to public health and safety."
But the dangers that lurk in our honey jars pose a vastly more sinister threat than most consumers appreciate. There are other contaminants in the imports that have the potential to devastate our entire bee population.
The flow on from the decimation of the industry is as obvious as the lesson about the birds and bees.
"It's the most important agriculture industry that we have in Australia. Without bees, we wouldn't have food," says Lindsay.
Lindsay wants immediate action. Currently only 5% of imported honey is tested for impurities.
"We would like to change that to enable them to completely ban the product from coming here or doing 100% testing. If an importer wants to bring this sort of product into the country, at least they should be paying for it," he says.
Ashley Modra says he and beekeepers like him don't have much time to wait.
"Drought and the constant threat of imported diseases, combined with any drop in consumer confidence, might prove to be too much for many in the industry�. it's real upsetting, but what can you do? The government's always like, 10 years behind the eight-ball."
"The only way we can really get ahead is stopping the imports of the honey and make our product go up more. It's the best, more or less in the world, i'd say. So why isn't there a future there?"


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Mini organizes a Europe tour to celebrate brand's 60th anniversary
The port city of Bristol will become the hotspot for fans of the classic Mini from 8 to 11 August. This year, the annual International Mini Meeting (IMM) will be dedicated to a celebration of the landmark 60th anniversary for the brand.
At the festival site in the Easter Compton area, fans celebrating the anniversary are expected from all over the world. Many of them will be travelling to the meet in a classic Mini.
Just the Mini Classic department within the BMW Group aims to set the mood for the event by staging the road trip #ROADtoIMM19: a trip from Greece to the Mini headquarters in England. The start of 4,000 km journey in Athens on 25 July and will pass through a total of ten European countries on the route through Sofia, Belgrade, Bratislava, Vienna, Prague, Dresden and Rotterdam before reaching the final destination in the United Kingdom on 8 August in a tribute to the creator of the classic Mini, Alec Issigonis.
The convoy will consist of a classic Mini convertible and a Cooper from the first generation of the model after the brand’s relaunch. They will be accompanied by three MINI Cooper SE Countryman plug-in hybrid. Both classic vehicles were specially styled by the street artist Cheba.
The road trip will be told on the Mini Classic social networks.


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Ultraviolette Automotive will launch a high-performance electric motorcycle, the F-77. [Read more…]
Upcoming Bikes in India
Stay updated on upcoming new bike launch date, information, specs & expected price from Bike India - India’s no.1 two-wheeler magazine.
The popular Kawasaki Ninja 650 has been updated with some crucial features for the 2020 model year. [Read more…]
It may not be long before Harley-Davidson’s much-anticipated electric motorcycle reaches customers in India because it was unveiled earlier today in the country. [Read more…]
The Triumph Daytona is a superstar. A name so iconic that it was sorely missed in the world of supersport motorcycles since the exit of the capable Triumph Daytona 675R. Today that space has been filled, and how; with the spanking new Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 Limited Edition. [Read more…]
The 2020 YZF-R1 is the latest avatar of the legendary Yamaha and it boasts of better aerodynamics, electronics and engine performance.
Pictures of the new Royal Enfield have surfaced giving us a glimpse of the updates.
A new Royal Enfield 350 motorcycle is expected to go on sale next year that will have a BS VI-compliant engine. The new Royal Enfield will have a gearbox casing that is similar to the 650-cc twins, suggesting a six-speed gearbox. The new bike will also get updated electronics with a fuel-injection system and the mandatory onboard diagnostics set-up. There is also a more advanced catalytic converter seen aft of the powertrain. There might be a slight bump in displacement considering the fact that the design of the engine head has been changed.
Other features on the new Royal Enfield include a new console and a rotary toggle ignition switch, reminding us of classic old-school motorcycles. The left side will have another toggle switch for high and low beam. There is a small knob where the pass-light switch was earlier, which may be a means to control the new digital screen.
The console has an analogue speedometer just like the earlier models. Under the speedometer will be a small digital display. Currently the 650 twins have a display that gives us the odometer reading, an option of two trip-meters and a fuel gauge. There are still no details on what information would be displayed on the new digital display.
Royal Enfield are likely to introduce the 2020 Classic 350 a few days ahead of the 2020 Auto Expo. We expect a price rise of between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000.
Image Source: https://gaadiwaadi.com/
Story: Azaman Chothia
MV Agusta have announced that the MV Agusta Superveloce 800 will soon go into production. The production version will be called the Superveloce 800 Serie ORO.
The new Triumph Scrambler 1200 has been launched today at Rs 10.73 lakh ex-showroom. The new big scrambler from the British motorcycle manufacturer claims to be one of the most capable Scramblers models available in our country. [Read more…]
The year 2019 is proving to be an exciting year for motorcycle enthusiasts. This year we have already seen some amazing launches but the manufacturers have a few more in store. We have compiled a list of the most talked-about bikes that are about to be launched and will make motorcycle enthusiasts go weak at the knees.
An all-new Ducati Panigale test mule has been spotted recently, and it looks like it may be a replacement for the current Ducati 959 Panigale.


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Nollywood IP lawsuit launched
VALUE ADDED SERVICESBy BiztechAfrica - July 15, 2012, 9:55 a.m.
iROKO, a Nigerian entertainment distribution firm, is taking legal action against Afrinolly, a mobile movie app.
iROKO says Afrinolly has been streaming its Nigerian movies and trailers without content distribution authorization from iROKO.
Afrinolly, which has won the African Android app developer challenge, claims almost half a million downloads in under ten months. Earlier this month, MTN announced a partnership with Afrinolly.
iROKO Partners, whose iROKO TV holds rights to over 5,000 Nollywood movies, says it has invested heavily in purchasing the rights to Africa entertainment content. It is claiming over USD600,000 in compensation from Afrinolly, stating that the mobile firm has misrepresented itself to handset manufacturers and telcos.
iROKO also wants Afrinolly to remove all illegally sourced iROKO content from its channels.
Jason Njoku, CEO of iROKO Partners, said: “In an industry that is rife with misrepresentation, piracy and copyright infringement, we are left with no option but to begin legal action against Afrinolly, who have been illegally building their business on our content.
“We spend millions of dollars legally buying and organizing Nigerian content and hundreds of thousands of dollars every year in combating piracy and ensuring movie producers are remunerated properly for their content. It is simply unacceptable for Afrinolly to steal their work and profit from it.
It has caused great harm to our Nigerian-based content providers and has placed great strain on the delicate balance and ecosystem that exists. Afrinolly, since its inception, has never bother to even discuss with us or other content owners and has definitely not remunerated anyone to date.”
“We have been approached by a number of Nollywood producers, who have expressed dismay that their movies are being exploited. As part of our commitment to the lifeblood of the industry, the producers, we see no other means than to seriously consider our options, look at how we can manage the damage done to our reputation and bring this extraordinary mass copyright infringement to a swift conclusion,” he said.
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SIA Group enters African card payments sectorPerago has signed an agreement with Swish Payments to support its new m-commerce initiative in Africa and Europe. Read More
MTN partners Salt & Einstein MTS, NHIS on insuranceMTN Nigeria says it has partnered Salt & Einstein MTS and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NIHS) to help push health insurance to many people in the country leveraging on its wider reach. Read More
Free Twitter on EconetEconet Wireless is now offering free access to Twitter to all subscribers on Econet Broadband. Read More
Gemalto, GSMA drive African mHealth initiativeGemalto has announced its partnership with (global System for Mobile Communication Association (GSMA1) to drive the pan-African mHealth Initiative (PAMI). Read More
Has Africa slowed in global mobile payments innovation?wiGroup says Africa has lost ground to the US and China in the mobile payments innovation race. Read More
New mobile payment system goes live in SAMobile payment system Zapper has launched its innovative and secure payment app for smartphones in South Africa. Read More
Mobile banking numbers to pass online banking by 2019New findings from Juniper Research finds that over 1.75 billion mobile phone users will have used their devices for banking purposes by the end of 2019, compared to 800 million this year. Read More
Remita’s e-transactions hit N500bnNigerian electronic payment platform Remita says it is driving cashless initiatives, and currently processes electronic transactions valued at N500billion monthly. Read More
Nigeria’s cashless campaign goes nationwideIn spite of obvious hiccups, the cashless initiative of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) goes live in the 36 states of the federation and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) today. Read More
FEATURED STORYWidening ICT skills gap: Cause for concern
Nigeria's FDI gains could be eroded by the widening gap in indigenous skilled ICT manpower, writes Kokumo Goodie.
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IN DEPTHKenya rolls out e-extension to improve agriculture
In a bid to curb the overwhelmed number of agricultural extension officers in Kenya, the ministry of agriculture is embracing technology with their introduction of E-Extension services, which are aimed at reaching out to over 7 million farmers annually.
COMPANY NEWSVMware reports second quarter 2014 results
VMware, the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, today announced financial results for the second quarter of 2014.New Sage ERP X3 version puts business information at your fingertips
Sage ERP Africa has announced the availability of Sage ERP X3 version 7, the latest version of its global business management solution for midsized companies.How the cloud can power entrepreneurship and urbanisation in Africa
Cloud computing is not only fundamentally changing the way business operates, it is also driving a new wave of job creation opportunities, says SAP Africa.


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The Supreme Court on Monday struck down a request from one of the nation's leading tobacco companies to block a California ban on flavored cigarettes.
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the country's second-largest maker of cigarettes and tobacco products, had asked the court to strike down Proposition 31. The proposition was a measure on SB-793, a California state law that prohibits the sale of flavored cigarettes, including menthol cigarettes, and vaporizers. Voters overwhelmingly upheld the proposal during the midterms, with The Associated Press reporting the measure was carried 63.4 percent to 36.6 percent.
R.J. Reynolds had asked the court to intervene regarding the proposition based on the Tobacco Control Act of 2009, which prohibits states from blocking the sale of tobacco products. "They can raise the minimum purchase age, restrict sales to particular times and locations, and enforce licensing regimes," attorneys for R.J. Reynolds wrote in its application to the court. "But one thing they cannot do is completely prohibit the sale of those products for failing to meet the state's or locality's preferred tobacco product standards."
However, the Supreme Court decried this argument and upheld the ban. No explanation for the decision was given, and CNN reported that there were no dissents.
SB-793 was initially passed two years ago, but it never ended up taking effect after a number of legal challenges by tobacco companies tied up the legislative proceedings.
Any retailers in California caught selling the banned products could be subject to a fine of up to $250.


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Who Says Patent Lawsuits Aren't Sexy?
from the cybersex-it-is dept
Joe Mullin has the details of a rather bizarre patent dispute involving a patent covering the user interface of force feedback technology used in “cybersex” or “teledildonics.” You may have heard of the company Immersion, which, for years, has claimed to hold pretty much all patents on “haptic” technology, which most people are familiar with in the form of “force feedback” game controllers for console games. Some feel that Immersion’s patents are overly broad, but that’s beside the point on this one. Apparently, at some point, Immersion realized that there was going to be (or already was) a decent sized market in using such haptic technology for virtual sex. Yet, at the same time, the company felt uncomfortable about filing infringement lawsuits on such uses, recognizing that it could lead to negative publicity. So, instead, it licensed out the patents and the right to sue for infringement to a company called Internet Services, LLC (ISLLC), which (from the description in Mullin’s article) sounds like a shell company just for this purpose.
However, when Immersion won its patent infringement lawsuit against Sony for its use of force feedback controllers on Sony gaming consoles, ISLLC apparently felt that Immersion owed it some of the proceeds. It hired famed patent attorney (and patent system expert) Mark Lemley to represent it. However, for somewhat unclear reasons, Lemley now appears to want nothing whatsoever to do with ISLLC and has asked to withdraw from the case. ISLLC has now hired other lawyers just to force Lemley to still represent it in its lawsuit against Immersion. It’s like a patent battle soap opera — complete with sex toys. See, just because stories are about patents, doesn’t mean that they’re not sexy.


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Pressemeddelelse fra Fastbase A/S
Fastbase’s success has been propelled by its popular add-on to Google Analytics that can identify website visitors in real-time providing businesses with powerful insights into their website users’ behavior. The Fastbase Webleads software combines a website’s analytics data with real-time visitor information, allowing businesses to eliminate the guesswork around who is visiting their website. This software empowers organizations with insights to improve marketing campaigns and understand website visitor behaviors.
“We are experiencing very strong growth with new companies signing up daily to use our Webleads software. Because of this continued growth, we expect to analyze more than 2 billion website visitors weekly by the end of 2018,” says Rasmus Refer, CEO Fastbase.
During the month of December Fastbase will launch a new lead generation tool built upon the billions of searches on Google. The tool will help businesses identify highly relevant leads, based on search phrase or keyword used, which can be further segmented by location. Fastbase is also expecting to launch a “mini” CRM tool, which will give users access to the largest company database in the world comprised of more than 500 million business contacts. Users will have access to business email-addresses and contact information, which can again be segmented according to industry, location.
Companies currently using Google Analytics can easily access a detailed list of their website visitors for the past 12 month by signing in with Google Analytics. The basic version of Fastbase’s WebLeads is free with the premium version priced at $45USD per month on a subscription basis. The premium version unlocks access to much more detailed information, smart features, and unlimited web-traffic. l
About Fastbase, Inc.
Fastbase is a U.S.-based company founded in 2015. As one of the fastest-growing software
companies in the world within Big Data, Fastbase now analyzes over 6 billion website visitors from over 900,000 companies and top brands from around the world.
Læs hele pressemeddelelsen på Via Ritzau her: https://via.ritzau.dk/pressemeddelelse/fastbase-becomes-1-business-analytics-software-analyzing-an-incredible-6-billion-website-visitors-monthly?releaseId=13564544


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The online sale announced Monday by auctioneer Christie's features 22 items from Hawking, including his doctoral thesis on the origins of the universe, some of his many awards, and scientific papers such as "Spectrum of Wormholes" and "Fundamental Breakdown of Physics in Gravitational Collapse".
Only five copies of the Ph.D. thesis exist - although a digital copy was made available online for free by Cambridge University Library's Open Access Week past year.
Another key item to go on sale will be Hawking's first wheelchair, at an estimated price of between £10,000 and £15,000. At the time, Hawking had already been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or colloquially known as Lou Gehrig's Disease).
Remembering renowned physicist and author Stephen Hawking in his own words.
The online auction begins Wednesday, Oct. 31, and concludes on Thursday, Nov. 8.
Thomas Venning, the head of books and manuscripts at Christie's, told the AP that the doctoral thesis reflects both Hawking's scientific achievements and his personal history.
Mr Venning said the wheelchair became a symbol not just of disability but of Professor Hawking's "puckish sense of humour".
Duchess Meghan cutting back on grueling schedule: Kensington Palace
The 37-year-old Duchess of Sussex was scheduled to appear at Fraser Island today with her 34-year-old husband, Prince Harry . Prince Harry has opened the Invictus Games in Sydney, where more than 500 competitors will be taking part in 13 sports.
The scientist was diagnosed with motor neuron disease at the age of 22 and was eventually strapped into his wheelchair, unable to walk again.
His illness left him wheelchair-bound and dependent on a computerised voice system for communication. Its pre-sale estimated value is between $12,600 and $18,900. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Stephen Hawking Foundation, which facilitates scientific researches, and the Motor Neurone Disease Association. He once ran over Prince Charles' toes - and reportedly joked that he wished he had done the same to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher - and appeared in a "Monty Python" skit running down fellow physicist Brian Cox. Hawking's notes and equations are visible in some of the pieces, including a line from his October 1965 Cambridge University doctorate thesis stating "This dissertation is my original work", followed by a "S.W. Hawking" signature.
This particular chair is the last one used by Hawking while he still had control of his hands and before needing more sophisticated technology.
A bomber jacket Hawking wore in a 2016 documentary, Stephen Hawking's Favorite Places for the video-on-demand streaming service CuriosityStream, has the lowest starting bid, at £100.
Ms Hawking said Christie's had been helping the family "manage our beloved father's unique and precious collection of personal and professional belongings".
Daughter Lucy Hawking has noted that, through the auction, fans of the scientist will get the chance to become owners of the relics, reminding about the unusual life of a theoretical physicist.


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Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Food companies and supermarkets could slash sugar, fat and salt from their products to comply with planned government curbs on junk food discounts and TV advertising, a health minister has suggested.
Helen Whately said that the new anti-obesity strategy could mirror some of the impacts of the sugar tax on drinks, which successfully forced firms to make their products more healthy.
Although a similar “junk food tax” is not among the package of proposals set out on Monday, the move to outlaw so-called “buy one, get one free” (known as “BOGOF”) promotions of foods with high sugar and salt content could have a similar effect, she said.
Asked directly if the government was considering a food tax, Whately told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We certainly learned from the effectiveness of that particular measure. What we saw with the sugary drinks levy was widespread reformulation of products.
“What we will also see with the policies we are bringing in is businesses will be responsible.
“And we may well see for instance some of the ingredients of food changing in order to make them healthier.”
The ban on discount deals is part of a new government strategy for tackling the UK’s £20bn-a-year obesity crisis, along with the prohibition of junk food adverts before 9pm and new calorie counts on menus in restaurants.
The NHS says one in four adults and one in five children are classed as very overweight. According to OECD data, the UK’s obesity levels have risen 92% since the 1990s.
Boris Johnson, who unveiled a new Twitter video of himself talking about losing weight, said the plans would help “reduce our health risks and protect ourselves against coronavirus”.
Government sources told HuffPost UK that Whately’s remarks were part of a wider drive to use the new curbs to get manufacturers to make their products more healthy and not just to help consumers with more information.
“If the companies decide they want to keep these deals or to keep advertising and the way to do that is to cut the sugar and salt in their food, then everyone wins,” they said.
“Reformulation of sugary drinks worked really well with the levy. People said it didn’t raise much money, but that was a mark of its success. Manufacturers cutting sugar was the explicit aim of the policy.”
Department of Health and Social Care statistics showed nearly 8% of critically ill patients in intensive care units with the virus have been morbidly obese, compared with 2.9% of the general population.
Under the new strategy, the curbs would hit “high fat, sugar and salt” (HFSS) foods, as defined by Public Health England’s “nutrient profiling”.
George Osborne’s sugar levy, which came into force in April 2018, forced firms to pay a rate of 24p per litre of drink if a drink contains eight grams of sugar per 100 millilitres and 18p per litre if it contains between five and eight grams of sugar per 100 millilitres.
The sugar content of drinks purchased fell by 21.6% in Great Britain between 2015 and 2018, before the levy kicked in but after it was announced.


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All of six weeks ago, Extreme Motorsports (aka Xtreme) unveiled their first all-electric sandcar, the Dune Racer. The company thinks we're ready for more, since it announced this week that the second version - the Sportster - will also be street legal.
Extreme Xtreme Motorsports already sells a line of EPA-compliant recreation vehicles known as sandcars, and they are looking to reduce the environmental impact of those sandcars even further. To that end, Xtreme has completed engineering and manufacturing plans of a new all-electric sandcar. The new "Zero Emissions Sandcar" technology will be available in both the Sportster and Dune Racer models as of April 28th, 2008, and the company says that three are already reserved for 2009. Azure Dynamics


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💸 An Alphabet That Begins with Settlement
Google and its parent company Alphabet know that the political tides are shifting on Big Tech and that antitrust actions are ramping up. With that in mind, the Internet titan has offered $90 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought against it by small app developers alleging Google's Play Store violated federal antitrust regulations. Specifically, the suit claimed that listing on the Play store required small app users to process payments through Google's proprietary payment platform, which then charged a 30% fee. Google initially responded to this suit by lowering the fee to 15% on the first million dollars.
The minimum pay-out developers will get from this settlement is $250, but could be as much as $200,000.
Hagens Berman, the firm representing the 48,000 small app developers in the suit, said in a statement: “With this settlement, developers will have more room to grow and more money in their pockets to promote their hard efforts.”
The Growing Antitrust Debate
Across Europe and the United States, Alphabet (along with Big Tech in general) is coming under increasing regulatory pressure and calls to break up the mono/duo/oligo-polies held by Silicon Valley. In the UK, the country's Competition and Markets Authority (or CMA) called out Google for its “effective duopoly” (along with Apple) of the mobile ecosystem. “App developers also have to comply with Apple and Google’s rules for access to their app stores, which some say are overly restrictive,” the CMA wrote in a December 2021 statement. “Developers are required to accept these terms in order to reach users, which can include paying 30% commissions to Apple and Google.” In June, the CMA began looking into potential investigations it would launch into Google that may result in formal charges, fines, and new rules, reports Engadget. Similar actions are underway in the EU, and the US Senate is reviewing a proposed antitrust bill against Big Tech.
Clearly, Google is trying to make concessions on smaller cases to look better in the eyes of politicians, judges, and regulators when it comes down to fights on the bigger issues. Only time will tell how much well tactic will work.


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The cannabis industry in the United States is growing, yet it remains illegal and unregulated. Government officials must decide what they want to do now that recreational marijuana has been legalized by nine states.
The “decriminalized vs legal” is the difference between decriminalizing cannabis and legalizing it. Decriminalization means that cannabis is illegal but not enforced by law enforcement. Legalization means that cannabis is regulated by law enforcement and has been legalized.
Moe Asnani is the author of this piece.
When the British conquered India via colonialism, they rapidly realized they had landed one of the world’s richest and most populated marketplaces. They were able to sell Indians their own cotton by seizing control of cotton production and sending the raw material to England for apparel fabrication. The British then outlawed the commercial manufacturing of cotton-based apparel in India, thereby eliminating Indian competition. In addition, to preserve foreign influence over most aspects of Indian society, the Crown grabbed control of India’s salt manufacturing. Part of Mahatma Gandhi’s plan for achieving Indian independence was to break up the colonial monopoly and unify the country by boycotting imported textiles and harvesting salt himself.
We in the United States, ironically, may benefit from this severe lesson in economic freedom and competitiveness. Our faulty system permits foreign corporations to submit cannabis-related patents if the substance is legal in their native country, but it prevents American businesses from protecting their intellectual property or trade names. This is clearly terrible business, bad policy, and awful for the people of the United States. We enable international cannabis firms to list on major American stock exchanges while excluding domestic cannabis companies from accessing financing markets in the United States.
We advocate for social justice initiatives that allow minorities to own cannabis companies. When a worldwide epidemic strikes, however, we deny those same American small firms access to pandemic relief money, despite the fact that multiple foreign corporations with a presence in the United States have access to those monies. In areas like Massachusetts, where cannabis was briefly designated non-essential, many low-income business owners were forced to declare bankruptcy.
What is our existing system accomplishing if it isn’t producing foreign winners and local losers?
The cannabis community should take a step back and examine ourselves and our role in the American economic system.
New economic drivers have emerged in the United States during the last decade, with cannabis and cryptocurrencies at the top of the list. The numbers show a dramatic disparity. Cannabis has provided around 320,000 employment in the United States in recent years, with yearly legal sales ranging from $18 to $25 billion. As more states legalize cannabis, these figures are expected to skyrocket.
Cryptocurrencies, on the other hand, are valued over $2 trillion, employ a small number of people, and provide relatively little tax income. Has Congress, on the other hand, looked at the impact of cryptocurrencies on worker capacity, income disparity, productivity, and hyperinflation?
After a decade of being exposed to risky banking and cash methods, severe tax treatment, legislative hurdles, and being regarded as second class citizens, some of my cannabis colleagues believe our income should be targeted as a federal tax goldmine. Whatever one may think of our profession, it is real—we spend hundreds of dollars every month merely to have a bank account. We are taxed more than any other company, yet we are unable to claim the same fundamental deductions as other companies.
What do Americans assume happens to all that money if it isn’t spent on taxes, overhead, and compliance? It is absurd to compare an industry that creates new jobs in retail, agriculture, food manufacturing, biotech, sustainable energy, construction, technology, and packaging to industries that charge Americans ten times what Brits pay for lifesaving drugs, industries that spill oil into our oceans, or a social media company that profitably incites Americans against each other.
In 2021, annual legal cannabis sales in the United States are expected to reach about $25 billion at best. On October 25, 2021, Elon Musk’s net worth increased by that amount. I’m not here to criticize Mr. Musk. I’m here to point you that Congress has been debating how to over-regulate and over-tax a business that earns in a year what one guy gains in a day for the last half-decade.
Action that is well-balanced and well-considered
First and foremost, we must put an end to the squabbles between the activist and business cannabis sectors. Established predatory companies that share market space will simply wait for bigger groupings to be consumed by supporting intra-ecosystem infighting. Capital can afford to wait, but we are in a turbulent period as we approach the mid-term election in 2022. Second, there is no possibility that any state-regulated cannabis company will be able to withstand FDA oversight. Only food safety compliance and medical THC pharmaceutical goods accessible by prescription in all 50 states should be regulated by the FDA. The costs of duplicative regulation are enormous, and many small enterprises will suffer as a result. Medical marijuana products that adhere to state labeling and safety regulations should be eligible for reimbursement via a Flexible Spending Account.
Cannabis legalization should rapidly re-evaluate and award a defined number of carbon tax credits to every cannabis firm that:
- Programs for water reclamation should be implemented.
- Install low-energy, long-lasting lights.
- Observe carbon-neutral guidelines
- Make the switch to certified biodegradable packaging.
For the following reasons, incentivizing cannabis firms to embrace sustainable practices is a win-win situation:
- Many jurisdictions’ cannabis infrastructure is still developing, and financial incentives encourage operators to include sustainable practices into their expansion plans.
- Congress might learn from this initiative to create long-term programs with the purpose of ensuring planetary stability.
- By granting USDA tax credits to state-licensed cannabis programs, sustainable approaches might be evaluated and replicated in other American agricultural production.
The time has come. Now is the time to concentrate on federal legalization. We cannot risk November 2022 without descheduling, banking and capital access, the option to re-file tax returns without “trafficking” allocations, and a route for small and big cannabis firms to access the whole US cannabis market. States have enacted sound legislation. Minority and veteran-owned companies can flourish and thrive in states like Arizona.
Major banks, lending institutions, sovereign wealth funds, federally approved private equity companies, hedge funds, pension funds, and payment providers continue to see medium and small cannabis enterprises as high risk. Financial institutions and the IRS are obligated to treat you badly under current legislation.
Only federal descheduling, not fragmented banking legislation, can address this uneven and inequitable financial and taxes structure.
The Global Alliance for Cannabis Trade is a non-profit organization that promotes the legalization (GACC)
The Worldwide Alliance for Cannabis Commerce (GACC) is a non-profit trade group dedicated to providing policymakers and lawmakers with the information they need to transform the young cannabis sector from a black market to a global distributor of medicinal and adult-use cannabis goods. GACC works to legalize and regulate the production, manufacturing, distribution, and use of medicinal and adult-use cannabis products across the world by lobbying government officials and lawmakers.
Mohit “Moe” Asnani immigrated to the United States in 1995, graduated from the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management, worked in clinical and healthcare informatics, and partnered with Charles “Chip” Boyden, a U.S. Army veteran, to build a 200-plus employee cannabis company (iLAVA) in eight years by reinvesting in the business, taking no significant debt or dilution, and focusing on employee upward mobility. Moe is on the boards of GACC (Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce) and USCC (United States Cannabis Commission) (United States Cannabis Council). He was a member of the Arizona Dispensaries Association’s board of directors in the past (ADA).


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Over the past year, we have heard of several companies and individuals who have begun 3D printing actual houses. In China, several small houses have already been printed, and in the Netherlands there is a 3D printed canal house project underway. Even in the US, there are plans by one man to 3D print his home in Minnesota.
We have yet to hear of any way to purchase a printer capable of printing a house though. That is until now. Slovenian company, BetAbram has informed 3DPrint.com that they plan on releasing their first 3D house printer, the BetAbram P3, this July or August. According to the company the printer will be priced at approximately 12,000€.
They don’t plan on stopping there though. In fact, they currently have plans on releasing three different 3D printers this year. The BetAbram P3 will be the smallest of them all. Following its July/August release, the company plans on releasing the larger P2 and P1 printers, in September of this year. While prices have not been set in stone yet, they have informed us that the P2 will sell for approximately 20,000€, while the P1 will be approximately 32,000€.
“We already constructed all three types [of printers], but we are still developing software for [the] BetAbram P2 and P1 printers,” the company tells 3DPrint.com. “These printers are designed to build houses. We’ve printed a lot of small objects, miniature houses, sculptures, but we haven’t built a real house yet because the P2 and P1 printer software is still under development. It will be ready in September 2014 along with P2 and P1 printers.”
These 3D printers are capable of constructing very tall buildings, because once the machine reaches 2 meters in height, it can rather easily be moved up a level using a special rail system. This means that the build volume is not dependent on the Z axis. As for the X and Y axes, the P3 can print buildings measuring 4 meters X 3 meters (12 square meters), the P2 is capable of 12 meters x 6 meters (72 square meters), and the largest, P1 is capable of 16 meters x 9 meters (144 square meters).
These printers could easily change the way that homes are built, not only in Slovenia, but all around the world. Imagine if such machines were set up in 3rd world countries to print out small homes on a large scale. This could greatly increase the quality of life of those currently living in less than ideal conditions.
Check out the introductory video of one of these BetAbram 3D printers below. What do you think about these new 3D house printers? Are they worth the money? Discuss in the BetAbram forum thread on 3DPB.com.
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The event is to mark the 35th anniversary of the Ghostbusters franchise and takes place at the Ginza Sony Park in Tokyo from 12 October this year. The event will see trainers leading participants sporting "...Ghostbuster uniforms, proton packs, and other props used in the filming of the Ghostbusters movie released in 2016"
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For Yvan Kate, plastic waste is a personal issue.
Hailing from Togo in West Africa, the undergraduate in business at Warner Pacific University has designed an athletic shoe, which he calls Boundless Motion, that he hopes will elevate his community in his native home. And by using discarded plastic bottles, he hopes his invention, which he will present at the Invent Oregon Collegiate Challenge in June, will move the needle on the climate crisis in the process.
The idea is simple: Kate (pronounced kah-tay) will break down plastic waste into spoolable plastic fibers that can be used in a 3D printer. Empowered with shoe designs that Kate created, the 3D printer will use the plastic filaments to create Kate’s shoes.
Emigrating from Togo to the United States eight years ago, Kate suggests that Boundless Motion is a project that will connect the resources of the United States to people who need them and accomplish a sustainable goal along the way.
“This project I'm launching is about turning plastic waste into a fashionable statement, fashionable wearing shoes,” Kate said. “I think about it every time, back home, we used to play soccer barefooted and I had bruises on my side, my feet. That's crazy. And so and I always wanted to connect the resources between underdeveloped countries such as mine and developed countries like the United States”
Kate’s passion for sustainability came from his first job in the United States, a position removing invasive species with Portland Parks and Recreation. “What we do is we go around removing plastic from beaches. We remove invasive species such as ivy,” Kate said. “And so I've always had connection with Portland Parks and always volunteer and always being there whenever they needed me. And so when that was my very first job in the United States and that inspiration really came from there.”
To bring his idea to life, Kate will have to overcome key challenges connected with the material Boundless Motion will work with, PLA and other plastic commonly used for water bottles. “PLA is not always comfortable under the feet, which is why I want to utilize the plastic bottle for the sole of the shoes,” Kate said. “I want it to be unique in a way where it's adaptable.”
To make the shoe more comfortable, Kate envisions using a lightweight sole made out of plastic bottles that forms beneath the foot like an airless tire. “The soul of the shoe will be using light and particle material,” Kate said. “That is just a fancy way of saying that there will be airflow going through and out of the sole of the shoes.”
To add even more comfort, Kate designed the upper sole of the shoe out of 3D netting to take advantage of 3D printing technology—a choice that would also allow the shoe to fit to the shape of the wearer’s foot.
By utilizing plastic waste, Boundless Motion could take an important step on a global problem. “Right now, experts say that in 30 years there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish, and thinking about that is kind of scary to me” Kate said.
In Togo, fishing is a major economic driver. Where plastic waste washes up onshore, the problem demands an urgent solution for the vitality of Kate’s community.
“It was by luck that I'm even here now. It was a lottery ticket,” Kate said. “And out of all the survivors that wanted this chance, I was the one that was granted his chance. And I can never take that for granted.”


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Just a couple of days ago, we reported that Samsung is moving fast with its microLED panel development for smartwatches and some believe that Apple will use them for its future Watch Series. However, the latest report puts LG Display into the mix as well.
An industry source says that LG Display has already set up operations and it’s producing backplanes for microLED screens in small quantities. Production will likely kick off in the second half of 2024, so the first Apple Watch with a microLED display is supposed to arrive in 2025.
This contradicts the recent report on Samsung’s microLED production, as analysts believe that LG’s rival will be ready with its displays as early as next year. It’s possible that Samsung would use the tech for its Galaxy Watch lineup before providing its microLEDs to Apple. Also, Apple loves to diversify its supply chains, so it’s more likely that it will want to strike deals with both companies and introduce a microLED smartwatch in 2025.


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A horrifying video of animals being skinned alive and child workers being exposed to toxic chemicals has laid bare the horrific reality of the leather industry in some parts of the world.
For two years animal rights charity PETA Germany, with journalist Manfred Karremann, investigated the billion-dollar leather industry in Bangladesh.
New footage reveals that animals are skinned alive for shoes, belts, jackets, handbags and other products that are exported around the globe.
The video, narrated by pop singer Leona Lewis, says an estimated two million cows are transported on severely crowded trucks thousands of miles from India – where it is illegal in most states to slaughter them – to Bangladesh every year.
Many arrive with broken tails and open wounds and are so weak and malnourished that they cannot even stand.
In abattoirs, or illegally on the streets, their throats are cut with a knife - and some still struggle to escape as their skin is peeled off.
Tanneries use toxic chemicals to prevent animals' skin from decaying.
Unprotected workers, including children, stand barefoot as they soak hides in carcinogenic chemicals, cut the skins with knives, and operate dangerous machinery – some losing fingers in the process.
The toxic waste is then dumped into the river, which has become a bubbling swamp.
Most workers have chronic respiratory problems because of the chemical vapours and lack of ventilation.
An estimated 90 per cent of tannery workers die before reaching the age of 50.
"The production of leather hurts animals, workers and the environment", Lewis says in the video.
"Please consider the impact that your purchases have, and buy only cruelty-free synthetic, natural fibre and other vegan clothing and accessories."


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The need for a safe, inexpensive and possibly reusable, face mask for medical professionals and health workers has never been this important with the COVID-19 outbreak and the rising number of positive cases daily.
Even as several public and private institutions are racing against time to come up with different face shields, BITS-Pilani Hyderabad has unveiled a simple and cheap face mask.
MEMS, Microfluidics and Nanoelectronics (MMNE) lab of the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering of the institute has developed a 3D printed face mask for medical professionals.
The face shield has been realised using a simple design and fabricated by utilising a polylactic acid based biocompatible and biodegradable filament, and a 0.1 mm thick A4 size lamination sheet.
Professor Sanket Goel and his research associate Avinash Kothuru have come up with this device that costs just ₹40. It takes just three hours to make the mask, and the time can be further reduced by increasing the layer-height and the required resolution.
They said that the face mask can be reused as it is made of high melting point and it has been found to be water and air insulated.


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EVENT: The Future of High Cost Credit: Fintech and Other Stories
- Andrew Bailey (CEO, FCA), Which?, Sian Williams (Toynbee Hall)
- 9.00am-10.30am, Wednesday 2nd May, The Attlee Suite, Portcullis House
- To register please email email@example.com
It is now 4 years since the FCA took over regulation of the UK’s £200 bn consumer credit market, gaining responsibility for supervising 34,000 businesses. It has completed a credit card market study and proposed new rules to deal with persistent debt. In the high cost credit sector the FCA has capped the cost of payday loans and has identified key areas of concern in overdrafts, rent-to-own, home-collected credit and catalogue credit. It has also started a study of Personal Contract Purchase in the car finance market.
The Money Advice Service found that 8.3 million consumers are living with problem debt. People accessing debt advice are getting younger with renters particularly at risk of overindebtedness. The rise of the gig economy and income insecurity have increased the need for access to sustainable forms of consumer credit.
The PRA has said that risks to lenders from consumer credit remain elevated and noted issues in markets for 0% credit card deals and larger personal loans. Consumer groups have called for more effective affordability tests and for the FCA to expand its approach to price capping to other high cost credit markets.
Andrew Bailey, CEO of the FCA, has expressed concern that there is not currently a sustainable supply of credit available but that the regulator can’t bring this about on its own and that it needs Government involvement. He has indicated that the FCA will put the consumer credit market at the heart of its agenda this year. This raises a number of questions:
- What further work does the regulator have planned in the Consumer Credit market?
- Where are the key risks to consumers?
- Has the FCA done enough to tackle the key drivers of overindebtedness?
- Does the regulator require politicians to make decisions about the introduction of price caps in other sectors of the consumer credit market?
- How can fintech help improve the experience of high-cost credit for customers?
- What other actions can be taken by the FCA, Government and others to promote a sustainable supply of consumer credit?
At the event Andrew Bailey (CEO, FCA) will give a speech followed by reaction from a Panel including Which? and Sian Williams (Toynbee Hall).
Do join us for what we expect to be an insightful event. Please could you confirm your attendance by emailing firstname.lastname@example.org