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Captain Pat Cummins is set to return after serving a seven-day isolation period for a close contact with Covid-19, while Josh Hazlewood is in doubt. The BBC found Facebook posts claiming to sell Covid vaccine passes to people who hadn’t been jabbed. She had already walked for 60 hours through the wet, dark forests of Poland, trying to make her way to Germany, when the 29-year-old Syrian Kurd twisted her knee. Finally, they reached a Polish village where a car took them across the border into Germany — for a life she hopes will be free.
That’s why A’Shira Nelson of Savvy Girl Money is staying well away. Most crypto experts are optimistic that Bitcoin will rise in value by 2025, with its price ranging between $100,000 to $400,000 per BTC. 2025 will very much likely be the year of Bitcoin with a considerable probability of doubling its price. Increased institutional adoption, dwindling supply with the upcoming halving event, and increased fiat currency inflation are some of the reasons Bitcoin will grow in value by 2025. Pavel believes this trend will continue onwards and until 2025, Bitcoin will have replaced gold as a global reserve asset. It’ll start an enormous bull market and lead BTC prices to as high as $500,000. Different crypto experts hold varied opinions regarding the price of Bitcoin in 2025. In one study to map the future outlook of Bitcoin, a panel consisting of 42 crypto experts. They included crypto asset managers and cryptanalysts, predicted the price of Bitcoin in 2025.
Mr Draper said in 2014 that Bitcoin could reach $10,000 in just three years, something that happened in 2017, exactly on the date he predicted. When he explained that bitcoin could reach that price ($10,000), the cryptocurrency was traded just at $413 dollars. Going much more long-term, Novogratz said it was within the realm of possibility that the bitcoin market cap could one day reach the current market cap of gold, which is around a whopping $8 trillion USD. Last year everyone was going bonkers for Bitcoin, and that’s no surprise, seeing as how the number one cryptocurrency had an absolutely explosive price performance in 2017. Things have cooled off in 2018 as prices fell significantly, however many are still bullish about Bitcoin’s long-term potential. If you decide to buy, all the top cryptocurrency exchanges sell Bitcoin. Use them to buy it safely, and hold through whatever ups and downs may come.
“I thought the market was maturing and these things would be less frequent and severe. Experts recommend keeping your cryptocurrency investments to under 5% of your portfolio. If you’ve done that, then don’t stress about the swings, because they’re going to keep happening, according to Bill Noble, chief technical analyst at Token Metrics, a cryptocurrency analytics platform. Bitcoin mining hardware is displayed at a bitcoin conference in New York City. At present, the average prediction of its panel indicates that BTC will be worth $249,578 by 2025 — approximately quadruple what it is right now. And by 2030, they believe a single coin will have a value of $5,237,082. Well, John McAfee says Bitcoin’s price is going to be 2 million in USD in 2020. Lots of BTC holders are trying to speculate on the price, that’s understandable.
If Bitcoin breaks through that level, more losses are ahead, but if prices can hold above the support, then it might be the beginning of a new rally, Purves predicted. Some Bitcoin watchers on Wall Street see more losses ahead for the world’s largest cryptocurrency. Breaking down everything you need to know about Bitcoin mining, from blockchain and block rewards to proof of work and mining pools. Learn about altcoins, how they work, and which are the most popular. Mainstream investors, governments, economists, and scientists took notice, and other entities began developing cryptocurrencies to compete with Bitcoin. The price changes for Bitcoin alternately reflect investor enthusiasm and dissatisfaction with its promise. Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous Bitcoin inventor, designed it for use as a medium for daily transactions and a way to circumvent traditional banking infrastructure after the 2008 financial collapse. As an asset class, Bitcoin continues to evolve along with the factors that influence its prices.
Why would I go and grab some weird fiat subject to the will of some governments? That’s certainly the most aggressive price prediction anyone’s made for BTC yet. But if that insane price materializes, McAfee will end up looking like even more of a madman genius than he already is. In an even newer Twitter exchange, McAfee explained that he believes the BTC price could reach into the billions one day. “We can expect many novice retail investors – who may not have the financial resilience needed – to get burned in the dogecoin frenzy, in the same way they did with the GameStop one,” Green added. There is no cap to its supply, unlike bitcoin, which has a hardwired limit of about 21m coins. Cryptopolitan predicted two days ago a move for BTC below $45,000. The site was correct in that prediction, which leads into its second prediction of a lower price consolidation incoming. With Marathon riding Bitcoin’s coattails, rather than relying on innovation like a traditional business, it looks to be a very risky investment. The second key difference between these two companies is that Marathon also directly acquired Bitcoin as an investment.
Bitcoin is currently the leading cryptocurrency in the industry in terms of capitalization and monthly volume. The course growth is facilitated by the rapid increase in the number of network users and bitcoin recognition as a legal tender by many companies and financial institutions around the world. An important role was also played by the opportunity given to holders to receive Bitcoin Cash coins for free due to a hard fork on August 1. Started in late 2013, the corrective downward movement of the course became the longest in history. After several months of fluctuation in the range of $0.06–0.07 in October, coin’s cost began to overgrow.
According to Finder, the average prediction indicates that BTC will peak at $80,021 this year — however, the forecast indicates prices will later cool to $71,415 as 2021 draws to a close. Bitcoin may fall short of hitting six figures this year, a poll of 50 fintech specialists suggests. The price can correct soon, but we are not sure it’s going to crash in the nearest future. After a slight rebound, the price continues to move down and on December 15 reaches an annual minimum of $3,200. Then, within 3 days, the price again returns to the region of $4,200. In mid-January 2013, a new cycle of rapid growth in coin’s cost began, which reached its peak on April 11; for 1 ₿ is equal to $266. Analyst Stephen Perrenod believes that the assumption of multiple increases in the price of the first cryptocurrency will occur. Get smarter with context and commentary on the week’s top blockchain & crypto trends in Asia. Fred Schebesta is a co-founder of Finder, a global personal finance comparison website.
InvestingCube is noting that Bitcoin is below its 25-week moving average. Keeping with the bearish trend, it predicts BTC to fall to around $32,000 before any significant rebound. Others still say that the coin is simply going through some growing pains on its way to $100,000. The billionaire entrepreneur has dealt an unexpected blow to the crypto play that has many wondering if it will be able to pick itself up. The blow comes in the form of a series of tweets, calling into question Bitcoin’s power consumption. A vastly improved search engine helps you find the latest on companies, business leaders, and news more easily.
House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday as lawmakers figure out how to best regulate cryptocurrencies. Therefore, massive surges and falls in price typically reflect changing demand conditions, such as a growing number of new institutional investors. That’s why most analysts caution amateur investors against cryptocurrencies, though they say the assets can make sense if held as long-term investments or for professional investors. For example, the billionaire promoted a virtual currency called Dogecoin, which started off as a joke. That sparked a surge in prices, but the currency then crashed after Musk referred to it as a “hustle” when he hosted Saturday Night Live this month. And this week, China’s central bank banned financial institutions from taking part in any transactions made up of cryptocurrencies. Many virtual currency adherents are deeply skeptical of the role governments and central banks play in the financial system. The irony is that as investments in Bitcoin and other assets become more widespread, they will attract more regulatory scrutiny.
The opportunity is hard to ignore — when Bitcoin hit an all-time high of more than $68,000 last week, analysts predicted that it would soon top $70,000. While scary for investors, Angel said that this type of rise and fall is not surprising for a speculative market like this. Then there was the May 12 tweet from Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla. He announced that the company would no longer be accepting Bitcoin as payment, due to environmental concerns. Yes, according to our Bitcoin prediction, Bitcoin will reach $100,000 by the end of 2024. Yes, Based on a mathematical and scientific blockchain algorithm, it is highly unlikely that Bitcoin gets hacked. As owners of Bitcoin, you are anyway Masters of your own wallet and hence safekeeping thereof falls in your periphery of accountability. It is never too late to get into Bitcoin, just like it is never too late to get into gold. BTC would start the year 2024 with an average price of $86,000; Bitcoin can trade around the price of $92,000 in 2024. Almost three-quarters of crypto savvy think NFTs are here to stay and that they’ll become mainstream, but four out of five believe it’s not the best time for retail investors to jump in the NFT waters.
Fears of another economic slowdown mixed with heightened worry by the Federal Reserve over inflation. Chairman Jerome Powell said last week that the central bank was prepared to pull back its easy-money policies quicker than previously expected, opening the door to raising interest rates in the first half of next year. Another possible factor accelerating the bitcoin selloff was the unwinding of heavily leveraged crypto derivatives, said Noelle Acheson, head of market insights at cryptolender Genesis Global Trading. She pointed to a large sell order that might have triggered margin calls and liquidations for investors. While Navellier is making a dramatic prediction, bitcoin has endured a few 80% dives before, the most recent of which started in December 2017 and spanned most of 2018. There were plenty of causes, including the government’s refusal to allow a bitcoin ETF to trade, fears about hacks, and warnings from prominent investors like Warren Buffett. Navellier says that as rates rise and investors get risk averse, bitcoin could fall back to $10,000.
Our experts have ranked and reviewed thetop online stock brokers- simplyclick hereto see the results and learn how to take advantage of the free trades and cash bonuses that our top-rated brokers are offering. If you’re OK on retirement savings and have your emergency fund topped up, take a look at your other savings goals. If you have money to spare — money you can afford to lose — you’re all good. But if, for example, you’re saving for a house down payment, it isn’t a great idea to put that cash into Bitcoin. This is an extremely volatile investment, and you don’t want to ruin your chances of buying a house because your Bitcoin investments halved in value in a matter of weeks. They believe what we’ve seen this year is a cryptocurrency bubble, which could burst and leave investors with nothing. Coinbase is likely also getting a boost from Bitcoin being legitimized, in some capacity. Read more about Buy Dragonchain here. In September, El Salvador became the first country to officially legalize the world’s leading cryptocurrency as tender. If businesses become more accepting of Bitcoin, and governments are more tolerant of its use, demand for Bitcoin could grow.
In response to the inflation report, Deutsche Bank lowered its near-term economic growth forecasts and said it now expects a period of “stagflation” – a period of stagnant demand and high inflation. Gold also rose to its highest level since June following the U.S. inflation report. The precious metal reversed its negative correlation with bitcoin on Wednesday as seen in the chart above. The process of requiring network contributors to dedicate time and resources to creating new blocks ensures the network remains secure. As of 2021, the Bitcoin network consumes about 93 terawatt hours of electricity per year – around the same energy consumed by the 34th-largest country in the world. Bitcoin’s price is renowned for being highly volatile, but despite that, it has become the top performing asset of any class over the past decade – climbing a staggering 9,000,000% between 2010 and 2020. Indeed, like a lot of investors, Morris Jr. got his start by writing checks on the side of his full-time job. The United States is set to become the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas exporter in 2022, surpassing Qatar and Australia, and may hold that title for years to come. Global LNG demand has hit record highs each year since 2015, due mostly to surging demand in China and the rest of Asia.
Soon, it was adopted, and other crypto assets like Ethereum andLitecoinwere created. Gary Gensler, who took over as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission last month, has said that cryptocurrency markets would benefit from more oversight to protect investors. Domestic banks and other financial institutions from supporting bitcoin. That includes processing payments, allowing customers to hold bitcoin in their accounts and converting bitcoin into yuan or any other currency. “At least over the short-term. If everyone believes Bitcoin is worth nothing, and they take action, selling Bitcoins, the price could drop to zero.” Pinpointing the exact cause of market fluctuations is difficult. Nonetheless, our cryptocurrency experts said that this shows how rapidly prices can fluctuate with a speculative market like Bitcoin. BTC will be worth around $120K-$150K in the year 2025, according to our Bitcoin price predictions.
World currency prices are based on rates obtained via Open Exchange Rates. However, the crypto’s value started tumbling in mid-May owing to China’s intense crackdown on mining activities. Other negative headlines, notably Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk U-turn on his decision to accept Bitcoin payments. He termed Bitcoin mining activities as bad for the environment.
Speculation, investment product hype, irrational exuberance, or investor panic and fear can also be expected to affect Bitcoin’s price because demand will rise and fall with investors’ sentiments. Like other currencies, products, or services within a country or economy, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency prices depend on perceived value and supply and demand. If people believe that Bitcoin is worth a specific amount, they will pay it, especially if they think it will increase in value. Bitcoin reached an all-time price high of about $68,950 on Wednesday after a report showed higher-than-expected inflation in October.
The subsequent fall is again accompanied by a fling of negative news from Korea, where authorities have advocated banning the anonymous trading of cryptocurrencies. After another four days, the exchange rate again fell to $10 and then jumped sharply to $25. The events that were saturated in 2010 gave an impetus to the first serious growth. It all started with the launch on February 6 of the BitcoinMarket.com crypto exchange, where 1 coin initially cost $0.003. We will observe the most popular and trusted Bitcoin price prediction websites in order to compare price forecasts for 2021. According to another price prediction website digitalcoinprice.com, the price in 2020 was supposed to vary between $18,359 and $42,293. As of December 2020, we can say that this prediction has not met the expectations. It’s almost impossible to read the news or scroll through your timeline without a story about non-fungible tokens popping up.
Even if the price falls more tomorrow, that difference will likely be negligible in the long run. Tips and tricks from the experts delivered straight to your inbox that could help you save thousands of dollars. Because people can hold more than one address, it is hard to be sure how many people this represents. However, it does show that thousands have bought and held Bitcoin in this dip. Many or all of the products here are from our partners that pay us a commission. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation. Indication Investments Ltd is deemed authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The nature and extent of consumer protections may differ from those for firms based in the UK.
But once 2018 hit, a major Bitcoin trend change occurred, and the price started going down. Due to how volatile Bitcoin is, market price retraced as much as 80% down to $3,000 where it eventually bottomed, leaving many wondering “will Bitcoin go up in value ever again? ” Others knew Bitcoin will rise again, and opened long positions at the bear market bottom. Bitcoin started off its life virtually worthless, with a value of far less than a penny when the Bitcoin Core client code was released into the wild. Years later, it began trading at over $1,000 and started to be considered as a serious financial asset with long term potential. Because Bitcoin is so powerful and has so much potential, Bitcoin’s projected value and estimated growth could be astronomical.


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Businesses both large and small have caught onto the fact that they need to have a presence on social media. From Twitter to Facebook to Instagram and more, businesses are using these platforms to advertise their products, share their latest news, and reach out to customers. Some major brands like Pepsi, Whole Foods, and Southwest Airlines have millions of followers, but does having millions of followers mean those followers buy your brand?
While people of all ages are active on social media, the way they use it and what they use it for differs. Just last month, Sprout Social polled 1,000 internet users in the baby boomer, Gen-X, and millennial categories. It found that Gen-Xers and millennials are twice as likely to follow a brand on social media compared to baby boomers.
People of different ages also follow brands for different reasons. The poll found that millennials follow for information and for entertainment while Gen-Xers follow for contests and deals. Baby boomers follow for a mix of both information and deals.
Even though age affects which brands individuals follow, it doesn’t affect whether or not they buy from them. Around 70 percent of Gen-Xers, 60 percent of millennials, and 50 percent of baby boomers say they are likely to buy something from a brand that they follow.
In addition, they’re even more likely to buy when they’ve had a positive interaction with the brand. So if you own a business and are present on social media, make sure you respond to your customers in a timely and friendly manner – it could up your chances of them becoming a customer.

domain: news


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A mutual fund boutique in North Carolina is gaining local and national media attention for its strong performance.
U.S. News & World Report
| Benton Bragg|
Bragg Financial Advisors
President, Chairman of Investment Committee
, in its "best mutual funds" list, ranks the Queens Road Small Cap Value Fund
] as the number one "best fit small value" fund around. And the Charlotte Business Journal
picked up on the U.S. News
Charlotte-based Bragg Financial Advisors
is a 50-year-old financial planning shop run by Benton Bragg
, John Bragg
, and Phillips Bragg
, sons of founder Frank Bragg
. Steve Scruggs
, son-in-law to that same founder, runs' Bragg Financial Advisors' Queens Road Funds business. The five-star Queens Road Small Cap Value Fund
has $120.4 million in AUM, while the four-star Queens Road Value Fund
has $38.4 million in AUM. The two funds launched in 2002.
The firm now has 19 employees and more than $1.1 billion in assets.
Neil Anderson, Managing Editor
Stay ahead of the news ... Sign up for our email alerts now


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Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) are garnering significant attention as central banks around the world explore their potential benefits and risks. A CBDC is a digital form of a country’s currency issued and backed the central bank. Unlike cryptocurrencies, CBDCs are backed the credibility and trust of the central bank, providing a modernized representation of money in the digital age.
Central banks play a crucial role in controlling the money supply and interest rates, overseeing commercial banks, and acting as lenders of last resort. They aim to keep inflation in check, maintain stable currency values, and foster economic growth and stability. With the rise of digital solutions and the popularity of cryptocurrencies, central banks are exploring CBDCs to adapt to changing financial landscapes.
The Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States, has been actively engaging in discussions about the potential benefits and risks of a U.S. CBDC. While they recognize the emergence of new financial products and services, including cryptocurrencies, the Fed’s priority is ensuring public confidence in the U.S. currency and payment systems. They are seeking diverse perspectives, developing international standards, and engaging citizens to make informed decisions about a U.S. CBDC.
However, concerns regarding regulation, consumer protection, and the role of government have also emerged. Opponents of CBDCs worry about excessive government control, potential government surveillance, and the elimination of financial privacy. Critics argue that excessive regulation could stifle innovation and create an anti-competitive environment. Financial discrimination and the potential for government-imposed restrictions based on a social credit system are also major concerns.
A recent poll conducted YouGov and the Cato Institute found that 34% of Americans oppose the implementation of a central bank digital currency, while only 16% are in favor. Concerns about government control, the elimination of cash, and cyberattacks significantly influence people’s perspectives.
As discussions on CBDCs continue, finding a balance between regulation and innovation is crucial. Advocates argue that robust regulation is necessary to ensure consumer protection, mitigate risks, and establish a fair and transparent framework. Opponents caution against overregulation and emphasize the importance of maintaining privacy and fostering innovation.
In conclusion, CBDCs have the potential to revolutionize financial systems and increase accessibility to digital transactions. However, concerns regarding regulation, privacy, and government control must be addressed to ensure the successful implementation of CBDCs.
1. Federal Reserve Act of 1913
2. “Understanding Central Banks and the Fed” – Retrieved from PRNewswire-PRWeb
3. Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Monetary and Economic Department paper
4. “Reasons Why Central Banks Are Exploring CBDCs” – Retrieved from PRNewswire-PRWeb
5. “The Federal Reserve’s Perspective” – Retrieved from PRNewswire-PRWeb
6. “The Public’s Perspective” – Retrieved from PRNewswire-PRWeb
7. “Regulation and Writing Their Own Rules” – Retrieved from PRNewswire-PRWeb


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New research has found that people who ride bikes, walk or take public transport spend 40 per more each month in local shops than people who drive.
The research from University College London’s Bartlett School of Planning was conducted in areas of London that had recently benefited from Transport for London’s ‘Healthy Streets Approach’ which included the addition of separate cycleways.
The research has been published as part of a new online hub demonstrating the economic benefits of designing streets for people that are easy to access by foot or bike.
One example is in Bromley, where following a number of streetscape improvements, the number of people walking in the streets increased by 93 per cent. People also spent more time in the street, with a 216 per cent increase in activity such as going into shops or cafes.
As a result of the increased – and improved – footfall, retail rental values increased by 7.5% and there was a 17% decline in retail vacancies.
The research helps build the economic business case for investing in cycling and walking infrastructure by showing an important link between creating accessible and enjoyable spaces where people want to spend time and money.
By making it easier and more appealing for more people to walk and ride, the whole community benefits by creating vibrant and thriving streets with not only more shoppers but more shops.
London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner Will Norman said: “With businesses across London really struggling to survive, we have to do everything we can to support them.
“Adapting our streets to enable more people to walk and cycle makes them cleaner, healthier and more welcoming, which encourages more people to shop locally.”
Closer to home, the research adds further weight to arguments for main street makeovers to revitalise the shopping precincts of Sydney Road and Chapel Street in Melbourne.


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By Dan Orlando
At first glance, the rise of online shopping and the ease with which consumers can have digital purchases delivered straight to their doorstep should deal a formidable blow to the value of high-priced retail space in the seller’s market that is Manhattan.
But thanks to brokers like Arthur Maglio of Douglas Elliman, the retail sector is in a time of expansion and activity rather than retreat and dormancy.
Maglio started his real estate career at a small firm after school. “When I went to school, I graduated with a degree in finance,” he told Real Estate Weekly, “but at the time, real estate was a very, very hot topic.
“I kind of caught the buzz of that. Something just drove me to real estate.”
The buzz that led the young sales consultant on a quest to find his niche.
At the Mazzeo Agency, a Weichert branch of the residential and commercial powerhouse, Maglio tried his hand at both residential and commercial leasing.
He landed on the commercial side and has been with Douglas Elliman since 2006, where he’s become one of the most important assets to retail chair, Faith Hope Consolo. “I’ve been here about eight years now,” said Maglio. “For me, it’s a little bit like a family atmosphere. It’s not just talking about deals, about business. It’s why I’ve really found a home here.”
Working with Consolo and her team, Maglio has been very active in the push to create a vivacious retail environment in the previously unsought realm of upper Manhattan.
“Upper Manhattan is starting to really take fire,” said Maglio. “Retailers and a lot of restaurants are sort of waking up to the fact that there is a thriving market there.
“Our group has done probably over 200 transactions in the upper Manhattan market in the past six years.”
The spread to the area may have been unthinkable ten years ago, but as Manhattan continues to shift from a structure of centralized corridors, like Midtown’s Fifth Avenue, into a dispersed model including FiDi, Hudson Yards and Manhattan West, Maglio compares neighborhoods like Harlem to a shiny new toy.
Labeling it a “chain effect,” the retail specialist said that “if one or two retailers go, everybody starts to wonder what’s going on and asking themselves ‘should we be there.’”
While it was refuted for some time, Macy’s, one of the most iconic department store brands in the history of Manhattan, is still looking to open a location in the northern part of the borough.
“Everybody is always looking for the newest, hottest thing out there,” said Maglio, citing several recent high profile retail deals in emerging retail markets.
In September, Saks Fifth Avenue revealed that it was moving its headquarters to the surging market of lower Manhattan.
The new 85,000 s/f location will serve as an anchor to the Brookfield Place development in the rebranded and resurgent Financial District.
Nordstrom, a Seattle-based store whose main Northeast presence emanates from about 40 minutes West of Manhattan in the suburbs of New Jersey, also made a recent commitment to set up shop in New York.
It won’t be quietly sneaking across the Hudson either. While not heading quite as far north as Harlem, the retailer will be anchoring a towering new skyscraper on West 57th when the building is completed in about four years.
Despite the flurry of activity, Maglio acknowledges that technological innovations do in fact pose an obstacle to physical store locations, especially in high-priced areas.
“I think going forward with the brand they have built, the brick and mortar stores are still going to be hurt,” he said, pointing out that the name recognition of many brands still draws people through the doors.
The reality is that while restaurants and grocery stores offer an experience that may be harder to replicate through digital means, online shopping clearly cuts into the pool of instore-generated revenue.
Regardless, he feels that major players will still covet a storefront in Manhattan because of the one-of-a kind exposure and because there will always be consumers that prefer to shop by foot.
“It’s still going to be brick and mortar,” Maglio said when asked if storefronts were a sustainable model for the foreseeable future. “Most consumers I speak to — including myself — are going to want to touch and feel what it is they’re looking for.”
Maglio cited Barnes & Nobles, which operates three physical locations in Manhattan, as a retailer that wielded the power of its brand and a willingness to adapt in its successful effort to maintain a physical presence in the city. “What happened with the bookstores when their products were going to become obsolete?” Maglio asked, pointing out that Barnes & Noble still continues to draw New York customers in to buy more expensive, physical copies of books as opposed to ordering digital copies from the comfort of home.
Maglio is optimistic and that new commercial epicenters emerging on Manhattan will only stoke the fire of the current retail market even if new challenges are rising up to face it.
“We’ve really only scratched the surface so far,” he said.


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Facebook some of the companies, including Netflix and Airbnb, have favored users' data in 2015 because it was a " restricting services to most other people, by email to & # 39; company and exhibitions released by a British distributor.
The 223 pages of communications from 2012 to 2015 are between high-quality Facebook staff, including the founder and chief executive of Mark Zuckerberg, a & # 39; shows how the social media company was a revenue debate by going to # 39; selling access to data, moved to capture more consumer data.
Damian Collins, a Conservative member of the British Parliament, made public documents on Wednesday after asking them last month in danger of being licensed by Six4Three. The advocate advocate has been abolished as part of their ongoing lawsuit in a state court in California, saying that Facebook has committed promises to developers.
We need more public debate about the rights of social media users and the small businesses that need to work with technologists. I hope that our committee inquiry can stand up for them.https://t.co/GRtQ5oMdvn
"Facebook [has] A clear agreement was made to timber agreements with specific companies, which meant after the stage changes in 2014/15 that they were in the process of being able to do so. keep full access to friendship data, "said the Parliamentary committee in a statement that looked at the emails.
"It is not clear that there was any user's permission for this, or how Facebook agrees which companies should be returned or not."
Facebook, which is described on the Six4Three case as a baseless, says that the discharged communications are unacceptable without an additional context, but they did not explain.
"We are up to the stage changes we have made in 2015 to stop someone from sharing their friends' data with developers," said a & # 39 company in a statement.
"As an industry, there were many internal discussions about the different ways in which we could build a stable business model for our platform. But the truths are clear: we never sell people's information. "
Although it is registered under a seal and brought into the law, Collins said that the material had to be made public because "they are raising important issues about how Facebook & # 39 ; dealing with consumer data, their policies for working with app developers, and how they use their largest social media market position. "
Data was rejected to competitive applications: MP
Collins has been among the British research leaders about beautiful social media news, one of the many issues that Facebook has put into governments in a number of countries. Data breach, allegations about political bias with Facebook in content suggestions and collective methods have also raised issues from lawyers.
The daily application Badoo and Lyft were among the other "whitelisted" companies for access to data on consumer friends, which showed the documents.
Collins also stated that Facebook had a & # 39; An aggressive place against rival applications by blocking them on any user's data.
The summary of the main issues of the committee that related to the documents stated that the documents also contain; shows that Facebook was aware that the Android Android apps phone system – which allows the Facebook app to be updated, would be updated; collect consumer glass logs – controversial.
"In order to minimize any bad news, Facebook is designed to make it so hard for users to be aware that this is one of the basic features of the app upgrade," said the minutes.
The documents show exchange between Zuckerberg and director of Justin Osofsky in 2013, where they decided to stop data information to give friends on the day that Twitter put social media initiatives into video sharing video service.
"We have prepared PR reactive," wrote Osofsky, who answered Zuckerberg, "Yup, go for it."


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TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A series of Taiwan Expo organized by Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) will be held in five second-tier cities in New Southbound Policy countries in 2019, Liberty Times reported on Tuesday.
While Taiwan Expo had been held in first-tier cities of foreign countries, this year will mark a shift in the practice by moving the expos to five second-tier cities in Southeast Asia. The cities are New Delhi in India, Penang in Malaysia, Hanoi in Vietnam, Surabaja in Indonesia, and Davao in the Philippines.
The Bureau of Foreign Trade (BFT) has authorized TAITRA to organize the Taiwan Expo series since 2017. Instead of focusing on selling products as has been done in the past, this year’s Taiwan Expo will present “Taiwan flavors,” including the country's culture, industry, tourism, and medical resources, to residents of the five cities, reports the BFT.
In the past two years, the Taiwan Expo series has been held in six foreign countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, and India, attracting 1,400 companies to participate, the BFT said.
Along with a slew of associated activities such as cultural performances, industry forums, procurement meetings, and road running events, the expos have attracted 210,000 visits from local residents and enabled 500 enterprises to enter local markets in the past two years, the bureau added.
Chiu Hui-li (邱揮立), the head of TAITRA's industrial promotion section, concluded his experience of holding the expos in the past two years, saying that Malaysians are most enthusiastic about Taiwanese culture, that India’s interest in Taiwanese enterprise has grown, and that Taiwanese enterprises are most interested in Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia.
He added that many New Southbound Policy countries have gained an interest in Taiwan through the expos. For example, 66% of Indonesian expo visitors hadn’t visited Taiwan, but 88% of them became interested in the country after visiting the expos.


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NOREXECO receives license from the Norwegian Ministry of Finance17.09.2014
NOREXECO ASA is now licensed as a regulated marketplace / exchange.
The Norwegian Ministry of Finance has given NOREXECO ASA a license to operate as a regulated market exchange.
For more information please read the press release.
More newsView all posts


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Shares of Qualcomm (QCOM -0.85%) gained 51% in April, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. News that the company had reached an agreement with Apple (AAPL -2.10%) regarding intellectual property (IP) licensing fees for chips used in the consumer hardware giant's mobile devices hit in the middle of the month, prompting massive gains for the chipmaker.
Qualcomm published a press release on April 16, announcing that the two companies had reached an agreement to their long-standing disputes over licensing rates and alleged patent infringement and are dropping all pending litigation. Many details of the agreement remain unknown, but Qualcomm will receive a back payment related to use of its IP in Apple devices and has also signed a big new deal with the iCompany.
The core known points of the recent agreement between Apple and Qualcomm are found below:
- A one-time payment from Apple to Qualcomm, estimated to be between $5 billion and $6 billion.
- A six-year, multichip, direct licensing agreement between the two companies that began on April 1, with an option for a two-year renewal at the end of that period.
- All litigation between the two companies will be withdrawn.
The rapid gains for the stock on the heels of the truce with Apple forced short-sellers to cover their positions, triggering a short squeeze and helping to send shares even higher.
The announcement of an agreement between Apple and Qualcomm ensures the companies will be working together during the pivotal transition to 5G and looks like a significant blow to Intel. Qualcomm's rival in the chip space has been jockeying to get more of its chips into Apple handsets, but that avenue seems to have less opportunity now, and Intel shares have fallen roughly 10% since the deal.
Despite recent sell-offs in the market stemming from late-breaking complications in trade talks between the U.S. and China, Qualcomm stock has continued to inch higher in May. Shares are up roughly 2.5% in the month so far.
The company reported second-quarter earnings on May 1, delivering results that topped the market's expectations. Sales for the period dipped 6.6% year over year to reach $4.88 billion but topped the average analyst estimate by $57.5 million. Earnings more than doubled compared to the prior-year period to come in at $0.77 and topped the average analyst estimate by $0.06.
Qualcomm shares trade at roughly 23 times this year's expected earnings and have a forward yield of roughly 3% after the stock's big gains.


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The latest iPhone rumor indicates that the new iPhone 5 will be a truly global smartphone.
Tech analyst Shaw Wu thinks the sixth generation phone will feature a slightly larger screen and 4G LTE support. More importantly, Apple has plans to make this next generation even more appealing to Chinese customer bases. He also suggested that Apple will work with China Mobile’s TD-SCDMA 3G Network.
China Mobile and China Unicorn have been testing 4G LTE but right now it’s still in the early phases, so they need to stick with 3G. iOS 6 has also made some significant improvements to improve the tech support offered in China. They gave Siri the ability to speak and comprehend both Mandarin and Cantonese; provide an easier method for inputting Chinese characters; and the integration of Chinese-based services like Baidu and Youku.
It appears to be taking Apple quite awhile to perfect their iPhone for markets all across the world and that’s a good thing to do if they want to dominate the global smartphone market. Last time I checked, I haven’t heard of any of Apple’s top competitors going the extra mile to accommodate China or any other growing market for that matter. This is a prime example of why Apple is so successful: they actually take the time to research the market and go the extra mile to provide a product that people actually want. It sounds like this phone could be the best model yet!
Right now, we’re still in limbo as we have no official report regarding the iPhone 5 or when we can expect it’s arrival. Apple will probably unveil sometime in September or October, so we still got a few months to go. In the meantime, we can continue to speculate and dream of what Tim Cook(and the rest of Apple) has in store for us.


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May 7, 2015
Weve was set up as a mobile marketing and wallet joint venture between EE, Vodafone and O2 in the UK. O2 recently bought EE and Vodafone’s stake in Weve and is now its sole owner. As a m-commerce firm, Weve had been making attempts at dwelling into mobile payments. Weve had also partnered with MasterCard last year to drive the adoption of contactless technology in the UK. One of the main reasons behind the joint venture was to also leverage subscriber data for potential advertising opportunities.
Weve had apparently shut down its wallet services back in September last year since the three operators were not reaching in for a mobile payments initiative. EE and Vodafone already have their own mobile payment systems in UK. The difference in opinion among the three operators might have been a key reason behind the joint venture breaking up. Weve will now operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of O2 and will work on the subscriber data pertaining to O2 which includes 6 million users from Priority Moments scheme and 14 million from O2 Wifi.
It seems that Weve will now work only towards advertising aspects. Those who opt-in for Weve’s service can receive location-based SMSs for special offers. Also, O2 itself is poised to be acquired by the Hutchison Whampoa group which owns the operator 3 UK. 3 UK was earlier excluded from being part of the Weve joint venture. With the acquisition of O2 later this year, O2 and 3 UK are the verge of a merger.
This recent use case of Weve again highlights the lack of capability of mobile operators in sustaining mobile payment solutions in the market. Take the case of Softcard, the mobile payments joint venture by AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, the top three operators in the US; Softcard was acquired by the technology giant Google. Google made the acquisition to further its own mobile payment system Google Wallet.
It now seems that operators are not able to match the power of these big players. Considering the UK itself, Google has launched a peer-to-peer payment system, and Apple Pay is also poised to enter the market. Another reason behind the breakage of the Weve joint venture could be the threat from the payment systems of these technology giants.


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Gluten-free alternatives grow at Spokane-area restaurants
Restaurateurs here say demand often is driving their menu adjustmentsAugust 29th, 2013
In 2008, shortly after Shallan Knowles was diagnosed with celiac disease, the co-owner of Out There Monthly magazine created the Gluten Free Spokane website to review restaurants that offered gluten-free dishes.
Back then, Knowles says, few establishments offered gluten-free alternatives, and fewer knew how to do so consistently.
Fast forward five years, and that dynamic has changed, says Knowles, 36. She had tried to keep a list of restaurants that include gluten-free options on their menus, but recently stopped.
"I can't keep track of it," she says. "The industry is growing so fast I can't keep up, which is a good thing."
Knowles estimates that fewer than half of Spokane-area restaurants offer gluten-free options, but they are becoming more commonand arguably more savory. National restaurants with a presence in SpokaneRed Robin Gourmet Burgers and P.F. Chang's China Bistro, among otherswere among the first to add such options here, but a number of locally owned establishments are following suit, she says.
Gluten is a protein found in many grains, and Knowles says people seek gluten-free foods typically due to celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or wheat allergy. People with those conditions typically become nauseous, experience stomach pain, or develop diarrhea after eating food that contains gluten.
"It's hard for restaurants because there are so many variables," Knowles says
Rusty Moose Bar & Grill, located at 9105 U.S. 2 on the West Plains, revamped its menu late last year and added a gluten-free section at the request of a number of customers, says Aaron DeLis, who owns the eatery with his father, Frank.
DeLis says they came up with 26 nongluten menu items, and about a third of Rusty Moose's menu now is gluten free.
"Restaurants go through fads that come and go," DeLis says. "Gluten free is definitely something that will stick around. It's not a fad diet. This is more of a lifestyle."
About 10 months into offering gluten-free entrees, Rusty Moose currently is selling about 250 gluten-free meals a month, which DeLis says is roughly 10 percent of its total.
He says he expects that percentage of the total meals served to grow slowly and steadily, adding, "It's not going to take over the menu."
White Box Pies LLC, located at 28 E. Sharp near Gonzaga University, was an early adopter of the gluten-free movement, offering its first such options seven years ago, says Shirley Glodt, who owns the company with her husband, John.
Now, 80 percent of the company's itemsit serves lunch in addition to selling its baked goodseither are gluten free or can be made gluten free.
Most of the baked goods and the buns used for sandwiches are made with recipes developed in-house and honed through the years through trial and error, Goldt says. It takes a long time to find the right balance when developing a new product that doesn't include flour or other grain-based ingredients. The substitute products often are more coarse and can have a more distinct taste than conventional baking flour.
"You have to be careful with what you do with them," Glodt says. "You don't want a chocolate cake that tastes like garbanzo beans."
In general, she says, gluten-free items are drier than traditional baked goods and don't keep quite as long. Also, White Box Pies doesn't charge extra for the gluten-free alternatives, but the profit margins are a little more narrow.
Many customers, however, come to the restaurant and bakery because of its gluten-free options.
"People come in, and they have tears in their eyes because they can't find this kind of stuff," Glodt says.
Pizza Rita Inc., a Spokane-based takeout- and delivery-pizza operation with four locations here, began offering a medium, thin-crust, gluten-free pizza about a year and a half ago at three of its locations, owner Brian Dickmann says.
He says he looked into gluten-free options a couple of years earlier but felt the quality of crusts was subpar.
"When I tried it three years ago, I thought, 'I don't care what people want. I can't serve this,'" Dickmann says.
Now, the gluten-free crusts that Pizza Rita uses, which are made by Spokane-based pizza crust maker Rizzuto Foods Inc., are "on par" in quality with a traditional thin-crust pizza, he says.
Only 2 percent of Pizza Rita's total orders involve gluten-free crusts, Dickmann says, and he doesn't expect that share to change dramatically.
Regardless, he says, it's important to make the option available so those who can't eat flour and other grains "get to eat pizza with everybody else."
Knowles says that, while restaurants want the food to taste like the goods that contain flour and other grains, having a product that's safe is most important to those who have celiac disease, are gluten intolerant, or have a wheat allergy.
"We're more sensitive about it being safe than having the best bun, for example," Knowles says. "Having a bun puts you miles ahead of most."
Restaurateurs who offer gluten-free dishes say the biggest challenge is protecting against cross-contamination. Such measures involve thorough hand washing and using separate food-preparation surfaces, utensils, and ingredient containers in making gluten-free dishes.
"It's a pretty simple procedure," Dickmann says. "You just have to follow it every time."
DeLis says the decision to offer gluten-free options requires extensive training of staff to understand the procedures and the consequencesthat someone could get sickif those procedures aren't followed.
Knowles says that for full-service restaurants with wait staff, it's just as important for servers to understand the rules as it is for cooks.
"The server is the translator, and that translator needs to be well versed in the language," she says.
DeLis says he expects more restaurants to develop gluten-free items, but he says in his experience, they should complement established offerings and not stray far from core strengths.
"In the restaurant business, net profits aren't easy to come by," he says. "Every restaurant should take a step back and take a look at it and see if you can get it done."


text: Home Video Interview Ray Dalio. Dow 26,000. CNBC. VideoInterviewMarijuana Investor WireNEWSSTOCKS Ray Dalio. Dow 26,000. CNBC. By Editor, MSR - January 24, 2018 Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest WhatsApp RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR Marijuana Investor Wire First Shipment to $100 Million* Annual Supply Agreement Sent. NEWS Crop’s (CRXPF) Washington Crop Approved, Open for Business! CBD Alkaine88 CBD Drinks Coming to Market. MOST POPULAR Christmas Idea: Fizzics Waytap – Draft Beer System December 18, 2017 Global Cannabis Applications Corp. (FUAPF) $0.13 Closes Private Placement November 16, 2017 Revelers.IO Music: “Faxing Berlin,” deadmau5 October 17, 2018 Marijuana Revenue Tracker of Public Companies (NCV). December 18, 2017 Load more HOT NEWS NEWS Millennials Are Opening E*Trade Accounts To Trade Crypto And Weed Stocks.... Client Our #1 Marijuana Short/Long Term Idea? Crop Infrastructure (CRXPF) $0.15, (CROP)... NEWS Corbus (CRBP) and Cara (CARA) on Motley Fool. Crowdfunding High Times, Fund Raising Video.


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More needs to be done to help businesses prepare for the introduction of Making Tax Digital (MTD), according to the Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT).
The call comes after a report which indicated that many small businesses and landlords remain unprepared for the start of MTD. The report was commissioned by HMRC from Ipsos MORI to help the tax authority understand the factors that influence the willingness of small businesses and landlords to transition into MTD.
From April 2019, businesses above the VAT threshold will be mandated to keep their records digitally and provide quarterly updates to HMRC for VAT purposes.
The findings of the report have led the ATT to recommend that HMRC step up their publicity efforts and produce clear, practical guidance to ensure that all relevant businesses are ready for this change. While MTD will not be compulsory for income tax until April 2020 at the earliest, the ATT also recommends that the turnover threshold for that tax be confirmed soon, to remove uncertainty and encourage affected businesses to start their preparations.
Yvette Nunn, co-chair of ATT’s technical steering group, said: “This report highlights that, although the MTD proposals have been around for some time, there remains a large amount of work to do to get small and medium sized businesses up to speed.
“Lack of awareness of the MTD requirements remains a serious problem. At the time of the survey 60 per cent had not heard about either the digital record keeping or quarterly reporting requirements of MTD.”
Nunn added: “It would be helpful for the turnover threshold for MTD for income tax to be confirmed as soon as possible. Removing that element of uncertainty could encourage those businesses which will have to comply with MTD requirements in future to start making preparations for their introduction. Without this, many small businesses and landlords will remain reluctant to commit time and resources to prepare for requirements which they believe may never apply to them.”


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With the promise that 'your horizons are going to change forever'
After the world’s most drawn-out development process, can India’s latest machine be anything but a let-down?
Spy shots reveal Ducati's Diavel is getting a cruiser makeover
2016 commemorative edition revealed in America suggests yes
New look for Chinese ER-6-alike
MV Agusta's CEO unveils plans for revamped litre-range
Honda's MotoGP-inspired RC213V-S could be unveiled June 11
Entry-level 125 scooter joins Yamaha's packed stable
Two-seater derived from uber-expensive 1190RS
Visordown is part of the CMG Full Throttle Network© : welcoming over 3 million consumers each month
© CMG Ltd 2016. This website is owned and published by Crash Media Group Limited. www.cmg.london


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The 2016 cruise season at Port of Halifax will begin on April 30, 2016 with the arrival of the Veendam, a Holland America Line vessel. “This is a wonderful way to start our 2016 cruise season in Halifax,” said Cathy McGrail, Director of Cruise and Corporate Communications for Port of Halifax. “Holland America has been a tremendous partner over the years, and Veendam is one of the vessels calling Halifax that is equipped to take on shore power. Starting off the season in this way is a good representation of the partnerships and innovations that have helped develop a strong cruise offering in Halifax.”
With 135 vessels expected during the 2016 cruise season carrying approximately 240,000 cruise guests plus crew, the port is preparing for another busy year. This year, the passenger capacity onboard a single vessel record in Halifax will be broken twice. Norwegian Lines’ Breakaway is scheduled to call on June 29, 2016; with a passenger capacity of 4500 plus crew, this will be the highest number of cruise guests on a single vessel until the arrival of Anthem of the Seas September 1, 2016, which has passenger capacity of 4,905 plus crew.
2016 highlights will include eight inaugural calls, two visits of Queen Mary 2, three visits by Disney Magic. September 15 is expected to be the busiest passenger day with over 9,000 passengers plus crew expected.
“The cruise sector is important to Nova Scotia’s tourism economy,” said Martha Stevens, Acting CEO, Tourism Nova Scotia. “Cruise passengers spend money on food, shopping, and excursions, and are introduced to some of the unique experiences that make Nova Scotia an attractive vacation destination.”


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Adobe Systems Reports First Quarter Results Exceeds Operating Profit Target
Press release from the issuing company
San Jose, Calif., (March 15, 2001) (NASDAQ:ADBE) -Adobe Systems Incorporated today reported financial results for its first quarter ended March 2, 2001.
In the first quarter of fiscal 2001, Adobe achieved revenue of $329 million, compared to $282.2 million reported for the first quarter of fiscal 2000 and $355.2 million reported in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2000. This represents 17 percent year over year revenue growth, with application revenue growth of 20 percent.
Pro forma diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of fiscal 2001, which excludes non-operating gains and losses, were $0.33. This exceeds the original operating profit target the Company gave on December 14, 2000.
"We are pleased to report excellent year over year pro forma operating profit growth of 33 percent and solid year over year revenue growth of 17 percent in a difficult economic environment," said Bruce R. Chizen, president and chief executive officer of Adobe. "Although we are disappointed in not meeting our original revenue target, we did demonstrate our ability to proactively manage our business," added Chizen.
Net income, which includes non-operating gains and losses, was $69.8 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2001, compared to $64.6 million reported in the first quarter of fiscal 2000, and $79.2 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2000.
Including non-operating gains and losses, diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of fiscal 2001 were $0.28 based on 253.6 million weighted average shares. This compares with diluted earnings per share of $0.26 reported in the first quarter of fiscal 2000, based on 253 million weighted average shares, and diluted earnings per share of $0.31 reported in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2000, based on 257.3 million weighted average shares.
Excluding the amortization of goodwill, restructuring and other charges, and the write-off of in-process research and development, Adobe's operating profit was $119.0 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2001, compared to $89.5 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2000 and $127.5 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2000. This represents 33 percent year-over-year operating profit growth. As a percent of revenue, operating profit for the first quarter was 36.2 percent, compared to 31.7 percent in the first quarter of fiscal 2000 and 35.9 percent in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2000.
Adobe also announced that, due to the challenging and uncertain economic environment, it is adjusting its fiscal 2001 operating model targets. The Company is lowering its second quarter fiscal 2001 year-over-year revenue growth target to approximately 15 percent and is not providing second half fiscal 2001 revenue targets.
Regarding the second half of fiscal 2001, Chizen stated, "As we look out further, economic conditions become more challenging to gauge. Although we do not currently see a major slowdown in our business in Europe and Japan, the potential for a global slowdown causes us to defer providing updated second half targets until we have better visibility. Notwithstanding the economic environment, we will continue to focus on operational excellence."
WhatTheyThink is the global printing industry's go-to information source with both print and digital offerings, including WhatTheyThink.com, WhatTheyThink Email Newsletters, and the WhatTheyThink magazine. Our mission is to inform, educate, and inspire the industry. We provide cogent news and analysis about trends, technologies, operations, and events in all the markets that comprise today's printing and sign industries including commercial, in-plant, mailing, finishing, sign, display, textile, industrial, finishing, labels, packaging, marketing technology, software and workflow.


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Yesterday morning, at the Arnold Clark Innovation Centre in Glasgow, a troupe of electric vehicles (EVs) of all shapes and sizes set off to begin the EV Rally of Scotland. The EV Rally, which began and will also end in Glasgow, departed a short drive from the Scottish Event Campus, the nucleus of COP26.
Roughly 20 EVs departed from the Innovation Centre, starting out on a five-day, 1200+ mile ‘e-Tour of Scotland’. Together they will take in many of the beautiful landmarks across the country, relying on existing charging infrastructure to go the distance.
Indeed, the aim of the Rally is to showcase Scottish EV charging infrastructure, as well as clean and innovative vehicle technology – and to demonstrate that EV use across Scotland, as well as the rest of the UK, is not just for the odd occasion, but can be the norm.
“The idea of the EV Rally is basically to show that EVs are here, they’re not going away – and that they’re more than capable of being your everyday family car, your everyday work car,” said Event Manager Colin Boyton.
“In essence, it’s a five-day, 1,200-mile showcase of EV technology and charging infrastructure.”
Leaving in fanfare, from the sparkling new Arnold Clark EV Innovation Centre, the vehicles wound their way through Glasgow, heading for the first of 30 checkpoints, in Edinburgh. Co-drivers accompanied the drivers, acting as e-navigators, with many using Zap-Map to plot the route from charge point to charge point.
While some vehicles may well encounter difficulties driving through Scotland’s November weather, the idea is for each and every electric vehicle in the troupe to stop at 30 check points over the five days. Despite the Atlantic weather and the rugged terrain, there was a distinct sense of both optimism and realism at the launch, with EV driving tips being shared left, right and centre.
“I’m looking forward to touring Scotland. There’s plenty of chargers out there and with the range of these cars, you can do neatly in Scotland,” said driver Graeme Lees.
“It’s going to be fun driving through the countryside, without breaking down or running out of charge. It’ll be easy, and enjoyable!”
Tips are shared at the drivers’ briefing.
What’s more, Scotland is already fairly well served when it comes to EV charging points.
“The charging infrastructure in Scotland is already good,” said Boyton. “And that’s down to investment from Transport Scotland. What we’re going to show is that it’s there – and it enables you to live and work with an EV everyday.
“Plus the infrastructure’s only going to get better, as investment continues and the private sector starts to get more heavily involved. I’d like to think that things will just keep on improving. SWARCO, one of the sponsors, have taken over the ChargePlace Scotland network, so we’re hooking into that as we go around during the five days.”
Co-driver Chris Lily, taking part in the Rally as far as Kilmarnock, was also confident of the route, both in terms of the charging infrastructure available as well as the means to navigate it.
“We should have no real issues. There seems to be a bit of a scarcity of rapid points between Edinburgh and down towards Gretna, but I don’t think that will be an issue, especially because there seems to be quite a good mix of cars here in terms of driving range. They mostly seem to be in different categories of range, so I don’t think we’re going to be charging at the same places at the same time,” said Lily.
“We’ll definitely be using Zap-Map,” he continued. “We’ve got a ChargePlace Scotland card in the car, but I’ve also had a look for Osprey charge points, particularly for Zap-Pay.”
A mascot reflects the feel-good atmosphere at the Rally.
At each check point, the idea is for the driver and co-navigator to get out, take a picture of the check point, and then post it on social media, using very strict pre-defined hashtags and social media handles. The organisers hope for awareness of the Rally – and of the capabilities of EVs more broadly – to grow from there.
Day 3, labelled “The Beast” due to it’s 320 miles and tricky terrain, begins with a visit to Skye, before heading way north, picking up the iconic NC500 in the Highlands, to Thurso. However, Day 4 is an even bigger day, by all accounts. The drivers will leave for John O’Groats, pay their respects with ‘EVROS Remembers’ and then head down to Inverness and via Loch Ness to Aberdeen.
‘EVROS Remembers’ is happening because Day 4 is of course 11th November: Remembrance Day. Just before 11am, the drivers will be on live stream on social media, turning on their engines and their headlights to conduct a two-minute EV silence.
EVs assemble: The Rally gets ready to go.
The final day, Day 5, will hopefully include a meeting with Graeme Dey MSP, the Minister for Transport – and, of course, the drivers finishing in a blaze of glory in Glasgow, the home of COP26.


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Walking down a Scottish street on their belated honeymoon, John and Tasha Johnson came upon a sign that got their attention. By sheer luck, they’d stumbled across the National Scottish Ale Fest. “It was completely by accident,” says Tasha. “We didn’t even know it was there.”
The discovery was serendipitous for the Johnsons; John had been perfecting his own brews for years, first in the kitchen, then the garage, and eventually the driveway. In March, the couple opened Yelm’s first brewpub, the Nisqually Valley Brewing Company. Following the model of other microbreweries throughout the Pacific Northwest, the pub will focus solely on beer and allow customers to order food or bring in their own.
“The majority of microbreweries in Western Washington stick with brewing and allow people to bring in food and also have food trucks available,” says John. “That means food is one whole side of the business we don’t have to mess with.” Patrons can bring in snacks from home, order out and have food delivered, or purchase a meal from a food truck in the brewery parking lot on Saturdays. “People have gotten pizza delivered here and the El Rey Burro restaurant across the street has gotten a lot of business,” says John. “People just call in and walk over there.”
Local restaurant Tacos Gaby provided a food truck for the March 3 ribbon-cutting ceremony, which attracted more than 200 people, and the couple plans to rotate trucks with different cuisines to keep customers interested. “We’re working on getting different flavors,” says Tasha.
For now, the pub is open three nights a week, Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Thursdays, 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Fridays, and 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Saturdays. That’s in part because John, a military veteran, and Tasha, a high school teacher, still have regular full-time jobs. “A lot of people have asked us, ‘Are you going to be open more days?’” says Tasha. “We’ve got to figure out the balance of our personal lives and see what happens with demand.”
Yelm Mayor JW Foster says the brewery fills a niche for the community. “Yelm has bars that serve alcohol, but none that are brewing in place and reaching out to the craft brewing crowd,” he says. “They have a good model.” He points to Lacey’s Top Rung Brewing as an example of a business that’s been successful focusing on making beer without serving food.
Beyond beer, the brewery also serves another important function, he notes. “It’s important to demonstrate that entrepreneurs can be successful in Yelm. You can come in with your dream to start a business and be supported in fulfilling that dream.”
Currently the pub has six of its own beers on tap plus a featured guest brew from a local brewery, a number John would like to see grow to nine or twelve. The couple plans to invest in more equipment that will increase their capacity in the coming months. “We keep running out of beer, which is good and bad,” says John. “Being able to increase production would allow us to stay in stock a bit more.” They also serve a selection of Washington wines.
Within the pub, several big screen televisions show sporting events, but some prefer to bring their own games. “We’ve had some nights already where customers brought in six or seven different board games,” says John. “They were in here for about two hours.” Another couple brought a deck of cards to the opening day ceremonies. As spring arrives, the pub’s outdoor deck provides another seating option.
Their customer demographic includes “a little bit of everything,” according to Tasha. She’s seen former students, now in their early thirties, retired people, military service members and everything in between. “We see all age groups and professions,” she says. “We’re that place where you can get a group of friends together, have a pizza, and grab a beer or two.”
John’s interest in brewing began 16 years ago after he discovered an ad in the back of a magazine for a home brewing kit. The couple had discussed the potential of opening the own pub for years, but the time was never right. Then in 2016, despite the challenge of having two children under the age of three and two full-time jobs, the they decided to pursue launching the business. “We realized that if we didn’t do it now, another 10 years would go by,” says Tasha. “It wasn’t going to happen. We’d better just take the leap and do it.”
Now that they’ve opened, the Johnsons are monitoring customer traffic to determine whether they need to hire an employee. “We just don’t know right now if demand will warrant that,” says Tasha. “We’re hoping that it does. We have a lot of return customers and people have said great things.”
To learn more about the Nisqually Valley Brewing Company, visit them on Facebook.


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Monsoon Delay Affects Cotton Farmer Sentiments
The delay in monsoons has affected the sentiments of growing cotton farmer in many parts of the country, according to a report of the Indian Cotton Federation (ICF).
“Cotton growing farmers in areas surrounding Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, a few areas in Marathwada, some areas near Raichur in Karnataka and some pockets of Saurashtra in Gujarat have suffered badly due to delay in monsoon and may opt for alternative cash crops,” the report said.
“This in a way is good, considering the huge carry forward cotton stock, our trade may carry into the upcoming cotton season as cotton export too has been cut short to approximately 55 lakh bales in the current season as per trade reports,” it added.
The ICF Board met on August eight to discuss the current cotton scenario and expects that the Indian cotton crop could be around 388 lakh bales for the 2014-15 season.
ICF, quoting reports also informed that the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) is holding a stock of 43.7 lakh bales as on August eight.
In the first fortnight of August 2015, cotton lint prices ruled steady, but mills are reluctant to replenish cotton stock as yarn movement is consistently slow or nil. In Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, rains have been delayed but are sufficient for the standing crop and new crop J-34 r/g may start arriving by October.
“The crop may be approximately between 50 and 55 lakhs as per sowing reports from the cotton trading community,” the report added.
The delay in monsoon has led to Gujarat farmers shifting to other cash crops like groundnuts and tur dal in many cotton growing pockets there.
As per report from the cotton trading community, the cotton crop could drop to a little above 1 crore bales in Gujarat considering the sowing pattern of farmers till date and good quality S-6 stock cotton was assessed at Rs.34,000 spot per candy.


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7th September, 2010
Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, manufacturers of mattresses, says its products are faked.
Peter Folikwe, the companyâ€™s Sales and Marketing Director, raised the alarm at a newsÂ conference in Lagos, ahead of its forthcoming promo tagged Vitafoam Goodtime Record.
Folikwe said to check the trend, the company could be partnering with Standards OrganisationÂ of Nigeria (SON), to clampdown on the adulterators.
He reiterated that adulteration of its products had become a major challenge to the company.
â€œThis nefarious act is actually affecting the brand image, particularly in our environment.
â€œLiterally, we are ensuring that we are not easily copied in terms of our products. We wantÂ to ensure that the finishing are different from the adulterated ones and externally, weÂ brand our sales outlets to make them visible enough so that our customers will know where toÂ buy our products,â€ he hinted, adding, however, that these efforts seem not to have checkedÂ the act, hence, the need to engage SON to nab the perpetrators.


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Gaming-focused Chromebooks are underway. Google’s desires for gaming-centered Chromebooks may become reality soon. Following quite a while of prodding Steam for Chrome OS and even Nvidia demoing support for DLSS and beam following on Arm-based Chromebooks, references to new gaming Chromebooks have now been seen in test renditions of Chrome OS.
Google uncovered two years prior that it was dealing with Steam support for Chromebooks, yet we’ve heard very little from that point forward.
9to5Google reports that three codenames for potential gaming Chromebooks have been detected, all with RGB consoles.
The distribution hypothesizes that both HP and Lenovo could be trying gaming Chromebooks, in light of worker commitments to Chrome OS code. A third puzzling gadget, codenamed Ripple, gives off an impression of being a tablet with a separable console.
Gaming-focused Chromebooks are underway
According to the verge, another banner has likewise been found in Chrome OS that empowers RGB console support, something known on gaming PCs from Razer and numerous other OEMs.
While the banner could simply be extra help for existing USB consoles, 9to5Google accepts this Chrome OS RGB support is being added explicitly for these unreleased Chromebooks.
RGB consoles aren’t anything without games, and Steam will be critical in the event that these gaming Chromebooks are to turn into a reality.
Gaming Chromebooks Will Need RGB
In lieu of convincing other options, Valve proceeded to report its Steam Deck, a handheld Linux-based gaming gadget that starts transporting in late February.
Steam Deck could add to making gaming on Linux undeniably more well known than it is today, thanks in huge part to Valve’s Proton tech. Proton is a similarity layer that allows Steam to run Windows games on Linux, and the rundown of upheld games is developing.
Proton additionally now upholds two of the most well-known enemy of cheat frameworks, Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) and BattlEye.
Engineers actually need to test and affirm their games work with Proton hostile to swindle support, however, it could open up the Steam Deck and any potential gaming Chromebooks to well-known titles like Fortnite, Apex Legends, Destiny 2, Halo Infinite, and PUBG.


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A North Carolina-based coffee chain is expanding into the Charleston market.
Summit Coffee, which has 13 cafés around the Southeast, will add three Charleston-area cafés to its roster in 2024, serving organic coffees, including a rotating selection of seasonal blends, and fresh pastries, according to a news release.
Two cafés will open in Mount Pleasant and another in Summerville.
Summit Coffee was founded in 1998 in Davidson, N.C., and gained popularity for its sustainable approach to coffee that starts in the hands of farmers across the globe, the release stated. Each coffee blend is roasted in small batches to ensure optimal flavor.
Related content: Charleston-based breakfast chain to open Forest Acres location
At the core of Summit Coffee is its commitment to sustainability, according to the release. Behind-the-scenes, Summit Coffee is a longtime member of 1% of the Planet and Certified Climate Neutral. In the cafés , guests will appreciate sustainability initiatives and programming that will help minimize their impact on the environment.
“The ethos of Summit Coffee is centered around providing coffee and community to the surrounding neighborhoods, and Charleston is a perfect place for those values,” said Summit Coffee CEO Brian Helfrich in the release. “We’re looking forward to meeting our new neighbors in each community and providing a welcoming space for quality coffee and fresh pastries.”
Summit Coffee plans to open the first cafés on Belle Station Road in Mount Pleasant this spring. In addition to the cafés , this location will also house Summit’s bakery, which will supply pastries and other food items to the area cafés .
A second Mount Pleasant and a Nexton location will follow.


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To say things have looked good for BlackBerry at any point in the last 8 or 9 years is probably putting too fine a point on it.
In recent years, most of the commentary the firm has drawn has centered around wonder at its continued existence given how thoroughly, totally and rapidly the consumer marketplace moved on from their central product.
But, whatever else can be said of BlackBerry since 2007, it cannot be said that they are not one tenacious group of Canadians.
Acquisition — particularly of the firm’s large and valuable cache of patents and other IP — has been a long speculated upon exit, but it never quite seems to materialize. Fairfax Financial got close with a provisional agreement in 2013, but that deal fell through when John Chen was appointed CEO. Four days after that, the board determined a breakup and sale of BlackBerry was not in its shareholders interest. Acquisition rumors by Microsoft or Samsung never got much past the rumor phase.
“We are committed to reclaiming our success,” Chen wrote in an open message on the firm’s blog.
Unfortunately for BlackBerry, consumers have not show quite the same commitment to helping them get there.
However, in November 2015, a faint, but very sparkly glimmer of hope appeared on the horizon regarding BlackBerry’s mobile device business: the Priv.
Abandoning their in-house operating system and leaping onto the Android bandwagon, albeit with some very BlackBerry customizations around design and security.
“While the Priv user interface is simple and beautiful, BlackBerry has performed extensive surgery under the hood to augment Android’s privacy and security capabilities,” noted BlackBerry’s Chief Security Officer David Kleidermacher. “Android is a complex, rapidly changing, massively popular, open-source product, which makes it an attractive and fertile target for attackers. Such an environment demands world-class security incident response, and BlackBerry has a long history delivering that to customers with the highest value resources under their (and hence our) protection. BlackBerry’s vulnerability patch program is second to none in the industry.”
And, in something of a change of pace of BlackBerry, the device was well reviewed and forecast to potentially be the device that could bring the struggling device maker back from the brink.
That was November of last year.
As 2016 gets its second month underway, it is looking increasingly like BlackBerry’s future as a device maker may just be past the point of no return. Some are saying that there is still a chance BlackBerry phones hold on – as purely Android-based devices like the Priv – but most think that it might be time for BlackBerry to focus on the Enterprise Mobile Management and Security software products it can profitably bring to the table.
Yet Another Round Of Staff Cuts
As last week was drawing to a close, BlackBerry announced that another 200 or so jobs had been cut. BlackBerry would not confirm or deny that those positions were all within the firm’s handset manufacturing division. The firm’s official statement on the closures:
“As BlackBerry continues to execute its turnaround plan, we remain focused on driving efficiencies across our global workforce. This means finding new ways to enable us to capitalize on growth opportunities, while driving toward sustainable profitability across all parts of our business. As a result, approximately 200 employees have been impacted in Canada and Florida. It also means that BlackBerry is actively recruiting in those areas of our business that will drive growth. For those employees that have recently left the company, we know that they have worked hard on behalf of our company and we are grateful for their commitment and contributions.”
That statement, however, followed reports in the Globe and Mail that had cut 75 positions at its Sunrise Florida manufacturing factory and MobileSyrup reports that BlackBerry is cutting 35 percent of the positions at its Waterloo manufacturing plant.
And while these are the first cuts of this year – the slash and burn in BlackBerry’s worforce has been on for some time. BlackBerry announced staffing cuts in May, July and September of last year — most of which came from the firm’s smartphone business. In fact, that last round of layoffs in September brought a statement from CEO Chen that killing the device business entirely is on the table going forward.
“Sometime next year we have to make our device business profitable, otherwise I have to rethink what I do there,” Chen said. “My job is to make sure the value of the company is protected and increases. … Even if I’m not in the handset business, getting into providing security for Android lets us provide solutions via software.”
And, as earnings released in December indicate, devices are far from reaching profitability, and the big staffing cuts seem to just keep on coming.
Exactly how many employees are on the BlackBerry rolls these days is a bit of a question mark; the last official release indicated that as of February 2015, the firm had 6,225 full-time staffers. Estimates today put that figure somewhere around 5,500. At its height in 2007, BlackBerry employed 17,000.
Is Android The Future?
The Priv has been somewhat successful, though as is often the case in mobile tech it’s hard to assign a hard figure to that because BlackBerry hasn’t broken out specific data on it. Inductive reasoning, however, would indicate that BlackBerry got at least some people on the Priv.
The Priv, at $700, is BlackBerry’s most expensive phone by far.
“The initial 30 days of sales has been quite positive,” Chen said. “I don’t want to overhype things. It’s an expensive phone.
And while Chen is avoiding the hype, at least some the BlackBerry team are pretty optimistic at the prospects moving forward on the alternate OS.
“The future is really Android. We went for Android essentially for its app ecosystem. In addition, all the enterprise solutions that we have been doing have been cross-platform for a long time now. So it’s a natural progression towards Android,” the company’s Asia Pacific director of product management Damien Tay told India’s Economic Times.
However, not everyone is convinced of that — noting that unless Priv takes off spectacularly, it may just not be enough to right the BlackBerry ship, particularly if the firm’s CEO’s deadline for doing so is by the end of 2016.
So what’s next? Is it really the end of BlackBerry this time?
Doubtful, as it still has that massive reserve of IP, patents and the quiet but not inestimable progress it has made over the last 18 months or so hedging its bets and further developing its capacities as a provider of enterprise security and EMM. But is this the end of BlackBerry as a phone maker?
Of devices that are wholly its own, it seems almost certain that it is. For devices that are Android enhanced by BlackBerry, the clock is ticking and it remains to be seen if the 11.5 months left in this year are enough time for the phone to become a competitor.


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Amazon offers $220 worth of apps for free
Amazon is offering Amazon and Android users a bundle of 40 apps worth $220 for absolutely nothing.
Consumer Reports: Top Stick Vacs
Need a quick pick-me-up around the house? Three new, lightweight stick vacuums from Shark and Dyson not only promise to do the trick but also…
Long-lasting AA batteries
When you're making up your holiday checklist, there's one item you don't want to leave out — batteries. Double-As are the most popular size.…
Why that gift card you bought won't get used
John Matarese reports on why 30% of gift cards are never spent
Recall & warning about weight-loss supplements
A weight-loss supplement recall, and a broader warning from Consumer Reports about supplements Americans spend billions of dollars on every year.
Mom's a Genius: Incredible Custom Cakes
It’s a labor of love hours in the making. It all begins with the ingredients of a typical cake, but it takes the special touch of…
Cadillac leaves Detroit-based advertising agency
Detroit-based advertising agency Lowe Campbell Ewald is losing Cadillac's ad business. Publicis, a global firm based in Paris, confirmed…
Gov. pushes $1.4B gas tax hike to improve roads
Gov. Rick Snyder is stepping up pressure on lawmakers to boost Michigan's fuel taxes to raise $1.4 billion to improve roads and bridges.
Tips to shop safely on Cyber Monday
If you plan on shopping online on this Cyber Monday the Action News team has some helpful tips to make sure you stay safe from cyber attackers.
Air bag hearing draws apology, admission
The global quality chief of Takata Corp. apologized and an official from Honda acknowledged the automaker broke a disclosure law as a Senate…
Warren Buffett's company is buying Duracell
Warren Buffett's company Berkshire Hathaway Inc. buying Duracell from Procter & Gamble for about $3 billion.
Target closing three Michigan stores
Target says they will close 11 stores by February 1st .


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In the fast-paced world of social media, gaining visibility and reaching a broader audience has become increasingly important for content creators.
To cater to this need, Meta has introduced Meta Verified Subscription India, a subscription model that offers enhanced visibility and exclusive features to its subscribers along with a Meta Verification Badge.
Exciting news has arrived for Indian users as Meta Verified Subscription India is now accessible, allowing content creators to amplify their online presence like never before.
Meta Verified Subscription India Model
The Meta Verified Subscription India is available at an affordable price for users.
Web-based subscribers can enjoy the benefits of Meta Verified Subscription India for ₹599 per month, exclusively on Facebook.
For Android and iOS users, the subscription cost is set at ₹699 per month.
By subscribing to Meta Verified Subscription India, users can expect their content to be displayed more frequently in people’s feeds, search results, and comments, resulting in an expanded reach and increased visibility.
Subscribers also gain access to exclusive stickers for Stories and Reels on both Facebook and Instagram, allowing them to add a creative touch to their content.
Additionally, subscribers receive 100 Stars per month on Facebook, where available, enabling them to support and appreciate other creators within the community.
Read Also: Will Digital Marketing Ever Rule the World?
Expansion Plans and Availability
Meta has made significant strides in expanding the availability of Meta Verified Subscription India beyond its initial launch.
Alongside India, the subscription model is now accessible in the UK and Canada.
Moreover, Meta has plans to include Brazil in its roster of available countries in the near future.
This global expansion demonstrates Meta’s commitment to providing its users worldwide with the opportunity to leverage the benefits of Meta Verified Subscription India.
How to Get a Meta Verification Badge?
Obtaining the prestigious Meta Verification Badge is an aspiration for many content creators.
While specific requirements may vary for getting the Meta Verification Badge, users typically need to demonstrate a significant following and engagement on their social media profiles to be eligible for the Meta Verification Badge.
Once obtained, the Meta Verification Badge adds credibility and authenticity to a user’s online presence, boosting their reputation and visibility within the Meta platform.
Meta Verified’s availability in India marks an exciting milestone for content creators in the country.
By subscribing to Meta Verified Subscription India, users can unlock a multitude of benefits, including increased visibility, exclusive stickers for Stories and Reels, and monthly Stars to support fellow creators.
As Meta continues to expand its offerings globally, it’s evident that the company recognizes the importance of empowering content creators and providing them with the tools they need to thrive in the digital space.
If you’re ready to take your online presence to new heights, consider exploring the Meta Verified Subscription India and discover the incredible potential it holds for your content.


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Two months after a charging “hoverboard” scooter sparked a tragic fire in Pennsylvania that claimed the lives of two young girls, federal safety regulators are warning consumers to stop using LayZ Board hoverboards.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission on Monday urged consumers to immediately stop using LayZ Board self-balancing scooters after it found evidence that the brand was involved in the March 10 fire in Harrisburg.
About 3,000 LayZ Boards, which were manufactured in China, are thought to be in use in the U.S., and can be identified by the “LAYZ BOARD” name printed on the front.
“Due to the fire hazard posed to consumers of all ages by these hoverboards, CPSC is urging the public to stop charging and stop using their LayZ Board,” the notice states.
Owners who choose to dispose of their hoverboards should take them to a local recycling center for safe handling of the lithium-ion battery, the CPSC notes.
It should be noted that this is not a recall of the hoverboards, but a safety warning issued by the CPSC. Additionally, the CPSC clarifies that the warning applies only to LayZ Board devices, not the similarly named lazyboard scooters.
The CPSC opened an investigation into the March 10 incident shortly after fire officials ruled the fire accidental and attributed it to a charging hoverboard. However, the make and model of device was unknown until now.
In Sept. 2016, the CPSC recalled more than 500,000 “hoverboard” scooters from eight manufacturers over fire hazards posed by the devices’ lithium-ion battery backs.
At the time of the recall, there had been at least 99 incidents reported to the CPSC of the battery packs in self-balancing scooters/hoverboards overheating, sparking, smoking, catching fire and/or exploding including reports of burn injuries and property damage.
Elliot Kaye, who was Chairman of CPSC at the time of the recall, said the Commission had investigated more than 60 hoverboard fires in more than 20 states that resulted in more than $2 million in property damage.


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For South African Internet Service Providers (ISPs), the COVID-19 lockdown was a double-edged sword with the potential to both boost and hurt their operations.
With more people having to work and learn from home, there was a massive increase in connectivity demand – which is ideal for acquiring new customers and upgrading current users to faster packages.
However, ISPs had to ensure they could handle the additional network traffic and that their support departments were able to attend to more customer queries.
Cool Ideas – one of South Africa’s largest fibre ISPs with over 40,000 customers – thrived in these tough conditions and employed more staff, improved training, and launched a new website to enhance customer service in a time of increased broadband demand.
Cool Ideas acknowledged it experienced challenges with both itself and its customers working from home during the lockdown.
“The shift to remote working led to a spike in new connection and support queries when the lockdown began,” the company explained.
The Double-Up Promotions on offer from various fibre networks starting in the early days of lockdown helped to satisfy traffic demands, but also created further expectations from customers.
The provisioning of these line speed upgrades taught Cool Ideas some hard lessons, but it nevertheless recognised its importance in ensuring customers were able to stay connected while working from home.
This connectivity was also key for students learning at home and at schools – and Cool Ideas currently provides more than 150 schools with free Internet connections throughout the country.
Growing staff and improving training
While many companies were forced to put employees on unpaid leave or even had to revert to retrenchments during the lockdown, this was not the case for Cool Ideas.
The company is instead fortunate to have increased its staff count by 20% over the lockdown period.
In addition, Cool Ideas improved training and implemented new processes, which will ensure it can better educate and communicate with customers across all its departments.
Furthermore, Cool Ideas refined the tiered structure within its support department and launched a new website.
All of these initiatives are aimed at improving customer service – something which Cool Ideas believes differentiates it from competitors.
Get connected with Cool Ideas today
Cool Ideas believes in a process of ongoing improvement and will therefore not be resting on its laurels with regards to perfecting its offerings.
With an average download speed of 43Mbps across its user base, Cool Ideas pairs its customer service focus with fast and reliable fibre broadband to keep you connected.
This article was published in partnership with Cool Ideas.


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It seems that Namco Bandai will release Dark Souls II in March 2014 if a outdoor advertisement in Los Angeles coinciding with E3 is to believed.
Dark Souls II was officially revealed at the VGA Awards 2012 but has yet to be given a concrete release date. The advertisement at the E3 setting has suggested that the game will be released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
Whether this advertisement is true or not is yet to be seen but with E3 just around the corner, you can be sure that Namco Bandai will be ready to lift the lid on more details about Dark Souls II.
Are you excited for Dark Souls II? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section below.


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Inflation coming down but still very high
By David Wood | 24th May 2023
The UK inflation rate has dropped below 10% for the first time in eight months.
The rate at which prices rose in April compared to a year ago was 8.7%, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics. The inflation rate dropped from 10.1% in March but forecasters had expected an April figure closer to 8%. Food inflation is 19.1%.
Although the headline rate of inflation has fallen significantly, it is still high because the government's target for inflation is 2%.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt told the BBC: "The fact that they have come down markedly - the headline rate - of course is welcome news, but there are things underneath those numbers which show that this battle is far from over. We've got a long way to go."
Tim Watkins, managing partner at Cheltenham-based accountants Randall & Payne, said: "It's good to see inflation below 10% at last. We were told it would fall quickly over the course of the year so hopefully that will be the case.
"As has been said in the press though, this doesn't mean prices are falling, they are just going up more slowly, so the challenges for business and individuals haven't gone away.
"Like other businesses we have looked at our costs and processes looking particularly at waste elimination and efficiencies.
"Inflation has a significant impact on us all and when it rears its head it's testing and is particularly so now, with all the other challenges we face, which is why we are running a free seminar next month to share practical advice about organisational resilience."
Copyright 2023 Moose Partnership Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any content is strictly forbidden without prior permission.


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Micromax A115 Canvas 3D review
Jun, 13, 2013
The Micromax A115 Canvas 3D promises to offer a novel 3D display at an affordable price. Does it actually deliver?
Micromax A115 Canvas 3D with 5.0-inch display launched for Rs. 9,999
Apr, 30, 2013
Micromax A115 Canvas comes with a 5.0-inch display with 480x800 resolution and 1GHz dual-core processor alongside 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage.
Micromax A115 Canvas 3D to be launched in first week of May
Apr, 24, 2013
Micromax is all set to launch its much talked about A115 Canvas 3D smartphone in the first week of May.


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Report filed by Rakan Stanbouly
NeoGaf users recently unearthed a document that looks very much like an investor’s prospectus from Poland. Roughly translated, the document states that Farm 51 group has acquired an official game development license for the Wii U, and secured a partnership with Nordic Games for production of new titles in the Painkiller franchise for the system.
“The Farm 51 Group has obtained an official game development license for the Wii U, whose premiere is planned in the fourth quarter of 2012.” reads the document in part, “The issuer has taken this action in cooperation with the publisher Nordic Games, with plans involving production and release of new games in the “Painkiller” series for the Wii U.”
This has caused a rise in speculation that such a Painkiller game could indeed be in development for Nintendo’s tablet-driven console, but Farm 51 has issued no response to the rumors. The document can be found in its entirety here (PDF).
(via Side Mission)


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AJ Bell, the Manchester-based investment platform provider and stockbroker co-founded in 1995 by Andy Bell, has confirmed reports that it is preparing for an initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange.
The IPO, which is planned for “the end of 2018 or early 2019”, is to “include a retail share offer available exclusively to AJ Bell customers”, the company said in a statement announcing the flotation, for which it said it has retained Numis Securities.
In its statement, AJ Bell said its management plans to keep its sell-down “modest”, and that the group’s two largst shareholders, Bell and Invesco Perpetual, will “both retain cornerstone shareholdings” after the flotation.
One investor that sold its stake in the company ahead of the announcement of the IPO was the current flagship fund of former Invesco Perpetual star fund manager Neil Woodford, according to a Financial Times report posted yesterday.
The FT report noted that the Woodford Equity Income fund had offloaded its 8% AJ Bell stake in February.
Rumours that AJ Bell, which had assets under administration at the end of December of £42bn ($58.35bn, €47.35bn), was considering an IPO on the London Stock Exchange’s main market first appeared last month in the UK trade press. Media reports have estimated the value of the IPO at around £500m.
In announcing the IPO, Andy Bell, (pictured above in Manchester’s Old Trafford Cricket Ground, where AJ Bell is a sponsor) described it as “a natural next step in our journey and will provide a further boost to our future growth, through the increased profile a stock market listing will give us”.
“These are exciting times for our business,” he added.
“Over the last 22 years we have built a multi-award-winning and easy-to-use investment platform that is the engine room of a fast-growing and profitable business.
“We believe the outlook for our business is extremely positive. The need for people to save and invest for their future has never been stronger, and we are making it easier for them to do that.”
He said the retail share offer that is being made exclusively available to the company’s 172,000 customers represented AJ Bell’s effort to “[enable] them to be able to share in our success”.
AJ Bell’s announcement of its plans to go public comes after another UK platform provider, Transact, floated on 2 March, with a £650m valuation. Some other platform providers are understood to also be considering IPOs.