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It’s hard to miss the growing hype around the metaverse. Enabled by advances in virtual reality and augmented reality, many companies like McDonalds, Adidas, and L’Oreal are going all in on the metaverse environment.
JPMorgan forecasts the metaverse could become a $1 trillion market opportunity in yearly revenue with an annual growth rate of 68%. If predictions are to be believed, few businesses will be left impacted by these innovative virtual worlds.
With all this money expected to be spent across the metaverse, the need for secure and frictionless payments systems will be vital. At such an early stage in the development of the metaverse, it’s yet to be seen exactly how digital payment processes and financial services will look. But it’s already clear that the underlying infrastructure will be very different to conventional payments solutions.
In the digital realm, transactions need to be completed almost immediately, and at any time. Not only do individuals expect payments to be quick, but they also expect them to be as secure as if they were purchasing in real life.
Investment bank JP Morgan recently became the first bank to enter the metaverse by setting up a virtual shop with a live tiger and portrait of CEO Jamie Dimon. With JP Morgan saying they see services like credit, mortgages and rental agreements being carried out in the metaverse, it is possible to see a future where buying a virtual house in a virtual world becomes the norm for many.
With physical cash being useless in the virtual world, blockchain and cryptocurrency based solutions are likely to play an essential role in the expansion of the metaverse. The high security of blockchain paired with the instant processing and settlement of transactions are clear benefits to embracing these technologies. As can be seen with digital assets like non-fungible tokens (NFTs), cryptocurrency is already being used in major transactions.
There are clear regulatory issues when it comes to incorporating cryptocurrency payment solutions. But as the popularity of the metaverse increases, regulators will have to address the rules when it comes to tax and regulatory issues.
No matter what payment platform is used, it will have to be able to facilitate a range of transactions with ease, including cross-border payments, asset trading and payments between virtual worlds. Millions of in-game purchases happen in games like Roblox and Second Life on a daily basis, and as the connection between virtual and real expands, so do the opportunities for embedded finance.
McDonald’s recently filed ten trademarks with the US Patent and Trademark Office for a range of products, including virtual food and beverage products. Orchestrating a payment platform that is able to facilitate people in the metaverse ordering in the virtual world and having it delivered in person and virtually is no small feat.
With major brands and international corporations increasingly considering the benefits of having a presence in the metaverse, the payments ecosystem in the space is only on track to develop.
Written by Finbarr Toesland, Editorial Contributor
The discussion continues on 26th April at Future Identity Finance, co-located with FTT Embedded Finance & Super-Apps at County Hall, London. Look out for panel discussions exploring how digital identity and trust will be applied to evolving models of decentralised finance.


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As governments continue to scrutinize app store practices, it remains to be seen how Apple and Google will respond to the calls for change in the interest of fostering a more open and competitive app market. This feature is currently being tested and would allow users to share short videos up to 60 seconds in length. Meta, the parent company of the messaging service, has begun testing the ability to send messages on both phones. European Union legislators have come to a consensus on proposed revisions to regulations governing artificial intelligence.
Financial Services And Investing Can Be Viewed
What3 Words, SafetoNet, FIDOTech, and HiiROC were discovered by the nationwide competition and went on to win the global final during Web Summit. Following a record number of applications, 10 successful tech businesses from eight regions across the UK have been selected to take part in a pitching competition in June. Any text can be transformed into speech using synthetic voices, cloned voices, or entirely new artificial voices with the help of ElevenLabs. Government sources said that this would allow him to combine technological and human intelligence dimensions to address the challenges of our times. The tool is perfect for people who want to create their own podcasts but don’t want to use their own voice for the audio content.
Consumers and the media should be aware of recent press releases. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed. The only way to address competition is for the commission to force Google to sell some of its ad business. It’s hard to overstate the benefits of a generative artificial intelligence system that can recognize image elements and generate descriptions and keywords for them.
How To Boost Revenue From Ads On The Internet
This programme is the most diverse technology programme for news publishers and supports nine languages. The Tech News Space team monitors and delivers news from the world of high technology, science, and the gaming industry in a timely manner. The company says the new features will improve Messenger users’ privacy and security. Over the last decade, we have seen our competition go from strength to strength as our tech ecosystems across the UK continue to mature and grow. We had a record number of applications to the competition this year, so our businesses have already beaten off stiff competition to get to the pitching stage in front of the judges.
Artificial intelligence is used to create realistic videos that can speak, gesture and move. Video creation in any language is possible with the text to speech feature on the platform. The user friendly interface makes it easy for users to input text, select a voice and generate the video.
By 2037, the demand for cooling equipment such as air conditioners, refrigerators and cold chains is likely to be eight times higher than the current demand according to a World Bank report. Demand for a new air conditioner will increase every 15 seconds, leading to a huge rise in greenhouse gas emissions over the next two decades. Chinese mobile phone manufacturers have been urged by the Centre to incorporate Indian partners into their local operations. Indian executives are included in crucial roles in the government’s request. Stay up to date with the latest business technology releases by following the PRNtech account on social media.
Iucaa Team Developed A Space Telescope That Can Image The Sun
The regulator concluded that Google had abused its power by forcing a monopoly in the advertising business. The EU has been investigating the ad tech business for two years. More than 150 million people have sent 10 billion messages to the chatbot since it launched on February 27. The update has changed the definition of what it means to collect call logs and text messages.
The main feature is an artificial intelligence content assistant that helps in every step of content creation. The platform has tools for collaboration and publishing. Users can easily share their content with team members, get feedback, Collect Dollars and publish it on their website or blog with Narrato. The creation of written content from spoken words can be accomplished with the help of users who can easily convert their speech or audio recordings into text.
Over 20,000 journalists are members of the exclusive community of PRNJ who are logging into their accounts to look for story ideas. PR Newswire thoroughly researches and vets this community to verify their identity as a member of the press. If companies are forced to sell some of their business, years of machine learning could be lost.
The headline and an excerpt from each story are included in the list. Clicking on the headlines will show multimedia assets that are available for download. You can explore all privacy settings and choose the right level of protection with its help. Consumers don’t like paying more for safety features because they don’t like the idea of having to pay more. More than 50% of car buyers want the safety features to be standard, according to a study. The study shows that customers are more interested in the ADAS tech, which brings in multiple safety features like blind spot detection, a backup camera, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian & cycling detection.
The satellite will travel 1.5 million kilometers towards the Sun to provide regular updates and images of the Sun’s surface phenomena and space weather. Realme is updating its software to make it harder to use enhanced intelligent services. The Realme 11 Pro and the Realme 11 Pro+ have started receiving a software patch that automatically disabled the service without requiring any user intervention.

domain: news


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Apple has just announced the official date for its “special event” (you know which one we’re talking about!).
September 7 is to be the D-day. September 7 is when all fanboys are going to sit with their eyes glued to their laptops. September 7 is when the iPhone 7 is going to be unveiled!
The event, which will be held at The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, is an “Invite Only” affair. And since it’s not easy to get your hands on an Apple iPhone 7 invite, we imagine it’s going to be quite an exclusive event!
The iPhone 7 has already gained widespread fame. Several online platforms, including your favourite one (us, duh!), have been discussing the arrival of the phone for months! Now although Apple is very particular about keeping things all hushed up, the Internet is rarely a place where secrets stay hidden for long. With a lot of its features already leaked to the media, it’ll be tough for Apple to really surprise us. But that doesn’t mean we won’t be blown away when Tim Cook takes centre stage and unveils the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
*Swooning in anticipation*
While the iPhone will certainly be the star of the show, a couple of other products are also expected to receive a fair share of the limelight. The new MacBook Pro, in particular, has been causing palpitations among gadget freaks. There are some pretty awesome features we’re expecting to see on the new MacBook.
Other than these two, the Apple Watch 2 is also expected to make a debut at the Civic Auditorium. Apart from the bigger battery and GPS – it’s two biggest enhancements – the new Watch will also see a lot of upgrades.
So that’s it, folks! The wait is finally over! We have an official date for when we’ll get to see the iPhone 7, and it’s barely 10 days away! I don’t know about you guys, but I am certainly not going to get much sleep tonight! 🙂


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Penske Automotive Group acquires TEAM Truck Centres
by CM Staff
TEAM adds four full-service dealerships in Ontario (Cambridge, London, Sarnia, Windsor) to Premier Truck Group's existing operations.
BLOOMFIELD HILLS — Penske Automotive Group, Inc., a diversified international transportation services company, announced that it has acquired Ontario-based TEAM Truck Centres, a retailer of medium and heavy-duty Freightliner and Western Star commercial trucks. The acquisition is expected to generate approximately $150 million in annualized revenue, building further scale within the Company’s wholly-owned Premier Truck Group subsidiary.
TEAM has been operating in southwest Ontario, Canada for years and is a commercial truck dealership in Canada. TEAM adds four full-service dealerships in Ontario (Cambridge, London, Sarnia, Windsor) to Premier Truck Group’s existing operations, bringing the company’s commercial truck dealership operations to eleven locations in Canada. Commenting on the acquisition, PTG President Richard Shearing said, “We are thrilled to welcome TEAM Truck Centres to Premier Truck Group. These new locations are complementary to our existing locations in Ontario, improve our scalability, and increase our ability to service trucks remotely through TEAM Truck Centres mobile product support vehicles.”
PTG now operates forty-one (41) North American commercial truck locations in Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, Utah, Idaho and Ontario, Canada, which generate nearly $3 billion in aggregate annual revenue.


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By Mary Lennighan
09 July 2010
Chinese vendor working on wireless broadband deal with U.S. operator in
bid to further its North American ambitions.
Huawei is bidding to sell mobile network equipment to U.S. operator
Sprint Nextel, despite security concerns from the U.S. government
regarding Chinese equipment makers, according to a press report.
Citing unnamed sources, the Financial Times late Thursday reported that
the Chinese vendor is driving to secure its first major U.S. contract.
If successful it will sell mobile broadband network kit to Sprint
Nextel, the paper said.
Sprint Nextel offers mobile broadband services via what it terms its 4G
network, which is based on WiMAX technology. The press report did not
explicitly state that the deal Huawei is working on is for WiMAX
equipment. Furthermore, the FT did not report that Huawei already
supplies WiMAX equipment to Sprint's partner Clearwire in the U.S.
Attend Black Hat USA 2010, hosted at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada
July 24-29th, offering over 60 training sessions and 11 tracks of Briefings
from security industry elite. To sign up visit http://www.blackhat.com


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Vida V1 electric scooter price has dawn 25,000 in Indian 100 cities this year
It appears that Hero MotoCorp has reduced the price of its Vida V1 electric scooter price by approximately Rs 25,000 in an effort to attract new customers. As a result of the price cut, the prices of the VIDA V1 Plus and VIDA V1 Pro scooters have decreased to Rs 1.20 lakh and Rs 1.40 lakh (ex-showroom price including FAME II subsidy), respectively.
Note that the new Vida V1 electric scooter price of the two scooter trims will vary across the country based on respective state subsidies, the automaker said. Hero MotoCorp launched the VIDA V1 scooter in October 2022 Deliveries of the electric scooters began in December of the same year.
Vida V1 electric scooter price :
The revised prices of the Vida V1 electric scooter make it significantly cheaper than when it was launched in October 2022. Back then, the V1 was priced at Rs 1.45 lakh, while the V1 Pro set you back Rs 1.59 lakh. These Vida V1 electric scooter prices were higher than expected. With the price drop, the Vida V1 will be more accessible than ever. Not to mention the additional subsidies offered by some states that will further reduce prices. For example, in Gujarat, the Vida V1 is priced at Rs 99,900, while the V1 Pro is priced at Rs 1.20 lakh.
Battery and range:
The Vida V1 Plus gets a 3.44kWh battery that delivers a claimed range of 143km, while the V1 Pro gets a larger 3.94kWh battery, which translates to a higher claimed range of 165km.
Vida V1 Performance:
The V1 Pro can accelerate from 0-40 km/h in 3.2 seconds, while the V1 Plus can reach 0-40 km/h in 3.4 seconds respectively, Hero claims. Both variants get the same electric motor, which produces 6kW of peak power and propels the V1 e-scooter to a claimed top speed of 80kph.
Vida V1 features :
The Vida V1 features a dual-tone bodywork with an LED headlamp and a 7-inch touchscreen at the front. It also gets features like keyless control, cruise control, SOS alert, a two-way throttle, and three riding modes: Eco, Ride, and Sports.
Read More : MG Comet EV Price in India
Currently, the Vida V1 e-scooter is available in Delhi, Jaipur, and Bangalore. It has around 300 charging points at 50 locations in the city. The company is launching its product in Pune, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Nashik, Hyderabad, Chennai, Calicut, and Kochi. It plans to expand to 100 cities this year.
Name of the 100 Indian cities :
The company recently announced that its electric scooter presence under the VIDA brand will be expanded to 100 Indian cities this year. Currently, they are present in Delhi, Jaipur, and Bangalore and they have already started expanding to Pune, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Nashik, Hyderabad, Chennai, Calicut, and Kochi.


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At the start of the year, China's largest technology companies known as the BATs, or Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent, looked unstoppable. Things continued to go very well for the big three throughout the first half of the year, with all of the firms' share share prices hitting record highs.
But since the summer, investors in the BATs have been tearing their hair out as stock prices began to fall, ruining the decent start to 2018. Collectively, the BATs have lost around $165 billion in value year-to-date, each for their own reasons.
U.S.-listed Alibaba and Baidu have been caught up in the broader sell-off in Chinese stocks resulting from weak sentiment because of the U.S.-China trade war.
Tencent, meanwhile, has been hit by regulatory woes. The Chinese government has raised concerns about eye problems in the world's second-largest economy and cited video games as one of the causes. Beijing suggested slowing down approvals of new games. Tencent makes a huge amount of money from games and concerns over the future of this part of its business have weighed on its stock.
But looking beyond the trade war rhetoric and short term problems, the BATs certainly have enough firepower to have market leadership. They also pose a major challenge to major U.S. tech names known as the FANGs or Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Alphabet, the parent company of Google.


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The often-used biblical account of David vs. Goliath doesn't always work when it's applied to modern-day battles between two unequal adversaries, but in the fight over labeling genetically engineered foods in California it does.
The battle pits the combined resources of a vast coalition of agribusiness, food industry and grocery manufacturers against a small group of organic farmers and stores and committed individuals.
At the center of the fight is Proposition 37, an initiative that will be on the California ballot on election day and would make it mandatory to label genetically modified food. In the US there is no national law requiring foods containing genetically modified organisms to be labeled.
And since an estimated 80 percent of food products sold in the US contain genetically modified ingredients, a labeling law in California would force the food industry to set up two entirely separated product streams.
Even worse for the industry is Europe's record ever since the EU made GM food labels mandatory in 1997: Even though GM foods are allowed, the law has de facto kept genetically engineered foods off the shelves in Europe because consumers are simply not buying them.
In the US there have been many failed attempts to require labels for GM foods in various states. But what makes Proposition 37 so significant is not just that California would be the first state to institute GM labels, its California's unique position and history among US states.
With its 37 million residents California is not just the most populous state in the union, but as a stand-alone economy it would be the ninth-biggest country in the world by gross domestic product.
Combine that with California's record as a national and international trendsetter on health and environmental regulation - for example as the first state to ban lead from gasoline, pass anti-smoking legislation, cap green houses gas emissions from businesses - and you can imagine why the food and agribusiness community is worried.
So it's no surprise then that the industry is pulling out all the stops to prevent Proposition 37 from becoming law in California.
Monsanto is biggest donor
Under the leadership of Monsanto, the world's biggest seed producer, the campaign against GM labels has so far raised $35 million (27 million euros), according to public records.
With $7 million Monsanto alone has spent more than the supporters of Proposition 37 have raised collectively so far with $4 million.
While the anti-label donor list with households names like Pepsico, Coca Cola, Kellogg and Mars reads like the Who-is-Who of the American food industry, two German companies stand out and have spent more to defeat Proposition 37 than all of the companies mentioned above.
German firms oppose Proposition 37
BASF and Bayer have each invested $2 million so far in the campaign to block GM labels in California. Only Monsanto and Dupont, the US chemical firm, spent more.
BASF, the world's biggest chemical company, and Bayer, Germany's biggest pharmaceutical company, both have large business units focused on genetic engineering. BASF earlier this year even moved the headquarters of its GM business to the US citing a lack of support in Europe.
This explains why they our outspending most other American and international companies to stop labels for GM foods, says Michael Hansen, the senior scientist at Consumers Union, the independent consumers organization which publishes Consumer Reports magazine:
"These German firms are doing the genetic engineering. So it's their stake in the fight because it's their ultimate ingredient that would be labeled."
Fight against rules resembling EU law
What makes the behavior of BASF and Bayer especially intriguing is the fact that they are investing millions to oppose the very rules that have been in place in their home markets of Germany and Europe for years.
"It's outrageous that German companies are spending so much money to defeat our right to know in California," Stacy Malkan, spokeswoman for the California Right to Know 2012 ballot initiative, told DW per e-mail.
Hansen calls this behavior "situational ethics." He says the firms simply do whatever the laws of the country they do business in allow them to do.
"I think it is really a shame that Bayer and BASF finance a counter-campaign against labeling," notes Heike Moldenhauer, the GM expert at Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) in Berlin. "Both wouldn't dare such propaganda here in Europe."
"I find it actually a little outrageous that particularly German companies meddle so massively in domestic US policy," says Martin Häusling, agricultural policy spokesman for the Greens in the European Parliament.
He adds that they certainly have the legal right to do so, but that the European and German public should know about their behavior. "I am not sure if this will help the public image of these companies."
Companies say Proposition 37 is misleading
In a statement to DW, Bayer CropScience, the company's GM unit, didn't address questions about its $2 million donation to the anti-Proposition 37 campaign and whether it plans to invest more money to defeat the initiative. The company also didn't respond to questions about whether it has a different perception of European vs. Californian consumers.
"Bayer CropScience principally supports that consumers should be comprehensively and transparently informed," spokesman Utz Klages said via e-mail. But California's Proposition 37 "doesn't create full transparency for consumers," he added. "Instead it creates uncertainty because it creates the wrong impression that there are differences in the safety and nutritional characteristics, when in fact none exist."
BASF also didn't address questions about its $2 million dollar to the anti-Proposition 37 campaign and whether it plans to invest more money to defeat the initiative.
"In order to provide higher transparency for customers and consumers, we welcome any sort of labeling as long as it is not misleading or discriminatory,” BASF spokeswoman Jennifer Moore-Braun told DW via e-mail. "However, we do not believe this is the case with Proposition 37," she added. BASF believes "the intention of the ballot initiative is not to inform consumers, but rather to discriminate against agricultural biotechnology."
Asked about differences between Europe and the US, Moore-Braun said, that "in Europe, we support the existing EU labeling thresholds in food and feed of 0.9 percent for all GM plants approved in the EU." But, she added, "the current legislation in Europe is misleading since there are for example too many exemptions from the labeling requirements."
In the US, said Moore-Braun, national policy doesn't requiring labelling of GM foods since it "would be misleading to consumers because it falsely implies that there are differences in safety and nutritional characteristics, when in fact none exist."
Despite the fact that GM labels are required in the EU and not in the US, Europeans and Americans generally have similar views on the issue. When polled, both routinely state they want labels on genetically modified foods.
According to an ABC News survey from June, 93 percent of Americans said the government should mandate labels for GM foods. More than half of respondents stated they would be less likely to buy food bearing such a label.
Americans and Europeans are pretty much on the same page when it comes to GM foods, argues Häusling. "The more consumers know about genetic engineering the more likely is their resistance to buying such products, instead of the other way around."
The reason there are no GM-labeling laws in the US is therefore not because the American public trusts GM foods, but because corporations in the US have more influence and can spend large amounts of money to get the outcome they want, say the experts.
Until recently, polls in California showed large majorities in favor of Proposition 37. But since the No-campaign has begun spending the millions it raised from industry to blanket California's airwaves with ads against GM labels, support for the measure is crumbling. After the beginning of the ad campaign the latest poll last week showed 48 percent in support of labels and 40 percent against it.
"This is a massive fight pitting the people against the corporations, and we are going to do everything we can to make sure the people win, but it is going to be a tough fight," says Malkan. "The pesticide and junk food companies are spending one million dollars a day to bombard California with deceptive ads designed to confuse people about a simple label."
With three weeks to go and millions of dollars to be spent by the No-campaign - practically uncontested by supporters of labels - Proposition 37 could end up like so many other attempts to introduce labels for genetically modified foods in the US: As a fight ultimately won by the deep pockets of Goliath.


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Friday 30 September 2022, JW Marriott Grosvenor
21 November 2022, Hilton London Metropole
Business Travel Show Europe, presented by The BTN
FCM Travel Solutions has expanded its network in the gulf region after signing a partner agreement with Saudi Arabian TMC, Attar Travel.
Attar operates a network of 48 offices across Saudi Arabia delivering leisure and corporate services to the Gulf Cooperation Council states and Saudi’s local industries including oil, petrochemicals, resources, construction and agriculture.
FCM’s general manager of Middle East and Africa network, Ciarán Kelly said: “This new partnership is critical to FCm's local service delivery and market share growth strategies for the Middle East.
“Attar Travel boasts highly experienced staff and their strong knowledge of the local market, suppliers, business customs and culture is a great asset to our business.”
Attar Travel’s CEO Ghassan Attar, said: "Attar Travel is very proud to be the representative of FCm in Saudi Arabia. This business relationship is an excellent opportunity to expand the scope of Attar Travel’s services worldwide."
FCM Travel were named number six in BBT’s 2014 top 50 UK TMCs


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A farmer in a Less Favoured Area turned to organic agriculture and began growing ancient varieties of cereals. He has achieved sustainability through niche, quality production.
Projects & Practice
Poland’s RDP allocated a ‘lump sum’ funding package for LEADER Local Actions Groups to help them prepare their Local Development Strategies for the 2014-2020 period.
RDP support helped a farmer to acquire the necessary equipment and infrastructure to continue expanding his organic beef cattle herd.
The regional rural network of Silesia in Poland organised a study tour for its members in Scotland to raise awareness and improve their skills on organic farming.
RDP support for young farmers enabled a young entrepreneur to turn his small farm into a viable organic farm which contributes to the protection of the environment while creating new employment opportunities for the local community.
The cost for fossil fuels can be a significant constrain for the operation of a small farm. Reverting into renewable sources of energy such as biomass, can help increase the farm’s competitiveness while protecting the environment.
An Austrian family converted their dairy farm to produce organic eggs from laying hens in a barn after they saw an opportunity in the market.
Austria`s Mühlviertel region developed an organic brand as a marketing tool to promote local producers, suppliers and tourism.
A permanent local international market established on a village at the Slovak-Hungarian border enabled local producers from both countries to sell their products more effectively.


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The Daily Hit is a recap of the top cannabis business stories for July 21, 2022.
ON THE SITE
Zynerba Enters New Equity Deal Worth $20 Million
Zynerba Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZYNE) struck an equity purchase deal on Thursday for up to $20 million with Chicago-based firm Lincoln Park Capital Fund (LPC). Lincoln Park Capital is expected to provide financial flexibility and is aligned with Zynerba’s long-term strategy for value creation, the company said. Read more here.
Cannabis Stocks Go Green On New Legislation
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) formally filed the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) today. The long-anticipated legislation was met with cheers by the beleaguered cannabis stocks, which mostly jumped in value on the news. Read more here.
BDSA Says Nearly 50% of Americans Can Get Legal Cannabis
Cannabis data tech company BDSA released findings from its Consumer Insights Survey, which showed that cannabis consumer markets continue to expand as more states approve adult-use cannabis and acceptance of legal cannabis increased among consumers. BDSA noted cannabis consumer “milestones” that had been achieved, including nearly 50% of Americans currently with access to legal cannabis. Read more here.
The Psychedelics Clinic Trials Conundrum
When a psychedelic substance gets to Phase 3 trials, like the one completed by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) with MDMA in August 2021, there is a general sense of relief. It’s been a long journey from Phase 1 for most substances in a clinical trial process—up to four years for Phase 3 alone in some cases. And only 33 percent of experimental drugs move from Phase 2 to Phase 3. Read more here.
IN OTHER NEWS
InterCure Ltd. (NASDAQ: INCR) (TSX: INCR.U) (TASE: INCR) today announced record preliminary financial results for the second quarter of 2022. All amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars ($) or New Israeli Shekels (NIS), unless otherwise noted. Record revenue estimated to be $36 million (NIS 95 million), more than double the revenues of the second quarter of 2021 and representing sequential growth of over 9%. Read more here.
22nd Century Group, Inc.
22nd Century Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: XXII), an agricultural biotechnology company in hemp/cannabis and hops advanced plant technologies, today announced that it has entered into definitive agreements with institutional investors for the purchase and sale of 17,073,175 shares of its common stock at a purchase price of $2.05 per share in a registered direct offering priced above market under Nasdaq rules. The company also agreed to issue to the investors unregistered warrants to purchase up to 17,073,175 shares of common stock. Read more here.
Zelira Therapeutics Ltd (ASX: ZLD,OTC-QB: ZLDAF), a global company in the research, development and commercialization of clinically validated cannabinoid medicines, is pleased to announce that its groundbreaking insomnia medication Zenivol™ has achieved formal approval from German regulatory authority BfArM to launch in the German medical cannabis market. Read more here.
Incannex Healthcare Limited
Incannex Healthcare Limited (Nasdaq: IXHL) (ASX: IHL), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing unique medicinal cannabinoid pharmaceutical products and psychedelic medicine therapies for unmet medical needs, is pleased to announce that it has received approval from the Bellberry Human Research Ethics Committee for a phase 1 clinical trial investigating its proprietary multi-use, anti-inflammatory drug IHL-675A. Read more here.
Delic Holdings Corp
Delic Holdings Corp (CSE: DELC) (OTCQB: DELCF) (FRA: 6X0), a provider of new medicines and treatments, announced its first annual earnings for 2021 and reported revenue in excess of USD$1.5MM and increased net assets from USD$2.1MM in 2020 to USD$10MM. Delic continues to focus on accelerating growth through the expansion of its national chain of Ketamine Wellness Centers (KWC) and the addition of numerous new programs and services. Read more here.
Green Meadows, a vertically integrated cannabis company based in the heart of Southbridge, Mass., has announced key new leadership changes to position the company for continued growth in the New England cannabis market, including the first non-family member to be appointed to the C-Suite with Max Jones joining as Chief Operating Officer. Bob Patton, co-founder and former CEO, is now chairman and his son and fellow co-founder, Chris Zawacki, has been promoted from COO to CEO. Dan Donahue has been appointed to Vice President Cannabis Operations and Josh Turner is now the Vice President of Cultivation. The expansion of the leadership team will support the rapid maturation of the business. Read more here.
Pervasip Corp. (OTCPK: PVSP), a developer of companies and technologies in high value emerging markets, today announced the decision to reduce the Company’s authorized shares and provide new guidance on reverse splits. Read more here.
Metrc, the most trusted and experienced provider of cannabis regulatory systems in the U.S., announced its new contract with the State of Rhode Island to support the State’s regulation of medical cannabis, the company’s 22nd government contract to date and fifth so far in 2022. Read more here.


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The City of Wheeling Water Department will begin working with a new service provider for online payments effective Dec. 12. The transition will require customers who pay their bills electronically or through autopay to re-register and create a new account via the City’s website. The change will also provide additional payments options for the convenience of the customer.
Utilities Accounting & Revenue Supervisor Marci Embrey explained customers must re-register for online payments or autopay by visiting wheelingwv.gov and clicking on the “pay online” link or by going to the Water Department webpage at https://www.wheelingwv.gov/departments/PublicWorks/water.
Embrey stressed that as of Dec. 12, auto pay will not be drafted from customer accounts. Customers must re-register their account and set it for auto pay if they wish to continue with the feature.
The new system will also allow customers to pay their water bills via PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay and Google Pay, noting that fees do apply to any electronic transaction.
“Any electronic transaction will incur a fee. This includes a payment via the apps, an e-check paid online or via phone. Credit/debit card transactions will incur a fee online, via phone and in person,” she said, noting there is not a fee for payments made with a physical check. A physical check can be mailed, dropped off in the Water Department office or in the drop box at the entryway of the City-County Building, 1500 Chapline Street. Customers can also pay their bill at Community Bank providing they have their payment stub.
Fees are as follows: 3.5 percent of the amount being paid ($2 minimum); $1.95 for an e-check. Embrey emphasized the City does not benefit from the fees for the electronic transactions. Those funds go directly to the service provider.
The new system will also allow customers to set their accounts to receive bills via email while also being able to opt in for reminders via email or text message.
Customers with questions should contact Utilities Accounting and Revenue at (304) 234-3762.


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Iconic cruise line brand P&O Cruises has showcased its credentials as curators of the ultimate South Pacific experience in a new campaign via creative agency Bashful.
The 30-second ad shows the journey of an overly confident adventurer who sets out to prove he can explore the beautiful South Pacific on his own.
Eventually, the adventurer becomes a ragged castaway who slowly loses touch with reality, but all is not lost, as he finds a unique companion named Sharon along the way.
The campaign, entitled ‘The best way to see the best of the South Pacific’, also includes six 15-second content series pieces which share a deeper insight into the castaway’s journey – highlighting the benefits of P&O’s experience in finding unique locations and shore tours, and as the most enjoyable and convenient way to travel to the South Pacific.
Furthermore, the campaign includes two 15-second retail ads conveying the latest P&O ‘Oh Ship’ promotion, which offers a $1 deposit, free room upgrade and free onboard spending money for bookings until Tuesday 13 February 2018.
This is the third major campaign P&O since the brand joined Bashful. It also includes press, outdoor, digital and social media elements in Australia and New Zealand.
As part of P&O Cruise’s new sponsorship of the Big Bash League, the campaign will be broadcast during the cricket on Ten throughout the summer.
P&O Cruises’ vice president of sales and marketing, Ryan Taibel, said: “Since P&O’s first cruise on December 23, 1932, we have been discovering new and exotic places for Australians to enjoy, including our latest, exclusive destination – the Conflict Islands in Papua New Guinea.
“In 2018 we want to showcase the hugely popular and stunning South Pacific islands and reassert that the best way to see them is cruising with P&O.
“We feel the campaign from Bashful achieves this with loads of personality and some really memorable content.”
Bashful creative director Tim Chenery said: “P&O Cruises make seeing the seriously exotic locations of the South Pacific easy.
“That fact got us thinking: if you wanted to see them all, but you didn’t go with P&O, just how hard would it be? If you tried to do it yourself, it would be damn near impossible, so we had a bit of fun with this ad.”
B2B marketers could learn a thing or two from their B2C colleagues, argues WP Engine VP APAC sales Mark Randall in this guest post. It surprises me how many B2B organisations are not quite hitting the mark when it comes to reaching their audience. When talking directly to businesses, many brands are missing an opportunity […]
The majority of adverts uploaded to Facebook aren’t created for Facebook as its priority. This is causing huge inefficiencies and poor performance for brands, many of whom are facing up to shrinking budgets. Tom Phillips (main photo) managing director at Connecting Plots shares lessons from 12 campaigns they optimised for auto brands… It’s no secret […]
On Wednesday, 21 October 2020, the PR industry was bolstered by the launch of the Public Relations Institute of Australia’s (PRIA) first University Mentoring Program in New South Wales, adapting the traditional face-to-face program to a virtual format for the first time. In collaboration with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), the PRIA NSW Young […]
JCDecaux has developed a dynamic digital campaign with live timetable data where commuters can access their money from MyPayNow while waiting for the bus. In an exclusive nationwide Out-Of-Home campaign, JCDecaux’s SMARTFRAME digital assets are broadcasting bus arrival times, letting commuters know how far away their next bus is – and just how easy it […]
Rokt has today announced an investment of US$80M. The capital will help accelerate research & development and support the expansion of its client base into new verticals and geographies as Rokt continues to make e-commerce smarter, faster, and better. The funding round was led by Rokt’s largest institutional shareholder TDM Growth Partners , and supported […]
PayPal Australia and Buy From The Bush have joined forces to launch a new online marketplace to showcase rural Australian small businesses in time for Christmas. The expanded partnership aims to build stronger connections between bush businesses and Australians in cities and suburbs across the country. The new Buy From The Bush Marketplace is an […]


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Declining fossil-fuelled car sales turned 2022 into a bad year for automakers. In contrast, the market share of battery-powered electric vehicles grew to a record 12.1%, in a show of strength for sustainable mobility solutions, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) show.
With transport accounting for one fourth of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions, this is a critical development on the road to achieving EU carbon neutrality goals.
However, purchasing an electric vehicle is only one aspect of the otherwise complex and still evolving electric market. Today, all potential e-car owners face a basic challenge: where to recharge their cars as close, easily and conveniently as possible to their home, workplace and other areas of interest?
In the absence of an adequate answer to that question, many consumers will just continue to buy traditional petrol and diesel cars out of fear that it would otherwise be too difficult and inconvenient to power an e-vehicle.
Indeed, only an effective and widespread network of electric charging facilities across the EU can inspire consumer confidence and foster the adoption of battery-powered vehicles on a broader scale.
The EU-funded USER-CHI project was conceived to respond to that issue by supporting the development and roll-out of new charging infrastructures as well as encouraging e-mobility uptake, with a focus on user needs.
Since its inception in 2020, USER-CHI – to which Eurocities is a partner – has been working with seven European municipalities to design new e-charging networks, develop and test innovative charging systems, make legal recommendations, inspire confidence in e-vehicles, among other activities.
USER-CHI also boasts its own podcast to explore the many facets of e-mobility and raise awareness about the challenges of electric charging.
The podcast’s first episode offers a first glimpse into electromobility and, with the help of two industry experts and an e-car driver, helps to dispel some misconceptions.
Are electric cars truly effective in curbing air pollution? What are the benefits and advantages for users, city dwellers and society in general?
Listen to the podcast below, and read on to learn more!
Passenger cars account for around 12% of the total EU emissions of carbon dioxide and are the largest source of nitrogen dioxide pollution.
On the other hand, electric cars emit three times less CO2 than their petrol or diesel equivalents. Although e-vehicles still produce greenhouse gas emissions, they also release fewer toxic pollutants and have an overall-all lower environmental impact than fossil-fuelled cars.
These simple data alone could be enough to advocate for a switch to e-vehicles to reduce reliance on petrol-powered vehicles and improve people’s life quality and health.
Electric vehicles play a leading role in all EU plans to reduce air pollutants from road transport: by 2030, the sale of battery-powered cars could contribute to up to 75% of emission reduction from new vehicles, which would be crucial to meeting EU climate ambitions.
But what are electric vehicles anyway? The category includes all cars, vans and trucks that are powered by electricity and draw their energy from storage batteries or an external source. Only battery-powered electric vehicles are fully electric, unlike plug-in hybrids and hybrid vehicles that also run on petrol.
Unsurprisingly, with the climate crisis turning into an emergency in recent years, the number and popularity of electric vehicles has increased dramatically.
In 2021, international sales of electric vehicles hit the 6.6 million mark – that same year, almost 10% of global car sales were electric, four times the market share compared to 2019. Numbers continued to grow in 2022, and no doubt we’ll see more and more electric vehicles on the road in the coming years.
Is an electric revolution unfolding before our eyes?
“There is certainly a rapid change right now that could be seen in some way seen as revolution,” says Thomas Neumann, who at the time of the interview was a Policy Manager at the European Association for Electromobility (today Neumann works as an accredited EU Parliament assistant on Industrial Policy).
EU climate ambition is what mainly sparked this change, together with legislation such as an EU ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035.
“We now have standards for carmakers who have to reduce their CO2 emissions from cars and, as a result, need to produce and sell electric cars across Europe,” explains Julia Poliscanova, Senior Director for Vehicles and e-Mobility at the European Federation for Transport and Environment. “At the moment, the key pillar of the European strategy is to first focus on the supply of electric vehicles, to make sure that there is enough offer for European consumers,” she adds.
A number of other factors are adding to battery-vehicles’ success. “We’ve also seen advances in technology: it’s become much cheaper to produce batteries. Meanwhile batteries’ range has increased, so they’ve become more convenient for consumers,” Neumann remarks.
But what about consumers? Are e-vehicles as good for people as they’re good for the planet?
We’ve asked Julian, a e-vehicle driver from Germany. “Today we use our cars for all kinds of driving,” he says. “We often go to the Baltic Sea, which is around 300 kilometres from Berlin….Travelling long distance, which was kind of an adventure back then, is a piece of cake nowadays,” Julian adds.
Listen to the USER-CHI podcast’s 1st episode to learn more about Julian’s 16-year experience with an electric car and to delve deep into the conversation with e-mobility experts Julia Poliscanova and Thomas Neumann.
Top photo by: Zaptec


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Welcome the Holiday Season with Gilda’s Gift of Giving
Just before Thanksgiving each year, the community gets a special chance to show its support of those whose lives have been impacted by cancer and express its gratitude for Gilda’s Desert Cities, the unique non-profit organization that provides them with emotional and educational support—all while having fun.
The occasion is the popular Gilda’s Gift of Giving Luncheon, Boutique and Fashion Show, being held this year at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa on Thursday and Friday, November 17 and 18.
This major event is expected to draw 500 caring supporters of the cancer cause, many of whom also happen to love high fashion and enjoy kicking off the holiday season with a bit of boutique shopping. Attendees are attracted both by the 29-vendor boutique featuring distinctive jewelry, clothing, accessories and decorative items that is open both days, and the luncheon on day two featuring a glamorous runway fashion show with this year’s fashions presented by Los Angeles-based designer Margi Kent.
According to Gilda’s President and CEO Maria Elena Geyer, two new attractions have been added this year that are exciting Gift of Giving attendees. The first, co-chaired by Karen Bell and Lori Romania, is a festive “Girls Night Out” on Thursday evening, with live flamenco guitar, wine and hors d’oeuvres enhancing the boutique experience.
The second is a trunk show immediately following the fashion show, which will give everyone the opportunity to go backstage, meet designer Margi Kent in person, and purchase the apparel they just saw modeled so stunningly on the runway.
Reminding the audience of why their support of the Gilda’s professionally led, no-cost program of emotional support is so important will be two cancer survivors telling their compelling stories, as well as honoring Peter Wasserman, a generous philanthropist who focuses his giving on local cancer organizations and has served on the Board of Directors of Gilda’s Desert Cities for many years.
“It would not be possible to hold a major event of this caliber without the sponsorship of many generous individuals and organizations,” Geyer said, “and we’re grateful to them all.” Event Partners are the Wasserman Foundation, The Auen Foundation, Annette Bloch, Sally Nordstrom, Prime Time International, Carleen and Charles Riach, Eisenhower Lucy Curci Cancer Center, Desert Regional Medical Center Comprehensive Cancer Center, Desert Orthopedic Center and Desert Oasis Healthcare. Media Partners are Palm Springs Life, The Desert Sun, Alpha Media, and Desert Health®.
Gilda’s Gift of Giving boutique hours are Thursday, November 17 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday, November 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., then again from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission and parking are free. Girls Night Out at the boutique is November 17 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance (online only, at http://gildasclubdesertcities.org/product/gno-advance-purchase) and $35 at the door.
The November18 luncheon/fashion show begins at 12:00 p.m. Tickets are $175 and can be purchased by calling Gilda’s at (760) 770.5678 or online at gildasclubdesertcities.org/gildas-gift-giving-2016.


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Harbor Freight Tools plans to open store in Portsmouth (English)
PORTSMOUTH -- Harbor Freight Tools is planning to open a new store in the retail space formerly occupied by Philbrick’s Fresh Market. 'Business conditions' force Philbrick's Fresh Market to close Portsmouth store “We were part of the growing organic,...
Euroseas Ltd. Announces the Acquisition of Four 4,250 teu Containerships Further Expanding and Renewing its Fleet; and a Private Placement of $6 million of Common Stock (English)
Euroseas Ltd. Announces the Acquisition of Four 4,250 teu Containerships Further Expanding and Renewing its Fleet; and a Private Placement of $6 million of Common Stock Maroussi, Athens, Greece - November 18, 2019 - Euroseas Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESEA, the...
Windsor Park third graders run Corpus Christi's City Hall for a day (English)
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Euroseas Ltd. Announces the Acquisition of Four 4,250 teu Containerships Further Expanding and Renewing its ... (English)
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The global air freight services market at a CAGR of almost 4% during the forecast period (English)
NEW YORK, Nov. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Air Freight Services Market: About this market This air freight services market analysis considers sales from manufacturing, retail, and other end-user industries. Our report also considers the sales of...
New record brings Greek Piraeus port closer to largest container port in Mediterranean (English)
ATHENS, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The port of Piraeus in Greece has reached a record 5 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) in its container...
China’s chopper industry is hitting stride (English)
Over the next 20 years, joint venture partners Avicopter, the helicopter branch of State-owned aircraft giant Aviation Industry Corp. of China, and Airbus Helicopters, the French aircraft-maker’s subsidiary, expect to sell about 800 to 1,000...
Harbor Freight Tools to open Portsmouth store (English)
PORTSMOUTH — Harbor Freight Tools is planning to open a...
Nation’s Top Transit Official Tours Philadelphia’s Franklin Square Station BUILD Project (English)
11-18-2019 PHILADELPHIA - The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams today toured the Philadelphia Franklin Square Station project. The visit follows this week's announcement of a...
Reduce conveyor maintenance time through better access (English)
Virtually every vehicle on the road is designed with a hood that can be easily opened for access to the engine, so mechanics can perform routine service and diagnose or address problems that arise during its lifespan. Conveyor systems should be...
PPA broke the 5 million TEU limit (English)
PPA S.A. announces that today Monday, November 18th 2019 at 9:58 a.m. was handled the container with number CSUN7025891,...
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Etihad Cargo inks distribution agreement with cargo.one (English)
Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics arm of Etihad Airways, has augmented its digitalisation strategy by signing a landmark distribution agreement with cargo.one, the multi-airline e-booking platform. Finalised on the side lines of Cargo Connect, an...
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MSC hires ex-Maersk operations head Toft as CEO of cargo business (English)
LONDON — Swiss headquartered container group MSC has hired Soren Toft as chief executive of its shipping and logistics...
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MSC appoints former top Maersk official as CEO of cargo business (English)
LONDON — Swiss headquartered container shipping group MSC has appointed Soren Toft as the new chief...
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Volkswagen brand sales in China surpassed sales in Germany for the first time in the first quarter of 2003.
VW-branded vehicles, made in China by two joint-venture companies, recorded sales of 149,500 units during the first quarter, compared with 114,000 units in Germany.
John Lawson, analyst for Smith Barney in London, estimates that China provided 22 percent of VW's net income in 2002.
VW owns 40 percent of the First Automotive Works joint venture and 50 percent of the Shanghai- VW joint venture.
Lawson says VW has maintained its 40 percent-plus market share in China in the first quarter.
"It's extremely profitable," says Lawson of VW's China operations. "We didn't expect it to be more profitable in 2003. That is because they've launched five products in China. And the price level in the market is coming down."


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It doesn't matter whether you're a mechanical, electrical or software engineer. For an overwhelming majority of engineers, knowledge of electronics is more important now than five years ago.
At first glance, that might not sound like news. But consider this: It's been 62 years since John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley invented the transistor. It's been 37 years since the inception of the PC. And automobiles have employed electronic engine control for more than 20 years.
So what could possibly be new here? How could knowledge of electronics be more important now than five years ago? Engineers who responded to the Design News survey, "The Role of Electronics," said the main difference is breadth. Today, the line between mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering is blurring. Mechanical engineers select sensors. They buy microcontrollers. They employ electronic reference designs. Everyone, it seems, needs to know some electronics.
"Engineers who came up five, 10 and 15 years ago are now having to relearn things," noted Kent Swan, founder of White Bird Engineering (Boca Raton, FL), an engineering development consultant. "Even if they learned things correctly in school, they still have to add to their knowledge base."
'Everything Touches The Hardware'
Swan was among an overwhelming number of survey respondents who told Design News that it's more important now to be familiar with electronics than it was five years ago. Only 3 percent of those surveyed said it was less important.
"It's getting more important every year," added Ali Nekourouh of Brazen Tek (Woodland Hills, CA). "The way technology has been evolving, you have to be familiar with electronics."
Even software engineers said that electronics hardware continues to grow in importance. "It's more critical now than ever before," noted John Olney, a software engineer and Design News reader in Santa Rosa, CA. "Even though I'm a software guy, everything I do reaches out and touches the hardware."
Those who responded to the Design News survey were crystal clear about what they thought was important. In response to a question about the most important components in embedded designs, respondents repeatedly pointed to microcontrollers and sensors. Forty-three percent said that the choice of the microcontroller was "extremely important," while 44 percent said sensors were "very important."
"Performance is our number one need for the future," Nekourouh said. "If the processor can't perform the operation, then you've got a real problem."
Still, some respondents claimed that microcontroller performance is easily identifiable and fairly predictable. Sensors, they said, represent a tougher choice.
"Depending on how a sensor is designed, it can be difficult or easy to interface," Swan said. "It can require a little or a lot of conditioning; it can be sensitive or insensitive to outside influences. Your sensor choice can make you or break you."
Still, the question of component value varied from engineer to engineer. Olney — a software engineer — identified connectors as a critical component. "The connector can cause so much grief," he said. "When you debug a system with an intermittent connector, it can really cause headaches."
'Software Still A Key'
Not surprisingly, opinions on microcontrollers and digital signal processors varied dramatically according to application types. Readers identified three main characteristics as critical in their choice of a microcontroller. The biggest of those was software and debugging tools. Thirty-eight percent of respondents described those as "extremely important."
"Software and debuggability are the most critical things to getting a product out the door on time," Swan said. "If you have bad debuggability or if your tools aren't right, then it doesn't matter how good your microcontroller is. The best thing to do is chuck it. Throw it away and get another one."
The good news, however, is that the vast differences between microcontroller software and debuggability are starting to disappear. Many respondents repeatedly said that microcontroller software and debug tools have made great strides in the past decade. Some said they've reached the point where they can choose virtually any microcontroller and be assured that the tools will be usable. That wasn't the case five years ago, they contended.
"In the last five years or so, we've reached the point where's there's really not that much difference between debug tools," Olney said. "In the past, you would have had vast differences in the quality of software support from manufacturer to manufacturer. But industry-wide today, the quality of tools is quite high."
Software, however, wasn't the only criteria for choosing a microcontroller. Understandably, cost was rated high by many respondents. Eighty-nine percent described cost as "extremely important," "very important" or "important." In a clear reflection of our economic times, only 11 percent said cost was unimportant.
Power consumption was also highly rated. Only 18 percent of respondents said that it was "not very important" or "not at all important."
"It's very application-dependent," said Nekourouh of Brazen Tek. "Generally speaking, cost is more important in consumer applications than in medical. BOM (bill of materials) cost is very big in consumer applications."
'Be Willing to Learn'
One apparent area of recent growth was electronic reference designs. Eighty-four percent of respondents said that reference designs were either "important or "very important."
"Reference designs give me a guide," Nekourouh said. "If part of a configuration is missing, or there's a part I don't understand, I can always assume the manufacturer knows how to do it. It comes down to a time issue. If I have a guide to walk me through, I can always do the job faster."
The same thinking apparently holds true for operating systems. In contrast to a decade ago, when half of all developers wrote their own operating systems, today's market is dominated by commercial off-the-shelf products. In this year's survey, a paltry 18 percent said they write their own operating systems. Even less — approximately 10 percent — said they prefer freely available Linux.
Olney, who recalled that it was commonplace for developers to write their own OS a decade ago, said that as operating systems grow larger, it's no longer sensible for him to write his own.
"There are better things for me to do," he said. "There are commercial products out there. So why would I bother investing the time and energy in writing my own — especially since I don't need to?"
If there was a universal theme among respondents, however, it was no one can escape the need to understand electronics and associated software. The old "throw it over the wall" mentality, once common in companies where electrical and mechanical disciplines were strictly defined, is no more. Moreover, the survey's respondents indicated that reference designs and electronic design automation (EDA) software only take engineers halfway to the finish line. The engineer has to have enough familiarity with electronics to carry the project the rest of the way.
"Even the best EDA systems can only get you part of the way there," Swan concluded. "If you don't have the base knowledge, you're going to be fumbling in the dark. Every day, you have to be willing to learn more and more."


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The Cupertino-based company that we all love, is offering free shipping on everything on their online store in light of the holidays as well as, indirectly, their wonderful sales numbers this past Black Friday.
Black Friday is the only day of the year when Apple offers discounted products storewide – some in black, others in white, many in silver. The tradition continues for November 25, 2011. No need to get aimlessly lost in long lines of deal-crazed buyers hell-bent on receiving products at the
While browsing through the app store on my device, I came across iTunes’ new list which presented me with a very pleasant surprise. The only bad thing is I’m going to need an iTunes giftcard very very soon! So, this new list is basically a compilation of tons of popular
Google recently announced their latest foray into the world of social networking, Google Buzz. They now have a fully-functional web application tailored to Mobile Safari on the iPhone or iPod touch. The web app has all the features of the full web version, but scaled down enough to fit on the iPhone's screen. You can check it out by going to the Google Mobile website.
In December of last year, Riverturn launched Black Swan, a web version of VoiceCentral, their since-banned native Google Voice application. It was the first app of any kind to bring Google Voice back to the iPhone through legitimate means after Apple removed all traces of Google Voice functionality from the App Store. Now Google is following suit, offering their own official Google Voice web app for the iPhone.
Earlier this summer, Apple turned a lot of heads (including the FCC's) when they unabashedly killed Google Voice on the iPhone, rejecting Google's official app and removing all third party ones. Now an alternative has shown up that Apple can't reject; a web app. Riverturn, the developers of the removed app VoiceCentral, has created their own web interface to the service that acts exactly the same as a native app. Video after the break!
The Gmail team at Google announced recently that they have updated the mobile-optomized version of Gmail that shows up on smartphones like the iPhone to be between 2 and 3 times faster than the previous version. The speed increase is the result of several optimizations implemented to boost performance of Gmail's mobile site.
Twitter has announced a new mobile interface for accessing the Twitter website on the iPhone and other similarly large-screened smartphones. The new interface sports a look closer to that of Twitter on the PC. The developer team rebuilt the mobile site from scratch using Twitter's API's, and includes Reply, Retweet, and Favorite functions, as well as views for Mentions and Direct Messages. They're still working out some of the issues showing up on Blackberries, but they hope to replace m.Twitter.com with the new code soon.
Google announced recently that the Google home page will now be location-aware when accessed on an iPhone. Now, whenever you go to Google.com on your iPhone, Google will tap in to the device's GPS capabilities to determine your location and give you location-relevent results. The ability to search with My Location has also been added to the Google Mobile App [$0.00 | App Store].
Glyphboard, a small web app that's seemingly more than a web app, just might change the way web apps are looked at. Previously web apps could only be used while in Safari and connected to the Internet, but this application is much different. That's because Glyphboard can install itself as a webclip on your iPhone or iPod touch and launch just like a native application.


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Hot Stocks: SOFI, CRM rise on earnings; CERT drops; F plans standalone EV operations
While investors remained focused on Ukraine and the Federal Reserve in the lead up to Wednesday's open on Wall Street, earnings news offered fodder for some major single-stock moves. SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ:SOFI) and Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) were among the highest-profile players seeing action on their quarterly reports. Both stocks rose in the wake of their financial figures.
Certara (NASDAQ:CERT) moved in the other direction on earnings news. A disappointing report sent the stock sharply lower before the opening bell.
In other news, Ford (NYSE:F) saw a pre-market advance, bolstered by news that the company will officially pursue a separation of its electric vehicle operations from its legacy car-making business.
SoFi Technologies (SOFI) soared 14% in pre-market trading following the release of its quarterly results. The online personal finance company reported a narrower-than-expected loss, with revenue that jumped nearly 54% from last year.
SOFI also gave an upbeat forecast, predicting 2022 revenue of $1.57B, with $280M-$285M coming in Q1. The firm projected a full-year adjusted EBITDA figure of $180M.
Earnings news also gave a lift to Salesforce (CRM). The enterprise software maker beat expectations on both the top and bottom lines.
Looking ahead, CRM predicted Q1 revenue of $7.37B-$7.38B, compared to analysts' consensus of $7.27B. Based on its quarterly update, the stock rallied 4% in pre-market action.
Ford (F) recorded a pre-market advance as well, boosted by confirmation that it plans to split its electric business from its traditional internal combustion operations. The news, which had been reported as a possibility earlier, sent the stock higher by nearly 5%.
Certara (CERT) lost ground before the opening bell, dragged down by a disappointing quarterly report. The biosimulation company missed expectations with its Q4 results, reporting non-GAAP EPS of $0.01 compared to the $0.09 that analysts had predicted.
The firm's revenue figure also came up short of projections, despite a nearly 17% rise from last year. Hurt by the quarterly report, shares dropped about 9% in pre-market action.
Looking to track Wall Street's biggest movers throughout the session? Turn to Seeking Alpha's On The Move section.


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Facebook’s Messenger app is soon getting a new Split Payments feature. The feature will allow users to divide the expenses between friends so that paying or getting paid back is easier than ever. Payments will then be processed via Facebook Pay to make things even simpler. Here are all the details about this new feature.
Facebook Messenger Introduces Split Payments Feature
The new Spilt Payments feature is termed as “a free and fast way to share the cost of bills and expenses.” It will roll out for the users in the US, starting next week. There’s no word on whether or not it will be available for users in other countries.
Those wanting to easily split the costs of a dinner or probably the monthly expenses can do so either using the Group Chat or the Payments Hub in Facebook Messenger.
For this, users will have to move to the Payments option in a chat window, tap on the “Get Started” option, divide the expenses as per the need (it could either be split equally or as per a person’s choice), possibly add a message, enter the required Facebook Pay credentials, and the request will be sent to the group members. This split bill request can be viewed in the group chat.
In addition to this, the Meta-owned social media platform has introduced the new Group Effects by collaborating with 4 new creators like King Bach, Emma Chamberlain, Bella Poarch, and Zack King. For those who don’t know, Group Effects allow for a fun way of interacting over Facebook Messenger and Instagram video calls by adding customized AR filters. These new effects will also be available for both the Messenger and Instagram apps.
Lastly, Facebook Messenger has also introduced new Stranger Things-themed and Taylor Swift-inspired Soundmojis. Soundmojis are sound-based emojis you can send to your friends for more fun and interactive conversations.


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Email marketing the most likely to grow: Adrian Hoon, Epsilon
Email marketing firm Epsilon has announced new clients and doubled its client base in 2010. Asia Head Adrian Hoon talks about how Internet usage in India is poised to grow, and as email is the most popular activity for users, email marketing should be a top priority for marketers.
Marketing services firm Epsilon has announced seven new email marketing clients in India, covering finance, travel and retail groups, including Shoppers Stop, MakeMyTrip.com and FashionAndYou.com.
Adrian Hoon, Vice-President, Epsilon Asia, said, “The year 2010 marks an important milestone for Epsilon in India; bearing testimony to our expertise of integrating people, process and technology to help leading Indian brands meet the evolving expectations of their customers, who are more empowered and selective about the information they want to receive and how they wish to engage with brands.”
Pearl Uppal, CEO, Fashion and You, said, “Epsilon not only gives us access to a world-class robust email marketing technology with the efficiency to automate, customise and deliver personalised messages aligned with the individual preferences of our customers, but they also help us monitor and optimise our email campaigns to ensure our customers are engaged with relevant messaging at the right time in the right channel.”
India is the third largest Internet market in Asia, and with new focus on improving broadband access across all tiers and the much delayed launch of 3G services in the country, the online consumer market is poised to grow at a tremendous rate as well. Hoon said, “India’s online consumer market is experiencing remarkable growth – up 33 per cent, with 2.5 million more online shoppers from last year, representing over one-fifth of the Internet population.”
Epsilon is a leading marketing services company, offering data-driven, multi-channel marketing solutions to leverage consumer insight and help brands deepen their relationships with customers. Services include strategic consulting, acquisition and customer database technologies, email marketing and analytic services, predictive modeling, loyalty management, and direct and digital agency services.
According to a recent study by the Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), email was one of the most common online activities of Internet users in India, “offering companies an effective channel for communicating with the steadily growing population of online savvy consumers”, Hoon said.
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Aquaculture Industry Grows In Indiana
August 15, 2013 — Sales from fish farms in Indiana have more than quadrupled in the past six years from $3.5 million in 2006 to $15 million last year. That’s according to a Purdue report released this week. But as Indiana Public Broadcasting’s Gretchen Frazee reports, the industry is still small and whether it will continue to grow at such a rapid rate is uncertain…
Indiana’s aquaculture industry includes a wide variety of companies—from small-scale producers selling ornamental fish for aquariums to large fish farms that sell tilapia and shrimp to restaurants. And the industry’s expanding. The Purdue University report shows in 2006, there were only 18 fish producers in the state. Now there are around 50.
Purdue University Aquaculture Marketing Specialist Kwamena Quagrainie says Indiana has specialized in unique species.
“The advantage we have in Indiana is the fish species we are producing are not being produced elsewhere.”
Those include yellow perch, marine shrimp and freshwater prawns.
But there are still hurdles the industry must overcome before it can become a major market player. Quagrainie says raising fish requires a lot of capital investment—so staying in business can be difficult.
Bell Aquaculture Spokesmen Jon Bennett can attest to that. The Albany-based company was founded in 2005 and he says it’s had to find creative ways to cut overhead costs to remain profitable.
“We have also partnered from several agencies to improve what we do and take in technology from other industries sources”
That includes more efficient filtration systems and technology that reduces water use—which allows them to compete with producers around the world. For Indiana Public Broadcasting, I’m Gretchen Frazee.


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It was reported last week that eight apps on Google Play with more than two billion downloads have been exploiting user permissions to steal “millions of dollars”. Seven of these apps are from Cheetah Mobile, a Chinese Internet company, while the other one has been developed by Kika Tech, another Chinese firm. After internal investigation, Google has reportedly confirmed that it has removed two of the apps from the list- CM File Manager and Kika Keyboard.
The tech giant told BuzzFeed News that these two apps contain code used that can execute ad fraud techniques like click injection and click flooding. “We take these allegations very seriously and our Google Play Developer policies prohibit deceptive and malicious behaviour on our platform. If an app violates our policies, we take action,” Google told the publication.
The report states that according to app analytics firm AppBrain, CM File Manager and Kika Keyboard together have been downloaded more than 250 million times. The Kika Keyboard app was on the top spot on the Play Store in the top keyboard app list, and Cheetah Mobile is said to be the largest developers in the Android ecosystem.
Out of the list, Battery Doctor and CM Launcher apps were also removed by Cheetah Mobile last week itself. The company has issued several statements ever since the news broke out last week, and it seems to shift the blame onto third party SDKs installed in its apps. Furthermore, it even threatened to take legal action against Kochava, the app analytics and attribution company that first found malicious behaviour within these eight apps. The latest statement even alleged that “Kochava’s testing methods contained fundamental mistakes, leading to a number of false or misleading conclusions.”
Dismissing Cheetah Mobile’s claim of third party SDKs causing click injections, in the report, Google says it found native code within these two apps that was used for install attribution abuse. The tech giant further states that investigation is still underway and it will take additional action.
The other apps developed by Cheetah include CM Launcher 3D, Security Master, CM Locker, and Cheetah Keyboard, and we strongly recommend users to not download any of these apps, or uninstall them if they exist on your Android device, until full investigation by Google is completed.
Google Ads enables businesses of all sizes, from around the world, to promote a wide variety of products, services, applications, and websites on Google and across our network. We want to help you reach existing and potential customers and audiences.
However, to help create a safe and positive experience for users, we listen to their feedback and concerns about the types of ads they see. We also regularly review changes in online trends and practices, industry norms, and regulations. And finally, in crafting our policies, we also think about our values and culture as a company, as well as operational, technical, and business considerations. As a result, they have created a set of policies that apply to all promotions on the Google Network.
Google requires that advertisers comply with all applicable laws and regulations and the Google policies described above. It’s important that you familiarize yourself with and keep up to date on these requirements for the places where your business operates, as well as any other places your ads are showing. When they find content that violates these requirements, they may block it from appearing, and in cases of repeated or egregious violations, they may stop you from advertising with them.


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Your campus, Your story
Story and photos by Rachel Bednarz
Nearly 1,000 people swarmed the Biosciences building on Central Michigan University’s campus for the 21st annual Threads Fashion Show on April 6. Among those in attendance were four tables of vendors selling their unique fashion merchandise to the crowd.
Juniors Julia Wozny and Susanna Westlake sold their jewelry at a table together.
Wozny has been creating her handmade macrame necklaces for about three years and wants to continue creating it after college.
“I started making jewelry because I have a metal allergy, so a lot of jewelry I was wearing I could not wear,” Wozny said. “So I started making my own cords for necklaces and it grew from there.”
Wozny has sold her artwork at numerous art shows and festivals and also sells her work online via Etsy. Her artwork is available on her Etsy shop, Hippie Homemade Art.
Westlake has only been creating her wire-wrapped necklaces for a month now. She has never sold her work before but took this opportunity to share a table with Wozny.
“I was actually motivated by Julia. I saw the jewelry she was creating and was like ‘that’s awesome,'” Westlake said.
Westlake began making her necklaces after watching YouTube tutorials. Though she has never sold at a venue before, she does sell her jewelry on her Instagram account.
Another student vendor at Threads was junior Victoria Vitale. Vitale has been creating her digital prints since high school but has really began exploring the art form since beginning her journey at CMU.
Vitale had never sold at a venue before coming to Threads; she usually just promotes her products on social media and sells to friends. She is currently in the process of creating a website to be able to sell more online.
Along with the prints that she sold at the show, Vitale also created the design found on the Threads program booklets.
Along with student vendors, a few boutique vendors sold products at Threads as well. Carrie Hall represented the brand Oliver Thomas at the show.
The brand originated in Birmingham, MI, and over the course of a year has grown into a country-wide supplier for small boutiques. According to Hall, the company refuses to sell to big businesses like Amazon and Wal-Mart.
The company creates quilted polyester bags that range from full sized totes to fanny packs. Each bag comes with a smaller bag and a secret bottom pocket, perfect for storing dirty clothes during a trip.
“[The bags] are super durable, super lightweight, washable, 100% vegan and super functional,” Hall said. For hosting the company during the show, Oliver Thomas has offered CMU students free shipping through April with the code “CMUOT” on their online store.
Boutique vendors Omoni and Vaize were also tabled at the event and sold their jewelry and clothing pieces all night.
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JAKARTA, July 25 (Reuters) - PT Cargill Indonesia
plans to import between 240,000 and 250,000 tonnes of soybeans
into Indonesia in 2012, little changed from 2011, Cargill
representative and GM Louis Guillou said on Wednesday.
The company expects Indonesia's consumption of the staple
food to reach 1.6 million tonnes this year, he said, adding that
Indonesia has between 50 and 60 days of Soybean inventory.


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Taylor Swift fandom believes she’s the author of a book releasing on July 9th
Swifties believe the untitled book to be Taylor Swift's new project, the excitement soars as they decipher her latest posts.
Hollywood writers to go on strike as streaming shift upends TV business
The rise of streaming has led to declining television ad revenue, as traditional TV audiences shrink and advertisers go elsewhere. On top of that, the threat of a recession in the world's biggest economy also looms.
How Russian oil is reaching Europe with India’s help
The backdoor entry of Russian oil into Europe via India is a complex issue with both benefits and challenges.
UK blocks Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard
The UK's decision to block Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision is a significant blow for the tech giant.
Taylor Swift’s simple question saves her from costly lawsuit
Swift's due diligence saved her from a costly lawsuit involving FTX's alleged promotion of unregistered securities.
Pakistan’s economic challenges: Struggling to manage debt and boost reserves
Pakistan faces risk of default as it struggles to repay foreign debt & interest worth $22bn over the next year.
Petrol prices in Pakistan: Rising costs and economic challenges
Expected rise in petrol prices in Pakistan may impact living costs while lowering diesel prices could provide benefits.
OPEC+ production cuts: mixed impact on oil prices and worries for consumers
Oil prices have been on the rise for the past few weeks, with Brent crude futures and West Texas Intermediate crude futures set to...
Pakistani rupee makes a comeback against the US dollar
Recent developments in Pakistan's economy include rupee depreciation, government measures to address challenges, and UAE's commitment.
Pakistan’s auto industry grinds to a halt amid economic turmoil
Pakistan's restrictions on imports have severely disrupted the country's auto industry, leading to production halts for major automakers.
Australia’s unwavering support for vulnerable communities in Pakistan
In a world where hunger persists, Australia has taken a bold step by announcing AUD 5M for emergency nutrition.
Russian diesel exports boom despite EU ban
Despite EU sanctions depriving Russia of its largest market, its diesel shipments are on track to set a record this month.


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May 06, 2011, 11:08 AM — This weekend, according to what appears to be a bulletproof source, Sony faces yet another set of attacks on its networks, this time in retaliation for how badly it handled the last set of attacks.
The specific, supposed, sin is not notifying Qriocity users of the breach until 10 days after it happened. That was thoughtless, careless of customers' privacy and security and a stupid way to handle something that could have blown up into a major embarrassment if Sony didn't handle it juuusst right.
It didn't, of course, so if embarrassment is all it suffers, it will have gotten off pretty lightly.
The idea that someone, or some group of someones, is going to DDOS or penetrate a Sony network (if there are any still unhacked) in revenge for not being notified for the last time someone hacked Sony is a stretch.
Not that it's unrealistic, of course; just that it's likely to make any security or customer-support situation with Sony worse, not better.
And there's a good chance the whole thing is just loud (and completely justified) complaining by customers of Sony's Qriocity, Playstation Network and SEO online gaming sites.
The warning comes from CNET, which cites an anonymous tip culled from chatter on an "IRC channel used by hackers."
The immediate assumption – which Sony made after the April 21 attack that penetrated its network instead of just flooding and crashing it -- is that the hactivist group "Anonymous" is back on the attack.
Anonymous did hit Sony with DDOS attacks April 5 as a reprisal for Sony's lawsuit against George Hotz ("geohot"), who committed the sin of hacking a PS3 to restore access to the Linux kernel Sony had just cut off.
Sony sued in January, claiming Hotz and 100 others, most unnamed, circumvented security measures Sony built in to protect its intellectual property.


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Google is acquiring smart glasses startup North as rumored last week. North will end its support for its Focals by..
Tag Archives: north
The Globe and Mail reported yesterday that Canadian smart glasses startup North is in advanced talks to be acquired by..
Wearable technology startup North revealed on Tuesday that it will debut the next iteration of its Focals smart glasses next..


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- Neal Boortz defends Hillary Clinton for representing child rapist
- House task force to recommend National Guard on border, faster deportations
- Top federal judge uses pizza to explain complex Obamacare situation
- Obama, Biden overhaul job training programs
- Drought-plagued Californians turn to paint to keep lawns green
- ISIL now forcing Iraqi shopkeepers to veil mannequins in Mosul
- 11 parents of Nigeria’s abducted girls die
- Genetic mapping triggers new hope on schizophrenia
- Turkish P.M. Erdogan won’t speak to Obama, but he’ll take calls from Biden
- Israel’s ambassador praises Obama, slams Human Rights Watch report
Behold! Xbox One touted as revolutionary ‘all-in-one home entertainment system’
Question of the Day
REDMOND, Wash. - Microsoft thinks it has the one.
The company unveiled the Xbox One, a next-generation entertainment console that promises to be the one system households will need for games, television, movies and other entertainment. It will go on sale later this year.
Don Mattrick, Microsoft’s president of interactive entertainment business, said the company has spent the past four years working on the “all-in-one home entertainment system.”
The console was demonstrated Tuesday at Microsoft’s Redmond, Wash., headquarters using voice control to seamlessly switch back and forth between watching live TV, listening to music, watching a movie, browsing the Internet, as well as simultaneously running apps.
Microsoft executives touted the Xbox One as a replacement for the set-top box from your cable provider. It has its own guide, and you can change channels by voice command.
Senior Vice President Yusuf Mehdi demonstrated how the console switched quickly between channels after saying show names like “Mary and Martha” or “Watch MTV.” His voice command of “What’s on HBO?” brought up the channel guide for HBO.
“No more memorizing channels or hunting for the remote control,” Mr. Mehdi said.
The interface for the TV goes well beyond the functionality in Nintendo’s Wii U, which still requires users to press buttons to change the input source on the TV. Xbox One seamlessly switched between games, movies and TV shows with a single voice command.
“You can switch to your game like it’s a TV channel flip,” said Marc Whitten, Microsoft’s chief production officer of interactive entertainment business. He called it a “lag-free instant experience.”
Microsoft also unveiled a new version of its camera-based Kinect system with better motion and voice detection. It showed how users can watch live sports on TV while getting updates on fantasy leagues on a split screen. In an effort to stay ahead of rivals, Microsoft said new content for the popular “Call of Duty” game can be downloaded on the Xbox One before any other system.
Microsoft says more games will be shown at next month’s E3 video game conference in Los Angeles.
It’s been eight years since the launch of the Xbox 360. The original Xbox debuted in 2001, and its high-definition successor premiered in 2005.
For the past two years, Microsoft has led the gaming industry in console sales with the Xbox 360.
Xbox has been the exclusive home to such popular gaming franchises as sci-fi first-person shooter “Halo,” racing simulator “Forza” and alien shoot-’em-up “Gears of War.” In recent years, Microsoft expanded the scope of the Xbox 360 beyond just games, adding streaming media apps and the camera-based Kinect system.
Nintendo kicked off the next generation of gaming in November with the launch of the Wii U, the successor to the popular Wii system. The Wii U features an innovative tablet-like controller, though its graphics is on par with the previous-generation Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3. Nintendo said the console sold just 3.45 million units by the end of March, well below expectations.
Sony was next, teasing plans for its upcoming PlayStation 4 — without showing the actual box — at a February event in New York. The reaction to that console, which featured richer graphics and more social features, was mixed.
Microsoft didn’t waste any time showing off the Xbox One console, new Kinect sensor and Xbox controller at the beginning of Tuesday’s presentation.
• Ryan Nakashima in Los Angeles and Barbara Ortutay in New York contributed to this story.
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The Philippines Department of Agriculture (DA) is developing alternative production sites in Central and Southern Luzon to secure vegetable supplies to the capital Manila during the rainy season. Some 60 per cent of Manila's vegetables currently come from Northern Luzon, which is a frequently hit by typhoons. 20 storms are forecast this year.
Wednesday 21st May 2008, 07:00 Hong Kong
DA seeks typhoon-free vegetable sites
Central and Southern Luzon have been targeted by the Department of Agriculture
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- 3 PBGEA appeals for government help
- 4 Aussie citrus on show at 7-Eleven Philippines
- 5 Asian retail expansion moves into new era
- 6 South Koreans eating more bananas
- 7 Subscribers onlyWhat now for Iran's produce sector?
- 8 Dole opens plant in Mindanao
- 9 China expresses interest in Philippine fruit
- 10 Philippines ups banana shipments to Korea


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General Motors Brings Fight With Toyota Up a Notch and 3 Other Hot Stocks
General Motors (NYSE:GM): GM is setting its sights on Toyota’s (NYSE:TM) truck line, with plans to introduce a new model range of midsize trucks, aimed specifically at Toyota’s Tacoma model. The company revealed that the new line would be introduced sometime in the fall, or possibly at the Los Angeles Auto show in November. Details were slim to none, but the company noted that the new trucks were not replacing the Canyon or Colorado, and would be differently sized from the Tacoma.
Disney Corporation (NYSE:DIS): Disney is gearing up to launch a new channel in Germany, Europe’s largest TV market, in January. The company obtained the means when it bought the free-TV broadcaster Das Vierte from a russian media mogul. Disney said the new channel will be a 24-hour family entertainment network, largely stocked with series and films from Disney’s massive program library, though Disney said it will also invest in local production and third-party acquisitions, the Hollywood Reporter said.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ): The healthcare giant has reportedly won the second lawsuit over its ASR hip replacement unit, after being handed a loss in the first round which cost the company $8.3 million. A Chicago jury rejected plaintiff claims that the device was inappropriately marketed. The device was recalled in 2010. Internal documents revealed at the trial indicate that engineers knew of the flaws long before the recall was issued, and delayed further in designing its replacement. No insight was provided regarding the different turnouts of the cases.
U.S. Airways (NYSE:LCC): American Airlines parent AMR has filed formal plans to exit its bankruptcy, paving the way for an $11 billion merger with U.S. Airways that is becoming increasing close to reality. The companies see earning a profit of $2.6 billion this year, and sustaining profitability for the next couple of years, despite the $1.2 billion in merging and integration costs expected to take place over the next three years.
Don’t Miss: Are Johnson & Johnson’s Recall Nightmares Over?


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Davido, in one of his Twitter Q&As after cancelling his tour, told a fan who requested for money that there is "no money for now ......
Instagram has moved to stop all adverts and posts about the Coronavirus disease unless they are developed by recognised health bodies.
As part of its effort to rebrand its image, Facebook has changed its popular blue logo.
Facebook has disclosed that it had deleted hundreds of pages, groups and accounts on its platforms for “coordinated inauthentic behaviour”.
Facebook recently announced it has suspended the pre-installation of WhatsApp, Instagram, and other Facebook apps on Huawei phones.
The world's most dominant social networking company, Facebook, has announced that come 2020, it will be unveiling its own cryptocurrency known as Libra.
YouTube experiences outage for almost 2 hours
Nigerians on social media were lamenting a brief outage in popular social media platform, Instagram.
If you play your cards right, there’s a chance that you can monetize it.
More Nigerians are using the internet for personal purposes.


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Rest assured, your employees are using smartphones and tablets at work whether you have a “bring your own device” policy or not. Mobile devices are the fastest and most convenient way to chat, search for information and communicate with team members.
Unfortunately, they can also be considered a top enterprise security threat based on the findings from a study conducted by Dimensional Research.
Of the 412 enterprise security leaders that were questioned in the survey, 64 percent don’t believe that their organization has the security software to stop a cyberattack on their mobile devices.
Here are some other terrifying statistics from the study:
- 20 percent of companies have been victims of a cyberattack through their mobile devices, while 24 percent have no idea if they have been compromised.
- 94 percent of security professionals claimed they expect a cyberattack on their mobile devices within the next 12 months.
- 97 percent believe that cyberattacks through mobile devices are increasing.
Unfortunately, there is a big disconnect occurring here.
Respondents appear to be well-aware that their companies aren’t taking mobile security seriously enough, with over half indicating that their company hadn’t used a mobile security solution. And yet, little is being done to change this.
One reason for this is a lack of resources. 53 percent of respondents claimed they could not afford strong security solutions. Other organizations may have a lack of executive awareness or support, an unwillingness to change or concerns about implementing a mobile security policy that would restrict and alienate workers.
Voice biometric identity verification is one cost-effective, and easy technologies that can help enterprises improve mobile security.
“Voice is a unique biometric,” explained VoiceVault EVP of Sales and Marketing Julia Webb during a recent Biometric Authentication podcast. “Unlike other biometric voice can be used anywhere there is a microphone, which makes it inexpensive to deploy. And it can be just as accurate as other biometric technologies such as EyeVerify, which was recently acquired by Alibaba, or even [Apple’s} Touch ID. And all we need is a small amount of speech in order to authenticate an individual.”
Want to learn more about mobile voice biometric identity verification? Try our free developer trial today!