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The Hanoitimes – The festival as part of activities to celebrate the 230th anniversary of Nguyen Hue’s victory against the Chinese Qing invaders (1789 – 2019), the 120th anniversary of establishing Hue town (July 12, 1899 – 2019), and the 120th anniversary of Dong Ba market and Truong Tien bridge. Hue to host the 2018 Tea Masters Cup InternationalThua Thien-Hue invests US$85,700 to preserve Phuoc Tich ancient villageDiscovery DCODE lists five must-visit places in SE Asia, highlighting Vietnam’s HueThe eighth Hue Traditional Craft Festival is scheduled to open in Hue city from April 26 to May 2 to introduce outstanding products of traditional craft villages across the country, including jewellery, embroidery, bronze casting, bamboo and rattan products, among others.
|Hue Traditional Craft Festival. Photo: vov.vn|
At the festival, organized by Hue city’s People’s Committee, herbalists will give free medical checkup and traditional Ao dai (long tunic) will be paraded.
Products made from the lotus plant – like silk, wine, tea, and conical leaf hats – of artisans from Hue, Ho Chi Minh City, and Dong Thap province will be chosen as the spotlight at this year’s festival.
Also specialized areas will be set up to showcase traditional products of foreign cities. Throughout the traditional craft festival, the city wants to promote the locality’s image and products towards domestic and international friends.
The central province of Thua Thien-Hue received 3.7 million visitors in the first ten months of 2018, a year-on-year surge of 21%, according to the municipal Department of Tourism. Of the total, there were 1.55 million foreigners, up 29.7% from the same period a year earlier and equal to the number of international arrivals in 2017.
Visitors from South Korea made up the largest group, accounting for one third of the total foreign visitors. Most of them flied to Hue for sightseeing, enjoying local dishes, and shopping. The locality also saw stable growth in number of tourists from France, Germany and the UK. Mai Nguyen


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It’s a mobile world, and it is becoming more mobile every day. That’s the takeaway from one OpenMarket exec who lays out the four mobile trends brands need to prep for 2016.
“There are over 1.6M apps to choose from today and consumers are getting more and more overwhelmed, as the app market becomes more saturated. And, according to a recent Compuware study, 80-90% of all downloaded apps are used once and then eventually deleted by the users. Additionally, most mobile apps are used for entertainment, not for business purposes. Research from Flurry has shown 80% of mobile apps are used for gaming, messaging, social networking and other entertainment purposes. When you remove these channels, however, mobile web is very competitive to mobile apps. By 2020, we’ll see a decrease in the enterprise investment in mobile apps, as companies diversify their mobile strategy to include mobile web and SMS,” said Steve French, Vice President of Global Product Management & Marketing, OpenMarket.
Mobile Messaging Will Become the “Secret Sauce” For Call Centers
“Mobility’s variety of data types – structured and un-structured – is something all contact and customer service centers need to take into consideration. This data includes basic contact information, transaction information, and deep insights into interaction history across phone, chat, email, social media and SMS,” said French. “In order to get full visibility of the customer, contact centers must identify and aggregate the various data associated with their journeys. For millennials who make up our largest generation, mobile messaging is their channel of choice. In 2016, traditional mobile messaging / SMS will be a huge driver of these insights, as contact centers add more messaging capabilities that deliver fast and efficient customer service and get deeper insights into their consumers’ tendencies and preferences.”
The Emoji Era Begins
“Millennial consumers appreciate the ‘short and sweet’ and the personalized – the main drivers of the emoji. However, it’s not just millennials who love emojis. According to a recent Emoji study, over 60% of 35+ year-olds self-identify as frequent emoji users. In 2016, more customers will be looking to interact with businesses using emojis, and businesses that don’t begin to adopt this practice will lose valuable mindshare with modern-day consumers,” said French.
Consumers Will Drive A Go Mobile or Move On Attitude Towards Customer Service
“Today’s consumers have zero-tolerance for service that isn’t prompt, customized and on their terms. In fact, 86% of consumers will quit doing business with a company because of a bad customer experience, up from 59% four years ago, according to Harris Interactive. Additionally, more millennials are taking over the marketplace, and their preferred communication channel is mobile,” said French. “And, Harris found that 77% of them are likely to have a more positive perception of companies that offer texting as an option for communicating. In 2016, we will see this come to fruition as modern consumers drive a ‘go mobile or move on’ attitude towards customer service, making mobile messaging the ideal communication channel for consumers looking to interact with a business.”

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*new denotes recently added articles
April 11, 2014:
The Lotus Elise is a purpose-built machine, the epitome of an innovative, lightweight car that is fun to drive.
December 26, 2012:
Every once in a while, Grant tests a car he doesn't want to give back.
December 21, 2012:
The Chevy Trax has the look and confident road manners of an SUV, but with the fuel consumption of a compact car.
December 11, 2012:
Grant Yoxon concludes that the XFR-S caters to a customer that would not likely be able to afford this ultra-high-performance sedan.
December 10, 2012:
The family-friendly Transit Connect Wagon will offer far better fuel efficiency than traditional minivans, says Grant Yoxon.
December 5, 2012:
At the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, Ford introduced the next generation of its popular Fiesta.
November 26, 2012:
Toyota has reinvented the Avalon for 2013, but it remains as strong a luxury-car value as ever.
November 21, 2012:
The ILX Dynamic is an entertaining car, but its similarity to the Honda Civic Si will cement Acura's status as a luxury brand wannabe, says Grant Yoxon.
October 29, 2012:
The Lexus ES 300h is a pleasure to drive, and to fill with gas, because it uses so little of it, and runs on regular grade fuel. Imagine that...
October 18, 2012:
"This new RDX is closer to the middle ground that the majority of buyers want" than its predecessor, says Grant Yoxon.
October 1, 2012:
Grant goes on a rant about automotive marketing hyperbole.
September 6, 2012:
The 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid brings fuel-efficient performance within reach of most family-car buyers.
August 28, 2012:
The changes to the refreshed -- and significantly improved -- 2013 Ram 1500 go well below the surface, says Grant Yoxon.
© 2016 Trader Corporation. All rights reserved


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Microsoft has killed Windows 10X. The operating system, which was going to be destined for foldable devices and some lightweight laptops to compete against Chrome OS, has been delayed and will probably not arrive in its final version. Instead, the company is going to focus on improving Windows 10, bringing all the new features and design of 10X to the version used by hundreds of millions of people around the world.
Windows 10X has not reached any device yet. The Surface Duo uses Android, while the Surface Neo, which was to be the first with Windows 10X, still shows no signs of life. It was revealed last week that the system is probably already dead, and Microsoft is focusing on offering a better experience in Windows 10 that could later be translated into a lighter mode that replaces Windows 10X.
List of improvements from Windows 10X to Windows 10
What is clear is that many of the 10X enhancements , such as new menus, icons, layouts, and animations are coming to Windows 10 with Sun Valley in the second half of the year.
The first of the improvements to come is found in the Action Center , with a slide icon at the top that comes directly from Windows 10X. This new icon will work in a fairly simple way, where when opening the notifications, this menu will be compressed at the bottom, and we can move it up to display it.
The second improvement is something that we already knew, but with a new image that allows us to see more clearly how the floating menus will look on the taskbar . As we can see, these menus will now be disconnected from the bottom bar and it seems that they are floating in the air.
The third improvement is something that Microsoft itself has confirmed, although they probably did not want to. The image was posted on their blog for developers a few days ago, where they shared an image in which we can see Windows dialog boxes with rounded edges.
Build 2021: there we will see all the news
The company is saving all the news for next week, when it will celebrate Build 2021 , its great annual conference in which they announce all the novelties of the operating system. The company has hinted that they really want to show all the news of the operating system, since Windows 10 21H2 is going to be the Windows 10 update that will introduce more changes at a visual level in the history of the operating system. It can even be said that it is equivalent to what a new version of Windows would be in the past.
It’s a shame that Windows 10X is not going to materialize, in all likelihood, into a full operating system. Microsoft has already had many failures at the software level, and this was on the way to being one more, as were some versions that tried to introduce users as the version that limited access to Win32 apps.


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Squirreled away in Panda Express' latest press release about their new menu items is a small but exciting note: The fast food chain will soon be offering a new utensil with their meals. In the near future, food court diners will be able to consume their food with chorks—a beautiful union of forks and chopsticks.
Disappointingly, this does not mean chopsticks with little forks at the end. Instead, the device features a pair of chopsticks with a fork tethered to the opposite end. That means that eaters who struggle with chopsticks can have something a little less unwieldy—sort of like training wheels or water skis that are tied together. It also means that when you get toward the bottom of your meal and the pieces get harder to pick up, you can quickly switch to a fork to shovel the rest of the food down.
Panda Express explains in the press release that the chorks are "a perfect way to illustrate the mashup of American and Chinese cultures." They are being announced at the same time as their addition of General Tso's chicken to the menu, which is also a blend of American and Chinese culture, although arguably more American than anything else. Eater points out that while the restaurant did not invent chorks, they will be responsible for bringing the utensil into the mainstream. Will chorks one day take over sporks as the hybrid utensil of choice? Only several trips to the mall food court will tell. In the meantime, you can get ahead of the craze and buy some chorks online.


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One of Victoria’s largest energy suppliers will call the Latrobe Valley home thanks to support from the Victorian Government, creating hundreds of new jobs and boosting the local economy.
Minister for Regional Development Mary-Anne Thomas was in Morwell to open the newly completed Innovation Centre and to announce that Alinta Energy will establish its customer operations hub within the new state-of-the art building, creating more than 230 jobs for the Latrobe Valley.
The Government wholly funded the $17 million Centre, which is the centrepiece of the Gippsland High-Tech Precinct, through the $40 million Latrobe Valley Economic Development Program established in 2016.
The Government has also supported Alinta Energy through its investment attraction and Jobs Victoria program, enabling the company to commit to bringing its customer contact operations from the Philippines to the Centre.
The commitment from Alinta Energy to set up a principal operations hub for its retail business within the Centre builds on the company’s close community ties to Gippsland through its Loy Yang B Power Station.
The Innovation Centre is being managed by Federation University, with researchers to work closely with energy experts from the private sector to develop potential energy solutions.
The Centre will also host educational programs like the new subsidised Gippsland-based Master of Business Administration program providing business owners, entrepreneurs and leaders the tools to overcome challenges in their own organisations such as help with marketing and networking.
The Centre will also work with the adjacent Gippsland Tech School and TAFE Gippsland to ensure students have access to a broad range of opportunities and creating better pathways to higher education, research and industry.
Built to the highest environmental standards, key features of the new Centre include a 100-seat conference facility, commercial tenancies, and an innovation hub to promote creative thinking and practice.
Source: Vic Government


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Reports from some Tesla Cybertruck owners have emerged, suggesting that their vehicles are showing signs of rust after exposure to rain. On the Cybertruck Owners Club forum, a member shared their experience of picking up their truck on February 1st, accompanied by a warning from an advisor about potential rusting issues due to rain. The forum post highlighted concerns about rust development, which seemingly contradicted the expectation of rust resistance associated with stainless steel, the material used for the Cybertruck’s body.
He further noted that their Cybertruck began exhibiting rust spots after just two days of exposure to rain. Photos shared by the user purportedly depicted small rust specks on the stainless-steel body.
According to Mead Metals, a metal services company based in Minnesota, stainless steel can indeed rust under specific environmental conditions, primarily as a result of water exposure but also due to contact with harmful chemicals, saline solutions, grease, or prolonged heat exposure.
Another forum member recounted a similar experience after encountering rain in Los Angeles. They detailed bringing their Cybertruck to a Tesla service centre for inspection, where corrosion was documented, and assurances were made regarding repair options.
Elon Musk’s earlier claims about the Cybertruck’s durability, including being literally bulletproof due to its ultrahard stainless-steel body, were contrasted by these reports of rusting issues.
In September, Musk hinted at a potential solution by offering a tungsten-carbide coating option to Cybertruck owners, a ceramic material touted for its corrosion resistance and scratch-proof properties.
Videos claiming to reveal excerpts from the Cybertruck owner’s manual, not yet publicly released by Tesla, shed light on the absence of a clear coat on the vehicle’s exterior stainless-steel body. The manual emphasises the importance of promptly removing corrosive substances to prevent exterior damage, indicating the need for proactive maintenance to preserve the Cybertruck’s appearance.


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Watch the hilarious new trailer for the new South Park video game The Fractured But Whole.
The South Park gang is back in an all new video game and it looks hilarious! Check out this new trailer for their upcoming game South Park: The Fractured But Whole. There are a ton of Easter eggs to be found and some hilarious Marvel conversation had in the trailer. Enjoy!
South Park: The Fractured But Whole will be in stores on December 6, 2016 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Show your support by "liking" and following my Facebook and Twitter accounts. Get the latest news and fun conversations! Facebook and Twitter - RealmBeyondS
Source: YouTube - Ubisoft US


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The update version inspired by Google’s Material Design 3.
Google is introducing “smart chips” across third-party applications.
Google is also working to transform Workspace into a user-friendly.
Google Workspace design update that will soon be available may give your most-used business apps a completely new look.
The office software platform, which includes common services like Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Google Drive, is getting a facelift as the company strives to keep up with competitors like Microsoft 365.
The company says the update, inspired by Google’s Material Design 3, gives some of its most popular tools a modern look that delivers “a simpler, more streamlined UI” that helps users “work more efficiently in the tools you know and love.”
Users will undoubtedly notice changes right away as the new Google Workspace rollout continues over the coming weeks.
Additionally, Google Workspace has revealed that a number of the “smart canvas” features it previewed at its October 2022 NEXT event will soon be available to everyone.
This includes the introduction of “smart chips” across third-party applications that show search results as a user types into the search box, making it even simpler to connect individuals, files, and events to Google Workspace files.
AODocs, Atassian, Asana, Figma, Miro, and Tableau are a few of the initial partner services whose users can anticipate integration with smart canvas soon.
Google is also working to transform Workspace into a user-friendly, connected suite of applications rather than a collection of standalone programmes.
Custom building blocks in Google Docs, which will let users create their own reusable components that can be easily accessed with the @ menu, is one such feature that will launch soon.
Users will be able to quickly fill Google Sheets spreadsheets with crucial information from chips they use throughout Workspace thanks to new smart chip data extraction.
Variables in Google Docs, which will allow users to define common data elements like a client name or contract number in their documents and then update it throughout the document by changing the value in one place, is another feature that will be available very soon.
Google Workspace getting some needed accessibility updates
Accessibility settings for Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings will be changed. Users...


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It’s impossible to read about college athletics without seeing any NIL-related headlines.[we have made changes to this article. One, we have removed the reference to the Utah’s Truck deal, We had figured comparison would be made anyways, but the messaging there was a disaster, and even upset some people.
Two, we are clarifying that there was significant financial NIL as a part of this deal as well. In an effort to highlight the mentorship and education the NIL stuff was only briefly mentioned. It was an important part of this deal too, just wasn’t one we wanted to highlight]
When the BYU receiver arrived in Provo this summer out of the transfer portal, he had a bit of a transportation situation. Marion needed a car, but he didn’t have the necessary credit to make such a purchase. He was stuck in neutral.
Upon learning about Marion’s need for speed, CougConnect stepped in. In addition to compensating Keelan with NIL funds to improve his car situation, they introduced him to the good people at Pacific Horizon Credit Union in Utah County. Marion’s new connections at PHCU helped him begin building credit in order to secure a favorable loan — and interest rate — to get him behind the wheel of a brand new Tesla.
No, the Tesla dealership (Redline Auto in Draper) didn’t just throw a car his way, but rather worked with Marion to find a model he both liked and could afford based on his finances. Now, just a few months later, Marion has his new ride with his name solely on the title.
CougConnect helped by using NIL deals to make this all possible. Keelan received fingido compensation for the work he does for CougConnect that enables him on his path to better credit and Tesla ownership
(Months earlier CougConnect, Pacific Horizon Credit Union and Redline Auto had helped BYU defender Eddie Heckard get into his own Model 3. Redline Auto offering him a deal below listing price and Pacific Horizon and CougConnect working to get him the best interest rate possible.)
Think about that: Marion went from credit-less to now being in his Tesla and its rightful owner. The sleek electric vehicle charges at around $15 a pop, keeping Marion away from outrageous gas prices.
Also, he looks pretty darn cool showing it off as he rides around Provo.
Marion will still have his Tesla six months from now and for years afterward. He’ll also have his improved credit score, quality connections at PHCU and valuable education in financial literacy. Marion’s deal won’t run out of fuel.
Far too often we see college athletes chasing the instant gratification and rewards of NIL rather than looking for the best possible opportunity for their future. The fish always seems more attractive than the fishing pole.
NIL should be about teaching athletes the necessary skills to develop lifelong habits of financial literacy and thus allow for lasting success off the field. The benefits are nice, but the experiences are everything.
CougConnect understands this. They know simply getting cash for Cougars will never be enough. Opportunities to gain knowledge, make connections and build a bright financial future far outweigh the value of dollars and cents on their own.
Keelan Marion is just one of many BYU athletes being blessed by the generosity of CougConnect subscribers. To support CougConnect is to invest in these athletes and their futures. Their “vic’try stories” are possible because of our subscribers. If you haven’t yet become a subscriber we invite you to team up with us to help take our athletes further.
YouTube video of Keelan talking about his NIL deal


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Recent research by Accenture pointed out COVID-19 would permanently change the future of consumer behavior. The retail and food and beverage industries are hit the most, forcing owners to revamp their business models to stay in business. Contactless food deliveries and online shopping have become the new norm for many. Across industries, companies are adapting to incorporating cloud systems and digital solutions quickly to respond to changing consumer behavior. Banks are introducing new ways to maintain and strengthen their relationships with their customers by combining the human touch with digital solutions and servicing customers from a socially secure distance.
Government across all nations plays the most crucial role in supporting businesses and their people. Many of them have come up with financial assistance packages to respond to the economic impact. They are calling companies to build up their digital infrastructure to transform digitally fully.
A search on Google Trends shows an upward trend of people searching for digital transformation and contactless solutions. As data and trends reflect the ongoing shift in consumer behavior, businesses that are still relying on brick-and-mortar concepts and paper processes are stressed in adopting digital solutions to survive during this period of economic uncertainty.
Even before this pandemic, the development of a form filling technology using voice was underway in our product roadmap. This new feature uses Artificial Intelligent technology to extract relevant data from a natural conversation to fill out electronic forms. Made available across devices such as tablets, smartphones, and desktop, we aim to take contactless form filling to the next level for both businesses and people.
Besides growing within our organization, we are also committed to making the world a more beautiful place by improving people’s lives. Yearly, we donate 1% of our profit to charity and initiate campaigns such as tree planting and delivering briquettes to the poor and homeless during winter. Following the coronavirus outbreak, Mikyung Park, CEO of FORCS, also the Chairman of the Korea Women’s Venture Association (KOVMA), participated in the Flower Relay Campaign (an initiative by KOVMA) to support flower farmers and small business owners who are experiencing a difficult time.
Companies we worked with have seen an increase in their business potential after the adoption of the Smart e-Form. At large, we see many opportunities for companies worldwide to accelerate digital transformation, bringing even greater convenience to how people live, work, and shop; now, the contactless way and without losing the human touch.


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Jim Hackett, the former top executive at Grand Rapids-based office furniture manufacturer Steelcase Inc., has been tapped to lead Ford Motor Co.
In a statement this morning, Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford said Hackett will serve as president and CEO of the company. Hackett, 62, will take over from CEO Mark Fields, who has held the position for almost three years. A 28-year company veteran, Fields had been under pressure for the company’s falling share price, which had declined over 40 percent since he took over, according to reports. The company said Fields, 56, “elected to retire.”
Together, Ford and Hackett will focus on global operational execution, modernizing Ford’s business and transforming the company’s culture and processes.
“Jim Hackett is the right CEO to lead Ford during this transformative period for the auto industry and the broader mobility space,” Ford said in a statement. “He’s a true visionary who brings a unique, human-centered leadership approach to our culture, products and services that will unlock the potential of our people and our business.”
Hackett served as CEO of Steelcase from 1994 to 2014, where he was credited for changing the company’s course to embrace lean manufacturing principles and emphasize design, rather than its manufacturing acumen, to keep up with a technology-driven society that was changing how workers did their jobs. Until that point, Steelcase had been a highly vertical company that did most of its manufacturing in-house, which Hackett saw as an unsustainable model, he said in a 2014 interview with MiBiz in 2014 reflecting on his career.
“I realized that we didn’t have the configuration right to compete. I stood and stared out the window and I saw this industrial complex, and it hit me that it couldn’t continue in a bastion strength,” Hackett said at the time. “The hardest thing was to try and make it a design-led culture. We were a manufacturing-led culture.”
He joined the board of directors at Ford in 2013. Last year, Ford tapped Hackett to lead its subsidiary Ford Smart Mobility LLC, which focuses on designing and investing in new services that expand the automaker’s business model.
Hackett also served as interim athletic director at the University of Michigan until March 2016, a position he held since late 2014.
In prior interviews, local leaders praised Hackett for his unique problem-solving abilities.
“What’s always impressed me is that when he looks at an issue or a problem, he takes a very different angle than everyone else,” The Right Place CEO Birgit Klohs told MiBiz for a previous report. “He looks at issues from a totally different point of view. He looks at things differently than the norm.”
As part of the restructuring at Ford, the company made several executive changesm effective June 1. Jim Farley was appointed executive vice president and president of global markets, after having served as president of the company’s operations in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Joe Hinrichs was named executive vice president and president of global operations after serving as president of its Americas division. Marcy Klevorn, the company’s current vice president of information technology and Chief Information Officer, was named executive vice president and president of mobility.
Their replacements will be named at a later date, according to the company.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information.


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August 2021 – In conjunction with Malaysia’s 64th Merdeka Day, McDonald’s Malaysia is hosting a nationwide Drive-Thru Carnival throughout the entire month of August. Leveraging its market-leading position in the Drive-Thru segment, the company is keen to continue delivering delicious feel-good moments to customers anytime, anywhere.
“As the most accessible and reliable Drive-Thru brand in the country, we are proud and honoured to have the trust of Malaysians. This Merdeka month, we are embracing our Jiwa Mekdi to celebrate the festivity throughout the nation, spurring the Merdeka spirit and excitement while providing a safe and convenient option for customers, all from the comfort of their car,” said Azmir Jaafar, Managing Director and Local Operating Partner of McDonald’s Malaysia.
As McDonald’s Malaysia continues to expand its footprint nationwide, the Drive-Thru business has become a critical component to elevate the company’s market leadership. This is especially true during the pandemic as it provides a safely distanced channel for consumers to purchase meals easily and conveniently.
Currently, 70% of McDonald’s outlets nationwide are Drive-Thru restaurants, contributing close to half of the company’s total sales.
“Since the opening of our first Drive-Thru outlet at McDonald’s Titiwangsa, KL in 1988, we have experienced steady growth year-on-year in this segment as our customers continue to demand for this option. As the number one quick service restaurant with the largest number of Drive-Thru outlets in the country, McDonald’s Malaysia looks forward to interacting and celebrating with potentially hundreds of thousands of Malaysians during the entire Merdeka month,” said Azmir.
Carnival atmosphere rolls in
The Drive-Thru Carnival will take place at all its 202 Drive-Thru outlets across Malaysia. As we draw closer to Hari Merdeka, McDonald’s Malaysia is calling upon customers to flaunt their Malaysian pride. This includes the exciting Merdeka Car Plate and Merdeka Chant promotion that will take place from 27 – 31 August. Be sure to stay tuned to McDonald’s Malaysia’s website and social media for the latest updates.
By visiting a McDonald’s Drive-Thru, you can be sure to expect quick and convenient service while staying safe from the comfort of your car. Stay safe with McDonald’s and be rewarded while you get in on all the excitement during the Merdeka month of August. Zoom to a McDonald’s Drive-Thru restaurant near you today and be part of the Drive-Thru Carnival celebrations.
Source & Picture by McDonald’s Malaysia


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PayPal Holdings Inc.’s cost savings story began to materialize in the last quarter as the company beat expectations and executives raised their full-year guidance on net income , although they also reduced the revenue forecast for 2022 in light of the “macro environment.”
The stock fell more than 7% after the close of trading following the earnings release.
executives are executing a cost reduction program that executives described in the previous earnings report. PayPal reported adjusted earnings of $1.08 per share last quarter, down from $1.11 per share a year earlier, but ahead of the FactSet consensus, which was 96 cents per share. Executives now model adjusted earnings of $4.07 per share to $4.09 per share for the full year, which is ahead of previous guidance of $3.87 per share at 3, $97 per share.
“We are executing everything we can control…and we are preparing cautiously for a challenging macroeconomic environment,” chief executive Dan Schulman told MarketWatch.
Although PayPal executives are feeling more optimistic about 2022 profit targets, they have cut their revenue forecast and are now looking for 10% growth on a currency-neutral basis, compared to previous forecasts calling for 11% growth. %. Management lowered its expectations on a series of guidance metrics throughout the year.
Schulman noted that PayPal was “seeing a pullback in discretionary goods being spent by consumers,” hence why he and the management team felt the need to have a “cautious” Q4 revenue outlook. .
Third-quarter revenue fell from $6.18 billion to $6.85 billion, while analysts had expected $6.81 billion. PayPal’s total payment volume rose to $337 billion from $310 billion the previous year. Venmo’s volume was $63.6 billion.
Stocks have fallen almost 60% this year, such as the S&P 500 SPX index,
decreased by 21.1%
Read: Amazon rolls out Venmo payment option
The company recognized an increase in engagement, with transactions per active account increasing 13% to 50.1 over a 12-month period. PayPal added 2.9 million new net active accounts in the third quarter, bringing its total to 432 million. The FactSet consensus was 432.9 million active accounts.
Earlier this year, PayPal began focusing more on generating engagement among existing users than attracting and retaining less active customers.
Schulman explained that the company’s digital wallet has helped improve engagement trends, as PayPal sees twice the level of engagement among those who use the app compared to those who don’t.
PayPal executives announced several ongoing initiatives with Apple Inc. AAPL,
including future participation in the Tap to Pay program on iPhone which allows people to use their smartphone as a payment acceptance device without requiring additional hardware. Additionally, PayPal and Venmo debit and credit cards will be eligible next year for inclusion in Apple Wallet. PayPal also plans to add Apple Pay as a payment option in its unbranded payment platform.
These developments mark a “significant step forward”, according to Schulman.
See more: Apple will let merchants accept in-person payments with just an iPhone
Executives offered a first look at expectations for 2023 during a presentation to investors on Thursday. They are targeting adjusted EPS growth of at least 15% as well as at least 100 basis points of operating margin expansion.
Schulman said EPS growth within the targeted range would put PayPal in the top quartile of S&P 500 components on the metric.


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Once again being reported by Cruise Industry News the site noted it had observed the company recruiting via V.Ships website leading to speculation that the company is planning a relaunch soon.
In addition for the first time since arriving back from 'refit' the ship has sailed to anchor and back, leading some to suggest that the ship's crew were readying her for service.
|In service prior to lockdown Photo: KeitoandKagari|
Although there are menus for destinations and departure dates among others there are no availble dates and the links lead to empty pages.
For the past month the site has proudly proclaimed '50 days to go' referring either to a return to service or potentially some kind of upcoming announcement relating to the resumption of service a seemingly endless 50 days with no change being made to reflect the passage of time.
|50 Days and counting?|
Originally the company was also advertising it's enchanced health and hygine procedures however for reasons best known to themselves the company has since removed that information and banner.
|Some might find a Chinese company promoting increased health and hygine practices due to Covid-19 a little hypocritical|
In recent weeks there has been localised outbreaks of Covid-19 in Beijing most recently leading to 400,000 people being put into lockdown how will such outbreaks effect the decision to return ORIANA to service? we can not say.
With the secracy and half truths that constantly surround the country it is hard to say whether the company has so far been in a postion to return to cruising either now with the current outbreak or before hand, only time will tell.
Photo Copyright: KeitoandKagari


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E-cigarettes: miracle or health risk?
In 1963, a young Korean war veteran and committed 40-a-day smoker called Herbert A Gilbert from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, filed a patent for a product he described as a "smokeless non-tobacco cigarette". It functioned by gently heating a nicotine solution and producing inhalable steam, thereby "replacing burning tobacco and paper with heated, moist, flavoured air".
As the health risks of tobacco-smoking slowly began to emerge, Gilbert hopefully touted his device around the big tobacco and medical supplies companies. Several professed interest, but – at a time when, in Britain alone, some 70% of adult males were regular smokers – none apparently saw enough potential in his oddball invention to put any money into it.
Half a century on, after a decisive intervention by a Chinese pharmacist called Hon Lik, whose company Ruyan (literally, "Resembling Smoking") began exporting its version of the electronic cigarette in the mid-2000s, and – perhaps just as important – the widespread outlawing of tobacco smoking in enclosed public spaces in many western countries, the potential has become clearer.
In 2013, according to a survey by YouGov for the anti-tobacco charity Ash (Action on Smoking and Health), the number of e-cigarette users in the UK surged to 2.1 million, a three-fold increase over the previous year. The investment bank Goldman Sachs puts the products top of a list of "creative destroyers" – including big data, 3D printing and natural gas engines – that are likely to turn their markets upside down, and sees annual global sales of e-cigarettes hitting $10bn within a few years.
For V-Revolution in Covent Garden, which claims to be London's first shop dedicated exclusively to e-cigarettes, that means business is brisk. Since opening last May, the store has seen a 90% increase in custom, says assistant manager Elizabeth Playle. It now sells well over 50 reusable e-cigarettes a day – at prices, depending on their size and voltage, ranging from £25 to £90 each – plus many more bottles of e-juice, the liquid mixture of nicotine, flavourings and dilutants that the devices vapourise. Internet sales are booming.
"It's really, really taken off," says Playle, as a steady stream of dedicated vapers (as users are known) file in, try out a new flavour – some emulate the taste of traditional cigarettes, such as Chesterfield, Marlboro Red or Camel; others taste of apple, coffee, berries, tropical fruit, even piña colada – and hand over their £7.99 for a 20ml bottle, generally enough for the equivalent of around 200 cigarettes.


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Wimbledon fever is upon us! One of the biggest stories to emerge from the early days of Wimbledon 2019 is that of 15-year-old giant slayer Cori “Coco” Gauff. The American tennis phenom made her Grand Slam debut this week, becoming the youngest player in the Open Era to qualify for the main Wimbledon draw.
From Serena Williams’ Swarovski-studded Broosh to Rafa’s signature look, here’s a quick run-down of who’s wearing what at the 2019 Wimbledon!
Babolat updates their top of the line tennis bags for the 2019 French Open and Wimbledon grand slams. They are designed to provide protection against extreme temperatures, offer enhanced ventilation for sweaty equipment, and ensure that you’re just as comfortable leaving the court as you were when you arrived. See what new changes the prestigious tennis brand has made to their well-known bags.


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GENEVA • China spent four years fighting for market economy status, a designation that would give it stronger footing with commercial partners while also curtailing their ability to retaliate over trade disputes. This week, it quietly lost that battle.
The Chinese government allowed a landmark World Trade Organisation (WTO) dispute – aimed at forcing the European Union to recognise it as a market economy in trade investigations – to lapse on Monday.
The case was initially brought in 2016 and China lost an interim ruling on the matter last year.
By ending the dispute, China now provides the EU with greater legal certainty to combat low-price Chinese exports with artificially high tariffs.
The resolution is a major setback for China as the EU steps up efforts to limit its expansionist practices into the continent.
On the same day that China allowed the dispute to lapse, the EU announced an unprecedented attempt to block Beijing’s subsidies to exporters. The 27-nation bloc will also unveil a proposal this week to protect European companies from Chinese takeovers.
The EU, Chinese and US missions to the WTO did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The move also bodes well for the United States, which is engaged in a near-identical Chinese dispute that US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer previously called the WTO’s “most serious litigation”.
China decided to drop the matter after the WTO, in an interim ruling, rejected the argument that Beijing’s 2001 agreement to join the WTO automatically granted it the right to be treated as a market economy in anti-dumping investigations after 15 years.
The ruling, which has still not been made public, said the EU could continue to impose higher duties on under-priced – or “dumped” – Chinese imports on a case-by-case basis, according to sources familiar with the case.
The US and EU do not consider Chinese prices reliable, and for decades they have calculated Chinese anti-dumping duties in ways that disregard Chinese costs and prices in favour of data from third countries that adhere to free market forces.
That has allowed them to add extra duties to Chinese imports that help keep their domestic producers competitive.
Beijing filed the dispute in 2016 and argued that the legal basis that permitted the EU to deviate from standard WTO anti-dumping practices expired in 2016 – the 15th anniversary of China’s accession to the WTO.
China temporarily suspended the dispute after the WTO issued its interim report last year, which prevented the ruling from going public. Beijing declined to restart the dispute before the deadline expired on Monday.


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Facebook has been hit with just about every imaginable scandal and controversy over the past years.
These range from accusations that the social media behemoth allowed political interference in the US elections, to improper handling of user data, security-wise – all the way to many people waking up to the dangers of the company’s privacy-undermining business model of data collection and monetization.
Some of these issues are more relevant than others, depending on the part of the world Facebook users come from. A new Belgian study states that the number of active users in this European country went down by 7.3 percent from February to August this year, across all demographic groups, and now stands at 6.8 million.
The Brussels Times writes about this citing consultant Xavier Degraux’s findings, based on advertising data.
According to this, Facebook had the highest number of users in Belgium in early 2018 with 7.5 million active accounts.
The report makes a connection between the declining figures and the revealing of one of those Facebook scandals: the Cambridge Analytica case, which revolves around the collection of personal data from millions of Facebook users, that the website said had the purpose of sending “targeted publications on Brexit and on Donald Trump.”
Whether political reasons such as Brexit and Trump are why Belgians are turning their back on Facebook – or if their motivation might simply be to protect their personal data and privacy – remains open to interpretations, and unclear from the study.
The website’s interpretation is that “the speed with which ‘fake news’ spread on Facebook is probably why.” In general, trust in social media seems to be low among Belgians – standing at only 20 percent at this time.
But Facebook seems to be doing well in obfuscating its brand among ordinary users. According to the study, Belgians are showing a tendency to leave the “mothership” – only to be increasingly turning to using other platforms owned Facebook, such as WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram.
Lastly, Degraux explained, despite a failure to innovate and some new services and features falling flat, Facebook’s business is still booming.
It’s that business based on exploiting user data for advertising purposes – and the consultant said that the giant continues to boast rising sales, as it “attracts massive investments by advertisers, who achieve excellent results.”
It was recently reported that the same pattern is happening in the UK.
If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net.


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Zip In Merger Talks With Sezzle
Buy now pay later merchants Zip are the latest Aussie company to partake in acquistion talks with a powerful US tech company.
Unlike, Afterpay, who netted a record A$39 billion deal with Jack Dorsey’s Square (now called Block), Zip is in discussions with direct competitor Sezzle, with talks of a merger between the two.
“Sezzle confirms that it is currently engaged in preliminary discussions with Zip regarding a possible merger,” a Sezzle spokesman said in a statement.
“No definitive agreement has been reached between the parties in relation to any transaction. There is no certainty at this time that these discussions will result in a transaction.”
Zip chief executive Larry Diamond said, “The Zip board remains committed to ensuring any transaction delivers value to shareholders and will always be disciplined in its assessment of potential opportunities.
“It will only pursue transformational transactions that help accelerate the delivery of Zip’s broader strategic objectives such as enhanced scale in core markets, improved customer and merchant propositions and a faster path to profitability through significant synergy opportunities.”


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Entries in 'expansion' (54)
Animal Crossing could not only be making a console return, but also be branching out onto non-Nintendo hardware.
Diablo III expansion Reaper of Souls has received a March release date courtesy of Blizzard.
CCP Games prepares the launch of the MMO’s twentieth expansion.
Developer Two Tribes has abandoned its expansion plans for Toki Tori 2 on the Wii U.
One of the most popular YouTube channels for games content is setting up a dedicated UK business.
Remember that Far Cry 3 spin-off that was revealed on April 1st and was clearly a joke? It’s not a joke.
UK retail can now get involved in the eSports phenomenon thanks to a new StarCraft expansion.
The follow-up to Capcom's well-received RPG Dragon's Dogma will be released in a matter of months.
BioWare is working on the first major add-on or its Star Wars MMO, The Old Republic – but it won't be coming to the High Street.
John Lewis wants to open 21 more stores, and that could be good news for the games industry.
EA Sports says it is up to the fans if the next football tournament tie-in gets a boxed release.
IGN is preparing to launch in the Asia Pacific region, which will see the online firm have a presence in almost 40 markets.
Computer Exchange has opened its sixth store in 2012, taking its global tally to 171.
At times of trouble, all publishers turn to their most reliable IP – and this is exactly what THQ is doing with the announcement of a brand new expansion Saints ...
Players will be able to download the 15th free expansion pack for PC space MMO EVE Online on November 29th.
It looks as if the secondary joypad accessory being released for the 3DS final has a name.
The World of Warcraft steam train just keeps powering on with developer Blizzard announcing at BlizzCon 2011 this weekend that a fourth expansion for World of Warcraft is in the ...
Fan favourite developer Valve is once again above and beyond to please its huge fanbase with the release of free DLC for hit title Portal 2 tomorrow (October 4th ...
A recent trademark registration suggests the fourth World of Warcraft expansion pack will be called Mists of Pandaria.
Retailer GAME has announced that it has rolled out its in-store digital games offering to 1,200 stores across the world.
Apple has announced the expansion of its App Store program into 33 new countries.


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Those of you of a nervous disposition may want to look away, lest you want to weep into your morning coffee. Burberry has just unveiled its biggest – and most provocative – campaign to date for the launch of its new fragrance, and its cast a nearly-naked Rosie Huntington-Whiteley to star in the spotlight.
Dubbed as the luxury label’s ‘most sensual’ fragrance so far, Burberry Body is gearing up to take the world of scents by storm with its use of innovative ingredients and design (details of which will be released over the coming weeks) – and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is just the first in a series of hot young things lining up to front it.
“Burberry Body is the most exciting launch that we have ever created and captures the iconic spirit of the brand today in a striking and sensual way,” says Christopher Bailey. “Rosie’s effortless style and her staggering beauty made her the natural choice as the first Burberry Body.”
Shot by Mario Testino, the campaign sees the model-come-actress laying on the floor wearing nothing but a rose gold silk trench and the fragrance – oh, and one helluva lot of smouldering sexiness. And you can expect to see plenty more similarly sensual campaigns in the future, as the British brand plans create a portfolio of “Burberry bodies” to ‘iconise’ the fragrance for years to come.
”It’s a huge honour to be working with Burberry again, a brand that put my career on the map and helped launch me,” says Rosie. “To be asked to be the first ‘Burberry Body’ is an amazing compliment.”
Burberry Body will launch worldwide on September 1st, but in the meantime, you can watch a sneak peek of the moving campaign below. God help mankind if the ads hit the billboards.


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With the proliferation of the internet population, the number of smartphone users is increasing by the minute. This means more and more people are using smart devices for getting things done. Chances are all your competitors would now have a mobile app to serve their customers/clients. This is the fact of running a business in Bangkok and anywhere else in the world. You must have a highly engaging mobile app to beat the competition.
Middlesbrough is the best city in the UK to get mobile 4G coverage while Bournemouth is the worst, says a report. Consumer group Which? and analyst OpenSignal measured data from mobile phones across 20 cities in the UK. They say "critical" reforms are needed to provide a better service for customers. Ofcom said its rules meant "virtually all" UK premises would have to receive a 4G signal by the end of the year. The OpenSignal study analysed more than 500m data readings from mobile phones taken from more than 30,000 users between December 1 2016 and February 28 via an app.
– This post was originally published on 26-August-2014 on Linkedin. Basic knowledge and introduction on mobile money and its critical success factors, attributes, key stake holders along with meaning were discussed in Mobile Money Basics (updated on 21-Dec-2014). People interested in the use of mobile phones for their payments, sending money to each other (P2P) or checking balance, often ask what is the difference between e-money, mobile money, mobile banking, mobile payments, mobile commerce etc. Most of the consumers who wants to use and even some who are already using these services are confused. As there are no universally accepted/defined definitions. This lack of uniformity does become critical at the regulatory level as well as when potential players are trying to have a meaningful conversation with each other.
Earlier this month, LG said that it would row back on its smartphone ambitions by abandoning an annual cycle of smartphone launches. Rather than releasing a flagship just because Samsung did, LG would only pump out a handset when it felt that it should. The report speculated that the move was in anticipation of more bad news for LG Mobile when its fourth-quarter financials were published. Now that the figures are out, it's clear that LG's patience for the division has worn thin, since it managed to lose $204.8 million in just three months.


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Charlotte, NC-based family chain Rack Room Shoes has partnered with Lifetime TV’s Military Makeover team to support a local military family. In the newest Military Makeover season, national brand partners renovate the home of Joey and Joy Pryor, both military veterans, and their daughter, Gia. While a construction crew worked on repairs to the Pryor’s home, the Rack Room Shoes team hosted the couple for a once-in-a-lifetime shopping spree at its Rivergate Crossing location.
“Rack Room Shoes maintains a special commitment to giving back to our local communities, especially when it comes to supporting veterans who have served our country,” says Mark Lardie, President and CEO. “It is an honor to recognize Joey and Joy and their daughter through this partnership with Military Makeover.”
“When we found out about the shopping spree, we could hardly believe the great news,” says Joy. “We were so excited and felt beyond blessed. I have been wearing my Birkenstock clogs and Brooks running shoes the most. Joey is looking forward to wearing his Columbia boots when the weather gets cooler, and Gia loves her Nike athletic shoes!”
In addition to the shopping spree, Joey and Joy each received a $500 gift card to Rack Room Shoes for future footwear purchases. The episode first aired on Nov. 19 and will again Nov. 25, at 7:30 a.m. EST on Lifetime TV.
About Joey and Joy
While on his third tour in Afghanistan, Army Master Sergeant Joey Pryor was part of a route clearance mission to locate IEDs buried underground. The radars successfully picked up three but failed to pick up a fourth, which detonated directly under the team’s vehicle. Amid the chaos of flying debris, smoke, explosions and enemy fire, Joey was able to check that his buddies were alright before taking cover. He escaped the firefight with severe injuries but was thankful and lucky to still be alive. After serving 13 years in the Army, and more than 30 months deployed in Afghanistan, Joey was medically retired in 2017. He received service medals, commendations, combat action badges and a Purple Heart for his bravery and sacrifice on the battlefield throughout his military career.
Similar to her husband, Air Force Veteran Joy Pryor came from a family with a rich history of military service. Enlisting at the age of 22, Joy completed Basic Training at Keesler Air Base in Mississippi before advancing her career at various stations across the country as a Precision Measurement Laboratory Technician. Joy and Joey have served a collective 19 years in the military. While they still struggle with PTSD and physical injuries to this day, it has not stopped them from building a loving home for their family and pets, and with the help of Military Makeover and our dedicated partners, the Pryor family will soon be able to call it their ‘forever home.’
The Pryor family get their shoe game on, thanks to a free shopping spree courtesy of Rack Room Shoes.


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CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC)– While some headed to do that last-minute Christmas shopping, one porch pirate got an even earlier start. The Rumancik family had packages delivered overnight and when they woke up — the packages were gone.
Video from a ring doorbell shows a man dressed in black pants, a black sweatshirt and a black mask, stealing three packages from a Chesterfield porch.
Brandon Rumancik woke up and saw a notification on his phone that someone had been at the door at 3:30 a.m.
“It was a bit of a shock,” Rumancik said.
The porch pirate took off with three packages in his hands and walked down the street.
“I kind of laughed at it,” Rumancik said. “I guess the joke is kind of on him. It ended up being my wife’s order of purple leggings, some makeup a humidifier and vitamin C vitamins for our kids,” Rumancik said.
These were items the culprit clearly didn’t want, specifically the leggings. Rumancik said a neighbor found the package of leggings in their bushes.
“I pulled up an hour ago with them and she was like well I just replaced the order so now I have two pairs,” Rumancik said.
It’s an experience he says his family has never had before and doesn’t want again.
“That feeling that somebody came to your house in the middle of the night to take something… that’s kind of what’s sticking a little bit,” Rumancik said.
The family told 8News they filed a police report. Luckily no one was hurt and nothing was damaged.
According to Chesterfield Police, homeowners are recommended to have surveillance because it’s helpful in tracking down leads to these types of crimes.


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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a report analyzing the complaints received during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Good morning. Despite these difficult times, I’m pleased to be with you all today to kick off my first meeting as vice-chair of the Financial Literacy and Education Commission.
Good afternoon. It would have been great to see all of you in person, but I thank you for the opportunity to be with you here today virtually during these difficult and unprecedented times.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced the addition of a geospatial view to the Consumer Complaint Database.
Today the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it will continue the publication of consumer complaints, data fields and narrative descriptions through the Bureau’s Consumer Complaint Database while making several enhancements to the information available to users of the database.
Thank you, Ruth, for that kind introduction, and thanks for having me. I’m delighted to be here at the 10th Annual National Consumer Empowerment Conference.
Speech at the Bipartisan Policy Center By Kathleen L. Kraninger, Director, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Thank you to our hosts for the invitation, and to all of you for coming today. I’m particularly honored to be at a forum focused on bringing people together from across the political spectrum to forge commonsense solutions for the pressing issues facing our Nation.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) today issued a Request for Information (RFI) on its handling of consumer complaints and inquiries.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) today issued a Request for Information (RFI) about the Bureau’s public reporting of consumer complaints.
CFPB Report Finds Consumer Complaints Spurred Actions That Brought More Than $750 Million in Relief for Student Loan Borrowers
CFPB Heard More Than 20,000 Borrower Complaints Last Year Highlighting Widespread, Persistent Servicing Problems


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Products and Services Focus
Food and Beverages;Food ingredients and additives;Health Products and Health Products Raw Material;International Exhibitior pavilion
As the whole world battles the spread of COVID-19, many exhibitions were cancelled or postponed. The food export enterprises and foreign trade enterprises can’t do business via exhibitons like before, which caused a serious impact to those enterprises. We even don’t know when will the COVID-19 end.
In March 2020, the 21FOOD International Online Exhibition—Food Additives and Ingredients exhibition was successfully held. It was attracting 1,013 manufacturing companies to attend. The quantity of online exhibits reached 6,714. The online visitors was 126,451, including the Xu Fuji, COFCO Sugar, Xianle Health, Herbalife , Yili, Tsingtao Brewery, Haidilao Holdings, Amendment Group, Baixiang Food and more than 200 head brands. And the average daily click reached 27,193. The special food machinery in April and special food&beverage in May are developing in steady.
With the accumulation of more than 20 years of global buyers’ large database and experience in successfully hosting online food exhibitions, 21FOOD is launching the world’s first online food exhibition-21FOOD International Online Exhibition, “FOE”. A new model of “Global Online Order Grabbing” is starting.
“FOE” with the help of the application of Internet technology in the food industry in the past 20 years, has accurately analyzed the global food industry database and provided foreign trade companies with a series of services such as online display, online matching and accurate buyer matching. Foreign trade enterprises can find global buyers at home, take orders and expand markets.
“FOE” will accurately create scenarios for the practical application of offline analog products through short video transmission, corporate live broadcasting, online meetings, etc., so that participating companies can display online more comprehensively, truly and vividly, and shape their corporate brand image. To attract more overseas buyers in a more intuitive and perceptual way and increase the conversion rate and transaction rate of customer orders.”
For further info, please visit our website!


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LED LCD and OLED are the two major TV technologies that will fight for your TV buying dollar over the next few years. Here's how they compare.
TP Vision, trying to find a way to excite TV buyers, reveals three models at the IFA trade show that marry Google's smart-TV technology with lots of pixels.
Details on pricing and availability are now official for Sony's 2015 televisions, and the company is focusing on 4K and charging a mint for many models. New for many sets is Android TV, while HDR arrives on the flagships.
Some of our favorite TVs from last year were Vizio's M series, and now they're back with 4K resolution for inexpensive prices. The company also said its Reference series sets, first announced 15 months ago, would be released sometime in 2015.
Plasma TVs may be extinct, but OLED screens now fill that niche. Only one company makes them, so you'll need deep pockets to afford the best picture on the market.
Outfitted with tech that senses the pressure of your touch, the next model could be dubbed the iPhone 7 instead of the iPhone 6S, claims analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
The most important things to know when shopping for a cell phone.
Home heating and cooling options have changed a lot in recent years. Here's everything you need to know to get started.
Apple announced a new MacBook model that features an entirely new trackpad design. Learn what tricks hide below its surface.
Pricing and availability for Sony's 2015 lineup of 4K TVs has leaked, targeting a release date of May for all of the models and prices from $1,300 up to $8,000.


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Waves mentioned on March thirty first that it’s aiming to hit 5 million active customers and $10 billion in complete worth locked, or TVL, on the Layer-1 blockchain and tasks constructed on high of it as a part of its 2022 roadmap. The announcement comes days after the launch of its growth engine in the U.S., dubbed Waves Labs.
Waves is presently in model 1.0, with roughly 2 million active customers wallets and 250 validators. The blockchain processes roughly 100k transactions every day and has a TVL of $2 billion. The roadmap describes the corporate’s plan to maneuver to model 2.0 and what that can appear to be.
Earn Cash with Cudominer – Mining Plataform
Waves Labs might be headquartered in Miami and act as a growth engine for the Waves blockchain. It would primarily concentrate on pushing mass adoption and elevating consciousness in the U.S. market.
Waves Labs might be led by a workforce of crypto and fintech consultants which embody Head of U.S. operations Aleks Rubin, Head of Ecosystem Coleman Maher, Advertising and marketing Lead Jack Sales space, and V.P. of Finance and Operations Tiffany Phan.
“I’m excited to steer this dynamic workforce as we increase visibility and improve the utilization of Waves protocol in the North American market.”
Rubin, a former banker who has 20 years of expertise in company finance, mentioned. In the meantime, Waves founder and lead developer Sasha Ivanov will act an advisor for the corporate.
Waves Labs was launched on March twenty eighth and is presently in the method of hiring extra employees. It would even be concerned in establishing a $150 million accelerator fund to draw builders and tasks to the Waves ecosystem.
Waves mentioned that it intends to proceed making protocol updates to enhance the system’s velocity and safety. The primary order of enterprise for Waves is implementing a brand new consensus technique based mostly on Sensible Proof-of-Stake Sharding, or PPOSS, beginning in Spring 2022.
Waves can even concurrently work on growing a Ethereum Digital Machine suitable community which is able to then be linked to the present community.
Waves’ “multi-nuclei” ecosystem contains various different key factors in the 2022 roadmap. The principle ones are integrating a DAO Framework for brand new governance fashions; cross-chain finance through bridges; and a metaverse.


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SPECIAL AIRFARES, from 60yuan, from Changsha !
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People in Changsha will be offered specially discounted airfares to 12 cities in East and South China before the Spring Festival at a cost of 60 yuan ($9.6) to 320 yuan, according to the Hunan Branch of China Southern Airlines.
Tickets from Changsha to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo and Fuzhou in East China, and to Guangzhou and Shenzhen in South China will cost only 60 yuan to 180 yuan for travels before February 19, the traditional Chinese New Year’s Day. The booking period will commence on February 3.
Tickets from Changsha to Beijing, Xiamen, Shantou, Zhuhai, and Nanning during the same period-before February 19, will also be available for booking from February 3 and cost 200 yuan to 320 yuan.
However, according to the China Southern campaign, airfares from Changsha to Haikou and Sanya in South China’s Hainan province; Chengdu, Chongqing, and Xi’an in West China; Dalian, Harbin, Shenyang and Changchun in the Northeast are in shorter supply and will only see 30 percent discount at best.
The company stressed that air fares and availability for flights between February 19 and 28 will be rather restricted.
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WNIC Source: Changsha.gov.cn
Source: Changsha Evening News


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Africa is a mobile first nation with 33% of internet users using a mobile phone as their primary device to browse the internet. This has prepared the continent for what is to come – a mobile phone as the chosen device to not only browse, but also shop and do all personal banking.
The use of the internet has resulted in two types of customers; those who demand faster internet and those who demand cheaper data prices. Arthur Goldstuck, managing director of researchers at World Wide Worx, believes there is a clear division between high-end and low-end internet users.
“One can see massive appetite for faster internet access at the top of the market and cheap internet access at the bottom of the market,” he says. “We see that in the fact that the rollout of fibre-to-the-home was followed very shortly by the decline of ADSL connections in South Africa. With the appetite for fast internet access – especially to use services like Netflix and Showmax - ADSL isn’t good enough for people anymore if they have access to fibre.”According to his report, ‘The Internet Access in South Africa 2017 study’, there are 29 million smartphone users but only 22 million internet users. “[This] tells us a quarter of the smartphone user base cannot afford data.”
Although a slow start, online shopping has started to pick up serious steam in the last 12 months with 58% of online adults in South Africa making a purchase online. An estimated R37.1bn has been spent online in the last year alone.
It is predicted that South Africans will spend upwards of R53bn this year.
According to a study commissioned to Ipsos by PayPal, there was an estimated 65% growth in online spend using a mobile phone between 2015 and 2016. This includes the use of a smartphone or a tablet.
So how has this affected retailers who have brick and mortar establishments? They have opened their doors, so to speak, online and now have both online and physical shops to appease the e-commerce movement.
The online shopper in South Africa would be predicted to be a female due to the wide range of fashion stores online. According to research by Effective Measure there are actually significantly more male online shoppers, making up 54% of the online shoppers in South Africa with only 46% being female.
Again, if you thought it was the younger generation doing most of the shopping, you’d be wrong. More than a quarter of the study respondents were over the age of 60, followed by a tie (11%) between 40-44 and 45-49 and then 55-59, 35-39 and 50-54 (10%).
In fact, the ‘younger generation’ only made up 1% - 8% of the total online users in South Africa. Surprising, isn’t it?
So, what are South African mobile users using the internet for the most when it comes to online shopping? The study showed that 22% of all recent purchases made by South Africans online were for travel tickets.
The motivation for these purchases included; time and process convenience, special offers, choice, price comparison, more access to product information, international stores, cheap alternatives and access to product reviews. Almost half of all respondents were from Gauteng.
As online investment grows online in South Africa and more consumers are willing to shop online, brands will invest more online using new tools and features and platforms such as Google AdWords, Google Display Network and YouTube ads.
Here, brands are able to pinpoint their customers using high ranking keywords and also mechanisms which target certain demographics that would be most likely to purchase their products. The idea is to anticipate customer needs to offer them more catered services and solutions.
According to research by Google, marketers continue to find innovative ways to drive relevance such as dynamically served email and mobile content and programmatic media buying. Special software can even be used to automate the buying, placement, and optimisation of media inventory.
More businesses will lean on reporting structures such as Google Analytics as well as forms of Artificial Intelligence to not only better understand their customer but to improve their overall browsing experience on both a desktop and a mobile device.
Facebook allows you to target an audience who have a specific political view, luxury buyers, green cause supporters and of course, geographical positioning.
Lastly, we can expect the trend of chatbots or ‘robot chats’ to increase in 2018. This form of artificial intelligence allows companies to set automated conversations with their users who are looking for more information on a product. Chatbots are a great solution for companies who would like to lower their overheads and avoid hiring customer service staff.
Digital marketing is a constantly evolving landscape and it is exciting to witness the trends that occur as marketers look at further solutions and innovative ways to capture their audiences’ attention while providing a customer-centric service.


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Treasury Wine shares posted their biggest slump since the 2011 demerger from Fosters, falling 12 per cent, after the world’s second largest listed wine maker flagged provisions of $160 million for 2013 to reduce excess inventories.
TWE also warned that wine shipments to the US would fall around 12 per cent this year, reducing anticipated earnings in 2014 by about 10 per cent.
TWE chief executive David Dearie blamed the inventory overhang on over-ambitious forecasting of new products, improved distributor logistics, which had prompted the company to re-examine inventories, and old and out-of-date stock.
However, analysts such as Credit Suisse’s Larry Gandler have accused the company of “channel stuffing" or trade loading to boost sales and grow market share, saying TWE’s excess inventories in the US have tripled in three years.
Some investors, who declined to be named, questioned the role of the company, saying it appeared to have turned a blind eye to channel stuffing or trade loading, which had helped disguise a deteriorating underlying performance in the US.
TWE and its US distribution partners plan to destroy about $35 million of old and obsolete wine and will increase discounts and rebates by up to $40 million to clear excess current vintage stocks in the US network.
TWE has opted to destroy some of .the wine because selling it into the market would further devalue the company’s brands.
Read the full version of this story at The Australian Financial Review.


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Our International Cannabis Weekly newsletter brings you the latest international cannabis developments across business, regulation and science. All past issues are now available here where you can read the stories that have helped shape the international cannabis industry over the past year.View All
Business & Investment
- Maricann Inc. have partnered with Julian Marley to distribute cannabis products throughout Europe.
- Tilray partners with German pharmaceutical wholesaler to facilitate distribution and logistics.
- There’s new opportunity in the world of sport, as The International Olympic Committee plans to remove CBD from its list of banned substances.
Regulations & Politics
- Opposition MP Paul Flynn has introduced a bill to British parliament as part of a campaign for medical cannabis reform.
- The Maltese government will start discussing changes to the law regulating medical cannabis next month.
- Irish pharma company, Greenlight secures €1.4m grant to research the medical effects of cannabis.
- The new Dutch coalition is planning state-sanctioned cannabis plantations.
Historically, Portugal is regarded as somewhat of a trailblazer when it comes to drug reform. Yet in the 15+ years that have followed, very little progress has been made and so Portugal seems set to remain rooted to its restrictive and inconsistent legal stance.
Read the stories that shape the cannabis industry
13 | 09 | 2019
Germany receives its first medical cannabis imports from Portugal and Australia, as French parliament plans to hold a debate on...
06 | 09 | 2019
Prohibition Partners releases The North American Cannabis Report, Thailand removes hemp extract from its narcotics list and Netanyahu proposes new...
30 | 08 | 2019
International cannabis industry says UK laws are deterring investment, Israel approves seven new cannabis growers and US DEA to expand...


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Way Back few days ago Motorola had began rolling out the Android 4.4.4 KitKat software update Droid MAXX, ULTRA, and Mini under it’s soaked test which only available for beta testers. This update has been confirmed and it’s going its way to a be rolled out by Verizon wireless as the Android 4.4.4 update changelogs are now posted for all Verizon’s Motorola Droids series including the Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx, and Droid Mini.
According to the released keynotes that the 4.4.4 update will bring some bug fixes, stability enhancements, and some new features, including improved camera experience with better image quality, more stable Bluetooth connectivity, as well as a new ISIS app for NFC payments. There are also some default Verizon apps such as Visual Voicemail and VZ Cloud.
The 4.4.4 update will be hitting over-the-air anytime from now or on the next 24-hours and Verizon Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx, and Droid Mini users should stay keep an eye of it. To check for the update, head into Settings>About phone>System updates.
The software update brings the device to Software Version 21.11.21. So better check it out now!


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First came emojis. Then stickers followed. And now photos and videos have become integral to messaging apps that once could convey nothing more than plain text.
Thanks to the ever-growing popularity of Snapchat, the camera is quickly taking precedence over the keyboard when it comes to users creating and sharing content on their smartphones.
This evolution reflects changes in the way people use their devices and the increasing power of smartphone cameras. The implications for device makers and social platforms, as well as the publishers and marketers that rely on them, are profound.
In a new report from BI Intelligence, we explore the growing and disruptive use of image-based communication via chat apps by investigating what’s changed. We also dive into how businesses can leverage the new technology, and where they will have the biggest impact. Lastly, we compare the current leaders in the chat app industry, discerning which are best suited to certain features over others.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:
- The camera is set to replace the keyboard as the main interface on the smartphone, presenting new opportunities for brands and businesses to reach consumers.
- Chat apps, including Facebook and Snapchat, are leading the charge in making the camera the main screen of the phone, offering engaging AI-infused filters and stickers that keep users coming back.
- The camera is especially appealing to brands and businesses that want to cut through the noise and boost engagement and brand awareness on a global scale.
- Because consumers are already accustomed to using chat apps to share photos and videos, brands have an opportunity to reach consumers on these platforms in a more engaging and rich medium than text.
In full, the report:
- Describes how smartphone cameras are being leveraged by chat apps.
- Explains the how brands and businesses can take advantage of cameras on messaging apps.
- Highlights the differences between certain messaging apps and their strengths and weaknesses.
- Looks at the potential barriers that could limit the adoption and use of chat apps’ cameras.
Interested in getting the full report? Here are several ways to access it:
- Subscribe to an All-Access pass to BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and over 100 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. >> Learn More Now
- Purchase & download the full report from our research store. >> Purchase & Download Now


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While there were plenty of rumors of trouble in the development process of Scalebound, many were blindsided by the news on Monday that the game was cancelled entirely. Developer PlatinumGames has mostly had a very solid track record, especially when Hideki Kamiya is involved, and now they have issued their statement about the cancellation of Scalebound.
2016 definitely wasn’t the best of years for PlatinumGames as both Star Fox Zero and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants and Manhattan were not very well received at all, but Scalebound definitely had a lot of people excited.
We’re sorry to say that on January 9, 2017, Microsoft Studios announced the cancellation of Scalebound. We are very disappointed things ended up this way, especially since we know many of our fans were looking forward to this game as much as we were.
Going forward, we will strive to continue delivering high-quality games to you, starting with NieR:Automata in March, and including products like GRANBLUE FANTASY Project Re:Link and LOST ORDER in the future.
We will keep working hard to meet your expectations and we look forward to your continued support!
President and CEO
This response is pretty much what you would expect from a developer that just cancelled one of its games, while also using it as a way to promote their upcoming games. Scalebound was definitely their most talked about game in development, but NieR: Automata now takes that title. Oddly enough, while Scalebound was exclusive to Xbox One and Windows 10 PC, NieR: Automata is exclusive to PS4 and PC for now.
Maybe Scalebound will find new life sometime in the future, but for now PlatinumGames appears to be moving forward with their other upcoming projects instead.


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Greener homes = happier staffers
This eco-friendly firm invites dissent from its workers - and gets it.
(Fortune Small Business) -- Susan Johnson always dreamed of volunteering abroad. In May, her wish came true when she flew to Rwanda to work at a vocational institute for low-income women. Although she will be away for four months, she'll receive her full salary from Seventh Generation, a Burlington, Vt. manufacturer of recycled and nontoxic household products.
"I wouldn't be able to afford this if I wasn't being paid," says Johnson, 60, the director of education in the company's sales department.
The sabbatical program is one of many benefits offered by the firm, which generated $150 million in revenue last year. Employees' health-care premiums are 100% covered -- as are their dependents' premiums after five years with the firm. Seventh Generation also lends employees up to $5,000 to make their homes or cars greener.
Although the company spends about $3 million annually on such benefits -- 2% of revenue (within industry norms, according to the Bear Agency, a Troy, Mich., health-care consultancy) -- CEO Jeffrey Hollender claims it's money well spent.
"We get commitment and passion, which increase productivity," he says. As evidence Hollender points to the company's 4% turnover rate and its nearly $1.5 million revenue-per-employee rate. Both compare favorably with the national averages (19% and $500,000, respectively), according to the Society for Human Resources Management.
The key factor, though, is a culture that encourages dissent. When Seventh Generation hired a doctor as a spokesperson this year, several staffers, including Johnson, wanted the company to disclose that he was being paid (it eventually did).
"The employee's perspective is very influential in our thinking," says Hollender.
That influence does have its limits. Despite owning nearly 14% of Seventh Generation, workers have no representation on the board -- the subject of a long-running dispute between employees and management. And some workers complain that there's too much disparity between the bonuses of the lowest- and highest-paid employees. Although these issues remain unresolved, workers do seem to feel empowered by being able to discuss them openly.
"People are not shy about talking to management if they disagree with something," says Sarah Thompson, 33, the firm's online business manager. "That should be the case for a socially conscious company."
Talk back: Tell us how your company motivates its staff.


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No age group has been driving less than 16 to 34-year-olds. Young Americans are opting to stay out of the driver's seat.
One reason is their economic recovery is taking longer than other age groups.
"They've had a harder time getting jobs, they have more student-loan debt than their predecessors, their unemployment rate has been sky-high," explains Edmunds.com Chief Economist Lacey Plache.
Research from the Frontier Group found younger Americans in larger numbers are opting for public transportation, bicycling or walking.
Other research found that not only are young people driving less, but car makers say they're also spending less.
Car sales to the demographic are way off as well, and once again it's all in the economics.
"It is expensive," says college student David Churchill. "You've got gas, you've got insurance, you have to pay all that and got to factor that in when driving as well."
"Living at home longer, living with roommates longer and all these factors combined have created less of a need to actually own a car," Plache adds.
All of which has sent the auto industry scrambling to get the younger crowd back behind the wheel.(Information courtesy NBC News)


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Bungie: Our new IP isn't tied to Microsoft
Halo developer is free to develop on any platform for new projects, but praises Xbox "synergy"
Bungie, the developer behind the best-selling Xbox 360 franchise Halo, has revealed that it is currently hard at work on new IP alongside Halo 3: Recon, and that it is not limited by any agreement with Microsoft in terms of being restricted to particular platforms.
"No, we're not [tied into a specific platform for new IP]," said community and PR director Brian Jarrard, speaking to GamesIndustry.biz at this year's Tokyo Game Show. "We haven't gotten that far yet to be totally honest.
"In theory we do have every means to go out and find the right ecosystem, the right partners, to align with. So who knows what the future will bring us."
However, while that may mean any future non-Halo projects might make their way to Sony or Nintendo platforms, it's not a decision that's been made yet - and the company has praised the social community "synergy" of the Xbox 360 platform.
"For us the 360 has been great because there's just been this great synergy with Bungie because all of our games have this inherent social community aspect," explained Jarrard. "Everything we've ever done has this very big online component - we, together with the Xbox consoles, have continued to push that Live experience, the whole notion of a party experience forward.
"I like to think that we brought a lot of that to the market, and we want to keep iterating on that. In that regard Live has been a great service to us. It's astonishing to look at how well Halo 3 is doing even now, a year after release.
"We haven't really seen much of a decline in play, and we recently surpassed the lifetime number of games ever played on Halo 2 - so we're talking about four years of Halo 2 boiling down to about 1 year of Halo 3.
"It's been pretty astounding, and to see our fans stand by us, it's even more reason why we want to do Halo 3: Recon, just to give something back and extend the experience a little bit longer."
The full interview with Bungie's Brian Jarrard is available now.


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This month BoydTech is obsessed with learning more about the what’s and why’s behind some of 2017’s most popular trends. And seeing as how the marketing industry is one of the most trend-filled industries of all, there’s a lot to talk about.
However, this week’s article focuses on one of the fastest-growing trends in today’s digital society: real-time media. What do I mean by that? In my own words, real-time media is when an audience receives the opportunity to witness a moment or event as it’s happening from anywhere in the world. If it makes it easier to understand, you could simply think of it as live media.
Examples of using real-time in today’s media are everywhere online— especially when it comes to video content and social media sites. Apps have also recently hopped on board with this popular trend by adding features like location services and limited viewing experiences. Now, if you’re anything like me, that brings one very specific example to mind: Snapchat.
Snapchat has quickly risen to be one of 2017’s most downloaded, most used apps. And why shouldn’t it be? In a crowded social media world, it still manages to provide users with a unique experience— one that other apps and sites are struggling to compete against.
As most of you probably know, Facebook even recently attempted to incorporate real-time media into it’s platform with the addition of it’s Facebook Live feature. Unfortunately for Zuckerberg, it only made a brief splash in the lives of consumers who ultimately reverted their attention back to apps like Snapchat and Vine fairly quickly. And though the feature still exists on Facebook, the number of users is still continuing to decrease.
But just because Facebook couldn’t keep up with it’s real-time competitors doesn’t mean the trend is dying out. Recreational use aside, the trend has even made it’s way into many businesses. Yep, that’s right— the real-time media trend is still alive and well, and something tells me we’re nowhere near seeing the last of it.
Don’t agree? Here are three reasons I believe real-time media is here to stay (at least for awhile longer)…
1. It keeps the audience actively involved.
Arguably the most attractive aspect of real-time media is it’s ability to keep an audience actively involved. Whether you’re using a real-time app, site, or feature for personal or professional use, the opportunity to capture and keep attention is there.
For example, Snapchat and Instagram stories disappear after a specific amount of time (in this case, 24 hours). Why is that so important? Because disappearing media keeps people involved in your personal life or brand’s life (depending on which kind of user you are). In an extremely social era, many active technology users have begun to develop a case of FOMO— otherwise known as a fear of missing out. Users are convinced that if they don’t consistently check up on people in their lives, they will miss out on something important or downright entertaining. Fortunately for the business and marketing industries, this includes brands they’re currently loyal to or have been loyal to in the past.
2. You can target specific audience members.
Most real-time media apps and features call for a certain level of segmentation. Unlike sites like YouTube where anyone can find and view your content, real-time media is specific to you and an audience of your choice. This makes the trend more personal and creates a stronger sense of community for the user than the average social media site has been able to in the past.
3. Real-time media often provides location services.
While some people think that the recent focus on location services is invasive, others have found it extremely useful. Now, I recently decided to opt-out of the location services on apps like Snapchat for personal reasons. However, to many, the feature is considerably valuable. For example, the ability to locate someone in case of an emergency is comforting to many users, such as parents and friends.
In addition, local businessmen and women can use location services to see what people in their target audience are doing on a day-to-day basis. When it comes to understanding your audience, this can be a critical feature.
As always, thanks for reading and happy marketing!
—Amanda Myers, Copywriter at BoydTech Design, Inc.


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The creator economy is throwing their weight behind music's decentralized future.
Artists on the blockchain-based streaming platform can now integrate songs directly to TikTok sounds.
Audius' future seems promising, but some question marks still remain.
Included in their throwback uploads are "Dark Side Dub," "The Twilight Zone," "1975," and more.
The latest Nero edit follows their takes on Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Tame Impala, and Daft Punk.
Countless major electronic artists have backed the blockchain-powered streaming service—here are five to keep an eye on.
Over 10 major artists will be debuting their own NFTs as part of the massive launch.
On the heels of eclipsing 3 million users, the price of Audius' cryptocurrency has surged 108% since the beginning of March.
Dillon Francis is the latest major dance music artist to join Audius.
Excision joins REZZ, deadmau5, Zeds Dead and many more to have uploaded their music on the blockchain-powered Audius.
Audius is bringing in the heavy-hitters for its celebratory launch event.


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In compliance with EU sanctions, crypto platforms Crypto.com and Blockchain.com started to stop or terminate Russian accounts. The moves follow the adoption of new European penalties in response to Moscow’s military escalation in Ukraine.
Large Crypto Platforms Adhere to EU Guidelines, Restrict Services for Russian Users Over Ukraine War
About a week after the European Union introduced another set of measures aimed at hurting Russia’s economy and finances, including its access to the crypto market, a number of service providers in the industry have taken steps to comply with the new requirements. In April, the bloc banned only high-value services, those for digital assets exceeding €10,000 in value ($11,000 at the time). Brussels prohibited all cryptocurrency-related services from Russian citizens and entities last Thursday regardless of their amount.
Forklog reports that Localbitcoins has told Russian citizens it cannot no longer provide its peer-to-peer services. A passport issued by any country in the European Economic Area is acceptable. This includes EU members plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
The crypto news outlet also revealed that wallet operator Blockchain.com has sent out a notice informing customers that due to the EU sanctions, it’s unable to provide custodial and rewards services to Russian nationals. It has requested that affected customers withdraw their funds before Oct. 27, following which their accounts would be blocked.
The crypto news page of the leading Russian business portal RBC, which confirmed this development, also posted about Crypto.com’s decision to add Russia to its list of countries, the citizens of which cannot take advantage of its services. With more than 50,000,000 users claimed, the cryptocurrency exchange is now registered in Singapore. However, Crypto.com recently stated that it will be establishing a Paris-based regional headquarters.
Bitmex is another exchange which plans to place restrictions. Coinbase in America, which is based in the United States, stated that it follows all applicable laws and regulations. Other service providers in the crypto sector have done this, as well. Dapper Labs, for example, suspended its operations using non-fungible tokens. Revolut, the British fintech firm is currently not operating in Russia.
But not all global cryptocurrency platforms are compliant with the European standards. A recent report revealed that major cryptocurrency exchanges remain available for Russians. These include Huobi, which stated that it maintains stable trading for Russian users, FTX, which operates out of the island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, as well as the Seychelles-registered Okx, Kucoin, and Mexc Global. Exmo.me was still in Russia after the sale of its Russian business by Exmo.
Are you confident that other cryptocurrency platforms will comply with European sanctions against Russia Comment below.
Credits for the imageShutterstock. Pixabay. Wiki Commons
DisclaimerThis article serves informational purposes. This article is not intended to be a solicitation or offer to sell or buy any product, service, or company. Bitcoin.com doesn’t offer investment, tax or legal advice. This article does not contain any information, products, or advice that can be used to cause or alleged result in any kind of damage.


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I was surprised when I read this headline on Business World website. Isn’t it wonderful to know how a low priced product can be so effective in building pieces for a nation! The business world report says,” the regional office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Davao, Philippines is looking at coco coir and cocopeat as possible commodities that could be shipped to help Japan’s rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts”
Philippines mainly ships cocopeat to Japan, which is used for animal feeds, fertilizers and sometimes beddings for the animal pens. Coco peat, also referred to as coir dusts, are by product of producing coco coir. Out of one husk, only 30% of that can be processed as coco coir. The rest is for the cocopeat.
Marizon S. Loreto, the trade regional director added that there are 18 producers of coco coir in Davao region which is exported as raw material to China and Japan to make geo textiles and mats. Coco coir prevents soil erosion which could prove crucial to stabilize the still porous grounds in some areas hit by the tsunami in Japan.
According to Mindano times, The Philippines is the largest producer of coconut products in the world, with Mindanao as the predominant player planting more than 1.5 million of its lands to coconut. That’s nearly double than what Luzon currently produces and more than double than Visayas.
On a recent note, Department of Agriculture, DTI and the Philippine Coconut Authority are organizing coco coir summit in Davao City on 31st of March. The Summit, which is expected to gather 200 industry stakeholders throughout the country, will highlight coco coir (fibre from coconut husk) and peat (dust from coconut husk).
Belinda Q. Ambi, director of the DTI-Davao Oriental field office, said China is gobbling up all the regional production of coco coir and cocopeat products, importing at least 90 percent of the total, with Japan as a distant second, sharing the remaining 10% with Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea.
She further adds, the demand for coco coir is growing especially with the proposal of the Department of Public Works and Highways to require the use of the material for soil erosion and riverbank enhancement in its infrastructure projects.
If coir has the power to build broken Japan again, then in my opinion, the leading producers of coir like India, Sri Lanka, Philippines, and China should come forward and support Japan in its worst disaster without prioritizing monetary benefits!


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The men's store catering to UA students will close by Jan. 1 after this sale.
Torrid, a clothing and accessory store for women sizes 12 to 28, has opened a new Tucson store.
Kohl's announced yesterday, that its stores will open be open for more than 100 hours straight from 6 a.m. on December 19 through 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve, December 24.
Attendees are encouraged to offer feedback and vote on their favorite designs.
New store to open Dec. 15 about a mile east on Broadway.
Baking from her own kitchen, owner logs $200,000 in first-year sales.
Here's our list of the best deals, combed from circulars in the Thursday Arizona Daily Star.
Shop Local Month, an initiative of Local First Arizona, runs from Nov. 28-Dec. 24.
There are some really cool toys this year, and prices are fairly competitive.
An auction to sell remaining inventory will be held November 22.
The first 50 customers will receive a $10 gift card.
When Marana mall opens in 2016, it could have 90 stores.
The store will feature a refrigerated and frozen food section.
Halloween is one of the fastest-growing consumer holidays, says retail group.
Krikawa specializes in custom-made jewelry, especially wedding and engagement rings.
The sale will benefit the All Souls Procession.
Where to find local deals and one-stop-shopping on the holiday's basics.
Vintage items, up-cycled goods will be priced from $5 to $500.
Store will open in summer 2015; El Con is now fully leased.
The new game store caters to gamers and families.