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For those of us in the technology world, digital is a technology concept – customer-driven technology to be sure, but still about the ones and zeroes in the end. Ask someone in the advertising industry about digital, however, and you’ll get a very different answer. It’s about the transformation of branding.
“Colors and the emotional aspect of what a brand represents – those days are gone,” says Eric Pilkington, Chief Digital Officer at McCann Health, a McCann Worldgroup agency, which is owned by advertising giant
Technology still plays a central role in the move to digital, of course, even for ad agencies. In fact, the digital road is one they’ve been down before, as the web forced agencies to reinvent their business models back in the 1990s. Now with the rise of mobile technologies, such reinvention is once again in the cards.
“Technology is extraordinarily disruptive,” admits Pilkington, who rode the dot.com wave at companies like WebMD. “But digital is not just the inclusion of mobile.”
To explain this more-than-mobile context for digital, Pilkington provides
“GM had to go through a total transformation,” Pilkington explains. “It was all digitally led – hundreds of web sites, programs, and data-centric customer modeling.”
Furthermore, this data-driven approach represented a marked difference from the traditional agency value proposition. “GM’s digital footprint is massive, including all sorts of transactions online,” Pilkington continues. “Well beyond the inferential and attitudinal modeling of the past. Now we can be predictive.”
In fact, the role data play in digital transformation is the cornerstone of Interpublic’s move to digital. The value to GM is profound. “The power of prediction: ability to build data and build models around that data,” Pilkington says. “How do you evoke relationships over time? Not just a car, but the right car? Data is the glue that allows us to do that.”
Transforming to Transform
Perhaps the most interesting angle to this story is the internal changes that agencies must undergo in order to successfully help their clients undergo their own digital transformations.
“Sometimes agencies are going through their own transformation,” Pilkington explains. “We’re sometimes leading transformation, sometimes participating.”
This digital rethink impacts agency business models, just as the rise of the web impacted the media buy centered business models that predated the dot.com boom. “We’re shifting from time and materials to the productization of IT,” Pilkington says, as customers look to drive costs out of their digital efforts.
Coming up with technology-centric products, however, requires a skillset the highly distributed agency model can struggle to find – at least in one place. “Connecting the dots required McCann to bring together top talent across the organization,” Pilkington says.
In fact, servicing the GM account will require Intergroup to leverage its worldwide and multidisciplinary capabilities to deliver combined technology and creative solutions. The company intends for this collaboration to take place across all Interpublic division McCann Worldgroup business units currently serving GM brands, including Commonwealth//McCann (Worldgroup’s globally dedicated Chevrolet agency), MRM//McCann, Weber Shandwick, and Momentum, among others.
Creative: Still the Secret Sauce
The reason such large agency conglomerates have so many different divisions in the first place is because creative capabilities don’t scale well. For such dominant players to compete with boutique shops, they must think and act like boutiques themselves.
The technology part of the digital story, however, requires scale in order to be cost-effective. Hence the productization of technology that Pilkington refers to works at odds with the creative capabilities at individual units.
Pilkington sees this trend as fundamental to how agencies play in a digital world. “This is how advertising has grown up over the last few years,” he says. “We’re starting to move to a ‘model of excellence.’”
This model of excellence cuts across the separate business units, shaking the advertising world to its core. “The traditional campaign is dead,” Pilkington says. “It’s tough for creative directors. Everything they’ve worked toward for years no longer applies.”
Creative work itself, however, isn’t dead – in fact, it’s stronger than ever. The role creative plays in the new digital world, however, has transformed.
Interpublic leadership understands the importance of this transformation. “We can talk about digital, we can talk about new media, we can talk about fragmented media, we can talk about all the different outlets and the disintermediation of TV,” says Interpublic Chief Executive Michael Roth. “But in the end, creativity makes it all come together and really is the secret sauce to what we do.”
In the final analysis, therefore, the agency transformation story circles back to the reinvention of brands as series of experiences. Whether a customer be playing with a mobile app, reading a magazine ad, or tweeting while watching television, the digital story must combine technology and creative – while always putting the customer at the center of the brand experience.
Eric Pilkington will be speaking on “The Internet of Things: The Opportunities and Challenges for Digital Strategy” at the Digital Strategy Innovation conference in Los Angeles, September 10 – 11.
Intellyx advises companies on their digital transformation initiatives and helps vendors communicate their agility stories. As of the time of writing, none of the organizations mentioned in this article are Intellyx customers. Image credit: McCann Detroit.


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In mid-September, Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben Bernanke told an audience at the Brookings Institution that “the recession is very likely over at this point.” He may well be right, judging from the growing optimism of respondents to the latest Duke University/CFO Magazine Global Business Outlook Survey, which polled 657 U.S. finance executives in early September. But if the economy has indeed taken a turn for the better, the same can’t be said for employment, based on the plans described by respondents.
More than half of the CFOs polled — 58% — say they are more optimistic about the economy than they were last quarter, while 48% are more optimistic about their own companies than they were three months ago. And for the first time in a year, CFOs expect earnings growth over the next 12 months.
That’s not to say that most finance executives think a recovery is actually under way. While they are feeling much better than they did last December, when just 9% were more optimistic than they had been in the previous quarter, just 26% of them believe the recession is over. Another 13% think economic recovery will begin this year, while fully 60% say it will wait until 2010 or later.
Shawn Carroll, CFO of temporary-staffing firm Crown Services, says an uptick in his industry is usually a leading indicator of economic recovery. And Crown’s business is improving: sales have increased by about 15% compared with earlier in the year. “We’re actually getting some orders,” says Carroll.
What the recovery will look like is open to debate. “I think we’re going to go into a corrected economy where people are going to have to learn how to make money at lower margins and companies are going to have to watch their costs significantly,” says Carroll.
Such caution is widespread among finance chiefs, as they plan to loosen only a few corporate purse strings in the coming year. CFOs expect spending on advertising, R&D, and technology to be flat over the next 12 months, while capital spending is expected to continue to shrink, although at a slower pace. Yet John Graham, finance professor at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and director of the survey, says these numbers “are all moving in the right direction. We’re treading water now instead of sinking.”
More Layoffs Ahead
One area where the numbers continue to sink is employment. More than 60% of survey respondents have made layoffs since the recession began, and more than 40% plan to eliminate jobs in the year ahead. Of those CFOs who have made layoffs, just 13% expect staffing to return to prerecession levels in 2010. Nearly a quarter say they may never reach those levels again.
Graham says a number of factors are contributing to the bleak employment outlook. For one, many companies have furloughed workers rather than making layoffs; as business starts to pick up, they will likely bring those workers back full-time as a first step. Companies may also ask some employees to work overtime, rather than make new hires. “Those two things let you potentially increase production without taking the risk of increasing your workforce,” says Graham.

domain: news


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Do whatever it takes to cultivate a kingdom of wealth and prosperity!
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Vrbo journey traits in 2021
Many families are already planning their vacation for the next year at Vrbo.
MISSOURI, USA – The pandemic may have put your vacation on hold this year, but 8 in 10 families are already planning for 2021. Melanie Fish from Vrbo is here to explain what these travel trends include.
By compiling data and running a global travel survey, Vrbo figured out what families are planning for 2021 and which of the pandemic travel trends will stay here.
The road trips were huge in 2020, and Melanie says they may still be the preferred route in 2021. This gives people the opportunity to use entire private homes near lakes and mountains. Flex cations, or travel combining both work and leisure, are also likely to persist.
House prices start as early as 2021, so Melanie recommends booking now! Vrbo reminds families to check the latest health policies and travel restrictions before booking a trip. Find out more about the new travel products for the coming year at vrbo.com.
THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS COMMERCIAL CONTENT. THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES APPEAR AS PAID ADVERTISING. For more information, send us an email at [email protected]
SHOW ME ST. LOUIS IS PART OF 5 ON YOUR SIDE AND FUNCTIONS ST. LOUIS EVENTS, COMPANIES, BUSINESS PEOPLE AND OTHER GUESTS FROM THE COUNTRY.


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Chipotle fair-food agreement is the latest win for Florida farmworkers
A six-year campaign for justice has ended with a big win for a Florida farmworkers' rights group.
Last week Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill signed an agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) that will improve wages and working conditions for tomato pickers in the Sunshine State. The company has agreed to pay an extra penny per pound of tomatoes purchased for its 1,300 restaurants nationwide, with the money appearing as a bonus in workers' paychecks. CIW is a community-based organization whose over 4,000 members are mostly Latino, Mayan Indian, and Haitian immigrant farmworkers.
CIW's Gerardo Reyes said the agreement "marks a turning point in the sustainable food movement as a whole, whereby, thanks to Chipotle's leadership, farmworkers are finally recognized as true partners -- every bit as vital as farmers, chefs, and restaurants -- in bringing 'good food' to our tables."
Chipotle is the 11th company to join CIW's Fair Food Program. The others are fast-food giants Taco Bell, McDonald's, Burger King and Subway; grocery chains Whole Foods and Trader Joe's; and food service providers Bon Appetit Management Co., Compass Group, Aramark and Sodexo. CIW combines worker-led organizing with public education and coalition-building with student, faith and community groups to pressure companies to take action.
"We believe that this agreement underscores our long-standing commitment to the people who produce the food we serve in our restaurants," said Chris Arnold, Chipotle's communications director (at center in photo above).
CIW launched its Fair Food Campaign began in 2001, organizing the first-ever farmworker boycott of a major fast-food company and calling on Taco Bell to take responsibility for human rights abuses in the fields where its produce is grown. In 2005, Taco Bell agreed to meet all of CIW's demands, providing the first-ever ongoing payment by a fast-food company to farmworkers in its supply chain and establishing the first enforceable Code of Conduct for agricultural suppliers to the fast-food industry. The program provides for independent audits to ensure compliance.
In November 2010, the CIW signed an agreement with the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange that extends the Fair Food Program's principles -- including a cooperative complaint resolution system and a participatory health and safety program -- to over 90 percent of Florida's tomato fields.
Organizers with the Campaign for Fair Food say they plan to continue working with participating Florida growers to ensure the agreements function as designed. They also want to continue expanding their foothold in the supermarket sector. One of the group's latest targets has been Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix Super Markets, one of the nation's biggest purchasers of Florida tomatoes.
(Photo from Coalition of Immokalee Workers. From left to right, the CIW's Oscar Otzoy, Chipotle's Chris Arnold, and the CIW's Gerardo Reyes, joined in the background by student and faith allies, at the Oct. 4 signing ceremony at Chipotle's Denver headquarters.)


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The Ministry of External Affairs announced the launch of Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius, along with the introduction of RuPay card services in Mauritius. This initiative aims to provide digital payment options for Indian nationals visiting these countries and for tourists from Sri Lanka and Mauritius visiting India.
The expansion of these services will facilitate faster and seamless digital transactions, promoting enhanced digital connectivity between nations. Additionally, the extension of RuPay card services in Mauritius will allow Mauritian banks to issue cards based on the RuPay mechanism, enabling their use for settlements in both India and Mauritius.
India’s RuPay card services would also be launched in Mauritius at the event Mauritian PM Pravind Jugnauth and Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe will join Modi at the virtual ceremony, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Prior to this, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) collaborated with Lyra, a prominent French expert in e-commerce and proximity payments, to introduce UPI services in France. This partnership led to the Eiffel Tower becoming the first merchant in the country to accept UPI payments, streamlining the transaction process for Indian tourists.
Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), UPI is an instant real-time payment system to facilitate inter-bank transactions through mobile phones. RuPay is a global card payment network from India, with wide acceptance at shops, ATMs, and online.


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December 8, 2014 – Bankruptcy News
dELiA*s, Inc. (NASDAQ:DLIA), an omni-channel retail company primarily marketing to teenage girls, announced on December 8, 2014 that it, along with certain of its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”), has filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the
As previously announced on
In connection with the bankruptcy filing, the Company is seeking customary authority from the
In addition, the Company has negotiated a commitment for a
The Company currently anticipates that some recovery will be available to general unsecured creditors in the bankruptcy cases, but does not currently anticipate that any value will be available to holders of the Company’s common and preferred equity, although this will be determined upon the conclusion of the bankruptcy cases.
The Company’s bankruptcy cases are pending in the
dELiA*s, Inc. (NASDAQ:DLIA), an omni-channel retail company primarily marketing to teenage girls, announced on December 5th, 2014 that it entered into an agency agreement with Hilco Merchant Resources, LLC and Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, LLC, dated December 4, 2014, to, among other things, liquidate all merchandise owned by the Company and to dispose of certain furnishings, trade fixtures, equipment and improvements to real property with respect to the Company’s stores. Sales of merchandise under the agreement may begin as early as December 5, 2014.
Thank you for taking the time to read our fashion industry news blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.


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Gotta watch for that overwhelming rush of consumers for obamacare.
Check this out:
The White House is delaying a planned ObamaCare marketing campaign because it remains fearful that a rush of consumers to the troubled HealthCare.gov website would overwhelm the system.
According to a New York Times report on Wednesday, the Obama administration is trying to strike a balance between the push for a diverse pool of healthcare enrollees, and the reality of what the problem-plagued website can handle.
The first month’s enrollment numbers were embarrassingly low because of the website’s problems, and the administration needs a diverse group of young and healthy consumers to sign up so premiums don’t spike in 2015.
The Times report is the latest frustrating news for supporters of the Affordable Care Act, who have consistently been assured by the administration that the website would be able to accommodate the vast majority of consumers by Nov. 30.


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Fibre connection for new offices
Manx Telecom says it's supporting the Manx ICT Association (MICTA) by providing high speed internet access and virtual reality devices used for education and training.
MT has sponsored fibre connections into MICTA’s new offices in Athol Street, Douglas, which allows for high capacity internet provision to be offered to the Code Club which co-locates with MICTA.
Code Club has created a local movement that it says has shaped education, inspired youngsters and delivered a large number of events and training sessions. Almost 600 young people have attended regular Scratch, HTML/CSS, Python and other classes, and the Code Club has done this at no cost to the attendees thanks to community assistance, and its 'passionate' volunteers.
CEO of MICTA, Kurt Roosen said: "Access to the internet is the life blood of our learning experiences, and essential for us to be able to extend our capabilities in that area."
He added: "Thanks to Manx Telecom, MICTA now has a number of Samsung smartphones which can be used in dedicated virtual reality headsets, together with the latest Samsung Gear 360 camera, for creating virtual content. The growth of these different types of initiatives illustrated a need to create a parent organisation for Code Club and associated interest groups to operate under, and Code Club is currently re-forming under a general charitable banner of STEAM Lab and are located alongside MICTA in a dedicated facility in the centre of Douglas that can be used for class delivery and group project work.”
MICTA is now exploring more ways to use virtual reality to provide experiences for those not able to do so in person – for example, a trip to the Laxey Wheel, or around Peel Castle for the housebound, or for those in residential care.


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YachtWorld releases new iPad App
December 6, 2012
Filed under News
New iPad app gives users easy access to 130,000+ brokerage boats
Norfolk, VA – (December 5, 2012) – YachtWorld, the world’s largest internet yacht brokerage portal and a division of Dominion Marine Media, announced today the release of a new iPad app that gives users easy and immediate access to the largest selection of yachts for sale online.
The Apple iPad generates the most traffic to YachtWorld.com of any mobile device. In October, iPads accounted for over 18 percent of boat buyers visiting YachtWorld.com. In addition to searching the largest selection of brokerage boats, users can: save searches for one-touch access, add yachts to a Favorites list for easy viewing and monitoring, access full-screen viewing of all pictures in landscape orientation and browse editorial featuring a collection of spotlighted yachts, reviews, and destinations from YachtWorld’s award-winning journalists.
“The YachtWorld iPad app is the latest mobile enhancement we have made as part of our commitment to optimize the boat buying experience – no matter what device our users choose,” said Ian Atkins, senior vice president and general manager, Dominion Marine Media. “With a significant number of users utilizing iPads to browse YachtWorld.com, this app is designed to give users all the information they need to be able to communicate effectively with their broker.”
The YachtWorld iPad app is free and can be downloaded in the iTunes store.


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Polar Mobile Opens up Dubai Office and Announces Plans to Launch Mobile Apps for 100 Media Companies in the Middle East Region(August 25, 2011)
Dubai, UAE (PRWEB) August 25, 2011
Polar Mobile (http://www.polarmobile.com), a global leader in mobile solutions, has signed a partnership with EMS (http://www.emsmobile.ae), the smartphone partner for major handset manufacturers and operators in the Middle East region, to launch mobile Apps across multiple handsets for over 100 media companies in the Middle East region and open up an office in Dubai, UAE.
Early customers for Polar Mobile and EMS in the region include Gulf News, Khaleej Times, 7DAYS and Al Alan TV. These top tier media companies are working with EMS on the ground locally and are using Polar Mobiles Platform to launch high-quality mobile Apps for major smartphone and tablet devices, including iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, PlayBook, Android, Windows and Nokia.
The Middle East region represents an opportunity for Polar to grow its presence, as it is early days for local media companies and their adoption of mobile Apps, says Kunal Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, Polar Mobile. We are excited to partner with EMS to represent our company in the region.
EMS is focused on continuing to be the smartphone provider for the region, which includes working with media companies to enable local content across all major devices, says Babar Khan, Chief Executive Officer, Emitac Mobile Solutions (EMS). When searching for the ideal partner, we were impressed with Polar Mobile, their track-record in media, cross-device focus and ability to scale globally.
EMS is a strategic channel partner of several handset manufacturers and focuses on the delivery, implementation and support of mobile solutions. The company has partnerships with over 73 mobile operators in over 50 countries. EMS is committed to add value to mobile phone operators via services and solutions to help drive data revenue and retain customers, making them more competitive and profitable.
Polar Mobile's SMART Platform powers over 1,200 mobile Apps across smartphones and tablets for over 300 Publishers in 10 countries, including the likes of Conde Nast, Bloomberg, Shanghai Daily, Rogers Media and Transcontinental Media. To learn more about launching Apps with Polar Mobile, visit http://www.polarmobile.com.
About Polar Mobile
Polar Mobile provides media companies globally an industry-leading Platform that makes it fast and easy to launch branded mobile Apps across every smartphone. Over 1,200 mobile Apps are powered by Polar Mobiles SMART Platform for 300 media Publishers in 10 countries, which include top tier magazines, newspapers, broadcasters and online portals across news, sports, entertainment and lifestyle media verticals. For more information, visit http://www.polarmobile.com.
EMS is a Dubai-based smartphone company, working as strategic channel partner of RIM (Research In Motion) that focuses on the delivery, implementation and support of BlackBerry® solutions. Delivered by an experienced team of telecom professionals, EMS provides the mobile operator with sales, marketing, distribution, solution implementation and technical support services, and application portal for the BlackBerry® platform. EMS is committed to add value to mobile phone operators via services and solutions to help drive data revenue and retain customers, making them more competitive and profitable. EMS is the regions first Mobility Solutions Provider whose services are delivered through partnerships the company has with over 73 mobile operators in the Middle East, Africa, CIS, South East Asia and Eastern Europe. EMS operates the largest distribution setup in the region which has over 85 partners spread across 50 countries, distributing BlackBerry handsets and accessories.
Communications, Polar Mobile
Emitac Mobile Solutions, Dubai
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/8/prweb8743257.htm.
Related Keywords:computing and information technology, satellite technology, wireless technology, science and technology, technology (general), identification technology, agricultural research and technology, economy, business and finance, financial and business service, business enterprises, business (general)


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Raptor fans are not happy with their teams' new logo and marketing experts in Toronto say its rollout has been "amateurish." Why? Oh a lot of reasons, but the chief one is that the new, black-and-white version of the clawmarks-on-ball logo looks too much like a division rival's, one about 400 miles to the southeast.
Who can blame them?
As the Toronto Star notes, the black-and-white logo is one of several versions of the Raptors trademark. The others feature various colors, including Drakes' favorite, gold, but the club decided to release only the black-and-white at the launch last week. Fans are not pleased. Heh, heh.
A story in the Star's business section dealt with the Brooklyn connection...
It drew heated criticism from many fans, who thought it looked a little too much like the logo of the Brooklyn Nets, who bumped the Raptors from the playoffs last spring. While the colour version makes it less like the Nets’ strictly black and white logo, it’s the Raptors’ own fault for the misunderstanding, says GTA-based logo expert Chris Creamer, who runs SportsLogos.net. For one thing, they should have released the colour versions at the same time.
"The fans made the connection to Brooklyn (because of the black and white version), and they won’t let it go. The Raptors botched this launch," said Creamer, who said he was underwhelmed at the redesigned logo when he saw it. It’s kind of like mashed potatoes."
And over in the sports section, Doug Smith, the long-time Raptors beat writer, described it as simply, "fail."
I can’t figure out if:
Number one: It’s an arthritic claw.
Number two: It’s a weird Rorschach test.
Number three: It’s a bad knock off of the Brooklyn Nets look.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders says he gets the Raptors' rationale.
For those bagging on the Raptors apparent copying of Brooklyn Nets logo can you blame that thing sold like hotcakes pic.twitter.com/IRfgSkWJ0v— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) December 19, 2014
What's next? Irina Pavlova thinks she knows.
Should we expect a Raptosaurus Superhero next? I mean..... #WeAreImitated— Irina Pavlova (@ipavlova) December 19, 2014
Raptors' launch of new logo baffles marketing experts - Josh Rubin - Toronto Star


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18 October 2019
The International Vision Standards Meeting is taking place in Stresa, Italy in Autumn 2019. Lakesight organizes the event. Vision and image processing experts from around the world will discuss the further development of various vision related standards in different working groups. Always being one of the highlights, the meeting will end with the traditional plugfest where engineers apply the standards connecting a wide range of products to test compatibility, functionality and technical performance.


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Everyone in Boston and New York is aware of the sports rivalry that exists between the two cities. Now comes news that Apple has built its largest retail store in North America on Boylston Street in Boston, beating out the current front-runner...you guessed it: Apple's outlet on West 14th Street in Manhattan. Just one more thing, we can boast about in Boston.
In fact, in honor of the Red Sox, the store was adorned during construction with a replica of Fenway Park's Green Monster. But yesterday, the green construction cloak came off and the media was allowed inside. What they saw, according to the Boston Globe, was a "finely tuned retail machine."
The new store, which opens this evening at 6 pm ET, boast three floors of retail space, with the ground floor covering computers and the second floor devoted completely to iPods and iPhones. While this is clearly every Mac fan boy's wet dream, as if that weren't enough the third floor is completely dedicated to education and service. That's right, a whole floor just for to education and service with a whopping 165 staffers hired to take care of every customer's needs. Talk about customer relationship management.
Meanwhile Mac User reports, that Apple took this opportunity to also spruce up the Apple Store web site making it easier to "navigate and find information," just in case you don't want to leave the comfort of your home to go out in the world and interact with 165 of Boston's finest computer minds.
So this Boston-New York thing just won't go away. As the Boston Globe pointed out, maybe this is payback for moving the Mac World trade show from Boston to New York in 2002 or maybe in 2008, Boston is just to the place to be, but whatever the reason, I know I'm looking for an excuse to go to Boston to check this place out.


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EA Sports has released NCAA Football 14 and the game is already receiving acclaim for the upgrades and changes the franchise has implemented for this year’s edition, per Brett Molina of USA Today.
While there are several key changes that have received the most press thus far, there are plenty of underrated features that make this game a must-own for all college football fans.
All information from EASports.com.
One of the most important differences between college football and the NFL is the usage of the option game and how much running quarterbacks play a role at the college level.
The playbooks have been upgraded in the 2014 edition of the game to reflect the differences in style, which results in some of the most accurate game plans possible for every team in the nation.
With the spread offenses also incorporated more this year, the ability to create diverse sets in many of the modes will keep the hardcore and casual fans alike interested.
Dynasty mode was already great, but adding more plays into gamers’ arsenals is always welcomed.
Nike Skills Trainer
Most gamers don’t care to train in practice modes, but NCAA Football 14 has upped the ante with the Nike Skills Trainer.
The new Infinity Engine 2 was incorporated into the game and that means an adjustment for the fans of this series. Taking the time to practice the way the changes impact the offense and defense will help make the in-game experience more exciting.
Do not fear practicing in between games and using the improved trainer, as it will only help your statistics in every game mode and online play. Practice does make perfect.
The franchise has brought back Brad Nessler and Kirk Herbstreit to do in-game play-by-play and color commentary respectively, but the focus on getting each game to feel more unique than the last has resulted in more in-depth coverage of your team's stats and style.
Most fans have been clamoring for more focused chatter from the announcers during the secondary modes in the game, and EA Sports has come up huge with major improvements in how Nessler and Herbstreit talk about individual players.
Add in ESPN's Rece Davis and David Pollack to do the commentary during the halftime shows and during in-game updates, and the talk in this edition of the game is the most authentic to date.


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Kodak files Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Eastman Kodak Co., running short of cash and unable to sell 1,100 digital imaging patents that could have rescued it, filed today for protection from its creditors under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
The iconic Rochester company, whose history dates to the late 19th century and the technical and marketing genius of founder George Eastman, has been besieged for the past three months by rumors that it would make a bankruptcy filing. Those rumors had intensified in the past two weeks.
"After considering the advantages of Chapter 11 at this time, the board of directors and the entire senior management team unanimously believe that this is a necessary step and the right thing to do for the future of Kodak," CEO Antonio M. Perez said in announcing the decision.
The filing listed assets of $5.1 billion and debts of $6.75 billion.
Perez assured employees that it will be business as usual under Chapter 11. "Kodak expects to pay employee wages and benefits," the company said.
As of a year ago, Kodak had 7,100 employees in the Rochester area and 18,800 companywide. The worldwide figure is now 17,000, the company said in its bankruptcy papers, about 8,000 of them in the U.S. It did not give a new Rochester-area figure.
At its peak in the early 1980s, the company employed 62,000 people in Rochester and 130,000 worldwide.
Kodak has about 25,000 retirees in the region, so the company's legacy is a powerful one in Rochester.
The filing was made in the Southern District of New York, a common location for major bankruptcy cases because the New York City metropolitan area has the infrastructure of banks, law firms and other institutions needed to handle complex legal matters.
Citigroup Inc., one of the largest banks in the U.S., has committed to providing Kodak with a $950 million credit line to help sustain the company's operations while it reorganizes its finances.
Kodak said it expects to continue operating its businesses while in Chapter 11, "and to continue the flow of goods and services to its customers."
Perez said in a video statement on Kodak's website that the company has four objectives while in Chapter 11 -- obtaining the financing to reassure its employees, customers and other stakeholders that the company will stay in business; enabling it to pursue patent infringement claims against major companies including Apple Inc.; adjusting its "legacy costs" to a fairer level; and driving growth in the printing businesses Perez has declared are its future.
The filing wasn't a surprise, though no one outside the company knew precisely when it would come. Kodak was scheduled to report its 2011 fourth-quarter and full-year financial results on Jan. 26, and it may have become apparent to company officials that the news would be bad, leading to a pre-emptive move into Chapter 11.
Kodak had said in November that it was in danger of being unable to pay its bills at some point in 2012 unless it received a substantial infusion of cash. What seemed like the best potential source of cash was the sale of its digital patent portfolio, which analysts said could fetch up to $3 billion.
But judging from the company's statement today, it now thinks it will have a better chance of selling the patents under court supervision.
"The business reorganization is intended to bolster liquidity in the U.S. and abroad, monetize non-strategic intellectual property, fairly resolve legacy liabilities, and enable the company to focus on its most valuable business lines," Kodak said in the release.
Perez has insisted that Kodak would return to profitability this year as it pursues a strategy of building several key business lines -- digital printing presses, package printing, commercial and home inkjet printers and workflow software. The company's traditional film business, though still generating substantial revenue, continues to shrink and just last week lost its status as a standalone operating division within the company.
Under Chapter 11, a company continues to operate while seeking to reorganize its finances. Many companies emerge successfully from Chapter 11.
However, some stakeholders in Kodak figure to be hurt by bankruptcy — especially retirees whose health benefits could be reduced, although such a step can only be done under the supervision of a bankruptcy court judge.


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BUX climbs to new high
The Budapest Stock Exchangeʼs main BUX index finished up 1.79% at 22,821.79, the highest since July 1, 2011, Monday after rising 1.68% Friday. It is up 37.20% from year-end, after losing 10.40% last year. It ended last week up 5.13% over the week after improving 0.83% over the previous week.
While European markets turned into black from red as persistent concerns about Greeceʼs debt situation was offset by optimism that a reshuffled Greek negotiating team would help matters, and bets multiplied for the Fed to postpone its rate hike, the Budapest parquet reached a nearly four-year high the second time in as many days.
Outperforming OTP also in volumes, which is a very rare development, pharma company Richter seduced the majority of investors by announcing that one of its products scaled an important milestone in the process to receive a licence to be used more widely in the European Union. After a European approval, a positive assessment could be expected in the US as well, Erste Investment commented in a note, and said the estimated peak sales of the medicine, Esmya, could double to €200 mln by around 2020.
Other blue chips limped behind after GKI-Ersteʼs combined gauge of consumer and business confidence climbed to minus 2.9 points in April from minus 3.6 points in March, showing that a large majority of consumers were still pessimistic.
The business index rose to 4.9 points from 4.2 points while the consumer index improved to minus 25.0 points in April from minus 25.8 points in March. The assessment of the outlook for the Hungarian economy improved in the industry, remained unchanged in trade and slightly deteriorated among construction and service companies and consumers.
OTP won 2.74% to HUF 6,008, its highest close since June 7, 2011, on turnover of HUF 7.21 bln from a HUF 18.40 bln session total, about 80% above the daily average this year.
MOL lost 0.13% to HUF 14,880 on turnover of HUF 1.88 bln.
Magyar Telekom ended flat at HUF 410on turnover of HUF 228 mln.
Richter surged 3.57% to HUF 4,764, a 15-month closing high on turnover of HUF 8.93 bln.
The bourseʼs mid-cap BUMIX went out 0.77% higher at 1,616.53.
Elsewhere in the region, WIG 20 in Warsaw was up 1.51%, while Pragueʼs PX dropped 0.74%. Western Europeʼs major indices were all up ahead of their close Monday, FTSE-100 in London 0.09%, DAX30 in Frankfurt 1.60%, and CAC40 in Paris 1.08%.
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Keep wipes out
Jul 21, 2015 at 1:12 PM
Simply put, disposable wipes should not be flushed down the toilet.
They're used to clean everything from cabinet tops to baby bottoms, and manufacturers advertise them as flushable. But when wipes wander through the wastewater system, they're slow to biodegrade and often become entangled in sewer lift pumps, which can cause stoppage and sometimes backups.
Ferrysburg City Clerk/Treasurer Debbie Wierenga said baby wipes caused a backup last weekend on Parkwood Street that affected about a half-dozen condominiums.
“We don't know the extent of the damage yet," she said. "Not all the reports are in.”
Wierenga said wipes in the pipes are the top threat to the city's sewer system.
“It's become more of a significant problem recently,” she noted.
Spring Lake/Grand Haven Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent John Stuparits estimates wipes cost his plant between $5,000 and $10,000 a year to clean up. Plant employees typically remove five 30-gallon cans full of wipes from the system every week.
“We're constantly cleaning those wipes,” Stuparits said. “That stuff has a tendency to snowball. It wraps and twists, and picks up anything else that might be in the system that normally wouldn't be an issue. It gets all tangled together, so when the pump sucks it in, the pump can't pass it.”
Stuparits said representatives from the wastewater treatment industry have appealed to wipes manufacturers to change the way they market their product or change their composition — but so far, there's been no results.
“The manufacturers say they're disposable, they're flushable — baloney,” he said. “They don't break down like tissue paper would. That's why people like them — they hold together.”
The problem began about five years ago when Stuparits and his staff noticed a few wipes hung up on pumps. They thought it was just a random case.
To read more of this story, see Saturday’s print or e-edition of the Grand Haven Tribune.


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Motorola is running a two day flash sale on the Moto X. Shaving $100 from the regular price, the 32 GB model starts at $349 off contract. The sale starts at EST 12:00am June 4, and runs for 48 hours on the Motorola website.
The Moto X is a well received Android smartphone, launching in 2013, it was also the first phone put out by Motorola under the ownership of Google. This flash sale also comes just days after reporting that Motorola will be closing the Texas facility in which the Moto X is manufactured.
The Moto X sports a 4.7-inch 720p display, 1.7GHz snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, 2GB of RAM and a 10MP main camera sensor. With all this, the 2200mAh battery has been offering upwards of two days on a charge for many users.
The Moto X came to market with a couple nifty features. First, it was the first to offer ‘always listening’ hotword activated voice actions, like what can now be found in the Google Now launcher. The words “Ok, Google Now” were quickly removed from a Moto X owners regular speech, as the words would trigger the Google Now search app on the device.
The second nifty feature is called Active Display, which takes advantage of the AMOLED panel to provide basic notifications without lighting up the entire screen. Many will be familiar with this type of function with the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the S view flip cover that utilizes just a portion of the display to show the time and some quick notifications.
Head on over to our review for more info on the Moto X.
Even with the rumored X+1 coming soon, the closing of manufacturing facilities and the sale of Motorola to Lenovo, we are still big fans of the Moto X. Do you think the Moto X is still a smart purchase?


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A latest survey on Walmart customers shows that Walmart should make a decision to adopt crypto, specially Bitcoin.
Recently, some people/individuals created a fake hype that Walmart will accept litecoin crypto as a payment option. As we know Walmart is a big grocery retail store company, so the fake hype made litecoin surge rapidly. But later Walmart company officially said that there is no ongoing partnership with Litecoin and the news of Walmart-Litcecoin partnership is fake news.
Now in the latest, a survey conducted by the Morning Consult, they published the survey report on 21 September. Survey shows that shopper of the Walmart are two times more than the number of average Americans who hold Bitcoin.
Survey report also shows that around each third person visiting Walmart more than two times a week has a relation with crypto.
If we talk about the overall Bitcoin holders by the average active shoppers of Walmartz then we can see that only 16% of the non-walmart shoppers own crypto. While 16% of the people own Bitcoin in the US.
This survey report claims that Walmart should think about the Bitcoin or any other crypto asset in their payment mode because there is a significant amount of the crypto users in the list of active crypto users of the Walmart.


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The Independent (UK) has published an interesting editorial by Charles Arthur looking at the success, or lack of success, for Tablet PCs. Tablet PCs were introduced with great fanfare in 2001. Mr. Arthur notes that at the time, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said, "within five years, I predict that [this format] will be the most popular form of PC sold in America."
Today, two years later, Tablet PCs claim 1% of the European market, and less than 1% in the US, as of the June quarter. Mr. Arthur says that he doesnit see Tablet PC sales going anywhere, and he cites Steve Jobsis own prognostications to the same effect while doing so. From The Independent.
There is one other factor: there are a lot of keyboards out there, and people have long since learned to use them effortlessly. And even a Tablet never has trouble understanding your typing - unlike your handwriting.
Steve Jobs, the head of Apple, said at a conference back in May that his company has no plans to make a tablet, despite all the hype. "It turns out people want keyboards. When Apple first started out, people couldnit type. We realized: Death would eventually take care of this."
Say one thing for Mr Jobs: heis blunt. He concluded: "We look at the tablet and we think itis going to fail. Tablets appeal to rich guys with plenty of other PCs and devices already. And people accuse us of niche markets."
The full article is an interesting look at the fate of the Tablet PC, and we recommend it as an interesting read.


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Hilton has signed a management agreement with the UA Hotel Company to open a 207 guestroom Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch in Umhlanga.
The new hotel will be part of Umhlanga Arch, a significant mixed use development under construction in Umhlanga’s Ridgeside precinct.
The hotel will operate under its Hilton Garden Inn brand, a quality, upper mid scale brand – the perfect fit for Umhlanga Arch. Along with the hotel, the project will include offices, retail space and contemporary apartments across 45,000 square meters of development.
The 207 guestroom Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch will be situated within easy access to King Shaka International Airport, La Lucia Ridge, Durban and the Gateway Theatre of Shopping.
The hotel will offer its own business and fitness centres, outdoor pool and various food and beverage outlets, including a garden and lounge bar.
Africa is home to nearly 90 Hilton hotels trading and under development across five brands, including Hilton Garden Inn. The brand has proven successful across the region with more than 150 hotels across Europe, Middle East and Africa.


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Powerball jackpot builds to $325M for Saturday
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? The Powerball jackpot for Saturday's drawing stands at $325 million ? the fourth-largest sum in the game's history.
The record-breaking jackpots aren't likely to stop anytime soon.
Since Powerball tickets doubled in price to $2 in January, the number of tickets sold has decreased, but the sales revenue has made up for it, increasing by about 35 percent, said Norm Lingle, chairman of the Powerball board of directors.
And as the price went up, so did the pots of cash that entice thousands across the country to play.
"Christmas is coming and $325 million would come in handy," said Tim Abel, 63, who was buying a Powerball ticket at New York's Port Authority Bus Terminal. The Broadway stagehand said he usually plays whenever the jackpot goes over $100 million.
Iowa Lottery spokeswoman Mary Neubauer said of the price increase: "... we believed the jackpots would grow fast and grow large because of the change in the game, and it does appear that it is working."
Recent Powerball jackpot winners include an Iowa couple that won a whopping $202 million on Sept. 26. A week later, a Delaware resident picked all six numbers for a $50 million payday.
A single winner on Saturday choosing a cash payout would get nearly $213 million before paying state and federal taxes.
Lottery officials say they're unsure what effect Thanksgiving and beginning of Christmas shopping season will have on Powerball sales. Often, lottery sales pick up considerably in the days before high-dollar drawings when jackpots get so high.
"I think this weekend will be very telling," said Lingle, who is also the executive director of the South Dakota Lottery. "To my knowledge we've never had a large jackpot run like this fall over a major holiday."
Roxie Breece, an assistant manager at a Cenex convenience store in Ogallala, Neb., thinks the long weekend will help. She said Friday that clerks have sold far more Powerball tickets than usual over the past week.
"Tomorrow's going to be a nightmare for us," she said. "With everybody out shopping and the drawing on Saturday, we'll be really busy."


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Rare to Develop for DS
Despite Nintendo selling premier second-party developer Rare to Microsoft in a massive multi-million pound deal three-years back, the developer are today listing handheld development vacancies on their jobs page, with specific reference to the Nintendo DS. Whilst Microsoft remain firm rivals of the Big N in the console sector, MS are not currently plotting to challenge for the handheld market too, and Rare have actually released three GBA titles since Redmond moved in. Banjo Pilot, It's Mr. Pants, and Sabre Wulf have all arrived since the takeover, and there's even been a rumour recently that Microsoft may create DS content to be downloaded to the system via Xbox Live. Though this does seem somewhat fanciful.
As well as seeking an experienced handheld programmer, Rare are also after an artistic-type, adept with 3D modelling and the like. Those of you interested should make for Rare's site, whilst the rest of us are left to speculate on Microsoft's intentions for the handheld world.
- Left 4 Dead 2 finally gets an uncensored release in Australia
- Starting Destiny from a “blank canvas” was liberating says Bungie
- Driveclub PS Plus Edition will be an added extra for PS Plus subscribers in October
- Chris Roberts: Star Citizen does have potential on next-gen consoles
- Rockstar explains the delay to the PC version of GTA V
- The plan is to bring PSOne, PS2 and PS4 games to PS Now in the future says Sony
- Major Nelson reveals three new Xbox 360 hardware bundles coming this week
- Markus 'Notch' Persson: “I didn’t have the connection to my fans I thought I had”
- Microsoft purchases Minecraft devs Mojang for 2.5 billion USD, Markus Persson and other founders to leave


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Nintendo announced via Twitter that Daroach will be the next Dream Friend to make his way into Kirby Star Allies for the Nintendo Switch. Daroach made his first appearance in Kirby: Squeak Squad for the original DS. The Kirby baddie can be called from the Dream Palace using the Dream Rod. Nintendo announced last week that a 2nd free update would be coming to Kirby Star Allies this summer. Daroach isn’t available just yet, but should be available in the Dream Palace soon.
The next Dream Friend making his way to #KirbyStarAllies will be none other than Daroach! Daroach made his first appearance in Kirby: Squeak Squad as the Squeak Squad’s sneaky leader. What treasures is he looking to steal this time!? pic.twitter.com/i8her2P1fv
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) May 22, 2018


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Two months into the year, we’ve already seen a slew of new microphones and other gear. Now, Heil Sound, of Fairview Heights, Illinois has come to change that. Adding to an already great lineup of dynamic vocal microphones, the company released the PR37 microphone.
Heil Sound worked with a number of front-of-house mix engineers on both the design, and initial testing of the PR37. John Hopkins, the FOH engineer who works with Sleep, and Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, spoke directly about its clarity on stage.
“The PR 37 immediately moved to the top of the list for my go-to vocal mic. It’s a super transparent mic and the rejection of stage noise is incredible,” said Hopkins.
Additionally, Adam Pike who used the PR37 when working with Red Fang, spoke to its lower end response.
“The Heil PR 37 is a beast! Very rich and smooth low-mids along with the pristine high-mids that Heil is known for. The extremely sturdy casing is also a great added bonus,” said Pike.
The PR37 features a 1.5″ diameter dynamic element mounted inside of its housing, to actively combat handling noise. So now, live engineers can rest a bit easier when vocalists resort to minor cupping. This microphone sports a frequency response ranging from 50Hz-18,000kHz. While this doesn’t represent the full spectrum, for a specialty vocal mic, that range will definitely work. Its output level sits at -51dB at 1000Hz, right around the standard of other handheld dynamics of this type.
While we can’t speak directly about the microphone from first-hand experience yet, we look forward to getting our hands on one in the near future. Until then however, we do know that the Heil Sound PR37 serves as a worthy contender to the likes of the Shure SM87, and the M80 from Telefunken. The PR37 was announced by the company to begin shipping to both consumers and stores this coming July. For more news upcoming on the PR37, or to read about other products from Heil Sound, head to the Heil Sound website.


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Google's strategic move into selling own branded Mobile phones is another step in the merging of "Software plus Hardware" that Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and recently Facebook have realized at the making of the "Internet of Things" Era. This is the critical issue of not just providing the software and operating system but increasing the value in the devices that become the Interface to the Customer: the smart phone, the smart tablet/laptop of Microsoft Surface, the Smart Speaker of Amazon Echo and Alexa, and the Facebook Oculus Rift and Microsoft Hololens that are the new foundations of Natural Language speech recognition services and the VR Virtual Reality and AR Augmented Reality breaking now and into 2017 and onward. Google's long-term market is changing, the advertising revenue from search engines while still strong is now seeing new ways to search via speech or Virtual image recognition and virtual interaction Google has been late to realizing perhaps the shift to software hardware is where the Internet of Things may be shaping the market with the Connected Home, Connected Car and Connected Work through these devices. It's all about "market marking" beyond just the big cloud data centers and big data analytics to how to build out the edge of the cloud network with all these potentially billions of connected sensors and devices. If the Mobile phone is becoming the "remote control to this world" and platforms the "fabric of social networks and connected experiences" then Google like others is rushing to get into this space with stronger software and hardware offerings
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heating water accounts for fully 18 percent of the typical household's annual energy consumption, second only to the amount of energy consumed to heat and cool their residence. And because the typical tank water heater keeps 40 to 50 gallons of water piping hot 24 hours a day, seven days a week--whether or not anyone is home to use it--20 to 50 percent of the energy is completely wasted. Following an aborted crowd-funding campaign in late 2014, Aquanta (formerly Sunnovations) is now taking pre-orders on its Aquanta "learning" water-heater controller, which it expects to ship in July. In a note to its would-be backers when it cancelled its Kickstarter campaign, the team said while its campaign was unsuccessful, the exposure it garnered lead to "a sizable number of large and exciting strategic and distribution partners to contact us." Fast forward 18 months and Aquanta CEO Matthew Carlson tells me his company has "had test units in the field for more than a year."
During a non-stop, two-hour keynote address at its annual I/O developers conference, Google unveiled a barrage of new products and updates. Here's a rundown of the most important things discussed: Google CEO Sundar Pichai kicked off the keynote by unveiling a new computer-vision system coming soon to Google Assistant. Apparently, as Pichai explained, you'll be able to point your phone's camera at something, and the phone will understand what it's seeing. Pichai gave examples of the system recognizing a flower, a series of restaurants on a street in New York (and automatically pulling in their ratings and information from Google), and the network name and password for a wifi router from the back of the router itself--the phone then automatically connecting to the network. Theoretically, in the future, you'll be searching the world not through text or your voice, but by pointing your camera at things.
LG has placed its trust on Google Assistant and has given it the power to control its smart appliances. While it teamed up with Amazon earlier this year to give its refrigerators built-in access to Alexa, its partnership with Google is much bigger in scale. Now, you can control any of the company's 87 WiFi-connected smart home appliances by barking out orders through a Google Home speaker or through a compatible iOS or Android smartphone. Once you're done setting voice control up through LG's SmartThinQ app, you can use commands within a Home speaker's range or through a phone to tell your fridge to make more ice or to tell your AC to adjust the temperature. If you have an LG washing machine, you can ask Assistant how much time is still left before your load is done.
Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. With smart devices popping up left and right, the rush to go totally Smart House like the '90s Disney Channel movie can get overwhelming. These devices are super helpful, but it'd be nice if smart home life was more personalized, organized, and well, simpler. A Kickstarter campaign aims to simplify smart modern living by transforming everyday objects into smart objects: meet CliQ, the smart wireless sensor that could turn virtually any object into a smart device for truly personalized automation. CliQ is tiny yet mighty -- attach it, assign when and where it works, and violà: previously manual tasks are now automated.


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Ailing chief executive Steve Jobs will return from sick leave to unveil Apple's latest generation of software next week, the firm announced Tuesday.
Notebook computers powered by Google software are heading to market in a direct assault on the Windows operating system at the heart of Microsoft's technology empire.
Google on Tuesday said it is packing the best of its Honeycomb tablet computer software into a new "Ice Cream Sandwich" version of Android for mobile devices.
(AP) -- Adobe Systems Inc. posted a 69 percent jump in quarterly net income Tuesday but its shares tumbled after the software company said its revenue in the current quarter would be less than what Wall Street expected.
(AP) -- Apple Inc. gave software developers on Thursday the guidelines it uses to determine which programs can be sold in its App Store, yet it reserved for itself broad leeway in deciding what makes the cut.
(PhysOrg.com) -- European researchers developed a vision for a new, cooperative traffic system based on advanced communication hardware and software, a kind of automotive internet; they also created all the necessary enabling ...
(AP) -- Federal regulators plan to examine whether Apple Inc. is violating antitrust rules by requiring software developers to use Apple programming tools to create applications for the iPhone and iPad.
(AP) -- Pent-up demand is expected to boost sales of the newest installment of Adobe Systems Inc.'s Creative Suite, the software package for professional designers and Web developers that brings in most of Adobe's revenue. ...
A group of mobile phone operators launched Monday an alliance to build a single platform for the hugely popular applications that allow users to play games and read news on their handsets.
(PhysOrg.com) -- Roots are the most underestimated parts of a plant, even though they are crucial for water and nutrient uptake and consequently growth. In a world of changing water availability and an ever-increasing human ...


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Footprint Level has carried out a pilot study on circularity from October 2022 until February 2023. Four companies of various sizes and from different industries were chosen to participate. The insights from the pilot will now be tapped into the next phase of the product development process. Starting today, we open up for pre-orders for our Circularity Meter™/Service and invite more companies to join the development.
– By placing a pre-order for the upcoming Circularity Meter™ companies and organisations will contribute to the continuation of the development of the service. Our plan is to launch the Circularity Meter™/Service at the end of this year. The meter will help organisations and companies visualising their level of circularity. The idea behind the meter is to provide a tool that facilitates sustainability communication – a capability that is becoming vital for businesses globally – with both internal as well as external stakeholders, says Mats Huss, CEO and Co-founder of Swedish startup Footprint Level AB.
– Many of the participants in the pre-study mentioned that they gained insights about their sustainability work that they weren’t expecting, says Martin Wainult, CTO and Co-founder. This is definitely an added bonus for companies that sign up for a Circularity Meter™ pre-order and take part in the development process ahead.
Circularity and the Circular Economy is becoming more and more crucial in the transition to a world with less CO2-footprint. Thus, becoming more circular for an organisation or company will facilitate the lowering of the CO2-footprint.
For more information please contact:
Mats Huss, CEO/Co-founder, Footprint Level, +46 708 13 46 60, email@example.com
Martin Wainult, CTO/Co-founder, Footprint Level, +46 793 50 03 53, firstname.lastname@example.org
#sustainability #communications #startup #circularity #sustainabilitycommunications
Footprint Level® develops services that visualise complex climate data in a simple way. Our first service shows the CO2-footprint of an organisation, over time and in relation to the Paris agreement. In 2022 we started the development of our second service – a meter showing the progress of an organisation’s circularity. Launch planned for 2023. The company was founded in 2020 in Skanör southern Sweden. Footprint Level® is the winner of Creative Business Cup Sweden 2021.


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Motorola will be announcing some new smartphones this morning – at least that’s what we’re expecting to happen. Right on schedule with previous launches, new Moto X and Moto G devices should be unveiled along with a new line the Moto X Sport.
Based on some leaks we’ve seen, we already know the new Moto X will be big – bigger than last year’s model. It will reportedly feature a 5.5-inch display (up from 5.2-inch in 2014), and have improved internal specs all around. Thankfully, Motorola is leaving those of behind that don’t want such a giant device. Along with the new Moto X launch, rumors online have pointed to a Moto X Sport which would have a more 2014-feel to it. This device will presumably keep the 5.2-inch display and give customers another option in size.
As far as the Moto G, well, we pretty much already know everything about it thanks to a serious leaked video that was dropped last week. Specs for this mid-tier device were also leaked earlier and they are awesome (5-inch display with a 1080p resolution, 2GB of RAM, Cat. 4 LTE, Adreno 405 GPU, and a 1.7GHz quad-core processor), so price will be the one unanswered question going into this event.
Motorola will be live streaming this event starting at 9am EDT here.


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Galbani® cheese, produced by Lactalis American Group in Buffalo, N.Y., and in Nampa, Idaho, now being used by Delaware North locations throughout the United States
BUFFALO, N.Y. (Jan. 9, 2024) – Galbani Italian cheese is now the preferred pizza cheese of Buffalo-based global hospitality and entertainment company Delaware North. Galbani cheese is manufactured in Buffalo, N.Y., and Nampa, Idaho, by Lactalis American Group, part of Lactalis USA.
Delaware North is using Galbani Fresh Mozzarella and Galbani Premio Shredded Mozzarella to enhance pizza offerings at more than 60 operations across all divisions, most notably for its operations at Major League Baseball (MLB), National Football League (NFL) and National Hockey League (NHL) stadiums. Many of Delaware North’s parks and resorts, gaming, travel and Patina Restaurant Group locations are also using Galbani Mozzarella cheese for their pizza offerings.
Galbani Mozzarella brings out the best in pizza by browning well without burning and offering great color, exceptional stretch and outstanding performance.
Delaware North began using Galbani as its preferred cheese in March 2023, just in time for MLB season. Now, with NFL and NHL seasons underway, usage of Galbani cheese is on the rise at Delaware North sports venues across the country.
Delaware North’s operations in Western New York are using Galbani Italian cheese at Highmark Stadium – including for pizza, meatball subs and caprese wraps – KeyBank Center, Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Patina 250 and Jake’s Café. Delaware North also used the cheese in the Rochester area at the PGA Championship in May, as well as at the company’s Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack and its operation at Blue Cross Arena.
“We’re proud to partner with Lactalis to elevate our pizzas with their Galbani Italian cheese across Delaware North’s North American operations,” said Gonzalo Checa, vice president of procurement and category management for Delaware North. “It’s extra special to have two Buffalo companies joining forces.”
“Our culinary and procurement teams partnered to define Delaware North’s category strategy for our pizza program, one of our most recognizable food items in every division,” said Lou Piuggi, vice president of culinary, food and beverage for Delaware North. “We have identified items that will delight our guests and provide consistency across our company, while meeting the needs of Delaware North operators.”
Galbani Mozzarella and Fresh Mozzarella cheeses have won 15 awards in competition since the start of 2022, including the World Cheese Championship Contest, U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, American Cheese Society Judging and Competition, World Dairy Expo and Fine Food World Cheese Awards.
“We’re proud to partner with Delaware North and bring the authentic flavor and premium quality of Galbani cheese to guests at its popular venues across the United States,” said Tim Connor, vice president, Culinary, Lactalis American Group. “Lactalis worked with Delaware North to bring Galbani’s exceptional quality to its most recognizable food items. We’re excited to help enhance the guest concession experience with our award-winning cheeses.”
Lactalis has distributed cheese products under the Galbani brand in the United States since 2011 and produces Galbani Ricotta, Mozzarella and Provolone cheeses at its plant on South Park Avenue in Buffalo, N.Y. Lactalis produces Galbani Mozzarella and Fresh Mozzarella at its manufacturing facility in Nampa, Idaho.
About Delaware North
Delaware North is a global leader in the hospitality and entertainment industry. The company annually serves more than a half-billion guests across three continents, including at high-profile sports venues, airports, national and state parks, restaurants, resorts, hotels and casinos. Building on more than a century of enduring partnerships and a commitment to local communities and sustainability, Delaware North’s vision is to delight guests by creating the world’s best experiences today while reimagining tomorrow. Learn more at www.DelawareNorth.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About Lactalis USA
Lactalis USA is committed to enriching lives by producing nutritious and great tasting dairy products. The company offers a strong, well-regarded portfolio of dairy products in the United States including Galbani® Italian cheeses, Président® specialty cheeses and gourmet butters, Kraft® brands in natural and grated cheeses, Breakstone’s® cottage cheese, ricotta and sour cream, Cracker Barrel® cheese, Black Diamond® cheddar cheese, Parmalat® milk, siggi’s® and Stonyfield Organic® yogurt brands. In the United States the company has approximately 3,700 employees, is present in eight states with 11 manufacturing facilities and corporate offices located in New York City and Buffalo, N.Y, Chicago, Ill., Londonderry, N.H., and San Fernando, Calif. Lactalis in the United States is part of Lactalis Group, the world’s leading dairy company, a French family business founded in 1933 in Laval, France. For more information, visit https://lactalisamericangroup.com/, www.lactalisheritagedairy.com, www.stonyfield.com, www.siggis.com and www.karouncheese.com. Follow Lactalis USA on Instagram and like us on Facebook.


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Patel, who was formerly TFI’s financial director, will take on the role of CEO with immediate effect.
"Obviously the whole agency, and Peter's many colleagues in the industry, wish him well," said Patel. "My ambition is to continue Peter's vision of a unified business and the steady growth of a 34 -year old company - and to build on an already strong platform."
Patel first joined the agency in January this year from more2 Ltd, a multi-channel retail marketing agency, where he was managing director.
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More than a thousand companies have abandoned advertising Facebook has had its most dangerous earnings season.
Following the beginning of this month many well-known Americans.Enterprise.They have announced their withdrawal.Advertising.Then Facebook took another hit: number one.Advertiser.There has also been a significant reduction in ad delivery. On July 19th it was announced that Disney had stopped advertising on Facebook. In fact, in the past month, more than 1,000 companies have stopped advertising on Facebook in protest at the social network's handling of hate speech, with most major industries participating in boycotts.
Disney has slashed its advertising spending on Facebook because of dissatisfaction with Facebook's handling of hate speech and divisive content, the media said. Not only that, but Disney has also suspended its popular social app, Instagram, which is controlled by Facebook.Streaming.Service.Hulu Plus's ad serving.
According to the study.Company.According to Pathmatics, Disney was second only last year.Home Depot.Facebook's second-largest advertiser jumped to the top in the first half of this year.Big customers.。 It is reported that Disney plus.Advertising fees.Up to 210 million.Dollar.The cost of the Hulu Plus ad was as high as $16 million between April 15 and June 30 alone.
On June 30th, a number of civil rights groups in the United States.United.Many.Multinationals.Press Facebook to take substantive steps to stop hate speech. Authorities have co-sponsored the Stop Hate for Profit campaign, accusing Facebook of profiting from "paranoid, racist and violent content" and calling on advertisers to suspend ads on Facebook in July.
The move has been global.Brand.The business responded positively, and the dominoes were pushed down. 26 June,Coca - cola.The company announced it would suspend advertising on social media platforms around the world for at least a month from July 1. AfterStarbucks.、Unilever.、Ford.、Hp.、Microsoft., Puma,Levi.Thousands of companies have announced cuts or even cut back on ads on Facebook. Pathmatics data show thatUnilever.Advertising spending in 2019 was $42.4 million.Coca - cola.$22.1 million.
Why is Facebook getting angry?
In the wake of the Floyd scandal, there has been a wave of anti-racism in the United States, with Facebook accused of failing to regulate hateful and discriminatory speech on its platforms, not only exposing racist bad words, but also identifying ads and fake videos.
Earlier, Twitter's approach to false content or inflammatory remarks was accompanied by "uncertainty" and "alleged lying about violent content."Label.But the same content went to Facebook without any treatment.
In response, Facebook Worldwide.Business.Group.Vice President.Carolyn Everson responded, "We respect the decision of any brand and will continue to focus on the importance of removing hate speech and providing critical voting information."Job.。 We're with.Market.Marketer.The conversation with civil rights groups is about how to unite and be a force for good."
Advertisers, however, don't buy. Us investment bank Needham and Co. industry.Analysts.Laura Martin says a large portion of Facebook's revenue comes from advertising fees from big brands, and that big brands will only become more important to Facebook as smaller advertisers scale back or close down as a result of the outbreak.
Public data show that Facebook relies mainly on advertising revenue to keep it afloat. In the U.S., Facebook's share of digital advertising is second only to Google's. In the first quarter of this year, Facebook.com Inc.Operating income.Of the $17.737 billion, advertising revenue was $17.44 billion, or 98.3 percent. About a quarter of that advertising revenue comes from big companies, with the rest coming from small businesses, according to Reuters.
However, experts say it remains unclear whether the ad boycott will have a significant impact on Facebook's revenue, depending in part on the number of brands involved, the duration of the event and environmental factors such as the outbreak. In addition, the impact could be announced as early as the third quarter of this fall.Performance.appear.
Facebook's advertising revenue growth has slowed in the first quarter, affected by the outbreak on the one hand, and improved privacy protections for users have limited the platform's ability to serve ads.
Source: Beijing Business Daily.
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A quarter of walk-in centres have closed
Like this page on Facebook for updates
After 15 years, online retail giant Amazon reveals device-like grip on shoppers and its best-selling products in history
Monday 14 October 2013
Its swift-delivery service has shipped millions of Harry Potter novels and Adele CDs since its launch 15 years ago. But it is actually the 8GB memory card and HDMI connector cables which have made Amazon a $120bn business, the online retailer has revealed.
Wednesday 25 September 2013
The actor said there is 'no truth' to rumours he will play the Queen singer
Friday 30 August 2013
Authors will invariably do anything to help shift a few more copies of their books. Virgin Trains are offering authors the chance to do book signings on its West Coast route from September. Several authors have already signed up: Jo Nesbo, Joanna Trollope and comedian Ruby Wax.
Tuesday 13 August 2013
The Brit succeeded crime writer James Patterson to top the list
Thursday 01 August 2013
The school-day definition of noise was "unorganised sound". Another has it as sound "out of place". The word itself may come from the Latin noxia, meaning "harmful things". Music, classics masters, librarians, the Noise Abatement Society and all but the most liberal parents, were united in thinking it was A Bad Thing.
Saturday 27 July 2013
Wednesday 24 July 2013
‘Outed’ Harry Potter creator worked for days to sign crime novel under pen name
Friday 19 July 2013
Whodunit? Now we all know, but enjoy the intrigue on its own terms
Thursday 18 July 2013
The literary mole hunt to discover who outed superstar author JK Rowling as the creator of a detective novel written under a nom de plume was in danger of turning into a better whodunnit than the book itself.
Monday 15 July 2013
Mandela going home, predicts ex-president
Thursday 11 July 2013
Just over 15 per cent abandon a book before 50 pages
Sunday 07 July 2013
'Headed for a 2:2 or a third? Finish your joint and come and work for us'
Wednesday 22 May 2013
The Queen and JK Rowling only British women to appear in the top 100
Turn your home office into a coffee shop (kind of) with website that produces that Starbucks ambience
Monday 25 March 2013
So many people work “from home” at their local coffee shop now that many independent chains are forced to erect signs gently reminding these Wi-fi hogs to, y’know, buy another cup o’joe now and again.
Monday 04 March 2013
John Walsh gives a summary of the talks at the Bath Literary festival
British actor Idris Elba cannot star as James Bond because he is black, says shock jock Rush Limbaugh
Rozanne Duncan: Ukip expels councillor for 'jaw-dropping' comments made in BBC TV interview
Germany anti-Islam protests: 17,000 march on Dresden against 'Islamification of the West'
Ukip member gets into Christmas spirit with Union Flag plea to Santa 'for our country back'
BBC director Danny Cohen: Rising UK antisemitism makes me feel more uncomfortable than ever
Alex Salmond has 'broken his word to the Scottish people' says Scottish Lib Dem leader
- 1 PlayStation and Xbox hacked by Lizard Squad
- 2 Christmas comes early to Hong Kong, as millions of bank notes spill out onto busy street
- 3 The 'Black Museum': After 150 years, public set to see exhibits from police’s grisly crime museum
- 5 Vagina canoe artist defends herself over ‘obscenity’ charges


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Web design studio - thousands of webdesign templates. Photoshop, FrontPage and Dreamweaver compatible designs.
A diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates is better for people with type-2 diabetes, new Swedish study published in the journal Diabetologia says.
A Collection of Recipes for
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Find hundreds of sugar-free, low-carb and/or lowfat diabetic recipes for beverages, breads, desserts, condiments, side dishes and main dish recipes.


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CANADIAN GRAND PRIX LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
RCC’s Canadian Grand Prix Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes senior executives who have demonstrated outstanding service and commitment to the Canadian grocery industry. The recipients of the Award reflect the industry’s spirit of community and trust and demonstrate a strong commitment to innovation, both in the products their company offers to consumers and the leadership they provide within their organization. The recipients are recognized as role models whose passion goes beyond a lifelong dedication to the industry, demonstrating a commitment to greater good through support for charitable and community organizations.
2022 Canadian Grand Prix Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients
Retail Council of Canada (RCC) and Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP) are honoured to announce the two recipients of the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix Lifetime Achievement Award: Margaret Hudson of Burnbrae Farms and Darrell Jones of Save-On-Foods.
President & CEO, Burnbrae Farms
“Margaret Hudson and Darrell Jones represent lifelong excellence in the manufacturing, product development, and retail sides of the grocery industry in Canada” said Michael Graydon, CEO, FHCP. “They have both played significant roles in shaping our industry for the better and have demonstrated exceptional, relentless passion to respectfully serve their customers, their employees, and the community at large, “said Diane J. Brisebois, President and CEO, RCC.
Donald and David Sobey,
Cindy Lee and Tina Lee,
Founder and CEO,
President and CEO,
Paul and Michael Higgins,
- Product Registration: Pierre Chartier at firstname.lastname@example.org
- Sponsorship: Mary Markou at email@example.com
- General Inquiries: RCC Events team at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Louisville-based Yum! Brands Inc. and McDonald's Corp. said they are working to increase food safety after China Central Television reported their restaurants might have sold chicken that had been fed growth hormones and antibiotics.
Yingtai Food Group Co. and Liuhe Group Co, which supplies KFC, owned by Yum (NYSE: YUM), and McDonald's (NYSE: MCD), didn't inspect the poultry before delivery, Bloomberg News reports. The fowl might have been given unapproved growth hormones and antibiotics by farmers in Shandong province, according to the report.
The Chinese government has gotten tougher on food safety since baby formula was found tainted in 2008, according to the report.


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Goodyear unveils $100 million VC fund for new mobility initiatives
By : Sustainability ..., Jan 10, 2020
Ohio-based tyremaker Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co recently announced the launch of a $100 million venture capital (VC) fund for new investments in future mobility solutions over the next 10 years. Named as Goodyear Ventures, the fund will continue and expand Goodyear's...Read more..
Subject Tags: Clean Mobility , electric mobility , Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company , startup , venture capital
Goodyear, Usher Agro and IISc co-develop green silica extraction process
By : sustainabilityo..., Dec 30, 2015
Agro processing company Usher Agro, in collaboration with the open innovation team of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, has developed an extraction process for producing 'green' precipitated silica from rice husk ash. The...Read more..
Subject Tags: Agriculture , Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company , Indian Institute of Science (IISc) , Usher Agro


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Earlier this week, the @UpperPeninsula Twitter account noticed an issue with a recent ad campaign from Mountain Dew where the company included the U.P. as part of Wisconsin.
Naturally, the account and other residents of Michiagn took issue with the mistake and sent messages directed to the pop giant about the mishap and how "hurt" they were.
Eventually Mountain Dew responded and said it will be creating a special edition label for the U.P. as a make good for the mistake. And while we here in Michigan appreciate the apology, that's not going to stop us from taking a look at some of the more hilarious reactions to Mountain Dew's flub.
Here are some of our favorites:


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Where’s the perspective?
There’s always more than one side to a story. It’s Journalism 101, right? But the list of mainstream media outlets offering a imbalanced account of seafood and its health implications is seemingly growing by the week.
This week, the popular U.S. magazine Consumer Reports is warning its 7 million-plus subscribers to avoid eating tuna if you’re pregnant, nursing or young. Apparently, it’s big news. For example, CBS Radio, with its nearly 40 million listeners, had it as the No. 2 story on Tuesday morning, topped only by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s arrest in London.
But dig a little deeper and you’ll quickly realize that it’s not big news — Consumer Reports not only provides no new information but also fails to put in perspective the health risks associated with consuming fish relatively high in methylmercury.
None of the 42 samples of canned and pouched tuna Consumer Reports tested exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s allowable limit of 1 part per million (ppm) of mercury. Instead, Consumer Reports based its warning on the Environmental Protection Agency’s reference dose (RfD) for mercury, claiming that consumption of 2.5 ounces of white (albacore) tuna or 5 ounces of light (skipjack) tuna a day is unsafe for at-risk populations.
But Consumer Reports failed to specify that the RfD is a measure of daily exposure over the course of a lifetime, and that EPA’s reference dose is based on consumption of freshwater fish, which contain far less selenium (a mineral that’s thought to counteract mercury’s harmful effects) than saltwater fish.
What gets lost in the mix is the importance of balancing the omega-3s found in fish with the omega-6s found in vegetable oils, eggs and other foods. The typical American diet has a 20:1 ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s; a 4:1 ratio is ideal. We got a long way to go.
A study published in the November edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that most women would rather avoid eating fish altogether than potentially harm themselves or their babies. Most of the 22 pregnant women from the Boston area who participated in the study knew fish may contain mercury, but only a few knew that fish contains docosahexaenoic acid, the beneficial omega-3 fatty acid found in oily fish such as salmon and tuna.
Spitting out tidbits of dietary advice without balancing out the story or putting the health risks in perspective does more harm than good. Consumer Reports’ tuna-consumption warning to pregnant and nursing women is just the latest example of a mainstream media outlet failing to get the story straight when it comes to seafood.


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Motorola which is owned by Lenovo has announced the new series of smartphones namely Moto E4 series which differs from the models which were released by the company in 2016.
The E series smartphones by Motorola or Lenovo are basically budget-friendly phones namely E4 and E4 Plus. The modifications coming out to E4 series are that Lenovo is announcing larger model in E4 Plus. Apart from the large display screen, the most notable difference between E4 and E4 Plus is that the latter one has large battery life. The E4 phone has a battery of 2,800-mAh and its later version has a large 5,000-mAh battery. Hence the E4 Plus smartphone can last upto 2 days without charging. But the large battery does not indicate that the phone will have enhanced battery life.
Both the smartphones will support quick charging even is the battery reaches the lowest limit. These 2 phones resemble each other in terms of hardware. Both the phones have 1.4 GHz quad-core processor, 4 GB RAM and 16 GB of onboard storage. But the storage capacity can be extended using SD cards.
E4 and E4 Plus are powered by Android Nougat 7 OS and the Android O will soon hit the phones in coming months. The E4 smartphone has a 5-megapixel front camera and only 8-megapixel rear camera whereas the E4 Plus has a 5-megapixel front camera and 13-megapixels rear camera to capture high-resolution images.
Nowadays many smartphone manufacturers prefer glass bodies over the metal bodies since it gives an appealing look to the phone. But the glass bodies are less durable hence the company have launched the Moto E4 series phones with metal bodies instead of glass bodies.
As E4 Plus has been equipped with slightly higher functionality the price of this phone will be higher compared to the E4 smartphone. The E4 Plus model comes with a price tag of $179.99 and the E4 smartphone has a price tag of $129.99. If you are looking for budget-friendly phones with good functionalities you can add these two smartphones to your Wishlist.


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As Wales enters into a second national lockdown, stores that do not sell essential ideas such as food will be forced to close for 17 days.
Under the law, businesses that provide a mixed set of services will be allowed to open if they cease conducting the service that must close under the lockdown mandated rules.
This means that stores like supermarkets that sell food along with other items will be forced to clear the shelves or create barriers to these items.
In addition, the “firebreak” lockdown also requires all people to stay at home. “Everyone in Wales will be required to stay at home.”
People are also not allowed to have “gatherings” indoors or outdoors with people you do not live with. The only exception is for people who live alone, these individuals can have one individual from another household visit them.
First Minister of Wales and the Leader of the Welsh Labour Party Mark Drakeford has told supermarkets and stores that sell food to also stop selling items such as clothes as a matter of “fairness” until November 9, BBC reports.
Drakeford said that supermarkets are only allowed to open parts of their business that sell essential goods.
In response to the new policy from the government, Sara Jones the head of the Welsh Retail Consortium said “Compelling retailers to stop selling certain items, without them being told clearly what is and what isn’t permitted to be sold, is ill-conceived and short-sighted,”.
Andrew RT Davies, a member of the Welsh Conservatives Party responded on Twitter saying “The power is going to their heads.”
Since the lockdown began on Friday, shoppers in the region have posted on social media pictures of “non-essential items” behind barriers or covered with plastic sheeting.
Others in the region are criticizing the government for what they deem to be a ridiculous or unfair policy.
Some shoppers are fed up with the new public health restrictions and have taken into their own hands to remove the barriers in the stores.


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Winter season is looking promising for Australian and New Zealand ski resorts according to Google data
Ahead of the Southern Hemisphere ski resorts opening in two weeks time, we decided to investigate what the season may look like in terms of visitation, and which ski resorts Australians and New Zealanders are searching for the most.
Travel took a huge hit in 2020, but that only means we expect to see the release of a lot of pent-up wanderlust, as skiers look to get back on the slopes and more people give snowsports a try.
Using Google’s Keyword Planner and the Google Ads platform, we analysed lists of search terms that are commonly used when people are looking to book ski trips in the Southern Hemisphere. We gathered the monthly average search volume for April 2021 and then compared this data with similar numbers from 2 previous periods:
- April 2020, when COVID-19 was having a significant impact on snowsports
- April 2019, before COVID-19 was recorded and it was business as normal for all resorts
The findings allowed us to get a gauge on how many people are looking to go skiing this year, and how it compares to previous years.
The most searched for ski resorts in Australia
With 117,530 total monthly searches, Thredbo (NSW) is the most searched for Australian ski resort. This is followed by Mt Hotham (VIC) in second place and Mt Buller (VIC) in third with 61,100 and 42,050 monthly searches respectively.
For New South Wales resorts, Thredbo has also seen the greatest increase in search interest (up by 172%) when compared to the same period pre-COVID. Similarly, Perisher has seen a positive increase of 130%.
Victorian resorts are also seeing significant increase in search demand, with searches for Falls Creek up by 128% in April 2021 compared to April 2019 (pre-COVID), followed by Mt Buller which is up by 116% over the same period.
Hotham has still seen a 97% increase compared to the same period in 2019, but is the only resort not to see interest reach more than double.
The most searched for ski resorts in New Zealand
Queenstown (with surrounding resorts of Coronet Peak and The Remarkables) continues to be the most popular destination for ski trips, with 27,330 searches conducted in April this year. This is up 87% compared to April 2019, a massive increase of 12,720 searches.
Wanaka, home to Cardrona and Treble Cone resorts, has seen the greatest growth of searches, up 102% compared to April 2019 and up 376% compared to last year. However, even with this surge in new searches, is less than 50% of the total interest in Queenstown ski holidays.
Ski holidays to Methven (Mt Hutt resort) and Mt Ruapehu have also recorded notable search growth, but not nearly on the scale as Queenstown or Wanaka. Perhaps indicating ski areas which will not be as crowded when it comes to the peak weeks.
We also looked at this data including New Zealand searchers too, when doing this we see searches for Mt Ruapehu grow considerably, up by over 32,000 searches. This is presumably due to its location in relation to NZ’s most populated city, Auckland. Where many skiers will choose to drive to rather than fly south to Queenstown, Wanaka or other resort areas.
How ski and snowboard instructors could benefit
While the international borders remain closed, it gives Australians more of a reason to venture in their own backyard and the search data suggests many are planning to give snowsports a go this winter.
Searches for ‘learn to ski’ had 6,920 total monthly searches in April 2021 which is up by 79% when compared to the same period pre-COVID. It seems Australians also want to give snowboarding a go this year, with ‘learn to snowboard’ searches hitting a record 1,420 total monthly searches in April 2021 which is 92% up compared to the same period pre-COVID.
This news is very much welcomed, as we know from speaking with our resort partners that 2020 was a tough year for instructors, like many in the snowsports community. So we hope it will be a good season for all Aussie and Kiwi instructors!
Other findings and trends
Unsurprisingly, search interest in European holidays remains below normal levels, with a 35% decline on April 2019. We’ll continue to track these trends over coming months in the hope that we see a similar rebound in search popularity for Northern Hemisphere ski resorts in advance of the season beginning.
Global search interest for the majority of international ski destinations remains subdued, largely driven by the on-going impacts of COVID-19, border restrictions and local lockdowns.
- Whistler, Canada’s largest ski resort’s search interest remains 22% down on pre-COVID levels, but has recovered 58% year on year.
- Zermatt, one of Switzerland’s most famous resorts, has seen a 9% increase on pre-COVID levels, possibly due to the government’s decision to keep ski resorts operating this year while most resorts in Europe were forced to shut.
- Tignes, a French resort which was forced to close has seen search popularity fall by 58% for the same period.


text: By PAN PYLASLONDON (AP) a¿¿ Glimmers of hope emerged Wednesday for the eurozone economy to suggest that the coming year will see the recovery gathering steam. Official figures showed a stabilization in unemployment and the biggest increase in monthly retail sales in 12 years. Eurostat, the EU's statistics office, said the eurozone's unemployment rate held steady in November at a record 12.1 percent for the eighth month running after a modest 4,000 rise in the ranks of the jobless to 19.24 million. Since September's 12.2 percent rate was revised down, 12.1 percent is now the record. The agency also said retail sales during the month spiked by 1.4 percent, way ahead of predictions in the markets for a more modest increase of around 0.3 percent. The rise was the biggest since November 2001. Though much of the increase was due to a 2.1 percent rise in France, where consumers may have brought forward purchases ahead of a sales tax rise, analysts said the figures suggest households are increasingly confident that the financial crisis is past its worst and that the recovery has legs. The increase followed two monthly declines and was fairly broad-based across the eurozone. The Iberian economies of Spain and Portugal did particularly well, posting gains of 1.9 percent and 3.1 percent. "The outlook is starting to brighten a little for eurozone consumers," said James Howat, European economist at Capital Economics. Despite the signs of improvement, the eurozone continues to face huge problems and most economists think it will remain the laggard of the world economy. However, few think the European Central Bank will change its monetary policy at its monthly meeting on Thursday. "The ECB may want to keep some ammunition in its back pocket in case of emergencies," said Kathleen Brooks, research director at Forex.com. Among the challenges will be to get unemployment down and prevent deflation, a sustained fall in prices that can encourage consumers to put off purchases in the hope of getting better bargains further down the line.


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A groundswell of brewers are using Hop Products Australia’s antifoam and hop extract products, which offer various benefits.
James Squire has refined one of its top selling beers to further appeal to the growing number of Australians embracing aromatic styles of pale ale.
Choosing a business model, selecting a suitable site and gaining regulatory approval are the first hurdles for a commercial brewing start-up, writes Spark Breweries and Distilleries founder Julian Sanders.
Two key brewing trends have inspired the current crop of fruit beers that Australian drinkers seem to be enjoying.
A catch-all category encompassing several distinct styles, wheat beers remain a niche affair in Australia, as evidenced by the limited number of local versions on the market.
In the lead up to the 2017 Hop Harvest, Australian Brews News’ Matt Kirkegaard spent some time with Hop Products Australia’s Dr Simon Whittock.
The spectrum of red, hoppy beers currently proving popular with drinkers owe their origins to the convergence of two modern American craft beer styles.
Hops are the ingredient that kick-started the modern craft beer boom. But how are modern hop varieties bred? Matt Kirkegaard learns the art and science of hop breeding from HPA’s hop breeder Dr Simon Whittock.
To celebrate the release of its new hop Fortnight, Bintani is giving one lucky customer the opportunity to join them on the beer trip of a lifetime.
Bintani Australia has created its own blend of five different hops, which founder Pete Meddings considers one of his career’s proudest achievements.