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I was interested to read your piece on the launch of Card Call UK’s Anyphone product (MW October 27), although I feel it may add to the confusion over what these cards are and how they can be used.
Anyphone cards are sold to consumers through retailers and are not solely promotional items, although Card Call may sell space on the front of the cards to advertise brands, just as BT does. Since many retailers already sell BT Phonecards, this is not a new concept.
Telecard UK’s new product, Promocard, is a new phonecard concept, offering free telephone time to the consumer and better opportunities for marketers.
Brand owners can buy tailor-made Promocards for their own use in promotions, or as support to other activities, giving the brand ownership of the card – as opposed to advertising it on someone else’s product – to someone else’s target audience, as in the case of Card Call. After all, groups such as immigrants, students and other “unbankables” are surely not key targets for the major fmcg brand owners.
To be truly effective, shouldn’t a national promotional card also have national coverage?
The Anyphone system can only be used from touchtone telephones, which rely on digital exchange technology, while Promocards use an additional voice recognition system to identify a caller using an old-style phone system.
The difference is 3 million potential users: BT has acknowledged that 17 per cent of its 6,700 exchanges are not yet digital, meaning this number of people cannot access the Anyphone service.
Talking might be good but from a marketing perspective, surely it is better to talk to the right people (even all of the people).


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It's only available in China for now but the new RedMagic 5G makes the Galaxy S20 Ultra seem modest and meek by comparison.
Freshly announced overnight, the new RedMagic 5G features a 6.65-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 865 processor, 12GB of RAM, 5G connectivity, a 4500mAh battery, in-screen fingerprint sensor and 256GB of storage.
In terms of gaming-specific features, buying a RedMagic 5G gets you built-in shoulder trigger buttons and a new Active Liquid Cooling system. RedMagic claim the latter inclusion increases internal airflow volume by 30% and leaves the RedMagic 5G running 200% cooler than its predecessors.
Historically, gaming phones have lacked in the camera department. However, the RedMagic 5G comes equipped with a hefty triple-lens setup on the back. Specifically, the gaming phone is equipped with a 64-megapixel main lens, an 8-megapixel wide angle lens and a 2-megapixel bokeh lens. There's also a 12-megapixel camera on the front. For more info on triple-lens cameras and why they matter, click here.
Again, at this stage, the RedMagic 5G is only available in China. However, with more and more brands looking to lean into the idea of a smartphone that's really good at gaming, it won't stay there for long. RedMagic say they're looking to launch the RedMagic 5G globally in April.
In China, pricing for the new RedMagic 5G starts at 3799 CNY - which roughly translates to AU$855.

domain: news


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Woman Wanted for Stealing Credit Card Number
Lynchburg, VA - Lynchburg police are looking for a woman they say stole and fraudulently used a debit card number.
They say it happened June 8 at the Wards Road Wal-Mart.
Police say the debit card number was stolen then imprinted on a fake card to look real.
Officials describe the woman as a black female wearing black pants and a black tank top.
If you have any information about this incident, call or text Crime Stoppers at 888-798-5900.


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UK commercial vehicle (CV) production fell by 61.6% in May, with just 810 vehicles built as many plants remained shuttered amid the Covid-19 lockdown. According to the latest figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), year-to-date commercial vehicle output fell by 29.8% compared with the first five months of 2019. As some production resumed, 43.3% of commercial vehicles built were for export in May, with more than two thirds (68.7%) exported to the EU, following […]
Ferguson Transport said a fall in revenue from handling goods in its warehouse division last year was more than compensated by additional storage charges and increased demand for capacity.
A 20% increase in storage demand has prompted Meachers Global Logistics to lease a new warehouse in Southampton.
DHL Supply Chain subsidiary Tradeteam is bracing itself for further job cuts and losses of up to £7m as a result of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the hospitality sector.


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Leeth owns Pawsh Dog House, a business that grooms and boards dogs. In just 12 years, Leeth has opened a total of four Pawsh locations in the Bay Area, and she said she is planning to expand.
Leeth opened her first location near Calder Road in 2009. Leeth had been working as a groomer for years and decided to take the plunge with her own business. Leeth paints and creates other art, sometimes even using her dog, Glitter, as a living canvas.
“It’s fun to be creative,” Leeth said. “I’ve always had a love for dogs, so to tie those in together [is great]”
Leeth quickly opened a Clear Lake location and took over another pet-grooming business and made it her own in 2012. In 2017, she opened her fourth spot in Friendswood, she said.
Leeth’s vision is for Pawsh to be like a neighborhood Starbucks or McDonald’s: They are found all over and serve the areas in which they reside.
One of the challenges of the business is trying to run four separate locations while still making time to groom. Leeth has a general manager and investors ready to help her business grow, and it is people like that whom Leeth depends on for success, she said.
“You definitely can’t have four locations with one person,” she said. “You have to trust a lot of people.”
An advantage of Leeth’s business compared to other pet-boarding places, she said, is that Pawsh keeps itself small. That allows the business to give dogs hours of playtime daily rather than the 15 or 30 minutes bigger facilities allow, Leeth said.
Leeth’s customer focus has paid off: Some dogs have been boarding at Pawsh since she first opened her doors over a decade ago, she said.
“We try to care about people here,” she said.


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When they started their family, Pushpa was working in St Bartholomew's Hospital in London and Bipin was a dairy technician. But the pair took the brave decision to change direction completely and open a store together in the hope that this career would allow them both more time with their children.
Pushpa admits to some regrets about giving up a career that she clearly enjoyed, but claims it was a sacrifice worth making in terms of being able to provide for her three children and the pride she takes from having built up the business and from becoming an integral part of the local community.
S&K News is situated in a residential area in Southborough, just outside of the larger Tunbridge Wells, but Bipin explains that customers come not just from the local area but from all over Tunbridge Wells and beyond. They consider their customer base to be like a family - and that is exactly how they like to treat their customers. "We had to work really hard when we first opened but now we are starting to see third and fourth generations of families coming into the store," says Bipin.
It may be a cliché that convenience stores offer the best levels of service and that there is much more of a personal relationship with customers, but for Pushpa, Bipin and their two part-time staff, these relationships are real. Every customer is greeted by name and Bipin will share a joke or Pushpa will enquire as to their health. It is all very natural and clear evidence of the couple's position in the community.
Their philosophy appears to be working and Pushpa says that their customers are extremely loyal. "Everybody shops differently these days and you can't worry too much about the competition," she explains. "You will only be successful if you concentrate on what you are doing and looking after your own customers. Our customers will shop at the supermarkets but often won't buy the things that they like to buy here."
In return for this loyalty, S&K News seeks to provide its customers with whatever they want - even if it means getting an item in specially. "If we don't have something a customer wants, I'll try to get it within a week. Customers respond to this and come back and buy other things," says Pushpa.
Bipin explains that as long as a shopper promises to buy an item at least once a week, then they are happy keep a line specially for them. "It gives them a reason to come into the store and they are likely to buy other things when they're here," he adds. How many multiples can claim to provide that level of customer care?
The convenient opening hours at S&K News are also appreciated by customers, who range from early morning commuters to young families. The store opens from 6am to 7.30pm, Monday to Saturday, and 7am to 1pm on Sundays.
It is their connection to the community that Pushpa and Bipin claim is the secret of their success and a reason they are relatively unfazed by local competition. Many c-store operators would imagine that news a Tesco Express store will be arriving on their doorstep would be reason for panic, but when it happened to Pushpa and Bipin, the couple weren't concerned.
Tesco's arrival first came to Pushpa's attention three years ago when she was applying for the store's alcohol licence. At that time they were about to double the size of the store to 1,300sq ft and move its emphasis from being a newsagent to a fully fledged convenience store. Since then the store's turnover has grown from between £6,000 and £8,000 per week to £12,000.
Pushpa says that when she went to see the local authority regarding getting a licence, Tesco was also there, doing the same thing. But at no stage did it make them think twice about their decision to become more of a grocery store, and they have paid little attention to the competition ever since.
"I never go into Tesco Express or the local Costcutter to check prices, or anything like that," says Pushpa. "We are happy with what we are doing here and will stick to that."
Bipin is even more bullish: "We would be busier if Tesco Express was not there, but not much," he says. "On the other hand, they would like it if we were not here."
Over the years, Pushpa and Bipin have done their bit to help reduce anti-social behaviour. The store has close links with local schools, community groups and police, and they also support local events such as an Easter egg hunt and the summer fair, which is held on the green next to the store.
These continuing efforts in the community have helped gain respect, and from the start the couple have been keen to encourage good standards of behaviour in the shop. The pair have strict rules for anyone using bad language in the store: they will immediately be asked to leave. But Bipin says that the local kids now know better than to act up as they know he might have a quiet word with their parents.
This attitude adds to the relaxed and friendly atmosphere in the store and is something that other retailers could learn from. "We have never compromised our self-respect for the sake of the business and overall that has been the best way to go for the business," says Bipin.
The couple's efforts have not come without a price, however. Shortly after they extended the shop three years ago Bipin underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery - a testament to the long hours and effort involved in growing the business in a tough marketplace. Thankfully, he has made a full recovery.
While they would like to extend the store even further they have taken the surgery as a warning, and being conscious of Bipin's health are unlikely to drive any major expansion plans for the time being.
For now, a major factor for the couple is that they want to enjoy the fruits of their labour while they still can. They have no immediate plans to retire but they both agree that they don't still want to be running the store in another 20 years.
For a start, they want to take a holiday together, something that they have been unable to do for the past 18 years. Pushpa says: "This is just one of the things you have to give up when you are running a business together and something we are definitely looking forward to doing when we retire."
Ultimately, however, Pushpa and Bipin are proud of what they have achieved and believe their sacrifices have been worthwhile.


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US based Uinta Brewing has announced plans for expansion which include adding a canning line.
It will be the first time that the craft brewer, which is based in Utah, has canned any of its beers. Last year the company achieved 67% sales growth. This led to the company installing three new fermentation tanks, increasing its production capacity to 65,000 bbls, to allow it to meet the increasing demand.
In addition to this, Uinta recently acquired land immediately to the south of its existing brewery. Following the demolition of its pre-existing structure, from which 100% of the materials were recycled, Uinta has developed plans for a second plant. The new 34,000 square foot facility will house Uinta’s packaging equipment, cold storage, a second lab, employee tasting room and additional office space. The project is expected to be completed in early 2013.
With the new facility, Uinta will be installing a canning line, adding a new option to its current packaging lineup. The Uinta team, comprised of outdoor enthusiasts, is excited to offer a package that pairs well with adventure.
Uinta has not finalised which brands will be packaged in the new aluminium cans and is inviting input via its Facebook page.


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Women’s soccer World Cup is becoming a global sensation—and a fashion one too
Share Now on:
Mirroring the rise of the men’s soccer jersey as a fashion statement, women’s jerseys have been a hot item this season. The popularity of women’s soccer is one reason. Another: fashion magazines have been featuring more and more athletes on their covers.
As a nonprofit news organization, our future depends on listeners like you who believe in the power of public service journalism.
Your investment in Marketplace helps us remain paywall-free and ensures everyone has access to trustworthy, unbiased news and information, regardless of their ability to pay.
Donate today — in any amount — to become a Marketplace Investor. Now more than ever, your commitment makes a difference.


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People intend to spend less this Christmas than last, according to a new YouGov SixthSense report.
The survey found that while 14% of UK consumers who celebrate Christmas will fork out more on Yuletide festivities than they did last year, almost one in four expects to spend less.
The report says that 36% expect to spend anything between £100 and £249 on gifts for friends and family, while 30% intend to spend between £250 and £499.
Forty-six per cent think they will shell out between £100 and £249 on food and drink for consumption at home, while another 36% are budgeting to stay under the £100 mark.
People are also wary of spending large amounts on Christmas-specific items. Seven in 10 hope to pay less than £50 combined on cards, a Christmas tree and decorations this holiday season.
The YouGov/Bloomberg Household Economic Activity Tracker has also revealed that consumers are currently unwilling to loosen the purse strings for big-ticket items.
When asked, “Compared to one month ago [September], is now [October] generally a worse time or a better time to make major purchases?”, 37% of respondents said they were in a worse position, with only 6% saying they were in a better position.
The survey was carried out this month amongst almost 2,300 UK adults.


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AT&T is shutting down its 3G network next February and is prepared to give its customers a new phone for free lest their current one becomes useless —that is, they can't place calls over LTE. Just don't expect the carrier to go to great costs for your replacement.Image Gallery (1 Images)Expand
Mobile subscribers recently received the latest in a string of emails about the 3G shutdown telling them about the free phone offer. All they have to do is head to att.com/AcceptMyPhone, verify their phone number, and then they'll be able to arrange for the new phone to arrive in a few weeks.
The new phone customers will get is the AT&T RADIANT Core. It was introduced as an option for the comapny's prepaid customers in October of 2019 with an MSRP of $70 (though it's half off at the moment) and comes with a 480p display, a single 5MP rear camera, 16GB of storage (it takes a 64GB microSD card, though), 1GB of RAM, a removable 2,500mAh battery, and Android 9 Pie (Go edition). Hey, at least it has VoLTE.ANDROIDPOLICE VIDEO OF THE DAY
I don't think we can recommend putting in an order for one of these, even as a lark. For nearly everyone affected, this will be a downgrade from their current devices, at least on paper. There are plenty of supported devices on AT&T's official list that you might be able to snag somewhere for less than $150 if the need arises.
Alternatively, the carrier could've just given credits toward a new phone. Guess it needed the help clearing its inventory of RADIANT Cores.Apple Music's working on some better-looking widgets for your home screen
Plus some hints at a new classical music serviceRead NextShareTweetEmailRelated TopicsAbout The AuthorJules Wang(1297 Articles Published)
Jules joined the Android Police team in 2019. Before that, he was at Pocketnow. He loves public transportation, podcasts, and people in general. He also likes to take views from the bigger picture in technology from how people are attracted to it to how it's utilized across every other industry.MoreFrom Jules Wang


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Tesla’s FSD Beta rollout has been, charitably, extremely bad. Video after video shows Tesla cars breaking traffic laws, aiming for cyclists, and generally operating in an unsafe manner. Now, another example of the company’s not-ready-for-release software is making its way around the web, this time presented by noted Tesla bull Galileo Russell Ugh HyperChange.
Russell has spoken at length about his Tesla enthusiasm, calling it “one of the best-run technology companies in the world,” and is personally invested in the company to the tune of 70% of his portfolio. It makes sense, then, that his video demonstrating the FSD Beta’s utter incompetence on city streets is titled “Tesla’s Self-Driving Software Is Getting Good 🤫” The video was released a month ago, but has been gaining steam on social media in the past couple days. Watch the timestamped clip below to see the car’s confusion for yourself:
Russell’s Model 3 approaches the intersection with trepidation, meandering through the Seattle streets at 15 mph. The car’s navigation screen shows that it needs to turn left at the upcoming light, but instead the car puts on its right turn signals. As it creeps up to the stop line, it switches to the left turn signal, but changes its mind upon entering the intersection and turns right anyway — putting it the wrong way down a one-way road.
Russell himself summarizes the car’s driving expertise in the moment: “Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit, and I went the wrong way up a one-way this is not goodoh fuck. oh fuuuuuck, this is not good.” After finding a suitable spot to turn around, however, he reframes the car’s behavior as an “L,” and calls the poor driving “science.”
If the rash of videos hadn’t yet made it clear, Tesla’s semi-autonomous software is not ready for any kind of public release. It requires a trained, careful hand guiding the vehicle to ensure situations like the one Russell encountered don’t pose an issue for human drivers. But when YouTubers allow their cars to drive straight into oncoming traffic, just to see if they willit’s clear those drivers are neither trained nor careful.


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For the first five months of 2019, trade with Indonesia is worth $ 137.3 million, an increase of nearly 300% compared to the same period in 2018, said Economy Minister Emil Karanikolov in his speech at the opening of Bulgarian-Indonesian business forum in Sofia.
The forum was organized by BCCI and was attended by nearly 50 business representatives from both countries, 14 of which are Indonesian companies. The Forum also signed an agreement on cooperation between the two chambers of commerce and industry.
Before opening the event, the Economy Minister met with Indonesian Foreign Minister, who is on an official visit to Bulgaria. The two discussed enhancing trade and economic relations between the two countries, as well as business opportunities.
Minister Karanikolov said that our country has the potential to attract Indonesian investments and provide favorable opportunities for activities in a number of fields such as information and communication technologies, electronics and electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, auto parts, high-tech industrial production and services, agriculture, and food industry, transport and logistics infrastructure and tourism.
According to him, the Indonesian market is the market of the largest economy in Southeast Asia with over 250 million consumers and a visit to Bulgaria of a business mission from Indonesia is an excellent opportunity to present the advantages and qualities of the production on both sides.


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Nearly a month after being announced, Spotify's free music shuffling service has come to the iOS. In a new update today, iPhone and iPod users can listen to music playlists they've made free of charge, though there's a hitch. Unlike paying users, freeloaders can only pick an artist or playlist they want to hear, and songs play randomly with ads interspersed every few tracks. It's a more focused version of Spotify's existing free radio feature, and it's designed to get people to sign up for the company's paid service. Android phone users also got the same shuffle feature shortly after it was announced, while Android and iPad tablet users have enjoyed the full version of the ad-supported service with on-demand tracks since last month.
A quick turnaround
It's a relatively quick turnaround time for Spotify, which has a habit of announcing things then keeping users waiting. That includes a music-discovery feature that debuted in late 2012 and still isn't out, as well as a redesign introduced last month that's still rolling out to only some of its users.


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Severn Hospice reopens high street shop after eight-week refurbishment
A town's shoppers have been thanked for their support after a charity opened the doors of its new-look shop.
Severn Hospice has spent eight weeks giving a makeover to its Shifnal high street shop, creating more space for the stock it sells to support its caring services, as well as improving the backroom working area for staff and volunteers.
Three of the hospice’s community nurses attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony and were able to thank supporters in person for donating to the shop and buying from it.
Community shop manager Claire Henshaw said: “We had a fantastic reopening day and it was great to welcome back familiar faces as well as new customers.
“Shifnal residents have always been such loyal supporters of the hospice and our community shop and it was great to know we’d been missed and to hear all the compliments on our new look.
“Everyone is feeling the pinch right now so hopefully with more space for stock and a better layout customers will find it so much easier to track down those bargains.”
Severn Hospice said the shops are vital to its funding. The charity has to raise £2 for every £3 it spends, and customers of its 30 high street shops contributed more than £1 million towards its services last year.


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Three positive economic indicators in 2021:
1.) People are spending money again – retail sales are up 5% and bar/restaurant sales are up 7%
2.) The lives of more economically vulnerable people are improving – 5 million fewer people reported not having enough food to eat (unfortunately there are still 24M people short on food) and only 23% of folks worry about losing income (down from 31%)
3.) Financial markets are all betting on continued growth – the stock market, bond market, and housing market are showing optimism and the price of copper is up 18% (used in lots of types of goods).
Mortgage Rates – increased again this week marking the 4th straight week of rate increases culminating in a 0.5% increase on most programs. Fortunately Mortgage bonds bumped up nicely Yesterday and stymied the bleeding. Year over year rates are down 5/8%
New Home Sales – are up nearly 20% year over year in spite of inventory being down 6%. Median home prices are up 5.3% year over year.
Home Sales – are up 13% year over year despite inventory levels being down 24% from this time last year.
Appreciation – the latest Case Shiller report showed that home values increased 10.4% from Dec 2019 – Dec 2020. A $400,000 home purchased in December 2019 would have increased in value by $41,600 in 12 months.
Mortgage Application volume decreased 11% from last week. Purchases are up 7% year over year and refinances are up 50%.


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M2 EQUITYBITES-June 8, 2011-Everything Everywhere
to open 30 new UK stores this year(C)2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS http://www.
Gays are everywhere
, and everywhere
we are trying to live the life we choose, whether it is in New York or in a valley far from anything.
, the "treat size" extension to Stratford-based Ragdoll's Teletubbies, won the Pre-School Live Action Award at this year's Children's BAFTA's at the London Hilton.
Worldwide Computer Products News-23 July 2002-Aspelle Everywhere
launched by Aspelle (C)1995-2002 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD http://www.
What you have to remember is our main mission in life for 18 months is to socialize the dog, take it everywhere
- on buses and trains, to concerts, movies, restaurants, shopping, everywhere
they might be going with their non-sighted owner,'' Judy said.
Merry Christmas to the Catholic world's most exclusive electorate, the college of cardinals, and to the Church of the Latter Day Saints' Quorum of the Twelve Apostles--two of the world's last elite men's clubs; to the Dalai Lama, Queen Elizabeth II, and heads of churches everywhere
In addition, Everything Everywhere
has joined a Service Alliance with France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom.
Registration for IBC Content Everywhere
MENA is now open.
For the first time iOS apps surpassed browsers as the most popular access point for TV Everywhere
content achieving a 43 percent market share.
said in a statement: "As part of the commitments given when the European Commission approved the merger of Orange and T-Mobile in the UK in March 2010, Everything Everywhere
was required to divest 2x15MHz of its 1800MHz spectrum.
TELECOMWORLDWIRE-June 8, 2011-Everything Everywhere
to open 30 new UK stores this year(C)1994-2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS http://www.
I looked, my friends were acquiring drooling beasts that obeyed their commands and required constant care.
Even strong independents like myself are suffering everywhere
Azuki Media Everywhere
allows cable operators to expand their reach and stream premium video across all mobile platforms and devices.
The IBC Content Everywhere
format aims to continue in that tradition.


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African Fashion International (AFI) is pleased to announce the realignment of its Fashion Week properties, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz. As part of the realignment, AFI will reintroduce Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg (MBFWJ) for the Spring/ Summer season, in August 2016, at Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton City.
This strategic shift by AFI is motivated by two factors: Johannesburg is the economic hub of South Africa, with the largest number of targeted consumers in the fashion industry; and Spring and Summer are the longest seasons in Sub-Saharan Africa, and therefore contribute to the longest and most profitable commercial season in the retail sector. The profitable Spring season extends through to the December buying peak. AFI understands that it should be sensitive to the way people consume fashion, with the acknowledgement that the success of the designer extends far beyond the catwalk.
By placing the Spring/Summer Fashion Week in Johannesburg, AFI aims to lift retail activity and allow local designers to optimally align their collections to meet the demands of the local retail and climate cycles. Re-positioning Fashion Week is crucial to the progression of African fashion designers, giving them an opportunity to increase and sustain their margins. Designers have the benefit of a direct-to-consumer model via AFI’s platforms, their own studios, and their adoption of e-commerce platforms for their brands. By building strong ties with the consumer, designers are better placed to respond effectively to consumer demands. AFI is determined to help designers meet these demands, by ensuring that collections best reflect seasonal needs, are shown in the most logical places, and are exposed to the widest audiences.
Mercedes-Benz has long been an avid supporter of the fashion industry the world over. The privilege of partnering with such an esteemed brand makes AFI all the more determined to bolster its Fashion Week platforms. “Accessing appropriate markets at the optimum moment in the fashion cycle will reduce the investment risk for designers,” notes Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, AFI’s Founder and Executive Chairperson. This change underpins the overall vision of the founder, who envisages designers being enabled to maximise their turnover, and smaller operations expanding from in-house production to commissioning larger production facilities. “AFI has always seen itself as the pioneer and purveyor of African luxury fashion,” says Dr. Moloi- Motsepe. “We strongly believe in the potential of refined African fashion, and are committed to promoting it.” AFI has long understood the potential that lies within African fashion, as it continues to invest deliberately in the talent and craftsmanship of designers, while developing a commercial platform to merge the gap between the designer’s studio and the consumer’s closet.


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Power of the mind drives technology
InteraXon team harnesses brainwaves to operate video games, gadgets and even levitating chairs
While they ready the chair you can levitate with your mind, there's time for a little concert ...
Water squirts and pools on the floor as Steve Mann's fingers fly across his "hydraulophone," coaxing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" out of the tadpole-shaped instrument.
"It's sophisticated frolic," says Mann, creator of the hydraulophone, the water organ.
Mann is part of a team behind a little piece of techno Neverland at work on Dundas St. W. In the cluttered offices of InteraXon Thought Controlled Computing, a host of Tinkerbell-worthy gadgets are taking flight.
"It's a pretty creative atmosphere," says lead researcher Ariel Garten, about the fledgling firm. Perhaps the most thought-provoking of the projects being pursued at the funked-out facility are the games and gadgets that can be manipulated with the mind.
Your mind can even levitate a chair and influence the accompanying sound and music, Garten explains.
To run the mind-controlled devices, users have electroencephalograph sensors. These sensors pick up the tiny electronic pulses — microvolt in intensity — that buzz like subatomic bees across your head. The pulses are the signature signals of brain activity.
All of our thoughts, movements, and states of mind are the products of neurochemical cascades that run along neurological pathways in the form of electronic impulses.
"The summation of all this electrical communication can actually be read outside of your brain," says Garten, an accomplished artist and fashion designer, who also trained in neuroscience. "And outside your head the amassment of all this electrical activity is summed up ... and you can read the general trend of your brain."
The specific "trend" of impulses the InteraXon team capture are Alpha waves, which are generated when the mind is "blissfully, calmly" relaxed, Garten explains.
"So you have to relax," she says as you sink back into the cushioned chair, which dangles on a chain from a ceiling missing a few tiles.
Breathe deeply and slowly, think of ocean waves. And on a computer screen before you, a line measuring your Alpha wave output begins to spike as you will your mind to relax.
When you're calmed down enough to push the spike past a tripping line, an electronic winch begins to lift the chair.
"So, it's a really nice metaphor for a kind of meditative state," Garten says. "Everybody has always dreamed that as you meditate you could ... levitate yourself."
As metaphors go, it may be nice imagery. As a practical matter, it results from InteraXon's painstaking software programming that allows it to capture the Alpha waves, isolate them from all other electronic noise — from other computers, cellphones — and amplify them into a usable electronic signal.
"All of that is nullified and we're just getting your pure brainwave in a way that's meaningful," says Garten. And with that isolated brainwave, Garten says, anything that can be plugged in can conceivably be manipulated by Alpha activity.
InteraXon's main goal, Garten says, is as lofty as the chair.
"We're here to change the face of thought-controlled computing," she says. "(It's) becoming much more common and it's really the breaking point for this technology."
Garten describes the company as a "start up" that launched a year ago. It has five partners, who initially financed the company themselves, but buzz about their work has attracted willing investors.
InteraXon is actively developing commercial games and other gadgets for a general market.
The technology also has obvious implications for people with physical impairments, from those who suffer from such degenerative diseases such as ALS and Parkinson's, to those with spinal-cord injuries. But InteraXon's focus is to bring the technology to the general public.
And as interest heightens and technology is created — in the form of computer games and other gadgets — the sophistication will grow and prices fall, Garten predicts.
It's this technology-price cycle that will bring thought-controlled computing to the field of assisted medical devices, says Tom Chau, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Pediatric Rehabilitation Engineering at Toronto's Bloorview MacMillan Children's Centre.
Chau's Bloorview team creates devices to help severely disabled kids interact with the world.
"Of course, the more this kind of technology gets developed, the more useful it will be for our needs," says Chau.


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Asics announced the launch of the Onitsuka Tiger 2012 global brand campaign. The campaign will span one year from January 2012 and will be featured at a number of events, including music concerts, art exhibits, and festivals.
The Born of Sport, Made of Japan campaign, dubbed the “podium” campaign, pays homage to the iconic competition podium. The concept is inspired by Onitsuka Tigerʼs connection to its rich athletic history and Japanese heritage.
The Winnersʼ Podium in the visual motif is linked to the history of Onitsuka Tiger. The brand originated in sports and was loved by athletes from 1949 to 1977. Today, the brand is known throughout the world as an original Japanese sports fashion brand.
The design and motif on the Winnersʼ Podium is a modern arrangement of a traditional Japanese flower, the plum blossom.
The brand history expressed in Onitsuka Tigerʼs Born of Sport, Made of Japan campaign will be featured on onitsukatiger.com, and will be updated periodically beginning February 2012.
The campaign was established by a new internal Onitsuka Tiger management team and outside global marketing agency, Culver City, California-based Pitch. The new Onitsuka Tiger team is leading the charge of reinvigorating and transforming the brand including new product and the addition of several new retail accounts.
The ads will appear in menʼs and womenʼs lifestyle, fashion and music magazines such as Nylon, Complex, Teen Vogue, Filter, Fader and Vice. Beyond traditional magazine print ads, the podium campaign will also appear on key online media and regionally in stores, at music and art events and festivals and through a variety of unique grassroots promotions throughout the year.
“Today, Onitsuka Tiger embraces its vintage athletic roots while redirecting its focus to the designs that have lasted the test of
time,” says Senior Category Lifestyle Manager Natacha Alpert. “The brand maintains a spirit that only comes from having such a fertile history with many triumphant moments shared with some of the worldʼs greatest athletes.”
The new campaign demonstrates the evolution that is currently
taking place at Onitsuka Tiger. In mid-2011, the brand expanded
its internal team with the additions of Alpert and Sales and
Marketing Manager Colin Brickley. Soon after, Pitch was named
the global agency of record.
The new team has been responsible for expanding and invigorating distribution. Existing accounts that will continue to sell the brand include Nordstrom, Journeys, Bloomingdales and Zappos.com. New accounts include Barneys and J.Crew, and accounts such as Urban Outfitters have been expanded to include womenʼs product.
“We are establishing Onitsuka Tiger as a business unit in order to become a premier global lifestyle brand,” says Kevin Wulff, president and CEO of Asics America Corporation.
New styles and collections will launch for Fall 2012 which will be
previewed at the Agenda Tradeshow in Long Beach, Calif., Jan.
5-6, 2012 and the Project Tradeshow in Las Vegas, Nev.


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February 17, 2012
Tablet Computers Increasingly Used As Digital Babysitters
Nearly eight-in-ten parents with tablet computers allow their children to play downloaded games on the devices, according to a Nielsen survey published on Thursday of tablet-owning adults with children under the age of 12.
The survey, conducted in the fourth quarter of last year, sheds light on the way in which gadgets such as the iPad are being used as a type of ℠electronic babysitter´ to keep children occupied.Some 77 percent of the parents surveyed said their children play downloaded games on a tablet device, while 57 percent said their children used the tablets´ educational applications.
More than half the parents -- 55 percent -- said their children had used tablets for entertainment while traveling, and 41 percent said they routinely give their children the device to use in restaurants.
Forty-three percent of those surveyed said their children watch television shows or movies on tablet devices, while just 15 percent of children use tablets to communicate with friends or family.
The results of Nielsen´s Q4 2011 survey represent a nine percent increase in the number of children using tablet devices compared with the same survey conducted in Q4 2010.
The release of the Nielsen survey coincides with a staff report issued on Thursday by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission urging developers of mobile apps for children to improve disclosures to parents about personal information collected about their children.
The commission said it plans to review whether such software violates child privacy law.
"At the FTC, one of our highest priorities is protecting children's privacy, and parents deserve the tools to help them do that," said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz in a statement.
"Companies that operate in the mobile marketplace provide great benefits, but they must step up to the plate and provide easily accessible, basic information, so that parents can make informed decisions about the apps their kids use.”
“Right now, it is almost impossible to figure out which apps collect data and what they do with it. The kids´ app ecosystem needs to wake up, and we want to work collaboratively with industry to help ensure parents have the information they need.”
The report, which was based on a survey of mobile applications for children, includes new recommendations for makers and sellers of mobile applications through Apple Inc.´s Apple Store and Google Inc.´s Android Market.
"This rapidly growing market provides enormous opportunities and benefits for app users of all ages, but raises questions about users' privacy, especially when the users are children and teens," the FTC staff wrote.
As kids increasingly download mobile applications, their parents lack information about what type of data is being collected about their children and what the information is being used for, the commission said.
A mobile application can gather a wide variety of information stored on the downloading device, including the user´s location, contact lists and phone number. This information can be shared with various third parties, the FTC said.
The commission is responsible for enforcing the Children´s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA), which requires that operators of online services provide notice and receive parental consent before collecting information from children under the age of 13.
During the next six months, FTC staff will conduct an additional audit to determine whether some mobile applications are in violation of COPPA, the FTC said.
Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and John McCain (R-AZ) have introduced “The Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights,” which seeks to protect consumers´ online privacy.
“It´s just plain common sense that, at the very minimum, parents should have the right to know what kind of information an app directed to their children collects, uses and shares before downloading it,” said Senator Kerry in a statement today.
Representative Edward Markey (D-MA), who along with Representative Joe Barton (R-TX) introduced “Do Not Track Kids Act” to protect the online privacy of underage children, also praised the FTC´s report.
The market for mobile apps has skyrocketed in recent years, the FTC noted. Indeed, in 2008 there were only about 600 apps available to smartphone users. Today, there are hundreds of thousands that have been downloaded nearly 30 billion times, the commission said.
The FTC´s full report, entitled “Mobile Apps for Kids: Current Privacy Disclosures are Dis app pointing,” can be viewed here.


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Hong Kong–Christie’s Hong Kong has unveiled two unique pieces for its upcoming Magnificent Jewels auction May 30, one of which has a storied place in diamond history.
In two months, the 25.27-carat Jonker No. 5 will be up for sale, where it is expected to garner between $2.2 million and $3.6 million. The Type IIa stone is D color, VVS2 clarity and rectangular in cut.
The Jonker No. 5 is part of a legendary collection of diamonds that came from the famous 726-carat piece of rough discovered by Jacob Jonker in South Africa in 1934, which was, at the time, the fourth largest gem-quality diamond to be uncovered.
The Diamond Corporation, owned by Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, subsequently bought the rough, which was again purchased by Harry Winston Inc. in 1935, which allowed it to be displayed during the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of the Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary in London as well as at the Museum of Natural History in New York, according to Ian Balfour’s “Famous Diamonds.”
Harry Winston chose Lazare Kaplan to cleave and cut the Jonker, and the company examined it for months before the diamond took the final form of 13 polished pieces, ranging in weight from 3.53 carats at the smallest to 142.90 carats for the largest faceted stone, though this would eventually be reduced to 125.35 carats to give it a greater brilliance.
(Photo courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd.)
Also for sale at the May auction event will be the “Palmette” necklace, created by renowned designer Edmond Chin for the House of Boghossian.
The piece features 11 perfectly matched, no-oil rectangular-cut emeralds, weighing in range from approximately 3.00 carats to 12.34 carats, surrounded by circular-cut emeralds to create a repeating palmette motif with white diamonds of various cuts as spacers.
It is expected to sell for between $3.6 and $5 million.


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Top speed records were broken at the 2017 Texas Mile event. Once again, it was the Ford GT that took the top honors by clocking a top speed of 293.6 mph over the 1 mile course.
The world’s fastest Ford GT is the creation of M2K Motorsports. The car had previously hit 280 mph, but that was not enough and the team knew it could do more. So, they went out and set the new world’s fastest standing mile.
Also see: World’s Fastest Nissan GT-R at TX2K17
What is powering this insane Ford GT, you might wonder. Well, they’ve retained the stock 5.4-liter block from the factory Ford GT and that’s about it. Everything else has been replaced with the biggest and baddest parts. The fuel injectors on this thing are enormous and so are the turbos. Twin 85 mm turbines run at 45 psi!
No one know how much power this thing puts out. Apparently, there’s no dyno that can handle the amount of power this Ford GT has. Out wildest guess would be 2500+ hp. The crazy part is, it’s street legal!
World’s fastest Ford GT hits 293.6 mph at Texas Mile:


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In the five years following the withdrawal of the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Asian economic production continues to grow while the US lacks clear direction on how to engage with the region. Following the US withdrawal, eleven Indo-Pacific countries continued with negotiations and pursued the new Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Together, economies of the CPTPP make up roughly 13% of the world’s GDP and the agreement creates one of the world’s largest free-trade zones. As economic giants such as China and the United Kingdom begin the process of joining the CPTPP, it becomes essential for the US to establish clear economic goals in the region in order to not be left behind.
Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo’s statement that the US will not seek to join the CPTPP came with the announcement of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) a plan being developed by Biden administration officials to engage with the region through means other than the CPTPP. This paper will provide background on policies and issues that the administration will need to prioritize as they begin to reveal more details on this framework.
Little is known about what exactly the IPEF will do to enhance the US’ engagement in the region. The administration’s announcement of the framework in October outlined half a dozen areas on which the framework will focus: trade facilitation, digital standards, supply chain resiliency, decarbonization and clean energy, infrastructure, and worker standards. The Biden administration has indicated that this framework will not feature new free trade agreement proposals and will not commit to any new market access opportunities for Asian countries. The anti-trade rhetoric used during the 2016 presidential election and the early days of the Trump administration has quieted in the first year of Biden’s presidency. Still, it is worth nothing that the Biden administration does not feel the political climate will allow for multilateral, binding trade agreements to pass during this Congress and will not put the IPEF before the body.
The IPEF’s long-term impact will be reliant on the number of binding commitments that the US can agree upon with countries in the region. Even in the absence of congressional approval on a formal trade deal, having negotiations and securing agreements on high standard commitments will legitimize the IPEF. Because the Indo-Pacific encompasses such a large and diverse region, the US will be effectively forced to choose specific countries for participation in the IPEF. Presumably, the US will initially focus on engagement with Japan, Australia, and the Republic of Korea. These countries’ advanced economies and established trade deals with the US make them easy partners for the Biden administration to focus on. But, in order for the IPEF to maximize its goals of improving labor conditions and environmental protections and shaping trade in Asia, the Biden administration will need to engage with developing ASEAN countries.
Engagement with less-developed Asian and Southeast Asian countries is important as these countries (including Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, etc.) are key exporters of textiles, footwear, and machinery to the US. In 2020, the US imported over $1 trillion dollars’ worth of goods (nearly 50% of all imports) from countries on the Asian continent. Although the region has leading export numbers, the Asia-Pacific is home to poor working conditions, undeveloped labor protections, and infrastructure vulnerability. Integrating countries with these vulnerabilities and issues into the IPEF will allow the US to encourage and enforce labor standards around the world.
The following analysis section focuses on supply chain resiliency and establishing robust digital economy and technology standards. These two areas will have an immense impact on the US’ success in the Indo-Pacific. The US’ engagement with supply chain resiliency will enable companies and countries to trade more efficiently as new knowledge of supply chains will decrease supply chain bottlenecks and recognize flaws in their supply chains. Furthermore, fostering high standards in the digital economy and technology arena will prove amenable to US interests as an increasing number of its vital industries handle their domestic and international businesses on virtual platforms.leebaker-briefingpaper-220517
To read the full report from the Yeutter Institute, please click here.


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Linux in the news
All in one big page
See also: last week's Distributions page.
Please note that security updates from the various distributions are covered in the security section.
DLD to be "rolled in" to Red Hat Linux. It would appear that Red Hat has acquired the German distributor Delix, with the result that its "DLD" distribution will be "merged" into Red Hat. Thanks to Michael Fengler, who pointed us to this page (in German) on redhat.de offering support to DLD customers; Michael has also nicely sent us an English translation.
Caldera OpenLinuxThe OpenLinux 2.3 Getting Started Guide is available from Caldera Systems' web site. They have recently added a version in PDF format.
The Caldera OpenLinux Installation and Configuration Handbook has gotten a number of positive reviews among Caldera users. We at LWN have not read it ourselves, but we have seen a number of testamonials; the technical editing was done by Kurt Wall at Caldera Systems. Here's the Amazon link for those who are interested.
Corel LinuxCorel pleased by CNET's survey. Corel has put out this press release about CNET's survey of Linux distributions - and, in particular, about Corel's position at the top of that survey.
Debian GNU/LinuxDebian GNU/Linux 2.1r4 has been released, see the announcement for more. This is the last minute "Y2K and security fixes" release.
The Debian Project Leader election is coming due. However, Project Secretary Darren Benham has posted this noteproposing to defer the beginning of the process until after the holiday season. His current plan is to call for nominations on January 9.
The Debian Weekly News for December 14 is out; it is a special, two-week edition. It covers the topics above, and many other things.
Linux-MandrakeMandrakeSoft announces Y2K compliance. They pushed it toward the end, but MandrakeSoft has announced that Linux-Mandrake 6.1 is fully year-2000 compliant.
Linux-Mandrake needs internationalization help. MandrakeSoft is looking for people to help with the internationalization of the distribution - especially in Georgian, Armenian, Vietnamese and Occitan.
LinuxPPCAbiWord binaries available. The folks at AbiSource have announced that AbiWord is now available in binary (as well as source) form for the LinuxPPC distribution.
Red Hat LinuxRed Hat Linux in Sun's online store. Sun Microsystems has announced that it will start selling the Sparc version of Red Hat Linux via its SunStore site. Sun has not yet reached the point of selling Linux-installed systems, but they may get there...
Storm LinuxStorm Linux 2000 released Stormix Technologies has announced the release of Storm Linux 2000, a value-added version of the Debian distribution.
SuSE LinuxSuSE 6.3 is available by FTP - finally. SuSE has taken a bit of grief from some of its users for being slow in getting new distributions onto the FTP server... Users should complain no more for now, the 6.3 distribution is now available from ftp.suse.com. Most people, however, will have better luck looking on one of their mirror sites.
Comments on SuSE 6.3 seem to be quite positive. Here's a review posted by one happy user.
TurboLinuxPC Week ran this article about IPO plans over at TurboLinux. "With regard to rumors of TurboLinux being a possible takeover target by SCO or Sun Microsystems Inc., Lonn Johnson, TurboLinux vice president of marketing, jokingly commented that TurboLinux was planning on 'buying out Sun and HP in the coming year.'"
Section Editor: Liz Coolbaugh
December 16, 1999


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NEW YORK, Feb 1 – Luminex's fourth quarter revenues increased slightly over the quarter, while its net losses widened, the company reported Thursday.
Luminex's Q4 2000 revenues totaled $3.5 million, up from $2.3 million for the year-ago quarter.
The company’s R&D expenses increased slightly to $2.9 million for the fourth quarter, compared to $2 million for the fourth quarter of 1999. Sales and administrative expenses increased to $3.1 million from $1.6 million for the same period last year.
Luminex's fourth quarter net losses also widened to $3.5 million, or 13 cents per share from $2.7 million, or 10 cents per share for the year-ago quarter. These losses met Wall Street’s expectations, based on a survey of three brokers conducted by FirstCall/Thomson Financial.
During the fourth quarter, the company sold 120 of its Luminex 100 benchtop high throughput assay systems, increasing its installed base to 389.
The Luminex 100 systems employ the company's LabMap technology, which assays nucleic acids, antigen-antibody binding, enzymes, and other receptor-ligand interactions on the surface of microbeads.
The company’s fourth quarter report ends a year in which Luminex gained $77 million in an initial public offering, and posted total revenues of $8.6 million.
“2000 was a very exciting year for Luminex," said CEO Mark Chandler in a statement. " We completed a successful initial public offering, significantly increased our installed base of systems, entered into additional development and distribution partnerships with key industry players, extended our LabMap technology to new products and had our strategic partners launch the first commercial kits based on our technology.”
Luminex’s stock was up 1.52% today to 28 1/8. The company’s stock hit a high of 64 1/8 in July.


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Tencent plays safe over China PUBG launch
Chinese web giant Tencent ditched a plan for a domestic launch of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), one of its most popular global titles, apparently because of a regulatory crackdown, Financial Times (FT) reported.
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Zuckerberg blames himself for having bought Oculus
In response to a question about their biggest or “crazy” Zuckerberg acquisitions without hesitation he gave the example of Oculus.
“We bought Oculus team for a lot of money, – he said. – In fact, it seems to me that if we are better able to cope with the work to create something like that, then we probably would not have to do that. ”
The company was not ready to take on the virtual reality, he continued. “You know, Oculus team is by far the most talented of those who are working on this problem, so that such a step was reasonable,” – said Zuckerberg. But the responsibility for such decisions rests with the management. “It is your duty as president comes to understand when it is not necessary to do these crazy things … Of course, they are unavoidable, it is impossible to foresee all the world”, – he adde
Nevertheless, it seems that the investment of $ 2 billion to pay off Oculus. Startup has helped to accelerate the development and release glasses Oculus Rift. And VR Facebook introduces an idea of how the future for its extensive social network.
However, long-term strategy Zuckerberg seems to be designed more on the creation of products in-house. The company recently opened a new research laboratory R + D Lab, and continues to work on Aquila


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Wicked Weed Black Angel Cherry Sour Release Mar. 22
Less than one month after Wicked Weed’s inaugural bottle release and they’re already set for another go-round featuring Black Angel on Saturday, March 22 at 11am. This is a black sour ale aged in oak bourbon barrels with tart cherries for 5-12 months, coming in at 6.6% ABV.
- $13.95 per 500mL bottle
- Limit 12 bottles per person
- First 100 people will be let in at 10am for a VIP hour
- A fresh batch of Black Angel will be on tap
Unlike the Serenity release, this batch of Black Angel is large enough for some distribution to beer stores throughout the state. The brewery also noted on Facebook they will be releasing 6 different bottle beers throughout the Spring season.
Wicked Weed Brewing is located at 91 Biltmore Ave. in Asheville, NC.


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For Immediate Release
For additional information
Media Contact: Josh Ward
Blue Heron Communications
Ranger Boats Continues As Industry Leader With 33 Percent Sales Increases in Second Quarter
FLIPPIN, ARK. (September 20, 2002) Following a first quarter that saw a huge increase in sales, as well as a substantial market share increase over the previous year, Ranger Boats reported that second quarter sales figures ending June 30, 2002, were even stronger with 33% unit sale increases over the same period in 2001.
Based on retail registrations for the first six months of the year ending June 30, 2002, Ranger experienced sales increase of 27% compared to the overall boating industry, which showed a sales decrease of (5.7%) during the same period.
“Consumers are continuing to demonstrate their confidence and loyalty in our products,” Ranger Boats President, Randy Hopper said. “As always we are focused on the quality of our products and exceeding customers’ expectations. Experience has taught us that when times get tough , superior quality products seem to further distance themselves from the pack. The recent J.D. Power survey results also confirm the satisfaction, confidence and loyalty our customers have in Ranger.”
For the second year in a row, Ranger received the highest ranking among bass boat manufacturers throughout the U.S. in customer satisfaction according to the results in the 2002 J.D. Power and Associates annual Boat Competitive Information StudySM.
“The 2003 model year will mark the 35th anniversary of Ranger Boats and the reputation and commitment we have established for the highest quality and innovative products will continue to put Ranger ahead as the industry leader,” said Hopper.
Ranger Boats, headquartered in Flippin, Ark., is the nation’s largest manufacturer of premium fiberglass fishing boats, including a series of bass, multi-species and saltwater boats. Founded in 1968 by Forrest L. Wood, Ranger Boats continues its philosophy of “building legends one at a time.” For more information visit www.rangerboats.com
For the most up-to-date information, news release archives, downloadable high-resolution logos and photographs of GenmarÒ products, visit the web site at www.genmar.com.pr
Editor’s Note: Images available upon request.
J.D. Power and Associates 2001-2002 Boat Competitive Information StudiesSM. 2002 Study based on responses from a total of 11,752 owners of 2001 model-year boats. www.jdpower.com.


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"We looked at as much as we could look at, and we can't put our finger on it," said Darrin Robinson, Swatara Twp. fire marshal. The fire is not believed to be arson, he said. It began in the northeast section of the warehouse area.
The store, along Route 322 west of Hummelstown, had mostly smoke damage. It was closed today, with a restoration crew at work. Robinson said he was told the store hopes to reopen soon.
|Fire at Murphy's Home Center|


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Nearly one in five U.S. adults have access to a smart speaker and adoption of these voice-powered devices has grown to 47.3 million adults in two years–or 20 percent of the U.S. adult population, according to research from Voicebot.ai. More travelers are looking to book on emerging platforms through voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and more hotels are searching for ways to reach customers on the technologies they are using today in their homes.
Expedia.com this week announced the launch of the Expedia Action for Google Assistant, giving the ability to manage travel plans through hands-free voice commands on Google Assistant-enabled devices. After travelers link Expedia accounts to the Action, they can get personalized assistance with existing itineraries, check Expedia Rewards balances, get packing lists, and more. The OTA already has a skill in place for Amazon’s Alexa.
“We’re excited to innovate with ways to make travel planning easier, no matter where you are or what device you’re using. The market has seen rapid adoption of these new technologies within the past year and we want to make sure that Expedia customers are able to get the travel information they need, exactly when they need it. The Google Assistant is a step in that direction,” says Expedia’s Brent Harrison, vice president of product and technology.
With the Expedia Action for the Google Assistant, which is available in English, travelers will be able to browse and book hotels, cancel flight and hotel reservations, add a rental car to an existing round-trip flight reservation, check available Expedia Rewards points, access Expedia trip itineraries, and get packing lists for an upcoming trip. They start by saying, “Ok Google, talk to Expedia,” and choose options from there.


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Suntory Group has developed a prototype PET bottle made from 100% plant-based materials, excluding the cap and label.
The milestone follows a nearly decade-long partnership with sustainable technology company Anellotech.
The bottle was developed using Anellotech’s new technology, a plant-based paraxylene derived from wood chips, which has been converted to plant-based terephthalic acid (PTA).
Mono ethylene glycol (MEG) is the other raw material used to produce PET, and the prototype bottle has been developed with a plant-based MEG made from molasses.
Tsunehiko Yokoi, executive officer of Suntory Monozukuri Expert, said: “The significance of this technology is that the PTA is produced from non-food biomass to avoid competition with the food chain, while MEG is also derived from non-food-grade feedstock”.
The prototype has been produced for the company’s Orangina brand in Europe and its Suntory Tennensui bottled mineral water brand in Japan.
Suntory says that the prototype is estimated to have a significantly lower carbon footprint compared with a petroleum-derived virgin bottle, and the company aims to commercialise the fully recyclable plant-based bottle ‘as soon as possible’.
The innovation supports Suntory’s ambition to eliminate its use of petroleum-derived virgin PET plastic bottles globally by transitioning to 100% recycled or plant-based PET bottles by 2030.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2023


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We live in a data-driven economy, where algorithms are used to recommend items for online shoppers and to place the stories you can read on LinkedIn. Even your grocery store is customizing coupons based on your shopping habits.
Companies make decisions based on data, using analytics to measure everything from delivery times to social media impact. Data is applied toward better sales, policies, services and science.
“It’s only going to grow,” said L. Allison Jones-Farmer, the Van Andel Professor of Business Analytics and director of Miami University’s Center for Analytics and Data Science (CADS).
Jones-Farmer, whose research focuses on developing statistical methods to solve real-world problems, joined Miami in 2014 to help create the center.
CADS launched in spring 2015 with a $175,000 internal grant over three years from the Innovation and Interdisciplinary Fund in the provost’s office. The center is an interdisciplinary collaboration among the departments of information systems and analytics in the Farmer School of Business; statistics in the College of Arts and Science; and computer science and software engineering in the College of Engineering and Computing. The departments of marketing and accountancy also are involved.
The center was created to develop academic programs that address high-demand skills, partner with internal and external organizations on experiential learning opportunities and foster interdisciplinary collaborative research.
John Bailer (left), University Distinguished Professor and chair of the department of statistics, said the time was right for CADS.
“All of our lives are being influenced by the data that is being collected and the tools
that are being applied, so our responsibility is to make sure we have students that are aware of these things being done and being developed,” he said. “They are going to be partners in the development of this.”
A 2011 McKinsey & Company report predicted there could be a shortage of employees with deep analytical skills by 2018.
Miami’s center will develop a new kind of problem solver who can compile and analyze data but also interpret, communicate and apply information in this rapidly changing information age.
In its first year, the center has raised $375,000 from corporate partnerships with IBM, Cardinal Health, EY (Ernst & Young), Allstate and the Sheskey Family Foundation. It is seeking five more partnerships.
EY also gave $388,000 for an Analytics Learning Lab, a central meeting place for students in analytics/data science fields and a work environment for project-based clients.
New skills for a competitive advantage
Patty Morrison (Miami ’80), chief information officer and executive vice president of customer support services for Dublin-based Cardinal Health Inc., said the Fortune 500 company wants to attract the best and brightest Miami students who want to solve problems for health care.
“Part of that preparation is practical experience in working across disciplines to generate insights from data,” Morrison said. “The center brings this unique approach to complement any student’s major area of study.”
Data and analytics play “the primary role in my field right now,” said Morrison, who sees the value in students from various majors getting a minor in business analytics or participating in CADS.
“New business models are emerging every day that are based on analytics,” she said.
“Everyone needs to be ready.”
Jones-Farmer said she’s seeing a tremendous interest from students to supplement their majors with these kinds of skills.
Student enjoys turning raw data into solutions for business
Nicole Peters (right)) — a senior supply chain and operations management major who has an analytics co-major and information systems minor — liked being part of the cross-functional team on a project about the impact of the Butler County Land Bank. She said exposure to different approaches and thinking methodologies paired with the opportunity to apply concepts learned in analytics courses gave her a unique learning experience.
“The almost infinite opportunities drew me to these fields of study,” Peters said. “Analytics is a dynamic and rapidly growing field, and with supply chain, a company can always do better — become more efficient, more sustainable, more responsive.”
This is the second summer Peters is working in Atlanta for WestRock, an American corrugated packaging company. As a logistics analyst intern, she focuses primarily on projects designed to uncover savings opportunities for the company from a logistics standpoint.
“For example, last summer I worked on a mill-to-port mode conversion project in which I analyzed shipments traveling from mills to ports to determine where the shipping mode could be converted from truck to rail to save the company money,” she said.
Peters said she enjoys the challenge of working with data sets.
“I like how each problem is different and no two are approached the exact same way,” she said. “But no matter what, you always have the same end goal — to turn raw data into information that can be used to make business decisions.”


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After the OPPO Watch launch in March this year, Vivo became the only major smartphone manufacturer without a smartwatch in its portfolio. Not anymore, as the company’s Vivo Watch just got listed on the Bluetooth certification website.
The leaks about the Vivo Watch started in February this year when the company trademarked the name at the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office). Later, the Chinese 3C website also revealed the model numbers as WA2056 and WA2052.
Vivo Watch spotted on Bluetooth certification website
Now, the WA2056 variant has received a Bluetooth certification confirming Bluetooth 5.0 support. Another thing worth noting is that it will only support 5W charging. Just like any other smartwatch, the Vivo Watch is also expected to come in two different sizes. Even the two different model numbers also hint at the same thing.
As per the design patent, the Vivo Watch looks more like a traditional watch featuring a circular dial. On the right are the two physical buttons. While the OPPO Watch looks like an Apple Watch copycat, the Vivo Watch could be inspired by Samsung Galaxy Watch.
Expected to come with a circular display
From the images, the Vivo smartwatch is expected to feature a heart-rate sensor and user-replaceable straps. Looking at the competition, Vivo might also bring the electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring feature. The frame of the dial comes engraved with the seconds marking.
As of now, there is no other information available about the upcoming Vivo Watch. However, the recent certifications suggest the launch could happen very soon. Obviously, the Vivo Watch will be making its debut first in China.
With the certifications in Europe and India, it should be coming to the overseas markets as well. In terms of OS, the Vivo Watch should be running on a proprietary OS.
Even for the global version, we don’t think the company will be using Wear OS by Google. Without Wear OS, the Vivo Watch will be missing out on several smart features. After ditching Wear OS by Google, previously Android Wear, Huawei smartwatches missed several smart features and support for thousands of apps.
We have to wait for the next big launch from Vivo to catch a glimpse of its first-ever smartwatch. As per the recent leaks, Vivo will be launching the new Vivo X50 series in India on July 16th.


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Despite owning Titanfall on PC, I just picked it up on the Xbox One; it’s currently going for just $5 including all of its DLC, making it a bit of a no-brainer. The game’s just a heck of a lot of fun, you see – and though its player base has dwindled, I’d like to get a little more Titanfall action.
As you’re likely aware, the game was never officially released here, so many of you haven’t played the game. That could be changing, because Titanfall is coming…to your mobile phone.
Yes, Respawn (and its sister company, Particle City) has penned an agreement with Nexon to bring Titanfall to a mobile device near you.
“Working closely with our partners at Respawn and Particle City we intend to build on the original game’s success and introduce millions of mobile gamers to the rich Titanfall universe,” Nexon president and CEO Owen Mahoney said in a statement.
Respawn’s Vince Zampella was equally enthusiastic.
“Our partnership with Nexon is momentous for many reasons,” Zampella said. “Nexon’s unrivaled publishing network and free-to-play expertise will allow Titanfall to reach new global audiences. And with Particle City, we are closely collaborating to create all-new standalone games with original gameplay experiences that expand the Titanfall universe to players everywhere.”
The game won’t be a first person shooter, and will instead” take the gameplay in a new direction,” and at the same time “deliver a high-quality game experience.”
When I hear Nexon and mobile game in the same sentence, my mind immediately wanders to mictrotransactions – so expect this to be a free-to-play game, likely a 3rd person shooter similar to the Borderlands mobile game.
In related news, Respawn has said that the multi-platform Titanfall 2 is something worth waiting for. Okay then.
Last Updated: October 30, 2015
Grand Admiral Chief SpaceNinja
October 30, 2015 at 08:31
I won’t mind playing the game


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An updated version of the GigE Vision camera interface standard has been released. Version 1.2 of the standard brings new features, including control of non-streaming devices, says the Automated Imaging Association (AIA, www.MachineVisionOnline.org), Ann Arbor, Mich., which oversees development and administration of the standard.
GigE Vision is a camera interface standard developed using the Gigabit Ethernet communication protocol. GigE Vision allows fast, 1-gigabit/sec transfer of data using low cost standard cables at distances up to 100 meters. The standard enables multi-vendor hardware and software to interoperate seamlessly over Ethernet connections. The GigE Vision standard has been used by the machine vision industry since 2006, the AIA said in a Jan. 21 press release announcing the update.
Version 1.2 introduces non-streaming device control to the standard. It accommodates networked video distribution applications that leverage switched Ethernet client/server video networks. Devices such as GigE Vision-enabled lights will now be automatically recognized by the computers on the network.
“Version 1.2 is a major milestone for GigE Vision, as it opens the doors for new classes of products beyond the traditional camera. It enables the integration of various types of devices through a common control protocol, greatly simplifying software development for system integrators. This demonstrates the direction GigE Vision is taking to be more than a simple camera interface by providing a complete networking model to machine vision,” said Eric Carey, chair of the GigE Vision Standard Committee and research and development director at Dalsa Corp. (www.dalsa.com), Billerica, Mass.
GigE Vision is a widely adopted interface, with dozens of leading companies offering hundreds of GigE Vision compliant products in the market today, according to the AIA. GigE Vision should not be confused with devices that only say they are “GigE,” said the association. While a GigE device may use Ethernet connectivity, it does not use the GigE Vision communication protocol and will not plug-and-play with GigE Vision compliant devices, the AIA said.
The AIA tests the compliance of registered products, and encourages purchasers of vision equipment to look for the GigE Vision Logo for assurance that a product is compliant. Only registered compliant products may use the logo, the AIA said.
Users can expect to see growth in the GigE Vision-compliant products on the market such as hardware-based video receivers, software-based video servers and network controlled devices, the AIA said. The highly scalable interface will follow the rapid growth of Ethernet bandwidth. The GigE Vision standard committee is already at work on GigE Vision 2.0 with an expected release in mid-2011.
Automated Imaging Association


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Robby Blanchard is best known for his Commission Hero course, where he shows you how to make $1,000+ per day as an affiliate. But the puffy, pasty white pitchman just announced a new course he’s coming out with. It’s called Project Platinum. It’s all about helping people reach Platinum status on ClickBank. To do so, you have to earn at least $250,000 in affiliate commissions, through ClickBank, in a single year. Here’s what we know so far.
Robby claims to have helped 100 people achieve this milestone already. Which, on the surface, sounds impressive. But given that thousands, if not 10,000 plus people bought his Commission Hero course, that’s still a very small percentage. Also, just ’cause those 100 people made at least $250k in ClickBank commissions in a year doesn’t mean they profited that much. After ad spend and software and tools and funnel builders and paying Robby for his mentorship, heck, some of ’em could’ve lost money.
Either way, in a perfect world, Robby wants everyone who joins Project Platinum to join that elusive club. My guess is less than 1% will. That won’t stop Robby from trying to convince you otherwise. “This is a brand new angle, brand new course,” Robby says. “And it’s a brand new software designed to help even more people have success. My students have done over $100 million on ClickBank to date and I know that Project Platinum will supercharge success for everyone involved.”
So again, the mission is to help students reach Platinum on ClickBank by generating at least $250k in commissions in a calendar year. There’s an AI-powered software suite because of course there is. Artificial intelligence is hot right now. Even if it’s garbage, it’ll help Robby sell this program. As for the training, it’ll expand on the core Commission Hero system. Which was: pick a worthless eBook for sale on ClickBank, grab your affiliate link, run misleading Facebook ads, spam those people till they buy. Hope to make back more than you spent. (More or less.)
“Project Platinum was created because when I attended the ClickBank Platinum event in Costa Rica,” Robby adds, “there were over 30 of my students there who had already made Platinum (which is $250,000) in a year. On top of that, I found out that of the 600 or so people that have made Platinum, over 30% of them are my students. That’s why I created Project Platinum. My goal this year is to help 1,000 people get to the $250k mark on ClickBank and do it through my proven three-step system.”
Nothing says legitimate like proven three-step system. Or filming content in front of your new baby blue sports car, paid for by all the people who now can’t afford their own car payment because they bought your overhyped course. Am I right? Project Platinum is a six-week masterclass with the latest and greatest strategies for promoting ClickBank products on Facebook and YouTube. The AI software will apparently make your ads for you. Hope there’s a module on what to do when you inevitably get banned.
With Project Platinum, it’s simple and easy to make commissions without building an email list, creating a product of your own to sell, or even doing customer service. This, according to Robby, who’s already busy incentivizing his army of affiliates to spray the internet with positive reviews so they can earn a 50% commission on the program plus qualify for over $150,000 in prizes. I never really understood what “highly punchable person” meant until I saw a Robby Blanchard ad. Now I totally get it. Project Platinum will cost $2,497 and there’ll probably be upsells after that.


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Bestway Group has launched a major promotional push via the internet using its newly revamped website.
Bestway Group has undertaken a major overhaul of the website and relaunched it with new graphics and a new, easy to navigate feel.
To encourage cash and carry customers to register on-line, the company has devised a special promotion, offering discount vouchers on products bought in depots.
The vouchers can be redeemed in any of the 49 Bestway and Batley depots across the country.
The exclusive website special offers will be changed every three weeks. Products featured in the first promotion include, Best-in coffee, Quick Brew Tea, McCain chips, Nescaf eacute; granules and Cater4 tomatoes.
Bestway managing director Younus Sheikh said in announcing the new site: “This is a major new push for us. We recognise the importance of using all the tools in the box when it comes to ensuring our voice is heard in the market place.
“We are intent on continuing to improve and enlarge the website as our business continues to grow with it.”
Merchandising and inserts in promotional brochures will be available in depots to promote the site and encourage customers to register on-line.


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History does have a habit of repeating itself, but surely not as fast as this.
Barely 15 years ago the FTSE 100 was nearing a record high of 6,996 and internet companies were falling over themselves to come to market. But the signs were there of an impending market collapse. In the UK, at least, this became embodied by the implosion of the online retailer boo.com, which managed to burn through more than £100m in investor capital in a few short months despite turning over less than a medium-sized country pub. When boo.com went, it heralded a market crash.
Tomorrow a certain boohoo.com, another online fashion retailer, comes to the Aim market. And although boohoo.com is a much sounder prospect than its unconnected predecessor, its IPO right now, when the market is pushing back towards 7,000 and following a host of oversubscribed dotcom IPOs, is reminiscent of 1999.
Take the recent float of the online white goods retailer AO, which had more than a whiff of dotcom mania about it. Overnight AO achieved a market cap close to that of Dixons, which enjoys a turnover nearly 40 times its size.
A few days before, in the US, Facebook unveiled a $16bn (£9.6bn) takeover of WhatsApp, a middle-sized instant messaging service.
The Candy Crush Saga games group King yesterday unveiled plans for a US flotation that could value it at more than $7bn, not far off the veteran games group Electronic Arts. Even sober commentators are starting to question why are investors partying like it's 1999 again, or is there something fundamentally different this time around?
For Patrick Connelly from Chase de Vere there are similarities between the recent surge in share prices and the dotcom boom: "As the FTSE 100 approaches 7,000 it certainly makes people question whether we are in a bubble. There are some similarities with the stock market boom of 1999 in that shares are being pushed higher by sentiment rather than fundamentals.
"Many stocks are now looking expensive, and unless earnings improve to justify these valuations, there is a real danger that we could suffer a market correction."
So any rise above the symbolic 7,000 may be shortlived, but Mr Connelly says there are some key differences this time: "The most expensive stocks today are quality businesses with good earnings and making consistent profits. In 1999 many of the most bought stocks were start-up businesses with no real infrastructure and which had never made a profit. These are not flash-in-the pan dotcoms."
How internet company shares are priced up has altered a lot since 1999. Expertise in the City is greater when it comes to understanding the peculiarities of companies with a strong internet presence.
Juliet Schooling Latter at Chelsea Financial Services said: "Back in the day, internet companies were being priced on the number of clicks rather than earnings. Now things are much more sophisticated.
"Take the Facebook IPO, for instance. It faltered due to many professional investors not being able to see clearly where revenues would come from, and it was only once this was clearer (about a year later) that they chose to take a holding. Twitter was expensive with no visibility of earnings and WhatsApp has just been bought for a huge amount of money, but still with the same issue."
Outside the social media sector, Ms Schooling Latter says there is still value: "The technology sector is much more varied than it was in 1999 and the bigger stalwarts are not expensive. Indeed the sector as a whole is still relatively cheap."
Another crucial difference is a notable absence of small investors buying into internet companies. In 1999 a culture of day-trading sprang up around the surge in dotcom share values, and investment funds such as Aberdeen Technology had such huge flows of capital that managers admitted they couldn't buy enough stocks. One apocryphal story about this crazed time was one fund manager hiring a helicopter to carry last-minute Individual Savings Account applications from Canary Wharf to their head office for processing.
No fund manager would dream of doing anything so showy now. Adrian Lowcock, an investment manager at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "Shares are nowhere near as popular now as they were back then. Back in the dotcom boom I remember being offered share tips by my cab driver. Now private individuals are obsessed with property."
He concludes that despite the huge valuations of AO and the likes of Twitter and Facebook "markets have come a long way, but we are still nowhere near levels of irrationality or over-exuberance which drives bubbles."
But David Kuo, investment director of the Motley Fool website, says: "'This time is different' are probably the four most dangerous words in investing. When you buy an asset that is valued at 200 times annual profit, you are effectively saying that I will make back my money in 200 years. That requires not just a massive leap of faith but a giant leap into the dark."
Float facts: How the shares fared
Cheap light bulbs and chocolates won out over hamsters and terrapins yesterday, as Poundland shares made a sparkling debut on the stock market but those in Pets at Home fell sharply.
Poundland shares were priced at 300p, or three times the price of everything on offer in its 500-plus high-street shops. They raced up 70p to 370p, valuing the business at £925m.
By contrast, Pets at Home's shares, which were priced at 245p in the offer to institutions, staff and retail investors, fell by 7p to 238p, valuing the 369-strong store chain at £1.2bn.
Poundland raised no new money through its offer, with the private equity firm Warburg Pincus collecting the bulk of the £375m made. Following the float Warburg Pincus will own just over 30 per cent of the shares and management 10.2 per cent.
Pets at Home raised £280m of new cash. Its major shareholder, the private equity giant KKR, and other existing investors collected £210m from the sale.


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Apple’s new iPhone might be a treat for Japan
Apple’s new iPhone is set to be released in September and every iOs user is excited. The technology giant has however been reported to be working on a new iPhone for Japan that will include the feature of paying for transit through the country. Japanese users might be able to pay for their commute through iPhones with the help of FeliCa technology. This means that apple’s new iPhone will include a special feature just for the Japanese customer base.
apple’s new iPhone might aim big
Japan’s massive transit system accepts online payments through FeliCa which is a wireless standard throughout the country. Apple’s new iPhone is trying to initiate collaboration with Japan’s transit titans to provide the users with the ability to pay with their phones. This installation in apple’s new iPhone will give the users the access of paying as they go through transit stations. It will allow individuals to touch their phones at stations to overcome travel barriers making commute easier within the country.
Collaboration with transport giants
FeliCa is used in Japan and was developed by Sony. It has 1.9 million payment terminals across the country and according to the bank of Japan, it handled around 46$ billion transactions last year. Apple is definitely eyeing a big business to collaborate with on this new venture.
Read about Apple at iPhone 7 is releasing soon with missing headphone jack
Reports by Bloomberg suggest that Apple may include FeliCa in the next years iPhone that is set to release in 2017, if it cannot reach an agreement with transit giants this year.
Japan has more than 70 railway companies and they host majority of the travel cards used in the region. Suica, Pasmo and Icoca are some of the biggest names in the transit industry. In 2013, transit in Japan turned a new leaf when the owners behind 10 of the major transport companies signed a deal to make their cards operational across each others’ network. So, this is a plus point for Apple that these companies have worked together before.
Image via HowIBecameTexan
Source via TheVerge
I’m a communication enthusiast and junior editor-reporter at Research Snipers, I have completed a degree in Mass Communication but am very enthusiastic about new technology, games, and mobile devices. I have the main interest in Technology and games.


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Premier Foods blames Aldi and Lidl after profits warning that wiped 15 per cent off company's value
Premier Foods blamed Aldi and Lidl after a profits warning that wiped 15 per cent off the company’s value.
The food group behind Mr Kipling warned of exceedingly poor trading as most ranges, including Oxo cubes and Bisto gravy, are only stocked in large supermarkets.
Premier has a small range of products in cut-price grocers.
Hit hard: The food group behind Mr Kipling warned of exceedingly poor trading as most ranges, including Oxo cubes and Bisto gravy, are only stocked in large supermarkets
Britain’s ‘big four’ grocers have been hammered by the ascent of the German discounters, which now account for around 8 per cent of the UK market. In an attempt to respond, the group is selling second tier brands such as Bird’s Custard and Paxo stuffing in stores.
Premier warned that third quarter sales fell by 4.7 per cent, which would push annual profits ‘towards the lower end of expectations’.
Shares fell nearly 15 per cent to finish 5p lower at 29.25p, wiping £33.5m off the value of the company.
Chief executive Gavin Darby said: ‘There has been a very big change in consumer patterns, and shoppers are moving away from the big stores.’
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The long-awaited day has arrived: today’s new collection of drawings ERDEM X H & M. is coming online and in stores. The theme is flowers, lace and poetry atmospheres for a modern and romantic woman.
The video of the spot was shot no less than by the eclectic Australian director Baz Luhrmann.
After Kenzo, chosen last year by H & M for his new designer collection, 2017 is the turn of Erdem.
Compared to its predecessors – Versace, Alexander Wang, Balmain, Lanvin, Roberto Cavalli, Isabel Marant and Maison Martin Margiela – the choice fell this year on a name far more than niche. Erdem is a Canadian stylist, born in Montreal, Canada, British mother and Turkish father.
After studying fashion at Ryerson University in Toronto, she took part in Vivienne Westwood’s stage in London.
In 2003, after graduating from the Royal College of Art, he went to New York where he worked for Diane von Furstenburg before returning to London and launching his own brand. Erdem today is sold in over 170 stores and in 2015 the brand has opened its flagship store in Mayfair.


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Consumer Confidence Rose More Than Expected During the Holiday Shopping Season
Consumer confidence in the U.S. rose more than forecast in December, to a six-month high, as unemployment declined and gasoline prices moved lower.
The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index climbed to 69.9 from 64.1 at the end of November. The gauge averaged 89 points in the five years leading up to the recession that began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009.
A steep drop in the national unemployment rate last month seems to be a trend rather than a fluke, as weekly jobless claims reports show the number of unemployed in the U.S. continuing to decrease in December. In the week ended December 17, new claims for jobless benefits dropped by 4,000 to a seasonally-adjusted 364,000 — the lowest since April 2008.
“Income growth and a reviving job market are helping restore confidence,” said Ryan Sweet, a senior economist at Moody’s Analytics Inc. in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The “recent decline in jobless claims and gasoline prices are a positive.”
The index of U.S. leading indicators climbed more than forecast in November, a sign the world’s biggest economy will keep growing in early 2012. The Conference Board’s gauge of the outlook for the next three to six months rose 0.5 percent after a 0.9 percent increase in October.
The University of Michigan’s survey of consumer expectations for six months from now, which more accurately projects the direction of consumer spending, also rose to 63.6 in December, compared to 55.4 last month, marking the fourth straight gain and the biggest point increase in a single month since May.
The index of current conditions, which reflects Americans’ perceptions of their own personal financial situations, and whether they consider it a good time to purchase big-ticker items, increased from 77.6 last month to 79.6 in December, the highest since June.
The survey also showed consumers to be expecting the rate of inflation to rise 3.1 percent over the next 12 months, down from 3.2 percent in November. Over the next five years, Americans expect a 2.7 percent rate of inflation.


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Burger King Stock Returns to New York Stock Exchange, Does Well
Burger King's first day back at school, err, the stock market went fairly well for the world's second-largest hamburger chain. NPR reports that it's shares, under symbol BKW, went up 3.5 percent and closed at $15.01. It opened that day at $14.50.
This was the first time Burger King was on the public market since 2010, when the company was purchased by 3G Capital.
Burger King's return to the big board was hardly hyped, especially since it didn't have an initial public offering. Rather, 3G Capital set up a deal with a smaller company, selling them a minority stake. Only 16 percent of the stocks were reportedly up for grabs opening day.
As of 1:45 p.m. today, the BWK stock is at $15.81. Analysts are suggesting that Burger King's focus on expansion abroad will help stock sales stateside. Not bad for a comeback.
Jessica Chou is an associate editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @jesschou.


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Bitcoin Marks 6-wk Highs on Bullish Sentiment
Bitcoin (BTCUSD) marked 6-wk highs Tuesday on Bullish headlines that included the possible entry of major financial institutions into the nascent asset sector, boosting sentiment on the overall cryptocurrency market.
The world’s largest cryptocurrency gained after a 50% Fibo correction in Q-1 of this year, following a 1,400% Bull Run in Y 2017.
Bitcoin has risen in 6 of the last 7 sessions.
Currently, Bitcoin is trading at: $9,177.5352,-66.46, or -0.72%, as of 5:56a BST, the market is open
Bitcoin’s gains increased demand for other cryptocurrencies such as ripple and ethereum, pushing the market capitalization of all digital currencies to $427-B, the largest market cap since early March.
Blockchain, a digital ledger of transactions, underpins cryptocurrencies, and can be used to track, record, and transfer assets across all industries.
News that major financial institutions are becoming more Bullish about the space has bolstered the confidence of retail investors.
Goldman Sachs enlisted Justin Schmidt, a former trader, to be the 1st head of digital asset markets in the company’s securities division.
Barclays Plc has been gauging interest from its clients about launching a cryptocurrency trading desk.
It was reported Tuesday that at least 1 in 5 financial institutions is considering trading cryptocurrencies within the next 12 months, according to a survey published by Thomson Reuters.
Among those respondents who said they were willing to trade cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, 70% said they were planning to start trading in the next 3 – 6 months, the survey showed.
Over the past 24-hrs $28-B has exchanged hands the largest trading volume since 10 February according to the data.
Cryptocurrency market participants point out that challenges in the asset sector such as increased regulatory focus are not going away any time soon and may take a long time to resolve.
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