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IBM is linking up its OmniFind corporate search system with Google's free desktop search for business to make it easier for users to locate information throughout an organization that is often locked up in many separate systems.
"Getting these two products together makes sense for both of us," said David Girouard, general manager of Google's enterprise business unit. "If you want to have a good corporate search product, you have to have desktop search," he said.
Google wins IBM's endorsement among corporate technical managers forand IBM gives corporate information workers an already popular entry point into back-office databases through Google's search.
Searchable data ranges from e-mail to computer files to blog postings to corporate repositories of data, images, audio or video, Prial said. Much of this is not available using public Web search tools. Typically, it isexcept by trawling through many different programs.
"There is a lot of information that passively sits inside an enterprise," said Jon Prial, IBM's vice president of content management. "Our intention is to provide more of an active service that gives a single view of all that information."
No money is changing hands in this loose partnership by the world's biggest computer company and the leader in Web search.
But coming just weeks after a, the IBM deal enlists yet another potential ally as Google increasingly .
Prial downplayed any grand strategy in IBM's dealings with Google, but said it was part of a broader push IBM calls "information as a service," which the computer company plans to make more explicit over the coming months.
Needle in the haystack
Users of IBM's WebSphere integration software would have access to information stored inside rival business databases and content management systems, not just those from IBM.
"There's a lot of raw data inside an organization--as much as 80 percent is unstructured and something has to happen to make it into information," Forrester analyst Barry Murphy said of data forgotten on employee hard disks or other places.
IBM customers can use the Google-IBM search combination by buying IBM products and services and building their own in-house system or rely on IBM to create a prepackaged system, tailored to the company's industry, the company said.
Its first custom-built system, called IBM Crime Information Warehouse, aims to give government and police agencies fast access to crime statistics, incident and arrest reports in a single view that can help discern crime patterns, IBM said.
Mountain View, Calif.-based Google eschews big, formal alliances with corporate technology suppliers such as IBM. That's been the traditional route less-established software suppliers have used to win corporate acceptance of their products.
Google's strategy is rather to use its popularity with consumers at home to slip into offices by relying on the actions of millions of employees to each download its tools.
"Information technology used at work has been evolving much more slowly than among consumers," Girouard said. "We think there is a great opportunity (for our consumer users) to bring products to the workplace that are Google-like," he said.


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An H&R Block survey of over 1200 small-business owners with fewer than 50 employees revealed that 76 per cent have seen a negative impact on their business since the beginning of 2020, with 79 per cent experiencing a decrease in revenue since the COVID-19 outbreak in early March 2020.
The owners of bricks-and-mortar stores, who are unable to take most of their business online, feel they are most at risk from ongoing state government restrictions on their ability to trade, with over a half of them fearful that survival will not be possible if stay-at-home orders remain in place.
While small-business owners support aspects of the government response to COVID-19, many are unsatisfied with how the pandemic has been handled by the local and federal government. Two thirds of small business owners (including 64 per cent with brick and mortar locations) say they supported stay-at-home orders despite the impact on their business. However, 59 per cent say they are angry about how the government failed small businesses in response to the pandemic.
Meanwhile, 23 per cent believe that the response of the federal government to COVID-19 has been effective, and 29 per cent say that the response of the federal government to COVID-19 has changed who they will vote for in the November election. Overall, 95 per cent of small-business owners say that since the COVID-19 pandemic, they have not been contacted by local or federal elected representatives or their offices to try and understand the unique challenges they are facing.
Community response has been a mixed one for small-business owners. On one hand, 50 per cent believe that there seems to be a renewed interest in “shopping locally” in their area, and 49 per cent believe that people would rather shop at small businesses than larger corporations. However, 63 per cent are worried that many of their customers may no longer be able to afford their products and services.
In an attempt to tap into that community support, small businesses have pivoted their business offering, creating products to meet new needs, digitising their presence, and making operational changes. Almost a third, 30 per cent, opted to create new products/services to meet new needs, while 38 per cent considered paying for themselves and/or their staff to get new skills/training due to COVID-19.

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VRM Media Bulks Up with Fitness Trainer Acquisition
Natural products publisher expands into active fitness category.
VRM Media, a B2B publisher serving the health food and dietary industries, has expanded its portfolio with the acquisition of Fitness Trainer magazine.
Fitness Trainer is a bimonthly, digital-only publication distributed to 190,000 personal trainers, coaches and athletes.
Deal terms were not disclosed.
VRM president Dan McSweeney says that while VRM’s other four brands—Vitamin Retailer, Nutrition Industry Executive, Gluten Free Retailer and Natural Practitioner—focus on the natural and nutritional products markets, Fitness Trainer was an opportunity to expand into the personal fitness category. "A big plus is that there is a strong cross-over opportunity for the existing advertisers from our other publications like Vitamin Retailer," he adds.
While Fitness Trainer is a B2B title at its core, the magazine has potential with fitness enthusiasts as well. "It is a hybrid type of B2B magazine in that it serves a particular business audience in personal trainers, but it is really more of a consumer magazine from an advertising perspective," says McSweeney. "The benefit to advertisers is that it is read by these personal trainers who have tremendous influence on their clients. These people are the most desirable consumers possible for marketers of healthy food, vitamins, sports drinks, exercise equipment and exercise apparel."
Bob Rose, a publishing industry veteran who launched the title two years ago at the age of 82 will stay on as a consulting editor. VRM advertising sales manager Roy Kieffer will handle sales for the title and current freelance editor Amy Kierce will continue in that role.
Immediate growth plans include a pending launch of a dedicated website and building circulation. McSweeney says there are no plans to introduce a print version of the brand.


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Such foodstuffs – with or without hay – can cause painful dental and digestive problems, finds research from University of Edinburgh and Burgess Pet Care.
Research from the University of Edinburgh’s vet school has found feeding muesli-style foods to rabbits – with or without hay – could cause painful dental and digestive problems.
The research – supported by Burgess Pet Care, and carried out over two years – found the foods cause a number of problems, including:
- slower gut motility, which can cause gut stasis – an often fatal condition
- the consumption of less hay, which can cause abnormal growth of teeth as well as a reduction in water intake, which could lead to urinary tract problems
- lesser consumption of caecotrophs, so the mammals may not get all the nutrition they need. Uneaten caecotrophs may also become matted in fur, putting the animals at risk of dermatitis and fly strike
- selective feeding – where rabbits pick out their favourite pieces rather than eating the whole portion – which can lead to an imbalanced diet lacking in vital vitamins and minerals
- obese and overweight animals
Anna Meredith from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at Edinburgh, said: “The findings of this research have significant implications for the feeding of the nation’s rabbits. Vets have suspected for a number of years that feeding muesli-style foods could lead to health issues in rabbits, and now we have the proof to substantiate that.”
Managing director of Burgess Pet Care Paul Miley said: “It will come as no surprise to vets, and indeed the pet food industry, that feeding muesli-style foods to fibrevores is unhealthy. What will be a surprise is the clarity of Prof Meredith’s findings.
“With this research, we and our Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW) partners will seek to eliminate this dangerous food stuff from the pet food aisles. To assist this transition we’re offering a full range of educational materials for vets, vet nurses, staff and, of course, consumers, with clear instructions on how to feed a healthy diet, the issue with muesli and how to safely manage the transition.”
RAW, which commences May 4 (2013), and is backed by the RSPCA, Wood Green, Blue Cross, PDSA and the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund, will see vet practices and retailers across the country celebrating the exotic mammal with events, competitions and offers.
For more information, visit the RAW website.


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Zara started its semi-annual sale today. All spring and summer clothing, shoes, and accessories for women, men and children are discounted 20% to 50% off. The sale ends when all the merchandise is gone but the good stuff usually goes quickly and the damages are left as the sale continues on.
The world-wide chain has finally expanded the US arm of the website and now you can browse (not shop) through the current selection. One step at a time, kids. We are still waiting for the famed housewares department to come to the US.


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Wells Fargo Fined for Years of Harm to Customers
$185 million might be a lot of money to you or me, but when they scammed 1.5 million customers, it’s a drop in the bucket. What’s the big deal? What’s going to stop them from doing this again? Or, encourage this bad behavior again?
How is it that you can literally steal from people and just pay a small fine? It’s a good thing Wells Fargo didn’t steal anyone’s car, they might’ve actually gone to jail.


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Watch Dogs has become the ever-elusive game where people are reduced to hinging on every word from both official and rumored source when it comes to the release date.
Though this time, it may have a pretty good anchor considering it's from publisher Ubisoft. During the announcement of its financial report, Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft CEO, has revealed another timeframe where fans can expect the title.
"[Our] fiscal 2014-15 will see an exceptional games lineup, with the release of five major titles, including Just Dance, The Crew, and Watch Dogs, which is scheduled for release in the first fiscal quarter. Our lineup is also expected to reap the benefits of the return to growth in the console market and the increasingly significant impact of digital gaming," Guillemot said in a statement as quoted by Venture Beat.
*There are so many details coming out for The Order: 1886 as the release date nears: Read them here.
This is now a more specific timeframe, though back in 2013, it was announced that the game will already be out sometime in spring 2014. For this round, it seemed that a possibility that the wait would stretch until summer is hinted at.
The release date was also reaffirmed by Geoff Keighley, journalist, over at his Twitter, "Ubisoft says in earnings release that Watch Dogs is coming [out] between April-June 2014."
Watch Dogs Delayed For Wii U
After so many rumors about Watch Dogs being canceled on Wii U, Ubisoft finally confirmed the status of the game for Nintendo's platform.
According to Videogamer, Ubisoft has at least confirmed the Wii U version for Watch Dogs is at least coming. But Wii U gamers will have to wait "indefinitely" since Ubisoft has not released a specific date or even a timeframe window of release.
*MGSV: Ground Zeroes only has two hours--is it worth it? Or is it better to check out Phantom Pain instead? Read the latest MGSV news here.
"We made the difficult decision to further delay the release of Watch Dogs on Wii U to focus the team's resources where they could have the broadest possible benefit for both our customers and Ubisoft," a spokesman said to Videogamer.
All of the other platforms that Watch Dogs will release are still coming as scheduled.
*Xbox One is having a firmware update, and one of the upcoming improvements is in preparation for Titanfall: Read the story here.
Ubisoft is currently experiencing a rather downtime in terms of sales, with a reduction of 35% according to Moreconsole.net. However, the figure does not count what could have been the sales from Watch Dogs, one of the most anticipated games for the PS4 and Xbox One.
Given that Watch Dogs did avoid colliding with the release dates of other next-gen games for its original predelay schedule in November 2013, Ubisoft may be looking at a good reap once Watch Dogs reaches the public.


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- The consumption of marijuana an alcohol can cause a sensation called “crossfade.”
- Author Warren Bobrow believes that the best sweetener for cannabis-infused cocktails is wither Turbinado or agave.
Many people believe that the future of the cannabis industry will not be found in buds and joints, but in the introduction of edible remedies. As marijuana grows in popularity with the edibles, it is clear that cannabis consumption is on the rise. Even though edibles have gotten a lot of attention so far, beverages are one category that is still controversial.
The beverage industry for cannabis has been largely driven by existing alcohol-producing corporations, including Molson Coors and Anheuser Busch Inbev NV, which have been pouring in billions of dollars into joint ventures. Presently, these beverages only make up about 2% to 3% of the overall sales in adult-use markets, but Aheusuer-Busch seemingly doubled down on their efforts, putting down $50 million on Tilray Inc., while Constellation Brands invested $4 billion with Canopy Growth.
Now, there are many different types of cannabis-infused beverages reaching the market, like wines, beers, teas, and sodas, which feature THC, CBD, and other terpenes. Most of the drinks contain no alcohol at all, though the combination of marijuana and alcohol creates a product called a “crossfade.” At this point, it isn’t clear if this type of sensation is safe, which is why many companies refrain from bundling the two substances.
There are a few individuals that are working to create a perfect balance in a single cocktail, like Warren Bobrow, who wrote “Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails & Tonics: The Art of Spirited Drinks and Buzzworthy Libations” and other books. Bobrow is working to develop a new way of seeing cannabis-infused beverages, which starts with reprogramming the palates of Americans.
Bobrow explained, “Consumers are frightened by change. They are served sweet cocktails, sweet soda, sweet food,” and more. He doesn’t condone sweet drinks, and notes that the use of drinkables offer a much different taste and reaction than that of edibles. He added that, “while the reaction of edibles “are unpredictable,” beverages “are marvelous.”
Presently, lawmakers remain incredibly wary of introducing cannabis-infused drinks. While California legalized cannabis last year, CBD was found in cocktails much sooner, which led the Department of Health, the State, and county health departments to come down hard on non-dispensary businesses, even without THC. In Canada, which has legalized both drinkable and edible cannabis products, the regulations may be too much trouble to develop for the market.
Bobrow points out that cannabis-infused drinks are not new to the industry. Still, cannabis writer Amanda Chicago Lewis points out that the worst type of edible cannabis product is a beverage, comparing the flavor to that of “bong water.” Still, Bobrow believes that this option has a shot as a cocktail instead, which he describes in his book.
The majority of the issues in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks is that quality and quantity. There are many mixologists that believe that this “bong water” taste can be remedied with a sweeter flavor, but a sugar-filled cannabis drink doesn’t change this taste by much. Instead of filing the drink with plain sugar, Bobrow believes that the solution would be agave and Turbinado.
Speaking with Benzinga, Bobrow commented,
“Craft cannabis-infused cocktails taste better than the drinks you are getting served now. I want to ruin you for your bartender. They are stuck on lousy ice, bad sugar and are still using bottled juices. My cocktails have hand cut ice, complex sugars such as raw honey, craft spirits that are not caramel colored or artificially flavored and overly sugared. I always fresh squeeze my juices. What’s so hard about doing everything from scratch?”


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CORRECTED --- Xpedior Inc. officials blame the "bursting of the dot.com bubble" for the recent woes at the Chicago-based Internet consultancy, which reported a third- quarter loss of $39 million on Thursday, the same day its majority stakeholder said it might sell its 80% stake in the company and its CEO resigned.
Shake-up at Xpedior
In a conference call with investors, Xpedior officials said CEO David N. Campbell, 58, was leaving and would not immediately be replaced. William Schraeder, chairman and chief executive of PSINet Inc., Xpedior's 80% shareholder, will assume Mr. Campbell's position as chairman of the board.
Mr. Campbell was out of the country and couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
In other staff shake-ups, U.S. Operations President Cindy Pogrund and International Operations President Rob McGill resigned.
Anthony Capers, 49, a former PSINet executive, was named Xpedior's president; former President and Chief Operating Officer J. Brian Farrar, 37, who stepped down from those posts, will remain as an adviser to the company.
In September, Xpedior laid off 270 workers--16% of its workforce--with about 100 of the cuts taking place in the Chicago office.
But company officials still are sounding a positive note about the future of Xpedior.
"We believe there are excellent prospects in the marketplace, and Xpedior has an excellent customer base," Mr. Schraeder said in the conference call. "We have a lot of expectation here for an excellent turnaround."
But an analyst who studies Internet consultancies has a decidedly darker view.
"The CEO quitting, that tells you the story right there," said Mark Sellers, an analyst with Morningstar.com in Chicago. "They never quit unless there are major problems with the company."
Furthermore, as consultancies compete for the business of Fortune 1000 firms, the smaller companies like Xpedior are likely to lose to giants such as Sapient Corp., Mr. Sellers said.
"There are only so many Fortune 1000 firms; the money is going to dry up there. It's not going to get any easier for (Xpedior). It's only going to get harder."


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Readers said online news is about as credible as news they obtain from other, more traditional news sources. The Online News Association’s recent release of the Digital Journalism Credibility Survey shows that media workers across all media types are concerned about the standards, practices and credibility of digital news, but the online public is not!
David Peeler, president and CEO of CMR, said "The events of September 11 coupled with the state of our economy certainly accelerated advertising's continued decline for the remainder of the year. As our nation emerges from recession, we believe the worst is behind us and expect to see a slight industry rebound by the onset of the third quarter of 2002."
Changes in the American consumer's mood, outlook and preference for various types of media message reveal that the greatest predictor of consumer spending is an individual's psychological profile. It shows that optimists will spend more than pessimists regardless of income level.
The average Hispanic user is visiting the web 6.6 times per week and spending 58 minutes on-line per session. Common reasons for going on-line include for research purposes, reading news, listening to music, education related searches and lastly, many go on-line to chat.
Many reports have surfaced with regard to which Super Bowl ads amused, appealed or were remembered, but here's one that cuts to performance… is it convincing?
Only 10% of households in France, Germany and the UK will have high-speed internet connections by 2005. If quality content is not available in Europe, then the desire for broadband will not be strong.
Advertising professionals agree that the industry needs better and more trusted site measurement standards. Advertisers rated print measurement to be the most accurate, with radio the least. The Internet and TV occupied the middle ground.
For the month of December, the number of female Internet users at home grew faster then the overall Internet population, increasing 9% more than in December a year ago. The total Internet grew only at a 6% rate year-over-year.
Audience measurement data from Nielsen//NetRatings for the week ending January 27, 2002, are useful if you're reaching out on the Internet to car buyers or electronic equipment users. Here's some tables for your review.
Readership of newspaper classified ads in 67 metro markets surveyed by The Media Audit declined more than 11 percent in three years, and more than 25 percent of those who regularly read employment ads do so on the web.


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Craig Wright Files For Bitcoin Patent
Purported Bitcoin creator Dr. Craig Wright has been granted U.S. copyright registrations for the original Bitcoin white paper. The registrations recognize Wright as the author of both the white paper and the code under the famous pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Wright is on the Bitcoin SV side of the debate, which is a version of Bitcoin that was forked off of the Bitcoin Cash (BCH-USD) blockchain. The difference between the two is that SV scales up to 100mb per block, whereas Bitcoin Cash ABC has a limit of 30mb, structurally similar to Ethereum (ETH-USD).
Wright was issued two patent registrations after supposedly proving his identity as Satoshi Nakamoto, at least as concerns the patent clerks, one for the paper Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System, and a second for the software behind the technology. Other cryptonews outlets who are critical of Wright and the SV implementation of the Bitcoin protocol are careful to note that filing for a patent does not constitute proof of ownership, but merely lays the groundwork for lawsuits based on claim of ownership. In other words, prepare for more Satoshi fights.
Kraken Hits Up Users for Money
Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken is pitching stock to its users, requiring a minimum investment of $1,000. The exchange is giving itself a $4 billion valuation, which is fine, if it can successfully get people to give it $4 billion for shares of itself. The shares will not be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is likely to raise some eyebrows, as there is no publicly available information regarding the finances of Kraken. There are also no photos or last names associated with the people offering shares through email to registered users of the exchange. Shares can be purchased until June 20th.
Fit Pay Reveals Flip for instant BTC to USD Transactions
Nxt-ID (NASDAQ:NXTD) subsidiary Fit Pay, is out with a new contactless payment solution, allowing users to instantly convert Bitcoin (BTC-USD) to dollars. Bitcoin is used to fund a prepaid debit device, which can then be used as a near field communication platform to make contactless payments. Shipments of Flip began last month with production now being ramped up to meet demand. Payments using Flip can be made from any retail point of sale location that supports contactless payment solutions. The device retails for $29 and includes exchange fees, but could be useful in a pinch for someone who needs cash but only has BTC.
NYSE Arca Wants Rule Change to List Crypto ETFs
The New York Stock Exchange Arca has applied to the SEC for a change of rules that would allow the exchange to list shares in a Bitcoin investment trust. The fund would invest in Bitcoin and short term US Treasuries. The Bitcoin would be stored by Coinbase, and plans have already culminated in $200 million in insurance coverage to protect against any theft or hacks. A prospectus for the fund was already published in January by Wilshire Phoenix Funds. The SEC now has 90 days to issue a final ruling on the ETF, but has resisted approving any so far. NYSE Arca and bitwise are working on a separate Bitcoin ETF that has nothing to do with the proposed rule change, meaning these firms are trying everything they can to get the watchdogs to approve a vehicle after years of rejection.
China Central Bank Eyes Blockchain
The People’s Bank of China, China’s central bank, is intensifying its blockchain development efforts, perhaps as a result of the ongoing trade war with the United States as it tries to decrease its reliance on the US dollar, which in turn would allow it more flexibility in is fight against US tariffs. The PBOC has set up a fintech research institute called the Shenzhen Fintech Research Institute, which is looking to fill 29 positions, including a blockchain development engineer, architect, and technical expert. The goal is large scale transactions based on blockchain.


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LAWRENCE, KS – The nation’s first E-15 (15 percent ethanol/85 percent gasoline) gallons are being sold at the Zarco 66 “Oasis” station at 1500 E. 23rd Street in Lawrence, Kan. Plans to offer E-15 at the nation’s second retail station, the Zarco 66 at 2518 E. Logan (intersection of I-35 & HWY 68) in Ottawa, Kan., are nearly complete with an announcement coming soon.
On June 8, 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gave final approval for the sale and use of E-15 ethanol blends in light-duty vehicles made since 2001. This represents nearly two-thirds of all vehicles on the road and nearly three-fourths of all miles driven.
A recent study from the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development found the use of 13.9 billion gallons of ethanol in 2011 lowered average gasoline prices by $1.09 per gallon nationally and by $1.69 per gallon in Midwestern states such as Kansas.
“Alternatives to gasoline are critically important to our nation’s energy future and Americans deserve to have a choice of cost-competitive fuel at the pump,” said Scott Zaremba, owner of Zarco 66 stations. “With the help of the Kansas Corn Commission, East Kansas Agri-Energy, and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), we are pleased to be the first to offer consumers real choice at the pump in the form of E-15 ethanol fuel.”
Pumps offering E-15 with the proper labeling will also be offering E-10 and other ethanol blends via technology known as blender pumps, which allow consumers to select the best fuel option for themselves and their vehicles.
In order to offer E-15 under the waiver conditions set by EPA, producers and retailers must register with EPA and adhere to the misfueling mitigation plan developed by the RFA and approved by EPA. The plan is available here.
In addition, the RFA has also developed an E-15 Retailer Handbook available at no cost to retailers looking to offer more choices to their customers. The Handbook is available here.
See all comments


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Technology is the power that drives our lives. With graphene, Rutgers researchers have found a powerful option to cool tiny chips – key components of electronic units with billions of transistors apiece. Watch this video to learn extra concerning the ways that BDI media cupboards are designed to guard your private home theater system, and hold your AV elements cool. Product failures at all times have catastrophic consequences far past dropping market share, which might be the consequence with a failed consumer electronics device.
Although the decrease in levels is quite impressive, and would the gaming system for an extended time period, there are plans to test the graphene together with copper film SSD quite than the thermally unaided one used in the experiment. In a paper not too long ago revealed in the journal Nature Supplies, a staff of scientists from the University of California found that multiple layers of graphene present strong heat conducting properties that can be harnessed in eradicating dissipated heat from digital devices.
The GE Thermal Ground Airplane method combines evaporative cooling and capillary motion to cool extraordinarily scorching electronics. One of these standards is VITA forty eight.7, referred to as air-circulate-by cooling, which the group ratified just final fall. Extreme temperatures on airport runways in areas like the deserts of the Center East can compound electronics cooling by combining high outdoors temperatures with high-temperature electronics working even at idle levels.
The put up emphasizes protecting your units’ vents clear from obstructions, placing electronics out of the way in which of warmth sources like sunlight, performing a daily canned air cleansing of your gadgets, and, if things nonetheless start appearing funny, shutting down your machine to let it quiet down. Although air-movement-by and air-circulate-by means of cooling seem enough for programs approaching 200 watts at sea level, excessive altitudes, or other tough circumstances could call for greater than air cooling, Bratton says.
In fact, different distributors now offer them in several type elements; Bezalel has some glossy (and, importantly, skinny) choices in this area together with a magnetic cellphone holder for cars that also wireless prices gadgets. The sun could also be beating down on your digital camera gear, nevertheless it’s the interior heat that can push it over the boundaries of what electronics can handle.


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Boards & More, the co-founders of North Kiteboarding, will launch a new company named Duotone on 1 August 2018. The "North" brand is owned by North Sails Group.
"We and North Sails Group had different views about the future of North, so we decided to come up with our own brand," explains Till Eberle, managing director of Boards & More.
Eberle confirmed that the popular kites like Vegas, Rebel, Dice and Neo will still be available under Duotone. The company will also continue the production of twin-tips and surfboards. At the moment, it's not known whether the North Sails Group will continue operating in the windsurfing and kiteboarding markets.
Close to the border of Russia and Mongolia sits the biggest fresh water lake in the world. Aaron Hadlow, Stefan Spiessberger, Craig Cunningham, Noe Font and Fran Bagnioli met up with team rider Artem Garachenko. The trip was planned to be an adventure but nobody expected this. Multiple broken vehicles, days and weeks without wind, countless hours on the road, low nutrition and some of the hardest conditions, all made the sessions they got that much more special.
The 6th annual King of Kite festival is announced for the 7th & 8th of July. The event will be hosted by the Kahuna Surfhouse at Softades beach (Cyprus). This year's guest of honor and judge is 3x World Champion Bruna Kajiya.
It'd be great to always have wind and waves like today, but on the other hand the calm helps to have some stuff done. And there was a lot of calm days lately. So the portal has been thoroughly updated.
One change led to another and since it was always the plan to make the portal's database useful for as many types of extreme sports as possible the portal's name and domain have also been changed.
Now wavefront.ru will be redirecting to the portal's new domain x3mdb.ru. The portal can also be accessible through x3mdb.com or ExtremeDatabase.ru. The portal's pages and groups in social networks will also be updated according to the new version.


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Bitcoin turns 10 — how it went from an abstract idea to a $100 billion market in a decade CNBCBitcoin is 10 years old today — here's a look back at its crazy history Business InsiderFactbox: Ten years of bitcoin Reuters10 years later, we still don't know what Bitcoin is for Telegraph.co.ukIt's Bitcoin's 10th Birthday. Here's What People Are […]
Prior to the release of bitcoin there were a number of digital cash technologies starting with the issuer based ecash protocols of David Chaum and Stefan Brands. Adam Back developed hashcash, a proof-of-work scheme for spam control. The first proposals for distributed digital scarcity based cryptocurrencies were Wei Dai's b-money and Nick Szabo's bit gold. Hal Finney developed reusable proof of work (RPOW) using hashcash as its proof of work algorithm.
As mathematician George Box said, "All models are wrong, some are useful." We have set out to construct a framework for pricing bitcoin but it is important to understand the variables. From our thinking, it seems possible that bitcoin could eventually increase in price by orders of magnitude, but it all depends on bitcoin's level of adoption. The most important question is "Will people use bitcoin?"
This is particularly problematic once you remember that all Bitcoin transactions are permanent and irreversible. It's like dealing with cash: Any transaction carried out with bitcoins can only be reversed if the person who has received them refunds them. There is no third party or a payment processor, as in the case of a debit or credit card – hence, no source of protection or appeal if there is a problem.
The use of bitcoin by criminals has attracted the attention of financial regulators, legislative bodies, law enforcement, and the media. In the United States, the FBI prepared an intelligence assessment, the SEC issued a pointed warning about investment schemes using virtual currencies, and the U.S. Senate held a hearing on virtual currencies in November 2013. The U.S. government claimed that bitcoin was used to facilitate payments related to Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.


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For the U.S. fire service, custom chassis are as American as apple pie, but with a down economy, that train of thought may change.
That's at least what Rosenbauer America Eastern Regional Sales Manager Sean Duffy is hoping.
Duffy, along with KME Fire Apparatus Nation Account Manager Mark Kopunek, spoke at the FDSOA Apparatus Symposium in Orlando, Fla. Jan. 19 about the differences between custom and commercial chassis.
While the names speak for themselves -- custom models have more available options than their commercial counterparts -- it really all comes down to dollars and cents.
A custom chassis cost between $150,000 to $300,000 while a commercial chassis costs between $90,000 and $225,000.
"They are not inexpensive," Kopunek said; referring to the custom chassis manufacturers such as KME builds. "But they are built for the fire service, which gives departments more options. They have pretty much been the tradition."
Duffy, whose company specializes in commercial chassis, said that if a fire department is in the position to buy a one, it is something that should be looked at.
He also noted that outside of North America, custom chassis are considered foreign.
"There is no such thing as custom chassis in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world," he said, pointing out that some of the biggest cities outside of the U.S. are running the same type of call volume as this country's biggest cities.
One advantage offered by commercial chassis is that parts and service are readily available. Duffy said that not only is it easier to find a larger selection of parts versus custom chassis, most parts and service stations are less than 75 miles away from firehouses in most parts of the U.S.
"Service is more readily available," he said. "You should be able to get the part right then and there."
A drawback to this though, according to Duffy, is that instead of having repairs done at the firehouse, departments must drive the apparatus to the service station.
Another drawback is that there are plenty of limitations commercial chassis have compared to custom chassis.
One is that the life expectancy of a commercial chassis is approximately five to seven years, while custom models can last much longer. Seating also is limited, with commercial models only seating up to five while custom models can seat up to 10.
As far as safety is concerned, custom chassis are NFPA compliant, while commercial models have some limitations. The seat belt lengths, for example, can be an issue. Also, airbags are not available in many commercial chassis.
"It's a big challenge at this point," Duffy said.
There are front and side airbags available on most custom chassis.
It also depends on what setting the fire department is located in. Custom chassis have a much shorter turning radius, which Kopunek says makes it ideal for city driving.
Duffy said that while the differences between commercial and custom chassis are night and day, for some departments they can be a good fit.
"In our current economic climate, you might not have the budget you thought you would. It may be a change from tradition, but when money talks, it's something you need to consider."


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The broad reliance on SkyDrive means that Microsoft will incur significant costs to rebrand the service, requiring new URLs, new code in existing products and revamped apps for smartphones and tablets.
"We're talking serious money here," said LaMotte, who is familiar with rebranding costs from his time consulting with startups.
And then there's the money already spent on marketing SkyDrive as a brand, and pushing it as a name that customers recognize and associate with online storage. "This was a colossal waste of money for any marketing they did on SkyDrive," said Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy. "They might has well have flushed it down the toilet."
What puzzled the experts was how Microsoft ended up here.
They unanimously agreed that Microsoft's legal team would have checked for possible infringing trademarks when it decided on SkyDrive as a name for the online storage service.
"Microsoft has an extensive and very good legal team, so it's highly unlikely that they didn't do due diligence," said Eric Priest, a professor of intellectual property law at the University of Oregon. Microsoft's lawyers would have run extensive and international searches, perhaps even hired an outside firm specializing in that task, to locate possible problems.
That leaves out a simple oversight, but puts the spotlight on a grievous error of judgment: After recognizing that Sky was a risk, Microsoft proceeded anyway, confident in the legal team's analysis that it was unlikely the U.K. communications company would prevail if a dispute went to court.
Christine Farley, professor of law at American University, said that made sense. "I'm sure [Microsoft] was aware of these marks, but the fact is, you really cannot choose a descriptive term or trademark that is clear worldwide."
But Microsoft blundered when it took that risk because, in the end, it lost in court.
"They could have avoided this at the front end by buying the mark," said LaMotte, referring to a deal, even a preemptive one, that Microsoft could have made years ago with Sky.
So what is Microsoft to do?
The joint statement notwithstanding, some bet that Microsoft would hand Sky a basket of money to retain the SkyDrive name.
"They could take that money [they'll spend on rebranding] and give it to Sky," Moorhead said. When asked about the joint statement, which said Microsoft was going to transition to a new brand, he scoffed. "You aren't going to lead with the notion that you'll pay for it," he said. Instead, Microsoft would say that it was planning on rebranding to gain what leverage it could for future negotiations.
LaMotte also thought it possible Microsoft would pay Sky rather than go through the hassle and expense of coming up with a new name for the service. "They may decide it will save them in the end to pay a sizable fee to Sky, or reach some kind of annual licensing agreement," said LaMotte.
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By Brakinos - 17.02.2020
Movie ticket prices 2020
The Ultimate Guide to Movie Ticket Prices in Singapore. July 14, July 14, by ferdeos. Singapore Student Price Movie Theatre Ticket. Since the. TL;DR: Which Cinema Has the Cheapest Movie Ticket Prices in Singapore ? With so many cinemas to choose from: Cathay Cineplex.
We looked at how prices from these chains compare in Other measures show the extent of movie ticket prices 2020 trouble. Clearly, a number of the movies slated to be released in the first half of the year will be released this year 2020 tkeycoin click here next.
The emergence of movie ticket prices 2020 providers Movie ticket prices 2020, Amazon Prime and Movie ticket prices 2020 and their ramped-up production of original content, including feature films, has helped to grow digital media as a source of revenue both in the U.
It should be noted movie ticket prices 2020 these prices do not include any loyalty rewards discounts, movie ticket prices 2020 prices such as Wowza Wednesdays or subscription offerings. Comments section policy: Any attacks on BusinessTech, its journalists, movie ticket prices 2020 other readers will result in a ban.Sneaky Ways Movie Theaters Get You To Spend More Money
From now till 31 Movie ticket prices 2020charge your ticket purchase in-person to your Singapore-issued UnionPay card to get the second ticket free. Among ethnic groups, Latinos continue to be, by a wide margin, the click here frequent moviegoers overall.
How and where consumers movie ticket prices 2020 movies has been undergoing a movie ticket prices 2020 transformation of late. Other prominent movies with delayed openings include Mulan, F9 and Black Widow.
Book your movie tickets online today! Studios are making By comparison, Nu Metro currently operates 24 cineplexes with a national footprint in a number of South African towns and cities including Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Johannesburg, Krugersdorp, and Pretoria among other areas.
For example, the Warner Bros. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. In the U.
Fifteen cents. It has sharply accelerated recently. There movie ticket prices 2020 be a drop-off from the films released in the U.
As a result, AMC, the largest movie theater chain movie ticket prices 2020 the U. With a sagging box office, studios have been making recently.
Walt Disney Co. The average moviegoer bought 4. The effects on companies that have major studios also will last the whole year, with some improvement between now and year-end.
It was the lowest grossing weekend in 20 years. How big is the movie industry?
AMC to offer 15-cent tickets on first day of reopening
Staff Writer 16 January Movie ticket prices 2020 new movies online. While movies prove to be a popular outing in South Africa, just two movie ticket prices 2020 continue to dominate the local landscape — Ster Kinekor and Nu Metro.
The extremely low sales already may have triggered the most radical change in the business since movies moved from black and white to color, which started in the late s.
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LYNN — The local group in charge of helping the victims of the Guatemalan volcano that erupted two Sundays ago has already raised more than $3,500.
The small committee is comprised of Lynn residents who are concerned about number of missing people in Guatemala and the death tolls that continues to rise each day. Juan Gonzalez, one of the members of the Guatemala Needs You committee, created a GoFundMe page as well as a Bank of America account, account number 4460-0319-6335, that people can donate to at any time.
At their initial meeting last Tuesday, the group decided to rent a storage container and place it at one specific location for people to drop off much-needed supplies, such as canned food, Ibuprofen, Pedialyte, vitamins, other medications, bed sheets, and brand new kids clothes and shoes.
According to Isabel Lopez, another member of the committee, the storage container will be available for drop-off this Friday and will be in the parking lot of 157 North Common Street. Anyone can drop off donations during the week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. as the container will be there for the next three weeks. T-shirts with “Guatemala Needs You” on the front will also be sold there for $25.


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Hyundai Motor Group has announced its latest partnership for next-generation battery development, this time it’s with IonQ a company leading in trapped-ion quantum computing. The partnership aims to develop new variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) algorithms to study lithium compounds and their chemical reactions involved in battery chemistry. This is expected to make significant improvements in future lithium-ion battery packs by improving the charge and discharge cycles, durability, capacity, and safety.
The collaboration will pair Hyundai Motor Group’s lithium-ion battery expertise with IonQ’s specialization in quantum computing. This will allow the companies to create the most advanced battery chemistries on quantum computers, measured by the number of qubits and quantum gates. Hyundai and IonQ’s new development methods aim to lay down the foundations for better quality batteries via more precise simulation and control of their chemical reactions. Hyundai says this could also lead to new types of source material that can save time, cost, and development efforts over time for the most critical and priciest component of a battery-electric vehicle.
“This creative collaboration with IonQ is expected to provide innovation in the development of basic materials in virtual space for various parts of the future mobility,” said TaeWon Lim, Executive Vice President and Head of Materials Research & Engineering Center of Hyundai Motor Group. “We’re excited to step into the upcoming quantum era and take advantage of the opportunities that await with more effective battery power.”
This latest collaboration is key to Hyundai’s Strategy 2025 goals, which include a target of selling 560,000 electric vehicles per year and the introduction of over a dozen EVs. The company also notes that this partnership is a big milestone for combating climate change since EVs play a major role in Hyundai meeting its sustainability targets across the globe.
Peter Chapman, President, and CEO of IonQ said that the company’s main mission is to solve the most complex problems in the world via the continued development of its quantum computers. He also noted that battery efficiency is a field where IonQ’s expertise in quantum computing can make a difference. IonQ’s computers were previously used to simulate water molecules and demonstrate an end-to-end pipeline to imitate large molecules like the ones found in fertilizer creation.
Hyundai Motor Group is among the most aggressive when it comes to electrification. In addition to the Ioniq subbrand, which will consist of three models, it has more EVs coming including a second-generation Kona Electric. Kia alone has at least four more vehicles following the EV6 and the second-generation Niro EV. Genesis, on the other hand, has committed to going all-in with the brand officially transitioning in 2025. It has already revealed three of them: the GV60, Electrified G80, and Electrified GV90. Across all three brands, Hyundai Motor Group will have no less than 22 EVs by 2025.
Most of the vehicles will be on Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP platform. This includes the three vehicles revealed last year: the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and the Genesis GV60. Following those will be the Ioniq 6 sometime in 2022 and the trifecta of large three-row crossovers by 2024, the Hyundai Ioniq 7, Kia EV9, and Genesis GV90. In addition to the second-generation Niro EV, Kona Electric, Electrified G80 and Electrified GV70, there will also be vehicles on convergence platforms. This includes the Electrified G90, the all-electric version of the redesigned flagship sedan, and the Electrified GV80.


text: The Nielsen’s 2015 Global Health & Wellness Survey found that 88 percent of consumers are willing to pay more for healthier foods. The poll found that many people are drawn to the concept of utilizing their food to manage their health. (1) For many people, this means adding in more superfoods, such as seaweed. A recent poll found that consumers are willing to pay more money for healthy foods due to increased understanding of how these foods impact their health!Seaweed provides numerous health benefits and is a staple in Japanese cuisine. Wake seaweed is rich in vitamins and minerals that can help support cardiovascular health, maintain hormonal balance, strengthen bones, improve circulation and promote skin health.


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You’ve might have noticed there’s a trend of Lite apps for Android devices. In recent times, a handful of major apps have released stripped-down, barebones alternatives to their original apps. These Lite versions allow users to save space on your phone because they weight next to nothing. They are also a lot faster to download.
At the same time, Google is also striving to cut the size of regular apps, in order to allow users to keep more on their device.
This week, Google Play’s director Purnima Kochikar published a post in which she talks about the improvements the Play Store has seen in the last few months.
Google is constantly working to improve the Play Store experience
One of them has to do with the reduction of app size. Due to the addition of improved developer tools, app download size in the Play Store has been reduced by up to 65%. So users that have limited storage on their phones can now keep more apps on their devices.
This is very important because even if Lite apps are available, their numbers are still quite limited at the moment. According to Google, this improvement has lead to an increase in installs and enhanced retainability rates.
The search giant also boasts that new tools it has added in the Play Console have managed to reduce crash rates by up to 70%. On top of that, improvements to the discovery experience have boosted Google Play Store visit number by 30% in the last year.
Google highlights that Play Instant continues to be a huge focus. This functionality allows users to try out a game from the Play Store without actually installing them on their device. The option is currently available for a limited number of games, but Google plans to expand it in the upcoming months.
During the last months, the search giant also improved some of its algorithms so they can better detect fraud, inappropriate content and malware with up to 99% accuracy. Google says its systems scan up to 50 billion apps on a daily basis to ensure no rules get broken.


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Obesity experts in the UK call for increase in sugar tax to fight the global phenomena that is childhood obesity. All over the world, obesity plagues numerous families and risks the lives of the young.
Increased sugar consumption is said to contribute to the situation and while parents are aware of the dangers, it is important to know how much is too much when it comes to feeding sugar-containing food to kids.
In the UK, experts from the National Obesity Forum recommend to increase sugar tax by 50 percent. For them, the current 20 percent tax proposed by Public Health England is not sufficient to curb the problem.
"We don't currently support taxing food products... but sugary drinks have no place in anyone's diet," says National Obesity Forum chairman David Haslam.
A sugar tax may dissuade people from buying too much sweets due to the high prices. Parents may find the costs to be too much for the family budget hence, disallowing their kids from eating sugar-laden junk food. Experts see this strategy as a strong solution to the dilemma.
Various organizations have showed support to the sugar tax proposal.
"Obesity will be a huge burden to society and the NHS in the near future," says Alison Cox from Cancer Research UK. She added that people should act now and that the government must restrict marketing of sugary treats to children.
How Much Sugar Is Too Much For Kids?
In the UK, the British Dietetic Association recommends adults to limit daily sugar consumption to 60 grams per day or 10 percent of the daily total calorie intake. While there is no exact numbers for children as diets vary per age group, experts recommend keeping sugar intake to below 10 percent of the total calorie intake.
Among the sugar sources included in the count are table sugar, honey, fruit juices and processed food. Lactose milk sugar is excluded in the list.
As for the United States, the American Heart Association recommends children to limit daily sugar intake to three to four teaspoons. Women should keep it to only five teaspoons per day and men to nine.
The World Health Organization also recommends limiting sugar consumption to less than 10 percent of daily total calorie intake.
Fruit juices are also said to cause excessive weight gain for children. Aside from that, these sweet drinks may cause tooth decay and diarrhea. Eating the actual fruit is the way to go and drinking fruit juices is not actually needed by kids.
The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend infants under 6 months to drink fruit juices at all. Children aged 1 to 6-years-old may consume four to six ounces of fruit juice per day and those between 7 to 18-years-old may drink eight to 12 ounces.
Limiting sugar intake in kids is highly important especially in the pursuit of combatting childhood obesity.
"Overweight and obesity in young life is associated with a higher risk of being overweight or obese in later life, which is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes," says Dr. Elisabeth Weichselbaum from British Nutrition Foundation.
Photo: Pawel Loj | Flickr


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August 13, 2013
The National Fenestration Rating Council Fall Conference will take place September 23-25, in Tempe, Ariz., at the Tempe Mission Palms hotel. Task groups will kick off the conference that Monday with subcommittee and committee blocks running throughout each day, including a regulatory affairs and marketing committee meeting, and an NFRC board meeting that Wednesday. NFRC members and non-... more »
July 29, 2013
The Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance 2013 Summer Conference will take place August 7-10, 2013, at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel and Resort in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The event will focus on product quality, specifically through presentations covering certification, testing and in-house quality systems.
Dan Braun of Architectural Testing will review NFRC 706 IG certification... more »
July 25, 2013
The Northeast Window & Door Association recently hosted its summer conference in Harrisburg, Pa. Highlights included a presentation from sales expert Richard Farrell and tours of a nearby PPG Industries factory.
Richard Farrell shared his thoughts on improving the sales approach in today's building products marketplace.
Farrell, president of Tangent Knowledge Systems, a... more »
July 24, 2013
The National Glass Association’s Glass Magazine and The Architect's Newspaper have partnered to bring the NGA Architects Forum – Glass + Performance to GlassBuild America: the Glass, Window & Door Expo. Expected to draw more than 150 architects, the forum will take place Wednesday, September 11, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Georgia World Congress Center in... more »
July 23, 2013
Applied Market Information LLC has set the date for Profiles 2014, its annual event for the window, door, decking fence, and siding profile industries. The conference will be held June 24-25 at the Hotel Sofitel in Philadelphia.
Last year, more than 100 industry professionals gathered for the conference, which features numerous technical presentations and networking sessions.
Anyone... more »
June 25, 2013
Window and door manufacturers and component suppliers joined more than 700 exhibitors at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver last week for the AIA 2013 National Convention and Design Exposition, sponsored by the American Institute of Architects. While many exhibitors reported attendance was down from the 2012 event in Washington, D.C., most attributed the lighter traffic to the location... more »
June 17, 2013
Window and door makers and glass fabricators are focused on improving sales and service functions, if the nearly 70 attendees at the 11th annual FeneVision User Conference last week in Aurora, Ohio, are an indicator.
“The outlook for the industry has improved, but many companies still have excess capacity,” said Ron Crowl, president of FeneTech Inc., developer of FeneVision and host... more »
June 11, 2013
Rosemont, Ill.–The National Summer Conference for the American Architectural Manufacturers Association kicked off this week with a presentation about life cycle assessment and product category rules, as well as a discussion focused on the outlook for manufacturing in the U.S. The summer meeting, which concludes today, also featured the announcement of AAMA's annual scholarship award... more »
May 27, 2013
Hanley Wood LLC and the U.S. Green Building Council announced a strategic partnership whereby Hanley Wood has acquired the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo.
Greenbuild is the largest global event dedicated to green building, USGBC reports, with more than 900 exhibiting companies, 171,000 net square feet, and 30,000 attendees. This year’s conference — to be held... more »
May 21, 2013
Registration is open for the American Architectural Manufacturers Association's Summer Conference, to be held in Rosemont, Ill., June 9-12. Highlighting the event will be a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of AAMA's Gold Label certification program.
During the Tuesday luncheon, Educational and Technical Information Manager Dean Lewis, who has managed AAMA’s... more »


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Boston-based Harpoon Brewery is set to release a new, baseball-themed beer.
According a label filed with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Harpoon Brewery is working on releasing Big League IPA, a 7.5 percent ABV American IPA. This beer had previously been released as a draft-only option at the brewery’s taproom.
Brewed with Mosaic, Citra, Ekuanot, Cascade and Simcoe hops, this beer is slated to be packaged in both 12-ounce cans and bottles for sale across the brewery’s distribution footprint.
An email sent to the brewery about release, pricing and distribution information was not immediately returned.


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Comedian: 'I predict a very different feel to Black Friday'
Steve Allen, comedian
- Credit: PA
When I was growing up we didn’t have Black Friday. It wasn’t a thing in the UK. It is something they had in America and possibly in Canada when Justin Trudeau was getting ready for a party.
I can’t remember exactly when it happened but at some point in the last decade we adopted this American event. It’s a day when discounts are offered on some items in shops and we seem to be encouraged to get into a scrap to secure the best bargains.
They say everyone has their price and it’s good to know that for some people, the amount of money it would take for them to shove a granny out of the way is five per cent off a TV.
This year I predict a very different feel to Black Friday.
Firstly, the novelty of fighting in shops has gone after the experience we had in lockdown. Once you have seen humanity get shirty about a 32 pack of loo roll, you’ve seen it all.
It wasn’t that long ago we were fighting over petrol on the forecourts.
This time we have Black Friday during a period of shortages. In the last week alone, there were reports of shortages of painkillers, crisps and sparkling water. Normally you could solve the last one by taking still water and adding a soluble aspirin to it but we’re running out of painkillers, remember.
There were reports of shortages of DIY supplies and home furnishings. If you want to buy some new shelves you should go to my local supermarket because they have lots of them on show.
- 1 Barking MP Margaret Hodge 'will not stand' in next general election
- 2 ‘He put his life into family’: Tributes paid to former builder who died of Covid
- 3 Homophobia ruled out for jury in Stephen Port victims’ inquests
- 4 Travel: What to watch out for across Havering, Redbridge and Barking and Dagenham
- 5 Barking cash and carry boss jailed for five years for money laundering
- 6 There With You This Winter: Mayor offers £51m of funding for fuel poverty
- 7 Barking was Britain's ninth most used station in 2020/21, figures show
- 8 Members of Mali Boys gang jailed for supplying Class A drugs into Essex
- 9 Strike action will hit Central and Victoria line Night Tube services this weekend
- 10 What are the chances of a white Christmas in London?
This year I am less worried about it. No one will queue all night outside a shop and fight off fellow bargain hunters, like a live version of the film Running Man, if the shelves are bare.


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That’s less backward than filing unilateral content claims
Nintendo has changed its stance regarding the company’s games being broadcast on YouTube videos. Now, instead of filing claims against videos that depict its titles, Nintendo wants in on the action.
Nintendo has unveiled a YouTube affiliate program that will effectively allow it to split revenue with those uploading videos of Nintendo’s titles. Under the revenue-sharing plan, pre-roll ads will sometimes be shown, and Nintendo, Google, and the uploader will all take a cut of the money. However, users will need Nintendo’s permission to upload videos in the first place.
This is still a far cry from many companies’ policies to let YouTubers have free rein when promoting their games. For instance, these are Ubisoft’s guidelines which are very nonrestrictive. However, given where Nintendo was, it’s a step in the right (and entrepreneurial) direction.


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'Game-changing' technology allows car battery to perform in extreme temperatures
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS|
Jun 13, 2012 | 3:22 PM
In what would be a huge breakthrough for electric car technology, a US manufacturer is claiming to have developed a battery capable of performing in extreme temperatures.
Massachusetts-based A123 Systems said its Nanophosphate EXT would "reduce or eliminate the need for heating or cooling systems, which is expected to create sizeable new opportunities" for automotive and other types of batteries.
"We believe Nanophosphate EXT is a game-changing breakthrough that overcomes one of the key limitations of lead acid, standard lithium ion and other advanced batteries," chief executive David Vieau said.
He said the new battery technology "can reduce or even eliminate the need for costly thermal management systems, which we expect will dramatically enhance the business case for deploying A123's lithium ion battery solutions for a significant number of applications."
Testing showed the battery can retain more than 90 percent of its initial capacity at 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit). It also can deliver starting power at minus 30 degrees Celsius (22 below Fahrenheit).
Yann Guezennec, professor of mechanical engineering at the Ohio State University who participated in testing, said the new technology "could be a game-changing battery breakthrough for the electrification of transportation, including the emerging micro hybrid vehicle segment."
The announcement comes amid sputtering sales in the United States of electric cars, and doubts about whether the high purchase costs will be justified by lower operating costs.


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Vionic appointed Jerry Williamson to the post of senior vice president of global sales, and Angela Caltagirone as senior vice president of digital and brand marketing.
Williamson will lead the Vionic domestic, international, home shopping and medical teams, while Caltagirone will lead the Vionic digital and marketing teams.
Williamson was most recently executive vice president of sales for Lucca Lane and Latigo Footwear/Footwear Unlimited. Prior to that, he was director of sales for UGG.
Caltagirone most recently was with Belardi Wong as executive vice president of Growth Strategies, advising and subject matter expert 200 brand clients. including footwear and apparel. Prior to that, she worked for Williams-Sonoma for more than 20 years, where she led the company’s digital transformation.
Vionic specializes in comfort footwear using a style-infused biomechanical technology. The signature brand is sold across global retail channels, including leading department, independent, specialty, online and home shopping retailers.
DowDupont announced that Nicholas C. Fanandakis will retire as executive vice president, effective July 31.
A 40-year Dupont veteran, Fanandakis served as the company’s chief financial officer (CFO) through 2017, when E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company merged with The Dow Chemical Company. He continued to serve as CFO of the DuPont legal entity within DowDupont until 2019.
Fanandakis has played a key role in the separation of DowDupont into three companies: Dow, the former materials science division and now an independent company; Corteva Agriscience, the agriculture division, and Dupont, the specialty products division. Fanandakis’ career at Dupont began in 1979 in the Petrochemicals Department. In the years that followed, he served in a variety of positions across the company’s divisions before taking on a series of key business leadership roles, focused primarily on the Industrial Solutions, Chemical and Applied Biosciences markets. He became Dupont’s CFO in 2009.
Kornit Digital named Chris Govier as managing director at Kornit Digital Europe GmbH.
In his new role, Govier will oversee Kornit Digital’s operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and will be instrumental in scaling up Kornit’s business. He brings broad experience in supporting customers with industrial digital transformation, previously serving in sales and general management roles at Xerox Corp.
Kornit Digital develops, manufactures and markets industrial and commercial printing solutions for the apparel and textile industries. Kornit has offices in the U.S., Asia Pacific and Europe and serves customers in more than 100 countries.
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. announced changes as part of its ongoing “transforming while growing” phase, which include the decision to eliminate the role of chief operating officer.
Accordingly, the company’s chief operating officer, Joanne C. Crevoiserat, will leave the company following a short transition period.
In the newly streamlined organization, the company’s chief financial officer, chief information officer, head of global supply chain and head of the transformation management office will now report to the CEO, Fran Horowitz.
Luxury consignment retailer the RealReal announced four new appointments to its board of directors.
Joining the board are Stefan Larsson, most recently former president and CEO at Ralph Lauren Corp.; James (Jim) Miller, a former executive at Google Inc. and Amazon.com; Niki Leondakis, president of Wolff Resident Experience Company, and Rob Krolik, former chief financial officer of Yelp.
The new independent directors bring The RealReal’s board size to eight. They join Julie Wainwright, founder, CEO and board chair. Three other board directors include Michael Kumin, managing partner at Great Hill Equity Partners; Gilbert L. Baird III, co-founder and partner of PWP Growth Equity, and Maha Ibrahim, general partner of Canaan Partners.


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OnePlus had confirmed yesterday that the OnePlus 5 is coming on June 20, and OnePlus India just shared a similar teaser via Twitter, hinting that the phone will be officially announced in India two days later, on June 22. The device will be announced during the press conference in Mumbai, which will kick off at 2PM local time. ‘Focus On What Matters’ is OnePlus’ slogan for the OnePlus 5 launch, as you can see in the provided image, and we already have plenty of info when it comes to the OnePlus 5, read on.
OnePlus had already confirmed that the phone will sport a fullHD (1920 x 1080) display, and that it will be fueled by the Snapdragon 835 64-bit octa-core SoC, while the company indirectly confirmed a dual camera setup as well. The OnePlus 5 leaked a couple of times in the last couple of days, and we do have a pretty good idea as to what will the phone look like at this point. The back side of the phone will resemble the iPhone 7 Plus, mainly because of the dual camera setup and its design, while the phone will be made out of metal. A fingerprint scanner will be placed below the phone’s display, while the alert slider will once again be included on the left side of the device, along with the volume up and volume down physical keys. The power / lock key will be placed on the right-hand side of this smartphone, and it seems like a SIM card tray will lie there as well. The OnePlus 5 is expected to sport a 5.5-inch fullHD AMOLED display, just like the OnePlus 3(T), but the company teased that the footprint of the device will be smaller compared to the OnePlus 3(T), which are always good news.
Having said that, the device’s seemingly official image popped up yesterday as well, and it seems like the phone will sport no bezel on the sides, the display is slightly curved on the sides, and it seems like it goes from side to side with not black bars or anything of the sort. The OnePlus 5 will ship with Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box, and on top of it, you’ll get OnePlus’ OxygenOS, of course. The device will probably pack in 6GB or 8GB of RAM, and more than one storage variant will become available.
UPDATE: OnePlus had also announced that it will host a press conference in China as well, it will be held on June 21, at 10AM local time. You can check out the image down below for more info. Now, you’ll also notice that June 22 is also listed on that image, well, that’s because the device will become available on the said date (read more about it here). In addition to that, OnePlus India’s official YouTube channel released a promo video for the launch of the OnePlus 3T, and it is embedded down below.


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“Dhak Dhak 2” Confirmed: The Sequel Sets Heartbeats Racing
Bollywood’s beloved road trip saga “Dhak Dhak” gears up for a sequel, “Dhak Dhak 2”, reuniting its original leading ladies for another thrilling journey.
In an exclusive revelation that has sent waves of excitement through Bollywood’s corridors, Tarun Dudeja, the visionary director behind the heartwarming road trip saga “Dhak Dhak,” has confirmed the development of its much-anticipated sequel, “Dhak Dhak 2.” The original film, celebrated for its empowering narrative and breathtaking visuals, became a sleeper hit, capturing the hearts of audiences across the globe.
“Dhak Dhak 2” promises to take viewers on another exhilarating journey, with the original quartet of leading ladies set to reprise their roles. This announcement comes as a delightful surprise to fans who had been eagerly waiting for a follow-up to the story that inspired wanderlust and a spirit of adventure among its viewers.
Details on the plot of “Dhak Dhak 2” remain tightly under wraps, but expectations are soaring high. The sequel plans to explore the themes of friendship, freedom, and self-discovery more profoundly, all against the backdrop of India’s enchanting landscapes. Production for the film is set to begin later this year, aiming for a release date in 2024.
This announcement underscores Bollywood’s evolving landscape, where sequels to beloved films are becoming a staple, thanks to their ability to resonate with and expand upon stories that audiences have grown to love. With “Dhak Dhak 2,” the industry looks forward to offering another compelling narrative that celebrates the indomitable spirit of its characters and the beauty of India’s road less traveled.


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The year is almost done and before we know it, we’ll be in 2017, ready to do it all over again. Auto Trader is pretty much the first stop for those looking to buy a new car, so it’s little wonder that that the its website has seen 60 million monthly visitors. That’s almost the entire population of the UK, just to put that in to perspective. The car selling site has revealed what are the 10 most searched for cars in 2016 and it may not throw up any real surprises, but it’s still interesting to see what are the current buying habits.
Mind you, if you were expecting something like the Ford Fiesta to be top of the list then you’d be wrong. In fact the Fiesta, which is currently the nation’s best-selling car, sits towards the bottom of the pile in 7th place. No, it was in fact the BMW 3 Series which made it to the top of the list and that’s not the only Beemer to make the top 10.
Jon Quirk, Auto Trader’s Editor-in-Chief, said, “The BMW 3 series continues its dominance as the most searched for car on Auto Trader, while the overall popularity for premium vehicles continues. This is due, in part, to an expansive new car portfolio and the availability of low rate finance. Small family cars have been big news in 2016 too, as they can provide superb levels of in-car technology, safety and refinement in more compact, more efficient and cost effective packages.”
The 5 Series and 1 Series make up the middle ground with respective 5th and 6th places, but they aren’t the only cars on the list to come from Germany. The ever dependable VW Golf comes in at a respectable second, whilst Mercedes features both the C Class and E Class, which finished 3rd and 9th respectively. Finishing the collection is the Ford Focus (4th), the Audi A3 (8th) and the Vauxhall Astra (10th).
Making a prediction for 2017, Quirk said, “2017 is going to be the year of the small car. The small car league table will see a host of new competition – the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo, Citroen C3 and Seat Ibiza will all have brand new models in 2017, not to mention the totally reinvented Nissan Micra.
“We’re also expecting to see an increase in the number of searches for electric vehicles, with refreshed models like the Renault Zoe promising better range and the release of the Tesla Model 3 – the Ford Focus-sized electric car with a 200+ mile range costing £30k – which should bring mass appeal for UK car buyers.”


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Several Post Office’s in the Western Cape joined other branches all over South Africa on a spring-clean day on 31 August this year.
“Post Office branches nationally used the spring-clean day to celebrate the organisation’s recent breakthroughs to start a new era of customer centricity and profitability, and Post Office employees from nearby administrative offices volunteered to help clean the branches,” says regional operations manager Pieter Swart.
The first achievement that warranted celebration is the SA Reserve Bank’s approval of a first-level application for Postbank to receive a banking license. The next and final level should be completed within 12 months, as per the legislative requirement.
The next key steps include approval of the Postbank board nominees, the registration of Postbank as a company with its own governance structures, formalisation of the relationship between the SA Post Office and Postbank and transfer of business from the SA Post Office to the new company. The SA Post Office has 1500 fully-fledged branches countrywide and each Post Office offers all Postbank services. That makes it possible for the bank to serve rural and remote areas of South Africa better than any other financial institution.
The SA Post Office’s service levels and income were severely harmed by labour unrest and strikes in recent years. The second achievement that warranted celebration was the signing of a joint agreement with the recognised trade unions to settle wages and conditions of employment from 2014 to the period ending 2016/2017.
This agreement brings to finality all historical labour issues and brings a new era of stability to the SA Post Office.
The third milestone which led to the spring-clean day was the conclusion of an agreement with financial institutions which gives the SA Post Office the capitalisation it needs to pay debts off the past and re-launch its services off a sound base.
The SA Post Office is expanding its services to include offerings such as registered e-mail, which has the same legal validity as paper-based registered mail. It will also soon launch more services to make the postal service more suitable as a partner to e-commerce companies. One such service will be a smartphone app which customers can use to check where their parcel is in the mail delivery system.


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How to Help Immigrants Arriving Daily
We can watch the news as of late and wonder at the callousness of humanity. War is always complicated, with deep-seated rationales on all sides. It is overwhelming to hear the news, knowing all we can do is watch and pray. But there is also another human catastrophe happening closer to home. And here we can do more than watch and pray. Here is where awareness leads us to compassion which calls for action:
Immigrants from the border are arriving daily in the city of Chicago. Recent reports say many are from Venezuela, a country with a broken economic and political system. There are currently 11,000 migrants in city-run shelters and over 3,000 currently waiting for placement, with an average of 1,000 more arriving daily. Shelters consist of tent encampments that can be assembled quickly but that, as of now, are not winterized. Many of these families started out this journey with the resources required to get them here and to start a new life. But those resources were confiscated or stolen along the way. And so, they arrive completely at the mercy of others. And those ‘others’ are us.
We can see the need for warm clothing and supplies. We’re good at providing those things! And there’s an easy way to do that. There is a “Rapid Response” wish list that has been set up on Amazon Rapid Response Wish List on Amazon with coats, boots, gloves, diapers, etc. that can be purchased for these immigrants. The above website link offers additional ways to help.
Jesus said as you do for the least of these you do so for me. Whatever your opinion on the immigration policies, the people are already here and winter is coming. As you visit Amazon, add an item to your cart that will mean the world for another.


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In the latest in our series with Ulster Bank, we speak to Blayne Shaw. He set up his firm Lane 44 when he saw a gap in the market for a plastic-free, and eco-friendly razor. And he’s been helped along in his journey thanks to Ulster Bank’s own Entrepreneur Accelerator
The idea of setting up and running your own business was very much in Blayne Shaw’s blood and DNA.
The Bangor man spent his formative years working in his parents’ own fashion business, and through that experience, learned on the job what’s required to go it alone.
“My parents run a business and I always had my own ambition to do my own thing,” he said. “I started my business about a year and half ago.
“I’d always wanted to do it. They have been going for 20-25 years and after seeing that business start from our front living room, to now having a warehouse in the US – that was quite inspiring and something I wanted to do.”
Blayne set up Lane 44 after seeing razor products in the marketplace, and a move away from disposable products and those containing a lot of plastic.
The company produces eco-friendly safety razors across a range of colours. And Blayne has plans to further extend that product range to include additional items, such as shaving cream and an exfoliator.
“I learned about the product and the opportunities out there. It was completely plastic free, and that’s the direction we went down.
“We started to go down to markets in London and selling face-to-face. It started out as a men’s razor, but we then realised more women were buying it at the market.”
Blayne says the greener credentials of the razor came about upon learning of the hundreds of millions of the plastic and disposable kind which are sent to landfill each year.
“I wanted something to help change that,” he says.
“That’s (one of) our main reasons. It’s also a much closer shave. When you are talking about plastic razors, encased in plastic, it’s hard to get it close to your skin.
“It’s significantly cheaper, blade wise. We are selling a year of blades for £15.95. That’s compared to some subscription services of around £10-15 a month.”
Blayne has also benefited from being part of Ulster Bank’s own Entrepreneur Accelerator programme, assisting in his journey and bringing the business online.
“It has been great. We have regular catch-ups with Ulster Bank and the biggest benefits for me have been opening doors, speaking to different people – getting great advice around insurance and accounts.”
It’s also helped him push his business online – something most retailers have pivoted to in the last few months, even those once dependent solely on bricks and mortar trade.
“The next thing will be more cosmetic based products, good quality shaving cream and pre-shave exfoliator – helping with the whole shaving experience.”
By Gabi Burnside, Entrepreneur Acceleration manager, Ulster Bank
Throughout 2020 and the onset of the pandemic, my prediction was always that more businesses would emerge, and we would see a flurry of new ideas and products come to market.
Given that many people experienced a huge shift in their traditional working patterns and had their daily routine upended, I thought those would-be entrepreneurs who have carried a great idea in the back of their minds but just never had the time to get it off the ground, would decide to make a move.
Of course the reality of the last 12 months and all of the uncertainty which has gone along with it, has also been a deterrent for some. While the shift in working patterns and more time at home may have illustrated a ‘better way’, the economic picture outside may have instead encouraged people to shy away from any kind of entrepreneurial activity.
Initial data from the Centre for Entrepreneurs’ annual analysis of Companies House data illustrates the different school of thoughts and highlights the mixed bag approach taken across the UK.
Data in Northern Ireland would appear to show that fewer businesses were launched in 2020 than was the case in 2019. In fact, by comparing April 2020 directly with April 2019 we see a 45% drop in the number of new businesses.
While this can be slightly downplayed by the fact that we were experiencing some of the strictest lockdown measures in April, there is still due cause for concern. The other regions of the UK, once we moved further into the spring and summer, seem to have recovered at a quicker pace.
With varying degrees of restrictions at different times across the four regions, it’s unsurprising to see higher amounts of activity in some areas than others but the figures show that more must be done to level the playing field for entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland.
New businesses will be at the forefront of economic recovery here and at the Ulster Bank Accelerator, we are committed to doing all we can to help entrepreneurs start or scale a business.
The ‘Covid economy’ naturally presents opportunities in areas such as technology, PPE manufacturing and cleaning services but we want to help other businesses who may be struggling to adapt.
This year we have already made additional funding available to female-led firms to try and address the gender imbalance and we are committed to supporting the creation of 35,000 new businesses across the UK by the end of 2021.
If you are sitting on a great idea for a business or are like Blayne from Lane 44 and want to make an everyday product better or smarter or even greener then get in touch with a member of our team and find out more about what we can offer through our networks and programmes.
Drop us an email to begin the conversation at email@example.com
Throughout the last year, entrepreneurs have continued to innovate, often coming up against the most difficult and challenging of circumstances. For me, they have offered a glimmer of hope amid all of the uncertainty and taken the wheel to steer us all on the road to a more sustainable recovery.


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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WZZM) -- The number of people in Michigan traveling this Memorial Day is expected to be close to the same as last year, but the people behind the "Pure Michigan" campaign say this big weekend for the travel industry is going to be kicking off a record breaking year for tourism.
"It doesn't matter what the weather sends our way. There is always something to do in Michigan." According to Pure Michigan Spokesperson Dave Lorenz, this could be the biggest year yet for tourism in Michigan.
"Our industry is growing."
Lorenz says 2012 brought in about $18 billion in economic activity. He's predicting 2013 to be about 3-4% higher than last year.
"Great news, because much of that will come from Michigan residents, but most of it will probably come from people from outside of Michigan."
Many of those visitors will be flocking to West Michigan cities, based on trip-booking traffic on www.puremichigan.org. "(To) beach towns, kind of that small, slower pace experience, and places like Grand Rapids for exciting, fun entertainment, and a great pub scene," continued Lorenz.
Memorial Day weekend is just the start. The bigger period is the week of July 4. "Most of our travel this holiday weekend will be pretty close to home; within 50 miles."
Lorenz says the Memorial Day period will help them find the trends for the Summer. Once they see how many people are coming, and where they are coming from, they'll have a better idea of which ads to run, and in what areas.
www.puremichigan.org remains the most used state travel site in the country. The campaign is also expanding to an even broader audience, likely to countries overseas within the year.


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Product recalls are hardly new, but they’re on the rise — thanks to increased industry sensitivity and improved testing. The White House, as part of its 21st-century mission to unite bureaucracy and technology, consolidated recall news from several regulatory agencies in 2010 — and created an app devoted to product recalls.
The call-backs in 2010 were notable because of the companies and products involved, and in some cases the sheer scale. One of the standouts was Toyota, the Japan-based car maker. From late 2009 and throughout 2010, the company, long known for its quality, recalled roughly 14 million vehicles in its model line for a variety of mechanical issues. Whether Toyota can restore its reputation remains to be seen, but the recalls have weighed heavily on its image.
And there’s no forgetting this summer, when hundreds of millions of eggs from Iowa’s Wright County Egg and Hillendale Farms were taken off store shelves owing to worries about salmonella. (Inspectors found live critters and 8-foot-high piles of manure on site.) In case anyone did forget, a November recall of Ohio Fresh eggs prodded people’s memory — especially since the same owners of the tainted Iowa farms were involved.
Another prominent recall involved Graco Children’s Products, which pulled around 2 million strollers from the marketplace amid fears they could lead to infants becoming entangled or even strangled. Graco and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) disclosed that four cases of infant strangulation had taken place in recent years.
In their defense, many of the companies involved in recent recalls have shown admirable contrition. Toyota, for instance, went to great lengths in 2010 to admit it had made mistakes, to acknowledge how serious those errors were, and to promise to get them fixed.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and the CPSC are at the heart of this nation’s efforts to ensure product safety and quality. But it’s a monumental task: Inspecting every manufactured product Americans buy is clearly impossible, and employees of the various agencies are only human.
Six agencies with various powers have combined their efforts to update the public on product announcements at Recalls.gov. Still, it’s worth repeating that the system isn’t perfect. The FDA and Johnson & Johnson were called out this year by a House of Representatives committee that described their dealings as “too cozy.”


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E3 2016 may be the talk of the town for now, but once LA’s annual trade show wraps up for another year, the video game industry will enter its annual summer lull and with No Man’s Sky pushed back to August, expect the release slate to remain sparse throughout June and into July.
Ensuring that that drought doesn’t last too long is developer Codemasters, after announcing today that F1 2016 will make its debut across PS4, Xbox One and PC on August 19.
Boasting the “most immersive career” ever introduced in a Codemasters title, the prestigious racing studio is aiming big with the next installment in the formula 1 series, and a pair of gameplay clips embedded below showcase F1 2016 in anction.
Here’s an overview, per Codemasters:
“The video shows the two F1 drivers getting to grips with the new circuit, giving their impressions on the track and its challenges as they go. The historic city centre, beautiful seaside promenade and impressive architecture all combine to provide the perfect backdrop to the new track – and it’s quite a spectacular contrast to see cars at the forefront of racing technology throwing themselves around a track enclosed by such a combination of history and 21st century style.”
Expect F1 2016 to drift onto PS4, Xbox One and PC on August 19.


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BANGKOK (AP) — Sure, the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal and the Grand Canyon have inspired many photographs. But a shopping mall in Bangkok has claimed this year's crown as the world's most photographed location on Instagram.
In its Top 10 year-end list, the photo-sharing app dubbed Siam Paragon as the planet's most "Instagrammed" spot in 2013. It edged out No. 2 Times Square and No. 3 Disneyland in California on the list that also includes New York's Central Park and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Paris' iconic steel tower got bumped off the list. And if Siam Paragon seems like an improbable winner consider this: last year's most "Instagrammed" place was again from Thailand — Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, which this year was at No. 9.
Instagram spokeswoman Tiffany Testo said in an email response that the California-based company does not release data on how many pictures were taken.
The luxury mall in the heart of Bangkok is not exactly a world-famous landmark. Sightseeing visitors to the city typically head first to the majestic Grand Palace or take in the serenity of Buddhist temples like Wat Pho. The mall is a trendy meeting place in Bangkok that claims to have more than 100,000 visitors a day. But why is it so avidly photographed?
"All the celebrities come here and post photos of themselves," said Sayamon Srichai, a 33-year-old Bangkok office worker walking past Paragon's tropical Christmas garden with an outstretched arm as she smiled for her smartphone. "Regular people like me want to walk in their footsteps."
Thailand has long been called the Land of Smiles, but it could also be called the Land of Selfies. Thais love taking pictures of themselves, documenting their daily activities and uploading the images instantly so friends know what they're up to. The Southeast Asian country is also one world's biggest users of social media, which could explain why a building that may not be the most photographed in the world still ends up as the most visible on Instagram.


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Plant-based food company Green Monday Holdings has raised $70 million in new funding led by TPG’s The Rise Fund and Swire Pacific, according to a press release sent to The Spoon. The round also includes participation from CPT Capital, Jefferies Group, Sino Group’s NG Family Trust, artist Wang Leehom, and Room to Read founder John Wood. Existing investors, including Lee Kum Kee Health Products Group’s Happiness Capital and individual investorsJames Cameron, Mary McCartney, and Susan Rockefeller, also participated.
The Hong Kong-based Green Monday enterprise has multiple branches. It operates OmniFoods, which makes plant-based meat alternative OmniPork, as well as Green Common, a retailer and restaurant for plant-based foods. The Green Monday Foundation, meanwhile, is a charitable organization that aims to raise awareness about the importance of living more sustainable lifestyles. The enterprise as a whole reaches multiple countries, including Japan, China, the U.S., the U.K., and Thailand.
OmniFoods debuted OmniPork on mainland China a little less than one year ago. Since then, the company has expanded across that market, landing in both retailers and QSR chains like Taco Bell and Starbucks.
This new funding round comes at a time when both investment and interest in plant-based meat is up worldwide. In a recent report, investor network FAIRR said that while the U.S. is still the largest market for alternative proteins, China, along with the rest of the Asia-Pacific region, is catching up.
Not surprisingly, that means Green Monday is not the only company expanding its alt-protein business in that region. Beyond Meat just announced it will build production facilities in China. Starfield, which recently raised $10 million and launched in 20 restaurant chains across China, is another established player to contend with.
Green Monday said this funding round is the largest of its kind to date in Asia. It will use this new capital to expand research and development as well as its retail networks, and boost its production, distribution, and supply chain capabilities. It plans to increase global operations to over 20 markets across Asia, EMEA and North America, as well as open Green Common flagship stores in China and Singapore.


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Avnet third quarter fiscal 2022 financial results declare revenues of $6.5B, up 32% YoY and 11% sequentially.
Avnet, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVT) announced results for its third quarter ending 2 April, 2022, reporting another strong quarter of sales and operating margin growth. These results were once again bolstered by a strong performance from the element14 business with sales increasing 18.4% YoY to $469 million. element14’s operating margin grew to 14.9% in Q3, which reflects the strength of its global performance.
This is the result of the company’s continued investments in expanding the scope of its global inventory portfolio, and further developments of its e-commerce capabilities. The business planned to add 250,000 new SKUs through FY22 and has so far delivered 63% of that total, with the existing global portfolio now approaching one million products. Additional investments in e-Commerce capabilities, new product introductions and continued support for the online engineering community were also key drivers of growth.
In e-Commerce, element14 continues to strengthen its offering, with more than 72% of transactional orders placed online through the quarter, which represents element14’s historically best quarter with 56% of element14 sales taking place online. This marks the company’s sixth consecutive quarter of online sales growth.
Weidi Zhu, Business President, element14, said: “We are pleased with these latest results which, following equally impressive results in Q2, is especially encouraging as we continue to demonstrate strong performance in FY22 to date.
“Online continues to be a major focus area for our business and play a key role in both our growth and improved customer offering, as we commit to delivering a vastly enhanced web experience. The result of this is that we now see over 70% of our sales and orders being placed through e-Commerce avenues, while we continue to differentiate our product offering through launching new supplier lines and expanding in core and new segments.”
element14’s expansive inventory remains a key priority for the Avnet group and was a critical driver of Avnet’s adjusted operating margin reaching 4.7% in the quarter, as well as Avnet’s gross margin rising from 12.2% to 12.5%.
In APAC, growth in sectors including automotive, medical device and consumer electronic, as well as electronics manufacturing services and original equipment manufacturers, continued to drive strong performance.
Zhu, commented: “Our global demand indicators remain strong. And while challenges remain in terms of backorder fulfilment, our ongoing success is a direct result of the resilience and commitment our employees have demonstrated; our customers who remain a delight to service; and our suppliers who have remained steadfast and responsive as we collectively look to deliver further successful operating results throughout the calendar year ahead and beyond.”
Read Avnet’s Third Quarter Fiscal 2023 Financial Results in full, and find out how element14 is supporting customer journeys here.