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Ricoh to show-off 4K-capable Theta 360-degree camera at NAB
Ricoh will be showcasing a prototype Theta 360 camera that can capture 4K clips and live-stream video at the annual NAB show next week. In addition to its video capture and streaming capabilities, the Theta concept will also have four microphones, allowing it to capture 'spatial surround-sound audio.'
In an interview at Photokina last year Ricoh told us that putting such features into the current form factor would be difficult due to processing power and heat management, so it will be interesting to see how they pulled it off.
DPReview will be at NAB and will drop by the Ricoh booth to see if we can take a closer look.
RICOH TO SHOWCASE THETA 360-DEGREE CAMERA WITH 4K VIDEO AND LIVESTREAMING AT 2017 NAB SHOW
WEST CALDWELL, NJ, April 20, 2017 — Ricoh today announced it will be showcasing a prototype of its newest Theta 360-degree camera, capable of capturing high-resolution 4K video in a single shot, at the upcoming 2017 NAB Show, April 24-27, in Las Vegas. The camera will be featured at the Ricoh booth, C11139, located in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
In addition to capturing 4K video at 30 frames per second, the new camera will enable 4K 360-degree livestreaming, and a built-in 4-channel microphone will record spatial “surround-sound” audio.
The new camera is expected to be launched later in the year.
Ricoh offers the industry’s most extensive line of spherical imaging cameras, known for their high image quality, sleek design and ease of use. First introduced in 2013, Theta cameras allow consumers to record fully spherical images that show the entirety of a scene in photos or videos. The camera line’s combination of small size, high quality imagery and incredible functionality are a result of Ricoh’s many decades of experience in advanced imaging and optical technologies. The company has long been a leader in professional printers and copiers, and is known for its high-quality optics and optical components. A key achievement with the Theta series is an ultra-small twin-lens folded-optical system capable of capturing two wide-angle images and then marrying them into a single spherical image.
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The Rotolight Neo 2 is an LED light panel with the capability to fire its LEDs fast enough and bright enough to act as a strobe. Is it enough to make stills photographers re-think their old-fashioned speed lights? Read on and find out.
Photographer Florian Nick spent six weeks in the Canadian wilderness capturing this Vimeo Staff Pick timelapse. Find out why and how he did it in this detailed behind the scenes guest post.
We've spent some time getting acquainted with Panasonic's freshest mirrorless camera, the GX9, putting its tilting EVF to good use. Check out our initial samples.
Sony has made something of a break-through in sensor development with a new backside-illuminated CMOS sensor that is capable of global shutter, a huge improvement over current CMOS global shutter technology.
As a result of its licensing deal with Getty, Google Images will no longer link directly to an image file from the search results. Instead, users will have to actually visit the site that hosts it.
Microsoft has released a new "Ultimate Performance" mode for Windows 10 Pro for Workstations—a mode that throws all power management out the window (so to speak) in favor of the best possible performance it can pull from your hardware.
If it's upheld, the new New York federal court ruling—which will very likely be appealed—would mean millions of people and publications are violating copyright every single day.
Similar to Apple's AirDrop functionality, Microsoft's new Photos Companion app lets you send photos and videos from an Android or iOS smartphone to a PC via a WiFi network.
The Fujifilm X-H1 is that company's latest flagship, with specs that appeal to stills photographers and serious videographers alike. Here's a detailed look at everything that's new and improved.
The Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200 is a powerful, pocketable travel zoom compact camera, with an impressively long lens. We've had our hands on one.
Samsung just released a few short advertisement videos for the Samsung Galaxy S9 on its Korean Youtube channel, two of which hint at the upcoming smartphone's new and improved camera features.
After years of planning and dreaming, wet plate photographer Markus Hofstaetter finally accomplished one of his crazier goals: shooting wet plate collodion photography... handheld.
Thomas Escher, Panono's new CEO, wants to steer the company strategy towards customized software development for the real-estate and construction sectors.
"Jurist Thomas Borberg said in a WPP-produced video that 'You have to be able to feel a World Press Photo in your stomach. If not, it’s not a World Press Photo.' Given this position, it’s not surprising that violent images are the ones that provoke stomach churning reactions."
Croatian brand Noa will launch its N7 smartphone at MWC. The phone will feature a 16MP dual-camera setup, and a high-resolution mode that captures 80MP images.
Michigan portrait and wedding photographer Brady Kenniston explains how he captured photos of an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime event: the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch on February 6th.
Lensbaby has announced the Burnside 35, which it calls an adaptation of the Petzval lens design with the added benefit of an effect slider to adjust the strength of vignetting and bokeh.
Fujifilm has unveiled the X-H1, a flagship 24MP APS-C camera that builds on the X-T2's feature set by adding 5-axis image stabilization, a touchscreen and more advanced video capabilities.
With the release of its Fujinon MKX 18-55mm T2.9 and MKX 50-135mm T2.9 cinema lenses, Fujifilm finally gives X-mount shooters access to some great lenses that have already been available to E-mount shooters for months.
Fujifilm's newest X-series camera takes video very seriously, but also offers a strong stills feature set largely borrowed from the X-T2. We've had some time with a full-production X-H1 that luckily coincided with a little bit of rare February sunshine.
The Korean manufacturer will introduce a suite of AI technologies for its smartphones, including a Vision AI that puts the focus on camera usability and performance. The 2018 version of the flagship LG V30 will be the first device to feature the new tech.
Directors from six US intelligence agencies—including the CIA, FBI, and NSA—have told the Senate Intelligence Committee that it does not recommend Americans purchase Huawei devices, citing multiple security concerns.
Skydio claims the autonomous R1 drone is "the most advanced autonomous device—of any kind—available today." It uses the NVIDIA Jetson AI to continuously track you, even through complex environments like dense woods.
The World Press Photo Foundation has revealed the six finalists for World Press Photo of the Year 2018 today, in preparation for the final awards ceremony in Amsterdam on April 12th.
Tamron just published a teaser image that seems to show a new mirrorless zoom lens is "coming soon." An official announcement is probably planned for CP+, but join us for some good ol' fashioned speculation in the meantime.
The Loxia 25mm F2.4 joins four other manual-focus Loxia lenses designed specifically for Sony's full-frame mirrorless cameras—a "small, robust and versatile" lens that will keep your kit light and inconspicuous when you're on the go.
With video-centric cameras like the Panasonic GH5S in the office, it seemed high time to learn how to shoot with a gimbal. After a struggle up the learning curve, DPR staffer has found some sort of equilibrium.
Nominally at least, the new Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9 is the successor to the GX8. But while it has a lot in common with the earlier model, the new camera comes with some serious updates, and a couple of caveats. Here's what you need to know.
Fujifilm's Imaging Solutions division recorded a revenue of $2.77 billion and operating income of $465 million in the first three quarters of 2017. That's a 15.6% increase in year-on-year revenue and a whopping 76.1% jump in operating income over the same period last year.


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19 de fevereiro de 2020
One of Chile’s most important markets for Atlantic salmon is Brazil. Refrigerated vans made a 2,480-mile journey from Puerto Montt in southern Chile to cold storage amenities of seafood distributors of main supermarkets within the higher Sao Paulo metropolitan district. A major vietnamcupid review trade association for US fishermen has applauded the Senate’s passage of a $2 trillion COVID-19 stimulus bill that features $300 million in reduction for commercial seafood harvesters and aquaculture farmers.
“There is an old adage that action cures anxiety,” wrote John Connelly, president of the National Fisheries Institute, in a statement issued Friday morning. Norway’s minister of fisheries and seafood, Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen, has introduced the start date of the country’s “recent fish scheme” might be delayed due to the coronavirus. In 2019, China imported $7.03 billion value of crustaceans, or 45% of whole Chinese seafood imports. Including mollusks, similar to squid, octopus and scallops, the determine rises to $eight.59bn, or fifty five% of imports. Although there was a decline of about 7% in exports of fresh whole salmon to Asia in week 14, for the primary time for the reason that corona outbreak, exports to China have surpassed the corresponding week in 2019.
“If we evaluate Easter exports with last week’s Easter week, we see a rise in both salmon and cod exports to processing markets similar to Poland and the Netherlands. These are markets that refine the fish into shopper-ready merchandise for sale within the grocery retailer,” noted NSC analyst Paul Aandahl. Vietnamese pangasius agency P&H Seafood Processing Co. has confronted a tricky begin to 2020, with its major market of China, in fact, closed to it for a good number of weeks. New Zealand’s rock lobster harvesting sector, which is heavily dependent on exports to China, is starting to rebound after seeing sales plummet earlier this 12 months as COVID-19 caused Chinese imports to crash. The UK’s Pesky Fish has launched what it claims is the world’s first online marketplace for fishermen to promote their catch on to people throughout the nation.
“The big fish, the 5-7kg, they received to the US and China, with the market and transport issues. Last week, Norway’s new fisheries minister has stated the nation would permit salmon farmers to exceed most allowable biomass (MAB) limits ought to it turn into essential, amid the market chaos. More than 9-in-10 Chinese seafood businesses surveyed by Undercurrent News have resumed operations. However, nearly two-thirds of Chinese seafood trade executives are gloomy about exports as the worldwide coronavirus pandemic worsens. Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan has been identified as the epicenter of the novel coronavirus, although this is yet to be confirmed.
Exports of salmon, cod, and different seafoods have additionally been comparatively steady, but with giant variations between species, merchandise, and markets, the NSC stated. The coronavirus pandemic has largely not affected China’s offshore aquaculture initiatives. According to Schreven, welding work on the pen even continued when the remainder of the nation was in lockdown over Chinese New Year. A shortage of obtainable lobsters in the market leading as much as Mother’s Day weekend (May 9-10), due in large part to coronavirus pandemic-associated delays, helped enhance the price in Canada, reports the Fish Food and Workers Union (FFAW).
In its latest update, the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) notes that there have been fast changes in the flow of fresh whole salmon to completely different global markets during week 19 of 2020. Intermediate wholesalers at Tokyo’s Toyosu food market are focusing extra on direct on-line gross sales to consumers at a time when seafood demand has plunged because of restaurant closures, reviews Japan Times. Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s seafood development company, has launched a short lived voluntary fleet tie-up scheme “designed to assist in adjusting the provision of fish coming onto a market that’s presently depressed”. The fishing and seafood processing sector in Brazil is asking the nation’s authorities for tax breaks, backed credit score and emergency mortgage ensures after COVID-19 reduce sales by an estimated 50%, Reuters reported.
Raw materials prices are barely weak, however demand in China is rising once more. Prices for fish in local Ugandan markets are understood to be dropping sharply as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic start to hit African traders, reviews the Daily Monitor. In the last two weeks, the Scottish authorities has made obtainable three assist packages for the seafood sector. These should assist fishing, seafood processing and aquaculture businesses that are facing hardship within the present market to assist them keep a crucial supply for the UK market.
Iceland’s Samherji has famous the markets for contemporary seafood have modified drastically in just two weeks, with exports now only a few quarter of what they had been before the COVID-19 pandemic started. Grimsby, UK-primarily based seafood supplier JCS Fish has stated it is nonetheless but to see “any major operational impacts” as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak in the nation, it stated. Major salmon farmer Empresas AquaChile has quickly turned over its molecular biology lab normally used to check its fish to the Chilean navy and well being authorities to make use of for testing coronavirus vaccine, the company mentioned. Wang Dongsheng, head of Maoming Xinzhou Seafood, advised China’s Seafood Guide most Chinese tilapia products weighing a hundred and fifteen grams or much less are bought into retail, whereas foodservice sometimes takes 170g-fillets or above. A new web site launched by a couple of seafood markets within the US city of Tampa, Florida goals to showcase the area’s options to purchase fish even with eating places closed.
A project being run out of the University of Guelph, primarily based in Ontario, Canada, is tracking the “actual-time” impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak for fishermen and women via a weekly podcast. NGO Future of Fish is launching a number of initiatives to try to assist Peru’s seafood sector through the coronavirus crisis, it has stated. If the Alaska salmon fishery does open, we can make certain that this season will not proceed as the established order up to now, mentioned Candian wholesaler Tradex Foods, in a market report. During the pandemic the Norwegian seafood industry has been totally working, as it’s categorized as important for meals security.
Plant-based alternate options to meat, poultry and seafood already were on the rise, but they’re really jumping in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Financial Times reports. “So far, we’ve seen a decline in demand for Norwegian seafood total. For example, for salmon, we see that the export volume is secure whereas the price measured in euros falls by about 30%, said Tom-Jorgen Gangso, NSC director of market insight and entry. The impacts of the coronavirus pandemic for Norwegian seafood has been a combined bag thus far, with volume development in some markets, and a big fall in others, according to the latest Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) update. Towards the tip of April the UK’s Pesky Fish launched what it claimed was the world’s first online marketplace for fishermen to promote their catch directly to people throughout the nation.
On the evening of March 23, Boris Johnson, UK prime minister, announced folks will only be allowed out for essential activities, similar to meals purchasing, so as to try to include COVID-19. The National Federation of Fish Friers recommends its 1,200 members keep closed until they can do home delivery, Andrew Crook, its president, advised Undercurrent News. The UK’s 1,200 fish and chip retailers must plan for a special landscape after the country returns from what is basically a lockdown, as a result of spread of COVID-19 coronavirus. Smales & Son (Fish Merchants) and Collins Seafoods have briefly closed their businesses because of the efficient lockdown the country has in place to attempt to combat the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. “The markets that these boats bought into have largely disappeared due to the COVID-19 pandemic, depriving many fishermen of their livelihoods nearly overnight,” mentioned SFF chief government Elspeth Macdonald.

domain: news


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By Dan Frommer. From the archives.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 9:48 am.
— Roger Ebert steps back to focus on his health and his new venture, Ebert Digital.
Recent Amazon purchases: Superfeet green insoles, Mary’s Gone Crackers gluten-free “everything” pretzels, Bounty select-a-size paper towels, 3-foot USB-C cord, Jayone seaweed snacks, and “Designing Design” by Muji’s Kenya Hara.


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Meet Jaimie Wilson. He’s a pretty successful guy, being a musician, a DJ, and a successful model. That’s pretty impressive considering he’s only 21-years-old. He also happens to be a fully transitioned male member of the LGBT community.
Wilson is from Ann Arbor, Michigan in the US and has shared his transition journey online. As a result of sharing his personal story, he’s become an empowered poster boy for transgender rights.
Jaimie told UNILAD about his mission to shed some light on the societal myths surrounding transgender people, telling his story about his incredible transition. The photos and the words really give viewers a reality check on transitioning.
He told UNILAD, “When I was 15 I knew for a fact that I was male. But because I grew up in a religious household I had to put my identity and feelings aside until I was able to be on my own.”
He told UNILAD, “I would go to the store and shop in the men’s section. I took every opportunity I had to put on masculine clothing and stare into the mirror.”
The singer-songwriter transitioned at the age of 18, finding himself “more excited to be alone than around anyone” he told UNILAD. He also added, “When I was alone I was able to dress and look how I wanted to…I was me.”


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Swiss SIX Exchange Launches Bitcoin and Ether Exchange-Traded Product
Fintech firm, Amun and crypto custodian Bitcoin Suisse and announced today of the launch of its Swiss Franc denominated Amun Bitcoin Suisse BTC/ETH exchange-traded product (ETP). This ETP, a combination of Bitcoin and Ether, has gone live on the Swiss stock exchange, SIX.
The launch of the ETP will allow Swiss investors to add BTC and ETH to their portfolios. The composition of the ETP is 90% BTC and 10% ETH. Trading on SIX, the ETP is under the ABBA ticker symbol.
As described by Amun AG, “this physically-backed ETP is fully collateralized, which means that for every Bitcoin and Ether bought for the ETP, there will be an equal corresponding crypto amount stored securely in the Bitcoin Suisse Vault.”
Hany Rashwan, the co-founder and CEO of Amun, stated that the product had been designed specifically for the Swiss by the Swiss to address the need for a Swiss Franc (CHF)-denominated ETP. He said,
“It represents a unique way for investors to add the two major cryptocurrencies globally to their portfolio via a regulated product listed on SIX and backed by a Swiss-based custodian.”
Post-launch, Amun AG has added the seventh cryptocurrency ETP listed on the Swiss SIX exchange.
SDX sets up a global consortium for its initial digital offering in 2020
The Swiss Digital Exchange (SDX) has been reportedly setting up a global consortium of financial institutions for its plan to launch its initial digital offering (IDO) in 2020.
The IDO was explained to be similar to a traditional initial public offering, although the shares will be issued in the form of security tokens on SDX. The launch of the SDX was postponed to Q4 of 2020.
Image via Shutterstock


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Current computer technology articles
Computers articles: cloud technology has become the most useful option to lots of businesses however, disaster, data removal and failure to computer hardware parts are the major factors, which cause risk to your corporate files read the entire article vikram kumar. After surveying the current state of the literature in the history of computing the history of the computer and of computing is central to that of information mahoney history of computing in the history of technology page 4. Get the latest technology and engineering news and insight learn about the next steps for everything from ai and smart devices to mechanical engineering. Researchers are studying the latest innovations in user interface technologies to see what features provide the most satisfying, realistic user experience.
Computer science and engineering - new trends in computer technology - alireza kaviani internet appliances and smart vehicles, will pressure the computer industry to continue their current trend and deliver faster, denser and cheaper computers. The effects of technology in society and education brian sutton the college at brockport education has transformed due to current day usage of the computer in the classroom of computer technology technology is not value neutral, so to say, as it has been. According to the latest data 10 major technology trends in education if there was any doubt in our mind that we were beyond the tipping point in terms of kids carrying a computer in their pocket, backpack or purse, she said. Get the latest news coming out of the top tech companies including apple, google, amazon, facebook, twitter and microsoft find out all about the latest in gadgets, startups, social media, cybersecurity and the gaming industry. Articles on computer technology - computer articles - online security at smartbizcom read articles on computer technology, online security, and other computer articles in our pcs & online equipment section.
5 trends that will drive the future of technology rather than simply play against the computer code academy can teach a variety of programming languages to just about anybody and the latest iteration is massively online open courses. Coverage includes hardware, software, networking, wireless computing, personal technology, security and cutting-edge technology from the business world to the consumer world attention b2b marketers the siggraph conference is a year event that focuses on the latest in computer graphics and. These and other developing technologies will fundamentally change the way you think about--and use--technology computer accessories consumer advice displays e-readers flash 15 hot new technologies that will change everything by christopher null pcworld | oct 28, 2008 5. Current issue subscribe digital editions renew | give a customer service the magazine blogs health & medicine mind & brain technology space & physics living world environment photos podcasts shop march 2018 about the magazine discover magazine on facebook discover magazine. Keep up to date on the latest developments in the tech industry.
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Get the latest bbc technology news: breaking news and analysis on computing, the web, blogs, games, gadgets, social media, broadband and more.
To continue reading this article, please exit incognito mode or log in laws and ethics can't keep pace with technology codes we live by, laws we follow, and computers that move too fast to care or if a computer algorithm judges them to be socially undesirable. Cnet news reporters and editors cover the latest in security, with in-depth stories on issues and events. The future of technology will be determined by usability combined with simplicity future of computer technology: you can use this watch to monitor stocks , to know current weather conditions, to the distance you have traveled. What's black, white and always dressed to impress a penguin and scientists, with the help of drones and poop stains, recently discovered a mega-colony of these dapper animals.
Discover what's going on technology right now an overview of the top trending stories in the last 30 days. List of emerging technologies this article's factual accuracy is disputed emerging technology status potentially marginalized technologies related articles computer-generated imagery: developing: photomodels. The problem with current air pollution control systems is that analysts predict that the latest technology inventions in cloud computing will significantly influence how we use our computers and mobile devices cloud computing is where tasks and file storage on your computer are performed. Informationweekcom: news, analysis and research for business technology professionals, plus peer-to-peer knowledge sharing engage with our community. News search form (computer science and technology) search for articles: subscribe to rss 1 - 20 of 935 articles the computer scientist's group has designed a game that gets players to reflect on sexual misconduct in the workplace january 19, 2018.


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Early Budget Announced
Philip Hammond, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has recently announced that 2018’s Autumn Budget will be moved forward, so as not to clash with Brexit negotiations. Rather than being held in late November or early December, as is usual, this year’s Budget will be held on 29th October 2018.
The Autumn Budget is a yearly occurrence, where the Chancellor sets out the government’s economic plans for the coming financial year. It usually includes information on taxes, the funding of public services, and changes in policy. This year’s Autumn Budget is particularly significant, as it’s the last one before the UK officially splits from the EU on 29th March 2019.
UK Bank Customers Lose £500m to Scammers
This month it was revealed that scammers have stolen more than £500m from UK banking customers in the first half of 2018 alone. This shocking statistic shows that bank fraud is unfortunately very common, and it’s more important than ever to stay vigilant. Of this figure, £145m has been taken by scammers through ‘authorised payment’ scams, where the victim is tricked into authorising a payment to another account. The remaining £358m was taken without the knowledge or consent of the account holder.
Banking scams can be surprisingly sophisticated and can occasionally catch out even the most savvy customers. The Money Advice Service has this useful guide on ‘How to spot and avoid bank scams’ if you are unsure about what to look out for.
Giant Gold Rocks Discovered in Australia
Beta Hunt mine in Western Australia has been thrust into the spotlight this month, due to its amazing gold discovery. Primarily a nickel mining operation, miners at Beta Hunt were shocked to discover a large gold deposit at their site, which has enabled them to extract huge quantities of the precious metal. Just 2g of gold is usually extracted from a single tonne of rock, but this mining operation is managing to extract 2,200g per tonne, which has been described as ‘exceedingly rare and very exciting.’
Additionally, two huge gold-encrusted quartz rocks have been found at the site – the heaviest of which is 95kg and is said to contain around 2,400 ounces of gold. The rocks are set to go to auction as collectors items and could fetch millions of pounds each.
The Pink Legacy Diamond – A Secret No Longer
An incredible vivid pink diamond is being put up for auction by Christie’s next month, named the Pink Legacy. Once owned by the Oppenheimer family (who used to own De Beers, the famed diamond company), the Pink Legacy was unknown to the world and has remained a close secret until now. The rectangular-cut stone is the largest pink diamond to go up for auction at Christie’s, and comes in at an incredible 18.96 carats. The estimate given by Christie’s is $30-$50million, but a bidding war may see the Pink Legacy fetch even more than this. We’ll be keeping an eye on the auction, which is set to be held in Geneva on 13th November 2018.
Royal’s Jewellery Rules Revealed
Royal expert Myka Meier revealed this month there are a number of rules surrounding the jewellery which may be worn by female members of the Royal Family, such as Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle. Although the Royals have a huge range of family jewellery to choose from and would likely be permitted to borrow special pieces from the world’s top jewellery houses, they aren’t allowed to wear certain pieces during the day. According to Meier, female Royals are prohibited from wearing diamonds during the day, and may only wear them after 6pm. This rule does not apply to their wedding jewellery and is in place to ensure they don’t come across too ‘flashy’.
In the day, you're likely to see Kate and Meghan wearing pearls, plain precious metal pieces, sapphires and other gemstones. The jewellery they wear will have been picked out with help from a team and will often be tailored to the event or engagement they’re attending.
H&T Group Announce Shareholder’s Dividend
H&T Group have recently announced a shareholder’s dividend, which will be paid on Friday 5th October 2018. Individuals holding stock in H&T Group on or before 6th September 2018 will receive a dividend yield of 1.39%. H&T Group was floated on the stock market in 2006 under ‘HAT’, and shareholders include investment companies, H&T directors and staff members.
In Other News…
Collapse of Lehman Brothers – 10 Year Anniversary
Many will remember when the recession hit in 2008, especially as the effects of the economic downturn are still being felt by many people. Many would argue that the recession was caused by a wide range of factors, but the event which started the ball rolling and caused international financial chaos was the collapse of the Lehman Brothers, who filed for bankruptcy on 15th September 2008 – a whole decade ago. It remains the biggest bankruptcy filing in US history, as Lehman Brothers held over $600billion in assets.
Lehman Brothers was a Wall Street bank which provided mortgage funding, among other financial services, and is now described as a ‘real estate hedge fund disguised as an investment bank.’ By 2008, they had assets of $680billion, yet this was only supported by $22.5billion in capital. This meant a huge black hole in their finances, which ultimately caused their demise and subsequent economic woes.
Thankfully, the financial industry has learned a lesson from this catastrophic event, and these days there are more rules and regulations in place to prevent issues like this from happening again. The Financial Conduct Authority for example, oversees all money lending in the UK and has strict policies in place so customers – and economies – are protected.


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PARIS (AP) — France will apply restrictions to prevent vacationers from going to Swiss ski resorts, and French slopes will remain closed during the Christmas period amid the coronavirus pandemic, President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday. “If there are countries ... which maintain their ski resorts open, we will have to take control...Full Article
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PLYMOUTH TWP., Pa. (WPVI) -- IKEA Conshohocken in Montgomery County will be closed until Sunday following a fire.
Firefighters were called to the store in Plymouth Township around 10:30 a.m. Friday.
The store on the 400 block of Alan Wood Road was evacuated. No injuries were reported.
In a statement announcing the closure, IKEA said its first priority is the safety of its customers and co-workers.
There is no word on a cause at this time.
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NEW BERLIN, N.Y. — Greek yogurt maker Chobani has secured $750 million in capital from the private investment firm TPG Capital. As part of the investment, TPG will have representation on Chobani’s board of directors. Hamdi Ulukaya, the chief executive officer of Chobani, will serve as chairman of the board.
“Chobani has experienced tremendous growth and leads one of the most exciting aisles in the supermarket,” Mr. Ulukaya said. “This investment gives us additional resources to build on our momentum, fund our exciting new innovations and reach new people.”
Earlier this month Chobani announced it was extending its product portfolio to include yogurt-based items featuring oats, indulgent ingredients such as dark chocolate, and those that may be used for meal preparation.“Hamdi and the team at Chobani have in seven years turned the vision of bringing a quality, nutritious Greek yogurt to America into a highly successful business,” said Jim Coulter, co-founder, TPG. “We look forward to Chobani’s future growth and expansion of the brand by bringing the skills we have developed in helping build companies like J. Crew and Neiman Marcus.”


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Newport Folk 7″ feat. Hurray for the Riff Raff & Benjamin Booker – Order Now
ATO Records and Newport Folk Presents(TM) have formed a label partnership celebrating the deep creative rapport between the label and the historic festival. Together we will curate a limited edition vinyl series featuring ATO recording artists who perform at the legendary festival. The repertoire will focus on unreleased material, b-sides, rarities and, of course, recordings culled from the festival. The releases will be sold at the festival, on ATO’s online store and by independent retailers.
Newport Folk Festival producer Jay Sweet says, “ATO is a spiritual partner with so many bands; when we thought about doing some small batch vinyl the timing was serendipitous.” “ATO and our artist community greatly respect Newport Folk Festival so it’s a tremendous honor to work alongside the historical festival,” comments Jon Salter, ATO Records’ General Manager. “The plan is to do a few releases per year, focusing on the quality of the material and its collectible nature.”
The 7-inch can be pre-ordered now at http://smarturl.it/NewportVinyl
The first release will be a limited edition 7-inch featuring two previously unreleased recordings: Hurray for the Riff Raff’s“Daniella” will appear on the A-side backed with a live version of Benjamin Booker’s “Violent Shiver.” The 7-inch will be available via ATO Records’ e-store beginning July 8 and will be sold on site at Newport Folk Festival ®, which will take place July 25-27, 2014. It will be available at select indie retailers beginning on August 5.
In addition to these two artists, ATO Records has Rodrigo y Gabriela, Caitlin Rose, J. Roddy Walston & The Business and Lucero performing at this year’s festival.
“Daniella” is one of the first songs that Alynda Lee Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff ever wrote and she re-recorded it at Electric Lady Studios this past winter exclusively for the limited edition 7-inch. The band won many new fans with its stand-out performance at last year’s Newport Folk Festival®, which led up to the release of Hurray for the Riff Raff’s critically acclaimed album Small Town Heroes.
“Violent Shiver” is the first single from New Orleans-based Benjamin Booker, whose music has been hailed as “a quaking blues punk blitz” by NME. Booker will be making his Newport Folk Festival debut this year just before the release of his self-titled debut album, out August 19. The version of “Violent Shiver” that appears on the 7-inch was recorded in March 2014 at Good Danny’s Studio in Austin, TX during a session for the online blog Daytrotter.com.


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Ford Motor Company will invest US $72 million to expand its powertrain facility in Chennai to further support its sales and export growth plans in India. When the expansion programme is completed in mid-2012, the engine plant’s production capacity will increase from 250,000 to 330,000 units per year, an additional output of 80,000 diesel engines annually.
“This investment reinforces the importance of our Chennai plant and Ford's continued expansion in India,” said Michael Boneham, president and managing director of Ford India. "This expansion will allow us to provide more technologically advanced and fuel-efficient engines to our customers in India and in markets around the world where we export Chennai-built vehicles."
The expansion of diesel engine production capacity will bring Ford’s total investment in India to more than US$ 1 billion. “The new investment also further supports our plan to introduce eight new global Ford vehicles in India by 2015,” Boneham added. “When the expansion is finished, a third production shift will be added at the engine assembly plant, creating more than 300 new direct jobs.”
The new investment is part of Ford India’s transformation into a major global export and manufacturing hub - 1.6 TiVCT, 1.4 HC and Duratorq engines will be exported from the country.
The expansion announcement is the latest milestone in a busy and productive year at the Maraimalai Nagar engine plant. In March, plant managers and employees celebrated the 100,000th engine produced at the factory - this significant milestone was achieved just 14 months after the engine plant opened for operations in January 2010.
The plant is the first Ford facility to feature single flexible production line manufacturing petrol and diesel engines. It is also the first Ford plant to run a flexible crank shaft production line producing crank shafts for petrol and diesel engines.
Today, the plant produces five Duratec petrol engine variants and one Duratorq diesel engine variant for Ford vehicles. It is also gearing up to produce powertrains for Ford's all-new global Fiesta sedan, when it is launched in India later this year.
Since June 2010, more than 4,000 India-built 1.4L and 1.6L petrol engines have been exported to Thailand every month. Diesel engines have also been exported to South Africa since 2008 and Ford plans to export India-built petrol and diesel powertrains to more markets in the near future.
Celebrating its 120th Anniversary, Royal Enfield announced the launch of a new range of limited edition helmets earlier this week. The limited range will consist of hand painted helmets designed by ar...
Sony India has introduced the new XAV-AX8100 in-car media receiver, offering new utility features, powerful sound and smart features.
ExxonMobil Lubricants Pvt Ltd launched its upgraded Mobil Super Moto range of engine oils to make it easier for people to maintain their two-wheelers in top condition. The launch comes at a time when...
In an exclusive interview, Uday Narang, Chairman, Anglian Omega Group & Omega Seiki Mobility
talks about his company plans to enter the two and four wheeler electric vehicle space.
Motown India speaks to Woosuk Leem, Managing Director, AS Parts Division, Mobis India to get more details about the Hyundai Mobility Membership App and its advantages.
Vishal Mathur, Senior Vice President, LMD Truck Business – VECV elaborates upon VECV’s Light & Medium Duty (LMD) business in India, the company’s product offering and the several advantages offered by...


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While US President Trump has softened his stance on a number of key issues since taking office, trade is decidedly not one of them.
With its ‘America First’ policy, the Trump administration has hinted it wants to rework trade agreements with countries where the US buys more than it sells, including China, Japan, South Korea and Germany.
However, in an era of global supply chains, such focus on bilateral trade deficits is meaningless.
What History Shows
The US is deeply embedded into global supply chains, importing a significant amount of goods with value-added content originating in the US. The US is actually one of the three largest suppliers to the exports of China, Japan, Korea and Germany, so US tariffs and barriers imposed on these countries could come back to hurt US companies.
There is also little evidence that tariffs and barriers on particular countries would lead to higher production in the US and lower imports. More likely, the gap would just be filled by imports from countries that produce similar goods.
One in five jobs in the US is related to imports and exports
President Trump has vigorously championed more protectionism as a way of saving US manufacturing jobs and reducing income inequality.
However, previous episodes of US protectionism have only caused net job losses in the economy. One in five jobs in the US is related to imports and exports, so a tit-for-tat trade war with its main trading partners threatens to weaken the US job market rather than bolster it.
More protectionism could also worsen inequality within the US: typically, the poorest are hit hardest, as prices go up and the choice of goods reduces. Tariffs are particularly damaging to lower-income households, which tend to spend proportionately more on traded goods, such as food and clothes.
Widening Trade Deficit?
President Trump wants to lower the US trade deficit, but his plans to boost fiscal spending to reinvigorate the domestic economy run counter to this ambition.
A country’s trade deficit shows that it is investing more than it saves. Thus, the US trade deficit should be reduced by raising savings in comparison to investment, but the US administration is planning to do the exact opposite. Cutting taxes and raising infrastructure spending is likely to result in higher domestic prices and greater import demand, leading to a wider trade deficit, which might in turn prompt even greater protectionism from the US authorities.
A Threat To The World Trade Order
With supply chains being increasingly global, headwinds will be felt far beyond the countries targeted with tariffs. Some Asian countries, such as Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan, are so tightly integrated into the supply chains of China that they, too, would be hurt by any trade spat.
Ultimately, US protectionism poses a threat, not just to the US economy, but to world trade and prosperity
By contrast, some countries stand to win from creeping US protectionism as they get the opportunity to grab a greater share of world trade. The main competitors for US trade are China, Mexico, Germany and Japan, which fiercely compete with each other, so measures against one would benefit the others. Other countries could win as well: Vietnam, Thailand and Philippines in Asia, the UK in Europe.
Many countries depend on trade for growth and development, and, although China is likely to assume a greater role in global trade, the US is still the world’s greatest source of demand, so any reduction in US imports is likely to be felt far and wide.
Photo Credit: Alex Brandon, Associated Press


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Paris: Video game Minecraft, owned by US tech giant Microsoft, where players build virtual worlds, has passed 300 million copies sold, it announced Sunday, cementing its status as the best selling game ever.
In a post to its website, the game's makers said it had recently "crossed 300 million copies sold".
"A milestone no-one could have dreamed of when we were all building our first dirt houses!," it said.
For comparison, Grand Theft Auto 5, another behemoth on the video game scene, has sold over 180 million copies since its release in 2013, according to Take-Two Interactive, parent company of the game's publisher Rockstar Games.
Officially released in 2011, Minecraft was the brainchild of Swede Markus Persson - who co-founded Mojang Studios to develop the project.
Popular among several demographics, the game allows players to explore a virtually infinite world, where they can gather materials which can then be used to craft tools or build structures.
The game can be played in survival or creative mode depending on whether players aim to test their resilience or simply use their imagination to build and for many the game is used as a virtual infinite lego set.
In 2014, Markus Persson sold Mojang to Microsoft for $2.5 billion, after announcing that he had become exhausted running the company in light of the massive media and public attention it was receiving.


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Virginia Attorney General and GOP Gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli will be at Barnes and Noble in Central Park on Friday to sign his new book “The Last Line of Defense: The New Fight for the American Constitution.”
The book was released in stores Tuesday. Cuccinelli's stop in Fredericksburg is part of his book tour, which included several conservative talk-radio interviews this week.
"The book, which was co-written with Cuccinelli spokesman Brian Gottstein and came with a $30,000 advance, has already become a lightning rod for attacks from the political left," The Examiner reported .
At 2 p.m. Saturday, Cuccinelli will be at Barnes and Noble in Tysons Corner.
What others are saying:
Medicare Is ‘Despicable,’ And Nine Other Crazy Ideas From The Man Who Wants To Be Virginia’s Next Governor (ThinkProgress, Feb. 12, 2013)
VA Democrats: Read Cuccinelli Book Before Election Day (WVIR-TV NBC 29, Feb. 12, 2013)
Democrats urge sales of Cuccinelli book (The Washington Post, Feb. 12, 2013)
Find Fredericksburg Patch via:


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Scandit AG has secured $80 million in funding to be invested in expanding its barcode scanning and augmented reality software, the company announced. The large round of funding for the company shows how established markets for technologies like barcode scanners are being transformed through the availability of smartphones and other devices loaded with increasingly powerful edge processing capabilities.
The Series C funding round was led by venture capital firm G2VP. Other participants include Atomico, GV, Kreos, NGP Capital, Salesforce Ventures and Swisscom Ventures.
By 2024, the industrial barcode scanner market will increase by $538 million worldwide, according to research provider Reportlinker.com.
“Scandit’s platform puts an enterprise-grade scanning solution in the pocket of every employee and customer without requiring legacy hardware,” said Ben Kortlang, general partner at G2VP, in a prepared statement. “This bridge between the physical and digital worlds will be increasingly critical as the world accelerates its shift to online purchasing and delivery, distributed supply chains and cashierless retail.”
Scandit had already raised $43 million in the previous Series B funding round in July 2018. The startup has since tripled recurring revenues, reported a two-fold growth of its enterprise customer portfolio and its international team. Its customer portfolio includes 7-Eleven, Alaska Airlines, Carrefour, DPD, FedEx, Instacart, Johns Hopkins Hospital, La Poste, Levi Strauss & Co, Mount Sinai Hospital and Toyota. Its technology has been used to scan barcodes on more than 100 million devices.
The new investment will be spent on business development in new markets such as APAC and Latin America, on expanding in North America and Europe and for R&D.
The computer vision and machine learning platform leverages barcode scanning, text recognition (OCR), object recognition and augmented reality (AR) for camera-equipped smart devices. The company says its technology works in any lighting environment and scan angle and can also work on flawed labels. Retail, transport & logistics and manufacturing companies have successfully used Scandit’s technology to develop mobile apps for shopping, self-checkout, inventory management, proof of delivery, asset tracking and maintenance. Healthcare organizations have also introduced it in daily activity to save time and costs.
Mobile computer vision and smart devices have been in high demand since the global health crisis has led to social distancing. In an interview with Crunchbase News, Samuel Mueller, CEO of Scandit, says retailers are reevaluating their scanning solutions now that online purchases have skyrocketed due to COVID-19. The high volume of packages automatically increases the number of delivery drivers who could use Scandit’s technology to speed up the process.
“COVID-19 has shone a spotlight on the need for rapid digital transformation in these uncertain times, and the need to blend the physical and digital plays a crucial role,” Mueller said in a prepared statement. “The smartphone is a personal tool that can be deployed with powerful computer vision software to seamlessly interact with everyday objects and display real-time insights with AR-overlays. Our new funding makes it possible for us to help even more enterprises to quickly adapt to the new demand for ‘contactless business’, and be better positioned to succeed, whatever the new normal is.”
AR | IoT | object recognition | Scandit | venture funding


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Today, a new streaming service courtesy of Comcast (the parent company of Sky and NBC) and Paramount has launched in Europe – it’s called SkyShowtime, and it costs €6.99 per month.
SkyShowtime includes exclusive TV premieres and first looks for theatrical releases from both Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures, as well as movies and series from Nickelodeon, DreamWorks Animation, Paramount+, Showtime, Sky Studios and Peacock.
The streaming service is now available in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. It will roll out to The Netherlands at the end of this year, and to Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and Central and Eastern Europe in the coming months – likely in the first quarter of 2023.
Some of the most popular movies available on the platform include Top Gun: Maverick, Jurassic World Dominion, Minions: The Rise of Gru, The Northman, Sing 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Meanwhile, there are TV series such as Yellowjackets, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Yellowstone and Law & Order all available to watch.
In the Nordics region, SkyShowtime is replacing Paramount+ altogether – one of the first areas the latter platform launched outside of the US.
So far, there are no plans to launch SkyShowtime in the UK, as Sky already has a big presence in this region – the same goes for Ireland, Germany and Italy. This makes sense, considering that Paramount+ is available to Sky customers free of charge. NBC’s Peacock is also available via Sky, as well as Now, Sky’s flexible streaming service.
You can see how Paramount+, Peacock and Now all compare to other rivals in our list of the best TV streaming services.


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Third-Quarter Economic Growth Beats Expectations
Posted on Oct 26, 2012
The good news for President Obama and many Americans is this that the economy grew by a 2 percent annual rate in the third quarter. The bad news is that that’s not enough to calm private sector fears that economic conditions will worsen. Businesses appear to be limiting spending in anticipation of the “fiscal cliff,” when the Bush-era tax cuts are due to expire and massive spending cuts will occur if no budget compromise is found.
The economic numbers released Friday by the Commerce Department are the last before November’s election.
—Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.
The rise was higher than the 1.8% economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had expected. The economy has now grown for 13 consecutive quarters. But at 2% growth remains extremely weak and the latest report contained worrying signs that business is cutting back, fearing a worsening of economic conditions.
Consumer spending accounted for most of the rise in GDP. Personal consumption expenditures rose 2% in the quarter, up from 1.5% in the previous quarter. Purchases of long-lasting goods soared 8.5%. The news came as the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer confidence index rose to its highest level since September 2007.
But while consumers are spending again, business confidence seems to be weakening. Non-residential fixed investment, which includes business spending on structures and equipment, fell 1.3% during the third quarter, compared with a 3.6% gain in the prior period. The pullback suggests businesses are reigning in spending ahead of the election and the uncertainty over the so-called “fiscal cliff” – the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts and imposition of massive spending cuts scheduled for the end of the year unless political compromise is found.
Robert S. Donovan (CC BY 2.0)


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‘The supply is gone’: Gun sales rise in Lincoln during COVID-19 pandemic
Across the nation, gun sales are going up. But, what about here in Lincoln?
“Definitely,” said David Pringle, General Manager of Discount Enterprises, which owns DEGuns in Lincoln. “Gun sales have increased dramatically within the last week… ammunition has increased a thousand percent, literally”.
Over the last couple of years, the firearms industry has been experiencing a slump. But, with the worldwide spread of COVID-19, people are rushing to stock up on ammunition. Something Lincoln’s DEGuns and Big Shots have experienced.
“I don’t think people are truly panicking, maybe they are just trying to prepare, and they didn’t prepare before,” said Big Shot owner James Clark.
While Pringle posed that he thinks “they’re buying ammunition because this is unprecedented… the government can’t protect them. They have to take their own protection in their hands. And that’s what stores like this are all about”.
Now, with a spike in sales, manufacturers and retailers are struggling to keep up.
Both Pringle and Clark reported having eight to ten percent increases placed on their orders, including orders made prior to the spike in demand.
However, it’s not regular customers flooding in.
“We’re seeing a big increase in new customers,” said Clark. “Anyone who is coming in and buying a new firearm, is also buying a lockbox or a safe. So, they are being good stewards of the sporting industry”.
As the rush keeps coming, our local stores have prepared and are ready to support Nebraskans.
Pringle commenting that “some of the things that are online, like bulk ammo, we’ve just taken off the website… so we can sell them to people in Nebraska”.


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If you need to reach customer service, please call 1-800-255-0711 or use the form on our contact page.
Laredo Taco Company Launches Its Own Social Media Pages, Offers One-Day BOGO Breakfast Tacos
(IRVING, TEXAS) Sept. 16, 2019 – Laredo Taco Company will get social on Diez y Seis de Septiembre, when it launches its own pages on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. The social media launch coincides with the kickoff of Hispanic Heritage Month. Starting today, Laredo Taco Company® customers can follow the authentic Mexican restaurant on its new social media pages: Instagram @LaredoTacoCo, Facebook , and Twitter @LaredoTacoCo.
To celebrate its new handles, Laredo Taco Company will offer a Buy-One|Get-One Free El Campeón or El Rival breakfast taco this morning. The El Campeón taco, known as “the champion” of all tacos, is filled with fresh-cracked eggs, chorizo, potatoes, beans and cheese. The El Rival taco rivals the El Campeón with papas a la Mexicana, fresh-cracked eggs, chorizo, beans and cheese. This one-day offer is valid today only during breakfast hours between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., at participating locations.
Laredo Taco Company introduced two new taco characters in the likeness of “Luchadores” (Mexican wrestlers) to promote its El Campeón vs. El Rival breakfast taco rivalry. Customers may choose to participate in the ultimate #TacoSnackDown by voting for their favorite breakfast taco on the new social media pages or dedicated landing page to determine the victor. Fans of either taco can also purchase the first-ever Laredo Taco Company-branded T-shirts for sale on Amazon. Available for a limited time, the shirts cost $19.99 each. Customers are encouraged to follow Laredo Taco Company social media accounts for upcoming “surprise and delight” giveaways.
“Laredo Taco Company has its own distinct personality, and its new social pages will better reflect the brand attitude and products its fans know and love,” said Angela Carrales, 7-Eleven senior director of marketing. “The Taco SnackDown is just a taste of the fun people can expect to find across the new social sites as well as new products and promotions.”
For almost 20 years, Laredo Taco Company has operated primarily in South Texas, with communication about the restaurant coming from Stripes® stores social media channels and website. With the successful growth of the brand, a new stand-alone Laredo Taco Company website is also under construction. In March 2018, Laredo Taco Company opened its first restaurant in a 7-Eleven® store (Dallas). Laredo Taco Company restaurants are set to open in new 7-Eleven stores in Texas, California, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., adding to the more than 500 locations across the country. Customers can now visit a newly created landing page featuring its current and upcoming promotions, including the story of its legendary tacos.
*Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are not affiliated or sponsors of Laredo Taco Company events or giveaways.
About Laredo Taco Company®
Owned and operated by 7-Eleven, Inc., Laredo Taco Company® is an authentic Mexican quick-service restaurant with locations in more than 500 Stripes and 7-Eleven® stores. Based in Irving, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 69,000 stores in 17 countries, including 11,800 in North America, making it the world’s largest chain in the convenience retailing industry.
Media Contact: Jessica Davila-Burnett, 361-290-325, firstname.lastname@example.org


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[Funding alert] Bollywood star Akshay Kumar invests in wearable tech startup GOQii
Bollywood’s superstar and health icon Akshay Kumar has invested an undisclosed amount as part of Series C funding in wearable tech startup, GOQii. The actor has joined the company's board as the strategic advisor, partner, and brand ambassador.
Speaking on the announcement, Vishal Gondal, Founder & CEO, GOQii said,
“We are extremely happy to have Akshay Kumar as part of our GOQii Family. He personifies the values that GOQii stands for, and is a living example of what we advocate - exercise, eat healthy, and rest well. GOQii is committed to making the world a healthy and happy place, with Akshay Kumar we will get there soon.”
As part of this association, Akshay Kumar will host one of the biggest health education initiatives called the ‘India Health Quiz’ on GOQii Play, the exclusive health and fitness live OTT platform, the company said in a statement. Kumar will also be conducting live coaching sessions on GOQii Play, the company added.
On his association with GOQii, Akshay Kumar said,
“I believe in the GOQii preventive health ecosystem, and I am proud to be associated with such a passionate team. Health is not a short term goal and can be achieved by adopting a healthy lifestyle. I, along with the team of leading GOQii Coaches, will be working to making 130 crore Indians healthy.”
According to reports, the Mumbai and Palo Alto-based company is in talks with multiple parties to raise $50-70 million in its Series C round of equity financing. It last raised $30 million in Series B round led by Mitsui, a Japanese conglomerate and an active healthcare investor.
The round also saw participation from other investors like Denlow Investment Trust, a leading LP in consumer and tech-focussed global funds, and Galaxy Digital, a leading blockchain merchant bank that invests through Galaxy EOS VC fund.
Apart from Akshay Kumar, many other Bollywood celebrities are investing in startups. Early this month, Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor and his wife Mira Kapoor backed yoga and wellness startup, SARVA. Bollywood celebrity Deepika Padukone has also backed two startups including IISc-incubated spacetech startup Bellatrix Aerospace and flavoured and greek yoghurt brand Epigamia.


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General Motors and battery supplier LG of Korea have finally found a fix for fire risk in the battery of the Chevrolet Bolt electric car as the companies hope to end a recall that has bedeviled the plug-in car for almost a year.
The two companies have improved their manufacturing process for lithium-ion batteries in the Bolt and larger Bolt EUV and have already started building the cells and packs at two plants in Michigan, GM said Monday. The Detroit automaker plans to start replacing the defective batteries in October.
If the solution works, GM and LG may be able to get beyond a dangerous and embarrassing recall that had Chevrolet dealing with impatient customers since July. While the two companies looked to find a solution, Bolt owners were told not to fully recharge or come close to depleting the batteries, and they had to park the cars outside and away from other vehicles.
“We’re grateful for the patience of owners and dealers as we work to advance solutions to this recall,” said Doug Parks, GM’s executive vice president for Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain, in a statement. “Resuming battery module production is a first step and we’ll continue to work aggressively with LG to obtain additional battery supply.”
LG may also add production so GM can replace more replacement battery modules and start producing the Bolt and Bolt EUV. GM idled the vehicle assembly plant in Orion Township, Michigan, in August when the automaker decided that the LG batteries weren’t safe.
GM also has a software diagnostic tool that will be installed in the next 60 days for Bolt owners. If Chevy has replaced the battery, owners can resume driving their cars at full charge. If they haven’t, but have had the diagnostic software installed, they can charge their cars to 80% battery capacity. The software will monitor battery performance and over time, owners will be able to fully charge those cars even if the modules have not been replaced.
Until the battery pack is fixed, GM still advises Bolt owners to charge the vehicle more frequently and avoid depleting battery below approximately 70 miles of remaining range; to continue to park vehicles outside immediately after charging; and to not leave vehicles charging indoors overnight.
GM also said that customers can park where they want but should leave the car away from other vehicles until the fixes are made. The company has told some customers to stay 50 feet away from other vehicles in parking lots and garages.
Subscribe to Fortune Daily to get essential business stories straight to your inbox each morning.


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The labour issues hitting businesses across the country didn’t start with the pandemic, but it did accelerate the problem to a point where it’s one of the biggest issues holding back economic growth.
According to a survey by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC):
Lack of access to a workforce with the right skills is holding back businesses and hiring difficulties increase in smaller communities.
Nationally, unemployment has fallen to 5.2%.
Our economy is bouncing back, but that’s putting further strain on business’ ability to hire. Projections range on when things will return “back to normal,” but we can say with confidence these challenges aren’t going away in the short term.
These issues were decades in the making, but ultimately what is important is finding our path forward.
What businesses are doing according to BDC:
BDC notes Increasing diversity and flexibility are important for business growth, including three key areas: youth, immigrants, and older workers. Immigration in Canada slowed to a crawl through the pandemic. Both youth and immigrants bring skills and a willingness to grow and develop. BDC recommends offering more opportunities to youth and immigrants as a way to make better use of our workforce.
When it comes to older workers, we need to address flexibility. They have an incredible set of skills and experience that our economy has relied on for years. Workers approaching retirement may no longer be interested in working full-time hours, but could open to part-time and hybrid options.
More and more businesses are turning to automation as a way to streamline business. For most businesses, it’s not a case of a robot replacing a staff member — it’s all the small things adding up to a more efficient process. Examples include:
Businesses can further streamline by adopting new technology like updated email systems, shared digital calendars, and cloud-based workflow systems.
There’s no single solution that’s going to answer our workforce challenges. The local business community has shown its ability to adapt, pivot, and invest in new technology. The challenges facing businesses continue to change, but our economy is growing and to grow with it businesses need to be open and flexible to growing their workforce.
The Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce acts as a catalyst to enhance business growth, opportunity, innovation, partnerships and a diverse business community.


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Dear VidAngel customers,
Some of you have asked why we filed an antitrust suit against the studios. Here’s the simple answer:
Hollywood claims we don’t pay them for their movies. But the truth is, they refuse to accept our payments. (We still pay them though. Read on.)
Beginning in 2014, VidAngel tried to pay the studios 4 different ways. Not only did they reject every one, but then they sued us for allegedly not paying them. So Hollywood’s like the teenage girl who keeps turning down the nice guy, then complains that he never asks her out, then sues him for copyright infringement.
Look, we love Hollywood. We’re glad they make movies. But the fact is, they seem to be working to shut down the filtering industry. Here are the 4 times they rejected our payments.
Method 1: Traditional streaming license
VidAngel offered to buy traditional streaming licenses from the studios, but the studios said no. We get it — why partner with such a small company? Except we also reached out through a bigger company called Google. (A cool emerging tech company. Bing it.)
Google approached the studios with a plan to add VidAngel filters to Google Play movies, potentially bringing millions of new viewers to the licensed Google Play streams. The studios turned them down almost immediately.
And bear in mind, the U.S. filtering market is estimated at over 60 million people, according to National Research Group. So if Hollywood said no, they likely either…
- Want to block the filtering industry from entering the streaming age, OR…
- Want to avoid money and its corrupting influence
For now, we’ll give the benefit of the doubt and say #2.
Anyway, we also tried…
Method 2: YouTube extension
We created a platform that allowed viewers to buy a movie on YouTube, then buy the filter at VidAngel and add it to the movie. We hoped to bring Hollywood more money by attracting new viewers to their content.
Then the studios told Google (YouTube’s owner) that collaborating with VidAngel was a violation of contract, and forced them to withdraw crucial tech support. All of a sudden this model wouldn’t work.
“Wow,” we said. “We admire Hollywood’s moral commitment to not making money.” It certainly explained the release of Fantastic Four.
Nevertheless, we kept trying.
Method 3: Buying discs straight from the studios
This time we wrote to the studios asking to buy DVDs and Blu-Rays from them directly, so our customers could buy and sell back those movies online. This model would make money for Hollywood on each title, without giving a cut of sales to WalMart.
Some studios said no. Most never responded.
“Man,” we said, “their hatred of lucre is incorruptible. No wonder they can’t afford to pay actresses the same as actors.”
So nowadays we use…
Method 4: Our current model
VidAngel now buys DVDs and Blu-Rays from retail stores, then sells movies directly to customers. Hollywood gets reimbursed by the sheer number of movies we buy (we spend around ⅓ of our revenue on discs). And every VidAngel movie being watched is a licensed copy. It’s literally the only legal model that doesn’t require Hollywood’s cooperation.
We felt proud of ourselves for finding a way to pay Hollywood, despite their best efforts to not be paid. Then they sued us.
And here’s where things really get ironic.
Not only did the studios show significant hypocrisy in suing VidAngel for not buying licenses that they refused to sell — but they also claimed that Method 4 was illegal and that Method 2 was the legal way to filter streamed movies. To which we said, “Homeboy, we tried Method 2 and you shut it down!” We’re paraphrasing here.
Hollywood also implied that they sued us as soon as they learned we were using Method 4. The truth is that Albert Podrasky, Disney’s director of anti-piracy, has been using a secret VidAngel account to monitor us for a full year! (Though we’re not sure we understand his job, ‘cause he never watches movies about pirates.) The point is, it seems like Hollywood didn’t sue till we were getting too big for their comfort.
Anyway, the studios’ lawsuit has made us question our base assumptions. Maybe Hollywood actually likes money, and they’ve been shutting us down because they hate filtering. If that’s the case, we respect their opinion — filtering’s not for everybody. But they should come out and admit that they hate filtering, instead of pretending the case is about money.
In short, it seems to us that Hollywood is colluding to undermine the filtering industry — despite Congress passing the Family Movie Act to make that industry a reality. (In fact, Congress passed the law because Hollywood was trying to crush filtering.) That’s why we filed an antitrust counterclaim.
So that’s the scoop, VidAngel fans. Wish us luck in the antitrust suit. In the meantime, keep watching movies. We’ll keep you posted.


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Operators: What Does the Future of Car Rental Look Like?
What will car rental look like in the next five to 10 years, or longer? What factors will play a role or pose a threat in the advancement of the industry?
Technology is already shaping the future in some areas, while other factors are still years from being fully developed.
Auto Rental News talked to several operators to get their predictions on the future of car rental — and how their companies are planning to adapt to these advancements and changes.
As technology continues to create a more on-demand environment, customers, especially in the younger generations, are used to doing everything on the go, from a smartphone or tablet, including making reservations for car rentals.
Nima Mobasser, vice president of Los Angeles-based State Van Rental, sees a future with more shared vehicles, more streamlined reservations and check-in/checkout processes, and growth in the carsharing and self-service models.
“The car rental industry will eventually morph into it [carsharing],” he says. “I don’t see it necessarily as a threat, but evolving into more technology-driven processes.”
“The future will be customer-service driven as it always has been, but having an up-to-date user experience is paramount in being a leader in car rental,” says William Harris, owner of New York City-based Edge Auto Rental. “Speed, ease of use, and less friction are going to play a major role in keeping a customer coming back.”
To stay up to date with the changing needs of its customers, Edge Auto Rental is developing an on-demand, mobile-friendly reservation process through its website. “Customers want to press a button on their phone and have the vehicle be ready when they arrive or have the vehicle show up at their location when they need it,” says Harris.
For Peter Chapman, owner of Alaska Auto Rental, the future customer interface looks to be mobile heavy, as the younger generation becomes a larger part of the renter demographic. As a small independent rental company, Alaska Auto Rental in Fairbanks, Alaska, hasn’t developed an automated online reservation system, but it’s working toward that goal.
“It takes more effort to make the investment in mobility as a small independent company,” says Chapman. “But we are moving toward a mobile-friendly website so our customers book from a smartphone.”
Steve Lazaroff of Discount Car and Truck Rentals sees technology as potentially changing car rental into something that resembles a ride-sharing or peer-to-peer environment where people rent out their own cars.
“If I had no car and had the option of renting a car from my immediate neighbors within a five-minute walk, I’d never need to go to a car rental company,” says Lazaroff, director of Discount’s retail sales division.
Self-Service, Carsharing Transforms Car Rental
Carsharing technology has started — and will continue — to change the traditional rental counter process.
Using elements of carsharing technology developed by Rent Centric, Discount has developed a self-service program where customers can rent cargo vans or cutaway trucks from about 25 parking spots throughout Montreal and Quebec City. Customers use the web app on their smartphone to find and reserve the closest vehicle at any time, according to Lazaroff. Once at the vehicle, the app initiates the rental process and unlocks the doors.
To develop a self-service option, Edge Auto Rental is installing self-service kiosks at its rental locations. “More and more customers don’t want to deal with a person when picking up their car,” says Harris.
When it comes to carsharing, Harris thinks the concept will continue to grow as more people decide to not own vehicles. Though carsharing is currently more common as hourly rentals through companies like Zipcar and car2go, group sharing of a vehicle could become more popular. “I think more people will own cars through a subscription and share with multiple people,” Harris says.
Chapman likes the idea of self-service as a convenience for his customers, but currently the cost of implementation for the technology is more than the benefits he could gain in his use case, he explains.
Rise of Ride Hailing
The growth of ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft has been seen as a threat to car rental. While rural areas and most local markets remain largely unaffected, ride hailing has become entrenched in cities.
“Uber and Lyft compete with the car rental industry in some respects, but the model only works in dense, urban areas,” says Sharky Laguana, owner of Bandago. “While they are taking some business away from rental companies, a rental car is still the economic choice if you are taking a longer trip or have a lot of luggage.”
Even in the face of potential business erosion in certain situations, the concept of ride hailing could also be seen as a collaborator to rental companies in a larger transportation ecosystem. According to Laguana, Uber or Lyft could bring a rental company’s customers from the airport to its off-airport location.
“Rental companies can use ride-hailing as the ‘last mile’ to bring customers to their door,” says Laguana. “A rental company wouldn’t need to send a shuttle bus to the airport, which removes an expense.”
Additionally, the ride-hailing model may not be sustainable. Laguana commented on the fact that Uber currently doesn’t show a profit because it’s still investing heavily in growth.
“The overall sustainability of the model is still unclear; the cost of the service could rise if drivers conclude they aren’t making enough money after wear and tear on the car,” he says. “And if the service cost rises too high, the entire business could collapse. Right now the model counts on incoming investment dollars, which can change on a dime.”
Autonomous Vehicles are the Future
Although the idea of self-driving cars had seemed to be in the distant future, they are already hitting the roads in pilot programs by companies like Google and Uber.
Lazaroff sees a scenario in which a company’s autonomous fleet — or a neighbor’s car — can be summoned, with a system that rebalances the fleet and manages pricing based on demand. He says there is room for smaller fleet owners, and success will be based on ratings. “He lives and breathes by his rating, and if it isn’t good, his vehicles don’t go back into the ‘swarm.’”
Laguana acknowledges that autonomous vehicles are coming and will be here soon, but he also brings up some of the challenges that driverless cars will face, including software, legal and legislative framework, and security.
“It will take a long time to sort through all the legal and legislative issues with autonomous vehicles,” says Laguana. “It took five years to pass the vehicle recall law, which had broad consensus. Security is also an underappreciated concern at the moment. Hackers could attack and find vulnerabilities in the technology.”
Laguana recommends car rental operators start thinking about the idea of driverless vehicles and how that will impact the car rental industry. “In car rental, we maintain the vehicles,” he says. “And autonomous cars will still need to be maintained.”
Harris was impressed by the autonomous technology displayed at the recent Automobility LA, the trade show that preceded the LA Auto Show. The autonomous vehicles section included Olli, a self-driving, electric, partially 3-D printed minibus.
“The tech is here and ready to go,” says Harris. “It was amazing to see at the Automobility conference. I would imagine we will start seeing autonomous cars being used in smaller cities that are willing to adapt in the next few years.”


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Collins, who was speaking to FoodNavigator-USA as Celestial Seasonings prepared to re-open its offices in Denver to move to a hybrid working model, explained: “In recent years there have been really low dollar growth and volume declines in the tea category, with growth coming from premiumization and pricing; the category had been really sluggish, losing households year over year for a number of years... until we hit the pandemic.
“And then we saw people really coming back into the category, so light users increased their usage, but we also had new people coming into the category, and household penetration expanded for the first time in about five years.
He added: “If you look at our bagged tea business, in the past 52 weeks, we're up about 10.5% in consumption. And then if we were looking versus two years ago, we're up 24.5%, so we’re outpacing the overall category.
“We've won an outsized share of TDPs or distribution points over the past year, so we’ve had double-digit increases in our distribution on our bagged business, and then we've also dramatically grown our K cup business over the past year.”
Sleep, energy, immunity…
So what’s behind the growth, aside from more people staying home?
According to Collins: “I think there's been a renewed level of interest in the category, but we're also proud of the innovation that we've brought to the market over the last 18 months, so we’ve been able to bring data to retailers really going after duplication in the category, so we can create space [for new products] by going after the ninth, tenth or eleventh versions of some of the category’s classic and repetitive flavors or benefits or formats.”
'Even the most ardent tea people still tend to start their days with a cup of coffee'
He added: “In our business, we’ve seen tremendous expansion of the Sleepytime businesses as consumers were looking for a way to get a better night's sleep, but immunity and energy have also been of intense interest over the past year.
“So we launched an energy tea with as much caffeine [95mg] as a cup of coffee [and more than a can of Red Bull, which has 80mg] to really address that energy deficit that exists in the category, as we found even the most ardent tea people still tend to start their days with a cup of coffee.
“We also did a great job on bringing more millennials into the category with innovations such as the Tea Well premium organic wellness sub brand with some really disruptive and unique benefits like sleep with melatonin, gut health with pre- and probiotics and fiber.
“When you look at the younger generations, millennials, Gen Z-ers, they are drinking more tea, but they're also the 'more of everything' generations, they're sampling across a wider selection of categories than any other cohort so they don’t necessarily generate the same volumes, but what we're incredibly happy with over this past year is that we grew our millennial household penetration 47% faster than the tea category.”
‘There were some weeks where our business was up 60% versus the same week a year previously’
Asked about operational challenges during covid and inflationary pressures, he said he could not comment on pricing, but added: “We're certainly not immune to the inflationary pressures that most categories are experiencing.
“We're sourcing from over 35 countries and we've had to weather supply chain disruptions and shipping container shortages, so I'm incredibly proud of the way we were able to deliver over this past year; we took a category that has been essentially flat for a number of years, and then you're layering on 25% growth… there were some weeks where our business was up 60% versus the same week a year previously, and we retained a very high service level.”
‘We’ve seen really explosive growth in the world of e-commerce’
As for the e-commerce business, he said, “We’ve seen really explosive growth in the world of e-commerce, both our direct to consumer business and in the rest of our e-commerce ecosystem; we've just seen phenomenal growth, and it’s become a really effective way for us to get innovation out there.
“We recently launched a new line of cold brew iced tea, and on Amazon that's quickly risen to our number one selling variety pack on Amazon."
Tea potential: ‘I feel tea has every imaginable tailwind’
So when it comes to per-capita consumption, how does the US stack up to some other markets, and will this ‘covid-bump’ last, or is it a blip?
Said Collins: “I often like to look north of the border at Canada, where they have 2x the per capita tea consumption of America. There are a couple of reasons for that, so one is cultural - it's a Commonwealth country - plus you get colder weather that helps drive some of that consumption.
“But as we look at the category I feel tea has every imaginable tailwind over the last five years that really matters in food and beverage, it’s flavor-forward, it’s global, it's better for you, it's low or no sugar, so there is an opportunity there if you come in with unique and different offerings, and right now, we're still seeing significant double digit growth, so consumers [that bought into the brand during the pandemic] are sticking around.”
*According to Nielsen data (total US xAOC), US retail sales of packaged tea rose 16.8% in the 52 weeks to Jan 2, 2021, and rose 1.7% in the 52 weeks to July 3, 2021.


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Withering cyberattacks on server farms of a key internet firm repeatedly disrupted access to major websites and online services including Twitter, Netflix and PayPal across the United States on Friday.
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One of the world’s largest package delivery companies is stepping up efforts to integrate drones into its system.
Yahoo says the personal information in 500 million accounts was stolen in a massive security breakdown. The breach disclosed Thursday, the latest setback for the beleaguered internet company, dates back to late 2014.
The average decommissioned satellite either burns up over a specific ocean region or is ejected to a far-off orbital graveyard. But Chinese officials admit they have lost control of Tiangong 1.
Out of 1,000 worldwide applicants, two Las Vegas startups will compete with 48 others for the title of Startup of the Year at a competition in San Jose, California.
Shoppers looking to buy Apple’s new iPhone 7 smartphones on Friday better have ordered ahead. But there was no major rush at one Las Vegas store.
Twitter made a smooth debut with its broadcast of an NFL game on Thursday, attracting generally positive tweets throughout the matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets.
U.S. regulators issued an official recall of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 phone on Thursday because of a risk of fire.
Initial quantities of the iPhone 7 Plus have sold out globally as Apple Inc. prepares to roll out its new gadget in stores, the company said Wednesday.
Apple on Tuesday released iOS 10, the latest operating system for iPhones and iPads — and multiple users said on social media that the update rendered their devices unusable or forced a reset to factory settings.


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The organization behind CES 2012 reported record attendance this week for the trade show with over 153,000 people coming to Las Vegas to check out the exhibits and keynote addresses.
What do you think of Windows 10 Mobile?
Review: Alienware Steam Machine
Stay up-to-date with the latest software releases
OnePlus X review: In striving for opulence, does it miss the mark?
Consumer electronics show
We've obtained Microsoft's keynote video for CES 2012 before the announcement even starts, and the company hasn't got anything new to announce this year.
We're at CES 2012, and in amongst the insanity of endlessly interviewing companies and writing stories we're having a blast. Get involved, and follow us with up to the minute coverage here!
It's sneaking up on us, Consumer Electronics Show 2012 starts in just 7 days. It's one of the biggest technology events of the year, but what's going to be the next big trend? Stay tuned.
The worlds biggest technology extravaganza is creeping up, and we're going to be on the ground to cover it as it unfolds. What will 2012 be the year of?
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Top Oil officially opens new Forecourt Service Station at Junction 3, Cobh Cross, Cork
Top Oil officially opens a new forecourt service station in Cork at Junction 3, Cobh Cross featuring a SPAR Convenience store. New forecourt marks the latest in a series of upcoming investments by Top Oil
Monday January 9th, Cork: Top Oil, the leading Irish family owned fuel and home heating business, has officially opened its latest company operated forecourt, Junction 3 at Cobh Cross, in Cobh Cross, County Cork. The new forecourt station will employ 17 people from the surrounding Glounthaune and Carrigtwohill area, and aims to bring a significant boost to the local economy. Junction 3 at Cobh Cross marks the first in a series of planned investments by Top Oil in County Cork and across Ireland which will take place in 2017.
The new 3,000sq ft. location in Cobh Cross Industrial Estate is the latest company operated location for Top Oil since the acquisition of Sirio Holdings in April 2016 which included the acquisition of Sirio Retail’s 10 sites. Since then, Top Oil has added six new company operated sites, the most recent being Cobh Cross.
The forecourt at Junction 3, Cobh Cross offers a variety of services to its customers, including; a SPAR convenience store with great quality food and beverage offerings including a SPAR Tasty Deli and Insomnia Coffee dock. Junction 3 at Cobh’s Cross expects to see over 6,000 customers per week pass through the forecourt in the coming year.
Speaking at the launch, Gerard Boylan, Group Chief Executive Top Oil said; “The opening of Junction 3 at Cobh Cross marks the first in a series of significant investments by Top Oil both in Cork and across the country, we plan to invest further across our network of company operated sites in 2017 using Sirio as the vehicle to manage this. This is an exciting time for Top Oil and we are committed to investing in key locations across Ireland such as Cobh Cross, and providing high quality service to our retail and trade customers. This forecourt investment demonstrates our continued growth and commitment as a leading Irish fuel and home heating oil provider.”
According to Colin Donnelly, SPAR Sales Director, “We would like to congratulate the team at Junction 3 on their new store opening. This prominent location in Cobh’s Cross gives the local community and passing customers an ideal opportunity to stop and shop whether on their way to their destination or to pop in from the surrounding retail or residential areas. We look forward to continuing our partnership into 2017 and thank the local community for their warm welcome.”
The official launch of the new forecourt was attended by Bobby Kerr, entrepreneur, businessman and Chairman of Insomnia Coffee. There was also a special appearance by Santa Claus and Top Oil’s mascot, Mr. Ted, who welcomed customers with festive treats.


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India has a fair number of battle royale fans who are eagerly awaiting the debut of BGMI Lite. Since PUBG Mobile Lite was outlawed in the nation, Indian players have been requesting BGMI Lite on all social media accounts for quite some time.
Players may soon have reason to rejoice, as Krafton has noticed the desire for a Lite edition of BGMI and has, for the first time, communicated with its Discord community about it.
Developers set up a poll in BGMI Lite’s official Discord server; Hints at the game’s launch
A poll was set up on the official Battlegrounds Mobile India Discord server, asking players why they wanted BGMI Lite to be published. Mobile gamers have expressed their strong feelings regarding the return of the lighter version of the game on numerous social media channels, from flooding the channel to tweeting their ideas. Read more BGMI 1.8 New Update: All upcoming new features and leaks
Krafton has finally riled up these battle royale players by questioning why they want BGMI Lite. The following choices are available to players:
- I can’t play BGMI on my low-end device.
- I can play BGMI, but I’ll have better frame rates and performance in LITE version on my device.
- I spent money in LITE version and want to transfer my data/inventory.
- I like the maps and Skins in Lite version.
Mobile gamers have only one day to cast their vote and they can choose only one option.
Click here to join BGMI’s official Discord server.
Even if this is just a poll set up by the developers for initial market research, it is a step in the right direction for the development of BGMI Lite. Several BGMI influencers have also expressed hope to gamers about the anticipated release of BGMI Lite. Read more Top 3 reasons why BGMI Lite is going to release soon
BGMI Lite release date
Popular social media influencer, as well as a professional BGMI player Abhijeet “Ghatak” Andhare, have also shared a helpful insight in a recent media release, where he told that BGMI Lite may release in late December of 2021.
Here is what Ghatak stated:
“Players can expect good news with regards to the release of BGMI Lite really soon. It might arrive by the end of December or sooner!”– Abhijeet Andhare
Hence, fans might expect the game’s official release by the end of December 2021. Till then players have to wait and keep a check for any official update.


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Four proposed developments, currently on the table, could help reshape the South End’s Harrison-Albany Corridor, an area that’s seen little new growth in more than 50 years, according to a recent article in the Boston Globe.
The developments, brought on by the corridor’s recent zoning amendments, are mostly residential buildings with first-floor retail and restaurants. In all, the developments could bring 1,000 new housing units to the area, along with dozens of new storefronts and improved roadways and pedestrian access, according to the Globe.
The four proposals at a glance:
- is National Development’s four building project for the former Boston Herald site at 300 Harrison Ave. It includes 471 residential units and 85,000 square feet of retail space, including a 30,000-foot space for a grocery store. The proposal was significantly expanded after the Harrison-Albany Corridor zoning amendments were adopted by the city.
- Normandy Real Estate Partners’ proposal is for 275 Albany St. It might include a residential building and a hotel, both with first-floor retail and restaurants, according to the Globe. However, the proposal is still in its early development stages, according to the Globe.
- Nordblom Co.’s proposal is reportedly for 345 Harrison Ave. The company has not yet closed on the property, according to the Globe. However, tentative plans include an apartment building with first-floor retail and restaurants, the Globe article states.
- Druker Cos.’ proposal at the intersection of Washington and East Berkeley Streets is still very much in the works, according to the Globe. Down the road, however, the site could see a residential building with first-floor retail, according to the Globe.
For all of our up-to-date South End “Development” coverage, visit our “Development” topics page.


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Duopharma relooks M&A opportunities to remain relevant and expand
21 Jun 2022
Duopharma Biotech Bhd will resume looking at mergers and acquisitions (M&A) opportunities especially within ASEAN to remain relevant over the longer term and grow.
Group managing director Leonard Ariff Abdul Shatar said the company has been relatively successful in penetrating the Malaysian market with a market share of seven per cent despite being the largest manufacturer.
“The market is highly fragmented in Malaysia and there is a limit in what you can achieve in this market. To grow over a long term, it could not just be organic, hence we needed to look at M&A.
“For the two-year period during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period, we actually suspended looking at international companies as we are not comfortable doing due diligent online, and focused on the domestic sector.
“But this year, we are starting to look internationally, particularly the ASEAN market, for potential acquisition targets,” he told reporters after the company’s annual general meeting here today.
Apart from the growth limitation in the Malaysian market, the company is also looking at balancing its portfolio to have a higher percentage of its sales denominated outside of the Malaysian currency, said Leonard Ariff.
Currently of the company’s total share for business, about 43 per cent is contributed by the government sector, a further 47 per cent from the private and the balance is from export, he said.
“So we do want to increase the international component of it and it will be in the healthcare space which is actually quite broad,” he added.
He said the company had recently invested in a local startup called Naluri Hidup Sdn Bhd in its digitalisation effort and as part of its Digital Health Strategy, crafted to identify opportunities that would allow the company to provide the best solution along the healthcare value chains.
“One thing that the pandemic showed us is that e-commerce is something that is not going to go away and we need to find out where Duopharma will eventually fit in the ecosystem of the segment,” he said.
Leonard Ariff shared that the company has quite a large exposure to the government sector via multiple tenders and among the large ones is for the Approved Product Purchase List (APPL) generic medicine such as paracetamol, cough syrup and insulin, which constituted 40 per cent of government sales.
“The last time the government tendered for it was in 2017, since then it has actually rolled over the tenders with the current rollover expiring at the end of December this year.
“To renew, I think there will be challenges from inflation for sure. When we last tendered for this business, the exchange rate was circa 4.20 against US dollar but today’s exchange rate is around 4.40 against the greenback,” he said.
However, he highlighted that the impact of importing inflation is not specific for Duopharma but an industry phenomenon, which happened to those involved in a trading environment where the majority of raw materials are denominated in US dollar.
To mitigate the impact of the rising cost of raw materials, he said that is one reason why the company is focusing to have a larger percentage of export sales in its overall portfolio to act as a natural hedge against the buying of raw material in US dollar.
He added that Duopharma also keeps a high stock of raw materials, from three to six months, depending on the products by buying forward quite a fair bit, especially during the MCO amid concerns over the supply chain impact coming out of the pandemic.


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There are 22 companies representing the Italian ceramic industry in Italy at the Marina Bay Sands Expo in Singapore on the occasion of Maison&Objet Asia. The international showcase opens on March 8, and exhibits to the public the best in global manufacturing for design, interior and decoration during four intense days. A significant amount of space is dedicated to these Italian ceramics that, for the second year in a row, takes part at the event organized by Safi Asia.
The collections presented at the Convention Centre are located in three collective booths – for a total of 300 sqm – designed by architects Dante Donegani and Giovanni Lauda, that go by the name of Ceramics of Italy.
A Location that allows companies to promote the quality and uniqueness of the national ceramics to visitors from around the world attending the Asian event. The protagonists are renowned brands such as Fap Ceramiche, Marazzi, Florim, Kheops, Ceramiche Sant'Agostino, along with Appiani, Ceramica Bardelli, Ceramiche Ascot, Cerdisa, Coem, Simas; and yet more, Cooperativa Ceramica d'Imola, Emilceramica, Fincibec, Gruppo Beta, Litokol, Mirage Granito Ceramico, concluding with Ornamenta, Ricchetti, Settecento, Vallelunga&Co and Vogue.
Confindustria Ceramica is the partner association that promotes the exhibition, organized by Edi. Cer, in collaboration with ICE, with the aim of promoting ceramic products on an international level, and meeting the big players in the contract sector in Southeastern Asia.


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Pax East 2022 is here, and the Lords from Iron Lords Podcast and LOGNET are live on the show floor. Check out this exclusive interview with the developers behind Plunder Panic, a swashbuckling action arcade game for up to 12-players where two rival crews battle for supremacy on the high seas!
Plunder Panic Interview with The Lords
The game is available now on Steam early access. While the PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch versions will release sometime in Q2 2022. Don’t forget to check out all of our coverage from Pax East 2022 right here, including our exclusive interview with the team behind Deadcraft and WrestleQuest.