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When COVID-19 hit, it upended the workplace tradition of the business lunch.
Now Jeremy Welt, a marketing consultant, takes his meetings on bike rides or canyon hikes.
“It just got to the point where it was time to meet with people again and go beyond the phone, beyond the Zoom call,” Welt says. “And being outside just seemed safer.”
Living in L.A., where it can be perpetually 72 degrees, helps. There are bike trails up and down the state, many car free and by the beach, and canyon trails that attract lovers of the outdoors year round.
Interviews with several people who have ditched the lunch for the 2020 version of the business golf outing say they don’t want to go back to the old way in post-COVID times. They feel healthier being outside and less distracted.
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Natalie Barrad, who runs a marketing company in Aliso Viejo, California, near Los Angeles, has been hiking, biking and even swimming with clients.
“The traditional ways we used to meet are no longer, so now we’ve become creative in the ways we get together with clients or peers,” she says. Barrad has scheduled swim workouts at a local pool, to “talk strategy” in between laps.
“The intensity of the workout isn’t the same, but you’re not checking your phone and you can stay on topic,” she says. And by putting in some laps in between the conversation, “it gives you an opportunity to digest what was just said, and come back with another thought.”
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As she noted, “No more coffee shops anymore.”
Starbucks, Peet’s Coffee, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and other chains were the types of places business people gathered to meet up for years. But in COVID-19 times, they are either closed for inside seating or have limited outside seating. For people worried about being closer than 6 feet from one another, that could be a problem.
But on a bike, wearing a mask and cruising on the paved beach bike or open mountain trail, there are no such issues to worry about.
After years of business lunches, on the bike, “we’re getting exercise at the same time, our blood is flowing and the overall quality of the conversation is much higher,” Welt says.
He started biking after getting an invite from an associate, and had to scramble to play along. Since March, new bikes have been back-ordered and are harder to come by. The only model available to Welt was one missing the horizontal crossbars. He was happy to just have a bike.
Welt hasn’t picked up new business on the business rides, “but I’ve learned a lot. Way more than in an email or Zoom call. There’s just something about looking someone in the eye, and a conversation that has some way to breathe that is just more real.”
And Welt is enjoying the new normal so much that he drives to the beach to meet associates, and takes along a beach chair and umbrella to work with his iPad afterward.
“There’s just something about being out in nature,” he says. “It’s just good for the brain.”
It’s happening all over. In Nashville, Mimi Bliss, who teaches companies how to be Zoom savvy, has been meeting clients on walks as a way to get away from the video screen.
“You’re moving, you’re not sitting, and this an opportunity to connect to people,” she says. “We’re at a nice time of the year where the weather is nice (60 degrees) and it’s great to get out of the house and be outside.”
Her hope: “Let’s walk” replaces “let’s have lunch,” or meet for coffee post-COVID-19.
And beyond the hiking and cycling, in Beaverton, Oregon, Andrew Funderburg has come up with a novel way to meet his clients. Funderburg, the owner of the Fundy Design photography software studio, had seen clients from his booth at the many trade shows he attended yearly.
With trade shows canceled, he’s driving to them, in a self-converted cargo van stocked with coffee and beer. So far this year, he’s been to Boise, Idaho, and Salt Lake City, and is planning a trip later this year to Southern California.
“We sit outside and chat one on one,” he says of the van outdoor meetings, where he adds that he can go “deeper,” in conversation than on a busy trade show floor.
Meanwhile, back in Southern California, Barrad notes that in the corporate world, what she’s doing now on bike and hiking trails was always accomplished on the golf course.
“You would build a relationship in a very unique way that you couldn’t do over a business lunch,” she says. “This just seems more authentic, because you’re constantly moving.”
And Alex Kruglov, the founder of the pop.in social games website, who has accompanied Welt on beach bike rides, has transitioned to either bike-and-talk or walk-and-talk meetings, so much so that he now finds himself uncomfortable at a traditional coffee or conference room meeting.
“I get fidgety,” he says. “I didn’t know what to do with my hands. I’m so used to the motion-based meeting now.”
Follow USA TODAY’s Jefferson Graham (@jeffersongraham) on Twitter.


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Jan 29, 2015Failed By a Foot
Caused by tiny tears of the plantar fascia, the connective tissue on the bottom of the foot, plantar fasciitis can result from overuse, weight gain, or advancing age. Robert Klapper, Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Group in Los Angeles, believes that for most athletes, sports specialization at a young age and a lack of stretching are the biggest culprits.
“Cross training is so valuable, and it used to come quite naturally,” Klapper told USA Today Sports. “We’ve lost that.”
In addition, Klapper says today’s athletes aren’t spending enough time doing calf stretches, which he says help ward off plantar fasciitis and the closely related condition, Achilles tendinitis.
Bal Rajagopalan, a Beverly Hills, Calif., orthopedic surgeon, believes that proper shoes can help athletes avoid chronic plantar fasciitis.
“Naturally flat-footed people are more prone to plantar fasciitis,” he told USA Today. “They should be wearing sneakers with high arches. Sometimes you see athletes wearing these minimalist shoes with little or no cushioning. That’s horrendous. They are bound to have problems.”

domain: news


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Tesla CEO Elon Musk has a long list of failures, but they're all just a part of his success.
"There’s a silly notion that failure’s not an option at NASA," he told the magazine. "Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough."
In fact, one significant failure -- one that eventually led him to found SpaceX -- was when he was ousted from his position as the CEO of PayPal.
In 1999, Musk started an online financial services company called X.com. The company eventually merged with a competing financial company co-founded by Peter Thiel to create PayPal in 2000, according to Business Insider.
Though Musk was named as the CEO of merged companies, his time in the role was short-lived.
Business Insider reported that in October 2000, Musk wanted to switch the PayPal servers from a Unix platform to a Microsoft Windows platform, but the other cofounders didn’t like the idea.
While he was on his way to Australia for a vacation, Musk was fired by PayPal’s board.
He remained the majority shareholder in the company and when eBay bought PayPal in 2002 for $1.5 billion, Musk ended up with $180 million, FOX Business previously reported.
Even more significant than the money, though, was how Musk was inspired to move on.
"Going from PayPal, I thought, ‘Well, what are some of the other problems that are likely to most affect the future of humanity?’" he told graduates during his 2012 commencement speech at the California Institute of Technology. "It really wasn’t from the perspective of what’s the ... best way to make money."
It was during that time that he was inspired to found SpaceX and Tesla. He founded Tesla in 2003 because it would solve the problem of sustainable energy and he founded SpaceX in 2002 because it would help "make life multi-planetary," he told the Caltech graduates.
However, even in those ventures Musk has had failures.
In 2008, both companies were on the brink of bankruptcy, he reportedly told an audience at South by Southwest in 2018.
"I gave both SpaceX and Tesla a probability of less than 10 percent likely to succeed," he said.
SpaceX also had several rockets and spacecraft blow up and in 2016, Tesla struggled to meet delivery goals, Vox previously reported.
Now, however, SpaceX is valued at more than $20 billion and Tesla makes $26 billion in sales annually, according to Forbes.
The company also made history in May, when it successfully launched NASA astronauts into space in a commercial spacecraft from American soil, according to NASA.
SpaceX is scheduled to launch another historic mission on Nov. 15.
|PYPL||PAYPAL HOLDINGS INC.||73.62||-1.04||-1.39%|
Musk himself is estimated to be worth $36.1 billion and is ranked 31 on Forbes’ list of billionaires.
"Anything which is significantly innovative is going to come with a significant risk of failure," Musk said in 2015 at the International Space Station Research and Development Conference. "But, you know, you’ve got to take big chances in order for the potential for a big, positive outcome. If the outcome is exciting enough, then taking a big risk is worthwhile."
The Winning Formula tells the stories of business leaders who have overcome challenges — every Sunday on FOX Business.
*This article, originally published on 5/17, was updated on 5/22 and on 11/13.


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Europeans after Iran's petchem products
Tehran, Oct 15, IRNA – Production Control Manager of the National Petrochemical Company (NPC) said European countries are after Iran's petrochemical products in post-sanction era, adding that exports to Latin America and Africa are being expanded.
About 30% of Iran's petrochemical products were exported to Europe but anti-Iran sanctions caused gradual removal of green continent's market from Iran's customers' list.
Ali Mohammad Basaq Zadeh said that petrochemical products exports to different countries including Iran's traditional customers especially those located in South and South-Eastern Asia are being done according to the previous plans.
He added that about 10m tons of petrochemical products were exported during the first half of current Iranian calendar year (beginning on March 20).
He reiterated that in order to participate in international markets, petrochemical complexes have to promote the quality of their products.
Iran is capable of producing 61 million tons of petrochemical products per year which is to be expanded to 120 million tons by the years 2025-2026.
About 19 million tons of petrochemical products worth $9.5b were exported last year.
SOURCE : IRNA


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Yahoo tops Q3 sales, profit targets; shares surge (4:39 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Yahoo
posted better-than-expected third-quarter earnings and sales late Wednesday, sparking a 4-percent surge in its stock after hours. The Internet portal said it earned 10 cents a share on $356.8 million in revenue. Analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call expected Yahoo to post a profit of 9 cents a share. Wall Street pegged quarterly sales at $337.83 million. Shares of Yahoo closed down 14 cents at $38.79.
Sonus Networks Q3 earns 1c, revenue $28.6 mln (4:13 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Sonus Networks
reported its first net income ever with third-quarter earnings of $1.2 million, or a penny a share, and sales of $28.6 million. Analysts expected a loss of a penny a share and sales of $25.4 million, on average.
Genentech's Q3 profit up (4:10 PM ET) BOSTON (CBS.MW) -- Genentech
said its third-quarter profit increased to $152 million, or 29 cents per share, from $89.3 million, or 17 cents per share, in the 2002 third quarter. Excluding special items, the No. 2 biotech firm said third-quarter profit was $143.9 million, or 27 cents per share. Analysts, on average, had expected 25 cents per share, according to Reuters Research.
Securities firms on track for record $22 billion year (3:49 PM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- The U.S. securities industry is on pace for a record year of profits, according to a new report released Wednesday by the Securities Industry Association. Investment banks and brokers are on pace to earn $22.5 billion, more than triple last year's $6.9 billion, and higher than the previous record of $21.0 billion in 2000, SIA said. The association said the profits were the result of diversified revenue growth and a revival in the economy.
Evergreen expects to earn more than $75 million in '03 (3:08 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Evergreen Resources
Chief Financial Officer Kevin Collins provided some full-year estimates to attendees at the Independent Petroleum Association of America oil and gas conference in San Francisco. He expects net income of more than $75 million, or "$1.85-plus" a share in 2003, capital expenditures of $272.2 million and year-end proven reserves in excess of 1.53 trillion cubic feet. Evergreen expects to report quarterly results Oct. 30. Shares were off 42 cents to $28.33.
99 Cents Only sees Q3 earnings below consensus (12:28 PM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- 99 Cents Only Stores'
shares pulled back more than 10 percent to $30.03 after the City of Commerce, Calif., discount retailer warned that third-quarter results would fall short of Wall Street's consensus estimate for a profit of 20 cents per share due to higher than planned costs to support its operating infrastructure in Texas, back-weighted store openings, and weak gross margins. 99 Cents Only said total sales rose 23 percent to $211.5 million for the third quarter from $172.3 million in the same period a year earlier. Same-store sales rose 4.5 percent in the period. William Blair dropped its rating on the stock to "market perform" in the wake of the news.
Autonomy sees Q3 earnings of 1-to-2c per share (11:58 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Autonomy
shares gained more than 4 percent to $18.95, pulling back slightly after hitting a 52-week high of $19.92 earlier in the session. The company said it expects its financial results for the third quarter to exceed Wall Street's consensus estimates due to a "significant recovery in activity levels" across all of its markets. Autonomy said it now expects earnings of 1 to 2 cents per share on revenue of between $12.6 million and $13.6 million for the quarter. "During this period Autonomy's core business saw strong growth which more than offset the expected disruption of our Dremedia division's sales during the integration of the Virage acquisition," said Mike Lynch, the Group CEO of the company, in a press release.
Curative Health slices outlook for second half (10:40 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Curative Health
shares plunged more than 25 percent to $13.62 after the company lowered its financial outlook for the second half to reflect pricing pressure in its wound care business, an uncertain competitive environment for its Synagis monoclonal antibody, higher operating costs and depreciation expenses, and flat revenue for its hemophilia-related products. The company said it expects third-quarter GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) earnings before items of between 12 and 13 cents per share, well below its prior projection for a profit of 29 to 31 cents per share. For 2003, it now sees GAAP earnings on the same basis of 93 to 96 cents per share. In 2004, Curative Health is targeting GAAP net income growth of 45 to 50 percent from its 2003 total, and revenue of between $270 million and $280 million.
SAP expects to beat Wall Street sales goal (10:12 AM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Shares of Germany-based business software-maker SAP
rose 12 percent in early Wednesday trading, after the company said it expects third quarter sales of 1.65 billion euros, or about $1.95 billion. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call had been expecting sales of about $1.8 billion, on average. SAP said software license revenue would be about 430 million euros, vs. 435 million euros a year ago. The company said it had better contract closure rates, especially in the United States. The company is scheduled to report earnings on Oct. 16. U.S.-traded shares of SAP shares rose $3.88 to $37.60.
Winn-Dixie Q1 earns 1c vs 25c; consensus was breakeven (9:23 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Winn-Dixie Stores
said it earned $1.2 million, or 1 cent a share, in the first quarter, down from $34.8 million, or 25 cents a share, a year ago, as it invested heavily to upgrade stores and promote its name. The food retailer was expected to post breakeven EPS, according to the average of estimates collected by Thomson First Call. Same-store sales fell 6.6 percent in the quarter. Sales fell 5.8 percent to $2.7 billion. CEO Frank Lazaran said the company cut pricing, improved service and remodeled stores as part of a previously announced plan to boost earnings. "Our results will depend on our execution, competitors' response and customer acceptance of our plan over the remainder of the year," he said. Winn-Dixie shares closed Tuesday's session down 2 percent at $9.70.
California Pizza Kitchen 'comfortable' with guidance (9:12 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- California Pizza Kitchen
said it remains comfortable with its EPS guidance of 21-23 cents for its third quarter, based on current sales performance and excluding impairment and severance charges. The conmpany plans to take $13-$16 million in non-cash charges in the quarter. Third-quarter revenue increased approximately 18 percent to $93.1 million. Comparable restaurant sales increased approximately 2 percent. Shares of California Pizza Kitchen rose 11 cents to $18.05 on Tuesday.
CSG Systems shares fall 16% on Comcast arbitration pact (8:34 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Shares of Englewood, Colo.-based customer service and billing firm CSG Systems
are down 16 percent to $13 on Instinet after the company warned revenue and operating income from client Comcast
formerly AT&T Broadband, will decrease by $8-$14 million per quarter as a result of an arbitration decision. Earnings per share will be reduced by 9-16 cents per quarter. A survey of analysts by Thomson First Call is forecasting EPS of 25 cents in the coming period. Under the agreement, Comcast does not have the right to terminate a master subscriber agreement between the two companies, but Comcast was awarded $120 million in damages. CSG believes this amount may be reduced by $50 million. If Comcast terminates the company's subscriber agreement, it would owe CSG $44 million in damages. Comcast stock fell 27 cents to $30.94.
Option Care sees Q3, FY results below Wall St. views (8:18 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Option Care
warned that it expects to miss Wall Street's current consensus estimates for the third quarter, and full year due to weak sales for its home infusion and managed care specialty pharmacy services. The Buffalo Grove, Ill., firm now sees a loss of 13 to 14 cents per share on revenue of between $81 million and $82 million. This outlook include pre-tax charges totaling $8.6 million, or 24 cents per share, related to additional bad debt reserves, restructuring costs, and an asset write-down. Four analysts polled by Thomson First Call are currently looking for earnings before items of 19 cents per share for the September quarter, and a profit of 79 cents per share for the full year. The stock closed Tuesday at $12.23, up 3.4 percent.
ScanSource sees Q1 revs of between $270M and $276M (7:57 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- ScanSource
said it expects first-quarter sales of between $270 million and $276 million, ahead of the average estimate of two analysts polled by Thomson First Call for sales of $255.7 million in the September period. Shares of the Greenville, S.C., maker of point of sale and telephony products closed Tuesday at $40.75, up 8 percent.
International Speedway lowers Q4 financial outlook (7:49 AM ET) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- International Speedway
hit the mark with its third-quarter earnings, tallying a profit of $36 million, or 68 cents a share, up from the prior year's $29.6 million, or 56 cents. Revenue increased to $160.6 million for the three months ended Aug. 31 from $136.4 million a year earlier. According to Reuters Research, Wall Street's consensus estimate had been for a profit of 68 cents. For the fourth quarter, International Speedway said it's shaving $2 million from its revenue forecast, to a range of $163 million to $168 million, and now sees quarterly earnings at 61 to 63 cents a share. The company previously had been projecting earnings of 64 to 66 cents. International Speedway's shares closed at $45.94 on Tuesday, down 21 cents.
Ceradyne tops Q3 sales estimates (7:39 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Ceradyne
said third-quarter sales rose 89 percent over year-earlier levels to $27 million, exceeding the average analyst forecast compiled by Thomson First Call of $22.2 million, while bookings surged 225 percent to $52 million. The maker of ceramic products used for defense and industrial applications added that it expected to exceed consensus analyst earnings estimates of 21 cents. The stock closed Tuesday up 56 cents at $26.96.
Movie Gallery lifts outlook on sales jump (7:27 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Movie Gallery
said it sees third-quarter adjusted earnings of 29 cents per share, up from its earlier guidance of 25-27 cents per share. The video rental firm cited a 5 percent rise in same-store sales. Shares of Movie Gallery rose 15 cents to $20.55 on Tuesday.
Shoe Carnival Sept same-store sales up 1.8% (7:20 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Shoe Carnival
said same-store sales rose 1.8 percent in September from the year earlier period. Total sales climbed 11.7 percent to $44.4 million from $39.8 million a year ago. Sales for the first eight months of 2003 were up 9.1 percent to $385.8 million against $353.7 million. Same-store sales fell 1.9 percent in the first eight months. Shoe Carnival said it opened five stores in September and closed one.
Costco's Q4 earns dip, but top expectations (6:26 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Costco Wholesale
reported fiscal fourth-quarter net income of $239.4 million, or 51 cents a share, down from 52 cents a share in the year-earlier period, but above the average analyst estimate compiled by Reuters Research of 47 cents. Net sales for the quarter ending August increased 11 percent to $13.42 billion, just shy of analyst expectations of $13.54 billion. Comparable-store sales rose 7 percent. Shares of the discount warehouse retailer closed Tuesday up 30 cents at $33.34.
Sodexho FY revenues declined 7.3%, hit by currencies (2:29 AM ET) LONDON (CBS.MW) -- French catering group Sodexho Alliance
(FR:012122)on Wednesday said revenues for its fiscal year ending August 31 declined 7.3 percent to 11.6 billion euros, with currency effects hitting sales by 10 percent. On an organic basis, North American sales improved 4.3 percent to 5.427 billion euros, European sales rose 3.6 percent to 3.585 billion euros, while its U.K. and Irish business slumped 3.9 percent to 1.453 billion euros. North American sales were boosted by Healthcare and Seniors division and its Education division, while European business was helped by Business & Industry, Healthcare, and Education divisions. For the next fiscal year, Sodexho hopes to match its organic growth of 2002-03 and sport an EBITA margin of 4.6 percent, due to accelerated organic growth in North America and Continental Europe and improving profitability in the U.K.


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FREMONT, Ohio (Legal
Newsline) — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced a lawsuit Jan. 6
against two telemarketing groups – Buckeye Impact Group LLC and Premier Design Group LLC – for allegedly misleading consumers.
These companies purportedly
sold marketing packages to consumers for $1,000 to $1,500, alleging the
consumers could work from home as Amazon affiliates. The
consumers, after agreeing to the deal, would allegedly host a website that had products
for sale. The companies purportedly told the consumers that if a product was
sold on their website, they would receive a cut of the sale and Amazon would
handle the delivery. According to DeWine’s office, the scheme was entirely fake.
“People were told they could make a lot of money if they put up some of
their own money first,” DeWine said. “We found that just wasn’t true. People were paying hundreds or thousands of
dollars and getting next to nothing in return.”
DeWine’s office received dozens
of complaints about the companies. DeWine charges the businesses with
violations of Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act as well as state and federal
telemarketing requirements. DeWine seeks reimbursement for consumers and an
injunction to stop any future law violations by the companies.


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In April last year, Rifkin published The Zero Marginal Cost Society, in which he considered the implications for capitalism as the marginal cost of production tends towards zero—such as, the cost of producing one more copy of a digital magazine. Rifkin sees in the “internet of things,” the connecting via the internet of household appliances, phones and other devices, the dawn of a third industrial revolution. Not everyone is as optimistic about the digital future as is Rifkin.
The zero marginal cost society – or how capitalism will eat itself Jonathan Derbyshire interviews Rifkin about The Zero Marginal Cost Society.
Jeremy Rifkin: Intelligent technology and the future of human labour Rifkin writes a follow-up to his interview.
Jeremy Rifkin’s Twitter
Jeremy Rifkin’s official site


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President Xi Jinping said Hainan, China’s southernmost island province, was rapidly developing into a duty-free port.
The Chinese who are unable to travel overseas due to the coronavirus pandemic can go forward for binge shopping, making the island a model for the expansion of domestic demand linked to the world economy that Xi hopes to achieve in the future.
The locals address the island as “China’s Hawaii,”, which is roughly the size of Kyushu in southwestern Japan, has beaches for swimming and surfing, but the main attraction is the Sanya International Duty-Free Shopping Complex. People rush to acquire the best deals in the complex.
China’s government has started to eliminate tariffs throughout the island and relax restrictions on foreign investment in the finance and service industries. It intends to accelerate the acceptance of foreign nationals with unique skills.


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A 12-year-old boy from London, UK, earned around £290,000 (approximately R$2 million) during school holidays after creating a series of pixelated artworks called Weird Whales and selling them as NFTs ( “non-fungible token”, in free translation) .
With NFTs, a work of art can be “tokenized” to create a digital ownership certificate that can be bought and sold.
They generally do not provide the buyer with the artwork itself or its copyright.
Benyamin Ahmed is keeping his earnings in the form of Ethereum — the cryptocurrency in which they were sold.
This means that the value can increase or decrease — and there is no backing from the authorities if the digital wallet in which he keeps the amount is hacked or compromised.
He never had a traditional bank account.
NFT: 5 points on the technology that makes a digital file ‘unique’
Benyamin’s schoolmates are still unaware of his newly acquired crypto fortune, although he has made YouTube videos about his hobby, which he enjoys as much as swimming, badminton and taekwondo.
“My advice to other kids who might want to enter this space is not to force yourself to do coding, perhaps because there is peer pressure — just like if you like to cook, cook, if you like to dance, dance, just do the best you can. “he says.
Benyamin’s father, Imran, a software developer working in traditional finance, encouraged Benyamin and his brother, Yousef, to start coding at age five and six.
The boys had the advantage of relying on a strong network of tech experts to ask for advice and help — but their father is extremely proud of them.
“It was kind of a fun exercise — but I realized very early on that they were very receptive and very good at it,” says Imran.
“So we started to take it a little more seriously — and now it’s every single day … but you can’t force these things, you can’t say, ‘I’m going to learn coding in three months’.”
The boys did 20 or 30 minutes of coding exercises a day — including on holidays, he says.
Benyamin Ahmed’s Weird Whales project, turned NFT — Photo: Benyamin Ahmed via BBC
Weird Whales is Benyamin’s second digital art collection, released following an earlier Minecraft-inspired video game collection that sold less.
This time, he was inspired by a well-known image of a pixelated whale meme and a popular style of digital art — but he used his own program to create the collection of 3,350 emoji-type whales.
“It was interesting to see them all being born, as they appeared on my screen, being generated slowly,” he says.
Benyamin is already working on his third collection, now with a superhero theme.
He would also like to play an “underwater game” with whales.
“It would be awesome,” he says.
Imran is “100% sure” that his child has not infringed copyright law — he consulted lawyers to “audit” his work and get advice on how to register his own designs..
The art world is divided, however, over NFT fashion.
Artists say they are an additional source of useful revenue. And there are several cases of incredibly high sales.
But there is also skepticism about the extent to which NFTs are a realistic long-term investment.
Charles Allsopp, a former auctioneer at renowned auction house Christie’s, told BBC News that buying them “makes no sense”.
“The idea of buying something that isn’t there is just weird,” he said earlier this year.
“The people who invest in this are naive — but I hope they don’t lose their money.”
Virtual fashion has clothes, sneakers and even gi in NFT


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Instagram Stories and DMs now support Meta’s 3D avatars
In a bid to compete with Snap’s Bitmoji feature, Facebook (now Meta) launched Avatars all the way back in 2019. At first, the feature was only available in Australia, but Facebook released it in other markets over the course of a year. As its name suggests, the feature lets you create a virtual avatar of yourself that you can use in Messenger or on the Facebook feed. Almost three years after debuting the feature, Meta is now bringing it to Instagram Stories and DMs.
In a recent blog post (via CNET), Meta said that Instagram users in the US, Canada, and Mexico will now be able to share their 3D Avatars with others through Stories or via DMs. In addition, the company highlighted all the new changes for 3D Avatars included in the latest update. These include:
New customization options
Meta’s updated 3D Avatars come with various new customization options, including Cochlear implants, over-the-ear hearing aids in several colors and wheelchairs. These options are available across all platforms, including VR, and will also show up in stickers on Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram DMs. Meta has also adjusted certain facial shapes and tweaked skin shaders with the latest update, which improves the look of Avatars.
Meta’s 3D Avatars are now available across Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger for users in the US, Mexico, and Canada, along with the regions where Meta has already started rolling out Avatars. Users will now be able to use their 3D Avatars as profile pictures on Facebook and even share them in comments, stickers, and stories across all platforms.
Furthermore, Meta notes that if “your previously created an avatar on Facebook in the past, get ready to see a new side of yourself — literally. Your avatar will automatically enter the third dimension as part of this update, and we’re doing our best to make sure your new-and-improved self matches the choices you made previously. That said, there are a lot more options now than there were before! You’ll have the chance to jump into the editor and make some changes.”
In addition, Meta will now let you create different Avatars for different platforms. You’ll have the option to create three distinct Avatars — one for Facebook and Messenger, one for Instagram, and one for VR. If you keep a single Avatar and choose to sync it across platforms, any changes you make will automatically be reflected on all platforms.
Lastly, Meta has partnered with the NFL to bring NFL-themed customization options for Avatars. These options will be available until February 28 and will let you change your Avatar’s outfit to support the Cincinnati Bengals or Los Angeles Rams. In case you’re not a fan of these teams, you’ll also get the option to pick a neutral Super Bowl LV1 shirt for your Avatar.


text: CCC Says: "At this year’s E3, specifically at the Microsoft Press Conference, we were given the chance to see the first ever trailer for the brand new Rise of the Tomb Raider, the next entry in the rebooted Tomb Raider series. Unfortunately, the trailer didn’t have too much to show us. It didn’t feature any actual gameplay, just pre-rendered cutscenes that walked us through the story, and while we were able to ask a few questions about the game, basically everyone was being incredibly tight lipped about it. We gathered up all the info we could about the game for you here, and decided to partake in some speculation of our own. Here’s what we think of the game reveal."


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The second quarter saw the lowest sales this year of 518900 due to the nationwide social distancing campaign imposed in April to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Sales began to recover in the third quarter and rose 30.6 percent quarter-on-quarter to 677700.
VAMM is made up by Honda, Piaggio, Suzuki, SYM, and Yamaha, but only Honda release sales figures.
The Japanese giant, which has an over 80 percent market share, saw April-September sales fall 25 percent year-on-year to 958900 units.
Last year Vietnam, with sales of 327 million units, was the
fourth largest motorbike market
globally behind India, China and Indonesia, unchanged from 2018 according to Italian market research firm Motorcycles Data.
- Motorbike sales drop 30.7 percent in Q2
- Honda Vietnam’s motorbike sales down, auto sales up in August
- Honda Vietnam’s motorcycle sales down, auto sales up in June
- Honda Vietnam sales continue to slide
- Vietnam auto sales stage May recovery
- Auto sales down 25 pct
- Honda Vietnam recalls cars to replace fuel pumps
- Beer companies enjoy recovery
- Condotel sales plummet
- Real estate firms struggle to recover from coronavirus slump


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Glenn Ollivant has joined Vapour as Senior Account Director, 15 years after he was first hired and trained by CEO Tim Mercer.
Ollivant was hired by Mercer in 2006 when the latter was Regional Sales Manager at Virgin Media Business and he has since gone on to enterprise sales roles at Kcom and TalkTalk Business.
CEO Tim Mercer said: “I mentored Glenn and now the time is right for us to join forces once again because the market is opening up and we have the same attitude when it comes to supporting customers.”
Ollivant added: “I will now be working both with partners and end customers on more conventional solutions such as Unified Communications and backups, as well as cutting-edge virtual desktop infrastructures, secure networks for hybrid working, and robotic process automation.
“We all knew the market wasn’t ready for a pure cloud offering when Vapour was launched in 2013, but the foresight means that bold leap is now paying off, especially because organisations’ adoption of cloud tech has rocketed over the past 18 months.


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A recent survey of British shoppers has found that a majority of people prefer to talk on the phone rather than go online to get more information about complex purchases. Perhaps most surprising of all, more 16-24 year olds (32%) prefer to pick up the phone to discuss a purchase than 35-44 year olds (24%). This suggests a trend away from online communication and towards phone interaction, surprisingly led by Generation Z.
The survey, carried out by Mediahawk, asked 2,000 people of all ages across the UK about purchasing habits and preferred means of seeking information about intended purchases. One of the key findings was that 60% of respondents want the option to speak to someone on the phone if they need to discuss complex, personal or expensive purchases, with less than 10% disagreeing. Furthermore, 45% of respondents find it quicker to call a company to discuss something in more detail, with only 15% taking the opposite view.
The results are evenly split between genders, however, they do reveal regional differences. For instance, Northern Ireland came out as the top region to prefer using the phone to gather more information; in Newcastle, just over half of users (52%) prefer the Internet to answer their questions before purchase; whilst the Welsh proved themselves to be the most independent, as the majority (39%) would not use any contact methods at all to get more information before their purchasing.
Mediahawk, a leading provider of call tracking software and solutions, has recently launched an improved and refreshed interface that makes phone call tracking, reporting and analysing as easy and intuitive as tracking customers’ online movements. It’s an essential tool for marketers that struggle to join the dots between the adverts they place and resulting phone calls.
Michael Morrell, CEO of Mediahawk, said:
“This survey has found that while many people want to do as much self-service as they can online, there are just some things in life that are easier and quicker to find out in a discussion with a human being. Businesses that offer complex, expensive, or personal products and services often experience a high volume of phone calls from prospects prior to purchase. These businesses have extremely detailed reports to measure their online enquiries and sales, but often neglect applying the same technology to the phone and so any analysis is based on guesswork.
At Mediahawk, we ensure our partners can make data driven decisions to improve conversions, reduce costs, optimise investment and uncover new opportunities for business growth.”


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Sixty per cent of affluent consumers in India have plans to increase their discretionary spending in the coming year, second only to China, according to the Visa Affluent Study 2014.
The study also reveals that after China, India has the largest proportion of affluent population which sets aside money for discretionary spending. On an average 9 in 10 affluent Indians set aside Rs 25,000 monthly for discretionary spending on items such as dining/nights out, holidays and purchasing designer goods.
Mr. Uttam Nayak, Global Head of Emerging Markets Digital and Group Country Manager India & South Asia, Visa, said: “The survey results show affluent Indians continue to be optimistic with plans to spend more on discretionary items in the year ahead. At the same time, 7 in 10 expect to save more in the coming year, which demonstrates a good balance between spending and a commitment to growing and maintaining their wealth.”
Affluent Indians plan to spend 60% of their household income and save or invest the rest. They spend an average of about Rs. 460,000 per year on household expenses with groceries, shopping and food & beverages being the largest spend categories across all demographic groups.
However, children’s education is considered among the highest priorities across all the countries surveyed, with 9 out of 10 affluent Indians saying this is a top priority for them. Providing the best available education for their children is considered very important by over 70% of affluent Indians.
Affluent Indians continue to lay emphasis on spending quality time with their families. They are also highly involved in managing, protecting and growing their wealth with 7 in 10 reading about financial and wealth management at least once a month.
Among affluent Indians, 92% spend on fine dining, 80% on designer clothes, 79% on family holidays and 68% on jewellery. Among the 60% who expect discretionary spending to increase, 49% are likely to increase spending on family holidays while 45% intend to increase spending on fine dining.


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Up until now, 5G was a costly gimmick. The iPhone 12 changes that.
For all its revolutionary potential, 5G has really only made smartphones worse so far — at least, until this week’s iPhone 12 announcement.
The adoption of 5G, which is technically offered by all three major U.S. carriers yet either irrelevant to or unusable for most people, has only made smartphones bigger, more power-hungry and thus, more expensive. 5G is in part why the Galaxy S20 costs $250 more than its predecessor.


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Distributor Conexus has scored the exclusive distribution rights to DVD back-up and recovery software produced by 321 Studios which publishes software that allows users to create back-ups of their DVD movies.
The company claims it produces software that guards against illegitimate use of DVD burners, while protecting the consumer’s right to make “Fair use” copies of their digital media.
The software includes a disclaimer at the beginning of the copied movie, a visible watermark in all DVD copies, and a block on copying any disc other than an original.
“A few years ago, we saw that DVD was going to strike our shores like a tidal wave, so we began distributing DVD burners and digital video products,” managing director of Conexus, David Murray, said.
“Now, 321 Studios is ... allowing customers to backup and repair these fragile discs. DVD burners will be the must-have peripheral this Christmas, and our mission will be to turn every one of them into a backup system.”
The vendor cites research from GfK Marketing Services Australia that shows phenomenal growth in DVD burning products.
The research company reports that the number of PCs sold through the retail channel that include built-in DVD burners was 12 per cent in the 12 months until October 2003, 15 per cent between June and August period and 20 per cent in the three months until October.


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We bring to your attention a sampling of recent media stories involving cyber risk and privacy liability. These exposures include business interruption, legal liability (such as class action lawsuits), as well as crisis costs to investigate the breach, notify the victims and defend/settle lawsuits, including AG regulatory enforcement actions and fines.
VerticalScope has experienced a major data breach, with cybercriminals making off with over 45 million records belonging to over 1,100 websites, it has been reported. LeakedSource, which provides detailed information on data breaches, said that some of the websites impacted by this include Techsupportforum.com, MobileCampsites.com, Pbnation.com and Motorcycle.com. Click to read entire article.
A group of hackers going by the handle of TeamGhostShell has leaked more than 36 million accounts/records of internal data from several vulnerable networks in order to raise awareness about the poor security infrastructure implemented on MongoDB databases by their owners. Click to read entire article.
At least 10 million Android devices have been infected by malware called HummingBad, according to cybersecurity software maker Check Point. Click to read entire article.
The US Federal Reserve was breached 50+ times between 2011 and 2015, including several instances of espionage likely carried out by nation-state hackers. Click to read entire article.
City employees in Chicago had an unpleasant surprise earlier this month. Scammers got access to some retirement accounts and took fraudulent loans worth $2.6 million, reports said. Initial reports said it was a hack in which the bad guys used the personal information of employees to set up online profiles with the city’s deferred compensation plan. Click to read entire article.
A hacker that claimed to have stolen databases from three U.S. healthcare organizations and has advertised more than 650,000 patient records as up for sale on Dark Net, increased that number today to a staggering 9.3 million. …the hacker is requesting an additional 750 Bitcoins, valued at nearly $500,000, for the fourth database with patient information including names, addresses, phone and social security numbers. Click to read entire article.
A network of California cancer centers is facing a $57 million lawsuit from a putative class of patients alleging the health care provider is responsible for carelessly handling their private information after a data breach. Click to read entire article.
Dignity Health, which owns Mercy Medical, announced today that information from 520 patients was inappropriately accessed. The incident involved its business partner Navi-Health, which assists mercy with patient support after leaving the hospital. Click to read entire article.
- Univ New Mexico (2800)
- ProMedica (3,472)
- Stamford (Conn.) Podiatry Group (40,000)
- Carondelet St. Mary’s and Carondelet St. Joseph’s emergency rooms (1000)
- Southeast Eye Institute (87000)
- A chiropractic clinic in Ann Arbor, Mich (4000)
- KansasHeartHospital (ransomware attack)
- California Correctional Health Care Services (loss laptop)
- Greenway Health (1000)
- UnityPoint Health – AllenHospital (1620)
The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas said Monday that customer payment—card data was accessed after malware was placed on the resort’s payment-card system, becoming the latest hotel to report such a breach. Click to read entire article.
Cowboys Casino is investigating a possible data breach after its computer system was the target of a cyber-attack.. Click to read entire article.
Two senior employees with the State of Alabama Department of Finance have been disciplined by Governor Robert Bentley, with one being fired. Click to read entire article.
A recent cyberattack on the Minnesota Judicial Branch’s website underscored a growing threat that state officials warn will become more difficult to combat without additional resources. …Last week’s attack on the judicial website is known as a “distributed denial-of-service” (DDOS) attack, which overwhelms a website with network traffic, effectively blocking out legitimate users. It was the second such attack since late 2015, and similar to other attacks on government computers around the globe. Click to read entire article.
Annapolis officials have received reports of people noticing fraudulent activity on their credit and debit cards after the city on Tuesday announced a potential data breach for people using those cards at city garages. Click to read entire article.
Want access to a government server? An online black market is selling access to thousands of hacked servers for as little as US$6. Click to read entire article.
The Wendy’s data breach may be much bigger than originally thought, according to reports. …That breach was thought to have affected 300 franchisee-owned Wendy’s restaurants in the United States and Canada (company-owned stores were not affected by the breach). But based on the number of fraud complaints linked to Wendy’s, experts say the breach could be much bigger than originally announced. In fact, some experts warn the breach could be bigger than the Home Depot or Target breaches, both of which affected more than 40 million people. Click to read entire article.
Veridian Credit Union recently filed a class action lawsuit against Wendy’s in response to a credit card breach that hit the fast food vendor’s point of sale (POS) systems starting in the fall of 2015, Law360 reports. Click to read entire article.
A payment card issuer that’s suing Wendy’s for costs associated with a data breach that began in October argues that the fast food chain’s tardiness in transitioning to new payment technology makes it liable. Click to read entire article.
If you are an Acer customer or ever attended one of their events and used your credit or debit cards for online shopping you have something to worry about as Acer has revealed that its servers were breached and as a result hackers got access to 34,000 customer data. Click to read entire article.
Visa and MasterCard are using security measures prone to fraud, putting retailers and customers at risk of thieves, The Home Depot says in a new federal antitrust lawsuit. Click to read entire article.
Brief: Greenwich university has suffered a massive data breach in what looks like a revenge hack – The unknown hacker stole entire database and leaked it on the Dark Web! Click to read entire article.
The BitTorrent Client uTorrent, established by Ludvig Strigeus and later acquired by BitTorrent Inc., has issued a warning to its users regarding a security breach of their forum which allowed hackers to steal user information and password hashes of the site. Click to read entire article.
Social networking site VK.com is the latest victim in a string of targeted data breaches that have hit a host of other social media outlets such as LinkedIn, Tumblr and Myspace. Click to read entire article.
Social networks MySpace and Tumblr faced a major data breach. BBC recently reported that a total of 65,469,298 Tumblr accounts and over 360 million MySpace account details are offered for sale online. Click to read entire article.
Verizon’s 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report found human vulnerabilities and errors continue to be among companies’ top data security threats. Click to read entire article.
A vast majority of consumers said they would not buy another vehicle from a dealership after their data had been compromised, according to a recent survey given to both dealers and buyers. Click to read entire article.
The average cost of a data breach is $4 million, up 29 percent since 2013, according to Ponemon Institute and IBM data. Click to read entire article.
The American Bankers Association – through its Corporation for American Banking subsidiary – announced today that it has endorsed Rippleshot’s automated card compromise detection platform. The tool, Rippleshot Sonar, is a cloud-based technology solution that uses machine learning and data analytics to identify fraud more quickly and efficiently. Reviewing millions of transactions, Rippleshot Sonar can pinpoint when and where a breach occurred. Click to read entire article.
Empire Life is responding to a data breach that may have affected a number of its customers. Late last year, the insurer was the the victim of an email phishing incident in which an unauthorized source gained temporary access to ten internal employee email accounts. In phishing, a third party impersonates a trustworthy individual or organization and tricks people into supplying personal information such as usernames and passwords. Click to read entire article.
The University of Calgary paid a $20,000 ransom in untraceable Bitcoins to shadowy hackers after a devastating malware attack. Click to read entire article.
Following the news that Japan’s largest travel agency JTB Corp having 7.93 million passport details, home and email addresses stolen by hackers, Guy Bunker, Senior Vice President at Clearswift commented below. Click to read entire article.
Middle Eastern companies, including financial institutions, have experienced more than $1.4 million in financial losses due to security breaches. This is according to data from Gemalto, which surveyed 1,100 IT decision makers worldwide. In the study, 94% of Middle East companies said that their perimeter security systems like firewalls and anti-virus were effective defence. Click to read entire article.
Cyber Risk Assessment & Data Breach Services


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Good signs for MMF sector across globe
Manmade fibres sector is the pillar to textiles and related industry. Statistics say the global share of MMF consumption is around 60% and more. Sparing India – a country with tropical climate and ample of cotton production that determines natural fibre consumption especially cotton produces in country to be high, the consumption of synthetic fibres dominates over its contender sector.
However, analysis also points the want for MMF, in particularly polyester fibres and its blends, rising gradually as the cotton prices getting dearer shall inevitably improve polyester consumption amidst shrinking pockets of manufacturer as well as consumers afflicted by crisis.
In the current economic crisis, how will the MMF industry cope up? What are the new emerging trends in the industry?..etc are some of the interrogations that we interviewed the industry dealers with.
A range of responses were found. As usual a mix of opinions prevails in the market.
Mr Leo Hofstetter, Mktg Mngr, Nexis Fibers AG- Switzerland, forecasts market trends in Europe. He predicts that industry
shall see a steady growth in PA6.6 (+3 %/y): Cap ply for high performance tires as well as substitution of PA6 by PA6.6. Industry has witnessed big tire manufacturers moved production from Western to Eastern Europe. For Russia, he visualizes a switch from PA6 to PES for carcass, Cap ply PA6.6 and stable and consolidated market in Europe. Commenting on risk of crisis he mentions that as his business is strongly focused to the automotive industry, he has seen economical crisis influenced the business related to original equipment (new cars) but less to the replacement market. If people don't buy new cars, at least they have to renew the tires. This part of the business reflects approx. 75 percent. He also counts the current time to be fortunate as industry has been noticing an increased demand during the last few months. Therefore an improved result can be expected for coming quarter.
An official from Apollo tyres-India, opines that last two quarters industry has seen price increase very steadily and this has been happening from all sections of companies whether from India or outside. In his views, presently, it is very difficult to reveal exact information of price increase to the extent of cents, in fact, people are pondering on how various sectors of market behaved, and it is something that needed to be understood.
But definitely price increase has happened, and it is because of something to do with financial health of certain companies which was not good. These financial challenges have further triggered the price increase. Certain important sources that have been supplying to India had financial health not good and some companies who needed buy goods from those suppliers felt uncertain and booked orders at higher price, and thus, resulted into the price increase in India.
He further details that in India during past few months of
crisis, people held on to their buying decisions. He noticed the major job loss and such aftermaths happened in countries like US and others. In India this scenario did not prevailed. There have been some few instances but majority of people were safe with their job. So, people just had to hold on to their buying decisions but unlike the people of other nations, Indians had little to no financial crunch. Luckily people here don't use much credit card so that they are not been drained up back to the
bank, and that's why the banks had no problems in spite of all recessionary upshots that happened outside the India. Moreover, the growth quarter after quarter is seeing increase in production
which is a good sign.


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Google has started to take its Podcasts app a bit more seriously now as it is reportedly rolling out a new more advanced design to Android users and also launching the app on iOS for the very first time. It’s a move that sets Google Podcasts up to better compete with more established podcast apps like Apple, Overcast, or Spotify.
The new design, which 9to5Google spotted will be rolling out early over the weekend, adds numerous features to Google Podcasts, centered on the new three-tab interface. The Home screen is now focused on shows you already subscribe to, offering a scrollable feed of new episodes with quick links to download, play, or queue up directly from the homepage. Discovery and recommendation features have been broken out into a new tab called “Explore,” while a third “Activity” feed lets you view and manage your current playback queue, listening history, downloads, and subscriptions.
There’s likewise feature that will consequently download new episodes of shows when they’re released, and support for notifications for new episode availability — critical features that other apps have offered for years.
The new algorithmic recommendation is a particularly big move for Google, given that it’s been one of Spotify’s biggest advantages. That said, if there’s one thing Google is good at, it’s compiling an enormous amount of data on its users to recommend them new things.
It’s not just Android and iOS that are benefiting from the update; Google is also revamping Google Podcasts for Web with support for subscriptions, allowing users to sync listening progress across devices. It also gives Google a viable desktop platform to compete with companies like Apple and Spotify, which offer similar syncing features within their own native apps.
Google Podcasts is available now on iOS and the web.


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The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), representing the $422 billion US technology industry, has named Nuheara as its “Company of the Year” for 2021.
The CTA represents over 2,200 consumer technology companies in the US that employ 18 million people and organizes the massive Consumer Electronics Show (CES®) in Las Vegas each year.
Nuheara will be presented with this award at the CTA Hall of Fame annual awards dinner held Thursday evening, November 11 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City.
Commenting on the award, CTA President & CEO Gary Shapiro said: “The Hall of Fame celebrates our rich heritage by honoring the legends in the consumer tech industry. Each year, we recognize the entrepreneurial spirit of industry leaders who have advanced consumer technologies that improve lives around the world.”
“After we successfully launched IQbuds on Indiegogo in 2016, CES has been a critical landing pad for Nuheara since 2017. Launching each new generation of IQbuds at CES has been an important part of our journey and we are thrilled that in five short years we have been named “Company of the Year” by the Consumer Technology Association.”
–Justin Miller, Nuheara Co-founder, Managing Director & CEO
As hearable pioneers, the award helps provide further validation of Nuheara’s innovation and technology leadership. It builds upon the global recognition of being named as one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2020 along with other esteemed innovation awards last year.
“After reporting an outstanding year of growth in FY21 that saw revenues increase 517%, what better way to be recognized for our performance than have the world’s leading consumer technology organization name Nuheara as their ‘Company of the Year’ for 2021.”
“With a lean operating model, we punch far above our weight in terms of product innovation, and this award is a testament to the talent and dedication of all our team as we strive to improve the quality of life for our customers through improved hearing experiences,” continued Miller.
“To be selected as ‘Company of the Year’ among so many outstanding companies that make up the CTA, demonstrates the growing brand awareness of Nuheara in the USA, which now represents over 60% of Nuheara’s revenue. Following President Biden’s recent Executive Order to fast track OTC hearing aids and Nuheara’s announcement on clinical trials for a newly developed range of hearing aid products, the US market represents fertile ground for future hearing innovations from Nuheara.”
Source: Nuheara, CTA


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Let's take a look at the various economic reports that came out last week, organizing them into the categories used in the Beige Book survey.
Consumer: the big news here was the employment report, which was terrible (my friends at the Liscio Report called in "unspinningly bad). A gain of 18,000 jobs that will probably be lowered in the coming months to a gain of 0 or slight loss. There was nothing good in this report: wages dropped, the unemployment rate increased and we had a deeply concerning spike in the number of short-term unemployed. At a time when the consumer is already slowing his spending, this is the worst possible report, plain and simple. Interestingly enough, consumer credit increased last month, propelled higher by a 5.1% increase in revolving credit (credit card debt).
Manufacturing: factory orders increased .8% in May, which is a rebound from the drop of .9% in April. While the news stories touted the increase as a sign that fallout from Japan was lessening, I'd wait a few months before we make that call. We've seen a drop across a variety of countries in manufacturing, leading me to have concerns about the overall economic direction.
Services: The ISM services index printed at 53,3, which is down from 54.6 the previous month. Both the production and new orders components dropped, indicating the overall pace is slowing. Although 15 industry areas were increasing, the anecdotal quips were mixed. Overall, this area of the economy is still growing, but there is some erosion around the edges.
The employment report was a terrible report, and dominated the news. It indicates the recovery is in serious danger.


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Tecnomatix sees '05 revenue growth topping '04
Mar 29, 2004
Israeli software company Tecnomatix Technologies Ltd. (NasdaqNM:TCNO) said on Thursday sales will rise by 15 percent to 20 percent in 2005 on top of the 15 percent growth projected for 2004, helped by higher demand from manufacturers and cost-cutting efforts.
Tecnomatix, a leading provider of robotic simulation and engineering software, has weathered a three-year slump by reducing 25 percent its work force. Demand started to pick up in the December quarter, as it signed a $50 million contract with a major U.S. automotive maker.
Chairman Harel Beit-On told analysts in a meeting it is "safe and reasonable" to expect 15 percent to 20 percent revenue growth in 2005 and a profit margin in the double digits. He also said net income will increase from quarter to quarter this year.
In 2003, the Jerusalem-based company posted revenue of $86.3 million and a loss of $10.3 million.
The bulk of Tecnomatix's revenue comes from Europe and North America. It is expanding rapidly in China, where it faces the double-edged sword of surging demand and rampant piracy.
The stock rose 42 cents, or 3.4 percent, to $12.90 on Nasdaq shortly before midday


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SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The dominance enjoyed by Amazon.com Inc's AMZN.O Kindle faces its first major test this holiday season, but industry experts say only a real technological leap will pose a threat.
Barnes & Noble Inc BKS.N is expected to unveil its own branded electronic book reader on Tuesday with a hybrid model that incorporates a reading screen similar to the Kindle's white and gray display, with a second touch-screen display that makes browsing easier.
The bookseller’s main advantage could be in its physical stores where users will be able to test out the device. A disadvantage may be its as-yet unknown price, which some say will be higher than the Kindle’s recently lowered $259.
Barnes & Noble has not confirmed its e-reader plans.
But the market -- arguably built by Amazon -- is getting crowded, with e-readers in the pipeline from a spin-off of Royal Philips Electronics PHG.AS called iRex Technologies, Taiwan's Asustek 2357.TW, Plastic Logic and a Hearst-backed venture called FirstPaper. They would share the space with Interead's "Cool-er," the Cybook OPUS from Bookeen and others.
“It takes one person to prove this is a very viable business model and as soon as that is proven you have a lot of people ... who jump in,” said Mukul Krishna, global director for digital media at consultancy Frost & Sullivan, adding that the best time to enter the market is ahead of the holidays.
“Amazon has done exactly that with the Kindle. They’ve caught everyone’s imagination,” Krishna said.
E-reader hype has hit a peak in the past month, as Amazon rolled out the Kindle internationally and the world’s biggest Web players and publishers began to mobilize.
Google Inc GOOG.O unveiled plans for an online e-book store, while News Corp's NWSA.O Rupert Murdoch visited Japan and South Korea to size up e-reader technology. But Amazon is expected to retain its first-mover advantage.
"Amazon really controls the digital shelves right now," said Mark Coker, founder of e-book publisher Smashwords. He cited the Kindle's locked-in customers, who must buy e-books exclusively from Amazon that can then only be read on their Kindles or on Apple Inc's AAPL.O iPhone or iPod Touch.
“I think everyone realizes Amazon got it completely right. They are way ahead of the curve,” he said.
Some 3 million e-readers are expected to be sold in the United States this year, with sales doubling in 2010, according to Forrester Research.
Amazon does not provide data on Kindle sales, but investors will be eager to learn of its progress when the online retailer releases results on Thursday.
Analysts say the larger -- but not unsurmountable -- threat to Amazon could come from demand for an open system in which e-books bought from various sources can be shared on multiple devices.
As one recent blog comment on www.gizmodo.com, which posted what it said were photos of the Barnes & Noble device, said: “The only thing I’m concerned about is the apparent splintering of the potential e-book market into many armed camps, none of whom will play well with another.”
Sony Corp 6758.Tand others are pushing for a format called e-Pub that would do away with the digital rights management (DRM) issues found in closed systems like the Kindle's.
The threat to Amazon, according to NPD Group analyst Ross Rubin, “is driven not so much by any particular competitors as it is by having a fractured market or wider interoperability and having those standards take off.”
As Coker explained: “That’s a potential ticking time bomb for any DRM system tied to a specific device.”
“When you’re in a near-monopolistic position, it’s advantageous to have a closed system,” Coker said. “Amazon is in a very powerful position in the industry right now, but monopolies don’t last forever.”
The market will also see what Frost & Sullivan’s Krishna called musical chairs, with rivals jockeying to be the first to add graphically richer displays.
Amazon needs to skillfully balance price and functionality as the Kindle is adopted on a mass scale to embrace new users without alienating its core readers, he said.
“Many who are trying to unseat the most visible incumbent will try to be as creative as possible, especially in pricing, to create a dent in Amazon market share,” said Krishna.
Although Amazon should be able to enjoy the fruits of its proprietary system for the foreseeable future, given the still vastly untapped market and its strong relationship with publishers, it is likely to be quick to adapt when required.
“The day that consumers shout loudly enough, I’m sure Amazon will react quickly,” said Coker.
Reporting by Alexandria Sage; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Steve Orlofsky
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Apple announces new M1 iMac
20th April, 2021 at 10:45 am by Flynn and Carlos
- Apple is releasing a redesigned iMac, just as rumors had suggested.
- The new iMac comes in 7 different colors.
- It is 50% thinner than the previous iMac, according to Apple.
Apple has officially revealed the new 2021 iMac powered by the Apple M1 chip. Unlike older generations, it comes with a completely new design. Apple has upgraded the camera sensors and speakers on the new iMac, claiming it brings low-light improvements. It comes in 7 new colors, just as the rumors had suggested. The iMac is 50% thinner, Apple said. From Apple:
Available in an array of vibrant colors to match a user’s personal style and brighten any space, iMac features a 24-inch 4.5K Retina display with 11.3 million pixels, 500 nits of brightness, and over a billion colors, delivering a brilliant and vivid viewing experience.
The iMac has 50% faster graphics, and up to 80% faster CPU, according to Apple. It also brings 3 new mics bringing 'studio quality' recording to the new iMac, according to the company, with improvements also made to the FaceTime HD camera (it’s now 1080p). As for the display, the new iMac has a 4.5K Retina display, Apple said.
The new iMac also includes a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, studio-quality mics, and a six-speaker sound system — the best camera and audio ever in a Mac. Also, Touch ID comes to iMac for the first time, making it easier than ever to securely log in, make purchases with Apple Pay, or switch user profiles with the touch of a finger.
The new iMac is available in Blue, Green, Pink, Silver, Yellow, Orange and Purple — however, the 7 core GPU model is only available in Blue, Green, Pink and Silver. The new iMac features a 24” 4.5k Retina over the 21” on previous generations. The iMac starts at $1,299 with 4 new stunning colors, and $1,499 with 7 new colors.


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Monday, September 01, 2014 10:30 AM
MILAN—Following a board meeting here today,
Luxottica Group S.p.A.
(NYSE: LUX; MTA: LUX), announced the introduction of a new management structure based on a co-CEO model, one focused on Markets and the other dedicated to Corporate Functions.
Monday, September 01, 2014 12:33 AM
NEW YORK—Health organizations throughout the U.S. are recognizing September as “Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month” and “Sports Eye Injury Prevention Awareness Month.”
Monday, September 01, 2014 12:01 AM
At Vision Monday, we see how vast and manifold the optical industry is every single day, but outside of a trade show, like this month’s Vision Expo West in Las Vegas, the rest of the industry is rarely afforded the same privilege.
Friday, August 29, 2014 12:33 AM
WILMINGTON, Del.—All but three of the 21
up for auction during the bankruptcy proceedings of MacKeyser Holdings and its subsidiaries (which include American Optical Services) were successfully bid on during the auction held earlier this week on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2014. All successful bids are pending approval by the bankruptcy judge.
Friday, August 29, 2014 12:27 AM
NEW YORK – Millennials expert and author Jeff Fromm has joined the upcoming program, “Digitizing The Store,” a special VM VM LIVE two-hour program, examining how new technologies are transforming the patient experience and doctor/retailer/patient dynamics.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014 12:29 AM
GLENDORA, N.J. and WASH D.C.–VMail
has learned that several top management changes have taken place at
Refac Optical Group
, one of the leading optical retailers in the U.S.


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Los Angeles Considers Banning Fur Sales On the Heels of San Francisco
Now, the Los Angeles City Council is considering a similar ban on the controversial product. If the measure passes, Los Angeles would surpass San Francisco as the largest city to bar the sale and manufacture of fur.
The exact details of the proposed ban are still to be determined, but the Council’s proposal calls for an ordinance similar to the recently-enacted San Francisco law, namely a ban on the sale and manufacture of fur products or any fashion accessory, including handbags, shoes, hats, earmuffs, jewelry, and key chains made in whole or in part of fur, with an exception for used fur products. If the City Council decides to move ahead with the ban, it will direct the city attorney’s office to draft an ordinance outlining the ban, which will then need to be approved and signed by Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Until the Council releases a draft ordinance, little additional information on the ban will be available, but retailers who sell fur products should remain alert to potential changes in city law. A fur ban in California’s largest city could also increase pressure on the fashion industry to change its practices and add momentum to efforts in other cities to follow suit.
- Related Industries


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It’s taken some time, but shopping mall commercial construction activity is back in a big way, as owners and operators have initiated only what can be described as a renovation renaissance.
Almost everywhere we look, it seems an older, out-dated shopping mall is undergoing a substantial commercial construction renovation. In the Chicago area alone, there are probably close to a dozen local and regional shopping malls in the middle of a shopping center renovation project, or, slated to begin one in the very near future. Some have been staples in the market for decades, such as Oak Brook Center, Yorktown Center in Lombard, Ill. and Water Tower Place in Chicago, while others have fallen by the wayside and need to make a play to stay relevant, such as the Charlestown Mall in St. Charles; the Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills, which is beginning a $40 million expansion and renovation; and the old Ford City Mall in Chicago, which is undergoing a $35 million shopping mall renovation.
However, this is not just a Chicago trend. As a national general commercial contractor, Englewood is working with a savvy investor that is purchasing underperforming regional shopping malls and renovating and re-tenanting them, thus, bringing value back. Right now, Englewood has shopping center construction projects underway at the Shawnee Mall in Shawnee, Okla. and the Brazos Mall in Lake Jackson, Texas.
All of this commercial construction activity is taking place because smart owners and retail investors realize they need to refresh, rebrand and reimage the shopping experience to be competitive in the future. Lifestyle centers and power centers may have been the big play in the last major round of retail construction, but as ground-up shopping center construction projects are still seen as a risky endeavor, the surviving traditional shopping centers are capitalizing on the improving retail market to initiate these commercial construction renovations to make them vital once again.
Of course, all of this commercial construction activity has been a boon to the industry. Architects, engineers and commercial construction general contractors are all receiving a boost from these national shopping center renovation projects.
There are a lot of reasons for this shopping center construction renaissance, but the main catalyst is national retailers that survived the downturn are beginning to flex their muscles a little more today and find well-located retail space at favorable rents. This has emboldened them to not only take on new long-term leases, but also expand the footprint of their traditional retail space.
To meet this demand, owners of older shopping malls often have to reconfigure their current space and commit to updating their product to try and best competitors.
Retailers such as Forever 21, Uniqlo and H&M are making aggressive plays into new shopping center construction space and sometimes taking up to as much as 40,000 square feet, a substantial increase from past store sizes. Mainstays, such as Gap and Limited, are also always looking to reposition in new shopping center construction space and may migrate to recently upgraded shopping malls.
Location is playing a major role in this process as well. Most of the new commercial construction we saw in the last decade was in outer-ring suburbs and even exurban areas. Land was cheaper and national retailers were chasing rooftops in the housing boom. As many of those markets never quite materialized, retailers and investors are now looking back to established regional shopping malls in major urban locations and older suburbs. With strong area population demographics, national retailers are intrigued, but it’s not a matter of simply being in a location and open for business. Many of these locations have had high-vacancy rates or have been dark for years. As this new wave of commercial retail construction takes place, those that neglect new shopping center construction and updating will likely stay obsolete. Owners are finding out they need remodeled shopping mall space, or they will fall by the wayside.
It’s an exciting time and the retail construction industry is poised to help breath new life into existing shopping malls with new shopping center construction projects. Look for some exciting retail news from Englewood coming soon in the Chicago area as we gear up for some substantial work. We’ll be sure to keep you posted.
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2023 Chevy Colorado Interior, Price, Release Date – The current version of Chevy’s mid-sized pickup truck has been in production for around eight years, and it appears like it’s in a position to be at a competitive level for a couple of more years. However, a variety of car specialists are making predictions about the new design that could be completed in the next two years. It lives thought that the pristine model will be removed in 2023 as the Chevy Colorado, and we can count on many improvements. The model will have an entirely new look and, based on what we be hearing it’s going to be quite modern. The present platform will be updated and it’s engine selection will become entirely new.
Naturally, we can also look forward to a totally modernized exterior designs along with a vastly better the interior as well as ride performance. Naturally, lots of brand new technology will come along. However, the specifics are to come. We have yet to hear from officials, so read these paragraphs with reserve.
2023 Chevy Colorado Redesign
Exterior And Interior Design
The update will include a lot of improvements and the first things that comes to thoughts is the ride in light of the fact that the current has a rather harsh ride. In addition, we can expect some weight reduction, enhanced towing capabilities , and more.From the exterior in 2023, the Chevy Colorado is going to be totally modernized. It is too early to talk about specific details regarding the design. A few renderings have surfaced and show a vehicle which draws a lot of design cues from models such as Chevy Blazes or Chevy Traverse. However, we believe the new model will be more rugged in its design and the styling elements will be derived from the larger Silverado.
In the case of dimensions, we’re not expecting to see major changes. Of course, a few inches of wheelbase increase is always welcomed but they aren’t as significant. We also count on standard configurations within the deal. For 2023 the Chevy Colorado will include three cab models and a couple of bed lengths included offered, meaning the degree of customization will remain at a quite high level.
One of the numerous typical complaints about the latest generation is the quality of the ride as well as the interior. As we’ve mentioned, the ride is fairly stiff and is the form of low-quality materials. Therefore, unless performance isn’t your primary issue, the current Colorado isn’t the most pleasant environment to be in. The cabin itself is slightly more snug when compared to rivals.
We can say with no doubt that in 2023, the Chevy Colorado is likely to have a more sophisticated interior that will be larger and filled with high-quality materials. Additionally, we can count on lots of the latest technology like a new infotainment system , as well as a lot of safety features that are up-to-date.
2023 Chevy Colorado Engine
The current model has an impressive engine range, including two diesel and two gasoline engine. But, it appears the next model is set to simplify the process. According to reports, the next model will be equipped with only one engine which is equipped to replace both diesel engine and the V6. Of course, we’re talking about a brand-new 2.7-liter turbo-four engine, which was introduced in the latest Silverado. It produces approximately 300 horsepower. That’s about similar to the V6 that is currently in use. However the turbocharged engine produces significantly more torque, almost similar to diesel. It is able to reach 348 pound-feet. This will guarantee a decent towing rating and increase the mpg ratings too. The latest engine lives wished to be paired with a 10-speed auto transmission.
2023 Chevy Colorado Release Date And Price
According to the most recent reports according to the latest reports, the 2023 version of Chevy Colorado is expected to arrive in 2022. Of of course it will continue to be a competitor to models such as Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, Jeep Gladiator etc. In addition, we anticipate seeing the next generation of GMC Canyon, which should be able to have lots to share.


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Consider this your reminder to check out Yoon Jae-keun’s new hit sci-fi thriller, Spiritwalker (review here), now streaming on Hi-YAH! Otherwise, folks who are more physical media-inclined will be able to find themselves in good company with a DVD or Blu-Ray from Hi-YAH!’s parent brand, Well Go USA Entertainment beginning April 12.
To that end, we’re giving away four Blu-Ray copies at our disposal and all you have to do is answer our trivia question just beneath. It pertains to a Korean television series I once posted about on Instagram – four years ago on this day to be exact. It was streaming on Netflix for a good while and even recently on Rakuten Viki before it became unavailable, and it also stars Spiritwalker lead actor Yoon Kye-sang.
What was the name of that series?
And that’s it! Simply send your answer to firstname.lastname@example.org before the contest expires on April 11 at 11:59pm EST. FYI, the contest is limited only to residents in the United States.


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July 21, 2016
Real Hard-Working Americans Highlight the Issues, Stark Choice in 2016 Election: Donald Trump or a Better America
Washington, D.C. – Today, a stirring national television ad that highlights the defining issues and striking choice that hard-working Americans face in this election was released by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International union. In the ad, members of the UFCW highlight the every-day issues that will define the 2016 election: good jobs, health care and the desire for a better life. The national ad campaign will premiere during coverage of the final night of Donald Trump’s convention, and will make clear the stark choice voters face as they think of the bread and butter issues that matter in this election.
“For hard-working families, this election is about real, every-day issues that matter in their lives – not just in politicians’ lives. And our members, like millions of Americans, deserve and have earned a better life. The choice is a very clear one for our diverse union family: Trump or a better America. The answer is simple: hard-working families deserve a better America,” said UFCW Communications Director Erikka Knuti. “Whether you support Mr. Trump or Secretary Clinton, Republican or Democrat, all voters need to be aware of the real choices and issues that will define this election. Hearing this from other hard-working men and women is especially powerful.”
The first phase of this ad campaign, called “We Choose a Better America,” and featuring real UFCW members from all across the country discussing their concerns, will air on MSNBC beginning the evening of Thursday, July 21, and continue through Friday, July 22.
The ad can be viewed here.
The script for the ad is below:
“We need change…
the right change…
…for our families
A real leader…
Who will work to unite us, not divide us.
Who thinks…not just talks.
Who will work as hard as we do.
Someone who will fight for better wages
…a better life for our families
Stands up for our union family.
So, we have a choice America:
Or the better America we deserve.
We choose a better America.”
UFCW is the largest private sector union in the United States, representing 1.3 million professionals and their families in grocery stores, meatpacking, food processing, retail shops and other industries. Our members help put food on our nation’s tables and serve customers in all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Learn more about the UFCW www.ufcw.org