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Facebook: the new model in online gaming
"Our goal is not to build a platform; it's to be across all of them." – Mark Zuckerberg, November 2011.
How do you build the games that are dominating mobile, played by every commuter waiting for a bus and by every teenager while they’re also watching TV?
Julien Codorniou claims half of the top 30 grossing apps on iOS and Android started on Facebook.
And citing hits from King’s Candy Crush Saga to Supercell’s Clash of Clans, Facebook’s head of platform in Europe says 55pc of the top 100 grossing apps have also been using Facebook mobile app ads to grow.
“There is a new pattern in the world of gaming, which is that if you want to be big on mobile, you have to start on Facebook,” he says.
Facebook has long been used by video game companies as a springboard for growth, but the social network’s recent success in mobile has made it more influential than ever before.
Earlier this year, Facebook proved that it had finally worked out how to make money from mobile, reporting that sales had jumped 77pc to $2.6bn in the fourth quarter of 2014, including more than $1 billion from advertising on mobile phones.
The performance marked a dramatic reversal of fortunes for Facebook, which floated in May 2012 and spent its first year as a public company struggling to work out the best way to monetise mobile users effectively.
But it also gave a significant boost to Facebook’s platform partners – companies that use the social network’s global reach to build engagement and extend their own customer bases.
“People want to play games all the time,” says Codorniou.
“They want to play on PC when they are at work or at home; they want to play on the phone when they are commuting or waiting in a line at Starbucks; they want to play on an iPad when they are watching TV. That cross-platform scenario that Facebook makes possible is what defines the next generation of gaming companies.”
Most of these high-grossing mobile games make money through micro-transactions and in-app purchases. By putting their games on Facebook, developers can take advantage of a variety of organised channels on the social network, like inviting a friend or posting to their wall.
In return, Facebook takes a 30pc cut of their revenues.
Codorniou said that 260 million people play games every month of Facebook, and 600,000 people pay for games every day, making it an "amazing platform" for anybody with good content – including casual games like Candy Crush Saga, management games like Farmville, casino games like Texas HoldEm Poker and hardcore games like Clash of Clans.
"Space Ape is a start-up in Soho with 15 people. We started working with the CEO six months before he created the company, because we knew he would do something good, and we helped him during the development of his game Samurai Seige. Three weeks after the launch, he was doing £50k per day in payments revenue," said Codorniou.
"This shows that when you have good IP, good games, good content, putting it on the Facebook platform gives you worldwide availability."
Codorniou said the growth of the mobile gaming ecosystem is much higher than any other gaming ecosystem, so developers are inevitably targeting mobile. However, Facebook introduces a social element, allowing gamers to compete and discuss their gaming experiences with friends across multiple platforms.
He pointed to Facebook's recent integration with Sony's Playstation 4, which allows gamers to share 2-3 minute videos of their latest achievements with friends. "That’s such a nice experience for gamers, to discover games like that, to see what your friends are doing, so that drives a lot of engagement for them," he said.
While gaming companies have led the effort to become cross-platform, other vertical sectors are now starting to follow suit, from e-commerce and media to travel and dating. Facebook represents 23pc of the time spent on mobile, according to Codorniou, so Facebook can help other companies grow on mobile.
"You take any platform in the world of computer and software, the gaming companies are always the first to embrace any new platform. Look at the iPhone, look at Windows, look at the Mac – always gaming first, because they are always looking for distribution and new opportunities," he said.
"It’s interesting to see how the Facebook platform is now disrupting a lot of industries on top of gaming."
Codorniou said that one of the big differences between Facebook and its competitors is that Facebook is a 'platform company', so it does well when its partners do well.
"We don’t do Facebook music, we partner with Spotify, we partner with Deezer, we partner with Beats; we don’t do Facebook video, we partner Dailymotion or YouTube; we don’t do e-commerce ourselves, but we love to send traffic to our partners like Yplan. It’s a very different philosophy than the other guys."
Companies in Europe have been quicker than most to take advantage of Facebook's distribution channels. This is because it gives them a global reach that would otherwise be unachievable. Codorniou said that half of Facebook's top 10 grossing partners in Europe are in Tel Aviv, "because when you are in Tel Aviv you know the local market is not enough".
However, he said that the most successful apps have a local element to them, so the key is to be able to appeal to cater to a global market with local users.
"There are some games where if you are an American user you will celebrate the 1 July, and in the same game, if you are French, you will celebrate French Independence Day on 14 July, so it’s very important to do that localisation," he said.
Facebook keeps a close eye on the European start-up market, and meets regularly with venture capitalists. However, when it comes to choosing platform partners, Codorniou said it’s 70pc about chance, 30pc about Facebook making bets.
"Right now, we know that the next big thing will come from Tel Aviv, Moscow, Helsinki, London, eventually Berlin. But one day Nordeus out of Belgrade in Serbia shows up, and it’s the hottest thing in gaming in the world. So there are always surprises," he said.


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BMW is the exclusive vehicle partner of the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games and it will be using this position to showcase its Megacity electric cars, in nearly production form. The global viewership and exposure of the Olympics presents BMW with a unique opportuity to showcase the Megacity car on a huge global scale.
The only Megacity car variation shown so far is a carbon fiber passenger cell, 4-seat, rear wheel drive, 100% electric vehicle, with its motor underneath the … CONTINUED
Now that the 2012 X3 has been officially announced and shown by BMW, X3s are free to roam the streets naked, without their constricting and stuffy camouflage coverings. Spotted here in Munich are black and white X3s, the first real life photos of uncovered 2012 X3′s.
The first customer M3 GTS was delivered to its owner, Marcus, at the performance days at Nürburgring this weekend. Marcus has already started testing and adjusting the setup to meet his track specs but says the car is great and is destined to become better!
We bring you the most revealing F10 M5 photos yet. Save for some camouflage tape, the M5 front fascia design can be clearly seen. We last saw the M5s exposed bumper back in May, but not in this detail and not this exposed.
Compared to the standard F10 5-series, the F10 M5 front bumper is clearly more sculpted and angular, and features the trapezoidal design as seen on the current M3. Huge side air inlets flank the center trapezoid … CONTINUED
The BMW Concept Gran Coupe is set to make its German debut at BMW Welt. BMW’s latest concept car will premier at the Welt beginning this Thursday at 5PM (until Aug. 4) in a free party open to the public. Stay tuned to our site for photos.
1addicts member untouchableE82 now owns a truly unique 135i, a custom widebody version. It was born out of necessity for wide tires to handle his 427tq/421hp. Lucky for those looking forward to the 1M Coupe, who can now get a sense of the future 1M’s similarly impressive stance.
We recently brought you photos of the F13 2012 6-series convertible undergoing testing on the ring. Various F13′s have also been spotted on and around the Nurburgring in various models and trims, including what looks to be 650i and 640i convertibles.
The 1972 BMW 3.0 CSi which had been completely restored by the BMW Classic Centers new Customer Workshop was handed back to its owner at BMW Welt. There was twofold cause for celebration: the BMW Classic Center was pleased at having successfully completed its first full restoration since the opening of the BMW Classic Customer Workshop, while BMW Welt marked the first occasion on which a classic BMW
Seen here is the most recent sighting of the upcoming 2012 1-series hatchback undergoing testing in southern Europe. The dual split exhausts out back hints at a turbo engine. It could be the rumored Tri-Turbo Petrol 4 cylinder engine, or perhaps the N54 6-cylinder twin-scroll turbo motor. The split exhausts, the extra cooling ducts up front in the camouflage, larger wheels, and what appears to be large brakes, all point to this potentially being a range topping F20 1-series.
We bring you photos of the F13 6-series convertible sporting a tan color soft top for the first time. We have not yet seen confirmation of the soft top colors to be available on the upcoming F13. If this tan top is one of those colors, it certainly matches Milano Beige (as pictured), but were not sure it will work well with other exterior colors.
The soon to be outgoing 2010 6-series convertible is currently available in a black or … CONTINUED
The V8 biturbo 550i (F10) notched a 1st place win against the E500, Audi S6, and Jaguar XF in Autobild’s latest issue. The impressive 400+hp 550i rocketed from 0-100km/h in 5.0 seconds and 0-200km/h in 16.7 seconds (close to the M3).
We have the latest planned BMW 1M Coupe launch and sale-date schedule for your reference and planning. The 1M Coupe’s official launch will take place this December 2010. World premiere at the Detroit NAIAS in January 2011. World press drives in March 2011. European Public Premiere at 2011 Geneva autoshow. European sale date begins Spring 2011. And US sales begin in Summer 2011.

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Fraud remains one of the key hurdles to overcome in the financial sector. Although card issuers and banks are doing what they can to reimburse customers, proactive action is direly needed. But how can we anticipate increases in payment fraud? That seems to be the most pressing matter for most financial services professionals today.
Emerging Payment Fraud Techniques Are Worrisome
It is impossible to ignore the ingenuity with which internet criminals commit payment fraud these days. There have never been more potential attack vectors that today, ranging from computer hacks to malware, sending fake invoices to users, and social engineering. Preventing all of these attacks is proving to be increasingly difficult.
A recent TD Bank survey shows how most payment services professionals believe payment fraud will become an even bigger concern than it is today. The next two to three years will be very critical in this regard whereas less than one in ten respondents is a firm believer of how this threat will be under control by that time.
Electronic payments are a critical factor in the fight against fraud. Albeit This form of payment is much more convenient for consumers and retailers, it also creates new fraud challenges that need to be taken into account. That being said, the rate of adoption for electronic payments is a lot slower than most people would anticipate it to be.
Faster payments are a double-edged sword, as an increased rate of movement also means an exponentially increasing fraud risk factor. Preventing near real-time payments is pretty much impossible unless something changes. That change will come through educational efforts, both on the corporate treasurers and financial professionals level.
Banking partners can help enterprises and entrepreneurs fight fraudulent payments. But at the same time, most banks are already stretched thin in the cyber security department, making it difficult for them to come up with solutions. A lot of things will need to change before preventive measures can be taken in the payment fraud industry, that much is certain.
Source: Dark Reading
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The Civil Court of Appeal has ordered the Department of Customs of Land Ports to destroy 3300 boxes of copies cosmetics and make-up. The court has also ordered the pharmacy who imported the items, of a well-known French trademark, to pay expenses of the destroying process and fees of courts.
Details of the case, according to the court's documents, indicate that the pharmacy imported 3300 different items of cosmetics and make-up through the King Fahd Causeway. After being inspected, customs inspectors of the King Fahd Causeway Authority confirmed beyond any doubt that the products were not original and just copied.
Lawyer Ammar Al-Taranga, the agent of the French company, said that he filed a claim as the agent of the company against the pharmacy as the first defendant and management of the Department of Customs of Land Ports as the second defendant.
Al-Taranga pointed out that the infringing goods are in violation of Article 43 of the Trademark Law in Bahrain. In order to enforce the rights, the goods must be confiscated and destroyed. The company reserves the right to refer the defendant to any type of material or physiological damage of copying her company’s items.


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|The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada in cooperation with IKEA North America Services LLC, of Conshohocken, Pa.have recalled about 169,000 ANTILOP High Chairs (133,000 in the U.S. and 36,000 in Canada).
|The high chair's restraint buckle can open unexpectedly, posing a fall hazard to the child. IKEA has received eight reports worldwide of restraint buckles that opened unexpectedly, including three reports of children who received minor injuries after falling from the high chair.
This recall involves the products listed below:This recall involves ANTILOP high chairs sold in red, blue or white. The plastic high chair has detachable silver-colored metal legs. High chairs included in the recall have a manufacture date between 0607 and 0911 (YYMM format) from supplier number 17389. The production date and supplier number are molded into the underside of the seat. "ANTILOP," "IKEA" and the model number are printed on a label affixed to the underside of the seat. Model numbers included in the recall are:
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Rotorua is set to get more than a third of the 200,000-plus passengers expected to visit the region as part of a "record-breaking" cruise ship season.
The first passengers to the region will be on board the Majestic Princess which makes its maiden voyage to Tauranga on Friday.
Sean Marsh, marketing manager for Te Puia and a New Zealand Cruise Association board member, said it did not come as a surprise that the season was expected to be a record-breaker.
"The cruise trend is growing with New Zealand/Australian/South Pacific destinations the fastest-growing globally," Marsh said.
"We are seeing significantly larger vessels, most with a passenger and crew capacity of about 4000, in the Port of Tauranga."
He said the Port of Tauranga was highly rated for passenger satisfaction. "For the vessels coming in the port has a lot of space and deep berthage, and for passengers there is an interesting field directly in front of them.
"They can travel to Rotorua, to Matamata for a Hobbiton experience, down to Whakatāne or just relax in Tauranga."
He said with at least one third of cruise ship passengers choosing to head to Rotorua, Te Puia understood the importance of connecting and servicing the visitors.
"Some, particularly families, hire a car and drive over. Others come as part of a tour that has been organised as part of the cruise while others are part of an independent cruise.
"There are often time restraints so, as part of a visit to Te Puia, visitors can see the cultural centre, experience our geothermal valley, take in the marae and gallery, visit the kiwi and then have lunch.
"Everything is under one roof."
Destination Rotorua chief executive Michelle Templer said cruise passengers were an important source of visitors to Rotorua.
Templer said the city's proximity to Tauranga meant 35 to 40 per cent of passengers chose an excursion to Rotorua, making them a significant contributor to the $820m visitor economy.
"We know that the range of activities available in Rotorua is a big drawcard for cruise passengers," she said.
"The predicted growth is testament to the great work that Tourism Bay of Plenty and our local operators are doing together to create a fantastic visitor experience."
Tourism Bay of Plenty chief Kristin Dunne said the new season would see a record-breaking 110 cruise ships to the Bay of Plenty - 35 per cent up on last season's 81.
Dunne said the Bay would welcome 24 double ship days, two triple ship days, nine overnight visits and seven visits from the world's fourth-largest cruise ship the Ovation of the Seas.
She expected the season to bring 225,442 passengers and 94,724 crew to the region and inject $91m into the local economy.
"This local cruise activity spend represents 19 per cent of the total national cruise spend," she said.
"Tauranga welcomes the second highest international cruise activity spend behind only Auckland."
Dunne said it was estimated the new season would generate 1224 cruise-related jobs in the Bay of Plenty.
"These figures are evidence that our region's reputation as a world-class destination continues to soar, as cruising becomes more popular and more achievable," she said.
Mount Maunganui and District Lioness Club's Christine Potter co-ordinated about 26 regular volunteers to meet and greet the cruise ship passengers as they arrived.
"Depending on what time the ships come in we usually do a two-hour stint," she said.
Potter said the volunteers were there to welcome the cruise ship passengers to Mount Maunganui and answer any questions they had about where to shop, dine or get some exercise.
Most of the passengers had ventured to Rotorua on their first trip and were returning to see more of Tauranga city, or vice versa, Potter said.
The Majestic Princess is scheduled to arrive at 5.15am on Friday and will depart at 4.30pm the same day. People are invited to farewell the cruise ship at Pilot Bay from 4pm. The ship will be gone by 5pm.
Tauranga Intermediate School's kapa haka group will also farewell the passengers.
What: Farewell Majestic Princess cruise ship
Where: Pilot Bay
When: From 4pm Friday, October 5, 2018


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BEIJING -- Volkswagen said on Tuesday it will invest 15 billion euros ($18.3 billion) in the Chinese market by 2022, including the manufacturing of e-mobility and autonomous vehicles.
"Chinese market is the key of our success, the Chinese government is very committed to new mobility, that's one of the reasons why we invest," Herbert Diess, the newly appointed CEO of Volkswagen said Tuesday, a day ahead of the opening of a major trade show, Auto China 2018.
The German carmaker plans to invest 34 billion euros throughout the world during the same period. The Chinese government is encouraging carmakers to sell more vehicles powered by new technologies and energy sources instead of conventional engines. Diess announced a plan to start producing electric vehicles in six factories in China by 2021.
Volkswagen sold over 4 million cars in China in 2017, up 5% from the previous year.
Volkswagen's investment plan includes new mobility services and it already has a partnership with Chinese ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing. Jochem Heizmann, the president of Volkswagen Group China said on the sidelines of Tuesday's event: "We are going to start our new service with Didi, not only to provide our cars for car-sharing but also start a new service."


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Google Maps is already a great way to find restaurant recommendations. And pretty soon, the app will even tell you what to order.
This week, Google added a new ‘popular dishes’ feature, which uses ‘machine learning’ to figure out the best dishes at each restaurant based on customer reviews.
Diners can even upload a photo of their favorite meal to help with recommendations. The new feature was released for Android this week and will follow on IOS soon.


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Roughly three-quarters of all solar contractors plan to invest in new technology this year. Is your business among them?
The price of installing a solar photovoltaic system has dropped by 73% in the last decade alone. Due to lower costs as well as tax incentives, the United States currently has more than 20 gigawatts of installed solar capacity – enough energy to power around 4.6 million homes!
With an estimated $4.4 billion in growth expected over the next five years, the solar industry is faced with a tremendous boom – but also enormous amounts of competition.
EagleView surveyed more than 200 solar industry professionals on the trends they follow and the challenges they face. By understanding the opportunities and limitations the industry currently presents, solar companies can better allocate their resources and plan for sustained growth.
Our latest eReport contains nearly 50 pages of data on:
In our report, you’ll learn how much the average site survey can cost, how long site surveys and system redesigns take, which types of investments solar companies are making, and other vital information on industry growth.
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Over 46,000 pounds of Bob Evans sausage products recalled due to plastic contamination
XENIA, Ohio – Bob Evans Farms is recalling more than 46,000 pounds of pork sausage link products that may be contaminated with pieces of clear hard plastic, according to Fox59.
FSIS announced the recall Thursday, saying the products were shipped to retail locations in Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.
According to FSIS, the raw pork sausage link items were produced on Aug. 1, 2018. The following products are subject to recall:
12-oz overwrap trays labeled “BOB EVANS MAPLE PORK SAUSAGE LINKS.” These products contain a Use by date of Oct. 16, 2018 or Oct. 19, 2018, and Lot Code of 8213.
12-oz overwrap trays labeled “BOB EVANS BROWN SUGAR & HONEY.” These products contain a Use by date of Oct. 16, 2018, and Lot Code of 8213.
12-oz overwrap trays labeled “FRESH FROM MEIJER MAPLE FLAVORED SAUSAGE LINKS.” These products contain a Use by date of Sept. 06, 2018, and Lot Code of 8213.
12-oz overwrap trays labeled “GIANT EAGLE MAPLE PORK BREAKFAST SAUSAGE LINKS CARAMEL COLOR ADDED.” These products contain a Use by date of Sept. 10, 2018, and Lot Code of 8213.
12-oz overwrap trays labeled “SCHNUCKS MAPLE RECIPE BREAKFAST SAUSAGE.” These products contain a Lot Code of 8213.
The products bear establishment number “EST 6785.”
FSIS says the problem with sausage was discovered when Bob Evans received consumer complaints of extraneous material in the products. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products, but anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.
FSIS is concerned that some product may be frozen and in consumers’ freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. They should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov.


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ARG, Sea Ready Enter Marine Lube Deal
American Refining Group Inc. (ARG) announced its new partnership with veteran-owned small business Sea Ready Marine Petroleum, as ARG has designated Sea Ready as its global distributor of its refinery’s marine lubricants.Already the largest zinc-free (ZF) railroad-engine oil supplier east of the Mississippi River, ARG is taking its marine line of Specialty Lubricants to sea. The full line includes formulations customers have relied upon and trusted for decades, particularly its…
Hamburg Süd, Maersk Strengthen Portfolio
Hamburg Süd has strengthened its product portfolio on the Europe with new stand-alone service offered in collaboration with Maersk.The trade between Europe and Central America, Caribbean and South America West Coast has always been a key element in Hamburg Süd’s global network of liner services. In cooperation with Maersk, Hamburg Süd will be expanding and enhancing the services it offers on this core trade beginning in June 2019.According to a press release, the serice will have maximum flexibility for tailor-made solutions…
Hamburg Süd Expands Service
The trade between Europe and Central America, Caribbean and South America West Coast has always been a key element in the container liner shipping line Hamburg Süd’s global network of liner services.In cooperation with Maersk, Hamburg Süd will be expanding and enhancing the services it offers on this core trade beginning in June 2019.“Combining the strengths of Hamburg Süd and Maersk, we can offer our customers a best in class stand-alone service configuration without having to depend on vessel sharing agreements with other shipping companies…
New Savannah-Central America Route
The Port of Savannah welcomed its first Seaboard Marine vessel Wednesday. The new shipping line customer supports Savannah's cold chain logistics system with one new service to Central America, and a second to Latin America and the Caribbean.The ocean carrier's first service to Savannah links the Southeastern U.S. to northern Central America, with Georgia exports centered on frozen poultry and imports composed largely of perishables and apparel produced in Guatemala, El Salvador…
Hapag-Lloyd Names "Hanseatic nature" in Hamburg
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises presented the Hanseatic nature for the first time in Hamburg on Saturday (May 04, 2019).The provider of adventure and classic cruising with luxury voyages to Polar Regions, Caribbean, Central America, Europe & more said that Hanseatic nature is the first of three, structurally- identical ships in the cruise line’s new expedition class. The ship left Hamburg on May 5, 2019 for its inaugural cruise, which will take it to the Hebrides, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands, finishing in Bergen.
Latin American Ports Cargo Throughput Rose 7.7%
Container throughput in ports of Latin America and the Caribbean increased by 7.7% in 2018 in comparison with the previous year.According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), this analysis is based on the performance of a sampling of 31 countries and 118 ports and port areas in the region.According to the annual report unveiled by the United Nations organization – which was called “port ranking” in prior years – the data largely maintained the heterogeneity seen in throughput behavior in previous periods, both in reference to ports and countries.
New Container Port Opens in Costa Rica
The inauguration of APM Terminals Moín, Costa Rica yesterday will enable products to be shipped on transatlantic routes to European and Asian markets without transshipment.The new terminal will also move Costa Rica to number one for connectivity, out of 139 countries ranked by the World Economic Forum, said a press release from the international container terminal operating company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands."At APM Terminals we partner with governments to become the best port operator in the world and Moín is a great example.
Panama Canal Appoints New Administrator
The Panama Canal Board of Directors announced the appointment of Ricaurte Vasquez as the next Panama Canal Administrator.According to a press note from the artificial 82 km waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean, Vasquez will take office on September 4, 2019, succeeding current Administrator Jorge L. Quijano, who concludes his seven-year term at the helm of the waterway.The decision was made by the Board of Directors in accordance to an independent…
Crowley Logistics Announces Organizational Changes
To continue providing customers with industry-leading integrated supply chain solutions, Crowley Logistics has announced several personnel moves that further position the company for exceptional customer service and growth.Patrick Collins has been promoted to vice president of terminal operations; Jose “Pache” Ayala has been named vice president of Caribbean logistics, and Claudia Kattán de Jordán has been appointed vice president of Central America logistics. All three executives report to Steve Collar…
Crowley Starts 2019 with Arrival of 1,500 New Containers
To better serve its diverse customer base, Crowley Logistics has invested almost $30 million in new cargo carrying equipment over the last year.The latest arrivals under this acquisition include 1,500, 45-foot (102-inch wide) dry container units, which are being delivered to multiple port locations where they will be assimilated into Crowley’s equipment fleet.These containers follow the company’s December 2018 receipt of 400 new 40-foot, high-cube refrigerated (reefer) cargo containers for use by perishables customers between the U.S., Central America and the Caribbean.
Crowley Adds Capacity to North Atlantic Puerto Rico Service
Crowley Logistics announced today that it has expanded its North Atlantic network of vessels, adding velocity to customer supply chains operating between the Northeastern U.S., Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the islands of the Caribbean Basin. Specifically, by adding additional capacity with the flat deck barge 455-4 to its rotation, Crowley will further stabilize its North Atlantic-Puerto Rico sailing schedule while increasing cargo capacity. “Earlier this year, we surveyed our customers…
Crowley Logistics Adds 400 New Reefer to its Fleet
Florida-based Crowley Logistics has added 400 new refrigerated (reefer) cargo containers to its industry-leading equipment fleet just in time for the peak perishables shipping season beginning in Central America.The additional units, all 40-foot-long, high cubes built to Crowley’s exacting standards, further demonstrates the company’s focus on offering customers the most reliable and efficient equipment in the market. These units have wireless asset monitoring technology, which will provide continuous monitoring of the equipment as it transits from origin to destination…
Crowley Adds 400 Reefer Boxes to Fleet
Crowley Logistics has added 400 new refrigerated (reefer) cargo containers to its industry-leading equipment fleet just in time for the peak perishables shipping season beginning in Central America.The additional units, all 40-foot-long, high cubes built to Crowley’s exacting standards, further demonstrates the company’s focus on offering customers the most reliable and efficient equipment in the market. These units have wireless asset monitoring technology, which will provide continuous monitoring of the equipment as it transits from origin to destination…
US Crude Oil Exports to China Stalled
The development that saw no U.S. seaborne exports of crude oil to China in August has continued into September, according to BIMCO. This is despite crude oil not being a part of the ‘official trade war’.“The trade war between the U.S. and China is now impacting trade in both tariffed and some un-tariffed goods with both countries looking elsewhere for alternative buyers and sellers,” said Peter Sand, BIMCO’s Chief Shipping Analyst.“Ton mile demand generated by total U.S. crude oil exports has risen 17 percent from August to September…
IMTRA Announces New Hires and Promotions
IMTRA, manufacturer and importer of solutions and products for the marine, energy and transportation markets, has announced new hires and promotions. The company has hired Brad Norton and Van Noorden and promoted Kinder Woodcock and Nate Cabral.Brad Norton has joined IMTRA’s service team in a product technical support role. With over 20 years as a licensed yacht captain, Norton will use his vast, hands-on knowledge of the workings and operation of boats supporting IMTRA customers who need technical and application assistance.
Crowley Awards Scholarships to Two Williams-Mystic Students
Two Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Program students have been awarded scholarships by Crowley Maritime Corporation. Molly Tucker and Colby Weik were each chosen for their academic excellence, high morale and community involvement. The students also exhibited strong leadership qualities and were identified as articulate spokespeople for maritime education.Tucker is a sophomore at Pomona College in California, where she studies environmental analysis. Weik is a sophomore business major at Wheaton College in Massachusetts.
After Soybeans, EU Touts US LNG Imports to Woo Trump on Trade
The European Union said it was delivering on a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump to buy more U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) on Thursday but called on Washington to do more to make its prices competitive.In talks to urge Trump to drop hefty new tariffs last month, the EU's chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker agreed to work to increase imports of U.S. soybeans and LNG to the bloc.The EU has long worked to diversify away from relying on Russia for almost 40 percent of its gas needs by developing LNG infrastructure to access other suppliers like the United States.Whether U.S.
Antwerp Port on Track to Record Sixth Year
Belgian port Antwerp said that throughput continues to register growth in the port. After record semi-annual figures, the total throughput after nine months stands at 177,026,550 tonnes – a sharp 6% increase compared with the same period last year.With these results, the port seems to be on track for the sixth record year in a row. The recent wave of investments moreover confirms the port’s appeal and reaffirms its role as a world player.Maritime throughput continues to grow.
Antwerp Port on Track to Sixth Record Year
Throughput continues to register growth in the Port of Antwerp. After record semi-annual figures, the total throughput after nine months stands at 177,026,550 tonnes – a sharp 6% increase compared with the same period last year.A press release from the company said that with these results, the port seems to be on track for the sixth record year in a row. The recent wave of investments moreover confirms the port’s appeal and reaffirms its role as a world player.Container traffic registered robust growth yet again, up by 7.1% (98,436,773 tonnes) compared with the first nine months of 2017.
Crowley Awards Scholarships to Two Webb Students
Webb Institute, a four-year college specializing in naval architecture and marine engineering, has announced that the 2018-19 academic year recipients of Crowley Maritime Corporation’s Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarship are Taylor Campbell (Class of 2019) and Reneé Tremblay (Class of 2020).Webb’s scholarship selection committee chose Tremblay of Bristol, R.I., and Campbell of Altoona, Pa., for their hard work, academic excellence, volunteer efforts and the superb leadership…
ZIM Improves Cross-Atlantic Services
ZIM has announced changes and improvements of the services between the Mediterranean and the US East Coast & Canada, ZCA and ZCI. The upgrades are planned to start in December (subject to regulatory approval), as follows: • ZIM’s flagship ZIM Container Service Atlantic (ZCA), connecting main Mediterranean ports, US East Coast & Canada, will have the following rotation:Mersin – Ashdod – Haifa – Aliaga – Piraeus – Livorno – Barcelona - Valencia – Halifax – New York – Norfolk – Savannah – Valencia – Tarragona – Mersin • ZIM Container Service Italy (ZCI)…
Crowley Opens Retail Shipping Center in Miami
Crowley LOGISTICS has opened a new walk-up retail shipping service center in South Florida to better serve consumers shipping small parcel and retail cargo to Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and Central America.The new space is devoted to less-than-container load (LCL) shipments and is housed within the company’s expanded Medley warehouse in Miami. Catering to non-commercial shippers, the retail center is staffed with service-oriented team members who will guide consumers through the packing…
ZIM Improves its Cross-Atlantic Services
ZIM Integrated Shipping Services (ZIM) has announced changes and improvements of the services between the Mediterranean and the US East Coast & Canada, ZCA and ZCI.The upgrades are planned to start in December (subject to regulatory approval), as follows:ZIM’s flagship ZIM Container Service Atlantic (ZCA), connecting main Mediterranean ports, US East Coast & Canada, will have the following rotation: Mersin – Ashdod – Haifa – Aliaga – Piraeus – Livorno – Barcelona - Valencia – Halifax – New York – Norfolk – Savannah – Valencia – Tarragona – Mersin ZIM Container Service Italy (ZCI), in cooperat
Panama Canal Sets Record Annual Cargo Tonnage
The Panama Canal closed its 2018 fiscal year with a record tonnage of 442.1 million Panama Canal tons (PC/UMS), which represents a 9.5 percent increase from the previous year, the Panama Canal Authority reports.With this tonnage, the Panama Canal surpasses the cargo projections of 429.4 million PC/UMS tons for FY 2018, as well as the 403.8 million PC/UMS tons registered in FY 2017."The Panama Canal continues to exceed our expectations, reinforcing every day the importance of the waterway's expansion and its impact on global maritime trade," said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano.
From Desert to Delaware
Gulftainer strives for top six in terminals.Sharjah is a glimmering city-state carved from the desert, the third largest emirate in the United Arab Emirates and the only one to have land on both the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. And soon, within weeks, a company based in Sharjah could control one of the most strategically located marine ports in the United States. Gulftainer through its subsidiary GT USA, Wilmington has inked a deal with the State of Delaware, USA, which would grant GT USA…
Gulfport’s Long Road Back From Hurricane Katrina
When Jonathan Daniels, executive director of the Mississippi State Port Authority at Gulfport spoke to the audience at the annual state of the port luncheon July 27, 2018 at the newly rebuilt Island View Casino, he had a lot to offer in terms of jobs. And he had two aces in the hole: SeaOne, an untested compressed liquefied gas company and Yilport, a terminal company operated by an ambitious Turkish port developer. Both had letters of intent dating back two years with much to do.As has been the case since before Daniels took over from Don Allee in 2013…


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Archives For Kal-El
Acer has confirmed an upcoming Quad Core Tablet for 2012 running Android and a version running Windows.
Asus Finally Announces Transformer Prime, But Is It Priced Too High?
NVIDIA Announces Kal-el's Birth as Tegra 3, Complete with Quad-Core
Tegra 3 Brains Revealed in Transformer Prime Teardown
At the AsiaD conference, Asus head Jonny Shih finally fessed up about the company's next generation Asus Eee Pad Transformer successor, in which Shih calls the Transformer Prime
In newly released white papers for its quad-core CPU, NVIDIA has detailed that its Kal-el ARM-based mobile architecture will come with 4 standard cores and a fifth core that will help its chipsets achieve power when needed while being energy efficient in basic use
Joanna Stern at This is My Next... managed to grab a couple minutes with a prototype tablet running Windows 8 on a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 Kal-El ARM processor.
The Asus Eee Pad Transformer 2 could very well be the first tablet with a quad-core Kal-El processor.
Motorola has bought up five domain names with the word 'Kore' in them and speculation has the Motorola Kore being the successor to the Motorola Xoom.
NVIDIA has confirmed Kal-El quad-core tablets will be coming this fall while quad-core phones are expected to be unveiled at next year's CES.
Asus Chairman Jonney Shih has confirmed that his company is working on a sequel to the popular Asus Eee Pad Transformer Honeycomb tablet.


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e commerce news
The company had last reported an employee strength of 8,000 people.
Flipkart has not raised funds in the past 18 months, even as it defends its leadership position in a bruising marketplace war with Amazon.
Pandey said that Indian companies such as e-commerce firm Flipkart and ride-hailing service provider Ola will need to modernise their infrastructure to compete with global players such as Amazon, which hosts its e-commerce service on its popular in-house cloud offering Amazon Web Services.
More than 63% of the respondents felt that the implementation of the GST would be positive for their overall business operations in India.
According to a 2016 Global Contact Center Benchmarking Report from Dimension Data, CX (customer experience) is fast becoming the prime indicator for strategic performance in boardroom assessments.
"All companies working on an employee outsourcing model took a hit. Between November and February, there was a 4045% drop in volumes from e-commerce companies," said L Sridhar, founder of logistics network company Connect India.
The notion that allowing 100 per cent FDI — only in e-commerce and brickand-mortar companies that make and sell stuff locally — will boost domestic manufacturing is misplaced.
Three executives – Kartikeya Misra, vice-president, products and design; Vishwanath V, director-brand management, and Suman Punuru, director-sales – have left the company since the end of November, a person familiar with the matter said.
Private sector lenders have started extending short term credit to meet working capital needs for Ola, Power2SME, Flipkart, OYO, Zinka, Capital Float, investment banker-turned-entrepreneur Fulguni Nayar-owned Nykaa and many others.
Paytm plans to invest largely in areas such as manpower, technology, and merchant education for a faster adoption of QR codes.
Suchi, with her grand vision of creating a global brand based out of India, started Limeroad in 2011 and her ambition is to create a digital-age equivalent of the 16th Century Grand Trunk Road.
In the event of a merger between Snapdeal and Paytm's marketplace, Alibaba will emerge as the new entity's largest shareholder, assuming no other big, new investor comes on the scene.
This comes on the back of rising salaries and bonuses amounting to Rs 673 crore for the financial year 2015-16, compared to Rs 217 crore a year ago.
The employment base of the retail industry is expected to touch 56 million by 2022 “across conventional and specialized retail segments,” said the report.
The company launched online train ticket bookings in partnership with IRCTC in September this year to complete the full range of air, road and rail booking solutions available on Paytm.
The online marketplace, this week informed its merchants via email that it had revised its logistics fee, normal packaging fee, standard marketing fee and gross margin rates.
Gurgaon based Snapdeal plans to reduce its CO2 emissions by 34,500 MT or reduce consumption of 2,55,000 barrels of crude oil which will be equivalent to planting 43,000 trees in India with this association.
Editor's Picks ›
Direct selling industry growth slips to 4.4% / Flipkart in talks to raise upto $1.5 bn in new funding round / Tpot Cafe looks to invest 1 mn to start 50 stores in 3 months / Bengaluru technology set-up to become one of the largest globally by 2020: Diageo CEO / India’s warehousing market after GST – Industry perceptions / Exceed customer expectations with Omnichannel Self-Service IVR / Dabur launches Amla Plus under Real Wellnezz brand / India's consumer confidence reaches highest level in 10 years / Amway India collaborated with FarEye for better visibility of deliveries / Snapdeal achieved 3x growth in kids segment


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TORONTO, June 14, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Maropost, the innovating force in Marketing and Sales technology, announced its migration to Google Cloud Platform (GCP)—a move set to revolutionize Maropost’s hosting security, stability, and scalability for customers.
The company’s move to Google Cloud Platform was inspired by Maropost’s recent jump in growth—and a desire for data infrastructure that could grow with them. With its expansive private global fiber network, state of the art security, dedication to continued expansion, and unrivaled uptime, GCP quickly became Maropost’s top choice.
“Scalability has always been essential in our own platforms. We don’t just want to get clients—we want to grow them,” says Ross Paquette, Maropost Chairman and CEO. “With Google Cloud, we found that same dedication. We’re looking forward to providing our customers with the best cloud hosting the market has to offer.”
GCP provides Maropost with robust, flexible data infrastructure—and the perfect foundation for the company’s unprecedented growth. On GCP, Maropost can continue to expand its capabilities and client base—for Maropost Marketing Cloud, Maropost Sales Cloud, and several highly anticipated platforms set to launch in 2018.
Maropost is a B2C cloud-based sales & marketing suite that enables companies to increase cross-channel customer engagement and maximize revenue. Through integrated marketing and sales automation, Maropost provides the essential tools, strategic guidance, and support needed to create personalized customer experiences through a 360-degree business view—from marketing automation, to CRM, commerce, and customer support. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Maropost is trusted by brands like DigitalMarketer, New York Post, Mercedes-Benz, Rolling Stone, SHOP.com, and Yext. Learn more at www.maropost.com.
CONTACT: For more information, please contact: Christine Glossop Marketing Communications Manager Maropost 1-888-438-3152 x239 email@example.com
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As Washingtonians celebrate the first anniversary of recreational marijuana stores opening across the state — some of us more than others — we wanted to look at this thriving new part of the state economy from as many angles as possible.
In these pages, you'll find the result of that effort — a series of articles exploring everything weed related in Washington. We take you to 16 retail outlets in the area and see how they look a year in. You'll find guides to the products filling those store's shelves, including Spokane's most-popular strains, and a look at the myriad ways people partake in their marijuana of choice.
We talk to a grower still waiting for the marijuana "gold rush" to pay off, and we explore how legalization has affected the efforts of anti-drug forces, pro-pot advocates and law enforcement in Washington and Idaho. We check in with Mike Boyer, Spokane's first recreational pot customer, who made national headlines last July.
We're also sharing the results of our non-scientific survey designed to glean what our readers think about legal recreational marijuana. Admittedly, our respondents were self-selecting, predominantly pot-friendly readers. How pot-friendly? A full 92 percent of nearly 400 respondents said they've used marijuana at some point in their lives.
What else can we broadly say about our respondents? Seventy-four percent are between the ages of 21 and 55, and most of them live on the South Hill, in North Spokane and Spokane Valley; 58 percent came from those three areas, with others scattered through West Central (4 percent), Idaho (4 percent), Browne's Addition (2 percent), Logan (4 percent), Hillyard (3 percent) and "Other" (23 percent). The responses we received help illustrate how and why Inlander readers use marijuana, and what they think about its effects on their state. We rounded percentages to the nearest whole number.
Between our stories and the survey, hopefully you'll learn something about the state of this nascent industry just starting to get its balance. At the very least, you might learn the difference between "dabbing" and "vaping."
HEADLINES FROM THE ROAD OF LEGALIZATION
I-502, the initiative to legalize recreational marijuana, is filed with state officials.
New Approach Washington, a group backing the initiative, announces its goal to collect 300,000 signatures for the initiative. Eventually, 341,000 signatures are gathered.
Washington's Secretary of State affirms that New Approach Washington has the 241,153 signatures needed to qualify for the November ballot.
The Inlander publishes an editorial in support of I-502.
Washington voters approve I-502 with 55 percent of the vote statewide; it passes in Spokane County with 52 percent.
Cannabis is officially legalized, and possession of an ounce of marijuana is legalized for adults 21 and over.
The Kettle Falls Five, a family of Eastern Washington medical marijuana patients, are arrested and charged with violating federal drug laws.
The first draft of rules for marijuana growers, processors and sellers is released by the Washington State Liquor Control Board.
The Spokane City Council passes ordinance outlining marijuana zoning that keeps recreational and medical marijuana businesses out of some mixed-use areas, pushing them toward industrial zones.
The first license to grow and process marijuana in the state is awarded to Spokane grower Sean Green.
Recreational marijuana stores open their doors. The highly taxed merchandise costs as much as $25 a gram, raising concerns that the new system won't be able to compete with the black market. Some stores face shortages.
Defendants in the Kettle Falls Five trial are found guilty of illegally manufacturing more than 100 plants. They are acquitted of the other charges.
Gov. Jay Inslee signs SB 5052 into law, bringing more scrutiny to the largely unregulated medical marijuana market by merging it with the highly regulated recreational market. Advocates worry patients won't have access to medicine.
The state Supreme Court declines to hear a lawsuit challenging the city of Fife's ban on marijuana businesses. The court refers the case to an appeals court, which will hear arguments later this year.
Inslee signs a law moving the recreational-pot industry from a three-tier tax system to a single 37 percent excise tax, a move that protects pot businesses from federal income tax. The law also loosens where stores and growers can locate and allows state to share pot revenue with local governments.
The Washington State Liquor Control Board, formed in 1934, becomes the Liquor and Cannabis Board. ♦


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Photo courtesy Wellborn Musclecar Museum.
As the number of high-quality restorations of muscle cars increases, so too has the number of events dedicated to showcasing the American high-performance car. Our own Musclepalooza events attract some of the Northeast’s most impressive muscle, as does the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals in the Chicago area, and next year renowned collector Tim Wellborn will invite some of the South’s best muscle cars to the inaugural All-Muscle Car Invitational.
Known for specializing in 1971 Dodge Chargers, Wellborn held a 40th anniversary celebration for his favorite car last year at his Alexander City, Alabama-based Wellborn Musclecar Museum, housed in a building that once served as a Buick and Chevrolet dealership. Based on the success of that invitation-only event, which has been described as the largest gathering of 1971 Hemi Chargers in one place, Wellborn decided to follow it up with an event for all makes and models of muscle car.
Limited to 150 vehicles, primarily limited-edition, high-performance models from 1968 to 1971, the Invitational will include a tour, seminar on survivor-class cars, cookout and charity dinner along with the muscle car show and museum tours.
Originally scheduled for this past October, the Wellborn Muscle Car Museum All-Muscle Car Invitational will take place the weekend of May 9-11. For more information, visit WellbornMuscleCarMuseum.com.


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Panasonic bets on popular Sanyo brand for air conditioners in India
NEW DELHI, NNA - Panasonic Corp. is betting on one-time rival brand Sanyo to boost low-priced air conditioner sales in India, while retaining its namesake primary brand for middle- to high-end markets.
Under the Sanyo brand familiar to locals, the Japanese electronics giant this month launched five models to be sold exclusively online, as India's e-commerce market has grown rapidly in recent years, a Panasonic India Pvt. Ltd. spokesman told NNA.
The products start at 24,490 rupees ($354), against some 35,000 rupees to about 70,000 rupees for those branded Panasonic.
Panasonic took over Sanyo Electric Co. in 2011, making it a wholly owned subsidiary, and resumed selling televisions under the Sanyo brand via e-commerce sites in India in 2016.
In the e-commerce market, the Sanyo brand is focused on the mass market, where the average price of air conditioner models is less than 30,000 rupees. Chinese and local brands, such as Midea, Voltas and Lloyd, compete head to head in that segment.
Major online retailer Flipkart Internet Pvt. Ltd. sells China-made models under its original brand, MarQ, from 21,500 rupees.
Panasonic aims to gain 10 percent market share in the online air conditioner market this year by taking advantage of the Sanyo name, which has increased its brand awareness among local consumers since the 1990s, the spokesman said.
The household air-conditioner market in India stood at some 5 million units in the year to March. Online sales account for 3 percent to 5 percent of these, but this “is expected to grow to 10 percent to 15 percent over the next three to five years,” an industry analyst told NNA on condition of anonymity.
“Pricing for Sanyo inverter ACs seems very aggressive, and might be able to tap entry-level consumers in India who are planning to upgrade from air coolers,” he added.
More than 40 brands crowd the market, with the local Voltas brand seizing 21 percent market share by volume, excluding online, followed by South Korea's LG at 16 percent and India's Blue Star at 12 percent, according to a 2018 report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd., a local broker. (NNA/Kyodo)


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(12/17/08) - Nintendo of America and Nyko Technologies, Inc. announced that they have settled a patent infringement lawsuit brought by Nintendo, which held that Nyko's Kama wireless controller for the Nintendo Wii gaming system infringed on Nintendo's patent for its wired Nunchuk controller.
Nyko will continue to sell a redesigned version of the Kama controller under the agreement.
I have never even heard of Nyko Technologies. We have a Wii like many others so I had to see if it was Nintendo who was being sued for patent infringement. I am happy to see it was not Nintendo.
I'd be interested in seeing what type of new design Nyko came up with.
Hi,NYKO Technologies makes computer peripherals, such as cables and plugs, wireless hand controllers for video games, memory cards, and accessories for the Apple iPod. The company specializes in interactive entertainment, computing, consumer electronics, and portable audio, as well as online and wireless technologies. Its products are compatible with PCs and Macs, as well as game platforms made by Nintendo (DSi, Wii), Sony (PlayStation 3, PSP), and Microsoft (Xbox 360). Nintendo sued NYKO in 2008 over the design of its wireless Kama nunchuk controller for the Wii; the companies settled the litigation that year. NYKO was founded in 1995 by Herschel Naghi, the company's president and CEO.


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DETROIT — It’s time to “Play Ball!” and Atwater Brewery, Detroit’s favorite hometown brewer, is once again joining the Detroit Tigers, Detroit’s favorite hometown team, with its popular craft beer served throughout Comerica Park, including its standalone pop up behind section 136. Atwater has been providing its locally make Detroit beers to Tiger fans all the way back to 1997 at Tiger Stadium! Two iconic Detroit brands putting smiles on fans faces for more than 22 years.
“We all understand that the Tigers are in a building phase and we’re proud to stand with them,” said Atwater’s owner, Mark Rieth. “This is a great opportunity for fans to be in on the ground floor and really get to know and support the team as it develops. Then when they win, we all win together!”
Led by its bestselling “Dirty Blond,” and the award winning “Better Life Choices” IPA offered in stadium-ready 16 oz. cans and draught, several Atwater brews will be available at Atwater’s logoed beer stand, the Michigan craft beer bar, at the grab and go, on the in-seat menus, as well as at the Long Bar, the Corner Tap Room and the Tiger Den and Club in Comerica Park.
“We always say we want to bring our distinctively Detroit flavors everywhere, and we do, but where better to start than at our hometown ballpark?” said Rieth. “We brew Detroit pride into every beer we produce and that includes Tigers pride, too. Call us homers if you will, but we’re all about Detroit and proud of it.”
After the game Rieth suggests that fans continue the party at Atwater’s Detroit Tap House next to the brewery at 237 Jos Campau just a hop skip and jump — or short car ride– from Comerica Park. Or, for eastsiders, visit Atwater in the Park at 1175 Lakepointe in Grosse Pointe Park. Drink responsibly and Go get ‘em, Tigers!
For more information on Atwater Brewery, please visit Atwater’s website and Atwater’s Facebook.


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The Galaxy Note smartphones have been always the preferred choice of smartphones for Android power users.
There is undeniably a stronger performance compared to the other flagship phones and not to mention the ever-useful S pen.
Although the Galaxy series phones are powerhouse phones, Samsung fans know better than to wait for a little.
Now, new leaks of the Galaxy Note 20 suggest that the waiting might be all worth it.
Galaxy Note 20 will be packed with 4,000mAh battery
Now and then, new bits of information about new and upcoming devices show up online. It’s the details we hold onto before phone brands officially reveal them.
And with Samsung‘s Galaxy S20 already out, that leaves us with the Galaxy Note 20.
As of right now, we are still in the early days, we have not much information about the upcoming headset. But, these are the details we know so far.
The folks at the Galaxy Club found out that the Galaxy Note 20’s battery will have a 4,000mAh capacity which carries part number EB-BN980ABY.
This suggests that the upcoming Note phone will have the same battery capacity as the Galaxy S20 model.
More precisely, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 battery has a rated capacity of 3,880mAh. This means the typical capacity should be around 4,000mAh.
Comparing it from last year’s Galaxy Note 10 which has a 3,500mAh non-removable unit, this already has the 500mAh increase.
Galaxy Note 20: What do we know so far?
An early leak of the handset’s case gave us an idea about how this device might look like. Roland Quandt, editor fo the Winfuture.de posted the images of the front and back inlay of the case on his Twitter account.
Based on the images, we now have a good idea of what we can expect from the Galaxy Note 20’s camera array.
But if these images are to be trusted, the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 20 seems to be pretty similar in terms of the design.
Specs and Features
Let’s go to the device’s specs, shall we?
Both Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Plus are expected to feature the latest Snapdragon 865 SoC and 5G connectivity. Previously, there was a Galaxy S20 kernel source code that associates the Galaxy Note 20 with “kona” – a codename for Qualcomm’s latest chipset.
Additionally, the code also suggests that only the US variant will feature the Snapdragon chipset. So, perhaps, the handset in other markets will feature Samsung’s own Exynos processors – most likely the Exynos 990.
Was this a surprise?
Well, not at all since the Note 10 featured Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 chipset in the US while the Note 10 in other markets came with Samsung’s Exynos 9825 chip.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 factory unlocked available on Amazon:
And as far as the features are concerned, the handset is expected to feature IP68 water-resistance rating. At least 12GB of RAM with no less than 256GB of internal storage.
And that’s not all…
The screen has an in-display fingerprint scanner integration, a multi-sensor camera, and the handset is also compatible with wireless charging.
From the Note line last year, only the Note 10 Plus featured expandable storage. Hopefully, at least the Galaxy Note 20 Plus gets the same feature. And we are lucky, maybe both will.
Unfortunately, Samsung has rid its premium phones with the headphone jack and we don’t think it’s going to make a comeback anytime soon.
Price and Availability
Some of the most expensive smartphones in the market are from Samsung and the Galaxy Note 20 series is no different.
We have not come across in the rumor mill about the pricing just yet. But the company’s pricing on its previous handset prices can give us an idea of what to expect from this handset.
Considering the Snapdragon 865 SoC, both models have a 5G-connectivity, we are seeing a starting price tag at no less than $1,000.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 will likely have a global launch. This means the handset will be available in the US, Europe, South Korea, and more.
Even more so, we are more likely to find out more about the Galaxy Note 20 series on Samsung’s August Unpacked event which is only a few months away.


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Sales projected to dive amid shop closures among fast-fashion retailer’s main UK and European markets
Primark expects to lose more than £1bn in sales during the first half of its financial year because of new restrictions brought in to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, forcing the closure of stores.
Shop closures and stay-at-home orders in its main UK and European markets caused a 30% fall in sales at the fast fashion retailer, to £2bn during the the 16 weeks to 2 January 2021, its owner, Associated British Foods (ABF), said. Sales for the Christmas period in 2019 hit £2.9bn.
Read the original article at The Guardian


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One of the recurring problems faced by bricks-and-mortar small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is to sell online. Not all of them can deal with the cost and friction of many e-commerce platforms and payment methods.
This is precisely what has led Conekta, a Mexican payments company, and Tiendanube, an e-commerce storefront and logistics provider based in Buenos Aires, to work together towards a solution.
In a statement, both companies announced an assortment of discounts and promotions new Mexican digital entrepreneurs can use to boost their sales during the upcoming Buen Fin weekend. The Buen Fin is the country’s largest cyber sale.
More and more people are shopping online
The pandemic accelerated many businesses’ digital transformation. To be exact, 48% of SMEs began selling online during the last year, according to the Mexican Association of Online Sales (AMVO).
These SMEs stated that their sales generated by digital channels had a growth of 100%. They also expect 35% of their total sales in 2021 will come from their online stores.
Consumer habits have also rapidly shifted towards online consumption. According to the AMVO, 97% of potential consumers plan to buy online at some point during the upcoming Buen Fin, while 48% said they will spend more on their online purchases.
While e-commerce titans such as Amazon, Mercado Libre, or Linio still have a large market share, 46% of potential customers in Mexico check the websites or apps of specific stores and brands, which is an opportunity for SMEs.
Currently, e-commerce represents more than $300 million Mexican pesos ($15 billion approx.). “Imagine how the sector could grow if every Mexican SME manages to market its products and services online,” said Rubens Pasquale, VP of Growth at Conekta.
This increase is happening because more companies are venturing into e-commerce and offering multiple payment methods –including cash.
Cash will continue its reign during the Buen Fin 2021
Conekta foresees that cash will continue to be relevant during this year’s massive online sale. In last year’s edition of the Buen Fin, 68% of the transactions were paid in cash. (Users browse and choose online, get a QR code, and pay their order at the bank or a convenience store).
As it happens in the rest of Latin America, Mexico continues to lag in banking penetration. Only 47.1% of the population is banked, according to the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV, for its acronym in Spanish).
The situation does not change much in the rest of the region, since only 30% of LatAm’s population has at least one financial service, according to the World Payments Report 2021.
In this sense, players such as Tiendanube, which has helped digitize more than 90,000 businesses in Latin America, and Conekta, a company that specializes in providing multiple payment options (including cash), facilitate the participation of SMEs and consumers in digital channels.


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Last month Aldi announced it was implementing a new automated traffic light system at entrances, to control the number of customers going in and out of stores.
The nationwide roll out of the new technology started from the end of May following a successful trial.
Traffic lights will signal when customers can enter stores based on individual store customer limits that are in line with two-metre social distancing rules.
NHS and blue light worker priority access remains in place. These workers are encouraged to go to the front of the queue and other customers will be asked to continue to respect this.
Richard Thornton, communications director at Aldi said: “The protection and safety of our customers and employees is our top priority and this new system is an accurate and effective way to allow us to control customer numbers in stores.
“The system’s trial was well received by our customers and we will be gradually rolling this new social distancing measure out nationwide.”
While not every store is yet to have the new system in place, our sister site the Liverpool Echo managed to spot it at Aldi’s Aigburth store.
Here's what happened when they put it to the test.
Staff no longer making the calls
In the weeks since lockdown began, getting into supermarkets has been a feat in itself.
With enormous queues at each shop, it quickly became the new normal to wait outside no matter the weather waiting for staff to allow you indoors.
The new system means there’s still queues but staff will no longer be making the calls, instead the system is based on capacity numbers of the individual stores.
The light will remain red while the shop is full, before turning green each time a customer can enter.
It certainly felt like it the queue was moving faster.
Other shoppers seemed calmer too with a new system to follow.
When we visited on a Saturday afternoon, there were around nine people ahead of us in the queue.
This went down quickly and we were inside shopping within minutes.
Should it be available at all stores?
The faster the system is available across the UK, the better.
While the system roll out is still ongoing, Aldi has confirmed that all stores will have the traffic light system by July.
Once in place, the traffic light system will run alongside the current measures already in place at all Aldi stores to ensure social distancing.
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This includes protective screens at checkouts, distancing markers on shop floors, sanitisation stations for customers as well as signage to offer clear guidance on how to shop safely.
Stores are also encouraging one customer per trolley where possible.


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Cannabis Real Estate In San Diego- A Look at Industrial Pricing
The start of this year brought the end of recreational marijuana prohibition in California, which means ripple effects in a variety of...
Leasing California Cannabis Real Estate- Must Know's:
Twenty nine states plus the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana and eight of these states plus D.C. have legalized...
Cannabis Legalization and Warehouse Space
The connection between commercial real estate and marijuana legalization may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But the link is clea
Cannabis Real Estate in California
With recreational cannabis now available in California, many have wondered what will happen to the already-saturated California real estate


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The U.K. government announced up to $38 billion in fresh stimulus measures intended to boost the country’s economy as it exits lockdown, a path that is also being considered by other rich nations as they seek to prevent the economic shock of the pandemic from snowballing into a multiyear slowdown that could leave deep scars on their societies, businesses and economies.
Since lockdowns designed to contain the novel coronavirus became widespread in March, governments around the world have committed trillions of dollars to ensuring the survival of businesses that saw their revenues tumble and to supporting household incomes as the number of hours worked plummeted.
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As the sun set behind this cowboy town in northwest Wyoming on Wednesday, a stream of motor homes pulled into the parking lot for the night, many of them on their way to or from Yellowstone National Park, about 50 miles to the west.
But their overnight stay was not at any traditional campground, the Ponderosa on one side of town, the Absaroka Bay on the other or even the KOA Campground of Cody, one of the first campgrounds for motor homes in the West, now 40 years old.
No, home for these elaborate vehicles, some costing $150,000 and more, was Cody's new Wal-Mart, and the reason was simple: unlike the campgrounds, which charge as much as $36.95 a night for motor homes, the Wal-Mart lot is free.
''We've stayed at lots of Wal-Marts,'' said Norma Tennenbaum of New City, N.Y., who has been traveling almost nonstop for the last five years with her husband, Avrum, a retired assistant school principal in the Bronx, in their 37-foot Fleetwood Discovery. ''It's nice, and it's safe.''
In a survey last year, editors of the Web site freecampgrounds.com, asked readers: ''How many times in 1999 did you stay overnight at a Wal-Mart?'' The site found that a third of the 227 respondents had stayed at least one night and about a quarter had stayed at three or more.Continue reading the main story
Music to Wal-Mart's ears: For several years now, the stores have been welcoming travelers to their spacious lots, bringing a new definition to ''stop and shop.'' While they provide none of the electrical and cable television hookups available at campgrounds, the stores offer one-stop shopping for food and supplies.
But not everybody in Cody is so thrilled to see as many as three dozen motor homes a night lined up outside the Wal-Mart. A few people have expressed annoyance that the inhabitants avoid paying lodging costs, which carry the 4 percent state sales tax and the 4 percent county lodging tax. Laurie Kadrich, the city administrator, estimated that annual taxes generated by visitors to the area produce as much as $1 million for Park County, which includes about a quarter of Yellowstone National Park's 7,000 square miles. Cody's share is perhaps $75,000, and without Wal-Mart's hospitality, the figures could be higher.
''It's cheating, in the view of some,'' Ms. Kadrich said.
Tom Bullock, owner of the Absaroka Bay campground, said: ''Obviously, it has impacted us some. Thirty vehicles a night in a small town has to affect somebody. But my issue is whether Wal-Mart is being a good neighbor. I have to collect the lodging tax. They don't. So taxes are missing to the state.''
Hold on there, said some of the Wal-Mart lot residents who had collected around the restored 1946 Chevrolet pickup truck that Ken Symonds of Jensen Beach, Fla., hooks to the back of the 40-foot Beaver Grand Marquis that carries him and his wife, Joan, around the country.
That is a false and unfair accusation, they said, given the cash they drop wherever they stop.
''I don't think we've cheated the town out of anything, except maybe the campground owners,'' Mr. Symonds said. ''What we spent in Wal-Mart provides much more in taxes than if we stayed a night at a campground.''
Mr. Symonds figured he and his wife had already spent $300 in Cody, most of it in the Wal-Mart. And as Mrs. Tennenbaum said, ''If we had to pay overnight fees, maybe we'd eat in instead of going out.''
Besides, who wants to pay taxes if they can be avoided. ''I'm a little bit tired of paying taxes,'' said Sgt. Gene Plambeck of the Cody police department, who drove by for a better look at Mr. Symonds's Chevy.
The Symonds are just the kind of people Wal-Mart officials had in mind when they began encouraging travelers to spend the night: high-maintenance vehicles like the Symonds's, equipped with a satellite dish, bathtub, tiled floors, convection oven and beveled mirrors, always need supplies and upkeep. And the whole idea of a big Wal-Mart in cities like Cody is that the store tries to stock anything anyone can think of.
Oh, and the Symonds have one other thing in their home, a special Rand-McNally road atlas with a listing of Wal-Marts where vehicles like theirs are welcome.
Always thinking, those Wal-Mart people. Tom Williams, a company spokesman, said policy was to welcome recreational vehicle owners wherever local ordinances permitted. Why? ''R.V. owners are very good customers,'' Mr. Williams said.
So far, Cody has no prohibition against parking the vehicles at store lots. But Ms. Kadrich said the city recently asked Wal-Mart to discourage travelers from pulling in. Otherwise, she said, the city might pass an ordinance against it.
''Why do something for one business that we don't do for others,'' she said. ''It just doesn't seem right.''Continue reading the main story


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Trademarks get denied for all manner of reasons. In some cases, the government determines that the person who filed for a mark has actually stolen their design from someone else. In other cases, another party simply applied for the trademark first. The list goes on and on.
When your intellectual property is stolen, it's your very idea that is being taken by someone else.
For years, protecting trade secrets has been one of the lesser-known aspects of intellectual property law and never received as much attention as trademark, patent and copyright protection. However, in an increasingly fast-paced digital world, protecting trade secrets has become vital. In fact, the current U.S. administration has cracked down on Chinese companies stealing U.S. trade secrets, even banning U.S. companies from making deals with Chinese tech giant Huawei claiming the company is a threat to national security.
Romance novels are very popular, making billions of dollars every year. More and more often, these novels are getting self-published. Companies like Amazon make it very easy for people to upload their books, covers and other information, giving them the freedom to publish whatever they want -- that fits within the guidelines -- and market it as they see fit.
Often, the key to keeping trade secrets is simply to restrict the number of people who have access to them in the first place. Some companies are famous for keeping their recipes and formulas confined to one or two individuals. This way, even if an employee wanted to leak the secrets, they'd have no way to do so. It does not take nearly as much loyalty to avoid an issue.
A lawsuit that started in California in the middle of July targets a brand called Stoney Patch. The company makes gummy candies that are infused with THC. While making edible marijuana-based products is nothing new, the lawsuit alleges that the company essentially copied the popular Sour Patch Kids, which are a gummy candy aimed at children.


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Solidarity Bahrain launches Apple Pay
TDT | Manama
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
Solidarity Bahrain, one of the largest insurance companies in Bahrain and a subsidiary of Solidarity Group Holding, recently announced the launch of Apple Pay.
Apple pay is an online cashfree method of payment powered by Apple and is a safe and secured private way for customers to protect their transactions with the company.
The payment is possible without customers using their debit or credit cards or exchanging cash. Solidarity said it had integrated the Apple Pay service through its digital channels for customers having Apple devices, such as iPhone, Apple Watch, MacBook, and iPad.
Apple Pay secures every payment transaction with authenticated Face ID, device passcode, or Touch ID, as well as a One-Time-Password (OTP).
Mohammed Awachi, AGM – Corporate Support, Solidarity Bahrain, stated: “We are delighted to be the first insurance company to launch the Apple Pay service for our customers”. He added: “We are committed to offering robust solutions which fulfil our customer needs and matches their expectations and enables them to utilize the company’s digital channels with a high level of security.”


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Powrtabs provide a small boost to your smartphone battery, and we tried them out.These single-use smartphone chargers could be just the backup you need to avoid running out of power when you’re out and about.
The grow box is built with sensors to measure vitals like temperature, humidity, pH, and plant height and separately-sold cartridges that automatically feed nutrients to the plant. An app allows growers to monitor and control production.
The Big Ass Light Bar is powerful enough to light entire rooms or roadside workspaces, and tough enough to last. The high-capacity battery powers the adjustable 5,000-lumen LED lamp from 90 minutes to 48 hours.
A new project, currently being developed by researchers at Israel’s Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Tel Aviv University, is using sonar-sporting robots to more accurately project future fruit yields.
Nursing moms need all the help they can get, and Naya Health is offering a new tool. The company has launched a smart breast pump, designed for convenience. It even includes an app that tracks pumping stats.
Audi is launching its first Vehicle-to-Infrastructure communication system in Las Vegas. Dubbed Traffic Light Information, the technology allows certain Audis to receive signal information from the city’s traffic management system.
Google's parent company Alphabet says it's "wholeheartedly committed" to its drone delivery project. Despite apparent difficulties with drone designs that've seen some "try to land in trees," it reportedly wants to create a service with a…
The Liftware Level is a smart eating utensil that will help people with uncontrolled movements, such as hand tremors, by recognizing the orientation of their hands and actively counterbalancing their movements.
Launched via Kickstarter in December, Nufood allows backers to experience a new type of dining by offering a pop-up restaurant serving 3D-printed dishes. The event will soon take place across 10 cities in Europe.
An artificial system of is growing on top of Earth’s surface, and it’s entirely our creation. Dubbed the technosphere, the system consists of all man-made structures — from buildings, streets, and landfills to smartphones, clothes…
With the aid of two T100 thrusters, a pair of wrist straps, and an Arduino, YouTuber PeterSripol has built the best pair of 'wrist rockets' we've ever seen. It's the only pair we've seen, to be honest!


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The December issue of Vogue Paris was guest edited by Tom Ford and features an editorial shot by Terry Richardson, so it makes sense that the 2011 Calendar insert included in the glossy would consist of twelve images of model Daria Werbowy in varying degrees of undress.
Anna Wintour and Karl Lagerfeld aren’t the only fashion peeps who celebrated Thanksgiving this year. And like the common folk, they too tweeted their holiday adventures! Thakoon and Charlotte Ronson ate turkey, while Gaga made a cassarole and Rachel Zoe baked a pie. Tory Burch had a pretty peony-accented table, and Jessica Stam looked forward to Christmas.
Brace yourselves, it’s finally happened. Less than a month after he told Maria Menounos and Access Hollywood that a new ‘do was in the works, the pop culture phenomenon that is Justin Bieber has cut his hair. Let’s take a closer look, shall we?
Happy Cyber Monday, everybody! Chances are if you’re online today, it’s probably because you’re trying to buy a gift for someone (or maybe one for yourself!). The National Retail Foundation anticipates that online holiday shopping will increase about 10 percent this year, with over 100 million people pointing and clicking to their holiday heart’s content. Wanna get in on the fun? Check out the roster of online sales, savings and deals below.
Have you ever heard of Yo Gabba Gabba? No? Yeah, we hadn’t either until about five minutes ago. Apparently it’s a super popular kids’ show on Nick Jr., and now the cast is on a tour of sorts. Why is this relevant? Because the Los Angeles leg of the tour had celebrities — and their cute kids — out in droves.
Just as the Sunday Styles finally discovered Kim Kardashian, they have now found Alexa Chung. We’ve been following one of Vogue‘s best dressed for quite some time, but the New York Times is just now getting on the Chung wagon.
We all know Terry Richardson is a huge creep. Like, the creepiest creep. But Terry’s creepiness hasn’t stopped him from climbing the fashion photog ranks — and staying there. Just this fall alone he’s shot for French Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Reebok and GQ. While we don’t get his appeal as a photographer (the porny trope gets really old really fast), we definitely don’t understand how or why he has so many friends in the fashion industry.
This week was about more than just turkey and Black Friday! Dolce & Gabbana owe a cool billion, Prince William likes Kate in naughty dresses and Kim Kardashian has a thing for toilet paper. Willow got caught up in a messy knockoff scandal, and we could not escape the studded Loub.
When celebs want to score some easy cash without ruining their reps, starring in foreign commercials is often the moneymaking route of choice. They work for a day or two, make a few million and their American fans are none the wiser. Brad Pitt‘s done it. So have Madonna, George Clooney and Natalie Portman. And now, so has Lady Gaga.
There are few musicians out there we love more than Beth Ditto. The Gossip frontwoman, muse to Karl Lagerfeld and Jean Paul Gaultier, and all around awesome role model has a kick-ass voice and some even more kick-ass style.
Contrary to the impression most passengers might get, New York City taxi drivers do in fact have a dress code. This isn’t to say that drivers dress poorly — just that their dress seems about as regulated as whether or not they’ll actually let you pay with a credit card.
From Lady Gaga’s meat dress to Ted Sabarese’s Hunger Pains portraits, and from edible undies to edible Chanel, nothing makes fashion more fun than when clothing tastes as good as it looks. But if fashion made of food held an eating contest, South Korean artist Sung Yeonju would win, hands down.
By now the date of Kate Middleton and Prince William’s royal wedding has probably been seared into your consciousness. But in case it hasn’t, it’s set for April 29 and will be held at London’s Westminster Cathedral. But don’t worry if you haven’t yet received an invite — British broadcasters have big plans for the uninvited public.
The fashion industry is in the midst of what may or may not be a one-sided love affair (also known as a crush, perhaps) with Native American tradition and dress. First fringe, feathers, and headdresses stormed the catwalks, then both magazines and popstars embraced the trend, and finally TopShop sent their buyers on a Native American field trip. Which brings us to Tom Ford, the most recent fashion luminary to appropriate the headdress as a fashion-forward accessory.
Black Friday is synonymous with lots of things: deep discounts, presents, pushing people out of the way to get a pair of shoes you’ve wanted for months. And this year, shoppers pulled out all the stops to make sure they’d get exactly what they wanted. Herein, a roundup of all the horror, hilarity, discounts and guns. Yes, guns. Read on.
Last month a college student ducked into a museum in Copenhagen to get out of the rain and found an 1830s portrait that looked a lot like John Krasinski. We think the guy in it looks a whole lot more like Stefano Tonchi. Don’t you?
On Wednesday, when the rest of us were busy buying ingredients to make dinner for families and friends, First Lady Michelle Obama and her family were busy serving the needs of others. They gave out bags of Thanksgiving essentials to families in need at Martha’s Table, a Washington-area organization dedicated to helping solve poverty. For the occasion, the first lady wore a cream sweater and a purple scarf trimmed in pearls. It’s the kind of accessory that’s easy to throw on and can turn a so-so outfit — like a simple cream sweater and slacks — into something spectacular looking in no time flat
Ever wondered what the ultimate gift for the ultimate fan of Kate Moss might be? If you can’t get your hands on a bottle of the perfume she just launched or score the chance to meet her in person, how about the $75,000 portfolio of her best shots that’s on sale right in time for the holidays? How about you just send them this post, in which Moss talks about what makes her such a darn good model.
Just like your annoyingly chipper next-door neighbors, John Galliano has already started to unveil his Christmas decorations. The designer decorated a tree for the lobby of Claridge’s hotel in London and showed it off last night at a dinner hosted there by model Stella Tennant and Christian Dior CEO Sidney Toledano.
While Anna Dello Russo‘s video for her new fragrance made our day, the ad campaign has made our week. Behold: ADR in a cowboy hat, photographed by Juergen Teller. For real. But there seems to be a bit of funny business going on, specifically in regard to her overextended arm.


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Microsoft is said to be in talks to acquire social networking site Yammer.
A report from Bloomberg cited source familiar with the matter in reporting that the Redmond software giant was prepared to shell out upwards of $1bn for the enterprise-focused social networking site.
According to the report, Yammer would be added to Microsoft's enterprise business and would be used to add social networking capabilities to the company's products.
Based out of London and San Francisco, Yammer offers social networking services for enterprise users. It is unclear how a possible acquisition by Microsoft could impact Yammer staff or its recently-constructed headquarters in Tech City.
A $1bn price tag would be roughly in line with what fellow enterprise social networking firm LinkedIn raised in its initial public offering last year.
Yammer itself recently made an acquisition, purchasing UK start-up oneDrum in April. The company hailed the deal as a turning point for its operations.
The social networking space has seen a great deal of consolidation in recent months. Big names such as Citrix and Salesforce.com have sought to boost their enterprise products with acquisitions of social networking specialists.
Microsoft's most recent foray into the social networking market was a $550m deal with Facebook which gave the social networking giant control over key patents related to its legal battle with Yahoo.
Latest Tesla news: Tesla stock price tanks amid reports of 'widening probe' by SEC and claims the base Model 3 loses money
SEC 'probe' takes its toll on Tesla as new research suggests that Tesla loses $6,000 on every $35,000 Model 3
10nm Cannon Lake Core i3-8121U CPUs make a rare outing with Intel's NUC mini PC
'Notorious' Australian child hacker thought he had executed 'flawless' hack
The former employee says that Tesla fired him for bringing the accusations to management internally


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See how cool tech products are born Video
Brian Cooley takes you behind the scenes at the Silicon Valley design house where the Mac was penned. What do they think is the next big thing?
CNET editor at large Brian Cooley goes behind the scenes with Peter Oel, director of Volkswagen Electronics Research Lab, to show you how Silicon Valley is changing the way we drive, from the latest in infotainment systems to new 3D technologies being used for design.
Silicon Valley likes to think it has political influence in Washington. But will the big tech issues du jour interest the general electorate during the run-up to the presidential election in November? CNET News' Declan McCullagh, who attended the Democratic and Republican national conventions, sits down with Charles Cooper on Monday's edition of the Daily Debrief to talk about how the tech policy debate is likely to play out over the next couple of months.
After yet another product delay, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer can't be happy about the emerging pattern. Go behind the scenes with Charlie Cooper, Brian Cooley and Ina Fried for this week's CNET News.com Reporter's Roundtable.
Tablets, smartphones, and connected home entertainment are the future, and CNET will take you there. For 8 years, we have revealed the Next Big Thing to a standing-room-only crowd at CES. This year, watch Brian Cooley, Molly Wood, and other industry luminaries discuss the most dramatic tech industry transition yet.
We share our take on Apple's product announcements; Verizon and Motorola turn the heat up on Apple; plus, a special peek behind the scenes.
Brian Tong takes you on a behind the scenes tour of CES 2013 and the CNET stage.
CNET's Sumi Das and Brian Tong take a behind-the-scenes peek at this year's pop-culture fest.
Brian David Johnson is Intel's guy in charge of knowing what tomorrow will be like. No pressure. Join him as he shows CNET's Brian Cooley what's next.
At CES 2012, Brian Tong takes a behind-the-scenes look at the Sony booth and gives us hints at what the company might be unveiling.


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FUR, mesh, diamonds, gloves and something that looks a lot like a knit swimming cap — Rihanna has arrived at the annual CFDA awards to pick up the Fashion Icon 2014 gong in an interesting ensemble, and we wouldn’t expect anything less of her.
Never one to disappoint, the singer strutted the Council of Fashion Designers of America red carpet with confidence despite her custom Adam Selman dress leaving little to the imagination, telling reporters “you will never be stylish if you don’t take risks.”
The CFDA awards always draws a mix of fashion insiders and Hollywood, and this year, Rihanna was clearly the drawcard as the highly anticipated Fashion Icon Award recipient.
The Fashion Icon award is “given to an individual whose style has made a significant impact on popular culture on an international stage.”
“We are proud to present Rihanna with the CFDA Fashion Icon Award for her impact on the industry as fashion’s most exciting ambassador in recent memory,” said Steven Kolb, CEO of CFDA, who has previously presented the award to Lady Gaga, Iman, Kate Moss and Nicole Kidman.
Speaking of Rihanna before the show, designer Zac Posen hailed the pop star as someone who “takes risks, and she marches to her own drum and she knows what she likes.” He told The Associated Press that Rihanna has a great appreciation for designers, and “that's why people love to dress her.
“She was a fashion world novice [when we first met] but obviously she had looks and confidence and little-girl charm. All the ingredients were there for her to be a huge superstar: ambition, strength, and also vulnerability.”
Rihanna's use of shock value, he said, “has kept her current, and balanced how classically beautiful she is.”
Also being honoured at the glamorous ceremony at New York's Lincoln Centre was designer Tom Ford, who was getting the CFDA's lifetime achievement award. The prestigious Founder's Award was going to Bethann Hardison, a former model and modelling agent who has been a vocal champion for diversity on runways.
The group's international award was going to Raf Simons, of Dior. Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o is also expected to present a major award.
— with AP


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By Nancy Dahlberg
The Miami Herald.
A summit to showcase female entrepreneurs in technology and a strong speaker lineup are just a few of the highlights planned for the 2015 eMerge Americas conference, which will be May 4 and 5 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Registration opened Thursday.
Manny Medina, founder of eMerge Americas, and Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez kicked off a celebration at YoungArts on Wednesday night for the next eMerge Americas, which included a look back at the inaugural year that attracted 6,000 people and a peek at what’s ahead for year two.
The mayor said that Miami already “is becoming known as a technology hub,” and noted several recent events. Three weeks ago he was in San Francisco when Miami-Dade was awarded a Code for America fellowship and last week he participated in the IBM Think Forum, the only elected official invited. “I know the 2015 eMerge Americas will be much greater than the first one … a can’t-miss event,” Gimenez said.
Some of the plans for year two include:
Deepak Chopra, author and expert in the field of mind-body healing, and Jim McKelvey, co-founder of Square, founder of LaunchCode and now a South Florida resident, will be among the speakers, Medina said.
All the sponsors are back for a second year, he added.
Also, the panels and keynote speaker sessions will be slightly longer and more integrated into the exhibit area. There will be auxiliary events in the week leading up to the conference.
“We listened to you and we are going to make 2015 even better than 2014,” said Medina, referring to the feedback from last year.
Melissa Medina, vice president of business development for eMerge Americas, said a new part of eMerge next year will be the Women Innovation & Technology Summit, a platform “that will showcase women who are transforming technology,” with speakers from around the world.
Registration for eMerge Americas is now open, and tickets are available starting at an early bird price of $245, a $450 savings off the regular price. For more information, www.emergeamericas.org.


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Michelle Krebs is a blogger from Bekasi, Indonesia who claims that meditation has become a more popular advice by the neurologists lately than the exercise which he finds stupid personally. Michelle believes that the neurologists have changed their advice lately out of their habit of doing so but it can be very harmful as the people that used to spend their time exercising will move towards meditation which will ruin their physical health rather than improving the mental health.
Michelle is the daughter of a rich restaurant chain owner who is going to open the first ‘Only French’ restaurant in the nation of Pakistan. Michelle recently wrote on her blog that there are several multicuisine restaurants in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad that serve French dishes but there is not a single one that serves only French food, in other words, there is not a single restaurant in entire Pakistan that is limited to serving only French food and that of Michelle’s dad is going to be the first one to do so.
Michelle has a sister whose name is Leanna. Leanna owns a baby clothing retail store chain that has over 25 stores all over Indonesia. Leanna is also a blogger like Michelle, just less active. Leanna has claimed more than 5-6 times on her blog that she is completely self-made and she never borrowed any money from her father ever to establish her own baby clothing retail chain and all the money that she is invested is what she made with the good old bandar bola.
Leanna is going to inaugurate a new section in all her stores in the first week of October which will be targeted specially on the babies and kids that are too thin due to some disease or genetics. She is too excited about it as this is going to be the very first such instance in all of Indonesia.