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Crosswind Petfoods Inc., a pet food and treat contract manufacturer with an office in Parkville, announced that it has expanded into Topeka.
The firm has three manufacturing facilities in Sabetha, Kan., and a packaging facility in Hiawatha, Kan. The Parkville office houses the company's sales and distribution warehouse. It will open a new manufacturing plant in Topeka.
According to a release, the company expects to spend about $4 million to renovate an existing building, which is scheduled to be operational in February. Company executives initially plan to employ about 31 people there and eventually grow to 60 or more employees.
The company employs 220 full-time employees throughout all of its operations and also contracts temporary laborers equating to about 69 additional full-time positions.
Earlier media reports mistakenly stated that Crosswind was moving its headquarters from Parkville to Topeka.


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2017 Hyundai Elantra Sport Update: Turbocharged And Better Than Ever?
Hyundai has proven that they can compete with the biggest automakers in the industry when it comes to quality vehicles. One of its finest creations, the 2017 Hyundai Elantra Sport has already taken its first drive and apparently, the new model is turbocharged. Does this mean it is now better than ever?
The 2017 Hyundai Elantra Sport's New Turbo
The new sports model of the 2017 Hyundai Elantra is not just for show as it also has power under the hood. According to a report from The Car Connection, the 2017 Hyundai Elentra Sport is equipped with a 1.6-liter inline-4 turbo charged engine, capable of 201 brake horsepower. Paired with a manual six-speed or a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, it can send 195 lb-ft of torque to its front wheels.
More Underneath The 2017 Hyundai Elantra Sport
CNY Central reported that Michael Evanoff, manager for product planning at Hyundai stated that the package is not just about appearance. He then further enumerated more details about the enhancements that the model received in the performance and styling aspects. Among those that Evanoff mentioned include standard leather sports seats, standard proximity key with push-button start, flat-bottom steering wheel, alloy pedals with rubberized texture, 18-inch base alloy wheels, dual chrome exhaust, sport-specific hexagonal grille and a more aggressive front fascia.
As Valuable As They Come
Aside from functional aesthetic additions, The Car Connection also said that the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will also be available in the 2017 Hyundai Elantra Sport. Other features include dual-zone automatic climate control, moonroof, Infinity-branded audio system, lane departure warning system and auto-dimmer rearview mirror. CNY Central stated that the price for the 2017 Hyundai Elantra Sport starts at $21,650 for the six-speed manual transmission trim. $1,100 has to be added for the seven-speed trim and $2,400 for the premium package.
Of course, not all enthusiasts are into the same kinds of models and segments of Hyundai vehicles. The 2017 Hyundai Tucson Limited Night Edition would be worth looking into for those on the hunt for a reliable SUV.
Top 3 Tech Trends That Will Rock The World In 2017
Smart home services are exploding this year as the Internet of Things becomes more popular and innovative. What other top tech trends this year could get even hotter?
Hyundai Genesis Plunges Luxury, Comfort And Power With The All-new G90
The Hyundai Genesis G90 is the flagship car for its new class. The new Genesis flagship has power in it, even within its luxury framework.
Hyundai Reveals i30 Wagon for 2017
The 2017 Hyundai i30 Wagon has been revealed before its official debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show.
2017 Hyundai Elantra Sport Uses More Buttons Than A Touchscreen
The 2017 Hyundai Elantra Sport makes use of traditional buttons for its feautres rather than modern touchscreens.
MWC 2017 Day One Wrap-Up: Samsung Tab S3, LG G6, Xperia XZ, Huawei P10 And The 'Ugly' Nokia 3310
Here is the list of devices from Samsung, LG, Sony, Huawei and HMD Global presented on the first day of the 2017 Mobile World Congress Event.
MORE IN ITECHPOST
'Tokyo Ghoul' Season 3 Delayed By Its Live-Action Movie? Ken Kenaki Returns With Another Identity?
"Tokyo Ghoul" season 3's release is delayed and there are countless speculations as to why it is being pushed back. Reports claim that the show is to give way to "One Punch Man" and "My Hero Acdemia" but new rumors say that it's lack of materials and storyline as well as its live-action movie are causing the delay.

domain: news


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Getting food from Toronto restaurant Box’d is a bit different from the average takeout experience.
Customers order from the Middle Eastern fusion menu from their phones, computers or an in-store kiosk. The order goes to the chefs in the back and, in less than 10 minutes, the customer’s name shows up on an electronic screen above a wall of glass cubbies. The guest taps a button to open their cubby and there is their freshly prepared, sealed meal, ready to grab and go.
There’s no cashier taking money, although there is a concierge making sure the process goes smoothly. In the back of the restaurant, chefs – separated from customers by the cubbies and a glass wall – monitor screens that tell them when to start each order, so everything is ready and warm just in time for the customer’s arrival.
The cutting-edge restaurant’s suite of technology helps ensure minimal waiting, fresh food and convenience in ordering, says Karalyn White, executive director of corporate affairs for Paramount Fine Foods. The Toronto-based company operates several restaurant brands including Paramount Middle Eastern Kitchen and Krispo, a new fried chicken brand.
The hypermodern concept was a response to the lineups common at Paramount’s other downtown lunch spots.
“We were finding the lineups were huge… And the pickup and Uber Eats lineups were just as long,” Ms. White says.
Paramount founder and chief executive officer Mohamad Fakih had visited an Eatsa restaurant in California – a now-shuttered quinoa-bowl spot that featured similar cubbies – but believed Paramount’s food could take the idea to the next level.
The vision, according to Ms. White, was to give downtown executives “an amazing chef-driven lunch in record time.”
After working on the concept for two years, Box’d was ready to launch in early March. Then the pandemic hit.
“I went to open Box’d and Mohamad was standing in the middle of Yonge Street for two minutes without seeing a car,” Ms. White says. “We put a hold on [the plan to open], as no one really knew what was going on with the world. After things transpired with the [public health] recommendations the government was making, you’d think we had a crystal ball.”
The design has built-in pandemic benefits: it requires minimal customer-facing staff, has very few points of physical contact and, with scheduled pickups, customers don’t have to wait around.
For now, sales are “okay,” Ms. White says. The restaurant opened June 19, but most office workers haven’t yet returned to the core.
The automated Box’d brand is a pivot from the company’s more traditional restaurants and is expected to drive a major expansion once the pandemic starts to wind down, she says.
Much of the technology at Box’d was created by Givex, a Toronto-based company that started as a gift-card processor but expanded into point-of-sale software and hardware around 2010, says chief commercial officer Mo Chaar.
Box’d, which uses Givex’s kitchen management system, self-service kiosks and online ordering, is the most automated “quick-service restaurant” he has seen in Canada.
Mr. Chaar says restaurants that adopt technology that allows guests to order directly tend to see a pretty quick uptick in sales.
“In an online ordering platform, you have imagery and you can upsell,” Mr. Chaar says. “It reduces wait time and reduces employee wages… Overall, though, a lot of it has to do with consumer [demand].”
Jeff Dover, a Toronto-based hospitality consultant, says Box’d is ahead of the curve with its use of a kitchen management system, software that is just starting to gain traction in some large fast-food and full-service chains. Timing food in a busy kitchen is challenging, so a system that accounts for each item’s prep time can eliminate a lot of mistakes, he says.
“These systems take away human error, so you’d expect they would do a better job,” says Mr. Dover, principal with fsSTRATEGY. “It doesn’t reduce the number of positions you need but makes [the kitchen] more efficient… [which] allows you to take advantage of some of the other opportunities coming.” Those include increased delivery and takeout: “incremental business with little, if any, incremental labour cost.”
Mr. Dover believes it’s a matter of time before the technologies Box’d uses become widespread, particularly online ordering. He cites several reports that found sales go up when customers can order directly, including one he wrote in 2018 after interviewing restaurants about kiosk use. His research found kiosk ordering increased the average check by 15 per cent to 30 per cent, depending on the design of the software.
Mr. Fakih, Paramount’s CEO, says the company is always looking for ways to enhance its workflow by adopting new technology: “Technology is on the agenda at every strategic planning session,” he wrote in an e-mail to The Globe.
He says the company has started deploying some of the Box’d technology at other restaurants, including installing similar cubbies at its Paramount Lebanese Kitchen on Toronto’s Spadina Avenue.
“With COVID-19 case counts rising... technology is now, more than ever, a driver for both guest and staff safety in restaurants and will be important for future growth,” Mr. Fakih says.


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Sony Corp. on Tuesday unveiled sweeping restructuring measures, including plans to shed 20,000 jobs and close domestic TV plants, with the consumer electronics giant struggling to reclaim a competitive edge over its rivals.
The company also announced a tieup with Samsung Electronics Co. of South Korea to produce large liquid crystal display panels used for flat-screen TVs.
The restructuring announcement by Sony, which reported a 25 percent drop in its second-quarter profit last week, had been anxiously awaited by investors, even though many details were reported by some media beforehand.
“It is an undeniable fact that we are seeing a profit shrinking trend,” Sony Chief Executive Nobuyuki Idei told the media in Tokyo. “As a global player, we have to achieve at least 10 percent (in operating margin).”
He referred to the company’s goal of lifting the ratio of group operating profit against sales from the current 4 percent to 10 percent by the end of fiscal 2006.
To this end, the company said it will slash 20,000 jobs, or 13 percent of Sony’s global workforce, by March 2006. Some 7,000 will be cut in Japan.
Of the total, about 11,000 will come from the administrative tier.
It will close 30 percent of 200 production, distribution, and customer service locations worldwide by March 2006.
The company will spend 335 billion yen from fiscal 2003 to 2005 to carry out the restructuring measures. As the result of these and other cost-cutting measures, the company said it will be able to cut fixed costs by 330 billion yen annually, beginning in fiscal 2006.
Meanwhile, the company said it signed a basic agreement with Samsung to set up a joint venture to manufacture large LCD panels in South Korea.
The initial investment for the project is about $2 billion, with the production line scheduled to operate at the initially targeted capacity by summer 2005.
By launching the joint venture to produce so-called seventh-generation LCD panels and the development of powerful image processors, Sony said it will be able to compete well with its rivals in the TV market.
The move, coupled with its decision to close domestic cathode-ray tube production lines by March, marks a belated attempt to cash in on a rapidly growing consumer shift from bulky CRT to flat-screen TVs.
The firm, which has dominated the conventional TV market with its Trinitron technology, introduced in 1968, has been lagging behind rivals.
Sony also said it will set up a financial holding company, consisting of Sony Life Insurance Co., Sony Assurance Inc. and Sony Bank around April, pending regulatory approval.
The holding company eventually aims to float its shares.
Sony’s Idei defended the company’s restructuring moves, saying they were not a reaction to the company’s recent poor performance.
He bristled when asked whether he would resign to take responsibility for the current situation.
“Sony is not even in the red,” he said.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.


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9 Oct 2022, 19:32 UTC · By: Dan Marinescu / The Utopia is set to turn heads and make a statement. Not only is it incredibly fast, but it's also gorgeous to look and a real showstopper wherever it goes
13 Sep 2022, 00:18 UTC · By: Alexandru Boghiu / Codenamed the C10, the new Utopia is Horacio Pagani’s third ever creation. Typical, yet different, the new hypercar radiates simplicity, and sounds heavenly
4 Jan 2022, 12:31 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Pagani will reveal the Huayra's successor this year, and there is an image that depicts it was leaked on social media. Here is what we know about it
27 Oct 2021, 16:34 UTC · By: Stephen Rivers / Bucking tradition once again Horacio Pagani has confirmed that the all new Pagani hypercar set to debut next year will have a manual gearbox
22 Oct 2021, 16:10 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Pagani's Huayra will get a successor that is currently codenamed C10. It will come with a twin-turbo engine, according to Horacio Pagani's statements
26 Feb 2018, 08:36 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / This edition of the Geneva Motor Show is, for Pagani, a celebration of the Modenese automaker's best year of business since the company was founded in 1992
21 Aug 2017, 11:00 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Being the founder and owner of a supercar-making company has its perks, as you'll see from Horacio Pagani's newest pride and joy
21 Feb 2017, 13:24 UTC · By: Andrei Tutu / Back in January, we showed you the spec for Horacio Pagani's Ferrari F12 Tour de France and it is now time for the delivery pics
31 Jan 2017, 14:02 UTC · By: Andrei Tutu / Earlier today, we talked about Horacio Pagani taking delivery of his Porsche 911 R, wondering what his next purchase would be...
31 Jan 2017, 13:02 UTC · By: Andrei Tutu / If the color accuracy of these images is correct, Horacio Pagani chose the exterior spec shown during the Porsche 911 R's debut
7 Oct 2015, 13:12 UTC · By: Andrei Tutu / While the info isn't official, this wouldn’t be the first time when Pagani’s founder gets himself a hypercar from another stable
16 Sep 2011, 13:09 UTC · By: Andrei Tutu / When we met Horacio Pagani last year, we discovered a man with a passion for cars that surpasses that of all others. The latest fruit of Pagani’s passion it the Huayra supercar, a creations th...
26 Mar 2010, 15:23 UTC · By: Alex Oagana / An Argentinean dreamer that emigrated to Italy in his youth, Horacio Pagani is now being regarded as one of the last remaining old-school builders of supercars. After spending some time in and aroun...


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Latest from Apple
Everything you need to know about Apple Music, including how much it costs, what it offers and how to use it.
Apple's AirPods (3rd Generation), AirPods Pro, AirPods (2nd Generation) and old AirPods comparison. Should you upgrade and which should you buy?
Everything you need to know about the 2021 Apple MacBook Pro lineup.
Here's everything you need to know about Apple's Spatial Audio, including how the 3D audio tech works and what devices it is available on.
Every year Apple launches a new version of macOS, its software for Apple laptops and desktop computers.
Everything you need to know about the third-generation of the standard AirPods.
Apple is rolling out the first public beta of macOS Monterey.
New MacBook features new tech in an old case.
Apple has announced the third generation of its standard AirPods, which feature the company's Spatial Audio technology and sweat resistance.
Hey Siri, play music for sleeping.
Apple silicon receives its second-gen update, M1 Pro and M1 Max, for a considerable boost in processing and graphics.
Apple's small smart home speaker is receiving a bunch of new colours. Here are all the details.
Apple held a special event today, 18 October, with announcements for MacBook Pro, AirPods, HomePod mini and Apple Music.
Will Monterey work on your Intel or Apple Silicon Mac?
Apple is holding its 'Unleashed' event on 18 October and the latest rumour suggests we could see AirPods 3, new MacBook Pros and a new Mac mini.
Comparison of the Apple Watch Series 7, Watch SE and Watch Series 3 showing the differences and similarities.
There's lots to dive into below the surface in iOS 15, and we've cherry-picked some of our favourite little features
What Apple Watch models are available, how much they are and what the differences are explained. Find the right one for you and your budget.
Does the larger screen and smaller amount of bezel on the Apple Watch Series 7 make it a must-buy wearable, or is there little reason to upgrade?
Your Apple Watch strap collection doesn't have to be limited. Expand your bands with options from official options from Apple, Nike and Hermes.
Everything you need to know about the Apple Watch Series 7.
A Reddit user recently shared in the Apple Music subreddit that they spotted the option to download the Apple Music app to their PS5.
Here is everything we have heard so far about the second generation of Apple AirPods Pro, which we are calling AirPods Pro 2.
Everything we have heard so far about the Apple Watch Series 8, as well as what we would like to see.
At the moment, the main target for the company is FDA clearance.
These are the best Apple Watch apps we've come across - the ones that hold their own on the smaller screen and deliver the information you need.
Rumours surrounding the next line of MacBook Pro models are swirling, with the latest hint pointing to a 120Hz display.
Pocket-lint reached out to display expert Ross Young to clarify the sizing of next year’s models.
The Cupertino giant is expected to unveil a series of new 14-inch and 16-inch redesigned MacBook Pros.
Which is the best Bluetooth tracker and which should you choose?
Ted Lasso has been confirmed for a third season. Here's everything you need to know, including when it is expected to be released and what to expect.
With iOS 15, Apple offers the ability to turn Night Mode off and for the settings to be preserved to make sure it stays off. Here's how.
The unique device was first created by Ken Pillonel, a Swiss Robotics student currently studying for their Master’s.
The cheaper Apple smartwatch could be the wearable for the masses. It's far more affordable than the S7, but does that mean key features are missing?
Here's everything you need to know about Apple Watch Nike.
Rumour suggests the third generation of the Apple iPhone SE will begin production in Dec 2021 for release in Spring 2022, featuring 5G and Touch ID.
There's plenty of choice when it comes to smartphones, almost too much in fact. If you don't want Android, which is the best iPhone for you?
Here's how to close down all your Safari tabs on iPhone at once, as well as how to close down Safari tabs open on a Mac from your iPhone.
The latest suggestion from an industry tipster suggests we won't see AirPods Pro 2 until next year.
Apple has plans to expand CarPlay to control every aspect of an owner’s vehicle.
If you listen to Apple, they’ll tell you only the iPhone 13 series has the capability to shoot macro.
Here's everything you need to know about screenshotting on a Mac.
The key here is Apple’s insistence on only implementing an OLED display with LTPO technology.
There are plenty of reasons why an iPad could be perfect for any student.
College students in the US can't survive without their student ID. Luckily, if they lose their card, they can get by with an iPhone or Apple Watch.
At the moment, Apple currently uses two types of modern display technologies alongside the standard LCD panels - OLED, and mini-LED.
The machines are set to be revealed and launched later this month, claims Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman - the most reliable leaker in the industry.
Apple uncharacteristically showed off the new Series 7 watch without confirming a release date. But now we know.
Whose big spec-beast should you buy? Samsung's or Apple's?


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The Dee Kosh saga, which saw Youtube influencer Darryl Ian Koshy (also known as Dee Kosh) embroiled in sexual harassment allegations, has been the talk of the town in Singapore. Following radio station POWER98's move to distance themselves from the influencer who also hosts its "Up All Night" segment, more brands have taken a similar stance.
In a statement to esb电竞数据投注电脑版 , KFC said the company does not have any ongoing partnership with Koshy and the recent engagement with him in July was a one-off arrangement. The collaboration saw Koshy promoting "International Fried Chicken Day", which encouraged the public to order a chicken bucket to join him and other influencers in a virtual eat-together event on 6 July.
Similarly, gaming company PVP Esports told esb电竞数据投注电脑版 that it does not have any "long-term relationship" with Koshy. When asked about the three promotional posts on his Instagram account, a spokesperson said the company had engaged Koshy for some esports activities in the past but currently has no engagement with Koshy and does not tolerate harassment of any sort. Yesterday, a Lenovo's spokesperson echoed a similar statement, clarifying that the promotional ads that can be seen on his Instagram account were of an ad-hoc partnership.
Meanwhile, in a conversation with esb电竞数据投注电脑版, a spokesperson from Subway said the brand has never had a partnership with Koshy. With regards to a promotional ad in May that Koshy posted on his Instagram page which tagged Subway, the spokesperson said it is not part of a paid partnership.
Besides KFC, PVP Esports and Subway, Koshy is also seen promoting other brands such as Huawei, Shopee, PRISM+ on his social channels. esb电竞数据投注电脑版 has reached out to these brands for a statement.
Koshy came under fire over last weekend as multiple people accused him of sexual harassment. The claims include that Koshy was sexually grooming minors, paying for sex, as well as misusing his talent management business. Koshy has since published a public apology on his social media channels stating that he would assume partial responsibility of the incident, but denied that he has ever have any sexual relations with any minor. This however did not appease netizens who were still unhappy about the issue even after Koshy's apology. According to data by Truescope, majority of netizens' sentiments remained negative after the apology. Some netizens have also commented on POWER 98 placing Koshy on leave and debated if he will get "cancelled" on his social platforms. However, there are also a few netizens who continued showing support both before and after the apology was published.


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Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) didn't waste any time in launching its streaming video service in Latin America after announcing its plans in July; the company Monday said it planned to roll out service to 43 countries in the coming week. The service launched Monday in Brazil, with plans to launch in the remainder of Latin America and the Caribbean by Sept. 12, wrote Rochelle King, Netflix VP of user experience and design, in a blog posting.
"By September 12, people throughout the Americas will be able to instantly watch a broad selection of movies and TV shows streaming from Netflix on computers, game consoles like the WII and PS3, and Smart TVs," King wrote. "A Netflix membership provides unlimited movies and TV shows for a low monthly subscription."
Brazilians can now sign up for one month free at www.netflix.com and can get Portugese-language content on computers and through Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation consoles. Netflix said it will launch a Spanish-language version in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay Wednesday, and in Chile and Bolivia on Thursday. It will rollout in Columbia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru on Friday, and finish its deployment in Mexico and Central America, Monday Sept. 12. It will also launch an English and Spanish-language version in the Caribbean Monday, Sept. 12.
Nextflix said it will charge about $8 per month for the service. Netflix said it has licensed thousands of hours of feature films, classic favorites, telenovelas, documentaries and kids shows, and said it has been testing "the right Internet architecture to make sure the quality and speed of the Netflix streaming experience is the best it can be." It also has established a local presence, training staff to deliver customer support.
Netflix price changes start tomorrow
Netflix set to launch in Spain, U.K. in 2012
Netflix set to launch in 43 Latin American, Caribbean countries this year


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Recently, the issue on global biotechnology policies, in particular the EU policy of zero tolerance for non-registered genetically modified organisms (GMO’s), was raised again when US exports of soya beans and other animal feed ingredients to the EU contained traces of maize GMO’s that have not yet been authorised in the EU.
One can understand that the major developed nations would each like to be responsible for their own biotechnology policies and the strict execution thereof as these will differ depending on how consumer lifestyles, behaviour and thinking influence policy makers of a specific region. Would it not be great though if developed countries across the world could agree on collaborating more closely to align, synchronize and execute their policies? Would this not help the world address food security faster and more effectively without compromising food safety? It is anyway expected that almost all of the major global grain and plant protein sources will soon be of GMO origin, whether approved everywhere or not.
Common global goal
The latest clashes over US GMO soya bean exports to the EU again brings up the thought of whether EU policy makers and biotechnologists are implicating that their US counterparts are less concerned about their consumers than they are. Surely, this cannot be the case and should there be a common goal global policy makers must strive for when it comes to food safety and security. In trying to accomplish this goal it will be critical that policy makers co-operate and put their political agendas aside. Current measures that are put in place as a consequence of such disagreements and non co-operation are significantly affecting consumers and livestock producers across the world.
Food price concern
Consumers always complain about the rise in food prices, but do they really understand where it often comes from. Do they really realise what impact certain policies they may support could have on how much they are paying additionally for their food? Many calculations have been done to determine what these differences in policies and the affect on trade are costing the world. Despite the immense cost to consumers and livestock producers, policy makers will rather have countries run out of feed ingredient stock than allow the import of GMO ingredients that are already approved safe in other countries.
Unfortunately, policy makers of less developed nations are conveniently following the policies of developed nations and do not realise what negative impact it has on food security. In less developed regions a major part of the population is more concerned about where the next meal will come from, not whether the meal is safe enough to be consumed. Their developed counterparts may still have the financial resources to pay for high food prices, but the fact that thoughtless policies are not adjusted to fit the less developed needs creates starvation in many less developed parts of the world.
Non aligned policy?
am not aware of any GMO application that was finally rejected (many are still up for approval), however the slow and ineffective process of registration prevents this country from importing lower priced maize, a staple food for millions of people in Africa and the most important livestock producing ingredient, from the US. Livestock producers have been mainly blamed for high food prices, despite their continuous struggle to survive. Can one blame anybody coming to the conclusion that the real source for the continuous rise in food prices, besides the role the final food distribution chain may play, perhaps also lies in thoughtless and non aligned policy making strategies and ineffective registration authorities?


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2016 Chevrolet Cruze was spied first time in Italy some days back, now the second spy-shot of same has been arrived on internet which was caught testing outside the Frankfurt, Germany.
Though, there were three of the test mules doing test rounds back to back but none of them revealed anything to us due to their heavy cladding of camouflages. Only little of them can be known, and that is, parted front grille with the Chevrolet bowtie logo strip running across it, reclining roofline, and nothing else of new sorts. However, the 2016 Cruze is learnt to be more of space inside, bigger boot and better fuel efficiency, hinted Chevrolet some days back. However, it was also rumored the 2016 Chevrolet Cruze to also use new platform which will serve other purposes too aligning the numerous compact sedan and crossover models in the future on itself. Disappointingly, that myth will be revealed only when the American carmaker will remove the cover from it at some future Motor Shows in the US.
Saved for the last, new Chevrolet Cruze was slated to be launched in 2014, but due to some “engineering changes” it will now be completed till the end of 2015. Lest, we expect the present-generation Cruze is generating enough amount of revenues for the company, so maybe the carmaker doesn’t wanted to pump in the additional investment before extracting the much out of what is there invested. Hope so the South Korea branch of GM may have to say something now, as they are the ones who are putting their best of efforts on this car.
Image Courtesy: LLN


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Food bank needs 3,000 turkeys
The Harry Chapin Food Bank needs 3,000 more turkeys to help fill the requests this Thanksgiving.
The food bank spent $45,000 to provide gift cards, valued at $10 each, which have been distributed among clients at its 150 nonprofit partner agencies. The cards, designated for the purchase of food for holiday meals, are more economical and efficient because clients can purchase their turkeys or other Thanksgiving foods at the sale prices, making their dollars stretch further.
The food bank bought 4,500 cards, but it still needs more birds so that clients can celebrate Thanksgiving.
The food bank solicits, collects and stores food for distribution to families and others in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties, providing food to about 28,000 people a week.
Those who wish to donate birds can drop them off at the food bank’s Fort Myers warehouse or Naples warehouse. Here are the addresses and drop-off hours:
Fort Myers: 3760 Fowler St. accepts donations from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Naples: 2221 Corporation Blvd. accepts donations from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday & Friday and 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday & Thursday
The food bank distributed 20.6 million pounds of food and other grocery items, including 6.4 million pounds of fresh produce in the past year.
Information, 334-7007 or visit harrychapinfoodbank.org.


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Baldur’s Gate 3, the latest video game based on the Dungeons and Dragons tabletop RPG, doesn’t have an Xbox release date. Larian Studios announced long ago that the PlayStation 5 version was on the way, but has now clarified on its plans for an Xbox version.
Larian wants to bring Baldur’s Gate 3 to Xbox Series S and X. In the latest Baldur’s Gate 3 blog post, developers confirmed that they are still working on support for Xbox Series X and S, with S being the console holding things back for now. It isn’t finished, so there isn’t an exact release date for it yet like there is for PlayStation 5.
“We’ve said before that our goal is to bring our games to as many platforms as possible,” reads the blog. “We’re optimistic about Baldur’s Gate 3 on the Xbox Series X, but in order to announce and release the game on Xbox, we need to ensure that the game is performing without compromise across the entire Xbox X|S ecosystem, in multiplayer and with split-screen.”
Continue Reading at GameSpot


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Sharply rising energy costs along with already high inflation and an ailing economy: Consumers have less and less money to save, sometimes even needing to use their savings to cover living expenses. For asset managers, selling their products in these market conditions is becoming increasingly difficult – a turning point for the fund sector that previously enjoyed ideal conditions in a low-interest environment.
Asset managers now need to adjust to this changed backdrop. The focus is on three key areas of action: Cost-effectiveness, faster adaptability and changing customer requirements. But how can asset managers address these challenges? The answer is: By building the sales of the future using data-driven process automation. To learn about what it takes, about the role of the customer journey, and about how a new value creation model accelerates transformation, check out the latest issue of our newsletter, which you can download here.
Download the new issue now.


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Virtual reality and Android Wear wearables starred at Google’s annual developers conference, where the company also unveiled its Google Home voice-controlled wireless speaker and virtual digital assistant.
Google’s answer to Amazon’s Echo uses Wi-Fi to stream music from the cloud and from GoogleCast-enabled apps on mobile devices, offers wireless multiroom audio unavailable yet in the Echo, and controls smart-home devices, including but not limited to products from Google’s Nest group. It also delivers voice control of Google’s Chromecast dongle for TVs.
Google Home will also respond to natural-language voice queries, scouring the web for basic information such as weather but also answering “difficult questions” that product management VP Mario Queiroz said challenge other personal assistants, such as “How much fat is in an avocado?”
Consumers can also use their voice to set alarms and timers as well as manage to-do lists, and in the future, Google Home will let users order products through the Internet, including flowers and pizza.
The device, which plugs into an electrical outlet for power, brings Google Assistant voice technology with natural-language processing to the home from mobile devices, Queiroz said, and it offers far-field voice recognition to recognize voice commands spoken from across the room.
Google Home is due sometime later this year at an unannounced price, giving app developers time to integrate their apps with Google Home, Queiroz said.


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MIAMI, Okla. — A city in Northeast Oklahoma is in the midst of auctioning surplus city property.
An online auction in Miami began last Friday. It starts at 8 AM on Monday, June 20th.
Items include riding lawn mowers, an excavator, office furniture, printers, filing cabinets, tire changing, and balancing equipment. Even traffic lights.
Officials say some of the items work just fine while others would need some maintenance.
“They’re just to the end of their use for us. We’ve bought newer and, you know, maybe smaller or sometimes larger pieces of equipment and this is about the best way to get rid of some of this equipment. Some of the lawn mowers are from the parks, the cemetery, the utility department, sports complexes, they’ve just been used up,” said Robert Barger, Manager, City of Miami Street Department.
City officials say all sales are final and the items need to be picked up from the city hall within 10 days of the auction closing.
Those interested in seeing what’s still available can check out the link here.


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- Microsoft lists the Windows 11 22H2 known issues.
- The initial release includes three compatibility issues blocking the upgrade.
- You shouldn’t try to upgrade if your PC has one of these problems.
UPDATED 9/27/2022: On September 20, Microsoft began the gradual rollout of the Windows 11 2022 Update (version 22H2), which represents the first major update in the past year that brings visual improvements and new features. Alongside the release, the company has also published a list of the current known issues affecting some devices.
The complete list of Windows 11 22H2 known issues is available on the health dashboard page, and at the time of this writing, it only includes a few problems that have been confirmed. As a result of these issues, the affected computers currently have an upgrade hold until the problem has been resolved.
Known issues affecting Windows 11 22H2
Here’s the list of confirmed known issues blocking the Windows 11 22H2 upgrade:
- Copying files/shortcuts using Group Policy Preferences might not work as expected: Files or shortcuts might not copy or copy as zero-byte files when using Group Policy Preferences on client devices.
KB5012170 might fail to install, and you might receive a 0x800f0922 error: Security update for Secure Boot DBX might fail to install.
Issues resolved or mitigated:
Compatibility issues with Intel Smart Sound Technology drivers and Windows 11: Windows 11 devices with the affected Intel SST driver might receive an error with a blue screen.
Microsoft unconfirmed issues:
- Nvidia GeForce Experience (GFE) causing low frame rates, stuttering, and low processor usage after upgrade: Nvidia confirm the issue with new graphics debugging tools on Windows 11 22H2 and has already released a fix.
Microsoft has been preparing this update for months, and it seems that the work is paying off as the Windows 11 22H2 looks (so far) to be off to a good start. As more computers install version 22H2, the company will update the dashboard page with more information and possible workarounds where applicable.
If a problem is found at any time, Microsoft will place a safeguard hold to prevent the affected device from receiving the upgrade until the problem has been resolved.


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New Delhi: Digital payments and financial services company (Paytm) is going to hire more than 20 thousand field sales executives across the country. According to the information, the new recruits will have the earning potential of about 35 thousand rupees every month.
As per information received from sources, it will be used to promote the entire portfolio of Paytm. This includes QR codes, POS machines, Paytm soundboxes as well as other products from the company’s ecosystem such as Wallet, UPI, across the country. Apart from this, Paytm Postpaid, Merchant Loan and Insurance offerings will also be included.
Company intends to bring Rs.16,600 crore IPO by October
submitted documents with SEBI


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Growing global concern about the climate crisis and environmental sustainability has increased efforts to combat deceptive practices that obscure the true environmental footprint of products and services. One of these practices is "greenwashing", a term that describes the actions of companies that promote themselves as environmentally conscious, but whose actions do not match their claims.
According to data from the European Commission, 53% of green claims give vague, misleading or unfounded information, 40% of claims have no evidence, half of all green labels offer weak or non-existent verification and there are 230 sustainability labels and 100 green energy labels in the EU, with very different levels of transparency.
To address this problem, on January 17 the European Parliament adopted a new text relevant to the issue of greenwashing and commercial practices that are considered misleading and should be banned. The aim of this proposal for a directive, which has not yet been officially published, is to promote environmental transparency, strengthening consumer confidence in companies' environmental claims and promoting fairer competition in the market.
This new text of the directive, whose main objective is to empower consumers for the ecological transition, defines criteria and standards for environmental claims and prohibits misleading or unproven statements about the sustainability of products and services, such as "environmentally friendly", "natural", "biodegradable", "climate neutral" or "eco". This type of claim should also not be applied when used solely on the basis of offsetting greenhouse gas emissions.
Companies will thus be obliged to provide concrete evidence to prove their environmental claims, helping consumers to make more informed decisions.
We have seen a proliferation of sustainability labels, a situation which does not allow for comparability of data and which has caused confusion for consumers. This proposal identifies the need to standardize official certification systems, established by public authorities, which will be required within the EU, and proposes strict monitoring mechanisms to ensure compliance with the regulations. This monitoring should be carried out by a third party whose competence and independence from the owner of the system and the trader is ensured on the basis of international, EU or national standards and procedures, for example by demonstrating compliance with the relevant international standards, such as ISO 17065 "Conformity assessment - Requirements for bodies operating product, process and service certification" or through the mechanisms provided for in Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the European Parliament and of the Council.
Another crucial aspect will be promoting consumer education and awareness about sustainable practices and how to identify greenwashing. Awareness campaigns are to be launched to inform consumers about the pitfalls of greenwashing and encourage more sustainable consumption choices.
It also encourages collaboration between the public and private sectors, as well as with non-governmental organizations, to develop common standards and best practices that support environmental transparency and corporate responsibility.
This new law has another objective regarding the durability of products: warranty information will have to be more visible and there will be a new harmonized label to highlight products with an extended warranty period.
The new directive should work in tandem with the Green Claims Directive, still under discussion in the parliamentary committee, which will be more specific and will elaborate the conditions for using environmental claims in more detail.
The proposed European directive to combat greenwashing represents a significant step in the right direction to ensure that environmental claims are authentic and credible. By promoting transparency and accountability, this legislation protects consumers and drives the transition to a more sustainable and conscious economy.


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The products are derived from chitin in the crab shells, the second most abundant biopolymer on the planet after cellulose. Chitin is found in fungi, plankton and the exoskeletons of insects and crustaceans and adds up to about 100 billion tons every year.
The miracle substance can be spun into fabrics, filters, bio-plastics, bandages, stitches, even car coatings with self-healing scratches. Since the 1950s, chitin has only been produced in China and India, where the use and disposal of harsh extraction chemicals is less restrictive. Now, Tidal Vision’s proprietary method of obtaining chitin from crab shells in a closed loop, chemical-free method is a world first, making them the only maker of chitin-based products in the USA.
As the team builds up stockpiles of chitin from Alaska crab shells and hones their equipment and methods at a pilot plant near Seattle, a first product to hit the market is Tidal Grow.
“It’s an organic nitrogen source with 11 essential plant nutrients, it can be a pH adjuster for soil and reduce the need for other soil amendments, and it’s loaded with calcium,” explained Craig Kasberg, Tidal Vision’s “Captain” Executive Officer.
Companies in Washington also are buying bags of dried chitin flakes to filter water going into Puget Sound.
“Sometimes it is built into filters, but for storm water systems it’s used as a flocculent, meaning it’s mixed in with the water and bonds to toxic particles throughout the mixing process,” Kasberg said.
In its liquid form, Alaska chitosan is serving another customer – wines.
“The wine industry uses the same process to clarify it and settle out some of the solid particles in the wine as a finishing agent. It’s the same concept,” Kasberg explained.
Tidal Vision also has teamed with Floral Soil Solutions to make bio-based flower foams.
“They make an all-natural foam for florists that is used in Whole Foods across the country and by several other big flower outlets to replace the petroleum-based screen foam that’s been the industry standard for about 40 years,” he said.
Also in the offing: Tidal Scrub – a chitin-based kitchen sponge that naturally kills bacteria.
“There is a common saying that there’s more bacteria in your kitchen sink than in your toilet. That grabs quite a few people’s attention as an example of how chitin can really make a difference in day to day life,” Kasberg added.
At the same time, Tidal Vision is perfecting its bacteria-killing ChitoSkin fabrics and working with Grundens’ product development team.
The ultimate goal, Kasberg said, is to bring Tidal Vison’s entire operation to Alaska within two years, including mobile plants that can extract chitin from crab shells in remote locations. Prices for chitin can range from $10 to $30,000 a pound, up to $150,000 a pound for pharmaceutical grades.
Chompin’ on Chinooks - Killer whales eat 375 pounds of food per day – and most of that is salmon. That's the equivalent of salmon each day to what 200 Americans eat for a year, according to a write up in Science.
The determination about diets was made using an analysis of fish DNA in killer whale poop.
Estimating the makeup of a killer whale’s diet helps scientists understand interactions between predators and prey, because observing what they eat directly is difficult. In this study, the authors used genetic analysis of fecal material collected in the whales’ summer range in the Salish Sea in the Pacific Northwest. They genetically sequenced 175 fecal samples collected from May to September from 2006-2011, which resulted in nearly five million individual sequences.
The researchers found that salmon made up nearly 98 percent of the total sequences, which they concluded is the bulk of a killer whale’s diet. Non-salmon fish were rarely observed.
Of the five salmon species, Chinook salmon made up 80 percent of the sequences, followed by 15 percent coho salmon. They found that early in the summer their diet was dominated by Chinook salmon and coho salmon was greater than 40 percent in the late summer.
Billions in the Bay – This summer at Bristol Bay the two billionth sockeye salmon will be landed in the 133rd year of the fishery’s history. That adds up to about 12 billion pounds of sockeye, according to fishery historian Bob King.
It took 95 years for Bristol Bay to produce its first billion salmon, a milestone set on June 28, 1975 in the Nushagak River. The second billion will occur 38 years later and the three billionth sockeye salmon should be taken in 2054.
Fishermen’s Almanac - Highlighting the life and skills of fishermen is the theme of the Young Fishermen’s Almanac being compiled by the Alaska Marine Conservation Council and the Alaska Young Fishermen’s Network, and submissions are being sought for the first edition.
“This is a book length publication that wwill feature stories, art and a wide variety of other information that is reflective of Alaska’s fishing traditions,” said Hannah Heimbuch, AMCC’s Community Fisheries Organizer, adding that the idea came from the Young Farmer’s Almanac developed by the Greenhorns in the lower 48.
“It will have a really wide variety of information - short stories, poetry, photography and other visual art. It also would be fun to have fishermen’s jokes, top ten lists, gear hacks, how to’s and favorite recipes,” Heimbuch said.
The groups have reached out to the Young Fishermen’s Network to find a diverse group of men and women to help steer the project, but anyone is encouraged to share their experiences and knowledge.
“Whatever people want to share is great,” she said. “All different kinds of artwork is welcome, or if people want to tell a joke or describe their worst or best days of fishing. The hope is that anybody could open to any page and find something interesting or quirky or funny that would be a good addition to their day.”
Submit pieces to firstname.lastname@example.org


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through their story, is educating you on these insights so you can help solve the problems that they're experiencing and describing."
These customer conversations are ongoing, but prior to the development of Capital One Wallet, they focused on purchasing experiences, and the team used that information to come up with features based on these customer stories. "Once we launched, we could completely change the conversation and ask them more direct questions around their experience with the app in order to optimize it and make it better," Totman said.
Since then, Alexander said, business leaders across the organization "are lining up to do their work in agile teams, and put the folks on their teams into our agile organization."
The Real-Time Challenge
One of the challenges in creating Capital One Wallet was moving from a batch process to a near real-time approach. "Banking is inherently a batch world," Alexander said. "Banks did a bunch of transactions during the day, processed overnight, and started the next day with a clean slate. Consumer expectations are real-time. One of things we're really focused on is, how do you make these interactions truly real-time for the customers? How do you engineer solutions for systems that [didn't] start as real-time systems?"
Totman noted that the environment at Capital One is a mix of legacy technology and new, open source capabilities.
The Capital One Wallet project relies on APIs to communicate with backend systems. "Without those, this project would have been difficult," Totman said. "Once we understood which systems would be hit, we were able to plan our API roadmap to make sure those capabilities were coming online at the right time."
The financial services industry is one that spends heavily on technology, Alexander said. "There's a heavy investment in running the engine, keeping the lights on, business as usual. There's heavy investment in regulatory requirements. Then, on top of that, you have to invest in innovation."
Factor in the challenge of integrating systems that are introduced through acquisitions, and it can make for a tricky combination. In recent years, Capital One has acquired three medium-sized banks, as well as ING Direct and HSBC's US credit card business.
"Every time we do these acquisitions, we put investment into integrating those systems fully and consolidate them," Alexander said. "When you acquire one more bank, how do you take all those accounts, all those deposits and loans, and put them on one platform?
We've stayed ahead of that sprawl, and we make sure we continue to invest in reducing the number of platforms we have. We've focused on rationalizing and simplifying our infrastructure … while also investing in new capabilities."
Security is another priority. It is such an important factor for an organization like Capital One that it almost goes without mentioning. "Customer information is our most precious asset," Alexander explained. "We engineer security first into every application and every facet of our infrastructure that serves those customers."
So what's ahead for Capital One? The company recently rolled out CardLock, which enables customers to turn off their Capital One plastic cards via the Wallet app. "If your card is lost or stolen, you can prevent fraud from happening on your card just by turning it off," Alexander said.
Another new feature is what Capital One calls Second Look -- a different kind of alert system that helps identify possible mistakes or unexpected charges, such as duplicate charges or increases in monthly bills. "We're constantly applying data analytics to your stream of transactions and alerting you to things that look unusual," Alexander explained.
Most recently, the company has rolled out card servicing using Amazon Echo and its Alexa voice-activated artificial intelligence service. "You can talk to Capital One and service your card account through Alexa," Alexander said. "It's indicative of our belief that banking is becoming more integrated into people's lives."
The company also recently announced a developer platform that takes APIs developed for internal use and exposes them to third-party developers. "This enables us to let third-party developers integrate Capital One into their products," Alexander said. "We think that's really exciting."
Machine learning is also playing a significant role in Capital One's future plans. "Machine learning will be a huge area of innovation within the banking industry," Alexander said. "Banking is a rich environment in terms of the amount of data, the amount of interactions with customers, and the complexity of products and services you have. It's ripe for doing it better, and machine learning delivers tools to provide more tailored, customized products for your customers."
The new way of operating, Alexander said, "is a comprehensive shift across our company that is really embedding digital capabilities across the organization." The biggest challenge in the company's transformation was not technical. "The biggest challenge is the talent shift and crossing the chasm from being a traditional IT organization," Alexander said. That's not all, he added. "The most fundamental message here is that it starts with great talent. Once you expose your business customers to that great engineering talent and what IT can deliver, they see their ideas become reality."
Add in an operating model that's about agile, public cloud, and an architectural approach based on APIs, and business executives become addicted. "They see the power of what engineering can deliver," Alexander said. "You see success in the market, and it feeds on itself. That's the thing that is at the heart of what we've done. It's an operating model that empowers us to move quickly, be creative, and innovate."


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Marvel Realm of Champions was released back in 2020 to a mixed reaction from audiences, and the Kabam developed game has announced it will be closing up shop at the end of March.
A Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) is a game focused around multiplayer, usually revolving around objective-based team gameplay in an effort to remain the victor after everything is said and done. Marvel Realm of Champions announced they will shutter their servers after a short period earlier this week, after it was released back in December 2020.
“When we started to develop Marvel Realm of Champions, we set out to create a fast-paced action RPG with competitive PVP battles, and the ability to customize your own Marvel Champions in the way that you want. Despite making multiple adjustments and changes along the way, we have not been able to meet the vision that we had initially set.”Marvel Realm of Champions Announcement
In the announcement of the game shutting down, it has been effectively delisted from the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store, and in game purchases have been effectively disabled. The servers will remain up for the duration of February and March with bonuses given to players during that time, including:
- Unreleased Gear Sets and Weapons will be made available
- We’ll greatly increase the number of Units we give away
- Gear Crates and Crafting Crystals will cost fewer units
- Arena Conquest, Daily Missions, Solo Conquest, War Thor’s Crucible and Deathmatch game modes will be available until March 31.
For fans of the Marvel based MOBA, there will be plenty to do until the inevitable close, but there’s more news available for those looking for another Marvel game to sink their teeth into. Kabam has announced that former players of Marvel Realm of Champions, can make a game account of Marvel Contest of Champions with the same Kabam ID to receive bonuses only available to the MOBA title’s players. The bonuses are related to how much progress the account has made in the Realm.
Fans looking for a conclusion to the story of Marvel Realm of Champions are in luck, as the developer also announced the conclusion will be revealed before servers are closed permanently. Marvel Realm of Champions will close up shop on March 31st.


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In the late 1990s, most of the Internet activity was around user consumption of data build around networks like Yahoo, Netscape, AOL and others. The second generation of the Internet came a decade later with the advent of social media where consumer data became the product. It created monopolistic technology companies built on advertising revenue.
The Internet is moving towards a decentralised community-driven Web 3.0. This new version of the Internet is built around the user owning the data. If the initial versions of the Internet benefitted the investors, this new version aspires for a fair, decentralised, equitable and participatory Internet. We are not there yet, but we sure are headed that way with many hurdles to overcome.
Building confidence in Web 3.0
The crypto crash this year knocked USD one trillion off the combined market capitalisation of the world’s cryptocurrencies, according to Goldman Sachs. The taxation approach of the Indian government and the crypto market crash is a source of concern for investors. It affects their confidence in the underlying blockchain technology that enables Web 3.0. Recent events however could be viewed as price discovery events, and these occur annually. Every asset class goes through a cycle of bull run, a pullback, which is followed again by a bull run.
Investors must view market price as just one indicator of the adoption of Web 3.0. They should consider other parameters such as developer and social media activity around an asset. They could also look at how many institutional investments are being made in the Web 3.0 ecosystem.
Venture capital interest in blockchain and cryptocurrency start-ups was under USD 10 billion in 2020, and the funding shot up to USD 32 billion in 2021, marking an annual increase of more than 370 per cent, according to PitchBook data. As of 2022, there are now 65 total crypto unicorns as per The Block Research. So overall, the world is invested in this technology shift and an average investor could consider these price corrections as lagging indicators.
Changing investor mindset
Investments in the Web 3.0 space are not merely an opportunity for short-term investment gains. Instead, they should be viewed as investments in a technology opportunity.
In the late 1990s, there was the dotcom bubble, a rapid rise in US technology stock equity valuations fueled by investments in Internet-based companies during the bull market. The Nasdaq rose five-fold between 1995 and 2000, but when the bubble burst, it saw an almost 77 per cent drop, resulting in losses worth billions of dollars. Price corrections in the early stages of Web 3.0 are similar to the dotcom bubble.
Had Indians pulled back their investments at the time, they would have missed opportunities presented by the Internet of today. However, in certain ways, India did miss out on that opportunity. We lacked the framework that would have helped create homegrown tech innovators and giants. The best we were able to manage was to become an IT services hub, and we are still reliant on foreign companies coming to India with technology and investments. We are now presented with an opportunity again.
Increasing taxation could be a deterrent
Investments in Web 3.0 development should be made by the Indian government as well as retail and institutional investors. These investments should be geared towards spurring growth in the Web 3.0 infrastructure and those who are supporting its development.
Policymakers in India are mulling over a 28 per cent Goods and Service Tax (GST) on cryptocurrencies, which is over and above an already imposed 30 per cent tax on profits made from crypto assets and Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs). It can act as a deterrent to the growth and adoption of the Web 3.0 ecosystem within India. It’s advisable to develop a supportive policy framework geared towards directing investments in the technology and start-ups working in this space to help them grow. The technology is still in its infancy, but India must course-correct to avoid losing out on the opportunities presented by the future of the Internet.
The government must communicate that it is fully committed to investments in the technology and is supporting the companies.
Developing the right framework
What the crypto industry can do now is to try changing the mindset of the public and the government from merely viewing it as a short-term investment vehicle. The industry must create high-level educational opportunities for policymakers, guiding them on how to best regulate the sector. The crypto industry must work with the government to develop the right regulatory framework that enables full disclosure and identifies risks Such an effort can help educate retail investors so they can invest more in the Web 3.0 infrastructure besides crypto and tokens.
Web 3.0 is not limited to cryptocurrencies; the focus should be on the technology that enables the next generation of the Internet. The future includes stable coins, metaverse, gaming and real-world applications of NFTs. The most important of these shifts is peer-to-peer decentralised finance that enables borrowing and lending directly without relying on traditional financial institutions. It will play a major role in financial inclusion and in spurring the next wave of entrepreneurs.
Kapil Rathi, co-founder and CEO of CrossTower. He has experience and expertise in building exchanges in regulated markets. Prior to founding CrossTower, Kapil was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at AlphaPoint.


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A number of businesses are being left counting the high cost of the introduction of the new, 12-sided £1 coin.
The new coin comes into circulation on March 28, and shops are being told not to accept old £1 coins or distribute them in change after October 15.
While the new coin is being heralded as 'the most secure coin in the world', many are being left counting the cost of adapting or upgrading machines integral to their business.
And some are upset about the fact that this change is coming not longer after the introduction of the polymer £5 notes and just a few years after new 5p and 10p coins.
"We will then have the new £10 note and the new £20," says Kimberley Danter, whose family own and run the Barry Island Pleasure Park.
"There seems to be a never-ending change with our currency."
The Danter family run three funfairs in the UK and Ms Danter says the cost of converting all the machines runs to tens of thousands of pounds, as they need to pay a qualified engineer to change thousands of machines.
Ms Danter added the company had only just changed all the machines to accept the new £5, and she also is concerned about the short amount of time they have to get rid of the old, round one pound coins before they become worthless.
The concerns and cost implications are echoed by Adam Williams, the owner of Llandudno Pier. He says the change of coins is going to cost him £50,000.
His amusement arcades on the pier and in Towyn house several hundred machines that will all need either re-programming or in some cases scrapping - with some costing as much as £500 to adapt.
Adam told the Daily Post: "This is going to cost us tens of thousands of pounds, probably in excess of £50,000.
"We have been working on the changes for around six months, as you can imagine we have hundreds of pieces of equipment that operate via coins (games, fruit machines, coin counting equipment, etc).
"We have been given some sample coins from the mint, this has enabled us to re-programme certain equipment ourselves.
"However some pieces of equipment cannot be re-programmed due to them being mechanical or it's just not possible, so they either get sent away for the work to be done or will be scrapped."
He added: "One of the difficulties is that for a period there will be two different £1 coins, this has caused no end of troubles.
"We have a lot of work to do yet to be ready. This is difficult to budget for, especially after we have just spent a considerable amount accommodating the new £5 note.
"There is no compensation for this so we just have to take the hit. Our company has good cash flow and we can take the hit, although it will mean that money we would have invested in our facilities will now go on this. But for many in the industry this will put them under real pressure.
"We have the equipment to re-programme some of the machines ourselves because we are a large firm and it pays off, if we didn’t have those this would cost us far more.
"The amusement sector will be the hardest hit by these changes and we know there are more changes to comes with other notes coming out."
Gaming and vending
Ronald Edwards, the managing director of Excel Gaming Ltd, agrees it is not fair that businesses have been offered no support.
"We asked the Government to help us," he says. "But they won't. I think it is really bad, it is costing us a fortune."
Mr Edwards estimates the cost to his business will be about £4,000 for 50 machines.
H managed to save himself some money when he had to adapt his machines following the introduction of the £5 note. For this Mr Edwards purchased the software and upgraded the machines himself, but he still estimated that cost between £12 and £14 a machine.
And Simon Morgan, the owner of Surevend vending company, feels the Government has little sympathy for the vending machine industry. The sugar tax, he says, has been a big hit to his business, and now there's the change in coins.
Mr Morgan believes the change to the new pound coin should have been done at the same time 5p and 10p coins were changed.
Mr Morgan says it costs £10 a machine to make the change, and that is not factoring in additional costs such as fuel, so he estimates it can sometimes rise to closer to £20.
"It is a problem for people such as myself," he says.
"It's not so bad for us as we don't use notes at all. But it is not long since we changed the machines for the new 5p and 10p, and now we have to upgrade for the new £1."


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Canada: Cord-cutting at record levels
March 16, 2017
Canada’s publicly traded television service providers as a whole continued to lose a record number of TV subscribers in 2016 but the trends shifted as the cable companies lost considerably fewer subscribers and the IPTV providers saw subscriber growth slow significantly.
Research from Ottawa-based research and consulting firm Boon Dog Professional Services shows the big traditional TV service providers combined lost a record 202,000* TV subscribers in their respective 2016/2017 fiscal years (Nov. 30/Dec. 31, 2015 to Nov. 30/Dec. 31, 2016), up from 160,000 lost in their 2015/2016 fiscal years.
“The subscriber trend story of 2016 is the significant slowdown of IPTV subscriber growth and the improvement in cable TV subscriber losses, which are directly related,” says Boon Dog Partner Mario Mota. “The major IPTV providers added almost three times fewer subscribers in 2016 than they did in 2015 due to limited IPTV footprint expansion and competition from the cable companies. In past years strong IPTV subscriber growth largely offset subscriber declines by the cable and satellite TV companies, but with IPTV slowing considerably in 2016 we saw the overall TV subscriber loss in Canada accelerate to a new record level.”
Mota notes, however, that even with record subscriber losses, Canada’s traditional TV service providers are holding their own against a multitude of choices available to consumers to view video content. “Given that roughly 11.3 million households subscribed to a traditional TV service at the end of 2016, the 202,000 customers lost last year represents only 2 per cent of the total market.”


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How can companies develop mobile e-learning?
Mobile e-learning is growing rapidly in the business-to-business (B2B) sector as companies look to find more effective ways of teaching knowledge to workers.
It wasn’t long ago that smartphones were seen as a luxury by most people, who were content with phones capable of just calling and texting. Now this has all changed, as Apple, Samsung and Sony have all created dynamic handsets capable of exceptional video quality.
However, not all of the world has been able to take advantage of this new technology, as many areas do not have the resources required to facilitate it. This is something that all global companies should keep in mind when they are considering any e-learning plans, as there is a big digital divide between many areas of the world.
However, the rest of the world is catching up, with figures from GSMA Intelligence showing that the developing world accounts for four in every five mobile connections across the globe.
Matt Ablott, analyst, GSMA Intelligence, said: “Our new data provides a clear indication that the developing world will account for the vast majority of future mobile subscriber growth – and could eventually account for an even greater share of total connections considering the low mobile penetration rate in many of these markets.
“However, subscriber growth is only part of the story, and many emerging market operators will need to learn lessons from their counterparts in mature markets with regards to building revenue share as well as market share.”
Mr Abbott expects to see further consolidation in emerging markets because operators are chasing improved efficiencies, which could result in pricing pressures easing in many areas of the world.
The importance of effective translation services
While mobile e-learning offers a number of excellent opportunities for international companies, it is important that managers do not underestimate the importance of having efficient translation services.
Without these, companies could risk miscommunicating key ideas and causing issues across a number of different departments. With this in mind, organisations should not rely on machine translation.
Instead, businesses should turn to experts who will make sure that no important messages are lost in translation. Research from Nitish Singh, published by Cambridge University Press, emphasised how the mobile web is expanding worldwide and a significant proportion of the globe will soon be carrying out a variety of tasks on the “mobile web”.
While translation services have advanced significantly for desktop computers, it is important that the same progress is made for mobile services and that managers carefully consider the different intricacies of mobile hardware.
How can mobile learning move forward?
While mobile learning is on the rise in the UK, there is much more that needs to be done in order for companies to be able to truly capitalise on the technology.
John Traxler, professor of m-learning at the University of Wolverhampton in the UK, commented on the plans, telling the Guardian: “It's a big step in the right direction in terms of putting the possibilities in front of the GSMA's members and raising awareness of the commercial and business opportunities education represents in the developing world.
“Clearly it's a small sample, covering only four countries, so it's indicative rather than representative.”
Mr Traxler went on to say that networks need to understand that the technology is profitable in order for them to truly pay attention to its value.
In order for global businesses to take advantage of this market, they need to keep in mind the language barrier of the different countries they work in and understand that mobile e-learning could have a significant impact on their performance.


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Back to bed for customers
ANOTHER addition to the growing retail precinct in Johanna Blvd has been welcomed by those who value a good night's sleep.
Forty Winks owner Adam Healey said Saturday's official grand opening saw a great response from customers.
"This Saturday was a good test for us to see had the store looked and how the customers responded. It was definitely above expectation," he said.
"We had a mix of customers, some who said they'd been waiting for Forty Winks to come up here and others who never thought it left.
"Forty Winks had been up here for about eight or nine years but it closed about three years ago.
"We're still a little underdone with the bedroom key suites.
"We've got about 25 suites but we've got about four to five to come... it will only get better."
Also the owner of the Hervey Bay store, Mr Healey said he was impressed by the retail precinct that has grow significantly in Johanna Blvd in the last 12 months.
"I was here about 12 months ago... it was really quiet and the traffic was low," he said.
"But now it's almost like being on a main road.
"It's more of a location now.
"I think bedding's great when you can have a couple of stores close to each other it just makes it easier for the customers to shop around and I think that's important."
Bundaberg Chamber of Commerce president Yale Morgan it was exciting for the community to see national retailers investing here.
"If the larger players are coming to town they must see a bright future for retail," he said.


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The NPPO of Finland recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of the first detection of tomato brown rugose fruit virus (Tobamovirus, ToBRFV – EPPO A2 List) on its territory. In July 2022, the virus was detected during an official survey in a small greenhouse (600 m²) producing tomato fruit (Solanum lycopersicum) in the municipality of Turku (region of Varsinais-Suomi). Tomato plants were asymptomatic. Eradication measures will be applied. The source of the outbreak is unknown, and traceback investigations are ongoing. The plants for planting had been delivered from another production place.
The pest status of tomato brown rugose fruit virus in Finland is officially declared as; Present, under eradication.
For more information:
EPPO Global Database


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Citi highlights Grab’s commitment in lowering cost to broaden the affordability of more consumers.
Citi Research analyst Alicia Yap is increasingly positive on Grab’s execution in delivering sustainable improvement in operations after hosting the company’s CFO Peter Oey at Citi’s 31st annual Global Tech Conference on Sept 8.
In her note, Yap highlights Grab’s commitment in lowering cost to broaden the affordability of more consumers, driving higher income for the driver-partners and merchant-partners. More importantly, Grab continues to optimise its operations and invest in product innovation, she adds.
Grab also shared with Citi a few reasons behind the decent results it achieved in 2QFY2023 ended June, which was announced on Aug 23. It includes deliveries gross merchandise volume (GMV) regaining growth at 10% q-o-q, which was driven by the solid momentum of GrabUnlimited as well as the lowering of costs mentioned.
With improving adjusted ebitda margins for delivery and new initiatives and continued scale down of incentives, the financial year’s adjusted ebitda loss forecast was revised up to -US$30 million to US$40 million, with group breakeven timeline moved forward one quarter to 3QFY2023 ended September.
“More importantly, management reiterated that delivery GMV will continue to experience q-o-q growth in 3QFY2023 and into 4QFY2023 following resumption of growth in 2QFY2023,” says Yap.
About a third of the delivery GMV was contributed by GrabUnlimited subscribers. Transaction frequency of subscribers is four times higher, with a stronger retention cohort than non-subscribers. The penetration of GrabUnlimited has served as one of the growth drivers in recent quarters, she notes.
Meanwhile, Grab sounded optimistic on the future of on-demand mobility growth, says Yap. At the current 84% of the pre-Covid level, the company is confident that mobility will return to pre-Covid levels by the end of the year.
“Near-term drivers include return of tourism, especially from Chinese tourists while ongoing efforts include growth into tier-2 and tier-3 cities, rebuild of 4-wheel vehicle products by investing in drivers and vehicles as well as introduction of new products and making mobility affordable to a large majority of consumers,” says Yap.
On its financial services front, GrabPay’s service fits well into its super app initiative with cross-sell synergies, says Yap. Currently, the majority of the micro-lending loans are offered to Grab’s drivers and merchants to support working capital among others, which management believes is relatively low risk given its access and understanding of partners’ financial situation.
Citi maintains “buy” on Grab with a target price of US$5.20.
Shares in Grab closed 5 US cents higher or 1.34% up on Sept 12.


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Last year, Kickstarter backers of Nightdive Studios’ System Shock remake received a range of new screenshots, showcasing in-game environments using the original textures. Things have progressed quite a bit since then according to a new preview, as the developer tours the eerie space station to reveal its final art.
Despite being crowdfunded in 2016, development on the System Shock remake hasn’t been the easiest for Nightdive Studios. An ever-increasing amount of planned features sent the game back to the drawing board at the beginning of last year, with a new team formed to tackle the ambitious project in March.
Various environmental screenshots were released just four months later, with Nightdive using textures from Looking Glass Technologies’ original 1994 game to help backers better visualise the product. Looking through the eyes of our nameless hacker, the “Final Art KS Preview” uploaded last week shows just how far development has come, with newly updated, crisper textures.
The two-minute update shows that Nightdive is trying to capture the same isolated atmosphere, trapping the protagonist in tight corridor-based gameplay that’s almost claustrophobic. The sound design is also quite exquisite from what we can gather, from the light footsteps to the sharper hydraulics of opening and closing doors. Although there are no enemies to pose a threat in this pre-alpha footage, the remake is at least shaping up to be on par with modern hits such as Alien: Isolation if not the original itself.
Currently, the developer seems to be on schedule with its current roadmap, aiming for a release sometime in 2020.
KitGuru Says: I missed the 25-year-old sci-fi horror the first time around, and I'm excited to eventually get my hands on it. I do wonder just how many people are going to consider this a BioShock rip-off without realising that it inspired the spiritual successor, though. Are you looking forward to the System Shock remake?


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The food industry will remember 2006 as the year of the North American E. coli outbreak caused by fresh-bagged spinach. The FDA issued the broadest advisory in its history regarding a commodity, advising consumers not to eat bagged spinach and recommending that spinach processors take steps to recall the product. Thereafter, the FDA limited the advisory to spinach grown in certain countries, and ultimately to spinach from certain contaminated ranches identified as the source of the contamination. The initial Alert, however, resulted in a media frenzy and loss of public confidence in the spinach industry, necessitating – in some companies opinions – the complete withdrawal of spinach from the market and the halting of harvesting and processing of spinach products. Not surprisingly, some insurance coverage issues remain unresolved.
THE FOOD FIGHT
In Fresh Express Inc. v. Beazley Syndicate, the California Court of Appeals recently tackled some of these insurance issues. 199 Cal. App. 4th 1038 (Cal. Ct. App. 6th App. Dist. 2011). Fresh Express Incorporated, the nation’s largest bagged spinach producer, sought coverage under its “TotalRecall+” insurance policy for significant loss of business income arising out of the recall, despite the fact that its product was not contaminated. After Beazley denied Fresh Express’s claim, litigation ensued. At trial, Fresh Express won a $12 million verdict, representing the policy’s limits for accidental contamination coverage.
The California appellate court reversed the trial court ruling in September 2011 and ruled that Beazley had no obligation to provide accidental contamination coverage. Specifically, the court ruled that Fresh Express’s claim for lost profits was not a direct result of an error by Fresh Express and therefore did not constitute an “Insured Event” under the plain language of the policy. the appellate court found no nexus between Fresh Express’s “errors” and the E. coli outbreak/FDA advisory. Simply, the E. coli outbreak was not an insured event.
Fresh Express appealed the decision, but on January 11, 2011, the Supreme Court of California denied Fresh Express’ petition for review.


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Nintendo Switch release date set for March 3 with affordable price tag
Whenever a new console drops, the price is the first thing on most gamers minds. The Nintendo Switch release date has been made official today and Nintendo has also let us in on the price. If that was a concern for you, we think you’ll be quite pleased.
Remember the Xbox One S and the Ps4 Pro? They haven’t been out for long, and amid the dust up over those incremental upgrades, we learned about the Nintendo Switch. From a mobile gaming standpoint, the device was interesting considering it offers up a measure of portability that other consoles can’t match. Well, the Nintendo Switch release date is rapidly approaching as the company has said to expect it on March 3 worldwide.
The Nintendo Switch price has been announced at $299 which may make some gamers pause. That’s higher that what you can pick up the One S or PlayStation 4 for, and both of those are what we would consider “hardcore” consoles with a vast gaming library. So why are we pleased with the Nintendo Switch price? That’s due to how it works as you’re essentially getting a console and a mobile gaming device all-in-one.
While NVIDIA and others have attempted to make portable consoles of sorts, none can do what the Nintendo Switch promises. They also don’t have the same arsenal of games, which let’s face it, is half the draw of buying a Nintendo console. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and other games will be tailored to the device, and we expect plenty of digital ports as well. It remains to be seen if we will get classics ala the NES Classic, but the door is certainly open now.
While the Nintendo Switch specs show it’s a bit underpowered and the tablet isn’t the best, it is a unique approach by a company that is in dire need of a winning console. The Wii U did not perform as expected, so the company’s console hopes currently reside with the Switch.
Are you interested in what the Nintendo Switch has to offer or do you feel it’s too niche for your tastes?


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According to David Sangster, Chief Operating Officer at Nutanix, his team is responsible for fulfillment, logistics, quality, reliability, new product introduction, and launching product into volume production. The company also outsources all of its manufacturing needs. “We work with many suppliers including contract manufacturers, distributors, and key technology partners,” said Sangster. “We also use a platform approach to product design and a configure-to-order (CTO) process to reduce SKU (stock keeping unit) proliferation and the need for additional engineering.”
Sangster stated that the number and frequency of changes inherent in the product development activity, as well as data sharing among partners, had become problematic. Unfortunately, his team was stuck relying on Excel spreadsheets and email to address these manufacturing challenges. “It’s embarrassing to admit, but we had a number of instances where the suppliers built the wrong version of the product,” said Sangster. “It was ‘rev A’ all right, but the ‘wrong’ rev A.”
Issues with rework, which included extra procurement, build, and test cycles, also increased delays and were becoming a significant impediment to the company’s total time to market (TTM) objective, which he found “totally unacceptable.”
“Change management was a nightmare,” said Sangster. “With several people making changes and suggestions to uncontrolled documents there were multiple revisions of the same bill of materials (BOM) flying around the ether. No one had any trust in the data, so many local copies abounded based on the ‘mine is right’ premise.”
Sangster admitted change control was his “number one problem.” His priority was finding a solution to manage BOM integrity in order to reduce shipping delays and product errors. “A wrong product number in your BOM can completely blow your quarter and make for a very unpleasant conversation with your CEO and the Board,” he confessed.


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You’ve probably seen the word “superfood” emblazoned on products in grocery stores or bursting from the cover of health magazines in the checkout line. But what exactly makes certain food super?
“Professionally, I think all food is super,” says Traci Malone, a registered dietitian in Asheville. “I don’t like to discriminate, but there are definitely foods that are more nutrient dense.”
Malone says there is no standard, clinical definition of a superfood, and it could mean different things to different people. But the most common concept of what makes some foods super is nutrient density. A superfood is “going to provide your standard carb, protein or fat as the main macronutrient, but also have good micronutrients [vitamins and minerals] and things like antioxidants and polyphenols,” says Malone.
Antioxidants are defined by the National Institutes of Health as “man-made or natural substances that may prevent or delay some types of cell damage.” Antioxidants are thought to help slow down oxidation in the body, which contributes to aging, according to Michael Greger of the nonprofit website NutritionFacts. Polyphenols are a type of phytonutrient, which are unique compounds found in plants that fight disease.
Dr. Elizabeth Pavka, an Asheville-based registered dietitian, says a quick way to find foods that might be rich in these important nutrients is to pick foods that are brightly colored. “And I’m not talking about green Jello,” she cautions. Fruits and vegetables derive their vibrant colors from certain antioxidants.
The key is to choose foods from each color group. “Each color group lends itself to its own unique phytonutrient makeup; each group has a slightly different role in fighting disease,” says Malone. The American Heart Association encourages people to “Eat the Rainbow,” by making sure to eat a fruit or vegetable from every color group each week.
Foods that wear capes
Ask three people which foods they consider to be superfoods, and you might get three different answers. That’s because lots of foods are rich in nutrients, and without a standard definition of superfood, it’s hard to know which to include. Walnuts, flax seeds and fatty fish like salmon top Malone’s list because they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which decrease inflammation and help fight disease. She also includes broccoli, blueberries, kale, sweet potatoes and spinach for their antioxidant power. Pavka counts seaweed, liver and bone broth made from pasture-raised animals and eggs from healthy chickens as examples of nutrient powerhouses.
Herbs and teas can also be potent superfoods, according to Stephanie Hein, herbalist at the French Broad Food Co-op in Asheville. Hein defines superfoods as plants that are “wild, straight from the earth” and which “nourish not only your body, but your mind.” She recommends sipping on green tea as well as incorporating superfood supplements into your diet. Her personal favorite is chaga, a mushroom rich in antioxidants that has been found to inhibit cancer progression in laboratory and animal studies, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Hein recommends brewing chaga into coffee or tea or adding it to soups.
Some products advertised as superfoods can come from far away and have large carbon footprints, such as goji and acai berries or quinoa. But superfoods can be found right here in Western North Carolina, says Hein. Some of her favorite local superfoods are blueberries, sweet potatoes and wild nettles.
Put it to the plate
If you’re looking to improve your health through diet, go ahead and add in some superfoods, Pavka says. “If people begin to eat superfoods on a regular basis (85 percent of the time), they will optimize their nutrition,” she says.
Just don’t forget to mix it up. “The foundation of my practice is based on carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamin and mineral diversity,” says Malone. “Variety is key.”
Laurie Aker, spokesperson for Earth Fare supermarkets, says superfoods are about “getting optimal nutrition with minimal effort. It’s very easy to add a superfood to each meal, like broccoli or berries.”
But superfoods aren’t the only aspect of a healthy diet. Pavka recommends thinking in terms of “FLOSS”: fresh, local, organic, seasonal and sustainable. “This is just another way of describing the healthiest foods you can eat,” she says. Although buying organic is more expensive, Pavka views it as an investment in our future as a people and a planet.
Malone advises eating foods that are fresh and as minimally processed as possible. She also advocates putting fruits and vegetables front and center on the plate and incorporating them into most meals.
And don’t forget healthy fats, Malone says. “For decades there was fat-phobia, but it has shifted, which I’m glad about. It’s important to incorporate a wide variety of dietary fats, focusing mostly on unsaturated fat but leaving room for saturated fats,” she says.
Be wary of marketing
So is there a downside to relying on the term “superfood” to help guide your diet? There could be, says Malone, if the term is just used as a marketing tool. “At the end of the day, the terminology is being used to sell a product, and that can be misleading,” she says. “The assumption on the public’s part is that the information in marketing is true, and that if some is good, a lot must be better.” This can lead to overconsumption, says Malone, or even just wasting hard-earned dollars.
To add to the confusion about the label “superfood,” tests conducted on ingredients may show evidence of health benefits in the laboratory but not outside of it. “Just because a research study on cells in a petri dish or on lab rats shows X, doesn’t necessarily translate into the same process in the human body,” says Malone.
For instance, a study conducted at the University of Porto, Portugal, showed that blueberry extract slowed cell growth in breast cancer cells. Does that mean that if you have breast cancer and eat blueberries, then your cancer progression will slow? Not necessarily, says Malone. “The ingredients may be shown in the lab to slow tumor growth, and we assume that is the same in the human body, but we’re not absolutely sure that’s how it works. If eating blueberries does help prevent cancer, that’s great,” she says. But either way, blueberries are healthy — and delicious.
Information about nutrition can be confusing to the layperson, but superfoods may offer an easy and yummy way to incorporate more nutrients into your diet.


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In the race to become the leading provider of goods in a global marketplace, industrialized nations are increasingly looking to develop smart technologies for production, and few have more to gain from doing so than Japan. Faced with a decreasing pool of skilled workers, demographically-challenged Japan needs to find new ways to drive its factories’ output. Its smart-tech firms, which have been developing intelligent robots and integrated sensory systems, look poised to help the country compete in the next phase of manufacturing, known by world production leaders as the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution” was the main topic for discussion at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, where two thousand visionaries met to consider the next frontier: a network of machines and people operating intelligently and in real-time along the entire value chain of a manufactured product. By using economy-changing technologies to connect smart machines to existing manufacturing systems in an uber-efficient way, the new nanosystem is expected to reduce dependence on an unpredictable human workforce, while at the same time releasing people from performing basic labor to focus on more value-added activities.
As a result, not only is Japan positioned to benefit from its automated factories powered by the Internet of Things (IoT), but numerous investment opportunities exist for suppliers – including Japanese and Western – with both the foresight and the financial wherewithal to adapt to the approaching manufacturing era.
Several Japanese firms are already working to become key players in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including Cyberdyne, a robotics manufacturer that’s been deploying its artificial intelligence-aided industrial robots for use in factories coping with labor shortages. Increased use of the smart technology is expected to lead to significant savings within the next ten years. The Boston Consulting Group recently predicted that, by 2025, the targeted use of robots will drive down average manufacturing labor costs in Japan by 18-25%.
Another Japanese firm contributing to the creation of smart factories is Shibuya Corporation, a developer of machine vision technology for the automatic inspection of finished goods. Its image processing is designed to reproduce human vision and sensibility for quality control, among other purposes.
Meanwhile, camera supplier Nikon is helping drive development of industrial-grade smart camera applications in CMOS image sensor technology, while spectrometer manufacturer Rigaku Corporation is facilitating advances in laser diode technology for use in high-speed raw material identification. Komatsu Ltd.’s customers in Japan use IoT to remotely control construction machinery such as hydraulic shovels.
Seiko Epson represents one more Japanese smart-tech trailblazer. Its head-worn displays are increasingly used in demanding industrial environments. Their mobile eye-tracking capability allows factory workers to operate hands-free while monitoring the performance of robots.
Additionally, Japan’s Daikin is seeing its air conditioning technology linked to big data analytics to regulate energy management systems in factories. By combining the analysis of cloud-based data (such as power usage and CO2 emissions) with information from real-time weather forecasts, factory owners can use the informatics and adjustment system to effect climate control and help predict fan, compressor and motor failures well in advance.
These efforts with IoT in Japan look indeed promising. Advances in robotics and connected sensing systems can lead to factories cutting their energy consumption, saving time, reducing waste and downtime, and preventing accidents.
But further development of Japan’s smart factories depends on further development of its smart machines. Fortunately, need is a progenitor of reward. And those suppliers, including Western manufacturers, with the wisdom to invest now in the advancement of Japan’s smart technologies stand to profit substantially from them in the future as the Fourth Industrial Revolution progresses.
 Paul Daugherty, “In The Digital Economy, Winners Will Place People First,” Forbes (February 10, 2016), http://www.forbes.com/sites/valleyvoices/2016/02/10/in-the-digital-economy-winners-will-place-people-first.
 Boston Consulting Group, “The Robotics Revolution: The Next Great Leap in Manufacturing” (September 23, 2015), https://www.bcgperspectives.com/content/articles/lean-manufacturing-innovation-robotics-revolution-next-great-leap-manufacturing/.


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Young entrepreneurs are taking the world by storm and 8-year-old, Zoe Oli is no different as she uses her line of dolls, books, and accessories to encourage little Black girls around the world.
According to Black Business, after struggling with her hair being “different” from her classmates,’ Zoe’s mother, Evana, purchased her a Black doll. However, there was one problem, her hair still did not look like Zoe’s.
It was then that she took matters into her own hands telling her mother: “I want to make them [dolls] and start a business!”
The rest was history and from that moment, Beautiful Curly Me was born!
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Within the past two years, Zoe has authored two books and created hair care products along with the creation of her beloved dolls.
Beautiful Curly Me is on a mission to not only empower young girls but prioritize community service by giving back 10 percent of the proceeds to organizations like The Atlanta Mission, an org that educates and empowers girls. Other organizations that they support include Kits of Hope, 3D Girls Inc., and the Girls Who Brunch Tour.
Her two children’s books: “Beautiful Curly Me” and “Say It, Show It”– a gratitude journal — were both released this year.
Just last month, Zoe’s doll Leyla — who she’s affectionately deemed the “Fro Queen”– was featured in “Oprah’s Favorite Things,” promotional video.
To learn more about Beautiful Curly Me, visit BeautifulCurlyMe.com.