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7 False Claims About Windows 10 and the Truths Revealed
Windows 10 has been out for a few months now and is starting to settle down. Despite a somewhat rocky launch, we’ve seen plenty of reasons to love Windows 10 and we think it’s a winning operating system (albeit with room to improve ).
But so much has changed and so much is different that people are just plain confused. A lot of rumors and myths are going around and it’s hard to tell between what’s real and what’s not — so let’s debunk these false claims once and for all.
“The Free Upgrade Is Temporary”
People around the world rejoiced when Microsoft first announced that Windows 10 would be available as a free upgrade for users on Windows 7 and 8.1, but once the excitement of that wore off, those same people began to second guess this so-called good news.
In a lot of ways, it was simply too good to be true. After all, Microsoft didn’t become the software giant it is today by giving away their flagship products. So people jumped to a reasonable but incorrect conclusion: Windows 10 would only be free during the “upgrade period” between now and July 2016.
But here’s what the official Windows blog says:
…a free upgrade for Windows 10 will be made available to customers running Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 who upgrade in the first year after launch.
This is more than a one-time upgrade: once a Windows device is upgraded to Windows 10, we will continue to keep it current for the supported lifetime of the device – at no cost.
“Windows 10 Requires a Subscription”
Once the free upgrade period comes to a close, users will need to pay to obtain additional licenses for Windows 10.
To be clear, any PC that already has Windows 10 installed will keep Windows 10 and receive updates for no additional charge, but all other PCs will no longer have the “free upgrade” option come July 2016.
How much will Windows 10 cost then?
Microsoft has released its official operating system prices and confirmed that Windows 10 Pro would sell at $199 and Windows 10 Home would cost $119. … All copies of the operating system will be available in retail stores and online.
That’s pretty straightforward. Yet somehow, thanks to speculative reports like this one, many people are under the impression that Windows 10 will require a subscription to use. It just isn’t true.
Sure, Microsoft will be exploring alternative revenue models over the next few years, but rest assured: Windows 10 is safe.
“Pre-Installed Apps Can’t Be Removed”
Windows 10 comes with pre-installed bloatware. Honestly, this isn’t surprising at all — bloatware is a common practice, unfortunately — but it’s nonetheless annoying. Bloatware doesn’t show up in the Apps list, so some people assume bloatware can’t be removed.
Oh, but it can!
There are two ways to remove Windows 10 bloatware . The “tradtional” method involves right-clicking on relevant apps in the Start Menu and selecting Uninstall. It’s easy, painless, but somewhat time-consuming if you want to uninstall a lot of bloatware at once.
The other method involves a series of clever PowerShell commands to quickly remove a list of known pre-installed apps. We haven’t seen any issue with this method so far, but do so at your own risk.
“You’re Stuck With 32-bit / 64-bit”
For one reason or another, a lot of people with 64-bit-capable machines used 32-bit versions of Windows 7 and 8.1. Maybe you’re one of them. In the past, it was impossible to switch between 32-bit and 64-bit versions without completely wiping and reinstalling.
Many users simply assume that Windows 10 has the same limitation, but it doesn’t. It’s not as easy as clicking a button, of course, but it’s certainly safer and easier to do it now than it was before — and you won’t lose any data in the process.
“You Must Use a Microsoft Account”
People went berserk when Microsoft introduced the “sign in with a Microsoft Account” feature in Windows 8. It felt like Google and Google Plus all over again — a company trying to force an unrelated login system on the user.
And at first glance, a lot of people assumed that Windows 10 continued the need to have a Microsoft Account in order to login. Just check this screenshot and see what your first impression is:
“Don’t have an account? Then you’ll have to create one.” That’s what it looks like, right? But if you click on the Create a New Account link, you’re actually given the option of signing in without a Microsoft Account:
“Automatic Updates Can Be Disabled”
One of the more divisive changes in Windows 10 is the fact that Windows Update is now forced and automatic . Previous versions of Windows allowed users to disable Windows Updates, but doing so often left them vulnerable to security holes.
With the exception of retroactively hiding troublesome driver updates, automatic updates cannot be disabled in Windows 10 Home. New features and security patches are forced upon users. It’s unclear whether or not Microsoft will rescind this policy in the future, but for now, it is what it is. (For what it’s worth, forced updates are both good and bad .)
That said, Windows 10 Pro can turn off automatic updates , but upgrading from Home to Pro costs $100. So, to be fair, this myth is more of a half-truth since most users will be using Home.
“Wi-Fi Sense Gives Away Passwords”
Many of the security and privacy myths regarding Windows 10 deal with some new Internet-related changes in the operating system. Peer-to-peer updates is a problem, but Wi-Fi Sense is the big elephant worth addressing.
Wi-Fi Sense lets your friends connect to your Wi-Fi network without needing to know the actual Wi-Fi password. Does that sound incredibly insecure to you? Rest assured, you’ll be fine.
At the end of the day, Wi-Fi Sense just isn’t a big security risk . It uses tokens rather than passwords for access, and access is limited to Internet only — no access to files or devices on the network — so there’s really nothing an intruder could do even if one broke in. The controversy is greatly exaggerated.
How Do You Feel About Windows 10?
This isn’t to say that Windows 10 is the pinnacle of all operating systems. Microsoft has a lot of work to do before Windows 10 can get anywhere close to claiming that, but all of these myths and misconceptions are wrong and overblown.
Personally, I think it’s worth upgrading to Windows 10 for the performance improvements and new features, but only if you’re willing to endure inconveniences like automatic updates.
Are you using Windows 10 yet? How do you feel about it? Did Microsoft do well or did they fall short? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Image Credits: Laptop on Couch by Syda Productions via Shutterstock
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US Imported Beef Prices On the Up23 October 2012
AUSTRALIA - The past week saw US imported beef prices lift higher, with the benchmark 90CL indicator jumping 6.5US¢, to 201US¢/lb CIF on the back of increased end user demand according to Steiner Consulting.
Most of the increased demand from end users was reportedly focused upon late November and December deliveries, especially for those who have been relatively inactive in the market in recent months, analysts at Meat and Livestock Australia said.
With the A$ appreciating this week, finishing Thursday at 103.72US¢, some of the benefit from the higher imported prices this week were eroded, but prices still improved 10¢, to 400A¢/kg FAS.
The latest Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook, released by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues to point to very tight cattle supplies underpinning higher US beef and cattle prices for the remainder of 2012 and throughout 2013. Supporting this are historically high futures prices for both live and feeder cattle.
With total US beef production for 2012 estimated to decline 3% on 2011, production in 2013 is forecast to fall another 4%, to 11.17 million tonnes cwt. This would take the decline in US beef production between 2011 and 2013 to an estimated 710,000 tonnes swt – the equivalent of one-third of Australia’s annual beef production.
Given the reduced production, the USDA also forecasts US beef imports for 2013 to increase 11% on 2012, to 1.19 million tonnes cwt, while exports will remain relatively steady, at 1.11 million tonnes cwt.
TheMeatSite News Desk

domain: news


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Canada Post Is Setting New Delivery Records But Expect Even More Delays
They're delivering more furniture than ever.
You've got mail! Getting a package has never been more gratifying than during this time. With so many people ordering everything instead of being able to go out and buy it from a store, Canada Post delays are still worse than ever. Still, they're setting new delivery records to try and keep up.
In a May 26 news release, Canada Post revealed that people should still be expecting further delays as they do their best to keep up with an "unprecedented" level of deliveries, which grew at a record pace between April and May.
That resulted in setting a new one-day record on May 19, with 2.1 million parcels delivered to people across the country, more than three times the normal volume at this time of year.
On top of the number of items being ordered right now, many of them tend to be oversized parcels containing things like mini-fridges, furniture, and barbecues.
These cause additional challenges for delivery, as they often require two people to lift. That creates hurdles with both safety and delays.
is ensuring that it follows proper social distancing measures in all of its facilities, which it also says creates the need for more time spent processing orders and deliveries.
Steps are being taken to try and keep up as best as possible with the increased volume. That includes hiring temporary workers and making weekend deliveries.
Packages are also being rerouted to different locations based on capacity, which is why you might notice your order taking a different route than normal when you track it.
Canada Post had previously announced that people should expect delays back in April, when it said that the level of deliveries it was making was on par.
They eventhat same month, as they could no longer promise when parcels would make it to their destination.


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by Mitch Kokai
Senior Political Analyst, John Locke Foundation
Think the government’s obsession with carbon dioxide emissions is a bit extreme? Here’s more evidence for you, courtesy of the latest print edition of National Review.
Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is the worst car salesman ever. Speaking about his firm’s 500e electric car at the Brookings Institution, he told those assembled: “I hope you don’t buy it, because every time I sell one it costs me $14,000.” The electric Fiat exists not because of consumer demand — there is hardly any — but to satisfy zero-emissions rules in California and other jurisdictions that impose them. Fiat’s plan is to sell the minimum number of electric cars it is required by law to sell, at whatever loss it must endure, and then to sell not one more. Marchionne added that if automakers are forced to suffer losses in order to satisfy political whimsy, then they will be back in Washington asking for another bailout.


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54% respondents hailing from tier 2 and 3 cities and are interested to be a part of Gates ICT summit to leverage the opportunity for business expansion
NEW DELHI, India / Singapore – November 4, 2015 – GATES APAC Pte. Ltd, a leader in industry channel ecosystems, conducted an in depth channel survey in order to understand the ICT channel audience, their perception towards the upcoming ICT Summit and their expectations from a summit of this magnitude. The online and telephonic survey revealed that a whopping 54% of the channel respondents operate in tier 2 and tier 3 cities and of these respondents more than 50% are first timers to a summit of this magnitude. About 80% of the respondents feel that signing up new brands is the primary take away by which they can increase their business.
Ashish Kapahi, CEO at GATES APAC said, “The channel response from Tier 2 and 3 cities has been overwhelming so far. Gates ICT India Summit 2016 aims to set the stage for many vendors and channel players from all over India for their upcoming financial year business. The event will open new dimension that looks beyond just business networking opportunity and product presentations.”
Vasudevan K, Executive Director at GATES APAC added, “The channel wants to be heard more and the vendors also have realized the importance of listening to the channel voice especially coming from tier 2 and 3 cities. The event also aims to discuss some of the pressing issues facing the industry and evolve appropriate solutions that are viable.”
Strategically timed ahead of a new financial year, the Gates expects that the summit will act as a catalyst in aiding the 10.5% year on year growth rate forecasted for the devices market in 2016 by Gartner.
# # #
About GATES APAC Pte Ltd
A leader in industry channel ecosystems, GATES helps facilitate accelerated go to markets for organizations across Consumer electronics, Education & ICT through strategy and sales. GATES ICT Reseller Summits are a must-attend Senior Executive Summits where vendors meet and interact with prospective and relevant reseller in a pre-scheduled meeting format. The Summit that aligns Vendors & resellers directly and is followed by inspiring key notes, market insights, business strategies, useful business cases and generates many business opportunities. know more http://thegates.biz/


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WhatsApp announced last year that it would support passkeys so that users can replace their traditional password to enter the app with a more secure authentication method. However, only WhatsApp users on Android received access to the feature. Now it seems that Meta is finally working on bringing passkey support to WhatsApp on iPhone.
WhatsApp to support passkeys on iPhone
As reported by WABetaInfo, the latest version of WhatsApp beta for iPhone released on TestFlight adds a new menu for setting up a passkey. The feature is not yet enabled, but the website says it will become available to beta users soon.
Passkey is a technology developed by the FIDO Alliance in collaboration with companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Instead of traditional passwords, it enables users to sign in using secure authentication methods like facial recognition or biometrics, eliminating the need to create and type a passcode.
Starting with iOS 16, users have been able to create and save passkeys using Safari and iCloud Keychain. Now, with iOS 17, this functionality will be extended to third-party apps. On Apple devices, passkeys can be used with Face ID or Touch ID.
In November, WhatsApp released an update that lets users authenticate in the app using email verification instead of SMS. The platform has also been developing a new option to let users set a username that can be shared with others instead of a phone number. There’s also an iPad app in the works.
WhatsApp is available for free on the App Store. It requires an iPhone running iOS 12 or later (although passkeys require iOS 17 or later).
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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LONDON--U.K. engineer IMI PLC (IMI.LN) Friday posted a 10% fall in first-half pretax profit as the strong pound eroded sales growth and said second-half margins will be squeezed by an investment plan.
Pretax profit in the six months to June 30 was 105.8 million pounds ($178.6 million), down from GBP117.4 million in the first half of 2013. Revenue dropped 2.9% to GBP832 million as the company said sterling weighed down sales.
The Birmingham-headquartered fluid-control specialist will post "an improved rate of organic revenue growth in the second half" on a currency-adjusted basis, said Chief Executive Mark Selway.
He said operating profit margins will be "slightly lower" than the 17% recorded for the first half as IMI invests in product development, I.T. systems and other operational improvements in a bid to double its 2014 operating profits over the next five years.
The plan is the product of a review begun in March.
IMI posted a net profit of GBP560.6 million, up from GBP111.2 million reflecting the $1.1 billion sale of its drinks-dispensing business to a unit of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. It increased the first-half dividend to 13.6 pence from 12.8 pence.
Write to Ed Ballard at email@example.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires


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Dan Kouri had never seen a Sonic Drive-In when he pulled into one in St. Louis with a mini-van loaded with his daughter's basketball team more than three years ago.
But within an hour, Kouri said he was sold on the restaurant's concept. While the basketball team partied on the restaurant's patio, he watched roller-skating carhops delivering food, just the way carhops did while he was growing up in Peoria.
FOR THE RECORD - This story contains corrected material, published Sept. 12, 2006.
Now Kouri, whose family operates six sit-down restaurants in the Peoria area, including the upscale Lariat Steakhouse, is pouring family money into the first Sonic Drive-In in that region. It is slated to open this month in Bartonville, south of Peoria.
"This is a big change for us going from a family operation to dealing with a chain," he said.
Kouri said the family and its partner, Doug Peterson, have had to learn to deal with outsiders telling them how to run a business. While that part is a change, the family is very familiar with drive-in operations--Kouri's aunt operates Peoria's famous Lou's Drive-In.
But it is also a big change for Sonic Corp., an Oklahoma City-based chain with more than 3,000 outlets that until now has treated the colder, northern half of the United States as a foreign country.
If it does begin to warm up to the north seriously and continues its pace of steady, 15 percent per year expansion, some restaurant industry observers believe Sonic could become serious competition for McDonald's Corp. For most of its 50-year history, McDonald's has been the nation's king of fast food, weighing in with more 13,000 U.S. restaurants--four times the number of Sonics.
"Even today, Sonic is a threat regionally to McDonald's," said John Owens, an analyst with Chicago-based Morningstar Inc. "In Sonic's home state there are more Sonics than McDonald's, and even in Texas, Sonic is pretty close to having the same number."
Owens said Sonic has built a solid business.
"They have a good relationship with their franchisee base and have a lot of room for expansion. Today, the juggernauts in the fast-food industry, McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's, are having to compete fiercely with these regional guys," he said.
McDonald's spokesman Bill Whitman said the Oak Brook-based hamburger giant welcomes the competition.
"We believe it makes the industry that much stronger," he said. "We also believe it provides customers with more choice and variety, but our position in the marketplace is strong, and customers appreciate the convenience, value and menu choice they get from McDonald's."
The Sonic chain, which is built around a drive-in and outdoor-patio philosophy, has thrived in warmer climates but is preparing to take on even Chicago's sleet and snow in a nationwide expansion that has become more aggressive in recent years.
And it has a built-in Chicago fan base that can't wait for the first Sonic to arrive.
More than 1,500 Chicago-area residents are members of the chain's Sonic Cruisers fan club, even though the nearest Sonic is nearly 150 miles away in Champaign. But in a sign that the chain is on the verge of announcing the expansion of its first outlets to metropolitan Chicago, Sonic this week is hosting its annual franchisee convention at Navy Pier. Still, Cruisers may have to wait for at least two years or more before the first Sonic pops up, according to company officials.
Some Cruisers are fans because they have moved to the Chicago area from an area where a Sonic was located. But others apparently have become hooked simply because they had seen the restaurant's roller-skating carhops on commercials that air on cable television channels such as ESPN, USA and the Comedy Channel.
"I didn't realize how much I enjoyed Sonic and now that I am here I definitely miss it," said Jason Reno, 31, who moved to Chicago about four months ago after working the past eight years in Kansas City, Mo. "They seem to appreciate that you go there, and their drinks and food choices are just amazing ... You just can't get that stuff at places here in Chicago."
The drive-in and carhops touch a nostalgic nerve for many Baby Boomers who grew up going to A&W Root Beer drive-ins or one of the many independent operations that proliferated across America as memorialized by Mel's Drive-In in the 1973 movie "American Graffiti."
Enthusiasts say it's a combination of Sonic's food, ranging from authentic Coney Island hot dogs with cheese and chili to made-to-order hamburgers that don't come from a warming oven, and an enthusiastic staff that excite its loyal fans.
Sonic was rated sixth among fast-food outlets in a consumer survey conducted by the trade publication Restaurants and Institutions. Oak Brook-based McDonald's was 14th out of 16 chains that were rated. The top spot was clamed by In-N-Out Burger, a three-state chain with 200 restaurants based in California.


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Even though I spend a lot of time using TouchFlo 3D on my Fuze, tweaking it with the awesome themes from developers like MobileMatt (that you can check out right here in our forums), I also have a copy of Spb Mobile Shell 2.0. Spb Mobile Shell is a powerful User Interface that puts a much needed facelift on Windows Mobile.
Spb announced today at the Mobile World Congress, that they would be releasing a new version of Spb Mobile Shell to manufacturers in late February and that we could expect to see it in early March. Spb mobile Shell 3.0 is adding some cool new “WOW” factors like Facebook Integration, Kinetic Scrolling, Widgets, and many other new innovations. All of this comes without sacrificing speed and stability.
So keep your eyes peeled for our review of Mobile Shell 3.0. I’m sure there are going to be a lot of people including our team who want to get their hands on Spb Mobile Shell 3.0 and put it to the test! And Don’t worry, we’ll keep you posted with more information and any leaked screen shots of Spb Mobile Shell 3.0.
Jump after the break to read the whole press release from Spb.
Technorati Tags: Spb Mobile Shell,Windows Mobile,User Interface
New Spb Mobile Shell 3.0 Brought to Light at Mobile World Congress 2009
St. Petersburg, February 04th, 2009 – Spb Software, world’s top Windows Mobile applications developer will offer a sneak preview of the new Spb Mobile Shell 3.0 at Mobile World Congress 2009. Spb Mobile Shell 3.0 sets a new standard in handset user interfaces and goes far beyond what is available on any phone today. The new software is fitted with a flexible engine for 3D animation, clever Facebook integration, kinetic scrolling, widgets, and multiple usability innovations. Spb Mobile Shell 3.0 has gained a thrilling ‘wow’ factor and preserved the speed and clarity of device navigation.
First presented to Beta users back in 2006, then to the open market in February of next year, Spb Mobile Shell became the world’s #1 bestselling software for Windows Mobile touch-screen phones in 2007 and 2008. While the software quickly gained recognition among end-users and media, the shipment of customized versions of Spb Mobile Shell by many OEMs and carriers further inspired the mobile community. Designed to be highly flexible, with not just the end-users, but also the device manufacturers in mind, Spb Mobile Shell 3.0 offers many different levels of customization, and is a viable basis for a new generation of world-class smartphones on Windows Mobile platform.
Spb Mobile Shell 3.0 is scheduled to release to manufacturers in late February of 2009, with release to the consumer market expected to follow in late March. According to Spb Software upgrades policy all end-users, who purchase software within 90 days of a new version’s release, are eligible for free upgrades.


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Last month we learned that McDonald's is leaning toward offering Breakfast all day. Now another fast food giant is planning to make a bold change that could shake up the industry.
Taco Bell is planning to test delivery by the end of the year.
"We are positioning ourselves for clock-less eating," CEO Brian Niccol said. "Technology is changing the way people interact with restaurants and retail." That's why Taco Bell is trying to push the needle not only with its new mobile app — but also is looking into delivery, he says. "We have to appeal to the taste and spirit of Millennials — who want access to anything they want, when they want." "Even though it’s the No. 1 request from consumers, we have to make sure we can give them an experience that’s consistent with Taco Bell, and that’s what we’re working through," Niccol said. "We have to figure it out, and I can tell you right now we don’t have it figured out."Some industry experts are skeptical. Much of the appeal of Taco Bell comes in its low cost, and delivery will make the chain's tacos, burritos, gorditas and the rest more expensive.
Would you pay a little more for Taco Bell to come to your door? Or are you just sticking with pizza when you don't feel like venturing away from the Xbox?


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Customers of the old crypto exchange Mt. Gox must submit claims for caught assets by Oct. 22.
The exchange originally opened up the cases procedure in August, after an extended chapter 11 fight.
In June, petitioners asking for their bitcoin back won a major victory, as the Japanese bankruptcy court overseeing the proceedings shifted the case to one of civil rehabilitation, meaning creditors could file for their cryptocurrency holdings, rather than a fiat equivalent based on cryptocurrency prices in 2014.
Bitcoin was worth under $600 at the time the trade opted for non-payment, yet thusly took off to around $20,000 in December 2017 and is around $6,500 at press time, according to CoinDesk data.
After the October due date goes, as set out in late June, Mt. Gox trustee Nobuaki Kobayashi will have a further three months to file an announcement of endorsement or dismissal.
While creditors can file for bitcoin claims, they cannot yet claim proceeds from any of the bitcoin forks that occurred since the funds were first frozen in 2014.
“At this moment, we plan not to accept the specific filing of cryptocurrencies other than bitcoins. Instead, we plan to deem bitcoin creditors who have filed a proof of claim for bitcoins have also filed a proof of claims for other cryptocurrencies proportionate to the number of bitcoins filed. We will post further detailed information on this website.”


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On Monday, Bonnier officially launched a spin-off company called Moving Media+ which will be offering the Mag+ app creation tool to any publisher that wants to use it—as a free download. The app reader and continued services, however, come at a cost.
Mag+ was developed in-house as Bonnier’s own app platform and used to launch the company’s various magazine apps, such as Popular Science+, Transworld Snowboarding+ and Popular Photography+.
Moving Media+ is promoting the software as a solution for any content publisher, not just magazines. "Mag+ was created as a tool for publishing not just magazines but books, newsletters, catalogs—publications that use photos, video and sound as well as text—on tablet devices," says Moving Media+ CEO Staffan Ekholm in a blog post announcing the launch.
Mag+ operates as an Adobe InDesign plugin, currently available in a version 2.0 with another upgrade due this year that will add more interactive functionality, including social media.
While the software itself is free, once the publisher is done creating the product, it must be sent back to Moving Media+ which will then construct a branded reader app that frames the content.
The reader and five months’ worth of publishing costs $2,500. After that, publishers pay $500 per issue or $500 per month for unlimited services.
From there, publishers have access to a Web-based backend for user and issue management, Omniture analytics and various consultative services.


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The Essex towns which made the most of the Eat Out To Help Out campaign have been revealed.
The month of August saw many of us heading to restaurants and pubs and to make use of the new state-funded discount.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that between Monday to Wednesday, everyone would qualify for 50 per cent on food and soft drinks up to a maximum of £10 - with restaurants claiming the money back from the government.
It has been widely commended by businesses across the county, who have seen many customers head back inside venues to claim the discount.
The government has released data today to show how each county, region and constituency used the scheme - with one Essex town coming out on top of the list of money-saving across the whole country.
Across the whole of the East of England, a total of 4,810,000 meals were claimed.
Of all the constituencies in Essex, Rochford and Southend East claimed the most meals - a whopping 149,000.
Not far behind was Maldon with 139,000 claimed and Saffron Waldon with 113,000.
In terms of the average discount per meal, Rayleigh and Wickford bagged the biggest discounts across every UK constituency.
The average discount a customer in Rayleigh or Wickford saved per meal was an astonishing £8.22.
Brentwood and Ongar was not too far behind with the average saving per meal being £7.37, and Epping Forest with an average £7.10 saving.
The constituency with the least claimed meals was South Basildon and East Thurrock, seeing only 19,000 meals claimed back.
This is the data from Eat Out to Help Out in every Essex constituency, according to HM Revenue and Customs.
For updates on where you live there’s also InYourArea.co.uk, a service that is customised to provide information and new from near you, both from us and from other sources.
In Your Area also has an app that you can sign up for.


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ABILENE, Texas — 2019 has been a year of health trends, whether people swore off carbs, or even put butter in their coffee there is no denying it.
A new health market has opened its doors in the big country and they are offering alkaline water, drinkers and believers claim they reap the help benefits from the high ph levels, and natural minerals.
Truth? Or another hydration hype?
According to the owners of blue jug Abilene, it has done wonders for their family.
They first dived in after trying to get hold of their daughters eczema.
“it was the last straw when they put her on an anxiety pill, shes only 10 years old” said Natalia, co owner of blue jug.
After doing her research she found that alkaline water was proven to add hydration back.
“we all were able to drink it i started cooking with it, it was just a great jump start for our family, even for myself.
im a mother of 5 kids i got clarity of mind i got more energy and our little family was just thriving.” Said Natalia.
Natalia and her husband Stephen wanted to share their new found hope with the big country, by offering the high pH water at an affordable price for families.


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CarpetsPlus Color Tile and Carpetland stores, part of Alliance Flooring Inc., recently recognized Beaulieu of America as “Soft Surface Vendor of the Year.” This was the first time for Beaulieu to be so honored by the nationwide chain of over 450 stores. The award was presented at Alliance Flooring’s annual convention at the Orlando Gaylord Hotel in Orlando.
According to Mike Kinker, vp national accounts for Beaulieu, the carpet maker was responsible for one of the most successful display programs featuring Stainmaster with Magic Fresh, Beaulieu’s built-in proprietary odor reducing treatment.
“We are proud to accept this award on behalf of the entire Beaulieu family. We also want to recognize the Alliance Group and their CarpetsPlus and Carpetland members, for without their acceptance of our products and programs none of this would be possible,” Kinker said.


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U.S. B2B e-commerce revenue has more than doubled that of B2C with $559 billion annually, according to a study last year by Forrester Consulting. The study explored what impact e-commerce has on how B2B companies sell their products and services and found that a fundamental transformation is happening in how businesses are acquiring and retaining customers. (Full disclosure: the study was underwritten by hybris, an e-commerce platform provider.)
Forrester’s study yielded three key findings:
• Selling online and on mobile devices represents a significant new opportunity for B2B companies. They are finding that selling online drives higher revenue and builds greater loyalty with customers. Forrester’s research shows that online-only and omni-channel B2B customers have higher average order values and are more likely to add items to orders, order in bulk and make repeat purchases than offline-only B2B customers. B2B companies also find it easier
to build loyalty with online-only B2B customers than with offline-only B2B customers by leveraging targeted cross-sell and upsell offers.
• Self-service tools are changing the way in which B2B customers interact with companies. Demand is growing rapidly for Web-based self-service e-commerce capabilities that allow B2B customers to research, make and service their purchases from a PC, laptop or mobile device. In a new world of 24×7×365 “whenever and wherever” commerce, B2B customers are increasingly demanding tools and technologies capable of serving them on their own terms. A majority of B2B companies in Forrester’s research indicated that their customers are asking them for new and better self-service tools to make buying more convenient.
• B2B companies that wait too long to implement e-commerce assume a big risk. Every day that B2B companies fail to offer a compelling B2B e-commerce experience, they fall farther behind more advanced competitors. Specifically, they risk losing market share to B2B rivals already executing an e-commerce strategy and B2B versions of consumer websites that have recently emerged in the B2B space.
The new B2B buyer journey
Today’s B2B customers are emulating B2C consumers and fundamentally transitioning their browsing and buying into online and mobile environments. Fully 50 percent of B2B companies currently selling direct to business partners online indicate that their end user B2B customers are using either consumer websites or B2B versions of consumer websites to purchase products or services for their companies. Forrester’s research shows that the more B2B companies sell online, the more likely their customers are to shop in these nontraditional channels.
Clearly, mobile is emerging as an important channel for B2B companies — in the awareness and brand-building phases as well as the point of decision. The study shows
that 54 percent of B2B companies selling online report that their customers are using smartphones to research purchases and 62 percent use tablets to research purchases. More than half (52 percent) say that their customers are using smartphones or tablets to actually buy online.
The study identified opportunities for B2B companies to further differentiate and gain market share, including focusing on mobile as a critical channel of the future. “B2B companies simply must see mobile as an integral part of their next-generation e-commerce offering. For B2B companies that embrace mobile and purpose-built sites and applications for their mobile users, the mobile channel offers new in-the-field sales opportunities as well as more personalized customer service scenarios that were simply impossible or infeasible before,” the report states.
A link to the full Forrester research report is available in our Additional Web Resources box at SalesandMarketing.com.


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Oppo will hold its MWC 2019 press event on Saturday in Barcelona.It's expected to show off its 10X optical zoom phone camera in Europe for the first time.
Maggie Tillman. Pocket Lint. Fri, 22 Feb 2019 13:49:00 +0000.
Many dual rear camera phones today come with 2x optical zoom and thanks to Moment's new Tele 58mm lens you can add another 2x to those phones or enable 2x zoom on phones that do not have telephoto capability.
ZDNet. Mon, 28 Jan 2019 14:21:07 +0000.
There's a good chance we'll see a periscope-design 10x zoom smartphone camera from Chinese manufacturer OPPO at MWC this year. However, it looks like rival Huawei could follow soon after. ...
DP Review. Thu, 24 Jan 2019 17:14:00 Z.
Moment continues to help smartphone manufacturers push the limits of mobile photography with new lens options. The newest member of the family builds upon the most requested function; optical zoom.
ZDNet. Tue, 13 Nov 2018 17:00:24 +0000.
You can take the zoom photography test created by London-based firm Lenstore to see if you are able to identify these 10 items from their unfamiliar textures.
Daily Mail. Tue, 06 Nov 2018 13:44:52 GMT.
Apple's new iPhone XR is a budget choice over the top-of-the-line XS. You're trading off a high-resolution screen and a better zoom camera for a savings of at least $250
ABC News. Tue, 23 Oct 2018 06:40:24 -0400.


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With the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war clouding global growth forecasts, Crisil believes India’s economy is more resilient today than it was during the 2008 global financial crisis and the services sector will be the engine of growth during this financial year.
“This fiscal year, we see services driving growth, compared to the export and manufacturing-led growth of the past two fiscal years. This will help MSMEs [micro, small and medium-sized enterprises] rebound as demand for their services improves,” said Amish Mehta, Managing Director and CEO of Crisil. Activity area.
Stressing that inflation “remains the elephant in the room”, Mehta expressed hope that it will be brought under control in the short term.
Official data indicated that the Indian economy grew by 8.7% in 2020-2021, which is slightly lower than the 8.9% projected by the second advance estimate in February 2022.
Crisil maintained its real GDP growth projection for the current fiscal year 2023 at 7.3%, with downside risks.
In an interview with Activity areaMehta noted that as growth slows, so could investment spending, which in turn could dampen credit drawdown.
“…companies have a good borrowing capacity. Even banks are now in a very good position in terms of provisioning, balance sheets, liquidity, non-performing assets and capital. It shows they can lend to good credit,” he said, adding that India’s economy is much more resilient than it was during the 2008-09 crisis.
Large and medium-sized companies are better prepared, given the deleveraging cycle, he said, noting that Crisil’s credit ratio of 5.04 times for the second half of fiscal 2022 underscores this.
With Covid-19 infection rates falling, the situation should improve, Mehta added.
“But now global economies are suddenly slowing down due to geopolitical conflicts. Even if this happens, crude oil and natural gas prices have soared, inflation is raging in commodities and metals, and there is also uncertainty over food prices,” he said. he declares.
Crisil’s forecast for consumer inflation is 6.3%. The first half of this fiscal year should see retail price inflation of around 7% and the second half a little lower.
“We haven’t seen this level of wholesale price index inflation in India in the past two decades. We are above the RBI’s Consumer Price Index inflation range,” he said, adding that further rate hikes are inevitable.
“Certainly the government and the RBI have taken steps to calm inflation. You had the rate hike in May, another is due in June and then more as we progress through this financial year,” he said. he said, noting that the government has recently lowered excise duty rates on crude oil products, which would help dampen inflation.
If crude remains above $100, India’s balance of payments, current account deficit and exchange rates would come under pressure.
“But our ability to respond to crises – as a country, as banks, as credit institutions and as businesses – is much better now than it was before,” he said. he said, while warning that uncertainties such as future waves and variants of Covid-19, and geopolitical tensions remain clear and pose risks.
The monsoon season will be critical for the rural sector, which must take into account the rising prices of food, pesticides and seeds, as well as diesel used for agricultural activities, he underlined.
All of this will put pressure on the budget deficit. The government will have to think about borrowing and subsidizing more.
June 03, 2022


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The newest unicorn in India is a startup that is helping construction and real estate companies in the world’s second-most populated nation procure materials and handle logistics for their projects.
Four-year-old Infra.Market said on Thursday it has raised $100 million in a Series C round led by Tiger Global. Existing investors, including Foundamental, Accel Partners, Nexus Venture Partners, Evolvence India Fund and Sistema Asia Fund also participated in the round, which valued the Indian startup at $1 billion.
The new round, which brings Infra.Market’s total to-date raise to about $150 million, comes just two months after the Mumbai-headquartered startup concluded its Series B round. The startup was valued at about $200 million post-money in the December round, a person familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. Avendus Capital advised Infra.Market on the new transaction.
Infra.Market helps small businesses such as manufacturers of paints and cements improve the quality of their production and meet various compliances. The startup adds its load cells to the manufacturing facilities of these small businesses to ensure there is no lapse in quality, and also helps them work with other businesses that can provide them with better raw material and provide guidance on pricing. It also works closely with businesses to ensure that their deliveries are made on time.
Sengupta said in December that the startup was on track to hit the ARR (annual recurring revenue) of $100 million before the pandemic hit early last year. This nearly cut the startup’s business in half for at least two early months of the pandemic. But the startup has picked up pace again, and is now on track to hit the ARR of $180 million. The startup aims to grow this figure to $300 million by March.


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A few weeks ago, Paxful announced that it had opened support for the Tether (USDT) stablecoin on its platform, activating several updates to its products, such as hedging, i.e. the ability to convert BTC to USDT and protect users from market volatility.
Well now, a few weeks later, Paxful has announced that it has traded around $2 million worth of Tether.
From the data provided by Paxful, it is clear that there have been thousands of transactions totalling just under $2 million with transactions from BTC to USDT and vice versa.
What is Paxful?
It should be noted that the Paxful platform allows the exchange of BTC in a very simple way, as it is possible to use different payment methods depending on the user’s preferences.
Among them, there are gift cards, but also PayPal and others.
Tether on Paxful
In any case, the arrival of Tether (USDT) brings greater security on the volatility side of BTC: if someone wanted to sell an X sum, then they would want that sum not to fluctuate in value and so they can convert BTC into a stablecoin and trade with that sum that will not change in value.
This is in fact the advantage of stablecoins and the reason why Tether, which is the most popular and long-lived stablecoin on the market, is so successful.
The service was initially only available to users in Nigeria, as recalled by Paxful’s co-founder Artur Schaback:
“To honour one of our biggest markets, we decided to offer the feature to top users in Nigeria first. Confirming its efficiency and ease of use, we received practical feedback that we applied to polish the trading feature, and now we are ready to present it to the rest of the world”.
In addition, on Paxful it is possible to transfer USDT through one’s own account to other users, without the risk of incorrect transaction details as it is possible to make transfers using usernames on the platform.
Paxful certainly represents a real point of reference especially in Africa, a continent that has always been very interested in the use of cryptocurrencies.


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NEW YORK — One hot issue in the textile industry of late has been the value of the dollar. Just last month, the American Textile Manufacturers Institute complained at a Congressional hearing that the strength of the dollar compared with other...
NEW YORK — One hot issue in the textile industry of late has been the value of the dollar. Just last month, the American Textile Manufacturers Institute complained at a Congressional hearing that the strength of the dollar compared with other currencies was hurting domestic manufacturers.
ATMI president Carlos Moore said at the time, "the overvalued dollar...has had a devastating impact on the U.S. textile sector overall and on smaller textile enterprises and small communities in particular."
Since that June 12 hearing, the dollar has begun to weaken slightly in comparison to the Japanese yen and the euro. Yet textile executives had varying opinions as to whether a weaker dollar would mean much to the business.
Cone’s Bakane said of the dollar’s decline, "I think it will have a favorable impact on the textile and apparel business, starting maybe in a quarter or two and then going out past that."
Still, he pointed out that the most critical exchange rate for the textile industry is the dollar versus China’s yuan. The dollar has changed little in comparison with the yuan this year.
Nancy Marino, president of New York-based Linmark USA, a sourcing company, said the slide in the value of the dollar has had little affect on her importing business.
"It’s had some impact, but not a tremendous amount," she said. "It’s a wait-and-see issue."
Burlington’s Henderson said those who focus on the effect the dollar’s strength has on textile imports are losing sight of a larger issue: that the entire industry is dependent on the strength of the U.S. economy.
"While it may help our export business," he said of the dollar’s decline, "it also will make the foreign investment coming into this country probably go down....And foreign investment has been financing the trade deficit."
He said that any continued improvement in the textile business will depend on the broader U.S. economy remaining strong.
"We’re cautious" about second-half business, he said. "Our order backlog is healthy, and our deliveries are further out than we would like, but we are cautious about the economy, and we are cautious about consumer debt levels and we are cautious about world events."At Cone, Bakane agreed that the current volatility of the economy makes it difficult to predict whether the business will retain its recent strength in the second half.
"The environment is the most difficult to forecast that I’ve ever seen," he said. "Whether it be about the strength and consistency of the recovery or about the impact of international trade, it’s just tough to forecast with any visibility. But having said that, my feeling is that our denim business will continue to see strength in the second half of the year and beyond that."
@margotrobbie steps out onto the red carpet wearing @miumiu. The actress is nominated for “Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role” in “I, Tonya” at the #SagAwards. (📷: Stewart Cook) #wwdfashion
For @massimogiorgetti of @msgm, the Nineties are his favorite decade. “They had a huge impact on my personal growth. What I like of the Nineties is that they are not so precise in terms of style as other decades…there was actually a bit of everything,” he said. As seen on MSGM’s Spring 2018 show: tie-dye and a bit of grunge, two styles that are synonymous with the decade #wwdfashion #wwddecades (📷: @kukukuba)
Breaking News: @hedislimane joins @celine as its new artistic, creative and image director. One of fashion’s preeminent image-makers and trendsetters, Slimane is to join the LVMH brand on Feb. 1 and unveil his first fashion proposition for men and women next September during Paris Fashion Week. It marks a major homecoming for Slimane, who cemented his reputation – and influenced men’s tailoring for more than a decade – as the designer of Dior Homme between 2000 and 2007. He went on to reinvent and ignite the house of Yves Saint Laurent, which he rechristened Saint Laurent, between 2012 and 2016 – all the while maintaining a close relationship with the Arnault family, which controls LVMH and Dior. Read the full exclusive story on WWD.com. Link in bio. #wwdnews #wwdfashion
“Personally I believe the Eighties have been the richest and more vivacious period for international fashion,” Giorgio Armani said when asked what his favorite decade of fashion is. It was a moment of disruption and experimentation and only thinking back to the first years of that decade is always an emotion for me, for what they have meant to me and my work.” The influence is clear in @giorgioarmani spring 2018 collection, pictured here, which was full of bright colors and unexpected prints. Read more about which decades designers loved most on WWD.com #wwdfashion #wwddecades (📷: @aitorrosasphoto)
For Lady Gaga’s only Italian show on her “Joanne World Tour,” the singer wore a range of @versace_official outfits. The standout piece: this custom-made bodysuit inspired by the brand’s spring 2018 collection. #wwdfashion (RG: @ladygaga)
@_camillaruth_ is expanding on the wellness-craze concept with @westbourne – a new NYC restaurant that’s both a healthy-minded café as well as a business that gives back to the community. Marcus works with the Robin Hood foundation to give back to The Door, a non-profit providing youth development services, and also hires employees through The Door. Read our full interview with Marcus on giving back through food on WWD.com. #wwdeye (📷: @lexieblacklock)


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First published on www.publishersweekly.com
Trade book sales rose 6.9%, to $15.05 billion, in 2012, according to figures released by BookStats, the Association of American Publishers/Book Industry Study Group statistics program. Unit growth in the year was put at 8.1%. Total industry sales fell just under 1% in 2012, to $27.12 billion, due mainly to a sales decline in the K-12 market which has been hurt by weak state and local budgets.
The first release of data by BookStats–more figures will be coming in the next few weeks–provided more details on how the growth of e-books has affected the trade market. Total e-book sales rose 44.2% in 2012, to $3.04 billion and accounted for 20% of trade revenue in the year, up from 16% in 2011. The gain in e-book sales offset a flat performance by print sales which held virtually even at $12 billion between 2011 and 2012.


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Today Amazon tapped into the DVR business with Amazon Fire TV Recast. This is a device that connects to an antenna on one end and broadcasts TV networks through Amazon Fire TV devices on the other. It’s simple, and it’s about to do some real damage to companies like TiVo and Dish, quite likely.
The Fire TV Recast is a DVR broadcast device first introduced this week by Senior Vice President of Amazon Devices Dave Limp at an Amazon devices event on September 20th, 2018. This device looks like a box. And really, what else would it need to look like? It’s going to be hidden in your home and it’ll do all its work silently.
Television show recordings can be made with the Fire TV Recast, and each of these recordings can be seen on Amazon Fire TV devices – and Echo Show – like normal TV broadcasts. This device can record 2-4 shows at one time and can stream video to multiple devices at once. Soon we’ll see a full list of devices to which this DVR can broadcast. For now, courage.
The Amazon Fire TV Recast will be available in a couple of different iterations. The smaller is a 2-tuner version with 500GB internal storage, and it’ll be available for $230 USD. The other version is a 4-tuner machine with 1TB storage, and we do not yet know the price – but you can surmise already that it’ll likely be between $230 and $300 – or thereabouts.
UPDATE! Right in the middle! The price of the 4-tuner version of the Fire TV Recast is, in fact,
$280! Now, if only they’d sell it with a fabric cover, so I know none of my devices are just plastic, that’d be super duper.


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Rawlins Gas Changes to Texaco
The new year has brought a new look for Rawlins Service station, which transitioned from Chevron to Texaco branding at the end of 2017. The gas remains the same, and the only thing that’s changed is the appearance, color and logo, said the Rawlins family, who have owned the business for four generations.
In 2016, Chevron across the state of Hawaii was bought out by Island Energy and rebranded as Texaco. However, Chevron Corporation owns Texaco, and the Chevron branding remains at mainland stations.
On Molokai, rebranding took place the Monday before Thanksgiving.
“It wasn’t as bad as we thought, we tried to avoid total shutdown [during the transition] because it’s hard on Molokai,” said Lori-Lei Rawlins-Crivello, company vice president. The pumps were closed for a few hours on Monday, Nov. 20, and though work continued Tuesday and Wednesday, at least one side of the pumps remained open to minimize inconvenience to customers, said Rawlins-Crivello.
Contractors who completed the statewide rebranding came to do the switch on Molokai, changing the logos, colors and signage as per Signsite.com.au. Rawlins President Shirley Rawlins said the contractors planned to completely close the station during the work, but were accommodating of the Rawlins’ request to leave it open as much as possible. The family also adds their thanks to Molokai residents.
“Mahalo to our loyal customers for their patience during the transition and their continued patronage,” said Rawlins-Crivello.
The only work left to complete the rebranding is the main signs by the road, which were held up by the Maui County permitting process, according to the Rawlins. Though the permits have now been approved, they are waiting on the materials to finish the transformation.
“We’ve heard a lot of positive comments on the color, but it takes a while to get used to,” Rawlins-Crivello admitted. “It’s a big transition for our family because we’ve been programmed ‘Chevron, Chevron, Chevron.'”
In fact, it was 45 years the station had had Chevron branding. Rawlins-Crivello said her parents have been in the business for 55 years, starting with the Shell gas station operated by Rawlins’ mother in law from 1958 to 1965 in the location of the current Fish and Dive. Rawlins-Crivello’s parents took over in 1965, and in 1972, Rawlins Chevron began operation in its current location.
The change is mostly a legality, said Rawlins, and gas remains the same, “with Techron.” The Rawlins family still owns the station and property, and their name as undergone a slight change. The business, Rawlins Enterprises, Inc., is now doing business simply as Rawlins Service, instead of the former Rawlins Chevron Service. Chevron gift cards and credit cards will also continue to be honored.
Employees are now wearing Texaco’s red uniforms but Rawlins-Crivello said that will eventually be changing back to their former pink. Across the nation, Chevron employees have the option to wear pink uniforms during October to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But Rawlins-Crivello, a breast cancer survivor, said Molokai’s station was the only one in the nation that had been granted permission to wear the pink uniforms all year round. Her request to continue this tradition has been granted under Texaco, she said, so they will be making the transition back to pink likely later this year.
The pink uniforms aren’t the only thing that distinguishes Molokai’s Chevron/Texaco station. Rawlins said in the last 25 years, her business has won about 20 awards for best customer service in Hawaii that had been awarded among Chevron stations in the state annually. A secret shopper would come every year, unbeknownst to station management, and evaluate the friendliness of staff, the cleanliness of facilities, and other factors at each Chevron station in the state. Molokai almost always came out on top.
The Rawlins said other things that make their station unique is their holiday decorating and their offering additional items for sale like TVs, microwaves, coolers and other household essentials not sold at other stations. They also offer mechanic services, sell propane and rent U-Haul vehicles. In the future, the Rawlins said they plan to expand the store portion to be able to offer more retail items.
“It’s all about providing the service we need on Molokai,” said Rawlins-Crivello.


text: Sports Betting Online Interview RedZone Co-Founder: "Less is more" for sportsbooks offering NFL markets August 15, 2019 By Tim Poole Ahead of the new NFL season in September, RedZone’s Co-Founder and Trading Director explains why "less is more" for operators Stephen Baumohl believes operators should offer a more focused user experience to bettors ahead of the new NFL season. RedZone specializes in US sports and the company’s Co-Founder and Trading Director values "quality over quantity" when it comes to the markets players are interested in. Offering a wider selection may therefore be counterproductive going into the new campaign, in his opinion. That’s why RedZone will focus on removing "clutter" and giving NFL bettors what they want through quicker and more efficient means. "Less is more," Baumohl tells Gaming America. "Looking at the breakdown of bets by market, it is clear the majority of action is concentrated around certain market types and the idea of having as many markets as possible might actually be counterproductive to user experience. "We are going to offer more quality over quantity by increasing the amount of popular markets such as player props and removing a lot of clutter. "We want to make sure the markets people want to bet on are there in abundance and easy to find."


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A downtown WIlmington wine bar has changed hands as the previous owner embarks on a second location in the city's South Front District.
Celeste Glass has sold The Fortunate Glass, 29 S. Front St., to Tom Noonan, a pianist and entertainer who performs at various Wilmington venues, for an undisclosed amount, according to an announcement from MoMentum Companies, a real estate brokerage and development firm.
Noonan, who has a 25-year history of employment in the insurance industry, said in the release, "You basically will see no changes at all in the atmosphere or food offerings. Why mess with success?"
MoMentum Companies President Terry Espy explained the evolution of the transaction, which took place June 15, in Monday's announcement.
While Espy "had been involved in the expansion [The Second Glass in a South Front Street mixed-use development] of Glass's vision, she was also working with a new client who was focused on procuring a business that would meet his vision. With no interest in starting a business from the ground up and focused only on successfully operating businesses in the downtown Wilmington market, the current options that were being marketed for sale were very limited," Espy stated in the announcement.
Although Glass "had not considered selling The Fortunate Glass, she was pleasantly surprised when Espy broached the idea. Espy and Glass both understood the transition would only work with the right buyer….and Tom Noonan was the perfect fit," Espy said.
Glass said the sale was a win-win situation because of the financial stability it provides her as she prepares to open The Second Glass.
“When you run a small business, you have to wear all the hats,” Glass said. “It’s not just about the wine and the food, but also the whole financial side of the business.”
Glass admits she was a bit nervous about spreading herself too thin with the opening of a second location. She said that with the sale of The Fortunate Glass to Noonan, she will have the ability to dedicate the same level of detail to The Second Glass that she's poured into The Fortunate Glass.
Glass emphasized the fact that as part of sale, she will be working as a full-time consultant for Noonan through Sept. 1, to ensure he knows everything he needs to know to be successful.
“We have no intention of changing anything,” Glass said. “The Fortunate Glass will remain as is, and Tom and I fully intend to operate in conjunction with one another moving forward. Though there is now separate ownership, we will operate as sister businesses.”
Meanwhile, construction is underway at The Second Glass, and according to Glass, is on track for a mid-September opening.


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Battlegrounds Mobile India has crossed 50 million downloads on the Google Play Store, with Krafton now giving out exclusive rewards to players for completing the milestone. Earlier, the South Korean company revealed an event to help BGMI reach the milestone, officially known as the ‘50 Million Download Milestone Event’.
Krafton announced the completion of the milestone on its blog, stating that players have been gifted the Galaxy Messenger Set permanent outfit in addition to "some more fun rewards". The game is also hosting its 'Independence Day Mahotsav' event, set to run till August 20.
"We extend our warm wishes to our Indian fans on the occasion of Independence Day," said Mr Wooyol Lim, Head of Battlegrounds Mobile Division, Krafton.
"We are delighted to be a part of this celebration, made even sweeter with BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA hitting 50M downloads on Play Store in just over a month! I am looking forward to an equally strong response to our first esports tournament starting next month.”
BGMI 50 Million Download Milestone Event Rewards
- 48M Milestone - Supply Coupon Crate Scrap X3
- 49M Milestone - Classic Coupon Crate Scrap X3
- 50M Milestone - Permanent Galaxy Messenger Set X1
It should be noted that the 50M downloads reward will be maintained for 1 month for redemption, with all players who access the game after milestone completion being eligible to receive the reward as per set period.
While the addition of new, time-exclusive items to the game is nice, Krafton is also gearing up to reveal the game's release date on iOS devices. The company is well aware of its fans' pleas for a release of the game on iOS devices, and previous developments suggest that it might be coming soon enough. The game's first India series tournament is also currently live, running until October 10.


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<THE EVENING NEWS>
Wednesday, February 3, 1999
DJIA 9366.81 +92.69 (+1.00%) S&P 500 1272.07 +10.08 (+0.80%) Nasdaq 2493.41 +29.99 (+1.22%) Russell 2000 423.74 +2.01 (+0.48%) 30-Year Bond 99 30/32 -6/32 5.25 Yield
In what seems to be becoming a two or three month recurrence upon which commodity traders can set their watches, the United Nations requested that the remaining U.S. weapons inspectors leave Iraq today, renewing the threat of yet another military confrontation in the region. This may sound like a broken record, but oil traders still seem to like the tune as it raises hopes that Iraqi oil production will be curtailed, easing the ongoing oil supply glut a bit. Of course, this theory hasn't actually worked in practice yet, but that's beside the point. Oil prices moved up some 3% today anyway, boosting shares of several oil services firms. Among the winners, Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB) rose $2 13/16 to $52 7/16, Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) gained $2 to $30 3/4, Baker Hughes (NYSE: BHI) added $1 5/16 to $18 1/16, BJ Services (NYSE: BJS) tacked on $1 11/16 to $16 11/16, and Cooper Cameron (NYSE: RON) climbed $2 13/16 to $26 1/2.
Enterprise decision support software maker Business Objects (Nasdaq: BOBJY) picked up $8 3/8 to $40 1/8 after reporting Q4 EPS of $0.26, up from $0.10 a year ago and ahead of the Zacks mean estimate of $0.20. The French company also announced a U.S. and Canadian reseller agreement with IBM (NYSE: IBM) and received an upgrade to "strong buy" from "buy" courtesy of BT Alex. Brown. By working in the data mining and warehousing backwaters of the enterprise resource planning (ERP) field, Business Objects has managed to make a name for itself without being washed-up in the recent ERP washout. The company's software has helped medical products distributor Owens & Minor (NYSE: OMI) improve its access to customer pricing and sales data and perfect the just-in-time inventory model used by Nike (NYSE: NKE). Those happy clients have produced happy shareholders, who have watched Business Objects' stock jump 250% since its lows in October.
QUICK TAKES: Victoria's Secret parent Intimate Brands (NYSE: IBI) moved up $4 1/4 to $44 3/16 after saying an 11% increase in January same-store sales will result in fiscal Q4 (ending Jan. 30) earnings of $0.98 per share, $0.03 higher than the Zacks mean estimate. Intimate Brands parent Limited (NYSE: LTD) picked up $2 13/16 to $37 7/16 as well... Electronic hardware and software design tools maker Mentor Graphics (Nasdaq: MENT) added $2 5/8 to $13 9/16 after reporting Q4 EPS of $0.21 (excluding charges), topping the Zacks mean estimate of $0.18. "We are outgrowing the competition and taking market share on many fronts," said President and CEO Walden Rhines... Toymaker Mattel (NYSE: MAT) hopscotched $2 1/16 higher to $27 7/16 after announcing two new PC-enhanced toys designed with Intel (Nasdaq: INTC).
E-commerce application software developer Open Market (Nasdaq: OMKT) gained $3 1/4 to $16 15/16 after signing a revenue-sharing e-commerce agreement with portal Lycos (Nasdaq: LCOS). Under the deal, Lycos will use the company's Transact software to power the Lycos electronic marketplace and implement Open Market's ShopSite software to build Internet storefronts... That big sucking sound heard on Wall Street today is from money going into Perot Systems Corp. (NYSE: PER), the computer services firm headed up by presidential infomercial purchaser extraordinaire Ross Perot. The company continued its rise today, gaining $18 3/8 to $61 7/8, after climbing to $43 1/2 yesterday following its initial public offering at a price of $16 per share... TV network operator CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) eyed a $2 gain to $36 5/8 after Bear Stearns started coverage with a "buy" rating.
Genomic-related technologies developer Incyte Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: INCY) advanced $5 1/8 to $27 3/4 after saying it has cancelled plans to create a tracking stock for its Incyte Genetics unit, opting to finance the division from "current financial resources" instead. The company expects fiscal 1999 revenues to increase 40% to about $190 million, setting it on a course to return to profitability in the second half of 2000... Analog and digital signal processor (DSP) chipmaker Analog Devices (NYSE: ADI) was boosted $5 7/8 to $34 on news that the company and chip giant Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) have entered a DSP development joint venture... Stent maker Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX) picked up $1 11/16 to $25 1/2 on word that a corrected version of its recalled Nir on Ranger with Sox stent will be back in the market in the second half of this year...
Digital wireless communications developer QUALCOMM (Nasdaq: QCOM) added $4 to $66 5/8 after saying it will take a $20 million charge in fiscal Q2 related to a plan to reduce its workforce by 700, or about 6%. Merrill Lynch raised its near-term rating to "accumulate" from "neutral"... Hotel real estate investment trust Patriot American Hospitality (NYSE: PAH) gained $11/16 to $5 3/4 after The Wall Street Journal reported that Hilton Hotels Corp. (NYSE: HLT) is in talks to possibly acquire a number of Patriot hotels for as much as $1 billion and make an equity investment in the company of around $350 million... Information technology and systems integration services firm Computer Sciences Corp. (NYSE: CSC) tacked on $4 11/16 to $72 1/4 after being awarded a payroll and benefits information technology consulting contract worth up to $198 million.
Equipment and supplies distributor W.W. Grainger (NYSE: GWW) added $5 3/16 to $43 after reporting Q4 EPS of $0.69, beating the First Call mean estimate by $0.08. BancBoston Robertson Stephens raised its rating to "buy" from "long-term attractive"... Telecommunications software developer Lightbridge Inc. (Nasdaq: LTBG) shined $1 11/16 to $7 1/16 after posting Q4 EPS of $0.09, topping the First Call mean estimate of $0.07... Software developer Micro Focus Group (Nasdaq: MIFGY) picked up $1 1/4 to $10 3/4 after saying its Intersolv unit will provide secure data access technologies to Infoseek's (Nasdaq: SEEK) GO Network portal.
Systems management software designer New Dimension Software (Nasdaq: DDDDF) warped $2 11/16 higher to $56 7/16 after posting Q4 EPS of $0.53, up from $0.27 last year and ahead of the Zacks mean estimate of $0.42... High-end women's clothing designer St. John Knits (NYSE: SJK) stitched up a $1 9/16 gain to $27 9/16 after the company accepted a cash buyout bid from a group led by founder Bob Gray at $30 per share, which was higher than the $28 per share the group initially offered late last year... Hotel operator Starwood Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: HOT) was smokin' today, rising $1 13/16 to $26 5/8 after putting up Q4 pro forma funds from operations of $1.40 per share compared to $0.85 per share a year ago.
Specialty retailer Genesis Direct's (Nasdaq: GEND) first session of trading as its new incarnation, online sporting equipment retailer Proteam.com (Nasdaq: PRTM), wasn't a slam dunk today, as the shares lost $1 17/32 to $7 1/2 in busy trading. The company plans to raise $60 million selling off its non-sports assets -- it agreed to sell its institutional/business-to-business catalogs to School Specialty Inc. (Nasdaq: SCHS) for $23 million -- and use that money, along with $10 million in recently acquired debt financing, to build out its nine sports brands, which include the official catalogs of the NBA, NHL, Nascar and Major League Baseball. "We already have the infrastructure necessary to support the growth we expect in this area," said CEO Warren Struhl, who said the company has the capacity to handle over $500 million in sales, more than twice the $218 million recorded over the trailing 12 months. Also hurting the shares was a fiscal Q3 loss of $0.58 per share, humbling the year-ago $3.63 loss but short of First Call's estimated $0.03 loss. Wall Street currently anticipates a return to profitability -- EPS of $0.03 -- in fiscal 2000, but that three-analyst projection is almost certain to change given today's news.
Networking hardware and software maker Digi International (Nasdaq: DGII) slid $1 5/8 to $8 on last night's news that President and CEO Jerry Dusa will resign effective Feb. 28. While Dusa said his decision to move on is "essentially a life style choice," that life style was certain to be impacted by the fact that the next few months at Digi probably won't be entirely stress-free: the company last week reported disappointing fiscal Q1 EPS results, saying its efforts to shore up operating expenses probably won't show results until the second half of the year. Wall Street expects the company's earnings to underperform year-ago figures in the second and third quarters. Dusa, for his part, plans a return to his consulting and investment roots -- he ran Phase One Partners between 1995 and 1997 before joining Digi. Digi will start a national search for a replacement; Dusa will stay on Digi's board.
QUICK CUTS: Internet networking giant Cisco Systems (Nasdaq: CSCO), which reported fiscal second quarter earnings of $0.36 a share (before charges) compared with last year's $0.29 and a penny ahead First Call's mean estimate after the bell yesterday, slipped $1 1/4 to $111 1/8. Market buzz had investors reacting to disappointment that a hoped-for stock split wasn't in the making. Second banana 3Com Corp. (Nasdaq: COMS), meanwhile, peeled off $6 3/4 to $37 3/8 as investors worried that their company was losing market share to Cisco. For more on the Cisco earnings news, dial up today's Breakfast With the Fool... Chip maker Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) lost $3 3/8 to $20 15/16 after Richard Forte resigned as president and CEO of its Vantis subsidiary. The company also reportedly worried investors by canceling two appearances at investor conferences.
Online brokerage E*Trade (Nasdaq: EGRP), offline for more than an hour today reportedly because of software issues, retreated $3 to $55 1/4... Friday IPO Tut Systems (Nasdaq: TUTS), which makes products that speed Internet access over copper telephone lines, ended its blazing start as public company this week with a fall of $10 1/8 to $66 today... Chip metrology tools supplier Veeco Instruments (Nasdaq: VECO) cracked $1 5/16 to $51 13/16 after pricing an offering of about 3.6 million shares at $52 per share... British drug maker Zeneca Group PLC (NYSE: ZEN) faded $1 1/2 to $44 3/8 after Merrill Lynch downgraded the stock's near-term rating to "neutral" from "accumulate," saying the company's planned merger with Sweden's Astra AB (NYSE: A) increases its exposure to patent expirations.
Office furniture supplier Knoll Inc. (NYSE: KNL) lost $1 1/16 to $22 despite reporting Q4 EPS of $0.55, up from both last year's $0.42 and Wall Street's $0.51 projection. The company also extended a share buyback program to total 5 million shares, up from 3 million with 2.1 million already repurchased. Knoll and several competitors fell recently on worries about demand... Real estate investment trust Associated Estates Realty Corp. (NYSE: AEC) moved back $1 1/4 to $10 7/16 after Q4 funds from operations (FFO) came in at $0.44 per share, well off last year's $0.55 mark and short of the market's $0.47 consensus estimate. The company also restated Q3 FFO, lowering the figure to $0.44 per share from $0.46... Disk drive suspension assembly supplier Hutchinson Technology (Nasdaq: HTCH) fell $1 1/4 to $45 1/2 after selling 4.8 million common shares for $45.50 each in a secondary offering.
Computer telephony products maker Notify Technology Corp. (Nasdaq: NTFY), a huge winner yesterday, gave back $3 13/16 to $5 9/16 today. The company's stock ran ahead more than 380% yesterday on news of a new e-mail notification service... Horsham, Pa.-based biotechnology company Cell Pathways (Nasdaq: CLPA) continued its recent slide, losing $1 5/8 to $7 3/8 on the heels of an $18 1/4 loss yesterday driven by the announcement that the company's Phase III clinical trial for Prevatec (an anti-cancer drug) "suggests that the study did not achieve a statistically significant clinical response when compared to placebo"... Coronary stent and medical devices maker Guidant (NYSE: GDT) extended yesterday's losses, bleeding a further $1 3/16 to $53 1/2 after letting $3 11/16 go yesterday on news that competitor Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) won FDA marketing approval for its new Gem II DR dual-chamber implanted defibrillator, putting the screws to Guidant's efforts in the fast-growing segment of the coronary care market.
EarthWeb (Nasdaq: EWBX) down $1 7/8 to $48 7/8; Q4 EPS loss of $0.53 per share vs. loss of $0.54 last year; estimate: loss of $0.58
Fundtech (Nasdaq: FNDTF) down $1 3/8 to $24 1/2; Q4 EPS $0.20 vs. $0.07 last year; estimate: $0.18
IDEC Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: IDPH) down $2 7/8 to $47; Q4 EPS $0.24 vs. $0.35; estimate: $0.24
Immunex (Nasdaq: IMNX) down $10 to $147; Q4 EPS $0.26 vs. loss of $0.12 last year; estimate: $0.26
MagneTek Inc. (NYSE: MAG) down $1 3/8 to $11 3/8; fiscal Q2 EPS $0.08 vs. $0.28 last year; estimate: $0.11
Metro Information Services (Nasdaq: MISI) down $5 7/16 to $29 9/16; Q4 EPS $0.27 vs. $0.20 last year; estimate: $0.26
Novel Denim Holdings (Nasdaq: NVLDF) down $5 3/4 to $15 1/4; Q4 EPS $0.50 vs. $0.42 last year; estimate: $0.54
Novoste Corp. (Nasdaq: NOVT) down $1 5/8 to $24 5/8; Q4 EPS loss of $0.86 vs. loss of $0.50 last year; estimate: loss of $0.74
Tekelec (Nasdaq: TKLC) down $4 11/16 to $15 5/16; Q4 EPS (before benefits) $0.16 vs. $0.15 last year; estimate: $0.19
Tropical Sportswear International (Nasdaq: TSIC) down $4 1/8 to $32; fiscal Q1 EPS $0.30 vs. $0.18 last year; estimate: $0.29
A week ago, the Fool's David Gardner received this e-mail from an unhappy online trader. "I am one of thousands of Waterhouse Securities customers trading on margin to take advantage of the bull market," he said. "Last week, I was informed that there was a $50,000 margin call against my account due this past Monday." He continued, "I believe there are many people like me that had margin calls in the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars and were forced to sell their positions in fast-growing equities to cover their margin call." David's correspondent speculated that this spate of margin calls may have contributed to a market sell-off, particularly in the shares of many Internet-related companies, and that the ensuing recovery in Internet stocks commenced once these calls had been met.
This story is not unusual. In recent weeks, a number of leading online brokers -- including Charles Schwab (NYSE: SCH), E*Trade (Nasdaq: EGRP), Waterhouse, a unit of Toronto Dominion Bank (NYSE: TD), and Ameritrade (Nasdaq: AMTD) -- have changed their margin maintenance requirements, sometimes with little advanced notice. They've done so in order to protect themselves, and their customers, from the volatile trading -- and speculative bubbles -- in Internet-related securities.
Some online brokers, such as Schwab and Waterhouse, have also made additional moves, such as barring or restricting online trading of certain stocks. Schwab, for example, won't allow trades for some initial public offerings to be made through its website. And for certain fast-moving issues, it requires investors to enter a limit order setting a target price or to call a company representative to change a market order. Other firms such as Knight-Tribune (Nasdaq: NITE), Herzog Heine Geduld, and Schwab have removed certain Internet issues from their automatic execution systems.
The incredible volatility in stocks like Broadcast.com (Nasdaq: BCST) and eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY), for example, has simply left market makers exposed to rushes of buy or sell orders that they can't or don't want to handle. Market-makers are supposed to provide liquidity in such one-sided markets, in part by creating more shares temporarily through naked shorting in order to satisfy investor demand. However, that demand has been so intense as to leave firms reluctant to fill that role since they can be quickly scalped for heady losses. Even major brokerage houses such as Bear Stearns have stopped making a market in particular Internet stocks because they don't want to be exposed to such volatility.
As David's correspondent suggested, though, some of these moves by brokerage houses may have contributed to the very volatility they were designed to counteract. In addition, the policy changes have no doubt annoyed some customers who find their online broker is no longer delivering the type of service they've come to expect. On balance, though, this is the free market in action. It may not be pretty, but the firms changing their rules have simply surveyed their risks and determined that it's in their interest to curtail their exposure to these Internet stocks. While the online brokers may alienate some customers, they may also save others from a lot of heartache if (or when) these stocks come crashing down.
Let's consider what's going on here. Investors who trade on margin are basically taking out a loan from their brokers and using the money to buy stock. The Federal Reserve determines what stocks are marginable, and thus which ones can be used as loan collateral. The Fed also determines the minimum equity for an initial margin loan. Though set at a very low 10% during the 1920s, the threshold in recent years has held steady at 50%. This means that to buy $10,000 worth of stock, you must start with at least $5,000 cash on deposit. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) both require margin investors to maintain account equity amounting to at least 25% of their initial positions. However, most brokerage firms have a higher minimum maintenance requirement, typically 30% to 35%. If your portfolio loses value and falls below this mark, your broker gives you a margin call telling you to put more money in your account or sell some of your stock.
As the largest discount broker and leading online broker, Schwab's recent moves exemplify the trend. In early December, Schwab boosted its minimum maintenance level from 35% to 50% for a group of Internet issues. Two weeks ago, it pushed the minimum equity threshold to 70% for a group of 23 stocks, including Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN), Books-A-Million (Nasdaq: BAMM), CMG Information (Nasdaq: CMGI), eBay, OnSale (Nasdaq: ONSL), Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO) and Schwab's own competitors, Ameritrade and E*Trade. There are now 52 other issues on the firm's 50% maintenance list, including Broadcast.com (Nasdaq: BCST), @Home (Nasdaq: ATHM), Mindspring (Nasdaq: MSPG) and theglobe.com (Nasdaq: TGLO).
While E*Trade has boosted its margin maintenance requirements well above the normal 35% level to 40% to 60% on several dozen stocks, it's actually made over a dozen stocks totally unmarginable. The number two online broker now requires investors to put up 100% cash to buy or keep issues like K-tel (Nasdaq: KTEL), uBid (Nasdaq: UBID), and Xoom.com (Nasdaq: XMCM). Meanwhile, Waterhouse has its own slate of 100% margin maintenance stocks, and Fidelity reportedly has some 50 Internet stocks on a list requiring 80% equity.
These higher margin standards may crimp the style of some online investors who've used hefty margin borrowing to leverage their gains in Internet stocks. Still, the brokerage firms have a perfect right to raise their standards for making loans. After all, it's their money, and they want to make sure they get it back. (If you own stock in any of these brokerage firms, these latest moves likely seem pretty smart.) These firms are simply looking at the stock being offered as collateral for the loans and making their own judgments regarding what they think these shares are really worth. Like pawn brokers, brokerage firms don't have any obligation to loan money on what they consider poor quality goods, or stuff that glitters but just ain't gold.
Moreover, investors should prefer to see speculation in the marketplace addressed through stiffer margin requirements and other reasonable speedbumps to trading rather than through something as truly draconian and destabilizing as actual trading halts. Since December, a subcommittee of the NASD, which runs the Nasdaq market, had been considering the possibility of temporarily shutting down trading in especially volatile issues. In theory, such halts would give investors a chance to take a deep breath and think before they traded again. Yet, the lesson learned from the New York Stock Exchange's circuit breakers during the market's meltdown in 1997 is that volatility-related suspensions of trading only exacerbate existing problems. Anxious investors playing a game of musical chairs may act rashly to get a seat before the music stops. Luckily, the NASD committee voted down this proposal according to a story in today's Wall Street Journal.
The more basic, issue, though is that nobody should be using more than a little margin (say 10% of your equity) when investing. Margin loans can boost your overall returns if your stocks rise in value, but leverage naturally works both ways. Talk to the geniuses at Long-Term Capital Management. You can lose money a lot faster if you've taken out fat margin loans to pay for your stock portfolio and things go wrong. And sooner or later, things do go wrong.
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Walmart Canada supports e-commerce with smart facility
Walmart Canada’s newest distribution center features artificial intelligence and automation.
Supply chain solutions and services provider SCI Canada is managing a purpose-built, 450,000-sq.-ft. DC in Mississauga, Ontario. Serving as the main facility dedicated to fulfilling Walmart Canada's online orders, the center is equipped with intelligence software that provides real-time visibility to operations and is fully integrated with SCI's warehouse management system.
The new DC maximizes storage through a four-level, 70,000-sq.-ft. pick platform for storing and picking smaller items and pallet racking for larger and higher-volume items. Automation improves capacity and uses conveyors to transport materials to one of five zones on each level and complete pick totes to a put-wall area from both the platform and pallet racks.
Walmart says the hub is part of its strategy to continue growing its e-commerce business in Canada. Walmart Canada's flagship website is visited daily by over 750,000 customers.
"It's exciting that shopping on Walmart.ca continues growing in popularity with our customers,” said Alexis Lanternier, executive VP e-commerce, Walmart Canada. “We've been modernizing and innovating to ensure products can get to our customers in the quickest and most efficient way possible, without compromising on our everyday low prices and the quality customers expect. We're proud to have partnered with SCI to create this distribution center, as it provides a customized end-to-end solution that suits our growing business needs."


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Wearwell® Introduces: A Safety Evolution in Modular Rubber Matting
Nashville, TN – September, 2019 – Wearwell announces their patented new design for modular rubber matting. Branded as 24/Seven® LockSafe®, this product features a new rubber interlocking technology that stay secure in use, solving a decades old safety hazard.
The new 24/Seven® LockSafe® out-performs standard rubber matting through its unique positive interlock system. This new technology prevents rubber matting tiles from separating, effectively engineering away problems that are commonly experienced with traditional rubber matting. LockSafe® connections even allow the product to be rolled up and moved without separation.
24/Seven® LockSafe® has separate ramps and corners, creating a system that allows for quicker installation with minimal effort. This means less downtime than traditional rubber matting.
“Zip ties and glue will no longer be thought of as a matting accessory” says Taunya Swandal, Director of Marketing for Wearwell, “24/Seven® LockSafe®is positively one of a kind!”
24/Seven® LockSafe® is available in two compounds: Grease Resistant (GR) and Nitrile Rubber (NBR). Versions available in interlocking modular tiles as well as standard workstation sized mats.
More 24/Seven® LockSafe® information and samples available at: Wearwell.com/locksafe


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Burger mashups are all the rage these days, but the latest may very well put you under arrest (of the cardiac kind). That’s thanks to the new Code 7 Burger, named in homage to the code cops use for a coffee and donut run.
Austin burger chain Hopdoddy has partnered up with LA’s most iconic doughnut shop, Randy’s Donuts, to create the heart-stopping collaboration of an Angus beef patty, cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, and a fried egg sandwiched between two glazed doughnuts. It’s a fitting dish for the legendary shop characterized by its over-the-top giant doughnut sign that’s nothing less than a 405 landmark.
The Code 7 Burger will be offered at Hopdoddy’s El Segundo and Playa Vista locations from Friday, April 7 to Sunday, April 9, and is priced at $11.


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Tribunnews.com reporter, Seno Tri Sulistiyono
TRIBUNNEWS.COM, JAKARTA – Bank Indonesia (BI) is intensifying the use of local currency or Local Currency Settlement (LCS) in bilateral trade, especially in the ASEAN region.
This move is designed to ease pressure on the rupiah against the US dollar.
The executive director of the head of the international division of Bank Indonesia, Doddy Zulverdi, said that bilateral transactions in local currencies are not a must for economic operators.
However, Doddy said the government is providing incentives for economic actors who implement LCS, which it is hoped economic actors will be more interested in using the local currency in every trade.
“We’re also trying to work with the government. We have an agreement, the government is currently working on a study to incentivize economic actors to use this LCS,” said Doddy during a discussion titled Impact of Expanded Local Currency Settlement Implementation. What is the fate of the rupiah ?, Thursday (23.09.2021)
Also read: US dollar waiver, Indonesia and China agree to use yuan for bilateral trade
According to him, BI will continue to expand LCS transaction cooperation with other countries, particularly Indonesia’s trading partners.
Also read: Indonesia and China pledge not to use US dollars in bilateral transactions, what are the benefits?
It should be noted that currently four countries have implemented LCS with Indonesia, namely the central banks of Japan, Malaysia and Thailand, most recently Bank Indonesia in cooperation with the Chinese Central Bank or the People’s Bank of China (PBoC).
Also read: BI: Banking and Business Support Indonesian-Chinese bilateral transactions with local money
“There are still many of our main partners, in East Asia there is Taiwan, South Asia is India, in the Middle East there is Saudi Arabia, Southeast Asia there is still the Philippines, and Australia too, which is still in our region. We will still have the region don’t leave, ”he explained.
On the same occasion, Mukhamad Misbakhun, Member of Commission XI of the House of Representatives, stated that the introduction of the LCS would not only ease pressure on the rupiah’s exchange rate against the US dollar, but also strengthen the Indonesian economy.
“This will also have an impact on our trade, our trade flows in ASEAN will be stronger, the costs will be lower. What BI is doing in expanding the LCS should be seen as a positive signal, ”he said.
Misbakhun stated that the steps taken by Bank Indonesia were also in line with the coordination between Bank Indonesia Supervision Agency (BSBI), which is the DPR’s representative in overseeing the independent body.
The openness of the supervisory authority in coordinating and discussing with the FREP has given rise to various policies that are seen as suitable for overcoming economic problems.
“Once we know the BI guidelines and provide input, BSBI will make this material available for future Bank Indonesia guidelines,” he said.
“In my opinion, the regulator offers ideal and appropriate benefits from the academic, political and macroeconomic sides,” Misbakhun continued.
“Beer maven. Creator. Tv fanatic. Internet scholar. Award-winning web junkie. Avid alcohol expert. Friendly writer. Gamer.”


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It’s the year 2071. Humanity has colonized other planets in the solar system. We move with spaceships. But the atmosphere is that of the Old West and the hero is the Cowboy Bebop. The popular Japanese anime series has arrived on Netflix. The TV broadcasting giant acquired the rights, introduced the popular series and announced the arrival of a new live-action series in November.
The 26 episodes of the Cowboy Bebop animated series are available on Netflix from October 21, 2021. But starting November 19, the live TV series is expected to arrive. With this dual proposal, Netflix’s fall will be unforgettable for fans of this space western.
To mark the launch on the TV platform for Cowboy Bebop, the original animated series, Netflix has also made available a special trailer.
A live adaptation of the anime will be available next month, starring John Cho as bounty hunter Spike Spiegel. The plot in the new series will not deviate from the original: a former detective, a former member of a criminal organization and a con artist who pursues criminals, to be handed over to the Solar System Police for rewards.
Three true bounty hunters, space travel and escape from a stressful past, are embedded in a system not too far from that of the Old West. Starring with Shaw Siku, Mustafa Shakir, Daniela Pineda, Alex Hassell and Elena Satin.
Meanwhile, Netflix continues to search for cult titles that will be offered to subscribers of the streaming television service. After Cowboy Bebop, one of the most beloved films of all time, Netflix changed its genre by focusing on classics of children’s literature. A few weeks ago, Netflix announced its acquisition of the rights to Roahl Dahl: Nearly three years after signing an agreement with The Roald Dahl Story Company to create a world of animated films based on the author’s books, the company has taken over the entire business.
Movie lovers will find news and insights in the section dedicated to films and in the section dedicated to cinema on macitynet. All updates on TV streaming platforms can be found on the pages dedicated to Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Apple TV + and Disney +.
Friendly alcohol advocate. Future teen idol. Beer aficionado. Amateur music fanatic. Food guru.


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CES is literally a week away which means that we’re super close to new TVs, new soundbars and a bunch of awesome weird and whacky tech. LG has confirmed that it will be holding a CES press conference this year and we’ve got all the information below.
WHEN IS LG’S 2023 CES PRESS CONFERENCE IN AUSTRALIAN TIMES?
LG’s CES press conference is taking place on Thursday, January 5th at the below times:
03:00am AEDT (Melbourne/Sydney/Hobart/Canberra)
2.30am ACDT (Adelaide)
2.00am AEST (Brisbane)
1:30am ACST (Darwin)
00:00am AWST (Perth)
WHERE TO WATCH LG’S 2023 CES PRESS CONFERENCE
You’ll be able to watch LG’s 2023 press conference at either of the below links:
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM LG’S 2023 CES PRESS CONFERENCE
We can expect to see new OLED TVs at LG’s CES press conference which is a highlight of the year in the tech world. It’ll be interesting to see what the LG C3 OLED will bring after the introduction of last year’s EVO technology. It’ll also be interesting to see what’s done with the budget OLED model after LG launched the LG CS line to fulfil customers who wanted OLED but not at the higher price point.