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In some ways it seems preposterous to be laying low the number one global destination Web site but that hasn't stopped Seeking Alpha's Eric Jackson from delivering a scathing review of Yahoo's financial performance in light of Yahoo's stock price sinking 7% for the past 2 years, compared to Google’s 151% increase. Jackson trashes just about every major Yahoo media initiative and lost deal-making opportunity in recent memory - not to mention CEO Terry Semel's half-billion=plus U.S. dollar compensation package over the past four years. Notably Jackson calls not just for the ouster of Semel but as well for the exit of six others from Yahoo's boardroom and steeper investments in R&D.
In other words Yahoo has become just another top-heavy media company trying to focus on old world dealmaking and brand advertising plays while Google creates infinite reserves of user-tailored page inventory from its search results pages and embedded ads on any Web page that wants to host them. It's not an entirely fair characterization of Yahoo, given some of its good moves as of late into social media, but it's fair enough as a reflection of how many traditional media companies have failed to put their money where the growth is. Put simply, acquiring and generating traditional content is not generating the needed page views to justify the investments that Yahoo has made in recent years leading to an overall decline in site traffic. It's going to be hard for Yahoo to make the kind of radical moves that Jackson suggests, but shareholders will be pushing them in that direction soon enough.
The hardest part of this shakeup will be that Yahoo's outlook on online media has been a major force in propping up many other media companies' hopes for being able to build traditional models for brand ad-supported content online - and in the process provide those with skills attached to those traditional methods and channels a comfortable career migration path. Ousting Semel and complicit board members is as much a slap in the face of the broader hopes of traditional media companies as much as it is for anyone at Yahoo in particular. Yahoo's significant traffic and membership assets are not going to disappear overnight, but the fundamental failure of Yahoo to fund growth in directions that build valuable user-defined contexts does not augur much for other media-centric portal plays. Here's hoping that the changes come in time to save many of Yahoo's best assets from becoming under-invested properties in a too-little-too-late belt-tightening exercise.


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A TEENAGE girl who set up her own bakery business ... [more]
Sunday, 19 May 2019
WATLINGTON Business Association has been granted use of The Paddock for next year’s Oxfordshire Art Weeks festival.
The event will run from May 11 to 19 and each participating business will partner with an artist.
It is hoped sculptors will display their work at the recreation area off Davenport Place.
03 December 2018
DOZENS of people attended an open day at Wargrave ... [more]
POLL: Have your say

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The 21 day when Yiyi sauce wrote “bitcoin miners plummeted tearful sold by catty” junk mill guy “Ecstasy” article, then Fanxiang, read the comments also have a lot of friends with $15000 to start bitcoin friends. We also have some friends waiting to receive a card.
During the slump in bitcoin, many analysts point out that bitcoin will go high, has dropped to the bottom, but the fact is crazy face. After a week of bitcoin crash did not rise, but continued to decline, which makes many people secretly “hunters” in the copy of the hillside.
The bitcoin market impact, encryption currency market is also greatly affected, the current total market capitalization plus currency has fallen to the lowest level since September 2017, to $138 billion 600 million. In fact, as long as the market began to look so reluctant to paste the collapse of the no end at all, falling bitcoin mines are still waiting for some have stopped looking in their clean mine, selling machine.
Even so there are a lot of people still hold bitcoin will rebound again hope, such as bitcoin analysts said at the end of this year, bitcoin prices will rise to $15000, but the mass closure of the quarry this is an indisputable fact, if not mine bitcoin no source, how to rebound?
We all know that in order to ensure the efficiency of mining, its graphics model is not low, Nvida entry card is 1060, AMD is also slightly worse in RX560 with the miners, but these are also the mainstream graphics card, now with the closure of the quarry, has large quantities of ore card into the market. Recently there are not financial news reports of the miners has sold its.
Many users have expressed readiness to buy mine card, also called the “1080 1080 cards to know at the time point the day and await for it!” but the 1080 listed 5000 yuan stalls card! Its performance in the present are good, but still hope that we have to polish eyes mirror when buying ore card ah! After all, long-term mining the miners have ultra high frequency graphics card, and long time working load is reduced life.
If you really can receive 1080 cards 1080 words will receive a piece of butter is mine to play, on the market at present is said to have 580 RX 580 cards! You may wish to wait and see!


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In northeast China's Changchun City, farmers, suppliers and construction companies gather at the gates of Dacheng Biotech Group to collect on unpaid bills. Most go away empty-handed from the mostly-deserted headquarters of Asia's largest corn-processor which has been idle most of this year.
The company is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange and is Asia's largest "deep-processor" of corn, yet it has accumulated 80 million yuan in unpaid IOUs to farmers who sold corn to the company.
The money owed to farmers is a miniscule part of Dacheng's arrears. Voice of China reports that a company official says Dacheng is behind on RMB 9.8 billion in bank loans and owes RMB 1.2 billion to suppliers. They claim to have struck a deal to pay off debts to farmers by the end of the year.
After a string of bad business decisions and with demand for its main product shrinking along with the Chinese hog herd, Dacheng Group's cash flow has dried up. China's big four state-owned banks have stopped feeding loans to the company, and it is near insolvency. It has essentially been shuttered for six months. In March 2015, the company sent a report to the Changchun government and to its main lender informing them that it was idling its production operations.
A report from China Business Journal explains how the company got into its predicament. Dacheng Group was founded in 1996 as a starch factory. Its main products are lysine, an amino acid used in animal feed, and liquid glucose. Both products are made from corn, northeastern China's leading agricultural product. The company normally would use up to 8 million metric tons of corn annually.
The company listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange in 2001. It hit the big time when Jilin Provincial leaders chose corn-based biochemicals as one of two pillar industries to develop the regional economy (vehicles for special uses were the other one). After that, free land, loans, and preferential tax rates came the company's way.
An unnamed industry participant told China Business Journal, "The government ordered banks to give Dacheng money, and a considerable part of the loans had no collateral."
In 2006, Jilin authorities issued a document conferring special status on two projects: the airport for Changchun (Jilin's provincial capital), and a giant corn industrial park near Changchun. The park's plan was to make chemical fibers and plastics out of corn. In 2009 they ordered Dacheng to relocate to the industry park with free land and other inducements. When the park was still unfinished and underutilized in 2012, another of its subsidiaries was ordered to move there too.
In 2010, another of Dacheng's subsidiaries was awarded "high-tech company" status, bringing another tax break.
The company's business reportedly began going downhill after its chairman died three years ago. Since then, the company has had three CEOs, none of whom could turn the company around. Observers say the company expanded too rapidly and was too eager to diversify into ventures at the request of the government. It failed to upgrade the quality of its products, neglecting to transition into higher-margin crystallized sugar. Dacheng admitted to having serious excess capacity for lysine production, and it expanded production of starch that was earning minimal profits.
According to China Business Journal, aggressive expansion ate up the company's cash, and it built up short-term liabilities to finance investments with long-term payoffs.
The way forward for Dacheng is unclear. It's rumored that the local government wants COFCO--the state-owned agribusiness conglomerate--to acquire Dacheng but banks reportedly oppose the move. The Changchun government has reportedly given the company some subsidies to keep it going.
CJ Group, an offshoot of the Korean Samsung conglomerate, is reportedly interested in acquiring Dacheng. CJ Group would become the world's leading lysine producer if it acquired Dacheng. The companies have had a partnership since 2006 and the CJ Group president reportedly traveled to Changchun to meet with the governor of Jilin. (CJ Group has its own problems--its CEO was arrested in Korea last year and his sister has taken over.) An unnamed industry person warned China Business Journal that a Korean takeover would mean that Chinese people lose pricing power for a critical feed additive, and "when we eat pork or chicken, it would not be at the same price as now."
A provincial investment group acquired a 49% interest in Dacheng during August and China Business Journal says it is reportedly negotiating with other Chinese companies to make a further move.
Dacheng's plight comes at a bad time for China's corn industry which is already suffering from a severe corn glut.


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Amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, China is an essential destination for U.S. broiler exports.
In a WATT Poultry Chat interview, Mark Jordan, executive director of LEAP Market Analytics, broke down recent data on Chinese chicken and turkey imports and explained how that compares with all other exports around the world. The Chinese market was re-opened to U.S. exports at the end of 2019.
Jordan said net aggregate shipments to all countries are up 147 million pounds compared with the previous year, which means shipments to all destinations outside of China have dropped 59 million pounds in the same time period.
View our continuing coverage of the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.


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Durham, N.C.-based Counter Culture Coffee is growing again: The indie coffee roaster just announced it's building a brand new roastery and company headquarters. The new facilities will still be located in Durham, but a bigger space means the company will be able to produce more coffee to supply wholesale customers and fuel its online store.
Counter Culture, which was launched back in 1995, does not have any retail locations of its own, but it has 10 training centers sprinkled throughout the country, with locations in NYC, Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C., Philly, Atlanta, and Charleston, plus two in its home state of North Carolina. It expanded to the West Coast with an Emeryville, Calif. location earlier this year, and there's also one on the way for L.A. The training centers cater to both coffee professionals and the general public with classes, certifications, and free tastings. The new Durham facility will have a dedicated room for espresso, as well as an an outdoor patio and space for food trucks.
With such major growth for Counter Culture, is a corporate buyout — or at least, an attempted one — imminent? Portland hipster icon Stumptown Coffee sent shockwaves through the craft coffee community when news broke this week that it was being acquired by West Coast coffee giant Peet's. Cultishly adored Oakland, Calif.-based roaster Blue Bottle Coffee appears to be getting a little more corporate itself: After raising nearly $50 million in funding, it used the money to open two locations in Japan and purchase other independent coffee companies that specialize in mail-order coffee subscriptions and pre-ground coffee beans. Meanwhile, iconic Chicago-based roaster Intelligentsia is reportedly looking to sell for around $100 million.


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Yesterday, People reported that Lot18, an online wine retailer, was releasing a wine collection themed around the Hulu series The Handmaid's Tale. Lot18 has released many other wine collections whose themes are inspired by hit TV shows like Saturday Night Live, The Walking Dead, and Outlander that diehard fans of these programs adore, and because The Handmaid's Tale is currently one of the most talked about shows on television, the company probably thought it made sense to create wines bearing Offred, Ofglen, and Serena Joy's names. What it failed to consider, however, is why the show has been getting so much attention.
This is a TV series about a dystopian society where women are forced into sexual servitude and made to reproduce against their will. People can't stop talking about the story because it's horrifying and feels disturbingly close to home during this particular moment in American history, when the rights of women, minorities, and migrants are under seige. If the folks at Lot18 had stopped to think about the reason people can't look away from their TV screens when this show's on, they would have hopefully seen that The Handmaid's Tale doesn't exactly conjure thoughts of fun, casual nights in with your girls. Sure, some of us may like to have a glass of wine to help us cope with the troubling images presented in each episode, but we most certainly do not need that wine to be directly inspired by the characters we are watching being mentally, emotionally, and physically abused.
Though other disturbing shows like Game Of Thrones have gotten wine lines without backlash, since the entire premise of The Handmaid's Tale revolves around sexual assault, this collection seems especially distasteful. And the fact that each wine's individual description was crafted to reflect these horribly repressed and battered characters is wholly unappetizing. According to People's initial report, Serena Joy’s 2016 Bordeaux Blanc was going to be "sophisticated, traditional, and austere," Offred's 2017 Pays d’Oc Pinot Noir was described as "a powerful experience you will never forget," and Ofglen's 2017 Rogue Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was expected to have a "spicy" finish. Reading that made you feel gross, right? Well, you're not alone.
Since Lot18 was for some reason unable to foresee any negative reaction to the Handmaid's Tale-inspired line of wines, the announcement was made yesterday and orders were opened. Around nine hours later, however, Lot18 along with MGM, the production company behind the Hulu series, decided it would not be selling the wines after all. We reached out to Lot18 for comment on its decision to pull the wine but have yet to hear back. However, the decision seems to have been a direct result of the wines receiving an intense and almost immediate backlash on social media.
The fact that this horrible idea got so far without anyone questioning it is pretty disturbing, but not nearly as disturbing living in a world where a Handmaid's Tale wine collection exists. Praise be, the women of Twitter spoke up!


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Despite the global downturn, the number of Brits staying in hotels in Andalucia has increased by some 10%, and the Junta de Andalucia has a powerful global marketing strategy to keep these figures on an upward trend. The World Travel, held earlier this month, was attended by Andalucia, with a major stand and a focus on more than just sun sea and sand. The cultural wealth of the region was promoted as well as the adventure activities and ski destination of Sierra Nevada were promoted.
Here is an article I wrote for 'the tourism magazine 2011' published by Sur in English and sponsored by the Junta de Andalucia as part of the campaign to promote this amazing part of the world.
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Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM) is scheduled to release its second-quarter earnings after the closing bell on Wednesday, July 13, 2011. Analysts, on average, expect the company to report earnings of 61 cents per share on revenue of $2.70 billion. In the year ago period, the company reported earnings of 58 cents per share on revenue of $2.57 billion.
YUM! Brands, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a quick service restaurant company worldwide. Through the five concepts of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, LJS and A&W (the Concepts), the Company develops, operates, franchises and licenses a worldwide system of restaurants, which prepare, package and sell a menu of food items.
The company has seen net income rise in three straight quarters.R evenue has risen in the past four quarters.
In the preceding first quarter, the Louisville, Kentucky-based company's net income was $264 million, or 54 cents a share, compared to $241 million,or 50 cents a share, in the year-earlier quarter. On an adjusted basis, the company earned 63 cents a share in the latest quarter. Revenue increased 3% to $2.43 billion from $2.34 billion. Analysts, on average, expected the company to report earnings of 64 cents per share on revenue of $2.40 billion.
The company expects to deliver double-digit EPS growth in 2011, excluding special items, which would mark its 10th straight year of meeting or exceeding this annual EPS growth target.
The restaurant chain operator has enjoyed strong growth in international markets in recent years. It opened 507 new restaurants in China and 884 in other countries outside the U.S. last year. Yum Brands has particularly gained immensely from growing Chinese appetite for American fast food. China's growing middle class and rising per capital income offers tremendous potential for further growth of the company. At the time of its spin off from PepsiCo, just 22% of its profit came from international operations, a figure that has since nearly tripled to 65% and is expected to hit 75% by 2015. Yum's China business is very lucrative, with margins topping 20 percent.Yum has built KFC into a leading fast-food brand in China, and the chain's same-store sales in China rose 5 percent for the year, benefiting from initiatives that included breakfast offerings, delivery and 24-hour operations. "We're well on our way to our China business becoming a $1 billion operating profit division for us in the very near future," Yum spokesman Jonathan Blum said recently in an interview.
The company expects China to surpass United States as the fast-food restaurant operator's top profit generator this year, even as the Chinese market's potential remains largely untapped. Yum has more than 3,900 restaurants, mostly KFC outlets, in China and has a big lead over Western rivals like McDonald's Corp (NYSE: MCD) in the world's fastest-growing major economy. The company aims to open more than 20,000 restaurants in China. The company opened 507 new restaurants in China last year. Apart from China, the company is also expanding in new markets including India, France, Russia and Africa.
Yum recently announced that it will seek to buy all outstanding shares in hotpot-restaurant operator Little Sheep Group Ltd. to further expand in China. Yum may bid for all shares that it doesn’t already own or are held by parties acting in concert with it. The U.S. restaurant operator increased its Little Sheep stake to 27.2 percent from 20 percent last year. Little Sheep’s 2010 net income gained 21 percent.
However, the fast food chain is facing pressure in United Sates as heightened competition and escalating price-war in fast food space could erode the company's bottomline. Moreover, costs for labor and commodities like chicken are on the rise and could bite into profits.
The company's stock currently trades at a forward P/E (fye Dec 25, 2012) of 17.24 and PEG ratio (5 yr expected) of 1.54. In terms of stock performance, Yum shares have gained nearly 12 percent since the beginning of the year.
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The app supports Android 2.1 and above, and iOS version 3.0 and above that support Hindi.
With this application the company aims at delivering the latest news to smartphone users on the go. The application provides news from politics, world events, sports, entertainment, business etc.
At present, the app only provides news in Hindi, but it is expected that developers will also make English news available through the application, though there has been no announcement on that. As of now, the application supports Android devices running version 2.1 and above, and devices running iOS version 3.0 and above that support Hindi.
The application also allows users to share news articles using social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter. Along with that users also have the option to share news using the native email client on the device.
Along with that the application allows users to stay updated with news related to their city and locality as well, with a special section for local news. Users can very easily select their city from a list and get news related to that city delivered on their smartphone.
Besides the most talked about Xiaomi Mi4i and Asus Zenfone 2, several lucrative smartphones were also launched this week.
The Lenovo K80 also offers a huge 4000 mAh battery.
Compatible SIM cards can be brought from Airtel stores in Delhi and Mumbai.
The world's first smartphone with 4 GB RAM is now in India, which will sure to give a headache to Mi 4 as well as OnePlus One.
The OnePlus 2 will be launched in the third quarter and will be offered through invitation model.
Post the deal with Microsoft, Nokia is restricted from using the Nokia brand name on smartphones until the last quarter of 2016 and on feature phones for 10 years.
Both the LG G4 and Sony Xperia Z4 will have high end features, few of which are known right now.
Last week, HTC led from the front with four smartphone. Desi companies like iBall and Lava too launched their new devices.
With 4G connectivity, you can have superfast internet connectivity.
Xiaomi has slashed prices of both its 16 GB and 64 GB models


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Gryphon is a high-performance Wi-Fi router with built-in real-time parental control and smart machine learning security that you can easily manage with a smartphone app. And it's available to pre-order now.
Duringt the 2016 election, Google tracked web searches related to voting issues at polling places. It provided insight into the biggest concerns of voters by geographic -- and sometimes demographic -- location.
What planned obsolescence? Twenty-three years after its last software update, the Apple II just got a new fan-created operating system upgrade, created by coder John Brooks. Here's how you can check it out.
The inaugural ComplexCon event featured a myriad of tech too big and exclusive for the average home. Room-sized sound synthesizers, massive balls that emit animations, and augmented reality dressing rooms are a few examples.
Meet Mildred, a new tool from Lufthansa searches for the cheapest flights departing in the next nine months. So whether you're looking for a spontaneous getaway or hoping to plan that next big group vacation, let Mildred help you out.
Disney is teasing some aerial entertainment at one of its parks in the run up to Christmas. Details are scant, but it looks like it's about to launch a dazzling drone display to light up the night sky.


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Early this week, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Australian Fashion Chamber (AFC).
Signing the MoU with the Chair of the Australian Fashion Chamber and Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Australia, Edwina McCann and Minster Bishop emphasised the importance of the fashion industry to Australia, which employs some 220,000 people and contributes around $12 billion to the economy each year.
The MoU formalises the partnership between the Government and the fashion industry. It will enable the industry and Government to work together to connect Australian designers internationally, promote private sector engagement, nurture fashion talent, promote economic opportunities, drive economic growth and promote gender equality.
The event, held at the University of Technology Sydney Business School, was attended by some of Australia’s fashion elite. Four Sydney Dance Company performers modeled costumes from leading Australian fashion designers Toni Maticevski, Dion Lee, Akira Isogawa and Josh Goot, while four models wore creations from Aje, By Johnny, macgraw and Bianca Spender.
At the event Minister Bishop also announced that the AFC was successful in their application under the Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grants Program for their Australian Designers Abroad project. Through this grant the AFC will take one emerging and five established fashion designers to Paris for an Australian showroom in the sidelines of the largest trade show in the industry – Paris Fashion Week. This project will increase international recognition of Australian designers and improve market access in Europe and worldwide.
In the past twelve months, Australia’s diplomatic network has hosted events with the fashion industry in New York, London, Paris, Istanbul, Jakarta and New Delhi. These events have provided an important platform for Australian designers and producers to access overseas buyers and investment, and to promote their brands overseas at the major fashion weeks internationally.
The Government is committed to working closely with the industry to ensure it continues to drive economic growth and present Australia as a world-class innovative and creative nation, opening doors to further trade and investment.
The Australian Fashion Chamber is the peak body for fashion designers and works to strengthen, protect and nurture the originality, influence and success of Australian fashion, both domestically and globally.
AFC General Manager, Courtney Miller said “We are privileged to have the strong support of the Australian Government and to be able to nurture our future fashion leaders while leveraging business development, trade and investment opportunities.”
Members of the Australian fashion industry, along with AFC members, attended the MoU signing. Australian designers were showcased by four dancers from the Sydney Dance Company, costumed by Toni Maticevski, Dion Lee, Akira and Josh Goot, as well as models wearing macgraw, Aje, Bianca Spender and By Johnny.
The AFC is possible thanks to the ongoing support provided by AMP Capital Shopping Centres, The Woolmark Company, Toni & Guy, MAC Cosmetics, Australian Reliance and Qantas, all companies recognising the importance of Australian fashion and the strong potential of Australian designers.


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Google’s Pixel 9 line is rumoured to be getting a shake up this year with a third model shown off in renders in a new leak this morning.
Courtesy of 91Mobiles, the new Pixel 9 line will, like previous years consist of a Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, however Google is now also expected to launch a Pixel 9 Pro XL. The leak follows previous images of the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL, with today’s image showing the smaller Pixel 9.
The three phones will include different screen sizes, with the Pixel 9 set to include a 6.03″ display, the Pixel 9 Pro will include a 6.1″ display, while the Pixel 9 Pro will include a 6.5″ display.
The design language for all three phones will match with the familiar camera bar making a return on the rear and a new flat edge design across all three models.
Camera details haven’t been included in the leak, however we expect to see a similar rear camera array as previous Pixel phones with a high resolution main sensor and secondary ultra-wide sensor. Typically the telephoto sensor has been saved for the ‘Pro’ Pixel models, with no indication that Google intends to change that this year.
The only other real piece of news from the leak is that we’ll be seeing Qi2 wireless charging included in the Pixel 9 series, a bonus for anyone wanting to charge faster, or take advantage of the many magnetic charging mounts available.
Google is set to announce the new Pixel 9 series around October, so we’ll be sure to see more leaks and rumours appear in the lead up to the announcement.


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2013 Mobile Advertising Spend
On average clicks and impressions from mobile advertising have also increased, meaning advertisers are now targeting customers searching for content at all times of the day, be it in work, during their lunch hour or during their commute to work.
With 2013 being suggested as the year of mobile, it is no surprise that more and more advertisers are buying in to mobile and allocating mobile budgets. However, a recent study suggests that the recent growth in mobile is coming from a reallocation of existing marketing budgets rather than a new mobile allocated budget. This suggests advertisers are yet to be convinced by mobile advertising.
Below is an example of how advertisers are investing their budgets and the results they are seeing:
You will notice that mobile spend V’s mobile CPC outperforms their share of advertising spend by more than double, compared to the computer spend, suggesting that mobile budget investment is key for ROI.
Impact of Google Enhanced Campaigns on Mobile Budget:
Since the launch of the Google Enhanced Campaign, mobile has become a much more competitive market with Enhanced driving advertisers into mobile and tablet, and therefore directing advertisers to increase their budgets to ensure they remain at the position and continue with the previous levels of traffic pre-Enhanced.
Focusing solely on mobile cost and activity since the launch of the enhanced campaign, you will notice below that ‘pre-enhanced’ advertising were investing less in a less competitive market and seeing fewer results. However, with the new enhanced campaigns mobile has gone from making up 10.2% of total spend to 16.8% and an overall increase in campaign performance too.
We offer a wide range of digital advertising solutions from full PPC advertising management and set up through to YouTube and Social Media advertising and management, all tailored to your specific requirements. To find out more, please view our advertising services >>


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In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association covers Walmart, Snapchat, and Allrecipes teaming up on AR lenses for healthy choices, Joann stores partnering with Radar for in-store mobile offers, HomeStart saving families from eviction by selling digital apartments in the Cornerstone metaverse, and Italian start-up VADO connecting vending machines to delivery apps like UberEats.
Camera IQ, an AR creation tool, launched support this week for brands using AR on TikTok. Camera IQ is already helping brands and publishers such as Cartoon Network and Smashbox creative native AR experiences on TikTok to captivate users and create shareable social experiences.
The under-exposed B2B2C AR sub-segment includes enabling tools that equip businesses to build and offer AR experiences to their customers. Under that umbrella are AR platforms such as Snap’s Lens Studio. It lowers friction for consumer brands to create AR lenses to promote themselves and interact with customers in novel ways.
Snap’s AR lens playbook started with a handful of in-house lenses like rainbow vomit and dog ears, before opening up the Lens Studio platform to creators everywhere. And it seems to be working, given that Snap now gets 6 billion daily lens plays. Could geo-local AR be next?
At CES 2022, Microsoft announced a surprise partnership with chip manufacturer Qualcomm, indicating the potential for the software giant to develop smaller chips and better software for AR glasses or mobile AR applications. Add in the metaverse, and the possibility for further AR growth in advertising is extraordinary. AR experiences like these can move consumers closer to a purchase decision.
In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association discusses Cross River Bank and PayTile teaming up on location-based payments, GeoBroadcast Solutions targeting iHeart in radio, Pinterest releasing an AR home decor tool, and PAR Technology integrating Radius Network’s Flybuy SaaS platform.
In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association covers Uber Eats rolling out pumpkin delivery in 3 cities, Lancome debuting a virtual pop-up store in the UK with ByondXR, Reveal Mobile acquiring MIRA, Kantar and Route joining forces on OOH measurement, and Esty launching a virtual AR showroom with The Etsy House.
AR fuses the digital and physical. So, could it assist in the vexing and longstanding challenge of closing the online/offline gap? We’re starting to see signals that it might.
In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association covers the GroundLevel Insights and Town of Whitby Project, Vodafone rolling out centimeter-level tracking, GPS tracking for dementia patients with GTX Corp solution, and Gowalla coming back with AR location lenses.
Restaurants, retailers, and other local businesses looking to engage customers in a socially-distant way are giving AR-enabled interactive experiences a try.
The customer experience must be the central tenet for all brands in 2021. The retail changes that occurred in 2020 have made e-commerce the highest and most important expression of your brand. A digital-first approach to retail is now required to create frictionless experiences across channels.
One of the emerging technologies driving innovation amid Covid is AR. For example, its ability to add real-life interactivity to e-commerce gained traction in 2020. This could extend to a post-Covid world of “touchless” retail for in-aisle virtual product interaction.
Climbing Pokémon Go revenue is mostly from in-app purchases, where players pay for digital in-game elements to accelerate their leveling up. But Pokémon Go maker Niantic is also looking to diversify its business model with other revenue streams — most notably, local advertising.
Spending hasn’t declined — it’s just shifted. One of the themes we’re seeing is that the standouts of 2020 are those who have shifted with it. We’re talking here about a broad definition of e-commerce — not just ordering things online, but any digital or mobile purchase.
For example, in local commerce, these digital fulfillment models include mobile order-ahead functions in QSR and coffee. They also include curbside pickup for physical goods. And in an even broader sense (and looking forward), they will include touchless or cashier-less retail in a post-Covid era of physical retail.
Snap continues to make moves in local commerce. Historic steps include geo-filters, while more recent activity includes Local Lenses and business listings in Snap Map. These features are notable on their own, but they get more interesting when you view them together and extrapolate to Snap’s local road map.
For example, Snap has more 13-34-year-olds active than any other channel, including Facebook and Instagram. This essentially means Snap can offer SMBs incremental and non-duplicated reach to an attractive audience.


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What just happened? Nvidia's incredible year in which it became a trillion-dollar company took a rare stumble yesterday when Team Green's share price dipped almost 5%. The decline came on the back of a report that new US restrictions on the export of AI-focused chips to China could see up to $5 billion worth of Nvidia orders canceled.
In late October, the Department Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) further tightened export restrictions on AI accelerators to China and other countries of concern, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.
Restrictions on communication speeds, limited to a bidirectional transfer rate of 600 GB/s, were removed; instead, priority was given to those products with a total processing performance of 4,800 or more.
The change meant that the A800 and H800 – designed specifically for the Chinese market – were to join the banned list. Nvidia had said that the RTX 4090 also fell under the new rules' scope, but that no longer seems the case, likely because applicable products must also be designed and marketed for datacenters (Update: Reports from China now say the gaming flagship will be banned from sale in the country).
The Wall Street Journal writes that Nvidia was notified by the US Commerce Department last week that $5 billion worth of AI chip orders scheduled for delivery next year to major Chinese technology companies, including Alibaba Group, TikTok-owner ByteDance, and Baidu, are subject to the export restrictions.
Nvidia's share price over the last month
Following the publication of the WSJ report, Nvidia's share price fell 4.7% to as low as $392.30. Reuters notes that this was its lowest level since mid-June and nearly 20% down from the record high of $493.55 on August 31.
The share drop saw Nvidia's market cap fall below $1 trillion, though it has since recovered slightly and now stands at $1.01 trillion.
Nvidia previously said that due to the strong worldwide demand for its products, it did not anticipate that the introduction of the restrictions would have a meaningful impact on its near-term financial results.
BIS officials wrote in the updated rules that they are open to the semiconductor industry's input for finding ways to keep sending AI chips to China for small and medium-sized systems. The current rules are designed to limit China's ability to build massive supercomputers that could be used for military purposes.


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Awakend misleads consumers with doctored Zenith study
BehindMLM reader Mickey Burns stopped by earlier today to let me know
I love your stuff on this blog, it’s helped me a lot over the years.
She also took aim at our coverage of Awakend’s prelaunch, specifically pertaining to their leptin supplement Zenith.
Oz, the white paper is on the website. And even a the teeniest Google effort will explain how the hormone Leptin works.
This prompted me to head over to Awakend’s new website (which didn’t exist when I covered the company’s prelaunch), and grab a copy of their “whitepaper” (tell me you’re a crypto bro without telling me you’re a crypto bro).
In the first line of the
whitepaper study, you’ll note is it’s a 2008 study published in 2009. In other words, the study was conducted fourteen years before Zenith existed.
The next thing you’ll notice is someone has edited in “Zenith”, effectively doctoring the published study.
This renders it useless.
What was the original study as published for? Is Zenith the exact same formula? Are the researchers OK with their study being doctored?
I’m not intimately familiar with academic protocol but I can’t imagine doctoring published papers going down too well. I know I’d object to someone taking a published study I’d put my name on and modifying it.
The correct protocol here would be Awakend publishing the original study, and adding an addendum confirming Zenith uses the exact same formula as studied in 2008.
If we look at the document’s properties, we can see it was last edited by Ashlee Headlee on August 12th, 2022.
Ashlee Headlee James is one of the admins of Awakend’s private corporate FaceBook group. Her exact role within the company hasn’t been disclosed.
Awakend’s website is devoid of company ownership or executive information. Compensation documentation is also omitted, with recruitment currently the only focus of the company.
BehindMLM’s complete Awakend review is pending release of the company’s compensation plan.
Update 27th August 2022 – Awakend has replaced the doctored study with a blanked out version of the original.
Seemingly in response to this article, the following message has been added to the provided 2008 study;
As discussed in the comments below, the provided 2008 study pertained to Trisynex.
Trisynex is sold by Roger Catarino through First Fruits Business Ministry LLC.
Awakend claiming to have “exclusive worldwide rights” is problematic because products containing Trisynex are and have been available for some time.
At time of this update Awakend has not addressed Trisynex being readily available in competing products.
Update 1st September 2022 – Uncertainty, surrounding Awakend’s claims that Zenith is an exclusively licensed formula, has prompted formulator Vietal Nutrition to issue a statement.
That has unfortunately only raised even more questions as to Zenith’s exclusivity.
Update 9th September 2022 – First Fruits Business Ministry has sent Awakend a cease and desist, pertaining to its Zenith marketing claims.
Update 14th September 2022 – TriPharma (dba Vietal Nutrition) has secured appointment of a Receiver.
The Receiver will be put in charge of FFBM. Generated revenue will be put towards satisfying TriPharma’s 2013 judgment against FFBM.
Also unless I’m missing something, Awakend has removed the previously provided Trisynex study form their website.


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Local news for Morrisville, NC continually updated from thousands of sources on the web.
A bride sits in a doli built and designed by Candy Walter of Chapel Hill. "They're always shocked at how much it doesn't weigh," Walter says of the wedding guests who carry the 30 to 40 pound platform.
Morrisville-based dry cleaning company Fresh Dry Cleaning will soon open a location in downtown Durham with the company selecting the lobby of the Bull City Business Center at 115 Market St. for a kiosk. Fresh owner Dawn Paige said she had been researching downtown for the past 18 months to determine where the best fit for a kiosk would be.
Viewing page 1 of 1
[my_calendar time="week" category="13" format="calendar" fallback='No Events found for today!' ]


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Di Grassi, the champion-winning FIA Formula E driver and the United Nations Clean Air Ambassador who promotes the importance of healthy air, signed a partnership agreement with CabinAir, a Swedish company which developed a unique two-step technology, a combination of active particle charging technology and mechanical filtration that maintains the health, safety and wellbeing of drivers and passengers.
The Techarena Challenge 2020 has named CabinAir one of the 50 leading companies of the future in the Nordic region.
Tomorrow.io, the world’s only Weather Intelligence Platform™, announced today, its new partnership with CabinAir, the company pioneering air purification solutions for cars, trucks, and vehicles of all kinds with the world’s most advanced air purifier technology.
CabinAir, which makes advanced air purification systems for vehicles, has signed a distribution deal with Dubai-based luxury coach builder Scuderia Motor Design.
Drivers and passengers of billions of cars already on the roads today, may soon be breathing healthier air than ever before, thanks to Nordzone™ System, a new smart and connected aftermarket solution from the Swedish company CabinAir.


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Rachel KaserInternet Culture Writer
Rachel is a writer and former game critic from Central Texas. She enjoys gaming, writing mystery stories, streaming on Twitch, and horseback Rachel is a writer and former game critic from Central Texas. She enjoys gaming, writing mystery stories, streaming on Twitch, and horseback riding. Check her Twitter for curmudgeonly criticisms.
Nintendo has apparently decided to start repairing Switch Joy-Con for free. This seems like a generous change of heart for the company, but it’s rather convenient that it’s happening now, just as players started turning up the heat over the flawed hardware.
So-called “Joy-Con drift” has been plaguing Switch players since shortly after the console was released. In case you haven’t experienced it, it’s a distressing hardware problem that causes the Joy-Con’s analog sticks to start “drifting,” meaning the console would read movement from them even when the player wasn’t moving them. It’s distressingly common, even if no one seems to know what’s causing it.
Up to now, the response from Nintendo to consumers has been a sort of vague handwave — up to now, users had to pay a fee and prove their devices were still under warranty in order to even qualify for in-house repair. But Vice yesterday obtained an internal company memo informing customer support personnel to offer Joy-Con repair for free, with no additional documentation: “Customers will no longer be requested to provide proof of purchase for Joy-Con repairs. Additionally it is not necessary to confirm warranty status.”
Not only are they not charging for the repair, but they’ll also allegedly offer refunds for anyone who did pay the repair fee on previous Joy-Con (no word on whether that’s specific to people who complained about Joy-Con drift or anyone who got a repair). Customers need no longer provide proof of purchase or warranty in order to have the repair authorized either.
As much as I personally like Nintendo and want to commend them for taking this step, I can’t help but find the timing a touch convenient. It was only a few days ago that Kotaku put a spotlight on how prevalent the issue was within the community, and its been even less time since a law firm filed a class-action lawsuit against Nintendo over it.
Is this because the company realizes now just how upset customers are over the issue? Or is it because the company might soon be forced to accept culpability for selling a faulty product? There’s also the question of the upcoming Switch Lite, a handheld Switch with Joy-Con that can’t be detached. If Joy-Con drift is as endemic to the hardware as we’ve been led to believe, then it’ll be even more inconvenient for Lite owners as they can’t be replaced — could Nintendo be trying to figure out the issue before it becomes a real bugaboo?
It may be a moot point — some users report that even Nintendo’s repair doesn’t fix the issue and the drift reappears within months, if not minutes. But at least you won’t have to pay Nintendo for the privilege.
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Jul 29, 2019
Can you survive long enough to find atonement for what happened in Infliction?
Jul 26, 2019
The award-winning platformer Damsel is on its way to consoles. Pre-purchase right now to get a 15% discount on Xbox Store and Nintendo eShop.
Jul 23, 2019
The list of top 10 best selling games in all platforms of Nintendo, Playstation and Xbox that come from the third-party companies.
Jul 05, 2019
Apple TV is the first device compatible with the controllers. After that, they will extend their support to iOS 13 and MacOS Catalina.
Jul 02, 2019
We now have the list of best-selling video games on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch in the US market.
Jun 12, 2019
Microsoft is on the work for a new Microsoft Flight Simulator that will come to Xbox One and PC next year.
Jun 10, 2019
Kings of Lorn: The Fall of Ebris a new game from TeamKill Media, and this title will come to Xbox One and PS4 in this year.
By Numantian Games, the real-time steampunk survival/strategy RTS title 'They Are Billions' is coming to Xbox & PS4, alongside a new campaign on PC.
Jun 05, 2019
The list of 25 best video games released in the first half of 2019, before E3, that you should give a try.
May 31, 2019
The new beginning of Call of Duty franchise.


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As the multiplayer monster-collecting game Palworld continues to clock up staggering sale numbers and break its own concurrent player record, some less enthused Pokémon fans have taken to social media to share just how similar they think Palworld is to Pokémon.
“Pokémon with guns” survival game Palworld – which released as an early access title yesterday, 19th January, and has already sold over 2m copies – but it’s now facing claims that the similarities between it and Pokémon are too great to be coincidental.
“Reminder not to support Palworld,” wrote one unhappy user on X/Twitter. “It’s not even subtle about its rip-offs, how much else has it stolen?”
“I’m gonna be making a thread of […] Palworld design analysis, trying to spot every Pokémon they jumbled together,” added another, before sharing a bevvy of startling images that show just how similar some of Palworld’s characters are to those found in Pokémon.
“The argument that ‘there’s so many Pokemon you can’t design monsters without accidentally copying at least one’ could be a valid point, but in this case, it’s incredibly blatant what they’re doing,” added artist LuxxArt. “I haven’t seen a single ‘pal’ I can’t tell exactly what Pokemon they took from.
“I don’t think they’re trying to trick anyone into thinking Pals are Pokémon, I think it’s mostly to get attention from outrage. It’s also lazy. Why come up with original designs for your game when you can steal from a successful IP?”
Fans have even located a tweet from Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe detailing how copyrighted images can be “passed” through AI to alter them and “resolve” copyright disputes. Another shows Mizobe actually using images of original Pokémon to show how AI can generate equivalent characters.
Neither developer Pocketpair nor The Pokémon Company have commented publicly on the alleged similarities.
Palworld takes tenth place on Steam’s “most played games” chart with 855,706 concurrent players on Steam alone (it was eleventh just this morning), which is more than big hitters like Apex Legends, viral hit Among Us, and Valheim.
Earlier today, the team explained on social media that as Palworld exceeded 700,000 concurrent players, it had to hold “an emergency meeting” with Epic Games to “add an update to the Epic Games backend”.
To see it in action for yourself, take a look at Zoe’s excellent early access review, which is embedded for your viewing pleasure above.


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The company has now started rolling out the Android 12 Preview 2 for these smartphones.
The update is now available for developers and coders. Users also have the option to test the Preview build using Android Studio software on their PC.
Android 12 Preview 2: Changelog
With Android 12, Google is aiming big at improving security and safety. Preview 2 is the next step at that. App developers can now ask users to authenticate for tasks right from the lock screen.
Next on the list are the changes that will make the entire operating system more polished and sleek to use.
A new API has also been added to the OS, which will allow developers to optimise their apps for rounded corners smartphones.
A new better and smooth resizing animations and transitions are also a part of the Android 12 Preview 2.
Apart from this, there are several other minor improvements coming to Android 12 over Android 11.
According to a report by Android Authority, Google is expected to get a stable version for Android 12 by August this year. However, considering the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the official announcement might get delayed a bit.
It is also expected that Google might also push the beta preview rollout for Android 12 by a margin. Those unaware, the company released the beta for Android 11 back in June last year.


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The Centre on Wednesday imposed restrictions on sugar exports up to 100 lakhs metric tonnes from June 1, 2022 to maintain domestic availability and price stability during the sugar season 2021-22 (October-September).
In an order issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), it said that the export of the sugar will be allowed with specific permission of the Directorate of Sugar under Department of Food and Public Distribution with effect from June 1 till October 31 or till further order, whichever is earlier.
Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution, Sudhanshu Pandey said that the decision came in the light of record exports of sugar, reported ANI.
In sugar seasons 2017-18, only about 6.2 LMT of sugar was exported. In 2018-19, 38 LMT and 2019-20 59.60 LMT of sugar was exported, Pandey said.
However, in sugar season 2020-21 against a target of 60 LMT about 70 LMT have been exported.
In the current sugar season 2021-22, contracts for export of about 90 LMT have been signed, about 82 LMT of sugar has been dispatched from sugar mills for export and approximately 78 LMT have been exported, the report said.
The secretary said that the export of sugar in the current sugar season 2021-22 is historically the highest.
He said that the decision will ensure that the closing stock of sugar at the end of sugar season (30th Sept 2022) remains 60-65 LMT which is 2-3 months stocks (monthly requirement is around 24 LMT in those months) required for domestic use.
He added that crushing in the new season starts in the last week of October in Karnataka and in the last week of October to November in Maharashtra and in November in Uttar Pradesh.
"So generally, up to Nov, supply of sugar takes place from previous year's stock," Pandey added.
"Taking into consideration unprecedented growth in exports of sugar and the need to maintain sufficient stock of sugar in the country as well as to safeguard the interests of the common citizens of the country by keeping prices of sugar under check, the Government of India has decided to regulate sugar exports w.e.f. 01 June 2022," an order issued by the ministry said.
Sugar mills and exporters need to take approvals in form of Export Release Orders (EROs) from the Directorate of Sugar, Department of Food and Public Distribution.


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The global anti-counterfeit packaging market in food and pharmaceuticals is forecast to reach US$12.8 billion by 2025, according to market research company ReportLinker.
With packaging a large waste contributor worldwide, all parties need to think of sustainable packaging and other ways to reduce waste. Marcel Cote, director, strategic marketing, Avery Dennison, South Asia pacific and Sub-Saharan Africa, discusses the small steps that companies can take to make a change for the better world.
Made of sheep’s wool, WoolCool offers manufacturers an environmentally-friendly alternative polystyrene for insulation in packaging. Peter Brennan of WoolCool speaks more to APFI about this.
Almost every operational manufacturing facility would have installed some form of conveyor system, whatever industry they service. These are vital for ease of transportation of products, so it is critical that they are properly lubricated to ensure efficiency. By Mark Phang, technical manager, and Laura Lai, marketing communications executive, Tecsia Lubricants
Asian consumers are demanding more baked goods and bread, and manufacturers are consequently on the search for solutions that can help these products last longer. By Suresh Chandran, director, food & beverage Southeast Asia, Novozymes
Pumped products are now finding their way to consumers’ grocery baskets more frequently and traditional food inspection at the end of line may no longer be sufficient in detecting food contamination. X-ray inspection can be one of the tools that helps to maintain food safety. By Daniela Verhaeg, marketing manager, Mettler-Toledo safeline x-ray.
Growing demand for sustainable production, increasing competition and consideration of health concerns have led the meat industries on a path to innovation. Nanotechnology can have a significant impact on the meat processing industry through the development of not only novel functional meat products, but also novel packaging for the products. By Karna Ramachandraiah and Chin Koo Bok, Chonnam National University, and Han Sung Gu, Konkuk University
Demands for food and beverage products are growing rapidly around the world and with consumer focus on shelf-life and hygiene, advances in packaging machinery can make companies more competitive and increase values of end product. By Vera Fritsche, head of packaging machinery, VDMA food processing and packaging machinery
Kautex Maschinenbau recently welcomed Geoffrey Chan as its executive vice president of its Chinese subsidiary Shunde Kautex Plastics Technology Company Limited.
Located on the eastern fringe of Jakarta in Bekasi, the new distribution centre marks 20 years of growth and development in Indonesia for the provider of labelling and packaging materials and solutions.


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Labels Women’s Consignment Store celebrates its 10th year in business with snacks, refreshments and prize drawings from 7-9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, at both of its Bellingham locations, one at 3927 Northwest Ave., and the other at 2332 James St.
Store owner Sage Bishop started the business in 2004 with a single shop on Ellis Street in Bellingham. Labels has since left that location to focus on its other two stores that have higher traffic volumes.
Bishop recently announced Labels has surpassed 29,000 consigners, the equivalent of one in every seven Whatcom County residents, although the business also draws customers from British Columbia and counties to the south.
Labels has 35 employees, including 23 working full time.


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A domain name called Advancedmicrodevices.com was registered last week but it is unclear whether AMD itself has taken out the name.
Last month VNU Newswire reported that AMD had registered the name Advanced Micro Devices as a trademark. That is trademark no 75-659234, with the application taken out on 12 March.
This domain is registered by one Sanaxay Phommachanh, of Downey, CA, who Has not immediately been identified as an employee of AMD's.
There is still no news of what AMD is planning to do its domain name Alereon.com. While AMD has recently revamped its Web site, looks like we'll just have to wait to see how it positions the Alereon vs Intel's Celeron.
To comment on this story, email [email protected]
EE, O2, Vodafone, Three and Airspan open the bidding
Worried about data privacy? Here are several ways to secure your Facebook account
The ICO is seeking an urgent warrant to investigate a major data breach - everything you need to know as the story continues to unfold


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RTTNews - Thailand's exports in July declined at a slower annual pace compared to June, official figures showed Wednesday.
Shipments dropped 25.7% year-on-year to $12.9 billion in July, Commerce Ministry Permanent Secretary Siripol Yodmuangcharoen said. In June, exports were down 25.9%.
Imports plunged 32.5% to $12.20 billion in July after a 29.3% fall in June. The trade surplus narrowed to $706 million from $936.6 million recorded in June.
Total exports in the first seven months were down 23.9% to $81.11 billion and imports fell 34.9% to $69.42 billion, which resulted in a trade surplus of $11.69 billion.
For comments and feedback: contact firstname.lastname@example.org


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DVD revenue from retail, mail order and kiosk plunged 43.9 percent in 2010 for the movie studios to $4.47 billion from $7.97 billion in 2009, according to a recent SNL Kagan study, Media Post reported.
Among the 415 titles tracked in 2010, the total units shipped were down 43.8 percent to 226 million. It was resulted from growing digital and streaming business from Netflix, improving video-on-demand services from cable, as well as satellite and telco operators stepped in the business, according to SNL Kagan.
Compared to the previous year, The revenue average titles pulled in also dropped, to $10.8 million from $22.6 million. Over the past five years, the compound annual growth rate of average wholesale revenue was 13.7 percent, Media Post reported.


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Showing 6,976 results for: Recreational Vehicles
U.S. Thor Industries to Buy German Caravan Maker Hymer
U.S.-based recreational vehicle maker Thor Industries has agreed to buy German family-owned caravan maker Erwin Hymer Group in a deal valuing the company at 2.1 billion euros (1.86 billion pounds) including debt, Thor said on Tuesday.
China Redoubles Efforts to Boost Domestic Demand as Trade War Bites
The Chinese government has ordered policies and resources to be geared towards sectors including tourism and sports to help give a broad-based boost to domestic consumption as China's trade spat with the United States threatens to slow the economy.


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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Pete Auger, city manager of Auburn Hills, offered the following statement in response to the announcement that the newly formed Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. will be headquartered in the Netherlands.
"While Auburn Hills will no longer have bragging rights to Chrysler being headquartered in our city, the relocation of the headquarters is symbolic rather than economic in terms of impact," said Auger. "The heart, soul and creative and intellectual engine of a tremendous automotive company remain in Auburn Hills. We congratulate the newly formed Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and look forward to their continuing contributions as a vital member of the Auburn Hills community."
Auger's statement comes one day before the city's annual State of the Community breakfast, sponsored by the Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce and held from 8 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. (Jan. 30) at the Palace of Auburn Hills. New Auburn Hills Mayor Kevin McDaniel is expected to report on a record year for the city in terms of residential and downtown development and other successful community and corporate initiatives, groundbreakings and global headquarter developments.
Copyright 2014 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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[Update: Resolved] Amazon aware some Chromebook users are experiencing error 7235 on Prime Video, issue under investigation
New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….
Original story (published on September 06, 2021) follows:
Amazon Prime is undoubtedly one of the most popular video streaming services on the planet. Apart from the regular content, it features some original as well as exclusive shows too.
If you already have an Amazon Prime membership, you can enjoy all content on Prime Video at no additional costs.
According to Statistica, it is the second most popular video-on-demand service in the US, right after Netflix. As of December 2019, Prime Video had more than 100 million subscribers in the US.
While it is rare for Amazon Prime Video users to encounter many bugs or glitches, in the last few days, some Chromebook users have reported an issue with the service.
According to reports, Amazon Prime Video users on Chromebook are getting error 7235 when trying to watch any content. The error says that Google Chrome does not have the WidevineCdm component.
Some people also say that they have tried resetting their Chromebooks but it is not helping either.
I tried all the suggestions from Amazon and nothing worked. My customer service chat person tried to help but then they just left me hanging. Now the chat won’t come up. The chat just wants to start over and won’t bring up the person I was speaking with. Please help so I can watch videos on my Chromebook! I’m guessing it’s not me but Amazon because many people with Chromebooks are having the same problem.
Tells me to go to WidevineCDM in my chrome components to check for updates, but I am not finding WidevineCDM in my components list. Everything worked fine last night!?
Amazon is currently asking users to make sure that Google Chrome and the WidevineCdm component is up to date but users say there is no such component.
Some of those affected say that they have tried all the workarounds and solutions suggested by Amazon but nothing seems to be working.
On the brighter side, an Amazon staff member said that they have reported the error 7235 issue to the Prime Video technical team and that it is currently under investigation.
Maybe the technical team did something that broke Amazon Prime Video on Google Chromebooks or maybe it’s a bug on Google’s end (less likely though as the Amazon team is apparently looking into the matter).
Whatever the case might be, we hope Amazon and Google work together and soon find a solution to the Prime Video error 7235 on Chromebook(s).
When they do, we will update this article with more information, so make sure you keep checking this space for further updates.
Update 1 (September 24)
02:45 pm (IST): An Amazon staff member on the community forms has confirmed that the issue has been fixed.
Hello @5teve, hope you’re well. Apologies for the inconvenience caused. Our technical team has confirmed the issue is resolved now. (Source)
Note: We have more such stories in our dedicated Amazon Section so be sure to follow them as well.
PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.


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Source: 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks
Netflix Spotlights Black Cinema With 'Black Lives Matter' Collection
Netflix created the collection after a recent uptick in searches.
Two weeks ago, Netflix announced its support of the Black Lives Matter movement. This week, the company is promoting a collection of films inspired by the movement.
The collection includes noteworthy Black films like Spike Lee's Malcolm X, as well as his forthcoming Netflix original Da 5 Bloods. Additionally, the collection features Ava DuVernay's 13th and When They See Us, Mudbound, Orange is the New Black, Dear White People and Moonlight. The collection is available to Netflix subscribers worldwide, but the on-screen notification only appears in the United States.
Netflix announced the promotion in a tweet. "When we say 'Black Lives Matter,' we also mean 'Black storytelling matters," the tweet reads. "With an understanding that our commitment to true, systemic change will take time--we're starting by highlighting powerful and complex narratives about the Black experience."
Previously, Netflix has released collections spotlighting Black creators and subjects with collections by genre. Examples include "Black Behind the Camera," "Black Comedy Icons," "Black Music Legends," and "Black & Queer."
"To be silent is to be complicit," the company tweeted on May 30, just five days after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. "We have a platform, and we have a duty to our Black members, employees, creators, and talent to speak up."
After complaints from subscribers, Netflix recently removed four comedy shows featuring Australian comedian Chris Lilley. Lilley's shows came under fire for depictions of Black and indigenous populations including blackface.
Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods premieres on Friday, June 12 on Netflix.


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Selling to Millennials: 4 Tips to Connect Using Unpaid Posts
The best ways of selling to Millennials has become a major discussion in recent years. They’re not instantly loyal to products or companies they like. They have a significant amount of purchasing power ($200 billion according to U.S. Chamber of Commerce), but they also have a lot of debt and the tendency to eschew traditional purchases or adulthood milestones such as buying a home.
To continue reading, check out the full article on Franchising.com.
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October 30, 2018 | 10:57
Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has announced a 'Digital Services' tax, of two percent levied against companies earning more than £500 million in global revenue, as part of the government's 2018 Budget.
The growth of the digital economy, in which it becomes less important where a company is physically located, has proven troubling for the tax system. This is made doubling challenging by large companies organising themselves in a way to disguise regional profits, often by claiming to operate out of one region at a loss by sending the majority of its revenue to a base held in a nation with favourable corporate tax rates. It's a problem the European Commission has been looking to address with proposed tax reforms to include an interim tax of three percent on selected and currently-untaxed digital activities.
That proposal, not yet enacted, appears to have been the basis for an addition to the 2018 Budget by Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, who announced a 'Digital Services' tax of his own late yesterday. 'There is one stand-out example of where the rules of the game must evolve now if they are to keep up with the emerging Digital Economy,' Hammond told Parliament. 'Digital Platforms delivering search engines, social media, and online marketplaces have changed our lives, our society, and our economy, mostly for the better.
'But they also pose a real challenge for the sustainability and fairness of our tax system. The rules have simply not kept pace with changing business models. And it’s clearly not sustainable, or fair, that digital platform businesses can generate substantial value in the UK without paying tax here in respect of that business. The UK has been leading attempts to deliver international corporate tax reform for the digital age. A new global agreement is the best long-term solution. But progress is painfully slow. We cannot simply talk forever.
'So we will now introduce a UK Digital Services Tax. This will be a narrowly-targeted tax on the UK-generated revenues of specific digital platform business models. It will be carefully designed to ensure it is established tech giants – rather than our tech start-ups - that shoulder the burden of this new tax. It is important that I emphasise that this is not an online-sales tax on goods ordered over the internet - such a tax would fall on consumers of those goods, and that is not our intention. The Digital Services Tax will only be paid by companies which are profitable and which generate at least £500 million a year in global revenues in the business lines in scope. We will consult on the detail to make sure we get it right, and to ensure that the UK continues to be the best place in the world to start and scale-up a tech business.'
In his presentation on the tax, Hammond claimed that it will come into effect in April 2020 and is expected to raise over £400 million a year, though indicated that the government is open to a 'globally agreed solution' which could be adopted in its place.
'It is only right that these global giants,' Hammond concluded, 'with profitable businesses in the UK, pay their fair share towards supporting our public services.'
October 14 2021 | 15:04


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By Carol Meyer
Downtown Hingham will be merry and bright this holiday season!
There's the annual Christmas in the Square celebration December 6 -- hosted by the Hingham Downtown Association -- featuring local musicians playing holiday favorites, giant candy canes, the second annual Luminaria Festival lighting up the Square, a visit from Santa, and other festivities.
Leading up to this event and kicking off the excitement surrounding the holidays will be the Dec. 5 Miracle on Main Street, the primary Christmas in the Square fundraiser.
With the help of many generous businesses and individuals, all 80 of the downtown lampposts will be decorated, each bearing the name of its sponsor. In the spirit of inclusiveness, eight of the lampposts will be decorated in observance of Hanukkah.
Thanks goes to Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant and the Hingham Police Department, who will decorate the lampposts in time for the Christmas in the Square celebration.
And if you can't get enough of that holiday spirit, you can enjoy the Holly Jolly Hingham month-long celebration while doing your holiday shopping in downtown Hingham.
For full details about all these events and activities visit discoverhingham.com.
What's your favorite part of the Christmas in the Square celebration?! How many years have you and your family enjoyed this event?!


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Hewlett Packard Enterprise is going to offer Optane SSDs as a media option in 3PAR arrays. The current latency for all-flash arrays is about 400 microseconds to 1 millisecond, and with 3D Xpoint/Optane it will come down to 200 microseconds, said HPE's Eduardo Duarte, 3Par product manager, in a video at the Discover trade show in London in December.
Optane compatibility will also be validated for VMware's vSAN virtualized storage environments. Alibaba also has committed to using Optane in its database and machine-learning infrastructure, Myers said. Intel is also talking with Microsoft to validate Optane for Windows Server storage environments.
In addition, a range of companies including Lenovo, Nutanix and Dell Technologies have confirmed that they will come out with hardware based on Optane.
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Apple Trademarks ‘Optica’ Name for AR/VR Headset: Gurman
According to the renowned tipster, a “secretive shell company tied to Apple” has trademarked the name “Optica.” Gurman believes this moniker could be destined for Apple’s AR-only headset, which he places further down the line after the launch of the company’s first mixed reality headset next year.
Another possibility is for the trademark to be related to Apple’s interchangeable optics system on its headsets for users who need prescription glasses.
Earlier this week, Gurman detailed a few trademark filings from the same company that appeared to be related to Apple’s headset project. These included “Reality Pro,” “Reality One,” and “Reality Processor.”
“For the first version [of the headset], using “Apple Reality Pro” makes the most sense to me, given that it will be a high-end headset,” Gurman said. According to reports, Apple’s first headset may cost around $3,000 USD (around $3,900 CAD).
The “Reality Processor” trademark hints at a mixed reality-focused co-processor that will power Apple’s planned headset(s) alongside the M2 chip.
However, Gurman said in his weekly newsletter that he did not mention the “Optica” trademark, filed with the others, in his original story.
Gurman doesn’t expect to hear anything about Apple’s first AR/VR headset (or any planned for after) at Apple’s upcoming launch event on Wednesday. The leaker also detailed his expectations from the “Far Out” event in his newsletter, hailing the iPhone 14 lineup and the rumoured Apple Watch “Pro” as its main course.


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The Chinese province of Shandong has unveiled plans to become a leading metaverse hub in the country as it targets attracting world-class industry firms.
Province officials disclosed their plans via a document, stating their intentions to plow in hefty sums to develop the local metaverse sector. Per the document, the province administrators expressed confidence that its metaverse industry could reach a valuation of 150 billion yuan (US$20 billion) before the end of 2022.
Led by the Shandong Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, the province has launched a four-day public consultation seeking opinion on its metaverse blueprint.
Aware of its lofty ambitions, the blueprint reels out several initiatives to assist the province in achieving its metaverse objectives. Top on the list is the proposed establishment of metaverse-related industrial parks designed to house at least 100 firms.
The industrial parks will also serve as a hub to incubate local firms with plans to provide regulatory, financial, and technical support for service providers.
The eastern Chinese province says it will support metaverse firms to obtain international and local patents to promote innovation. Per the statement, Shandong is eyeing at least 3,000 patents native to the province before the end of 2025.
Shandong’s metaverse ambition will see it embark on several initiatives to deepen the local blockchain talent pool to provide a steady stream of employees for service providers.
The entire metaverse push is expected to create thousands of jobs within the province, providing several use cases. Shandong’s plans could see the metaverse deployed in several key sectors, including tourism, education, and manufacturing.
The province’s metaverse firms will be leaning on the digital yuan as their default currency as part of efforts to trigger widespread usage, according to the statement. The central bank digital currency (CBDC) has already made its debut in several cities in the province, including Jinan, notably adopting it for its transportation sector.
China and its metaverse goals
After China imposed a blanket ban on digital currencies, it is widely expected the development in the local metaverse industry will be brought to a grinding halt. However, backed by government-led initiatives, public interest in digital worlds is at an all-time high, with several cities scrambling for pole position.
Beijing, Nanjing, and Shanghai have all released their metaverse plans, targeting astronomical growth for local economies. Not content with the flurry of activities in the country, the Chinese government is advocating for global regulatory standards to guide metaverse activities.
Watch Robert Rice: Metaverse and all things around us
New to blockchain? Check out CoinGeek’s Blockchain for Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about blockchain technology.


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Americans gearing up for the holidays will face inflation at a new level when buying decorations, as inflation and the supply chain crisis are causing Christmas trees prices to skyrocket.
Christmas tree prices are expected to be between ten and 30 percent more this year, for both live trees and artificial trees, in addition to having a smaller selection to choose from, according to the Associated Press.
“Prices have gone up significantly,” John Mohlenhoff, the secretary of the hook and ladder company for the Huntington fire department, told Newsday. “We’ve had to compromise on what types of trees we’re getting, sizes, everything.” The fire department, which usually sells trees in a week-long fundraiser, had to raise its prices after the department was charged more from its supplier.
AP noted that farmers are struggling to keep up with the demand, as trees take between eight and ten years to fully mature, and fewer trees were planted in 2009 due to the economic recession. The prices have started to rise due to the rising demand over the last few years. The Department of Agriculture estimated that nearly 13.9 million Christmas trees would be cut this year to be sold — a 400,000 increase over last year.
Additionally, Americans are seeing an increase in cost for artificial trees, many of which are made overseas and shipped to the U.S. as America is in the throes of a months-long supply chain crisis. During the crisis, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s whereabouts for two months were questioned. Ultimately it was revealed that he was on paid leave to spend time with his husband and their two babies.
Many stores are reportedly still waiting to receive their shipment of trees. Fortune reported that some freight carriers have acknowledged that the disruptions in the supply chain should ease by China’s Lunar New Year, which is on February 1 — months after Christmas.
This is all happening as the House Democrats passed the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill — which was signed into law by President Joe Biden – and then passed the $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act, the Democrats’ reconciliation infrastructure bill.
The Democrats’ reconciliation infrastructure bill was considered the “marquee legislation” for President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda. Although it passed on a near party-line vote, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) revealed it would add $750 billion to the American deficit over five years.
Spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Mike Berg said, “Even Christmas trees aren’t safe from the inflation crisis caused by Democrats’ reckless spending and inability to manage the supply chain.”
Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter.


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Contact: Tanja Kallio
Caption: Finnish researchers found a way to significantly improve the durability of Lithium-ion batteries by covering the electrodes of lithium iron phosphate batteries with extremely thin protective layers, and by increasing the potential of lithium iron phosphate used as a positive electrode by doping.
Credit: Aalto University
Usage Restrictions: None
Related news release: Researchers have made the production of batteries cheaper and safer


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Drumming up anticipation for its first standalone boutique store in the UK, Officine Panerai isn’t just throwing a launch party and calling it a day. They’re going big, creating a unique bronze timepiece and partnering with Sotheby’s to auction the watch online, starting today.
The special Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronze 47mm will go on auction exclusively online at Sothebys.com from November 30 until December 15. Bidders will be able to view the one-off watch on display at Sotheby’s, and the winner will get the opportunity to see the new Panerai store on 30 New Bond Street first hand, where the Head Watchmaker will give them a tour of the new boutique, designed by architect Patricia Urquiloa, and show them the intricate features of their newly acquired timepiece.
The watch, cased in bronze and paired with a brown dial, has a very distinctive, vintage look, harking back to the watchmaking brand’s historic creations for the Royal Italian Navy. Panerai has a long history of creating underwater watches, and bronze is often used as it is highly resistant to corrosive action of seawater and atmospheric agents. Bronze is also a well-loved material for watch collectors for its ability to acquire a warm, ‘worn’ look from the development of patina on the case.
Proceeds of the sale will also benefit the Royal Yachting Association to support their charitable sailing program OnBoard, which promotes equal access to sailing for youngsters from all social and economic backgrounds.
For more information about the auction, check out Sothebys.com.


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To boost demand during the winter slump, Uber is cutting prices for January rides in more than 100 U.S. and Canadian cities. With the cooler weather, many people will stay in — causing demand for rides to go down, according to Uber.
For certain cities, this is the third year that Uber has dropped prices in January. Driver earnings in those cities — such as Boston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., Albuquerque and Memphis — continue to increase each year, says Uber.
But in other cities, driver earnings fell and Uber changed the prices back. For example, in Seattle, Uber ended up reversing price cuts when it was apparent that prices were already low enough, says the company.
“We’ve learned over the years that we do best when we test new things,” according to a news release by Uber. “With each new test — small or large — we learn more about the choices riders make, and how those choices impact earnings for drivers.”


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Over the last five years South Africa has attracted a number of foreign fashion retailers, such as Australia’s Cotton On, Spain’s Zara, US’s Forever 21 and the UK’s Topshop. The most recent entrant is Sweden’s H&M, which unveiled its first outlet in South Africa under a year ago and has already expanded to five stores, with another four scheduled to be opened before the end of 2016.
These companies are reporting strong growth – despite the financial pressures facing South African consumers. Cotton On, which hailed South Africa as its fastest growing market two years ago, now has 168 outlets in the country. This year the company opened its biggest flagship store worldwide in the Mall of Africa, on the outskirts of Johannesburg.
And H&M reported sales of around R150m (around US$11m) for its five South African stores in the second quarter.
“H&M has been performing really well in the South African market,” says the company’s local spokesperson, Amelia-May Woudstra. “We see a lot of potential.”
However, the emergence of international fashion giants in the market is placing a strain on local retailers, which are already struggling to win over cash-strapped consumers.
Mr Price, which has a similar product offering to H&M, reported lacklustre sales in its recent trading update. The market leader’s retail sales increased by a trifling 1% for the 18 weeks to August 6, while comparable sales declined by 2.4% for the same period last year.
According to Mukhtar Mustapha, equity analyst at Mergence Investment Managers, local fashion retailers have enjoyed years of very little outside competition, and will have to adjust to a more competitive landscape. He adds that slowing sales growth, as seen with Mr Price, is reflective of current macroeconomics and the fact that growth is coming off a very high base.
“I don’t think we can argue that there’s been no impact from foreign competitors. But you also need to ask the question around the margins of local competitors, which have been fairly high – and therefore have attracted international competition,” says Mustapha.
“For a number of years these retailers operated just amongst themselves. So I think it’s quite logical to assume that if international competitors come into this market they would gain some market share, just given how profitable it’s been for the existing players over a number of years.
Read the full article here (www.howwemadeitinafrica.com)


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Lenovo has refreshed its ThinkBook 14 laptop with a Ryzen 5000 series CPU
Dell has unveiled a bunch of laptops and gaming monitors for the global market including Dell G15, G15 Ryzen Edition, M15 Ryzen Edition R5 and four new gaming monitors
Acer Nitro 5 features 15.6” screen with a large screen-to-body ratio that boasts up to a 144Hz high refresh rate.
HP has launched a new Chromebook laptop in India aimed at kids studying between Class 2 and Class 7 for their online classes amid the pandemic
Asus has refreshed its laptop lineup in India with Ryzen processors
Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro 15 and Mi Notebook Pro 14 are powered by up to an Intel 11th Gen Core i7-11370H CPU and up to Nvidia GeForce MX450 GPU. The laptops are backed by 16GB DDR4 RAM clocked at 3,200MHz and 512GB PCIe SSD for storage.
Lenovo has launched eight new laptops which includes Windows-powered laptops as well as Chromebooks.
Lenovo launches Yoga Slim 7i Carbon in India with 11th Gen Intel Core Processor, QHD display and more
Lenovo has launched its latest Yoga Slim 7i Carbon laptop in India with a 180-degree hinge, two harman speakers, QHD display and more
Apple is planning to introduce new iPad Pros as early as this April while new iPad Air is also in the pipeline which should be launching this year as well
Lava has brought 3 new student-centric tablets in India as a part of its E-Education series


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$1M lotto ticket sold in Burlco
TRENTON - A $1 million Mega Millions ticket was sold in Burlington County before the Tuesday night drawing, New Jersey Lottery officials said.
The ticket was sold at One Stop Food Mart on 32 Church Road in Maple Shade.
MORE WINNERS: Million dollar lotto ticket sold in Lumberton
In addition, there was one third-tier prizewinning ticket sold in Hudson County that matched the four white balls and the Gold Mega Ball winning $5,000. The ticket was purchased at National News II, 2801 Kennedy Blvd.
Nineteen other players purchased tickets that matched the four white balls, winning $500 each. One of those tickets was purchased with the Megaplier option, making it worth $2,500. Furthermore, 61,706 other New Jersey players took home $120,470 in prizes ranging from $1 to $250, according to New Jersey Lottery Executive Director Carole Hedinger.
The Mega Millions jackpot rolls to $97 million for the next drawing, which will be held at 11 p.m. Friday.


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November 18, 2020 12:00PM
Network-layer DDoS attack trends for Q3 2020
In Q3 ‘20, Cloudflare observed a surge in DDoS attacks, with double the number of DDoS attacks and more attack vectors deployed than ever — with a notable surge in protocol-specific DDoS attacks such as mDNS, Memcached, and Jenkins amplification floods....
November 18, 2020 9:56AM
2020 年第三季網路層 DDoS 攻擊趨勢
DDoS 攻擊在頻率和複雜度上愈演愈烈。自第二季比第一季翻了一倍後，第三季觀察到的網路層攻擊總數再次翻倍，達到了第一季 COVID 疫情前水準的 4 倍。Cloudflare 還觀察到，實施攻擊的手段數量也達到歷史新高。...
October 20, 2020 12:00PM
Bot Attack trends for Jan-Jul 2020
Automated traffic makes up almost 40% of total Internet traffic. Let’s take a look at how bots behaved over 2020 so far....
August 05, 2020 2:00PM
Network-layer DDoS attack trends for Q2 2020
This quarter, we saw an increasing number of large scale attacks; both in terms of packet rate and bit rate. In fact, 88% of all DDoS attacks in 2020 that peaked above 100 Gbps were launched after shelter-in-place went into effect in March....
May 15, 2020 12:00PM
Network-Layer DDoS Attack Trends for Q1 2020
Speed & Reliability
In Q1 2020, traffic levels have increased by over 50% in many countries, but have DDoS attacks increased as well?...


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During GDC last night, Nintendo took the opportunity during their keynote to announce Super Mario (yup, that's the full title) for Nintendo 3DS. It's being developed by the Super Mario Galaxy-team, which in itself makes the game sound promising right from the start. According to Nintendo themselves it will be the same three dimensional revolution that Super Mario 64 was once upon a time, but they would of course say that.
Note the tail on the "O" in the picture below. Tanooki?


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The fallout from Marriott’s massive data breach could cost the company millions.
On Monday, Marriott MAR, -5.04% told MarketWatch that it would foot the bill for customers directly impacted by the hack to replace their passports.
The hotel chain said it would reimburse guests for the costs associated with getting a new passport, but only “if” the customer determines that actual fraud has, indeed, taken place.
But not everyone believes that gesture goes far enough. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senator from New York, said that Marriott should replace all passports for those who have had their passport numbers stolen.
“Marriott must personally and immediately notify customers under the greatest security risk and then foot the bill for those folks to acquire a new passport and number should they request it,” he said.
He told MarketWatch that Marriott should pay for every affected consumer to change their passports — and not just those who can prove their passport numbers were stolen.
“Marriott is showing the right instincts here, but they must go further in their effort to make things right with victims said,” he said.
He called the costs surrounding this clean up a “modest amount” for a company that returned to its shareholders more than $3 billion in 2017 through share repurchases and dividends.
Don’t miss: Has the workplace improved since this signature George H.W. Bush law?
On Friday, Marriott admitted that a portion of the 500 million people affected by the breach — 327 million people — may have had their passport numbers stolen.
Marriott reported a second-quarter net income of $610 million the company reported in August 2018, so replacing even passports compromised by the hack could be a financial headache.
“The clock is ticking to minimize the risk customers face and one way to do this is to request a new passport and make it harder for thieves to paint that full identity picture,” Schumer added.
Experts have suggested anyone affected change their passport numbers, passwords, and credit card numbers, and consider freezing their credit for the foreseeable future.
The hack started in 2014, but it went undetected until last September, and involved the reservation database for its Starwood properties.
Following a 2018 change, freezing credit is now free through all three major credit bureaus including Equifax EFX, -3.59% Experian EXPN, -0.10% and TransUnion TRU, -5.32%
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Source: Read Full Article


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It’s almost as if Google and SwiftKey were working together to make the launch of yet another keyboard so buzz-worthy. Just days after the Google Tap April Fools day prank, The Beta release of SwiftKey 3 was announced for Android phones and tablets alike. SwiftKey’s Chief Marketing Officer, Joe Braidwood, wrote in the company blog “Only three days ago as an April Fools’ prank, we jested that we’d reinvented the keyboard again. Thing is, this time we really have.” The company has already been covered in the news this year after they recently won Most Innovative App at the Global Mobile Awards in Barcelona last month.
What is SwiftKey?
SwiftKey is just another keyboard for your mobile device, but what makes it special is that it is powered by a natural language technology which works to understand the way words work together. It’s a huge time-saver for those sloppy typists out there and it’s predictive technology can be fun to watch in action. Let’s face it, autocorrect has made a mess of even the shortest messages. SwiftKey is meant to help victims of the mobile keyboards trust their devices again.
The company website offers some impressive stats on its usage:
“SwiftKey has been downloaded more than four million times and has saved its users over 20 billion keystrokes – equivalent to 250 years spent typing, or tapping out the complete works of Shakespeare over 5,000 times. It frequently tops the download charts.”
So what’s new in SwiftKey 3?
Smart Space – a major leap forward in auto-correction technology, Smart Space adds to SwiftKey’s already cutting edge correction by detecting miss-typed or omitted spaces across whole phrases of poorly typed text in real-time. SwiftKey now offers the most accurate and complete auto-correction available on a smartphone or tablet.
Two new themes – a new theme, ‘Cobalt’, to match SwiftKey’s new look and feel, and an Ice Cream Sandwich-styled ‘Holo’ theme, as voted for by SwiftKey’s VIP community.
An enhanced UI – a much larger space bar and smart punctuation key help improve accuracy and make it quick and easy to access common punctuation.
Additional languages – SwiftKey 3 now offers support for an additional seven languages, bringing the total up to 42. The new languages are Korean, Estonian, Farsi, Icelandic, Latvian, Lithuanian and Serbian.
New punctuation functionality – intelligent, language-specific punctuation handling (for example, spaces between words and certain symbols in French, such as ‘Bonjour !’).
How Can I Get It?
The award winning keyboard app for Android devices, is now available as a free beta release to SwiftKey’s passionate community of over 30,000 VIP users. For a limited time, new members are invited to become VIP’s and help the development team with feedback on the Beta app.
Beta release available to SwiftKey VIPs at http://vip.swiftkey.net