text:
It’s only been a few months since Google released Android 12, but now you can beta test the next version of Google’s operating system for smartphones and tablets.
Android 12L is expected to launch in early 2022 with numerous optimizations for large-screen devices including tablets and foldables. Google released a developer preview for the Lenovo Tab P12 Pro last week. And now you can install Android 12L Beta on Google Pixel 3a or later smartphones.
Google has released Android 12L Beta images for Pixel 3a, 4, 4a, 5, and 5a series phones and promises that Pixel 6 images are coming soon. There are also Generic System Images that may work on some other devices.
Many of the operating system’s biggest updates won’t be readily visible on a phone-sized device. For example, you won’t see the two-column layout for the Quick Settings panel, lock screen, or apps that support the feature, and you wont see the new Taskbar or other multitasking features.
But Android 12L isn’t just for large-screen devices. It’ll also be coming to phones, and rolling out a beta now allows developers and early adopters to kick the tires and make sure everything is working properly.
There are also some bug fixes and cosmetic changes that you can see on smartphones, including refinements to the Sound & vibration and Internet settings pop-ups.
Google has finalized the APIs developers can use to optimize their apps for Android 12L, so now in addition to testing apps in the Android 12L emulator and/or on a Lenovo Tab P12 Pro, developers can ensure they work properly on smartphones by testing apps on a Pixel phone running Android 12L.
Casual users, meanwhile, are probably better off waiting for the stable build of Android 12L to be released. The beta has some known issues including a storage partition problem that may require deleting or resizing partitions in order for the operating system to run properly, a bug that may prevent the phone from rebooting properly (the workaround involves a factory reset), and an issue that may prevent you from hearing audio in phone calls when using the default Dialer app.


text:
Facebook to continue the ban on Taliban related content post fall of Afghanistan
The social media leader, Facebook has declared to filter posts involving the mention of Taliban, considering the extremist group as a terrorist organization.
The company further elucidates on its dedicated team that has been directed to monitor such posts, and instantly remove any such content closely linked to the terrorist group.
“The Taliban is sanctioned as a terrorist organization under US law and we have banned them from our services under our Dangerous Organization policies. This means we remove accounts maintained by or on behalf of the Taliban and prohibit praise, support, and representation of them,” says a Facebook spokesperson.
Various insiders have shed light on the team appointed for censoring and removing posts in the country’s local language. The Afghanistan experts fluent in Dari and Pashto have been taken on board to take down anything they deem as dangerous or in link with promoting the ‘Taliban’ culture.
Not only this, but also, the Facebook owned social media networks, WhatsApp and Instagram have been granted the permission to ban such content.
Twitter, on the other hand, jumping on the bandwagon, highlighted its policies against violence-promoting groups and hateful posts.
Ayu Larassanti voiceover Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Kena: Bridge of Spirits developer, Ember Labs asked Ayu Larassanti to voice-over...
Netflix launches its free plan for users
Netflix has launched a free subscription plan for users in Kenya with...
Nova 9 and 9 Pro featured in hands-on photos, detailing their specs
Huawei officially teased the long-awaited Nova 9 series. The next-gen lineup featuring...
iPhone 14 Pro models to replace notch with punch hole cutout
iPhone 13 series was launched on September 14 and not long after...
Netflix and Apple TV+ take maximum Emmys home
Netflix, the video streaming giant, made a complete sweep at Emmys 2021....

domain: news


text:
Government Committing €1 Million in Incentives
The Estonian Ministry of Defence has launched a Defence Innovation Competition aimed at the development of future high-tech weapon systems, ammunition, munitions and associated products, with a view to artefacts with high export potential.
Governmental legislation in July repealed the existing prohibition on the manufacture or handling of weapons by private enterprise. The primary goal of the competition, announced on 22 August, is to promote the amendment to the law and attract new companies and ground-breaking products to Estonia’s defence industry sector.
“Our success parameter for the competition is to get at least 3-4 new and innovative products that can be marketed in Estonia and abroad,” explained said Chief Defence Industry Officer at the Ministry of Defence, Eneli Saabas. The total budget for the project is expected to exceed €1 million, with the government contribution to the winners of the competition standing at €500,000. Maximum support for a single project will be up to €200,000 and state support will be limited to a maximum of 45% of the development costs. “This preserves the motivation of enterprises and helps to ensure the projects will lead to successful results,” added Saabas.
The competition is targeted at companies that are registered in Estonia, have clever ideas and are committed to growing their business in manufacturing weapon systems or ammunition. Competition winners will be able to engage in product development and testing with the Estonian Defence Forces.
In recent years the most successful results of similar competitions have included the following products: Milrem Robotics’ autonomous ground platform; the UAS developed by ELI and Threod Systems: Rantelon’s communication and monitoring systems; bomb-shelters from Terramil; and a modular field medical hospital and hospital information system by Semetron.


text:
First quarter wobble for Manitou
By Euan Youdale25 April 2016
Manitou’s sales fell 3% to €312 million in the first quarter of its 2016 financial year, compared to the same period in 2015.
Order intake, however, was on the increase in the quarter, amounting to €307 million and representing a 9% rise. Order backlog stood at €347 million, 5% up on the first quarter 2015 and 16% compared to the fourth quarter of 2014.
Michel Denis, president & CEO said, “Business in the first quarter was in line with our objective for 2016. The slight decrease in sales revenue compared to Q1 2015 is not representative of the fundamentally improved trend that we're reporting in our order intake and backlog.
“Europe, which accounts for two thirds of the group's business, is doing well. It's now driven by its southern region, within which, France is also stimulated by the effects of the Macron law. The Americas region recorded the largest decrease which was the consequence of US rental companies full stop since the third quarter 2015, although they’ve recently made a modest comeback. Therefore, we're confirming all of our objectives set for 2016.”
Across the group sales in Southern Europe grew 49% to €132.1 million, while sales in Northern Europe dropped 14% to 99.3 million. Business was hit hardest in the Americas, with a 38% sales drop to 54.1 million.
Looking at the individual segments; the Material Handling and Access Division (MHA) saw first quarter sales of €217 million, an increase of 9% compared to the first quarter of 2015. In Europe, the construction, agriculture and industrial markets remain dynamic, said the company, with increases in Southern Europe.
The Compact Equipment Products Division (CEP) reported sales of €41 million, a 42% decline on the first quarter 2015 and a 9% decrease compared to 2015’s fourth quarter. “Following several years of strong growth, the market for rental companies has abruptly stopped since the third quarter 2015,” said the company in its financial statement.
The Services and Solutions Division (S&S) sales increased 2% at €54 million. The division continues to work on the launch of new services focused on the users.


text:
It is hard enough to get a job without proper certifications in more peaceful times, but just 2 weeks after the epidemic put Tram (22 years old) out of her job at a restaurant, she has found a new source of income.
Since schools and kindergartens are closed, many young children are left home alone, and Tram uses the opportunity to insert herself into babysitting gigs around the neighborhood.
After some asking around, Tram was assigned a fourth-grader and a three-year-old and is paid VND300,000 per day (about $12.5), which is much lower than her wages at the restaurant but still better than nothing during an epidemic.
She also recommends this type of work to her out-of-work friends but not every parent is willing to entrust their young children to just anyone.
One of the most common seasonal jobs right now in Vietnam is food delivery, since sensible citizens are refraining from going outside. A delivery person can make about VND300,000-700,000 a day if they put their all into it.
“I always equip myself with medical masks and the likes when on deliveries”, a “shipper” named Hieu (23 years old) said.
Seeing that her small vegetable shop is not doing too well since the virus outbreak, Van (27 years old) offered a shopping service to her relatives and acquaintances on Facebook. Her staff would receive shopping lists from calling customers or texts on Facebook Messenger and contact the store’s suppliers at the end of the day.
Since customers can expect their goods to be delivered straight from the store the following morning, it would keep the food fresh and minimize exposure to bacteria, Van said.
The next morning, fresh food will be delivered to the store and staff will deliver it to the customer's home. “This approach will help fresh food, especially fish meat, be properly stored until the door of the buyer. In addition, food also limits contact with many people before being taken home”, Thuy Van shared. Customers spread the word about this convenient service, causing the number of orders to increase very quickly, sales were higher than before the outbreak.
As a matter of fact, many online sellers learned to seize the chance and step out of their usual boundaries to promote their goods and social media content. When Thuy (21 years old) was forced to stop taking orders of raw food stuff for safety reasons, she switched to selling fresh fruits and even started making videos of healthy recipes. She gained 3,000 followers on her business page and an increased number of online orders during the last two months.


text:
Louis Vuitton presents All Aboard Games, a video which takes the viewer on a “fantastic and surrealist voyage inside a Louis Vuitton game case.”
Yayoi Kusama has just debuted her “Infinitely Kusama” collection for iconic fashion house Louis Vuitton, and the resulting dresses, shoes, and blouses are, of course, entirely covered in spots.
French luxury brands launch a campaign with several European countries to fight back against the increasingly lucrative flood of counterfeit goods.
Louis Vuitton is the world’s most valuable luxury brand for the seventh consecutive year according to Millward Brown Optimor’s 2012 BrandZ study.
Louis Vuitton is planning to expand its stationery offerings with more “paper goods and related paraphernalia.”
Coinciding with the publication of the book titled Louis Vuitton: 100 Legendary Trunks, the brand has developed an iPad app of the same name.
Louis Vuitton has released a limited edition regatta watch for the 2012 America’s Cup.
Louis Vuitton has a day of live streaming events planned for March 7 ahead of its Paris Fashion Week presentation and Arts Décoratifs exhibition launch. LV has teamed up with Louise Roe for the big day, with the British fashion journalist to host a live stream of Wednesday’s 10:00 F/W 2012 show at www.louisvuitton.com. Then, from … Continued
Louis Vuitton launched a new short film series February 22 hoping to capture the essence of different cities from across the globe in relation to gender. Hong Kong is the subject of the debut film, which presents the Asian destination as if it were a woman with appearances from students, various career women and rising … Continued
With the opening of the first Louis Vuitton Maison in Italy on 29th January 2012, the world renowned trunk and luggage-maker marks a major achievement in its history. Louis Vuitton’s 14th Maison is called Roma Etoile. It was designed by the architect Peter Marino who renovated this former Cinema Corso in a modern artistic way. … Continued
French luxury brand Louis Vuitton will open a boutique and jewellery studio on Paris’ Place Vendome this spring and is preparing its first perfume. “In April we will have our own jewellery workshop and in May will will open our boutique in the same building,” the label’s head Yves Carcelle said. The project, unveiled in … Continued
Louis Vuitton has teamed up with polo bike players Hannes Hengst and Grégory Barbier to produce their very own LV Polo Bike.
Louis Vuitton has confirmed its entrance into the realm of fragrance, with master perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud heading up the scent development. The news is significant considering the French fashion house has not marketed any perfumes since the 1920s and ’30s. It signals another expansion following the brand’s ventures into watches in 2002, fine jewelry in 2004 … Continued
The new collection of Louis Vuitton City Guides have been released on October 15th, touching down in totally unprecedented cities. Hong Kong and Macau are being offered for the first time in an individual volume, while London, Paris and Rome are returning in an entirely revisited form. The indispensable European City box set is adding … Continued
Arizona Muse is captured by Mark Segal for the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2012 ads.
Louis Vuitton is celebrating two premieres: its first luxury concept store in the region, and its first ‘Island Maison,’ a multi-storey shopping location on a private island. Located in Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, the Maison built by star architect Peter Marino sells women’s and men’s collections, Louis Vuitton’s jewelry as well as design and … Continued
Louis Vuitton continues to develop its iconic “Tambour” design with the addition of this new ultra high-end model, the Tambour Minute Repeater. The timepiece comes in a 44mm white/pink/yellow gold case (your choice), manual wind mechanical Louis Vuitton Caliber 178, and smoked sapphire crystal displays. To catch up with the hottest fashion trend, the Louis … Continued
Louis Vuitton hosted a cocktail on Monday night at the storied Paris taxidermy store Deyrolle to celebrate the launch of the My Monogram service on Small Leather Goods To set the mood, British artist Billie Achilleos transformed the maison’s signature wallets, coin pouches, belts, and bag hardware into a menagerie of animals. The hardy armadillo, … Continued
Louis Vuitton has made a spectacular airport debut in association with The Shilla Duty Free at South Korea’s Incheon International Airport. The 550sq m Incheon store is dedicated to Louis Vuitton’s passion for travel. It features leathergoods, women’s and men’s shoes, belts, ties, textiles, fashion, jewellery, sunglasses, watches and other accessories.
Louis Vuitton have come out with two new iPad cases that also double as stands when you fold the top cover back. The exterior of the Monogram iPad Case features Vuitton’s iconic monogram pattern along with a soft microfiber lining that protects the iPad. It also has golden brass details, holes for a headphone jack, … Continued


text:
|By Marketwired .||
|July 18, 2014 09:00 AM EDT||
SUNNYVALE, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/18/14 -- Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT) -- a world leader in high-performance network security -- today announced that the company's FortiADC-4000D system has won a 2014 Communications Solutions Product of the Year award from global integrated media company TMC. One of TMC's most coveted awards, this honor recognizes companies that create exceptional products in voice, data and video communications markets.
"We are proud to receive this award from TMC recognizing the FortiADC-4000D as an outstanding choice for the enterprise with its expansive range of high-performance capabilities, strong security features and exceptional overall value," said Mark Byers, director of product marketing, ADC solutions at Fortinet. "This award underscores Fortinet's continued commitment to the enterprise and its mission to constantly raise the bar for innovation even higher to satisfy and surpass the increasing demands of its customers."
The FortiADC-4000D is a high-performance application delivery controller (ADC) for enterprise data centers and managed service providers designed to provide scalability and availability for Internet-based applications that reside in one or more datacenters.
"Congratulations to Fortinet for receiving a 2014 Communications Solutions Product of the Year Award," said Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC. "The FortiADC-4000D has demonstrated true innovation and is amongst the best solutions that facilitate voice, data and video communications brought to market in the past twelve months. I look forward to continued excellence from Fortinet in 2014 and beyond."
In order to be eligible for TMC's Communications Award, all nominated products must belong to one or more of the following technology categories: IP Communications, telecom, call center, CRM, service provider offerings, developer services, networking and wireless services (including cell phones, PDA's and smartphones), hardware, software, add-ons, peripherals and related services created in the past twelve months.
The FortiADC Advantage
The FortiADC-4000D delivers fast, secure and intelligent acceleration and distribution for demanding enterprise application environments while optimizing availability, user experience, performance and scalability of Enterprise Application Delivery. The solution represents an expansion of Fortinet's greater Application Delivery Controller lineup that provides high performance, rich features and strong security for high-volume application environments while reducing overall total cost of ownership (TCO). Unlike competing ADC manufacturers that require additional options for advanced port connectivity, the FortiADC-4000D includes 16 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) ports and 8 high-performance 10-Gigabit SFP+ Ethernet ports at no extra cost.
Key features of the FortiADC-4000D include:
- 50 Gbps of L4 throughput and up to 1,600,000 L7 transactions per second for handling enterprise and data center application traffic volumes
- 16x GE ports and 8x 10 GB SFP+ Ethernet ports provide high-throughput connectivity to eliminate network bottlenecks
- Dedicated SSL offload hardware provides increased performance for up to 31,000 SSL connections per second
- Dual hot-swappable power supplies provide additional redundancy by supporting separate power connections and allow power supplies to be swapped without interrupting device operations
- A dedicated management port allows remote device control even when it's powered down
In addition, the latest FortiADC operating system update includes two new features -- IP Reputation and Virtual Domains (VDOMs) along with other enhancements, such as GUI improvements and detailed event logging, aligning with Fortinet's comprehensive strategy to create high-performance and secure application delivery products. Combined with high-capacity SSL offloading and built-in firewalls, FortiADC offers additional security features not found in other ADC appliances at these price points.
Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT) helps protect networks, users and data from continually evolving threats. As a global leader in high-performance network security, we enable enterprises, service providers and governments to consolidate and integrate stand-alone technologies without suffering performance penalties. Unlike costly, inflexible and low-performance alternatives, Fortinet solutions empower customers to embrace new technologies and business opportunities while protecting essential systems and content. Learn more at www.fortinet.com.
Copyright © 2014 Fortinet, Inc. All rights reserved. The symbols ® and denote respectively federally registered trademarks and unregistered trademarks of Fortinet, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates. Fortinet's trademarks include, but are not limited to, the following: Fortinet, FortiGate, FortiGuard, FortiManager, FortiMail, FortiClient, FortiCare, FortiAnalyzer, FortiReporter, FortiOS, FortiASIC, FortiWiFi, FortiSwitch, FortiVoIP, FortiBIOS, FortiLog, FortiResponse, FortiCarrier, FortiScan, FortiAP, FortiDB, FortiVoice and FortiWeb. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Fortinet has not independently verified statements or certifications herein attributed to third parties, such as TMC, and Fortinet does not independently endorse such statements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing herein constitutes a warranty, guarantee, binding specification or other binding commitment by Fortinet, and performance and other specification information herein may be unique to certain environments. Nothing in this press release should be understood to imply that patent inventions or other technology referred to in this press release will be incorporated into Fortinet's products and Fortinet's expressly disclaims any obligation to do that. This news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve uncertainties. Changes of circumstances, product release delays, changes in product plans and other risks as stated in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, located at www.sec.gov, may cause results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in this press release. If the uncertainties materialize prove incorrect, results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Fortinet assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, and expressly disclaims any obligation to update forward-looking statements.
In the next five to ten years, millions, if not billions of things will become smarter. This smartness goes beyond connected things in our homes like the fridge, thermostat and fancy lighting, and into heavily regulated industries including aerospace, pharmaceutical/medical devices and energy. “Smartness” will embed itself within individual products that are part of our daily lives. We will engage with smart products - learning from them, informing them, and communicating with them. Smart produc...
Jan. 21, 2017 12:15 PM EST Reads: 1,759
Internet of @ThingsExpo, taking place June 6-8, 2017 at the Javits Center in New York City, New York, is co-located with the 20th International Cloud Expo and will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world. @ThingsExpo New York Call for Papers is now open.
Jan. 21, 2017 12:15 PM EST Reads: 3,731
SYS-CON Events announced today that Catchpoint, a leading digital experience intelligence company, has been named “Silver Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Catchpoint Systems is a leading Digital Performance Analytics company that provides unparalleled insight into your customer-critical services to help you consistently deliver an amazing customer experience. Designed for digital business, C...
Jan. 21, 2017 11:45 AM EST Reads: 1,845
Providing the needed data for application development and testing is a huge headache for most organizations. The problems are often the same across companies - speed, quality, cost, and control. Provisioning data can take days or weeks, every time a refresh is required. Using dummy data leads to quality problems. Creating physical copies of large data sets and sending them to distributed teams of developers eats up expensive storage and bandwidth resources. And, all of these copies proliferating...
Jan. 21, 2017 11:45 AM EST Reads: 4,126
SYS-CON Events announced today that Catchpoint Systems, Inc., a provider of innovative web and infrastructure monitoring solutions, has been named “Silver Sponsor” of SYS-CON's DevOps Summit at 18th Cloud Expo New York, which will take place June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Catchpoint is a leading Digital Performance Analytics company that provides unparalleled insight into customer-critical services to help consistently deliver an amazing customer experience. Designed ...
Jan. 21, 2017 11:30 AM EST Reads: 6,429
More and more brands have jumped on the IoT bandwagon. We have an excess of wearables – activity trackers, smartwatches, smart glasses and sneakers, and more that track seemingly endless datapoints. However, most consumers have no idea what “IoT” means. Creating more wearables that track data shouldn't be the aim of brands; delivering meaningful, tangible relevance to their users should be. We're in a period in which the IoT pendulum is still swinging. Initially, it swung toward "smart for smart...
Jan. 21, 2017 11:30 AM EST Reads: 2,803
“DevOps is really about the business. The business is under pressure today, competitively in the marketplace to respond to the expectations of the customer. The business is driving IT and the problem is that IT isn't responding fast enough," explained Mark Levy, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Serena Software, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at DevOps Summit, held Nov 4–6, 2014, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Jan. 21, 2017 11:30 AM EST Reads: 11,571
WebRTC sits at the intersection between VoIP and the Web. As such, it poses some interesting challenges for those developing services on top of it, but also for those who need to test and monitor these services. In his session at WebRTC Summit, Tsahi Levent-Levi, co-founder of testRTC, reviewed the various challenges posed by WebRTC when it comes to testing and monitoring and on ways to overcome them.
Jan. 21, 2017 11:15 AM EST Reads: 6,117
The emerging Internet of Everything creates tremendous new opportunities for customer engagement and business model innovation. However, enterprises must overcome a number of critical challenges to bring these new solutions to market. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Michael Martin, CTO/CIO at nfrastructure, outlined these key challenges and recommended approaches for overcoming them to achieve speed and agility in the design, development and implementation of Internet of Everything solutions with...
Jan. 21, 2017 10:00 AM EST Reads: 5,665
In their general session at 16th Cloud Expo, Michael Piccininni, Global Account Manager - Cloud SP at EMC Corporation, and Mike Dietze, Regional Director at Windstream Hosted Solutions, reviewed next generation cloud services, including the Windstream-EMC Tier Storage solutions, and discussed how to increase efficiencies, improve service delivery and enhance corporate cloud solution development. Michael Piccininni is Global Account Manager – Cloud SP at EMC Corporation. He has been engaged in t...
Jan. 21, 2017 10:00 AM EST Reads: 5,116
Cloud Expo, Inc. has announced today that Andi Mann returns to 'DevOps at Cloud Expo 2017' as Conference Chair The @DevOpsSummit at Cloud Expo will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. "DevOps is set to be one of the most profound disruptions to hit IT in decades," said Andi Mann. "It is a natural extension of cloud computing, and I have seen both firsthand and in independent research the fantastic results DevOps delivers. So I am excited to help the great t...
Jan. 21, 2017 07:45 AM EST Reads: 2,452
Every successful software product evolves from an idea to an enterprise system. Notably, the same way is passed by the product owner's company. In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Oleg Lola, CEO of MobiDev, will provide a generalized overview of the evolution of a software product, the product owner, the needs that arise at various stages of this process, and the value brought by a software development partner to the product owner as a response to these needs.
Jan. 21, 2017 07:30 AM EST Reads: 1,308
In 2014, Amazon announced a new form of compute called Lambda. We didn't know it at the time, but this represented a fundamental shift in what we expect from cloud computing. Now, all of the major cloud computing vendors want to take part in this disruptive technology. In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, John Jelinek IV, a web developer at Linux Academy, will discuss why major players like AWS, Microsoft Azure, IBM Bluemix, and Google Cloud Platform are all trying to sidestep VMs and containers...
Jan. 21, 2017 07:15 AM EST Reads: 940
SYS-CON Events announced today that MobiDev, a client-oriented software development company, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, and the 21st International Cloud Expo®, which will take place October 31-November 2, 2017, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. MobiDev is a software company that develops and delivers turn-key mobile apps, websites, web services, and complex softw...
Jan. 21, 2017 06:45 AM EST Reads: 1,954
SYS-CON Events announced today that Enzu will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, and the 21st International Cloud Expo®, which will take place October 31-November 2, 2017, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Enzu’s mission is to be the leading provider of enterprise cloud solutions worldwide. Enzu enables online businesses to use its IT infrastructure to their competitive ad...
Jan. 21, 2017 06:30 AM EST Reads: 1,658


text:
The Kyushu factory is the highest-performing manufacturing facility in the world.
It was not a great year for Lexus infotainment.
A Lexus has been named to the list for the second year in a row.
Also named the Most Trusted Luxury Brand for the second year in a row.
The study examines owner satisfaction when visiting the dealership.
The award was presented at the Geneva Motor Show.


text:
BY NBM WRITER
As Stima Sacco performance in 2019 improved, shareholders will benefit from a Sh2.3 billion payout in dividends and interests on deposits. The Sacco’s board of directors recommended payment of a first and final dividend of 14% per share on fully paid up shares as at December 31 last year, and interest rebates on members’ deposit at the rate of 10.5% for the year under review.
The society’s national chairperson Rebecca Miano is enthusiastic about the significant improvement on brand equity. She said, while speaking at the 46th Annual General Meeting at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies that the payouts are as a result of a successful customer centric strategy. As a majority of companies struggle to sustain the pressure coming from tough business environment, the Sacco is moving to higher heights. “We believe that these are good returns on members’ investments in the Society. As a responsible corporate entity, we are also committed to embracing sustainable practices across our Sacco so as to support our long-term growth,” said Mrs Miano.
The Sacco posted a pre-tax profit of Sh1.03b in 2019 compared to Sh972.25m in 2018, which is a growth of 6%. So far, the Society’s membership has increased by 17,545 (15%) from 114,071 in 2018 to 131,616 in 2019 thanks to active recruitment drive. Turnover was Sh5.63b in 2019 up from Sh4.60b in 2018, which is a growth of 22%. This was as a result of an aggressive growth on the loan portfolio occasioned by the review of products and services in line with the members’ needs. At the same time, the share capital grew from Sh1.50b in 2018 to Sh1.76b in 2019 thereby representing a steady strengthening of the capital base and also a cushion to the Sacco in its pursuit of sustainable growth. Deposits too increased by 14% last year from Sh24.90b in 2018 to Sh28.27b, which is an indication of continued trust and confidence in the Sacco by members. Lending increased by 15% from Sh24.94b to Sh28.62b.
“Our performance in 2019 clearly demonstrates the underlying health of the business and the potential of our strategy. Indeed, we are making great strides towards our strategic goals, as we continue to realise our mission of empowering members for life,” she added.
The strategy that is driving sustainable growth involves three priorities, namely; business growth and brand equity, member value creation and capital, and financial sustainability. It focuses on Internet and mobile banking, physical branch footprints, branchless and agency banking as well as strategic alliances.
As most deposit taking societies continue to digitize their operations, what is important is the financial health of a particular player. With an asset base of Sh36.5b, a loan book of Sh28.62b, a deposit base of Sh28.67b and a membership of 131 616, the society is strong enough to collaborate not only with corporates and governments but also individual customers.
Stima Sacco chief executive Chris Useki said that the society is on the right path as far as growth is concerned, and is in the process of rolling out more customer focused products and services aimed at empowering members.
Mr Useki said that some of the initiatives driving growth not only include introduction of agency banking to bring services closer to the people but also faster salary processing dubbed “salary 360”, and direct debit to address challenges in funds remittances. Other big services are low cost mortgages, sharia complaint services and instant ATM card services, whose launch was shelved from last year to this year.
Further, the society has embarked on investment in a biometric member recognition system to curb the risk of identity theft alongside installation of fraud monitoring system to ensure security of its resources. Digitization experts say the innovative programme will provide an additional impetus that will help in the push to steady growth.
In what seems to be a fresh market push for great product and service delivery, the society is keen on the 2019 – 2024 strategic plan, which is expected to transform its business model. At this particular juncture, what will enhance growth is adoption of innovative products, unparalleled customer service, aggressive resource mobilization and expanded distribution channels across the country.


text:
|By Marketwired .||
|July 21, 2014 10:13 AM EDT||
PARSIPPANY, NJ--(Marketwired - July 21, 2014) - In celebration of National Vacation Rental Month, Wyndham Vacation Rentals, the world's largest professionally managed vacation rental business and part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), is sharing seven reasons why vacation rentals offer travelers a better way to get away. Celebrated each July, the most popular month for vacation rental stays, National Vacation Rental Month recognizes the many benefits of this accommodation option, from more space and greater value to increased privacy and in-home amenities.
"What better time than National Vacation Rental Month to highlight the vacation rental experience," said Bob Milne, president, Wyndham Vacation Rentals North America. "Recent studies show that vacation rentals give guests more for their money by letting them eat in, pack less, and spread out, all while enjoying a relaxing vacation with family and friends. It's this total package that allows for a truly memorable time. With our National Vacation Rental Month deals, travelers still have time to experience the benefits first-hand this summer and save on stays in some of the country's top destinations."
Wyndham Vacation Rentals highlights the following seven benefits of staying in a vacation rental:
- Vacation rentals give travelers more for their money. The average price per bedroom per day of a vacation rental is only $69 USD, vs. the $112.45 USD average for a hotel room. In addition, vacation rentals offer an average of 2.7 bedrooms, making them a great option for families and larger groups looking to stay together under one roof and share vacation costs.
- Vacation rentals provide more vacation space. The average square footage of a vacation rental is 1,850, whereas hotels only average 325, giving guests extra space to spread out. Eighty-one percent of guests stay in a vacation rental for more living space.
- Vacation rentals offer fully-equipped kitchens. Eating out on vacation can add up quickly, both in calories and costs. Most vacation rentals include fully-equipped kitchens, allowing guests to prepare some meals themselves. Dining in can save guests up to 75 percent and help cut calories by 50 percent.
- Vacation rentals save time with multiple bathrooms. Eighty-two percent of the vacation rentals that Wyndham Vacation Rentals manages have two or more bathrooms. Since Americans on average spend 33 minutes in the bathroom each day, this benefit can save families valuable time and stress while on vacation.
- Vacation rentals help cut down on baggage. The average price for one checked bag on a roundtrip flight is $46.42 USD, making the decision of what to pack for vacation an important one. Many vacation rentals offer in-unit washers/dryers, helping guests pack less and save on baggage fees or room in the car. Forty-two percent of travelers choose vacation rentals for this convenient amenity.
- Vacation rentals offer pet-friendly travel options. Each year, approximately 29 million people travel with their pets, making pet-friendly accommodations an important travel option. With many of the advantages of home like more space and privacy, vacation rentals can help maintain some of the familiarity and routine that some pets crave. Many even offer private outdoor space like decks and fenced-in back-yards.
- Vacation rentals give travelers the comforts of home. From the in-home amenities, like kitchens and washers/dryers, to the extra space and privacy, vacation rentals can help travelers feel at home on vacation. In fact, three in five travelers choose vacation rentals for the home-like amenities.
To learn more about the benefits of vacation rentals and to book one of our National Vacation Rental Month deals offering up to 35 percent
*Vacation must be booked by July 31, 2014 with travel to occur by September 1, 2014. To learn more, visit NationalVacationRentalMonth.com.
† These vacations are limited and subject to availability.
About Wyndham Vacation Rentals
Wyndham Vacation Rentals, the world's largest professionally managed vacation rentals business, is part of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals and the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN). Backed by one of the world's largest hospitality companies, Wyndham Vacation Rentals provides access to more than 100,000 vacation rental properties in approximately 600 unique destinations worldwide. Specializing in the managed vacation rental segment, Wyndham works closely with property owners to ensure all rentals meet its standards for customer service, quality and comfort. With a diverse and celebrated collection of more than 25 rental brands including Canvas Holidays by Wyndham Vacation Rentals, Hoseasons by Wyndham Vacation Rentals, James Villa Holidays by Wyndham Vacation Rentals, Landal GreenParks®, Novasol® by Wyndham Vacation Rentals, ResortQuest® by Wyndham Vacation Rentals® and The Resort Company® by Wyndham Vacation Rentals, Wyndham Vacation Rentals delivers distinct vacation experiences, ranging from beachfront condos, private homes, villas, castles and houseboats, with many properties offering kitchens, washers and dryers, maid service, spa and fitness centers, and golf courses. For additional information visit our media center or wyndhamvacationrentals.com. Wyndham Vacation Rentals also can be found on Facebook.
Sources for cited statistics:
Wyndham Vacation Rentals data, 2014; Smith Travel Research, Inc., 2014 (Q1 2014 pricing data); Map-testing.com Bathroom Habits Survey, 2012; MMGY Global/Harrison Group Portrait of American Travelers, 2012; PhoCusWright's U.S Vacation Rental Marketplace Study, 2012; University of Missouri Food Cost Comparison Study, 2012; HomeAway Vacation Rental Marketplace Report, 2011; Petrelocation.com Annual Summer Pet Travel Survey, 2011; Colorado State University Study on Home Cooking versus Eating Out, 2010; Travel Industry of America 2009 Study
Wyndham Vacation Rentals
The IoTs will challenge the status quo of how IT and development organizations operate. Or will it? Certainly the fog layer of IoT requires special insights about data ontology, security and transactional integrity. But the developmental challenges are the same: People, Process and Platform. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Craig Sproule, CEO of Metavine, will demonstrate how to move beyond today's coding paradigm and share the must-have mindsets for removing complexity from the development proc...
May. 30, 2016 10:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,026
SYS-CON Events announced today that EastBanc Technologies will exhibit at SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. EastBanc Technologies has been working at the frontier of technology since 1999. Today, the firm provides full-lifecycle software development delivering flexible technology solutions that seamlessly integrate with existing systems – whether on premise or cloud. EastBanc Technologies partners with p...
May. 30, 2016 09:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,454
SYS-CON Events announced today that ContentMX, the marketing technology and services company with a singular mission to increase engagement and drive more conversations for enterprise, channel and SMB technology marketers, has been named “Sponsor & Exhibitor Lounge Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 18th Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, New York. “CloudExpo is a great opportunity to start a conversation with new prospects, but what happens after the...
May. 30, 2016 06:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,442
SYS-CON Events announced today that AppNeta, the leader in performance insight for business-critical web applications, will exhibit and present at SYS-CON's @DevOpsSummit at Cloud Expo New York, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. AppNeta is the only application performance monitoring (APM) company to provide solutions for all applications – applications you develop internally, business-critical SaaS applications you use and the networks that deli...
May. 30, 2016 06:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,672
As organizations shift towards IT-as-a-service models, the need for managing and protecting data residing across physical, virtual, and now cloud environments grows with it. Commvault can ensure protection, access and E-Discovery of your data – whether in a private cloud, a Service Provider delivered public cloud, or a hybrid cloud environment – across the heterogeneous enterprise. In his general session at 18th Cloud Expo, Randy De Meno, Chief Technologist - Windows Products and Microsoft Part...
May. 30, 2016 05:30 PM EDT Reads: 800
The cloud era has reached the stage where it is no longer a question of whether a company should migrate, but when. Enterprises have embraced the outsourcing of where their various applications are stored and who manages them, saving significant investment along the way. Plus, the cloud has become a defining competitive edge. Companies that fail to successfully adapt risk failure. The media, of course, continues to extol the virtues of the cloud, including how easy it is to get there. Migrating...
May. 30, 2016 05:30 PM EDT Reads: 773
As machines are increasingly connected to the internet, it’s becoming easier to discover the numerous ways Industrial IoT (IIoT) is helping to shape the business world. This is exactly why we have decided to take a closer look at this pervasive movement and to examine the desire to connect more things! Now if you need a refresher on IIoT and how it is changing the world, take a moment and listen to Greg Gorbach with ARC Advisory Group. Gorbach believes, "IIoT will significantly change the worl...
May. 30, 2016 04:30 PM EDT Reads: 2,111
WebRTC is bringing significant change to the communications landscape that will bridge the worlds of web and telephony, making the Internet the new standard for communications. Cloud9 took the road less traveled and used WebRTC to create a downloadable enterprise-grade communications platform that is changing the communication dynamic in the financial sector. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Leo Papadopoulos, CTO of Cloud9, will discuss the importance of WebRTC and how it enables companies to fo...
May. 30, 2016 04:30 PM EDT Reads: 2,638
SYS-CON Events announced today the Docker Meets Kubernetes – Intro into the Kubernetes World, being held June 9, 2016, in conjunction with 18th Cloud Expo | @ThingsExpo, at the Javits Center in New York, NY. Register for 'Docker Meets Kubernetes Workshop' Here! This workshop led by Sebastian Scheele, co-founder of Loodse, introduces participants to Kubernetes (container orchestration). Through a combination of instructor-led presentations, demonstrations, and hands-on labs, participants learn ...
May. 30, 2016 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,089
The IoT is changing the way enterprises conduct business. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Eric Hoffman, Vice President at EastBanc Technologies, discuss how businesses can gain an edge over competitors by empowering consumers to take control through IoT. We'll cite examples such as a Washington, D.C.-based sports club that leveraged IoT and the cloud to develop a comprehensive booking system. He'll also highlight how IoT can revitalize and restore outdated business models, making them profitable...
May. 30, 2016 02:00 PM EDT Reads: 3,086
SYS-CON Events announced today that MangoApps will exhibit at SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. MangoApps provides modern company intranets and team collaboration software, allowing workers to stay connected and productive from anywhere in the world and from any device. For more information, please visit https://www.mangoapps.com/.
May. 30, 2016 01:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,156
SYS-CON Events announced today that Super Micro Computer, Inc., a global leader in Embedded and IoT solutions, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Supermicro (NASDAQ: SMCI), the leading innovator in high-performance, high-efficiency server technology, is a premier provider of advanced server Building Block Solutions® for Data Center, Cloud Computing, Enterprise IT, Hadoop/Big Data, HPC and ...
May. 30, 2016 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 815
In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, Andrew Cole, Director of Solutions Engineering at Peak 10, will discuss how the newest technology advances are reducing the cost and complexity of traditional business continuity and disaster recovery solutions. Attendees will: Learn why having a full disaster recovery strategy is more important now than ever before Explore the key drivers of a successful disaster recovery solution Achieve measurable operational and business value from a disaster recovery ...
May. 30, 2016 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,513
SYS-CON Events announced today the How to Create Angular 2 Clients for the Cloud Workshop, being held June 7, 2016, in conjunction with 18th Cloud Expo | @ThingsExpo, at the Javits Center in New York, NY. Angular 2 is a complete re-write of the popular framework AngularJS. Programming in Angular 2 is greatly simplified. Now it’s a component-based well-performing framework. The immersive one-day workshop led by Yakov Fain, a Java Champion and a co-founder of the IT consultancy Farata Systems and...
May. 30, 2016 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 4,127
How will your company move to the cloud while ensuring a solid security posture? Organizations from small to large are increasingly adopting cloud solutions to deliver essential business services at a much lower cost. According to cyber security experts, the frequency and severity of cyber-attacks are on the rise, causing alarm to businesses and customers across a variety of industries. To defend against exploits like these, a company must adopt a comprehensive security defense strategy that is ...
May. 30, 2016 11:30 AM EDT Reads: 817


text:
Yetee Gallery Opens to the Public
The Yetee opens its doors at 110 Cross St. in downtown Aurora on Friday night. The public is invited to a grand opening celebration from 7 to 10 p.m. at the t-shirt distribution center and art gallery.
The Yetee is a popular online specialty t-shirt business based in downtown Aurora. Owner Mike Mancuso turned part of the warehouse that he leases into an art gallery that will feature local and regional artists on a rotating basis.
On Friday night, the art show focuses on Yetee-themed art. A yetee (a play on yeti) is more commonly known as an abominable snowman. The show is free, and will feature local artists Don Picton, Chris Evans, and others.
For more information, visit Yetee Gallery on Facebook.


text:
Talabots: autonomous delivery robots
The Roads and Transport Authority, in partnership with the Dubai Integrated Economic Zone Authority (DIEZ) and talabat UAE, has announced the launch of a pilot project of autonomous food delivery robots, also known as ‘talabots’, in Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), which will revolutionise sustainable last-mile food delivery in the UAE.
This is part of a collaborative effort by organisations to harness cutting-edge technology and promote zero-emission delivery methods while improving efficiency, in line with Dubai’s efforts to convert 25% of all transport journeys in Dubai to driverless intelligent transport by 2030.
During the pilot phase, three ‘talabots’ will be commissioned to serve the residents of Cedre Villas, a gated community in the heart of DSO, an integrated free zone technology park that is a member of DIEZ. Designed for high efficiency and harmonious urban living, the ‘talabots’ will travel within a 3km radius of the launch point in the Cedre shopping centre to provide a fast 15-minute delivery.
The launch of autonomous delivery robots is part of an ambition to support riders in the next generation of green delivery, where robots will deliver over short distances to improve efficiency, optimise the fleet and reduce carbon emissions.
The milestone is a direct result of the Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport, which the RTA organises every year, and the DSO ran tests for candidates, particularly the second round, which was on the theme: ‘Self-Driving Logistics Services’, which includes ground transport and drones. This is also part of the RTA’s ambition to increase the adoption of self-driving transport at all levels by enabling and empowering leading companies in this sector, as self-driving transport plays a fundamental role in the RTA strategy. In recent years, RTA has launched several innovative projects aimed at making self-driving transport a reality in Dubai.
In line with UAE regulations that make protecting public privacy a top priority, the artificial intelligence technology installed in the talabots protects people’s identities by blurring faces without facial recognition. Moreover, to blend in quietly with society and make customers’ lives easier, the talabots are equipped with various embedded sensors and advanced algorithms that can intelligently assess their surroundings and detect obstacles in their path, keeping a safe distance from babies and pets.
Using the latest advances in advanced artificial intelligence for point-to-point food delivery, the talabots will deliver orders from nearby partner restaurants to the Cedre Villas residential neighbourhood, welcoming customers at their doorstep. Thanks to the fully integrated interface of the talabat app, customers will be able to track the robot’s path and be notified via the app when it arrives at their home. Upon arrival, the customer will be able to unlock the secure compartment by following the instructions on the talabat app.
.@rta_dubai, in partnership with @diezaofficial and Talabat #UAE, announced the pilot launch of autonomous food delivery robots, also known as “talabots”, in @dsoafz, revolutionising sustainable last-mile delivery in the UAE. #Dubai https://t.co/Mob365rl5I pic.twitter.com/y7f0EQnW5j— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 16, 2023
Follow our Telegram Chanel


text:
General Motors and striking workers bargain in the dark
The conflict between GM and its 46,000 striking workers comes down to a fundamental issue: both sides are unclear about where the industry is headed.
The big picture: The labor dispute is shaped, in part, by the changing transportation landscape. Traditional business models are fading, but it's not clear whether investments in new technologies like electric vehicles and self-driving cars will pay off.
- Meanwhile, the industry is bracing for an economic downturn, exacerbated by flip-flopping government policies on trade and vehicle emissions.
What's happening: Faced with uncertainty, anxious workers naturally want to lock down income and job guarantees — exactly the opposite of what employers want, which is flexibility and contingency.
Where it stands: Prospects for a quick settlement faded Tuesday, after GM cut off union members' health benefits, escalating the dispute that has shut down 55 factories, warehouses and other GM facilities.
- Workers are eligible for continued coverage under union-paid COBRA benefits, but the move significantly increases the cost to the UAW to keep workers off the job.
- The tactic could eventually drive the parties toward a resolution, but little progress was reported Tuesday and sources said "main table" negotiations on financial issues had been suspended as of Tuesday evening.
Details: Businesses hate uncertainty, and carmakers are awash in it right now.
- Fuel economy standards aren't finalized because the EPA wants to roll back Obama-era targets and revoke California's authority to set stricter rules; a court battle is likely.
- A new trade deal between the U.S., Canada and Mexico has yet to be ratified.
- President Trump's trade war with China is escalating.
- Steel tariffs, while lifted on Canada and Mexico, remain in place for imports from other countries.
- Trump is threatening 25% tariffs on imported cars and auto parts to protect U.S. national security.
Meanwhile, the shift toward electric vehicles is a major source of anxiety for the union.
- EVs have 80% fewer parts, and are easier to assemble, which means they'll require a lot fewer workers, including those that manufacture parts like engines and transmissions, according to a UAW analysis.
But EVs could also create new jobs making things like batteries, electric motors, electronics and thermal systems.
- The union's worry is the production of these EV components could shift to new players that are more likely to import them from overseas.
- The UAW wants companies like GM to commit to re-tool plants, re-train workers and produce new components in the U.S.
- GM has said its offer to the union includes a new electric pickup truck to be built in Michigan and a new battery facility in Ohio.
"You can't be paralyzed by the uncertainty," Kristin Dziczek of the Center for Automotive Research, tells Axios. "Businesses have to move forward, make bets on technology and plan their supply chain based on where they think trade policy will go."
The bottom line: Until the 2 sides can unite on a shared vision for at least the next 4 years, the strike against GM will continue.


text:
Samsung has announced its first OLED gaming monitor, the 34-inch Odyssey OLED G8. It’s also one of the company’s first gaming monitors we’ve seen that includes Samsung’s Gaming Hub, which lets people stream games from services like Nvidia’s GeForce Now, Google Stadia, or Xbox Game Pass without the need for a console or PC. (The feature, which also lets you stream movies from services like Amazon Prime, Netflix, and the recently upgraded Samsung TV Plus, has been available on Samsung’s Smart Monitor line, but those aren’t really built for gaming.) But while it seems like a totally reasonable display in its own right, there are a few confusing things about it, as well as some important unknowns.
Let’s put those to the side for just a second, though, and look at the OLED G8’s specs — its 3,440 x 1,440 panel can run at a 175Hz refresh rate, and it has a 1800R curve (which is relatively flat when compared to monitors like the 1000R-curved Odyssey G9 and LG’s OLED gaming monitor, the UltraGear 45GR95QE). It also supports AMD FreeSync Premium, which helps reduce stuttering or tearing while gaming by dynamically adjusting the monitor’s refresh rate to keep up with what your GPU is putting out. The monitor also comes with a height and tilt-adjustable stand and has a 5W stereo speaker built in.
In addition to its game and video streaming hub, the OLED G8 can also talk to and control IoT devices using Samsung’s SmartThings app. The company also says the monitor has an upgraded version of its Core Lighting Plus system, which uses lights on the back of the monitor to splash your wall with colors that match what’s on your screen. In terms of ports, the monitor has Micro HDMI 2.1, Mini DisplayPort 1.4, and USB-C.
Using the micro and mini variants of the display connectors on such a big monitor is a bit odd, but there are a lot of slightly strange things about the Odyssey OLED G8. First is the name — I assumed that this monitor would be just an OLED version of Samsung’s existing Odyssey Neo G8, but the two monitors aren’t really all that similar. They have different sizes, refresh rates, resolutions, and curvature.
Stranger still is the display tech itself. Samsung has been leading the charge on quantum dot OLED, or QD-OLED, which has produced some very impressive results when put into gaming monitors like the Alienware AW3423DW. But Samsung isn’t quite clear whether it’s using one of its QD-OLED panels in the G8 OLED — the press release says the OLED panel is “partnered with Quantum Dot Technology.” The company didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for clarification on what panel the monitor is using. Given that Samsung’s showing the display off at the IFA tech show, we’re hoping to get an in-person look at it and maybe some more info to boot.
Depending on the price, it could be a more-than-decent monitor. Samsung hasn’t released details on that yet, but we should find out relatively soon — the company says it’ll be “available globally from Q4 2022.” It seems likely that a few of its features, such as the upgraded lighting system and Gaming Hub, will make their way into the company’s 2023 lineup of gaming monitors, so if this the G8 OLED isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, it might be worth waiting to see what else Samsung has in the works.


text:
Kobe Bryant has made a brand out of his Mamba Mentality. From a puppet that pops up during ABC games to a training facility for athletes in the Los Angeles area, Bryant has tried hard to cultivate an association between he and the snake he named his alter ego after.
For those that identify with Bryant and his Mamba Mentality, the now-retired Laker legend partnered with Spalding to release a special edition basketball. Spalding revealed the ball earlier in the month, and it officially goes up for sale for Spalding MVP members on the company’s website on Friday morning. The rest of the limited run will then go on sale for $125 at 1 p.m. EST for non-MVP members and at Dick’s Sporting Goods’ website.
“The Mamba Mentality is what defined me throughout my career,” Bryant said in a release. “Spalding understands that product quality is a big part of that mentality.”
Bryant said the ball brings the Mamba Mentality to life.” Officially called the Kobe Bryant 24K Basketball, the ball is the latest in Spalding’s 94 series, which has included collaborations with BAPE and Just Don.
The black and gold design is finished with a Mamba-inspired snakeskin composite cover, with an embossed finish that’s far from the typical leather or rubber finish you’re used to from a traditional ball.
The ball is designed for indoor play because of the snakeskin finish, but it would also look great displayed with a Kobe fan’s Lakers gear.


text:
Guest blog by Samantha English
Jumpstart Africa has announced that it will begin accepting projects for its revolutionary crowdfunding platform – built specifically for Africa.
This announcement comes shortly after the platform received certification from the Crowdfunding Accreditation for Platform Standards.
Led by an advisory council comprised of industry experts and trailblazers, CAPS is dedicated to protecting both the innovators launching crowdfunding campaigns and backers who help fund or invest capital in those campaigns.
During the accreditation process, CAPS carefully examined Jumpstart Africa’s platform and guidelines. After meeting required industry standards, based on the operational performance of our platform, transparency, security of information and payments, and website functionality, CAPS recognized Jumpstart Africa for its implementation of international crowdfunding best practices.
“The CAPS certification is an important milestone for us,” explained Jumpstart Africa CEO, Ahmed Zrikem. “This is a sign to the international crowdfunding community that Jumpstart Africa is dedicated to the same best practices as other crowdfunding platforms around the world. It also sends a message to innovators in Africa that we implement the transparency and security needed to revolutionize the way the world supports Africa.”
As Jumpstart Africa’s platform enters its final phase of testing and development, African innovators 18-years of age and older are encouraged to submit projects, which will be eligible to begin raising funding when the platform launches in September.
“We hope that project owners will take the next two months to begin building a support community,” said Jumpstart Africa CEO, Ahmed Zrikem. “Most successful crowdfunding campaigns raise 30% of their funding goal from members of their own network, so it’s important that innovators get the word out about their projects prior to their campaigns going live.”
Jumpstart Africa is hosting a live virtual Q&A session on July 31, 2014 at 2 PM (GMT +1) (4PM Nairobi time) for entrepreneurs and innovators interested in crowdfunding. Users can join this free, interactive session at http://jumpstartafrica.launchrock.com/
About Jumpstart Africa
Jumpstart Africa is a pioneering start-up dedicated to connect people with a passion for Africa, directly to the local entrepreneurs creating innovative projects. Most of these innovators lack the funds necessary to commercialize their products, and make their dreams a reality. Jumpstart Africa will help these entrepreneurs raise the capital necessary to begin their projects, start creating jobs and initiate economic growth. Jumpstart Africa is working with leading innovation centers and incubators throughout Africa to identify the most promising entrepreneurs. With the goal of empowering innovative & creative African entrepreneurs, Jumpstart Africa wants to be a leader in helping create sustainable growth and boost economies in the region trough crowdfunding.


text:
The Milan Fall/Winter 2022 Gucci Fashion Show brought out the stars, including Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, who sat front row at the unveiling of yet another larger-than-life collaboration.
This morning, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky weren’t the only pair worth paying attention to at the Exquisite Gucci Fashion show in Milan. Unveiling its all-new collection on the runway during its Fall/Winter ’22 presentation, Gucci showcased several looks from its highly anticipated collaboration with legacy sports label Adidas.
Joining forces for the first time, Gucci and Adidas Originals look to bridge the world of sporty aesthetic and high fashion heritage, combining the creative codes of both brands. The pieces are mostly sleek and color-focused, featuring those signature logos alongside co-branded menswear and womenswear.
It’s yet another larger-than-life take from Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele, delivering a variety of sporty silhouettes, draped down in high fashion styles with faithful nods to storied brand heritage.
The ready-to-wear collection from Michele brought out the stars, too. Most notably, the tier-one power couple of Rihanna and A$AP Rocky was in attendance and seated front row for the reveal of the Adidas collaboration.
Filling the pink, mirror-sprawled room, the Fenty mogul RiRi showed off her baby bump in a latex crop top and dragon-motif trousers, while rapper and fashion figure Rocky was by her side holding a logo-bearing Gucci briefcase.
Such a presence only added to the fanfare surrounding Gucci’s team-up with The Three Stripes.
Adidas has been teaming up with high fashion brands for years now, including its ongoing Y-3 line with Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto. More recently, Adidas teamed up with Prada last month to deliver limited-edition footwear and apparel.
And on the heels of this latest news — particulary noting the speed with which it arrived — don’t expect the next big-time Adidas collab to be too far away.


text:
GREEN WORLD LUAR NEGERI
Berikut ini adalah peraih Reward Greenworld Luar Negeri. Dan kesempatan emas anda ambil posisi di bisnis greenworld dengan marketing plan terbaik dan memiliki visi jangka panjang. Dengan membuka cabang di lebih dari empat puluh negara tentu potensi pasar green world sangat besar. Segera bergabung di green world dengan kami.
Manfaatkan Momentum awal di bisnis Greenworld. Didukung oleh tim dan inovasi perusahaan yang semakin peduli dengan kualitas produk green world.
Bisnis MLM terbaru dan Terbaik
Setiap Hari Semakin Banyak Keperluan
Setiap Hari Kita Harus Berjuang, Bekerja
solusi cepat, tepat dan akurat
Sudah teruji selama 16 tahun
Join dan Kerja Sama dengan kami
Berikut adalah Konvensi Greenworld Dunia :
he 5th Car Awarding Conference of Green World Group South Africa Branch was Held Successfully On December 15, 2012, the 5th car awarding conference of Green World Group South Africa Branch was grandly held in ORIENT THEATRE square of East London, the capital of South Africa Eastern Cape Province, where colored flags were fluttering in the wind. More than 600 distributors from South Africa and surrounding countries such as Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana came together to attend this grand conference. Moreover, Mr. DAVID ZHANG, vice president of Green World Group and president of Green World South African region, Mr. GLORY GUO, general manager of Green World Group South Africa Johannesburg branch, Ms. CONNIE KANG, general manager of Green World Group South Africa Durban branch, Mr. BRUCE HUANG, general manager of Green World Group South Africa East London branch, and South Africa Eastern Cape provincial governor commissioner Ms. PHUMULA NOZA, the minister of Eastern Cape Ministry of Economy and Trade, were also invited to the conference.
Distributors coming from different places
standing in a long queue and waiting for admission
All the seats of the locale were occupied. More than 600 distributors from
South Africa and surrounding countries attended
this grand conference cheerfully.
At 10 a.m., guided by traffic police vehicles, Green World motorcade composed by the cars which would be presented to distributors as Green World "Business Car Award" and the cars of distributors marched around the downtown of East London. The scene was so grand that local citizens were all attracted.
Green World motorcade marching around the downtown of East London
At 11 a.m., the awarding conference formally began. Mr. BRUCE HUANG, general manager of Green World Group South Africa East London Branch, made a welcome speech. He firstly welcomed the attendees coming from afar and expressed appreciation to Mr. David Zhang, vice president of Green World Group and president of Green World Group African region, for his decision on holding this conference in East London. Meanwhile, he thanked Eastern Cape government for their support to Green World Group. Then, Manager Huang briefly introduced the development history of Green World Group South Africa East London Branch and declared that they would bring benefits to more customers and business partners in Eastern and Western Cape provinces by Green World products and business in the coming year.
Then, Mr. GLORY GUO, general manager of Green World Group South Africa Johannesburg branch, and Ms. CONNIE KANG, general manager of Green World Group South Africa Durban branch, respectively made an address. They also brought the greeting videos of the staff in their branches.
Afterwards, Mr. David Zhang, vice president of Green World Group and president of Green World Group African region making an address. He expressed welcome and appreciation to the honored guests of the conference and reviewed the glorious history of Green World South Africa Branch in the past five years, emphasized the 5th Car Awarding Conference of Green World Group Nigeria Branch that had just been held in Lagos. President Zhang expected that distributors of Green World Group South African region could take them as models, keep trying and strive for achieving development in a higher level.
Jika Anda mau Beli Produk - Produk Green World tanpa gabung menjadi Agen GREEN WORLD, silakan kunjungi : Toko GREEN WORLD ONLINE


text:
Voice-activated technology and better data analysis are giving the struggling radio industry something to cheer about.
Amazon Echo and Google Assistant are helping to sustain and build the audience for radio programs while generating valuable customer data, experts said last week during the annual National Association of Broadcasters convention.
“What I am excited about is the role (these devices) give us to reconnect and get back in the home,’’ said Steve Newberry, executive vice president for strategic planning at NAB, which lobbies on behalf of the industry.
The NAB Show ran through Thursday and was once dominated by companies whose main business was radio and television.
The confluence of media, technology and entertainment has fundamentally changed the broadcasting industry and the show itself. Amazon, Google and Microsoft exhibited at NAB this year while representatives from Ford, Honda and General Motors participated alongside broadcast companies.
Radio revenue has been negatively impacted over the past decade as advertisers seek to connect with consumers more and more through social media rather than over airwaves. Radio can recover those lost dollars if it can show that it knows who its listeners are, the panelists said.
“Radio advertisement is effective. We are losing dollars just because (other media) can show proof of what they can deliver,’’ Tim Murphy, senior vice president for corporate business development at Entercom, told the audience of about 150 industry specialists.
He added that broadcasters must also build relationships with top technology and automobile companies to make sure radio remains relevant in connected devices, including cars.
“We have to build senior relationships at Amazon, Google, GM and Ford,’’ Murphy said.
As more connected cars hit the streets and more people install Amazon Echo and Google Assistant in their homes, radio broadcasters are getting a chance to increase their data collection and know their listener better, the panel said.
Harnessing “big data will allow us to create better programming and deliver better sales,’’ said Bill Hendrich, executive vice president for radio at Cox Media Group. With the help of third party data companies, broadcasters can now tell advertisers more about their audience and what products they are interested in.
Radio stations need to understand that information about their listeners is their big asset, something that newspapers failed to grasp years ago, Murphy and Newberry said.
“The value of data as currency is not going away,” Murphy said.
The growing importance of data is forcing the radio industry to bring in new specialists, they said.
“Our company is even considering hiring a data scientist. Who thought about that two years ago?’’ said Caroline Beasley, chief executive officer of Beasley Media Group.
The panelists said that streaming platforms were not yet economical, but that radio stations still have to be there. Newberry said the streaming platforms and radio broadcasters need to find a compromise.
“We would be much healthier if the two industries could get together,’’ he said.
Radio stations must see themselves as audio companies and expand into podcasting, the panelists said. Broadcasters have the popular radio personalities to build a significant audience for their podcasts.
“This is an opportunity. We have the platforms to develop more personalities. We are not going to look at it as a separate industry,’’ Murphy said.


text:
With more than 800 cars up for auction and a week of classic car festivities, there truly is something for everyone.
The 24th annual Cruisin’ The Coast event is rapidly approaching, but if you haven’t signed up yet or started planning your trip, there is still plenty of time to do so. This weeklong event descends upon Biloxi, Mississippi in early October, delivering a little something for automotive enthusiasts young and old, and it culminates with a three-day Vicari Auction event that will see more than 800 cars cross the auction block.
Cruisin’ The Coast runs from October 4-11 with full seven days of activities planned. These include parades, cruise-ins and autocross events, while various live entertainment and competitions – including a flame-throwing competition on October 6th! – are sure to keep attendees and participants entertained. Putting the “cruising” in Cruisin’ The Coast,


text:
A sizeable 77% of South Africans are in employment, but only 32% are actually able to work from home, in spite of the fact that more than one in three would love to do so five days a week if given the chance. This desire follows an emerging Western trend of embracing your home as the perfect working environment, with global research revealing the widespread emotional and financial benefits of doing so.
As a result, 82% of South Africans believe working from home would result in much greater levels of productivity. Better yet, over a quarter estimate they would produce an additional five hours’ worth of work every day if they stayed home and removed themselves from their typical office environment.
Furthermore, 89% also acknowledge the significant benefits of working from home on their mental well-being, stating they believe it is much less stressful than working from their normal office space.
Revealed as part of a global trend report by leading paint brand, Dulux, the findings also highlight that workers could save themselves an estimated R123 282.73 a year if they traded in their office and worked from home, allowing them to avoid the expenses of their daily commute and office-appropriate attire. Interestingly, when it comes to working from home, people in South Africa value home comforts over having someone to talk to.
Over half (56%) of those in South Africa have also cited their bathroom as the place in which they have their greatest ideas, and 50% produce their most impressive written work from their at-home study, further highlighting the benefits of adopting a ‘work from home’ lifestyle. The same is true when it comes to communicating effectively and having a productive conversation, with 24% citing their dining room table as the best location for these elements of their work.
The research findings from Dulux follow the announcement of its annual trend forecast, Colour Futures, which depicts key trends for the year ahead and one true Colour of the Year, ‘Steel Symphony 2’. A key trend for 2017, ‘The Working Home’ embodies the increasing popularity of work-friendly living spaces.
Predicted by a team of international design visionaries who scour the globe annually to identify such trends in people’s lives, Nonkululeko Mcunu, Dulux Brand Manager comments: “Here at Dulux, we work closely with design experts to understand the ways in which people use their homes and have seen the growth of ‘The Working Home’ trend develop as our 24/7 economy sees the boundaries between life and work constantly blurring”.
“Our new colour palette for 2017 features cool, calming tones for focus and concentration, along with warmer, brighter colours for energy. So whether you like to take your laptop to the kitchen, or settle down to work from your sofa, you can be comfortable, relaxed and focused when working from home.”
For more information, visit Dulux
About the Research:
AkzoNobel used an independent online market research company, which surveyed 16,000 people across 16 markets globally between the ages of 18 and 75 (29th July 2016 – 24th August 2016).
Created by ELLE Decoration for Dulux


text:
A new Samsung phone is town. No, it is not the Galaxy A52 nor the Galaxy A72 yet. In India, the South Korean tech giant has officially announced the Galaxy M12. We have been waiting for this smartphone for several months now. It was first leaked back in November last year. It was mentioned it would come with a large 7000mAh battery. More Galaxy M12 image renders surfaced online. Four months later, here it is from Samsung India–tagged with #MonsterReloaded.
Samsung India introduced this Galaxy M12 with a 6.5-inch HD+ Infinity-V Display with 90Hz refresh rate. The device is powered by an Octa 2.0GHz Exynos 850 8nm processor by Samsung and the 6000mAh battery come with 15W Fast charging.
This phone follows the Galaxy M11 from last year. It is another affordable phone that’s been “reloaded” with better specs and features. The camera system makes an impression with the true 48MP quad camera + 5MP ultra wide + 2MP macro + 2MP depth. There is an 8MP selfie shooter.
Samsung offers the Galaxy M series mainly to the young consumers. According to Samsung India’s Senior Director and Head for Mobile Marketing, Aditya Babba, the phone “will truly set the benchmark for a powerful experience in this price segment” with the specs.
The Galaxy M12 features a haze and matt effect design. It comes in three color options: White, Blue, and Black. There is a side fingerprint sensor, 4GB or 6GB of RAM, and 64GB or 128GB storage. The phone can run several Samsung services like Smart Switch, Galaxy Apps, Samsung Theme, and Samsung Health.
Samsung Galaxy M12 runs Android 11 with One UI 3.1. It will be available via Amazon.in, Samsung.com, and spme retail stores in India beginning March 18. Price tag reads INR 10999 ($15) and INR 13499 ($186) for the two RAM/storage variants.


text:
Tag: Dirk Nowitzki
It was a massive 2011 season for world number one tennis player Novak Djokovic of Serbia. Not a bad start to 2012 either with a win in the Australian Open and now the award for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year. Djokovic...Read More
Our recent stuff
- Kayo Sports hits record numbers – Formula One viewing up over 50%
- Chipolo CARD Spot Review: Better than an Apple AirTag?
- Apple marks 40 years in Australia with new environmental, education and equity measures
- Australian pricing and Deals on Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4, Galaxy Z Fold4, Galaxy Watch5 and Galaxy Buds2 Pro series
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 and Z Flip4 Hands On


text:
Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) highlights the beneficial cooperation between Moscow Cargo and Sheremetyevo Customs as e-commerce grows rapidly.
The cooperation, highlighted at the recent Russian Customs Day, is aimed at creating favourable conditions for companies engaged in foreign economic activity, as well as increasing international cargo flows through the airport.
Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) handled over 268,000 tonnes of cargo and mail in the first nine months of 2019, a 7.7 per cent year-on-year growth.
The volume confirms SVO’s position as Russia’s leading cargo hub, with 73.8 per cent of total cargo being international.
Moscow Cargo, the main handling operator of the airport, is responsible for handling nearly 75 per cent of cargo and postal turnover at SVO.
Speaking on the importance of beneficial cooperation with customs authorities and of digital development, Mikhail Chuvilkin, first deputy general director — director of Production at Moscow Cargo LLC, says: “Given that over 65 per cent of the terminal turnover today consists of international cargo and mail, beneficial cooperation with Sheremetyevo customs is a necessary condition for attraction of new clients and increase in cargo turnover.”
E-commerce is one of the fastest developing areas of the economy, and a distinctive feature of the Russian e-commerce market is the high popularity of purchases on foreign online stores.
According to Chuvilkin, 23.7 per cent of the total volume of international air imports handled by Moscow Cargo’s terminal are e-commerce cargoes, with their share constantly growing.
With the rise of e-commerce, market pressure dictates faster cargo handling speed and time of customs clearance, the airport says.
In response, Moscow Cargo and Sheremetyevo Customs are looking to implement solutions aimed at reducing the processing time and simplifying the procedure of customs clearance for express cargoes, the two say.
Maksim Balandin, acting head of the cargo customs office at Sheremetyevo Airport, says: “In March 2019, for the sake of convenience of foreign trade participants, including express carriers, a physical control post was placed directly on the premises of Moscow Cargo’s terminal; the post carries out customs inspection, as well as registration of goods shipped by individuals and express cargoes.
“Thanks to the introduction of electronic declaration and document flow in regard of release of goods at Sheremetyevo customs, and considering the simplified procedure of customs declaration for express cargoes, provided there are no issues with documentation, and imported goods have been classified in the ‘risk-free’ group, most items are now released on the same day they have been accepted,” Balandin adds.
The airport says that successful development of cooperation with Sheremetyevo Customs, active implementation of IT and electronic services, as well as targeted efforts to improve the quality of customer and airline services will help ensure stable growth of cargo traffic at SVO.
“When combined, these factors allow the airport not only to maintain its position as the undisputed leader in the Russian air carriage market, but also strengthen its claim to being one of the most modern and dynamically developing air cargo hubs in Europe,” the airport says.
With a surface area of 42,300 sqm, the Moscow Cargo terminal is the largest cargo complex in Russia, the CIS, and countries of Eastern Europe and is designed for 380,000 tonnes of cargo per year. The first stage of the cargo terminal was put into operation in late 2017, and commissioning of the second stage is planned for 2021.
Storage and handling of cargo in Moscow Cargo’s terminal are powered by an automated system by Lödige, the only one in Russia. Two independent zones sharing a single automated control system operate in the complex: In one, cargoes are stored in batches, and in the other, on warehouse pallets. Production cycle operations in the cargo terminal are 60 per cent automated, which makes it possible to handle all types of cargo as necessary in a high-quality, timely, and cost-effective manner, the terminal operator says.


text:
The awards will be announced from 11.30am at a live event at The Brewery in east London attended by chefs and Michael Ellis, international director of the Michelin Guides.
Last year's guide contained 18 new one-star restaurants, seven of which were in London, while The Raby Hunt in Darlington was the only new two-star site.
It has now been seven years since a new three-star restaurant was announced. Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck regained its triple rating last year after relocating to Australia for nine months, but the last brand new entrant to receive three stars was Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester in 2010.
The only other three-star restaurants in the UK are Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea and The Waterside Inn in Bray.
Sixteen restaurants also lost their stars in 2017, with many either closing or losing a big-name chef.
Last year was also the first time the awards have been announced at a live event. In 2015 Michelin was forced to tweet the new entrants after the list was apparently leaked by a bookshop ahead of its official release.
Michelin also awards Bib Gourmands, which are presented to restaurants serving three courses for under £28.
The Michelin Guide was first introduced in France in 1900. Inspectors act as anonymous customers and pay their own bills.


text:
Grandma Lucy's freeze-dried meals always come with quality ingredients — and are Made in America.
The link between trade and climate change is becoming more clear.
Best known for its hoodies, the company is now offering men’s denim.
AAM's Megan Salrin and Kyndal Sowers examine the reality star's brand.
This bipartisan measure would steer some LNG exports toward American-made vessels.
Going camping? Hiking? Just lounging around? There's American-made gear for you.
Ralph Lauren’s Team USA outfits are as patriotic as they appear.
Sen. Bernie Sanders joins Senate Democrats in sending a letter to the White House.
Garratt's eco-friendly designs continue to be manufactured in the United States.
Now the 50-year-old company is prepping to launch something of its own.
- Made in America
- District of Columbia
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- West Virginia
Advanced manufacturing is critical to economic sustainability and innovation.
New legislation will reward companies that comply with tough environmental standards.
An eclectic mix of fun summertime games are Made in America.
Bringing the domestic textile industry back, "one (luxury) sheet at a time."


text:
Donald Trump’s beleaguered SPAC deal is finally going through, and just in time to pay nearly half a billion dollars owed over several legal actions — if the board agrees to let him sell. Let&
Astra Space, the launch company that went public in 2021 at a $2.1 billion valuation, is going private again after months of burning cash and failing to secure alternate investment. The company announ
Satellite-to-phone connectivity provider Lynk Global will head to the public markets via a merger with a shell company led by former professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez. The two companies conf
Commercial EV startup Arrival is being removed from the Nasdaq stock exchange as it speeds toward dissolution. The company, which went public after merging with a special purpose acquisition company,
After trying to go public twice via SPAC deals, Circle is trying to go public once again. Would that other private tech companies were as bold.
Shares of Better.com are getting hammered into the ground Thursday morning after the digital mortgage company completed its long-delayed SPAC merger and began to trade as a public company for the firs
Welcome to Startups Weekly. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Friday. This week, I’ve been looking at the evolution of tech startups. The journey from two or three co-founders to an exit or
This is our Friday show, and we’re talking about the week’s biggest startup and tech news, and having a little fun.
We didn’t think we’d see the day. Digital mortgage lender Better.com’s proposal to combine with Aurora Acquisition Corp. via a SPAC (special purpose acquisition) has been approved by shareholder
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said it does not intend to recommend an enforcement action against digital mortgage lender Better.com. The pronouncement comes after an investigation
AltC's merger with Oklo and ACG Acquisition's purchase of two critical minerals are both SPACs, but they couldn't be more different.
The high cost of trying to develop and produce vehicles, a business pivot and three restructurings has taken a toll on commercial EV maker Arrival. And it doesn’t look like it’s going to g
Lunar technology company Intuitive Machines received far less cash from its merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) than it forecasted, according to filings with the U.S. Securities a
World View, a company developing stratospheric balloons for Earth observation and tourism, is heading to the public markets. The company announced Friday that it would merge with special purpose acqui
Canoo, the beleaguered EV startup-turned-SPAC, has delivered its first “Light Tactical Vehicle” to the U.S. Army for a demonstration project aimed at showing how its modular electric plat
U.K.-based electric two-wheeler manufacturer Zapp Electric Vehicles is merging with a blank-check company to become publicly traded on the Nasdaq at a post-money valuation of $573 million. Zapp says i
Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HyperloopTT) has entered into a definitive merger agreement with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Forest Road Acquisition Corp. II, which is led by for
It recently came to light that Bird, a former unicorn in the once-hot scooter rental market, overstated its revenue for years. The accounting mess is consequential.
Micromobility company Bird said Monday it had overstated its revenue for more than two years by recognizing unpaid customer rides. Bird’s audit committee found on Friday that the company’s financi
Commercial EV company Arrival is restructuring its business for the second time in six months as it tries to squeeze the most out of its remaining capital. The company said in a regulatory filing post


text:
Looking Back: Operation Rainfall
Once upon a time, there were three Wii RPGs: The Last Story, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Pandora’s Tower. Back in 2011, these three RPGs were not available in the United States, and it was clear that Nintendo of America (who is seen as an enemy by the MOTHER fanbase) didn’t intend to publish it.
So, on June 23, 2011, the Operation Rainfall movement started. This movement entailed sending e-mails, phone calls, and messages on various networking sites to Nintendo of America, pleading with them to localize these three games. For a time being, despite gaining attention by many big name game blogs, Nintendo of America didn’t seem to budge.
However, on December 2nd, 2011, it was announced that Xenoblade Chronicles would be published on April 6th, 2012. Although it was only available on the online store and Gamestop, this was a victory.
Then, on February 22, 2012, it was announced that The Last Story would be published by Xseed Games and released on August 14th, 2012.
For a long time, there seemed to be no news on Pandora’s Tower. Then, last month, on January 16th, Xseed came to the rescue yet again, announcing that they’re localizing Pandora’s Tower.
And so, the Operation Rainfall trilogy was completed. Technically, only Xenoblade Chronicles was localized by Nintendo of America, but hey, America is now getting all three of these games.
And now to wait patiently for someone to come along and localize MOTHER 3 and bring Earthbound to Virtual Console.


text:
That at 22, justin bieber clothes is the middle of polemic debates about his style can be something of your surprise. He’s not revealing giant swaths of skin, donning outrageous meat-covered coats, as well as flaunting particularly controversial slogans across his shirts. Instead, they have a penchant for tees that nearly scrape his knees, exaggerated layering, and skater boy clothes — not quite tabloid fodder.
Yet even so, he’s drawn considerable attention (and backlash) for more recent looks, much like the Nirvana band T-shirt by L.A. brand The fear of God which he wore for the American Music Awards late last year. Critics were scathing: the reigning prince of pop dares to be associated with the storied grunge band?
Longtime stylist Karla Welch, who first signed on to do business with Bieber on his Believe Tour in 2012, has a explanation for all the hoopla: It’s a testament to the singer’s growing style influence. “He’s been pushing men’s fashion for the last five years,” she says. “Should you look at the start of the Believe Tour, he was getting heat for your drop-crotch pants and super long T-shirts. However right now, if you get to any menswear store, you can see those styles reflected.” Similar to Bieber, Welch doesn’t “worry about negative feedback,” she says. “Haters gonna hate.”
Despite the Nirvana controversy, Welch went to The fear of God and worked with the designer Jerry Lorenzo on five searches for Bieber’s current Purpose Tour, which kicked off Wednesday night (March 9) in Seattle. “We have been buying [Jerry’s] stuff during the last 2 years; it’s been a really fun process working [together],” Welch says in the custom-made denim and tees. Interspersed will likely be Raf Simons pieces (“Justin is very into Raf lately”), Adidas shoes, and justin bieber hoodie, like thigh-skimming T-shirts for layering. “I really could see the looks changing from concert to concert together with the way Justin chooses to style them,” Welch adds.
Though certain technical adjustments happen to be designed to the tour wardrobe, including zippers, gussets and reinforcements for quick changes (they have lower than one minute to improve backstage), the design is not really so distinct from what the singer sports regularly on Instagram. “It’s more street grunge by using a very vintage skater feel,” Welch describes. “I found myself living in Vancouver in the grunge era — I employed to drop to Seattle to watch Pearl Jam play — and I always loved how those stoner boys looked. That’s bieeber we started doing with the Purpose videos and now with all the tour. It’s very undone.” The show’s backup dancers, who channel a similarly relaxed aesthetic, are outfitted in apparel by Calvin Klein, with whom justin bieber t shirt has an ongoing campaign handle.
Raised in Powell River, British Columbia, Canadian heritage has become an asset for Welch from the start. “We just met and clicked,” the stylist says of Bieber, who matured in Stratford, Ontario. “Canadians inherently love Canadians; that’s for ages been a bond. Canadians are super nationalists,” she adds, chuckling. Though Welch is normally tending towards the red-carpet wardrobes of universally adored actresses like Amy Poehler and Olivia Wilde, she says there have been no hesitations about dealing with a more controversial pop star like a client. “When you hear everything the press needs to say, you’re losing at life,” she says, noting that now more than ever the two use a “100 % collaborative” relationship. “Justin enjoys the process.”


text:
The waiting period of Renault's popular entry level hatchback, the Kwid, may get shorter soon as the company is looking to ensure speedy delivery of the model in India. The Kwid, which currently has a waiting period of three months, has received over 1.5 lakh bookings since its launch in September 2015.
As the French automaker gets ready to bring the new powerful variant of the Kwid â€” the Kwid 1.0 litre â€” the company is said to be working to reduce the waiting period of the current hot-selling model to one month. Renault has sold over 70,000 units of the Kwid in India so far, reports ET auto. The company has recently increased the production of the Kwid at its factory near Oragadam, Chennai, to meet the rising demand across the country. It is currently targeting a production capacity of 10,000 units.
Renault is expected to record its first ever double digit growth in the country this year, thanks to the outstanding response in favour of the Kwid. The vehicle is currently powered by a 799cc three-cylinder petrol motor, which is tuned to churn out 53bhp at 5,678rpm and a peak torque of 72Nm at 4,386rpm, mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. It boasts fuel efficiency of 25.17kmpl.
In the new avatar, the Kwid will get 1,000cc petrol unit that is expected to develop over 65bhp mated to five-speed manual transmission. The car will also get Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) variant. Renault is also expected to offer safety features such as Dual SRS airbags and ABS as standard in the 1.0 litre variant of the Kwid.
Renault recorded 609.8 percent growth in the country in July, with sales of 11,968 units in July 2016 as against 1,686 units in the corresponding month last year. The sales of the Kwid last month stood at 9,897 units.


text:
Men are moving into memory care units at a 14% faster pace than women, referral service finds
Oct 10, 2014
Men have been moving into memory care units at a faster rate than women, and providers are adjusting their services to this demographic shift, according to findings released Wednesday by a large senior...
Sensight Surveys creates partnership
Jul 01, 2014
Sensight Surveys, which measures resident and employee satisfaction with a focus on senior living companies, has begun a new partnership with Senior Living SMART.
Schwaner moves to Goodman Group
Jan 14, 2014
John Schwaner started at The Goodman Group as the vice president of sales & marketing in December. Schwaner will play a key role in overseeing all aspects of sales and marketing for the Senior Living &...


text:
PPM pens copyright deals at 2016 London Book Fair
Phoenix International Publishing (UK) participated in the event for the first time, whose children's books became highlights of the booth.
The booth also exhibited books by Cao Wenxuan, the latest winner of the distinguished Hans Christian Anderson Award. The books, published by Phoenix Juvenile and Children's Publishing, attracted many publishers from various countries.
PPM displays books by Cao Wenxuan, the latest winner of the Hans Christian Anderson Award at the book fair.
The PPM delegation also took part in the Fair's Quantum: Publishing & So Much More Conference held by the event organizer, where senior publishers shared their views about the industry.
Furthermore, the group also launched its range of high-quality culture books and opened a Chinese language experience center in London during the fair.
After the book fair, the group gave the second set of Symbols of Jiangsu (Pocket Edition) to the Confucius Institute at the University of Manchester as well as the Chinese edition of History of Human Civilization to the British Library as gifts.
Jacks Thomas, director of LBF, Ian Denison, chief of UNESCO Publishing, Xiang Xiaowei, minister counselor for culture at the Chinese embassy in London and other distinguished Chinese and international guests were invited to attend the promotion activities in London.