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1. Mobile Devices
Mobile devices are now driving a boost in Thanksgiving weekend e-Commerce with more conversions now happening on phone. People use their phones to to preview products and prices; retailers like Best Buy and Toys ‘R’ Us encourage shoppers to test the product in-store but skip the huge holiday lines and crowds by buying from their web site. It is bringing us one step closer to frictionless commerce.
Shoppers now research products on their mobile devices even earlier, with some of the largest “converted cart sizes” occurring weeks before Black Friday. Thanksgiving Day has grown into an e-Commerce holiday as some retailers are making a statement – inspired by negative consumer sentiment about stores being open on the Holiday – by being closed to allow their own staff to celebrate the day with their families. This has pushed a higher volume of shoppers online also creating a big spike in shopper activity after 4 pm on Thanksgiving, just after the average eating hours. With these statistics in hand, digital media buyers can plan their programmatic campaigns using specific time of day targeting for their mobile campaigns, and also creating mobile specific messaging and creative for the “window shoppers” who start shopping on their commutes to and from work much before the actual Holiday.
eMarketer is predicting that digital holiday sales will increase a record 11.5 percent this year, compared to a 17-percent increase in 2016. What’s more, large traditional retailers like Walmart are trying to boost e-Commerce sales in order to compete with Amazon, possibly pushing more shoppers online. eMarketer also predicts that an additional driver of “e-Commerce will be the continued growth of m-Commerce sales — particularly smartphone commerce, which will rise by an estimated 57.8% in 2017 overall.”
2. Video Advertising is on the Rise
“In 2015, U.S. agency and marketing professionals said they spent, on average, $5.6 million on digital and mobile video advertising,” according to eMarketer, “A year later, they spent an average of $6.8 million, and this year  they anticipate spending an average of $9.4 million.” Consumers expect content to be available in video form, with 50% of consumers who look for a video of the product before visiting the online store. Studies show that a user is 25% more likely to lose interest in retail content if it isn’t in video format. 51.9% of marketers say that video offers the best ROI (return on investment) and that consumers themselves much prefer video content to any other type.
Knowing the trend in video investment and consumption, it’s important for programmatic media buyers and marketing teams to implement platform pixels with their social and paid media buys and begin building audiences way ahead of the holidays, which can then inform the remainder of a Holiday media buying strategy. Another tactic to consider is extending campaign durations to start way before the Holiday period. More than half of users who clicked on Cyber Weekend sales ads usually had a first touch prior to Thanksgiving, so it’s important to ensure that retargeting efforts during the 2017 Holiday Season are reaching users who may have clicked far in advance of the actual Holiday promotions.
3. Social Media Will Have a Big Impact on Gift Buying
To find out more about when and where we predict people will be shopping this 2017 Holiday season download Digilant’s Holiday and Consumer Shopping Report.


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In a bold move to help Holiday Builders cut critical overhead costs, which should ensure the company's survival through 2010, Kim Shelpman resigned her position as the company's president and CEO, effective immediately. However, Shelpman, who had served as chief executive since August 2006, will continue to serve on the company's board of directors and board of trustees for the foreseeable future. COO Bruce Assam and CFO Richard Fadil will assume her responsibilities.
In an exclusive interview with Big Builder Monday morning, Assam explained that Shelpman's decision to step down as chief executive stemmed from the company's need to cut costs and preserve cash. While Assam said the company has a low debt overhang, foreclosures and short sales in key Florida markets have created significant pricing pressures, which is affecting the company's margins and ability to make its necessary returns. Although the cost cuts will not immediately return the company to profitability, Assam said they will go far in extending the company's life expectancy.
Holiday is wholly owned by its employees.
"We want to be sure we are sustainable as we bump along the bottom," Assam said.
"I had thrown it around for probably the last month or two because we were planning a company reduction," said Shelpman, reached later in the day. "Truthfully, it was my decision to make. We were obviously going through right-sizing the company, and at the end of the day it made all the sense in the world to put my name on the list."
The elimination of Shelpman's position is just one of a number of staffing reductions, Assam said. However, he declined to give more details on just how deep the cuts will go, saying "it's still kind of rolling out."
However, it's likely that much of the reduction in force will be from the company's home state of Florida, where market conditions have been particularly severe. Approximately 70% of its business is concentrated in Florida, and although there are still some isolated areas in the state that are producing the margins and volumes the company needs, Assam said many are not and, therefore, the company will be transitioning out of communities in those areas. Although he stressed that the company is not exiting Florida--the company headquarters will remain in Melbourne--Assam said going forward the company will "keep most areas of Florida dormant," reviving operations when demand returns. In the meantime, the company will be looking to beef up operations in South Carolina and some areas of Texas, where there's some velocity to absorptions.
"Strategically we need to go where the fish are biting," Assam explained. "The problem is we don't have enough of those communities."
In 2008, the company closed 735 homes, a 36.2% decline from the previous year, for revenues of $130 million, down 45% from 2007.
Shelpman said she has not decided what she will do after leaving the company. "I wish I did have a plan," she said. But, when asked if she would consider rejoining Holiday once times got better, she replied, "Never say never."
Teresa Burney and Lynn Norusis also contributed to this story.

domain: news


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An array of personalities from the fashion industry flocked to Milan’s Palazzo Morando on Wednesday night to attend the seasonal cocktail hosted by Vogue Italia and Yoox.com to celebrate the opening of “The Next Talents” talent scout initiative.
Vogue Italia editor in chief Franca Sozzani and Yoox Net-a-porter Group chief executive officer Federico Marchetti welcomed Tod’s Group president Diego Della Valle and his brother Andrea; Gucci ceo Marco Bizzarri, Moncler ceo Remo Ruffini, Bally ceo Frederic de Narp, Alberta Ferretti, Tomaso Aquilano, Roberto Rimondi, Goga Ashkenazi, Sara Battaglia, Arthur Arbesser, Francesco Maccapani Missoni, Giuseppe Zanotti, Massimo Piombo, Giannico’s founder Niccoló Beretta, among the others.
For the first time, “The Next Talents” showcased a men’s wear label. “I’m the first men’s designer to present here at Palazzo Morando,” said Luca Larenza, who unveiled a collection that included a range of color-blocked polo shirts as well as intarsia knitwear in a sophisticated color palette of dégradé tones.
Knits are on the radar of Andrea Pompilio, as well. “I’m just back from Ferrara, which is such a beautiful city, where there is the factory producing the knitwear pieces for my brand,” said the designer, who is about to take a trip to Japan.
Taking a break from the preparations for his presentation, scheduled for Friday, Andrea Incontri revealed that for fall he created a new accessories collection called “Luck Bag,” which includes bags featuring a closure coming in the shape of a four-leaf clover. “This is also appearing on a capsule collection of mini and long silk jacquard dresses,” Incontri said.


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Free parking available for downtown Nashville workers
Downtown Nashville workers have a little-known free parking option.
Finding an inexpensive monthly parking spot in downtown Nashville is a daunting task for some downtown workers.
"The biggest problem is the price, and there are monthly options, but those keep rising and rising, Sam Rosselli said.
Rasheedah Pardue is from Nashville and said it's hard to afford to park downtown.
"It's very difficult to find an affordable spot," Pardue said. "I had to pay a couple hundred dollars a month to park and it was going to go up from there."
LOT A and E next to Nissan Stadium is available Monday through Friday between the hours of 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. for downtown workers only.
The "free" option means, workers can park in the lots and simply walk across the bridge into town. The distance is 0.8 of a mile. The program has been around for years, but word is quickly spreading among downtown workers who are new-to-town.
Workers have another option to pay $30 a month to ride a shuttle to and from work across the Woodland Street bridge.
You can get a free downtown worker only parking permit at Parkitdowntown.com or at the Nashville Downtown Partnership office at 4th Avenue South and Commerce Street.


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In the year 2018, more than 2,200 cases were filed regarding website accessibility cases. The lawsuits typically involve the usability of a website by people with disabilities.
On January 15, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that a blind plaintiff could sue Domino’s Pizza for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (the “ADA”) due to the company’s allegedly inaccessible website and mobile app. Domino’s is one of thousands of businesses of all types and sizes across the country being sued for allegedly inaccessible websites. The inundation of lawsuits is fueled in large part by a lack of clarity regarding standards for website accessibility under the ADA.
In general, the ADA requires places of public accommodation (e.g., public places, restaurants, hotels, retail stores and shops, and doctors’ offices) to be accessible to persons with disabilities. Since a website facilitates access to the goods and services of a place of public accommodation, the place’s website must also be accessible. This may require, for example, that the website offers auxiliary aids in communication (e.g., providing audio translations of website text). However, Congress and the Department of Justice (the “Department”) have not adopted regulations, standards, or guidelines to clarify what is required for a website to be ADA compliant (i.e., accessible). In the Domino’s case, the Ninth Circuit concluded that requiring compliance with certain industry standards for website accessibility could be an equitable remedy for the blind plaintiff.
Without a doubt, businesses subject to the ADA are in a dilemma. Redesigning a website for ADA compliance can be extremely expensive. On the other hand, defending a lawsuit is also expensive. Unfortunately, until Congress or the Department provide technical specifications or guidance for website accessibility, many businesses remain targets for these lawsuits.
We will continue to monitor the Domino’s case as well as other cases involving website accessibility. In the meantime, businesses are encouraged to review their website to determine if any website updates are necessary.


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Aside from the 20-30% decline in the price of cryptocurrencies, which may be occuring due to falling spreads and eroding arbitrage opportunities, prospects for the year ahead are improving for the loonie as domestic data turns higher. The Canadian dollar was the top performer Thursday while the Swiss franc lagged. In a last minute decision, the Premium Insights issued a short on GBPUSD 15 minutes before yesterday’s release of Canada retail sales and CPI. The pair fell 100 pips as both figures overshot expectations. Recall that CAD (not USD) was the highest performing currency of 2016.Canada GDP and US PCE report are both due at 8:30 EST (13:30 GMT/London).
The CAD gains on Thursday came after a rise in the CPI and a sizzling retail sales report. Prices rose 2.1% y/y compared to 2.0% expected and most core measures climbed. Retail sales rose 1.5% compared to 0.3% expected.
Poloz on the weekend said that the note about ‘caution’ in the BOC statement doesn’t mean they won’t hike so the market will be forced to stay on guard in the weeks ahead. Oil prices are also nearing the best levels of the year.
Additionally, China could help lift all commodity prices next year and on Friday the China Daily reported that the PBOC is not expected to raise interest rates in 2018.
The problems for the Canadian dollar include the huge gap in Canadian oil, which is still trading at a $26 discount and NAFTA worries.
The USD/CAD chart tells the story as the pair ranges between 1.2650 and 1.2915. A break on either side will be increasingly important. The risk is that it comes in low liquidity in the next week or so. In that case, it might be best to wait until the dust settles.
It’s a similar story in AUD/USD as it rose above the 200-day moving average Thursday and is now threatening the November high. That’s a greenlight but a whopping $3.5B in expirations at 0.7700 on Friday could pin it down and then it’s into the year-end doldrums, when signals can be deceiving.
To close out the week, watch for the November US PCE report and Canadian GDP for October. In the US report, eye the personal spending metrics and for any signs of wage growth or inflation.


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Helping You Reach A Wider Audience
Sunday service will give online retailers the edge
Walker Logistics has announced that it can now offer online retailers next-day delivery services, seven-days-a-week. It means that consumers can receive their goods within 24 hours – even if they place an online order on Sunday. “Traditionally anyone buying online on Sunday has had to wait until Tuesday before their order arrives or is ready for collection. Now Walker Logistics’ clients can offer their customers the option of ordering on Sunday and getting their goods on Monday,” says William Walker, sales director of Walker Logistics.
He continues: “The online retail market is exceptionally competitive and it is accepted that the efficiency of an online retailer’s fulfillment process is as important to that company’s ability to win business and retain customer loyalty as the price and quality of the products it sells. “We believe that by giving Walker Logistics’ clients the opportunity to offer next day delivery – even to Sunday shoppers – we are handing online retailers an advantage over their rivals.” Walker is partnering with delivery giants Royal Mail and DPD, who will operate regular weekend collections from Walker’s Berkshire site. One of the first companies to take advantage of Walker’s new ‘Sunday Service’ is a US-owned cosmetics brand who has recently selected Walker to be its UK fulfilment partner.
The range is only available online and the company comments: “We are always looking for ways to improve our customer experience and we’re super excited that we have the ability to fulfill orders within 24 hours, seven-days-a-week. Our sales order data shows that Sunday is a peak time for online shopping so we expect this service to be extremely popular among our target market.” Established in 1999, Walker Logistics offers a comprehensive range of bespoke logistics services to a broad range of clients from a modern facility close to Junction 14 of the M4.
“We have been working with Walkers for three years now and have always had excellent service from them, no matter what the situation.”
EMEA Supply Chain Manager, A well-known cosmetics brand
My company does a lot of consumer online sales and regardless of the demands for increased storage space, but more importantly the varying order volumes, Walkers get the job done so my products look perfect and arrive on time!”
Owner, A fast growing online fashion business
Our company has grown a lot since being at Walker Logistics and the services have as such diversified and grown too over the last 6 years.
UK Operations Director, US based consumer electronics company
In Walkers we have found a partner that cares, wants to understand our business and is passionate about building a long-term relationship.
Commercial Director, A large sporting brand manufacturer


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Stream Anything to an AirPort Express Using Airfoil — Rogue Amoeba has released the first version of Airfoil, a program that can take the audio output of any program under Mac OS X and stream it using AirTunes to an AirPort Express’s audio output jack. It’s a simple piece of software that will delight all AirPort Express owners who want to stream audio from applications such as QuickTime Player, RealPlayer, or Windows Media Player. However, due to latency between Airfoil and the AirPort Express, audio and video will not be synchronized, such as when playing a DVD and sending the audio to a home stereo; Rogue Amoeba has posted a possible workaround that’s worth trying. There’s no guarantee that Apple might not step in and update their AirTunes software to disable Airfoil, but it doesn’t seem to fall into the category of things that Apple believes is detrimental to their products, contracts, or partners. The software costs $25, but Rogue Amoeba is offering it at an introductory offer of $20 through 31-Mar-05. [GF]
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After hearing LG go official with its introduction of the G Flex to US markets at the CES, the last couple weeks have been bringing us the specifics on how different carriers planned to welcome the phone. First we heard from Sprint, and then AT&T followed-up last Monday – the only holdout was T-Mobile. Today the carrier finally comes through with the news of how its subscribers will be able to get their hands on the G Flex, and also announces another new LG Android, the Optimus F3Q.
T-Mobile’s G Flex pre-orders open today, with the phone ultimately arriving on February 5 – that’s a couple days earlier than the phone will show up in Sprint retail stores. Premium pricing has been a big part of the G Flex US launch story, and T-Mobile doesn’t shy away from that action: with its installment plan spreading the cost out over two years, the G Flex will cost T-Mobile users just over $670.
A previous leak suggested that the QWERTY-keyboard-packing Optimus F3Q would launch on January 22, and while that did miss the mark, it wasn’t off by all that much, as the phone goes official today. Sales begin on February 5, and with the carrier’s installment plan, the F3Q will ultimately cost users about $365 – certainly cheaper than a flagship, but we wonder if it’s not still a bit too steep for a phone with its quite low-end-sounding specs. At least we finally get confirmation on the name; we had wondered if the Optimus brand might be gone for good, but there’s clearly still a little life in it yet.


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LATEST NEWS Nissan Saudi Arabia Recognized as a Regional Success Story by Facebook
4th August 2021
· Nissan KSA’s unique WhatsApp service has increased ROI by 34 times in just six months
· Over 5,000 leads were attributed to Nissan KSA’s WhatsApp service: a 390% increase over the original chatbot
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (4th August 2021) – Being the first automotive company to launch a WhatsApp service using their bespoke AI chatbot Kaito, Nissan Saudi Arabia has now been recognized by Facebook as a regional automotive success story leveraging the WhatsApp platform. This remarkable achievement sets a precedent in the Middle East and was made possible by Nissan KSA providing always-on customer service.
Recognizing that the evolution of the customer journey needs to be driven by accessibility, Nissan Saudi Arabia has set itself apart by enabling two-way communication with customers via the most utilized social media platform in Saudi Arabia – WhatsApp. In the Kingdom where approximately 70 percent of the population is under 30 years old, Nissan KSA set out to engage a younger customer base that expects on-demand services as connected as they are. This resulted in improved customer engagement and higher satisfaction, contributing to increased sales leads, higher revenue, and lower call center volumes.
Bader El Houssami, Managing Director of Nissan Saudi Arabia, addressed this momentous accomplishment, saying: “Nissan Saudi Arabia stands for innovation, and we seek to consistently integrate that into every aspect of our business, this is the Nissan Way. In a time where companies were struggling to adapt to the new normal after the pandemic, we at Nissan KSA were accelerating our digitization efforts to best serve our customers. We are proud to receive such recognition from Facebook, it speaks volumes for the pioneering nature of our team to be considered a leader in digital services not just locally, but in the region as a whole.”.
Facebook has created and published a case study on the Facebook for Developers website detailing the success of Nissan KSA’s WhatsApp service and the metrics by which the success was measured. Given the popularity of WhatsApp in KSA, with a large majority of the population regularly using the app, the new service was an ideal and cost-effective service to build and launch. The popularity of WhatsApp helped generate over 5,000 leads: a 390% increase over the original chatbot. In just six months, Nissan’s increase in car sales directly related to the WhatsApp service resulted in 34 times the ROI (return on investment).
Commenting on the success story, Eleni Ketra, Head of Automotive and Mobility, Facebook MENA said: “Implementing a customer service and sales channel through WhatsApp Business API has helped Nissan KSA increase customer enthusiasm and drive new sales. The profound success of this digital service in such a short timeframe is commendable and showcases Nissan Saudi Arabia’s digital customer-centric outlook.”.
The Nissan KSA WhatsApp service is available in both English and Arabic languages and is accessible for customers to use around the clock. The Nissan KSA WhatsApp account uses the Kaito AI chatbot to answer all customer questions, with several use cases which allow them to explore different car colours, download brochures, and submit their requests through the app. The account even provides suggested key phrases to make it easier for the customer to find exactly what they are looking for. The account can be reached on Nissan KSA’s 900 number +966 9200 09058, or by simply scanning the below QR code.


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There appears to be a quick ascent, as the framework gains popularity and then a slightly less quick but steady decline as developers adopt newer technologies. These lifecycles only last a couple of years. Starting around 2011, there seems to be major adoption of a couple of competing frameworks: Backbone, Knockout, and Ember. Questions about these tags appear to grow until around 2013 and have been in steady decline since, at about the same time as AngularJS started growing. The latest startup is the Vue.js framework, which has shown quick adoption, as it is one of the fastest growing tags on Stack Overflow. Only time can tell how long this growth will last.
"Let's be honest," the post concludes. "The size of a developer community certainly counts; it contributes to a thriving open source environment, and makes it easier to find help on Stack Overflow."
But promising languages such as Julia, Hack, Rust, and Kotlin were not able to reach the top 20 or even the top 30, Tiobe pointed out. "Becoming part of the top 10 or even the top 20 requires a large ecosystem of communities and evangelists including conferences," said Paul Jansen, Tiobe managing director and compiler of the index. "This is not something that can be developed in one year's time."
The global market share for smartphones is dominated by Google's Android system, which owns 85%, compared to 15% for Apple's iOS, according to researcher IDC. But the iPhone is the most popular smartphone brand, having opened a huge gap compared to No. 2 Samsung's Galaxy phones at 33 million. However Samsung, which has a broader portfolio of phones, sells more overall. Indeed, in 2016, Samsung shipped over 320 million phones, most lower-priced phones sold outside the United States, like the J3, On8 and A9 lines.
Apple's strong performance through September earned CEO Tim Cook a $9.3 million bonus on top of his $3.06 million salary -- plus vesting of $89.2 million more in Apple stock. Here's the complete list of the five best-selling tech products of 2017:
- Apple iPhones: 223 million
- Samsung Galaxy S8 and Note 8 smartphones: 33 million
- Amazon Echo Dot connected speakers: 24 million
- Apple Watch: 20 million
- Nintendo Switch video game console: 15 million
Browsers have been pushing the movement to encrypt the web further, too. Early this year, Chrome and Firefox started showing users "Not secure" warnings when HTTP websites asked them to submit password or credit card information. In October, Chrome expanded the warning to cover all input fields, as well as all pages viewed in Incognito mode. Chrome has eventual plans to show a "Not secure" warning for all HTTP pages... The next big step in encrypting the web is ensuring that most websites default to HTTPS without ever sending people to the HTTP version of their site. The technology to do this is called HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS), and is being more widely adopted. Notably, the registrar for the .gov TLD announced that all new .gov domains would be set up with HSTS automatically...
The Certification Authority Authorization (CAA) standard became mandatory for all CAs to implement this year... [And] there's plenty to look forward to in 2018. In a significant improvement to the TLS ecosystem, for example, Chrome plans to require Certificate Transparency starting next April.
The falloff in ticket sales can mostly be explained by a handful of movies that flopped, especially during the dreary summer season that posted the worst results in more than two decades. Even such massive hits as "Wonder Woman," "Thor: Ragnarok" and "It" couldn't make up for a lackluster summer lineup populated by rickety franchises ("Alien: Covenant") and poorly reviewed retreads ("The Mummy"). However, the long-term decline in attendance reflects systemic challenges facing the industry. Audiences are spending less time going to the movies and are consuming more entertainment on small screens and through streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon that are spending billions on original video content. At the same time, while higher ticket prices have helped to offset attendance declines, they have made consumers pickier about what movies they're willing to go see. And those increasingly discerning consumers turn to social media and Rotten Tomatoes to decide what's worth their time and money.
And our second- and third-most popular stories also came in February -- both just one week before.
FCC Chairman Wants It To Be Easier To Listen To Free FM Radio On Your Smartphone and IT Decisions Makers and Executives Don't Agree On Cyber Security Responsibility.
Keep reading for a complete list of Slashdot's 10 most-visited stories of 2017.
The U.S. was among the other 18 countries in which people said they were actually worse off than half a century ago. In Senegal, 45% felt this way, followed by Nigeria (54%), Kenya (53%), the U.S. (41%), Ghana (47%), Brazil (49%), France (46%), Hungary (39%), Lebanon (54%) and Peru (46%).
55% of Canadians feel they're better off, while just 45% of people in the U.K. feel the same way, according to the article.
"Venezuela, which has suffered from political unrest and economic turbulence in recent years, was last on the list. Some 72% people there said they felt worse off than 50 years ago."
To determine the most popular trending searches, Google looked at its trillions of queries, filtered out spam and repeats, and identified searches that had the highest uptick in traffic compared with the previous year. It breaks them into categories like news, memes, and recipes (beef stroganoff was a hit).
Surprisingly there were more searches for 'iPhone 8" than for 'iPhone X," though those were the top two most-searched consumer technology products. (Followed by Nintendo Switch, Samsung Galaxy S8, and Xbox One X.) Other top searches this year included "What is net neutrality?" as well as questions about what bitcoin is, how to buy it, and the latest bitcoin prices. And one of the 10 most-searched phrases of the year was "fidget spinner."
Google uploaded an inspiring video to YouTube stating "This year more than ever we asked how." To dramatic music, the examples it gives include "How to calm a dog during a storm," "How to help Puerto Rico," "How to make a protest sign" -- and "How to move forward."
By comparing Edge's old and new shares, it was evident that as much as half of the earlier Edge traffic had been faked by bots. The portion of Edge's share credited to bots fluctuated month to month, but fell below 30% in only 4 of the 19 months for which Net Applications provided data... Microsoft's legacy browser, Internet Explorer (IE) also was revealed as a Potemkin village. Under the old data regime, which included bots, IE's user share was overblown, at times more than double the no-bots reality. Take May 2016 as an example. With bots, Net Applications pegged IE at 33.7%; without bots, IE's user share dwindled to just 14.9%. Together, IE and Edge - in other words, Microsoft's browsers - accounted for only 16.3% of the global user share last month using Net Applications' new calculations... In fact, the combined IE and Edge now face a once unthinkable fate: falling beneath Mozilla's Firefox.
StatCounter's stats on browser usage already show more people have already been using Firefox than both of Microsoft's browsers combined -- in 12 of the last 13 months.
On the front end, React remains the dominant framework. However, the survey found interest in Vue is steadily increasing, while Angular is losing steam. Developers are at a 3.8 [on a scale up to 5] when it comes to their overall happiness with front-end tools. On the back end, Express is by far the most popular contender with Koa, Meteor and Hapi slowly making their way behind Express. For testing, Jest and Enzyme stand out with high satisfaction ratings.
For the most accurate, albeit US-centric operating system and browser numbers, I prefer to use data from the federal government's Digital Analytics Program (DAP). Unlike the others, DAP's numbers come from billions of visits over the past 90 days to over 400 US executive branch government domains... DAP gets its raw data from a Google Analytics account. DAP has open-sourced the code, which displays the data on the web and its data-collection code... In the US Analytics site, which summarizes DAP's data, you will find desktop Linux, as usual, hanging out in "other" at 1.5 percent. Windows, as always, is on top with 45.9 percent, followed by Apple iOS, at 25.5 percent, Android at 18.6 percent, and macOS at 8.5 percent.
The article does, however, acknowledge that Linux's real market share is probably a little higher simply because "no one, not even DAP, seems to do a good job of pulling out the Linux-based Chrome OS data."
Independent experts say the real numbers are far higher. On Twitter, little more than an email address is needed to start tweeting. Facebook's requirement that users be their authentic selves means the company asks for a smattering of information to sign up -- name, birthday, gender and email address. But few checks exist to verify if that information is true when a user signs up.
In the Science study, researchers examined plots of soil in the Harvard Forest in Massachusetts, a mixed hardwood forest in the U.S. They experimented by heating some of the plots with underground cables to 5C above normal levels, leaving others as a control. The long-term study revealed that in the first 10 years there was a strong increase in the carbon released from the heated plots, then a period of about seven years when the carbon release abated. But after this second calmer period, which the scientists attribute to the adjustment of the soil microbes to the warmer conditions, the release of carbon resumed its upward path. From 1991, when the experiment began, the plots subjected to 5C warming lost about 17% of the carbon that had been stored in the top 60cm of the soil, where the greatest concentration of organic matter is to be found...
Lead scientist Jerry Melillo, points out that currently 10 billion metric tons of carbon gets released into the atmosphere every year, but "The world's soils contain about 3,500 billion tons of carbon. If a significant amount of that is added to the atmosphere, due to microbial activity, that will accelerate the global warming process. Once this self-reinforcing feedback begins, there is no easy way to turn it off. There is no switch to flip."


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Grants Pass is known for it’s bears and cavemen, but now, it may be known for Sasquatch – that’s right, a business owner has purchased a statue of Bigfoot and put it in front of his store for everyone to see.
Gene Bradley, owner of Smokey’s Stoves on 6th Street, recently bought a 15-foot tall, 4,000 pound statue of Bigfoot and had it placed by the entrance of his store.
“I love the bear theme around Grants Pass, but it’s like there’s a lot of bears, I love ’em all. They’re all beautiful pieces of art from the local artists and stuff, but I didn’t want to just be another bear on the block,” said Bradley.
Bradley says the carver of the statue spent two weeks on the project.
“He told me that he’s carved several 7, 8, 9 footers and this is the biggest one he’s ever carved,” Bradley added.
So while enthusiasts continue to search for the elusive Oregon yeti, they’ll always know where to go if they want to pose with the big guy himself.
© 2023 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.


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Athens, GA (Restaurant News Release) Zaxby’s, a Southeast favorite for chicken fingers and wings, announced today it renewed a multi-year beverage agreement with The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO). The two Georgia-based companies continue their longstanding partnership together through an extension of a previously renewed agreement in 2006. The restaurant makes the beverage provider its primary soft drink supplier and will continue to offer its products at its more than 570 locations across 13 states.
“As one of the world’s most-recognizable beverage brands, our partnership with Coca-Cola is an important part of our company’s growth,” said Zach McLeroy, CEO and cofounder of Zaxby’s. “We are two southern classics continuing forward in business to meet our guest’s expectations. Coca-Cola remains a part of the ongoing and future success of our company and our franchisees.”
As part of its beverage lineup, Zaxby’s offers its guests a variety of Coca-Cola fountain drinks, including Coke and Diet Coke, as well as Dasani bottled water. The restaurant also offers eight Meal Dealz on its menu that each include a 22 oz. beverage.
“We are excited to renew this valued relationship with Zaxby’s,” said Kathleen Ciaramello, Vice President, East Zone, of Coca-Cola Refreshments. “Our two brands are a great fit, and we are pleased that Zaxby’s guests will continue to enjoy Coca-Cola products with their favorite Zaxby’s entree!”
An alternative to fast food, Zaxby’s offers its guests prepared-at-order Chicken Fingerz, Traditional or Boneless Wings, sandwiches, Zalads and Zappetizers, along with a variety of nine sauces ranging from Wimpy and Tongue Torch to Nuclear and Insane. Childhood friends Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley hatched the Athens, Ga.-based chain in 1990 to provide a fun, relaxing atmosphere that would keep guests coming back for more. The company ranked number seven in the 2012 Top 10 Excellent Large Fast-Food Chains With 500 Or More U.S. Units Quick-Track study published by Sandelman & Associates. The chain also ranked number five in the nation for total sales and number one in the chicken segment in the 2012 Top 150 Fast-Casual Chain Restaurant Report published by Technomic. Zaxby’s operates more than 565 locations in 13 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. For more information, please visit zaxbys.com, facebook.com/zaxbys or follow on Twitter @Zaxbys.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world’s most valuable brand, our Company’s portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of more than 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world’s top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo or check out our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com.


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POSTED: 1:30 a.m. HST, Oct 28, 2012
Development of a Safeway-anchored shopping center in Lihue once delayed by the recession is facing a new problem that puts the project in doubt again.
The development arm of the California-based grocery chain recently filed a lawsuit in federal court in Honolulu on Oct. 19, alleging that the previous owner of the 22-acre center site is blocking the project Safeway had expected to break ground on this year and complete next year.
Safeway’s affiliate, Property Development Centers LLC, sued a subsidiary of major Kauai landowner Grove Farm Inc., which sold Safeway the site in 2008 for $11 million.
Safeway is asking the court to undo the sale or prevent Grove Farm from inhibiting construction through actions Safeway claims amount to retaliation against the retailer’s decision to develop only half of the 210,000-square-foot center named Hokulei Village.
The dispute threatens to upend the long-anticipated move to establish a second major shopping center in Kauai’s growing commercial core, and a second Safeway store on Kauai.
Safeway announced plans in 2008 for the project on former sugar cane fields and anticipated the center, which is less than a mile from Lihue’s main 330,000-square-foot Kukui Grove Center mall, would be finished in 2010.
But the recession put the project on hold.
In April, The Garden Island newspaper reported that Safeway intended to start construction in the second half of this year and that tenant leases were being finalized.
But Safeway also informed Grove Farm in April that it would develop only the first of two phases for Hokulei Village, according to the lawsuit.
Safeway said in the suit that it established the option to develop only a 115,000-square-foot first phase anchored by its 57,000-square-foot store as part of the land purchase. In the event the option was exercised, the roughly 89,000-square-foot second phase would be left for Grove Farm to develop.
Safeway claims that Grove Farm responded by saying Safeway had to significantly revise its plan for phase 1 to be independent, as opposed to integrated as had been called for in the original plan. Safeway also claims that Grove Farm is inhibiting Safeway from making required road improvements, won’t allow utility connections through the phase 2 parcel and is curtailing parking rights.
“(Grove Farm’s) stated positions are retaliatory against (Safeway) for having exercised its right not to retain title to phase 2,” the retailer stated in the suit. “Without access, utility, parking, drainage and other easements and rights over phase 2, the development of phase 1 as contemplated in the purchase agreement is not possible.”
Marissa Sandblom, a Grove Farm vice president, said it is company policy not to comment on pending litigation.
Keith Turner, a Safeway spokesman, also would not comment for the same reason.
Hokulei Village was designed to provide space for about 16 businesses besides the grocery store, including a Walgreens, a gas station, two or three sit-down restaurants, several small retail shops and two “junior anchor” stores between 25,000 square feet and 37,000 square feet.
Walgreens, the gas station and several other spaces are part of phase 1. The two junior anchor stores and a few smaller store spaces are part of phase 2.
Safeway said in the suit that it has spent $3 million on plans, permits and road improvement work.
The company is asking the court to force Grove Farm to cooperate with development of the project or void the purchase and award Safeway the purchase price plus damages.


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It has been announced that a group of large German publishers and advertisers have filed a formal complaint with the European Commission against Google’s “Privacy Sandbox” proposals.
The Privacy Sandbox is the name given by Google to a group of proposed browser changes to the Chrome browser and Blink/Chromium browser engine. The proposals include blocking third-party cookies, introducing “cohort-based” marketing, and blocking access to the user agent string and IP address.
Google claims that the changes are needed to create a more private web. However, there have been complaints that the proposals, if implemented, will harm Google’s competitors, by blocking their access to certain key, interoperable data which Google will either have continued access to, or will have access to equivalent data through its range of owned and operated platforms and services.
In particular, the German complaint reportedly argues that the proposals will harm the publishers’ and advertisers’ businesses, while Google’s own ads-based search business will be unaffected, and that Google should respect the relationship between publishers and users without interfering, i.e. that Google should allow publishers to process certain consumer data, where consumer consent has been obtained.
Preiskel & Co’s competition team has been advising the Movement for an Open Web, a consortium of affected businesses, in relation to complaints to the UK Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) and the European Commission about the proposals. The complaint resulted in the CMA opening an investigation into the proposals in January 2021, which remains ongoing, with the CMA currently considering consultation responses on commitments offered by Google to address the CMA’s preliminary competition concerns. The project saw the team named The Lawyer Awards Competition and Regulatory Team of the Year 2021.
The European Commission has already opened an investigation into Google’s advertising business; whether it will open another into the Privacy Sandbox remains to be seen.
For more information, the German publishers’ and advertisers’ press statement can be found here.
Please contact Tim Cowen if you have any questions about the Privacy Sandbox, the CMA’s investigation, or the European Commission complaints.


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Has Dog Meat Made its way into our food chain?
What an interesting article by the mail online and K9 Magazine...
"Has DOG meat been found in our food? New takeaway horror after experts discover 'mystery meat' in a lamb curry
- Samples of curries and kebabs from six outlets in London were tested
- The meat in a lamb curry could not be identified as common animal source
- One burger contained no beef at all other than blood and heart
- Beef in another dish was found to contain chicken material including blood... "


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Now that the official Guardians of the Galaxy trailer has been released, many companies are fully revealing their GOTG lineup. We have already seen Hasbro and Gentle Giant‘s first offerings, and now today Kotobukiya has announced that they will be making a Guardians of the Galaxy Rocket Raccoon ARTFX+ statue.
The statue is practically a bust of the massive Groot, with the gun-toting Rocket Racoon riding on his shoulder, very much like he was seen during the first trailer. Since the statue is going to be part of the ARTFX+ line, it is going to be crafted in the 1/10th scale.
No word yet on pricing or a release date.
Guardians of the Galaxy hits theaters August 1, 2014.


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Feds charge ring with 'click-jacking' scheme that hit 4 million PCs
In the latest lesson on Internet safety -- or the lack thereof -- federal authorities have charged seven men with infecting millions of computers with a virus-like program that tricked users' Web browsers into navigating to phony pages stocked with ads, earning the defendents as much as $14 million.
In a type of online fraud known as click-jacking, the malicious software waited for users to click on links to popular sites like Apple's iTunes or Netflix.com, and then quietly redirected their browsers to similar-looking sites larded with online ads -- ads that allegedly earned the defendents cash each time they were displayed.
“These defendants gave new meaning to the term, ‘false advertising’" Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for Manhattan, said in a statment. "The international cyber threat is perhaps the most significant challenge faced by law enforcement and national security agencies today, and this case is just perhaps the tip of the Internet iceberg."
According to the indictment filed by Bharara's office, six Estonian nationals now in custody and one Russian national still at large engaged in the sophisticated scheme that infected millions of computers in more than 100 countries, and even reached computers controlled by NASA, which worked with investigators to unravel the alleged scam.
In this case, the click-jacking was achieved by software that burrowed into users' computers and changed the way they accessed the Web, authorities alleged.
The Internet has a kind of built-in phone book called the Domain Name Server (DNS) system. When a computer needs to find a website like Yahoo or Wikipedia, it reaches out to the DNS to find a numerical address called the IP address, which might be something like 127.0.0.1.
But in this scheme, the nasty program changed the IP address of the phone book itself, so that when a computer needed to find a website, it was given an incorrect address that sent it to a phony site controlled by the defendents, according to the indictment.
The group has been charged with seven felony counts, including wire fraud, computer intrusion and money laundering. Some of the counts carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
-- David Sarno
Illustration: "Malware remote access." Credit: Sophos Germany / Flickr


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2014 Nissan Dualis: next-gen crossover teased
The next-generation Nissan Dualis has been teased ahead of its September 10 unveiling at the Frankfurt motor show.
Attached to a one-line release claiming the all-new crossover utility vehicle "will push the envelope of CUV design", the teaser image of the Dualis – known as the Qashqai in Europe and Rogue in the US – reveals little.
Barely lit, the Nissan's headlight with LED daytime running lights can be seen along with the edge of a chrome grille, a strongly sculptured bonnet, a new wheel design and black plastic cladding around the front left wheel arch.
Revealing more of what to expect from the upcoming model are our recent illustrations (pictured) and a small image of the 2014 Rogue seen on the Japanese manufacturer's US consumer website.
Yet to announce official details, Nissan is expected to offer petrol and diesel powerplants on the Dualis, including the Australian market’s current 2.0-litre petrol and 1.6-litre turbo-diesel units, as well as front- and all-wheel-drive variants.
The Renault-developed turbo-diesel engine has been speculated as being available in two states of tune for the 2014 model, while a turbocharged 1.2-litre unit has been rumoured to replace Europe’s naturally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol. A more performance orientated Dualis Nismo model is also anticipated, following in the footsteps of the Juke Nismo.
Nissan is also yet to confirm the continuation of the seven-seat Dualis+2 model in the line-up.
Considered a global success for Nissan, the first-generation Dualis was released in 2007.


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Beanie maker Love Your Melon, founded a decade ago by University of St. Thomas students and known for donating profits to cancer research, is being bought by a New York-based fashion brand aggregator.
The deal was announced Tuesday after the buyer, Win Brands Group, raised $40 million in new investment capital for the purchase. However, Win didn’t say exactly how much it would pay for Love Your Melon.
Founders Zachary Quinn and Brian Keller founded Love Your Melon while they were college students. They wanted to earn money and support children with cancer.
Love Your Melon has since donated portions of its profits, totaling more than $9 million, to groups fighting childhood cancer. It has also given away more than 235,000 of its hats to children with cancer and their families.
Research shows that many consumers are attracted to mission-based brands. Global consumers are four times more likely to buy from a company they believe has a strong purpose, according to a 2020 study by communications agency Zeno Group.
In an interview, Quinn said the company would benefit from the resources of a larger company.
“Doing everything on our own with no experience… it was challenging and we started thinking about who could be a good partner for that,” Quinn said.
Quinn and Keller have been considering a possible sale for years. They hope to now sell Love Your Melon products in major retail stores and create a better presence on Amazon.com. They also want to make production more efficient and improve profit margins so the brand can continue to give back to the community.
“I think it’s going to catapult us to growth,” Quinn said. “I think that with them we will grow significantly … and give millions more dollars.”
Many of Love Your Melon’s hats are made in Mendota Heights, but sometimes the company can’t make enough hats to meet demand. Quinn said the company would like to supplement production by hiring contractors.
The company would also expand with items that can be worn in warmer months, such as bucket hats, Quinn said.
On its website, Win Brands said it offers services to its businesses that span digital marketing, product sourcing, accounting and finance. It also owns weighted blanket brand Gravity, home fragrance and candle company Homesick, and silicone wedding ring maker QALO.
Love Your Melon merchandise has evolved from hats to clothing, home goods and face masks.
Through licensing partnerships with Disney, Marvel and others, Love Your Melon has also been able to create special selections such as B. Hats with Harry Potter motifs and the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants.
“Love Your Melon is a great addition to our portfolio and exemplifies what we look for in the businesses we acquire,” said Kyle Widrick, CEO and co-founder of Win Brands, in a statement.
Love Your Melon, which employs 25 people primarily in Minneapolis, plans to maintain a presence in Minnesota, with Quinn and Keller continuing to lead the organization.
However, North Loop’s Build Your Own Beanie (BYOB) studio in Minneapolis will close at the end of February. The company plans to open a mobile beanie store that will tour the country. It is looking for local storage areas where it can host events.


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Get Games is having a 72 hour sale on select PC titles.There are plenty of unique combos available, so be sure to grab some games before time runs out.
Huh... never heard of this digital retailer... But they do have solid bargains. Thanks.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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OpenSea will support popular collections such as Smolverse, GMX Blueberry Club and dopex_io’s Diamond Pepes. Arbitrum NFT will go live today on OpenSea, where users are advised to set a fee for creators before making any transactions.
Following OpenSea’s announcement, chief marketing officer Andrew Saunders tweeted: “In honor of OpenSea participating in the Arbitrum ecosystem, we will be playing Yacht Rock day and night! Party on Arbinuats.
OpenSea currently supports NFTs on the Ethereum, Polygon, and Solana blockchains.
Arbitrum One is a layer 2 Ethereum aggregator, which supports Ethereum’s smart contracts and serves as an entry point into the Arbitrum ecosystem. The aggregator is a layer 2 scaling solution for Ethereum that can run decentralized applications, store NFTs, and deploy smart contracts with lower gas fees than the main Ethereum chain. Anyone can deploy a Smart contract on the aggregation.
According to the project’s development documentation, Arbitrum One is currently running in beta version of the mainnet, meaning that while the aggregation integrates all features, the development team can make any changes and pause the network as needed.
Will OpenSea continue its success?
According to Arbitrum One, there are 22 NFT projects directly on Arbitrum that will be listed on OpenSea. In April 2022, analytics firm Nansen confirmed a 205% year-over-year growth among Arbitrum NFT users. During the same period, the top 20 wallets achieved a 10,000% return on investment.
OpenSea’s commercial success in storing NFTs will leverage its base of over a million users in a similar way to how Treasure Marketplace has succeeded in building nft communities. OpenSea also needs to ensure that it offers enough search and filtering options, as Arbitrum will be the fourth blockchain to be listed on the platform. Multi-chain wallets can also streamline the process for buyers and sellers.
But it may take some time, as OpenSea’s ETH trading volume is still lower than that on Polygon and Solana, according to data from DappRadar. At the time of writing, ETH trading volume on OpenSea totals around $33 billion, while trading volumes on Polygon and Solana are $770.3 million and $51.4 million, respectively.
Key benefits of users in the multi-chain market
The advantage of having a multi-chain NFT marketplace is the ability to allow users to trade NFTs on different blockchains, enhancing the liquidity of NFTs and improving their value. Users can also choose which blockchain best suits their budget in regards to mining fees and is not limited to the Ethereum network, where gas fees have reached a value of $80 or more.
Earlier this year, solana NFT marketplace Magic Eden began integrating ETH-based NFTs and was a pioneer in mass adoption and simplified the process of launching a new collection.


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At the start of the pandemic, worried people were - understandably - looking for products to reduce the risk of getting Covid-19, and we saw a spike in online traffic for air purifiers.
Nearly two years on and concerns about contracting the virus have dropped considerably. This is largely thanks to a successful vaccination programme that's provided higher protection from serious symptoms, and a greater understanding of the virus itself.
All the same, nobody wants to be unwell if they can avoid it, and avoiding contracting the virus will still be important to many.
But while recent studies have indicated that air purifiers can reduce traces of airborne viruses such as Covid-19, the advice we gave two years ago remains the same: you shouldn't solely rely on an air purifier to filter out coronavirus in your home. Ventilation and good hygiene practices (such as frequent hand washing) remain the most effective ways to protect yourself.
What we do know is that air purifiers can potentially help improve your air quality in other ways. Read on to find out more about the latest research on coronavirus and air purifiers, plus free ways you can breathe cleaner air at home.
At the start of the pandemic, some air purifier manufacturers implied, or outright claimed, that their machines would protect you from coronavirus. Many have since tweaked their messaging, but in some cases it can still be quite unclear and leave consumers uncertain about the benefits (or not) of air purifiers in relation to Covid-19.
For example, some will state that air filtration can remove SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19), but caveat that with the message that your primary line of defence against getting infected is to maintain social distancing, wash your hands and wear a mask.
Others will say an air purifier can remove coronaviruses from the air, but refrain from explicitly stating that their machines can remove the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.
Here's what popular air purifier brands state on their websites.
At the start of the pandemic, there was - as you'd expect - little to no evidence about the efficacy of air purifiers against Covid-19.
As you'd also expect, there has since been research carried out to investigate just this matter.
In November 2021, a research team at Addenbrooke's Hospital and the University of Cambridge reported that they were able to use HEPA filter/UV steriliser air purifiers to remove most airborne traces of SARS-CoV-2 on surge wards at the hospital. The air purifiers also successfully filtered out other bacterial, fungal and viral bioaerosols (airborne particles containing living organisms). However, it's worth noting they used a HEPA 14 filter (which is medical grade) in the air purifiers, rather than HEPA 13 filters, which are more commonly used in consumer appliances.
And a July 2021 report from the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in the US also suggested that portable HEPA air cleaners could reduce exposure to SARS-CoV-2 aerosols indoors. However, it focuses on conference rooms, not household environments, and used a simulated environment.
In short, there's a lot more real-world evidence needed - and the results of these research studies don't change our advice about air purifiers and Covid.
Coronavirus particles do fall within the particle-size range (0.01 microns and larger) that HEPA filters, found in some air purifiers, capture.
An air purifier could therefore capture coronavirus if the device had a particular type of HEPA filter, with an efficiency of 99.95%, and an ultra violet (UV) lamp to then kill coronavirus.
Crucially, though, in the real world, a lot depends on factors such as:
There is increasing evidence to show that Covid-19 can linger in enclosed spaces and that ventilation is key.
Ventilation is the process of replacing shared, staler air with fresh air from outside. The more ventilated an area is, the more fresh air there is to breathe and the less likely a person is to inhale infectious particles.
The government recommends:
The government's advice also recommends that if someone in your home is self-isolating, you should open a window in their room and keep the door to the room closed to reduce the spread of contaminated air to other parts of the household.
Covid-19 can be transmitted through respiratory droplets when you're in close proximity to someone, and by touching contaminated surfaces.
You can also:
When it comes to staying healthy generally, regardless of Covid-19, breathing cleaner air can only ever be a good thing.
If you can increase the flow of fresh air into your home by opening windows, do that. But if that's not a practical option - say, you live on a very polluted street or you suffer from hay fever - then an air purifier can help create cleaner air.
If you suffer from allergies, for example, a good air purifier can trap pollutants such as dust and pollen particles.
If you're going to buy an air purifier, look for one with a HEPA filter. Other filters - including ones with names such as HEPA-type filter - aren't held to the same European Standards as HEPA filters.
Some purifiers come with features that make them easier to use. These may include, for example:


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Suning completes testing of self-driving heavy duty truck
Strolling Dragon is part of Sunning's strategy to provide fully-automated logistics solutions powered by AI
Suning Logistics, a subsidiary of Chinese commercial giant Suning Holdings Group, has completed driving tests for its autonomous heavy-duty truck, 'Strolling Dragon', in Shanghai.
Strolling Dragon is the largest unmanned truck in Suning Logistics' automated fleet, boasting Level-4 self-driving capabilities; it is highly automated, and is able to operate without human input within pre-programmed parameters. It is the first self-driving truck developed by a Chinese e-commerce company to pass logistics campus tests and highway-scenario road tests in China.
Equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), deep-learning technologies, and gadgets such as laser radar, Strolling Dragon cam recognize obstacles at a distance of over 300 meters, at high speeds. In addition, the unmanned truck can make emergency stops, or avoid obstacles at a response rate of 25 ms, allowing for safe autonomous driving even at a speed of 80 km/h.
Strolling Dragon is part of Sunning's strategy to provide fully-automated logistics solutions powered by AI.
Zhang Jindong, chairman of Suning Holdings Group, said: "The success of Strolling Dragon's self-driving tests represents another step forward in our online-to-offline (O2O) smart retail strategy. Suning's goal is to develop its logistics business into the biggest and most intelligent retail infrastructure network in China. The promise of automation solutions will not only boost efficiency in Suning's logistics operations, but also benefit the industry, and consumers, by offering more possibilities, and a better shopping experience."


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Press release from Business Wire
Introducing Google Wallet at American Eagle Outfitters, Aerie and 77Kids Stores in Five Major U.S. Markets
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
PITTSBURGH (Business Wire) -- American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) today announced the launch of the Google Wallet mobile shopping experience in selected American Eagle Outfitters, Aerie and 77kids stores in the Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington D.C., and New York areas.
Google Wallet is a smartphone app that enables shoppers to pay for merchandise, redeem discounts and earn loyalty points with a single tap of their phone at checkout. Customers who shop with Google Wallet will receive 15-percent off their entire purchase.
To introduce shoppers to Google Wallet, American Eagle Outfitters is hosting a “Tapping Spree” at its Times Square flagship, beginning today through October 31. Google brand ambassadors and trained AEO sales associates will guide customers through the process of using Google Wallet on Sprint Nexus S 4G loaner phones. Phones will be pre-loaded with a $10 gift card, and customers will find additional “surprise offers” throughout the store. The Tapping Spree gives customers the chance to experience paying with Google Wallet while getting a fantastic value at the same time.
“American Eagle Outfitters customers embrace new technologies wholeheartedly,” said Beth McCormick, senior director of information technology, American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. “We are proud to be among the launch partners of Google Wallet, and look forward to continuously making the American Eagle Outfitters shopping experience even more fun and convenient.”
Google Wallet is fully compatible with the AEO AEREWARD$™ loyalty program, eliminating the need to remember numbers or carry a card. Customers automatically earn loyalty points with every transaction. Gift cards and special offers are easily saved and redeemed as well.
“Google Wallet turns your phone into a wallet and makes shopping, a lot faster and easier,” said Osama Bedier, vice president of Payments at Google. “There's no question, American Eagle Outfitters is ahead of the curve when it comes to developing new shopping experiences that match their customers' tech-savvy lifestyle.”
The first version of Google Wallet is available on Sprint's Nexus S 4G phone and will carry a Citi® MasterCard® and a Google Prepaid Card. Additional partners are expected to be added over time.
For a complete list of stores currently accepting Google Wallet and more information, visit google.com/wallet.
About American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc., through its subsidiaries, (“AEO, Inc.”) offers high-quality, on-trend clothing, accessories and personal care products at affordable prices. The American Eagle Outfitters® brand targets 15 to 25 year old girls and guys, with 936 stores in the U.S. and Canada and online at www.ae.com. aerie® by american eagle offers apparel and intimates collections for the AE® girl, with 158 standalone stores in the U.S. and Canada and online at www.aerie.com. The latest brand, 77kids® by american eagle®, is available online at www.77kids.com, as well as at 22 stores across the nation. The 77kids brand offers small sizes and great big style for kids 0-14. AE.COM®, the online home of the brands of AEO, Inc. ships to 76 countries worldwide.
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.
Sam Nelson, 412-432-4500


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So much Apple news, and so little time. Sigh. Iulia and Natasha have rounded up the best stuff and boiled it into a list of briefs so you can save yourself the trouble of actually reading all these lousy tech blogs.
First, there’s now an iPhone app called Cannabis that helps you find a pot dealer. We had this built by an outside company, so we’re completely hands-off and can’t be held responsible for anything. Next up: one that helps you find LSD and other psychedelics, with a social networking component that enables people to filter out bad doses and weak shit.
Second, some Wall Street guy reports that we are delivering 1% of unit sales in the cell phone market, but 20% of the industry’s total operating profit. Sucks to be us, right?
Third, the market for mobile apps is booming, but 90% of developers fail because the space is so crowded and they can’t rise above the noise. And even the few apps that become big hits can’t stay on top for very long. A modest proposal for makers of iPhone apps: Dig up some money and sponsor an edgy, Apple-centric blog with an incredibly attractive demographic of tech-savvy young males with high incomes. Just a thought.
Fourth, apparently a lot of iPhone app developers are pissed at us. Like this guy, who complains, “Trying to communicate with Apple is like talking to a brick wall,” and says he has started to think he can’t really make a business writing apps for iPhone. My response? Tough noogies, you whiny bitch. Go write for the Palm Pre, with their huge installed base. Or go do Android, and you can create a different version of your app for every different piece of hardware that Android runs on. Or hey, go do Windows Mobile. No, seriously. Let us know how that works out for you. As for the rest of you? Back to work, fuckers. Daddy needs to get paid.
Fifth, Dan Frommer of Alley Insider loves his iPhone so much that he wants to have a sex change operation so that he can marry me and give birth to my half-human, half-divine babies. Or something like that.
Sixth, apparently we have reached a deal with China Unicom to bring iPhone to China by September of this year. That’s news to me. Tim Cook says it’s news to him too. But hey, much love, China Unicom.
Seven, some wussies are complaining about our iPhone app screening process because we’ve approved a new iPhone game that they think encourages kids to go all Columbine on their classmates. Fact check: The game does not tell kids to shoot their teachers and classmates. They have to first turn their classmates and teachers into zombies — then shoot them. Huge difference. Because, think about it. Ever seen a zombie movie? These are not nice creatures. The game is called Zombie School and it’s made by a company called Retarded Arts. And it turns out they’ve been astroturfing their app and pretending to be “outraged” consumers. Nice work, guys. We expect to see you on the O’Reilly show by the of this week. If we get a call we’re going to send Katie, and no matter what Bill-O the clown says to her, she’s just going to smile and repeat the same sentence, paraphrasing our press release, over and over: “In just one year we’ve had one and a half billion downloads from our App Store. It’s the biggest success in the history of our industry.”
Eight, some guy at TechCrunch says the iPhone is great but AT&T is a “big, steaming pile” of poop. I have to agree. If anything, we hate those morons at AT&T more than you do. Do you have any idea how awful it is to be yoked to a pack of bozos like that? Truth is, nobody around here runs their iPhone on AT&T. Most of us are on Verizon — we’re doing a trial before the official announcement, which should come later this year or early next. Oops. Did I just say that out loud? In case you’re wondering what it’s like on Verizon — it’s spectacular.
Nine, the dopes who run Twitter love to preen and strut and tout the virtues of openness and freedom of information and total transparency and empowering people to speak the truth and breaking the shackles of of censorship — at least, when those people are in Iran. But they sure sing a different song when that spirit of openness is applied to Twitter itself. Right now they’re threatening to take legal action against TechCrunch, because TechCrunch dared to published some leaked (read: stolen) documents which revealed Twitter’s double-super-top-secret (and incredibly inane) plans to take over the world by 2013. Dear Twitter guys: You are a bunch of hapless half-wits, and now you’re hypocrites, too. Also, fwiw, your product is not a product — it’s a feature. There’s a difference. Your only way out is to be bought by someone who will add your feature to whatever they make. Yes, maybe you’ll have a zillion billion members by 2020. Lot of people use email and IM software, too. Have you heard of any email companies that are taking in a billion dollars a year selling email? Know any billion-dollar IM companies? Yeah, I didn’t think so. But keep gelling your hair into those ridiculous shapes and telling yourselves you’re the next Larry and Sergey. And keep pitching those crazy spreadsheets to VCs, and maybe they’ll keep you alive for another few years, you twats. I just hope Retarded Arts doesn’t create a game where you get turned into zombies and shot. “Zombie Twats.” Something like that.
Sorry, but this Twitter foolishness makes my liver hurt. Where’s my medical marijuana? I’m gonna go download that Cannabis app.


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- In partnership with the University of Minho, New Textiles was awarded second prize in the ctegory of Support to Business Internationalization during the national stage of the European Enterprise Awards, promoted by IAPMEI.
- As part of the International Textile and Innovative Products Awards, the Association of Textile Entrepreneurs of the Valencian Community, in Spain, distinguished the SKINTOSKIN® project, in the category of Textile Innovation.
- The Combat Shirt project was given an honorable mention as part of the International Protection and Security Trade Show (SEGUREX 15). The awards presentation ceremony presided over by Berta Cabral, Deputy State and National Defense Secretary, and by Lieutenant-General Carlos Mourato Nunes, Chairman of SEGUREX’s Strategic Council.
- Honorable mention was given to the Portuguese-French in the area of textile innovation.


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Governments in several countries have already banned the use of mobile devices in the direction, it is not allowed to speak on the cell phone or write messages. Although it sounds simple, it’s difficult to change, thousands of people around the world have already suffered serious crashes from using smartphones while driving. Recently in Paraná a woman hit the car and even so she took selfies.
A new study carried out in the United Kingdom points out that smartphones are not the biggest problem of the new generation. According to information from The Huffington Post, wearing smart watches in the direction is even more dangerous.
The study by the Transport Research Laboratory in Wokingham shows that when reading messages on smartwatches, drivers would take about 2.52 seconds to react and perform some emergency maneuver. Meanwhile, someone talking on the phone with another person reacts in 0.9 seconds.
And smart watches actually got in the worst position of the study, already the driver could react in 1.85 seconds when reading messages on smartphones. The research refers to Apple Watch, but as the device has not yet been released, the lab used a smart watch from another unidentified mark.
The country has already been banned the use of smartwatches in the direction, as well as other mobile devices.The law banning cell phones in transit began in 2003, and after the ban there were only 22 fatal crashes due to the use of such devices. Although tragic, it is a low number considering that it has been 12 years.
Which Smartphone to Choose in ELECTRONICSENCYCLOPEDIA.


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Black Friday saw sales increase 186.54% on smartphone-optimized sites6
Of the 174,111 orders that these sites received, over 70% came from an iPhone while 29% came from an Android model. And those packin' an iPhone spent a little more on average than Android owners. The average order placed on Apple's smartphone came out to $94.18 while $90.88 was the average order for Android owners. Branding Brand's data also revealed that 34.36% of mobile e-commerce traffic last Friday came from a smartphone.
A total of 46 sites were tracked both last year and this year and based on the stats, visits to those sites were up more than 75% over last year, while page views were up 88.32%. The average order rose 22.08% and overall sales made by those sites increased 186.54%
source: BrandingBrand via Newswire


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Google has been noticing the power of Wikipedia during the recent years. The announcement of Knol is not a big surprise. Knol would be a Wikipedia killer. Google has been understanding the profit it can make out of a Wikipedia-like product and also Wikipedia’s loop holes.
Knol, which Google claims to be its own idea, is actually an enhanced version of Wikipedia. Knol means a unit of knowledge. Google plans to include a large number of user-written articles on a wide range of topics. However, when it was released as a beta to the public, it had few articles written mostly in the medical and health sector.
Unlike Wikipedia, Google requires all Knol projects to be posted only after signing into the account. Also, Google would check the authenticity by using an account owner’s credit card information or their phone number.
Search engine experts feel that Knol has been given too much favouritism by Google helping their new pages to come to the top of search results. Even if the content is copied from another website and posted in Knol, you would get top results in Google. Isn’t this cool? This is a huge mistake Google has done to its image. Google followers would no longer feel its results are unbiased.
No comments yet.


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Guy Fieri has joined Pollard Banknote’s portfolio of licensed games for use on printed instant tickets.
The Emmy Award-winning television host and New York Times bestselling author is a “one-of-a-kind” chef and restaurateur.
“He is globally adored for his love of food and his deep appreciation for the hardworking people in the restaurant industry,” Pollard Banknote said of Fieri. “In 2019, the dynamic TV show host received a coveted star on the celebrated Hollywood Walk of Fame.”
“Guy and his team at Knuckle Sandwich, LLC have also built a thriving food and beverage empire.” Flavortown Kitchen, a 175-location delivery-only restaurant brand that offers Guy’s authentic flavors to complement his 80+ scratch kitchen restaurant concepts worldwide, is his most recent creation.”
Fieri debuted his first-ever half-time commercial during Super Bowl LVI in February 2022, which drew an estimated 208 million viewers.
Pollard Banknote stated that his brand, which prioritizes food, fun, and philanthropy, is a great fit for the lottery industry, particularly instant tickets.
“Pollard Banknote strives to deliver entertaining, exciting, and diverse brands to our lottery clients, and we are confident that the endless possibilities presented by Guy Fieri instant tickets, in terms of both art design and prize, will be well received,” Pollard Banknote Vice President, Sales & Marketing Brad Thompson said.
“Guy Fieri’s instantly recognizable persona, combined with his extensive philanthropic endeavors, align well with lotteries seeking to launch dynamic new instant tickets that will increase returns to good causes.”


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Woolworths staff are no longer allowed to handle shoppers’ bank cards.
Staff told Business Insider South Africa that the restriction was implemented towards the end of last year to prevent card fraud, which was confirmed by a Woolworths spokesperson.
“For their own safety, the new process encourages customers to process their own payments but our till operators are there to assist them with the process if required.
"This allows the customer to ‘own their card’ and reduce card handling.”
The new restriction is part of a rollout of new point of sale payment devices at Woolworths over the past couple of months.
The device faces the customer and is relatively far from the cashier, compared to other store devices. Shoppers have to insert or swipe their own Woolworths loyalty and bank cards, which “serves as an additional layer of card security”, the spokesperson said.
Every year, South Africans lose almost half a billion rand in card fraud, Sabric, the South African Banking Risk Information Centre, reported last year.
The new Woolworths point of sales device doesn’t allow for “tap” contactless payment options, but the spokesperson confirmed that this is being introduced in selected stores.
Last year, Sabric was forced to issue a statement that the “tap” payment option is safe following social media reports claiming that it’s open to fraud.
A YouTube video apparently showed how someone with a tap-enabled payment device could steal money from your bank card, even if it's in a wallet in your back pocket.
Sabric said that this is ”not likely”, as getting such device involves a rigorous vetting process by the issuing bank which includes extensive documentation.
“In addition, banks also monitor merchant transaction activity and conduct merchant site visits. Should any irregularities be identified, an investigation will be launched immediately.”
“Furthermore, this payment option is only available for a predetermined number of low value transactions on any specific day, after which a PIN would be required to complete the transaction, so the financial reward associated with these transactions is low, whilst the reputational and prosecution risk to the merchant remains high."
Also from Business Insider South Africa:


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USA / BELGIUM – It is reported that AB-InBev is exploring possibilities of selling its struggling Rolling Rock brand. This comes just three years after Anheuser-Busch bought the brand from InBev for $82million. Rolling Rock sales have been declining in recent years, down 13% last year to 7.4 milliion cases, but due its very recognizable name and look, it could be an appealing brand to a company looking to expand its US market. Rolling Rock pale lager originated 70 years ago in Latrobe, PA and is sold in very distinctive green bottles.
One possible buyer could be North American Breweries, Inc., owned by New York-based private equity firm KPS Capital Partners LP, which has already reached deals to acquire High Falls Brewing Co. and Labatt USA, both located in upstate New York. When asked about the possibility, A KPS spokesman declined to comment. Another potential suitor could be C2 Imports LLC, which also vied for Labatt USA. C2 Imports is a California-based beer importer led by former Anheuser executive Charlie Cindric.
A spokeswoman for Anheuser-Busch InBev, which is based in Leuven, Belgium, declined to comment on the possibility of a sale.
UTAH – Beginning July 1st bars will no longer required to be a “private club” thanks to a new state liquor law signed by Gov. Jon Huntsman on March 30th. The new law eliminates the rule where customers are required to fill out an application and pay a fee before being allowed into a bar. It also allows restaurants to remove the partitions, commonly called the “Zion Curtain”, that separate the bartenders from the customers within restaurants allowing them to directly serve patrons over the bar counters. These changes have been the most radical changes made in 40 years. The changes are being made for efforts to increase the state’s tourism industry which is currently $6 billion per year.
ALEXANDRIA, VA – The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) and the Brewers Association (BA) are now accepting nominations for the 3rd Annual Craft Beer Distributor of the Year Award. This award is presented annually to a beer distributor who actively markets, sells and promotes craft beer. This year’s 3rd Annual Craft Beer Distributor of the Year Award will be presented at the Great American Beer Festival, hosted by BA September 24 – 26, in Denver, Colorado.
Beer distributors and craft brewers can nominate any distributor they believe is deserving of the award. Nominations will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on July 31, 2009. For entry rules and nomination forms, visit http://www.nbwa.org/Industry_Technology/distributor_of_the_year.aspx.
BELGIUM – InBev plans on putting new product launches on hold for the time being. The company states that consumers are nervous with the current economy and, as other reports have shown, they are sticking with brands that they know. Planned brand extensions for the Becks’ and Budweiser brands have been put on ice.
As for further efforts to raise money to pay down debt stemming from its $52 billion acquisition of Anheuser-Busch last year InBev is still considering letting go some of the brands in its portfolio – included in possibilities are the ale brands, Estrella Damm and Michelob as well as Leffe and Hoegaarden. Some say that the company has also been in discussions with Dutch brewer Heineken to sell its Czech unit, Pivovary Staropramen. Pivovary Staropramen is the second-largest brewery in the Czech Republic and has been valued at $255 million to $306 million. InBev executives are not commenting on this speculation.
Stuart MacFarlane, InBev president of UK and Ireland, said the company will focus its attention behind its core brands-Stella Artois, Becks Vier and Budweiser.
KENTUCKY – As of April 1st, Kentucky introduced a 6% sales tax on spirits, wine and beer sold at package stores. This same tax is already in effect at bars and restaurants. Brown-Forman makes the point that after this tax, Kentucky has the nation’s second-highest tax on alcoholic beverages at retail level. Alaska is number one in this category. Brown-Forman also feels that Kentucky is punishing its signature product – Bourbon and along with the Kentucky Distillers Association feel the new tax is putting state distillers at “a significant competitive disadvantage.”
UNITED KINGDOM – The UK’s leading premium ale, Fuller’s London Pride, returns to TV this spring with the heaviest-ever on screen activity from April 1st through the end of May. Starting April 1, a new version of London Pride’s ‘ingredients’ advertisement will appear in prominent slots during the ITV network’s most high profile sports, drama, documentary and entertainment programming, including International, Champions League, FA Cup and Uefa Cup football as well as the popular new series Lewis and a number of films. For additional support for the TV ads, London Pride will also feature poster campaigns across London and the southern half of the country.
John Roberts, managing director of The Fuller’s Beer Company, said: “London Pride is the UK’s leading premium ale and is well-known to discerning beer drinkers. This campaign will see us reach more of those drinkers than ever before.”
Fuller’s U.S. products are imported and represented by Distinguished Brands International, LLC in Littleton, CO. Visit their website at www.distinguished-brands.com
NEW YORK – The New York wine bill that proposed selling wine in grocery stores was squashed by liquor store owners and other competitors in late March. Supporters of the bill are likely to try to revive it through a compromise bill this spring. The compromise would allow grocery store wine sales in exchange for allowing liquor stores to operate more outlets and carry more offerings like food and beer. The plan would also limit wine selections in grocery stores to winemakers who produce fewer than 250,000 gallons of wine a year, which means sales would mainly come from the state’s primarily smaller farm wineries. A spokesman for the liquor stores said they will oppose the compromise bill as well.
In addition, New York will be raising taxes on wine and beer. The final budget that was released at the end of March states wine tax will increase to 30 cents per gallon and tax on beer will go up to 14 cents per gallon – from the previous 11 cents. The taxes will be paid by the wineries and breweries and will most likely be passed on to consumers. This could feasibly result in a double tax increasing to as high as 58% for wine and 27% for beer.
POTTSVILLE, PA – D.G. Yuengling & Son is now producing a new Bock variety much to the excitement of their loyal drinkers. It has only been released in the past month and currently is only available on tap. It is expected to make a strong statement among the loyal Yuengling drinkers looking for something “a little different”.
Reviews of the new brew state the beer pours smooth like a Bock should. It has a dark-brown color with an off-white head. Its aroma is pleasant with notes of caramel and malts; however, these smells have a tendency to dissipate as the beer sits. The taste starts out strong but mellows after the first few sips. It should be compared more to Michelob’s Amber Bock versus the more robust and darker Dopple Bock. Overall it’s a very smooth tasting, balanced beer that’s very easy to drink throughout the night. Yuengling Bock has a 5.1 percent ABV.
UNITED KINGDOM — London brewer and pub retailer, Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C., is sending a clear bold message to the Chancellor ahead of this month’s budget announcement with a huge banner at its Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, West London. The banner, situated on the Hogarth Roundabout, will be seen by hundreds of thousands of motorists every day and it urges the public to say no to the Chancellor’s planned beer duty hike by lobbying their MP at the dedicated campaign website, www.axethebeertax.com. Concerned pub-goers can also send a message to the Chancellor by texting the word ‘Lobby’ to 81025. Through the campaign the Chancellor is being asked to abandon the 2% above inflation increase announced at the last budget and give British pubs a fighting chance of survival in the current downturn.
Unveiling the banner, Fuller’s Chairman, Michael Turner, said: “The tax on beer imposed by the Chancellor has been increased by 18% in the last year alone and British drinkers pay more tax on their pint than anywhere else in Europe. Enough is enough.”
“We have seen over 2,000 pubs close their doors for good in the last 12 months, with the loss of around 20,000 jobs.”
Fuller’s U.S. products are distributed by Distinguished Brands International located in Littleton, CO. You can visit their website at www.distinguished-brands.com.
INDUSTRY – Pointer Media Network (division of Catalina Marketing) has released numbers that show 7.5 million of total wine consumers, or 6.8%, drive 80% of the category’s total US volume. This indicates that the “targeted” wine consumer may be more concentrated than you think. For premium imported wine the number is even more concentrated. They found 5.2 million consumers, or 4.7%, drive the volume and for table/box wines it’s only 5 million consumers or 4.6%.
PMN says these numbers are important for wine marketers so they can “Precisely target brand messaging and find the best, most profitable consumers”.
UNITED KINGDOM – A source from U.K. publication The Morning Advertiser was quoted as saying that the rate of pub closures is likely to peak at around 46 a week at some point later this year. If this happens, it could leave only 56,000 pubs open and operating in the UK in the next five years – a startling decline from the 62,742 that are open currently. A CGA Strategy consultant says that although food-led pubs will out-perform; the community boozer is not in terminal decline. The consultant suggests that ‘what’s going on is a re-alignment’. We can continue to hope this is the case.


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Move, Tamagotchi toy. Tamagotchi kids are the future.
In the next 50 years, parents will have the choice to have digital children, according to a new book from one of the UK’s leading authorities on artificial intelligence. Catriona Campbell, the author of AI by Design: A Blueprint for Life with Artificial IntelligenceHe’s dubbed them the “Tamagotchi Generation,” after the digital animal toys from Japan that were all the rage in the 1990s and early 2000s.
What are Tamagotchis?
They are electronic pets created by Japanese toy manufacturer Bandai and the task is to keep them alive. As of March 2021, Bandai has sold more than 83 million Tamagotchi units.
Once the video game is activated, an egg will appear on the screen and hatch into a pet for the player to raise. It needs to be fed and cared for when sick. The pet goes through the normal life cycle – baby, child, teenager and adult.
The pets can “die” due to old age and illness.
What are digital sprouts?
According to Campbell, technology will likely advance to the point where parents will have the ability to have virtual babies that will exist in the metaverse. They can be accessed using virtual reality technology like a headset to make the user feel as if they are face to face with the child.
In conversation with Guardian, the British AI expert said that digital children will not be an anomaly. “As the metaverse continues to evolve, I can see virtual children becoming an accepted and fully accepted part of society in much of the developed world,” she said.
What will these children look like?
Digital children can be built to look like their parents. “…you will be able to play and cuddle with them. They’ll be able to simulate emotional responses as well as language ranging from ‘Googoo Gaga’ to backchat as they get older,” Campbell said Guardian.
Parents can interact with their virtual children in virtual parks, swimming pools or living rooms. They can choose how fast the children grow up, or they can choose to let the babies be babies.
And if you have the kids on the monthly subscription, you can cancel it, according to the report.
What are the advantages of digital children?
For starters, it can control overpopulation. Also, raising children is a costly affair. Not so much with virtual babies. You can have them as long as you can afford the subscription or until you don’t get bored.
“Think of the benefits: minimal cost and environmental impact. And less worry — although you might want a little bit of that programmed in for a more authentic parenting experience,” Campbell said in the interview.
Virtual children will use far fewer resources than human babies and they will have little impact on the environment.
“Make no mistake that this development, if it does happen, is a technological game changer that, if managed properly, could help us solve some of today’s most pressing problems, including overpopulation,” Campbell said Email online.
What are the disadvantages?
It’s not flesh and blood. It’s more like the far more advanced version of the Tamagotchi pet. And it probably isn’t for someone looking for an authentic parenting experience.
Have there been any experiments in the past?
Yes, this is not a completely new idea.
“BabyX” is an experiment by New Zealand company Soul Machines that aims to humanize AI. The “brain” of the virtual child consists of algorithms that infer good and evil. This allows BabyX to learn to respond to interactions like a real child. According to a report in Analytics insight.
With contributions from agencies
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From the launch of Omnicom Media Group’s latest agency network, to the final verdict on Volkswagen’s global media business, we count down 2016’s most-read stories by M&M Global readers.
Boy, oh boy – what a year it has been. We’ve seen Britain vote to leave the European Union, a reality TV star voted in as the next president of the United States and many of the world’s leading culture figures – from Bowie to Prince – pass on.
For marketers and media professionals, it has proved equally tumultuous.
The ANA’s report into the alleged acceptance of media rebates by agencies sent shockwaves through the industry in North America and beyond, and created a storm of accusations about a perceived lack of transparency in the client-agency relationship.
While the year started with much noise about the potential of Virtual Reality, it was Augmented Reality that achieved its crossover moment through the Pokémon Go phenomenon, which sent the world temporarily insane in the summer months.
And, more happily for media owners, 2016 was the breakthrough year for brand content, with publishers rushing to invest in in-house studios, and advertisers piling into the content space in droves.
But what did M&M Global readers consider to be the biggest stories of the year, if we use page views as our metric of choice? As ever, the list contains plenty of surprises…
Alongside the major Publicis Media shake-up, the launch of Omnicom Media Group’s new agency Hearts & Science – to house its newly-won Procter & Gamble business – was one of the biggest stories in agency-land. Here we explained the Hearts & Science proposition.
The integrity of supply, the rise of ad avoidance and issues surrounding data-driven marketing were among the challenges in need of urgent address in digital media, according to the ‘Interaction 2016′ report, released in April by WPP’s GroupM.
With agency groups such as Havas reuniting creative and media agencies under a single roof, in the form of its Havas Village concept, M&M Global investigated what the new-style ‘full-service’ agency model might look like in the future.
Way back in January, Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings revealed the video streaming service had simultaneously launched across 130 countries globally. We asked media experts what the industry should expect from Netflix over the coming 12 months.
After the year of ‘Mediapalooza’, 2016 was always going to be quieter on the new business front. However, plenty of huge chunks of business still landed into the arms of new agencies – including this huge global win for Omnicom Media Group’s PHD.
One of those aforementioned surprises. Our readers lapped up news that Dentsu Aegis Network had completed a burst of acquisitions with the purchase of Mexican creative digital agency Flock, allowing it to launch its Isobar business in the market.
In February, the BBC revealed plans to boost its commercial presence in sub-Saharan Africa, with the launch of a new Johannesburg-based team, 12 months on from the roll-out of BBC.com’s Africa edition.
Our wide-ranging interview with OMD EMEA president Nikki Mendonca revealed the agency’s digital ‘pivot’, and discussed the challenge of making science ‘sexy’ in media.
Another surprise inclusion in our top 10. Following a successful expansion to São Paulo, European ad tech firm RTB House told M&M Global it would be opening operations in Latin America, focusing on business development in Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico.
In a February interview, Heineken’s then- global head of media and digital Gregory Kukolj told M&M Global why the brewer is using media to inform its most fundamental marketing decisions. Kukolj has since left Heineken to join Booking.com as global head of media.


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Eight Ounce Coffee
About the company
Eight Ounce Coffee is a specialty coffee equipment distributor, selling to almost 3,000 cafes, roasters, hotels, kitchen and lifestyle stores across Canada and in the U.S.
Location: Calgary, Alberta Industry: Food and Beverage
Eight Ounce Coffee co-owners Jennifer and Wesley Farnell quickly realized how crucial their website would be during the COVID-19 shutdown.
“Literally overnight we lost about 90% of our wholesale business,” Wesley says. “Many of the cafes were closed down and all of the hotels and restaurants were all closed down.”
What made the difference is that that their business always had a strong online focus, developed by Jennifer.
“People could just order online and get what they wanted delivered,” she says. “Local delivery comes directly from us.”
Their showroom, open to wholesale and retail customers, was shut down and reopens in July.
The company’s already strong direct-to-consumer sales stayed static initially, but increased by over 500% in April, Wesley says.
Eight Ounce Coffee also had supply chain issues because factories that make equipment they sell were closed. But once they were able to get one of their best-selling brands back in stock, Eight Ounce Coffee had its two biggest days ever at the beginning of June.
The Calgary company wasn’t selling coffee on its website because it didn’t want to compete with coffee roasters that are its customers. But the couple decided to start selling coffee from more than 30 Canadian roasters on consignment and not keep any profits to help them.
“It helped with the morale of our employees knowing that we could all pitch in and help our customers,” Jennifer says.
They also say the pandemic has provided them with an opportunity to start working on a subscription coffee service, something they’ve wanted to do for a while.