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PocketGamer.biz is regularly rounding up the most interesting games that are currently in soft launch.
An important part of the games-as-a-service approach, the soft launch process enables developers to fine-tune their game, particularly in relation to meta-game mechanics such as time gates, in-game resources and psychological components.
Behind the scenes
Of course, some games require more time in soft launch than others; something that can reveal a game experiencing more serious issues than mere fine-tuning.
But, along with that, the main point of the feature is to get you excited about the games you'll soon be able to play...
Developer: NCSoft Where: US, UK, Brazil, Germany, Canada, France, Chile, Spain, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Ireland, Portugal, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Argentina, Peru and Mexico Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: September 24th, 2021 Updates: N/A
NCSoft has soft-launched the second entry in the Lineage series, Lineage2M, on iOS and Android.
Lineage2M is a fantasy MMORPG based on the classic 2003 PC game Lineage 2. Players begin by creating their own character and venturing forth into the expansive open world.
Users can interact with other players and complete missions and defeat enemies together or go solo. NCSoft has stated that Lineage2M will support more than 10,000 players in one location at a time.
Additionally, Lineage2M features a collision detection system as is the first mobile MMORPG to do so.
Players can pre-register for Lineage2M via the App Store and Google Play. Lineage2M is currently expected to be released on December 31st, 2021.
Developer: Industrial Toys (EA) Where: Indonesia and the Philippines Platforms: Android Live since: August 18th, 2021 Updates: (5) September 22nd, 2021
Industrial Toys, a subsidiary of EA, has soft-launched Battlefield Mobile on Android devices.
Battlefield Mobile brings the Battlefield franchise to mobile for the first time, featuring iconic gameplay features of the franchise. Players can team up in squads and battle across both old maps and new with a range of weapons and vehicles.
In Battlefield Mobile, players can customise their soldiers with personalised weapons, gadgets, skins and more as uses level up and progress. Additionally, Battlefield Mobile features a sandbox mode that allows players to create their own rules.
MMA Manager 2: Ultimate Fight
Developer: Tilting Point Where: Austria and the Philippines Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: September 22nd, 2021 Updates: (1) September 26th, 2021
In MMA Manager 2, players will hire trainers, plan out fights, choose coaches, recruit fighters and purchases gyms and fill them with training equipment.
In addition to single-player gameplay, players will be able to challenge one another in the Fight Club to earn credits, prestige and money to expand the gym and gather more fighters.
Adventure Chef Merge Explorer
Developer: Pocket Gems Where: Singapore, Canada, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: September 7th, 2021 Updates: (1) September 20th, 2021
Pocket Gems has soft-launched Adventure Chef Merge Explorer on iOS and Android.
Adventure Chef Merge Explorer will see players build a food empire through exploring the world, merging to collect new ingredients and finding and cooking new recipes.
Players can merge seeds into huge plants and create an array of cuisine, from bread to tacos and smoothies to apple pies. These are sold through a variety of food trucks which can be renovated and upgraded as players level up.
To discover new recipes, players will explore forests. volcanoes, swamps, mountains, and deserts for the newest and freshest ingredients.
Adventure Chef Merge Explorer is free-to-play and includes optional in-app purchases.
Plants vs. Zombies 3
Developer: PopCap Games Where: Australia and the Philippines Platforms: Android Live since: September 7th, 2021 Updates: N/A
Last year, PopCap initially soft-launched the title but the studio later removed the game from soft launch following months of testing to return with a "better imagining" of the game.
The third entry to the mobile garden warfare series will once again see players defend Neighbourville through the classic lane-based tower defence gameplay from previous entries. Plants vs. Zombies 3 will also include several new features, such as puzzles and revamped art style.
The game is currently being tested in Australia and the Philippines in a pre-alpha stage on Android devices with no official release date scheduled.
Football Battle - Touchdown
Developer: Miniclip Where: United States, Mexico and Portugal Platforms: Android Live since: August 27th, 2021 Updates: (3) September 20th, 2021
In Football Battle - Touchdown, players create teams and recruit friends to play against other real players around the world. By placing cards players can attack their rivals to score a touchdown and steal their experience to level up themselves.
Teams can compete in major American football competitions to become the top team worldwide.
The second update introduced daily rewards that stack to give players greater rewards.
Developer: Star Blast Where: Canada Platforms: iOS Live since: August 31st, 2021 Updates: (2) October 2nd, 2021
Peak Games has soft-launched a new entry to the Blast series, Star Blast.
In Star Blast, players will complete various match-three puzzles to help Brad Beaver and crew become the best movie studio in the world. Completing puzzles will unlock new scenes, introduce new characters and unlock gifts that aid Brad in directing his next motion picture.
Players work towards collecting all of the scenes until each movie is complete.
The game also features a Party Mode which brings additional challenges.
Developer: Rising Wings Where: Austria, Sweden, Hungary, Norway, Finland, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Peru, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Chile, Poland, Thailand and Vietnam Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: May 28th, 2021 Updates: (8) September 29th, 2021
Rising Wings has soft-launched Castle Craft, a real-time player versus player strategy game.
In Castle Craft, players create armies formed of different commanders and units that can be played in various strategies to win against opponents. Commanders and units can be levelled up to make them stronger and give players a competitive advantage.
Players can scout enemy bases to discover the enemy’s strategies and respond accordingly by expanding their bases and adding unit cards.
Castle Crash features a guild function where players can share strategies, compete and earn daily rewards together.
Pre-registrations for Castle Craft are currently open with the game expected to be released worldwide in October 2021 on the App Store and Google Play.
Developer: Supercell Where: Canada, UK, Nordics, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Philippines and Malaysia Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: August 23rd, 2021 Updates: (2) September 6th, 2021
Supercell has soft-launched Everdale, a new co-op builder game and IP from the studio.
Everdale focuses on co-operative world-building with villages made of 10 players, while being set in an all-new fantasy universe that is described as "peaceful, relaxing and filled with enchantment".
Everdale allows players to collaborate and see each other’s progress in real-time. It is also a social game right from the start, allowing players to play as a community in the same seamless world.
The game launched with an open beta on August 23rd across the UK, Nordics, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Philippines and Malaysia. Everdale is set to release globally if it passes the company's criteria during testing.
The Witch Diaries
Developer: Proxima Beta (Tencent) Where: Australia, Canada and New Zealand Platforms: Android Live since: August 12th, 2021 Updates: (1) September 18th, 2021
Proxima Beta has soft-launched The Witch Diaries in Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Players are tasked with helping Betty the witch renovate and decorate an old castle by completing hundreds of match-three levels that award gems. The gems collected from levels are used to unlock and decorate areas of the castle that unveil the castle’s mystery.
A worldwide release date is yet to be announced.
Gundam Supreme Battle
Developer: Bandai Namco Where: Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and Macau Platforms: Android and iOS Live since: November 2nd, 2020 Updates: (4) August 18th, 2021
Bandai Namco Entertainment has soft-launched Gundam Supreme Battle across several countries in Southeast Asia.
Players will pilot a Gundam with access to all of the weapons and abilities that come with it, including the beam sabre, beam rifle and the mega particle cannon and battle against other Gundams' in real-time battles.
The game features key locations and voice acting from the original voice actors from across the multiple animated Gundam series.
Digimon: New Century
Developer: Bandai Namco (Tencent) Where: China Platforms: Android Live since: October 23rd, 2020 Updates: (7) October 8th, 2021
Digimon: New Century is a role-playing game set in the Digimon universe and follows an original storyline. Players are tasked with collecting Digimon and using them to battle to progress. Tencent confirmed to PG.biz that the game is currently in a closed beta stage that started on August 5th 2021 and will finish on September 5th 2021.
The game has been in development for several years. Tencent purchased publishing rights to the title for China. No official release date has been confirmed at this time.
Developer: NetEase Where: New Zealand, Australia, Germany and the UK Platforms: Android Live since: April 28th, 2021 Updates: (8) September 29th, 2021
NetEase has soft-launched Lost Light, a survival shooter featuring "realistic warfare survival" that was initially soft-launched in New Zealand and Australia.
In Lost Light, players take on the role of a member of Firefly Squad, tasked with surviving in the dangerous Exclusion Zone and competing against other players for resources. Players can choose to work together and trade supplies or go solo against the competition.
Gathered supplies can be utilised to transform the ruins of the underground railroad into a survival shelter, where goods and information can be shared with other survivors. The game emphasises that fighting is not the only way to survive and that trading is a viable (and safer) survival alternative.
The third update saw the game soft-launched in the UK and Germany, with support for German and Russian languages added.
The eighth update reduced the damage that players take when sprinting with a leg fracture whilst being sedated. In addition, pre-registrations opened for Russia, Canada and the US.
The seventh update introduced a new shooting range that players can use to try out firearms with no extra cost and new tutorials for some of the games various features were integrated.
Heroes of the Dark
Developer: Gameloft Where: Bulgaria, Romania and the Philippines Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: July 7th, 2021 Updates: (5) September 16th, 2021
Gameloft has soft-launched Heroes of the Dark, a new strategy RPG currently being tested in Bulgaria, Romania and the Philippines.
The game involves a fight for supremacy between humans, vampires and werewolves. The setting for the game is a magic war-ravaged Earth following the destruction of the moon in the Victorian era.
Heroes of the Dark is described as a real-time multiplayer with five versus five battles. Players will be able to recruit a collection of dark heroes, as well as build and protect the mansion that the heroes reside in.
The third update added a marketplace with different sections and introduce player versus player battles.
Developer: Iridium Starfish (Take-Two) Where: Malaysia and the Philippines Platforms: Android Live since: July 13th, 2021 Updates: (8) September 14th, 2021
Take-Two has soft-launched a new XCOM game, developed by Iridium Starfish, in the Philippines.
The game is called XCOM Legends and is a turn-based RPG featuring a campaign mode involving battling waves of enemies, earning new heroes that can be brought into a PvP mode. Daily challenges and unique hero specific "war stories" are also ways for players to gather experience.
The setting for the game is a post-alien invasion Earth where the aliens, known as ADVENT, have claimed victory over humanity. The player is tasked with fighting back against the aliens in an alien versus human war.
Developer: Ubisoft Where: Netherlands, Costa Rica, Ireland, Kyrgyzstan, Czech Republic, France, Israel, Switzerland, Norway, Portugal, Belgium, Poland, Spain, Thailand, UK and the US Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: June 11th, 2021 Updates: (4) August 23rd, 2021
Ubisoft has soft-launched guitar learning app Rocksmith on mobile devices.
Rocksmith teaches players how to learn acoustic, electric or bass guitar by playing along to their favourite songs. The game runs on PC but also comes as a mobile app that offers real-time feedback to improve your skills. Ubisoft claims that Rocksmith has helped almost five million people learn how to play the guitar.
The app is already in beta on PC and is due to launch on the platform this fall, although no official date has been shared for the iOS and Android releases.
Transformers: Heavy Metal
Developer: Very Very Spaceship (Niantic) Where: New Zealand and Denmark Platforms: Android Live since: June 29th, 2021 Updates: (5) September 10th, 2021
Players will join the Guardian Network, a group of humans who have banded together with the Autobots in a war against the Decepticons. From here, players will uncover hidden regions across Earth to find resources and battle Decepticons in turn-based battles, either solo or with friends.
Takara Tomy will publish the game in Japan and Seattle-based studio Very Very Spaceship will handle development while utilising Niantic's Lightship platform.
Transformers: Heavy Metal will roll out sometime in June for those in New Zealand, before launching globally later this year.
The fourth update added a condensed tutorial for new players of the game and updated sound effects for most of the characters.
Boom Beach: Frontlines
Developer: Space Ape Games Where: US and Europe Platforms: Android Live since: June 4th, 2021 Updates: (1) July 1st, 2021
Space Ape Games has entered a closed alpha test for Boom Beach: Frontlines, a new game set in the Boom Beach universe.
Initially, the testing will be available to 15,000 players (10,000 in the US and 5,000 in Europe) from June 4th to June 21st. Those that gain access will be able to unlock troops, vehicles and power-ups, explore different islands and outwit their enemies with the help of teammates.
The original Boom Beach was an MMO real-time strategy game created by Supercell. It released in November 2013 and had generated $820 million by September 2018.
Boom Beach: Frontlines will exit closed beta and enter official soft launch in Q4 2021.
EA Sports UFC Mobile 2
Developer: EA Where: New Zealand and the Philippines Platforms: Android Live since: April 19th, 2021 Updates: (11) September 30th, 2021
EA has soft-launched UFC Mobile 2 in New Zealand and the Philippines, as it prepares to roll out the game worldwide.
The new iteration will feature real-time player versus player, where fighters will go head-to-head with a friend or a rival in their own private Octagon. There will also be a social aspect where users can join or create a Guild to take on multiplayer challenges, as well as the ability to customise fighters to a particular playstyle.
EA confirmed during a developer stream that more regions will be getting access to the testing phase in the near future with those on iOS getting access too soon.
The second update has made the game available on iOS via Apple Testflight. The game has received updates to visuals to HD-quality and additional gameplay has been added.
Star Stable Online
Developer: Star Stable Entertainment Where: Australia Platforms: iOS Live since: September 28th, 2020 Updates: (14) October 6th, 2021
Star Stable Entertainment has launched a closed beta for the popular online horse racing adventure, Star Stable Online.
After nearly a decade on PC, the mobile version will look to enable cross-play across both platforms. The Swedish developer has been testing the game since September 2020 and has tentative scheduled a release as "coming soon".
"With each week, the adventure evolves across 20 expansive lands, 300-plus horse varieties and thousands of quests," said Star Stable Entertainment CMO Tabitha Hayes.
"Star Stable Online is the destination where 1.4 million tween/teen horse-loving girls come to play, compete and socialise every month. In keeping with today’s gaming landscape, we are excited to bring the mobile version of Star Stable Online to players around the globe allowing them to seamlessly move from their PC and Mac to mobile devices.
Jetpack Joyride 2: Bullet Rush
Developer: Halfbrick Studios Where: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Chile, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain. Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: February 26th, 2021 Updates: (13) September 15th, 2021
Halfbrick Studios has revealed that Jetpack Joyride will be receiving a new free-to-play sequel.
Jetpack Joyride 2: Bullet Rush sees protagonist Barry Steakfries equip himself with guns and discover new shooting abilities. Players can jump into a race, dodge multiple hazards, fly through the lab, as well as dash and rush through new laboratories with the help of infinite bullets!
While keeping a lot of similar traits with the original endless runner, Jetpack Joyride 2 now has specific levels to complete and will feature a boss in every stage. Barry also possesses a life meter now too, as opposed to the one-hit-kill system in the 2011 release.
Halfbrick Studios confirmed to PocketGamer.biz that the game is now available in Spain via soft launch and is "hoping" to release the game globally in 2021.
The 10th update brought a new game mode called Arcade Mode that includes a variety of minigames, along with additional power-ups and the ability to enhance powers with unique skills.
Midsomer Murders: Words, Crime & Mystery
Developer: Qiiwi Games Where: Canada, Netherlands and Sweden Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: May 17th, 2021 Updates: (14) September 27th, 2021
Qiiwi Games has soft-launched a new word-based title based on the popular British detective series, Midsomer Murders.
In Midsomer Murders: Words, Crime & Mystery, players join Elizabeth Barnaby, DCI John Barnaby’s niece and a new addition to the Midsomer Constabulary, to put their detective skills to the test by completing mini-games and crossword puzzles. With the help of Elizabeth and Paddy the dog, users can interrogate suspects, discover hidden clues and unravel the story behind the crime.
The game will be available on the App Store and the Play Store in Canada, Netherlands and Sweden as soon as each store’s approval process is complete.
Om Nom A-mazing Candy
Developer: ZeptoLab Where: North America Platforms: Android Live since: March 19th, 2021 Updates: N/A
Players must feed Om Nom candies while avoiding spiders to clear the level. The description also points to unlockable characters and the ability to play with friends online. Levels will increasingly become more challenging.
Early reviews for those who have gained access to the testing period have given the game a 2.39-star rating out of five from 18 reviews.
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment Where: Australia Platforms: Android Live since: April 20th, 2021 Updates: (16) October 6th, 2021
The free-to-play title based on the popular action RPG series looks to be set between the events of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction and Diablo III. After a frosty introduction at Blizzcon 2018, the studio has been quietly at work on the game. On August 3rd, 2021, Activision Blizzard delayed Diablo Immortal to the first half of 2022.
"Explore the nightmarish realm of Sanctuary like never before, now a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) where angels and demons wage an endless war over dominion of the mortal realm," reads the game description.
"Join forces with countless other players on an epic quest to collect the shattered fragments of the corrupted Worldstone and prevent the Lord of Terror’s return."
Apex Legends Mobile
Developer: Respawn Where: India and the Philippines Platforms: Android Live since: April 20th, 2021 Updates: (10) September 21st, 2021
Respawn has confirmed that Apex Legends Mobile will enter a regional beta test on Android devices.
Only a few thousand people will be granted entry to the early testing before eventually expanding to iOS and other regions at a later date. The mobile version of the highly popular battle royale has specifically been designed for touchscreens, adding in streamlined controls and optimisations.
"We've built a dedicated team here at Respawn filled with experts in mobile game development to lead the creation of Apex Legends Mobile, but it's a collaborative effort with our established Apex Legends team and other partners," said Apex Legends game director Chad Grenier.
The studio handling development will be a new team based in Vancouver, Canada.
Developer: Alpha Dog Games (Bethesda) Where: New Zealand, Finland, Norway and Sweden Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: April 7th, 2021 Updates: (8) August 24th, 2021
Alpha Dog Games has launched an early access program for what looks to be a new Doom experience designed for mobile devices.
Mighty Doom is a run and gunner that has the Mini Slayer fighting waves of demons through miniaturised versions of iconic Doom locations. It also looks to utilise a loot system to level up, upgrade and craft gear, as well as the ability to unlock fan-favourite weapons like the Plasma Rifle and Rocket Launcher.
The free-to-play game is only available on Google Play with access currently full, though it does note that spaces may open up at a later time.
Bethesda was unable to comment when reached out to.
Alpha Dog Games has confirmed to PocketGamer.biz that Mighty Doom has now begun early testing in New Zealand on iOS and Android devices.
The first update adjusted the difficulty balancing and diversity of room layouts throughout chapters, improved texture compression to reduce app size and improve performance, rebalanced volume levels for music as well as various bug fixes.
The third update now makes players start the game with a chainsaw, added a tutorial for the weapon, made it so there's a higher chance of finding shotguns in earlier chapters, as well as various bug fixes and improvements.
The seventh update Slayers made it so you can get the Gold, Crimson, or Classic Doom Marine, each with its own unique ability.
Developer: Rovio Where: US, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Denmark, Spain, Lithuania and the Philippines Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: April 8th, 2021 Updates: (10) September 29th, 2021
Rovio has soft-launched Supernatural City, a new narrative-driven match-three puzzler.
Taking inspiration from Small Town Murders, Supernatural City will see players "discover the grand and bustling city of New Gateway", alongside Ellie Delmar as she searches for her missing father and learns to control her new powers to speak with ghosts. By exploring the city, discovering hidden clues and meeting with a cast of allies, Ellie will begin to piece together the mystery.
"Explore the big city, make matches and uncover hidden supernatural secrets. The truth is hard to believe, but even harder to ignore," reads the app description.
The fifth update allows users to log in to Apple to save their progress in the game. Updates to in-game visuals and changing backgrounds were also implemented.
Developer: Supercell Where: Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Canada, Iceland and the Philippines Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: April 6th, 2021 Updates: (5) June 21st, 2021
Supercell has soft-launched the first of three Clash of Clans spinoff titles currently in development at the studio, Clash Quest.
The turn-based, tactical adventure strategy game is based around each battle being divided into a few stages, starting with a set amount of Troops in the player's army. If a player runs out of Troops, they ultimately lose the match. Both bosses and items will be new additions to the Clash universe. The game also looks to utilise an energy meter.
One way to get stronger is to earn more units. This can be done by exploring the Archipelago and obtaining "army increases" from rewards gained in battle or around the map. One tactic is to deploy individual Troops, but the better option is to form larger combinations of the same Troop to help win the battle.
"The Clash Quest team is a small team in Helsinki and we hope to provide a fresh take on the Clash world," said Supercell game designer Touko Tahkokallio.
Developer: Niantic (Tokyo) and Nintendo Where: Singapore Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: March 30th, 2021 Updates: (44) October 7th, 2021
Niantic has soft-launched its upcoming Pikmin AR mobile game in Singapore.
Designed around the "theme of making walking fun", the new experience utilises Google Fit to keep track of the player's step count, Players will be given an item bag with Pikmin Seedlings that grow by absorbing Step Energy through walking. Pikmin can then be plucked once a certain amount of energy has been achieved.
Different types of Pikmin will be available, including: Red Pikmin, Blue Pikmin, Yellow Pikmin, Purple Pikmin, White Pikmin Winged Pikmin and Rock Pikmin. Decor Pikmin, a new type of species was also discovered in-game. These creatures will wear clothing that is most associated with the area they are found.
The new 'Pikmin App' (as it's tentative being named) will launch sometime in 2021.
Tom and Jerry: Chase
Developer: NetEase Where: Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: March 1st, 2021 Updates: (16) September 30th, 2021
After previously launching Tom and Jerry: Chase in a number of countries, NetEase has now soft-launched the title in Japan and South Korea.
Tom and Jerry: Chase is a one versus four casual mobile experience that recreates the art style of the original classic TV show. The gameplay revolves around four people controlling Jerry and his friends while the singular controls Tom and tries to catch the mice.
Already a huge success in China, Tom and Jerry: Chase has surpassed more than 100 million users in its first year of release. It is also available in the following regions: Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
Tomb Raider Reloaded
Developer: Emerald City Games (Square Enix) Where: Australia, Ireland, Sweden, Thailand and the Philippines Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: December 2020 Updates: (8) September 21st, 2021
Emerald City Games has soft-launched Tomb Raider Reloaded, a new free-to-play action-arcade adventure that will see the return of Lara Croft's signature dual pistols.
Published by Square Enix, players will blast their way through tomb after tomb collecting relics, unlocking skills and facing supernatural enemies. The game looks to take inspiration from the original Tomb Raider titles with makers of the 2013 reboot, Crystal Dynamics, contributing to the project also.
Tomb Raider Reloaded is scheduled to launch sometime in 2021 to coincide with the character's 25th anniversary.
The first update made it so Lara flies to the new location of St. Francis’ Folly in Greece where she can discover a new Relic piece: The Owl Head. New challenges that provide extra rewards on a daily and weekly basis were added too, alongside a ton of bug fixes and optimisations.
The third update improved upon the tutorial for a "better first-time experience", balanced the Daily Dash tasks, added graphical improvements and fixed a number of error pop-ups and technical issues.
The eighth update introduced a new character, an improved game tutorial and provided support for five additional languages: French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Nickelodeon Kart Racers
Developer: Kung Fu Factory (Netmarble) Where: Malaysia, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland Platforms: iOS Live since: March 8th, 2021 Updates: (5) August 31st, 2021
Netmarble subsidiary Kung Fu Factory has soft-launched Nickelodeon Kart Racers, a new free-to-play mobile kart racing starring SpongeBob SquarePants and friends.
Drivers speed their way across slime-filled tracks to unlock gear and parts to grow their vehicles while going head-to-head against a number of fan-favourite Nickelodeon characters,
The list of playable characters includes: SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick Star, Sandy Cheeks; Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender; Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Shredder from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Tommy, Angelica, and Reptar from the Rugrats, Arnold Shortman from Hey Arnold; Rocko from Rocko’s Modern Life; JoJo Siwa, and more.
Bamtang Games and Nickelodeon previously partnered for two console iterations in 2018 and 2020 respectively. This looks to be a different team altogether with Nickledeon turning to mobile specialist Netmarble for the iOS version.
The third update added new tilting controls to steer the karts and new items that can appear on the tracks, such as oil spills or boost pads.
Villains - Robot Battle Royale
Developer: Birdletter Where: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and the Philippines Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: December 2nd, 2020 Updates: (7) January 25th, 2021
Set in Hellywood, where all the villains are battling to be the "baddest in the land", players must shoot, punch and bits until the final victor is crowned champion. Matches last approximately five minutes with a villain pass available to purchase separately.
Playable characters such as Medusa, Frankenstein, Werewolf, Succubus and Dracula can all be dressed in different skins. The studio has stated that intends to add more "notorious villains" including Joker, Thanos and Darth Vader in later updates.
Villains - Robot Battle Royale is scheduled for release in 2022.
Angry Birds Journey
Developer: Rovio Where: US, UK, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Puerto Rico and Poland Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: January 14th, 2021 Updates: (13) October 4th, 2021
The free-to-play casual puzzler will offer the classic slingshot gameplay that helped make the birds famous but with a new spin on the mechanic. Aimed at beginners to the series as well as long-time veterans, Angry Birds Journey will present brain-testing slingshot-based puzzles in a new art style.
Fan-favourite characters will return and new faces will make their debut for the first time, as the group uncover the story and explore new locales. Rovio will monitor and react to player feedback of Angry Birds Journey to make improvements and "chart a flight path" for the title going forward.
Rovio has subsequently confirmed to PG.biz that Angry Birds Journey is a rebrand of Angry Birds Casual, which was originally given a two-month soft launch phase back in March 2020.
The first update changed some levels for a "smoother gameplay" experience, while also fixing a number of bugs.
The second update fixed an issue that saw the birds fall through the ground, make sure Fireflies always find one another, as well as the aim line precision being approved.
The fourth update added new weekly level packs beginning from March 27th, a number of game-breaking bugs and general performance issues.
From the 11th update onwards 20 new levels will be added to the game each week.
Developer: Virtual Realms Where: New Zealand, Belgium, Australia, Switzerland, Ireland, Canada, France, Norway, Italy, US, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia and Singapore Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: December 16th, 2020 Updates: (6) May 31st, 2021
Warhammer: Odyssey is a free-to-play 3D MMORPG set in the Warhammer Fantasy World set to launch on iOS and Android before subsequently being expanded with episodic updates.
Following a closed beta, Warhammer: Odyssey has released into soft launch/open beta which will then slowly roll out to territories until the game launches at the end of January 2021. During this phase, Virtual Realms will prioritise game balance, ongoing bug fixes and more.
"We firmly believe that this slower, smoother, tiered approach will benefit the players and ourselves more than a rushed one in the long term," read a blog post from the developer.
The third update moved Warhammer: Odyssey into a global soft launch.
PixelJunk Monsters: Trouble in Paradise
Developer: Q-Games Where: Ireland and New Zealand Platforms: iOS Live since: November 6th, 2020 Updates: (1) March 24th, 2021
The PixelJunk series returns to mobile with PixelJunk Monsters: Trouble in Paradise, a new tower defence experience from developer Q-Games.
Explore a vast ocean of unique islands and locales from the tropical Shaha Ba Island to the snow-covered Bik Bokk Island. Use your strategising might in almost 200 challenges that are designed to test your skill.
Build legendary towers like the Anti-Air Tower and Flamethrower Tower to protect your tiki-family of Chibis from the endless waves of strange and ferocious monsters. Along your adventure, you can collect rare cards that will unlock the hidden potential in your arsenal of towers.
The first update fixed an issue with iCloud Drive enabled messaging so it is clear to the player that iCloud Drive needs to be enabled to play.
Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales
Developer: Next Games Where: Australia, Canada, France, Poland, Finland and the Philippines Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: December 1st, 2020 Updates: (11) September 20th, 2021
More than a year on from Netflix and Next Games announced a partnership on the Stranger Things IP, the developer has now soft-launched Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales.
The free-to-play puzzle RPG has players adventuring with Eleven, Dustin, and the rest of the gang as they explore locations from the streaming series, including the Palace Arcade, Starcourt Mall, the fearsome Upside Down, and more.
There are over 20 characters to collect and command in battle. Team up with friends to take on massive monsters and new enemies previously unseen to save Hawkins from the Mind Flayer.
The first update fixed an issue that would cause crashes in story mode and the achievements tab, as well as updates to animations, text and enemies.
The second update added a new story chapter, new missions, new enemies and a group of new bosses, alongside several bug fixes and performance issues.
The tenth update added two new chapters, 12 and 13, and 20 new versions of characters.
King of Worlds
Developer: 7Senses Where: Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Taiwan, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Indonesia, US, and India Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: November 2nd, 2020 Updates: (10) August 18th, 2021
King of Worlds is a free-to-play strategy title from 7senses with an increased pace surrounding the main gameplay.
It's up to players to recruit and train ancient heroes to fight for the kingdom. Whoever occupies the Wonder, which can be found at the centre of the map, will be crowned King and will receive further benefits.
According to the developer, players can master the gameplay in 60 seconds, conquer the region in 24 hours, obtain Tier 3 soldiers in 48 hours and form the strongest alliance in 72 hours.
Developer: Playdots Where: Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Canada, Norway and the UK Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: June 6th, 2020 Updates: (21) September 24th, 2021
Complete match-three levels to unlock friendly animals in an interactive garden, with the land often changing and rewarding gifts. There are also challenges to take part in that will help expand the garden, as well as items to decorate the area.
More gardens can be unlocked as players progress. The first few updates solved a number of major bugs, alongside new UI visuals, and minor bug fixes across the store, catalogue and gameplay.
The 16th update renamed Garden Days: Match and Grow to Garden Tails.
The 18th update added the ability to fulfil quests to invite new animals to bring to your garden who bring gifts with them.
Developer: Super Evil Megacorp Where: Indonesia, Finland, Singapore, Canada, Hong Kong and the Philippines Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: September 29th, 2020 Updates: (34) October 5th, 2021
Vainglory developer Super Evil Megacorp is developing a new team-based battleground shooter known as Catalyst Black.
Set to feature a variety of games modes, an array of weapons and ancient masks capable of transforming players into a primal god from another realm, the studio describes the highly anticipated title as "the next generation of mobile gaming". Users can drop in or drop out anytime in gameplay without fear of being penalised.
Catalyst Black is currently in Early Access with a final release date yet to be announced.
The 13th update added voice chat, alongside a number of bug fixes.
The 29th update shortened the game modes and made quests quicker to unlock to streamline the gameplay. The in-game store was also revamped to provide a more tailored experience, such as customised offers.
Developer: Konami Where: The UK and Ireland Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: November 13th, 2020 Updates: N/A
Konami has announced that it is working on a new real-time strategy football game designed for mobile, outside of its core PES series.
Players stack their deck with player cards, design a game plan and watch players simulate your strategy with live match play. Go head-to-head in Quick Match mode or dominate the pitch against 15 other players in an online tournament. Lead your team with tactical skill through competitive group stages to win.
A limited closed beta is expected to take place from November 11th to December 2nd, 2020.
On July 21st, 2021, Konami revealed that the new project would be titled eFootball and would act as a replacement for the long-running PES series.
The game will be cross-platform, include free-to-play mechanics and will be built on Unreal Engine 4. The game will launch with nine licensed teams with more to be added in the future. It will initially launch on consoles and PC, eventually making its way to mobile devices in Winter 2021.
Developer: Bublar Group Where: Latvia, Sweden, Italy, Ukraine and the Netherlands Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: August 12th, 2020 Updates: (18) September 30th, 2021
Bublar Game Studios has soft-launched what it calls the first-ever location-based MMORPG with Otherworld Heroes.
Players work individually or together to solve missions, fight enemies, and gather resources to advance through the game's different dimensions. The game is free-to-play and requires a GPS connection to enable the map-based gameplay.
The soft launch is taking place via different phases on the iOS and Android platforms with a focus on testing, evaluating, and improving technology, gaming experience, and monetization for commercial launch.
The second update added a new Daily Login UI and mini-tutorials, and re-vamped various parts of the game's UI.
The fourth update added a number of new mini-tutorials as well as a host of fixes, including map loading, stats calculations, animations, and more.
Developer: NetEase Where: Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: June 28th, 2020 Updates: (16) September 1st, 2021
NetEase's second title utilising the Marvel license arrives in the form of Marvel Duel, a strategy card game.
A mysterious evil force has altered the most iconic events of Marvel history. To restore the universe, players summon superheroes from across the galaxy to outsmart opponents. They will also experience well-known events such as Civil War, Infinity War, and more, but with unexpected plots and twists.
Claiming to be one of the largest rosters of Marvel characters in a mobile game ever, more than 150 characters are available for collection and upgrade. Players in these soft-launched territories can pre-register to obtain 10 General Expansion Packs.
The fifth update added a new team-up mode (two versus two versus two), while also making the game available in Hong Kong, Singapore and Macau.
The seventh update made it so superheroes can get their fifth hero skill, players who ranked top 100 on the Ladder will get a new Reward Card, as well as a new duel replay function and weekly sign-in events.
The ninth update added Doctor Strange as a new superhero, alongside new cards, a Sanctum Sanctorium Battlefield, and a new deck lobby.
Developer: Playrix Where: The Philippines Platforms: Android Live since: April 29th, 2020 Updates: (19) September 30th, 2021
Playrix has soft-launched a new match-three puzzler where you control heroes and attack enemies on the battlefield under the name of Puzzle Breakers.
Enemies move through the field and employ devious tactics to defeat you. Strong fighters try to engage you in melee, archers and mages attack from the top of towers and hiding places. Players must use heroes and unique abilities to attack and control your enemies or to heal their allies.
Destroy walls and covers, shoot at explosive barrels and wipe your pesky enemies off the map. The first update reworked the first campaign with new enemy mechanics, abilities, a brand new tutorial as well as various bug fixes and smaller improvements.
The eighth update added Clan Wars as a new mode.
The 13th update added new heroes and giants, upgraded visuals, a skill tree for hero upgrades and new features were added to adventure mode.
Developer: I Got Games Where: Chile, Singapore, Paraguay, Indonesia, Ecuador, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: May 20th, 2020 Updates: (20) April 24th, 2021
Enter the world of dragons and heroes to become the best in Dragon Brawlers, a new three versus three battle royale MOBA game.
Players train their own dragon and participate in quick battles that last approximately five minutes. Unlock and train a large number of dragons, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
Befriend or challenge other Dragon Brawlers and compete against players all around the world.
Developer: Kabam Where: Canada, New Zealand, Italy, Singapore, Romania, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Denmark, Indonesia and The Philippines Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: March 31st, 2020 Updates: (34) September 9th, 2021
Players unite teams of guardians - made up from well-known Disney and Pixar characters - to defend against an unrelenting dark threat. Sulley, Baymax, Scar, Captain Jack Sparrow, the Genie, Merida, Belle, Oogie Boogie and more are all set to appear.
The Mirrorverse features worlds such as Agrabah Merchant’s Alley, Scarefloor F, and Port Royal Queen’s Landing.
The fourth update rolled out Alliances so players can take part in events together as well as the 'Unlikely Allies' campaign, a limited-time event quest where.
The fifth update has put Alliances live, which allows players to band together to take part in events and win rewards, alongside bug fixes, performance optimisations, and grammar fixes.
The 11th update added new characters, extended act two to include chapter two and three, added 11 new languages to its localisation, as well as new music and fixes.
The 23rd update added chapter three to the story mode, new guardians and new rewards have been introduced, and Scrooge's Risky Venture has become playable.
The 32nd update introduces a trait system that each character will have attributed to them, such as character buffs and new objectives. A new unlockable level of increased difficulty was added to the story quest, called Expert Mode.
Developer: Gram Games Where: Canada, Singapore, Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, Australia and Finland Platforms: Android Live since: December 2nd, 2019 Updates: (24) September 7th, 2021
Gram Games' new sea-based adventure has players captaining their own pirate ship in Pirate Evolution.
Over 140 islands are accessible with treasure scattered throughout. Battle enemies you encounter along the way to collect loot and thus upgrade your ship and weapons.
Another component allows bases to be expanded while pirate crews can be frown to increase overall power to help take over the high seas.
Ivy: Stories We Play
Developer: Pocket Gems Where: Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines Platforms: iOS Live since: November 20th, 2019 Updates: (11) February 11th, 2021
The creators of the mobile game Episode return with Ivy: Stories We Play, a mature story-driven episodic adventure that is said to feature "drama" and "thrills".
Take control of protagonist Ivy across a number of stories, which introduces the character to new worlds with complex themes, fantasies and desires.
Players get to make all the choices for how the story unfolds, whether that's partying with singles in Miami or recovering from the death of your partner.
FarmVille 3 - Animals
Developer: Zynga Where: Canada, Australia, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Thailand, Denmark, the UK, New Zealand, Malaysia, India, Norway and the Philippines Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: July 17th, 2019 Updates: (24) September 29th, 2021
Zynga has soft-launched a new entry into the FarmVille series, with the aim of restoring a farm to its former glory.
Players can build the farm in the design of their choice as well as breed a number of rare animals. Farmhands are available to help pitch in with the work too.
Grow crops, decorate the farm and weather whatever Mother Nature throws your way.
The second and third updates introduced more decorations, building skins and improved upon the title’s graphics.
The fifth and sixth update added better memory optimisations.
The ninth update added co-op mode allowing players to partner up with 25 other farmers maximum and several new exotic animals including tigers, penguins, kangaroos and more.
The 11th update added a Weather Station, so players can forecast the weather and boost the output from their harvest, as well as co-op leaderboards and themed outfits for farmhands.
FarmVille 3: Animals is set to be released in Q4 2021.
Blade Runner Rogue
Developer: Next Games Where: United Kingdom, Poland, Netherlands, Finland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand Platforms: iOS and Android Live since: July 10th, 2018 Updates: (34) September 3rd, 2021
Blade Runner Rogue is a role-playing game with a story that will no doubt be indulgent should you be a fan of the original films, or even the book if you’re a Philip K Dick fan. As a fresh-faced blade runner, you’re tasked with collecting evidence to aid you in hunting down rogue replicants.
Staple characters from the series are collectable and will aid you in overcoming threats. Freshly formed teams can also be powered up to take on more challenging targets with proportionate awards.
You don’t have to go it alone though as friends and blade runners alike can be enlisted to help you accomplish a mission.
During Next Games' financial report for 2020, the developer confirmed that Blade Runner Rogue will launch in key markets
The 17th update added a selection of new characters from the Blade Runner universe as well as performance and usability improvements.
The 18th update saw the game enter early access while adding new case files, a new Patrol game mode and improved the user interface.
The 19th update added a tutorial for new players, new animations, bigger health bars for boss battles, push notifications, UI enhancements and bug fixes.
The 21st update introduced rogue-like gameplay, as well as "multi-branched cases" where each choice makes a difference. Players need to collect clues to improve their team and to gain an advantage over enemies.
The 23rd update added a whole host of minor improvements, such as progress rewards, tutorial changes, new dialogue, skills and bug fixes.
The 25th update renamed the game from Blade Runner 2049 to Blade Runner Rogue.
The 27th update rolled out a battle pass where players earn Battle Points to claim rewards, alongside several bug fixes.
The 29th update added guilds, where you and friends can squad up to take down replicants together, alongside a new boss mode across the city known as The Hunt. Further changes were made to the battle pass as well as a number of bugs being eradicated too.
The 32nd update reworked the established Amplification feature to allow any amplifier of the correct faction to raise characters’ rarities, with the rarer amplifiers providing more progress. The Hunt now drops amplifiers with the amount increasing the further players progress. Drop rates for amplifiers have been altered and four-star characters can only be obtained via amplification.


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Hydrogen cars got a boost with the $1.2 billion Hydrogen Fuel Initiative in 2003, leading to a flurry of research. The appeal of hydrogen lies in its only emission being water vapor. While hydrogen still relies on natural gas for production, there are possible alternatives, such as coaxing it from bacteria and sunlight. But forget theory for a minute. The Honda FCX Clarity is one of the few real-world hydrogen cars and only 18 states have any hydrogen refueling stations, with California the only state to have in excess of 10. Meanwhile, hybrid cars have been hitting the road for 14 years, with the Toyota Prius pulling ahead with over two million vehicles sold since its introduction in 1997. First-mover advantage isn't the only reason for the hybrid's domination over hydrogen, though. The 2010 Obama administration budget request bet against the technology, favoring and funding hybrids and attempting to cut the amount going to the Department of Energy's hydrogen fuel-cell program. While Congress restored the majority of the funding, the proposed 2012 budget is looking once again to slash financial support for the program.
Microsoft Zune(to compete with ipod)The Microsoft Zune proved the maxim that looks are everything. Coming across more like an iPod prototype than a sleek, fully realized product, the Zune 30 arrived in 2006 in black, white, and brown. Its Microsoft software was widely praised, but with two notable missteps: it wasn't Mac-compatible and couldn't sync with iTunes (something even Palm managed). Consumers were already five years and several models in to the iPod and their iTunes libraries. A more attractive package could certainly have helped, and Microsoft did gussy up the Zune in its subsequent incarnations but to no avail. The last Zune was produced in April 2010. Microsoft says that it's the final standalone unit, with the technology being merged into Windows Phone 7 devices.
MeeGo's name foretold its own exit. The Nokia and Intel-developed mobile OS was killed by Stephen Elop, the company's president and CEO, just as the first and only phone to use it was announced. Elop dropped MeeGo to make way for Windows Phone 7-based devices. Yet the Nokia N9, the first and now only phone on the platform, garnered rave reviews for features such as NFC, an 8-megapixel camera, and a swipe gesture to replace the home key. But that wasn't enough for a stay of execution. MeeGo's downfall had nothing to do with it but rather it's because it came too late for the company. Nokia is struggling to regain its former prominence, and partnering with Microsoft on a dozen-plus forthcoming phones is the path it has chosen to take. Intel thinks MeeGo is down and not out and plans to try to revive it in the tablet space.
The latest USB standard—with its SuperSpeed bus that has a fourth transfer mode at 5 Gbps—arrived at the beginning of 2010 with a certified consumer product rollout. However, that rollout has been limited, partly because Intel has been dragging its feet on supporting the standard. The answer why arrived with a thunderclap, or a Thunderbolt, rather. Intel brought its own Thunderbolt technology to market with Apple. Thunderbolt has twice the transfer speed, supports daisy-chaining, and benefits from Intel and Apple's backing. The writing seems to be on the wall with this one.
Bluetooth 4.0The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) said on Wednesday that version 4.0 of the wireless specification may be incorporated into devices by the end of the year. The new spec will bring Bluetooth to a whole new set of gadgets including watches, pedometers, and all other low-power devices that run on coin-cell batteries.
This is a huge step considering that Bluetooth only resided in devices that used triple-A or larger capacity batteries. Michael Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG, said that 4.0 combines both the high-speed data transfer capabilities provided by Bluetooth 3.0 with the new ability to transmit small bursts of data over short ranges.

domain: news


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Twitch officially debuts its own app for Apple TV, after running a beta test last month, now available for gamers and viewers alike…
Starting today, there’s an official Twitch app for Apple TV. The app has already been out in the wild for consoles, mobile devices, and Android TV boxes for years. Which meant Apple TV owners had to resort to using third-party apps.
Twitch-Apple TV Support goes Live
Last month, Twitch rolled out a public beta of its new Apple TV app and now, the final iteration is ready for full use.
Twitch users can now live-stream games, view clips on-demand, and join other screen chats. It closely resembles the beta release, being similar to Twitch’s other applications.
Besides gaming, Twitch also hosts different types of broadcasts, including Thursday Night NFL games.


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The Initiative for Innovation is intended to expand the traditional partner focus at IBM that has been strongly tied to a limited number of large independent software vendors and tools vendors to include thousands of additional partners worldwide, says Peter Bingaman, VP of marketing for IBM's iSeries server platform.
"We are creating a 'no-ISV-left-behind' scenario," Bingaman says. "To date we have been working with a handful of ISVs and that leaves thousands of others trying to figure out how they can bring their applications forward."
Expanding support for ISVs and tools vendors, and transversely, iSeries customers, can help keep the momentum for IBM's penetration in the midmarket space, he says. More than half of all iSeries revenue in 2004 was derived from small and medium businesses, and IBM sees the midmarket, which it defines as businesses with 100 to 1,000 employees, as the sweet spot, Bingaman says. Also, 85% of iSeries revenue last year came through program partners, he says.
Intensifying efforts to grow small and midsize business accounts makes sense, says Ray Boggs, an analyst with IDC. In 2004, IT spending across all business segments was 4.2%, but the IT spending by small and midsize businesses grew 6.2%.
"It's been tougher to sell to big companies because they have not been spending as much," Boggs says. "For IBM, they've always had a more specific focus on the midmarket, as opposed to the entire [small and midsize business] focus you'll find at HP."
Expanded resources for iSeries ISVs include an Application Innovation Program. It includes a no-charge virtual loaner program and increased educational assistance. IBM also plans to add iSeries programs to Innovation Centers in the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as adding centers in China, Japan, Italy, France, and Australia.
A Tools Innovation Program is being launched to promote the creation of a larger number of tools products for the iSeries platform.
IBM plans to expand its traditional practice of inviting a limited number of partners for site visits at its Rochester, MInn., lab for annual road map updates, and "open it up to the masses," Bingaman says. Partners also will be eligible to receive up to a 70% discount for co-advertising in industry publications. Overall the effort will lead to more tightly coupled relationships among IBM, its partners, and its customers, and the creation of many more supporting applications and tools, he says.
"In the midmarket, customers are looking for a system that is going to fuel their business applications, and one that they don't have to pay attention to," Bingaman says.
That's exactly what Autumn Harp Inc., a manufacturer of cosmetics that are sold for rebranding, has needed, says Bruce Bove, information systems manager there.
"I am the IT department. I don't have a staff," Bove says. "I need something that once it's up and running doesn't take a lot of day to day maintenance." Bove worked with IBM partner Vormittag Associates Inc. in moving the company's infrastructure to the iSeries last year and now uses Vormittag to help with needed maintenance.
Vormittag maintains a network connection with the Autumn Harp infrastructure, and when a problem arises, Vormittag can immediately check the system and make repair recommendations. When modifications are needed, Vormittag generally charges an hourly flat rate, compared with charges of thousands of dollars the company had experienced when working with value-added resellers that supported its pervious infrastructure, he says. "That kind of support has been a huge change for us, and a huge positive," Bove says.
The iSeries servers are based on IBM's Power5 processor architecture. Early this week, the company also made a disclosure of a new chipset, code-named Hurricane, it's deploying in its x86-based xSeries servers.


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Despite what some might think, Google is continually working on improving its health and fitness offering. The latest update comes in the form of a new Wellness section for Google Assistant. The aim is for this to ultimately become the control hub for showing your health data on smart displays.
The Wellness section replaces the Sleep section that was introduced last November. Hence Sleep is the only metric that is currently available.
But this is only a first step and you’ll soon be able to do much more. In the accompanying text, Google teases that the Wellness section will allow you to show data such as physical activity, nutrition and more.
All of this will be gathered from health and fitness devices and shown on compatible smart displays. The virtual assistant shows a range of available devices. You’ll be able to control which of these will proactively show the data.
For now the options that show are Nest Hub, the Nest Hub Max and the Lenovo Smart Clock. 9to5Google reports that the settings are accessible from the app, but they don’t actually do anything yet as the features have not gone live. Presumably anything with a Google Assistant smart display will soon be able to show the data.
There’s also an option that allows integration with Fitbit. You can expect more of the same in the near future, as the duo has recently announced a completion of the takeover. Fitbit is now part of Google. Presumably one could expect Google Fit integration also to arrive at some point.
Essential reading: Best fitness trackers and health gadgets
The search giant does warn that anyone using these smart displays will be able to see the information. So keep that in mind when enabling.
The server-side update has started rolling out to users now. Once available you can activate it by opening the Google app and choosing More at the bottom right. Then tap on Settings>Google Assistant>Wellness.
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In this new feature, WineAmerica will be doing a spotlight every other month on one of our State and Regional Association Advisory Council members.
Spotlight on: Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance
Located near the Oregon border, Walla Walla Valley in Washington state is a resplendent agricultural hub. The rich soil and terroir of the Walla Walla Valley has fueled the abundance of premier wine grapes. Growth in the region over the last thirty years has made the Valley one of the country’s premier wine destinations.
In 1984, when the Valley was officially designated an American Viticultural Area, the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance was formed with the primary goal to market for the Valley’s wine industry and to provide information to consumers, media, and trade. At the time, there were only four wineries in the Valley – today, that number exceeds 100.
Talented winemakers flock to the Walla Walla Valley, drawn in by its ideal growing conditions. The Valley’s wines have received increasing acclaim and attention. The Wine Alliance has worked tirelessly to fuel the expansion of the industry, collaborating with Walla Walla community partners ranging from
Tourism Walla Walla, to the Walla Walla Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation. The Wine Association, in conjunction with its partners, hosts events from Seattle to Portland to celebrate its wines.
This year, the Wine Alliance recognized the 30th anniversary of the Walla Walla Valley as an American Viticultural Area. The founders of the Valley’s ever-growing wine industry gathered for a panel discussion and reception to celebrate this milestone. “It was a lively evening, filled with stories about the history of our valley, and their predictions for a bright future,” said Heather Bradshaw, Communications and Marketing Manager of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance. Winemakers in Walla Walla Valley are a close group, and the founders have mentored many new winemakers in launching successful operations. This camaraderie continues to build the region as a whole.
Grape growth in the area has historically focused on red grape varieties, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. Wine makers have, “strived to continue to produce quality lesser known and produced varieties,” said Bradshaw, emphasizing the Valley’s Grenache, Malbec, Tempranillo, and Sangiovese wines as special up-and-coming varieties. The Walla Walla Valley wine industry has come a long way from a few men and women making wine out of their garages, thanks to the dedication of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance’s commitment to its regional wineries.
Visit the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance here.


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Give the gift of sustainability with package-free gifts for your eco-conscious loved ones
Three years ago, Quyen Nguyen read the book Plastic: A Toxic Love Story, which changed the way she would think about plastic for the rest of her life. “Before that, I never thought about plastic staying on the earth long. The articles and videos I saw before this book that showed the plastic in the oceans were not relevant enough to me to make a change,” explains Quyen, who has a background in supply chain consulting in Vietnam.
Around the same time, Quyen and Helly Tong, now business partners, became friends after sharing their concerns for the abundant plastic use in their home country, Vietnam. The pair spent the next few years brainstorming various business ideas that would deliver alternatives to plastic use directly to the local consumers. Initially, Quyen along with Helly, a popular public influencer in Vietnam who promotes living an eco-friendly life, noticed that many of the articles and publications highlighting the problems with plastic in Vietnam were all in English. “Expats and foreigners are already very aware of the plastic issue, so we decided our end goal is the Vietnamese people,” Quyen adds.
Do Quyen and Helly Tong
Having settled on an idea, the pair began plans in the early part of 2018 to open Vietnam’s first non-food bulk store that encourages customers to bring in empty containers and fill them with the non-food products that the store sells for a lower cost than buying them in shops. Laiday Refill (83 Xuan Thuy, D2) officially opened in October after months of building relationships with eco-friendly suppliers that operate in the reuse-recycle-reduce circle in Vietnam and neighboring countries. “As we started talking to suppliers, we realized there are a lot of products that people need, and want plastic-free alternatives to.” Quyen continues to explain how Laiday Refill now has over 200 products divided into refillable products and reusable solutions.
As we chat, Quyen explains that Laiday Refill is not a ‘zero-waste’ store as this puts too much pressure on both themselves and their customers. “We are simply less waste; less is okay,” says Quyen, adding “the bristles on bamboo toothbrushes are made from nylon, we can’t deny this but we are using plastic in the best way and this is what we want to show people.” Alongside the 20 types of refillable products that span homecare and personal care, the shop also sells a number of reusable solutions that range from sanitary items, such as menstrual cups and washable pads, to everyday items, such as bamboo toothbrushes, razors and canvas shopping bags.
While the store enables customers to make a positive impact on the environment by encouraging the act of reusing old containers instead of buying new ones, it also benefits the local economy. Seventy-five percent of the store’s refillable and reusable products are produced in Vietnam in order to reduce the CO2 emissions and to keep it very much Vietnamese; the other 25 percent, which come from India, China and Germany among others, are only imported because Vietnamese manufacturers are not yet producing them. “When the Vietnamese products are ready, they will replace the imported ones,” adds Quyen.
Why is this kind of store important to the people of Vietnam now? Vietnam is one of the top five contributors to marine plastic pollution in the world. “Each day, Ho Chi Minh City alone releases 70 tons of plastic packaging and over 50 tons of this, is plastic bags,” explains Quyen. With Vietnam’s plastic problem increasing at an alarming rate, there is no better time to show the Vietnamese population that there are simple alternatives to plastic use out there than now.
“The younger generation in Vietnam lacks the intrigue as to where their products come from and where they go after they have been used,” Quyen explains. The pair hopes to also target schools with educational programs about reducing plastic use. “Children are pure, impressionable and have great empathy with animals. They will be the ones to pass on the message to the next generation; they are important in educating the country about how you can live a sustainable lifestyle.”
The store’s slogan “Lại đây, lại đầy” is a play on the Vietnamese language; whilst the six letters are the same, the accents mean they translate into “Come here, get refilled again.” Highlighting even more how important it is to the Quyen and Helly that curiosity is spiked by the store and the local people find it approachable.
As you begin to explore the beautiful earth-like decorated store where glass containers lined the shelves, you begin to realize how many things can be swapped for a non-plastic alternative. This is the reaction many people have when they first enter the store, Quyen tells them to “just buy what you need, then after you get used to it, come and buy more,” in order to prevent unnecessary waste. Quyen explains that the store’s beauty was something they put a lot of thought into, “We only have one time to convince, impress and surprise people. Living green is often not considered beautiful in many of the locals’ eyes. We have made a lot of effort to convince people that living green doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice anything, especially not beauty.” Continuing with a clear passion shining through, Quyen adds that the store has various colors, fragrances and solutions for the same product for this exact reason so that they can convince people to make the change to less plastic.
A recent poll by Sky News revealed that 84 percent of consumers share concerns over the amount of plastic waste during the Christmas period and half of those polled would rather receive unwrapped gifts. 2018 is the year to ramp up the fight against plastic pollution as now, more than ever, it is in the forefront of the world’s mind. What better way to go into the new year than giving the gift of a free conscience but also opening up loved ones to the endless opportunities to reusable and refillable products. The gift of sustainability is one that will continue to benefit, not only the Vietnamese population but also the entire world. If you can’t find what you’re looking for it in the store, request it and Quyen and Helly will work hard to source your plastic-free alternative.
Images by Vy Lam


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Guess whose back? Indeed after a short hiatus I am back and raring to be creative concerning my written articles for eTeknix, although, in reality it has only been around 6 weeks since my last piece. So, what to write? I know, let’s delve into the proposed “Online Safety Bill” which is currently being debated in the UK courtesy of the House of Lords.
According to reports on the government’s own Parliament website, the bill is being debated at the “1st sitting committee stage” and proposes a law to compel “internet service providers and mobile phone operators to provide an internet service that excludes adult content” This includes provisions to offer strict and compulsory age verification checks to NSFW sites and also a role for Ofcom. There are also proposals to educate parents through digital on demand programme services and a licensing scheme for such websites.
It will be interesting to see how the debate develops and also the challenges of implementing such a law, after all, ISPs will first have to define what constitutes an “adult” website before blocking it to individuals who are under the age of 18. A further interesting angle is the proposal to “require electronic device manufacturers to provide a means of filtering internet content”.
Logically these proposals are unworkable and may in all probability be circumvented by various tech means; there is also the question of legitimate and educational sites that might fall under the banner of such a law. Another aspect which could cause concern is the proposed age verification checks, the only way this could be implemented is for a mechanism to be introduced to verify consumers through official identification without it being intercepted by hackers and a myriad of external cyber threats.
Internet connection speeds have been somewhat of a hot topic over the last decade or so, consumers who demand ever-increasing speeds while internet service providers have been particularly lagging in certain regions of the world. Well, researchers who are developing new super-super-fast standard 5G mobile technologies have what has been described as a “playground” which they can visit in South Korea.
It has been reported that Service provider SK Telecom (South Korean wireless telecommunications operator) has unveiled its Research and Development “5G Playground” on Thursday with partners including Ericsson, Nokia, Intel and Samsung Electronics, it was also announced that a collection of regional standard bodies would host a series of events with the aim of building a global consensus on the emergence of 5G.
5G is potentially an important breakthrough after SK Telecom and Nokia demonstrated the possible capabilities of this network which ran at a super quick 19.1 Gbps (per second), SK plans to launch a 5G trial service in 2017.
As technology is becoming more advanced so is certainly the need for a turbo charged infrastructure, this new standard is expected to be completed by 2020, although it might vary as to the rollout progression speed per country. Until at least then, many people will have to make do with current speeds.
With a wide majority of the world using internet on a regular, if not every day, basis, we need to be aware of just how much we use the internet for. While most activities are mundane and almost ritualistic in how we do them each day. There are some which we take a lot of time to do, and can even be in their work life every day. With more and more people relying on the internet for everyday work related activities speed is essential (yes, we understand that you want that YouTube video to buffer a little faster too). Germany has decided that it will take the first step and states that it will promise all users 50Mbps broadband across the entire country.
The current highest download speed (on average) is South Korea with 23.6Mbps, with the average speed in the US only measuring at 11.9Mbps. With initial estimates putting 70% of Germany already connected to 50Mbps connections, the cost of upgrading everyone to this speed is expected to be rather small. It should be noted though that their current average speed is only 11Mbps, a value only slightly lower than the US’s and under half of the current world’s leaders average.
With the public being asked to provide 10% of the cost, with 90% being provided by a combination of German states (40%) and development projects (50%), users could soon see their internet speed jumping.
The FCC is said to be voting on a spectrum-sharing plan that could make its way to the military, mobile service providers and individuals alike on April 17th. The spectrum is said to open up a frequency from 3550 to 3700 MHz to three classes of users, including new mobile device owners who could use the service similar to Wi-Fi.
The current demand for wireless spectrum could benefit from auctioning off the new 3.5 GHz, leading to better wireless data performance for users in crowded places, provide better rural broadband services and even give a better spectrum for industries that do not use Wi-Fi and LTE services.
In order to keep track of existing radios and licensed services, the FCC also plans to implement a Spectrum Access System alongside the new spectrum in order to manage the interference. This is why it plans to seek proposals for both the Spectrum Access System and sensing service at the same time, but the new tech is not likely to be approved before 2016.
Thank you PC World for providing us with this information
Amazon has started offering local handyman services with its ‘Amazon Local Services’.
A number of visitors to Amazon.com have started noticing listings for local technicians for the fitting of items like TVs and washing machines.
It’s not just about installation either, Amazon’s site for providers interested in the new service, lists a whole hosts of potential services from repairs for phones laptops to bike chain lubrication and car oil changes. Amazon will take a 20% cut on service charged less than $1000 and a 15% cut for services charged above that amount. The service is currently only available in select cities in 9 states. Re/code says that this is all part of Amazon’s efforts to become the absolute central location for all purchases – whether that be for goods or services.
Let’s just say that Amazon is trying to take over the world.


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as you are aware that over the past few days, cases of Omicron are on the rise in India and Affected the stocks. There are other sectors that haven’t had a significant impact on the industry or could be said to be that this latest variant will have the smallest impact on the industry.
We’ll know which of the sectors are in this article.
Today, we’ll discuss the best companies in these six industries, that aren’t going to have any impact on Omicron.
Top 6 Omicron Proof Stocks In 2022
1 IT-Software industry :
Omicron has no negative effect on this industry because IT employees can also work from their homes and the development of IT-related services is speedy because of Corona the company. It is the most reputable company in the Tata Consultancy Services sector limited in line with the market capitalization. It is the main company part of Tata Group. Tata Group provides Information Technology Consulting and Business Solutions.
|Equity to debt||0.08|
|Return on Equity (ROE)||39.06%|
|Net Profit Margin (NPM)||20.37%|
|5-year annual growth in sales||8.61%|
In the past 5 years, sales of the company have been boosted by 8.61 percent, and the cost of the shares of the company is 26.48 percent higher than the last year, and over the past 5 years, the company has earned 25.66 per year in compounded annual returns.
2. Sector of Pharmaceuticals :
Omicron does not have any difference to the industry and also due to Omicron there is no change in the demand for the drug, but the demand for the product has been huge over the past 1.5 to two years, according to the market cap, which is the leading company in this sector Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. The company is involved in the production and marketing of branded and generic APIs as well as that contain active components of pharmaceuticals.
|Equity to debt||0.04|
|Return on Equity (ROE)||6.33%|
|Net profit margin (NPM)||16.74%|
|5 year compounded growth in annual sales||3.29%|
In the past five years, the company’s revenues have been compounded at a rate of 3.29 percent.
3. The Insurance Sector :
Omicron is unlikely to have a negative effect on the insurance business as there will not be a decrease in the number of people who use insurance because of Kovid however, more people are purchasing insurance. According to the market. The most popular company in this sector has been HDFC Life Insurance Company Limited. Offers a variety of insurance products for individuals and groups. products
|the ratio of equity to debt||0.07|
|Return on Equity (ROE)||17.63%|
|Net Profit Margin (NPM)||1.90%|
|5 year compounded growth in annual sales||31.56%|
In the past five years, revenues have grown at an average of 31.56 percent.
4. FMCG sector:
Omicron will not have an adverse impact upon the FMCG sector, as the products from these companies are commonly used throughout the day and will not have an adverse impact on consumption because of Covid as the leading company in this industry in terms of market capitalization Hindustan Unilever Ltd. The company is active in beauty, home care, and personal care as well as foods and refreshment segments. The company manufactures and distributes its products across the world.
|the ratio of equity to debt||0.02|
|Return on Equity (ROE)||29.23%|
|Net profits margin (NPM)||17.38%|
|5-year annual growth in sales||7.88%|
Over the last five years, sales for the company have been compounded at a rate of 7.88 percent.
you can also read: Lic IPO Details
5. The telecom services industry :
Omicron is not likely to affect negatively the telecom industry since the number of users who use telecom services will not decline due to Kovid or Omicron however, due to the rapid growth of digital work at home, the demand for telecom services appears to be growing according to the market capitalization. The top-ranked company in the sector is Bharti Airtel Ltd. It is one of the most renowned Telecommunicating Services firms in India.
|the ratio of equity to debt||3.00|
|Return on Equity (ROE)||-22.17%|
|Net profit margin (NPM)||-5.40%|
|5-year annual growth in sales||0.83%|
Over the last five years, sales were compounded at the rate of 0.83 percent.
6. health care sector :
This sector’s needs are greater than it was at the moment of Kovid the largest company in this sector according to market cap, apollo Hospitals enterprise LLC. Apollo Hospital is the first private hospital in the country. The company offers many health services.
|the ratio of equity to debt||0.80|
|Return on Equity (ROE)||3.79%|
|Net profits margin (NPM)||0.93%|
|5-year growth in sales compounded annually||11.42%|
In the past 5 years, sales of the company have been swollen at the rate of 11.42 percent, and in the last year, it has seen its sales share have increased by 103.84%. has been 103.84 percent higher, and over the past 5 years, the company has provided an annual compounded return of 32.64 percent.
These were the 6 stocks in which Omicron is not likely to negatively impact, or can be stated that this is the one that will be least affected by Omicron We provide you with information through this article. do share this article with your friends and family on social media. thank you.


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What You Need to Know About Mad Cow
Last week, the first incidence of mad cow disease since 2006 was discovered in a dairy cow in Tulare County, California. The 10-year-old Holstein was tested for the disease after it developed lameness and could not stand.
Though the cow was never intended for the meat market and the food supply is not in danger, the development is certainly worrisome. But does that mean you need to give up red meat for good? Not necessarily. Here are the straight facts you need to know about mad cow disease:
Mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), is a neurodegenerative disease that causes spongy deterioration in the brain and spinal cord.
BSE's origin is not entirely known, but is triggered by a misfolded protein called a prion. These prions were spread through the bovine population when healthy cows (normally herbivores) were fed the remains of infected cows in the form of meat and bone meal.
The incubation period of the disease is 30 months to 8 years, which means it can go undetected for a long time.
BSE is transmittable to humans through food. It is most easily transmitted through meat contaminated with infected nervous tissue, but any tissue, including meat and blood, can carry the infecting agents.
In humans, the disease is known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which also forms sponge-like degeneration of the nervous system. It is incurable and invariably fatal.
In 1986, scientists confirmed the first known case of BSE in a cow in the United Kingdom, where meat and bone meal was a common feed additive. In the United States, meat and bone meal was not widely used because of the availability of cheap soybean and corn feed.
After an outbreak of mad cow in which more than 450,000 BSE-infected animals entered the human food supply, causing the deaths of 166 people in the UK and 44 elsewhere (none in the US), strict regulations were put in place to prohibit the incorporation of meat and bone meal into cattle feed.
Though it’s illegal in the U.S. to feed the remains of cattle back to any cows, meat and bone meal can be fed to chickens, the droppings of which are often incorporated back into cow feed. Not only is that pretty gross to think about, but it's downright dangerous given the potential consequences.
In this case, U.S. health officials say that the infected cow developed the disease as a result of a mutation and not as a result of its feed.
So what does that all mean? As a community, it is important for us to be as informed as possible so we can make the best choices regarding our eating habits. If you enjoy animal protein, it’s always important to eat animals that have themselves eaten well. Go for organic whenever possible, and always choose meat that was fed a vegetarian diet. Check out our post on how to make sense of meat labels to better navigate the meat aisle.
It is also important to remember that mad cow has yet to cause any deaths in the United States, so there’s no reason to panic.
Does the risk of mad cow keep you from eating beef?


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Intrepid Potash’s earnings
Earnings will likely rise
Intrepid Potash took a beating in recent years due to lower fertilizer prices and a relatively higher cost per unit of product. It was reflected in Intrepid Potash’s earnings, as you can see in the above chart. However, the estimates for the next 12 months show a reversal in the trend. Analysts estimate an EPS (earnings per share) of $0.06 for the next 12 months, which will rise from an EPS of -$0.39 in the last 12 months.
Looking at its peers, analysts also estimate growth for Mosaic’s (MOS) EPS. It’s expected to report an EPS of $1.07, which will grow 5% from $1.02 during the same period. Israel Chemicals (ICL) is also expected to report EPS growth of 27% to $0.36 from $0.28 in the last 12 months. CF Industries (CF) is estimated to report EPS growth from -$0.63 per share to $0.19 per share. While these estimates aren’t enough to tell whether all of the industry participants are positioned to gain in the coming year, we can certainly say that the outlook appears to have improved for these companies.
Read Could Agribusiness Stocks See Better Times in 2018? to learn more.
Semiconductor companies reported strength in 2017 as growth revived in almost all end markets.
Last week, Donald Trump blacklisted Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies amid rising US-China trade tensions.
This year has been a great one for Snapchat parent Snap (SNAP), and its stock has nearly doubled.
Coca-Cola (KO) will offer a limited edition of its of New Coke cans beginning May 23 as part of its partnership with Netflix’s (NFLX) show Stranger Things.
Clorox stock (CLX) is down about 8% since the company posted its third quarter of fiscal 2019 earnings on May 1.
JD.com (JD) recently invested ~$55 million in purchase a ~10% stake in Jiangsu Xinning Modern Logistics, a Chinese logistics company focusing on the consumer electronics supply chain.
Today, the US stock market was on a path of recovery after starting the week on a bearish note yesterday.


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Ignorance is not bliss
15 August 2012
Commercial waste recycling company Ecolamp Ltd. has issued a warning to UK businesses to make sure they are aware of their responsibilities in the disposal of lamps, bulbs and electrical equipment.
The failure of any UK business to comply with The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (WEEE) which came into force in 2007 means large fines and potentially serious environmental consequences.
Warrington-based Ecolamp say that some UK businesses may still be leaving themselves open to risk simply through ignorance of the regulations, their responsibilities under those regulations, and of the ease of eliminating those risks by enlisting the help of specialist hazardous waste bulb and lamp recycling company.
“It’s important that businesses are aware that it’s illegal for them to use skips or landfill sites to dispose of old fluorescent lamps, high intensity discharge (HID) lamps, linear and CFLs or compact tube lights. What’s more, you need to obtain a Waste Transfer Note to prove to your Local Authority that you disposed of your bulbs and lamps in the right way. We don’t want to see businesses being fined tens of thousands of pounds per lamp,” says Ecolamp’s Managing Director Mike Solan.
Ecolamp also expressed concern at the potential risks of businesses not being aware of the regulations regarding the treatment, recycling and disposal of electrical equipment.
“This is another potentially risky area for UK businesses who are not aware that the law covers whether the business or what’s known as the ‘producer’ of electrical equipment that the business uses is responsible for the collection, treatment and recycling of it at the end of it’s life.”
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A local tech firm that combines social networking with location-based mobile services has dismissed Google’s new Latitude mapping software as “not social enough”, and has revealed it has demonstrated its pinpoint-accurate technology to Facebook and Twitter.
Dublin firm Locle, which was one of four businesses to win a share in the €100,000 Eircom Web Innovation Fund earlier last year, launched a service in October 2008 that uses a patent-pending method to retrieve mobile phone IDs in dense populations through mobile masts, which have an accuracy down to 50m. The service can currently be accessed at http://m.locle.com.
The service has been trialled by over 150 people in Dublin, London and Amsterdam, and works on 60pc of mobile phones or on any PC browser.
Locle’s application has been submitted to Apple’s App Store and is awaiting a decision.
However, Pieter Oonk who set up Locle with Ronan Higgins believes that the technology has strong potential on established social-networking sites like Facebook and fast-rising services like Twitter.
They presented their technology to both companies before Christmas and are hopeful both social-networking firms will see merit in taking social networking to the streets.
Yesterday, online search giant Google unveiled its new mapping software that allows mobile users to see where their friends are on maps via their cell phones.
Using your Google account, you can opt into the feature, and then invite friends and family to join Google Latitude. Once they accept, you will see their profile picture appear on a map through your mobile device or your desktop PC.
However, Oonk has dismissed Latitude as “just an update to Google Maps”, and said that Google is likely to take a lot of heat over the application from privacy groups.
He said that the lack of social networking means that the service doesn’t share any more information than Google information.
“It seems to be more about advertising opportunities than an actual social tool,” Oonk said.
“By contrast Locle gives users control over their location to share with other Locle users only and communicate with other users.
“We don’t see Latitude as a threat because it’s not that sociable.”
Locle has done a number of deals with social-networking players including Netlog, the biggest social network player in western and central Europe, as well as the Irish gay dating site, GSVP.com. Locle is also in discussions with Netlog about developing an iPhone application.
The company has also become a member of an organisation for European mobile social-networking partners called LocAllies to work on an open standard to enable people to share locations information.
By John Kennedy
Pictured: Peter Oonk and Ronan Higgins of Locle, a new Web 2.0 company that, along with Eircom, plans to take social networking from the PC to the street


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Community members interested in owning a piece of history from the outgoing Moorhead High School will have a chance to bid on items from the beloved building in early 2024. Moorhead Area Public Schools announced that items from the outgoing Moorhead High School will be available in an online auction that will run January 2-10.
Bids, which can be placed at https://www.mc-bid.com, will only be accepted online.
Winning bidders will be notified following the auction. The window for picking up items will be January 11-15.
Following the auction and load-out of all items, the outgoing high school building will only be open to contractors involved in decommissioning the facility in preparation for demolition.


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The largest horse track owner in the U.S., Lone Star Park's parent company, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday.
Drew Shubeck, Lone Star Park's president and general manager, stressed that the Grand Prairie park will not be included in Magna Entertainment's bankruptcy protection proceedings.
None of Lone Star Park’s accounts or assets will be frozen or negatively affected by this filing, Drew Shubeck said in a news release.
"There should be no immediate implications for Lone Star Park, our employees, horsemen, vendors or customers," Shubeck said. "We are proceeding with business as usual."
Magna Entertainment said it was unable to obtain new financing while supporting its existing debt.
MI Developments is a property-management company that is Magna's controlling shareholder -- as well as its largest secured creditor.
MI hopes to buy some of the racetrack company's assets for $195 million. Among the items are Magna's interest in Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie Texas.
The latest news from around North Texas.
Magna Entertainment will continue to operate while it reorganizes.
It has between $500 million and $1 billion in liabilities and more than $1 billion in assets.


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Microsoft had set a target of two million Surface RT tablet sales, saying investors had received the tablets positively, prompting its increased production.
Thill, in an investors note, attributed the below forecast sales figures to competition from the iPad as well as narrow distribution.
"Surface RT is a consumer device with [fourth-quarter] sales suffering from the difficult iPad compare and narrow distribution,” he said. Microsoft had concentrated its tablets on its own stores and only added it to other stores in mid-December.
The performance was, however, higher than Thill’s previous prediction that the tablet would sell just 600,000 units.
The analyst does, however, have higher expectations for the Windows 8 Surface Pro tablet when it launches later this month, referring to it as “more promising” and a genuine alternative to the iPad. He projected sales of 2.5 million units in 2013 and as high as 8 million in 2014.


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In honor of President's Day, the Marlborough and Canton Service Centers will be closed on Monday, February 19th.
FINAL DAYS, ORDERS DUE MARCH 15 Show your community the colors of Scouting with an official BSA unit flag, a great way to show your Unit pride. The Mayflower Council is proud to offer discounted pricing for Scout units that wish to order a new unit flag or a replacement flag. The flags are printed single reverse, [...]
You’ve probably heard about the Mayflower Council’s district realignment plan in some way or another over the past few months. We are excited to report that on January 24, 2018, the Council’s Voting Members unanimously approved the plan set forth by the District Operations Committee. The new realignment structure will allow the council to serve [...]
We are excited to announce that our online store opened it's doors today. You can now shop for Mayflower Council items online. To celebrate our store's launch all orders will be shipped for free. New items will continually be added. Our online store is the only place to get the new Mayflower Council Shoulder patches. [...]


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Thursday, March 25, 2010
Ed Schultz, Hypocritical Bastard
Via The Right Scoop:
"Typical liberal cry baby. They sell a product that nobody wants to buy and then they want the government to come in and subsidize their failures and force people to buy their product at the expense of successful people."Or they can use the Al Franken model and steal their "subsidy" money from children.


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LG officially introduces us to its latest affordable mid-range Android-powered smartphone, the L90. Unfortunately, the South Korean company did not provide any information with regards to pricing and availability, but a recent leak suggests that the handset will be heading to Asia and Europe in just under a month with dual-SIM capabilities.
All items tagged with "korea"
Following a successful launch in India earlier this week, Samsung has announced that the scaled-down variant of its flagship phablet, the Galaxy Note 3 Neo, is now available to purchase in its home market. However, unlike the other Neo variants, this Korean exclusive model sports the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset.
LG Korea has officially unveiled the much-anticipated G Pro 2, the upscaled successor to its previous flagship smartphone of 2013. Unfortunately, the South Korean company did not provide us with an official launch date for the 5.9-inch phablet, but it did hint that it will be on display at this year’s Mobile World Congress, which is scheduled to take place in just eleven days time on Monday, February 24, 2014, in Barcelona, Spain.
Samsung has officially started rolling out the much-anticipated Android 4.4.2 update to all its Galaxy S4 and S4 LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) variants currently located in Korea. In addition to the hefty bump up from Jelly Bean to KitKat, however, this particular upgrade brings a newer version of the TouchWiz user interface, as well as a multitude of bug fixes, speed optimizations and stability improvements.
Word on the street has it that, LG is gearing up to launch its next flagship smartphone, dubbed the ‘LG G3’, on Saturday, May 17, 2014, in Times Square, New York, and is expected to be going on sale in Europe, Asia and North America shortly after its official unveiling.
Google has taken to its official Twitter account to announced that its second-generation wireless charger for the Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 (2013) is now available from the Play Store in Australia, India, Japan and Korea.
Earlier today, Samsung officially announced a revamped version of its ultra-rugged, waterproof smartphone, the “Galaxy S4 Active, which was released back in June, 2013. This new variant has some pretty noticeable differences from the original. For starters, the name has been changed to the “Galaxy S4 Active LTE-A” as it now boasts LTE-Advanced data speeds of up to 150Mbps.
Samsung has today announced its much-anticipated Galaxy Round, its first smartphone with a curved OLED display. The handset is almost identical to the recently-released Galaxy Note 3 in every way, which means it has a 5.7-inch 1080p display, a 2.3GHz quad-core processor, and 3GB of RAM. The difference is it’s slightly curved.
Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smartwatch went on sale in Europe this week, but if you want to buy one, you’ll need a Galaxy Note 3 or the latest Galaxy Tab 10.1 to go with it, because they’re the only devices that currently support it. But you may not be surprised to hear that Samsung’s working hard to bring Galaxy Gear support to its latest flagship, too.
One company executive has revealed that the Galaxy S4 will be updated to support Galaxy Gear in October.
The LG Vu II, with its rather odd 4:3 aspect ratio, is one of the most unique Android-powered phablets on the market. And it’s likely to retain that title when the Vu III launches later this year, according to leaked specifications that have surfaced in Asia.
In addition to a 4:3 display, this time with a higher resolution, the Vu III is expected to offer the latest Snapdragon 800 processor, and LTE-Advanced technology.