text:
Road Toll Collection Hits All Time High In December 2021, National Payments Corporation Data Says
National Payments Corporation of India says the toll collection increased by Rs 502 crore in December last year compared to November 2020.
The toll collection across national highways (NH) and state roads through FASTag was an all-time high in December, at Rs 3,679 crore, which was Rs 119 crore per day.
Nearly 98 per cent of the total toll collected through FASTag accounts for only NH stretches.
According to data captured by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the toll collection increased by Rs 502 crore in December last year compared to November 2020.
The year-on-year comparison also shows that the toll collection increased by Rs 1,375 crore in last month against Rs 2,304 crore in December 2020.
One of the reasons behind the quantum jump in last month’s toll was resumption of user fee collection at some toll plazas in Punjab and Haryana after the farmers suspended their protests following the government's roll back of the three farm laws.
Secondly, it’s also an indication of more economic activities and thirdly, the Road Transport Ministry has expedited the toll notifications for commencing the toll collection on completed stretches.
According to the Road Ministry, “however, the huge increase in toll collection is also a sign of how all leakages of toll collection have been plugged by implementing the toll collection though FASTag, which is a completely online process."
The ministry maintains that it expects states to put this system on all their tolled road stretches. Besides maximising toll collection, there is no scope for tax evasion by the toll collection agencies.
As more completed NH stretches are brought under the tolling regime, the NHAI’s revenue from user fee will also increase which is critical for undertaking more projects and to meet the debt service requirement.
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.


text:
Researchers at security agency Check Point have found a malware, dubbed Judy, on about 50 apps in Google’s Play Store. The apps contain code that sends infected devices to a target webpage, where they generate fraudulent clicks on the site’s adverts to make money for its creators. The infected apps have been removed from the Play Store.
More than 90% of smartphones in India run on the open Android OS, leaving them vulnerable to the malware, which security firm Checkpoint said has already infected over 36 million smartphones across the world through 41 apps.
India is the top country for Google in terms of downloads from Google Play, surpassing the US in 2016, with over 6 billion apps downloaded, up from 3.5 billion the year before, as per an App Annie report.
Judy is a new malware that has affected between 8.5 million to 36.5 million users, according to Check Point Research Team. Though Google is removing infected apps from the Play Store, it is important you take measures to protect your Smartphone.
Call us @ 98256 18292.
Visit us @tccicomputercoaching.com

domain: news


text:
Stire tematica: e Turbo News
While the latest figures show the overall U.
For June 2010, tourism receipts totaled $11.08 billion, up 2 percent from May and 15 percent from June in 2009. In the first half of 2010, tourism exports, i.e. money foreign tourists spend traveling in the U.S., totaled $64.6 billion, a 7 percent increase first half of 2009.
Tourism exports (or foreign travellers coming to the U.S. and spending money here) bottomed in June 2009 with receipts of about $9.6 billion and has steadily recovered since then. June 2010's figure of $11.08 billion is approaching the pre-recession high of $12,591.
Tourism imports (or what American spend traveling to foreign countries) has recovered more modestly. Therefore, U.S. tourism trade surplus has increased by 29 percent in the first half of 2010 from the first half of 2009.
Even before the Great Recession, tourism has consistently been a trade surplus for the U.S. in the past two decades. Indeed, there were only 7 months of tourism trade deficits since January 1992. One factor responsible for this surplus is that compared to other countries, Americans travel more domestically, said David Goodger, senior economist at Tourism Economics.
This surplus is obviously beneficial to the U.S. economy, said Goodger. Currently, the U.S. government is looking to derive more benefits from it. In March 2010, President Obama signed into law the Travel Promotion Act, which is aimed at promoting U.S. tourism to foreigners. The bill will also collect more fees from certain foreign tourists entering the U.S.
While global tourism has grown in the past decade, tourism to the U.S. has stagnated comparatively, said Goodger. Now, the U.S. is trying to catch up.
Perceptions on the ease of entry, especially after 9/11, and some of the unpopular U.S. foreign policies are two factors responsible for the relatively poor performance in the last ten years, said Goodger.
Correlation with U.S. dollar weakness
U.S. tourism trade surplus is correlated with the weakness of the U.S. dollar versus a basket of foreign currencies. The chart above shows this relationship.
This correlation holds up pretty well except in October 2001, in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks; and in April 2003, after the initial U.S. invasion of Iraq. In these two distressed times, tourism to the U.S. plunged and U.S. tourism showed trade deficits.Source: ibtimes.com


text:
Samsung launches Portable 1TB SSD Drive
Samsung has launched a portable SSD drive with one terabyte capacity. The Samsung portable SSD drive is with small form factor and weighs only 30 grams. The SSD drive measures 71x53 mm and is 9 mm thick.
The solid state drive is smaller than a business card in size. Samsung has launched Portable SS T1 in 250GB, 500GB and 1TB variants. Samsung has offered an amazing portable storage option for consumers, powered by 3D V-NAND memory technology.
Samsung T1 series will support data transfer speed up to 450MB per second. Samsung will offer the drive by the end of January in US, European and Asian market, covering 14 countries during the first phase of launch.
Samsung SSD will work with both Windows and Mac computers. With dynamic thermal guard feature, Samsung T1 will automatically turn off during extreme temperatures. Samsung offers three year warranty for the SSD.
Samsung has packed a lot in a small size and the company has placed a higher price tag on all the variants. Samsung T1 SSD 250 GB will cost $179.99 while 500GB variant will put you down by $299.99. The top end one terabyte portable SSD will cost $599.99.
In the recent years, SSD market has grown faster due to the data write and read speed. Also, with improved performance, consumers don’t mind shelling out extra money for SSD. However, for internal SSD, the storage capacity has remained in the lower range. With consumers downloading massive files and media, 500 GB plus storage has become a bare minimum for any PC user. Many companies have started offering SSD options for the laptops.
The latest offering from Samsung is impressive. However, many technology experts feel that the higher price tag could be the only constraint for T1 SSD series.
- 81% Hotel Occupancy Decline in India while Singapore manages with just 29.2%
- Prakash Gaba: BUY HDFC, HCL Technologies, Godrej Consumer and UltraTech Cement
- Ashwani Gujral: BUY Hero MotoCorp, Maruti and HDFC; SELL JSW Steel and SBI
- Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, Resorts World Sentosa casinos to remain closed beyond June 1
- Mitesh Thakkar: BUY Cipla, Balkrishna Industries, ACC; SELL M&M Finance
Organic Market Europe
A team of geneticists from Trinity College Dublin...Read More
Marine wildlife researchers claimed to have...Read More
The overall ‘asthma epidemic’ among children has...Read More
People in huge numbers gathered in the Mount Lofty...Read More
As New Year is approaching, people have already...Read More
Alzheimer’s disease, the commonest cause of...Read More


text:
A home goods retailer with two stores in the Charleston region is being snapped up by a larger rival. Bed Bath & Beyond announced Wednesday that it agreed to buy Oakland, Calif.-based Cost Plus Inc. for about $495 million.
Cost Plus, which operates under the names World Market and Cost Plus World Market, has seven South Carolina stores, including one each on Savannah Highway in West Ashley and at Azalea Square in Summerville.
Locally, Bed Bath & Beyond has retail outlets on Orleans Road in West Ashley, in Mount Pleasant Towne Centre and on Rivers Avenue in North Charleston.
The two chains had been testing a specialty food department at some Bed Bath & Beyond stores for the past 18 months. The pilot program showed that the departments “could help generate in-store traffic and sharpen the edge against online retailers,” Cost Plus CEO Barry Feld said on the company's website.
Two new restaurants are in the works near East Bay Street in downtown Charleston. Craftsmen Kitchen & Tap House at 12 Cumberland St. and 'Cesca Ristorante & Trattoria at 5 Faber St. will open this summer.
'Cesca, owned by Anthony Mazzola, will open in the former Buccaneer spot around Memorial Day.
Craftsmen Kitchen & Tap House, owned by Philip Fisher and Todd Garrigan, will open in mid-June.
The Ballet Academy of Charleston has more than doubled in size after moving into a new studio at 1579 Savannah Highway in West Ashley. The new site in Charleston Executive Park near Kmart is 2,200 square feet, replacing the former 900-square-foot location.
The classical ballet school, which opened in 1993, will have a grand opening from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.. Activities will include demonstrations of ballet classes, short performances from the Rainbow Fish Ballet, free trial classes for young children, free trial classes for adult beginner ballet and barre fitness, refreshments and a raffle.
Palmetto Rural Telephone Cooperative will hold a grand opening of its 20,000-square-foot retail store at 248 Robertson Blvd. in Walterboro from Monday through May 18.
The center features a customer service area inside and a drive-through window outside. It also has a retail showcase with new wireless phones, new electronic items and many other of the cooperative's service-related accessories. Also, the cooperative's tech crew will be on-site to provide service for computer and networking needs.
The company also recently announced plans to build a fiber network throughout the county and upgrade its digital TV services. Look for discounts, music, prizes, food and drinks each day during the opening event.
Second Sunday on King Street falls on Mother's Day, so what better time to take mom for an outing to shop, stroll, dine and listen to music in downtown Charleston.
Also, stop by the information tent for chances to win tickets to the upcoming Spoleto Festival USA, as well as free two-hour parking vouchers.
King Street will be closed to vehicles from 1 to 5 p.m. between Calhoun and Queen streets.
Reach Warren L. Wise at 937-5524 or email@example.com.


text:
The COVID-19 pandemic has launched new words, trends, and issues into the public discourse that many people were never exposed to before. New habits and products have become commonplace seemingly out of nowhere.
Of course, recreational cycling is not new to most of us. However, it has gained tremendous popularity during the pandemic.
Millions of people found themselves with much more spare time if they were furloughed, or through the lack of an outside social life. With health and fitness being a huge part of the public discourse, millions decided to focus more on their physical and mental health whilst there was little else to do.
Regular exercise is something that is often neglected in the rush of modern life. This is particularly true of people who work full-time, have a family, or other personal commitments and simply don’t have the chance to weave it into their daily lives. Fortunately, COVID has changed that, and many people have turned to cycling.
The sales of bicycles has soared worldwide. British retailer Halfords reported a pre-tax profit of £55.4m for the six months to 2nd October 2020 compared to £27.5m a year earlier. That is a 55% surge in like-for-like sales of cycling-related products.
Unfortunately, the demand for more bicycles has led to a shortage of bikes and equipment, with people in places like the UK forced to join months-long waiting lists just to purchase a bicycle.
The head of sports retailer Decathlon told The Guardian:
“The cycle market has gone berserk” and that “The minute you get stock in they are like piranhas on a fish. Demand is huge.”
According to the UK Bicycle Association, there was a 45% growth in 2020 in the sales of bikes and related accessories. In January 2021, the growth was 40% compared to the year before, showing this surge has been sustained into 2021.
Attitudes moving towards cycling
Countries like the United Kingdom and the United States of America do not, generally, have a positive attitude towards cycling. In many European countries, it is a way of life for people to cycle to work, and even cycle for fun; that’s not so common in the US and UK.
According to the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), The Netherlands cycling modal share was 27% in 2017. The ‘modal share’ indicates the share of the different modes of transport in the total traffic volume of a country, region, or city. In comparison, the UK’s modal share was 2%. That puts it 22nd on a list of 28 European countries.
And while in the US people are obviously much more reliant on cars and it just doesn’t cross their minds to cycle, in European countries like Denmark the opposite is true. A whopping 90% of Denmark’s population own a bike, while only 56 % own a car.
One of the prominent differences between countries that cycle and those that don’t, is their biking infrastructure. In cities such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam, there are sizeable parking areas designed for hundreds of bikes, set up in places where the UK would ordinarily have a multi-story car park.
The cycle lanes in cycling countries are wide and distinguished, and crucially, drivers have much more respect and patience for people on bikes. Cyclists in cycling countries are not seen as an irritation or as infringing into roads exclusively reserved for cars and drivers. They’re seen as just normal road users who drivers have to keep an eye on when driving.
However, in the UK in particular, many drivers have a total disdain for cyclists. They see them as something that needs to get out the way.
Even though cycling in the UK is safer than many people assume, it’s very difficult to cycle on the roads and not feel like you’re just getting in the way of the cars despite keeping to one side. It’s this feeling that stops people from taking up cycling consistently in the first place, which should change.
The health and environmental benefits of cycling are great for both individuals and government.
Environmental Impact of Cycling
Many countries around the world, including the UK and US, have pledged to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. If governments, institutions, and companies could get more of the population cycling regularly, it could make that 2050 goal significantly more achievable.
A study of cycling’s impact on global warming by Bike Radar found that cycling is among the lowest carbon-per-kilometre modes of transport. This makes it even better than walking.
The study also found that if cycling were to return to the popularity levels of the 1940s when the average British person cycled six times further per year than they do today, and these trips replaced car journeys, that would create a net saving of 7.7 million tons of CO2 per year in the UK alone!
This is precisely why this interest and rise in cycling habits must be seized upon to meet the global climate change targets. Eric Larson, senior research engineer at Princeton University says:
“In general, it will be a more pleasant place to be living in when we get to net zero emissions. We will have cleaner air, and [will] have done our part to avoid disastrous climate change. That’s a good thing for us and the rest of the world.”
If all players can encourage more cycling for everyone, and even fund the setting up of cycling infrastructure in their cities and villages, that 2050 target could become much more realistic. People have bought the bikes, so let’s make it accessible and facilitate them using the bikes habitually.
The more people cycle to and from work, school, or social events, the sooner the public will reap the environmental and health benefits of cycling, including increased cardiovascular fitness, increased muscle strength and flexibility, decreased body fat levels, healthy weight management, and reduced stress. And attitudes towards cyclists will continue to improve.


text:
Robert Graham has a new high-level executive.
Former Theory executive Andrew Berg has joined the men’s wear brand as president and will report to Michael Buckley, chief executive officer of Differential Brands Group Inc., which owns both Robert Graham and Hudson Jeans.
“With Andrew’s 20-year proven track record, we are confident that we have the leader in place to execute our premium omnichannel vision for the future,” said Buckley. “Under Andrew’s direction, we look forward to Robert Graham continuing to build brand awareness and maximize the explosive growth potential of its consumer direct channel, department store and specialty store relationships, as well as executing its playbook for international expansion.”
Buckley said it is “a pivotal time for our newly merged company” and it is essential for “an industry-leading merchant with experience driving growth to take the helm.”
Berg had served most recently as senior vice president of men’s wear for Theory, where he was responsible for overseeing the men’s wholesale, retail, e-commerce and international channels. During his tenure, he had launched new product categories including footwear, accessories, formalwear and Theory+.
Before Theory, Berg had worked at Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie & Fitch and Gap Inc.
“I believe Robert Graham is uniquely positioned to become one of the leading premium lifestyle brands, and I am thrilled to be joining the organization as president to spearhead the charge,” Berg said. “I am looking forward to working closely with the Robert Graham leadership team and the board of directors at Differential Brands Group in building this product-led brand.”
Differential Brands was officially formed in January when the merger of Hudson and Robert Graham was completed. It is a public company listed on the NASDAQ exchange.
Robert Graham was launched in 2001 by men’s wear designer Robert Stock and has been expanding its reach beyond its signature woven shirts into other categories including jeans and suits over the past several years. It operates 30 freestanding stores around the U.S.


text:
Last week, the MNGOP endorsed Tom Emmer for governor. Emmer thinks enacting racist laws like AZ's 1070 in Minnesota is “a wonderful first step.”
Why is Tony Sutton--the chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota who's making a fortune selling “Mexican” food at Baja Sol--leading a party that promotes unjust policies toward workers? What's in it for him?
Fast food taconomics: Taco baron Tony Sutton depends on low-wage labor on farms, food processing plants and restaurants to jack up his profits.
Cashing in on culture: The Chicago Tribune called Baja Sol, “Mexican food for non-Mexicans.”
Sutton's wife, president of Baja Sol, told Twin Cities Business Journal that the company was making a lot of lettuce:
Baja Sol anticipates revenue of more than $25 million in 2009, roughly quadruple the company’s revenue from three years ago. Same-store sales were up 8.5 percent in the first half of 2009, following gains of 11 percent in 2008 and 9.2 percent in 2007.
Franchise Times wrote about the restaurant chain in Midwest Mex:
“We’re staying very aggressive,” said Baja Sol President Bridget Sutton, who owns the company along with her husband, Minnesota Republican Party Chairman Tony Sutton, and TCF Financial Corp. CEO Bill Cooper
Demonizing those who invented Mexican food: While Sutton sells Mexican food to non-Mexicans at his growing restaurant chain, he leads a party that wants to boot immigrants out.
Minnesota. Home of 10,000 lakes and, if NPR radio–host Garrison Keillor is to be believed, prairie land populated by the descendents of pensive Lutheran Scandinavians.
But immigration begets expanding tastes and now Minnesota is also home to a Mexican restaurant chain poised to take on Chipotle, Qdoba and other national brands.
At least that’s Baja Sol Restaurants Group CEO Tony Sutton’s gameplan. The chain, with 10 restaurants in the Twin Cities area, recently signed a nine-unit development agreement in the central Ohio area. The first restaurant in Columbus is expected to open in June.
The growth of the Mexican and Latino food market is fueled by immigration. At the end of 2008 the market for Mexican and Latin food reached $16 billion, the Franchise Time article noted. This is hypocrisy at its worse—and it hurts business and real families!
MNGOP hypocrisy would cost us: A U of M study sponsored by business groups found that deporting undocumented workers would cost MN 24,000 permanent jobs and $1.2 billion in personal income.
Immigrants revive neighborhoods an small towns, contribute more than they take out of the state's economy and public treasury, and are less likely to commit crimes than native-born people, the researchers found.
Common decency and our own self-interest say fix a broken system. Don't settle for the politics of hate on your plate. Demand real reform and policies of prosperity!
Tweet Tony Sutton: It stops in Arizona!


text:
Walmart, whose supercenters once transformed the way Americans shop, announced Friday it would close a record number of stores in the United States and overseas, as it fights to hold its ground in a retail landscape under siege by the behemoth Amazon.
The giant retailer, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, said in a statement that it would shutter 154 stores in the United States, or about 3 percent of its locations, as well as 115 stores overseas. No San Antonio-area stores were on the list.
It also will end its Walmart Express small-store format, which failed to catch on in urban areas. As many as 10,000 employees could lose their jobs in the United States and 6,000 elsewhere, it added, and the stores are slated to close by the end of January.
Of the 154 locations Wal-Mart will close in the United States, 102 will be Walmart Express stores. The company said it would focus more on the slightly larger Neighborhood Market format, which has logged stronger sales (though it also will close 23 of those stores). Walmart also is closing 12 supercenters and four Sam’s Club membership stores.


text:
Mighty Distributing System of America Inc. has recognized Mighty of Central Indiana as its franchise of the year.
The Central Indiana operation is one of four Mighty franchises owned by the JTM Group. Steve Sanner and Jay Greenfield are principals and Jeff Bare is COO of the JTM Group.
JTM has many different entities within each business group based on giving ownership opportunities to key people as we add new franchises, according to Sanner. “So, while we started in the Jiffy Lube business in 1985, we are now in Jiffy (48 shops), Tuffy (six shops), and Mighty (4 franchises), hence the JTM name,” he says.
Ken Voelker, president and CEO of Mighty, says: “It is gratifying to award Mighty’s franchise of the year recognition to a long-term, professional organization like the JTM Group. And their operation in Central Indiana knocked the ball out of the park this year! The award is extremely well deserved.”
Sanner says his company has raised the bar and maintained a professional work environment at every level. “Our employees are our associates; our customers are our guests. That’s how we truly feel about each other and that’s how we feel about the people we do business with. When you think like that, it compels you to conduct business accordingly.”
Mighty Distributing System of America, a franchisor of sales and services in aftermarket auto parts, is headquartered in Norcross, Ga., and consists of 107 franchised distributors in 45 states and five international markets.


text: Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, and the Financial Stimulus Accountability Group announced a new relief program for Tennessee businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tennessee Business Relief Program will direct approximately $200 million in federal Coronavirus Relief Funds through the Department of Revenue directly to small businesses that qualify. “The COVID-19 pandemic has created immense economic pain across our state and especially among small businesses that faced temporary closure,” said Gov. Lee. “As we responsibly steward our federal stimulus money we have worked to quickly prioritize our small businesses and I thank the work of the Financial Stimulus Accountability Group for their partnership in this.” The Tennessee Business Relief Program amounts awarded will be based on the annual gross sales of the business. More details will be posted on the Department of Revenue’s website, www.tn.gov/revenue.html, in the coming days.


text:
The outlook for cryptocurrencies in 2023, including whether it will be optimistic or pessimistic, has been subject to conjecture. The industry, currently valued at over $1.3 trillion, will keep expanding. As the market grows, many will try to profit from investor excitement. This will result in short-term and long-term price increases.
Analysts anticipate a recovery in the cryptocurrency industry in 2023. Some predict that bitcoin will hit its lowest point in the first quarter of 2023, dropping to $10,000 or less. Most cryptocurrencies may see falls of 60% to 80% as a result of these price drops. Cardano’s cost might fall to around 10 cents. The Federal Reserve is expected to cease increasing interest rates. This may prevent the cryptocurrency market from continuing to decline. BTC may reach its lowest point at or below $10,000. Before bottoming out, the stock market, which has a strong correlation to the cryptocurrency market, is anticipated to decline by another 20% to 30%. But below $10,000, Bitcoin might still face a flash fall.
Causes include a lack of liquidity, a prohibition on bitcoin mining, and energy scarcity. It is preferable to keep your cryptocurrency holdings in your wallet instead of a centralized exchange. Not Your Keys, Not Your Crypto will have increasing significance as the market expands. In 2023, there is a considerable probability that the SEC will take action against significant cryptocurrency initiatives, businesses, or exchanges because of the recent unfavorable events of FTX.
The demise of FTX has brought the acceptance of regulation. Regulators have been reluctant to invest in crypto due to a lack of regulatory certainty. Crypto legislation will make it simpler to decentralize crypto enterprises. Being utterly decentralized from top to bottom, which cryptocurrency is meant to be about, is the only way to sidestep many of these rules. Most agree that regulation is typically beneficial, although specific crypto rules might be harmful. The worst regulations are self-custody, DeFi, payments, and privacy. Adoption of DeFi might be slowed by poor crypto legislation. Since Defi’s protocols are decentralized, most crypto rules will not apply to them. Even if there are worldwide crypto regulations, they are likely to differ from country to region.
In 2023, there will be a growth in the proportion of people who own cryptocurrencies; Currently, only 4% of the world’s population uses them. Despite the exponential nature of growth, there are several reasons why it will persist. Facebook and Instagram are now testing numerous cryptocurrencies with smart contracts. Starbucks has created an NFT-based Polygon loyalty program. Additionally, independent messaging platforms, like and Signal, have started integrating crypto functionality. Elon Musk has also said that Twitter would include cryptocurrency in the future. Together, these firms have billions of customers, so even a minor adoption rate of cryptocurrency would be significant.


text:
- Twitter has locked in the first sponsorships for its live original sports programming with the National Basketball Association, according to Adweek. JBL Harman and American Express will serve ads on two new shows native to the platform, The Starters and The Warmup.
- The NBA-focused shows were announced late last month and are produced by Twitter partner Turner Sports. The Starters airs Tuesday mornings and The Warmup will broadcast Thursday nights in a regular weekly schedule similar to linear TV programming.
- The Starters and The Warmup are Twitter's first notable push for original offerings, and could help further monetize live video on the platform with the new sponsorships.
Coming down to the tail end of an otherwise gloomy fiscal year for Twitter, it saw decent Q3 earnings that were likely boosted by the many live video deals the platform has brokered with partners. Twitter currently has deals in place with every major sports organization, including the NBA and the NFL. A 10-game, $10 million package with the latter was considered the crown jewel of the site’s media partnerships.
Though the micro-blogging site recently cut 9% of its staff and mobile offerings like Vine as a belt-tightening measure, the JBL and Amex ad buys show that brand interest remains strong, and that those brands are also willing to take risks on original content.
As competitors like Facebook and Instagram push more into live video, Twitter’s advantage remains in its marquee partnerships, with the NBA and the NFL being particularly attractive to advertisers. Replicating a traditional TV model with weekly original content might benefit Twitter, the NBA and sponsors alike, as the shows could hook young demos who are increasingly turning away from linear television in favor of digital channels like live streaming.
“With more and more people joining the cord cutting pool, the more Twitter will be able to capitalize on those people who don’t have TV subscriptions,” Jessica Liu, a senior analyst of B2C marketing at Forrester, told Marketing Dive in October.
Twitter also has distinct, in-the-moment second screen capabilities that other social platforms lack, as users can tweet discourse as shows air, as well as like, favorite and retweet posts from program pages like @TheStarters. The potential for community building and going viral here is immense, and the renewed interest from advertisers like Amex and JBL might help right Twitter's ship yet.


text:
Animate Girls Festival is a large-scale annual event in Ikebukuro celebrating "everything for girls"—anime, manga, voice actors, merch, otome games, cosplay, and more. This year, the festival was held on November 3 and 4 at Sunshine City in Ikebukuro, Tokyo.
This year, the theme was "heart," and a wide variety of projects for customers created to share gratitude, love, and devotion were spread out both in Sunshine City and as part of the city's Downtown Project. A total of 109,238 attendees visited the area—41,443 of which entered the main hall (135% of last year's count)—breaking the event's record for number of in-person attendees.
In addition, 385,948 attendees joined online—many of whom viewed the stream of the Ikebukuro Sunshine City Fountain Square (Alpa B1 Hall) stage.
The main event hall (Sunshine City, Ikebukuro) hosted 100 booths with merch counters and exhibits for anime, games, and other beloved content. Throughout the event, attendees also enjoyed the many booths that hosted events starring voice actors, mascots, and more.
Several popular franchises were showcased on the Ikebukuro Sunshine City Fountain Square (Alpa B1 Hall) open stage this year, drawing passionate reactions. The game "Aoyama Operetta" took the stage with a special performance from the cast and introduced the newest character joining the smartphone game; LemonSquashScore unveiled a new music video; and more.
Even without a ticket to the Animate Girls Festival main hall, the Ikebukuro City Downtown Project gave visitors plenty to do in the area. A collaboration coaster campaign had visitors collecting coasters from seven major titles, including "TSUKINO TALENT PRODUCTION" and "Tokyo Revengers." The "Fate/Grand Order" series set up an exclusive pop-up shop called FGO MART＠ANIMATE GIRLS FESTIVAL 2023. In addition, the Ikebukuro Autumn Culture Music Festival in AGF2023 was held simultaneously, which saw four groups of artists perform at the Global Ring Theatre in Ikebukuro Nishi-guchi Park.
Main Event Hall
The main event hall hosted booths from 100 exhibitors that each held displays, merch sales and mini events. There was a great deal of exclusive AGF2023 merch on sale, some of which is available now in limited numbers at the "After AGF2023" post-event sale.
Attendees who entered the main hall were given special shopping bags (first come first served). November 3 attendees received "NIJISANJI" bags, and November 4 attendees received bags featuring "3D LIVE Uta no Prince-sama ALL STAR STAGE -MUSIC UNIVERSE-" and "Utakata no Uchronia."
Ikebukuro Sunshine City Fountain Plaza
A lavish 14 titles took the stage at Ikebukuro Sunshine City Fountain Plaza! There was a wide range of content—talk shows, vocal performances, news drops and more—getting everyone fired up around the fountain.
Animate Girls Festival 2023 Celebration animate game fight!! Let's Puyo Puyo!
To celebrate Animate Girls Festival 2023, a game tournament was held for the first time in AGF history: animate game fight!! The lucky first game to be played was the puzzle game "Puyo Puyo eSports." Entrants included the four members of Let's Play group ORETACHI NO ASOVIVA, a.k.a OREVIVA: Ptera Takahashi, Meiya, Nerochan and Average.
What's more, employees at the Animate Girls Festival 2023 booths were challenged to take on the four members of OREVIVA, which brought out plenty of fighting spirit.
Footage from the event has been permanently archived on the animate Times YouTube channel.
・animate game fight!! Let's Puyo Puyo! Archive
・animate game fight!! Let's Puyo Puyo! Page
FGO MART＠ANIMATE GIRLS FESTIVAL 2023
A pop-up shop selling merch featuring special designs inspired by the servants from "Fate/Grand Order" was set up for a limited time at the special event space in the Ikebukuro Sunshine City Alpa B1 Hall. After entering the unique shopfront and passing standees featuring especially-created art, the inside of the shop was lined with original merch featuring the logos of FGO MART and 15 servants. The shop was packed with customers every day of the event.
Collab Coaster Present Campaign
While Animate Girls Festival 2023 was on, participating stores in Ikebukuro City's downtown gave out free coasters (38 types total.)
Ikebukuro Autumn Culture Music Festival in AGF2023
Animate Girls Festival 2023 was on, participating stores in Ikebukuro City's downtown gave out f
The Ikebukuro Autumn Culture Music Festival in AGF2023 was held at the same time as AGF2023, which saw four groups of artists perform at the Global Ring Theatre in Ikebukuro Nishi-guchi Park.
Ikebukuro Autumn Culture Market 2023 and AniBizMate
"Ikebukuro Autumn Culture Market 2023," which had a great number of food tents that allowed visitors to enjoy delicious cuisine in the Ikebukuro autumn air, was held yet again this year in the park in front of animate (Naka-ikebukuro Park.)
The "AniBizMate" job fair was also held in the same park, for the third year running. There were many events on the program, including an interview stage project featuring animate career info and dazzling guests from the entertainment industry.
acosta! ~Animate Girls Festival 2023 Special Edition~
This event saw a huge number of cosplayers participate.
Some of the merch sold at Animate Girls Festival 2023 is available at animate International. Don't miss this chance to get your hands on AGF2023 exclusive items!
SALES PERIOD: November 23 10:00AM－December 10 11:59PM 2023
WEBSITE: animate International
・Sales may end early if stocks run out.
・Not all items from AGF2023 will be available. Only a select line-up will be available.


text:
SAN JOSE (AP) - San Jose is set to consider finalizing a $7 million incentive package to keep Samsung Semiconductor in Silicon Valley and trump an open invitation from Austin, Texas, to expand its operations there.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The two new suitors pursuing Dell have a message for Wall Street: Don't allow Michael Dell to hoard potential gains from the PC maker's expansion into more profitable technology products and services.
Gosh, there are a lot of rotten husbands out there! That's why I keep telling my wife she should fall down on her knees every day and thank her lucky stars that she got one of the good guys. OK, I really don't do that. In fact, if I did say that to my wife, the only reason she might drop to her knees is because she'd be laughing so hard she wouldn't be able to keep standing!
WASHINGTON (AP) - The new spending bill passed by Congress on Thursday appears to continue the requirement for six-day mail delivery, but some lawmakers and postal officials say plans to cut Saturday service should proceed.
NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks closed lower on Wall Street Thursday after Oracle's weak sales results weighed down big U.S. technology companies. Traders also worried about Cyprus running out of time to avoid bankruptcy.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment aid barely changed last week, while the average over the past month fell to a fresh five-year low. The decline in layoffs is helping strengthen the job market.
HP HIKES QUARTERLY SHAREHOLDER PAYOUT 10 PCT: PALO ALTO (AP) - Personal computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. says its will raise the quarterly dividend it pays shareholders by about a penny to 14.5 cents per share.
MOUNTAIN VIEW (AP) - Hewlett-Packard Co.'s annual meeting will give shareholders an opportunity to vent their frustration over the personal computer maker's botched acquisitions and other follies that have been plaguing the Silicon Valley pioneer for several years.
REDWOOD CITY (AP) - Oracle Corp. on Wednesday reported flat earnings for its fiscal third-quarter, hurt by a drop in sales of hardware systems and new software. Shares tumbled in after-hours trading on the weaker-than-expected results.


text:
It’s not quite fall yet, but we’re already talking about Turkey. Specifically the Turkish lira, but if you wanted to have a turkey leg while you’re waiting for football to start back up, I wouldn’t be opposed to that. With the lira down over 45% this year this has catapulted the implied volatility rank of TUR iShares MSCI Turkey (Nasdaq: TUR) exchange-traded fund (ETF) to 100. Meaning that the options prices today are at the highest levels they’ve been over the last year.
Options prices become elevated when there are sharp drops in the underlying’s price as investors quickly buy more options to protect their investments. When prices rise quickly, they can also fall quickly once the news (and noise) surrounding the price movement event wanes.
The event causing the spike in options pricing is the political instability around Turkish president Erdogan’s economic policies. This news event prompted the TUR ETF to drop by nearly 11% on August 13, 2018. This kind of publicity brings once obscure ETFs like TUR into the fold. Today we are going to cover two trade setup ideas that will profit if Turkey manages to board the gravy train out of trouble or is heading into the deep fryer.
Let’s examine a bullish trade setup. Because options prices are so high, there’s a large demand of buyers and they’re paying a hefty premium. By selling the 17 put and buying the 15 put, the trade would take in a credit of $50 which is the max profit, with the max risk at $150. The ETF is currently trading at $19.07 so this trade’s break-even price would be $16.50 or 13.5% below the current price. The 17 put has a delta of 21 meaning that it has a 21% probability of being in the money at the September 21, 2018 expiration, but that also means a 79% probability of profit on this trade.
Or if you feel that the 10% drop is only the tip of the iceberg, selling the 21 call and buying the 23 call would set up a trade that takes in $56 in credit and risks $144. This trade setup has a 72% probability of profit according to the Tastyworks platform (my platform of choice) and a breakeven price of $21.56 which too is 13% away from the price as of this writing at $19.07.
With either of these trades, the likelihood of the options pricing coming down after the news in a few days when the Turkey news dies down is very high. These kinds of setups where trades can be structured to take in so much credit and have such a high probability of profit is rare, which makes it an excellent opportunity. But trade cautiously, with the currency crisis potentially spreading, this might not be only time Turkey is in the headlines.


text:
Penrith’s Civic Centre foyer is set to undergo a major facelift this month bringing it into the 21st century.
Approved at Council’s Ordinary Meeting on September 28, the $1.27 million refurbishment will improve the ergonomics of the space, create formal and informal meeting areas, feature self-service desks, a customer waiting area and also a café.
Penrith Mayor Karen McKeown said the works would provide customers with more privacy, more flexibility and reduced wait times.
“The current foyer space is expansive, and while it has served us well for close to three decades, improvements are overdue and we have an opportunity to reclaim some space to benefit our residents,” she said.
First opened in 1993, the bulk of the Civic Centre’s original fittings are still in place today.
The upgrade will provide a more contemporary look and feel and will include natural timbers and an extensive wall of living plants.
“Since the Civic Centre was built, the population of Penrith has grown dramatically and the way we engage with our customers has also changed,” Cr McKeown said.
“Many interactions that would have taken place face-to-face are now happening online and this gives us an opportunity to increase the quality of the service we offer when people do come in.
“Upgrading the Civic Centre will help us achieve that goal for our community.”
Disabled and older residents have been accommodated in the new design, with the customer service counter including a lower section that people can sit at, as well as a traditional standing counter.
Staff members will also be on hand to guide people to the right area, help customers navigate the technology at the self-service desk and offer advice on how to access Council’s online services from home.
Hunter Mason Pty Ltd was awarded the tender for Stage 1 of the Ground Floor refurbishment works, which includes upgrading the existing foyer and a back of house section where customer experience staff will be accommodated.
Council has not disclosed what Stage 2 will entail or how much it will cost. The Civic Centre foyer will remain open for business during the construction phase.
Work will start this month and is expected to be complete by May 2021.
Alena Higgins is the Weekender’s Senior News Reporter, primarily covering courts and Council issues.


text:
Nokia Wants Your Cell Phone To Tell You Where You AreNokia Wants Your Cell Phone To Tell You Where You Are
Nokia began a major push to transform cell phones into personal navigation devices last week as the company began integrating GPS technology into its handsets.
October 7, 2006
If Nokia has its way, no one will be able to dodge the question, "Where are you calling from?" Cell phones took a step toward becoming self-contained personal navigation devices last week, as the No. 1 mobile phone maker said it will integrate global positioning system technology and location-based services into its handsets.
Nokia entered a licensing deal that gives it access to patents held by positioning applications company Trimble that are related to GPS. Trimble provides GPS, laser, and optical location technologies, selling mostly to the military and agricultural and mining companies. Trimble hopes the agreement will help it expand its customer base and break into the consumer market. The overall demand for mobile location-based services will mushroom to more than $8.5 billion by the end of 2010, from less than $1 billion in 2005, according to Juniper Research.
World In Your Hand
Nokia N95 phones have built-in mapping software and integrated GPS
Motorola Offers maps, points of interest, and spoken or text directions
Samsung GPS-enabled phones require a subscription with a third-party carrier
RIM BlackBerry Pearl has BlackBerry Maps built in but no integrated GPS
Palm Treos offer voice-guided directions but aren't GPS-enabled
The deal includes sublicensing rights, meaning the phone maker will be allowed to open the Trimble technology to other vendors in a bid to hasten adoption of mobile location-based services, says Waldemar Sakalar, director of strategy and business development in Nokia's mobile phones group. Nokia didn't disclose financial terms of the deal.
The agreement follows Nokia's August acquisition of gate5, a maker of wireless mapping, routing, and navigation software. Within a month of that deal, Nokia announced the N95, a mobile device that comes with integrated GPS technology and preinstalled gate5 software. The N95 is slated to start shipping in the first quarter of 2007. Its mapping application resides on the phone rather than being wirelessly linked to the device from a faraway server. It lets users search through maps of more than 100 countries.
Nokia plans to launch more devices with GPS capability, as well as services such as local search, which will let users find relevant information based on their location. Nokia's strategy of preinstalling mobile location-based services in phones is designed to give the company a tighter relationship with users, who will be freed from reliance on carriers for such services. "It's a very public statement that Nokia is moving away from total dependence on [telecom carriers] as a channel to market," Gartner analyst Nick Jones says.
The No. 2 mobile phone maker, Motorola, also sells models with integrated GPS. Samsung sells phones with GPS capability, but its customers have to subscribe to a service such as Verizon Wireless' VZ Navigator if they want to get location information through their handsets.
Research In Motion, the top U.S. smartphone maker, offers location-based services through BlackBerry Maps, an application available on its BlackBerry Pearl smartphone. The BlackBerry Pearl doesn't have embedded GPS, but it can take advantage of GPS capabilities in BlackBerry Maps and other GPS-enabled applications if it's used with a Bluetooth-based GPS receiver peripheral. BlackBerry devices work with third-party applications to give turn-by-turn navigational instructions to users driving from location to location. Palm, the second largest smartphone maker, doesn't have GPS-enabled Treos, but it has teamed with TomTom International to provide Treo users with voice-guided, turn-by-turn directions.
The FCC's Enhanced 911 requirements are driving U.S. carriers to make mobile devices with technology called assisted GPS that helps first responders find people making emergency calls on mobile devices. In a few years, the majority of cell phones and other mobile devices sold in the United States will have some form of GPS, Gartner's Jones says, but not all of them will be used for navigation as Nokia plans.
About the Author(s)
You May Also Like


text:
Mike Arrington has made a post talking about a possible acquisition of Skype by Cisco. According to him there are talks to acquire Skype at a price near $5 Billion before they complete the IPO process.
Cisco has made an offer to acquire Skype before they complete their IPO process, says one of our more reliable sources. We have not been able to confirm this rumor one way or another via other sources, which isn’t surprising. A company in lock down during the IPO process is usually even more tight lipped than normal.But if true this would be one very big acquisition. Skype insiders are hoping for an out of the gate valuation of $5 billion or so, we’ve heard. Presumably Cisco would have to bidding in that range to make it interesting.
This is interesting after the recent announcement by Cisco during Cisco Live that they will soon be releasing a tablet based on Android OS to bring Telepresence to the market.
Today Cisco announced their new tablet strategy bringing telepresence to the reach of Joes and Janes like myself and you. They announced a new Android based device called Cisco Cius which taps into their collaboration architecture (remember, they were talking only collaboration for the past year) with virtual desktop integration to deliver collaboration and communication to everyone from small businesses to enterprises so that their increasingly mobile workforce is empowered. It essentially means that users will have anytime anywhere access to state of the art collaboration and communication tools. Just imagine the impact of such a device on your business or government. If you thought iPad was a killer gadget that revolutionized the world, wait till you have this one on your hands.
After their plan to bring Telepresence to masses, it is not surprising that they want to grab a VOIP provider with a huge following among the masses. If the rumor is true, it is clear that they are serious about making a run in the consumer market.
(Cross-posted @ Krishnan Subramanian)


text:
The fast food giant is currently asking customers to guess which weird and whacky Pokémon flavour they’ll release.
And what they find funny probably isn’t what you think.
New promotional illustration for Dragon Ball Super gives us a glimpse of what might be yet another transformation for our favorite Saiyan hero!
These are the features currently making people swoon across the country.
Pokémon are meant to be caught, after all.
My Little Pony manga artists tell story set in ancient Japan with dragons.
Anime’s physical confrontations don’t mesh with real-world physics, critic says.
It turns out the schoolgirl-inspired two-piece looks just as good on anime girls as it does on real women.
Only those planning to actually use prophylactics asked to line up, but with one big loophole.
First-come, first-served in promotion for upcoming anime TV series.
Arata Kanou’s Your Name Another Side: Earthbound novel focuses on film’s side characters.
Adaptation of hit anime looks to be keeping its dark side.
PlayStation VR, anime figurines, a hair dryer; you can get a lot for $5,000 in Akihabara.
Pikachu and other classic starter Pokémon face packs, of course, give fans special reasons to use ‘em all.
Many fans say anime isn’t for little kids, but this cosplay solution makes use of something that is.
Characters from Mary and the Witch’s Flower team up with prominent brands for a spectacular promotional campaign.
Toei Animation has launched a new site and announced a new Net Anime series based on the popular children’s picture book series, Oshiri Tantei.
The world of Japanese animation is a harsh one.
Here’s your chance to run in the spirit of Dragon Ball with fellow fans this September!
Anime icon says “I won’t watch it,” but at least offers words of encouragement to director of Mary and the Witch’s Flower.


text:
Hardware wallet maker Ledger made a slew of announcements at its inaugural — and now bi-annual — conference Ledger Op3n in Paris today.
Key among them was the reveal of its new crypto debit card, released on the basis that, as Ledger VP of payments Iqbal Gandham put it, “we need to start focusing on spending.” According to the presentation, it’s a Visa card that’s issued by Baanx, an affiliate of Contis Financial Services.
Called the Crypto Life card, it supports a range of cryptocurrencies and can be tracked through Ledger Live, the software companion to Ledger’s range of hardware wallets. Ledger has started a waitlist ahead of its launch.
Gandham said the card will convert to crypto at the point of sale, or card owners can request an interest-free credit line for 30 days, based on the crypto they hold. He added that early next year, a card holder will be able to have their salary sent to their account and have it automatically converted into crypto.
Securely sending NFTs
Ledger wants to make it safer to send NFTs between wallets.
Charles Hamel, VP of product at Ledger, said onstage that when users make an NFT transaction, they will either blind sign it (meaning they don’t see what data they’re agreeing to share) or they'll see a large “blob of data,” which is meaningless to most people. This is unlike a normal crypto transaction where users can typically see where they’re sending funds to when they approve the transaction.
Ledger’s alternative is to break down the transaction and present what’s going on in its mobile app at the point of signing. Hamel showed a demo where the app provided transaction details, including the destination address and the token being sent.
On top of this, Ledger has integrated Rarible into Ledger Live, so that Ledger owners can access the NFT marketplace to buy and sell NFTs while using the hardware wallet to execute transactions.
Coinbase Wallet to add support for Ledger
Coinbase’s non-custodial wallet, which is called Coinbase Wallet and is distinct from the main exchange’s wallet offering, will provide support for Ledger as its first hardware wallet.
This will enable users to interact with blockchain applications via their web browser and still use their hardware wallet.
Via a pre-recorded video, Max Branzburg, VP of product at Coinbase, said that the exchange is building out support for hardware wallets directly within its non-custodial wallet. He said this will begin with the browser version of its wallet, as opposed to its mobile app.
Integrating FTX into Ledger Live
Ledger Live has also expanded its in-house trading options by introducing FTX into the line up.
The first version of this is a simple non-custodial swap function. This is where Ledger owners can agree to swap their crypto and the funds are taken straight from their wallet and the new funds are sent to the same wallet.
The second version will provide full exchange functionality, including derivatives, although this will be a custodial service. So Ledger owners would need to send their crypto to the exchange in order to make trades.
There is a slight catch. Trades will be more expensive through this service, since Ledger adds a small fee on trades made this way.
This isn’t the only way to exchange crypto on the platform. In June, the app integrated its first decentralized finance (DeFi) platform ParaSwap, enabling users to swap tokens across multiple decentralized exchanges including Uniswap, Curve, Balancer, and Sushiswap, among others.
Bringing out the Nano S Plus
Ledger’s fifth announcement was an upgrade to its popular Ledger Nano S model, namely the S Plus. One key difference is that it is developer friendly, designed so that developers can test on the actual device itself rather than through an emulator. The other difference is that it has a larger memory capacity.
“Memory is important because, as we bring all these new use-cases to Ledger Live, you need more space,” said Ledger’s chief experience officer Ian Rogers.
He added that the company is working on another hardware project, implying that it might come out in 2022 or 2023.
This article has been updated to clarify how the FTX integration will work. Also corrects the timing of Coinbase's integration.
Disclaimer: The former CEO and majority shareholder of The Block has disclosed a series of loans from former FTX and Alameda founder Sam Bankman-Fried.
© 2023 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.


text:
It was just shy of two years ago when Taco Bell announced they would be streamlinging their menu. Among the items cut, their infamous Mexican Pizza.
Unexpted by Taco Bell executives, word of Mexican Pizza being discontinued was met by a widespread uproar that absolutely no one saw coming.
After the fan-favorite quickly garnered more than 100,000 petition signatures and public outcry from celebrtiies like Dolly Parton and Doja Cat, it became clear Taco Bell miscalculated the move to remove Mexican Pizza from their menu.
What is Mexican Pizza?
If you’ve never had it before, Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza is the popular fast food chain’s unique take on a pizza inspired by Mexican food flavors.
The Taco Bell cult classic boasts layers of savory seasoned beef and refried beans sandwiched between fried flour tortillas.
From there, everything is topped with traditional pizza sauce, a three cheese blend and diced tomatoes. It’s not exactly gourmet, but that seems to be the appeal.
The Return of Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza
In April of 2022, it was announced that Mexican Pizza would be making a return to Taco Bell beginning in May for a limited edition period of six months.
Once again miscalculating the popularity of their pizza, the hype was short lived, giving way to disappointment when ingredients ran out after just two months.
With fans frusrated and sales tipping the balance at more than seven times the volume prior to when it was initially discontinued, it was announced this week that Mexican Pizza is now making an official comeback – permanently.
According to Taco Bell CEO Mark King, referencing the Mexican Pizza, “It’s going to be relaunched mid-September and it’s going to be a permanent item.”
Legions of fans took to Twitter and beyond to celebrate the announcement. Here’s hoping Taco Bell stocks up on ingredients this time!


text:
Las Vegas Continues Its Streak as No. 1 Trade Show Destination
Las Vegas comes of age as it is named the No. 1 trade show destination for the 21st consecutive year, according to the Trade Show News Network’s (TSNN) “2014 TSNN Top 250 Trade Shows in the United States” list. Las Vegas hosted 60 of the largest shows held in the country last year, up from the 53 it hosted in 2013.
NEWS RELEASE DOWNLOAD
Lisa JacobLVCVA News BureauUnited Statesljacob@lvcva.com702-892-7641


text:
With the shrinking addressable base for smartphones, India likely to have 887.4 million smartphone users by 2030 – not 1 billion.
By Faisal Kawoosa , Chief Analyst, at the Technology Analytics, Research & Consulting company, TechArc
October 14, 2021 : With the shrinking addressable base for smartphones, India likely to have 887.4 million smartphone users by 2030. Government needs to have a 1 billion smartphone module in Digital India mission.
India is already a country of over a billion people. It also has over 1.2 billion wireless subscribers as of July 31st, 2021. However, the dream of having over a billion smartphone users does not seem to be achievable by the end of this decade.
The new smartphone user acquisition has been on a decline since 2018, after 4G drove switch to smartphones as it ushered several new use cases forcing featurephone users to upgrade. This, however, is not the case with 5G, which can substantially bring out a new use case for the mobile users compelling the featurephone users to move to a smartphone. 5G smartphones will push the existing 4G smartphone users to upgrade for superior and immersive experience of the existing use cases that are driving the usage of smartphones.
The challenges of hitting a 1 billion smartphone users by the end of 2030 are many. Below are the key issues that are hampering achieving this milestone in this very important decade when India ushers into the 5th generation of cellular connectivity.
- Affordability is the main concern even if users would discover their own use cases. This is on account of both – investment in the device and the recurring data cost. We are moving away from the insane data pricing that we saw till 2019, and since then operators have been adding a cost to the data and/or increasing the data prices. Even to own a device, it’s a substantial increase in the outlay for around 200-250 million users who cannot spent more than Rs 1,500 on a mobile device.
-There are no models that could self-subsidise the smartphones for this potential audience, who are on the other side of the fence waiting to join the smartphone arena. Advertising based revenue and value-added driven revenues are negligible for such audiences where advertisers would not be ready to spend much as this is not their target audience. So, OEMs cannot work out any model of recovering partial cost of the device upfront and then realising the gap in due course through other streams.
-The OEM ecosystem is gradually moving away from the entry segment. All major OEMs have disinvested out of the entry segment (less than Rs 5,000) where the first-time smartphone user would fall. Rather OEMs are moving to higher ASPs as consumers are willing to spend more (15-35%) on their next upgrade/replacement of smartphones. We have already started seeing the shift of opportunity from lower segments of the market towards more premium segments. In the festive quarter of Oct-Dec 2021, we are expecting users to buy smartphones averaging a little over Rs 20,000, instead of the annual average of Rs 15,000 plus.
-OEMs are adding more features and functions to their smartphones to facilitate paying users leverage more from the device by consuming content and other services, which are subscription based. The interest of OEMs is gradually moving in this direction, where they could increase the LTV per smartphone user by getting a pie of the services that the users are paying for.
-Attempts, such as a hybrid smart-featurephone haven’t paid off well. Though it has got in additional 80-85 million users into the digital ecosystem using fundamental digital services, majority of the featurephone users haven’t accepted this ‘workaround’ wholeheartedly. Hence, the proposition has not gone that well with the intended target audience.
Globally, we are witnessing prices of components going up on the one or another pretext. This is only forcing the OEMs to increase the cost of the devices and in a very hypersensitive market like smartphones, it is very challenging for the OEMs to frequently trade-off between input costs and the market opportunities.
Lastly, the entire smartphone ecosystem is interested in investing in opportunities which are rewarding. For example, when we compare education and gaming as two areas of immense opportunity, the entire smartphone ecosystem has preferred to make considerable investments in gaming than education. There is hardly any OEM focusing on making devices affordable so that more and more students could benefit from digital means of education. But over the past 2 years, we have seen several OEMs making gaming smartphones in the affordable segments.
Smartphone is very important and a central device in the entire digital lifestyle. While other smart devices are catching up, but there are no two opinions about no device reaching the scale and penetration of a smartphone. Hence, it is very important that a device like smartphone is made accessible to every possible hand in the country.
There are very little hope of the smartphone ecosystem working on this very important agenda. What is required is perhaps the government intervening and exploring ways how the penetration of smartphones is expanded at the bottom of the pyramid. We may never achieve 100% smartphone penetration, but our endeavours must be to make every potential user of a mobile as a smartphone user. This is also in the interest of our telecommunications sector where we are now becoming globally a unique nation which will have a 2G and a 5G network working concurrently.
Smartphone access needs to be an important part of the Digital India programme and unless we have the end-users empowered through a smartphone, the benefits of such an important mission will not trickle down to the last mile and last man standing in the queue. The need of the hour is to have a 1 billion smartphones module by 2030 under the larger mission of Digital India, which only can make it inclusive, sustainable and reachable.


text:
Sony Xperia devices failed to set the market alight last year, but hopefully a price cut would help change that. Sony’s recent moves include the company downsizing the Xperia smartphone business to secure profitability, and last year’s models have now received a price cut in India in order to boost sales.
In a bid to entice buyers, Sony has slashed the price of three smartphones – the Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XA1 Ultra and the Xperia XA1 Plus in India.
Sony’s last year flagship, the Xperia XZ Premium has received a 17% reduction on its original Rs. 59,990 price tag, and is now available for just Rs. 49,990. In terms of specs, the device comes equipped with a 5.46-inch UHD (3840×2160) display which is HDR 10 compliant and is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable internal storage. In the photography department, the Xperia XZ Premium features a 19 MP rear camera capable of recording 720p videos at 960FPS, paired with a 13MP front camera.
As for the Xperia XA1 Ultra, its price has been reduced to Rs. 22,990, down from its original Rs. 27,999 price point. The Xperia XA1 Ultra was launched in May last year and packs a 6-inch Full HD display protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass 4. The device is powered by the MediaTek Helio P20 processor, ticking alongside 4GB of RAM and 32/64 GB of internal storage. The Xperia XA1 Ultra packs a promising imaging hardware, thanks to a 23MP rear camera and a 16MP front camera.
The Xperia XA1 Plus‘ price has been brought down from Rs. 24,990 to Rs. 19,990. The device features a 5.5-inch Full HD display with Gorilla Glass 4 on top. Under the hood, the smartphone comes equipped with a MediaTek Helio P20 processor, 3/4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The device is equipped with a 23MP primary camera and an 8MP selfie camera.


text:
Lidl UK has confirmed that its new store on Wendall Road in Blandford Forum will open its doors for the first time to customers at 8am on 27th July, with the Mayor of Blandford, Cllr Peter Clark, in attendance to cut the ribbon to the brand new supermarket.
In addition to the ribbon cutting, Lidl will be offering customers the chance to sample some of its award-winning products throughout the day. For the first week of trading customers will be able to enjoy up to £40 off selected non-food products including a Table Saw (£69.00, RRP £99.00) available from Thursday 27th July, and Professional Food Processor & Blender (£39.99, RRP £79.99) available from Friday 28th July.
The new supermarket forms part of the company’s ongoing expansion and regeneration plans in the UK which will see its existing store portfolio 670 stores increase to up to 1,500. The sustainable 1690m² store has created up to 40 new jobs and boasts state-of-the-art facilities including an in-store bakery, longer-style tills with dual packing, customer toilets, baby changing and ample parking for both cars and bicycles.
The fully glass fronted façade maximises natural daylight entering the building, whilst sensor controlled exterior sun blinds automatically operate to mitigate the effects of unwanted heat from solar gain. The electrical lighting system is made up entirely of LED fittings which, compared with a traditional lighting system, are over 50% more energy efficient whilst still providing excellent levels of lighting to meet the needs of customers choosing their products.
Lidl UK’s Regional Head of Property, James Mitchell, commented: “We would like to thank all those who have played a part in bringing this new Lidl store to Blandford Forum. It is great for us to be able to create more jobs and investment opportunities in the area, and we can’t wait to start serving our multi-award winning products to the local community.”
Lidl, which was crowned ‘Best Supermarket 2016’ by readers of Good Housekeeping, has experienced continued growth over the years, as consumers flock to the shop to discover products – two thirds of which are British - ranging from quality British fruit and vegetables, to premium wines from its much coveted Wine Cellar collections. Over 5.5 million British shoppers are now flocking to Lidl each week, half a million more a week than in 2014. Lidl’s success shows no signs of slowing, as the latest Kantar Worldpanel results outline its continued growth of 18.8% and market share high of 5.0%.


text:
Global consumption of iced coffee has increased by nearly 20% over the past five years, reaching 5.5 billion litres in 2017 according to Zenith’s new ready-to-drink coffee innovation report.
The market’s growth trajectory is expected to continue in the years to 2022 when it is forecast to exceed 6.6 billion litres. Increased consumption has been driven by rising health awareness and the demand for convenient beverage options on-the-go. Greater product variety has been a vital element in developing sales across all regions.
Zenith’s report offers insights into the iced coffee market’s dynamics and future potential at both a global and regional level. This is in addition to the examination of the key trends and themes driving innovation and new product launches from 2014 to 2018, with coverage spanning 28 countries across five regions.
A central focus is placed on new product development in North America, from which many of the global RTD coffee innovation trends originate.


text:
JONES Act carrier Matson Inc posted a more than seven fold increase in first quarter year-on-year net profit to US$25 million, drawn on revenues of $398.2 million, an increase of 1.5 per cent.
"Performance improved across all lines of business, led by continued levels of exceptional demand for our expedited China service," said Matson president and CEO Matt Cox, whose experience appears to contradict mega carriers like Maersk who say shippers won't pay for faster service.
Mr Cox also spoke of "modest yield improvements" in Hawaii and Guam, and further improvements in Logistics operations and SSAT.
"In addition, lower bunker fuel prices positively impacted our results, primarily due to timing differences as fuel surcharge collections outpaced fuel expenditures," he said.
"Our businesses are performing well and continue to generate substantial cash flow that, combined with our strong balance sheet, provides ample capacity to close our pending Alaska acquisition, fund new vessel construction commitments, and comfortably sustain our dividend," said Mr Cox.
"We continue to be encouraged by our prospects in Hawaii, and in a strengthening broader economy that will produce volume growth in our Jones Act markets and in logistics," he said
But Mr Cox worried about new vessel capacity expected to enter our core Hawaii market in the second quarter of this year.
"We expect our Hawaii container volume for the year to be relatively flat with 2014. Our premium expedited service offering from China is expected to remain in high demand. Overall, we remain well positioned to deliver 2015 operating results moderately higher than those we achieved in 2014."
Hawaii container volume was flat year on year as modest westbound market growth was largely offset by lower eastbound backhaul, said the Matson statement accompanying the results.
"China volume increased 5.1 per cent, reflecting continued strong demand for the company's premium expedited service; and Guam volume decreased five per cent due to the timing of select shipments. Hawaii automobile volume decreased 31.5 per cent primarily due to certain customer losses.
"In addition, the company incurred $0.2 million in legal and other expenses related to the molasses released into Honolulu Harbour in September 2013," said the company.
This refers to the aftermath of $2.1 million fine and other expenses related to the molasses spill which afflicted last years results.
Source : HKSG.


text:
Online alcohol delivery serves as one of the largest areas of growth for the spirits sector. During the last sixteen months, the online spirits market grew over ten times faster than the overall industry, reaching over $1.7 billion revenue in 2018. While this remains a fraction of industry sales, consumer demand for convenience has led to both shifting behavior and increased usage of these services.
On Google, searches for “alcohol delivery” have more than octupled over the last four years according to Gartner L2’s Digital IQ Index: Spirits. Online retailers are in a race to capture this growing market by expanding distribution ranges, improving fulfillment capabilities and competing aggressively for consumer awareness. Over the past year alone, Drizly—the fastest growing online alcohol retailer—entered forty new markets by acquiring on-demand alcohol competitor Buttery and partnering with local retailers, including West Coast liquor retailer BevMo. As of July 2019, the retailer serves over 101 U.S. cities across 27 states, offering one-hour delivery to major urban markets.10 In the race for fast and easy fulfillment, liquor retail giant Total Wine & More launched its same day click-to-door service in October 2018, and burgeoning retailer ReserveBar now offers same-day delivery service in 26 major cities.
Seamless handoff from brand site to online retailers is now an expectation from consumers, and leader brands maximize visibility and reach by partnering directly with e-tailer platforms. Partner brands receive five times more traffic on these retailers than non-partner brands, due to a combination of better on-site placement, higher page visibility and integration into retailer digital marketing campaigns. Cîroc’s partnership with ReserveBar, for example, allows it to appear prominently on key category pages, the homepage and email campaigns. This resulted in outsized retailer traffic to Cîroc products — especially compared to other vodka brands with higher overall market share, such as Grey Goose or Belvedere.
Brands must take steps to maximize the potential of their e-tailer partnerships, across site and digital marketing channels. Doing so will let them capture and convert consumers, with online delivery showing no sign of slowing down


text:
The digital offset press offers addition of new markets in plastic cards, graphic overlays and high-quality imaging on synthetic substrates.
Hewlett Packard (HP) announced the launch of its new Indigo Press 5600 for the Indian market.
HP has partnered with Redington as the official distributor of this newly launched press.
“We are very bullish about the newly launched Indigo 5600 as it will open gateways for new business opportunities for our Indian print partners and the existing Indigo users,” said Puneet Chadha, Director, Graphics Solutions Business, HP Imaging and Printing Group India.
According to HP the Indigo 5600 model runs at 68 ppm in standard color mode, 136 ppm for two-color jobs and 272 ppm for mono jobs. In addition, the press features EPM, allowing color printing at 90 ppm. Customers can use the press to enter new markets in plastic cards, graphic overlays and other applications using a one-shot ink laydown feature that provides high-quality imaging on synthetic substrates.
“We are also looking forward to a great deal of partnership with Redington, who would be our official distributor of this product,” said Chadha.


text:
Dubow Textile Inc. is expanding for the third time in five years, this time building a $1.5 million addition onto its St. Cloud factory and hiring another 20 workers over three years in an effort to meet growing demand for its customized embroidered and screenprinted clothing, company and state officials announced Friday.
The 21,000-square-foot addition will be built at Dubow’s current Lincoln Avenue facility, which now houses 75 employees.
The state is assisting in the cost of the project. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) said Friday that it has approved a $176,575 Job Creation Fund grant for the company. However, Dubow will only receive the money after it completes its investment and hits its hiring targets. New hires are expected to receive a wage of more than $13 an hour.
Dubow Textile’s revenue was nearly $7 million last year and is on pace to reach $10 million by 2018. The company makes custom uniforms, polo shirts, sweatshirts and hats.
“Dubow is growing rapidly thanks to its strong commitment to customers and investment in technology,” said DEED Deputy Commissioner Kevin McKinnon. “This latest expansion will enable the business to meet current market demand and accommodate future growth.”
St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis said in a statement: “We are pleased to work with Dubow Textile to assist their recent expansion and continued investment of employment and tax base in St. Cloud’s east side neighborhood.”
In 1991, company owners Rob and Robin Dubow bought an embroidery company named Negaard Lettering from a friend. They renamed it Dubow Textile Inc. and have since transformed it into one of the largest custom garment decorators in the Upper Midwest.
Six months after buying the business, the Dubows moved the operation to a 3,500-square-foot production facility. In May 1994, they expanded again, building a 22,000-square-foot factory and boosting their staff to 60 workers. The company added another 12,500 square feet in 2011 and 6,500 square feet in 2013.


text:
Tesco employees vote in favour of industrial action
Tesco workers in Sligo have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action in a dispute over collective representation.
Sligo workers will strike this Thursday, 6th December and again on Friday, 14th December.
Tesco workers in Carrick-on-Shannon will strike on Saturday, 22nd December.
The Sligo store voted in favour of industrial action by a margin of 97pc, with an 85pc turnout in the ballot.
There is a possibility more dates will be added and other stores may join their colleagues in the coming weeks and months.
Mandate Trade Union General Secretary John Douglas said: "It's extremely disappointing it has come to this.
"Our members do not want to be on strike, particularly in the run up to Christmas, but unfortunately Tesco management have left them with no alternative.
"For the last three years Mandate has tried to engage with the company on a whole range of issues, but it seems Tesco management are determined to continue with their de-unionisation plan, Project Black."
He added: "They have refused to engage with their workers on pay and conditions of employment, on the removal of canteens and break room facilities, they have refused to pay some workers a cost of living pay increase for four consecutive years, and crucially, they have breached collective agreements which they freely entered into with their workers."
In a statement, Tesco appealed to Mandate to call off its one-day strike threats in two stores.
"They are in breach of the company and union's agreed procedures which are to refer disputes to the Workplace Relations Commission," a statement said. "If Mandate proceeds with the proposed unwarranted one-day strike actions for the two stores, both will continue to remain open to serve customers.
"We regret that Mandate is inflicting this inconvenience on our customers in December when our stores are at their busiest and particularly given these stores are close to the Border.
"We call on Mandate to abide by procedures and to immediately withdraw its strike notices for Sligo and Carrick-on-Shannon.
"A conciliation conference on the two issues in Sligo was scheduled at the Workplace Relations Commission for October 24th but was rejected by Mandate.
"Tesco has always abided by agreed procedures and we expect Mandate to do the same."


text:
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- OAO Vimpel Communications VIP, -23.30% Russia's No. 2 cellular operator by user numbers, said Wednesday that fourth-quarter net profit jumped 86% on the year. Net profit was $368.1 million, up from $198.0 million in the year-earlier period. Revenue surged 39% to $2.01 billion from $1.45 billion, as more than 6 million new customers signed up for mobile services.
Have breaking news sent to your inbox. Subscribe to MarketWatch's free Bulletin emails. Sign up here.


text:
Hibbett operates stores under its namesake and City Gear banners.
Hibbett, parent company of Hibbett Sports and City Gear, maintained its momentum in the third quarter as its expanded fashion focus continued to resonate with customers.
The athletic-inspired apparel retailer, which changed its corporate name from Hibbett Sports to Hibbett in June, reported net income of $25.2 million, or $1.68 a share, for the quarter ended Oct. 30, compared with $25.3 million, or $1.47 a share, in the year-ago period. Analysts had forecast earnings per share of $1.62.
Total net sales rose 15.2% to $381.7 million from $331.4 million a year ago. Analysts had expected sales of $360 million. E-commerce represented 14.0% of total sales.
Comparable sales rose 13% compared to a year ago. On a two-year basis, comparable sales increased 37.4% versus the 13-week period ended November 2, 2019. Brick and mortar comp sales increased 31.6% and e-commerce sales grew 84.2% during this two-year period.
The company said its increased market share, improved customer engagement and availability of in-demand product were the primary drivers of its sales growth.
"Our focused strategy of providing a compelling assortment of highly coveted merchandise coupled with superior customer service and a best-in-class omnichannel platform led to increased traffic, a higher average ticket, and a greater number of items purchased per transaction,” said Mike Longo, Hibbett, which operates 1,086 stores in 35 states.“Despite ongoing challenges in the supply chain, our inventory position improved significantly during the third quarter. We are very well-positioned for the holiday selling season.”
The company raised its guidance and said it now expects earnings per share of $1.85 to $2.05 for the fourth quarter. It expects earnings per share for fiscal 2022 of $11.70 to $11.90, compared with a FactSet consensus of $11.41. Same-store sales are expected to rise in the high single-digit for the fourth quarter and to be up in positive high teens for the year.


text:
Found 1244 stories.
Page 1 of 63.
Fears about the uncontrolled growth of artificial intelligence have exploded
into public debate this year. Day 2 of the UN Business and Human Rights Forum examined the challenges through a human-rights lens.
A blend of technology, sustainability practices and advanced genetics that is helping revolutionize the beef and dairy industries is emerging to address our global protein-deficiency problem.
Naturally, food and its many issues has been a major topic this week at
[SB’23 San Diego](https://events.sustainablebrands.com/conferences/sustainablebrands).
Here, two panels of innovators share their approaches to filling in systemic
gaps in our food system.
No chickens were harmed in the making of Onego Bio’s Bioalbumen — which has a 90% lower carbon footprint than traditional egg production, 10 times better yields and at price parity.
Quantifying scope 3 is undeniably daunting. But the Partnership for Carbon Transparency is working to create the 'internet for emissions data' — which would set a common framework for all organizations to seamlessly connect, exchange and derive insights from emissions data.
High-frequency wireless tech will help suppliers sort fruit based on fine-grained ripeness measurements — enabling distributors and retailers to save good fruit and veg from being thrown out with the bad, and move ripe fruit to the front of the line.
Implementing traceability systems puts food companies in a better position to navigate the changing regulatory landscape, build consumer trust and contribute to a sustainable food system.
The companies have collaborated on two new worlds aimed at engaging students on issues related to climate change and biodiversity; and to consider careers in areas such as engineering, sustainability and conservation.
Part of the Global Collaboration Village, leaders can now come together in the metaverse to experience and solve the deepening effects of the climate crisis.
Keeping the planet below 1.5ºC will require rapid scaling of current technologies and deployment of emergent climate solutions — as well as innovative, binding policy interventions.
As companies have faced reputational risk due to the uncovering of labor abuses from suppliers that many did not even realize were supplying them, there’s been a push to better manage and ensure supply-chain
transparency — with technology playing a key role.
As part of Nestlé’s bid to source 50% of its key ingredients from regenerative-ag methods by 2030, the three are turning the waste steam into a win-win, circular solution for food companies and farmers alike.
Many see DAC as a necessary, if imperfect, tool for
achieving needed carbon reductions; but climate justice groups oppose anything that perpetuates petrochemical operation, which often disproportionately harms communities where they are built.
Applied to food supply chains, ambient IoT allows farmers, distributors, grocers, regulators and consumers to know where food came from, how far it traveled, how it was transported and stored, and what condition it’s in — in real time.
It's about to get more costly for companies that exaggerate environmental and social claims in their communications. But what if artificial intelligence could eradicate greenwash forever?
The benefits of anaerobic digestion for recycling various kinds of organic farm waste are far-reaching — including waste management, renewable energy generation, GHG reduction, economic advantages and agricultural sustainability.
Technology is the magic thread weaving the circular textile narrative together to ensure that fashion isn’t just a statement — but a sustainable, end-to-end lifecycle that respects our planet.
Precious Plastic is all about democratizing circularity. And it’s enabling a new form of craftsmanship: One in which anyone, anywhere, can start a small business recycling and making new products from plastic waste.
Vesta is accelerating natural processes using carbon-removing olivine sand to promote coastal resilience, advance ocean uptake and storage of carbon dioxide, and reduce ocean acidity.
The report from CISL's Corporate Leaders Group showcases the challenges, opportunities and business best practices of embracing more circular practices in CRM use through case studies from Ball, Volvo Cars and more.


text:
Welsh Premiership side Llanelli RFC have today unveiled a groundbreaking new kit that will be worn for the first time on Saturday 11th December.
The new kit, unveiled across the club’s social media platforms today, will be worn for the Indigo Group Premiership in 2021-22 and 2022-23, when Llanelli RFC will celebrate 150 years of rugby.
RNF Property Group, Dyfed Steels, Celtic Couriers and Country Stores Gowerton, who feature on the current kit, will continue their support of Llanelli RFC over the next 18 months while RCS Teamwear remain as the club’s main kit and teamwear supplier.
In addition to the fantastic continued support of the existing sponsors, an additional 18 sponsors have come on board for the new Indigo Group Premiership season, featuring on the playing kit.
The companies that will feature on the kit are RNF Property Group, Enzo’s Homes, Ronnie S. Evans, Ammanford Recycling Ltd, Lewis Construction, Dyfed Steels, CC Repairs, Coracle Coaches, CSI Llanelli, AMG Resources, Parsons Pickles, Vaughan Construction, Southside Marine, Celtic Couriers and finally LINC, who have been instrumental in the successful on-boarding of new sponsors.
The companies that will feature on the shorts for the next eighteen months are The Halfway Llanelli, Coleg Sir Gâr, Felinfoel Brewery, Country Stores Gowerton, Cwmfarm Charcuterie Products, HYVE and Gomer Williams Solicitors.
Llanelli RFC Head of Rugby Anthony Buchanan said; “Firstly, I’d like to say a huge thank you to players, staff, volunteers and sponsors alike for their continued support and patience over the last two seasons. It has been an exceptionally difficult time and we are eternally grateful to everyone for their support throughout.
“Despite the inevitable financial downturn caused by the global pandemic, we are fortunate not only to be welcoming the continuing support of existing sponsors, but also a number of new sponsors to the Llanelli RFC family.
“It is a source of great pride that we’ve been able to secure a revenue increase of over 300% on last season’s kit, thanks to the support of the local business community.”
The kit features the traditional scarlet colour jersey with white shorts. Llanelli will wear the new kit on Saturday 11thDecember, when they welcome Cardiff to Parc y Scarlets, as the Indigo Group Premiership returns to action.


text:
CES 2021 is underway right now and tech companies are busy showing off their latest offerings to the consumers. One of these is AMD and they have unveiled new Ryzen 5000 Series Mobile processors powered by its latest Zen 3 cores. The chipmaker unveiled 13 new mobile processors, 3 new Ryzen Threadripper PRO processors, and 2 new desktop processors under the latest 5000-Series.
These new chipsets are to offer tremendous performance and longer battery lives for computer systems to do more and be more productive. As per the company’s claims, with up to 8 of their latest Zen 3 cores, the new AMD 5000-Series processors are the “best processors in the world for thin and light notebooks”.
The company’s latest “Zen 3” architecture is “a ground-up redesign of the legendary ‘Zen’ family”. So, with this at the core of its gaming processors, next-gen gamers will notice amazing single-core performance, reduced latencies, and energy efficiency. You can check out the new SKUs right here:
Now, upgrading from its previous H-series mobile processors, the company unveiled a new “HX” class for its latest 5000 series processors. Its flagship Ryzen 9 5980HX chipset comes with an 8-core/16-thread design, offering a base frequency of 3.3GHz. And as these are unlocked for overclocking, the frequency can go up to 4.8GHz, which is pretty impressive.
Coming to the next-gen AMD processors for thin and light notebooks, the company unveiled the new Ryzen 5000 U-Series Mobile chipsets. These, according to the company, will offer up to 17.5 hours of battery life with general use and 21 hours with movie playback. Moreover, these chipsets will offer major improvements in both single-threaded and multi-threaded performance. As per AMD, the single-core performance will see improvements of up to 16% when compared to its competition.
The company also unveiled 3 new Ryzen Threadripper PRO processors for higher-end computer systems. These feature up to 64 cores, 128 PCIe Gen 4 lanes, support for 8 channel memory, integrated AMD PRO security technologies.
Conclusively, the company showed off its new line of desktop processors, the Ryzen 9 5900 and the Ryzen 7 5800. Although the new desktop processors come with all the latest AMD technologies, these will be exclusively available on pre-built computer systems from the company.
AMD’s latest 5000-Series Mobile processors will be powering the upcoming laptops of companies like HP, Lenovo, ASUS, Acer, and more. These will be available as soon as the first quarter of 2021.


text:
The 16th Dazzle Daze will kick off on Nov. 16 with Girls’ Nite Out and will feature prizes from Kendra Scott jewelry and Conway Women’s Med Spa, plus swag bags for the first 500 shoppers.
“We are very excited to welcome Kendra Scott,” said Amy Reed, a Dazzle Daze 2017 co-chair. “We also welcome back our good friends from Conway Women’s Med Spa, who have donated over $10,000 in prizes and gift certificates.”
Updates at the Conway Expo Center will allow the culinary fare for general shopping on Friday and Saturday to be expanded this year with food items from Taziki’s Mediterranean Grill, TGI Friday’s and Chick- Fil-A on the menu.
Friday and Saturday at Dazzle Daze will also include expanded Teddy Bear Clinics for the children. This is the second year for the Teddy Bear Clinic to be included in Dazzle Daze as an outreach effort for young children. Hours this year are Friday, Nov. 17, from 10 am to noon and 4 to 7 pm; Saturday, Nov. 18, 10 am to noon. Parents are encouraged to bring a teddy bear or another favorite stuffed animal along with their child to the event. Additional bears are available for a $5 donation.
While the shopping is fun, the underlying purpose of Dazzle Daze is compelling.
“Dazzle Daze is so much more than a fun event and shopping,” said Pam Sims, a Dazzle Daze co-chair. “Proceeds help make possible important equipment purchases, scholarships and other programs that improve the quality of care provided by Conway Regional Health System.” Throughout its 16-year history, Dazzle Daze has raised more than $650,000 in support of local health care at Conway Regional Health System.
Tickets on sale
A considerable portion of those funds are raised with the raffle.
Another staple of Dazzle Dazes is a raffle of several big-ticket items. A maximum of 500 raffle tickets are available for purchase by contacting Conway Regional Women’s Council members, participating business or at the Conway Regional Marketing Office for a chance to win:
• Grand prize: 2017 Ford Mustang Convertible, magnetic color ($31,500 value) from Smith Ford
• 2nd Prize: Vintage His & Hers Louis Vuitton Keepall Bags ($2,000 value) donated by Braswell & Son
• 3rd Prize: 14kt white gold Dancing Diamond Pendant ($1,600 value) donated by Lee Ann’s Fine Jewelry
• 4th Prize: Traeger Wood-Fired Grill and meat gift certificate ($1,200 value) donated by Moix RV and Circle Maker Farms
• 5th Prize: Furniture Gift Certificate ($1,000 value) donated by Cajun Brothers Furniture
Dazzle Daze hours are: Girls’ Nite Out (6-9 pm, Thursday, Nov. 16) Teddy Bear Clinic (Friday, Nov. 17, 10 am – noon, 4– 7 pm; Saturday, Nov. 18, 10 am – noon) General Shopping (Friday, Nov. 17, 10 am-9 pm; Saturday, Nov. 18, 10 am-4 pm) Raffle Drawing (Saturday, Nov. 18, 3:45 pm)
Where to find tickets
Tickets for Dazzle Daze are currently on sale online at www.dazzledaze.com. Raffle tickets are available for purchase at a number of locations in Conway including Conway Regional Health & Fitness Center, pattiCakes, 501 Life, Smith Ford, Log Cabin Democrat, US Pizza Co., H3 Home + Décor, Cajun Brothers Furniture, Model Laundry, H & N Architects, Michelle M. Phillips, CPA, PA, Lee Ann’s Fine Jewelry and the Conway Regional Marketing Office as well as Daisy-A-Day and First Security in Greenbrier and La-z-boy Furniture Gallery in Little Rock.


text:
PETALUMA, Calif. (AP) -- A California rancher says they intend to buy a recently shuttered slaughterhouse at the center of a massive meat recall that the federal government accuses of circumventing federal inspection rules.
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports (http://bit.ly/1fDsEM4 ) that Marin Sun Farms will buy the Petaluma-based Rancho Feeding Corp., which voluntarily halted operations this month following a recall of more than 8.7 million pounds of beef that it processed.
Marin Sun founder David Evans said Thursday he has a deal in escrow to purchase the plant and will expand operations to slaughter species other than cattle and process organic-certified meat.
Rancho co-owner Robert Singleton confirms that a deal is underway.
The deal comes as the United States Department of Agriculture is accusing Rancho of processing diseased and unhealthy animals without a full federal inspection.
Singleton denies the USDA's allegation.
Information from: The Santa Rosa Press Democrat, http://www.pressdemocrat.com


text:
Minecraft Has Sold 176 Million Copies Worldwide
To celebrate Minecraft's tenth anniversary, Mojang has given a slew of announcements for the sandbox game recently, including an upcoming AR component and more information on Minecraft: Dungeons. However, the news hasn't stopped there: Mojang has also revealed new sales figures, stating that Minecraft has sold 176 million copies worldwide since its initial release back in 2009.
With Minecraft's intense popularity for many years now, it's not surprising that the sandbox game continues to be so profitable, but it's nonetheless impressive. In fact, these numbers could make Minecraft the bestselling game ever.
These sales figures surpass Tetris' success, at least when compared to numbers that were released back in 2010. At that time, The Tetris Company said that Tetris had reached 170 lifetime sales. Unfortunately, the developer hasn't released any updated figures so we can't know for sure if Minecraft has indeed dethroned Tetris or not.