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TikTok, the popular short video app, has announced it would exit the Hong Kong market within days, after Beijing imposed a national security law that gives the city’s police the power to force internet companies to assist with investigations.
Tech giant ByteDance, which is based in the Chinese capital and owns the app, has become the first internet company to withdraw from Hong Kong, following announcements from Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Telegram, that they would pause processing law enforcement requests for user data in the city.
“In light of recent events, we’ve decided to stop operations of the TikTok app in Hong Kong,” a spokesman said.
TikTok could still be downloaded via the Apple and Google app stores as of Tuesday afternoon but is expected to stop being available this week.
Last August, TikTok reported that it had 150,000 users in Hong Kong. ByteDance is the world’s most valuable start-up.
Zhang Nan, the chief executive of ByteDance China, said on Tuesday that TikTok’s Chinese version, Douyin, would continue to provide services to Hong Kong users.
The company does not have plans to make Douyin available on the Hong Kong app store, but Douyin has local Hong Kong users who have downloaded it in mainland China, according to a person familiar with the matter.
On Monday, the Hong Kong government laid down new implementation rules for the sweeping national security law imposed on the city on June 30.
Under the rules, Hong Kong police can raid premises without a court warrant, order internet firms to remove content or seize their equipment, and demand information from political groups operating outside the city.
Failure to comply could result in a HK$100,000 (S$18,000) fine and up to two years in prison, according to seven new implementation regulations for enforcement agencies gazetted on Monday.
The new regulations were decided at the first meeting of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security, chaired by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, with the city’s police, security, finance, justice and immigration chiefs as members.
This article was first published in South China Morning Post.


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New research suggests that excessive consumption of a type of sugar found in fruit, honey and many processed foods may be damaging to fetuses.
Scientists studying pregnant rats at Auckland University's Liggins Institute have found a link between eating too much fructose and impaired fetal development.
Fructose is a type of sugar that has been linked to obesity. Found naturally in fruit and honey, it's often used as a sweetener in refined foods such as soft drinks, cakes and lollies.
The researchers found that pregnant and lactating rats fed a diet high in fructose had offspring with higher levels of metabolic hormones, which affect the way the body breaks down food.
Researcher Deborah Sloboda says a further study is under way into the long-term effects of a high-fructose diet and whether problems found at birth persist into adulthood - but what's really needed now, she says, is a study using humans.
A spokesperson for the Maternity Services Consumer Council, Brenda Hinton, says the message is still the same for pregnant women: eat all types of food in moderation and certainly limit the intake of fructose.

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The Reminders in collaboration with Foundation Cigars has released a Hip-Hop video to celebrate the heritage and beauty of Nicaragua. This video is an hommage to the traditional craft and roots music and was shot in two days in the Foundation Cigars factory in Estelí. It was the first time ever a music video was filmed on a cigar farm.
ASSOULINE, publishers of high-end, luxury books, has released a remarkable new cigar book.
The world record went back to Sweden and to Mr Kovacic after 3 hours, 52 minutes and 55 seconds.
Not quite a year ago, on June 15, 2018 Mr Darren Cioffi (USA) has broken the world record in slow smoking a cigar for the fifth time since 2014.
The Puro Tiempo event has reached its third edition and will take place this year from May 24th to 26th, bringing together Italian and foreign slow smoking enthusiasts in Pompeii during a weekend of flavors and style.
Dom Cigár, importer of many premium cigar brands to Slovakia, will hold an J.C.Newman cigar evening on May 27, 2019 at Hron Club in Bratislava (Dudvážska 5).
The return of the Cigar Truck is going to be celebrated on the 15th of June 2019 directly in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Once again humidor and cigar manufacturer Daniel Marshall lit a modern day campfire: After Kitzbühel, Berlin and Beverly Hills, the Styrian capital town Graz saw – in mid-May – a sparkle of Hollywood as well as lots of cigars.
With the scenic Pocono Mountains in the backdrop and more than 6000 registered enthusiasts, Cigars International (CI), the world’s largest online retailer of premium cigars, hosted its 16th annual, 5-day cigar sensory overload known as CIGARFest.
La Grand Fumada Russia has always been one of the most exciting qualifyers for the Cigar Smoking World Championship (CSWC).
Open Sky Events invites all cigar enthusiasts to attend the 5th annual New York City “Boats and Smokes” cigar cruise series.
Oliva Cigars on Tour in Russia and Poland.


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ERLANGER, KY, August 7, 2013 - tvONE (www.tvone.com), a leading designer and manufacturer of cutting-edge video and multimedia processing equipment, has announced that its CORIOmaster mini won Best of InfoComm Demo in rAVe's annual Best of InfoComm Awards list, announced on July 29th. The industry's first all-in-one videowall processor was showcased on the tvONE booth in Orlando, June 12th-14th, as a spectacular rotating windmill display.
tvONE's Windmill, designed to demonstrate the processor's ability to complete highly complex actions like rotating high resolution video smoothly around an axis, can be seen in action here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=nCg-hBqLRDY#t=419s.
Commenting on the award, Andy Fliss, Director of Marketing, tvONE, said, "When we announced the CORIOmaster mini we said we wanted to set users minds free to imagine. It was definitely a case of seeing is believing on the InfoComm booth as visitors crowded around to see the CORIOmaster mini Windmill. We wanted to show off its stunning performance and versatility in a display that would inspire videowall configuration creativity. We're thrilled to receive rAVe's recognition and to be part of the Best of InfoComm 2013 Awards list."
Sara Abrons, editor-in-chief of rAVe, said, "Because there were so many new products and technologies shown at the 2013 version of InfoComm, it made our job harder. There were more products to consider than in recent memory. Considering all this, those that did win should be proud of their accomplishment as they, obviously, represent the best-of-the-best. So, congratulations!"
tvONE's CORIOmaster mini enables a range of video tasks to perform simultaneously, including real-time 360 degree video rotations and multi projector edge blending. It is the industry's first videowall processor to fit up to 12 High Density Universal DVI or 10 HDBaseT and 2 High Density Universal DVI ports in a compact 1RU frame, controlling full-scale 3x3 videowalls without a rack's worth of discrete video components.


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There are few products in China as influential as WeChat. The Chinese social app dominates the daily life of its 889 million monthly active users – a third of them spend more than four hours on it every day. And with payments, blogs, chat groups, newsfeeds, and an ever-expanding selection of services embedded inside, WeChat is often described as a mobile operating system instead of an app.
Matthew Brennan, co-founder of China Channel, has made a close study of WeChat. He’s one of the few thought leaders on this in the English-speaking world, a veritable Wechat-phile. He follows every release of the app, tracking and analyzing the pulse of its development.
In two years’ time, we might see a considerably different system for businesses on WeChat.
“It’s moving so fast. There’re changes coming out almost every week recently,” he says, referring to WeChat’s latest feature, mini programs. Comparable to Google ‘instant apps,’ mini programs are lightweight applications that don’t require installation and run inside WeChat.
“I think in two years’ time, we might see a considerably different system for businesses on WeChat,” Brennan adds.
Born in London, Brennan has lived in China for the past 13 years. Unlike many expats, he’s spent most of that time outside of major Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai. In fact, during the beginning of his experience in China, he lived in Ordos, the notorious “ghost town” in Inner Mongolia, where local farmers have become rich off coal reserves.
Those were interesting times, says Brennan.
“There were so many people running around in crazy cars, like really big land rovers and expensive sports cars,” he recounts, laughing. “They’d just come around and be like, Come and drink baijiu with us, get in the car!”
Last week, I caught up with Brennan during one of his regular circuits through Shanghai to discuss the latest trends in WeChat, common misconceptions around the app, and more. The following is an edited excerpt of our conversation.
How do you explain WeChat to people outside of China?
Often you need to compare it to other platforms [like Facebook], otherwise people get lost.
But when you look at it beyond the fact that they’re both in social, when you look at their business model, when you look at how WeChat works and how Facebook works, there’s very few things that are similar. Although they are definitely competitors on the global scale, how they do what they do is totally different.
I don’t think Tencent really has any interest in doing things the Facebook way.
[For instance], I don’t think Tencent really has any interest in doing things the Facebook way. I’ve come to realize more and more over time that WeChat doesn’t prioritize advertising. They don’t see it as important as Facebook does.
Why do you think that?
When you look at what they’re doing with mini programs, they’re currently releasing features on a daily basis. They obviously see it as hugely important. They’ve never put the same effort into advertising to get it up to a similar level to Facebook.
Instead, they’re much more interested in payments and services.
What are some misunderstandings that people – especially those outside of China – have about WeChat?
The common misconception people have is that WeChat is social media, that WeChat’s about content, that WeChat’s about writing articles and getting pageviews. That’s the old way of looking at WeChat.
The correct way of looking at WeChat is it’s a service tool. It’s something that you should be using to provide added value to your processes and the service that you provide around your product. That’s the right way to look at it for most businesses – it depends on what you’re doing.
Customer service is a big one. Pretty much every business has to offer some form of customer service.
Chinese consumers expect instantaneous customer service.
WeChat is a fantastic customer service tool. You can have one-on-one communication, it’s very personalized, and there’s all these kinds of customer service tools that work really well. It can be better and cheaper than a call center.
Most consumers in China prefer doing it that way [through WeChat]. Chinese consumers expect instantaneous customer service. They’ve had that habit from a long time, since the early days of [ecommerce site] Taobao.
Why do you think Tencent is putting so much effort into mini programs this year?
My guess is they want mini programs to be the main way that businesses have a presence on the platform. It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that they would start actually shutting down some of the functions of [WeChat brand] accounts.
Similar to how WeChat was developed to compete with its predecessor QQ, Tencent’s first desktop-based messaging app?
It’s exactly like that.
Rather than doing QQ Mobile six years ago, they said: okay let’s stop and re-imagine what’s possible because the phone is a game-changer. We need to forget about the past and everything we’ve done with QQ. That’s what they did with WeChat. And it worked incredibly.
It wasn’t the case back then that anyone was saying: oh, I don’t want to use QQ, QQ’s bad. No one was saying that. It was only Tencent who was looking four years down the road and thinking: we can see where things are going and we need to start from zero again. We need to self-destruct.
WeChat has gotten as far as it can go.
I think mini programs are exactly the same. This is exactly the same thing where Tencent’s saying: WeChat has gotten as far as it can go. We’ve got all the users in China. Everyone’s using WeChat – it’s as sticky as it could possibly ever be. We’ve achieved something beyond our wildest dreams when we started it – where do we go from here?
The decision to self-disrupt with opening WeChat six years back at the time must have looked incredibly stupid to most observers, but after a few years it started to look like a masterstroke. Allen Zhang has made it clear he sees mini programs as his masterstroke. When Tencent starts putting big resources into doing something that doesn’t make sense to most people, that’s when you really need to pay attention.
What are some things you expect to see in mini programs going forward?
Allen Zhang, [the creator of WeChat], said that one of the goals they have for previews of mini programs when they’re shared in groups is that they’re going to be ‘alive.’
Right now, it’s just a screenshot of a page. But at some point – probably this year – it will be a live preview.
Think about the implications of that. If it’s a video application, you could have videos playing in your WeChat groups. If it’s a delivery application, you might be able to see the delivery driver live on a map coming towards you within a WeChat group. If it’s a simple poll, for example, you’re going to see the numbers change live as people vote.
The possibilities there are huge. That’s one thing we know for sure is coming. And that’s going to open up massive possibilities.
Alibaba is a worthy adversary of Tencent.
[In addition], we may see things like pinning mini programs to the top of a group. Those buttons that you open up within a conversation – you might be able to customize your panel there so that you can have mini programs in those spaces. I think that’s a fairly obvious thing to do, drag and drop in the mini programs that you like using most.
Augmented reality is obviously a bit further away but I think in the mid-term, in a year or two, I don’t think that’s impossible either.
You’re very pro-WeChat obviously – do you think think Tencent could steal Alibaba’s lunch?
Alibaba is a worthy adversary of Tencent. They are a great company. They’ve done amazing things that have added a lot of value to the Chinese nation. They seem to have a really strong company culture. They’re certainly kicking ass at globalizing, and their values are very in line with being a global company.
And that comes from Jack Ma – it comes from the top. His personality is infused in the company.
On the other hand, when you look at what they do with Alipay, it’s hard to have respect for them sometimes because of some of the questionable features they have introduced, [such as Circles, a photo-based chat feature that quickly turned lewd], and how they blatantly copy features wholesale [from WeChat].
Have you noticed any growing pains at WeChat over the years?
Some people would say that advertising has failed to some degree. Many businesses think their advertising options are too expensive.
Prices have gone down recently, right?
Yeah, they opened up options last year for [small-to-medium enterprises]. It starts at [US$43] so that’s a big change. Still, the cost per follower is relatively high.
But Pony Ma has continuously emphasized the company’s advertising business in its financial releases.
So how I interpret that as a Tencent-watcher is they are of course under pressure from investors. I imagine the team [at Tencent’s headquarters in Shenzhen] probably does want to do more advertising, but the WeChat team is Guangzhou-based and they’ve got a very different culture. And they’re trying to balance those two elements.
You have to look at what they’ve achieved with payments on WeChat for example, and see that in the long run that’s potentially far more valuable than focusing on advertising. Advertising usually degrades the user experience.
What else are you paying attention to this year besides mini programs?
Search. It’s clear there’s going to be big changes in search. There already has been with the search index […] When something happens, you can put it in there and see how it’s doing – is it trending?
It’s clear there’s going to be big changes in search.
Right now it’s just something that happens on the phone. But of course they could open up a desktop version that’s got much richer features and they probably will at some point. They could potentially monetize that with a paid version.
In the last data report, [WeChat] made a big deal out of how everyone’s using it for work now. We saw the enterprise version of WeChat come out last year. Again, version 1.0 of that was pretty basic, now it’s actually really good. It’s come a long way and that’s a trend that isn’t really talked about much.
Converted from Chinese yuan. Rate: US$1 = 6.90.
This post Q&A: WeChat guru Matthew Brennan on the superapp’s next move appeared first on Tech in Asia.


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International farm, food and agricultural machinery expos open in HCM City
Visitors at a stall showcasing farm produce at the Vietnam Farm and Food Expo 二0 一 七 in HCM City held from July 二 六- 二 八. — VNS Photo Xuân Hương
HCM CITY — Two international exhibitions - Vietnam Farm and Food Expo 二0 一 七 and Agritech Vietnam 二0 一 七- opened yesterday in HCM City, featuring nearly 二00 booths set up by 一 二0 local and foreign exhibitors.
Products on display at the Vietnam Farm and Food Expo include rice, coffee, cashew, fruits and vegetables, organic foods and fine food and drinks as well as herbs, spices and regional specialities.
Agritech Vietnam is introducing a wide range of agricultural machinery such as tractors, mini tillers, seeders, fertiliser application machines, gardening tools and processing and post-harvest preservation technology.
Biotechnology, greenhouses, water filtration systems, pressure sprayers and other items are also on display.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyễn Phước Hưng, deputy chairman of the HCM City Union of Business Associations (HUBA), said that the expos would help producers and traders in the agricultural sector to promote their products and brands as well as exchange information and explore business opportunities.
The events also aim to enhance the application of technology in agricultural production to improve productivity and quality and also seek markets for domestic farm produce, according to Hưng.
Organised by HUBA in collaboration with Đông Nam Advertising and Co妹妹ercial Promotion Joint-Stock Company, the expos included a seminar held yesterday on consumption linkages for Vĩnh Long agricultural products.
Nguyễn Văn Liêm, deputy director of Vĩnh Long’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said with its favourable land and weather, the province has an abundance of fruits and vegetables, with many products being exported, including Năm Roi pomelos, thick-skinned oranges, rambutan, longan and sweet potato.
At the event, the province expects to introduce its quality products that have food safety and hygiene certification to international and local enterprises to establish consumption linkages for its farm produce.
The two expos will run until July 二 八 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre. — VNS


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- 2 min read
What explains the endless investor appetite for new-age biz, tech firms
Technology has been the key driver of a tectonic shift in critical sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, manufacturing and retail, with an explosion of smart and connected devices, robust applications and use cases.
Almost all businesses are moving towards digitisation now. One thing to note is that this digital mandate isn’t new; it’s simply been brought into sharp focus now. When the pandemic struck, India was already on a digital-first path, with one of the largest volumes of digital transactions globally, which accelerated the adoption of contactless digital technologies. Now, digital adoption has taken a quantum leap at both the organizational and industry levels. Actually, Covid-19 turned out to be a reality check for businesses that had been reluctant to embrace digital transformation.
Now old barriers are being brushed aside under the pressure of unrelenting disruption, rapidly evolving customer expectations and an unprecedented pace of change. The essential pillars of the economy, banking and payments, have experienced a significant increase in digital offerings and uptakes. Technology has been the key driver of a tectonic shift in critical sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, manufacturing and retail, with an explosion of smart and connected devices, robust applications and use cases.
Thus, with the right approach, businesses can come out of this phase stronger, more agile and more customer-centric than before.
This has also put the Indian IT services sector in a sweet spot, owing to the acceleration in spending on digital transformation by global clients, increased offshoring and other such trends.
In recent times, Indian market participants have been showing great interest in stocks of tech companies. New offerings like Zomato, Nazara drew huge interest among the market participants and the stocks are doing extremely well on the bourses post listing. It is expected that over the next few years, more and more companies from fintech, foodtech, edtech, e-commerce, mobility, gaming and media segments would take the primary market route to list on the bourses.
There is huge investor appetite for such new-age businesses, which are using technology to grow rapidly in India and across global markets. Companies such as beauty e-tailer Nykaa, online insurance aggregator PolicyBazaar, fintech firm Paytm, e-commerce logistics firm Delhivery, eyewear retailer Lenskart and digital payments startup Mobikwik -- among others -- are at various stages of their IPO plans. There is an assumption that a successful modern tech company will transform whole industries quickly, achieve scale at breakneck speeds, and make large profits with limited capital investments. Which is why these companies are being seen as attractive investment opportunities to play on the multi-year growth story of the Indian digital economy.
(DK Aggarwal is the CMD of SMC Investment and Advisors)
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Truth about leaked viral adult video allegedly shot at Imenti House in .Nairobi, Kenya
The Truth About The Fake “Imenti House” Video That Has Been Trending Online
– Kenyans were treated to an adult viral video on Sunday, December 16, allegedly secretly shot in Nairobi
– It had a lady being worked on allegedly by her lover at a clothes stall in Nairobi’s Central Business District
– It however turns out the video is an excerpt from an adult movie posted by an American adult movie actor So a viral video of a couple having their adult moments at a clothes shop alleged to be at Imenti house has been the talk of town the entire past weekend.
Online detectives even went on to carry out their investigations and identified the shop’s number as stall 32C on the building located along Moi Avenue.
Mood:And ima fuck you all in a clothing store 💦💦 pic.twitter.com/oO1xa9EVuP— Nasty ass ManMan (@NastyassManMan) April 11, 2018
It now emerges the person who shared the video with Imenti tag on it, was pushing an alleged claim that such activities go on at the busy shopping mall Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Kenyans awed by story of FBI female dancer who single-handedly mentors thousands of girls As if that was not enough embarrassment for the owner of the shop, they went further and trialled the owner of the shop’s Facebook account. Trust only Kenyans to be this quick in such investigations.
Well as it turns out, the video which lit up the interwebs raising mixed reactions and creative memes was just hot air. The now is that the video had been picked from an adult site and was never shot at Imenti house as alleged.
Further findings revealed it was actually shot at a clothes shop in the United States (US) and was shared in April 2018. It now emerges the person who shared the video with Imenti House tag on it, was pushing an alleged claim that such activities go on at the busy shopping mall. As it is, lies travel faster on the internet than anywhere else and many tended to believe the video was actually secretly filmed in Kenya. Many went ahead to praise the man for his super bedroom skills with some ladies wishing they could get a taste of him. Source:Tuko


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Visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel toured an FAW-Volkswagen joint production plant in Chengdu on Sunday, marking the prelude to a program of building electric charging stations for cars and infrastructure in China.
The plans are expected to be unveiled on Tuesday while Merkel visits Tsinghua University in Beijing, according to Jochem Heizmann, a Volkswagen Group board member and president and CEO of Volkswagen Group China.
"Our priority is plug-in hybrids (electric vehicles)," Heizmann said. "We're working very intensively on the issue."
Merkel has previously emphasized the significance of energy efficiency and conservation to German enterprises' overall development strategy in China.
While visiting the plant, Merkel said she was impressed with the company's efforts to cut energy consumption by 26 percent and water use by 90 percent by using new technology in the factory's oil and gas workshop.
At the plant, Merkel sat in a new Jetta sedan, which is the factory's star product, and asked questions about the car. She also visited the plant's training workshop.
"Her main interests in our plant are the training programs and qualification programs," Heizmann said. "We are in China creating a lot of highly qualified jobs."
The plant has more than 9,000 employees, and the factory's presence can indirectly create more than 100,000 jobs, such as car dealers and their employees, the company said.
In 2009, the German auto giant's joint venture launched its third Chinese entire-vehicle manufacturing plant in Chengdu's Longquan district, 12 km from downtown Chengdu.
Making cars and auto parts is the district's pillar industry, attracting eight German auto suppliers such as FAW-Volkswagen and technology provider Bosch.
FAW-Volkswagen has invested more than 17 billion yuan ($2.7 billion) in Chengdu, and follow-up funding could provide an additional 3 billion yuan this year, according to the Economic & Technological Development Zone in Chengdu's Longquan district.
Last year, the Chengdu factory produced 480,000 vehicles, about a third of the joint venture's annual production capacity in China.
That accounts for about 60 percent of Chengdu's annual vehicle production. The factory expects to manufacture 600,000 cars this year.
The plant currently supplies two economy cars the new Sagitar and new Jetta - with competitive prices that make the sedans among the most popular in the local market.
Some see FAW-Volkswagen as essential to Chengdu's auto industry and economic development.
"We attach greater importance to German business entities and welcome all German enterprises," said Li Hua, deputy director of the Economic & Technological Development Zone in Longquan district.
Li and his colleagues visited Germany five times - more visits than to any other country.
Li said Merkel's visit to Chengdu is a wonderful opportunity to share and promote cooperation with German enterprises.
The German government ceased direct financial aid to China in 2009, but it started to invest in sustainable industries such as environmental protection and energy efficiency, said Feng Zhongping, vice-president of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations
"To generalize auto power efficiency technology in China will be in accordance with their strategy," he said.
"Several years ago, Japanese cars used to take a leading position, netting a quarter of Chinese vehicle market sales, but now German cars have overtaken them," said Zhao Junjie, an expert of European studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
"The sound Sino-German relationship plays a part," Zhao said.
Auto consulting agency J.D. Power conducted a survey last year that found that a record-high 35 percent of Chinese consumers are inclined to buy German cars rather than brands from other countries.


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Offers for an app that can purportedly show you how you will look in 20 years have been recently popping up in Facebook users' newsfeed and on their walls, occasionally even as an ad, luring them to a phishing page set up to harvest their Facebook login credentials.
Cybercriminals are increasingly using persuasion techniques in order to manipulate employees to do things they normally wouldn’t, usually resulting in the loss of money or valuable data.
Cybercriminals spreading new versions of the Vawtrak banking Trojan are the latest ones to use the once again popular macro-based attack.
An active scareware campaign pushing a fake version of the popular freeware spyware removal tool AdwCleaner is targeting Windows users and is trying to get them to fork over nearly $60 of their hard earned cash.
Security threats to mobile and residential devices and attacks on communications networks rose in 2014, threatening personal and corporate privacy and information.
Reading our newsletter every Monday will keep you up-to-date with security news.
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Digital artist Beeple The latest target for NFT phishing scams. Someone hacked a Twitter account of a top-selling NFT artist and posted a link to a phishing website to steal money. This link led to a fake website featuring a collaboration with fashion brand Louis Vuitton. Let’s take a closer look at what happened with Beeple’s Twitter hack.
What happened with Beeple’s Twitter account hack?
“I’ve been working on this in LV for a long time behind the scenes,” Beeple tweeted today. “A total of 1000 unique works … The following official lottery”. The link to the phishing website was also part of the tweet, but is now removed.
Shortly thereafter, a celebrity in the NFT space used Twitter to warn others about NFT phishing scams.
“Beeple’s Twitter account was compromised to post a phishing website to steal funds (ATO),” tweeted MetaMask / MyCrypto security researcher Harry.ETH.
Similarly, NFT influencer Zeneca wrote: Please spread the word. “
How Do NFT Phishing Scams Work?
According to Harry, when someone connects his wallet to a website shared by Beeple, mint is started and 1 ETH is sent to the contract. Apparently, the website isn’t running out of wallets, as is the usual case of similar NFT scams.
Unfortunately, several NFT collectors who were unaware that Beeple’s Twitter account was hacked were victims of NFT phishing scams. In addition, victims are reported to have lost 35 ETH or about $ 71,000 (at the time of writing).
Beeple’s Twitter Bio continues to contain links to malicious websites. As Zeneca pointed out, always remember the golden rule. “Don’t click links or connect your wallet to websites you don’t understand, and you can trust / validate from multiple sources.”


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Corel is to scrap development of WordPerfect for the Mac, according to Macworld US.
The company said it will drop the Mac version of its word processing application to focus instead on its graphics products. Corel recently bought four of MetaCreations' graphics programs (Painter, Bryce, Kai's Power Tools and KPT Vector Effects).
WordPerfect for the Mac has not been updated since version 3.5 was released about four years ago, and Corel ended technical support for the product last year. According to the report, the reason for dropping the product entirely was that it would have taken two more years to develop a PowerPC-native version of the program.


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LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Local entrepreneur Erik Cutter has bought the farm – literally. EnviroIngenuity today announced the phase one completion of Alegria Farm, Orange County's first hydroponic vertical farm. Engaged in the promotion of sustainable technologies, EnviroIngenuity has brought a new farming system to the west coast.
It wasn't enough for Cutter to develop and sell a successful automotive design company, publish Baja Life Magazine for 15 years, operate a marketing and web design firm, and sell high-end resort properties. This Laguna Beach-based entrepreneur turned his latest hobby – growing food – into his latest venture.
Alegria Farm is located on 1/4 acre in Laguna Canyon. Today, more than 7,000 plants are growing in 120 vertical towers producing an exotic tasting variety of leafy greens, medicinal herbs and heirloom vegetables. And the farm is still expanding.
Alegria Farm utilizes the Verti-Gro(R) hydroponic system, a futuristic farming technique featured at the Epcot(R) theme park at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida for last 16 years. The commercial system uses stacked pots with nutrients and water automatically dripped through the plant's root system. Plants grow using 90 percent less water, 50 percent less fertilizer, 70 percent less land and zero toxic pesticides – all while delivering 10 times the yield of traditional organic farming.
Hydroponic farming is soilless and utilizes coconut fiber instead of organic soil, which virtually eliminates pesticide usage to produce stronger plants that are substantially more nutrient-rich.
"We have nicknamed Alegria Farm 'the farmacy' because – aside from being delicious – the raw, natural food we are growing is super rich in enzymes, nutrients and phytochemicals. Dense nutrients remain intact in our food when it is consumed close to the time it is harvested. The high-yield, non-toxic nature of the Verti-Gro's(R) system makes it easy to farm within the city limits so we can deliver the freshest produce possible. Our short delivery time has resulted in our new phrase, 'Farm to Table in Minutes,'" said Cutter. With an education in biochemistry and oncology and an avid researcher of health and nutrition, Cutter hopes to alter the way food is perceived and teach people how important it is to know where your food comes from.
"If you agree with Hippocrates, 'Let thy food by thy medicine,' then let Alegria Farm be your Farmacy," says Cutter.
In addition to creating access to locally-grown, highly nutritious, pesticide-free greens and vegetables, Alegria Farm is creating jobs for young people through its subscriber-based produce delivery service, Alegria Fresh.
"Instead of a paper route, we will hire young people to handle our produce route," said Cutter. "Subscribers to our home delivery produce route will receive a beautifully arranged bouquet of produce once, twice or three times each week," Cutter said. "Picked fresh the same day, these bouquets provide nature's most powerful bioavailable vitamins, minerals, enzymes and disease-fighting phytonutrients."
The company is currently seeking applicants for its produce route.
"Orange County has transformed from an agricultural to a dense urban mecca, so far less space is available to farmers making vertical farming a great solution to increase access to healthy food and reduce impact on the environment," Cutter added.
For more information on Alegria Farm or to schedule a private tour, please visit http://www.AlegriaFresh.com or follow on Facebook and Twitter.
EnviroIngenuity was founded in 2009 by Erik Cutter. The company is comprised of forward-thinking professionals, whose goal is to take advantage of the growing demand for more efficient, cost effective sustainable energy solutions, employing solar PV, hi-efficiency LED lighting, green building and hydroponic vertical food production technologies, the latest venture being the development of the Alegria Farm. EnviroIngenuity's mission is "advancingreenergy" and reducing waste, thus better utilizing limited natural resources. As we invest in a lower carbon future, the EnviroIngenuity team is focused on helping organizations move forward to deploy sustainable energy solutions using disruptive technologies. Learn more at: http://www.EnviroIngenuity.com .


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Last Wednesday Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) released an update on its progress and future plans for product updates initially announced in March and April 2013. Yahoo! has struggled as a company to stay relevant in the search and display advertisement business the past decade; however after 5 different CEO’s in the past 3 years they have begun to make progress.
Almost all of Yahoo!’s stellar stock performance in the past couple years can be attributed to the success of Alibaba Group. Yahoo! initially invested $1 billion in 2005 for a 40% stake in Alibaba Group. It has since sold back about half of this stake, but still holds a 23% stake in a company expected to be worth more than $120 billion.
In an effort to focus more energy on successful properties, Yahoo! has shut down less popular products such as People Search and Xobni. Xobni, which makes email and contact management apps, was acquired last summer. Yahoo! intends on incorporating features of Xobni with Yahoo Mail to better improve the user experience.
Future announced shutdowns include Yahoo Shine, Yahoo Voices, and the Yahoo Contributor Network. Yahoo! plans on replacing the content users of Yahoo Shine with several new digital magazines that cover more specific areas such as Yahoo Beauty and Yahoo Travel. Yahoo Voices and Yahoo Contributor Network will be shut down by the end of August as the company shifts away from crowd-sourced written content.
New Business Model
According to Yahoo!, focusing its energy on four core areas – Search, Communications, Digital Magazines, and Video – along with the engines that power them, Flickr and Tumblr, will help it make the biggest impact on people’s daily habits. Yahoo! hopes to fix its core business by using this platform of dynamic content to better engage its users and in turn offer more unique brand advertising opportunities. It is an approach that Yahoo! has utilized with some of its more popular properties such as Yahoo Finance.
As of now shares of Yahoo! are still trading based off of its Alibaba Group investment, but moving forward it will be seen how these efforts impact its core businesses performance.


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Those familiar with his substantial discography, or even just the ’90s hit Cut Your Hair will know this is a marked departure from Malkmus’ signature sound. Now, observations on life are much less pointed, with Malkmus mellowing both musically and lyrically. Performed on a 12-string guitar, expansive instrumental breakdowns allow for some glorious moments, with minimal percussion setting a relaxed pace. Coupled with a restrained delivery, Malkmus officially heralds in a new phase of his impressive career. It’s time to throw out the flannel shirts and trade them for a kaftan, Stephen Malkmus has gone folk.
Traditional Techniques by Stephen Malkmus is out March 6 via Matador.
Keep up with the latest Australian release dates for music.


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Ford Motor Co. and Yaklin Ford in Richwood, Texas, are being sued in Texas for not replacing a recalled airbag that led to a woman sustaining life-altering injuries.
The suit, filed by plaintiff Sara Morgan in Brazoria County near Houston, claims Morgan was involved in a collision in June 2020 in Brazoria County while riding as a passenger in a 2007 Ford Mustang. Following the collision, the Mustang's Takata airbag "expelled metal shrapnel" into Morgan's face and caused severe injuries, including the loss of her left eye.
Ford recalled more than 58,000 vehicles, including the 2007 Mustang, in June 2014 following reports that the Takata airbag inside the vehicle could expel shrapnel into the cabin. The Takata recall has spread throughout the global auto industry for more than a decade and is largest automotive recall in history, with more than 67 million affected airbags in the U.S. across various automakers. Nineteen 19 deaths and more than 400 injuries have been linked to the defect.
Japan's Takata Corp. filed for bankruptcy in June 2017 and was purchased the following year for $1.6 billion by supplier Joyson Safety Systems, which was then known as Key Safety Systems.
The Mustang involved in Morgan's accident was taken into Yaklin Ford in October 2018 to have two recalls performed on the airbag inflators. However, the lawsuit alleges that Yaklin Ford "only replaced the driver's-side airbag inflator" and knowingly left the passenger-side inflator intact.
The lawsuit contends Yaklin Ford was responsible for not replacing the airbag inflator, but Ford also was responsible for Morgan's injuries because "a recall is not an adequate substitute for a safe vehicle" and Ford has "an absolute obligation to provide consumers with a vehicle that was reasonably safe in crashes."


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Ahmedabad-headquartered M.R. Organisation Ltd, a manufacturer and exporter of kits related to compressed air market, has raised an undisclosed amount in an angel funding from Sarthi Angels Venture Foundation (SAVF).
This is SAVF's second investment after it invested an undisclosed amount in Delhi-based Learning Edge Academy of Professionals Pvt Ltd (LEAP), an e-Learning, educational technology platform.
Founded in 1984 by Mayur Kamdar, M.R. Organisation manufactures and exports kits and parts of over 28 different global brands of rotary screw compressors, high and low pressure reciprocating piston compressors, vacuum pumps, thermostat valve and elements, consumables, electronic parts and instruments, lubricants, etc.
M.R. Organisation sells its products across 16 states in India and 68 countries. It has a manufacturing and warehousing facility for major parts and kits.
Mayur Kamdar told VCCircle, “The funds raised from Sarthi will be utilised for our global expansion. We are already exporting our products in over 68 countries and the funds will help the company for its brand building process.”
M.R. Organisation has sales offices in the UK and the US, too. The firm employs over 60 people in its India office.
SAVF, which was launched in August 2013 by Sarthi Group, a financial services company, comprises high net-worth angels among others and invests in startups operating in sectors like e-commerce, IT, agriculture and food processing, consumer, clean tech, healthcare and media.
The platform can invest at any stage of a startup lifecycle (even in ideation stage companies) and the amount invested can go up to $2 million.
(Edited by Joby Puthuparampil Johnson)


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Who will write the new book on quality?
They literally wrote the book on quality management – and more than 50 other books have been written about their quality system. Toyota and quality have been synonymous for three decades around the world – much to the chagrin of American-based automakers. Then stories began to emerge in January and February about millions of recalled Toyota cars and trucks after problems with a gas ...
They literally wrote the book on quality management — and more than 50 other books have been written about their quality system. Toyota and quality have been synonymous for three decades around the world — much to the chagrin of American-based automakers.
Then stories began to emerge in January and February about millions of recalled Toyota cars and trucks after problems with a gas pedal design flaw. Then there were the problems with the world’s top-selling hybrid, the Toyota Prius. There were a few folks who probably took some small bit of pleasure in seeing an automaker who had become so identified with quality suffer from what, by any estimation, is a massive failure of quality control.
Let’s be clear about a few things at the outset. First, this was a product design flaw, not a manufacturing flaw. The accelerator pedals weren’t poorly installed, they were poorly designed. Yet it is the manufacturing plant that will bear a large weight from this issue, since most people wouldn’t make that distinction.
Second, and perhaps most important to this discussion, is that the impact of the recalls and repairs will stretch far beyond Toyota in Tokyo. The recalls shut down Toyota plants in Indiana and Kentucky, idling American workers in the process. These are people who take justifiable pride in the quality of their work. These are American workers who lost wages and benefits through this work stoppage. No one ought to take any comfort in that.
A new book of quality needs to be written, and Toyota is going to be Chapter 1 in how quickly a culture of quality can crack. It ought to be required reading for everyone, because quality of products is by far the most important thing to your customers, according to findings in the 2010 Changing World of the Plant Engineer study we’ve been conducting for the past two months.
We asked readers around the world what was most important to their customers about the product they make. In the preliminary findings (the full study will be released next month in Plant Engineering), 74% of U.S. plant managers said quality was their customer’s top priority. Only 23% said price and just 3% said where it was made mattered. The numbers from international manufacturers were almost identical — 80% cited quality, just 15% said price.
What the numbers tell us is that quality should always be at the forefront of any plant’s operation. Quality design, quality manufacturing, quality maintenance and quality-inspired management produce quality products. They also produce products at a lower cost to the company, and it produces those products with a lower energy usage and less waste. All of those production costs are today considered intrinsic parts of quality.
That’s because however you measure and manage those production costs, if your end product isn’t a quality product, you have in effect wasted the time, materials and energy it took to make that product. From children’s toys to pharmaceuticals to food, we have seen many examples of product recalls that have followed illness, injury and death. Some cases were criminal; many were the results of poor design. Many were the result of poor quality management practices on the plant floor. The victims of those product failures don’t much care why. Their lives were altered as a result — sometimes permanently.
The deaths and injuries being attributed to the Toyota recall put a more human face on this business of quality — both its importance when it is followed and its cost when it is not. The issues still to be sorted out will drag out for years as courts and legislators have their say. The Congressional hearing on Toyota was little more than public posturing, because Congress knows all too well that you cannot legislate quality.
For those in America who manufacture the world’s products and those around the world who manufacture products for us, the question we are faced with is more immediate. What did we learn this time? The cynic might find that Toyota, for all its posturing about quality and “The Toyota Way,” was, in the end, no better at quality than anyone else.
That ought to really scare us.


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The Daily Moot: PlayStation 5 Backwards CompatibilityNews Picks
1. Sony's Cloud-Based Backwards Compatibility
Sony has apparently filed a patent for a cloud-based backwards compatibility system for the PlayStation 5. Sony had previously announced that the PS5 would be backwards-compatible with most PS4 games, but this new system would enable players to enjoy PlayStation games dating all the way back to the PS1 era. It’s unclear exactly how this new feature would work, or if it would be tied to Sony’s PlayStation Now service, but this new patent certainly provides some hope for those who are looking to play previous-generation games on their next-gen system.
2. CS:GO New Anti-Cheat CS:GO’s latest update introduced a new anti-cheat system called “Trusted Mode,” but it seems to be doing more harm than good. Trusted Mode appears to be flagging many normal processes, such as OBS, Discord, and Spotify, as cheat systems. Not only is it booting players from the game for innocuous programs, but it doesn’t actually mention which process is causing the issue, making solving the problem a troubleshooting nightmare for players. The new anti-cheat also prevents players from playing in community servers or custom game modes, both of which are major aspects of CS:GO. While it’s clear that these issues need to be resolved soon, Valve has not yet released a statement regarding their plans.
3. Epic Freebies Another week of freebies from Epic Games is here. This week’s free games are Killing Floor 2, Lifeless Planet: Premier Edition, and The Escapists 2. You can grab your free copies of these games directly from the Epic Games Store from now until July 16. As long as you claim the games by July 16, they will stay in your library forever. https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/free-games 4. Comic-Con at Home IGN has announced a collaboration with San Diego Comic-Con for an upcoming digital event called “Comic-Con@Home.” The event will be completely free and will include many of the features SDCC is known for such as interviews, celebrity panels, and cosplay events. Some of the confirmed media attendees include The Walking Dead, The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers, Adventure Time, Archer, Bill & Ted, and more. Comic-Con@Home is set to kick off on July 22.
5. Warzone Juggernaut Mode Removed After just one week in circulation, Infinity Ward has removed the popular Juggernaut Battle Royale mode from the Warzone playlist. The 200-player battle royale mode, which was around for 2 weeks, has also been removed from the playlist. Although it was clear that both modes were limited-time events, most players expected them to be around for quite a bit longer, especially considering their popularity. In their place, Warzone has now added a regular Quads mode and a “Stimulus Trios” mode to the mix. Although there’s no timeline for the return of the Juggernaut and 200BR modes, it seems likely that both LTMs will make their way back into the playlist in the future.


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Rug News andDesign stopped in at the huge Oriental Weavers area at Domotex 2015 in Hannover on Sunday. Right from the beginning we knew...
Heimtextil 2015 celebrates bold textures on furniture, walls, and floors.
Yebane designs and manufactures printed and dyed fabrics for upholstery and furnishings. http://www.yebane.com/
Formerly known as Jainsons Exports Dream Home Carpet was busy when we swung by.
Texture is everywhere at heimetextil most noticeably in the over the top wallpapers. Carpets haven't been left out with. The J. R. Exports Ltd...
The bright colors worked for me:
Just getting started at heimetextil 2015. I have seen 3 of the 17 floors.
At Rug News andDesign we receive a lot of press releases from the home furnishing industry touting all sorts of new home furnishings, new hires, and showroom openings. We have even launched a sister website to feature these announcements, people of the industry, and the events that occur, at RugIndustryNews.com.


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Nike regains title of No. 1 seller of licensed college apparel
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Nike Inc. is once again the nation's top seller of licensed collegiate apparel, returning to the No. 1 spot after a two-year absence.
Atlanta-based Collegiate Licensing Co., a division of sports marketing giant IMG, on Monday released its annual list of the universities and manufacturers that sold the most collegiate-licensed gear.
The year-end report doesn't give specific revenue figures for licensees, but said collegiate-licensed merchandise achieved $4.6 billion in retail sales last year, with royalties going back to the universities to support campus programs.
Washington County-based Nike (NYSE: NKE) had since 1999 been the top ranked apparel licensee in the country until Knights Apparel LLC, a college-licensed apparel specialist in Spartanburg, S.C., pushed the company to second place in 2010. Knights stayed atop the list last year before dropping to No. 2 this year.
Of the top 75 universities, the only Oregon campus to make the list of top-sellers was Oregon State University, which dropped to 38th this year from 34th last year. The University of Texas at Austin led the the list, followed by the University of Alabama and the University of Kentucky.
If the absence of the University of Oregon seems glaring, there's a reason for it.
Matt Dyste, the University of Oregon’s director of brand management, said the Collegiate Licensing Co.’s list is comprised of universities who employ IMG to manage their licensing programs. The University of Oregon, though, is one of a handful of programs that manage their licensing program in-house, a list that also includes Ohio State University and the University of Southern California.
Erik Siemers is managing editor of the Portland Business Journal.
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A youthful-looking, middle-aged writer, singer, political activist, registered nurse, gifted communicator, and social influencer, Ms. Anna Pierre stands out of the crowd whether you get to meet her physically or in cyberspace.
By character and disposition, she cannot be described as nondescript or boring. You feel her presence in any habitat she chooses to operate. She is easily a crusader’s crusader whether she is trying to push a cause like the International Fathers’ Association which she founded, a product like her ubiquitous ZOTOBRE product brand or book, or a candidate for political office.
It’s thus not difficult to imagine that she would be a target of the scamming industry that has fleeced many people of hard-earned billions in the past decade. US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimated that $547 million was lost to romance scams in 2021, part of a $1.3 billion dollar heist since 2017. The FBI’s figure is even higher, with 24,000 victims across the United States reporting approximately $1 billion to such scams in 2021 alone...
Dr. Yinka Tella


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BUSINESS BUZZ: Wild Rose Cafe prepares comfort food from scratch
Restaurant popular spot for locals, guests of Big Rapids
This article is part of Business Buzz, a series designed to feature small businesses that make a big impact on the community. Participants featured will include all the locally-owned businesses that make up the fabric of Big Rapids and the surrounding area.
BIG RAPIDS — From a hot bowl of chili to a delicious homemade soup, fresh salad or a juicy burger, Wild Rose Cafe is offering up a wide variety of comfort foods to their loyal customers every day.
Elaine Sanford explained that her significant other, Bruce Rose, opened the restaurant 18 years ago, and she has been more active in helping run the business since he was diagnosed with cancer about five years ago.
Having worked in the food industry since she was 16, Sanford said operating the cafe has had its challenges, but she loves working in the Big Rapids community and seeing familiar faces coming through the doors each day.
"Our customers are the backbone of our restaurant," she said. "Without them we would have nothing."
Sanford said like many businesses, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created some new hurdles to overcome, but the support from the community and other local businesses have helped them stay open and keep their spirits up.
"When we came back open, the people were phenomenal," she said.
Sanford said their customers are all like family, many of them coming in on a regular basis to enjoy all the Wild Rose Cafe has to offer.
"If our customers don't come in, sometimes we call them. That's how dedicated they are," she said. "We want to check on them."
Although many customers are regulars, Sanford said they do see a lot of students from Ferris State University or people from out of town coming in as well.
"We have had a lot of new customers come in, and it has been fun," she said.
Sanford said whether they are new customers or old friends, people always enjoy the welcoming atmosphere and meals from scratch with mostly locally sourced ingredients.
"We try to buy as local as we can. They give to us, so we give to them," she said.
This time of year, Sanford said she loves making soup from whatever is fresh and on hand.
"It's a great time of year. We do a ton of fall soups, and people love it," she said.
As the restaurant starts to get busier for the fall season, Sanford said they are always looking for help from people who want to work at the business.
Sanford added no matter how hectic some days may be, she loves working in her hometown of Big Rapids, and hopes to see the Wild Rose Cafe continue for a long time.
"You don't find many hometowns like this," she said. "We are blessed."
Monday-Friday: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sunday: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
708 Maple St, Big Rapids, MI 49307


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The LPGA champ has inked a global deal with Skechers Performance, and will be featured in marketing campaigns for the brand’s footwear.
Skechers Performance has added international sportswoman, Brooke Henderson (pictured), to its roster of elite Go Golf athletes. The LPGA champion has inked a multi-year global deal with the company, and will be featured in marketing campaigns for the brand’s footwear.
She joins Matt Kuchar, Russell Knox, Colin Montgomerie, Billy Andrade, Belen Mozo, and Ashlan Ramsey as ambassadors. At 18 years old, she returned to Canada after a solid Olympics. A month prior to Rio, she clinched her first major win at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
As an amateur in 2014, her tenth place tie for the 2014 Women’s US Open positioned her as the top ranking woman amateur golfer in the world. Since her professional debut in December that same year, the athlete has continued to climb with a current rank of number three in the world.
Henderson will be wearing Go Golf footwear as part of the sponsorship. Known for its innovative designs and award-winning comfort, the portfolio offers everyone, from leisurely players to professional golfers, a comfortable shoe that can be worn both on and off the course.
“We really love Brooke’s game, and her input is going to be so valuable. She’s just getting started and we’re thrilled to be partnering with her,” said Rick Higgins, Senior Vice President Merchandising and Marketing at Skechers Performance.


text: Meet the brand new organization: the Louisville Area Furniture Society (LAFS). As a way to get locals to know about them, LAFS is presenting “Functional Design 2015,” a show of handcrafted furniture. Co-founders are Craig Bayens and Peyton Hoge. “Many people don’t consider furniture when they’re thinking about buying local,” says Bayens. “We bring something unique to the community, one-of-a-kind pieces that design-savvy customers are seeking.” Hoge adds, “With so many different styles represented, there will be something for every taste.” Other artists in the show are Billie Bradford, Ryan Goff, David Metcalf, Ben Pegram and Carter Scott. The opening reception is on Friday, Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Fresh Start Growers’ Supply. It’s free and open to the public.


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Lifestraw and American Red Cross Stress Importance of Safe Drinking Water During Disasters
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Brand Licensing Partnership Formed to Develop Co-Branded Water Filtration Products
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (May 23, 2017) – LifeStraw®, a global leader in developing innovative filtration and purification products for safe drinking water, today announced a brand licensing partnership with the American Red Cross. Through this partnership, people will be able to use the co-branded LifeStraw products for safe water consumption in case of an emergency or disaster. The products include the LifeStraw Go Bottle with 2-stage filtration and the LifeStraw Personal water filter, which will be available for purchase at the Red Cross online store and at retail outlets across the U.S.
The LifeStraw Go 2-Stage refillable water bottle filters out microbiological contaminants and includes a carbon capsule to reduce chlorine, organic chemicals and bad taste. The LifeStraw Personal is a portable, straw-style filter that can be used directly at water sources and can convert up to 264 gallons of microbiologically contaminated water into safe drinking water.
“LifeStraw is constantly exploring avenues that facilitate impactful social programs for the environment in communities around the world,” said Alison Hill, managing director of LifeStraw. “Working with the American Red Cross aligns with our own global mission to support those in need during disasters, and to educate people on safe water practices during their daily lives, and make sure they have access to safe drinking water.”
“We encourage everyone to have emergency supplies on hand at home, at work and at school,” said Stephen Glockenmeier, vice president of brand strategy and licensing for American Red Cross. “Our brand licensing partnership with LifeStraw will provide people with an easy way to be prepared if something happens to their water supply.”
The American Red Cross recommends that households and businesses have a supply of water on hand for each person in case a disaster occurs. LifeStraw’s water filtration products provide American consumers with the confidence that their water will be filtration safe for use in the event of emergencies.
About LifeStraw: LifeStraw focuses on innovation of technology that converts microbiologically contaminated water into safe drinking water with products that are designed to fit the needs of the people that use them. The first LifeStraw was the LifeStraw Guinea Worm Filter introduced in 1996, which has been instrumental in the near-eradication of Guinea worm disease. In 2005, the personal LifeStraw filter was introduced for use in developing countries, and the technology has since been time-tested in some of the harshest environments and humanitarian emergencies since then. Today LifeStraw is used in 64 countries and includes filters and purifiers for households, clinics, schools, and for outdoor recreation, travel and everyday personal use. LifeStraw is sold in North America through LifeStraw’s exclusive partner, EarthEasy, and can be purchased in retail stores or online at www.lifestraw.com.
Kristen Bujold, CGPR
781-639-4924 Ext. 115


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In an effort to regain market share in the auto financing industry, GMAC will start offering new incentives to its most loyal dealerships, the AP reports. GMAC currently finances car loans and leases for GM and Chrysler customers.
Beginning Oct. 1, GMAC will offer cash incentives and services to its U.S. dealers through its new Ally Dealer Rewards program, named after its newly rebranded consumer banking arm Ally Bank, Spokeswoman Sue Mallino said Thursday.
GM’s most loyal dealerships will receive cash incentives for using the full complement of the finance company’s services.
The new program will be managed by GMAC’s auto finance unit and will not have any bearing on consumer auto loans through the finance company, Mallino said.
GMAC’s dealer incentive program will be similar to credit card rewards programs. Dealers who use the full complement of GMAC services will be rewarded with cash, remarketing services or other perks.
GMAC wants to get back on its feet and take market share back from auto lenders like Chase and Wachovia, who gained new customers when GMAC was struggling financially and didn’t have the cash for consumer car loans. During the first half of this year, GMAC held three percent of the auto loan and lease market, which is down by almost half in the same period last year, according to Experian.
The U.S. Treasury currently owns 35 percent of GMAC. GMAC is a good car loan option for buyers with subprime credit scores since it currently finances auto loans for consumers with scores less than 620.


text: Barrick Gold ( ABX) is the world's largest gold miner with a $50 billion market value. It has a forward P/E of 8.3, which fits in the Auer fund's criteria allowing it to buy a gold stock "for the first time in 25 years." Auer said the company is unhedged, that is it hasn't locked in a floor price bet, so it's taking gold out of the ground for about $428 an ounce and the current market price is about $1,745 an ounce, which gives it a huge profit margin. Barrick executives recently said at a conference that each $100 increase in gold prices adds $500 million in earnings to their company's profit potential and that is not being recognized by the market. Its shares are down 2.8% this year, but up 28% annually over three years.


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Top Grower of Hawaiian Macadamia Nuts Sets Sights on Plant-Based Products
More and more companies have taken the pledge to move towards plant-based business models, and the avalanche continues to gain momentum. MacFarms LLC, a leading producer of Hawaiian macadamia nuts, partnered with its Royal Hawaiian Orchards (RHO) macadamia nut brand in 2020, making strides to take the companies towards a new plant-based dedication. The company has plans to continue this growth, and push for more products for the plant-based consumer.
With the market explosion of plant-based milk, parent company Health & Plant Protein Group Ltd. (HPP) invested itself in the LAVVA nut milk and yogurt brand. There is no shortage of new alternatives to milk, and MacFarms is expanding its healthy promise by promoting plant-based brands and diets. The LAVVA products are made from pili nut along with other natural ingredients to create an offering to satisfy dieters who need a fresh alternative to dairy. The LAVVA brand is rapidly growing with no sign of stopping, and the popularity follows the same spike in plant-based consumers.
“We worked really hard last year to achieve broader company goals, and we are really proud of the co-investment in LAVVA and its nut-based products,” General Manager of Sales and Marketing K.C. Blinn explained. “It is an ideal addition to the HPP portfolio and is a great complement to our plant driven focus. This, along with our record sales and a clear vision for growth through 2021 is what will continue to drive our efforts towards advancing plant-based solutions for a growing health-conscious world.”
MacFarms and HPP showcased the companies’ dedication to plant-based consumers by standing behind LAVVA, but the nut milk and yogurt brand is growing to prove the upward trend is the future for more and more companies. Founded in 2017, LAVVA can be found nationwide at 500 retailers including Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, Good Eggs, and Wegman’s.
After years of championing the health benefits of macadamia nuts, MacFarms’ move to plant-based models is natural. The company took the new year as an opportunity to renew its place as a leader for health products and now plans to go beyond just the macadamia nut. Over the course of 2021, plant-based consumers should keep their eyes on MacFarms and the Health & Plant Protein Group to see what products that they start fueling through the new year.


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Tesla Begins Production of ‘2170’ Battery Cell at the Gigafactory
On Wednesday, Tesla announced that they began producing lithium-ion battery cells at its Gigafactory. The battery cells will be used in the production of its new Model 3, in addition to its storage products.
In an announcement on the company’s website, Tesla and Panasonic announced the beginning of mass production of lithium-ion battery cells. The high performance cylindrical “2170 cell” was jointly designed and engineered by Tesla and Panasonic to offer the best performance at the lowest production cost. In addition, the battery cells were designed with an optimal form factor for both electric vehicles and energy products.
The cells produced in the first quarter of this year will be used for Tesla’s Powerwall 2 and Powerpack 2 energy products. However, starting in Q2 2017, the company also confirmed production for the battery cells used in the Model 3 will start.
With the Gigafactory online and ramping up production, our cost of battery cells will significantly decline due to increasing automation and process design to enhance yield, lowered capital investment per Wh of production, the simple optimization of locating most manufacturing processes under one roof, and economies of scale.
The gigafactory will produce 35 GWh/year of lithium-ion battery cells, nearly as much as the rest of the entire world’s battery production combined.


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John Hancock aims to use wearables to track policyholders' activity, using the information to provide differential pricing on insurance policies.» Read More
Yesterday another Wall Street law firm told its attorneys that the firm would support the iPhone for work email. The announcement added that employees who chose the iPhone would have their data plans paid for by the law firm.
See what's happening, who's talking and what will be making headlines on Wednesday's Squawk on the Street.
Share your opinion in today's poll.
Each year, Oracle’s presence looms over this city for a week, during the company’s Open World customer conference. About 41,000 people arrived this week to discuss business software in fine detail and talk over beers, reports the New York Times.
Stocks gave back most of its afternoon gains Tuesday as investors digested news that the Federal Reserve would be willing to provide "additional accommodation" to the U.S. economy. Caterpillar rose, while Alcoa fell.
Goldman Sachs annual media and technology conference — Communacopia — kicked off today with optimism and bullish comments from AT&T's CEO Randall Stephenson and Disney CEO Bob Iger. The event is a who's who of media, tech and telecom CEOs; the economy is top of mind, as is digital distribution and the growing smart phone and tablet market.
Stocks were mixed Tuesday as investors digested news that the Federal Reserve would be willing to provide "additional accommodation" to the U.S. economy. Caterpillar rose, while Alcoa fell.
Big news for Apple and Apple investors: The iPad is the highest-scoring product that a leading consumer satisfaction index has ever tracked.
Fast Money trader Steve Cortes is closely watching the action in crude as his market tell and what he sees looks rather bearish. What must you know?
China's success as an economy and the strength of its manufacturing sector has not translated into success of a homegrown brand into the global arena.
Plus, Cramer's best nat gas play and calls in the tech space.
This post has been updated with even more tech trades including M&A predictions from star analyst Brian Marshall of Gleacher.
Stocks extended a September rally by breaking through a long-held trading range to hit four-month highs a day before the Federal Open Market Committee meets. AmEx rose while Cisco fell.
Stocks continued to add to gains Monday in a broad-based rally that pushed stocks to new levels, although trading volume remained thin. AmEx rose while Cisco fell.
Since President Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, all the major US indices are trading positive territory, led to the upside by the NASDAQ 100, up 63.2%.
Considering IBM just inked a deal to takeout Netazza at a 10% premium, how should you game tech stocks?
Why hedge funds are dead.
That’s been the word on the web today, citing a story in the Wall Street Journal. The writer of that story says Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn told him iPad sales were snatching away up to 50% of laptop sales.
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion reported a stronger than expected quarterly profit and also provided a strong guidance for the current quarter. David Garrity, principal at GVA Research, shared his analysis on the firm.
If you know how to use a computer and can rock a T-shirt, here’s a job for you: One young entrepreneur is hiring four new professional T-shirt wearers!


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The moment we’ve all been waiting for has arrived. Finally there will be real gift certificates posted on Facebook from retailers like the Gap, Sephora, and H&M. Ok, just like me, you’re probably feeling very skeptical when you read this. We’ve all read about far too many Facebook scams like the Costco gift card scams, free Southwest Airlines tickets, and free iPads just to name a few.
But hang on to your seats. This free offer is real. A new start-up called Wrapp is launching a gift certificate program. How does it work? Instead of posting Happy Birthday comments, simply post a gift card – as long as your friend meets the target demographic. Redemption is easy with your Android or iPhone app to show your gift card’s bar code at the store checkout.
Even better, gift recipients are more likely to use them since they card has come from a trusted ‘friend’. This approach is much more targeted than paying for Facebook ads or online banners. The beauty of this social gifting idea is that brands only pay when cards are redeemed and shoppers will spend a lot more than the coupon is worth, making it a win-win.
In their pilot program in just six months 1.4 million gift cards were given on Facebook by 165,000 Facebook users. After discovering this huge success in Sweden, Wrapp is going live in the US today. It’s a big day for Facebook users who can now finally enjoy some legitimate gift cards. But be wary still, as Facebook scams are still as hot as ever. As a good rule of thumb, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.


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ATLANTA, Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Lingo Communications (“Lingo”), a leading global Cloud/UC and Managed Service provider, today announced record sales results in its Partner Sales Channel in 2020 as well as the signing of new Distribution Agreements with several new agents and master agents across the United States.
Atlanta-based Lingo serves customers across the globe through an extensive portfolio of Communications, Cloud/UC and Managed Services. In 2020, new sales revenue from the Partner Channel increased by more than 335% compared to 2019. In addition, the number of active agents selling for Lingo increased by over 300% across more than a dozen new markets.
In addition, Lingo also announced today a new partnership with MicroCorp, a leading national master agent for telecommunications and cloud services. MicroCorp added Lingo’s wide selection of Cloud/UC, Managed Services and Legacy communications solutions to their service offerings in Q4 ’20.
“We are excited about Lingo’s amazing growth this past year and are very thrilled to partner with MicroCorp as a provider in their portfolio,” said Chris Ramsey, VP Sales and Marketing of Lingo. “They bring a large ecosystem of business solutions and experts and we look forward to mutual growth.”


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EXCITING times at the Galway Races as crowds prepare to flock back to the iconic western venue for the summer festival.
Get out your glad rags - there is a new and exciting three-year partnership deal with the Connacht Hospitality Group for the popular best dressed lady and best hat competitions due to take place on Thursday, July 28th, Guinness Galway Hurdle Day.
The Connacht Hospitality Group will sponsor both the best dressed lady competition with a fantastic €10,000 cash prize, and €3,000 goes to the winner of the best hat.
The Connacht Hospitality group is a family run Galway business comprising three hotels (the Connacht Hotel, Hyde Hotel and the Residence Hotel), three bars (Hyde Bar, An Púcán and 1520 Bar), Galway Bay Golf Resort and Active 24 Fitness.
Check into to any of those venues and you will find quality hospitality, friendly customer service and unique experiences.
Head judge for the lucrative best dressed competition is well-known stylist Mandy Maher who will be joined by fellow judge Kieran O’Malley, digital marketing manager for the Connacht Hospitality group and Jennifer Wrynne, award winning Irish milliner and fashion blogger.
If that’s not enough, Athlone Towncentre goes into its 10th year supporting the festival’s most stylish competition on the Friday of the meeting.
This year the prizes are better than ever with celebrity judges Bláthnaid Treacy and Marietta Doran on the lookout to spot the perfect balance of creative styling of high street pieces with personal flair.
This year sees the biggest prize fund on offer to date for the competition winner with a Shop & Stay Break courtesy of Athlone Towncentre.
The lucky winner will leave Galway Racecourse with a €2,000 Athlone Towncentre Gift Card, a luxury two-night break in the four star Sheraton Athlone Hotel and a gorgeous piece of jewellery courtesy of Fields The Jeweller.
Check out www.galwayraces.com for more information.


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StarHub TV to add two ABS-CBN channels, ANC and Cinema One Global
StarHub and ABS-CBN to present star-studded ASAP 2012 ‘live’ concert in Singapore
Singapore, 27 September 2012 – StarHub TV is broadening its Filipino content offering with the addition of two ABS-CBN channels, ANC (StarHub TV Channel 143) and Cinema One Global (StarHub TV Ch 145) to its platform. ABS-CBN is the largest media and entertainment company in the Philippines. In addition, StarHub is the Co-Presenter of ABS-CBN’s star-studded All-Star Sunday Afternoon Party (ASAP) 2012 ‘live’ concert at the MAX Pavilion on 14 October 2012.
ANC will be available from 28 September 2012 while launch details on Cinema One Global will be revealed at a later date.
ANC, also known as ABS-CBN News Channel, is an established English language news channel which provides 24/7 ‘live’ coverage with round-the-clock updates and in-depth analysis on key events from the Philippines. Key programme genres include ‘live’ local news, current affairs, business and money matters, talk shows, technology and lifestyle.
Cinema One Global is a 24-hour movie channel which will delight avid followers of Filipino films, teleseryes, celebrities and showbiz gossip. Key channel highlights include blockbusters, classics and indie films covering a range of genres such as romance/drama, comedy, horror, action, suspense/thriller and family.
Together with the existing The Filipino Channel (StarHub TV Channel 144), a non-stop infotainment channel presented in Tagalog, the two new channels will give Filipinos living in Singapore more avenues to check out the latest buzz and happenings in their home country.
“With ANC, Cinema One Global and The Filipino Channel, our Filipino offering comprehensively covers the news, entertainment and infotainment needs of our viewers. As the official Co-Presenter of the ASAP 2012 “Live” concert in Singapore, we are also delighted to give our mobile and cable TV customers the chance to meet the biggest Filipino celebrities. We pride ourselves in having a wide range of content for all our customers and will continue to work with ABS-CBN to bring a slice of home to the Filipino community in Singapore,” said Ms Iris Wee, Vice President of Home Solutions & Content, StarHub.
Mr Rocky Roxas, ABS-CBN Global Managing Director for Australia & Asia-Pacific, stated "News and entertainment are very important needs of all overseas Filipinos. The Filipino Channel and Cinema One Global offer the best in Filipino entertainment. ANC offers the best in Filipino news. ABS-CBN Global is very happy to continue its charter of service to Filipinos in Singapore and worldwide."
StarHub will be co-presenting ASAP 2012 “live” in Singapore on 14 October 2012 at the MAX Pavilion. ASAP 2012 is a highly-rated concert with a massive Filipino following, featuring close to 40 world-class Filipino talents. The star-studded cast include Piolo Pascual, Kim Chiu, Sam Milby, Gary Valenciano, Iza Calzado, Ann Curtis, and John Lloyd Cruz.
From 27 September to 7 October, customers who purchase StarHub mobile prepaid cards at the Happy Sunday roadshow at Lucky Plaza shopping mall will receive free concert tickets to catch their favourite Filipino artistes at the ‘live’ concert. Existing customers can stand a chance to win concert tickets worth $30 when they purchase selected top-up cards. New customers can purchase a SIM + Prepaid top-up card bundle to receive a complimentary $50 ticket. In addition, StarHub will be offering Meet and Greet passes, and VIP concert tickets to the top 12 customers who download the most songs and/or personalise their connecting tones to ASAP 2012 from the StarHub Music Store.
To add to the bonanza, there will be a free preview of ANC on StarHub TV for all StarHub TV customers from 28 September, 9am to 31 October 2012, 12 noon. A free preview of The Filipino Channel on StarHub TV on Mobile will be offered to all StarHub Mobile customers from 28 September, 10am to 31 October 2012, 11.59pm as well.
The Filipino Channel is available at a monthly subscription of $16.05 (w/GST). More details on the pricing of ANC and Cinema One Global will be announced at a later date.
For more information on StarHub TV, visit www.starhub.com/tv.


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The US electric car manufacturer Tesla (TSLA) is considering Germany´s North Rhine-Westphalia as a possible factory site in Europe. According to Rheinische Post the company has had negotiations with the local authorities regarding the issue.
According to Bloomberg, Tesla has said that Germany would be the leading choice for the European Gigafactory.
North Rhine-Westphalia is the biggest state in Germany and in the middle of German industrial manufacturing sites. The local area capitol is Dusseldorf.


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Fresh bans in the U.S. and China cast a cloud over e-cigarettes
SMITH BRAIN TRUST – It’s not often that we witness a stunning downfall like the one that Juul appears to be having.
Early this year, the worryingly trendy maker of e-cigarettes was becoming a household name, a mainstay of high school washrooms, a frequent topic of conversation among furrowed-brow parents. It drew the attention of – and a sizable investment from – cigarette giant Altria, with a valuation that was based primarily on a single concept: Growth.
“The company’s valuations are all based on the presumption of growth, and that with growth will come profits,” says Brent Goldfarb, associate professor of management and entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business and author of “Bubbles and Crashes: The Boom and Bust of Technological Innovation.”
Then came summer and a series of events that shifted the narrative.
First, came the searing realization that there was a so-called “vaping epidemic” among children (mostly high schoolers), for whom the fruity and candy-inspired flavors had become de rigueur. Parents described kids so addicted to the devices and the nicotine they delivered that they were waking up in the middle of the night to smoke or “vape.” Then came news of e-cigarettes laced with tar (or narcotics) causing lung infections in teens and young adults, leading to several deaths.
Since then, seven states have banned electronic cigarettes. Last week, China effectively banned all online sales of e-cigarettes, limiting its reach into an important market.
This week came reports that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would ban all e-cigarettes, other than those that taste like tobacco and menthol, prohibiting the vaping flavors that are popular among teens.
“Now, the narrative was that Juul was targeting children with lethal consequences,” Goldfarb says. “This is what led to the rapid succession of regulatory consequences and, indeed China is part of that story.”
Goldfarb and David A. Kirsch, associate professor of management and entrepreneurship at Maryland Smith, have spent years studying the anatomy of asset bubbles. They’ve seen assets rise like Juul and fall as it appears poised to do. In Juul’s case, they say, it’s not overly surprising.
“I would add that Juul did a very poor job of choosing its customers – at least in hindsight. It was clearly marketed to children – and that was a profitable strategy, but this left Juul exposed to negative press. It's hard to see how this was not foreseeable,” Goldfarb says. “Negative press about the flavored e-cigs was abundant early on.”
Kirsch notes that there remain country-by-country differences in the way e-cigarettes are perceived.
“In the U.K., where base rate use of combustion cigarettes is still relatively high, e-cigs are seen as a healthier alternative than continuing to use the old fashioned way. By contrast, here in the U.S., where base rate use of tobacco has declined, especially among younger demographic groups, e-cigs are seen as a new hazard and even possibly a gateway to the use/abuse of other substances. In this case, the same story may get a different reaction from different cultural audiences.”
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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak yesterday launched the Proton Green Mobility Challenge 2012 (PGMC), a challenge jointly organised by Proton and Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM) that will see local uni students develop an electric vehicle from a standard internal combustion engine powered Proton Saga.
The participating universities are UTP, UNITEN, UTeM, UNIKL MSI, UMP, UNISEL, IIUM, UTM, UNIMAP and UKM. Each team will modify the Saga according and compete in the finals, which will be held from 4-7 October this year. Each car’s performance will be put to the test and four factors will be taken into account – distance achieved, quarter mile acceleration, fastest time for two laps, and top speed.
The organisers say that PGMC 2012 is in line with AIM’s objectives of facilitating wealth creation via innovation. The statutory body serves to formulate and implement the strategies towards enhancing the national innovation eco-system and creating new-wave wealth from innovation in the country.
“Sustainable mobility is dependent on three equally critical components coming together; firstly the ability of car manufacturers to commercially make available a new generation of vehicles in the most cost-efficient manner.
“Secondly, the willingness and support of Governments and policy makers in formulating long-term legislations which would not only enable car manufacturers to map out future investment plans but pave the way for what is thirdly, greater consumer awareness for green technology and their acceptance of alternative fuel propulsion systems such as hybrids and electric vehicles,” said Proton Group MD Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin.
Like the Perodua Eco Challenge, this challenge allows undergrads to practice what they learn – nothing like competition to bring the best out of us, right? Anyway, while there could possibly be a trick or two that can be learned from PGMC entries, Proton already has competition winning EV technology under development.
Read our live report on the RAC Future Car Challenge Brighton to London here, where Proton won two awards competing against the world’s best EVs. Also click here for our exclusive drive report of the actual Saga EV.


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Rocket League will no longer have real money loot crates available for purchase, later this year. The Rocket League loot boxes were introduced in September 2016, and have included cosmetics players could buy into crates for a chance to get. The developer, Psyonix, released a blog post earlier today that they're replacing the crates with a new system to directly purchase items. Their full statement is available below.
"Here at Psyonix, and Epic Games as a whole, we are dedicated to creating the best possible experience for our players all over the world. In pursuit of that goal, later this year we will remove all paid, randomized Crates from Rocket League, replacing them with a system that shows the exact items you’re buying in advance. This is similar to changes implemented earlier this year by the Fortnite Save the World team.
Rocket Pass Premium, DLC Cars, and Esports Shop items will continue to be offered for direct purchase alongside our new system.
We will share more information, including timelines and roll-out specifics, in the coming months."
Psyonix has been responding to some comments in the Rocket League subreddit regarding the announcement. It's not known when the crate system will no longer exist, however, Psyonix said crates will be replaced with a usable alternative when they're removed.
Others are wondering how the crate removal will affect those that trade crate items if they're no longer in the game. The removal of crates would make keys for unlocking crates useless and Psyonix responded saying, "Keys will still be sold while the Crate system remains in-game. After the Crate system is removed, the value of any remaining keys in a player’s inventory will be honored. We’ll have more information in the coming months."
It comes as no surprise the Psyionix team is trying to get away from loot boxes with them being controversially compared to gambling. Back in April 2019, we reported on crates no longer being allowed in Rocket League in Belgium and the Netherlands.


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The one truism of the Affordable Care Act is that this legislation created the empowered patient. The empowered patient evolved from technology, transparency and a lack of primary care providers needed to service the patient population. What the empowered patient demands from the medical marketplace is better outcomes, at a lower cost, delivered in a shorter cycle. What does the empowered patient expect from healthcare? The exact same level of service, choices and access they receive from any other retail provider.
This shift in demand for alternative methods of healthcare delivery models has fostered an entrepreneurial spirit among thought leaders and a boom in healthcare franchising and healthcare business opportunities. To meet this growing demand general and specialized healthcare franchises have begun to emerge in shopping and commercial centers across the nation. Entrepreneurs and medical professionals have very quickly realized that the cost to own and operate these healthcare franchises are far less expensive than traditional practices and that both the patient and provider experiences are vastly superior.
Mary Beth Kuzmanovich, National Director of Healthcare Services for the real estate giant Colliers, confirmed this trend in a January of 2016 statement. Kuzmanovich was quoted “In a push to lower cost healthcare providers have been shifting care away from hospitals to outpatient facilities for several years. This ongoing movement further increases demand for medical office space. Existing facilities will have to be renovated and new buildings will need flexible designs to keep up with emerging healthcare technology, which is transforming how and where patient care is delivered.”
Healthcare franchises are also positioned to more quickly adapt, and adopt, consumer focused technology into their business models more efficiently and effectively. One of the best examples of the win-win between patient and provider in the new age of healthcare retailization is OrthoNOW, the nation’s only orthopedic urgent care franchise.


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French luxury fashion maison Louis Vuitton has opened its first restaurant concept in China dubbed ‘The Hall’ adjacent to Louis Vuitton flagship at Chengdu’s Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li shopping complex.
The Hall, previously home to a Louis Vuitton pop-up store, is located in the historical building Guangdong Hall. The restaurant will collaborate seasonally with Michelin-starred chefs from around the world to offer a diverse selection of menus. From now until March, its first star chef Olivier Elzer will serve customers in China a fusion menu that blends local and French cuisine. The restaurant offers lunch, afternoon tea and dinner service.
As part of the launch, the fashion house launched an interactive game dubbed ‘Mah Jump’ on WeChat Mini Program. The Hall follows the launch of the 2000sqm House of Louis Vuitton earlier this year, which consists of two buildings and an open courtyard.
“This is unsurprising as the rising consumer purchasing power of Chengdu is attracting luxury brands to the ‘tier 1’ city,” said Bobby Verghese, consumer analyst at GlobalData.
“The iconic historical location Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li will aid LMVH in localising its brand image in China at a time when local cosmetics brands are stealing the thunder from MNCs. The brand is finding its way into the hearts of Chinese consumers through food.”
According to the data company, Chengdu’s GDP is a fast-emerging economic powerhouse with real GDP of $129.3 billion and per-capita real GDP of $7.9 billion this year, which is not significant compared to Beijing’s real GDP of $432.7 billion and per-capita real GDP of $19.7 billion.
The Hall marks the brand’s fourth restaurant in Asia after Le Cafe V locations at Louis Vuitton Maison Osaka Midosuji and Ginza and the pop-up restaurant at Maison Seoul location.


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The CEO of the Black Star label decided to expand and now has his own business in the United Arab Emirates. He opened his own hookah bar in Dubai.
Hannah’s husband showed the photo in the story and said that everything did not go right at once. Heavy showers flooded the Black Star Lounge.
They had to put things in order and make repairs, and the opening was scheduled for January 4. As a result, by joint efforts with employees and colleagues, it was possible to finish everything by the appointed day.
Pasha’s friends came to the opening, and his wife Hannah was also there. The director of the label showed how cheerfully everyone celebrated the start of his new business in Dubai.


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July 28, 2015
Links welcomes new facility in Papua New Guinea!
11 Warning Signs of Poor Time Management
20 Fitness Trends of 2015 to watch out for
LinksConnect – July 2015
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The Bitcoin exchange and mining giant known by the name of BTCC has decided to offer the Bitcoin community a nice Christmas gift, by deploying a total of 100 full bitcoin nodes, across five continents, to further support the bitcoin network.
For those who are not yet aware, full bitcoin nodes enforce the rules of the bitcoin network. They do this by serving full copies of the blockchain, but also by validating transactions and blocks. Unfortunately, in the last couple of months, these have been declining, thus leading the bitcoin network towards centralisation. In fact, the network has seen a large decrease of around 19% in viable bitcoin nodes last year.
The main reason why nodes may be disappearing is that while bitcoin miners are rewarded with bitcoin for generating countless transaction confirmations, those running nodes are not given anything in return, regardless of hosting the entire blockchain database and relaying all transactions.
BTCC’s Samson Mow made a press statement, saying that the company decided to deploy these nodes so that it would fulfil its role in maintaining the bitcoin. He also mentioned that “As a proponent and believer in bitcoin, we see both supporting core development and well as the bitcoin network itself as our duty. The nodes we deployed today will help to preserve the network as the number of full bitcoin nodes continues to decrease.”
Together with this, it’s also worth pointing out that the bitcoin exchange has deployed a total of 10 powerful DNS seed nodes, coming with unrestricted network access. Based on this, anyone who would like to host their own bitcoin core nodes can also use these, as they’re publicly available.
Most of the nodes deployed by BTCC are in China (21%), Germany (19%) and Singapore (19%). However, most of the firm’s reachable full bitcoin nodes are in the US, with the rest donated in countries ranking low on the full bitcoin node geographic distribution chart.
The company is also currently encouraging other major bitcoin companies to join them in contributing to the bitcoin system, which can easily be done by sponsoring a couple of powerful, full nodes.Do keep in mind that when companies pick up the slack, the phenomenon leads to centralization, which is why more individuals should also consider sponsoring nodes.
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