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Silver American Eagle bullion coin sales break record
- Published: Nov 30, 2015, 8 AM
Sales of American Eagle silver bullion coins by the U.S. Mint on Nov. 30 helped the bureau establish a new record, with two and a half weeks worth of sales remaining to add to the count.
The sale Nov. 30 of 737,000 coins out of 920,500 allocated to authorized purchasers for the week beginning Nov. 30 raised cumulative 2015 sales totals to 44,666,500, or 660,500 coins beyond the record 44,006,000 set for calendar year 2014.
The authorized purchasers' Nov. 30 sales left 183,500 coins to fill orders for the remainder of the week ending Dec. 4.
U.S. Mint officials notified authorized purchasers Nov. 24 that the West Point Mint would continue to strike 2015 American Eagle 1-ounce .999 fine silver bullion coins through Dec. 7, with Dec. 14 likely being the last allocation date.
The U.S. Mint expects to begin taking orders for 2016 American Eagle silver bullion coins beginning Jan. 11.
January is the highest sales month for calendar-year 2015, with 5.53 million coins sold, followed by July with 5,529,000 coins. Additional monthly sales totals likely could have surpassed those two highs had sales not been under weekly restrictions because of the Mint's difficulty in acquiring sufficient planchets on which to strike the bullion coins.
The American Eagle silver bullion coins are not sold directly to the public. Instead, the coins are sold to a network of authorized purchasers who offer a two-way market for the coins. Orders are placed based on the closing London PM spot price per troy ounce plus a $2 premium per coin. The coins are then sold at a mark-up to other dealers, collectors and investors.
Sales of the American Eagle silver bullion coins to the authorized purchasers have been on weekly allocation for most of 2015 because of planchet shortages.
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1. Organic Fresh Produce Sales Topped More Than $15 Billion in 2016
Organic fresh produce sales topped more than $15 billion in 2016 and are responsible for nearly 40 percent of all organic food sales according to the Organic Trade Association's (OTA's) 2017 Organic Industry Survey released Wednesday at OTA's Annual Policy Conference.
Organic sales in the U.S. totaled around $47 billion in 2016, reflecting new sales of almost $3.7 billion from the previous year. Organic food now accounts for more than five percent -- 5.3 percent to be exact -- of total food sales in this country, another significant first for organic. The $15.6-billion organic fruits and vegetables sector held onto its position as the largest of the organic food categories, posting an 8.4 percent growth rate, almost triple the 3.3 percent growth pace of all fruit and vegetable sales. Organic fruits and vegetables now make up almost 15 percent of the produce that Americans eat, according to the study.
OTA's 2017 Organic Industry Survey was conducted and produced on behalf of OTA by Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ). The survey was conducted from February 2, 2017, through March 31, 2017. More than 200 companies responded to the survey.
2. Rodale Kicks Off Organic vs. Conventional Veggie Comparison Trials
Rodale Institute planted potatoes, winter squash and snap beans for its new Vegetable Systems Trial (VST), a long-term, side-by-side comparison of biological-based organic and chemical-based conventional vegetable production systems. Sweet corn will be planted right after Memorial Day, while other crops to be grown in the trial include butternut squash, lettuce, and green beans.
The goal for the project is to develop economically viable vegetable production systems that improve soil, plant, human and environmental health through the application of regenerative organic management techniques.
Nonprofit Rodale pioneers best practices at its organic farm research center sitting on 333 acres of farmland in Kutztown, Pa., where it receives over 15,000 visitors annually. The group provides outreach to farmers, policymakers, and the general public on animal health and behavior and trends in production using different breeds. To learn more, click here.
3. Duncan Family Farms Employs Falcons as Bird Abatement
Duncan Family Farms, a 100% organic grower specializing in baby lettuces and greens, kales, beets, chards and herbs, is using an innovative method for bird abatement at their Goodyear, AZ farm: falconry. They have collaborated with Falcon Force, who use a team of trained falcons to intimidate and scare off nuisance birds such as the horned larks and pigeons that frequent the area.
For nearly all vegetable growers, small birds can be a problem—they not only eat seeds after they've been planted, but can also shed feathers or defecate in the fields, triggering additional food safety measures. Falcon Force uses the natural predator/prey relationship to deter the nuisance birds long term—their main goal is to chase the nuisance birds away and not kill them. An additional benefit of the trained falcons flying in the fields is that native predator birds will also leave the area to find new hunting ground, meaning they are less likely to kill a prey bird in the field and cause a food safety issue or product loss.
Falcon Force was at Duncan Family Farms in Goodyear through the end of April and Duncan has plans to continue the relationship at other growing locations with different bird abatement challenges such as large migratory birds like ducks and geese. To learn more, visit duncanfamilyfarms.com.
4. Why Congress Should Make Organic Agriculture a National Priority
A recent article from The Hill shares reasoning why organic agriculture should be made a priority in the United States as Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue gets settled into his new role and Congress is talking about agriculture policy and listening to stakeholders. At a transitional moment such as this, the article points out it’s important to remember that organic agriculture leads to more profitable farms and job creation.
A study from Pennsylvania State University shows that when there is a density of organic operations, annual median household income increases by more than $2,000 and county-level unemployment goes down. Additionally, researchers at Washington State University examined 40 years of studies to analyze the comparative financial performance of organic and conventional agriculture and found that organic crop production is 22 percent to 35 percent more profitable than its conventional crop counterpart.
To read the full article and learn more about the organic areas that need support, click here.
5. The World’s First 100% Organic Country
The Republic of San Marino wants to become the first entirely organic country in the world. It was announced by Augusto Michelotti, Secretary of State for Agriculture, during a recent press conference held in Fiorentino.
"We are currently creating the laws that will enable us to cultivate organic produce on our entire territory.We are talking about the fresh produce and livestock sectors. We will also need to train operators. It won't be easy, but it would be great promotion on an international level," Augusto Michelotti shared.
To learn more, click here.
“The demand for organic produce is only going to keep growing and I don’t think we’re going to see a halt to it.”
- Ashleigh Lombardi, Braga Fresh Family Farms

domain: news


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Justin SullivanGetty Images
- We have gotten employed to provide and demand from customers getting out of whack through the COVID-19 era, with chip shortages influencing new-auto production and a million bathroom paper memes, but we are not finished just however: the summertime of 2021 could be when there isn’t sufficient gasoline out there.
- The principal reason is a deficiency of capable tank truck drivers, who need to have extra certification than standard cargo haulers.
- There probably is not going to be more than enough drivers to move matters like foods, either, as the harvest period approaches, according to the California Farm Bureau.
When shortages of various things have been a bit of a concept in the course of the pandemic, the causes (apart from COVID alone) have often been various. Personalized hoarding affected our capability to obtain toilet paper and yeast very last calendar year, variations in travel are affecting availability of rental autos, and semiconductor chips are in small provide mainly because of silicon plant manufacturing changes. In still a different twist, this summer could see a lack of gasoline due to the fact there are not enough delivery drivers.
Which is the phrase from CNN Business enterprise, which observed that the Nationwide Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC) trade team reported all around 20 to 25 % of tank vans will not be transferring gasoline this summer since there aren’t sufficient qualified drivers. It requires more coaching to travel a truckload of gasoline down the road than other cargo, and CNN explained not each and every driver wants to just take the required assessments and get qualified to move gasoline.
The trouble, as with so lots of shortages the earth is struggling with in 2021, was partly established into movement early in the pandemic. That’s when truck driver universities closed, for apparent motives, but it indicates that there are simply much less new drivers coming up now. And a NTTC consultant told CNN that somewhere concerning 40,000 and 60,000 truck motorists are no extended in a position to drive since of a new federal plan that determined their history of prior drug or alcohol violations, which went on the net in January 2020. Even with provides of bigger pay back, it appears there only would not be adequate motorists to get all of the gasoline in the U.S. the place it wants to go this summer months.
Incorporate that with an envisioned increase in road vacation plans this summertime (CNN mentioned there are more lodge rooms remaining booked than airline tickets, implying extra men and women will be driving instead of traveling before long), and you have the opportunity for fuel prices to spike when summer hits.
Electrical-automobile drivers, filling up their batteries with their cords, have located a much better way, but even if you happen to be not individually reliant on gasoline for your car or truck, you may perhaps even now come to feel a pinch this year. The California Farm Bureau claims foodstuff processors are fearful there will not likely be sufficient motorists to transfer items from discipline to plant. In the foods hauling company, also, the number of available drivers is someplace involving 25 and 35 per cent lessen than the organizations would like to see, and it could get even worse.
“We could be seeing a 50, up to 60 p.c, require for drivers for this harvest period,” the senior vice president of authorities affairs for the California Trucking Association, Eric Sauer, instructed AgAlert.
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May 15, 2019
Philly Beer Week's kick off party, Opening Tap, is coming up on Friday, May 31. This year, the event featuring more than 65 breweries and cideries will take place at a new location.
Instead of the Fillmore in Fishtown, the all-you-can-drink extravaganza will be held at the 2300 Arena in South Philly.
"From freight, to Mummers, to Extreme Wrestling, the building at 2300 Arena has seen it all. If these walls could talk, we know they'd enjoy sharing a beer with our ever-growing beer community," said Philly Loves Beer Executive Director, Christina Dowd.
General admission tickets to the party are $46. Included is a souvenir glass and endless beer samples.
VIP tickets for $66 are also available. VIPs will get to enter the venue an hour early and will have access to rare pours.
As for the evening's entertainment, there will be a DJ and this year guests will have a chance to participate in live band karaoke.
Also, the ceremonious keg tapping with the Hammer of Glory, Philly Beer Week's mascot, is a must-see. The HOG travels throughout the United States as an ambassador for Philadelphia's beer scene, then on the first day of Philly Beer Week, it is passed Olympic torch-style from bar to bar until it reaches Opening Tap.
The public is invited to go along for the ride by purchasing a $10 ticket for the provided bus that drives to each location.
Philly Beer Week is now entering its 12th year. Over 10 days, there will be more than 1,000 events – and tens of thousands of kegs kicked.
Friday, May 31
7:30 p.m. | $46 general admission
2300 S. Swanson St., Philadelphia, PA 19148


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Research and Experts is delighted to announce that they are now using News5050 as their preferred news distribution service provider.
News5050 distributes free press releases for global distribution. News5050 helps target websites, search engines, journalists, bloggers and social media. The service will help you reach your audience through increased visibility online. Submit your press release now to promote your business or service.


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ENOC distributes Iftar packages as part of Ramadan Aman
June 18, 2017
Dubai, United Arab Emirates; June 18, 2017: As part of its commitment to encourage the local community to participate in charitable initiatives, ENOC will distribute Iftar packages across the UAE as part of Ramadan Aman - a campaign launched by Al Ihsan Charity Association. This year, the organization plans to distribute 500,000 care packages to motorists.
Every year, ENOC volunteers help distribute the Iftar packages to drivers at traffic intersections before Iftar, with the aim of reducing the number of road accidents during Ramadan during rush hours before Iftar. The iftar meal will include dates, water, prayer beads, tea bags and a tea mug.
ENOC has been participating in 'Ramadan Aman' since 2014.


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Wing Drone Delivery in Texas Starts April 7, 2022.
by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby
Today, Alphabet subsidiary Wing has announced that it will be launching its drone delivery service in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex this Thursday, April 7th. The service – the first of its kind in a major U.S. metropolitan area – will begin by focusing on the City of Frisco and the Town of Little Elm, where it will deliver to thousands of suburban homes.
Wing will be collaborating with Walgreens, with drones staged at a local store in preparation to transport health and wellness products directly to the homes of customers. This undertaking will be the most scalable drone delivery operation in the U.S. so far, seeing Walgreens team members process their own orders and load packages onto drones, with Wing remotely monitoring the delivery.
Wing has also formed additional new partnerships in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and will be carrying out deliveries of ice cream from Blue Bell Creameries, prescription pet medications from easyvet, and first aid kits from Texas Health.
The launch of the Wing drone delivery in Texas is the latest in a series of accomplishments by Wing this year. On March 1st, Wing surpassed 200,000 all-time commercial drone deliveries, excluding test flights and test deliveries. After carrying out the first 100,000 deliveries over the course of two and a half years, Wing managed to complete the second 100,000 in a period of only six months. Additionally, the company’s Australian market recently saw its busiest week ever, completing over 1,000 deliveries in the span of a single day, with a delivery every 25 seconds.
Read more about Wing:
Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
Subscribe to DroneLife here.
Merci à Drone Life.


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Ford is preparing to take on the lucrative market of the premium hatchback market which is ruling by Hyundai i20 and Maruti Baleno now. Both i20 and Maruti Baleno comes under the price tag of 5 lakh to 10 lakh.
Ford Focus India
Ford india are set to launch all new range of model to boot the sale with its newly developed platform for india and other asian emrgin market.
Ford Focus will be develop on this platform and will cater a demand for primum hatchaback in india rulling by martui and hyudai.


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Mumbai Police Crime Branchs Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Thursday said that their search of the National Spot Exchange Ltds (NSEL) warehouses have substantiated the charge that it did not back up the investments made through it with goods of equal value,as more than half of its warehouses were found to be empty.
Of the 62 warehouses,we have so far finished searching 58,out of which 30 were found to be totally empty,while four were found to be bogus. The remaining warehouses contain some goods but not in a substantial quantity. The discovery substantiates that the NSEL did not store goods of value equal to the investments being made through it,as it was supposed to. There are now four warehouses that still remain to be searched, said Additional Commissioner of Police,EOW,Rajvardhan Sinha,adding that the overall search and seizure operation in 95 per cent complete.
The Economic Offences Wing will now focus on the money trial.
FMC bars NSEL,promoters from auction process
MUMBAI: The Forward Market Commission (FMC) has barred NSEL and group firms from auctions of commodities held by the bourse following complaints that firms related to former MD and CEO Anjani Sinha took part in the bidding process.
In a directive to the NSEL,FMC said a five-member panel will oversee the auctions. The NSEL is selling commodities to clear Rs 5,600 crore of dues to investors.


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Betting firm William Hill today said it will consult on shutting around 700 stores across the country, putting 4,500 jobs at risk.
The firm blamed the government’s decision to introduce a maximum £2 bet cap on fixed-odds betting terminals in April.
The previous limit was £100.
“Since then the company has seen a significant fall in gaming machine revenues,” William Hill said in a statement this morning.
The company said it would explore voluntary redundancies with its 4,500 staff, whose jobs would be put under review.
“Subject to the outcome of the consultation process, shop closures are likely to begin before the end of the year,” the firm said.
In May last year William Hill warned that the government’s plans would have a major impact on its business.
Around 70 per cent of the gambling giant’s gaming machine net revenue came from stakes above the new £2 limit on the machines.
“At this point, preliminary estimates suggest that the stake limit could result in circa 900 William Hill shops […] becoming loss-making,” it said at the time.
This amounted to around 38 per cent of its stores then.
At the time William Hill warned the £2 limit could slash gaming revenue by as much as 45 per cent and knock £100m off its operating profit.
It also predicted that many of its 900 stores could close as a result.
The bookmaker fell to a staggering £722m loss in the year to March ahead the introduction of the limit after taking an impairment charge to mitigate its impact.
William Hill said that its retail division “has begun to adapt” to the new limit in May, despite taking a 15 per cent blow to gaming revenue.
The gambling giant is instead focusing on expanding into the US, where the US Supreme Court opted to allow gambling on sports games.
Net revenue from the seven states that have legislated to enable legal sport betting grew 48 per cent for William Hill’s quarter ending in April.
It has also bought Mr Green, a digital betting specialist, for £242m in an attempt to diversify its income.


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More than 200+ kids were groomed at Playbox noida before the grand finale
Kids Showcased Their Talent On 23 Nov 2019 at Auditions In Kidzania . The selected kids were given the opportunity to walk the ramp for the Grand Finale
Delhi Kids Fashion Week Organised Christmas Kids Fashion Show On 25th Dec 2020 In Gurgaon . Many kids participated in the kids fashion show.


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SAN FRANCISCO--Online advertising may or may not be a recession-proof business, but some believe it at least will fare better than other ad channels during hard economic times.
"In times of recession, marketers move dollars from more traditional media outlets like TV onto Web advertising, where to some extent the CPMs (the cost per 1,000 ad impressions delivered) are lower, and the ability to measure ROI (return on investment) is much higher," said Jennifer Moyer, chief operating officer of Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive, speaking during a panel discussion at the Ad:Tech conference here.
Jeremy Wright, global director of mobile brand strategy at Nokia Interactive, predicted a similar shift.
"The thing we could well see is, a recession could expedite the shift from traditional spending to digital spending. Once those cuts are made in traditional media, we won't see those budgets go back," Wright said.
The extent to which online advertising is recession-proof is a subject of much debate. Google's paid-click search business, in which the company gets paid only when people click ads accompanying search results,. The company argues that's because of quality measures that show better ads and consequently improve the revenue per click, but , and the business is declining at Yahoo, Microsoft's MSN, and Time Warner's AOL, according to new market research from ComScore.
Moyer expected that a shift to online ad spending won't necessarily help branded media properties such as her own very much. The primary beneficiaries are more likely to be portal sites and ad networks, she said.
And overall, there are some categories in which advertisers are reluctant to spend money, she said. That includes financial services and travel today and likely job and real-estate ads in the future. Car ads also are likely to be hurt: "I'd theorize the credit crisis will catch up there as well fairly quickly," Moyer said.


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- Over the past few months, the long-standing rivalry between Walmart and Amazon has gotten intense, and one demographic in particular appears to be the battleground: the over-65 crowd.
- In June, Amazon acquired pharmacy startup PillPack, beating out Walmart for the deal. Walmart for its part has been partnering with Humana, a health insurer that's focused on Medicare plans.
- The same crowd is clearly a focus for Amazon. PillPack's expertise is great for patients with multiple prescriptions, which tends to be the elderly population, and Babak Parviz, a vice president at Amazon, said in February that the elderly was something "we deeply care about."
The US population is aging. By 2050, the number of people over the age of 65 is expected to be double what it was in 2012.
An aging population means we'll see an increase in health concerns and chronic conditions like heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer that can be costly to manage. It also offers a business opportunity for those companies best placed to meet the healthcare needs of this growing population.
Rivals Amazon and Walmart both seem to have the elderly on their radar, with Amazon's move into the pharmacy business and Walmart's partnerships with a health insurer focused on Medicare plans. Amazon's early moves in healthcare offer the promise of helping the company serve a community it has struggled to reach, meanwhile.
It appears the stage is being set for a battle between Walmart and Amazon for America's elderly.
Shoring up resources for an aging population
Back in March,multiple news outlets reported that Humana has held early-stage talks with Walmart focused primarily on new partnerships, though an acquisition has been brought up. While you probably think of Walmart as a giant retail business, it's also one of the largest pharmacy chains in the US, behind only Walgreens and CVS.
That was followed by reports that Walmart may be interested in PillPack, a pharmacy startup that mails prescriptions that are packaged together based on when they need to be taken.
Walmart may be known as a retail giant, but it's one of the biggest pharmacy chains in the US. It's also long had a focus on affordable prescriptions as well, offering some generic medications for $4.
Should Walmart and Humana link up on more partnerships and a potential acquisition, Walmart would become more embedded with Humana's Medicare business, which is the health insurer's main focus.
And under a combined Walmart-Humana, adding on a service like PillPack could have made a lot of sense geared at an elderly population that tends to have more prescriptions and more chronic conditions. However, Walmart had offered $700 million for PillPack, but dragged its feet over regulatory concerns, according to CNBC. Amazon stepped in and offered a reported bid of just under $1 billion.
PillPack works with Part D and Medicare Advantage plans to provide prescriptions to members. This can be beneficial to the commercial health plans that can get better reimbursements from Medicare based on making sure members don't lapse in picking up their prescriptions.
Amazon's interest in the aging population
While the elderly weren't explicitly cited as the reason for Amazon's acquisition of PillPack, the startup's expertise managing multiple prescriptions could come in handy as Amazon looks to serve that demographic.
People over 55 aren't among the biggest users of Amazon Prime, who are often the ones that use the most healthcare.
"We note too that the older demographic still under-indexes toward Prime membership...which speaks to the opportunity for Pharma to help Amazon further penetrate the ~80 million 55+ population in the United States," Morgan Stanley analysts wrote in a note in November speculating on Amazon's entry into healthcare.
Since then, Amazon's ambitions in healthcare have become clearer. The tech giant is teaming up with JPMorgan and Berkshire Hathaway on a nonprofit healthcare initiative, and it already sells over-the-counter medication, including an exclusive line called Basic Care.
And within healthcare, the aging population has been one of the few healthcare topics Amazon executives have addressed. In February, Babak Parviz, a vice president at Amazon, said at Klick Health's Muse event in New York that the elderly was something "we deeply care about."
"We have looked at the older population in the context of health obviously, but we know that this group has a lot of issues, a lot of unmet need, some of them relate to health, but their health and the broader issues that they face are all interrelated," Parviz said.
This article was initially published in April 2018.


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The South West food and drink industry has been severely hit by lockdown as restaurants have closed and producers have lost their customers. Yet some businesses are experiencing an unprecedented boom, while others are pivoting in new and creative directions.
We spoke to foodies on the frontline about what’s been going down
Patrick Fogarty is the master mixologist behind Doctor Ink’s Curiosities, Exeter’s award winning cocktail den. He also owns Bronx Bar & ‘Cue in Teignmouth and last year opened Halulu, his second venue in the seaside town.
How has lockdown affected your business?
We were slightly ahead of the curve in that we could see what was going to happen to the industry about a month before lockdown was enforced. We knew our bars were going to be closed for the long haul, so we decided to take our business online and launched a weekly virtual cocktail masterclass with ingredient boxes so viewers could mix along at home.
In essence, we closed three businesses and opened a new one. All of our staff have been furloughed and it’s just myself and my business partner running the Stir Crazy masterclasses.
We were lucky to already have a large following on social media who knew and trusted us. The sessions started small with 40 people taking part in the first one and it’s grown steadily each week – this Saturday we’ll have 460 people joining us (virtually). What’s great is that there’s a massive sense of community: lots of people are getting in the spirit by donning fancy dress each week and groups of friends are linking up on Zoom to do the masterclasses together.
Has the drink community been supportive?
The drinks brands have been great. Each week has a different theme (American whisky, shrubs, tequila etc) and the brands have been brilliant at providing mini bottles to go in the ingredients boxes – it’s a great way for them to reach new customers.
What will you continue to do when lockdown lifts?
We will definitely continue the Stir Crazy masterclasses as there are a lot of people who don’t want to go out on a Saturday night anyway.
As for the bars, we’ll keep watching to see how the situation evolves. We obviously have overhead costs at each venue which aren’t going to go away. We’re already looking at doing some sort of ready-to-drink cocktails to takeaway from Doctor Ink’s and enjoy on the quay in summer, and the same goes for Halulu which has a spacious garden and cocktail shack (we’re even looking into Calippo-style frozen cocktails).


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How do you say “love is love” in Simlish? A new expansion pack of The Sims won’t be available in Russia due to the country’s prejudiced laws surrounding LGBTQ content.
The game in question is titled The Sims 4: My Wedding Stories, and allows players to organize, plan, and play out either the wedding of their dreams or a bridezilla’s ultimate revenge fantasy. The marketing surrounding the rollout of the expansion pack has highlighted the story of a (fictional, computer-generated) lesbian couple named Dominique and Camille as they prepare to walk down the aisle for their (again, fictional, computer-generated) nuptials.
In the trailer, the two go wedding dress shopping, attend a cake tasting and choose flowers for one of the characters’ wedding to an unnamed male character before…twist! They fall in love and marry each other instead, all set to a Simlish version of Etta James’ classic “At Last.”
Of course, this is only one of an endless number of directions the game can take at each player’s discretion. But the trailer’s focus on a (gasp!) same-sex couple raised major rainbow flags in Russia, where a restrictive law was passed in 2013 that bans “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships among minors.” The restrictive legislation affects much more than a computer game, sadly, effectively criminalizing the free speech of LGBTQ citizens and increasing anti-LGBTQ sentiment in the country.
Electronic Arts could have changed My Wedding Stories to comply with Russia’s law, but the game company decided not to. “As we moved through our development and brand storytelling process, we became aware that the way we wanted to tell Cam and Dom’s story would not be something we could freely share around the world,” the company said. “We are steadfast in upholding that commitment by shining a light on and celebrating stories like Dom and Cam’s, so we have made the decision to forgo the release of My Wedding Stories where our storytelling would be subject to changes because of federal laws.”
Interestingly, it should be noted that The Sims and all other expansion packs are available in Russia under a 18+ rating, even though users can freely create LGBTQ characters and pursue associated storylines within the game’s narrative.
Watch the trailer for The Sims 4: My Wedding Stories below.


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SEATTLE — News reports today say the chief executives of Microsoft and Yahoo met last week to discuss linkups.
Under one scenario, Microsoft would sell Yahoo”s search ads while Yahoo manages Microsoft”s display ads.
It”s the first significant move toward a new deal since Yahoo walked away from Microsoft”s unsolicited buyout offer last year.
Both companies are having a hard time catching up to search leader Google Inc.
Microsoft”s Steve Ballmer says he has only talked once with Yahoo”s new chief, Carol Bartz, since she took over in January.
Neither company would comment on the meeting, which was described as preliminary and informal by the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal”s All Things Digital blog.


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Blockchain: Revolutionizing the Financial World – A Closer Look at Binance News and Crypto Today
Upsetting the Monetary World – A More critical Glance at Binance News and Crypto Today
The universe of cryptographic forms of money and blockchain innovation is in a condition of consistent development. Blockchain, the primary innovation behind digital forms of money like Bitcoin and Ethereum, is ending up a distinct advantage in the monetary world. In this article, we dive into the most recent improvements in blockchain innovation, with a specific spotlight on Binance news, the crypto scene today, and how blockchain keeps on ruling crypto news today.
Binance News: A Center point for Digital currency Developments
Binance, one of the world’s biggest digital money trades, is at the very front of cryptographic money and blockchain advancements. The trade routinely declares earth shattering drives and organizations that shape the future innovation. Here are a few late features:
Blockchain-Based Tokens: Binance has sent off its own blockchain, Binance Chain, which has a scope of tokens including the Binance Coin (BNB). These blockchain-based tokens give different utilities inside the Binance biological system, from exchanging expense limits to investment token deals.
DeFi Mix: Binance has effectively embraced the DeFi (Decentralized Money) development, empowering clients to take part in decentralized loaning, acquiring, and liquidity arrangement through its foundation. These DeFi drives are based on innovation, offering straightforwardness and security to clients.
NFT Commercial center: Binance has likewise wandered into the universe of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) by sending off its NFT commercial center. NFTs are extraordinary computerized resources frequently connected with workmanship, collectibles, and amusement. Binance’s NFT commercial center works on blockchain innovation, giving a protected and straightforward stage for makers and gatherers.
Crypto Today: Blockchain’s Rising Significance
In the crypto scene today, blockchain is fundamental to essentially every part of the business. This is the way blockchain keeps on molding the crypto scene:
Security and Straightforwardness: Decentralized record innovation guarantees that all exchanges are straightforward, secure, and changeless. This principal highlight has made it the foundation of digital currencies, giving confidence in a generally trustless climate.
Brilliant Agreements: Ethereum’s presented the idea of savvy contracts, self-executing concurrences with predefined rules. Shrewd agreements are altering enterprises past digital currencies, including finance, lawful, and inventory network the executives.
Cross-Line Installments: Blockchain innovation has further developed cross-line exchanges by diminishing expenses and accelerating settlement times. Organizations are progressively utilizing blockchain to work with worldwide cash moves.
Reddit Crypto: A People group’s Point of view
The Reddit crypto local area assumes a crucial part in scattering crypto news today. Clients on stages like r/Digital currency effectively take part in conversations, share news, and give experiences into the blockchain and cryptographic money space. Here are a few justifications for why Reddit crypto is a fundamental piece of the crypto discussion:
Various Points of view: Reddit crypto is a mixture of different points of view and encounters. Clients from everywhere the world meet up to share their insight, making it a significant asset for remaining refreshed on blockchain improvements.
News Sharing: Reddit crypto clients frequently share letting it be known and improvements progressively, guaranteeing that the crypto local area stays informed about the most recent happenings in the blockchain space.
Instructive Substance: The people group likewise gives instructive substance, assisting newbies with understanding the complexities of blockchain innovation and cryptographic forms of money.
Blockchain innovation is obviously reshaping the monetary world, and Binance’s obligation to development is only one illustration of how this innovation is advancing. In the crypto news today, blockchain stays a predominant subject, and stages like Reddit crypto keep on cultivating conversation and scattering of information inside the crypto local area. As blockchain innovation proceeds to develop and grow its venture into different enterprises, its effect on the worldwide economy turns out to be progressively clear, encouraging a future that is safer, straightforward, and decentralized.
Divulging the Force of Blockchain: A Binance News Point of view on Crypto Today
The universe of cryptographic money is humming with energy, and at the cutting edge of this advanced transformation is the innovation that supports everything. In this article, we investigate the most recent Binance news and dive into the condition of crypto today, looking at how blockchain is forming the present and eventual fate of money and innovation. We’ll likewise examine how stages like Reddit crypto are instrumental in spreading crypto news today.
Binance News: The Impetus of Progress
Binance, one of the world’s driving digital currency trades, has been at the core of numerous noteworthy advancements in the crypto space. Their ceaseless quest for development and reception plays had an essential impact in reshaping the manner in which we see and communicate with digital currencies. We should investigate how Binance news has added to the unrest.
Market Bits of knowledge: Binance routinely gives market experiences and investigations, helping crypto fans and dealers pursue informed choices. Their news refreshes cover many subjects, from arising blockchain undertakings to administrative turns of events, making them a go-to hotspot for crypto news today.
Item Dispatches: Binance has presented various items and administrations that influence innovation. This incorporates Binance Brilliant Chain (BSC), which is a stage that has built up momentum among engineers and clients. Binance news frequently includes refreshes on these items, cultivating reception and advancement inside the crypto biological system.
Worldwide Come to: Binance’s worldwide presence and client base make it a focal center for crypto lovers around the world. News from Binance has an expansive effect, impacting the heading of the whole cryptographic money market.
Blockchain: The Foundation of Crypto Today
At the center of the digital money world falsehoods innovation. Blockchain is a conveyed record that records exchanges across an organization of PCs, guaranteeing straightforwardness, security, and decentralization. This is the way is reshaping money and innovation:
Decentralization: Wipes out the requirement for delegates like banks, permitting distributed exchanges. This decentralized nature enables people and decreases the reliance on unified specialists.
Security: The cryptographic idea of innovation guarantees that exchanges are sealed and secure. This makes it an optimal answer for monetary exchanges and information stockpiling.
Shrewd Agreements: Empowers the production of savvy contracts, self-executing concurrences with predefined rules. These agreements computerize processes, diminishing the gamble of misrepresentation and blunders in different enterprises.
Tokenization: Blockchain works with the production of advanced resources and tokens, opening up additional opportunities for raising support, resource the executives, and even craftsmanship and collectibles.
Reddit Crypto and the Crypto News Today
Stages like Reddit crypto assume a vital part in spreading the most recent improvements in the digital currency space. Reddit people group unite devotees, engineers, and financial backers to examine, share, and find out about blockchain innovation and digital forms of money. Here’s the reason Reddit crypto is instrumental in spreading crypto news today:
Local area Commitment: Reddit crypto networks give a space to open discourse and commitment, permitting clients to get clarification on some pressing issues, share their bits of knowledge, and remain refreshed on the most recent patterns.
News Conglomeration: Numerous Reddit crypto subreddits curate news stories, investigation, and updates, making it simpler for clients to get to significant and solid data.
Arising Ventures: Reddit crypto is many times the main stage to feature promising blockchain tasks and new businesses, standing out and possible speculations.
Blockchain innovation, at the crossing point of Binance news and Reddit crypto networks, is reshaping the universe of money and innovation as far as we might be concerned. Its decentralized, secure, and straightforward nature can possibly upset conventional frameworks and engage people internationally. As we witness the continuous development of the crypto space, blockchain stays at the very front, driving development, and promising a future that is more comprehensive, productive, and decentralized. Remain tuned to stages like Reddit crypto and solid sources like Binance news to stay aware of this always advancing scene.


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The Malmö based startup Blocksettle, founded by Albert Janson and Scott Millar, have recieved a new round of capital in time for the launch of their blockchain platform which they hope to launch by the end of the year, reports Rapidus.
Blocksettle has developed a new key management system which allows for transactions to be validated and transferred without using a traditional bank as a verifier, for example in transactions from Bitcoin. They also want to make exchanges between traditional and virtual currencies much easier, as well as being able to transfer stocks to unlisted companies.
The company has recieved € 1,3 million in venture capital from mostly private business angels. The founders want to use this capital to build on the company in time for the launch. The company has 10 fulltime employees but are aiming to expand as the launch date gets closer.


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CoStar Group announced it plans to acquire Ten-X for $190 million in cash.
Ten-X was launched in 2009 with the goal of providing a digital transaction platform for effectively liquidating the large volume of distressed commercial real estate assets that came on the market during the Great Recession.
Ten-X has since become a leading platform for digital commercial real estate transactions with close to $24 billion dollars of sales successfully executed on the platform.
The Ten-X platform has transacted approximately $7 billion in retail properties, $6 billion in office properties, $4 billion in multifamily properties, $3 billion in hotel properties, and billions in value in other commercial property types.
While Ten-X initially focused on distressed assets, non-distressed sellers and brokerage firms have increasingly come to rely on Ten-X to facilitate faster execution to transact properties.
CoStar Group operates the most heavily trafficked online marketplace for commercial properties and land for lease and sale in North America and Europe with 10 million monthly visitors in April 2020 to its websites.
After completion of the transaction, CoStar Group intends to integrate the Ten-X digital transaction platform directly into both LoopNet and CoStar thereby exposing the properties that brokers are selling on the Ten-X platform to millions of potential buyers from around the world.
“Together, Ten-X and CoStar plan to create a new end-to-end commercial real estate platform, combining LoopNet and CoStar’s unmatched online audience of buyers with Ten-X’s clear leadership in online auctions for both performing and distressed assets”, said CoStar Group Chief Executive Officer Andrew Florance.
“Combining our complementary capabilities is expected to create significant benefits for brokers and the institutions they represent by exposing their properties for sale to the biggest pool of potential bidders on the most trusted digital transaction platform and delivering fast and reliable trade execution. In the aftermath of the economic disruption which is being caused by the global pandemic, we believe that the volume of distressed properties coming to market will surge and that this combined platform will support the market’s recovery.”
“Today, only one percent of all commercial real estate sales transactions take place online,” noted Steve Jacobs, CEO of Ten-X.
“Just like CoStar Group, we are focused on driving volume and efficiency and have devoted ourselves to addressing the massive, untapped demand for digital commercial real estate solutions. We see significant demand for a one-stop shop platform that provides solutions across the entire transaction continuum and we are delighted to combine our complementary capabilities and strengths with CoStar to meet that demand.”
Ten-X Commercial’s 2019 unaudited financial statements reflect revenue of approximately $57 million. Revenue for the first quarter of 2020 was approximately $13 million, representing revenue growth of 35 percent compared to the first quarter of 2019, and operating profit of approximately zero.
The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2020, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory review.
Ten-X was acquired by investment funds affiliated with Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. and certain co-investors in September 2017, as part of a broader acquisition of a holding company that owned Ten-X, Auction.com and a business formerly known as Ten-X Homes.
Following such acquisition, Ten-X was separated from the other businesses, and this acquisition does not include such other businesses. Investment funds affiliated with Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. and certain co-investors continue to own Auction.com.


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Checklist: China’s Targets in a US Trade War
December 16, 2016
Whether or not the Trump administration follows through on its moonshot of negotiating over the One China policy, it seems increasingly likely that tensions over North Korea, Taiwan, the South China Sea, and trade could bring about a breakdown in US-China relations. The primary arena where such a breakdown would play out, at least initially, is bilateral trade.
President elect Trump has put some of his cards on the table already. He campaigned on punishing China for unfair trade practices, labeling the country a currency manipulator, and slapping tariffs as high as 45% on Chinese exports into the U.S. After his victory, he doubled down by calling the bedrock of US-China relations into question.
But how will China respond to all this? Here’s a list of Beijing’s potential targets.


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2 out of the 3 pillars of Trudeau’s signature food policy initiatives are faltering
It’s been a tough few months for the Trudeau government’s signature healthy eating strategy — a series of legislative initiatives aimed at improving public health through better food choices.
Now another key part of the strategy appears headed for a cliff. Time is running out for proposed new rules that would require symbols on the front of food packages to alert consumers when a food product is high in salt, sugar or saturated fat.
“It’s a big concern for us that the two key pillars from the healthy eating strategy haven’t been completed,” said Manuel Arango, director of policy advocacy and engagement with Heart and Stroke.
Kelly Crowe – CBC News – July 20, 2019.


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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Sanofi’s Dupixent (dupilumab) 300 mg weekly to treat patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) aged 12 years and older, weighing at least 40 kg. With this approval, Dupixent is the first and only medicine specifically indicated to treat EoE in the United States.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the availability of a draft guidance aimed at increasing the amount of safety information the agency has about the dietary supplement marketplace by providing the industry an opportunity to submit late new dietary ingredient (NDI) notifications.
An advisory panel to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is meeting on May 19 to discuss whether to recommend COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for children ages 5 to 11, a group that is just 29% vaccinated so far.
Reportedly, Pfizer is holding the company’s COVID-19 antiviral therapy Paxlovid under tight control. This is a disappointment to numerous investigators who want to test the antiviral combination therapy with other drugs in case the virus develops resistance to the combo.
U.S. House Democrats on May 17 unveiled a bill to provide $28 million in emergency funds to the Food and Drug Administration to help the regulatory agency respond to a nationwide shortage of infant formula and strengthen supervision of the industry.
Rising COVID-19 cases are driving up the use of therapeutics, with Pfizer Inc.’s oral antiviral treatment Paxlovid seeing a 315 percent jump over the past four weeks, U.S. health officials said on May 17.
U.S. House Democrats on May 17 unveiled a bill to provide $28 million to the Food and Drug Administration to help respond to a nationwide shortage of infant formula.
Top baby formula makers Reckitt Benckiser and Nestle ramped up supplies to the United States to resolve a shortage that has emptied shelves and caused panic among parents. Leading U.S. manufacturer Abbott Laboratories on May 16 announced an agreement with the Food and Drug Administration to resume production of baby formula at the company’s Michigan plant, marking a major step towards resolving the nationwide shortage.
The United States will allow baby formula imports from foreign makers that do not usually sell their products here, the Food and Drug Administration said on May 16, as it tries to ease a nationwide shortage that has left parents scrambling to feed their babies.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration decided not to authorize the antidepressant fluvoxamine to treat COVID-19, saying the data has not shown the drug to be an effective therapeutic for fighting the virus.


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A computer game controller that can deliver electric shocks to players is being developed in the US.
Peripheral manufacturer Mad Catz in Santee, California, has already built a prototype device, called Bioforce. Bioforce product manager Steven Sandwisch says the electric shock delivered by the control is not sufficient to cause a player real pain. But it might produce involuntary muscle spasms strong enough to force them to drop their control.
“We like to describe it as a tingling low-power electrical stimulus,” he told New Scientist. “It’s just enough to make your muscles react.”
The prototype device consists of a regular games controller with electrode pads, which are attached to a player’s forearms. Whenever an opponent lands a punch or a kick, the device delivers a 16 milliamp shock from three 1.5 volt batteries.
The control would be ideally suited to fighting games, Sandwisch says.
He says the charge is similar to that delivered by physiotherapists to stimulate injured muscles. The company is currently investigating the relevant safety regulations.
This could become just the latest trend in console functionality. Many games controllers are already designed to deliver a some sort of physical feedback. Force-feedback devices provide resistance to a player’s movements. Many handsets also rumble when a player is hit or crashes.
Games software is written with these capabilities in mind. The designers of Bioforce are currently using the rumble features built into many games to trigger the electric shocks. They say they may eventually release software development kits so that programmers can build games specifically for the Bioforce.
Mad Catz has yet to decide when a commercial version of the device may debut and what platforms it will support, Sandwisch says. The device has, however, been demonstrated on Sony’s Playstation2 console.


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Ziggo’s share of triple-play market under pressure, according to a new report from Telecompaper.
Over 4.6 million Dutch households have triple-play subscriptions, taking three fixed services (broadband, TV, fixed telephony) from a single provider. Ziggo is the biggest player in the triple-play market, but its market share is under pressure, falling by 4% over the past year. Consumers say the monthly costs are the most important reason to take a triple-play subscription, according to the research from Telecompaper. However, the reliability of the connection and the provider’s brand image are becoming more important.
A majority of Dutch households have triple-play (61%), equal to over 4.6 million households. Almost 10% of them also have a mobile subscription from the same provider (quad-play). Triple-play is still increasing its share of the market; a year ago, its penetration was at 56% of households. Couples without children are one of the groups adopting triple-plays more, with 39% of households in this group having a triple-play in Q2 2015, up from 35% a year earlier.
Ziggo’s share is declining, losing 4% during the past year. In contrast, the second most popular triple-play provider in the Netherlands KPN added 3% over the same period and now holds almost a quarter of the market. The smaller triple-play providers also showed some gains, including Caiway, Delta and XS4Al.
The monthly costs are the most important reason for consumers to purchase a triple-play package; four out of ten mentioned this as a reason. The reliability of the connection comes an increasingly close second with 31%. Also the good name of the provider is mentioned more often in the top five reasons to purchase a triple-play package, suggesting aspects other than price are becoming more important to consumers as triple-plays become more common.
The majority (80%) of subscribers said they don’t want to change anything about their triple-play subscriptions. 4% would consider ending their fixed telephony subscription, in line with other data showing a decline in monthly use of the fixed line.


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Equipmake supplies e-drivetrain for electric flying boat
09 August 2023
UK-based engineering firm Equipmake has supplied a bespoke electric drivetrain system for the new SpiritBARTech35EF, an electric flying boat.
The project’s drivetrain features a specially adapted version of the Equipmake’s lightweight, power-dense HPM-400 motor, which reaches 80 kW of peak power, with an integrated gearbox, Equipmake’s HPI-450 IGBT inverter and a custom 120 kWh-battery pack also comprise the electric drivetrain.
“On behalf of everyone at Equipmake, I’m proud we have played a key role with Spirit Yachts and BAR Technologies on this incredible electric flying boat, which truly sets new standards for long-range electric vessels,” said Equipmake CEO Ian Foley, a former F1 engineer. “Our in-house-developed electrification technology has many varied high-performance applications, from aerospace to automotive, and the SpiritBARTech35EF is the perfect showcase for how it can be applied to the rapidly growing electric marine market.”
The SpiritBARTech35EF – a collaboration between Spirit Yachts, which designs and builds modern classic yachts, and advanced marine engineering company BAR Technologies – and the two companies said the electric flying boat is the first of its kind to have a fast-cruising range of 100 nautical miles.
Using BAR’s America’s Cup simulation and designs, the 35-foot, 1-ton vehicle has three active retractable foils to help minimize drag.
Constructed from a mix of titanium and cold-molded wood with a carbon fiber-reinforced shell, the SpiritBARTech35EF can reach a top speed of 28 knots (32 mph) and can achieve its total range at a speed of 22 knots (25 mph).
“We firmly believe that the future of this sector will be defined by developments in the sustainability and efficiency of vessels,” said BAR Technologies CEO John Cooper. “We have been delighted to partner with Equipmake on its remarkable powertrain. Ian Foley and his team are true leaders in the field of electrification and share our ethos of lightweighting and competition-bred design and development. We look forward to exploring further opportunities to work together.”


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Coffee drinkers warned over looming shortageComments Off on Coffee drinkers warned over looming shortage
There’s extra reason to savour a morning coffee from now on – an Italian roaster has warned that there could be global shortage of the stuff as production is struggling to keep up with demand.
Andrea Illy, the chairman and chief executive officer of Illycafe, said an extra 40-50 million bags of coffee will need to be produced in the next decade to satisfy demand as the number of coffee drinkers increases in developing economies.
That’s more than the entire crop of Brazil, according to Bloomberg.
The problem is exacerbated by the threat of climate change and low prices.
“Sooner or later, in months or years, we’ll have to make a bold decision about what to do. We don’t know where this coffee will come from,” Illy said.
Climate change is a real threat in Brazil, where farmers risk losing a quarter of their output unless they adapt, according to some estimates.
The popular Arabica bean, which is used by Starbucks, is most at risk from rising temperatures.
Starbucks is also opening more stores in emerging markets like China, fuelling a 13.8% growth in the coffee market last year.
In developed countries, coffee drinkers increasingly turn to home-brewing to keep the cost of coffee habits down.
Analysts at Mintel said that consumers in developed countries were increasingly seeking out cut-price pod coffee rather than premium brands, like Nespresso.
A coffee shortage doesn’t necessarily mean that the cost of coffee in coffee shops and supermarkets will increase, because many roasters use futures contracts to lock in favourable prices.
However, Kiti Soininen, head of UK food, drink and foodservice research at Mintel, said that the combined pressure of undersupply and changing regulations in Britain could mean that the price of coffee in cafes and restaurants increases.
“The fact that coffee shops look set to be faced with rising costs due to the National Living Wage coming into force could limit their ability to absorb any rises in coffee wholesale prices,” Soininen said.
“This makes it more likely that they’ll feed these through to consumer-facing prices.”


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Ford is recalling nearly a quarter of a million Super Duty trucks in the coming weeks.
According to documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Ford will recall certain 2017-2022 F-250 and F-350 trucks to address potential drive shaft fractures.
Specifically, the recall impacts gasoline-engined trucks with aluminum drive shafts. Ford notes the 247,445 affected trucks could have loose underbody heat and noise insulators. Those insulators could contact the aluminum drive shaft, leading to a fracture and loss of power. Ford also noted the truck could lose control if the drive shaft hits the ground, or cause the truck to roll if the parking brake is not engaged.
Starting on April 4, the automaker will notify affected owners through the mail. Dealer technicians will inspect and repair the drive shaft if necessary, as well as properly attach the underbody insulators. Ford’s number for the recall is 22S09, while the NHTSA’s campaign number is 22V-087. Owners can contact Ford’s customer service line at (866) 436-7332, or enter their VIN into the NHTSA’s recall site to see if their truck is part of the recall population.
A similar issue is affecting F-150 trucks, as well
If the issue rings a bell, Ford also recalled the new F-150 for a similar issue in December 2021. For the Super Duty’s part, Ford acknowledges 40 reports of broken drive shafts, received from July 28, 2017 through November 15, 2021. All 40 of those reports involved Super Duty SuperCab and Crew Cab models with the aluminum drive shaft.
At the moment, the automaker said it isn’t aware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue. Additionally, Ford noted to the NHTSA that it removed the problematic insulators (part numbers HCB-2611130-AB and HC3B-2811130-AB) from production on December 10, 2021. Trucks built at the Kentucky Truck Plant after that date have a new under-carpet thermal patch instead.


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Twitch streaming worthwhile gaming events this year
It’s not every day that one gets to go to a gaming convention/conference. These things cost money…and a lot of it some times. There’s also events like E3 that only certain people can get into. But rage no more dear readers, a recent deal with Twitch and ReedPOP will be giving the live streaming service exclusive rights to broadcast your favorite events. That’s right, E3, PAX, and NYCC will be live streamed via Twitch so that you can watch from the comfort of your home…or office if you will. You can check out Twitch’s blog for their E3 schedule.


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In a new development, Chrome OS will be receiving a new adaptive charging feature which will help the users of Chromebook in extending the battery life of their devices. The new feature has been posted by the Chrome OS team as a part of its latest change announcements, however, it has not officially been confirmed by the company. To recall, an adaptive charging feature was also released for the users of Google Pixel smartphones. The feature was also updated making it more efficient for the users and was released with the Android 12 update recently. Multiple other smartphone manufacturers offer a similar kind of charging optimisation feature as well.
How will Adaptive Charging Work?
It was initially spotted by 9to5Google that the company has enlisted adaptive charging as a new attribute under works for the Chrome OS. Although, it is speculated that this feature will be dissimilar to the adaptive charging available for the Pixel smartphones which was released in 2020. According to the initial details derived from the code, the adaptive feature on Chrome OS will help in cutting the amount of time Chromebooks spend with their batteries at 100% charge. On the other hand, the adaptive charging feature on the android smartphones ‘slow’ charges the devices when plugged in overnight in order to preserve the battery life.
The feature will work completely different with Chromebooks. The adaptive charging feature on Chrome OS will utilize on-device machine learning to recognize the patterns and will select a certain charging speed for the device based on it. Hence, the feature will not delay the charging process altogether on Chromebooks but will work in a manner that ensures battery durability.
Currently, it has not been officially confirmed by Google, as to when the adaptive charging will be available on Chrome OS. Furthermore, it is also not known whether the feature will arrive with newer Chromebooks or will also be made available on the existing models. However, the code suggests that users will get a notification alert when the adaptive charging mode is enabled on the device and will also get an option to disable it.


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South Pacific plastic waste island shows how global trade pollutes
Issued on: Modified:
Ocean research published Tuesday shows a remote and uninhabited island in the South Pacific has become one of the world’s most polluted places due to a massive build-up of disposed plastic that scientists describe as a consequence of global consumer culture.
Henderson Island in the Pitcairn Islands, about halfway between New Zealand and Chile, is roughly 10 kilometres long and three kilometres wide.
That means the estimated 38 million pieces of trash on its shores makes it the site of the highest concentration of trash recorded anywhere in the world.
“The sheer volume of plastic on Henderson Island was something that I had not seen before in all my travels and it is really quite remarkable in all the wrong ways,” says Jennifer Lavers, research scientist at the University of Tasmania and lead author of the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“There were all these everyday consumer items that we use and dispose of without even hesitating for a moment, things like toothbrushes, cigarette lighters, razors, bottle caps, items that absolutely shouldn’t have been in the middle of nowhere.”
Lavers found the build-up of trash has to do with the island’s proximity to a vortex of ocean currents called a gyre, one of which is found in each of the world’s five major ocean basins.
“What they are is basically a combination of wind and wave patterns that create something like a large-scale vortex and essentially what it does is trap plastic and concentrate it in these hotspots where the density becomes much higher than the surrounding areas,” she says. “Henderson has the unfortunate luck to be on the western boundary of the South Pacific gyre and so it’s likely that much of the plastic came from that gyre.”
A way to visualise a global problem
While scientists know plastic is accumulating in these gyres, it is not easy visualise or measure, meaning the new study helps demonstrate how plastic moves in the oceans.
“What is particularly worrying about the Henderson Island story is just how much plastic there is on such a remote and what we thought was a very pristine place,” says Erik van Sebille, an oceanographer at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, who adds the study contributes to our understanding of how plastic accumulates.
“In Europe, the US and Asia, where we think that have much cleaner beaches, a lot of that might have to do with the fact that we just keep cleaning them,” he explains. “We might be fooling ourselves a bit by thinking there is not that much plastic. If you leave a coastline alone for a while, more and more plastic would accumulate.”
The researchers were also able to trace the origins of certain pieces of plastic to their countries of manufacture, which considered with the activity of gyres, presents a picture of how global trade contributes to the problem.
“As an oceanographer, I finding it very unlikely and almost unimaginable that something would float all the way from Germany to the South Pacific,” says van Sebille. “This shows us our global consumer society is so interconnected that even if something is made in Germany, it can very well end up in Australia, in South America or on one of the other islands in the South Pacific, which are much more likely to be the source of plastic in this case.”
Plastic in the ocean is about more than clean-up
Part of Lavers’s three and a half months of research on the island involved cleaning up part of the beach only to find some 13,300 new pieces of plastic washed onto the beaches every day.
“That begs the question, what would be the purpose of cleaning it up if a month, two months, three months down the road, you would be right back where you started,” she says.
What really needs to happen, Lavers suggests, is that plastic must be prevented from making its way into the ocean in the first place.
“It requires broad, sweeping behavioural change on behalf of each and every one of us to rethink how and when it’s right to use plastic.”
Current knowledge suggests the plastic visible on Henderson Island is just a drop in the ocean, compared with the 10 trillion pieces of plastic scientists believe to be in the gyres and elsewhere.
The study also points out that the nearly 18 tonnes of plastic thought to be on Henderson Island amounts to what is produced around the world every two seconds.
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The stampprice increases are unfortunately necessary to protect the universal postalservice. The rise has led to a spike in demand for stamps and the NFSP (National Federation of Subpostmasters) isworking with Post Office Ltd to ensure that subpostmasters continue to receivea full supply. As far as we are aware, there are currently no significant stampsupply problems at post offices.
More top news
IKEA is recalling almost 36 million chests and dressers in the US and Canada after the deaths of three children.
Toyota is recalling 1.43 million cars for an airbag inflator defect.
Prime Minister insists the UK will maintain a strong relationship with Europe especially on trade and security, even after it leaves the EU.


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The eased rules, marking a change for India's traditionally cautious regulator, are due to be announced in their final form this month after draft guidelines were unveiled in March. The regulator hasn't yet said where the new exchange will be based, nor disclosed a name for it.
Under current proposals, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) would set up an alternative exchange this year, featuring reduced lock-in periods for founding investors and a waiver from existing rules requiring three consecutive years of profit before any listing. It would also set a minimum investment amount to attract institutions rather than retail investors - a measure to enhance stability.
As India's technology industry grows, little-known startup firms' need for funds to fuel growth has been tapped by venture capitalists and private investors. About 3,100 startups in India have raised $7.2 billion in venture capital and private equity funding since 2013 - most of it going to technology companies, according to Thomson Reuters data - with only a handful of listings on existing bourses so far.
"Definitely we have been thinking about an initial public offering for quite some to provide liquidity to investors," said Murugavel Janakiraman, chief executive of fast-growing online matchmaking firm BharatMatrimony. Janakiraman didn't say how much revenue his firm books, nor how much he might seek to raise in a listing, but bankers told Reuters earlier this year his firm was looking to raise more than $100 million via a listing.
"We thought about a foreign listing but decided it's not worth getting a lower valuation there," said Janakiraman, whose firm is backed by JP Morgan and U.S. venture capital firms Bessemer Venture Partners and Mayfield Fund.
Investors and venture capitalists believe the new listing platform could attract three or four companies this year, with significantly more in 2016 - provided the eased rules bring successful IPOs. They said start-ups considering potential listings include information technology security firm QuickHeal, travel portal Cleartrip and news aggregator Newshunt.
Kleiner Perkins-backed InMobi, which runs a mobile advertising platform, had leaned towards a U.S. listing but is now intrigued by the prospect of listing at home.
"With the new platform, the conversation has started. If we can work to solve other policy issues for technology companies, I would not rule out an India IPO," said Manish Dugar, CFO of the Bangalore-based firm.
© Thomson Reuters 2015


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WSJ: iPad 2 in production; to be offered through Verizon and AT&T
In what shouldn't be too much of a shock for anyone, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that the next generation iPad is now in production, which would concur nicely with the rumors that the iPad 2 will be released in the next four to six weeks. The WSJ report doesn't offer a whole lot of details, but they cite their sources as saying that the new iPad will be thinner, lighter and will come with a faster processor, more memory, a more powerful graphics processor and a front-facing camera (no word on a rear-facing camera).
However, the next iPad will not feature a higher resolution display. WSJ sources note that the new iPad's display will be "similar" to the current model.
The Wall Street Journal also noted that the new iPad will be available through Verizon and AT&T stores, which is no surprise since both now offer the iPhone. However, the new device will not be available through Sprint or T-Mobile. The next generation iPad is widely expected to be unveiled by the end of February with a March shipping date.
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One week to Independence Day on March 6, the sale of paraphernalia to mark the country's Golden Jubilee has reached a crescendo.
On sale at various points and outlets are T-shirts, caps, cups, the national flag in different size, key holders and other souvenirs.
It is a field day for dealers and vendors alike to reap as much as the enthusiastic public is ready to buy.
The Ghana @ 50 Secretariat itself is bubbling with activities as people crowd there daily to order commemorative items including anniversary cloths.
Ms. A. Isha Sumailah, Marketing and Branding officer, told the Times that the items were in short supply and the secretariat has placed orders for more from sources she declined to disclose.
Reacting to complaints that the anniversary cloth was expensive, Ms. Sumailah said the price for a full piece was ¢360,000 but for bulk purchase of 50 pieces and above, it is ¢300,000
A source at an outlet for the sale of the cloth told the Times that the Ghana @ 50 secretariat was responsible for the pricing of the cloth and could not explain why they were sold at that price.
He said Plateria Company was contracted by Ghana @ 50 Secretariat to supply the cloth produced by Printex, Akosombo Textile Company and other companies.
A woman came to the Secretariat to buy some paraphernalia commented "Ghanaians are patriotic indeed, I also want to identify myself with that spirit."
She said the prices of the items are okay.
In any case she said the prizes had already been fixed and she could do nothing about it.


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CA Buys XOSoft for CDP, Replication Software
ComputerWire – 7/12/06
CA Inc has bought itself into CDP, continuous data protection software, with the purchase of privately-held XoSoft Inc, for an undisclosed price.
XOSoft, whose software is developed in Israel, says it has racked up 1,600 customers for the CDP, and long-distance replication software that it launched almost four years ago.
While XOSoft says that many of those customers are SMBs, the product is mostly a mid-market offering. A typical installation costs around $20,000, and XoSoft’s customers include many Fortune 1000 businesses, according to the company’s CEO Leonid Shtilman.
That puts XoSoft’s software in a quite a different category to Symantec Corp’s eponymous CDP Server or Microsoft Corp’s Data Protection Manager, which can be both be installed for less than $1,000.
XoSoft said that also unlike those products, which protect desktop machines and small file servers, its software can be used to provide event-based roll-back for Exchange, SQL Server, Oracle and Blackberry data.
One company whose products might be similar to XoSoft is Kashya Inc, the start-up that EMC Corp bought in May. Like XoSoft, Kashya had integrated its event-based CDP and replication software to Oracle and Microsoft applications, and typically saw its software implemented in multiple data centers. Kashya however did not sell its software in the same volumes as XoSoft. It launched its software in 2003, and by March this year had scored around 200 customers.
CA said the purchase was part of a three-legged storage software plan that will see it cover information management, resource management, and data backup recovery.
“Backup management software isn’t enough any more. We need to flesh it out with failover, replication and CDP,” said Bob Davis, SVP and general manager of CA’s storage division. Davis said that over the last twelve months CA had pointed several customers towards XoSoft.
Last year CA bought email archiving specialist Ilumin Inc, and only last month its bought records management software supplier MDY Group International Inc.
In the short term,XoSoft’s software will be integrated with CA’s ARCserve backup software. Longer term, Davis said that ARCserve might be driven by a policy-based engine that would allow customers to choose between levels of data protection, and would use the output of CA’s record management software as input.


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The ACCC and BIG W have issued a national recall for a 50-inch plasma TV made by Vivo. The Vivo PTV50HD plasma’s stand “may break unexpectedly”, dropping the TV panel forwards. Any BIG W customer that has bought a Vivo PTV50HD has been urged to cease...
In the brightening light of renewed competition from established Smart TV heavyweights Samsung and LG, Panasonic has unveiled its 2013 range of VIERA LED-LCD and plasma TVs. The range is made up of a total of 25 models: 19 LED-LCD and six plasma. Siz...
Foxtel has announced a new service that brings its cable TV channels and catch-up video to smartphones, tablets, PCs, Macs and games consoles. It will not require an existing subscription to Foxtel’s cable TV network, and will be delivered entirely d...
Nielsen’s annual Australian Connected Consumers report reveals that a third of Australian households have a TV that can access the Internet -- slightly more than the number of homes with access to an Internet-enabled tablet.
LG’s next generation of Smart TVs will run webOS, the mobile operating system developed by Palm and HP.
At CES 2013, Samsung blew away attendees with a whole suite of new TVs. Its 2013 TV line-up includes LED, LCD, plasma, and OLED variants, and we’re sure that just like in previous years Samsung will cover a wide gamut of prices.
Foxtel’s Go app, originally made for the iPad, has had a makeover -- it’s now also available for the iPhone and iPod touch. Foxtel announced the new app as part of its 2013 programming launch in an event at Sydney’s Fox Studios.
A new listing on Apple's Jobs site has added evidence to speculation that the company is planning to launch a more advanced version of its Apple TV set-top box.
Sharp has announced the release date and price for its largest ever LCD TV, the 90-inch LC-90LE740X.
For the entirety of the second week in January, the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show was the place to be in the world of tech. Amongst big-screen smartphones and Windows 8 PCs, tech giants like Samsung, Sony, LG and Samsung showed off a swathe of brand...
At a gathering of designers from Samsung's Korea headquarters, the company made it clear that it will continue to push toward being a lifestyle brand, and one that emphasizes connecting consumers with their personal electronics.
The Wall Street Journal reports that two sources within Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., which assembles Apple’s iPhone and iPad mobile products, say the company has been consulting with television and large display manufacturer Sharp on a new Apple T...
Foxtel is retiring its Showtime and Movie Network subscription cable TV packages, and replacing them with a unified cable and streaming service it is calling Foxtel Movies & Premium Drama.
In an interview with journalist Brian Williams for NBC’s Rock Center TV program, Apple CEO Tim Cook has let slip yet another hint pointing towards a prospective television from the California-based company.
Australian electronics retailer Dick Smith is holding a pre-Christmas, one day only sale on Wednesday 5 December, in what the company describes as an event to "celebrate" its new management team.
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You can download all Angry Birds games for free
Rovio Entertainment makes all games free on Windows Phone
All Angry Birds games are now free to download from the Windows Phone Store. After turning a few games into free earlier this year, Rovio is now making all older Angry Birds games free for download from the store. While the older titles are now free, the latest release called Angry Birds Transformers is still a paid game, and will remain paid until another new game launches in the future.
Angry Birds is a popular game series released by the Finish company Rovio Entertainment Ltd. in December 2009. Originally started for iPhones, today the Angry Birds are available to all major mobile and desktop platforms, and the games have reached 2 billion downloads.


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BUFFALO, NY. – Rosina Food Products Inc., a producer of frozen meatballs, pasta and entrees, announced on Nov. 16 its acquisition of the Mama Lucia Brand of frozen meatballs from Quaker Maid Meats Inc.
Mama Lucia products are in retailers in the Northeast, Southeast and Midwest regions of the United States, military commissaries and dollar store channels.
“We are excited about this transaction. This acquisition is consistent with the company’s strategic plan for growth and the products are consistent with our core capabilities,” said Russell Corigliano, president and chief executive officer of Rosina Food Products.
Frank Corigliano, executive vice president of Rosina stated that the Mama Lucia brand fits into the current distribution of the company and anticipated very smooth transitions for customers of Mama Lucia.
Other items Rosina already produces include Celentano, Italian Village Brands and Rosina throughout the United States and internationally by Rosina Food Products.
Along with the acquisition of Mama Lucia, Rosina said it is expecting to open a new protein facility in December 2021 near West Seneca, NY.


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The Andalusian Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Carmen Crespo, presented the 'Siembra' tool at Fruit Attraction, a dedicated trade fair for fruits and vegetables operators celebrated in Madrid (Spain) on 4-6th of October. 'Siembra' is defined as a marketing platform that was born from the sector together with the Andalusian Government, specifically through the Pole of Technological Innovation of Agriculture 'Cita 4.0'.
This new instrument is a smart agriculture tool that uses big data to collect information from previous campaigns and, thanks to the application of algorithms, make predictions about the campaigns. Crespo remarked that this is a very useful tool and an example of innovation driven by the public-private collaboration that demonstrates the potential of this thriving sector.
'Siembra' starts collecting data related to three protected horticultural products (pepper, aubergine and watermelon), but the aim is to include information on all the products that Andalusia has, especially fruits and vegetables, but also from other sectors. Farmers will be able to better plan their harvests and sell products also better, since it will allow them to predict possible barriers to market.
In addition to the data directly related to production, the platform also collects information from the agro-climatic stations of the Junta and the State Meteorological Agency; as well as commercial data from the biggest Spanish food markets: MercaMadrid, MercaBarna, MercaBilbao, and different auctions that provide information through the web pages called Agropizarras and Agroprecios.


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CFC St Moritz: Are you ‘all in’?
Bitcoin makes it
Whether investment managers or the public agree, the news surrounding bitcoin during the 2020 pandemic has pushed bitcoin prices ‘to the moon’ and raised the bar on a new wave of crypto #FOMO (fear of missing out). However, bitcoin is the poster boy, aided and abetted by Mr Musk, the tech messiah, who many are convinced tweets most of his hilarious memes about crypto after a glass of wine. Bitcoin though, is the equivalent of a polar bear on top of an iceberg without being able to see the underwater developments which are substantial and multi layered. Even in the crypto world there is a division which almost agrees with the ‘real’ world. There are ‘bitcoin maximalists’ or ‘maxi’s’; Degen’s; miners; celebrity founders; exchanges; financiers, tech entrepreneurs; blockchain brainiacs and huge communities of switched-on, tech savvy crypto traders who support pioneers into unicorns in their new ventures which go from embryo to toddler with seeding and staking. It is a world that exists, like The Matrix, almost invisible, whilst the rest of the world watches Netflix.
Crypto and blockchain can be found in Malta, Switzerland, Singapore, LA, New York and London but truly can be found anywhere. At its essence it is a tech start up industry but with an FX style trading and loyalty rewards program intertwined into it. Despite this lack of understanding from the majority of wealth managers and the public, this is just an educational process like with all finance. Crypto has an enormous, industry that employs hundreds of thousands of people, has some of the biggest tech names in it and is born of trading, FX, coding, geeks and with gaming fun at its core. It aligns with ‘Wall Street Bets’ who became known to us all after the high-profile short trade against Melvin Capital, galvanising Robinhood retail investors from his Reddit account. Although Robinhood is real world and not crypto. However the ‘us against them’ energy is similar: big guys v little guys.
Tech stars ping pong
Even if you debate bitcoin’s use as an alternative asset or as a hedge on a portfolio as all the traditional wealth managers do – they are right in portfolio terms – and also dismiss the industry because the physical AUM universe is small compared to traditional, global wealth management, crypto and blockchain have still stormed a march behind the scenes. Private crypto wealth is now substantial and media attention high. This has come strangely from fee’s (gas) which are now making substantial income for ‘wallet’ apps, exchanges and miners, just like the criticised banking world. There are also other ironies in that traditional banking staff are gravitating into crypto for instance Goldman Sachs former bankers working at Coinbase. The backdrop of Elon tweeting bitcoin and Doge images and use of wallets like Coinbase and Trust becoming as easy to use as Facebook and Instagram have all helped. Compound this with pandemic stimulus checks and global shut down and we have the ‘rise of the apes’. All we need next is institutional money of which there is a glimmer in the fire, not yet a flame, with traditional British wealth manager Ruffer in the UK and bitcoin evangelist and cloud services company founder Michael Saylor, of MicroStrategy in the USA going public with purchases of bitcoin. Not to mention Elon’s latest missive, not only actually going to the moon with SpaceX but now with a $1.5bn purchase of bitcoin. Bitcoin is now a celebrity.
The real-world accusations of crypto and blockchain being a drug and fraud world and somehow unclean, because of past exchanges like Mt Gox where drugs were sold for bitcoin, are now (hopefully) resigned to history. Scams and rug-pulls are still prevalent and although we can never forget wild card, John McAfee with his ‘Dickening Countdown’ and high jinks, the rise of invasive tech through the phone and laptop have opened up an online fraud opportunity not just in crypto but in financial services and life. Whether you like it or not though, Mt Gox is now the stuff of legend, like the first Wall Street movie, about fast money, greed is good and a funny or sleazy view of the markets. However, putting any prejudice aside and white noise, there is a new threat emerging: govts v token providers. 2021 may be the year crypto takes hold but it may also be the year of the mega SEC law suits with accusations of security fraud – selling investments without proper paperwork. This story is still unfolding as the SEC gets familiar with the crypto and blockchain world. However, there are deep pockets in crypto, so the lasso rope may be too late: the horse has already bolted. Time will tell if crypto founders do feel the squeeze of the SEC hand around their necks.
Debating this world at the CFC St Moritz virtual conference this year was a sterling line up of thought leaders, regulatory heads and leading commentators in the sector. The line up included Anthony Pompliano, Co-founder & Partner, Morgan Creek Digital Assets who is a renowned early-stage investor in tech, Hester Peirce, Commissioner, U.S. SEC and queen bee, Meltem Demirors, CSO, Coinshares who pivoted the conversation onto the scarcity of semi conductors. Saying that the whole industry will be held back by basic, physical requirements for devices in the next few years. Dr. Thomas Moser, Alternate Member of the Governing Board, Swiss National Bank spoke as well as Michael Sonnenshein, CEO at Grayscale and previously at JP Morgan Securities and Barclays who is a crypto fund manager aiming at institutional money with his fund although this is hedge funds rather than wealth management so far. Should the wealth management industry flip into bitcoin though like Ruffer in the UK, he is well placed to help institutional ‘noobies’ find their flight. Although Ruffer used One River Asset Management custodied with Coinbase. Bitcoin custody is also attracting banking brands week on week to push into the market left of centre like Zodia custody by Standard Chartered Bank and Northern Trust to hold bitcoin and Ethereum (ETH). Cecilia Skingsley, First Deputy Governor, Riksbank, Sweden also spoke and Brett Tejpaul, Head of Institutional Sales and Trading at Coinbase. Coinbase say there are ‘off-market’ institutional deals happening but this is hard to quantify and as they reach for an IPO or direct listing like Spotify, their PR is going to be guarded understandably. However, Ruffer have publicly acknowledged custody with them and also been in the press on February 3, 2021 saying their Ruffer Multi-Strategies Fund has made $750mn profit in two months with CoinDesk breaking the news quoting Ruffer “we didn’t expect immediate fireworks”. This suggests that even small clients can become big fee earners immediately if looking at Coinbase earnings.
Low cost scale changes dynamics
Bill Tai, Founder & Chairperson at Actai Global spoke, he is a VC in Palo Alto, with many successes under his belt including investing in a subscription graphic design app Canva, (which Citywealth loves using for its LinkedIn posting). Tai says that although start up’s require a big push, the ability to scale at low cost is now a unique position in history. “Someone with their laptop in their bedroom, can scale anything with software now. Canva was a college student who wanted to do posts for Instagram and scrap books.”
Founder check in
Frederik Gregaard, CEO, Cardano Foundation also spoke and as Cardana and Ada (their native token) are ‘up there’ with the greats it was good to get the whites of the eyes download from him. Having read their white paper I remained unconvinced because its concept seems similar to others already in existence ( Elizabeth Rossiello, BitPesa). The crypto community is built on word of mouth, trusted communities who do their homework and memes which although fun have a primal and immediate strike and viral nature that can be trouble in the sector and cause ‘dumps’ in tokens and loss of value. Appearances at conferences like CFC St Moritz are bread and butter, essential to gain credibility and retain confidence. Gregaard did just that and gets my vote and some converted fiat (or maybe converted crypto), however the crypto community is divided on their sustainability, so DYOR (do your own research). The app crypto.com is a good place to start.
The rest of the line up included:
David Olsson, Head of Institutional Distribution, Blockfi
Avichal Garg, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Electric Capital
Mike Cagney, CEO, Figure
Ken Seiff, Managing Partner, Blockchange
Greg Tusar, Head of Institutional Product, Coinbase
Kavita Gupta, Visiting Scholar & Lecturer, Stanford University
Jean-Michel Pailhon, VP Product, Ledger
Mathias Imbach, Co-Founder & Group CEO, Sygnum
David Johnston, Managing Director, Yeomans capital
Dr. Guenther Dobrauz-Saldapenna, Partner, PWC
Philippe Bekhazi, Founder & CEo, XBTO
Kaj Burchardi, Managing Director, BCG
Tim Grant, CEO, Six Digital Exchange
Prof. Dr. Fabian Schär, Managing Direcgtor, University of Basel
Prof. Dr. Philipp Sandner, Head of Frankfurt School Blockchain Center, Frankfurt School
Eric van der Kleij, Co-Founder, Edenbase
David Wachsman, CEO, Wachsman
Karen Jones, Editor, Citywealth: CryptoKaren
First bitcoin purchase: Coinbase June 2017. I am a goldfish not a whale.
Media for twenty years. New York and London: wealth management and tech
Entrepreneur: Founder Citywealth media site15 years; Founder: Digital ratings site for wealth managers and advisors: leaderslist.co.uk
Judge VR awards: Virtual Perceptions 2018
University of Oxford: Excel, Macro and VB: Running and coding macro
University of Oxford: Said Business School FinTech programme
Stanford University mooc: Computer science basics
University of California, BerkeleyX mooc: Fundamentals of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies
New York Institute of Finance: Fundamentals of technical analysis
May I recommend a great crypto friend of mine?
Ash Costello is a data protection and privacy specialist, focusing on the privacy requirements of blockchain and crypto currency technologies. She advises developers and engineers to ensure their products and platforms are compliant with (among others) Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation and the California Consumer Privacy Act. She is soon to launch privacy risk management tools which assess an entity’s international privacy compliance including the GDPR and CCPA and offer remedial solutions. She is a volunteer with the UK’s The Cyber Helpline, and is in the process of establishing a related charity in Ireland.
Ash has worked with law-firms across London, Guernsey and Dublin, and is licensed to practise law in Ireland, England and Wales, and New York.