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There’s a growing dissatisfaction around Record Store Day. The event’s initial soft glow of warm limited vinyl purchase-opportunity has dissipated in recent years as the day has been flooded by ulterior interests.
Conceived in 2007, Record Store Day’s intention is to shine a spotlight on the humble independent record shops around the world that are weathering a sustained period of change in music purchasing.
From Napster to Bittorrent to iTunes to Spotify to freely available downloads of music online, the day is intended to provide a jumpstart to the shops who very often, lack a up-and-down cash flow, as albums and records compete within a more fractured world of entertainment.
Record Store Day intended to give the music communities around these shops an event in which to celebrate those spaces, many of which have disappeared in today’s tumultuous environment.
The problem happening around Record Store Day currently isn’t really the fault of the shops themselves but the organisers of RSD have to be careful about the backlash which is starting to come from the people it’s supposed to be helping.
A growing number of labels are giving out about not being able to get their releases through the pressing plants because of a huge demand for manufacturing.
A flux of anything-goes RSD releases (there are a whopping 634 releases counted on the site this year) that have included B-side collections, live albums and promo singles for forthcoming albums that come at exorbitant prices from regular releases and are arguably, just released for the sake of rarity collectors and marketing, doesn’t help matters. It builds the bitterness around the day, when it’s supposed to be about the music (shops), man.
That flood of inferior product into shops doesn’t have to be bought by customers of course. The music fan might end up picking up something on impulse (I still can’t quite explain that Crystal Castles 12″ I bought on Record Store Day, a few years ago).
For first-time vinyl buyers, it might hinder their desire to pick up more vinyl on the 364 other days of the year though, when they buy something which turns out to be a bit shitty and was for collectors only. But that decision is up to the customer.
That flood of inferior product on Record Store Day is bought by record shops in the first place though as it’s expected by customers. While Record Store Day has undoubtedly been a big financial boost for shops in the cash flow stakes, there’s always the danger that those limited vinyls will be left on the shelves for months after that Saturday in April, because outside the FOMO day no-one really wanted them.
More pertinent for the shops themselves, the Record Store Day exclusives are often not sold to independent shops on a “sale or return” basis meaning that they can’t send them back to the distributor as with lots of regular releases. They spent money on limited vinyl they are burdened with and that they can’t shift. It can be argued that a good record shop knows its customers well enough to know what to get but even those shops who have buying stock down to a fine art, that people actually want, can struggle with excess amounts of releases on shelves on a day like RSD.
Similarly, the argument from small labels that the bottleneck at vinyl manufacturers is caused by those plants giving priority to major label RSD releases and is shutting out the small labels could be countered with the fact that RSD has been growing year on year since it started so those small labels should factor this into their release schedules.
Still it can’t be easy for the one or two person hobby operation to hold on to that cash for a release in the face of the muscle benefit of labels clogging the plants who are opportunistically releasing 5000 Katy Perry’s picture discs, 6000 copies of a live Jimi Hendrix album or 2500 copies of a Jay Z/ Linkin Park 12″.
All of this adds up to a lot of negative chatter about releases and the mechanisms of the music being released, which dilutes the actual expressed intent of the day – “to come together and celebrate the unique culture of a record store and the special role these independently owned stores play in their communities.”
Locally last week, it was record bags at dawn with Tower Records calling HMV’s plan to hold a “Record Shop Celebration” sale with discounts on their vinyl selection on the day of reopening on Grafton Street as “cynical”. It is a bit of a dick move on HMV’s part (who are owned by Hilco) to capitalise on a day celebrating independent record spaces with an unofficial celebration of their own.
Then The R.A.G.E./Record Spot in Dublin got involved in a Facebook post that suggested Tower weren’t indie enough to be lobbing out such accusations (in fairness to Tower, it has been independently owned for 10 years or so, since the franchise shut down in every country but Japan and Mexico) but such quarrels only add to the bitterness around the day and don’t help the snob factor that’s frequently placed on small independent music shops, by those that don’t feel cool or “indie” enough to shop there.
Imagine it was International Coffee Shop Day. I view choosing to support HMV & Tower on April 19th as the equivalent of not recognizing all the great little independent coffee shops in Dublin and celebrating the day by purchasing a cup of coffee in Burger King because of a 40% coffee sale or getting a cappuccino in O’Briens, because it’s “Irish”.
The points about Record Store Day releases ending up on eBay within minutes are mostly correct though, that is a cynical move that only adds to the problem and discourages positive participation.
Elsewhere, the co-opting of Record Store Day is less calculated. Now in its third year, Record Store Gay raises funds for Outhouse, a vital LGBT resource centre in Dublin by hosting a live event in the space and releasing a compilation of covers by Irish bands like Le Galaxie, Sleep Thieves, Cave Ghosts, I Heart The Monster Hero, Patrick Kelleher, Bouts and The Late David Turpin (hear it here before Saturday).
But by putting the event on during the day of RSD, Record Store Gay could be said to have a negative impact, as it brings focus and footfall away from the remaining independent shops which the day is there to support.
The organiser, Andy Walsh says that Record Store Gay is a good thing for RSD. “By approaching the idea of celebrating our record shops and our musical culture from a different angle we have introduced so many people to RSD for their first time and also to many record shops that they hadn’t known existed,” he told me.
“We have also introduced new audiences to independent artists and alternative ways of accessing them,” he added.
Walsh says RSG supports the day by putting its compilation of covers by Irish bands into the record shops and encourages people to buy it there, if not at the event’s popup record stalls. Record Store Gay also put special ‘melody pop singles’ in independent record shops as an incentive for people to go those places.
“I personally have found RSD has become too exclusive and expensive for me to access in recent years,” explained Walsh. “That was one of the contributing factors for me in starting RSG and trying to make it an accessible and fun celebration of record shops and the diversity and variety of the music that they sell to us.”
Thankfully, there are a lot of actual events in the shops this Saturday with live musicians performing in the stores that are designed to do just that – make an event out of the day and to bring people into the shop to support these spaces. Just remember that these shops are open every Saturday, and most days of the week for the rest of the year.
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The SVoD service, the new version of which is available from today, is offering a total of 25 branded channels across genres, that have been developed in partnership with content providers including CBS, BBC Worldwide, The Walt Disney Company and ZDF Enterprises. New services include BBC Worldwide’s BBC Brit and BBC First services, which are making appearances in Germany for the first time.
Also new to the service is a recommendation engine combining the use of an algorithm with input from an in-house editorial team. Subscribers will be able to select up to five different profiles at any time.
The service has also relaunched with a new look and feel and other original features. Vivendi said that Watchever would provide additional channels to its subscribers in the coming months.
The service has launched a national marketing campaign with the tagline Es gibt noch so viel zu entdecken (There is so much more to discover).
The service, which costs €8.99 a month, is currently available on the web and Apple TV, with new devices to be added in the next few weeks.
“When we launched our service more than two-and-a-half years ago, we shook up the German video streaming market. We have learned continuously ever since – the viewers want to discover new and diverse content amongst movies, series and concerts. I am very happy that we can take this path in SVoD together with our new and already existing partners. With our unique and pioneering channel-based structure we are generating despite the repute of the brand an
increased visibility for our licensors. With the new Watchever we can now ensure that our users won’t miss the exciting, relevant shows on Watchever,” said Karim Ayari, managing director of Watchever.
“By continuing our relationship with Watchever, on their innovative new platform, we’re ensuring audiences have a dedicated space to find the programmes they love. We’re especially excited to be introducing our new brands BBC Brit and BBC First to the German market for the first time, both will sit alongside our established brands BBC Earth and global hit Doctor Who. Together we looking forward to learning how audiences navigate and best enjoy the shows this partnership will offer,” said Isabelle Helle, managing director of BBC Worldwide Germany.
DTVE: the week in view – Cabinet reshuffle comes at tumultuous time for UK pubcasters digitaltveurope.com/comment/cabine… https://t.co/RaPRTtN2Nr
19 September 2021 @ 19:00:00 UTC
The DTVE Autumn Symposium 2021 is open for registration - Sign up now! digitaltveurope.com/intelligence/d… https://t.co/zqrvYXNhyR
19 September 2021 @ 14:00:01 UTC

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Vincent Siew, honorary chairman of the Taiwan-based Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation. (Photo: CGTN)
Investments from Taiwan made up a large proportion of Chinese mainland's economy, said Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Li vows to expand imports including agricultural goods and seafood from Taiwan, while offering greater convenience to Taiwan's companies.
Premier Li made the remarks when meeting with Vincent Siew, honorary chairman of the Taiwan-based Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation, in Boao, south China's Hainan Province. They are attending the Boao Forum for Asia, which is expected to run through Friday.
We will make sure to have Taiwan companies enjoy the same policies we offer to mainland companies, Premier Li said, specifying Chinese government's recent decision of large-scale tax cuts.


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Are 3-D Printing Stocks Officially "Overvalued?"
Although the idea of 3-D printers is over 24 years old, the public only recently got excited about the prospect as the open source maker movement began to unfold. This movement transformed the face of 3-D printing by significantly bringing down the cost of 3-D printers. What used to cost tens of thousands of dollars in equipment can now be purchased for less than $2,000, putting this technology into the reach of more users. As a result, shares of 3D Systems has enjoyed gains of over 200% since its IPO debut in 2011, leading many to proclaim that this small sector has reached "bubble" territory.
Forget the hype. Additive manufacturing is here to stay and will change the face of manufacturing forever. The 3-D printing industry has been growing by an average of 26.4% a year for its entire 24-year history. In 2011, this growth rate has accelerated to 29.4%, indicating that the demand for additive manufacturing is on the rise. By 2015, the 3-D printing industry is expected to become a $3.7 billion dollar industry, and by 2019, it should surpass $6.5 billion. The fact of the matter is that the industry is growing rapidly, which will ultimately translate into increased profits for 3-D printing companies, bringing valuations to a more palatable level.
Put those valuation concerns aside
Based on traditional methodologies, 3-D printing companies are undoubtedly overvalued. Stratasys currently trades with a P/E above 90, giving the classic value investors the cue to avoid this sector like the plague. Motley Fool Co-Founder David Gardner has a different perspective on high valuations. He's not afraid of them, in fact he likes seeing companies that are called "overvalued" by the media. The link will take you to a short five minute video in which David explains the ins and outs of why high P/E's aren't necessarily a bad thing. This approach has allowed David to capitalize on buying "overvalued" companies like Amazon and AOL in the early days, which went on to make life changing returns for his portfolio.
David likes stocks with strong past price appreciation. This approach is based on William O'Neil's concept that the "winners keep on winning," because over a 10-year period, the best stocks continuously make new highs.
Investors are skeptical of new technology companies, leading them to call any company with a high P/E or no earnings overvalued. He believes that investors in this camp are only considering the "P" and the "E" and not realizing that there's a whole host of other factors you should be "stacking" on top of earnings. He's talking about things like a rock star CEO, a competitive edge, a history of excellence, outsized business prospects, and anything else that differentiates a company from its peers.
David believes that "expensive stocks" are interesting companies often with groundbreaking technology, and that often are visionary driven. The negativity surrounding these companies sets them up to climb a wall of worry.
Three "E's" to consider
The main idea behind 3-D printing is that it revolutionizes current manufacturing processes. It allows manufacturers to speed up the process of prototyping, reduce costs, and drive new levels of design complexity that were once impossible. The $22 billion worldwide power tools market is a huge market for 3-D printers to gain share in, helping boost "E" potential for both companies.
There has been increasing hype around the consumer facing side of 3-D printers, where nearly every home in America is going to own a personal 3-D printer. I'm not officially sold on this idea because the utility of why every home needs a 3-D printer today is lacking. The comparison that the 3-D printer is following in the footstep of the classical inkjet printer is unfounded, given the fact it's a much smaller potential market base, even at maximum saturation. Anyone who uses a computer could potentially see the need for an inkjet printer, but 3-D printers are far more specialized to garner the same mass appeal. This detracts from 3D Systems' "E" -- investors betting on this promise will likely be disappointed. Stratasys on the other hand, doesn't operate in the consumer 3-D printer market, neutralizing the negative impact to its "E" potential.
The education space, however, is an area of much greater value for "consumer" 3-D printers. Knowing how to build, operate, and design for a 3-D printer teaches students skills that overlap in fields like electrical engineering, architecture, mechanics, not to mention problem solving and creative thinking. Considering there are over 132,000 K-12 schools in the United States alone, this opportunity could potentially be worth billions in new business. This largely untapped potential greatly boosts the "E" potential of 3-D Systems, but for Stratasys, it's a lost opportunity.
See the value
Traditional stock screens and methodologies completely overlook the living aspects of these businesses. High-growth investors need to consider a greater depth of insights to get a better sense of the value a company offers the world. Based on the three considerations above, 3D Systems comes out as having much greater earnings potential than Stratasys over the long term. Stratasys is concentrating its business in the high-end of the market, potentially leaving more opportunity on the table. Within these seemingly overvalued companies lies real unconventional value for investors.
With the U.S. relying on the rest of the world for such a large percentage of our goods, many investors are ready for the end of the "made in China" era. Well, it's arrived, and with the balance of manufacturing power shifting yet again, you can profit with the "3 Stocks to Own for the New Industrial Revolution." They're the biggest industry disruptors we've seen since the personal computer, and you can read more about them in our free analyst report. Click here to learn more.
The article Are 3-D Printing Stocks Officially "Overvalued?" originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Steve Heller owns shares of 3D Systems. The Motley Fool recommends 3D Systems and Stratasys. The Motley Fool owns shares of 3D Systems and Stratasys and has the following options: Short Jan 2014 $55 Calls on 3D Systems and Short Jan 2014 $30 Puts on 3D Systems. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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- Expand the videogame market
- Create a less expensive development environment for the high-cost arcade sector
- Offer new ways to play videogames, linking the arcade and home market
In a world where arcade hardware is often prohibitively expensive, the low-cost, efficiently powerful GameCube hardware could provide an attractive solution. The exact details of how the hardware will be amended has not been announced, nor have the details of Namco's and Sega's exact involvement.
IGNcube has long heard rumor of Namco's Soul Calibur II being developed on a GameCube arcade board. It seems that possibility is now stronger than ever.
More important to this announcement are that the three companies have stressed wanting to offer up new ways to utilize the arcade market in parallel with home consoles. IGNcube has also heard rumor that the said companies are working on developing a similar system as featured with Neo Geo long ago, where you can play at the arcade, save your data, and take it back home. Sega has recent experience in this area with its Club Kart Card technology.
Namco is rumored to be in development with its own twist on Super Smash Bros. Melee, featuring Namco characters. This would be a perfect example of a title that could well utilize keeping track of arcade statistics as well as your progress at home. Read our full rumor report here for details.
Nintendo plans to demonstrate a prototype of the Triforce arcade hardware on February 22 in Makuhari at the AOU 2002 Amusement Expo. Interestingly, Soul Calibur II will be shown at the event in playable form. Hopefully representatives at the show can now confirm once and for all if the title will be featured on this new GameCube-based arcade hardware.
IGNcube will have a full report from the show in the coming week.


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Panasonic today announced the portable bidet- Handy De Toilette Slim DL-P300 that can wash the buttocks comfortably in toilets where there is no warm water cleaning toilet seat in Japan. The handy device with warm water washing toilet seat type function also ejects Eau de Toilette along warm water for a comfortable, clean perfumed buttock wash.
It enables to quickly detoxify persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and poisonous metals contained in groundwater, etc, such as arsenic and hexavalent chromium. Panasonic expects to apply the technology to small-scale independent water purification equipment using solar light.
Panasonic Corporation today announced that it has developed a highly effective water purification system using a newly developed photocatalyst. This system is capable of effective detoxification of polluted water by harmful heavy metals, such as arsenic, chromium, and persistent organic matter at a reaction rate of up to 100 times that of conventional methods.
Dan embarks on a hovercraft adventure, learning how to hover, steer and maneuver the craft around obstacles, up ridges and across water. One of the 125 family activities they undertake with the original 4x4 car throughout the UK.
Sprint (NYSE:S) will offer the submersible Kyocera Hydro Edge beginning on Friday, July 19, and Boost Mobile will offer the device starting Tuesday, July 23, without a contract. Kyocera Hydro Edge, which can be submerged in up to 3.28 feet of water for up to 30 minutes, is part of the new Hydro series of waterproof Android smartphones and builds on the popular Kyocera Hydro, which has been a top seller at Boost Mobile since its launch in August 2012.
Sony SmartWatch 2 is a second screen for your Android smartphone that, as well as enhancing existing phone functionality, offers unique new benefits. Combining form and function in a sleek design, it serves as a multi-functional watch, notifier, Android app interface and phone remote control, all-in-one.
The cooling plate is placed under an automotive battery to cool it. The plate not only extends the life of an automotive battery but reduces energy consumption by enabling to use the heat from the battery for a heating system. The company aims to commercialize the plate in 2015.


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Hoteliers in Spain’s Malaga have demanded a rescue plan from the government to avoid losing their businesses.
During the coronavirus pandemic businesses across Spain have been struggling massively, and the new recently introduced regulations that have forced nightlife establishments to close, and now they’ve demanded a rescue plan.
Javier Frutos, president of the Malaga Mahos hospitality business association said: “We demand a rescue plan that allows companies and jobs to be saved, especially in the nightlife segment because it has been forced to close”.
He added: “the scenario of losses that we have is already quite considerable and this increases it even more, so there will be a lot of destruction of companies and jobs”
Vice President of the Board and Minister of Tourism, Regeneration, Justice and Local Administration, Juan Marín, has said to the hospitality sector, “you are not alone.”
Thousands of businesses have been affected in Andalusia with the new measures including the smoking ban.
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MWC reveal showcases the multi-year collaboration between Prophesee and Qualcomm resulting in next generation blur-free mobile photography, now ready for customer integration into Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 enabled devices.
Zinn Labs announces event based eye tracking system for AI-enabled smart frames and VR/MR systems. Breakthrough tracking system combined with ultra low-power, low latency efficiency of event-based vision sensors from Prophesee enable new levels of intuitive, seamless user experiences
Recap of all the major announcements, product launches, awards and recognition, press and more in the year 2023.
Prophesee, the inventor of the world’s most advanced neuromorphic vision systems, today announced that Etienne Knauer will lead the company’s business unit focused on industrial and emerging markets.
Ultraleap is working with Prophesee to develop the world’s first system using event sensors and hand tracking in augmented reality (AR) devices.
Prophesee has been named a CES® 2024 Innovation Awards Honoree for its GenX320 Event-based Metavision sensor.
Prophesee launches the world’s smallest and most power-efficient event-based vision sensor, bringing more intelligence, autonomy and safety to consumer edge devices.
Responding to high growth demand, Prophesee announced a strengthening of its executive team and a new organizational structure.
iCatch Technology and Prophesee have jointly announced the launch of the iEVCam, powered by iCatch Technology’s V57 AI Imaging SoC and Prophesee’s Event-Based Metavision® Technology. The iEVCam is a smart camera reference system designed for developers to deploy innovative event-based edge AI solutions across various industries.
Ultraleap reveals new TouchFree hand-tracking demo at CVPR, using Prophesee Metavision technologies.
Android Authority named Prophesee in their Best of MWC 2023 Awards among top brands and mobile technology providers.
Prophesee Announces Collaboration with Qualcomm to Optimize Neuromorphic Vision Technologies For the Next Generation of Smartphones, Unlocking a New Image Quality Paradigm for Photography and Video
Prophesee – Qualcomm agree on a multi-year collaboration to enable native compatibility between Prophesee’s Event-Based Metavision® Sensors & Software and premium Snapdragon® mobile platforms.
Prophesee annonce aujourd’hui avoir été sélectionnée pour rejoindre le programme FT120, un programme d’accompagnement du gouvernement Français qui regroupe les 120 startups Françaises les plus performantes.
Prophesee today announced it was named to the French Tech Next120 list, a recognition and support program for top startups from the French government.
Prophesee’s EVK4 was recognized as the development kits category leader in the Product of the Year Awards by Electronic Products.
Recap of all the major announcements, product launches, awards and recognition, press and more in the year 2022.
Luca Verre, CEO and co-founder of Prophesee, was named to the Photonics 100 list among other leading innovators in the photonics industry.
The 2021 VISION Award winner is back with a powerful suite of hardware and software sensing solutions and new announcements with its fast-growing partner’s ecosystem including CIS, Datalogic, Framos, Lucid and MVTec.
Machine vision leaders combine expertise in event-based vision and high-performance camera platforms to bring outstanding performance and efficiency for 3D point cloud generation in the kHz range
Machine vision system developers can leverage the performance and efficiency of event-based cameras with the industry leading machine vision standard software MVTec HALCON to enable new ML vision features for industrial applications


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SAN FRANCISCO—Rory Read, president and CEO of Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD), said Tuesday (Jan. 22) that the company continues to make progress on its strategy for returning to profitability after the company reported fourth quarter sales that beat analysts' expectations but said it expects first quarter sales to be below estimates.
"We made progress in the fourth quarter delivering on our commitments, managing expense and cash, and beginning to transform AMD for long term growth and profitability," Read told analysts on a conference call following the fourth quarter report. Read said AMD increased its cash flow, reduced excess inventory and lowered operating expenses in the fourth quarter "in the face of a difficult market."
But Read acknowledged that AMD's full-year results fell short of expectations as a tough economy hurt PC sales. AMD plans to complete the majority of a significant restructuring announced last year during the first quarter, Read said. The company's goal is to reduce its operating expenses by 25 percent from early 2012 levels by the third quarter, and to return to profitability and positive cash flow by the second half of this year, he said.
AMD havent even taken a shot at the mobile market! Their current strategy is to reduce the cost anyhow..layoff people, ditch fab.. will work for a while, But without new products I am not sure If AMD can survive for long..
I always liked AMD so I wish them well. I am looking forward to being able to buy their embedded/low power products, similarly to how one can buy a SoC-based ARM solution or an Intel Atom and VIA motherboard. I wonder if they'll make boards themselves or have someone else do it, especially considering that Intel just announced that they'll stop making boards.


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Well, the close 18-year relationship between Sears and Y&R Chicago has come to an end, for the most part. Six months after the brand’s advertising account went back into play, Sears reportedly intends to hire McGarryBowen as its new lead creative/strategic AOR, thought the NYT’s Media Decoder reports that Y&R will still work perhaps on a project basis with the company. In addition, MD claims that Peterson Milla Hooks will create campaigns for Kmart’s apparel and home lines. McGarryBowen beat out the likes of Hill Holliday, Fallon and Connors, Cosmopolous according to the report, which you can read here.
Update: The Y&R camp wants to clarify that it will still be working on the Craftsman tools, DieHard automotive supplies and Kenmore appliances campaigns, in addition to other special projects.


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The appearance of journey post-vaccine rollouts, plus the return of Satisfaction Month media spending has convened into a possibility for each journey entrepreneurs and media manufacturers alike. Entrepreneurs are voicing help for teams of customers with excessive buy energy and media manufacturers are signing longer, and at occasions bigger, offers than in earlier years.
Thrillist discovered a possibility to monetize a distinct segment viewers with a brand new LGBTQ+ journey channel, known as We’re Out Right here, that’s sponsored with a long-term advert deal. Group 9’s meals, journey and way of life model is amongst different publishers seeing an uptick in curiosity from advertisers with spends that extend beyond Pride Month.
The channel, which launches this week, will embody written metropolis guides and video content material produced by a handful of full-time staffers and contributors who’ve private experiences concerning the areas and companies they’re protecting and/or are members of the LGBTQ+ neighborhood themselves. The vertical will dwell as a everlasting vertical of Thrillist and can faucet into the model’s social distribution.
Orbitz, a journey firm that has touted prioritizing the LGBTQ+ shopper base in its promoting technique for the previous 20 years, signed on because the launch companion for We’re Out Right here in a mid-six-figure deal that extends by the tip of the 12 months, in response to the corporate. Neither Thrillist nor Orbitz disclosed how a lot the deal is price, however the settlement will embody offered by branding and lower-funnel affiliate hyperlinks with Orbtiz’s reserving capabilities.
Satisfaction Month 2020 was anticipated to be a giant one for advert spends — it was the fiftieth anniversary of a number of Satisfaction celebrations, together with New York Satisfaction. However simply three months into the pandemic, advert budgets plummeted and marketing campaign spend was down year over year.
Additional into the pandemic — between the final half of 2020 and the primary quarter of 2021 — Group 9 surveyed greater than 1,500 readers about their opinions on journey throughout and post-pandemic. That survey, which allowed respondents to self-identify in the event that they have been within the LGBTQ+ neighborhood, discovered that this demographic was 5 occasions extra more likely to take friendliness under consideration when planning a trip in 2021 in addition to 40% extra more likely to journey if that they had the chance to be taught one thing new. Group 9 conducts one or two massive survey questionnaires every month utilizing its Lab9 viewers neighborhood community and has been asking the respondents to self-identify throughout the LGBTQ+ neighborhood for a while, in response to the corporate.
“The neighborhood is concentrated on and has the identical passions the opposite 11 months of the 12 months, and so to market to them one month actually doesn’t deal with them as people who have all of these passions. And so we need to spotlight that the dedication must be 12 months a 12 months,” stated Group 9 CRO Geoff Schiller.
In October, Group 9 relaunched its multicultural advertising and gross sales division because the MCC+ staff, which focuses on campaigns reaching audiences within the Latinx, Black, LGBTQ+ and different marginalized communities, stated Schiller. The corporate joined many different media firms and businesses that, over the past 12 months, began making extra concerted efforts in reaching their BIPOC audiences and customers by dedicated multicultural marketplaces and gross sales groups in response to the elevated curiosity from manufacturers eager to voice their help for the equality activism that happened within the wake of the homicide of George Floyd.
Over the previous 12 months, socially acutely aware manufacturers have elevated the extent of activism that they’re keen to tackle platforms like social media and of their advertising technique, stated Barry Lowenthal, CEO of media planning and shopping for company Media Kitchen. So whereas firms don’t have intentions to vital make transactions from these campaigns, they need customers to know that they’re supporting causes which can be vital to them.
“The extra these manufacturers see negativity within the media, the extra they’re pushing towards it,” Lowenthal stated.
For the reason that starting of the 12 months, campaigns created and bought with the assistance of the MCC+ staff amounted to greater than 25% of all of Group 9’s campaigns, in response to the corporate. About one-third of campaigns run by MCC+ are new shoppers for Group 9, however the staff has additionally helped to strengthen the corporate’s relationships with current shoppers like J&J, State Farm, Comcast, Amazon, American Specific and Rocket Mortgage, in response to an organization spokesperson.
“All advertisers wish to join authentically and relevantly with audiences like LGBTQ+ [community]. In the event that they’re an vital goal, it’s vital to attach in a culturally related approach. Shoppers have a reasonably good bullshit meter nowadays,” stated Alice Sylvester, companion at advertising advisor agency Sequent Companions.
Orbitz first labored with Thrillist in December as a sponsor — with a mid-six-figure deal — for the model’s Slay Experience, a brand new annual drag brunch that premiered as a digital occasion final 12 months. That occasion introduced in additional than 7,000 dwell viewers and 70,000 complete views because the occasion.
Group 9 additionally secured American Specific because the sponsor of one other travel-based editorial package deal from Thrillist. This explicit sponsorship is proscribed to this month however is a mid-six-figure deal. Group 9 didn’t share particular figures.
As publishers look to proceed securing long-term offers, each side ought to take into account messaging wants. Most journey firms and tourism vacation spot areas plan their media buys as much as a 12 months upfront of peak journey season, in response to Michael Hubbard, CEO of Media Two Interactive. Satisfaction Month and different consciousness months, then have completely different messaging methods — the majority of campaigns are much less about driving individuals to e-book proper then and there, however are categorised throughout the prime of funnel methods.
“With occupancy charges nearing document highs at locations, the truth is that is extra of a artistic play than it’s an elevated media purchase. Whereas it gained’t draw extra individuals to an already capacity-filled city — it can get guests to think about coming again repeatedly,” Hubbard stated.


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Local Banya to PepperTap: Grocery startups getting stale at an alarming rate
PepperTap has shut operations of its online grocery business and is the second to take this route after LocalBanya
Online grocery-selling startups don't seem to be cutting enough veggies for customers. PepperTap has become the latest of the stale greens to hit the garbage dump after Local Banya. The other players, too, aren’t in the freshest of shelves in the refrigerator.
Earlier last week, PepperTap decided to shut down its cash-burning grocery business and remain a logistics company at seed. This would also result in 150 people find other avenues to put food on their plates. PepperTap, which is controlled by Nuvo Logistics, has raised $40 million (Rs 266.1 crore) so far and counts e-commerce major Snapdeal, Sequoia India, SAIF Partners, Ru-Net, Beenext and JAFCO Asia among its investors.
In October 2015, employees of LocalBanya had to face a similar predicament when the startup down shutters, though temporarily. Although, the struggle to keep the food fresh became real when the company finally melted into oblivion in January this year.
But what is it about these online grocery startups that is raising the stink so bad? Market-leader and Shah Rukh Khan-endorsed BigBasket, too, has seen its losses tripled to Rs 60 crore by the end of previous fiscal. The company had managed to raise Rs 571 crore.
Grofers has also shut sop in 9 Indian cities and reported a loss of Rs 4 crore in FY15, according to a report by NextBigWhat.com. The company, through two rounds of funding, amassed nearly Rs 1100 crore.
Navneet Singh, CEO, PepperTap said that issues like high customer acquisition costs due to discounts, poor app integration with partner stores for shutting down. He said the company was "losing cash on every order" and has decided to "preserve a large amount of the investor capital" than "be at the bottom of the abyss," he wrote on YourStory.com.
"The unique challenges of this business are not solvable in the short term and certainly not solvable without massive injections of capital. We would have to confront this issue sooner or later," said Singh.
"At this point, we were forced to ask ourselves whether our continuing to operate in the grocery delivery space was not, in fact, doing a massive disservice to our current investors and employees," he added.
(With inputs from PTI)
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(KRON) — Car break-ins and thefts are some of the issues the city of Oakland is facing. One Oakland restaurant is fed up with it.
NIDO’s BackYard announced it has acquired a parking lot directly across the restaurant at 104 Oak St. In addition, the business hired security guards to watch over the lot.
“We have heard you loud and clear. We are sick and tired of our city not stepping up, so WE DID,” NIDO’s BackYard wrote in an email Thursday.
Customers will now be able to their cars with the peace of mind that their car is unlikely to be broken into. The parking lot is accessible and free for customers during NIDO’s operating hours.
“It’s a state of emergency at this point,” said Jenny Schwarz of NIDO’s restaurant. “Our businesses are really suffering. I think everyone we talk to business is down 20 to 30 percent, maybe 10 percent, but still, that’s all of our profits.”
NIDO’s BackYard is open Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. On weekends, it is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Last summer, NIDO’s hired full-time security but couldn’t afford to patrol the entire street.
In 2019, 5,041 car thefts were reported in Oakland, according to the FBI’s crime report. Oakland’s rate of 1,161.4 thefts per 100,000 people tops any other city in the country.
“(The parking lot is) currently free. Eventually, we will have to start charging for it because again this is not something we can afford to pay for ourselves, but we’re not making any money off it will just be a nominal fee just to cover expenses and keep people safe,” Schwarz said.
NIDO’s serves Mexcian cuisine and a variety of drinks, including margaritas, beer and wine. NIDO’s opened back in 2019. The business “focuses on seasonal Mexican cuisine along with a curated list of agave spirits and cocktails,” NIDO’s BackYard said on its website.


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The six finalists
in the 2014 Electrolux Design Lab certainly threw up some eye-catching ideas. This year's competition called on designers from around the world to conceive appliances in line with the theme of "Creating Healthy Homes." Electrolux has now revealed the winner, the Future Hunter-Gatherer concept aimed at reconnecting us with our food sources by gamifying the task of grocery shopping.
Pedestrians will often ignore the "red man" at pedestrian lights in order to cross the road sooner. Unfortunately, this leads to accidents. Car manufacturer Smart created an experiment to see if it could improve safety at traffic lights by incentivizing pedestrians to wait for the green man.
Hoping to build on their success in bringing a marriage of physical movement and arcade action to the mainstream with Guitar Hero
, RedOctane co-founders Kai and Charles Huang have formed Blue Goji and are looking to gain a foothold in the rapidly-evolving world of exercise-gaming. Their latest effort, Goji Play, uses two wireless controllers and an activity sensor to turn a regular cardio machine into a makeshift video game platform.
How many times when you were a kid complaining about doing something boring were you told to make a game of it? If your parents and teachers were anything like mine, probably quite a few. Looks like the folks behind Green Goose might have copped the same treatment – they have come up with a system that turns boring tasks like brushing your teeth and exercising into a game that awards the 'player' with lifestyle points for completing various everyday tasks, in much the same way as players earn experience points in role playing games.


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New York lawmakers are working together to come up with a proposal to set up their own cryptocurrency
US lawmakers have proposed a cryptocurrency in New York. The proposed cryptocurrency will act as a form of hyper-localized digital currency that will run on a peer-to-peer payment platform.
The proposal comes from New York State Assembly member Ron Kim, Senator Julia Salazar and Cornell law professor Robert Hockett, who published a whitepaper to explain this idea as it came with the general requirement for cryptocurrencies to eliminate middlemen in November 2019.
According to data from the US government, more than 14 million mature Americans lacked bank accounts in 2017. For various reasons, from personal choice to a range of prohibitive factors such as lack of personal identity and unemployment, or the inability to pay minimum balance and/or transport to the bank during business hours.
Robert Hockett, who joined Cornell’s law department in 2004, made a proposal on the subject of creating a state payment and monetary payment platform in New York with the aim of alleviating economic problems for Individuals and small businesses do not have a bank account. Professor is appointed by State Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Queens).
Kim introduced a bill in New York Congress that would set up a new Empire State system, named the New York Inclusive Value Ledger. It is referred to the Assembly’s Committee on Banks. State Senator Julia Salazar (D-North Brooklyn) is leading the parallel law in the other chamber.
New York cryptocurrency’s operation
Payments are peer-to-peer and feeless, no less but instead of a truly distributed ledger, the ledger will be maintained by a New York Master Account Administrator, one and a Master account, which takes the form of one of publicity of the governmental unit in question or of a legal trustee dealt with and administered by that entity.
The paper’s authors call it Public Venmo, a way for state citizens to access the digital economy of the internet. But unlike Venmo, it won’t charge for instant bank transfers or credit card systems.
Lawmakers also said that the $ 55.7 billion the state issues with taxes, money transfer credits and other government benefits will be distributed using a digital debit-credit ledger system.
- CFTC Failed To Locate Benjamin Reynold, Who Defrauded Customers With Bitcoin Worth $ 147 Million
- Bitcoin Price Fell Below $ 8,000 After US President Trump Announced His Readiness To Seek Peace With Iran


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Chinese smartphone manufacturer, OnePlus has started to roll out a new OxygenOS beta update for last year’s OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T flagship devices. While the OnePlus 5 will receive the OxygenOS Open Beta 17 update, the OnePlus 5T will receive the OxygenOS Open Beta 15 update. The latest update brings a new portrait selfie feature along with a host of other functionalities.
As per the changelog mentioned in the official OnePlus forum, the latest OxygenOS open beta brings a host of new features and functionalities on both the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T devices. Let us quickly recap all the new features.
Talking about the system updates first, the latest update brings a Toast Message source for the Toast messages sent by background apps. A description has also been added to the Sleep standby optimization when the feature is turned on for the first time. Apart from these, the update also includes a fix for call recoding issue along with the Android Security patch of August 2018.
On the camera front, the OxygenOS Open Beta update brings a new Selfie Portrait feature to the OnePlus 5 and the OnePlus 5T. Among the other updates, the OxygenOS Open Beta also brings some improvements to the weather app and gaming modes. The update improves the weather data accuracy and also show hourly forecasts with 8 units of meteorological data such as perceived temperature and precipitation probability.
The update also brings text notification mode to Gaming Mode 3.0 along with UI optimization and call suspension notification. In addition to these updates, the OxygenOS Open Beta update also includes a new OxygenOS UI for notes and an optimized process for sharing notes as an image file.
With these updates, the OnePLus 5 and OnePlus 5T is set to provide an optimized experience to the users especially in the camera department with the addition of the Selfie Portrait Mode.


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Breast cancer group questions value of pink ribbon campaigns
- Daniel S. Levine
Barbara Brenner is seeing red over pink.
Brenner is executive director of Breast Cancer Action, a San Francisco advocacy group known within the nonprofit world as the "bad girls of breast cancer."
That's not to say Brenner calls National Institutes of Health Director Elias Zerhouni at three in the morning to ask him if his refrigerator is running.
Instead, what has won that moniker for the organization is its willingness to ask questions, often of the impolite sort, and encourage others to do the same.
With Breast Cancer Awareness Month upon us, consumers are being inundated with products bearing pink ribbons and a promise that a purchase will help support the fight against breast cancer.
All during October, you can eat, drink and do whatever follows biologically to help the fight against breast cancer. Quilted Northern Ultra toilet paper donates 50 cents for every proof of purchase collected and mailed in from specially marked pink ribbon packages.
Other products sporting pink ribbons include golf balls, umbrellas, pencil sharpeners, grills, watches, wine, jewelry, paint, candy, soda, pens, iPod cases, shower gel, mixers and even pink-colored Tic-Tacs.
Aside from worries that such marketing efforts trivialize the disease and that companies do a poor job of explaining how their donations will be used to fight breast cancer, Brenner believes so-called "cause marketing" is more about marketing than cause.
"With all of these campaigns, people have to start asking some very serious questions about what's happening so they know where their money is going," Brenner said.
Breast Cancer Action has launched its own campaign, think before you pink, which lists some of the many products bearing pink ribbons this year. It urges consumers to find out how much of their purchase is going to breast-cancer efforts, and exactly which organizations stand to benefit, before they buy.
Daniel S. Levine can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org or (415) 288-4949.
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The Samsung Instinct received “Best In Show” during the Emerging Technology (E-Tech) Award competition, which took place during the CTIA Wireless 2008 convention in Las Vegas.
The Samsung Instinct was first voted “First Place” in the Mobile CE – Phones/Smartphones category by a panel consisting of 31 judges. The “Best In Show” award was then chosen by CTIA attendees. Not surprisingly, attendees voted via text message. CNET also bestowed an award on the Samsung Instinct during its Cream of the Crop CTIA 2008 Awards. The phone was given the title “Best Cell Phone” by CNET.
Sprint and Samsung first announced the Samsung Instinct April 1st. The phone is expected to compete with the iPhone because of the touch screen technology used by the phone in addition to its virtual QWERTY keyboard and voice activation features. The phone is also the first EV-DO Rev A device by Sprint which is marketed toward consumers.
The Samsung Instinct is capable of accessing a number of Sprint services, including Sprint Navigation (GPS navigation), Live Search for Sprint, Sprint TV, Sprint Exclusive Entertainment, the Sprint Music Store and Pocket Express which provides news and access to weather, sports and movie showtimes based on zip code. The Samsung Instinct is expected to be available in June.
Read more from the Sprint press release.
Sprint and Samsung have to be awfully pleased with the performance of the Samsung Instinct at CTIA. With all of the rewards it received there is no doubt that people who might have been considering an iPhone might want to take a look at the Samsung Instinct before making their purchase. This is exactly the kind of phone which will help Sprint to attract new customers while retaining their current subscriber base.
You have to give it to Samsung. They designed a heck of a phone when it comes to the Instinct. It basically has everything someone would want in a smartphone. There’s no doubt that Samsung is going to grab some decent market share as a result of the Instinct.
It’s just too bad we have to wait until June to be able to grab one. If the phone was already available Samsung and Sprint could have been taking advantage of some of the momentum after CTIA. Now the two companies will have to create their own when the phone is launched three months later.


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Britons are collectively paying for 143m gigabytes of data every month that goes unused
Too many mobile phone users are throwing money away by paying for data they never use or a handset they have already paid off.
As tariffs become more complex, and many people bundle their mobile with broadband and digital TV services, it is easy to lose track of what you are paying for and what you actually use.
Britons are collectively paying for 143 million gigabytes worth of data every month that goes unused, research from uSwitch.com shows.
The price comparison and switching service found that one in five mobile users has no idea how much data is included in their package, while a quarter are unaware of how much they use.
The losses can be huge, with earlier research from Citizens Advice revealing that mobile customers overspend by £300 on the average two-year contract, often because sales staff recommend overly expensive tariffs.
Ernest Doku, uSwitch.com’s mobiles expert, said that with so many contracts now offering sizeable data bundles, customers can easily fall into the trap of thinking they need maximum gigabytes: “By paying for data you do not use you are simply wasting money.”
Mobile customers overspend by £300 on the average two-year contract research has revealed
By paying for data you do not use you are simply wasting money
CHECK IT OUT
Mobile phone suppliers typically show your monthly usage through an app or their website, otherwise you can check your phone settings or download a stand-alone app such as WalletSaver.com, which also allows you to compare mobile deals.
Doku said work out roughly how much data you need and give yourself a slight buffer for peace of mind: “You can also set data usage warnings or a cap to make sure you do not exceed your limit.”
If your usage varies significantly, some packages allow you to adjust how much data you are using on a month-by-month basis, or carry unused data into subsequent months.
Doku said these flexi or roll-over contracts give you more control over your monthly spend: “A word of warning: they often require customers to actively update their usage at the end of each month.”
Network O2 recently launched a new flexible tariff that allows users to vary the cost every month, depending on how much data they anticipate using.
Mobile phone users ring up unnecessary costs by languishing on old contracts
Another way mobile phone users ring up unnecessary costs is to languish on an old contract.
Vix Leyton, consumer expert at Broadbandchoices.co.uk, warned against staying in mobile contracts beyond your initial agreement, especially if you took the ‘free’ handset option with the cost of your phone deducted every month for an initial period: “If you remain on the contract after the handset is paid off, you are literally paying money for nothing. Work out when your contract ends and be ready to move onto a cheaper tariff. If still happy with your phone you could save money by switching to a Sim-only contract.”
These can cost less than £10 a month and often have greater flexibility.
Leyton added: “They can give you value for money without the commitment of a traditional contract, or you can use it as a stopgap while you wait for a handset you like.”
SELL IT ON
Unshackled.com allows users to buy their phone and Sim separately, from a choice of 16 networks, with the freedom to change phone or Sim when a better deal is available.
Finally, you may be able to earn cash when upgrading your old handset, through recycling your old one on a site such as SellMyMobile.com.
The site’s telecoms expert Thom Bryan said the average handset sells for £130 and newer phones command an even bigger premium: “The 128GB iPhone 7 sells on average for £332, which you can invest into your next phone.”
Your mobile may be one of life’s little essentials, but you still need to dial down the costs.


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Snap, the company that owns the app Snapchat, demonstrated that it can do hardware as well by unveiling the Spectacles last year. They’re basically a pair of sunglasses that make it very easy to Snapchat on the go. It started selling them in limited quantities using cute vending machines in select locations across the United States and now, ahead of its pending IPO, the company has decided to open up sales for everyone. Snap Spectacles are now available for purchase online in the United States. You no longer have to go out of your way to find one of those vending machines.
Perhaps with this move the company is trying to prove to investors that Spectacles wasn’t just a brand stunt and that it’s a viable hardware product that can make some good money for the company. Those who are interested in picking one up can head over to Spectacles.com to pick up a pair for $129.99.
Even though anyone can place an order for Spectacles now it’s going to take some time before their units arrives. Customers may have to wait for up to four weeks for their units to chip. Snap is also selling $9.99 charging cords and $49.99 charging cases for Spectacles online, these were previously sold via Amazon but will no longer be available from the online retailer.
Now that Spectacles are available for purchase in the United States it remains to be seen if the company is going to expand this product globally, at least in neighboring markets, but that’s something that it hasn’t said much about at this point in time.


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CRAiLAR gets IKEA, Adidas investments and commitments
By Andy Giegerich
Digital Managing Editor
Adidas and IKEA will supply money to CRAiLAR Technologies Inc. as the company aims to increase its flax reach.
Portland’s foremost flax fiber supplier says it has reached two agreements — one with IKEA, one with Adidas — that will bring it a collective $5 million.
CRAiLAR Technologies Inc. revealed Thursday it has reached a $3.2 million financing agreement with IKEA. The deal accompanied word that CRAiLAR inked a general supply agreement with the Swedish retailing giant as well.
The money comes in the form of a 30-month 1.9 percent fixed rate loan. CRAiLAR will pour the capital into its European production facility as well as working capital for IKEA orders.
CRAiLAR further grabbed a $2 million private placement from Hydra Ventures B.V., which is the Adidas Group’s corporate venture arm.
Hydra will essentially buy up to 3.3 million units of Crailer for 60 cents apiece.
“As a global leader in the advancement of sustainability and sports performance, we believe that our relationship with such an iconic sports company will help deliver a CRAiLAR brand and product message to some of the most loyal consumers on the planet,” said Ken Barker, CRAiLAR’s CEO, in a release.
Barker, a former Adidas executive, also noted that IKEA is the world's largest home furnishings retailer.
His company uses a technology that removes the binding agents from rough fibers such as flax and hemp to make it more like cotton.
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Over the weekend I noticed Bitcoin was close to $50,000 which shows the level of insanity that a gold rush brings. Reports of an internet cafe in Vietnam running a mining shop comes as no surprise.
In recent years, thieves have stolen billions of dollars’ worth of bitcoin. And the digital nature of those thefts often make it difficult for authorities to track down the crooks. There is no real security with digital coins which makes them a criminal favorite. Bitcoin has led to thousands of others digital coins all chasing the almighty buck. The Ponzi scheme is achieved in full.
With prices rising the few overpriced video cards are now gone. The supply of cards on eBay has also dried up considerably. The US stock market is also rising as low rates drive more fixed income into exchange traded funds. RTX Ampere cards for 3840×2150 gaming are able to handle even the latest class games. Now the game developers are largely going to stick to Xbox One and PS4 standards as more powerful hardware is hard to find. The effect on gaming will be felt for years even after the Bitcoin mania subsides.
Gold rushes in the past were economic disasters primarily as nobody cared about finding the gold. California and the Yukon are just two examples of gold rushes where people poured in to find fortune and fame. Most never even made the obituaries. The boom and bust cycle of digital coins has to be one of the most egregious problems the world has ever faced. Brutal tax cuts have driven speculation in the hope to strike it rich. The folly of Reagan onwards will result in a vicious cycle of boom and bust that will eventually trash the global economy completely.
Any hope for a better gaming card has now been abandoned. No matter as the existing games are all playable with the trust old EVGA RTX 2080. It does mean that system requirements for games will remain lower than the Xbox Series X|S or the PS5.


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The perfect storm of Labor Day, back-to-school and end-of-summer clearance sales make September ideal for bargain-hunters. From consumer watchdog DealNews.com, here’s the scoop on what’s best to buy in September—and what purchases to put on the back burner:
Summer Apparel – No surprise here—retailers ranging from big-box outlets to designers blow out summer styles in September. Pro tip: Buy for your family now and stow it for next year.
Grills/Patio Furniture – Like summer apparel, leftover grill and patio furniture inventory goes on sale in September. Look for items stacked at the front of hardware and home stores for the best bargains.
Big-Screen TVs – The best big-screen buys in September are on mid-size models (the perfect size for apartments or dorm rooms), but larger sizes are often marked down, as well.
Mattresses – Historically, the best times to purchase a new mattress were in April or May—but Labor Day sales are becoming another contender. Pro tip: Double-down on a deal by using coupons on top of sale prices.
Laptops – Seventy-five percent of laptops are discounted considerably for back-to-school season. Big-box electronics providers are your best bet for the best deals.
Previous Generation iPhones – There are appreciable savings to be had on older iPhones in September, when the new model typically rolls out. Rock-bottom bargains on these devices can be found on online auction sites, like eBay.
Textbooks – Both buyers and sellers of textbooks can expect deals in September, when need is highest.
DealNews.com advises shoppers to hold off on buying washers, dryers and other large appliances, as well as some electronics, in September. While the month brings decent sales on these items, Black Friday sales in November have historically yielded better savings.
For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.


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The Associated Press is reporting that officials at the Bangladesh garment factory that collapsed on Tuesday, killing at least 238 people, ignored orders to evacuate the building prior to the disaster.
According to the AP, police ordered the evacuation on Tuesday after seeing deep cracks in the walls of the building. Instead, the factories’ operators kept more than 2,000 people working.
Garment companies operating in the collapsed building sell their wares to western retail giants like Wal-Mart and Dress Barn.
Click here to read the AP story.


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This is brilliant, Jonny Ross is living his dream, makes a couple of games and then Microsoft sign him to produce games for Xbox One… is this the next football? Celebs being signed to make games…
Microsoft has made an unexpected new job appointment, hiring Jonathan Ross to act as an executive producer for new Xbox and mobile games.
He doesn’t seem to have been given a proper job title yet but Ross will ‘advise’ various Microsoft teams in the UK, including Kinect Sports developer Rare and Fable maker Rare. Although he won’t be a full-time employee.
Ross has already provided voices for characters in Fable III, as well as having a cameo in Halo 3, and is well known as a fan of video games, movies, comic books, and pop culture in general.
He also runs his own mobile games developer called Hotsauce Interactive, which made the rather good endless runner Catcha Catcha Aliens. So as much as this news sounds like a press stunt Ross does actually have some experience as a games producer.
‘We wanted to change our thinking’, said Microsoft’s Phil…
View original post 279 more words


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National CBD Day is coming up on August 8! The national holiday is a great opportunity to celebrate the health and wellness benefits of the hemp-based compound that is used for relieving pain and anxiety.
Cambridge, Wisconsin's local hemp producer Canndigenous, which launched in 2021 as the first independent Native American-owned CBD hemp company in Wisconsin, is an integrated company that grows organic hemp on its Wisconsin farm and sells consumer wellness products at its Ripley Green retail apothecary location. Founded by serial entrepreneur and proud member of the Bad River Tribe, Rob Pero, Canndigenous offers locally grown, organic CBD produced with a commitment to natural, transparent, and sustainable practices.
We'd love to invite you to the retail location Ripley Green ahead of CBD Day to learn more about the benefits of CBD and the Canndigneous' commitment to doing things, as the Ojibwe say, "in a good way".
NATIONAL CBD DAY SAMPLES: Please let us know if we can set up a time to host you at Ripley Green in Cambridge to speak with Rob and sample some products ahead of National CBD Day on August 8.
Canndigenous CBD products, including hemp flower, pre-rolls and tinctures, are currently available online nationwide at Canndigenous.com and at Ripley Green’s retail location at 226 W. Main Street in historic Cambridge, Wisc.
# # #
As the first Native American owned hemp farm and CBD retailer in Wisconsin, Canndigenous focuses on growing local, high-quality CBD and providing wellness products with a commitment to natural, organic, and sustainable practices. All of Canndigenous’ hemp plants are rooted around tenets of love for family, support for community, respect for the natural world, and a commitment to doing everything, as the Ojibwe say, “in a good way.” Learn more about Canndigenous at www.Canndigenous.com.


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Apple that is red inside coming to Australia
Australian family-owned fresh produce company Montague have announced they are launching a debut apple brand named Kissabel that is ‘red inside’.
Kissabel apples have been grown by an international consortium comprising of 14 of the biggest apple producers from five continents, after 20 years of research conducted by French breeder Ifored.
The product recently launched in Europe, with Australian consumers soon expected to be able to taste the new apple brand.
Apples available to consumers post 2020
Kissabel fruit from three varieties has been chosen for the first commercial tests of the brand in Europe, and made its way to Australian orchards in winter 2017.
Montague aims to plant 14 varieties in the coming years, with apples available for consumers post 2020.
Plans for Kissabel to extend globally
The range of apple flavours includes Kissabel Orange, with an attractive orange skin that conceals a pink-red flesh, with a sweet-tart balance.
Ifored Chairman Bruno Essner said, “the Kissabel brand is characterised by crunching into an apple and discovering its unique flesh colour.”
“The Ifored partners are preparing for the release of Kissabel apples all over the world in the next five years,” Essner said.
Montague expects to have a select amount of Kissabel samples available for trade testing mid-2019 as a result of first harvest in winter 2017.
Image- Kissabel apples
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♫ ❅ HOLIDAYS ARE COMING ❅ ♫
We can almost feel the festive Christmas feeling, but what is the festive season without the Iconic Coca-Cola truck?
To many of us, the sight of Coca-Cola’s iconic ‘Holidays Are Coming’ advert signifies the start of the Christmas season. Soon, people across the nation can be set for even more festive joy as the unmistakable Coca-Cola Christmas truck makes a return back to Manchester.
The truck will be visiting 46 locations across the UK including Manchester.
Dates & location will be released very soon, so please click attending on the event & share the love by inviting your friends. .


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Nike Drops Livestrong Ties (Update)
Update: Nike has produced merchandise with the Livestrong logo for nine years – raising more than $100 million for the foundation. But Nike will stop making the merchandise after this holiday season.
According to Livestrong Vice President of Communications & External Affairs Katherine McLane, Nike will stop production before the end of 2013 – that's before the contract ends in December 2014.
Nike created the famous yellow wristband and gifted it to Livestrong. The non-profit will continue producing it.
“The foundation sees 2013 as a rebuilding year," McLane said. "Given the pretty significant changes it has weathered in recent months, this is a time for the foundation to rebuild itself, to steer a strong and independent course that ensures the long-term health and sustainability of the organization."
McLane says both Nike and Livestrong will fulfill the terms of the contract and there will be no immediate financial effect to the foundation.
"Obviously, knowing that the foundation's contract with Nike ends in 2014, the foundation had not counted revenue as a result of that partnership beyond 2014," McLane said.
The foundation is exceeding budget projections for this time of year.
Original Story (11:22 a.m.): Nike is cutting ties with Livestrongafter nine years.
The Austin-based non-profit was founded by cyclist Lance Armstrong. And it’s been feeling the fallout from Armstrong’s admission of taking performance-enhancing drugs. Armstrong’s beenstripped of his seven Tour de France titles and Nike dropped its personal sponsorship of him last fall.
Nike had a licensing agreement with Livestrong and even created the famous yellow wristband.
Livestrong officials say the charity “expected and planned for changes like this” and remains fiscally strong and committed to helping cancer patients.
Earlier this year, the Austin Marathon also ended its agreement with Livestrong.
Here's the full statement from Livestrong:
"The LIVESTRONG Foundation is deeply grateful to Nike not only for the time and resources it invested in helping us improve the lives of people affected by cancer today, but also the creative drive it brought to our nine-year partnership. While the Foundation created and owns the LIVESTRONG brand, Nike shone a spotlight on the spirit of courage and resilience it represents. Since 2004, Nike helped raise more than $100 million to advance the Foundation's mission. Together, we created new, revolutionary ways of thinking about how non-profits fuel their mission and we're proud of that.
"This news will prompt some to jump to negative conclusions about the Foundation's future. We see things quite differently. We expected and planned for changes like this and are therefore in a good position to adjust swiftly and move forward with our patient-focused work. Because of our sound fiscal health, the Foundation is well-positioned to continue to grow our free services for cancer patients and survivors that improve quality of life and access to care. Because of our excellent governance and quality of service, the Foundation remains one of the most highly-rated and effective non-profits in the United States. Because 14 million Americans face the daily challenges of living with cancer, our mission has never been more critical and for some, it will mean the difference between life and death.
"Taking a revolutionary approach to improving outcomes for cancer patients and survivors has been part of the LIVESTRONG Foundation's DNA since our creation in 1997. Change, while sometimes hard, also brings opportunity. We are always eager to partner with organizations that are genuinely committed to our mission. Constant innovation and relentless determination on behalf of people facing cancer today are what drive us and we take that spirit to heart during this time of change for our organization."


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Asperity Employee Benefits has launched a new employee benefits platform for Kellogg’s, entitled ‘Kellogg’s Cornflex’. The scheme has already proved to be a resounding success, with 50% take-up and £60,000 spend since the launch on 12 November.
Asperity’s proven success at engaging offline workforces was a huge bonus for the leading food manufacturer, whose 2000 factory-based staff across the UK and Ireland do not have internet access at work. The addition of a discounts programme offering a wealth of everyday savings satisfies Kellogg’s objective to benefit the entire families of their employees.
Choosing a provider that integrates all their existing benefits into one central platform has enabled Kellogg’s employees to be aware of their benefits package as a whole, increasing employee engagement across all modules. The Kellogg’s Cornflex BenefitsHub™ integrates cycle to work, childcare vouchers, holiday trading, discounts and PMI into one central place for ease of access for employees.
Jenni Yates, Account Manager for Kellogg’s confirmed that “reaching employees on an individual level was a key objective for Kellogg’s, so being able to tailor their package to the individual was a crucial reason for choosing Asperity. I worked closely with Jane Bell to design a highly bespoke communication plan, including a personalised letter to all employees’ home addresses to inform them of the change of provider and promote the new benefits.”


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Microsoft Joins Ford On Electric Car Software Project
April 1, 2010
(ChattahBox) – Microsoft has announced that they will be teaming up with Ford to create a software for their electric cars that will allow consumers to check the battery levels in their cars, and know when the best time would be to recharge them.
The Hohm software would be placed in five vehicles that are set to be released in north America and Europe in 2013, both in pure electric and hybrid forms.
With 42% of consumers claiming they are considering or planning to get a hybrid or electric vehicle in the next few years, the demand is high for an easy and reliable way to keep such vehicles moving smoothly, without interruptions from dying batteries.
But further implications rest on the shoulders of the electric companies. Consumers will usually plug for recharging right after work, which will lead to a severe surge in energy usage.
“The demand placed on the energy grid will be momentous,” Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said.
“Addressing the challenge of how that demand is managed in a smart and affordable way is absolutely going to be critical. And information technology will be an essential part of supporting the energy ecosystem.”
With this new software, consumers will know the prime times to recharge, rather than doing so needlessly, and putting unneeded strain on the electric grid.


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-height: 30px"> Scientists have made new breakthroughs in cryo-electron microscopy technology
Tunable flexible artificial synapses: a new path to wearable electronic systems
Time of Update: 2021-03-14
To achieve that, a high-performance flexible artificial synapse is created based on a carefully designed and optimized memristive transistor.
India's new electronic medicine business has faced resistance from traditional family pharmacies
Time of Update: 2021-02-21
The Financial Times reported on June 17th that India's pharmaceutical start-ups, which have emerged from a wave of internet technology, are struggling, complaining of being suppressed by local regulators and accusing them of ordering hundreds
ASTM will publish new international standards for smart electronics coatings
Time of Update: 2021-02-10
The American Association for Materials and Testing (ASTM) Committee on Coatings, Related Materials and Applications (D01) will issue a new international standard D8380 for the current testing methods for wear resistance of touch screen coatings for smart electronics.
Environment could become part of new U.S. dietary guidelines
Time of Update: 2021-02-08
But beef and related industries are opposed, saying environmental impacts should not be included in long-term planning of dietary guidelines.
Just! The new regulations for the evaluation of electronic medical records of the National Health and Health Commission have been issued
Time of Update: 2021-02-04
Council on Promoting the Development of "Internet and Medical Health" (State Office Issued No. 26 of 2018) and "Notice on Further Promoting the Information Construction of Medical Institutions with Electronic Medical Records as the Core" (State Office
Evante's new Artisan ™ ABS thermoplastic solutions to create metal effects for a wide range of electronic products
Time of Update: 2021-02-02
has developed customized ABS formulations that create metal effects to help electronics manufacturers eliminate coating processes while achieving scratch and chemical resistance and achieving sustainability goals.
WACKER introduces new electronic silicones and VAE emulsions for hard-to-stick substrate paper adhesives
Time of Update: 2020-12-15
has a low glassy temperature, combined with excellent adhesion and cohesion, is the ideal emulsion substrate for hard-to-stick substrate paper adhesives. VINNAPAS®S. ® EP845 is designed for 3D sheet bonding vacuum glist formulation, with excellent fit
New regulations for the online sale of pharmaceuticals for public consultation Electronic prescriptions should ensure reliable sources
Time of Update: 2020-12-14
draft for comments clearly states that the drug network seller shall be the licensed holder of the drug market (hereinafter referred to as the holder) or the pharmaceutical business enterprise.
British scholars: the new coronavirus may have long been "sleeping" in many parts of the world
Time of Update: 2020-11-29
, July 7 (Xinhua) -- A report on the website of the Daily Telegraph quoted Oxford University scholar Dr. Tom Jefferson as saying that there is growing evidence that the new coronavirus existed in other parts of the world before the outbreak
Liaoning four friends new material proposed to build 20,000 tons / year electronic grade epoxy resin project.
Time of Update: 2020-10-06
/> main products: epoxy (ii) construction unit name and contact information unit name: Liaoning Four Friends New Materials Co., Ltd. Contact: Huigong Contact: 13831652437 E-mail: email@example.com Address: Tai'an County
Single particle frozen electron microscope technology: TRPML3 channel new structural features.
Time of Update: 2020-08-14
-derived lysozyme calcium ion channel TRPML3 in the closed state, the open state caused by an agonis and the acid pH suppression state, and revealed the unprecedented structural characteristics, which provided a new structural basis for the study
Strong join forces! The pilot of the new electronic materials project between United Group and Jiayu was successful.
Time of Update: 2020-07-27
July 17, 2020, United -Jiayu new electronic materials project trial success! The project development discussion meeting was held at the Shaoguan production base. Jiayu company is a focus on high-performance film materials manufacturers
Sweden invents new equipment for casting medical parts
Time of Update: 2020-07-07
The machine system uses electron beams to heat titanium powder in a vacuum and is precisely molded in a computer-aided design (e.g. to make titanium knees, hipjoints, etc.).
Philips Electronics develops a new CT scanner
Time of Update: 2020-07-06
Philips Electronics recently developed a new CT scanner , not only can high-speed display of three-dimensional images of human organs, but also can greatly reduce radiation radiation to the human body.
Electronic health insurance clearance manual: 40 million new users added during the outbreak, but the fire is also embarrassing behind the fire
Time of Update: 2020-06-15
The surge in the number of people activated by health insurance e-vouchers during the "new crown" outbreak "looks beautiful", but it's still a long way from actually becoming the entry point for Internet health insurance payments.
New electronic skin system gives robots a keener sense of "touch"
Time of Update: 2020-06-02
Humans need to use touch to accomplish almost all daily tasks, such as picking up a cup of coffee or shaking hands. Similarly, robots need "touch" to better interact with humans, but robots still don't feel objects well. a team of researchers


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New MacBook Pro benchmarks have surfaced online ahead of a possible refresh at WWDC later today.
The new machine, which features a six-core Intel Coffee Lake processor, outperforms every other MacBook on Geekbench.
We aren’t expecting a great deal of new hardware from WWDC. We’ll probably have to wait until the fall for a new iPhone SE, a new iPad Pro, and a new Apple Watch. But the MacBook lineup is overdue a refresh, and it’s the perfect time to announce one.
MacBook Pro needs Intel’s latest chips
Today’s MacBook Pro family is fast, but it could be a lot faster. Intel’s latest Coffee Lake chips have been out for some time now, and it’s about time Apple adopted them. According to one Geekbench entry, the wait could soon be over.
A “MacBookPro14,3” surfaced in the Geekbench database over the weekend. It’s powered by an Intel Core i7-8750H processor, which has a base clock speed of 2.21GHz and can boost to 4.1GHz. What’s most exciting about this chip is that it boasts six cores.
This would make it the first six-core chip to grace the MacBook Pro lineup. Even the most expensive model in today’s family has a quad-core CPU. And the improvement in performance is reflected in benchmark tests.
Coffee Lake MacBook Pro is blazing-fast
The machine tested on Geekbench achieved a score of 4,902 in single-core tests and a staggering 22,316 in multi-core tests. That makes it the fastest MacBook to appear on Geekbench so far, with the closest competition scoring 16,999 in multi-core tests.
This particular machine is also listed with 32GB of RAM, twice as much as the 16GB limit of 2017 MacBook Pro models, which will be welcome news to MacBook Pro buyers who need plenty of performance on the go.
These benchmarks don’t confirm anything, of course. There’s a chance they may even be fake. But with a MacBook Pro refresh expected sooner rather than later, and a WWDC keynote right around the corner, it’s hard to avoid a little excitement.


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Analyst Note| Kristoffer Inton |
The coronavirus pandemic has had mixed impact on uranium supply and demand but will likely be negative overall for Cameco. On one hand, the pandemic has forced unexpected supply disruptions. For example, Kazatomprom had reduced operations at all its mines for three months starting in April, with a recent extension announced earlier this month. With Kazakhstan responsible for 40% of global production, any change in production has a material impact on the supply market. In addition, Cameco had shuttered Cigar Lake, and various other producers also reduced operations in response to the pandemic. As a result, spot prices rapidly rose 35% to more than $33 per pound from February to April and have remained flat since.


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Brief #15 Economic Policy
On the weekend May 18-21, a team of Chinese delegates lead by the CCP’s Vice Premier and economist Liu He met with representatives from the Trump administration to discuss trade policies and advert a potential trade war. This comes at the backdrop of tough rhetoric and escalating tensions between the two superpowers. Last month, President Trump threatened to slap tariffs on 150 billion USD worth of Chinese product and in response, China threatened to implement tariffs upwards to 25% on a wide range of US products equaling to 50 billion USD.
Since the campaign, President Trump has accused the Chinese as conducting unfair trade practices. Some of the President claims against China includes: devaluing their currency to make Chinese markets cheaper, not respecting intellectual property rights affecting the competitiveness of American firms in Chinese markets and flooding American markets with cheap Chinese products resulting in almost a 380 billion USD trade deficit in 2017.
After the negotiations concluded, little progress on either side appear to be made. Vague gestures and ambiguous language characterized the post-negotiations press conference. China pledged to purchase more US products while both countries pledge to continue to meet and have more discussions in the future. However, Trump’s negotiation camp appears to be bitterly divided over the focus of the talks, the potential outcomes and the means of achieving different goals.
Throughout the three days, there appeared to be much confusion on the US’ side. While the Chinese were able to present a united front during the talks, the same can not be said for the Americans. The disorganization was evident when Trump’s official released contradictory statements. Some in the camp wanted statements to focus on China’s bullying and forcing American firms to share technology and intellectual property while others wanted statements and tactics to focus more on reducing the trade deficit.
On Sunday, Secretary of Treasury Steve Mnuchin said the Trump administration would “put the trade war on hold” while talks continued while that same day US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer released a statement that said that may still resort to tariff and other measures unless China makes “real structural change.” On Friday, Trump chief economic advisor Larry Kudlow prematurely said China offered to reduce its trade surplus by 200 billion USD although such an agreement was never made.
According to Derek Scissor – a Chinese scholar at the American Enterprise Institute claims that the Trump negotiations team is divided into two camps. Secretary Mnuchin and Economic advisor Larry Kudlow represents the neoliberal faction who seek further global integration and worry about the market’s reaction to a potential trade war – a testament to their banking background. This side is seeking to make a deal as quickly as possible. The other faction includes Peter Navarro leader of the White House National Trade Council and Robert Lighthizer who are demanding China change its practices and help reduce the deficit by 200 billion USD. This faction is willing to resort to extreme trade disruptions to accomplish their goals. The rivalries between both camps is evident as they jockey for influence over the president during the trade talks.
These talks also come days after President Xi Jinping of China asked Trump for a “personal favor” by providing sanction relief for Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE which has had its operations severely crippled under the Obama administration. After bipartisan backlash in Congress, in a tweet Trump claimed “that nothing happened with ZTE except as it pertains to a larger trade deal.” Both Republicans and Democrats are steadfast in maintaining sanctions on ZTE for illegally selling products to both Iran and North Korea. Both parties feel as if Trump is placing Chinese economic need over America’s national security imperative. On Tuesday, May 23 2018, the Senate Banking Committee passed an amendment that would make it illegal for Trump to reduce penalties on ZTE unless it provides proof that the company is compiling with US laws.
Next month, in June 2018, both sides are preparing for round three of the talks with hopes that a deal can be made. However, it is unclear exactly if the potential for a trade war still exist before or while negotiations talks take place. Those in the Mnuchin camp would rather make a deal and if that isn’t possible would rather wait before implementing tough tariffs until after the North Korea summit at the very least. While those in the Navarro camp would rather use any tools at their disposal to force China to acquiesce to America’s demands.
There is a great possibility that the disorganization and the in-fighting within President Trump’s negotiation team gave the Chinese the upper hand in these talks and future talks. It was very noticeable to see the divisions within the camp and China’s skilled negotiations could easily take advantage of the situation by playing both sides off one another and pandering to one side over another at advantageous times. Already, some might argue China achieved a great victory by getting the US to delay tariffs with China only vaguely agreeing to purchase “massive amounts of farm and agricultural products” according to the President’s tweet.
This chaos and confusion seems to be commonplace in the Trump administration. One might even begin to think that confusion and chaos is a part of the President’s elaborate grand strategy pertaining to trade and almost any other policy issues for that matter. If one gives off the appearance they are confused and disoriented the other side may begin to overestimate their own abilities. However, it is difficult to see an underlying strategy in the midst of all the confusion. After the trade talks, Chinese official felt a sense of bewilderment saying that they would place any “concession” made during the talks on “hold” until president Trump gave final confirmation. Still, it is very likely China did use and will use this confusion to buttress their demands in the next round of talks.
The foundation of President Trump’s thinking as it pertains to trade and China is the belief that China is more dependent on America than America is on China. China makes hundreds of billions per year off of selling its products to American consumers. The United States is China’s largest single country trading partner accounting for about 20% of all of China’s exports. China is still an economy more heavily dependent on exports than it is on domestic consumption even though the Communist Party is desperately trying to change this. It can’t be said one way or another if the president’s line of rationale is correct or incorrect. Existing literature supports both arguments. China, on the other hand, feels like it would have the upper hand in a trade war. Although, the US market does make up a significant cross section of Chinese exports, the US is also a democracy. The US is often times constrained by the capricious desire of the citizenry. A trade war will have an inflationary impact. America’s thirst for cheap Chinese products may to be so great as to weather a long term trade war. No one wants to walk into a Wal-Mart or Target and spend almost 35% more on clothes, electronics and other items- two stores many in Trump’s base are very fond of. Ironically, existing literature both supports and goes against this view as well. Although it can’t be concluded one way or another, most certainly both economies are very dependent on each other and both side stands to lose significantly in a trade war. A trade war would not only hurt both China and the US, but it would harm global supply chains across the world.
President Trump’s demand for China to reduce the trade deficit is unrealistic. The only way the deficit can be reduced is if US ships more goods and services to China, limit the number of imports or a combination of both. The US has little control over demands for its products in China just as China has little control over demands for its products in America. President Trump’s lack of understanding of basic supply and demand principles shows up in the various infeasible demands he made this weekend.
Finally, Trump’s ZTE controversy shows his willingness to often times easily abandon his own agenda. The President has consistently abandoned beliefs that he presented himself resolute on. This might be very problematic going forward with negotiations with Chinese officials. The Chinese are expert negotiators and have more than likely studied the President’s weakness. The President was elected to represent the American people and its problematic if the president forgets his own underlying platform. The people who will be hurt the most are those who support him and believe in him the most.\
- The US-China Business council is an NGO consisting of over 200 companies that do business in China and its mission is to expand the US commercial relationship to its members.
- The US-China Policy Foundation is an NGO that seeks to enhance mutual understanding and positive relations between the two countries via awareness
- The US-China Strong Foundation is an NGO that seeks to develop relations by investing in a new generation of knowledgeable leaders.
This Brief was submitted by KAF, a USRESIST NEWS Analyst. For more information contact: email@example.com


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The town of Mancos has now awarded nearly $75,000 to local businesses in federal coronavirus relief funding during two grant cycles.
The second round of grants, which were distributed by the end of 2020, awarded about $27,800 to local businesses and $15,500 to the Mancos School District. The first round of funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act awarded about $47,144 to Mancos businesses last year.
Business grantees have used the funds to help cover the costs of business interruption caused by COVID-19 and remain open through December. Funds could also help businesses maintain public health standards by purchasing personal protective equipment, technology, outdoor heaters and signage.
Mancos School District intends to use its funding to cover the expenses of distance learning brought about by the pandemic.
Rachel Marchbanks, Mancos economic development coordinator, said the funding was crucial, but more might be needed soon.
“Local small businesses are essential for our region’s overall economic health and vitality,” Marchbanks said. “We are grateful to Mancos businesses for persevering during this challenging time and are committed to doing what we can to support them. This funding has helped businesses continue to operate, but we are hopeful that more relief will come because we are not out of the danger zone yet.”
Mancos partnered with Region 9 Economic Development District of Southwest Colorado to help set up the grant application process and organize the requests. To be eligible, the business or nonprofit must be located within the town of Mancos and be operating or working to reopen and be in good standing with the state of Colorado. Businesses also required a current town of Mancos business license.
Of the 13 organizations that applied in the second round, 12 were funded.
Kate Wall, the owner of Zuma Natural Foods in Mancos used the money she received to buy artisan chairs from a local craftsman that are suitable for outdoor seating.
“It just made more sense to spend money inside the community instead of outside of it,” Wall said.
Because of the pandemic, the cafe portion of Zuma Natural Foods store saw a significant dip in business. Wall and her staff adapted to the pandemic by emphasizing the grocery side of the business to be successful and maintain employees’ hours.
Nonetheless, Wall is looking forward to offering outdoor seating.
“A huge part of what our cafe offers is a space for community, so we’re really looking forward to getting that back,” Wall said.


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Japanese artist creates ramen face mask to complement fogged glasses
Japanese artist Takahiro Shibata’s glasses are fogging up because of his face mask – a problem familiar to many spectacles wearers during the coronavirus pandemic.
But Shibata has turned the annoying side effect into a one-of-a-kind piece of art. The more his glasses fog up, the hotter and steamier the noodle soup on his “ramen mask” appears to be.
Shibata, an animator and artist, initially set out to solve the problem bugging many a spectacles wearer who dons a mask to protect themselves from Covid-19.
But once he discovered that was impossible, he decided to have some fun instead.
The 3D ramen mask, made from felt and clay, has everything you’d want in a real bowl of the noodle soup. Shibata’s nose disappears into chashu braised pork, green onions, bamboo shoots, and a slice of fish cake.
Shibata, who said he wanted “to cheer people up a little bit”, has no plans to sell the mask along with his other artwork. Although he may not be wearing it much either.
“The ‘bowl’ is filled with cotton and it weighs almost as heavy as a stuffed toy,” he said. “So it doesn’t feel comfortable when I put it on.”


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The crisis caused by the coronavirus has brought a series of measures and restrictions that have seriously affected many businesses. These measures are necessary to stop the advance of the pandemic but unfortunately it has damaged many businesses in Spain.
This article by El Economista comments on how times of crisis are also moments of opportunity since those who decide to reinvent themselves and take risks can obtain opportunities that others have not raised.
They speak as our company, It is one of those examples of innovation, since we started as a small textile company known as Fibras Textil Sanchez, located in the textile town of Béjar and we managed to reinvent ourselves as Mascarillas Bejar growing thanks to digital commerce.
"We could be the first mask company in Spain, when from the rest of the world, not even Amazon, was able to offer masks due to excess demand", we explain from Mascarillas Béjar. "They collapsed, they had no material, while we were able to supply everyone, with an efficiency never seen in an SME like ours."
Innovation was key in this conversion process, since our usual sales channel has become E-commerce, thanks to this we have achieved a loyal audience and a sales network.