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Google’s video-sharing giant YouTube announced on Monday the 10th of June the official launch of its music streaming service, YouTube Music, as well its subscription-based video platform, YouTube Premium, in Egypt.
YouTube Music is the latest global music streaming service to throw its hat in the local music market ring, following music streaming giants like Spotify and Deezer.
“We’re proud that Egypt’s rich musical heritage has a home on YouTube and we are excited about bringing it closer to our users with YouTube Music,” said Liliana Abu Dalo, YouTube MENA’s head of music partnerships during an online presser on Monday, according to Al Ahram.
YouTube’s music streaming platform boasts an expansive library, from the latest Arabic and international releases, all the way to timeless classics from around the world, and spans all music genres and moods. The streaming service also comes with a set of impressive features, such as the platform’s proprietary Smart Search, which allows users to find songs they don’t remember the lyrics to, as well as offline streaming for paid members through the Offline Mixtape feature, which automatically downloads up to 100 favorited songs to a user’s device.
This is in addition to AI-generated playlists through the Discover Mix feature, which curates lists based on a user’s listening habits and expands on a member’s music library with new releases that match their taste in music.
YouTube Premium’s paid members automatically get unlimited access to YouTube Music. Furthermore, the subscription-based video streaming platform allows users to view YouTube’s content without ads and “enables background play and other amazing features,” Google Egypt General Manager Hisham El-Nazer said in a press release.
YouTube Premium gives members access to YouTube Originals, featuring the tech giant’s original programming, which runs the gamut from documentaries and series like popular action show Cobra Kai, all the way to feature-length films, such as critically-acclaimed rap battle dramedy Bodied. It is not clear, however, whether YouTube Originals will be available in Egypt.


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Some 46% of US diners like the idea of using their mobile phone to pay in restaurants even though they have never done so, while of the 13% that have tried it over half liked the experience, research from restaurant booking service OpenTable finds... More
“It’s all about the wallet,” Apple CEO Tim Cook explained during the unveiling of Apple Pay mobile payments and the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch with NFC on 9 September... More
“In the area of mobile, there is just tremendous opportunity to enhance the end-to-end experience in both the accommodation business as well as the restaurant business by leveraging mobile as an asset,” Darren Huston, president and CEO of The Priceline Group, has told investors following the accommodation booking giant’s $2.6bn acquisition of OpenTable... More
Priceline, the world’s leading accommodation booking platform, is to buy restaurant booking service OpenTable for $103 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at US$2.6billion... More
Restaurant booking service OpenTable has introduced a Google Glass version of its app... More
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• Find a list of all the companies and other organisations that have been featured in NFCW in our directory.

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Port of Tilbury has issued a CGI video which shows for the first time the facilities for Tilbury2, their new £200 million port for London which will be ready in 2020.
The Port of Tilbury, London’s major port, announces today a long-term agreement with leading industrial gas company Nippon Gases Europe to import CO2 to the Thames port.
Forth Ports Limited, one of the UK’s largest port groups, has for the first time reached the final of the Logistics Awards 2018 in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) category.
Eureka Shipping has based its multipurpose floating bulk terminal VESPER at Tilbury under a four year agreement with London Container Terminal and Cemineral.
Tilbury’s Logistics Training Academy has welcomed the arrival of a new training simulator as part of the ‘Attention to Logistics’ training programme.
The Port of Tilbury submitted an application for a development consent order to the Planning Inspectorate to build a terminal next to the current port
The giant Mein Schiff 3 cruise liner, the largest cruise liner that the terminal has welcomed sailed into the London Cruise Terminal in Tilbury on 12 September
The Port of Tilbury, London’s major port, and URM UK loaded their first train of bulk glass cullet processed from a new recycling facility at the port.
The Port of Tilbury has given away 61 pairs of Orsett Show tickets to creative young people in the local communities who entered a writing competition.
The Port of Tilbury, London’s major port, begins its formal statutory consultation on Monday 19 June to seek further views from local communities and other stakeholders on its proposals to build a new port terminal and associated facilities near to the current port, known as TILBURY2.
The Port of Tilbury, London’s major port, announced as headline sponsor for the 2017 Orsett Show, an annual event held in the village of Orsett
The Port of Tilbury, London’s major port, has this week been awarded an internationally recognised quality mark – the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) – issued by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
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Milo’s Tea has reached a huge milestone as they announce the continued growth of their Alabama operation and a newly expanded 15.5-acre headquarters in Bessemer. The new campus includes 150,000 square feet of production, shipping, storage, and office space.
That’s tremendous growth compared to the 30,000 square foot facility on 3.5 acres that opened just 15 years ago.
The new facility allows the company to fresh brew and bottle over 250 gallons of all-natural beverages per minute. Those beverages are housed in a 30,000 square foot cooler before they are shipped to over 13,000 retailers in 42 states.
The Milo’s Tea company has seen tremendous growth over the past few years. In 2013, it had just 56 employees. Four years later, that number has nearly tripled, as they now employ more than 150 full-time staff.
“When my grandparents Milo and Bea Carlton founded their restaurant, Milo’s Tea, in 1964 after my granddad returned from serving in World War II. The company’s philosophy was simple – use high-quality, natural ingredients, listen to your customers, and never sacrifice taste,” said Patricia Wallwork, CEO of Milo’s Tea Company. “This vision still guides the company today as we source natural ingredients, fresh brew all our award-winning beverages in Bessemer, and never uses added colors or preservatives.”
Milo’s Tea began the expansion project in 2014 by purchasing a building on Dublin Lane from the Bessemer Industrial Development Board. New 30,000 square foot coolers and shipping facilities were added to the property, enabling the company to store over 300,000 bottles of Milo’s Tea beverages. The company now has the capacity to promptly ship 100 trailers per day to ensure that the freshest products are on the shelves. The upgrades also included new water treatment technology, allowing employees to filter City of Bessemer water for the best-tasting result.
In addition to brewing their refreshing beverages, Milo’s Tea has had a long-standing commitment to the community.
“As a Certified Zero Waste Manufacturer, we have invested in research on reusing spent tea for more than 10 years and we are a leader in sustainable manufacturing. This is a direct result of our innovation and ongoing commitment to aggressive recycling programs which have a significant impact on our environment. The community of Bessemer is our home and we are dedicated to making a positive impact here. We currently donate tons of spent tea to the City of Bessemer golf course and area composting sites, diverting thousands of tons of waste from local landfills each year.”
Milo’s Tea thanks the City of Bessemer, Jefferson County, and the entire state of Alabama for their support and contribution to the company’s growth. City of Bessemer Mayor, Kenneth E. Gulley said, “Milo’s success is the city of Bessemer’s success, and we’re honored to know as they expand into new markets across the country their product is stamped as ‘Made in Bessemer, Alabama.’”


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the need for a mobile solution
Hugo te Kaat, Innovation Architect at VGZ, explains the complicated challenge VGZ was facing. “In the age of mobile, we knew that offering a responsive website platform for claims was not enough. We needed a mobile solution for our customers.”
VGZ partnered with OneWelcome and Mendix to build a highly secure and compliant mobile app that was easy to use and created seamless customer experiences. They had already implemented optical character recognition (OCR) technology that would allow customers to photograph their invoices and claims via an app. Now, OneWelcome and Mendix were tasked with building an interface that would keep customers’ data safe and secure while also offering a user-friendly experience.
The project began in early 2016, and VGZ set a target of 70,000 app downloads by the end of 2017. Within just six months, the app had exceeded all expectations: over 150,000 VGZ customers had already downloaded it. The app was downloaded over 200,000 times by the end of 2017 and end of 2021, more than 1 million customers use the VGZ app.
What’s more, customers are using—and loving—the app: More than 2,000,000 claims were submitted since the rollout, and NPS scores are at +24. After 60,000 reviews, the app’s average rating is 4.6 out of 5 stars, and 85% of customers say they experience “little or very little difficulty” using it.
To keep the VGZ app as flexible and responsive as customers want it to be, VGZ continues to add new functionality that improves the customer experience. This includes features like a secure inbox that allows better communication. Additionally, the app now enables customers to check their remaining copay amounts, and customers who submit claims via the app enjoy faster reimbursements compared with the website platform.
With a flexible app, VGZ is now positioned to offer its customers a full-service customer experience to fulfil their promise of sensible care. Hugo says OneWelcome was an essential partner for making it happen.
an innovative partner for the future
“OneWelcome was innovative and thought along with us to develop the right solutions”, he says. “We had the feeling that we were developing the solution along with them. They listened to our specific needs and developed a solution that was right for us. They provided a solution in which customers could enter their DigiDs (the national identity system used in the Netherlands) when they downloaded the app, and then use a Single Sign-on for all interactions after that.” This is an extremely cost-effective solution, because instead of paying for a DigiD transaction each time a user wants to log in to the app, VGZ only pays for the customer’s initial DigiD login, which takes place the first time they use the app.
Hugo says that while many suppliers claim to know the insurance business, only OneWelcome truly understands the complex conditions facing the health insurance market in the Netherlands. “OneWelcome is innovative, secure and flexible,” he says. “I see them as a true innovation partner. We present them with a challenge, and they work alongside us to develop the solution. They respond quickly to our needs and are ready to take the next steps in our security development. Soon, our customers will want to use sophisticated identification technology, like retina scanning and face and voice recognition. Thanks to OneWelcome, we’ll be ready.”


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Overwatch could get another new map set in Cairo
Overwatch developer Blizzard might have found its next new map.
With the Blizzard World theme park map's release date potentially just a few days away, the company has expressed an interest in another new map.
Overwatch fan Joshua Llorente recently posted a video of a map he designed using Unreal Engine 4.
Set in Cairo, the impressive Payload map really does look like something you'd find in Overwatch.
It's so good that Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan commented on a Reddit post dedicated to the fan-made map.
"Amazing work!" Kaplan said. "We'll be in touch."
You can take a look at the Cairo map by checking out the video below...
In the meantime, Overwatch's Blizzard World Map is about to be released on PS4, Xbox One and PC.
According to game director Jeff Kaplan, the brand new Overwatch map will be released "very early this year".
"We're glad that you all are so excited for Blizzard World. The map is almost ready for release but not quite there yet," Kaplan told fans.
"It won't be out this week but we are committed to releasing it very early this year!"
While Kaplan didn't provide an exact release date, his comments suggest it could arrive as early as next week.
You can take a look at the Blizzard World Map in the gallery below...
The Blizzard World Map is a brand new hybrid map that supports Assault and Escort game modes.
The theme park-style map pays homage to multiple Blizzard franchises, including StarCraft, Warcraft and Diablo.
"An amusement park celebrating the universes of Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo, Blizzard World is a brand-new hybrid Assault/Escort map," Blizzard explains.
"Charge the gates of Stormwind, sneak through the Nexus Experience, and guide the payload through areas filled with high ground, flanking routes, and environmental hazards.
"Grab some Blizzard-inspired snacks at the concession stand along the way!"


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Apple’s 32GB iPhone 7 is significantly slower than its 128-256GB models — and the difference is large enough that it could impact your experience with the device, depending on how often you copy data on and off it.
Apple has filed suit against a company it accuses of falsely representing that its products are genuine Apple cables and adapters when they absolutely aren’t. Up to 90% of the “genuine” Apple cables and adapters sold on Amazon are estimated to be fake.
The Department of Justice is under fire for extremely broad warrant conditions and an unprecedented push on gathering citizen information when investigating smartphones that may have been used for criminal activity.
Subscribe Today to get the latest ExtremeTech news delivered right to your inbox.


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New Delhi: – Against the background of the tension with China, on the Ladakh border, India has decided to deploy indigenously developed ‘Bharat’ drones, to keep a thorough watch on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The Bharat drones capable of operating at low temperatures and even during the night have been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). As per reports, Bharat drones have been handed over to the Indian Army.
Against the background of the tension with China, the Indian Army needed drones to keep a close watch on the LAC. In response to the requirement, the DRDO has supplied Bharat drones to the Indian Army. Bharat drones are said to be the fasted and very light in weight.
The Bharat drones have been developed in the Chandigarh lab, of the DRDO. These drones developed using Artificial Intelligence, although small, are said to be very powerful. The drones have been manufactured keeping in view, the cold weather in the Ladakh sector. The Bharat drones are capable of night surveillance.
The Bharat drones have been manufactured using a specific technique. The Unibody Design and Advance Release Technology, make these drones very useful for surveillance. The capability of the Bharat drone of sending live videos during flight is useful in viewing the real-time situation at the site being surveyed.
Confidence is being expressed that the Bharat drones will prove to be very useful for the Indian Army against the background of the intrusion attempts, by the Chinese military and the recent conflict in Ladakh.


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OYO ACQUIRES COPENHAGEN-BASED DATA SCIENCE FIRM DANAMICA
The largest hotel chain in India, OYO announced to acquire Copenhagen-based data science company Danamica to raise its ability to utilize pricing as a key differentiator for real estate owners and customers. The financial details of the deal could not be ascertained, but TechCrunch reported that OYO had paid $10 million for the Danamica ApS-operated firm.
Danamica was founded in 2016, has built machine learning tools and "business intelligence capabilities" to specialize in dynamic pricing of rental properties. The algorithm of Danamica analyzes 144,000 data points every hour and creates 60 million price changes daily with a prediction accuracy of 97% to support hotels boost their revenue. Just like airlines and ride-sharing companies, OYO has come up with the dynamic pricing in the hospitality industry to establish a level-playing ground even for an independent or small hotelier or homeowner.
Oyo is rapidly expanding in other countries. It has already established its presence in 80 countries. Before some time, the company had committed to invest €300 million in the vacation homes business in Europe, with some extra focus on empowering technology. With the acquisition of Danamica, Oyo is looking forward to driving growth by leveraging dynamic pricing across all its brands including Oyo Home, Belvilla and DanCenter.


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In recent years, the D2C ecosystem has seen tremendous growth with more than 800 brands now following this retail approach in India. The D2C method is far from novel, but the onset of digitalization gave it momentum, offering a convenient platform for entrepreneurs to directly reach a wider base of consumers and vice versa. However, it was the pandemic that leveraged it further, accelerating its growth with an ever-widening base of consumers. With more brands now taking the direct route to reach out to consumers, the D2C market in India was valued at US$ 44.6 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach US$ 100 billion by 2025. In terms of funding, D2C brands have raised US$ 2.04 billion in the 2014-21 period.
While the pandemic was the push that accelerated the growth of the D2C industry, it was also the change in consumer preferences and sentiments that has led to its rapid expansion. The modern consumer is product savvy and willing to support local businesses, especially for a product that promises tangible value addition or supports their value system. Another marked characteristic behind India’s D2C story is the rise of woman power, both as an entrepreneur and as a consumer. Along with an increase in their purchasing power, it is also women entrepreneurs who are changing the story and leading the D2C revolution.
Rise of Women Entrepreneurs
One of the remarkable aspects of the D2C ecosystem is the emergence of the female entrepreneur as the driving force. Instamojo, a digital solutions provider for D2C businesses, recently revealed that women accounted for 40 percent of their clientele with increasing traction among women above 50 years of age. The company also reported more than 500,000 queries by women who were interested in setting up shop on the e-commerce platform.
The digital D2C ecosystem can be attributed to the wave of change brought by women entrepreneurs. Today, many of the leading D2C platforms, such as Nykaa and MamaEarth (beauty brand), are led by women. Digital platforms offered these entrepreneurs a medium to directly connect with consumers without going through any intermediaries. Many smaller businesses were, thus, able to circumvent any gender-based hurdles as manufacturers or business owners.
For women entrepreneurs in the digital space, funding was also comparatively easier than their brick-and-mortar retail counterparts, since the new-age digital funding ecosystem is relatively gender-neutral. The central government recognized the growing potential of women entrepreneurs in bringing social change. Therefore, in 2018, Niti Aayog launched a Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) in association with SIDBI to support women-founded businesses through various initiatives, including funding.
The Female Economy
With more women joining the workforce, there is also a corresponding rise in their spending power. Even without economic parity, women exert a huge impact on purchasing decisions with one estimate pegging their influence at 85 percent of all products and services. They account for almost 50 percent of all online shopping and have the definitive say in more than half of household purchases. Social media is one of the best indicators of this social dynamics with women influencers accounting for a whopping 84 percent of sponsored posts in 2019.
Women entrepreneurs have a unique insight into this growing demographic and are best placed to tap into their ambitions as well as pain points. Many of the leading women-led D2C startups have exploited this market by offering solutions that were missing or addressed their unique concerns, be it beauty products at one platform, parenting advice, or consumer goods that promised a better quality of life.
The rise of women entrepreneurs echoes the social shift where a greater emphasis on diversity is changing gender dynamics in the market and the workforce. It is an encouraging sign that indicates their move towards economic parity and social mobility. In addition, it also portends a positive trend for the future as the success of women-led independent homegrown brands encourages more women to take up the reins of their own future.


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The Israel Ministry of Tourism welcomed 80 of the top wholesalers and agents from around the world to the 8th annual Israel Where Else conference, the official annual tourism conference for the world travel industry.
During mid-February, conference attendees had a chance to experience Israels diverse offerings and tourist hot spots including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, The Negev Desert, Sea of Galilee, Caesarea and more.
Tourism Ministry Director-General Amir Halevi said that: “The Israel conference is taking place against the backdrop of the ongoing high-level record of tourists entering Israel. Thanks to innovative marketing work on the one hand, and hosting agents and exposure to Israeli products on the other hand, Israel has become a preferred destination for tourism from all over the world.”
And he added: “This conference is a continuation of the same activity that we hope will lead to more record-breaking events in the years to come.”
Go to www.israel.travel for more.
Israel Where Else conference attendees visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem
Tourism Ministry Director-General Amir Halevi meets with attendees at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History in Tel Aviv
Conference participants experience traditional Bedouin hospitality and lunch
Conference attendees reap the rewards of the mineral-rich mud at the Dead Sea


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Thu, Mar 21, 2013 | 19:33 GMT
Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel launch trailer released ahead of next week
EA has released the launch trailer for Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel. You can watch it below. It’s out March 26 in the US and March 29 in Europe, on PS3 and Xbox 360.


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The Big Banks still don’t get it. Bank of America recently announced that it will start charging its customers $5 per month to use their debit cards. Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase are considering similar fees on their customers.
Two years ago, the U.S. auto industry was on the verge of collapse. General Motors Corp. (GM) had filed for bankruptcy and had just begun to reorganize with $30 billion from the government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Chrysler, also with TARP support, reached a partnership deal with Fiat and began its climb from bankruptcy.
Today, six years ahead of schedule, Chrysler Corp. repaid the last of its $8.5 billion in loans the Obama administration made to the troubled carmaker in April 2009 to help keep Chrysler afloat and save the jobs of tens of thousands of Chrysler workers and workers in the supply chain.


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Walmart continues US lobbying on ‘FDI in India’
Washington: Walmart continued to lobby with the American lawmakers over Indian retail FDI rules during the first quarter of 2013, even as a probe is underway into the global retail giant's US lobbying activities for facilitating its India entry.
In its latest lobbying disclosure report filed with the US Senate and the House of Representatives for the quarter ended March 31, 2013, the various lobbying issues of Walmart during the period included "discussions related to FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in India".
During the quarter, Walmart lobbied on close to 50 issues before various government departments and agencies and spent a total amount of USD 1.84 million on these activities, shows the 17 page lobbying report filed on April 22, 2013.
The other lobbying issues were related to overseas investments, tax-related matters, cybersecurity, data security and privacy issues related to e-commerce, immigration reforms, "discussions regarding retail sales practices, compliance, and background check process related to firearms transactions", and issues related to domestic sourcing and manufacturing.
Despite an intense political opposition, India last year approved 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail, paving way for Walmart and other global retailers to set shop in India.
However, many global companies are still concerned over various clauses in the regulations, which include certain amount of sourcing being made mandatory from within the country. Besides, the state government and union territories have been allowed to take their own decisions on whether or not to allow FDI in their respective areas. .


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In just 3 years, Charlotte-based startup 2ULaundry has raised $2.9 million in capital, grown to a customer base of 1,700 customers and 75,000 pounds of laundry per month, participated in Techstars Atlanta and expanded to Atlanta.
The on-demand laundry and dry cleaning delivery service began as a class project at Wake Forest University and with its custom profile, text message scheduling, free pickup and delivery and single business day turnaround time, found its footing in Charlotte quickly.
In a surprising twist, the service doesn’t appeal just to families; the company says that a chunk of their customer base is living in apartments that come standard with in-unit washers and dryers.
“Most clients tend to be people that are working full time and don’t want to do more work when they get home. We see a lot of families, too, like people that just had their first baby and Mom and Dad are working full time. It takes the pressure off,” co-founder Dan Daquisto told the Agenda in 2015, just before the official launch. It still rings true.
With a solid success story under its belt, the company is looking to enhance their customer base and experience, and it comes in the form of a brick-and-mortar laundromat called The Laundry Room.
In partnership with Electrolux, the retail and commercial coin laundromat has transformed a space formerly occupied by a McDonald’s on East Arrowood Road using many of the same elements familiar to 2ULaundry branding.
The space will include 111 machines (4 of which are huge, 135-pound Electrolux machines able to get clothes washed and dried in under an hour, the only ones of their kind in Charlotte), plus a soap machine, folding tables and an app to reserve machines and pay for services, which will range from $2.75-$17.
In addition, the space is equipped with free wifi, big screen televisions and a kids’ area, and will play host to food trucks – elements that lead 2ULaundry to call The Laundry Room “the first of its kind.”
“Opening our first brick-and-mortar location gives us the ability to further improve our cleaning processes and continue to deliver on the high quality, consistent service our customers love so much,” CEO Alex Smereczniak told the Agenda.
The Laundry Room is aiming for a July 14 grand opening.
To celebrate, they’ll offer free washing all weekend long.
The Laundry Room is located at 901 East Arrowood Road and open 7 a.m.-11 p.m. every day; connect on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Connect with 2ULaundry on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Photos and renderings courtesy 2ULaundry.


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Participate in AmazonSmile? Don’t miss out on your final opportunities to benefit the ALS Association Oregon and SW Washington Chapter over the next three weeks!
Amazon recently announced that it plans to “wind down” its AmazonSmile donation program by February 20, 2023. Through the program, Amazon donates 0.5% of eligible purchases to a charity designated by the shopper.
Thanks to our amazing supporters, our chapter has received more than $12,000 through AmazonSmile over the past several years. We will miss this revenue stream, so please think of us when you shop on Amazon now through February 20th.
AmazonSmile is available on your desktop at smile.amazon.com and in the Amazon app. If you participate – or if you’re new to AmazonSmile – just follow the prompts to choose the ALS Association Oregon and SW Washington Chapter as your designated charity.
Thank you again for benefiting people affected by ALS in Oregon and SW Washington!


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Many internet users have found themselves confused and perturbed in the aftermath of the Heartbleed vulnerability revelations.
Sensationalist front-page news reports have screamed at people to change ALL their online passwords, warning of terrifying consequences for those who fail to do so. Meanwhile other experts have told people to do quite the opposite and recommended holding off on doing so for a while for fear of new passwords potentially becoming accessible to hackers and cyber criminals. Here at BestVPN, we ourselves reported on these recommendations here.
Now, the Mashable website has produced a “hit list” of sites where they recommend an immediate password change. This includes some very big names such as Facebook and Google.
What’s surprising here is that the sites themselves have, so far, done very little to encourage password changes. Here’s an example: Mashable contacted Facebook who said the following:
We haven’t detected any signs of suspicious account activity, but we encourage people to … set up a unique password.
Given that that is their official line on the matter, it seems surprising (and a little worrying) that they haven’t forced a password change yet, or indeed published any information that the average non-technical Facebook user would have seen.
Some sites have, admittedly, been more proactive. SoundCloud announced via a banner that logged on users would be automatically signed out and forced to change their password. However, other key sites have remained quiet, despite telling Mashable that they do recommend password changes.
Mashable’s full list of recommended password changes is available here, but we’ll leave you with a list of the key sites on which they recommend you change your credentials. We’d be extremely surprised if you’re not affected by at least one of these!
Even with just the seven companies above in mind, it’s clear that we’re entering a scary time for Internet security. Millions of people will undoubtedly need to devote time to password changes in the coming days.


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Alphabet Inc’s Google wouldn’t be capable of remove user-tracking know-how that’s essential to advertisers from its Chrome browser with out sign-off from Britain’s competitors regulator beneath a proposal launched on Friday. The corporate stated it had welcomed the chance to work with the regulator on its initiative to reconcile privateness and competitors considerations.
The Competitors and Markets Authority in January started reviewing Google’s plan to chop help for some cookies in Chrome as early as subsequent 12 months. Corporations within the $250 billion international on-line show promoting business had expressed concern that the lack of cookies on the earth’s hottest browser would hurt their capability to gather info for personalising adverts and make them ever extra reliant on Google’s person databases. In a sequence of commitments the CMA introduced on Friday, that are topic to public remark till July eight earlier than turning into last, Google would contain the regulator intently in a mission, generally known as Privateness Sandbox, to develop different monitoring applied sciences. Google has stated that customers more and more count on the net to be extra non-public. However some promoting cookies have allowed customers’ net shopping to be tracked in ways in which concern a few of them.
Whereas Google final 12 months stated its potential options to cookies would higher defend customers’ privateness, British investigators discovered in addition they would “distort competitors” in on-line adverts and “permit Google to use its obvious dominant place”. One of many potential replacements, generally known as FLoC, is being examined amongst 0.5 p.c of Chrome customers and the CMA pointed to methods it might give Google an edge over rivals. Google stated it could work to make sure that no matter emerges from Privateness Sandbox doesn’t go away it with an unfair benefit. CMA Chief Govt Andrea Coscelli stated the regulator was “taking a number one position” in setting out the way it might work with highly effective tech corporations to form their behaviour and defend competitors.
Tim Cowen, chair of the antitrust follow at regulation agency Preiskel & Co and a Google critic, advised Reuters Google has a observe report of toothless commitments, citing for example ones given lately to French competitors authorities. “If the CMA is obtainable undertakings they want to take a look at them very intently – guarantee they’re virtually helpful – and alter Google’s behaviour,” he stated.


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Target adding resources to contactless services for holiday season
As the holiday season quickly approaches, Target is looking at new ways to expand its contactless resources in order to make shopping easier during the busiest time of the year.
To do just that, the retailer will be offering its current team more hours and training opportunities, as well as hire broadly across its stores and distribution centers to help serve guests, the Minneapolis-based retailer said.
“The success of our business strategy rests on the strength of our team and their ability to adjust quickly to the needs of our guests and their changing shopping patterns,” Melissa Kremer, Target’s chief human resources officer said. “Throughout the year, the team has successfully balanced strong demand in our stores with surging digital volume. Knowing that the holiday season will be unlike any other, we’re building in even more flexibility to make sure Target remains a safe and convenient place to work and shop, while investing in our team’s industry-leading pay and benefits.”
The number of store team members devoted to the Drive Up and Order Pickup services will be doubled, as well as train team members to help during peak shopping periods.
Team members also will be packing online orders that are to be shipped directly to guests’ homes and aid in fulfilling more than 90% of its digital orders, the company said.
In addition, distribution centers will be sending more inventory to stores to ensure each location as the most in-demand items stocked.
There also will be a team in front of stores who will greet and direct guests, as well as be responsible for such safety precautions as cleaning and disinfecting carts and baskets, and metering access so social distancing measures can be maintained.
Seasonal team members will be receiving a starting wage of $15 and such coronavirus health and wellness benefits as free access to health care via virtual doctor visits, free backup care, access to resources that help find child care services or educational needs, mental health support, personal protective equipment, and waived absenteeism policy for COVID-19 related illnesses that include a quarantine pay for 14 days.


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“Todd has been an incredibly influential part of Surly since the beginning and was instrumental in building the brewery from the ground-up, often with his own two hands; brewing, welding, making connections and forming collaborations to establish the irreverent brand it is today,"Omar Ansari, the founder and president of Surly Brewing, said in a statement. "His talent is undeniable, and he will always be a huge part of who we are. He will be missed."
"Omar and I set out with the modest goal to build a brewery so we could create a different kind of craft beer – the kind we wanted to drink – and I think we achieved that," Haug said in a statement.
It's not clear where Haug is going or what exactly he'll be doing. Surly just said he'll be pursuing "other opportunities and challenges in the industry."
Craft beer lovers in Minnesota are speculating what's next for Haug, with many saying they hope it means he's opening his own brewery in Minnesota, according to comments on the website Beer Advocate. Others have shared their thoughts on Haug's departure on Surly's Facebook page.
What does this mean for Surly?
GoMN reached out to Surly for further comment, and what this means for Surly going forward, but the brewery said the statement on its website will be the only statement it makes at this time.
Haug did say he's leaving the brewhouses in the "extremely capable hands of our co-lead brewers and the innovative brewing team we've mentored together."
"I eagerly look forward to seeing what the next generation of Surly brewers will create. This is an opportunity for them to take the torch and continue the legacy we’ve been building for 10 years now," he added.
Dave Hoops, the former head brewer at Fitger's Brewhouse who went on to start the craft beer think tank Bev-Craft, told GoMN that Haug is a gifted brewer, but in "no way, shape or form" will his departure diminish the quality of Surly's beer.
But the culture at Surly may take a hit, and "take awhile to recover," Hoops said, noting Haug was the "face of the brewery" and his "Todd-ness equaled Surly."
Haug has had quite an influence on craft beer in Minnesota. He was known for brewing his own style and for collaborating with other brewers – doing so earned him numerous brewing awards and accolades over the past 10 years.
"Todd inspired so many young brewers to push the envelope, brew how you want, be expressive – he's really gifted," Hoops told GoMN.
His influence extends beyond Surly. Haug got his start at Summit Brewing, before heading to Rock Bottom Brewery in Minneapolis. At the time, Rock Bottom was considered "the McDonald's" of craft beer, but "Todd changed all that," Hoops said.
When he got to Rock Bottom, he brewed what he wanted and how he wanted, and quickly made the Minneapolis location the "center for really good beer from that company."
Haug and Ansari grew Surly's brewing operations from the small facility in Brooklyn Center to their destination brewery in Minneapolis. Through this, they helped change state law in 2011 (what's known as the Surly Bill) to allow breweries to sell their own beer at their brewery.
The number of breweries and taprooms in Minnesota has exploded, from 18 licensed brewers in 2011 to more than 100 licensed beer makers today, according to the state's Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement division. Over the years, the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild (which represents most of Minnesota's beer makers) has pushed to pass additional legislation, which has grown the industry even more.
For more on Haug, check out this 2014 interview he did with The Growler, where he details his 25 years in the brewing industry.


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CHARLESTON, S.C., Jan. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Kona Gold Solutions, Inc. (OTC Pink: KGKG), a company currently developing a Hemp Energy product line, is pleased to announce that it has placed its initial order for its energy drinks as well as its energy shots as the enter the multi-billion dollar energy drink market. The Company's energy drinks will include sugar free and regular energy drinks. Kona Gold's energy shots will include orange, berry, and grape flavors. Kona Gold's energy drinks and shots will be available within the next 30 days for purchase on the Company's new e-commerce website that was launched this month.
"We have been working hard to create a great tasting energy drink and energy shots and are excited to get them in the hands of our customers," stated Robert Clark, CEO of Kona Gold Solutions, Inc. "We will be offering our 8.4 oz energy drink in regular and sugar free and our 2 oz energy shots will include orange, berry, and grape. I feel we've hit the mark on creating a premium energy drink and shot line and with our aggressive marketing efforts, we anticipate great things for Kona Gold this coming year."
Energy drinks and shots are just the first line of products that Kona Gold is planning to release this year. Following the release of their energy drink line, Robert Clark stated that their apparel line will hit the market shortly after. "Our apparel line is being designed as we speak and we know will be a big hit across several demographics," stated Clark. "The designs I've seen so far have me very excited and they play right into our branding."
The Company recently announced the launch of their new e-commerce website this month as well. "We partnered with a top design and development firm to create a beautiful online storefront where consumers will be able to purchase Kona Gold's premium products with a couple clicks of the mouse," stated Clark. "We are creating a lifestyle brand that will be portrayed through our website and social media accounts, so keep an eye on them as you may see someone you recognize drinking or wearing our products."
For more information regarding Kona Gold Solutions, please visit:
Kona Gold Solutions, Inc.:
Kona Gold Solutions, Inc. is currently in the process of developing a premier Hemp Infused Product line. The Company announced it has moved its Corporate Headquarters to 1591 Savannah Hwy, Suite 201, Charleston, SC 29407. Kona's new warehouse and office space gives the Company the space needed to expand rapidly.
The Company has created Kona Gold LLC, the Company's only subsidiary, to begin developing its Hemp Product line. Kona Gold will begin developing Hemp Energy Drinks, Energy Patches, Hemp Apparel, Hemp Shampoo as well as a Hydroponics division; please visit the Company's new website to view updates and new products www.konagoldhemp.com
Safe Harbor Statement:
The information posted in this release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by use of the words "may," "will," "should," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "project," "intend," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic and business conditions, effects of continued geopolitical unrest and regional conflicts, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, delays in completing various engineering and manufacturing programs, changes in customer order patterns, changes in product mix, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, shortages in components, production delays due to performance quality issues with outsourced components, and various other factors beyond the Company's control.
SOURCE Kona Gold Solutions, Inc.


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Part of chip production modernisation
Chipzilla is to invest $3.5 billion in the Rio Rancho technical campus as part of its global chip production modernisation.
Booming sales, but profits down
Chipzilla disappointed the cocaine nose jobs of Wall Street by turning in a second quarter profit forecast well short of their great expectations.
Put some nice Intel chips in there
Intel Chief Executive Kicking/ Pat Gelsinger has said that Intel will start producing chips at its factories within six to nine months to address the auto shortage, which has idled assembly lines at some US automotive plants.
Update Swan upped
Intel's new CEO will be Pat Gelsinger, who will take up his position after current CEO Bob Swan steps down in mid-February, CNBC reported today.
Things are not looking good in Chipzilla’s universe
Intel shares fell by ten percent after-hours trading after the chip company reported its third quarter results, which show it losing ground in the server and data centre market.
It is not nice to say “I hope it dies a painful death”
Intel has replied to Linus Torvalds comments that he hoped “AVX512 dies a painful death" and “Intel starts fixing real problems instead of trying to create magic instructions to then create benchmarks that they can look good on"'
Intel is the best you just have to take our word for it
We were looking through the transcripts of last week’s Computex and noticed that Intel CEO Bob Swan made a surprising comment about benchmarking.
More than 90 per cent of deliveries are on time
Intel, the world's biggest chipmaker, said it's maintaining above 90 percent on-time delivery of its products from factories worldwide.
Denies rumours it is walking straight to 7nm
Chipzilla has growled at rumours that it is planning to ditch the 10nm production process for its desktop CPUs and was instead set to jump straight from the 14nm+++ lineup into 7nm desktop processors.
We are going to party like its 1799
Intel held a five hour event, where 100 attendees from startups, venture capital, and tech giants sipped semiconductor-themed cocktails and detailed explanations of how sand is processed into silicon chips ,although that might just have been the taste of the Vol-au-vents.


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In today’s HK Cannabis Law Newsletter we present articles and information regarding new guidance from the IRS for the cannabis industry; the impact of West Coast fires on this year’s hemp crop; the results of a study exploring THC’s persistence in blood long after consumption ceases; and more.
Following criticism regarding inadequate guidance provided by the IRS to the marijuana industry, the IRS has now released updated guidance with the stated goal of promoting “voluntary compliance.”
Marijuana reform at the Federal level may be another casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fires in California and Oregon are devastating hemp crops.
For those accused of driving under the influence, a new study concluded that THC can persist in blood for extended periods of time after abstinence.
Cannabis is growing in popularity among seniors.
Survey shows cannabis consumers generally prefer flower to concentrates.


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Vendasta today announced C$119.5 million in financing to further accelerate the sales growth of its end-to-end e-commerce platform for companies who provide digital products and services to small and medium businesses (SMBs) worldwide.
The raise is led by New York-based Lugard Road Capital, joined by Nicola Wealth, the Canadian Business Growth Fund (CBGF), and a set of existing investors. It is the largest information and communication technology (ICT) venture capital round in Canadian Prairie history. The record was previously set by Vendasta in 2019 when it secured a $40 million growth fund.
For full information follow this link


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As part of its ongoing efforts to crack down on illegal pre-recorded robocalls, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking action against an operation that allegedly helped clients make illegal robocalls, call phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, and mask Caller ID information, in violation of the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule.
This conduct generated tens of thousands of complaints from consumers. The FTC’s complaint, filed on its behalf by the Department of Justice, seeks to make the defendants pay civil penalties and stop the illegal calls.
According to the FTC’s complaint, Sonkei Communications, Inc., Peter J. Turpel, and Joseph Turpel sold robocall services to telemarketers offering credit card services, home security systems, and grant procurement programs since at least 2008.
The defendants allegedly gave clients the means to hide their identity by transmitting inaccurate caller names on caller ID displays, such as “SERVICE MESSAGE” or “SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT.” The FTC also alleged that the defendants knew, or consciously avoided knowing, that their clients called phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry.
In numerous instances on or after September 1,2009, Defendants were aware or consciously avoided knowing that their telemarketing clients made outbound calls that delivered prerecorded messages to induce the sale of goods or services when the persons to whom these telephone calls were made had not expressly agreed, in writing, to authorize the seller to place prerecorded calls to such person.
The complaint explains that consumers have suffered and will continue to suffer injury as a result of Defendants’ violations of the TSR. Absent injunctive relief by this Court, Defendants are likely to continue to injure consumers and harm the public interest.
If you have been scammed and would like to file a scam report, please click here.


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Microsoft’s Remix 3D service allows Paint 3D users to easily get up and running by downloading 3D objects from their online repository, modify them and also to share their finished creations with others.
The feature debuted as part of the Paint 3D app, but also found integration in the Windows 10 Photos app.
There has been increasing signs that the service is being deprecated, with Microsoft last year, for example, removing the Upload to Remix 3D menu option from the Paint 3D app, and more recently Microsoft removing the notice that they are deprecating the regular Paint app for Windows and actually adding features to it.
Now new evidence has arrived that the service is entering End of Life soon.
In an online resource file for the service, WalkingCat found text for a notice in the app notifying users that the service will end on the 10th January 2020. It reads:
Shutdown_Banner:”We will be retiring Remix3D.com on January 10, 2020 and all user content will be deleted. Please download any of your 3D models that you want to save. “,Shutdown_Banner_WebBlends:”Microsoft’s 3D content service is changing. “
WalkingCat also noted that this suggests the poorly received Paint 3D app may also be on its last legs.
Of course, Microsoft has not made any announcement yet, but it has been a while since the Paint 3D app has been meaningfully updated, suggesting “Microsoft’s 3D content service is changing“, and not in a good way.
Will any of our readers miss the much-maligned Windows 10 3D apps? Let us know below.


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Want to grow your own vegetables but not quite sure where to start? A new viral hack reveals how leftover food items can be used to grow new produce — and it's incredibly clever. The short Instagram video
War of Will won the 144th Preakness Stakes on Saturday in Baltimore, but the horse to truly embody the most will was Bodexpress. The race got off to a chaotic start as Bodexpress' jockey, John Velazquez,
Google has been quietly keeping track of nearly every single online purchase you’ve ever made, thanks to purchase receipts sent to your personal Gmail account, according to a new report today from CNBC.


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SEZ incentives being misused by some cos?3 min read . Updated: 07 Nov 2008, 12:08 AM IST
SEZ incentives being misused by some cos?
Mumbai: The Mumbai income-tax (I-T) department is investigating two jewellery companies for possible tax evasion by misusing incentives provided to firms that manufacture products in the so-called special economic zones, or SEZs.
If proven, these are likely to be the first such instances to come to light, although an official in the I-T department says they could point to an emerging trend.
Companies operating in SEZs are eligible for tax incentives and other benefits. Several instances of companies operating in these zones misusing import tariff exemptions have already come to light.
The official in the I-T department, who did not want to be named, said the two companies had units in SEZs in Gujarat but that these units were not operational.
“During our physical inspection, we found that manufacturing units of these firms in the SEZs were not functional. But they have been claiming tax exemption on the export of products manufactured in these non-existent units. We have gathered all evidence against these companies."
The official declined to name the firms or state the extent of the evasions, but said the Mumbai I-T department is investigating the cases as the owners of these companies have been filing tax returns with it.
Mint could not independently ascertain the names of these companies.
The government provides incentives to companies setting up units in SEZs in an effort to promote manufacturing and exports in specific regions, encourage investment and create jobs.
Under India’s income-tax Act, companies are completely exempt from paying taxes for the first five years on export income from products made at SEZs. For the next five years, they have to pay 50% of the taxes.
Such units also enjoy an exemption on minimum alternate tax (MAT) norms. If the total taxable income of a company is less than 30% of its book profits, the firm is usually required to pay a minimum alternate tax, which is 10.5% of its book profits.
The government has all along suspected that some firms setting up units in SEZs do so with an eye on misusing these incentives.
India’s minister of state for finance S.S. Palanimanickam told the Lok Sabha in March 2007 that the government had detected 80 cases of misuse of customs concessions granted to SEZs, which resulted in revenue losses of Rs143.94 crore since 2002-03, according to news agency PTI. The government had been able to recover only Rs1.50 crore, the minister told the House.
In October 2007, The Economic Times reported that the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) had ordered inspection of income-tax returns of firms in SEZs for possible tax evasion. CBDT had called for such scrutiny on recommendations of a parliamentary committee on finance.
The I-T department official termed the evasion by the two jewellery firms “an emerging trend" that was resulting in the government “losing a lot of money". “We have alerted all our offices to watch out for such evasions by units in SEZ across the country," he said.
“The leakage is possible in two ways," said Sachin Menon, executive director at global audit and consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. “Goods produced in SEZs (for exports) could be diverted to domestic tariff areas instead...or goods manufactured outside SEZs can be branded as manufactured in SEZs to get tax exemptions."
These companies could also be resorting to such practices to avail customs duty concessions in addition to avoiding taxes, as savings from such tax exemptions aren’t significant, Menon added.
Companies importing raw material for production at their SEZ units could be diverting the goods for domestic manufacturing, and then exporting locally made products to meet export obligations, Menon said.
Such instances of misusing SEZ provisions, however, may not be widespread, said Sudhir Kapadia, partner at audit and consulting firm Ernst and Young India Pvt. Ltd. “In my view, just because there are specific instances of assessees attempting to misuse the provision does not mean that it is prevalent," said Kapadia. “Such cases of evasion can be easily detected by the income-tax department."
With 8,625 hectares marked for SEZs, Gujarat accounts for 33% of the total notified area for such zones in India. Currently, Gujarat has four functional SEZs—Surat Apparel Park SEZ, Kandla SEZ, Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone Ltd (MPSEZ), and the multiproduct Surat SEZ that was set up by the Diamond and Gem Development Corp.
Currently, the Union government has approved 531 SEZs formally, while 143 regions have been given in-principle approval and 260 have been notified which means firms in these are eligible for fiscal and other incentives. Total exports from SEZs across India nearly doubled to Rs66,638 crore in 2007-08 from Rs34,615 in 2006-07.


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ATLANTA - Where can you see a 2016 Mercedes, Kia concept cars, tackle off-road obstacles from behind the wheel of a Jeep and hang out with Iron Man? All of that is just part of the fun and excitement of the Atlanta Auto Show.
WATCH: The Atlanta Auto Show Preview Saturday, March 28 at 2 p.m. and March 28 at 2 p.m. on WSB-TV.
The 33nd annual Atlanta International Auto Show rolls into the Georgia World Congress Center March 25-29. Over 400 new cars, trucks, SUVs and vans will be on display inside the "C" building.
The Atlanta Auto Show offers those in the market for a new vehicle an opportunity to compare hundreds of models in one place. There is no selling at the auto show, so it also offers a no-pressure environment to investigate the latest in automotive technology. But for those not in the market, the show still features plenty of reasons to visit. The 2015 Atlanta International Auto Show offers ride and drive events, an appearance by Scooby-Doo, a chance to see vintage vehicles and explore the latest and greatest in the automotive industry.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 to 12. Kids ages 5 and under get in free.
The Metro Atlanta Automobile Dealer's Association is the organization behind the Auto Show.
Show dates and times:
Wednesday, March 25 noon - 9:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 26 noon - 9:00 p.m.
Friday, March 27 noon - 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 28 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 29 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.


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We all love a binge-watch on Netflix, but how about an ultra binge-watch?
Well, now those dreams could soon become reality, as it's being reported that Netflix is trialling a whole new level of subscription for some of its European customers: Ultra tier.
So, apart from sounding fancy, what does this new Ultra tier do?
Italian publication Tutto Android is reporting that Ultra could join the original Base, Standard and Premium tiers, with further reports showing price points ranging from €16.99 to $19.99 (which is about £15 to £17.50).
The new tier is very much just a test at the moment, and Netflix is believed to be trialling multiple different versions – with no guarantee Netflix will roll it out.
One reported version of Ultra features the option to playback content on four screens simultaneously in UHD, with Premium downgraded to just two UHD screens, while another offers HDR content only on Ultra, with Premium keeping its four UHD screens.
Cordcutting posts the following screenshot of one of the test versions (although it's worth noting this isn't necessarily how Ultra would look if it ever officially rolls out):
A Netflix spokesperson told Digital Spy: "We continuously test new things at Netflix and these tests typically vary in length of time. In this case, we are testing slightly different price points and features to better understand how consumers value Netflix.
"Not everyone will see this test and we may not ever offer specific elements included in the test to our members."
As well as potentially showing a new way for subscribers to enjoy its content, Netflix has been rustling up some new TV series for us, picking up cancelled shows left, right and centre.
Earlier this week, it was announced that the streaming giant had picked up the axed Fox pilot Mixtape, ordering 10 episodes of the musical drama.
Also joining the Netflix cohort is the fourth season of Tom Ellis' Lucifer, which was controversially cancelled by Fox.


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HUDSON - Marlborough Savings Bank celebrated the grand opening its new Main Street branch Wednesday with a community reception to introduce itself to downtown.
Although the bank's doors opened on June 20, the reception drew local officials, business owners and bank customers to meet with staff and executives. With locations in Marlborough, Southborough, Northborough, Westborough and Sudbury, the new location is the bank's seventh branch and the first to open since 2008.
"Hudson has done a wonderful job revitalizing the downtown, and this location has a lot of visibility and ease of access," said President and CEO Richard Bennett. "We are a Main Street bank."
To integrate itself into Hudson, the bank launched a "We Love Hudson" campaign in January, visiting local businesses at least once a month and offering giveaways for customers, said Executive Vice President Ellen Dorian. Since January the bank has appeared at Harvard Sweet Boutique, Rail Trail Flatbread Company, Horseshoe Pub and several other downtown businesses to give free meals or gift cards to anyone who walked through the door.
Dorian said Marlborough Savings Bank plans to keep the "We Love Hudson" campaign going and will next be at the library in July.
"Hudson is almost back to the way things used to be, where the downtown is the center of the community," Dorian said. "It's about small businesses working together and it's away from the big-box, mall atmosphere."
The reception featured gourmet cheese and crackers from local cheese shop Mullahy's, and a raffle for a gift basket put together by Main Street craft shop Serendipity and antique store B. Barton & Company. The event was also catered by Westborough company Terrascaping, who cooked fresh flatbread pizza in a portable stone oven.
"This adds to what the town has been trying to do for the last four, five, six years," said Arthur Redding, owner of Hudson Appliance. "It's helping build Main Street back up by making it the focal point of the town. We welcome this - it's a brand-new building and they're going to be here for a long time."
The bank is next door to Rite Aid, which also opened earlier in June. The grand opening comes as downtown Hudson is economically and socially thriving and empty storefronts are quickly giving way to innovative small businesses.
Brad Avery can be reached at 508-626-4449 or firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow him on Twitter @BradAvery_MW.


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British supermarket chain Morrisons has brought back brown paper bags in stores for loose fresh fruit and vegetables in an attempt to cut down on plastic waste.
The move is expected to eliminate the use of 150 million small plastic bags each year.
Made from 100% recycled paper, the brown bags have been introduced in some of the retailer’s stores and will be rolled out across all stores gradually.
The paper bags will have a thinner see-through strip to enable customers and staff to see the products inside.
Morrisons fruit and veg director Drew Kirk said: “We’ve listened to customers concerns about using plastic bags for fruit and vegetables and that is why we are bringing back paper bags.
“There’s more work to do, but this step will mean we prevent 150 million bags from being used in our stores every year.”
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The development comes at a time when growing number of companies are taking measures to tackle plastic pollution.
In April this year, the retailer pledged that all of its own-brand plastic packagings will be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
Morrisons signed the WRAP’s UK Plastics PACT, which is an industry initiative with participation from several companies, including Aldi, Coca-Cola, Lidl, Nestle, P&G, PepsiCo, Asda, and other businesses from across the entire plastics value chain.
The initiative aims to transform the way businesses use plastic and prevent plastics from polluting the environment
By 2025, the partners expect to ensure 70% of plastic packaging is effectively recycled or composted, eliminate disposable packaging, and ensure 30% of average recycled content across all plastic packaging.
Customers using their own containers for meat and fish from Morrisons counters will be rewarded with 100 loyalty card points.


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E-commerce giant Amazon on Friday said that 50 million customers are now using its Amazon Pay UPI services. According to the company, customers are using the Amazon app to pay…
The company said Wednesday that it plans to hire 55,000 people around the world, with about 40,000 of those roles in the US. Its Chief Executive Andy Jassy said Amazon.com…
Fight For Dominance The legal joust deepened further last week, when the Future Group filed a separate case against Amazon in the Supreme Court, seeking the clearance of its deal…
Amazon India has announced the launch of STEP, which is a performance-based benefits program designed to help the 7 Lakh sellers trading on the the Amazon.in platform. STEP will launch on the 1st of December, 2020 and will be accessible to all sellers. STEP will help simplify the seller experience by providing customized and actionable recommendations to the sellers to improve customer experience. STEP will provide multiple benefits like fee waivers, faster disbursement cycles, priority seller support and free account management. STEP will also provide a Dashboard on Seller Central to help sellers track their performance, benefits and growth.
Data consumption has seen a rise of over 38% during these COVID times and to effectively counter this demand, Amazon.com and A100 Row have jointly pumped in Rs 150 Crores into Amazon Data Services India. Amazon had launched a Mumbai based data center back in 2016.
Amazon Prime is very soon launching in India. You get to enjoy ad-free music in English and multiple Indian languages. Price of Amazon Prime Music in India? Free if you…
“Indifference will be at your own peril” – Economic Affairs Secretary
Under Project Udaan, Amazon has appointed offline associates across retail points like kirana stores, medical stores and mobile shopping outlets
Amazon India in a filing with the Registrar of Companies, registered a loss of Rs 1,724 crore in the year ended March 2015. The company had a net loss of Rs 321 crore last year. The US based e-retailer’s sales increased six fold that is upto Rs 1,022 crore in 2014-15 from Rs 169 crore a year earlier.
Kindle Unlimited is a subscription service that allows customers to freely read as much as they want from over one million Kindle books for a monthly fee of 199. You can freely read books across genres of literature, fiction, health, productivity, business and economics, biographies, children books.
Amazon is offering free unlimited Wi-Fi hotspots in 3 major cities across Bus Shelters in India to introduce new customers to the Internet and its online shopping portal. The hotspots are available in Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai until the 3rd of August and will not block any content, including Amazon’s closest competitors in India, Flipkart and Snapdeal.
Amazon has partnered with SBI to target next generation of customers and small businesses. The strategic partnership is aimed at revolutionizing the way India shops and sells. The partnership will help to develop frictionless payments, commerce solutions for customers and small businesses and building customer trust.
The Sunday delivery service will be available without any additional charges and the customers can receive the deliveries as on a regular day. While placing the order, customers can select an address marked as “Home” and see Sunday delivery promises during checkout.
Godrej Nature’s Basket tied up with Amazon India to provide the customers across India a convenient and easy access to a wide and unique selection of gourmet products.
Through the service, Amazon India will take on BigBasket and other hyper-local delivery services such as Grofers.
There surely is a neck to neck fight between Snapdeal and Flipkart.


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Monroe Perdu has produced another laser etched zimmerit set, designed to fit the 1/48 scale Tiger I from Tamiya.
Monroe Perdu has released a new 1/48 scale Zimmerit set for Tamiya’s Stug III kit.
The latest releases from Monroe Perdu Studios are quite varied, from Zimmerit to kneelers at different scales.
Monroe Perdu Studios has been working on new kits that are unique and varied in subject matter. The items that Monroe Perdu Studios are releasing news of are a mix of scales, but an interesting mix.
Some good looking sign news in from Monroe Perdu Studios that would suit a city or town diorama in Hungary.
The first release in a series of unique kits from Monroe Perdu is a German 1/6 scale helmet to fit your 1/6 scale figures, or to finish and detail as a model kit on its own.
With about as much surface area as a small scale tank model, this helmet will be a fun exercise in appling unique camouflage patterns and weathering effects within it's own right.
Monroe Perdu has just released their newest laser etched zimmerit sheet for ICM's Bergepanther kit once again adding detail and interest to the models we build.
Monroe Perdu have always been known for great subjects and accessories for modelling dioramas, and so it was only a matter of time before they started supporting the upswing in 1/24th scale armor.
We have a limited quantity of our latest cast resin and laser cut kit. This base can be used with your Tasca Panzer IIs or the Hasegawa Jeep, Kubel or Motorcycle kits.
Monroe Perdu send us news of two new diorama products that were debuted at IPMS in Phoenix this past month.
Russian Shop Signs for cities and towns and Cobblestone Street Sheets for 1/48 scale armor and vignettes.
We are reporting from the U.S. IPMS Nationals held this year in Phoenix, Arizona. The show has just finished up it's second day and will run through Saturday the 7th of August. We spoke with Mike Bishop about his company's most recent diorama products.
Monroe Perdu has just released another set of laser etched zimmerit for 1/35 scale Panther tanks.
This set is the most typical "vertical" pattern found on the majority of Panther Ausf A early models.
Monroe Perdu Studios have just announced a new limited edition diorama item-Farm House 1
Monroe Perdu have been busy designing some new laser cut items the past few months. The company is expanding its1/48 scale offerings, as well as continuing with its laser cut zimmerit sets.
Monroe Perdu's latest offering in laser cut paper zimmerit completes coverage of all available Panther G kits on the market at the moment.
Interesting news for AFV modelers from Monroe Perdu Studios - a company better-known for its extensive range of diorama products.
Monroe Perdu Studios have just announced a new diorama item.
Monroe Perdu Designs have released a piano in 1/32-1/35 scale.
With its deceptively simple lines, one of the 'supposedly' simple structures to construct is the windmill. However, as someone who has 'tried' (with little success) it isn't the easiest structure to do convincingly.. Now, for those of you who would like to add one to a diorama, help is at hand with an interesting new product from Monroe Perdu Studios.
Monroe Perdu has finally released a kit which has been on "the drawing board" for more than three years. The new kit, MPD-019 Roadside Pulpit, will compliment your AFV's and figures in all of your Normandy dioramas.


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For some types of smaller plant, manufacturers are now said to be quoting 2022 delivery dates.
The market is heating up rapidly in the North and Midlands where major projects are starting to get going as part of the Government’s stimulus package.
Extended delivery times threaten to undermine the Government’s push to get the construction industry investing with a newly announced 130% super deduction tax break for firms buying new plant in the next two years.
One hirer told the Enquirer: “We are screaming for new gear, but it’s difficult to get.
“It may not be so bad for the major hirers, who as big buyers have pre-ordered a lot of kit, but as a smaller business trying to buy, dates are being quoted towards the back end of this year or even 2022.
Another regional civils business boss said: “I have seen six month lead times in my career but never eight or even 10 months.
“It’s gone mad. Good condition second-hand machines are now selling for more than they were bought for a year ago in some places.”
A spokesman for Euroauctions, which is gearing up for a four-day sale in Leeds, next week said: “Sourcing plant is becoming a big issue and we are expecting a bumper auction because of long lead times on new kit.”
The bottlenecks are most acute in the smaller end of the market with 1-3t excavators and small dumpers in short supply. But extending lead times are now becoming widespread across a broad range of equipment and machinery
One firm said: “There’s even four months being quoted on quick hitches and 7.5t tipper trucks are hard to find.”
The heart of the problem stems from the fact that construction equipment is a global market with the whole world being plunged into recession at same time with Covid. Now all major markets are coming back at the same time.
“Usually it’s only one part of the world but manufacturers cut production globally during the pandemic and now everyone is ramping up again and everyone wants machines,” said another hirer.
“Manufacturers told us they are having problems sourcing steel for machines so the knock-on effect is huge.”


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Deutsche Post DHL Group is expecting operating profits of at least €5 billion in 2020, after a successful financial year despite global trade uncertainties.
The company reported a 6% organic rise in group revenue to €61.6 billion, while operating profits reached €3.2 billion, meeting projections. Earnings before interest and taxes are expected to increase to €3.9-4.3 billion by the end of the fiscal year.
“2018 was a challenging year for Deutsche Post DHL Group, which we closed with a successful Christmas business,” said CEO Frank Appel. “Despite rising geopolitical uncertainties, global trade continued to register growth."
According to Appel, the company has “created the conditions for reaching our 2020 targets and for continuing to grow profitably in the years thereafter.”
Credit: Deutsche Post DHL Group
The Group reported that its four DHL divisions—Express, Global Forwarding & Freight, Supply Chain and eCommerce Solutions—all contributed to the positive trend, driven by e-commerce and international trade.
As of January 2019, the company has restructured its post and parcel business, dividing it into the separate domestic and international operations of Post und Paket Deutschland and DHL eCommerce Solutions respectively.
In its earlier form, the Post – eCommerce – Parcel division transported 1.5 billion parcels within Germany alone, an increase of 7.5% on the year before, and 10.6% in the rest of Europe. eCommerce revenue increased by 6.9%, while post revenue dropped slightly by 3%, as expected, due to the effects of GDPR on mail volumes.
Express revenue rose 7.3% to €16.1 billion, while Global Forwarding & Freight saw a rise of 3.4% to €15 billion. Supply Chain saw a drop from €14.2 billion in 2017 to €13.4 billion due to the sale of subsidiary Williams Lea Tag, but revenue increased by 4.3% after adjusting for those factors.
Source: Deutsche Post DHL Group


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The next generation of consoles is often discussed though it’s unlikely we’ll hear much about it from this year’s E3. Sony is focusing on its upcoming game announcements and it hasn’t even been a year for Microsoft’s Xbox One X. Nevertheless, what would some developers like to see from the next PlayStation and Xbox?
GamingBolt spoke to Richard Hill-Whittall, director and owner of Super Icon Ltd which is working on PlataGO. Currently on Steam Early Access, the platformer allows users to create their own platforming games using simple drag and drop tools. We asked Hill-Whittall about his biggest expectation from the next generation and he believed VR support was one key aspect.
“I think more VR support, particularly from Microsoft, I think this may well be the biggest focus for the next gen of hardware. I’d like to see VR options included as standard, although costs make that unlikely,” said Hill-Whittall.
With 4K resolution gaming being the big thing nowadays (even if many developers have to rely on checkerboarding and other such methods to achieve it), will the next console generation signal the beginning of the 4K/60 FPS era?
“Most definitely – 4K makes such a huge visual difference on many games, it is becoming more essential now there are more 4K TVs in people’s homes. And 60FPS is more and more essential, you notice frame-rate more on a beautiful 4K display.”
Microsoft’s E3 2018 presser will be taking place on June 10th while Sony’s E3 presser is scheduled for June 11th. Even without big hardware announcements, it should be interesting to see where both companies go for the foreseeable future.


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Fugaso Launches a Rebranding
IT’S TIME (launch)
We are excited to launch our new version of the brand known as FUGASO – https://fugaso.com/
Presenting a totally new Logo, Monogram, Website, Brand Color Ways and with it we are bringing a whole new level of excitement within our library of Video Slots, Classic’s, Crash Games and Jackpots.
You can expect more Games, Fun and Entertainment coming up.
Btw, feedback is always welcomed 😉


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VisitEngland has launched a business-to-business digital platform that enables tourism suppliers to connect to multiple international distributors.
The Prime Minister has announced a Tourism Sector Deal, spelling a step-change in how we underpin the success of tourism for a generation.
The importance of British gardens to tourism is being highlighted by VisitBritain/VisitEngland during the RHS Chelsea Flower Show as part of the national tourism agency’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2019.
Robin Johnson, our director of Europe is at #BritishTourismDays2019 in Moscow talking about the value of the Russia… https://t.co/Dvs4Kfomf7
Happy anniversary Paul! https://t.co/TGW7idYl7G
Need a new challenge? See our vacancies for lots of exciting opportunities across our network:… https://t.co/h08zXByjLE
#DYK you have to re-enrol staff in a workplace pension scheme every three years? @TPRgovuk have launched a free too… https://t.co/k6AEo2jTyQ


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Cree's new highly rated Connected LED prompted us to take stock of the smart bulbs we've reviewed to date. Click through to see all of the app-enabled, color-changing, hub-integrated goodness.
Unified Computer Intelligence Corporation's $299 Ubi wants to turn voice control into a smart home staple.
Technically Incorrect: The Stratos Card is a new so-called connected card that claims to be a fine solution to wallet overcrowding. But who will pay $95 for it?
After calling Marvelites to action on Twitter, Marvel unleashes a new trailer for "Avengers: Age of Ultron" that brings copious amounts of action ahead of the movie's May 1 launch.
The minds behind Halo, one of the most successful game franchises ever made, hope to strike it again with a massive new game being bankrolled in part by Activision Blizzard.
MacBooks and iMacs have already been updated this year, but these systems have not.
One trend defines the last few years of smartphone tech -- a rapid increase in size. Adventures in Tech takes a laser-focused look at the device that kicked off the big-screen revolution.
New reports call into question a Bloomberg story that claimed China has banned certain Apple products from government buying.
To honor the memory of iconic "Star Trek" actor Leonard Nimoy, some Canadians are drawing Spock on their $5 bills.
Technically Incorrect: Paul Allen says he's used high-tech methods to locate the Musashi, which was considered an "engineering marvel" and was sunk by US warplanes in 1944.


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Today in our pick of the top tech news, courtesy of our friends at TechRadar, we've got updates on two of the flagship phones heading your way, as well as some funky-looking speakers from Logitech and a new feature that could be heading your way in Spotify.
1. The Huawei P20 has plenty of power under the hood
As the official 27 March launch day gets closer and closer, we're learning more and more about the Huawei P20, and today we've got some benchmarking scores to pore over. Testing logs for the upcoming flagship have been spotted online, showing it's just as powerful as the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, though not quite up to the level of the iPhone X in terms of performance. In a couple of weeks, we can start testing it out for ourselves.
2. Kit out your gaming den with Logitech's new RGB speakers
A nice pair of light-up speakers can really add some atmosphere to your gaming experience, as well as crisp audio, and the Logitech G560 set might be just what you're looking for. The kit offers four different lighting zones to play around with, and the speakers can even sync up with certain games, so you get a blast of colour at the same time as a blast of sound. The speakers are available now for $199 (which is about £140).
3. Spotify is working on voice controls
We can talk to all kinds of gadgets nowadays, from phones to speakers, and Spotify has confirmed that it's testing voice controls with a small number of users – so you can speak out the name of the band you want to listen to rather than tapping on your phone's screen, which could come in handy. Will this feature get rolled out to the rest of us soon? Does this mean Spotify is also working on a smart speaker of its own? We'll have to wait and see.
4. To notch or not to notch
Since the distinctive notch appeared on the front of the new iPhone X, more and more Android manufacturers have been following the trend. The latest rumour around the upcoming LG G7 handset is that the notch is going to be optional – you can bring it up with a software overlay, or leave it out. It's a rather strange move, but it does seem to offer more screen space in certain situations, and we know that Android P includes notch support.
5. Get ready for more Pokémon Go-style games
Google just announced it's making a lot more of its maps data and augmented reality tech available to developers, specifically anyone who wants to develop location-based games – think Pokémon Go and the like. The move means that you're likely to see a lot more mobile games that take advantage of the local landscape around you, so you could be battling aliens in your home town or having to hit certain waypoints to collect your loot.


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Angola’s 2018 diamond production exceeded forecast
25th January 2019 By: Rebecca Campbell – Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor
Angola produced a total of 9.43-million carats of diamonds last year, which brought in revenues of $1.2-billion. These figures were reported to Angolan news agency Angop by Endiama President Ganga Júnior. Endiama stands for Empresa Nacional de Prospecção , Exploração, Lapidação e Comercialização de Diamantes de Angola (the National Company for the Prospecting, Mining, Polishing and Commercialisation of Diamonds of Angola). It is the country’s State-owned diamond mining company.
He added that production from formal mines – what he called “industrial” production – reached 9.22-million carats. This was 8% higher than the forecast, which was 8.53-million carats. ‘Semi-industrial’ and artisanal production totalled 212 540 ct, which was significantly down on the 465 120 ct that these operations produced during 2017.
The company’s 2018 revenues represented an increase over those for 2017 (in that year Angola’s diamond exports brought in gross revenues of $1-billion), which he attributed to the Angolan government’s new policy of allowing diamond producers to sell up to 60% of their output in the free market, ending the practice of requiring them to sell to preferred buyers. The new policy was authorised by a Presidential decree issued in July last year.
Under the previous system, preferred buyers were designated by the State-owned Empresa Nacional de Comercialização de Diamantes de Angola (National Diamond Commercialisation Company of Angola), better known by its acronym, Sodiam. Last August, the Angolan weekly magazine ‘Expansão’ reported that, under the preferred buyers system, the country’s diamond miners had lost gross revenues estimated at $5-billion. This was because the preferred buyers were able to enforce a discount of 30% on the miners in relation to market prices.
The number of carats sold by Endiama last year totalled 8.26-million carats, at an average price of $148.65 per carat. The average price per carat obtained in 2017 was $117.23, while the figure for 2016 was $121.1/ct.
Júnior forecast that, this year, Endiama would produce 9.5-million carats of diamonds and accrue revenues of $1.3-billion. The average price per carat would be $154. This year will also be the company’s 38th since it was originally founded.
In accordance with the country’s new diamond marketing strategy, on January 31, the private-sector Angolan company Sociedade Mineira do Lulo will hold its first auction of exceptional quality stones, in Luanda. Lulo is operated by Australian miner Lucapa Diamond Company, which owns 40% of the operation; Angolan private-sector company Rosas & Pétalas owns another 28%, while the remaining 32% is held by Endiama.
Diamonds are Angola’s second-most important export commodity, after oil and gas. Angola is Africa’s number two or number three diamond producer in quantity, after Botswana (and, according to some sources, the Democratic Republic of Congo), and is, in value terms, the world’s number five producer. There is, however, a huge gap between Angola’s oil and gas sector, responsible for 91% of its exports, and diamonds, responsible for 4.9%.


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San Francisco has always been a forward thinking, innovative community and has consistently lead the charge in the green movement way back since the era of conservationists like Sierra Club founder John Muir. And today, Muir would be proud of the city’s legacy that is embodied by urban-sustainable food startup Lucky Bolt.
Lucky Bolt was founded by visionary Kristopher Schlesser, who saw an opportunity to take food delivery to the next level by using bikes to deliver meals and compostable, recyclable, plant-fiber packaging to carry the food. Instead of waiting for restaurants to make the switch, Kristopher made it for them by buying the packaging himself and then selling it to restaurants at cost.
The Lucky Bolt concept is taking off and big names are taking notice — we received word that Forbes Magazine just ran a story on Lucky Bolt, their focus on sustainability and their choice to use Be Green Packaging as a central part of their business.
Read the Forbes article on Luck Bolt + Be Green Packaging here.


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The Modern Grocer — Amazon Go and the Future of Retail
Online retailer Amazon, originally conceived as an Internet bookstore, has gone full circle when it comes to distributing its goods. The company recently opened its first brick-and-mortar bookstores, but now, it’s pursuing physical venues for other types of goods.
Enter Amazon Go, a high tech convenience store intended to pave the way for greater things in the future. The single store, located in Seattle and currently only open to Amazon employees, is intended as an experiment to see if a new model of automated convenience store would be viable.
Amazon Go promises shoppers a lack of the lines, registers, and even checkouts endemic to other grocery stores. Any shopper interested in purchasing goods is free to walk in, scan a specialized app, grab everything they need, and walk out, with their payment being processed automatically without need for their input.
The shopping experience may be simple, but there’s a lot going on behind the scenes of Amazon Go. The store makes use of machine learning and a suite of sensors to process the items that consumers take with them as they travel through the store. The store is even able to recognize when items are returned to shelves. Upon exiting, the customer’s account is automatically charged, and they are sent a list of the items that they left with.
It’s not completely automated; a sales associate will still need to be on hand to check identification for alcohol purchases and ensure that the process is running smoothly. Still, from a staffing perspective, the requirements for Amazon Go are far less stringent than a traditional grocery store.
Like other Big Data projects, the value of Amazon Go’s technology lies in its constant self improvement. Learning customer purchasing habits, allergies, and preferred ingredients could potentially lead to a fully personalized shopping experience. It’s another application of Internet of Things technology, this time in the retail sector, with the potential to expand beyond grocery stores.
The interesting implications of Amazon Go goes far beyond any physical stores that the company can open. In fact, it’s doubtful that Amazon will find much value in opening a large chain of stores, given the low profitability of grocery stores. Instead, it’s likely that the true value for Amazon isn’t the stores themselves, but the technology that they can sell to other chains, quickly spurring stores to adopt or fall behind their competitors.
While certain grocery stores have experimented with personal devices designed to aid the shopping experience, Amazon Go could shake up business models in a largely stagnant industry. Expect progress not only from Amazon, but from other companies in the coming years when it comes to automated shopping.
For now, Amazon Go means increased interest in the company; they’re certainly no strangers to experimenting with technology to improve the customer experience, as evidenced by their forays into automated delivery and IoT technology. The company will likely use the stores as an opportunity to promote and expand AmazonFresh, their grocery delivery service.
In any case, it’s worth looking at Amazon Go as a case study on the viability of machine learning in a retail setting. Keep on the lookout for more news about the Seattle store when it opens later this year.
Originally published at damianesteban.com on February 21, 2017.


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Excellent WiiWare title LostWinds is coming to iOS platforms this holiday, according to Touch Arcade. The port will be a universal app for all iDevices and comes complete with a new map feature.
No price or release date has been set, but developer Frontier Developments has said that the game will arrive this holiday. You can see the game in action below.
LostWinds on Wii scored an 8/10 back in 2008.


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2015 Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally Announced for Intermot
Piaggio announced it will present a new more off-road-capable version of the Aprilia Caponord at next week’s Intermot show in Cologne, Germany.
The new 2015 Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally swaps out the current model’s 17-inch aluminum alloy rims for wire-spoke front wheels (including a 19-incher up front), and added aluminum saddlebags, auxiliary lighting, crash bars and engine guard for better off-roading ability.
The Caponord Rally also comes with the Aprilia Dynamic Damping semi-active suspension system as well as ride-by-wire throttle, three selectable engine maps, traction control, cruise control and switchable ABS.
Piaggio says the Rally will arrive in European showrooms in January 2015, though it’s too early to know if/when we can see it in North America. We’ll have more details on Sept. 30 when Piaggio unveils the 2015 Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally.
Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.
More by Dennis Chung


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The inconvenient truth about EVs in cold weather
Tesla’s Model 3 passengers need a “blankie” to complete its record-breaking cross-country Cannonball Run
So, a Tesla drove across the United States. That such a feat is no longer big news is testament to how far EVs have come and an indication electric vehicles are no longer limited to urban use.
What is newsworthy, however, is that Alex Roy, The Drive’s editor-at-large (and expert Cannonballer), along with the Model 3’s owner, Daniel Zorrilla, took but 50 hours, 16 minutes and 32 seconds to drive from Los Angeles to New York City, the quickest any car has ever traveled from U.S. coast to U.S. coast using electricity as its sole source of power.
This is not an accomplishment to be diminished. Ten years ago, such an expedition would have been measured in weeks, not hours. Even five years ago when Elon Musk began rolling out Superchargers across the land, criss-crossing the continent would have been all but unthinkable.
Those who seek to diminish Roy and Zorrilla’s accomplishments by noting that the current Cannonball Run record is something less than 30 hours miss the point. Google calculates the 4,288 kilometre drive takes just a tad over 40 hours, which means Roy and Zorrilla spent only about 10 hours charging the Model 3 — not so long ago the time it would have taken for a single overnight charge of its (optional) 75 kilowatt-hour battery. It’s an impressive feat and proof of the progress in both EV technology and Tesla’s infrastructure development.
But does it mean — as is the subtext of virtually every story written about Roy’s trek — that EVs are ripe to supplant gasoline-fueled cars in the immediate future.
Uhm, not quite. You see, buried deep in Roy’s 4,345 word treatise on his adventure is the following little tidbit: “It’s too bad we kept the heat off for most of the drive.” Yes, in order to ensure they made it between Supercharger stations, Roy and Zorrilla drove through the worst weather much of the United States has seen in decades without the comfort of cabin heat. Indeed, both wore multiple layers of clothing, Zorrilla, according to Roy’s account, donning three layers of pants to stave off the frigid temperatures, while Roy himself had to buy a wool blanket halfway through the trip. That’s right, no heat in a US$55,000+ car that purports to play in the luxury segment.
Now Cannonballers past have made manifold sacrifices — ingesting massive amounts of caffeine, peeing in bottles and, even more gross, unless, of course, you’re the President of the United States, eating a steady diet of McDonald’s — in their pursuit of speed, but those compromises have always been to overcome human limitations, not compensate for the failing of the automobile. That Roy spends less than 50 words discussing the lack of cabin heat— with nothing remotely resembling a technical analysis of the energy used/saved and range extended by their plight — while devoting no less than 1,670 words to the Autopilot user interface (Roy actually spends more time stressing about the Model’s 3’s steering stalk than he does on the fact that he froze his ‘nads off for 50 straight hours) speaks to someone deliberately not wanting to talk about an elephant in a room.
Here’s the discussion I think he was trying to avoid.
Fleetcarma.com – a website devoted to the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles and optimizing EV fleet deployment since 2007 – recently released a sneak peak of its Truth About Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Cold Weather study based on its real world usage of a number of electric cars in cold climes.
The numbers are not pretty. According to Erik Mallia, the company’s strategic development manager, the EVs in Fleetcarma’s fleet — Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi i-MiEV and Ford Transit Connect EV — started displaying greatly reduced range when the outside temperature dropped below about 3 degrees Celsius. By the time the mercury hit -10C, all three vehicles’ had dropped below half of their advertised/EPA-designated maximum range. In their worst performance, for instance, Nissan’s Leaf ran out of electrons in just 51 kilometres and the Transit Connect in 40. And that’s at -10, not the 20 or 25 below that has been common across eastern Canada since Christmas, Fleetcarma’s information suggesting that EV range prohibitively “drops of a cliff” somewhere around the -5C mark.
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£300,000 for the web whizkid
Benjamin Cohen, the teenage internet whizkid, has managed to sell the business he started in his Elstree, Hertfordshire, bedroom 18 months ago for about £300,000.
Cohen, 18, who retains a portfolio of other internet businesses, has sold his sojewish and JewishNet operation to Aim-quoted community website operator Totally, which is paying 3.93 million new shares, suspended three weeks ago on the start of deal talks at 32 1/2p, for a 71% stake. The site is valued at £1.8m.
Totally has also secured 100% holding in the free London Jewish News newspaper, which had a minority holding in Cohen's site, for a further 8.57 million shares. Totally, which runs the Totallyjewish.com website, said its shares were expected to be unfrozen tomorrow.
The deal is conditional on a shareholders' meeting, with shares in the enlarged Totally due to start trading on 16 November.
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