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Couchbase, the Santa Clara-based business behind the eponymous NoSQL cloud database service, today announced that it has raised a$105 million all-equity Series G round” to expand item development and worldwide go-to-market capabilities.”The oversubscribed round was led by GPI Capital, with participation from existing financiers Accel, Sorenson Capital, North Bridge Venture Partners, Glynn Capital, Adams Street Partners and Mayfield. With this, the company has actually now raised a total of$251 million, according to Crunchbase. Back in 2016, Couchbase raised a$30 million down round, which at the time was indicated to be the company’s last round before an IPO. That IPO hasn’t materialized, but the company continues to grow, with 30%of the Fortune 100 now utilizing its database. Couchbase likewise today announced that, throughout the last , it saw 70% overall contract value growth, more than 50% new service growth and over 35% development in typical membership offer size. In total, Couchbase stated today, it is now seeing almost $100 million in dedicated yearly recurring earnings.
“To be competitive today, enterprises need to change digitally, and utilize technology to get closer to their consumers and enhance the efficiency of their workforces,” Couchbase President and CEO Matt Cain stated in today’s statement. “To do so, they require a cloud-native database constructed specifically to support modern-day web, mobile and IoT applications. Application developers and enterprise architects count on Couchbase to allow agile application development on a platform that carries out at scale, from the general public cloud to the edge, and provides operational simpleness and reliability. Increasingly more, the biggest companies worldwide genuinely run their businesses on Couchbase, architecting their most business-critical applications on our platform.”
The company is playing in a large but competitive market, with the similarity MongoDB, DataStax and all the significant cloud vendors contending for comparable clients in the NoSQL space. One feature that has always made Couchbase stick out is Couchbase Mobile, which extends the service to the cloud. Like a few of its rivals, the company has likewise just recently positioned its bets on the Kubernetes container orchestration tools with, for example the launch of its Autonomous Operator for Kubernetes 2.0. Though, the business also introduced its fully managed Couchbase Cloud Database-as-a-Service in February, which permits businesses to run the database within their own virtual private cloud on public clouds like AWS and Microsoft Azure.
“We are thrilled to partner with Couchbase and view Couchbase Server’s extremely performant, dispersed architecture as purpose-built to support mission-critical usage cases at scale,” stated Alex Migon, a partner at GPI Capital and a new member of the business’s board of directors. “Couchbase has actually established a genuinely enterprise-grade item, with leading assistance for cutting-edge application advancement and implementation requirements. We are enjoyed add to the next phase of the company’s growth.”
The company informs me that it plans to utilize the new financing to continue its “sped up trajectory with investment in each of their 3 core pillars: continual differentiation, lucrative development, and world class groups.” Naturally, Couchbase will also continue to develop new features for its NoSQL server, mobile platform and Couchbase Cloud– in addition, the company will continue to broaden geographically to serve its global client operations.
Article curated by RJ Shara from Source. RJ Shara is a Bay Area Radio Host (Radio Jockey) who talks about the startup ecosystem – entrepreneurs, investments, policies and more on her show The Silicon Dreams. The show streams on Radio Zindagi 1170AM on Mondays from 3.30 PM to 4 PM.


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Micromax could soon launch their first windows powered smartphone probably next week on 16th June. There were already news about Micromax and some other brands waiting to launch their windows phone, in fact XOLO had recently launched their first windows tablet – XOLO Win.
Micromax had initially revealed their plan to launch a windows powered phone, well that might happen pretty soon. As per the latest leak by @LeaksterInc, Micromax may launch a quad core powered handset running Windows Phone 8.1 in July for a price tag of approx Rs. 22,000 to Rs. 25,000.
Microsoft announced the Windows Phone 8.1 and the Windows 8.1 OS (Desktop) at the Build 2014 Conference. They have also partnered with Micromax who will soon start selling windows powered handsets.
Along with the Lumia 525, Nokia also made the Nokia Lumia 1320 available in India. This 6 inch Windows Phablet with dual core processing power will be priced at Rs. 23,999. Lumia 1320 a single SIM handset will hit the store soon.
The Nokia Lumia 1520 can be pre-ordered for Rs. 45,999. The handset is expected to hit the Indian stores next week. Lumia 1520 runs on WP8 OS and sports a 6 inch screen with full HD resolution.
Huawei has revealed the Huawei Ascend W2 another windows powered handset. The W2 will be loaded with a snapdragon dual core processor and will run the windows phone 8 OS with 512MB RAM.
UCWeb has released the UC Browser 3.2 for windows phone with background download support. The UC Browser is the most popular and number one browser app on the WP store.
Nokia today launched Lumia 1520 and Lumia 1320 Phablet. The Nokia Lumia 1320 comes with trimmed down specs and is priced cheaper than the 1520 model. The 1320 dual core Phablet could be priced at around $340.
The awaited Lumia 1520 has finally been unveiled. The Nokia Lumia 1520 is a 6 inch Phablet with full HD resolution powered by 2.2 GHz quad core processor and comes with 20MP PureView camera. This handset is priced at $749, in Indian it could be priced well over Rs. 45,000.
Nokia has launched the Lumia 1020 the much talked about windows phone that comes with a 41 megapixel camera with Xenon flash and image stabilization (optical). The handset is already listed on some online store (Flipkart, Snapdeal, Homeshop18) as forthcoming items.
The Nokia Lumia 925 with 1.5GHz dual core processor, 4.5 inch AMOLED screen and 8.7MP primary camera is now available for Rs. 32,490. This handset runs on Windows Phone 8 OS with 1GB RAM.
Nokia Lumia 625 the windows powered phone with a 4.7 inch screen can now be pre-ordered for Rs. 19,499. It is a single SIM handset loaded with a dual core snapdragon processor clocked at 1.2GHz.

domain: news


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Ubisoft announced an Assassin’s Creed comic book mini-series today, which is currently in development and due for release this fall.
Karl Kerschl headlines
Update: Ubisoft’s just assured us that this is a “non-game-related project”. The publisher’s saying nothing else about it right now. Original: Ubisoft has released some teaser artwork for a “secret project” it has in the works, and before you ask, it has “nothing to do with Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood”.


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Terraria, a long-running building game, turns ten this weekend – the very day this has been posted, in fact – and you can grab it at half off to celebrate.
Exactly one decade ago, on May 16, 2011, Terraria became available on Steam. Right now, if you go to the Steam page, or GOG, you can get it for 50% off, putting it at $4.99, or equivalent. Since release, the 2D Minecraft-like has continued to be regularly updated, patched, and watched over by developer Re-Logic. The bulk of the gameplay involves exploring and gathering resources, like many survival games that have sprung up over the years, and the pixel art gives it a roguelike quality.
Currently, it’s the best-reviewed game on Steam, topping the Steam 250. Ports have come out across multiple generations of consoles, and a direct sequel was cancelled in 2018, when Re-Logic decided improving what’s there is a better approach. A healthy modding scene has been providing new monsters, tools, features, and more for the bulk of Terraria’s life, filling in any gaps of community demand where feasible. Before Stardew Valley, Rust, or many other contemporaries, there was Terraria.
RELATED LINKS: Terraria Journey’s End release date, Best games like Minecraft, Best survival games


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DUBLIN, April 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
Facebook is making changes to its live video product, Facebook Live, including new features and a dedicated video tab on its app. The social networking giant launched its real-time video streaming service last year for verified pages, and recently expanded the functionality to all users. The new features include a geo-location map, filters and a doodle feature similar to the one on Snapchat.
The popularity of mobile devices, along with the rising penetration of the Internet has provided a variety of options for average consumers to access the latest digital video content. Live video streaming has become highly competitive, particularly on social media sites and apps, with Periscope, Snapchat and YouTube all key players in the market. The global digital video content market is expected to grow 15.43% by 2019.
Product head Chris Cox hosted a live video session yesterday to discuss the new features, and said video streaming could be used for everything from celebrity Q&A sessions, to major sports events and breaking newscasts. The global online video platform market was set to grow at a rate of 14.15% between 2015 and 2019, according to a recent report, but this figure may rise due to Facebook's continued investment.
The company is making a concerted push in this area, with various outlets reporting that it is willing to pay media companies and celebrities to post videos on the network. It has reportedly contacted The New York Times, BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, Time, Vox Media and others. A large number of individuals socialize on Facebook on an everyday basis, which means it can offer media companies an invaluable platform to reach target customers and promote their own content. The market for in-app advertising is set to grow at a massive rate of 39.97% by 2019.
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SOURCE Research and Markets


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With Microsoft’s Xbox and Windows 10 press event right around the corner, Jordan P. and I thought we would give our impressions of what could be in store.
Gears of Wars 4 –
No doubt, Microsoft’s biggest Xbox game this year, and will undoubtedly make an appearance at the event. Expect the Gears 4 presentation to focus on multiplayer, as a beta is expected to launch this spring. The event will most likely provide information on the beta such as game modes, maps and a release date. Microsoft will most likely tease a bigger reveal of the game’s campaign for this year’s E3.
Crackdown 3 –
With the multiplayer portion of Crackdown 3 expected to launch this summer, we will probably get a better look of what it has to offer. Expect the demo to focus on citywide destruction powered by the cloud, again, but with other players. There has been some confusion as to whether Crackdown 3’s multiplayer will officially launch this summer or if it will just be a beta; expect an official announcement during the event.
ReCore was one of the more exciting announcements from last year’s E3, but news on the game has been sparse. With the game scheduled to launch this fall, expect some updates during the event. Microsoft may want to hold the gameplay reveal for E3, but a trailer featuring in-game footage is entirely possible. The developers may also be present and give better insight on the game.
Fable Legends –
Fable Legends will show off cross-play between PC and Xbox One and should set a new standard for Xbox Live, as avid PC gamers enter the fray. Cross-play coincides with Microsoft’s vision of platform integration, and will likely set a new precedent for upcoming Xbox and Windows 10 exclusive games with multiplayer.
Cloud Computing –
Expect the Cloud to make a reappearance. I think what we saw with Crackdown 3’s utilization of the cloud was only the beginning. Microsoft have a potential game changer up their sleeves. Our own TIC podcast did discuss how cloud computing could propel web browser gaming and make it a legit way to play AAA video games and more.
Rumors surfaced of an Xbox subdomain was found in Steam. Could this be a marriage of the two? Could Steam games be on their way to Xbox dashboards all over the world? Again, TIC podcast discussed this possibility. It might seem ambitious, but with the current rate of technological advancement, who knows.
DirectX 12 –
Yes, our beloved DX 12 is sure to make an appearance. And why? Because it services both Windows 10 and Xbox One! The word is already out that DirectX 12 is significantly boosting GameCube/Wii emulator performance on PC, reaching a zillion frames per second. But in all seriousness, DirectX 12 will be a holistic rewrite of how efficiently PC and Xbox One games will make use of hardware.
Expect Windows 10’s savvy assistant to make her overdue debut on Xbox One. Some were gutted that Kinect wasn’t needed for Cortana and that any headset will do just fine. Preview members got to sample Cortana recently and its very likely that it’ll be available to the public soon.
More Cross-Buy/Play Titles –
For some Xbox One fans, the sky was falling when Quantum Break was announced for PC. However, if you’ve been paying attention to Microsoft’s messaging for the past two years, the announcement shouldn’t have been a surprise. Expect more Xbox franchises to make their way to the Windows 10 store, and further break down platform walls.
Universal Windows 10 App on Xbox One –
Tic Podcast also discussed this possibility, but is this one a bit farfetched? Could breaking down platform walls really be as deep as this? Could any Windows 10 app really run in every platform within the Windows 10 ecosystem? Things are all crazy now with the accelerated pace of Microsoft’s vision, so let’s not rule this one out just yet.
Stream PC Games to Xbox One –
Finally, the drop the mic moment, drum roll please…. Microsoft could announce streaming PC games to Xbox One since rumors suggest its already working on it. The PC and Xbox One are now siblings in the Windows 10 ecosystem and nothing screams breaking down walls more than this. Perhaps if this comes to fruition, then it could be a true game changer if implemented correctly.


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Wick Hill has added Zenprise to its vendor stable to take advantage of the green field opportunity of mobile device management (MDM).
The technology, whose industry Gartner predicts will exceed $500m (£320m) by the end of this year, will be offered to larger resellers initially, with the duo looking to recruit about 20 resellers in total.
According to Cisco's Service Adoption Forecast, the number of mobile connected devices will rise from 10.3 billion in 2011 to 18.9 billion by 2016. Wick Hill chairman Ian Kilpatrick believes this figure means the market is ripe for the channel to exploit.
He said: "The market is huge for MDM as there is phenomenal growth in smartphone and tablet use, and this is a big area for VARs to tap into."
The technology provided by the Silicon Valley-based vendor works as both a cloud and on-premise solution, and was chosen for its adaptability, according to Kilpatrick.
He said MDM represents a "monstrous" green field opportunity for the channel.
"We investigated our options for a long time. Some of the other MDM organisations had a very narrow vision and only covered a few devices or directions," he said.
"Zenprise's ability to deliver its products in channel-sized packages appealed to us. There was a range of delivery structures so the channel can deliver it through the cloud or through servers."
Next-generation cybersecurity is rumoured to have hired Goldman Sachs as it gears up for going public, according to Reuters report
Cisilion's Hannah Cunningham gives a shortlisted finalist's view of last week's Women in Channel Awards
Chinese cloud vendor ramps up its European presence with two London datacentres
A director at an industrial supplies company based in Cornwall reveals his dos and don'ts when it comes to how IT suppliers deal with his firm


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The two brands have teamed up to create a new tape that features the crunchy candy.
Now that spring is officially here, Nestlé has unveiled a slew of festive confections in time for consumers to get a head start on Easter.
Nestlé USA announced expansions to its seasonal Valentine's Day collection, which includes cards kits filled with Nestlé-branded treats.
Nestlé USA Confections and Snacks on Thursday introduced its new sweets selection from Nerds, SweeTarts, Laffy Taffy, Butterfinger, Nestlé Crunch and more. The company also is offering three new Halloween candy variety packs.
Just in time for Easter celebrations, Nestlé USA Confections and Snacks has unveiled a handful of new offerings available in retail stores nationwide.
Nestlé is rolling out new seasonal candy offerings for spring.


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When it comes to giving children snacks, having a healthier array of options may cut down on calorie-intake while still keeping kids full, new research suggests.
Scientists found that children who were given snacks of vegetables and cheese or just plain cheese had the same levels of satiation compared to those given potato chips, meaning they were just as full. However, the vegetable and cheese groups reported significantly lower intake of calories.
"There is no magic food or ingredient that will end childhood obesity, but learning to substitute certain foods --- such as choosing a combination snack of vegetables and cheese instead of potato chips or sweets --- can be an effective tool to induce children to reduce their caloric intake while snacking," study author Brian Wansink, a professor of marketing at Cornell University in New York, said in a written statement.
Researchers asked a group of 201 children in the third through sixth grade to eat one of four snack types: potato chips, cheese, vegetables or a combination of cheese and vegetables. They were then instructed to eat as much as they wanted until they were full while watching a 45-minute cartoon. Meanwhile, scientists tracked their caloric intake.
The subjects were also asked to rate how full they were before they began to eat, while they were eating and 20 minutes after they finished eating. Their parents were asked to fill out a survey about their family.
On average, children who had cheese and vegetables ate 72 percent fewer calories than those in the potato chip group, even though cheese is generally considered to have a high fat content. The cheese and vegetable group also needed fewer calories to feel full. Even the group that ate just cheese consumed fewer calories than those who ate potato chips.
The observations recorded about caloric intake were more significant in children who were overweight or obese and those who had low-involvement families.
"Snacks that are higher in fiber and have more protein, like we find in cheese and vegetables, leave your kids feeling fuller and they're likely to eat less," Carrie Gonzales, a pediatric dietician with the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, told the Kentucky Post.
Gonzales, who was not involved in the study, said healthy eating habits boiled down to what parents were giving their children to eat.
"I think it always goes back to what's being offered in the home. So, if we do offer more healthful choices like vegetables or cheese versus potato chips your child will actually eat them. It's just about what you have available," she said.
The study was published online in Pediatrics on Dec. 17.


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The popular invite-only audio chat app Clubhouse has finally arrived on Android after spending a year on the Apple iOS platform.
Clubhouse for Android has started rolling out in beta from Monday, beginning with the US, followed by other English-speaking countries, and then the rest of the world.
“Our plan over the next few weeks is to collect feedback from the community, fix any issues we see and work to add a few final features like payments and club creation before rolling it out more broadly,” the company said in a statement.
Clubhouse for Android will remain an invite-only platform, ensuring that each new community member can bring along a few close friends.
“As we head into the summer and continue to scale out the backend, we plan to begin opening up even further, welcoming millions more people in from the iOS waitlist, expanding language support, and adding more accessibility features, so that people worldwide can experience Clubhouse in a way that feels native to them,” – Clubhouse
As tech giants like Twitter, Spotify, Facebook, Telegram, Discord, and LinkedIn go after it, Clubhouse raised fresh funding in the Series C round last month, taking its valuation to $4 billion.
The clubhouse has gained immense popularity and has a reported 10 million weekly active users.
Twitter has announced to make its live audio conversation app Spaces available to users with 600 followers or more on both iOS and Android platforms.
Facebook is launching a similar product called Live Audio Rooms which will also be available on Messenger this summer.
Last month, the company said it will test Live Audio Rooms in Groups, making it available to the 1.8 billion people using Groups every month and tens of millions of active communities on Facebook.
Clubhouse said that with Android, “we believe that Clubhouse will feel more complete”.
The company has also rolled out its payments feature to over 66,000 creators in the US, as part of its goal to help creators monetise and earn money from users on its platform.


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Verizon took the lion’s share of smartphone sales in the United States, due in part to the growth of Windows Phone, according to new numbers from Kantar Worldpanel Comtech.
Of the carriers, Verizon grabbed 36.3 percent of smartphones sold, an annual increase of 1.8 percent. Sprint Nextel accounted for 13.1 percent of smartphones sold, an increase of 1.4 percent. AT&T, in second place, remains stable at 26.3 percent, while T-Mobile declined to 11.3 percent.
Kantar Worldpanel ComTech analyst Mary-Ann Parlato said that Verizon and Sprint’s slight increase is thanks to the growth of two key players.
“For Verizon, Windows’ share rose from 0.2% in the three months ending April 2012 to 6.8 percent by the period ending April 2013,” Paralto said. “At Sprint, they continued to reap share increases thanks to their iOS offering- iOS sales share on Sprint grew from 33.4 percent to 38.4 percent over the last year.”
Katnar found that iOS’ percentage of sales in the first quarter of 2013 was up 2.3 percent annually, while Windows Phone saw an increase of 1.8 percentage points. Android, meanwhile, was up 1.4 percentage points.
Overall, Android ended the quarter with 51.7 percent of the total smartphone market, while iOS took a solid 41.4 percent, followed by Windows at 5.6 percent.
Kantar says Windows has begun to capture consumers from across the competitor set. Of those who purchased a Windows device in the last year, 42 percent came from a feature phone device, 25 percent from another Windows device and 23 percent from Android.
While iOS is similarly effective at capturing Android users and their own users, only 31 percent came from a feature phone device, showcasing Windows strength in attracting feature phone users.
“But it’s not just about capturing the market that is yet to upgrade,” Paralto said. “Windows is also seeing success in the younger group. When looking at those who changed device, between 2011 and 2012 Windows was more successful at capturing older consumers aged 50-64. But when looking at those changing now and in the last year, we’re seeing Windows now gaining share among those aged 25-34.”
Looking at specific sales of smartphone devices, for the 3 month ending April 2013, Nokia’s Lumia devices were the key models driving success for the Windows OS.


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- Aug 17, 2005
Quick let's call for blasphemy laws, hate speech laws, religious tolerance laws, etc. because someones religion might be offended.:whiste:Ben Popken, NBC News contributor
Dr Pepper marched directly into controversy a week ago when it launched its March of Progress ad campaign. And the uproar has not abated.
On Sept. 13, the soft drink maker posted to its Facebook wall an ad using the classic March of Progress image tweaked to promote the evolution of flavor. The whimsical ad showed a chimpanzee dragging his knuckles, followed by a semi-erect hominid reaching for a Dr Pepper, followed by a fully upright man walking and gulping a Dr Pepper. The images are captioned Pre-Pepper, Pepper Discovery, and Post-Pepper respectively.
Sounds harmless. Even banal. But about 7,000 comment and nearly 33,000 likes later, the ad is still provoking reaction by creationists who say it promotes the theory of evolution. Some are even threatening to boycott Dr Pepper. That in turn has stoked evolutionists to make counter comments. Then there's folks jumping on the pig pile just for laughs.
After all, we are talking about a soda pop ad, right?
At first, most of the comments on Facebook were lighthearted jokes about the image. A few comments from disappointed Christians began to crop up. Soon an evolution vs. creationism debate dominated the conversation, along with heaps of jeers at anyone taking the issue seriously.
No we didn't come from apes, wrote one user. Lord Jesus pep can be blinded. If we came from apes why is there still apes [sic]
This is showing the theory of men evolving from apes I have lost all respect for Dr Pepper, wrote another, who threatened to use his connections with various colleges to get them to pull Dr Pepper from their schools.
Comments like these prompted cries of get over it!, really? and, The day your faith is shaken by a Dr Pepper ad is the day you should probably start reconsidering your faith.
The debate also blew up on popular link-sharing site Reddit, whose users flooded the thread to mock the outrage and post parody comment, further inflaming the debate and spreading the conversation to their friend's Facebook newsfeeds.


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Vancouver, B.C., February 25, 2021 – Today, Central 1 announced that Mark Blucher has stepped down as President and CEO of Central 1 Credit Union to pursue a different future. Sheila Vokey has been appointed interim President and CEO, effective immediately, while the Board of Directors undertakes an executive search process to select a new President and CEO.
“We are incredibly grateful for Mark’s exceptional leadership and many contributions to both Central 1 and the industry,” said Bill Kiss, Chair of the Board of Directors. “Mark has been instrumental in positioning Central 1 as the partner of choice for financial, digital banking and payment products and services. We wish Mark all the best.”
Interim-President and CEO Sheila Vokey previously served as Central 1’s Chief Financial Officer and brings over 25 years of experience in business, risk and financial leadership, including holding senior roles at Payments Canada and the Bank of Canada. Ms. Vokey has an extensive understanding of Central 1, and will continue to deliver the products and services necessary to meet the diverse needs of our members and clients.
“Central 1’s work is underpinned by the strength of our people who have made considerable efforts to ensure our members and clients can effectively operate in this uncertain environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ms. Vokey. “We remain committed to providing a high-level of service while adapting, anticipating change, and remaining agile to the needs of our members and clients.”
The Board of Directors is setting up a Leadership Search Committee, which will immediately begin the executive search process for selecting a new President and CEO.
About Central 1
Central 1 is a preferred partner for financial, digital banking and payment products and services – fuelling the success of businesses across Canada. We leverage our scale, strength and expertise to power progress for more than 250 credit unions and other financial institutions, enhancing the financial well-being of more than 5 million customers from coast to coast. For more information, visit www.central1.com.
– ENDS –
Vice President, Stakeholder Relations & Communications
T: 613 299 5087


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According to a report from Fanbyte news editor Imran Khan, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is “nearing its final stages of development” at Monolith Soft and might be revealed this year, though its release date is still a while off. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will also reportedly take place in the distant future, with some characters from the series returning for the story, including Melia.
The third entry was apparently supposed to be revealed earlier this year but was held back due to the impact of the pandemic and challenges with optimizing the game for Nintendo Switch. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is reportedly aiming to feature more on-screen enemy and player character models than in the past. Fanbyte states the studio’s original goal was to launch in winter 2021, but it is now more likely to release in the first half of next year.
Today’s report follows a June interview video clip that resurfaced over the weekend with Doctor Who and Xenoblade Chronicles actor Jenna Coleman that attracted the attention of Xenoblade fans. In the video from YouTube channel Din’s Meteorite, Coleman suggested that a third game was on the way, stating: “I did (Xenoblade Chronicles) pre-Doctor Who days, and when they did the second one, they just asked me to come back. And I think they’re going to do another. Is that common knowledge? Don’t know. But yeah, I think they’re going to do another. Don’t know if I’m allowed to say that.”
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 arrived on Switch in 2017, while a remaster of the original game, titled Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition, came to the console last year. Monolith and Nintendo have not made any official announcement of a Xenoblade Chronicles 3 to date. However, Khan did previously accurately report on the existence of Stranger of Paradise prior to E3 2021, so the majority of this new information is likely accurate.


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Veganuary, the charity that encourages people to adopt a meat and dairy-free diet, is once again running its annual campaign for the month of January…
Since it’s campaign launch in January 2014 (when 3,300 people took part), a total of over 250,000 people from 193 countries have taken the charity’s month-long pledge. Veganuary also predicts that by the end of January 2019, a further 300,000 people will have taken part.
Why go vegan?
According to the charity, for most, a love of animals is the catalyst for adopting a plant-based diet. Some people want to feel better about themselves and the impact they make on the world. Others would like to set themselves a challenge. While many combine Veganuary with their ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ and see trying a vegan diet as the healthiest start to the year.
A political twist
This year’s Veganuary campaign, supported by Pulsin, is going one step further in an attempt to make a huge impact by calling on the parliament canteen to turn vegan for 31 days. The government has reportedly done little to heed the advice of the scientific community, which argues that reducing meat and dairy consumption is vital if we are to avert calamitous climate change.
How to get involved
Register for free online to get involved in Veganuary: https://veganuary.com/register/
The charity will send you daily emails containing recipes, meal plans and tips, such as where to get your nutrients and how to stock your cupboards. They’ll also send you information about the impact of what we eat on our health, animals and the environment.
Looking for animal welfare charities?
If you wish to get further information regarding animal welfare you can find a full list of registered charities in our directory.


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Election 2012: Mexican Cartels to Lose Billions if Marijuana Legalized
By Eli Epstein | November 7, 2012 2:05 AM EST
When state voters hit the polls Tuesday in Washington, Oregon, and Colorado, a lot more will be at stake than just Romney and Obama.
In those states, citizens will decide whether to legalize marijuana or not, which, if the measures pass, could be a devastating blow to Mexican drug cartels who pocket billions from exporting marijuana into the United States.
According to a report, via Quartz, by researchers at the Mexican think-tank the Mexican Center for Competitiveness (IMCO), marijuana legalization in those three American states would be “the biggest structural shock suffered by drug trafficking in Mexico since the massive arrival of cocaine in the late eighties.”
The IMCO and the Rand Corporation estimate that cartels earn $6 billion each year from bringing marijuana into the US. If ballot proposals are passed, that could slash total cartel income by 20 percent. Washington, where the legalization measure is most likely to pass, could take an estimated $1.37 billion out of the cartels’ pockets.
With domestically grown, premium, and cheaper marijuana grown right on America's doorstep, cartels and other illegal foreign distributors would be driven out of the pot market due to the rising cost and unprofitability of their operation.
While that scenario seems ideal, it’s unlikely to take root as a whole, anytime soon.
That’s because the federal government doesn’t want it to. All was well and good when states were distributing marijuana to their own citizens, but once states began licensing growers and entrepreneurs started shipping pot over state lines, the feds got involved.
What began as a crackdown against intrastate distribution soon became a full-court press against any state trying to build a regulatory economy for marijuana. This is exactly what the IMCO warns could empower cartels — the federal government limiting the states’ legalization efforts.
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Capturing 360-degree video just got a little easier for non-professionals.
The Vuze camera, debuting at CES in Las Vegas, is equipped with eight full HD cameras placed in a lightweight, square housing with rounded corners. Using a proprietary technique called adaptive blending, the device produces 360-degree still photos and video footage that can be used for nearly any VR headset, according to New York-based HumanEye Technologies.
See also: The 100 best iPhone apps of all time
Offered in a variety of colors, including red, yellow and blue, the Vuze camera's SD card can capture up to one hour of video.
The Vuze, which is compatible with both Macs and PCs, also has an iOS and Android app designed to control the camera during mobile recording sessions. Accompanying the device are two accessories: a kind of selfie stick, allowing you to shoot VR footage of yourself, and a tripod designed to aid stable shooting with the Vuze.
While companies like Nokia are rolling out VR cameras priced at $60,000, a range of new consumer-level VR cameras like this one could help further aid the rise of immersive VR content.
The Vuze VR camera will sell for $899 (Update: Vuze has now stated that the exact cost will be "a price point of under $1,000") and will be available to consumers in August.


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“Despite having issued a clear statement to the journalist Tarun Sharma via an email dated September 23, 2019, that we have received no intimation from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and have no existing relationship with Aarush Forex Private Limited, a baseless and highly damaging article has been posted that clearly maligns Thomas Cook India,” it added. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL REPORT
In a separate regulatory filing, the company said that since there was no connection whatsoever between Thomas Cook in the UK and Thomas Cook India, "the collapse of Thomas Cook in the UK has no impact whatsoever in terms of ownership, business, people, technology or processes to us at Thomas Cook India".
The management categorically reiterated that it is business as usual for Thomas Cook India which is a completely independent entity, acquired by Canada-based Fairfax Financial Holdings in August 2012 from Thomas Cook in the UK.
At 10:13 am, shares of Thomas Cook India were down 7 per cent at Rs 143, as compared to a 0.28 per cent rise in the S&P BSE Sensex. The trading volumes on the counter jumped more than five-fold with a combined 7,78,173 shares changing hands on the NSE and BSE so far.


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Oct 26, 2020
Flipkart to buy 8 percent stake in Aditya Birla's fashion unit for $204 million
Oct 26, 2020
Walmart Inc’s Flipkart will buy a 7.8 percent stake in Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd for 15 billion rupees ($204 million), the fashion retail company said, sending its shares up 6 percent on Friday.
The investment comes at a time when Amazon.com Inc, billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries and Flipkart are in a race to gain market share in India’s fast-growing online market for food and groceries.
“Fashion retail in India is set for robust long-term growth due to strong fundamentals of a large and growing middle class... Rapid growth of technology infrastructure will further accelerate this process,” Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla said.
With the COVID-19 pandemic keeping most people indoors, Indians are turning to online platforms for all purchases from bread to phones to clothes.
Media reports here had said both Amazon and Flipkart were in the race to pick a stake in Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, which owns and operates the Pantaloons retail chain and owns rights to sell Forever 21 merchandise in India.
Aditya Birla said it would use the money to strengthen its balance sheet as it scales up its businesses.
Shares of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail surged as much as 6.5 percent to 163.45 rupees, their highest since March 30.
© Thomson Reuters 2023 All rights reserved.


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Frederick Buechner wrote that there is a time for looking back over the past "and trying to figure out where we have come from and where we are going to."
- May 24 Blog - Jim Arwood - The Times They Are A-Changin’
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Still dark times for solar manufacturingWritten by Phoenix Green Business Examiner
Recent solar module production capacity has been nearly twice the demand, resulting in significant overcapacity and excessive inventories. Solar manufacturers have reduced prices to record lows, often at or below the module cost of goods sold (COGS).


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Electronic Arts (EA) announced back in April that it would soon be releasing a mobile version of its first-person shooter (FPS) game, Battlefield. Now EA DICE has announced more details about the upcoming Battlefield mobile game. Here we’ll take a look at everything we know about the upcoming game, including region-by-region beta rollout status, map details, and more. Also read- Top 5 mobile games coming to 2021, ahead
Everything we know about Battlefield Mobile
EA DICE reportedly revealed in a Q&A session that it will be releasing the first Battlefield mobile game in Indonesia and the Philippines first. According to the Google Play Store listing, the game will be first released on the Android platform. The company is expected to roll out beta versions of the game on a region-by-region basis. Also read- Netflix may launch its own video game streaming service next year at no extra cost
The game will initially only come with a map of Grand Bazaar. Battlefield 3. The game will be offered in a free-to-play model with in-app purchase elements such as cosmetic items, unlockable upgrades and a Battle Pass system. Also read- FIFA 22 hypermotion technology to bring immersive gameplay experience, to release on October 1
EA has said that the mobile version of the game will “bring the same wild conditions and explosive spectacles that Battlefield is famous for.” However, the graphics may seem like a step down from the PC title.
Battlefield Mobile will come with multiple game modes, including a Tactical Mode, a Destroy Mode, a Stealth Mode and a War Tank Mode.
Tactical Mode will focus on players’ agility, Destroy Mode will allow players to use ATVs, Stealth Mode like its name will focus on Stealth and Battle Tank Mode will bring fully armored tanks to battle. The game will also include a class system to make the gameplay more interesting. The different classes include Assault, Assistance, Healing, and Reconnaissance.
The game will also come with player customization features and will have backstory for the game’s war heroes.
we expect EA Dice The Battlefield mobile game is expected to reveal more details in the coming months, leading to the game’s full release, which is expected next year.
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Syracuse, N.Y. — With only word of mouth and no real advertising or even much social media, the special London Broil sandwich sold out Wednesday.
That’s a good sign for the brother-and-sister team of Brian Prince and Enrica Paladino, owners of the new Paladino’s The Deli in downtown Syracuse.
They have faith their new sandwich shop at 210 W., Genesee St. near Clinton Square can launch successfully even with downtown office crowds diminished for now by the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’re looking for somebody to come in, give us try and if they like it go back and tell the other people in their office,” Prince said. Already they’ve made some inroads with workers at the nearby offices of The Pyramid Cos. and National Grid.
Paladino’s The Deli opened quietly last week. It hosts its grand opening today (Oct. 8), and this time will have some social media push. The hours, at least to start, are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Saturday.
“We’re in the same family but separately owned,” said Prince, who also works at the pizza shop.
The new deli is taking the spot next to AppeThaizing Thai restaurant that had been occupied for 18 years by a Subway location. The Subway closed in March, at the beginning of the pandemic.
The layout is similar, with a few seats near the entrance and the ordering counter toward the back.
The menu features hot and cold sandwiches and salads.
In addition to the London Broil, which Prince considers his signature, hot choices include a Reuben, Gourmet Grilled Cheese, Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Meatball Parmesan and more. Cold sandwiches include Turkey, Ham, Roast Beef, Tuna Salad and others. There’s a selection of Italian subs.
There are also featured salads, such as Antipasto, Grilled Chicken and a Mediterranean Plate.
“And all the sandwiches can made into salads,” Price said.
All sandwiches are prepared to order, and the meats can be sliced to the customers' preference, Enrica Paladino said.
“Basically any way you want it, we can make it,” Prince said.
The meat is sourced from Deli Boy and the bread comes from Harrison Bakery. Breads include, white, wheat light and dark rye, baguettes and wraps.
The pandemic makes it an interesting time to start a business, but Prince and Paladino have confidence.
“We think we’re serving food that people will like, and come back for,” Prince said.
MORE RESTAURANT NEWS


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Valve Software removed a game that simulated school shootings, following a nationwide outcry to ban the title, and slammed the “troll” developer behind it.
RELATED: Valve criticized for allowing distribution of game that simulates school shootings on Steam platform
Developer Revived Games and publisher ACID were removed from its Steam platform, after Valve found that “a person calling himself Ata Berdiyev” was behind the accounts. The company said in a statement that this person had been removed before and that he is “a troll, with a history of customer abuse, publishing copyrighted material, and user review manipulation.”
Valve found out that Berdiyev had returned to Steam as it looked into the controversy surrounding the game, which is called Active Shooter and lets players step into the shoes of SWAT team members or the shooters themselves, with another option coming to control civilians.
Here is the full statement from Valve:
This developer and publisher is, in fact, a person calling himself Ata Berdiyev, who had previously been removed last fall when he was operating as “[bc]Interactive” and “Elusive Team”. Ata is a troll, with a history of customer abuse, publishing copyrighted material, and user review manipulation. His subsequent return under new business names was a fact that came to light as we investigated the controversy around his upcoming title. We are not going to do business with people who act like this towards our customers or Valve.
The broader conversation about Steam’s content policies is one that we’ll be addressing soon.
As controversy over the game began to rise, the developer wrote a note on Steam saying “it has written to Valve and will likely remove the shooters role in this game by the release.” The developer wrote that the original plan for the game was to focus strictly on a SWAT simulator, and the decision to add the shooter and civilian roles was done to add more depth of play.
Valve’s Steam platform has become one of the biggest outlets for game publishers, with a reported 7,672 games released there in 2017 alone. Each game has its own storefront, and Valve reviews and approves those storefronts before developers can sell their games.


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‘Why budding entrepreneurs must be focused’
The Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) has admonished budding entrepreneurs to be focused, gain knowledge about what the market wants and be courageous, because these qualities are keys to making a success of any business endeavour.
Speaking at the launch of an outlet of Bia Live Well, a bar for fruit cocktails and fresh juices, the Stakeholders’ Management and Communication Officer, LSETF, Joaquim MacEbong, said his agency is happy to be associated with Bia Live well for growing from one outlet to three outlets, providing over 50 jobs to Nigerian youths.
MacEbong explained that the agency funds businesses with the aim that they will grow, adding that the agency is exerting all its efforts to improve the environment for businesses to thrive in Lagos.
Explaining the duties of the agency, he said: “We provide loan facilities and organise trainings for unemployed youths.
The loan programme is in three sets: SMEs who you can borrow a maximum of N5 million; Micro enterprises, who can borrow N500,000 and start ups, with no businesses but have training certificates are eligible to borrow N250,000. All these are at five percent yearly interest”
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer, Bia Live Well, Fadesola Adedayo, said that her company aims to bring raw energy to every life thereby helping them live longer, stronger and better.
He said his company is in search of new partners. “We want to go to the East and North, and we are looking for partners to help take our products there.”
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Jordan Brand really is pulling out all the stops this year. We already know the brand would be releasing an unprecedented number of retros, including some strange silhouettes, but nobody expected this beautiful Jordan 18 “Cool Grey” coming in Fall.
The Air Jordan 18 is not the most sought-after Jordan silhouette, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t gathered a massive cult following over the years. Despite being one of the post-Michael-era Jordans, the 18’s sleek and futuristic look helped it sell decently well, and inch its way into the hearts of collectors and Jordan superfans alike. Now, the Air Jordan 18 is returning in true retro fashion later this year, to the excitement of fans everywhere. The new “Cool Grey” rendition is a clean and accessible take on the 18 that is sure to do well with fans of the silhouette. The smooth suede upper of this Jordan 18 comes entirely in the brand’s signature cool grey tone, down to the multiple flaps and hidden laces. The ventilation flap on the heels folds up to reveal an iridescent gold plate, while the tongue flap hides a chrome lace eyelet. Finally, the new Air Jordan 18 is complete with a black carbon fiber midsole shank and gamma blue outsole.
AIR JORDAN 18 “COOL GREY” RELEASE INFORMATION
The next Air Jordan 18 release is rumored for November 2018, though no specific date has been announced. The smooth “Cool Grey” colorway will retail for a steep $225, which is the current standard for a premium Jordan. Check out the early in-hand images below for a better look at the new color, and stay tuned to JustFreshKicks for more Air Jordan release news.
Air Jordan 18 “Cool Grey”
Release Date: November 2018
The post The Air Jordan 18 Returns in “Cool Grey” This November appeared first on JustFreshKicks.
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Policy Pennings: The livestock supply chain still needs to be reworked
On June 22, 2022, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry approved two acts for consideration by the entire Senate: Senate Bill 3870, the Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act of 2022, and Senate Bill 4030 the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2022.
Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa responded to this action saying “With the passage of these two important bills, my years-long beef with Big Cattle is one step closer to being settled. Iowa cattle producers have struggled to receive a fair price for years – long before inflation hit a 40-year high. It’s past time for Congress to stand with independent cattle producers and put an end to the cozy relationship between large meat packers and big cattle feedlots.”
In the Pre-COVID years when we were invited to speak at various farm organization annual meetings, cattle producers in the audience often raised the issue of price transparency as they saw fewer and fewer cattle being sold through local auction markets and buying stations. They told us that it was becoming increasingly difficult to determine the market value of their cattle when a significant portion of the cattle were being purchased using private contracts that were not subject to mandatory price reporting.
Instead of using this column to analyze the specifics of the current legislation before the U.S. Senate, we want to discuss economic principles and use them to analyze the current state of the supply chain that begins with a farmer who raises an animal that ends up as a piece of meat on the consumer’s plate.
One of the fundamental principles of free markets is the interaction of multiple buyers and sellers. In a classical free market, either the buyer or seller can walk away from a given negotiation with no negative consequences. Price discovery occurs when buyers and sellers compare the price they paid/received.
The greater the number of transactions is available to the buyers and sellers, the greater the price transparency of the market is. In the US, this process was formalized with the development of multiple local auction markets where livestock was bought and sold and everyone knew what the price of each animal was when the gavel went down and the auctioneer called out, “Sold.”
Beyond that, the U.S. Department of Agriculture collected and reported the average prices that were paid for various weights and classes of animals. When we were growing up, the announcement of these daily auction market prices was the bread and butter of many farm radio stations. With that information in hand, farmers could decide which buying station or auction barn they would use on any given day.
As consolidation took hold in the meat packing industry, the number of potential buyers began to diminish resulting in fewer bids. When one buyer began to dominate a given area, often through the purchase of competing firms, the USDA stopped reporting prices because releasing such information would reveal “proprietary information.”
In addition, to even out the supply of animals going through their facilities, packers began to offer contracts to some feedlots that would provide them with a steady base supply of animals. The details of these contracts were also seen to involve proprietary information.
For the farmers who chose to raise their animals to market weight, these two factors left them at a competitive disadvantage.
At this end of the supply chain, we have multiple producers, some of whom have sweetheart deals, selling their animals to a small number of packing plants that have price leverage.
In the middle, you have this small number of packers jostling with a small number of national grocery chains. Each side has some leverage over the other, but at the same time they need to coexist, and both want to report significant profits to their shareholders.
On the other end, you have consumers who have little or no pricing power. They can read the weekly sale circulars and, depending on the area, shift their purchases from one grocery retailer to a competitor based on that week’s sale price, but they don’t set the prices.
Certainly, the legislation before the Senate has some advantages for independent cattle producers, but without a change in the rules that have allowed two sets of consolidated firms to develop in the middle, both producers (with lower prices for their animals) and consumers (with meat prices increasing rapidly) will continue to find themselves at an economic disadvantage.
Harwood D. Schaffer is an adjunct research assistant professor in the Sociology Department at the University of Tennessee and director of the Agricultural Policy Analysis Center. Daryll E. Ray is an emeritus professor at the Institute of Agriculture at the University of Tennessee and the retired director of the Agricultural Policy Analysis Center.


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The continual console war between Microsoft and Sony has its ups and downs, going back and forth on release exclusives and DLC offers. But they do trade off on who is on top. Sony is seeking that summit for the beginning of 2016. Coming off Microsoft’s stellar Fall 2015 releases coupled with holiday sales, Sony has to make a lot of ground. Going into the New Year, they have a pretty phenomenal line up scheduled.
Street Fighter V is the first of the titles to be released in February. A shock to the community in making it an exclusive PlayStation title and leaving Xbox out, this game will be one of the top fighters of 2016. The game looks and feels reminiscent of older Street Fights games, but there is no doubt some surprises will be in store. One of the most beloved PlayStation Series, Uncharted, will be back in March. No other franchise has a loyal following than Nathan Drake and his treasure hunting escapades. Gamers were saddened when his tale came to an end in UC3, so it was with great hype and overjoy that Uncharted 4 was announced. The in-depth story and new characters should usher in a new era for the much-loved explorer. Not to mention new areas to explore and more lore to learn.
No…Man…Sky. What a beautiful game. One of the most anticipated releases on any console, this game hits shelves in June. What started out like an explorer type game of worlds, literally took off to the cosmos as you can fly in your space ship through the vastness of the universe. There was more game play at E3, but everyone is waiting to get their hands on this gem.
Some other releases will be slated for 2016, but we will have to see. Fan favorite, and long time coming The Last Guardian is scheduled for release, finally. A game that was originally to be released on PS3, now has been promised for PS4. They had an extended demo at E3 and it looked wonderful. The next game from Killzone studio Guerrilla Games – Horizon Zero Dawn – should be releases sometime next year. A look into the future of a dystrophic land and society where robotic dinosaurs seem to rule, it was a highlight at E3.
Given the large amount of releases and the strong presence in the market, Sony is looking to start the year off with a bang. With the best line up of games to be released in a blitz attack, Sony is looking to make a comeback and have a strong start to 2016. Microsoft can still relay on gamers still enjoying their holiday releases, and getting new DLC, as well as release more games on backwards compatibility, but overall they are going to need to ramp up there media releases on their games. Quantum Break is a fan favorite, scheduled for April, but other games include Fable Legends and Gears of War 4 should be a welcome relief to Xbox owners.
How do you think Sony will do at the start of 2016, post your comments below!


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Businesses have an enormous opportunity today to propel their loyalty strategy into the next realm of customer engagement. This next realm is also the next stage in the loyalty lifecycle, one where the customer engages with a brand and a business emotionally.
The multichannel model is where the future is headed, said Justin Petty, vice president of global media solutions and partnerships at dunnhumby. Justin was a panelist at Wharton's School's Future of Advertising Program which explored innovations in measuring effectiveness.
Prince Andrew has visited the Ealing headquarters of dunnhumby - one of the largest employers in the borough. The Duke of York was introduced to data scientists at the firm in Uxbridge Road, as met graduates and interns to discuss the graduate trainee programme.
In a world where the customer demands that brands are "ubiquitous but under their control," retailers must learn to use the data in their businesses to give customers what they want if they are to prosper.


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Android 13 will reportedly let you set language preferences for each app
With public developer builds still months away, these features might look different once they arrive.
Even though Android 12 hasn’t reached the majority of devices yet, Android 13 features are already leaking. Those come courtesy of XDA Developers, who detail a few new features for the upcoming mobile operating system.
Some of these leaked features include per-app language settings, more control over the lock screen clock, and a new permissions structure for notifications.
The biggest thing from this leak concerns language settings. Android has long had the ability to use multiple languages, but they’ve always been applied system-wide. In Android 13, the user will get the ability to change language settings per app. That will come in handy for multilingual users.
Let’s talk about notifications. In Android 13, notifications could become an opt-in feature. Yes, you read that correctly. Users could soon choose whether they want to receive notifications by switching the privacy toggle.
READ MORE: Android 13: Everything we know so far
Android 13 is also going to get some new tricks for power management. It’s called TARE: The Android Resource Economy, and it’s kind of like a payment system for apps to use resources.
Here’s how it works: Apps will get “credits” based on the battery level of the device, which they can then use as “payments” to perform tasks. That should go a long way towards stopping some of the more battery-hogging apps from destroying your battery life.
XDA also shared some screenshots of an upcoming visual change. You’ll soon be able to stop Android from using the large, double-line clock on the lock screen, in favor of the single-line version (see the image above).
Minimalists and those who dislike the clock changing depending on whether they have notifications will appreciate this. Thankfully, this change will be included in Android 12L, so you won’t have to wait until Android 13 to use it.
With public developer builds still months away, these features might look different once they arrive. We’ll bring you any other Android 13 leaks as we get them.
- How to locate and disable an unknown AirTag on Android and iOS
- Amazon’s Appstore now works on Android 12 after months of blackout
- If you’re on Android, update Microsoft Teams immediately to fix this 911 bug
- If you’ve got a Pixel, you can upgrade to Android 12 right now


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PHOENIX — Simply Bread, a provider of European bread to retail and restaurant locations throughout Arizona, has ceased operations, according to The Arizona Republic.
The company cited problems with its lender, a struggling Michigan-based bank, for its shutdown.
“Our bank over five years has been experiencing unfortunate and significant challenges which, in turn, have become our challenges,” Harold Back, president of Simply Bread, told The Arizona Republic. “We have looked diligently for solutions but the reality is that there is no choice but to cease operating and close our doors. It has been a heartbreaking decision to have to make and it was not made lightly. We are personally devastated at the impact it will have on all of the people who have supported us over the past five years.”
Founded in 2006, Simply Bread had 1,400 retail and restaurant customers, including several of Arizona’s top restaurants. The company baked and sold about 100,000 loaves a day from its Chandler and Phoenix commissaries. Company inventory included 200 products such as bread, rolls, bagels, pizza dough, cookie dough and granola.


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As data becomes increasingly valuable, companies need to secure their IoT-enabled devices now, rather than wait until hackers find a way in
Recently, attackers broke into an unnamed casino and stole data by compromising an internet-connected fish tank. If this were a plot device in a Hollywood thriller, the cyberattack method would likely be deemed far too implausible and left on the cutting-room floor – not to mention the preposterous idea that thieves find a better return on investment (ROI) in stealing data from a casino instead of stealing money. But both the method and “goods” targeted by the thieves are real.
As implausible as this scenario seems, increasing internet of things (IoT) adoption portends worse cybersecurity breaches unless businesses recognize the need to improve IoT components.
In the fish tank example, it is particularly ironic that the pun “phishing” evolved back to the original “fishing.” Phishing attempts to steal valuable information through deceit. An email, for example, elicits confidential information by pretending to come from a boss or colleague. Rather than attacking systems directly, phishing uses social engineering to prey on parts of computer systems that are traditionally far weaker: users. But in the weakest link contest, we have a contender rising quickly – IoT devices.
Unfortunately, IoT did not rise to the top of the weakest-link leaderboard because we the users all strengthened our security chops. Despite constant prescriptions for better user education, it is difficult to raise every user’s security prowess — and the resilience of a defense depends, by definition, on the minimum weakness. Instead, IoT devices may become the preferred path for attackers by creating far better ROI for attackers along an IoT path rather than a user path.
The use of “ROI” here is important. It’s tempting to think of security as a technical problem – one that we wish some smart technical folks would just solve. Despite many smart people working on it, this is highly unlikely. Instead, security is an economic problem – attackers are economic actors who will strike when benefits exceed costs and will turn their attention elsewhere when it doesn’t.
The “return” part of the attacker ROI is based on the value of data. The value of data has increased dramatically over the last decade. It stands to reason that the same data would be valuable to attackers as well. For example, transaction databases provide valuable insight on customer behavior, but our economy thrives on payment systems that rely on poorly kept secret numbers (for example, credit card numbers) that we must constantly supply to organizations in order to enable transactions. This “secret” information therefore has value to attackers, as it can readily be exchanged for goods and services. With IoT, the proliferation of devices offers numerous paths to that valuable data – even through a fish tank.
The “investment” part is where IoT currently lags. As businesses build and deploy weakly secured devices, attackers don’t have to exert significant effort to identify and exploit vulnerabilities. The effort to secure is out of balance with the effort to attack successfully. It is currently too hard for businesses to reduce attacker ROI.
With ROI like this, it doesn’t take Punxsutawney Phil or Carnac the Magnificent, much less fancy prescriptive analytics, to prognosticate that more stories like the casino fish tank are in our future. What can help change this future?
If securing devices is difficult or expensive, businesses won’t do it. The lure of features will divert from increased security. Instead, it needs to be much easier for business IoT deployments to demand more effort from attackers. We can then depend on business laziness and frugality to change the ROI. The difficult part is how.
We’ve been here before. For example, in the early days of computing, each program had to develop data and indexing routines. With each program, just building minimally reliable data storage diverted costly development resources away from improved features. But reusable routines emerged, followed by dedicated libraries available for purchase, then dedicated companies put considerable resources into reusable data storage systems (for example, relational databases or map-reduce clusters). Now every program can take advantage of millions of hours of development and refinement of sophisticated data storage algorithms, often at low or no cost.
With security, the situation is worse because security is so difficult to get right. As cybersecurity expert Bruce Schneier noted, “Amateurs produce amateur cryptography,” and most businesses areamateurs at securing IoT devices. Those developing security for their own devices are bound to make mistakes – unless they are a dedicated security company, as most, of course, are not. But even dedicated groups working openly on security make mistakes: In 2015, 4 million smart meters were found “rife with security issues” after deployment. Security is hard.
As a result, most businesses won’t be able to develop secure IoT devices on their own. They will need better components, both hardware and software, to build from. Societally, we cannot afford to have every organization grow their own devices through to mature products — the resulting security compromises will be staggering along the way as they mature. Components work because they allow economies of scale. They allow organizations dedicated to building secure components to acquire expertise, spend resources, and then be rewarded for their efforts.
Before getting too judgmental and thinking, “Who on earth needs an internet-enabled fish tank?” consider the benefits: The internet connectivity “allowed the tank to be remotely monitored, automatically adjust temperature and salinity, and automate feedings.” Remote monitoring, automated processes, reduced labor – these all sound like the benefits that most businesses desire from IoT.
It is exactly these benefits that technologies such as IoT and artificial intelligence promise. But unless businesses have secure components to build from, their data remains at risk.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sam Ransbotham is an associate professor of information systems at the Carroll School of Management at Boston College and the guest editor for MIT Sloan Management Review’s Data & Analytics Big Ideas Initiative. He can be reached at email@example.com and on Twitter @ransbotham.
September 25, 2017


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EBA have released a set of measures in the form of security guidelines designed to increase the safeguards for online payments.
Recent statistics highlight that fraud is on the rise across Europe with the total value of fraudulent transactions conducted using cards issued in Europe and acquired worldwide amounted to €1.33 billion in 2012, up 14.8 percent from 2011, according to research by the European Central Bank.
In response to this, the European Banking Authority have released a set of measures in the form of security guidelines designed to increase the safeguardsfor online payments. The guidelines aim to provide a benchmark for internet payment security across all 28 member states.
Increased fraud risk coupled with the surge in use of the internet for facilitating payments create a need for a general standard for best practice in security – the secure pay guidelines were written for this. A key feature of the guidelines is stronger customer authentication, whereby customers making payments must provide non-reusable security details at the point of payment initiation.
Application of the guidelines is not mandatory and as such the UK, along with Slovakia and Estonia have refused to apply them. The Financial Conduct Authority, the UK regulator commented that “it did not have the power without legislative change” to make binding rules requiring all payment services to comply.
By not complying with the safety guidelines, experts are concerned that fraudsters will attack countries that have not implemented the measures, as they will be seen as the weakest points in system, which leaves the UK significantly exposed.
Most of the UK banks security systems have standards much higher than what is being proposed by the EU, however there are some organisations with internet banking portals that will not meet the minimum benchmark requirements. This will put UK customers at risk and leave the industry exposed which would increaseregulatory scrutiny in the future should the weaker systems be exploited.


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Tag Archives: price
Tue, Oct 30, 2012 | 16:07 GMT
Fri, Aug 10, 2012 | 17:38 BST
Sega has announced that the Jet Set Radio HD remake will begin coming to consoles and PC this September for $9.99/800 Microsoft Points.
Fri, Mar 16, 2012 | 17:07 GMT
Tue, Feb 15, 2011 | 06:18 GMT
Thu, Jan 14, 2010 | 10:08 GMT
If you have a press, stop it: Nintendo told VG247 that DSi XL – confirmed this morning for a March 5 launch in Europe – is to cost retailers more than previous versions.
Fri, Nov 21, 2008 | 08:14 GMT
Capcom’s confirmed that SSF2 Turbo HD Remix is to cost $15 on PSN and 1200 MS Points on Live.
The game will release on November 25 for PS3 and a day later for 360.
More on Unity.
Thu, Sep 11, 2008 | 12:04 BST
Thu, Sep 11, 2008 | 07:11 BST
TheSixthAxis is rumouring that WipEout HD is going to cost €17.99, or £15, when is finally releases.
No idea when it’s coming out as yet. We’ll check with SCEE on this when someone gets into the office.
Tue, Jul 15, 2008 | 15:19 BST
Wed, Apr 16, 2008 | 10:14 BST
Nintendo of America just announced that Wii Fit will cost $90 in the States. From the press release:
In anticipation of the U.S. launch of Wii Fit, the new interactive fitness game for the popular Wii system, Nintendo of America Inc. has announced pricing details for this groundbreaking release. Available at Nintendo World store starting on May 19, Wii Fit and the innovative Wii Balance Board™ accessory will be bundled and sold together at a suggested retail price of $89.99.
Boasting a dynamic mix of more than 40 yoga, aerobics, strength training and balance activities, Wii Fit provides consumers with a fun, easy and affordable way to incorporate exercise into their daily routines. Using the included wireless Wii Balance Board accessory, every member of the household can step up and stay active, setting individual fitness goals and tracking their progress over time.
So now you know.
Wed, Feb 20, 2008 | 19:41 GMT
According to this, NOA’s Reggie Fils-Aime reckons the American version of Wii Fit’s going to be less than $100.
“Price for the Wii Fit Board and the software is under $100 – we’re still working to finalise the price given currency exchanges, etcetera, but under $100 bucks,” he said.
Wed, Feb 20, 2008 | 19:40 GMT
Nintendo has confirmed that a price for the European version of Wii Fit remains unannounced, despite a date of April 25 just being released, but that we’re going to know how much the Japanese smash-seller’s going to cost in the next few weeks.
“We have not announced price at this time,” a Nintendo UK rep told videogaming247. “We’re still looking into it, so I don’t have a date, but it will be in the coming weeks.”
The game, which has achieved sales well in excess of 1 million units in Japan, was also dated for the US this morning, and will be hitting America on May 19.
So there you go, Nintendo-whiners: Europe gets it first.
Wed, Jan 30, 2008 | 18:59 GMT
Wedbush Morgan’s Michael Pachter has suggested a Wii priced at $199 without a bundled Wii Sports could help keep the console competitive in 2009.
“The console has a price advantage over the Xbox 360 and PS3 that can be maintained if Nintendo chooses to un-bundle Wii Sports from the console,” he said. “I think that if Nintendo were to do so and cut the price to $199, it would still sell a piece of Nintendo software to 80% of new Wii purchasers, and would end up effectively lowering revenues per console by only around $10. At that price point, the Wii should be strong again in 2009.”
Pachter went on with warnings to Nintendo regarding keeping Wii in a position of dominance in the mid-term.
“The long-term health of the Wii should not be impacted until Wii households decide to buy one of the other consoles as a second console,” he added. “Because of the high-definition video features offered by the Xbox 360 and PS3, those consoles are more likely to end up in the living room, which could relegate the Wii to the playroom. If the Wii is not at the center of the home entertainment system, software sales could suffer as a result.”
Full story here.


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Microsoft is no stranger to OS-tan moe technology personifications. There's Windows 7's Madobe Nanami, Windows 8's Madobe Yu and Madobe Ai, Claudia for the Azure technology and now, Inori Aizawa for internet explorer. Check her out in action after the jump.
Imagine you own an Xbox One. Now imagine you have the attention span of a gnat. Microsoft's latest promotional video shows how the new user interface might help you deal with that deadly combination. Take a tour after the jump.
If you were hoping to pair up your Xbox One purchase with some fancy headgear, you'll have to wait until next year. Microsoft recently confirmed a statement saying that the Xbox One Headset Adapter, which allows for third party support, won't be available until early 2014. More after the jump.
We've had a look at the console itself and some of its launch games, and we've even spent far too much time studying its controller, so why not take a peek inside the workings of the Xbox One friends list? See how it all works in the video after the jump.
Microsoft already shared its list of Xbox One launch titles, so all that's left is a date to mark on our calendars. Well, now we have it: Xbox One is officially set to launch in 13 markets on November 22. More after the jump.
Cologne, Germany's gamescom event is off and running this week, and Microsoft is on hand to share plenty of Xbox One information. Among it all was confirmation of the upcoming console's launch lineup, which boasts 23 titles, including games like Panzer Dragoon successor Crimson Dragon, Dead Rising 3, and more. Hit the jump for the full list.
The Xbox One controller may look like a slightly nicer Xbox 360 controller, but a new video showcases around 40 improvements, big and small, that make it better. From the d-pad to enhanced force feedback, see what's new as Major Nelson speaks with General Manager of Xbox accessories Zulfi Alam after the jump.
The next two games to arrive free for Xbox Live Gold members as part of Microsoft's Games with Gold program have been revealed. This month's treats are Crackdown and Dead Rising 2, which follow July's complimentary offering of Assassin's Creed II. Details after the jump.
Microsoft has taken a step to be more friendly to independent developers with confirmation that self-publishing will be allowed on Xbox One. The upcoming console will essentially function as a developer debug unit, letting indie creators run in-progress game code and publish their own games. Read on for more.
If you don't feel your current Xbox 360 controller properly accentuates your untouchable baller status, Microsoft has something just for you. This August a Special Edition Chrome Series Gold Wireless Controller will launch in the US exclusively through GameStop and Microsoft Store locations. More after the jump.
Reports were flying around today about Microsoft's President of Interactive Entertainment Business, Don Mattrick, leaving the company to join Zynga. It looks like those were all spot on, because a press release went out in the afternoon confirming Mattrick's new role as Chief Executive Officer at Zynga. Read on for more.


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ULSTER victims of the Farepak savings scheme collapse received a Christmas cash boost yesterday.
Farepak Response Fund shop vouchers worth £3,105 and food hampers have been issued to Linda Robinson, 36, who gathered money from friends and relatives.
The 27-strong group faced a holiday crisis after learning their £20,000 kitty was lost when the company folded in October.
Mother-of-one Mrs Robinson, from South Belfast, said: "It is a relief to receive this but I will never get involved in anything like this again.
"It would make you very wary of things like savings stamps.
"We had money saved to take the kids away for a day out here and there and had to use it for Christmas."


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Audi has recently introduced the next generation of the R8. It is equipped with a 5.2-liter V10 engine that can produce 550 horsepower. It takes just 3.3 seconds for it to go from 0 to 60 mph. Its top speed is 197 and is all-wheel drive. It only comes in coupe but is surprisingly roomy compared to the competition. Audi has been known for their taste in styling and with the 2014 R8, that idea still holds true. It will be interesting to see how this car stacks up against other supercars.
Check out what the test drive of the 2014 Audi R8 on AutoBlog.com.
- Quick Spin: 2014 Audi R8 V10 Plus (autoblog.com)
- Priced: 2014 Audi R8 Starts at $119,150 (rumors.automobilemag.com)
- 2014 Audi R8 Video Review (kbb.com)


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- The Coffee Break
- ☕ Malaysians have RM1.53 trillion of household debt as of end 2023
☕ Malaysians have RM1.53 trillion of household debt as of end 2023
Price of imported white rice to drop today. Nvidia extends its MOAT with the new Blackwell chips. China Evergrande - from most indebted company to potentially biggest financial fraud in history.
1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈
Information as of 0720 UTC+8 on March 20, 2024
2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢
62.3°C — that’s how hot it felt at Rio de Janeiro last Sunday, though the actual maximum temperature was 42°C . The heat index measures how hot the temperature feels by taking into account humidity. This was the highest mark since Alerta Rio began keeping such records since 2014. Due to the extreme, the Ipanema and Copacabana beaches were crowded with people. Meanwhile, heavy rainfall was causing widespread damage in the southern regions and is expected to persist through the week, as reported by officials.
According to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's total household debt reached RM1.53 trillion by the end of 2023. Anwar, who is also the finance minister, stated that housing loans accounted for the largest portion of aggregate household debt at 60.5%, followed by vehicle loans (13.2%) and personal financing (12.6%). The aggregate household debt for the previous year was RM1.45 trillion in 2022. Furthermore, Anwar highlighted that there was a 5.1% annual growth rate in household debt from 2018 to 2023.
Bonus ATM in Ethiopia — Some USD40 mil was withdrawn from the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia on Saturday as the customers discovered that they could take out more cash than they had in their accounts at the bank. Reports of a technical malfunction started to circulate among universities, primarily through messaging apps and phone calls. This caused long queues to form at campus ATMs, with a student in western Ethiopia telling BBC Amharic that people were withdrawing money until police officers arrived on campus to prevent further withdrawals. It took several hours for the institution to stop the money from free-flowing.
Wisdom of the day
“I don’t do politics”
Well baby, politics is going to do you, regardless.
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner)
Mar 18, 2024
3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾
The price of imported white rice to drop today
The retail price of imported white rice will be reduced by RM2 to RM3, effective today, according to Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu. The previous price was around RM38-RM45 for a 10 kg pack, which will now be about RM35. This move by the government, through the National Action Council on Cost of Living (Naccol), is aimed at helping Malaysians reduce their cost of living given the month of Ramadan and upcoming Eid festivities. He added that existing rice stocks amounting to 140,000 metric tonnes must be immediately processed and supplied to domestic markets to boost rice distribution. A long-term action plan to create a realistic rice production cost structure is in the works, which will help guarantee a sustainable rice industry and protect the welfare of local rice farmers.
We love rice; we love cheaper rice even more.
PAS MP: Possibility of a ‘Cartel’ behind Allah-printed socks
Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden (Alor Star-PN) claims that a “cartel” seems to be involved in the ‘Allah’-printed socks issue which has shaken the public, the act deliberately done to sabotage national unity. He asks the government to take prompt action as this incident infringes on the 3Rs (religion, race, royalty) and could trigger racial tension. Afnan is adamant that stiffer punishments should be carried out under Sections 298 and 298a of the Penal Code, dealing with offences related to religion. PDRM has found only 5 pairs of socks out of 18,000 pairs during a search in a factory suspected of producing them.
42 reports were lodged nationwide regarding the socks. KK Supermart and Superstore Sdn Bhd founder Datuk Seri K.K Chai apologised and explained that the socks were among 1,200 pairs imported from China, and admitted fault for not thoroughly performing checks before sales. Umno Youth chief Akmal Saleh leads calls for a boycott despite the apology and removal of socks from stores. Let this be a lesson learned for stores to QC their products properly.
YTL AI Cloud, Malaysia’s first artificial intelligence cloud
YTL Power International Bhd has launched YTL AI Cloud, Malaysia’s first artificial intelligence (AI) cloud focused on large-scale graphics processing unit (GPU)-based computing. YTL AI Cloud will deploy Nvidia’s new Blackwell GPU (more in the Global section), placing YTL at the forefront with the adoption of Nvidia’s cutting-edge hardware designed for high-demand computational tasks. This initiative, supported by Nvidia and the Malaysian government, aims to enhance scientific research, innovation, and economic progress in Southeast Asia. The supercomputer will be housed in the YTL Green Data Center Campus in Johor, powered by its on-site 500MW solar power facility. This venture is set to cater to the growing need for advanced AI and machine-learning solutions in SEA.
Farhash Wafa Salvador, a former political aide to PM Anwar Ibrahim and PKR’s Perak Chief, emerged as a substantial shareholder in HeiTech Padu Bhd with a 15.91% stake (worth RM41.2 mil at yesterday’s closing price). The ownership of the shares is held via private vehicle Rosetta Partners Sdn Bhd with Kelantan’s Sultan Muhammad V. The shares are apparently part of an investment strategy to help Bumiputera companies. When criticised by the opposition, Farhash denied ties with the government and political parties.
Rosetta Partners bought 16.12mil shares, resulting in a 15.91% stake in the company, shortly after HeiTech Padu was reported to be a leading contender for the National Integrated Immigration System (NIISe) project, valued at over RM1bil. The project aims to integrate biometric technology at the electronic gates of the nation’s immigration checkpoints. Big bucks await HeiTech should they secure the contract.
80% of almost 4,000 citizenship applications were approved, according to Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. The rest were rejected due to incomplete documentation and failure to pass security checks. Among those who received the citizenship were 35 children between the ages of six to 16 born by Malaysian mothers outside the country.
A high-positioned party youth member in Mersing, Johor was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a teenage boy. Mersing OCPD Supt Abdul Razak Abdullah Sani confirmed the arrest following reports by two individuals who claimed that the suspect sexually assaulted a 15-year-old boy. However, he denied any information regarding the suspect’s link to a political party, as investigations are still ongoing. Please help report to the police or visit this link to find a helpline for any sexual assault case.
Fin Min II: MYR top performer after coordination measures
Finance Minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan said MYR was the top performer among ten regional currencies since the government implemented coordination measures with Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), GLCs, and GLICs. Increased market interest in the Ringgit saw immediate positive market feedback. Against the greenback, MYR appreciated by 0.85%, compared to SGD’s 0.19% and IDR’s -0.54%. View: Ringgit vs US dollar performance tops ASEAN peers currencies since Feb 24.
4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎
Evergrande’s subsidiary overstated its sales by almost USD80 bil
The cat’s finally out of the bag — China Securities Regulatory Commission found Hengda Real Estate, Evergrande Group’s main operating vehicle in China, had substantially inflated crucial reported financials in 2019 and 2020 by a quantum of RMB564.1 bil (USD78.4 bil). This could potentially be the biggest financial fraud in history, making Enron’s financial scandal a rounding error. Hengda had relied on these misleading figures to sell bonds. The regulator said the unit committed financial fraud by improperly recognising revenue in advance. In light of this, Evergrande Group could be on the hook for a potential fine of more than half a billion dollars.
View infographic: Major accounting scandals by numbers
Evergrande’s founder and former chairman, Hui Ka Yang, and former Chief Executive, Xia Haijun, will be banned from the financial markets for life. Both men will also be fined.
Nvidia’s new Blackwell chips could make execs at Meta cry
Jensen Huang and team continue to extend the lead for Nvidia. Nvidia has announced that their new B200 graphics processing unit (GPU) that can provide up to 20 petaflops of FP4 power from its 208 bil transistors. Additionally, it also announced GB200, which features two of the same GPUs along with a single Grace CPU that can offer 30 times the performance for LLM inference workloads while also being much more efficient.
Nvidia claims that this combination can reduce cost and energy consumption by up to 25 times when compared to a flagship Hopper GPU (H100). The H100 chip, costing around USD30,000 (RM141.9k) per chip is the one fueling the explosive sales in Nvidia. Training a 1.8 trillion parameter model would have previously taken 8,000 Hopper GPUs and 15 megawatts of power, Nvidia claims. Nvidia’s CEO says 2,000 Blackwell GPUs can carry out the same task while consuming just four megawatts.
Okay — enough with the geeky stuff. The new processor design is named after David Blackwell, the first Black scholar inducted into the National Academy of Science. Huang aims for the chips to realise the promise of AI for every industry. Blackwell will assist in advancing AI beyond basic tasks like speech recognition and image creation, according to the company. However, the challenge remains for Nvidia to scale its technology to more customers. Well, Nvidia already has secured at least one customer — YTL Power International Berhad.
Will Meta’s billion-dollar bet on the H100 goes to waste? Mark Zuckerberg had earlier in the year announced Meta’s roadmap for AI requires building a “massive compute infastructure.” According to Zuckerberg, the infrastructure will include 350,000 H100 graphic cards from Nvidia. Based on the report from CNBC, that could mean USD9 bil in expenditures.
JJensen Huang holding Blackwell beside H100 during the GTC March 2024 Keynote. Credits: Nvidia
Japan finally raises its interest rate
Japan's central bank, the Bank of Japan (BOJ), has implemented its first interest rate hike in 17 years, raising its key rate from -0.1% to a range of 0% to 0.1%. This move follows a surge in wages following an increase in consumer prices — Japan’s core inflation in January 2024 was 2%. The decision to cut rates below zero in 2016 aimed to stimulate Japan's stagnant economy. With this hike, no countries remain with negative interest rates. Additionally, the BOJ has abandoned its yield curve control (YCC) policy, which involved purchasing Japanese government bonds to manage interest rates. Although in place since 2016, the YCC policy faced criticism for distorting markets by preventing long-term interest rates from rising.
1) What is YCC?
2) What happens in a negative interest rate environment?
Unilever’s plans to spin off ice cream unit, cut 7,500 jobs
Unilever plans to spin off its ice cream unit, including brands like Magnum and Ben & Jerry's, into a separate business. This comes with a cost-saving initiative involving cutting 7,500 jobs. The spin-off will commence immediately and be completed by the end of 2025. After the split, Unilever aims for mid-single-digit sales growth and margin improvement. They have also launched a program to save EUR800 million (RM4.1 bil) over the next three years. FMCG sales slowing down, too?
GoTo aims to breakeven* by 2024
Indonesia's tech conglomerate, GoTo, expects to achieve adjusted core earnings* parity this year after its first quarterly profit in Q4 2023. The company reported adjusted EBITDA of 77 bil rupiah (~ RM23.2 mil) in Q4 2024. Cost-cutting measures, including reduced incentives and marketing expenditure, contributed to the shift to profitability. GoTo also highlighted its partnership with TikTok, which acquired a majority stake in Tokopedia, GoTo's e-commerce arm, in December 2023, as a factor expected to boost profitability in the future.
View deck: 4Q 2023 & FY2023 Results
Grab Singapore allows its users to pay using crypto
Following Grab's tie-up with payment firm Triple-A, users of Grab’s services will now have the option of topping up their GrabPay e-wallets in cryptocurrencies. Users can top up using five cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ether, StraitsX’s Singapore dollar-backed stablecoin XSGD, United States dollar-backed stablecoin USDC, which is managed by global payments firm Circle, and stablecoin Tether, also known as USDT. Wen Grab Malaysia?
5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺
Mr Beast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, is at it again, asking one of its many fans to protect a prize, this time a Lamborghini, against a moving train.
Maybe it is about time The Coffee Break reactivate its TikTok account. Adults in the US are slowly relying on TikTok for news as users’ behaviour shifts. It's interesting to note that surveys conducted by Pew Research have found that last year, 43% of TikTok’s users regularly turned to the app to get their news. This figure is up 21% from 2020 and suggests a shift away from more traditional information sources like Facebook, which have fallen out of favor.


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ESG in the Cosmetics Industry
alva’s latest analysis reveals the impact of ESG issues on the cosmetics industry
Through the lens of 16 cosmetics companies, alva has examined 3 million+ press, media analysis and social media data points to reveal how ESG-related sentiment trends have shifted across this sector, and identified the emerging concerns, opportunities and shifts arising from ESG.
Key findings of the report include:
- Parent companies are leaking ESG negativity into their brands: Consumer concern around ESG issues is fuelling a broad focus on the companies that own cosmetics brands. The negative visibility of parent companies Unilever and P&G regarding issues such as governance, health and safety and the environment is being felt at an individual cosmetics brand level – even when concerns do not relate to their cosmetics products.
- Sustainable products hit the shelves to build differentiation: Innovation around sustainable products is emerging as a new way for brands to differentiate themselves and build their ESG credentials. Such developments include an investment by LVMH in a research and development centre dedicated to developing products with greater sustainability, and product launches by Coty and Natura that focus on clean formulation and vegan certification.
- Philanthropic initiatives provide most impressive positive impact: 11 out of the 16 cosmetics companies have promoted philanthropic initiatives, having the most positive impact on the sector’s ESG performance – with the best results being gained from donations to local charities, and support for causes focused on education and women.