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SAN FRANCISCO, June 23, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tecton, the enterprise feature store company, today announced a partnership with Databricks, the Data and AI Company and pioneer of the data lakehouse paradigm, to help organizations build and automate their machine learning (ML) feature pipelines from prototype to production. Tecton is integrated with the Databricks Lakehouse Platform so data teams can use Tecton to build production-ready ML features on Databricks in minutes.
Fox News correspondent David Spunt has the latest on Congress' response to the failed assassination attempt of Justice Brett Kavanaugh on'Special Report.' Washington Post deputy editorial editor Ruth Marcus wants to make sure people are aware "deranged individuals do deranged things" on "both ends of the political spectrum" before assigning blame for the man who was arrested near the Maryland home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. On Wednesday, an armed California man identified as Nicholas John Roske was carrying a gun, knife and pepper spray when arrested outside Kavanaugh's home. He told officers that he wanted "to give his life purpose" and purchased the gun and other items for the purpose of breaking into Kavanaugh's home and killing the justice and then himself. A piece published Thursday night by Marcus headlined, "The Kavanaugh threat exposed weaknesses in judicial security -- and our discourse," admitted the incident "could have ended in unfathomable tragedy" but urged readers not to assign blame or dismiss people who created the environment that "fueled" the assassination attempt.
Greg Nichols covers robotics, AI, and AR/VR for ZDNet. A full-time journalist and author, he writes about tech, travel, crime, and the economy for global media outlets and reports from across the U. Robots are getting in on the effort to curb our addiction to single-use plastics. A new partnership between one of the largest industrial robotics manufacturers and a compostable packaging company points the way to an efficient and cost-effective green packaging revolution. ABB Robotics has signed an agreement to collaborate with California-based Zume, which makes the compostable packaging that's becoming more commonplace as an alternative to plastics. ABB's robotic cells will help Zume speed up and scale production of 100% compostable packaging made from plant-based agricultural material.
Greg Nichols covers robotics, AI, and AR/VR for ZDNet. A full-time journalist and author, he writes about tech, travel, crime, and the economy for global media outlets and reports from across the U. Uber Eats is turning to autonomous vehicles in a major market. Along with AV partner Motional, the third-party delivery platform will be launching a new autonomous delivery experience in Santa Monica, California. Deliveries will be conducted in Motional's IONIQ 5 vehicles, which are capable of operating autonomously. Participating restaurants bring packaged orders to the curb and place them inside a locking compartment.
We are presently living in an age of "artificial intelligence" -- but not how the companies selling "AI" would have you believe. According to Silicon Valley, machines are rapidly surpassing human performance on a variety of tasks from mundane, but well-defined and useful ones like automatic transcription to much vaguer skills like "reading comprehension" and "visual understanding." According to some, these skills even represent rapid progress toward "Artificial General Intelligence," or systems which are capable of learning new skills on their own. Given these grand and ultimately false claims, we need media coverage that holds tech companies to account. Far too often, what we get instead is breathless "gee whiz" reporting, even in venerable publications like The New York Times.
ORLANDO, Fla., April 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Retail Asset Protection Conference, Orlando, Booth #RIC-11 – Pathr.ai, the industry's first and only Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered Spatial Intelligence platform, announced today it is working with Hanwha Techwin America, a global supplier of video surveillance solutions, to jointly deliver spatial intelligence solutions to current and prospective customers. This integration allows Pathr.ai to engage with Hanwha on new and cross-sell opportunities, including supporting camera installations with Pathr.ai "Working with Hanwha is a great step towards scaling our spatial intelligence solution to new and existing customers and delivering strong ROI to them," said Alan Flohr, Chief Revenue Officer of Pathr.ai. "Companies can use their existing non-PTZ Hanwha security cameras, such as the Hanwha Wisenet P series, X series, L series, and Q series, to collect meaningful and real-time insights into how people move and interact inside their physical spaces and tie those analytics to business decisions that improve profitability." AI-powered spatial intelligence technology integrates with existing camera infrastructure and delivers real-time behavioral insights to companies, delivering a 10x or greater return on investment.


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Philips isn’t looking to drive its audience toward 4K resolution with its next display, but it is offering a lot of screen real estate. At 49 inches diagonally, the Philips 492P8 is extremely wide, employing an aspect ratio of 32:9. While many of its details remain unknown for now, we do know it will come with a $1,080 price tag — apt really, considering that’s also its vertical resolution.
The price of this new Philips display is important too, because the competition in this very specific sizing market tend to be a lot more expensive, as Anandtech points out. Although it may turn out that Philips has compromised in a few areas to nail that big price drop, it’s not like the 492P8 is a slouch.
The 49-inch VA panel sports a native resolution of 3840 x 1080 pixels, and a 1,800R curvature. That ultrawide display has a brightness of 600 cd/m2 and a contrast ratio up to 5,000:1. Key details we still don’t know about yet include what percentage of the sRGB color gamut it can handle, or what its response time or maximum refresh rate is.
We do know, however, that it has inputs for DisplayPort, VGA, and a pair of HDMI connectors, alongside two USB 3.0 Type-A ports and a gigabit Ethernet port. The real surprise there is the VGA connector, which hasn’t been relevant in any computing space in quite some time. As Anand suggests though, it could potentially be used to connect up a secondary system for PIP purposes.
We may have some time to wait for the full picture of this display, as it’s not slated for release until sometime in Q2 2018. In that time we can further speculate at the audience that Philips is targeting with it. Considering its placement in Philips “P” range and its unveiling at IFA 2017, the best guess would be that it’s aimed at businesses, but it’s possible that Philips is keeping the door open to gamers with a restriction on vertical resolution.
Wherever it’s pushed though, this kind of display is usually offered with the idea of replacing multiple smaller monitors for one larger option. With its near 50-inch diagonal sizing, this monitor should certainly be capable of fulfilling that role.
- The next generation of laptops could support 16K monitors over USB-C
- Philips claims ‘world’s first’ with a new 4K HDR desktop display
- A leak suggests the next Dell XPS 15 will sport a 5K display
- Philips releases a 40-inch curved 4K display you've been waiting for
- Philips has a new curved display with a huge color depth, AMD FreeSync support

domain: news


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In the cruise industry, the FCC, or future cruise credit, was among the buzzwords of 2020. Well into the second half of 2021, the FCC is no less buzzworthy.
In fact, with cruise travel starting again from U.S. ports, executives from both cruise lines and travel agencies are imploring advisors to prioritize rebooking of the FCCs they generated for their clients.
FCCs aren’t in the news much, since far fewer sailings are being canceled now than in 2020, and some cruise lines, notably the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings brands, have had stopped offering FCCs altogether.
But consider this: Royal Caribbean International alone has 1.7 million outstanding FCCs, Vicki Freed, Royal Caribbean International’s senior vice president of sales, trade support and service, said last week during a Coffee Talk webcast from CLIA’s Cruise3Sixty conference in Fort Lauderdale.
“One-point-seven million FCCS!” she reiterated while chatting with Drew Daly, senior vice president of Dream Vacations, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. “Travel partners, this is the lowest hanging fruit. Don’t let your FCCs ‘see you later’. Don’t assume your client is going to call you. We want them to call you, but it’s up to you to go reach out to them.”
An FCC can be moved from agency to agency or between an agency and the cruise line itself. So, it’s possible that an advisor who spent time and money to get a booking can lose it to a competitor or to the cruise line.
Daly agreed that advisors have to be proactive about FCCs.
“There is all this volume and all this demand,” he said, adding that advisors must maintain and build client relationships to make sure that business stays with them.
“If you’re not conversing, whether that’s on social media, at a local event, then those customers are going to think you’re not there,” he said. “And then where are they going to go? People are going to do business where they think they can. So as long as they know you’re available and you’re there, they’re going to reach out to you.”
That connection, he said, is what will keep consumers using advisors even as so much of the world is falling under what Freed called the “Amazon effect.” She asked Daly if he thought it would push more direct business.
Daly responded that there is no doubt that people want the convenience of being able to order things quickly and online to their doorstep. But “we all know cruising is more complex,” he said. “Certainly, when you have 37 different room categories on the ship, you need to talk to someone that is an expert.
“When it comes to travel, it really comes back to the relationship and that personal connection,” he added. “Without a doubt, my advice to everybody out there is how you maintain relevance in your communities, your neighborhoods, your backyards. You built the business one conversation at a time.”


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Adam Turner Curved might be the new black, but it's OLED that catches my eye.
Hayley Tsukayama It would have been so easy for the LG G Flex to be just a collection of gimmicks. And while it's not a phone suited for a majority of people it is a surprisingly good option for the growing number...
Adam Turner Coming in from the cold once again, the long-suffering webOS has re-emerged as the new face of LG smart TVs.
Samantha Kelly LG's new G Flex smartphone comes with a self-healing exterior and the results after testing are astonishing.
Salvador Rodriguez LG pledged durability when it announced its curved-screen device, the G Flex, and a new video shows the company may be able to keep its promise.
LG plans to launch a smartphone with a curved screen next month to catch rival Samsung.
Adam Turner Once you get past the unorthodox design, LG's G2 packs quite a punch.
Adam Turner It offers a great picture and surprisingly good sound, but LG's 55LA9700 still doesn't convince me to jump on the Ultra HD TV bandwagon.
James W Manning LG might want to consider making its next smartphone bulletproof after 20 people were reportedly injured by BB guns in a publicity stunt for its latest handset.
Christina Warren LG has unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the LG G2, the first smartphone to use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 processor.
LG has unveiled its highly anticipated top-end smartphone, the Optimus G - just days before consumer electronics fair IFA in Berlin.
Miyoung Kim LG has unveiled its latest high-end smartphone packed with powerful hardware upgrades.
Adam Turner An Android superphone with a budget price tag, LG's Nexus 4 could be a smartphone game changer.
Adam Turner Microsoft’s mobile phone reboot shows promise, but approach with caution.
As part of the quest to add more depth to electronics, LG Electronics overnight demonstrated a phone with a 3D screen and a 3D camera, set to go on sale in June.
Adam Turner Is 3D a fad or a revolution?
Katell Abiven Smartphone makers are fighting for space on your wrist and your head, lucrative real estate for a new wave of high-tech devices if only they can persuade you to wear them.
Adam Turner Recording free-to-air and pay TV, with minimal monthly fees, makes Fetch TV one of Australia's most attractive lounge room companions.
Paul Carsten Global smartphone shipments topped 1 billion units for first time in 2013, research firm IDC says.
Adam Turner The picture is great, but Sony's 65-inch Ultra HD Bravia still doesn't convince me to jump on the 4K bandwagon.


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July 1, 2020
Adding some depth and breadth to its streaming library, NBCU's Peacock has inked a licensing deal with ViacomCBS that will provide the new subscription VoD service with titles and series such as Ray Donovan, The Affair and Undercover Boss.
The licensing deal, which will also give Peacock the ability to stream Paramount movies such as The Godfather trilogy and American Beauty, enters the picture as NBCU's streaming service nears its July 15 national launch. Peacock is currently getting an early preview on Comcast's X1 pay-TV platform and Xfinity Flex, the cable op's streaming/smart home service tailored to broadband-only customers.
Figure 1: NBCU's Peacock streaming service broadening its library with the addition of TV shows, series and movies from ViacomCBS.
When it goes national later this month, Peacock will feature two subscription tiers with 15,000 hours of content ($4.99 per month with ads and $9.99 per month without ads), along with a completely free, ad-based version with 7,500 hours of content.
Licensed fare from ViacomCBS will represent a portion of those content totals and provide Peacock with more ammo as it enters a competitive field of general entertainment SVoD services that also includes Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max.
Importantly, that licensed content will continue to be available on ViacomCBS platforms. And the deal with Peacock/NBCU enables ViacomCBS to stay true to its strategy to avoid clawing back content exclusively for its own OTT video services and platforms.
ViacomCBS, which operates standalone streaming services such as CBS All Access and a direct-to-consumer form of Showtime, is also developing a "broad pay" streaming service that will go beyond its legacy OTT offerings. That broader version of CBS All Access is expected to soft launch later this year and feature content from all corners of ViacomCBS' content stable, including Nick, MTV, BET, Comedy Central, Smithsonian and Paramount.
"The partnership we are announcing today is consistent with our strategy to maximize the value of our content by selectively licensing our library product to third parties while prioritizing franchise IP for our own platforms," Dan Cohen, president of ViacomCBS's Global Distribution Group, said in a statement.
Heading toward the July 15 launch, Peacock has secured access on several streaming platforms, including Google (Android, Android TV and Chromecast), Microsoft's Xbox One family of consoles, Apple TV (iPhone, iPad and Mac), Vizio SmartCast TVs, LG smart TVs and on Cox's Contour platform (built on an X1 syndication deal with Comcast). To date, Peacock has not announced deals to be distributed on Roku players, Roku TVs or Amazon Fire TV devices.
Peacock adds Vizio SmartCast TVs, LG smart TVs to streaming options NBCU's Peacock cuts streaming deal with Google Peacock to launch on Xbox One S and Xbox One X NBCU's Peacock premium streaming tiers to fetch $4.99 with ads, $9.99 without ViacomCBS won't claw back content HBO Max lands Comcast deal on launch day Comcast to stream CBS All Access on X1 and Flex boxes — Jeff Baumgartner, Senior Editor, Light Reading
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Ferguson experiences business growth after protests
FERGUSON - Three years after the shooting death of Michael Brown and the protests following it, officials in Ferguson say the city has been growing economically.
Protests erupted after Michael Brown was shot three years ago, leading several protesters to break windows and loot businesses in Ferguson. Other stores were burned and even demolished. However, the city said Ferguson has been growing economically since then.
Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III said there are more businesses in the city now than in 2014 before the protests.
"Just go down the street and look at what was damaged. If you compare video footage driving down the street to see the new buildings that were built, the new businesses that are here there was some pretty impressive developments and pretty impressive investments that have been made in the community,” Knowles said.
Janiece Andrews owns Hidden Treasures, a local Ferguson business that opened almost seven years ago. Her boutique was destroyed during the protests in 2014.
"My store was destroyed the night they gave the decision of if Darren Wilson would be innocent or guilty,” Andrews said. “I lost everything. It was looted and burned. We lost everything. It was my love, my passion, and my livelihood.”
Andrews then began to rebuild her boutique. After nearly two years, it reopened in May 2016. She said the community really helped her pull through as she received $15,000 from a GoFundMe page.
“I would have to credit God, the support of my family, the support of anonymous donators and those who donated to help me get back going. That played a big factor in helping me be able to come back.”
Gerry Noll is the owner of Ferguson Bicycle Shop and said his business was not damaged, but sales dropped the month after Michael Brown was shot. However, he said the store has ‘rebounded’ in part because of the community support. He said bicyclists will go out of their way to stop off at Ferguson businesses to support them.
"A lot of people have come specifically to support Ferguson,” Noll said. “Different groups of bicyclists came to the shop and said ‘I just want to buy something from you.’”
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Regionally typical wines from the Thermenregion are now protected with a DAC, making this the final wine-growing region to join the system. The native white wine varieties Rotgipfler and Zierfandler take centre stage here, alongside the Burgundian grapes (Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, St. Laurent and Pinot Noir). The DAC wines will be classified into three different tiers – Gebietswein (regional wine),…
Austrian wines are enjoying continued success in international markets. In 2022, exports reached a new record level of 231 million euros. White wines and Sekt saw the greatest growth in value. Austrian wine was in particularly high demand in Canada, the USA and Northern Europe.
From 19 to 21 March, 229 Austrian winemakers will be presenting more than 3,000 wines at ProWein in Düsseldorf. The most extensive exhibition of Austrian wines in 2023 will also be presenting the first wines of 2022, as well as the outstanding 2021 vintage. Fourteen masterclasses and 6 themed tastings hosted by the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (Austrian Wine) will give enthusiasts an even more…
After two years marked by the huge impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, 2022 could almost be considered a normal year again. One particularly pleasing aspect was the return of the major wine fairs, which also became the key focus of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board’s annual programme of events. However, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (Austrian Wine) also put a host of other initiatives into…
How should we rate the red wine variety Blaufränkisch that grows in Central Europe? Is it a great grape variety on the same level as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo, for example? “Yes!” confirmed an international summit held in mid-December 2022 in Lech am Arlberg, Austria.
The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) was founded over 50 years ago as the international umbrella organisation for all national sommelier associations. It currently has members from 61 different countries and promotes dialogue within the industry at an international, national and local level. For Austrian Wine, the ASI is a strong partner for further expanding our collaboration…
High expectations of this year’s vintage – a slightly lower must yield anticipated due to the dry summer – current level of ripening very satisfying
Over recent months, Austrian wines have continued to outshine competition from around the world. In international trade magazines and at renowned wine competitions, they have been picking up enthusiastic votes, top ratings, gold medals and coveted trophies.
It wouldn’t be summer without a barbecue! Having friends and family around for a barbecue is as much a part of the summer months as a refreshing spritzer. Experts agree that the diverse wines from Austria pair excellently with sausages, steaks and pulled pork, as confirmed by barbecue world champion Adi Matzek. However, barbecues aren’t just perfect occasions for white wines and rosés – red wines…
The supporting actors are becoming the stars of the show: vegetables, herbs and pulses are taking the kitchen and our plates by storm. And when it comes to the right accompaniment, fruity white wines, Sekt and dry rosé wines from Austria are impressive all-rounders. Classic-style red wines are also a good fit, especially for braised vegetables and stews.
A fabulous comeback after a break of four years: between 21 and 23 May, 480 Austrian wineries showcased themselves to a high-calibre audience of industry experts. Austrian Wine (Austrian Wine Marketing Board) had invited more than 1,000 wine experts from over 50 different countries to come to Vienna for the event, and the initial feedback from our guests is brimming with enthusiasm for Austrian…
Around 280 Austrian winegrowers will present their top wines at the ProWein trade fair in Düsseldorf between 15 and 17 May. For the first time ever, Austria will be showcased in the well situated Hall 5, where twelve masterclasses organised by Austrian Wine will also bring in a high number of visitors.
The dream 2021 vintage is drawing wine lovers from all four corners of the world to the VieVinum in Vienna at the end of May. Invited by Austrian Wine (Austrian Wine Marketing Board), 900 international wine experts from over 50 different countries will be able to verify the outstanding quality of this wine for themselves at probably the most elegant wine fair in the world. Numerous supporting…
A major success for Austrian wine exports: in 2021, revenue rose by €29.5 million to €216.8 million (+15.7%), recording the greatest growth in value of all time. The quantity exported increased by 3.8% to 70.2 million litres. Exports were mainly driven by Austria’s white Qualitätswein (quality wine). While growth was recorded in EU countries, it was particularly strong in countries outside the EU,…
Austria’s wine industry suffered from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic again in 2021. Austrian Wine reacted by introducing new targeted measures, including support for the domestic on-trade. On an international level, it ramped up demand for Austrian wine with events tailored to specific markets – 2021 could even report a new export record.
Once again, the international press is full of praise for Austria’s outstanding wines. James Suckling recently gave the highest score to date for an Austrian red wine. Also attracting praise around the globe are the 2020 vintage white wines, Grüner Veltliner and Rieslings from 2019, Sauvignon Blancs from Steiermark (Styria) and the native red wine champions Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch.
Relaxations in COVID-19 restrictions internationally led to a sharp rise in Austrian wine exports. From January to June, the total value of exports climbed to over €111 million – up by more than a quarter compared to the same period in the previous year. The reopening of the on-trade and substantial growth in all key export markets were the leading factors in this.
Average wine volume of 2.4 million hectolitres expected – “After the economically turbulent years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Austria’s winemakers are looking forward to this year’s vintage. In terms of volume, an average harvest of around 2.4 million hectolitres is expected, similar to last year. Because of weather conditions, the harvest will take place slightly later than in recent years,”…
Austria’s winegrowers produce wines of the highest quality. This has been demonstrated in recent months by their success in major international competitions and tastings with leading wine critics. The results: gold medals, trophy wins and even 100 Parker points.
The origins of Austrian wine, including single vineyards (Rieden), can now be seen at a glance. Following three years of groundwork, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (Austrian Wine) launched a digital atlas of wine origins at austrianvineyards.com on 17 June. This is also the world’s first digital wine atlas covering an entire wine-producing country.
Traditionally, wine holds a position of high importance in the Austrian hospitality industry. In 2019, more than half of all wine bought in the domestic market was sold through restaurants, bars, inns, wine taverns (Heurigen and Buschenschanken) and at wine festivals. Due to the tough measures implemented to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, this sales channel has almost completely collapsed. As the…
Over the past few weeks, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (Austrian Wine) has increased the sales of Austrian wine in the USA and UK thanks to its biggest retail campaign there in years. More than 150 wine retailers advertised their wares with the slogan “It‘s Austrian Wine Time” and enjoyed a significant boost in sales. The best advertising concepts were awarded by Austrian Wine.
On 12 April, despite the lockdown, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (Austrian Wine) brought 170 wine experts in the United Kingdom together with 50 Austrian winemakers. The “Austrian Tasting – The Stay-at-home Edition” gave experts the chance to taste dozens of wines in the comfort of their own home, while also talking to the winemakers online. The event marked the première of the 2020 vintage in…
The new year seems to be following in the same tracks as 2020, which is, at least, positive news for Austria’s excellent wines. Again this year, they are reaping one success after another around the world.
Against all expectations, Austria’s wine exports increased again in 2020: volume rose to 67.4 million litres (+6.3%) while revenue reached a new high of 187.3 million euros (+2.4%). Alongside the main export market of Germany, the other key markets of Switzerland and the Netherlands also showed upward trends. While the USA and Asia declined, the monopoly markets of Scandinavia and Canada showed…
Nearly a year after the first coronavirus lockdown, the 2020 wine sales figures for Austria’s domestic market are now available. The on-trade was particularly hard hit, as was to be expected. The hospitality industry’s purchases of Austrian wine through wholesalers dropped by a third. Austrian wine did see increases in consumption at home (+17% in volume, +18% in value) and purchases from multiple…
Austria’s wine industry faced unprecedented challenges in 2020. In its just released annual report, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) gives an insight into how it tackled the challenges of the pandemic. To support winemakers as much as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, the AWMB made changes to its entire 2020 plan at short notice: domestic and international sales channels were heavily…
On 23 November, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) organised the world’s first “hybrid” wine tasting in Russia’s capital city of Moscow. As participants were tasting almost 200 Austrian wines at the Four Seasons Hotel, they connected live with the winegrowers in Austria via an online app. The enthusiastic feedback from this event serves to confirm and reinforce Austria’s image as a pioneer…
The Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) is promoting a vinophile finish to the year under this holiday heading, with top-drawer wines from Austria. All lovers of the finer things in life can find inspiring tips for splendid celebrations at weinezumfest.at.
This year’s wine tourism promotion is on the home stretch! And at this point, the AWMB’s campaign “Auf zum Wein” (All Aboard for Wine) has already racked up 75 million visual contacts.
After hymns of praise were sung worldwide for the 2019 Austrian vintage and its white wines, another chorus of enthusiastic voices chimed in: this time shining the spotlight on Austria’s remarkable reds.
Austria’s likely best-known sweet wine now enjoys legal protection as Ruster Ausbruch DAC. And over on the east side of Lake Neusiedl, the designation of origin Neusiedlersee DAC has been expanded, and now includes also fruity-sweet and nobly sweet wines.
The latest figures from Statistik Austria paint a remarkable picture: from January through June 2020, the export value of Austrian wines fell by only 1% compared to the same period in the previous year – substantially less than had been feared. Export volume was even able to grow by 7.4%. And within the nation’s borders it is becoming steadily more clear, who has fared better and who worse during…
The 2019 vintage in Austria aroused great expectations right from the start. Now, reviews from experts throughout the world have confirmed it: the wines of this vintage are truly among the best that Austria’s winegrowers have been able to produce in recent decades.
(As of 04.09. according to the press conference of the Viticultural Association, updated on 30.09.2020)
“Austria’s winegrowers are already extremely busy with this year’s harvest. After an economically challenging year in 2020, they are looking forward to a good vintage”, stated president Johannes Schmuckenschlager of the Austrian Winegrowers’ Association, with regard to 2020.
The Austrian Wine Marketing Board’s biggest wine tourism campaign yet got underway at the beginning of August, christened “Auf zum Wein!” (All Aboard for Wine). The website aufzumwein.at features the most comprehensive listing of wine tourism possibilities in the country, attracting domestic vacationers to Austria’s winegrowing regions.
E-commerce is not a new invention, and this distribution channel is also securely established in the wine industry. For many years, a great number of wine producers and wine merchants have been actively pursuing sales via the Internet. The current situation – from lockdown to gradual reopening – has accelerated the development of online wine sales to a tremendous degree, and the demand for wine…
The Covid-19 pandemic has been causing serious losses for Austrian winegrowers since the middle of March. In this, the individual sales channels at home and abroad have been affected in substantially different ways. The Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) can now present the first data, reporting on developments in Austrian trade during the lockdown, with some surprising results.
Over the past few weeks, most bottles of wine have been consumed in relative solitude. Toasting, tasting and enjoying wines with others was mostly just virtual. But then, there was more time to shop comfortably online, and to fill up the wine racks and cellars with bottles from our Austrian winegrowers. Now that the restrictions are slowly being loosened and gatherings at home in smaller groups…
A change long in development has now become official: the Wachau is Austria’s newest (and fifteenth) DAC winegrowing region. On the three levels Gebietswein (regional wine), Ortswein (“villages” wine) and Riedenwein (single-vineyard wine), regionally typical wines will now bear the protected designation of origin “Wachau DAC”. The Vinea Wachau’s categories Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd will…
On a national as well as international level, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) is working intensively on suitable activities and measures that can be implemented during and after the COVID-19 restrictions. The strategy here is clearly defined: during the corona crisis, the areas that are still functioning despite the restrictions should be promoted and supported. Then the focus will shift…
The COVID-19 pandemic is also having a serious impact on Austria’s wine industry. Winegrowers and retailers as well are developing a variety of strategies to cope with the situation. The Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) is supporting them both domestically and internationally.
Austria’s wine exports moved into previously uncharted territory in 2019: for the first time they surpassed the 180 million mark, at 185.4 million Euros (+9%), while volume rose by 20.5% to 63.6 million litres. The number of countries in Austria’s export programme increased to 102 – ten years ago in 2009 it was 64.
With almost 50% of sales, Germany remains Austria’s most important country for wine exports. But what makes the German wine market tick? What opportunities and what potential does the German market offer for Austrian wine? And the important question: is there actually such a single entity as ‘the German wine market’?
The lucky number for the world of Austrian wine seems to be the 9, since when the year ends with this numeral – like 1999 and 2009 (‘the Niners’) – the vintage often turns out to be particularly fine. This legendary series continues in 2019: despite heat and drought, the white wines are vivaciously fresh and the reds show excellent depth. And at 2.3 million hectolitres production, 2019 is in line…
In order to protect the health of exhibitors and attendees both, as well as hindering the spread of the coronavirus Sars-Cov-2, ProWein in Düsseldorf, VieVinum in Vienna and other national and international events have been postponed.
From 15–17 March 2020, the international world of fine wine will gather at Europe’s leading wine trade fair, ProWein in Düsseldorf. With a contingent of 330 exhibiting growers, sixteen instructive and inviting master classes, plus the outstanding 2019 vintage, Austria is bringing its best game to the table.
The Austrian Wine Academy has been offering successfully the WSET Level 4 Diploma in cooperation with the British Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) for more than 25 years. In 2020/2021, three different formats of the Diploma course are available.
Environmentally friendly produced and marketed Austrian wines are highly sought after in Scandinavian markets. Norway’s state monopoly has even created a separate import quota for Austrian wines with ‘Sustainable Austria’ certification.
As of the first of January, British native Chris Yorke has taken the helm of the Austrian wine industry’s service organisation, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB). With his substantial international expertise, a clear strategic orientation and the concentrated capabilities of the team, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board finds itself ideally positioned for a bright and successful future.


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UK mobile operator, 3 (Three) will offer Spotify streaming music to its customers who take up its new Android based HTC Hero smartphone which is to be released in near future.
3 Customers will need to pay £35 per month to get unlimited Spotify Premium service for two years and free Skype-to-Skype calls. New HTC Hero smartphone will be available for £99.
3 mobile ISP has also planned to extend the free Spotify music service to its mobile broadband customers.
Charlotte Blanchard, Director of Products & Services at 3 said:
“This partnership continues our commitment to bring popular internet services to our customers. Spotify Mobile is a fantastic digital service which gives consumers the ability to enjoy and share music in an affordable way.”
“As a first step we’ve built this service into an attractive, well-priced package with the HTC Hero. Over time our deal with Spotify will extend across a range of our products including Mobile Broadband.”
Spotify music is already available to Apple iPhone users with a premium subscription of £10 per month.


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Investors are on the edge of their collective seats, hoping that American Express Company
What analysts say:
- Buy, sell, or hold?: The majority of analysts back American Express Company as a buy. But with 72.2% of analysts rating it a buy, American Express Company is still below the mean analyst rating of its nearest 10 competitors, which average 76.8% buys. Analysts like American Express Company better than competitor Bank of America overall. Nine out of 23 analysts rate Bank of America a buy compared to 13 of 18 for American Express Company. While analysts still rate the stock a Moderate buy, they are a little more optimistic about it compared to three months ago.
- Revenue Forecasts: On average, analysts predict $7.58 billion in revenue this quarter. That would represent a rise of 7.8% from the year-ago quarter.
- Wall Street Earnings Expectations: The average analyst estimate is earnings of 96 cents per share. Estimates range from 85 cents to $1.05.
What our community says:
CAPS All Stars are solidly behind the stock with 93.1% granting it an "outperform" rating. The community at large backs the All Stars with 89.7% giving it a rating of "outperform." Fools have embraced American Express Company and haven't been shy with their opinions lately, logging 863 posts in the past 30 days. Despite the majority sentiment in favor of American Express Company, the stock has a middling CAPS rating of three out of five stars.
American Express Company's profit has risen year over year by an average of 45.7% over the past five quarters. Revenue has now gone up for three straight quarters.
For all our American Express Company-specific analysis, including earnings and beyond, add American Express Company to My Watchlist.
Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended creating a write covered strangle position in American Express.Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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SHEFFIELD, U.K., June 11, 2020 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — A new card game is on the horizon that has the potential to strengthen and improve relationships. Better Topics, a replayable card game created by Diana and Robert Indries, is a catalyst to help people have more fun, more meaningful conversations and better communication.
CORVALLIS, Ore., April 8, 2020 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — When healthcare workers around Oregon started asking for hand-sewn mask donations, Oregon-based gaming supplies company, Inked Gaming, answered the call. It quickly set its sewing team into action to create more than 15,000 face masks that will be donated to hospitals and first responders suffering from the […]
MIAMI, Fla., Jan. 8, 2020 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Dating back to the late 19th century we’ve all heard and possibly even used the phrase “Hot Diggity Dog.” The phrase is used as an exclamation of surprise and delight. Today, A Good Health Company, Inc. (DBA Hot Diggity Dog Entertainment) would like to take this opportunity […]
PLANT CITY, Fla., Nov. 25, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Generation Fun Toy Store, which houses a massive selection of collectible toys also offers the state’s largest collection of the ‘Masters of The Universe’ series. With collectibles for older generations, newer generations and everything in between.
SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 13, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Funbee Toys is a one-of-a-kind toy library in the greater Sacramento area that also serves as a meetup for families with babies to preschoolers.
CARSON, Calif., Nov. 20, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Frisbee(R) Sonic, the new “square” Frisbee by Wham-O, has been added to the Fatherly list of 100 Best New Toys of 2018. The designations, compiled by a team of editors, dads and kids, honor the manufacturers who harness technological advancements, imagination and product design to churn out […]
CARSON, Calif., Nov. 5, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Wham-O, the iconic all-American recreational toy brand, will release a new commemorative book marking the 70th anniversary of the company. The book, entitled “SUPER BOOK – Fantastic Tales From Inside The Fun Factory” (ISBN: 978-0692163054), takes readers on a journey through the innovation and imagination that led […]
SAN DIEGO, Calif., June 6, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Accio Motion LLC, a rising star in the production and publishing of mobile games, announced today the release of its new family friendly martial arts game: Flying Fu. Available now on the App Store and Google Play.
AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 11, 2017 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Wetwire Robotics today announced they are launching the first in a new line of smart toys geared towards digital assistants like Amazon’s Alexa devices. The first model is called Lexa Bear and is a talking teddy bear that is designed to hold an Echo Dot or connect […]
ATLANTA, Ga., Aug. 28, 2017 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Dotz Company, LLC, an established games and toy business, is excited to announce a new product that’s fun for all ages – STiKidotz(TM). It’s sure the concept will take off, that’s why it’s launched a Kickstarter campaign to help get it off the ground.


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UPDATE 5/1/15: OPXBIO stated that it is closing after the transition of its technology and assets to Cargill. A comprehensive article about this is written by Biofuel Digest in this link.
I am in the middle of my newsletter deadline when this announcement popped up in my email inbox. Cargill said it has now acquired the proprietary fermentation-based processes and systems of Colorado-based OPX Biotechnologies, and I am not sure what this means for OPXBIO, which has been in the middle of developing bio-based acrylic acid with Dow Chemical.
Is OPXBIO now closing or is the company going in another direction? OPXBIO has also been in the middle of developing certain fatty acids from CO2 and hydrogen via fermentation under the US DOE’s ARPA-E program.
This news has further shrunk developments in the bio-acrylic acid space after BASF’s announcement that it has abandon its collaboration with Novozymes/Cargill, and now Dow Chemical has probably done the same thing as well with the sale of OPXBIO’s technology to Cargill.
I am sure we will hear more on what will happen to OPXBIO in the next few days. The company’s CEO, Mike Rosenberg, quoted that “Cargill has all the right capabilities and experience to deliver products produced from OPXBIO’s technology to customers.”
The acquisition further expands Cargill’s presence in commercial fermentation products outside of food and feed, the company noted in the press release.


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Issues: One of Australia’s favourite charities, The Salvation Army, relies heavily on funding from its Salvos Stores across the country. However, recent research showed a decline in foot traffic into local Salvos Stores. Reasons include a lack of awareness about Salvos Stores locations, low awareness about items for purchase, and no understanding of the importance of Salvos Stores in the local community.
Insight: Salvos Stores are full of great bargains and unique, one-off items. In addition, each time Australians shop at their local Salvos Store they’re helping the environment (by buying recycled goods) and their local community (as 100% of all proceeds from purchases made at local Salvos Stores go back to The Salvation Army to help the local community). Consumer public relations agency, Pulse Communications, knew that these key factors needed to be communicated to Australia, as it would encourage people to revisit their local Salvos Store.
Strategy: Pulse partnered with Salvos Stores as a pro bono client and created the first ever ‘Shopping with a Conscience’ month, to launch during the ‘New Years Resolution’ period to encourage Aussies to “shop local and discover local” at their local Salvos Store. To coincide with the public relations campaign, Salvos Stores launched its online store – the first charity online shopping site of its kind in the country. The online shopping story was our lead angle at launch, supported by the start of ‘Shopping with a Conscience’ month.
Challenges: The week before launch, the state of Queensland experienced its worst flooding on record. This caused loss of life, wide spread devastation and severe damage to Salvos Stores in the area. The Salvation Army was heavily involved in the relief efforts, and it was therefore important we addressed this issue in a sensitive way without compromising the ‘Shopping with a Conscience’ campaign. Therefore our messaging was: Given the recent flood disaster, it’s more important than ever that Australians ‘shop with a conscience’ this month to help us help flood affected areas and victims.
Activities: To strengthen the online message and provide a cost efficient way for the charity to communicate its announcement, Pulse conducted the press conference via an online presentation program webex, which received wide praise from the client and media. To complement the webex, Pulse held a vision call at a local Salvos Store which helped generate TV coverage. Pulse also conducted an extensive ambassador engagement program of behalf of the charity, which secured key Australian identities including two TV presenters, a fashion designer, a local mayor and a famous photographer to use for media outreach and consumer engagement in-store.
Results: Pulse generated 104 pieces of coverage (more than double the agreed KPIs) in the first week alone. Coverage highlights include Channel 9 News, Channel 7’sToday Tonight and a half page feature in one of Australia’s largest newspapers, the Daily Telegraph. The public relations campaign has allowed Salvos Stores to connect with over 10 million Australians (nearly half the population) and generated an equivalent of $263,231 worth of advertising value for the worthy cause.


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Conan wades into Apple, Samsung imbroglio
Apple has sued Samsung for violating several key patents. Billions of dollars are at stake. But that doesn't mean the whole mess isn't worth a laugh or two.
Last spring, Apple filed a federal complaint in US District Court, alleging that smartphone and tablet maker Samsung had infringed upon several of its key patents. The case, Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd, is currently being adjudicated in a San Jose courtroom, with the entire tech industry looking on. And for good reason – Apple is asking for an astounding $2.5 billion in damages.
Which isn't to say that the Apple and Samsung showdown isn't also good comedic fodder. On Conan last night, host Conan O'Brien introduced a short spoof clip – you can see it below – which pokes fun at the whole mess. The star of the video is "Nick Wood," the putative VP of Electronics at Samsung. "Apple's claim that Samsung has copied their technology," he announces, "is an allegation we're vigorously denying."
Samsung's devices "bear no similarity to Apple's," he continues. The joke, of course, is that Samsung's devices do look an awful lot like Apple's – see above. Later, "Wood" strips off his suit to reveal a black T-shirt and jeans, an outfit famously reminiscent of a past Apple CEO.
In related news, Samsung is trouncing Apple in global smartphone sales. According to analytics firm IDC, Apple and Samsung shipped a combined 76 million handsets in the second quarter of 2012 – 26 million by Apple and a whopping 50 million by Samsung.
For more on how technology intersects daily life, follow us on Twitter @venturenaut.


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Rapper Kool Keith's Funky Ass Records will release albums in
downloadable MP3 format through the online label Emusic under a five-year
deal the rapper signed with the label, formerly known as GoodNoise.
Beginning May 17, Kool Keith's independently released albums Sex
Style (1997) and First Come, First Served (1999) -- recorded
under the pseudonym Dr. Dooom -- will be available at www.emusic.com,
according to Emusic's director of artists and labels, Joel Kleinberg.
Rare and out-of-print 12-inch efforts from Kool Keith (born Keith Thornton)
will also be available along with all future Funky Ass releases by him
and other artists.


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Simple Energy raises USD 20 mn from investors
The company has been deferring deliveries of the vehicle since December 2021.
"We have received a phenomenal pre-booking response, and to cater to the demand, we are raising funds in a timely manner. The funds raised will be strategically used to aid the production ramp-up and for a quicker delivery commencement," said Suhas Rajkumar, founder and CEO of Simple Energy.
The company claims that it has received over one-lakh bookings for the e-scooters.
"We have successfully de-bottlenecked product constraints and are confident that we will soon start deliveries of Simple ONE," Rajkumar said.
The company recently inaugurated its new facility in Shoolagiri, Tamil Nadu, with an initial ₹100 crore investment,
NDRF personnel with specially equipped trained dog squad departs for earthquake-hit Turkey
Last mile deliveries, food aggregators to drive E2W growth says Redseer
Popular on BI
- Vijay Shekhar Sharma steps down as Paytm Payments Bank Chairman
- Goa partners with World Bank to tackle sea level rise, coastal erosion and other climate change-related hazards
- Samsung unveils Galaxy Ring with health-tracking features at MWC
- Govt may look at enhanced KYC requirements for certain class of corporates
- Sebi cautions investors against fraudulent trading platforms offering stock mkt access via FPI route


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What Wall Street expects from PDL BioPharma's earnings
- On May 9, PDL BioPharma reveals figures for Q1.
- Wall Street analysts are expecting earnings per share of $0.080.
- Go here to follow PDL BioPharma stock price in real-time on Markets Insider.
PDL BioPharma will present Q1 figures on May 9.
1 analyst estimates earnings of $0.080 per share as opposed to earnings of $0.010 per share in the same quarter of the previous year.
Wall Street is expecting sales of $34.7 million, an decrease of 9.97% over the prior year quarter.
With regard to the current fiscal year, analysts forecast a profit per share of $0.255. Last year it was $-0.470 per share. In terms of sales, analysts estimate that the company will bring in $119.4 million in the current fiscal year, compared to $ 198.1 million in the same period last year.
This story was written by Markets Insider's RoboEddy, which automatically writes these stories based on data provided by our partners.
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Baramulla: 17 Sep: North Kashmir Fruit growers are very much worried as the rates of apples were remaining very high during initial stage of the season but this year that hasn’t happened
Abdul Rashid, a grower from Baramulla said that during the early stage of the season, the demand of the apples was high but this year the market is down by around 40 percent.
The duty levied by the Bangladesh government on Kashmiri apple is huge,” he said. “Being the biggest export market of Kashmiri apple, the duty hike has started bleeding the growers.”
“Growers are suffering losses as labour rate, transportation charges, cost of paper, cardboard and wooden boxes are touching sky but rates are down due to which growers aren’t even fetching the amount that they have spent on it in the ongoing year,”Also Goverment Should Implement MIS Scheme So that Grower Can take benefit of this scheme,he also said that the horticulture industry is going to collapse in Kashmir if the government would not intervene to many Problems as this industry is facing many challenges.
He said that import of fruit from Iran has lowered the demand of Kashmir apple and the land under horticulture is increasing with each passing year and production is also increasing but with low demand.
He said that the government must again purchase apples from growers through market intervention schemes so that growers can fetch good rates too as per the quality of the fruit.The charges of fertilizers, pesticides, labour, package, transport and other things are currently more than what growers are getting despite spending their full year in their orchards,” he said.
Another Grower told ANN NEWS that the market is down by almost thirty percent and growers are very much worried.
He said that the main challenge is that fruit isn’t reaching on time in the market as fruit laden trucks are allowed towards Jammu for just two to three hours on Srinagar-Jammu national highway
Fruit Growers appealed to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to intervene into the matter


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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (16 September) reiterated his commitment to make India a manufacturing hub in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war which has caused global supply-chain disruptions.
"The world is overcoming COVID-19 pandemic. Several disruptions occurred in the global supply chain because of the COVID and Ukraine crisis. We want to transform India into a manufacturing hub," PM Modi said while addressing the 22nd Summit of the Council of Heads of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
He said that India’s economy is expected to grow at the rate of 7.5 per cent this year.
"I'm glad that ours is one of the fastest growing economies among the largest economies of the world," PM Modi said.
“We are focussing on a people-centric development model. We are supporting innovation in every sector. Today, there are more than 70,000 start-ups and over 100 unicorns in our country,” he said.
PM Modi said that the COVID-19 pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine have caused many disruptions in global supply chains, leaving the world facing unprecedented energy and food crises.
He also emphasised on the constructive role SCO can play in the post-COVID era particularly in furthering economic recovery and strengthening supply chains.
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Slipknot’s Corey Taylor is auctioning off 13 guitars from his personal collection to raise money for Direct Relief’s COVID-19 response efforts. The sale is live now on eBay and will run through May 7th at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Corey Taylor Guitars
The auction will feature a mix of electric guitars, acoustic guitars and bass guitars, all of which Taylor has signed. Highlights include a gold metallic Gibson Memphis Dave Grohl DG-335 (one of just 400 in the world). Along with a Gold Top Gibson Classic Les Paul. A tan Fender acoustic guitar, a pearl blue Gibson Dave Grohl Signature (one of just 200). And a black SDGR bass. Each instrument will come with a case and a certificate of authenticity.
Along with all proceeds from the auction benefiting Direct Relief’s COVID-19 response efforts, eBay will provide a matching donation of up to $1 million to the organization. Direct Relief is a non-profit aiding the delivery of personal protective equipment and other essential items to healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Slipknot released their most recent album, We Are Not Your Kind, last August. In March, the group was forced to cancel its Asian tour because of the coronavirus pandemic. As of now, the band’s Knotfest Roadshow tour is still scheduled to launch on May 30th in Syracuse, New York.
Duane Allman’s Guitars
Duane Allman played a 1957 Gibson Les Paul gold top which featured in most of his work, including the hit song Layla. A lot more to read on this great story. Stay tuned to 91.5 FM and in Southern Phuket 102.5 FM and of course FM Radio Online.


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British utility firm Ecotricity claims US electric car maker is trying to take over its motorway sites
Tesla Motors, the luxury electric car maker, has been accused of bullying a UK green energy company and attempting to take over several of its charging stations at crucial sites on the UK motorway network....
Key architect of the 2008 Climate Change Act returns to frontline politics, as Sir Keir Starmer unveils Labour's new front bench team
Flagship global green economy event to go ahead as scheduled this year, but for the first time via a new virtual platform
Data from International Renewable Energy Association points to slight slowdown in capacity growth last year, but clean energy sector still outpaced fossil fuels
The banking giant believes a green recovery is 'likely', leaving sustainable businesses well placed to prosper once the worst of the pandemic has passed


text: Black-owned businesses in Harlem, the New York neighborhood synonymous with Black culture and history, were scarce even before the Covid-19 pandemic forced them to shutter indefinitely. Now the area’s business leaders, who have been battling gentrification for years, fear the community may never be the same after the health and economic crises crushed the few Black businesses that remain. “This could definitely be the Alamo for Harlem,” restaurateur and New York Hospitality Alliance President Melba Wilson told CNN Business over the weekend. Wilson, whose restaurant, Melba’s, opened in Harlem 16 years ago, has seen the number of Black-owned businesses in the neighborhood shrink over the years. ‘If the place goes dark, let me know’ Before the pandemic, Black people made up about 22% of New York City’s population, but only 2% of its 230,000 small business owners, according to the city’s Department of Small Business Services. The local economic development group Harlem Park to Park said its Black-owned membership dropped from 80% in 2011 to 65% in early 2020. The group’s Executive Director Nikoa Evans, said the worst is still to come. Coronavirus shutdowns have prevented business owners in Harlem and beyond from earning enough to pay their rent since March. A state moratorium on evictions is set to end on October 31. Evans said she’s heard from landlords who’ve been contacted by large corporations looking for bargains on commercial properties. “Many of the big corporate chains are now contacting landlords and saying, ‘If the place goes dark, let me know,’” Evans told CNN Business on Monday. “It is absolutely a scenario not just in Harlem, but other ‘Harlems’ around the country.” Evans expects the neighborhood’s “legacy brands,” like Sylvia’s soul food restaurant and the celebrity-owned Red Rooster, to survive the looming corporate bargain sale, but said most small businesses won’t be able to pay months of back-rent when the bill comes due. The city recently unveiled its Black Entrepreneurs NYC program to help address the lack of Black-owned businesses. Big firms like Ernst & Young and Goldman Sachs have signed on to help aspiring Black entrepreneurs with free consulting and access to financing. But for historically Black neighborhoods like Harlem, it may be too late to save businesses that were already struggling before the devastating punch of coronavirus. ‘It’s going to rain today, so I’m going to make zero dollars’ White transplants and a surge of immigrants to the neighborhood have fundamentally changed Harlem’s demographics over the past two decades. It’s been about 20 years since the neighborhood was majority Black, according to data from the NYU Furman Center. Residential and commercial real estate prices have shot up, often edging out Black entrepreneurs who struggle more than most to secure loans. Wilson said the owners of several of the Black businesses she works with have given up on reopening. “Many of them have turned in their keys to the landlords,” Wilson said. “Everybody’s worried about the history of these businesses, this community.” Compounding the problem for restaurant owners: Indoor seating is still banned in the city, even as other parts of the state have been allowed to reopen at limited capacity. Harlem leaders suggest the restaurant restrictions are having an outsize effect on Black businesses. Nationally, Black entrepreneurs own a disproportionate amount of independent restaurants, which, in New York, have been limited to pickup, delivery, and outdoor seating during the pandemic. In June, Mayor Bill de Blasio extended the city’s “Open Restaurants” program, which grants approved eateries additional sidewalk, street and parking lot space to host outdoor seating. But Alyah Horsford-Sidberry, owner of the Cove Lounge on Lenox Avenue in Harlem, said not being able to serve indoors has prevented her from paying rent. “It’s going to rain today, so I’m going to make zero dollars,” Horsford-Sidberry told CNN Business. “If [Gov. Andrew Cuomo] doesn’t allow us to have some kind of indoor seating, that basically puts us out of business.” Alvin Lee Smalls, 78, owner of Lee Lee’s Baked Goods, has been selling rugelach pastries in central Harlem since 1988. He recently was chosen to receive a $10,000 grant from Beyoncé’s Black-owned small business fund and also secured a federal loan under the Paycheck Protection Program. (Smalls, like many others, was denied a PPP loan during the program’s rocky first round of funding.) But he said the bulk of the profits he usually gets from walk-in customers have been absorbed by delivery apps like Grubhub. As a result, he also has struggled to pay rent. “We certainly are behind,” he told CNN Business. During New York’s lockdown, the city signed lucrative contracts with companies outside Harlem to provide food and personal protective equipment, rather than hiring local businesses to do the work within their own community, says Regina Smith, executive director of the Harlem Business Alliance. A lot of Black entrepreneurs were trying to get contracts to make face masks, Smith said. “We found businesses that were getting contracts and they weren’t even vetted. Black businesses are vetted all different kinds of ways.” Jeff Lindor, an adviser for the city’s new Black entrepreneurship program, said communities like Harlem won’t be the same without current and future Black business owners. “We need to make sure they stay viable, but also usher in the new generation of Black businesses,” he said.


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The sale of new petrol and diesel cars could be banned within a decade according to reports this week, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson expected to make the announcement as part of a broader package of green initiatives.
The UK had originally planned to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel-powered cars from 2040, and then earlier this year brought the deadline forward to 2035. Now in an effort to bolster the electric vehicle market and deliver the UK’s goal of net zero emissions by 2050, Mr Johnson is expected to move the date forward to 2030 in an upcoming speech on environmental policy.
It is expected however, that hybrid cars that are powered by electric batteries as well as traditional motors will be permitted to be sold until 2035.
Despite rising popularity in recent years, electric cars still only account for around 7% of new vehicles bought in the UK last month, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Poor range and access to efficient charging stations have long been roadblocks to EV uptake, and the car industry has long argued that significant funding for infrastructure is required to help convince motorists to switch to electric cars.
As a result, the government is expected to provide around £500m to fund new charging point infrastructure across the UK from next year. The money will help finance new grid connections to allow remote facilities such as motorway service stations to install more fast charging points.
In line with the Government’s zero emissions targets, it’s expected that 36 million EVs will be on UK roads by 2040. For every electric vehicle that’s purchased, a new charging point is required, so the opportunity for installers is enormous.
The skills shortage within the electrical trade means demand for EV expertise currently outweighs the number of contractors available. Those already working in the industry should therefore prioritise getting the knowledge, skills and OLEV accreditation they need to make the most of this fast-growing market.
For more information on how to become an EV Charging installer, download our guide to EV charging Plug in to EV today.


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Is CES 2021 viable in the age of Covid?
Forbes takes a look at the chances of the world’s largest consumer electronics event, CES, produced by the Consumer Electronic Association, taking place as planned. Despite the event being seven months away, assembling 160,000 people in a crowded venue is likely to be seen risky by many of the event’s sponsors and participants. Forbes
dis-rup-shun: It is hard to imagine a year without the bittersweet meeting of the entire tech industry for three brutal days of shuffling across miles of concrete and standing in dozens of cab lines. To be clear, there are few events anywhere that can yield as many meetings, discoveries and news headlines as CES, not to mention pumping billions into the Las Vegas economy. A virtual CES just wouldn’t do much for anyone.
MIT uses appliance data to measure health
MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab is developing a system that uses a single motion sensor in the main room of a home, combined with a sensor that measures electricity used by appliances, to determine one’s household patterns, and anomalies. TechCrunch
dis-rup-shun: Remote monitoring of seniors has become a higher priority with many residential facilities closed to visitors. AI becomes smarter with more data, making better assessments between actual emergency and simple deviation in routine. Commercially available remote senior monitoring systems are currently in market from innovators such as People Power, Alarm.com, GreatCall, and should become commonplace offerings of retailers, telcos and insurance companies in the next few years.
How gamers made Romania and Singapore fastest Internet countries
Today Romania and Singapore enjoy some of the fastest constant broadband internet speeds in the world. Their broadband infrastructure was created to whet the appetites of gamers who were willing to pay for steady, fast services and, in the early days of the Internet, frequently connected physical cables from apartment to apartment to great LANs for gaming. As cable providers entered the market, gamers would share the fastest cable service across their LAN. That grass roots competition led to high speed and low latency services nationwide. Wired
dis-rup-shun: This is a great story of supply and demand, and human innovation. The article also discusses how Google’s Stadia cloud gaming platform, despite having good content, is limited by inconsistent Internet services throughout the world, making the gaming experience inconsistent and less appealing. Apple’s Arcade, on the other hand, focuses on casual games in which latency is less of a factor.
August smart lock gets smarter
A new, smaller, better smart lock is available from August. The new model, called Wi-Fi Smart Lock, uses built in Wi-Fi, no longer requiring a separate hub device. For $249, you can unlock or lock your home from anywhere in the world that you can access the Internet — perfect for AirBnB, assuming that will come back. TechCrunch
dis-rup-shun: August, like Nest was to thermostats, is the lead innovator of the smart lock business, but the real mass market upgrades of locks to smart locks will be driven by the giants in the industry such as Schlage, Kwikset and Yale by Assa Abloy – the company that has recently purchased August Home. As Assa and its big competitors roll the August technology into brands that locksmiths and builders know well, then we will see a proliferation of smart locking homes. I’m guessing this transition will happen in three to five years.


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SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Spot propylene markets in northeast Asia look set to track developments in the Shandong domestic market, which continues to see swings but has been on a downtrend since the start of March.
- Market participants to tread carefully
- Opportunistic buying in Shandong
- Supply tightens in South Korea but demand in China slow
Demand in the Shandong region could still be tepid in the week after one downstream producer started its turnaround on 10 March.
It delayed the start for about two days in a bid to bring its propylene inventory down.
That said, buyers could also start to enter the spot market to take advantage of lower prices, something they have done in recent times.
There were some buying heard late in the previous assessment week that ended on 8 March but that did not arrest the fall in prices.
In the import market, both buyers and seller will unsurprisingly start the week in a cautious mood and will no doubt watch developments in the Shandong market closely.
With import talks moving to April arrivals, selling pressure seen in the week that ended 8 March could be alleviated slightly.
There were, however, still some prompt March arrival cargoes on hand for at least one trader so there could still be some urgency expected.
In South Korea, spot supply has tightened lately with producers heading for turnarounds but it did precious little to boost prices.
It only resulted in slowing spot trades between producers and traders as both did not see reasons to do deals.
Buyers in China are expected to gauge supply levels in the domestic markets first before they enter into talks for April arrivals and bid levels are expected to be fairly close to the equivalent domestic prices as domestic supply is widely seen as ample.
Trades could be done at a slower pace week on week.
Sellers might want to bide their time to see if the market could turn in their favour.
Some might even take the safe option which is to do deals on formula-linked basis.
Prices in the import market were down some $30/tonne on average, finishing the assessment week at $890/tonne CFR (cost and freight) NE (northeast) Asia on 8 March.
Shandong prices fell some CNY (Chinese Yuan) 50-600/tonne. The price was CNY 6,400-7,200/tonne Ex Tank Shandong.
Top Image credit: Shutterstock
Additional reporting by Doris He
Focus article by Joson Ng


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L’Oréal Is Bringing Beauty Online With the Help of Augmented Reality and AI
Testing products is a quintessential element of the beauty buying experience. There's a reason the shelves at Sephora are lined with tester tubes, after all. But up until recently, the bulk of that trying-out experience has occurred in person, in brick and mortar retail locations.
L'Oréal wants to change that. The beauty giant, which owns a slew of cosmetic, skin and haircare brands, ranging from luxury lines like Kiehl's and Urban Decay to drugstore mainstays like Maybelline and Garnier, has been investing in a digital transformation that will take the in-person experience and bring it online.
In March of last year, L'Oréal acquired ModiFace, an augmented reality beauty company, which has allowed it to roll out features like virtual makeup and hair color try-ons, as well as an online skincare diagnostic, that will help people bring the experience of trying a product onto a screen. Earlier this year, L'Oréal announced that it would be bringing ModiFace's AR technology to Amazon to create the first virtual cosmetics try-on experience for the behemoth retailer.
“The thing we're trying to do here is solve consumer problems and to help them decide the right products, the right colors, the right routines, and dig deeper in this era of personalization,” Lubomira Rochet, L'Oréal's chief digital officer, told Adweek.
The purchase of ModiFace is just one of the moves that L'Oréal is making when it comes to evolving digital strategy and capabilities at the brand. Rochet said that in recent years, becoming a digital-first company has been a top priority. It's a trend necessitated by numbers: According to Rochet, ecommerce makes up $3 billion of L'Oréal's annual sales, and 50% of its annual growth. Eighty percent of the brand's content is done with digital in mind.
“As a company, we put digital first. Even in our meetings within the company, everybody starts by the digital execution,” she said. “As a cultural shift, it's pretty impressive.”
Increased digital capabilities isn't the only modern facet of business that L'Oréal is embracing: The beauty giant is also doubling down on direct-to-consumer sales, particularly when it comes to its more luxury brands, because, as Rochet said: “The luxury business is more prone to DTC, because of lower distribution in offline business, higher price points and the necessity to stage the experience and the brand equity in the best way, which we often don't find in other platforms.”
L'Oréal is also creating new DTC brands, like Color&Co, a personalized hair color brand it rolled out this past May from its tech incubator, which it has run in partnership with London-based leading global digital accelerator and incubator Founders Factory since 2016. That incubator also helps L'Oréal to discover new digital-savvy businesses and technologies to work with. This year, two new startups, Sampler and Riviter, a product sampling strategy company and a visual search engine that operates with AI technology, respectively, will join the incubator.
Teaming up with startups offering new technologies with the capabilities helps L'Oréal nurture the natural relationship the company believes beauty has with the internet.
“Beauty and digital is such a perfect match,” said Rochet. “It's so visual, it's so social, you want to share your new look, your new style, your new color.”


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AMD "has a potent combination of both CPU and GPU technologies," writes Slashdot reader MojoKid , that "can play well in the laptop market especially, where a tight coupling of the two processing engines can mean both performance and cost efficiencies.
"The GPU also has 2,304 stream processors across 36 compute units, and "Overall, we think Dell hit it out of the park with the new G5 15 SE," the review concludes.
"This all-AMD budget blockbuster has all of the gaming essentials: a fast processor, a powerful GPU, and a 144 Hz display."
While it's a valid question, having a large reflective real estate makes the Galaxy Z Flip look classy and 'in vogue'; a person holding it will not just possess a tech product, but a product of fashion.
Since many were concerned of the phone's durability over prolonged usage, here's what I found after 100 days with the Galaxy Z Flip as my daily driver, right after this quick video overview by my editor:- When the Z Flip is in 'standby mode', that is in folded form, it feels very snug in the palm (just 73.6 x 87.4mm folded), even if it is thick (17.3mm on the fattest side).
While Fold's concept was a phone-to-tablet foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip takes on the old-school flip phone paradigm.
This year, alongside the traditional Galaxy S series line-up with the S20 troupe, Samsung also released another foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Flip.
One interesting thing about Z Flip is that its fingerprint scanner is located on the power button (just like the Galaxy S10e).
He was fired, along with three other officers who were at the scene.Minneapolis has seen multiple nights of protests after Floyd’s death.
The death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer pinned him to the ground with a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes May 25, has brought widespread renewed attention to police-community relations and racial tensions around the nation.Prosecutors in Minnesota on Friday announced charges of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter against Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck.
“Policing in America is broken,” Jones, a Baltimore County Democrat, said in a statement.
Maryland House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne A. Jones announced on Saturday the formation of a bipartisan work group of lawmakers who will review police reform and accountability.
Major cities throughout the U.S., including Baltimore, have seen protests as well.Areas the work group will explore include: how police misconduct is investigated, whether there should be statewide standards on police use of force, how body cameras are used, and ways to prosecute crimes committed by police.The state legislature already has a Commission to Restore Trust in Policing, formed following the revelations of corrupt policing carried out by Baltimore’s Gun Trace Task Force.
Google has taken the decision to postpone its Android 11 beta launch event that was due to take place on June 3rd.
Google made the announcement via a Twitter post yesterday, simply saying that “now is not the time to celebrate”.
We don’t need to go into why that is – open Twitter or look at the news to see why Google – perhaps rightfully – decided against holding an event in the current climate.
Developers are now left with little to no idea when they can expect to get their hands on the first Android 11 beta, nor whether this in turn means that Google is also delaying the whole development roadmap.
Google has at least so far released three Developer Preview builds of the Android 11 release, but plenty can change when an operating system like Android progresses through the beta program.
Updates and compatibility: Android 11 is expanding Project Mainline — visible to users as Google Play System Update — with 12 new modules that can be updated without OS releases.
Here is a recap of the new features coming in Android 11: Helpful innovation: This unsurprisingly starts with 5G, and Google frames it as a way for developers to “extend [their] Wi-Fi app experiences to mobile users.”
Meanwhile, Google has been working on the developer previews for the operating system update and released Android 11 Developer Preview 4 on May 7.
Called the 'Android 11 Beta Launch Show', the virtual event was comprised of a number of development-focused talks regarding the new features in Google's operating system update.
A new permissions module “standardizes user and developer access to critical privacy controls on Android devices.”
In my experience using the mClassic with Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition - which was most of my time while reviewing the game - I noticed blurrier textures and softer presentations, but overall, it was a large improvement.
mClassic HDMI Upscaler Review – The Ideal Nintendo Switch Upscaling Solution Comparing the world In order to see if the mClassic can solve Xenoblade Chronicles' resolution woes I went through the game and picked some of the prettiest areas I could and took screenshots with the mClassic enabled, and disabled, and you'll be able to find those comparisons throughout this article.
Look hard enough at any screenshot of Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition in this article, and zoom in to spot a harsh, aliased line on the edges of characters or environments, and then compare it to the version which has the mClassic's post-processing engaged, and you will see a clear difference.
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition Review – Essential for JRPG Fans What the mClassic does As covered in our extensive review, the mClassic smooths harsh edges and upscales 60hz images to 1080p.
For the time being, the mClassic is a great way to improve the picture quality of older games or those which don't quite deliver the image clarity you desire, like Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition.
With it, the anticipated Android 11 Beta release morphed into a fourth Developer Preview build of the OS.
The official Android Developers Twitter account dropped the news, along with a pretty reasonable hint as to what likely motivated the decision.
Google typically does its best to frame I/O events as a celebration of the vibrant Android ecosystem, its developers, users and bright future.
Hopefully, the continued delays donÂt have any other implications for Android 11 itself.
Google has already promised a set of 12 Âbinge-worthyÂ talks on Android, starting with the basics (WhatÂs new and WhatÂs new in System UI) and covering many topics for developer and the Google Play ecosystem.
The Optix MAG274R gaming monitor is designed with eSports gamers in mind, and this monitor features a 144 Hz refresh rate and a 1 ms response time.
MSI Introduces the Optix MAG274R is a gaming monitor which has been built with eSports gamers in mind The Optix MAG274R gaming monitor utilizes an IPS panel, and the IPS panel type offers a broader viewing range with minimum color shifts and an overall fantastic viewing experience.
This monitor is designed with eSports gamers in mind, and the Optix MAG274R monitor is MSI's latest IPS panel-based gaming monitor.
MSI Introduces the Optix MAG274R, and this monitor features a 27" display and a 144 Hz refresh rate.
For lighting, the Optix MAG274R gaming monitor provides a soft ambient light located on the back of the monitor.
Due in part to this, Denuvo eventually announced it would be shifting its focus away from producing DRM that didn't work to making anti-cheat software.
Well, let's take a look at Doom Eternal, a game which only a week ago added to Denuvo's anti-cheat software via an update.
Doom Eternal has only had Denuvo anti-cheat software for a week, and already Id Software has agreed to take it out following the backlash from some PC players.
Although Id Software tried to preemptively assuage players’ fears, saying that Denuvo anti-cheat is only active while the game is on and doesn’t take screenshots or scan file systems, thousands of players still took to review-bombing the game on Steam.
Now, review bombing kind of sucks as a rule, but then so does pushing out software that is as invasive as Denuvo's anti-cheat software after people had already purchased the game.
That's left the Nintendo Switch nearly impossible to find since at least March, as the pandemic has disrupted the global electronics supply chain and the fact that sleazy resellers have been using bots to scoop up what little inventory exists.
But starting at the end of April, the Nintendo Switch Lite slowly but surely returned to many retailer shelves, popping up at Amazon, GameStop, Best Buy and Target -- and often disappearing just as quickly.
We're collating available stock here at the MSRP of $200, but note that pricing and availability change frequently.
But if you need more encouragement to take the plunge on the Lite model, you can read CNET's review of the Switch Lite.
This list also includes units available at a higher price via a third-party reseller, or ones that are only available for pickup in a brick-and-mortar store location.
One of the new features of Android 10 was the introduction of chat 'bubbles', similar to Facebook Messenger, laid over the top of other apps, that let you see all your conversations over several apps all in one easy-to-access format.
It'd be useful to have some easy-to-use alternative that lets you share photos, videos, music, or other files just by pressing the phones against each other – at the moment it can be quite a hassle to use a specific app to do so, and Apple's Airdrop is a useful feature that has no equivalent in Android.
Hopefully that also means dark mode will be rolled out to far more An Android 11 feature that will please the security-minded is changed app permissions.
Google tends to unveil some of the features of its newest operating system at in May, before releasing the OS for Pixel phones with an Android 11 release date of sometime in September – in 2019, for example, it debuted on the .
Developer previews are version of the operating system released ahead of time so app developers can see all the new features, but inevitably these features end up getting leaked online, so we have a good glimpse at Google's upcoming operating system update.
Zoom Video Communications Inc. plans to strengthen encryption for paying clients and institutions, but not for users with free accounts, Reuters reported, citing the company’s security consultant Alex Stamos.
The company previewed its plans with civil liberties groups and activists against child-sex abuse on Thursday, the report said.
Plans are subject to change and it is unclear which nonprofit organizations would qualify for such heightened security for video conferences, the report added.
Also read | ‘India significant chunk of Zoom’s growth, efforts on to address concerns' The company is trying to improve security as well as “significantly upgrading their trust and safety,” Stamos told Reuters.
“The current plan is paid customers plus enterprise accounts where the company knows who they are.”
Sony’s PlayStation division released its original “The Last of Us” for PlayStation 3 in 2013, just a couple of months before the PlayStation 4 was made available.
As such, expect “The Last of Us Part II” to launch on PlayStation 4 on June 19 and, before too long, pop up on the PlayStation 5, which arrives in the last few months of 2020.
In the words of the project’s director, Neil Druckmann, who provides commentary for the video preview, “The Last of Us Part II” is “the largest, most ambitious game” from Sony’s Naughty Dog studio.
That’s one of the questions that “The Last of Us Part II” asks.
Both Sony and Microsoft have announced various degrees of compatibility with existing games from the PS4 and Xbox One era for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. IB WATCH: ‘The Last of Us Part II’ story trailer begins month countdown
We had been looking forward to hearing a lot more about Android 11 this coming Wednesday, June 3 – and maybe trying it out – but Google has now decided to push back the launch of the public beta.
That leaves us with no official launch date for the Android 11 public beta, though a developer preview has been available since February.
Google traditionally uses its IO developer conference in May to tell us all about the latest version of Android.
The developer preview is usually followed by a public beta that anyone can test – which was due to appear on June 3 – and then Google tends to push out the finished version of the software a few months later, before the annual launch of its Pixel phones.
As soon as Google announces a new date for the Android 11 public beta, we'll let you know.
Giant automated industry builder Satisfactory has been on the assembly line for a while already, first debuting on the Epic Games Store last year.
The mammoth machines are reaching another milestone when Satisfactory launches on Steam—still in early access—on Monday, June 8th.
If you happen to be counting months, Satisfactory was originally released in March of 2019, trending past the usual year of Epic Store exclusivity that has most other games making an immediate Steam release.
Manage cookie settings Even back before its first launch, Alec Meer said in his Satisfactory preview that all the shine and polish certainly didn’t feel early access, despite knowing it planned to expand.
You can find Satisfactory over on Steam, where you’ll be able to purchase it for £27/€30/$30 starting on Monday, June 8th.
Find us in your favorite podcast player by searching for "AppleInsider" and support the show by leaving a 5-Star rating and comment in Apple Podcasts here.
Rounding out the show we mention the numerous accessory reviews published recently on AppleInsider and make a special announcement at the end of the show.
Going to System Preferences > Energy Saver > Battery Health will give users a checkbox to enable or disable this feature that should lengthen the life of portable Mac batteries — assuming you have a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro with a USB-C port of any type.
In additional to original HBO content, HBO Max holds the back catalogs of popular shows like Friends, Big Bang Theory, and others.
HBO Max launches, Apple reopening more stores in the US, battery health management comes to Mac, Quibi adds AirPlay support, and we roundup some of our favorite accessories, hubs, and bags, all on the AppleInsider Podcast.
The order stipulates that the government is "protecting" taxpayer dollars from being spent with platforms "that restrict free speech," and said the heads of executive departments and agencies will review their federal spending on advertising and marketing to online platforms.
The company's tracking shows the federal government has spent about $170 million this year so far advertising on Facebook, Twitter and Google-owned YouTube.
When signing an executive order cracking down on "censorship" by social media platforms, President Donald Trump said the government would reconsider spending "billions of dollars" on those platforms.
Trump's executive order could lead to attempts to punish companies such as Twitter and Google for attempting to point out factual inconsistencies in social media posts by politicians.
Pathmatics said the Facebook figure includes year-to-date ad spend from 20 different government agencies, including the U.S. Census Bureau, Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Backblaze's S3 compatible APIs allow you to use your Backblaze B2 credentials and B2 storage buckets to authenticate using any application or service designed to connect to Amazon S3 storage.
Simple Setup If you're already using Backblaze's B2 service, you won't be able to use any of your existing B2 storage buckets with the new S3 APIs.
The new S3 compatible features require that you create new B2 storage buckets, which Backblaze made available on May 4, 2020.
This creates what Backblaze calls an S3 endpoint to the bucket — essentially a URL that you use within any Amazon S3 compatible application to link it to your new Backblaze B2 bucket.
While This isn't technically a review of Backblaze B2 or the S3 API, the ease with which I was able to create and link to Backblaze using the new S3 APIs, as well as the fact that Backblaze offers storage at roughly a quarter the price of any of the other cloud storage vendors on the market, makes Backblaze worth looking at.
Interestingly, Asus shies away from any presumed support for PCIe 4.0 drives available on upcoming CPUs, unlike rival Gigabyte, but don't be surprised to see such compatibility being announced closer to the launch of Rocket Lake-based processors.
The second M.2 slot only supports PCIe 3.0 while the top and bottom slots - the lower one has an individual heatsink - can also run in SATA mode.
In concert with the release of 10th Gen Core CPUs, Asus has duly updated the Z490 range to the XII Hero in for review today.
Introduction The Asus ROG Maximus Hero (WiFi) line has been the bedrock of HEXUS test systems in recent years.
Fan headers are all in sensible positions, as is the Thunderbolt expansion header, there's an 8+4-pin CPU connector far enough away from the heatsink to enable easy connection and disconnection, while the Flex button is multipurpose - it can either function as reset or be remapped in the BIOS to control the subtle Aura lighting.


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Colvin raises €45 million
Online flower retailer Colvin has raised €45 million in a Series C round as it looks to scale its business in Europe.
The operation was led by Eurazeo, but French AgTech fund Capagro also participated.
Founded in 2017 by Andrés Cester and Sergi Bastardas (pictured), the Barcelona based business will use the funds to invest in technology and systems. It will also be expanding into new markets and adding over 100 people to its team in the technology, marketing and operations departments.
Colvin was created as a direct to consumer brand, although it is also working to develop a successful B2B market offering,
Bastardas said: “2020 has been a year of acceleration for Colvin, a turning point that will set the pace for our growth over the coming years. This new funding round will enable us to accelerate the development of technology and logistics-related projects which are currently under progress for the B2B category, in addition to consolidating the company’s growth in the flower and plant online retail sector. Our goal at Colvin is to lead the transformation of the industry at a global level.”
Having shipped over 10 million flowers in 2020, Colvin ended the year with 200% growth and expects to double its turnover by the end of 2021.
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RealNetworks kept its promise to make a profit by the end of 2004, but only if you don't count the price of suing Microsoft.
RealNetworks kept its promise to make a profit by the end of 2004, but only if you don’t count the price of suing Microsoft.
The Seattle digital-media company yesterday reported a net loss of $972,000, or a penny per share, for the fourth quarter. If you take out the $3 million in costs related to its antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft, the company had a quarterly profit of $2 million, or a penny per share.
For its fourth quarter in 2003, RealNetworks reported a $5.3 million net loss, or 3 cents a share, which included $1.6 million related to the Microsoft lawsuit.
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The company reported $72.5 million in sales for the quarter, up 34 percent from the same period in 2003.
For the full year, RealNetworks reported a $23 million net loss, wider than the $21.5 million it saw in 2003. The full-year loss included $11 million, or 7 cents a share, in costs related to the Microsoft lawsuit. Full-year sales hit $266.7 million, up 32 percent from 2003.
The company had 1.55 million paying subscribers, which was unchanged from the third quarter even though the number of subscribers to RealNetworks’ music services rose to 700,000 from 625,000 during that time. Executives said yesterday that it lost subscribers in other areas after it stopped offering stand-alone video packages from CNN and NASCAR.
RealNetworks likely also lost subscribers after it raised the price of its SuperPass online content service last August by $3 to $12.95 a month.
The company has turned its focus to selling online music subscriptions to its Rhapsody service, single-song downloads and Internet-based games, and those areas are becoming more significant in its financial statements as well.
Music sales, including subscriptions to Rhapsody, rose by nearly $3 million from the third quarter to $21.6 million and represented 30 percent of the company’s total revenue. Games revenue rose by $1 million to $10.1 million, or about 14 percent of the total revenue.
Sales of business products and services continued to spiral to $11.8 million, or 16 percent of total revenue, down from $12.9 million in the third quarter.
RealNetworks said it expects to report between $73 million and $74.5 million in sales for the current quarter and post a net loss of between a penny and 2 cents per share. It estimated its Microsoft lawsuit costs at $3.75 million for the quarter.
RealNetworks’ share price closed at $5.95 yesterday and rose 25 cents in after-hours trading. The company released its earnings report after the market closed.
Kim Peterson: 206-464-2360 or email@example.com
|Figures in parentheses are losses.|


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Facebook has now removed its "Find Friends Nearby" feature that it introduced just this past weekend. Meanwhile, a company called Friendthem has accused Facebook of stealing their idea.
...of Microsoft money, ARM's acquisition, and Windows 10 updates
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge Lens Cover
Expanding mobile photography with Aukey's wide-angle lenses
JESBOD QY13 sports Bluetooth earphones
Time is running out to claim your free Windows 10 upgrade
windows 10 upgrade
Insider build 14393.3 for PC and Mobile released to Fast ring
Find friends nearby
Facebook has once again quietly added a new feature for the web and mobile versions that allows its users to find which friends or possible new friends happens to be nearby their location.