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This Week on JungleDrums:
Your JungleDrums host, AcuteJungle66, delves into this week’s gaming and tech news! Xbox One X will support 1440p, Super Mario Odyssey is awesome, Razer Phone is available to pre-order, and more!
The Xbox One X is being marketed heavily as a 4K-focused machine, but it turns out that’s not the only way to get greater resolution than 1080p. The One X will eventually have native support for 1440p (2560 x 1440) monitors, as confirmed by Microsoft’s Kevin Gammill on Twitter. Gammill later clarified that 1440p support won’t be ready immediately but is “coming soon.” 1440p is a popular resolution for high-end gaming monitors, particularly among players who like to prioritize framerate. While it’s unlikely that many developers will specifically target 1440p displays on the Xbox One X, the addition of system-wide 1440p output at least means that you’ll be able to make the most of the native resolution.
- Reviews for Super Mario Odyssey went live last week, and the game is ticking off an absurd number of perfect scores. Overall, Super Mario Odyssey’s Metascore stands at 97, a lofty score that only five games have ever bested. Super Mario Odyssey is a sandbox 3D platformer in the vein of Super Mraio Galaxy, Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario 64, with the added twist that Mario can now possess enemies and friends alike by hurling his sentient hat onto their heads.
- A couple of weeks ago we reported that Razer is getting into the smartphone business. As you might expect from the maker of high-powered gaming laptops, this new phone has outrageous specs and is geared for video games. Indeed, judging from its specs, the Razer Phone, which the company announced Wednesday, could handily beat Apple’s iPhone X, Google’s Pixel 2, Samsung’s Galaxy devices, and other top smartphones, when it comes to performance. But the Razer Phone has another thing going for it that could even tempt non-gamers — its $700 price. That’s a lot cheaper than many other top phones.
- It appears November 2017 might be the month finally putting an end to the dominance of Windows 7. According to latest stats from StatCounter, the user-favorite operating system from Redmond has seen a drop of 1.32 percentage points last month, now sitting at the market share of 42.67 percent. In comparison, Windows 10 got an additional 1.65 percent of Windows market share, helping it narrow the gap with Windows 7. The newest operating system is now at 40.95 percent.
- The world has been invited to meet the Elgato 4K60 Pro. The capture card ships on November 21st for $399 USD. Elgatos states that you will be able to capture immaculate 4K gameplay at 60 fps, powered by ultra-low latency technology. The official subreddit has the latest information, including:
Does 4K60 Pro support high frame rate capture? (1080p120/144/240hz, 1440p120/144hz)
Yes, 4K60 Pro can capture higher refresh rates and resolutions that were previously not possible. There are some limitations and due to differences in setups and equipment, we cannot guarantee that it will work.
JungleDrums is a weekly news show run by Scholarly Gamers’ Content Coordinator, AcuteJungle66. Topics discussed in the show focus heavily on gaming, highlights, streams, and tech, but will typically hover around hot-button topics of the week. Joining AcuteJungle66 are a rotating selection of guests, ranging from friends and those interested in the topic at hand, fellow Scholarly Gamers, or members of raiding parties from gaming staples of his such as Destiny 2, The Division, or Rainbow Six Siege.


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Hankook adverts back in Times Square
Hankook has returned to New York's Times Square. Once again the South Korean-based tyre maker has secured billboards in one of the most famous adversity locations in the world. The latest banner, presented once again in the form of the successful Ventus V12 evo high-performance tyre, is on the facade of the Marriott Marquis Hotel and is designed to “impress millions of visitors” this time for a whole year. Hankook says it is aiming to reinforce and develop its brand profile and image with the latest campaign.
According to the company, presenting themselves in the heart of New York was not a difficult decision to make. Hankook gained positive feedback from throughout the world for its first presentation (in October 2010) and was particularly praised for the unique and creative design.
“Hankook Tire is one of the fastest growing tyre manufacturers worldwide. It is therefore logical that we are renewing our presence on one of the most visited squares in the world”, explains Hyun Shick Cho, chief marketing officer at Hankook Tire. “With more than 1.5 million visitors each day, we are putting Hankook on one of the largest advertising stages. This campaign is a giant step forwards and also highlights our growing presence in the USA.”

domain: news


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Fed Raises Interest Rates Right Before Major Election
The United States Federal Reserve chose last month to raise interest rates from 2 percent to 2.25 percent, making it more expensive for banks to borrow money. In most recent days, President Donald Trump has criticized the central bank’s actions as “a mistake” for putting an undue burden upon the economy and negatively impacting the economic growth of his administration, especially right before a hotly-contested round of midterm elections. Despite the tensions, the Fed has stated in a recent meeting they have no plans to alter their rate hike, and Trump has does not plan to fire the chairman despite his criticisms.
The Federal Reserve has been a controversial institution since its birth in 1913, and is responsible for governing over the country’s money supply by loaning to all other banks beneath it from massive national banks such as Bank of America and Chase to local credit unions. By adjusting the rates at which they loan, they indirectly affect the rates given to consumers and have a diffuse but noticeable effect on the population’s spending behavior that drives the economy.
By increasing the interest rate like they are doing now, consumer banks will have to charge higher rates for their home, auto and personal loans, as well as credit cards used for day-to-day spending, which will make people more hesitant to buy new products and decreasing the productivity of the economy. Rates are increased typically to combat inflation, but Trump is claiming the inflation rate is not high enough to warrant this increase. He has been particularly harsh in recent statements to reporters, calling the Federal Reserve “crazy” and “moving too fast,” also insinuating the recent drops in the stock market—the worst since February—were caused by fears of slowing growth due to the Fed’s rates. He acknowledged that, as an independent organization, the reserve cannot be ordered to change its decisions by the president.
Since voters tend to see the economy as a measuring stick for politicians’ success, Trump was upset about the Federal Reserve deciding to slow economic growth during his term, and not during his predecessor’s. He pointed out that Barack Obama had “zero interest” during his administration, which made it easier for consumers to spend, remarking “how the hell do you compete with that?” The Federal Reserve has declined to comment on the situation so far, but the reason is probably that President Obama took office during the worst recession in recent history. Without regards to inflation, the Fed was happy to pour money into the economy to get it growing again. Once the recession finished at the tail end of Obama’s presidency, the need to control inflation once again became an issue, prompting a series of rate hikes in 2018.
It is generally considered bad practice for a president to publicly criticize the Federal Reserve’s decisions, lest they shake investor confidence in the reserve’s ability to make good economic policy. If people believe the nation’s money supply is inaccurate or, worse, unpredictable, it will prompt an even greater selloff of stocks and investments than we are currently experiencing. This happened before in 1907, which prompted the very creation of the reserve system we have today.
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text: OXFORD, England - One of Britain’s most popular models has become the latest victim of the paparazzi, caught with no make-up and part-naked.Having a frenzy of photographers on the prowl is nothing new to members of the Royal Family, actors, soccer players. Especially when in a compromising situation. Now the next Mini has become the latest victim. CAUGHT OFFGUARDWheels24 suspects it can only be the four-door 2014 Mini Cooper we spied in 2012. The car was caught unawares by photographers in a "highly private moment", yellow and defenceless. Yes, we know this reeks of a cheap publicity stunt, but the car was spied by us so long ago it had to resurface before its official unveiling.Mini says: "We understand the worldwide interest in our family but it is not the British way to send such unfavourable pictures around the globe but, like a good stiff-upper-lipped Brit, we shall not complain, although we would like to officially state that we are not flattered."The published pictures do not reflect our good looks any way."The automaker says the car will be revealed soon and no more spy shots will be needed.


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Budget Partners With Pegasus Systems
The goal of the agreement, according to Budget Rent a Car, is to make it easier for consumers to book car rentals at the same time they are making their online hotel reservations and travel plans.
Better relationships. Better ROI. Founded in 1985, and voted among the nation’s ...
91% of ad impressions for recent programmatic campaigns reached Nestlé UK and Ireland's desired market of new consumers
They must locate and promote to the one out of every 143 consumers who make or break their new products.
Marketers have been handed magic tech beans to lift them to unheard-of heights. But according to a new study, they are developing acrophobia.


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Gearbox revealed some more numbers for the in-game puzzle that was introduced at the beginning of April, Borderlands Science. The game has seen an astounding number of players since it was put into Borderlands 3.
The Borderlands 3 Twitter account stated over 700,000 players have solved more than 36 million puzzles. That’s over 86 total years of playtime, all of it helping to map the human git microbiome. The arcade style game was made permanent not too long ago, so who knows how many more puzzles will be completed, especially since some people are still in quarantine.
A new hotfix was also implemented today, although it only contained three updates. One of those is the newest location for the Loot the Universe mini-event, which has gone to Eden‑6 this week. You can see the other changes in the hotfix, below:
- Addressed a reported concern that the Mayhem modifier Galaxy Brain could sometimes cause Graveward’s loot to drop in a location the player could not access
- Addressed a bug with Mayhem Mode that led to lower than intended drop rates for all Mayhem levels.


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NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- The media often yammers in one direction then, when proven wrong, starts yammering in the complete opposite direction.
This was rarely more evident than in the case of Facebook (FB).
Before its IPO, Mark Zuckerberg (and his company) was the best thing since sliced Apple (AAPL). Now? They're the gang that can't shoot straight.The New York Times (NYT) broke news during the holiday weekend that Facebook has been poaching Apple engineers in an attempt to produce its own smartphone, perhaps for release next year. In reaction, the media needs to be unflinching and this, to be certain, is a difficult initiative. Hewlett Packard (HPQ) and Dell (DELL) have already failed. It will probably be even more of a challenge for Facebook, a social media company, to shift into hardware. In addition to competing with Apple, they'll be going against Google (GOOG). As a result, chances of success are doubtful. But -- and this is an important distinction -- a chance does exist. That metaphysical possibility, though, is lost on the media now that they've crossed over from "Facebook is All Good" to "Facebook is Evil" mode. Fortune ran a headline: "Facebook's iPhone: The most ill-fated idea since Palm Pre?" The premise of the article was that Palm once hired an engineer away from Steve Jobs' NeXT and it didn't work out, so this won't either. That was, uh, how many years ago and, besides, it's a sample of one. Should you really be absolute in your negativity based on a sample of one?
Business Insider went a similar route, with the headline: "If Facebook Really Goes Into the Mobile Hardware Business, Investors Should Run Away Screaming." Look: hell hath no fury like a disappointed media. After the Facebook offering, they simply spun on their heels and are marching in the opposite direction. Facebook has its work cut out for them, but don't dismiss them, like the media, as a revenge reflex.
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Does this jump start mobile marketing?
From Adverblog.com New technology by Motorola for mobile ads
Motorola Inc. plans to release its new dynamic idle-screen technology-dubbed Screen3-to U.S. wireless users in time for this year's holiday season.
Motorola's Screen3 technology essentially pushes Internet information to a mobile phone's main screen. Thus, users can get news updates or the latest weather forecasts with just a glance at their phones, without having to open sluggish WAP browsers or other applications
Carriers can use it to promote new services and features without bombarding user with text or multimedia messages. The service also could link to video clips or applications instead of just WAP pages
Motorola is already looking for advertisers interested in sponsoring the content provided through Screen3.
I wonder how this will affect the easy-to-use SMS space.


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MakeMyTrip aiming 30% growth in revenues in FYâ€˜13
"We are aiming at a growth between 30-32 per cent for FY'13 on account of the initiatives for both organic and inorganic expansion," MakeMytrip Founder and CEO Deep Kalra told PTI.
The travel firm that picked up stake in three companies last year said it is on the lookout for enhancing its product offerings.
"With USD 88 million on balance sheet and with zero debt we are always looking for acquisitions. We are mainly looking for small and medium size companies," Kalra said.
In August last year, the firm along with SAIF Partners had bought 76.6 per cent stake for USD 18.5 million in Le Travenues Technology, which operates online travel search engine ixigo.
Earlier in May 2011, the company had also acquired 79 per cent equity stake in Singapore-based Luxury Tours & Travel Pte Ltd for USD 3 million.
It had also picked 29 per cent stake in Delhi-based My Guest House Accommodations (MGH) for around USD one million.
In another major initiative the company is planning to reduce its dependence on air side of business and strengthen its hotels and packages segment.
"We plan to enhance the revenues from hotels and packages to be nearly 50 per cent of the total in next four years. It is time we give more focus on non-air side of the business," he added.
The focus on hotels and packages is necessitated because of higher margins and long term defensibility of the segment, Kalra said.


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You’d think a project called Libra must be a sign of something.
This week it emerged Facebook is leading 27 global companies, tech and payment giants among them, in the creation of a cryptocurrency by that name that can be spent using WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Launching in early 2020, Libra will be anchored to existing currencies but for organisations in sport, for now, it is what the scheme says about digital behaviour and strategy that is more pertinent than its effect on money markets.
Early reaction has inevitably centred on how proper it is for a company with Facebook’s recent data security record to be involved in this. US Democratic congresswoman Maxine Waters has advanced a moratorium on Facebook developing a cryptocurrency until the American authorities have a better idea what it’s up to. Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, has said: “Anything that works in this world will become instantly systemic and will have to be subject to the highest standards of regulation.”
Ultimately, a currency like Libra will only really change things once it is actually easier to use than money. As one unnamed British official told the BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones this week: “It’s not obvious why someone here would choose to hold Libra with some exchange rate risk, when they could use pounds.”
So at this stage, there’s more than a whiff of the Disney dollar to the whole enterprise. And that may just be how Libra works in the early days of its use: part novelty, and partly a way of generating weary 90s dads with a stack of Mickey Mouse ones to burn on Goofy hats.
Because as much upside as there may be in the blockchain currency game over the decades to come, this may in the short term be more about engagement than a definitive financial play. Several of the companies involved have empire-building ambitions of their own, with Uber moving from ridesharing to other modes of transport and delivery, and Spotify expanding beyond music into podcasts and other bits of voice programming.
Bang in everyone’s eyeline, meanwhile, are the activities of Chinese payment giants WeChat and Alipay. Both have become ubiquitous in the world’s most populous country – and prominent overseas through local partnerships – by offering convenient QR code interfaces that are accessible to those without traditional bank accounts. Their massive transactional platforms are now the basis for a ‘super-app’ experience, where the payment service is the point of entry rather than exit. Within Alipay, for example, users can order takeaway food, invest spare change and buy tickets to the cinema – or, indeed, Uefa Euro 2020.
Facebook catalysed what is now known as the attention economy but, slowly, the quality of that attention is becoming materially significant. Mary Meeker’s influential annual Internet Trends Report, delivered at the Code Conference in Arizona last week, served notice of a change in priorities. For the first time, more than half the world’s population – 51 per cent – is online, but yearly growth in access has slowed to six per cent, suggesting that further expansion is dependent on major infrastructural intervention.
In other words, the digital audience that exists is the one you’ve got for now. But it is increasingly active: more than one in four American adults now say they are ‘almost constantly online’. Yet for almost the first time since the internet reached maturity, the value is not in a glance but a gaze.
The entertainment space is already being organised to reflect that. There is the Netflix ecosystem, which has accelerated television’s keep-them-watching storytelling loop and is weaving in strands like interactivity. Amazon has done much the same to enhance its ecommerce universe through music and video, adding live sport to the mix.
Then there is gaming. A huge chunk of Fortnite’s hundreds of millions of players use it as a way of sharing time and digital space. The autumn will bring the release of Dreams, one of the most ambitious world-building games ever conceived, providing the opportunity not just to play or build their own levels but to experiment with art and animation.
The Google Stadia cloud gaming project will promise a massive global network of gamers and viewers when it launches in November. Indeed, gaming’s reboot of the online social business was underscored by the acquisition of early social network flameout Bebo, now in its new incarnation building infrastructure for shared viewing, by Amazon’s streaming service Twitch.
All of this serves to further indicate how the business of sport will need to change the way it addresses fans. The old rights relationship – the one-off sale of access to a captive audience – will continue to decline in relevance over the next couple of cycles. The challenge is to create experiences that fans want to live inside of, online and offline, for longer periods of time.
That way of thinking is influencing more and more of what sports businesses do, from the specialisation of OTT platforms to the development of new playing formats. It’s a mindset that gives rise to a range of fascinating possibilities. Next week, for example, the Secret Cinema-style Wimbledon Rematch 1980 experiment in interactive theatre will allow visitors to relive the year of Borg and McEnroe’s most famous encounter. And the sharpest rights holders will be alive to the opportunities that exist in combining online experiences with real-world participation, from developing robust communities to playing a role in the digitisation of personal healthcare.
Whatever the currency, engagement will be paying the bills.


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Electric car sales in the UK could slow within the next few years due to a worldwide deficit in the lithium needed for car batteries, experts have said.
Recently carmakers including General Motors and Stellantis have ploughed money into electrification plans.
GM has pledged 30bn dollars (£21.6bn) while Stellantis has earmarked 35bn dollars (£25.2bn) in investments in the next four years.
But core to this strategy is the need to secure a long-term supply of raw materials including lithium.
As a result lithium demand could triple by 2025 to one million tonnes per year and then double again to two million tonnes per year by 2030 – the year the UK plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.
With the typical lithium mine producing 30,000 tonnes per year of the chemical, this means the market needs approximately four new mines per year to maintain pace with demand.
But experts point out it takes five to seven years to discover, develop and put a lithium mine into production.
Chris Berry, president of Washington DC-based strategic metals advisory firm House Mountain Partners, warned: ‘The dramatic pace of UK electric vehicle sales growth runs the risk of slowing without a clear pathway to additional supply of lithium and associated battery metals.’
He added: ‘On top of sales, UK auto manufacturers risk being left behind by their Chinese, US, German, and Japanese auto peers who are in a race to ensure they have their electric supply chain in place for the rest of the decade.’
The UK is one of the fastest growing EV markets in Europe with plug-in vehicles accounting for 11 per cent of the UK market.
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, battery electric vehicle sales have risen 186 per cent to 108,000 vehicles.
Mild hybrid electric vehicles are up 184 per cent and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles have increased by 91 per cent.
But there have been concerns raised in parliament that the UK’s charging infrastructure needs significant upgrades, especially for households with no off-street parking.
Last week, the Transport Committee of MPs also said charging must be fair, with public charge points significantly more expensive than tariffs for charging at home.


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Drake’s nearly-platinum selling mixtape, If You’re Reading This It’s To Late, has sold 770K since it released in February. That number should only increase, according to Hits Daily Double.
It’s been reported that physical copies of Drizzy’s surprise project will be printed and distributed to retailers on April 21. To give fans more incentive to purchase, this version will don two bonus tracks–the previously released “How About Now” and an unreleased cut called “My Side.”
In the meantime, plenty of listeners are riding around with their “woes,” unapologetically.


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Wall Street: Wednesday close
Hot dogs gave investors heartburn and tech stocks attracted nibbles as markets weaned themselves off the idea of an early interest rate cut.
Sentiment was mixed the day after Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan appeared to rule out an interest rate reduction prior to the central bank's next meeting on 20 March.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which started the day just 6% below its all-time high, slumped 107.91 points or 0.99% to 10,795.41. The Nasdaq Index, which started the day at its lowest level since 8 January, rose 63.69 points or 2.62% to 2,491.40 on interest in selected techs.
'The only thing we had to look forward to in the next few weeks was the Fed lowering interest rates, and Greenspan took that away yesterday,' said Vincent Farrell of Spears, Benzak, Salomon &
Farrell. 'You're not going to get a tech company saying “We'll beat estimates by 20%”'.
But the techs managed to sustain a rally in what some analysts saw as a technical re-bound. 'I think to a certain extent it's a bounce,' said Marc Klee, who manages the John Hancock Technology Fund. 'These stocks have been down quite a bit.'
ConAgra, which makes Armour and Hebrew National hot dogs, plunged $4.85 or 20% to $20.01 after it said rising energy prices were hurting its bottom line. Whole Foods Market, the biggest US natural food grocer, tumbled $8.94 or 16% to $47.56 as it warned that sales were tailing off.
Tech darling JDS Uniphase, the fibre-optics maker, erased an early loss to close higher by $2.75 or 7.1% to $41.25 despite a profit warning.
'It's going to take some time to work through these inventory levels,' said Robert Harrington of UBS Warburg, referring to the product overhang at many tech companies. 'These inventories have to be worked off, and that will probably be in the third or fourth quarter.'
Microsoft rose slightly to $58.37 after it was confirmed that the US Justice Department was investigating the company's $135m. investment in office software maker Corel. Reports said the Justice Department was focusing on whether the purchase gave Microsoft too big a say in office software applications.
Other tech leaders strengthened, with Intel rising $1.67 or 5.2% to $34.12, Cisco Systems recovering 87 cents or 3% to $29.18 and Oracle adding $2.44 or 10.8% to $25.
Applied Materials, which makes equipment for computer chip makers, pushed higher by $5.56 or 13.5% to $46.81 after it issued a profit warning. Analysts said the reaction was a 'buy on the news' phenomenon after Applied Materials' shares had fallen 60% in the past year.
Online auctioneer eBay, one of the few profitable internet companies, surged $2.15 or 5.8% to $50.18.
Weighing down the Dow were General Motors, down 62 cents or 1.1% to $54.46 and AT&T, off 72 cents or 3.2% to $21.76. Walt Disney gave up 35 cents or 1.1% to $31.15. Boeing was steady at $60.59 on a $4bn aircraft order from Singapore Airlines.
Goodyear rose 22 cents or 1.9% to $24.20 after it said it would cut 10,700 jobs due to shrinking demand for its products. Coldwater Creek, the direct sale retailer, plunged $15.31 or 43% to $20 on a sales warning.
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The “drone that flies itself” actually won’t be flying at all.
Back in 2015, we reported on an inspired new piece of tech that would pave the way for “follow along” drone production in the years to come. The Lily was one of the first of its kind: an ultra portable drone that follows a tracking device that you wear on your wrist. All you had to do was throw the thing in the air, and voila! It would fly according to whichever flight path you chose.
The Lily featured a camera capable of 12-megapixel stills, 1080p footage at 60 frames per second, and 720p video at 120fps with a 94-degree field of view. For action enthusiasts, its additional waterproof capabilities were just the cherry on top.
The company has stated it will use its remaining assets to get your money back.RIP, Lily Drone: $34 Million in Pre-Orders Isn’t Enough to Save It


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Alberto-Culver Co. said Thursday that second-quarter income rose almost 16%, helped by the launch of its Nexxus retail business and strong sales of TRESemme hair-care products.
Sales for the three months ended March 31 rose to $946.8 million from $884.1 million in last year's second quarter.
Analysts polled by Thomson First Call expected the Melrose Park, Ill., consumer-goods company to post earnings, on average, of 60 cents a share on sales of $943.6 million.
In early April, Alberto-Culver ended its plan to merge its Sally Beauty and beauty systems group with Regis Corp., after the latter, a hair-salon operator, issued two profit warnings in as many months. Alberto-Culver said legal and investment banking fees reduced second-quarter pre-tax earnings by $3.6 million, and earnings per share by 1 cent.
The company said the break-up fee for the scuttled Regis deal will lead it to record a third-quarter charge of 34 cents a share, or $31.3 million after tax.
Higher-margin Nexxus and TRESemme products also aided earnings, as gross margin expanded 1.6%relative to sales. Alberto-Culver added that it spent about 40% more on advertising versus the year-ago quarter, mostly to support the Nexxus launch.
Shares of Alberto-Culver were off 42 cents to $45.74 soon after the markets opened.


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On Tuesday, Chiru Labs, a leading startup behind the highly acclaimed Ethereum NFT collection Azuki, announced the release of 20,000 more NFTs. The new collection, Azuki Elementals, has generated millions and backlash in less than a week since its launch.
Chiru Labs made an extraordinary gesture to the 10,000 Azuki NFT holders during the “Follow the Bunnies” event in Las Vegas. They received an airdrop token for an exclusive Elemental.
Half of the Elementals supply was made available to the public through a Dutch auction process on Tuesday. Each NFT was priced at 2 ETH, decreasing every 5 minutes. Despite the lackluster state of the NFT market, this unique brand raised almost $40 million in less than 15 minutes.
To allow the Azuki NFT holders to get their hands on more Elementals, a special 10-minute window was opened before the auction started. Following this period, the owners of the Beanz NFTs were also given a 10-window to secure their own Elementals.
Shortly after the presale started, Azuki announced on Twitter that the entire collection had been sold out.
“There will be no public sale,” the tweet read.
Since its inception in early 2022, Azuki has become one of the most successful NIFT projects. It has surpassed $1 billion in total trading volume.
With this metric, it emerged as one of the most innovative projects that didn’t rely on the existing intellectual property of Web3. The Beanz collection, on the other hand, has generated more than $270 million in total trading activity.
The successful sale generated an impressive 20,000 ETH. After this achievement, Chiru Labs displayed the Elementals’ artwork. The company expected this artwork reveal to lead to many NFT transactions. But it did not go as planned.
The collection features the concept of the Four Domains, One Garde, referring to a mythical landscape separated by four distinct kingdoms.
These elements are linked to classical elements such as fire, earth, water and lightning. The Garden represents the Azuki community, constantly engaged in different activities.
Despite the well-thought concepts, Azuki’s price on NFT trading platform OpenSea experienced a significant decline. As of this writing, the price of the NFTs has dropped to around 1.6 ETH. The lowest point was 1.32 ETH.
Many holders have expressed their dissatisfaction with the design of the Elementals. They noted that the artwork resembles that of the original Azuki PFPs.
Although the new NFTs appear almost identical to the originals, some have minor cosmetic changes. Others noticed that the artwork has strange features. For instance, a person holding a wand appears to have no handle.
— AN°N (@ANoNakamoto) June 27, 2023
“Azuki stole their own artwork wtf,” pseudonymous trader Wizard of SoHo said.
Charlotte Fang, the co-founder of Milady Maker NFT Project, also echoed the community’s concern regarding the artwork. Fang said the Elementals’ artwork is almost identical to the original batch’s.
Due to the design similarities between the original Azuki and the Elementals, many NFT holders have reportedly sold off their Azuki NFTs. The cheapest NFT on the secondary market has dropped by around 32 percent in the last 24 hours.
I feel like they would have made it more ironic if that was the case.
— Frank III (@frankdegods) June 27, 2023
Dampening NFT market
Despite the recent recovery in the crypto market, the NFT sector still has challenges maintaining its stability. In June, the prices of NFTs reached an all-time record low. This caused industry experts to question the future direction of the NFT market.
Some prominent NFT projects that experienced significant drops were Moonbirds, Doodles and CloneX. Projects such as Cool Cats and the Gutter Cat Gang maintained their values.
The Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), on the other hand, experienced a significant decline in its floor prices. BAYC’s traded around 33 ETH last week.
The average price of BAYC is currently around $70,000, which is almost two years lower than its peak. Furthermore, June is on track to record the lowest monthly NFT volume since last year.
Despite the current market conditions, the community remains optimistic about the potential of the NFT sector. According to historical trends, new projects like Azuki tend to perform better than established ones when the market recovers.
Although several NFT projects have struggled to maintain their footing during the current market downturn, some are expected to bounce back and make a significant rebound. This would prompt individuals to make strategic moves and transform their lives.
On the other hand, if new projects experience a setback in their sales, it could lead to widespread fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) within the NFT community.
Significant developments in NFT market
While the overall sentiment is not great, the NFT market experienced notable developments in the past week. Some of these include the launch of a new token standard and an anonymous wallet that allows people to make strategic purchases.
CyberKongz revealed the launch of ERC721x, a new token standard that provides a secure layer for NFTs that can be locked in a separate wallet. This feature will be the first to be used in the upcoming Genkai collection.
It is also worth noting that the platform’s previous collection has already taken advantage of this security measure.
Due to the significant decline in the prices of BAYC NFTs, an anonymous wallet has started a shopping spree. According to NFT enthusiast Sam, well-known as NFTStatistics on Twitter, the buyer has already acquired 17 Bored Apes.
It is believed that the buyer is aware of the potential of the near two-year low prices and is hoping to protect their investment by preventing the value of the project from going down further.
Even though Fortnite did not feature in-game NFTs, a new project called Gods UnchainED has already debuted on the Epic Game Store. This NFT-based card game was initially launched on the Ethereum platform in 2018, and it migrated to the IMTUMABLE X blockchain to improve its scalability.
Mythos Chains’ NFL Rivals, a free-to-play mobile game based on the NFL, has recently reached a significant milestone.
The game’s players assemble their teams using NFL player cards. Those cards are NFTs, but many users are unaware of them. Only a small portion of the game’s users have traded these cards.
The recent developments in the NFT market have shown the industry’s continued growth and adoption, which is expected to provide exciting opportunities for collectors and creators.


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Rogers Focuses on Moving Expiring Contracts to Higher-Priced Share Everything Plans
In just a couple of months, customers will be able to walk away from the three-year agreements they signed before the new Wireless Code came into force. While analysts forecast the migration of millions, incumbents are making preparations to retain their customers, reports the Globe and Mail.
Starting June 3, Canadian wireless subscribers are free to walk away from their three-year contracts without paying early cancellation fees — although they do need to pay the remaining balance of their phones — under the new Wireless Code that came into force on December 2, 2013.
That means up to 4 million mobile subscribers will be on the market, shopping for better deals than they have right now, according to a January report signed by Scotia Capital Inc. analyst Jeff Fan. Specifically, he estimates 10% to 18% of the incumbents’ post-paid subscribers: that’s 2.2 million to 4 million.
Now is the time for players like Wind Mobile to take their best shots and lure those customers away from the incumbents. On the other hand, the Big Three are aware of what this could bring, so they have already taken steps to retain these high-value customers.
As Rogers spokeswoman Patricia Trott confirmed Tuesday, the company has been taking steps to “mitigate the effect of the double cohort.” Rogers is pushing its higher-revenue plans, so customers can expect the same approach from the other two as well.
“As part of our volume to value shift we’ve proactively focused on migrating customers whose contracts are expiring onto our higher [revenue] Share Everything plans,” she added, referencing the company’s recent change in strategy aimed at attracting higher-paying customers while accepting some subscriber losses.
In some cases, Ms. Trott said, Rogers has waived the remaining subsidy balances owing on contracts to retain high-value customers and move them to the company’s new plans.
In other words, if your contract will “expire” in June, you can expect a phone call from your carrier soon. Will you stay?


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Previous reports have indicated that Apple may be facing production delays with the iPhone 8, potentially causing the 10th-anniversary iPhone not to launch on time — but that may not be true after all.
iPhone 8 Not Delayed, Says Foxconn Source
Benjamin Geskin, who's been responsible for some tech leaks, now claims that the iPhone 8 isn't delayed and, in fact, has recently entered trial production.
The source, which Geskin claims comes directly from Zhengzhou Foxconn, says the factory currently produces 200 units each day. What's even more surprising is the fact that Geskin claims the phone's Touch ID feature is under the display during tests. This essentially means Apple might have found a way to integrate a fingerprint sensor below the screen, which Samsung reportedly failed to do with the Galaxy S8.
So it appears everything is on track, if claims from Geskin's source hold water. You might have noticed that 200 units aren't indicative of mass production, and that's because it's only a trial production, which is often performed to check if there are defects with the units.
Reports about Apple's release pattern for this year's iPhone models have been confusing so far. Some suggest it's going to face delays, some, like this new report, claim the opposite. In theory, Apple could initially produce small batches then ramp up production once September rolls right around the corner. Some analysts believe iPhone 8 supply could be constrained all the way into 2018.
iPhone 8 Rumors
Despite the iPhone 8's rumored release date still a few months away, practically everything about the device has already leaked in some form or another. Of course, these are nothing more than mere leaks and speculation, but as it's always been in the tech world, something is bound to get it right.
The iPhone is believed to have a bezel-less OLED display — the first time for an iPhone in its entire lifespan. Apple will allegedly remove the home button, relocating the Touch ID feature to a fingerprint scanner beneath the screen. This rumor is highly contentious — some say Apple hasn't perfected the tech yet, while some do believe that home button will be replaced by a facial recognition camera.
Rumors say the iPhone 8 will launch alongside iterative versions of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, continuing the "s" lineup. Some say the iPhone 8 will cost at least $1,000.


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Apple (AAPL 0.23%) isn't taking any chances when it comes to its ongoing recovery in China, its second-largest market. The company has taken the unusual step of offering steep discounts on its current iPhone models in the Middle Kingdom ahead of a major online shopping event -- the 6.18 Festival.
Each of the latest flagship iPhone models, including the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, have all been discounted by about 15% on Apple's official store on the Alibaba Group's (BABA 0.14%) Tmall e-commerce platform. The lower-priced model, Apple's iPhone SE, is priced down about 6%.
The discounts offered on Apple devices are even more aggressive on Alibaba's e-commerce rival JD.com's (JD 1.97%) site. Various configurations and models of the Apple 11 are discounted between 20% and 28%, while the price of the SE is currently down about 7.5%. Much like Amazon.com's Prime Day sale, JD.com has sale prices that vary from day-to-day, so these discounts could conceivably change.
The 6.18 Festival is a midyear e-commerce shopping event in China, and while the name implies a single day of savings, it's actually an 18 day event leading up to the company's anniversary celebration on June 18. Many of China's online retailers have jumped on the bandwagon with their own 6.18 sales, with some offering discounts for as long four weeks.
Apple also cut iPhone prices in early April, discounting the price by about 6% after China reduced its value-added tax.
iPhone sales have been hit hard in recent months, but that was especially true in China. Sales of the flagship device fell about 7.5% in the fiscal second quarter as consumers reigned in spending as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic.


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Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson has received Michigan Licensing Board preliminary approval to start a medical marijuana business in suburban Detroit. Johnson is planning a medical marijuana dispensary, a grow operation and processing facility in Webberville, operating under the name of Michigan Community Collective.
Johnson, however, is not the first former athlete to jump into the cannabis business. Far from it. Here is a sampling of other athletes who have entered the medical marijuana business in recent years:
Joe Montana, Hall of Fame quarterback: Montana announced last month that his venture capital firm was involved in a $75 million investment in Caliva, a California marijuana company with a farm, retail store, distribution center and delivery service. The company also distributes its branded production in other retail outlets around California.
Ricky Williams, former NFL running back: A longtime pot advocate, Williams announced a cannabis wellness brand in 2018. He has also been a promoter for the Gridiron Cannabis Coalition.
John Salley, former NBA player: In addition to working as a vegan activist, the four-time NBA champion Salley is a marijuana entrepreneur. He opened his own cannibis brand, Deuces22, (after his NBA number) and has an ownership position in the cannabis test Company GreenSpace Lab.
Al Harrington, former NBA player: In a 2018 GQ story, the former NBA journeyman said he wanted to be the NBA’s first pot mogul. He started Harrington Wellness, purveyor of vapes, viola extracts and CBD products, made from the non-psychoactive part of the plant.
Lamar Odom, former NBA player: Odom announced in April 2018 that he was investing in Rich Soil Organics, a company that offered various cannabis-related products, including flowers, concentrates and extracts.
Floyd Landis, pro cyclist: In 2016, he opened a marijuana company in Colorado. In 2018, Landis said his cannabis business, called Floyd’s of Leadville, would sponsor a new UCI Continental Cycling team. Landis won the 2006 Tour de France but was disqualified for doping.
Ross Rebagliati, 1998 Canadian Olympic snowboarding gold medalist: Founder of Ross’ Gold, a Canadian medical marijuana company. In 1998, Rebagliati was disqualified when a blood test came back positive for marijuana. His medal was reinstated because marijuana wasn’t on the official list of banned substances at the Olympics.
Riley Cote, former NHL tough guy: Cote, who had 65 NHL fights, helped form Athletes for Care, a non-profit group advocating improved lives for athletes through alternative medicine. He is a spokesman for this group and owns a cannabis business, according to a 2018 Toronto Globe and Mail article.
Contributing: Kathleen Gray, Detroit Free Press


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Multinational company, Unilever has fired a massive number of staff in Nigeria after donating the sum of 100 million euros to help fight the dreadful global Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
It was gathered that Unilever is one of the world’s leading consumer goods companies, also fired a number of brand ambassadors in the country.
The dismissal is expected to take effect from June, barring any last minute intervention.
“Why should our dismissal be now, of all time! We have spent all we have during this pandemic and we were not expecting something like this.
“Good people of Nigeria, help us beg Unilever to at least give us till the end of the year to be able to save something before asking us to go. Please don’t do this to us,” one of those affected said.
According to a source who refused to be named, over 400 staff and brand ambassadors of the company are affected.
The staff and brand ambassadors of Unilever Nigerian Plc affected had already been notified, the source revealed to TheNewsGuru.
While reasons for the retrenchment are yet to be known, efforts to reach Oluwasoromidayo George, Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainable Business, Ghana and Nigeria at Unilever proved abortive at the time of filing this report.
Also, the Unilever Ghana and Nigeria Corporate Communications department refused comments.
Recall, however, that in April, Unilever Nigeria Plc announced Q1 results of its operations. Key extracts of the three-month report for the period ended March 31, 2020.
In the period, the company saw a 30 percent drop in revenues, reflecting a tough start to the year for the consumer goods giant.
The firm’s turnover dropped from N19.24 billion in first quarter 2019 to N13.33 billion in first quarter 2020.
Gross profit declined from N3.87 billion to N3.43 billion. Operating profit slumped to N453.45 million in first quarter 2020 compared with N1.32 billion in first quarter 2019.
Profit before tax dropped by 53 per cent to N948.47 million in 2020 as against N2.03 billion in 2019.
With tax gains, net profit after tax increased to N1.11 billion in first quarter 2020, but still below N1.52 billion recorded in comparable period of 2019.
Earnings per share stood at 19 kobo by March 2020 as against 26 kobo posted by March 2019.
Unilever Nigeria had witnessed a general decline in performance in 2019 as the company struggled with sluggish market and declining margins.
The audited report for the year ended December 31, 2019 had shown that turnover dropped from N92.89 billion in 2018 to N60.5 billion in 2019.
The company recorded a loss after tax of N7.42 billion in 2019 as against net profit of N10.55 billion in 2018.
However the bad outlook, Unilever was not deterred from going ahead to make massive contributions to the global response against COVID-19, at the detriment of its employees.
During the quarter, Unilever introduced a wide-ranging set of measures to the tune of 100 million euros to support global and national efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also, the firm made available the sum of 500 million euros of cash flow relief for it’s suppliers and retail customers, to retain market relevance while the fate of employees is left hanging.
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At last! Those of you still wanting to pummel one another in a TV dimension will be excited to hear that Persona 4 Arena is finally heading to Europe. The game will release on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on May 10th.
Publishers Zen United and PQube will be launching a limited edition pre-order pack with the game, which will include the Official Arranged Soundtrack, exclusive artwork and a 'Digital Fan Pack'. If you want it though, you're going to have to pre-order - the company has stressed that it will not be offering the Limited Edition beyond Day One.
The game's been out in Japan and the US for nearly a year now! Check out the E3 2012 trailer below to see exactly what you'll be getting yourself in for come May.


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Atlanta online financial services provider Kabbage Inc. plans to open an office in San Francisco and named a chief marketing officer.
Kabbage said the new office in San Francisco will help it focus on key partners, build a world-class marketing function and establish a Bay Area presence.
As part of its marketing push, it hired Victoria Treyger as CMO. Treyger recently was CMO of RingCentral, a cloud business phone systems company based in San Mateo,Calif. Prior, she was CMO of Travelocity North America.
Kabbage uses analytics and transaction data to measure risk and make cash advances to online sellers. Kabbage’s customers sell products on eBay, Amazon and Yahoo!, and operate independent online stores. It recently was named one of the top innovative technology companies in Georgia by the Technology Association of Georgia.


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While with the recent release of Kinect, we would think game console manufacturers would get rid of the game controller, but it seems to be around at least for the next generation. They probably will just morph to a more capable devices with touch screen.
This morning, rumor from the Nihon Keizai Shinbun publication indicates the Nintendo Wii successor will have a 6” touchscreen and a camera. The company is expected to unveil the new game console sometime in 2012. Based on its track record related to Nintendo previous rumor DSi, DSi XL and 3DS, industry suggests that the rumor is plausible. It would be cool if the next Wii controller could also be acting as a 3DS depending on whether you are in front of your living room TV or on the go.
In the other hand, GoRumors reports that according to a patent recently filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Sony is working on a universal game controller that could be used with competitor consoles from Microsoft and Nintendo. This universal controller will also have a touchscreen that can display the button layout according to the console it is paired to.
The challenge for the future “touchy” controllers would be how to produce the much needed tactile feels for game play.


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By adaptive - October 24th, 2012
Hi all, Hope everyone is well? Plenty of activity across the social web this week… Are fans engaging with your brand? [Y]our company may be happy with the number of Facebook fans its has,...
Hope everyone is well?
Plenty of activity across the social web this week…
Are fans engaging with your brand?
Your company may be happy with the number of Facebook fans its has, but ask yourself if all of these consumers are really engaging with your brand at even the most basic level. A new study from Napkin Labs shows that on average only 6% of a business’ Facebook fans will actual use comments, likes and polls on the brand’s pages. What is clear is that more likes does not correlate to more engagement. In face the opposite is often true.
What is interesting is the what the report called calls ‘super fans’ has been identified and defined as an individual that does engage with a brand and is actually equal to 75 average fans. Cultivating these super fans is clearly a way to expand your corporation’s brand advocacy.
“Every business has to measure what they do and make sure that it is effective. Likes can be part of that measurement, but we need to start looking beyond that a bit, and start looking in more depth at what fans are actually doing,” Riley Gibson, the co-founder and CEO of Napkin Labs, told Mashable.
Segmenting your customer base
A new infographic from Get Satisfaction reveals the conclusions from a study conducted by the Incyte Group that identifies the key groups of consumers your business should be targeting with its social media activity. Gaining more insight into who is using social media is a key marketing component of every business. This infographic not only gives details of which consumers are in each group, but why they are important to your corporation. Marketers have known for decades that segmenting their customers gives their campaigns a much better focus and of course a chance of reaching the potential consumers with their marketing messages. Social media can deliver even more detailed insights into your corporation's customers, which should today be a core component of every marketing campaign.
Corporations still don’t know what their social media strategy is
It’s a startling statistic, but 22% of businesses admit that they have not social media strategy. A new report from Grayling PULSE shows that one in five of respondents have no integrated social media policy across their businesses. CEOs also continue to ignore social media with only 23% personally using social media.
Says Victor Benady Managing Director, Digital: “Social media isn't just about setting-up consumer facing Facebook pages. It has profound implications for businesses today, from the very heart of an organisation and how it engages with its employees, all the way out to the multiple and complex ecosystems inhabited by its advocates and detractors alike, and the lines between all those audiences are so blurred so as to no longer perceivably exist. Managing reputation in today's World not only requires a deep understanding of what is going on out there but also a holistic approach that is deeply engrained in the company's DNA and not just in its communication function."
As part of their Social Image Sharing and Online Shopping Series Bizrate have looked closely at the levels of conversions within Facebook and Pinterest. The research indicates that 69% of online consumers who visit Pinterest have found an item they’ve purchased or wanted to purchase as compared to only 40% of online consumers who visit Facebook. Additionally, significantly more online consumers agree that Pinterest is a place to “get inspiration on what to buy,” “help keep track of or collect things I like,” and “to keep up with the latest trends on things that I like.”
The trinity of SOcial, LOcal, and Mobile (SoLoMo) is increasingly making itself felt across the social media landscape. An infographic from Monetate delves into this phenomenon and extracts vital information and insight that all corporations should be paying attention to. The low level of conversions from mobile devices is still very small, but localised search is on the up as consumers look for local goods and services to purchase. The phenomenon of showrooming is rife, but canny businesses can lever this behaviour to their advantage if they understand how the individual components of SoLoMo fit together.
Since its launch, Instagram has moved past the 100 million users mark and is now being used creatively by brands even though the platform has no official advertising services. The guys over at Simply Zesty have put together a blog post that picks out five of the best creative campaigns that have recently run on Instagram.
As part of the marketing juggernaut that is supporting Skyfall, the latest outing for James Bond, Coke Zero has a campaign that wants to ‘unlock the 007 in you’. Last month’s vital ad featured the Bond theme. This month anyone buying a Coke Zero from a vending machine at Antwerp Station will become James Bond for 70 seconds. After entering their name to win free tickets to see the film, they then have the allotted time to dash across the station avoiding several obstacles.
Until next time….
The Useful Social Media team.


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Euan Sutherland has taken on the role of chief executive at the specialist service provider for people over 50, Saga group.
The former Superdry and Kingfisher chief executive will take on his new role in the new year with effect from January 6.
Saga group’s current chief executive Lance Batchelor is retiring and will continue as a statutory director until he leaves on January 31, 2020.
Sutherland was most recently chief executive of Superdry for five years but quit his role in April after founder Julian Dunkerton made a dramatic return.
The ex- Superdry boss has also held chief executive positions at Kingfisher and the Co-op group.
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A new battery technology could put an end to smartphones charging on bedside tables every night – by charging the gizmos from empty to full in just 30 seconds.
The new batteries are made of artificial molecules made using nanotechnology (manipulating matter on a tiny, molecular scale).
Maker StoreDot claims the batteries work like a ‘super-dense sponge’ which soaks up power.
The Tel Aviv company is backed by Roman Abramovich, and already has a working prototype which can absorb a full day’s power in half a minute.
The current prototype is too bulky for a mobile phone, but the company says it could have a working, slim battery on the market by 2016.
‘These are new materials, they have never been developed before,’ said Doron Myersdorf, the founder and chief executive of StoreDot.
‘Fast-charge’ phones would cost around £65 more than current models, Myersdorf says.


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Christie’s Online Summer Jewelry Auction Totals $5.1M
The star of the sale, a 24-carat heart-shaped diamond, went for $2 million.
The online-only auction was held from Aug. 4-18, selling 94 percent by lot and attracting bids from buyers in 28 countries, 16 percent of which were first-time registrants.
Leading the way was a 24.45-carat D-color, internally flawless, Type IIa heart-shaped diamond pendant that garnered $2 million, the second-highest price paid for a jewel sold in an online auction at Christie’s.
The diamond had a pre-sale estimate of $1.6 million-$2.6 million.
Last year, a 28.86-carat D-color, emerald-cut, VVS1 Type IIa diamond garnered $2.1 million in another Christie’s online auction.
“The Summer Sunrise” was the sale’s second highest-grossing lot.
The 9.83-carat, VS1 fancy vivid orange-yellow diamond ring sold for $810,000, followed by a 10.08-carat emerald-cut diamond ring with tapered baguette-cut diamond accents in platinum and white gold that went for $325,000.
At No. 4 was a pair of earrings set with pear brilliant-cut diamonds weighing 5.05 carats and 5.01 carats in platinum that sold for $250,000.
Rounding out the top five was the 6.29-carat oval diamond, triangular-cut diamond, and platinum ring seen below, which sold for $237,500.
Christie’s online jewelry auction also featured a range of fancy color diamonds in various settings, including a fancy orangey-pink diamond ring that sold for $43,750 and a fancy intense pink diamond ring that realized $40,000.
To see the full results of the online-only auction, visit Christies.com.
It will be for all companies that deal in lab-grown materials.
Take a tour of Italian designers at COUTURE 2021.
The licensed collection features jewelry inspired by all 32 NFL teams.
PGI created the program to accelerate the growth of the platinum jewelry market in the U.S.
Health care coverage is a big expense for small businesses - find out how to lower costs long-term instead of every 12 months.


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O2 is returning to the negotiating table after over 1,000 workers voted against the operator’s 2% pay offer.
The operator has agreed to resume pay talks with the Communication Workers Union (CWU) after a consultative ballot saw O2's 2% pay offer rejected by a 9-1 vote of 36% of
O2 union members.
The two sides are expected to meet this week
to try and hammer out a deal.
The union is demanding a pay increase above the rate of inflation for staff in O2's retail, engineeering and technical divisions. Tthe rate of inflation is currently running at 4.4%.
The CWU is also calling on O2 to
introduce Pay Progression for retail staff.
O2 dismissed the consultative ballot results as
unrepresentative but confirmed it will resume the talks which have been
dragging on since the start of the year.
An O2 spokeswoman said: ‘Of all CWU members eligible
to vote, 36% chose to do so and 90% of them voted ‘no’. This is
equivalent to 1,100 people, around 15% of the total number affected by this pay
dispute. We’re naturally disappointed these people have rejected our offer
as we believe it is fair and reasonable, and we’ll continue to work with the
CWU to reach an agreement.’
A CWU spokeswoman said: ‘Clearly the ballot has made
O2 think again. We are hoping for an improved offer on pay and pay progression.
The offer of 2% is totally unacceptable, particularly with the company
delivering such healthy profit margins. Staff contribution to the company’s
success must be recognised. O2 is in no position to plead poverty.’
The CWU dismissed O2's view that the ballot was unrepresentative. A spokeswoman said: 'Turn out varies. This was a consultative ballot but turn out is always higher for a strike ballot.'


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Nike will be continuing the LeBron Watch series with the Nike LeBron 17, which will include an upcoming “Infrared” colorway.
This iteration of the Nike LeBron 17 is heavily inspired by the classic “Black Infrared” Air Jordan 6. It features a Black and Red Knitposite upper with a Red “Dunkman” lace lock and “LeBron” written in the familiar Nike Flight font logo.
Nike LeBron 17 Infrared Release Date
Look for the Nike LeBorn 17 “Infrared” to release on January 8th at select retailers and Nike.com. The retail price tag is set at $200 USD.
Color: Black/White-University Red
Style Code: BQ3177-006
Release Date: January 8, 2020
UPDATE: Nike releases official photos of the “Infrared” LeBron 17 that releases on January 8th for $200 USD.
Photos: retro_boomin_6 / jesuscare


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T-Mobile has acknowledged internally that Apple’s iPhone offers a “poor customer experience” on its network, but the nation’s No.4 carrier is working as quickly as it can to change that. The company announced this past February that it will be performing upgrades to its network that bring faster data speeds to users who purchase an iPhone on their own and unlock it for use on T-Mobile, and on Tuesday the carrier said the work will be performed ahead of schedule.
Apple has tested an iPhone compatible with T-Mobile’s network, as BGR exclusively revealed more than a year ago, but such a device has yet to launch for reasons unknown. T-Mobile executives have stated publicly on a number of occasions that not carrying the iPhone is having a huge negative impact on the carrier’s performance. But Apple is preparing to launch its sixth iPhone handset later this year, and there are still no signs that the phone is set to be released by T-Mobile.
Because the carrier has not managed to work out a deal with Apple, it is making moves on its own to accommodate iPhone fans. By the end of 2012, T-Mobile will have launched HSPA+ “4G” service on the 1900MHz band in “a large number of markets.” By no coincidence, Apple’s iPhone is compatible with HSPA+ on the 1900MHz band.
“As part of the company’s network modernization effort, T-Mobile also plans to launch 4G HSPA+ service in the 1900 MHz band in a large number of markets by the end of the year,” T-Mobile stated in a press release on Tuesday. “Network modernization trials have shown up to a 33 percent increase in HSPA+ data speeds as well as improved in-building coverage. Rolling out 4G HSPA+ services in the 1900 MHz band will also provide customers with the ability to use a broader range of devices, including the iPhone, on T-Mobile’s 4G network.”
T-Mobile will not be able to compete with AT&T, Verizon Wireless or Sprint on price, of course. Because the company has not managed to secure a deal with Apple, it will not sell subsidized iPhone handsets directly to its customers. Instead, they will have to purchase used or factory unlocked handsets for use on T-Mobile’s network, or close their accounts with other carriers, unlock their iPhones and open a new account with T-Mobile. While this is less than ideal and a number of subscribers will be put off by the hassel and expense, it won’t stop everyone — T-Mobile noted last summer that its network was home to more than 1 million iPhones at that time.
Apple’s next iPhone is expected to be a complete redesign that will launch this coming fall, and it is also expected to be compatible with 4G LTE networks in the United States. Even if T-Mobile can’t secure a contract with Apple to offer the iPhone directly, its HSPA+ network enhancements this year and LTE roll-out next year will make using the new iPhone on its network as good an experience as possible for millions of its subscribers.


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Mitsubishi Electric Corporation will bring to the North American market large-capacity power conditioners for industrial photovoltaic power generation systems
Mitsubishi Electric will be the first Japanese manufacturer of this field to launch into the North American market. The company plans to release 100 kW-type power conditioners in October 2010 and 250 kW-type in April 2011. A 100 kW-type prototype will be on display at the Solar Power International 2009, an exhibition to be held from October 27 in Anaheim in the U.S. state of California.
Mitsubishi Electric has been marketing in the U.S. since 2004 with the main focus on its solar cell modules. In response to recent growing demand for power conditioners, the company came to the latest decision to also sell power conditioner units in the U.S. Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics USA, which has been in charge of module sales in the U.S., will undertake the entire process including the sales of large-capacity power conditioners, proposals for sales with modules as a set and after-sales services. Mitsubishi Electric aims at selling 50 MW-equivalent of power conditioner units by 2012 in the U.S. and Japanese markets combined.


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SAN FRANCISCO--While an interview with Neil Young has been my big highlight of JavaOne, I also managed to hook up with Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz for a video interview. We talked about Project Hydrazine, a new cloud computing initiative with services similar to what Google and Amazon.com offer. We also discussed JavaFX, Sun's competitor to Adobe AIR and Microsoft Silverlight, and Project Insight, which is designed to gather instrumented user action data via JavaFX and provide it to developers.
Editor's note: News.com's Dan Farber reported Young's keynote speech and a follow-up Q&A live from JavaOne.
SAN FRANCISCO--At JavaOne here, Neil Young showed off his multimedia project that chronicles his music career and uses Java to do so.
Young said he tried to do the project on DVD, but users couldn't watch the high-resolution video and listen to the music at the same time. With Java and Blu-ray, the content can be updated and offer the best viewing and listening experience, as well as great navigation and design. "Storage is the only … Read more
SAN FRANCISCO--Following a flurry of T-shirts catapulted by Java creator James Gosling and a hot dance troop performance, 75 hours of JavaOne got under way here this week. Sun Microsystems' software chief, Rich Green, took the stage to talk about consumers, people he sees as driving change.
"Information is crossing the moat, escaping the castle," he said. "The private information network is gone." Enterprises have to recognize that the enterprise moat barriers are coming down, he added, with consumers driving innovation.
The Rolling Stones were wrong. Sometimes you can get satisfaction. These four companies, presented at Under the Radar, offer Web apps for users to get, ask for, and give feedback better.
FeedbackFX puts a spin on the usual way people provide feedback to businesses--usually via e-mail, online or paper forms, or in-person focus groups. The screen shots in the demo show FeedbackFX as a slick media player, and gives users a lot more wiggle room to review multimedia content like video and designs directly on the media itself, in the exact location under review. This saves time writing up detailed … Read more
In an age of downsizing and crossing over, Infiniti is bucking trend with the launch of the FX50 SUV here at the Geneva auto show. The second-generation FX gets a complete exterior redesign to look a whole lot more menacing than the current FX range, especially at the front end, where its new headlight and grille arrangement gives it the impression of wanting to eat other road users alive. And eat them alive it just might do, as the updated model comes with a monstrous 5-liter V-8, which Infiniti says is capable of more than 380 horsepower. (A V-6 version … Read more
Driving around the streets of London and Geneva over the last couple of days, I have noticed a conspicuous absence of Infiniti and Acura models. The premium brands of (respectively) Nissan and Honda are virtually unknown in Western European countries, where they are currently unavailable. This is about to change, however, as Nissan prepares to use this week's Geneva auto show to launch the first Infiniti models for the European market. According to the Financial Times, Infiniti has "Europeanised" its lineup (smaller engines, diesel options), and will launch with four models, including a brand-new FX crossover SUV, … Read more
Dell updated its XPS line of laptops earlier this month with Penryn CPU offerings, and now it's sharing Intel's latest mobile processors with its wholly owned subsidiary, Alienware. The Area-51 m15x now offers three Penryn chips, the Core 2 Duo T9300 and the T9500 and the Core 2 Extreme X9000. Pricing starts at $2,149. If you're scoring at home, Dell's 13-inch and 17-inch XPS laptops have received a Penryn update, skipping over the XPS M1530. Meanwhile, Alienware's 15-inch laptop has the Penryn and its 17-inch model does not.
Elsewhere, Gateway has made its first … Read more
The graphics processing unit (GPU) is in, the central processing unit (CPU) is out. That was one of the main themes running through the Nvidia fourth-quarter conference call earlier this week. Nvidia is the largest graphics chip supplier.
During the call on Wednesday, Jen-Hsun Huang, President and CEO of Nvidia, repeated one thing often: GPUs are playing more of a central role in PCs, CPUs less so. "The CPU has become fast enough for the vast majority of (PC) users," he said. "PC enthusiasts, gamers, and design professionals have know this for some time." The GPU … Read more
Burning paper models for the dead is a religious tradition practiced by some Chinese. These can include houses, cars, and even Rolex watches. The belief is that the departed will receive them in the afterworld, making their lives (or rather, afterlives) more bearable. But what if the dead person is a geek who never fancied flashy cars or gold-plated timepieces? You burn him an Xbox 360, of course.
The U.S. District Court of Massachusetts has granted iRobot its requested injunction against Robotic FX's Negotiator robot.
iRobot has alleged that the Negotiator robot built by Robotic FX infringes on two of its patents for the PackBot military robot.
iRobot is also suing Robotic FX's president, Jameel Ahed, as an individual. The company has accused the former iRobot employee of misappropriating confidential PackBot information he had access to while working at iRobot and using it in his company's Negotiator robot.
"The precise terms of the injunction follow in a separate Order, which shall be issued … Read more


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Upcycled fashion, reinvented: The future of sustainable fashion
Forget repurposed deadstock and patchwork denim — a new generation of designers is taking sustainable fashion to dizzying new heights.
by Grace O’Neill
IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, the term ‘upcycling’ has exploded into the fashion lexicon, an easy shorthand for designers wanting to signal their support for the sustainable fashion movement. Some attempts feel transparently cynical — a patchwork pocket made with fabric from a past collection is hardly likely to halt an impending climate crisis — while others have been radical and inspiring.
For her first in-person runway collection at Chloè, presented on a sunny Parisian afternoon on the banks of the Seine, the uncompromising sustainability advocate Gabriela Hearst put reworked materials front and centre.
Crocheted dresses and leather harnesses were handcrafted using strips of unused leathers from past seasons; the pastel sandals were made using material from Ocean Sole, a Kenyan non-profit that turns thongs discarded in the ocean into workable plastics; a bounty of leftover silk ribbons were fashioned into a multicolour, hand-macraméd dress.
Soon after, Chloè became the first luxury fashion house to receive B Corp certification, which recognises businesses that are committed to stringent social and environmental practices.
For Hearst and an increasing number of designers, the future of ethically produced fashion is inextricably linked to innovations in upcycling; the answer to reducing fashion’s notorious waste problem lies in cutting down the need for ‘new’ materials. And for most of them, reworking a few old pieces from last season’s deadstock simply won’t cut it anymore.
“The traditional idea of upcycling — cutting up old garments and stitching them back together in a new way — is something I personally find quite boring now,” says the Swedish designer Elin Meijer, whose graduate collection at the Swedish School of Textiles caused a flurry of Instagram hype when it was unveiled in June.
The TRADITIONAL idea of UPCYCLING – CUTTING UP OLD GARMENTS and STITCHING them BACK TOGETHER in a NEW WAY – is something I personally find QUITE BORING NOW
Meijer’s range centred on the idea of reworking household goods into opulent partywear (can you tell she designed it during lockdown?). She transformed an old breadbasket into a beaded corset and miniskirt set, stitched dozens of pieces of discarded lace into figure-hugging dresses held together with safety pins, and turned a disused chandelier into a ’20s-style flapper dress.
Her pièce de résistance was a beaded minidress, made with thousands of brightly coloured plastic children’s beads sourced from charity shops around Sweden. Meijer spent weeks beading the dress by hand; it ended up weighing five kilograms.
“When the pandemic hit, I was forced to get more creative with different types of materials,” she says. “I was working from home and started to experiment with everyday items like bread baskets, cleaning equipment and some old Christmas decorations I found lying around. Sustainability is important to me, but I also felt like these pieces had great aesthetic potential, and the challenge of turning them into something beautiful ended up being really fun.”
SUSTAINABILITY is IMPORTANT TO ME, but I also felt like these PIECES had GREAT AESTHETIC POTENTIAL
Melbourne-based siblings Olivia and Anna Nicholas employ a similar mix of ethics and experimentation in their accessories label, Actually Existing. “Our original vision was to look at existing objects and reimagine them,” they tell Harper’s BAZAAR. “Why not use what we have around us rather than purchase new materials?
The fruits of their labour include baseball caps that have been taken apart and restitched into sculptural headwear, and a holdall bag made from discarded webbing. During a holiday on the south-west Victorian coast, the pair found a discarded horse feedbag washed up on the beach. They collected it — along with abandoned fishing nets — and lovingly crafted a top-zip shoulder handbag.
WHY NOT use what we HAVE AROUND US rather than PURCHASE NEW MATERIALS?
“The use of waste materials has often led us in directions we would have never otherwise ventured,” they say. “You’re forced to innovate and use traditional skills in ways you wouldn’t have originally thought possible.”
The dedication shown by Meijer and the Nicholas sisters is admirable, but it has often struck me as odd that the designers most likely to invest in the time-consuming and often expensive process of upcycling are young and independent — those who can least afford it. (Actually Existing’s shoes, which the designer Jordan Dalah used in his much-hyped Australian Fashion Week debut, take 200 separate steps to make by hand.) But it’s not entirely surprising: the DIY sensibility of reworking secondhand or pre-existing goods has decidedly unglamorous roots.
During the Second World War, British women were encouraged to “make do and mend” when textiles were in perilously short supply. Their ration books came with printouts on how to extend the life of clothes and rework existing materials, such as tablecloths or garments children had grown out of, into new pieces.
In this sense, large budgets and looming commercial demands are the antitheses of the sustainable fashion ethos. And while luxury fashion houses are lesser culprits than their fast-fashion counterparts when it comes to questions of landfill (a recent New York Times report revealed nearly three-fifths of all clothing ends up in landfill within a year of production), many brands have been perilously slow to embrace the ‘circular economy’ required to reduce fashion’s waste problem.
But change is afoot. Marine Serre, one of the most exciting names on the Parisian fashion calendar, has become a proverbial North Star for ethical luxury. For her S/S 2022 collection, she used 45 per cent recycled materials and 45 per cent regenerated materials — her most ethical output to date.
Elsewhere, you have Kezako, a collaboration between stylist Charlotte Collet and designer Henda Giarratano, which crafts lookalikes of new-season fashion looks, utilising upcycled items including aluminium cans, jelly sandals and discarded sponges. For a recent cover of the sustainability focused magazine More or Less, Kezako painted runway looks onto models’ bodies rather than dressing them in actual clothes
On the less esoteric end of the spectrum is Gucci, with its newly launched Gucci Off The Grid capsule collections in which sporty daywear and accessories are created with organic, recycled and bio-based materials. Between 2018 and 2020, the brand upped its upcycling to ensure some 27 tonnes of leather scraps were reworked into new pieces, while the brand’s chief sustainability officer called upcycling “the future” of luxury fashion during a 2019 speech at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit.
These steps may seem to be common-sense moves, but they represent a significant shift for an industry that has long worshipped at the altar of newness. The idea of reusing or reworking anything ‘old’ has often been anathema to designers, but this new generation of talent is proving that the limitations of sustainable fashion are, in fact, a breeding ground for creativity and innovation.
It’s a profound revelation that many of us stumbled upon during the past few years: the thing that will save fashion won’t be creating something new; it will be learning to appreciate what we already have.
This story appears in the December issue of Harper’s BAZAAR Australia, on newsstands now and available for subscription here.


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Dogs Can Now Get Their Own Version of Bernie Sanders' Inauguration Mittens — And They Help Pets
BARK recently released a dog toy version of the Vermont senator's infamous accessory. The Bernie's Paw Warmers are now available on Barkshop.com for $10.
Like Sanders' real mittens, which were gifted to the politician by teacher Jen Ellis in 2016, BARK's version features a brown patterned fabric. Unlike Sanders' hand covers, the dog toy mittens come with two squeakers and fun-to-chew rope.
"Perfect for running errands between major public events, and even better for squeaking, these wooly mittens will have you warmed up and memed in no time. Pairs best with a parka, folding chair, and unwavering generosity," BARK wrote in their description for the product.
Perhaps the best part about this parody product for pooches is that the toy gives back to pets in need. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of BARK's Bernie's Paw Warmers go to Vermont's PAWSitive Pantry. The nonprofit provides a safety net for pet-owning families that have fallen on hard times by stocking food pantry shelves across Vermont with free meals for dogs and cats. PAWSitive Pantry has donated over 400,000 pounds so far.
This is the latest charitable effort inspired by Sanders' inauguration mittens. In January, Sanders and his wife Jane Sanders raised over $1.8 million for Vermont charities in just one week by donating the profits made from merchandise featuring the now-iconic photo of the bundled up senator sitting at Biden's inauguration with his legs and mittened arms crossed.


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Sacramento Investigators Search for Suspect who Planted Camera in Store’s Bathrooms
SACRAMENTO -- Sacramento detectives are searching for a man suspected of putting a hidden camera in a local store's bathrooms. Last October, an employee at a North Sacramento retail store, located south of Interstate 80, discovered a small camera positioned under a sink in the bathroom. It was pointed at a urinal and toilet.
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The cereal promotion begins this month when boxes featuring Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez and Diamond Bar’s Alex Morgan go on sale at um, your favorite Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles outlet.
Here’s more, from the press release:
Since January, Pebbles fans of all ages have been asked to choose their allegiance to Team Fruity or Team Cocoa. Online, fans can share their support for their favorite Pebbles flavor by visiting www.TeamPebbles.com and downloading an interactive app encouraging fans to vote, take photos, and play minigames. By completing simple online challenges and sharing them through Instagram using their team’s hashtag (#TeamFruity or #TeamCocoa), fans become eligible to win prizes such as gift cards, iPads, or Alex Morgan and Omar Gonzalez signed merchandise.
Fun fact, for what it’s worth, from the press release: Omar’s Fruity Pebbles boxes will feature limited edition Kickin’ KaBluey Green flakes.
“Joining Team Fruity is a dream come true for a flavor-seeking fanatic like me,” Gonzalez is quoted as saying, apparently with a straight face. “I’m prepared to go head-to-head with Alex and Team Cocoa with the hope of helping Team Fruity take the lead as the most well-liked Pebbles flavor – even if it means going into extra time!”


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Hudson City Bancorp in Paramus, N.J., has sold $112.1 million in delinquent, FHA-backed mortgages.
The $38 billion-asset company said in a press release late Thursday that an unnamed financial institution exercised a repurchase right for the pool of loans. Hudson City received the entire unpaid balance of the loans, plus unpaid interest, though a purchase price was not disclosed.
Hudson City expects to charge $2.9 million to its loan-loss reserve to cover its writeoff of the loans. The company also said its loan-loss provision may decline, due to a “small release of our loan-loss reserves, assuming we experience no other changes to credit quality during the quarter.”
The announcement comes ahead of the companys third-quarter earnings release. It also comes amid uncertainty surrounding its August 2012 agreement to sell itself to the $90 billion-asset MT in Buffalo, N.Y. The deal has been delayed since regulators pushed MT to tighten its anti-money-laundering controls.


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Lego introduced Jaguar toy modelsOctober 7, 2019
The Lego company, which is widely known throughout the world for its designers, announced that from January 1 of next year a new set of the Lego Speed Champions series will be available for sale. Nothing about the prices of the new product is yet unknown.
We all love Lego car kits, as love for cars starts at a very young age. I remember starting to assemble my own car when I was eight years old, and from different sets of Lego designers and the resulting car it was not very similar to the real one) But I was pleased with my work, because I built the car myself!
Now everything is completely different. Those who would like to build a car using the Lego kit can buy ready-made kits with parts and detailed assembly instructions. Year after year, these Lego sets are becoming more realistic, similar to real cars.
Not so long ago, Lego announced an addition to its Speed Champions series – the designer received the rather long designation Lego Speed Champions Jaguar I-Pace & Formula E Race Car. According to company representatives, the new kit was created in partnership with the Panasonic Jaguar Racing racing team.
- Isuzu has officially unveiled the new crossover Mu-X
- Mercedes SL 2022 spotted on tests in Germany
- Dutch flying car PAL-V allowed on the roads
- “Charged” Jaguar F-Pace SVR prepares for restyling
- Prices for Toyota’s new Mirai hydrogen sedan announced


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Here’s the latest from VesselsValue:
Time charter rates
The Container market has seen an unprecedented increase in rates since the end of 2020. Container 1 year TC rates have surged to extraordinarily new highs with 8,500 TEU values rising to a record 54,000 USD/day for April. This is an increase of 350% since June 2020.
Throughout 2020 the market fell significantly from impacts due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There was a significant decrease in demand as the uncertain circumstances surrounding the beginning of a global pandemic hit the consumer market hard.
Towards the end of 2020 trade started to rebound and since the beginning of 2021 a firm recovery has taken place. A combination of widespread logistical disruption amplified the positive impacts on the markets. A shortage of box availability in Asia had a particularly strong effect and an increase in port congestion has all led to a significant firming in rates.
Alongside the increasing rates in the Container sector, we have seen a significant increase in average laden speeds travelled. In this current situation with rapidly increasing rates, vessels are moving faster.
Container speeds hit a five-year low in May 2020 as a result of reduced demand due to Covid, blank sailings and port delays.
Figure 1 shows monthly average speeds since the start of 2019 for all Container vessels. Container speeds and container rates have both been following the same upward trajectory since mid-2020. Container speeds across all types have jumped 5.5% since June 2020, from 13.99 knots to 14.76 knots, with some of the larger types increasing by more…
To read the full story, please click here.


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Meet the New Voices Fund -- $100 Million for Women Entrepreneurs of Color
SheaMoisture Founder Richelieu Dennison Thursday announced the New Voices Fund -- a $100 million fund for women entrepreneurs of color -- at the 2018 Essence Festival. Dennis sold SheaMoisture to Unilever in 2017, and he said he would use the capital to create an investment fund for minority entrepreneurs, specifically women of color. Unilever and Sundial Brands contributed an initial investment of $50 million to the fund. “About six months ago, we announced that we were launching the new voices fund,” Dennis said. “I’m proud to say that we get to officially launch the $100 million New Voices Fund for women of color entrepreneurs here at Essence Festival this weekend. Over the past six months, we have already either invested in or committed to, over $30 million in black women entrepreneurs.” Women founders received less than 3% of VC dollars in 2018, and Black female founders received a paltry .02%. More here.


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Dai Nippon Printing, Japan has developed a 11.1kW high-power wireless charging sheet coil for electric vehicles. It is thinner and lighter than previous model and can be used in IH home appliances..
Tag Archives: Wireless-Charging
Logitech today announced the launch of the Logitech Zone Wireless and Logitech Zone Wireless Plus Headsets for people working in an open office environment. Leveraging Logitech Zone series of headsets delivers superior..
LG AND IDT partner on the world’s first wireless charging Extended Power Profile in a flagship smartphone
LG and IDT have partnered on the world’s first implementation of Qi wireless charging Extended Power Profile (EPP) in a flagship smartphone, the LG V30. EPP enables safe, wireless fast charging capability..
LG Innotek today announced the commercialization of world’s first 15 W wireless charging pad. The charging pad allows user to charge his smartphone as fast as using a wired charging module. The..
Samsung today unveiled Worlds first monitor with an integrated wireless charging function for mobile devices- SE370. Available in 23.6 inches and 27 inches, the SE370 monitor declutters work areas by doing away..
Scania has become the first company in Sweden to test a wirelessly charged electric-hybrid city bus. The bus will start operating on the streets of Södertälje, Sweden, in June 2016 as part..
Sumitomo Electric has developed an ultra-small, slim wireless charging module that enables to charge electronics appliances, such as wearable devices, without using power cable. The wireless charging module uses the electromagnetic inductive..
Sony today announced the launching of two beautifully designed products, Wireless Charging Cover WCR12 and Wireless Charging Plate WCH10 for Xperia Z2. These two wireless products use the latest inductive ‘Qi’ (pronounced..


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Mintel: New Senior Nutrition Appointment
Thursday, July 11th, 2019 | 1471 Views
Mintel has announced the appointment of Rick Miller in the newly created role of Associate Director of Specialist Nutrition.
He brings 15 years of sports nutrition and clinical dietetics experience. As a dietitian, Rick has considerable clinical insight from treating thousands of patients in the NHS and private medical sector, working with individual athletes and teams including the English National Ballet, the British Swimming team and World Wrestling Entertainment.
He co-led the entire sports nutrition offering for the European Olympic Games in 2015 and Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017, which featured over 10,000 athletes from more than 50 countries, as well as supported athletes preparing for the Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
During his time as a clinician, Rick started collaborating with the FMCG and sports supplementation sector as a medical liaison consultant working with brands such as Mondelez, Danone and California Almonds, supporting their new product development, regulatory affairs and scientific communication.
Based in Mintel’s London office, Rick is responsible for developing thought leadership content in specialised nutrition for Mintel Food & Drink clients by providing actionable insights on trending topics such as infant and maternal nutrition, specialised diets, sports nutrition and weight management.
Rick Miller, Associate Director of Specialist Nutrition, said:
“I’m really excited to join Mintel to help our food and drink clients make the most of the strong growth potential we expect the specialised nutrition sector to experience over the coming years. Specialist nutrition represents a dynamic category encompassing intellectual property, scientific research, consumer insights and clinical application. Harnessing these aspects provides a unique proposition for our clients.”


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SydStart founder Peter Cooper has promised this year’s iteration will be twice or even three times the size of the previous event, with up to 2000 entrepreneurs expected to attend alongside a stellar lineup of investors and speakers.
SydStart, founded by Cooper in 2009, claims it is the largest professional start-up conference in Australia. Everyone in the start-up ecosystem is invited to attend and actively participate.
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Cooper saw a need to connect the Australian start-up ecosystem and was inspired by successful events overseas such as NY Tech Meetup.
SydStart is part of an Asia-Pacific series of events called Great South By, inspired by the much larger South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.
Cooper has high hopes for this year’s event, which will be held from May 28-30. Early bird tickets, pitching slots and expo stands are available now.
“SydStart is the largest event of its kind by far and something I and you should be proud of,” Cooper wrote on Silicon Beach Australia.
“For this, our fifth event, we are really pulling out the big guns… We are trying for a triple-decker this time, literally two to three times the size of the last one in September.
“There are a bunch of world-class names coming and some exciting international announcements planned.
“We are partnering with a major player (announcing soon) so we can concentrate on the ecosystem stuff and they can concentrate on bringing international attention, media, government and customers, plus of course logistics.”
A number of well-known local speakers will take to the stage at the event, including Spreets co-founder Dean McEvoy, Google executive Alan Noble and Mathias Kopp of Sydney Angels.
Meanwhile, Niki Scevak of Blackbird Ventures will be one of the expert judges on the SydStart panel, which will hear pitches. There are already more than 100 applications to pitch at the event.
Cooper said the event is expected to attract 2000 entrepreneurs.
“The top 100 start-up companies will have an expo similar to the NY TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Alley, with a large and dedicated hall at Darling Harbour adjacent to the main auditorium,” he said.
According to Cooper, it is important for start-ups to get behind SydStart, even if they have no desire to pitch or be part of the expo.
“It is our only own homegrown national Australian event which is dedicated [to] promoting our tech entrepreneurs, and connecting them and investors nationally and globally,” he said.
“This coming year is a really, really, really important one strategically for our national start-up ecosystem as we start to hit the mainstream.
“So being hyper-connected and up to date is going to be crucial if we are to maximise the opportunities presented.”


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It’s not even a week that Xiaomi has launched the Xiaomi Redmi Pro in China. Today, a new leak suggest that Xiaomi Redmi Pro Mini is on its way, obviously with lower-specs than its elder brother Redmi Pro. The Redmi Pro Mini will come with slight difference than its big brother.
Thanks to Chinese leaker Kjuma, who has posted sketch and specs of Xiaomi Redmi Pro Mini on a Chinese website called Weibo. According to the leaks, the Redmi Pro Mini will feature 5.2-inch display while the Xiaomi Redmi Pro features 5.5-inch display. But the Redmi Pro Mini will feature the same 1080p OLED display.
The latest Redmi Pro is powered by deca-core MediaTek Helio X25 whereas the Redmi Pro Mini is expected to be powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652. Even-though they are powered by different processors, they both offer same 3GB RAM/32GB storage and 4GB RAM/64GB storage options.
The major difference between the phones is dual camera feature. The Redmi Pro Mini will have only one camera at the rear, while the Redmi Pro has dual camera setup at the rear side. The Xiaomi Redmi Pro Mini also features a fingerprint sensor on the physical home button. The Redmi Pro Mini will have 4000mAh battery pack.
The leaked specs-sheet does not give any information about the camera of Redmi Pro Mini.
Xiaomi Redmi Pro Mini price starts from CNY 1,499 (Rs. 15,050 / $225) and goes upto CNY 1,899 (Rs. 19,070 / $285) for the high-end model. If the leaks turn real, we will hear more about it and keep you updated. Stay tuned for more updates!
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