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Why the Internet refused to wait for Moana, the Disney princess of 2016
Polynesian heroine Moana won’t be in theaters until 2016, but she’s already starring in fanworks.
The dust has barely settled after the release of Disney’s most recent smash-hit, Frozen, but fans are already looking forward to their next Disney princess fix. With a release date of Nov. 23, 2016, the Polynesian fantasy musical Moana has already managed to inspire its own very lively fandom.
The animated musical will tell the story of a young Polynesian sea-voyager and navigator, Moana Waialiki, and will be directed by the creators of The Princess and the Frog, Aladdin and The Little Mermaid. It apparently includes Moana going on an epic journey and meeting demi-gods from what the Disney wiki somewhat oxymoronically describes as “real mythology.”
Not much else is known about the film, but the fact that Moana will be Disney’s first Polynesian sea-voyaging princess is enough for many people to be majorly psyched already.
Only one piece of Moana concept art has been seen online so far, but it was quickly pulled by Disney on the grounds that it wasn’t an official release.
Still, that was all fans needed to inspire their own Moana fanworks. Tumblr is already alive with people drawing their own interpretations of the Polynesian princess, from cute, ukulele-playing girly-girl to tough, muscular sailor.
The evolution of the Disney Princess brand has received a lot of attention in recent years, partly thanks to the addition of characters like Merida, the tomboyish heroine of Disney/Pixar’s Brave. The Princesses are one of the biggest media franchises aimed specifically at young girls, so many parents were glad to see more forward-thinking characters being introduced, to balance out the passivity of the more traditional princesses like Cinderella and Snow White. When Merida was given a more feminine makeover as part of her official induction into the Disney princess pantheon, there was actual public outcry for her to be returned to her original state.
With its combination of chase sequences, cute ballroom scenes and a focus on the relationship between two sisters, Frozen seemed to strike the perfect balance. Its princesses had agency and power in their own right, but still wore sparkly tiaras that 6-year-olds could then buy from the Disney store.
Of course, the relative feminism of recent Disney princess movies is not the only thing that modern viewers are concerned about. There’s also the issue of racial representation in the princess movies—or rather, the glaringly white nature of most of Disney’s animated output.
Illustration by Catena Badolato
The Disney Princesses come under a lot more scrutiny than other cartoons because they’re directly marketed to be role models for young girls. And because the last four princesses were all white, many fans and parents of young girls began to accuse Disney of failing to represent people of color.
As some critics pointed out when The Princess and the Frog was released in 2009, Tiana may have been Disney’s first black princess, but she spent much of the story as a frog, and the movie also contained some pretty unflattering racial stereotypes. Then when Frozen was announced, many fans were disappointed once again because the movie included aspects of indigenous Scandinavian culture such as Sami music and clothing, but no actual Sami characters. Online, the result was a fanart meme where people re-drew Frozen’s characters as people of color, sometimes recasting the entire movie with Inuit or Sami characters.
Following Brave and Tangled, Frozen was the third Disney Princess movie in a row to feature an all-white cast, with some fans pointing out the close visual similarities between the blonde lead characters in Frozen, and Tangled’s Rapunzel. The controversy only got worse after Frozen’s head of animation made some pretty bizarre comments about female characters being “really, really difficult” to animate because they supposedly had a wider range of emotions than men. As explanations go, it was not the best reasoning for why Disney has been producing slim, caucasian princesses with tiny noses and big eyes for the past 60 years.
It’s no surprise then, that Moana has already caught the hearts of the type of adult Disney enthusiasts who engage through fanart and discussion on sites like Tumblr and Reddit. Criticism from a small minority of online fans is unlikely to have made much of a difference to Disney’s decision when choosing new movie concepts, particularly when Frozen was such a runaway success, but the announcement of another non-white princess is a sign that they are at least aware of their current track record.
With years to go until Moana is released, some of its target audience haven’t even been born yet, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t already bringing happiness to the hearts of Disney fans. As one teenage girl wrote on her Tumblr blog:
“as a person of polynesian descent, i got extremely excited when disney’s moana was announced and didn’t really know why and then i realised THIS is what representation feels like.”
Update 10am CT Aug. 21, 2015: This story has been updated to reflect the official release date of Nov. 23, 2016, announced by Disney.
Illustration by Kat Hudson
Gavia Baker-Whitelaw is a staff writer at the Daily Dot, covering geek culture and fandom. Specializing in sci-fi movies and superheroes, she also appears as a film and TV critic on BBC radio. Elsewhere, she co-hosts the pop culture podcast Overinvested.


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There is a growing number of people who simply aren't reading books anymore. There are no set reasons why this occurs, some are forced to read books in English class and simply don't read anymore. Others don't read books, but read news articles and blog posts online, but not books. Why is this the case?TGI consumer research from Kantar Media released in 2019 suggests just … [Read more...] about Why aren’t people reading books anymore?
Digital manga sales in Japan have increased by almost 30% in 2019, while the print market was down 4.3%. The entire digital publishing market, which includes ebook, comics and graphic novels generated a staggering $2.81 billion USD. Digital publishing sales made up 19.9% of the market in 2019, whereas it made up 16.1% of the market in 2018.Print sales fell for the 15th … [Read more...] about Digital Manga sales have increased by 29.5% in 2019
Over the course of the past 12 years many people who use e-readers to read ebooks, often go through a few different models. Some people start with a Kindle and then switch to a Kobo or begin their foray into ebooks with a Barnes and Noble Nook and switch to a Pocketbook. The question of the day, have you ever dealt with two different digital bookstores and have books purchased … [Read more...] about Do you purchase ebooks from many retailers?
Canadians continued to be enamoured with digital audiobooks and ebooks. In 2019, 5% of book purchases were for audiobooks, which is up from 3.6% in 2018. Meanwhile, hardcovers accounted for 24% of purchases, which is down from 25.9% in 2018. Meanwhile paperbacks account for 49% of all book purchases and ebooks continue to grow at 17%.Digital audiobook sales are likely … [Read more...] about Audiobooks and ebooks continue to grow in Canada
There is a growing population in the United States that have not read a book in the past year. Roughly a quarter of US residents have not read a print book, ebook or listened to an audiobook.Several demographic traits correlate with non-book reading, Pew Research Center surveys have found. For instance, adults with a high school diploma or less are far more likely than … [Read more...] about 27% of Americans have not read a book in the past year
Digital book sales in the United States, fell slightly in November 2019. Major publishers from January to the end of November generated $913 million dollars, so they did see a strong return on their digital investments. Digital Audiobooks continue to be the lone brightspot, the format saw an increase in sales by 23% in November and from the same time period the format made $526 … [Read more...] about ebooks experienced a 4.3% decline in November 2019
J.K. Rowling completed the last Harry Potter book 13 years ago and she continues to make a ton of money. In 2019 she made £31.5 million from ebook sales alone, that comes to £86,317 per day. Her sales more than doubled last year ahead of the 20th anniversary of the first film.Pottermore, is the authors website, where ebooks are sold. In 2018 sales of ebooks were £3.4 … [Read more...] about Harry Potter Author made £31.5 million in 2019 from ebook sales
It’s been 12 years since the Kindle first appeared on the scene, and within a couple of years, it became clear that e-readers were no passing fad. In fact, the experts of the day confidently told us that in the dim and distant future of 2020, print books would be largely relegated to the role of decorative shelf fillers, and we would all have a personal pocket electronic … [Read more...] about What happened to the ebook revolution?
Good e-Reader continues to chronicle the best ebooks that you should seriously take a look at. There are a ton of great titles that are coming out, all month long. We are putting the spotlight on a small section of the books we think will sell very well on all of the major online platforms, such as Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and Google Books.Good e-Reader … [Read more...] about The best ebooks to read this February
Suzanne Collins has a prequel to the original Hunger Games trilogy and the title is The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, due to be published in May. The prequel set 64 years before the events of the first book. The main character is a young Coriolanus Snow, aka President Snow and the book is through his perspective.Snow served as the primary antagonist in the original Hunger … [Read more...] about Suzanne Collins wrote a prequel to the Hunger Games
Kindle Unlimited is a subscription platform, for a regular monthly fee, readers can read as many ebooks as they want. Not a lot of thought goes into the content that populates the system, the vast majority comes from indie authors and hybrid authors who enroll their books. Since the launch of Kindle Unlimited in 2014, authors have generated over $1.1 billion dollars and in 2019 … [Read more...] about Authors have earned $1.1 Billion since the launch of Kindle Unlimited
In the Netherlands piracy has decreased for music, movies and television shows. This is because of all of the streaming services that makes it convenient to watch this type of content whenever they want. The University of Amsterdam conducted a report that ranged from 2012 to 2017 and they found that people still buy physical books and within five years the format only decreased … [Read more...] about Ebook Piracy in the Netherlands, continues to rise

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The Association of Global Automakers and the Here For America companies submitted a pre-hearing statement in connection with the United States International Trade Commission's (ITC) investigation into the likely impact of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on the U.S. economy and on specific industry sectors. This submission represents the consensus views of international automakers in the United States. International automakers have invested nearly $82 billion in the United States and directly employ 133,000 Americans at nearly 500 facilities. Together, these companies create jobs for 1.29 million Americans including people employed in design, research and development, manufacturing, sales, finance, and dealership operations as well as other businesses. International automakers produced nearly half of all cars, SUVs, vans and light trucks made in America last year and accounted for nearly half of vehicle exports in 2016, exporting 17 percent of that production to 140 countries and territories.
October 30, 2018 Testimony


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A consortium of 13 companies, including bookstore chain Kinokuniya Co. and online shopping mall Rakuten Inc., will test sales of e-books at regular bookstores next spring, sources said Sunday.
The aim is to familiarize consumers with e-books and to halt the decline of regular bookstores across the country, they said.
See Also: Kinokuniya Opens Bookstore in the Chicago Suburbs (October 2013)
Mechanical translation via Google Translate.
See Also: Establishment of Nippon Electronic Library Service
Another Kinokuniya project. Mechanical translation via Google Translate.


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The combination of access to information and consumer desires for products that meet their specific needs and desires will drive consumption going forward, which means FMCG manufacturers and retailers will need to stay focused on attributes rather than broad categories.
Now that health and wellness is a mainstream tend, manufacturers and retailers need to be much more focused when thinking about which growth levers to pull. And ingredient trends are a good place to start.
With a growing number of protein products appearing on shelves, do consumers know how much protein is in popular foods found across the store?
The continued shift toward healthier eating has certainly affected the U.S. sugar and sweetener market. Sales across the sweetener category are down year-over year, particularly for sugar.
Consumers have more snack choices than ever these days, and it’s changing the way they think about snacking. Premium snacks are just one sub-category that’s emerged in recent years.
With high temperatures, summer is a popular season for sparkling water, and this summer is no exception. Nielsen’s Friday morning data shows that the week ended Aug. 11, 2018, alone generated nearly $49 million in sparkling water sales—a figure that’s up 22% from the same time last year.
The old saying warns us not to count chickens, but for the FMCG industry, measuring chicken sales is essential to the bottom line. And chicken is an important product driving a total of $26.2 billion in annual sales in the U.S.
For increasingly more Americans, the definition of milk has expanded to include dairy alternatives over the last few years. And sales of alternative milks have seen nearly double digit dollar growth consistently for the last 12 weeks.
For years, confectionery, crisps and soft drinks were the most popular go-to snack choices for the British consumer. But over the last five years, we’ve seen a dramatic shift in the world of snacking.
It’s rare that trends happen in a vacuum and have no effect on broader markets or categories. And when we look across the U.S. brick-and-mortar retail landscape, recent data highlights how consumers’ desire for healthy and wellness and convenience are driving growth across the store.


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Continuing its series of exhibitor spotlights from Asia Fruit Logistica, Asiafruit looks at how a number of companies are ramping up their trade into China to meet the growing demand for high quality imported produce.
FLP started exporting its Fruta Lista-branded ready-to-eat fruit pouch mixes to Europe last year and is now looking to break into the Chinese market according to Ana Andrade. The company also launched its baby bananas in China in May and now sends around one container a week to the market.
Egyptian exporter Pico sent its grapes direct to China for the first time following the signing of the protocol. “It was near the end of the season,” said Muhammad Galal Fayed, “but now at least we know what we are doing and what specifications are required. That allows us to be fully ready for next season.”
Camposol has become the first Peruvian company to open a division in China. Headed up by Luis Miguel Baanante, the Shanghai office will drive forward sales of blueberries and avocados. “There are a lot of things we still need to develop and understand in China and the size of the prize is so big that we can’t afford not to be there,” said José Antonio Gómez, CEO of Camposol Trading.
Dutch Valley Peppers (Netherlands)
Earlier this year, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to export sweet bell peppers to China. Since June, a consortium of Dutch growers and exporters has teamed up under the name FVO to supply a number of different Chinese retailers – including Metro and City Shop – while also running a publicity campaign to raise awareness of what remains a relatively unknown product for the country’s consumers.
Agrícola Chapi (Peru)
Peru’s Agrícola Chapi tripled its avocado plantings to 300ha this year and will have an annual production of 6,400 tonnes once the groves reach full production. While its biggest avocado market is currently Europe, the main target for growth going forward is China, said Rafael Martín.
Ghabbour Farms (Egypt)
The protocol for Egyptian grapes to enter the Chinese market was signed late in the day for the current season, but exporter Ghabbour Farms was happy to have shipped its first three containers to Shanghai. “China is a very important market,” said Hassan Zaher. “We sent some citrus as well, including Star Ruby grapefruit, lemons and mandarins, and that’s gone well.”
Primer Fruit Mexico (Mexico)
Primer Fruit Mexico is ready for the starting gun to be fired on Mexican banana exports to China when the import protocol is finally in place. The company has been shipping to Asia for four years and Nicté Manrique said the logistical advantage Mexico has over other suppliers (transit times to Hong Kong and Shanghai are 22 and 20 days respectively compared with more than 30 days from Ecuador) means Mexico has a bright future in Asia.


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Nigeria’s leading cement maker, Dangote Cement Plc will pay N40.39 billion in taxation to the nation’s treasury from its operational result in the first quarter of 2021, the company said.
In a statement, the cement manufacturer cited its published financial result on Friday, April 30, 2021, stating that the amount is due from corporate tax for the period ended March 31, 2021.
The taxation amount is 47.3 per cent higher this quarter than the N27.42bn paid in Q1 2020.
Dangote Cement currently pays over N240 million Value Added Tax (VAT) daily to the government, making it one of the biggest private-sector taxpayers, it stated.
According to the company, it opted to provide funding for the construction of major roads in Lagos and Kogi states.
“The roads are the critical Lagos Apapa Port road leading to the old toll gate and the Lokoja-Obajana-Kabba road straddling Kogi and Kwara states.”
According to the report, the company ramped up production capacity in the Obajana Line 5 and resumed production at the Gboko plant to meet rising demands.
The firm also increased the total volume of cement sold in Q1 2021 from its Nigerian operations to 4.9 metric tonnes (MT) compared to the 4MT sold in Q1 2020.
Its pan-African operations sold 2.6MT of cement compared to 2.3MT in the first quarter of last year.
Commenting on the financial result, Dangote Cement GMD/Chief Executive Officer, Michel Puchercos, said the company started the first quarter of 2021 on a positive note with N89.7bn profit after tax.
“We took the strategic decision to pause our clinker exports to ensure we meet the rapid volume growth in the Nigerian domestic market.
We are improving the output of our existing and new assets and aim to recommence clinker exports in the second quarter.
“Our Pan-Africa operations have reached new heights, with an EBITDA margin of 25.5 per cent and volume growth of 12.8% reported during the quarter.”


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PM to open renovated Eden Gardens Wellness Resort Tuesday
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller will open the renovated Eden Gardens Wellness Resort and Spa on Lady Musgrave Road in Kingston tomorrow, Tuesday, March 25.
The Wellness Spa is part of the EHF Group of Companies and operated by the Eden Gardens Wellness & Lifestyle Limited.
Simpson-Miller will be the main speaker at the opening, scheduled for 6:00 pm.
The EHF Group of Companies is headed by executive chairman, Dr Henry Lowe, a noted Jamaican scientist who specializes in medicinal chemistry, and has been very active in the pursuit of official recognition of the use of cannabis (ganja) as a medicinal drug.
The Group also includes the private, not for profit organization, the Environmental Health Foundation (EHF), established in 1992 “to enhance the quality of people’s lives in Jamaica”, as well as a commercial entity, EHF Resource Development Limited, which has subsidiaries including Pelican Publishers Limited, a boutique publishing house with an emphasis on wellness and health publications, and Bio-Tech R&D Institute, a company engaged in the research, development and commercialization of health and wellness products from Jamaican plant-based materials.


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Lots of travel brands are eligible to earn U.S. government money through the so-called CARES Act. But firms will need to move fast to get their share. Here’s how it could all shake out.
President Donald Trump last week signed what is now known as the CARES Act, a massive $2 trillion stimulus meant to keep the U.S. economic engine running despite concerns about coronavirus.
As businesses will receive a good portion of that money — individuals will receive about $600 billion, according to one estimate — now comes the complicated part for companies. They must apply for money with U.S. government agencies, which will be tasked with deciding what businesses will receive aid, and how much. That will be no small feat, as the law is not always clear about what companies are entitled to money.
All kinds of businesses have the right to make claims. But travel is at the forefront, with legislators creating special piles of money for industries hit hardest, including airlines, airports, and even travel agents. Travel businesses from segments not expressly named in the bill also will jockey for money, hoping they can apply for grants and loans to keep afloat until the coronavirus pandemic passes.
How much travel businesses receive, and how they deploy the funds, will determine the industry’s landscape for decades to come. Some will survive. Others, probably many small businesses that make up the majority of travel, won’t be as lucky.
Here's what it means for hotels:
Individual hotel owners and big chains also will get a boost from the CARES Act, but insiders say the law offers short-term funding to an industry that needs a longer-term stimulus.
Hotel operators are included in the group eligible to tap into federal small business loans set aside for businesses negatively impacted from coronavirus. A provision was added in the bill to enable many one-off hotel operators to qualify for small business benefits even if they operate under the flag of a larger brand like Marriott or Hilton. The large brands are not eligible for these federal loans.
“We have been advocating on behalf of these small business owners for the (U.S. Small Business Administration) emergency loans that will allow them to remain solvent while operations are suspended at their hotels,” a Hilton representative said last week.
These SBA loans are capped at 250 percent of a hotel’s monthly payroll. Loans are subject to forgiveness, meaning they don’t have to be paid back, if hoteliers re-hire employees by June 30. The measure comes as many brands have had to lay off tens of thousands of hotel staff and corporate employees.
But the relief package likely won’t give the industry enough of a lift to get back to pre-coronavirus performance levels, according to one hotel trade group CEO.
“We’re very grateful. The industry has never seen anything like this, so we need a remedy unlike anything we’ve ever needed,” American Hotel & Lodging Association Chip Rogers said. “It’s definitely a lifeline. Calling it a stimulus package, I wouldn’t agree with that. Hoteliers are in survival mode right now. At some point we’ll need an actual stimulus package.”
The trade group wanted the small business loan cap at a higher 400 percent monthly payroll rate in order to give operators the ability to address debt payments as well as keep most employees on payroll. Given the uncertainty on when travel restrictions will be lifted, the organization also emphasized a need for a longer timeline to recall furloughed employees.
“We don’t expect the industry to be back by June 30,” Rogers said. “By pushing that back to something later like, say Sept. 30, it would allow the industry to get back to full employment and not face financial penalties.”
Larger hoteliers weren’t entirely ignored by Washington. The new law’s Coronavirus Economic Stabilization Act of 2020 subset offers $454 billion in liquidity to affected industries like the hospitality sector.
The measure is meant to keep workers on payroll at mid-sized companies with between 500 and 10,000 employees. To be eligible, a larger hotel company would have to use funds to support business operations and keep 90 percent of its workforce with full salaries and benefits through the end of September. This package comes with oversight measures like salary caps as well as bans on stock buybacks while loans are outstanding.
Experts said it could take weeks for hoteliers to get more clarity on the package aimed at larger companies. In the meantime, smaller operators and employees will at least see some degree of improvement in coming weeks.
Written by Brian Sumers
Skift, March 30, 2020
Click here to read original article: https://skift.com/2020/03/30/what-the-2-trillion-u-s-stimulus-package-means-for-travel-businesses/?utm_campaign=Daily%20Newsletter&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=85490176&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9yyRQbIOMm0knYVghBpyh1nZ_1SLsmQwRw9ANYMs7EDbv2qOOBZblYQSUHDQilFiax2CgDxpU5xjtJ9p8YPmYhtaEdbpSSM-oiu92xquMpLdk6nsU&_hsmi=85490176


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The United Kingdom has increased its loan facility limit to £1.25bn for businesses seeking to import UK products and services as well as intellectual property into Nigeria.
The Country Manager, West Africa, United Kingdom Export Finance, Steven Gray, disclosed this in Lagos exclusively to our correspondent on the sidelines of the UK-West Africa Agritech Summit. He said, “We recently increased our country limit to Nigeria to £1.25bn to support projects seeking to get UK products services or intellectual property investments into Nigeria.”…
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News Archive from before July 2018


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HINGHAM, Mass. -- Talbots reported Thursday a narrower-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter loss, and said it plans to expand its store re-image program to improve traffic. The chain also it expects to close as many as 100 stores over the next two years.
Talbots lost $2.8 million in the quarter ended Jan. 29, compared with a loss of $1.5 million in the year-ago period.
Net sales fell 7.4% to $292.6 million, compared with $315.9 million in the same period last year. Same-store sales dropped 7.3%.
The Talbots said that it plans to renovate about 70 stores by fiscal year-end. It also plans to close 90 to 100 stores and consolidate or down-size another 15 to 20 stores over two years, with a majority of those expected to be completed in 2011.
Additionally, the retailer said it expects to open 20 outlets in 2011.
Trudy Sullivan, Talbots president and CEO, said, "We achieved fourth quarter and full year results that were slightly better than our revised expectations. For the full year, we significantly improved our profitability and considerably deleveraged our balance sheet; however, we remain disappointed in our fourth quarter performance. As we previously reported, our results during the fourth quarter reflected weaker than anticipated customer response to our product, high levels of competitive promotional activity and weather related issues. We believe merchandise styling in our catalog that was pushed too far forward for our core customer, and the initial allocation of product in the early implementation of our store segmentation strategy, were additional factors impacting store traffic. We have already begun to take steps to address these challenges."
For the full year, sales dropped to $1.21 billion from $1.24 billion a year ago. Same-store sales declined 3.4% for the year.


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Wine connects Georgia and Korea, and connecting the two countries with completely different cultures is the goal of Georgia‘s National Wine Agency, says the agency’s Deputy Chairman Davit Tkemaladze.
Tkemaladze visited Seoul to support his country’s wine producers in exploring the Korean market and presenting Georgian wine to Korean consumers.
“Wine connects Georgia and Korea,” he said, drawing a comparison to the historical legacy of Georgia’s unique winemaking process and Korea’s indigenous kimchi.
“Georgian wine, its culture and authenticity dates back eight millennia,” said Tkemaladze, stressing Georgia has 525 varieties of indigenous grapes, despite its small geographical size.
“One-hundred Georgian wines are used commercially, while rest are kept in Georgian governmental collections,” he said, describing Georgia’s 8,000 years of uninterrupted, scientifically proven vine-growing and winemaking tradition.
“Georgian wine is not just another product, it’s history and culture of Georgia,” said the deputy chairman.
He said that wines differ greatly in style and character from region to region and with the diversity of its autochthonous grapes, Georgia has the unique method of Qvevri winemaking, which has been recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2013.
According to Tkemaladze, Georgia offers huge potential for wine tourism with its cuisine, hospitality and unique, diverse landscape.
He said that with growing family wineries with guesthouses and bigger productions with wine tours over the last 10-15 years, wine tourism specifically has developed.
“There is a huge potential for wine tourism to develop even further,” Tkemaladze said.
He stressed that the Georgian government’s wine agency is making special efforts to enter markets such as Korea, Japan and China and applying its strategy to support and promote the Georgian wine phenomenon worldwide.
“Korea, with its rich traditions and delicious cuisine, has a tremendous potential for making Georgian wine a part of everyday life,” he said.
“Korean people are constantly looking for new tastes,” said Tkemaladze, highlighting an ever-growing demand for Georgian flavors in Korea.
The Georgian Embassy in Korea, Georgia National Wine Agency and Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, together with Georgian wineries, would facilitate quality and authentic products to Korean consumers, according to Tkemaladze.
“Wine made in a Qvevri has had the biggest attention around the world, especially over the last decade,” he said.
Qveri are large clay pots used to ferment and age the wine in Georgia. Tkemaladze said that varieties include dry tannic skin-contact wines such as Qvevri Rkatsiteli, Kisi, Mtsvane Goruli, Saperavi, Aleksandrouli and Shavkapito to luscious naturally medium-sweets such as Tvishi, Khvanchkara and Usakhelouri.
“Georgian wine has a great potential to be paired with any Korean dish, also be enjoyed as an aperitif,” he emphasized.
Georgian Ambassador to Korea Otar Berdzenishvili also intervened during the interview, saying the free trade agreement likely to be concluded soon would further facilitate wine to Korean consumers.
According to Berdzenishvili, Georgia managed to positively conclude a feasibility study on opening free trade agreement talks with the Korean government.
“It gives us confidence to move our cooperation to the next level,” said Berdzenishvil, adding that Georgia is to soon start negotiations with President Yoon Suk-yeol’s administration.
“FTA will open new horizons to the people-to-people connections,” the ambassador said.
By Sanjay Kumar (firstname.lastname@example.org


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Online gambling will remain a common thing – During these challenging financial times, it is not surprising that land-based casinos are losing too much money. You may have thought that people would flock to sportsbooks and casinos around the world to gamble and hopefully win big because of the help to survive the recession that the economic disaster www.monarchbar.com had wrought.
However, it seems the alternative is correct. Lack of cash for entertainment usually means that people are leaving this weekend’s outings to vegas and also other gaming sites. They are so unwilling to use the money required for gas or public transportation to make it in a casino built property that is within driving distance of these homes. You may need sports publications or casino owners like the recession technique to treat their own small business, and many of them will tell you that they are dropping money. mbah semar
Online gambling will remain a common thing
Experts in the gambling industry have noticed that a massive effect is taking place all over the world. Determining international gaming traditions could be the topic of a report that releases some surprising facts about the gambling industry. Online gambling has grown in reputation despite the economic crisis. The fact is that in th. 2008, the total amount withdrawn globally by online gaming was more than 20 billion dollars, putting the rankings on a new high.
Exactly why do people avoid coming from land-based casinos and use online casinos as an alternative? In other words, they can make their dollars even more at online casinos. As noted above, individuals do not have to part with using their earnings for airline tickets or for other modes of transportation as a way to go to the casino. They have used the cash to switch to online casinos, as well as enjoying the joy of playing games at their home. pengeluaran togel
Gambling market is forecasting
Online gambling will continue to be a common thing as the economic crisis continues, and beyond. People are unlikely to offer gambling. They may not bet as large as they do, but also the lure of winning will be so strong that they stop completely. They will turn to online casinos as a means to protect their gambling dependence for additional capital.
All that is needed for internet gambling is a computer and including the broadband connectivity that is achieved on the Web. Wherever you work with a notebook or cell phone can be a location where you can bet. Unlike land-based casinos, online gambling gives you the ability to practice many of the most used games at no cost. We can save ourselves to enjoy the game before investing in anything in it, which can save money in the future. live draw hk
People who bet on cigarette smokers have also felt that switching their favorite sports or casino publication to a cigar-free location can also bring their gaming dollars to internet casinos. Betting via the Internet usually means there are no restrictions on smoking, food or drink. There are no dress codes to follow, and many of them think internet casinos are much safer than land-based casinos.
Some of the major online casinos respond to the influx of new customers by making online gambling more fun and exciting. They have added welcome bonuses and other promotions, including hosting tournaments, and also including slot machines that can match participants. Almost anything we find in online casinos can be found in internet casinos, plus much more.
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|By Business Wire||
|November 28, 2012 09:11 AM EST||
(NASDAQ:AMZN) – Amazon.com, Inc. today announced the launch of the Amazon Appstore in Japan, giving Japanese customers access to a broad selection of quality Android apps, plus the security and convenience of shopping for these apps from Amazon. Customers can get the Amazon Appstore for their Android phones and tablets by visiting http://www.amazon.co.jp/apps.
Amazon’s Appstore offers a great selection of games and apps, including local favorites like “Mushroom Garden” and “Yahoo! Headline,” and established bestsellers like “Fruit Ninja” and “Cut the Rope,” along with apps from top-tier brands like Square Enix and NTT Docomo. In addition to localized content and a localized mobile store, customers will have access to popular Amazon Appstore features like the Free App of the Day, which offers a paid app for free every day. Apps and games purchased from Amazon can be used across customers’ Android devices as well as Kindle Fire tablets, enabling them to buy an app or game once and enjoy it everywhere. Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD for Japan are available for pre-order now at Amazon.co.jp.
The Amazon Appstore also includes popular Amazon features like personalized recommendations, Customer Reviews and 1-Click payments, making it easy for Amazon customers to shop, discover and buy the right apps to meet their needs. In order to ensure that customers have the best possible experience with the apps they purchase, apps are Amazon-tested and backed by Amazon’s world-class customer support.
“The Amazon Appstore connects app and game developers across the globe with Amazon’s enormous customer base, and we’re excited to expand that audience to our millions of customers in Japan,” said Jim Adkins, Vice President of the Amazon Appstore. “Now our customers in Japan can find all of the apps and games they’re looking for and can take advantage of popular programs like Free App of the Day.”
Amazon continues to roll out services and features that make it the most complete end-to-end solution for developers wanting to build, market and monetize their apps and games. Developers can build their apps and games using Amazon Web Service’s industry-leading infrastructure platform. Developers can use Amazon’s GameCircle services to improve audience engagement with features like Leaderboards, Achievements, Friends and Whispersync which syncs game state between Kindle devices. To gain exposure to tens of millions of customers, developers can list their apps in the Amazon Appstore and take advantage of unique merchandising placement and awareness-building programs like Free App of the Day and personalized recommendations. And, to monetize their apps and games, developers can use Amazon’s industry-leading e-commerce and payment capabilities like In-App Purchasing and Subscriptions.
“When we found out that the world’s largest online retailer was creating an appstore, we made sure to get our top app, ‘Drawing Pad,’ submitted for the launch,” said Darren Murtha of Murtha Design Inc. “Amazon does a wonderful job featuring apps, and during a recent promotion, ‘Drawing Pad’ climbed to #11 in the top app rankings. We are thrilled with our success in reaching new customers and driving recurring usage of our apps. ‘Drawing Pad’ is localized for over twenty languages – including Japanese – and we are really looking forward to Amazon’s expansion into new countries.”
“TuneIn has a vision of bringing all the world’s audio to people everywhere, and our mobile apps are an integral aspect of bringing that vision to life,” said Ryan Polivka, Director of Marketing, TuneIn. “Amazon makes it easy for consumers to discover new content on their Kindle Fire HD or Android device through personalized recommendations, customer reviews and their Free App of the Day program. We are excited to introduce millions of music, sports and news listening options to Amazon’s Japanese customers, and happy to announce that we will be offering our ‘TuneIn Radio Pro’ app for free in Japan next month.”
“Amazon provides a wealth of tools and services that have helped us grow our business,” said Adam Schroeder, CEO, Difference Games LLC. “The Free App of the Day promotion has been a great way for us to expose our unique content to a wide audience of engaged digital media-savvy consumers. We are excited to grow with Amazon as they expand into Japan and other geographies.”
“Amazon’s mobile app distribution has been a great way for SoundHound to expand our broad international reach,” said Amir Arbabi, Vice President Business Development of SoundHound, Inc. “Amazon’s customers are passionate about digital media and Amazon provides a variety of ways to ensure they discover the apps that are right for them. We look forward to bringing the world’s fastest, most accurate and delightful music discovery service to their Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD and Android customers in Japan.”
“SEGA Networks aims to offer an emotional experience to gamers through our smartphone and tablet games. With the introduction of the Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD and Amazon Appstore to Japan, we are looking forward to sharing these emotional experiences through our apps to as many people as possible,” said SEGA Networks Representative CEO Haruki Satomi.
“Adaptations of our popular toy properties into smartphone and tablet apps offers our customers a whole new way to play. That’s why we are thrilled to be teaming up with Amazon. It creates an exciting opportunity to expand our reach to potential new customers,” said Kantaro Tomiyama, President and CEO of TOMY Company, Ltd.
“I am delighted with the strong relationship that we’ve cultivated with Amazon, in both Mobile App Distribution and AWS. Amazon boasts some of the highest customer lifetime values we’ve seen on any platform, and a suite of end-to-end developer solutions that impact bottom line results. The flexible and cost-effective AWS Infrastructure platform allows us to scale up and down as needed while only paying for the resources used. In addition, their recommendation features in the Amazon Appstore really benefit customer experience and discovery,” said Suli Ali, CEO of TinyCo, maker of Tiny Monsters, and Tiny Village. “We think the services offered through the Amazon platform have contributed to much of the success, so we are very excited to expand our offerings to Amazon’s customers in Japan.”
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle Paperwhite is the most-advanced e-reader ever constructed with 62% more pixels and 25% increased contrast, a patented built-in front light for reading in all lighting conditions, extra-long battery life, and a thin and light design. The new latest generation Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, now features new, improved fonts and faster page turns. Kindle Fire HD features a stunning custom high-definition display, exclusive Dolby audio with dual stereo speakers, high-end, laptop-grade Wi-Fi with dual-band support and dual-antennas/MIMO for 40% faster throughput than other tablets, enough storage for HD content, and the latest generation processor and graphics engine—and it is available in two display sizes—7” and 8.9”. The large-screen Kindle Fire HD is also available with 4G wireless, and comes with a groundbreaking $49.99 introductory 4G LTE data package. The all-new Kindle Fire features a 20% faster processor, 40% faster performance, twice the memory, and longer battery life.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, and www.amazon.es. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management’s expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com’s financial results is included in Amazon.com’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.
Containers are not new, but renewed commitments to performance, flexibility, and agility have propelled them to the top of the agenda today. By working without the need for virtualization and its overhead, containers are seen as the perfect way to deploy apps and services across multiple clouds. Containers can handle anything from file types to operating systems and services, including microservices. What are microservices? Unlike what the name implies, microservices are not necessarily small, but are focused on specific tasks. The ability for developers to deploy multiple containers – thous...
Sep. 3, 2015 10:00 PM EDT Reads: 177
SYS-CON Events announced today that IceWarp will exhibit at the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. IceWarp, the leader of cloud and on-premise messaging, delivers secured email, chat, documents, conferencing and collaboration to today's mobile workforce, all in one unified interface
Sep. 3, 2015 10:00 PM EDT Reads: 485
All major researchers estimate there will be tens of billions devices - computers, smartphones, tablets, and sensors - connected to the Internet by 2020. This number will continue to grow at a rapid pace for the next several decades. With major technology companies and startups seriously embracing IoT strategies, now is the perfect time to attend @ThingsExpo, November 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Learn what is going on, contribute to the discussions, and ensure that your enterprise is as "IoT-Ready" as it can be.
Sep. 3, 2015 08:30 PM EDT Reads: 149
Too often with compelling new technologies market participants become overly enamored with that attractiveness of the technology and neglect underlying business drivers. This tendency, what some call the “newest shiny object syndrome,” is understandable given that virtually all of us are heavily engaged in technology. But it is also mistaken. Without concrete business cases driving its deployment, IoT, like many other technologies before it, will fade into obscurity.
Sep. 3, 2015 04:30 PM EDT Reads: 429
The 3rd International WebRTC Summit, to be held Nov. 4–6, 2014, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, announces that its Call for Papers is now open. Topics include all aspects of improving IT delivery by eliminating waste through automated business models leveraging cloud technologies. WebRTC Summit is co-located with 15th International Cloud Expo, 6th International Big Data Expo, 3rd International DevOps Summit and 2nd Internet of @ThingsExpo. WebRTC (Web-based Real-Time Communication) is an open source project supported by Google, Mozilla and Opera that aims to enable bro...
Sep. 3, 2015 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,605
As more and more data is generated from a variety of connected devices, the need to get insights from this data and predict future behavior and trends is increasingly essential for businesses. Real-time stream processing is needed in a variety of different industries such as Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Automobile, Finance, Online Retail, Smart Grids, and Healthcare. Azure Stream Analytics is a fully managed distributed stream computation service that provides low latency, scalable processing of streaming data in the cloud with an enterprise grade SLA. It features built-in integration with Azur...
Sep. 3, 2015 02:45 PM EDT Reads: 387
With the proliferation of connected devices underpinning new Internet of Things systems, Brandon Schulz, Director of Luxoft IoT – Retail, will be looking at the transformation of the retail customer experience in brick and mortar stores in his session at @ThingsExpo. Questions he will address include: Will beacons drop to the wayside like QR codes, or be a proximity-based profit driver? How will the customer experience change in stores of all types when everything can be instrumented and analyzed? As an area of investment, how might a retail company move towards an innovation methodolo...
Sep. 3, 2015 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 514
SYS-CON Events announced today that HPM Networks will exhibit at the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. For 20 years, HPM Networks has been integrating technology solutions that solve complex business challenges. HPM Networks has designed solutions for both SMB and enterprise customers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Sep. 3, 2015 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 963
SYS-CON Events announced today the Containers & Microservices Bootcamp, being held November 3-4, 2015, in conjunction with 17th Cloud Expo, @ThingsExpo, and @DevOpsSummit at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. This is your chance to get started with the latest technology in the industry. Combined with real-world scenarios and use cases, the Containers and Microservices Bootcamp, led by Janakiram MSV, a Microsoft Regional Director, will include presentations as well as hands-on demos and comprehensive walkthroughs.
Sep. 3, 2015 02:15 PM EDT Reads: 415
Contrary to mainstream media attention, the multiple possibilities of how consumer IoT will transform our everyday lives aren’t the only angle of this headline-gaining trend. There’s a huge opportunity for “industrial IoT” and “Smart Cities” to impact the world in the same capacity – especially during critical situations. For example, a community water dam that needs to release water can leverage embedded critical communications logic to alert the appropriate individuals, on the right device, as soon as they are needed to take action.
Sep. 3, 2015 01:30 PM EDT
WebRTC services have already permeated corporate communications in the form of videoconferencing solutions. However, WebRTC has the potential of going beyond and catalyzing a new class of services providing more than calls with capabilities such as mass-scale real-time media broadcasting, enriched and augmented video, person-to-machine and machine-to-machine communications. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Luis Lopez, CEO of Kurento, will introduce the technologies required for implementing these ideas and some early experiments performed in the Kurento open source software community in areas ...
Sep. 3, 2015 01:15 PM EDT Reads: 109
SYS-CON Events announced today that Pythian, a global IT services company specializing in helping companies leverage disruptive technologies to optimize revenue-generating systems, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 17th Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Founded in 1997, Pythian is a global IT services company that helps companies compete by adopting disruptive technologies such as cloud, Big Data, advanced analytics, and DevOps to advance innovation and increase agility. Specializing in designing, imple...
Sep. 3, 2015 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 369
Consumer IoT applications provide data about the user that just doesn’t exist in traditional PC or mobile web applications. This rich data, or “context,” enables the highly personalized consumer experiences that characterize many consumer IoT apps. This same data is also providing brands with unprecedented insight into how their connected products are being used, while, at the same time, powering highly targeted engagement and marketing opportunities. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Nathan Treloar, President and COO of Bebaio, will explore examples of brands transforming their businesses by t...
Sep. 3, 2015 12:30 PM EDT Reads: 286
In his session at @ThingsExpo, Lee Williams, a producer of the first smartphones and tablets, will talk about how he is now applying his experience in mobile technology to the design and development of the next generation of Environmental and Sustainability Services at ETwater. He will explain how M2M controllers work through wirelessly connected remote controls; and specifically delve into a retrofit option that reverse-engineers control codes of existing conventional controller systems so they don't have to be replaced and are instantly converted to become smart, connected devices.
Sep. 3, 2015 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 255
With the Apple Watch making its way onto wrists all over the world, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes a staple in the workplace. In fact, Forrester reported that 68 percent of technology and business decision-makers characterize wearables as a top priority for 2015. Recognizing their business value early on, FinancialForce.com was the first to bring ERP to wearables, helping streamline communication across front and back office functions. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Kevin Roberts, GM of Platform at FinancialForce.com, will discuss the value of business applications on wearable ...
Sep. 3, 2015 10:45 AM EDT
SYS-CON Events announced today that Micron Technology, Inc., a global leader in advanced semiconductor systems, will exhibit at the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Micron’s broad portfolio of high-performance memory technologies – including DRAM, NAND and NOR Flash – is the basis for solid state drives, modules, multichip packages and other system solutions. Backed by more than 35 years of technology leadership, Micron's memory solutions enable the world's most innovative computing, consumer,...
Sep. 3, 2015 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 285
17th Cloud Expo, taking place Nov 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world. Cloud computing is now being embraced by a majority of enterprises of all sizes. Yesterday's debate about public vs. private has transformed into the reality of hybrid cloud: a recent survey shows that 74% of enterprises have a hybrid cloud strategy. Meanwhile, 94% of enterprises are using some form of XaaS – software, platform, and infrastructure as a service.
Sep. 3, 2015 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,603
While many app developers are comfortable building apps for the smartphone, there is a whole new world out there. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Narayan Sainaney, Co-founder and CTO of Mojio, will discuss how the business case for connected car apps is growing and, with open platform companies having already done the heavy lifting, there really is no barrier to entry.
Sep. 3, 2015 09:30 AM EDT Reads: 213
SYS-CON Events announced today that the "Second Containers & Microservices Expo" will take place November 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Containers and microservices have become topics of intense interest throughout the cloud developer and enterprise IT communities.
Sep. 3, 2015 09:30 AM EDT Reads: 651
As more intelligent IoT applications shift into gear, they’re merging into the ever-increasing traffic flow of the Internet. It won’t be long before we experience bottlenecks, as IoT traffic peaks during rush hours. Organizations that are unprepared will find themselves by the side of the road unable to cross back into the fast lane. As billions of new devices begin to communicate and exchange data – will your infrastructure be scalable enough to handle this new interconnected world?
Sep. 3, 2015 09:30 AM EDT Reads: 204


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NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Surround sound specialist Digital Theater Systems debuted Thursday with a 47 percent gain, the biggest opening day for an initial public offering since 2001.
In a bullish sign for the market for initial public offerings, Digital Theater Systems DTSI picked up strength in the course of the session to close at $24.92, up $7.92 from its $17 offering price.
The stock first crossed the tape at $19.50 and generated volume of 2.95 million. The strong performance came despite a lackluster day in the overall stock market. See full story.
Its performance ranks not only as the loftiest of 2003, but also the best opening day since 2001, according to Thomson Financial.
Signs of strong investor interest in Digital Theater Systems came as it priced its IPO at $17 per share, above its $14 to $16 price range.
The profitable maker of theater sound systems for the home and cinema also upped the size of the deal by 440,000 shares to 3.84 million.
Digital Theater Systems raised about $65 million in the deal with lead underwriter S.G. Cowen.
With 12.6 million shares outstanding, it finished out its first day as a publicly traded company with a market cap of $314 million.
Although IPOs have been showing traction of late, deals continue to evaporate.
Sneaker maker Converse is scrapping its $86 million initial public offering in favor of a $305 million buyout deal from Nike. See full story.
Digital Theater Systems IPO
The Agoura Hills, Calif., firm bills itself as a leading provider of digital multi-channel "surround sound" audio technology and services for entertainment markets worldwide.
Its "DTS" logo is often visible on audio products, movie credits and cinema posters.
"Our DTS digital multi-channel audio technology delivers compelling surround sound and is frequently rated as the top performing surround sound technology by authoritative sources such as Widescreen Review and AudioRevolution.com," the company said in its IPO filing.
"Our goal is to become essential to the ultimate entertainment experience by incorporating our technology into every device that manages or controls high-quality digital audio," the company said.
Digital Theater Systems rang up $1.6 million in net income and $11.8 million in revenue in the first quarter, compared to net income of $1 million and revenue of $9.4 million in the year-ago period.
In calendar year 2002, it notched net income of $4.4 million and revenue of $40 million, compared with $2.1 million in net income and $28.6 million in revenue in 2001.
Digital Theater Systems traces its origins to 1990, with strategic investment in 1993 from investors, including Universal City Studios, now a unit of Vivendi Universal
Its first digital multi-channel audio soundtrack was created for Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park" in 1993.
Other investors include Scripps
Jon Kirchner, 35, is chief executive officer of the company. He joined Digital Theater Systems after working at Price Waterhouse LLP.
Digital Theater Systems lists is main competitor as privately-held Dolby Laboratories, which has hinted at going public in the past, according to Hoovers.com.
Yell debuts in London
In IPO action across the pond, phone directories giant Yell raised 2 billion pounds in the largest stock debut of the year.
The size of the offer was raised by 30 percent to 1.14 billion pounds, as venture capitalists Apax Partners and Hicks Muse Tate & Furst decided to sell more shares. See London Markets.
American Seafoods IPO sets terms
American Seafoods Corp. set its price range at $16.70 to $18 and its deal size at 31.7 million units in its upcoming initial public offering. The Seattle-based fishing company will raise up to $571 million in the deal.
The company added Legg Mason Wood Walker, McDonald Investments, US Bancorp Piper Jaffray, Wells Fargo Securities Inc. and Scotia Capital Markets to its underwriters list. CIBC World Markets is lead underwriter on the deal. The IPO has been scheduled for debut at the end of July, according to IPO-Alert.com.


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Balaji Telefilms Limited has announced the upcoming show, Dil Hi Toh Hai, will air on Sony Entertainment Television while retaining the intellectual property to the show with itself.
After its telecast on Sony, the show will be available to be consumed on the company’s OTT platform, ALTBalaji. Now, viewers of this show will be able to watch it whenever and wherever they want on their smartphones and laptops, even if they have missed watching it on TV. This is a pioneering step by the company as it aims to drive its digital future and expansion in the B2C segment through ALTBalaji.
Starring Karan Kundra in the lead, Dil Hi Toh Hai is a family drama centered around an industrialist family that deals in pharmaceuticals. It’s a story about siblings who love and respect each other despite differences. It also stars Poonam Dhillon, Akshay Dogra, Sudeepa Singh, Gurpreet Bedi, Yogita Bihani, Nyra Banerjee, and Asmita Sood in pivotal roles.
By exploiting the digital rights of this show by itself, Balaji Telefilms and ALTBalaji have become the game changers in the Indian media and entertainment industry. As a content producer, Balaji Telefilms, for the very first time, has retained the intellectual property to a show produced by Balaji and licensed to Sony Entertainment Television to exploit the same on their TV Channel.
Commenting on this development, Mr. Nachiket Pantvaidya, Group COO, and CEO ALTBalaji, said:
“We are front-runners in creating original content and have crafted unique stories for numerous television networks. With the widespread penetration of the internet and smartphones in India, we launched ALTBalaji to acquire new viewers globally, as these users are not encumbered by restrictions posed by TV – both as a device and as a format. The retention of a TV show’s rights by Balaji marks a major shift in the industry and one of many firsts for us. This strategic move is in line with our vision to transform the company from a B2B production company to a B2C consumer and digital company.”


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Experiential “play and product” store CAMP is coming to Related’s Hudson Yards. The family-friendly “immersive” concept will launch a 6,000-square-foot outlet on the shopping megamall’s second floor before the end of the year.
CAMP, a growing national chain that made its New York debut at 110 Fifth Ave. in Flatiron last year, describes itself as “an interactive space for play and shopping and a theater for activities and programming for kids of all ages and their families.”
The new Hudson Yards home for “out-of-this-world” play spaces will be similar to the first one, but details are still being worked out. The Fifth Avenue location sells toys and books and also offers workshops for parents and kids in colorful settings.
CAMP was co-founded by Ben Kaufman, a former BuzzFeed executive, and his wife Nikki Kaufman. BuzzFeed is a minor investor in CAMP, and one BuzzFeed exec sits on CAMP’s board but is not involved in daily operations.
A Related rep welcomed CAMP as the latest addition to Hudson Yards’ growing field of experiential retailers.


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It’s all for the children, university insists
You may have heard of Ohio State University’s recent application to trademark the word “The,” as in “The Ohio State University,” the taxpayer-funded entity’s self-important way of referring to itself.
It was quickly mocked by legal experts. But there’s nothing funny about Ohio State’s jihadist zeal to protect its trademark against … bakers.
Indeed, it’s not just government bureaucrats that threaten to drive cake artists out of business for refusing to violate their consciences, or private actors who try to destroy bakeries for protecting their merchandise.
It’s other government bureaucrats who silence and extort bakers in order to widen the intellectual property revenue stream.
The Columbus Dispatch has an eye-opening feature on the eggshells that local bakers must not crack into their cakes when customers request Ohio State Buckeyes-themed sweets for football season:
Commercial bakers aren’t supposed to festoon their goods with OSU imagery unless they pay a licensing fee for approved images, or go through another vendor who is licensed and can legally supply the templates and artwork.
“We’re very, very careful, because our products get photographed and put on social media,” said Elaine Clarke of Schneider’s Bakery in downtown Westerville. “There was a time when I called to inquire about the parameters for Block O and I got an immediate response, and it was very adamant.”
Another bakery, Piece of Cake, will still make “small-b” buckeye cakes that refer to Ohio’s moniker without any trappings that could be confused with OSU. But Resch’s Bakery refuses to make a custom Buckeyes cake “because it’s a $10,000 fine,” according to owner Frank Resch. “I don’t know what’s legal and what’s not, and I don’t have the time to figure it out.”
If you don’t want OSU’s lawyer mafia knocking down your door and dragging you into court, you need to give them a taste:
The Original Goodie Shop in Upper Arlington decided a few years ago to work directly with Ohio State to obtain licensing for a line of baked goods, co-owner Emilie Smith said.
The bakery pays about $600 a year and gives the university 12% of sales, she said. “Every year we have to renew this, with the fee, and we have to send them every single product that we sell so that they can make sure the quality is there, and so that they can approve the design.”
Like The Rev. Lovejoy’s hypocritical puritan wife Helen, the university pleads us to think of the children when we object to the legal terror it promises to visit on independent-minded bakers:
In an emailed statement, university spokesman Ben Johnson said, “Trademark and licensing interests generate about $15 million in revenue each year to support the university’s students, faculty and staff, and Buckeye fans should know that every time they purchase official Ohio State items, they are supporting student scholarships, libraries and other university initiatives.”
You can laugh at Ohio State for trying to trademark “The,” an application that’s likely to be shot down.
But don’t let these fascists off the hook for joining with the odious bureaucrats of Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota and Washington to threaten the livelihoods of artisans for practicing their craft as they wish – and then claiming it’s for the benefit of society.


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A three-year pilot project of internships for minorities at local businesses begins this fall at Lincoln Land Community College.
The OPEN DOOR program, funded by a $285,000 commitment -- $95,000 a year for three years -- from The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Q5 economic development program, initially will focus on African-American male students in business-related courses, according to organizers. Work has begun to hire a program coordinator and on selection of the first group of 20 to 30 students. The LLCC program is a spin-off of a similar "Grow Our Own" minority recruitment program begun a little more than two years ago at engineering and consulting firm Hanson Professional Services of Springfield.
"We're hearing from a lot of folks who would like to be a part of this," said chamber president and CEO Chris Hembrough. "We believe this will help with retention of sharp, rising students here in our community if they build that relationship with local companies."
He said the decision to focus the initiative on African-American males was made in consultation with LLCC and local school districts. The program, he added, could eventually be expanded to other minority students and women.
LLCC vice president of student services Lesley Frederick said the school has begun screening potential students for internships in a variety of fields from banking to internet technology. She said it's possible some of the internships would be paid, but it's not a requirement.
"It would go along with the academic year," Frederick said. "We'll be supporting them though the academic programs, depending on what their goals are."
Frederick said the internships would continue through two-year academic programs, as well as for students planning to transfer to a four-year college.
LLCC president Charlotte Warren said similar programs focused on African-American males have been tried with success around the country. She added that she considers Open Door a "mentoring" as well as an internship program.
"It's a population we're trying to support," Warren said. "It's growing our own. We want to find ways to make them successful and help gain that path into our business community."
Sharon BuMann, the New York sculptor sometimes referred to as "THE BUTTER COW LADY," is still waiting for $2,500 owed her from the 2015 Illinois State Fair. The state Department of Agriculture announced last week that a stopgap budget approved by lawmakers included money to begin paying nearly $1.6 million owed vendors from last year's fair, including BuMann. But a spokesman for the state comptroller's office said sorting out the pile of bills could take awhile.
"I'm sure they have a lot of digging out to do," BuMann said in an email to The State Journal-Register. "I'm waiting patiently."
The 2015 fair was BuMann's last after more than a decade of sculpting the famous butter cow. Fair officials and the Midwest Dairy Association are searching for a new sculpture for the 2016 fair.
GYPSY TRIBE has opened at 2920 Plaza Drive in The Gables shopping center. Owner Sue Schwartz said the children and tweens boutique is a spin-off of her Gypsy Soul women's boutique on Montvale Drive.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The phone number is 679-5649. The shop is on Facebook, http://bit.ly/29t5vSM.
Three local Road Ranger convenience stores are taking on the FAS MART brand as the result of a 2015 sale of the stores to GMP Investments, a convenience-store operator based in Richmond, Virginia.
The locations are 1645 Wabash Ave. in Jerome, and 2900 South Grand Ave. E. and 3801 S. Sixth St. in Springfield. GMP is the U.S. subsidiary of Israeli convenience-store company Petro Group LTD.
BIMBO BAKERIES USA (pronounced "Beem-boh") is building a new depot at 3500 Mustang Drive in Springfield. Spokeswoman Megan Keohane said last week the facility would replace an existing depot that serves 12 area routes.
The company produces bakery and bread products such as Sara Lee, Thomas, Nature's Harvest and Brownberry. Bimbo Bakeries USA is a subsidiary of Grupo Bimbo, based in Mexico.
Approximately 634,000 residential customers in AMEREN ILLINOIS territory received electricity from an alternative supplier as of May, according to an annual update of electric retail markets from the Illinois Commerce Commission. The figure, up from 610,000 a year earlier, represents about 60 percent of the utility's residential customers in central and southern Illinois.
The ICC reported a little more than 40 percent of Commonwealth Edison customers had alternative suppliers in May compared with 61 percent in May 2015.
A 2006 reform law intended to encourage power-market competition requires the annual reports, online at icc.illinois.gov.
CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS, based in Mattoon, continues to expand through acquisition. The company recently completed a buyout of Champaign Telephone Co., including CTC subsidiary Big Broadband Services.
A joint announcement indicated the deal includes 275 miles of fiber cable and approximately 1,500 business customers. Consolidated, online at consolidated.com, serves an 11-state region.
At Springfield Building and Zoning:
* DIAMOND NAIL SPA, 2929 W. Iles Ave.; remodel.
* SPRINGFIELD MUNICIPAL CENTER EAST, 800 E. Monroe St.; facade repair.
* CEFCU, 1000 Lincolnshire Blvd.; new construction.
* UNITED MINE WORKERS, 3695 S. Sixth St.; tenant remodel.
* BARNEY'S FURNITURE, 1987 Wabash Ave.; signage.
-- Contact Tim Landis: firstname.lastname@example.org, 788-1536, twitter.com/timlandisSJR. Listen to his WUIS/SJ-R business report Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning on WUIS 91.9 FM, 89.3 FM and WUIS.org, or online at www.sj-r.com.


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BATH, England. — The Lovehoney Trade sales team has announced they won the “Best New Male Product” award for BlowYo and the “Highest Mainstream Appeal” award for tokidoki x Lovehoney at the Ean Erotix Awards, which were held at the eroFame erotic trade show.
The award-winning BlowYo, is a male stroker that creates the sensations of oral sex. Designed with two solid rings at either end of a super-stretchy, twistable sleeve, with four different textures inside, it can be used for solo play or as an addition to oral play session with a partner.
The tokidoki x Lovehoney range features a selection of curated characters and icons from the tokidoki universe which have been incorporated into some of Lovehoney’s products. The range features bullet vibrators, classic vibrators, wand vibrators, clitoral vibrators, finger vibrators, love rings and male strokers.
Neal Slateford, Lovehoney co-founder, said, “We are delighted to have won these awards, they are a credit to these fantastic brands which have been a hit at the EroFame show this year with many people coming to our booth to get further information on these brands.”


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The network received more responses in response to Business Insider reports on the company’s resistance to certain aspects of the Family Coronavirus Response Act. Although the article reports that a McDonald’s representative said the chain supported the law but rejected the funding mechanism, critics said the chain’s sick leave measures were inadequate.
In another question in the internal document, a McDonald’s expert asked, “How can we compete with competitors like Starbucks offering paid vacations? This offers us a black eye in the media.
The question elicited a similar response, stating that McDonald’s “has taken significant steps to protect our customers and employees at COVID-19: many of our dining rooms are closing, all entertainment areas are closed, cleaning has increased, especially in traffic areas and offers hand sanitizers in our restaurants.
McDonald’s also responded to a case in which it was raised on social media this week in response to the McDVOICE campaign in Brazil to separate the golden arches to promote social alienation.
“This activation started in Brazil and received mixed comments: first positive in social distance messages to our brand, then more negative because consumers now consider it opportunistic,” explains the internal FAQ.
What was the response?
McDonald’s declined to comment on the inside information on the business. McDonald’s Brazil apologized for “any misunderstanding about the intention to remind our customers and our communities of the importance of social distance in these uncertain times” when asked to comment on the campaign.
“As a brand that operates in almost 120 countries, we share a shared responsibility to help our communities when they need them,” McDVOICE Brazil said in a statement. Throughout the world, we are making changes in the processes to meet social distance guidelines and amplifying our already strict hygiene standards to protect restaurant staff and the public.
Elsewhere in the FAQ, McDonald’s examines “the phases of the crisis, its crisis, its recovery, its reactivation, and the status quo.”
There was a great concentration in the communities and we should never forget, says the internal sources. What we are emphasizing now and in the recovery is that we really need to proactively invest in our investments and just move forward, McDVOICE is working and how you can get our food, how you can better access our food.”


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In early March, Nissan Z caused some uproar in the world when a slide uploaded to Facebook created a timeline for the launch of the brand new 2023 Z. So far, we expect the launch to be close enough to be able to hear. Clicking on the Abacus as Nissan dealers decide how much ADM to add. The good news was that the price of the automaker was announced in Japan yesterday. Instead, at the bottom of the Japanese press release, announcing the yen needed to take home, a footnote announced, “The release date was originally set for the end of June, but due to the recent impact on parts supply, it has changed. Summer. Depending on parts supply situation. Disclosure schedule may change. ” When Cars and drivers When Nissan asked North America about our situation, the outlet received the same answer: “The summer of 2022 is a bit late.”
If we are moving hard by the rotation of the earth, then it takes the previous spring 2022 deadline from June 21, the last day of summer, to the autumn equinox of September 22 this year. On the one hand, it’s only 90 days. With thousands of other hands desperate to throw their money into the new coupe, there’s nothing to say about the summer date. We have not heard of any improvement in the world situation.
Prices start at ¥ 5,241,500 ($ 41,200 US) for an entry-level FairLade Z with six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic in Japan. That’s about $ 2,000 more than the entry-level, 2.0-liter four-cylinder Toyota Supra. Nissan says the Base Z Sport will come here for about $ 40,000, starting at চার 43,290 before our four-wheeler Supra destination. Z’s special sauce is that all trims come with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 with 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. Supra takes another $ 10,000 to get closer to it, making it a potential performance bargain for Z if it can get here.


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It’s time once again for The Future American’s FAIL OF THE WEEK! Every Saturday, I name a person or group who has spent the past seven days behaving in a particularly idiotic way. Since it’s my belief that idiocy knows no politics, nobody is safe.
This week’s fail was brought to you by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. For the record, I admire the goal of combating obesity, and this is certainly best done on the local level. Other mayors have done it by encouraging city-wide physical activity and prioritizing healthy, locally grown food. (See: This, this and this.) But Bloomberg has always had an independent streak, and it certainly came out when he vowed to crack down on really big cups of soda.
Under his plan, restaurants, delis and cinemas would only be permitted to sell drinks at or under a half-liter/16-ounce limit. That’s roughly the average size of an individual bottle – which I rarely finish in one meal – and I’d be hard-pressed to name anyone who would be all that upset by not being able to drink that much at once. Besides, if we’re talking about regular soda, that sugar content does pack a punch. Not to mention the subsequent bloating that, if it doesn’t actually make you fat, will certainly make you feel that way for an hour or two. (It’s called water, people. Look into it.)
However. Bloomberg has not proven that massive sodas are such a leading cause of obesity that they merit a full-scale ban. And even if this is just the tip of the iceberg – what’s next, a surtax on bacon? – is it either productive or right for the city to ban specific foods and beverages? We’re not talking about bath salts here. Sugary soda might be bad for you, but anyone above the age of 12 should be well aware of that before they put every available flavor of Slurpee into their Big Gulp cup. (I had friends in high school who would do that. They were typically overweight. Just throwing that out there.)
If anyone is going to phase out massive sodas, it should be the responsibility of the businesses themselves taking the lead on portion control. The trend of small/medium/large became popular in the 70s when businesses wanted to benefit more from already enormous profit margins on snacks and drinks. Only all of those portions were smaller then. Imagine what a PR coup it would be for a major chain to announce that they were downscaling everything. Remember how ridiculous Hardee’s looked when this came out? Downscaling could be the natural response, albeit a late one.
In the meantime, Bloomberg, trust your own citizens to figure out what’s good for them. Or teach them what’s good for them. But this isn’t education. This is just public shaming.


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11:02PM Thursday 8 August
Sonos is holding an event later this month, likely to debut new hardware.The audio and speaker company has invited the media to a press briefing to be Read More »
38 Days Ago It looks like Sonos is preparing to announce new fall hardware. In an invite it sent out today, Sonos asks members of the media to join the company on August 26th and August 27th in New York City.
34 Days Ago Sonos is holding an event in New York City at the end of August and in Berlin at the beginning of September, presumably to show off some new products and
37 Days Ago Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Yesterday Sonos invited media to come learn about new hardware later this month, and the company is already pushing some fresh products through the FCC.
38 Days Ago Fresh off the release of its well-received table lamp and bookshelf speakers that were created in collaboration with Ikea, Sonos is turning its attention back to the company’s own product lineup.
38 Days Ago Sonos is readying something new, with the company sending out press invites to discuss what seems to be a 2019 update to the range. The smart speaker company is tight-lipped on what’s on the roadmap for this year, but we should be getting a closer look at its fall range with a preview in New York City soon.
34 Days Ago Sonos appears to have a portable Bluetooth speaker in the works. After a filing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) revealed the existence of the company's first Bluetooth speaker, Zatz Not Funny shared a photo of the device in question (below), which has a more rounded design than the Sonos One.
39 Days Ago Samsung's Unpacked event for the new Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is over.If you didn't have a personal invite to show at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn,


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El mentado arroz transgénico
GE Rice Industry Facing Meltdown as Global Tide of Rejection Grows
Bayer, global pusher of GE rice must admit defeat, says Greenpeace
AMSTERDAM - February 6 - The global rejection of genetically engineered rice is revealed today as 41 of the world’s biggest exporters, processors and retailers issued written commitments to stay GE free. The worldwide tide of opposition is reflected in the new Greenpeace report, ‘Rice Industry in Crisis.’
The report carries extracts of company statements covering Asia, Europe, Australia, and North and South America (1) and includes a commitment from the world’s largest rice processor, Ebro Puleva, to stop buying US rice. This follows a major contamination incident in 2006, when the world’s rice supply was contaminated with an experimental and illegal variety of GE rice produced by biotech company Bayer.
“Bayer is aggressively pursuing commercial approvals for its GE rice globally, including in Europe and Brazil, yet refuses to accept responsibility for the major financial damage its unauthorised GE rice has caused in the US and elsewhere. Indeed, Bayer is blaming hardworking farmers or ‘acts of God’ for these problems when all signs point to Bayer being at fault,” (4) said Adam Levitt, a partner in the Chicago office of the law firm of Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz – one of the law firms leading the prosecution of these cases against Bayer.
“This global contamination and global market rejection of GE rice clearly shows the need for Bayer to withdraw from any further GE rice development,” said Jeremy Tager, Greenpeace International rice campaigner. “Bayer proves that GE rice is too risky. Through field trials alone Bayer caused massive financial damage to the global rice industry. The commercial growing of GE rice must never become a reality; the impact on the world’s most important food crop world be disastrous.”
The report also examines the significant economic implications of the Bayer contamination, including when rice futures prices plummeted $150 million -- the sharpest one-day decline in years. Experts have predicted that US rice exports may decline by as much as16% in 2006/2007. (2) Several multi-million dollar class action lawsuits have been filed by US farmers who refuse to bear the financial burden of Bayer’s irresponsible and negligent conduct. The farmers claim that Bayer is responsible for the contamination of rice supplies and the economic losses the U.S. rice farmers have suffered as a result and must compensate farmers for the monetary and other losses that they have sustained as a result of Bayer’s improper conduct. (3)
In addition to the class action lawsuits, several individual lawsuits have also been filed and there are also anecdotal reports that European traders contemplating legal action. As a result of the contamination of the rice supply with Bayer´s GE rice farmers, millers, traders and retailers around the globe are facing massive financial costs, including testing and recall costs, cancelled orders, import bans, brand damage and consumer distrust – distrust that could last for years.
“Governments from around the world must respond to the economic, market and environmental damage caused by the 2006 GE rice contamination and reject outright any GE rice food and cultivation applications currently on the table,” said Tager. “GE rice should not be developed as genetic engineering is an unnecessary, unwanted and outdated technology that threatens the world’s most important staple food.”
Greenpeace campaigns for GE-free crop and food production grounded on the principles of sustainability, protection of biodiversity and providing all people access to safe and nutritious food. Genetic engineering is an unnecessary and unwanted technology that contaminates the environment, threatens biodiversity and poses unacceptable risks to health.
Notes to Editor
(1) Company statements received from the following countries: Japan, Switzerland, France, Hong Kong, Germany, Australia, Pakistan, Thailand, India, Brazil, Spain, Canada and the UK. For statements see pages 7 – 12 of the Rice markets report.
(3) Weiss, R. 2006. Firm Blames Farmers, ‘Act of God’ for Rice Contamination. Washington Post. 22 November, 2006. www.washingtonpost.com/ActofGod Leonard, C. 2006. 13 Lawsuits Over Accidental Spread of Genetically Altered Rice Could Be Combined Into 1. Associated Press. 30, November, 2006. www.boston.com/LawsuitGErice
(4) Countries in which Bayer CropScience has applied for authorization for cultivation or food/feed consumption. All approvals are for LL62 unless otherwise noted. 1. Australia – food and feed. Applied 2006


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Metal announced today the creation of Metal VC – a first-of-its-kind cryptocurrency investment fund, founded by Virgil Bellini, Glenn Marien, Marshall Hayner, and Erik Finman. Metal...
Metallicus, the startup behind the peer-to-peer payments platform Metal Pay, received an undisclosed angel investment from the youngest bitcoin millionaire, Erik Finman. In partnership with Metal Pay...
Metal Pay announced today that their users will earn a fee reduction for buying and selling cryptocurrency in proportion to their in-app Metal balance. Metal (MTL)...


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February 21, 2024
Online Video News
Ad Tiering Pays Off as 36% of Subscribers Level Up to Avoid Ads
Landmark study of 5,000 American subscribers shows the impact of ads, bundling, and password-sharing crackdowns on the US subscription economy
Fubo Sues The Walt Disney Company, Fox Corp., Warner Bros. Discovery, and Affiliates for Antitrust Practices
Fubo filed an antitrust lawsuit against The Walt Disney Company, FOX Corp., Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. and their affiliates today, alleging that the vertically-integrated media companies have engaged in a years-long campaign to block Fubo's innovative sports-first streaming business resulting in significant harm to both Fubo and consumers. The complaint alleges that the forthcoming launch of a sports-streaming joint venture steals Fubo's playbook and is the latest example of this campaign.
How FAST Strategy Is Changing as the Ecosystem Matures
As we move well into the era of FAST 2.0, will the strategies that brought FAST success in its early days still pay off and ensure continued growth? Is it time for FAST pioneers to re-innovate? And what can the success of primetime YouTube channels teach FAST brands about evolving their strategic roadmap in a mature, less Wild West-like FAST ecosystem? Tastemade's Evan Bregman, ESHAP's Evan Shapiro, Gusto TV's Chris Knight, and TMB's Cameron Saless discuss in this clip from Streaming Media Connect 2023.
What’s Next for AI Dubbing in the Media Industry?
Anton Dvorkovich, CEO and Founder of Dubformer, writes about how AI dubbing is poised to dramatically transform the broadcast media industry as recently developed solutions are set to be widely implemented.
Bitcentral’s ViewNexa™ partners with Argoid AI to drive enhanced, personalized, and engaging streaming experiences for customers
Bitcentral’s ViewNexa™ partners with Argoid AI to drive enhanced, personalized, and engaging streaming experiences for customers. The partnership empowers ViewNexa customers to secure greater utilization and monetization through increased viewing times an


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With the aim of further building their position in sectors such as automotive, financial services, hospitality and retail, while also expanding their reach throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, customer experience firms InMoment and MaritzCX have entered into an agreement to combine the two companies.
The combined company will immediately support over 2,000 leading brands with a global team of 1,500 employees located in offices spanning North America, Europe, and Asia. “In this world of rising consumer expectations, it is imperative for businesses to have an experience program that can continuously monitor, understand, analyze, and improve the total customer experience with true agility,” said InMoment CEO Andrew Joiner.
The combined company, backed by Madison Dearborn Partners, a leading Chicago-based private equity firm, serves a list of clients that includes 90% of the world’s automotive companies; eight out of of the leading banks; nearly 20% of the top retailers and 40% of the top hospitality companies. Clients of both companies will have access to enhanced technical functionality while maintaining continuity with existing programs-protecting and future-proofing their investment.
“Winning companies are those with access to the right customer knowledge, at the right time, that drives the right action to fundamentally improve the delivered customer experience,” said John Lewis, executive chairman of InMoment, Madison Dearborn Partners executive partner and former global president of Nielsen. “However, that’s all easier said than done. Companies can often underestimate how challenging it is to knit together the systems in a way that creates tangible value to consumers and also deliver economic value to the enterprise. The only way to ‘crack-the-code’ is to marry talented domain experts with leading-edge technology to create tailored systems that can deliver on the bigger vision.”
Andrew Joiner will lead the combined organization as CEO, and John Lewis will continue to chair the Board of Directors. Leadership from both organizations is represented on the combined leadership team. It is expected MaritzCX will operate as ‘MaritzCX, an InMoment company’ for a period of time. The transaction is expected to close in early March 2020.


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There's been talk of an iPad mini for a long time. A quick search shows links as far back as August 2010 in the 'bread. Now, though, the Wall Street Journal has thrown its weight behind the rumors and speculation, giving them a sudden surge in credibility.
According to the Journal, "people familiar with the situation" claim Apple is "qualifying suppliers" for a new tablet with a display size of eight inches or so. One of the Journal's sources claims the device has a 1024x768 display resolution, but that's it as far as specifics are concerned. The story only adds that Apple tests new designs on a regular basis and "could opt not to proceed with the device."
Last October, DigiTimes quoted nebulous supply chain sources who made a similar claim: Apple has a 7.85" iPad in the works. At the time, the site said production would kick off in the second quarter of this year.
I said it then, and I'll say it again: this doesn't sound like something Apple would or should do. Even if the device ends up with a 1024x768 panel and avoids fragmenting its iOS ecosystem with yet another target resolution, the user experience will suffer because of the smaller user-interface widgets. Steve Jobs, too, was skeptical about the benefits of smaller tablets. He stated back in October 2010, "The reason we [won't] make a 7-inch tablet isn't because we don't want to hit that price point, it's because we think the screen is too small to express the software."


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Spinach from the skies, anyone? Menlyn Park supports rooftop farming
The rooftops of Menlyn Park Shopping Centre were once well known for hosting arena activities, festivals and drive-in movies. But today, they are home to something different – and greener.
Andile Matukane, founder of Farmers Choice, has converted what was once a rooftop parking lot into a thriving farm. It makes her the first known person to do rooftop farming in a mall in Tshwane. And Andile hopes to expand her farm to be the biggest one in South Africa, capable of serving many nearby people and businesses.
Tshwane’s first known mall rooftop farm
Farming a few levels up wasn’t always Andile’s plan. She runs two functional land farms in Mpumalanga and Limpopo, selling pigs and seedlings. However, land ownership in South Africa is an ongoing challenge, and so, when looking to grow her business, she decided to get creative and look upwards.
It was a timely choice. With climate change, urbanisation, food insecurity and transport costs all growing, rooftop farming can be done anywhere, anytime, with fewer resources, and closer to people. Her set-up at Menlyn Park uses a hydroponic system, making it capable of growing thousands of leafy green crops all year round (even producing more food compared to soil farming). In a compact space, she can produce lettuces, basil, rocket, edible flowers, strawberries and spinach – and deliver them quickly.
The perfect spot
Andile’s rooftop farm is also an ideal fit for Menlyn Park’s sustainability drive. The shopping mall has made a commitment to reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink waste.
These green efforts started when Pareto undertook the refurbishment and expansion of Menlyn Park in 2014. We helped ensure the new construction was fully aligned with environmentally friendly design and construction principles. The base building, among other things, incorporated paints, adhesives and sealants with low or no volatile organic compounds, and composite wood with low formaldehyde emission levels. For these efforts, the mall was awarded a four-star Green Star Retail Design rating by the Green Building Council of South Africa – a historic and significant achievement for the South African retail sector.
Today, some of the mall’s other green features include sophisticated metering, CO2 monitors, roof skylights, large-scale composters, and facilities for alternative transport.
The new rooftop farm complements these, and both Pareto and Menlyn Park are excited to support this eco-friendly space. The farm is low in maintenance, gives high and consistent production results per square meter, has a low input usage of water and electricity, and has low space requirements.
The farm itself was built without creating much waste. It either kept or modified the existing parking lot infrastructure. The concrete uprights now serve as greenhouse support frames, while the IBR arch sheets were replaced with Agri Plastic Sheeting.
The future of farming
Urban rooftop farming in South Africa started taking off as a trend in 2017, with the launch of the Urban Agriculture Initiative (UAI). Developed by key stakeholders in the public and private sector, the UAI seeks to address issues of food security and assist job creation. Since its establishment, rooftops farms have popped up in cities across South Africa, supplying restaurants and other clientele with gourmet lettuce and basil.
But this is the first venture atop a mall, and Andile hopes to see the trend continue. Speaking to Food for Mzansi recently, she predicts that more people will start going into rooftop farming as the need for food production in small spaces increases. What’s more, as someone who was mentored to have a greater understanding of farming and entrepreneurship herself, she hopes to be this mentor and adviser to other keen farmers around the country too. Running a farm on top of one of the largest and busiest malls in South Africa is definitely a good place to start.