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This week’s roundup of news from the payment industry takes a look at the impact of digital transaction experiences on in-person retailers, new mobile commerce statistics, the latest news in chargebacks, and more.
Digital Tools Key To Helping Salons Grow Loyalty, Cut Payment Friction
In payments industry news, there has been a large focus on the “digital shift” that developed over the past year and a half when it comes to how consumers complete transactions. While consumers are now returning to in-person retailers, they are bringing those new digital preferences with them.
In their latest Seizing The Digital-First Retail Renaissance report, Pymnts.com noted that it’s now essential for retailers to combine the digital convenience customers now expect with the in-person experiences they’re now returning to. A key statistic supporting this notion is that 57% percent of consumers indicated they chose to shop with certain merchants because those retailers offered the right combination of digital payment methods.
The report also noted that customers expect digital experiences to be available from in-person beauty retailers such as salons. Salon owners need to make the full customer journey convenient and frictionless to keep their customers satisfied - for example, by offering online appointment booking and contactless payments. Global Payments Integrated’s commerce enablement solutions can help businesses in these areas and more.
Too Soon to Gear-Up for the Holidays? Not When it Comes to Chargeback Management
Chargebacks experience a post-holiday spike each year between January and March, and next year’s “chargeback season.” In 2020, ecommerce sales increased 24% compared to 2019.
While consumers enjoy the convenience, remote commerce entails a higher chargeback risk. One survey found that a third of respondents in the US committed “friendly fraud” in 2020 by either claiming that a product was unsatisfactory or falsely claiming a purchase was never delivered to them.
While January 2022 may still seem far away, businesses should start preparing now for chargeback season. PaymentsJournal provides a list of questions businesses should ask themselves in order to help prevent chargebacks, such as “Are you proactive about fraud threats by keeping defenses up-to-date with new fraud tactics?” and “Are you applying lessons from past returns, complaints, and chargebacks to improve the customer experience?”
For more information on chargebacks and additional tips to prevent them, see our blog entry Managing Chargebacks: What ISVs Should Know.
New PYMNTS Data Show Voice-Enabled Commerce Is A Business Winner For 40 Pct Of Consumers
As digital offerings across the payments landscape continue to evolve, PYMNTS discovered that more than 41% of surveyed consumers would be “more likely to do business with a company that would let them use voice commands to manage money or payments.”
When looking at the age demographics, millennials and “bridge millennials” are the most likely to engage with businesses that offer voice assistance features. Over 60% of each of these age groups responded that they were either somewhat or much more likely to do business with firms that offer this form of payment technology.
Credential Stuffing Remains Fraudsters’ Favored Form of Attack, Says Arkose Labs
Digital Transactions analyzed a recent fraud trends report from Arkose Labs. The report found that across Arkose’s network, credential stuffing accounted for 285 million attacks during the first half of 2021. Digital Transactions defines credential stuffing as “a type of cyberattack that bombards a Web application with stolen username and password combinations to fraudulently gain access to, and take over, an account via login requests.”
The report also noted that credential stuffing attacks cost affected businesses $6 million per business per year on average, and nearly half of victimized businesses spend up to five hours remediating each incident of a compromised user account.
To learn more about different types of fraud and data breaches, as well as tips to help ISVs and their merchants prevent it, read Recognizing and Managing Payment Fraud.
Mobile commerce sales will double to $700+ billion by 2025: eMarketer
Morning Brew took a look at the recent rise in mobile commerce, which is buying goods using a mobile phone. They shared notable statistics from eMarketer and Deloitte, including:
- Mobile commerce sales increased by 41.4% in 2020 and will grow another 15.2% this year, hitting $359.3 billion.
- Mobile commerce is expected to almost double its share of annual US retail sales by 2025, to 10.4% - or $728+ billion.
- During the pandemic, 56% of American consumers used apps or mobile websites to order food (up from 36%) and 51% ordered products for pickup (up from 31%).
- A 2021 Deloitte survey shows that 70% of 2,000+ US teens and adults will continue these habits post-Covid.
Stay tuned for more payment news, and to stay up to date on the latest payment trends, subscribe to our blog.


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NEC has unveiled a biometric technology that uses the resonation of sound determined by the shape of human ear cavities to authenticate the identity of individuals. “The new technology instantaneously measures acoustic characteristics determined by the shape of the ear using an earphone with a built-in microphone to collect earphone-generated sounds as they resonate within ear cavities,” NEC says. The company will commercialise the technology in 2018 in a “wide range of applications”.
- Apple enters financial services market with privacy-first credit card
- Apple Pay expands to transit systems in the US
- Mastercard sets out vision for consumer-centric digital identities
- ING Romania to let customers withdraw cash with just their mobile phones
- SBI adds cardless mobile cash withdrawals at 16,500 ATMs across India

domain: news


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REUTERS - Facebook Inc is set to unveil a new application in the first half of next year that would stream video advertisements in users' news feed, Ad Age reported, citing several industry executives who have been briefed on the company's plans over the past few weeks.
Video ads would be available on both the desktop as well as on mobile phones apps and tablets, according to Ad Age.
Facebook may prefer limiting the length of these video ads to 15 seconds, the ad news website said.
Facebook had no comment on the Ad Age report when contacted by Reuters.
(Reporting by Sakthi Prasad and Alexei Oreskovic; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Trending On Reuters
Heavy rains and a landslide in the Himalayan region of Kashmir killed 17 people, police said on Tuesday, as authorities continued working to rescue stranded villagers, with unseasonal rains raising fears of flash floods in the mountainous north. Full Article


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3LAU breaks new ground in the music industry with over ten years of production experience. Having recently launched their new company Royal (NFT-based music platform), 3LAU has now released their first fan-made NFT song, “Worst Case”.
After the success of their flagship NFT album Ultraviolet, 3LAU saw what the world of blockchain could do for the music industry and sought to capitalize on it. NFT is selling the track on the Royal platform, with 50% to the artist and 50% to the fans. The platform will offer the first 333 members with early access to get 50% of the song.
Famed vocalist CXLOE juxtaposes uplifting lyrics with up-tempo melody to create the track “Worst Case”. With its production set, 3LAU offers listeners first-class music and brings a new perspective to the digital future.
Risk Disclosure: The articles and articles on Arover.net do not constitute investment advice. Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are high-risk assets, and you should do your due diligence and do your own research before investing in these currencies.


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AUSTIN - The Texas Department of Transportation toll tag operation has wrongly charged $46,000 to the credit cards of more than 1,600 TxTag account holders.
The agency blamed the charges on a cyberattack two weeks ago. The unknown hackers slowed down the TxTag system, causing error messages that misled customers attempting to put more money into their tag accounts, but did not penetrate the system or obtain credit card numbers, TxDOT spokeswoman Karen Amacker said.
"All of our customers' information is secure," Amacker said in an email. "No action is necessary on the part of our customers for the refunds to be processed."
Amacker wrote that electronic refunds for the entire $46,000 have been sent to a credit card clearinghouse, which will then process them with card holders' banks. Getting the inadvertent charges deducted from individual credit card accounts "may take a few days," according to Amacker's email.
TxTag transactions are handled by Federal Signals Technologies, a company under contract with TxDOT.
The system uses hardware and proprietary software developed by a company that Federal Signals Technologies acquired after the TxTag system went live in 2006.
The hacking incident lasted from April 6 to April 8, the agency said. During that period, there was heavily increased Internet traffic at TxTag.org, presumably created by the hackers, and the website slowed down.
Amacker said that all the money incorrectly drawn from credit cards had been accounted for.
TxDOT had issued 988,400 active TxTags and 556,400 TxTag accounts statewide as of the end of February. Amacker said that the hacking incident affected only those who attempted to make a payment on TxTag.org during that three-day period.
Whether TxDOT will pursue criminal charges has not been decided, Amacker said.


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We've got a huge collection of stories in our October 2015 issue, starting with a drive of the latest generation of, arguably the most popular full-fat luxury SUV, the Audi Q7. Then there’s the Kwid, Renault’s newest butch-looking take on an entry-level hatchback, and the Mahindra TUV300 – a rugged, compact SUV to take on the EcoSport. Plus, all the buzz from the Frankfurt Motor Show, new SUVs from Land Rover and Volvo, the new BMW 7-series, and a very special look at the origins of Maruti in India. A lot to look forward to in our October 2015 issue!
New Audi Q7 – The Q7 has always been a very successful model with the elite of India, and in its newest avatar, it has upped the ante. It’s lighter, has a tauter appearance, and is also tech laden. We get behind the wheel to find out if it can help Audi continue to dominate the premium luxury SUV space. And that’s not all. We’ve just begun an epic drive in two new Q7s from Audi’s home in Ingolstadt in Germany, all the way to Delhi. That’s around 17,000km across nine countries!
Suzuki Baleno – It’s a new premium hatchback to take on the likes of the Hyundai i20 and the Honda Jazz, and Maruti will be bringing back the Baleno name when it launches the car here in late October. It was unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show and we’ve got all the information that you need to know about the new premium hatchback.
Mahindra TUV300 – With the TUV300, Mahindra is looking to offer something different from the average compact SUV. Compact, yes, but tough like a proper SUV should be. To that end, it uses a ladder-frame chassis like the Scorpio and even apes its square, boxy styling. But how does that work on the road?
Renault Kwid – The Kwid looks like a mini Duster, but is aimed squarely at the Maruti Alto. It also promises better space, comfort, fuel efficiency, equipment and amazingly, running costs. Does this good looking Renault have what it takes to get Maruti to stand up and take notice?
Osamu Suzuki – The real story of Maruti – In our exclusive conversation with legendary industrialist and recently retired Suzuki chief, he sheds light on the process of getting Maruti Suzuki on its feet, how it was born and how it went on to become India’s largest carmaker.
Mercedes-Maybach S 600 – If you thought the S-class was all the luxury car you could ever need, you might want to see what it looks like when super-luxury sub-brand Maybach gets its hands on it. Longer, even more luxurious and packing an ultra-refined twin-turbo V12 engine.
New BMW 7-series – The Bavarian carmaker’s luxury limousine is lighter, more feature packed, and looks much sharper than before. We take to roads in the US to see well the new 7 stacks up against the Mercedes S-class, Audi A8 and Jaguar XJ.
Jazz CVT vs Micra CVT – With traffic conditions worsening with every passing day, automatic urban city runabouts are getting more popular. The latest addition to the pack, the Honda Jazz CVT, takes on another capable CVT-equipped rival, the Micra.
CBR 650F vs Z800 – Honda’s latest middleweight, the CBR 650F, definitely ticks the right boxes. As eagerly awaited as it was, one can’t deny the steep price tag on it. This has put it straight in the face of the extremely potent Kawasaki Z800.
All this, and more reviews, fun features, news and motorsport stories in this issue of Autocar India. Grab a copy now!


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Back to the fashion: Fabric designer Mary White revives floral prints for a new generation
In the 1950s, her designs were a must have for every housewife furnishing her home and sold in classic British institutions such as Heals and Liberty.
Now, renowned fabric designer Mary White is reviving her original designs for a new generation with a fashion range of bikinis and shirts for stars such as Paris Hilton and DJ Fatboy Slim.
Anthony Worrall Thompson and Bryan Ferry are also among the famous faces that already have pieces from the new collection.
Back to the closet: Mary White has revived her original floral designs and reinterpreted them for a new generation, as seen on bikinis here
Miss White made her name creating classic floral prints with grand titles such as Coppice, Cottage Garden and Zinnia, for cushions and curtains 50 years ago.
She was hailed as a doyenne of designing by publications such as The Homeowner, and was commissioned to create fabrics for use in the cabins of the Queen Mary Ocean Liner and for curtains and seat coverings throughout Heathrow Airport.
Her most famous prints, regarded as a precursor to the styles of Laura Ashley and Mary Quant, are displayed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Miss White, 78, only rediscovered the original artwork 18 months after locking them away in her attic when she quit designing 40 years ago.
She said: 'I wanted to concentrate on my family so I just put away all the pieces in the attic. I had half forgotten about them but then I was having a clear out 18 months ago and found them.
'The designs were in perfect condition, so I showed them to my son Jeremy Dening and daughter-in-law Sarah. I thought they could do something with them.
'My designs were really popular once and that traditional floral style really seems to be back in vogue
'It is the first time in half a century that these designs are being seen and sold.'
On EBay, customers are buying vintage cushions she designed for more than £60 each
The new fashion range is being sold through the family's online retail company Pigletchops.
The firm was set up by Mr Dening, who is a solicitor with his own legal practice, and his wife Sarah.
Mrs Dening said: 'The very traditional style of print from the 1940s and 1950s really is back in fashion.
'A lot of firms are replicating designs from back then, but what we have are clothes made from the original designs.'
Leading fashion expert Cathy Martin said: 'It is absolutely fantastic that Mary's designs are back in vogue again. There is an overall trend for reuse and recycling which includes design 'bests' and we only have to look to the huge success of Celia Birtwell's prints for the TopShop range in high street fashion to appreciate how successful these designs could become.
'Cath Kidston is also hugely popular and somewhat timeless with her classic floral patterns in simple colourways. Mary's are slightly more complicated than those, with more adventurous colours and distinctive patterns, and I for one look forward to stepping into one of her new bikinis.'
Miss Birtwell's designs for Topshop, which are based on her original ideas from the 1960s, have been a huge success for Topshop. Her range has even outsold the collection that Kate Moss created for the high street chain.
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Elektrobit to Expand In-Car Uses of Alexa
Elektrobit, a developer of embedded and connected technology solutions for the automotive industry, will create solutions aimed at helping auto manufacturers integrate Amazon's Alexa digital assistant into their cars. This integration will enable carmakers to extend their vehicles' onboard capabilities and leverage Alexa to provide a natural human machine interface (HMI) experience in the car.
"Elektrobit's solutions can make it simpler and faster for automakers to integrate Alexa into their vehicles," said Ned Curic, vice president of Amazon Alexa, in a statement. "This is great news for customers and automakers alike and a big step forward toward bringing Alexa into more customers' cars."
With Alexa in the car, customers will be able to ask Alexa to answer questions, play music, hear the news, get weather and traffic reports, control smart home devices, and more.
"We're proud to work with Amazon to usher in a new era of in-car voice and natural language capabilities," said Christian Reinhard, vice president of projects at Elektrobit, in a statement. "In addition to providing a more personalized in-car experience, voice input interaction with an HMI is an effective way to minimize driver distraction."


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No need to be jealous of
anymore, Fortnite is coming to Android.
Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite, said it's targeting a summer release for its Android app. The company didn't share a specific date and told CNET it didn't have any more details to share at this time.
The crazy popular survival game has been on PC and consoles since 2017, and made its mobile debut on iOS this March. Now with Android support, potentially millions of people can get their Fortnite fix while on the go.
Analysts estimate that Fortnite Mobile earned $25 million in its first month on iOS.
Watch this: How to stop your kids from making Fortnite in-app iOS purchases


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From BigTechWikiJump to navigationJump to search
- Lawmakers, regulators and even bank lobby groups like the Consumer Bankers Association have expressed concerns that due to Big Tech’s foray into financial services, a growing share of banking activity has occurred outside the purview of regulators, putting consumers and the resiliency of the financial system at risk.
- Regulators worried Big Tech was too big to fail and could cause the next financial collapse.
- Companies like Amazon and Google host most banking activity on their cloud networks and regulators fear a glitch at even one cloud company could bring down key services across multiple banks and countries, leaving customers unable to make payments or access services, and undermine confidence in the financial system.
- According to CNBC, if Big Tech were to actually follow through with launching checking accounts, as Google and Amazon have both at one point announced they would do, it would be smaller, regional banks that would end up taking a hit. That is because fintech companies like Chime and SoFi tend to partner with smaller, regional banks, while Big Tech so far has partnered with Big Banks in their financial services offerings.


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Since 2008, the banking sector has suffered considerably and has had to adapt to a rather hostile global environment that has forced all players in the sector to undertake radical and sometimes painful changes. At the same time, it gave ideas to a few irreducible companies who started thinking about new models, such as FinTech’s business model.
Faced with the fast and massive adhesion of consumers to the offers proposed by FinTech companies, banks are gradually beginning to become aware of the changing uses and expectations of their customers.
And 2018 will undoubtedly be a year of transition for the sector, driven by new regulations, innovations and customer expectations. Here are the key topics that should attract the attention of players in the sector in 2018:
More and more partnerships between banks and FinTech
FinTech and banks are often opposed, yet they are not so different. They share the same need but from different perspectives and often borrow their methods from each other. Thus, some companies started their activity 100% on the Internet then finally returned to a more traditional model by opening physical agencies.
And if banks allow FinTech to benefit from infrastructures, institutional relations and customer base, FinTech, in exchange, bring their digital expertise through a new distribution model: a winning strategy for both sides!
RegTech: giving banks back their agility
RegTech is considered a technology designed to facilitate regulatory risk management. The effective implementation of many regulations should accelerate the adoption of technological solutions capable of managing complex, data intensive rules.
Some solutions are thus beginning to gain popularity for managing MIFID II pre-trade and post-trade transparency rules within CIBs. However they do not have to be opposed to FinTech they are complementary and FinTech are sometimes also RegTech without claiming it.
A payment system that automatically updates itself according to the evolution of European legislation helps its customers to be in compliance in this matter.
Open Banking and APIs: the new rule to which industry players must comply
The arrival of Open Banking is a revolution in the sector in the meaning that it challenges the old rules of conduct of financial institutions that were governed by impermeability and closure.
The data concerned by this opening to other financial services are first of all information that does not relate to individuals. The players in the sector are currently implementing a directive, the PSD 2 (European Payment Services Directive), which came into force in January. This European law provides for the establishment of interfaces – known as APIs – between banks and FinTech by September 2019 to increase data security.
That is to say, banks will be obliged to share information with FinTech and integrate it into the payments market. This will enable FinTech to compete with them and challenge the traditional banking model, which will ultimately benefit customers.
Finding the right balance between consumer data protection and product innovation is essential and remains a challenge for companies in the sector, both FinTech and banks, some too flexible and others too rigid.
The indispensable AI against cybercriminal threats against the banking sector
Cybercriminals are gaining skills and banks remain the priority target of sophisticated attacks. Market players are racing for innovation to offer their customers better protection against fraud.
In online payment, new scoring algorithms are emerging to tackle fraud in conjunction with 3-D Secure, to protect transactions is considered at risk by accurate scoring and based on different data sources. A way to maximize conversion rates while protecting e-commerce merchants from fraud. For players in the banking sector, the use of AI is becoming essential.
The AI, the learning machine, and chatbots: using data to improve the business
Artificial Intelligence is a real source of renewal for the banking sector. Together with other cognitive technologies, such as machine learning and chatbots, it will play a key role in the evolution of the financial sector.
Whether it is to improve advice to customers by offering products adapted to their consumption habits, analyze account activity to predict a departure, or even qualify a need thanks to chatbots, the AI has passed the experimental stage and opens the doors to many improvements in the business.
A new customer relationship model
The customer relationship has changed drastically in recent years, bank agencies are paying the price of digitizing the bank less and less visited by the customer. We can talk about the disruption of the banking relationship which is now being built via digital communication channels.
New banks are shaking up the codes and some well-established institutions are starting a drastic redesign of their customer paths in order to build a good experience.
100% online exchanges are among the new standards of customer relations, adapted to new lifestyles.This is one of the reasons for the success of new online payment and money transfer solutions.
24/7 customer service, expert advisors in their field and features that take into account the new challenges of these companies, such as online fraud. Thus, their success is due more to their service offering than to their products.
Blockchain and cryptocurrency invade the banking landscape
The blockchain is a major innovation in the financial sector for financial transactions, banks and the economy in general. FinTech was the first to take over Blockchain technology, which has recently begun to be tested by banks.
2018 seems to be the year of its maturity with the migration of major players such as the Australian stock exchange towards this technology or the implementation of a regulatory framework in France for unlisted securities.


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$AON said it has appointed Luke Foord-Kelcey to Co-Head Aon Benfield's Global Cyber Practice Group, reinforcing the firm's commitment to cyber risk management and transfer. Based in London, Luke will be responsible for spearheading cyber â?? emerging line of business that offers significant growth opportunities for insurers due to global exposures.
$NFLX a monster move, going up. Expect making some money on Monday.
$AMD down more than 6% even after posting above consensus third quarter results.
$MCD stock rose more than 2% after it posted better than expected 3Q16 results, driven by global same-store sales growth. Meanwhile, earnings and revenue were lower than last year, hurt by refranchising efforts.


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Data connectivity will soon be faster than ever with the announcement of a new USB standard.
USB 4 was revealed in new rulings by the official USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) this week, marking the next generation of the well-known cable connector.
Although full details of exactly what USB 4 can achieve won't be made public until later this year, its expected that the new generation will allow data transfer speeds of up to 40GBps.
This is double the current offering by the leading specification, the new USB 3.2 version announced last week, which can provide up to 20GBps, and equivalent to the speeds offered by Thunderbolt 3.
Intel has today backed this announcement by making its Thunderbolt protocol available to the USB promoter group, making it open to any company looking to integrate the function into their silicon.
“Releasing the Thunderbolt protocol specification is a significant milestone for making today’s simplest and most versatile port available to everyone. This, in combination with the integration of Thunderbolt 3 into upcoming Intel processors is a win-win for the industry and consumers," said Jason Ziller, general manager, Client Connectivity Division at Intel.
The news means that Thunderbolt 3 features will be part of the new design, with USB 4 being backwards-compatible with USB 3.2, USB 2.0 and Thunderbolt 3. The Thunderbolt 3 integration also means it should deliver up to 100W of power and support multiple 4K displays.
The USB Promoter Group says it is working with over 50 leading device manufacturers to finalise the specification, with final details set to be published mid-2019.
“The primary goal of USB is to deliver the best user experience combining data, display and power delivery over a user-friendly and robust cable and connector solution,” said Brad Saunders, USB Promoter Group Chairman.
“The USB4 solution specifically tailors bus operation to further enhance this experience by optimizing the blend of data and display over a single connection and enabling the further doubling of performance.”
Image credit: Shutterstock


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Welcome to IQ, the Anamorphiq blog on digital-first public relations, marketing and creative matters.
The economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis is expected to reach into billions of dollars of lost revenues, with entire economies being turned on their heads.
But like other crises, it will end. Timing is a mystery and although the full impact is unclear, the COVID-19 crisis will not last forever.
We are honored that our clients have shared their positive experience while working with Anamorqhiq and distinguished us as one of the top business to business firms.
The term artificial intelligence, or “AI” is on your radar by now. You probably have scanned an article about it or heard it in the news. But, how much do you really know about AI? And, how does it impact business communications?


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All Goodwill of North Georgia store locations and career centers are now open.
One of the largest nonprofits in the state of Georgia is joining the growing list of retailers and businesses that have reopened following Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision to revive the state’s economy.
Keith Parker, president and CEO of Goodwill North Georgia, says it is part of a phased reopening strategy.
“We tried to do a phased reopening because we wanted to keep our customers and our employees as safe as possible,” said Parker.
“We had been shut down for almost two months, and we had been strategizing the entire time about what’s the right way to reengage.”
Last week, the nonprofit that serves 45 counties in Georgia reopened 21 of its stores and four of its career centers.
On Thursday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Parker told the show’s host, Rose Scott, that newly reopened Goodwill locations were selected with caution.
“So, our strategy ended up being: Let’s reopen in our more rural areas to get started, where we have lower volume and, in fact, the areas that don’t have many confirmed cases of COVID-19,” Parker explained.
As the next step in the phased reopening strategy, Goodwill welcomed customers to its remaining 44 brick-and-mortar stores and nine career centers.
Parker says donation centers are slated to open Monday, May 18, for contactless donations.
During the conversation, Parker stressed that all facilities have been deep-cleaned and sanitized and that Goodwill is working to protect the health of staff, customers, donors and job seekers through enhanced safety measures.
He also shared how Goodwill has connected at least 4,000 Georgians to jobs during the pandemic and shared his thoughts on what a post-pandemic workforce would like.
Keith Parker, president and CEO of Goodwill North Georgia
To listen to the full conversation, please click the audio player above.


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Verizon Wireless spokesperson Brenda Raney has confirmed with the Wall Street Journal that the carrier will launch its new flat-rate prepaid plan nationwide beginning this Thursday. The plan consists of a $50 monthly rate which includes unlimited voice, text and web access, but would not confirm if it was the currently in market testing Verizon Unleashed offering being sold in select markets and online with handsets from LG and Pantech.
The new offering will also be sold in Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart locations, putting it in direct competition with MetroPCS, Cricket, Tracfone and AT&T’s GoPhone service. The current Verizon Unleashed offering consists of realigned service plans at new per minute and per day rates, but the emphasis will be placed on the $50 monthly plan as seen below.
One caveat of the new prepaid plan is that it will be sold with and tied to specific handsets and it will not be offered with smartphones, leaving those that want such devices to rely on the monthly prepaid hybrid plans, though this means that parents are also Verizon customers will have an alternative to adding another line and not have to worry about overages. However, Verizon still has yet to match Virgin Mobile or Boost Mobile’s prepaid smartphone offerings, with Virgin Mobile still being the best alternative for those that want a high-end smartphone with data access.


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Rapper-turned-businessman Kanye West spent his mother’s birthday meeting with one of the men that changed his life, making him the wealthiest man in music.
On Tuesday, July 12th, the heavenly birthday of Ms. Donda West, the fashion designer and brand-ologist sat on a call with Robert Fisher, the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Gap Inc., Bob L. Martin, the Executive Chairman and Interim CEO at Gap, and others to discuss the company’s business.
So inspired by meeting the businessmen, Ye took to social media to express his gratitude – linking the serendipity of his mom’s born day with his first-time meeting Bob Martin.
Kanye captioned an Instagram post, dropping one of the most extraordinary jewels he heard on the call – “go to the stores.”
“On my moms birthday I was able for the first time to sit in on a Gap call with Bob Martin, Bob Fisher, and other leads of the company,” Kanye wrote. “Bob Martin was one of the most inspiring people I’ve heard speak in business. He kept saying go to the stores on the call.”
While reflecting on what they were able to do in such a short amount of time, Kanye continued, “I came to Gap to put good product directly in stores. We’ve had 2 of the biggest sales day in Gap history since I’ve been there.”
“We sold 14 million dollars worth of the perfect black hoodie at 80 dollars a hoodie off of a television commercial that was ran one time. I came to Gap to bring good quality products to the people at all times,” he proudly shared.
Kanye also shared what’s next on his agenda, a one-on-one meeting with the big dog, “Bob I need to meet with you as soon as possible.”
Seems like Ye has some tricks up his sleeve.


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We too have grown to love the hefty, brown-vested sarcastic green ogre, but c'mon, this is a bit much.
Movie-goers will pay that price this weekend at the AMC theater in Manhattan's Kips Bay neighborhood, AMC Loews 34, AMC Loews Lincoln Square and AMC Empire 42nd Street.
"Shrek Forever After'' is the series' fourth installment, and the first in 3-D. Critics of the price increase say the rapid jump is a problem, particularly because it involves a kids' movie.
"With the state of the economy remaining questionable, we worry pricing is simply moving up too quickly," media analyst Richard Greenfield wrote in a blog post, according to The Wall Street Journal. "The danger is scaring consumers away from the movie theaters."
But in the aftermath of 3-D blockbusters like "Alice in Wonderland" and "Avatar," it appears theater operators are willing to take the risk.


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RYANAIR HAS ANNOUNCED it is bringing a High Court case against an Irish travel agency over alleged unathorised selling of tickets for the airline’s flights.
The airline claims that Budget Travel mis-sells Ryanair flights by screenscraping ticket information from the airline’s website and selling seats at inflated prices to consumers. Budget Travel has rejected the claims.
In a statement, Ryanair said that it allowed and encouraged “price comparison only” websites to access its timetable and pricing information in the interest of price transparency. It says the licence agreement – which allows access in return for a €100 charitable donation – was open to all genuine price comparison websites but that, while many such as Skyscanner.net have signed up to the agreement, Budget Travel “has refused”.
Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said:
Budget Travel has no permission or agreement with Ryanair and we have been forced to take legal action to insist that they immediately desist from unlawfully scraping and selling Ryanair’s low fare flights often at inflated prices to unsuspecting consumers.
Ryanair claims that the agency applies price mark-ups of €18 or more and fails to provide customers with a cost breakdown when selling seats.
It also says that the agency fails to pass on passenger details, meaning that Ryanair cannot communicate directly with customers in the event of changes to schedule or flight disruptions.
It said that Budget Travel fails to forward passenger credit card details, which means refunds cannot be passed onto customers directly, and that the agency charges upwards of €75 for returning funds issued by the airline to passengers.
Ryanair also said the agency did not offer ancillary services including special assistance reservation, seat reservation, and priority boarding, and fails to notify customers of the airline’s terms and conditions when booking.


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In further signs the labour market gradually continues to soften, jobs data released on Thursday revealed WA’s unemployment rate edged upwards to now sit at 4.2% for January, up from 3.9% in December.
This is slightly above the national average, with Australia’s unemployment rate hitting 4.1%. This result should give the Reserve Bank further confidence that the current monetary policy setting is having the intended effect on economic activity.
Retail trade in sharp decline
Retail trade data released last week showed a sharp decline in WA’s retail turnover, falling 3.8% over the month to December.
This is on the back of a pickup in spending the previous month as a result of Black Friday sales pulling spending forward. However, this decline has dragged retail trade down to its lowest level in 12 months.
Of greater interest, retail trade volumes (adjusted for inflation) ticked up over the December quarter, rising 0.8%. Despite this, retail trade volumes have remain little changed over the last two years, up only 0.8% from December 2021. This is despite strong population growth recorded over the same period, indicating spending per person continues to decline as higher living costs continue to weigh on households.
China battles deflation
In contrast to the inflationary challenge being faced in most economies around the world, China continues to battle accelerating deflation with consumer prices falling 0.8% over the year to January.
This is the fourth straight month of decline in consumer prices and the biggest fall in just over 14 years. The decline comes on the back of weaker than expected demand and a fall in energy prices, with food prices falling at record pace and the decline in transport costs quickening.
The result highlights one of the economic challenges facing China, with the current levels of consumption proving to be insufficient to maintain prices.
CCIWA’s Economic reports are available exclusively to CCIWA Complete, Advantage and Corporate Members. For more see CCIWA’s Economic Insight page.


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According to leading ophthalmologists and a recent report from GigaOm’s technology research platform, long-term exposure to blue light after dark can lead to chronic insomnia, and even breast cancer. This blue light however is only given off by devices using Light Emitting Diode (LED). These would include computer monitors, tablets, flat-screen TVs (such as those manufactured by Samsung, Sony, and LG), and OLED TVs with curved screens, including Panasonic, Samsung, and LG.Continue reading Is Blue Light Eye Strain a Myth or Fact?
Although most of us are working from home during this Covid crisis as much as possible, there are offices that are open and employees have report to work. And Covid is not the only germ proliferating the office. We are also into our annual cold and flu season. Fortunately there are strict rules in place about wearing masks and staying six feet apart. However, there are equipment that are shared by all and easily spreads germs and viruses.Continue reading NuShield’s Antimicrobial Protection Kills Germs on Office Equipment Displays
By Jane Sandwood
As the country continues its efforts against the Coronavirus pandemic, record numbers of Americans are attempting to adjust to a work from home setup. In the Cheddar/YouGov Poll in March, 28 percent of workers said they are currently working from home. This means millions of workers will be contemplating how to get the best office setup, including positioning their computer screens to avoid screen glare when working from home. Around 70 percent of adults report digital eye strain, stemming from the use of computer, mobile and tablet screens. With workers spending around 10 hours per day in front of a computer screen, it’s important that you practice a few simple positioning tricks to protect your vision. Whether you are just setting up your new electronic device in your home office or have already created a nook dedicated to working at home, here are a few positioning tips that can reduce the chances of eye strain.
If you were one of the lucky recipients of a new phone, tablet, laptop or tv, congratulations!
However, you might have noticed that when you watch the display of your new device you find that you see more of your reflection than what’s on the screen. Even if your device came with a screen protector film installed it probably was more for scratch resistance than glare elimination. And when you take your phone, tablet or laptop outside it becomes impossible to see past the glare.
As Summer winds down, parents and kids are turning their attention to going back to school. Some districts and colleges start before Labor Day and the drudgery of shopping has begun. Not only do you need to have new clothes and shoes, but today’s schoolers are equipped with electronics. No one uses notebooks, pencils, pens or erasers these days. Laptops, tablets, smartphones are a must in today’s high technology world.
February 14 is the day of love and we go out of our way to show our special someone how much we love them. Hopefully, you have carefully thought about what to give this year instead of relying on the old fall-back of flowers and candy. If you are giving an electronic device with a shiny display screen then you should also consider a NuShield film to protect this device from glare and scratches.
According to leading ophthalmologists and a recent report from GigaOm’s technology research platform, long-term exposure to blue light after dark can lead to chronic insomnia, and even breast cancer. This blue light however is only given off by devices using Light Emitting Diode (LED). These would include computer monitors, tablets, flat-screen TVs (such as those manufactured by Samsung, Sony, and LG), and OLED TVs with curved screens, including Panasonic, Samsung, and LG.
Swim suit? Check. Beverages? Check. Phone/tablet? Check. Time to hit the beach. But wait; there could be one more thing that you’re missing. We all enjoy having our beloved mobile devices next to us while relaxing by the beach. They are perfect for catching up on social media posts, taking and viewing pictures, reading the news or even watching videos.
The Microsoft XBox E3 conference kicked off with a huge press conference introducing new games by Microsoft. The presentation was also streamed live to over 1.7 million viewers. See presentation here.


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G20 retreats on free trade following America's claims that it was being treated unfairly
Compalints: President Donald Trump
The world's biggest economies have watered down their commitment to free trade this weekend – after America insisted the current system meant it was being treated unfairly.
The G20 summit of the world's biggest economies issued a statement yesterday supporting trade between countries as a means to economic growth – but dropping the commitment to avoid all protectionism, a key feature of previous G20 agreements.
President Trump has been critical of current global trade which he sees as having damaged America's domestic industry.
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The pandemic’s shift to remote work brought new cyber threats for businesses, as the mix of business and personal life that’s at home presents new opportunities for attackers to break in. Companies that centered employees at an office would typically focus their protections of IP and personal info on the devices and networks within the office. But now it must extend to the home of each employee.
“What’s happened is your attack surface has grown exponentially,” said Gregg Smith, the chairman of the Cybersecurity Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAMI) and CEO of Columbia-based Attila Security. “Now you have tens of hundreds of thousands of employee working from home, many of which have to work on home computers or are working on a combination of home computers or tablets with an office or a work computer. … You’re typically connecting to Wi-Fi that might have a simple password or no password at all.
“It’s a field day for the attackers, quite frankly.”
With these new vulnerabilities, the state’s cluster of cybersecurity companies that service and spin out of federal installations sought to provide a resource that could provide help.
Smith spurred CAMI to set up the Cyber SWAT Team, which is a free hotline that provides incident assistance for businesses. It draws on the membership of CAMI — a statewide org that has grown from 50 to 580 members in recent years — to address incidents.
“We cover, with those companies, so many different services and products that just our state alone can do a phenomenal job of helping an affected company out very quickly,” Smith said.
During these uncertain times, businesses are more vulnerable to cyber attacks. Our incident hotline will connect you to a CAMI member cybersecurity company that will provide resources to help your business respond quickly to an emergency. For more: https://t.co/dAoSYLhoOn pic.twitter.com/II5q5Vzxok
— CAMI (@CAMIcyberMD) July 18, 2020
The issues could range from a ransomware breach to an email spoofing attack. Smith didn’t offer an exact number of companies assisted, but said they’ve had “pretty good success.”
“The phone isn’t ringing off the hook, but we certainly are getting calls and helping people out,” he said.
When a call comes in, CAMI holds an intake call, and triages the need with the org’s senior leadership team to figure out who would be best positioned to help. Many of the companies are doing pro bono work initially, and CAMI can also make referrals to the authorities or other services, if needed.
“The good news is we’ve been able to provide help to just about everybody we’ve talked to,” Smith said.
The hotline was created as a response to the pandemic, but Smith sees CAMI offering it permanently going forward. As the fall arrived, the Maryland Department of Commerce awarded CAMI a $10,000 grant to help raise awareness.
“I think that this can provide a valuable service ongoing,” Smith said. “The next question really becomes, do we start to roll this out beyond just our state? Do we roll it out as a next step to the DMV, for example? Do we share this model with other cyber associations around the country?”
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The Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG offers excellent driving dynamics, but after a week behind the wheel, it failed to make the vital emotional argument it needs.
- Brandon Turkus
- Jan 12, 2015
Mercedes-Benz has taken the wraps off its second AMG Sport model, with the 362-hp C450 AMG 4Matic, at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.
- Chris Bruce
- May 27, 2014
There was a rumor back in April that Mercedes-Benz was busy developing a C450 model that would sit in between the current top-shelf C-Class, the C400, and the coming-soon C63 AMG. It appears that is entirely the case, and our spy shooters have the photos to prove it, showing off the newest model with no camouflage (in fetching Touring guise, no less).
- Hyundai Veloster N: menacing grille, big wing
- New Chevy Corvette ZR1 caught live on video
- Find and compare 2017 models


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Since gas prices across Europe are skyrocketing, consumers have inclined more towards renewable energy sources. Home owners are demanding more affordable energy and services for a sustainable lifestyle. However, heating is one of the most difficult challenges to solve. Consumers are finding it tough to choose the right product that will best suit their household and then connect with a professional technician with the capacity for installation and commissioning.
This is where Prague-based climate tech startup Woltair steps in. The startup, previously called Topíte.cz, makes it easy for consumers to shift towards affordable energy solutions. Founded by Karel Náprstek, Jiri Sveda, and Daniel Helcl in 2018, the digital platform connects consumers, technicians, and supply chains to streamline the purchase and installation process.
The Czech platform has now secured €16.3 million in funding to make inroads in Poland, Italy and Germany by the end of 2022. The Series A round was led by sustainability fund ArcTern Ventures and backed by Westly Group, Aternus, Kaya VC, Inven Capital, and Movens Capital.
According to the startup, the platform has served over 3,000 customers and is growing 4x year-on-year. Woltair claims to have saved more than 9,000 tonnes of Co2 emissions from the atmosphere. Besides solar panels and heat pumps, the platform can be adapted to include future energy solutions.
Jan Hanuš, CEO of Woltair, said: “Woltair wants to empower customers to choose sustainable energy and connect them with the technicians to serve their needs. The new funding will help us put renewable heat sources in more buildings across Europe.”
Kristin Aamodt, partner at ArcTern Ventures, added: “The demand for affordable and sustainable residential energy solutions, such as heat pumps and solar panels, is growing faster than ever before. But this nascent sector needs a transparent, digital partner to support customers on this journey. Woltair has created the right product for the right time. Its unique, two-sided model has helped to build trust for both customers and technicians.”


text: South Korean smartphone company Samsung may soon reveal its Samsung Galaxy A04 Core and Galaxy M04 in India. Samsung may be planning to expand its entry-level A series with two new handsets. The smartphone giant had revealed the Galaxy A04 earlier this week. Both these handsets have reportedly been spotted on the website of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). However, this alleged hearing does not reveal any specification of these smartphones. According to reports, Galaxy A04 Core and Galaxy M04 have been spotted on the Geekbench database.


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In the words of Alcatel – “Make it faster keep it POP”. The POP S3 is the latest 4G phone from Alcatel trying to compete with the iPhone 5c and its colourful design. Weighing only 130g it is pretty light, users can also personalise their smartphone with the colourful battery covers. They are described as … Continue reading ALCATEL launch “super-colourful affordable LTE” POP S3 smartphone
Under Google’s brief stewardship of Motorola (May 2012 to January 2014), two handsets reached the market: the budget Moto G and the more premium Moto X. The Moto X is the second one to arrive in Britain (in the US, confusingly, the order was reversed) and now reviewers from this side of the Atlantic have … Continue reading Motorola Moto X review round-up
In its never-ending quest to bring out gadgets to cover all possible screen sizes, price points and design styles, Samsung has announced a new, slimmer version of the Galaxy Tab 3 tablet. The new 7-inch slate is aimed squarely at the budget tablet shopper, putting it in competition with Tesco’s popular Hudl device, among others. … Continue reading Samsung announces budget 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3 Lite
With CES just around the corner, Samsung has announced the Galaxy Camera 2, a follow-up to its popular Galaxy Camera, which was the world’s first Android-powered digital camera to fuse smartphone functionality with a point-and-click camera. As you’d expect with any yearly refresh, Samsung has improved up the spec list in several areas – so … Continue reading Samsung unveils faster, more powerful, Galaxy Camera 2
New versions of Android don’t arrive with the same kind of hullabaloo as they used to, nor it would seem the same numerical significance. After Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 and Jelly Bean 4.1-4.3, the newest kid on the block is KitKat 4.4 so called thanks to a strange deal struck between Google and Nestlé. KitKat … Continue reading The best features in Android KitKat 4.4
Following weeks and weeks of leaks, rumours and speculation the Nexus 5 has finally arrived as the new reference Android smartphone. Can the Google and LG collaboration really provide a proper flagship device at a fraction of the price? Take a look at the whirl of excitement the Google Nexus 5 has created and decide … Continue reading Review roundup: Google Nexus 5 smartphone
Rumours of an Amazon-branded phone continue to swirl around the tech world, but in the meantime the company is focusing on its Android tablet line with its new Kindle Fire HDX range. The competition is fiercer than ever: cut-price slabs from Tesco and Argos are now fighting it out with Google’s better-than-ever second-generation Nexus 7, … Continue reading Kindle Fire HDX coming to the UK, but is it any good?
Tesco’s continued push to capture some of the burgeoning digital entertainment market has seen the supermarket giant launch its own budget Android tablet called Hudl. Presumably pronounced Huddle, the 7-inch tablet retails for just £119 – but despite the credit crunch price tag it actually has a lot going for it. At the forefront of the … Continue reading Tesco enter tablet market with launch of “Hudl”


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USTR: China and Russia Are Not Living Up to WTO Commitments
China and Russia have failed to embrace the market-oriented economic policies championed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and are not living up to certain key commitments they made when they joined the WTO.
Those were the conclusions of the US Trade Representative said in annual reports released yesterday on each country’s compliance with WTO rules.
The reports, delivered to Congress, are required by law and assess China’s and Russia’s implementation of their respective WTO commitments. China became a member of the WTO in 2001 and Russia joined the WTO in 2012.
“The United States is committed to working with all WTO Members who share our goal of using the WTO to create and enforce rules that lead to more efficient markets, reciprocal benefits and greater wealth for our citizens,” said Ambassador Robert Lighthizer. “However, as these two reports show, the global trading system is threatened by major economies who do not intend to open their markets to trade and participate fairly. This practice is incompatible with the market-based approach expressly envisioned by WTO members and contrary to the fundamental principles of the WTO.”
The report on China’s WTO compliance found that the Chinese government pursues an array of interventionist policies aimed at limiting market access for imported goods and services and foreign manufacturers and service suppliers. China’s regulatory authorities “require or pressure foreign companies to transfer technology as a condition for securing investment or other approvals.”
China maintains the state’s leading role in the economy and pursues industrial policies that support domestic industries and impede their foreign counterparts.
The report on Russia’s WTO compliance found that “Russia’s actions strongly indicate that it has no intention of complying with many of the promises it made to the United States and other WTO members.” The country “has done little…to demonstrate a commitment to the principles of the WTO or to many of the specific commitments that it made” in the negotiations leading to Russia’s membership in the WTO. The agricultural sector is one of the most challenging sectors for US exporters.
“In 2017,” the report concluded, “Russia increasingly appeared to turn away from the principles of the WTO, instead turning inward through the adoption of local content policies and practices. Russia continued to rely on arbitrary behind-the-border measures and other discriminatory practices to exclude US exports.”


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At the height of the crisis in 2009, she told her colleagues things were so bad that people were literally breaking into piggy banks to get cash.» Read More
Royal Caribbean is introducing a robot bartender, but the experience just isn't the same, says Issac from 'The Love Boat.' NBC News reports.
California Gov. Jerry Brown signs new insurance requirements on ridesharing companies into law.
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk said the technology needed for an autonomous car will be ready in five or six years.
In The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: One analyst's buy rating on Alibaba stock; the government's rough housing numbers; and the Apple CEO's privacy push
The world's largest database company has matured and grown in to, what analyst Scott Kessler, considers a utility company.
Target will hire 70,000 seasonal workers this holiday, Wal-Mart 60,000 and J.C. Penney 35,000.
A top Wall Street investment expert doesn't see a stock or corporate bond crash coming anytime soon—even if it's tough to spot cheap assets.
Advisors focused on Gen X and Gen Y clients are blazing trails, creating new fee and service models to serve this large demographic.
Higher tax burdens have many wealthier-than-ever Americans taking a greater interest in charitable-giving vehicles that offer tax relief.
You'll be surprised how quickly you can save $1,000 by the end of the year, simply by reducing or eliminating some common expenses.
Home costs are the biggest expense for people 50 and older, accounting for 40% to 45% of their household budgets, according to a report.
An erectile dysfunction drug that reduces by half the time patients need to take the pill has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Alibaba's IPO will unleash a flood of wealth for Jack Ma and Joseph Tsai, but unlike some other tech IPOs, the big money isn't being spread around the company.
The key here is reporting the amount moved and the amount that's taxable. With direct rollovers, these are two dramatically different figures.
Retirement comes with some big decisions. Here's the most effective way to hack retirement: Plan ahead.
Pizza Hut is testing out a lighter pizza in two U.S. markets as it seeks to freshen up its menu and regain its footing against competitors.
The United States said it will press India's new prime minister to end his blockage of a global trade pact when he visits Washington this month.
At least 3 million barrels of Iraqi Kurdish oil are on ships heading to Asia, with trade sources naming China as a possible destination.
Major sponsors have made public statements criticizing the NFL over its handling of Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson. Will the displeasure take hold?
The national average price for a gallon of regular gas could drop another 20 cents this fall, just in time for the holiday shopping season.
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A group is digging through a German city for the Amber Room, a chamber of treasures believed lost since 1941. NBC News reports.
How do restaurants expand? They build their existing business or buy growth. Here are concepts that restaurants are betting on.
We are asking our CNBC show anchors to pick the million dollar home from three choices in various cities.
The Federal Reserve released new transcripts from 2009 just as the U.S. economy began to turn, with CNBC's Tyler Mathisen and Steve Liesman.
The FMHR traders take their positions on three stocks making news today, including Bob Evans, Smith & Wesson and American Eagle.
U.S. Senator is asking for an investigation into Lumber Liquidators, reports CNBC's Scott Wapner.


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In the wake of Home Depot's breach, reports of fraudulent transactions have surfaced on the heels of two class-action lawsuits, one filed in Canada by a consumer and the other filed in Florida on behalf of financial institutions.
The fraudulent transactions, which are thought to be linked to stolen payment information, include the buying of prepaid cards, electronics, and groceries, sources familiar with the incidents told The Wall Street Journal. They have been tracked to batches of cardholder accounts linked to specific ZIP codes.
One financial institution, the Air Academy Federal Credit Union, has spotted about $20,000 worth of fraudulent purchases since the breach.
In a breach that may have impacted up to 56 million card over a five month period, attackers are thought to have accessed Home Depot's systems, in all of its 2,200 stores, through its point-of-sale (POS) terminals.
As more information surrounding the breach comes out, some customers have filed class-action lawsuits against the home improvement retailer. A man in Ottawa, Steven Lozanski, filed a $500-million class-action suit against Home Depot of Canada and its parent company, The Home Depot, earlier this week. He claims that $8,000 worth of fraudulent charges were made on his card after he shopped at the store, according to the Ottawa Business Journal.
Lozanski's lawsuit alleges the company, “failed to uncover and disclose the extent of the breach and notify its affected customers of the breach in a timely manner.”
A separate lawsuit was filed in Georgia this past week. In it, First Choice Federal Credit Union claims it suffered losses and is seeking to recover damages on behalf of credit unions, banks and other financial institutions that were impacted by the breach, Law360 reported.


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The trend: Tech’s recession isn’t as dire for corporations as Wall Street says when put into perspective.
- Although the industry’s pandemic-era growth fell sharply this year, Big Tech’s profits are still robust.
- Compared with the average tech company that makes $182 in profit per second, Meta generates $924 in profits per second, according to a Tipalti study, per CNBC.
- Google parent Alphabet earns $1,277 in profits per second, Microsoft $1,404, and Apple $1,820.
Tech workers are bearing the brunt of tech companies’ failure to meet investor’s expectations, with over 85,000 US tech sector workers laid off in 2022 as of late November, per Crunchbase.
Things are looking up: Economic signals indicate that tech’s outlook might not be as bad as previously forecast.
- The US Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes have played a central role in the industry’s upheaval and stock market volatility as it tries to rein in inflation.
- Yet consumer price growth has fallen over the past two months—a sign that the worst may be over in terms of interest rate hikes.
- Economists anticipate that consumer price indices will drop to the normal 3% to 3.5% range by the end of 2023, per Bloomberg.
Tech also has reason to be hopeful based on Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales performance, sending Amazon’s shares up 0.6%, per Reuters. And Meta’s shares were up 18% in November, despite having the worst year on its record, per The Wall Street Journal.
- Consumers set a record, spending $9.12 billion online on Black Friday, up 12% YoY.
- Sales that day were boosted by consumer electronics, which jumped 221% online over the October average, per CNBC. Video games, consoles, drones, and Apple MacBooks performed well.
- Similarly, Cyber Monday generated $11.3 billion in online sales, up 5.8% YoY, driven by deep discounts on electronics with video games, consoles, Apple Watches, drones, and digital cameras some of the top products.
What’s the catch? With the war in Ukraine still raging and ongoing supply chain pain from chaos in China’s manufacturing sector, cascading effects could blunt tech’s recovery.
- Companies like Apple will likely be forced to diversify production outside of China, which will take time and result in revenue disruption.
- We’ll likely see another year without swashbuckling innovative endeavors—with AI a notable exception—as companies stick to tried-and-true revenue generators and abandon money pits.
- It could also mean more layoff announcements in Q4 and Q1, which might exacerbate the industry’s labor relations, making it more difficult to build revenue-generating mechanisms.


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500 codes to giveaway to UK readers
Bravely Second: End Layer is arriving in Europe on 26th February, but the adventure will start early when a special demo launches on 11th February; this will serve as a prelude to the story and transfer data into the full game. The demo will be titled The Ballad of the Three Cavaliers. For some lucky UK gamers,...
We have 100 copies to give away to lucky Europeans
Over the Christmas break Cube Life: Island Survival developer Cypronia was kind enough to give away 100 copies of their game to our North American readers to celebrate the recent v1.1 update. This time it's the turn of European players to get in on the action - we've got another 100 free copies to...
We have 100 copies to give away (North America only)
It's the season for giving, so we have a giveaway of a Wii U eShop release for those among you keen on adventure and creativity. Developer Cypronia has kindly offered to give-away 100 free copies of Cube Life: Island Survival to Nintendo Life readers because, well, it's Christmas! It's a sandbox...
Corner a panda
If you're heading to PAX East this Friday or Saturday, make sure you keep your eyes open for our man on the ground, Jon Wahlgren. The panda himself will be on the show floor on Friday and Saturday, proudly decked out in a Nintendo Life t-shirt. Not only will Jon be happy to pose for photographs, sign autographs and bless your child,...
Gamelion Studios offers fortune via Facebook
It's not long until Gamelion Studio's first entry in the Furry Legends saga will be available to download from the Wii Shop Channel, and the company is ensuring it lands with a bang by offering a total prize fund of 100,000 Nintendo Points in a sweepstake, divided neatly into 1,000 Point portions for...
Empty Clip Studio launching giveaway for North America
We've just had an email from Francois over at Empty Clip Studios, asking us to let you know about an upcoming competition for North American readers only to win one of 100 copies of Groovin' Blocks, the company's rather enjoyable WiiWare puzzler. All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is send your 16-digit Wii code to..
Live in Europe? Want some free celery, carrot or onion seeds? Act now!
To celebrate the upcoming August 7th release of Bonsai Barber in Europe, Zoonami Games has started a fitting giveaway promotion for the game. Simply shoot an email to firstname.lastname@example.org with your name and address, and you will be mailed a..


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Bauer Radio, the UK’s second largest commercial radio operator, chose our job board software to launch the country’s first recruitment service offering fully integrated local radio and online recruitment advertising packages. Manchester is the launch pad for its new service - with Key103, Manchester’s most listened to commercial radio station.
Online recruitment advertising spend is predicted to break the £300m barrier this year - as 45% of jobseekers now go online to find jobs, while just 23% use newspapers. Against this backdrop, latest research shows that almost 50% of people listen to radio when online and 57% investigate online after hearing adverts on radio. Key103Jobs.co.uk gives businesses their first opportunity to launch fully integrated online and local radio recruitment campaigns to increase responses from active jobseekers and also resonate with hard-to-reach passive candidates.
We also worked with Bauer to provide wider benefits including a system to track the success of online campaigns, communicate with job applicants before interview via the web site and self-service listing of up to twenty free job adverts online every month. Key103Jobs.co.uk launches with a large team of experienced online recruitment specialists and is being supported by a dedicated £300,000 marketing budget for the first three months.


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A new group has come to Williamsburg that will bring neighbors closer together by cleaning out their closets.
“I’ve been trying to look at my own consumption habits and living more minimalist,” said Anna Swynford. “When you start giving things away, you realize there is someone out there who probably needs it.”
Swynford is the creator of the new Buy Nothing Project Williamsburg group. The Buy Nothing Project is an international movement that encourages people to connect through hyper-local gift economies, according to the movement’s website.
The idea, Swynford said, is that if you need a cup of sugar, you ask your neighbor instead going out and buying more. But this is on a larger scale and through social media.
When Swynford went to visit family in Seattle, she heard of the group and saw how her mother had enjoyed it. She realized there wasn’t one in Williamsburg, so she decided to be the one to start her own small movement.
“What made me do it was that saying, ‘be the change you wish to see,’” she said.
But Swynford couldn’t start the Buy Nothing Williamsburg Facebook page just because she wanted to. She had to go through a two-week training process in which she watched modules that taught her about moderating the group, how to create boundaries and enforce the rules.
The purpose of the group is not for people to advertise or earn a profit from the items they post. It is to share resources within a community and so if people don’t comply, Swynford will regulate them.
“I think the people who join this kind of group are in on the vision for it,” she said. “It’s about giving freely.”
Since starting the group on Facebook a week ago, 110 members have already joined and Swynford said she’s already given some items to people. She said this type of interaction is different than selling and buying something like you would with the local Trash and Treasure Facebook groups, where people can sell items like an online yard sale.
Instead, when a person participates in the Buy Nothing group, typically they form a connection with the neighbor as opposed to just participating in an exchange of goods.
And that’s one of the main goals of the group, she said—to connect neighbors with each other.
“I think partly there are ways that our society can feel more fragmented and this is one way to combat that,” Swynford said. “To get back to the sense that we are all neighbors and in this together.”
So far, the impact has even reached Swynford’s 5-year-old daughter who watches her mother give away items their family no longer needs.
“At first she didn’t understand, but now she’ll start to look at things and say ‘I don’t need this anymore, I think we can give it away,’” Swynford said.
The Buy Nothing Project only allows a group to cover an area no larger than 20,000 people, Swynford said, so she had to limit it only to people who live southwest of Route 199 and between News Road and the Colonial Parkway.
To make sure it is consistent, she said people have to enter the crossroads of their street when they join the group.
She said she hopes people out of that range who are interested will be inspired to start their own group.


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Creatoyvity and Pottery Barn Kids will exit their spaces at the Atrium Mall within the next few weeks, reports Boston Business Journal.
Williams-Sonoma, Tiffany's and Borders are among the stores to have already moved out of the mall. BBJ says J. Crew and Ross-Simons are expected to move to the Chestnut Hill Mall in the spring.
But ; last year, Talbots shut its store in the Mall at Chestnut Hill across Route 9 from the Atrium Mall; and withdrew from the Chestnut Hill Shopping Center.
Both the Mall at Chestnut Hill and the Atrium Mall are properties of Simon Malls.
close by, with , among other shops.
Share your thoughts in the poll and comments about why the Atrium Mall seems to be having such a hard time.


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In today’s world, energy is always in demand and this has led many companies in the energy sector to focus on new renewable forms of energy. Lately renewable energy, specifically solar, has experienced a multitude of issues that threaten many of the companies that specialize in solar power. From the high profile collapse of Solyndra to the free fall of prices around the world, many are left wondering what the future holds for this burgeoning industry.
With the dramatic fall in prices many around the globe companies have had to seek ways to deal with the diminishing revenues. Earlier this year Q-Cells SE, which is based in Germany, felt the crunch of falling prices as the world’s largest solar-cell producer filed for insolvency. Even solar companies from China that have been heavily subsidized by the government are beginning to show weaknesses stemming from the fall in prices. A 30% fall in value of Chinese solar exports occurred in first six months of 2012 compared to the same period in the previous year. This is due to the fact that margins are eroding due to the downward pressure on price while the wattage volume of solar shipments has increased. While companies in the United States and Germany such as Solyndra and Q-Cells SE have had to go into bankruptcy court, companies in China have taken on a massive load of debt to keep their doors open.
China’s top 10 listed solar companies have a combined $17.5 billion of debt. LDK, the world’s second largest solar-wafer manufacturer, has $2 billion dollars of debt that is due this year but after Q1 only $135.7 million of cash on hand. However, Chinese governments seem committed to the solar industry. "It appears as if they'll get [support] from the Xinyu and Jiangxi provincial governments," said Charles Yonts, an analyst at broker CLSA. Beyond government support Chinese banks are assisting by helping companies such as Suntech Power Holdings Co. who believe much of their $1.6 billion dollar debt due this year can be rolled over. They are also in negotiations over a new loan agreement and a local bond issuance.
Despite these setbacks, the solar industry is trying to remain competitive in the global energy market. The excess of supply has pushed down prices to the point that it is beginning to compete with traditional energy sources. This is good news for consumers and by reaching a broader base of people the solar industry may come out of this lull stronger than ever.


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Doug Gillon reports on a stunning new exhibition
Graeme Obree, world one-hour record-breaking cyclist and former world pursuit champion, rationalised his victimisation by the world cycling governing body, the ICU: ''They could handle the fact that I might be a brilliant design engineer, but could not acknowledge that I might be
a brilliant athlete - especially one from a country with no cycling tradition.''
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When the Scot stunned the world with his exploits on a bicycle he had knocked up in his Irvine garage, using cannibalised parts from an old washing machine, the ICU banned the bike. A handlebar innovation allowed him to adopt a more aerodynamic riding style, so they banned his position. ''They said it was unaesthetic - an affront to purist traditions,'' says Obree, ''but I think the fact I was from Scotland upset them more.''
The sport was ultimately forced to concede the Obree was not only one of the greatest cyclists ever, but also a creative genius and, from next month, the world can see why. Obree's bike, his ''Old Faithful'', is one of nearly 400 items on display in Winning: the design of sports, which will kick off Glasgow's programme as 1999 UK City of Architecture and Design.
Director Deyan Sudic says the exhibition, which runs (free) at the McLellan Galleries from January 9 to April 5 ''is the first in a series of popular exhibitions on design for the real world, created to attract new audiences to architecture and design''.
Sport, because of its populist appeal, has been chosen, wrong-footing those who anticipated open season for posing pseuds, indulging their pastime of over-intellectualising.
''Winning is calculated to appeal to a very broad range,'' says curator Susan Andrew. ''Not everyone wants to see a highbrow architecture exhibition. It is an absolutely legitimate topic. Sport has exploded to permeate every corner of popular culture. That is why it is so relevant. Sport design has evolved sport itself, its rules, and the way we play it.''
Thirty years ago, when Glasgow opened Scotland's first custom-built sports centre, at Bellahouston, you could count the sports shops of Scotland's biggest cities on the fingers of one hand. Woolies' black gutties were under threat as Dunlop Green Flash assumed the role of the nation's luxury sports shoe, but more exotic training shoes, when they could be found, came by mail order, from Japan. Nike was not even a gleam in its founder's eye.
Yet now, according to American research, sport is bigger than the movie, radio, TV, and education service industries combined. The UK sports goods market last year was valued at #2830m, with footwear worth 46.9% - 34 million pairs - accounting for 18% of all footwear sold, yet only a tiny proportion was worn for sport.
There were 850,000 Manchester United replica strips sold last year; motorsport in the UK was worth #1300m; and in Scotland, where 56,000 full-time jobs are dependent on sport, hill-walking alone generates #110m.
Sport, using icons like Michael Jordan and Linford Christie, sells everything from shampoo to life assurance. This is not novel. It was Scotland's Olympic 100m champion, Allan Wells, who triggered the lycra explosion with the cycling shorts he wore to beat Ben Johnson in 1986. Technology often presents such a quantum leap it endangers itself - traction control, the equivalent of steroids for F1 cars; golf clubs which negate the course designs of yesteryear; tennis rackets that have reduced the sport to boring serve-and-volley duels; and even running tracks like that in Tokyo, for the 1991 World Championships. The surface was so artificial it is now banned, making a mockery of the seven world records set thereon.
Positive benefits, however, include enhanced car industry safety, spawned by F1, and life-expectancy for a yachtsman overboard enhanced from 15 minutes to two hours.
A revealing book, bearing the exhibition's name (#15.95 to visitors), is available yet explains little about Obree. The Ayrshireman, who has donated several items for display, rates a scant 15 lines. Chris Boardman, the Darth Vader-helmeted English Olympic pursuit champion, whose wind tunnel-perfected Lotus machine cost #500,000, spans four pages, plus the front-and-back cover. Yet Boardman's bike, which Obree's garage-special upstaged, is not on the exhibit list. Pity, because no comparison can be made.
A stunning range of equipment is on display, however: Tyrell and Maserati cars, Norton bikes, Bobby Charlton's boots. You can compare the feathery with the balata ball, or hickories against the titanium rocket launcher.
There are also examples of objects whose design proved so effective that they were banned - golf clubs with adjusting heads, and dimpled baseball bats.
Yet others slipped through: hinged clap skates and go-faster silicon stripes, which helped rewrite speed-skating records at this year's Winter Olympics; caps, goggles, and costumes which have revolutionised swimming; recurve bows of high-tensile aluminium and magnesium alloys; limbs of wood and glass fibre compound, or carbon fibre and ceramic. Modern wimps cannot draw the 100lbs longbow of Robin Hood, which launched six shafts per minute, but archery claims to be 30,000 years old, and the modern version of Asia's ancient Tatar weapon makes its own sharp point: technology and design determines the shape of sport to come.
But remember Obree. It is possible to be too good. Cheating, sadly, can be tolerated - but nobody loves a smart ass.


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In honor of Adopt-A-Shelter Dog Month, the Bill Atkinson Animal Welfare Center in Gwinnett County is offering several adoption specials this month.
According to a press release, any adopter that wears their favorite sports apparel when they come to pick out a pet will be able to adopt for free. In addition, adoption fees will be waived every day for dogs who weigh more than 25 pounds and waived for any animal every Friday.
These specials are in addition to the center's usual offers of free adoptions for any pet that has been at the shelter more than 30 days and any pet who is 7 years old or older.
“October is the perfect time to show support for your favorite team and expand your family with a pet from the shelter,” said Gwinnett Animal Welfare and Enforcement Manager Alan Davis in a press statement. “It doesn’t matter if you’re team cat or team dog, shelter pets are a great addition to your team.”
Pets adopted from the center are up-to-date on their vaccines, as well as spayed or neutered. Each pet is also microchipped.
Adoptions are available on a first come, first serve basis. The center is located at 884 Winder Highway in Lawrenceville. Adoption center hours are noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The center is closed on Sundays.


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New auto rickshaw fare in Kerala
At the same time whenever aim of Sale devices and mobile wallets tend to be yet to achieve large currency among small company providers and sellers in Tiruchi region, an enterprising autorickshaw driver of Perambalur is offering his clients a choice of spending the fare through Paytm cellular wallet.
N.Durai (38), an autorickshaw motorist of Perambalur and a Paytm mobile wallet individual, provides his consumers a choice of having to pay through wallet over the past day or two. Mr.Durai says he previously come across several movie clippings showing some auto motorists with the mobile wallet for accepting repayments from customers various other elements of their state.
“I have been with the Paytm wallet in making payments for my mobile recharge for a long time. After the demonetisation in addition to money shortage, I made a decision to give the option to my customers. I have pasted the Paytm rule (QR rule) both inside and outside my autorickshaw, ” he stated. Consumers, which utilize the mobile wallet, would have to in order to scan the code on the cell phones and spend the fare to his account.
But so far there has perhaps not been many takers. “Though Perambalur is a little town, many customers have actually smart mobile phones with data contacts and use social media. But no consumer has actually utilized the possibility to date, ” said Mr.Durai, a diploma holder, that has been driving autorickshaw for 18 many years in Perambalur. His consumers continue to spend in money. “Some times it becomes rather difficult to locate switch to supply the stability. But we handle in some way, ” he stated.
Mr.Durai said he's already been educating his clients, their other car motorists and also some store keepers in the using mobile wallets. “Many individuals are interested and enquire about the center on witnessing the rule on my automobile. I hope individuals will begin to use it as there was more awareness, ” he said.


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The European Commission said yesterday that it expects the formal decision to lift the blockade to be taken next week, and that some categories of British beef will finally reach continental dining tables at the beginning of next month.
The crisis has cost British exporters more than pounds 1bn and UK tax-taxpayers a further pounds 3bn.
Assuming the formalities are completed, the beef industry will pass a huge, symbolic landmark on 1 August, although the economic effects will be felt for years to come.
Sales of all British beef outside the UK were banned in March 1996 after the Government announced a possible link between mad cow disease in beef and its human equivalent Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Almost all Europe's deaths from the human strain of CJD were in Britain.
Only small quantities of high-quality British beef are likely to be exported in the short term, aimed at the catering trade rather than supermarket shelves.
The Meat and Livestock Commission already has well-developed plans for a worldwide marketing campaign to promote British beef and is expected to focus on quality breeds such as Aberdeen Angus. But broader consumer resistance to British beef is still high, particularly in Germany, where food safety is a sensitive issue.
The problems have been illustrated by the situation in Northern Ireland, which has a computer tracking system and has been permitted to export beef it could prove BSE-free for almost a year. But it has had difficulty rebuilding markets.
The export scheme for the rest of the UK also imposes strict restrictions on the type of British produce that will be available abroad. It will have to be de-boned meat from animals born after 1 August 1996 - the date when a ban on feeding meat and bonemeal to live-stock first came into effect - and aged between 6 and 30 months.
Moreover, abattoirs that want to sell to the continental market will have to be dedicated to that trade, making the economics of the export business much more problematic.
The decision to lift the ban in principle was taken by ministers last November and the Ministry of Agriculture had hoped to have it lifted by the spring. But the British Government still had to go through a number of hoops, including an inspection on the ground by EU veterinary experts.
Yesterday Gerry Kiely, spokesman for the acting agriculture commissioner, Franz Fischler, said that the Commission had sought and won a series of assurances on technical points.
A spokesman for the Meat and Livestock Commission, Ray Barrowdale, said: "As far as we are aware the inspection found no problems with the plants they visited. Initially I think four or five plants will begin exporting beef as they have to be dedicated to producing exports and that is obviously a commercial decision."
A spokesman for the National Farmers' Union added: "We are delighted that it looks like the ban will finally be lifted and we are working to ensure that British beef farmers can get their product back on the market."
The lifting of the ban will not mark the end of Europe's devastating agricultural crisis over BSE. Portugal faces another year-long export ban after an outbreak last year. The effect there has, however, been limited because most meat produced in Portugal is for domestic consumption.


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Sony unveils three new phones at CES, including the Xperia XA2 Ultra with dual front-facing cameras
Sony on Monday unveiled three new smartphones as this year's Consumer Electronics Show gets underway. The new handsets aren't flagship devices, but rather mid-range phones that Sony has dubbed "super mid-tier smartphones." The handsets feature mid-range specs including the Snapdragon 630 processor, but high-end materials and impressive cameras. In fact, one new smartphone model, the Xperia XA2 Ultra, features a 23-megapixel rear camera along with dual front-facing cameras. The other two new smartphones, the Xperia XA2 and Xperia L2, feature similar styling and specs along with more compact form factors.
BGR Top Deals:
- Amazon sale gets you a Pyle robot vacuum for just $85
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Trending Right Now:
- The Galaxy S9 might ‘reimagine’ the camera
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Sony unveils three new phones at CES, including the Xperia XA2 Ultra with dual front-facing cameras originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 8 Jan 2018 at 04:00:15 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.


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AUSTIN, Texas — If, in a few months' time, you notice an odd watch-like device with three black stripes and a blinking light on a friend's wrist, you might want to watch what you say. It's called the Kapture, and it's constantly recording you.
But that means your friend is probably paying more attention to your conversation than he otherwise would, and all those bon mots you dropped can now be remembered forever.
That, at least, is the hope of Matthew Dooley and Mike Sarow, creators of Kapture, who showed Mashable a first look at the device at SXSW Interactive this weekend.
Sarow had the original idea when his girlfriend said something he wanted to remember forever — something sweet about the nature of their friendship, he recalls, though he doesn't remember the exact words. He does remember jokingly tapping his wrist, as though to record it for posterity — and then wished he could do that for real.
Funded by a $162,000 Kickstarter (with a $150,000 goal), the Kapture has an omnidirectional mic and internal hard drive. It should start shipping to backers and regular customers in April for $150 a pop.
"We're trying to stay conscious of the fact that people get freaked out by it," Sarow told Mashable. "They're still trying to figure out if the benefits outweigh the privacy aspect."
Preserved in 60 seconds
Kapture is capable of preserving the last 60 seconds of sound around it. Simply double tap the device and it sends the last minute of your life to your phone via Bluetooth.
In the event that your phone is offline, the Kapture can store up to 25 of those minute-long captures for later uploading.
The battery only lasts 15 hours, though — about three hours shorter per charge than the Apple Watch. It takes a lot of energy to constantly monitor and buffer your audio environment, Sarow said. "This thing could be razor-thin if it didn't have a battery," he added.
Indeed, the device is slightly bulky on the wrist — it's almost all battery. But it's also light and about as unobtrusive as a Fitbit. I could almost forget I had it on my wrist, except in those fleeting moments when I needed it.
The biggest problem I found was that the recorder is inaccessible while uploading clips. This took up to a minute in my test, although the cofounders vow the time gap will be down to 10 seconds by the time the product ships next month.
Either way, if you want to record longer chunks, you may be better off just switching to recording audio seamlessly on the accompanying app.
The ethics of Meerkatting and Kapturing
Dooley and Sarow, a former social media marketer and Proctor & Gamble veteran, respectively, aren't too hung up on the Kapture device itself. Their iOS app will record audio too, and the pair is looking forward to producing an app for the Apple Watch.
"We want it to be a platform," Dooley says. "We want people to start saying 'dude, did you Kapture that?'"
Twitter and Facebook sharing are built into the app, of course; you can also email your friend the .WAV file of their 60 seconds of fame.
But here at SXSW, where the live streaming app Meerkat is taking over, it seems we have to start thinking about the ethics of Kapturing, too. After all, in several states, it is illegal to record someone without his or her knowledge. Dooley and Sarow are rather dismissive of this problem, pointing out that it is technically illegal to post a YouTube video without the consent of all participants — but that doesn't hold people back from doing it.
"Legality not a concern," says Sarow. "The court of public opinion, though, we focus on that 100%."
The two have polished their appeal to that court. Kapture, they say — and apparently memory experts they're talking to say this too — can actually serve as an antidote to our highly distractible social media culture.
"There's a mindfulness aspect," Dooley says. "You have to be listening to what I'm saying to want to record it. We're nudging you towards listening.
"Our idea pays homage to face to face connections. If I say 'stop, let me record that,' it’s a compliment to you. I’m listening to you."


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In a just released market study, theEuropean Machine Vision Association (EMVA; Frankfurt, Germany) reports that the European machine vision industry has seen a very strong recovery after the crisis year of 2009. Turnover of the European machine vision sector grew by 35% in 2010 and a further growth of 20% in 2011 is expected by the 225 surveyed companies.
The survey is based on detailed data provided by the surveyed companies and numerous interviews with machine vision experts to identify the current trends in the sector. Industry sales in the survey are broken down to regions, product types, applications, customer types and customer industries. In addition to the European statistics,there are four country-specific reports covering machine vision in Germany, Italy, the UK, and France.
--Posted byVision Systems Design


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Musgrove Park patients get a taste of home thanks to new initiative
Patients at Musgrove Park Hospital are being offered a selection of familiar drinks, tastes and smells to remind them of home.
The Taste of Home initiative launched at the hospital this week and aims to give people who are being cared for with coronavirus the chance to taste familiar drinks or confectionery while they are away from their loved ones.
Support colleagues will have access to a trolley that has a variety of drinks and comforts, from blackcurrant squash or tea, to frozen lollies or even a small alcoholic tipple. Hand creams and confectionery are also available as part of the initiative.
Lucy Chambers, our enhanced supportive care nurse, said: “We know that some patients who are recovering from illness or at the end of their life may desire the smell and taste of their favourite tipple or treat, so we are doing everything we can to bring this to them.
“With people unable to visit their loved ones at the moment we hope this initiative brings a reminder of home and family, and gives them a boost to support their wellbeing.
“Many of the people who are being cared for at the hospital with COVID-19 may also have difficulties swallowing, or even be nil by mouth, so we want to offer them a chance to safely smell or taste their favourite food and drink.
“We want to thank all the organisations who have helped to support this fantastic initiative, which will really help us to support our patients’ and boost their spirits.”
Most of the drinks and comforts for Tastes of Home have been generously donated by Exeter Chiefs Rugby Club, M&S, Taunton Town Football Club, Somerset County Cricket Club and Musgrove Park Hospital’s League of Friends.


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Subaru Ascent News
2020 Subaru Ascent: An update in a minor key
Pricing remains the same.
2020 Ford Explorer vs 3-row crossover rivals: How they compare on paper
New Explorer vs Traverse, Pilot, Palisade, Ascent and Highlander.
Japanese and Korean cars dominate IIHS safety picks — double last year
Only one American car made the list.
2020 Hyundai Palisade vs. Ascent, Pilot, Highlander and CX-9: How they compare on paper
Comparing specs, facts, figures and photos of the 2020 Hyundai Palisade versus the 2019 Subaru Ascent, 2019 Honda Pilot, 2019 Toyota Highlander and 2019 Mazda CX-9.
2019 Subaru Ascent, 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe earn highest IIHS safety ratings
The Ascent also boasts excellent child seat LATCH anchor access
Some 2019 Subaru Ascent owners will get brand-new cars due to recall [UPDATE]
Subaru says 9 of the 293 affected Ascents were already sold to customers.
2019 Subaru Ascent Drivers' Notes Review | Subaru redux
Subaru's second take on a three-row crossover.
BMW M5 and FCA's 5-year plan | Autoblog Podcast #544
... Also, the Subaru Ascent and Audi Q8.
2019 Subaru Ascent vs. 2018 Mazda CX-9: Driving two class leaders side-by-side
We compare two of our favorite three-row crossovers and pick a winner
2019 Subaru Ascent First Drive Review | A three-row do-over
The brand-new 2019 Subaru Ascent could very well be called the Mulligan. You may have heard the term used by amateur golfers as a sort of do-over for an egregiously bad first shot. But in the case of the Ascent, Subaru's largest-ever vehicle, it means that the Japanese automaker gets one more chance to build a successful three-row crossover for America.


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Harry Judd from the pop group McFly and the Duchess of York have opened a new hospital unit for teenage cancer patients in Cambridge today. Harry is an ambassador for Addenbrooke's Teenage Cancer Trust Unit.
More top news
The Marks & Spencer shops in Clacton, Newmarket, Northampton and Kettering are among those earmarked for closure at the retail giant.
The company said the 'loss-making' Tesco Direct web portal will cease trading on July 9.
Early mist, low cloud and fog patches will gradually burn back towards the coast, with rather warm and often sunny conditions developing.