Nick Yates Says Robotic Technology Is Poised to Disrupt Even Vending Machines
Tags:#automation#robots#technology In recent years, a lot of media coverage has been devoted to discussing how quickly robots will take our jobs away — and how many of us will be affected. With dire predictions about robots eating up 800 million jobs by 2030, even the most unassuming observers pin the robot job takeover as taking place within the next four decades.But that’s not the real story here: The real story is how much robots will automate and take on, freeing us up to do the things that require human input. While some jobs likely will disappear as robotic technology finds ways to streamline them and make them no-brainers, we’ll find new ways to allocate robot resources to manage the things we don’t want to handle.An example of how robotic automation can make our industries more productive and less taxing can be found in vending machines. While these sales platforms may seem simple on the surface, they offer a glimpse into how robots can help us construct the future to be less taxing, but more purposeful, for human beings.Eliminating Mindlessness in Favor of ThoughtfulnessNick Yates is the founder and CEO of Generation NEXT Franchise Brands, which builds the automatic machines that deliver frozen yogurt and ice cream in stores. With more than $130 million in franchise and licensing contracts across more than 230 locations, Yates has seen his company grow very quickly.Yates says his company’s experience is that most businesses are using robotics as a powerful tool to support their customer service strategies. “By having robots pack boxes quicker, or perhaps provide answers to simple questions for customers, a business owner can find more productive and efficient ways to use the actual human employee who has a better set of skills that should be taken advantage of,” he explains.It’s important to make a distinction between work that requires insights and work that requires speed: Streamlining is incredibly helpful for the latter but stifling for the former. “Things that enhance productivity, including robots, are what cause economies to grow and for us all to get wealthier on average,” Yates says, “but this is a world where the average may not mean what it used to because it’s a world in which there will be wider gaps between the skilled and unskilled, between those with and without jobs.”That means we need to carefully rethink how we can best make use of the resources we have: How can we eliminate work that can be automated? How can we position our companies to rely more heavily on human workers’ critical thinking skills than their manual labor?Automating Vending Through RobotsYates’ company believes it’s found the solution for the manual vending machine industry: automated robots that deliver frozen yogurt and ice cream. Its robots dispense and serve frozen treats to customers in locations that already capture high levels of foot traffic, but the experience is unique in that customers can order from a digital user interface. That interface provides a selection of up to six flavors and up to six different toppings, preparing the desserts fresh in fewer than 60 seconds.Yates says that the ice cream-dispensing robots are de facto entertainers as well, dancing and playing music while displaying animation on their screens. This enhances the customer experience — especially for its under-18 audience — and creates engagement, despite the absence of a human ice cream slinger.These unattended robots are disruptive agents in a heavily service-focused industry. “The industry has been dominated by retail franchises that require traditional brick-and-mortar infrastructures that, unfortunately, now struggle because the cost of labor has increased to a point where it doesn’t make much business sense for the owner/operator,” Yates says. “Vending ice cream that’s delivered fresh to order has never been done before. We saw an opportunity to disrupt and ran with it.”While many in the food and beverage industry may argue that the customer service experience is the entire marketing platform for restaurants and other food vendors, the growth of Yates’ model shows that humans aren’t put off by customer service presented by a robotic provider. And the model can enable scale that’s not currently cost-effective for most labor-intensive restaurants and food vendors. By repositioning human labor to focus on developing and testing products, food providers can gain flexibility in preparation and distribution, allowing them to even infiltrate difficult-to-crack outlets like stadiums.What This Means for the FutureWhile robotic technology was out of reach for many businesses, thanks to their prohibitive cost structures, that’s no longer the case. Yates points out that the technology is getting more affordable as more players enter the space. “Reliability, however, is still questionable,” he says. “As the technology evolves, the cost will drop until we get to a point where buying robots to cook, clean, serve ice cream, or do any task on a consumer level is affordable for everyone.”Yates acknowledges that incorporating robotic technology isn’t easy for any entrepreneur, but it’s worth the effort if the industry — and company — stands to benefit. “Every industry needs someone willing to be the disruptive force that moves the entire group forward,” he says. “A lot of people are wary of robots and not willing to trust them, but it’s important to remember that we control robotic technology and have a say over how it works for us.”That control, he admits, can sometimes seem elusive: “Robots can be sensitive and require the best software to operate them well,” he cautions. “Be sure to combine technologies to get the best result.”While society has long predicted that robots will take over jobs in a deflated, conciliatory tone, it might be time to look at this job loss as a celebration. As robots automate everything from security to vending, they enable humans to put their full effort into the things only they can do. Related Posts Why IoT Apps are Eating Device Interfaces Brad AndersonEditor In Chief at ReadWrite What it Takes to Build a Highly Secure FinTech … Trends Driving the Loyalty Marketing Industry Follow the Puck Brad is the editor overseeing contributed content at ReadWrite.com. He previously worked as an editor at PayPal and Crunchbase. You can reach him at brad at readwrite.com. 
Panasonic released the 7th firmware update for the EVA-1, improving some already-impressive technology in many key areas. Here are the details.Debuting at the end of 2018, the EVA-1 was already a powerful camera, situated comfortably in the prosumer price-and-functionality niche. Boasting a super-35 sensor, shooting 4K on an interchangeable lens body with Dual-Native ISOs of 800 and 2500, and built on Panasonic’s cinema color and imaging science, it’s basically a baby VariCam.Let’s dig into what the 3.0 update brings to the EVA.The EVA 3.0 UpdateThe 3.0 update brings a few new internal recording modes, adding functionality and support for other situations and alternate uses. Let’s take a look.H.265 Internal RecordingThe EVA ups its game with 10-bit internal 4K recording, up to 60 frames per second, at bit-rates of 200 Mbps. 10-bit 4K recording is also enabled for 30 p, 25 p, and 24 p at 150 Mbps.This significant boost in quality comes from the implementation of the HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Codec) in the EVA. HEVC‘s wrapper is set to H.265.H.265 is twice as efficient as H.264, meaning that the visual quality of the internally recorded footage is about equal to 300-400 mbps bit-rates, if recording with H.264. This means either double the data rate or half the storage space, totally free (depending on how you look at it).This footage is recorded to affordable V30-class SDXC cards, inside the camera.Third-Party USB/LAN Adapter SupportThere is some nifty stuff happening under the hood in regards to connectivity and control of the EVA. Previously, the EVA only supported Panasonic’s AJ-WM50 USB to ethernet adapter for remote control and syncing. Now, the camera can make use of a number of affordable third-party adapters to connect to Panasonic’s EVA ROP app on Android and IOS.Remote control of a camera is always useful. However, on live productions, it is absolutely essential. Panasonic has worked with the broadcast camera control company CyanView to make the EVA even more useful on multi-cam shoots. This means you can connect and manage multiple EVAs from a single controller.User Button ShortcutsAnother big feature in this update is the new functionality of User Preset Buttons. In addition to all camera settings, users can save their button presets to an SD card. By pressing a single button, the operator can load any of these presets, instantly re-mapping all user defined controls and camera settings.This is huge for an ergonomically minded camera like the EVA. Regardless of the number of bodies on a production, all cameras can be set to the exact settings, in a matter of seconds.In addition to the general update of user-mapped button functionality, this update also brings hardware button control of speed ramping to the EVA. When mapped to a custom button, you can switch the frame rate while shooting for speed ramping effects in-camera.In addition to these primary updates, Panasonic has included a few new features in the 3.0 update.On-Screen focus distance displayUsers can now display the focus distance on supported lenses directly on the monitor or viewfinder, in either feet or meters.Second User-defined White Balance addedThe EVA can now store a second user-defined white balance preset for quick switching in different lighting environments.Record HLG while monitoring in SDRThe EVA can now monitor in Standard Dynamic Range, while recording in Panasonic’s HDR flavor, Hyper Log Gamma.JPEG Export of stills from videosSimilar to Panasonic’s GH line, jpeg stills can be saved from video, while recording or playing back the footage.As with any firmware update, there are a number of additional changes and functionalities added to general operability and menu navigation. For more details, here’s the press release. If you’re an EVA owner and haven’t updated yet, here’s the download link.In conjunction with the 3.0 update, Panasonic has dropped the base price of the EVA from around $7,500 to around $6,500. Since this announcement, Panasonic has expressed its full intent to continue updating features to the EVA — it looks like this camera is just going to keep getting better.All images via Panasonic.Looking for more articles on cinematography and video production? Check these out.BREAKING: SmallHD Releases New 7″ FOCUS Monitor with 1000 Nit BrightnessIndustry Interview: Behind the Lens with Filmmaker Carolina CostaVideo Essay: The Significance of the Shot-React-Shot SequenceThe Best Explanation of Dual (Native) ISO We’ve Seen YetCinematography Tip: Working with Unmotivated Camera Movement
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Drilon apologizes to BCDA’s Dizon over false claim on designer of P50-M ‘kaldero’ “I became part of the family and he welcomed me with open arms as well as everyone else. Just to have that support from one of the greatest Lakers to ever play is just special to me,” James said.In a quarter full of highlights, James’ biggest play provided his first points. After JaVale McGee blocked Jabari Parker’s shot, James grabbed the ball, passed to Danny Green and took the return pass for a slam dunk that brought the crowd to its feet two minutes in.James added two layups, a 3-point shot and a three-point play to help propel the Lakers to their 25-point lead with 3:17 still to play in the opening quarter.He also fed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for consecutive baskets. James finished with 12 assists for his 11th double-double this season.“He’s been at just an extraordinarily high level and dominating,” coach Frank Vogel said of James. “His effort on the defensive end has really spread throughout the group and the group has really bought into being dominant on the defensive end of the floor. We saw that in the first quarter with how we controlled the game from the start. Offensively, the shot making, his decision making, zero turnovers, 12 assists, I mean are you kidding me?”ADVERTISEMENT What’s behind the display of Chinese flag in Boracay? Lakers: With Avery Bradley out, Caldwell-Pope earned a second straight start and third of the season after scoring 16 points in 99-97 victory over Sacramento on Friday night. … Dwight Howard energized the crowd when he blocked Parker’s shot early in the second quarter. … Bryant was shown on the big screen with 4:25 left in the first half and rose to acknowledge a standing ovation.UNIQUE DOUBLEBack at Staples Center less than 24 hours after absorbing a 49-point loss to the Clippers, Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce asked if he preferred the games were split up. “Yes,” he said. “Back-to-back on the road is tough no matter who the opponent is. Obviously you have two special teams with a lot of special talent with both of the L.A. teams. It makes it extremely difficult.”UP NEXTHawks: Return home after a five-game road trip to host Milwaukee on Wednesday night.Lakers: Host Oklahoma City on Tuesday night to finish a four-game homestand.Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next Duterte calls himself, Go, Cayetano ‘the brightest stars’ in PH politics Matteo Guidicelli had saved up for Sarah G’s ring since 2014? Duterte officials’ paranoia is ‘singularly myopic’ NBA: Kawhi, George seek more for Clippers than beating Lakers PLAY LIST 01:48NBA: Kawhi, George seek more for Clippers than beating Lakers00:50Trending Articles07:50BYS Academy: Create a Fall Glam Makeup Look02:11Makabayan bloc defends protesting workers, tells Año to ‘shut up’03:07PH billiards team upbeat about gold medal chances in SEA Games01:38‘Bato’ to be ‘most effective’ CHR head? 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Chiu)LOS ANGELES — LeBron James wasn’t about to send Kobe Bryant home disappointed.With the former Lakers great sitting courtside, the team’s current ranking superstar scored 12 of his 33 points during a breathtaking opening nine minutes for Los Angeles, which raced to a 25-point lead and handed the Atlanta Hawks their second ugly loss in 24 hours at Staples Center, 122-101 on Sunday night.ADVERTISEMENT Brunei wary of much-improved PH in SEA Games netball The Hawks were routed 150-101 on Saturday night by the Clippers, who played without Kawhi Leonard.Kyle Kuzma scored 17 points in the Lakers’ 11th win in 12 games. Rajon Rondo had 15, Anthony Davis 14, Caldwell-Pope 13 and Green and Alex Caruso 11 apiece.Davis had five of the Lakers’ 14 blocked shots.Trae Young scored 31 for the Hawks, who lost four of five on a swing through the West. Cam Reddish had 13 while Allen Crabbe, Parker and De’Andre Hunter each scored 11.After falling behind by 25, the Hawks stopped the Lakers’ onslaught by going on a 13-0 run to close to 34-22. They got to 40-30 before the Lakers pulled away again. Green put an emphatic stamp on a 69-41 halftime lead when he swooped in to corral James’ missed shot for a slam dunk with 11 seconds before the buzzer.James then hit consecutive 3-pointers for the Lakers’ first points of the second half and added a nice fallaway jumper.“It’s tough when you can’t make shots,” Young said. “Give a lot of credit to them. They’re one of the best defensive teams in the league. We’ve just got to be better knocking down shots, working on our game and trying to be more crafty around defenses like them.”“They were making a lot of blocked shots, making a lot of big plays. We had a lot of things that didn’t go our way. That’s how our season’s been. We’ll get down big and we have to fight so hard to get back into the game that we take all the energy out of ourselves and hard to get ourselves back into the game.”TIP-INSHawks: Crabbe had a four-point play in the first quarter when he hit a 3-pointer and was fouled by Troy Daniels. He made the free throw to cut the deficit to 34-20. … The Hawks have lost three straight and six of seven. Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. “I’m just trying to put on a show for him and give him a reason to be like, ‘OK, we might come to another game,’“ James said.The 34-year-old James said it was “fantastic” to play in front of Bryant, who helped the Lakers win five NBA titles during his 20-year career.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSGreatest ever?SPORTSFormer PBA import Anthony Grundy passes away at 40SPORTSSan Miguel suspends Santos, Nabong, Tubid indefinitely after ‘tussle’ in practice“I know he came to a game last year,” James said. “Just having him in the building, knowing what he did to this franchise, and for me and my teammates what it means to be a part of Laker Nation, the Laker family, it’s a beautiful thing. I was one of the kids who had the chance to come out straight out of high school. He did it and I was just watching him. It’s just so surreal for me, a kid from Akron to be able to have a guy like Kobe take time out of his day. Even at this point in my career it’s still special.”James joined the Lakers last season. Rice industry paralysis MOST READ View comments
NEW YORK — The Philadelphia 76ers have lost big for three years, when they appeared to value draft picks more than players.They got a huge victory May 17, and maybe the wins on the court will soon follow.The 76ers won the NBA draft lottery, giving them the No. 1 selection in June.“The pain that we’ve all gone through, the pain of losing is real. You can’t camouflage it,” said coach Brett Brown, who represented the 76ers on stage. “The city has been incredibly patient, tolerant, choose any word you want. I think this validates some of the pain we went through.”The Los Angeles Lakers finished second but also felt like winners, as they would have dealt their pick to Philadelphia had they fallen out of the top three.The Boston Celtics, with a pick dealt to them by the Brooklyn Nets, remained in the No. 3 slot.Nobody moved up in the lottery, which sets the top three picks. The remainder of the 14 teams are slotted in the inverse order of their won-loss record.The 76ers finished 10-72, just off the worst record in the history of the 82-game schedule, and had a 26.9 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick (their own 25 percent chance, and Sacramento’s 1.9 percent chance, since the 76ers had the right to swap picks with the Kings from a previous trade.)They would have garnered another top-five selection had the Lakers tumbled a couple of spots, since they would have been entitled to the pick the Lakers originally dealt to Phoenix for Steve Nash that the 76ers later acquired in another trade.“It’s been a long year,” Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak said. “Because of the contingencies of the deal, there was a significant chance we would lose the pick. That would have been disappointing. We would have gotten over it and moved on to the summer, but that would have been disappointing.”Philadelphia certainly won’t complain, not after doing no better than No. 3 in the previous two drafts during a three-year process where the focus was more on building for the future than trying to win in the present.“We can now make the decision all by ourselves,” said Brown, who is 47-199 in his three seasons. “We don’t have to wait and see what someone else does. It gives us the injection we need.”Their win certainly won’t quiet those believers in lottery conspiracies, as former 76ers center Dikembe Mutombo — who works for the NBA as a global ambassador — accidentally tweeted congratulations on their victory about four hours earlier. He sent a subsequent tweet saying he was just excited but was keeping his fingers crossed.“I want to let people know there was no conspiracy,” Mutombo told The Associated Press in a phone interview, saying it was a mistake and that he thought “a lot of people understood the error that was made.”Lottery night was always going to be the highlight of this season for the 76ers, who started it on a freefall that never stopped.They started 0-18, finishing a 28-game skid dating to 2014-15, en route to a 10-72 record that was just a game better than the all-time worst in an 82-game season.They never attempted to put a competitive team on the court under General Manager Sam Hinkie, who resigned in April after overseeing a plan to accumulate draft picks but not wins.They also have the 24th and 26th picks in the first round, and their young players are expected to be joined perhaps next season by Joel Embiid and Dario Saric, who were previously drafted by Hinkie but haven’t played in the NBA, with Embiid sidelined by foot injuries and Saric remaining in Europe.“Trust the process. … Hopefully the last time we’re in the lottery,” Embiid tweeted.The draft is June 23 in New York, with LSU’s Ben Simmons and Duke’s Brandon Ingram considered the top two picks.The Lakers will have the No. 2 pick for the second straight year after taking D’Angelo Russell last June. They went 17-65 in Kobe Bryant’s final season.Boston can add another good piece to a team that won 48 games this season, and might not be done getting lottery picks from the Nets.The Celtics can swap picks with the Nets next year, and own their first-round pick in 2018, all as payment for the trade that sent Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn in 2013.“There’s a lot more things to be disappointed about on this night,” general manager Danny Ainge said. “It could have been worse, it could have been better. It is what it is and we’ll move on and do the best we can to build a great team.”Phoenix will pick fourth, followed by Minnesota, New Orleans and Denver. The Suns picked up another lottery pick when Washington fell out of the top 10 to No. 13.(BRIAN MAHONEY, AP Basketball Writer) TweetPinShare0 Shares
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 29: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers reacts during the fourth quarter in the College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Dabo Swinney has become one of college football’s greatest head coaches, leading the Clemson Tigers to multiple national championships, including a blowout win over Alabama in last season’s College Football Playoff title game.The 49-year-old head coach still hasn’t completely gotten over an old critical comment from ESPN, though.Swinney, 49, admitted on a recent ACC Network roundtable that he’s still using an old comment from ESPN as motivation.“Probably the biggest thing (I remember) is I was a D-plus hire,” Swinney said. “You know, ESPN in 2009 all the new coaches, I don’t know it was 15 new coaches; it’s about 15 a year or so. And my name, and I was a D-plus. And I was so happy to get that plus. You know, and you’ve heard me say this this past week, I come to work every day with that mindset. I’m a D-plus hire. And that’s one thing that I’ve probably hung on to. The rest of it I flush it on right out the door.” “I was a D+ hire.”Look at Dabo now 🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/2l288tC3lB— ACC Network (@accnetwork) September 4, 2019Swinney, who became Clemson’s head coach in 2009, was given a D+ hire grade by then-ESPN college football writer Pat Forde.From that column:Swinney was part and parcel of a failed season, but somehow got a promotion out of the deal. Who knew that beating Duke and Virginia could lead to such ample rewards? Clemson fans loved the fact that the Tigers closed the regular season by beating rival South Carolina. But hey, Bowden beat the Gamecocks seven times in nine tries and look where that got him. Swinney has the same thing going for him that Sarkisian has at Washington: the in-conference competition in the ACC isn’t that stiff.Swinney has since gone on to win two national championships and five ACC championships. He has an overall record of 117-30.That’s pretty good for a “D+” hire.
Editors’ Recommendations The Best Anti-Aging Creams and Skincare Products for Men The Best New Men’s Grooming Brands You Need to Know About 15 Best Subscription Boxes for Men Who Love Gifts Just because summer is unofficially dunzo doesn’t mean you should stash your SPF until next year (along with your linens suits and boat shoes). It’s not like the sun goes into hiding after Labor Day. Even in the dead of winter—oh, it’s coming alright—UV rays can still wreak havoc on your skin. Every dermatologist worth their practice will tell you the same. They’ll tell you to slap some SPF on your face every day, and your skin will age 24% less than all those suckers who didn’t heed the warnings. Nevermind, how researchers (whose study was published in last June’s American College of Physicians’ Annals of Internal Medicine) came up with such precise number, the meat and potatoes here is that putting SPF on your face regularly means you get to stay good looking for longer. In need of protection, these five new options will have you covered on the daily.The Art of Shaving Eucalyptus SPF 15 Daily Facial Moisturizer$35, theartofshaving.comThink of this lightweight SPF like a cup of coffee for your face. Refreshing eucalyptus oil will gently snap you out of your morning stupor.Context Oil-Free Daily Mosturizer SPF 15$40, contextskin.comFor oily types who tend to avoid sunscreen, fear not. This grease-minimizing and anti-bacterial formula from new brand Context is just the thing to keep you matte and protected.Kiehl’s Super Multi-Corrective Cream SPF 30$82, kiehls.comIf years of indiscretion and hedonism are starting to show on your face, this potent anti-aging cream will help remedy that. Plus, SPF 30 prevents future damage, from the sun at least.Murad Anti-Aging Moisturizer SPF30$48, murad.comSad fact: Even adults can have issues with acne. When paired with the first signs of lines and wrinkles, it’s a bit of a double whammy. Like a ninja, this moisturizer is practically imperceptible but still manages to take down the baddies. And there is an ultra protective technology called MuraSol and free radical fighting super antioxidants.Supergoop City Sunscreen Serum SPF30$42, supergoop.comFor the uninitiated, a serum is a liquid-y treatment jammed with active ingredients that pack an anti-aging punch. So when you find an oil-free moisturizer too much to bear, this even lighter-weight option might be just the thing. Keep Your Face Fresh and Protected Using the Best Face Moisturizers with SPF Retinol For Men: What to Know and What to Buy
Allianz Global Assistance Reveals Where Travelers Are Heading This Festival Season, and How Fans Could Save Thousands with Event Ticket Protection and Travel Insurance** Richmond, VA, March 08, 2019 – Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival®, more widely known as Coachella®, is bringing in 46 percent more travelers by air than South by Southwest® (SXSW®), and 89 percent more than Ultra Music FestivalTM this year, according to Allianz Global Assistance, a leading travel insurance and assistance company. Allianz Global Assistance analyzed customer trips to determine which popular U.S. festivals attracted the most travelers, and from which cities they are traveling. From early March through late April, music and arts fans from all over the country will travel to participate in three of the top music festivals in the United States: Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif.; Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Fla.; and South by Southwest (SXSW), in Austin, Texas. Past Coachella festivals have drawn as many as 250,000 attendees from across the world, which means hundreds of thousands of people have bought festival tickets ranging from $429 to $1,000, not including the expense of travel to the festival, lodging and more. Tickets for Ultra Music Festival run from $380 to $1,500 per weekend. SXSW badges to access music, film, or interactive events through the festival cost $1,325 each, while a platinum badge to access all three types of events, is $1,650. “Each year, Americans shell out thousands of dollars to participate in festivals across the country,” said Daniel Durazo, director of communications for Allianz Global Assistance USA. “Allianz’s Event Ticket Protector could reimburse up to 100 percent of the ticket price, including taxes and shipping, if you can’t attend an event because you or a family member gets sick, your flight is delayed, you lose your job, or a number of other covered reasons, depending on the product. Alternatively, the right travel insurance plan can additionally protect other pre-paid, nonrefundable costs, like flights and hotels, and assist with travel disruptions, helping you get to your favorite performance in time to enjoy the festival stress-free.”** Festival tickets are often purchased months in advance, leaving a significant amount of time for unexpected events to occur leading up to the big event. According to Allianz’s internal claims data, the top reason customers miss an event like a concert is due to a sudden illness, which often leaves little time to resell their tickets or transfer their registration. SXSW, held March 8–17, 2019, is not solely a music festival but an annual conglomerate of film, interactive technology and music. This year the festival is drawing more air travelers from New York and Los Angeles than any other U.S. city. Noticeably missing from this list of top ten departure cities is San Francisco, the home of Silicon Valley’s tech professionals, coming in as number 20 in departure cities for the festival. The top five domestic departure cities for attendees traveling to Coachella include New York, Chicago, Washington, Philadelphia and Boston. Weekend One and Two of Coachella are neck in neck for attendees, with 12.1 percent of air travelers arriving April 13, 2019 and 12 percent arriving on April 18, 2019. Ultra Music Festival is drawing the most air travelers from cities including Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington. Much of the crowd, 36.5 percent, will be traveling on March 27, two days ahead of the festival’s opening day on Friday, March 29. Allianz Global Assistance offers event ticket protection** through most major event ticketing providers and travel insurance** through most major U.S. airlines, leading travel agents, online travel agencies, other travel suppliers and directly to consumers. For more information on Allianz Global Assistance and the policies offered for travelers, please visit: http://www.allianztravelinsurance.com. *Methodology: The data of U.S. travelers’ Festival season plans was gathered by analyzing the number of travelers that went through the online booking process of airfare and package paths for partners offering Allianz Global Assistance travel to generate itineraries for roundtrip flights from US airports to specific locations based on the respective location or near the location of the festival. Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival – Indio, Calif.2019 RankCityState% of Air Travelers1New YorkNY13.1%2ChicagoIL8.3%3WashingtonDC6.8%4PhiladelphiaPA6.5%5BostonMA5.6%6MiamiFL4.8%7DallasTX4.5%8AustinTX2.4%9AtlantaGA2.2%10San FranciscoCA2.1% South By Southwest (SXSW) – Austin, Texas2019 RankCityState% of Air Travelers1New YorkNY16.5%2Los AngelesCA10.3%3PhoenixAZ5.4%4MiamiFL5.4%5DallasTX4.9%6ChicagoIL4.7%7PhiladelphiaPA2.6%8BostonMA2.3%9WashingtonDC1.6%10Raleigh DurhamNC1.5% Ultra Music Festival – Miami, Fla.2019 RankCityState% of Air Travelers1Los AngelesCA10.9%2New YorkNY7.0%3San FranciscoCA6.5%4ChicagoIL6.2%5WashingtonDC4.9%6AtlantaGA4.3%7DenverCO3.3%8PhiladelphiaPA3.1%9PhoenixAZ3.1%10BostonMA2.9% Allianz Global Assistance USA Allianz Global Assistance USA is a leading consumer specialty insurance and assistance company with operation centers in 35 countries. 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The Government is looking to see how it can improve assistance to residents in drought stricken parishes. Approximately half the island is now being affected by worsening drought conditions due to the current dry season, which is approaching its half-way mark. Data from the Meteorological Office of Jamaica (Met Office) reveals that already seven parishes have been experiencing drought conditions ranging from ‘normal’ to ‘severe’. Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill who received a report on the matter at a heads of agency meeting last Wednesday (February 27), called the situation alarming. Mr. Pickersgill said that he would have discussions at the Cabinet level to see how the delivery of potable water to affected areas can be improved. The Minister had previously told Parliament in January, that the National Water Commission (NWC) would be moving to implement a number of drought mitigation initiatives. Among them was a programme to rehabilitate several tanks to full functionality or replace them. A provision of J$3 billion is being made for this purpose under the K-Factor programme. In the meantime, head of the Climate Branch, Clifford Mahlung, warns that conditions could worsen before the dry season is over at the end of April. He is advising residents in drought stricken areas to store water and use what they have efficiently. The parishes affected include: St. Mary, Hanover and St. Catherine which are experiencing normal drought condition; Westmoreland, Clarendon and St James which have severe drought conditions and Trelawny, which is experiencing extreme drought condition. In addition, some areas of St. Elizabeth are also being affected.
zoom Swedish tanker shipping company Stena Bulk has decided to extend four time charter agreements with Greece-based shipowner Top Ships.Under the deals, Top Ships’ tankers M/T Stenaweco Energy and M/T Stenaweco Elegance will continue working for Stena Bulk for a period of 12 months, while M/T Stenaweco Evolution and M/T Stenaweco Excellence were hired for 18 more months.Top Ships informed that it expects a total gross revenue backlog associated with these time charter extensions of USD 27.4 million.“The total gross revenue backlog for the fixed charter period of all of the company’s operating fleet stands at about USD 131 million and when adding the 50% of our joint venture vessels it increases to about USD 147 million, with cashflow visibility reaching into 2021,” Evangelos Pistiolis, President and CEO of Top Ships, said.“Our business strategy continues to be focused on further expanding our fleet as it is important that we achieve a certain critical mass in terms of fleet size with an aim to maximize our operational efficiencies and synergies,” Pistiolis added.
Spending on research and development has increased by almost $63 million or nine per cent in the Maritime provinces between 2004 and 2005, the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission announced today, Nov. 25. The commission has released statistics on research and development funding in each Maritime province and university. The tables are available for download from the commission’s website, www.mphec.ca . They include statistics on gross domestic expenditure on research and development, research and development expenditure in the higher education and business enterprise sectors, and research and development income from the three granting councils; Canada Foundation for Innovation, Canada Research Chairs Program and provincial governments. Between 1996 and 2005, expenditures on research and development in the Maritimes increased by 80 per cent to $770 million from $424 million. Of the $770 million, Nova Scotia at $464 million accounted for nearly 60 per cent of that total, followed by New Brunswick at $243 million then Prince Edward Island at $63 million. Research and development funding in Prince Edward Island increased nearly 54 per cent between 2004 and 2005. This increase appears to be largely due to an investment in bioresources by the National Research Council. During the same period, funding increased by eight per cent in Nova Scotia and five per cent in New Brunswick. In the Maritimes, the higher education sector has a greater proportion of research and development funding than the national average but business enterprise expenditures lag. The Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission was established in 1974. The commission’s 20 members are drawn from the Maritime provinces, and represent higher education institutions, provincial governments and the general public. Its mission is to assist institutions and governments in enhancing the post-secondary learning environment. As part of this mission, the commission collects and maintains data pertaining to post-secondary education in the Maritimes. The commission also conducts research on issues in post-secondary education; reports and research articles are available on the website www.mphec.ca.
Third reading for another Local Area Service parcel tax bylaw for two paving projects was rescinded before the bylaw was amended and passed third reading once again. That Local Area Service project would see road improvements made along 98th Ave. between 102nd and 104th Streets, and 104th Street between 97th and 98th Avenues at a total cost of $1.3 million. If approved at the next council meeting, the City would cover $884,536.11 of the project’s budget, while property owners would be paying a total of $457,540.19. FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Fort St. John City Council approved a number of bylaws that will allow the City to levy parcel taxes for Local Area Service projects.Council voted in favour of adopting the bylaws for road improvements, including paving and the installation of sidewalks, streetlights, storm drains, and gutters for three sections of road in the City. The first bylaw covers the improvement of 86th St. between 91st and 93rd Avenues, the second covers 87th Ave. west of 107th St., and the third covers 104th Ave. between 101st and 102nd Streets. The total cost for the three road improvement projects is just under $1.9 million. Of that, the City will be covering $1.2 million, while owners of properties affected by the road improvements will be paying a combined $685,155.20 over a period of twenty years. 
Hyderabad: With Rajasthan Royals putting on 198 after taking strike against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal, it was believed that the Royals had put on a winning total. But Sanju Samsons brilliant 100 went in vain as Sunrisers Hyderabad chased down the total with six balls to spare. Speaking after the game, RR skipper Ajinkya Rahane said that despite putting up a good total, the Royals ended up on the losing side due to some brilliant batting from Hyderabad. Also Read – Puducherry on top after 8-wkt win over Chandigarh “First of all, 190+ on that wicket was really good. Initially when Sanju and me were batting the wicket looked slow — it was stopping and coming — and we thought 150 was a good total. But when players like Warner bat like that there is a very small margin for us. They didn’t lose any momentum when someone got out and they played really well,” he acknowledged. Rahane was also all praise for Samson and said that the batsman needed to work on his consistency to make it to the next level. “We all know how talented Sanju is. He will go miles and consistency is going to be the key for him,” he said. Also Read – Vijender’s next fight on Nov 22, opponent to be announced later SRH skipper Kane Williamson was all praise for his boys and was really happy to see the plan to have Rashid Khan bowl to RR batsman Jos Buttler work. He even praised Rashid for putting up a good show with the bat towards the end of the chase. “It was nice that it came off (Rashid bowling to Buttler). He’s such a wicket-taker for us and Jos is a threat for us. Rashid was supposed to bat 7 or 8 depending on the situation. His batting has improved so much in the last year or so. It’s nice to be on the right side of the result tonight,” he smiled. Commenting on the show put up by the players as they chased down 199 on a wicket that wasn’t very conducive to batting, Williamson said: “A very tough game. Rajasthan Royals played really well to get to that total after the start we had with the ball. It was a brilliant chase. The openers set it up for us. A good collective effort, we needed parts to work well for us tonight. Really good experience for us as a batting unit to chase it down.
New Delhi: Infrastructure major Larsen and Toubro (L&T) on Friday acquired 13,440 shares of Mindtree from the open market, as per a regulatory filing. Earlier this month, L&T had purchased around 20 per cent stake of V G Siddhartha and Cafe Coffee Day in Mindtree through a block deal for about Rs 3,210 crore, and has since topped that up with share purchases from the open market. “Larsen and Toubro Ltd has acquired 13,440 equity shares (with a face value of Rs 10 each) of Mindtree Ltd on May 16, 2019,” a Mindtree filing said. Also Read – Commercial vehicle sales to remain subdued in current fiscal: Icra After the latest transaction, L&T’s shareholding in Mindtree stands at 26.48 per cent. The latest stock purchase was made at Rs 979.98 apiece. On Thursday, L&T had acquired 8.86 lakh shares of Mindtree from the open market. In all, the infrastructure major is eyeing up to 66 per cent stake in Mindtree for around Rs 10,800 crore — marking the country’s first-ever hostile takeover bid in the information technology industry. L&T had proposed to buy additional stake in Mindtree through an open offer that was slated to begin on May 14 and close on May 27. However, the open offer seems to have been postponed as the engineering major is yet to get nod from the Securities and Exchange Board of India. Reports suggest that the offer could be delayed by a fortnight. Shares of Mindtree ended at Rs 981.80 apiece on the BSE on Friday, 0.16 per cent higher than the previous closing.
GANGNEUNG, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s sister headed home Sunday night after a whirlwind three days in South Korea, where she sat among world dignitaries at the Olympics and tossed a diplomatic offer to the South aimed at ending seven decades of hostility.Kim Yo Jong and the rest of the North Korean delegation departed for Pyongyang on her brother’s private jet, a day after they delivered his hopes for a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in during a lunch at Seoul’s presidential palace. It was a sharp, but possibly fleeting, contrast with many months of rising tensions connected to the North’s continued development of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.They capped their final day in South Korea by joining Moon at a Seoul concert given by a visiting North Korean art troupe led by the head of the immensely popular Moranbong band, whose young female members are hand-picked by Kim Jong Un.Accepting North Korea’s demand to transport more than 100 members of the art troupe by sea, South Korea treated the Mangyongbong-92 ferry as an exemption to the maritime sanctions it imposed on the North, a controversial move amid concerns that the North is trying to use the Olympics to poke holes in international sanctions.South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon hosted the North Koreans for lunch Sunday before Moon’s chief of staff, Im Jong-seok, hosted them for dinner ahead of the concert.
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford needs to improve his finishing skills and increase his goal tally irrespective of his position on the pitch, according to Club legend Bryan Robson.Rashford, who turned 21 on Wednesday, has managed to muster one goal in seven Premier League appearances and failed to deliver in the game against Everton.Robson was pleased with the improvement in Rashford’s strength and stamina but said the England international had to improve other aspects of his game, according to Reuters.
Rashford aims a dig at Mourinho in Solskjaer comparison Andrew Smyth – September 13, 2019 Marcus Rashford believes Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may be “a bit more understanding” than his predecessor Jose Mourinho.“The only thing I’d like to see is his finishing being that little bit better, where we get Marcus up to 20 or 30 goals in a season, whether he’s playing out wide or through the middle,” Robson, who spent 13 years at United, told the club website.“He’s adapted well because he has been playing wide as a player for quite some time now. But it educates you as a player and Marcus is going the right way to be a top-class player for Manchester United over the years ahead,” the 61-year-old added.