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How ‘The Clone Wars’ turned Ahsoka Tano into a legendary Star Wars character

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars" is coming to an end on Disney Plus, but voice actress Ashley Eckstein helped assure that Ahsoka will live on.




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The Grim Reaper shows up often in pandemic cartoons — whether to provoke or provide dark humor

Some cartoonists try to deliver a political shock. Others want to deliver levity in this trying time.




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News24.com | Madagascar president vows to release journalist critic

Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina has promised to release a prominent journalist who was detained after criticising his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.




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News24.com | WATCH | Lesotho's murdered first lady agreed to divorce on day she died - sources

Hours before she was shot dead on the outskirts of the capital, Lesotho's former first lady, Lipolelo Thabane, made a surprising decision.




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News24.com | WATCH | Faithful undeterred at Ramadan, even as virus spreads in Somalia

Adan Abdullahi knows that visiting the mosque for evening prayers is forbidden. There is a curfew in place in the Somali capital, and authorities have pleaded with worshippers to stay home as coronavirus infections rise.




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News24.com | Tanzania gets Madagascar's anti-coronavirus drink disputed by WHO

Tanzania says it has received its first shipment of Madagascar's self-proclaimed, plant-based "cure" for coronavirus, despite warnings from the World Health Organisation that its efficacy is unproven.




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More than 140 migrants intercepted in Channel - highest number in one day

A record number of migrants crossed the English Channel on Friday.




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Florida’s latest oddity: Semi trucks with nobody inside them

Starsky Robotics has begun testing unmanned, remotely operated trucks on highways. The vehicles are being pitched as a solution for the industry's massive driver shortage.




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A hit-and-run scooter crash nearly killed him. Now he’s fighting for the data that could reveal the rider’s identity.

A Chicago cyclist was injured by an electric scooter rider who fled the scene. Now he's gone to court to get the city's scooter companies to turn over personal information about their riders and their history.




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Meet ‘Mindar,’ the robotic Buddhist priest

A Japanese temple has settled on a new plan for connecting with the masses, one that channels ancient wisdom through the technology of the future.




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Hyundai’s solution for navigating traffic-clogged cities: Mounting an electric scooter on your car

Hyundai, one of the world’s largest automakers, is exploring adding e-scooters to their vehicles. The company has released an e-scooter prototype that is charged using electricity produced while driving.




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Caltech’s latest creation: A hovering, bird-like robot that could someday explore Mars

Researchers at Caltech have unveiled a complex new robot with the ability move between flight and walking on two legs. The machine unique design was inspired by birds.




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Notre Dame joins the lead pack for College Football Playoff

With their win over the Cardinal, the Irish have elevated themselves into the top tier.




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Fantasy Football start/sit tips for Week 6: Avoid Cowboys QB Dak Prescott

Prescott's touchdown rate is down and his interception rate is up for the second straight season.




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Four long shots for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup races

Favorites have won 99 of 318 races (31 percent) in the Breeders’ Cup.




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NFL Week 12 ATS picks: Thanksgiving Day favorites are usually tough to beat

Since 2002, the year the league expanded to 32 teams, favorites playing on Thanksgiving are 28-12 against the spread.




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Latest NFL playoff projections: Seahawks, Vikings can shake things up on Monday Night Football

The two teams in control of the NFC's wild-card slots battle head-to-head, while the rest of the NFL playoff picture got much clearer despite four of the AFC’s top teams losing.




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Silicon Valley VCs have a new obsession that perfectly captures the grave danger facing startups : How long is your 'runway'?

Startups are facing what could become the worst economic downturn in several decades, and VCs are begging them to take drastic measures to improve their chances of making it through. 

Most Americans who lived through the 2008 financial crisis will know that a savings stockpile or rainy day fund can mean the difference between surviving and thriving during tough times, but as recent studies have shown, many tech startups and VC firms don't have a similar first-hand experience; many have only known boom times and are now venturing into uncharted waters.

One thing VCs agree on is that startups need to quickly rein in growth plans — ideally as soon as yesterday — and start scrutinizing expenses. Anything nonessential should be cut or suspended indefinitely, headcount should be reduced, and pricey office leases eliminated if possible, all with the goal of extending a startup's "runway."

In Silicon Valley, runway refers to how much cash a startup has on hand to put against its operating expenses. If, for example, a startup has roughly $100,000 in monthly operating expenses and has $1 million in the bank, they are looking at a 10-month runway, assuming revenue stays roughly flat.

In the days before the coronavirus pandemic, a startup's runway dictated when it had to start looking for additional funding. Instead of cutting expenses, the popular solution was to simply put more VC money in the bank. This helped high flying startups like Uber and Airbnb expand at a breakneck pace — VC dollars kept pouring in and the companies remained unprofitable as they chased growth at all costs.

But now, VCs are saying that's no longer an option. Founders Fund general partner Keith Rabois said on a podcast recently that profitability is now being rewarded much more than high-growth. 

For startups that aren't profitable, that means hunkering down and ensuring there are enough reserves to last through the crisis.

So how long does the runway need to be? 

Many VCs that Business Insider has spoken to are advising their startups to have at least 18 months of runway. But some VCs say startups should have upwards of 3 years' of expenses saved up. 

The length of time can vary depending on the startup, one investor told Business Insider, pointing to the startup's age and industry as important factors. An early-stage company with a handful of employees and low-overhead costs might easily stretch a $500,000 seed check, whereas a growth-stage biotech startup with hundreds of employees, expensive hardware, and pricey office space might struggle to make tens of millions of dollars in funding make it through 12 months. Those that can't cut costs will be forced to fundraise with poor terms and risk the dreaded downround

"You can always easily dial back up the aggressiveness and risk profile if we get more optimistic visibility, but if you don't take action right away — to preserve capital, cut your burn rate, have fundamentally attractive unit economics, edit the product to make more sense in the new world order — if you don't do those right away, the opportunity to do those things and survive is probably lost forever," Rabois said in the April Talkshow broadcast.

Rabois is in the camp of pessimists, generally speaking, who think the economic downturn will not only drag on through 2020, but could eventually turn into an economic depression the likes of which could rival the Great Depression of the 1930s. He said that his VC peers are starting to rein in the freewheeling deal-making that has defined the last two decades of the Silicon Valley startup ecosystem, and are now treading cautiously. It's time that startups do the same, he said.

SEE ALSO: Lower valuations and a long wait for funding: Two top early-stage VCs dish on how they are counseling startups to withstand long-term economic uncertainty

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Pathologists debunk 13 coronavirus myths




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As dating apps try to pivot to virtual events, some users are trying to get people to violate social distancing rules

  • Dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge have reported increased use amid the coronavirus pandemic, while touting virtual dating alternatives for users instead of meeting up in person.
  • Swaths of users are still encouraging matches to break quarantine to have sex and go on dates, despite social distancing guidelines and fines to comply with them.
  • An illustrator on Instagram has been collecting screenshots of these situations, and told Business Insider that users will brand themselves as "badasses," dispute the effectiveness of isolating, and lash out in anger and hurl abusive language when they're rejected.
  • Spokespeople for Grindr, Tinder and Bumble told Business Insider they've informed users to adhere to social-distancing guidelines, but did not respond to inquiries about actions they're taking against users in places where violating lockdown orders can be against the law.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

As millions remain confined to their homes to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the desire for human contact and connection has risen dramatically and led some to search for ways to break those social distancing rules.

Popular dating apps — including Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge — have reported significant increases during the outbreak of swiping activity, matches between users, and messages exchanged. It's also led to the introduction of a breed of users who are interested in shirking lockdown orders, and are encouraging their matches to join them in doing the same.

Dating app users have shared stories across social media, and recently with Mashable, about messages they've received from matches who ask them to come over or want to hook up. Artist Samantha Rothenberg, who uses the handle @violetclair on Instagram, has been collecting these screenshots from followers, and told Business Insider she's received close to a thousand of such stories.

"Because of how common it is, I can honestly say that anyone who is on a dating app right now has dealt with this," Rothenberg told Business Insider. "People are horny, and a lot of people are putting that ahead of the risk and the danger."

For dating platforms whose end goal is inherently to bring its millions of users together in real life, the coronavirus outbreak has put them in a curious predicament. Dating apps are forced to balance a desire to keep people on their platform for the sake of business, with a moral responsibility to discourage users to engage in behavior with potential life-or-death implications.

Since the start of the outbreak, apps have rolled out in-app virtual dating options and touted ways users can go on virtual dates. However, the prevalence of users who are trying to meet up in person, as documented by Rothenberg and screenshots across social media, raise questions about whether these dating platforms are doing enough to stymie such behavior in the time of coronavirus.

Rothenberg has long collected screenshots of users' horror stories from dating app interactions, which she often will depict in illustrations she posts to her Instagram account. But ever since the pandemic led states to instill lockdown orders starting in March, nearly all of the screenshots she's received have had to do with coronavirus.

These lockdown-violating users fall into a few general categories, according to Rothenberg. There's the users who try to paint themselves as "badasses" for breaking the rules, though Rothenberg says they're more like "a--holes." There are the matches who propose meeting up and, after getting rejected, reverse course to say they're were joking or "testing" you, she says. You'll also encounter the anti-quarantine user, whose reasoning is based on claims about herd immunity and the ineffectiveness of social distancing measures.

The last group is made up of users who react to "no" with anger and verbal abuse, Rothenberg told Business Insider. Women told Mashable recently about encounters with men on dating apps who badgered and harassed them after they turned down in-person meetings, going to the point of gaslighting.

These types of users are what led Rothenberg to launch a petition on Change.org to hold dating apps responsible for enforcing social distancing guidelines during the pandemic. She's also been active about calling out dating apps in her Instagram Stories she posts with screenshots she receives.

"People are angry, they tell me, 'can you believe this, this is disgusting, this is wrong,'" Rothenberg said. "Because I have this platform, I feel I have a bit of a responsibility to put these [stories] out in the open and share, and bring some light into what's going on out there to people who may not know."

In late March, platforms sent out various messages and alerts to their users that Rothenberg documented on Instagram. A message to Bumble users from CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said: "Please don't meet your Bumble matches IRL for now." Hinge users were told to "stay safe and keep connected."

Tinder, arguably the most well-know dating app, also discouraged users to meet up in a platform-wide message sent March 26.

"We know there's a lot to stay to each other as we all do our best to stay healthy and prevent the spread of the coronavirus," the message from Tinder said. "We hope to be a place for connecting during this challenging time, but it's important to stress that now is not the time to meet IRL with your match."

Dating apps' responsibilities to pivot from IRL to TXT

As companies across industries adjust business to stay afloat, dating apps have transitioned to emphasize alternatives to in-person meetups. Although online dating success has long been measured by the amount of conversations that turn to real-life connections, platforms are forced to rethink their strategy as users continue turning to them en masse. A poll conducted by Hinge found that 70% of its users said they were open to going on dates on Zoom, FaceTime, and other video platforms.

Some dating brands have introduced new features amid the pandemic. Hinge launched "Date from Home" in April, where users can indicate to a match they're ready to move their conversation off-app. Plenty of Fish started rolling out a livestreaming feature in March to users in the U.S. to allow matches to go on short virtual dates. Tinder, relatively late to the game, announced this week it was launching a video chat feature by the end of June.

A spokesperson for Match Group — the parent company on Tinder, Hinge, Plenty of Fish, and other dating platforms — told Business Insider that it made updates to its products "to help users better navigate stay-from-home policies and date digitally via phone or video."

Other apps that already enabled video chat and voice call, like The League and Bumble, are pushing these features to their users more than ever. 

But while users on these dating apps are swiping and messaging at new highs, the transition to virtual-only hasn't been as seamless for those on Grindr, the most popular dating app for gay men. Steve, a 26-year-old living in Washington, D.C., told Business Insider that activity on Grindr is "completely dead." He said he doesn't check the app nearly as often any more, but messages he does get on the app are largely from people who say they want to meet up despite the quarantine.

Grindr, like other apps, has attempted to pivot to virtual dating: The platform recently introduced Circles, where groups of up to 20 users can join chats centered around certain topics and interests. However, Steve said he's seen these groups largely dissolve into "all d--k pics."

"I dont think Grindr has the ability to rebrand itself honestly at this point for something other than hookups," Steve said. "They tried to take the opportunity to rebrand itself as something else, and it just right away became sexual."

A Grindr spokesperson told Business Insider it had sent in-app notifications to all users asking them to "refrain from in-person meetings right now."Nonetheless, an app-wide message sent to users — and shared by users on Twitter — made no mention of asking users to social distance. 

For users across these dating apps who encourage the violating of social distancing guidelines, it's unclear how much responsibility platforms have to keep their users' indoors. In some states under lockdown, authorities have doled out fines and even arrested residents found failing to follow at-home guidelines.

Grindr, Bumble and Match Group — the parent company of Tinder, Hinge, Plenty of Fish and others — told Business Insider in statements they have encouraged users to adhere to coronavirus guidelines from the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control.

None of the companies responded to Business Insider's requests for comment about whether asking to violate social-distancing guidelines on the platforms is a breach of policy or would garner any ban or suspension on a user.

SEE ALSO: What you need to know about Grimes, the Canadian musician who just had a baby with tech billionaire Elon Musk

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why electric planes haven't taken off yet




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Goldman Sachs is going through a huge transformation under CEO David Solomon

  • The storied investment bank is seeing leadership shakeups under CEO David Solomon and a slew of partner departures. 
  • Goldman has been moving away from high-risk businesses like trading and is making pushes into more stable areas like consumer lending, wealth management, and transaction banking. 
  • There have been big cultural changes, too. Solomon is looking to create a more transparent workplace, while new tech execs are taking cues from Silicon Valley heavy-hitters. 
  • At Business Insider, we are closely tracking the latest developments at Goldman. You can read all of our Goldman coverage on BI Prime.

Storied Wall Street bank Goldman Sachs is going through some massive changes under CEO David Solomon.

It's taken big steps involving transparency and inclusion to change up its culture. It has seen a slew of partner departures — many in the securities division. And it's making big pushes into businesses like wealth management and transaction banking.  

The latest people moves

Culture and talent

Coronavirus response

Consumer push, transaction banking, wealth management

Technology

Trading

Alternatives

Deals

Investor day 2020

Careers 

 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A cleaning expert reveals her 3-step method for cleaning your entire home quickly




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Kim Kardashian West shares behind-the-scenes peek at her White House visit

The reality TV star is a wizard at keeping the spotlight exactly where she wants it.




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John Lithgow, Annette Bening, Alfre Woodard and more come together for live performance of the Mueller report

Several Hollywood A-listers gave a reading of select parts of the report in New York.




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‘Real Housewives’ stars Ashley and Michael Darby are closing their Virginia restaurant

The couple ran Oz, an Australian-themed eatery in Clarendon.




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Actor Adam Scott and Sen. Mitch McConnell’s social media team are in a Twitter fight

The actor responded unfavorably to a tweet by McConnell's campaign, and the beef didn't stop there.




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Cory Booker and his ‘boo,’ Rosario Dawson, take their relationship on the campaign trail

Low-key no longer: The presidential candidate and his actress girlfriend appeared together at public events over the holiday weekend.




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Michelle Obama talks about her last night at the White House, Democratic presidential candidates in interview

“The transition happens so quickly; it’s like you don’t even get to move your furniture out until the new president takes the oath of office,” Obama told Gayle King in an interview at Essence Festival.




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‘Real Housewives of Potomac’ star Ashley Darby welcomes a son

The reality TV star wrote that she and her husband, real estate developer Michael Darby, are "savoring every moment."




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Are you there, Oprah? A-list celebrity endorsements for 2020 candidates are slow to come.

The presidential election is closer than you think, but thus far the celebrities are staying pretty far away.




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Wolf Blitzer, Kellyanne Conway and members of Congress celebrate Bastille Day at the French ambassador’s house

Despite the potential of, um, awkwardness among the diplomatic core and official Washington, elbows were ripe for rubbing at the French ambassador’s residence.




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Kim Kardashian West appeals to White House on behalf of ASAP Rocky

The reality star and her husband, Kanye West, tapped some high-ranking friends to help the rapper, who has been detained in Sweden.




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Vice President Pence’s daughter Charlotte Pence announces her engagement

The Pences' middle child shared the happy news on Instagram: "I said 'yes.' "




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Kim Kardashian spotted filming at D.C. jail

The reality star and criminal justice reform advocate was in town Tuesday.




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Mario Lopez criticized for saying it’s ‘dangerous’ for parents to accept their young kids as transgender

The “Saved by the Bell” star later apologized for stirring controversy in a resurfaced interview with conservative Candace Owens.




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Pete Buttigieg plays the didgeridoo and other unexpected musical talents of the 2020 candidates

You know about Beto O'Rourke on the guitar, of course, but what about Bernie Sanders's spoken-word album?




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Michelle Obama, Lin-Manuel Miranda, James Corden and more expected at National Portrait Gallery’s gala

Like the Kennedy Center Honors, the gallery’s gala has turned into a red-carpet affair.




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Sean Spicer’s casting on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ draws backlash — including from the show’s host

Tom Bergeron tweeted that he thought the producers had agreed the show should be “free of inevitably divisive bookings from ANY party affiliations.”




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Viola Davis will play Michelle Obama in Showtime anthology series ‘First Ladies’

The acclaimed actress and her husband, Julius Tennon, will also serve as executive producers.




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James Comey and Trump will face off again in new miniseries starring Jeff Daniels and Brendan Gleeson

The CBS Studios show will be based on the former FBI director's best-selling memoir.




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Dan Crenshaw defends Ricky Gervais’s Golden Globes monologue: ‘He’s illuminating their hypocrisy.’

The Republican congressman chastised entertainment culture for being "divisive."




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Stephen Miller marries Katie Waldman at the Trump International Hotel — with president in attendance

The president stopped by the event for Miller, a senior adviser, and Waldman, press secretary to Vice President Pence, after attending the Daytona 500.




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Dua Lipa for Bernie? Cher for Biden? Here’s where the celebrities stand on Super Tuesday.

Stars tweeted their support for their candidates of choice leading up to one of the most significant days in the Democratic primary race.




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How would we repair the damage in a post-Trump America?

Two new books critical of the president -- one from the left, one from the right -- imagine a path beyond our current divisions.




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Patch and Update

One of the most effective ways you can protect your computer at home is to make sure both the operating system and your applications are patched and updated. Enable automatic updating whenever possible.




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Cruise Embarkation Day Watch-Outs and Tips

Discover the 9 top tips and tricks to make your cruise embarkation day fast, stress-free and sets you up for the most enjoyable cruise vacation you can have. I explore the watch-outs and things to focus on drawing on my experiences of setting off on 73 cruises to date. I have learnt, sometimes the hard way, on the things to watch out for, to be ready for and how to make cruise embarkation day easy and get you into your cruise as quickly as possible.

Once you have watched this, why not watch one of these popular recent videos:
10 Cabins to Avoid: https://youtu.be/PgTGLma919A
European River Cruise Watch-Outs: https://youtu.be/oqhz54wStyk
5 Cruises To Avoid: https://youtu.be/CNiPzK4IRWA
Alaska Cruise Need-to-Knows: https://youtu.be/Tn7dpNw5kSI
Things Cruise Lines Don’t Want You to Know: https://youtu.be/cs5UKha9ALc
Rules Passengers Break Most: https://youtu.be/djZLZ3XV_f0
Things You Can’t Do On A Cruise Any More: https://youtu.be/zas6F4wMD0Q
Should You Pay Cruise Gratuities: https://youtu.be/QBYzqxXjEXQ

SUPPORT THE CHANNEL BY:
Buying my Cruise T-shirts: http://bit.ly/TFTStore
Booking your next cruise with CRUISEDIRECT.COM: http://bit.ly/TFTBookCruise


Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers aims to help you make more of your precious travel time and money on land and when cruising the oceans or rivers of the world. To help you, in every video I draw on my first-hand tips and advice from travelling every month for over 20 years and 60+ cruises.

Follow Tips For Travellers on:
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/garybembridge
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tipsfortravellers
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/garybembridge




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Princess Cruises Ocean Medallion Review

Princess Cruises were the first cruise line to introduce the Ocean Medallion smart wearable device that is supposed to change the way you cruise. It helps you board the ship faster, find your way around the ship, order food and drink to wherever you are on the ship, gamble and play games , locate your friends and more. But how does it really work? What are the pros and cons? Find out my thoughts, take and review of the Princess Cruises Ocean Medallion.




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The Digital Development Group is Seeing Tremendous Growth in Holiday Sales for Internet TV Devices

The Digital Development Group foresees dynamic growth in its industry. “On Nov. 21st we launched our first channel. We are excited to announce 5 more channels coming before year-end. On the heels of those developments we believe it is important to continue to define our mission.”

DigiDev is targeting the revolutionary “OTT” technology arena. “OTT” or Over The Top devices piggyback on existing network services in consumers’ homes or offices; pull content from the Internet and deliver it to their TV or Internet enabled device. DigiDev uses OTT technology to deliver programming to billions of desktops, mobile and smart/Internet enabled TV devices around the world.

“The market for digital distribution to 'smart' (Internet enabled) devices (smart-TV, tablet, smart-phones) continues to grow at an astonishing rate,” states Martin W. Greenwald, Chairman and CEO of DigiDev. “AppleTV, GoogleTV, and Roku sales this Holiday season are running considerably ahead of last year’s tally.”




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Judy Shelton is a dangerous pick for the Fed board

She has apparently tricked the president into thinking she supports his fiscal ideas. Her actual ideas are worse.




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The 1930s were a dark period for immigration policies. There’s one way today’s could be worse.

Trump has gutted the asylum system that grew in part out of our shame over our heartless refugee policies in the 1930s.




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Democrats already have a popular, progressive agenda. They just need to amplify it.

How best for the party to get its message across to voters.




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The more love Always Trumpers show, the more dangerous Trump becomes

Come hell or high crimes, they always truckle to Trump. And they’re the true risk to our democracy.