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super ace jili park ST counted at least 15 hair salons within 1km on the main stretch of Geylang Road alone, between Lorong 8 and Lorong 30. SINGAPORE - The signboard screams “Hair Studio” in neon lights, and the dimly lit shop has a row of barber chairs and large mirrors. But the twist is how the hair salon charges for its services – $40 for 30 minutes, and more if you want a massage thrown in. Dozens of hair salons have mushroomed all over Geylang in the past few months. The Straits Times counted at least 15 hair salons within 1km on the main stretch of Geylang Road alone, between Lorong 8 and Lorong 30. Across six visits by ST to the area between October and November, suspicions of vice in the establishments were strong. “Hairstylists” who wait outside their salons would offer hair washes and massages to men who walk by. After brief negotiations, men are led to the back of the salons, behind partitions or thin curtains. Some of the units operated during the day like legitimate salons, with stylists and barbers. Dozens of hair salons have mushroomed all over Geylang in the past few months. Some are a front for vice activities. The Straits Times observed a number of these suspicious places over six visits between October and November. An ST reporter visited one of the salons for a hair wash on Nov 25. The reporter was propositioned with additional massage services within two minutes of agreeing to a hair wash for $40. Once inside, a woman grabbed the reporter’s hand and placed it on her bosom. As she guided the reporter to lie down for the hair wash, a few other women started touching his legs and arms, hoping he would pay more for full-body massages. The services of another woman were offered for $40. Even after being repeatedly turned down, the women kept trying. One offered to provide an hour of company in a more private area, whispering in the reporter’s ear in Mandarin that she could do “whatever you like” during that time. She also said she could “look after” him. The salon the reporter patronised also brazenly touts its massage services on social media. In one TikTok video, it advertises a “12-hand massage“, which sees six women simultaneously massaging a male customer from head to toe. In another video, it brags that a customer had tipped staff $250 for a supposed haircut. The man in the video was bald. Employees in front of a beauty spa offering hair salon services, seen in Geylang Road on Nov 29. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR ST visited another hair salon during the day near Lorong 14. The place was empty, except for two women who nodded when asked if they were hairstylists. The reporter asked for a haircut, and was immediately pressured into booking both women for a massage at an “early early discount” of $70. The reporter was shown the back of the salon, where a thin curtain hid a massage bed. The offer was declined. Strict laws Hair salons are not supposed to provide full-body massage services unless explicitly approved to do so by the authorities. They are not classified as a massage establishment under the Massage Establishments Act. Under the same law, massage parlours and spas are governed by a strict licensing regime that adds controls on their operations and hours. Hair salons do not have such restrictions placed on them. The Act was passed in 2017 after police detected a 40 per cent increase in unlicensed massage establishments between 2013 and 2016. Many of these were found to be a front for vice activities. Employees waiting in front of a hair studio in Geylang Road on Nov 19. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Hair salons were deemed to be a lower risk because they did not typically offer full-body massages, and so were exempt from the massage establishment licensing regime. Among other things, the Police Licensing and Regulatory Department, which oversees the issuing of the massage establishment licence, requires that 80 per cent of employees in massage parlours and spas be certified in beauty therapy services. Employees must also wear uniforms and be decently dressed. There are no such requirements for hair salons. When the authorities began clamping down on errant massage parlours and spas, vice operators have in the past pivoted, registering their establishments as beauty salons, which are also exempt from having to obtain a massage establishment licence. ST previously reported about such beauty salons at Orchard Towers that offered sex and little else. The authorities quickly closed the gap. One of the largest operations in 2024 saw 102 investigated for their suspected involvement in vice activities following raids at 55 locations around Singapore, including massage parlours, beauty salons, hotels and residential units. It appears vice operators are now exploiting another gap. Ungoverned sector Mr Simon Lee, founder of the Hair and Cosmetology Association (Singapore), said he is aware that hair salons are popping up all over Geylang, with some operating as a front for vice activities. “These people are clearly just making the front look like a salon, but behind, it’s all hanky-panky,” he added. “We’ve seen a rising number of vice operators swinging to ungoverned sectors like hair salons. We’ve tried giving feedback to the authorities. “Many legitimate salons that used to be in Geylang have already moved out,” he said. He added that none of the new salons, which established themselves in the area over the past year, are among the association’s member base of over 300 salons and hairdressers. “Everyone in the industry knows what’s happening in Geylang and are staying away. If you’re a legitimate salon, you won’t be opening up there,” he said. The police told ST they did not detect any vice activities at hair salons during enforcement operations in 2023. But a spokesman added: “Any errant operator who uses a hair salon as a front for any illegal or unlicensed activities will be subject to enforcement action and dealt with under the relevant laws. “The police take a zero-tolerance approach towards such activities and will take firm action against those who blatantly disregard the law.” The police added that they will continue to partner the community and members of the public on the information submitted and will take appropriate action against any illegal activities detected. Mr Lee hopes the authorities can step in soon, even if it means scrutiny and licensing for all hair salons. “It may be painful for some salons in the short run, but in the long run, it’s good,” he said. “Because right now, our industry is being tarnished by these errant operators and there’s nothing much we can do.” Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now

A dog owner from Michigan took her pup to doggy day care hoping that she would start making friends, what she did instead has left internet users in stitches. In a viral TikTok post shared in November under the username @niknak272727, the minibernedoodle, Maisy, can be seen smiling in the car on the way to day care, but then a second picture shows her looking miserable there, isolating in a corner while the other pups play together a few feet away. "Signed my puppy up for day-care so she can start making friends and socialize," reads layover text in the clip. A caption says: She's 100% my daughter though lol." The poster, 24-year-old Nikki Sykora, 24, told Newsweek that she adopted the 1-year-old pup during her second year of dental school at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, and because she is a full-time dental student, she decided to start taking her to day care twice a week so that she can socialize during the day. "I do not have any other dogs at home, so I was hoping that day care would allow her to learn how to play with other dogs. The day care provides live video footage which can be accessed throughout the day, so I began watching her during my breaks at school. I started to notice that rather than playing with the dogs, she became very attached to the day care workers! "Maisy is extremely people oriented and is very attached to her humans. She is also very in touch with human emotions, which shapes her hilarious & outgoing personality. I think this video is a reflection of her strong desire to be with her people and her hilarious personality." Sykora explained that at the time the picture was taken, Maisy had been going to day care for two months, sometimes staying from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., but still hadn't gotten used to it. Despite the pup's behavior in the clip, the poster said that she will continue sending her to day care when she's out of the house. "I much prefer her to be around other people and dogs, opposed to being alone for most of the day—and I think she prefers this too! Her socialization with other dogs has greatly improved since beginning day-care, despite what it looks like in this photo." Dr. Harunur Rashid from Vet Advises says that leaving your pup home alone for more than 4-6 hours can lead to boredom, anxiety, and other behavior problems. So if you work long hours out of the house every day, it's always best to either leave your pup at day care or get a sitter to spend time with them instead of leaving them alone. Not all dogs are the same, some are more sociable than others, but there are different types of day care to accommodate all types of canines. Preventive Vet says that some facilities, known as "dog park style," have large outdoor areas for the pups to roam free and use up their energy, and these are the best spots for sociable dogs who love playing. Dogs who are a bit more cautious and scared of high activity will probably enjoy a separate play area style, where dogs are divided into groups based on their personality and energy levels. Then there is a home-style day care, which is usually in residential settings with very few dogs, which provides a familiar environment for dogs who exhibit signs of separation anxiety or prefer home to day care. The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 1.4 million views and 420,300 likes on the platform. One user, Emilyanneshobbies, commented: "My puppies report card said 'not interested in playing with the other kids' once." Kaytea said: "I remember bringing my shitzu to dog park and I sat on a bench to watch him play w other dogs only for him to sit next to me and watch the dogs as well." _shauna_ added: "That looks like me when you take me somewhere with strangers." Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.Plans To Stabilise Earth's Climate Rely On Emerging Carbon Removal Technology We Need To Get Moving

Fox News loses bid for Smartmatic voting-tech company's records about Philippines bribery case

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HashiCorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: HCP), The Infrastructure CloudTM company, today announced financial results for its third quarter of fiscal 2025, ended October 31, 2024. “The HashiCorp team delivered strong performance during the third quarter of fiscal 2025, with revenue growth of 19% year-over-year, and 8% growth in $100,000 customers year-over-year” said Dave McJannet, CEO, HashiCorp. “This quarter we gathered our community of customers, practitioners, and partners at HashiConf in Boston, where we announced critical updates across Infrastructure and Security Lifecycle Management product lines, and also continued work towards closing the company's transaction with IBM.” "HashiCorp continued to see promising growth in adoption of the HashiCorp Cloud Platform, with cloud revenues exceeding 17% of total subscription revenue this quarter" said Werner Schwock, Interim CFO & CAO. "New HashiCorp Cloud Platform features announced this quarter will continue to support our Infrastructure Cloud vision.” Proposed Merger with International Business Machines ("IBM") As announced on April 24, 2024, HashiCorp and IBM have entered into a merger agreement under which IBM will acquire HashiCorp for $35.00 per share in cash, representing an enterprise value of $6.4 billion. HashiCorp stockholders approved the merger agreement on July 15, 2024. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first calendar quarter of 2025, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the closing conditions in the merger agreement. In light of the proposed transaction with IBM, HashiCorp will not be holding a conference call to discuss financial results or providing financial guidance in conjunction with its third quarter of fiscal 2025 earnings release. Fiscal 2025 Third Quarter Financial Results Revenue: Total revenue was $173.4 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, up 19% from $146.1 million in the same period last year. Gross Profit: GAAP gross profit was $143.6 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, representing an 83% gross margin, compared to a GAAP gross profit of $120.5 million and an 82% gross margin in the same period last year. Non-GAAP gross profit was $148.4 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, representing an 86% non-GAAP gross margin, compared to a non-GAAP gross profit of $125.4 million and an 86% non-GAAP gross margin in the same period last year. Operating Income (Loss): GAAP operating loss was $29.9 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, compared to GAAP operating loss of $55.6 million in the same period last year. Non-GAAP operating income was $11.0 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, compared to a non-GAAP operating loss of $10.5 million in the same period last year. Net Income (Loss): GAAP net loss was $13.0 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, compared to a GAAP net loss of $39.5 million in the same period last year. Non-GAAP net income was $26.9 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, compared to a non-GAAP net income of $5.6 million in the same period last year. Net Income (Loss) per Share: GAAP basic and diluted net loss per share was $0.06, based on 203.5 million weighted-average shares outstanding in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, compared to a GAAP net loss per share of $0.20 based on 194.6 million weighted-average shares outstanding in the same period last year. Non-GAAP basic and dilutive net income per share were both $0.13, based on 203.5 million and 211.7 million weighted-average shares outstanding, respectively, in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, compared to a non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per share of $0.03 in the same period last year. Remaining Performance Obligation (RPO): Total RPO was $775.4 million at the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2025, up from $678.2 million in the same period last year. The current portion of GAAP RPO was $481.4 million at the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2025, up from $402.1 million at the end of the same period last year. Total non-GAAP RPO was $795.6 million at the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2025, up from $700.4 million at the end of the same period last year. The current portion of non-GAAP RPO was $499.4 million at the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2025, up from $420.8 million at the end of the same period last year. Cash, cash equivalents, and investments: Net cash provided by operating activities was $38.2 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, compared to $8.7 million provided by operating activities in the same period last year. Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments totaled $1,346.4 million at the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2025, compared to $1,255.7 million at the end of the same period last year. Reconciliations of GAAP financial measures to the most comparable non-GAAP financial measures have been provided in the tables included in this release. Fiscal 2025 Third Quarter and Recent Operating Highlights About HashiCorp, Inc. HashiCorp is The Infrastructure CloudTM company, helping organizations automate multi-cloud and hybrid environments with Infrastructure Lifecycle Management and Security Lifecycle Management. HashiCorp offers The Infrastructure Cloud on the HashiCorp Cloud Platform (HCP) for managed cloud services, as well as self-hosted enterprise offerings and community source-available products. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California. For more information, visit hashicorp.com . All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995, as amended, including, among others, statements about HashiCorp’s business strategy, go-to-market initiatives, revenue growth, and long-term opportunity related to HashiCorp’s product innovation, and the proposed merger with IBM. In some cases you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “likely,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. Such statements are subject to numerous important factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from current expectations and beliefs, including but not limited to risks and uncertainties related to market conditions, HashiCorp and its business as set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) pursuant to our Annual Report on Form 10-K dated March 20, 2024, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q dated December 5, 2024, and our future reports that we may file from time to time with the SEC. These documents contain and identify important factors that could cause the actual results for HashiCorp to differ materially from those contained in HashiCorp’s forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and HashiCorp specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required by law. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures In addition to our results determined in accordance with GAAP, we have disclosed non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating loss, non-GAAP net loss, non-GAAP net loss per share, non-GAAP free cash flow and total and current non-GAAP RPOs, which are all non-GAAP financial measures. We have provided tabular reconciliations of each non-GAAP financial measure to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure at the end of this release. We calculate non-GAAP gross profit as GAAP gross profit before amortization of stock-based compensation included in the amortized expenses of capitalized internal-use software, stock-based compensation expense, and amortization of acquired intangibles included in cost of revenue. We calculate non-GAAP gross margin as GAAP gross margin before the impact of stock-based compensation of capitalized internal-use software, stock-based compensation expense and amortization of acquired intangibles included in cost of revenue as a percentage of revenue. We calculate non-GAAP operating loss as GAAP operating loss before amortization of stock-based compensation of capitalized internal-use software, stock-based compensation expense, amortization of acquired intangibles, and merger and acquisition-related expenses. We calculate non-GAAP net income (loss) as GAAP net loss before amortization of stock-based compensation of capitalized internal-use software, stock-based compensation expense, amortization of acquired intangibles, and merger and acquisition-related expenses, which comprise one-time costs associated with advisory, legal, and other professional fees, net of tax adjustments. We calculate non-GAAP net income (loss) per share as non-GAAP net income (loss) divided by weighted average shares outstanding (basic and diluted). We calculate non-GAAP free cash flow as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less purchases of property and equipment and capitalized internal-use software costs. Non-GAAP free cash flow as a % of revenue is calculated as non-GAAP free cash flow divided by total revenue. We calculate non-GAAP RPOs as RPOs plus customer deposits, which are refundable pre-paid amounts, based on the timing of when these customer deposits are expected to be recognized as revenue in future periods. The current portion of non-GAAP RPO represents the amount to be recognized as revenue over the next 12 months. Our management team uses these non-GAAP financial measures internally in analyzing our financial results and believe they are useful to investors, as a supplement to GAAP measures, in evaluating our ongoing operational performance. We believe that the use of these non-GAAP financial measures provides an additional tool for investors to use in evaluating ongoing operating results and trends and in comparing our financial results with other companies in our industry, many of which present similar non-GAAP financial measures to investors. Non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. In particular, other companies may report non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP loss from operations, non-GAAP net income (loss), non-GAAP net income (loss) per share, non-GAAP free cash flow, non-GAAP RPOs or similarly titled measures but calculate them differently, which reduces their usefulness as comparative measures. Investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, as presented below. This earnings press release and any future releases containing such non-GAAP reconciliations can also be found on the Investor Relations page of our website at https://ir.hashicorp.com . (1) The adjustments relate to the tax impact of stock-based compensation expense and amortization of acquired intangibles. (1) For the reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP for the historical periods presented, refer to our prior earning releases. (2) Amount is less than 1%. (1) For the reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP for the historical periods presented, refer to our prior earning releases. Investor Contact HashiCorp ir@hashicorp.com Media Contact Kate Lehman HashiCorp media@hashicorp.com

NEW YORK and AMSTERDAM , Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Dow Jones Indices ("S&P DJI"), the world's leading index provider, today announced the results of the annual Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) rebalancing and reconstitution. The DJSI are float-adjusted market capitalization weighted indices that measure the performance of companies selected using environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. The DJSI, including the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World), were launched in 1999 as the pioneering series of global sustainability benchmarks available in the market. The index family is comprised of global, regional and country benchmarks. As a result of this year's review, the following top three largest companies based on free-float market capitalization have been added to and deleted from the DJSI World. All changes are effective on Monday, December 23, 2024 . Additions: Airbus SE, Schlumberger Ltd, BAE Systems Plc Deletions: Alphabet Inc 1 , UnitedHealth Group Inc, ASML Holding NV 2 The full results and list of DJSI constituents will be available as of Monday, December 23 2024 , at https://www.spglobal.com/esg/csa/djsi-annual-review S&P Dow Jones Indices will be renaming a number of its sustainability and ESG-related indices (see Index Announcement ). As part of this update, the family of Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) will be renamed Dow Jones Best-in-Class Indices. The changes will become effective on Monday, February 10, 2025 . The S&P Global CSA Scores will continue to be a key factor in selecting constituents for the DJSI when they are renamed Dow Jones Best-in-Class Indices in February 2025 . For more information about the DJSI methodology, please visit: www.spglobal.com/spdji . ABOUT S&P DOW JONES INDICES S&P Dow Jones Indices is the largest global resource for essential index-based concepts, data and research, and home to iconic financial market indicators, such as the S&P 500® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average®. More assets are invested in products based on our indices than products based on indices from any other provider in the world. Since Charles Dow invented the first index in 1884, S&P DJI has been innovating and developing indices across the spectrum of asset classes helping to define the way investors measure and trade the markets. S&P Dow Jones Indices is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies, and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit: www.spglobal.com/spdji . 1 Still member of DJSI World Enlarged and DJSI North America 2 Still member of DJSI World Enlarged S&P DJI MEDIA CONTACTS: spdji.comms@spglobal.com View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sp-dow-jones-indices-announces-dow-jones-sustainability-indices-2024-review-results-302331745.html SOURCE S&P Dow Jones Indices Stay Informed: Subscribe to Our Newsletter TodayShould You Donate Your Points and Miles to Charity?

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Dominic Zvada kicked a 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds left and Michigan stunned No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday, likely ending the Buckeyes ’ hopes of returning to the Big Ten title game. Kalel Mullings broke away for a 27-yard run, setting up the Wolverines (7-5, 5-4) at Ohio State's 17-yard line with two minutes remaining in the game. The drive stalled at the 3, and Zvada came on for the chip shot. Ohio State (10-2, 7-2, No. 2 CFP) got the ball back but couldn't move it, with Will Howard throwing incomplete on fourth down to seal the Wolverines' fourth straight win over their bitter rival. “You come to Michigan to play this game,” Zvada said. “So, it's the biggest one of the year. It's the one that everyone looks forward to, and to be able to come in here and take the win, it's amazing.” This Ohio State loss in the “The Game” might have been the toughest of the past four because Michigan was unranked and wrapping up a disappointing season. The Wolverines were also playing without a couple of top players: tight end Colston Loveland and cornerback Will Johnson. The Buckeyes were favored by 21 points, the widest point spread for this rivalry since 1978, according to ESPN Stats and Info. Records — and point spreads, for that matter — rarely mean much when these two teams meet. “Our defense played outstanding," Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said. "We held a high-powered offense to 10 points, 77 rushing yards.” The Buckeyes were off all afternoon. Howard was 19 for 33 for 175 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions and Jayden Fielding missed two field-goal attempts. The run game was hardly there. “It's hard, man,” an emotional Howard said. “I really don’t have much right now. I do know we're a two-loss team. We're going to get into the playoffs and make a run. But, I mean, this one hurts.” Mullings was Michigan's primary weapon. He rushed for 116 yards and the Wolverines only touchdown of the game in the first half as neither team could get much going offensively on the frigid afternoon. “They made plays, we made plays, so as the game wore on you could definitely, slowly feel them starting to lose confidence, lose that energy and lose that faith,” Mullings said. Howard was clunky all day. In the first half he threw an interception from deep in his own territory that led to Michigan's touchdown. He went out for a play in the second quarter to be checked for a head injury. After the game, he said he was fine. “We're very disappointed, and never thought this would happen right here,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “We expected to win this game and go play in the Big Ten championship game.” After the game, Michigan players attempted to plant their flag at midfield and were confronted by Ohio State players. A skirmish ensued as both teams pushed and shoved before being separated. Michigan: Did just enough and caught Ohio State on an off day. Ohio State: It's inexplicable how badly the Buckeyes played in their biggest game of the season. They would need No. 4 Penn State and No. 10 Indiana to lose later Saturday in order to make it into the Big Ten title game next week. There has been talk all season about how many of the Ohio State team leaders, including receiver Emeka Egbuka, running back TreVeyon Henderson and defensive end Jack Sawyer, chose to return for another year instead of entering the NFL draft because they wanted to beat Michigan at least once. Those players were inconsolable after the game. One of them, linebacker Cody Simon, was asked how he felt. “I just can't speak that right now,” Simon said. “I feel like we let the whole Buckeye nation down.” Michigan will wait for a minor bowl game. Ohio State, assuming either Penn State or Indiana wins on Saturday, will see how the final College Football Playoff rankings shakeout on Dec. 8. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25Jacob Meyer and sharpshooting DePaul use a big 2nd half to defeat Wichita State 91-72

If you’re sitting on a pile of travel or credit card rewards with no immediate travel plans, donating them to a charity is an easy way to have a positive impact. And it's a popular way to give: In 2021, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members donated around 94 million miles to charities at an approximate cash value of $2.6 million, according to the airline. Beyond the social benefits, miles donations also qualify as activity on your loyalty account and can prevent the rest of your rewards from expiring . But if you’re in the habit of maximizing points and miles, you might also want to stretch the value of your charitable donations as far as possible. And by that measure, some methods of donating points and miles fall short. Here’s what to consider before donating your miles and points . Many loyalty programs make it easy to redeem your points and miles for a donation directly through their rewards portals. But some portals — especially those from airline and hotel programs — don’t publish the cash value a charity will receive for your miles or points. That means the charity may receive less value for your donation than you’d think, while also making it hard to compare the value of a donation with the value of other options for redeeming your points. Best Western Rewards is one of the few loyalty programs that publishes a cash value for charitable points donations. The charity will receive $2 for every 500 points you donate, for a point a value of 0.4 cent each. NerdWallet values Best Western points at 0.6 cent apiece, so you would receive 33% less value for your donation relative to using them for a hotel stay. Generally, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) doesn’t count points and miles as a source of income, so if you donate them, you can't deduct the cash value of your gift. This lack of favorable tax treatment for the consumer combined with the uncertain value you’ll often receive for miles and points donations should have you at least consider other avenues for your philanthropic endeavors. Keep in mind that this drawback only matters for taxpayers who itemize deductions on their income tax returns. If you're like most people and take the standard deduction instead of itemizing, you wouldn't be able to get a charitable tax deduction from any donation. Some rewards programs have a minimum donation amount for select charities. For example, you’d have to donate at least 2,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points for a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. That minimum amount makes it tougher to donate points that may be collecting dust in your loyalty account. To maximize the value of your donation, consider a charity that books travel directly with your miles or points rather than donating directly through your loyalty program's portal. For example, Miles4Migrants uses donated airline miles and credit card points to directly book award travel for refugees and asylum seekers. “Instead of maximizing points and miles to book a dream trip, we do it to help refugees reach safe new beginnings,” said Patrick Stouffer, partnerships manager at Miles4Migrants, in an email. Miles4Migrants has redeemed over 775 million donated miles in pursuit of their mission, with a cash value of over $17 million. That expertise allows them to get more value out of every donation. “Our team has the specialized knowledge necessary to stretch the value of every point or mile, ensuring donations go as far as possible,” Stouffer said. “Even if you aren’t able to reap any tax advantages of donating your points, at least you’ll know they made the largest possible impact.” Direct cash donations help avoid the downsides of donating miles and points. If you have a credit card that earns cash back , or if you earn cash rewards through a shopping portal like TopCashBack or Rakuten , consider cashing out and donating those rewards instead of your miles and points. With a cash donation, you’ll know the exact value a charity will receive from your donation and likely qualify for a potential itemized deduction on your taxes. Some rewards programs make this process simple and transparent. Travel rewards programs sometimes incentivize charitable giving by offering bonus points for your cash donations. For example, American Airlines offers 10 AAdvantage miles for every dollar members contribute to the charity Stand Up To Cancer. That extra incentive can be an individual boon for your charitable donation. Just be aware that any points or miles you receive from such promotions will reduce the tax deductibility of your contribution. American Airlines values those bonus miles you receive through donations at 3 cents each. So if you donate $100 and receive 1,000 AAdvantage miles, American values those miles at $30. You’ll receive a tax form declaring those rewards as $30 in income, giving you a qualifying tax deduction of $70. When you donate cash and receive bonus points, the charity still receives your full donation and you get a slug of points. While you'll have to pay taxes on those points, it can still be a big win for your future travel plans. The article Should You Donate Your Points and Miles to Charity? originally appeared on NerdWallet.Top News Today: TRAI New Rules, Air India-Vistara Routes, Cyclone Fengal Update, Horbill Festival & More On December 1Costs Don't miss out on the headlines from Costs. Followed categories will be added to My News. An increasing number of Aussies are falling victim to fraudsters stealing their card details to splash thousands of dollars at JB HI FI stores. Money that most victims will never see again. Former President of Hawthorn Football Club and current Chair of Golf Australia, Andrew Newbold is just one of countless Australians battling with their banks to have that stolen money returned. When Andrew received an alert from his credit card provider, Latitude, verifying that a single purchase was made at an Essendon JB HI FI, he assumed that the transaction was for a camera his daughter had purchased earlier that morning. Little did he know scammers had drained over $11,000 from his credit card, hitting up three different JB HI FI stores around the centre of Melbourne. Andrew Newbold was shocked to see $11,000 worth of fraudulent purchases on his credit card, but his bank was reluctant to act. Picture: Supplied After checking his online accounts, spotting four purchases ranging from $4994 to $1997, he immediately put a lock on his card and rang Latitude’s customer service line. Having alerted Latitude to the fraudulent purchases he was told there was nothing they could do to stop the transactions, as goods had been exchanged in store. However the saga did not stop there. Before his second, newly issued card had even arrived at his doorstep, another fraudulent transaction appeared on his account. This time, $50 at a barbecue chicken shop on Elizabeth street in Melbourne’s centre. Fearing thousands more would surely be spent, and unable to put a lock on a card he had not yet received, Andrew again rang Latitude’s customer service line. The response from Latitude’s fraud and transaction disputes team. Picture: Supplied “I couldn’t believe the card was still on its way from Latitude, and the fraudster was still able to use it but I couldn’t,” Andrew said. Upon talking to a representative from Latitude, Andrew says “I was told they (Latitude) hadn’t removed the token associated with the card.” Credit card tokenization is a security measure where a customer’s primary account number (PAN) is replaced with a series of randomly generated numbers. It is unclear how exactly the scammers were able to bypass these measures. Dissatisfied with the response from Latitude, Andrew submitted a transaction dispute and began contacting the JB HI FI stores where the fraudulent transactions had been made. “I called Essendon JB HI FI and was put through to a manager who informed me that the purchases were in fact made in-store,” Andrew said. Newbold took it upon himself to investigate exactly what happened, calling the JB HI FI stores where the fraudulent purchases were made. Picture: Supplied/REA Two weeks later Latitude responded to the dispute but maintained the transactions would remain on the account. A customer specialist from Latitude’s Fraud Claims and Disputes team responded, “We’ve found that the purchase was made using the contactless technology in your card/digital wallet, meaning that your card/device was in the store for the transaction.” “As we understand that the card/device hasn’t left your possession, unfortunately we can’t dispute the transaction with the merchant without compelling evidence that you didn’t make or authorise the transaction,” they said. After news.com reached out to Latitude for comment, it backflipped on its decision informing Mr Newbold that his money would be refunded in full with an additional $200 as compensation. A spokesman for Latitude said, “Latitude has confirmed that the customer was the subject of a sophisticated fraud. We have apologised to the customer and waived the fraudulent transactions.” Latitude originally rejected a request to reimburse Mr Newbold, but backflipped after being contacted by news.com. “I’m lucky this hasn’t created havoc in my life, but I’m sure for some people it would and that behaviour is unacceptable I would’ve thought.” Mr Newbold said. “If I’ve lost my actual card or misplaced it, I could sort of understand the bank’s position, but when I’m sitting at home on a Saturday afternoon and I haven’t done anything to put my card at risk, they should definitely be refunding that money.” Earlier this year the UK implemented measures mandating that all banks using the faster payment system reimburse fraud victims up to £85,000 ($169,121 AUD). Another victim who requested to remain anonymous, received an email from JB HI FI notifying him of a purchase on his account, but thought they may have mistakenly put down his email for somebody else’s purchase. However upon checking their bank account they realised scammers had spent almost $2000 on a brand new iPhone 16 through JB HI FI’s click and collect system. “So they bought the phone online then went in store to collect it and there was never any authentication” the victim said. This is one of a series of frauds committed at JB HI FI’s across Australia in the last month. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard “I have absolutely no idea how they were able to hand over the goods, I would’ve thought at this dollar amount there would be two-factor authentication or some kind of identification process in place.” Citibank has provided the victim with a temporary credit to his account while they investigate the fraud but the victim says this may be a lengthy process. These are just the latest cases in a spate of frauds sweeping Melbourne’s JB HI FI outlets. Just last month another Melburnian had $14,000 drained from his accounts in a similar fashion, with scammers hitting up five different JB HI FI stores. After Bendigo Bank refused to refund the fraudulent purchases, he took matters into his own hands to investigate the matter. “Why don’t (they) want to stop it happening? The bank says they are up to date with scams but prevention is better than a cure – they should get on top of how people are doing it, why they are doing it and make their product more secure.” Bendigo similarly refunded the $14,000 following outreach for comment by news.com. More Coverage Aussies hunt for scammers who stole $14k Sarah Sharples Leaked messages reveal ‘devastating’ scam Sarah Sharples Originally published as Aussie takes on the banks after scammers stole $11k More related stories Costs Marriage trend that needs to end right now There’s a popular new trend taking off online, but there’s a very grim reason no one should be laughing. Read more Costs Couple in mortgage hell, hit hard by Xmas It is the most festive time of the year, but it can also be the most “stressful”, especially for a family of three living off one salary. Read more

NoneHow Shaboozey’s ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ Has Kept the Party Going on Country Airplay Chart

Alpha Modus and Insight Acquisition Corp Close Business Combination and Alpha Modus will Begin Trading Under "AMOD" TickerSouth Korea's lawmakers on Friday voted to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo, in the second head-of-state ousting this month after a short-lived martial decree on Dec. 3, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap . > Watch NBC Bay Area News 📺 Streaming free 24/7 Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is next in line to take on the mantle of the acting presidency, according to South Korean law. Han's predecessor, President Yoon Suk Yeol, was impeached a mere two weeks prior , after imposing martial law for six hours at the start of the month for the first time since the military coup of 1979, citing the need to "protect the constitutional order based on freedom and eradicate shameful pro-North Korea anti-state groups, that are stealing freedom and happiness of our people," according to NBC News . Opposition lawmakers brought the motion against Han on Thursday over the acting president's reluctance to immediately appoint three justices in the Constitutional Court, which is preparing to kick off deliberations on upholding Yoon's impeachment or reinstating him. Han's ruling Power People Party has argued that filling the Constitutional Court vacancies exceeds Han's mandate as acting president. The Constitutional Court held a first hearing on Yoon's case on Friday and has 180 days to reach its conclusion. A simple 151 majority, rather than two-thirds of parliamentary support, was required to pass the Friday vote. The assembly approved Han's impeachment motion with 192-0 in favor, while governing party lawmakers boycotted the poll, according to a Google-translated Yonhap update . The agency reports that acting Han has said he will respect the Friday decision. Han's own impeachment plunges South Korea into renewed political turbulence, shaking the foundations of its democratic success story and driving the Korean won down 0.40% to 1,472.22 after the Friday news. South Korea's Kospi slid 1.02% during the Friday session . Earlier on Friday, the Finance Ministry's Choi warned of the economic and security impact of Han's impeachment vote on Asia's fourth-largest economy. "In a time of global trade wars and national emergencies, the absence of a control tower for state affairs would cause severe damage to our country's credibility, economy, national security and governance continuity," Choi said, according to Yonhap . The International Monetary Fund projects 2.5% growth in South Korea's gross domestic product for 2024, and also a 2.5% inflation print over the period.

SINGAPORE: On Nov 12, 2020, amid the chaos of a contentious United States presidential election and a global pandemic, Jiang Fan, president of Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall platforms, took the stage to announce the performance of its 11.11 “Singles’ Day” shopping festival . The highlight was the total GMV (gross merchandise value) of 498.2 billion yuan (US$68.8 billion), a staggering 86 per cent increase compared to 2019. It was a moment of triumph for Chinese e-commerce – and the last time Alibaba launched the 11.11 with such fanfare. Since 2022, major Chinese e-commerce platforms have replaced GMV announcements with vague metrics, such as the number of small merchants doubling their sales or brands with over 100 million yuan in sales. For the recently concluded 2024 edition , Alibaba reported that 45 brands surpassed 1 billion yuan GMV on Tmall, while JD claimed a 20 per cent increase in the number of shoppers. Yet, both platforms again refrained from revealing total GMV. Traditionally, 11.11, alongside the mid-year 6.18 shopping festival, has served as a key barometer for consumer confidence, which has become a focal point of China’s efforts to boost its slowing economy. But in the absence of official figures, analysts and media are left to interpret third-party data. E-commerce data firm Syntun, a popular reference point, estimated that overall ecommerce sales grew 26.6 per cent to 1.44 trillion yuan this year. HOW USEFUL IS THE BAROMETER? This growth sounds promising on paper. During my visits to Hangzhou (home to Alibaba) and Yiwu (one of China’s largest e-commerce hubs) during 11.11, it was evident that e-commerce participants – from merchants to logistics operators – took the event seriously, striving to outdo competitors. So, why the silence from platforms about total GMV? Several factors are at play. First, there has been a shift in tone amid fierce competition. Before the pandemic, 11.11 was a celebration – a chest-thumping display of dominance by confident e-commerce giants. But the past few years have seen China’s e-commerce landscape morph from a duopoly (of Alibaba and JD) into a fierce battleground, with Pinduoduo, Douyin and Kuaishou now claiming 40 per cent of the market. Founders of both Alibaba and JD have returned to steer their companies amid this war of attrition. In such a competitive and uncertain environment, public boasting feels out of place. Leaders lack the mood or energy for fanfare. Moreover, in an economic climate where sentiment is fragile, the announcement of eye-popping numbers risks being misinterpreted - strong figures could invite criticism of profiteering or being out of touch, while weak ones might spark pessimistic headlines which the government dislikes. Better to say as little as possible. Then there is the question of the GMV’s relevance. The utility of 11.11 GMV as a measure of consumer confidence has become debatable. High return rates - reaching 80 to 90 per cent for fashion and jewellery sellers on live commerce channels - blur the real value of sales. Moreover, the festival’s timeline now varies across platforms, with some stretching it to 35 days this year, making year-on-year comparisons complicated. Interestingly, this year, e-commerce platforms in the United States are also extending their Black Friday promotion period to be as long as two weeks. Pinduoduo’s strategy of offering low prices year-round has further diminished the allure of shopping festivals. When consumers can find bargains every day, what are the incentives for brands and consumers to invest extra time and attention for a singular event like 11.11? Can category-level insights still provide some clarity? Perhaps, but even those numbers come with caveats. For instance, electronics emerged as one of the best-performing categories this year, but that is likely bolstered by the 150 billion yuan subsidies introduced in August to encourage appliance upgrades. BACK TO BASICS This year, it was quicker and easier to determine the US election results than to gauge the relative performance of China’s ecommerce platforms. Ultimately, the value of 11.11 as a barometer for consumer confidence has diminished. The event’s headline figures often obscure more than they reveal. Instead of focusing on inflated GMV figures, it’s more insightful to consider the fundamentals driving consumer behaviour. Confidence stems from secure job prospects, stable property values and a robust stock market – factors squarely within the government’s purview, not the platforms’. Though the stock market rally was short-lived, it underscored the potential for decisive actions to revive consumer sentiment. While the government has unveiled new measures targeted at banks and local government, it has so far avoided direct stimulus for households. As for ecommerce platforms, they must adjust to the new reality. Regardless of how much confidence returns, the explosive growth of the past two decades is unlikely to repeat. Instead, expect more Chinese platforms to look outward, competing on the global stage. Just take a look at Pinduoduo’s Temu and Taobao’s recent promotions in Singapore. China’s 11.11 shopping festival has evolved from an extravagant spectacle into a quieter affair, reflecting both competitive pressures and broader economic uncertainty. For businesses and policymakers alike, the focus should shift from fleeting metrics to the structural factors that truly inspire consumer confidence: A belief that the future holds more promise than today. Jianggan Li is CEO of Momentum Works, a Singapore-based venture outfit, and co-author of Seeing The Unseen: Behind Chinese Tech Giants’ Global Venturing.

By Steven Petite on December 2, 2024 at 3:01PM PST GameSpot may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and from purchases through links. The official strategy hardcover strategy guides for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild are 50% off in Amazon's Cyber Monday sale . You can also save 50% on Dark Horse's superb lore and art books, dropping the price of The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia , Hyrule Historia , and Arts & Artifacts to only $20 each. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion is perhaps the most notable deal of the bunch. This hardcover book chronicling the creation of Breath of the Wild very rarely drops below $35, but you can get it for only $25 right now. 50% off The Legend of Zelda & Mario Books Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Collector's Edition Guide -- $22.50 ($ 45 ) Zelda: Breath of the Wild Expanded Guide -- $20 ($ 40 ) Zelda: Hyrule Historia -- $20 ($ 40 ) The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia -- $20 ( $40 ) Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Creating a Champion -- $25 ( $50 ) Zelda: Arts & Artifacts -- $20 ( $50 ) Super Mario Encyclopedia -- $25 ( $50 ) The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia Deluxe Edition -- $48 ( $90 ) Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Creating a Champion Hero's Edition -- $59.50 ( $110 ) The Legend of Zelda Cyber Monday Game Deals The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Digital) -- $30 ( $70 ) The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom -- $50 ( $60 ) If you want to learn more about any of the above, we have detailed breakdowns of all of the officially licensed Legend of Zelda books below. Many of Link's memorable adventures have been adapted into family-friendly manga. The original Legend of Zelda manga is available in a 10-book paperback box set and as a 5-book Legendary Edition Box Set with a treasure chest case. Meanwhile, the 11-book Twilight Princess Complete Box Set released in September 2024 and is now on sale for over $30 off. With the holiday season upon us, the books on this list would be great gift ideas for the Zelda fans in your life. $20 ( $40 ) The first book in Dark Horse's Zelda book series, Hyrule Historia was published in 2013. Despite being a decade old, it's still an incredible read with a bounty of information about the development of the series. It has a treasure trove of illuminating concept art and nuggets of lore for every game in the series through Skyward Sword. Hyrule Historia is an essential book for Zelda fans. Hyrule Historia clocks in. at 280 pages and is available in hardcover and Kindle formats in the US. A paperback edition with original cover art featuring Link was published in Europe. Collectors may want both, but the hardcover edition matches the rest of Dark Horse's series. $20 ( $40 ) The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia is a lovely reference book that serves as a great companion to Hyrule Historia and the wider series in general. Published in 2018 to commemorate the franchise's 30th anniversary, the 328-page hardcover book takes a close look at the characters, enemies, items, and places featured in the series from The Legend of Zelda (1986) through The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (2016). The book, which is also available for Kindle, contains a huge database of enemies and items as well as an official timeline detailing when each game takes place in comparison to the rest. It also includes development sketches, numerous maps, and a bunch of lore--the additional lore is a big reason why it's a great companion to Hyrule Historia. Zelda franchise producer Eiji Aonuma was interviewed for this book. The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia is great for both long-time fans and newcomers. For Zelda veterans, it's pretty cool to revisit 30 years of memories; if you're a newer fan, this book will help fill in some knowledge gaps and perhaps even encourage you to explore older versions of Hyrule for the first time. $48 ( $90 ) The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia: Deluxe Edition and has a nostalgic design and essentially acts as the collector's version. All of the content inside the book matches the standard edition, but you're getting an alternate cover, unique slipcase, and very cool bonus. The Deluxe Edition's cover art is designed to look like the gold cartridge of The Legend of Zelda (1987) for the original Nintendo Entertainment System. To mimic the cartridge's finish, Dark Horse added glossy laminate and varnish to foil paper to create the embossed cover. The polypropylene slipcase resembles NES cart sleeves. To keep the cover in great shape when removing the book from its case, the interior of the sleeve is lined with velvet. It also comes with an old-school instruction booklet that's as big as the "cartridge." Out of all of the books on this list, The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia: Deluxe Edition is the most lavish from a design perspective. You should definitely read it, but the book doubles as a beautiful piece of Zelda decor. $20 ( $50 ) The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts is a 427-page hardcover book featuring a massive collection of artwork created across 30-plus years by the team of artists at Nintendo. Unlike the other two reference books covering the series at large, Arts & Artifacts does contain artwork made for Breath of the Wild. Video game art books are pretty common these days. If a video game is the focus of only one book, there's a good chance it'll be an art book. Arts & Artifacts is one of the best video game art books you can buy; it showcases a wide variety of artwork across each console and handheld generation. Arts & Artifacts could aptly be described as an encyclopedia of Zelda art, as you'll find a ton of character concept art, sprite work, box and instruction booklet art, and promotional images, among other categories. To complement the visual feast, the book contains commentary from the artists who made the pieces featured on these pages. All of Dark Horse's Zelda books thrive in hardcover format, but Arts & Artifacts, in particular, is one we'd definitely recommend in physical format. Looking at the illustrations on an iPad simply isn't the same as flipping through high-end art paper. $25 ( $50 ) The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild proved to be a major evolution for the franchise. Compared to earlier games, its scope was absolutely staggering. For many, Breath of the Wild and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, became the new benchmarks to compare future iterations--and open-world games in general--against going forward. If you want to take a look behind the curtain to see how the new era of the series came to be, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion is the definitive way to do just that. Creating a Champion is a 424-page doorstopper of a hardcover--though it's available as an ebook, too--published by Dark Horse in 2018. Perhaps most notably, the book offers dozens of pages of art by Takumi Wada, the lead artist for Breath of the Wild. It also has roughly 300 pages of concept and production art from other members of the team. To accompany and contextualize the illustrations, Breath of the Wild's lead developers detail the philosophy behind and evolution of the art. As you read through the commentary and admire the images, you can start to see how the largest version of Hyrule came to life. The history and lore of this Hyrule is covered extensively, and it also contains interviews with multiple key creators, including franchise lead Eiji Aonuma, Nintendo art director Satoru Takizawa, game director Hidemaro Fujibayashi, and lead artist Takumi Wada. $59.50 ( $110 ) Creating a Champion also has a premium edition that comes bundled with some extra goodies. If Breath of the Wild is your favorite Zelda game, you're unlikely to regret treating splurging for the Hero's Edition. A minimalistic yet stunning collection, the Hero Edition swaps artwork of Link and his allies for a white logo against an eye-catching blue backdrop. Not just any blue, though--this distinct shade of royal blue perfectly matches the Champion's Tunic worn by Link in Breath of the Wild. The signature armor is presented to Link by Impa in Kakariko Village and triggers a memory of the royal blue-clad Champions across Hyrule banding together to defeat Calamity Ganon. The Hero's Edition can be stored and displayed in a royal blue slipcase with a silhouette of Link dressed in the Champion's Tunic with his bow drawn. Inside the slipcase you'll also find a box with a fold-out map and an art print. What's especially cool about the print is that it's a real-life version of the picture Link displays in his home. To round out this beautiful set, there's a little compartment on the side of the case containing a replica glass Spirit Orb. If you need to buy a gift for a Breath of the Wild fan, you can't go wrong with Creating a Champion's Hero's Edition--unless they have it already, of course, in which case at least they can return it to Amazon for free and swap it out for one or two other books on this list. $20 ( $40 ) Have you thought about returning to Breath of the Wild to see and do everything the open world of Hyrule has to offer? The official strategy guide is an extremely useful companion for your journey back into the wild. Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide, Expanded Edition is a 512-page hardcover book leaves no stone unturned. Literally. It provides the locations of all 1,000 Korok Seeds--those hide-and-seek pros love living under rocks. Anything and everything you'd need to know to 100% Breath of the Wild, including its pair of expansions, is in this guide: all shrine locations, all puzzle solutions, all treasure chests, etc. It also offers tips and tricks for combat, an overview of the main quest line with recommended routes, and a detailed analysis of the monsters and items scattered throughout Hyrule. The guidebook comes with a handy double-sided map of Hyrule with complete annotations. As a bonus, the book features 32 pages of concept art, split evenly between the base game and pair of expansions. This is the only Zelda book on this list with artwork for The Master Trials and The Champions' Ballad, the excellent pair of post-launch expansions. Even if you don't need help in Breath of the Wild, the official guide is a cool book to have in your collection. Physical guidebooks for new games are very rare these days. During the Switch's lifecycle, Nintendo has partnered with a publishing house to create guides for only two games. The hardcover Expanded Edition is the only version still in print today. A Deluxe Edition of the original guide is only available from resellers these days. The Sheikah Slate cover art is gorgeous, but the book is over 100 pages shorter. $22.49 ( $45 ) for Hardcover Collector's Edition | $19 ( $30 ) for Paperback It's probably not very surprising that the other Nintendo game that received an official strategy guide is Tears of the Kingdom, the 2023 sequel to Breath of the Wild. Nintendo once again partnered with game guide publisher Piggyback to create Tears of the Kingdom's guide. It hit shelves two months after the game's launch, giving players plenty of time to get lost on their own in Hyrule before consulting a guide. The official Tears of the Kingdom guidebook is 496 pages and covers everything you need to know to 100% the game, including details on every main quest and side mission, shrine, cave, minigame, etc. It has a complete catalog of gear, from weapons and armor to crafting materials and Zonai Devices. Every enemy is detailed alongside advanced strategies for improving your combat skills. An awesome atlas covering all three major maps--Hyrule, Sky Islands, The Depths--can easily be referenced while searching for collectibles. Tears of the Kingdom has more complex gameplay systems than its predecessor, including its heavy emphasis on piecing together objects to solve puzzles and traverse the world with Link's Ultrahand ability. The official guide offers an in-depth look at this and all other new mechanics and features. The Breath of the Wild guide is fantastic, but this one is arguably more impressive due to its sheer scope and how well the information is laid out. Tears of the Kingdom's guide comes in hardcover and paperback editions. The hardcover Collector's Edition is naturally the more premium and durable of the two. It also happens to have gorgeous cover art featuring the Decayed Master Sword. It's worth noting you can typically save five to 10 bucks by opting for the paperback. You're getting a bargain with either edition. $17 ( $20 ) The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past fans should definitely check out this charming full-color graphic novel adaptation of the Super Nintendo game. Originally published as a serialized comic book in Nintendo Power magazine, Viz Media collected the full run for this 196-page paperback. At the moment, A Link to the Past is the only Zelda graphic novel in print. It's recommended for kids ages eight and up, so it would make for a fun gift for younger fans, too. $96 ( $130 ) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Complete Box Set is the newest release on this list. Published in September 2024, this collection brings together all 11 volumes of Akira Himekawa's superb manga adaptation of the 2006 GameCube and Wii adventure (remastered for Wii U in 2016). Each book is roughly 200 pages, with the full series coming in at 2,040 pages. The new box set comes with an illustrated display case to keep your paperbacks organized and an exclusive double-sided poster. If you like manga and you're a fan of the only Zelda game where Link can turn into a wolf, the Twilight Princess manga definitely should be on your list. Keep in mind that The Legend of Zelda manga is not a 1:1 retelling of the games; instead, think of this as more of a reinterpretation with the same foundation. As the only mainline entry in the series with an ESRB rating of T for Teen, the Twilight Princess manga was understandably written for a slightly older audience than the graphic novel above and the manga you'll read about next. It's recommended for kids ages 11 and up. Adults who want to read Zelda manga will probably enjoy the lengthy Twilight Princess arc more than the other adaptations, but you may want to start with Volume 1 before buying the complete set. Twilight Princess Vol. 1 Twilight Princess Vol. 2 Twilight Princess Vol. 3 Twilight Princess Vol. 4 Twilight Princess Vol. 5 Twilight Princess Vol. 6 Twilight Princess Vol. 7 Twilight Princess Vol. 8 Twilight Princess Vol. 9 Twilight Princess Vol. 10 Twilight Princess Vol. 11 $57 ( $105 ) Before writing and illustrating the lengthy Twilight Princess series, Akira Himekawa--the pen name for creative partners A. Honda and S. Nagano--adapted seven earlier games in the series. These stories are more suitable for younger readers and are recommended for kids ages eight and up. If you grew up playing The Legend of Zelda, the manga adaptations of Ocarina of Time, A Link to the Past, Oracle of Ages and Seasons, and Majora's Mask offer a fun way to introduce your kids to some of the classics. Majora's Mask can be a bit unsettling, so you may not want to show that one to youngsters if you think the creepy masks, Skull Kid, and the angry moon will frighten them. All 10 volumes of The Legend of Zelda manga are available individually for around $10 each or together in a paperback box set. The latter tends to save you a lot of money overall, plus you get a double-sided poster. Here's the full list, but before you buy any of them, make sure to take a look at the premium Legendary Edition Box Set below. Ocarina of Time Vol. 1 Ocarina of Time Vol. 2 Majora's Mask Vol. 3 Oracle of Seasons Vol. 4 Oracle of Ages Vol. 5 Four Swords Vol. 6 Four Swords Part 2 Vol. 7 A Link to the Past Vol 9 Phantom Hourglass Vol. 10 $80 ( $125 ) The Legendary Edition of Zelda's original manga series has a decidedly more mature presentation. Just look at Ocarina of Time's Legendary Edition compared to the standard paperback version. Legendary versions of the manga are printed on higher-quality paper and have thicker covers, which means they should hold up better over time. The main difference in format here is that the Legendary Edition condenses the series into five books. If you're opting for individual volumes instead of the box set, it makes sense to get one of these, as you won't need to buy two books to read both parts of Ocarina of Time, Four Swords, or Oracle of Seasons and Ages. The Legendary Edition Box Set is pretty awesome, though. The books come bundled inside a treasure chest storage box. It's one of the coolest spins on the slipcase we've seen with a manga or graphic novel collection. It also comes with a double-sided poster. Individual Legendary volumes retail for $20, but you can sometimes get them for steep five or more bucks off. Ocarina of Time Legendary Edition Oracle of Seasons + Ages Legendary Edition Majora's Mask + A Link to the Past Legendary Edition The Minish Cap + Phantom Hourglass Legendary Edition Four Swords Legendary Edition $8 ( $13 ) For the young Zelda fans, this official sticker book has over 800 stickers. With that many stickers, parents are bound to start finding Zelda stickers all over the house. Published by Random House in 2018, this book has plenty of Breath of the Wild stickers as well as ones celebrating older Zelda games, too. Though the big draw here is stickers, it's also an activity book. Paperback - $8 ( $10 ) | Hardcover - $13 The Legend of Zelda: Link's Book of Adventure is the second activity book for kids published by Random House. Originally published in hardcover in 2018, this activity book released in paperback earlier this year. While it does contain stickers, Link's Book of Adventure is a more traditional activity book, featuring a nice balance of word searches, mazes, puzzles, memory games, and other activities. It also has full-color illustrations, and the overall quality is quite good for the price. Upvote Leave Blank

Bob Bryar's troubled final tweets revealed before My Chemical Romance drummer's death

René Bennett | (TNS) Bankrate.com If you’re an iPhone user, you might not realize that you already have access to Apple Cash. It’s a digital cash card that’s built into Apple devices and can be found in the default Wallet app. (Note: You must link an eligible debit card to use this service.) The main function of Apple Cash is to make it easier for Apple device users to send money to one another, including sending money through the iMessage app. But Apple Cash is more than just a peer-to-peer (P2P) payment service — it can be used to shop online, in stores or to make in-app purchases. Apple Cash is a convenient way to transfer money between friends and family. Once it’s set up, a user can simply open the iMessage app and send money to a contact through their chat. It’s also useful for those who use Apple Pay, a separate service that allows Apple device users to make contactless payments with any linked card, including an Apple Cash card. Here are some important things to know about setting up and using Apple Cash. Apple Cash is a digital cash card that’s stored in the Wallet app of Apple devices, and it can be used for making P2P payments, as well as purchases through Apple Pay. When you receive money from another Apple Cash user, that money appears in your Apple Cash balance. The balance can then be spent or transferred to a linked bank account or debit card. Sending money to peers with Apple Cash can be done either directly from the digital Apple Cash card (in the Wallet app) or through the iMessage app. You can send or receive anywhere between $1 and $10,000 per message. The money shows up on the recipient’s Apple Cash card instantly, but it may take from one to three days for the balance to be transferred to a bank account. Instant transfers to a bank account are possible, but it comes with a 1.5% fee. There’s also an option to set up Apple Cash Family for children who are under 18 years old. This option limits the amount a child can send to $2,000 per message. Those younger than 18 also cannot add money to their Apple Cash card from a bank account; rather, their balance only grows when they receive money from another Apple Cash user. Apple Cash is a digital card within your Wallet that allows you to spend your Apple Cash online, in stores and in apps as well send and receive money. Apple Pay, however, allows you to make purchases using any credit card or debit card you have stored in your Wallet — including Apple Cash. With Apple Pay, you add credit and debit cards to your Wallet and then have the ability to pay right with your phone (or other Apple product). To set up Apple Cash, you’ll need three things: —A compatible Apple device. —Two-factor authentication enabled for your Apple ID (this can be done in Settings). —An eligible debit card to load funds onto the Apple Cash card. In the Settings app, you can turn on Apple Cash in the Wallet and Apple Pay section. Tap on the Apple Cash card icon and follow the instructions on the screen. You’ll be asked to agree to the terms and conditions, after which your device will set up Apple Cash for you. The Apple Cash card, once set up, can be found in your device’s Wallet app. If you want to set up Apple Cash Family, you’ll first need to have Family Sharing turned on, which can be done in Settings. The family organizer can add children to Apple Cash in the Family Sharing section of Settings. You’ll need to have a debit card linked to your digital Wallet to add money to an Apple Cash card. You can add a debit card to Wallet in the same place where you set up Apple Cash — the Wallet and Apple Pay section of Settings. Once a debit card is linked to your Wallet, open Wallet and tap on the Apple Cash card. Then, tap the More button (an icon with three dots). This will open a page where you can see your Apple Cash balance, add money and transfer funds to a bank account. Tap Add Money and enter the amount you’d like to add (the minimum is $10). You’ll be asked to confirm which debit card you want to use to fund the Apple Cash balance, and then the money is added to the Apple Cash card. There are two ways to send a payment to someone using Apple Cash: directly from your Wallet or in the iMessage app. Both the sender and recipient need Apple Cash to send or receive money. To send money from Wallet, simply tap the Apple Cash card in Wallet and then tap Send. Type in the contact name or phone number of the recipient. Enter the amount you’d like to send (between $1 and $10,000), then review the payment and confirm it with Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode. In iMessage, open the conversation with who you’d like to send money to, or start a new one. Tap on the app button, which appears next to the type bar, and then tap on the Apple Cash icon. You’ll be prompted to enter an amount (between $1 and $10,000). Once you’ve reviewed the amount, tap Send and confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode. The first time money is sent to someone, the recipient will need to accept the payment within seven days for it to go through. After the first instance, payments are automatically accepted. If you’re using Apple Cash to make a purchase either online or in a store, you’ll need to pay using Apple Pay. To request money from your iPhone, open the conversation in the Messages app. Tap the plus icon, followed by Apple Cash. Then, tap Request. Tap the send button to send your payment request. Once the request is sent, the person you sent it to can confirm or change the amount they send to you. You can also request money from your Apple watch. Open your messages app, choose a conversation, tap the plus icon and then choose Apple Cash. Once you enter the amount you are requesting, swipe left on the Send button. Tap Request. As you start to accumulate money on the Apple Cash card, you may want to move it to a debit card or a bank account . This can be done by going to the same place where you added funds to the card, by clicking the icon with three dots next to your digital card. Enter an amount to be transferred, then tap Next. You’ll be asked whether you want to do an instant transfer (for a 1.5% fee) or a transfer in one to three business days for free. After making a selection, the screen will instruct you to set up a bank account if you don’t already have one set up. You’ll confirm the payment, and the transfer is initiated. Instant transfers can only be made to an eligible debit card, not a bank account. Money is sent within 30 minutes when you select instant transfer. —Zelle: If your bank is offers Zelle, it might be a good idea to take advantage of the P2P payment service. Zelle can be accessed directly from your bank’s mobile app, and it allows you to send instant transfers at no extra cost. —Venmo: Anyone can use Venmo, as long as they’ve downloaded the app. Unlike Apple Cash or Zelle, it’s a standalone P2P payment app. Venmo comes with a social element — users can follow each other and add fun emojis to their payments, although they can also keep their account activity private. —PayPal: This P2P payment service is a good option if you want to send money internationally. It also offers a PayPal Debit card, which, like the Apple Cash card, can be used to make purchases online or in stores. —Samsung Pay Cash: Samsung device users can use this option instead of Apple Cash. Similar to Apple Cash, it is a digital wallet that you can access from a Samsung mobile device. However, to take full advantage of Samsung Pay Cash, users will need to undergo an extra registration process to upgrade to a Full Card Account. Apple Cash makes it easy for Apple device users to send money to each other. Users can simply tap the Apple Cash icon in their text messages to send money through iMessage. It can also be used as an extra repository for spending money and can be used for purchases anywhere Apple Pay is accepted. With that said, only Apple device users can send and receive money using Apple Cash, so those looking for a more universal payment service may want to consider other P2P payment apps . ©2024 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.As Donald Trump prepares to fulfill a lengthy list of campaign promises, the president-elect's vow to ensure that all remaining Bitcoin is "made in the USA" may prove to be one of the most challenging to keep. Trump made the pledge in a post on his Truth Social account in June after meeting at Mar-a-Lago with a group of executives from crypto miners, the companies whose massive, high-tech data centers do the work that facilitates transactions on the blockchain in exchange for compensation paid in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. The gathering was a key juncture in Trump's transformation from a crypto skeptic to one of the industry's strongest allies. "It is a Trump-like comment but it is definitely not in reality," said Ethan Vera, chief operating officer at Seattle-based Luxor Technology, which provides software and services to miners. While seen widely as a symbolic pledge of support, it's near impossible in practice since blockchains are decentralised networks in which no one controls or can be banned from participating in the process. On a practical basis, the sector is becoming increasingly competitive as large-scale operations pop up across the world to get a slice of the tens of billions of dollars in revenue generated each year by the industry. Crypto Tracker TOP COIN SETS Web3 Tracker 15.95% Buy DeFi Tracker 12.77% Buy AI Tracker 12.07% Buy Crypto Blue Chip - 5 5.42% Buy BTC 50 :: ETH 50 4.99% Buy TOP COINS (₹) Tether 86 ( 0.37% ) Buy BNB 58,813 ( -1.79% ) Buy Bitcoin 8,190,326 ( -3.15% ) Buy Ethereum 284,753 ( -4.45% ) Buy XRP 184 ( -5.9% ) Buy Russian oligarchs, Dubai royal families and Chinese businessmen in Africa are some of the freshest competitors. Deep pockets and access to vast amounts of power are spurring them to join in on the lucrative but energy-intensive process. About 95% of the 21 million Bitcoin that will ever be created have already been minted, though the hard cap on production isn't expected to be met for about 100 years. Did you Know? The world of cryptocurrencies is very dynamic. Prices can go up or down in a matter of seconds. Thus, having reliable answers to such questions is crucial for investors. View Details » The Bitcoin mining sector in the US has morphed into a multi-billion dollar industry over the last several years as the token saw exponential increases in prices. However, the total computing power generated from US-based miners is well below 50% and it is impossible to power the entire network by domestic companies, according to industry analysts. 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They have more specific information on mining locations through their software that aggregates computing power to increase chances for miners to get Bitcoin rewards. US miners such as CleanSpark and Riot Platforms were quick to support Trump, banking on the former-president to ease scrutiny on the environmental impact of the high-energy use process, curb competition from overseas and to roll back what they view as restrictive guidelines under the Biden administration. Trump's support of crypto helped to generate about $135 million in campaign contributions during the last election cycle, the most by any one industry. Despite rapid expansion in the US and the latest bull run in the crypto market, economic sanctions by the US and rampant inflation in some emerging economies have spurred overseas miners to ramp up their operations even more. "There is huge growth coming up in a few different markets," said Taras Kulyk, chief executive of Synteq Digital, which is one of the largest brokers for specialized computers for Bitcoin mining. (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel )