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Smart Shower Systems Market Expands as Demand for Home Automation Solutions Increases
For Alibaba Cloud's customers and partners, this incident serves as a reminder of the importance of diversifying their cloud infrastructure and contingency planning. While Alibaba Cloud has demonstrated its resilience in the face of this unexpected event, businesses should always be prepared for unforeseen disruptions in the digital age.Small businesses across Northwest Indiana hope to pull in a share of the $989 billion the National Retail Federation estimates projects consumers will spend this holiday season. They've been hosting events to lure shoppers, bringing in Santa for photos, running deals, opening pop-ups at malls and breaking out all the stops for the all-critical holiday shopping season. Many hope to turn the increased traffic of seasonal gift-buyers into regular customers. The Crown Antique Mall at 545 E 110th Ave in Crown Point is having its Christmas Open House from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. It will have snacks, drinks, discounts, raffles and giveaways throughout the shop. Santa will make an appearance to pose for photos from 12-2 p.m. "Vendors across the store will offer anywhere from 10% to 60% off," owner Mark Kratkoczki said. "People come to buy vintage items. Repurpose, recycle and reuse has meaning. It's better quality than what's at the big box stores. It has stood the test of time." The Crown Antique Mall tries to get gift buyers to return throughout the year by letting them know about its regular events such as car shows and celebrity meet-and-greets. Over the past year, it has hosted Butch Patrick, Bozo the Cown, Fred "The Hammer" Williams and Jimmy Hart. Smugglers Coffee at 237 Matteson St in Dyer has been hosting the Roaming Wedge Mobile Cheese Shop and BNZ Pop-Ups, which consists of the former chefs at Windmill Brewing, to lure holiday shoppers. It's also hosting events like Dungeons and Dragons games, board night and caffeine and create nights. "A lot of people have been buying barrel-aged coffee," owner Dave Fajman said. "People say they're buying it as a stocking stuffer or for a boss. Or they're buying it online and sending it as a gift." It will do a special release of its seasonal Elves with Murder Toys coffee, in a bag that depicts elves using candy canes as weapons, on Friday, Dec. 13. "We let the quality of the product speak for itself. There's not a lot of places to find barrel-aged coffee," he said. "We also have other items that make good gifts like hot sauces and Dungeons and Dragons stuff." Golden Afternoon at 2817 Highway Ave in downtown Highland got decked out for the holiday season. "There is a large wreath we were given by Nancy Brumm after she and Jerry retired and closed Brumm's Bloomin' Barn. We decorated it with modern-colored lights and hung it over the store under the sign. At night it's really majestic looking," Manager Aaron Shloss said. "The front of the store is composed of tall, wide plate glass windows that let passersby see inside. (Owner) Cameryn (Friederichs) has gone out of her way to decorate the sales floor in such a way as to inspire maximal wonder and excitement when people stumble out of Rodney's and Growlers at night and see all of the trees and holiday displays lit up from inside. She wants it to be very much like an old-time department store... faces pressed to the glass windows, eyes wide and replete with wonder, taking everything in." The gift shop and florist in downtown Highland tries to conjure up a traditional shopping experience. "During shopping hours when customers come in and browse they are never disappointed. But yeah, the anticipation is the key. The gifts and decor we carry speak to a whimsical aesthetic and we strive to offer goods that are as fun as they are unique," Shloss said. "It isn't just another collection of Yankee Candles and cheap Santa Claus screenprint hoodies. We are an old-fashioned gift shop that truly understands the magic of the season and the quality of merchandise and selection that modern shoppers require to pull them away from Amazon and HomeGoods." The Christmas season is huge for any retailer, but especially independent locally owned shops, Shloss said. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts "For an independent retailer of gifts and floral arrangements it's arguably the biggest sales opportunity of the year, bigger than Valentine's Day, bigger than Mother's Day, because people are not just buying flowers from us but also gifts... and lots of them," he said. "The floral end of things is huge for the holidays because people order table centerpieces for Thanksgiving and Christmas but they also have big gatherings that they accent with flowers... and not to mention that for many people spread across the country who cannot spend time with all of the loved ones on their list, floral deliveries are a great way to say, 'Hey, I miss you, I'm sorry I can't be there for the holidays but I am thinking of you.'" Customers just tend to spend more when out buying gifts for others during the holiday season, said Shloss, a former manager at Brumm's Bloomin' Barn. "As far as gifts go, I mean, this is the time of year when people splurge without guilt. All of the hype and hoopla about giving better than receiving really is true and people find that little spark in themselves to go all out. Jerry Brumm used to tell me that Brumm's Bloomin' Barn sold as much or more in the last two months of the year than in the rest of the year combined. And it was true," he said. "I saw it when I worked for him, learning the industry, year after year. It was nonstop. So yeah, the money aspect was great, but it really does speak to a deeper human truth that people love shopping and giving gifts to each other and decorating their homes with ornaments and holiday swag. It's just a massive season for any retailer but for independents like us, it really could make or break us." Whiting will host its Kris Kringle Market downtown from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and again on Saturday, Dec. 14 in a heated tent in an empty lot at 1515 119th Street. People can browse from vendors at the German-style holiday market, warm up with hot cocoa, get spiked hot cocoa with Irish Cream, sip mulled wine and hear music from the Whiting and Hammond high school choirs and the 119th Street Carolers. They also can sign up for horse-drawn Christmas wagon rides from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Many of the merchants along 119th Street will keep longer hours to capitalize off the increased traffic. "We're happy to get more exposure. We hope people come out to shop with us, the Junkyard, Nostalgic Treasures and other small shops," said Joel Bender, the owner of Mind Benders Puzzles & Games at 1442 119th Street. "Every dollar you spent at a small business in the community stays in the community. We eat at local restaurants. We sponsor local baseball. That spending is staying in town." Hammond is hosting a Holiday Stroll from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday in which 18 local businesses will take part, including the Eat restaurant at 5201 Hohman Avenue that's run by El Taco Real's Raymundo Garcia and is only open for special occasions. It will feature hot chocolate stops, face painting, contests, raffles and holiday activities. Karven Maravilla, the owner of It's Just Serendipity at 5630 Hohman Avenue, said events were planned throughout the holiday season to draw shoppers. It's Just Serendipity is hosting an ongoing open house through Dec. 24 honoring Hammond native Jean Shepherd, the author of "A Christmas Story." It's Just Serendipity is running sales between 20% and 75% off and gifts with purchases this December. Anyone who spends more than $25 is entered to win a door prize. It also has sweets and treats including "Ohhhhhh fudge" from OMG Pastries, Ovaltini chocolate martinis and a window scavenger hunt in which people can enter to win a "Major Award" by counting all the references to "A Christmas Story" in the front window." The "Bumpus Hound" Isabella will also be greeting customers to the vintage boutique. She encourages everyone to shop local when they can. "Please rethink your choice to shop online. Imagine the places that you like to shop. Imagine downtowns, cities, towns. Imagine what these places would look like if these small businesses were no longer there. It would be a ghost town," she said. "If you say that shopping online is more convenient or that it saves money, think again. It is robbing our communities of jobs, economic development, income, and much more. The impact of shopping online has a far-reaching effect and is hurting our local economies." Small businesses rely on holiday shopping, Maravilla said. "Supporting small businesses and brick and mortar businesses means that you're in the communities where you live, developing relationships with real people. These relationships develop into loyal customers, friends, and business referrals," she said. "Stores are closing at an alarming rate as a result of people choosing to shop online. Many stores that are open are being forced to carry less inventory because people are choosing to shop online. This is causing a detrimental domino effect to small businesses. Occasionally, one cannot find what one needs at a local store, so buying online is an alternative. However, on a day-to-day basis, please make the choice to support small and local businesses in Northwest Indiana." It offers bubble tea in a variety of flavors including green tea, oolong tea, black tea, matcha tea and fresh fruit tea. The menu also includes rolled ice cream, coffee, frappes, yogurt, fresh milk and milk tea. Ice cream flavors include Nutella, Banana, Oreo, Fruit Lover and Summer Tango. Teas include Strawberry Oolong Tea, Crush Peach Black Tea, Peach Orange Lemongrass Black Tea, Tropical Fruit Green Tea, Tropical Fruit Oolong Tea, Honeydew Green Apple Oolong Tea, Grapefruit Jasmine Green Tea, Navel Orange Jasmine Green Tea, Kiwi Jasmine Green Tea, Happy Tea, Lychee Black Tea and Pomegranate Black Tea. Owner Bach “Andy” Pham bought the 10,000-square-foot building and opened The Boba Tea Cafe, B Nail Lounge and Viet-Ship. The latter allows people to go into the Boba Tea Cafe and ship money or packages to Vietnam. For more information, call 219-999-7997.
The audience, initially taken aback by the unexpected shift in narrative, soon found themselves captivated by the gripping tale of Lady Tiana. The comedian's skillful storytelling and dramatic flair added to the suspense, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. With each twist and turn in the story, the boundaries between reality and fiction blurred, leaving the audience questioning their own perceptions of female safety and vulnerability.Title: The Long-Awaited Launch: Website Crashes as Global Users Overwhelm Servers in the Early HoursNoneOne of the key reasons why China should avoid copying European football culture is the difference in sporting traditions and values. European football has a long history dating back to the 19th century, with deeply rooted traditions and a strong emphasis on grassroots development. In contrast, China is still in the process of building a sustainable football ecosystem and nurturing a footballing culture that resonates with its unique social and cultural context.
On a recent day, a disturbing video went viral on the internet, showing thick black smoke billowing out of what appeared to be an Alibaba Cloud data center. The video quickly spread across social media platforms, sparking concerns about the safety and integrity of the data center's operations.
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google on Wednesday unleashed another wave of artificial intelligence designed to tackle more of the work and thinking done by humans as it tries to stay on the technology's cutting edge while also trying to fend off regulatory threats to its empire. The next generation of Google's AI is being packaged under the Gemini umbrella, which was unveiled a year ago . Google is framing its release of Gemini 2.0 as a springboard for AI agents built to interpret images shown through a smartphone, perform a variety of tedious chores, remember the conversations consumers have with people, help video game players plot strategy and even tackle the task of doing online searches. In a blog post , Google CEO Sundar Pichai predicted the technology contained in Gemini 2.0 will “understand more about the world around you, think multiple steps ahead and take action on your behalf, with your supervision.” It's a similar goal being pursued by hard-charging rivals such as OpenAI, with its chatGPT technology, and industry powerhouse such as Microsoft with a variety of similar tools on its Windows software. A lot of Google's latest AI technology will initially be confined to test groups and subscribers who pay $20 per month for Gemini Advanced, but some features will be made available through its search engine and mobile apps. Google is planning wider releases next year that will include the technology popping up in its smorgasbord of free products, including its Chrome browser, digital maps and YouTube. Besides trying to outshine OpenAI and other ambitious startups, Google is also trying to stay a step ahead of Apple as that trendsetting company begins to blend AI into its latest iPhones and other devices. After releasing a software update enabling the first bundle of the iPhone's “Apple Intelligence” features that spruced up the device's Siri assistant, another batch of the AI technology came out with a free software update that was also released Wednesday. Google is pushing forward with its latest AI advances even as the U.S. Justice Department is trying to break up the Mountain View, California, company to prevent further abusive practices by its dominant search engine, which was declared an illegal monopoly by a federal judge earlier this year as part of a landmark antitrust case. Among other things, Gemini 2.0 is supposed to improve the AI overviews that Google began highlighting in its search results over its traditional listing of the most pertinent links to websites earlier this year in response to AI-powered “answer engines” such as Perplexity. After the AI overviews initially produced some goofy suggestions, including putting glue on pizza , Google refined the technology to minimize such missteps. Now, company executives are promising things are going to get even better with Gemini 2.0, which Pichai said will be able to engage in more human-like reasoning while solving more advanced math problems and even churn out some computer code. The improvements to AI Overviews will initially only appear to a test audience before a wider release next year. The technological upgrade is also supposed to infuse a still-experimental universal AI agent dubbed “Project Astra,” with even more smarts and versatility, enabling people to have more meaningful and helpful conversations with the technology. In a show of confidence, Google said it will expand the number of people testing Project Astra without providing any specifics of the group's size. As part of Gemini 2.0, Google is also going to begin testing an extension to Chrome called “Project Mariner,” which can be turned on to do online searches and sift through the results so people don't won't have to bother. If the U.S. Department of Justice gets its way, Google will be forced to sell or spin off Chrome as part of its punishment for deploying its search engine in ways that stifled competition and potential innovation. Google has ridiculed the Justice Department's proposal as “overly broad” and vowed to resist any attempt to break up the company during federal court hearings scheduled to begin in Washington D.C. next spring. Even if those proceedings culminate in a court order mandating a breakup, Google could still appeal in a process that could take years to resolve while it continues its AI expansion. “I can’t wait to see what this next era brings,” Pichai wrote in his blog post, signaling the company doesn't believe it will be deterred by regulators.