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Slow start to retail opening

According to officials, retail demand started to build up gradually. In some cases, people were completing prelockdown transactions and others new ones.




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Retail inflation eased to five-month low in April: Poll

The May 5-7 poll median of more than 40 economists predicted India's annual consumer price inflation fell to 5.68% in April from March's 5.91%, still above the Reserve Bank of India's medium-term target of 4.00%.




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Karnataka allows pubs, bars to also sell liquor from Saturday

The order directed pubs, clubs, bars and lodges to allow only one customer to enter their respective premises at a time and leave soon after purchasing liquor at the maximum retail price (MRP).




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Softube improves your workflow with new Preset Collection

Softube has introduced its new Preset Collection, bringing various improvements to the tool to organize your Softube presets. There is more to a great plug-in than the sound quality it imparts on your tracks. Workflow and user-friendliness are arguably equally important. To that end, we are proud to finally announce the completely overhauled Preset Collection, […]

The post Softube improves your workflow with new Preset Collection appeared first on rekkerd.org.




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Chill Tempo Jazzy Guitars & Mellow Chillhop Beats by Apollo Sound

Apollo Sound has released the fourth part of its chill oriented series of guitar packs. Chill-Tempo Jazzy Guitar features the sounds of a hollow body electric guitar performed by gifted chillhop producer and professional session guitar player Michael Melkumian. This guitar is considered the standard in lofi, chillhop, jazz music & has it’s own unique […]

The post Chill Tempo Jazzy Guitars & Mellow Chillhop Beats by Apollo Sound appeared first on rekkerd.org.




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COVID-19: Significant stress likely on mall operators' cash flows in the near term, says ICRA

The global spread of COVID-19 since January 2020 is resulting in a slowdown in economic activity across the world. The impact on India has been limited so far, however, increasing spread of the pandemic in the country over the last few days and the preventive measures being taken by the central and various state governments have severely restricted business activities.




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Malls, cinemas & retail shops may be allowed at night in green zones

The government feels this will allow shopping and leisure activities to start up while maintaining physical distancing as traffic will be less than usual and easy to control. On Wednesday, Madhya Pradesh notified retail stores to open from 6am until midnight.




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FMCG sector clocks lowest growth in eastern region during Jan-Mar: Report

The FMCG sector includes non-durable household goods such as packaged food, beverages, toiletries and other consumables that are sold at a relatively low cost. The slowdown was steeper in the urban markets compared to the rural markets, across the four zones, the report said.




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Amazon whistleblowers call Bezos 'out of touch,' say they were fired for trying to protect warehouse workers from coronavirus

Two web designers say they were fired by Amazon for organizing a virtual town hall to hear from the company’s low-paid warehouse staff.





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Allow us to sell liquor stock: Hotels, restaurants to govt

As per industry estimates, any standalone restaurant from an established chain could have alcohol inventory of ₹10-25 lakh lying with it. For five-star chains, the stocks are worth much more.




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Karnataka allows pubs, bars to also sell liquor from Saturday

The order directed pubs, clubs, bars and lodges to allow only one customer to enter their respective premises at a time and leave soon after purchasing liquor at the maximum retail price (MRP).




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Arizona's reopening: Salons, barbershops allowed to open Friday morning

Arizona Republic reporters are fanning out across the Valley to document how shoppers and shop owners are responding to the lifting of restrictions.

       




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Aspiration keeps premium footwear brands afloat despite slowdown

Industry players say premium and luxury buying sees an uptick in two cases — purchase for occasions by the aspirational millennial and by a growing cohort of marathon runners.




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COVID-19: Offline retailers urge FM, NBFCs to allow delays in EMI payments

The industry body represents 1.50 lakh mobile retailers who may be unable to pay their monthly instalments and interest towards credit cards, vehicle loan, home loan and business loans taken by them. A similar letter highlighting the concerns of the mobile retailers was also sent to non-banking finance companies (NBFCs).




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Handset makers, traders urge govt to allow device sales via offline retail

Handset makers and offline traders have urged the commerce and home ministries to allow the sale and service of mobile devices and its accessories through offline stores in the country.




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Mobile phone retailers set to reopen stores where allowed

"All standalone (single) shops, neighborhood (colony) shops and shops in residential complexes are permitted to remain open in urban areas, without any distinction of essential and non-essential," the ministry of home affairs said in a notification on Friday.




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Slow start to retail opening

According to officials, retail demand started to build up gradually. In some cases, people were completing prelockdown transactions and others new ones.




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Children, parents won’t let toy sales slow down

Pestering by children and parental guilt has helped the toy industry grow to $1.5 billion in the past few years.




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Hanung Toys promoter detained at airport following LOC issued by PNB

Hanung Toys and Textile Ltd owes Rs 2,300 crore from a consortium of 15 lenders led by state-owned PNB, which alone has exposure of Rs 599 crore.




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Indian gold demand could hit 3-decade low as lockdown hits festivals, weddings

The drop in consumption by the world's second-biggest gold buyer could limit a rally in global prices.




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Diamond polishing industry staring at a decade low revenue : Crisil

Assuming the pandemic starts subsiding by June and trade channels normalise over the next quarter, CRISIL expects a revival in demand to be pushed into the second half of the fiscal.




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Watch Marti Pellow sing Angel Eyes for Clydebank carers who are raising money for PPE

WET WET WET singer Marti Pellow has performed a song in tribute to carers who are raising money for personal protection equipment (PPE) in his hometown of Clydebank.




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Singer Marti Pellow says he is proud of hometown Clydebank and shipbuilding history

SINGER Marti Pellow has told fans he is proud of his Scottish roots and hometown Clydebank.




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John Thain ready to prove he's back after Philippines blow

JOHN THAIN has been on quite a rollercoaster over the past year.




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Lee McGregor hoping to follow Josh Taylor's blueprint

BEING on the same team as Carl Frampton did Josh Taylor no harm at all at the start of his boxing career.




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SPFL directors hit back at Rangers for 'baseless, damaging and self-serving attacks' following release of dossier

SPFL directors have today issued their detailed response to claims made in Rangers' dossier yesterday.




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Blindness can't slow down one of the best fiddlers in bluegrass

Michael Cleveland has been called “one of the premier fiddle players of his generation, if not in all of bluegrass history.” He's also been completely blind since birth.




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Football teams to be allowed to make five substitutions per game when play resumes after coronavirus

FOOTBALL teams will be allowed to make no fewer than five substitutions in a game when play restarts following the coronavirus pandemic after the International Football Association Board (IFAB) approved a temporary rule change.




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696: Low Hum of Menace

Things do not seem fine at all, but it’s hard to say why.




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Tekashi 6ix9ine releases first new song following early prison release

Tekashi 6ix9ine just released his first new song following his early release from prison amid the coronavirus pandemic.



  • 47681acd-8933-560e-8710-e41b1d5929fa
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  • fox-news/entertainment
  • fox-news/health/infectious-disease/coronavirus
  • fnc
  • fnc/entertainment
  • article
  • Fox News
  • Melissa Roberto


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Get Support from Your Podcast Fans and Offer Bonus Content with Glow

Give your fans an easy way to support your podcast, and have the option to offer exclusive content!




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Make Your Podcast Editing and Publishing Workflow Faster with Alitu

Publishing your podcast is quick and easy with Alitu! Now, you can also add an introductory teaser to your episodes. Plus, Alitu will automatically enhance the audio. When it's finished, Alitu can automatically publish your episodes with the best podcast publishing tools. Thanks to Dr. Colin Gray for joining me in this video! Watch all...




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Follow the money: Citizen sleuths investigate

How much is President Donald Trump worth? And is he or anyone in his administration profiting from their positions? Reveal is teaming up with the Center for Public Integrity to investigate those questions.

We’ve created a database listing all the assets that members of his administration have disclosed. Now we’re digging through those documents to see whether there are any conflicts of interest – and we’re asking the public to take part in our investigation. Citizen sleuths already have uncovered some leads. By crowdsourcing this project, we can monitor whether any policy changes end up benefiting members of the president’s team.

To explore more reporting, visit revealnews.org or find us at fb.com/ThisIsReveal, on Twitter @reveal or Instagram @revealnews.




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Due To New California Law, Uber Allows Some Drivers To Set Their Own Rates

Uber is testing a new feature in California that allows some drivers to set their own rates. The move comes in response to a new state law that requires more companies to convert their contract workers to employees, which means offering them benefits and added protections. Companies including Uber, Lyft and delivery app Postmates argue that doing so would upend their business model and eliminate the flexibility inherent to the gig economy. Uber is currently testing a feature at airports in Sacramento, Palm Springs and Santa Barbara that allows drivers to increase fares in 10% increments, up to five times the base rate. Riders are then matched with the lowest fare. In the coming days, Uber says it will also allow drivers to decrease their prices below the base rate and opt out of surge pricing. It's part of an effort to give drivers more control — and bolster the argument that they're truly contractors rather than employees. The company acknowledges the experiment could have unexpected




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954- Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets, Patty Griffin, Craig Finn and Shook Twins

Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets, Patty Griffin,Craig Finn & the Uptown Controllers and Shook TwinsRecorded 9/22/19 in Charleston, WV. Support provided by Adventures on the Gorge. https://adventuresonthegorge.com/




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Underflow

http://www.musicxray.com/xrays/1319861 Visual Shaman - Underflow




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158: Keep Them Scrollwheels Scrollin', Though The Browser's Slowin'

It's me! It's jessamyn! It's episode 158 of us podcasting about about the sort of MetaFiltery things we're wont to podcast about! It's about ninety minutes!

Helpful Links

Podcast Feed
Subscribe with iTunes
Direct mp3 download

Misc
- turns out there's no Dunkins Donuts in Portland anymore
- Jessamyn has some cables
- and a plow neighbor
- and a daylight lamp
- and a newsletter
- Tom West, clock synchronizer
- a few years ago I made a Snake game called Shai Hulud

Jobs
- Hey, somebody helped out btfreek with their job thing!
- Purchase a ticket for a show in Osaka by btfreek
- MeFites italiani per favore aiutatemi! by mattdidthat
- Full-Time (Salaried) Retail Associate at the Crow Museum of Asian Art by macrowave
- Photoshop an 80s style double exposure for my family holiday card by tatiana wishbone
- Social media freelance help by arnicae
- Looking for someone to pick up a small heavy table on long island ny and take it to greyhound by arnicae

Projects
- The Drag Kings of Taipei by storytam (MeFi Post)
- AI Dictionary (Twitter bot) by you (MeFi Post)
- Niche Museums by simonw
- NYRB discussion group by The Ted
- Absolute Bleeding Edge by maxsparber

MetaFilter
- Gimme some money by mandolin conspiracy
- A Deepfake Nixon Delivers Eulogy for the Apollo 11 Astronauts by Etrigan
- what on earth is this: '⋮'? by jessamyn
- Imaging, Reconstruct, Erase, Noise, Etc. - IRENE finds words by jessamyn
- Right now, the official U. S. Time is: by Going To Maine
- What time is it? by silusGROK
- The search for the Enormous Pippin continues by web-goddess
- Failure is Inevitable. What Matters is How You Deal With It. by thatwhichfalls
- Florida Dog takes Florida Man's car for a heckin' fun ride! by Lizard

Ask MetaFilter
- Strategies for leaving a note for myself in a library book for 20 years by rileyray3000
- Mustache Pageant Colour Commentary by nathaole
- An ice-cold glass of blood?? by catcafe
- What are your top Oboe jams to displease my roommate? by Krawczak
- Are small scratches in new stainless steel appliances normal? by rouftop
- a comment by rouftop
- Looking for affordable, quality clothes in Toronto by jb
- E-ink ereader with a strong screen - or a strong case by jb
- How many books are printed in one edition of a book? by plant or animal
- How to clean ears before ear mold? by madonna of the unloved
- a comment by Lutoslawski
- National Geographic was wrong!! by Melismata
- a comment by Ashwagandha
- Another question about telephones in 1991 by swheatie
- What is your chill vibe? by Phyltre

MeFi Music
Featured in this episode:
- Skeleton Dance by usonian
- Magic Show by AppleSeed
- Stones/Water/Time/Breath by youarenothere
- Fire Over The Deep by Devils Rancher

MetaTalk
- Secret Quonsar 2019 THANK YOU! by pjsky
- 'Guess My Word' by bq
- Mefi Mall 2019 by frimble

FanFare
- Watchmen!
- The Mandalorian!
- The Good Place!
- Till Death Do Us Blart!




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Make Noise 0-CTRL is the controller-sequencer followup to 0-Coast

There have been few surprise hits in the world of patchable instruments like Make Noise's 0-Coast. But they just might have another hit - a tabletop, patchable, clockable controller-sequencer. And it's adorable - and US$399.

The post Make Noise 0-CTRL is the controller-sequencer followup to 0-Coast appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.




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This Song: Sunflower Bean

Members of Brooklyn-based Sunflower Bean explore the music that inspires them -- from Brian Wilson and Devo to Beach Fossils and Tonstartssbanht -- while also talking about club scenes with a social conscience, what makes a perfect combination of art and commerce, and the attraction of listening to a musical genius’ decent into darkness.




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Federal Watchdog Says Coronavirus Whistle-Blower Should Be Reinstated as It Investigates

The Office of Special Counsel has found “reasonable grounds” to investigate whether Dr. Rick Bright was ousted from a senior science post for questioning Trump administration actions.




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Whistle-Blower Exposes Infighting and Animus in Trump’s Coronavirus Response

The allegations suggest personal clashes influenced how the administration responded to the pandemic.





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Canadian provinces allow locked-down households to pair up — threatening hurt feelings all around


While jurisdictions around the world begin to relax coronavirus restrictions, a handful are pioneering a novel — and potentially fraught — approach: The double bubble. In Canada they're doing it in Newfoundland, Labrador and New Brunswick.




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Dofollow, Nofollow, Sponsored, UGC

A Change to Nofollow

Last month Google announced they were going to change how they treated nofollow, moving it from a directive toward a hint. As part of that they also announced the release of parallel attributes rel="sponsored" for sponsored links & rel="ugc" for user generated content in areas like forums & blog comments.

Why not completely ignore such links, as had been the case with nofollow? Links contain valuable information that can help us improve search, such as how the words within links describe content they point at. Looking at all the links we encounter can also help us better understand unnatural linking patterns. By shifting to a hint model, we no longer lose this important information, while still allowing site owners to indicate that some links shouldn’t be given the weight of a first-party endorsement.

In many emerging markets the mobile web is effectively the entire web. Few people create HTML links on the mobile web outside of on social networks where links are typically nofollow by default. This reduces the potential signal available to either tracking what people do directly and/or shifting how the nofollow attribute is treated.

Google shifting how nofollow is treated is a blanket admission that Penguin & other elements of "the war on links" were perhaps a bit too effective and have started to take valuable signals away from Google.

Google has suggested the shift in how nofollow is treated will not lead to any additional blog comment spam. When they announced nofollow they suggested it would lower blog comment spam. Blog comment spam remains a growth market long after the gravity of the web has shifted away from blogs onto social networks.

Changing how nofollow is treated only makes any sort of external link analysis that much harder. Those who specialize in link audits (yuck!) have historically ignored nofollow links, but now that is one more set of things to look through. And the good news for professional link auditors is that increases the effective cost they can charge clients for the service.

Some nefarious types will notice when competitors get penalized & then fire up Xrummer to help promote the penalized site, ensuring that the link auditor bankrupts the competing business even faster than Google.

Links, Engagement, or Something Else...

When Google was launched they didn't own Chrome or Android. They were not yet pervasively spying on billions of people:

If, like most people, you thought Google stopped tracking your location once you turned off Location History in your account settings, you were wrong. According to an AP investigation published Monday, even if you disable Location History, the search giant still tracks you every time you open Google Maps, get certain automatic weather updates, or search for things in your browser.

Thus Google had to rely on external signals as their primary ranking factor:

The reason that PageRank is interesting is that there are many cases where simple citation counting does not correspond to our common sense notion of importance. For example, if a web page has a link on the Yahoo home page, it may be just one link but it is a very important one. This page should be ranked higher than many pages with more links but from obscure places. PageRank is an attempt to see how good an approximation to "importance" can be obtained just from the link structure. ... The denition of PageRank above has another intuitive basis in random walks on graphs. The simplied version corresponds to the standing probability distribution of a random walk on the graph of the Web. Intuitively, this can be thought of as modeling the behavior of a "random surfer".

Google's reliance on links turned links into a commodity, which led to all sorts of fearmongering, manual penalties, nofollow and the Penguin update.

As Google collected more usage data those who overly focused on links often ended up scoring an own goal, creating sites which would not rank.

Google no longer invests heavily in fearmongering because it is no longer needed. Search is so complex most people can't figure it out.

Many SEOs have reduced their link building efforts as Google dialed up weighting on user engagement metrics, though it appears the tide may now be heading in the other direction. Some sites which had decent engagement metrics but little in the way of link building slid on the update late last month.

As much as Google desires relevancy in the short term, they also prefer a system complex enough to external onlookers that reverse engineering feels impossible. If they discourage investment in SEO they increase AdWords growth while gaining greater control over algorithmic relevancy.

Google will soon collect even more usage data by routing Chrome users through their DNS service: "Google isn't actually forcing Chrome users to only use Google's DNS service, and so it is not centralizing the data. Google is instead configuring Chrome to use DoH connections by default if a user's DNS service supports it."

If traffic is routed through Google that is akin to them hosting the page in terms of being able to track many aspects of user behavior. It is akin to AMP or YouTube in terms of being able to track users and normalize relative engagement metrics.

Once Google is hosting the end-to-end user experience they can create a near infinite number of ranking signals given their advancement in computing power: "We developed a new 54-qubit processor, named “Sycamore”, that is comprised of fast, high-fidelity quantum logic gates, in order to perform the benchmark testing. Our machine performed the target computation in 200 seconds, and from measurements in our experiment we determined that it would take the world’s fastest supercomputer 10,000 years to produce a similar output."

Relying on "one simple trick to..." sorts of approaches are frequently going to come up empty.

EMDs Kicked Once Again

I was one of the early promoters of exact match domains when the broader industry did not believe in them. I was also quick to mention when I felt the algorithms had moved in the other direction.

Google's mobile layout, which they are now testing on desktop computers as well, replaces green domain names with gray words which are easy to miss. And the favicon icons sort of make the organic results look like ads. Any boost a domain name like CreditCards.ext might have garnered in the past due to matching the keyword has certainly gone away with this new layout that further depreciates the impact of exact-match domain names.

At one point in time CreditCards.com was viewed as a consumer destination. It is now viewed ... below the fold.

If you have a memorable brand-oriented domain name the favicon can help offset the above impact somewhat, but matching keywords is becoming a much more precarious approach to sustaining rankings as the weight on brand awareness, user engagement & authority increase relative to the weight on anchor text.




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Polar vortex could bring rare May snow, low temps to US East


BOSTON (AP) — The northeastern U.S. is about to get a cold spring farewell from winter’s bad boy, the polar vortex, which could bring rare May snowfall and record-low temperatures to some areas over the Mother’s Day weekend, forecasters say. Usually the polar vortex is a batch of cold air that stays trapped in the […]




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Emerald City Comic Con to allow refunds for fans who decide not to go due to coronavirus concerns


Emerald City Comic Con organizers said Wednesday morning that they will change their policy and allow refunds to fans who choose not to attend this year because of coronavirus concerns.





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Jarran Reed takes back his old number — which was Jadeveon Clowney’s number last year


Anyone waiting for something to happen with the Seahawks and Jadeveon Clowney has been sorely disappointed the last few days/weeks/months as the standout defensive end remains unsigned by Seattle — or anyone else. And given the dearth of movement on the Clowney front, some took it as a sign that his days in Seattle may […]