Has one of the internet's hottest video games run out of lives in China?
Chinese regulators have described PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, which has attracted 13 million global players since its debut in March, as being too "bloody and violent."
http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/30/technology/playerunknown-battlegrounds-banned-china/index.html
Monday, October 30, 2017
Friday, October 13, 2017
Andover Nanny Sentenced for Stealing More than $100,000
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Massachusetts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Andover Nanny Sentenced for Stealing More than $100,000
BOSTON – An Andover woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for stealing more than $100,000 from her employer.
Stacy Fortunato, 36, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Judge Mark L. Wolf to 15 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $112,806. In June 2017, Fortunato pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of wire fraud.
While employed as a nanny from November 2014 to February 2016, Fortunato’s employer provided her with a credit card to make purchases solely related to her work duties. Instead, Fortunato made unauthorized charges and cash withdrawals using the credit card on hundreds of occasions, totaling approximately $86,000. To conceal what she had done, Fortunato made unauthorized electronic payments from her employer’s bank account to her employer’s credit card account. Fortunato also wrote checks for her own personal benefit on her employer’s bank account, forging her employer’s signature to the checks before cashing them. In total, Fortunato defrauded her employer of about $113,000.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Balthazard of Weinreb’s Economic Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Decatur CountyMan Sentenced to 17 Years Imprisonment
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Western District of Tennessee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Decatur CountyMan Sentenced to 17 Years Imprisonment
Jackson, TN – A local man has been sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, the FBI and other federal, state and local agencies conducted a year-long investigation into Franklin Shane Rushing, 46 of Decaturville, TN, and other co-conspirators who were distributing actual methamphetamine (methamphetamine with 80% or higher purity) in the Western District of Tennessee. The FBI received information that Rushing was a major distributor of ICE in Decatur County, Tennessee.
On December 9, 2015, a source purchased one ounce of meth from Rushing for $1,100. The DEA lab confirmed the drug amount to be 29.8 grams of 98.7% pure meth. Later that same day, Rushing sold another 28.2 grams of 99.6% pure meth. In February 2016, Rushing purchased one pound of ICE for $13,000 from his supplier. Law enforcement recovered another 4.5 ounces of ICE sold by Rushing. In March 2016, a traffic stop was conducted before Rushing could meet with his supplier to make arrangements for more narcotics. Seized from Rushing at that time was $9,086, as well as a loaded .40 caliber pistol in a holster. Law enforcement conducted a search warrant on Rushing’s home the same day as the traffic stop. 48 additional firearms were confiscated, along with digital scales, baggies, a small amount of meth and a drug notebook. During a 4-month period, 2.5 kilos of ICE was attributed to Rushing through this investigation.
On October 5, 2017, U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Rushing to 144 months’ imprisonment for the drug conspiracy. He will serve 60 months consecutively on the firearms offense and 5 years supervised release following his incarceration.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; 24th Judicial Drug Task Force; Decatur County Sheriff’s Department; Henderson County Sheriff’s Department; Lexington Police Department and as part of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force; Dyersburg Police Department and Jackson Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth C. Boswell prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.
Luzerne County Man Charged With Unlawfully Possessing A Firearm As A Convicted Felon
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Middle District of Pennsylvania
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Luzerne County Man Charged With Unlawfully Possessing A Firearm As A Convicted Felon
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Robert Romasiewicz, age 25, of Exeter, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal information on October 6, 2017, with unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the information alleges that Romasiewicz was in possession of a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun in July-August 2017, in Luzerne County, having previously been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison.
The charge stems from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law is 10 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
# # #
Theodore Resident Sentenced to 42 Months for Being a Felon in Possession
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Southern District of Alabama
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Theodore Resident Sentenced to 42 Months for Being a Felon in Possession
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announces today that United States District Judge William H. Steele sentenced David Lee Wesley, 60, of Theodore, Alabama, to 42 months imprisonment. The judge ordered that Wesley pay a $100 special assessment, undergo three years of supervised release after completing his prison term, and participate in drug and/or alcohol treatment as directed by the United States Probation Office.
In December 2016, law enforcement officials learned that Wesley, aka “Bubba,” was allegedly selling crack cocaine from his home in Theodore. On December 13, 2016, a confidential informant, acting under the supervision of law enforcement officials, purchased roughly one gram of crack cocaine from Wesley at his home. On December 16, 2016, Mobile County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Ronald Moody obtained a state warrant to search the premises. On December 21, 2016, government agents executed the warrant at Wesley’s home and found, among other items, a .38 Ultra Lite Special Revolver loaded with five rounds of live ammunition, a single shot Stevens Model Number 940 B shotgun, a Marlin .22-caliber rifle with one magazine and one live round, and one silver pipe with suspected crack cocaine. Law enforcement officials Mirandized Wesley, who admitted that he possessed the firearms. Wesley has several prior felony convictions, which prohibit him from knowingly possessing any firearms or ammunition.
In February 2017, a federal grand jury for the Southern District of Alabama charged Wesley with being a felon in possession. On June 29, 2017, Wesley pleaded guilty to the offense before Judge Steele.
The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Murphy and Sinan Kalayoglu prosecuted the case.
Member of Camden, New Jersey, Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Drug Distribution
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of New Jersey
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Member of Camden, New Jersey, Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Drug Distribution
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden man was sentenced today to 96 months in prison for selling crack cocaine, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Nafeez Griffin, a/k/a “Feez,” 31, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Simandle to an information charging him with one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. Judge Simandle imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Griffin admitted that on Nov. 30, 2015, he sold crack cocaine to an undercover officer on the 1100 block of Lansdowne Avenue, which was then under the control of a drug distribution organization of which he was a member. Griffin also admitted that other members of the organization supplied drugs to him, and that he made sales of crack cocaine on other occasions. Griffin and others were originally charged by complaint on Sept. 9, 2016, following a long-term investigation by the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force. Law enforcement officers seized drugs and recovered two handguns that were kept by members of the conspiracy in connection with the organization’s drug trafficking activities. Investigators also intercepted communications pursuant to court-authorized wiretaps on cellular telephones used by several members of the conspiracy.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Simandle sentenced Griffin to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Harpster; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief J. Scott Thomson; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Rick Fuentes, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
He also thanked the Camden County Sheriff’s Department, the Cherry Hill Police Department, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel J. Vidoni of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Detroit man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for heroin crime
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Southern District of West Virginia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Detroit man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for heroin crime
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison today for a drug crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. James Otis Daniels, 43, previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin.
On March 10, 2016, the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force conducted a search at 1830 10th Avenue in Huntington, where Daniels was living with his codefendant, Thomas Nelson. During the search, agents seized a total of over 80 grams of heroin, including over 75 grams located inside a safe in Daniels’ bedroom, along with four digital scales. Agents also seized over $7,300 in cash, over $3,700 of which was located inside the safe in the bedroom. Agents additionally seized a .45 caliber Taurus pistol from Daniels’bedroom that had previously been reported stolen from a firearms dealer in Barboursville.
Nelson previously pled guilty to a federal gun crime, and was sentenced to five years in federal prison.
The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey is in charge of the prosecution. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.
This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
Two defendants sentenced to federal prison for heroin charges
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Southern District of West Virginia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Two defendants sentenced to federal prison for heroin charges
Investigators seized over 275 grams of heroin from restaurant; separate investigation leads to forfeiture of car
Investigators seized over 275 grams of heroin from restaurant; separate investigation leads to forfeiture of car
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two defendants who pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal drug crimes were sentenced today in Huntington, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Bradley William McCutchen, 36, of Detroit, was sentenced to five years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. In a separate prosecution, Judy Kay Smith, 59, of Huntington, was sentenced to a year and three months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine after previously pleading guilty to distributing heroin.
On March 28, 2015, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force executed a search warrant at “The Sandwich Joint,” a restaurant located at 417 12th Street in Huntington. Agents had previously purchased heroin at the restaurant on several occasions. During the search, agents located and seized over 275 grams of heroin from a safe located on the second floor of the restaurant. Agents also seized various items of drug paraphernalia during the search, including packaging material, a digital scale, and multiple bottles of inositol powder, which is commonly used as a cutting agent in the preparation of heroin for distribution. McCutchen admitted that he used the restaurant to store heroin that he supplied to other individuals and distributed himself. McCutchen further admitted that between August 2014 and March 2015, he supplied the owner of the restaurant with heroin that he transported to Huntington from Detroit.
In a separate prosecution, deputies with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department utilized a confidential informant to make a controlled purchase of heroin from Smith on January 5, 2017. Smith agreed to meet the informant in a parking lot at 4341 U.S. Route 60 in Huntington to complete the drug deal. After the informant and Smith arrived at that location, the informant entered Smith’s vehicle, where she sold the informant approximately 10 grams of heroin in exchange for $1,200 in cash. Smith also admitted that she distributed 20 grams of heroin to the informant on January 9, 2017.
On January 23, 2017, Smith agreed to distribute 20 grams of heroin to an undercover agent with the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force. Prior to that drug deal, a trooper with the West Virginia State Police conducted a traffic stop of Smith’s vehicle. Smith was arrested and found with approximately 22 grams of heroin. Agents also executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence and seized additional heroin and two firearms. As part of her plea, Smith agreed to forfeit a vehicle that was used to facilitate the heroin trafficking.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force conducted the McCutchen investigation. The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, and the West Virginia State Police conducted the Smith investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecutions. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentences.
These prosecutions are part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
50 Small Business Ideas for Video Producers
Video producers, there are now more options than ever when it comes to starting a small business that revolves around video. If you’ve got some basic video equipment and the skills to create great video content, here are 50 different video production business ideas for you to consider.
https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/10/video-production-business-ideas-small-buisness.html
https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/10/video-production-business-ideas-small-buisness.html
Monday, October 9, 2017
4 Big Considerations Before Expanding Your Small Business
Expanding your business can be a challenging time. When you’re opening a new store, taking on new clients or looking for ways to grow the number of products or services you offer, you’re going to feel like you’re under quite a bit of pressure. However, if approached appropriately, that pressure can push you to be even more successful.
https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/10/before-expanding-your-small-business.html
https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/10/before-expanding-your-small-business.html
5 Tips to Fix Your Brand from TV Star Expert Ali Craig
Want to build a strong brand? You might want to gather some valuable input from a branding expert.
Ali Craig is a brand strategist, author and star of the new show Fix My Brand with Ali Craig. The show airs on the Success Network, which is available on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and online. In it, Craig works with small businesses to revitalize their brands and fix any issues so they can better appeal to customers.
https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/10/fix-your-brand.html
Are Your Employees Scared of You? 4 Ways to be More Approachable
Are your employees afraid of you? “Of course not,” you scoff. All right, maybe they don’t cower in fear when you enter a room—but are they comfortable coming to you with questions or problems? In other words, are you approachable?
https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/10/are-you-approachable-at-work.html
https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/10/are-you-approachable-at-work.html
Lying in Business: 5 Tell-Tale Non-Verbal Signs Revealed
There is too much emphasis in American culture on what people say in business. Focusing only on their words misses much of their meaning. Experts say that 93 percent of all communication is nonverbal. Dr. Albert Mehrabian, author of Silent Messages, found that 7 percent of any message is conveyed through words, 38 percent through certain vocal elements, and 55 percent through nonverbal elements like facial expressions, gestures, and postures. Understanding the full range of communication can help small business owners learn to detect lies and fraud by reading the body language of their customers, vendors and employees.
https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/10/nonverbal-signs-of-lying.html
https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/10/nonverbal-signs-of-lying.html
Running a Sideline Business? 5 Tax Issues You MUST Consider
Today, many people have a sideline business to make extra money, to test a business concept, or to just enjoy a different type of work. The gig economy, where self-employed individuals find freelance and other business opportunities through such online platforms as Uber, TaskRabbit and Upwork, is proving to be a good avenue for sideline businesses. But sideline businesses can be independent of any such platform. If you have a sideline business, or are thinking of starting one, make sure to understand the tax implications of your activity.
https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/10/side-business-taxes.html
https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/10/side-business-taxes.html
Sunday, October 8, 2017
IBM Research and UC San Diego Collaborate to Advance the Use of Artificial Intelligence for Healthy Living
UC San Diego is the first West Coast university to join the IBM Cognitive Horizons Network
ARMONK, NY and SAN DIEGO, CA - 28 Sep 2017: IBM (NYSE: IBM) and the University of California San Diego have announced a multi-year project to enhance quality of life and independence for aging populations through the new Artificial Intelligence for Healthy Living Center (AIHL), located on the campus of UC San Diego. The groundbreaking center will bring together the technology, artificial intelligence and life sciences knowledge of IBM and UC San Diego to promote critical research and applications in two thematic areas: Healthy Aging andthe Human Microbiome.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/53185.wss
#news #IBM #PressRelease
ARMONK, NY and SAN DIEGO, CA - 28 Sep 2017: IBM (NYSE: IBM) and the University of California San Diego have announced a multi-year project to enhance quality of life and independence for aging populations through the new Artificial Intelligence for Healthy Living Center (AIHL), located on the campus of UC San Diego. The groundbreaking center will bring together the technology, artificial intelligence and life sciences knowledge of IBM and UC San Diego to promote critical research and applications in two thematic areas: Healthy Aging andthe Human Microbiome.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/53185.wss
#news #IBM #PressRelease
IBM Unveils a New High-Powered Analytics System for Fast Access to Data Science
• New IBM Integrated Analytics System features IBM Data Science Experience, Apache Spark embedded to give users high-performance data science across public, private or hybrid clouds
ARMONK, N.Y. - 26 Sep 2017: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the Integrated Analytics System, a new unified data system designed to give users fast, easy access to advanced data science capabilities and the ability to work with their data across private, public or hybrid cloud environments.
At the heart of the Integrated Analytics System are the IBM Data Science Experience, Apache Spark and the Db2 Warehouse, all of which have been optimized to work together with straight forward management. The Data Science Experience provides a set of critical data science tools and a collaborative work space through which data scientists can create new analytic models that developers can use to build intelligent applications quickly and easily. The inclusion of Apache Spark, the popular open source framework, enables in-memory data processing, which speeds analytic applications by allowing analytics to be processed directly where the data resides.
New to this class of offering are the machine learning capabilities that come with both the Data Science Experience and Spark embedded on the system. Having machine learning processing embedded means that data does not need to be moved to the analytics processing, reducing the associated processes and wait times for analytics to run and respond. This simplifies the process of training and evaluating predictive models, as well as the testing, deployment and training as it is all done in-place.
“The combination of high performance and advanced analytics – from the Data Science Experience to the open Spark platform – gives our business analysts the ability to conduct intense data investigations with ease and speed,” said Vitaly Tsivin, Executive Vice President, at AMC Networks, who has been testing the system for several months. “The Integrated Analytics System is positioned as an integral component of an enterprise data architecture solution, connecting IBM Netezza Data Warehouse and IBM PureData System for Analytics, cloud-based Db2 Warehouse on Cloud clusters, and other data sources.”
“Today’s announcement is a continuation of our aggressive strategy to make data science and machine learning more accessible than ever before and to help organizations like AMC, begin harvesting their massive data volumes – across infrastructures – for insight and intelligence,” said Rob Thomas, General Manager, IBM Analytics.
Seamless Expansion to the Cloud
The integrated architecture of the new system combines software enhancements such as asymmetric massively parallel processing (AMPP) with IBM Power® technology and flash memory storage hardware and builds on the IBM PureData System for Analytics, and the previous IBM Netezza data warehouse offerings. It also supports a wide range of data types and data services, including everything from the Watson Data Platform and IBM Db2 Warehouse On Cloud, to Hadoop and IBM BigSQL. Like these solutions, the Integrated Analytics System is built with the IBM common SQL engine, enabling users to seamlessly integrate the unit with cloud-based warehouse solutions.
In addition, industry standard tools and the common SQL engine provide users with an option to also move these workloads seamlessly to public or private cloud environments with Spark clusters, based on the user’s requirements.
Like IBM’s existing data warehouse products, the Integrated Analytics System is designed to provide built-in data virtualization and compatibility with Netezza®, Db2®, and IBM PureData System for Analytics.
Among these capabilities, the new system also incorporates hybrid transactional analytical processing (HTAP). In contrast to typical business environments where transaction processing and analytics are run on distinct architectures, HTAP runs predictive analytics, transactional and historical data on the same database at accelerated response times. Later this year, the company plans to add support for HTAP with IBM Db2 Analytics Accelerator for z/OS, which will enable the system to transparently integrate with IBM z Systems infrastructures.
IBM Elevates Team Experience at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground; Home of Atlanta United Football Club
IBM is Bringing its Expertise in Sports Venues and Team Performance to Enhance Team Performance at AUFC Practice Facility
ARMONK, N.Y. - 21 Sep 2017: IBM (NYSE: IBM ) is bringing its expertise in sports venue infrastructure design and implementation to the practice field for newly formed Major League Soccer Club, Atlanta United, providing a year-round, state-of-the art technological experience for the players and staff.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/53171.wss
#news #business #technology #IBM #PressRelease
ARMONK, N.Y. - 21 Sep 2017: IBM (NYSE: IBM ) is bringing its expertise in sports venue infrastructure design and implementation to the practice field for newly formed Major League Soccer Club, Atlanta United, providing a year-round, state-of-the art technological experience for the players and staff.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/53171.wss
#news #business #technology #IBM #PressRelease
Saturday, October 7, 2017
Friday, October 6, 2017
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