New Delhi, June 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has reaffirmed India’s commitment to transitioning the free trade agreement (FTA) from a negotiated text into a transformative economic partnership, the ministry said on Thursday.

The minister showcased India’s strategic global outlook and economic leadership at the India Global Forum (IGF) 2025 in London. His visit marked a significant moment following the historic signing of the India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in May 2025.

Delivering the keynote address, the Union Minister described the FTA as a reflection of shared ambition between two vibrant democracies. He stated that the agreement not only enhances bilateral trade, but also demonstrates India’s ability to negotiate balanced and future-oriented trade frameworks aligned with its national interests.

Goyal was joined by UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, with moderation by international journalist Mark Barton.

Outlining the next phase of implementation, Goyal highlighted key priorities such as strengthening institutional mechanisms for joint governance, unlocking early benefits for SMEs and startups, and facilitating smooth mobility of skilled professionals across sectors.

On June 19, the Union Minister participated in a special session on “UK–India Science, Technology and Innovation Collaboration” at the Science Museum in London.

The session explored opportunities for UK stakeholders to contribute to India’s expanding investments in digital public infrastructure, sustainable manufacturing, and green technologies.

Discussions also covered efforts to make India a global manufacturing hub through Make in India, PLI schemes, and enhancing collaboration in sectors such as fintech, artificial intelligence, and creative industries, according to the ministry.

The FTA’s role in deepening cooperation in critical technologies, defence production, and advanced manufacturing was also highlighted. The session further examined how innovations like UPI and CoWIN can be scaled globally through bilateral collaboration.

“By leveraging the India–UK FTA, both nations aim to unlock new avenues in goods, services, technology, and innovation for shared prosperity,” said the ministry.

Source: IANS

About Gopi

Gopi Adusumilli is a Programmer. He is the editor of SocialNews.XYZ and President of AGK Fire Inc.

He enjoys designing websites, developing mobile applications and publishing news articles on current events from various authenticated news sources.

When it comes to writing he likes to write about current world politics and Indian Movies. His future plans include developing SocialNews.XYZ into a News website that has no bias or judgment towards any.

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Many fitness trackers are designed without consideration for different body types. (AYO Production/Shutterstock)

CHICAGO — Fitness trackers promise to monitor daily energy expenditure and help guide health decisions, but they’ve consistently failed to provide accurate readings for people carrying extra weight. Hip-worn devices get thrown off by different walking patterns, and wrist-worn trackers haven’t been properly tested for people with obesity. Until now, people with obesity have been making health decisions based on fundamentally flawed data.

Researchers at Northwestern University have created the first algorithm specifically designed to give people with obesity accurate energy expenditure readings from commercial smartwatches. Their work, published in Scientific Reports, could finally put reliable fitness tracking within reach for this underserved population.

The research was born from a deeply personal moment. Lead researcher Nabil Alshurafa got the inspiration for the algorithm after going to an exercise class with his mother-in-law, who has obesity.

“She worked harder than anyone else, yet when we glanced at the leaderboard, her numbers barely registered,” says Northwestern University researcher Alshurafa, in a statement. “That moment hit me: fitness shouldn’t feel like a trap for the people who need it most.”

Why Your Tracker Fails You

Fitness trackers were designed with “average” bodies in mind. For people with obesity, everything changes. Walking patterns shift, preferred speeds differ, and body composition affects how devices sit and function. Due to body composition differences, hip-worn devices can tilt at different angles, leading to inconsistent and unreliable measurements.

Wrist-worn devices seemed like the obvious solution. They’re more comfortable, people actually wear them consistently, and they’re less affected by body composition variations. But until this study, nobody had properly validated wrist-based energy expenditure algorithms specifically for people with obesity.

The researchers noted that existing commercial wrist-mounted device companies have developed algorithms to determine calorie expenditure, but these algorithms remain proprietary and lack transparency in their validation, leaving a critical gap for people with obesity.

Northwestern’s team recruited 52 participants, all with BMIs of 30 or higher. The average BMI was around 36, and participants ranged from their early 40s to mid-50s.

In the lab portion, 27 people wore both a commercial Fossil Sport smartwatch and a research-grade ActiGraph device while performing everything from computer work to vigorous aerobics. Researchers also hooked participants up to a metabolic cart, the ultimate truth detector for measuring actual energy expenditure through breath analysis.

Another 25 participants took the devices home for two days of real-world testing. Researchers used wearable cameras to visually confirm what people were actually doing, ensuring their algorithm matched reality rather than just other estimates.

A Smarter Two-Step Process

Most existing algorithms try to estimate energy expenditure directly from movement data. Northwestern’s team took a different approach, creating a two-step process specifically designed for wrist-worn devices.

First, the system determines whether someone is doing sedentary activities (sitting, reading, typing) or non-sedentary activities (walking, exercising, moving around). For sedentary activities, the algorithm assigns a standard resting value.

For non-sedentary activities, it applies a more sophisticated model that considers not just movement patterns from the smartwatch sensors, but also personal factors like age, sex, weight, height, and BMI.

When tested against the metabolic cart in the lab, the new algorithm achieved much better accuracy than existing methods. It outperformed six out of seven established algorithms, including several designed for hip-worn devices that supposedly provide more accurate readings.

In real-world testing, the algorithm’s estimates fell within acceptable ranges 95% of the time when compared to the best existing methods. Among algorithms tested at the same time window, Northwestern’s approach consistently delivered the lowest error rates.

Statistical analysis confirmed these represented significant improvements in accuracy compared to existing methods.

Algorithm Struggles

No system is perfect, and Northwestern’s algorithm is no exception. It tends to underestimate energy expenditure when the dominant hand stays relatively still compared to the rest of the body. This could happen, for example, when holding a phone against your ear while walking.

On the other hand, it overestimates when the dominant hand moves more than the rest of the body, like scrolling through social media while sitting still or gesturing during a phone conversation.

Walking while talking on the phone led to underestimation more often than overestimation. Sitting activities showed varied results depending on hand movement; passive activities like watching TV led to underestimation, while active phone use led to overestimation.

However, since the algorithm works with smartwatches worn on the dominant hand, it could potentially integrate with other health monitoring applications that track eating, drinking, or smoking behaviors—all activities primarily performed with the dominant hand.

A health monitoring system like this could track both calories consumed and calories burned using the same device. For people managing their weight or monitoring their overall health, having reliable data on both sides of the energy equation could be transformative.

Making Tech More Inclusive

This is a step toward making fitness technology actually useful for people across different body types. Currently, people with obesity may be making health decisions based on flawed data from their fitness trackers.

During the study, Alshurafa would challenge participants to do as many pushups as they could in five minutes. The experience opened his eyes to broader inequities in how we measure fitness and exercise success.

“Many couldn’t drop to the floor, but each one crushed wall push-ups, their arms shaking with effort,” says Alshurafa. “We celebrate ‘standard’ workouts as the ultimate test, but those standards leave out so many people. These experiences showed me we must rethink how gyms, trackers, and exercise programs measure success — so no one’s hard work goes unseen.”

If someone is trying to lose weight, increase activity levels, or simply understand their daily energy expenditure, inaccurate data leads to poor outcomes. When fitness trackers only work accurately for certain body types, they’re failing a significant portion of their users.

Fanatics Fest is expected to lose millions — again. Michael Rubin’s not worried.

“We’re still in investment mode,” the 52-year-old Fanatics CEO said of the celebrity-packed sports and culture convention, set to take place June 20 to 22 at the Javits Center.

Last year, 72,000 fans attended the inaugural festival. It was a massive success.

Sure, the company lost $15 million on the three-day celebration, but that’s a little more than a rounding error for Fanatics, which is projected to generate $12 billion in revenue in 2026.

Fanatics Fest isn’t designed to generate revenue on par with Fanatics commerce or collectible verticals, or its betting platform — it’s designed to bolster them.

“This is really about creating a sports festival that only we can create. It’s a great give back to fans,” Rubin told NYNext.

Rubin is expecting 150,000 attendees at this year’s fest. And the number of participating leagues and organizations will more than double, too. FIFA, Formula 1, the Premier League, USTA, Nike, and Dick’s Sporting Goods are joining returning partners including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, UFC and WWE.

Then there’s the surfeit of talent who will be there.

Jay-Z is spending millions on a pop-up 40/40 Club. Tom Brady is sitting on panels and tossing footballs to fans. And Victor Wembanyama, currently traveling in China, is coming in for a cold-plunge with Kevin Hart on a live-taping of “Cold as Balls.”

Fun can also expect to see LeBron James, Travis Scott, Henrik Lundqvist, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Livvy Dunne, Kevin Costner, John Cena, Charlotte Flair and hundreds of other beloved athletes and entertainers at various autograph-signings and activations.

It will be “organized chaos,” Rubin said.

While he’s coy on specific event details, he teases “Crazy stunts, endless stunts … Twenty to 30 that no one knows about.” 

One bit he will share involves a yet-to-be-named athlete surrounded by 20 identical decoys in matching uniforms, unleashed into the crowd to confuse fans.

“We like chaos,” Rubin added.

While Fanatics Fest 1.0 was largely a hit, it wasn’t without friction. VIP badge-holders, who paid extra for their privileges, were allowed to cut lines for autographs and photos — a move Rubin now bluntly admits was a “disaster.”

“It sucked, it was terrible,” he said. “You can’t be afraid to go out and do things and make mistakes, but then you’ve got to be a great listener.”

This year, he promises that the autograph process has been overhauled and improved, as has crowd logistics, stage management and athlete transportation.

Since Rubin founded Fanatics in 2002, the sports-commerce giant has expanded from selling team merchandise to running trading cards, collectibles and its own sportsbook. The company serves more than 10 million customers annually across its stores and venue shops, and ships more than 40 million online orders a year.

The global spectator sports industry is worth more than $500 billion, but few companies have built a direct, multi-channel relationship with fans as successfully as Rubin has.

This story is part of NYNext, an indispensable insider insight into the innovations, moonshots and political chess moves that matter most to NYC’s power players (and those who aspire to be).

The idea for Fanatics Fest first came to Rubin after he attended SXSW and Comic-Con — flagship experiences that fans were annually traveling across the country and world to attend.

“I thought, ‘Why don’t we have this for sports?’” he said. “There wasn’t [anybody else] that could convene all of the sports properties and all of the athletes … We [had] to do this.”

Send NYNext a tip: nynextlydia@nypost.com

I test smartwatches for a living, so there’s no getting away from the fact that I use them a lot. The best smartwatches are comprehensive health, communication and personal management tools, allowing us to pay without wallets, navigate without our phones, log our workouts effectively and monitor our health 24/7.

However, as extensions of our phones, they also represent connection. I’m a big advocate of taking deliberate time away from the constant mess of screens in my life, but having a smartwatch on my wrist often means there are far fewer avenues for escape.

PALM HARBOR, Fla., June 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — CR Fitness Holdings, the nation’s fastest-growing franchisee of Crunch Fitness, is excited to announce a special one-day cyber sale for their upcoming location, Crunch Palm Harbor, FL. This $5 million state-of-the-art, brand new 55,000-square-foot fitness center, located at 35104 US Hwy 19 N in Palm Harbor.

On Saturday, June 21st, head to http://www.crunchpalmharbor.com/ for exclusive online-only membership deals. For one day only, memberships start at just $9.99 per month with $0 enrollment fees, plus savings up to $60 annually. The first 500 members to join will receive exciting perks, including a free t-shirt, discounts on personal and small group training, and more! Crunch Palm Harbor will also be hosting an in-person Cyber Sale Party from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. that same day. The event will feature food, fitness, and fun for all attendees!

Crunch Palm Harbor is a brand-new 3.0 location with a modern design that will provide a complete, upscale fitness experience with a focus on quality service. The center features top-of-the-line cardio and strength equipment including Olympic squat racks, a group fitness studio, hot studio for yoga and Pilates, pool, Cycle studio, boxing classes, performance turf, dry saunas, HydroMassage®, tanning, and the innovative HIITZone™. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned athlete, Crunch Palm Harbor accommodates a variety of fitness goals in a motivating, engaging and welcoming environment for the entire community.

“We’re so excited to bring Crunch Fitness to Palm Harbor and continue expanding in our hometown Tampa area,” said Tony Scrimale, CEO of CR Fitness Holdings. “This new location is an exciting step forward in our mission to offer high-quality, affordable fitness options to communities across the country.”

CR Fitness Holdings, LLC, led by industry veterans Vince Julien, Geoff Dyer, Tony Scrimale, and Jeff Dotson, now operates 86 Crunch Fitness locations across Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee – with plans to expand into Arizona.

About CR Fitness Holdings, LLC
CR Fitness Holdings, LLC is the leading franchisee of Crunch Fitness, and led by a management team with over 150 years of combined experience in the fitness industry. CR Fitness is on track to operate 100 locations nationwide by 2026. The company’s expansion across the U.S. reflects its commitment to providing accessible fitness experiences that combine high-quality equipment, a fun atmosphere, and exceptional value.

About Crunch Fitness
Crunch is a gym that believes in making serious exercise fun by fusing fitness and entertainment and pioneering a philosophy of ‘No Judgments.’ Crunch serves a fitness community for all kinds of people with all types of goals, exercising all different ways, working it out at the same place together. Today, we are renowned for creating one-of-a-kind group fitness classes and unique programming for our wildly diverse members. Headquartered in New York City, Crunch serves three million members with over 500 gyms worldwide in 41 states, the District of Columbia, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain, and India. Crunch is rapidly expanding across the U.S. and around the globe.

Media Contact: 
Rich Merrill
SVP, Marketing – CR Fitness
[email protected]

SOURCE CR Fitness Holdings, LLC.