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Where to Sleep: LG Hotel & Lodging News 7.21.10City Travel, Featured, Hotel News, New York City, Staying There — By Ashley C on July 21, 2010 at 12:28 pm
by Ashley Cheng
LG Hotel & Lodging Editor
Welcome to this week’s hospitality news roundup: top hotel, motel, hostel, inn and lodging stories from around the world (wide web). Catch up on your latest news, and then meet us at the hotel…motel…Holiday Inn.
You may be sleeping soundly, but apparently, thieves looking to steal your personal info don’t rest once you’re all tucked away in your Heavenly Bed. A recent study conducted by SpiderLabs (part of a data-security consulting company), found that 38 percent of the credit card hacking cases last year involved the hotel industry. That means you’re far likelier to get your numbers ganked at your home-away-from-home than you would at a retail location (14.2 percent), or restaurants and bars (13 percent). Hotels need to up their game as far as computer security is concerned, because most numbers are stolen directly from the computer system–rather than from your wallet.
Source: New York Times
Manhattan’s InterContinental New York Times Square Opens
The highly anticipated and largest hotel built in New York since 2002 opened its doors this month. Rooms, which are going for around $300 per night, are already sold out. Check out the sneak peak images, courtesy of Hotel Chatter.
From super-luxe yurts to Dutch gypsy caravans, the latest trend in European travel promises to have you “roughing” it with style. The list of top 10 destinations includes an eco-friendly bell tent complete with solar lighting on the Isle of Canna and a converted German fire truck with compost toilet in Portugal.
Source: The Observer
Obama Names Boston Hotelier to Support National Tourism Effort
Boston hotelier Richard Friedman has been tasked to recreate the success of his Charles and Liberty hotels on a national level. But, he’s not opening up new chains across the country. As the latest business leader to join the President’s Export Council, he’s one of 13 appointed to help reach Obama’s goal of doubling US exports and tourism in five years.
Source: Travel Weekly
Preview of Diane Von Furstenberg’s Specially Designed Rooms at London’s Claridge’s Hotel
Enjoy some eye candy with this sneak peak slideshow of the noted designer’s debut into dressing hotel suites instead of super models. A selection of the fabrics, wall coverings and upholstery will be available in September as part of DVF’s exclusive home line.
Source: Hotel Chatter
Check out these related posts:


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There might be problems with the recent class-action settlement Lyft reached with drivers. According to Reuters, “U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco issued several written questions about the deal, including some on the key issue of whether drivers for Lyft should be independent workers or employees.” Judge Chhabria must approve the settlement. Attorneys for both the drivers and Lyft were asked to provide answers in writing, and a hearing is scheduled for March.
Uber has entered the bicycle-messaging business, and its use of independent contractors has led to further scrutiny of the company’s labor practices. Crain’s New York Business reports that while Uber classifies its messengers as independent contractors, “traditional courier companies, by contrast, are required to hire messengers as employees and to pay workers’ comp, unemployment insurance and other fees.” An operator of a courier business featured in the article stresses that the New York State Department of Labor has forbidden the classification of foot and bike messengers as independent contractors. The operator is working as an Uber messenger in order to document how it treats him as an employee and then bring a complaint.
The attempt to coordinate seven worker classification lawsuits against Uber in a multidistrict litigation has failed. The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation concluded that “centralization will not serve the convenience of the parties and witnesses or further the just and efficient conduct of the litigation.” On a related note, Ars Technica summarized some of the several cases being brought using state labor laws by New York-based attorney Paul Napoli.
Do Uber drivers generate profit for the company even when they aren’t transporting passengers? Motherboard highlights how the data generated by Uber drivers is “immensely valuable” to the company. Furthermore, “amid a growing recognition that data is an essential component of running a technology business, some drivers and labor advocates are considering drivers’ dead miles as unseen labor, and are wondering if Uber’s data collection constitutes a new kind of wage theft.”
In addition to the lawsuits, the conditions faced by Uber drivers continue to attract media attention. The New York Post published a story on how in New York “Uber drivers stay behind the wheel up to 19 hours a day to make ends meet, and say the company’s new fare cuts could make things even worse for them — and put passengers at risk.” Meanwhile, The Guardian reported on the loneliness of Uber drivers and how they use social networks to communicate and seek companionship, as well as plan concerted activity.
Uber drivers may be disrupting the company’s business model, but they didn’t have much impact on the Super Bowl. According to The San Fancisco Chronicle, “up to 20 Uber drivers tried to block a busy intersection near Levi’s Stadium on Sunday in protest of company policies, but Santa Clara police quickly halted the demonstration, authorities said.”

domain: news


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Dead Space Remake has gone gold and is set to launch in January
The Callisto Protocol is really shaking in its boots, as EA Motive has finished development of its source of inspiration.
The very Dead Space-inspired The Callisto Protocol didn't exactly have a perfect launch two weeks ago, so the developers at Striking Distance Studios have been working hard to fix and polish the game. That probably means tonight's announcement couldn't been worse timed for them.
EA Motive reveals that Dead Space Remake has gone gold, which in very simple terms means the game has finished development, so you can be extremely sure it'll launch on January 27 as planned.


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Publisher Warner Bros. Games and developer Avalanche Software have delayed the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Hogwarts Legacy from their previously planned February 10, 2023 release date to April 4. The PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC (Steam) versions will still launch as planned on February 10.
Additionally, the companies announced that the Switch version of Hogwarts Legacy will launch on July 25, 2023.
A second Hogwarts Legacy gameplay showcase will premiere on YouTube on December 14 at 10:00 p.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET featuring game director Alan Tew, systems designer Mekenzy Toner, community manager Chandler Wood, and special guest community host Ben Snow.
For more information, visit the official Hogwarts Legacy FAQ.


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By: M Abul Kalam Azad
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked the state minister for labour and employment to take action immediately to quell the ongoing labour unrest for a pay hike in Ashulia on the outskirts of the capital.
There is no trade union in the garment sector so it is very difficult to find someone who can represent the agitating garment workers in discussions to resolve the issues, the PM observed at the weekly cabinet meeting.
All the RMG units have been closed following violent clashes between workers and law-enforcers.
“We need to find out whether there is any international conspiracy behind the labour unrest,” Hasina told her cabinet colleagues, adding that the unrest leading to the shutdown of RMGs would have an adverse impact on the country’s economy.
She also directed the officials concerned to supply ready-made garment workers with rice at a low price.
Fair price cards will be issued to garment workers, allowing them to buy 20 kilograms of rice at Tk 24 per kg in a month from government-appointed dealers, food ministry officials said.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Food and Disaster Management Minister Abdur Razzaque said the fair price cards would first be distributed among nearly five lakh workers of garment factories in Ashulia.
Later, the cards will be distributed among garment workers in other areas, said Razzaque.
However, a similar move proved to be futile two years back, apparently for factory owners’ indifference to it.
The government and garment owners in 2009 agreed to introduce food rationing for workers. Estimating that around 25 lakh RMG workers would come under the programme, the government then put aside five lakh tonnes of rice to ensure rations on a regular basis.
Only a few owners complied with the deal and that too for a couple of months, food ministry officials said.
As per the agreement, owners of garment factories were supposed to distribute rice initially among 6.5 lakh workers at Tk 16 per kg. After the inauguration of the programme on August 27 that year, owners withdrew only 200 tonnes of rice which was distributed among 5,000 workers [20 kilogram each per month] for only two months.
Again in 2010, the government introduced fair price cards for low income people, but this time RMG workers were not included in the programme. So far, 70 lakh cards have been distributed among low income groups in Dhaka and some other districts.


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Robbers made off with three priceless diamond sets from a state museum in Dresden, police and museum directors confirmed Monday, in what German media have described as the biggest art heist since World War Two.
It is hard to imagine a more venerable luxury brand than Cartier, which has a reputation for artisanal excellence second to none. Yet, the majority of its audience is that lodestone of modern marketing, millennials.
La Samaritaine, the greatest construction project of the world’s largest luxury construction company – encompassing a chic department store, hotel, office space and even public housing – is finally, almost, ready.
Leave it to Hedi Slimane to launch a range of very Parisian, 'Haute Parfumerie' scents with a surprising strategy, which kicks off this weekend with the brand’s first perfume-only boutique in central Paris.


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In a significant milestone for agricultural biotechnology, genetically modified salmon were approved by the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday, the first time a genetically engineered animal has been approved for human consumption in the U.S.
"The FDA has approved AquaBounty Technologies' application for AquAdvantage Salmon, an Atlantic salmon that reaches market size more quickly than non-GE farm-raised Atlantic salmon," the FDA said in a statement, coming after five years of deliberations, reported NBC News.
FDA scientists concluded in 2010 that the salmon is as safe as, and no more allergic than, conventional salmon, concluding there is "reasonable certainty of no harm," according to The Washington Post.
The salmon has been modified with genes from two other edible fish that allow it to produce growth hormone year long and reach market weight in about half the time taken by conventional salmon. It also requires 25 percent less feed, according to the Post.
This is "a game-changer that brings healthy and nutritious food to consumers in an environmentally responsible manner without damaging the ocean and other marine habitats," said AquaBounty Technologies Chief Executive Ronald Stotish.
The FDA approval came with the condition that the fish can only be raised in land-based, contained hatchery tanks in two specific facilities in Canada and Panama, and they cannot be grown in the U.S. The agency determined that escape into the wild is highly unlikely.
Federal regulators said that companies can choose to voluntarily label the salmon as being genetically modified, but stressed that labelling is not mandatory since there are no material differences between engineered and normal salmon, according to the Associated Press.
AquaBounty, based in Massachusetts, says that their engineered salmon have the same flavor, texture, color and odor as conventional salmon. The company estimates that it will take several years before the fish hits the market, as facilities have not yet been developed to raise them.
The FDA decision quickly drew the ire of consumer safety groups, who mainly worry about the fish escaping into the environment, labelling and the general safety of genetically modified foods - particularly in terms of possible epigenetic mutations.
Consumers Union cited small sample sizes and "inadequate analysis" in studies and said the agency's determination that escape is not likely was built on "inadequate science and unfounded assumptions," according to the Post.
"This unfortunate, historic decision disregards the vast majority of consumers, many independent scientists, numerous members of Congress and salmon growers around the world, who have voiced strong opposition," Food & Water Watch, a Washington D.C.-based consumer rights group, said in a statement, according to Al Jazeera.
Several retailers have said that they will not carry the fish, including Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.


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Whatever we’ve listened to or reviewed regarding the Google Glass as well as its functions were absolutely nothing however pure suppositions and also some statements from Google till the 16th of April. Practically a week back, Google has actually lastly launched the requirements as well as attributes of the Google Glass.
The Google Glass is stated to be geared up with a:
– High resolution display screen modern technology that will certainly enable customers to check out photos with the exact same top quality as viewing something on a 25-inch HD display from 8 feet away.
– Adjustable nosepads and also a resilient framework to fit any kind of face dimension.
-5- megapixel cam with 720p video clip recording.
-12 gb of synced Google Cloud storage space out of the 16gb on-board flash memory.
– Connectivity choices like Bluetooth (variation not consisted of), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g.
– Audio is provided with a Bone Conduction Transducer.
– Google Glass has the ability to attach to any kind of phone with Bluetooth and also a MyGlass buddy application which enables Google Glass to link via Android phones that run Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich or greater. This application would certainly enable individuals to take pleasure in SMS as well as GPS performance right from their Android phone as well as right into their Google Glass.
– No details regarding battery life, though Google indicated that battery life ought to last 1 day for regular usage, however it’s hard to assess as a result of various other applications that are much more battery extensive.
What this relates to
Google Glass, minus the SMS or e-mail structure regarding one can reason from the checklist of attributes, will certainly enable individuals to watch and also search information from the Internet or their storage space with the screen modern technology carried out. Individuals can communicate with others while attempting to surf for details on when the following trip for Tokyo is, or individuals can develop first-person images as well as video clips with no trouble. Accessing the GPS display screen with the Google Glass will certainly get rid of the concern of needing to consider your phone throughout the program of your traveling, which eliminates the danger of crashes as a result of smart phones.
Customers require not fret about the display screen blocking their sight since the display screen innovation enables the information to be revealed at the top right of our typical visual field, so there’s no barrier in all.
Whatever we’ve listened to or reviewed regarding the Google Glass and also its functions were absolutely nothing however pure suppositions and also some statements from Google up until the 16th of April. Nearly a week earlier, Google has actually ultimately launched the specs and also functions of the Google Glass.
Google Glass, minus the SMS or e-mail make-up as much as one can reason from the checklist of functions, will certainly permit individuals to check out and also surf information from the Internet or their storage space with the display screen modern technology applied. Accessing the GPS display screen with the Google Glass will certainly eliminate the problem of having to look at your phone throughout the training course of your traveling, which eliminates the danger of crashes due to mobile phones.


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|By Maureen O'Gara||
|September 3, 2012 06:00 AM EDT||
Deutsche Telekom is set to launch the long-awaited secure, legally binding - and paid - e-mail system known as De-Mail throughout Germany on August 31.
"De-Mail brings us a step closer to the gigabit society," Telekom CEO René Obermann said.
Deutsche Telekom and other De-Mail peddlers mean to use the widgetry to put Deutsche Post and other conventional mail carriers out of business.
It says 17.5 billion pieces of mail are sent a year in Germany, 90% of it business mail, and much of it can be done electronically.
It expects De-Mail, which was developed at the instigation of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, to become the standard in the next few years, replacing 29% of the 17.5 billion letters and 39% of the 3 5.4 billion faxes sent a year in Germany by 2018.
Deutsche Post's rival, E-Postbrief, which may have scaling issues, hasn't got the leverage of De-Mail.
Telekom claims 1.5 million people have reserved a De-Mail address with a provider and the number of companies intending to use De-Mail is already in the "tens of thousands," beginning with Targobank, the German retail banking arm of Citibank, and Allianz, the big insurance company.
These firms are anxious to digitize their customer relationships to reduce postage, paper and printing costs.
Alexander Vollert, a member of the board of Allianz Germany, said, "De-Mail replaces the physical signature, which was often essential in the past, making it a genuine alternative to letters and faxes signed in person."
Ordinary e-mail is more insecure than conventional postal mail. Not so De-Mail, which is supposed to be encrypted and its users' identities verified.
To promote the service, Deutsche Telekom says private customers can send up to 50 De-Mails a month for free until December 31. After that, three standard De-Mails a month will be free and any additional De-Mails will cost 49 cents (€0.39) apiece.
Small and medium-sized enterprises will be able to send 50 standard De-Mails a month for free for six months if they sign up for the De-Mail service by December 31. Large customers can expect to pay about $338 (€270) a month for 1,000 De-Mails.
Companies will also be able to use a hybrid De-Mail. Telekom will print the De-Mail out and have it delivered by partners such as TNT Post.
Otherwise De-Mail messages can be sent or received any time of the day or night, even via smartphones. And the sender can request confirmations of transmission and receipt. RPost may have something to say about that.
The De-Mail interface is supposed to be user-friendly. The e-mail looks to the user like another other e-mail - and works like e-mail too.
Private users and commercial customers access their De-Mailbox via their browser. Deutsche Telekom will connect large companies and public administrations to De-Mail via central gateways.
Like Zumbox, Doxo and Manilla, the American versions of these things De-mail includes a De-Safe, where users can keep digital documents.
The scheme is controversial because authorities reportedly have access to people's in-boxes, which has Germany's Pirate Party's knickers in a twist.
Markus Barenhoff, deputy chairman of the German Pirate Party, said, "It's impossible to understand why consumers would suddenly want to pay 49 cents an e-mail without drawing any meaningful benefit. De-Mail can't even communicate with a conventional e-mail service. And the promised security lacks end-to-end encryption."
The left-leaning party, concerned with patent and trademark reform and privacy, has its own data protection expert, who says, "Digitally signed e-mail messages are much safer with encryption such as PGP or S/MIME. Both methods ensure security across the entire communication path and are independent of the e-mail providers are already available. The telecom system offers no advantages over traditional encodings."
The Pirates recommend that people refrain from registering with the De-Mail service.
Meanwhile Post and Parcel reports that Deutsche Post will be pulling the personal encryption and digital signature capabilities out of its E-Postbrief this month to make E-Postbrief easier to use. It claims the basic widgetry is secure enough to meet the requirements for transmitting legal documents electronically without the extra security.
It's unclear how many users E-Postbrief has.
Increasing IoT connectivity is forcing enterprises to find elegant solutions to organize and visualize all incoming data from these connected devices with re-configurable dashboard widgets to effectively allow rapid decision-making for everything from immediate actions in tactical situations to strategic analysis and reporting. In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, Shikhir Singh, Senior Developer Relations Manager at Sencha, will discuss how to create HTML5 dashboards that interact with IoT devic...
May. 4, 2016 09:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,403
In his session at @ThingsExpo, Chris Klein, CEO and Co-founder of Rachio, will discuss next generation communities that are using IoT to create more sustainable, intelligent communities. One example is Sterling Ranch, a 10,000 home development that – with the help of Siemens – will integrate IoT technology into the community to provide residents with energy and water savings as well as intelligent security. Everything from stop lights to sprinkler systems to building infrastructures will run ef...
May. 4, 2016 07:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,271
Artificial Intelligence has the potential to massively disrupt IoT. In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, AJ Abdallat, CEO of Beyond AI, will discuss what the five main drivers are in Artificial Intelligence that could shape the future of the Internet of Things. AJ Abdallat is CEO of Beyond AI. He has over 20 years of management experience in the fields of artificial intelligence, sensors, instruments, devices and software for telecommunications, life sciences, environmental monitoring, process...
May. 4, 2016 05:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,382
The demand for organizations to expand their infrastructure to multiple IT environments like the cloud, on-premise, mobile, bring your own device (BYOD) and the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to grow. As this hybrid infrastructure increases, the challenge to monitor the security of these systems increases in volume and complexity. In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, Stephen Coty, Chief Security Evangelist at Alert Logic, will show how properly configured and managed security architecture can...
May. 4, 2016 05:15 PM EDT Reads: 395
We’ve worked with dozens of early adopters across numerous industries and will debunk common misperceptions, which starts with understanding that many of the connected products we’ll use over the next 5 years are already products, they’re just not yet connected. With an IoT product, time-in-market provides much more essential feedback than ever before. Innovation comes from what you do with the data that the connected product provides in order to enhance the customer experience and optimize busi...
May. 4, 2016 05:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,320
A critical component of any IoT project is the back-end systems that capture data from remote IoT devices and structure it in a way to answer useful questions. Traditional data warehouse and analytical systems are mature technologies that can be used to handle large data sets, but they are not well suited to many IoT-scale products and the need for real-time insights. At Fuze, we have developed a backend platform as part of our mobility-oriented cloud service that uses Big Data-based approache...
May. 4, 2016 03:30 PM EDT Reads: 632
The increasing popularity of the Internet of Things necessitates that our physical and cognitive relationship with wearable technology will change rapidly in the near future. This advent means logging has become a thing of the past. Before, it was on us to track our own data, but now that data is automatically available. What does this mean for mHealth and the "connected" body? In her session at @ThingsExpo, Lisa Calkins, CEO and co-founder of Amadeus Consulting, will discuss the impact of wea...
May. 4, 2016 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,176
SYS-CON Events announced today that Ericsson has been named “Gold Sponsor” of SYS-CON's @ThingsExpo, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York, New York. Ericsson is a world leader in the rapidly changing environment of communications technology – providing equipment, software and services to enable transformation through mobility. Some 40 percent of global mobile traffic runs through networks we have supplied. More than 1 billion subscribers around the world re...
May. 4, 2016 01:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,341
SYS-CON Events announced today that Peak 10, Inc., a national IT infrastructure and cloud services provider, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Peak 10 provides reliable, tailored data center and network services, cloud and managed services. Its solutions are designed to scale and adapt to customers’ changing business needs, enabling them to lower costs, improve performance and focus inter...
May. 4, 2016 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,435
The IoTs will challenge the status quo of how IT and development organizations operate. Or will it? Certainly the fog layer of IoT requires special insights about data ontology, security and transactional integrity. But the developmental challenges are the same: People, Process and Platform. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Craig Sproule, CEO of Metavine, will demonstrate how to move beyond today's coding paradigm and share the must-have mindsets for removing complexity from the development proc...
May. 4, 2016 12:45 PM EDT Reads: 922
We're entering the post-smartphone era, where wearable gadgets from watches and fitness bands to glasses and health aids will power the next technological revolution. With mass adoption of wearable devices comes a new data ecosystem that must be protected. Wearables open new pathways that facilitate the tracking, sharing and storing of consumers’ personal health, location and daily activity data. Consumers have some idea of the data these devices capture, but most don’t realize how revealing and...
May. 4, 2016 12:45 PM EDT Reads: 625
trust and privacy in their ecosystem. Assurance and protection of device identity, secure data encryption and authentication are the key security challenges organizations are trying to address when integrating IoT devices. This holds true for IoT applications in a wide range of industries, for example, healthcare, consumer devices, and manufacturing. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Lancen LaChance, vice president of product management, IoT solutions at GlobalSign, will teach IoT developers how t...
May. 4, 2016 12:15 PM EDT Reads: 563
There is an ever-growing explosion of new devices that are connected to the Internet using “cloud” solutions. This rapid growth is creating a massive new demand for efficient access to data. And it’s not just about connecting to that data anymore. This new demand is bringing new issues and challenges and it is important for companies to scale for the coming growth. And with that scaling comes the need for greater security, gathering and data analysis, storage, connectivity and, of course, the...
May. 4, 2016 11:15 AM EDT Reads: 1,248
So, you bought into the current machine learning craze and went on to collect millions/billions of records from this promising new data source. Now, what do you do with them? Too often, the abundance of data quickly turns into an abundance of problems. How do you extract that "magic essence" from your data without falling into the common pitfalls? In her session at @ThingsExpo, Natalia Ponomareva, Software Engineer at Google, will provide tips on how to be successful in large scale machine lear...
May. 4, 2016 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,526
Digital payments using wearable devices such as smart watches, fitness trackers, and payment wristbands are an increasing area of focus for industry participants, and consumer acceptance from early trials and deployments has encouraged some of the biggest names in technology and banking to continue their push to drive growth in this nascent market. Wearable payment systems may utilize near field communication (NFC), radio frequency identification (RFID), or quick response (QR) codes and barcodes...
May. 4, 2016 08:15 AM EDT Reads: 1,017
You think you know what’s in your data. But do you? Most organizations are now aware of the business intelligence represented by their data. Data science stands to take this to a level you never thought of – literally. The techniques of data science, when used with the capabilities of Big Data technologies, can make connections you had not yet imagined, helping you discover new insights and ask new questions of your data. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Sarbjit Sarkaria, data science team lead ...
May. 4, 2016 08:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,204
The IETF draft standard for M2M certificates is a security solution specifically designed for the demanding needs of IoT/M2M applications. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Brian Romansky, VP of Strategic Technology at TrustPoint Innovation, will explain how M2M certificates can efficiently enable confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity on highly constrained devices.
May. 4, 2016 08:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,280
Manufacturers are embracing the Industrial Internet the same way consumers are leveraging Fitbits – to improve overall health and wellness. Both can provide consistent measurement, visibility, and suggest performance improvements customized to help reach goals. Fitbit users can view real-time data and make adjustments to increase their activity. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Mark Bernardo Professional Services Leader, Americas, at GE Digital, will discuss how leveraging the Industrial Interne...
May. 4, 2016 04:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,365
Whether your IoT service is connecting cars, homes, appliances, wearable, cameras or other devices, one question hangs in the balance – how do you actually make money from this service? The ability to turn your IoT service into profit requires the ability to create a monetization strategy that is flexible, scalable and working for you in real-time. It must be a transparent, smoothly implemented strategy that all stakeholders – from customers to the board – will be able to understand and comprehe...
May. 3, 2016 12:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,241
You deployed your app with the Bluemix PaaS and it's gaining some serious traction, so it's time to make some tweaks. Did you design your application in a way that it can scale in the cloud? Were you even thinking about the cloud when you built the app? If not, chances are your app is going to break. Check out this webcast to learn various techniques for designing applications that will scale successfully in Bluemix, for the confidence you need to take your apps to the next level and beyond.
May. 3, 2016 12:15 PM EDT Reads: 1,624


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The automotive marketplace AutoScout24 conducted an analysis on the automotive sector. According to the study, the lack of chips and semiconductors is holding back the production of new cars, increasing interest in used cars. Consequently, in Italy and in Europe, prices and changes of ownership increase.
AutoScout24: lack of chips negatively affects the market
According to the study conducted by AutoScout24, the largest pan-European online automotive marketplace, productivity is declining due to a lack of chips and semiconductors. This deficit would be prompting many manufacturers to revise their industrial plans. These microprocessors, in fact, are a fundamental element in the management of on-board systems, with cars increasingly dependent on technology.
A situation that has significant consequences on the market, which manifest themselves in the slowdown. At best, this all entails delays in deliveries, but it also happens that production blocks are even generated. The latest predictions from AlixPartners show how the lack of semiconductors would lead to as many as 3,9 million fewer vehicles produced worldwide.
With the new market in decline, second hand is growing
The negative effects of the lack of chips are not only manifested in the new market. According to the study, in fact, the lack of production also pushes the prices of used vehicles. In Italy, from the beginning of the year to today, the average cost of cars for sale on the portal have increased by + 3,1 %, with an average price of € 17.670.
A not too different situation is manifesting itself in other European countries. For example in Germany, where an increase of + 6,1 % (average of € 22.940). They follow closely Belgium us + 5,7 % (€ 19.630), Austria us + 4,9 % (€ 22.700) e Holland us + 4,5 % (€ 20.150). In addition to prices, there is also a decline in the availability of cars. AutoScout24, in the face of a drop of -14% in the advertisements of dealers, the requests have instead risen by + 12%.
AutoScout24: changes in ownership are on the rise
Another interesting fact is that of second-hand cars. After the negative data of the first months of 2021, June registered a surge in + 15,5% compared to the same period of 2019. Given that it is also homogeneous in other European countries analyzed. Among these, in the lead, we find the France (+ 19,4%) followed by Holland (+ 18,5%), Belgium (+ 16%) and Germany (+ 12,7%).
“It is a phase of great change for the entire automotive sector. While manufacturers are forced to review their strategies, consumers' attention for the second-hand market is growing in the short term. The latter guarantees almost immediate availability of the cars and a fleet of cars that meets all needs " says Tommaso Menegazzo, Marketing Director of AutoScout24. An interest that could further increase also thanks to the incentives just allocated with the Sostegni-bis decree for the purchase of second-hand Euro 6 cars, against the scrapping of cars over 10 years. It is a replacement in favor of new generation, more efficient cars that can help renew the Italian fleet, historically one of the oldest in Europe. "
If you are interested in the topic, read also our 7 tips for the conscious purchase of a used car.Used TagsAutoScout24 Why are there more used cars sold? The AutoScout24 survey


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Palma City Council has decided that Plaza del Mercat in Palma is the perfect place for artisans and traders to sell their wares and the area could soon be full of white tents.
”it’s the deal space, with lots of shade and a constant flow of tourists with greater purchasing power,” explains Economic Promotion and Employment Councillor, Rodrigo Romero.
The non-artisanal tents are part of Pimeco’s campaign ‘El comerç surt al carrer’, which was set up in 2016 to boost trade at small and local shops.
The exact number of businesses that can be installed in this new space has yet to be decided.
“This idea has already been offered to sellers and we are open to requests,” said Romero. “Collectives have many alternatives to avoid competing with each other.”
But artisan traders blasted the proposals.
“The installation of a few tents with industrial products less than two metres from us, is unfair competition,” said Claudia Segredo and Patricia Cohen.
There are 22 workers located in Plaza Mayor with a licence to sell at temporary markets and fairs. They claim the new authorised stands sell their products at a much lower price than the artisans.
“Palma City Council’s decision to authorise these tents does not favour Balearic crafts,” they said. “We are already full of shops. It seems to me that what they have done is incorrect because it denigrates our work.”
Palma City Council is also updating authorisations and licenses for Plaza del Mercat.
“To get a permit like ours is not easy, you have take an exam then go on a waiting list,” said Patricia Cohen.
The sellers claim that the Inspectors gave a negative assessment of the installation of these tents on Monday.
“The space in Plaza Mayor is distributed for commercial and artisanal sales,” said Councillor Romero. “The decree has been signed and authorised and we are trying to keep everyone happy.”


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Earlier today, we reported on a rumor that stated that RIM was in discussions with Samsung about a possible buyout of the company. That rumor, according to Samsung, is completely false. Company spokesperson James Chung has told Reuters that not only has the company not been contacted by Research in Motion but that Samsung is not interested in buying it.
He also states that Samsung hasn’t even considered buying it.
What he did not deny was whether or not Samsung had been engaged with in talks with RIM over licensing the latter’s software. That was also part of the earlier rumor and remains a possibility.
If it were indeed to license RIM’s software, Samsung would be able to offer a different Android experience from its competitors. BlackBerry Messenger immediatly comes to mind.
As it stands, the biggest difference lies in the custom user interfaces that the company’s put over Android.
Samsung uses what it calls TouchWiz while competitors HTC and Motorola use HTC Sense and MotoBlur. HTC also offers Beats audio capabilities.
RIM was said to be in contact with several companies about licensing its software and a potential buyout with Samsung emerging as the leading candidate. The report had also stated that the only reason that a deal wasn’t done yet was because RIM’s asking price was too high, rumored to be somewhere in the $12-15 billion range.
The denial comes shortly after RIM’s stock jumped 10 percent which was propelled by the buyout news.


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The Baldwins Business Conference 2020
March 2, 2020
The full morning conference, taking place on 17 March at the KingsGate Conference Centre, will feature a number of high-profile speakers from the local business community and we are delighted to announce that this year’s keynote speaker is Linzi Boyd, founder of the Business of Brand group.
Linzi Boyd is a serial entrepreneur, international speaker, award-winning Global Author and Founder of BoB Group. Linzi will share her entrepreneurial journey including how she set up and sold her businesses. Using her experiences from building businesses that impact change in the world, Linzi will discuss her thought leadership around how to build a brand to shift an industry to make a positive change in the world and how to be a successful entrepreneur.
A great believer in helping people realise their full growth potential, Linzi will provide her expertise around market trends and how to utilise these in your business.
In addition to ourselves, there are a number of organisations participating in the event, through the main presentations and two breakout sessions, which will allow delegates to gain invaluable advice from local experts on improving business performance in 2020. Speakers this year will include Martin Traynor OBE; April Sotomayor of iiE and PECT; Brian Jones of Brian Jones Leadership; Lucy Sutcliffe, Director of National Customs Duty Baldwins, Joseph Reilly of Joseph Creative Business and more.
With plenty of opportunity for networking, our conference is free to attend with refreshments and lunch included.
Book your place on Eventbrite: https://baldwinsbusinessconference2020.eventbrite.co.uk


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Experts are split on whether car dealers can offer a click-and-collect option for buyers during the lockdown – despite retail stores like B&Q doing similar.
Arguments for and against offering customers appointments to visit car showrooms are rife as some dealers bite the bullet and offer the chance to pick up from their premises, and others do not.
Those for are dealers arguing that their workshops are open and customers are already attending to get their cars serviced and repaired – and say that a click-and-collect service is no different to that.
Those against think it is morally wrong to be encouraging customers to leave their homes to pick up a car from a dealer’s premises and the health and safety risks to the public and staff is not worth it.
Dealers have been calling for a click-and-collect solution to be allowed by the government in the first wave of lockdown restrictions being eased – but as it stands the lockdown clearly states car showrooms should be closed.
Even experts at Lawgistics are on different sides of the fence.
Car Dealer Magazine asked the motor trade legal experts for a definitive answer, but internally their team are arguing for and against offering click-and-collect too.
They say that the regulations can be interpreted in two ways and it will come down to how comfortable a dealer is with those interpretations.
The argument hinges on a term in the government’s Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 – for those of you interested it is regulation 5(c) – which states businesses must ‘cease to admit any person to its premises who is not required to carry on its business or provide its service as permitted by sub-paragraph (a).’
One side of the legal argument is that dealers can let customers in on a click-and-collect basis because they are there as part of the dealer’s obligation to ‘fulfil a legal obligation’ – that being the sale of the car to them remotely.
However, other legal experts within Lawgisitcs believe this could cause issues as dealers will be relying on the ‘fulfilling a legal obligation’ clause to get them round the fact they are letting in a customer who isn’t needed to carry out business or provide a service.
You can see why it’s tricky, can’t you?
Lawgistics’ consolidated advice doesn’t come down on one side or the other, simply saying:
‘Our conclusion is that there is certainly nothing in the regulations which prevents dealers from taking virtual orders and delivering cars based on those orders.
‘And in regards to a click-and-collect model, there is room for that too in the regulations, but it isn’t as clear.
‘We advise any dealers wanting to operate in this way to take legal advice based on their individual set up.’
If you were hoping for clarity, we’re sorry we can’t give it to you.
Meanwhile, most dealers are either investigating online sales and home deliveries – which the government has confirmed to Car Dealer Magazine dealers can do – or waiting for an official line on click and collect as part of lockdown restrictions easing.
Marshall Motor Group chief executive Daksh Gupta told Car Dealer Magazine he certainly would not be offering click-and-collect handovers, or home deliveries.
He said the latter was something he could offer – but didn’t want to put his staff at risk or in a position where they felt uncomfortable.
And on click and collect solutions he said he was waiting for the government to allow dealers to do it.
‘I’ve already ordered huge amounts of PPE – perspex screens, gloves, thermometers – and we are planning our exit strategy, but I won’t do it until the government says we can,’ Gupta told Car Dealer Magazine today.
‘I’m not convinced we could safely deliver a car to someone’s home without risk and the economics do not stack up. A click and collect solution is what we need but we certainly will not be doing it until there is guidance from the government to say that we can.’
- For those dealers that have decided that a click and collect option is right for then, we have put together this guide with the advice available from the government on how retail can do it safely.


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“I THINK it’s the sheep effect,” says Carlo Hansen, co-owner of Riverside Kawasaki in Somerville, Mass. “Everybody is scared at the same time. All the news is bad.”
Hansen is referring to the nationwide credit crunch. He says even his local credit unions are spooked. One of them is not accepting any applicant with a score below 650 whereas before it would go down to 580.
“We changed our whole ordering structure,” Hansen says. “We order mostly smaller bikes now. I’m so scared.”
And Hansen doesn’t scare easily. He’s a 40-year industry veteran who also sells Yamaha, Ducati, Triumph and a couple of minor brands. Like many dealers, he’s feeling the frustration of having to turn customers away because of tighter standards and fewer lenders.
Down payments, co-signers, invoice approvals — all have increased in number. Lenders are asking for more things to be submitted in the funding packets. “They’re getting very, very picky, and it’s going to be a major problem next year,” Hansen says.
Even scarier is that many experts are describing the credit crunch as mostly an affair among banks and businesses. Some of these same experts predict consumer credit cards will be the next big crisis. Things could get worse. (Continued)


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After a record Black Friday, the outlook for retailers improved, and they don’t get bigger than this.
Rodney Hobson is an experienced financial writer and commentator who has held senior editorial positions on publications and websites in the UK and Asia, including Business News Editor on The Times and Editor of Shares magazine. He speaks at investment shows, including the London Investor Show, and on cruise ships. His investment books include Shares Made Simple, the best-selling beginner's guide to the stock market. He is qualified as a representative under the Financial Services Act.
The US retail sector is holding up remarkably well despite worries over the disruption caused by consumers switching to online sales and by President Donald Trump’s tariff wars. The big selling weekend just ended, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday, has gone better than many analysts had feared, and the sector can look forward to the important Christmas season with confidence.
With Thanksgiving falling late this year, on 28 November, the Christmas selling season that traditionally starts the following day is squeezed, so it was important to get off to a strong start.
Admittedly, Americans are not breaking down the doors at dawn on Black Friday as they once did – nearly 60% of US consumers turned out for the sales four years ago but the figure is down to about 36% now – but the National Retail Federation reckons US consumers will spend an average of $1,048 this festive season, up about 4% on last year.
- Get exposure to the world’s biggest companies via these ii Super 60 recommended funds
- Fashion retail shares to back this Christmas
"Consumers are in good financial shape and willing to spend a little more on gifts for the special people in their lives this holiday season," Matthew Shay, chief executive of the NRF said optimistically this weekend. The retail industry remains confident that the strong labour market will continue to propel consumer spending.
In fact, many consumers decided not to wait for Black Friday and, lured by early cut-price offers, abandoned their turkeys on Thursday to pile up purchases a day early.
The key factor is the switch to online shopping, with more than half of Americans now doing most of their buying on the Internet. Online spending on Thanksgiving Day was estimated to be 15% higher than a year ago.
While Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) has been the major beneficiary of this trend, it also helps traditional brick-and-mortar chains such as Walmart (NYSE:WMT) and Macy's (NYSE:M) that have evolved to embrace the new sales channels.
The impact of tariffs on China is more problematic and is an issue that could cloud the future of the sector, as the country is a major supplier of goods to US retailers. Despite several false dawns, no agreement is in sight. Richard Hunter, interactive investor’s head of markets, reported in September that retailers were warning of potential hits to profits as new tariffs came into force.
Walmart is seen as a heavyweight that has the scope to rearrange its supply chain and squeeze suppliers to trim prices, although it may have difficulty in passing on higher costs from tariffs.
Source: interactive investor Past performance is not a guide to future performance
Walmart reported a solid third-quarter performance to 31 October, with revenue up 2.5% on the previous third-quarter to $128 billion and pre-tax profits soaring 70% to $4.37 billion. The gains were mainly in the US. Over the first nine months of 2019, pre-tax profits more than doubled to $14.44 billion on revenue up 1.8% to $379.32 billion.
The group now expects underlying earnings per share for its current financial year ending 31 January to increase slightly from the $4.91 recorded in the previous year.
It is important that the new chief executive of Walmart US, John Furner, carries on the good work there and brings new impetus to what is the most important part of the group. Furner was head of Sam’s Club, Walmart’s members only warehouse club.
Walmart shares had a good run from $86 just before last Christmas to a peak of $121 three weeks ago. They have come off the boil and, at under $119, represent a buying possibility. The yield is admittedly a little thin at 1.77%, but the price/earnings ratio of 23.9 should not prove too demanding given the way the US economy is holding up and does not allow for any easing of trade tensions should that happen.
Hobson’s choice: Buy for as long as the share price remains below the recent high of $121.
Rodney Hobson is a freelance contributor and not a direct employee of interactive investor.
These articles are provided for information purposes only. Occasionally, an opinion about whether to buy or sell a specific investment may be provided by third parties. The content is not intended to be a personal recommendation to buy or sell any financial instrument or product, or to adopt any investment strategy as it is not provided based on an assessment of your investing knowledge and experience, your financial situation or your investment objectives. The value of your investments, and the income derived from them, may go down as well as up. You may not get back all the money that you invest. The investments referred to in this article may not be suitable for all investors, and if in doubt, an investor should seek advice from a qualified investment adviser.
Full performance can be found on the company or index summary page on the interactive investor website. Simply click on the company's or index name highlighted in the article.
We use a combination of fundamental and technical analysis in forming our view as to the valuation and prospects of an investment. Where relevant we have set out those particular matters we think are important in the above article, but further detail can be found here.
Please note that our article on this investment should not be considered to be a regular publication.
Details of all recommendations issued by ii during the previous 12-month period can be found here.
ii adheres to a strict code of conduct. Contributors may hold shares or have other interests in companies included in these portfolios, which could create a conflict of interests. Contributors intending to write about any financial instruments in which they have an interest are required to disclose such interest to ii and in the article itself. ii will at all times consider whether such interest impairs the objectivity of the recommendation.
In addition, individuals involved in the production of investment articles are subject to a personal account dealing restriction, which prevents them from placing a transaction in the specified instrument(s) for a period before and for five working days after such publication. This is to avoid personal interests conflicting with the interests of the recipients of those investment articles.


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Business may be finally getting back to “normal” for many green industry companies.
In April the American Society of Landscape Architects released its Business Quarterly survey, which indicated that companies are reporting higher levels of billable hours, hiring and, most importantly, inquiries for new work. The organization is cautiously optimistic that this is a sign that the lack of new design and construction projects during the past two years may finally be coming to an end.
“The large number of inquiries marks an important sign of recovery, but by no means is this suddenly a booming economy for landscape architects,” said ASLA executive vice president and CEO Nancy Somerville.
Inquiries for new work jumped 72.7 percent with steady or higher levels. This is an increase from 53.7 percent during the last quarter of 2009 and 25.3 percent for the same quarter last year.
Another good sign is that 21.6 percent of landscape firms planned to hire new employees during the second quarter. This is the highest number to report hiring plans since the third quarter of 2008.
Sandy Munley, executive director of the Ohio Landscape Association, told the Columbus Dispatch that the industry prior to the recent economic downturn had been fortunate to experience years of steady growth. She said this recession was the first to really impact the industry. She said many association members are very optimistic because they have seen an increase in inquiries.
John Reiner, president of Oakland Nursery in Columbus, told the newspaper that the recession changed the consumer mindset about landscaping projects—the type and how much they were willing to spend.
He said last year’s projects were smaller in regards to size and budget. This year people are willing to invest more. They are adding amenities like lighting and irrigation, which they weren’t willing to purchase last year.
Good news for growers, consumers, wildlife
The economic downturn led to many consumers resorting to staycations which lead to investing in improvements to their living spaces, including outdoors. Some homeowners are taking eco-friendliness to the extreme creating certified wildlife habitats. Currently the National Wildlife Federation has certified about 128,000 backyards. USA Today reports that since 2003 enrollment in the 37-year old backyard certification program has increased 400 percent.
NWF offers simple tips for attracting birds and butterflies and other wildlife regardless of whether a person lives in a city balcony apartment or on a country farm. One of these tips is to provide wildlife with a place that offers both food and shelter, including the use of a variety of plants to provide foliage, pollen, seed and berries.
For more: Ohio Landscape Association, (440) 717-0002; www.ohiolandscapers.org. National Wildlife Federation, (800) 822-9919; www.nwf.org.


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Sony has ample experience with creating TV shows and movies, the company has an entire arm dedicated to this particular business. However, what’s unheard of is it jumping into original programming for PlayStation. Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House tells Wall Street Journal that the company is going to create original TV shows for PlayStation so that there is a “broad range of broadcast content to replicate the live TV experience.” The first original show will be a one-hour drama series called “Powers.”
Its an obvious move by the company to make the PlayStation more at home in the living room. The consoles have done just fine over the past few decades serving as powerful gaming consoles, so its certainly an ambitious effort on Sony’s part to turn them into more than a device that can only play video games. Powers, its first original show, is going to be produced by Sony Pictures Television, the studio behind hit drama series Breaking Bad.
Sony’s first original TV show for PlayStation will be available exclusively in the U.S. It will be available for streaming through the PlayStation Network, which is available on over 30 million internet connected PlayStation devices.
The scribe also claims that this venture is going to be different from Sony’s rumored online pay-TV service. The service will offer traditional channels through satellitle, cable or phone companies. Sony is believed to be in discussions with media companies to acquire rights.


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Best Buy Sales Up in Dec.
Published: Saturday, January 12, 2008 at 7:15 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, January 12, 2008 at 12:00 a.m.
Best Buy Co. Inc. said on Friday its comparable-store sales rose 1.5 percent in December on strong sales of video games and notebook computers. The results were not as good as last year but far better than its rival Circuit City Stores Inc. Best Buy's shares fell by $2.37, or 5.1 percent, to $44.20 on Friday.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.
Comments are currently unavailable on this article


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LA joins quite a few other cities in North America to ban the sale of animals from puppy mills. Puppy mills are horrible breeding facilities focused on profit at the expense of animal welfare and many people buying a pet don’t realize that pet stores get their puppies from such morally bankrupt places. Bans on puppy mills help cities deal with the vast quantity of rejected animals from people’s homes that need to be taken care of in city shelters.
The city council voted 12-2 in favor of a law that would require pet stores to sell only rescued animals. In addition to reducing euthanizations, the law seeks to put an end to puppy and kitten mills that keep animals in poor conditions and then ship them to pet stores.
The law would still allow individuals to buy directly from breeders.
If you’re going to take care of another being please think about all the ramifications it could have on your life.
Read more at the Huffington Post.


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Chrysler UK unveils new brand positioning in £10m campaign by DCH
Chrysler has launched its new ‘Different is what we do’ brand positioning for the UK in a £10m campaign created by DCH.
The first of three ads showing the brand’s positioning of having been born and bred in the ‘Motor City’ of Detroit launched during Sky’s coverage of the Super Bowl yesterday.
Produced by RSA Films and featuring Jay Z’s Heart of the City, the ad opens in Detroit and shows the 300C cruising around the city with American flag blowing in the background and scenes of mechanics working on cars, before emerging from a tunnel onto the streets of inner-London, joined by the rest of the Chrysler range.
Nigel Land, brand director at Jeep Chrysler, said: “These are exciting times for Chrysler, which has seen great success for the brand in the States, and establishes Chrysler as a main competitor in the UK mass car market.
“DCH has proved they not only understand the challenges we face positioning the brand but have also demonstrated their ability to support us across all of our marketing requirements from broadcast to narrow cast media.”
Andrew Hawkins, managing director at DCH, said: “Chrysler’s advertising in the US has set the bar high, both in terms of creative excellence and sales success. It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to achieve the same results in the UK.”
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While Microsoft has yet to officially and fully integrate Skype (currently available in beta form) into Windows Phone, users of the platform will have to turn to alternative services to make their VoIP calls. Viber would be one of them and is an app that has made its way onto iOS and Android devices. The app for Windows Phone was expected to see a launch early this year, but given that we’re halfway through April, safe to say that they did not make their schedule. Well the good news is that the launch of Viber for Windows Phone is a lot closer than you think. In an email sent by a Windows Phone user to the company enquiring about a possible launch date, the company responded by saying this:
You will be pleased to know that Viber for WP7 is coming very soon. Please stay tuned within the following week. We will be announcing its publication, system req. and more, at that time.
So if Viber is an app you’re really looking forward to, remember to stay tuned and check back with us either this week or next for more details.
Next Story: GPUs – Tool for Accelerating Cancer Research
- 2014-04-16: Users Report Cortana Having Problems Setting Alarms
- 2014-04-15: Halo: Spartan Assault Kicks Off Universal Windows Games
- 2014-04-15: WP 8.1 GDR2 Update Could Support 2K Displays And Snapdragon 805 [Rumor]
- 2014-04-14: Windows Phone 8.1 Preview Version Revealed
- 2014-04-14: Windows Phone 8.1 Developer Preview Could Be Released Today [Rumor]
- 2014-04-04: Flipboard For Windows Phone Spotted At BUILD
- 2014-03-28: Fake Google Apps Hit The Windows Phone Store
- 2014-03-25: VLC For Windows Phone 8.1 Revealed In Screenshot
- 2014-03-18: Instagram For Windows Phone Updated With Lock Screen Support
- 2012-05-08: Viber beta arrives for Blackberry and Windows Phone devices


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China will buy liquefied natural gas supplies from the Chevron Corp.-operated Gorgon project in Western Australia and should invest in other gas ventures proposed in the state, Premier Colin Barnett said.
Maybe a 10 to 15 percent share of a project.
Chevron and its partners may approve next month development of the A$50 billion ($35.5 billion) Gorgon venture and have awarded more than A$1.7 billion of contracts for the project. Barnett will visit China next week to reinforce the state's trade and investment relationship with its largest export market
The full text is available in the August Issue ofChina Gas. Please visit E-shop （http://eshop.chinadaily.com.cn/）for more subscription details.


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Amazon sold a lot of products last week during its annual Prime Day promotion. It also sold a lot of ads.
Egged on in some cases by Amazon itself, advertisers spent nearly three times as much on Prime Day as they did on the average day in the two weeks prior, according to data from Perpetua, an e-commerce firm that analyzed the accounts of more than 1,000 Amazon sellers. That was a bigger jump in Prime Day advertising than in prior years despite an increasingly competitive market.
The ads they bought cost more, too. The average Prime Day ad cost $1.67 per click—58% more than the going rate during Prime Day 2021, according to exclusive Perpetua data on sponsored product listings, a popular form of Amazon advertising. That jump was propelled by a surge in ad spending as brands both big and small vied to get their products in front of shoppers. But the additional spending didn’t always translate into an equivalent amount of sales revenue: Perpetua says each dollar spent on Prime Day ads in 2022 generated 25% less revenue than it did the year before.


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Asian shares recover after Apple, oil boost Wall Street
In the past month, shares in Greater China are among the worst performers globally. Hong Kong, Taiwan and Shanghai shares have all registered falls of around 7 percent.
After massive drop, are Apple's shares cheap enough?
If Apple could cash in the value it lost in the first minute of trading on Wednesday, it...
Apple, energy shares weigh on Wall Street, but week shows gains
Citigroup shares closed down 0.1 percent after the company reported a sharp d...
FBI debates sharing iPhone hacking details with Apple
FBI has not decided whether to share with Apple Inc. details about how the bureau hacked into an iPhone linked to a California terrorism investigation, the bureau's director says.
Apple shares are one reason hedge funds lag mutual funds in 2016
Shares of the iPhone maker are one of the biggest bets among hedge funds, with 47 of them listing Apple among their ten largest holdings as of the end of 2015.
Apple, Google locked in battle for supremacy
It's not clear which of the two Silicon Valley giants will emerge on top in a contest which highlights the contrast of very different business models.
Apple opens development office in Hyderabad
In one of its most significant investments into India, Apple opened a new office in Hyderabad which will focus on developing Maps for iPhones, iPads, Mac and Apple Watch. The move will accelerate Maps development and create up to 4,000 jobs.
Apple opens development office in Hyderabad
“Apple is focused on making the best products and services in the world and we are thrilled to open this new office in Hyderabad,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said.
Apple explores charging procedure for electric vehicles
A shortage of public charging stations, and the hours wasted in charging a car, could be an opportunity for Apple, who has transformed consumer electronics.
Government will not ease sourcing norm for Apple in India
Apple can set up single-brand retail stores in India but it will have to meet the 30% local content sourcing requirement, they said.
Apple to work closely with Indian startups
Apple is likely to announce an accelerator program for Indian startups as part of Tim Cook’s visit to India this week, sources said.
Apple invests in China's Didi Chuxing
Apple Inc has invested $1 billion in Chinese ride-hailing service Didi Chuxing, and the tech giant says the move will provide a better understanding of the Chinese market. Apple also hopes to get a share of the two crucial technologies - the sharing economy and car technology through this move.
Apple CEO Tim Cook meets PM Modi
Apple CEO Tim Cook met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 7 RCR, Delhi. Cook arrived in New Delhi after watching an Indian Premier League match in Kanpur.
Apple is in India for next thousand years: Tim Cook
Cook also revealed plans for an iOS app design and development facility in Bengaluru a day earlier.
Apple’s suppliers hint at new screens for 2017 iPhone
“Some tooling or machinery orders now set up suppliers for the fall of 2017,” said Gene Munster, a Minneapolis-based analyst at Piper Jaffray.
India visit ‘fantastic’: Tim Cook, CEO, Apple
Tim Cook, who is in India, says the visit to the country is fantastic. Further, India is great country from many points of view not just business adds the Apple CEO.
Apple CEO Tim Cook attends IPL match
Cook, who is in his maiden visit to India, came to the Green Park stadium on the invitation of IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla.
Apple in talks to lease office space in Bengaluru
Apple is in talks to lease over 40,000 square feet of office space in Bengaluru where it intends to set up a development centre, three people familiar with the development said.
More security than Apple can chew
We saw the company stoutly resist the FBI’s pressure to open the locked iPhone of the San Bernardino attacker, on the ground that one such hack would compromise the privacy of all Apple phone users.
Apple's startup accelerator an important move: NASSCOM
Ravi Gururaj, Chairman, NASSCOM Products Council, says the decision to set up a startup accelerator in Bangalore is an important step for the company as well as the startup ecosystem in India. Gururaj says that NASSCOM will provide any help that is needed to set up the accelerator.
Apple has as a big opportunity in India: Analyst
Horace Dediu, Analyst with Asympco, who has tracked Apple for a very long time, says that the company can crack the pricing code in India through its product mix. He also says that sale of refurbished iPhones is an important issue for the company.
Apple CEO Tim Cook tells PM Narendra Modi of possibility of manufacturing Apple products in India
Tim Cook also mentioned about the immense potential of application development that exists in the country, PMO said in a statement.
IDC's expert analysis on Apple CEO's visit to India
Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook will soon be arriving in India in his first trip to the country since taking over from the late Steve Jobs in 2011. Jaideep Mehta, MD, IDC South Asia, shares his views on the possible reasons of Tim Cook's visit to India.
Apple to inaugurate Hyderabad facility on May 19
Cook will be visiting India this week and is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is also expected to visit Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
Apple CEO Tim Cook to visit India tomorrow
Apple CEO Tim Cook will visit India tomorrow and is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the iPhone maker seeks to cash in on the 'huge potential' in the world's second largest smartphone market.
Oil, Apple push Wall Street higher
Wall Street opened slightly higher on Monday, following a bruising week, helped by Apple and a surge in oil prices.
Tim Cook's recipe may bring Apple products to your neighbourhood stores
The strategy is aimed at expanding availability of these Apple products, which are currently sold through exclusive stores and large, high-street electronic retail chains.
Govt to soon decide on Apple's single brand retail proposal
The company has sought exemption from the local sourcing norms as it makes state-of-the-art and cutting edge technology products for which local sourcing is not possible.
Apps are future of TV, says Apple boss Tim Cook
Apple CEO Tim Cook says apps are the future of television and that the company wants to help change the entertainment industry.
Apple shares fall most in two years in wake of earnings report
The iPhone 7 is expected to sport a new look with features such as waterproofing and wireless headphones, according to media reports.
More challenges than cheer for Apple chief Tim Cook on Asia tour
In China, where iPhone sales slumped in January-March and some online entertainment services were suspended, Cook also had little to cheer investors.
Wall Street dips as Apple bounce fails to offset Fed concerns
Wall Street ended lower on Monday as a bounce in Apple failed to offset growing concerns that the US Federal Reserve could raise interest rates sooner than later.
Apple suppliers, Taiwan stocks boosted on iPhone 7 reports
Apple's revenue was down during the first three months of this year after the first drop in iPhone sales since the release of the world-changing handsets in 2007.
Carl Icahn was half right about Apple’s China risk
Icahn held 45.8 million Apple shares by the end of 2015, about 0.83% of the total shares outstanding, worth $4.8 billion at the time.
So, was it all only about Apple Apps and Maps, Mr Tim Cook?
It would not be wrong to interprete Tim Cook's first visit to the country as an exploratory mission rather than as one with a clear-cut investment agenda.
PM Modi gets an Apple update, courtesy Tim Cook
Apple CEO Tim Cook on Saturday launched an updated version of the 'Narendra Modi Mobile App' during a meeting with the Prime Minister.
Apple CEO Tim Cook caught on wrong foot over 'fake' cover
Cook thought the iPhone cover was fake as the colour and the different packaging is perhaps not sold in the US or some of the other markets.
51,000 app downloads from Apple store every minute!
Around 51,000 apps are downloaded every minute from Apple store. Check out the video to know more.
Day 3 of Apple CEO Tim Cook's India visit
Apple CEO Tim Cook who arrived in New Delhi after watching an Indian Premier League (IPL) match in Kanpur, began the Delhi leg of his four-day India visit with a call at his corporate office where he was greeted by Apple India employees.
Apple CEO Tim Cook meets Bharti Airtel chief Sunil Mittal
India's biggest mobile operator Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio are set to roll out commercial 4G services across the nation this year.
Ready to work with Apple, says Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad
"I complement Apple chief executive Mr Cook for a public commitment of one thousand years in India. We are ready to work together," he said
Apple CEO Tim Cook meets Airtel top boss Sunil Mittal
Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook met Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal likely for a broader strategic tieup.
Warren Buffett stake suggests Apple is all grown up
So value investors took notice when Buffett’s holding company, Berkshire Hathaway, disclosed it had invested $1 billion in Apple stock during the last quarter.
Apple is in India for the next thousand years, says CEO Tim Cook
Cook arrived in New Delhi after watching an IPL match in Kanpur on Thursday.
Apple bets on local apps to sell iPhones
The Cupertino-based iPhone maker is looking to build a long-term relationship with Indian developers to build more locally relevant apps on the iOS platform.
Apple's stores getting new look as other retailers struggle
Apple provided a glimpse at its revised approach to retailing Thursday, the 15th anniversary of the company's first stores.
Apple CEO Tim Cook's Bollywood night with Shah Rukh Khan
Earlier in the evening, Film and TV Producers Guild of India president Mukesh Bhatt took Cook on a tour of Mehboob Studio.
Day one of Apple CEO Tim Cook's India visit
Apple CEO Tim Cook had a packed schedule on the first day of his 3-day India visit. Cook began is day by visiting the Siddhi Vinayak Temple, and then held several meetings with top Indian business leaders before attending a gala dinner with Bollywood stars.


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The founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, said in a blog post that as a result, some features of his app such as stickers would not work as they should under iOS 11.4, even though a fix had been issued.
Durov said that Apple had blocked Telegram from updating its iOS apps globally after Russian authorities ordered the iPhone maker to remove the app from its App Store.
Russia's telecom regulator Roskomnadzor began blocking the app on 16 April after a Moscow court ordered ISPs to shutter the service following the refusal of its founder to provide authorities with keys to decrypt private conversations.
Apple stopped approving Telegram for iOS updates globally 1,5 months ago after Russia ordered a block on Telegram. More here – https://t.co/yarcIrV2Bh— Pavel Durov (@durov) May 31, 2018
"We believe we did the only possible thing, preserving the right of our users to privacy in a troubled country."
He said: "Unfortunately, Apple didn’t side with us. While Russia makes up only 7% of Telegram’s userbase, Apple is restricting updates for all Telegram users around the world since mid-April.
"As a result, we’ve also been unable to fully comply with GDPR for our EU users by the deadline of 25 May. We are continuing our efforts to resolve the situation and will keep you updated."


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The study cited that Black-owned small businesses were hardest hit, suffering the steepest decline (41 percent), followed by Hispanic and Asian American-owned small businesses.
In response, Comcast Corporation launched the Comcast RISE program to help strengthen and empower these Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-owned small businesses hard hit by COVID-19.
Eligible small businesses in Auburn can visit ComcastRISE.com now to apply.
Comcast launched Comcast RISE, which stands for “Representation, Investment, Strength andEmpowerment,” to help the hardest-hit small business owners recover from the challenges of COVID-19.
Technology Makeovers: Computer equipment and Internet, voice and cybersecurity services for up to a 12-month period to support business recovery while implementing other Comcast small business initiatives.


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Cryptocurrency remains a relatively new electronic version of money. As time goes on, experts are shining new light on cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin, and how it will positively affect the future of finance. Jeff Brown argues in his near future report that “digital currencies are on pace to take over the market” and that the U.S. dollar will lose relevance.
The Near Future Report is a monthly service that provides subscribers with up-to-date information on technological advancements and the opportunities they create for stock traders. It provides “recommended stock picks, a steady stream of comprehensive market data, and analysis” to traders while emphasising the importance of the future of cryptocurrency. Having an impact on stock trading and investment decisions is just one of many ways that electronic currency is shaping our future.
What exactly is in store for the future of electronic currencies? Will they eventually override the U.S. dollar, not to mention other global currencies? As we’ve noted, stock trading is one factor that will be impacted by evolving cryptocurrency, and Nasdaq also notes various ways cryptocurrency will change the future, for the better.
When cryptocurrency becomes more dominant, fraud could become less of a risk for credit card holders, or anyone transferring funds electronically by means of a mobile banking app. Nasdaq notes that this is because cryptocurrency is not linked directly to your bank account or personal, sensitive information. They credit cryptocurrency’s “blockchain” and its way of “securely recording all transactions” for this possibility of a decrease in financial fraud in the future.
Another way electronic currencies can positively alter our future is by strengthening e-commerce. This ties in with fraud and how some shoppers hesitate to buy products online. Cryptocurrency provides the opportunity for these shoppers to feel safe purchasing items online, by reducing risk, as purchases made with electronic currencies allow for less opportunity for fraudsters to invade a transaction.
Furthermore, inflation and the ever-evolving world makes many global currencies unstable. Likewise, cryptocurrency has the potential to affect the future for the better by providing stability. Nasdaq’s article argues that “while not all countries have currencies that are subject to outrageous rates of inflation, others could seriously benefit from switching to use cryptocurrency.”
Wall-Street.com provides even more evidence that we should have faith in electronic currency. They argue that cryptocurrency transfers are instant, getting from point A to point B even faster than your standard e-transfer from your bank, which can sometimes take up to 24 hours. Furthermore, they note how cryptocurrency can “ease cross-border transactions” by providing low transaction costs, simplifying the process of cross-border transfers.
Jeff Brown claims that Amazon and Facebook are already developing their own electronic currency, so can there really be any more questions about the future of cryptocurrency? These companies have always been pioneers, having their fingers on the pulse of what the future holds, all the while never losing momentum. It goes without saying, but Brown is really onto something when he declares “any company that isn’t preparing to get ahead of this trend will ultimately be left out in the cold.”
Despite what the future holds, it’s always best to proceed with caution when it comes to investments. We’ve confidently assessed how cryptocurrency can positively shift the world of finance, but while you watch that unfold, you should invest wisely and “buy a select portfolio of under-the-radar blockchain stocks with massive upside potential.” This will minimize risk, while still maintaining a confident stance that cryptocurrency is here to stay.


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As previously announced, Nissan intends to launch an electric vehicle with all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) by 2028. These are being developed in-house and are touted as being a "game-changing technology" by doubling the energy density compared to today's liquid lithium-ion batteries. In addition, charging times could be cut to a third. The Japanese automaker wants to put ASSBs in all sorts of cars, including high-performance vehicles.
That also includes the venerable GT-R, which has been in production since late 2007 if we're talking strictly about the current R35 generation. In an interview with Top Gear magazine, the company’s global product boss Ivan Espinosa explained weight is the biggest enemy of supercars, and since current batteries are too heavy, Nissan intends to wait for ASSBs to fully electrify Godzilla. Doubling the energy density would allow the engineers to install a smaller battery that would limit the weight penalty while retaining the 2+2 setup.
Nissan Hyper Force concept
Espinosa went on to say an electric GT-R would have two, three, or even four motors depending on the packaging the development team will want to develop. Four-wheel drive is a given, with one motor driving the front axle and another one powering the rear wheels. Pictured here, the Hyper Force concept introduced last week at the Japan Mobility Show had a massive 1,341 bhp from a pair of e-motors.
Nissan is already thinking of a future Nismo version featuring a smaller battery to lower weight even further. Espinosa says the regular model would have a bigger pack for longer range while the spicy derivative would be track-oriented by sacrificing range for extra performance by slimming down the battery.
The product boss went on to say an electric GT-R mustn't become a "super exclusive car," suggesting pricing should remain (relatively) affordable rather than entering supercar territory. However, the R35 is already way more expensive than it used to be, having gone on sale in the United States for the 2009 model year at just $69,850. For the 2024MY, it begins at $120,990. Step up to the Nismo variant and you're paying at least $220,990.
With ASSBs still roughly four years away, does it mean the GT-R R35 will soldier on until at least 2028? It's hard to say but we should point out the ageing supercar has already been discontinued in Europe due to noise regulations. It's also gone from Australia because of new safety standards it cannot meet.
As a final note, Espinosa is thinking about a far cheaper electric sports car that Nissan could sell to people in their 20s but this one too isn't happening anytime soon.


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Seattle-based coffee chain Starbucks has completed the biggest acquisition in the company's history. Its move in mainland China has been described as a "critical next step" in its global expansion drive.
Starbucks have announced that they have taken control of more than 1,300 stores in 25 Chinese cities, in a deal worth 1.1 billion euros ($1.3 billion), the largest acquisition in the company's history.
The American coffee chain, founded in 1971, is continuing its rapid expansion in Asia, purchasing the remaining 50 percent in a joint venture with Taiwan's food and beverage giant Uni-President.
The deal, which follows an 8.3 percent drop in net earnings this quarter, will see Starbucks add to its 1,500 current stores in China with 1,300 more in Shanghai and the Jiangsu province.
"Unifying the Starbucks business under a full company-operated structure in China reinforces our commitment to the market," said Johnson, who confirmed plans to double the number of stores in mainland China from 2,800 to 5,000.
Starbucks is planning to create another 240,000 jobs over the next five years as it targets the Chinese market, which is now the most lucrative for the Seattle-based firm.
Meanwhile, Starbucks confirmed it will close 379 "underperforming" Teavana tea shops, which will impact more than 3,000 workers.
Teavana was purchased in 2012, but the company explained in a press release that it foresaw the continuation of the current slump.
rd/hg (AFP, AP, CNN)


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Charlie Sheen has been “winning” the internet one step at a time and he now has an official home on the internet.
CharlieSheen.com was launched late Friday night and contains very little. Merely a unique rant video, his Twitter stream, T-shirts for sale and a link to purchase tickets for his new mini-tour. Yes, a mini-tour, where a number of lucky folks who were online in time to score tickets will be able to be witness to Charlie Sheen’s rants in person; because videos and Sheen’s Korner just isn’t enough!
Charlie Sheen’s “Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not an Option” show made Ticketmaster history by selling out in just 18 minutes. TMZ has been told that Sheen will be adding additional tour stops some time in the near future. To celebrate this accomplishment, Sheen tweeted, “Fastball; Detroit/Chicago sold out in minutes… Thanks to Sheen’s Cadre…! #WINNING c”
Being fired from “Two and a Half Men” by Warner Bros. Television doesn’t seem to be having such a negative effect on Sheen after all.


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It was bad enough when they found high levels of methanol in vodka last month. It killed people who drank it. There was also some tainted rum found at the time.
From Prague Post. Now a new stash of local rum has been found in a warehouse with lethally high levels of methanol.
Best stick to the beer for now.


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Last Updated on February 12, 2022 7:04 pm
The Center for Disease Control has released an update on the multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to raw turkey products.
- Since the last update on November 8, 2018, 52 ill people from 26 states and the District of Columbia have been added to this investigation, bringing the total number of ill people to 216 from 38 states and the District of Columbia.
- Eighty-four people have been hospitalized.
- One death was reported from California. Questions about the death should be directed to the California Department of Public Health.
- Illnesses in this outbreak started from November 20, 2017 to December 6, 2018.
- Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicates that raw turkey products from a variety of sources are contaminated with Salmonella Reading and are making people sick.
- Two recalls of turkey products have been announced as a result of this outbreak investigation.
- The Public Health Agency of CanadaExternal has identified ill people infected with the same DNA fingerprint of SalmonellaReading bacteria in Canada.
- A single, common supplier of raw turkey products or of live turkeys has not been identified.
- The outbreak strain of Salmonella Reading has been identified in various raw turkey products, including ground turkey and turkey patties. The outbreak strain has also been found in raw turkey pet food and live turkeys, indicating it might be widespread in the turkey industry.
- CDC and USDA-FSIS have shared this information with representatives from the turkey industry and asked about steps that they may be taking to reduce Salmonella
- This investigation is ongoing and CDC will provide more information as it becomes available.
Advice to consumers:
- On December 21, 2018, Jennie-O Turkey Store Sales, LLC, in Faribault, Minnesota recalled approximately 164,210 pounds of raw ground turkey products.
- On November 15, 2018, Jennie-O Turkey Store Sales recalledExternal approximately 91,388 pounds of raw ground turkey products. Do not eat, sell, or serve recalled Jennie-O brand ground turkey products.
- Always handle raw turkey carefully and cook it thoroughly to prevent food poisoning.
- With the exception of the recalledExternal Jennie-O brand ground turkey products, CDC is NOT advising that consumers avoid eating properly cooked turkey products, or that retailers stop selling raw turkey products.
- General ways you can prevent Salmonella infection include good handwashing and cooking turkey to an internal temperature of 165°F. Thaw turkeys in the refrigerator, not on the counter.
- More prevention advice here: https://www.cdc.gov/features/turkeytime/index.html
- People get sick from Salmonella 12 to 72 hours after swallowing the germ and experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.
- Most people recover within a week, but some illnesses can last longer and be more severe.


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In this incidence of 'complainvertising', Yap, a lawyer by profession, claims he has faced problems with HTC warranties since 2012 with his HTC One X and later on, the HTC One. While his post details the phone's manufacturing defects, the real issue, he says, is the brand's poor customer service.
According to Yap, not only has HTC declined to honour warranties on manufacturing defects, the brand takes one to two months to handle each issue. "I've bought so many phones because I've been unable to wait for my phone to return from the service centre. I decided instead to replace the phone and resell the repaired device when I got it back," said Yap.
Over time, Yap has posted numerous complaints on HTC Malaysia's Facebook page and Twitter feed, as well as writing a number of emails. While he congratulates the Facebook page administrators on their swift and polite responses, he said he now knows by experience that they can do little more than listen and forward his complaints on to customer service, which will then do nothing.
"The truth is, I'd given up," Yap told Campaign Asia-Pacific. "But what made me snap, write this post and pay RM30 (US$9) to sponsor it was when a friend of mine, Irene Chan—who I had talked into buying a HTC One—ran into the infamous pink-camera problem. This is a known issue with HTC One phones, and they promised Irene that it would only take two weeks to fix if she sent it in, and that she would get daily updates on her phone situation. Well, that never happened. And when contacted they said they didn't have an ETA. In fact, they've claimed they just ordered the part from Taiwan—three weeks after we gave them the phone."
Yap's post has been shared more than 30 times and has found support from his circle of friends, many of whom detail similar frustrations with HTC Malaysia's service centre.
So far, Yap has been contacted by HTC Malaysia's Facebook administrators, but not by anyone more senior at the organisation. As far as he can tell, the only response HTC has done is to write a post detailing their "great customer service".
"What cheek!" he snorted. "They even claim service within nine days. It's been getting very angry responses."
Surprisingly, Yap said that HTC has yet to lose him entirely as a customer as he really does appreciate the brand's designs and the devices themselves. But more than a year of poor customer service has certainly made him think twice about making his next phone an HTC.
Campaign Asia-Pacific has reached out to HTC Malaysia and HTC Global for comment but has not yet received a response.
UPDATE: A spokesperson for HTC got in touch to say that the brand was investigating the matter and would contact us with an official statement when they were ready.
UPDATE (20 December): HTC sent the following statement:
At HTC, we are committed to helping our users have the best after sales service experience, which is why we take all our customers request and feedback very seriously to ensure that we continue to provide the best for them.
As part of our standard operating procedures, we inform our customers that the duration to repair their phone could vary depending on the amount of devices we have queued for service, complexity of the issue and availability of the parts. Only once the customer has agreed on the time frame and cost of repair do we proceed with the case. Periodic phone calls are also made to our customers to keep them up to date on the status of their phone.
In regards to the recent posting about the pickup service on the HTC Malaysia Facebook page, as HTC is an international brand, we work with marketing and digital agencies around the world to create scheduled postings to educate and engage with our users on social media platforms.
As every service case is unique and important to us at HTC, we have already contacted Reuben to reach a resolution to this issue. We have delivered his phone back to him and will continue to follow up with him to ensure that there are no further issues with his HTC experience.


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After more than 40 million credit and debit card numbers were stolen during a massive data breach at Target retail stores, many credit experts are calling for U.S. credit card companies to adapt to the use of new credit cards that will help combat fraud.
The theft occurred between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15 at Target locations throughout the country. USA Today reported many customers had their card numbers, names and CVV codes stolen during this enormous breach.
Trying a new type of card
Experts say this level of identity theft is a signal to U.S. merchants and credit providers that new cards should come with security microchips. The practice, which is fairly common in Europe and Canada, would store consumer information inside the chip and make it difficult for thieves to access the information.
Although this security measure has not been widely embraced by credit card companies, some are trying it out. Joram Borenstein, vice president of Nice Actimize said this measure will do wonders in preventing fraud over the long run.
"The U.S. is slowly issuing these cards to users," Borenstein told the Los Angeles Times. "It's harder to commit fraud against these cards. You have to steal the chip information, and that's a lot more difficult."
There are a number of reasons why the U.S. has been slow to offer this option. The Times reported a few of these reasons include a bad discourse between businesses and financial institutions and the cost of converting more than 1 billion credit cards from magnetic strip technology to EMV.
Successful in other countries
The practice of installing security chips into credit cards and reconfiguring payment terminals is something that has already been started in Europe. A 2012 report conducted by Javelin Strategy & Research found 94 percent of sales terminals in Europe already have this measure in place, compared to the 10 percent of U.S. terminals that do.
Even though many credit providers and merchants have not fully adopted this policy, there have been small talks to get this system underway. The Times reported that several major credit card issuers have discussed rolling out this upgrade by Oct. 2015. MasterCard Spokesman Jim Issokson said this measure will not happen overnight, but is being discussed.
"The road map and larger migration has provided issuers and merchants with the flexibility to manage their business and technology decisions," Issokson said. "The decision on if, how and when EMV will be implemented has been and will continue to be made independently by each issuer and merchant."
Randy Vanderhoof, director of the EMV Migration Forum, told The Times his company measures almost 15 million smart credit cards used throughout the country, which amounts to less than 1 percent of the country's total. Vanderhoof predicts that by 2014, there will be 50 million to 70 million smart credit cards, which will force many retailers to change their pay terminals in order to adapt to the new payment option. Other U.S. banks, including Citigroup and Wells Fargo have already started issuing the EMV cards.
Rush Taggart, chief security officer for CardConnect, said in an interview that thefts, like those at Target, will continue to occur and predicted that the microchip security measure is inevitable.
"There's no doubt in my mind it will happen over the next two years." Taggart told Reuters. "The fraud risk is too high, I think we all wish it had happened over the last four years."
Reuters reported there are 1.6 billion EMV cards currently in use throughout the world.


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What American consumers don’t know about debt could be costing them thousands every year. Delaying payment or defaulting on student loans, car loans, and mortgage payments could be hurting their credit more than they realize. Recently, studies indicated that American adults are carrying more than $10 trillion in debt. In fact, if 1 trillion one-dollar bills were stacked on top of one another, it would reach over 60,000 miles high, or roughly one-fourth of the way to the moon. Americans owe 10 times more than that in credit and loans, and the amount of our debt continues to grow.
Who has money to save for retirement? Most Americans carry more than $3,500 in credit debt, and some studies estimate that figure to be much higher. About four out of every 10 Americans reports that they spend more than they earn, and they may not realize that making the minimum payments on their credit cards could mean that they are paying double or triple their original debt. Credit cards can be tricky, and once people start using them for cash, to pay bills, or to make car payments, they may find themselves in a position where the only financial solution is to continue using those cards.
In the event of a lawsuit settlement, many people find themselves having to choose between a structured settlement and a lump sum payout. Understandably, they want to avoid the taxes that can come with a lump sum, but what they probably don’t realize is that structured settlement fees and administrative costs could be costing them just as much. For example, if a medical malpractice suit settles for $750,000. If the administrative fee for the structured settlement arrangement is as low as 3% each year, medical malpractice victims could pay more than $20,000 for that service.
Studies repeatedly show that most lawsuit winners — and lottery winners — completely spend their money within five years. Looking for cash for annuity now? You are not alone: $20,000 could pay off credit card debt, pay down a mortgage, or even help start a small business. The startup cost for a small business is usually $30,000 or more; finding cash for annuity now could mean that a new business owner has cash on hand for computer equipment, phone installation, office rental, and down payments for commercial properties.
Getting cash for annuity now is possible, and there are finance companies that specialize in helping lawsuit winners with selling an annuity settlement. Real estate prices are on the rise, but finding that dream home is still a possibility. Not being able to pay the down payment because cash is tied up in a structured settlement? Many Americans see selling fixed annuities and starting a business as the pathway away from a lifestyle of credit card debt, and if cash is invested wisely, they may be absolutely correct.