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Consider how your blender got to your kitchen counter. Steve Rubin does it all the time, but then he is the president of Seacastle Chassis. His entire job is to know the transportation industry from top to bottom.
When a store, say Wal-Mart, needs blenders, it has its buyers place orders at a manufacturing plant overseas. Wal-Mart then calls a shipping company with an order to move a certain number of units in a certain number of containers that eventually will go by ship to the United States. Once here, the containers will likely be loaded onto rail cars and from there onto trucks that will take them to (and eventually from) a distribution center. From there, goods are trucked to the store and the blenders put on the shelf.
Containers are moved in massive numbers. Seacastle comes in wherever one of them leaves a ship or a train and needs to be put on a truck. Or, more accurately, on a chassis — which is, as Rubin unsentimentally puts it, a steel frame with eight rubber tires. When you see a semi tractor trailer rolling down the road, you are seeing a shipping container that’s been mounted to one of those steel frames.
And it’s a good bet that Seacastle is behind the chassis that carries it. The company, which is the result of a near-$1 billion merger with Interpool in 2007 (see main story, page 36), is the largest lessor of chassis in the world. The company was born from a deal between container ship lessor Seacastle Holdings, Interpool, and Carlise Leasing International, which leased refrigerated containers.
Marty Tuchman, who ran Interpool, concurrently ran Trac Lease, which was Interpool’s chassis leasing arm. Seacastle, says Rubin, is a rebranding of Trac Lease under Seacastle Inc., based in San Francisco. Seacastle Inc. is one of the world’s largest lessors of intermodal equipment, leasing containers and container ships, in addition to the chassis.
Rubin, a New Jersey native, was named president of Seacastle Chassis after the merger. Rubin grew up in Randolph, near Morristown, the son of a father who worked for the Department of Defense and a mother who worked for the state DOT. He graduated from Penn in 1984 with a dual bachelor’s in history and economics. He later earned his MBA from New York University and began his career overseas.
Rubin taught English in Japan, which at the time was being viewed a lot like China is now, as the world’s next dominant economic power. “In the late 80s people thought Japan would take over the world,” Rubin says. Japanese investors had bought acres of top-echelon commercial real estate on the west coast, particularly in Seattle, and had bought Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. Always with a head for international business, Rubin wanted to understand the Japanese culture and be part of its economic renaissance.
Rubin got his MBA and landed an accounting job with KPGM in New York. He then moved onto “K” Line North America, a national trucking company, and his tenure eventually took him to Virginia. He served as vice president of liner operations. At a Wall Street Transportation Conference Rubin met a man from Fortress, the investment group that facilitated the deal with Carlisle and Interpool, and that led to him being named president of Seacastle Chassis.
After a long career in operations Rubin still talks about transportation and shipping with the enthusiasm of an excited college student. His line of work is at the very heart of the American economy and is, in fact, an excellent barometer of economic health. When fewer people buy those blenders, Wal-Mart has less reason to reorder, and the effects wash across a complex network of suppliers, shippers, sellers, and buyers.
Even so, Rubin avers that shipping itself is not in any danger as an industry. More than 10 million cargo containers are imported to the United States every year, and when those containers come off the ships, they eventually go onto trucks. And the efficiency of interchange, made possible by a universal lock-and-socket system developed in part by Marty Tuchman when he was at REA in the 1960s, allows goods to move from one mode of transportation to another.
This efficiency has allowed a seismic shift in retail in the last 40 years. Before intermodal transportation cargo was loaded directly into the hold of a ship. This, says Rubin, required 40, maybe 50 workers to unload merchandise over the course of several days. Goods had to be removed, stored outside in yards, or in not-so-secure areas, and loaded in pieces onto trains or trucks. Consequently, retailers often had to place their Christmas orders in February, just so goods could get here, get unpacked, and get to the stores before the shopping season.
Today retailers can order goods and have them in stores within 60 days, meaning fewer trends and fads get to run their course before it’s time to buy presents. Consequently, there are fewer returns and fewer wasted hours.
Rubin holds back nothing when it comes to claiming his industry’s role in assisting the economy. In a consumer-driven society, he says, people need to buy and sell. And Seacastle makes getting those items moving through the supply chain an efficient process.
That said, Rubin also is painfully aware of the fourth quarter of 2006 that ended a banner year for container shipping. Since then the consumer market has ebbed. Things were at least bearable until September — the fourth quarter of 2008 — when Wall Street collapsed and retail choked on the same dust as big financial. People stopped spending just as banks stopped lending, and the trickle effects of what is referred to in Economics 101 as the “paradox of thrift” eventually turned into a mess. People hold onto their money and stores hold onto inventory they can’t move. Over time, as we have seen, the economy grinds down and takes as many victims with it as it can.
The situation bothers Rubin, but he remains optimistic. Even the Great Depression ended, he says.
Seacastle Chassis, 211 College Road East, 08540. 609-452-8900. Home page: www.seacastleinc.com .


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The range will also include the character’s attire and a five-in-one sound device.
, which is in theaters now.
In addition to the plush toy, Build-A-Bear will also have Peter’s jacket and sleeper available. A five-in-one sound device will also be available.
collection is now available at Build-A-Bear Workshop in the U.S. and online.
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Seattle, WA (April 27, 2015) — Array Health, a leading provider of private health insurance exchange technology, has announced that Lance Hood, senior director of marketing, will participate in a panel discussion at the fourth annual Direct-to-Consumer Health Care Marketing Summit on April 29, 2015. The panel session, moderated by David Smith, Partner and Director of Payer Services, Leavitt Partners, LLC, will address the current state of health care consumerism – through a retail/e-commerce perspective – and equip attendees with the insights they need to create compelling consumer experiences.
WHAT: “Retail Perspective on Exchanges – Creating the CONSUMER Experience on the Exchange”
This panel session, featuring the perspectives of top health care marketing executives, will explore the consumer experience on exchanges, and how technology, policy and market forces are coalescing to either drive or impede successful consumer experiences.
Specifically, attendees will gain insight into the following:
- Factors that are driving the exchange experience today, and impediments to a world-class consumer experience in these purchasing environments
- Products, service lines or technology elements – such as decision support tools – that create a more powerful consumer experience
- The role of brokers and navigators now and in the future
- The future state of both private and public exchanges – and the role of consumers in driving change for the industry
WHEN: April 29, 2015 at 9:35 a.m. CDT / 7:35 a.m. PDT
WHO: Lance Hood, Senior Director of Marketing, Array Health; Linda Wedeen, Director, Communications and Outreach, New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange; and Marc Pierce, President and Founder, Stonegate Advisors & CareXtend. Session will be moderated by David Smith, Partner and Director of Payer Services, Leavitt Partners, LLC.
WHERE: Hilton Chicago/Magnificent Mile Suites, Chicago IL
To learn more and register, visit: http://www.direct2consumerhealthmarketing.com/Register/index.php
About Array Health
Array Health brings consumers and insurers closer together by powering a personalized health insurance experience. Its cloud-based e-commerce software platform enables health insurers to deliver their own branded online exchange— including e-commerce support throughout the value chain of brokers, employers and consumers, across all lines of business. The company’s technology gives employers a new way to control costs and personalizes the health insurance experience for consumers, enabling them to make more informed decisions and to more deeply engage in their health. Array Health is a privately held company based in Seattle. To learn more, visit arrayhealth.com.


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by Michael Calia
TV Land is putting the General Lee in the garage.
The network confirmed to Speakeasy on Wednesday it is pulling reruns of “The Dukes of Hazzard” from its schedule.
The move comes amid controversy over the Confederate flag following a massacre of nine worshippers at a traditionally black church in Charleston, S.C. The flag is featured prominently on the General Lee, the fiery orange car belonging to the Duke boys, and is a central part of the popular show’s iconography.
A TV Land representative said the network, which is owned by Viacom, declined to comment beyond the fact that the show is being removed from its schedule.
Retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Ebay Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. have pulled merchandise sporting the flag, while South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and other leaders in the South have called for the flag to be removed from state grounds. Warner Bros.’ consumer licensing division stopped licensing merchandise featuring the General Lee.
“The Dukes of Hazzard,” which ran from 1979 to 1985 on CBS, followed the adventures of “good ol’ boys” Bo and Luke Duke as they evaded the corrupt and bumbling Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane and “Boss” Hogg in rural Hazzard County, a fictional region set in Georgia. The show spawned TV movies, an animated series and a 2005 Hollywood adaptation starring Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott and Jessica Simpson.


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Turkey's economic confidence drops to lowest level in more than year
Economic confidence in Turkey declined to the lowest level in 13 months after inflation surged and the lira slid against major currencies.
Confidence worsened to 93.6 points this month from 96.7 points in May, the Turkish Statistical Institute said on Wednesday. Any reading below 100 points reflects pessimism about the outlook.
Turkey’s government is seeking to boost economic growth ahead of elections next year by ordering the central bank to cut interest rates and then keep them on hold to boost borrowing. But the lax monetary policy, coupled with unorthodox economic measures, has led to inflation of 73.5 percent, the highest reading since 1998, and a slump in the value of the lira.
The index of economic confidence is an amalgamation of other previously published measures of sentiment among consumers, the manufacturing sector, and the retail, services and construction industries.
A fall in consumer confidence during the month had the biggest impact on overall sentiment, the figures showed. Confidence among consumers worsened to 63.4 points in June from 67.6 points in May.


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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT, +1.02% unveiled its fiscal 2005 expansion plans late Monday, saying it intends to open 40 to 45 new discount stores in the U.S. and 155 to 165 units in existing international markets. The world's largest retailer also said it plans to open 240 to 250 new supercenters in the U.S. Wal-Mart will add more than 5 million square feet of distribution space through the construction of three new general merchandise distribution centers and three new food distribution centers.
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Stealing A March by March?
Perhaps the boldest claim in 2012 so far in tech is..."Of the four million Kindle Fire sales to date, one million were at the expense of the iPad." That's what Morgan Keegan banking analyst Travis McCourt is basically saying.
Certainly, some folks picked up a Kindle Fire when they saw its price compared to the iPad's. However, more likely those people also compared it to the raft of rival Android tablets and other options available. No one seems to be saying Kindle Fire denied Sony decent sales of its Tablet S (recently reduced in price by US$ 100) or that RIM's PlayBook (also recently slashed in price) sales would have rocketed if it weren't for the Fire.
All of these tablets will be looking for growing sales in 2012, alongside the ASUS Transformer Prime, Samsung's next tablet and, later in the year a range of Windows 8 tablets from Microsoft and partners. Will they all be accused of stealing sales from Apple, or each other?
Alternate Routes to Success?
However, if someone had the money and didn't decide to buy an iPad before Christmas it could be down to several other factors. Firstly, there is a fair possibility of the successor iPad 3 appearing late February, which alone could see a bunch of potential buyers holding onto their cash for a few more months.
When iPad 3 does launch, Apple is likely to reduce the price of the current iPad 2 and/or introduce a smaller form-factor iPad model that will round out the iPad family to counter the rise of less expensive tablets, as it has done with the iPod and iPhone ranges. That's plenty of reason for buyers to hold onto their cash, so Apple might not have lost sales, but had them delayed by a financial quarter.
Another option is that the launch of the iPhone 4S and price reductions on the iPhone 4 and 3GS saw people who wanted to get into the Apple market go for a phone rather than a tablet. Recent iPhone launches of apps like GarageBand and Flipboard mean there is less distinction between the two devices.
Content is King
In the financial context, Apple makes its money on hardware, content and software, while Amazon is relying purely on content to generate revenue. With the staggering amount of apps downloaded over Christmas, Apple will be steaming ahead on all those fronts, while it will take some time to establish how much Kindle owners are consuming.
What is certain is that neither Amazon or Apple will lose sleep over a few sales in one period of the year. Sure, they all count, but both have a long-term game plan, that while different, will see them competing day-after-day for years to come.
Both will soon be threatened by the new line of ultrabooks entering the market and diverging content and app markets on those machines. As smartphones get larger, the divide between phone and tablet will also shrink. Either way, Apple and Amazon (with what has to be said is a phenomenal commercial success) now stand apart from rivals struggling to keep up in this rapidly changing landscape.


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Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) disappointing holiday-quarter outlook has brought attention to its growing challenges in China, a crucial market where the tech giant is grappling with the unexpected success of Huawei Technologies Co. and a progressively hostile business environment.
Apple, which is striving to reverse several consecutive quarters of revenue decline, reported its lowest revenue from the greater China region since mid-2022. While Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook asserted that iPhone demand remains strong in China, he attributed the revenue decline to weaknesses in Mac and iPad sales. Nonetheless, he predicted flat December-quarter revenue, suggesting that Wall Street might not witness the growth rebound it had anticipated. Consequently, Apple’s shares dropped 1.7% at 9:33 a.m. in New York on Friday.
Investors have grown increasingly apprehensive about the iPhone’s prospects in China, which accounts for approximately one-fifth of Apple’s sales and serves as its largest production base. China’s consumer economy has been struggling, and U.S. companies are encountering mounting pressure from Beijing as the U.S.-China technology conflict continues. Huawei’s surprising introduction of a smartphone with an advanced made-in-China 5G processor in August also tapped into a surge of patriotism, diverting sales away from the iPhone.
IDC analyst Will Wong commented on the challenges Apple faces in China, describing them as “unprecedented.” He explained, “It not only needs to deal with the political tensions and Huawei’s competition but also a different consumer sentiment that is more rational and cautious in spending.”
Apple’s revenue in Greater China experienced a 2% decline, which was steeper than the companywide figure. There are indications that this trend may continue, as initial sales of the iPhone 15 in China were 6% lower than its predecessor, partly due to competition from Huawei, according to consultancy GfK.
Apart from intensified competition, Apple is also exposed to growing risks stemming from political tensions between Washington and Beijing. Beijing expanded its ban on Apple products to state-backed firms and government agencies, while Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., the major assembler of Apple’s iPhones in China, is now under investigation regarding taxes and land use. Shares of Hon Hai and fellow iPhone assembler Pegatron Corp. fell in Taipei on Friday.
Despite these challenges, Cook stated that the iPhone continues to make progress in the world’s largest smartphone market. He highlighted that various iPhone models were among the top-selling phones in urban China. However, he didn’t address any direct questions about the situation.
Apple’s fiscal results for the iPhone 15, which went on sale in late September, provide only a preliminary sense of the device’s performance. A more comprehensive understanding will emerge when Apple reports its holiday results early next year. Cook emphasized that if the overall China smartphone market is contracting, Apple’s results indicate that it is gaining market share.
During an earnings conference call with analysts, Cook expressed his optimism about China’s significance as a market and emphasized Apple’s commitment to manufacturing in the country. However, he made no direct comments about the recent investigation into Foxconn, which occurred approximately a week after his visit to China.
Featured Image: Unsplash


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PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL (PRWEB) November 29, 2005
A local restaurant chain received an unsolicited Web presence when a hungry fan got fed up with searching for their menu online and decided to take matters into his own hands. CRchicks.com, honoring the C.R. Chicks restaurant chain, went online last week. The fan site allows fans to leave comments as well as browse menu items and photos.
"I was at my desk counting down the minutes until lunch. I sat quietly daydreaming about what I was going to eat," explains the fan. "I opened up a Web browser and typed "cr chicks menu" into Google. Nothing. I was heartbroken."
In an exclusive interview with the fan, I learned that the idea of creating a fan site had come to his mind immediately following that original search. However, it ended up taking 548 days to finally bring it to fruition.
Because of the fan, C.R. Chicks restaurants can now be found not only in Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Springs, Stuart, Wellington, and West Palm Beach, but also on the World Wide Web at http://www.CRchicks.com.


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New laws for concessional imports
New legislation will this year change which vehicles can be imported into Australia.
When the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 is introduced later this year it will drastically change what vehicles can be imported into Australia by non-mainstream importers.
A 12-month transition period will allow vehicles to be imported both under the new standards or the outgoing legislation, which dates back to 1989.
After 12 months has expired, sometime in 2019 (it depends on when the new rules come in this year), only the new regulations will apply.


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Charities pay pharmacies for paused supervised consumption services
Three charities have opted to pay pharmacies the full fees for supervised consumption, even if they were forced to pause the serviced due to COVID-19, C+D has learned.
UK charities Humankind, Change Grow Live, and We Are With You have told C+D that they decided to continue paying the pharmacies who offer their supervised consumption service even if they were forced to pause it during the pandemic, to support them financially.
Humankind, which provides services to meet health and social needs, offered this support to pharmacies in areas where it holds a contract for supervised consumption from March to June, “and where we can we’ll be offering this for a bit longer”, director of pharmacy Roz Gittins told C+D yesterday (July 28).
“We’ve based payments on their prior activity, regardless of whether or not they were able to offer supervised consumption [during the pandemic], to financially help them during that time,” Ms Gittins added.
Change Grow Live, whose services include support with drug and alcohol addiction, has been paying supervised consumption fees to pharmacies “each month since March, based on 100% of February’s supervised consumption fees”, chief pharmacist Mohammed Fessal told C+D last week (July 21).
The charity has pledged to continue paying pharmacies the full amount until the end of September.
Pharmacies who report higher levels of supervised consumption activity than those registered in February will be compensated for “the additional activity undertaken”, Mr Fessal added.
We Are With You, which offers services to help people make behavioural changes while coping with mental health, drug or alcohol issues, offered support to the pharmacies its works with by paying for their supervised consumption services “at pre-COVID-19 levels until the end of June”, the charity's director of pharmacy Dr Rachel Britton told C+D.
“As the lockdown has gradually eased, we have continued to support pharmacies where the level of supervised consumption is less than it was before the pandemic,” she said.*
Change Grow Live reached the decision to continue covering pharmacies’ supervised consumption fees back in March, applying it to “every area of the country where we hold budgets”, Mr Fessal said.
“This is our financial assurance to community pharmacies, in recognition that they are a key partner in supporting people who use our services through their treatment plans,” he added.
Change Grow Live, did not want “any financial worries” to hinder “the amazing work” pharmacies do, Mr Fessal continued.
Humankind also wanted to do what it could to support pharmacies financially during the pandemic, Ms Gittins said.
“We acknowledge how challenging things have been for community pharmacy contractors and we’ve continued to work in partnership with them,” she said.
Contractors have been “amazing” during this time, “for example assisting with giving out take-home naloxone kits and safe storage boxes on our behalf,” Ms Gittins added.
During the lockdown, We Are With You moved the “majority of our clients receiving a script away from supervised consumption” for their own safety and to reduce the pressure on pharmacies, Ms Britton said.
“We are incredibly grateful to pharmacies who were able to continue to support our most vulnerable clients during the pandemic and are delighted that we can continue to support this vital pharmacy service as restrictions ease.”
* This article was amended on July 31 to incorporate information from We Are With You.


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apple is expensive // Posts tagged as "apple is expensive"
Apple’s products are notorious for being expensive. However, consumers continue to be willing to pay that high price for any smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers that Apple makes. Well, Apple has outdone itself this time. On December 19, 2013, Apple released the newest version of its Mac Pro. The entry-level – entry-level – Mac Pro starts at $3,000, while the mid-range Mac Pro starRead More


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The online study was commissioned by Local Corporation and conducted by the e-tailing group to explore consumer shopping behavior across a growing array of mobile devices, including consumer preferences and plans for researching and purchasing multiple categories of products. The study analyzed responses from over 1,000 consumers.
Initial findings reveal that today’s consumer takes a highly personalized path to purchase, utilizing multiple devices, from PCs to smartphones to tablets. Importantly, a physical store is still important for 90 percent of shoppers and 60 percent of respondents reported that they have researched products and services several times a month using a mobile device, while PCs still play an important role in the shopping process.
Driven by the proliferation of devices and channels available today, consumers are exhibiting increasingly disparate pre-purchase behavior based on their specific needs and the specific products they are interested in. The shift in shopping behaviors adds complexity and challenges to advertising for national brands and retailers trying to reach consumers as they are shopping for products.


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An Asia-Pacific Blockchain Consortium is Forming Around Food Supply Chain
PwC Australia is partnering up with Alibaba and others on a trial that will find it seeking to provided added trust to the food supply chain.
Rather than waiting for periodic reports, auditors of private equity funds on Northern Trust's blockchain will get the data almost immediately.
'Big Four' firm PwC recently accepted bitcoin in exchange for advisory services, a news report revealed Thursday.
PwC Australia, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Port of Brisbane are trialling a new blockchain trade solution.
A keynote speech at a New York blockchain conference today saw a notable financial executive discuss the potential benefits of cryptocurrency.
Enterprise blockchain was on full display at Consensus 2017 in New York City today.


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Honduras Deploys Mobile Stores to Fight ‘Speculation’Isabella Cota
The Honduran government is deploying mobile stores selling basic goods in a bid to crack down on “speculation” by companies in the wake of an increase in business taxes meant to narrow the country’s deficit.
The government said today that 20 mobile stores will travel through the capital, Tegucigalpa, and the northwest city of San Pedro Sula selling goods including flour, beans, rice, sugar and soap to the country’s poorest citizens. In a country with the world’s highest rate of violent crime, the mobile units will be protected by the military, the government said.
“This is meant to stop and contain abuses inflicted by some businesses through their price speculation of basic goods,” according to the statement.
Honduras eliminated some tax exemptions and raised duties on companies as President Porfirio Lobo seeks to narrow a budget deficit that reached 6 percent of gross domestic product last year before his successor, Juan Orlando Hernandez, takes office Jan. 27. Finance Minister Wilfredo Cerrato said Jan. 8 that some companies raised prices 50 percent to compensate for the higher taxes.
The heads of the country’s business chambers met today to discuss the new tax plan, which they said affects competitiveness in the $18 billion economy, according to a report in newspaper La Tribuna.
Lobo on Dec. 30 blamed previous governments for creating what he said was a “fiscal snowball” resulting from paying debt by issuing more expensive shorter-term notes. The government will pay 29 billion lempiras ($1.4 billion) to service debt this year, Cerrato said, 10 billion lempiras more than last year.
Honduran dollar bonds have returned 13 percent the past three months compared with a 0.2 percent return for emerging markets, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s EMBIG index.


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Apple made a huge announcement recently stating that it will be officially launching its new Apple Podcast Subscriptions platform and it will be arriving next week. According to sources, Apple yesterday sent an email to the podcasters and talked about how both the subscription and channels in the Apple Podcasts app will go live on June 15th.
Apple’s original plan was to launch the Apple Podcasts Subscription in May but it was delayed to ensure that the creators and listeners will get the best experience possible. The Cupertino giant also promised to improve its Podcasts app as well after encountering several issues on the iOS 14.5 update.
We’re pleased to share that Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and channels will launch worldwide on Tuesday, June 15.
Other content of the email included links where the podcasters can learn about subscription best practices and guidelines. The company also reportedly shares advice to podcasters to help them make their subscriptions and channels even better. This is what Apple Podcasts Subscriptions are going to offer at launch.
- Apple Podcasts Subscriptions will be available to listeners in over 170 countries and regions in May. Specific software requirements for Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and channels will be shared ahead of availability.
- Pricing for each subscription is set by creators and billed monthly by default. Creators can additionally offer annual billing, which subscribers can manage from their Apple ID account settings, now accessible from Listen Now. Listeners will also be able to access free trials and sample episodes offered by creators.
- Through Family Sharing, up to six family members can share a subscription.
- Listeners will be able to access the enhanced Search tab with Top Charts and categories, new show and episode pages with the Smart Play button, and Saved Episodes on iOS 14.5, iPad 14.5, and macOS 11.3. Saved Episodes are also available on watchOS 7.4 and tvOS 14.5. These software updates will be available next week.
- The Apple Podcasters Program, which includes all of the tools needed to offer premium subscriptions on Apple Podcasts, is available to creators in over 170 countries and regions for $19.99 (US) per year. Creators can enroll in the Apple Podcasters Program today through Apple Podcasts Connect.
- Apple Podcasts features more than 2 million free shows and is available for free on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod mini, CarPlay, iTunes on Windows, and other smart speakers and car systems.


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The High Cost Of Halloween Costuming
It's been years since my last Halloween costume. It was the skeleton type of costume we see everywhere..and it was very inexpensive. Even in difficult economic times like these, we still shell out big bucks on holidays.
It is scary how much we spend on Halloween.
The gruesome economy won’t stop Americans from treating themselves to $6.9 billion worth of costumes, candy and decorations in this season of the witch. The National Retail Federation said projected spending this year will rise 18 percent from last year.
Even more frightful: According to the U.S. Census, Americans consume an average of 24.7 pounds of candy each year, a big chunk of it around Halloween. Yikes.


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The Chinese search engine giant Baidu began on Sunday, May 2, offering the first rides to commercial customers in its self-driving robotaxis. Known as Apollo Go, the service has been open to the public as a pilot since last October, but on May 2 it was the first time that drivers had to pay to benefit from it.
Baidu is one of the largest tech companies in China. The company is often compared to Google because it operates in similar areas. Baidu operates the second largest search engine after Google and is one of the leading AI companies in the world. In the field of autonomous driving, the group has been drawing attention to itself since 2017 with its own platform "Apollo."
According to the company, the self-driving vehicles are said to have transported more than 210,000 passengers. In February, Baidu started a large test run with forty autonomous vehicles in the metropolis of Guangzhou.
Apollo Go: This is what Baidu's robotaxi service looks like in Beijing
Since late 2020, Baidu has been conducting autonomous test drives in Beijing without safety drivers. They were only connected to a command center via the city's 5G network. The commercial robotaxi service that is now starting also does not require human supervision behind the wheel.
Until further notice, however, a human supervisor will be present in the passenger seat during passenger journeys. They are not allowed to touch the steering wheel, however. Baidu is taking this precaution to ensure passengers feel comfortable because some of our passengers are scared with no one in the vehicles. Up to ten Apollo Go taxis simultaneously drive in an area of around 1.1 square mile. In Shougang Park in western Beijing there are eight fixed stops at which people can get on after booking a ride via the app.
Formerly an industrial park on Beijing's fringes, Shougang Park is being transformed into a center of sport and culture ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. The traffic volume is rather low, but Shougang Park is currently of particular interest to tourists. Thus, this park is a great location for Baidu to test and operate its robotaxis.
Baidu charges 30 yuan per trip, which is about 5 dollars. But Baidu representative told Torque News that the company offers vouchers, so the robotaxi ride is bundled with other tickets because the park has several tourist attractions. There is also an age limit: You have to be between 18 and 60 years old to take a robotaxi in Beijing. Boarding passengers verify themselves via their smartphone and thereby unlock the door at the same time. In order to unlock Baidu's self driving vehicles the customer must also use a health code on the car, for pandemic prevention purpose.
Once you enter the Apollo Go robotaxi, click on the "Start the Journey" button to begin you trip. Once you do that, the system will make all the safety checks, (like making sure the seat-belt is fastened and the doors are properly closed) only after that start the journey. In other words, as soon as the system detects that the seat belt has been fastened, the journey begins.
Baidu Apollo Go currently uses the FAW Hongqi electric vehicles: namely the Hongqi E-HS3 electric subcompact luxury SUV. The body style of the E-HS3 is a 5-door station wagon it comes with a 52.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. The Hongqi E-HS3 SUV gets about 252 miles of range per single charge.
China has already approved limited Level 4 robotaxis. No carmaker in China has a Level 4 vehicle. It’s the self-driving software. This means, if an accident happens, Baidu Apollo is responsible. Baidu Apollo’s self-driving software is a Level 4 software but I limited scope. This means it can operate only in specific places under regulatory approvals. What I mean is Apollo is a highly-generalized L4 software that can drive everywhere, but its operation is limited by local regulation, a Baidu representative, who helped to provide resources for this report, explained to Torque News.
How Baidu got this far close to Level 4? Well, first you apply for a qualification to test the vehicle in the city. This means you don’t need a driver to test on city roads. After you are approved and successfully test your Level 4 software in a vehicle, you, as a company, can apply for a permit to operate self-driving robotaxis in the city.
Baidu is China’s first company to operate robotaxis without safety drivers in it.
When it opened on May 2nd, two weeks ago, it was the Labor Day weekend in China and a lot of people were on the streets. The Apollo Go robotaxi was well received, told me the Baidu representative. People were carried from point A to point B in Beijing's Shougang Park. The Apollo Go has already achieved over 6 million miles of Level 4 autonomous driving. The majority out of these 6 million Level 4 driving was with safety drivers in the vehicle. Now Baidu Apollo Go has already acquired a permit to test driverless robotaxis in California (as well as three cities in China) and plans 3000 Level 4 robotaxis operating in 30 cities in the next three years.
In fact, Tesla has been successfully testing its own full-self driving (FSD) software since late 2020. Tesla's FSD is not Level 4 yet, but Tesla's announcement does point to future robotaxis.
Autonomous driving: competition for Baidu in Beijing
Baidu also has competition coming.
Jidu Auto, an electric vehicle company between Baidu and Chinese automaker Geely, plans to spend 50 billion yuan ($7.7 billion) to make smart cars over the next five years, Reuters reported about a month ago.
In Beijing, Baidu will soon be competing with Pony.ai. This start-up for autonomous driving is largely financed by the Japanese auto company Toyota and recently received a further US $100 million in a Series C financing round.
Pony.ai wants to enable commercial passenger journeys in the capital as soon as possible. Similar to Baidu, they should be able to be ordered via their own app. The robotaxis for Beijing will also be equipped with Pony.ai's latest AI system "PonyAlpha X." Test drives on public roads are currently taking place in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
AutoX, backed by Alibaba, announced earlier this year that it had started offering paid driverless rides to public users in Shenzhen.
Chinese autonomous driving startup WeRide, backed by Nissan, is also testing driverless vehicles in the country.
Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebok, Linkedin and Youtube.


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It’s been a wonderful era for one of the pioneers in cellular and mobile communication. Who would have thought that a company that looked invincible just ten years back in vast amount of clout and shares it held in the world would be reduced to selling their company to Microsoft a decade later for just a cut of what they would have imagined their sales to be. That’s right. Without further ado, let me introduce Nokia, for those who have been keeping up with the news lately, to summarize, Nokia, a company which literally monopolized the mobile phone market for over fifteen years is now almost on the brink of total extinction. Just take a look at the Nokia UK Website to see how the company has plummeted into obscurity.
Unable to adapt with the rapidly expanding Android and iOS markets, Nokia’s flawed Operating System turned out to be the final straw. Microsoft played the reputation card well and saved some of Nokia’s dignity. Microsoft themselves are trying to gain a foothold in the smartphone arena which is almost completely made up of just Android and Apple phones. So Microsoft’s ploy is to rid itself of its association with Nokia and completely start afresh. Which is why one of their first plans of action include making the Nokia UK website redundant.
In a way, it is Nokia’s fault too. With investors and other experts advising them to integrate with the Android system or develop another operating system as worthy as their competitors, Nokia chose to rely on their loyal and reliable customer base to get them through but alas, it was all too late when the Lumia hit the market. The Nokia UK website still shows the Lumia as their latest smartphone seller but even though it did offer a small comeback for the Finnish giants, it was not enough for them to resist the offer from Microsoft.
This can be a lesson to all those working in the harsh technological and scientific circuit, adapt in time or perish. Nokia took too long to realize the repercussions of their actions and they finally even resorted to releasing an Android phone under their name, which turned out to be a bad move because by then Samsung, HTC and a whole lot of other mobile companies had advance superiorly. For now, you can log on to the Nokia UK website just for nostalgia’s sake. It is truly, the end of an era.


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The UK’s key inflation rate rallied in February, although stayed close to January's two-year minimum, assisting customers to preserve their spending power even as Brexit was still uncertain…
American industrial output tacks on a bit, driven by factories
In July, American industrial output managed to ascend, backed by higher manufacturing output, which is an upbeat indication of economic surge in the United States.
On Wednesday, the key US bank told that industrial output managed to ascend by 0.1% in July after an upwardly updated 1% soar in June.
Market experts surveyed by Reuters had foreseen industrial output adding up to 0.3% the previous month after a previously uncovered 0.6% leap in June.
In July, manufacturing output inched up by 0.3%, which is in line with experts’ estimates.
Motor vehicle manufacturing jumped by 0.9%, while output of machinery extended by 0.6%, while computers as well as electronics soared by 1 .3%.
The data disclosed that American factories were weathering during the early days of another worsening of an American trade conflict with China. As a matter of fact, the current US presidential administration managed to lift duties on a range of China’s products in July, thus provoking retaliatory measures from the Chinese government on American exports.
Manufacturing, accounting for nearly 12% of the American economy, is still being underpinned by a firm domestic as well as global economy. However, a lot of market experts see a risk that escalating trade tensions could have business investment undercut.
Besides this, in July, mining output edged down by 0.3%. Gas and crude drilling slumped by 4.3%. As for utilities output, they inched down by 0.5% in July.
With overall industrial output reporting just a moderate leap, capacity utilization, a gauge of how fully businesses are utilizing their resources, stood still in July sticking with 78.1%.
Officials at the key US bank tend to closely watch capacity use measures for clues of how much "slack" remains in the American economy — how far surge has space to run before it get inflationary.
The Monetary policy committee of the Bank of England will vote on the level of interest rate and release its monetary policy summary on March 21, at 14:00 MT time.
French quarterly surge is expected to strengthen in the first half of 2019 because consumer spending derives benefits from improving household incomes as well as reviving business confidence after protests at the end of 2018…
Safe havens such as gold and Japanese yen declined as investors sentiment was boosted by eased geopolitical tensions…
On Tuesday, the euro tacked on because market participants waited for reports on inflation and growth in the euro zone, while the Japanese yen went down after Japan’s major bank told it would be more flexible in its huge stimulus program…
On Tuesday, the evergreen buck dived because the common currency bounced off and the UK pound managed to ascend to the day’s maximums reacting to reports that British Prime Minister Theresa May is going to take control of Brexit talks…


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The U.S. Congress passed the America Competes Act in February, which aims to help the semiconductor industry grow. It will take $52 billion from the taxpayers of the United States. Everything from smartphones to LEDs and car infotainment systems is powered by semiconductor chips. In 2022, sales of semiconductors are predicted to reach $600 billion for the first time. Chip shortages were common in 2021 as a result of stifling supply chain issues. Intel Corporation, Amkor Technology, Inc., and NVIDIA Corporation are just a few of the industry’s leading semiconductor firms.
Insider Monkey picked semiconductor stocks that received positive analyst ratings. Earlier this month, Colliers upgraded Pixelworks, Inc. from “Neutral” to “Buy” with a price target of $5 on January 18. Mobile business is expected to benefit from a more favorable supply chain environment in 2022, which analysts see as a “too good to ignore” opportunity for growth. This is the next pick for the best semiconductor stocks to buy under $50: Sequans Communications S.A. The company provides semiconductor chips for 5G and 4G networks, as well as non-smartphone modules. Auto sales are expected to grow by a factor of 10x between 2021 and 2024, which should lead to a 40% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for Valens Semiconductor Ltd. An important part of the semiconductor and automotive industries is served by Amtech Systems, Inc. In the fourth quarter, the company made $27.33 million in revenue, which was $2.86 million more than analysts had predicted. A year-over-year increase of 64% was recorded by Himax Technologies, Inc. in its fourth-quarter revenue, which came in at $452 million. For more details, click 10 Semiconductor Stocks To Buy Under $50.


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Premium pleather. This is so incredibly whack. They look like creative recreation did a collaboration with them.
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March 22nd, 2016 by John Kim / 0
The Air Jordan shoe that many of us mistakenly labeled a “Pinnacle” release is headed to stores this Saturday with a whopping $400 price-tag. Featuring a premium mix of materials on the upper such as a smooth tumbled leather and pony hair, this Air Jordan 4 Retro has been the subject of an ongoing debate regarding the rising prices of Jordan Retro shoes. Perhaps this release is why the French Blue 12s got postponed, because to justify $600 on two pairs of sneakers in one Saturday morning is tough to do. If you’re looking to cop, Oneness be one of the few retailers stocking them this coming weekend.
Update: the Air Jordan 4 “Pony Hair” will be releasing April 2nd, 2016.
Air Jordan 4 “Pony Hair”
Style Code: 819139-010
Release Date: April 2nd, 2016
Pages: 1 2


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Published on : Nov 11, 2014
Japanese electronics giant Panasonic Corp.’s CEO Kazuhiro Tsuga stated on Monday that the company is considering M&A deals to solidify its market position in the Europe’s home appliances market. The company is now set to focus on growth prospects following many years of restructuring.
The company states that it is looking for a partner who has a good understanding of the European market in the segment of white goods. For the first time in the past five years, Panasonic has returned to a positive net cash position in the last quarter. The company has observed a turnaround since the time company’s new CEO Kazuhiro Tsuga took position in 2012, from a period of depression haunting the company for the past many years.
Panasonic’s current position is contrasting with that of Sony Corp., another Japanese electronics company struggling to make profits from its consumer electronics products such as TVs, smartphones and other products. Panasonic is now eyeing new market areas such as smart driver assistance systems that report the driver about blind spots and aids in parking.
Panasonic has also started supplying batteries to carmaker Tesla Motors Inc. While Panasonic has currently shifted its focus on the automotive sector from consumer electronics, it sees the segment of home appliances as another profitable section where the company’s expertise can be used in developing power-saving techniques.
Panasonic aims at 10 trillion yen worth revenues by the 2018-2019 financial year compared with the 7.5 trillion yen revenue target it set for itself in this year to March.


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Charging your electric car on solar and wind energy during the day and delivering that energy back to your home or to the grid at night. It is already possible and it is called V2G – Vehicle to Grid. ElaadNL in the Netherlands and the CEC in California are exploring this exciting new field in EV Charging. Together with Lucid Motors and PG&E, they will share their findings in a webinar on February 8th 2023.
During this joint webinar a panel of experts from California and the Netherlands will present and discuss the future of Vehicle-to-Grid with new insights on technology, regulation and adapting the grid.
Presentation: Baerte de Brey (ElaadNL)
Insights and Q&A by:


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American Apparel's chief digital officer discussed the future of retail, the importance of delivering value to the consumer, and strategies for an IoT and omnichannel world.
Google is on course to make more than $70bn in revenue this year, and much of that number will be generated by its insanely successful ... read more
Google has introduced new tools and features to AdWords to specifically address the consumer shift towards mobile.
This week featured a lot of video offerings, in addition to Microsoft reintroducing Tay after her disastrous debut and Google giving AdWords its first makeover.
Video was a big topic in this week’s industry news, as Twitter and Instagram introduce new offerings, and YouTube released its monthly ... read more
Make sure you're getting the best return on investment for your content marketing by measuring its performance. Here's how.
Improve the conversion rate of your ads and maximize profits without draining your entire ad budget.
Is the solicitation of SMBs by automated robocallers a threat to Google's advertising revenue? How can the search giant protect itself?
Social media display combines the DNA of traditional display advertising with unique properties of the various social platforms in which it's incubating.
Now available on Google and Facebook, features like Customer Match or Custom Audiences are expected to revolutionize digital advertising, especially within the email marketing sphere.


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Several US wines recalled from Russian market over harmful chemicals
The Russian agency for health and consumer rights has banned several batches of US-made wines after tests found they contained excessive amounts of harmful substances.
The tests showed the wines had phthalate and bifenazate insecticide in them. The discovery prompted further checks of other US-made alcohol products.
All in all, wines of three American wineries have been withdrawn from the market: Geyser Peak Winery (dry red merlot), Crane Lake Cellars (white sweet Crane Lake moscato), and Delicato Family Vineyards (white semidry Gnarly Head chardonnay).
The tests have established that these three wines contain phthalate and bifenazate insecticide in quantities exceeding the maximum permissible dose. The bifenazate pesticide is used in grape cultivation against plant-feeders.
The other chemical - phthalate - is considered a first-grade danger according to the toxicological index, which could cause functional and organic changes in human’s central and peripheral nervous systems, endocrine system, and cause cancer and infertility of both men and women.


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A couple of pictures of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi 5C Android smartphone have leaked online. Posted on the Chinese website Weibo, the images show a device with no physical home screen button. Earlier rumors suggest a starting price of $220.
These recently leaked pictures contradict previous images of a Xiaomi handset that does have a home button. That phone appeared online in early February, with descriptions suggesting it might be the Mi 5C.
Xiaomi’s Mi 5C is a budget version of the Mi 5 flagship released last year. Rumors hint that the device could launch as soon as March and that it may be the first brand product to feature a proprietary processor by the Chinese tech giant.
Xiaomi Mi 5C: rumored design and specs
Looking at the new pictures of the latest Xiaomi smartphone, it is evident that this is a significant departure from traditional designs of the brand.
This time, the Mi 5C will have no front-facing buttons. That is, no physical home button, opting instead for a simpler approach with left-side volume and power buttons.
A previous leak showed a device codenamed ‘Xiaomi Meri’ with a home button up front, but it seems like that was not the 5C after all. There are benefits to this since now there is more space to fit a rumored 5.5-inch full HD display.
The Mi 5C will bring a lot of firsts to the company, being also the first smartphone to pack a 2.2 GHz, octa-core Pinecone V670 SoC. For graphic processing, the new handset will rely on a Mali T860 Mp4 chip.
Inside sources are not completely sure about RAM capacity on the Xiaomi phone, saying it could range from 3 to 4 GB. 64 GB of internal storage is expected with the option of expanding via microSD card. This slot could also support the second SIM.
The rear camera of the Xiaomi Mi 5C will be a 12 MP Omnivision 12870 while the selfie camera will have just 8 MP. Both will come with LED flashes, and a 4,500 mAh battery will power the handset.
Xiaomi Mi 5C: rumored price and availability
Since it is pretty much obvious that the entry-level device will launch in China first, price rumors are based in local currency. Speculation places the Xiaomi Mi 5C at a starting price of ¥1499, roughly $220.
Xiaomi will not attend the Mobile World Congress next month, but rumors suggest the company will officially announce the Mi 5C in March nonetheless, with availability in China and perhaps India coming very soon afterward.


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Beside tonight release confirmation of iOS 4.3.1 untethered jailbreak, MuscleNerd has also tweeted that the iPhone Dev Team would release Redsn0w for Untethered Jailbreak for iOS 4.3.1. iPad 2 is still not included in this Jailbreak. Further Musclenerd has tweeted that they would release Redsn0w along with Pwnage Tool and it would be a command line utility.
Checkout his all tweet:
A nerdy new option in today’s redsn0w lets you boot custom kernel+devicetree (for kernel hackers like @comex and @i0n1c)
(it’s command-line onlyhttp://is.gd/zZOEn7 but the idea is to allow kernel hackers to experiment independent of overall JB infrastructure)
@adiazrulnizam redsn0w+PwnageTool using @i0n1c‘s 4.3.1 untether (except iPad2) are on track for Funday release (USA time)
Stay with us for the latest update.


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- Netflix added 7.66 million subscribers in the 4Q when it rolled out its ad tier, beating estimates.
- But Netflix Basic with Ads got off to a slow start, initially missing viewership targets.
- Subscriptions to the ad tier are expected to grow once the streamer cracks down on password sharing.
This story was first published on December 15, and has been updated with new information from Netflix's Q4 earnings report.
Netflix added 7.66 million subscribers in Q4, the quarter it rolled out its ad-supported tier, beating Wall Street estimates. The company didn't reveal how many signed up for the ad tier, but said on an earnings call Thursday that the signup rate was "solid," with minimal trading down from the higher-priced tiers.
And while Netflix's cheaper, ad-supported tier that launched in November saw some early growing pains, analysts' view is that it's too early to assess the streamer's ad business.
The stock initially fell 9% in December on reports that Netflix was letting advertisers take money back after some ad campaigns fell far short of their viewer targets. Ad execs told Insider in December that some campaigns hit around 70% of their estimated targets while others hit as little as half that. And Netflix's Basic with Ads was the least popular tier in its first month, according to an Evercore ISI survey.
But analysts said Netflix's shortfall was more likely due to a lack of subscriber supply rather than weak demand, given the ad tier was only a few weeks old and Netflix didn't aggressively promote it to consumers.
Still, it could take a couple of years for Netflix to build a large-enough user base to become a meaningful destination for advertisers, Macquarie senior media tech analyst Tim Nollen wrote in a December research note. Needham analyst Laura Martin said Netflix is at a competitive disadvantage because it doesn't have a subscription bundle and has saturated the market.
Some say it's too soon to judge Netflix's ad tier
Jefferies argued Netflix's crackdown on password sharing, which is expected to start in the first quarter of 2023, could change the picture for its ad-supported tier. Netflix has told agency sources it expects subscriber count for Basic with Ads to increase 200% in the first quarter of 2023 from Q4 2022.
It also said it's planning consumer campaigns to drum up subscribers.
Netflix is still building its ad product and an internal ads team while outsourcing the sales effort to Microsoft, and as it adds more targeting and verification abilities, its attractiveness to advertisers will grow. For example, Netflix is expected to provide a "brand safety" tool so advertisers that want to avoid, say, specific racy or violent scenes in a show can do so rather than avoiding that show altogether.
Netflix also can loosen its strict frequency caps to ensure campaigns reach their intended audience, although that risks annoying viewers with the same ad too frequently. It's also continuing to open up more shows and movies from its library to ads as it reaches agreements with distributors over licensed content; it's told advertising sources that all its content (except kid-aimed programming) will be monetizable by February. (The company recently said 10% of its content is unavailable for ads.)
Advertisers, many of which value the platform for its cachet and have only been testing small levels of spending on Netflix anyway, view the early results as a short-term situation and seem unlikely to change their strategy.
"I think they are committed if you're already hearing Ted Sarandos talk about additional advertising tiers," said an ad exec. Co-CEO Sarandos said at a UBS conference in early December that multiple ad tiers would be available over time. "They need the marketing to drive subscribers."
Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.


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BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The number of internet users in China had reached 904 million as of March 2020, up 75.08 million from the end of 2018, said a report on China's internet development released Tuesday.
By March, the country's internet availability rate hit 64.5 percent, showed the report issued by the China Internet Network Information Center.
According to the report, the number of online shopping users in China amounted to 710 million. As an important part of the digital economy, online consumption is playing a significant role in promoting the vigorous development of the country's consumer market.
Besides, online education in China has seen explosive growth in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, with the number of online education users surging 110.2 percent from the end of 2018 to 423 million as of March this year. (Edited by Yang Yifan with Xinhua Silk Road, email@example.com)


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Canoe Ventures, the partnership of major cable companies formed a few years back to make scaled addressable and interactive TV a reality, is redefining its mission and drastically scaling back its operation. The cable company venture is shutting down its New York office and laying off most of the staffers based there -- approximately 120 employees. The venture will move its base to Denver, where it currently has a technical center with a staff of approximately 30 engineers.
A Canoe representative said that the moves come after a reassessment by the cable company partners in the joint venture, including Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, Charter, Cablevision and Bright House. The company rep said the joint venture remains intact, but the partners essentially decided to redefine Canoe as a much smaller engineering-oriented operation. It will focus on video-on-demand advertising initiatives -- a business that the partners believe has more potential than ITV or addressability at present.
The company had previously refocused to concentrate efforts and resources on a national interactive TV platform after deciding that addressability was not a viable endeavor, at least in the near term as well, given marketplace feedback.
As a result of the restructuring, the Canoe senior leadership team, including CEO Kathy Timko, will be leaving the company. The one exception is Joel Hassell, who has been Canoe’s chief technology officer. He has been named CEO and will be based in Denver with the remaining team of engineers.
Hassell issued a statement Wednesday that said, in part, “To make on-demand ad inventory as valuable as traditional broadcast (linear) or online inventory, the industry needs a standard, ubiquitous way to steward and monetize on-demand advertising. Canoe is committed to making this happen.
"Our new focus will be on giving programmers the ability to dynamically insert advertising into on-demand TV in a common way nationwide, by expanding our current technical platform and operations to facilitate advertising between many programmers and distributors.”
The company rep said that Canoe would gradually phase out its ITV business over the next several months in a bid to be “respectful” of the plans of current clients, including national programmers and advertisers. It’s expected that the New York office will close in approximately 90 days.
Canoe was formed by its cable company partners in 2008 to create platforms for national addressable and interactive television distribution. A major challenge for the venture was to devise technology that would enable the largely incompatible and proprietary systems of its partners to "talk" to each other. But within a short time, the venture targeted just ITV and later, VOD services.
David Verklin, former CEO of Aegis Americas, was Canoe’s first CEO. He left in the summer of 2011 and was replaced by Timko, who had been Canoe's COO.
Before today, there was little indication that Canoe’s partners were busy behind the scenes coming up with a new model. Just last week, Canoe and the National Association of Advertisers released findings from a year-long study of interactive television effectiveness.
News of Canoe’s restructuring comes in the wake of a study by Deloitte that concluded that despite all the testing that’s been done in both the ITV and addressability sectors, both businesses may still be ahead of their time. Deloitte concluded that neither would gain much traction in the marketplace for the foreseeable future.
Sounds like the cable companies promised to be there between noon and 4pm, then never showed up.


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Werindia provides latest science and technology news with latest developments, current events coverage, new technology products, inventions from various science and technology sectors.
Redmi Note 8 Pro is all set to launch in India today at 12 PM. The company has already launched the device alongside the Redmi 8 in China.
Earlier this month, California state in the United States signed two bills that ban political deepfakes during elections and non-consensual
Shooting, fighting, cards, an action-RPG, and an animated cartoon are in the mix.
Riot Games is launching League of Legends: Wild Rift on Android, iOS and consoles in 2020. Reports about a mobile game meant to expand LoL&
Only 6% of surveyed CEOs think their organisation has suffered a data breach in the last year, but 63% of their CISOs say they have, accord
Crunchbase News : Denver-based Flowhub, a cannabis retail management platform that helps sellers navigate compliance, raises $23M Series A
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of League of Legends, Riot Games is celebrating its hit title by expanding the franchise -- and more. Th
Tom Steyer's Christmas tie, Andrew Yang's MATH button, and Joe Biden's gaffe all inspire jokes.
Reuters : Intel has agreed to purchase Smart Edge, a software business from Toronto-based Pivot Technology Solutions, for $27M to support i
The South Korean telco will expand its 5G roaming services to 20 countries, including the United States, China, and Japan.
We may have been looking for the next Game of Thrones in the wrong places, because it's already airing on HBO. Succession might lack the ep
The partnerships come soon after a Malwarebytes Labs report stating that the education sector is increasingly becoming the victim of trojan
Apples rumored October event will showcase the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, iMac Pro and possibly even the Mac Pro, according to rumo
Not everyone remembers Kidman's full dating history. At least it's likely that the production team on the Ellen show didn't.
Watching television at home got a bit confusing after TRAIs mandate implemented Network Capacity Fees (NFC) and per-channel fee. However, a
Redmi Note 8 Pro has been launched in China already and it features a Helio G90T SoC, quad camera setup with a 64-megapixel main sensor, 4,
Geralt and Roach are on the hunt for more monsters.
The Verge : Skip, one of the original scooter rental startups SF granted a permit, leaves SF after its permit wasn't renewed, still operate
The dismantling of what was formerly Melbourne IT continues.
The bank will be spending big on technology in a bid to keep improving its systems and services.
Despite what Elon Musk may think of media coverage when it comes to Tesla accidents, we don't want to see the company's EVs smash
Like Ross and Rachel, Aniston's profile was briefly on a break, but now you can follow the famed Friend.
Broadcast LTE network would allow for streaming of images and video during emergencies.
From Flashforge to Monoprice, these printers will get you started making all kinds of stuff.
Jaguar has been making a push in Germany to carve into the Mercedes-Benz stranglehold on the taxi business previously with the SE model and
Amazon leads the pack of on-line retailers participating in Black Friday. Retail stores still have Black Friday sales, but Amazon has epic
Ebanx, the newly minted Brazilian financial services unicorn, expects to process $2 billion in payments by the end of the year and is looki
This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Twitter
On this episode of Digital Trends Live, we break down the biggest trending tech topics of the day, including a recap of the Made By Google
12 (yes, 12!) Democratic presidential candidates are facing off in Ohio tonight, in a 3-hour debate hosted by CNN and the New York Times. F
Billy Reilly worked in counterterrorism for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, penetrating radical groups online with false identities. T
While we’ve been busily improving our privacy protection ducklings like DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser (for iOS/Android) and DuckDuckGo
eWEEK PRODUCT REVIEW: HP's latest mobile PC is basically a desktop workstation masquerading as a power laptop, as its 32GB of RAM and half-
Ten years ago, Feige fought with Marvel to have full creative control over the MCU. Now he has full creative control over everything.
Shell out $75 for Wizarding World Gold, which gets you ebooks, behind-the-scenes videos and event discounts.
When it comes to selecting a CPU for your PC, there's no shortage of chips for you to choose from. With Ryzen, Threadripper, and Core i9 CP


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Finally, an explanation as to why that artisanal chocolate cost you $15.
According to Thrillist, Whole Foods is officially under investigation by the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) for ripping off its customers in New York City stores.
The DCA issued a press release Wednesday detailing the organic grocer’s “systematic overcharging [of] its pre-packaged products,” focusing on “packages that had been labeled with exactly the same weight when it would be practically impossible for all of the packages to weigh the same amount,” such as Whole Foods’ nuts, berries, vegetables, and seafood (so, a ton of the food items on your grocery list).
More reading: Whole Foods requires GMO labeling in its stores
The DCA tested 80 different packages, and close to 90 percent failed to meet federal standards. “Our inspectors tell me this is the worst case of mislabeling they have seen in their careers, which DCA and New Yorkers will not tolerate,” commissioner Julie Menin told Thrillist.
As a result, the chain will likely have to pay hefty fines, and apparently it isn’t the first time. Whole Foods has reportedly paid upwards of $58,000 in New York for similar violations and $800,000 toward its California stores.
It all makes the company’s promise of cheaper stores launching soon sound way less generous, doesn’t it? —Emily Karr
For more information, visit www.thrillist.com
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Bayern Munich continues the sustainability trend in football by deciding to only issue tickets in the digital version. In short, no more paper for the Bavarian fans returning to the stadium. This was announced by Jan-Christian Dreesen, vice president of the club, who in the official note specifies that “such a change is necessary to reduce CO2 emissions”. Bayern has always been seen as a pioneering sports club. However, until now, he sent a letter to those who bought the ticket online with the purchase and ticket communication. This mechanism will be replaced with an e-mail.
The transformation into digital ticketing involves not only paper but also plastic. Annual subscriptions or chip cards will no longer be plasticized but digitized. The numbers of the transformation and the estimates of the reduction of the environmental impact are significant. “In addition to reducing the production of plastic and paper tickets, e-mail communication eliminates about 350.000 letters previously printed and sent by post. This is a valuable contribution to climate protection and resource conservation“.
The “revolution”, on which Bayern Munich arrives partially late, will begin as soon as restrictions allow fans to return to the Allianz Arena. All tickets and parking passes will be available immediately after purchase. On the one hand, digitization is an essential step in 2021. On the other hand, the aesthetics of the paper tickets that have made football history will be lacking.


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Multiple products were launched in January as well including Celerio CNG, Tiago/Tigor CNG, Kodiaq facelift and 2022 Camry Hybrid
Carmakers have a busy month ahead with several new/updated products lined up for launch. The list includes SUVs, EVs, an MPV and hatchbacks. Here’s a quick update on new options that will be available in February 2022.
New hatchbacks and EVs February 2022
Updated Maruti Suzuki Baleno – One of Maruti’s bestsellers, Baleno will be getting a major update in its 2022 avatar. While exterior styling has improved significantly, the premium hatch gets several new features on the inside. It includes a free-standing touchscreen, all-new dashboard, and possibly e-SIM based connectivity platform. Engine options will be same as earlier. Production of new Baleno has already started at the company’s plant in Gujarat.
Updated Maruti WagonR
Apart from Baleno, Maruti is also getting ready to launch an updated WagonR in India this month. Unlike Baleno, which is going to get a thorough update, WagonR is going to get a mild update. It will likely be seen with a revised front look. Engine options will remain same and so will the features list on the inside.
Mini Cooper SE – Launched in international markets in 2019, Cooper SE will be imported in India as CBU. It is the first all-electric car in the company’s portfolio. Exterior styling and interiors are nearly identical to that of standard ICE-powered Cooper hatch. Some changes that give it a unique identity include E badge on front grille, futuristic alloy wheel design and updated bumper. Mini Cooper SE gets a 32.6kWh battery with a range of 235-279 km (WLTP-certified). Top speed is 150 kmph. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph in 7.3 seconds.
MG ZS EV facelift – This was unveiled globally last year in October. Apart from cosmetic enhancements, the EV gets a larger 51kWh battery pack. Range is expected to be around 480 km. In its current form, MG ZS EV has a 44.5kWh battery with a claimed range of 419 km. There could be some new features on the inside such as a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
New SUVs, MPV February 2022
Kia Carens – Kia will be launching its fourth product here in the form of Carens MPV. Based on Seltos platform, Kia Carens will fill the gap between Maruti Ertiga and Innova Crysta. It will be offered in both 6-seat and 7-seat configurations. Engine options will be the same as that of Seltos. Carens has received good response with bookings of more than 7,700 on day 1 itself.
Jeep Compass Trailhawk – Jeep has introduced a number of changes to make the SUV a better off-roader. It includes reprofiled front and rear bumpers, a different 4WD system and improved approach and departure angles. On the inside, Compass Trailhawk gets a 10.25-inch digital instrument console and new 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
Lexus NX350h – Second-gen Lexus NX350h packs in a range of styling updates including new headlamps, more prominent spindle grille, reprofiled bumpers and new tail lamps seamlessly connected with a light bar. Interiors have also received major updates including digital instrument console, new touchscreen infotainment system and new switchgear. The SUV will be offered in three trims – Exquisite, Luxury and F-Sport.
Audi Q7 facelift – This is scheduled for launch on February 03. Q7 will be starting its second innings in India after it was discontinued in 2020 when BS6 emission norms came into effect. Q7 facelift packs in a range of style updates and new features. It will be offered with only a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-petrol engine that makes 340 hp of max power. The earlier 3.0-litre V6 diesel and 2.0-litre turbo-petrol option will no longer be available.


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Image: DALL-E 2 prompted by MIXED
Apple’s first VR/AR headset is expected to come out this year – because Apple CEO Tim Cook said so.
Apple has been working on VR and AR headsets for about seven years. Over the years, there have been many leaks about Apple’s strategic directions and various prototypes. This summer at WWDC, Apple is expected to finally unveil the results of years of research and development.
Tim Cook puts his foot down
According to a report in the Financial Times, Apple’s operations team has voiced support for launching a “ski goggle-like headset” for avatar video calling, immersive 3D video and interactive workouts.
However, Apple’s famous industrial design team has opposed the launch for years, internally calling for Apple to wait until technology allows for lighter, thinner headsets that can keep up with the technology’s vision – which could be years away.
In the end, it was Apple CEO Tim Cook who decided to launch this year, according to two anonymous Financial Times sources. He sided with COO Jeff Williams and overruled the objections of the design team.
According to the FT, this decision would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, and was only made possible by the departure of design icon Jony Ive and a restructuring within the company.
“They have immense pressure to ship [the headset],”a former Apple engineer involved in the headset’s development told the Financial Times. “They have been postponing the launch each year for the past [few] years.”
Will the Apple Headset be Cook’s legacy?
Tim Cook, who succeeded Steven Jobs as Apple’s CEO in the summer of 2011, is considered a skilled executive who has grown Apple’s revenue with a steady hand. Apple’s market capitalization has risen from about $350 billion in 2011 to about $2.4 trillion today.
But unlike Steve Jobs, Cook is not known for big, disruptive innovations, although successful new products like the AirPod and the Apple smartwatch have been launched during his tenure. But they are mostly seen as extensions of the iPhone ecosystem.
The headset could change that narrative and become Apple’s first “next-generation” product of the Cook era. Some inside Apple reportedly believe that a headset could one day replace the iPhone.
In the first year, Apple is said to expect to sell just one million headsets, which will steadily increase as the technology evolves. The first version of the iPhone and the first three versions of the iPod also sold modestly until their successors took off.
You can find all the rumors and technical details about the Apple Headset in the linked article.


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- Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen appeared prior to UK legislators on Monday.
- Haugen stated it was more affordable to put “despiteful” advertisements on Facebook due to the fact that they get more engagement.
- Haugen stated Facebook’s rates was partly based upon how most likely users are to communicate with an advertisement.
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen informed British legislators Monday that putting “despiteful, mad, dissentious” advertisements on the business’s platform exercised more affordable than positioning other sort of adverts.
Haugen, who dealt with Facebook’s civic stability group prior to leaving the business in Might, appeared at a parliamentary choose committee conference about 3 weeks after she affirmed in front of the United States Congress She stated that advertisements on Facebook were priced “partly based upon the possibility that individuals like them, reshare them, do other things to communicate with them– click through on a link.”
” An advertisement that gets more engagement is a less expensive advertisement,” she stated.
This made it “considerably” more affordable to run an “mad, despiteful, dissentious advertisement than it is to run a caring, compassionate advertisement,” she stated.
” We have actually seen that over and over once again in Facebook’s research study it is simpler to provoke individuals to anger than to compassion or empathy Therefore we are actually funding hate on these platforms,” she stated.
Haugen duplicated what she informed United States legislators throughout her senate hearing previously this month: that she believes engagement-based ranking on Facebook– enhancing material for what will get the most interaction from users– drives a great deal of security issues on the platform.
Haugen stated in her statement to Congress that Facebook’s own research study revealed this type of engagement-based ranking leads the business’s algorithms to prefer hazardous material. On Monday, Haugen stated this uses to advertisements on the platform as much as it uses to user-generated material.
A Facebook representative directed Expert to this business post on advertisement quality and highlighted an area that advises readers that advertisements on Facebook need to follow its neighborhood requirements and marketing policies. These consist of policies that restrict spectacular advertisements and advertisements that “consist of material that makes use of crises or questionable political or social problems for business functions.”
Facebook has actually formerly implicated Haugen of mischaracterizing the business, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has stated a few of her previous claims are “ridiculous“
Various wire service released stories about Facebook on Monday after evaluating business files, referred to as the “Facebook Documents,” dripped by Haugen.


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The COVID-19 pandemic has made investors more reactive than responsive. In these uncertain times, technology stocks witnessed unprecedented gains and losses. Shopify (TSX:SHOP)(NYSE:SHOP) stock rose more than 100% YTD (year to date) while Lightspeed POS (TSX:LSPD) stock fell 25% YTD.
Both are cloud-based software companies that earn revenue through subscriptions and transaction volumes. However, the pandemic-driven lockdown had a contrasting impact on both of them.
Lightspeed and Shopify: Before and after the COVID-19 pandemic
Lightspeed offers POS (point-of-sale) hardware and cloud-based payment, inventory, employee, and customer management solutions. Its major clients are small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) like restaurants, hotels, and brick-and-mortar retailers. Last year, its stock rose 97% after its March IPO on the back of 50% growth in revenue. Investors became bullish as 90% of its revenue was recurring in nature. It is not yet profitable and is burning cash.
However, Lightspeed’s growth trajectory has come to a screeching halt after the coronavirus-driven lockdown temporarily closed restaurants and physical stores. The company is struggling to maintain its existing revenue, as most of its SMB clients are at risk bankruptcies. It is trying to retain its clients by offering subscription discounts and deferred payment arrangements, but the outlook remains uncertain.
Shopify offers an e-commerce platform that helps SMBs and large enterprises set up their online stores and provides supporting services like shipping, capital, retail POS, and online payments. Shopify stock rose 180% last year on the back of 47% growth in revenue. What made investors excited was the growing mix of large enterprises and increase in its gross merchandise volume. Moreover, the company reported a positive cash flow for more than three consecutive years.
Shopify has become the biggest beneficiary of the lockdown. As consumers stayed at home, they switched to online shopping. The company saw a 62% surge in the number of new stores on its platform. It also witnessed the Black Friday-level traffic on its website. The longer the lockdown, the higher will be the demand for Shopify’s services, driving its revenue to new highs.
Investors have priced in the COVID-19 impact
When the COVID-19 outbreak hit the market in March, Lightspeed stock bottomed at $12 from $40 in January. Since then, it has grown 145% and is trading around $25. The company presents an attractive long-term growth story, with Fact.MR forecasting the cloud-based POS terminals market to grow at a CAGR 10% by 2029. But its short-term outlook is challenging. Its growth depends on the re-opening of the economy and consumers returning to restaurants and retail stores. As the Canadian economy falls into a recession, consumer spending could take some time to recover.
With no earnings and negative cash flows, Lightspeed is more of a speculative bet. If the company weathers the COVID-19 crisis with its $300 million in cash reserve, there is hope. If it returns to its 50% revenue growth trajectory in the long term, the stock can deliver up to 15-fold increase like Shopify. If it fails to withstand the economic downturn, the stock could fall to $0.
In the case of Shopify, the stock has doubled from around $550 in March to above $1,050 in early May. Investors flocked to buy the stock, as it presented a growth opportunity in these uncertain times. At this juncture, the stock is priced for the next 10 years.
How to trade in software stocks amid the pandemic
Shopify and Lightspeed are high-risk, high-reward stocks. Investors should take calculated risks while trading in these stocks. Shopify is already priced for perfection, leaving limited upside potential. Hence, it is the right time to cash out profits.
Lightspeed is trading at an attractive valuation, with significant upside potential. But there is too much uncertainty around the stock to place big bets. Hence, it would be wise to make a small bet that can minimize the risk if the stock falls and give meaningful returns if the stock soars.
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This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium service or advisor. We’re Motley! Questioning an investing thesis — even one of our own — helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer, so we sometimes publish articles that may not be in line with recommendations, rankings or other content.
Tom Gardner owns shares of Shopify. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Shopify and Shopify. The Motley Fool owns shares of Lightspeed POS Inc. Fool contributor Puja Tayal has no position in the companies mentioned.


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CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) - U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized nearly 900 pounds of invasive Chinese mitten crabs on Oct. 16 at a local express consignment facility.
Officials said this seizure of crabs is the third interception in the past month.
The discovery came while specialists noticed anomalies in 16 different shipment x-rays, which were labeled as various types of clothing destined for New York.
In Asia, mitten crabs are considered a delicacy; however, their disastrous impact on other global habitats has earned them a place on the list of 100 of the World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species, a Customs and Border Protection press release said.
Nationwide, CBP agriculture specialists intercepted more than 352 pests and 4,638 quarantine materials in Fiscal Year 2017, officials said.


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No. PR- 233
February 23, 2021
Sri Lanka is one of the key export destination of India in Printing & Packaging
India is one of our key markets as a trading partner, foreign investor as well as generating highest number tourists to Sri Lanka, deliberated Mr. Niluka Kadurugamuwa, Deputy High Commissioner, High Commission of Sri Lanka, New Delhi, India in the Inaugural Session themed “India – Sri Lanka Business Promotion, Challenges and Opportunities – Post COVID 19” of Sri Lanka 5P International EXPO 2021 organized by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Mr. Niluka Kadurugamuwa mentioned that economic recovery has become a priority for India and Sri Lanka following the severe effect of the pandemic. This is the time India and Sri Lanka should collaborate and deliberate on the way forward.
He also mentioned that there has been a constant rise in the imports and exports between India and Sri Lanka. For the V-Shaped recovery in Sri Lanka, we are in the process of policy reforms in Sri Lanka and the government is focusing on economic and strategic engagement to uplift the domestic industries to joint venture collaborations and to increase FDI flow to Sri Lanka.
Talking about Sri Lanka’s printing and packaging industry, he mentioned that the industry provides a vast range of products and services to the export market. They are exported to many destinations around the world including India. Due to the pandemic, there is a shift in the business models and trends; Sri Lanka’s printing and packaging industry is equipped to handle these changes, future trends, and demands with the adaption of the latest technology and practices.
Dr. Rakesh Pandey, First Secretary (Economic and Commercial), High Commission of India, Sri Lanka mentioned that India and Sri Lanka have been working with each other for a long time and have substantial trade and economic relations and despite the challenges, it remained stable and substantial which shows the strength of the economic ties. He also mentioned that 2021 will be the year for recovery and India- Sri Lanka will work closely together for long-term business engagement. The private companies need to forge partnerships that will help in integrating supply chains and strengthen bilateral trade and economic ties.
Mr. Keerthi Gunewardane, Senior Vice President, Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Sri Lanka mentioned that Sri Lanka has a free trade agreement with India which will help in getting more business generation. He also mentioned that printing and packaging are the growing industries in India and Sri Lanka and there is the opportunity for joint working with different companies in both countries to have better business relations.
Mr. Saurabh Sanyal, Secretary General, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in his welcome address deliberated about the vibrant, deep-rooted relationship shared between India and Sri Lanka with bilateral trade growth since the last decade and the number of leading Indian private sector companies investing in Sri Lanka and establishing their presence locally. He mentioned that Sri Lanka is one of India’s largest trade partners in the SAARC Region and India is Sri Lanka’s largest trade partner globally.
He discussed the top products of Indian imports from Sri Lanka include mineral fuels, mineral oils, and products of their distillation, copper articles, tea, coffee, wood pulp, etc. He also mentioned that India is also one of the largest contributors to the FDI in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka exports to India have increased substantially during the past many years. The main investments from India in Sri Lanka are in the areas of petroleum, retail, tourism, and hotel manufacturing.
Mr. Naveen Sardana, Chair, International Affairs Committee for South Asia, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry while proposing a vote of thanks to the delegates and participants, mentioned that this is the opportune time for business communities to work in close coordination with each other and leverage the deep-rooted relationship shared by both the nations.
The session was moderated by Mr. Naveen Seth, Assistant Secretary-General, PHD Chamber, and was attended by over 150 participants including the industry stalwarts from India and Sri Lanka.
PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry


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US Carriers and American Citizens Dominate World Air Traffic
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released its annual report detailing all of the aviation statistics you could imagine — and last year was a record for the airline industry.
More than 4.1 billion travelers flew on scheduled service in 2017, a record for any 12-month period. That represents a 7.3% increase over 2016 and is 280 million more trips than the year before.
IATA says the growth was supported by a strong global economy and cheaper airfares.
“At the same time, airlines connected a record number of cities worldwide, providing regular services to more than 20,000 city pairs in 2017, more than double the level of 1995,” the organization said in a statement. “Such increases in direct services improve the industry’s efficiency by cutting costs and saving time for both travelers and shippers alike.”
American legacy carriers maintained their dominance for the world’s busiest airlines, but Middle Eastern, Chinese and low-cost carriers aren’t too far behind. These are the top airlines by total scheduled passenger kilometers flown:
- American Airlines (324 million)
- Delta Air Lines (316.3 million)
- United Airlines (311 million)
- Emirates Airline (289 million)
- Southwest Airlines (207.7 million)
- China Southern Airlines (177.5 million)
- Ryanair (157 million)
- Lufthansa (152.2 million)
- China Eastern Airlines (151 million)
- Air China (147 million)
Not only do American carriers fly the most, but US citizens came in first place for the amount of trips taken:
- United States of America (632 million, representing 18.6% of all passengers)
- People’s Republic of China (555 million or 16.3% of all passengers)
- India (161.5 million or 4.7% of all passengers)
- United Kingdom (147 million or 4.3% of all passengers)
- Germany (114.4 million or 3.4% of all passengers)
Star Alliance continues to be the strongest airline alliance, receiving 22% of total scheduled traffic while SkyTeam came in with 19% and Oneworld at 16%.
IATA also delved into some of the traffic numbers on specific routes, finding that the busiest international airline routes were all in the Asia Pacific region:
- Hong Kong — Taipei Taoyuan (5.4 million, up 1.8% from 2016)
- Jakarta Soekarno — Hatta-Singapore (3.3 million, up 0.8% from 2016)
- Bangkok Suvarnabhumi — Hong Kong (3.1 million, increase of 3.5% from 2016)
- Kuala Lumpur — Singapore (2.8 million, down. 0.3% from 2016)
- Hong Kong — Seoul Incheon (2.7 million, down 2.2% from 2016)
While airline revenue is down over the last few years, profits are at an all time high. The airline industry displayed an operating result of nearly $38 billion — indicating that these companies are more efficient than ever.
“In 2000, the average citizen flew just once every 43 months. In 2017, the figure was once every 22 months,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO. “Flying has never been more accessible. And this is liberating people to explore more of our planet for work, leisure and education. Aviation is the business of freedom.”
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The UK has proven particularly susceptible to data breaches involving compromised employee account data, according to new research.
Almost every single company ranked by Forbes in its 1,000 biggest in the world list is available to buy online, threat intelligence firm Digital Shadows has said.
E-mail and password combinations belonging to more than five million people working at 97 percent of the top 1,000 companies are apparently available, including around 300,000 stolen from adult dating sites like Ashley Madison, Adult Friend Finder, and Mate1.
Each company on the list in Britain has an average of over 9,000 leaked sets of employee credentials available, more than in the rest of Europe or North America.
In its report, Digital Shadows said that "in 2016, we have witnessed even yet more data breaches made public, including LinkedIn, MySpace, and Dropbox. Data breaches are no longer an aberration; they are the norm."
The LinkedIn data dump alone, it's understood, has put more than 1.6 million corporate accounts into the criminal ecosystem, while nearly 1.4 million Adobe accounts have been compromised, as well as 1.2 million which were attached to MySpace. Digital Shadows said:
It’s perhaps of little surprise that the breaches impacting the global 1,000 companies the most were LinkedIn and Adobe—both services that employees can be expected to sign up to with their work accounts. However, there were also less expected sources.
The high level of corporate credentials from MySpace, for example, should cause organisations to pause for thought. Worse still, gaming sites and dating sites also affected organisations. For Ashley Madison alone, there were more than 200,000 leaked credentials from the top 1,000 global companies.
It highlighted five ways in which compromised credentials are used by criminals.
First, companies' public-facing social media accounts can be taken over; criminals can use "spear-phishing," a technique which targets high-value senior executives using compromised internal accounts; credential stuffing can be used to gain access to other internal accounts for when employees use the same username/password combination for multiple applications; post-breach extortion can be used to blackmail users of sensitive or embarrassing sites like Ashley Madison; and breached datasets can be used to operate botnets, which then sends out spam or other malware.
The data is available to buy on the darknet, often reasonably cheaply. What's more, Digital Shadows found that less of it than expected turned out to be duplicated; only around 10 percent of breached credentials were found to be repeats.
"Simply put, too many people are putting their employer at risk by re-using workplace credentials, such as e-mail addresses and passwords, for their personal lives," Digital Shadows' research analyst Michael Marriott told Ars.
"In our sample of the world’s top 1,000 companies we found that, for companies headquartered in the UK, there are nearly half a million unique leaked credentials being traded by cybercriminals right now," he added.
"Many of these have leaked as a result of being used for clear 'non-work' purposes, such as dating and gaming sites. These compromised credentials hold significant value for cybercriminals and can be used for botnet spam lists, extortion attempts, spear-phishing, and account takeovers. It’s vital that firms get on the 'front foot' and gain cyber situational awareness to spot leaked credentials before it impacts on their business."