text:
Study on Cybercrime in the LAC Region: e-Commerce Fraud Doubles
Throughout the region, e-commerce fraud accounts for a total of USD 430 million, while online bank-theft exceeds USD 50 million per year. Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Chile are the countries most affected by this problem.
The magnitude of cybercrime in Latin America is truly a cause for concern, as attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and have expensive consequences for the population in general. According to the second Overview of Cybercrime in Latin America, identity theft has cost over USD 1100 million.
According to the study conducted with the support of the AMPARO Project, an initiative of the Internet Address Registry for Latin America and the Caribbean (LACNIC), last year the cost of e-commerce fraud in Latin America increased from USD 196 million to USD 430 million.
Furthermore, online bank phishing causes the region’s financial institutions to lose USD 26 million, while spear phishing causes their customers the loss of an additional 24 million.
The study’s authors, Patricia Prandini and Marcia Maggiore, warn that “criminals are adapting their strategies and using increasingly sophisticated, combined and targeted attacks, among them spear phishing and cyber espionage.”
Likewise, the study highlights that “a growing interest in mobile devices, social networks and critical infrastructure” has been observed.”
The work also notes “the development of tools for the commission of cybercrimes in the Latin American and Caribbean region itself, in addition to local cases of hacktivism.”
Multi-Million Dollar Impact.- Brazil leads the Latin American ranking of countries with the highest levels of cybercrime (malware, spam, phishing, bots, network attacks), followed by Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, and Chile. “Given their economic impact, it is worth noting that phishing attacks have increased more than 20% in our region, which is more than they have increased at global level, while the number of domains used for this activity has doubled worldwide,” noted the authors.
In the case of botnets, Latin America was the region most affected by the so-called dorkbot, with over 80 thousand bots (44% of them in Chile, 15% in Peru and 11% in Argentina).
These are but a few examples, as spam, data breaches, banking Trojans, mobile device and social network attacks, among others, are also affecting the region.
Alert and Ready.- The Overview of Cybercrime in Latin America points to the fact that the speed of technological development within the region and the resulting increase of cybercrime rates require “creating action plans that take into account the region’s culture and development while showing that it is feasible to create a secure environment that will guarantee the maximum benefits of information and communication technologies and minimize the accompanying risks.”


text:
Jack Ma, founder and executive chairman of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Inc., will retire in one year and chief executive Daniel Zhang will succeed him as chairman, the company said Monday.
Ma, 54, will retire as chairman on Sept. 10, 2019, the 20th anniversary of Alibaba’s founding, but will remain a board member until Alibaba’s annual shareholders meeting in 2020.
«I have put a lot of thought and preparation into this succession plan for ten years,» Ma wrote in a letter to customers and employees. «While remaining as executive chairman in the next 12 months, I will work closely with Daniel to ensure a smooth and successful transition.»
«This transition demonstrates that Alibaba has stepped up to the next level of corporate governance from a company that relies on individuals, to one built on systems of organizational excellence and a culture of talent development,» he added.
Alibaba was founded in 1999 in Hangzhou in the eastern coastal province of Zhejiang and has grown into one of the world’s largest e-commerce businesses.
Alibaba debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014. As of Friday, it had a market value of about $ 420 billion.
The company has close ties to Masayoshi Son, chief executive of Japanese telecommunications and investment giant SoftBank Group Corp., who sits on Alibaba’s board.
All — Kyodo News+

domain: news


text:
Blog posted On July 09, 2018
With the short week last week, mortgage rates did not move much up or down. There are no significant housing reports scheduled for this week, other than the weekly mortgage application survey set for release on Wednesday. The consumer credit report comes out on Monday and the Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) will be released on Tuesday.
Consumer credit measures total outstanding consumer debt, segmented by revolving and nonrevolving credit. Revolving credit includes regular bills, like monthly credit card payments, and nonrevolving credit includes longer term debt, like car payments and student loans, but excludes mortgage debt. Consumer borrowing can be a sign of economic strength, as consumers are confident they will be able to repay their debts. It can also be cause for concern if consumers are borrowing too much to offset sluggish wage growth and low savings. Consumer borrowing slowed in April, driven by a decline in nonrevolving credit.
Last month’s JOLTS report showed that there are more job openings than people out of work, for the second month in a row. In April, there were almost 6.7 million job openings. Despite the disparity, wage growth has not caught up in the heated labor market. Cathy Barrera, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, explained, "If employers want to fill these 6.7 million job openings, they are either going to have to raise wages or find more clever and creative ways to recruit workers off the sidelines.”
The weekly mortgage application survey tracks changes in new purchase and refinance mortgage application submissions from week to week. For the week ending 6/29, new purchase applications increased 1.0% and refinance applications decreased 2.0% for a composite decrease of 0.5%. Most homeowners who could benefit from a mortgage refinance have already secured a lower rate. According to CoreLogic, more than half of all mortgaged homeowners have an interest rate lower than 4%.
A strong labor market and healthy consumer spending typically translates into positive housing market activity. The biggest obstacle facing home buyers today is lack of available inventory for sale. In today’s red-hot housing market, many sellers are receiving multiple offers on a home in a matter of weeks or even days. One way to make your offer more competitive is to partner with a mortgage lender that can ensure a quick and efficient transaction. The right lender could mean the difference between getting your offer accepted or losing to another buyer.


text:
India considers allowing further wheat exports
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is considering allowing additional wheat exports to cut huge stocks at government warehouses and make room for the new season's harvest, Food Minister K. V. Thomas said on Thursday.
After lifting a four-year-old ban on wheat exports by private traders in 2011, last year the government approved 4.5 million tonnes of exports from its overflowing warehouses, and more than 2 million tonnes of this total has yet to be shipped.
Approval of yet more exports by India, the world's biggest wheat producer behind China, will help buyers in the Middle East and Africa as leading suppliers Russia and Australia are facing falling output.
"We are considering some more exports. That is the best way to lower your huge surplus stocks when world prices are good," Thomas told Reuters.
Separately, Thomas said the government would prefer to wait until end-February to get a clear idea about the 2012/13 season sugar output before conceding to industry's demand to raise import tax. (Reporting by Jo Winterbottom and Mayank Bhardwaj; Editing by Anthony Barker)
- Tweet this
- Share this
- Digg this
- Two Ukrainian fighter jets shot down over rebel-held territory
- UPDATE 2-Concordia finally heads for scrapyard after massive salvage operation
- South Korea ferry fugitive hid behind cabin wall, bags of cash at hand
- UPDATE 2-U.S. SEC adopts long-awaited reforms for money market funds
- UPDATE 5-TransAsia Airways plane crashes in typhoon-hit Taiwan, killing 47
India will not support a trade facilitation protocol ahead of a July 31 deadline unless its concerns about subsidies are met, two senior government officials said on Wednesday, sticking to a hard line critics say could derail a landmark global trade deal. Full Article
Bullish on Indian equities, but gains seen 'less sharp'- Goldman Sachs Full Article
Jet Airways chairman says looking to restructure debts, talking to bankers Full Article
Honda's India unit to account for 25 pct of Asia Pacific sales by March 2017 - exec Full Article


text:
After 20 years, the time has come to say a final goodbye to AOL Instant Messenger. The famed chat client more commonly known as AIM is one of the internet’s longest-lasting cultural touchstones, and one of the few pieces of software that arguably changed how people interact with each other. via AIM shuts down: AOL Instant Messenger changed the way we communicate – Vox
I used AOL Instant Messenger for a time and it was a great tool to communicate. Now its no more and a part of the early Internet experience is just a memory. Fare thee well AIM.
Verizon Communications Inc. agreed to buy Yahoo! Inc.’s web assets for $4.83 billion, ending the company’s two-decade run as an independent business that took it from Stanford University startup at the dawn of the internet age to also-ran behind nimbler online rivals such as Google and Facebook Inc. Verizon Ends Yahoo Independence With $4.83 Billion Deal – Bloomberg
I have used Yahoo off and on over the past 20 years of being on the World Wide Web. Yahoo Mail was the thing back in the day and almost everyone had an address.
Hearing the news of the sale to Verizon saddens me a little because this was a once mighty company who made the Internet what it is today and they sold just to survive. Verizon earlier bought AOL which is another old tech company everyone used. Yahoo didn’t innovate fast enough and they weren’t ready for the mobile revolution we see today. I have a history with Tumblr which was bought by Yahoo awhile back and it will be interesting to see how this plays out there. I think Verizon will do some good things but I don’t expect Yahoo to remain what it is today or what it was yesterday.
Before broadband and fiber optic Internet you had to dial-up by phone using a modem. The connection was as fast as your phone line and computer and how far away you were from the phone company. The struggle was real back then.


text:
Apple announced that -- for the first time in recent memory -- it will provide a live video stream of tomorrow's music event, but there's a catch. You'll only be able to watch it on a Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod.
In the first sentence of its press release, Apple says (emphasis mine):
Apple® will broadcast its September 1 event online using Apple’s industry-leading HTTP Live Streaming, which is based on open standards.
...then in the next sentence it says:
Viewing requires either a Mac® running Safari® on Mac OS® X version 10.6 Snow Leopard®, an iPhone® or iPod touch® running iOS 3.0 or higher, or an iPad™.
CNet notes the peculiarity:
To our knowledge, this is the first time that viewing of a company's Web event has been restricted to hardware sold by that company. Some observers say the move effectively excludes the majority of Web users, since Safari commands only 5 percent of the browser market, compared with Internet Explorer's 60 percent, Firefox's 22 percent, and Chrome's 7 percent.
If you don't have an Apple device, don't fret ZDNet will be live-blogging the event.


text:
December 9, 2020 PAP-Q4-20-CL-012
For the past 75 years, the post-World War II global order has embraced the idea that interconnected trading relationships help preserve peace. After all, so the philosophy goes, nations are much less likely to attack and attempt to destroy trading partners on which they rely for their own prosperity.
Although nationalism has been on the rise for a handful of years now, the pandemic added rocket fuel to already simmering fires. The pharmaceutical industry is faced with the possible disruption of the postwar order along with key questions: What has the industry gotten right? Which areas of the pharmaceutical supply chain need to be reexamined and perhaps restructured?
Given that a full discussion of the global pharmaceutical supply chain is too ambitious for one article, this piece discusses supply chain issues primarily from a U.S. perspective; however, many U.S. supply chain concerns apply to other markets.
While not perfect, there is a reasonable picture of the finished dosage form supply chain. However, take just one step back in the supply chain to active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and the picture gets a lot murkier. Take additional steps back to consider the supply chain of intermediates, key starting materials, specialty chemicals, excipients, packaging materials, drug administration components, and other materials, and the picture is utterly opaque. To begin addressing any problems in the pharmaceutical supply chain, we need a more accurate picture.
For years, many professionals in both the pharmaceutical industry and the press have cited that 80% of APIs come from China. Today, we do not know the exact API volumes coming from specific countries or facilities. However, we do know the number of FDA-approved facilities around the world. Globally, 28% of FDA-approved API manufacturing facilities are in the United States, 26% in the EU, 18% in India, 13% in China, 2% in Canada, and 13% in the rest of the world.1 Although it is possible that 13% of API manufacturing facilities in China are generating large volumes of API, it is almost certainly untrue that these facilities are producing 80% of the total API volume used for U.S. market drugs.
Portions of the CARES Act, passed in March by the U.S. Congress, seek to address this lack of clarity. Under Section 3112(e), drugmakers will be required to report manufacturing volume data to the FDA, including the “amount of each drug ... that was manufactured, prepared, propagated, compounded, or processed ... for commercial distribution.”
When enacted, these data will help the industry and regulators understand in which markets and in what volume API is being manufactured; nonetheless, the question of the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain’s security will be far from clear, given the assortment of materials required for API production.
“Players within the specialty and fine chemical industry are providing the starting materials, catalysts, and other materials needed for the drug industry to manufacture APIs,” stated John DiLoreto, Executive Director of the Bulk Pharmaceuticals Task Force. “In terms of key starting materials, sometimes you have to source from where the starting materials actually are. On the specialty chemicals side of the equation, while I have not done a thorough analysis, specialty chemical industry suppliers are quite concentrated in China.”
While the availability of API and the products needed to produce them are critical, the pharmaceutical supply chain’s interconnectedness manifests in other, often unexpected ways. “When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, both the FDA and I were initially concerned about disruption in manufacturing on the island radiating out and causing widespread supply chain problems,” commented Gil Roth, president of Pharma and Biopharma Outsourcing Association (PBOA). “But I did not anticipate the types of concerns my members actually had. For example, a CDMO manufacturer in the U.S. ships some product to a customer’s warehouse in Puerto Rico for labeling, and then the product is shipped to customers worldwide. After the hurricane, there was no warehouse to ship to.”
Roth continued, “Another manufacturer used bioprocessing components sourced from Puerto Rico, and, as far as it knew, there was no other company importing this product to the U.S. — unavailability of this product would cause the production of its biologic products to cease. Ultimately, the FDA qualified an EU-based site to fill the need, but this was another illustration of how unanticipated problems can arise and how interconnected the supply chain is. It helps to think of it as nodes, rather than links.”
Although progress in pharmaceutical supply chain understanding is being made, given the complexity of products and the highly global nature of the supply chain, a complete picture of the supply chain is not likely and arguably not practically possible.
Why is the pharmaceutical supply chain so complex and globally distributed? First, it is important to understand that there are many pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in the United States; as of 2019, 1,193 plants were producing FDA-approved products in the United States under GMP regulations, including API manufacturing plants.2
Here is where things get interesting. The structure of the U.S. market has changed a great deal in a short period. As recently as 2005, 40% of prescriptions were for brand-name drugs, and about 50% were for unbranded generics. In 2019, only 10% of prescriptions were for brand-name drugs, and 86% were for unbranded generics.3
However, in 2019, brand-name drugs accounted for 80% of the total revenue spent on prescribed medicines in the United States — the remaining 20% was for branded and unbranded generics.4
Branded pharmaceuticals under patent protection are, in large part, sheltered from unforeseen pricing volatility. By contrast, generics very much contend with market pressures forcing prices downward. These pricing pressures often lead to pharmaceutical companies seeking lower-cost materials and manufacturing, opening the door to potential quality issues that can too often result in drug shortages.
“For a very large portion of the pharmaceutical industry, the U.S. public demands rock-solid supply chain security and high quality, and, at the same time, lower and lower prices,” Roth shared. “This is not a sustainable approach. Ultimately, there are tradeoffs, and we need to have that conversation as an industry and as a nation.” He noted that CDMOs work to provide their customers with high-quality manufacture of products but are outside the price-setting area. “Drug pricing, as I often tell Congressional staff, is literally above our pay grade,” Roth remarked.
Cost control and pursuit of new opportunities are major factors that shaped the way the drug supply chain has developed over time. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the industry started building and expanding manufacturing in growing markets. “Market growth in most developed, mature pharmaceutical markets like the United States, Canada, and Europe had flattened, but there was rapidly growing opportunity to serve the therapeutic needs of patients in China, India, and other rapidly growing markets,” noted Sam Ricchezza, president of North American Operations at Bora Pharmaceuticals. “The industry started placing on-market plants to serve emerging market opportunities and to manufacture for established markets at a much lower cost”
A great deal of pharmaceutical manufacturing has moved to China and India for other reasons. “The industry didn’t necessarily intend for a lot of pharmaceutical manufacturing to end up in these markets, but that’s where the opportunities arose,” shared DiLoreto. “The Chinese were quite effective at creating a business environment to attract pharmaceutical manufacturing. It was a dynamic similar to what state-level or regional economic development groups in the U.S. do.”
It is nearly certain that the market changes that have evolved over the past 20 years cannot and will not change overnight, despite current political and popular pressures. “Due to regulatory restrictions and variances among different regulatory bodies, it’s not easy to move pharmaceutical manufacturing around like you can for a computer chip or an auto part. Whatever supply sourcing changes take place in the market will take time to gain the necessary regulatory approvals,” commented Ricchezza.
Ultimately, every nation’s pharmaceutical supply chain must be strong and resilient enough to safeguard the health and well-being of its people. So far, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain (along with most advanced nations’ supply chains) has proven to be strong and resilient. Regardless, there is room for improvement.
“In the early months of the pandemic, I regularly canvassed our members to see whether they were experiencing any shortages,” shared Roth. “Most PBOA members operate in the U.S. and receive products from suppliers around the world, but not a single member company reported pharmaceutical ingredient shortages or anything else on the value side of the supply chain. Some were experiencing issues with consumables like PPE, but those shortages were hardly restricted to the CDMO space.”
While the industry’s supply chain has performed fairly well so far, the pandemic and rising nationalism have brought known vulnerabilities to the forefront. Perhaps a worldwide lockdown has encouraged the industry, regulators, and legislatures to consider scenarios previously viewed unlikely more seriously.
While supply chain redundancy is simply good business, the pandemic has spurred a reexamination of the issue. Although redundancy is needed wherever possible, more than anything, the industry and regulators must be better positioned to manage the unforeseen swiftly.
“A colleague received approval for his generic drug in the early months of the pandemic,” said Roth. “However, his API supplier was in India, and it was under lockdown. Fortunately, he had a second API supplier. Unfortunately, it was in Italy — also under lockdown. You can have a well-constructed, multicontinental redundant supply chain plan that still ends up facing problems. And there’s no guarantee that if he would have had a supplier in the U.S., that site would have been operational.”
Regulatory constructs enabling agility could be a large part of the solution. “We have discussed with both Congress and the FDA that CDMOs have the ability to be backup suppliers. CDMOs could be prequalified with a streamlined tech transfer process in the case of a license holder–related shortage,” shared Roth. “From a dosage form perspective, this approach would involve a streamlined way of either getting a product back on the market quickly or completely avoiding a shortage. This could also be part of a reshoring or manufacturing agility concept.”
Global regulatory harmonization could also go a long way toward helping foster agility. “One of the biggest hurdles is there’s not general harmonization in regulatory standards around the world,” stated Ricchezza. “Increased harmonization would alleviate drug quality and safety concerns and would help us move processes around the world more easily. This would help us avoid drug shortages caused by both quality breaches and unforeseen events, like the pandemic.”
For decades, manufacturers worked to reduce costs by applying as much “just-in-time” inventory control as possible. However, given the pandemic, just-in-time manufacturing has evolved into “just-in-case” manufacturing, reflecting the reality that highly efficient processes and inventory control are useless if the conditions that the efficient processes are designed for no longer exist.
“Pharmaceutical companies are looking at securing their drug supplies against potential shortages, including increasing their safety stocks,” commented Ricchezza. “In order to mitigate the risks of drug shortages for critical drugs, companies have to develop better supply chain risk management and business continuity strategies by either developing or strengthening supplier relationships to reduce reliance on sole sourcing for their components or products. Many companies have taken proactive steps to either mitigate the potential for drug shortages or to be able to respond to unforeseen future events.”
Moreover, a Trump administration executive order issued on August 6, 2020, mandated that the FDA create a list of essential medicines, then assure domestic production of those medications.
With the stated purpose of building the national stockpile and securing domestic manufacturing of essential medicines, Phlow, a brand-new corporation founded in January 2020, has been awarded as much as $812 million in grants and contracts from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.5 Phlow’s website states that it is “dedicated to manufacturing and securing our nation’s most essential medicines, 100% in the U.S.”
It is unclear exactly how Phlow will manufacture the therapeutics needed to fulfill its contracts. Perhaps it plans to build manufacturing facilities or possibly rely on a network of manufacturing partners for the long term. What is clear is that AMPAC Fine Chemicals, owned by South Korean conglomerate SK Holdings, will play a key role in API manufacturing at its Petersburg, Virginia facility. Additionally, Civica Rx, another Phlow partner, plans to build a finished dose manufacturing facility adjacent to the Petersburg AMPAC plant.6
Plenty of eyebrows have been raised over the generous funding of Phlow, a company new to the pharmaceutical industry, along with the loans granted to Eastman Kodak to manufacture pharmaceutical API for the first time in its history. It is important to note that the government loans to Eastman Kodak were suspended after the deal began experiencing intense scrutiny.7 However, it appears as if the company plans to move forward with their API manufacturing plans with or without government backing.8
Despite these questionable endeavors, the private sector and the federal government clearly will need to work together more closely than ever to ensure the resiliency of the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain. Mandates are unlikely to be embraced by the pharmaceutical industry or to be effective, but tax credits, long-term contracts, and other incentives to reshore production required for national security and supply chain resilience could be quite effective.
The pharmaceutical industry, citizens, and global governments have much to consider. The pandemic has undoubtedly presented challenges and scenarios that most in the industry have never fully considered — at least not seriously.
Nonetheless, if a global pandemic can deliver good news, perhaps it is that the international pharmaceutical community will be forced to work in tandem to improve the security and agility of its supply chains. Virtually every country is pulling inward and determining how it can better secure its own pharmaceutical supply chain, but no country, including the United States, can operate in isolation. In an extremely globalized industry with production and raw materials spread across the planet, it will be simply impossible for any one country to operate alone.
Ricchezza gets the final word with his profound comment: “Any one country will not solve the security of the pharmaceutical supply chain. Improving patient health is a worldwide objective, and we need to solve it together.”
“Safeguarding Pharmaceutical Supply Chains in a Global Economy.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 20 Oct. 2019. Web.
Hargreaves, Ben. “Report reveals US manufacturing centres outside traditional hubs.” Biopharma Reporter. 13 May 2019. Web.
Mikulic, Matej. “Proportion of branded versus generic drug prescriptions dispenses in the United States from 2005 to 2019.” Statista. 18 Aug. 2020. Web.
Mikulic, Matej. “Proportion of branded versus generic drug revenues in the United States from 2005 to 2019.” Statista. 18 Aug. 2020. Web.
Platania, Mike. “New Richmond-based pharma startup with $350M in funding eyes facility in Petersburg.” Richmond BizSense. 20 May 2020. Web.
Civica Rx Partners on COVID-19 Response and “End-to-End” U.S. Based Generic Drug Manufacturing. Civica Rx. 19 May 2020. Web.
Weixel, Nathaniel. “Federal government pauses Kodak loan pending probes.” The Hill. 10 Aug. 2020. Web.
Levy, Rachael. “Kodak to Push Forward on Making Drug Ingredients Despite U.S. Loan Troubles.” Wall Street Journal. 19 Oct. 2020. Web.
With over 25 years of experience, Haig has accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience in global business leadership and strategic facilitation and planning. Over the last 15 years, Haig has built Haig Barrett into a leading consulting firm with clients ranging from chemicals, automotive, energy, pharmaceutical and biotech sectors. Prior to founding Haig Barrett, Haig has led divisions for leading global Fortune 50 corporations including Rio Tinto. Haig graduated with a B.Sc. Honors in chemical engineering from Surrey University, England.


text:
The company: AstraZeneca
Worldwide sales: $6.044 billion
For years there were two cholesterol-lowering drugs that dominated the market. First was Pfizer's ($PFE) Lipitor, followed by AstraZeneca's ($AZN) Crestor. Lipitor remained king of the hill until 2011 when it lost its exclusivity in the U.S. and its sales started dropping like an anchor through the water.
So did Crestor start to clean up now that it was the top branded statin on the market? Not exactly. What happened instead was that payers, patients and doctors figured that if there were generic versions of Lipitor to be had for cheap, why not just move patients to those? And that is what many have done. The effect cut 9% off worldwide Crestor sales last year.
Crestor might get a bump in sales from new cholesterol guidelines for prescribing statin drugs which say patients at the highest risk should take them. Because Crestor is a high-powered statin, it stands to win in this race. Still, it takes a while for these kinds of changes to filter through the healthcare system, and Crestor loses its U.S. patent protection in 2016.
Given the way this year is shaping up for AstraZeneca, it will take whatever it gets. Sales are expected to be off by a percentage in the low-to-mid single digits thanks to generics of its heartburn med Nexium hitting soon. As a result of past and future patent-cliff struggles, the company is in the middle of a cost-cutting program that includes more than 5,000 layoffs. But AZ's Phase III pipeline offers some hope for the future: It now includes 11 compounds, nearly twice as many as it did the previous year.
Special Report: The top 10 largest pharma layoffs of 2013 - AstraZeneca
With Teva's Symbicort copy nearing EU launch, AstraZeneca preps for battle
AstraZeneca steps up its global restructuring with 550 new job cuts
Generics pull AZ sales back again, but CEO promises a quicker bounce-back
AstraZeneca wins, Merck and AbbVie lose with new statin-use guidelines
Analysts skeptical as AstraZeneca sales, earnings sink
-- Eric Palmer (email | Twitter)


text:
We are in the process of rolling out several sites to cover things from mobile app development to photography, plus much more.
We love hearing from you with suggestions, comments and feedback. Please send us a quick note.
Sony Playstation 4 will be striking markets by the end of this year. Foxconn and Pegatron would be leading the assembly. Sony’s looking into the next generation hardware designs; the upcoming product would look ultramodern.
The hottest hackers’ attacks on Sony Playstation Network to hack and devastate their online gaming structure certainly will help Sony to fix the cracks in their new system.


text:
Today the Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to move ahead with a plan to require broadband companies to display important plan information on easy to read labels so customers will know upfront what they’re getting.
This means big broadband names like Comcast and Verizon and will have to provide ‘nutrition labels’ disclosing things like speed, data caps, throttling and other management tactics, as well as introductory prices and later price hikes to customers at the time of sale.
The FCC has taken action on this “Broadband Nutrition Label” as part of the infrastructure law signed in November. The new ruling will make it easier for consumers to know at a glance what to expect from their broadband contract to eliminate surprises and hidden fees later on. Just like a nutrition label on a food item, consumers can make informed decisions and comparisons when shopping for an internet provider.
“Access to accurate, simple-to-understand information about broadband Internet access services helps consumers make informed choices and is central to a well-functioning marketplace,” the FCC said in a press release on Thursday.
The idea of these labels has been circulating for years now but has never taken off until today. Somewhat surprisingly, the The NCTA, a trade group for broadband providers, endorsed the idea back in 2016 and have now issued a statement saying that they’re still on board.
“Cable operators are committed to providing consumers with relevant information about broadband services,” the NCTA said in a statement this week.
“The ‘nutrition labels’ we seek comment on today will help households compare prices and service offerings, making it easier for them to find the right package and the best deal,” Democratic Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said in a statement on Thursday. “Arming consumers with better information will also promote greater innovation, more competition, and lower prices for broadband—wins for the entire broadband ecosystem.”
The 4-0 ruling was passed today, but it will still be some time before these mandated labels go into effect.


text:
- Huw Hughes |
The UK’s competitive regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has said that the proposed Sainsbury's-Asda merger would push up prices and reduce competition in the industry, leaving the deal in doubt.
In its Phase 2 investigation, the CMA said it found that the proposed deal “could lead to a worse experience for in-store and online shoppers across the UK through higher prices, a poorer shopping experience, and reductions in the range and quality of products offered”, adding that the merger could lead to a “substantial” decrease of competition both locally and nationally.
“These are two of the biggest supermarkets in the UK, with millions of people purchasing their products and services every day. We have provisionally found that, should the two merge, shoppers could face higher prices, reduced quality and choice, and a poorer overall shopping experience across the UK. We also have concerns that prices could rise at a large number of their petrol stations," Stuart McIntosh, chair of the independent inquiry group carrying out the investigation, said in a statement.
“These are our provisional findings, however, and the companies and others now have the opportunity to respond to the analysis we’ve set out today. It’s our responsibility to carry out a thorough assessment of the deal to make sure that the sector remains competitive and shoppers don’t lose out.”
Sainsbury’s and Asda disagree with CMA’s findings
However, a joint statement from Sainsbury's and Asda on Wednesday contested the CMA’s conclusion. “These findings fundamentally misunderstand how people shop in the UK today and the intensity of competition in the grocery market. The CMA has moved the goalposts and its analysis is inconsistent with comparable cases,” the statement read.
“Combining Sainsbury's and Asda would create significant cost savings, which would allow us to lower prices. Despite the savings being independently reviewed by two separate industry specialists, the CMA has chosen to discount them as benefits.
“We are surprised that the CMA would choose to reject the opportunity to put money directly into customers' pockets, particularly at this time of economic uncertainty.
“We will be working to understand the rationale behind these findings and will continue to press our case in the coming weeks.”
The CMA has set out guidelines for the supermarkets to address the concerns, which include “blocking the deal or requiring the merging companies to sell off a significant number of stores and other assets – potentially including one of the Sainsbury’s or Asda brands – to recreate the competitive rivalry lost through the merger.”
Sainsbury’s and Asda now have a chance to respond to the findings, before the CMA publishes its final decision on 30 April.
Photo credit: Tu Clothing, facebook


text:
Flipkart cofounder Sachin Bansal’s Chaitanya India Fin Credit (CIFCPL) has submitted an application to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a universal bank license. The license is sought to increase financialisation by making banking simple, accessible and affordable via a consumer-centric and technology-driven approach.
In September 2019, Bansal announced that he has acquired Chaitanya Rural Intermediation Development Services Private Limited (CRIDS), a non-banking finance company (NBFC) and took over as the CEO of the company.
CRIDS, which runs CIFCPL provides the underbanked population in rural areas access to credit. Founded in 2009 by Anand Rao and Samit Shetty, the majority of its business is in microfinance. It also provides loans for two-wheelers, housing, small business and education.
With the license application, CIFCPL aims to bridge the credit gap for the retail and MSME sector by developing industry-leading technology and global best practices as a mainstay.
“Building a universal bank is a reflection of our commitment to provide financial services to those who need them most,” said Sachin Bansal, CEO, Navi in a statement.
He also added that the company’s vision is to go beyond what hitherto has been broadly defined as ‘financial inclusion’ and provide access to formal financial services using technology that people can use intuitively and easily.
CIFCPL is a microfinance company with more than 40 branches in five states including Karnataka, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Jharkhand.
Ankit Agarwal, CFO, Navi, added that the objective was to go beyond basic services. “We are looking at a potential customer as undertaking a financial journey, not just looking at episodic transactions,” Agarwal said. “We are fellow-travellers; we are looking beyond the traditional way of delivering banking services to people with a focus on ease of use and customised offerings. It is going to be an exciting journey.”
In one of his earlier media interviews during the acquisition, Bansal said that what he has seen in Chaitanya so far is that they are a great team, great founders building the microfinance business starting from scratch in 2009.
Bansal and Agarwal’s Navi Technologies (formerly known as BAC Acquisitions) announced an acquihire deal with Bengaluru-based technology consulting firm MavenHive, which is a tech firm that specialises in end-to-end product development and training. Bansal and Agarwal registered BAC Acquisitions in Bengaluru in December 2018, and the company was later rebranded to Navi. The company helps develop platforms to optimise business automation and computerisation of processes across sectors.


text:
Speculations are rife over the next-generation Apple iPad in the Web world. According to a Taiwanese newspaper, Apple's second-generation iPad will have video calling, two cameras, new display and touch technology, and a USB port to connect easily to other devices.
Citing industry sources, the report said that iPad 2 may adopt smaller size panels featuring thinner glass. The USB feature will allow the device to be more connection friendly, while Apple's "Retina Display" technology is expected to enhance image and color output performance. The 3-axis gyroscopes will reportedly boost gaming features in iPad 2.


text:
Volkswagen has taken inspiration from the award-winning video for A-Ha’s breakthrough 1985 hit ‘Take on Me’ for a US ad pushing its maintenance service.
Dunkin’ Donuts is making a return to the UK after pulling out of its first attempt in the mid-1990s.
Blackpool tourism chiefs are launching a digital push to promote the “uniqueness” of the seaside resort, as the town continues to be dogged by the perception it is a haven for binge-drinking partygoers.
M&S has highlighted its brand and product proposition, personalisation and data, and modernising its store estate and supply chain as key focus areas for the next two years.
By working up to investing in brand building – rather than adhering to the 60:40 rule – are small businesses on the road to success or setting themselves up to fail?
Addressing marketing’s lack of socio-economic diversity could be the key to creating a more inclusive industry in general. However, making a difference starts with taking practical steps.
It takes courage to challenge the status quo and drive change but marketers are increasingly bowing to the pressure of the C-suite, which needs to stop.


text:
Not wanting to be left behind with other smartphone vendors, Nokia is back on its feet by producing the latest line of Nokia phones with the constantly updated Android operating system to date, 2022.
As is known, Nokia is known as a Finnish mobile phone brand that was very popular in the 2000s. Having previously opted for Symbian or Windows Phone operating system, Nokia is now trying its luck by releasing an Android smartphone.
Android operating system is currently used in most smartphones in the market. The system is designed differently for touch screen devices. The Android interface is generally in the form of direct manipulation using the touch screen, such as swiping, tap, and pinch.
Want to learn about the latest Nokia Android phones in 2022? Here, Hello GSM 5 offers complete options with a summary of specifications and prices.
5 latest Nokia Android phones in September 2022
Nokia X30 5G
This is the latest Nokia phone. The Nokia X30 5G smartphone was officially launched in early September 2022 with an eco-friendly theme.
The X30 5G is made of 100% recycled aluminum and 65% recycled plastic. The device runs Android 12 and promises three years of Android upgrades.
This smartphone was launched in the global market with a price tag of 529 US dollars or around 7.8 million rupees.
Nokia G60 5G
In addition to the Nokia X30 5G, HMD Global also launched the Nokia G60 5G at the same time. The G60 5G comes with a 6.58-inch screen with a Full HD+ resolution. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
This Android 12 OS smartphone is powered by Snapdragon 695 chipset along with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal memory. The Nokia G60 5G will be marketed at around $319 (Rs 4.7 million).
Unlike the Nokia X30 5G and G60 5G, which are based on Snapdragon chipsets, the Nokia C31 is powered by the Unisoc chipset, Unisoc SC9863A1. Its performance is backed by up to 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage.
Unlike the previous two phones, Nokia C31 offers a triple rear camera setup. All three consist of a 13MP main camera, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro. The price is cheaper, around $129 or 1.9 million rupees.
Nokia G400 5G
The next Nokia Android phone in 2022 is the Nokia G400 5G. This phone was officially launched at the end of August by presenting the specifications that are usually found in flagship phones.
The Nokia G400 5G runs on the Android 12 operating system, offers a widescreen display with a refresh rate of 120Hz, is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 Plus chipset, backed by a 5,000mAh battery, and supports NFC.
Its three rear cameras are equipped with a 48-megapixel main camera. While the front camera has a resolution of 16 megapixels. The G400 5G is available in the US for $239.
Nokia G11 Plus
Finally, there is the Nokia G11 Plus which was released in June 2022. This Android smartphone is claimed to receive an OS update for up to two years.
The device will soon be available in many areas of the international market, providing solid performance in its class.
The Nokia G11 Plus is equipped with a Unisoc T606 processor, a long-lasting 5000mAh battery and a 50MP HD camera. The price is quite right at 150 USD or 2.2 million rupees.
Read also: An eco-friendly phone, Nokia X30 5G officially launched
Unfortunately, the five latest Nokia Android phones for 2022 are not yet available in the Indonesian market.


text:
Pet stocks will continue to hum during an economic downturn. Demographics show that our pets are increasingly an integral part…
Pet stocks will continue to hum during an economic downturn.
Demographics show that our pets are becoming an increasingly integral part of our families, which means the businesses that support them are becoming increasingly profitable. Thus, pet inventory is a valid consideration for any investor wallet. “We know there are more pets than children, and we know everyone has a pet during the pandemic,” says Simeon Hyman, head of investment strategy group at ProShares. . “If you’re worried about economic weakness, that won’t be reflected in pet stocks.” Plus, some pet businesses are taking advantage of the increased care pet owners give their furry friends, including expensive treatments and other lifestyle accommodations, says Debbie Wang, principal analyst at Morningstar. . Has the world found another recession proof market? If your cat could talk, he’d approve of these seven best pets to own in 2022.
Zoetis Inc. (symbol: ZTS)
Many animal health companies were once buried under larger human health companies, Wang says, but that’s changing fast. The change is led, in many ways, by Zoetis. According to Wang, “Zoetis is the undisputed leader in the global animal health industry.” This is the largest position in the ProShares Pet Care ETF (PAWZ), representing 11% of the entire portfolio. Hyman says the company just acquired Basepaws, which provides DNA testing for cats, recalling that everything that happens in medicine “on the human side also happens on the pet side.” In addition to the recent acquisition, “Zoetis sports one of the broadest moats in animal health, thanks to its cost advantage and intangible assets,” says Wang.
Idexx Laboratories Inc. (IDXX)
Idexx Laboratories primarily focuses on the veterinary diagnostic laboratory industry. In this space, says Wang, the company has carved out a “narrow gap.” However, she says the company is well positioned to benefit from two key trends: the overall increase in the number of pet owners and the greater willingness of pet owners to spend more on their pets. Hyman says he’s very impressed with how IDXX focuses on its relationships with vets. One-to-one relationships are important in the industry, and IDXX’s investor presentations focus on how the company develops these key relationships. IDXX is PAWZ’s second largest holding, at 10% of its overall portfolio.
Chewy Inc. (CHWY)
Chewy provides pet food and supplies directly to consumers through its e-commerce business. Morningstar equity analyst Sean Dunlop says Chewy’s founders wanted to compete with Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) in a category that was “full of inefficiencies”. Hyman adds that Chewy’s autoship revenue, or revenue generated from automated memberships for regularly ordered items, accounts for 72% of the company’s total revenue. Autoship’s high penetration helps the company cope with fulfillment cost pressures compared to its larger counterparts, Dunlop says, because fewer split shipments make it easier to manage inventory. During the company’s first quarter earnings call on June 1, CEO Sumit Singh said “Chewy’s value proposition remains as compelling as ever.” On the same call, Chief Financial Officer Mario Marte said the company “continues to execute in the face of unprecedented macroeconomic volatility to drive strong top line growth and improve sequential profitability.”
Freshpet Inc. (FRPT)
Providing natural meals and treats for cats and dogs, Freshpet delivers its products through traditional brick-and-mortar retailers as well as online. During the company’s first quarter earnings conference call May 2, CEO William Cyr said that since “the world we operate in has an unusually high amount of economic uncertainty in it,” Freshpet intends “to operate with low leverage until the business generates strong cash flow capable of funding our capital expansion plans from operations.” Heather Pomerantz added on the call that company management is “very encouraged by the strong start to the year and even more encouraged by what they are saying about our resilience.”A group of 16 analysts interviewed by data service Koyfin rates FRPT as a “strong buy”, on average, with a potential return of around 126% over the next 12 months.
Petco Health and Wellness Co. Inc. (FRAME)
A one-stop shop for pet owners, Petco Health and Wellness offers veterinary care, grooming, food and other pet supplies at its more than 1,500 locations across North America. During the company’s first quarter earnings call on May 24, CEO Ronald Coughlin said that “while our first quarter results show nothing else, they show our ability to execute and deliver without sacrificing progress against our long-term strategic roadmap”. Chief Financial Officer Brian LaRose said the management team remains “confident in our medium and long-term directions” and “committed to maintaining our strategic investments to deliver the expected results for the entire year and beyond. Thirteen analysts polled by Koyfin predict an average return of around 50% on WOOF shares over the next 12 months.
PetIQ Inc. (PETQ)
With a market capitalization of just $519.2 million, PetIQ is by far the the smallest business included in this list. PetIQ provides prescription and over-the-counter pet medications, which run the gamut from flea, tick and other specialty medications to behavior management treatments such as topical ointments, chewable tablets and oral tablets. During the company’s first quarter earnings call on May 4, CEO Cord Christensen said, “PetIQ is well positioned to continue to grow our net sales and profitability, as well as generate cash flow solid. Chief Financial Officer Zvi Glasman said company executives are “pleased with our start to the year and remain optimistic about our growth in 2022 and beyond. Six analysts polled by Koyfin rate PETQ’s stock as a “strong buy,” on average, and forecast a 76% return for the company over the next 12 months.
Trupanion inc. (TRUP)
What Trupanion really has to offer is the surge in interest in pet insurance over the past year, Hyman says. The global pet insurance industry is already worth around $7.8 billion, according to research by Future Market Insights. It could have a compound annual growth rate, or CAGR, by 11% over the next eight years, reaching a value of $38.8 billion by the end of 2030, the IMF reports. As a major pet insurance provider across the Americas and Australia, Trupanion is poised to benefit from this growth. Eight analysts polled by Koyfin predict a 39% return on TRUP stock over the next 12 months, calling it a “buy” overall.
7 best pet stocks to sniff out gains in a downturn:
— Zoetis Inc. (ZTS)
— Idexx Laboratories Inc. (IDXX)
— Chewy Inc. (CHWY)
— Freshpet Inc. (FRPT)
— Petco Health and Wellness Co. Inc. (FRAME)
— PetIQ Inc. (PETQ)
— Trupanion inc. (TRUP)
More US news


text:
3,000 Toyota jobs to move to Texas from Torrance
Toyota Motor Corp.’s move to Texas will mean the transfer of 3,000 marketing and finance jobs from its sprawling Torrance campus to a new North American headquarters.
The shift, announced Monday, is part of a strategy to consolidate corporate management on one campus near the company’s Southern manufacturing hubs. It marks the second high-profile move of a major automaker from Southern California. Nissan moved its U.S. headquarters from Gardena to a Nashville suburb in 2006.
Some observers and California officials seized on the announcement to criticize what they said is California’s business climate for high taxes and onerous regulations. But Toyota officials said the move to a Dallas suburb had nothing to do with cost-cutting and everything to do with fostering efficiency and collaboration.
“This is the most significant change we’ve made to our North American operations in the past 50 years,” said Jim Lentz, chief executive of Toyota’s North America region.
Toyota’s announcement Monday surprised its workers.
“There’s a lot of shock,” said one employee, who declined to give his name. “They did a good job of keeping it secret.... My boss, a national manager, didn’t even know.”
A Southern California native and 23-year Toyota veteran, he was unsure whether he would move to Texas.
“People aren’t angry,” he said. “It’s just a lot of sadness.”
California officials were similarly taken off guard.
Toyota executives waited until Friday to tell Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration of the planned exit, said Brook Taylor, deputy director of the governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. He declined to answer further questions on Toyota’s departure.
Don Knabe, the Los Angeles County supervisor from the 4th District, which includes Torrance, said he first learned that Toyota might move over the weekend from rumors circulating on Facebook and Twitter. He emailed contacts at Toyota but said no one responded.
“I am very shocked,” Knabe said. “Toyota is such a great corporate citizen.”
He said state and local officials should conduct an “exit interview” with Toyota, to ask how California can better avoid “being a target for every other state.”
The move will take place in phases over the next three years as the new headquarters is built at an office park in Plano, a Dallas suburb. All of Toyota’s employees can transfer to the new office at their same salary and benefits. Toyota will pay for workers to visit Plano before they decide and will cover their relocation expenses.
The move affects about 4,000 employees nationally, including 2,000 at Toyota’s sales and marketing arm and an additional 1,000 in its financial services operations, both in Torrance. Toyota will also close its engineering and manufacturing office in Erlanger, Ky., near the Cincinnati-area airport, and those workers will be offered jobs in Plano and other sites.
The car company will keep about 2,300 workers in California at its design studio in Newport Beach, a motor-racing division in Costa Mesa, a parts factory in Long Beach and at other facilities. But no Toyota workers will remain at the company’s 2-million-square-foot office complex in Torrance. The company said it has not yet determined what it will do with the property.
The loss of thousands of well-paying jobs will be a big blow to Los Angeles County, which is still struggling to recover about 76,000 jobs lost during the recession, said Gary Toebben, chief executive of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
“It’s a very negative step back for the Los Angeles County economy,” Toebben said. “If we lose another 3,000 jobs, that means 3,000 more jobs we have to recover.”
The Toyota move will have a ripple effect on the Southern California economy as workers either hunt for other jobs or move out of California altogether, he said.
“My only hope is that this is a wake-up call for the state of California,” he added. “We had this wake-up call when Nissan left, but I think everybody forgot.”
The move of a big corporate headquarters feeds into the perception that California is unfriendly to businesses, said Esmael Adibi, a Chapman University economist.
“This has a very negative impact on the stigma that already exists about California,” he said, “not just in terms of taxes but also regulations and labor laws.”
Toyota’s Lentz, however, told workers Monday that the move was driven by a desire to create an efficient management structure in a centralized headquarters.
In meetings with employees, Lentz described the move as a critical step in erasing divisions among Toyota’s separate engineering, manufacturing, sales and financial operations. He said putting all those businesses on a single, state-of-the-art campus will improve communication and collaboration.
Toyota chose Plano because of its Central Time Zone location, proximity to airports serving all parts the U.S. and Japan, its cost of living, educational opportunities and cultural offerings, Lentz said.
Despite Toyota’s pending departure, the auto industry remains well represented in California and an important source of jobs. Honda, which has its U.S. sales and marketing office, and 2,500 employees, in a complex not far from Toyota in Torrance, said it doesn’t plan a move.
South Korean auto company Hyundai just moved into a new, $200-million North American headquarters in Fountain Valley and has about 2,200 Southern California employees. Kia, its sister company, and Japanese automaker Mazda have their U.S. headquarters in Irvine.
Other automakers including Volkswagen, Ford, General Motors, Tesla Motors and BMW have smaller footprints that include design studios, testing facilities and R&D centers in Southern California.
Toyota’s move is an example of how big global corporations make location decisions, said James Rubenstein, an auto industry analyst and geography professor at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Companies that do business by the tens of billions of dollars annually make these type of moves for strategic reasons rather than tax incentives dangled by one state or another, he said.
“The world’s largest corporations don’t bend with the wind to the short-term political situation in any locality,” he said.
Toyota did, however, collect on some of those incentives from Texas. The new headquarters will be a $300-million project, and the state will provide Toyota with $40 million in incentives, according to Gov. Rick Perry’s office. Plano also is offering the automaker an incentive package that is likely to include property tax abatement, cash and waivers on building and construction fees. The details will be released next month.
Plano started talking with Toyota about three months ago, after Perry and other state officials started to court the automaker, said Mayor Harry LaRosiliere, the city’s mayor.
The automaker doesn’t plan layoffs, although it knows that not every worker will make the move. Only 42% of Nissan’s Southern California employees moved when it relocated its U.S. headquarters to Tennessee in 2006.
A small contingent of Toyota workers will move to Plano this year, followed by hundreds next year. Most employees will go when the campus is completed in late 2016 or early 2017.
Those who make the move will be given a “retention” bonus. Those who decide not to move, but who stay with the company until the move is completed, will also receive a bonus.
The move will cement what Rubenstein called a “Southern strategy” for Toyota. It builds the Camry and Avalon in Kentucky, the Corolla in Mississippi and the Tundra and Tacoma pickup trucks in Texas. It also has a big engine plant in Alabama.
Although the company is successful at selling passenger cars in the U.S., it has never gained the traction in the truck market it has hoped for, Rubenstein said. Toyota’s sales are also too heavily weighted to women, he added.
“Texas is the most male, macho state in the country,” Rubenstein said. “Texas is where they think they can learn more about what big-truck buyers want in their vehicles.... They already have California in its back pocket. Priuses are next to godliness in California.”
Contributing to this report were Times staff writers Charles Fleming, Shan Li, Marc Lifsher, Tim Logan and David Undercoffler.


text:
Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE: CLF) today reported fourth-quarter and full-year results for the period ended December 31, 2016.
Fourth-quarter 2016 consolidated revenues of $754 million increased 58 percent from the prior year’s fourth-quarter revenues of $476 million. As a result of increased volumes sold, cost of goods sold increased by 32 percent to $573 million compared to $433 million reported in the fourth quarter of 2015.
As quoted in the press release:
Lourenco Goncalves, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “2016 was the year in which we finalized the execution of the operational, commercial and financial actions necessary to ensure Cliffs will have a great future. Among the actions accomplished last year are several new sales agreements entered with clients, including the renewal of our long-term supply contract with our largest customer, and a number of capital markets transactions that were successfully executed to reduce debt and extend our maturity runway.”


text:
You’ll be able to use CarPlay as well as Android auto in Ford’s entire line of 2017 cars, SUVs, light trucks and electric vehicles.
On Monday, the company announced that it will bring CarPlay to already-released 2017 models such as the Fusion, Mustang, and Explorer, while other models like the 2017 F-150, Focus, Edge, and Super Duty will arrive at U.S. dealerships later this year.
Ford confirmed in January that it would be adding CarPlay and Android Auto to all of its 2017 vehicles in North America equipped with BlackBerry’s QNX-based SYNC 3 platform, starting with the 2017 Escape in May.
The latest iPhone 7 rumors are in, complete with reporter and leak enthusiast Evan Blass claiming the next-gen handset will be released the week of September 12th. Blass specifically cited that the new iPhone will hit the shelves on Friday, September 16th.
This would put it a bit earlier than usual, as the previous generation of iPhone was released on September 25th last year, the iPhone 6 debuted on September 19th in 2014 and the 2013 iPhone 5s was September 20th.
With a sooner-than-usual release date for retail availability, this also pushes the expected date for Apple’s media press announcement.
Edward Snowden may be in exile from the U.S., but that doesn’t seem to be slowing him down.
Snowden, who once met with reporters in a Hong Kong hotel room to spill the NSA’s secrets and famously asked them put their phones in the fridge to block any radio signals that might be used to silently activate the devices’ microphones or cameras, has released plans to announce a prototype for a device that could stop this kind of surveillance.
On Thursday at the MIT Media Lab, Snowden and well-known hardware hacker Andrew “Bunnie” Huang plan to present designs for a case-like device that wires into your iPhone’s guts to monitor the electrical signals sent to its internal antennas and they say it could offer a constant check on whether your phone’s radios are transmitting. They say it’s an infinitely more trustworthy method of knowing your phone’s radios are off than “airplane mode,” which people have shown can be hacked and spoofed.
In short, this could stop the transmission and thus better protect the user’s privacy.
The good news is that Intel announced its seventh-generation Core processors during yesterday’s second quarter earnings call yesterday.
The bad news is that the processors, known as “Kaby Lake”, which are made via a 14-nanometer process, might not see the Mac until 2017.
Intel’s last two chip releases have been plagued with long delays, and moving away from the tick-tock cycle will allow it to push out new chip updates on a regular basis. Apple’s Macs, such as the Retina MacBook Pro and the iMac, have been impacted by Intel’s chip delays over the last few years, resulting in long periods of time between updates and unusual update cycles.
The Chinese app market is the world leader at this point in time, the U.S. coming in second and Japan rounding out third place.
A few months ago, App Annie reported on China passing Japan in iOS game revenues, and the firm had predicted that China would jump over the US next. This has now happened and App Annie’s newest report on iOS revenues in Q2 has revealed even more explosive growth for the country. The site noted that China managed to generate nearly double the iOS App Store Games revenue it had just a year earlier in Q2 2015.
On Thursday, Apple was hit with yet another class action lawsuit, the suit alleging that the company has been replacing damaged devices under AppleCare+ with refurbished units. This isn’t the first suit of its kind in this regard and similar suits have been filed in the past.
This lawsuit, filed today in California, accuses Apple of not holding true to the AppleCare+ contract, which states that devices replaced as part of the program are the “equivalent to new in performance and reliability.” The lawsuit was initiated by Vicky Maldonado and Joanne McRight.
If you’re hankering for the new beta of iOS 10 and macOS 10.12 Sierra, you’re in luck.
Members of Apple’s Beta Software Program can now install the iOS 10 public beta 2 over-the-air from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch by going to Settings > General > Software Update. On desktop, you can download and install the macOS Sierra beta from the Updates section in the Mac App Store.
The public betas closely follow the release of the third developer beta. For iOS 10, this public beta now lets you send files to iCloud Drive from Mail or Safari, subscribe to playlists in Apple Music, and tap on App Support in Siri’s Settings. Come the fall, it’s expected that the iOS 10 final version will bring a new personalized Discovery Mix to Apple Music. This feature is still missing in the second public beta, and there are no additional third-party apps for Messages. Read here to learn about the most exciting features offered by iOS 10.
It’s a rumor, but it’s got some interesting elements to it.
Following Apple’s acquisition of LinX Imaging last year, Apple could be in line to use the Huawei P9 dual-lens camera system in its next-gen iPhone. The P9, created in a partnership with Leica, users two 12-megapixel cameras. One camera captures a normal color image, while the second takes a monochrome image that allows for more focus on the lighting of a scene. The advantage, Huawei claims, is a better overall image with higher clarity and professional camera-like quality.
Apple Pay has just rolled out in Hong Kong in a big way.
The service, which has gone online, is supported with Visa, MasterCard, and American Express cards issued by Bank of China, DBS Bank, HSBC, Standard Chartered, and Hang Seng Bank. Additionally, cards issued directly by American Express are also supported.
In the future, Apple says that Hong Kong’s Bank of East Asia and Tap & Go cards will also be supported with Apple Pay in Hong Kong, though no timetable has been given.
In addition to Apple’s OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan update on Monday, Apple also released updates for iOS, watchOS and tvOS.
While Apple users are looking forward to the next major operating system updates, Apple is still working on the currently released products. On Monday, the company released OS updates for iOS, OS X, watchOS, and tvOS.
The iOS 9.3.3 update includes “bug fixes and improves the security” of your iOS device. The company’s online document details updates for Calendar, CoreGraphics, FaceTime, Safari, and more.


text:
On 4 June 2021, the Philippine National Privacy Commission (NPC) announced that it will be holding off the launch of its eRehistro system1 in order “to make way for a complete solution that integrates all the services related to data privacy compliance.”
Additionally, the NPC has again extended the validity of existing Data Protection Officer (DPO) registrations issued in 2019 and 2020 to 8 March 2022.
In the meantime, the NPC advised that it will continue to accept applications for, and amendments to, DPO registrations through its manual registration process by electronic mail.
Clients covered by the registration requirement are advised to continue to use the NPC’s manual registration process for purposes of registering and or amending its DPO registration with the commission.
Our Firm continues to closely monitor this matter, and we shall provide more updates as they arise. To learn more about eRehistro, please check our previous client alerts:
- Philippines: National Privacy Commission announces new online registration platform and extends validity of DPO registrations to 30 June 2021
- Philippines: eRehistro updates from the National Privacy Commission
- Philippines: More updates on eRehistro from the National Privacy Commission
- Philippines: Latest eRehistro updates from the National Privacy Commission
- Philippines: Understanding the key changes to be introduced by the National Privacy Commission’s eRehistro system
1 The eRehistro system is the NPC’s new online registration and renewal platform for both Phase 1: Data Protection Officer and Phase 2: Data Processing System registrations.


text:
Reviews By Category
The pro-grade Sony A7R II doesn't just hold its own, it dominates the mirrorless category.
The NX1 stands out from the crowd, even if it's ahead of its time.
With a new sensor and a familiar pro-ready design, the Canon EOS 5DS packs a performance wallop.
Nikon polishes up another great full-frame camera with the new D810.
Buy now at Amazon
The Panasonic Lumix G7 is a stellar Micro Four Thirds shooter with 4K video and features galore.
Though it's not cheap, the new low-end OM-D is a fine choice for beginners.
Sony’s baffling beauty excelled in our tests, posting high marks—for a high price.
Sony adds new stacked sensor to the new RX10 II opening up 4K video and improved burst performance.
The RX100 IV continues to raise the bar for point-and-shoot cameras everywhere.
A Canon PowerShot finally learns to dance with Sony's superb RX100.
Panasonic takes on the RX10 with its own premium bridge camera.
Canon's latest bridge camera offers decent performance, but can it live up to the competition?
Buy now at Amazon
A welcome refresh for Nikon's top DSLR.
Olympus announces a new tough cam and super telephoto lens.
Nikon drops a pro-grade DX camera and a 4K 360 action cam at CES 2016.
With a new sensor and autofocus system, the Nikon D5 is finally here.
Two compelling compacts and one heckuva telephoto lens for 2016.
Zoomier, faster Canon PowerShots bow just in time for the new year.
The XF modular camera system receives a 100MP upgrade.
In a year-end blog post, Pete Souza shows off his favorite iPhone shots.
Canon's stocking stuffer? Free accidental protection with some DSLRs.
Don't neglect one of the most important aspects of food photography.
How many people does it take to get the iPhone's camera in tip-top shape?
Five essential purchases for new camera owners.
Hands-on with what Olympus claims to be its sharpest lens ever.
Micro Four Thirds sports and wildlife shooters, rejoice.
Lighter and smaller, the new 600mm f/4L IS DO looks promising.
One of Canon's most popular pro lenses just got better.
Nikon's sending its full-frame lens lineup back to school.


text:
Perhaps not surprisingly, Samsung plans on raising the price of the Galaxy S9 phone by approximately THB1,500 with the device due to be unveiled next month.
Samsung’s new smartphone will be one of the most expensive on the market with the Galaxy S9+ being more expensive still, according to a report in ETNews.
As Samsung doesn’t have a fixed price, it is thought that the handsets will be priced higher in the US and Europe with the S9 predicted to cost £700 (THB31,000) and the S9+ £800 (THB35,000) meaning that there will be a significant increase compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy S8.
The new smartphones will launch at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) which is held annually in Barcelona on 25 February.
It is likely that it will only be then that have a clearer indication of what the price will actually be.
What we do know is that the new devices will look almost the same as the S8 and S8+ with the most notable cosmetic change being made to the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, which was disastrous on last year’s models.
It seems that almost every detail about the new devices has already been leaked, but Samsung is yet to confirm or deny any of the speculation.


text:
CNBC: Tech behemoths Apple and IBM announced a partnership Tuesday that could make Apple—traditionally a consumer brand—a major player in the business market.
Google this morning announced their latest initiative: Project Zero, an effort to improve web security for everyone...
The consortium will seek to define connectivity requirements to ensure the interoperability of billions of devices projected to come online by 2020.
Gartner says that mobile device sales are not only on the rise, but the traditional PC market is also recovering from a drop in 2013.
Microsoft, Apple and Google have all made big announcements at their developer conferences. What do they mean for developers and how we design and build applications?
View All Upcoming Courses
The Linux Foundation is a non-profit consortium dedicated to the growth of Linux.
More About the foundation...
Join / Linux Training / Board
Embedded & Mobile
How to Participate
Contact / About
Privacy / Terms / Editorial Policy


text:
This article is more than 1 year old
3G sets Cannes smoking again
Not yet run out of puff
3GSM If the thick fug of cigar smoke in the lobby of the Majestic Barrière is anything to go by, the good times are coming back to the mobile phone industry as it makes its final visit to Cannes.
3G is finally taking off, GSM Association CEO Rob Conway told those 3GSM World Congress attendees who got up early enough to hear his keynote today.
The number of 3G handsets (which for some reason he was calling 3GSM handsets) is up to 75, with another 40 to come by the end of the show.
It still wasn’t enough for T-Mobile CEO Rene Obermann, sharing his thoughts with the crowd in a ‘fireside chat’. He listed the lack of compelling handsets as one of the issues which ran through his mind shortly before his head hit the pillow each night.
“We need to get the right range of devices to get a true mobile internet experience and get mass market penetration,” he said.
NTT DoCoMo CEO Masao Nakamura, fireside chatting through an interpreter, shed some light on the Japanese giant’s plan for HSDPA, the high-speed download enhancement to 3G which will be one of the conference’s most talked-about technologies.
HSDPA will appear on the market in 2006, he said. “There are two elements,” his translator said. “One is the fact that HSDPA is important to reduce network cost. And because of its higher speed it will allow us to offer richer content.”
“We can introduce HSDPA with minimal incremental investment,” he added.
DoCoMo is keen to continue to promote interoperability between its own equipment and international standard kit. The idea is that this will increase volumes, and reduce prices for DoCoMo’s own equipment and handset purchases – so expect more efforts to push iMode, and perhaps even Linux enabled handsets in Europe.
Whether DoCoMo can transplant a thriving content business which is worth 1 trillion yen (£5bn) a year remains to be seen.
Orange’s CEO Sanjiv Ahuja looked uncomfortable when probed about Orange’s desire to expand geographically. “We are looking… I’m not ready to tell you.”
“We have to look at organic and inorganic growth. When we moved to Africa and Eastern Europe it has been very successful. So we are constantly on the lookout.”
A key step in the march towards the inevitable second billion GSM/3G subscribers is a cheap handset. Or rather, a “not a cheap handset, but high quality handset at low cost,” an important difference, Conway told the crowd.
This would open another 181m to 321m subscribers to the joys of mobile telephones.
Motorola has been chosen by the GSM association as the ones to manufacture a handset that will sell for $30 - the price of a modest Havana. The handset is $40 at the moment, but the intention is to shave off another $10.
Another tender for a second high-quality-at-low-cost handset is on the cards.
The GSM association has been trialling systems to make the process of global roaming easier. Rather than concluding deals with a network in each country, operators just need to sign up with a hub exchange.
This is being launched for MMS, and a similar system for SIP-based IP traffic has been trialled with a posse of European operators, including TeliaSonera, KPN, Orange, SFR, Telenor and Vodafone.
To “accommodate its growth path”, said Conway, 3GSM is moving to Barcelona for 2006, where conventioneers can look forward to a better choice of restaurants, functioning public transport and much cheaper cigars.
The taxi drivers of Cannes will certainly miss it. ®
Broadband a go-go: Orange goes mad on EDGE, TV, video
Nokia bends to operators
MS, Nokia in Valentine's Day headline bid
All the Reg stories from this year’s conference


text:
SDM delivers comprehensive business and technology information to the North American security channel — dealers, installers, integrators, distributors, VARs/IT installing and monitoring companies . They recently shared more details of Camect’s pro program for security integrators, installers, and dealers.
Camect products also provide more privacy than other smart home products — a large selling point in the current climate. The analysis and video are both 100 percent local, so customers retain full control of their footage (and the system will continue to work of the Internet is down).
Pros can even take advantage of a monitoring backend integration only available to those in the program. With this, you can set users up with a monitoring station to watch their account.Courtney Wolfe -SDM Magazine


text:
The agency will be responsible for executing the creative strategy, brand equity building, as well as campaign execution
Sheela Foam Limited has appointed Ogilvy to manage the creative and digital duties of all its brands including the flagship brand Sleepwell. Moreover, the company is also looking to expand its product portfolio while also maintaining a strong growth in the mattress category.
As part of the association, Ogilvy will be responsible for delivering an integrated marketing communications strategy across the businesses which will include creative strategy, brand equity building, and campaign execution. Ogilvy brings on board a high level of strategic thinking and we look forward to co-creating a new narrative in the category, Sumit Sehgal, CMO, Sheela Foam Ltd said. “Given the agency’s credentials in creating India’s most loved brands, we are confident of adding another to the list with this relationship,” he added.
According to the brand, the association aims to put Sleepwell as a preferred option in the mattress and other allied categories. “With the agency as our integrated communication partner, we are hopeful of achieving this,” Sehgal added.
Founded in 1948 by David Ogilvy, Ogily has been producing relevant, culture-changing marketing campaigns. Today, Ogilvy is an award-winning integrated creative network that makes brands matter for Fortune Global 500 companies as well as local businesses across 131 offices in 83 countries. The company creates experiences, design and communications that shape every aspect of a brand’s needs through six core areas including brand strategy, advertising, customer engagement and commerce, PR and influence, digital transformation, and partnerships. The WPP company has helped build some of the most valuable brands in the world, including American Express, IBM, and Dove. Recently we have added more clients to this list of brands, including NASCAR, Philips, Coke Zero, IKEA, UPS, Nationwide and Tiffany & Co.


text:
Updated: 07/22/2014 2:02 PM
Created: 07/22/2014 1:49 PM WDIO.com
CUTLER, Calif. (AP) - A Central California company has issued a voluntary nationwide recall of specific lots of its fresh peaches, plums, nectarines and pluots over concerns of possible listeria contamination.
Wawona Packing says on its website that no illnesses have been reported and the recall is a precautionary measure.
The company said the recalled fruit was packed and shipped to retailers from June 1 through July 12.
Retailers that received the fruit include Costco and Trader Joe's.
The recall came after internal testing at the packing house in Tulare County.
Officials say they shut down the lines, retrofitted some equipment and sanitized the facility. Subsequent tests have been negative.
Clovis-based Wawona Frozen Foods is a separate company and is not involved in the voluntary recall.
Listeria bacteria can cause a dangerous flu-like illness.
(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Local Business Sends Deserving Kids to the Circus
The Shrine Circus is always full of smiles for kids and families, but especially so this year because one local business gave out 150 tickets to some of the Northland's most deserving kids...
'Spring Gayla' Raises Money for Duluth Superior Pride Festival
A "Spring Gayla" formal event raised money for the Duluth Superior Pride Festival at the Greysolon Ballroom Saturday.
Music Enthusiasts Celebrate National Record Store Day
Music enthusiasts flocked to the Electric Fetus Saturday afternoon for a one day event of exclusive releases. Several bands played live music for 8th Annual National Record Store Day, a holiday dedicated to recorded music.
Benefit Helps Hermantown Family With Premature Twins' Medical Expenses
The community came together to support two Hermantown teachers with medical expenses for their premature twin boys.
Northlanders Connect with Local Farmers through CSA Meet and Greet
About 20 food producers part of the Bayfield Foods Cooperative were in Duluth on Saturday for a meet and greet to get ready for the upcoming CSA season.


text:
Monday, June 10, 2013
Acquisition to expand service offering in low and medium voltage drives and motors.
German Engineering Federation recognizes InfoLink fleet management system.
April 2013 shipments up 5.2% when compared to April 2012.
Located in Rho, near the international fairground of Milan, Interroll Italia will serve all Italian customers to benefit from the experience of a global company
Posted on 06/10 at 05:49 AM
Friday, June 07, 2013
Distributors and e-commerce companies in particular are seeking ways to improve processes and cut costs.
For warehouses filled with pallets, cases and pieces, filling orders can often be the most labor intensive and costly operating expense.
One day event to focus on leadership development, career advancement and networking.
Posted on 06/07 at 08:51 AM
In 2012, 91 percent (29 million tons) of the corrugated packaging used in the U.S. was successfully recovered for recycling, maintaining its top position as the most-recycled packaging material.
Posted on 06/07 at 08:31 AM
Thursday, June 06, 2013
iGPS Company LLC, operator and owner of the largest global pallet rental pool of lightweight, 100% recyclable plastic platforms with embedded RFID tags, today announced that it has reached an agreement for the sale of substantially all of its assets to iGPS Logistics LLC, a joint venture formed by Balmoral Funds, One Equity Partners, certain of their affiliates, and Jeff and Robert Liebesman.
Posted on 06/06 at 02:21 PM
BMW manufacturing facility in Spartanburg, S.C., expands use of fuel cells for material handling trucks and forklifts.
Manufacturing production expected to increase 3.1% in 2013 and 3.6% in 2014; Projections for 1.8% GDP growth in 2013 and 2.8% growth in 2014.
Posted on 06/06 at 08:40 AM


text:
Kraft Foods is recalling over 7,500 cases of American cheese slices after a supplier failed to store an ingredient at the correct temperature.
Sept. 2 10:53 a.m. |
Aggrego News Service
Company notes about grand openings, hires, promotions, awards and recognitions in the Chicago suburbs.
The chances of a medical marijuana clinic setting up shop in Lincolnwood in the near future are slim at best.
Sept. 1 6 a.m. |
Niles West will celebrate its first inductees in the inaugural Niles West Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony held on Friday, September 12 at 5701 West Oakton, Skokie.
Lincolnwood featured home — 6514 N. Saint Louis Ave. — $649,000
A local couple who turned a passion for Cuban cuisine into a successful business venture is extending their chain of Chicago-based restaurants to Lincolnwood this fall when they open a new location in Lincolnwood Town Center.
Aug. 30 6 a.m. |
Evanston Fire Captain Daniel Lynch never had occasion to use his paramedic training in childbirth until early Friday.
Aug. 29 4:50 p.m. |
EDITORIAL: A new report from the Economic Policy Institute found that you — Average American Worker — stood still financially for a decade. Celebrate Labor Day if you wish. But do not do so unmindful of solutions.
Delays near Lincoln and Crawford avenues are expected to grow longer than usual this week while underground utility work begins as part of the Crawford Avenue reconstruction project.
The following items were discussed and/or action was taken at the village of Lincolnwood board of Trustees meeting on August 19.
Aug. 28 3:45 p.m. |
Pioneer Press Staff


text:
Starbucks on Thursday reported quarterly earnings and revenue that fell short of analysts’ expectations as weak international demand weighed on its results.
In China, the company’s second-largest market, transactions at cafes open at least 13 months plunged 28%. During the quarter, the Chinese government relaxed its zero Covid policy, which led to new outbreaks of the virus. Outgoing CEO Howard Schultz said that more than 1,800 of its 6,090 Chinese locations were closed at the peak of the latest Covid wave.
Despite weak performance in China, CFO Rachel Ruggeri reiterated the company’s fiscal 2023 outlook. However, Starbucks now expects negative same-store sales growth in China through the fiscal second quarter, followed by a reversal of the trend in the second half of the fiscal year.
Shares of the company fell more than 1% in extended trading.
Here’s what the company reported compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by Refinitiv:
- Earnings per share: 75 cents adjusted vs. 77 cents expected
- Revenue: $8.71 billion vs. $8.78 billion expected
The coffee giant reported fiscal first-quarter net income of $855.2 million, or 74 cents per share, up from $815.9 million, or 69 cents per share, a year earlier.
Excluding restructuring and impairment costs and other items, Starbucks earned 75 cents per share.
Net sales rose 8% to $8.71 billion. Globally, its same-store sales rose 5%, driven by a 7% increase in average transaction spend.
In the U.S., Starbucks saw same-store sales growth of 10%, thanks to customers spending more and a 1% bump in traffic. Customers bought a record $3.3 billion in gift cards over the holiday season.
Schultz also said that while many retailers reported falling traffic and weak holiday sales, those with Starbucks locations inside their stores said the coffee chain drew traffic and sales.
Its U.S. rewards program reached 30.4 million active members, up 15% from the year-ago period and 6% from the prior quarter. The coffee chain recently changed its loyalty program, making it more expensive to redeem points for a hand-crafted drink but cheaper for beverages that are easier to make.
Outside its home market, Starbucks’ same-store sales shrank 13%, dragged down by China’s dismal performance.
But China’s sales are already improving. Ruggeri said the country’s same-store sales plunged 42% in December but just 15% in January.
The company opened 459 net new locations in the quarter.
Looking to 2023, the company is projecting revenue growth of 10% to 12% and adjusted earnings per share growth on the low end of 15% to 20% for fiscal 2023.
Schultz also teased an announcement coming later in February. He said he discovered “an enduring transformative new category” when he visited Italy last summer.
“The word I would use to describe it without giving too much away is alchemy,” he told analysts on what’s expected to be his final conference call as chief executive.
Laxman Narasimhan is slated to take over as CEO on April 1.
Read the full Starbucks earnings report.


text:
Saglev EV Assembly Plant in Lagos. Nigeria is poised to become a major player in the electric vehicle (EV) market, thanks to the establishment of Saglev’s EV assembly plant in Lagos. The plant, which is expected to commence operations in December 2023, will have an installed capacity to assemble 2,500 electric vehicles annually on one shift.
Saglev is a United States-based EV manufacturer that is committed to adapting its assembly plant in Lagos to meet the specific environmental and road conditions in Nigeria. The company has partnered with leading EV makers in Europe, China, and America to ensure that its vehicles are of the highest quality and reliability.
In addition to saving money on fuel costs, EVs can also help to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported oil. Nigeria is a major oil producer, but it also imports a significant amount of refined petroleum products, such as PMS. This is because Nigeria’s domestic refineries are not able to meet the country’s demand for refined petroleum products.
By switching to EVs, Nigerians can help to reduce the country’s reliance on imported oil and save money on fuel costs. This can lead to a number of economic benefits, such as improved trade balance, reduced foreign exchange reserves, and increased job creation in the renewable energy sector.
Saglev EV Assembly Plant in Lagos
The Saglev EV assembly plant in Lagos is a significant development for Nigeria’s automotive landscape. It will create jobs, boost the local economy, and reduce the country’s reliance on fossil fuels. Moreover, it will make EVs more accessible and affordable for Nigerians.
Benefits of Saglev’s EV assembly plant in Lagos:
Job creation: The plant is expected to create thousands of jobs, both directly and indirectly. This will help to reduce unemployment and boost the local economy.
Technology transfer: Saglev’s partnership with leading EV makers will bring cutting-edge EV technology to Nigeria. This will help to develop the country’s automotive industry and create new opportunities for local businesses.
Reduced emissions: EVs produce zero emissions, which will help to improve air quality and reduce Nigeria’s carbon footprint.
Affordability: Saglev is committed to making EVs more affordable for Nigerians. The company is working with the Nigerian government to develop policies and incentives that will make EVs more competitive with gasoline-powered vehicles.
The Saglev EV assembly plant in Lagos is a major step towards Nigeria’s transition to a clean and sustainable transportation system. It is a testament to the country’s commitment to innovation and its desire to play a leading role in the global EV market.
In addition to the benefits listed above, Saglev’s EV assembly plant in Lagos is also expected to have a positive impact on the following:
Public health: EVs can help to reduce air pollution and its associated health risks, such as respiratory problems and heart disease.
Climate change: EVs can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Energy security: Nigeria can reduce its dependence on imported oil by transitioning to EVs.
Overall, Saglev’s EV assembly plant in Lagos is a positive development for Nigeria and its people. It is a sign that the country is ready to embrace the future of transportation and make a positive impact on the environment.


text:
By: Jeff Chester | Mar 31 2014
Twenty-eight consumer, child advocacy and public health groups submitted this letter today to President Obama's review on "Big Data" team. Among the groups signing the letter included the African American Colloboraative Obesity Research Network, American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Consumers Union, Children Now, Common Sense Media, CFA, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, Momsrising, National Consumers League, Praxis Project and Salud America!
By: Jeff Chester | Mar 27 2014
Groups File Report with the White House “Big Data” Review Proceeding
By: Jeff Chester | Mar 25 2014
Beginning a more informed discussion on the privacy and consumer protection implications of Facial Recognition Technology: NTIA Privacy Multi-stakeholder Process:
By: Jeff Chester | Mar 22 2014
EPIC and CDD filed this at the FTC today. Despite the protestations of Whatsapp's founders, they cannot guarantee that Facebook won't eventually incorporate the rich vein of mobile, location and other data that flows from its services. If the Whatsapp founders are truly to commited to its user privacy, we ask them to enter into a voluntary 20 year consent decree with the FTC, placing on the record that they will maintain privacy practices without Facebook interference.
By: Jeff Chester | Mar 21 2014
We were pleased to learn that the FTC filed an Amicus brief in the 9th Circuit yesterday to help create the misleading record Facebook created in the so-called "Sponsored Stories" case. CDD, along with Public Citizens and the Children's Advovacy Institute (U of San Diego) have been closely working together on the case, to support an outcome that provides the privacy safeguards teens require. Here's what CDD's attorney Hudson Kingston said about the FTC's filing:
By: Jeff Chester | Mar 20 2014
Here's a summary from our attorney Eric Null at Institute for Public Representation, Georgetown University Law Center:
By: Jeff Chester | Mar 18 2014
By: Jeff Chester | Mar 6 2014
We urge you to review the attached FTC complaint that was filed today by EPIC and CDD. The millions of WhatsApp users who signed up for the service were promised--repeatedly as you will read in the complaint--that the company didn't want to gather and commercialize their data. They posed as the "unFacebook," deriding the commercial surveillance apparatus that lies at the core of contemporary online practices. Yet at the same time they made their public privacy promises, they were being
By: Jeff Chester | Feb 24 2014
More than 40 groups sent a letter to President Obama today on the second anniversary of the Administration's promise it would seek a new "Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights." Although the President said in 2012 that "we can't wait" for such new safeguards, so far the Administration has failed to deliver proposed legislative language. Civil rights, civil liberties, consumer, privacy and child advocacy groups signed the letter, which urged the President t
By: Jeff Chester | Feb 13 2014
Feb. 13, 2014
Facebook Settlement Endangers Kids and Breaks Law in Seven States, Public Interest Groups, Parents Tell 9th Circuit
Children’s Privacy Organization Denounces Settlement, Refuses Money
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consumer, children’s safety, digital privacy groups and parents are urging a federal appeals court to toss out a settlement agreement that permits Facebook to use kids’ pictures in ads without the consent of their parents – which is illegal in seven states.
By: Jeff Chester | Feb 10 2014
This letter was sent today to John Holdren, the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and was signed by 25 groups. It calls on the White House to include a public comment period as part of its current 90-day "Big Data" review announced by the President during his speech on NSA reforms. It coincides as well with a meeting planned today on the issue led by John Podesta.
By: Jeff Chester | Jan 28 2014
excerpt via Exchangewire: Privacy awareness body Truste has today (28 January) released its annual Consumer Confidence Index, revealing 60% of participants in the survey were more concerned about their online privacy compared to 12 months ago, with 89% actively “avoiding” companies they don’t believe protect their privacy adequately....However, it seems that contagion has spread to the private sector too, as there are three times as many survey participants concerned about companies
By: Jeff Chester | Jan 22 2014
When Facebook proposed to change its data use practices late last August, we wrote a number of papers to help the FTC. This is one of them, which discusses the company's ad practices and its relationship to its privacy claims. This paper addresses a number of Facebook data use and digital marketing strategies, and their impact on user privacy.
By: Jeff Chester | Jan 15 2014
“The Federal Trade Commission’s investigation of Apple sheds light on a growing practice that poses risks to children and families,” commented Jeff Chester, Executive Director of the Center for Digital Democracy. “Children are spending increasing amounts of time with mobile apps, generating potentially huge profits for the rapidly expanding gaming and app industries. In-app purchasing is becoming the dominant business model in many online games and other children’s entertainment content on mobile phones, tablets and gaming devices. Yet the techniques used to trigger these purchases are,
By: Jeff Chester | Dec 16 2013
U.S. online marketing companies are pioneering the dramatic expansion of data collection throughout the world, as they gather, analyze, and make actionable all of our information. Giants such as Google and Facebook effectively become “private NSAs”—tracking us on social media, mobile devices, search engines, online games, and increasingly even when we are in the grocery or department store. Telephone companies involved with the NSA’s “bulk” data-collection program are expanding their own data gathering on the Internet and mobile devices as well.
By: Jeff Chester | Dec 4 2013
A report written by Ed Mierzwinski of USPIRG and Jeff Chester of CDD.
By: Jeff Chester | Sep 21 2013
By: Jeff Chester | Sep 17 2013
Earlier today, the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) sent an email to the WC3 Tracking Protecting list withdrawing from the group. Its email, along with one from the IAB and from former WC3 co-chair Peter Swire, follows CDD's statement:
By: Jeff Chester | Sep 5 2013
The coalition's letter is attached. Facebook is violating the terms and spirit of its 2011 Consent Decree with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).