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Cybercriminals are easily able to penetrate smartphones via malware and are continuing to do so through apps, especially those preinstalled on cheaper mobile devices.
Online security firm Kaspersky has once again flagged off concerns that malware inside mobiles are on the rise, and to such an extent that some countries in the region have made it to the list of top 20 affected in the world.
The number of cyber-incidents detected by Kaspersky Lab’s products in the Middle East during the first quarter of 2016 was 15 per cent more than in the same period of 2015.
According to it, growth in use of mobile services in the region has lured cybercriminals to develop new innovative methods and tools to invade into a smartphone.
“Infections of mobile malware were most efficient for cybercriminals when they happened via malware in mobile applications from app-stores and the presence of malware in the initial software pack of the phone, which was the case with inexpensive devices,” it said in a recent analysis.
The issue gained prominence last March when mobile security firm Bluebox said it found malware pre-loaded on Xiaomi, which the smartphone maker later dismissed as counterfeit devices.
Then came several other security firms who found more smartphones at least 26 brands, which included prominent names like Huawei and Lenovo that came with pre-installed malware, capable enough to spy on the user and steal data.
Almost all smartphone-makers have dismissed the reports and denied that no malwares were pre-installed by them.
The spyware disguised in popular Android apps such as Facebook and Google Drive resides inside the phone's firmware and cannot even be removed or uninstalled unless the devices are unlocked.
According to Kaspersky Lab statistics in the first quarter of 2016, some countries appeared in the top 20 worldwide by the share of users who faced incidents on their smartphones: Egypt took 13th place with about 12 per cent followed by Turkey at 14th spot with 10.7 per cent.
Security firm Symantec has also announced that in 2015 alone there were 430 million new malware variants discovered, a 36 percent increase from the previous year. According to it, professional cybercriminals are leveraging their vast resources in attempt to overwhelm defenses and enter corporate networks through any means possible.
Meanwhile, Google last week released its latest Android Security Annual report and said it has been scanning a whole lot of apps and devices everyday to ensure that mobile phones running on its operating system are safe.
Releasing some numbers it said it scans over 6 billion apps and 400 million devices everyday to constantly monitor and secure the Android ecosystem. “Greater transparency helps drive a well-informed discussion about security, and from there, more safety for all users. We'll continue our ongoing efforts to improve Android’s protections, and we look forward to engaging with the ecosystem and security community in 2016 and beyond,” said Adrian Ludwig, Lead Engineer, Android Security.
Google said its use of both on-device and cloud-based services has provides Android devices using its services with flexibility to improve security in ways that are not possible within a traditional client operating system.
According to the company. the endpoint protections it provides include preventing installation of Potentially Harmful Applications, enabling users to protect a lost or stolen device, protecting users against potentially harmful websites, simplifying the user-authentication process, and even helping third-party applications check the security of a device.
"In 2015, we increased our understanding of the ecosystem using automated systems that incorporate large-scale event correlation and machine learning to run more than 400 million automatic security scans per day on devices with Google Mobile Services," the report said adding that the number of successful exploitation of vulnerabilities on Android devices continued to be extremely rare during 2015.
The largest threat was installation of Potentially Harmful Applications (PHAs), or applications that may harm a device, harm the device’s user, or do something unintended with user data. On average, less than 0.5 per cent of devices had a PHA installed during 2015 and devices that only installed applications from Google Play averaged less than 0.15 per cent, the security report by Google said.
Combing its own software and third party applications the scans were not only able to detect apps with malware while they are being installed, but also check on pre-installed applications.
“Ongoing protection by Verify Apps, which scans for PHAs, and SafetyNet, which protects from network threats—as well as actions taken by the Android Security Team—helped stop the spread of PHAs like Ghost Push and reduced Russian fraudware by over 80 per cent. We also released the SafetyNet Attest API to help developers check device compatibility and integrity," it says.
It further enhanced its safety elements and expanded its platform security technology with the launch of Android 6.0 which also made encryption mandatory for all devices capable of supporting fingerprint scanners, "Most new devices with Android 6.0 have a hardware root of trust and provide a verifiable good boot state. We introduced support for device fingerprint sensors, improving user security through ease of use. We changed the permission model so that users can see, grant, and revoke permissions for applications at a granular level, allowing for better control of the data and capabilities that each application can access," it said.


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Given that the Brexit debate has been fixated on issues such as the backstop, customs union and single market, businesses have perhaps overlooked one particular element of our relationship with the EU that may cause them a headache right now. Intriguingly, government seems to have overlooked it as well.
The last month in manufacturing has certainly not succumbed to January blues; industry has remained buoyant and resilient despite challenges faced. This has been reflected in much of the Editorial team's latest news, features and analysis.
It's almost impossible to summarise the key takeaways from 94 top-tier contributors across more than 70 keynotes, panel discussions and interactive sessions in just 800 words. Here's just a snapshot of my own highlights from the two days.
Where is your favourite wine from? Your answer probably isn't Battersea. The area may be more famous for its power station, but it's also home to an urban winery that sources its grapes from just down the road.
UK manufacturing continues to grow from strength to strength amid significant domestic, global and technological disruption. That growth has been reflected in much of the news our Editorial team have reported over the past 12 months.
In 2018, The Manufacturer produced more videos than any previous 12 month period, covering key questions including: how vulnerable is the sector to cyber-attack; how is digital tech having a positive impact of on staff, how to narrow the UK’s productivity gap, what does the future of employee engagement look like, and much more.
At The Manufacturer, we are lucky enough to visit world-leading factories. This year we've been to the elite in automotive and additive manufacturing facilities, and even the UK's largest supplier of own-label gin and vodka - to name a few. Here are our top features of 2018!
The Manufacturer's Editorial team regularly sit down with industrial business owners, decision-makers and experts to promote their successes, discuss where they see future opportunities and unpick what keeps them up at night.

domain: news


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Realme is all set to launch the Realme M1 Sonic Electric Toothbrush in India on September 3. The electric toothbrush has been listed on Realme India’s official website ahead of its release, with details about its features. It will have high frequency sonic motor and Dupont anti-bacterial bristles. Launching as Realme’s first electric toothbrush, it can last up to 90 days on a single charge and supports fast wireless charging.
As per the specifications revealed by Realme, the Realme M1 Sonic Electric Toothbrush will have four cleaning modes: Soft Mode for sensitive teeth, Clean Mode for daily use, White Mode for deep cleaning, and Polish Mood for shining teeth. The electric toothbrush will be available in White and Blue colour options.
The Realme M1 Sonic Electric Toothbrush has a 3.55mm thin metal-free brush head, comes with 34,000 times per min Sonic Motor, and offers less than 60dB low noise. The electric toothbrush has antibacterial bristles, and Realme claims that it will offer the best cleaning in its segment.
The Realme M1 Sonic Electric Toothbrush will be launched at 12:30 pm IST on September 3, along with Realme 7 and Realme 7 Pro.
Realme India CEO and Vice President Madhav Sheth tweeted about the upcoming launch, saying that with Realme M1 Sonic Electric Toothbrush, Realme would be launching the most effective and stylish personal healthcare product for the first time in the company’s tech-lifestyle journey. Sheth called the Realme M1 Sonic Electric Toothbrush a tech trendsetter product, saying that it will match the aspirations of the youth.
Is Realme TV the best TV under Rs. 15,000 in India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.


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In talks with India, other countries on palm oil sales: Malaysia
DECCAN CHRONICLE | DC Correspondent
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia is in talks with India and other countries to urge them to continue buying Malaysian palm oil, its trade minister said on Thursday, after calls for a boycott of the commodity by Indian traders.
"We are continuously engaging not only with India but all countries to purchase our palm oil," minister Darell Leiking said
A top vegetable oil trade body in Mumbai on Monday asked its members to stop buying Malaysian palm oil, after criticism by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad at the UN General Assembly on New Delhi's decision to end Jammu and Kashmir's special status.


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Last Week in Numbers: Tesla To Go Private?
Tesla’s founder, Elon Musk, revealed on Twitter that he is considering taking Tesla private at US$420 per share. On the same post, he said that funding has been secured, causing the share to jump to close at US$379.57 on Tuesday. But analysts and investment bankers have reacted with skepticism saying, Musk, with his net worth of US$22 billion, would find it difficult to raise the US$72 billion to make the deal happen. There are also big logistical and legal challenges when it comes to buying out smaller shareholders.
Meanwhile, blue-chip property companies in Singapore did well over the second quarter of 2018. CapitaLand Limited (SGX: C31) posted a 4.4% increase in profits on the back of contributions made from newly acquired properties. City Developments Limited (SGX: C09) reported an 80% surge in net profit to S$204.8 million, due to higher profits from its development projects. But with the effects of the additional property cooling measures put in place in early July, there might be a slow down in residential unit sales and new residential development projects in the near future.
A new app was launched this week that allows users to pay in more than 150 currencies when overseas or shopping online without incurring currency conversion or transaction fees. The app, a collaboration involving EZ-Link, You Technologies Group and Mastercard comes with a contactless Mastercard prepaid card, which enables users to pay at over 30 million Mastercard merchants worldwide. Users can also store up to 10 currencies in their wallet.
China reported a US$28.1 billion surplus with the US in July, marginally below June’s US$28.9 billion. However, it was still 11% higher than the corresponding period last year. China’s global trade surplus also fell from US$41.5 billion in June to US$28 billion in July. In total, exports surged 12.2% in July, while imports jumped 27.3%.
The above comes as the trade conflict between the US and China heats up. On July 6, US imposed 25% tariffs on US$34 billion on Chinese imports, with Beijing retaliating in kind. US officials have now said they would add another 25% levy on US$16 billion worth of imports starting on August 23. It remains to be seen what sort of impact the new tariffs will have on trade.
Singapore celebrated its 53rd birthday on Thursday, 9 August. Around 25,000 spectators attended the National Day Parade, with many more lined along the Marina Bay area to catch a glimpse of the fireworks and processions. Among the highlights of the show were the Red Lions, who jumped from 3,800 meters in the air, the highest ever for an NDP, and an aerobatic display by the Singapore Air Force. A total of 21 aircraft from the Republic of Singapore Air Force took part in the display.


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MADRID, Spain (WLS) -- Hundreds of scientists are campaigning to ban common chemical used in many household products, including pizza boxes, because they may pose a cancer risk.
Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFASs, have been partially banned for years, though other forms of the chemical are currently in use in millions of products worldwide.
Earlier studies have showed that PFASs in Teflon products may have contributed to a higher risk of cancer, leading to the ban. Now scientists say the chemicals' replacements may also be toxic.
Traces of PFASs have been found in a large segment of the population, and are known to linger in the bloodstream for years.
PFASs allow objects to resist moisture and high temperatures, and are used in many household products including pizza boxes, sleeping bags, electronics and backpacks, as well as automotive and aviation equipment.
"Research is needed to understand the potential for adverse health effects from exposure to the short-chain PFASs, especially regarding low-dose endocrine disruption and immunotoxicity," wrote the authors Linda S. Birnbaum, from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program and Philippe Grandjean, from the Harvard School of Public Health, in an article published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
"In parallel, research is needed to find safe alternatives for all current uses of PFASs. The question is, should these chemicals continue to be used in consumer products in the meantime, given their persistence in the environment?"
"These conundrums cannot be resolved by science alone but need to be considered in an open discussion informed by the scientific evidence," Birnbaum and Grandjean wrote.
Critics of the study say that the replacement chemicals have been found safe.
"We just believe based on the 10-year history of extensive studies done on the alternatives, that the regulatory agencies have done their job of determining that these things are safe for their intended uses," Thomas H. Samples, a lead risk manager for DuPont, told The New York Times. DuPont is a lead manufacturer of PFASs.
Other experts say that additional research into the chemicals' health effects could take five to 10 years.


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Mosaic Wellness, a health & wellness start-up running digital health clinic platforms, Man Matters (manmatters.com) and Bodywise (bebodywise.com), has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Abhinav Mohan as Chief Business Officer who will head all categories and brand marketing and work closely with Revant Bhate, Co-Founder & CEO.
Abhinav brings with him 10+ years of experience in building and scaling technology businesses. In his previous stint as VP and GM of Monetization at Glance (part of InMobi Group), Abhinav was helping brands connect with their audience and have personalized conversations with them through AI enabled digital platforms. In his previous roles at InMobi, he has also worked on consumer insights, performance marketing and innovative data solutions across both ad-tech and mar-tech. An alumnus of IIT Mumbai, Abhinav has pursued B.Tech in Metallurgical Engineering followed by an MBA from ISB.
Abhinav Mohan, Chief Business Officer, Mosaic Wellness, said, “Having spent the last few years in the consumer tech world, I have witnessed the transformative power of technology on consumer businesses. It’s super exciting to see how Mosaic Wellness, with its technology first approach, has been able to scale it’s digital health platform through consultations and I’m looking forward to help them disrupt the health and wellness industry.”
Commenting on the appointment, Mosaic Wellness, Co-founder & CEO, Revant Bhate said, “We are thrilled to welcome Abhinav to our core leadership team. Given his rich experience in scaling consumer first propositions with InMobi and Glance, we are looking forward to leverage his leadership skills in navigating the next phase in our growth journey across categories and propositions.”
Founded in May 2020, the company has already attracted well-known investors like Sequoia Capital, Elevation Capital, and Matrix Partners India, and prominent entrepreneurs to invest in the firm since its start. Both Man Matters and Bodywise have built user communities with very high engagement and involvement across Instagram, Website and Mobile App. Recently, the brand strengthened their leadership by adding a new CRO, Sachin Singla who was leading Revenue and Growth @ Disney Hotstar and CTO, Shouvik Ghosh who was VP Engineering at Dream Sports to the team.


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New updates are being added at the bottom of this story...
The original story (published on May 19, 2021) is as follows:
A few hours ago, Google demonstrated its Android 12 plan at its
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According to the New York Times, many Tesla cars allow drivers to play a series of games on the infotainment system while the car is driving. According to reports, the company introduced an update
On November 25, witnessed by more than 250 Thai media, distributors and user partners in the famous Siam Paragon shopping mall in Thailand, Haval JOLION HEV debuted in Bangkok, Thailand.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office today officially announced 52 new patent series granted by Apple. In this special report, we briefly introduced two Project Titan patents for Apple's w
Set up a new account on the XDA Developer Forum
Log in to the XDA Developer Forum
Add swipe gestures to any Android without root
Make your phone easier with one hand, no root requ
Want to use your mobile phone in the car safely and intelligently? These car phone holders are ideal for hands-free calling and navigation.
For any vehicle that does not contain a built-in na


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|E-Reader Unit Shipments to Reach 35 Million by 2014, Says In-Stat|
Posted: 14-Sep-2010 [Source: In-Stat]
[In-Stat predicts a $99 e-reader will be available in time for the holiday season.]
Scottsdale, AZ -- Last year, standalone e-readers were one of the most popular devices in the consumer electronics world. Today, there is still buzz surrounding the e-reader market. However, the talk is of drastic price erosion, competition from the Apple iPad, and the overall sustainability of standalone e-reader shipment growth. Despite the potential impact that the tablet PC market may have on the standalone e-reader market, e-reader shipments will grow from 12 million units by the end of this year, to 35 million in 2014, according to In-Stat.
"Tablet PC shipments are taking off, fueled in particular by the Apple iPad introduction. Yet, there will still be a revenue opportunity for e-reader suppliers and OEMs since tablet PCs and e-readers target different consumers," says Stephanie Ethier, Senior Analyst, In-Stat. "Standalone e-readers will address the needs of avid readers, to whom the reading experience is central. Tablets are better suited for consumers who prefer a stronger multimedia experience, and only light reading."
Recent research by In-Stat found the following:
* E-reader price points will continue to fall over the remainder of 2010, with a $99 model likely available in time for the holiday season.
* Tablet unit shipments will reach approximately 58 million in 2014.
* Among the semiconductor devices used in e-readers, the processor ASP will be the most resilient over the forecast period, only declining 18% from 2009 to 2014. Despite significant increases in NAND Flash densities, the dollar value of Flash declines 60% over the same period.
* The semiconductor TAM for e-reader suppliers will exceed one billion dollars in 2011.
Back to Headlines...


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YouTube has announced that it will be introducing unskippable 30-second commercials to its TV apps.
The new ads will be available to advertisers through YouTube Select,
a curated advertising platform that targets the top five percent of YouTube content.
YouTube's decision to introduce unskippable ads is likely to be met with some resistance from viewers.
Here are some of the reactions to YouTube's decision to introduce unskippable ads:
"This is a huge disappointment. I was hoping that YouTube would never do this."
"I'm going to have to start using an ad blocker."
YouTube is a video-sharing platform that allows users to watch, share, and upload videos.
It is the second most visited website in the world, after Google Search.


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The pandemic spurred people to go online in droves to work, shop, seek entertainment, connect socially and stay informed about COVID-19 and the rest of the world. And that created a Grand Canyon of data for retailers to mine.[quote]
While that sounds great, more data is only helpful if people know what to do with it. And some data collection recently became harder to harness, owing to privacy changes from Apple and Google. Industry experts say that just means brands have to work harder to collect and optimize data for future growth.
Christian Beckner, vice president of retail technology and cybersecurity for the National Retail Federation (NRF) says that since the pandemic, many in the industry are racing to establish a reliable and resilient data pipeline to both accelerate business and differentiate themselves from competitors.
“Retailers must not only continue to focus on how they leverage and use consumer data to unlock more value from it and fuel better, more personalized marketing and shopping experiences for their consumers,” Beckner says, “but also on how they can optimize collection of this data in the first place. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to this. Companies must consider the impact of this tectonic shift and determine how viable their current data strategy is.”
For their part, consumers seem to be of two minds on the data and privacy. On the one hand, two-thirds (66 percent) say they wish apparel brands and retailers knew more about what they like and how they shop, according to the November 2020 Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle MonitorTM Survey. Additionally, most (70 percent) say they would like brands and retailers to give them recommendations based on their past purchase history.
On the other hand, the MonitorTM survey revealed more than three-quarters of consumers (76 percent) say they don’t like companies tracking them online. That number held for all age groups, although it was fairly higher for men than women (79 percent versus 74 percent).
The NRF’s Beckner says retailers must understand three key points going forward with data mining:
– They will no longer be able to rely solely on third-party cookies and identifiers for advertisers to target and personalize advertisements.
– The absence of universal tracking across multiple platforms and devices could lead to fragmented data and view of consumers.
– Many retailers will need to evaluate impact and potentially rethink their privacy, data and marketing strategies right away to prepare for the near future and avoid falling behind their competitors.
Consumers are willing to throw a bone to brands they like, though: Half (50 percent) are willing to let companies they trust use some of their personal data, gathered at point of sales, for specific purposes that benefit the company, according to MonitorTM research. But less than half (41 percent) are willing to let brands and retailers use their online browsing and purchase history to deliver personalized ad content and shopping recommendations. It’s worth noting that younger consumers under the age of 35 (47 percent) are significantly more willing to share this data than their older counterparts (36 percent).
Going forward, once companies gather what is sure to still be an abundance of data, they need to know what to actually do with those insights. Ipsos’ Susan Jensen, insight consultant and curation lead, explained during a recent webinar titled “Turning a Myriad of Data into Actionable Insights” how her company dealt with a client whose “dots needed to be connected.”
“This was a client who was aware they had this abundance of data,” Jensen said. “They needed a way to sew it all together and make sense of it to help with their brand planning in the coming three years.
“So we took a lot of information from a pool of data that we had, internally as well as externally, that included financial data, marketing, sponsorship data from the client, distribution — we took everything we could get, basically. And then we were able to serve as the red thread and build a story around each of their brands, which helped them understand how all these factors fit together,” stated Jensen. “So in this case, some of the questions that we answered were how was the brand currently perceived; what were the most attractive areas for the brand to play; the brand’s behavioral, perceptual and financial weaknesses and strengths; as well as the ideal brand positioning and how we could get there.”
To gather data without help from Google and Apple, Beckner says retailers can look to areas where consumer data is continuing to expand, such as mobile apps, Internet of Things devices in homes and stores, and social media apps.
While data tracking and the sharing of shopping data might bother some consumers, data in the name of public health seems to be more palatable. Global Web Index (GWI), a London-based consumer insight firm, says nearly 3 out of 4 internet users support government contact tracing apps to curb the spread of COVID-19. Additionally, 30 percent of consumers trust new tech to improve their health. But the firm found there is a step between the public good and the commercial bottom line: the personal benefit.
“Consumers make decisions every day based on costs versus benefits. They’ll pay for what they deem to be ‘worth it’ as long as they know the terms,” the company states in its report, “Connecting the Dots 2021.” GWI says even the most privacy-conscious shoppers see the personal benefits of data sharing, with 41 percent of global consumers preferring to exchange their data for free services rather than pay for those services to safeguard their data.
“Those who say they feel represented in advertising are also more likely than average to be among the data sharers,” GWI states. “This points to the implicit but often unseen, personal benefits of data sharing. The experience will be inherently more customized, and the knock-on effect is likely a strong sense of seeing advertising that reflects you. That type of feeling is what brands strive for.”


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Hewlett-Packard this week introduced new SSDs that it said will drive the cost of the all-flash version of its 3Par StoreServ arrays to as low as $1.50 per GB.- Wednesday, 10 June 2015 Storage Industry
Hewlett-Packard this week introduced new SSDs that it said will drive the cost of the all-flash version of its 3Par StoreServ arrays to as low as $1.50 per GB.
Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP also introduced a new family of 3Par arrays, the StoreServ 20000 series, that scales to up to eight controllers with up to 3.2 million IOPS performance.
The new additions to the HP 3Par StoreServ line, unveiled this week at the HP Discover conference in Las Vegas, come about a year after HP first introduced 3Par 7000-series flash arrays priced at about $2 per GB, said Craig Nunes, vice president of worldwide marketing for HP storage.
"That price drove a hockey-stick adoption of flash," Nunes told CRN. "HP today ships about four times as much flash storage capacity than we do high-speed 15,000-rpm disk capacity. "We now feel all-flash arrays are a part of companies' plans. Solutions are now leading with all-flash storage before hybrid flash-disk storage."
The new $1.50-per-GB pricing will help HP and its partners compete against startups such as Newark, Calif.-based Tegile or Newton, Mass.-based Kaminario, said Mike Vencel, senior vice president at Comport Technology Solutions, a Ramsey, N.J.-based solution provider and HP channel partner.
"HP now competes not only against the larger competitors, but also against the smaller companies nipping at our ankles," Vencel told CRN. "There's a place in the market for the smaller players, and they will take some market share. But I'm not sure there's an end-game for them. It's hard to compete when you have a single product."
The introduction of the new lower-cost SSDs will drive higher-density flash storage at attractive pricing, said Dave Butler, president of Enterprise Computing Solutions, a Mission Viejo, Calif.-based solution provider and longtime HP channel partner.
"This will cause customers to think, 'Why do I even need disk?' " Butler told CRN. "In the past, flash was seen as a more costly offering. HP is changing the paradigm."
Manwhile HP's new family of 3Par StoreServ 20000 arrays includes the StoreServ 20850, which is an all-flash array, and the StoreServ 20800, which is a flash-first array with the option to add spinning disk as needed, he said.
The StoreServ 20000 arrays scale to up to eight controllers in a single system capable of operating at 3.2 million IOPS. The StoreServ 20850 supports up to 3.9 PB of raw flash storage using 1,024 SSDs, while the StoreServ 20800 supports up to 6.0 PB of flash and spinning disk, he said. With compression, the StoreServ 20850 can be configured with up to 5.5 PB in a single rack, Nunes said. "This is industry-leading performance, scalability and density in one system," he said.
A lot of all-flash arrays can be configured with 20 TB or 30 TB of capacity, which can be a challenge when trying to replace 400 TB of enterprise capacity with flash storage, Nunes said.
"You end up with 'flash array sprawl,' " he said. "A platform like this makes it possible to bring flash into data-center-scale deployments."
The growth in flash storage is huge, Comport Technology Solutions' Vencel said.
"The existing 3PAR arrays allowed customers to mix and match flash and spinning drives, and have applications sitting across all tiers of drives," he said. "HP does that better than anyone. It was an extremely good story even before the latest news."
HP also made some new capabilities available to HP 3Par users, Nunes said.
These include 3Par Persistent Checksum, which is based on the T10-PI standard to extend the ability to ensure data written from the server cache to the array does not change; a new 1-second recovery point objective via asynchronous streaming replication; a new version of StoreOnce Recovery Manager that is integrated with 3Par Remote Copy tool that replicates virtual machines for remote disaster recovery; and 3Par PeerMotion, which allows workloads to move nondisruptively between four different arrays for load or resource balancing.


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The best of...cutting the cable-TV cord
Base rate: $35 for 60 channels
Finally, a true alternative to cable TV is emerging in the form of services that stream live TV through the internet. A little over a month ago, DirectTV Now represented “the closest thing to a cable replacement,” with a base package that includes 60 channels and a “super-surfable” interface, says Wired.com. But the number of rivals keeps increasing, so details matter. With DirectTV Now, you can stream to only two screens simultaneously, and the service isn’t yet compatible with Roku or Android TV. But it does deliver most of the channels you’d expect, and if you have an AT&T wireless phone plan, you can stream TV content on the go without it counting against monthly data limits.
Weaknesses: “Spotty” streaming quality, says Gizmodo.com—and no DVR storage
Base rate: $40 for 50 channels
Hulu’s weeks-old streaming service is still in its beta stage, but already it “feels a lot like the future of TV,” says The Wall Street Journal. It combines Hulu’s huge catalog of movies and TV shows with a solid array of live-TV channels, including ESPN and TNT. The base package limits use to two streams at once, but you get unlimited screens for an added $15 a month and streaming quality is excellent. You automatically get 50 hours of DVR storage (expandable to 200 hours), and though Hulu Live is not yet compatible with Roku or Samsung smart TVs, it works with most devices.
Weaknesses: No AMC, no Comedy Central, and outside major cities, not all networks yet
Base rate: $40 for 45 channels
“Ignore the whiff of gaming in the name,” says Wired. You don’t need Sony’s video game console to access this service, which is supported by the same devices as all the others. And Vue is arguably “the most powerful cable substitute out there,” offering lots of local channels in major markets, generous cloud storage for DVR, and reliable streaming to up to five screens at once. The streams, says Gizmodo, “rarely bug out or get choppy.” You can pause and rewind a live stream, and you can even watch up to three live programs on the same screen—if, say, a few favorite sports teams are playing at the same time.
Weaknesses: No Comedy Central and few local stations outside seven cities
Base rate: $20 for 30 channels
Launched in 2015, Sling was the first live-TV streaming service, and it remains “as close as you will get to à la carte programming,” says The New York Times. Ideal for people who care to access only a small number of stations, it offers the slimmest base package of all, and if you want more, it lets you add channels grouped in categories like news, sports, and comedy, for $5 a set. The cheapest option lets you stream to only one device at a time, but you can stream most channels to three for a higher fee. Another $5 buys 50 hours of cloud DVR storage.
Weaknesses: Sling TV doesn’t carry CBS, and the streaming can be “excruciatingly spotty” at peak viewing times, says Gizmodo.
Base rate: $35 for 47 channels
This month-old service isn’t yet available everywhere, but it’s worth keeping an eye on, says ConsumerReports.org. Viewers in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, and the San Francisco Bay Area can already enjoy its user-friendly interface and solid selection of channels, including all major networks. The base price includes unlimited cloud DVR storage and unlimited ad-free viewing of YouTube’s online videos, a premium service that separately costs $9 a month.
Weaknesses: YouTube TV is available in just five markets and only Google Chromecast (a $35 device) enables streaming to a TV. Neither CNN nor HBO is offered. ■


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NEW DELHI: RJ Corp, promoted by PepsiCo’s bottling partner and diversified entrepreneur Ravi Jaipuri, is venturing into the retail business with a grocery store chain called J Mart. RJ Corp has floated a special purpose vehicle, Alisha Retail, for the retail venture and the project is being spearheaded by Jaipuria's daughter, Devyani. Alisha Retail is currently piloting stores, mainly in the range of 300-500 sq ft in NCR.
“It’s initial stages, but we want to scale up this high-potential retail venture. This is a very logical front-end for us because 50% of what we will sell at J Mart stores is what we make ourselves — whether it’s PepsiCo soft drinks, water, juices and chips, CreamBell icecream, or backend products like breads, which we make for our franchisee partners such as Pizza Hut,” Jaipuria told ET.
Devyani International, a unit of RJ Corp, operates the entire foods franchisee business of the company and its partners include Pizza Hut, KFC and Costa Coffee. Alisha Retail is planning to initially open small convenience outlets in residential and office complexes. “We believe there is a requirement for hygienic, neighbourhood stores,” said Devyani, a mother of two.
The protests, one of Modi’s toughest political challenges yet, follow an eventful 2020 when the combined fortunes of Ambani and Adani swelled by almost $41 billion, even as millions of Indians lost their jobs to the pandemic that pummeled the $2.9 trillion economy.
With increased awareness about immunity, health and nutrition, the wellness segment registered the highest year-on-year growth of 20.45% during the period. Sales of cosmetics were also close to 20%, while homecare and household products grew 15.17%, the IDSA report said.


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Many businesses stand to make money off NJ legalizing marijuana
The legalization of marijuana would take money out of the pockets of drug dealers and into the wallets of small business owners, according to a trade association for the cannabis industry.
Scott Rudder, president of the New Jersey Cannabusiness Association, said with Gov.-elect Phil Murphy having campaigned on legalizing marijuana, coming through on that promise would be a boon for the cannabis industry and the state's economy.
Rudder said because there is already infrastructure in place for the cannabis industry for medical marijuana, the legalization of marijuana will cause a "dramatic boost to our existing businesses in New Jersey." He said that can include law firms, accounting firms, security firms and others expanding and focusing on the potential issues associated with legalization.
Added security can be needed because some banks are not willing to work with marijuana-related businesses because marijuana is still considered contraband by the federal government. Not being able to use banks means that companies will have lots of cash on hand.
If legalization comes to pass, Rudder said it will mean a "homegrown expansion of people that are in related businesses." That would include companies that make the lights and hydroponics for growing the marijuana, food processing companies, testing facilities, new retail stores, and companies making new cannabis products.
New Jersey has had a medical marijuana program since Gov. Jon Corzine signed it into law in 2010. But the first marijuana dispensary didn't open until October 2012. Since then more than 14,800 patients have been served by the state's five dispensaries, or alternative treatment centers, in Montclair, Egg Harbor, Woodbridge, Cranbury and Bellmawr. A sixth has received preliminary approval in Secaucus.
Inc.com says the cannabis industry is a $50 billion entity now with some of the hottest companies showing how diverse the businesses can be. That includes a company that provides cannabis tours, medicinal chocolate, and specialized vapes for marijuana.
Entrepreneur.com compiled a list of businesses that could take advantage of the legalization of marijuana. That list includes starting cannabis-friendly bed-and-breakfasts, painting classes that are pot friendly, and cannabis florists.
Much like there is a market for people to buy a $300 bottle of beer, Rudder said there can be a high-end marijuana industry.
"The cannabis connoisseur is not too different than you would find in the wine, beer or scotch world," he said. "There are different types of strains, different types of brands, there are different types of methods for ingestion."
While most people think of marijuana use strictly through smoke inhalation, Rudder said the legalization of marijuana would bring a flood of new products to the market. He said producers are now making "thousands" of different products including food, drinks, and specialty desserts.
"People are looking at this," he said. "People that are enthusiastic about cannabis are just as interested as somebody that is a wine aficionado."
Organic vs. black market
In addition to the price of marijuana products, Rudder said the state will benefit from the taxes linked to the industry, but said he hoped the market would determine the price.
"The strategy today is to keep the taxes a little low because part of the overall objective is to dry the black market," he said. "We're not quite sure what the tax structure will look like, but what we want to make sure is that cannabis that is sold in stores is less expensive and dramatically higher quality than you would find out on the street."
He said marijuana products sold in in stores would not have pesticides, mold or bacteria if they can be regulated by the state.
The New Jersey Marijuana Retailers Association released a statement saying it is "ready to work with other stakeholders to shepherd responsible business practices and opportunities.
"Our goal is to have our members represent the most respected, business-focused and compliance-driven calls of the licensed, marijuana-retailer businesses," association president Juan Carlos Negrin said.
Concerns about public safety and other issues are all part of what Rudder said needs to be a "thoughtful process" if legalization becomes a reality.
"We're going to create a brand new industry. The fact of the matter is there are people that are concerned about this. We want to make sure we're addressing their concerns," he said. "A big part of this is not just the legislation in and of itself, it's the education."
That education, he said, will include legislators, community members, school districts, and law enforcement because "we want to make certain that there's as much cross-collaboration and information and transparency as possible." If done right, he said the steps taken after legalization will "allow an industry to thrive and create the tens of thousands of jobs that people are counting on."
While there are no assurances that a Murphy administration will be successful in fulfilling his promise of legalizing marijuana, Rudder said it is an "exciting" time in hopes that the efforts pay off.
"There's a lot of very responsible folks out there already getting cannabis on the black market. They don't want to be getting cannabis on the black market," he said. "We don't expect necessarily that the population of cannabis consumers will increase, as much as just drying up the black market and putting money in the hands of small business owners instead of drug dealers."
On Tuesday, the New Jersey Cannabis Industry Association announced a new leader after Murphy announced on the same day that the organization's founder, Metuchen Mayor Pete Cammarano, would serve as his chief of staff. Cammarano will be replaced in the organization by attorney Hugh O'Beirne.
"From a political perspective, New Jersey will soon be well-positioned to finally enact sensible legislation and regulations that expand our current medical marijuana program and legalize adult-use cannabis, laying the foundation for what will become one of our state's most prosperous industries," O'Beirne said.
More From New Jersey 101.5
Contact reporter Adam Hochron at 609-359-5326 or Adam.Hochron@townsquaremedia.com


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April 28th, 2011 at 11:31am
Wow! Hyundai just surged past Honda in global sales in the first quarter. The federal government is downsizing . . . the vehicles in its fleet, that is. Six U.S. Senators – three Democrats and three Republicans – are working on a debt-reduction plan that includes a gas-tax increase! All that and more, plus a look at the power-to-weight ratios of some popular b-segment cars.
This is Autoline Daily for April 28, 2011. And now, the news.
HYUNDAI > HONDA
Hyundai surged past Honda in global sales in the first quarter. Hyundai had been gaining on Honda for the last year, but the aftermath of the giant earthquake in Japan helped push it past Honda. Specifically, Honda sold 860,000 cars in the first three months of the year, while Hyundai sold 919,000. And the news gets worse for Honda as it posts the financial results for the most-recent quarter. Revenue plummeted 66 percent, net profits fell 27 percent. In fact, Hyundai made more money than Honda despite the fact that Honda also sold a ton of motorcycles and power products. Specifically, Honda made $542 million for the quarter, while Hyundai earned $1.7 billion.
MCELROY’S AUTOMOTIVE INSIDER TRADING
Not that we here at Autoline Daily go around trying to get you to buy stock, but if you are looking for someplace to invest your money you might want to consider the stock of European car companies. According to the investment firm, Vermilion Capital Management LLC. European automakers will outperform American and Asian automakers in the stock market this year. Vermillion says that Japanese earthquake pulled down all automotive stocks and now it’s very bullish on BMW and Volkswagen in particular, while Daimler, Renault, Fiat, PSA, Porsche and Volvo all look pretty good.
NO LANCIAS FOR CHRYSLER
Chrysler won’t bring a rebadged Lancia to North America. According to Car and Driver, the company planned on offering a rebadged Lancia Ypsilon in the U.S. market but Olivier Francois, the head of the Chrysler brand, says the Ypsilon is too closely related to the Fiat 500 and he doesn’t want two similar cars in the same market. There were also plans to bring a compact sedan to North America for Chrysler but those plans look unlikely now. The president of Dodge, Ralph Gilles, has already confirmed that they’ll get a compact car to replace the Caliber. So it seems like the Chrysler brand got left out.
LUXGEN NEORA EV
Luxgen, the automaker I visited earlier this month in Taiwan, just unveiled an EV concept in Shanghai called the Neora. The company says its design cues will be used in future models. The car is powered by lithium-ion batteries and a 180 kW electric motor. The company says it can travel 400 kilometers when fully charged which is nearly 250 miles, but that’s at a steady 45 miles an hour. The Neora can go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.5 seconds I’ll have a test drive of the car coming up soon.
NO MORE BIG GOVERNMENT . . . VEHICLES
The government is downsizing . . . the vehicles in its fleet, that is. The Detroit News reports the General Services Administration, or GSA, is buying more sub-compact cars as opposed to full-size vehicles. This will have a big impact on the efficiency of the fleet, which numbers some 600,000. Fuel economy is estimated to improve by 21 percent this year to 23.4 miles per gallon, up from 19.1 MPG today. This is projected to save some 2.4 million gallons of fuel and $9 million taxpayer dollars annually.
GAS TAX TROUBLES
In related news, six U.S. Senators – three Democrats and three Republicans – are working on a debt-reduction plan that includes a gas-tax increase! Hard to believe, I know. The plan calls for a 15-cent increase. Currently the federal fuel tax is 18.4 cents per gallon. The last time it was raised was back in 1997, which means IT IS NOT linked to inflation. The Highway Trust Fund, which handles this money, is set to run a $7 billion deficit this year. Compounding the problem, a fleet of more fuel-efficient vehicles means less fuel is consumed leading to lower tax revenues. A tax hike is necessary but unlikely. Politicians don’t like raising taxes, especially when gasoline is selling at four-bucks a gallon and the economy is on shaky ground.
WASH YOUR HANDS!
Here’s a shocker. Steering wheels are dirtier than public toilet seats . . . nine-times dirtier! According to Autoblog, researchers at Queen Mary University in London found there are – on average – 700 different kinds of bacteria per square inch of tiller. Toilet seats averaged only 80. If it’s any consolation trunks fared even worse, with 1,000 kinds of bacteria lurking in the shadows. Why are steering wheels so dirty? In short, we’re filthy animals. Clean your cars more often, people!
Coming up next, a look at which compact cars have the best power to weight ratio.
B-SEGMENT POWER TO WEIGHT
We’re trying to push power-to-weight ratios in our product features and reviews. To bring you up to speed on how different cars stack up against one another we figured we’d do some direct comparisons. And where better to start than at the bottom of the market with b-segment cars?
Here’s a lineup of popular subcompacts offered in the U.S. today. In alphabetical order by manufacturer we have … the Chevy Aveo four-door … the Ford Fiesta sedan … the Honda Fit sport … the Hyundai Accent hatchback… the Mini Cooper … the Nissan Versa SL … the Scion xD … and the Toyota Yaris liftback.
All of these cars are powered by small, four-cylinder engines and each of them is equipped with an automatic transmission. For consistency, we took the heaviest version of each car listed by the manufacturer.
Not surprisingly, they all produce similar amounts of power and torque (PAUSE). Whoa, that’s a lot of numbers! The xD is the horsepower champ delivering 128 ponies, while the Yaris brings up the rear with 106.
Of these eight cars the Mini has the best power-to-weight ratio a whisker more than 20 pounds per horsepower while the Chevy Aveo has the worst at about 24. Still, it’s surprising how close they all rank to one another. No car has a big advantage over any of the others. Some of them are separated by just a couple of tenths in the pounds-per-horsepower category. Look how closely grouped the Yaris, Fit and Versa are.
From performance cars to minivans, look for more direct vehicle segment comparisons like this one in the future. It will be interesting to see how other groups of vehicles stack-up to the b-segment and to one another.
Don’t forget to tune in to Autoline After Hours tonight at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Our guest tonight is Chris Theodore who played a key development role in the Dodge Viper and Ford GT, and has now come up with a rolling chassis that he sees as ideal for electric cars. Join me and the Autoextremist, Peter De Lorenzo, tonight for the best insider discussion in the business.
And that’s today’s report on the top news in the global auto industry, thanks for watching, we’ll see you tomorrow.


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Video footage of Sin & Punishment 2’s demo being played at E3 2009.
Archive for October, 2009
Dragon Quest’s most famous and strangely adorable monster, the lowly slime, gets to be the hero in this colorful DS game.
Part 1 of 3 of our countdown of the best robots to appear in movies and television.
Nissan’s Biomimetic Robot Car is being used as a testbed for crash avoidance technology that could save thousands of lives.
Nissan has developed a new “robotic car” called Eporo, which features an upgraded field of view compared to the previous version, the BR23C.
ROBO-ONE GATE, a one-on-one robot battle tournament, called for contestants to dress up their robots as those seen in famous Sunrise animated tv shows.
An acrobatic robot goes to town on the horizontal bar.
Business Design Laboratory’s reception robot may be little more than a fancy touchscreen interface with face and voice recognition capabilities.


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New Marshalls store opens up this week in Mississauga
The new Marshalls store in Mississauga is ready for its grand opening.
The off-price department store chain’s location at the Erin Mills Town Centre will be opening on Friday, according to a post on the Marshalls Canada Instagram account.
Masks remain a requirement and the store will be limiting the number of customers allowed in at any one time, in compliance with Ontario’s COVID-19 protocols.
The store is in unit S201 inside the mall at 5100 Erin Mills Pkwy.; it is open from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10-6 on Sundays.
Marshalls has opened more than 60 stores in Canada over the past 10 years. It offers value of brand name and designer clothing, footwear and accessories at price points that range from 20 to 60 per cent less than full-price retailers.
- Here’s when Marshalls will officially open at Erin Mills Town Centre in Mississauga
- Brand New Store Opening in Erin Mills Town Centre in Mississauga
- New Store Now Open in Erin Mills Town Centre in Mississauga
- Popular International Store Coming to Erin Mills Town Centre in Mississauga
- Winners opening brand new store in Mississauga
- Male pronounced dead at scene after drowning in Brampton
- Special weather statement: Heavy rainfall in Mississauga, Brampton and Hamilton
- New go-karting track opening in Mississauga
- 1 in 3 Canadians considering 'workarounds' as Mississauga, Brampton and Hamilton house prices keep rising
- 100% of recent Mississauga and Brampton COVID patients not fully vaccinated


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(Reuters) - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren questioned Goldman Sachs's response to allegations of bias in how the bank evaluates applicants for Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Inc's credit card,...
By Diane Bartz and Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers pressed top U.S. antitrust enforcers on their probes of tech giants Alphabet's Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Facebook (NASDAQ:FB),...
By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters) - Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Inc's Heart study, the largest yet to explore the role of wearable devices in identifying potential heart problems, found the device...
Investing.com – In a tale of two stock markets, the Dow surged to new intraday and closing highs, while the other major indexes struggled. Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and...
More than 400,000 people participated in the study using an Apple Watch, which makes it one of the largest research efforts ever.
(Reuters) - Peloton Interactive Inc (O:PTON) is exploring apps for Amazon.com Inc's (O:AMZN) Fire TV and Apple Inc's (O:AAPL) Watch, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people...
By Paresh Dave and Munsif Vengattil SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's (O:GOOGL) Google said on Wednesday it will offer personal checking accounts next year through its Google Pay app,...
By Helen Coster (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (N:DIS) shares soared to a record high after the entertainment firm said its new streaming service, Disney+, had been met with "extraordinary...
The remarks are an escalation of Apple's rhetoric about the competitive K-12 market in the United States where it is losing to Google and Microsoft.
Disney's streaming service is a smash hit so far, and an analyst sees Apple stock going higher.
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Newport County AFC revealed a Goldie Lookin’ Chain-inspired Hummel third shirt.
Way back in the 2004/05 season, they teamed up with the legendary hometown group and produced an iconic football jersey.
The Exiles and GLC want to celebrate their city's unique heritage and culture by bringing the famous jersey back up to speed.
Featuring a two-colour heritage check with entwined GLC logos, this County x GLC shirt is sure to be one for collectors.
The design is predominantly sesame and consists of a check pattern, which is made up of red and black lines across the front of the shirt.
The club crest has also been modified to a blacked-out special edition to blend in with the rest of the shirt.
View the: Newport County 2021-22 Home Kit
View the: Newport County 2021-22 Away Kit


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Everything about China’s drive to become a leading innovator works on a giant scale. Ambitions are enormous, budgets are vast and the focus is widespread. And in many fields, it’s beginning to close the gap with U.S. and European institutions. But it’s in the study of materials on the scale of a billionth of a meter — nanoscience — that China is already fast overtaking its international rivals.
From cloning to cancer research, China is using nanoscience and nanotechnology innovation to drive some of the world’s biggest breakthroughs. In July, an international team of researchers led by Chinese scientists developed a new form of synthetic, biodegradable nanoparticle. Capable of targeting, penetrating and altering cells by delivering the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing tool into a cell, the nanoparticle can be used in the treatment of some single-gene disorders, as well as other diseases including some forms of cancer.
Nanotechnology supports biomedicine and quantum technology development and makes its way into everyday life through advancements in consumer electronics and artificial intelligence, all areas where China seeks global dominance. Being at the forefront of cutting-edge nano research greatly improves China’s prospects for success, especially in biomedicine, where it has long trailed rivals.
But the number of private companies driving nanotech product innovation is rapidly growing, Zheng concedes. Nanopolis, the world’s largest nanotech industrial zone, located in the eastern city of Suzhou, houses several private multinationals and new Chinese startups across nanotech fields. China now also leads the globe in newly established nanotech companies. In 2018, Tencent founder Ma Huateng joined a number of high-profile businesspeople in financing the establishment of China’s first private research institute, Westlake University, with nanotech a main focus for research.


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The Chemours Company announced that, along with its partner Changshu 3F Zhonghao, it has broken ground on the world’s first full-scale production facility for HFO-1336mzz in Changshu, Jiangsu Province, China. This site, expected to begin production mid-year 2017, will provide increased capacity of low global warming potential (GWP) foam expansion agents and refrigerants.
Chemours is actively developing several new refrigerant fluids based on HFO-1336mzz technology for a variety of applications, including traditional chiller systems and the emerging arena of waste heat recovery using technologies such as high temperature heat pumps and organic rankine cycles. These fluids are showing promising results in customer lab and field trials.
“Breaking ground for our new HFO-1336mzz production facility paves the way for Chemours to add still more capacity to our industry-leading supply of products based on HFO technology,” said Thierry F.J. Vanlancker, president, Chemours Fluoroproducts. “The Changshu facility shows our continued commitment to meeting the needs of our customers for high performance, environmentally friendly solutions that enable them to meet growing regulatory and sustainability demands.”
Chemours has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to offer customers new products with no ozone depletion and low global warming potential. The company and its suppliers have plans to invest hundreds of millions more in the next five years to bring online additional capacity of these more sustainable, high-performance products that serve a wide range of applications.


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Would you be keen to see a Georgie Pie opening in New Plymouth?
Hell yeah, I miss that $1 pie.
524 votes, 81.7%
No, not a fan.
117 votes, 18.3%
Total 641 votes
Latest News Headlines
Future-forward Taranaki business taking to the skies
Kawi delivers for co-owner and breeder
New Plymouth man to launch 'a space for everyone'
Drunk 'obnoxious' mother hits 120kmh driving four kids in Taranaki police chase
Car crashes through fence and into New Plymouth house
Perspective is everything when looking through the foliage
Campaigner pleads for Georgie Pie return


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TNT awarded a new contract from Banglalink
TNT Express in Bangladesh has signed a partnership agreement with Banglalink, and marked the occasion with a special ceremony attended by Rajiv Bhattacharya, Country General Manager for TNT Express in Bangladesh, and Mahabubul Alam Banglalink ‘s Senior General Manager for Marketing. Banglalink is the 2nd largest mobile telecom operator in Bangladesh with over 29 million subscribers, and it’s an important subsidiary of Netherlands based Vimpelcom ltd.
Under this agreement Banglalink premium customers called “Priyojon customers”, will benefit from making substantial savings, when using TNT services from now till February 19, 2015, when the agreement will be reviewed.
Mahabubul Alam, Senior General Manager, Marketing for Banglalink said: “We have selected TNT Express because of their long history in the Bangladesh logistics Market and their global presence. Our premium customers will have the opportunity to use TNT Express service solutions at competitive rates. This partnership will be particularly beneficial to our clients with international requirements.”
Rajiv Bhattacharya, Country General Manager for TNT Express in Bangladesh said: “The Signature of this agreement with Banglalink, re-emphasizes the full TNT Express commitment to support and collaborate with local businesses and help nurturing Bangladesh growth across the courier services industry.”
Tim Frank, TNT Express General Manager Middle East & Subcontinent Associates commented: “We are very pleased to continue expanding our reach to a larger customer audience. Our association with Banglalink will enable us to provide our services to their premium subscribers, making our orange experience more visible and more accessible.”


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Originally posted by interestedalways
Consumers may continue to eat cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached and tomatoes grown at home, the FDA statement said.
Tim Hortons and Harvey's have joined restaurants across North America in removing tomatoes from their dishes, on the heels of a food poisoning scare in the United States.
This weekend, McDonald's restaurants in the U.S. removed tomatoes from many menu items, and numerous other chains in Canada have now done the same, including:
* Burger King
* Swiss Chalet
Many airlines have also removed tomatoes from their in-flight meals.
McDonald's restaurants in Canada stopped serving sliced tomatoes on the weekend after three varieties -- red plum, red roma and round red tomatoes -- were linked to a salmonella infection discovered in 16 U.S. states.
The restaurant chains say they have removed tomatoes as a precaution only, as no incidents of the outbreak have been found in Canada. However, Tim Hortons cites a supply issue, saying the American Food and Drug Administration's investigation into the outbreak has caused supply issues in the delivery chain.
Danya Proud, spokesperson for McDonald's in the U.S., said Monday that the company will continue putting grape tomatoes in salads since no illnesses have been linked to that variety.
On Saturday, the FDA alerted American consumers and restaurateurs of a nationwide outbreak of an uncommon type of Salmonella -- serotype Saintpaul -- linked to tomatoes, advising that their consumption should be limited.
Cherry tomatoes, tomatoes with the vine still attached and any grown at home are not included in the FDA warning. No Canadian tomatoes have been associated with the outbreak, according to a Canadian Food Inspection Agency's press release.
Since mid-April, there have been 145 reported cases of salmonellosis in the States caused by this particular strain. At least 23 related hospitalizations have been reported but no deaths have been linked to the outbreak.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in young children, elderly people and those who are sick. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain
You could be right, I don't have any idea of how they do that "fast-forward ripening".
Originally posted by ByTor420
Could it be that it's actually what they do to the tomatoes to make them seem ripe that is causing the sickness??
The FDA has issued an updated warning advising consumers not to eat raw red tomatoes, raw red plum tomatoes, or raw red Roma tomatoes as these types may be responsible for the current outbreak of Salmonella serotype Saintpaul. According to the CDC, if infected, the symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps lasting from 4 to 7 days.
Most healthy people will recover on their own, but occasionally symptoms may be so severe that hospitalization is required. The most severe cases can result in the infection spreading to the bloodstream and internal organs. If this happens, patients can die unless immediately treated with antibiotics. Although rare, these complications are most often found in infants, the elderly and others with compromised immune systems. For the latest updates, check www.fda.gov.
Consumers should also be aware that raw tomatoes are often used in the preparation of fresh salsa, guacamole, and pico de gallo, are part of fillings for tortillas, and are used in other dishes.
Originally posted by LLoyd45
Originally posted by sir_chancealot
If you have an actual whole tomato, NOT A SLICED ONE, I can tell you how to totally eliminate the salmonella bacterium on it.
WASH IT BEFORE EATING IT!
Now you know.
Or better yet.. Grow your own! That way you know what has or hasn't been used on it, who has handled it, and whether it's safe to eat.
BTW: Excellent point Sir Chancealot! Always wash any meat or vegetable products you purchase before preparing them.
[edit on 6/9/08 by LLoyd45]
Originally posted by The time lord
Is not Samonella only on meat? Were they exposed to meat somehow because I never heard of this before unless they crossbread a tomatoe with DNA from a bird.
I think X-Files TV series is right about a lot of things its all starting to happen for real a lot of what the TV series had to say.
1. Know Your Tomatoes
The FDA still doesn’t know how tomatoes were tainted with salmonella. But they are telling consumers to avoid the following RAW tomatoes: Roma, Red Plum and Round Red tomatoes. However, these same tomatoes are OK, if they from certain states. You can find that list here.
2. If I wash the tomatoes, are they safe?
No. The salmonella might be inside the tomato, so washing won’t help. However, as a general food safety practice, it’s a good idea to always wash your hands with soap and warm water before you handle any food.
3. Am I safe if I just cook them?
The FDA doesn’t recommend this. Just stay away from the affected tomatoes for now. Better safe than sorry.
4. Eating out
Ask questions. Find out what steps the restaurant is taking to make keep patrons safe. Also, ask what kind of tomatoes they’re serving. If you’re really worried, just tell them to keep raw tomatoes out of your food altogether.
Theses areas are NOT associated with the outbreak:
Salmonellosis Outbreak in Certain Types of Tomatoes
Updated: June 10, 2008
The tomatoes that have infected more than 167 Americans with a rare strain of salmonella probably came from Mexico, according to a representative from the New Mexico Department of Health.
A preliminary inquiry into salmonella illnesses in the state shows patients bought tomatoes from stores supplied by growers south of the U.S. border, said Deborah Busemeyer, communications director for the New Mexico health department.
"(Salmonella) patients in New Mexico bought tomatoes that came from Mexico," she told CTV.ca in a phone interview on Tuesday. "We saw a link between certain stores (and the people getting sick)."
New Mexico has seen 62 confirmed cases of the "Saintpaul" bacteria, more than most of the other 15 states where the strain has surfaced. Many more patients have fallen ill, although lab tests to confirm presence of salmonella are still pending.
While the first reported cases began in mid-April, New Mexico has seen "an increase of cases almost every day," Busemeyer said.
One third of the winter tomatoes shipped to the United States come from Mexico.
The Mexican embassy in the United States said Tuesday that the comments are "pure speculation." In an email sent to CTV.ca, spokesperson Ricardo Alday said Mexico is co-operating with the U.S. authorities investigating the problem and that the FDA has not determined that Mexican tomatoes are responsible.
"Even if it were to be determined that Mexican produce (is) the origin of any of these cases, the FDA has to determine if the problem came from the raw product itself or was acquired during the transportation, distribution, storage or cooking processes," Alday said.
"Mexico is absolutely committed to food safety and will keep doing everything at its reach to guarantee that all the relevant domestic and international laws are observed and complied with."
On Tuesday, a major Mexican tomato exporter stopped shipping to the United States pending the investigation's results.
The Sinaloa state Tomato Growers Association -- which ships almost half of Mexican tomatoes that come to Canada and the U.S. -- said the stoppage was just a precaution and that the tomatoes will be sold to domestic markets instead.
The American Food and Drug Administration issued a warning last weekend that consumers should avoid Roma, plum and red round tomatoes until the source of the outbreak is confirmed. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency quickly followed suit.
However, as of Tuesday, no Saintpaul-related illness had been discovered in Canada, CFIA spokesperson Alain Charette told CTV.ca.
According to the FDA, it is safe to eat tomatoes from Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, Netherlands and Puerto Rico.
The FDA has not released details of its own investigation into the tomatoes and has not verified the results of New Mexico's preliminary inquiry.
Many Canadian restaurants have pulled tomatoes from their menu items as a precautionary measure. Some have blamed supply problems that have ensued from the scare.
Similar actions in the United States are hurting tomato growers, who have lost much of the restaurant market. In Canada, they're having the opposite effect -- only one per cent of Canadian tomatoes are sold to the food service industry, said Kristen Callow, the general manager of Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers.
The FDA has ruled out Canada as a source of the bacteria, so demand for Canadian tomatoes could increase, Callow told CTV.ca on Tuesday.
Grocery stores have continued to support homegrown produce despite the scare, she added.
The Saintpaul salmonella strain is not resistant to antibiotics. The FDA has not confirmed any deaths related to the outbreak.
Originally posted by Enrikez
I work for a food distribution and warehousing company that distributes to large food service companies and I have been told not to order anymore tomatoes and not to ship anymore tomatoes.
This should last for a few weeks until we can find another supplier, where the vegetable doesn't come from the US.
We have known about this since friday, June 6th.


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Smartphone sales have plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Samsung seeing the biggest drop.
Second quarter smartphone sales dropped 20% worldwide versus the same period a year earlier, according to research published Tuesday by analyst firm Gartner.
Gartner cited the pandemic as the primary culprit, due to shelter-in-place rules that resulted in people spending less on mobile devices.
“Travel restrictions, retail closures and more prudent spending on nonessential products during the pandemic led to the second consecutive quarterly decline in smartphone sales this year,” Gartner senior research director Anshul Gupta said in a statement.
Although Samsung sold the most smartphones out of any company in the second quarter, the company also experienced the biggest year-over-year decline. Samsung sold nearly 55 million smartphones during the period, a 27% year-over-year drop.
“Demand for its flagship S Series smartphones did little to revive its smartphone sales globally,” Gupta said.
Chinese tech giant Huawei was the second leading smartphone company in the latest quarter, selling 54 million smartphones, a nearly 7% year-over-year decline from the previous year.
Coming in at third was Apple, which sold about 38 million iPhones in the latest quarter, which was relatively flat year-over-year.
Gartner noted that Apple had a better quarter than other smartphone vendors because of an improving market in China, where the iPhone-maker sells a significant number devices.
The smartphone market also dropped 20% year-over-year during the first quarter, underscoring the coronavirus pandemic’s prolonged financial hit.
Here’s the full list for the second quarter:


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Sprint says its 4G service is improving apps that ran adequately at 3G speeds while opening up previously unattainable possibilities for businesses and organizations as diverse as a Chicago food bank and the Portland, Oregon Police Bureau.
Non-profits don’t often push the envelope with technology: They typically can’t afford
to. But the Greater Chicago Food Depository, the city’s food bank, was an early adopter
of Sprint 4G, the cellular company’s WiMAX broadband wireless service.
Sprint is rolling out the service to major centers across the U.S. in partnership with
Clearwire, with which it merged its 4G operations in 2008. The two companies use 802.16e
mobile WiMAX technology in the licensed 2.5 MHz band. They were in 27 markets as of late
February, including New York, Houston, Boston and Washington, D.C.
The Food Depository was an early customer in Chicago a year ago. It has now equipped
14 of its laptop-toting mobile workers with Sprint 4G cards, which deliver average
download speeds of between 3 and 4 megabits per second (Mbps), according to third-party
Read “Sprint Touts the 4G Advantage” at Wi-Fi Planet


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Into the significantly more than 2 decades considering that the launch of commercial internet dating sites such as Match.com, online dating sites has developed as an industry that is multibillion-dollar clients around the globe. a brand new pew research center research explores exactly just how online dating sites and apps have actually changed the way in which Americans meet and develop relationships, and exactly how the users of those services feel about internet dating.
Listed here are 10 facts through the research, that will be predicated on a study carried out among 4,860 U.S. grownups in 2019 october:
1 Three-in-ten U.S. grownups state they’ve ever utilized a dating website or software, but this differs considerably by age and intimate orientation. The share is 38% among those ages 30 to 49 and even lower for those 50 and older (16%) while 48% of 18- to 29-year-olds say have ever used a dating site or app. […]


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Betsey Johnson just came out with an adorable clothing collection for babies
If you’re a fan of Betsey Johnson’s wildly colorful designs and also a parent, you’ll be excited to learn that she just added baby clothes to her resumé. The fashion icon teamed up with Babies R’ Us for a new line made just for infants. Now, your mini-me can wear cool Betsey threads just like you!
The collection includes tiny sweaters emblazoned with kitschy patches, mini faux fur coats, fuzzy vests, and leopard print leggings — all made with Betsey’s signature steeze. “I am thrilled to partner with Babies R’ Us on launching my first baby collection! I can’t wait to see my designs on little kiddos everywhere,” the 73-year-old designer said in a release, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Look how CUTE these clothes are!
See the entire collection, which range from $24.99 to $39.99, here.


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INDIA: Toyota to introduce Corolla in 2003
The Economic Times of India reports that Toyota is planning to introduce the Corolla to the Indian market next year.
The car will be manufactured at Toyota's Bidadi plant near Bangalore for a rollout in the first quarter of next year.
The Economic Times says that there has been much speculation on the model that Toyota would launch into the lower medium C segment, which is currently led by Hyundai's Accent.
According to the report, Toyota Kirloskar Motor Ltd (TKML) has finally decided to launch a Corolla variant in India - it is expected to be a 'world model', with its Indian name and price still not finalised.
Mr Sachio Yamazaki, the managing director of TKML, told the newspaper that the car 'will offer value for money pricing' and that the company would like to sell 1,000 units a month.


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As Nigeria’s look forward for this year’s farming season four indigenous companies have collaborated to roll specified fertilizer brands for Nigerian soils as part of effort to boost agricultural produce and to ensure food security in the country.
The companies, Superphosphate Fertilizer and Chemicals Limited, Fertilizer and Chemicals Limited, Indorama and TAK said the brands were products of successful research for fertilizers suitable for Nigerian soils.
Four brands of soils specific fertilizers for the various soil topographies in Nigeria have however been rolled out by the collaborating companies.
Addressing newsmen on facility tour of their plants in Kaduna today, Chairman of Superphosphate Fertilizer and Chemicals Limited, Barr. Ibrahim Shehu Birma said the collaboration of the four companies was informed by the need to break away from imported fertilizers, most of whom are not suitable for Nigeria’s soils.
According to him, the distribution of the products had since started in the southern parts of the country, which experienced early rainfall, while that of the middle-belt and north have equally commenced just recently.
He said, with 4million metric tons production capacity per annum, the companies will meet the country’s annual fertilizer demand.
Speaking on the significance of the collaboration to food security, the Managing Director of Superphosphate Fertilizer and Chemicals Limited, Mr. Danjuma Abdul-Kadir said, unlike the imported fertilizers, which he described as stereotype fertilizers and not meant for Nigeria’s soils, their products were produced in line with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s specifications.
In his words; “The collaboration came as a result of research and development and a lot of scientific works done by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. They came up with the type of fertilizers to be used in Nigeria and we took up the challenge to produce them.
“It is based on those recommendations from the soil test, that we have marked the country into different fertilizer zones. That is why you see different brands of fertilizers being produced to meet different states’ demand.
“We have four brands of soils specific fertilizers for the various soil topographies in Nigeria. They are; 27-13-13, 20-10-10, 12-12-17 and 10-10-5.” He explained.
Abdul-Kadir however expressed strong optimism that, with the application of their soil specific brands, Nigeria will at the end of this farming season record improved yields and bumper harvest.


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Fuliza, a micro-loan service offered on the M-PESA mobile money platform, sent out an average of $13.32 million daily in the first half of 2022.
In a similar period in 2021, the service lent out $10.9 million daily. According to local reports, over the first 6 months of 2022, Fuliza has sent out $2.4 billion to Kenyans in total.
Fuliza’s loan book is financed by local bank NCBA which is partnering with the mobile money giant to offer its platform that lets users send money, get loans, and make savings by relying on their mobile number accounts on a USSD platform.
According to the report in Kenya, the loan service, which is technically referred to as an overdraft facility, takes out 1.083% in interest, as well as an administrative fee that grows depending on the amount of transaction as well as regular transaction fees on M-PESA.
The two partnering entities, NCBA bank and M-PESA parent, Safaricom, have an agreement for sharing the funds.
For NCBA, the service has reportedly become a major source of income, and was responsible for 85.54% of all disbursements the bank made via digital platforms.
“Obviously given where the macros are we have continued to support our customers through this product.” – Chief Financial Officer, NCBA Group.
Besides Fuliza, NCBA also runs M-shwari in partnership with M-PESA in a much similar agreement, even though M-shwari offers larger loans.
In the last 6 months, NCBA digital loans totalled $2.8 billion, with 85.5% of these digital loans happening via both Fuliza and M-Shwari.


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Moms across the social media sites are up in arms after finding tiny shiny particles in the Huggies Baby Wipes that are irritating the skin of their babies. Huggies, who has been contacted by some of these moms, assures folks that the baby wipes are safe. Moms who witnessed the skin irritation on their infants beg to differ with Huggies’ findings.
Some of the complaints are referring to the tiny shards as “glass,” but Huggies states that there is no glass involved when manufacturing the baby wipes. Huggies believes the particles that the parents are complaining about is “a rare case of fibers combining,” which poses no hazard, according to MSN News on August 25.
After receiving many complaints the manufacturer of Huggies, Kimberly-Clark, had an independent firm analysis the Huggies Baby Wipes. The results were offered in three strong points listed by Huggies as follows:
“We can confirm NO glass or fiberglass was present.” They also said, “We found only microfibers used to manufacture our baby wipes.” And the third strong point they made was, “A shimmer can be caused by the microfibers reflecting light.”
After making these points, the company ended their statement with, “Based on the findings of the independent testing, we are confident that our product is safe and poses no health risk to babies, so there are no plans to remove this product from the market,” reports HNGN News today.
Kimberly Miner, a Palm Coast, Florida mom describes what she found on the baby wipes, “There was a really big hard piece on it. It honestly kind of looked like glue.” She was very disenchanted with the reply offered by Huggies. When she first found the shiny particles, her husband took a wipe and rubbed it up and down his arm. Then he said to her, that it was fine, but 10 minutes later he started to itch and his skin was irritated.
Kelsea Andrews, a Knoxville, Tennessee, mom, is also surprised by Huggies’ response, after seeing with her own eyes these shiny particles in the Huggies Baby Wipes that she has at home. She too contacted Huggies over these shiny particles and the customer service rep said that although they are getting complaints they cannot get anyone to send them a package with these particles they are finding. Andrews believes that is because people are more concerned about holding on to the packages for possible law suits later on down the line.
Miner had no problem sending in her package that is tainted with these particles. She said she wants no compensation, not even the money back from her original purchase. All she is looking for is for Huggies to recall their baby wipes before other children suffer irritations from the friction these particles provide.


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The iconic green branding for Heineken just got a little greener.
Over in Rio de Janeiro, the global beer giant has installed solar panels on a billboard connected to a famous local bar.
“This billboard is cooling your Heineken. Cheers,” the billboard translation reads.
Heineken uses 100 percent renewable energy across its production process, according to the company. It also aims to take renewable energy to 50 percent of its partner bars and restaurants in 19 Brazilian capitals by 2030.
Created by Le Pub agency from the Publicis Groupe, the solar panel billboard is a “symbolic gesture” to the use of renewable energy. The outdoor campaign also coincides with the beginning of a music and entertainment festival that takes place in Rio de Janeiro until the end of this week.
“We want to take advantage of all the activity going on in Rio de Janeiro during the
days of the festival to draw attention to our Heineken Green Energy program,” explains Heineken Brazil’s director of the Business Unit, Eduardo Picarelli.
Heineken’s Green Energy Program aims to facilitate access to green energy for consumers across Brazil.
“The solar panels that cool the beer create a connection with the audience in an
innovative way, inviting people to start an important dialogue in a totally different way,” Picarelli adds.
A beer with a conscience
Available in over 192 countries, Heineken has taken on a sense of social responsibility in other markets previously.
‘Moderate drinkers wanted’ was a musical ad that rolled out across 30 locations in 2017. It preyed on the insecurities of straight men, but with a twist. In the commercial, women pushed aside heavy drinkers in search of a ‘hero’ who wasn’t so sloppy – and of course sipped Heineken.
On another simple yet striking billboard, the company asked Kiwis not to drink any Heineken at all in an anti-drink driving campaign.
“Heineken as a leading brand is constantly looking to the future and how to get to people in unexpected ways. It’s part of the brand’s DNA,” says Le Pub Brazil’s chief commercial officer, Felipe Cury.


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Global brands are gearing up for the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (or GDPR), which will go into effect in May and change how brands collect and store data.
Rachel Lowenstein, manager of strategic innovation at Mindshare North America’s Life+
Consumers are starting to ask questions [about their data] and if you looked at any of the trade [coverage] leading up to CES, all of the questions were about consumer privacy. I think consumers are paying attention to data more and more now.
When building [voice] skills and apps, data collection has to be transparent and there’s some information that says, ‘this information might be shared.’ As marketers and agencies, we need to do more to address those questions.
If I’m a retail brand that’s focusing on fitness and health, I might have better access to data because I can see more than just how much someone is moving everyday—I can see their breath count, stress levels and things that are more rich and deep. The quality of data certainly becomes better.
Ultimately, we need to do a better job of figuring out what the threshold is for how much consumers want a personalized experience and how much they’re willing to give up to have that personalized experience.
Read the entire piece in AdWeek.


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A debate has cropped up over the past couple years over whether video games should be considered art. We can look to a Sun-Times blog post written by film critic Roger Ebert, who said “no video gamer now living will survive long enough to experience the medium as an art form” – a claim that generated thousands of responses on both sides of the issue – to see just how hot the “video games as art” debate can get. In fact, the debate got so heated Ebert had to back down from his initial stance, showing some remorse in another blog post. Let gamers’ voices be heard!
The debate only intensifies as video games become more thematic, visually stunning and, well, epic. We’ve watched a few video game trailers that made us forget they weren’t new movies coming out, and we’ve seen some absolutely beautiful scenes in the games themselves. An increasing number of games have combined intricate plots with complete musical soundtracks and eye-popping visuals, leveling the argument of the old curmudgeons. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if we see a few more Ebertesque recantations in the coming months.
Let’s take a look at some examples of the artistic transcendence of video games.
Smithsonian Exhibits Video Games
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is currently featuring images from a large variety of video games as part of its “The Art of Video Games” exhibit, which will run through September 30.
According to the Smithsonian, the exhibition explores the “40‐year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking visual effects, the creative use of new technologies, and the most influential artists and designers.”
The exhibit includes imagery from 80 iconic video games, including Pac-Man (1981) for the Atari and Portal (2007) for PC. In addition, gamers get to play some classics, such as Pac-Man, Super Mario Brothers, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst, and Flower. Ah, nostalgia.
Video Game Photography
Karl Burke has been pushing the video game imagery envelope a little further and turning it into full-blown photography that is reminiscent of battlefield photographers from the American Civil War.
According to a recent New York Times blog post, Burke says the line between real wars and video game wars is blurring, with many of the latest war video games featuring intensely realistic graphics.
“Very similar things are taking place where there are real consequences,” Burke told the NY Times. “Technology is evolving and heading in this direction of bare minimum of boots on the ground and minimal exposure.”
Although Burke distinguishes his artwork from images of real-world conflict, he’s concerned over the desensitization effect realistic scenes from game images could have on the people playing them. Burke’s video game photography explores the theme of desensitization further by eliminating obvious video game elements like the mini-map and other user-interface displays, leaving only haunting scenes of virtual war.
Art for the Gamer
Have you ever really loved a screenshot from a video game?
You’re definitely not alone. Although developers traditionally used screenshots to advertise their games, screenshots have recently become a way for players to share their in-game experiences with each other: “that dunk was insane!” “I can’t believe you got to the last level so fast!” Several game developers have hosted screenshot contests for their players and awarded in-game rewards to the winners. One gamer has even created a site called Dead End Thrills, which is dedicated to taking captured video game images and enhancing them using professional photography techniques.
So go share some game art with your friends, our artists here at Big Fish Games Studios really appreciate your dedication to the art form!


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Software giant Google has been fined a record-breaking 2.14 billion dollar fine by the Europen Union for abuse of the search engine market that Google dominates. Google has been accused of forcing its own price comparison services that illegally push down the results of its competitors, leaving consumers with less choice and abusing its position.
Google has been given 90 days to cease these practices and detail to the EU how it intends to correct its artificially generated search results or else face a fine of more than 10 million dollars a day. After coming to this ruling, the EU is deepening its investigation of the Silicon Valley giant to see if Google is abusing its power elsewhere.
The decision was reached after an extensive seven year investigation into the way search results are generated by Google. The commission has also said that the company may want to rethink the way they conduct business altogether. Margrethe Vestager, who is leading the commission has denied any bias towards American companies operating in the EU.
“Google has come up with many innovative products and services that have made a difference to our lives,” Vestager said. “That’s a good thing. But Google’s strategy for its comparison shopping service wasn’t just about attracting customers by making its products better than those of its rivals. Instead, Google abused its market dominance as a search engine by promoting its own comparison shopping service in its search results, and demoting those of its competitors.
“What Google has done is illegal under EU antitrust rules. It denied other companies the chances to compete on the merits and to innovate. And most importantly, it denied European consumers a genuine choice of services and the full benefits of innovation.”
After the announcement, Alphabet shares fell 1.5% in pre-market trading in New York. Alphabet is the parent company of Google.
Google is rejecting the claims of breaching antitrust regulations and says it plans to appeal, meaning that a long legal battle between the EU and Google is on the horizon. A spokesperson for the software company said: “When you shop online, you want to find the products you’re looking for quickly and easily. And advertisers want to promote those same products. That’s why Google shows shopping ads, connecting our users with thousands of advertisers, large and small, in ways that are useful for both. We respectfully disagree with the conclusions announced today. We will review the commission’s decision in detail as we consider an appeal, and we look forward to continuing to make our case.”
The large fine set out by the commission was designed to take into account the long duration of the infringement as well as the gravity, they based the amount on Google’s revenue from the 13 countries where the activity occurred.
With several investigations ongoing, and faced with a large daily fine the number of accusation being made towards Google are staggering. The commission’s greatest concern is that Google has prevented fair play in the market for its competitors by hiding their ads and pushing their own ads to the front of searches and web pages.


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Hugh Symons Telecom has been appointed launch distributor for laptop manufacturer Asus’s new smartphone range in the UK.
Hugh Symons Telecom managing director Hugh Roper: "It is important for us to provide a comprehensive portfolio of brands to our diverse reseller base and adding Asus was a natural progression. We are delighted to be appointed as a launch partner for the latest devices and will continue to provide our resellers with access to the latest and most exciting PDAs and smartphones."
Asus manufactures computers, communications devices and consumer electronics.
Its UK mobile product manager Shawn Chang said: "Moving into the smartphone market is a natural step for Asus in the UK, where our products have built our reputation in the notebook sector. By working with Hugh Symons Telecom we are using all its expertise [in the telecoms space].”
The Asus P526 Pocket PC is equipped with GPS and runs on the latest Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 software. It also has a full touch screen. The sleek M530W smartphone also runs the latest Windows Mobile software.
Hugh Symons Telecom will support the sale of the Asus P526 and M530W with a range of configuration, customisation and connectivity services, enabling dealers to customise their offering.
For further details on the Asus portfolio or connected devices, simply visit us online at www.hughsymonstelecom.com


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Final Fantasy 16 Producer Naoki Yoshida provided a small update on the game development network during the live broadcast of the Tokyo Game Show this weekend, and pointed out that the game may be closer to completion than one might think.
As early as June, Square Enix lowered the expectations of Final Fantasy fans and told those eager to learn about the game that they should not expect to see it at the Tokyo Game Show in 2021.
However, despite not showing more gameplay or launching new trailers at the show, we still heard something else-a small game update provided by Yoshida.
Every VGC, Naoki Yoshida assured fans that the main design of Final Fantasy 16 has been completed, and explained that the development team is currently working on completing various side tasks that will appear in the game, as well as finalizing the character model and making some quality improvements.
We are sure that the last two elements will become music in the ears of fans; Final Fantasy 16 was officially announced for PS5 at the PlayStation 5 show in 2020, and fans soon began to criticize the graphics of the game. We heard before that the graphics are still being processed, so we hope-whenever we next watch the game-this will be an improvement over the video embedded above.
This slow, steady stream of information about the upcoming game is intentional. Yoshida previously explained that Square Enix deliberately concealed the news of “Final Fantasy 16” in order to avoid excessive hype about the game.
There is no word on the release date of Final Fantasy 16, it has only been confirmed for release on PlayStation 5 so far-but there seems to be some confusion about whether it will appear on any other platforms.