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Sugar is often accused of being the culprit that causes obesity. Though not all sugar is bad. According to health practitioner and popular health writer Handrawan Nadesul, the biggest mistake people make today is choosing granulated sugar (cane sugar) over brown sugar (brown sugar/palm sugar/coconut sugar). “Sugar is refined sugar, just like wheat. Both carbohydrates are processed. It is proven that sugar and wheat are not healthier than brown sugar and wheat,” Handrawan wrote on the social networking site. The doctor who graduated from Atma Jaya Kedokteran University in Jakarta stated that all degenerative diseases are now emerging as a result of the world’s increasing consumption of sugar.
Meanwhile, different natural sugars are absorbed by the intestines, much more perfectly, than refined sugar. “This includes artificial sweeteners. Not all artificial sweeteners are healthy,” he explained. Even though almost all snacks use artificial sweeteners, some have even been banned because they trigger cancer (carcinogens). In addition to increasing the incidence of degenerative diseases, consume more sugar, and refined sugar which is bound to proteins in the body to form AGEs (advanced glycosylated end products).
AGEs attach to body cells and make cells age quickly while lowering immunity. “Once again, whatever the reason, it is healthier if you choose a menu that is not processed but a natural menu. Not donuts but boiled potatoes. No chips but boiled peanuts. Not milled rice but mashed rice. Not beefsteak but seasoned snapper. But problems always arise, because usually we are defeated by the delicious taste on the tongue, “said Handrawan at length. Handrawan added, people in the world ingest 9 kg of food additives (food additives) as preservatives, and flavoring dyes, which are not healthy for them every year in pursuit of pleasure on the 10 cm tongue. “So, support your choice, health is in your own hands. Colon cancer is now in the top ranking. Maybe it’s because of what factors we consume that triggers it, “said Handrawan.


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Here’s what’s important in the financial world:
After ending the week on S&P downgrades on the euro zone, market watchers will continue to watch developments in that area including Greece’s efforts to restructure its government debt. For market participants in the U.S., it will be a shortened week because of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
When the markets open on Tuesday, it will be a very busy week with earnings reports dominated by financial companies. On Thursday, look for news from weekly jobless claims.
Over in Asia, Chinese economic data will be the focus this week as investors will wait to see whether numbers support further monetary easing measures from Beijing. This past week, China released consumer inflation figures, which showed a slight easing to 4.1 percent in December, year over year. On Tuesday, the market will see another piece of the puzzle as China reports its fourth-quarter economic growth as well as retail sales and industrial output.
Mining companies will take over the headlines with their fourth quarter earnings reports. On Tuesday, Rio Tinto Ltd. will release its numbers, followed by BHP Billiton Ltd. on Wednesday.
On Friday, HSBC will release initial results from the January survey of manufacturers (China Purchasing Manufacturing Index).
Back in the U.S., it’s all about these economic releases and earning reports.
- Monday: Spain sells T-bills.
- Tuesday: EarningsEmpire State Manufacturing Survey for January.
- Wednesday: Portugal sells bills, December PPI, November TIC Data, Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization for December and NAHB Housing Market Index for January.
- Thursday: France sells bonds and notes, Spain sells bonds, weekly jobless claims, December housing starts, December CPI and January Philly Fed Index.
- Friday: Existing Home Sales for December.
- Monday: None.
- Tuesday: Forest Labs, M&T Bank, Linear Technology, Citigroup and Wells Fargo.
- Wednesday: eBay, PNC Financial, State Street,Xilinx, Northern Trust, Charles Schwab,US Bancorp, SLM Corporation, Bank of New York Mellon, Goldman Sachs, Fastenal, and F5 Networks.
- Thursday: Johnson Controls, Union Pacific, BB&T, BlackRock,Freeport-McMoRan, Huntingon Bancshares, Southwest Airlines, PPG Industries, UnitedHealth Group, Microsoft, Intuitive Surgical, Intel, IBM,Google, American Express,Bank of America, Morgan Stanley,Rockwell Collins, People’s United Financial, and Capital One.
- Friday: Schlumberger, Comerica,First Horizon National, General Electric, Parker Hannifin, SunTrust Banks, and Fifth Third Bancorp.
[Editor’s note: the above is a cross post that originally appeared on Wall St. Cheat Sheet.]

domain: news


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Krishi India: Everything healthy, enriching and empowering
Krishi India 2018 Expo/ Wellness India 2018 Expo takes off in New Delhi today
With Transformational Experience as the punchline, the Ministry of Tourism’s recent ad film Yogi of the Racetrack, which has record breaking 75 million views, does justice to the depth of experiences that India offers.
“Through five 60 seconds ads, the Ministry of Tourism is promoting a new perception and better understanding of yoga as a holistic way of life to attract more health-conscious, high-end travellers deeper into India. The ads, which feature millennials, show the effect of yoga and its techniques and how it can be related to even the toughest race positions,” shared Union Minister of State for Tourism KJ Alphons.
The Union Minister was speaking at the inaugural session of Krishi India 2018 Expo/ Wellness India 2018. He also spoke about India being the country of wellness with Kerala being the heart of the wellness tourism industry, owing to numerous wellness retreats offering a combination of Ayurveda, yoga and other Indian systems of medicines. “The healing powers (of traditional Indian systems of medicines) don’t depend on chemicals. It rather depends on the earth. The products that heal us are actually Ayurvedic,” he said.
Alphons, who has been in Kerala for the last one week, made an urgent appeal for donations to help the people of the flood-battered state. “Nature’s fury has struck Kerala and the wellness hotspot is devastated, with one million people living in relief camps.”
That Indian agriculture is cereal-centric ie production of wheat and rice production is preferred over oilseeds and pulses was a recurring theme during the session on Farming and Agriculture: An Overall Perspective. Observing how the country’s cereal-centric (limited to wheat and rice) food security approach harmed interests of farmers.
Dr Ramesh Chand, member, NITI Aayog, said, “The per capita consumption of cereals has remained more or less the same for about 50 years though per capita consumption of edible oils, for instance, has grown by 300 per cent since 1992-93. However, India has not taken advantage of this growth and 70 per cent of our edible oil demand is still met by imports.”
He also pointed out that exporting water guzzling crops like paddy was not in the interest of the nation or its farmers. “We should aim to get more productivity from less resource if we want to double farm income by 2022.” The session also witnessed discussions around private sector investment in supply chain infrastructure and services that would lead to a reduction in waste and more added value.


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'We found out that some of our pricing was based on older market conditions and that today many of the parts we use have actually gone down in price. So we revamped and lowered our pricing to reflect those changes,' said Casazza.
Beachwood, NJ (PRWEB) September 06, 2013
LANshack.com - an online distributor and manufacturer of high quality datacom products, such as copper cabling hardware, fiber optic cable assemblies, tools and testers – has begun to launch a revamped line of fiber optic cabling products with high definition images, detailed descriptions, and reduced prices. LANshack, whom recently celebrated its 15 year anniversary of being an eCommerce storefront, decided it was time to work on individual product lines and optimize them to their full potential.
The first category they have chosen to focus on is their fiber optic made in the USA custom line by QuickTreX cabling. “One of our most prominent and important product groups is our fiber optic offerings. Since we have been on the Internet for so long (15 Years) we realized that a self-audit was due. We found that although our products stayed up to date, our online descriptions, pictures and even pricing needed updating,” said President Tony Casazza.
To stay competitive within their market, LANshack decided to reevaluate their pricing points to offer a better value to their customers. “We found out that some of our pricing was based on older market conditions and that today many of the parts we use have actually gone down in price. So we revamped and lowered our pricing to reflect those changes,” said Casazza. “We expect a high demand in fiber optic products such as Pre-Terminated Assemblies and Fiber Equipment in the next 5-10 years which will be required by most data centers and we want to be ready for that trend,” he continued.
Detailed descriptions and high definition pictures are another focal point of the update. “We have reliable custom made in the USA fiber optic cables and assemblies, but our old descriptions weren’t getting that message across to the customer. We really wanted to educate our customers about the fact that we use high quality Corning Glass, plenum rated jackets, and that each cable is individually tested,” said Operations Manager Tom Damiano.
The entire LANshack website was updated in September of 2012 with a new logo, color scheme, and added features, but the company still felt more work needed to be done. “We are going to go through our product offerings one by one to offer the best cost and information to our customers,” Damiano concluded.
LANshack also offers a comprehensive line of tutorials, how-to videos, Cabling and Installation Industry News articles, and Blog posts. They can be followed on Facebook and Twitter to receive their up to date news and tips. To obtain additional product information, contact LANshack.com at 888-568-1230.
About LANshack.com - Founded in 1997, LANshack.com is an online distributor of high quality datacom products - such as copper cabling hardware, fiber optic cable assemblies, tools and testers - catering to the low voltage cabling industry for use in premise networks, security, and electrical applications.


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Bed retailer Dreams is opening its latest store today.
It has snapped up a unit on the booming Grand Junction Retail Park, in Crewe.
The development has created four new jobs.
Now local customers are being promised a number of 'exciting Christmas seasonal deals' - with savings of up to 60 per cent on a number of selected lines.
Dreams divisional manager Noel Ward said: “We are looking forward to opening our doors in Crewe and welcoming new and existing customers to their new Dreams store.
"As the UK’s most-recommended bed retailer, we are looking forward to using our knowledge and expertise to help residents get a good night’s sleep.”
The new store will open from 9am to 8pm Monday to Friday; 9am to 6pm on Saturdays; and 10.30am to 5pm on Sundays. There is 30-minutes browsing from 10am on Sundays.
Dreams already has stores on Etruria Way, Basford, and in Stafford.
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Shares of Rockville-based Life Technologies Inc. surged 24 percent yesterday with the news that Dexter Corp. has made an offer to buy the 48 percent of the company it doesn't own.
Shares in Life Technologies gained $7.50 to close at $38.50, above Dexter's bid of $37 per share.
Life Technologies develops, manufactures and markets more than 3,000 products for use in life science research and biomedical manufacturing. It has 1,800 employees, including more than 600 in Maryland.
Since Life Technologies' inception in 1983, Dexter, based in Windsor Locks, Conn., has been the majority shareholder. It controls 52 percent of Life Technologies.
When Dexter, a chemical company with $1.15 billion in sales last year, made the bid after the markets closed Tuesday, its offer was 19 percent higher than Life Technologies' closing price of $31. But some say yesterday's rise in the stock price means Dexter's offer might fall short.
"I think $39 or $40 seems like a reasonable price to be paid," said Kevin I. Berg, an analyst at Oscar Gruss & Son Inc., who has "hold" rating on Life Technologies stock. "The offer was not out of line, but Wall Street believes the company deserves a higher premium. I think Dexter might very possibly come back with a higher offer."
Don't bet on it, said Dexter Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Grahame Walker.
"We made an offer to the board of Life Technologies, and that's the offer," he said. "We think it's very fair."
Walker declined to say what Dexter's next move would be if Life Technologies rejected the offer.
"This is a very important strategic move for Dexter Corp. in terms of repositioning itself for the next decade as a corporation that is focused on high growth markets," he said.
Life Technologies had $332.8 million in sales last year and net income of $32 million. Berg said revenue is expected to be about $360 million this year.
Joseph Stokes, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Life Technologies, said three independent members of his company's board -- those not affiliated with Dexter or Life Technologies -- will engage an independent financial adviser and legal adviser, neither of which has yet been selected, to determine whether the offer is fair and reasonably priced. The verdict is expected in about a month.
"Our position is that we will wait until the independent committee evaluates the offer and makes its recommendation to the board," he said. "We really do not have any comment."
Pub Date: 7/09/98


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Store shelves have been stripped of bare necessities by customers amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Items ranging from boxed/canned goods, hand sanitizer and toilet papers are scarce due to high demand during this pandemic. While some believe that buying in bulk would be a smart move to practice self-quarantine, others disagree, claiming that it is selfish.
Tyler Francoeur, a warehouse selector at Hannaford Distribution Center in Portland, Maine admits that he practices buying in bulk for certain items when he shops for groceries. “I work at the distribution center, I see what happens behind the scene,” he said. Francoeur explained that the distribution center is facing shortage of products in their storage. “High demand, low supply; we can’t keep up and there is nothing we can do about it,” he added.
Like any other shoppers, Francoeur struggles when it comes to finding necessities. “I buy in bulk because it is cheaper in the long run. It is a smart idea if you don’t overdo it,” he said. He believes that grocery shoppers should only buy necessities to last them for three weeks, anything more is just being inconsiderate.
Kate Moore, a Kennebunk shopper, said her family is focusing on only buying items they need and not what they want during this pandemic. “We make a [grocery] list to stay on track and not buy unnecessary things,” she said. Moore explained that price is the biggest factor for her family when buying groceries. “We try to be strategic about what to buy and when,” she added.
“One of the biggest transitions for my family is buying products of different brands and substituting certain products with others,” she said. Despite that, Moore believes that buying in bulk can be a good practice if done correctly. “You can save money and it is really useful for items that you use frequently,” said Moore. She added, “It is also great to save time because you do not have to go shopping as often.”
On the other hand, buying in bulk has been a regular practice for Kennebunk natives, Gabriella Kudas and her family. “My family loves to buy in bulk because we are a family of six,” she explained. Kudas said her family does not make any list when they grocery shop and they buy in bulk because it is cheaper that way.
Kudas said that this pandemic has taken a toll on her family. “We are limited to the amount of food at this time because of the scarcity; it is difficult because of how large my family is,” she added. Moreover, the increase of price for high demand products have made it harder for this family of six to shop for their needs without being price sensitive.
According to the market intelligence company Numerator, “9 in 10 consumers have changed their shopping behavior as a result of the coronavirus.” Kailee Lazaros, a student at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) who resides in Hudson, Massachusetts, said her family has shifted from their traditional shopping habit to buying only what they need.
“My family does not believe in bulk buy,” said Lazaros. She explained that daily necessities such as paper plates and paper towels have been bought by her family in bulk before but not anymore. “We make a [grocery] list and only go to the store if we need a lot of items,” she said.
Lazaros added that her family’s biggest issue is buying high demand products such as meats and frozen foods. “Some people choose to buy in bulk and others, like my family just buy what we need in the right quantity,” she said.


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Created: May 25, 2020 02:33 PM
(NBC News) There's a somewhat surprising effect the coronavirus lockdown is having on many Americans, and some businesses couldn't be happier.
Staying at home has unlocked the grip some people had on their spending habits.
"Surprisingly, Americans are spending more money during this time of social distancing than prior to it," says WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez.
WalletHub's recent survey found a sizable chunk of the country is spending money to relieve stress.
"Forty-three percent of Americans are participating in what is called comfort buying," Gonzalez says.
They're buying not just what's needed, but what they want.
It's retail therapy that can break the boredom of a lockdown.
"Right now about 30 percent of us are spending the most on entertainment, that is your Netflix, Hulu, subscriptions to keep you occupied all day while we are at home," Gonzalez notes.
Second on the list of non-essential spending is a soothing or stiff drink. Twenty-five percent of those surveyed admit they're spending more on alcohol.
Meanwhile, nearly half say they've found stress relief by adopting or fostering a pet.


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JAKARTA, Indonesia, Aug. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — PrivyID, Indonesia’s first legally binding digital signature provider, becomes the only digital signature provider that succeeded in passing Bank Indonesia’s regulatory sandbox program. PrivyID’s success is attributed to its capability of integrating their digital signature technology with the online credit card application system of six prominent consumer banks in Indonesia, namely Bank Mandiri, BRI, BNI, BNI Syariah, CIMB Niaga, and Bank Mega. Within a year, this collaboration has successfully improved online credit card application experience for over 50 thousand customers.
PrivyID has also been registered as Financial Technology Support Provider at Bank Indonesia since 2018. Bank Indonesia’s regulatory sandbox itself was developed as a framework to enable startups and other innovation providers to conduct live experiments within a controlled environment under Bank Indonesia’s strict monitoring and evaluation on their innovation, products, services, technology, and business models. Startups who passed this program are deemed to have appropriate products or services that are safe to be used by the wider population.
Marshall Pribadi, PrivyID’s founder and CEO, said, "We are honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with six banks and assist them in running Indonesia’s digital economy."
He also expressed his concern about the importance of having a financial solution that is still accessible without having to have physical meetings amidst the current pandemic.
"Digital signature is as legally binding as a traditional signature," he explained.
Marshall continued, "By using digital signature on online credit card application, customers no longer need to go to public spaces, such as malls, to sign up for a credit card membership. Digital signature provides a viable contactless solution for financial service providers".
Apart from bearing a safer health protocol, digital signature implementation on online credit card application also resulted in a higher rate of satisfaction among customers. Based on a survey by Macromill Southeast Asia, 96% of respondents who have tried using digital signature on their credit card application find that the digitized process is easier compared to the manual process.
Moreover, the majority of respondents also felt that the process is more secure because their personal information is directly integrated to the bank without having to go through a third-party. High level of convenience and trust among customers are of course among the most important factors to push the potential for the growth of credit card transaction volume in Indonesia.
Hardian Chandrakusuma, Senior Manager Card Product Management Bank Mandiri, said, "PrivyID has successfully helped Bank Mandiri in improving our operational and business process for our credit card products."
This condition is reflected from the result that Bank Mandiri acquired during their time engaging with PrivyID in Bank Indonesia’s regulatory sandbox program. "Our average volume of applications grows three-fold compared to our existing acquisition model. Additionally, we are also grateful that PrivyID’s digital signature could enable us in reducing face-to-face meetings for credit card application during the COVID-19 pandemic," he added.
Contacted separately, Riski Aji, Business Analyst BRI, also expressed a similar satisfaction. "We trust PrivyID’s solution and services. PrivyID has assisted BRI in providing a digitized financial service that is both more reliable and easier for our customers, all the while maintaining a high prudential", he concluded.
PrivyID (PT Privy Identitas Digital) is Indonesia’s first digital identity and legally binding digital signature solution provider. They are the first Regulatory Technology (Regtech) startup to get official recognition from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology of the Republic of Indonesia as a certified electronic signature provider. PrivyID is also the first and only Indonesian company to become a member of the FIDO Alliance, an international industry association whose mission is to create global authentication standards.
Since its founding in 2016, PrivyID has been trusted by more than 6,8 million users and 507 companies in Indonesia, including five out of seven Book IV Banks with core capital of over 30 Trillion Rupiah and other leading companies such as Telkom, XL, Indosat, Unilever Indonesia, BCA Finance, Gramedia, Akulaku, and Kredivo.
PrivyID’s regulatory-compliant and ISO27001-certified solutions enable the company to perform undisputed e-KYC processes for their customers. PrivyID is an official partner of Indonesia’s Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration. PrivyID is also officially certified and acknowledged by Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and IT, the central bank of Indonesia, and the Financial Services Authority.
PrivyID’s CEO, Marshall Pribadi, is the chairman of the Indonesian Regtech and Legaltech Association (IRLA), member of the Endeavor Entrepreneur, and one of the recipients of Forbes’ Asia 30 Under 30.
For more information, please visit www.privy.id. Or contact our Marketing Communication team:
- Naufal Arie (Marketing Communication Assistant – Jakarta)
Email: [email protected]
- Fauzi Juni Putra (Marketing Communication Assistant – Yogyakarta)
Email: [email protected]
Photo – https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200813/2884637-1?lang=0
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Ford issues major recall for minivans, SUVs
Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:57:06 GMT —
Ford is recalling nearly a half million minivans and suvs because of mechanical issues.
The Detroit automaker is recalling more than 205,000 Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans from the 2004 and 2005 model years. Ford says there's a problem torque converter that could cause a sudden loss of power.
The car maker is also recalling more than 244,000 Escape SUVs made during the 2001 and 2002 model years. There's an issue with the brake system.
Ford says with both recalls, it will notify the affected owners
and dealers will replace the parts for free.
In the case of the Escape, Ford said it will begin notifying owners the week of Jan. 23, but because of a parts delay, Ford said it may not be able to fix some of the vehicles right away.
In those cases, Ford said it will tell owners to park their SUVs outside until the parts become available and the vehicles can be fixed.
More Information: Ford


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The crowdfunding campaign runs through Dec. 2 Mothership, the award-winning tabletop role-playing game, will soon come in a boxed starter set.
The Kickstarter campaign launched on Tuesday and met its goal of $20,000 almost immediately.
Mothership rose to prominence in 2019 when, at the Gen Con gaming convention, Mothership: Player’s Survival Guide won the Ennie Award for best game.
Fans can grab a full physical version for just $59, with delivery expected by Nov. 2022.
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22 June 2012 13:40 [Source: ICIS news]
MUNICH (ICIS)--Clariant will look to expand its production of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) for battery materials by building in the Asia Pacific region, the Swiss specialty chemicals maker said on Friday.
Harm Scheepstra, head of BU Catalysis and Energy at Clariant said that there has been rapid market growth for battery materials driven by electric vehicles and energy storage applications for consumer electronics.
“We will do that [invest] in areas where the market is, and at this moment it is in Asia Pacific – China, [South] Korea, Japan, these are the markets. We have not yet decided where exactly we will build it,” said Scheepstra.
Scheepstra said Clariant could build a plant that will be in similar size or bigger to the group’s 2,500 tonne/year LFP facility in ?xml:namespace>
In April 2011, Phostech Lithium, a unit of former German specialty chemicals producer Sud-Chemie before it was acquired by Clariant, opened a plant in
With a capacity of 2,500 tonnes/year, the plant, the first commercial plant of its size for LFP, will produce enough lithium iron phosphate for about 50,000 electric car batteries or up to 500,000 hybrid car batteries, Phostech said at the time.
Scheepstra was speaking at Clariant’s capital markets and media day in
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Brands advertising in the Super Bowl face a choice: acknowledge the pandemic in a serious or light-hearted way or ignore it altogether.
Bud Light is taking the humorous approach in one of its ads by putting a whimsical spin on the small hardships the pandemic brought us, from do-it-yourself haircuts to busted wedding plans. The spot from Wieden+Kennedy New York plugs the brand’s new hard seltzer lemonade flavor by showing lemons falling from the sky as a symbol of all the “lemons” 2020 brought us. It ends with a scene of friends drinking the seltzer, while one of them references the saying “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”
The brand will extend the analogy to gameday viewing, promising to give fans a chance to win a case of the new drink if they tweet “#LemonsIntoLemonade” and “#Sweepstakes” if there is a turnover by either team. "The Super Bowl always brings together avid and casual sports fans alike, and our hope is that our new commercial brings them a little bit of levity and fun while watching the game,” Bud Light marketing VP Andy Goeler said in a statement.
The ad does not show any mask-wearing, despite the COVID references. When asked about that, a brand spokesman stated: “For our Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade spot, we created a fictional piece of content that is based in a future time, which captures the relatable moments in 2020 in a way that we hope brings levity to viewers after a lemon of a year.”
He added: “While creating a commercial this year had its challenges, the health and safety of everyone on our set is our top priority. In fact, we implemented and followed strict guidelines, which included daily testing, social-distancing when not on camera and equipped everyone with personal protective equipment to wear when not shooting.”
The ad is part of a four-minute Super Bowl lineup from Anheuser-Busch InBev that includes a spot for regular Bud Light as well as ads for Michelob Ultra and Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer and a corporate ad. See one of the Ultra ads here.
For more on this year's Super Bowl ad outlook, check out our latest edition of the "Marketer's Brief" podcast. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, check us out on Spotify and hear us on Stitcher. This is our RSS feed. Tell a friend!


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Twisted’s founder and managing director, Charles Fawcett, has been named on the prestigious 42 under 42 list, compiled by the Yorkshire Business Insider.
The list profiles the region’s top business leaders and entrepreneurs under 42 years of age, and places Charles alongside entrepreneurs from a diverse range of industries.
He has been named in the second batch of names, which are published in the March edition of Yorkshire Business Insider magazine.
Twisted’s commitment to utilising and exporting local craftsmanship and efforts to further grow the footprint of Brand Yorkshire made Charles a perfect candidate for the list.
He said: “London would have been the obvious place to set up a company selling an aspirational product – and if we sat on Savile Row this business would be ten times the size.
“But the fact is, I love Yorkshire. I am proud to have been able to assemble a great team and built a fantastic Yorkshire company with a world wide customer base, from scratch in Thirsk, a small market town in the North of the county, having taking plenty of risks along the way and bucked many trends, it is humbling to see those achievements recognised through the Insider’s 42 under 42 list.”
Insider Editor Ian Leech said: “These hand-picked business owners are selected as they are anticipated to become the leaders of the future – chosen for their business acumen and entrepreneurial flair.
“Now in its 19th year, the 42 under 42 boasts some impressive alumni, including Andrew Cope, Dean Hoyle, James Lambert and Stuart Paver.”
Insider is one of the UK’s largest business-to-business media companies. The organisation’s five regional magazines are read every year by more than 200,000 subscribers.


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Acroprint Time Recorder Company is pleased to offer a limited-time promotion to new customers of AcroTime Payroll services. New clients who sign up for AcroTime Payroll before September 30, 2018, and commence using the service before January 30, 2019 are eligible to receive three free months of payroll processing services, plus free set-up, after they complete four months of service.
Media Room / News Releases
As part of our &ldquqo;Christmas in July” celebration, Acroprint is pleased to announce a limited time free shipping offer on web store orders of $50 or more, making the month of July a prime time for Acroprint customers to stock up on clocks, supplies and accessories while taking advantage of the savings on shipping costs.
RALEIGH, NC – Just in time for organizations looking to get prepared for 2018, Acroprint is pleased to announce a limited time free shipping offer on web store orders of $50 or more. The terms of the offer are: The order must be placed through AcroprintStore.com. The order must be shipped to the contiguous 48 […]
Acroprint In The News
According to this article from the Pocono Record, the Pocono Township Board of Commissioners unanimously approved migrating the Township’s time tracking to use Acroprint’s cloud-based AcroTime product. “Acroprint… will re-do the programming for the township time-card system to take into account the township’s differing overtime guidelines for hourly employees.”
Thanks to the biometric capabilities of our AcroTime® Workforce Management and other biometric-capable time tracking solutions, Acroprint was featured in an article entitled 12 of the Best Biometric Companies That are Changing the Game, published on the National Biometric website.
Our Model 150 mechanical punch clock was rated the Best Mid-Range time clock, and received an overall rank of fourth among all the clocks rated, thanks to its “rugged durability” and ability to “stand up to the harshest of environments.” Watch the video to hear their full review of the clock.
President Glenn Robbins was profiled by the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB). He shared how he got started in the business, some insights into the challenges we face as an SMB, and how we’re planning to deal with them.
Company Vice President David Rhiver was interviewed by Vertical Systems Reseller magazine about the challenges of selling Software as a Service products, such as our AcroTime service, and the benefits cloud-based services can bring to businesses. Article appeared onine and in the print version of the magazine.
Triangle Business Journal publication
The Triangle Business Journal profiled Acroprint in a March 2014 article entitled Still Ticking After All These Years in anticipation of the company’s 45th anniversary, which was celebrated on April 1, 2014. We were also featured in a blog post published in early March. Both articles feature interesting facts about Acroprint’s clocks as well as insider quotes from company president Glenn Robbins and third-generation company employee Amanda Robbins Jones.
U.S. News & World Report magazine
An article in the June 26, 2006 issue of U.S. News & World Report, entitled When Your Boss Says Jump, about employer-sponsored fitness programs featured Acroprint’s Three Million Step Challenge, including a quote from an Acroprint employee.
Acroprint Time Recorder Co. was featured in Business Leader magazine as part of their 15th anniversary celebration.
Acroprint Time Recorder Co. and our president Glenn Robbins profiled in Business Leader magazine.
Click here for more…


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“Microsoft Corp. unveiled Windows Phone software for smartphone-tablet hybrids as well as more powerful chips as the company plays catchup to Google Inc. and Apple Inc. in mobile devices,” Dina Bass reports for Bloomberg.
“A bigger start menu with higher-resolution displays will enable the software to run on phones with five- and six-inch screens for the first time, Microsoft said today in a blog post,” Bass reports. “The update to Windows Phone 8 will roll out to developers tomorrow and customers in the coming months.”
“After losing out in smartphones and tablets to Google’s Android operating system and Apple’s iOS software, Microsoft is trying to appeal to consumers in the middle,” Bass reports. “Global shipments of so-called phablets will more than double to 60.4 million this year, research firm IHS predicted in January. That’s a fraction of the more than 1 billion smartphones researcher IDC expects to be shipped.”
Read more in the full article here.


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Chile: An Innovative Incubator
Salmon aren't native to Chile. So how did this shoestring of a country best known for its immense copper reserves become the world's second-largest producer of the rosy-fleshed fish? Much of the credit goes to a Santiago business incubator called Fundación Chile. In the 1980s the nonprofit foundation concluded that Chile had natural competitive advantages that could make it a big success in commercial salmon farming. Abundant freshwater lakes and saltwater fjords along the country's 6,435-kilometer Pacific coast don't freeze during the winter, which means the salmon grow faster, reaching market weight at least six months earlier than they do in Norway, the world's other big producer. By 1982, Fundación Chile had its first salmon farm up and running. Seven years later it sold it to a Japanese company for $22 million.
That early success spurred the creation of an industry that directly employs 45,000 people, from assembly-line fish-packers to PhD marine biologists. Chile exported $1.4 billion of salmon and trout last year, 35% of the world's supply. At first, companies exported whole gutted fish and frozen fillets. But businesses like Salmones MultiExport Ltd. have gone on to develop value-added products such as smoked salmon and prepackaged sushi for the discerning Japanese market. Such products now account for 65% of Chile's salmon exports. ``We still see enormous potential for growth of specialty salmon,'' says Ricardo Grunwald, sales director at Salmones MultiExport, a Chilean-owned outfit with $120 million in sales that counts Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT ) and U.S. supermarket chain Safeway Inc. (SWY ) among its customers.
Fundación Chile was set up in 1976, just three years after a military coup deposed President Salvador Allende. Eager to tap foreign expertise to rebuild Chile's battered economy, the regime of General Augusto Pinochet persuaded ITT Corp. to use part of the $100 million settlement the American company received in compensation for the 1971 expropriation of Chile's national telephone company to set up an incubator for private sector startups.
Three decades later, Fundación Chile boasts an impressive track record. The outfit has helped boost exports of berries and other fresh fruits to $2 billion last year via biotech research and the development of quality-certification programs. It has worked with the forestry industry to diversify into furniture and paper products. The foundation's scientists have also developed a recombinant DNA vaccine against a common ailment that can kill salmon.
Now, in response to companies' clamor for better-skilled workers, the foundation is working with a number of industries to develop training programs. Such planning is crucial if Chile is to attain its goal of replicating the gains of economies like Finland, which went from exporting unprocessed logs to sophisticated paper products to cell-phone technology. ``The idea is to figure out how Chile, which largely depends on natural resources, can take the same path toward greater use of technology,'' says Eduardo Bitran, the economist who heads Fundación Chile.
While Chile searches for its future, innovation is still crucial to the continued success of its aquaculture industry. Just ask Gustavo Parada, a biochemist who directs the foundation's marine-resources research station in Quillaipe, in southern Chile. After stepping into a disinfectant foot bath, he enters a large, sterile room with lights dimmed to mimic deep ocean water. He leans over a large 12,000-liter tank holding thousands of tiny squiggling fish. ``Chilean austral hake,'' he says, grinning like a proud father. ``That could be Chile's next 'salmon.'''
White-fleshed hake is such a popular fish that its ocean stocks are dwindling. Over the past four years, Parada's team of nine scientists has mastered the difficult art of breeding the fish in captivity, carefully determining the proper nutrient mix, oxygen supply, and water temperature. Early next year the team will place some of their hatchlings in ocean cages to determine how quickly the fish will be ready for commercial farming. ``This has the potential to be much, much bigger than salmon,'' says Parada. If that's true, Chile will again show that even small countries at the world's end can affect a global market.
By Geri Smith in Quillaipe, Chile
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At a global launch here in London, on a scale Samsung usually reserves for its best-selling Galaxy mobile phones, the company launched a handful of new notebook PCs, running a mix of Microsoft’s Windows 8 and Google’s Android operating systems.
Samsung’s renewed push into the PC business comes at a curious time. PC sales declined by 3.2 per cent last year, according to IDC, their first decline in a decade, and this year the sales of notebooks are expected to be eclipsed by sales of smaller, cheaper tablets – a market dominated by Apple, but in which Samsung has a strong foothold with its Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Note tablets.
But the Korean electronics giant has a knack for muscling its way into new markets, through lavish marketing as much as through innovation, and it has already made some inroads. Its PC business in Australia grew 40 per cent in the first quarter this year, compared to the same quarter a year ago, according to the GfK Group.
Still, Samsung is not even in the top five biggest PC vendors, with the market still dominated by PC companies such as HP, Lenovo and Dell.
To signal its surge into that market, Samsung has brought all its PCs under the “Ativ" banner.
One new notebook, known as the Ativ Book 9 Plus (based around a model previously known as the Series 9), is much like an Apple MacBook Air, but it runs Windows 8 and has an ultra-high resolution, touch-sensitive screen that opens a full 180 degrees, allowing the notebook to be used as a sort of tabletop device.Another new Samsung notebook, a hybrid device known as the Ativ Q, has a hinged screen that allows it to be used as either a notebook PC or a tablet.
Unusually, that PC is capable of running Windows 8 and Android at the same time – the popular Google operating system essentially runs as an application inside Windows. This suggests that, while Samsung has taken a new interest in PCs, it hasn’t forgotten that it is in Android phones and tablets that the company made its name.
The Australian Financial Review


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Latest Osama Bedier Stories
Google's plan to displace credit cards with a smartphone-based payment system has led to legal challenges with online payment service provider PayPal, which claims Google stole its ideas by hiring away two key executives.
Word of the Day
- A ceramic container used inside a fuel-fired kiln to protect pots from the flame.
The word 'saggar' may come from 'safeguard'.


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Washington (March 23, 2018): President Donald Trump on Thursday hit China with tariffs on up to $60 billion of imports to retaliate against the “theft” of American intellectual property, ratcheting up trade tensions between the world´s two largest economies.
Saying it would be the “first of many” trade actions, Trump signed the order that also could result in restrictions on Chinese investment in the US.The move sent stocks diving amid rising market fears the United States could provoke a trade war, since China has vowed to retaliate.
But at the same time Washington also said it would at least temporarily exempt the European Union and six other countries from steep steel and aluminum tariffs announced this month, easing the immediate threat of a trade dispute with US allies.
“We have a tremendous intellectual property theft situation going on,” Trump said as he signed the new trade order.Senior White House economic advisor Everett Eissenstat said the new import duties would target industrial sectors where “China has sought to acquire an advantage through the unfair acquisition or forced technology transfer from US companies.”
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer within two weeks is due to publish a list of the products that will be slapped with tariffs.
Vice President Mike Pence hailed the new measures as just one more “promise made and a promise kept by president Trump.”. The new action “makes it clear the era of economic surrender is over,” Pence said.


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Quicken hangs when updating
This could actually be a good thing for Quicken users as a fresh set of eyes and a new set of developers might be able bring back the software to it’s glory days once again.As soon as we know more, we’ll post it here on Software They also shed some more light on when Quicken 2016 would be released – They quoted a November 18th release date.Here’s the full text copy of the forwarded email we received: “Hello, We’re writing about the pre-order referenced above for “Intuit Quicken Deluxe 2016,” scheduled for release on October 4th, 2015.
While we still hope the new products will be released soon (Amazon originally had an October 4th release date – See below for the links), but it’s hard to say at this point what will happen, into who’s hands Quicken will go to and when, and then what the new owner of the software will decide to do.With the move to our new online banking platform, you will need to reset your connection to Twin Star online banking from within Quicken, Quick Books, or The attached documents have been provided by Intuit to help you through this process.Every year, Intuit releases a new version of Quicken.article that Intuit is looking to sell off a few of their business units, including Quicken.Layoffs of 249 employees in the Small Business unit has already begun.
Search for quicken hangs when updating:
Most years, I interview some honcho at Intuit who's running the personal finance division and we talk about where the category is going.


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The wine is extraordinary. The cost is appropriately exorbitant.
Christie’s announced Tuesday that it will be selling a bottle of French wine that spent more than a year in space aboard the International Space Station. According to the auction house, a wine connoisseur could pay up to $1 million for it.
The Pétrus 2000 is one of 12 bottles sent into space by researchers investigating the possibility of extraterrestrial agriculture in November 2019. According to wine experts who sampled it at a tasting in France 14 months later, it returned subtly altered. The space-aged wine was “matured in a unique environment” of near zero-gravity aboard the space station, according to Tim Tiptree, international director of Christie’s wine and spirits department.
The journey transformed a $10,000-per-bottle wine known for its complexity, silky, ripe tannins, and flavors of black cherry, cigar box, and leather into a scientific novelty — and still a fine bottle of wine, according to Tiptree.
“It’s just a very harmonious wine that has the ability to age superbly, which is why it was chosen for this experiment,” he said. “It’s very encouraging that it was delicious on return to Earth.”
The wine was launched into orbit in November 2019 by the private space startup Space Cargo Unlimited as part of an effort to make plants on Earth more resilient to climate change and disease by exposing them to new stresses. Researchers want to learn more about the aging process, fermentation, and bubbles in wine.
A dozen wine connoisseurs compared one of the space-traveled wines to a bottle from the same vintage that had remained in a cellar during a taste test in March at the Institute for Wine and Vine Research in Bordeaux, France.
They noticed a distinction that was difficult to describe. According to Jane Anson, a writer for the wine publication Decanter, the wine that remained on Earth tasted slightly younger, while the space version was slightly softer and more aromatic. ‘The main difference I found was heightened floral characteristics,’ Anson said about the space wine during a live press conference.
The wine, being offered by Christie’s in a private sale, comes with a bottle of terrestrial Pétrus of the same vintage, a decanter, glasses and a corkscrew crafted from a meteorite. It’s all held in a hand-crafted wooden trunk with decoration inspired by science fiction pioneer Jules Verne and the “Star Trek” universe.
The sale proceeds will be used to fund future research by Space Cargo Unlimited. Several other bottles from the dozen sent to space remain unopened, but Christie’s says no plans to sell any of them.
According to Tiptree, the price estimate of “in the region of $1 million” reflects the sale’s likely appeal to a mix of wine connoisseurs, space enthusiasts, and the type of wealthy people who collect “ultimate experiences.”
The bottle of 2000 Pétrus that remained on Earth is included in the lot so the buyer can compare the two if they decide to open the one that went into orbit. “I would hope that they will decide to drink it, but maybe not immediately,” Tiptree said. “It’s at its peak drinking, but this wine will last probably another at least another two or three decades.”


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In the current year on the mobile market will be a foldable smartphone companies as Samsung, LG and Huawei. According to a report published on mspoweruser.com Apple is developing a similar gadget.
However, the “Apple” manufacturer has adopted a completely different approach to creating a flexible iPhone. Information shared head of Samsung Design Innovation Center Federico Casalegno.
If the foldable smartphone Samsung Galaxy F will be folded inside, the phone from Apple will fold outwards. The design of the fold-out is more simple and cheap, but in a case of this gadget can be more cumbersome and less attractive than a smartphone, folding inside.
The first foldable smartphone Apple will be released only in 2020.
Read more •••


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Nate SwannerFormer Reporter, TNW
TNW's former West Coast writer in the PNW (Portland, Oregon). Nate loves amplifying developers, and codes in Swift when he's not writing. If TNW's former West Coast writer in the PNW (Portland, Oregon). Nate loves amplifying developers, and codes in Swift when he's not writing. If you need to get in touch, Twitter is your best bet.
Pebble is updating two of its smartwatches with heart-rate sensors and introducing a new clip-on wearable aimed at those who want to listen to music (but leave their phones at home). There’s also some new software that Pebble fans might really like.
First, Pebble is updating its original timepiece with heart-rate tracking sensors. Those sensors will automatically measure the beat of your internal drum every 10 minutes, and can recognize when you start an activity for more frequent monitoring (measuring in seconds, not minutes).
It still has the same form factor, and keeps its black-and-white e-paper screen.
To be more accurate, Pebble has been benchmarking its heart-rate sensors against chest straps many runners wear. CEO Eric Migicovsky told TNW that his company considers those the gold standard of heart-rate wearables, and wants Pebble’s own sensors to be as accurate to them as possible.
Pebble Time 2
Currently, there are three Time wearables: Time, Time Steel and Time Round. To streamline its product lineup, Pebble is merging Time and Steel into one wearable, and adding 50 percent more screen.
Pebble Time 2 has the same heart-rate sensors as the new Pebble 2, and its larger screen has 80 percent more pixels for “twice the text.”
From out of left field comes Core; technically a wearable, Core is a GPS-enabled clip-on that natively works with Spotify for those who want to listen to music on the go.
The small square clip-on has two buttons. The larger of the two accesses Spotify by default, which Pebble partnered with for the launch of Core.
The second button is programmable. You can choose to have it hail a Lyft ride, send a default text to a contact or — well, anything. Migicovsky told TNW consuers should think of the buttons like IFTTT recipes; anything you want from them can likely be programmed.
The Pebble app will be serve as the back-end for Core, which can charge wirelessly (Qi) or via an included cable. It uses a SIM card for cellular 3G access, and lasts “up to nine hours” while playing music.
Pebble smartwatches are also getting a few new features that will help them launch apps faster and see what events they’ve got coming up.
With a future software/firmware update (Migicovsky wasn’t able to say exactly when we may see it, only that it would likely arrive in beta form before being stable), Pebble smartwatches will cleverly add pop-up notifications to your watch face if a new event is coming up.
The aim is contextual notifications without constantly buzzing your wrist. If you’ve got a meeting at the top of the hour, it may display towards the bottom of your watch face while the rest of the screen resizes to accommodate the banner.
Launching apps is also a bit faster with this new software. Instead of funneling you into a proper app, Pebble will have what it calls ‘Actions.’
Those Actions let you perform similar functions to the Core. A long-press on the top button will display a list of Actions, which can be scrolled through. Selecting one launches the programmed Action.
Like a Core, Actions on a smartwatch can be anything you like. Migicovsky said Actions were created as a response to slow app launch times, as Pebble noticed most users perform the same cursory functions like messaging the same person or simply calling an Uber.
Now, you can simply launch an Action and have an Uber come straight to your location. Actions even take into account things like who you messaged last or which type of Uber or Lyft you typically take.
All three hardware products will naturally launch via Kickstarter.
Core will sell for $69, and start shipping in January. The Pebble 2 is hitting Kickstarter for $99 for an August arrival, and the Pebble Time 2 will start at $129 and hit backers starting in November.
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Welcome to today's cable and broadband news roundup.
Google Fiber has redesigned its TV app so it will work on any Android device running 4.1 or later and has set to work an iOS version that will become available "soon," according to this blog post from Head of Product Management Larry Yang. Before the latest upgrade and a revamped user interface, the Google Fiber TV app was available only on the Nexus 7 tablet, which is bundled in with the service provider's subscription TV service. Similar to tablet apps offered by major pay-TV providers, the latest version from Google Fiber TV (available via Google Play) lets customers browse and search for TV shows, set DVR recordings, and use their tablets as fancy remote controls. Google Fiber is in the process of building out its 1Gbit/s network in Kansas City, Mo.; and Kansas City, Kan. It recently secured a franchise agreement to extend services to Olathe, Kan., where Comcast Corp. is the incumbent cable operator. (See Google Fiber Makes Another Connection and Google Fiber Bundles TV, Shuns Data Caps .)
Google Fiber's TV app will soon become available on iPads and other iOS devices.
The board of Hulu LLC has approached potential suitors to gauge their interest in buying the Web TV hub, reports Reuters, noting that the board has not received any formal offers and that any such deal will prove difficult unless Hulu can secure long-term deals with content partners. Hulu co-owners News Corp. and Walt Disney Co. are also considering options that would include buying the other out, the report added. Comcast also owns a piece of Hulu, but ceded corporate control as a condition of its acquisition of NBCUniversal LLC. Hulu has previously pursued a sale as well as an IPO in recent years, but pulled back each time. (See Hulu: No Sale.)
HBO could consider offering its shows to non-cable-TV subscribers in the future, chief executive Richard Plepler told Reuters last week. Plepler didn't say the company would pursue a direct-to-consumer model in the U.S., but he did hint at the potential for selling HBO as an add-on to broadband Internet service. Still, such a move is unlikely to happen any time soon given the amount of marketing support and revenues HBO generates from its pay-TV partners, but it's not an unthinkable strategy for the longer term. "We would have to make the math work," said Plepler. The HBO Nordic joint venture, meanwhile, has launched a standalone subscription streaming service to consumers in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway.
Sweden's Magine launched a cloud-based, "virtual" MSO service this week comprising roughly 30 channels of programming from CNN International, BBC World News, and Cartoon Network, among others. Subscribers can stream content to smart TVs, PCs, and mobile devices for about €10 (US$12.86) per month. The service also includes a TV catch-up feature, which stores at least a week's worth of programming for most channels, and a program guide with search and discovery tools. Magine told TechCrunch last week that Sweden remains the only the launch pad for its new television service, though it reportedly aims to expand to other European markets.


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In mid-March, the publicly traded company Vail Resorts made a public splash with its announcement to pay its labor force $20/hour across the board for the 2022-23 ski season. At face value to those outside the industry, it looked like a positive media moment for the company.
One might conclude that Vail Resorts is a wage leader in the industry (it hasn’t been), or that resort workers are difficult to recruit. Truth is that all industries have experienced challenges in recruiting in an era of long covid.
Conventional wisdom might even suggest that Vail Resorts is resetting the wage scale across the industry as it seeks to attract the best talent.
But as reported by the Wall Street Journal and others, a closer look reveals this is a response to issues that can’t and won’t be solved with a wage increase:
- From November – January of this season, Vail Resorts stock was down 15 percent while the market itself was up nearly 10 percent – a 25 percentage-point swing when other publicly traded travel and leisure companies saw modest increases or remained flat.
- Coming into the 2021-22 ski season, Vail announced a $200 price cut to its season pass – valid across all 37 of its resorts – in hopes of selling more passes, which it did. Sales increased by 76 percent.
- Labor shortages impacted by Omicron and the high cost of housing in resort locations, coupled with an increase in visitors, created long lines, overcrowded resorts, and poor customer experiences.
Driving purpose: profits or people?
In my previous blog I referenced Peter Drucker by saying the purpose of a business is to create and keep a customer. Vail Resorts is experiencing the challenges that ensue when purpose is misguided.
In my opinion, Vail Resorts pursued profit ahead of its people and the customers it serves. A quick surge in profits looked good on paper, but those sales still required delivering a desired customer experience. While they were good at creating a customer, keeping them has and continues to be much more difficult.
When workers are few and crowds are large, tensions rise. Customers eventually lose their patience. When workers get pushed beyond their limits and do not feel respected, they quit. In the end everybody loses.
Meanwhile, competitors in proximity of Vail Resorts’ locations sell passes at a higher rate, employ people at a competitive wage that isn’t $20/hour, and uphold a higher purpose that rallies their employees to serve their customers, not simply shareholders.
At its core, this was a test of the operational strategy and culture in place at Vail Resorts. Now it serves as a case study for companies to carefully consider their stated purpose and how it supports their operational strategy and culture.
Companies that exist solely to make profits will constantly find themselves chasing after the market or the next shiny new thing.
Companies that exist to achieve something beyond profits create the opportunity to build loyalty – assuming the product or service itself is good. The value of that loyalty when reciprocated by employees, partners, and customers, is priceless.
The competitive advantage of a strong culture
The ripple effect of the 2021-22 ski season will continue to reverberate when seasonal workers return for 2022-23. The stock price and customer satisfaction feedback have combined to weaken the company, forcing it to pay more per hour than its competitors and more than it should. Knowing what workers experienced, they will have to weigh whether that modest bump in the hourly wage is worth it, if they believe a shift in culture is possible, and if customers will return at a clip that ensures they can maintain employment throughout the season.
Those who compete for customers with Vail Resorts are wise to stay the course if they believe in their culture and the value of their product and service.
Companies with cultures rooted in putting people first and rewarding workers with incentives to live out the company values will continue to attract employees and customers alike, which makes a “wage war” for workers unnecessary.
Further, companies will see that offering $18/hour with the right culture and added incentives outweighs chasing an inflated wage that, in time, won’t be sustainable as markets soften or a recession occurs. That’s not to say that some employees aren’t worth $20/hour, and they are the ones who will benefit from performance-based incentives.
If you believe like I do that competition is good, you want to see Vail Resorts bounce back. Operating from a level playing field is where companies put in the demanding work to differentiate themselves, offering greater value and experiences to employees and customers.
Running a profitable business is a good thing. But a relentless and unchecked pursuit of profits can be the one thing that prevents your company from being the competitive force it aspires to be.


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BlackBerry has recently announced that it will not be renewing its licensing agreement with carrier T-Mobile when it ends on April 25.
This means that BlackBerry products will no longer be available through T-Mobile after this date.
In a blog post published yesterday T-Mobile CEO John Legere expressed his regret and stated that he is offering $100 credit for current BlackBerry users towards any new device including the BlackBerry Q10 or Z10.
This offer is valid through to the end of this year and doesn’t require users to trade in their old phone.
BlackBerry have stated that they will continue to support existing customers on the T-Mobile network and will look into other carrier partners for loyal BlackBerry users.
They have also said that they will continue to support customers who purchase products from T-Mobile’s remaining inventory.
The disagreement between T-Mobile and BlackBerry is believed to be the result of an advertising campaign run by T-Mobile last month which targeted BlackBerry users and suggested they switch to the iPhone 5.
After April 25, BlackBerry phones will still be available from Sprint Corp, Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc.


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6G Network Up to 10 Years?
Sixth generation 6G telecommunications technologies may become available in the next 10 years. This was stated today by the founder and CEO of Huawei Ren Zhengfei in an interview with Kyodo.
"We have started research on the 6G network and in my opinion within 10 years it can be made available for practical use", he said.
At the same time, Zhengfei expressed concern that Huawei could lose its leadership position in 5G technologies if the US maintains restrictions against the company over the next three to five years, BTA reported.
Currently, Huawei has concluded more than 60 contracts with other countries to expand the fifth generation worldwide network.
Huawei was founded in 1987 and manufactures telecommunications equipment, consumer devices and smartphones. The Group's products and services are available in over 170 countries. But the company is threatened with international sanctions after the US and Australia accused it of technical espionage and the collection of classified information, TASS recalls.
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| Jan 11, 2013
When prices essentially match, what stores are left to sell is themselves.
More than just the products they move, they compete on the basis of the shopping experiences they offer and the identities those experiences bolster. Customer loyalty has never...
| Jun 14, 2012
| 6:53 PM
Bass season kicks off in Pennsylvania on Saturday, and that means that summertime fishing will be in full swing as anglers can keep the bass they've been catching on the local waterways.
Make sure you're up on the latest bass regulations, including the...
| Sep 2, 2012
| 9:55 PM
| Apr 28, 2013
Amazon is having a senior moment.
Earlier this month, the e-tail giant launched the 50+ Active and Healthy Living Store (www.amazon.com/50activeliving), featuring nutrition, wellness, exercise and fitness, medical, personal care, beauty, entertainment...
| Apr 10, 2013
| 3:34 PM
During the three-month debate over gun control in Connecticut, the name PTR Industries Inc. barely came up, but the Bristol manufacturer with 50 employees has become the first maker of military-style rifles to announce its exit from Connecticut since...
| Mar 18, 2013
| 5:25 PM
Wanda Ferrin fills her husband's prescription for the generic antibiotic doxycycline at a Target in Simi Valley. For years, the medication has cost her $6 a month.
In February, however, the price tripled to $18 for 30 pills. And this month, it...
| Mar 25, 2013
| 6:50 PM
Bob Toomajian worked for 16 years as Kaiser Permanente's drug purchasing manager for Southern California, giving him an insider's knowledge of how medications are priced before reaching consumers.
When it comes to patented name-brand drugs, he told me,...
| Mar 22, 2013
Now that daylight saving time is here (finally!), we know we're swinging into spring. To mark this change of season, I hit the streets to ask shoppers what they'd like to buy for spring.
Candice Roethlinger 32, youth minister...
| Jun 12, 2013
| 11:57 AM
Mushrooms are always in season and make an easy side dish for summer meals. Today at my blog, OrlandoSentinel.com/thedish, check out our favorite test-kitchen recipes showcasing crimini mushrooms (pictured). In the meantime, let's dish:
| Mar 13, 2013
| 9:08 PM
Some of my columns spark more outrage than others and, to my surprise, a brief report several years ago about random text messages supposedly awarding $1,000 Best Buy gift cards continues to rank near the top.
More than 150 people from all over the...
| Mar 7, 2013
| 1:52 PM
Tips from a bag lady of a different kind
I take no offense. While I do have a home and I don't push a grocery cart, I do strap a rather gigantic bag over my shoulder pretty much whenever I am out and about.
You might be picturing an average purse or a...


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Apple Continues to Dominate the Enterprise Mobile User Base
The corporate mobile email vendor, Good Technology says that it is still seeing a strong preference for Apple's iPhone amongst business users.
Over the last quarter, iOS devices accounted for 77 percent of all new account activations and captured eight of the top ten spots on the most popular device list this quarter. While Android activations dropped 6.3 percent as compared to Q4 2011, they still accounted for 22.7 percent of all activations for the quarter, which were primarily driven by Android tablets.
Windows Phone devices came in a distant third for the quarter, capturing just 0.5 percent of overall activations.
"CIOs today are able to realize increased productivity by supporting a diverse set of mobile products, while retaining security and control, and still provide their employee consumers with product choice," said Christy Wyatt, CEO and President, Good Technology. "We continue to see more enterprise customers extending the accessibility of mobile applications to a broader employee population within their organizations."
Additional report findings include:
- iOS platform activations rose 8.5 percent year-over-year, growing from 71 percent in Q4 of 2011 to 77 percent in Q4 2012.
- The iPhone 5 was the most popular device in Q4 of 2012, representing 32 percent of all activations for the quarter.
- Although the iPad continues to lead tablet activations with 93.2 percent, Android tablets are gaining momentum. Android jumped from 2.7 percent to 6.8 percent of all tablet activations over the course of 2012.
- When looking at types of devices activated, Android smartphones slightly outpaced iPads in October and finished the quarter only a fraction behind at 21 percent of all activations in Q4 2012.
- The most popular Android tablets amongst Good's enterprise customers included the Samsung Galaxy Tab, followed by the Motorola Droid Xyboard, Samsung Galaxy Note, Asus Transformer, Kindle Fire and Motorola Xoom.
- The Samsung Galaxy SIII was the most popular Android device, capturing six percent of total device activations for the quarter.
- The financial services industry led enterprise device activations during the quarter, followed by business and professional services. Together, these two industries made up more than half of the activations reported in Q4.
- Wholesale & retail, manufacturing and energy & utilities all moved up in the rankings for overall activations by sector, as well as iPad activations over last year.
As demonstrated by Good's most recent State of BYOD report, many of the largest, most security-conscious and highly regulated companies are already adopting BYOD, while the number of organizations that have no plans to support BYOD is rapidly shrinking. Therefore, Good believes the number and types of devices that corporations enable for use at work will grow as IT organizations look to reduce costs and increase employee productivity by allowing employees to use the mobile devices and applications they prefer in order to work smarter.
Tags: [good technology]


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Arabica coffee recovers after hitting two-month low, sugar flat
- Raw sugar closed stable while cocoa fell, weighed down by a broad decline in commodity and other financial markets.
- November robusta coffee settled up $2, or 0.2%, at $1,290 a tonne.
NEW YORK/LONDON: Arabica coffee futures closed up on ICE on Friday, recovering in the final moments of the session after sliding during the session to the lowest level in more than two months.
Raw sugar closed stable while cocoa fell, weighed down by a broad decline in commodity and other financial markets.
December arabica coffee settled up 1.9 cents, or 1.8%, at $1.0895 per lb, after touching a more than two-month low of $1.0490.
Dealers said fundamentals appeared bearish, with strong exports out of Brazil after a huge harvest this year. But price corrections to the upside were seen as possible after the recent slide.
The International Coffee Organization, in a report issued on Friday, said it estimated there was a global surplus of 1.54 million 60-kg bags in 2019/20 as consumption was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This surplus, coupled with the majority of Brazil's 2020/21 crop, an on-year in the biennial Arabica production cycle, reaching the market in the next few months, will limit further recovery in prices," the ICO said.
November robusta coffee settled up $2, or 0.2%, at $1,290 a tonne.
March raw sugar settled down 0.03 cents, or 0.2%, at 13.55 cents per lb.
Dealers said the market was digesting the huge delivery against the October contract, which expired on Wednesday, with concerns it might have been driven partly by weaker than expected demand from China.
"Hopes that China would increase its (reduced-tariff) import quotas have ... not been fulfilled as yet," Commerzbank said in a note.
Speculators increased again their bullish bet in raw sugar futures to near 160,000 contracts, one of the largest long positions for the sweetener in the last 5 years.
December white sugar settled down $1.30, or 0.3%, at $373.70 a tonne.
December London cocoa settled down 39 pounds, or 2.2%, to 1,733 pounds per tonne.
Dealers noted recent rains in top grower Ivory Coast had helped to improve the main-crop outlook.
December New York cocoa settled down $26, or 1.0%, to $2,482 a tonne.
Speculators raised slightly their long position in New York cocoa futures in the week to Sept. 29.
Comments are closed.


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Digg, Feedly tramp on Reader's grave, announcing new RSS tools
Apparently there is some new Samsung phone being announced later today, but for the past 24 hours Google owned the news cycle for all of the wrong reasons. Yesterday the company tried to quietly announce its latest round of spring cleaning, but an app included in that list, Reader, got a bit more attention than the company likely wanted.
Now companies are stepping all over one another in a rush to fill a void that is apparently much larger than Google would have you believe. Feedly, perhaps the biggest competitor, already posted detailed instructions on how to get rid of Reader and move to its service. The company claims this move was "something we have been expecting for some time: We have been working on a project called Normandy which is a feedly clone of the Google Reader API – running on Google App Engine. When Google Reader shuts down, feedly will seamlessly transition to the Normandy back end. So if you are a Google Reader user and using feedly, you are covered: the transition will be seamless".
Now, today, Digg follows suit with its own announcement about working on an alternative for disenfranchised Google Reader customers. In an earlier announcement Andrew from Digg states: "We’ve heard people say that RSS is a thing of the past, and perhaps in its current incarnation it is, but as daily (hourly) users of Google Reader, we’re convinced that it’s a product worth saving. So we’re going to give it our best shot. We’ve been planning to build a reader in the second half of 2013, one that, like Digg, makes the Internet a more approachable and digestible place. After Google’s announcement, we’re moving the project to the top of our priority list. We’re going to build a reader, starting today".
The company is asking for help and suggestions with the project and hopes to make it the best alternative for angry Googlers, which many of us here at BetaNews seem to qualify as today.
If the petitions that have sprung up around the web today are not enough to get the search giant's attention then at least user's will have a fair amount of alternatives to choose from.


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According to EUIPO and OECD, 56 percent of the total value of counterfeit goods seized worldwide is shipped in containers.
A study presented on February 22 by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) analyzes the extent to which container shipping is used to trade counterfeit goods. According to a press release, the study found that the sea route remains an important channel for the delivery of counterfeit goods, with most of the counterfeit goods being seized from containers coming from China.
According to this, more than 80 percent of all goods traded on the international market are transported by sea. According to the two organizations, container ships have improved efficiency and reduced the cost of international trade, but could also be misused to transport counterfeit goods. According to the study, seizures of counterfeit goods shipped in containers represent a relatively small proportion of the total number of seizures, but 56 percent of the total value of seized counterfeit goods.
Less than two percent of containers tested
Most of the counterfeit goods transported in containers by sea come from China, accounting for 79 percent of the total value of containers seized worldwide containing counterfeit goods. According to the study, in 2016, the world trade in counterfeit goods amounted to 460 billion euros, or about 3.3 percent of world trade. Counterfeit goods accounted for 6.8 percent of goods imported into the EU from third countries, corresponding to € 121 billion.
The EUIPO and OECD study addresses the following issues:
What types of counterfeit products are transported on container ships?
Where are these forgeries made?
What are the geographic target markets?
Which ports of entry are most commonly used for containers of counterfeit goods?
How are goods transported on container ships without the possibility of intercepting them?
According to the study, all types of counterfeit goods are shipped by sea, from high-quality electronic devices to leather goods, clothing, cosmetics, toys and games to pharmaceutical products and devices.
One of the problems highlighted in the report is that counterfeit goods should be a top priority for customs officials and that the latter should have search and control methods and tools that are better suited for detecting counterfeit goods. According to EUIPO and OECD, international trade has grown significantly over the years. An inevitable side effect was the rise in the trade in counterfeit goods.
According to the study, the increase in the total volume of trade and the increase in the carrying capacity of the largest vessels is an additional burden for customs. Thus, X-ray or gamma scanning of containers can effectively detect certain types of illegal goods, such as drugs, weapons or wild animals. However, for counterfeit goods, this scan is ineffective and the only way to detect them is through physical checks, the report says.
Fewer than two percent of containers are physically searched, according to organizations, giving criminal networks significant opportunities to abuse this critical supply chain channel.


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Much-discussed two-foot-long, 1-pound hot dog now being offered with two 1-liter bottles of Coca-Cola; equally hefty brat to be rolled out
ARLINGTON, Texas (May 16, 2012) – Delaware North Companies Sportservice – food, beverage and retail partner of the Texas Rangers – this week introduced the “Boomstick Combo,” and unveiled plans for the next big thing: “The Great Bratbino.”
The Boomstick – a two-foot-long, 1-pound hot dog intended to feed as many as four – is now being offered as a combo with two 1-liter bottles of Coca-Cola, at Section 42 in Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
“We believe this combination will offer family’s additional value at the ballpark,” said Casey Rapp, operations manager for Delaware North Companies Sportservice at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
The Sportservice team at the ballpark also announced that beginning May 25, Rangers fans can look for The Great Bratbino, a spinoff of the Boomstick. The two-foot-long, 1-pound bratwurst will come standard with sauerkraut but can be topped with chili, nacho cheese, grilled onions and jalapenos, much the same as the Boomstick.
Both the Boomstick and The Great Bratbino can be found near sections 16, 42 and 326, as well as in the Captain Morgan Club.
The Boomstick, which has garnered worldwide media attention since its introduction in April, was named as a tip of the cap to Rangers slugger Nelson Cruz – or more specifically, his bat. The latest addition to the Boomstick family, The Great Bratbino was named in honor of Josh Hamilton, who recently became only the 16th player in Major League Baseball history to hit four home runs in a game.


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While the likes of Drake, Beyonce & Lady GaGa find shifting the above number in units all too easy, their ‘less gifted’ competitor Rihanna continues to struggle to do the same. Well, at least in the same amount of time.
Sure, though global sales of her new LP ‘Unapologetic’ have been sweet to say the least, its US run has been a little ‘so so’ to say the least. So unimpressive, it has only just been certified Gold for sales of over 500k…two months after release.
Selling less copies in 7 weeks than Beyonce‘s 2006 ‘B’Day‘ moved in a week and Drake‘s ‘Take Care’ moved in four days, ‘Unapologetic‘ now enjoys Gold status, giving fans no choice but to expect it to enjoy a similar chart run to 2010’s ‘Loud’, which soared internationally but failed to ‘dominate’ in her domestic market.
Indeed, despite serving a number of stellar jams- Elijah Blake‘s ‘No Love Allowed‘ and the mind blowing ‘Love Without Tragedy‘- the Def Jam backed release is yet to live up the hype generated by its lead single ‘Diamonds‘- which has now surpassed sales of 2 million units in the US alone.
The album’s US Gold status marks the latest piece of good news to storm Roc Nation in the last week.
For, less than six months after release Rita Ora’s debut album ‘ORA’ was certified Platinum in the UK, weeks before she readies her US launch which will come hand in hand with a brand new LP, designed to introduce her to the competitive market.


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Emergency lighting specialist One-LUX has formed its strongest sales team to date with a new senior appointment and enhanced roles for two existing team members.
Newly appointed Head of Sales Tim McKernan has joined One-LUX bringing with him over 30 years of sales and marketing experience from across the electronics sector.
In his new role Tim will be responsible for the overall sales strategy which will drive growth.
Supporting Tim’s brief and strengthening sales focus and coverage are two role enhancements for longstanding team members Paul Wheeler and Daniela Graef. Paul will assume wider responsibilities as Business Development Manager UK, Eire & Middle East, while Daniela extends her remit as Sales Manager for UK & Europe.
These enhanced roles will ensure that the new sales team will strive to deliver superior levels of customer service to both existing and prospective new clients whilst continuing their impressive growth record to date.
Glynnis Murray, Managing Director, One-LUX, said: “It’s a very exciting time to see our sales team growing and going from strength to strength.
“Tim joins One-LUX with excellent knowledge of the lighting sector, the wider electronics industry and also an unrivalled expertise in sales. He is already proving to be a huge asset to One-LUX.”
“The enhanced roles for Paul and Daniela will allow our sales team to become more focused with a wider reach as their new responsibilities very much play to their strengths.”
“We’re looking forward to seeing the positive impact that our enhanced sales team will undoubtedly have.”
Tim McKernan said: “I am thrilled to take on this new challenge particularly at such an exciting time for the business.”
“One-LUX is a progressive British technology company with plenty of scope to play an important role in a critical sector of the lighting industry. This was of pivotal importance and why I found the opportunity so attractive. We are already benefitting from a period of increasing opportunities and we have ambitious plans for our products and services which will enable both our customers and their clients the ability to meet and exceed their compliance responsibilities. I’m delighted to be a part of this.”
“I’m really looking forward to the challenges and working closely with everyone at One-LUX who have already shown their motivation and dedication to succeed.”
For more information on One-LUX visit www.one-lux.com or call the One-LUX team on 01922 452423.


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Zappos tries to buy Las Vegas City Hall
LAS VEGAS (AP) – Online retailer Zappos.com has made an offer to purchase Las Vegas City Hall and relocate its corporate headquarters to the sprawling downtown complex.
Mayor Oscar B. Goodman announced Monday that Zappos wants to turn City Hall and seven surrounding acres into its new corporate campus.
The City Council is slated to vote on the deal Wednesday.
The city was already preparing to relocate to another downtown building in 2012 and had plans to sell its current building to a sports arena developer. Those plans were scrapped earlier this month.
Goodman says Zappos would claim City Hall after city employees have transferred into their new offices.
It would be a short move for Zappos, which is currently located in the nearby suburb of Henderson.


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Does Amazon have a warehouse in Phoenix?
Amazon’s first cross-dock facility, a 600,000 square-foot distribution center in Phoenix at 83rd Avenue and Roosevelt Street, is expected to open before the end of the year and will employ 1,000 full-time workers.
How big is the Amazon warehouse in Phoenix?
The Amazon Phx7 building off 75th Avenue and I-10 — at over a million square feet — handles the non-sort heavy, bulky items that don’t fit in a standard size tote.
Does Amazon have a warehouse in Arizona?
This will be the fifth facility in the Tucson area for the online retail giant. Amazon first opened in Tucson with a massive 855,000-square-foot fulfillment center in 2019. Amazon has invested more than $16 billion and created more than 30,000 jobs in Arizona since 2010.
How many Amazon warehouses are in Arizona?
Since 2017, Amazon has opened 20 facilities in Arizona, and according to Amazon spokesperson Lisa Guinn, the number of full- and part-time employees will be more than 20,000 statewide by the end of 2020 and those numbers grow each year.
Is Amazon Moving to Arizona?
An Amazon spokesperson confirmed to Phoenix New Times on Friday that the jobs will move to the greater Phoenix area, and described the move as a way to use company resources efficiently. The delivery services apparently need room to grow, and metro Phoenix already has more than 7,500 Amazon employees.
Where is the largest Amazon warehouse?
The biggest Amazon warehouse in the U.S. is in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. The 3.6 million-square-foot fulfillment center has five stories of highly automated warehouse facilities and 80,000 square feet of offices. On average, an Amazon fulfillment is 800,000 square feet in size, so the Mt.
What is Amazon AZ?
The A-to-z Guarantee protects you when you buy items sold and fulfilled by a third-party seller. It covers both the timely delivery and condition of your items.
Does Amazon have office in Phoenix?
To accommodate its growth in Phoenix , Amazon has signed on to a 63,000-square-foot expansion at its existing offices at 100 S. Mill Avenue in Tempe , developed by Cousins Properties and Hines. The additional new office space is expected to open for employees in late 2022.
Is Phoenix a growing tech hub?
As one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic regions in the country, Greater Phoenix is an emerging hub of innovative activity with a robust ecosystem of technology and software companies. With operational costs of up to 36% less than California, companies can focus on growth and their bottom line.


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Allergan Recalls Textured Breast Implant Tied to Rare Cancer
The Food and Drug Administration said it called for the removal after new information showed Allergan's Biocell breast implants account for a disproportionate share of rare lymphoma cases.
Medical device maker Allergan Inc. is recalling a type of breast implant linked to a rare form of cancer.
The company Wednesday announced a worldwide recall of implants with a textured surface.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it called for the removal after new information showed Allergan's Biocell breast implants account for a disproportionate share of rare lymphoma cases. The move follows similar bans by regulators in France, Australia and Canada.The FDA is not recommending women with the implants have them removed if they are not experiencing problems.
The recalled implants feature a textured surface designed to prevent slippage and to minimize scar tissue. Such models account for just 5% of the U.S. market. Most U.S. breast implants are smooth.
"Once the evidence indicated that a specific manufacturer's product appeared to be directly linked to significant patient harm, including death, the FDA took action," said FDA deputy commissioner Amy Abernethy in a statement.
The FDA said the latest figures show more than 80 percent of the 570 confirmed cases of the lymphoma worldwide have been linked to Allergan implants. The updated figures reflect 116 new cases of the cancer since the FDA last released figures earlier this year.
The new numbers still reflect a rare disease considering an estimated 10 million women globally have breast implants.
There is no firm agreement on the exact frequency of the disease, known as breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Published estimates ranging from 1 in 3,000 patients to 1 in 30,000 patients.
Diana Zuckerman, a researcher who has studied breast implant safety, called the removal of the devices inevitable.
"Either the company would voluntarily decide to withdraw them from the market to protect from lawsuits, or the FDA would persuade Allergan to do so," Zuckerman said in an email.
(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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iPhone 3G was launched amidst high fanfare in developed parts of the world with consumers queuing up for hours to get a first hand experience on the highly desired handset. There were stores across the world where the iPhone 3G sold off like hot pan cakes and retail shops ran out of stoke of the product. It was amidst this that Apple announced its plans to launch iPhone 3G in India in alliance with Vodafone and Airtel.
Consumers in India finally had a reason to rejoice as the launch was almost coinciding with the global launch deferring by only few weeks. Consumers had earlier felt let down when they did not got a chance to experience the first version of iPhone. The highly interested consumers resorted to grey markets to procure iPhones. Bharti and Vodafone announced advance booking schemes for Rs 4000 to cash on the iPhone 3G hype prevailing during the global launch. The final price of the model was still unclear but consumers largely felt that it will be near about the same price as that offered globally i.e. $199.
On August 22, 2008 the iPhone 3G was launched in India which was considered to be a high profile media event. But then came the dampener. The tie-up announced that iPhone 3G will be priced at Rs 31,000 for the 8GB version and Rs 36,000 for the 16 GB version.
It came as a cruel shock to Indian subscribers who were looking forward to migrate to the revolutionary iPhone models.
It leaves one wondering to know the reason behind such an alliance between operators and Apple where the operators are almost functioning as mere resellers of the iPhone unlike in global markets where Apple-Operator alliance provide advanced VAS to mobile subscribers.
The obvious and absolutely just question bothering the consumers is why the iPhone is priced so high in India.
Globally Apple has followed a model whereby the handsets are offered at subsidised rates mainly banking on the premise that more revenues may be earned from the VAS offerings and the subscribers are locked in for a predefined duration with the service provider. iPhone 3G was offered for $ 199 in most parts of the world i.e. roughly for a figure close to Rs 8000.
Indian mobile subscribers want to know what special offerings are Airtel and Vodafone offering which is exclusive only to iPhone subscribers. They want to know if the services are of similarly advanced level as those offered globally. The Apple-operator alliance also needs to answer at first place as to why the iPhone 3G is being offered when 3G services are not available in India. It is like being charged for a meal at an AC Restaurant when the AC itself is not working.
Additionally marketers are also confused with the iPhone positioning in India. Globally iPhone is being perceived as a value for money feature-rich smartphone. But in India the positioning has turned to be a premium segment product. This contrasting positioning is mainly due to the premium price being charged in India. Observers say this might prove detrimental to Apple in India if ever it decides to offer the products competitively priced since it will lead to confusion of positioning among the consumers.
Analysts associated with the handset industry also say that Apple has also lost a rare opportunity to challenge Nokia’s hold in the Indian market. Majority of these analysts feel that it made sense for Apple to follow the volume driven model in India rather than offering the iPhone at a premium in India. They say that grey market for iPhone in India will flourish under the present scenario.
Indian consumers have a strong felling of being left out to global peers when it comes to introduction or launch of new telecom services or products. With Apple launching iPhone 3G in India barely a month after the global launch, the mobile subscribers felt a sense of relief that for a change they won’t have to wait too long for the experience. But in the end it is the price shock which has left them bitter. Consumers can now continue with their prevailing handsets and buy an iPod instead. It works out to be cheaper.


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Global businesses are moving from blockchain research to applying the technology to current business challenges. Many believe that this change will be taking place in the next 12 months. Linda Pawczuk, a principal with Deloitte Consulting, commented business ambition was shifting from “a focus on blockchain tourism and exploring the technology’s potential, to building practical applications”.
When people think of blockchain, cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are probably the first thought that springs to mind. Where blockchain, with Bitcoin, has caused disruption in the financial sector, blockchain has the power to disrupt and solve problems in multiple other sectors, such as Marketing & Advertising. Transparency, trust and battling counterfeiters.
Blockchain can provide transparency, decentralization, efficiency, security, and other benefits, revolutionizing multiple industries….
Over recent months IBM has urged the government to consider the use of blockchain as a way of saving time, money and averting risk. IBM has stated that this technology needs to be seen as more than just the foundation for cryptocurrencies. IBM is amongst the growing number of companies offering Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS); a service that allows enterprises to pilot the technology without having to undergo huge capital expenditure in hardware and onsite development.
An energy revolution is on the horizon, in which both utilities and consumers will produce and sell electricity. Blockchain technology is already being tested in a number of different places. For example in New York State it is being tested as a way of selling solar energy between neighbours and in Germany one power company is running a pilot to see if blockchain technology can authenticate and manage the billing process for autonomous electric-vehicle charging stations.
Sir Arthur C. Clarke said that: “any sufficiently advanced technology is equivalent to magic”. Well, I thought that transferring money from a country to another without paying any fees could only happen in a magical world, but since I have started travelling around the world of technology on my journey with Serviceteam IT, I would totally agree with Arthur.


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We've picked some of the best projects recently completed in our project log forum.
Call of Duty takes another stab at battle royale. But is it King of the Hill, or stuck in the Gulag?
Go big or go home, says Corsair.
Gen2 spec doubles the interface rate.
3D RAM to hit shop shelves soon.
TSV-based 3D DRAM tech heads to production.
Spintronics prototype proves concept.
Microsoft has joined the Hybrid Memory Cube Consortium, supporting the new HMC RAM technology.
Micron's three-dimensional Hybrid Memory Cube technology has won it an award from The Linley Group.
March 25 2020 | 14:00
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