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All press releases
The two online events broke the Guinness World Record with 18,693 attendees and 95,087 attendees, respectively
BOSTON, June 22, 2020 - Brightcove Inc. (NASDAQ: BCOV), the world’s leading video technology platform, announced today that BadaBusiness.com, an ed-tech platform founded by Dr. Vivek Bindra, has set two new Guinness World Records for the largest online business and sales lessons streamed, which were powered by Brightcove. The live webinars were joined by BadaBusiness.com’s customers, as well as attendees looking to ‘learn and earn at home’ by exploring the means of upskilling, training, and acquiring new business knowledge. These webinars are a part of Dr. Vivek Bindra’s ‘India Revival Mission,’ which derived from the impact of COVID-19.
The first webinar, titled Largest Online Business Lesson, had a previous record of 12,091 unique attendees, and on April 24, 2020, the stream set a new world record of 18,693 attendees. The second world record was set by BadaBusiness.com on May 31, 2020, when it debuted its Largest Online Sales Lesson webinar with 95,087 attendees. BadaBusiness.com will be hosting the World's Largest Strategy Session on June 27, 2020, to mark International MSME Day.
Brightcove helps organizations in more than 70 countries meet business challenges through its robust, scalable, and intuitive video platform. Powering BadaBusiness.com’s online events is yet another example of how organizations are pushing the boundaries by inspiring, entertaining, and engaging their audiences through video. According to live analytics data captured by Brightcove’s platform, BadaBusiness.com achieved peak traffic of over 2.3 million total video views, over 1.3 million unique viewers, and 345,000 peak concurrent users during the live event on May 31st.
“Our mission is to provide extensive knowledge of practical business strategies and frameworks to enterprises across India so they can grow and strengthen their brand. With video, BadaBusiness.com is able to host online webinars to deliver those important business messages, while also experiencing better engagement with our audiences,” said Dr. Vivek Bindra, Founder of BadaBusiness.com. “Not only is it an accomplishment to simultaneously bring together nearly 100,000 attendees who share similar business goals, but we also broke two Guinness World Records, all thanks to Brightcove’s technology.”
“At Brightcove, we are always working with our customers to pursue unique and innovative use cases of video. BadaBusiness.com’s online events demonstrate how video can offer educational and informative content, while also being one of the best ways to bring people together virtually,” said Charles Chu, Chief Product Officer, Brightcove. “We’re ecstatic that BadaBusiness.com now holds two world records for the largest online streamed events while choosing Brightcove to power those experiences for their audiences.”
A technology-enabled training company that provides affordable, available and accessible business training programs to MSME Business Owners, Entrepreneurs and Wantapreneurs in vernacular language, through a combination of online and offline delivery mechanisms. The objective is to empower individual entrepreneurs and small businesses to scale up, by providing them tools and problem-solving support ecosystem.
About Brightcove Inc. (NASDAQ: BCOV)
We are the people behind the world’s leading video technology platform. With our award-winning technology and services, we help organizations in more than 70 countries meet business challenges and create strategic opportunities by inspiring, entertaining, and engaging their audiences through video.
Since Brightcove was established in 2004, we have consistently pushed boundaries to create a platform for people who are serious about video: one that is robust, scalable, and intuitive. Benefiting from a global infrastructure, unrivalled customer support, an extensive partner ecosystem, and relentless investment in R&D, Brightcove video sets the standard for professional grade video management, distribution, and monetization. To learn more, visit www.brightcove.com.
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We attended the three-day annual NFT New York City 2023 conference, the world’s leading non-fungible token event. The event shed light on the NFT industry in an invaluable manner. Learning about these insights from industry experts, our team left NFT NYC with a great understanding of NFT’s potential to revolutionize the digital asset market.
Revisiting the insightful panel on “The future of NFTs and their Regenerative Role” with @therealatharva of @UltimateDigits & @LucianoMathias @frankNFT_eth 🕣 #NFTNYC2023 @NFT_NYC 🗽 pic.twitter.com/5RhtGmRbWl— DroomDroom (@0xDroomDroom) April 15, 2023
NFT.NYC partnered with Coinbase, Dapper, OpenSea, MoonPay, Polygon, Immutable, and 300+ more leading companies, host’s event that has been giving a voice to the growing NFT community. This year, the event attracted over 6000+ attendees from over 70 countries which included expert developers, investors, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders. The event was a platform for deeper conversations about the latest developments in the NFT space, new ongoing/upcoming projects, and their future potential as well as the challenges that need to be overcome.
The main program took place in New York City’s Javits Center, a convention venue on the west side of Manhattan that provided the perfect setting that accommodate a large number of audiences attending this momentous program. The program covered topics such as NFT regulation, fashion, health, intellectual property (IP) gaming, and the metaverse. As an attendee, we enjoyed the insights experts and leading companies provided in the blockchain space and the scope of Web3 and its implications for the future of the crypto industry.
Community Events at NFT NYC 2023
Some of the most significant and successful events that took place this year were:
The Doodle Boy and the Orange Comet
Joe Whale and Orange, also better known as The Doodle Boy, organized an art exhibition and charity event that took place at NFT Gallery on April 12 showcasing around 10-piece collections.
Artists featured in the event were renowned for their storytelling style and blending traditional aesthetics with digital art. The event supported The Foundling Museum charity as the recipient of proceeds. The event brought together people from all over the world and raised awareness and funds for an important cause.
9dcc’s Treasure Hunt
NFT collector and founder of Web3 luxury brand 9dcc Gmoney conducted an NFT scavenger hunt with a trail of clues spread across various landmarks around New York City. The participants had to hit at least seven different landmarks over three days by scanning their phones at each location to earn a POAP (proof-of-attendance protocol) that proved they were there. The prize was a rare Chromie Squiggle NFT. At every party our team attended we saw people wearing the 9dcc brand baseball cap INTERACTION-03 the participant received at the first hunt stop. People were raving about the creativity and the fun experience of the hunt.
PROOF x Beeple
The PROOF x Beeple event took place in Brooklyn on 13th April with a live Beeple performance and a sneak peek of the Diamond Nest Trailer was shown for the first time. Only PROOF Collective, Moonbirds, and Oddities token holders were eligible to enter the raffle to win the ticket. However, the slot was limited and in the end, only 400 people got NFT non-transferable tickets to attend this exclusive event. Additionally, ten lucky attendees received a special NFT during the event.
Token Art NYC “unconference”
The Token Art NYC allowed in-person conversation with artists where attendees got to set the agenda and topics of discussion. Popular artists, Emily Edelman, Steve Pikelny, and Alex Supkay gifted tagged physical prints of their generative artworks, which were authenticated by Iterati.
Some notable speakers
- Sebastiano Bea, Director of Product at Mythical Games
- John Abbamondi, Founder & CEO of LongBall Capital
- Ariba Jahan, VP of Product Experience and Innovation, Ad Council
- Jennifer Styles, VP of Communications, OneOf
- Rich Robinson, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Animoca Brands
- Mikobits, Managing Partner, Gumi Crypto Capital
- Michael Litman, Senior Director of Web3 & NFT at Media.Monks
- Diana Perfilieva, Diverge
- Nico Fara, Founder & Leader of The Fashion DAO™ & Chief Metaverse Officer
- Mäkelismos, Co-founder of the Mäkelismos Brand
- Pierre-Nicolas Hurstel, CEO & Co-Founder of Arianee
- Nikita Cikaluk, Rug Radio “OriGensXYZ” & “We” In Web3 Host
- Allo, Artist / Entrepreneur / Degen
- Laura Rowson, Principal of Salesforce Ventures
- JKosner, President of Kosner Media
- Yasamin Parsafar, IP Lawyer | Blockchain & Fintech Team Co-Leader
- Jason Fang, Founder of Sora Ventures
- Martin Harder, Business Development Lead at AtomicHub.io
- Mark Radcliffe, Partner, DLA Piper
The event was an enormous success that shed light on NFT industry development. The success of the event was largely due to the opportunity the platform provided to network and exchange collaboration ideas. It also featured key players in the industry who shared experience in this field and discussion about the innovation of cutting-edge technology in the NFT space. Attendees were optimistic and enthusiastic about the introduction and discussion of new technology. Overall, it was a productive event that highlighted the potential of NFTs in different industries and helped foster relationships that will propel the industry forward.

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Uber's CEO will travel to London next week to discuss ban
LONDON — London's transport authority says its commissioner will meet with the chief executive of Uber next week.
The meeting with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi comes after transit authorities decided to strip the ride-hailing service of its license to operate in the city. Authorities said Friday the meeting will take place in London.
The city's transportation agency, Transport for London, said last week it would not renew Uber's license when it expires Sept. 30, citing a lack of corporate responsibility.
Among the factors considered by the regulator was Uber's "approach to reporting serious criminal offenses" and its use of software designed to evade the authorities.
Uber has said it plans to appeal and accused London's regulator of caving in to special interests "who want to restrict consumer choice."
More:Tax issues await Uber drivers, Airbnb landlords and other gig-economy workers
More:Lyft adds Ford as yet another self-driving car dance partner


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Honda was the first Japanese automaker to gamble on American manufacturing. Now, 94 percent of all Hondas sold in the U.S are American-built. They are made in facilities in Ohio, Alabama and Indiana. Honda's U.S. plants manufactured 1.3 million vehicles last year - a company record.
Honda currently builds the best-selling Civic and Accord, as well as the Crosstour, CR-V, Pilot, Odyssey and Ridgeline in the U.S. Acura, Honda's luxury brand, also builds cars at the American plants, including the ILX, TL, RDX and MDX.


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Sorry shoppers, lower loonie broadly lifting prices — except on wine
If you’re not in line for a big raise this year, we have some (additionally) unfortunate but important news: your income won’t stretch quite as far as the lower loonie drives up prices on everything from home furnishings to footwear to food.
Most consumer products imported into the country – read: most consumer products – have started to move meaningfully higher in cost. That’s the grumble-inducing takeaway from a new TD Economics report that lays out the gory details about how the loonie’s tumble is rippling across the retail landscape in 2015.
While some costs, like expenses on energy and transportation, are feeling downward pressure, the currency decline is ramping up prices across a wide swath of staple and discretionary products and services.
“The emerging big story this year appears to be the meaningful upward pressure on prices due to the weak Canadian dollar,” said TD economist Diana Petramala, who authored the report.
The Canadian dollar has collapsed 30 per cent against the U.S. greenback since 2012, with the most acute declines occurring in the last few months as oil prices have cratered.
Retailers have been initially slow to react, TD said, while certain categories, like new cars or furniture, take several quarters for higher prices to flow through to showroom floors or shelves. Petramala said that confluence of factors – the currency drop and lag time for its to feed through to different products – is coming to a head now, which the latest inflation reading out on Friday should confirm.
The February numbers will reinforce the January reading from Statistics Canada, which served as the first “eyebrow raising” sign of widespread price increases for shoppers, delivering “the clearest signs of pass-through yet,” the economist said.Click here to view data »
Food prices jumped five per cent to start the year, with imported produce prices rising by double digits compared to January 2014.
“The brunt of the impact has been felt on fruits and vegetables, which grew three and a half times faster in Canada than in the United States,” Petramala said.
Up until January, food prices had been growing at roughly the same rate in Canada as the United States, she said. “Prices in both countries were pushed up by drought and disease that cut global supply,” the TD report said. “This changed in January when food prices decelerated in the U.S., but accelerated in Canada.”
Food prices in general are expected to rise three per cent this year, TD said, outstripping wage growth.
Researchers at the University of Guelph have detailed how much they estimate prices will rise for meat, fish, fruits and vegetables in a separate report last month.
Personal care, clothing
Personal care and beauty products are expected to see perhaps the biggest jump in prices this year, according to TD, which predicts a six per cent jump in personal care products.
Clothing and footwear are also jumping in price – reacting to the loonie’s drop almost as quickly as food prices.
“Unlike most other manufactured goods, which are impacted by the exchange rate with a lag normally of four to six quarters, the impact on clothing and footwear tends to be immediate,” Petramala said.
Shoe prices rose at the fastest pace in 15 years in 2014, TD said – and the pace will quicken this year.
Your IKEA or Crate&Barrel trips are also getting pricier. Price increases for furniture lag other imported products, but they’re starting to turn up now and will continue to turn higher at various home furnishing retailers for the balance of the year.
“Much like clothing and footwear, prices of household furnishings also move closely with the Canadian dollar over time, but there appears to be a lag of up to two to four quarters,” the TD report said. Furniture costs are anticipated to rise a total of four per cent this year, half of that attributable the currency’s swoon.
Few products draw the ire and consternation of consumers like gasoline, which has moved higher since January while oil prices haven’t traded up nearly as much.
WATCH: How high will gas prices go?
Blame the loonie here, too. The currency swing is contributing to the wide gulf in savings U.S. motorists have seen versus what Canadian drivers are experiencing at the pump, with gas prices dropping 38 per cent in the United States versus 23 per cent in Canada, Petramala said.
“Part of the difference reflects higher taxes on gasoline in Canada, but some of the lesser drop will reflect the weaker Canadian dollar,” she said.
Wine, at least
Our taste for imported beer is also catching up with our pocketbooks. More than half of all beer consumed in Canada now is produced outside of the country, the TD report said, thanks in part to foreign takeovers of Canadian brewers.
“Historically, beer prices have not been highly sensitive to currency movements. However, the beer industry has changed considerably over the last decade, with the purchase of Canadian big beer makers by foreign companies. As of 2012, the majority of beer consumed in Canada was produced elsewhere,” Petramala said.
One positive note — the TD economist said the Canadian dollar hasn’t depreciated against the Euro or South American currencies, where most of the country’s wine is imported from.
“Thankfully, wine prices have yet to show any upward pressure,” the TD report said.
© 2015 Shaw Media


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Latest guest post by Eve Tyler, (see also last week’s piece on ‘The Ultimate FinFech Unicorns’) from Misys.com, aiming to to transform the global financial services industry, through making financial institutions more resilient, efficient and competitive, see here. Title image : Flickr Creative Commons
Banking technology has advanced with leaps and bounds over the last few years, so much so that the idea of actually visiting a brick-and-mortar bank branch seems rather quaint. Everything that we once had to do with the help of a bank teller – withdraw money, deposit a cheque, make a transfer – we can do ourselves: first with our desktop computers, then our laptops and now our smartphones.
Having this relatively easy access to our accounts whenever we need them is extremely convenient; however, it raises new issues of security. Having a two-step authentication system – like inputting a password in addition to answering a personal security question – is pretty much standard practice now, and many banks are moving towards biometric data (like fingerprint scanning) to keep data safe. But is this new era of banking as secure as we hope it is?
A brief timeline – how did we get here?
Ever since the internet exploded on the scene in the late 80s/early 90s, banks realised they had a perfect opportunity to expand their services and strengthen their customer base. They’ve been trying to keep up with the steady stream of advancements ever since.
The first online banks hit the scene in 1983: in the US, Citibank, Chase Manhattan, Chemical and Manufacturers Hanover all introduced home banking services (like keeping electronic checkbook registers and reviewing account balances). That same year, Bank of Scotland set up Homelink, the UK’s first online banking service, for customers of the Nottingham Building Society. Homelink allowed users to view statements, transfer money between accounts, pay bills and set up loans online; not long after interactive banking became the industry standard.
Then came smartphones, and suddenly customers wanted to bank from the convenience of their mobile. The early 2010s saw the introduction of banking apps – for example, Barclays launched their mobile banking app as well as Pingit, the UK’s first service for sending and receiving money person-to-person using mobile numbers.
CACI International Inc. and the British Bankers’ Association (BBA) recently published their report ‘The Way We Bank Now: World of Change’, which analyses the way we move and manage our money. They found a number of interesting facts that demonstrate how mobile banking is dominating the industry, such as:
Customers moved £2.9 billion a week using banking apps in 2015 – up from £2 billion in 2014.
As of March 2015, UK customers downloaded banking apps on 22.9 million occasions (that’s an 8.2 million increase in just one year).
By 2020, customers will use their mobile to manage their current account 2.3 billion times – more than internet, branch and telephone banking put together.
While this new age of digital banking means easier, more convenient banking for all, it also raises issues of security and cybercrime: how protected is our information? It seems as though there’s always a headline about a cyberattack on banks: just last year a gang of Russian-based hackers stole around £650 million from British banks using highly-sophisticated (and completely illegal) software, making the theft the largest cybercrime to date.
Introducing biometric protection
Image source: Flickr Creative Commons
As our personal information gets closer and closer to us – to the point where it’s sitting in the palm of our hand – how do we keep it safe? How do we prevent a breach, hack or other cybercrime? It starts with re-evaluating the use of passwords, because traditional passwords clearly can’t keep up with our ever-evolving digital lives.
FinTech news hub FusionWire (powered by Misys) published an article in November called ‘Are you the password of the future?’ which tackles this topic, arguing that typical eight-character passwords are on the way out. Geoff Anderson, co-founder and COO of cyber security startup PixelPin, says within the piece: “[Standard] passwords assume that humans are able to remember long, complex character strings. But we have more and more accounts that are important to day-to-day living, and it’s become a problem. Maybe ten years ago it was fine, when you just logged into a couple of accounts, but now it’s out of control.”
This is where biometric data comes in. Banking giants in the US and the UK are adopting fingerprint recognition technology in order to keep their customers safe: NatWest, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Bank of America are just a few banks allowing their customers to access their accounts via mobile with Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
Image source: Flickr Creative Commons
However, security experts are already concerned that Touch ID isn’t safe enough, and for good reason. A team of biometric hackers successfully broke into Apple’s Touch ID in a single day using a fake finger they created from a photo of a fingerprint. It’s clear that this isn’t enough to keep our information truly protected.
What the future holds….
Of course, there’s no real way to tell, but we can already get a sense of the way the wind is blowing. Despite the concerns biometric security brings, it offers a more advanced solution to keeping our information safe. In addition to fingerprint technology – which is still more secure than your standard password with numbers and symbols – banks are experimenting with voice-recognition security and even selfies as passwords. Banking is about to get biometric.
— Misys (@MisysFS) February 26, 2016
Article by Eve Tyler, writer for Misys


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Volvo Trucks best on sharing battery technology
Tokyo — Volvo Trucks plans to share battery technology across its brands to tame development and production costs for the crucial but expensive component, as the world’s second-largest truck maker ramps up electric offerings.
As vehicle makers face growing costs to develop lower-emission vehicles and automated driving capabilities, Volvo Trucks, owned by Sweden’s Volvo, said it would "absolutely" make sense for its brands, which include Japan’s UD Trucks and Mack Trucks in the US, to share battery technology.
"We’re really striving to reuse a lot when it comes to expensive components, which are expensive when it comes to development and production costs ... not only between the truck brands but also the bus brands and construction equipment," Lars Stenqvist, chief technology officer at Volvo Group Trucks Technology, said. "We can get high volumes when we re-use components across the group."
UD Trucks said it planned to launch an all-battery electric version of its Quon heavy-duty truck in about 2020, after Volvo Trucks earlier in April said it would launch lithium-ion battery powered, medium-duty trucks for deliveries and refuse collection in Europe in 2019.
"Since we share technologies and platforms, it won’t be difficult for us to do this," said Douglas Nakano, senior vice-president of UD Trucks Technology.
Japanese rival Mitsubishi Fuso began selling an electric version of its Canter delivery trucks in Japan and the US in 2017, expanding into Europe earlier in 2018
Volkswagen’s truck division has reportedly said it plans to launch a medium-duty truck in North America by late 2019.


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Carriers and shippers braced themselves Monday as the long awaited electronic logging device (ELD) mandate went into effect and already, its effects are being noticed.
In a recent interview, Univar told TranzAct Technologies that three of their carriers had already shut down due to the mandate, citing cost as one of the issues (you can listen to the interview here). According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the installation and maintenance of ELDs will cost the trucking industry around $975 million a year while the additional trucks and drivers needed to comply will cost nearly $604 million per year.(1) The increased costs and tightened capacity (which said to decrease 2-8% for carriers) will increase freight rates across the industry.
Although the ELD mandate is now in effect, several carriers and customers with in-house fleets still have not acquired or installed the devices and are asking for guidance on ELD purchases. In fact, a recent survey conducted by HELP Inc. between November 30th-December 5th, consisting of 1,620 respondents, showed that 49% of carriers, drivers, and owner-operators did not even select an ELD yet, while 18% did select but have not installed them.(2)
68% of those who had not currently installed an ELD stated that they are not going to prior to the Dec. 18th effective date, with 31% of them not planning on installing them at all, stating cost as the main reason.(2)
ELDs – Road Scholar Transport’s Preparedness:
*Road Scholar Transport has had ELDs installed in all tractors since September of 2016.
*Currently we are 100% compliant with drivers utilizing ELDs.
*We have been reviewing repeat / routine moves for our major customers and adjusting operations and dedication of certain driver resources to ensure post ELD service levels.
ELDs – We are here to work with you:
*We may want to work together on limiting or adjusting overnight appointments that can help guarantee success.
*Can we talk about any additional visibility and coordination of regular moves/schedule ahead of time?
*What else do you have? If you combine shipments and/or utilize the same carrier for inbound and outbound shipments you will help maximize hours-of-service. Talk to us about drop and hook opportunities.
*Spotted equipment will definitely help! Do you have ELD concerns? We can move quickly and do an assessment of your current requirements regardless of carrier and let you know what might be a problem.
Carriers Say Goodbye to Shippers who Detain Drivers
ELD Violations Will Not Affect CSA Scores Until April, Group Asks for HOS Extension for Detained Drivers


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It looks like Americans are ready to open up their wallets again. According to a new report from the Commerce Department, retail spending is up 1.1 percent from January and 4.6 percent from February 2012.
That's the biggest rise in five months, according to Reuters, far better than the 0.5 percent boost economists had predicted. Paired with last month's positive jobs report, does this mean the U.S. economy is on the mend?
Neil Irwin of The Washington Post is certainly optimistic:
Friday's jobs report was quite good, and it followed a series of solid jobs numbers. Employers didn't sweat the fiscal cliff in December. They didn't sweat the sequester in February. Housing market indicators — construction, prices, sales — are all pointing up. Put it all together and it's hard to escape the conclusion that the U.S. economy is finally starting to gain some traction. [Washington Post]
That rosy assessment has one problem, says the Wall Street Examiner's Lee Adler: What about gas prices? Those retail sales include money spent at the pump and, according to Reuters, gas prices jumped by 35 cents in January. Rising gas prices "actually act like a tax on disposable income," writes Adler, meaning "the year to year change in real retail sales, ex gasoline prices and adjusted for inflation in February was not a gain at all as the headlines blared, but a decline of 0.5 percent."
Alyssa Oursler of InvestorPlace reluctantly plays the role of Debbie Downer, reminding us of not only the spike in gas prices but also "the high number of retailers that have provided not-so-hot outlooks," including companies like Express and Walmart. In fact, according to The Associated Press, the stock market remained largely static despite the rise in consumer spending.
Overall, the reaction among analysts and Wall Street reporters is a collective "it's good, not great." Matthew Yglesias of Slate does find a few bright spots, especially online:
What is true is that "general merchandise stores" (department stores and similar) suffered a 4 percent decline. That's ugly. But autos were up, grocery stores were up, apparel stores were up, restaurants were up, and the exciting nonstore retailers category soared 14 percent. Amazon killing department stores, in other words, isn't the same as poor retail sales. [Slate]
Despite the mixed signals, the numbers were good enough to make economists raise their first-quarter growth estimates by up to eight tenths of a percentage. Not huge, but it's something.


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The past month has seen historic events in India.
On Tuesday 8 November 2016, the Modi government announced without prior warning that all 500 and 1000 Indian rupee notes would be rendered valueless more or less overnight. In effect, this meant immediate withdrawal of the largest bank notes in circulation, and issuance of new notes within a few days, renewing 86 percent of India’s cash economy. Is this another step towards a cashless economy? What has the cash withdrawal done to the black economy, and networks based on corruption? And what are the implications for the use of cash, especially among India’s poor? These are some reflections based on personal experiences from Delhi.
The morning after Modi’s announcement there was a sense of chaos and an atmosphere of distress. My neighbor suddenly confessed that he had a number of 1000 rupee notes stacked in his cupboard as savings. He was confused and agitated, as he most likely would have to officially declare the sum. He was expecting suspicious questions from the tax authorities.
The local vegetable vendor refused to accept any 500 rupee notes. He explained that his uncle was completely devastated because of his daughter’s wedding preparations. His uncle had saved up money for his daughter’s wedding of about 500 000,- rupees in cash, as this was how the payment would normally be done. Having no bank account where he could deposit the money, what was he supposed to do?
Major official goals of the demonetization have been to curb the black economy, tackle counterfeit notes and decrease corruption. The withdrawal of notes has the side-effect of increasing the use of digital banking and cashless transfers, moving the country towards a less cash-reliant economy. Last week, India’s Prime Minister disclosed the underlying reason, stating: “Our dream is that there should be a cashless society”. The goal is that Indians should substantially increase their reliance on debit card transactions and use of digital wallets.
Demonetization has forced those who to date had no bank account to immediately open an account, and those who were already banked to increase the digital part of their financial exchange. Millions have lined up in front of banks. On 24 November, cash exchange became banned and people had only one option to get rid of old notes – to deposit them in banks. Already within ten days of demonetization, the Reserve Bank of India could announce that more than 5 trillion rupees had been deposited.
As Digital India unfolds, the government is increasingly invested with means of tracking individual transactions. Cash transferred to digital currency means big money in tax revenue for the Indian government. Today, less than 10 percent of the 1,25 billion citizenry pay taxes. In a hard hit against the black economy, the government has also announced that people charged with keeping large amounts in cash, thus seeking to evade taxation, can be fined up to 200 percent in tax penalties.
Those living on less have also been caught up in the unfolding of events, sometimes falling victim to wild rumors. A woman from my neighborhood who earns her living from clothes laundering was convinced that Prime Minister Modi would soon transfer 250 000,- rupees into her newly opened bank account. Apparently someone had told her they heard this on the news. Her friend said she had heard of people dumping millions of rupees in cash in the Yamuna River to get rid of their black cash, to avoid tax penalties. The neighbor’s driver spent eight hours in a bank queue before he had to give up without accomplishing his business. The local vegetable vendor claimed he knew someone who would sell old 1000 notes for 600 rupees in 100 notes, giving a loss of 400 rupees, but a gain in the sense of having money with transactional value. His uncle finally resorted to this option, selling old large-denomination notes. His daughter’s wedding ended up costing the double of what he had set aside.
Undoubtedly, the government’s move has hit the black economy and tax evaders hard. It has shaken previous chains of corruption, and given numerous people living off the shadow economy sleepless nights. The lesson from previous demonetization in the 1970s is that corruption has continued as before when the ripples of the demonetization drive settle. This may no longer be as true in a more digitalized economy.
What demonetization has done is to make both rich and poor Indians rush to the bank. Demonetization of most of India’s cash will not instantaneously and magically create accountability and transparency. But it will push India towards a more digitalized, less cash-reliant, and more taxable economy.


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“Do you have viral fever? Drinking a glass of water with three table spoons of salt every day will effectively ward the virus off. Please share this remedy with your loved ones.
Tired of the lenience high courts continue to show to rapists in defiance of its rulings, the Supreme Court on Wednesday firmly told courts not to go soft on a rape convict even if he succeeds in winning over the survivor by promising marriage or by
The emails range from the mundane to the mysterious to the methodical.
Waiting to grab a medal for India in the World University Games, where several top athletes from across the globe mark their presence, country's top walker Khushbir Kaur's has been left shocked to find her name missing from the national squad at the
Ranchi: The ruling and opposition parties on Wednesday huddled for last minute preparations ahead of the Rajya Sabha by-election on Thursday. While the former sounded confident of easy victory, the latter resolved to put up a competition to the best
On the occasion of Doctors’ Day on Wednesday, members of the state branch of Indian Medical Association expressed concern over the deterioration in doctor-patient relationship in the last few years
A day after the Election Commission declared Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa as a winner in the R K Nagar bypoll, her arch rival and DMK president M Karunanidhi and his son M K Stalin alleged violations and misuse of government machinery.
The Madras high court has stayed all further tender proceedings in the Rs 8,000-crore supercritical thermal project proposed to be set up at Udangudi in Tuticorin district, hours ahead of the last date for submitting fresh bids.
Mahindra & Mahindra has informed the National Stock Exchange (NSE) that the company, as part of aligning its production with sales requirements, would be observing 'No Production Days' at its tractor plants located at Rudrapur and Jaipur for four days during the balance period of October. The management does not envisage any adverse impact on availability of tractors in the market due to adequacy of tractor stocks to serve the market requirements. Sparkle your Diwali.. 8 pm onwards only on Romedy NOW.
Mahindra & Mahindra's auto sales numbers stood at 44,911 units during September 2014, as against 43,289 units last year, up 4%. The Passenger Vehicles segment sold 19,893 units in September 2014, as against 18,916 units during September 2013. The company's domestic sales stood at 42,408 units during September 2014, as against 40,574 units during September 2013, up 5%. In September 2014, the 4-wheelers commercial segment sold 15,979 units, up 9%, while the 3-wheelers segment clocked 6,096 units.
M&M has launched its new platform tractor, the Arjun Novo, in 2 variants -- the 57 HP 605DI-i and the 52 HP 605DI-PS. The 57 HP variant is priced at Rs 7.35 lakh ex-Pune.
1) Mahindra & Mahindra recently announced that it has sold more than one lakh units of its cheetah-inspired XUV500 in less than three years of its launch in India.
Pawan Goenka, Executive Director & President, automotive & farm equipment Mahindra & Mahindra has been appointed as chairman of board of governors at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
M&M's Net Profit after exceptional items and tax for the current quarter is Rs. 967.7 crore, against Rs. 962.9 crore in Q4 last year. Excluding the Trucks business of MTBL, net profit after tax for the quarter is Rs 975.6 crore and the Operating Margin is 14.0%.
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd on Monday announced the launch of a new model of the SsangYong Rexton the RX6 Watch election news on TIMES NOW No.1 Eng News Channel of India. Do not miss it till Result Day May 16
The Gross Revenues and Other Income of Mahindra and Mahindra Limited and MVML (Entity) for the quarter ended 31st December 2013 is Rs. 11270.0 crore as against Rs. 11522.3 crore during the corresponding period last year.
Total Income of the company increased by 31 p.c. in Q3 2013-14 to Rs.3825 crore from Rs.2923 crore in corresponding period last year. The Profit After Tax grew 6 p.c. at Rs.618 crore during the 9-month period ended 31 December, 2013 as compared to Rs.581 crore during the corresponding period last year.
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has gained 4% market share in the pick-up segment in India in the first half of FY14, said a top official of the company on Thursday.
The Bolero Pick-Up Flat Bed is the flagship brand in Mahindra&rsquos pick-up portfolio contributing over 60% to overall pick-up sales.
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., the leader in the Indian pick up segment, today announced the launch of a refreshed Bolero Pick-Up Flat Bed, at a price of Rs 5.56 lakh (BS3 version) ex-showroom Hyderabad.
A 44-year-old man from Navi Mumbai is battling H1N1 at Kasturba Hospital. Doctors said he is critical but stable. _
Doctors are surprised to see the reemergence of H1N1 virus in summer. Like most influenza viruses, it circulated post monsoon and during winter so far. Femina Believe conducts workshops for individuals and corporates in soft skills. From our experts, learn Makeup, Styling, Dining Etiquette, Communication Skills and more. For details & booking call on 09222244347 or visit www.feminabelieve.com
A 32-year-old woman from Dombivali died of H1N1 at Kasturba Hospital on Saturday. She had no underlying health conditions. Femina Believe conducts workshops for individuals and corporates in soft skills. From our experts, learn Makeup, Styling, Dining Etiquette, Communication Skills and more. For details & booking call on 09222244347 or visit www.feminabelieve.com


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New York City Figures released late Sunday by SpendingPulse pointed to more signs that shoppers are continuing their frugal ways, despite a decent spending surge on Black Friday, the Associated Press reported. SpendingPulse is a data service provided by MasterCard Advisors that estimates U.S. retail sales across all payment forms including cash and checks.
From Nov. 28, the day after Thanksgiving known as “Black Friday,” through Dec. 6, luxury sales dropped 34.5% compared with the same period last year, while overall apparel sales fell 22.9%. Electronic sales fell 22.3%.
Online sales last week fell 1% to $3.81 billion from the same week last year, according to research company comScore Inc., which called the drop “marginal.”


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The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) has signed an MoU with Messe Frankfurt India and MEX Exhibitions Pvt Ltd, organisers of Gartex Texprocess India.
At the signing of the MoU, Dr S. Sunanda, Secretary General, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry shared, “The Indian textile industry is innovative and self-reliant. We are happy to partner with Gartex Texprocess India, to further facilitate growth, development and business collaborations within the industry.”
Gaurav Juneja, Director, MEX Exhibitions Pvt Ltd added, “By partnering with CITI, we intend to bring greater participation and product showcases on the show floors of Gartex Texprocess India. The support and reach of CITI will go a long way in bringing the industry together and creating opportunities for trade and investment.”
Additionally, the organisers have also announced that the fair will now be held from 3 – 5 December 2021, instead of its originally planned schedule in August 2021.


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Remember I told you about Luke Johnson, the ex-Channel 4 chairman who also presided over the demise of Borders UK, warning High Street book shops are doomed? Curzon Artificial Eye, the arthouse distributor/exhibitor, is building a cinema inside Waterstone’s flagship Piccadilly store. Trade magazine The Bookseller says more Curzon/Waterstone’s bookshop cinemas are planned. The exhibition chain already runs one cinema in Wimbledon out of an HMV record store. HMV owns Waterstone’s. Ross Fitzsimons, group strategy director of Curzon Artificial Eye, says 20 more HMV joint ventures are planned over the next five years. Waterstone’s declined to comment.
You are viewing the archive: Waterstone’s
By TIM ADLER in London | Tuesday July 13, 2010 @ 6:24am PDTTags: High Street Book Stores, Luke Johnson, Luke Johnson UK Borders, Theaters, UK Bookstores, Waterstone's
By TIM ADLER in London | Wednesday June 30, 2010 @ 4:22am PDTTags: Book Publishing, High Street Book Stores, Independant Booksellers, Luke Johnson, Luke Johnson UK Borders, UK Bookstores, Waterstone's
Luke Johnson, former chairman of UK broadcaster Channel 4, who tried to rescue the ailing Borders chain, has warned High Street bookshops are finished. Johnson, who tried to turn UK Borders around before admitting defeat, says bookstores …


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SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Registration is already open for the Receivables Management Association International (RMAI) Annual Conference, occurring February 3–6, 2020. The conference brings together key participants in the receivables management industry, including debt buying companies, collection agencies, collection law firms, brokers, originating creditors, and affiliates. Companies and individuals who take advantage of early bird pricing can save hundreds of dollars on registration costs; the early bird deadline is December 6th. Anyone interested can register at https://rmaintl.org/AC2020.
This conference is the premier event for the Receivables Management Industry—welcoming over 1,200 attendees and showcasing over 80 exhibit booths—and provides abundant networking opportunities with key participants, including debt buying companies, collection law firms, collection agencies, brokers, major creditors, and international members. With over 20 education sessions, it’s also the perfect setting to learn about the latest trends impacting the industry and earn certification and CLE credits.
“We’re looking forward to another exciting Annual Conference in 2020,” said Jan Stieger, Executive Director of RMAI. “This will be our 23rd Annual Conference, and we continue to grow and expand the opportunities available, and the value we provide to attendees.”
RMAI has increased networking opportunities for conference attendees this year. The conference will kick-off with a day of golf at Bear’s Best Las Vegas on February 3rd, new in 2020. RMAI has also added a networking session specifically for Originating Creditors. Favorite sessions from past years will return, including Solutions for a Winning Streak session, where conference attendees can get a quick pitch on services that can help their business; the Women in the Industry reception, following its popularity when launched in 2019; and Suite Crawl, the networking event of the year, a traveling party in the luxury Ara Sky Suites.
About Receivables Management Association International
Receivables Management Association International (RMAI) is a nonprofit trade association that represents more than 500 companies that purchase or support the purchase of performing and nonperforming receivables on the secondary market. The Receivables Management Certification Program and Code of Ethics set the global standard within the receivables industry due to its rigorous uniform industry standards of best practice which focuses on the protection of the consumer.
More information about RMAI is available at www.rmaintl.org.


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Tens of millions of players have been tricked into downloading faux Minecraft Android apps that run advertisements within the background, incomes critical revenue for the builders.
Cybersecurity researchers from McAfee not too long ago found (opens in new tab) 38 video games posing (opens in new tab) as Minecraft for the Android platform, operating adverts within the background with out person information, or consent.
Of the 38 video games, the most well-liked ones are Block Field Grasp Diamond (10 million downloads), Craft Sword Mini Enjoyable (5 million), Block Field Skyland Sword (5 million), and Craft Monster Loopy Sword (5 million).
Video games play as marketed
Block Professional Forrest Diamond, Block Recreation Skyland Forrest, Block Rainbow Sword Dragon, Craft Rainbow Mini Builder, and Block Forrest Tree Loopy all have a million downloads every. They had been all discovered on the Google Play Retailer, and never on third-party, or obscure repositories.
Apart from the smartphone heating up, or performing considerably slower than what one may anticipate, there is no such thing as a method for the person to truly know they’re being served advertisements, the researchers mentioned. But, even these two signs is perhaps written off as regular habits when operating a cellular recreation. To make issues much more tough – the apps all carry out as marketed – the customers truly get to play the sport.
Most victims had been positioned both in the USA, or China, the researchers say. Brazil, Iran, the UK, and Germany, had been additionally larger victims.
Minecraft is without doubt one of the hottest video games on this planet, at present. It’s a sandbox recreation that enables gamers to collect sources and create their very own atmosphere. There are two modes within the recreation, a survival mode through which gamers are required to collect sources, construct the world and survive towards hostile mobs, and a inventive mode through which gamers get all of the sources they should construct no matter they think about.
Minecraft is at present the best-selling online game of all time, with 238 million copies offered. In accordance with ActivePlayer, it has greater than 170 million month-to-month lively gamers.
Through: BleepingComputer (opens in new tab)


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24 Apr 2018 --- Plant-based dairy alternatives are thriving in European markets, amid a surge in demand for vegetarian and vegan options. But while soy still leads, it is other plant-based options that are enjoying much stronger growth from an NPD standpoint.
According to Innova Market Insights data, over the past five years, the number of new plant-based dairy alternative drinks launches reported in Europe has grown continuously, with a CAGR (2013-2017) of +19.5 percent. Between 2013 and 2017, soy continues to be the top ingredient for plant-based dairy alternative drinks, however, the market penetration is decreasing. At the same time, almonds and oats show strong growth over the years, with the CAGR (2013-2017) of +39 percent and +36 percent, respectively.
NPD growth is coming despite regulatory constraints on marketing these types of products as milk. In June 2017, the European Court of Justice ruled that purely plant-based products cannot be marketed with names such as “milk,” “cream,” “butter,” “cheese” or “yogurt,” which are strictly reserved by EU law for animal products. This decision also pertained to products that used dairy-related terms in conjunction with clarifying or descriptive words indicating the plant origin of the product concerned.Click to Enlarge
Just this week, French politicians banned meat-like terms from describing vegetarian and vegan food which means that words such as “steak” and “fillet” will only be used for products of animal origin. MP for La République En Marche party, Jean-Baptiste Moreau, initially proposed the ban claiming that using words and phrases such as “plant burgers” or “vegetarian sausage” were misleading to consumers. And now fellow French MPs have agreed, which means terms like “vegan sausages,” “soya steaks,” and “Quorn fillets” are resigned to the past in France. French food producers will no longer be able to use any term that is most commonly associated with meat, such as “burgers” or “sausages” if that product doesn’t contain any meat – even if the description makes this clear. This could mean that other countries may follow suit in the naming of meat alternatives. FoodIngredientsFirst has since reached out to Quorn for further details. You can read further coverage on FoodIngredientsFirst, published yesterday, here.
Vegan products have become more mainstream and we now see a much higher prevalence of food companies moving straight beyond vegetarian to vegan. The plant-based food market is growing at double-digit rates and expected to reach US$5.2 billion worldwide by 2020, according to Nestlé and a significant proportion of this will be down to plant-based snacks. The trend in plant-based foods is not slowing down either. A CAGR in products featuring the plant-based claims such as “plant-based” and “100 percent plant,” has been +60 percent from 2012-2016.
The notion of a “mindful consumer” was listed as Innova Market Insight’s top trend for this year, which certainly crosses over into this category. Consumers are more conscious than ever about making responsible food choices that are not only healthy, but that also take sustainability and ethical considerations into account. As the number and variety of claims made by food and beverages grow, consumers will increasingly have to weigh up different factors in making purchase decisions when it comes to vegetarian and vegan food products.
Protein remains a key trend
Plant-based based protein is continuing to turn heads, specifically in the vegan space. Often protein is considered in many meat-based products, but there are high protein vegan and vegetarian analog items popping up on supermarket shelves regularly too. For example, Los Angeles based manufacturer and distributor of plant-based snacks and foods, Unisoy Foods, launched new flavors in their Vegan Jerky range, which the company says is “a protein-packed plant-based treat for vegans and omnivores alike.”
Protein remains an essential nutrient overall and with the need for vegan food on the rise, the need for protein goes hand in hand. Vegan innovation for NPD seems to be making its mark on the snacking segment, which also takes several factors around health, animal welfare and sustainability into account. As more and more consumers move to a vegetarian and vegan lifestyle, this could become a standard tradition, but one thing is for sure, if more food products appeal to a broader audience, more opportunities will be created for manufacturers and consumers alike.
Plant-based dairy alternative drink launches in Spain have been growing at a CAGR of +10 percent (2013-2017). This area of product development formed the key area of innovation at Alimentaria 2018 in Barcelona, Spain, the largest food & beverage shown in southern Europe.
Click to EnlargeAt this year’s event, Coca-Cola launched its Ades brand [which is very popular in Latin America] to the Spanish market. The line of vegetable-based drinks is claimed to fuse the best of the seed [plain or with fruits], with four options available based on soy, oats, rice and almonds. The products are packaged in either 250ml or 800ml PET format.
Idilia Foods leads the Spanish cocoa powder market with its Cola Cao brand. A partnership with dairy company Pascual led to the 2016 launch of Cola Cao Shake, an “on the go” cup that can be heated in the microwave and consumed either hot or cold. Now the company has launched two new plant-based variants of Cola Cao Shake, an oat-based and a coconut-based drink.
Click to EnlargeAlso within the chocolate milk space is Cacaolat, a brand which has now been extended with Veggie – Oat & Cocoa. The 100 percent plant-based product is claimed to combine “all the naturalness of oats and the authentic pleasure of Cacaolat.” The company points to 2017 Nielsen data, which found 7.6 percent growth in the Spanish plant-based drinks space and 28.7 percent growth in oat-based drinks. A June 2017 consumer study conducted by PSCG found that 9 in 10 consumers like the new Cacaolat Veggie product.
Innovations were also on display within the spoonable dairy alternative space at Alimentaria 2018. Alimentacion y Nutricion Familiar launched Sun&vegs Es Avena, a plant-based healthy snack, similar to yogurt but without the use of animal protein. “It perfectly fits the needs of vegan consumers, it is also lactose-free, and it is formulated with our own patented formula of ferments: inmunodigest, that regulates the immune and digestive system (Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei).”
Andros Granada, S.L.U presented Me-up! promoted as the first range of 100 percent vegetable refrigerated desserts without soy and made from vegetable drinks. It is suitable for vegans and does not contain milk proteins, lactose, preservatives, dyes or artificial flavors. It is available in 12 varieties (containing either almond, rice or oats) in 12 x 100g format. It also has the endorsement of the European Vegetarian Union and a UTZ certificate for sustainable cocoa.
Also at the show, Pastoret launched a dairy alternative based on almond milk using Spain’s Maracona almonds. The product is marketed on a sustainability platform. Finally, Danone launched Alpro products in the light of its acquisition of WhiteWave.
The May issue of Innova – Food & Beverage Innovation will feature a detailed review of Alimentaria 2018.
By Robin Wyers & Elizabeth Green
To contact our editorial team please email us at
21 Sep 2018 –
Stevia application continues to grow in food and ...
21 Sep 2018 –
In business news this week, Nestlé ...
21 Sep 2018 –
Earlier this year when the trade conflict ...
21 Sep 2018 –
High levels of severe food insecurity, ...
21 Sep 2018 –
Layn Corp. is rolling out its advanced sweetener ...


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In the beginning, Rongrong and Ralf Szydlewski were optimistic. They launched their start-up Fresh Tasia in 2019 and have since grown Indian spinach, beans and Vietnamese coriander in a greenhouse in Kladow. With their company, the couple wants to bring Asian vegetables into German kitchens – not imported, but grown locally.
Inside the greenhouse / Photo: Fresh Tasia
“It got off to a good start,” says Ralf Szydlewski now in an interview with the Berliner Morgenpost. “The response and the acceptance were great.” But the Corona pandemic hit the young company hard. Because restaurants fell away as customers, there is a lack of income. According to the company itself, the situation is even threatening its existence and insolvency cannot be ruled out soon.
For more information: https://fresh-tasia.com


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DRAM Prices Expected To Fall For Q4 2018
Samuel Wan / 4 years ago
DRAM Prices Projected to Fall 5%
As an essential part of every computer, DRAM is always in demand. Overall the past while, prices have stayed steady except when unexpected shortages popped up. However, with slowing PC, smartphone and tablet sales, DRAM sales are expected to drop. According to market data research, DRAM prices will drop a significant 5% this year. This is due to a combination of oversupply and weak demand.
DRAM prices have steady grown since the golden days of DDR3. Back then, memory was cheap and plentiful. However, over the past couple of years, prices have shot up and only recently stabilized. The price increases were due to a combination of supply problems and heavy demand for smartphones and tablets. However, with device uptake slowing and along with a weak PC market, demand is finally easing up.
Combination of Factors Driving Price Drop
The ongoing Intel 14nm shortage is also helping keep demand low. With CPUs serving at the bottleneck, sales are expected to weaken even as AMD takes up some of the slack. Analysts expect that DRAM prices will fall by about 5% by the end of this year. Already, spot prices for DRAM is about 10% below contract prices. This is making it clear that it is buyers market right now. Samsung has even moved to cut production, possibly to shore up prices.
For those of you planning an upgrade, the falling memory prices might be a welcome move. Along with the death of mining and cheaper VRAM, GPU prices may also fall as well. However, as we get closer to the end of the year, new product launches may push prices back up next year. While prices will be lower going forward, it is unlikely to hit the levels we once had back when DDR3 was at it’s peak.


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California is a liberal paradise, right? Tons of immigrants and lots of welfare. Even crimes like shoplifting have been decriminalized!
While BLM activists cry out to defund the police, local businesses have been suffering. Shoplifting has become so prominent that Walgreens has been forced to close 17 stores.
Longtime Walgreens customer Sebastian Luke told the Chronicle regarding closures:
“All of us knew it was coming. Whenever we go in there, they always have problems with shoplifters.”
Luke also suggested that the employees at Walgreens are helpless to do anything in the face of the thefts, saying:
“I feel sorry for the clerks, they are regularly being verbally assaulted.”Law Enforcement Today
These workers have to deal with this and not enough is being done. Now they’ve all lost their jobs. Good job, California.
In another take at the hearing on the origin of the thefts, retail grocery chain Safeway placed blame for “dramatic increases” in shoplifting on the passage of Proposition 47 in 2014.
California’s Prop. 47 amended the California penal code, Section 490.2, to lower penalties for certain thefts. It now reads that theft of property valued at less than $950 is punishable as a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $1000 or six months in jail.Law Enforcement Today
Reducing penalties gives criminals greater license to steal. As it is, most shoplifters won’t even get caught. In 2020, for example, only 31% of shoplifting cases resulted in an arrest. That means 7 out of 10 don’t get caught and continue to shoplift.


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Fear of anti-games spin may have killed games industry tax breaks
Elite co-creator, David Braben believes that fear of the spin from the anti-games lobby may have caused the Coalition Government to drop plans for tax relief for the games industry.
The Frontier chief told Develop that he thought that the Government may have feared widespread criticism for dishing out tax breaks in the middle of a financial crisis from those oppsed to video games.
Braben said: "We have the figures to demonstrate the benefits, but in the end I suspect the reason not to do it, despite the pre-election promises from all three parties, is the fear of how it might be spun by the anti-games lobby."
"I am not surprised, but it is disappointing that the government doesn't value our industry as a possible bulwark against recession," continued Braben. "The worldwide games industry will continue to do well with or without government support, but the sad fact is that without the support we will see that growth happen outside the UK rather than here at home, where it is hard to forsee anything but a continued exodus of companies and talent, as we have in the last few years."
Given that the UK Government has used Canada as an example of how to cut a horrendous budget deficit does seem to have ignored how big an impact the games industry had on Canada's recovery. Braben concludes: "Canada started its ambitious incentive scheme while it was in recession and by 2008 had got returns of 1.5Bn GBP from 500M GBP investment."
- The Last Team Standing update arrives for GTA Online
- Syndicate spiritual successor Satellite Reign gets a new HD gameplay video
- Last chance to back card-collecting RPG Eminence: Xander's Tales on Kickstarter
- October PS Plus Instant Game Collection line-up announced with Driveclub as a bonus
- Betas planned for every platform should ensure Battlefield: Hardline will work at launch
- Latest patch for Battlefield 4 fixes just about everything and unblocks your kitchen sink
- Warface gets updated with new maps and a few gameplay tweaks
- Platinum Games' Hideki Kamiya gives one final response to those begging for Bayonetta 2 to be released on PS4 and Xbox One
- Shadow Of Mordor devs not worried by the Assassin's Creed comparisons


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Microsoft's planned acquisition of Nokia's handset division is designed to bolster the software company's position as a hardware manufacturer and solidify a mobile platform for its flagship Windows operating system. But the move may also boost the tech giant's payments aspirations.
A close integration of Microsofts assets with Nokia mobile devices could mean a more comprehensive product offering as mobile devices brings together consumers' lives at work, home and on the go, says Michelle Evans, a consumer finance analyst at Euromonitor International.
"All of this also could extend to financial services and payments offerings, too, as Microsoft now has the potential to provide consumers with a fully integrated financial services experience," Evans told PaymentsSource in an email. "Conceivably, the consumer could easily jump from budgeting on their home laptop, to paying bills on their tablets, to paying for purchases at a POS terminal from their mobile device as the software becomes fully integrated across devices."
If the $7.16 billion deal is approved by regulators and consummated, Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft will acquire Nokias smartphone and mobile phone businesses, device design team, and its manufacturing and assembly facilities. In addition, Microsoft will license Espoo, Finland-based Nokias patent portfolio and use of its mapping services.
Nokia has been Microsoft's strongest mobile technology ally since it adopted Windows as its primary operating system in 2011. However, the operating system is also used on other hardware manufacturers' devices. Meanwhile, the Surface tablets that Microsoft released earlier this year were the company's first attempts at manufacturing its own mobile devices, with the tablets debuting alongside devices built by other manufacturers.
Working with a customized version of VeriFone's Payware technology, Microsoft revamped the checkout process at its more than 75 retail stores in North America with a mobile point of sale system using Nokia Lumia 900 devices running the Windows Phone 7 operating system. VeriFone went on to later make the technology available to other customers, and it's expected to bring a new Windows 8-based tablet point of sale system out of pilot testing sometime in September.
Given Microsoft's long history with partners, it's unlikely to follow Apple's lead and only allow its platform to be used on Nokia devices, Adrian Drozd, European research director for information and communication technologies at Frost & Sullivan, wrote in commentary Tuesday.
"In order to grow market share, Microsoft will need to keep Samsung and HTC on board, and will need to alleviate any concerns that emerge as a result of the acquisition. Microsoft can use Nokia to really drive innovation on the platform, as Google is doing with Motorola. However, in order to succeed it will need to ensure it maintains good relationships with its partners."
The Windows Phone operating system posted the largest year-over-year increase among the top five smartphone platforms during the second quarter of 2013, reinforcing its position as the third-ranked smartphone operating system, according to International Data Corp. Nokia handsets accounted for 81.6% of all Windows Phone smartphone shipments during 2Q13, IDC adds.
"But beyond Nokia, Windows Phone remained a secondary option for other vendors, many of which have concentrated on Android," the company said in its Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker report.
And with less than 4% market share of mobile operating systems, Microsoft has a long way to go to encourage broader adoption of its Windows Phone platform and ultimately, establish itself as a viable competitor to Google's Android and Apple's iOS operating systems. Developing new payments innovations could help in those efforts.
"Aspiring mobile payment entrants will have to provide a product that affords the same or higher level of security, convenience and incentives than the traditional products already available to the market," says Evans. "The new project has to be intrinsically better, not just different, if it hopes to gain a foothold in the industry."
Microsoft has been active in a number of payments-related efforts, including a Near Field Communication-based mobile wallet for loyalty cards, tickets and payments, and a partnership with mobile carrier billing provider Fortumo. Microsoft also recently joined Eurosmart, the Belgium-based association that develops security standards for smart cards, terminals and other electronic applications.
Microsoft's mobile wallet lets consumers make bank transfers, check into flights and buy tickets from their mobile devices. Noting the similarities to Apple's Passbook, Evans adds that Microsofts mobile wallet "goes a step further by also offering debit and credit payment at a POS terminal."
"Microsofts mobile wallet has the potential to provide the consumer with a seamless consumer payment experience that could be attractive for early adopters The problem is that phones containing the Microsoft operating system woefully lag behind those devices sold with the Android and iOS systems, so consumers simply dont have this option in their hands," she says.
In detailing the strategic rationale for acquiring Nokia, a Microsoft presentation notes the geospatial-based opportunities in combining Nokia's mapping data with other data services. It's an interesting prospect, given that Microsoft is also said to be competing with American Express for an equity stake in Foursquare Labs, creators of the popular location-based mobile app.
While the acquisition would foster an environment ripe for mobile payments innovation, it may be some time before the fruits of those labors reach end-users. Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility in August 2011 led to similar speculation that the search engine company was strengthening its position in mobile payments, but Google Wallet has yet to gain widespread use and has even recently seen some of its features eliminated.
And perhaps in a sign that Microsoft's competitors aren't resting on their laurels, the news of Nokia's acquisition comes on the same day that Apple formally announced a Sept. 10 event where it's anticipated that the next version of the iPhone will be unveiled.


text: Marketers are beginning to take advantage of virtual reality (VR) and travel is one of the most exciting industry use cases. The technology's immersive and interactive abilities are a perfect fit with the travel industry's reliance on selling experiences through storytelling and visual narratives. VR can enable marketing teams to demonstrate services, show off new features and reward customers with exciting experiences. VR is a huge opportunity for marketers because it's so open to differentiation, and it's scalable. For example, there are reportedly more than 1 million Google Cardboard devices in circulation. Before long, it will be commonplace for travel brands to use in-home VR brochures to help customers plan trips. Find out more, including how travel companies are already leveraging VR technology.


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Before we head into the weekend, let’s take a look a look back at the week that was and some of the stories here on MetalMiner:
Buying Aluminum in 2018? Download MetalMiner’s free annual price outlook
- Stuart Burns delves into falling Chinese iron ore prices — it’s not just about port stocks.
- The U.S. International Trade Commission made a final affirmative determination in the investigation of Chinese aluminum foil (launched last year), paving the way for impending orders on the product.
- In case you missed out, we updated our Section 232 Investigation Impact Report to include two additional sections.
- Tin has a bright future (at least in the relative near term), Burns writes.
- The raw steel capacity utilization rate through March 10 of this year stood at 74.8%, according to data this week from the American Iron and Steel Institute.
- The evolution of trade relationships is about more than just all this tariffs talk in the news right now.
- A group of U.S. trade associations last weekend sent President Trump a letter urging him not to impose tariffs on a wide range of Chinese products.
- The Department of Commerce recently released its tariff exclusion request process — check out our breakdown of the details.
- Trump made an announcement that rocked the world and markets yesterday vis-a-vis the possibility of $60 billion in tariffs on Chinese products, prompting China to respond with threats to impose tariffs on American products.
- In other Thursday news, the U.S. granted exemptions from the Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs to the E.U., Australia, Brazil, Argentina and South Korea.
- Nalco and Canada-based Almex are working together on a joint venture in India.
Want to see an Aluminum Price forecast? Take a free trial!


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Technology News Archive - October 15, 2012
Researchers from Georgia Tech have called upon the television series MacGyver for inspiration as they plan to build a robot able to use its own ingenuity to go into a dangerous situation and rescue any who may be in harm’s way.
It’s official. In an early morning (for Americans) press conference, Japanese mobile carrier SoftBank announced they’d be buying 70% of Sprint for $20.1 billion.
Specialized vapor steam cleaner vacuum systems with HEPA filtration and anti-bacterial technologies are designed to destroy germs in gyms.
Microsoft has announced Xbox Music, a service with a catalog of music 30 million tracks deep and the potential penetration that a combination of Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and Xbox could bring.
Exclusive vapor steam cleaner with extraction includes exclusive technologies and emits high temperatures to kill and extract bed bugs.
According to tech rumors currently circulating, Amazon might be upping the ante in this market by engaging in talks with Texas Instruments to buy their OMAP chip division.
The ongoing dance between Amazon, Apple, a handful of publishers and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) may be drawing to a close soon. Over the weekend, Amazon and Apple customers received emails explaining they that may be entitled to some cash back from their ebook purchases.
Designed and built by Michigan-based Gibbs Sports Amphibians the Quadski is reportedly the first high-speed commercially available amphibious vehicle.
This weekend as some Electronics Arts customers received coupon codes in their email inboxes to download free games, some Redditors discovered a flaw in the system, resulting in EA easily giving away some hundreds of thousands of titles away for free.
Spintronic technology, in which data is processed on the basis of electron “spin” rather than charge, promises to revolutionize the computing industry with smaller, faster and more energy efficient data storage and processing.
- The analysis of literature, focusing on the words and grammar to the exclusion of context or literary merit.


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Brand Licensing Europe's Darren Brechin gives attendees the top 10 highlights of the upcoming event.
The NFL Players Association is joining forces with the Fire Department of New York for a limited edition t-shirt collection to celebrate FDNY's 150-year legacy.
Disney Store is gearing up for Force Friday on Sept. 4, the global release date for product from the upcoming film Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
DHX Brands is collaborating with Jo Jingles, which develops preschool music and movement classes in the U.K., to create an "In the Night Garden" activity program.
BBC Worldwide is launching "The Sooty Show" in ANZ with the appointment of a regional licensing agent, as well as product and broadcast partners.
Snapper Productions has tapped WDR Media Group to act as "Q Pootle 5's" licensing agent in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Penguin Ventures is expanding its partnership with Start Licensing to include representation of its wholly owned properties.
Irreverent Internet sensation Grumpy Cat will be the first-ever cat to be immortalized as a wax figure at Madame Tussauds.
On Sept. 10 the H by Halston collection will debut exclusively on QVC.
Jessica Eriksson has been appointed to the newly created position of licensing manager at Saltkråkan–The Astrid Lindgren Company.
DreamWorks Animation's chief global brand officer Michael Francis will step down from his full-time duties at the company in December and transition to a consulting role.
DC Thomson has launched a new monthly children’s magazine that focuses on multi-platform gaming and entertainment.
Columbia Sportswear and the Dallas Cowboys have announced an apparel licensing partnership for co-branded sportswear, outerwear and accessories.
The entire Peanuts gang is now available at German retailer Butlers in a line of home accessories.
Indian Motorcycle has announced a new collaboration with FieldCandy, a designer brand of outdoor products, for a branded tent.
Jeffrey D. Dunn has been appointed as the new president and chief executive officer of Sesame Workshop.
Vince Klaseus will join Universal Pictures as president of the newly created brand development division.
Egmont Publishing has unveiled its newest Minecraft title–Blockopedia.
Bleacher Creatures is planning a brand-new line of DC Comics plush figures representing the greatest Super Heroes (and Super Villains) in the galaxy.
Nickelodeon will once again encourage kids to get up and get active when its TV channels, websites and app go dark for the 11th Annual Worldwide Day of Play.
Genius Brands International has tapped Spiral International to launch GBI’s animated TV series across all media in Latin America.
©2015 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.


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T-Mobile CEO Philipp Humm recently explained why the iPhone is not capable of running on his 3G network, despite earlier claims that iPhone users were able to establish an intermittent 3G connection in certain areas of the United States.
Humm told AllThingsD that frequency band incompatibility is the main reason the iPhone isn’t able to use high-speed data on T-Mobile, and that the carrier hopes to resolve this issue in the near future.
“The key reason we didn’t have the iPhone in the past is we are on different band than globally the market was,” Humm said. “That is something which will change over time. Chipsets are also evolving to be able to allow for more bands.”
As always, though, the decision is up to Apple, Humm acknowledges.
The AT&T/T-Mobile merger recently fell through, indicating that T-Mobile may be around longer than we all initially thought. Humm noted that his carrier is building up its HSPA+ network, and part of the agreement from the merger fallout is that AT&T has to license a large part of its spectrum to T-Mobile in the US. This gives T-Mobile more reach than it ever had before.
T-Mobile currently uses the 1700/2100 MHz AWS band for its 3G data, while carriers like AT&T and Verizon use 850, 900, 1900, and 2100 MHz frequencies. The iPhone must include a AWS-compatible chipset.
As T-Mobile migrates its spectrum and more AWS chipsets hit the market, the prospect of a T-Mobile iPhone becomes more of a reality. CNET believes that the next iPhone will support AWS:
Ray, however, said T-Mobile’s unique spectrum would have required extra work to ensure the iPhone ran correctly on its network. But the next chipset that Apple plans to use will be able to overcome that hurdle, he said.
“The next chipset will support AWS,” he said in an interview with CNET. “The challenge that existed in the past will go away.”
Ray said he has seen the roadmap of chipsets that Apple plans to use, and knows it has that capability. But he noted Apple could choose to ignore that capability and not strike a deal with T-Mobile.
As T-Mobile has said in the past, ball is in Apple’s court. And now that T-Mobile is here to stay, we could very will see a T-Mobile iPhone in the near future.


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The Oregon Ducks unique weekly uniform selection has become as common in college football as tailgating.
With the Ducks officially playing in its first BCS National Championship game, the official release of the team’s uniform for the big game was a story in itself.
Today, Oregon and Nike officially released the new duds for the Ducks – and here’s an image as posted by CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell (via Twitpic):
Honest opinion: It’s a sweet look for the Ducks – and I personally am very much a big fan of the “all white” jersey concept. Plus, the unique neon number trim and socks really pop. That spicy color addition is something that would make Digger Phelps proud – and jealous, too.
What are your thoughts on Oregon’s unis for the National Championship?
And while we’re talking about the “Natty”, who do you think will win the championship, and by how much?
Who will WIN the BCS National Championship game?
- Oregon Ducks in a close game (43%, 121 Votes)
- Oregon Ducks by double digits (22%, 63 Votes)
- Auburn Tigers in a close game (22%, 61 Votes)
- Auburn Tigers by double digits (13%, 36 Votes)
Total Voters: 281
As always, thank you for visiting The Wife Hates Sports!


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New York mayoral candidate Eric Adams wants to use an electronic “cyber wallet” instead of payroll checks and direct bank deposits to pay city workers and welfare recipients, the better to track how benefits are spent and to provide rewards and incentives for healthy choices, educational improvement and job training.
Such a system could help streamline services to people experiencing homelessness, Adams, a former police captain and current Brooklyn Borough President, said in an interview with Bloomberg News. The system would avoid bureaucratic duplication in helping individuals obtain emergency cash and other help. It would also record how individuals spend money from the city, he said.
“If you buy healthy foods for your baby, instead of some of the bad food that you are buying for your child, we’re going to match it dollar for dollar,” Adams said. “If you take a financial literacy course, we’d give you a $1,000 incentive as your down payment. If you want to shop locally, we’re going to have a 2% discount instead of going on Amazon.”
Adams said he’s spoken with executives at tech companies, and private companies have expressed interest in helping the city set up such a program. “They’re saying ‘We want to do this for free,’” Adams said. “If you change how you pay for goods and services in New York City, you now have a product you can sell all over the globe.
So here it is!
Instead of payroll checks and direct bank deposits to pay city workers and welfare recipients, to better track how benefits are spent and to provide rewards and incentives for healthy choices, educational improvement and job training!


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A CPG giant - with brands like Lysol, Woolite, Clearasil, and Vanish - has signed on to explore advertising in Break Media's new female-skewed categories.
Break Media isn't just about marketing to dudes anymore, now that the ad network has added verticals for advertisers looking to reel in women viewers. The Los Angeles-based company said it has added 23 new categories, while picking up four Web partners to increase its monthly unique visitors.
Of the 23, the more female-skewed categories are parenting, shopping, and travel, said Andrew Budkofsky, EVP of sales and partnerships for Break Media. Reckitt Benckiser is one of the first advertisers on board, he said, as the CPG giant is running ads for products like Lysol, Woolite, Clearasil, Vanish, and French's.
Budkofsky also stated that a "major credit card brand" was close to buying ads targeting females in the shopping category.
"As our relationships and conversations have progressed in the marketplace, we've had brands that knew us for guys but asked for our help in reaching other verticals," said Budkofsky. "That's when we really focused on expanding the network...So when a client sends us an RFP that says 'moms' or 'female-focused,' we can offer them a list of sites that are more female-focused."
While Break Media doesn't appear to currently have many female-centric sites, the results Reckitt Benckiser's brands see in the coming weeks for that demo may show which ones are more target-rich than others.
Normally, the two-year-old ad network has been offering brands the chance to get in front of 18-to-34-year-old males in verticals such as sports, lifestyle, music, humor, and film/television. Those categories have helped marketers target ads on sites like Break.com, Cage Potato, Holy Taco, and Chickipedia.
In addition, Break Media announced four new additions to its ad network: Justin.TV (live-streaming video), RedOrbit.com (space, science, and technology enthusiasts), Spil Games (online games), and WeGame.com (video games-sharing site). Of them, Justin.TV and its self-reported 30 million unique visitors appears to be the most significant pick-up.
The website additions bring the ad network to 110 monthly unique visitors, according to the company. One year ago, it had 60 million.
Follow Christopher Heine on Twitter at @ChrisClickZ.
On the heels of a fantastic event in New York City, ClickZ Live is taking the fun and learning to Toronto, June 23-25. With over 15 years' experience delivering industry-leading events, ClickZ Live offers an action-packed, educationally-focused agenda covering all aspects of digital marketing. Register today!
Christopher Heine was a senior writer for ClickZ through June 2012. He covered social media, sports/entertainment marketing, retail, and more. Heine's work has also appeared via Mashable, Brandweek, DM News, MarketingSherpa, and other tech- and ad-centric publications. USA Today, Bloomberg Radio, and The Los Angeles Times have cited him as an expert journalist.
Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce
This Magic Quadrant examines leading digital commerce platforms that enable organizations to build digital commerce sites. These commerce platforms facilitate purchasing transactions over the Web, and support the creation and continuing development of an online relationship with a consumer.
Paid Search in the Mobile Era
Google reports that paid search ads are currently driving 40+ million calls per month. Cost per click is increasing, paid search budgets are growing, and mobile continues to dominate. It's time to revamp old search strategies, reimagine stale best practices, and add new layers data to your analytics.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
12pm ET/9am PT
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
12pm ET/9am PT


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After adding Selection Day and Again as part of its list of Indian original content, Netflix has taken yet another step to expand and strengthen its base in India and Indian content. According to the latest reports, Netflix has acquired the rights to stream S.S. Rajamouli s war epic Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion for $4 million, which is approximately Rs 25.5 crore. Also Read - Best Netflix plan to watch June 2021 releases movies: Money Heist 5 and moreAlso Read - No, Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and Instagram will not stop working in India (Not right now)
Netflix, which entered the Indian market in early 2016, said that it is doubling down on its Indian investments. As of now, Netflix is at the 9th position among video-streaming apps and services in India in terms of monthly active users, according to a report from App Annie Inc. On the content front, we are doubling down on Indian investment to curate a compelling content library encompassing original and licensed titles. We are touching a pool of consumers with a great passion for diverse entertainment, offering global originals like Narcos, Stranger Things, The Crown and mainstream, star-driven Indian films that have wide appeal (e.g. our Shah Rukh Khan titles or recent acquisitions of top ones like Dangal and Baahubali), said Jessica Lee, vice-president (communications), Netflix to Livemint.
On the other hand, Ramesh Bala, an observer of the south Indian film industry, tweeted about the deal saying that the movie will be available in 192 countries. His tweet read: “.@NetflixIndiaacquires the streaming rights @BaahubaliMovie for a whopping $4 Million [ 25.50 Crs] – Will be available in 192 countries..” ALSO READ: Netflix records more non-US subscribers for the first time, expects overseas biz to turn a profit
Apart from that, Shobu Yarlagadda, co-founder and CEO of Arka Mediaworks told Livemint that, Netflix is very bullish about the India market and is here for the long term. It is looking to acquire both licensed content and make originals but won t lap up everything. We are very happy and excited to partner with Netflix. Theatrically, its not possible to reach all markets, but with this deal Baahubali will reach 192 countries seamlessly, added Yarlagadda.
Baahubali 2 has collected Rs 1,700 crore gross at the worldwide box office and has earned over Rs 850 crore for its distributors. The period drama is slated to release in China in September. Owning the streaming rights for Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion could surely prove to be a turning point for Netflix in terms of viewership in India. ALSO READ: Disney to pull out content from Netflix by 2019; will launch its own streaming service
In other news, Netflix is all set to open its first office in India later this year in Mumbai. Apart from that, Neflix recently also announced that its service will now be available on the DTH platforms of Bharti Airtel and Videocon. It has also tied up with Vodafone India where the telco’s prepaid and post-paid subscribers will be able to pay for their Netflix subscriptions directly to the telecom operators.


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Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN - Free Report) has announced plans to open its first fulfillment center in Mississippi in order to meet growing demand for online shopping.
Since the last few years, the company has been spending heavily on its new fulfillment centers, which aid online retailers to store and ship products, and handle returns quickly. Reportedly, the new store will be close to the Memphis International Airport, which is the main shipping hub for FedEx.
Notably, the tech giant currently has 139 fulfillment centers in the United States. Fulfillment centers have now become a pre-requisite for providing the level of service that customers have started expecting from Amazon.
Shares of the company have gained 25.6% in the past year against the industry’s decline of 13.9%.
Inside the Headlines
The latest fulfillment center spans more than 554,000 square feet and will create 850 new full-time jobs. The center will primarily focus on consumer goods and will help in packing and shipping of garden products and toiletries.
Grants from Mississippi Development Authority, assistance for road improvement, property tax exemptions from Marshall County and aid from Tennessee Valley Authority have been instrumental in Amazon’s decision to open a center in Mississippi. Moreover, the company is expected to benefit from the region’s skilled workforce.
Amazon stated that it will pay $15 minimum hourly wage and provide healthcare along with other full-time benefits. In addition, the company will also offer programs like Career Choice to help employees pursue courses related to fields that are in demand. Moreover, the online giant will also provide other benefits like generous maternity and parental leaves.
Amazon.com, Inc. Price and Consensus


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USDA Announces Major Investment In Meat Processing Capacity, Meant to Stir Competition, Strengthen Supply Lines
By William Padmore, Host/Reporter Nebraska Public Media
July 9, 2021, 5:36 p.m. ·
The USDA has announced it will use $500 million of the nearly $2 trillion American Rescue Plan to expand meat processing capacity across the nation.
At a press conference in Council Bluffs, Iowa Friday, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said the funds are intended to increase competition in the processing industry and strengthen resilience in the food supply chain.
"What it's going to do is it's first and foremost going to create an opportunity, then to reverse what's happening today, out in the countryside, where producers are having to sell their cattle at a loss, only to learn the processors end up taking that cattle and generating a profit,” said Vilsack. “Seems to me, in fairness, the profit ought to go both ways.”
In addition to helping build new processing facilities, Vilsack says existing small and medium processors will receive $55 million in aid.
He adds the announcement is meant to dovetail with President Biden’s most recent Executive Order, which seeks to ignite competition in a slew of industries, including agriculture.
For more information, the full press release can be found HERE


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Apple releases iOS 16.3.1 with fixes for Crash Detection, iCloud, and more
13th February, 2023 at 3:48 pm by Divi
Image credit: Macworld
- Apple has released iOS 16.3.1 to the public today.
- The update includes much-needed fixes for Crash Detection, iCloud, Find My, and more.
- However, the update seems to break the Google Photos app.
Apple has released iOS 16.3.1, a minor update to its iOS 16 operating system that was first launched in September. The update includes multiple bug fixes, such as addressing issues with iCloud and Siri requests for Find My, and adding more optimizations for Crash Detection. The crash detection optimizations may help solve the problem of false positives that have impacted emergency services at ski resorts and amusement parks.
Image credit: 9to5mac
The update is available for iPhones and iPads capable of running iOS 16, which includes the iPhone 8 and newer, and can be downloaded by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Along with iOS 16.3.1, Apple is also releasing updates for HomePod, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, and macOS.
Here are Apple's full release notes for iOS 16.3.1:
- iCloud settings may be unresponsive or incorrectly display if apps are using iCloud
- Siri requests for Find My may not work
- Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models
Though the update includes vital security fixes, users of the Google Photos app are advised to hold off on updating to iOS 16.3.1 as it may break compatibility with the app and cause it to crash when opened.


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Google Search quality may be getting worse. Samsung partners with Google to embrace AI after its move to number the number 2 spot in the smartphone market. Sam Altman says that we might be uncomfortable with new AI developments, self-checkout may be on its way out. And it turns out that incognito mode doesn’t mean you can’t be tracked.
All this and more in this edition of Hashtag Trending.
I’m your host Jim Love, CIO of IT World Canada and Tech News Day in the US.
It’s not your imagination.
A recent study by German researchers has highlighted a significant issue with Google Search: it’s swamped with SEO spam.
The study, conducted by Leipzig University, Bauhaus-University Weimar, and the Center for Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, focused on 7,392 product review queries across Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo over a year.
The findings? A deluge of low-quality content, particularly in product searches, is burying useful information.
The researchers observed a constant battle between spam sites and search engines, with spam often winning the top spots in Google’s rankings. Despite efforts by search engines to remove spam, the impact is only temporary.
The study noted a downward trend in text quality across all three search engines, with AI-generated spam expected to exacerbate the problem. The researchers call for more attention to this dynamic adversarial spam, which produces mass low-quality commercial content.
And what about the ads masquerading as search results? Just asking…
Sources include: Mashable
Samsung aims to reclaim its position in the global smartphone market, having recently fallen behind Apple with a big bet on integrating AI into its phones and moving up in price.
Samsung and Google have entered a multi-year partnership, integrating Google Cloud’s generative AI into Samsung devices.
The Galaxy S24 series, including a base model, a “+” version, and the high-end Ultra model, showcases varying features like larger screens, multiple camera lenses, and for the Ultra, a titanium frame. Pricing starts at $799.99 for the base model, with the Ultra at $1,299.99.
The S24 series stands out with its AI capabilities, offering a mix of on-device and cloud-based features. These include advanced photo editing, live translation, and summarization tools.
The Samsung Google partnership will utilize Google’s Gemini Pro and Imagen 2 models, enhancing user experience with innovative features like screen-based search and access to Google’s top-tier Gemini Ultra AI model.
Samsung is placing its bet that AI can push them back to the number one spot they occupied for many years.
Sources include: Axios
Google is revising the warning for Chrome’s Incognito mode, clarifying that data collection by Google and other websites still occurs in this supposedly private browsing option.
This update aligns with Google’s move to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing it of privacy violations in Incognito mode.
The new warning, currently in Chrome Canary (a developer build), states, “You’ve gone Incognito… This won’t change how data is collected by websites you visit and the services they use, including Google.”
This change aims to educate users about the limitations of Incognito mode, which prevents data storage on devices but does not stop external tracking.
The update is significant as it addresses a common misconception about private browsing modes. While Incognito mode stops Chrome from saving browsing history, cookies, and form data, it explicitly mentions that downloads, bookmarks, and reading list items will be saved.
Yeah, I thought incognito meant…incognito. Silly me.
Sources include: Ars Technica
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said OpenAI’s next big model “will be able to do a lot, lot more” than the existing models can.”
Altman also said, AI is evolving much more rapidly than previous technologies that took Silicon Valley by storm. But he also conceded that the evolution and proliferation of OpenAI’s technology will require “uncomfortable” decisions.
What is uncomfortable? Altman said that while some ethical boundaries and norms, like extreme human rights violations are “out of bounds,… but he said, “there are probably other things that I don’t personally agree with, but a different culture might. … We have to be somewhat uncomfortable as a tool builder with some of the uses of our tools.”
Hands up if you understand what that means. He had me at uncomfortable.
Altman also highlighted the potential for AI to transform knowledge work and accelerate scientific discovery.
Reflecting on his brief ousting as CEO, Altman discussed internal debates over balancing growth with responsible technology use. He defended OpenAI’s content licensing deals and addressed the controversy with the New York Times over copyright infringement.
Sources include: Axios
The era of self-checkout kiosks in retail stores might be on the decline. Initially hailed as a futuristic solution, these kiosks have turned out to be more problematic than beneficial, both for consumers and retailers. Major retailers like Target and Walmart are scaling back or removing these systems. Target has limited self-checkout to ten items or less in some stores, while Walmart has removed them entirely from certain locations.
The primary issue with self-checkout is theft. It’s not only easier to steal from these machines, but shoppers often end up stealing unintentionally due to the complicated nature of the self-checkout process.
A Lending Tree survey found that one in five shoppers accidentally stole items during self-checkout, and one in seven did so intentionally.
Despite their high installation costs, self-checkout kiosks have not delivered the expected reduction in overall expenses.
While 60 per cent of consumers in 2021 preferred self-checkout, frustration and negative experiences are leading to a growing disenchantment with these systems.
Sources include: Gizmodo
Hashtag Trending goes to air 5 days a week with a special weekend interview show we call “the Weekend Edition.”
We love your comments. Send me a note at [email protected] or leave a comment at the bottom of the show notes posted on itworldcanada.com
I’m your host Jim Love. Have a Thrilling Thursday!


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If you run into trouble with a Windows Upgrade and think you need to fall back to your original OS, you might want to do it sooner rather than later. Microsoft has set a 30-day expiration timer on the ability to roll back your OS installation.
The largest aircraft ever built, Paul Allen’s Stratolaunch design, is moving into production and plans to take flight in 2016. If successful, it’ll be capable of launching larger payloads into space than any previous air launch vehicle.
Want a powerful tablet that can handle your heavy workload? Take a look at the 13.3-inch Yoga 2 from Lenovo. With a quad-core Intel CPU, 64GB of flash storage, and all-day battery life, this tablet is just the workhorse you need. And when you use today’s coupon code, you’ll save 42% off the sticker price.
Researchers at Stanford have recently developed new computational methods to make BMIs significantly more accurate. With their new incites on capturing the dynamics of networks neurons, they can almost achieve real time in some real important movements.
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