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Banking #3 "Brand Fishing" Target
Banking has overtaken retail as the No. 3 most likely industry target for hackers seeking to acquire and misuse customers’ personal information. These bad actors often pose as representatives of your financial institution in their attempts to get at your login information or account data.
Only technology and shipping companies are more susceptible to being targeted by phishing scammers, as reported by Check Point Research in its Brand Phishing Report for Q1 2021. (Check Point Research is the threat intelligence arm of Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions globally.)
Microsoft continued to be the brand most targeted by brand phishing, representing 39% of all global brand phishing attempts. International shipper DHL came in second, with 18% of such attempts. Rounding out the top 10 brands were: Google (9%), Roblox (6%), Amazon (5%), Wells Fargo (4%), Chase (2%), LinkedIn (2%), Apple (2%) and Dropbox (2%).
“Criminals increased their attempts in Q1 2021 to steal people’s personal data by impersonating leading brands, and our data clearly shows how they change their phishing tactics to increase their chances of success,” said Omer Dembinsky, Data Research Manager at Check Point Research, in a press release. “The change seen this past quarter was in the industry of banking.”
Read more here www.forbes.com
Synthetic identity fraud is reported to be the fastest-growing type of financial crime (Off-site) in the United States, accounting for billions in losses annually. Moreover, the use of multiple definitions for synthetic identity fraud throughout the industry poses a fundamental problem – inconsistent categorization and reporting, making it difficult to identify and mitigate this type of fraud.
To respond to this challenge, the Federal Reserve convened a cross-industry focus group of 12 fraud experts in the fall of 2020 to develop a recommended definition of synthetic identity fraud.
“A shared understanding of what constitutes synthetic identity fraud is expected to improve its detection, measurement and mitigation in the payments industry,” said Jim Cunha, senior vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. “Consistent use of this definition within and across organizations can enable us to discuss, identify and classify synthetic identity fraud in a similar manner.”
This spring, the focus group concluded their work with the recommendation that the following definition be used by the payments industry as it relates to synthetic identity fraud:
Synthetic identity fraud (SIF) is the use of a combination of personally identifiable information (PII) (Off-site) to fabricate a person or entity in order to commit a dishonest act for personal or financial gain.
To supplement the definition and further educate the industry, the group also outlined identity elements that may be used to create a synthetic identity, common uses of synthetics and the potential applications of the definition. Learn more about the focus group’s efforts and the development of this definition.
Microsoft Exchange Hack
What is Cryptocurrency?
Working in the banking world today, this is a question we get a lot.
The following article was written by Kate Ashford for Forbes, and can answer questions for our customers that may not have much exposure to cryptocurrency.
SolarWinds: What You Should Know
The following link will take you to a blog written by Steve Sanders.
CSI continues to monitor and access the situation.
COVID-19 Vaccine: Scammers Won't Be Far Behind
Reports about the release of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of the year are promising, but plans for distribution are still being worked out.
Here’s what we know right now: Two vaccine manufacturers (Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna) have submitted applications for Emergency Use Authorization to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA could complete its review of these applications by the third or fourth week of December 2020. Additional vaccine manufacturers are expected to apply for FDA authorization in 2021. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an independent group of experts convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has already recommended that health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities should receive the first available doses. As additional data is available, more vaccines are authorized by the FDA, and vaccine production increases, ACIP will continue to update its recommendations.
Once the FDA authorizes one or more vaccines from pharmaceutical manufacturers, vaccines will be distributed to federal- and state-approved locations. For most people living in the U.S., states and territories will make the final decisions on who will get the vaccines and when. States are also working on their own specific vaccination plans. You may want to check with your state for specific information regarding distribution plans in your state. More information on where and how to get a COVID-19 vaccine will be available once vaccines are authorized and/or being shipped out.
While we wait for a timeline and more information, there’s no doubt scammers will be scheming. Here’s what you need to know to avoid a vaccine-related scam:
- You likely will not need to pay anything out of pocket to get the vaccine during this public health emergency.
- You can’t pay to put your name on a list to get the vaccine.
- You can’t pay to get early access to the vaccine.
- No one from a vaccine distribution site or health care payer, like a private insurance company, will call you asking for your Social Security number or your credit card or bank account information to sign you up to get the vaccine.
- Beware of providers offering other products, treatments, or medicines to prevent the virus. Check with your health care provider before paying for or receiving any COVID-19-related treatment.
If you get a call, text, email — or even someone knocking on your door — claiming they can get you early access to the vaccine, STOP. That’s a scam. Don’t pay for a promise of vaccine access or share personal information. Instead, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or file a complaint with your state or territory attorney general through consumerresources.org, the consumer website of the National Association of Attorneys General.
Stay connected to stay informed. Subscribe to consumer alerts from the FTC. When you do, you’ll get updates delivered right to your email inbox. You may also want to check your state or territory attorney general’s website for consumer alerts and other helpful information.
Black Friday & Cyber Monday Cybersecurity Tips
The bad guys are at it again with holiday phishing scams, and this time from the comfort of your user's home. Because we are in the middle of a pandemic, retailers have already started online Black Friday deals that attract scammers.
Cyber Monday will also be bigger than ever before. That means you and your users need to be extra cautious when shopping online over the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend.
According to TechCrunch, estimates of ecommerce growth rates by 18% will continue to increase during the holiday season. The growth in e-commerce will result in an increase of online scams. Since the beginning of November, Checkpoint research showed the first half of November already showed an 80% increase in phishing campaigns relating to sales & shopping special offers.
It's Holiday Season for the bad guys too! But not the way you might think. They go into scam-overdrive mode. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the busiest online shopping days and the bad guys are planning to get rich with your money. So, here are this year's Top 10 Holiday Cybersecurity Alert Tips:
- Keep all devices up to date with basic security measures to lessen your chance of becoming the victim.
- Only connect to known Wi-Fi networks; beware of network names that have typos or extra characters.
- Use strong, unique passwords on all accounts. This is a good time to update passwords!
- Be safe on all social media; don't overshare and take the time to review your privacy settings on the platforms you use.
- Keep an eye on your bank accounts and monitor your credit report regularly.
- Be careful with messages regarding shipping changes. Always use official channels to stay updated.
- Watch out for holiday greeting cards that may not be the sender you think! Don't open these unless you're certain you can trust who they came from.
- Keep devices in view (or know where they are) throughout the course of all holiday travel.
- Pay close attention to the websites you visit and shop on. It's safest to only use those you trust.
- Be wary of ads, giveaways, and contests that seem too good to be true. These run rampant during the holiday season!
Letter from the President
November 9, 2020
The Indiana Department of Revenue (DOR) is warning residents of a tax scam as reported by the IRS. One can only assume we will be seeing the same thing as Illinois residents. This scam is sent through text message and is trying to trick individuals into providing personal information to receive a $1,200 Economic Impact Payment.
The scam text reads:
“You have received a direct deposit of $1,200 from COVID-19 TREA FUND. Further action is required to accept this payment into your account. Continue here to accept this payment…”.
The text includes a link to a fake web address.
The IRS has advised people who receive this text scam to take a screen shot of the text message and include the screen shot and email to email@example.com with the following information:
- Date/Time/Time zone that they received the text message
- The number that appeared on the Caller ID
- The number that received the text message.
More information regarding the scam can be found at irs.gov.
President & CEO
Listed are some topics and tips on Cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency
Link on how to shop smarter online this Holiday Season.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Link on Cybersecurity protection topics and tips.
Federal Trade Commission
Link to Small Business Cybersecurity tips and topics.
US Gov't Charges Six Members of GRU
The United State Government has formally charged six members of GRU, Russia's Military Intelligence Agency, for carrying out cyber attacks aimed at causing monetary losses and distabilization.
For more information, please click on the link below.
July 21st, 2020
July 21, 2020
WE ARE HERE TO HELP
THE FIRST BANK AND TRUST COMPANY OF MURPHYSBORO is working with federal and state banking agencies, as well as other financial institutions to consider all reasonable and prudent steps to assist customers affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19). In addition, the bank is monitoring information issued by international and U.S. health organizations. Regulatory agencies have encouraged financial institutions to work with customers impacted by the Coronavirus. Customers experiencing difficulties beyond their control should work directly with their financial institutions. Should you wish to discuss, please call us at 618.687.1711 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
BEWARE OF SCAMS
If you receive calls, emails, or other communications claiming to be from the FDIC or another federal agency, and offering COVID-19 related grants or payments in exchange for personal financial information, or a charge of any kind, please do not respond. These are scams. Additional guidance on how to report COVID-19 scams is available from the U.S. Department of Treasury website. You can also read the FDIC's Special Edition of FDIC Consumer News for COVID-19.
WHAT WE ARE DOING
· We encourage customers to use our mobile and online banking services, as well our ATMs and night depositories.
· We have instituted and enhanced preventative cleaning measures at branch and office locations to protect health of both customers and employees.
· We are providing personalized assistance to customers who have been financially impacted by coronavirus.
· We are Informing customers about COVID-19-related scams and encouraging them to vigilantly protect their personal information.
· We are participating in the Small Business Administration’s Payroll Protection Program and have obtained over $1,000,000 in such loans for our business customers.
· We are tailoring our already personized service even more for our customers who have been severely impacted.
· Some of our employees have preexisting breathing issues so, we encourage our customers and employees to maintain proper social distancing whenever possible and to wear masks when not possible.
Michael Cripps,President & CEO


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Wait! Another Food That May Be Good For You!
In our never ending quest to find food that is actually good for you ...
You might recall that, last week, we had a story about the health benefits of Chocolate...Now, we get to add coffee to the list! This comes as good news for those of us who drink several cups a day!
If you're a coffee lover, you'll be happy to read this....
According to a new study, which tracked nearly 113,000 adults over 20 years, women who drink three cups of coffee a day have a 20 percent lower risk of developing basal cell carcinoma — the most common skin cancer — than their non-coffee drinking counterparts. Male java-drinkers were nine percent less likely to develop the disease.
In general, the more coffee someone drinks, the less likely they are to get basal cell carcinoma.
The researchers aren’t sure why this is, but they believe it has to do with caffeine, since those in the study who drank decaffeinated coffee didn’t decrease their risk for basal cell carcinoma.
There are nearly one million new cases of basal cell carcinoma each year in the United States. It is rarely fatal, but often requires disfiguring treatment.

domain: news


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An increase of about 5.5% is expected for 2021, with a volume, however, is that it will stop at 1.9 million vehicles, the same level it reached in 2015-2016. To overcome the barrier of 2 million units instead, wait until 2022.
in Short, an apocalypse announced that it will hit heavily the rental, one of the leading sectors for the car market in Italy. According to Aniasa, the member association of Confindustria that represents the sector, the fall greater the will the short-term rental, ‘that on the average all over Italy are registering a decrease of 80%’, linked above all to the collapse of the flow of tourists and foreign workers in Italy. This situation ‘has led in the last weeks also a strong decrease in the demands of cars FREE NOW (ex mytaxi), which amounted to -are know by the company - around 60%’. The reflections of the crisis Covid-19 you start to see also in the long-term rental, ‘with a slow – accurate Aniasa - of the new orders and business customers, in the maturity of the contract, which prefer to extend the contract in being, rather than such contracts proposed a new one’.
And the wave of panic unleashed by the Coronavirus has not spared even the highly popular car-sharing, a symbol of the new mobility of the future. ‘Up to last Saturday – says Aniasa – it is assumed that a generalised slowdown in the business of 30%. But after the measures of extension of the red zone the whole of Italy the situation is further worsening’. It is true that a shared car, compared to public transport, has the advantage that it can be used individually, and then without being in proximity with other users, but the main problem lies in the hygiene of the surfaces of the cars. Share Now, for example, the service of car sharing Daimler and Bmw, in these last days he has communicated to customers that all vehicles, not only in Italy but also in other european markets, are regularly disinfected with specific products in addition to regular cleaning, in particular the steering wheel, the dashboard and the gear lever. There is, however, even those who do not limited to enable exceptional measures of sanitation, but has decided to change the service in the light of the new challenges launched by the Covid-19. Sharengo, car sharing, electric everything, has announced the launch shortly of a new mobility service ‘that will allow you to get around the city without running risks, and in total autonomy: a car disinfected with a disinfection gel on board, electric, for personal use and dedicated. The user – specifies the company – will no longer pay a per minute cost, as in the cars sharing that we know, but will sign a form of subscription monthly with the possibility to choose different options of time and rates available. The Sharengo dedicated to this service will have a livery that is recognizable and different from those in car-sharing’. Initially the experimentation will start on Florence and then spread to Rome and Milan. ‘It is our intention – says the general director of Sharengo Emiliano Niccolai – diversify and make more accessible to users mobility patterns that differ from the rental per minute typical of car-sharing here experienced, the Covid-19 is forcing us to rethink our way of life, work, and even move us to these new requirements, we want to give new answers.’
"The Republic will fight always in defense of the freedom of information, to its readers and to all those who have at heart the principles of democracy and civil coexistence"Carlo Verdelli SUBSCRIBERS TO REPUBLIC © Reproduction reserved Today on Shops and bars, closes. New close Count: “Effects between the two weeks” Cassa integrazione enlarged, but the Vat remain without protection Office in the house for five million, but many companies are unprepared for The normal lost Not far enough


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The biggest poultry processors in the United States face widespread allegations that they colluded to raise prices over the course of 10 years in the $30-billion broiler chicken market. In just three weeks, two grocery retailers and the country’s two biggest food distribution companies filed lawsuits against Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms, Pilgrim’s Pride, Koch Farms, Sanderson Farms, and others. (No paywall)
When it comes to transparency on the source of fruits and vegetables, "Only country of origin need be shared," writes Elizabeth Grossman in Mother Jones in an article prompted by her attempt to trace-back the Mexican-grown mango that she bought in a Portland, Ore, grocery store. Retailers are required under a 2009 law to display the country of origin of its produce. As Grossman learned, produce distributors regard the names of their growers and packers as confidential business information and there is no legal obligation to share them with the public.


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Since the initial release of Windows 11, users have been faced with relatively strict hardware requirements to install it, and since the release of this new operating system, Microsoft has been constantly trying to prevent Windows 11 from supporting old systems, in this regard, Microsoft has finally introduced a new feature. introduced last year and in this regard some users Report watermarks in the system It has been reported that the system requirements of Windows 11 are not met and the user has been warned in this regard.
According to reports and available information, some users have seen a system watermark in the lower right corner of the operating system, which warned them about not meeting the system requirements, and some claimed that the new feature encouraged users to use and return to Windows 10. Is.
Microsoft has been criticized for being strict about Windows 11’s lack of support for CPUs lower than 8th generation Intel Coffee Lake and AMD Zen+ and Zen 2, and the company wants to ensure that Windows 11 host systems benefit from TPM 2.0.
However, Microsoft has not prevented the installation of Windows 11 on old processors, even Intel’s sixth generation and sometimes lower, and last spring, the company confirmed the provision of a watermark feature to warn users about system requirements. Microsoft’s strictness regarding Windows 11 can be one of the reasons why users have not migrated to this new operating system quickly.
However, some analysis shows that Windows 11 is growing slowly, but Windows 10 is still the most popular operating system. Regardless of the system strictures regarding Windows 11, the Redmonds are constantly trying to make this operating system attractive to a wide variety of users, and Microsoft has recently updated the appearance of the task manager, file explorer and other programs with new updates.
- RGB light controller functionality test for PC peripherals in Windows 11 by Microsoft
- The possible release of a new version of Microsoft Office 365 with artificial intelligence support
- New File Explorer and Gallery are coming to Windows 11


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Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently asked students to advocate for khadi as a “fashion statement” at colleges and institutions. He said that students may host khadi fashion exhibits and promote traditional artisans’ wares at campus cultural events.
Enjoy this Independence Day in style! From bell bottoms to border sarees and back to sarees. But women are powerful and courageous this time. India’s fashion has changed significantly throughout the years, in large part because to Bollywood, whose characters helped to establish fashion and style.
Due to its rarity and exclusivity, the Jennifer Lopez and Hermès purse is regarded as the ultimate handbag. The purse is crafted from Niloticus crocodile leather and comes in incredibly small numbers. The clasp is diamond-studded.
As part of the promotional trip, Poonghuzali, aka Aishwarya Lekshmi, was also present, and the stunning woman enchanted everyone with her alluring ethnic appearance. The diva’s best ethnic ensembles are shown here.
Dr Aanchal Panth addressed these mistakes that people have generalized as quick tips and shared on Instagram to stay aware.
From pastel shararas to dark-toned lehengas, this article has got you all covered.
Some patterns are quite popular and stick along with people for a longer time while some vanish off within a brisk phase. Prints start off from floral to the dotty glamourous ones. There are some patterns like leopard, florals, plaid, stripes, and polka dots have remained the timeless classics since ages.
Kangana supplemented her look with a branded black Dior handbag. She kept her locks loose and completed her attire with black-colored boots.
Gone are the days when braids were supposed to be boring. Now the stylish braided hairstyles are much in trend…
Actress Deepika Padukone is not going to attend Paris Fashion Week this year. Considering the danger of coronavirus hovering around…


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In today's WH Insights episode, Davinia Cutajar, Partner WH Partners talks about some of the issues posed by biometric facial recognition in the payments industry.
WH Insights is a video series discussing key legal concepts, trending legal topics, news and legal updates.
This video is not and is not intended to constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. It is intended for general information purposes only.
Many of us are already using contactless payments, just tapping our cards over a processor or holding our phones close enough to one to pay for purchases.
Now, imagine a world where your face, which would be pre-scanned to a system, was all you needed to show to make a purchase... wouldn't that be nice when jogging or on the beach, so we wouldn't need to carry anything valuable with us and still be able to buy ourselves a drink?
This will only be possible once biometric facial recognition becomes mainstream.
Facial recognition technology is not considered intrusive, unlike the use of fingerprints, for instance, and of course, it is more hygienic; so it is no wonder that China has already embraced this technology, with millions of people already using the facial recognition payment system set up by a convenience store.
South Korea is testing the technology on access gates at some train stations, allowing passengers to pay for their train tickets using their face, without having to take off their face mask.
And Europe and the US are not immune to the allure of this new technology, which is being embraced by banks and restaurants.
So: does facial recognition technology pose privacy problems or security issues?
While personally, I am enthusiastic about this development in the payments industry, it is easy to see how this technology could pose privacy or security issues. It also causes issues with anti-money laundering laws because selfies are not considered sufficient proof of identity, and these technologies often depend on you scanning your face to a system by basically taking a selfie without the need of video identification, without the need for video identification, to set up your account.
At the same time, many feel that using your face to pay for your purchases is no different to paying with your phone or contactless card since ultimately, you are still using a wallet to make the magic happen behind the scenes.
What do you think about facial recognition technology?
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.


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The New York IPO of Chinese retail and social media hub Alibaba last week was the largest-ever flotation, raising $25bn (£15.3m). And so the law firms advising Alibaba also picked up a chunky reward, sharing out $15.8m in fees.
But one firm was curiously absent from that list. Despite acting on Alibaba’s much smaller Hong Kong listing in 2007 and its subsequent 2012 delisting, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer was not involved this time around.
Although the magic circle firm is currently in a flurry of Stateside expansion, hiring a number of top US partners, Alibaba’s move of listing venue from Hong Kong to New York meant it was looking for an adviser with more US clout. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett was the lucky firm, pocketing the lion’s share of legal fees for its work.
Maybe in the future Freshfields will have more chance on such transactions. After all, its hires have included partners from Wachtell Lipton and Skadden, Shearman & Sterling and Fried Frank – all within the last month. And as The Lawyer highlighted yesterday, the magic circle firm is understood to have flexed its lockstep to do so.
The silver lining for Freshfields is that back home it continues to pick up the big mandates. Just yesterday it was appointed by Tesco as the retailer scrutinises its profit overstatement.
Meanwhile back in Asia, Chinese firm Fangda Partners won the lead PRC role for Alibaba. Fangda is just one of the firms highlighted in our exclusive China Elite report on the development of the PRC legal market and its growing international presence. Download it now to find out all you need to know about the Chinese legal market.
Also on TheLawyer.com:
- Baker & McKenzie has appointed Gillian Coyle as its London HR director, bringing it closer to its diversity targets and handing it a 50 per cent female board]
- Linklaters’ Swedish office advised Microsoft and Mannheimer Swartling represented Mojang, the creators of hit game Minecraft, in the $2.5bn deal to buy the Swedish game company
- And in this week’s in-house interview, Pensions Regulator lawyer Marcus Laughton talks about the ‘toothless poodle’ jibes aimed at the watchdog


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SCAM: Twin Falls ID Shoppers At Risk Of Holiday Gift Card Con
Thieves seem to find new ways to victimize consumers every December that cost Americans millions of dollars. There's a scam involving gift cards that a national crime center is warning holiday shoppers to try to avoid at all costs.
I think we've all been scammed or fallen victim to someone's illegal scheme at least once in our lives. Whether you've had your identity stolen, a bank or credit card illegally used or given money to a fraudulent cause or entity, it all adds up to being scammed. The holiday season is the biggest time of year for financial thievery and online heists of personal funds.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations Internet Crime Complaint Center is warning American consumers about a number of different scams that are currently victimizing financial institutions across the United States. According to FBI data, the combination of credit card and non-payment and delivery crimes cost the country an average of $500 million a year, and December is a leading month for these types of shady swindlings.
December is also the biggest month for gift card purchasing in the U.S. A massive number of people give them as Christmas gifts, and thieves are easily accessing the information on these cards and using them for personal gain. It's known as the gift card peek scam.
Here's how it works. These criminals are going into stores across the country and writing down codes on the back of these cards, and then covering them back up with an easily accessible coating product. Whether the pre-paid card was in the amount of $50 or $200, the funds are being transferred to the criminal and leaving the gift card worthless for the recipient.
Monitor your money electronically often this month, and report anything suspicious immediately.


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- The goons were paid by Makini Auctioneers to deal with the struggling retailer
- The auctioneers received orders from the landlord of the house occupied by Uchumi
- The supermarket reportedly owed the landlord some KSh 12 million in rent arrears
- Just like Nakumatt, the cash-strapped Uchumi has seen several of its branches closed
Uchumi Supermarket branch along Moi Avenue in Mombasa has dramatically been shut down over unpaid rent arrears.
The supermarket was on Tuesday, April 24, raided by youth hired by Makini Auctioneers who took away trucks of goods of unspecified amount.
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TUKO.co.ke has established the cash-strapped retailer had failed to pay Zuberi Twaha, the landlord housing its Moi Avenue branch, KSh 12 million accrued over months.
The landlord then decided to hire auctioneers to raid the supermarket in desperate attempts to recover his money.
According to the Makini Auctioneers, the retailer had been served with a 14-day notice to exit the building but failed to comply, forcing the auctioneer to swing into action.
The supermarket's workers watched helplessly as the auctioneer loaded goods onto a truck that was reportedly destined to a warehouse where they will be kept until further notice.
Uchumi has been struggling with cash-flow issues over the past few years and has seen several of its branches across the country shut down.
TUKO.co.ke understands there have been deliberate efforts to revive Uchumi and take it back to profit-making but clearly those efforts are yet to pay off.
The retailer seems to be sailing in the same boat with the ex-giant Nakumatt that has since been reduced into a shadow of its old self.
The two supermarket chains once dominated the local retail industry. Not anymore.
Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through firstname.lastname@example.org or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.
Amazing Story of Kenya's Oldest Makanga - On Tuko TV


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STORES owned by the makers of the Tiny and Time computer brands were closed today amid claims that the firm has run into financial problems.
Granville Technology Group, Britain's largest computer manufacturer, closed all 78 of its outlets yesterday and all of the firm's directors have resigned, apart from its part-time chairman, according to reports.
Granville, which employs 1,100 workers and has a factory in Burnley, Lancashire, was formerly known as Time Group and three years ago acquired Tiny Computers out of administration.
There are more than two million Tiny personal computers and laptops in UK homes as well as thousands of Time computers in schools, colleges and universities.
Granville sells its products through 78 stores, called The Computer Shop, as well as through other outlets such as Tesco, Asda and Woolworths.
Today, the shutters were down at The Computer Shop stores.
A sign on the door of outlet in the Arndale Centre, Manchester, said: "We apologise for any inconvenience caused but this store will be closed today for a year-end stock- take."


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The investment and research firm “KuCoin Labs” launched a fund of $100 million to invest in metaverse projects. According to Johnny Lyu, CEO of the company, the KuCoin Metaverse Fund will be invested in GameFi and NFTs. The intention is to support projects that develop new use cases and introduce innovative technologies to make metaverse usage possible.
KuCoin Labs has announced a $50 million fund since April and is currently the sixth-largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume. According to the source, the capital would also be dragged by blockchain-based games, NFT projects, and other decentralized apps.
The metaverse space has just begun. Infrastructures and underlying technologies are still under development. This is the second step of KuCoin into the Metaverse following the launch of a virtual office on a Bloktopia-based Metaverse.
Neuralink – The Metaverse Interface:
The Metaverse Interface is not far different from reality but more convenient in terms of movement and access to services and information. Additionally, to promote the widespread global adoption of the Blockchain in emerging markets such as Africa and South America. We will approach the selection process extremely responsibly because projects will automatically receive the support and attention of our users after receiving the support of our foundation. You will not need a monitor, helmet or keyboard anymore because a device developed by Neuralink is implanted into the brain.
Some may be wary of using Kucoin’s network after a $280 million hack on its crypto exchange last year. Others have since returned the majority of the stolen funds. According to Yu, the newly launched fund should establish a more private and secure Metaverse ecosystem. Our concerns are that security and privacy are key obstacles to its future development, and we should address the problem by supporting the cause. Yu said, There are more than 50 projects. He further said that KuCoin would improve the blockchain space by extending the use cases of blockchain technology into metaverse projects. Additionally, money would be used to propel large-scale adoption of Blockchain more so, in nascent markets such as Asia and Africa.
Blockchain Technology Makes Metaverse Creation Possible:
He explained the application of blockchain technology in the metaverse projects. He stated that Blockchain is the underlying technology that makes Metaverse creation a reality. Blockchain technology will be used for all economics, security, rights, rules and laws.
As the next chapter of the Internet, the Metaverse is poised to change how we work, connect, shop, entertain, and travel. The latest news and insight regarding cryptography can be found in the inbox every evening. KuCoin displays a progressive and friendly approach to the Metaverse. Bloktopia’s native token, BLOK, and Metaverse-targeted, Blockchain hosted crypto firm supports gaming. KuCoin established a virtual office on the decentralized metaverse Bloktopia at the beginning of this month. Users would view virtual furnishings and videos from Metaverse.


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The Nissan Rogue is on track to finish 2017 as America’s top-selling SUV/crossover, potentially snatching the title away from the Honda CR-V that has led the segment for five years.
In the first six months of the year, Nissan has sold a total of 195,689 units of the Rogue, an 8,433 edge over the Honda CR-V and also enough to put the Rogue ahead of other rivals including the Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape, Ford Explorer, Chevrolet Equinox and Jeep Grand Cherokee.
In June, Nissan claims to have sold 34,349 Rogue vehicles in the U.S., a 17 per cent increase over June 2016 and comfortably more than the CR-V. Such a figure also represents the third month the Rogue has topped SUV and crossover sales in 2017.
A key reason why the Nissan Rogue enjoyed such a fruitful June is the fact that it is no longer doing battle with the CR-V alone. Instead, the 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport, America’s version of the Qashqai, joined it on the market six weeks ago and Nissan has clumped its sales figures together with those of the standard Rogue, rather than breaking down sales of the Rogue and Rogue Sport individually.


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Author: Michele Silva / Source: WKZO
The company behind several well-known hotels such as Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza is warning its customers of a data breach that may compromise credit card information.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), which has corporate offices in both Atlanta and Alpharetta, reports that certain franchisees operating locations in the Americas were alerted to fraudulent charges being made on cards that were previously used at their locations. The company said that it hired a cyber security firm to look into potential identity theft and found malware at some locations designed to steal information.
The company believes the malware searched for track data which…
Click here to read more


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The US Federal Trade Commission notes that Microsoft collected data from children under 13 who signed up for Xbox between 2015 and 2020.
The technology giant Microsoft will have to pay 20 million dollars to end a lawsuit by the United States consumer protection agency for collecting personal data from minors without parental consent.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported in a statement on Monday that it accuses Microsoft of having collected between 2015 and 2020 personal data from children under the age of 13 who registered on the Xbox console’s online gaming platform without informing their parents , and to keep them in their power for their own benefit.
To create an account, the console user must provide first and last name, email address, and date of birth.
Microsoft will have to pay
Microsoft “violated the law” of Children’s Online Privacy Protection (COPPA), stressed the FTC.
“The ruling we are proposing makes it easier for parents to protect the privacy of their children’s data on Xbox and limits the information Microsoft can collect and retain about children,” said Samuel Levine, director of the Office of Protection FTC Consumer Report, and quoted in the press release.
“This action should also make it very clear that children’s avatars, biometrics and health information are not exempt” from complying with the Children’s Privacy Act.
The decision must be approved by a federal court before it takes effect.
” Microsoft will need to take several steps to strengthen the privacy protections of children who use its Xbox system ,” the FTC said in its statement.
Under COPPA, online services and websites directed to children under the age of 13 must tell parents about the personal information they collect and obtain their consent.
A Microsoft spokesperson consulted said that Xbox “commits to comply with the decision” of the FTC and will develop a new identity and age validation system to offer appropriate experiences for the young segment


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2017 a Big Year for California Hotel Openings
By Danny King
California has shattered its record for hotel rooms opened during the first half of a year.
Developers opened 26 hotels totaling 4,730 rooms from January to June, a 53% increase for hotels and a 65% surge for rooms from a year earlier, according to hotel real estate broker Atlas Hospitality Group.
The previous record for new rooms was 2,502 with the 33 hotels that opened during the first half of 2008.
Four of the state’s five largest new hotels are in Los Angeles, including the 889-room InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown and the 350-room Hotel Indigo. The 317-room Pendry San Diego is the state’s third-largest new hotel.
Hotel developers have been looking to meet surging demand in Southern California. Last year, revenue per available room (RevPAR) in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area rose 11%, the fastest demand-growth rate out of the largest 25 U.S. hotel markets, according to data research firm STR.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles’ hotel supply was little-changed last year after inching up 0.5% in 2015.
As for the entire state, there were 18,271 rooms under construction as of June 30, up 6% from a year earlier.
The new InterContinental in downtown L.A. is the brand’s largest hotel in the Americas. The hotel occupies part of the new 73-story Wilshire Grand Center.


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HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- China Telecom Corp.
traded 1.1% higher in Hong Kong late Tuesday morning, shaking off earlier weakness on news the company will start to offer Apple Inc.'s
iPhone 4S to its China customer base from March 9, becoming mainland China's second telecom service provider to officially support the device. China Telecom said in a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that it will spend heavily on marketing the smartphone, which is likely to weigh on profits in the short term but enhance "its long-term sustainable growth and value creation." Shares of China Unicom Hong Kong Ltd.
which also offers the iPhone, rose 0.3%, while rival China Mobile Ltd.


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Net Gaming Europe AB has sold the concept, trademark and brand domain name for the award-winning poker tournament The Battle of Malta to Casino Malta Limited for €300,000.
Winston Churchill once called Malta an unsinkable aircraft carrier as the Germans and Italians flew 3,000+ air raids on the strategic military position during World War II. The historians amongst you may be thinking about this when I mention the words – Battle of Malta.
I think about poker.
The Battle of Malta (BOM) has grown in stature each year since its 2012 birth. The organisers, PokerListings, have done such a fantastic job, the only constant has been the price tag.
Those living on the more populous side of the Hogwarts Express understand that €550 is a lot of money to invest in a game of cards. For the wizards who call the poker table ‘home’, it’s one of the lowest price points, with life-changing money on the end of the line, in the whole of Europe.
Check this out for progress:
2012 : 349 entrants
2013: 888 entrants
2014: 1,447 entrants
2015: 1,804 entrants
2016: 1,813 entrants
2017: 2,074 entrants
Will the 2018 BOM continue this northward trend? It will be difficult. A new company is taking the reins.
Battle of Malta – Sold!
Ok, we know that PokerListings runs the BOM, and that PokerListings is an affiliate website containing a lot of interesting information and articles about poker. But did you know that PokerListings belongs to Highlight Media, who in turn belong to Net Gaming Europe AB?
I didn’t until, today.
Well, somewhere along this chain of command it was decided that running BOM was more trouble than it was worth, and so they sold the trademark, concept and domain name ‘Battle of Malta’ to Casino Malta Limited for €300,000.
“We are pleased with the sale. For Highlight Media, it is important to focus on our main business, which is operating high-quality comparison sites online,” said Erik Gjerde, CEO Highlight Media. “Highlight Media has successfully made Battle of Malta one of Europe’s largest poker tournaments in its segment, and we feel that another owner can take the event to the next level.”
As part of the pact, PokerListings remains as the primary marketer for the event allowing them to continue using BOM as a revenue generator and promoting the festival they’ve nurtured since birth.
Net Gaming revealed that BOM contributed ‘marginally‘ to their revenue and profit in 2017.
World class hosts such as Kara Scott, Maria Ho and Gaelle Garcia Diaz have taken charge of the event, which won a Global Poker Index (GPI) European Poker Award (EPA) in 2014.


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Internet sales rose in August, new figures out today show.
According to the latest British Retail Consortium (BRC)-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor, internet, mail order and phone sales rose by 17.8% last month, compared to August 2009.
Stephen Robertson, director general of the British Retail Consortium, said the figures confirmed online retailing’s leading position in the retail market. “This is a good figure.” He said. “A big improvement on the previous month and above the average for the last twelve months. But it’s compared with a very weak result last August, when internet sales growth slowed sharply.
“Even so, online growth continues to lead other forms of retailing. The rise of shopping habits such as researching and reserving at home then collecting in store, which blur the distinction between traditional and electronic retailing, are increasingly contributing to online retailing’s rapid growth.”
Total UK retail sales rose by 2.8% compared to last August, whie like-for-like sales showed a more modest 1.0% increase.
Clothing and footwear sales were stronger, as schools went back and autumn and winter ranges launched. Homewares were slightly ahead, though promotional deals were to thank for this. Food sales growth slowed slightly.
Robertson said: “The good news is sales are still growing but anxiety about job cuts and tax rises is putting people off making major spending commitments. Renewed weakeness in the housing market particularly affected the furniture and flooring sector.
“With the Government about to detail it cuts and a VAT rise in prospect, retailers will be hoping consumer confidence doesn’t slip over the next few months.”
Helen Dickinson, head of retail at KPMG, said: “Despite the recent improvement in consumer confidence, my view is that people remain worried about how they will personally be affected by the fiscal tightening measures. The impact on spending will become more apparent as we move into the higher volume autumn months.”


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Small rural businesses losing out because they don't have access to broadband are launching a campaign for government help.
The Country Land and Business Association is preparing to lobby the government for grants to connect rural areas that can’t currently access high speed internet.
Meanwhile according to Enterprise UK over 1.5 million businesses in the UK still do not have their own website
at a time when 17p in every pound is being spent online.
If you have a small business and would like to get on the web, why not create your own professional website with Mr. Site.
You can then showcase your products and services to potential customers around the world.


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Medical data and financial information for saleData brokers are paying big money to collect information about you. CNN reports that information such as the websites you visit, the medication you purchase, your health conditions and financial concerns may be sold to companies. Do you suffer from depression, herpes, bed-wetting or diabetes? Guess what, certain companies might know because they have purchased medical data and financial data lists.
The good news is that this there are federal laws to protect you from discrimination and insurance coverage and employment denials based on the information outlined above, but more and more legislators, as well as privacy advocates, have growing concerns about how this information could be used against consumers.
What businesses may want your information?
The uses for private data such as medical data are endless, and its not just the creepy crawler ads that follow you when you browse online. Now food manufacturers may purchase information about your dietary restrictions to sale a slew of products which are gluten-free or sugar free. And what if you have a health condition such as Alzheimers or depression? Just wait, pharmaceutical companies will find you.
Consumer advocates warn that although some of your medical data may be protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA; this will not apply to information you provide online, searches you make, or any other surveys you complete about your health. Only the medical data given to doctors, pharmacies and health plans is protected. Also, remember, any medical data which is not protected under HIPAA may be sold to data brokers and companies.
What is being done to protect your medical data?
Unfortunately not much has been done yet to protect your data, which means you will have to be proactive. Some companies claim they have ethical guidelines which dictate that consumers should be given clear notice if their medical data will be used by marketers. Others argue they have internal controls which only allow certain companies to purchase certain types of data. Critics continue to complain, however, arguing that consumers should have more information about how their data may be sold and the process should be transparent.
Americans use online tools to access medical data
One of the greatest concerns is the misuse of medical data. Right now experts estimate 60-80% of Americans have used the internet to access medical data; a percentage that rivals the portion of Americans who get health information from physicians.
Although the Federal Trade Commission recently recommended that Congress pass a law requiring companies to get express consent from consumers before their sensitive healthcare information can be shared or sold, there has been little progress made on this front.
What does this mean for you? It means many individuals who choose to gather information online have no idea how their privacy is invaded and how companies may use the information mined to market pharmaceuticals and health products to them based on information they thought was private.


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Additive Manufacturing - Gimmick to Game-Changer
In October 2012, Wired editor-in-chief Chris Anderson published his book, Makers: The New Industrial Revolution. In the book, he boldly predicted that 3D printers would follow the path of PCs and become a fixture in every home.
This would lead to a future in which everyone routinely printed out whatever they might need, from a collar for the family pet, to a replacement for a broken part on the washing machine, to tiny furniture for the children's dollhouse.
Beyond that, he predicted that everyday consumers would become product designers, uploading blueprints to websites where others would pay a small fee to download them.
Or as Anderson put it, "the collective potential of a million garage tinkerers and enthusiasts is about to be unleashed upon the economy, driving a new age of American manufacturing."
A few months after the book's publication, we warned you that only the second half of that quote would turn out to be true. While a majority bought into Anderson's vision of the "maker revolution," we spelled out the reasons that it was likely to fizzle out. However, Anderson was correct in imagining "a new age of American manufacturing."
It's just that most of the manufacturers won't be individual consumers toiling away in their garages, basements, and living rooms. Instead, there will be traditional manufacturers that are savvy enough to see the potential of the new technology, as well as innovative startups that will be built from the ground up as 3D manufacturers.
So where does this technology stand today? A good place to begin is with the "Gartner Hype Cycle," which plots new technologies against the predictable phases they go through. Consumers' adoption of 3D printer for home use is the application that is currently the farthest from becoming a reality.
According to industry blog ALL3DP (for "all about 3D printing"), That consumer 3D printing is far away, makes sense since the technology needs to become much faster [and more] reliable, and materials science needs to advance significantly.
By contrast, the 3D printing applications that are advancing the fastest are rapid prototyping, industrial 3D scanning, 3D modeling software for physical parts, and 3D printing of medical products, such as dental devices and hearing aids.
In fact, according to the Harvard Business Review, 3D printers now custom-produce most of the hearing aids in the U.S., car manufacturers are using them to make vehicle parts, and the FDA has approved 3D printing for the manufacturing of pills.
Meanwhile, according to USA Today, HP has just introduced what it calls the first 3D printer for large-scale manufacturing. Nine manufacturers are testing the HP Multi Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solution, which offers a ten-fold increase in speed over previous printers.
For example, Nike plans to use it for on-demand printing of athletic shoes in multiple designs, while BMW intends to print parts that will allow cars to be customized for individual buyers.
The printers aren't cheap: They start at $130,000, and the price increases to $155,000 when software is included.
3D printing is booming now because patents are expiring on industrial printing processes that until now had kept startups from entering the market. According to a recent TechCrunch post, "when the fused deposition modeling (FDM) printing process patent expired in 2009, prices for FDM printers dropped from over $10,000 to less than $1,000, and a new crop of consumer- friendly 3D printer manufacturers, like MakerBot and Ultimaker, paved the way for accessible 3D printing.
The next generation of additive manufacturing technologies are making their way down from the industrial market to desktops of consumers and retailers much like FDM did." One of those 3D printing technologies is called liquid-based printing, which is widely viewed as the premiere process for printing precision parts.
The liquid-based stereolithography (SLA) process points an ultraviolet laser at a vat of liquid resin in order to deposit thin layers until the product takes shape. Instead of using liquid, the selective laser sintering (SLS) process uses a powder in the printing process. The laser gradually builds up the product one layer at a time, with each new layer sintered on top of the previous one.
Direct metal laser sintering and selective laser melting both use metal as the material, instead of powder or liquid. The benefits are obvious, as products or components made of metal are sturdier than those made of resin, and these processes are being used to make parts for race cars and rockets.
Patents for each of these three types of processes have either recently expired or will expire this year, opening the floodgates for competitors to introduce printers at much lower costs.
Among the benefits of 3D printing are:
Virtually zero waste: Because products are made one layer at a time, rather than milled from a block of material, there are no scraps.
Innovation: 3D printing makes it possible to create products that didn't exist before, and it enables rapid prototyping of new designs.
Customization: Unlike mass production, 3D-printed products can be tailored to each individual.
Speed: Instead of taking weeks to set up an assembly line, 3D manufacturers can print a product in the same day the design is finalized on a computer.
Localization: Rather than printing products in one place and shipping them to another, 3D printing makes it possible to manufacture a product wherever it will be used, eliminating the costs and delays involved in distribution.Reduced inventory: Currently, American manufacturers, distributors, and retailers hold $1.7 trillion in inventory; because 30 percent of mass-produced products are never sold, much of this inventory goes to waste.
When products can be printed on demand, inventory can be sharply reduced. Clearly, 3D manufacturing offers the potential to disrupt existing industries and to open up new opportunities.
With that in mind, the Harvard Business Review recommends that executives address the threats and opportunities of 3D printing by answering the following questions:
What would be the cost/benefit of flattening your supply chain and moving production closer to your markets?
How could digital printing improve your innovation, product development, and speed to market?
How could digital printing and its promise of mass customization change your relationships with customers?
Are there entirely new lines of business that your company could only execute in a 3D world?
Are there operations you would shed?
How could 3D-printing upstarts exploit the benefits of speed, cost, and customization to compete against you?
How will you protect your IP from piracy or other loss of value?
Could your brand face quality erosion or other damage as your designs are distributed and modified in a shared economy model?
Looking ahead, we foresee the following developments emerging from this crucial trend:
First, the market for 3D printing at the enterprise level will explode, while consumer adoption of the technology will be more muted. According to a survey of 900 supply-chain managers by MHI and Deloitte, 14 percent of their companies currently use the technology, but nearly half expect to adopt the technology within the next decade.
Gartner projects world-wide sales of 3D printers will reach almost $4 billion next year; that's a 1,000 percent increase from $406 million in 2012. Terry Wohlers, president of market researcher Wohlers & Associates, predicts that the market will grow to $640 billion if it replaces just 5 percent of the goods that are mass-produced in today's $12.8 trillion manufacturing economy.
For most consumers, however, the costs of individual ownership are still too high, and the applications are still too few, to justify printing products at home.
Second, 3D printing will not replace large-scale manufacturing in the foreseeable future. Economies of scale of installed mass-production systems, such as those in Chinese factories, can churn out millions of identical products at a low cost that 3D printers can't match.
The benefit of 3D printing will be that it will allow companies to produce specialized parts in small quantities, as well as custom orders, that would be too expensive under a mass production model.
Third, companies that use 3D printing to manufacture products will face a tangle of tax issues. What happens when a company designs a product in one country, but the product is printed out by another company, or by a consumer, in another country?
Will countries tax blueprints, or the materials that are used to print out the designs? These and many other tax and customs issues will need to be sorted out.
Fourth, competition among 3D printing companies will intensify as new players, business models, and processes enter the field.
Today the market is led by Stratasys, which captured 41 percent of worldwide market share for industrial 3D printers priced over $5,000 last year, followed by 3D Systems, at 15 percent, and Envisiontec at 10 percent. Other notable companies are Mcor, at 6 percent, and EOS, at 3 percent.
But, as patents on old processes expire and new processes are invented, the competition is heating up. As discussed earlier, HP is moving aggressively into the market.
Among the other innovative 3D printing companies to watch, according to All3DP, are:
Formlabs, the first 3D printer company to bring stereolithographic printing to a mass market.
Shapeways, which dominates the market for business-to-consumer 3D printing of designs purchased online and printed to order.
3D Hubs, which enables consumers to purchase 3D printing services from other consumers.Carbon 3D, which is applying molecular science research to develop a printer that will potentially print up to one hundred times faster than today's 3D printers.


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Toyota used to rule the electric vehicle world but lost momentum. Now, it has launched a new electric vehicle in an effort to catch up.
The first time we heard about the BZ4X electric SUV was during the Shanghai Auto Show earlier this year, but as the release date approaches, Toyota has been making more details about the car public.
One of the most prominent features is the yoke, which replaces the steering. Despite its controversial nature, Toyota has borrowed a leaf from Tesla’s book here who put a yoke in its Model S refresh for this year. However, Toyota is willing to compromise, as it will sell a version with the steering wheel that millions of its customers are familiar with.
The yoke in the BZ4X is not mechanically connected to the wheels as Toyota uses software to translate the movement of the yoke to the front tires. Toyota claims this will help drivers make tighter turns without having to lose and regain grip. The yoke only turns 150 degrees.
Apart from ease of turning, the Japanese carmaker claims the yoke allows drivers to see the dashboard better, which is placed closer to the windshield in the upcoming electric car.
Inside the BZ4X, there is a center console which Toyota is augmenting with physical buttons. Some of the physical buttons can be found on the yoke or steering wheel.
In another rare move, Toyota added an optional solar roof that could net 1,800 km extra for the driver per year.
The battery powering the BZ4X has a capacity of 71.4 kWh, but the range you get out of it depends on the trim you select. The standard version gets 310 miles, while the all-wheel-drive version gets 286 miles on a single charge. These are WLTC estimates which are usually lower than EPA’s.
Toyota will start selling the BZ4X in Japan next year, but it has not released information on when US buyers will get it or whether they will get it at all. We will learn about pricing in the coming months.
The BZ4X is built on the e-TNGA platform, co-developed with Subaru, making its own electric vehicle based on the platform. Toyota has committed to releasing 15 electric models before 2025, all based on the same e-TNGA platform.
To support its electrification ambitions, Toyota has announced it will make an investment of $13.6 billion in battery production in the next ten years. It is also the most likely company to release a solid-state battery that promises longer ranges, shorter charging times, less weight, and enhanced safety.


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Reports this week state how Apple Inc. has filed as much as 215 trademark oppositions. These oppositions are towards logos and symbols that the company considers too similar to its own. Experts in the field believe that such a tactic is equivalent to bullying. Such an incident came forward with the experience of one Genevieve St. John.
St. John built a ‘sex-and-life’ coaching blog in the year 2019. The logo she designed for this venture was an apple which is neon green and pink in colour. Additionally, it looked like it was cut open to match the female genitalia. Following the application for the registration of the logo, she found her application challenged by none other than Apple. The attorneys of the tech giant wrote how her logo could “tarnish Apple’s reputation.”
St. John is a human resources professional in Arizona and was appalled at the filing. She found herself helpless for not having the resources to legal challenge the tech monster. Instead, she chose not to respond which worked conveniently in favour of the company.
“I wasn’t even making money off it,” Ms. St. John said of her blog, which she has put on hiatus. “But it’s Apple, and I’m not going to argue with them because I don’t have a million dollars.”
Similarly, Apple has often targeted organisations that are not even associated with the tech industry. In fact, they have even objected to trademarks of bodies that are of minuscule sizes. These trademarks have so far been towards the logos resembling other fruits like pears and oranges. These organisations receiving the oppositions found the challenges to be rather wrong. However, they were helpless due to the incapability to afford a legal fight against Apple. A law professor expressed his grievances towards the company’s actions. He considered this these tactics “unnecessary” for Apple to “protect the public from confusion.”
A spokesman from Apple specified how it is a legal requirement for them to protect its trademark. When coming across applications that potentially cause confusion, they first try to resolve the issues. He said “legal action” was “always” the last option they would be adopt.
Similarly, Apple placed objections in a filing opposing singer Stephanie Carlisi for her professional name ‘Frankie Pineapple.’ She was, on the other hand, able to fight the opposition for $10,000. Other recipients of such objections were New York City curry blog ‘Big Apple Curry,’ and Wisconsin’s ‘Appleton Area’ School District.


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Amazon drought suggests ‘grim future’ for region
A severe drought across the Amazon rainforest in 2010 has
devastated swathes of the two million square mile region.
New research published in Science reports on dry riverbeds,
millions of dead trees and an increased number of wildfires. The
sum-total of these environmental changes meant that instead of
absorbing carbon, as the 'lungs of the Earth' usually does, the
Amazon will emit over 8 billion tonnes of CO2 as a result of the
drought, more than China emitted in 2009.
The Daily Mail states, "Around 60,000 people went hungry as
water became contaminated and millions of fish died," while, "The
dry spell was also disastrous for trees, amphibians and other
wildlife." River levels were so low it caused more than 20
municipalities to declare a state
of emergency. In 2005, the Amazon suffered what was described
'once in a century' drought, however, the dry period in 2010
appears to have been more damaging. Although the research is still
at an initial stage, satellite
images here indicate the afflicted areas of the forest are
The Rio Negro river in 2010 (above), and 2008 (below). The
river reached a record low this year. via NASA
The Guardian reports, "the vast forest is on the verge of a
tipping point, where it will stop absorbing greenhouse gas
emissions and instead increase them." When alive, trees are able to
store CO2 and normally the Amazon would be expected to absorb
approximately 1.5 billion tonnes a year. But when trees die CO2 is
released back into the atmosphere. In cases of extreme drought such
as this one, millions of trees were killed and consequently around
8 billion tonnes of CO2 were emitted.
Researchers fear that if droughts like this continue to happen
in the future the Amazon will cease to be a valuable "carbon sink"
and instead become a formidable emitter of CO2. Such a change would
make it significantly harder for the world to reduce emissions and
mitigate climate change. But a definitive link between the two
recent droughts and long-term climate change has not been
Simon Lewis, the project's lead researcher, commented:
"One possibility is that this is just a
natural climatic variation and in the future we might not see any
more of these type of droughts. The alternative is it's associated
with high greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, it's
related to climate change and if that's the case then we will see
these droughts increasing in intensity and frequency into the
Lewis also remarks,
"Having two events of this magnitude in
such close succession is extremely unusual, but is unfortunately
consistent with those climate models that project a grim future for
Lewis and co-author Dan Nepstad previously intervened over a
Sunday Times story claiming the IPCC was making bogus claims about
the Amazon being sensitive to changes in rainfall - an incident
described by sceptic lobbyists and commentators as 'Amazongate'.
At the time Lewis stated that "the IPCC statement itself is poorly written,
and bizarrely referenced, but basically correct ... Indeed, some
leading models of future climate change impacts show a die-off of
more than 40% Amazon forests..."
Lewis complained to the Press Complaints Commission about the
article, which was subsequently retracted by the Sunday Times which
also published an apology.
Substantial changes to the Amazon caused by drought are
potentially irreversible and would have serious consequences for
the world's effort to reduce anthropogenic global warming. Further
research into the full effects of the 2010 drought is on going with
more results expected later this year.


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The All Pakistan Anjuman-i-Tajiran has rejected the government’s directives for the scheduled Eid holidays and countrywide lockdown from May 8 to May 17. The Union announced that they would keep the shops open till the Chand Raat (moon sighting night).
APAT General Secretary Naem Mir released a press release saying, “We reject this announcement as the small traders and shopkeepers are already in great trouble due to limited timings of markets (from 9 am to 6 pm) for five days a week. This is also causing a huge rush of shoppers in the markets, spreading virus fast.”
He urged the government to stop harassing the shop owners via activities like flag marches every day and the request to allow them to open their shops till late at night to avoid the rush of people caused by fewer working hours.
Mr. Naem Mir warned the government saying, “If you don’t do so, we will then keep our shops open on our own.”
On 1st May, the Patron in Chief of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), Mr. Gohar Ejaz also rejected the decision of the Government for the Eid ul Fitr holidays from 10th to 16th May 2021.
While expressing his concerns, Mr. Ejaz stated that this will bring the whole country practically shut down for 10 days from Saturday, 8th May to Monday 17th May 2021.
He said that shutting down the country for 10 consecutive days is unacceptable as it would create a lot of glitches for the economy, industries, particularly the exporters who will not be able to dispatch their shipments abroad due to the complete closure of banks, ports, customs, and all other departments during excessive holidays.
He also warned that we cannot afford such extended holidays as they will give losses of up to billions of rupees to the national exchequer and terribly affect business activities, particularly exports.


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The use of this tool raises questions for Uber simply because there is now a growing list of eyebrow-raising technological tactics the company has employed during its meteoric rise from Bay Area phenomenon to global powerhouse over the past nine years.
Bloomberg notes that Uber isn't the only company to remotely lock up computer systems when the police turn up, but most companies will unlock them after reviewing the warrants and ensuring everything is in order. It allowed a remote team to lock, shut off, and change passwords on devices the company feared would be targeted by investigators in foreign countries. The tool is christened "Ripley", inspired by the trigger-happy, flamethrower-wielding character from the Aliens movie franchise.
Ripley isn't the only program Uber used to thwart local authorities.
The authorities believed Uber had violated tax laws and obtained a warrant to collect evidence.
The investigation is focusing on an Uber program, internally known as 'Hell, ' that could track drivers working for rival service Lyft Inc, the WSJ said, citing people familiar with the investigation. One type of software the company devised and reportedly used from Spring 2015 to late 2016 was called Ripley, according to a report by Bloomberg.
H&M closes all its stores in South Africa after protests
That, however, did nothing to assuage the anger of the consumers here who have taken H&M to task before over perceived racism . Responding to a customer inquiry H&M South Africa said the offending product "was not available in South Africa".
Trump's Move to Slash Palestinian Cash: What It Means for Future Talks
Congress is close to passing the Taylor Force Act, which would cut off Palestinian aid money unless the practice is stopped. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley explained the tweets. "This strategy needs us to move on two tracks".
Kane, De Gea snubbed in 2017 UEFA Team of the Year
Madrid captain Sergio Ramos was the most voted player being selected by 588,315 users, some 73,7% of the total vote. Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard are the only two Premier League players named in the UEFA Team of the Year .
When we asked Uber for comment, a spokesperson replied with the company's official statement: "Like every company with offices around the world, we have security procedures in place to protect corporate and customer data".
'When it comes to government investigations, it's our policy to cooperate with all valid searches and requests for data. The tool ran a fake version of Uber that wouldn't actually let government authorities hail rides whenever they'd attempt to launch a sting operation.
The company said it removed all Greyball tags in Portland back in April 2015 and has not used them since. Following another raid in Paris the same week, Uber's then general counsel Salle Yoo instructed employees to install encryption software that logged off computers after 60 seconds of inactivity.
Uber said in an April 21 letter to the city that its own investigation indicated that Greyball was used "exceedingly sparingly" in Portland.
"For instance, if an employee loses their laptop, we have the ability to remotely log them out of Uber's systems to prevent someone else from accessing private user data through that laptop", the Uber spokeswoman said.


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Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC recently announced it would voluntarily test all of its cattle for Mad Cow Disease as a courtesy to its customers and to re-open foreign markets, especially Japan. But the USDA responded last week, saying it won't allow Creekstone to test all of its cattle. Bill Hawks, the USDA secretary for marketing, said the tests aren't necessary and "would have implied a consumer safety aspect that is not scientifically warranted." Creektone's chief executive officer, Jon Stewart, disagrees and is ready to take legal action against the USDA, saying the company has every right to test their cattle if that's what their domestic and foreign customers are demanding.
Enviroshop is maintained by dedicated NetSys Interactive Inc. owners & employees who generously contribute their time to maintenance & editing, web design, custom programming, & website hosting for Enviroshop.


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Fuel price to be slashed
Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera says the price of Octane 92 Petrol will be reduced by Rs. 40 per liter and the price of Auto Diesel by Rs.15 per liter with effect from 9.00 pm yesterday. (Oct.17)
Accordingly, the new price of Octane 92 petrol will be Rs. 370 per liter while Auto Diesel will be Rs. 415 per liter.
However, the prices of other petroleum products will remain the same, he said in a tweet.


text: LONDON, November 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Speaking to home improvement specialists Everest, respected property guru Sarah Beeny explains that current economic pressures are prompting homeowners to approach home improvements from an entirely new angle. Whereas previous developers would have purchased what Beeny described as "ramshackle old [properties]" as restoration projects, a struggling national economy has prompted a re-evaluation of this approach - as Beeny explained: "The trend now is in adding value. That's massive, and with so many families struggling against the credit crunch, with some even in negative equity, it really does make sense to stay put and add value." Home improvement better than relocation Considering the current state of the property industry, which has suffered from fluctuating house prices and an unstable rental market, it is hardly surprising that everyday consumers are making the most of what they've got instead of attempting to relocate. In a recent poll conducted by Everest, more than half of those interviewed (53.7%) said they'd rather add a conservatory to their home than move houses*. This is one of many additions homeowners can make to their properties in order to increase the amount of available space they have in their homes. It is also worth noting that it is a far cheaper alternative to a full-scale relocation. Spatial restrictions are naturally one of the biggest concerns for homeowners who are striving to achieve a balance between practicality and aesthetic design. Fitting a conservatory or expanding your property is an easy way to accomplish this aim and can be highly cost-effective -meeting two of the main focuses of home improvements as outlined by Beeny in the interview: "The greater truth is as long as you have the space in your house, you can do whatever you want with it.


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Detroit’s big three automakers are to shut down all factories due to fears over the coronavirus. This comes by way of the Associated Press citing a person close the matter. GM, Ford, and FCA are expected to the plans later today.
Over the last few days, the United Auto Workers had been pushing the auto makers to shut down its factory over concerns of worker safety. The UAW President Rory Gamble sent a letter calling on the auto makers to shutdown for two-weeks.
Ford and FCA said they intended to suspend operations at several Michigan-based plants. Early today, Honda announced it was pausing all operations at its 12 North American factories including transmission and engine plants in Ohio, Indiana, Alabama, Canada and Mexico.
Along with these factories owned by major automakers, third party suppliers will be affected as their parts will no longer be needed. It’s unclear how many workers will ultimately be affected by these closures.
More as we get it.


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Update [Fri 21st Jan, 2022 07:00 GMT]: Nintendo has released video footage of what players can expect in this upcoming Tetris 99 collab. It’ll kick off later this week on the 20th:
Original story [Fri 7th Jan, 2022 03:30 GMT]: To celebrate the arrival of Pokémon Legends: Arceus on Nintendo Switch later this month, Tetris 99 will be hosting a special themed event in the battle royale.
It’ll start on 20th January Players who earn 100 event points during this time will unlock a new theme which includes background art, music, and Tetrimino designs inspired by the latest Pokémon game.
The new Pokémon game will arrive just after this event on January 28th, and has players travel to the Hisui region – the Sinnoh of old – and build the region’s first Pokédex.
Will you be participating in this upcoming event? Comment down below.


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White-labelled StreamOne is piloting now and still on target for Q4. Because Tech Data owns the IP for it, this could result in other applications, like hardware as a service, at some point.
At the recent CompTIA ChannelCon event in Chicago, distributor Tech Data had no new announcements to make. They did, however, update the progress they are making on their recently announced cloud initiatives, and encouraged partners not working with them in the cloud to join the party.
“Our cloud subscription business is still a very small percentage of the overall business – 200 million in annual run rate in a 27 billion dollar company – but it is showing triple digit growth,” said Brian Davis, Senior VP of Product Marketing and Management at Tech Data.
The distributor’s big recent cloud news came last month at Microsoft’s WPC event, when they announced the expansion of their StreamOne provisioning and marketing engine for resellers and MSPs, as well as its availability later this year as a customized white-label offering.
“In the past, before the direct integration into the ERP system, you had to take a download from StreamOne to process it,” Davis said. “Being subscription-based speeds up the partner’s ability to close, and provisioning and billing is sped up as well.”
Davis said that while other distributors have similar services, Tech Data’s is distinct in one important way.
“We own the IP for this, which is unique relative to our competitors,” he said. “That may have long-term significance. Today StreamOne is for subscription based software. But it could also be used for, say, hardware as a service. There is nothing planned along those lines now, but there may be at some point.”
The white-labelling capability announced at WPC is piloting in both Canada and the U.S. this quarter, with a couple partners in Canada and a handful in the U.S. Q4 remains the target date for general availability.
“The white labelling capability is a pretty big deal,” Davis said. “It gives it an end use capability for the solution provider, and will lead to additional functionality, as well as additional partners using it. As the white labelling unfolds, partners will also provide feedback on what they see as well as features they would like.”
Davis said some partner investment may be necessary.
“It does require some effort because the reseller has to have their own billing engine to integrate StreamOne into, and some resellers don’t have this,” he said. “Manual billing just won’t work in a subscription environment.”
Other recent initiatives have also strengthened Tech Data’s cloud business. The company announced that John Tonnison, their CIO, is having his role expanded to lead the strategic direction, operations, and go-to-market execution of their worldwide cloud business.
“Tonneson reports directly to our CEO for the integration of cloud strategy on a global basis, which will strengthen it,” Davis said. “We recognize we have global customers and they expect consistent experience across the StreamOne platform.”
Davis said that while Tech Data’s SteamOne business is small today, they expect it to become significant as more organizations move to a hybrid environment.
“Hybrid doesn’t mean that you have Office 365, and everything else is in your data centre,” he said. “It means you have some public cloud and some private and some traditional things like ERP running on-prem, and the issue is how do you make them work as a seamless business tool. So it’s incumbent on Tech Data to provide both the tools and enablement to let resellers do that.”
To really benefit from StreamOne, Davis said resellers need to become well informed in three different areas.
“First, they have to learn about what the opportunities are, and how to run a subscription business,” he said. “Secondly they need to know how to transact, particularly the renewal process. Third, they need to know how to manage the seats properly on behalf of their users.”


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Hops & Pie
Denver, CO 80212
- Tuesday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday 11:30 am. to 11 p.m.; Saturday noon to 11 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- Vegetarian Friendly, Delivery, Takeout
- Lunch, Dinner
- Parking Lot Available, Street Parking
- Reservations Accepted
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Samsung has joined hands with Panasonic, SanDisk, Sony and Toshiba to develop a new content protection technology for flash memory and SD cards and other storage devices. The initiative known as Next Generation Secure Memory will license and promote security solution which will protect HD-capable content that can be used in tablets, smartphones, TV and Blu-ray devices.
In addition to protect HD content, the solution is also said to make use of unique identification technology for flash memory and copy protection based on public key infrastructure.
The first memory products that will take advantage of this security solution will be available in the market by next year.
Samsung believes that the time is ripe for an advanced security solution and welcomes the opportunity to deliver a highly viable solution using flash memory chips. Samsung’s ongoing commitment to technology excellence will now further extend to early market availability of high-performance NAND technologies implementing the new advanced security solution.


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The technology ecosystem in China is learning to innovate at a speed perhaps not understood in Silicon Valley, said Hugo Barra, vice president of international at Xiaomi.
That innovation arc is increasingly apparent not just in hardware, but software, he said.
Barra's comments came at the Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes in California.
The company is already a powerhouse in China, where it sells phones, TVs, wireless routers and other products directly to consumers via their website, Mi.com. The 5-year old company is already the fifth-largest smartphone maker in the world. It also sells one million of its Mi Band fitness bands a month, Barra said, making it possibly the most popular fitness band on Earth.
Xiaomi will launch a sales site in the U.S., on June 1, but phones will not be a part of that sales plan, yet.
The intensely competitive nature, and high expectations of customer service, of the U.S. smartphone market forces Xiaomi to take its time before jumping in, Barra said.
For now, Xiaomi will sell products to U.S. consumers that "don't require any kind of localization," like selfie sticks and fitness trackers. They plan to sell phones in the U.S. eventually.
"We've actually designed an amazing, beautiful powerstrip," he said.


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Coinsquare reportedly made an announcement in regards to forming a new deal. The company has announced that it will soon be acquiring CoinSmart.
Coinsquare to Acquire CoinSmart
On Thursday, Coinsquare made an official announcement through their website that they were soon going to acquire CoinSmart.
The firm revealed that it has already signed a deal, which would see it gets to acquire CoinSmart, which is considered to be its peer.
The company has announced that following the acquisition, it will be able to offer stock and cash services to its users as a combination.
The Cryptocurrency firms are Consolidating
Given the current downtrend of the cryptocurrency market resulting in a crypto winter, it is the best move made by any firm to consolidate themselves.
During the harsh times, the cryptocurrency exchanges and the trading platforms have been joining hands to help each other to survive the winter.
By joining forces, they are not only attempting to survive through the winter but also competing with globally recognized competitors in the same fields.
It is to be kept in mind that the deal between Coinsquare and CoinSmart is not one of its kind or unique. In the past, many companies have joined their hands to survive through the harsh times that the crypto-verse is facing.
At the beginning of 2022, Kevin O’Leary, a Canadian announced the merger between Coinberry and Bitbuy. The merger between the two firms was announced by WonderFi, which is backed by Kevin O’Leary.
Details of Coinsquare/CoinSmart Merger
The reports confirm that following the deal, the valuation of the company would rise to 30 million Canadian dollars. However, the over-the-counter and SmartPay businesses run by CoinSmart would eventually add another 20 million dollars to the entire deal.
The deal has specific terms added, which suggest that 3 million Canadian dollars will be given to CoinSmart in cash. Additionally, CoinSmart would also be getting its hands on the newly issued shares by Coinsquare.
To be precise, CoinSmart would acquire 5.2 million shares belonging to Coinsquare, which would translate to 26 million Canadian dollars.
The reason behind the Deal
Justin Hartzman, the CEO at CoinSmart talked about the significance of forming a deal with Coinsquare.
As per Hartzman, they have exceptional cryptocurrency talent and their product suite is quite amazing. They have built up a great user base that is among the largest in Canada for any crypto firm.
With their entities combined, they will be able to position themselves quite well in the Canadian market. However, they will have a vast reach in the cryptocurrency and other trading markets.
With the merger, both companies will have a combined user base of over 1 million, which would gain access to cryptocurrencies.


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Windows tablet: Is Microsoft readying an iPad killer?
Windows tablets could be among the devices unveiled by Microsoft at next month's Consumer Electronics Show.
Windows tablets – a “slew of them” – will be unveiled by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, according to an article today in the New York Times. Citing “people familiar with Microsoft’s plans,” the Times reports that several manufacturers have signed up to build Windows tablets, including Dell and Samsung.
Details are scare, although a source tells the Times that the Samsung device would be “similar in size and shape to the Apple iPad,” and include “a unique and slick keyboard that slides out from below for easy typing.” The tablet would “run the Windows 7 operating system when in landscape mode, but will also have a layered interface that will appear when the keyboard is hidden and the device is held in a portrait mode.”
In related – and equally intriguing – news, the Times says that Microsoft could use the new tablets to demo a version of Windows 8. For Microsoft, the stakes are high. Tablets have flooded store shelves in recent months, and Gartner has predicated that 54.8 million tablets will be purchased in 2011. The market is currently dominated by the Apple iPad, but Android-powered tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab have made impressive debuts.
Thus far, Microsoft has lagged behind Apple. A solid Windows tablet could do a lot to change that. Then again, Microsoft’s track record with mobile devices in recent years hasn’t exactly been stellar. Windows Phone 7 – the new mobile operating system from Microsoft – earned solid marks from reviewers, with one critic praising the “tight, cohesive” interface and the “most nuanced touch response this side of iOS4.”


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Semiconductor industry to recover this year
Mobile devices will drive semiconductor revenue this year after a rough 2012
IDG News Service - Increased sales of electronics and new forms of computing devices will drive the worldwide semiconductor market to growth this year after a slowdown in 2012, the nonprofit organization World Semiconductor Trade Statistics said on Monday.
Semiconductor revenue this year will grow by 4.5% compared to 2012, in which yearly revenue was $290 billion. Last year's revenue dropped by 3.2% compared to 2011, primarily due to a challenging global economy and a slowdown in the Chinese market.
Semiconductors provide the base for computing and are used in a range of products including PCs, smartphones, tablets, cars and medical devices. Semiconductor demand over the past few years has been closely tied to the supply and demand of products, with more product purchases helping semiconductor sales grow.
The Semiconductor Industry Association, which represents semiconductor companies in the U.S., also said the semiconductor market is poised to rebound next year. SIA in a study said the global semiconductor market revenue declined by 2.7% in 2012 compared to 2011, and also said that the market is poised to grow in 2013 as economies stabilize.
WSTS in November projected growth for all semiconductor segments in 2013 after a rough 2012. The only major growth market in 2012 was optoelectronics, which is tied to equipment around optics, and logic, which enables functions on a chip. WSTS projected that optoelectronics revenue would grow by 6.9% and logic would grow by 2.2%. Global revenue for semiconductor segments like analog and memory declined in 2012.
However, sub-segments within memory such as NAND flash did well as smartphone shipments grew at a fast clip in 2012, SIA said. SIA estimated NAND flash sales to be $25.4 billion in 2012, growing by 4.1% compared to 2011.
PCs are the main driver of semiconductor sales, and laptop and desktop shipments fell in 2012 for the first time in more than a decade. That was one reason for the slide in global semiconductor revenue in 2012, said Nathan Brookwood, principal analyst at Insight 64.
PC shipments dropped by 3.2% in 2012 compared to 2011, IDC said in early January. The PC market was hurt by the growth of alternate computing devices such as smartphones and tablets, which require less memory and fewer semiconductors.
Mobile devices will continue to drive semiconductor revenue growth this year, Brookwood said. A large number of smartphones use semiconductors like NAND flash and sensors for location and orientation.
Game consoles could also drive semiconductor sales, Brookwood said. Nintendo earlier this year launched the Wii U gaming console, and Sony is expected to ship a new gaming console later this year.
While WSTS and SIA have upbeat outlooks for semiconductor sales this year, the organizations cautioned that issues tied to the economy in U.S. and Europe could derail growth.
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NEW DELHI: Homegrown gig marketplace, Urban Company
that offers several home services, including installation, maintenance, beauty and wellness has raised $255 million in series F funding led by investors Prosus Ventures, Dragoneer and Wellington Management
with participation from existing investors, Vy Capital, Tiger Global and Steadview
The latest round, which has valued the company at over $2 billion includes a primary capital infusion of $188 million and a secondary sale of approximately $67 million by select angels and early investors.
“We have global ambitions,” Urban Company CEO and co-founder Abhiraj Singh Bhal told TOI. “Apart from that we plan to rapidly scale up by foraying into cities where we are currently not present.”
“Post bounce back, you scale up rapidly,” said Bhal. “If in August last year, we were at 100%, in March this year we were at 200% before seeing a dip in April. But now we are seeing a faster bounce back.”
In addition to scaling up, Urban Company will utilise the new investment towards innovation, training, product development, enhanced quality control and safety measures for both partners and consumers.
“Vaccinations are a big task for us. Our app
now shows what percentage of our front line service personnel are vaccinated in which city,” said Bhal.
Urban Company, formerly called Urban Clap, is one of the several startups to have entered the coveted unicorn club this year. The company has more than 35,000 service partners across 35 cities in India, the UAE, Singapore, Australia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.