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LAS VEGAS – NetApp welcomed more than 4,000 attendees to the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino this week to formally introduce its hyper-converged infrastructure based on SolidFire all-flash storage. That product news seems academic in the wake of the shooting tragedy that has engulfed this city and put a damper on the NetApp Insight user conference.
But in a bid to try and restore normalcy, NetApp today said the product unveiling will take place as scheduled at NetApp Insight. NetApp HCI will be the highlight of a series of product rollouts that include previews of an integrated NetApp-based NFS data services in the Microsoft Azure software stack and version 9.3 of NetApp Ontap.
CEO George Kurian said NetApp considered cancelling Insight following a mass shooting that occurred at an outdoor concert on Sunday. Police say 59 people were killed and nearly 530 others were injured. The concert site is across the street from Mandalay Bay.
Kurian said the decision to move forward on NetApp Insight came after consulting with law enforcement agencies, event and hotel security, and NetApp’s own on-site staff.
‘We felt this was best,’ Kurian says of NetApp Insight decision
“Given the range of considerations, we felt this was the best thing to do,” Kurian said in a keynote during Tuesday’s general session. “On Monday, we had 3,200 of our customers in attendance. Today, we now have 4,100 who still decided to come. We felt we owed to them to honor their decision to come to Insight.
“Pulling together as a community is one way to show the world that we intend to move forward. We want to move from grief to grace and light the first candle of hope in this valley of darkness.”
NetApp provided most of the details around its new HCI product in June, promising general availability in the fourth quarter of 2017. NetApp is late to the hyper-converged market and some have questioned whether the product is truly hyper-converged. Still, the vendor hopes to catch up in the market as it did after getting its all-flash FAS (AFF) arrays out the door later than its main competitors.
Infinidat picked up $95 million in funding today to help fuel an aggressive product expansion – including moves into secondary storage and a public cloud offering.
Goldman Sachs Private Capital Investing led the funding round, which brings Infinidat’s total funding to $325 million since its 2011 founding. The company also said the C Round haul gives it a $1.6 billion valuation.
The storage array startup founded by EMC Symetrix developer Moshe Yanai claims to have several profitable quarters behind it and 250% year-over-year revenue growth for the second quarter of 2017.
So why take funding money? Infinidat CTO Brian Carmody said the round will push Infinidat towards an initial public offering (IPO).
“When you’re doing well, you get approached by people who want to invest,” Carmody said. “The Goldman Sachs team made a compelling case to Moshe, and the sizeable investment on their part will help us get to an IPO faster. That’s the next big milestone for the company.”
TPG Growth, which led Infinidat’s previous round, also participated in the C funding round.
Carmody said the 500-plus-person company will look to expand its sales team, but it also has an interesting product roadmap. Infinidat claims its use of DRAM for reads and writes makes its hybrid arrays perform better than all-flash competitors, and now is going into other areas than primary on-premises data.
Over the next six months, Carmody said Infinidat will launch products to compete with backup targets such as Dell EMC Data Domain and other appliances that integrate software. Infinidat will also go after Amazon, Microsoft and Google with its Cloud Volumes public cloud play.
“Customers are looking for alternatives to Data Domain, Rubrik, and all that stuff,” Carmody said. “We really want to ramp up our game there with new products in secondary storage.
“The next piece of that is a move into the public cloud space. Lots of customers say they’re moving workloads into the public cloud for elasticity but storage options from Amazon, Azure and Google aren’t all that good.”
If Infinidat is profitable, that puts it in a better position to become a public company than other storage companies that completed IPOs in recent years. Carmody said an initial public offering is “inevitable” for a company the size of Infinidat but is not a high priority.
“That’s not a goal for us,” he said. “It imposes a burden. Now we’re in charge of our own destiny, we can move fast and be super agile. We know it’s the likely the next financial milestone, but we’ll hold off as long as possible.”
LAS VEGAS – This blog was supposed to tell our readers about the big developments surrounding Day 1 of the NetApp Insight user conference. Sadly, today’s subject matter touches on more sobering news.
On Sunday, as NetApp users, executives and media converged on Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino for the big event, a shooter with a high-powered assault weapon wrought havoc and put the frivolity of Las Vegas in a stark context. Perched from his room on the 32nd floor at Mandalay Bay, police here say 64-year-old Stephen Paddock indiscriminately rained a hail of bullets on neighboring concert-goers, killing nearly 60 people and wounding more than 500 others, including some critically.
Law enforcement officials have said they expect the number of fatalities to rise. Let us hope they are mistaken.
On the morning after, much of downtown Las Vegas remained on lockdown until mid-afternoon. The Strip that normally teems day and night with shoppers, fun-seekers and those combining business with pleasure is deserted. Major arteries are closed. Traffic is almost nonexistent. Shops remain shuttered. Those who escaped the carnage are still suffering, the frightful memory coaxing fresh tears from scores of meandering hotel guests.
The gambling capital of the world resembles a scene from the 1960s nuclear-horror flick, “On the Beach.”
Mandalay Bay has been the vendor’s preferred venue for NetApp Insight for a number of years. The 2017 event was to be the culmination of NetApp’s long, tortuous journey toward hyper-convergence. On Thursday, NetApp planned to take the main stage and take the wraps off NetApp HCI, the hyper-converged gear built with SolidFire all-flash storage. But no one here is thinking of such things now.
Yes, life indeed does go on. And sorrow has many manifestations, it seems. Even now, amid the gore and multiple crime-scene investigations, people sit meekly in the casinos, the arcades trilling incongruously against a police update being broadcast on local TV.
“I am shocked and saddened by the tragic event that occurred in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay last night. I am sure you all share these sentiments. My heart and the hearts of thousands of NetApp employees break for the loved ones of those affected by the terrible events,” NetApp CEO George Kurian said in a prepared statement.
In a separate announcement, planned NetApp Insight-related activities are expected to resume Tuesday, beginning with a general session at which the shooting tragedy almost certainly will headline discussion. SearchStorage.com remains at NetApp Insight and we will endeavor to update our readers as soon as we have news to bring.
From this viewpoint, NetApp would be better to postpone the event and give Las Vegas time to heal its grievous wounds. In contrast to this moment in time, data storage seems less than trivial.
Software-only hyper-converged vendor Maxta said it can enable customers to migrate virtual machines from VMware ESXi to Red Hat Virtualization, and run both hypervisors on Maxta hyper-converged systems.
Red Hat Virtualization is based on open-source KVM. Maxta executives said the goal is to provide an easy migration path for customers to move from ESXi to RHV. Maxta MxSP software runs on x86 servers, and is sold stand-alone or packaged on appliances by resellers.
Why would Maxta hyper-converged customers want to migrate VMs from VMware to RHV? Mostly to avoid paying costly VMware licenses. Why does Maxta want to move customers off VMware hypervisors, which is by far the most popular hypervisor? Because customers are asking to do that, Maxta CEO Yoram Novick says
“We heard from customers: support multiple hypervisors, and make it easy,” Novick said. “Customers say’ We may be VMware today but we may go to Red Hat in the future. We may even do both at the same time.’”
And why support Red Hat KVM and not the open-source versions on Maxta hyper-converged software?
Kiran Sreenivasamurthy, VP of product management, said Maxta’s customers want the support from Red Hat missing form open-source KVM versions.
“We believe Red Hat has the market share and the ecosystem to support this move,” Sreenivasamurthy said. “Why is VMware popular? It’s all about the ecosystem. You have tools for backing up and managing it. Red Hat has that similar kind of ecosystem. It’s easier to run on Red Hat than to support different [KVM] hypervisors.”
And what about Microsoft Hyper-V? That is often the second commercial hypervisor storage vendors support, after VMware.
Novicksaid Hyper-V support will likely follow, but there is more interest in RHV now.
“We know Hyper-V is out there, but the target market we’re going after is predominantly VMware and Red Hat KVM,” Novick said. “And we’re seeing an increasing interest in Red Hat. Certain workloads don’t make sense for VMware. But this is not about moving away from VMware. It’s about moving certain workloads to Red Hat.”
Sreenivasamurthy said the simple migration process works like this: customers select the VMs they want to move over, and Maxta hyper-converged software automatically exports VMs from VMware and imports them onto RHEV. Following the migration, the RHV VMs can be managed through the MaxtaMxInsight for KVM Management Console.
Maxta’s chief marketing officer Barry Phillips called the migration feature “the first step in supporting Red Hat,” which does have its own hyper-converged software. Phillips said the vendors will also discuss joint go-to-market programs.
Dell EMC today enhanced its Nutanix-powered XC hyper-converged platform by adding data protection features for Microsoft Windows Hyper-V.
The news, made during Microsoft Ignite, shows Dell EMC is keeping its commitment to maintain its partnerships with vendors Dell also competes against. Nutanix competes with other Dell EMC hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) appliances – mainly VxRail – and Hyper-V competes with Dell-owned VMware’s hypervisors.
The news also comes as IDC shows Dell EMC overtaking Nutanix for the hyper-converged market share lead. According to IDC’s Converged infrastructure systems tracker second-quarter figures released Tuesday, Dell EMC led with 29% of the $763.4 million HCI market compared to Nutanix’s 20.9% share. Dell EMC’s HCI revenue grew 149% year-over-year in the quarter, compared to overall HCI growth of 48.5%.
But the Dell EMC XC Series – which began as an OEM deal between Dell and Nutanix in 2014 – continues to sell well. Dan McConnell, Dell EMC VP of converged platforms, said the Dell EMC XC Series generated more than $100 million in revenue in the second quarter. Judging by IDC’s numbers, Dell EMC’s overall HCI revenue would be around $220 million.
“It’s a sizeable meaningful business that continues to grow at high rates,” McConnell said of the Dell EMC XC Series.
Dell EMC positions VxRail with VMware vSAN HCI software as the HCI appliance for VMware shops and Dell EMC XC as HCI for other hypervisors.
The new Dell EMC XC Data Protection Management Console integrates Dell EMC Avamar and Data Domain backup into the Nutanix Prism Management Console. That enables Avamar software to back up data from Hyper-V to Data Domain targets and tier data to Microsoft Azure and Dell EMC Virtustream public clouds. The Dell EMC XC management console launches as an application from inside Nutanix Prism.
McConnell said data protection policies can be set automatically and applied to any new virtual machines brought online. He said the console will eventually support the Nutanix AHV hypervisor following more development work between AHV and Avamar. But the first version due in the fourth quarter of 2017 only supports Hyper-V.
Also, the XC Series Azure Log Analytics Solution will integrate with Microsoft Operations Management Suite-based automation tools to enable trend analysis and proactively detect problems.
McConnell said Hyper-V customers make up from 10% to 30% of XC customers in any given quarter.
“As we look to take hyper-converged infrastructure more down market, we encounter the need to run on Hyper-V a lot more,” he said.
Virgin Group founder Richard Branson stepped away from his hurricane relief efforts last week to warn against climate change inaction at Veritas Vision 2017 in Las Vegas.
Branson said the recent trail of hurricanes shows global warming’s destructive powers are a present threat.
“I hope most of you in this room would agree knowing what you know about data and how to read data, the impacts of Harvey, Irma and Maria send us straight forward global messages,” he said. “This is the moment to make a full and unambiguous commitment to the Paris Agreement. Not a moment to retreat from it. If we fail to take action now, the price tag of inaction will be enormous. It’s already becoming enormous.”
During his Veritas Vision 2017-opening keynote, Branson emphasized how access to information is crucial when dealing the destructive forces of nature.
“Through this time of crisis, the importance of information has become very, very clear. As communication and information collapsed, we went from the 21st Century to the 19th Century in a matter of hours,” Branson said.
Branson spoke weeks after Hurricane Irma destroyed his home on Necker Island, which is part of the British Virgin Islands. The Category 5 hurricane featured winds that reached 185 mph and destroyed several Caribbean Islands before reaching Florida.
“When infrastructure fails, it makes communication almost impossible. Even the most basic coordination becomes difficult,” he said. “We saw that first-hand when organizing aid, transportation and fuel.”
Information, Branson said, is also under assault. In politics and in business, data and information needs to be correctly used. We are living in a time where more data is available to global communities in real-time. Veritas Vision 2017 speakers noted that 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are now produced daily.
“We tend to take our access to information for granted, yet we are not doing enough to protect it,” he said. “As is often quoted, around 90 percent of the data today has been created in the last two years alone. But there is reason to be wary, data information and fact are not interchangeable terms.”
Pointing to what he called unethical business practices and shady political decision-making processes, Branson told the Veritas Vision 2017 audience that the truth is often harder to find than ever before. So it’s up to us to confront this challenge as governments, as individuals and as businesses.
“It’s up to us to manage, to protect and to utilize the truth and information in order to make the world a better and much safer place,” he said. “There is another simpler lesson about the value of information. You cannot build a brand on abstract revenue targets. Brands are built on values. Brands are built on principles. They are built on beliefs.
“And brands are built on information and in depth understanding of the market, your competitors market and your customers. Having access to information at the right moment is a huge part of that. It allows entrepreneurs to know when to take risks and how to make decision. That is what disruption is all about.”
Branson has called for a Marshall Plan to rebuild Caribbean islands to better withstand hurricanes and also to more us away from fossil fuel dependency. He wants to build more energy efficient infrastructure and make better use of the Caribbean’s natural wind and solar resources.
“As an investor and entrepreneur, I don’t see any downside to that,” he said. “And as our corner of the world is subjected to nature’s fury, I can’t help but ask how much more disruption is needed to show that the way we treat our planet is having serious, serious consequences.
“Scientists have highlighted (the danger) carbon emissions and ocean surface temperatures,” Branson said. “When Irma struck, the Atlantic and Caribbean water reached temperatures of 86 degrees Fahrenheit in some places and as people and in Houston, Florida and across the BVI would agree and I suspect by this morning, Puerto Rico as well, the time to act is now.”
In just a few days, the door will shut—and your outstanding data storage product will be left standing out in the cold rather than in the running for a Storage magazine/SearchStorage.com Storage Products of the Year award!
If you rolled out a new or enhanced product in the past year, point your browser to our entry form where you can read about the judging criteria and even get some tips on how to fill out the form.
I’ve been involved with the Storage Products of the Year competition for 14 of its 16 years, and it is without any self-consciousness I can say that there are few—if any—accolades as prestigious as these awards. Just ask any one of the 238 gold, silver and bronze award winners to date. That’s some pretty heavy metal and a mark of honor for the vendors and products that have been singled out for innovation, performance, ease of integration, ease of use, functionality and value.
Make no mistake, the competition is tough and our panel of judges—an assembly of prominent storage analysts, consultants and editors—hold each product to the highest standards. That’s why winning is such a great honor, and why winning vendors proudly display their badges of honor.
Sixteen years is a long time for anything in the IT world, but year in and year out, the Storage magazine/SearchStorage.com Storage Products of the Year awards have continuously strived to recognize the storage products that stand out among their competition.
Some of the companies and product names that snagged awards 14 or 15 years ago may be memories now, the results of the mergers and acquisitions that help ensure that cutting-edge technologies can survive and thrive in the storage ecosystem. On the other hand, some companies and their products have established trails of excellence over the course of 15 Storage magazine Products of the Year competitions with repeat wins. And while names like McData or AppIQ may be distant memories today, other Products of the Year winners have managed the transition from upstart to established star. In 2002—our inaugural Products of the Year, Commvault won gold for it Galaxy 4.1 backup app—but then came back five more times to add more gold, silver and bronze medals to its haul.
But, as they say, you’ve got to be in it to win it. The deadline is looming, so don’t delay—fill out that entry form now!
Of all the EMC executives who left the company since the Dell acquisition, the departure of David Goulden will have the greatest impact on the Dell EMC storage business.
Dell dropped the news that Goulden will depart at the end of 2017 last Friday in a news release.
Long-time EMC CEO Joe Tucci stepped aside when the $60-billion merger completed a year ago, but Tucci was already headed towards retirement and Michael Dell absorbed the EMC CEO duties. Goulden served as CEO of the EMC division that included its core storage products, and he led the Dell EMC group after the merger. He gave the multi-billion dollar storage business continuity in the transition from EMC to Dell EMC.
Goulden has close ties to Tucci, going back to their days together at Wang Global in the 1990s. Goulden joined EMC in 2002, and held positions in sales, marketing a new business development as well as serving as CFO, president and finally CEO of the Information Infrastructure group. That made him instrumental in the transition period. The big question now is whether that transition period is over.
The move and the timing of Goulden’s departure should not be a big surprise. It’s common for top executives to stick around for a year or so after a big acquisition, and then move on. Goulden was a candidate to replace Tucci as EMC CEO before the Dell deal came about, and he likely will pursue a CEO post at another ccompany.
But what does this mean to the Dell EMC storage business? Goulden was among a group of key EMC executives that Dell kept on to run the enterprise group after the merger. Others included CMO Jeremy Burton, head of IT services Howard Elias and sales chief Bill Scannell. They all remain at Dell but none of them will replace Goulden. Jeff Clarke, who runs Dell’s Client Solutions (PCs) business, will take over the Dell EMC Infrastructure Group. That gives Clarke immense power inside of Dell and also puts the core Dell EMC storage business in the hands of an executive without a great deal of storage experience.
Friday’s press release quoted Michael Dell and Goulden saying the merger is going well and the time is right for a change.
“The transition of EMC into Dell EMC is complete and we’re executing in the market with great momentum,” was part of Goulden’s quote.
But is that the case? On Dell’s quarterly earnings call two weeks ago, Goulden and Dell CFO Tom Sweet talked a lot about how areas of the Dell EMC storage business need improvement. Goulden identified weakness in the midrange storage business and outlined “robust plans” to remedy sales.
Sweet added: “While the integration has gone relatively smoothly in many areas, we recognize that we still have work to do to drive profitability higher and improve velocity in our storage business.”
Dell is by far the overall networked storage revenue leader, according to market research firm IDC. In the 2017 second quarter figures IDC released last week, Dell had $1.5 billion in revenue – more than twice that of second-place NetApp. But Dell’s revenue declined a whopping 22.3% from the previous year while NetApp increased 16.7% and the total market slipped 5.4%. The combined market share of Dell and EMC fell from 34.6% in the second quarter of 2016 to 28.4% a year later.
Goulden blames some of the Dell EMC storage share declines on the change in the quarterly calendar after the transition from EMC to Dell, but it’s hard to attribute all of that 22.3% drop to the calendar. And his comments during the last earnings call shows other problems exist.
The good news for Dell EMC storage is it leads in all-flash market share, and that market grew 37.6% to $1.4 billion last quarter according to IDC. It is also making a strong push to become the leader in hyper-convergence with its VxRail appliances powered by Dell-owned VMware’s vSAN software. But with the latest change at the top of Dell EMC, who knows what the company’s storage portfolio will look like a year from now.
Cloud-based file service provider Nasuni last week closed on $38 million in funding to boost its expansion plans in research and development and its channel and go-to-market efforts.
The Goldman Sachs Growth Equity-led financing boosted Nasuni’s total to about $120 million since the company incorporated in 2009. The Nasuni cloud storage momentum should help the vendor become cash flow positive by the end of 2018 and profitable by the end of 2019, according to the company’s president Paul, Flanagan.
“We’ve got a great opportunity as enterprises are thinking about moving their unstructured data and taking advantage of not only cloud economics but cloud collaboration,” said Flanagan, who joined Boston-based Nasuni in April.
Flanagan has been a Nasuni board member and investor since 2009 through his work at Sigma Partners and Sigma Prime Ventures, and he helped to build and scale two Boston-area startups, VistaPrint and Storage Networks.
Nasuni cloud storage software ties to Amazon, Azure
Nasuni was an early cloud gateway startup with a virtual appliance designed to cache active data on premises and store less frequently accessed files in the object storage of public clouds such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. The Nasuni cloud-native UniFS global file system provides a single namespace to manage the unstructured data. The company also sells physical appliances bundled with its software.
Tom Rose, Nasuni’s chief marketing officer, estimated that customers now keep about 70% of their data in public clouds and 30% on premises in private clouds. He said the increase in private-cloud use reflects Nasuni’s growing partnerships with Dell EMC, with its Elastic Cloud Storage, and IBM, with its Cloud Object Storage (formerly Cleversafe).
The average annual contract for a Nasuni cloud storage software subscription is now $100,000, three times more than it was two years ago, according to Rose. He said customers tend to ask for 20% more capacity when they renew subscriptions, reflecting the increase in unstructured data as well as the use of Nasuni cloud storage for additional workloads.
Flanagan said Nasuni’s revenue has grown between 80% and 90% during each of the last four years. He said the company has about 350 customers ranging from the small- to mid-sized businesses that were the company’s original focus to large enterprises that deploy hundreds of terabytes to more than a petabyte.
“We give enterprises the ability to move all that unstructured data to the cloud and be able to get cost savings by not having to do backup anymore, business continuity. They don’t have to get additional providers for that,” said Flanagan. “And on top of that, we allow these enterprises to collaborate on that data around the world in ways they weren’t able to do previously.”
He said Nasuni’s primary competitors remain NetApp’s and Dell EMC’s Isilon traditional file storage, and the company only infrequently runs up against startups.
Latest Nasuni storage financing round
Flanagan said Nasuni’s Dec. 2016 $25 million financing round gave the company enough cash to operate through June 2018. The executive team didn’t expect to seek additional funds until later this year or the first quarter of 2018. But he said, in the ordinary course of “teeing up” investors for the future, Goldman Sachs’ David Campbell said, “Why wait?” Campbell formerly worked in Goldman Sachs’ IT organization managing storage infrastructure, according to Flanagan.
“Anytime you can get an investor like Goldman Sachs and particularly a guy like David Campbell, who understands what we do, on our board, it was a great move for us,” Flanagan said.
Flanagan said the money would allow Nasuni to explore additional opportunities to grow and expand, whether through aligned partnerships or business development deals with technology or cloud partners. He said the cash would also help to finance “a long funnel of projects” from an engineering standpoint.
Rose said customers can expect to see new capabilities for the Nasuni cloud storage portfolio, including support for more clouds. He said Nasuni moved this year into larger new headquarters in Boston for additional space to expand and grow.
The Toshiba memory business could be sold to a Bain Capital-led consortium that reportedly includes Apple, Dell Technologies and Seagate if the parties can strike a deal that passes legal muster over the objections of flash partner Western Digital.
Toshiba’s Board of Directors voted on Wednesday to sign a memorandum of understanding with Bain Capital after receiving a new proposal from the consortium. Toshiba claimed it would try to reach a definitive agreement with the Bain-led group by month’s end, but the company also noted the memorandum is non-binding, leaving the door open for other bidders.
Toshiba has been trying to sell its profitable memory business to cover enormous losses associated with its struggling U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric nuclear power division. Bids are reportedly in the range of $18 billion to $20 billion.
In addition to the Bain-led consortium and a Western Digital-backed group, Toshiba confirmed that a group led by Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd., also known as Foxconn, a Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer, has been in the running.
Toshiba said the Bain-led consortium includes the Innovation Networking Corp. of Japan and Development Bank of Japan. But the Wall Street Journal reported the group seeking to buy the Toshiba memory business also includes Apple, Dell, Seagate and Korean chipmaker SK Hynix.
The involvement of Dell and Seagate would throw two prominent storage vendors into the mix of companies seeking a share of Toshiba’s coveted memory business. Seagate is Western Digital’s main hard disk drive (HDD) competitor, but has lagged in sales of faster NAND flash memory-based solid-state drives (SSDs). Unlike some of the leading SSD manufacturers, Seagate has had no stake in a semiconductor fab that produces NAND flash chips. Seagate declined to comment on the Toshiba memory business.
Western Digital also bidding for Toshiba memory business
Western Digital, which became a joint venture partner in the Toshiba memory business through its 2016 acquisition of SanDisk, is also part of a consortium with a bid to acquire the Toshiba memory business.
Through a prepared statement, Western Digital expressed its disappointment that Toshiba signed the memorandum with the Bain-led consortium despite its “tireless efforts to reach a resolution that is in the best interests of all stakeholders.”
Western Digital claimed it has been “flexible” and “constructive” and submitted numerous proposals to address Toshiba’s concerns, and noted “multiple courts have ruled in favor of protecting SanDisk’s contractual rights.”
San Jose, California-based Western Digital has pursued legal action through the California court system, claiming the sale of the Toshiba memory business cannot take place without SanDisk’s consent. The company sought injunctive relief after Toshiba announced in June that the Bain-led group was the preferred bidder and it planned to strike an agreement by June 28.
Just prior to a July court hearing, Toshiba and Western Digital worked out an agreement that was approved by a San Francisco Superior Court judge. The court order requires Toshiba to publicly announce within 24 hours any agreement that “contemplates a closing” to sell its share of the flash memory joint ventures and give SanDisk two weeks’ written notice before any closing occurs.
In August, the court granted SanDisk’s request for a preliminary injunction to stop Toshiba from prohibiting SanDisk affiliates from accessing shared databases and refusing to ship certain engineering wafers and samples to ensure continuing operation of their NAND flash joint ventures. Toshiba is appealing the order.
Western Digital sought injunctive relief through the San Francisco Superior Court while its arbitration requests remain pending with the International Court of Arbitration, a Paris-based institution operated by the International Chamber of Commerce. The company is seeking to undo Toshiba’s April 1 transfer of its NAND flash memory joint venture interests to the Toshiba Memory Corp. subsidiary and prevent any subsequent sale without SanDisk’s consent.


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TransferWise has enabled a Google Pay feature for their debit cards
Due to the continuous client’s requests, TransferWise enables its debit cardholders to use Google Pay. It brings a lot of opportunities for users, either they make local purchases or global.
To start paying with their phone in on tap, a TransferWise user needs to open Google Pay wallet, take a picture of the card with the phone camera, or manually enter the card details.
The TransferWise activity list will show the transaction history, instantly notifying about payments. What is more, the service supports the latest security features, enabling a user to make payments using a face or a fingerprint. It means that a person can make cross-border purchases online and in-person without even touching their debit card.
For now, Google Pay is available for TransferWise customers living in Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, and the US.

domain: news


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Whole Foods after other retailers documents
Whole Foods has subpoenaed documents from 93 retailers in 29 markets -- including Fairfield County and Hartford -- as it fights a
Federal Trade Commission
suit that seeks to undo the grocer's acquisition of Wild Oats. That merger, according to Whole Foods, has been essentially completed.
Monday, the FTC asked a judge to halt the integration, but on a conference call with reporters Tuesday, a Whole Foods executive said the only remains of Wild Oats are in fewer than six stores. Those sites are waiting for local approval to put up new signs, said
"There is no more Wild Oats," Sud said.
Whole Foods' Web site lists five existing sites in Connecticut -- two in West Hartford and one each in Glastonbury, Greenwich and Westport -- plus one "coming soon" in Milford and stores in Darien, Fairfield and Stamford "in development." One of the West Hartford stores and the Westport site are former Wild Oats stores. The store slated for the Milford Marketplace has an expected grand opening of fall 2009, according to a December news release from developer CBL & Associates Properties Inc.
In one letter, Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey said the company's attorneys have agreed to a protective order that would keep all of the confidential information out of the hands of its employees. In a separate letter to FTC Chairman William E. Kovacic , which he hopes the other retailers will sign on to, Mackey is asking the regulator to agree to that order.
In a filing in the case late last year, New Seasons Market -- a seven-store chain that calls itself Whole Foods' top competitor in Portland, Ore., and which the FTC considers one of the two competitors left -- attempted to quash the subpoena. New Seasons' reasons included descriptions of the types of information Whole Foods is after, including documents discussing the effect of the Whole Foods/Wild Oats deal on the subpoena recipient, the company's responses to Whole Foods/Wild Oats pricing, product selection and promotions and the company's plans to change its stores to sell more organic or natural products.
The FTC, which has been fighting the deal since June 2007, did not return a call for comment Tuesday.
But on the conference call, Sud said the FTC alleges the merger will restrict competition in the 29 markets. The FTC, Sud said, alleges Whole Foods' competes directly with just two other companies, both small regional grocery chains, following the Wild Oats deal.
Sud, however, says the marketplace has "never been more competitive."
"We believe we compete with all supermarkets ...," he said.
Whole Foods would not identify the 93 retailers it subpoenaed -- saying it did not want to "embarrass" anyone -- and said some have sent the information while others have not. Mackey's letter is an effort to convince those who didn't to do so.
East Bridgewater, Mass.-based Supervalu, which owns Shaw's Supermarkets Inc., has complied with the subpoena, said Judy Chong , its director of communications and public relations. "Earlier, Supervalu also received and complied with a subpoena for information from the FTC," Chong said.
When asked whether Shaw's competes with Whole Foods, Chong said, "Supervalu is a grocery retailer, and I'll leave it at that."
Faith Weiner , a spokeswoman for Quincy, Mass.-based Stop & Shop Supermarkets, on Tuesday declined to answer when asked if her company had received a subpoena.
"We don't comment on FTC litigation," she said.
Andrew Kordas , vice president and general counsel of Norwalk-based Stew Leonard's, also declined to discuss the litigation.
"I can't even comment on whether or not we received a subpoena," Kordas said, although he did add that he's spoken with Whole Foods' lead attorney "a couple of times."
However, he does believe Stew Leonard's is not in competition with Whole Foods.
"They are more to the organic food line," Kordas said, and, unlike Stew Leonard's, don't have an on-site bakery. "We just handle different kinds of foods."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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LinkedIn is leaning into AI with a new tool to crowdsource users' expertise and amplify top creators
LinkedIn has recently debuted features embracing artificial intelligence, from its collaborative articles tool to 100 free AI-focused courses.
My Instagram and TikTok side hustle books up to $16,000 in monthly revenue. It's my third business and I finally learned how to find success.
After two failed attempts, Chase Coleman said in-depth research and finding a niche helped him build a successful side hustle on Instagram and TikTok.
OnlyFans makes me $750,000 a year. It's put me on the path to financial independence but it's a 24-hour job.
Monica Huldt, the adult content creator "Swedish Bella," makes most of her money from custom videos, but also coaches other creators on the platform.
I'm still making money from my viral 'Pizza Rat' video. It also got me my current job and may pay for my future home.
Matt Little initially took the video of a rat dragging a pizza in the subway for his friends. When it took off on Facebook, he decided to monetize it.
LinkedIn ghostwriters say demand has surged in recent months, and some have raised their prices by up to 40%
Demand for LinkedIn ghostwriting services has significantly increased this year, and ghostwriters are reaping the benefits.
9 ways to make your small business go viral on TikTok and increase sales, according to entrepreneurs who've booked thousands in revenue
One of the most popular social platforms for entrepreneurs is TikTok, which has more than 1 billion monthly users worldwide.
Read the 9-page pitch deck that music-marketing startup Ultimate Playlist used to raise $2 million
Ultimate Playlist is a new app that incentivizes users to listen to new music by entering them into a cash-prize sweepstakesu
14 Snap staffers who creators and influencer-industry insiders need to know
From Snap's talent development lead to product VP, here are 14 names to know at Snapchat if you're a creator, talent manager, or influencer marketer.
4 OnlyFans stars reveal how they have earned $1 million or more on the platform
OnlyFans can be a lucrative venture for many creators. Four models on the site share their strategy to earning their first $1 million on the platform.
A pro pitch deck designer explains 5 key strategies to help you raise money and promote new businesses
Leah Williams designs pitch decks for big-name clients and startups. The creator offers tips on how to make the most out of your own decks.
Leaked Revolve campaign briefs reveal what it's offering to pay influencers for sponsored content — and the requirements
Influencers and talent managers share real examples of Revolve's New York Fashion Week campaign briefs.
How a Snapchat creator who has worked with Disney and WB is on track to earn nearly $500,000 this year from AR lenses
Hart Woolery has created Snapchat AR lenses for high-profile clients including Warner Bros., Disney, Comic-Con, and the Dallas Mavericks.
A Roblox creator earns up to $90,000 a month selling virtual items like $0.94 stud earrings and $1.24 fur hoods. He explains how he turned his passion for video games into cash.
Samuel Jordan is a wildly popular fashion designer. But you might not know him unless you're on Roblox, where he goes by his Builder_Boy alias.
LinkedIn's global head of community and creators is leaving 15 months after joining the company
A LinkedIn spokesperson confirmed the departure of the platform's head of community management and creators, Andrei Santalo, who joined the company in May 2021 to spearhead its creator-focused efforts.
TikTok's Gen Z creators discuss why they signed the 'People Over Prime' pledge refusing to work with Amazon until it meets labor union demands
Gen Z for Change, a collective of TikTok creators, announced it is taking on Amazon's labor practices after a campaign against Starbucks.
I gained 3 million TikTok followers by talking about movies. Here's how I schedule my content so I can still work full-time.
Juju Green's "Straw Hat Goofy" TikTok account has 3.1 million followers. He tells Insider how he learned what works and what doesn't on the app.
LinkedIn is launching its second creator accelerator program. Here's how tech influencers can get a $12,000 grant.
The professional social network announced its second creator accelerator program aimed at tech- and innovation-focused creators, launching this fall.
Creator+ pulls back the curtain on its new app after raising $12 million to make feature-length movies with TikTok stars
As Creator+ readies the release of its debut feature next week starring TikToker Griffin Johnson, the company gave Insider a peak at its native app.
A creator payments startup is flying 12 influencers for free by private jet to Coachella as part of its marketing strategy
Willa, a payments platform for creators, is flying influencers for free to major events like Coachella.
The rise of LinkedIn ghostwriters, who can earn up to $700 an hour helping execs build personal brands and become influencers
LinkedIn influencers have ramped up the amount of content they produce for the platform, and some hire ghostwriters to help.


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Is Online Gambling Legal in the US?
Most EU countries now allow some form of online gambling. Some states have all games legal while others allow only certain types of gambling. In 2004, Antigua and Barbuda sued the United States and said it violated their laws by preventing its citizens from playing online. In the end, the World Trade Organization ruled in favor of Antigua and Barbuda and said the United States had violated its international trade agreements. However, the United State has refused to change its position on the issue.
While many websites claim to be safe, a good rule of thumb is to be careful. Any site with a dubious history may be malicious. It will try to infect your computer or lock it and demand money. It may also copy your information or record keystrokes. In addition, online gambling is a risky hobby that can cause damage to your computer. Be sure to read up on the risks involved before engaging in online gambling.
Although the US Supreme Court upheld the ban on Internet gambling in 2012, prosecutors cannot prove that online gambling sites “knowingly” transmit bets from U.S. residents. Further, if you don’t live in the US, you can’t track your location when gambling online. Therefore, if you’re a U.S. citizen, it’s best to avoid online gambling. The legality of online gambling in the US is very questionable.


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Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir (UT), India – Subharun Pal has been honoured with the esteemed Uttam Bharat Puraskar 2023, a prestigious award that recognizes his profound contributions to the fields of digital commerce and supply chain optimization. The accolade, granted by the Global Human Rights Trust, a distinguished organization certified by ISO 9001:2015 and recognized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, highlights Mr. Pal’s dedication to societal advancement and sustainable development.
Celebrated on October 4, 2023, the Uttam Bharat Puraskar 2023 is not just an award but a symbol of Mr. Pal’s innovative spirit and leadership. His expertise in navigating complex challenges in digital commerce has set new benchmarks of excellence and resilience. Mr. Pal’s forward-thinking approach in supply chain optimization has also been pivotal in fostering a culture that values innovation and strives for excellence.
The award ceremony was a testament to Mr. Pal’s significant impact on both national and international levels, underscoring the extensive influence of his work. As a visionary leader, Mr. Pal’s initiatives have made a lasting imprint on global societal progress, promoting innovative solutions that inspire future generations. His pioneering efforts have not only earned him this award but have also shone a light on the path towards a more innovative and sustainable world.
For further information about Subharun Pal’s outstanding achievements and his role in the progress of digital commerce and supply chain optimization, interested parties are invited to reach out to the awarding institutions.


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A Summer Holiday in Space
Back in 2012 it was announced that Virgin were on the verge of creating the first ever commercial flight into space. Understandably, the entire world seemed to be gripped by astronomical fever, as everything from childhood dreams to the future of planet Earth were debated.
Now it would seem that commercial space travel really is becoming a reality, as yesterday it was announced that musical icon Bob Geldof will be jetting off next year for the sum of £64,000 (or $100,000).
Mr Geldof is due to start training for his intergalactic odyssey very soon, which shows just how much commitment the journey entails. Other celebrities, who have also signed up to be launched 62 miles away from the Earth, include Model Doutzen Kroes and DJ Armin van Buuren.
Unfortunately, due to the high ticket price it would seem that space travel is still out of reach for the majority of us, however, why would you consider venturing away from planet Earth when there is still so much to explore?
Although viewing our planet from above would be amazing, it is something which will be available during our lifetime – so in the meantime, explore everything the planet has to offer and save up for your rocket ticket.
There are so many beautiful and amazing places to visit and things to see on this planet which may vanish during our lifetime, for example endangered species in their natural habitat, lush rainforests, and the Aurora Borealis.
Enjoy what the world has to offer, (before venturing to infinity and beyond!) with Holidaysafe.co.uk.
Please note, Holidaysafe's online prices automatically include a 15% discount against our Customer Service Centre prices.


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Rase Distribution has taken delivery of two curtainsided trailers in Lincoln Cathedral livery to promote the opening of the city’s Magna Carta visitor centre. Lincoln is one of only a handful of places in the world where you can find an original copy of the legal charter signed by King John in 1215, which formed the foundations of democracy as we know it today. The visitor centre was opened at the beginning of April to commemorate the 800th anniversary of […]
Carrier Transicold has hailed the future of refrigerated trailer technology with the launch of a fully autonomous, all-electric reefer trailer system.
Palletways member Rase Distribution has hardened its stance on pallet weights and is now refusing to deliver anything over 750kg in weight to residential addresses.
Brexit uncertainty and slowing sales have forced SDC Trailers to look at cutting “a number of jobs” at its plants in Mansfield and Toomebridge in Northern Ireland, the manufacturer revealed this week.


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FRAMINGHAM (04/18/2000) - There's a growing disconnect between American consumers and business on privacy and data protection. Consumers want Congress to step in and pass strong laws to protect information privacy, both online and off-line. A recent BusinessWeek/Harris poll found that 57 percent of Americans believe that "the government should pass laws now for how personal information can be collected and used on the Internet," while only 15 percent believe that voluntary privacy standards are the way to go.
Businesses, on the other hand, argue that the current voluntary standards are working quite well, thank you very much. What's more, say businesses, any regulation would be premature: We're still in the early days of the Internet boom, and any fiddling with the Net's magic formula of pervasive surveillance and unbridled personal data collection might irreparably harm the engine that has been creating so much of the country's new wealth.
But if information really is the oil of the 21st-century economy, then it's unlikely that privacy will remain unregulated for long. Regulation, after all, plays many important roles in our society. By setting rules for business, regulation increases consumer confidence while creating a level playing field for all businesses.
Consider the biggest online privacy gaffes since early last year: DoubleClick Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp. and RealNetworks were all caught off guard when details of their privacy-invading technologies and policies found their way onto the pages of Web sites, newspapers and magazines. The source of these companies' confusion was obvious: Nothing they were doing was illegal!
Nevertheless, DoubleClick's cookies, Amazon.com's Purchase Circles, Microsoft's registration wizard and RealNetwork's surveillance jukebox all generated public outcry and hostility. Why? Because there's a yawning gap between the privacy rights most Americans think they're entitled to and what they're actually afforded under U.S. law.
This is an unstable situation, one not only unfair to consumers, but also unsettling to business. Innovative services for the information economy will depend on the judicious use of personal information, but companies that develop these services risk being branded as "privacy pirates," even when those services pose no privacy risk to the public. Meanwhile, companies that aren't building massive data banks still suffer the consequences when the public's fear of online privacy violations throws a monkey wrench into the continued growth of e-commerce. According to the BusinessWeek/Harris poll, 63 percent of those who don't shop online say they're "very concerned" that their personal information would be misused if they did.
Instead of fighting privacy legislation, industry should take the lead in developing a workable set of privacy regulations and practices that can work both on and off the Internet. These practices should take into account both the European Union's directive on personal information and the 1980 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development privacy guidelines. After all, U.S. companies doing business in other countries already must follow local privacy laws based on these principles. The lack of defensible privacy legislation within the U.S. is fast becoming a stumbling block to international e-commerce, since many countries have laws that prohibit the transfer of personally identifiable information to laggard jurisdictions where privacy rights are not legally respected - like the U.S.
Like it or not, it's unreasonable to think that U.S. businesses will be able to stave off meaningful privacy regulation when the subject has such widespread appeal. The only question that's really open is: When will the regulation come?
Surprisingly, the answer is simple: the sooner, the better. Privacy protection will be a "must have" for worldwide e-commerce. The longer it takes for the U.S. to catch up, the further behind our companies will fall in privacy-protection practices and technologies. Likewise, the longer our companies spend harvesting ill-gotten gains from violating consumer privacy, the harder and costlier it will be for us to break that habit.


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INTERVIEW: The head of Formula 1’s digital unit identified 5G as a key technology in unlocking new experiences designed to bring fans closer to the action in the world’s premier motorsport.
“We’re always pushing the boundaries of what we can do and how we can engage fans at the track,” Pete Samara, director of Innovation and Digital Technology (pictured), explained. The group believes 5G will make a “big difference to connecting fans at the track, giving them a better experience”, with the promise of “high speed, high bandwidth” alone delivering a boost in connectivity.
Formula 1 already offers an app presenting data relating to specific drivers or the overall action, while an OTT platform launched in 2018 offers video content highlights.
The group also runs an e-sports series, enabling the public to “really feel like you’re the player, the driver” through a simulator. And it has a dedicated Chinese championship ready to roll this month, one of several features in the pipeline for fan experience.
But the executive noted delivering a digital fan experience is about more than just following technology trends. “I think the trick is to make sure you’re not chasing technology, it’s to make sure technology [is] helping you with a real business gain.”
Click here for more of Samara’s thoughts on the digital fan experience, along with details of Formula 1’s future plans.Subscribe to our daily newsletter Back


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The next-gen technology will have major impact on some of the key segments of the economy including agriculture. The increasing number of Agri-tech startups in the last 5 years is a testimony to fact that there has been great interest shown by investors in this sector.
Start-up scenario in India Agri-tech (2013 – 2017)
India has witnessed lot of interest from investors in Agri-tech startup’s covering IT & Analytics, IoT, and e-commerce sectors starting from the year 2016. Karnataka and Maharashtra together accounted for close to 50% of the total start-ups, with two-third of the overall funding received by Karnataka alone.
The Coming Age of Smart Technology: Few Initiatives
- Start-ups like Cropin use big data to generate and record farm data which helps to determine opportunities and key areas in farm management and deal with compliance and risk mitigation issues.
- Start-ups like Farmart and Crofarm are providing affordable technology solutions for efficient farming with prime focus on digital payments and on demand harvest market pricing.
To tackle the issues of climate change, FutureFarms has come up with IoT devices which will provide information regarding the farming ecosystem to monitor humidity, air temperature and aeroponics system for smart farming.
Agri-tech Offerings from Top Firms:
- MKrishi: This initiative by TCS offers personalized services to farmers on their mobile phones in local languages. It aims to enable farmers in remote areas to connect with key stakeholders and get quality inputs on market prices.
- Samriddhi: This initiative from Tech Mahindra aims to provide customized update to farming community through their information centers lead by subject matter specialist to help farmers identify and prioritize productivity related issues.
Government has set up a new generation innovation and entrepreneurship development centre to support start-ups with one-time financial assistance upto Rs 25 lakh along with incubation centers like Aspire to encourage and support entrepreneurship in rural and agri-based industry.
The Indian Agri-tech sector is moving towards a sustained growth trajectory. The introduction of digital technology will pave the way for new patterns in the agriculture sector. These Agri-tech startups are providing farmers with affordable, effective and eco-friendly services in the field of farm data analytics, supply chain and information platforms.
To know more, download our latest Agritech report Agritech in India – Maxing India Farm Output.pdf


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Fruitful first half for Fairwood Holdings
Upgrades and expansions have helped boost first-half revenue and profits for fast-food group Fairwood Holdings.
For the six months to the end of September the casual dining group’s revenue grew by 11.9 per cent to HK$1.4 billion (US$179 million). Profit attributable to equity shareholders rose 12.8 per cent to $117 million.
“Our Hong Kong restaurant business performed exceptionally well,” says Fairwood executive chairman Dennis Lo. As patronage continued to grow, the group opened nine more restaurants in Hong Kong “and will maintain this approach going forward”.
“Feel Good” dishes have been introduced to meet the needs of growing numbers of health-conscious customers. These include the Wholesome Delight series, low-calorie breakfast sets, Fairwood’s signature Ah Wood Curry with vegetables, the Tasty & Green series, and the No-MSG-Added series that now uses less oil for cooking.
Fairwood has also expanded its table-delivery service to non-dinner hours, specifically for dishes made to order, as well as for customers with special needs. It has also continued rolling out the “third generation’ of its orange-themed interior design concept.
It has also upgraded its central food-processing plant and increased automation for more efficiency in food preparation.
Apart from the core Fairwood brand, the group has also been actively developing its specialty restaurant business in Hong Kong. During the first half, the group opened three specialty restaurants, including its newest concept brand Taiwan Bowl. Targeting younger customers, the brand offers a contemporary take on Taiwanese cuisine in a casual setting. The group also plans to keep expanding its specialty restaurant network, building on the performance of its casual Japanese/Western brand ASAP.
Fairwood says its Mainland China outlets delivered 9 per cent growth for the period. It is continuing its strategy of focusing on residential areas in southern China, introducing the “Feel Good” movement, aligning menus with Hong Kong, and partnering with delivery platforms to expand its takeaway business.
At the end of September, the group had 141 stores in in Hong Kong – 130 fast-food outlets and 11 specialty restaurants – and nine on the mainland.


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Retail sector plays an important role in increasing the productivity of consumer goods and services throughout the world. In India retail sector has come forward as one of the most active and fast paced industries.
Indian retail sector stands 4th for being the most attractive nation for retail investment, among 30 flourishing markets according to A T Kearney, a US Based global management consulting firm. According to a study by Yes Bank – ASSOCHAM, Indian retail market expands at a compounded annual growth rate of 15 per cent.
The development in the retail sector is expected to increase further due to globalization, high economic growth, and improved lifestyle. The major factors that aid to the development are:
- Large working population
- Reasonable real estate prices
- Growing preference for branded products and higher aspirations
- Growing liberalization of the FDI policy in the past decade
- Increasing urbanization
- Rising affluence amid consumers
With changing shopping patterns and people leading a sophisticated and smart lifestyle, India’s retail sector has also seen a paradigm shift. To cater to ever increasing demand of retail spaces in Delhi NCR, Wave City Center introduces a new concept in retail, right next to the bustling Noida City Centre Metro Station, MetroMart. This retail destination is developed to cater to all your shopping and entertainment needs. This retail destination comes with hoards of benefits, from its location, parking, shops and much more.
- This retail destination will become a metro transit junction with proposed a Metro line within.
- MetroMart will invite a captive footfall of 1 crore commuters per year.
- Set in Sector 32, MetroMart is envisioned to become the next Connaught Place of NCR.
- MetroMart will have 670 special action air-conditioned shops.


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ETH 2.0 will help Ether outpace Bitcoin, Pantera Capital CEO predicts
Amid the looming Ethereum London hard fork, Pantera Capital CEO Dan Morehead predicted that the upcoming upgrade would likely help Ether (ETH) outpace Bitcoin (BTC) as the largest cryptocurrency.
Monero Unmoved after Ex-Maintainer Fluffypony Is Extradited on Fraud Wrap
The most popular privacy coin monero (XMR) appears to have been largely unaffected by the news of the extradition of its former lead maintainer Fluffypony – who will face fraud charges in South Africa.
OpenSea Becomes NFT Marketplace Leader With 90% Market Share
The peer-to-peer non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace, OpenSea has skyrocketed in just a month, from 90.5 percent ETH transfers in June to 96.3 percent in July. The company has seen an exceptional market share value of over 90 percent, placing it at the top of the NFT marketplace. Chinese journalist, Colin Wu reported the hike in stats on Twitter today.
Bitcoin Slumps Below $40k Again, Here’s What To Consider In The Coming Days
After climbing to $42,000 over the weekend, it appears like Bitcoin is losing pace once more. As of press time, the world’s largest cryptocurrency was down 3%! Bitcoin is currently selling at $38,591 with a market capitalization of $724 billion.
Tether Whales Move 374,000,000 in Crypto, Analyst Predicts Big Run on the Horizon
Crypto whales moved hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Tether (USDT) on and off exchanges over the weekend as Bitcoin soared to its highest prices in more than a month.
SEC Chief says he is intrigued by crypto, but can’t overlook investor protection
The Security and Exchange Commission in the US has maintained that it would work towards greater investor protection plans in the coming days. Gary Gensler during an interview with Bloomberg revealed that his deep interest in the subject won’t come in the way of necessary regulatory oversight. Gensler was expected to have a crypto-friendly approach because of his deep understanding of the subject, but his early testimonies and actions indicate that he would maintain a similar stance to his predecessor.
PayPal Is Expanding Crypto Team, Hiring 100+ Crypto Positions Globally
Payments behemoth PayPal is expanding their crypto personnel. The company is reportedly hiring over 100 crypto-related employees as consumer crypto demand continues to grow. Over the past week, PayPal has been in continued conversations around growing it’s crypto services.
Singapore grants first regulatory in-principle approval to crypto exchange
Independent Reserve, an Australian crypto exchange founded in 2013, has become the first cryptocurrency exchange in Singapore to receive an “in-principle approval” to operate as a fully regulated virtual asset service provider (VASP).
Indian Government Clarifies Status of Cryptocurrency Trading, Regulation, Investor Protection
India’s Ministry of Finance has answered some questions regarding the status of cryptocurrency trading in the country as well as crypto regulation and investor protection. The minister of state for the finance ministry has indicated that the recommendations in the draft bill proposed by the interministerial committee are still being considered.
Wells Fargo begins offering cryptocurrency to clients
The cryptocurrency industry keeps growing remarkably. In an outstanding development for the space, multinational financial services firm Wells Fargo has rolled out Bitcoin and other crypto services for its wealthy clients.


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FutureSPORT Reflections, Part 1: Can Ultra HD Withstand the Spotlight?
4K and Ultra HD took center stage at the Sports Video Group’s second-annual FutureSPORT Summit Wednesday.
There was discussion about the future of the second-screen experience (expect fans to demand more video, deeper stats, and more analysis), creating better HD (make sure your lighting is as great as it can be, improve those contrast levels, and never skimp on buying a quality camera/lens combo), and cloud-based workflows (invest in pipes capable of plenty of data, expect content creators at home to tap into all assets in the production truck, and design today’s trucks with IP in mind). But the main focus was the panel discussions on how 4K is impacting HD workflows today, what equipment providers are up to in terms of next-generation production gear, and how it will, eventually, become a consumer service alongside HD.
Little more than a month ago, the industry gathered in Las Vegas for the NAB trade show, and 4K was the big story for attendees pondering the future of broadcasting. Only three months earlier, CES heralded the launch of Ultra HD and all the consumer press hype that came with it. But the talk at NAB 2013 (and at CES, for that matter) raised plenty of questions: When will an end-to-end Ultra HD production workflow be available? What will it take to get Ultra HD into the home? And will Ultra HD become the next 3D?
Heading into FutureSPORT, it was clear that the event would be defined as a success only if it could shine a light on some of those questions and help attendees understand how, exactly, Ultra HD should be affecting their near-term and long-term plans. And, surprisingly, there was plenty of light shone, thanks to forthright panelists who understand that Ultra HD, much like HD, is going to take years to perfect.
Is Ultra HD the next 3D?
A consistent question across all the panel sessions, comparison with 3D was also the most important. Only four years ago, the big news at CES was 3D, with suppliers of top-level HD sets looking to fight off up-and-coming manufacturers — such as Vizio and Haier — of cheaper HD sets by embracing a 3D format that required refresh rates that such manufacturers were incapable of matching. A rush to market led to a number of missteps that have damaged the growth potential of 3D and rendered it a niche product awaiting the arrival of glasses-free technology.
3D also suffered for another reason: from the beginning, it was possible to deliver 3D signals to viewers at home. At first glance, that should have been a great thing; the problem was (and still is) that the amount of bandwidth dedicated to 3D programming reduces much of the resolution that the production team sees in the truck. Add to that the terrible marketing in consumer-electronics stores, confusing content carriage deals, and challenging and costly productions, and the 3D movement is in limbo.
But Ultra HD, it appears, will be different from 3D and, in fact, could be different from the HD transition, which itself was fraught with doubts and dismissive attitudes.
Why will it be different? Future Sport laid it out.
1. There is already a market for 4K equipment
4K-capable equipment is already being used as a production tool for HD football, baseball, and NASCAR coverage. Sports coverage has become, increasingly, about getting the perfect replay angle, and 4K makes the replay experience even better. It allows the replay operator to freeze a 4K image, zoom in, and extract an HD-quality close-up of, say, a foot touching a bag in baseball or a sideline in football. Replays, ultimately, are about giving the viewer more information about the game and more reasons to tune in. As an HD production tool, 4K shines and gives viewers even more reasons to tune in.
And, perhaps most important, its use as a production tool today means there is actually a business, albeit a small one, for manufacturers of 4K-capable gear.
2. Using 4K within HD productions gives the format visibility today
Although 4K broadcasts seem to be at least 18 months away, the use of 4K within HD broadcasts will give the new format something HD and 3D never had: an opportunity for those watching an HD sports event to see how much better 4K is than HD. One can imagine that the consistent use of 4K will not only give broadcasters ample opportunity to accustom viewers to the concept of Ultra HD but will also open up a marketing opportunity for Ultra HD set manufacturers. Imagine the 4K zoom applications’ being sponsored by Sony, Panasonic, or Samsung with related commercials airing directly after the replay. The HD transition and 3D never had such a one-two punch.
3. Those who see it today quickly see the benefits…
Discussions of the 4K screenings during the Final Four NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament focused on how some viewers watched a 20-minute 4K loop three times in a row. Another session mentioned how consumers simply ooh and aah when they experience 4K. So the interest is there today. The only question is whether the oohs and aahs will continue once consumers see the price tag.
4. …and it is easier to demonstrate than 3D or even HD
It’s easy to forget how lame HD demos in consumer-electronics stores were for the first eight years of HD broadcasts. Someone shopping for an HD set was lucky if the store received an over-the-air signal from the local PBS station, which was the only consistent 24/7 loop available. Blu-ray and HD-DVD were still years away, so the only other option was SD broadcasts (stretched) or SD-resolution DVDs. Buying an HD set was often a $4,000 gamble that, by the time the consumer got the set home and set up with an HD over-the-air, cable, or satellite receiver, the experience would be worth the investment.
And, when 3D came along, the requirement for glasses (if they weren’t stolen) to be mounted on a pole where they would be worn by person after person made for a demo that felt about as sanitary as licking an airline tray table. So people would often simply walk by the programming loop — even if the loop was more than just the 3D Blu-ray menu.
But 4K will be different. Sony already has its Ultra HD server, so content will be displayed from day one. And even HD content, upconverted, will exceed the current HD experience. From day one, the sales experience will be a great one.
5. Prices will continue to drop
And perhaps most important, set prices will continue to drop. Two sets that Sony introduced at NAB 2013 are priced below $7,000, a massive decrease from even three months ago. By the time Ultra HD broadcasts begin sometime next year, the price of an Ultra HD set will probably be as low as $3,500 and possibly $3,000.
These five factors seem to set Ultra HD up nicely to find success in the marketplace. But there are still plenty of hurdles to overcome. Next week, the second installment of this report will delve into what those are and how the industry will address them.


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ISME expects job losses as pay bills rise
Retail will not see the same boost in employment as other sectors of the economy this year because of the hike in the minimum wage, employers group ISME has warned.
Elsewhere, however, prospects for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are good and the sector could generate an additional 60,000 jobs, if costs are curtailed, ISME said.
Separately, the manufacturing sector is powering ahead on the back of record new order levels, though even its jobs growth is slowing.
The retail sector is among the country's main employers - accounting for about 15pc of the workforce or almost 275,000 people.
According to the results of employers' group ISME's Quarterly Business Trends Survey, owner managers in the retail sector expect to cut staff numbers in the year ahead by as much as 10pc, blaming last week's increase in the minimum wage by 50 cents an hour to €9.15.
Retailers have also slashed their expectations of profitability this year, from 20pc to 5pc.
That's in contrast to most broad sectors of the economy where owner-managers have generally positive expectations for the year ahead.
Business confidence has slipped slightly. According to the latest survey result, however, expectations for the future are up. That includes anticipated hiring - where the forecast for growth is the highest since 2007.
The head of the Small Firms Association (SFA), which also represents small business, said its members are overwhelmingly positive about the year ahead.
Over 65pc of respondents to an SFA survey indicated that they intend to recruit new staff over the coming year, up slightly since the last survey in June.
"Small firms already employ over half of the private sector workforce and almost two-thirds of our members will be hiring in 2016," SFA chief executive Patricia Callan said. "Small firms have a crucial role to play in job creation around the country, reducing unemployment, and attracting emigrants home to work. We expect small firms to create 30,000 jobs in 2016."
ISME's Mark Fielding said the latest results show the recovery is now reaching the SME sector, but warned that retailers are being squeezed.
"The future employment prospects in the Retail Sector, despite experiencing an increase in sales and employment in the final quarter, shows a drop of 13 points to minus-10pc as a result of the imminent imposition of a 6pc increase in the National Minimum Wage and the expected knock-on effect across the sector," he said.
Meanwhile, the manufacturing sector saw a strong finish to 2015 led by bouyant new order levels, according to Investec's monthly Purchasing Managers' Index.
Growth, which is translating into employment, albeit at a slowing pace, is being driven by the sustained weakness of the euro against sterling, according to managers.


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How The Pandemic Affected Retail & Delivery
In the present circumstances (due to the pandemic, of course) trends around the retail and delivery landscape has gone through massive changes across the globe.
Physical stores have shut down, there have been disruptions throughout the supply chain, and businesses are left to deal with this mess.
On the other hand, the pandemic has also brought a paradigm shift in the way of eCommerce around the world.
eCommerce retail sales have increased in the 1st quarter of 2021 following last year and don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
These trends have turned out to be so effective even in a restored normal version of the planet (if there ever was such a thing). Therefore, bus


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Facebook’s Game Developers Showcase proceeds with an interesting new collaboration.
With the worldwide break out of COVID-19 leading to the closure of Facebook’s annual F8 developer meeting, the firm is instead using potential participants a host of online alternatives, consisting of the Facebook: Game Developers Showcase.
The on the internet event kicked-off the other day with the reveal of a new global food selection layout for the Oculus Quest, enabling less complicated menu navigating while in-game. The brand-new update, which begins rolling out later on this month, also introduces multitasking capability, permitting individuals to open as well as control numerous home windows concurrently.
Today, Facebook continued its collection of news with the reveal of an amazing brand-new collaboration in between internationally-renowned rapper/music manufacturer Timbaland and Beat Saber which will see a handful of never-before-heard tracks making their


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More NJ breweries join Sierra Nevada in aiding California wildfire victims
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include four additional New Jersey breweries signed onto the project.
Giving Tuesday might be behind us, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to turn into a Grinch.
In fact, craft beer lovers will be asked to dig a little deeper and support a brewery-driven cause to aid victims of the devastating California wildfires.
As I write this, 15 New Jersey craft breweries — from Hoboken to Glassboro — have lined up to support those affected by the Camp Fire in Northern California through a challenge issued by Sierra Nevada. Garden State brewers join more than a thousand breweries across the nation to produce one IPA, Resilience Butte County Proud, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to Camp Fire victims.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, a well-known craft beer company, is based in Chico, California, west of the area hardest hit by the Camp Fire, the worst wildfire in the state’s history.
More:More than 1,200 breweries answer Sierra Nevada's call for Camp Fire relief beer
Founder Ken Grossman sent out a call during the disaster, asking fellow brewers to join Sierra Nevada in creating one beer. At least 1,200 breweries across the U.S. have heeded the call, and ingredients such as hops and malt needed to make the beer are also being donated so more money gets to those who need it.
The Sierra Nevada Camp Fire Relief Fund was established by Grossman with an initial $10,000 donation from the brewery.
Sierra Nevada has said it will release the more than 74,000 gallons of the West Coast-style IPA on Jan. 5, some of it in cans.
At least 88 people died in the Camp Fire, with hundreds more still missing, and some Sierra Nevada staff lost their homes.
"We know that the rebuilding process will take time, but we’re in this for the long haul," Grossman said in a letter quoted in USA Today. "Our hope is to get Resilience IPA in taprooms all over the country to create a solid start for our community’s future."
New Jersey breweries, from the largest to some of the smallest, have signed on:
- Zed’s Beer and Lower Forge Brewery in Burlington County
- Flying Fish Brewing Company in Camden County
- Ludlam Island Brewery in Cape May County
- Hoboken Brewing Company in Hudson County
- Eight & Sand Beer Company, Human Village Brewing Company, Death of the Fox Brewing Company and Bonesaw Brewing Company in Gloucester County
- Asbury Park Brewery in Monmouth County
- Icarus Brewing Company in Ocean County
902 Brewing Co62 Monitor St., Jersey City
King's Road Brewing Company, 127 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield
Bradley Brew Project, 714 Main St., Bradley Beach
Three 3's Brewing Company, 50 13th St., Hammonton
Heeding the call
For one of the state’s tiniest breweries, getting involved in the Resilience effort was a no-brainer, even though it will mean giving away a seventh of its profits for one brewing cycle.
“It’s right there in our name,’’ said Megan Myers, a co-founder of Pitman brewery Human Village. “If there is an opportunity to reach out and do what we love, and have an opportunity to have an impact, we are there. How could we turn down a chance to be a part of a nationwide effort for relief efforts?’’
Human Village will produce three barrels of Resilience, from one of its seven fermenters.
More:Bonesaw Brewing Company in Glassboro is cut out for big things
More:Death of the Fox takes two brews and a shot of history to make something special
More:Four craft breweries collaborate on Friendsgiving beer
Myers said her dad lives in California, where she has spent a lot of time. She stressed that participating breweries have signed certificates of accountability, verifying that they will hand over all proceeds from Resilience sales to the fund.
And beer lovers should try Resilience at more than one New Jersey brewery, Myers added, as each brewer's techniques will affect the final product even though ingredients are the same.
Human Village is awaiting the arrival of the IPA ingredients, and hopes to have Resilience on tap in the tasting room in about five weeks.
Nature’s wake-up call
Flying Fish Brewing Company in Somerdale, Camden County, didn’t hesitate to get involved in the Sierra Nevada challenge.
The largest craft brewery in New Jersey has a long history of brewing beer for good causes, says founder Gene Muller, most notably its 2013 Forever Unloved (FU) Sandy wheat pale ale, which benefited victims of the state’s catastrophic hurricane.
Muller was reached while visiting the U.S. National Arboretum outside Washington, D.C. Standing among so many natural wonders while talking about the project further highlighted the losses in California, he said.
“This is in our DNA,’’ he said, adding that in addition to FU Sandy, which raised $100,000 for hurricane victims, Flying Fish also used its brew house to help victims of Hurricane Harvey, to fight ALS and to help clean up the Atlantic Ocean, among other causes. “We’re always trying to give back. It’s the right thing to do. And in these corrosive times, it’s nice for folks to be able to help other folks.’’
Visitors can expect find Resilience in the Flying Fish taproom in Somerdale on Dec. 21.
In Sandy’s wake
For Jason Goldstein, owner and head brewer of Icarus Brewing Company in Lakewood, Ocean County, memories of what Hurricane Sandy wrought at the shore aren’t fading anytime soon.
“Having seen the total destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, we’re not strangers to how difficult it is to recover from disasters like Camp Fire, rebuilding from the point where your house, your neighborhood, and everything you’ve known are simply gone,’’ Goldstein said.
“There were discussions between our staff on how to help out and this seemed like the perfect pathway to use our power for the good of people who desperately need it. In the past, we have been involved in campaigns to support local police departments, fire departments, EMTs, teachers, medical charities and the ACLU’s voting rights initiatives, and it only felt right to help our West Coast in need.’’
Icarus plans to brew 10 barrels of Resilience on Sunday, Dec. 9, and expects to tap it in the tasting room for New Year’s weekend.
Fire with fire
Sean Galie, co-owner and brewer at Lower Forge in Medford, it isn't necessary to imagine what it's like to fight a forest fire. As a professional fire fighter, he has first hand experience.
And so Lower Forge not only stepped up to join the Resilience effort, but also went a step further by seeking out New Jersey ingredients in keeping with their efforts to remain sustainable and support local agriculture.
"We talked with Hillary at Rabbit Hill Farms down in Shiloh, and she volunteered to provide the malted grains for the batch when we told her our idea to make a full New Jersey batch." said Galie, who is now a lieutenant with the Princeton University PPL Fire Department.
Galie has experience fighting forest fires, most recently as part of Medford Township's component of the Burlington County Task Force that responded to the 2007 Warren Grove fire.
Small but determined
Another smaller brewery signing onto the project is Zed’s Beer/Bado Brewing, a nano-brewery in Marlton, Burlington County.
Geoff Bado, founder and head brewer, said he and his wife/partner Lori “jumped at the chance to participate.’’
“It feels good to be part of a nationwide collaboration to help people in need. It feels even better to know that we are creating a win-win opportunity for our customers, who will be helping the many people impacted by the Camp Fire in Northern California just by buying and enjoying this beer.’’
Zed’s has received the ingredients and plans to brew soon, releasing the beer in its taproom in mid-January. “We are brewing five barrels, which represents one-fifth of the total capacity here at Zed’s Beer,’’ Bado said.
Another brewer who needs no reminder about the havoc caused by natural disasters is Jeff Plate, owner of Asbury Park Brewery in Asbury Park, Monmouth County.
The fires in California hit home for one of the brewery’s own, Plate said. “We heard about the project through our network of brewers and friends in the industry. One of our assistant brewers, Cara Wilson, came to us from Northern California and still has strong ties to the region,’’ he explained.
“Also, being from the Jersey Shore, the memory of Sandy and the destruction that it brought is still very fresh in our minds,’’ Plate added. “I know how slow the insurance money and FEMA relief can be, so this seemed like a perfect opportunity for us to do something to help. People have been affected by this natural disaster and need help. Some may never be reimbursed for their losses and those that will be may have to wait months, maybe years.’’
Asbury Park Brewery has begun brewing 15 barrels of the IPA and plans to tap it on Saturday, Dec. 15.
Plate stressed that Sierra Nevada’s project might be the biggest example of something that is inherent in the close-knit brewing universe. “The beer community, locally and nationally, has always come together to help when needed,’’ he said.
“Whether it’s big beer canning potable water for affected areas or local breweries hosting fundraisers, beer makers and beer lovers show up. So, who wouldn't want to drink a world-class craft beer while making a difference to someone in need?’’
Mike Snider of USA Today contributed to this report.
Where to find Resilience Butte County Proud IPA
Asbury Park Brewery: 810 Sewall Ave., Asbury Park. Visit https://www.asburyparkbrewery.com/
Bonesaw Brewing Company: 570 Mullica Hill Rd, Glassboro. https://bonesawbrewing.com/index.html
Death of the Fox Brewing Company: 119 Berkley Road, Clarksboro. Visit https://www.deathofthefoxbrewing.com/
Eight & Sand Beer Company: 1003 N. Evergreen Ave., Woodbury. Visit https://www.eightandsandbeer.com/
Flying Fish Brewing Company: 900 Kennedy Blvd, Somerdale. Visit https://www.flyingfish.com/
Icarus Brewing Company: 1790 Swarthmore Ave., Lakewood. Visit http://www.icarusbrewing.com/
Lower Forge Brewery: 14 S. Main St., Medford. Visit https://www.lowerforge.com/
Ludlam Island Brewery: 9 Stoney Court, Ocean View. Visit http://www.ludlamisland.com/
Hoboken Brewing Company: 66 Harrison St., Hoboken. Visit https://www.hobokenbrewing.beer/
Human Village Brewing Company: 148 S. Broadway, Pitman. Visit https://www.humanvillagebrewingco.com/
Zed’s Beer: https: 19 N. Maple Ave., Marlton. Visit https//:www.drinkzeds.com
For an up-to-date list of all participating breweries, visit Sierra Nevada at:


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Many of child car safety seats contain hazardous and toxic chemicals including flame retardants and heavy metal allergens, a study reveals.
Researchers of a nonprofit environmental organization investigated more than 150 children's car seats on US markets. Their findings showed that more than 60 percent of those seats contained "chemicals of concern" such as bromine-containing flame retardants, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), lead, and heavy metal allergens.
Previous studies have suggested that brominated flame retardants can permanently affect brain development and increase infertility risk. PVC has also been classified by the US Environmental Protection Administration as a known human carcinogen.
The new investigation showed that brominated flame retardants were present in 44 percent of the examined car seats, said researchers of a project of the Michigan-based non-profit Ecology Center.
This is the fourth time that the group has tested car seats, and despite the alarming levels of traced toxic chemicals, the latest results show improvements.
In 2009, 63 percent of the car seats contained brominated flame retardants. The average ranking of car safety seats has improved by 64 percent since 2009, noted the report that suggested a lot more has to be done to prevent exposure to these chemicals and not just reducing the levels.
"The important things for folks to understand, in terms of exposure, is we have this wide range of consumer products that are going to have these chemicals in them," ," said Jeff Gearhart, the research director for healthystuff.org.
"It's important for folks to use common sense," he said. "We think these findings are important and raise cause for concern. But we want folks to realize you need to take practical steps where you can, and you can't eliminate all of these hazards in one fell swoop."
However, the researchers warned that concerns about the chemicals should not lead parents to stop using safely seats for carrying their children.
"Car seats are a safety device," Gearhart warned. "Parents should use a car seat regardless of what our tests show. None of the results of our findings mean you shouldn't have a car seat, even if that car seat is the poorest one we tested."
The researchers have expressed hope that their findings might lead to more industry changes, whether the industry changes on its own, or because of consumer demand.


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The Australian government is investing almost $1.2 billion AUD (£670 million) in its digital future as part of its strategy to transform the country into a modern and leading digital economy by 2030.
The investment, through its Digital Economy Strategy, includes over $100 million to support digital skills, including a pilot programme for work-based digital cadetships that allow workers to build digital skills, investments in the cyber workforce, and scholarships for emerging technology graduates.
The government is also launching a National Artificial Intelligence Centre through a $124.1 million investment, which will be supported by a network of AI and Digital Capability Centres to drive adoption of AI across the economy.
“This transformation is not merely a national one that needs to happen – it’s a global one that is happening,” said prime minister Scott Morrison. “We must keep our foot on the digital accelerator to secure our economic recovery from COVID-19.”
It also plans to overhaul myGov, a portal citizens can use to access online government services, with a $200 million investment. On top of this, there's a $301.8 million investment into My Health Record, the government’s digital health record system, with a planned expansion of its digital identity system.
The government is also looking to set the standards for the next generation of data management, with a $111.3 million investment to accelerate the rollout of the Consumer Data Right in banking, energy, and telecommunications.
$35.7 million will be spent to support emerging aviation technologies like drones, whereas over $50 million will be used to enhance cyber security in government, data centres, and future telecommunication networks.
The new investment amounts to a spend of roughly 0.06% of Australia’s $2 trillion economy, and will bring spending on the digital economy up to around $2 billion over the 2020-21 and 2021-22 budgets.
This is on top of the $1.67 billion Cyber Security Strategy announced last year, $1 billion for JobTrainer, a scheme that reskills workers who have lost jobs in the pandemic, and a $4.5 billion investment in NBN upgrades, a publicly owned corporation aiming to upgrade the country’s broadband network.
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Zach Marzouk is a former ITPro, CloudPro, and ChannelPro staff writer, covering topics like security, privacy, worker rights, and startups, primarily in the Asia Pacific and the US regions. Zach joined ITPro in 2017 where he was introduced to the world of B2B technology as a junior staff writer, before he returned to Argentina in 2018, working in communications and as a copywriter. In 2021, he made his way back to ITPro as a staff writer during the pandemic, before joining the world of freelance in 2022.


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Manns of Cranleigh is likely to close its doors next month for the final time, following 134 years in business.
David Mann opened David Manns & Sons in 1887, the same year as Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.
The Mann family originally lived above the shop, but their home was turned into furniture showrooms and the garden into stores as trade flourished. The neighbouring cottage was also incorporated.
A comprehensive brand transformation took place in 2012 in response to the fast-changing consumer climate during the recession.
Manns transformed the historic cottage part of the building in December 2015 to become M Cafe.
Manns is one of the few surviving independent department stores in the country, with 40,000 square feet of retail space offering interiors, furniture, beds, flooring, curtains, home accessories, fashion, cookware, linens, gifts, luggage and a toy shop.
A Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) took effect in December 2020, with creditors agreeing to allow the insolvent business to continue trading while repaying its debts over a fixed period.
The latest accounts for David Mann & Sons Ltd show more than 40 employees within the business.
In its latest published accounts, the accountants explain that forecasts prepared as part of the CVA showed the company could trade at a profit and have sufficient cash for 18 months until the property sale is concluded.
However, the country then entered a third lockdown, and the store was forced to close its doors once again.
While some trade continued online, and the business used the coronavirus job retention scheme and government grants, the directors remained confident at the time of having sufficient cash to get through the lockdown, and trade would bounce back on reopening.
A buyer is being sought for the business, but the staff have been placed on notice, and the business will close next month unless a rescue package materialises.
A spokesperson for Manns of Cranleigh said:
Bricks & Mortar retail is a very challenging market right now and Manns of Cranleigh has been wrestling with the cost of a high street site of just over an acre in size coupled with online and out of town competition for some time now.
COVID hasn’t helped, and as we come out of lockdowns consumer habits have changed and as such our Managing Director, Mr. Richard Womack, has chosen to close the store and retire after 34 years at the store.
We are currently in consultation with the whole staff team but should an alternate plan not be received then Manns of Cranleigh will close its doors one final time at the end of September 2021.
We would like to thank the good folk of Cranleigh and the surrounding districts who have supported Manns for over 130 years. Many current customers have been customers for four or five generations and please know that we will continue delivering your goods until the last order is closed out and we are committed to fulfilling all our customer orders.
A final thank you goes to the staff team and our investor, Mr N Vrijland who without their support over many years we wouldn’t have made it this far – it really is greatly appreciated, thank you.
Share your memories of Manns of Cranleigh on Facebook:


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Google is set to announce the Pixel 3 line-up in an event on Oct. 9. Even though the event is just days away now, Google wants to have some fun and at the same time troll those spreading odd theories about its next-gen Pixel phones.
Weird Pixel 3 theories
Ever since the leaked images of the Pixel 3 XL with a notched screen appeared on the web, there have been some strange rumors going around. One of the rumors claimed Google itself leaked the images so it could surprise fans with a notch-less Pixel 3 XL. The rumor also suggested Google let some thieves get away with fake phones to sell in the Ukrainian black market.
Another theory making the rounds is that Google will announce three phones this time. Along with the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, the search giant is also expected to announce the Pixel Ultra. According to leaked concept images, the handset will feature an edge-to-edge display with no chin. Believers of this theory say if Apple can come up with a 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max, then why not Google? However, some users believe the concept images show the Pixel 3 XL and are part of Google’s plan to confuse the public about its plans.
It seems Google is well aware of all the rumors and theories surrounding the Pixel 3 launch. Perhaps with the intention of trolling those spreading such rumors, the search giant added one more theory for a so-called “mini Pixel.” In an Instagram post, Google asks how small the mini Pixel should be and suggesting it should be small enough to carry on a keychain. The company also showed a picture of its Pixel handsets from big to small.
“We’ve heard rumors of a mini Pixel. Which begs the question how ‘mini’ is too mini? We have a feeling that the next one will be a bit bigger than this,” the post reads.
The post was made on Tuesday on the @madebygoogle Instagram page.
Is Google’s mini Pixel real?
Though the post takes a clear shot at the trolls, many would say it is an attempt from Google to deflect attention away from the Pixel Ultra. Some also say it is indeed a possible hint at a mini Pixel from Google. A mini variant is not unheard of. Samsung, LG and Sony have come up with mini devices before. They usually feature mid-range specifications.
A mini Pixel is unlikely, as it would have been almost impossible for Google to hide such a major development from the super-active tipsters. However, with Google, you could never say what it is up to. It may surprise us all at the event with a mini Pixel, or some other device that can be carried on a keychain.
For now, no one can confidently say what Google is really up to, but we can say that the search giant has surely succeeded in building up expectations for the launch event.
What to expect from the Google Pixel event
Google is scheduled to hold its Pixel event on Oct. 9 in New York. It will be the first time Google will host a Pixel event in New York instead of San Francisco. The 2012 event was scheduled for New York, but it was canceled due to Superstorm Sandy.
Apart from the Pixel phones, Google is expected to showcase other products at the event, including the Google Pixel Slate. Last year, Google announced a Pixelbook Chromebook, and this year, the search giant is expected to follow it up with a Chrome OS tablet called the Pixel Slate. This tablet would supposedly double as a laptop, and thus, it could trigger the launch of several new Chrome tablets and keyboard accessories.
Google is also expected to debut a new Chromecast media streamer. The device last got a hardware update in 2016, but Google has been regular with Chromecast software updates. The most recent update added Google Assistant support to Chromecast.
The speculations about a new Chromecast device stem from the August FCC filing. The filing hinted at a new Chromecast with Bluetooth and improved 5 GHz Wi-Fi. Moreover, there are claims that Best Buy is already selling the new device.
Other gadgets expected at the Pixel event include the Google Home Hub and Pixel Buds 2.


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SILKRAILS.WORDPRESS.COM (GCTL8.com – FOCUSASIA MEDIA Ltd)
BEIJING, May 26 (FAM) – China’s southern city of Shenzhen launched its first Europe-bound freight train on Monday and it became the 29th Chinese city to introduce rail service to Europe with the train loaded with goods worth $8 million.
Products included high-tech electronics while the containers will arrive in Minsk, capital of Belarus, in 13 days. The Shenzhen-Minsk freight train has turned the coastal city, a high-tech hub in the Pearl River Delta, into a bridge for the Belt and Road Initiative.
“Goods such as rice and fruit from ASEAN countries like Vietnam and Laos can first be transported to Shenzhen by sea and then to Russia and Belarus by freight train,” said Li Wenhai, deputy director of the Guangzhou cargo transport center under Guangzhou Railway Corporation