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UK’s Attempt to Block a Merger Between American Firms Could Cripple Innovation
As I explain in both an op-ed and regulatory comments submitted yesterday, the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK’s version of the Federal Trade Commission, is making a move to become the world’s antitrust regulator. By attempting to block Facebook’s acquisition of a minor technology company, GIPHY, it dramatically lowers the bar for when acquisitions can become the subject of antitrust action (never mind scrutiny.)
In the op-ed, I explain why Americans should worry about this. America is by far the biggest provider of business startups to the world, but startups need to have some idea of how they can realize gains—what is called “the exit strategy.” Without the prospect of acquisition by a larger company, the exit strategy is curtailed. That means American dynamism and innovation will suffer.
In the comments, submitted jointly with the Adam Smith Institute in the UK, we explore four reasons why the CMA should reverse its provisional decision and allow the merger to go ahead.
- Extraterritoriality. The CMA has no business in trying to act as the world’s antitrust regulator; it should rethink its decision taking account of that principle.
- Relevant market. The CMA has committed the “relevant market fallacy” and should rethink the decision based around a more appropriate view of market conditions.
- Counterfactual. The CMA constructed a “counterfactual” scenario where GIPHY could survive the pandemic and become a competitor to Facebook in the display advertising business. That is implausible. A better counterfactual would show clear consumer benefits from the merger.
- Chilling effect on innovation and investment. As noted above, the CMA’s actions will chill innovation. They would also lower the opportunities for investment and thereby hamper wealth creation.
If the CMA is successful in blocking this merger, the business environment will have changed across the globe—and American politics will have had nothing to do with it.


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Mobile fraud is becoming a problem for merchants that want to engage mobile consumers
Mobile commerce is quickly establishing itself as one of the most powerful forces in the commerce sector, powered by the growing number of consumers that have smartphones and tablets. There may be a problem threatening the continued growth of this sector, however, as many businesses may have a lack of awareness about fraud. According to a recent study from Kount, many of the companies that have involved themselves in the mobile commerce space are somewhat misinformed about matters of mobile commerce fraud.
Study shows that majority of merchants are not prepared to address mobile commerce fraud
The study from Kount found that 60% of businesses involved in the mobile commerce space are uncertain about the growing risk of mobile fraud. Merchants are lacking the knowledge they need to address issues concerning fraudulent mobile transactions, and this could be placing them in a position to fall victim to regulations that are shifting liability for such fraud away from card issuers and onto them. The study notes that many merchants do not have the tools in place to address issues of fraud, with less than 40% of merchants having the ability to respond and track fraud that is committed over mobile channels.
Companies lack the tools needed to combat instances of fraud
Many companies have experience with the e-commerce space, but the anti-fraud tools used for e-commerce cannot be applied to the mobile commerce sector. As such, new solutions are being produced to combat the issue of fraudulent mobile payments. New ID authentication, device authentication, and other such solutions are becoming more available and offer merchants a way to prevent fraud or effectively track it.
Merchants need to take fraud seriously if they want to find continued success
The majority of merchants are focused on expanding their presence in the mobile commerce market. In doing so, some companies may be exposing themselves to significant risks due to a lack of focus on security issues. Merchants will need to become more serious about mobile fraud prevention if they want to continue finding success in the mobile commerce space.

domain: news


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Created in 1984, National Travel and Tourism Week (May 7-15) includes dozens of destinations nationwide which celebrate travel and tourism and highlight their importance to local economies all over the country.
As a part of this week, he Chickasaw Nation's Department of Tourism has recently made various contributions to the state of Oklahoma.
A recent relocation to the first floor of the old Bunte Candy Factory has allowed for plans to include a Chickasaw Nation Tourism Information Center as well as a retail space, which will include the Bedre cafe. They have also finalized their new brand, which they plan to launch in 2012. The brand will promote all the Nation has to offer as well as promote the bounty of tourism opportunities in south-central Oklahoma. Along with the new brand, the Chickasaw Nation is rolling out a new website.
As they continue to focus on engaging partnerships with organizations, stage agencies, and residents of Oklahoma, we thought we'd provide their contact information for interested parties. You can email Paige Williams at firstname.lastname@example.org, or call her at (580) 272-5329


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Amazon, here’s your chance to safeguard customers from third-party scams
How Amazon could use the coronavirus outbreak to finally get a handle on unsafe products
Capitalism is a strange system. It’s successful in making sure a certain segment of the population gets paid in filthy large amounts and leaves the peons to scramble around for crumbs. It’s the kind of system that rationalizes a stimulus package that would give $600 checks to low-income communities but $1,200 to middle-income workers. And while the goal is largely designed to make sure the poor stay poor while the rich get richer, there is one middle-ground area that I expect all tax brackets to be on board with: safety.
Recommended Read: “When Amazon Ignores Responsibility”
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who has a $130 billion net worth, is somehow OK with his site selling faulty products from third-party vendors. How much money does one (wo)man need? For several years, I refused to buy anything from Amazon at all (long story due to an extremely racist reviewer whose comments the moderators refused to take down), but I finally caved last year and purchased an Amazon Prime account. Still though, I could never work out in my head why third-party sellers could just sell services and products without anyone ever questioning its validity.
Oddly enough, it took a worldwide outbreak with 15,219 cases in the United States and 201 deaths in the past couple of months for Amazon to try to get ahead of third-party sellers boosting their product rates to insanely high volumes and promoting products that are either unsafe or don’t work. I guess later is better than never. In the past couple of weeks, purchasing antibacterial ointment and alcohol at reasonable rates are about as easy to come by as a winning lottery ticket. Toilet tissue, paper towels and facial tissue are about like trying to profit from Blackjack — sometimes you’re a winner, most times your bet was just bad timing.
Recently, Amazon has temporarily come to the assistance of consumers who were worried about scammers selling counterfeit coronavirus tests and other homemade products that have absolutely no scientific backing under their belts. Pre-coronavirus outbreak, Amazon moderators would eventually get around to questionably high product rates. Their website states: “Amazon regularly monitors the prices of items on our marketplaces, including shipping costs, and compares them with other prices available to our customers. If we see pricing practices on a marketplace offer that harms customer trust, Amazon can remove the Buy Box, remove the offer, suspend the ship option, or, in serious or repeated cases, suspending or terminating selling privileges.”
And, as mentioned on OneZero, the company has stopped accepting third-party sellers who were trying to post face masks and hand sanitizers. Of course that leaves legitimate sellers out in the cold, but one has to wonder about the conscience of third-party hoarders who choose to buy entirely too many of these items just to charge booster rates online.
If you’re not even confident enough to stand in a post office line to ship the products yourself, or send them to the Amazon Fulfillment Center (where workers could potentially be exposed), now you have a load of hand sanitizer just taking up space in your home. Good job, greedy! (And the only reason one seller stopped selling bottles for $7-$80 was because Amazon banned him, so he finally had enough common decency to donate the rest.)
While Amazon continues to crack down on price gouging, this is as good of a time as any to get more serious about other online hustles, specifically those that are dangerous to users. The online retailer can honestly say that users must agree to the initial startup contract stating the company is not liable for third-party selling practices or lack of safety regulations. However, if Amazon is decent enough to stop allowing users to sell $80 bottles of hand sanitizer, then it doesn’t take much more effort to add product safety warnings in there, too.
If anything, take a tip from Medium. Any post on this site right now that uses a “coronavirus” tag has this big warning at the top: “Anyone can publish on Medium per our Policies, but we don’t fact-check every story. For more info about the coronavirus, see cdc.gov).” Subscribers and new readers will also find similar recommendations in the footer to confirm that every post on the site can’t always be trusted. In turn, people interact at their own risk. With Amazon, once someone creates an account and doesn’t read all the tiny words in fineprint, they’re no longer reminded of the product risks from that point forward. They purchase at their own financial and safety risks, and Bezos gets paid either way.
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Designed as a means of discovering new and innovative food and farming companies, Chipotle launched the Chipotle Aluminaries Project as an accelerator program for food and farm technology. Focusing primarily on alternative farming and agriculture, the accelerator aims to fund growth-stage companies that are changing the food landscape and working towards a better future. According to Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol, this initiative falls deeply in line with Chipotle's ethos as the company "has been committed to the future of food with integrity since opening [its] first restaurant 25 years ago.”
To vet potential companies looking to join the Chipotle Aluminaries Project, Chipotle will be working with Uncharted. Uncharted will assist Chipotle in selecting its first eight participants, who will be mentored by entrepreneur and restaurant owner Kimbal Musk and Top Chef star Richard Blais.
Image Credit: Andrew Renneisen/Getty Images


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Sure you want that Spotify spotlight, Rdio? All it took was a comical bit of unanticipated marketing overreach, and the rest was an avalanche of Reddit upvotes. Image below; here's the raucous debate.
We're hearing some very mixed signals coming out of EMI Music Publishing, especially as its purchase by Sony et. al. gets cemented. The $2.2 billion, regulator-approved purchase gives the Sony consortium control over roughly two million ditties, including 750,000 administered by Sony/ATV under a complex ownership arrangement. Marty Bandier controls the empire, and recently promised the New York Times "one homogeneous company with one person — myself — running it."
Adele is now pregnant with boyfriend Simon Konecki, according to the artist herself. Konecki is a cofounder of Life Water.
The MegaUpload situation continues to grow more thorny. The US Government's case - and possibly, extradition attempts involving Kim Dotcom - appear complicated by a recent New Zealand High Court ruling that the raid itself was illegal. Separately, Dotcom's assets remain completely frozen. Back across the Pacific, a US District Court judge will soon issue a ruling related to user access to millions of gigabytes of seized data.
Which brings us to the Beverly Hills Courthouse, where Digital Music News continues to wrangle with Grooveshark over complicated issues related to data preservation. The preservation step was ordered in May by LA Superior Court judge Richard A. Stone while the prickly step of inspection is deliberated (case background here). The only issue is that preservation freezes large blocks of information and server space, which introduces a myriad of operational problems and risks. An emergency issue related to routine site backups has been solved, though on Friday, Stone underscored the importance of freeing space for ongoing business operations, software updates, product expansion, and other normal business operations. The parties will now be working out details for effectively resuming this status quo; more as it unfolds.
Just moments after selling virtually all of its assets to Najafi Cos., CD, DVD, and Blu-ray manufacturing company Cinram International has now filed for bankruptcy protection. The company listed $500 million in debt; the Toronto-based Cinram has handled a number of major label accounts as these once-core manufacturing operations were steadily outsourced. The bankruptcy filing actually occured June 25th.
Elsewhere, longtime Fontana leader Ron Spaulding has left the company. The purchase and integration into INgrooves Fontana seems to be moving along well; Billboard noted that INgrooves is now planning a move into artist services, citing a letter from CEO Robb McDaniels.
And, just how much are major label artists actually getting from Spotify, that is, after payments pass through the label filter? We've been looking at some very interesting contract language involving a major superstar over the weekend; stay tuned.
Captain Obvious Monday, July 02, 2012
I'm not a Rdio sympathizer but it's obvious they meant "everywhere" in the form of access-point (desktop, mobile, home audio, etc).
duh Monday, July 02, 2012
Seriously? That's the best lead you have? They are in 11 countires. Spotify is in 15. Instead of making snarky comments with no real value, why don't you do some investigating and see where these two services are launching next?
paul Monday, July 02, 2012
I think that's actually the whole point of that. Which is that Reddit went crazy on this issue in that sort of random, Reddit-y way. Fair? Not really. Bizarre and comical? Yes...
Visitor Tuesday, July 03, 2012
Everywhere = different ocasions.
Try better jokes!


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Netflix 2018 Emmy nominations: The full list of Netflix’s 112 Emmy noms
Just when you thought Netflix might be running out of milestones to hit, the world's favorite streaming service-turned-studio managed to rack up 112 Emmy nominations. That surpasses HBO for the first time — HBO managed 108 noms this year — making Netflix the top studio in 2018 when it comes to Emmy nomination count. From The Crown and Stranger Things to Ozark, Black Mirror, and Queer Eye, Netflix earned nominations in just about every genre and category you can think of. A few Netflix gems that you might not have already heard of also earned tons of nominations, such as the under-the-radar western Godless. Seriously, if you're into westerns and you haven't seen it, binge Godless this weekend.
The importance of awards shows in this day and age is debatable, but Netflix's #1 position atop every other studio this year is further evidence that the billions of dollars the company is spending on original content is paying off. Netflix consistently churns out top-quality shows with fantastic writing and incredible production value. If you want to see the cream of the Netflix crop, this post contains the complete list of all 112 Emmy nominations that Netflix earned this year.
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- Top 10 Amazon Prime Deals of the Day on Thursday
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Netflix 2018 Emmy nominations: The full list of Netflix’s 112 Emmy noms originally appeared on BGR.com on Fri, 13 Jul 2018 at 08:51:27 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.


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The relocation and proposed demolition of the Lugbe Building Materials market, situated at Federal Housing, on the Airport Road in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as a result of road and power line constructions, has drawn bad blood among members of Lugbe Building Materials Dealers Association (LBMDA).
This had led to claims, counter claims and indictment of traders, government officials and those involved in the hullabaloo.
PAUL OKAH investigates.
The market The Lugbe Building Materials market has been in existence since the 1990s and evidently dominated by many traders from the South-east, who specialise in the sales of building materials, furniture making, timber distribution business and many other undertakings needed for house construction.
Many traders from the North, who specialise in the sales of second-hand products, popularly called pantakers, equally dominate the market.
Artisans, petty traders, food vendors and hawkers of different products also eke out a living in the market.
However, recent developments in the market, especially the decision by Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to relocate the market to a permanent site in the hinterlands of Agwansawa, Aco Estate, Lugbe, have led tothe traders forming factions and moving to different parts of Abuja to continue with their businesses.
Traders’ nightmare Blueprint Weekend investigations revealed that many of the traders are still in the Lugbe Building Materials market, especially building materials dealers, furniture makers, artisans and hawkers.
However, many of them are not operating in full capacity, as they do not display their full products, in anticipation of the demolition that may take place any moment.
One of the traders, Emeka Moses, described the situation thus: “We are one leg in and one leg out.
The 7th July that AMAC gave us, as the final for relocation, has elapsed; so, we are now operating with anxiety and uncertainty.
We have to be careful how we operate here, because AMAC and the Development Control will come at any moment and we have to be ready for them.
I already have a shop somewhere else, but I just don’t want to leave this place just like that because my root is here.”
Multiple relocations Further checks revealed that, following the proposed demolition, a greater number of building materials dealers, timber dealers and furniture makers have already relocated to Lugbe Relocation market, where exigencies necessitated their renting shops not originally meant for their type of businesses, and occupying every available space originally designed as car park for the buildings in the market.
Here, the noise of heavy duty machines used in hewing woods and the activities of their operators render communication and movement around the market impossible.
Furthermore, other traders migrated to Kugbo furniture market, which is believed to be the largest furniture market in Abuja, while others relocated their businesses to Kurudu, Karu, Wuse, Mararaba, Zuba, Nyanya and every other market they believe they can make sales in Abuja.
The new market at Aco Estate It was also gathered that many of the traders have already started carrying out their trading activities at the permanent site in Agwansawa, Aco Estate, Lugbe, which AMAC allocated to the traders in April, this year.
However, shops here are still under different levels of construction.
The traders, therefore, keep their wares in open spaces for the patronage of few customers who discover about the existence of the market, while their shops elected chairman of the market and took his oath of office on August 26, 2016.
Relocation threat In one of his official visits to congratulate the AMAC chairman, Abdullahi Adamu Candido, on his electoral victory in 2016, Blueprint Weekend gathered that Obieze was informed, though informally, by the vice-chairman of Council, Lawrence Onochukwu, that the present location of the building materials market was not on a permanent site and should contemplate relocation.
This allegedly led to the chairman of the market appealing to AMAC boss to provide a suitable site for the traders, in order for the over sixty thousand traders depending on the market for their livelihood not to have their sources of income cut off; something the AMAC chairman allegedly promised to “look into.” AMAC officials in bribe allegation A trader in the market, Mr.
Dozie Chidiebere, alleged that the market chairman capitalised on his connections and access to the AMAC hierarchy to start extorting traders.
“The chairman claimed that officials from AMAC, Development Control and Power officials wanted us to bribe them, so that they can leave us alone to continue doing our business in peace, and not worry about the demolition of the market.
We agreed and contributed three million naira.
Each shop paid N7, 500.
At another time, he made another demand and we paid N5, 000 per shop,” he said.
Extortions, factions Similarly, another trader, Ugwu Okeke, said different factions came up in the market due to the alleged extortion and issue of accountability on the part of the chairman.
“From last year that the issue of demolition and relocation came up, we have paid N7, 000, N5,000, N3,000 and N2,000, depending on whatever story he came up with or agency he claimed he wanted to settle.
However, he has never been able to account for all the money given to him at different times, leading us to believe that he was obtaining the money for himself, especially as we have never seen any of the agencies coming to dislodge us.
As a result, dissatisfied members of the Union decided to form their own association,” he said.
Doomsday looms A trader and dealer on home appliances, Mr.
Attah Kingsley, said the confusing activities of the chairman of the market and other agencies alleged to be involved in the relocation of the market have made them to be “ready for any eventuality.” “Many of us are tired of the back and forth dealings between the chairman, Development Control, FCDA and AMAC.
We have packed our things in readiness to go to the new site AMAC allocated to us.
I won’t pay a dime more as bribe.
If they bring their bulldozers, then they can demolish an empty shop,” he said.
Another trader, Mr. Christian Chinedu, said he took his wares to a safer location when many traders left the market in droves and rumour was rife of AMAC paying an unannounced visit with their bulldozers. Continuing, he said: “We have received enough repeated warnings and threats from Development Control, AMAC and FCDA.
Isn’t it time we left for good? Some of our members have already left for the new site at Aco.
Others followed another faction to Lugbe Relocation market.
We are just divided.
This place is now scanty and there is no security. It is better we leave and have rest of mind.” Market chair fingered Blueprint Weekend found out that traders in the market are divided into factions, some loyal to the chairman who wants all the traders to move to the new site at Aco Estate, while others are loyal to another factional chairman, who took many of his loyalists to Lugbe Relocation market.
Consequently, the traders speak in favour or against any of the factions.
Ofoegbu Udenna, who supports the market to remain at his present location or for the traders to relocate to Lugbe Relocation market, alleged that the chairman has already embezzled millions of naira since the relocation hullabaloo started.
He said: “Many of us will simply relocate to our villages and start farming if government insists that we must go to the new site at Aco Estate to continue our businesses.
The time that AMAC gave us for relocation has elapsed since 7th of July, without their coming to harass or intimidate us, so I don’t know why Obieze should be pretending to care about us.
The truth is that he bought over ten shops at the new site and wants to make money from us by selling them at N300, 000 each; something he bought at N120, 000 each.
It doesn’t work that way.
I am comfortable where I am, just like many others you see here, but he must account for all the money he embezzled since this relocation business started; that’s if he wants peace to reign.” However, a trader loyal to the chairman, Chinonye Matthew, said the chairman “is not guilty of the allegations levied against him.”
“Mr. Obieze has always had the interest of the market Union at heart; so, I don’t understand why people are accusing him of what he will never dream of doing.
I have been to AMAC office several times with him and his sole purpose of visiting is always how to solve the problems affecting members of the market Union,” he said.
Factional chairman reacts This writer discovered that many traders rented shops at N130, 000 at the Lugbe Relocation market, as opposed to going to the approved new site at Aco Estate.
There, at the market, they formed their own association, with Mr. Joseph Obi as the chairman and a former chairman of Lugbe Timber Shed, Mr.
Ngwoke Virgilus, serving in different capacities to organise the new faction “bears” a grudge against anyone not in their group.
Speaking to Newsmen, Obi pleaded to be recognised only as coordinator until their association is formally recognised by government.
“It is true that government allocated land to us at Aco Estate in April, this year.
Many of us are still trying to pool our resources together, in order to erect structures at the new site.
Therefore, we are just here at the moment until we finish the structures there,” he said.
Moves to acquire permanent site It was also gathered that Mr. Obi and traders loyal to him have perfected plans to acquire plots of land situated directly opposite the Lugbe Relocation market and have no intention of moving to the new site, no matter whose ox is gored.
Moreover, further checks revealed that talks between their lawyer, the landlord and interested traders were already at an advanced stage, as many of the traders paid hundreds of thousands of naira to acquire plots.
Membership of the faction allegedly cost above N500, 000- for registration alone – with other requirements to be considered before a portion of land could be allotted anyone capable of paying.
Traders speak, express fear Many of the traders revealed that the main reason for their decision to remain in the Lugbe Building Materials market or to relocate to somewhere else other than the allocated permanent site at Aco Estate was because the new market is “located inside the bush,” where they will not have access to security, light, water, road, healthcare or many other basic amenities needed for their businesses to thrive.
One of them, Innocent Amanze, told this reporter that he fears for the safety of the traders that have already relocated to the new market site in Aco.
He said: “The place is inside the bush, how can my customers locate me for patronage? Those that are already there are complaining that the road is not good and that their goods are not secured.
What if Fulani herdsmen attack them there, how will they get help, when there is no police outpost there? We should be concerned about our safety first before going anywhere.”
Similarly, another trader, Michael Obinwa, said that the location of the market is the reason why he prefers to stay at Lugbe Relocation market.
“I paid N120, 000 for shop here and N10, 000 for agent fee.
I prefer it that way than to go and start life anew in a village where my safety is not guaranteed.
I am a businessman, not a farmer in the bush.” Chairman fingers AMAC, FCDA, others Chairman of the market, Chief Festus Obieze, in a chat with this reporter, he has a clear conscience and not guilty of all the allegations of embezzlement levied against him by other traders.
He said he had received different amounts of money from members of the market Union at different times, but that the money was used in “settling the agencies” involved, so that the traders could be allowed to continue carrying out their business transactions, without interference from anyone.
“The cabals against me are many and they are the people peddling rumours about me and tarnishing my image, but God will surely vindicate me.
I meant well for my people, but they are paying me back in a bad coin.
When AMAC said that they wanted to relocate the market, I pleaded for time and they listened to me.
The dates they gave us for relocation have been relapsing and I have always pleaded for extension, which they always grant me.
We have been contributing money to give to AMAC, FCDA, Environmental Board, Development Control and other government officials whenever they want to disturb us,” he said.
Continuing, he said: “Severally, every one or two months, we contribute either N2 million, N1 million, 800,000 or 500,000 to lobby and keep the officials off, for us to continue trading in peace.
However, I became tired of paying them and insisted that we must move to the land that was allocated to us by AMAC.
That is why I am being attacked left, right and centre by the cabals, who are no longer getting any financial inducements from us; in order to look the other way.” AMAC allocation for land Continuing, Obieze said he paid a total of N12 million to AMAC for the allocation of 300 shops for the permanent site.
He said he originally applied for 600 shops, but AMAC was only able to grant N300 at N120, 000 per shop.
He added that AMAC initially suggested that it could construct the market at N3 million per shop, but that many traders would not be able to afford that; hence his efforts to obtain the land at N120, 000 for any trader interested in erecting his own shop.
“I was given a shop for free as chairman of the market, but I paid for many other shops I have within the market.
To show their foolishness, some of the cabals waited for the last minute to acquire their own lands, but the 300 allocated by AMAC had already been taken, so they had to buy at N150, 000, N200, 000 or even N300, 000 from AMAC.
Perhaps, their anger is because they paid double amount, compared to those who bought at the original price of N120, 000, but you can hardly blame me for their penny wise, pound foolish decisions,” he said.
We’re working to unite factions – AMAC When Blueprint Weekend visited AMAC office, the chairman was not in seat and all efforts made to reach him proved abortive as at the time of filing in this report.
However, the Director of Town Planning, Mr.
Ali Adamu, said there are many issues on ground that need to be resolved, especially the unification of all the factions.
“The chairman and his deputy are not in seat.
However, he is very much concerned about the problems in the market.
He is working day and night to bring all the factions under one table to discuss the way forward.
Many of the traders visited the office yesterday and we had a positive meeting.
Hopefully, the issues in the market will be resolved very soon, people just have to be patient,” he said.


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New data shows steep drop in shopping, transit use during N.S. COVID-19 lockdown
Deputy minister says data a sign people are following public health rules
New data on the movements of Nova Scotians shows a major drop in shopping and transit use as strict COVID-19 restrictions continue.
A report from Google based on users' location history data shows mobility around retail and recreation sites like restaurants, shopping centres, stores and libraries is down 50 per cent provincewide from the baseline. The baseline is the median value for the corresponding day of the week during the period of Jan 3. to Feb. 6, 2020.
Scott Farmer, deputy minister for Nova Scotia's Department of Inclusive Economic Growth, brought up the report during Wednesday's public accounts committee as a positive sign people are following public health rules.
Only stores selling essential items are open for in-person shopping under the current restrictions, while the province has asked residents to designate one shopper per household.
"People seem to be adhering to the requirements and just getting the essentials," Farmer told the committee.
"We know that it's difficult for the retailers who are limited to curbside and delivery. The best way to get them back fully open is to stop the current spread."
The report, which is from Saturday and examines patterns dating back to late March, also said mobility around parks and beaches was down 32 per cent in Nova Scotia, while transit dropped 68 per cent, grocery and pharmacy dropped 19 per cent, and workplaces were down 27 per cent.
Movement around people's places of residence went up 15 per cent.
Farmer noted what's essential for one person may not be for another, which is why it's difficult to limit what products people can buy.
"If I wanted a blender that better matched my kitchen, clearly not essential. If someone needs a blender because they use it to make baby food and theirs is broken, then that's essential," Farmer said.
The report, called the COVID-19 Community Mobility Report, also broke down mobility trends by county, with Halifax and Cape Breton regional municipalities seeing large changes in various sectors.
In Halifax, transit was down 69 per cent, retail and recreation fell by 58 per cent, parks dropped 46 per cent, workplace movement was down by 34 per cent, and grocery was down 24 per cent.
For CBRM, the largest decline was in transit, which dropped 72 per cent. Retail was down 37 per cent, workplaces down 25 per cent and grocery fell 16 per cent.
Other counties showed workplace movements dipping between 30 and 16 per cent in most areas, besides Inverness where it fell four per cent.
The report said the mobility changes are calculated using the same kind of aggregated and anonymized data used to show popular times for places in Google Maps.
The data is drawn from users who have opted in to location history for their Google account, so it only represents a sample of users which "may or may not" represent the exact behaviour of a wider population, the report said.
The Nova Scotia report is one of many Google has been releasing since the beginning of the pandemic for locations around the world. Each shows trends over several weeks.
With files from Jean Laroche


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In case you missed it, August 8th was National CBD Day!
And a happy CBD Day to you too!
To celebrate, over the past month, DankGeek CBD has been tracking Twitter conversations all over the country to gauge interest in CBD in every state. After reviewing over 165,000 tweets, we were able to generate a comprehensive map identifying the states with the most CBD-related discussions.
As seen in the map above, when it comes to CBD, Florida has certainly been an early adopter! According to our data, approximately 19% of all tweets related to our beloved cannabidiol originated in Florida. After Florida, interest in CBD was greatest in Colorado followed closely by Oregon and Missouri.
Overall, the states with the most CBD-related tweets were:
As you can see, with the exception of Florida, Connecticut, and Vermont, the majority of the interest in CBD is concentrated in the western part of the country. As successful cannabis legalization efforts have spread across the West Coast, it is unsurprising that these populations have had the most opportunity to learn about CBD as a therapeutic, non-psychoactive alternative to THC. Nevertheless, interest is growing all across the country. In fact, according to a recent Forbes article, the market for CBD is expected to grow 49% annually over the next few years, reaching up to $20 billion by 2024. We can't wait!
Finally, we would also like to take this opportunity to thank our readers and customers for their continued support of DankGeek CBD! We look forward to sharing more interesting research and knowledge with our community as CBD gains even more traction across the country.


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SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- SaveUp (www.saveup.com), a free, nationwide rewards program for personal savings, today announced the launch of its public beta. Starting today, Americans who bank at more than 18,000 US financial institutions can sign up for SaveUp and begin earning credits that can be redeemed for a chance to win exciting or life-changing prizes by saving money, paying down debts and improving their knowledge about their finances.
Unlike traditional rewards programs that focus on driving consumer spending, SaveUp rewards users for performing positive financial actions, such as contributing to their savings or retirement accounts; paying down their credit cards, mortgages or other loans; and engaging with SaveUp's financial education content on the site. The credits users earn can be redeemed for chances to win instant prizes and entries into weekly and monthly drawings. SaveUp's prizes range from the exciting (retail gift cards, consumer electronics) to aspirational (luxury vacations, home or wardrobe make-overs) to life-changing (a new car, money for college tuition or debt pay-off, or a $2 million jackpot).
"The driving force behind SaveUp is to help Americans succeed financially," said Priya Haji, CEO and co-founder of SaveUp. "We hope to do this by building a fun and engaging experience that rewards them for saving money and reducing their debts instead of rewarding them for spending. SaveUp is the only rewards program that focuses on improving the lives of Americans by focusing first and foremost on their financial well being."
"SaveUp makes saving money and paying down debts fun and definitely more rewarding," said Hana Yang, a San Francisco Bay Area resident, who won an iPad2 prior to today's public beta. "It's hard to save money and keep on top of bills in today's economy – but I have to do it regardless. If SaveUp is going to give me a chance to win great prizes every time I pay my student loans or contribute to my 401K, then you bet I'm going to keep playing it as often as I can!"
SaveUp's prizes are furnished through advertising and sponsorships with top consumer brands, including Virgin America and others. SaveUp's brand partners receive significant exposure to a highly aspirational audience through frequent brand placements, exclusive content or category ownership, social media linkage, and the ability to offer coupons, promotions and other exclusive deals to SaveUp users on the site. SaveUp will continue to add additional brand partners to keep its rewards program engaging and exciting.
For financial institutions, SaveUp provides a free savings rewards program that banks and credit unions can offer to their customers with no capital investment or technology integration required. These financial institutions may also choose to sponsor the educational content on SaveUp or engage in other exclusive experiences for their depositors. By encouraging Americans to increase deposits and decrease their bank-held debts, SaveUp can help financial institutions strengthen customer relationships and improve their own financial foundations.
Currently, nine banks and credit unions are participating in a pilot program to promote SaveUp to their customers, including Bank of the West, Spectrum Federal Credit Union, and Plastyc UPside Visa pre-paid card.
"Bank of the West is committed to helping our customers achieve their financial goals – whether that's buying a home or a car, or saving for the future," said Andrew Rosen, Chief Marketing Officer at Bank of the West in San Francisco. "SaveUp's approach of rewarding Americans for positive financial behavior is unique and fun, and it fits nicely with our bank's culture of doing what's right for our customers."
Americans are focused on reducing household debt and increasing savings, but the challenges are real. According the US Federal Reserve(1), the total amount of consumer debt in the US is more than $2.4 trillion. A March 2010 Employee Benefit Research Institute study showed that 43 percent of workers said they have less than $10,000 in savings (up from 39 percent in 2009) and 27 percent said they had less than $1,000 (up from 20 percent in 2009). Only 69 percent said they saved for their retirement in 2010 (down from 75% in 2009).
To participate in SaveUp, users simply create an account at www.saveup.com and link any savings and debt-bearing accounts so that SaveUp can award credits for their savings and payment transactions. SaveUp's technology partner enables secure online data aggregation from more than 18,000 financial institutions, and supports many popular online and mobile financial applications currently used by millions of Americans.
"In addition to making SaveUp fun and rewarding, we've also made it safe and secure so that our users can participate in SaveUp's innovative rewards program knowing that organizations like MacAfee, VeriSign and TRUSTe have certified our privacy and security policies and procedures," said Sammy Shreibati, SaveUp's CTO and co-founder. "SaveUp protects its users with the same high level of security employed by banks, and we don't store any of our users' financial account information. We will never share our users' personal information with anyone, so their privacy is protected as well."
Founded in 2011, San Francisco-based SaveUp created the first free nationwide rewards program that encourages Americans to save money, pay down their debts and make positive changes to their financial behaviors. By partnering with major consumer brands and financial institutions, SaveUp gives users the opportunity to win exciting or life-changing prizes for performing positive financial actions. The company is funded by BlueRun Ventures and True Ventures. To get rewarded for your positive financial actions or to partner with SaveUp as a bank or sponsor, please visit us at www.saveup.com.
(1) (Source: Federal Reserve's G.19 report on consumer credit, July 2011)


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In the future, your kitchen will think for itself
A new generation kitchen appliance that combines technology, food, art and design. The microwave, which was invented after World War II, revolutionized cooking by heating food in seconds.
Now, experts say the kitchen is poised for yet another reinvention. The next wave will be fueled by smart appliances, voice technology and 3D printers.
Whirlpool (WHR) has already teased a concept for the smart kitchen. It includes touchscreens that populate recipes from Pinterest, a refrigerator that reminds you when you’re low on milk and the ability to heat up a meal, such as a bowl of soup, by placing it anywhere on the counter, thanks to detection sensors.
While we’re still at least 10 to 15 years away from a fully connected kitchen, most of this technology already exists. The biggest challenge is getting devices made by different companies to communicate.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://money.cnn.com/2017/11/30/technology/future-of-the-kitchen/index.html


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DHL Express has found that cross-border retail volumes are predicted to increase at an annual average rate of 25% between 2015 and 2020 (from USD 300 billion to USD 900 billion).
According to the report entitled The 21st Century Spice Trade: A Guide to the Cross-Border E-Commerce OpportunityOnline, DHL Express considers that retailers are also boosting sales by 10-15% on average by extending their offering to international customers.
Although ecommerce is booming, only 12% of retail businesses export online to other countries because of the high prices incurred by cross-border parcel shipment.
And this happens when 37% of retailers now sell via the internet in their own country, according to recent research by B2C Europe analysing the shopping habits of online consumers in eight countries in the eurozone, emarketservices.com reports. Read more
The domestic ecommerce market in Russia increased from RUB 560 billion (USD 7.1 billion) in 2014 to RUB 650 billion (USD 8.2 billion) in 2015, a recent report reveals.
It now accounts to 2% of the total retail industry in Russia, so there is still great growth potential, according to a report issued by Data Insights, a market research company, ecommercenews.eu reports. While the domestic market is slowing down, cross-border purchases continue to grow rapidly.
Asian-based payment methods are driving global mobile payments adoption, a recent reserach study highlights.
JCB recorded the highest share of mobile payments across all the payment methods analysed, with 54% of payments on the Adyen platform made on a mobile device, up from 47% last quarter. Alipay increased to 44% (up from 35%), and UnionPay to 31% (from 23%), according to the quarterly issued Mobile Payments Index by global payments technology company Adyen.
Indian ecommerce imports are forecasted to increase 78%, due to the domestic internet users inclined to buying goods across borders, a recent researh study reveals.
A substantial 27% of the orders are being executed from US-based websites, whereas 11% come from China and 10% from UK, according to a recent research study issued by PayPal, bharatpress.com reports. About 53% of those online purchasing via overseas websites are for items like clothes/attire, footwear and equipment. Electronics are expected to take 51% and digital leisure and schooling gadgets 44%.
Seventy percent of global e-commerce experts agree that selling cross-border has proven to be profitable and a growing share of merchants are willing to focus on emerging markets to sell their goods, according to a new report from Payvision and CardNotPresent.com. In its third year, Key Business Drivers and Opportunities in Cross-Border E-Commerce, the largest B2B cross-border e-commerce survey in the world, found that fear of emerging markets—specifically China—is waning. The number of respondents who agreed that emerging markets are their primary focus when selling internationally grew from 31 percent in 2014 to 40 percent this year.
The ecommerce volume in Turkey has reached EUR 6.34 billion in 2014, after it increased by 35% compared to 2013, a recent report unveils.
According to a research conducted by TUBISAD, ecommerce in Turkey now represents 1.6% of all retail business in the European country. The country’s economy is now in a period of relatively slow growth, while the ecommerce volume showed a strong increase in the share of retail spending.
According to the report, the ecommerce sector still lacks a solid legal background and proper regulations in order to grow further. Something that is needed, taking into account ecommerce in Turkey represents 1.6% of retail business, while this share is about 6.5% in developed countries. Read more
Cross-border B2C e-commerce will surge to $1 trillion in 2020, according to a new report from Accenture and Alibaba Group’s research unit, AliResearch. The global market for cross-border e-commerce, which sat at $230 billion in 2014, will grow at a compound annual rate of more than 27 percent over the next five years, and, the report said, most of that growth will be driven by China. Read more
Singapore is a promising ecommerce market for international retailers looking to sell abroad, recent research data reveals.
The local market is promising due to the highest disposable income per household in Asia, a large population of expatriates, a thriving economy and shoppers’ familiarity with global brands, according to a report issued by the ecommerce solutions provider Borderfree, retailtimes.co.uk reports. Read more
Norwegian ecommerce market generated EUR 10 billion (NOK 88 billion) in 2014, with an esitmated 15% increase in 2015 (10.8 in 2014), recent data reveals. Read more
European commissioner Margrethe Vestager has said that companies charging online shoppers higher prices for the same goods depending on where they live could be breaking the law.
Margrethe Vestager announced an inquiry into Europe’s ecommerce marketplace, subject to approval by the European commission in May 2015, theguardian.com reports. Her investigation will examine why prices can vary so dramatically between the country-specific websites of retailers such as Amazon and Apple. Read more


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Bajaj Finance today said its net profit for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2012 increased by over 52% to Rs 108 crore.
The company's profit in the same quarter a year ago was Rs 71 crore, it said in a BSE filing. Its profit for full year 2011-12 rose to the highest-ever level at Rs 406 crore.
"Bajaj Finance reports a highest ever yearly profit after tax of Rs 406 crore, an increase of 64% over previous year," it said in the statement.
Meanwhile, company's income in the last quarter (January- March) rose 58% year-on-year to Rs 623 crore, it said in the statement. Total income during April-March increased by 54% to Rs 2,172 crore, it added.
The company acquired 5,01,669 customers in the last quarter, an increase of 36% from the corresponding period a year ago, it said. Also, the board of directors has recommended a dividend of Rs 12 per share.
It said the company has "recommended dividend of Rs 12 per equity share of face value of Rs 10 each subject to approval of the shareholders at the annual general meeting to be held on July 17, 2012. The dividend, if declared by the shareholders, will be credited or dispatched between July 23, 2012 to July 25, 2012".


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With the aim to further undermine rival SAP, Oracle has agreed to acquire enterprise software firm Hyperion Solutions Corporation for $3.3 billion in cash. Hyperion develops enterprise performance management software that helps companies plan, map...
...of Google's greatest, the wait for Microsoft's latest, and BlackBerry's bad day
...of Lumia luxury, Android antitrust, Chinese Windows, and an iPad on a stick
Office 2016 available for Office 365 subscribers on Windows
office 2016 promo
Android Marshmallow officially announced for Oct 5 rollout
Leaked slides confirm Lumia 950 + 950 XL specs, 'Display Dock'
It has been reported that a 13 year-old has used his school's Internet connection to spend a total of about $1.4m on a friend's eBay account. Purchases included a helicopter, jet aircraft, motorbike and pickup...


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EBay Set to Cut Skype Loose as Public CompanyWorld | April 15, 2009, Wednesday // 13:17| views
Photo by sdbg.info
Online auction site eBay is planning to spin off internet call service provider Skype and list shares in the firm in the first half of 2010.
EBay said Skype was a "great stand-alone" firm but had "limited synergies" with the online auction firm, the BBC reported Wednesday.
When eBay bought Skype for USD 2.6 B in October 2005, many analysts thought the price was too high.
Skype's software lets PC users talk to each other for free and make cut-price calls to mobiles and landlines. It also enables Skype users to share files.
The firm said publicly listing Skype would "maximise its potential".
The firm said the plan to spin off Skype was part of a schedule set out by John Donahoe when he became chief executive of eBay in April last year.
Since being acquired, the number of registered Skype users has hit 405 million from 53 million, though free user-to-user calls still dominate the service.
Unlike traditional mobile calls, which are transmitted over a cellular network, Skype turns your voice into data and sends it over the internet.
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GNet is expanding its access to online tools and customized farming opportunities with their latest ventures.
The two major affiliate networks will create a chauffeured luxury service with one of the widest global reaches.
The global network wins top honors for its chauffeured services.
Global communications director Adam Parken is interviewed by Forbes magazine.
eNews Exclusive: Mary McMahan takes the time to make strong affiliate connections while staying devoted to her five children.
GGTI’s Adam Parken works at the forefront of a company redefining how business travelers and corporations use networked ground transportation.
A major airport renovation and upgrade project will send all licensed limo/livery vehicles to the outer arrival curb.
Yu Kobayashi has made it his mission to bring chauffeured transportation back into the spotlight of a new generation.
SEPT. LCT Editor's Edge: Choose the new ideas that transform the old ways and keep the approaches that endure over time.
eNews Exclusive: Renee Ferraro has discovered the connections she’s made during her time in the industry are ones that will last a lifetime.
The Arizona-based operation has hired two new sales directors and an affiliate manager.
AUG. LCT: Which companies have upped their number of vehicles and where do they stand among their peers?
JUNE/JULY LCT: Luxury transportation operators share their struggles and concerns in the latest Fact Book.
The world's No. 1 online marketplace and trader for professional chauffeured and chartered vehicles, including all types of motorcoaches, buses, vans, stretch limousines, sedans, SUVs, exotics, and classics. New and used vehicles are available from sellers across the nation.
The best online networker to find quality affiliates worldwide and market your company.
Click on any state to see the latest industry news and events in that region.
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While You'R Away
It's been eight years now since Eleanor Marsh started offering pet services to the Ahwatukee Foothills community; and this is the second year in a row that she's been voted No. 1 in the "Best Pet Services" category.
"I have the most wonderful clients in the world," Marsh said. "My business is just doing awesome and I'm getting ready to expand into the Maricopa area and Sun Lakes, too. You have to give 150 percent to your clients. They are the most important part of my life."


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Koblo has released Centaurus, a mini synthesizer with a great big sound.
- Frequency and Pulse width Modulation
- Key Sync
- Multi-waveform LFO
- Mod Envelope
- Filter from the Legendary Vibra9000 developed by Max Gronlund and used by great artists such as BT!
Centaurus is currently available for Mac OS X and Windows XP in VST/AU and stand alone versions. The website says it’s $7.49 through July 29th, but it looks like that price is still valid.
Koblo has also released an alpha version of Koblo Studio, a free open source music editing application.
Visit Koblo for more information.


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There is a bill before theNorth Carolina Houseaimed at helping users trash spam or junk e-mail.
Junk e-mail is one of the most aggravating aspects of using the Internet. It is a growing problem, and one that will be difficult to solve, even by law.
"This bill is within the mainstream of consumer protection, and should have enough deterrent effect to help," saysSen. Eric Reeves.
Reeves' bill goes after people or companies that send millions of unwanted messages. They usually try to sell you something or push pornography.
Junk e-mail can interrupt electronic commerce, stock transactions and other important mail functions by clogging mail computers.
If a user can prove damage, the junk mail sender could face serious charges.
"They can be damaged anywhere between a misdemeanor offense and up to a felony depending on the damage that they create," Reeves said.
Some Web browsers and Internet service providers fight spam allowing users to filter incoming e-mail based on certain criteria. There are also commercial programs available such asSpam Busterby Contact Plus.
"The difficulty will be catching these people and bringing them to justice," Reeves said.
The legislation is the major hurdle. Who will search for unscrupulous junk mailers? Other states have passed similar laws and Congress has taken some action, but those looking for a fast buck on the Internet do not seem threatened.
AOL, and other big service providers have taken action against a few bulk mailers, but the little guys keep cropping up. Completely removing the problem will be no easy task.
Copyright 2022 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Posted on Mon Aug 22nd, 2011 2:22pm PDT By X17 Staff
Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries have denied they're taking a honeymoon, but we've learned otherwise.
X17online can report exclusively the newlyweds are taking off on a romantic European getaway RIGHT NOW! The couple's flight just took off from LAX. We're keeping the location top-secret for now, but expect the exclusive photos soon!
The 30-year-old reality star and her basketball star hubby will definitely be back in time for a massive post-wedding celebration on August 31 at Capitale in New York thrown by media big-wig Jason Binn and wedding planner Colin Cowie.
Perhaps Kim will recycle one of her three custom Vera Wang wedding gowns for the big event ... Doubt it!
SEE THE GALLERY Kim Kardashian And Kris Humphries Take Off For Honeymoon
Stories from around the Web


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Shockwaves hit the IT industry when Microsoft announced that it was acquiring Nokia’s Devices & Services business unit on September 3rd. It has been a long debate if or when that would happen, and now that it really did happen; it’s time to look at the effects for the whole mobile industry in Finland. Let me start of by saying that I have no special insider information, but all the observations and conclusions come from my experience and understanding of these two companies since ‘96.
Why did Microsoft acquire Nokia?
There’s a very clear reason why Microsoft acquired the Nokia D&S business unit, and that is part of it’s new strategy to be a devices and services company. Microsoft wanted to enter the consumer markets fir a long time already, with brands like Xbox, Zune, Kin, Surface, Kinect, PixelSense and the list goes on. Some of those failed miserably, but some made a huge impact on the industry, and are taking things to the next level for the consumer, like Kinect. Also, shortly after the deal, Microsoft sees increased profit from sales of the Nokia Windows Phone from < 10 $ /unit to > 40 $ / unit.
But there have been plenty other reasons, which can shed light to this acquisition. First of all, there have been rumors for roughly a year, of Microsoft doing their own prototype Surface phones. Frankly speaking, I believe it to be true; it would make sense in case the Nokia acquisition would have failed. Another major factor has been an uneasy tone in the Nokia/Microsoft relationship. Both sides were hiding information from each other and weren’t always working together. That has led to the situation where both parties had a different focus when it should have been the same. There have also been transactional costs when two separate entities had been doing the same thing, which this deal puts now aside.
What did this mean for the industry?
All this together meant that the Windows Phone was not getting the focused commitment it deserved to break big. Nokia didn’t have the capability for required big investments to make an impact on mobile markets. With Microsoft, that’s going to change. People working closely with Nokia have seen the heavy cuts in R&D and other areas as well for several years. That’s not a way to grow a business, that’s battle for survival.
Let’s approach the consequences from three different perspectives – what will happen to the phones, what will happen to the workforce and what will happen to the economy and IT industry in Finland.
A transition from “phones” to smartphones!
First of all, if we think about smartphones in general, they have become more than just a device to make calls. Phones of today are like information and entertainment hubs for their users, really connecting people in a way no one could imagine in the past. Nokia didn’t believe it, but Microsoft has built a vision around it.
Microsoft has a clear vision, called “three screens and the cloud”, where it unify the experience across phones/tablets, PCs and TV through Xbox, those being the devices. The services part would be the cloud, in which Microsoft is investing heavily. The new datacenter, which will be built in Finland, is part of this vision. Now, they’ve got all device categories covered with their own products after the purchase of the Nokia D&S business unit, which in retrospective was a clear path.
Nevertheless, Microsoft did not buy the right to use the Nokia brand for smartphones, so they need to sell them under a different brand than the feature phones. They can still use their feature phones under the Nokia brand for some years. It would be quite sensible to use the Lumia for the Windows Phone brand, as it’s already somewhat known and has a good ring to it. Same logic applies for Surface –tablets, where the Surface brand is very visible and whereas the Microsoft brand is only mentioned on a side note. Present Nokia tablets will probably be cancelled or moved to the Surface brand.
The feature phones will probably have a more volatile future than the smartphones. It’s hard to see a long-term investment of Microsoft in S40 development. They might either try to downgrade the Windows Phone, or use another other operating system, which is readily available. Microsoft is run on the basis of maximizing profits, and not on a stubborn believe in a certain technology, so even radical changes can happen in this field.
Regardless, it’s still difficult to imagine that they would want to run that business down, as emerging markets have been profitable. Microsoft definitely wants to be present there and build brand loyalty. Mexico for example has a high market share growth with Windows Phones, and many other emerging markets are following the same trend with people getting their first smartphones ever.
Now that there’s much less hassle bringing the phones to market, and sharper focus on developing the platform, the Windows Phone has a more promising future. Traditionally, Microsoft hasn’t done a very large horizontal catalog of competing products. That will make it questionable how many different phone models they’re keeping on the market.
When the next Windows Phone major release will hit the markets roughly around Q2/2014, we’ll see the real effects of the new organization. A new phone will prove the capability of the new acquisition to produce competitive products. An increased investment capability of the Microsoft new Phone unit will most likely manifest itself with more promotions for its products.
The market share of the Windows Phone has grown steadily. Unfortunately, Nokia has hindered the growth with its delivery capability limitations. Nokia has defended itself by claiming that this happened due to the selected strategy of not wanting to build big stock. Microsoft on the other hand has an edge that it can push out a lot more units, since it can take the financial gamble, which Nokia couldn’t.
From a technical point of view, the Windows Phone’s future looks bright. There are clear hints that Microsoft is pushing their unified ecosystem to make it even stronger. One possible outcome could be that Windows Phone and Windows RT is going to merge at some point. The lack lustering HTML support on the phone development side is most likely fixed within the next major release of the phone OS, and even better integration of the WinRT programming model is incorporated in the phone. And on a different note, it would also make sense to bring Xbox and Windows Phone closer together.
Future of the employees
How will the different teams look like?
Traditionally, Microsoft has run the Windows Phone OEM relationships with a team dedicated to OEM specifically. This team has handled the communications and technical discussions with each specific OEM. Now, that the Nokia D&S business unit is part of the Microsoft, this team will no longer be needed, but most likely incorporated with the phone team. The Phone team is definitely going to be reorganized, but from Microsoft’s side, that should be a minor operation.
What will happen to the Nokia D&S business unit?
There is still one question remaining: how will the Nokia D&S business unit be handled?
There’s two options which would both make sense:
1. Nokia D&S will be incorporated with the Microsoft corporation.
2. The Nokia D&S will be a separate entity, with Microsoft corporation owning it 100%.
The other OEMs who work on Windows Phones will also be an interesting piece of the puzzle, and might affect the decision how this will be handled. If the Nokia D&S business unit is going to be a part of the Microsoft corporation and the phone team, it will tremendously increase competition on the WP platform for companies such as HTC, Samsung and Huawei with WP.
I believe that we’ll see much faster integration of Nokia D&S to Microsoft than most people expect, as there’s already a good understanding on both sides of each other’ competencies and overlapping functions. Nokia key managers moved to Microsoft. This will eliminate the confusion which is usually present for many months in companies after this kind of acquisitions.
What will happen to the employees?
The people working on the feature phone will most likely see more changes than those on the smartphone projects. As mentioned earlier, feature phones are expected to change the most over the next couple of months/years which means there is going to be a reorganization on its way.
Nonetheless, it wouldn’t be very wise of Microsoft to begin with a major layoff in the middle of the transition period. A step like that would scare the key resources away, but the overlapping functions such as marketing might be shuffled around. One thing that we must keep in mind when evaluating the situation is that Microsoft bought the Nokia D&S business unit to become successful in the phone market, not to downscale and run it down.
What did usually happen to companies acquired by Microsoft?
Traditionally Microsoft has merged the companies it acquired into their own infrastructure. Nokia has been building their systems and operations mainly on non-Microsoft systems, so people on the IT side will most likely have a very busy summer coming up, and there could be even more work available. We will most likely see Nokia transitioning fully into cloud technologies with their backend as the rest of Microsoft. There is also a possibility that the move happens only after the new datacenter has been built in Finland. But the change is inevitable.
Impact on the Finnish economy and IT industry
The impact of the Microsoft / Nokia deal should be observed from facts and not emotions, but I have to say that most of the media coverage of the subject has been everything but objective.
Let’s start from what has happened in the past, as that usually teaches us a lesson and shows us tends that might repeat itself. This is not the first time Microsoft acquired a big company. One of the last larger acquisitions in Europe would be the acquisition of Skype and Navision. Let’s observe how those companies were doing before and now under Microsoft’s management.
Acquisition of Navision and Skype
Navision A/S from Denmark was acquired by Microsoft on July, 2002. Today, it is Microsoft’s largest development center in Europe. On the other hand, Skype was bought by Microsoft in 2011. Since the acquisition, it has set the target to increase its workforce by 30%. Since both of these acquisitions proved to be positive for everyone, one would easily come to conclusion that Nokia D&S has a much brighter future than before.
The IT industry in Finland
Within the last couple of years, Nokia’s impact on the IT industry in Finland has declined steadily. Nokia did cut down on subcontractors and even the remaining subcontractors have faced a severe decline in their business. This development has forced the value chain, which got their revenue earlier from mainly Nokia, to look for new profitable opportunities. Many have exited the mobile business entirely, and some have extended their business in other platforms and to enterprise or industrial IT. All together, the IT industry in Finland is not that Nokia dependent anymore, one way or another.
If Microsoft is going to make any changes or ramp up the development, it has to invest in the workforce. The current amount of employees at the Nokia D&S business unit has been downsized to the bare minimum, and is just sufficient to run the current setup. In the short term, there should be many opportunities rising from this change.
What will happen to Nokia?
People have been envisioning, that after a cool-off period, Nokia would re-enter the phone market. Let’s discuss this possible scenario. If Nokia would want to re-enter the mobile market for building phones, it literally would have to start from scratch. Nokia would have no personnel, infrastructure or network to deliver new phones, all of that was sold to Microsoft. It would be non-rational decision for Nokia to do a re-entry into a highly competitive market without any resources. Therefore, I don’t think a re-entry into this market is going to happen.
What are other options for Nokia then? In the short term, Nokia would need to focus on its remaining business, so the rumors of Nokia buying another network hardware provider do make sense. For Here maps, Nokia would need to pay a licensing fees, and the auto industry seems to be the a logical expansion opportunity.
In the long term, it would not be wise for Nokia to remain on the current pillars of its business. Chances are that laws are going to change for software patents, which could leave many of Nokias patents unprofitable for licensing revenues. Chinese manufacturers are pushing aggressively to the network hardware markets, which unfortunately is not going to be a gold mine in the long run either.
How does Nokia’s future look like?
It’s good to remember that Nokia has been a chameleon over its years of existence. Nokia was always going where new emerging markets have been at each specific time. So I wouldn’t be surprised to see Nokia going to create something totally unexpected in the long run, maybe green tech. Because after all, during its years of existence, Nokia has manufactured rubber boots, tires, toilet paper and computers – they’re no strangers to radical focus changes.


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Charleston nonprofit Warrior Surf Foundation, which works to provide free surf therapy, yoga, wellness classes and community to Veterans struggling with PTSD and other mental health challenges, has launched its 4th Annual Surfboard Auction.
From now through August 22nd, surfers can go online and bid on a collection of 10 boards from companies like Ocean’s Surf Shop, Secula Surf, and Rozbern, including two autographed boards from music legend Jimmy Buffett’s private quiver. A variety of other items like a hand painted cork yoga mat from Yoloha Yoga, private fishing charter with Charleston Fly and aluminum beach prints will also be up for auction.
One hundred percent of all bids will go directly to Warrior Surf Foundation. By bidding, participants will not only help to provide critical services to our nation’s veterans, but they will assist in spreading awareness about the mental health crisis facing so many who have served our country.
To view items and place bids, visit https://warriorsurf.rallyup.com/surfboardauction.
A live online streaming of all the items up for auction will take place on August 19th at 5 pm.
More about Warrior Surf Foundation
Founded on Folly Beach in May 2015 by American combat veterans and surfers, Warrior Surf Foundation (WSF) addresses post-service transition challenges such as post traumatic stress, moral injury, survivor’s guilt and TBI through surf therapy, yoga, wellness sessions and community. WSF’s Surf Therapy Program strives to enhance the psychological and physical well-being of Veterans, active duty service members and their families through the experience of surfing. For more information, visit www.warriorsurf.org or follow WSF on Facebook and Instagram.
Charleston Weekend Events
There’s ALWAYS something to do in Charleston – especially on the weekend. If you need help finding plans, just consult...


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As far back as October 2012, a US Congress committee report warned that Huawei and ZTE posed a threat to national security.
According to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross, Jr., ZTE made false statements to BIS in 2016 during the settlement agreement and later when an update was requested by the US government. Likewise, the ban also means that that the maker of the popular Snapdragon processor is out a revenue stream for the next seven years.
According to the report from Reuters, ZTE has often used components from usa -based companies like Qualcomm, Intel, and Microsoft in its products. It was fined $890 million and agreed to dismiss four members of senior staff, and to discipline 35 more. Trading in ZTE shares was suspended in Hong Kong. Department officials determined that ZTE has violated terms of its 2017 settlement agreement with the US involving the shipped gear.
The restrictions ban USA companies from selling hardware and equipment to China's ZTE.More news: Protest against ex-leader's move in Armenia
"ZTE acknowledges the mistakes it made, takes responsibility for them, and remains committed to positive change in the company", ZTE's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Zhao Xianming said at the time.
Just hours later, US manufacturers were barred from selling components to ZTE as part of a seven-year ban imposed by the US Department of Commerce. Qualcomm declined to comment on the matter, while Acacia did not respond to an inquiry.
"If you look at ZTE it sells around 45 million smartphones per year globally, and nearly half of them have Qualcomm chips", said Neil Shah, research director at Counterpoint Research.
NCSC assess that the national security risks arising from the use of ZTE equipment or services within the context of the existing United Kingdom telecommunications infrastructure can not be mitigated.More news: New BioShock in Development at 2K Games According to Report
Intel, Microsoft, Qualcomm and Micron Technology are also among U.S. suppliers to ZTE, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That means that any shipments by US firms of parts to ZTE are blocked.
"ZTE misled the Department of Commerce", Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross in a press release.
The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) believes that the potential national security risks are too significant to be ignored, and that it would be better if UK telcos stopped buying ZTE hardware to avoid future security problems that wouldn't be easily mitigated. (NYSE:T), T-Mobile US Inc.
U.S. authorities have now accused the company of breaching the terms of the settlement.More news: Trump goes on Twitter rant against Comey ahead of explosive interview
The U.S. hit Chinese telecom firm ZTE with a potentially devastating enforcement action on April 16, prohibiting the company from doing business with American firms.
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Full doc: https://cryptofinance.ai/docs Data from CoinMarketCap and over 46 different.
A User of CRYPTOFINANCE. May 5.
Will it use yahoo finance instead?
Crypto analytics company CipherTrace found bitcoin ATMs are increasingly being used to send funds to "high-risk exchanges".
The industry’s first Blockchain PR agency and crypto press release distribution service, Bitcoin PR Buzz offers a free.
Binance: Yahoo Finance — Venezuelans can now shop with crypto, including BTC and BNB, at retailer Traki's 49 stores. Aug 22, 2019. Aug 22, 2019.
12 Jun 2014.
Bitcoin may be a highly controversial virtual currency, but it seems like Google and Yahoo are taking steps to acknowledge it as a legit currency.
River Financial Inc., a startup Bitcoin financial services firm, said its number of clients has doubled every month this year.
New Site! Earn Free Daily 0.02 Bitcoin Telemundo Amarillo Bitcoin Little Moving money in and out of MogoCrypto is easy, and funding takes as little as 30 minutes. How buying and selling bitcoin should be. After successfully hacking a Bitcoin address, Lightning project developer John Cantrell assured everyone that Bitcoin. Buy Bitcoin. Get started with as little as $25, and you can
9 Mar 2020.
Tom Lee explains why bitcoin and crypto may make sense as hedge when the.
At Yahoo Finance, you get free stock quotes, up-to-date news,
The outlook for Bitcoin is highly uncertain, says Edward Sheldon, CFA. He’s investing in FTSE AIM 100 technology stocks that.
Central banks are printing money and issuing debt at an incredible rate. Thanks to the wonders of technology,
Bitcoin Exchange Coinbase Ordered To Hand Over Customer Data To Nobody can really predict Bitcoin’s (BTC) price volatility. But one thing is becoming painfully predictable when the price of. Fresh anti-bitcoin comments from President Trump have surfaced. Would the United States government ever ban bitcoin, similar. 23 May 2018. Bitfinex cryptocurrency exchange just informed its customers it will share some of their data with the
29 Aug 2018.
Yahoo Finance has integrated trading with Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Litecoin (LTC) on its platform. BTC/USD. While statistics are.
Shares of Canaan Creative, one of the few publicly traded crypto miner manufacturers, fell below $2 Monday, their lowest.


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Gobi Partners and Kaitai Capital have jointly led a RMB95 million ($14 million) Series A round of funding for Momfo, a Chinese property financing platform.
Singapore-based digital payments services company Coda Payments has closed a $2 million round of funding with participation from Japan’s IMJ Investment Partners.
Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has committed to invest up to JPY700 million ($7 million) in a fresh round of funding for domestic industrial materials specialist Nakayama Amorphous.
Chinese Reform Holdings Corporation (CRHC), a Chinese state-owned asset manager, has launched a government-backed venture capital fund with a target of RMB200 billion ($30 billion).
You Pei Liang Pin, a Chinese B2B online food products supplier, has raised a RMB120 million ($18 million) funding round led by PE-backed online fresh-food retailer Yiguo and Chinese conglomerate GMK Group.
3D printing technology is expected to grow at an accelerated rate now that its practical applications have come into focus. As a global manufacturing leader, Asia could be at the center of the boom
Tencent Holdings has led an undisclosed Series C+ round of funding for Chinese fitness app operator Keep.
A US-based healthcare fund backed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates has led a A$4.5 million ($3.5 million) investment round in Australian medical technology company Atomo Diagnostics.
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), an energy sector supplier under the Indian government, has launched a INR1 billion ($15 million) venture fund to promote entrepreneurship in the struggling local fuel industry.
Tsinova, a Chinese smart bicycle manufacturer, has closed a RMB150 million ($23 million) Series B round led by THG Ventures, a venture capital firm backed by state-owned Tsinghua Holdings.
Australian VC firm Square Peg Capital has contributed to a $17 million Series B round for UpGuard, a Sydney-founded cybersecurity start-up now headquartered in the US.
Norwest Venture Partners has led a $15 million Series B round of funding for Zenoti, an India-founded and US-headquartered software provider for the spa and wellness industry.
WestBridge Capital Partners has led a $15.6 million Series A round of funding for Innovaccer, a healthcare-focused IT outsourcing start-up with bases in Palo Alto and New Delhi.
Sequoia Capital China has led a RMB200 million ($30 million) Series B round of funding for Mining Lamp, a Chinese big-data solutions provider.
Wangyu Master, a Chinese online gaming services platform, has raised RMB150 million ($23 million) in a Series A round of funding from a group of domestic investors.
Australia-listed investment firm CVC has backed a A$3 million ($2.3 million) seed round of funding for Bigstone, a domestic online platform operator that connects investors with start-ups.
Gujarat Venture Finance (GVFL) and Bennet, Coleman & Co. (BCCL), owners of the Times of India, have led a $7 million Series B round for Indian online bus booking platform Travelyaari.
Memebox, an e-commerce company that sells Korean beauty products, has raised $65.95 million in Series C funding led by Formation Group, an Asia-focused VC firm launched by Formation 8 co-founder Brian Koo.
Equity Venture Partners (EVP) and Microequities Asset Management have launched a A$20 million ($15.4 million) venture capital fund to focus on Australian technology start-ups.
The exponential rise in drone technology investment during the past few years is now expected to level off into slower growth as venture capitalists discover a galaxy of more nuanced opportunities
With support from HNA Group, RocketSpace wants to take its San Francisco-based co-working space and accelerator model into new markets. China is the top priority
Japanese corporate analytics platform Abeja has raised JPY200 million ($2 million) in Series B funding from PNB Inspire Partners, a domestic investor aimed at helping companies expand into Southeast Asia and Islamic countries.
Yunnex, a China-based point-of-sale (POS) machine manufacturer, has raised RMB300 million ($45 million) in Series B funding from GSR Ventures and other strategic investors.
GrubMarket, a US-based online food marketplace, has raised $20 million in a Series B round of funding from several Sino-US investors including GGV Capital, Fosun Capital and Danhua Capital.


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Newcastle Falcons can today confirm the opening hours of the Kingston Park box office and club shop during the Christmas Holidays.
In addition to the regular 09:00 – 18:00 Monday to Friday hours this week, the final late night opening of the Christmas run up will take place on Thursday with the shop remaining open until 8pm.
A special Sunday opening will also take place this week, with both ticket office and shop manned from 11:00 – 15:00.
On Monday 22nd December, both outlets will be open until the 7pm kick off of the Falcons Aviva A League match against Northampton Wanderers before reverting to 09:00 – 18:00 on the 22nd and 23rd.
Christmas Eve will see an early close of 14:30 ahead of the big day when both Ticket Office and shop will remain closed.
Boxing Day will see both open from 10:00 – 15:00 before a normal match day opening period of 09:00 – Kick off will be in place on the 27th.
The final alterations to the opening hours for Christmas are on December 31st when things close one hour early at 17:00 and on New Year’s Day when again, both are closed.


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Apple plans to launch a monthly hardware subscription platform for iPhone buyers this year. While the company had the opportunity to announce it during Wednesday’s Far Out keynote, it seems like the subscription is indeed coming in 2022.
In the latest edition of the Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reported on Sunday that the Cupertino-based giant is “actively testing” the monthly service. While the company is rolling the development wheels, Gurman notes that he still expects the service to “launch either later this year or next year.”
The service Apple allows customers to pay a monthly fee for a hardware product such as an iPhone. It means that people can buy an Apple product and use it as a subscription, allowing customers who cannot afford expensive hardware devices to experience the many Apple products.
Additionally, the subscription could be tied with the Apple One bundle and AppleCare service. When you purchase an iPhone using the iPhone Upgrade Program – you automatically get an AppleCare warranty.
Gurman also notes that the reason for the absence of any announcement for the subscription during the September event is “reducing launch day complexity” as it would be a “new way to buy an iPhone.”
The previous claim by Gurman in March cited the service’s debut “by the end of 2022 or in 2023”. However, it is now likely that the monthly subscription will arrive in a couple of months.
Furthermore, Apple is also likely to hold an October event next month which will focus on the next generation Mac and iPad lineups – products expected will include new iPad Pros, iPad 10, and the introduction of faster M2 chips to MacBook Pros.
Last week, Apple introduced the brand-new iPhone 14 and 14 Pro lineups. The new devices feature new displays, a 48MP camera system, the A16 Bionic chip for Pro models, Satellite Connectivity for SOS services, and more.


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Update 1:10 p.m. EDT: As we predicted earlier today, Apple has released its invitations for its Sept. 10 event. We've embedded a sample above.
IBTimes was one of the first news companies to predict the Sept. 10 event, at which Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is expected to introduce two new iPhone models; if Apple indeed holds its event that day, we believe Apple will release its event invitations Tuesday afternoon.
Traditionally, Apple has chosen to release its event invitations exactly one week prior to the event dates; this has been true for last year’s iPhone 5 in September, the iPad 4 and iPad mini in October, and even the iPad 3 in March.
The big Sept. 10 event has been all but confirmed by Apple itself. The Loop’s Jim Dalrymple, who has a 100 percent accuracy rate at confirming or refuting Apple rumors with his signature one-word posts, corroborated a report by AllThingsD on Aug. 26 with a simple “Yep.” Dalrymple had previously rejected a different report saying the iPhone would launch on Sept. 6 with a clear “Nope.”
At its Sept. 10 event, Apple is expected to announce the official release date for iOS 7 -- which was introduced in June at WWDC 2013 -- shortly before it's expected to unveil two new pieces of iOS 7-friendly hardware, including the security-driven iPhone 5S and the budget iPhone, either to be called the iPhone 5C, iPhone Light, iPhone 6, or simply “iPhone.” Here, we’ll break down what consumers can expect from each announcement.
Apple iOS 7 Release Coming: What To Expect
At its Sept. 10 event, we believe Apple will reintroduce iOS 7 to the crowd shortly before announcing its release date -- we believe Apple has chosen Wednesday, Sept. 18, for its iOS 7 release, which will precede the release date of its two iPhones by two days.
For those unversed in the newest mobile operating system from Apple, iOS 7 features a complete revamp of the style, colors, icons and textures of the previous iterations of the iOS; it's designed to be both familiar and an entirely new experience. But iOS 7 isn’t just a cosmetic update; iOS 7 offers game-changing new features and tools designed in the hopes of making iOS 7 the most intuitive and most useful iOS release to date. Most notable among the new iOS 7 features: the helpful Control Center that contains quick access to important settings; the built-in parallax that shifts the background image in response to one’s movements; a new way to multitask apps; the AirDrop feature for sharing photos or documents with other iPhone users in the area; and many others.
For more on iOS 7, check out our visual guide on iOS 7 to learn more about the new design, some surprise features we discovered in the very first iOS 7 beta, plus our collection of 80-plus screenshots of iOS 7.
Apple iPhone 5C Release Coming: What To Expect
The iPhone 5C is expected to release with many of the same features of last year’s iPhone 5, but the key difference is said to be the form factor, which has reportedly replaced the anodized aluminum body of the iPhone 5 with a cheaper, albeit sturdier and more scratch-proof, polycarbonate shell. Back in January, iLounge editor-in-chief Jeremy Horwitz said the iPhone 5C will release as a "cross between the iPhone 5, the fifth-generation iPod touch and -- wait for it -- the iPod classic." With its 4-inch screen like the iPhone 5, a tapered bottom like the latest iPod touch and a rectangular shape like the iPod classic, the budget iPhone 5C is said to be substantially made from plastic but feature a hybrid chassis made of both plastic and metal. The right side of the iPhone 6 features a flat, centered SIM card tray like the iPhone 5, with the locations of the camera, microphone and rear flash located similarly to where they were on the latest-generation iPod touch.
We believe Apple will release the iPhone 5C with most of the same specs as the iPhone 5, including a 4-inch Retina display at 326 ppi, an A6 chip, a FaceTime HD camera and an 8-megapixel rear side camera; the 8-megapixel camera has already shown up in allegedly leaked photos of the iPhone 5C components. The major difference between the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5C, besides the new polycarbonate enclosure, will be its availability in five different colors (red, green, yellow, blue and white), as opposed to the iPhone 5's two black and white options.
Apple iPhone 5S Release Coming: What To Expect
The iPhone 5S is said to look nearly identical to last year’s iPhone 5, but with a number of enhanced specs and new features for the camera and home button. In late June, Apple rumors site MacRumors posted alleged photos of the alleged iPhone 5S, which revealed a nameless Apple-built CPU that appears to be a new A7 chip rather than a modification of the A6 chip currently featured in the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5S logic board is slightly narrower than the iPhone 5’s logic board in order to make room for new components and connectors, and the 5.45 Whr lithium-ion polymer battery in the iPhone 5 also looks to be upgraded to a 3.8-volt battery with a capacity of 5.92 Whr in the iPhone 5S.
Apple has reportedly made some major enhancements to the camera in the iPhone 5S. Whereas the iPhone 5 featured an 8-megapixel camera with a singular circular flash module, rumors point to a new 12-megapixel rear side camera in the iPhone 5S, and photos also revealed a new pill-shaped dual-LED flash. Both of these new camera features in the iPhone 5S may be key to the inclusion of a new feature called "Mogul," which was discovered in code embedded within the latest beta release of iOS 7. But since the new "Mogul" feature won't activate on the iPhone 5 due to "unsupported hardware," it looks like Mogul will be an exclusive feature of the iPhone 5S in the same way Siri was previously exclusive to the iPhone 4S.
The iPhone 5S “Mogul” feature, according to 9to5Mac’s “analysis and testing of the code,” will allow the iPhone 5S to capture video at “an exceptionally fast and precise rate,” indicating a potential recording rate of 120 frames-per-second. With such a fast frame rate, it seems like the Mogul feature in the iPhone 5S will support slow-motion video, since slow-motion effects require frames to be captured at a fast rate that appear slowed down when the video is replayed at a standard speed. With a presumably enhanced camera -- the iPhone hasn’t received a camera upgrade since the release of the iPhone 4S -- this additional Mogul feature should give the iPhone 5S the “cool factor” it desperately needs when it sees its release date next month.
Mogul won’t be the only “cool factor” in the iPhone 5S, however; the showstopper of the iPhone 5S is said to be its fingerprint sensor, which is the technology that caused Apple to urgently acquire Florida-based AuthenTec last July. At just 3mm high and 1.3mm thick, AuthenTec's first Smart Sensor, which was announced in May (right around the time Apple upped its efforts to buy the company) crams a 500 ppi, 192x8 pixel detection matrix and all the fingerprint matching technology necessary to accurately and securely detect and encrypt data about your finger. Furthermore, AuthenTec's "anti-spoofing technology" ensures that only real fingerprints are read by measuring the unique properties of the skin on your finger and translating those traits into digital data that's then compared with the "expected [fingerprint] properties." Many believe Apple’s plan is to release the iPhone 5S with the Smart Sensor embedded directly in the iPhone’s signature home button.
The fingerprint sensor may allow the iPhone 5S to automatically authenticate one’s identity, possibly negating the need to input personal data on one’s phone again and again, or even the need to remember a passcode combination. Patently Apple offers a fantastic description of how this biometric fingerprint technology in the iPhone 5S could enhance iPhone activities like e-commerce.
What do you think of iOS 7, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 5S? Are you looking forward to the upcoming Sept. 10 Apple event? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.


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New Yorkers happy to worship at altar of Trump
THE criticism of the "fawning" reception US tycoon Donald Trump got on his arrival in this country recently came to mind when the Punt was in New York for a short break.
Mr Trump touched down in Ireland on an airplane bearing his name in enormous letters and was met by a string quartet in full evening wear, a red carpet and Finance Minister Michael Noonan as he disembarked from his plane.
The tycoon is aiming to create "hundreds of jobs" at his Trump International Golf Links and Hotel Ireland, at Doonbeg, Co Clare. And he is promising to invest €45m in this country.
But many felt the welcome accorded the billionaire was the worst kind of forelock tugging.
That is not something that would be said about Mr Trump in the City That Never Sleeps.
In NYC it is hard to get away from his name. Many skyscraper buildings bear his moniker. Trump is involved with all aspects of the American company's real estate and hotel management initiatives.
But it was interesting for the Punt in New York to see the Trump name feature also in fashion shops.
His daughter Ivanka Trump has given her name to a range of fragrances, footwear, handbags, outerwear and eyewear collections.
But the real surprise was to see designer shirts labelled Donald Trump in fashion stores all along Fifth Avenue.
It seems that New Yorkers can't get enough of the Trumps. Americans are happy to celebrate success.
We, on the other hand, are sensitive to been seen to be too obsequious. A clash of cultures, if ever there was one.


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Bought a new gadget on eBay? Almost half of insurance policies do not cover devices bought on the online auction site
Almost half of mobile and gadget insurance policies do not cover devices bought on eBay.
Research from Defaqto, which compares and rates different types of financial products, found that 42 per cent of policies will not pay out for lost, broken or stolen gadgets if they were bought from a second-hand auction site.
Insurance firm Captain Cover will protect phones only if they were bought new in the UK directly from a manufacturer, network provider, High Street or online store, excluding auction sites.
Recent research found 42 per cent of policies will not pay out for lost, broken or stolen gadgets if they were bought from a second-hand auction site
It will also cover refurbished phones bought directly from a manufacturer.
Other insurers such as Insurance2Go will cover mobile phones bought from eBay if they are brand new.
But you must have the original receipt showing the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) or serial number, plus the make and model of the phone.
One in five policies do not cover gadgets stolen from an unattended home or car.
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