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Pakistan’s invest2innovate (i2i) Ventures is launching its first $15-million fund in the country. It is also making its first investment in Mauqa Online, an Islamabad-based startup offering domestic help services.
i2i Ventures is Pakistan’s first female-founded institutional fund investing in Pakistani entrepreneurs. The VC is led by Kalsoom Lakhani and Misbah Naqvi, former investors and entrepreneurs with global experience in fintech, impact and social investing.
The fund is anchored by The Dutch Good Growth Fund’s “Investment Fund Local SMEs” (DGGF), a Dutch government fund-of-funds supporting frontier markets such as South Sudan, Nepal and Afghanistan. Other investors include high net-worth individuals (HNWIs) from the United States, East Asia and the Middle East.
i2i Ventures has declined to disclose how much it has raised in capital commitments so far. The VC firm, however, was previously aiming for a first close of $1-$1.2 million by end-2018.
i2i Ventures is built off the back of invest2innovate (i2i), Pakistan’s first startup accelerator. The 4-month programme has graduated a total of 41 startups since 2012, with an average of about 5-8 startups per cohort.
In an email interview with DealStreetAsia, i2i Ventures said it invests in startups across the accelerator (pre-seed) to Series A stage. Its ticket sizes are $50,000-$70,000 for the accelerator/pre-seed stage. The top 1-2 companies that graduate receive an investment of about $150,000, while those in pre-Series A and above receive between $500,000-$1 million.
“We have seen many startups in this market struggle with scale as they haven’t had the right partners and investors at the outset. We are committed to investing in Pakistani tech entrepreneurs at the seed level and supporting them as they grow their business and raise funding for post-seed and Series A rounds,” said Misbah Naqvi, co-founder and managing partner of i2i Ventures.
In a statement, i2i Ventures also announced that it is leading a six-figure seed investment in Mauqa Online, an Islamabad-based startup offering on-demand domestic help services on its platform. Karavan Partners also joined Mauqa’s seed round.
Mauqa Online is i2i Ventures’ first investment, and expects another five companies to join its portfolio in the next 18 months.
“As the fifth largest market in the world with a young population, rising consumer class and increasing smartphone penetration, Pakistan presents tremendous investment opportunities,” said Kalsoom Lakhani, co-founder and partner of i2i Ventures and founder/CEO of Invest2Innovate.
“Having operated in the region and industry for more than 8 years, it’s clear that the market is ripe for a founder-focused fund like i2i Ventures where shared goals, trust and open communication are deeply embedded into the investment strategy,” added Lakhani.
i2i Ventures is one of a few emerging VCs in Pakistan.
Last week, Sarmayacar, another Pakistan-focused VC, announced that it received $2.5 million from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group. The investment marks IFC’s foray into Pakistan’s venture ecosystem, and bourgeoning interest in the South Asian market.


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O'Neills to open its first Belfast city centre store creating 25 jobs
CO TYRONE sportswear manufacturer O’Neills is to open its first store in Belfast city centre, with the creation of 25 jobs.
The Strabane-based company, whose brand is synonymous with the GAA, is set to take over the former Virgin Megastore unit on Royal Avenue.
Including its Strabane factory store, it will bring the number of O’Neill’s retail stores to nine.
The sportswear company, which dates back to 1918, currently operates from the Kennedy Centre in west Belfast.
It is now the largest sportswear manufacturing company on the island of Ireland, supplying jerseys and sports gear for the vast majority of GAA county and club teams.
It also operates stores in Derry, Dublin, Newry, Craigavon, Magherafelt and Enniskillen.
The planned move onto Royal Avenue represents its first in the centre of Belfast.
The large unit on the corner of the CastleCourt shopping centre has been vacant since the closure of Simply Be/Jacamo in August 2018.
The fashion retailer’s Belfast store, which opened in 2014, was among 200 it shut across the UK. The company now operates solely online.
The large retail space was associated with Richard Branson’s entertainment chain Virgin Megastores for almost two decades.
Opening in the early 1990s, the store became a mecca for music and film fans in Belfast until 2007, when a management buy-out of the Virgin chain resulted in a rebrand as Zavvi.
The Zavvi store remained in the unit until it finally closed in January 2009.
Fashion retailer Republic later occupied the unit before Simply Be/Jacomo moved in during 2014.
The addition of O’Neills would represent a much-needed boost for Royal Avenue, which is slowly recovering from the impact following the fire in Primark’s Bank Building’s store in 2018.
Last year O’Neills said the addition of new stores in Derry and Craigavon had helped boost its sales by eight per cent.
The latest set of published accounts, which cover the 12 months to December 31 2018, show the company finished that year with an operating profit of £1.1m, adding 73 staff.
O’Neills workforce stood at 632 during 2018.
The company has now launched the recruitment drive for 25 people to fill vacancies in the new Belfast store.
In May 2019, O’Neills acquired Smyth & Gibson, the last remaining shirt-making factory in Derry. The Tyrone firm took on 20 workers who were facing redundancy, launching a new range of Derry Girl themed jerseys, which are now being manufactured in the Waterside factory.

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Cars get smarts
By 2020, there will be a 14% rise in ownership of in-vehicle entertainment systems, and a 28% spike in ownership of wearable fitness monitors, along with a 17% uplift in the number of homes equipped with connected surveillance cameras, according to the 2015 Accenture Digital Consumer Survey. However, a huge 83% of consumers say they have difficulty using intelligent devices, with one-fifth of owners of wearable health gear reporting set-up issues, one-fifth saying the devices don’t work properly, and one-quarter finding their kit too complicated.
And what about that big growth area, the connected car? “One of the key drivers for 4G networks is connected transportation, allowing motorists to treat their cars as an extension of their smartphones,” says Marcello Tamietti, connected vehicle lead, Accenture Digital. “This connectivity will enable drivers to share music and messaging services, as well as use apps to communicate with a vehicle remotely. Additionally, we’re going to see an increase in mwallet operations, supporting payments from drivers’ credit cards without the need to leave the vehicle, be it for food or petrol purchases.”


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After starting out by helping pilots get around, navigational device maker Garmin Ltd. is now more likely to aid a motorist in finding the quickest interstate or the nearest pizza parlor. But as drivers have snapped up millions of the satellite-reading devices for their cars, the surge in interest has attracted new and bigger players into what had been a rather isolated market. Now Garmin could need one of its GPS units just to keep from getting lost.
The Global Positioning System relies on 24 orbiting satellites maintained by the Defense Department for public use that allow users to triangulate their precise position.
At one time limited to pilots, boaters and the military, GPS units have become more commonplace as prices have come down and user-friendliness has gone up.
Research firm Strategy Analytics estimates that the number of GPS devices sold worldwide — including personal navigation units and applications built into cell phones and handheld computers — will grow from 18 million last year to 88 million in 2010. Garmin owns the U.S. title for personal navigation devices not built into dashboards, with more than 50 percent of the market.
Sony Corp. introduced its first GPS device this spring and Royal Philips Electronics NV, the biggest consumer electronics firm in Europe, has said it plans to get into the navigational game later this year. After-market auto parts manufacturers like Pioneer Electronics Inc., Kenwood Corp. and JVC Americas Corp. have followed suit.
Executives at Garmin, which is based in the Cayman Islands but headquartered in suburban Kansas City, say that while they respect the financial and brand-name power these companies have, they aren't too worried of being swept aside.
"Are they really focused on the markets we're focused on, or are they just trying to get in on the game because it's a growth business?" said Kevin Rauckman, the company's chief financial officer. He added: "Actually what they do is they do bring credibility."
Garmin plans to defend its position by continuing to roll out scores of new products — an expected 66 standalone models this year, compared to 55 last year, expanding the number and types of features.
"What we've done over time is try to make user interface and application and software as easy to use as possible," Rauckman said. "When the consumer sees what's available, they go, `Oh, this is easy to use and something I can take advantage of in my daily life.'"
When it started selling GPS units in 1991, Garmin was known mostly in the aviation and marine industries. It later made inroads to the outdoor and fitness crowd, selling handheld units that could keep mountain bikers from getting lost and help marathoners track their heart rate and calories burned.
That's what attracted Sean Staggs when he bought a Garmin Forerunner in February, figuring it would act as a training buddy as he jogged and biked around Kansas City.
Later, a friend pointed out that the device, which can track where a user has gone on a map and send the information to a computer, could help Staggs with the charity runs and bike rides he organizes for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
"That's been amazingly helpful," Staggs said, planning for an upcoming 150-mile ride between Kansas City and Sedalia, Mo. "I'm going to ride the route and when I'm done, the Garmin will have plotted the course and we can send that out to the participants."
But it's the driving segment that has really taken off for Garmin, pushing sales past $1 billion last year for the first time. While Rauckman said all of the company's market segments will see double-digit revenue increases this year, driving-related units now make up half of sales.
U.S. drivers have embraced the technology as devices have become more sophisticated with color screens, audio turn-by-turn directions and better user interfaces. Newer units now include weather and traffic information and future models could provide ratings of nearby restaurants and hotels or offer satellite radio and MP3 players.
"There's increased room for innovation in the years ahead," said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis at the NPD Group. As an example, he expects systems to direct drivers by landmarks, not just street names.
It also helps that prices are falling. Rubin noted that the average GPS unit sold for more than $800 last year but is now down to $664. Amazon.com Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. are selling a stripped-down Garmin for $200. Sony entered the market with a more bare-bones unit that sells for about $440.
Garmin also teamed up last year with Sprint Nextel Corp. to provide subscribers turn-by-turn directions over their cell phones.
Strategy Analytics researchers suggest those kinds of applications could lead to a drop-off in demand for standalone navigation units like Garmin's.
Rubin disagreed, saying there's still plenty of room in the industry. In either case, he said, Garmin appears well-equipped to deal with changes in customer demand.
He noted that when European GPS leader TomTom International BV launched a smaller and easier-to-use product last year, Garmin came out with the StreetPilot c300 series, selling for between $600 and $400, which "has become the most popular GPS unit in the marketplace."
Wall Street has noticed, almost doubling Garmin's stock price in the past year to around $100 a share. Shareholders have approved an August stock split.
"Garmin continues to grow faster than the market and has accelerated for the last two months," analyst Jeff Evanson of Dougherty & Co. wrote in a recent research note.
Looking ahead, Garmin officials see the next big challenge isn't new competitors but breaking more into the European market, where it has a little more than 10 percent share. Rauckman said the market is different from the U.S. because Europeans have had more experience with GPS technology and need it more because of the sometimes chaotic road systems there. In addition, Europe lacks ubiquitous retailers like Best Buy or Wal-Mart, forcing the company to focus on individual outlets in each country.
"We have sold 15 million units over the life of the company," Rauckman said. "We haven't arrived. Garmin still has a lot more market growth opportunities in the future."


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Australia on Thursday said it would become the world's first country to ban logos and branding on cigarette packets, sparking a furious response from the tobacco industry.
If you're shopping for a car, your first stop may be your smartphone. As consumers grow increasingly comfortable buying smaller items such as clothes and concert tickets from their mobile devices, some are also using their ...
The head of French telecoms operator Orange said on Wednesday it had been able to impose a deal on Google to compensate it for the vast amounts of traffic sent across its networks.
The Washington Post Co. reversed its slide and posted a quarterly profit on Friday despite a steep decline in advertising revenue at its flagship newspaper.
Twitter has unsealed the documents for its planned initial public offering of stock and says it hopes to raise up to $1 billion in one of the year's most eagerly awaited stock market debuts.
Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc., two Internet companies that have long cultivated relationships in Hollywood, are nevertheless placing ads on sites that feature pirated movies, TV shows and music, a new report says.
Thousands of people in Silicon Valley are unemployed and looking for work. But for tech workers with the right skills, work is looking for them.
Google Inc. launched its bid to dominate a world where the smartphone has replaced the wallet as the container for credit cards, coupons and receipts.
The United States Supreme Court will decide whether a startup company can offer live television broadcasts over the Internet without paying fees to broadcasters.
The number of active Internet users in Brazil rose two percent in January and more than 11 percent over the past 12 months to reach 47.5 million, IBOPE Nielsen Online reported Monday.


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SoundCloud’s plans to become a fully-fledged Spotify rival got a huge boost on Tuesday after the music sharing platform secured its first licensing deal with a major label.
The streaming service now has the rights to offer music from within the Warner Bros. catalogue and, as a result, has agreed to cough up royalties every time a track from a Warner artist is played.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the deal does not require Warner to make its entire catalogue available, while it also gives the label a vested interest in SoundCloud.
The German company was able to convince Warner to sign on the dotted line with a vow to launch a paid subscription service in the first half of 2015 to complement the existing ad-funded, free site. The deal could now open the floodgates and see other major labels jump into bed with SoundCloud.
A paid service will allow SoundCloud to create a revenue stream beyond its advertising income and subscriptions to the DJ-friendly SoundCloud Pro platform.
The deal comes following a newsworthy few months for the popular audio-sharing platform. Earlier this year Twitter was rumoured to be interested in acquiring the company, while last month SoundCloud made an accord with Twitter to embed audio clips within tweets.
Read more: iTunes Radio vs Spotify
Via: The Verge


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Facebook is opening nine holiday pop-up stores in Macy’s around the U.S. that will feature 100 digital-native brands and small businesses that have found success on Facebook or Instagram. In other words, there are some things about retailing that begs for high-touch, not just high tech.
According to Facebook, millions of people discover brands and products they love on Facebook and Instagram (which is owned by Facebook). The pop-up stores will allow customers to get up-close and personal with around 100 of these products. The digital-native businesses will have the opportunity to showcase their brands in a physical location, allowing shoppers to feel the brand’s clothing for themselves, according to Facebook.
The pop-up stores will be in Macy’s in the following cities
- New York City
- Fort Lauderdale
- San Antonio
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- San Francisco
Among the 100 products that will be featured
Image | TwoBlindBrothers.com
Image | Facebook


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Jaunt has been creating some of the more widely known VR experiences for the last year, from Paul McCartney’s concert to movies like Kaiju Fury. Until now, these experiences have, for the most part been passion projects and demos to show off Jaunt’s technology. But Jaunt’s content strategy changed significantly today as they announced the foundation of Jaunt Studios – a new arm of the company that is solely focused on developing, producing and collaborating on liveaction VR.
To lead Jaunt Studios, the company has hired Cliff Plumer, former CEO of Digital Domain and CTO of Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic; Plumer was also an early advisor to Oculus, back in the Kickstarter days and has been a board advisor to Telltale Games. In addition to Plumer, the company has recruited Lucasfilm alumni and entertainment industry veterans David Anderman and Miles Perkins. Former COO and General Counsel of Lucasfilm, Anderman has joined Jaunt as Chief Business Officer to lead the growth of Jaunt’s business and help the new content studio meet the significant demand for custom VR experiences. Anderman was named Variety’s Dealmaker of the Year in 2012 for his work on Lucasfilm’s acquisition by Disney. Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic veteran and Head of Corporate Communications, Miles Perkins, has joined Jaunt as Vice President of Marketing Communications.
“Entertainment and the way we consume content of all kinds, from film to music to sports, is evolving quickly, especially with the proliferation of smartphones. Virtual reality is already playing a huge role in the future of media and this is just the beginning,” said Jens Christensen, CEO of Jaunt. “Jaunt Studios will allow us to put more specific resources and expertise behind creative content, while at the same time the Jaunt team in Silicon Valley can continue to build best-of-class technology.”
For the studio’s launch, Jaunt has entered into a partnership with Condé Nast Entertainment. The two companies will be partnering up to create two virtual reality series that will explore “travel, lifestyle, fashion, sports and technology content.” Says Miles Perkins, “this is going to be a fantastic opportunity to do some things that are out of the box.” Right now details on what the series will be and what other projects the studio is working on are sparse, but we do know they are negotiating with “other top content partners” and they plan to announce more partnerships soon.
Like Beetlejuice, if you say ‘former Lucasfilm employee’ three times around me, you’re going to get a question about Star Wars. I asked Perkins whether they had begun any discussions about a VR addition to Disney’s expanding universe, and he told me they had not yet spoken about it but that he wouldn’t be surprised if Disney went that route at some point in the future. As a big Star Wars fan, I can’t wait for more news on that.
This new studio is one of a few content studios emerging in the space. The time in the industry is ripe for studios like these, trying to pave the way for a huge amount of content to be in place in time for the consumer releases. Content will be the determining factor in whether VR succeeds, this year or any year, so studios like this and Oculus Story Studio are a growing need for the industry.


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Today, the company behind the most widely used search engine on the internet unveiled the latest in their line of computers with the Chrome operating system. Dubbed the “Chromebook Pixel 2,” this new release by Google has a hefty price tag of $999, comparable to that of a MacBook by Apple. It is, however, a significant decrease from the first edition of the Chromebook Pixel, which had an introductory price of $1,299.
Some people have already praised the new edition of the laptop for the new and upgraded features it has to offer. The charger utilizes the USB Type-C port, having same-sized ends on the plug and device connector. This specific type of USB cord is able to charge a computer to capacity in less than 15 minutes, providing battery life that lasts up to 12 hours without the computer having to be plugged in. Hardware-wise, it has a body made of aluminum with a high resolution touchscreen and a keyboard with keys that light up on contact. It also has a relatively light weight, at only 3.3 pounds, making it lighter than other laptops known for being lightweight, such as the MacBook Pro, in addition to having a slim physique, being only 0.6 inches wide.
Another thing to note is the increased speed, thanks to 2.2 Intel Core i5 processor. A step up from the 1.8 Bridge Core i5 processor that was used for the original Chromebook pixel. The LS, which stands for “ludicrous speed” according to Google, edition of the new Chromebook has a 2.4 Core i7 processor, which makes it even faster. The LS edition of the Chromebook can be had for $1,299.
While it has found praise, Google has also drawn some criticism for the Pixel 2 as well. Mainly revolving around how the Chrome and Google Cloud operating systems that the Chromebooks function on are very internet-centric. Others have also expressed disdain over the relatively low amount of storage space, 32 GB to be specific. Some have suggested that the laptop will fail, if only because of the high price that is being asked for what is essentially a netbook. Still, others anticipate the release of it and say that they feel it would be money well spent due to the high speed, high-resolution touchscreen and other advanced features the new Chromebook will offer. Google is making up for the low amount of storage space on the computer by offering Chromebook buyers a free terrabyte of storage on their Drive platform to be used within three years of purchase.
In the past, the main source of appeal for the Chromebook was for being a lowly priced, bare bones alternative to other netbooks on the market, so Google making entries into the premium laptop market with their limited operating system has been met with a mixed response. Said decision has been met with some optimism, however. The Chrome OS offers an alternative to the long ubiquitous operating systems Windows and Mac, and one article writer noted that they believe Google is trying to say, “Hey! This is the best and brightest of what can be done with our operating system!” with the release of the Pixel 2. Google has yet to confirm a release date for the new Chromebook.
By Philip Cunningham
Photo by Joe Wilcox – Flickr License
Photo by neohippie – Flickr License


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At McKinsey & Company, consultants are trying to make the best of the current slowdown in business. While the firm has more experts available to work on projects than it did last year, according to Peter Walker, manager of the New York office, it has fewer new projects from clients. As a result, he said, McKinsey's younger associates are spending more time on internal and pro bono work.
Similarly, some consultants at Accenture, formerly known as Andersen Consulting, say that they do not have any projects to occupy them, and others have much less to do than they did six months ago.
Consultants at firms large and small, old and new, are suddenly finding themselves with time on their hands.
There is no shortage of challenges for them to try to help overcome, of course, especially in the e-commerce sector, which has spawned hundreds of new small firms that are now struggling to survive.Continue reading the main story
At the same time, established players need plenty of help in retooling themselves as providers of ''e-solutions.''
But consultants require not only problems to solve but also clients willing to spend. The slackening economy and the collapse of the e-business boom have caused many companies to cut back. This has forced consulting firms to shift resources to different kinds of projects, to look overseas for new business and to scale back their recruiting efforts as more of their existing employees remain in the nest rather than venture out on their own into the Internet jungle.
Clients, particularly manufacturing companies, ''are becoming very cautious buyers of consulting services because they are a variable cost,'' said Stephen Sprinkle, global director of strategy at Deloitte Consulting, a unit of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. ''The number of requests for new work has declined. We're seeing that, and I think almost all the competition is seeing that.''
Moreover, technology consulting firms are faced with heightened competition from big companies like I.B.M. and Electronic Data Systems, which are eager to take over operations for the growing number of companies that want to outsource their technology-intensive functions to cut costs.
Executives at the established consulting firms might have been pleased by announcements of losses, layoffs and restructurings at new-wave consultants, like Scient and MarchFirst, which grew explosively in recent years to help dot-coms and other businesses rush something -- anything -- onto the Web. Indeed, some analysts and consultants saw the suffering at these younger consulting firms as evidence that the larger, slower-moving firms had been on the right track all along.
But the traditionalists are not immune to broader economic conditions, either. Reliable information on profitability at consulting firms is not easily available because most are privately held. But A. T. Kearney, the management consulting unit of E.D.S., which is public, last week reported a 3 percent decline in earnings in the last three months of 2000, and only a 5 percent revenue increase for the year -- well below the industry norm, analysts said.
''No matter how you count it, it is not where we want to be,'' said Dietmar Osterman, chief executive at A. T. Kearney. The unsatisfactory results were largely caused by employee turnover that exceeded 30 percent during the first half of last year, when demand was strong, he said. Now, attrition is down to 12 percent -- but there is less to do, he added.
The same thing has happened at McKinsey and at most other consulting firms.
The current view in the consulting industry is that this slowdown is strictly short term, a result of clients trying to guess the direction of the economy before deciding how much they want to spend on consulting services this year.
''It slows down for consulting when companies are undecided as to what they're going to do,'' said Jack Sweeney, an editor with Kennedy Information, a company that tracks the consulting industry. ''If they know they're in a recession, they'll hire consultants to help them cut costs. So things could turn around this quarter as companies realize, hey, this could be a recession.''
Consultants say those swings in demand mean that over the long term, their business has become ''relatively recession-proof,'' Mr. Walker of McKinsey said.
Maybe the economy's storm clouds will produce that silver lining this time, maybe not. But there are at least three reasons the slowdown's effects are already apparent, consultants said. First, attrition rates at the firms have fallen sharply as opportunities to abandon ship to join start-ups or to experiment with a new job have dried up. Second, clients -- caught by surprise when the economy suddenly went into a skid -- have scaled back quickly, sometimes even canceling projects. And third, the first three months of the year are usually relatively slow.
Several business school career placement offices, which did not wish to be identified out of concern for their students who are applying for jobs, indicated that several consultants had already decided to reduce hiring this year.
Consulting firms are also responding to the slowdown by moving some employees to overseas locations where business is better, Mr. Sprinkle of Deloitte Consulting said. For example, demand for merger-and-acquisition advising has increased in Europe and Asia, he said, while it has fallen in North America.
Demand has also fallen in the United States for large-scale projects helping clients use technology to manage and track bills and inventory, and to handle other basic business functions, said Scott Hartz, global managing partner for management consulting services at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
''Those businesses have slowed,'' he said, as companies have pulled back from ambitious overhauls of their back-office operations in favor of improving efficiency.
By contrast, client demand for help in designing systems to manage customers -- to automate call centers, for example, or to manage and coordinate product sales conducted via the telephone, Internet and retail stores -- is still increasing as companies put greater emphasis on cost-cutting and streamlining their operations in response to the economic slowdown.
Indeed, one way companies try to improve efficiency is by hiring consultants to perform routine technology operations -- what consultants call outsourcing. Outsourcing may help technology consulting firms offset declines in revenue from advisory services, but it also exposes the firms to competition from technology companies that provide outsourcing and consulting services of their own.
An example of an outsourcing project is Cap Gemini Ernst & Young's agreement, announced in late January, to provide data management services to four New York City hospitals for $350 million over seven years.
Outsourcing is appealing because it is sure to be in greater demand as clients try to reduce costs by shedding operations that are too costly or unwieldy to operate on their own, said Terry Ozan, chief executive of Cap Gemini's North American business. Approximately 17 percent of Cap Gemini's revenue now comes from outsourcing, Mr. Ozan said, and that number is expected to grow to as much as 25 percent.
''The primary reason is companies are more often than not trying to focus on what is really key and strategic in their businesses,'' Mr. Ozan said.
But while outsourcing is a growing business and a relatively stable revenue source, its profit margins are probably only around 20 percent, and traditional consulting engagements can carry profit margins as high as 50 percent, analysts say.
Outsourcing is a competitive business, too. Companies like E.D.S. and I.B.M., which provide technology consulting services and design and build hardware and software products, have made outsourcing a central element of their business strategies. At E.D.S., outsourcing accounted for about 77 percent, or roughly $14.8 billion, of revenue in 2000, a company spokesman said.
Even as the rest of the market is slowing, ''our outsourcing business has a pretty strong potential,'' said John McCain, the president of the Internet consulting unit at E.D.S. Since clients view outsourcing as a way to save money, ''they come reaching to us for alternatives.''
Consultants are also threatened by computer makers who hope to provide consulting services to complement their hardware offerings. Hitachi bought the e-business consulting unit of Grant Thornton, a Chicago-based accounting firm, and Hewlett-Packard was on the verge of acquiring the consulting arm of PricewaterhouseCoopers until the deal fell through because of disagreement over price.
For I.B.M., outsourcing last year accounted for approximately $13 billion, 40 percent, of the revenue at the company's Global Services unit, said Douglas T. Elix, senior vice president of the unit. Consulting accounted for more than $10 billion.
And this year, the Global Services unit plans to hire some 11,000 new people, a mix of consultants, engineers and managers with experience in software design and installation. So while pure consulting firms are becoming more cautious, their rivals are building up their muscles.
''We hired over 20,000 people last year,'' Mr. Elix said, ''and we're still busy hiring.''Continue reading the main story


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Today, the world’s largest online retailer "Amazon" is unveiling a tablet "Fire".
The "Fire" may not have all the same features as an iPad, but will start at a much lower price. It will cost $199, compared to the iPad, which starts at $499.
The device will have a 7-inch display , and will run Google’s Android software, but it won’t have an embedded camera or microphone. Additionally, it will come with Wi-Fi, but not 3G.
The device will come with a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime, the company’s $79-a-year membership service that includes streaming video and free two-day shipping.
Sales of Amazon’s electronic books, movies and music on the device may help make up for the narrower profit margins that are likely to result from the low price, said Brian Blair, an analyst at Wedge Partners Corp. in New York
Amazon is unveiling "Fire" as competition for Apple iPad even after two major companies (RIM and HP) already tried and failed to compete with Apple iPad.
Do you believe that Amazon can compete with Apple iPad? You can share your thoughts thro' the comments.
And, Amazon announced the Amazon Kindle Touch, a device smaller and lighter than previous Kindles, with an infrared touch system.
Amazon also announced an even smaller, thinner, lighter and cheaper Amazon Kindle, that will retail in the US for only $79. The cheapest Kindle eReader has no keyboard or touchsreen.
Watch below the video of "Fire" Demo.
And, you can watch below the video of Amazon Kindle Press Conference held on September 28, 2011 at New York City.
Recently Samsung has agreed to pay royalties to Microsoft for using Android on Tablets as well as SmartPhone.
So, most probably Microsoft will force Amazon also to pay royalty for using Android. In this case, I am NOT sure whether Amazon will stick with the $199 for long time.
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5 videogame Franchises To Keep You Motivated
Multiplayer Games We Love To Play To Stay Connected
Come and see what free games will be available in March 2020 for PlayStation Plus members.
Come and see what are the free games will be available in March 2020 for Xbox Live Gold members.
New month means new free games and Playstation just announced the PlayStation Plus July line-up. This month is definetly a strange choice.
Hooray! The PlayStation Plus games for June got announced! PlayStation has released a video showcasing the games we can play this June. The games this month are Borderlands: The Handsome Collection and Sonic Mania. There are…
2 June 2020
1 June 2020
31 May 2020
30 May 2020


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GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks.
As part of Nintendo’s earnings report, the company shared new sales statistics for its most popular video games, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons is truly a phenomenon.
The game has now reached 31.18 million copies sold, which is a remarkable achievement for a variety of reasons, but perhaps most notably is that it reached that mark in well under a year. According to independent analyst Benji-Sales, New Horizons becomes the first console exclusive game in history to reach 30 million copies sold in a calendar year.
Even more impressive is that it reached the sales milestone in only 9 months, following its release in March 2020, so the figure is sure to grow even higher for its first 12 months.


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Based on name alone, the futuristic iris-scanning feature on the Galaxy S8 sounds like it would be the most secure way to lock your phone. Hacker Jan Krissler, who goes by the name Starbug, shows in a recent video that, despite the impressive technology in unlocking your phone with your eyes, the security system can be beaten with a relatively low-tech hack.
As the video shows, Starbug is able to take a infrared picture of a person’s face using the night mode setting on a regular point and shoot camera. Print it out on an ordinary laser printer and it fools the camera by placing a contact lens over the image to give it the appearance of an actual human eye.Read more
Cyberattacks against businesses operating in the UK are more prevalent than ever yet many customers may never become aware about major hacking incidents as the majority of firms are not required by law to report breaches to public bodies.
Survey results released by DCMS stated that "nearly half" of UK firms sampled had identified a "breach or attack" in the last year. It was carried out by Ipsos Mori and included 1,523 UK-based businesses in total. "While breaches do not always result in a material outcome, such as loss of data or network access, in cases where this does happen, it has a significant impact on the organisation," it warned.Read more
The tech industry has a bad case of four-wheel fever, and it looks like there's no cure in sight. Before too long, it will be impossible to buy a new car without an embedded LTE modem—ostensibly there for our convenience, but with the side effect of creating a new revenue stream from monetized data.
And then there's the self-driving car gold rush. Anyone who's anyone in the tech or automotive worlds is working on an autonomous vehicle, a list that now includes Samsung. The company has been granted permission by the South Korean government to begin testing an autonomous vehicle on public roads.Read more
Samsung just recently took the wraps off its latest flagship, the Galaxy S8. In addition to the super-slim bezels, tall screen, and speedy new Snapdragon 835 (or Exynos 9) processor, the device is also coming with a ton of biometric authentication options. You get a fingerprint reader, iris recognition, and face recognition.
With the public's first exposure to the Galaxy S8 happening a few days ago, it was only a matter of time until one of these biometric solutions had some holes poked in it. One of those holes is that Galaxy S8's face recognition can be tricked with a photo. At least this is what a video from Spanish Periscope user Marcianophone purports.Read more
Amber Rudd has called for the police and intelligence agencies to be given access to WhatsApp and other encrypted messaging services to thwart future terror attacks, prompting opposition politicians and civil liberties groups to say her demand was unrealistic and disproportionate.
The home secretary said it was “completely unacceptable” that the government could not read messages protected by end-to-end encryption and said she had summoned leaders of technology companies to a meeting to discuss what to do. Rudd refused to rule out passing new legislation to tackle encrypted messaging if she did not get what she wanted.Read more
Tech giants Apple, Samsung and Microsoft have broken their silence on the latest leak from WikiLeaks that revealed the CIA hacked into their products for surveillance purposes. Apple claimed to have previously addressed the vulnerabilities in their operating system, iOS, revealed in Tuesday’s ‘Vault 7’ leak from WikiLeaks.
“While our initial analysis indicates that many of the issues leaked today were already patched in the latest iOS, we will continue work to rapidly address any identified vulnerabilities,” the company said in a statement, urging customers to update to the latest version of iOS to ensure they have the most recent security updates.Read more
A malware attack which forced parts of the UK's largest hospital group offline has been blamed on a new form of malware, which bypassed antivirus software and infected the network.
A January cyberattack against Barts Health NHS Trust -- which incorporates five East London hospitals, 15,000 staff, and provides care to millions of patients a year -- resulted in a number of computer systems being shut down as a precaution. s a result of the attack, the Barts Health pathology system was taken offline before eventually being restored a few days later. The hospital said the virus didn't gain access to patient data.Read more
Mr. Krebs has some great images of a credit card skimmer found in the wild. This model uses Samsung phone parts and lays right over the Ingenico card scanners you’ve probably seen in stores.
The interesting thing is that these scanners also support chip and PIN technology but, as evidenced by the photo, it looks like the retailer disabled it essentially sending the scanner back into the 1970s and allowed the skimmer unfettered access. Chip and PIN scanners are ostensibly safer and therefore card skimmers have to work harder to get the goods. The particular model is quite realistic and automatically dumps data to a nearby Bluetooth device.Read more
Someone send Samsung's pr people some biscuits or something, they could do with a break.
Not only have the poor bastards had to endure the news that the company that they work for released a phone that can catch fire, but now a security firm called Context says that its Galaxy phones are vulnerable to an SMS attack that can be triggered remotely and turn users' devices into the sort of thing that young people in pyjamas are supposed to rescue from the floor of swimming pools. A brick. Context starts by telling us that Android phones are vulnerable to these SMS attacks and that the victim will be subjected to ransomware shakedowns.Read more
It's not necessary to break into your computer or smartphone to spy on you. Today all devices in our home are becoming more connected to networks than ever to make our lives easy.
But these connected devices can be turned against us, anytime, due to lack of stringent security measures and insecure encryption mechanisms implemented in these IoT devices. The most recent victim of this issue is the Samsung's range of SmartCam home security cameras. Yes, it's easy to hijack the popular Samsung SmartCam security cameras, as they contain a critical remote code execution vulnerability that could let hackers take full control of these devices.Read more


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7 August 2018
On the eve of New Zealand’s biggest electric vehicle convention, Renault New Zealand has confirmed plans to expand its range of its electric vehicles (EV).
Renault New Zealand General Manager, Henry Belt says the company will be at the EV World event and announces plans to expand its range of EVs from its current offerings: the Kangoo van and the Zoe compact car – to include the durable and practical Master van range.
“The interest in electric vehicles has been phenomenal, and we’re looking forward to talking to people about our current EVs and what Renault NZ have coming in the next few years,” he said.
The Kangoo Maxi Z.E. 33 EV makes its NZ public debut at EV World. One of the few smaller vans available in New Zealand with pure EV drivetrains, it is aimed at businesses looking to go electric with a styling edge that helps them stand out from the crowd.
The electric Kangoo retains all the clever load space design and functionality of its petrol and diesel equivalents, with a new motor and larger battery giving it a real-world range of up to 200 km on a single charge. Dual sliding doors, a revolving passenger bulkhead and lay-flat passenger seat all make the most of the Kangoo’s load space, allowing items up to 2.9 metres long to be carried.
The Renault Zoe’s is one of Europe’s best-selling EVs, and is making electric vehicle technology affordable for young families and empty nesters alike. The new Zoe Z.E. 40 Intens model has a 41 kW/hr battery giving a range of up to 300 km, 22 kW on-board charger and features regenerative braking, heat-pump style reverse air conditioning and Michelin ‘Energy’ tyres that maximise range by reducing rolling resistance.
Moreover, Renault New Zealand General Manager, Henry Belt also invites businesses and companies with a need for a medium-large load or people carrier to consider the Master Z.E van, which is expected in 2019.
The 2019 Master Z.E will feature a new motor and battery and an increased payload with 8-13 cubic metres of load space.
“For people in the market for a van with electric power in this size, Master will certainly be worth waiting for. Our message would be ‘come talk to use at the show’ and if you can hold off till 2019, the benefit will be obvious,” he said.
At the show, Renault will also display its Twizy quadricycle, a small EV with a focus on fun. Twizy is a personal mobility ‘statement’ vehicle, intended to show what is possible in the EV market.
All Renault EVs use the ‘type 2’ charging handle, which is becoming the industry standard.
“Our national head office team fully supports the Renault dealer network, providing training and information for sales and service of electric vehicles at our dealerships,” he said.
Total New Zealand EV vehicle numbers are heading for 10,000, rising from a base of 1,600 just two years ago. Half of those vehicles are used in the Auckland region. Renault’s expansion of its presence in the EV vehicle market aims to meet increasing demand for EVs and is supported by specialist trained staff at its Mount Wellington head office.
“We have seen a massive growth in the market for EVs and it’s a new and exciting direction for all manufacturers – our team at EV World is very much looking forward to meeting prospective new customers and showing our current vehicle range,” said Mr Belt.
For more information, please contact:
General Manager, Renault New Zealand
+64 27 448 7030
Renault New Zealand electric vehicle models currently available
Version Engine Transmission Price
Zoe Z.E 40 LR Electric RG/FWD $68,990
Kangoo L2H1 Maxi Electric RG/FWD $74,990
Kangoo L2H1 Maxi Electric RG/FWD $77,990
Renault New Zealand
Renault is part of the world’s biggest global alliance of automotive brands. The company was established in France in 1898 and now offers a range of award-winning models. The Captur small SUV has been best seller in its class since launch in 2013 and has garnered numerous awards. Locally, the Trafic Van was named Van of the Year in Light Commercial Vehicle magazine 2017; the larger Renault Master Van was Driven magazine’s Van of the Year 2017.
Renault has a proud heritage in motorsport that is apparent in the sporting influences evident in its modern vehicles. The company is a multiple Formula One champion, has long been a rally winner at World Championship level and dominated touring car racing in Europe and the UK.


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The Lenovo ZUK Edge smartphone some images and specs leaked earlier and now the Lenovo finally confirmed the launch date this upcoming Zuk Edge smartphone. This upcoming flagship smartphone of Lenovo will be officially unveiled in December. Last week, the Lenovo-owned company’s CEO revealed that the Zuk Edge would be announced this week. This new information also comes from the CEO Chang Chen, who made the invite you can see to the left public.
A new device by the Chinese company, Lenovo has surfaced online on the Weibo dubbed as Lenovo ZUK Edge. The Chinese social networking site Weibo is revealing the design and build of the device. The rendered device has displayed ZUK branding on display. Check out the alleged ZUK Edge price, images, and specifications from the below-mentioned details.
There are two pictures surfaced on the web. Both of the pictures are of low-quality and almost blurred. But the leaked images displayed negligible bezels on both sides of the device along with a wide home button can be seen at the bottom. The volume rockers and power button can be seen on the one hand. Dimensionally, the smartphone measures a 142.9 × 74.5 × 7.68mm and weighs 160g.
Now, the Lenovo VP (Vice president) confirms that the ZUK edge will be powered by 2.15 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor. The device runs on the Android 7.0 Nougat operation System with ZUI 2.5.081. It comes with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage that can be further expandable via MicroSD Card.
Lenovo new images revealed by the Lenovo’s vice-President on Weibo.
Earlier Updates: –
If we talk about the alleged Lenovo ZUK Edge specifications and features. The leaked ZUK Edge with model number Z2151 is listed on the TENNA with some basic specifications. The phone flaunts a 5.5-inches FHD dual edge curved display. Under the hood, it is powered by a 2.35 GHz Snapdragon 821 processor with 4GB of RAM.
For the storage, it will come in two variants i.e. 32GB and 64GB that can be further expanded up to 128GB via microSD card slot expansion. On the software front, the leaked GSM-based handset runs on Android 6.0 based Marshmallow operating system out of the box with ZUI on top of it.
Concerning to the photography department, the leaked Lenovo ZUK Edge camera section features a 13-megapixel camera at the rear end with LED flash light that can shoot 4k video. On the other hand, it will come with an 8-megapixel front facing camera for the selfies and video calling. To power the entire smartphone, it is backed by a 3000mAh battery with Quick Charge technology.
For the connectivity, the dual SIM based handset includes 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4/5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.1, GPS and USB Type-C. The sensors that will sit on the smartphone’s – Fingerprint sensor and heart rate sensor for the self-automation. Unfortunately, the listing doesn’t reveal anything about the Lenovo ZUK Edge price, release and launch date. The handset is expected to come in Black and White color variants and to be announced as early as December 2016. Till then, stay tuned to DLB Gadget for more details.
|5.5-inches FHD dual edge display|
|Processor||2.15 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 Processor|
|OS||Android 7.0 Nougat|
|Sensor||Fingerprint Sensor, Heart Rate Sensor|
|4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS|
|Dimensions||142.9 × 74.5 × 7.68 mm|


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Nov 29th, 2015 by fotobug
Happy Thanksgiving to our friends in the USA and greetings to all!
Welcome to The Fotobug Podcast number 143! In current news, camera manufacturers have been declaring decent profits, but digital camera sales have been declining. The trend seems to be toward mirrorless cameras. Polaroid is suing GoPro over the new Hero 4 Session which Poloroid claims is a copy of The Cube. Medium format camera maker, Hasseblad has sold a minority stake to DJI Technology in China which makes the popular Phantom UAV. National Geographic just announced a lay-off of nearly 10% of its workforce due to a cost cutting measure after it was acquired by Rupert Murdoch.
Nov 1st, 2015 by fotobug
Welcome to our coverage of the Black Hills Photo Shootout in Rapid City, South Dakota. But first, the latest photographic news! Lenstag now has a subscription option for $2.00 a month of $19.00 a year - currently by invitation only. There is now a Kickstarter project to produce a DSLR-like case for the GoPro camera. Flickr demonstrated an early preview of a 'virtual reality experience' designed for viewing 360-degree panoramic photos. Sony has introduced the Alpha 7S II, a second iteration of its video-centric Alpha 7S. DJI has announced a pair of Micro Four Thirds aerial cameras including a model that can shoot lossless 4K Raw footage. Photographer and designer Philipp Schmitt has created a concept camera called 'Camera Restricta' with a unique feature: it won't allow the user to take a picture in an area where too many other photos have been taken. Finally, Apple has launched the long-rumored iPad Pro. Watch the podcast for more details!
Corel has released a new brush plugin for PhotoShop called ParticleShop. It uses Corel's Painter Particle brush technology to create photo-realistic effects like smoke, dust, fabric, fire, hair, lighting and fur. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have come up with a theory for a new way to solve the issue of bright skies burning out in a landscape photograph. Tune into the current podcast for more details!
Photographer's Ephemeris IOS & Android $8.99
Catching up on the latest photography news, SNAPP guides are coming which will connect photographers to the best locations for photos. From our friend, Luka Esenko and we will soon be following up with him when it is released for IOS and Android. Canadian viewers, listen up! Lens Rentals Canada is closing permanently, according to a statement issued by owner Craig Blairy. He cites logistical issues and personal reasons, saying numerous problems with the business 'didn't make it a fun endeavor'. The LxMeter from Italian manufacturer Optivelox has introduced an accessory that turns your smartphone into a light meter. Olympus has patented a technology that records polarization information directly on the sensor itself. DJI has announced a new camera UAV called the Phantom 3 Standard for $799. Tune into the podcast for more details!
Welcome to The Fotobug podcast number 137! In the news this week. another person in Kentucky shot down a UAV hovering over his backyard and was arrested with criminal mischief and wanton endangerment. Trey Ratcliff's photo walk in Atlanta was interrupted by the Atlanta police and the group was asked to stop taking pictures and to disperse. This happened in Centennial Olympic Park and they were told photography wasn't allowed in the public park! Canon has introduced a new ultra-high-sensitivity camera that features an ISO of over 4,000,000 (million)! Canon has also taken the main DSLR awards for the best products of the year as voted by the prestigious European Imaging and Sound Association. The EOS 7D Mark ll won 'European Prosumer DSLR Camera' while the EOS 5DS/5DS R won the award for 'European Professional DSLR Camera'
The news this week starts out on a down beat for owners of Adobe's Creative Suite 6, as the company announces its upcoming Camera Raw 9.1.1 update will be the final version available for the software. In more up beat news, Trey Ratcliff and Peak Design are now working together on a Kickstarter project for a new camera slash travel bag called the Everyday Messenger. If you post on FLickr, you might be interested to know that Flickr has re-introduced its Pro level membership after an account structure re-organization removed the option for most site users, but new subscribers are subject to the same 1TB cap applied to free accounts. Google launched the stand-alone Photos app with unlimited storage in May. Now it has announced it will be phasing out its predecessor, Google+ Photos. More details on the current news in the podcast!


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GLOC-9 On Selling Fried Chicken And Other Goods: "Wala Kang Dapat Ikahiya"
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic which has greatly affected our livelihoods, a lot of us are finding ways to earn some income while still stuck in quarantine.
Rap phenom Gloc-9, who's been busy promoting his ventures including fried chicken, shirts, and online workshops, took to Facebook to teach a valuable lesson about being flexible most especially during these hard times. According to the "Walang Natira" hitmaker, a fan asked him why he resorted to selling his own goods online. "Idol bakit ka nag bebenta ng kung ano ano? Hindi bagay sayo"
Akala nyo content lang no?! Heto na!!! Sa halagang P350 matitikman nyo na ang #friedchickennigloc9 ORDER NA!!!! Just txt 09399236246 @kusinanijuvy #bikonijuvy #menudoninanay #bopisonearth *** Fried chicken ni gloc9 (Talagang puwede) Fried chicken ni gloc9 (Sige lang sige) Lutong panalo Ubod ng lutong Sa sobrang sarap Kulang pati tutong Fride chicken ni Gloc!!! 🍗🍗🍗🚨🚨🚨🔥🔥🔥
"Wala namang masama siguro doon diba?" Gloc answered, later revealing that he used to clean toilets and sewers to earn a livin before becoming one of Pinoy rap's most recognizable and decorated artists. "Alam mo ba na kasama sa trabaho ko noon bago ako mag rap ay mag linis ng basurahan, kubeta at kanal?"
He continued: "Tandaan nyo mga kababayan iba na ang panahon natin ngayon kailangan nating lumaban para mabuhay para sa mga mahal natin."
Gloc ended the post by telling his followers to not be ashamed of their jobs as long as it's noble. "Wala kang dapat ikahiya kung ang trabaho mo ay marangal at wala kang tinatapakang kapwa mo. Kaya natin ito! APIR!!!"
Check out Gloc-9 and KZ's MYX Music Awards 2017 performance of "Industriya" here:


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The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has filed a lawsuit against USDA secretary Tom Vilsack, on account of payments made by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) to the National Pork Board (NPB). The payments were made for the advertising slogan, “Pork: The Other White Meat”.
The National Pork Board purchased the slogan, which was developed by the NPPC, in 2006, paying $60 million for 20 years. Pig farmers make mandatory payments over to the NPB under the pork checkoff programme. HSUS is claiming that the deal means that NPB funds are diverted into industry lobbying efforts that the farmers do not support.
The lawsuit was filed against USDA secretary Vilsack because the USDA, working under the Pork Act, administers via the USDA’s agricultural marketing service all funding allocations, including the pork checkoff programme.
The NPPC react, HSUS lawsuit just latest bullying tactic
NPPC CEO Neil Dierks, in a statement, has said that the lawsuit has no merit, and is just the latest move by a n organisation that raises funds by preying on domestic pet owners, and then using those funds t attack legitimate farmers and meat producers.
“NPPC is reviewing the HSUS complaint, but it appears there is no legal merit to this claim, and it is another desperate attempt by the radical activist group to severely curtail animal agriculture and take away consumer food choices. What does merit concern, however, is the fact that HSUS preys on the emotions of domestic pet owners with deceptive advertising and fundraising. It raises money on images of abused puppies without homes, yet virtually none of those funds go to local shelters. Instead those dollars go toward multimillion dollar campaigns to attack family farmers and American meat production.
“This also is the latest bullying tactic by HSUS in its efforts to force NPPC to abandon its position on allowing farmers to choose production practices that are best for the welfare of their animals. Over the past few months, HSUS has threatened NPPC with a Federal Trade Commission complaint; filed notice of its intent to sue a number of hog operations over alleged emissions reporting violations; and charged that NPPC was responsible for the deaths of hogs in barn fires because the organization asked to give input on national fire standards for agricultural facilities. All of the allegations lack merit.”
Hillshire Brands and ConAgra seeks alternative for gestation housing
Hillshire Brands and ConAgra have announced that they will be joining the sow gestation crate ban. The companies are working with their suppliers and industry to find alternatives to gestation housing, and intend to have phased out the use of the sow gestation crates in ten years time. The company intends to implement a plan by the end of 2022.


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CHICAGO – May 30, 2012 – Addressing the growing demand for specialty size cans, Rexam announced that it is adding new production capacity for 12 oz. SLEEK® and 16 oz.
The latest investment in specialty size capacity is the conversion of a 12 oz. beverage can line to 12 oz. SLEEK in the company’s Chicago, Ill., plant. The 12 oz. SLEEK beverage can is one of the fastest growing specialty sizes in the industry, supporting growth in key beverage categories such as energy drinks, functional beverages and beer.
This conversion will also include the capability to produce 16 oz. cans, a size experiencing growth in a number of beverage categories.
This new capacity will be available in the fourth quarter of this year and further complements the company’s specialty portfolio which includes four SLEEK can sizes, three different re-sealable options within the Rexam Cap Can™ family, 16 oz., and industry leadership in the popular 24 oz. size.
“Brand marketers are increasingly realizing volume and pricing success with specialty size cans,” said Andre Balbi, president and CEO, Rexam BCA. “Capacity expansions like these represent our commitment to our customers in helping them take advantage of beverage category growth to build their brand and business.”
Rexam is a leading global consumer packaging company. We are one of the leading global beverage can makers and a major global player in rigid plastic packaging. We are business partners to some of the world’s most famous and successful consumer brands.
Our vision is to be the best global consumer packaging company. Rexam's sales from ongoing operations in 2011 were in the region of £4.7 billion. We have more than 80 plants in 25 countries and employ close to 19,000 people. Rexam is a member of the FTSE 100 and its ordinary shares are listed with the UK Listing Authority and trade on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol REX. For further information, visit www.rexam.com


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CPhI China opens as country invests in R&D
Posted: 22 June 2015 |
CPhI China, hosted by UBM EMEA and CCCMHPIE, returns to the Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre, SNIEC, China from 24 to 26 June 2015…
CPhI China, hosted by UBM EMEA and CCCMHPIE and co-organised by UBM Sinoexpo, returns to the Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre, SNIEC, China from 24 to 26 June 2015.
The event celebrates a decade in partnership with P-MEC China and will co-locate with ICSE, BioPh, Innopack, LABWorld, Fi Asia China and Hi China.
One of the largest pharmaceutical markets in the world, China is now the leading international producer of pharmaceutical ingredients, and is forecast to reach a staggering $154 billion by 2018. The domestic industry continues to expand at a double-digit rate, driven by improvements in intellectual property protection, increased Government support for R&D, alongside a gentrifying population, expanding medical coverage and growing exports.
This eight-shows-in-one event brings China’s entire pharmaceutical supply chain together in one location, with global suppliers of raw materials, ingredients, packaging solutions, machinery, manufacturing and more present – over 30,000 visitors are expected to attend.
CPhI & P-MEC China provides the perfect platform to harness the market’s considerable opportunities and has evolved and grown alongside the market for the last 15-years – 2015 sees the floor space expanded to 140,000 square metres, accommodating over 2,800 exhibitors from 100+ countries. An extensive programme of 80+ conferences, summits and seminars will feature across the three-day event, including the 6th China World CEO Summit; 2015 Pharmaceutical R&D innovation and Outsourcing Management Conversation; and 2nd BioPh China Summit 2015, to name just a few.
“CPhI China is an excellent exhibition for manufacturers, buyers and traders, and for sourcing new business; I very much appreciate this type of gathering. Hopefully, CPhI China will continue to return here for a long time,” said Munshi Darul Islam, Proprietor & CEO, Total Pharma/Total Herbal & Nutraceuticals.
Huge opportunities in China for growth, exportation and development in the pharmaceutical market
The CPhI China mobile app, well defined zoning system and the 5th Buyers sourcing event enable attendees to efficiently schedule their time at the show and traverse the diverse range of contacts and businesses. These services aid on-site navigation and help visitors to arrange one-to-one meetings, gather new leads and cement existing business contacts.
Erik Heemskerk, Brand Director at UBM EMEA, commented, “CPhI & P-MEC China continue to expand and meet the demand of the nation’s burgeoning pharmaceutical market. There are huge opportunities in this region for growth, exportation and development, particularly with the Government’s backing to boost the R&D sector. This event plays a critical role in bringing together both domestic and international buyers and suppliers to sustain new business partnerships and continue driving innovation.”
Highlights of CPhI & P-MEC China 2015:
- Co-location with ICSE, BioPh, Innopack, LABWorld, Fi Asia China and Hi China
- New Pharma logistics zone
- Meet with key pharma executives from across the globe and network with potential business partners
- Extensive programme of conferences, summits and seminars gives great opportunity to learn about the latest innovations, technologies, trends and developments
- CPhI China mobile app and 5th Buyers sourcing event to enable attendees to efficiently schedule their time


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Energy news from Omaha Public Power District
The new public DC fast chargers in OPPD's service territory can fully charge a vehicle in about 30 minutes
Electric vehicles are the wave of the future, and OPPD has your guide to everything EV.
The program gives rebates when customers purchase both a vehicle and charging station.
The program teaches students the benefits of electric vehicles, how they work and environmental benefits
OPPD is again offering its popular EV rebate program, with an additional rebate for businesses who convert their fleets to electric vehicles.
OPPD has secured money to help bring more electric vehicle chargers to locations within the utility’s service territory.
Copyright © 2019 OPPD
Subscribe and receive updates on the latest news and postings!


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American e-cig giant Juul halts Indonesia sales
Juul Labs Inc is halting sales in Indonesia, citing concerns that it can't stop retailers from selling its high-nicotine e-cigarettes to young people in a largely unregulated tobacco market.
Juul disclosed its Indonesia plans to Reuters as the news organization was inquiring about the company's marketing to younger customers there and in the other two Asian countries where it operates - the Philippines and South Korea. A Reuters review of Juul's Asia marketing found that the firm has promoted e-cigarettes in ways similar to those that raised the ire of regulators in the United States.
Juul said in a statement that it would suspend Indonesia sales "indefinitely" until it could ensure that online and traditional retailers there will "increase and enforce age restrictions and compliance measures."
The firm's decision to retreat from the world's fourth most populous nation - which has not been previously reported - marks a major setback for Juul's larger plans to expand in Asia. The region has been seen as critical to the company's growth amid mounting US legal and regulatory problems over its role in the nation's youth vaping epidemic.
Juul had launched in Indonesia just seven months ago because it was attracted to the nation's permissive regulatory environment, according to a former employee and another source familiar with its Asia sales strategy. The company had targeted customers aged 19 to 35, according to those two sources and a current Juul employee.
A Juul spokesman said the company only wants adult smokers to use its products.
The Indonesia decision comes after Juul said last month that it was "reviewing our strategies and operations" in South Korea - where the company has faced regulatory scrutiny - because of disappointing sales. Juul has also held off on planned expansions in the Netherlands and New Zealand. The company said it is taking a "methodical approach" in reviewing its overseas operations on a country-by-country basis.
In Asia, Juul has continued to sell the fruit- and dessert-flavored nicotine "pods" that it has voluntarily pulled from US store shelves amid a hail of criticism over their appeal to youth. In Indonesia, Juul has marketed its products in movie theaters and malls frequented by young people, selling its e-cigarettes at kiosks and in sleek, Juul-branded retail shops that mimic Apple stores. The firm has also hired "ambassadors" - often attractive young women - to promote Juul in bars and nightclubs. As recently as last month, Juul was installing kiosks in Jakarta office buildings catering to young tech employees and running advertisements for Juul flavors in office elevators.
Retailers in Indonesia and the Philippines have allowed online sales of Juul devices and pods with no age verification, according to a Reuters review of Juul products advertised for sale on Asian e-commerce platforms. Juul said it did not authorize any sales without verification and has a team that works to remove unauthorized online listings.
Juul did not answer detailed questions from Reuters about its Asia marketing efforts and their appeal to young people. The company said in a statement that it is "committed to advancing the long-term potential for harm reduction for adult smokers while combating underage use."
In recent months, the company's stricter approach to marketing in the United States has made it difficult for those in overseas markets such as Indonesia to market in the same way and meet sales targets, the employee said. The company has taken a more cautious approach to international expansion under new CEO K.C. Crosthwaite, the person said, compared to an earlier approach of opening new markets as fast as possible.
The company is exploring expansions in Vietnam and Japan later this year, the employee said. A Juul spokesman confirmed the company is monitoring the regulatory environment in Vietnam but said it currently has no plans to launch there. The spokesman declined to comment on Japan.
A LOSING BET ON INTERNATIONAL MARKETS
International expansion has been seen as crucial to Juul's future as the company's US problems have caused investors to slash growth forecasts. Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc - which bought a 35% stake in Juul Labs Inc in December 2018 for $12.8 billion - has since marked down its value by a total of $8.6 billion.
Altria executives were initially bullish on Juul's international prospects. In an earnings call soon after the Juul deal, Altria CEO Howard Willard said he expected Juul's international revenue and profits to eventually be "as large as or larger than the US opportunity."
Those prospects have dimmed, however, as some overseas regulators took note of the widespread criticism of Juul in the United States. India banned e-cigarettes last fall, citing the US epidemic of youth use, and countries such as Malaysia are considering similar restrictions.
But Indonesia - until now - had been seen as one of the company's biggest opportunities. The country of nearly 270 million people has among the world's highest smoking rates and weakest regulations, imposing no penalties for selling cigarettes to minors.
In an interview with Reuters in July, when Juul launched in Indonesia, the company's executive running the Asia Pacific region, Ken Bishop, acknowledged that attracting young adult smokers was important to its success there.
"That is typically where we see the initial interest," he said, adding that eventually the product would appeal to "any demographic" including longtime smokers.
Bishop also emphasized the importance of preventing sales to teenagers.
MARKETING AT MOVIES, DANCE CLUBS
Just before a November screening of the movie Charlie's Angels in downtown Jakarta, Indonesia, teenagers who filled the theater watched one ad for an e-commerce site that featured Korean boy band BTS, another for spicy instant noodles, and a third for Juul e-cigarettes.
"Odor-free, tar-free, mess-free," the voiceover said as colorful displays of mint and mango flavors for the "#1 Vaporizer in America" flashed across the screen.
Juul said that Charlie's Angels was a 17-and-up film in Indonesia and that it has stopped cinema advertising in the last two months. Juul did not answer questions on what age group it aimed to reach with the movie ads or why it stopped them.
Juul hired its 150 "brand ambassadors" through a marketing firm to promote its products in night clubs, restaurants, supermarkets and convenience stores, according to the three people familiar with its Asia marketing strategy. Through a contract with Indonesian marketing firm Nava Plus, the ambassadors charged 2000 rupiah (the equivalent of $0.15 in US dollars) for sample hits on a Juul at places such as the swanky Omnia Bali nightclub. Nava Plus did not respond to requests for comment.
Such efforts reflected the goal of reaching customers in their 20s and early 30s by pitching the device as a trendy lifestyle product, according to the three sources. The campaign mirrors early US promotions at music festivals and other events catering to young people, which have since become a focus of government investigations into Juul's marketing.
Juul has denied it ever targeted teenagers in any country, but the company has acknowledged that those early US campaigns focused on young adults aged 25 to 34 - a strategy company executives later called a mistake.
Instagram posts last August promoting Juul's largest Asia store in Town Square Cilandak, a Jakarta mall, evoked a club scene, with dance music playing in the background of a promotional video with the staff, and slogans reading "come now and feel the experience." Juul said the Instagram post was developed by the mall, not the company, without explaining how Juul store employees were featured without its consent. The company said it requested that the post be taken down after Reuters inquired about it.
The Town Square store is located across from an ice cream shop. Near another Juul store, in the upscale Plaza Indonesia, a miniature train takes children through the mall.
Juul has also launched its own branded stores and kiosks in Indonesia, South Korea and the Philippines, which have a sleek, modern vibe. Buyers can engrave their names for free on Juul devices, and the shops are staffed by vendors who are typically in their 20s, wearing black-and-white uniforms embroidered with the Juul logo. They almost invariably serve customers about the same age, three clerks at Juul stores in popular Jakarta malls told Reuters.
The flavors Juul stopped selling in the United States amid criticism remain a hit among young Juulers in Asia. Sungwon Cho, a 26-year old photographer in Seoul, started using Juul in April because it was more convenient than traditional cigarettes and "didn't smell bad."
"I like the sweet taste," he said. "It feels like I am vaping a candy or jelly."


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OnePlus 5T’s predecessor OnePlus 5 will soon have the Face Unlock feature due to users demand. This is good news for the phone owners whose handsets just received Android Oreo treatment on Christmas.
Late this year, the company introduced OnePlus 5T with the Face Unlock Security feature, this led to the OnePlus 5 users demand the feature as well.
Over the weekend, Carl Pei, the Company’s co-founder took to Tweeter and told the fans that OnePlus 5’s face ID is coming soon.
The company announced the good news just weeks after rolling out OxygenOS 4.7.4 to OnePlus 5T earlier this month.
The feature is similar to the iPhone X’s Face ID feature. Although it is not as secure as Apple’s, it adds another layer of protection to the Smartphone that already has a fingerprint sensor built into the OnePlus 5’s home button.
Unlike other phone companies, OnePlus has set an example of being attentive to its customers requests. The company does not restrict the newest features to its latest phones but keeps the slightly older model up to date with the latest features.
OnePlus 5 and 5T Similarities /Differences
As pointed out by Android Police, OnePlus 5 came before OnePlus 5T, but the two are similar regarding hardware. The only differences between the two are:
- OnePlus 5T screen display stretches a little taller to fit a 6-inch display.
- OnePlus 5T has a slightly updated dual back camera, but the selfie cameras for both phones are the same.
The feature does not work as a sensitive transaction or payment security. Instead, it is designed as a phone’s lock or unlock security feature. According to the Verge report, unlike Apple, OnePlus isn’t forcing the Face Unlock feature to the users as the only biometric system. OnePlus users can use either the fingerprint sensor or the Face ID to unlock the phone.


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Many locations will be open on Thanksgiving, including the pharmacy, though customers are advised to check for specific hours.
Spectacular savings from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Stores will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
Save big from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Most stores will be open from 6 a.m. to midnight.
For any last-minute crafts, Michaels opens from 6 p.m. to midnight.
Most of the clothing store’s locations will open at 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving and stay open through Black Friday.
Non-24-hour stores may operate on holiday schedules with reduced hours. Pharmacy hours can vary.
Many stores will be open for modified hours on Thanksgiving.


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The pink slips started going out at the Walt Disney Co. Wednesday, confirming previous reports that the Mouse House is laying off staff at its studio, L.A. Biz reports.
The announcement didn’t say how many would lose their jobs or what divisions would be affected, but Variety and The Wall Street Journal previously reported that around 150 workers will be laid off in home entertainment, production, distribution and marketing.
Last week, rumors of job cuts at Disney’s studio operations were reported by Reuters and Disney also decided to close the LucasArts division, which was part of its $4 billion Lucasfilm deal.
Walt Disney Co. operates Walt Disney World in Orlando, including the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot theme parks.
Read more on the layoffs at Disney (NYSE: DIS) from L.A. Biz.


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Jackie Reina has been a staple at the Fairfield Inn Paramus for more than 30 years as the Executive Housekeeper.
Category: Associate Spotlight
Hilton Aventura Miami was proud to host the Full-Service hotels in our own version of the Iron Chef Challenge, Battle of the Chefs.
The first Thursday of each month is a day Playa Largo Resort associates look forward to.
The Hilton Aventura hotel recently launched the Meet & Greet With Kai program.
Executive Chef Philip Thompson at the new Hilton Aventura hotel was interviewed by 7 News Miami about Gala restaurant.
Jodie Hutchins and Stacey Somerville had to the opportunity to attend the Hilton All Suites Conference in Anaheim, CA – inviting the GMs and DOSs from the Home 2 Suites, Homewood Suites and Embassy Suites brands for this bi-annual event.
Last week, General Managers from Jeff Truhlar’s region assembled in Daytona Beach, Florida for a regional meeting.
Chef Allessandro Manfredini will be making a special appearance next month at the “Tastes of Tuscany” event at Penn State University.
On December 12, 2019 Chairman and CEO of Shanercorp was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by PSECU.
The Courtyard by Marriott Hershey Chocolate Avenue’s team headed by Food and Beverage Director, Emily Guise participated in the Hershey Partnership’s 16th Annual Soup Cook-Off.


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Stockholm, February 23, 2021 - Internet Vikings, a European global cloud hosting provider from Europe, has announced the launch of a cloud hosting platform in Singapore.
SoftSwiss Game Aggregator statistics further highlight that cryptocurrency is currently actively used by the whole world, with increasing interest in Canada, Russia, and Latin America.
BetConstructhas been awarded as Mobile Services Supplier of the year at EGR because of their dedication to making igaming industry even more innovative and robust.
The partnership will enable CasinoEngine’s vast operator network to access new tools for brand differentiation and the ability to launch innovative jackpot-based promotions across all their verticals.
The marketing campaign for ICE Africa 2019, the two day exhibition and conference developed by Clarion Gaming to meet the specific needs of the pan-African industry.
Betting on Sports is the biggest dedicated sports betting trade event in the world and is expected to attract 3,500 delegates from around the globe.
Casumo has partnered with FAST TRACK to implement the provider’s innovative CRM platform as the centerpiece of its CRM and player-engagement activities.
BtoBet has partnered with Fazi Interactive, with the leading iGaming platform provider set to integrate a new suite of content from the online slots and table game supplier.
Launch comes as part of long-term partnership which sees Playtech roll out its product & services to GVC’s top brands.
GrooveGaming has signed a content agreement with Vivo Gaming to integrate a broad portfolio of live dealer titles onto its bustling platform.


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We saw an odd job listing on Brewbound’s website last week. The Post Brewing in Lafayette is hiring a brewmaster, but wait, Bryan Selders is their brewmaster! Thankfully, in the first paragraph, it told of how Bryan is returning to coastal Delaware to go back to work for Dogfish Head.
Congrats Bryan, hope to see you out there next time we visit! I can’t wait to see what you come up with at that brand new brewpub.
Here’s the press release from Dogfish Head:
Off-centered brewery celebrates the return of our brothers-in-ales, Bryan Selders and Brian Hollinger
Milton, Del., — Dogfish Head Craft Brewery is proud to announce that two trusted and all-around awesome coworkers, Bryan Selders as Brewing Ambassador, and Brian Hollinger as Vice President of Operations, have come home to rejoin our hospitality and brewing teams. “Brian and Bryan were integral contributors to the success and growth of Dogfish years ago and we love opportunities like this; both of these gents have continued to grow as leaders and brewers after leaving Dogfish and they are bringing their expanded skills and experience back to our community of talented and passionate coworkers,” says Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head CEO and founder.
Craft brewing veteran Bryan Selders will return to Dogfish at the end of May in the new and exciting role of Brewing Ambassador with the beautiful new Rehoboth brewpub campus as his base camp. In his gig, Selders will continue to keep the pipeline of brewpub exclusive beers full, brew experimental beer with Sam and other Dogfish brewers, while also working to represent the brand at Dogfish Head hospitality locations and events. Selders first joined Dogfish in 2002 and has enjoyed a two-decade-long career in the brewing world, including his last stint with Dogfish Head as the Head Brewer. Selders, aka DJ Little Guy, along with Calagione, aka Funkmaster I.B.U., are founding members of The Pain Relievaz, the world’s one and only beer-geek, tongue-in-cheek, hip-hop ensemble. The Pain Relievaz rocked the mic for years, dropping an inaugural album in 2003 and a sophomore album in 2005. For a couple years, Selders took a short break from his Dogfish family as he explored creative endeavors in the graphic design world and management roles in the brewing industry. Joining Selders in his homecoming to coastal Delaware are his wife and children.
Dogfish Head is equally delighted to share that industry veteran, Brian Hollinger, will rejoin his team as the Vice President of Operations. In his new role, Hollinger will be charged with overseeing off-centered brewing, production, packaging and logistics. Hollinger originally joined Dogfish in 2009, working in various management roles in the engineering department. Brian was an effective engineering/brewing technology leader on the team that oversaw some of the biggest equipment and facility expansions in the 22 year history of the company. In 2011, he ventured outside of Dogfish to undertake and lead operations teams in a central leadership position at a southern craft brewery. Hollinger returns to Southern Delaware with his wife and daughter. For more information about Dogfish Head happenings, visitwww.dogfish.com.
About Dogfish Head:
Dogfish Head has proudly been focused on brewing beers with culinary ingredients outside the Reinheitsgebot since the day it opened as the smallest American brewery 22 years ago. Today Dogfish Head has grown into a top-20 craft brewery and has won numerous awards throughout the years including Wine Enthusiast’s 2015 Brewery of the Year. Today Dogfish Head is a 250+ person company based in Delaware with a brewpub/distillery in Rehoboth Beach, an innovative seafood restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, a beer-themed inn on the harbor in Lewes and a production brewery/distillery in Milton. Dogfish Head currently sells beer in 34 states and Washington D.C. and will expand into additional states in 2017. For more information, visit www.dogfish.com, Facebook: @dogfishheadbeer, Twitter: @dogfishbeer, and Instagram: dogfishhead


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AppsFlyer, the global attribution leader, released the 12th edition of its Performance Index, ranking the top media sources in mobile advertising. In this edition, Google extended its lead over Facebook at the top of the Retention Index’s Universal Power Ranking, which orders media sources by their ability to drive loyal users at scale. SHAREit took the top spot as the fastest-growing media source in the Middle East, followed by Digital Turbine and Bigo. For the 12th edition, AppsFlyer analyzed 580 media sources, 29 billion installs, and over 16,000 apps.
Accelerated digital transformation coupled with growing awareness of user privacy sparked changes in consumer behaviour in the Middle East
20 per cent drop in iOS installs among the vast majority of media sources
While Apple’s ATT framework ― which includes privacy features that will restrict how mobile apps gather data about users ― won’t be enforced until “early spring”, AppsFlyer’s Performance Index shows it is already causing shifts in consumer behaviour. The share of non-organic installs (NOI) — installs that occur as a result of marketing activities — on iOS dropped 20 per cent in the second half of 2020, compared to the first half of the year. The decline was widespread, impacting the rankings of 17 of the top 20 media sources on iOS.
At the same time, the share of organic installs on iOS remained unchanged, as did the number of apps running campaigns on the platform. For comparison, Android’s NOI share showed the opposite trend, increasing by 6 per cent over the same period.
A 30 per cent jump in the cost per install (CPI) on iOS in H2 2020 was a key factor behind the significant drop (Android cost increased by only 10 per cent). As a result, mobile app marketers generated fewer installs for the same budget. The rise in media cost for iOS users was driven by two main elements: an increase in demand due to accelerated digital transformation caused by Covid-19, and a decrease in supply due to a 40 per cent rise in the share of users who enabled Limited Ad Tracking (LAT).
“The increase in end users enabling Limited Ad Tracking (LAT) is likely due to the growing attention around user privacy in general and Apple’s privacy changes in particular,” said Shani Rosenfelder, head of content and mobile insights, AppsFlyer. “Networks that rely on iOS were impacted across the board, as were the advertisers using them.”
Google continues to grow on Android, Facebook’s quality across indices stands out
In the battle of the giants of mobile app marketing, Google extended its lead over Facebook on top of the Retention Index’s Universal Power Ranking. In the Middle East, Google also leads Facebook as the media source most likely to deliver users who monetize best with ads. Facebook took the top spot in the Remarketing Index in the region. The search giant’s share of the global non-organic app install pie increased by 15 per cent in Index 12, driven by its continued growth in Android, especially in developing markets.
Facebook’s share of the pie dropped 10 per cent in Index 12, mostly due to iOS losses (as part of an overall drop in iOS). However, when it comes to quality, the social network reigns supreme. It is ranked second in the average of quality metrics across all of the different indices.
Facebook’s retention score is 16 per cent higher than Google’s, mostly the result of a growing divide in Android and among non-gaming apps. On the gaming iOS front, Google narrowed the quality gap, but Facebook still has the upper hand.
Facebook continues to dominate the remarketing index, though Google has also demonstrated impressive growth and has significantly increased its efforts in this activity, growing its share of app remarketing conversions by 65 per cent in the second half of 2020.
Unity Ads established its dominance in the gaming battleground
Unity Ads pulled ahead of its gaming competitors ironSource and AppLovin, gaining ground on the Google-Facebook duopoly.
The gaming platform took over the #2 position in the Retention Index’s Global Gaming power ranking, overtaking Facebook. On the genre level, Unity Ads hit the number one spot in the power rankings for Hyper Casual, Arcade, Puzzle, and Word.
In the IAA (In-app Advertising) Index, which ranks networks based on their ability to drive users who generate revenue from ads, Unity Ads became the new number one media source in both the power and volume rankings, once again overtaking Facebook. The network’s success is propelled by a number one position in the global Hyper Casual power ranking — a genre that is completely reliant on ad revenue.
In the IAP (In-App Purchase) Index, where media sources are ranked based on their ability to drive a high share of paying users, Unity Ads held a top-three ranking in the Android Global Gaming power rankings in Action, Arcade, Puzzle, and Card, and in the iOS Global Gaming power rankings in Action and Puzzle games.
To access the full version of the latest AppsFlyer Performance Index, please visit: https://www.appsflyer.com/performance-index/


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Hilton Worldwide is the second hotel chain in recent days to admit it has been breached. The news follows Starwood Hotels and Resorts' breach disclosure.
Security firm iSIGHT Partners warns retailers that a silent thief may be in their point-of-sale systems, an assertion that at least one other security firm disputes.
Just before Black Friday and Cyber Monday, a report comes out claiming that the top 10 mobile payment apps are all missing critical security controls.
Dell installed a root certificate on new machines, in a security faux pas similar to Lenovo's Superfish.
Fortscale's user behavior analytics software can identify and eliminate insider threats by using machine learning, analytics capabilities and context-based alerting.
Zscaler finds two instances in which mobile malware authors are luring victims with lurid Android apps.
Starwood Hotels and Resorts is investigating data breaches at 54 locations. Attackers gained access to credit card information.
Zerodium reveals what it pays for a wide range of flaws, and surprisingly, its numbers aren't all that odd.
A recent ransomware operation uses an uncommon peer-to-peer system to collect data about users and distribute the important security keys to those who are willing to pay to get their data back.
New technology that is landing at Levi's Stadium takes a robust approach to physical security.
Although the author of Blackhole was arrested in 2013, the exploit kit has risen again as malware developers make use of leaked code from the software.
The startup exits stealth mode with a new approach to enabling security in the cloud.
NEWS ANALYSIS: Security experts say building in-depth cyber-defenses is the best way to resist the increasingly sophisticated attacks on enterprise networks.
The new facility will gather expertise from various Microsoft business units for proactive, intelligence-driven security services and software enhancements.
Cylance's security package, already in use by a number of government agencies, has been charted to stop a whopping 99 percent of malware and advanced persistent threats.


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According to SB Wire, “U.S. citizens have taken up to $11.38 trillion consumer debt [in 2012].” These consumer debts result from outstanding expenditures that exceed consumers’ income. There are two main types of consumer debt that stimulate economic growth: revolving debt (ie. credit cards), and non-revolving debt (ie. auto loans or mortgages).
Americans owe a combined total of $1.944 trillion in school, auto and furniture loans, alone. In terms of overall, American consumer debt profiles, the average household debt is $54,000, and the average credit card debt is $15,162. Furthermore, mortgage debts exceed $147,967 and the average student loan debt is $33,445. The US Census Bureau states that between 2010-2011, the median amount of household debt increased from $50,971 to $70,000.
In total, American consumers owe $7.88 trillion in mortgages, $914 billion in student loans and $846.2 billion in credit card debt. As of May 2013, 14.7% of American families have debt that exceeds 40% of their income and U.S. undergraduate students carry an average credit card debt of $3,173. Additionally, 1 in every 5 U.S. families has at least a single member indebted to banks.
For all your debt consolidation, debt settlement and credit counseling options, visit https://www.debtconsolidationusa.com/ today!