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The 15.6-inch device packs the appeal of Android, but houses dated specs and a dull screen.
The AKG K551s are closed portable headphones with an open, airy sound, but their relative lack of bass means they're actually better for use at home.
Watch Dogs is set to hit consoles on May 27, and self-proclaimed "Clueless Gamer" Conan O'Brien has your worldwide exclusive first-look at the game. Catch it here.
The bill was designed to curb NSA surveillance. But many groups withdrew their support after it was "watered down."
Having trouble adjusting to Firefox 29? If Mozilla’s overhauled browser is giving you fits, take a look at the Classic Theme Restorer extension.
A survey by Harris Interactive and Amazon studies how the different sexes approach mobile gaming -- one group is more competitive, boastful, and willing to pay for apps.
The company might not launch the long-awaited smartwatch, but could be partnering with Nike to deliver a new smartband that tracks activity -- according to a report.
The "Uncarrier" is out with a campaign to get its competitors to eliminate the fees charged when customers go over their allotted voice minutes, text messages, or data.
The company will let new and existing postpaid customers add an LTE slate to their existing plans and get nearly 1.2GB of free data through the end of the year.
The Officejet Pro X576dw delivers a generous serving of features exclusive to HP, including a new Pagewide printhead that grants it the speed benefits of a laser printer while maintaining the color print quality of an inkjet, making it worthwhile for offices shopping for a professional imaging solution.


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Holy-Field wines win medals at Florida State Fair
Holy-Field Vineyard and Winery in Basehor won nine medals at the Florida State Fair International Wine Competition this past weekend.
Holy-Field won gold medals for its Melody and Chardonel wines; silver medals for its Tailgate Red, Late Harvest Vignoles, Cynthiana and Vignoles wines; and bronze medals for its Tailgate White, Corky's Barrel and Chambourcin wines.
At the Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition in Kansas City, Mo., in late 2010, Holy-Field was one of two wineries in the country to win two of the 20 Jefferson Cups awarded. The Chambourcin won a cup for red non-vinifera wines, and the Late Harvest Vignoles won a cup for dessert wines.

domain: news


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Crypto Scammers Use Fake Websites in Latest Bid to Dupe Customers
Scammers in recent weeks have employed up fake cryptocurrency web pages to attempt to steal money from users, the latest tactic to emerge in what’s already been a costly year for crypto-related hacks. The sham websites – which masquerade as pages for popular services such as Coinbase, Gemini, Kraken and MetaMask – aim to dupe visitors into providing information that helps hackers break into their cryptocurrency wallets, according to researchers from the security firm Netskope Inc. Fraudsters deployed search-engine optimization tactics to promote the websites, which used URL addresses that closely resembled the legitimate sites and propelled the fake pages to the first page of Google’s search results, the researchers said. Google searches for phrases such as “kraken wallet” or “coinbase not working,” in the event the Coinbase site appears to be down, return results with the phishing links on the first page, according to a Bloomberg analysis. A fraudulent version of the Kraken wallet appeared in a Google search in a more prominent position than Kraken’s Twitter feed and Play store app.


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|Bid||0.00 x 200000|
|Ask||0.00 x 200000|
|Day's Range||17,400.02 - 17,674.00|
|52 Week Range||13,069.00 - 18,846.00|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||3,328.44|
|Dividend & Yield||N/A (N/A)|
|1y Target Est||N/A|
President Donald Trump attacked The Washington Post and Amazon on Twitter Wednesday, arguing that the online retailer was not paying "internet taxes."
The impact of the e-commerce giant’s Whole Foods deal on online grocery services is still unclear, but one thing is certain: Competition is heating up. From Instacart to Peapod, firms are racing to gain ...
Blue Apron, which makes and delivers premium meal kits, will go public. The price range of the IPO has dropped. Many blame Amazon’s (NASDAQ: AMZN) move further into the grocery business for the pessimism ...


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Some Apple employees have become disillusioned with the group's culture, where some have thrived while others feel sidelined.Technologyread more
Biden has shown staying power at the top of a jammed Democratic field even as polling numbers for Sanders, Warren and Harris wax and wane.2020 Electionsread more
The FDIC on Tuesday votes to approve a five-agency revision of the post-crisis regulation known as the Volcker Rule.Financeread more
The yield curve is the only economic indicator pointing to a recession, according to Credit Suisse.Marketsread more
Amid fears of a recession, Domino's Pizza CEO Ritch Allison said Tuesday that the U.S. consumer is still strong.Restaurantsread more
Stocks slipped on Tuesday as investors digested a sharp rebound from a strong sell-off last week.US Marketsread more
Makan Delrahim, assistant attorney general for the antitrust division, said several state attorneys general have spoken to the Justice Department about starting their own...Technologyread more
With the official launch of the Apple Card, Goldman Sachs has embarked on a multi-decade journey to becoming a leader in consumer banking, CEO David Solomon says.Financeread more
These are the stocks posting the largest moves midday.Market Insiderread more
The move comes as Facebook continues to grapple with its privacy practices and lawmakers' scrutiny over how it uses personal data to display ads. But it probably won't have...Technologyread more
For investors still haunted by last week's monster sell-off, the market's comeback is set to last, according to J.P. Morgan's quant guru.Marketsread more
PRAGUE, March 25 (Reuters) - Broadcaster Central European Media Enterprises (CME) said on Monday that it has launched a review of strategic options including possibly selling the company.
The announcement sent the company's shares surging more than 8 percent on the U.S. Nasdaq exchange.
The group, majority owned by AT&T, operates 30 television channels in five central and east European markets and has been slashing its debt burden in recent years. Its net debt dropped to $765 million by the end of last year from $1.1 billion in 2017.
CME shares jumped 6.5 percent in Prague after it announced its review, to 86.3 crowns, the highest since August 2018, and were up 8.1 percent on the Nasdaq.
"(Strategic alternatives) may include, among other things, the sale of part or all of the company, a merger with another strategic partner, a recapitalisation, or continuing to execute on CME's long-term business plan," the company said in a statement, adding it had AT&T's support.
CME, with a market capitalisation of $877 million at Friday's close on the Nasdaq, has seen profits rise in recent years and has forecast a 10-12 percent rise at constant prices in core profit, or operating income before depreciation and amortization (OIBDA), this year, from $222.7 million in 2018.
That has prompted analysts and investors to speculate it could soon pay dividends or announce share buybacks.
CME said the review did not have to lead to a transaction and there was no timetable for the process.
It said it had hired Allen & Company LLC and BofA Merrill Lynch as financial advisors, and Covington & Burling LLP as legal advisor.
(Reporting by Jan Lopatka; Editing by Susan Fenton)


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Our clients in the news: May 2016
Spring finally arrived in London come May (according to Google anyway), which meant people flocked to the parks to enjoy a beer in the sun, delighted that it was starting to warm up (well sort of).
While most people were enjoying the delights of London’s finest beer gardens, our clients were hard at work as usual.
Here’s a look at what they were up to.
This new (well, returning actually) TopLine client made waves in the media when it announced that it was expanding its US operations and that it had expanded its UK team.
Spencer Ogden, a leading international energy, infrastructure, and engineering recruitment firm’s launch of three new offices in Fort Lauderdale, New York City, and Alabama was covered on 10 individual occasions. Some of the most notable hits include Recruiter, Recruitment International and The Global Recruiter.
Meanwhile, the company’s announcement that it had appointed new senior managers for three key areas of the business was also widely covered. Among other publications, the story featured on APSCo and Recruitment International.
But Spencer Ogden didn’t stop there. The company’s co-founder and CEO David Spencer-Percival also gave some advice to Management Today readers on how to successfully guide your business through big changes.
In response to new figures from the Office for National Statistics showing that even more people are opting to go freelance or start their own business, the Guardian interviewed Mike Abbott, head of Sable Wealth on pension options for the self-employed.
Small business owners who take Mike’s advice are sure to be set up for later in life!
Meanwhile in South Africa, cloud accounting software Xero made a media splash with its arrival in the country, timed perfectly with the release of some interesting research on the local small business economy.
Xero was featured on Forbes, Fin24, Cape Talk Radio and Radio 702, Africa Biz, Ideate, Mzanzi Life, Engineering News and BusinessTech. The company was also featured on TV stations ANN7 and CNBC Africa and websites htxt.africa, CFO South Africa, Gadget, IT-Online, IT Web Online and IT Web Africa. And they got coverage in prominent newspapers the Sowetan, Die Beeld and City Press.
Recruitment finance provider Sonovate released some research in May that showed that the demand for contract and permanent hires was increasing rapidly among UK fintech companies.
These results of the research were broadly covered in the fintech and recruitment press with publications such as Finextra, Recruitment International, Recruitment Buzz and IT Pro Portal, to name but a few, running with the story.
With new figures from the Office for National Statistics showing that the number of people coming to the UK for long-term study has fallen to its lowest level in eight years, provider of specialised international educational programmes Study Group, MD HE UK & Europe, James Pitman, noted his concern at the falling figures. In a letter that was covered by the Financial Times, and The Times (that covered it twice!) he urged the government to step in and protect this valuable sector.
If your company also achieved some great things in May, but no one knows about it, you probably need a B2B content marketing agency. Contact our CEO Heather. She’ll know how to get you the media attention you deserve.


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New evidence reveals widespread airtime theft and fraudulent WASP subscriptions on Vodacom’s network and shows that the company failed to act decisively against the criminals.
The latest evidence follows an industry investigation which revealed airtime theft on a mass scale from Vodacom’s prepaid customers.
What sets the latest evidence apart is that it comes from a prominent company which uses machine-to-machine communications and IoT devices with prepaid SIMs from Vodacom.
It is therefore impossible for these SIMs to pro-actively subscribe to WASP services, which means this data provides conclusive evidence of fraudulent subscriptions and airtime theft.
The company’s chief executive, who asked to remain anonymous because of his relationship with Vodacom, told MyBroadband hundreds of their SIMs have been hit by airtime theft.
The company experienced theft on both brand-new SIMs and SIMs which have been in devices for years.
He said Vodacom refuses to acknowledge any problem and added that it is very difficult to get refunds for the stolen airtime.
Only around 5% to 10% of the airtime theft which they logged with Vodacom were refunded.
He said it requires considerable effort to get a refund, which is further complicated as it is impossible to approach Vodacom with a list of SIMs from which airtime was stolen.
“You need to phone in as a single prepaid customer and go through the motions of trying to convince them that the SIM is in a device with no human access,” he said.
“You have to hound them repeatedly to get the refund to be processed, and you often just give up after a while.”
The evidence further showed that the same WASPs continue to steal airtime from SIMs long after it was reported to Vodacom.
The data provided to MyBroadband stretches back for many months and conclusively proves:
- There is widespread fraud and airtime theft on Vodacom’s network to this day.
- Vodacom was made aware of this fraud and airtime theft, for a long time, but failed to act decisively.
- The same companies continue to steal airtime from Vodacom’s subscribers.
A look at the data
The data in the table below are all from prepaid Vodacom SIMs installed in machine-to-machine and IoT units.
“There’s no way anyone has pulled out the SIM and subscribed to anything. We even detect and log when a SIM is removed from the device,” the CEO said.
Prepaid SIMs do not get invoices, but the company has developed its own logging mechanism which records airtime changes and subscriptions.
Through this platform each SIM’s airtime is checked regularly through USSD commands.
The company also continually runs USSD commands to query if there are any subscriptions.
If an illegal subscription is detected, the name is logged, and the service is removed using a USSD command.
He said most of the subscriptions are detected before significant losses are incurred, but occasionally they catch one that has R100 or more stolen.
The table below shows some of the airtime theft detected on hundreds of SIMs over the past two months alone.
It should be noted that this is only a small sample of the true extend of the fraud.
|Airtime theft on M2M SIMs|
|Detected Date||Estimated loss per SIM||Subscription Name|
|21/08/2020 20:58||R21.00||Amapiano Jingle|
|18/08/2020 10:18||R16.00||Ha a Mfa|
|09/07/2020 15:50||R2.40||Doce Vida ft DJ Tarico|
|06/07/2020 05:25||R13.00||Don’t change|
|15/06/2020 18:08||R42.00||Entertainment Content|
|03/06/2020 07:20||R4.00||Doce Vida ft DJ Tarico|
|03/06/2020 07:20||R5.00||Mum & Baby Premium|
|01/06/2020 02:16||R6.00||The only One|
The evidence versus what Vodacom claimed
Over the past few years Vodacom has consistently made a few claims regarding fraudulent subscriptions and airtime theft on its network.
- It has a zero-tolerance approach to any illegal activity on its network and takes a hard line against perpetrators.
- It investigates this fraud when it becomes aware of it and suspends suspected WASPs during this period.
- Its standard practice is to refund the customer first and then investigate the query later.
- It introduced and enabled content blocking on all M2M and IoT SIMs in December 2018, which prohibits content subscriptions and purchases such as WASP services from these SIMs.
The evidence from this company and from previous cases show that Vodacom’s claims are inaccurate and misleading.
The evidence revealed that despite having been alerted to companies stealing airtime from their subscribers, Vodacom failed to take decisive action against them.
In some cases, companies which have been accused of stealing airtime from Vodacom customers for years continue to do so with impunity.
It therefore shows that Vodacom either does not investigate accusations of airtime theft or does not suspend suspected fraudulent WASPs during this period.
The latest evidence also shows that it is very tough to get a refund – even in the case of M2M and IoT SIMs.
This echoes feedback from other Vodacom subscribers who said they also struggled to get a refund from Vodacom.
In one of the recent reports the victim said Vodacom first tried to blame him and said the unwanted subscriptions were his fault.
He first had to refute numerous false accusations from Vodacom before they were willing to process his refund application. Even after all of this, he still did not receive a refund.
These reports fly in the face of Vodacom’s claim that it “refunds the customer first and then investigates the query later”.
Vodacom’s claim of content blocking on all M2M and IoT SIMs is also brought into question by the latest data.
All the SIMs which were targeted were M2M and IoT SIMs, which clearly shows it is possible to steal airtime from these SIMs through content subscription services.
This raises the question as to why Vodacom is not stopping this fraud which has been plaguing its subscribers for years.
Industry players told MyBroadband that Vodacom does not want to address this fraud as they are making millions in profit from it.
One industry player, who has been operating a WASP for over a decade, told MyBroadband that mobile operators are enabling this fraud and are well aware of it.
“No WASP can take a subscriber’s airtime without the operator fully knowing about it – and enabling it,” he said.
Another industry player said Vodacom has always seen this as a revenue stream despite the misery caused.
“It’s criminal and should be thoroughly investigated,” he said.
MyBroadband asked Vodacom whether any action has been taken against WASPs implicated in airtime theft.
Vodacom said it cannot arbitrarily take action against a commercial partner – WASPs included – without requisite proof or evidence of a contractual breach or fraud.
“Rest assured, should we have this information, we will ensure that appropriate measures are taken,” it said.
Commenting on the issue of refunds for stolen airtime, Vodacom said if it suspects that customers have been defrauded, it will ensure that they are proactively refunded.
“Should we have proof or evidence that customers were incorrectly debited, it follows that we will effect refunds to customers in addition to taking appropriate measures against fraudsters,” it said.
Commenting on the examples that Vodacom is not refunding victims of airtime theft as promised, it said “we cannot comment on examples that we have not had the opportunity to investigate”.
“Our standard Customer Care policy is to effect refunds,” Vodacom said.
“We are fully committed to remedying instances where standard policy has not been adhered to but will naturally need the requisite customer information to do so.”


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In the United Kingdom, employers are being urged to strengthen their commitments to meeting sustainability and net zero goals, or risk an exodus of their younger workers. According to the latest Bupa Wellbeing Index, nearly half (48%) of Gen Z workers — people born between 1996 and 2010 — would consider leaving a job that didn’t make good on its sustainability promises.
Workers indicated they’d be willing to take a 19% reduction in pay — rising to 23% among Gen Z — to work for a company that’s taking action against climate change.
The survey, which explores the state of the UK’s health and wellbeing, found that despite worries around inflation and the cost of living, two-fifths of all workers (42%) would accept a job with lower pay to work for a more ethical organization. That number was even higher for Gen Z workers, rising to 66%. On average, workers indicated they’d be willing to take a 19% reduction in pay — rising to 23% among Gen Z — to work for a company that’s taking action against climate change.
The survey also revealed evidence of the impact of environmental issues on mental health: 42% of workers said a lack of action on social or environmental issues by their employer has a negative effect on their mental health, up from 33% in 2021.
What factors relate to team performance, and how do these relate to the personality and development of individual team members? Read more…
As a result, workers want more input and to see tangible action on sustainability. For just over one in five (21%) workers, it’s not enough for senior leaders to make promises on sustainability without getting input from the wider workforce, rising to 29% among Gen Z.
Fore more than half of Gen Z workers (56%), suggesting sustainable and eco-friendly initiatives to leadership, and seeing them come to fruition, would make them more motivated at work. And they prefer to work with eco-friendly start-ups, rather than sticking with set practices.
“For younger workers, it’s essential that their employer is setting and meeting ambitious sustainability goals that they can see is making tangible change,” said Rachel Murray, Head of Employee Health and Wellbeing at Bupa Global & U. “Many Gen Z workers in particular feel their generation is responsible for protecting the environment – a pressure that can take its toll on wellbeing and mental health in the workplace when they see practices that go against good sustainability action. Giving people more of a direct say in what ESG initiatives they want to see is likely to become more widespread within UK businesses.”
“This research shows that an increasing proportion of the UK workforce is giving businesses a mandate: we must do more to reach our sustainability targets,” commented James O’Reilly, Chief Risk and Sustainability Officer for Bupa Global & UK. “At Bupa, we are committed to our ESG initiatives and have seen first-hand the value of getting our people involved in our sustainability agenda.
“Our advice is to listen to your people and take them on the journey with you to find your sustainable solutions. In turn, this will drive business engagement, performance, talent attraction and retention, particularly within the increasingly important Gen Z workforce.”
— James O’Reilly, Chief Risk and Sustainability Officer, Bupa Global & UK
“Over the last three years, our global eco-Disruptive program has given our people the opportunity to engage with eco start-ups to drive healthcare innovation into our business and help meet our sustainability and net zero targets,” he continued. “For example, our Cromwell Hospital has introduced two eco start-up concepts over the last two years, a device from SageTech Medical that recycles waste anaesthetic gases and Upcycled Medical’s scrubs made of recycled plastic. This has had a positive impact on the hospital as well as created pride in the team of the steps they’ve taken to help make a difference to the planet.
“We know many companies have fast approaching sustainability and net zero targets and now is the time to act,” O’Reilly concluded. “Our advice is to listen to your people and take them on the journey with you to find your sustainable solutions. In turn, this will drive business engagement, performance, talent attraction and retention, particularly within the increasingly important Gen Z workforce.”


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Sitel Group Keynotes, Sponsors CallMiner’s LISTEN 2019 Event for Second Consecutive Year
CX management leader is heavily involved in the annual event with executive keynote, breakout sessions and demos November 4-6
MIAMI, Florida — October 30, 2019 — Sitel Group, one of the largest customer experience (CX) management companies in the world, today announced their executive participation in LISTEN 2019, CallMiner’s annual conference for customer engagement analytics held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida November 4-6, 2019.
As a global CX leader, innovator and analytics expert in the industry, several Sitel Group executives and Sitel Insights team members are presenting at the upcoming event, including:
- Mike Small, CEO – Americas, is delivering an executive keynote track titled, “Listen & Learn: Leveraging Data to Enhance the Human CX,” on Tuesday, November 5 from 12:45-1:30 p.m. In his keynote, he will offer Sitel Group’s vision of technology versus the human experience and how leveraging data insights drives better employee experiences and customer experiences.
- Cris Kueuhl, VP, Analytics & Client Insights, will hold a breakout Expert Session on “Mapping and Identifying Call Flow Efficiencies with Speech Analytics,” on Wednesday, November 6 from 10:35 to 11:20 a.m.
- Blake Harris, Sr. Manager, Analytics & Client Insights, will host two demos on Tuesday, November 5 detailing Sitel Insights’ “Proactive Analytics – Predicting Customer Perceptions with Speech Analytics” from 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. and “Setup & Management of Your Speech Analytics Team” from 3:45 to 4:30 p.m.
- David Angstadt and Chris Hollamby, VPs, Customer Experience Management, will host a demo session in the Demo Theatre on November 5 and 6 from 1:45 to 2:15 p.m. both days. Their demo features Sitel Group’s implementation of CallMiner’s solution, “Optimizing Conversation: Smarter. Faster. More Connected.”
“We’re thrilled to join industry experts, analysts and other thought leaders at LISTEN 2019, CallMiner’s annual conference,” said Mike Small, CEO – Americas, Sitel Group. “At Sitel Group, we continue to push the innovation boundaries between speech analytics and customer experience. The LISTEN 2019 conference is an event where we’ll learn about some of the latest in speech technology software and how we can apply the most innovative solutions to our client’s programs to help them build greater customer loyalty and improve customer experiences.”
As a second-year platinum sponsor of CallMiner’s LISTEN, Sitel Group is a featured exhibitor, providing a chance for attendees to connect with leaders in CX management and learn more about the group’s capabilities and advancements in technology impacting the industry. To learn more about Sitel Group’s participation at the event, click here.
About Sitel Group
Sitel Group’s 75,000 people across the globe connect many of the world’s best-known brands with their customers – 3.5 million times every day. As a global customer experience (CX) management leader, we apply our 30+ years of industry-leading experience and the entrepreneurial spirit of our group’s founders to deliver omnichannel experiences through voice, chat, social media and more to customers of our 400+ clients across all verticals – from Fortune 500 companies to local startups.
Our group’s breadth of capabilities – powered by our ecosystem of experts including Innso, Learning Tribes, Sitel, Sitel Insights and TSC – go beyond business process outsourcing (BPO) to support every stage of the customer journey. We are redefining the contact center and improving business results by pairing innovative solutions – such as self-care and automation – with the human touch, emotion and empathy of our people.
As a CX platform, we are powered by experts to deliver tailored CX solutions to fit our clients’ needs through our consultative, customer-centric approach adding value at every touchpoint – regardless of location, channel or time of day.


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Google Android are almost as well-known for their ‘little green man’ mascot as they are for their smartphone and tablet computer operating system and the periodic ‘candy’ naming process of its latest versions, but it has been revealed that the corporate look of the brand could have differed completely based on the initial concept.
Google executive Dan Morrill recently showed off on Google+ his in-house work from 2007 that was being considered as the ‘concept illustration’ behind the Android logo.
He claims to be the designer of the four colourful robots, known as ‘Dandroids’ after their creator, in the typical red-blue-green-yellow variations (that would have matched Google’s colours), but were dropped in favour of the ‘Bugdroid’ concept shortly after, a design which has stuck to this day.
Morrill noted of the drawings: “They had a brief flurry of minor popularity amongst the team – enough to pick up the nickname ‘Dandroids’, anyway. But then Irina Blok (as I recall) presented her work: the Bugdroid we all know and love. Funny how the professional work is of vastly higher quality than the amateur, isn’t it? Even so, these guys [Dandroids] have the distinction of being the first proposed mascots for Android (that I’m aware of, at least).”
Sega have Sonic the Hedgehog, McDonalds have Ronald McDonald, and every sports franchise or event under the sun has one, so a mascot is obviously a key part of establishing an identity, so did Google’s Android division make the right call in choosing ‘Bugroid’ over their more generic alternatives?


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In its first-quarter earnings report published on Tuesday, Starbucks beat analyst expectations for the last three months. So why is its stock suffering?
It doesn’t take much effort, but it can significantly boost your savings.
Amazon became the second U.S. company in a week to join the trillion-dollar club, while Apple and Tesla smashed expectations; Disney is suffering from the coronavirus situation, Facebook is in trouble — again, and more earnings news.
General Motors has confirmed that it will be unveiling a new electric vehicle in a Super Bowl commercial to compete with Tesla’s Cybertruck
While Alphabet recently became the third U.S. member of the trillion-dollar valuation club, it may take some time yet to find the next candidate.
Hong Kong Disneyland joins Shanghai Disney in shutting down over the weekend in light of a respiratory virus that has claimed 80 lives — and counting. It could be a long year for the media giant.
After a number of lean years for Swedish telecom firm Ericsson, it looks like the company is ready to get back to the top with its 5G rollout
Facebook, Tesla, Microsoft, Paypal, and Align all announced their earnings yesterday. Let’s check out how their stocks have been doing
Luckin Coffee is opening stores in China at a rapid pace to compete with Starbucks, but is its business model sustainable?
In fact, a smaller store base seems to have weakened the ones remaining in operation.


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Published — Friday 12 July 2013
Last update 12 July 2013 2:11 am
NEW YORK: Microsoft is reshuffling its business in a move that it says will allow it to innovate faster and focus on devices and services.
The move by the world’s largest software maker comes amid a steady decline in PC demand as people turn to tablets and other mobile devices.
Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer said in a memo to employees that the changes mean the company is “rallying behind a single strategy” and organizing the company by function.
Microsoft’s new divisions include engineering, marketing and business development. The company named Julie Larson-Green the head of its devices and studios engineering group, overseeing hardware development and games, music and entertainment.
Terry Myerson will lead its operating systems and engineering group, namely Windows.
Ballmer said he was streamlining the software and media company around devices like phones and game consoles and services in its first major overhaul in five years.
The shakeup of the world’s largest software company will result in eight division based on their functions.
Under the reorganization, Kurt DelBene, president of Microsoft Office, will retire, Microsoft said in a statement on its website.
Ballmer said he hoped the new structure would bring products to the market faster and make the company more efficient.
The company is trying to entice people to use Microsoft products, like Word and Office, on a variety of devices rather than just personal computers.
Microsoft has been struggling with sharply declining personal computer sales that cut into its software sales as well as a lukewarm reception for its new Windows 8 operating system.
Ballmer, who took over as CEO from co-founder Bill Gates in 2000, said he wants the company to be more like Apple Inc. The maker of the iPhone and iPad has roared past Microsoft in sales and stock market value in the past few years by smoothly melding its devices with online services such as iTunes.
Microsoft’s last significant reorganization came in July 2008, when Ballmer split the ‘Platforms & Services Division’ into three separate units — Windows, Online Services and Server and Tools. The head of the unit, Kevin Johnson, left Microsoft to join Juniper Networks Inc. JNPR.N, largely taking the blame for the failed attempt to buy Yahoo.


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A Boston developer has filed plans to build a 118-foot residential and retail building along Congress Street in Boston’s Fort Point Channel neighborhood.
Gate Residential LLC submitted documents to the Boston Redevelopment Authority indicating it wants to build 40 residences with a ground-floor restaurant or other retail store at 338 Congress St. The property is currently used as a parking lot.
If approved, the project would be the latest of several new residential buildings in the neighborhood. The Fort Point Channel, along with the broader South Boston Innovation District, has attracted construction of scores of new homes in recent months.
The project proposed by Gate Residential will require zoning relief, although the company’s filing indicates it is designed to be consistent with guidelines to preserve the historic character of the neighborhood.
The Fort Point Channel is filled with turn-of-the-century brick warehouses and factories that have made it an appealing destination for new residents, artists, and a broad array of companies.
Gate Residential recently built a large apartment community called Maxwell’s Green in Somerville and it is developing a similar complex along Route 1 in Chelsea.
The company indicated that it intends to submit more detailed plans for the Congress Street proposal to the BRA in October.Casey Ross can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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(WOIO) - Sears is shutting down between 100 and 200 Sears and Kmart stores.
The company is blaming terrible holiday sales.
Sears reported poor sales in both consumer electronics and home appliance sales. Kmart's declining sales were blamed on a drop in clothing and consumer electronics sales.
Sears says closing stores and selling the inventory will generate up to $170 million dollars in cash.


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Dayton-area microbrewery to make more beer
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One of Dayton’s top microbreweries is expanding the capacity of its brewing system.
Yellow Springs Brewery, which has had a warm reception in southwest Ohio with restaurants and bars all over the region serving its brews, will increase its brewing capacity by more than 50 percent, and is also leasing additional space to make room for the new equipment, said co-owner Lisa Wolters.
The brewery is adding two 15-barrel fermenting tanks and one 15-barrel brite tank, Wolters said. The brewery currently has a seven-barrel system, including a seven-barrel brew kettle, with seven fermenters. The new fermenters, which hold two batches of a beer, will help satisfy demand for the brewery’s most popular beers, and enable the company to continue to expand its distribution.
Wolters said the best selling beers so far have been the Captain Stardust saison, and the two IPAs.
To make room for the new fermenters, the brewery is leasing almost 1,000 square feet of additional storage space next door, where it will move some of its kegs and other materials. The current brewery and taproom is about 4,000 square feet.
The brewery is also preparing a secret new beer for its one-year anniversary in mid-April, which it will release after the owners return from the Craft Beer Conference in Denver, hopefully bearing trophies for the four beers they are entering in the World Beer Cup.
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In the US, Facebook is facing a wave of antitrust lawsuits that should also shed light on VR’s business practices. According to the report, the US Department of Justice is currently addressing virtual reality developers who accuse Facebook of abusing its dominant market position.
Facebook Facebook is doing a lot of interesting things today: insiders report that several US federal prosecutors are planning to file lawsuits against Facebook next week. At least 20-30 states should participate in the antitrust lawsuit, CNBC writes.
The Federal Trade Commission( FTC), the federal agency that is responsible for consumer protection, is also due to file charges next week. The focus is on the takeover of Instagram and Whatsapp.
Facebook’s Facebook business activities have long been under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, and now it is in talks with developers and manufacturers of virtual reality products who accuse Facebook of unfair competition, Bloomberg reports.
Facebook’s market dominance is growing rapidly
VR market watchers know: Facebook is going to establish a monopoly on virtual reality. Facebook’s Facebook glasses are increasingly dominating the virtual reality market, and with Oculus Quest 2, Facebook has unveiled a self-contained device that should have a long-term impact on the virtual reality industry. Strong competition is not expected: the largest competitor Sony recently announced a temporary withdrawal from the VR market.
Facebook Facebook Facebook’s VR ambitions are both a blessing and a curse for developers: on the one hand, Facebook, as the most important driver of virtual reality, has significantly expanded the market, so that some developers are already making good money on their games and apps, on the other hand, Facebook’s VR platform is now so important as a source of revenue that it is becoming difficult for developers to make a profit outside of the Oculus store. This is how Facebook gains more power over the market and developers.
At the center of the antitrust lawsuits is Facebook’s aggressive business practices: competitors are either captured or copied until they are pushed out of the market.
Three developers and a manufacturer of virtual reality glasses accuse Facebook of abusing its dominant position in the virtual reality market and applying these strategies to the VR market. It is alleged that Facebook is stealing ideas, pushing rival VR apps out of the Oculus store, and dropping prices on VR devices.
Founder leaves his own startup under pressure
Cix Liv, co-founder of the startupYur, is one of these three developers. His company has released a fitness tracker for virtual reality glasses. According to him, the startup spent several months meeting the requirements of the Facebook store, but in the end was refused. Currently, the app is only available on other VR platforms, such as Steam and Sidequest.
Liv accuses Facebook of making the fitness tracker unusable due to a software update and launching its own solution — the Oculus Move fitness tracker. “Facebook is eating the industry alive,” Liv told Bloomberg. “It kills any app that could start competing.”
The company’s founder is said to have been kicked out of his own startup after he made allegations against Facebook on Twitter. Facebook’s Facebook investment company, VR Venture Reality Fund, reportedly pressured him not to criticize Facebook because they hoped that in the future, Facebook might absorb Yur or other startups that the company had invested in.
Facebook forces developers to remove feature
Guy Godin had a similar experience. The developer of the popular Virtual Desktop VR app is accusing Facebook of stealing the idea of accessing the virtual desktop and releasing it for free under the same name for its own PC VR platform.
But that’s not all: in the summer of 2019, Godin released an update for Virtual Desktop, which provides wireless streaming of computer VR games in Oculus Quest. Facebook forced the developer to remove the feature, citing quality issues. Since 90 percent of its revenue comes from the Oculus store, Godin complied with the request. Since then, the streaming feature must be downloaded from an alternative platform.
Godin believes that Facebook wanted to remove this feature because the company is working on its own free streaming solution over Wi-Fi . “They want to control everything,” Godin tells Bloomberg. “When there is only one company, it will be difficult for a developer to survive.”
Fear of Facebook’s Market Power
Another Facebook critic is Bigscreen CEO Darshan Shankar. Bigscreen is one of the most popular VR apps that lets you watch videos and movies together in virtual rooms.
The startup has been offering film screenings in virtual cinemas since 2018. Since the startup has to pay studios high fees for movie rentals, and Facebook requires another 30 percent of sales, Bigscreen suffers losses with literally every show. Shankar claims that he wanted to negotiate with Facebook, but to no avail.
A few years ago, he received takeover offers from Facebook, which increasingly turned into threats. “They told me to join them because they will create the same thing and destroy us,” Shankar wrote on Twitter.
Facebook Facebook Developer:”Every VR developer is afraid to talk about Facebook, because we fear that Facebook will do us even more harm and make survival even more difficult.”
Price dumping puts competitors at a disadvantage
Paris-based startup Lynx is developing self-contained mixed reality glasses designed for companies and using components similar to Oculus Quest 2. CEO and founder Stan Larroch believes that Facebook is generously subsidizing virtual reality glasses, and estimates losses of $ 50 per device. Facebook wants to usurp the virtual reality market with unbeatable prices. The price tag doesn’t allow smaller manufacturers to compete with Facebook.
“The message is: we are Facebook, and we don’t care if we make money. We will flood the market, and soon virtual reality will become a Facebook reality, ” Larroc says.
Now the critics are coming together and organizing. In September, 40 virtual reality developers met and discussed an open letter to Facebook calling for more transparency about the store’s rules and additional benefits for developers. The group also wants to partner with an organization that publicly represents their rights and views.


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MetaBank signs partnership agreement with hyperWALLET
Meta Payment Systems has signed an agreement to partner with hyperWALLET Systems.
Meta Payment Systems, the payment solutions division of MetaBank, has signed an agreement to partner with hyperWALLET Systems, a Canada-based provider of domestic and international mass payment solutions.
Under the agreement, Meta Payment Systems will become hyperWALLET’s second issuing bank in the US, issuing corporate payment cards and facilitating ACH payments for their business clients.
Lisa Shields, CEO of hyperWALLET, said: “We were looking for an issuing partner that was able to meet our needs and who understands the regulatory landscape in the US, and MetaBank was just that partner.”
Brad Hanson, president of MetaBank, said: “This partnership makes sense on so many levels. With our infrastructure in place and strong focus on compliance, we are able to provide a scalable solution to our partners. hyperWALLET and MetaBank are both dedicated to providing service that is timely and cost-effective for all parties.”


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Issuing conclusions on the U.S. auto rescue plan, the Obama administration asks that General Motors' CEO step aside and that tech leadership be part of restructuring.
Sarah Lacy correctly derides the idea that VCs need government funding.
Nadya Suleyman, the woman who already had 6 children but had fertility treatment that brought her 8 more, has launched a site so that you can give her money.
Mozilla has proved that open-source competition works better than open-source bailouts. A Firefox architect doubts that forcing Microsoft to bundle rival browsers would yield the right outcome.
IBM, Google, and other technology companies have been lobbying for U.S. federal spending to be directed their way. This is a bad idea, and out-of-keeping with how technology companies have traditionally sought investment.
If Uncle Sam's willing to part with billions to prop up the likes of Rick Wagoner's General Motors, how long before Michael Dell asks what about him?
Bailing out open-source software companies to the tune of $2 billion is a really bad idea. Attempting to fix something that isn't broken is worrisome.
Breakdown over labor wages derails multibillion loan package to U.S. automakers, who have been expected to invest in technologies such as plug-in electric cars.
Taiwanese government has responded to an ailing industry by offering loans, according to a variety of reports.
Congress and the White House hammer out the details on $15 billion in emergency loans to General Motors and Chrysler, a bill that could be--or not be--signed within days.


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Tyson Ventures Invests in New Wave Foods
New Wave Foods is focused on producing plant-based shellfish and plans to have a shrimp alternative ready for food service operators in early 2020
Tyson Foods, Inc., through its corporate venture subsidiary, Tyson Ventures, has completed an investment in New Wave Foods®. Based in San Francisco, New Wave Foods is focused on producing plant-based shellfish and plans to have a shrimp alternative ready for food service operators in early 2020.
New Wave’s product is based on co-founder and chief technology officer, Michelle Wolf’s extensive collaboration with a team of some of the very best, most experienced R&D professionals in the US. This eclectic team included leading food scientists as well as academics. The company’s first offering, a plant-based shrimp, is made with sustainably sourced seaweed and plant protein, and contains all 8 essential amino acids that are found in all meats and seafoods. It also contains no allergens, zero cholesterol and is lower in both calories and salt than real shrimp.
New Wave Foods is currently expecting to announce the launch of its Series A round in the near future.
In June, Tyson Foods announced its own alternative protein products under the Raised & Rooted® brand, led by Justin Whitmore, executive vice president of alternative proteins and chief sustainability officer for the company. The initial Raised & Rooted® products include nuggets made from plants, available in 5,000 retail stores by the end of September, and blended burgers made with a combination of beef and plants that will be available this fall.
Tyson Ventures was launched in December 2016 and is focused on investing in promising entrepreneurial food businesses that are pioneering new products or technology.


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After running what they fancied to be a corner bar of coffee shops for four years, a Denver duo is twisting the concept for a second location in RiNo.
New restaurant coming to Breckenridge’s Peak 7
Skiers and snowboarders soon will have a new dining option at 11,000 feet. Vail Resorts announced it will build a 490-seat food court-style restaurant at the top of Breckenridge’s Peak 7 in its quarterly report, which the company filed with the SEC yesterday. John Buhler, Breckenridge’s COO, said the restaurant will bridge the gap between… Read more »
Startup hopes to introduce home-grow device in 2017
Former college buddies Fred Lindseth and Jeremy Harlam have landed a $20,000 investment from Boulder accelerator CanopyBoulder to develop a mini-fridge-sized grow house that will feed and water plants so the grower doesn’t have to.
Yoga elevated: Evergreen studio uses suspended hammocks
Now open in Evergreen: a studio that practices a discipline where students perform yoga poses while suspended in the air from a cloth hammock.
Cannabis Cup can’t make Pueblo work
High Times Magazine, rejected by Adams County, withdrew its Pueblo application because of a time crunch.
Topo navigates women’s clothing
After tripling its number of storefronts last year, a Denver clothing brand wants to double its customer base by adding a women’s line.
SIMS snowboards gets new life
SIMS contracted Never Summer to make 675 boards for the 2015-16 season to test the market’s reception to new SIMS boards. The boards come in two models: the all-mountain Blade and the freestyle Juice, both priced at about $500.
LoDo bar serves mixed drinks right from the tap
Retro Room owner buys the former Armoury bar, renames it Sidecar
Greeley restaurateur leases outpost on 16th St. Mall
After 17 years opening eateries in the northern Front Range, Richard Lucio is ready to do the same in Denver. The 54-year-old restaurateur, who’s opened three locations around Greeley and Fort Collins, is bringing the Southwest to the 16th Street Mall when he opens Blue Agave in May. He opened the original Blue Agave two… Read more »
Broadway bookseller downsizes amid rising rents
After spending 10 years nestled in a storefront along Broadway’s Antique Row, a Denver antique bookseller is starting a new chapter.


text: PYI Corp, a port and infrastructure investor, will bid for a 12 per cent stake in Nantong port near Shanghai as it boosts investment in the mainland logistics industry. PYI owns 45 per cent of the port and the stake on offer is valued at 190 million yuan (HK$216.83 million). On Thursday, the firm agreed to buy a 51 per cent stake in Yichang port on the Yangtze River for 149 million yuan. The Nantong stake was for sale on the China Beijing Equity Exchange until the end of the month, PYI deputy chairman Tom Lau Ko-yuen said yesterday. The exchange is a platform for state-owned companies to sell stakes in themselves. 'We are very interested in buying the stake and confident that the deal can be finished by the end of this month,' Mr Lau said. Nantong port contributed 34 million yuan in net earnings to the company last year. While increasing its investment in port projects, PYI will continue to focus on land sales as its port operations are still in the early stages. Mr Lau said the company was selling a site of 2 square kilometres on a reclaimed island opposite Yangkou port for a natural gas power and petrochemical project. The potential buyers are Singapore's Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings and PetroChina. PetroChina has bought a 90,000 square metre site on the island. The land sale is expected to provide a significant revenue boost. The book value, or the cost that the company paid for the land, was 100 yuan per square metre, said Mr Lau, without providing a potential selling price. In addition, the company is expected to book revaluation gains on its 75 per cent-owned Yangkou port. Only 10 per cent of the 42 sq km land bank at the port has been marked to market and that generated HK$278 million in one-off gains in the fiscal year to March. Separately, PYI signed a memorandum of understanding with three port operators to form a joint venture. The venture aims to increase its market share of cargo throughput on the Yangtze River to 30 to 40 per cent from 15 per cent now. Chaotianmen port in Chongqing is set to rebuild its passenger ferry pier while Hongxikou in the same city is designated for iron ore and coal shipments. Jiangyin port, next to Suzhou, is revamping its shareholding structure and is dedicated to handling raw materials. Shares of PYI fell 5.56 per cent to 68 HK cents at yesterday's close.


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Bosses: million-pound exec pay "hurting image of UK business"
SME leaders across the UK think excessive pay for those at the top is the biggest threat to the reputation of British firms
Public views of Britain’s leading corporations are severely blighted by the large pay packages awarded to executives, according to a new survey of business leaders. A poll of more than 1,000 SME bosses conducted on behalf of campaign group the High Pay Centre found that 52% of respondents admitted excessive pay deals were the biggest cause of diminished trust between the public and big business. And 48% either agreed, or strongly agreed, that falling trust in business was a critical threat to the success of their own companies. Only 26% felt it was not important.
Underlining the severity of the threat, the reputational risks from excessive pay ranked higher than product mis-selling or negative coverage of business in the media.
High Pay Centre director Deborah Hargreaves said her organisation’s findings demonstrate that “outside the boardrooms of big corporations, ordinary small and medium-sized business owners are as appalled by the culture of top pay as anybody else”. She added: “When big business leaders rake in seven or eight-figure pay packages every year – including massive bonuses regardless of company performance – we are clearly seeing a corporate governance failure, rather than a fair and functional free market. Ordinary workers, customers and wider society, not to mention shareholders, are being ripped off.”
The Centre – established by the High Pay Commission in 2011 to tackle the “corrosive” bonus culture in multinationals and blue-chip firms – said that the disparity between what top executives and average workers earn had been growing for 30 years. According to the new poll, 54% of respondents believe the process of building a successful company should be the top priority for a business executive, compared to 13% who admitted they were mainly motivated by financial reward.
Government assistance has also been sought to redress the balance by forcing listed firms to give shareholders a binding vote on directors’ pay. As of 2013, the law required support from more than 50% of investors to approve bosses’ remuneration plans.
Despite that, big businesses have still found ways of delivering high salaries to their bosses. HSBC – currently engulfed in a tax-evasion scandal – revealed last week that its boss Stuart Gulliver was paid £7.6 million in 2014, while chairman Douglas Flint’s total pay increased to £2.5m. Similarly, Lloyds – saved by the taxpayer during the financial crash – is set to pay its chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio total annual remuneration of £11m.
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According to a report in the Guardian, employees have been asked to sign these new terms, which include removal of the right to a 30 minute paid lunch break.
The new contractual terms also include the removal of cash incentives for becoming manager or partner of the year in favour of the award of a plaque and the removal of a bonus scheme for women returning after they have had a baby because “it is not considered a valued benefit”.
It will also see the removal of sick pay for the first day that a member of staff is ill.
In a statement, Starbucks said:
“Employee pay and benefits are one of the largest investments we make in our business, and the decisions we have taken over the past few months have been about finding the right way to structure packages so that they are balanced across pay, benefits and development.”
It has been reported that Starbucks has told staff that the changes followed a review of other businesses “to consider the competition and the norms in benefits packages”.
Commenting on the removal of sick pay, Starbucks apparently told its staff that funding sick pay from the first day of illness “leads to a considerable cost for the company”. It added:
“It is not just the financial cost of paying partners for their sickness absences we have considered but also the impact this has on partners left to run the shift.”
On paid 30-minute lunch breaks, it said:
“We considered that many businesses don’t pay for lunch breaks. It is meant to be a break from work to have lunch and we therefore believe the long break should not be paid. We have decided to keep the 10-minute break paid as this is for a short-relief break for shifts of four hours or more”.
Following the news, Debi O’Donovan, Editor of Employee Benefits magazine, warned:
“Changing benefits is a delicate business. Employers always need to think carefully about what they are taking away, and why. There’s always a risk that they take away something that costs next-to-nothing, but which is valued by employees and the money they save is not worth the negative fall-out.”
It was also revealed that Starbucks plans to introduce a contributory pension scheme that will allow staff to contribute 1% of their salary, which will be matched by the company. A three-month vesting period for life insurance cover will also be removed.


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USDA Makes Lamb Buy
August 30, 2013
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced the purchase of 1,080,000 pounds of lamb leg roast and lamb shoulder chops at a cost of approximately $4.96 million. This product will be distributed in federal food and nutrition programs.
“American lamb producers will benefit from the purchase of this lamb and the announcement is timely to push the price of lambs above the cost of production,” commented Clint Krebs (Ore.), president of the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI). “The requirement of the program is to strengthen lamb prices at the farm and ranch level and we are very appreciative of the department taking this very much needed action.”
Both companies that submitted bids — Mountain States Rosen LLC and Transhumance Inc. — were awarded contracts from this invitation. The lamb deliveries are scheduled to begin in September.
“With deliveries in September, the winning companies can begin processing to fill the orders promptly,” said Peter Orwick, ASI executive director. “Most of the deliveries have to be made prior to the year’s end; therefore, putting maximum pressure to buy market lambs and get the orders processed on top of the normal increase for lamb roast orders for Christmas.”
ASI made securing this $5 million purchase a top priority since May to help sheep producers through the weak market situation.
Additional program information can be accessed at www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateJ&page=CPDCommodityPurchaseMeatFish.
- PRODUCER EDUCATION
- AUCTIONS & LAMB PACKERS
- WOOL & PELT


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If you're getting ready to say 'I do' this year – or a loved one is tying the knot in 2018 – you might be interested to hear that one of the biggest wedding hair trends of the year has just been identified.
According to the Pinterest Wedding Report 2018, one hairstyle seems to be particularly popular with brides-to-be right now. And Meghan Markle – who is set to marry Prince Harry in May – already seems to be a fan...
The 'Messy Updo' is set to dominate wedding season this year – at least if inspiration image searches on Pinterest are anything to go by.
Pinterest's annual report identifies all the big trends that users are into, covering everything from wedding dress styles to food choices.
Yep, searches for the look are up a whopping 1,247% year on year.
Here are some of the most popular pins below to give you a little inspiration.
Of course, Meghan's take on the messy updo – which she has worn during a number of public appearances with Prince Harry over the last few weeks – is a little more relaxed than the bridal buns above.
But it's still great to know the look probably has her seal of style approval!


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Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd (HMSI) has launched its three bikes named international Fun bikes CBR1000RR Fireblade, CB100R and the new CBF Stunner PGM-FI in Mumbai.
Honda is planning to expand the fun biking culture among the youngsters with the launch of these bikes.
The CBF Stunner PGM-FI will hit the roads by first week of June. It will be available in two stylish colours- CBR Red and CBR Silver Metallic. The bike has been priced at Rs68, 830 in Mumbai. The big bikes CBR1000RR and CBR1000R have been priced at Rs13, 36,960 and Rs10, 21,460 respectively in Mumbai. The prices mentioned are ex-showroom.
Posted On : 5/29/2009 11:45:56 AM


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Mobile gamers rejoice. Apple’s latest flagship device, the iPhone 5S, will enhance the possibilities of mobile gaming.
Apple’s recently unveiled iPhone 5S sports many excellent features including a fingerprint sensor and an improved camera. Still, the best feature of the iPhone 5S is its new A7 chip that is twice as fast as its predecessor.
The 64-bit processing chip will make the device more responsive and faster, therefore it will bring new possibilities to mobile game developers.
Interestingly, a mobile game was the first demonstration at the Cupertino event. The game was Infinity Blade III developed by ChAIR Entertainment and expected to launch on September 18.
According to Geremy Mustard, technical director and co-founder at ChAIR Entertainment, Infinity Blade III was designed with the new A7 chip in mind. He also added that, the unmatched power of the iPhone 5S and the A7 chip, combines full-screen rendering effects and provides an excellent smooth gaming experience to the gamers.
Donald Mustard, Creative director at ChAIR Entertainment called the iPhone 5S, a true next-gen gaming device that can fit in your pocket.
It is believed that, the introduction of the iPhone 5S will help to reduce the gap between consoles and iOS devices, because this new interface holds the potential to offer supercharged graphic performance, so that users can get a more immersive experience.
Reportedly, Apple’s iPhone 5S would come with the same or better battery life than the iPhone 5.


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Startups looking to sell to Google, Starbucks, and the likes need to develop a comprehensive exit strategy. iStockphoto
Warren Buffet wants it. Google wants it. So does Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. Some of the largest, most influential U.S. companies are looking to acquire small and nimble startups as a way of using up their cash reserves and staying relevant at a time when the pace of innovation is growing exponentially.
Investing in companies, rather than creating or launching new product lines, makes sense at this stage of the recovery, industry experts say. And when it comes to research and development, many companies are looking to buy the technology outright rather than trying to reinvent the wheel with a competing product.
So how can startups—especially those helmed by young entrepreneurs—position themselves to stand out in a crowded field and become attractive acquisitions?
“Don’t claim to be the next Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, etc.,” advises Tina Wells, CEO of Buzz Marketing Group, based in Philadelphia, and a member of the Young Entrepreneur Council. “The success of these companies is not an ordinary happening, and investors won’t take you seriously if you over-promise and under-deliver.”
But keep in mind that we are living in a "Facebook Nation," says Miriam Quart, CEO of Madison Avenue Consortium, a virtual marketing and public relations company in New York. “What Millennials lack in experience, they make up for in their digital-space prowess. And that fits well with big, established companies who lack the cool factor of digital and social-media intelligence.”
And speaking of social media, startups should tap whichever platform (and it’s best if it’s multiple) they’re most comfortable with to create buzz around their companies. “Investors follow trends, and they want to invest in the Next Big Thing. If your company has solid buzz around it, it is more likely to stand out,” explains Benish Shah, vice president of Strategic Digital Media at Global Executive Board, also in New York.
Romy Ribitzky earned her MBA from Tel Aviv University. While studying at the heart of Startup Nation, she ran her first 10K, jumped 15 meters into a pool as part of Israel's toughest hikes, and conquered her fear of Excel. A former editor for Upstart Business Journal, Romy is currently an Editorial Curator with CityBiz.com.
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IDG News Service - The U.S. Department of Justice has begun to look into the way that large operators form exclusivity agreements for popular handsets over concerns that the practice is anticompetitive, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.
According to the report, published online on Monday, the DOJ may be looking broadly at ways that large telecom operators including AT&T and Verizon may be acting anticompetitively. Other issues include ways that operators restrict the kinds of services that can be offered on their networks, the Journal reported.
The DOJ does reveal when it is officially investigating a matter. It hasn't yet in this case, which could mean it is now considering whether to launch an official investigation. The agency did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Some members of Congress have recently expressed their concern over handset exclusivity deals. The Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation held a hearing last month to discuss the effect that long term exclusivity deals have on the wireless market and particularly on people living in rural areas. Smaller rural operators argue that exclusive handset deals turn rural customers into second-class citizens because in some cases they have no option to buy the latest and most popular phones.
Operators like AT&T, which is in the spotlight because its deal for the popular Apple iPhone is unusually long, say that such arrangements promote innovation. AT&T is in the second year of its exclusive arrangement for the iPhone and while the companies haven't revealed how long the deal will last, many people believe it is expected to go on for five years. Before the deal between AT&T and Apple for the iPhone, exclusive agreements more commonly lasted for a period of months, not years.
At the recent hearing, Senator John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, and other senators struggled to understand AT&T's reasoning for how such deals promote innovation.
AT&T is also among operators at the center of the debate over whether wireless operators should be able to forbid certain applications from running on their networks. The operator is not yet supporting picture messaging on the iPhone or tethering, which would let users connect their iPhones to laptops for Internet access on their computers.


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But with so many conflicting reports and questions about Harmony floating around, getting the inside skinny on key details about the OS, including what features it’ll have, when it’ll launch and what phones will run it can be a little tricky. Here to help we’ve created a guide detailing everything you need to know about HarmonyOS.
What is Huawei HarmonyOS?
HarmonyOS is a new operating system developed by Huawei. It was unveiled by Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group, at the company’s Developer Conference in China late last night.
According to Huawei it is a “lightweight” operating system designed to work on multiple different device types including mobile phones, smartwatches, smart screens and cars.
The OS was originally believed to be called Hongmeng. Its launch is believed to be a direct reaction against a recent Executive Order from the US White House against Huawei. The order went out in May and forced numerous tech companies including Google, Intel, ARM and Microsoft to diminish ties with the company. This lead to questions if Huawei’s future smartphones, like the Mate 30, would be able to run Android or access key services like the Google Play Store.
Related: Best Android phones 2019
What features and apps will Huawei HarmonyOS have?
At the moment, not many. HarmonyOS has only just been unveiled and at the moment Huawei’s trying to court developers to the ecosystem by showing off how easy it is to create apps for it.
Specifically Yu said the company hopes to differentiate itself from the competing Android and iOS mobile operating system by making it easier for developers to create single apps that work across every device category covered by HarmonyOS.
“HarmonyOS is completely different from Android and iOS. It is a microkernel-based, distributed OS that delivers a smooth experience across all scenarios. It has trustworthy and secure architecture, and it supports seamless collaboration across devices. You can develop your apps once, then flexibly deploy them across a range of different devices,” explained Yu.
Specifically Huawei claims the OS will have four key selling points for developers. They are:
- Seamless: First-ever device OS with distributed architecture, delivering a seamless experience across devices
- Smooth: Deterministic Latency Engine and high-performance IPC
- Secure: Microkernel architecture that reshapes security and trustworthiness from the ground up
- Unified: Multi-device IDE allows apps to be developed once and deployed across multiple devices
Confused? Don’t worry those are pretty technical pitches. The short version is Huawei wants to make the OS open source to developers and as easy to code on as possible so developers can start making and releasing apps for it ASAP.
When will Huawei HarmonyOS come out?
HarmonyOS 1.0 will initially launch on “smart screen products” at an unspecified point later this year. The first product with it will presumably be the Honor Vision TV.
The company then plans to expand it to run on a “broader range of smart devices, including wearables, and head units for your car,” over the next three years.
Initially the OS will be limited to the Chinese market, where there’s already a developed non-Google and iOS app ecosystem.
What phones will run Huawei HarmonyOS?
At the moment there aren’t any confirmed phones with Harmony OS. Though a report from a Slashgear contributor yesterday suggested a version of the Huawei Mate 30 will feature it. This hasn’t been confirmed by Huawei.
Huawei Mate 30- Android 10/EMUI 10
Huawei Mate 30 pro- Android 10/EMUI 10
Huawei Mate 30 Lite- HongMeng OS* (Chinese model) Android 10/EMUI 10
Launch mid-September#HuaweiMate30Series pic.twitter.com/hjnydT0gI8
— Teme (特米) (@RODENT950) August 8, 2019


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HANNOVER, Germany, April 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tweddle Group Europe, based in Belgium and Italy, will participate in Hannover Messe this year. It is one of the largest fairs in the world, with more than 5,000 speakers over five days and some 200,000 visitors.
The exhibition is devoted to the theme of industry development. Speakers will showcase their latest technologies and services to respond to key industry trends and challenges, focusing on topics such as process automation, digital platforms and drive technology.
Tweddle Group will be present at the Flanders Investment and Trade stand. Flanders Investment and Trade promotes sustainable international business and facilitates relationships through technology transfers and other services. The stand will feature other co-exhibitors such as Vlegel Technology and Ansomat.
"Tweddle Group Belgium was selected as a representative of Flemish innovation in the machinery industry," said Claude Vanbeveren, Tweddle Group Business Development Director. "We are delighted to share that innovation at Hannover Messe and are proud to represent our region at this important event."
The fair will be held from April 17 to 21 in Hannover, Germany.
About Tweddle Group
Tweddle Group, a division of CJK Group, Inc., believes that products should be easy to use, and offers integrated, multi-channel information solutions to support all aspects of the post-sale experience, for product managers, technicians, and most of all , consumers. For more information, visit www.tweddle.com.
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Hello e-commerce lovers!
E-commerce activity is again at 100% after a well-deserved summer. Weather is getting cooler and businesses are facing the last opportunities to improve their performance data, which means a lot of work to do.Here we bring you the latest news of the e-commerce world in order for you to be aware of what is happening out there.
- Hanjin Shipping financial issues are affecting e-commerce worldwide. No doubt this is the news of the week. Because of Hanjin’s default, many of the company ships were not allowed to enter the international ports, due to the inability to assure that the company will pay the associated fees. Hanjin is the 7th biggest shipping company in the world and a continuation of this situation would cause problems to e-commerce companies worldwide.
- DKHS, the leading Market Expansion Services provider with a focus on Asia, has acquired a majority stake of eSweets. This will pave the way for DKHS to become stronger in the Asian e-commerce sector.
- Flipkart is the preferred e-commerce platform in India. A report from research conducted by RedSeer Consulting states that Flipkart is more valued by customers than other e-commerce platforms such as Snapdeal or Paytm. According to the survey respondents, Flipkart is better in key factors like quality, product availability, variety, and price competitiveness.
- Amazon goes for restaurants in Europe. Amazon has launched a restaurant delivery service in the United Kingdom. For now it is just working in some specific areas of London, but if things go well it is very likely that we will see a similar service in other European countries soon. The feature is available through Amazon’s Prime Now app. Read more here.
- And that’s not the only movement made by Amazon lately. They are also working to improve their offline presence in the US by opening 100 pop-up stores across U.S. shopping malls, which is a signal of the importance that omnichannel selling strategy is getting lately.
- Jack Ma, Alibaba’s chairman, will be adviser in a special government committee of Indonesia’s government. This news has brought a wave of optimism to the Indonesian e-commerce sector where there is the greatest number of SMEs, but a significant lack of online presence. Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara stated that they want 8 million SMEs with online presence by 2020.
- Visits from mobiles devices are 8% more likely to result in buying a product. Demandware research shows that customers are visiting more e-commerce stores with two main intents: browsing and buying. While the first one is to get information for a future purchase, the second one is to do the purchase itself.
- Paris retail week was celebrated between the 12th and 15th, gathering more than 1000 e-commerce companies in its 13th edition.
- Barnes & Noble sales decreased by 2% in the first quarter of the year. According to company statements, this is due to the website redesign done in June 2015 that caused a fall both in user traffic and conversion rates. Read More here.
- Brazilians buy a wide diversity of products online. 50% of internet users over 16 years-old inform they had made online purchases in eight different product categories. Read more here.
- Only 28% of Mexican customers buy online. With 50 million of potential buyers, only 14 million currently purchase online. For now e-commerce only means 12% of the total commerce amount. A great potential with very bad performance.
- Also, in Prisync we wrote about Personalization for E-Commerce and we had Utkarsh Tiwari from Peerbits explaining How to Develop an UX-Driven E-Commerce Mobile App.
We end here today. As you see e-commerce is a never-stop sector in which news gives you a nice insight about what is happening, and more importantly, about what is about to happen. Sometimes it seems that bigger companies develop strategies that are impossible for SMEs; however, keeping your eyes open may help you to find a way to introduce similar strategies in your business. Besides, we never know what technology will enable us to do with SMEs in the coming future. The Internet and e-commerce is changing all the time. Do not be afraid of change and try new things to keep your business on the cutting edge.e-commerce news


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Premier backs home-grown
This letter is prompted by the combination of The Guardian’s page-one story of Wednesday, January 20 (“Gone mad”) and your editorial of the same date (“Premier trumpets P.E.I. “good news.”) The lead article complains about inflated prices of imported vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli and peppers and suggests that this will cause islanders to turn to an unhealthy diet and drive them to food banks. No apparent effort was made to identify a counterpoint to the story, such as the opportunity for Islanders to enjoy healthy, homegrown fruits and vegetables which are available in abundance.
During the State of the Province address, our Premier Wade MacLauchlan encouraged Islanders to not become victims of the diminished Canadian dollar, instead we should take advantage of local beets, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, apples, blueberries, cranberries, squash, cabbage and other products, and treat the low dollar as an invitation to spend closer to home.
Eating local produce cuts down on carbon emissions, supports our local economy and helps to reduce our province’s trade deficit, which is a chronic soft spot of our Island economy. What’s more, local food is better for our health, including the mental health benefits that come from seeing winter as a time of plenty and creativity.
This does not require rosecoloured glasses, just the good sense to see the bounty that is hiding in plain sight.
Dr. Bernice Bell, Charlottetown


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The Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF) has announced an update to its IoTivity specification that will enable more smart home IoT devices to communicate with one another. The OCF’s 2.0 specification includes new cloud features that allow end users to control their smart home devices outside the home and adds a layer of security for establishing secure interoperability across its 400-plus member ecosystem.
The update comes two years after the OCF released the first IoTivity spec, which at the time competed with AllSeen Alliance’s AllJoyn standard. The two groups merged in 2016 and made both standards interoperable.
The OCF’s expanded board of directors now includes members from Arris International, CableLabs, Canon, Cisco Systems, GE Digital, Haier, Intel, LG Electronics, Microsoft, Electrolux, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics and Technicolor SA. The OCF announced last week that Haier, Electrolux, Samsung, and LG Electronics plan to release IoTivity-certified products in 2019.
The IoTivity standard was designed to help remove one of the biggest obstacles to smart home device adoption: getting all the devices to work together without the need for multiple smart home “hubs.” It does this by creating standard data schemas that can describe connected devices and their properties to other devices. IoTivity-certified devices are thus able to communicate some information to other connected devices within the house, enabling developers to build solutions for cross-brand and cross-network communication for smart home solutions.
The first iteration of the IoTivity standard lacked security features and was not supported on smaller devices with less processing power. The 2.0 version includes an IoTivity Lite version that can run on a wider spectrum of smaller devices. All told, IoTivity now covers 115 device types, ranging from home appliances, audio systems and lighting.
The standard’s new public key infrastructure (PKI) security model will make it easier for devices to recognize other devices’ IoTivity certification, which the OCF says will further strengthen secure interoperability among the consortium’s certified devices. According to IoT blog Stacy Knows Things, the security feature doesn’t govern how data is stored or transferred between devices.
The specification is part of a wider push to standardize more elements of the consumer-facing IoT and smart home market in hopes of removing obstacles that have stymied consumer adoption. CE heavyweights such as Samsung, Apple, Google, Amazon and others are vying for dominance in the smart home sector by creating device ecosystems, accessed through the smart hub. Standards such as the OCF’s IoTivity, Thread and others look to simplify that increasingly complex world of smart home ecosystems by offering communication and device discovery platforms that work across devices.
“The industry’s lack of a comprehensive compatibility program coupled with the unbounded growth of IoT is widening the gap created by compatibility challenges and limits the full potential of IoT among consumer, enterprise and automotive users,” the foundation said in a blog post. “With the introduction of an enhanced PKI security model and secure cloud management capabilities, the OCF is committed to closing this gap, envisioning a highly secure and open interoperable device ecosystem in which manufacturers are working together to establish a unified standard for developers, end users and everyone in-between.”


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OPPO's Find N3 was awarded the Reliable Folding certification by TÜV Rheinland Greater China. According to TÜV Rheinland, the Reliable Folding certification is a performance evaluation standard introduced by TÜV specifically for foldable screen smartphones.
To achieve the standard, foldables must meet four criteria: physical performance, holding comfort, scene durability test, and 10,000-fold durability.
More than 40 tests are conducted to assess such things as display color accuracy in the bending area, touch response, bend lifespan and creases.
The Find N3 is not the first OPPO foldable to achieve the certification. OPPO's Find N, N2 series, N3 Flip, and other products have already attained the TÜV Rheinland Reliable Folding standard.
Meanwhile, TÜV Rheinland Greater China – the Chinese subsidiary of the testing and certification company – also recently certified XREAL’s new augmented reality (AR) glasses. The XREAL Air 2 and Air 2 Pro were awarded four certificates from TÜV Rheinland Greater China: for color accuracy, eye comfort, low blue light, and flicker free.
Jay Yang, vice president of TÜV Rheinland Greater China Electrical, said: "TÜV Rheinland has been conducting technical research and standard development in the field of AR/VR since 2019, aiming to help the industry pursue higher display performance and a better user experience through multidimensional certification for AR products.
“We are dedicated to fostering more innovation in and expanding the possibilities of the AR ecosystem, driving industry development and providing a healthier and more comfortable experience for consumers.”


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Colgate-Palmolive commits to 100% recyclability of plastic packaging by 2025
ESM - May 24th, 16:28
Colgate-Palmolive Company has committed to 100% recyclability of plastics in packaging across all its product categories by 2025.
The company also revealed that it has made significant strides into its 2020 sustainability goals, which it made last year, and has already achieved 98% PVC-free packaging.
As per one of its 2020 pledges, Colgate has reduced its water use per ton of production by nearly 47% against 2002. It runs an advertisement campaign ‘Save Water’ which employs consumers to "Turn Off the Tap When Brushing”.
It expects to achieve its goal of 100% sustainable palm oil later this year and has already surpassed its greenhouse emissions from its manufacturing process, reducing it by 25% against 2002.
Ian Cook, Colgate's Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "With the help of Colgate People and our suppliers and partners, we are making good progress against our 2020 goals."
“However, our sustainability journey is on-going and as we achieve some of our goals, we are assessing new areas for focus and new targets to strive for so that we can continue building a future to smile about."
Colgate recently announced that its quarterly sales just met analysts' estimates as demand in emerging markets, including Latin America, was below its expectations, sending its shares down 3% in premarket trading.ESM
Wholesale trade sales shrank in real terms in June compared to 2017
17/08/2018 - 09:56
Wholesale trade sales shrank in real, inflation-adjusted terms in June compared with a year earlier and eked out a 0.1% gain for the quarter.
AB InBev launches accelerator to help fund sustainability start-ups
16/08/2018 - 09:36
AB InBev has launched a new green innovation accelerator as it aims to tackle some of the most pressing sustainability issues.
Rob Davies aids embattled sugar industry with higher import duty
15/08/2018 - 10:49
Trade & industry minister Rob Davies has come to the aid of the embattled sugar industry, approving an increase in import duties on sugar.
Mondi to cash in on eco-friendly alternatives
14/08/2018 - 14:08
Over the past decade, Mondi’s strategic focus has been on building capacity, driving efficiency and making well-executed acquisitions. The strategy is paying off for the €7.5bn annual revenue paper packaging group.
Insights into the global poppy seed market
13/08/2018 - 11:49
The global consumption of poppy seed increased over the previous year.


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US President Donald Trump delays China tariffs to ease holiday shoppers’ pain
The Office of the US Trade Representative had announced that a 10 per cent tariff hike would be delayed to Dec 15 for certain China-made goods, including popular Christmas gifts such as cellphones, laptop computers, video game consoles, toys, computer monitors, shoes and clothes.
Hong Kong airport cleans up, flights resume after night of protest chaos
Police showed up for the first time at the airport on Tuesday after multiple days of sit-in protests, which had been largely peaceful.
Protests will lead to 'mainlandisation' of Hong Kong as Beijing seeks to restore control over city, say experts
The escalating crisis in Hong Kong is pitting the city's young protesters squarely against the Chinese leadership in Beijing.
'I just wanted to rescue him,' says food delivery rider who pulled man from truck that flipped
Food delivery rider Muhammad Riau Alfian had just completed a delivery and was heading back to Jurong Point on Saturday morning when he suddenly spotted a commotion.
Probe into car loans aimed at avoiding rules
The Monetary Authority of Singapore and other agencies are tracking loans to buyers from financial and non-financial institutions.
Missing Irish teen Nora Anne found dead, naked in Malaysian jungle
Malaysian police on Tuesday found the body of an Irish teenager who went missing on Aug 4 from a rainforest resort in Negeri Sembilan, where she was holidaying with her family.
Recession or not, there will be more pain ahead
As the global economy goes, so go the forecasts for Singapore's gross domestic product growth.
CPF top-ups, deductions continue for missing man
Central Provident Fund payments and other assistance have been going to a man who has been missing for 23 years because he has yet to be officially declared dead.
Multiple women say opera star Placido Domingo sexually harassed them
His accusers and others in the industry say there is a troubling side to Domingo - one they say has long been an open secret in the opera world.
How safe are your batteries?
Experts say those in laptops and smartphones are less prone to catching fire, compared with those in personal mobility devices.


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NAD finds ameal bp safe, recommends advertising adjustments
NEW YORK The National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus on Tuesday recommended that Calpis USA modify certain advertising claims for the product “ameal bp,” a dietary supplement aimed at aiding in controlling high blood pressure.
NAD determined that the advertiser provided a reasonable basis for claiming that ameal bp has been clinically shown to help maintain healthier blood pressure and that it is safe and has no side effects.
NAD, however, recommended that the advertiser curtail the number of studies used to support the ameal bp product from as many as 15 to the three clinical studies NAD deemed relevant and reliable, and that Calpis should reference a “healthier,” rather than “healthy,” blood-pressure range.
Finally, NAD recommended that the advertiser more prominently, clearly and conspicuously display the qualifier that “ameal bp is not a prescription drug and is not intended to replace your current medications.”
The company, in its advertiser’s statement, said that it appreciates the opportunity to participate in NAD’s self-regulatory process. “Calpis accepts NAD’s decision and will implement NAD’s recommendations in all future advertising for ameal bp,” Calpis said.
Council for Responsible Nutrition adopts DHEA marketing guidelines
WASHINGTON The Council for Responsible Nutrition announced Monday that its members have adopted a new voluntary program for responsible marketing of dehydroepiandrosterone, an ingredient in many sports nutrition products also known as DHEA.
Under the new program, CRN members agreed to refrain from marketing DHEA products as providing benefits like those of general anabolic steroids, such as muscle enlargement and increase strength. They also agreed not to market the products to children because the chemical is unlikely to enhance their performance.
“This is an important step forward in self-regulation by the dietary supplement industry, and we encourage other companies to join our members in following these guidelines,” stated CRN President and CEO Steve Mister said. “It’s disturbing to see some of the ads in magazines or online that promote DHEA as if it were a drug or anabolic steroid, when the fact is existing research has not demonstrated that kind of effect.”
In 2004, Congress enacted the Anabolic Steroid Control Act, which placed a number of steroid precursors on the Controlled Substances List. Congress omitted DHEA from the list, recognizing that it doesn’t enhance performance or lead to the abuse, addiction or side effects that anabolic steroids cause. Unlike anabolic steroids, DHEA is natural and is the most common steroid hormone in the body. The body recognizes when it achieves normal hormone levels and ignores additional DHEA.
“Research demonstrates that in young, healthy adults, supplemental DHEA does not affect testosterone levels and does not provide performance-enhancing benefits, therefore, it should not be marketed as having an anabolic steroid effect,” Mister said.
According to Nutrition Business Journal, U.S. annual sales of DHEA are $49 million, CRN said.
Severe sleep apnea increases risk of death
WASHINGTON Sleep apnea can do more than interfere with a sound sleep—it can also increase risk of death, according to a report.
The report, published in the journal Sleep, was the result of an 18-year study that found sleep apnea increased the risk of death from any cause by causing the person’s health to deteriorate over time.
The research team that conducted the study examined 1,522 men and women aged 30 to 60. Among the control group, the death rate was 2.85 per 1,000 people each year. Among those with mild to moderate sleep apnea, it was 5.54 and 5.42 per thousand, while the rate was 14.6 per thousand among those with severe sleep apnea. More than 40 percent of deaths among those with severe sleep apnea resulted from cardiovascular disease.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute estimates that sleep apnea affects 12 million to 18 million Americans.


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Microsoft’s one more thing for this year’s Gamescom 2015 conference was the news that Halo Wars 2 will be coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 in Fall 2016. The developers of the first Halo Wars, Ensemble Studios have since been disbanded by Microsoft, but have no fear as the wizards over at The Creative Assembly are taking the reigns on the series next entry. Check out the announcement teaser trailer below.
Not much to see other than it’s coming, but there are a few clues worth picking up on. The three Spartans we see are Jerome, Douglas, and Alice, a splinter team from Red team who joined the Spirit of Fire after the Battle of Arcadia. So it looks like we will be continuing the story of the Spirit of Fire, rather than just diving into some other conflict in the Halo universe.


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Morgan Stanley, the world’s fourth-largest investment bank, has been quietly clearing bitcoin futures contracts for clients amid a wider remit to engage cryptocurrencies even further.
After experiencing a 2-day slump during which the price of most cryptocurrencies including bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and Bitcoin Cash declined significantly, the cryptocurrency market has started to recover.
The ripple price surged by 49 percent on Thursday as the cryptocurrency markets made a $177 billion recovery from Wednesday’s low-point.
Psst! Morgan Stanley is Helping Clients With Bitcoin Futures Contracts
Cryptocurrency Market Recovers as Bitcoin, Ethereum, et al. Spike 20%
Ripple Price Surges 49% as Market Shakes Off Wednesday Woes


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Fortress raises $125M in funding to secure software supply chains
Startup Fortress Information Security LLC, whose technology helps protect 40% of the U.S. power grid from cybersecurity risks, has raised $125 million in funding.
Fortress announced the investment today, detailing that it was provided entirely by Goldman Sachs’s private equity group. The company has raised a total of $160 million in funding since launch.
The funding will be used to expand its feature set. “This growth capital infusion will empower us to accelerate the execution of our vision of resilient supply chains,” said Fortress co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Alex Santos.
Founded in 2015, Fortress provides tools that help organizations ensure the software products they are using don’t contain malware or vulnerabilities. The startup says it works with several of the top utilities in the U.S. and helps protect about 40% of the power grid. Fortress also has customers in the public and manufacturing sectors, as well as other areas.
One of the startup’s products, the Fortress Platform, detects potential cybersecurity issues affecting the software products that a company is using. The platform prioritizes the cybersecurity risks that it finds, which helps enterprises tackle the most urgent issues first, and stores relevant technical information in a centralized database.
Fortress provides insight into what components a software product includes. The startup’s platform can detect situations when an application contains open-source code with a known vulnerability, or if one of the application’s components should be updated to a newer version. To spot hacking attempts, Fortress scans software products for signs of malware.
In addition to evaluating the security of an application, the startup can assess how well the supplier that developed the application protects its network from hackers. Fortress can alert a company if one of its software suppliers experiences a data breach. The startup detects more subtle cybersecurity risks as well, such as if some of servers in a software maker’s network are not properly secured and could potentially be compromised by hackers.
It’s already standard practice among enterprises to evaluate their software suppliers’ cybersecurity posture regularly. As part of the process, an enterprise often requests that suppliers share detailed data about their cybersecurity defenses. But such evaluations are often only carried out once or twice a year because they involve a lot of manual work. If a cybersecurity issue emerges at a time when the next evaluation is months away, the issue may go undetected.
Using software to evaluate suppliers allows companies to detect cybersecurity risks faster. Whereas manual supplier assessments are only practical to carry out once or a few times per year, a software tool can monitor a firm’s supply chain on a continuous basis. In addition to Fortress, several other venture-backed startups are working to help companies adopt a continuous approach to supplier cybersecurity monitoring.
Fortress provides its platform alongside a service called the Fortress A2V Library. According to the startup, the service provides cybersecurity data about products from more than 40,000 suppliers.
Fortress A2V Library customers can receive notifications if a vulnerability is found in a product they are using or there’s a hacking campaign targeting the product’s users. Software suppliers, in turn, can use the service to share cybersecurity risk assessments with users.
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